《The Quest for Immortality》


 Chapter 3: The Array Master

    Mo Hua woke up at the hour of the Rabbit and started his routine cultivation.An hour later, after concluding his practice, he headed to the classroom to await instruction.


    Instructors in the sect are collectively called "educators" and teach Outer Sect disciples various disciplines including cultivation, array formation, pill concoction, and artifact forging, while also supervising and guiding their practice.


    Like other sects in the cultivation world, the Tongxian Sect also categorizes disciples into three types: direct disciples, Inner Sect, and Outer Sect.


    The Outer Sect is open to the public for the purpose of teaching and cultivating new practitioners, funded by the disciples'' entrance fees, which are essentially tuition. Outer Sect disciples learn the publicly available teachings of the sect, and upon graduation or departure, they retain a nominal relationship with the sect but are not materially bound to it.


    The Inner Sect is the core of the sect, where disciples are deeply integrated and manage the sect¡¯s enterprises such as spirit mines, spirit lands, caves, and commercial operations.


    Inner Sect disciples have access to teachings and spells not typically shared outside, bonded by a master-disciple relationship that ties them closely to the sect. Misdeeds by an Inner Sect disciple can implicate the sect, and those who betray their masters are often seen as committing a grave transgression, with severe consequences.


    Direct disciples of the sect are the Inner Sect¡¯s elite, either blood-related to the sect leader or elders or having a deep master-disciple relationship. Direct disciples are the core of the sect, often ascending to crucial positions such as sect leader or elder.


    The teachings of the direct disciples include the sect¡¯s most esoteric doctrines, and if a direct disciple betrays the sect, they are hunted down to death.


    The Dao Law prohibits vigilante justice and indiscriminate killing. Pursuing a betraying direct disciple goes against these laws and will bring accountability from the Dao Court. However, such matters are typically managed by local Dao Court authorities. The Dao Court, being the most powerful, does not interfere directly in such affairs, especially concerning major sects with significant influence.


    But none of this concerned Mo Hua much.


    He was just an Outer Sect disciple of the Tongxian Sect, neither of the Inner Sect nor a direct disciple. Even if he wished to be targeted, he was not considered significant enough...


    Mo Hua longed to join the Inner Sect, but without spirit stones or connections, it seemed unlikely in this lifetime, let alone becoming a direct disciple.


    Settling into his seat, Mo Hua focused his mind until a stern-looking educator, around fifty years old and of the ninth level of Qi cultivation, entered the room.


    Among the Tongxian Sect, this educator held a high position because he alone taught array formations and was rumored to possibly become a ranked Array Master within a few years.


    All Qi-cultivation phase disciples learned their array formations from him, regardless of their background. He treated all equally; making no exceptions in reprimanding or disciplining those who erred.


    Thus, the disciples both respected and feared him.


    Annual tuition was due once a year, hence classes were held annually.


    Today was the last day of the sect''s annual training. After today, a month-long break would commence. The disciples'' grades for various courses would also be released today.


    The educator held a stack of report cards in his hand.


    The disciples were anxious. Mo Hua was initially indifferent, but seeing his peers¡¯ nervousness made him anxious as well.


    Soon, Mo Hua received his grades.


    As usual, he excelled in array formations, earning the highest grade, an ''A''. In the Tongxian Sect, not many could achieve such a grade in arrays, and Mo Hua was among the few.


    His cultivation was rated ''B''. It wasn¡¯t for lack of effort but because his innate talents were limited. With a mediocre Five Elements spiritual root, his progress was constrained.


    For other subjects that could be mastered with time, like the History of Dao or Theories of Qi Cultivation, he also scored ''A''s. However, for subjects requiring materials purchased with spirit stones, like pill concoction or talisman making, he scored ''B''s and ''C''s.


    Coming from a poor family, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t even afford a proper alchemy furnace. His grades in these subjects depended mostly on luck and were inconsistent.


    But overall, his performance was commendable. As the saying goes, "one brilliant trait overshadows many flaws." Excelling in the difficult art of array formations was no small feat.


    The educator spoke briefly before stepping out for a moment. The disciples began whispering and glancing at each other''s grades.


    "Mo Hua, you got an ''A'' in arrays again!" a disciple whispered after sneaking a peek at Mo Hua''s report card.


    "Another ''A''..."


    "I always get a ''B''..."


    "I got a ''C''..."


    "Arrays are so hard, my head


    hurts just thinking about them..."


    The disciples gradually crowded around Mo Hua.


    "Hmph!" a disciple from the Qian family, dressed in a silver-white robe, scoffed unhappily,


    "What¡¯s so great about that? It¡¯s just the simple arrays of the sect that get you an ''A''."


    "What did you get?" another disciple challenged.


    "Why should I tell you?" the Qian family disciple retorted disdainfully. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Another disciple sneaked a look at his grades and laughed loudly, "He got a ''C''!"


    The room burst into laughter.


    "You got a ''C'' and you¡¯re laughing at someone who got an ''A'', shameless!"


    "Thicker-faced than a forge!"


    "Even though he''s from the Qian family, he''s dumber than me; I got a ''B''."


    The Qian family disciple, red-faced with anger, retorted, "What does an ''A'' matter? Without an Array Master, you rogues understand nothing!"


    Pointing at Mo Hua and the others, he sneered, "You lot, just frogs in a well, without legacy, will never, listen carefully, never produce a real Array Master. If you don¡¯t understand, I can repeat it."


    "Rogues never deserve to be Array Masters!"


    The surrounding disciples fell silent.


    Mo Hua looked at him as if he were foolish, then stood up, bowed respectfully to someone behind the Qian family disciple, and said,


    "Good day, educator!"


    The Qian family disciple turned stiffly, realizing the educator was standing right behind him, his face livid.


    "The sect is meant for teaching and cultivation, not for your petty comparisons and slander!"


    "You can¡¯t even master basic arrays, and yet you have the nerve to mock your peers?"


    "Now, stand outside as punishment until dusk."


    "Redraw the basic Five Elements Array patterns a hundred times. Show them to me when school resumes next year. If you can''t, don¡¯t bother returning..."


    The Qian family disciple¡¯s face turned ashen, but he dared not utter a word of rebuttal.


    The educator, with high authority, could discipline even the Qian family''s direct descendants, let alone this lesser branch member.


    The Qian family disciple sulkily went to stand as punished.


    The educator stood in front of Mo Hua, silent for a moment, then patted his thin shoulders and sighed, "Don¡¯t mind what others say, just focus on learning."


    Mo Hua, expression unchanged, respectfully bowed to the educator, "This disciple will heed your words."


    The educator nodded, then moved to the educator''s seat and gave a few more instructions before announcing the sect''s annual break, allowing everyone to go home.


    The disciples, barely containing their excitement, bowed to the educator, thanking him for a year of guidance in cultivation, then scattered like birds and beasts.


    The sect was on break, and the disciples were overjoyed.


    Mo Hua watched them, his heart heavy.


    These Qi-cultivation period disciples, mostly young and carefree, had no idea of the hardships of a cultivator''s life.


    Thinking of his father''s scars from hunting demons and his mother''s worn face, Mo Hua''s heart ached, and he sighed deeply.


    Becoming a ranked Array Master was still a distant dream, but within his means, he wanted to make life better for his parents.


    With his grades in hand and twelve spirit stones in his pocket, Mo Hua left the Tongxian Sect, not heading home but towards the market instead.

 Chapter 4: The Fire-Resisting Hairpin

    The market is a place for low-level cultivators to trade cultivation items, offering a miscellaneous array of items including pills, array formations, and spiritual tools, though generally of low grade and mixed quality.As the New Year approaches, the market is bustling with many cultivators coming and going, creating a noisy atmosphere.


    Mo Hua heads straight to a small stall at the end of the street. The stall owner, an elderly man surnamed Sun, known to acquaintances as Old Sun, has a son who works in Wanbao Building. Occasionally, his son gets some substandard goods that Wanbao Building doesn''t want and sells them cheaply to his father for street vending.


    Old Sun, hawking his wares, looks up to see Mo Hua running towards him, his pale face flushed with exertion, and can''t help but tease:


    "Little brother, what spiritual tool are you here to look at today? Don''t tell me you''re just looking and not buying again¡­"


    With a wave of his hand, Mo Hua declares, "Buying!"


    Old Sun wonders, "Isn''t it a few days till New Year''s? Did your family give you your New Year''s money so early?"


    Mo Hua responds, slightly annoyed, "What New Year''s money? This is money I''ve earned myself!" He pats his pocket as he speaks.


    Hearing the clear sound of spirit stones clinking in the pocket, Old Sun perks up and eagerly says:


    "I have all kinds of pills, arrays, and tools here, all beautiful and affordable, guaranteed satisfaction, and all from Wanbao Building, so you know the quality is top-notch. What are you looking to buy?"


    If the quality was really top-notch, Wanbao Building would sell it themselves, but Mo Hua isn¡¯t concerned; he can''t afford Wanbao Building¡¯s prices anyway.


    "Do you have any fire-resisting spiritual tools?"


    Old Sun, with a knowing look, pulls out a burlap bag and spreads it out in front of Mo Hua.


    "You mentioned this a few days ago, and I paid attention. I went back and specifically found a few excellent fire-resisting tools, all portable and beautifully designed. What do you think?"


    Mo Hua is surprised at Old Sun''s preparedness, a testament to decades of market experience, always ready to seize a business opportunity.


    The spiritual tools displayed before Mo Hua vary in style: there are rings, jade pendants, lampstands, and even a hood and a scarf¡­ By the looks of it, his stall is the most well-stocked in the market.


    After a careful examination, Mo Hua picks up a hairpin, antique in design yet delicate, and asks, "What is this pin?"


    Old Sun explains, "This is a fire-resisting hairpin, a standard-issue spiritual tool. It¡¯s made to a uniform standard, with a basic fire-resisting array carved on it. It needs to be charged with spirit stones, and when activated, it can isolate fire qi, keeping the wearer cool. Though it consumes spirit stones, one stone can last three months, making it quite economical¡­"


    Mo Hua looks doubtful, "A standard-issue tool from Wanbao Building being sold here must have some defects, right?"


    Old Sun laughs, "You know quite a bit. If there were no defects, it would be twice as expensive at Wanbao Building. But saying it has defects is not quite right¡­"


    Pointing at the peony pattern on the pin, Old Sun continues, "The craftsman added a few extra strokes while engraving this peony, so it didn''t meet the standard and was categorized as a second-grade item. But the array inside is intact, and its effectiveness remains the same."


    Mo Hua nods, feeling this pin is the most suitable, and asks, "How many spirit stones?"


    Old Sun strokes his beard, "A flat rate, fifteen spirit stones!"


    Mo Hua shakes his head, "Five!"


    Old Sun¡¯s eyes widen, "Who taught you to bargain like this?"


    Mo Hua, a bit embarrassed, "I heard it at other stalls, that¡¯s how they all haggle¡­"


    Old Sun laments, "The times are indeed changing for the worse, even good kids are getting corrupted!" Then he says, "Fourteen stones, I can¡¯t go any lower."


    Mo Hua tentatively offers, "Six?"


    ...


    After some haggling, they settle on ten stones.


    Old Sun feels he can''t go any lower, not a single spirit stone less, and Mo Hua, having inquired about the prices at other stalls, knows there''s no cheaper deal, so he agrees.


    Old Sun takes the spirit stones from Mo Hua and wraps the hairpin in a cheap but nicely made paper box, handing it over while constantly muttering:


    "If my grandson were half as clever as you, I¡¯d have him man the stall, but alas, my grandson is too


    simple, barely speaks to strangers."


    Mo Hua, satisfied with the purchase, waves goodbye to Old Sun and walks away with a spring in his step.


    A nearby stall owner chuckles, "Old Sun, you lost money this time!"


    Old Sun strokes his beard, "Not really, just made a little less."


    The stall owner, curious, asks, "Ten spirit stones is no small sum, I wonder who the kid bought the hairpin for."


    "Fire-resisting hairpins are for resisting the qi of the stove, who else could it be for?"


    Watching Mo Hua''s figure gradually receding into the distance, Old Sun sighs softly, "He''s a good kid."


    Mo Hua''s home is on a quiet street at the edge of Tongxian City. The house is old and just big enough for a family of three. The neighborhood is mostly inhabited by low-level Qi-cultivating loose cultivators who make a living by doing odd jobs. Although not wealthy, the community is vibrant with everyday life.


    As evening falls, smoke rises from the houses, and dim lights flicker.


    Mo Hua rushes through the door, calling, "Mom, I''m back!"


    A plainly dressed woman with a gentle face steps out from the inner room. Seeing Mo Hua, her eyes light up with surprise, and she pulls him close, touching his head and pinching his face, before saying, "Have you been working too hard at cultivation? You''ve lost a lot of weight."


    Mo Hua replies, "I haven''t lost weight," and then takes out the box, "Mom, this is for you!"


    The woman, momentarily stunned, opens the box to find a hairpin.


    "This is a fire-resisting hairpin. You work in the kitchen at the inn, and being exposed to the heat for long periods isn''t good for your health. This pin can shield you from the heat, making you feel much cooler."


    The woman, named Liu Ruhua, is Mo Hua''s mother and a low-level Qi-cultivating loose cultivator in Tongxian City.


    Life as a loose cultivator is tough, and there aren¡¯t many good opportunities to earn spirit stones, especially for those with children. Raising a child, covering living expenses, and affording the materials needed for cultivation pose significant challenges for ordinary cultivators.


    Liu Ruhua has good culinary skills and helps in the kitchen of a small inn in the city.


    Larger inns usually use stoves crafted by artisans, which consume spirit stones to convert spiritual energy into cooking heat.


    To save costs, smaller inns do not use spirit stones for cooking but instead have cultivators with fire spiritual roots use their spiritual power to generate cooking heat. Over time, this can harm the body, drying out the meridians and causing symptoms like lung pain and dry coughs.


    As Liu Ruhua works in the kitchen, she periodically uses her spiritual power to provide heat, earning about thirty spirit stones a month. Although it harms her health, it''s considered a decent job for loose cultivators, many of whom would like the opportunity but don''t get it.


    Looking at the hairpin in her hand, Liu Ruhua presses her lips together, silent.


    Mo Hua quickly adds, "The spirit stones for the hairpin were earned by helping fellow disciples, no cheating, stealing, or robbing involved!"


    Liu Ruhua can''t help but smile, feeling warm yet slightly teary, "I can''t accept this hairpin, dear. You''re still young, and you¡¯ll need many spirit stones for your future cultivation. Save them. I can take care of myself; you don¡¯t need to worry¡­"


    Mo Hua confidently says, "We can worry about the future later. Maybe I''ll become a great cultivator at the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stage one day, and then I''ll have as many spirit stones as I need."


    Liu Ruhua laughs, tapping Mo Hua''s forehead, "At such a young age, you''ve already learned to boast." s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mom, please keep it. I bargained with others for a long time to buy it. If you don''t take it, then I wasted all that effort."


    Mo Hua then takes the hairpin and carefully inserts it into Liu Ruhua¡¯s hair, then runs to get a mirror.


    "Look, does it look good?"


    Seeing the reflection of the woman in the mirror, adorned with the simple yet elegant hairpin, and looking graceful and beautiful, Liu Ruhua¡¯s heart softens, and she gently says, "I''ll keep the hairpin. But next time, I won''t accept any more gifts."


    "Okay," Mo Hua nods repeatedly, "Mom, is dinner ready? I''m hungry."


    "Yes, it''s all your favorite dishes, eat up!"


    Liu Ruhua is an excellent cook, and although the dishes are simple and lack spiritual essence, they are delicately and deliciously prepared. After eating


    and chatting with his mother, Mo Hua returns to his room to read.


    After midnight, Mo Hua enters his sea of knowledge and practices array formations on the Dao Stele all night. When he wakes, it¡¯s dawn.


    Mo Hua sits cross-legged, holding a spirit stone, continuing his routine cultivation practice.


    When he opens his eyes again, the sky is slightly bright, and the beautiful morning sunlight shines into the room. Mo Hua stretches lazily in bed, preparing to get up, then hears heavy footsteps outside.


    Mo Hua rolls over and peers through the door crack, seeing a man covered in bloodstains and looking exhausted step into the house ¡ª it''s Mo Hua''s father, Mo Shan.

 Chapter 5: Mo Shan

    Mo Shan is a Qi-cultivation beast hunter of the eighth level who makes his living by hunting demonic beasts and harvesting their materials. Though it sounds impressive, it is in fact a grueling and risky occupation.Most demonic beasts in the cultivation world are far stronger than human cultivators, making them exceedingly difficult to hunt.


    Typically, demonic beasts of the same realm require a team of five to ten cultivators for a successful hunt, and even then, success isn''t guaranteed. Even if the beast is slain, its more valuable parts are often damaged during the fight, fetching only a modest sum of spirit stones. The profits, once divided according to each team member''s contribution, are minimal.


    Injuries are another hazard. The cost of medicinal pills for treatment can be substantial, potentially leading to a financial deficit. A serious injury might permanently end a hunter''s ability to make a living.


    Mo Shan is a burly man, a solo practitioner with a rugged, handsome face marked by the trials of his trade. Though still young by cultivator standards, his life outdoors has weathered his appearance.


    Upon entering his home, Mo Shan sets down his blade and the unknown beast''s pelt he carried on his shoulder, sighing in relief.


    His coat is worn and stained with blood, both fresh and old¡ªmostly from beasts, but some from himself or his comrades.


    "This hunt must have been rough," Mo Hua guessed quietly.


    Mo Shan''s brows were furrowed, his expression somber, and his blood-stained clothes added a forbidding air to his presence.


    However, this fierceness melted away when he saw his wife, like a battle-weary warrior returning home, shedding his heavy, scar-laden armor.


    "Is everything okay at home?" Mo Shan asked, his voice hoarse from fatigue but still gentle.


    Liu Ruhua was tidying his belongings and fetched a clean cloth to wipe his face. "Everything is fine at home, don''t worry."


    Seeing his dusty face, she couldn''t help saying, "Take care of yourself when you''re outside."


    Mo Shan smiled and then looked around the house. "Has Hua''er returned?"


    "He just got back yesterday. The sect is on holiday now, and he''s probably still asleep. I''ll go wake him; he''ll be so happy to know you''re back."


    Mo Shan glanced at the blood and wounds on his clothes and stopped her. "Let him sleep a bit more. Sect cultivation is tough too. I''ll take a bath first, apply some herbal medicine, and change these clothes."


    "That''s a good idea. Why don''t you eat something first?" Liu Ruhua suggested. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Having traveled all night, Mo Shan was famished.


    Liu Ruhua''s cooking was excellent, and even though the meals were simple, Mo Shan devoured them hungrily.


    Usually, he would have to settle for cold, hard rations or sparingly use vitalizing pills. But now, eating the meals his wife prepared washed away all his fatigue and hardships.


    Mo Shan ate a lot and drank a large bowl of fragrant, sticky porridge, finally exhaling a long breath of relief. Liu Ruhua, noticing the bloodstains on his clothes, then asked worriedly, "Did someone get hurt again?"


    "We lost three, and Old Chu was seriously injured," Mo Shan sighed as he began to recount the hunt.


    "We were eight when we cornered a demonic wolf over three meters tall. We had it trapped and were slowly draining its demonic energy to finish it off. However, another hunting team passed by¡ªmostly novices who hadn''t seen much blood yet. They recklessly tried to steal our kill and ended up being devoured by the beast..."


    "The beast replenished its energy from their blood and went berserk. Old Chu and I used up all our spiritual energy to finally take it down, but the loss was heavy. Old Chu lost an arm and bled profusely; his vital energy severely depleted. He might not be able to continue as a hunter..."


    "Old Chu has a two-year-old child, and his wife only supplements their income with some gardening. Now with his severe injuries and the high cost of healing pills, even if he recovers, I don''t know how his family will manage," Mo Shan added bitterly.


    Liu Ruhua sighed, "When we were in a tough spot, Old Chu lent us some spirit stones even though he wasn''t well-off. We still have some saved; let''s give them to Old Chu first to at least get him treated."


    Mo Shan nodded, "That wolf beast hasn''t been sold yet; it should fetch about three hundred spirit stones. We''ll give Old Chu a larger share and lend him some more to get through this, but..."


    Mo Shan felt guilty, "Hua''er is supposed to start his sect cultivation next year... I was hoping to earn enough from this hunt, but now..."


    Liu Ruhua held his hand,


    "As long as the family is safe, we can always find a way to earn spirit stones. I''ve saved some from working in the tavern kitchen, and we can borrow some more. It won''t delay Hua''er''s cultivation next year."


    Mo Shan looked silently at his wife, her once youthful and beautiful face now slightly worn. He felt even more remorseful.


    "Quit the kitchen job at the tavern. The heat harms the heart, lungs, and meridians. Next year, I''ll find more hunters, kill more beasts, and earn more spirit stones. I won''t let you suffer like this."


    Liu Ruhua smiled wryly, proud yet modest, and pointed to her hairpin, "See what this is?"


    Mo Shan hadn''t noticed when he walked in, but now, he saw that the hairpin was different from the usual.


    "What''s this pin?"


    "It''s a gift from Hua''er, called a Fire-Resisting Hairpin. It wards off the heat from the stove, keeping the heart and meridians much cooler."


    "Hua''er is really thoughtful."


    Mo Shan felt both reassured and ashamed, "I haven''t given you a gift in years..."


    Liu Ruhua chuckled, "Hua''er is your son, so his gift is as if you gave it."


    Mo Shan laughed, then bittersweetly added, "In cultivation, they often talk about fate. Perhaps my greatest fortune in this life is having a wife like you and a sensible son like Hua''er."


    Liu Ruhua playfully glared at her husband, but couldn''t help laughing.


    Watching his wife''s smile, Mo Shan silently resolved to recruit more skilled beast hunters after the new year, aiming to venture deeper into the mountains to slay more demonic beasts, earn more spirit stones, and ensure his family would not endure such hardships. Moreover, he was determined to secure a better future for his son.


    Mo Hua heard everything from inside the house, and sighed.


    Unbeknownst to him, his parents had always endured the hardships of the cultivation life. Perhaps in any world, the burdens parents bear are always much heavier than their children imagine.


    Even as cultivators, they toiled for spirit stones and struggled for a living.


    Though cultivators and mortals may seem different, in some ways, they are not so different at all.


    Reflecting on this, Mo Hua wondered silently, "Is there a way I too can earn spirit stones?"

 Chapter 6: Spirit Stones

    Mo Hua thought to himself in the room for a while, waiting until Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua finished their conversation. He changed into casual clothes and then, pretending to know nothing, happily walked out of the house.The family of three was eating. Mo Shan had already eaten, so Mo Hua kept talking to him about the amusing hunting tales.


    Mo Shan selectively shared a few stories, such as a one-eyed wolf, a two-headed tiger, and a three-legged wild boar.


    Some teams killed a mature demonic beast but failed to retrieve its core. They stripped off some worthless fur and only realized their mistake when it was too late¡ªthe core had already been taken by others, causing the team leader to regret so deeply that he spat blood and fainted.


    Someone even captured a beast of ancient lineage, which was then sold to a major sect for a high price, securing a life of ease. However, one day, that person vanished without a trace...


    Mo Hua listened with great interest, aware of the bloody, dangerous, and cruel elements his father intentionally omitted from the tales.


    Parents always wish to shield their children from harsh realities, hoping for a pure and joyful childhood.


    After the stories, three little heads peeked outside the door, their eyes gleaming as they saw Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua at home. They stood in unison and greeted:


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Mo, Auntie Liu!¡±


    The three children, surnamed Meng, lived on the same street and their families also relied on hunting beasts for a living.


    The Meng elders were friends with Mo Shan and lived nearby, so Mo Hua had played with them since they were young. The three were named Meng Da Hu, Meng Shuang Hu, and Meng Xiao Hu, in the order of their birth.


    In the area near Tongxian City, tiger-like demonic beasts were the strongest. Naming children after tigers was hoped to endow them with tiger-like strength and majesty.


    True to their names, the children looked robust and strong.


    Mo Hua, the youngest and often ill as a child, was unlikely to grow up tiger-like. Seeing his delicate and clean features, resembling a porcelain doll, Mo Shan took the character "Hua" from Liu Ruhua''s name for his son, calling him Mo Hua.


    Liu Ruhua gave each child a steamed bun. They said they didn¡¯t want it, but couldn¡¯t help reaching out to take it and stuffed it into their mouths, their cheeks bulging as they said, ¡°Thank you, Auntie Liu!¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s cooking was the best in the neighborhood, which made the other children quite envious of Mo Hua.


    Mo Shan waved them off, ¡°Go play together, but remember to come back for lunch!¡±


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


    Among the Meng children, Da Hu was straightforward, Shuang Hu was clever, and Xiao Hu was talkative. All were older and taller than Mo Hua, usually leading the play.


    Da Hu talked non-stop about where to see dragon dances, where fireworks were lit, where it was crowded, and where there were dancing, graceful girls¡­


    But they talked too much and couldn¡¯t decide where to go.


    Finally, they agreed that adults pick, but children want everything¡ªthey would visit each place!


    As the year-end approached, disciples seeking to join sects were on holiday, and cultivators working abroad returned home, making Tongxian City much livelier than usual, and the streets were packed.


    Some at the Qi-cultivation stage flaunted their martial skills with swords and spears, while spirit cultivators performed flashy, albeit useless, spells that left the children awestruck and envious. Those skilled in crafting mechanisms made toys that moved on their own with just a bit of spirit power¡ªwooden rabbits, dogs, cats, and various other items, too numerous to fully take in. S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Da Hu, Shuang Hu, and Xiao Hu were having a blast, finding everything fresh and exciting, exclaiming with joy, while Mo Hua played along but kept an eye out for ways to earn spirit stones.


    Looking around, he found that the profitable ventures were already taken, and those not yet undertaken were beyond his current capabilities.


    Watching the cultivators performing and hawking their skills, Mo Hua sighed inwardly, realizing that making a living was not easy.


    Shuang Hu noticed Mo Hua¡¯s dispirited mood and asked, ¡°Mo Hua, are you worried about something?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Da Hu immediately said, ¡°Has someone been bullying you? I¡¯ll beat them up!¡±


    Xiao Hu also nodded vigorously, ¡°Beat them! Beat them!¡±


    The Meng family elders had always instructed them to take care of the frail Mo Hua, and with Liu Ruhua making delicious food and always saving some for them, the three felt indebted and loyal. Whenever someone tried to bully Mo Hua,


    they didn¡¯t hesitate to roll up their sleeves and fight.


    Mo Hua, recognized as the smartest among the local cultivators, often helped with homework questions, which only strengthened their bond.


    Seeing them eager to fight, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but smile and said:


    ¡°No one¡¯s bullying me. I was just thinking about how to earn some spirit stones.¡±


    Earning spirit stones...


    Da Hu and the others also grew concerned, not knowing much about that.


    They could help in a fight but earning spirit stones was beyond them.


    Mo Hua''s thoughts turned again, asking:


    ¡°Do you know how array masters earn spirit stones?¡±


    The vast world of cultivation was limited to daily practice and studying array formations for Mo Hua, leaving much unknown. He was aware that becoming an array master meant not worrying about basic needs, but how ordinary, especially low-level apprentices, made a living was still a mystery to him.


    Da Hu often wandered about and might know something Mo Hua didn''t.


    After thinking, Da Hu shook his head and said, ¡°The certification for array masters is very tough. Our neighborhood doesn¡¯t even have a first-rank array master, and I don¡¯t know much about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just our neighborhood, even in the whole of Tongxian City, there aren¡¯t many array masters, and even fewer who have passed the certification to become first-rank. Our distant uncle in the Meng family has been studying arrays for twenty years and still hasn¡¯t passed¡­¡± Xiao Hu said, shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°You heard wrong. Uncle Meng is just an array apprentice. He wanted to study under a master but couldn¡¯t answer the questions posed by others, and they wouldn¡¯t accept him,¡± Shuang Hu interjected, then counted on his fingers:


    ¡°Apprentice, ordinary array master, first-rank array master¡­ Uncle Meng isn¡¯t even close to certification. Those who are, already have some fame.¡±


    Mo Hua curiously asked, ¡°So, how does he make a living?¡±


    ¡°I heard he draws simple arrays for merchant guilds and earns some spirit stones, then uses those to buy ink and paper to practice more arrays, then goes on helping the guilds with arrays without ever becoming a master¡­¡±


    ¡°Merchant guilds, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, even if you don¡¯t make it to first-rank, being an ordinary array master and drawing arrays for merchant guilds can still earn you quite a few spirit stones, enough to not worry about food and drink,¡± Shuang Hu explained, then asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Do you want to be an array master?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide it, ¡°I¡¯m too weak physically, probably can¡¯t become a beast hunter, and would likely lose half my life to a single swipe from a beast. I need to find a way to make a living. But talking about this is still too far off; I first want to see if I can earn some spirit stones. If I can, I¡¯ll treat you to pastries!¡±


    Hearing this, Da Hu and the others instantly brightened up.


    ¡°Sure, sure!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so smart, you¡¯ll definitely be able to earn spirit stones and become an array master!¡±


    ¡°Pastries, pastries!¡±


    For ordinary cultivator families, even simple street pastries were a rare treat.


    After another round of visiting, they hadn''t seen any of the dancing girls they talked about, but they visited everything else, and around noon, they all returned home satisfied for lunch.


    Mo Hua finished lunch and told his parents he was going out to play, then headed alone to the north side of Tongxian City.


    The north side of Tongxian City was prosperous, and the south side was lively.


    The south side had many markets, mostly small vendors and stalls, while the north side had more merchant guilds, offering everything from spirit talismans to pill instruments, with more regular products of better quality and, of course, higher prices.


    But Mo Hua wasn¡¯t there to shop; he didn¡¯t have the spirit stones.


    He walked from one end of the street to the other, looking at all the merchant guilds, then entered one that had an array drawn on its entrance but was comparatively shabby and quiet, attracting the least business.

 Chapter 7: Destinys Shop

    A signboard hung in front of the business premises, inscribed with the words "Destiny''s Shop."The interior was compact and somewhat rudimentary, adorned with array formations of various patterns. Some arrays seemed to have been hanging there for a while, their ink slightly faded.


    The counter was relatively high, and seated atop it was a middle-aged, somewhat portly cultivator with a clean-shaven face, who appeared to be the manager of the shop.


    A bell hung from the doorframe, ringing crisply as Mo Hua entered.


    The chubby manager, who had been dozing off with half-closed eyes, was startled awake by the bell. He looked around, saw no one at first, and was about to get angry when he lowered his head and spotted a small head peering over the counter.


    The manager paused, noticing Mo Hua was alone, and then spoke, "Young man, where are your parents?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I''m not here for my parents, I''m here for you."


    The manager paused again, "You''re looking for me? What for?"


    "Do you need someone to help draw array formations?"


    The manager found this amusing and teased, "What? You, a little guy, can draw arrays?"


    Mo Hua replied modestly, "A little."


    Laughing, the manager said, "A little won''t do. You need at least to be at the sixth level of Qi cultivation, possess a sect''s learning jade slip, be an Array apprentice, have an Array master as a teacher, and also pay a deposit before you can draw arrays for us."


    Mo Hua was taken aback; he hadn''t known about these many requirements, none of which he met.


    Quickly thinking, Mo Hua said, "Alright, I lied. I''m not very good, I''m helping my brother with it."


    The manager didn''t mind, asking, "What does your brother do?"


    "My brother is an Array apprentice, studying under an Array master and helps draw basic arrays for shops like this to earn some ink and paper money. He''s too busy with his studies, so I run errands for him."


    Mo Hua then slightly altered the identity of a distant uncle from the Meng family to fit the story.


    The manager stroked his chin, pondered for a moment but then refused, "No, verbal assurances aren''t enough. If your brother wants to draw arrays for our shop, he has to come himself."


    Mo Hua quickly added, "Do you also require a deposit?"


    The manager nodded, "Correct."


    "The deposit, does it cover the cost of the array patterns and the materials needed to draw them? If so, even if I lied and you took the deposit, you''d merely be selling an array and materials at a fair price¡ªnot making a profit but not losing either."


    Indeed, the deposit was higher than the cost of the materials, and as for the array patterns, they were just the simplest and most common, costing hardly any spirit stones.


    Thinking this over, the manager hesitated.


    "Is business not so good here?" Mo Hua then asked.


    Business was indeed slow, with few customers each day, few arrays sold, and even fewer array masters, or apprentices, willing to draw for them, which explained the shop''s quietness.


    However, the manager wouldn''t admit it, and held his head high, albeit a bit sheepishly.


    Seeing his reaction, Mo Hua seized the opportunity, "My brother''s arrays are very well-drawn, everyone says that in a few years, he''ll definitely become an Array master. After another ten or twenty years, passing the qualification test, he might even become a first-grade Array master. Then he''ll naturally help you draw more advanced arrays, and you''ll profit, won''t you?"


    Qualification? That''s not so easy.


    The manager inwardly scoffed, but as the saying goes, don''t despise the poor youth; who knows about the future. If he could become a first-grade Array master, indeed, it would be good to form a kind relationship for future favors.


    Rules, well, they''re mostly for show, as long as the arrays are drawn correctly.


    "You make some sense," the manager said, "but you said your brother draws well, that''s just your word, which can''t be taken as fact. You''re just a child and don''t know good from bad in arrays. How about this, show me an array your brother has drawn. If it''s really not bad, I''ll agree to do business with you."


    Mo Hua didn''t actually have a brother, nor an array drawn by one.


    He had his own drawn arrays in his storage bag, but those were from his sect lessons, breaking down basic array patterns or their combinations, slightly different from complete arrays.


    A discerning eye would see right through if he handed them out.


    After a moment''s thought, Mo Hua brightened, "I didn''t


    bring any of my brother''s arrays, but he once taught me a bit. I''ll draw for you, and you''ll see if my brother''s arrays are good."


    "You can draw arrays?"


    The manager was taken aback, thought for a moment, and then agreed.


    He was curious about how well this child could draw, so he pulled out an array pattern from under the counter, handed over some ink, paper, and a brush to Mo Hua.


    The pattern was titled "Blazing Fire Array," a complete array containing three patterns, taught at none of his sect''s lessons¡ªa challenge beyond a mere beginner''s level.


    Real arrays contain at least three interconnected patterns, like the Blazing Fire Array in front of him.


    Mo Hua glanced at the manager and declared confidently, "This is too difficult. If I could draw it, I''d be earning spirit stones by drawing arrays myself; why would I need my brother?"


    The manager slapped his forehead, having forgotten; a child his age couldn''t possibly draw a complete array. It was too much to expect, and it was also because he had never dealt with children in the shop before that he had overlooked this. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The manager then pointed to a small part of the array pattern in the upper left corner, "If you can draw this part of the pattern, I''ll agree to your request and have your brother draw arrays for us."


    Mo Hua looked at the upper left corner, quietly relieved. It was a basic fire elemental pattern from his sect, with some detailed modifications and connections still within his grasp.


    Mo Hua picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and began sketching the pattern. Moments later, the pattern was completed.


    The manager nodded slightly as Mo Hua drew. His handling of the brush was skilled and fluid, not tense at all, clearly well-founded. The pattern he drew was up to standard, without any mistakes. If not for family teaching, his brother must have taught him well.


    The manager leaned more toward the latter, considering Mo Hua''s simple but neat attire, clearly not from a wealthy family, whereas a cultivator from a family with array knowledge would surely not be so destitute.


    Looking again at the pattern Mo Hua had drawn, the manager was quite satisfied, "Ten spirit stones for the deposit, and I''ll give you the necessary array patterns and materials."


    "Ten stones!"


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He had only three spirit stones on him; he had earned twelve by copying array assignments for his fellow disciples, spent ten on a Fire-Resisting Hairpin, saved one by scrimping and saving, and then... that was all, his entire assets.


    He''d have to wait until the day of the array coursework assessment to earn that many spirit stones by drawing arrays for his peers.


    Who knew how long that would take!


    Seeing Mo Hua''s expression, the manager realized the boy didn''t have the spirit stones but said nothing; it was normal for a child not to have so many.


    Cultivation life was tough, and those in managerial positions often found themselves short of money, let alone a poor independent cultivator like Mo Hua.


    The manager kindly reminded, "Without spirit stones for the deposit, you can''t take this job."


    Seeing Mo Hua seem a bit disheartened, he couldn''t help but add, "I''ll keep this order for your brother. When you have the spirit stones, come and take it."


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly, "Okay, I''ll go and... ask my brother for the spirit stones, then come back to take the order!"


    The manager waved his hand, "Go play for now, it''s still early. I''m going to close my eyes and rest a bit..." With that, he slowly closed his eyes and dozed off.


    Mo Hua left the shop, squatting on the steps, cupping his cheeks, puzzled.


    "Seven spirit stones..."


    Mo Hua thought about earning spirit stones by drawing arrays, but to draw arrays and earn stones, he first needed stones; without stones, he couldn''t draw arrays to earn stones...


    Mo Hua''s head spun.


    Ask his parents?


    Mo Hua shook his head; the family needed spirit stones for living expenses. That morning, he had heard his parents talking about Uncle Chu from the hunting team who had broken his arm and needed to borrow spirit stones for recovery, plus Mo Hua''s sect fees for the next term. It seemed unlikely the family had any spare spirit stones.


    Borrow from someone?


    Mo Hua''s friends were even poorer than he was; none had spirit stones to lend him.


    As Mo Hua pondered deeply, he suddenly heard someone exclaim loudly:


    "Mo Hua, you''re actually here!"


    Mo Hua looked up to see a richly dressed, chubby young master, surrounded by servants, staring at him angrily.


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 Chapter 8: An Xiaofu

    "Young Master An?"The lavishly dressed chubby boy is the eldest young master of the An family from Tongxian City, named An Xiaofu. Perhaps his father didn''t have much hope for him, hence the name Xiaofu, which implies ''small wealth''.


    However, because he is chubby, his fellow sect members privately also call him "Little Fatty An."


    Little Fatty An is somewhat slow and sometimes acts like a spoiled young master, but he isn''t malicious at heart and often asks Mo Hua to help him with drawing array formations for his assessments.


    He can''t draw array formations at all, doesn''t want to be punished by the tutor, nor does he want to go home and face his father''s wrath, so he has no choice but to seek Mo Hua''s help.


    At this moment, Little Fatty An was fuming, "How could you, Mo Hua! I thought of you as a friend, yet you look down on me?!"


    Mo Hua was baffled, "How have I looked down on you?"


    Little Fatty An pulled out a formation diagram annotated in red ink from his robe, "You helped me with my array homework, and you got six places wrong! But when you helped that skinny monkey Qian Xing, you didn¡¯t make a single mistake! Isn¡¯t that looking down on me? Are you saying I''m worse than him?"


    The ''skinny monkey'' he mentioned was the thin young master, Qian Xing, a direct descendant of the prominent Qian family.


    The Qian family is the most influential family in Tongxian City, with the An family a close second. Both families run businesses and are competitors, with a longstanding grudge between their ancestors. Even the younger generations are at odds in every aspect, including their opposing physical appearances¡ªone fat, one thin¡ªlike fire and water.


    Yet, both are similarly lazy in their cultivation practices and ignorant, which is considered "on par" with each other.


    Although both are considered profligates, Qian Xing has a worse reputation for being arrogant and bullying others using his family''s influence. Rumors say he''s done many bad deeds behind the scenes, but because of his family''s backing, they always get swept under the rug.


    Compared to him, Little Fatty An just indulges in eating and drinking, flaunting his wealth without much oversight since his father keeps him on a short leash.


    "So that''s the issue?"


    Seeing Mo Hua''s indifference, Little Fatty An''s face turned red with rage.


    "I''m helping you here," Mo Hua said.


    Little Fatty An looked at him skeptically, "How are you helping me?"


    "How does your array formation compare to Young Master Qian''s?"


    Little Fatty An said confidently, "At least it can''t be worse than his!"


    Mo Hua was speechless. Was that something to be proud of?


    Mo Hua continued, "Exactly, how could he draw an array formation without a mistake?"


    "Of course, if I can''t do it, he definitely can''t either!"


    "So, you know this, how could the tutor not notice? The tutor is always strict and will surely punish him and inform his father. Losing face, his father won¡¯t let him off easily..."


    Little Fatty An pondered for a moment, "That makes some sense, but I haven''t heard about Qian Skinny getting beaten, are you lying to me..."


    Mo Hua gave him a look, "Family disgraces are not aired publicly; a father hitting his son would definitely happen behind closed doors. You wouldn''t know about it."


    Little Fatty An nodded apprehensively, "You''re right, my dad beats me and never lets anyone know!"


    Mo Hua added, "Did Old Master An not only not beat you this time but also praise you?"


    Little Fatty An instantly brightened up, "Right, the tutor gave me a ''B'' grade, and my dad was so pleased that he even gave me lots of good things!"


    Little Fatty An¡¯s mood changed quickly; he was no longer angry and even felt a bit guilty towards Mo Hua, "I misunderstood you! Let me treat you to a meal at the Spirit Meal Tower; my family owns it, eat as much as you like!"


    Mo Hua didn''t expect Little Fatty An to be unexpectedly generous but still declined, "No need, I have other things to do."


    Little Fatty An was dissatisfied, "My dad always taught me to repay favors. If you don¡¯t go, it means you look down on me!"


    Thinking about his previously bruised behind from his father''s punishments, Little Fatty An insisted more firmly, "This favor is not small; you must go!"


    Little Fatty An could be quite stubborn when he got into one of his moods.


    Mo Hua was a bit headache-inducing; he glanced at the door of the Array Pavilion and suddenly


    said, "Young Master An, let''s skip the Spirit Meal Tower, but there¡¯s a favor you could do for me?"


    Little Fatty An slapped his chest, "Say it!"


    "Lend me ten spirit stones."


    Little Fatty An frowned; he didn''t actually have ten spirit stones on him. Old Master An, to prevent him from frivolously spending spirit stones, never allowed him to carry more than five.


    He could put the meal at Spirit Meal Tower on his dad¡¯s tab since it was just food and went through the accounts, which his dad wouldn''t mind. His dad feared him wasting spirit stones on frivolous things with no paper trail, not knowing where the money went could cause big trouble.


    Little Fatty An took out the five spirit stones he had and then looked at his servant, "Give me all your spirit stones; I''ll give them back to you at home."


    The servant reluctantly handed over his spirit stones, just enough to make ten.


    Little Fatty An handed the spirit stones to Mo Hua, "Here you go, you don''t need to return them!"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I''ll return them in a few days."


    Mo Hua weighed the spirit stones in his hand, then carefully pocketed them, bid farewell to Little Fatty An, and returned to the Array Pavilion, which was still devoid of customers, with the manager still dozing off.


    Mo Hua entered, tiptoed, and placed the ten spirit stones on the counter.


    "I''ve brought the spirit stones!"


    The manager woke from his nap at the sound of the bell, saw Mo Hua and the spirit stones on the table. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The manager picked up the spirit stones, inspected them, and found them to be of decent quality, nodded, then reached under the counter and pulled out a storage bag.


    "Here''s a diagram for the Blazing Fire Array, along with ten array papers and spirit ink, enough to draw ten copies of the Blazing Fire Array. This order has a ten-day deadline; if it''s late, all deposits will be forfeited. For each correctly drawn Blazing Fire Array, you''ll earn a spirit stone, but if you make a mistake or it doesn¡¯t meet the standards, a deposit of one spirit stone will be deducted. These are the general rules of the trade, your brother should be aware of them."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    If all the array formations are successfully completed, he could earn ten spirit stones; if all fail, he would owe ten spirit stones, with a profit if he succeeds in more than half.


    The manager added a reminder, "Remember, ten days. Don''t forget, or I''ll keep the entire deposit."


    Mo Hua quickly nodded, then thanked the manager and left.


    After returning home, Mo Hua locked himself in his room and focused on understanding the array formations.


    The potential to earn up to ten spirit stones was significant. Although he earned twelve spirit stones helping his fellow disciples with their array homework, such opportunities were rare throughout the year.


    Moreover, helping fellow disciples with array homework wasn¡¯t really proper. It was okay occasionally, but over time, it could hinder their progress.


    Working with the merchant, on the other hand, could offer a steady income of spirit stones and also practice in array formation, achieving two goals at once.


    Mo Hua spread out the diagram of the Blazing Fire Array in front of him.


    The diagram was previously prepared by another array master, serving as a template.


    Attached to the diagram were detailed instructions for the array, documenting the required array patterns, the usage of ink and brush, and other essential notes¡ªa common method in the cultivation world to record array techniques.


    The instructions for the Blazing Fire Array included annotations on where to use fire-related array patterns, how to connect these patterns, the mixing of the ink, and the proportions of ink to use. Many of these concepts were unfamiliar to Mo Hua and somewhat challenging to grasp.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first encounter with an official array instruction guide; previously, in his sect, he had only learned the most basic arrays¡ªthough called arrays, these usually consisted of only one or two simple patterns, used primarily for beginner disciples to get a start in cultivation, quite different from the more widely used arrays in the cultivation world.


    The final line of the Blazing Fire Array instructions noted:


    Blazing Fire Array, a fire-based array containing three array patterns, requires a cultivation level above the third Qi level.


    But what particularly caught Mo Hua¡¯s attention was the line written in small red characters just after this:


    For those below the required level, beware insufficient spiritual sense!


    Being only at the second level of Qi cultivation, Mo Hua frowned.


    Every action in a cultivator¡¯s life requires spiritual sense¡ªdirecting spiritual energy, manipulating spiritual power, casting spells, controlling spiritual tools, and crafting pills or artifacts, all these activities necessitate the use of spiritual sense.


    Of all these, drawing array formations is known to consume the most spiritual sense, a well-acknowledged fact among cultivators. But the specific warning of "insufficient spiritual sense, beware!" and the emphasis on the required cultivation level, highlighted in red ink, made Mo Hua realize that he might have underestimated just how much "more" this could be.


    "Could it really be that drawing array formations requires so much spiritual sense?" Mo Hua pondered, stroking his small chin.


    "Never mind, I''ll get familiar with the array patterns first, practice on the stele tonight."


    After memorizing the Blazing Fire Array diagram, Mo Hua had dinner with his parents and returned to his room to practice with ordinary paper and ink, getting a feel for the array patterns. When it reached the hour of the rat (midnight), he lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and the ancient, ethereal stele floated into his mental view.

 Chapter 9: The Blazing Fire Array

    Within the sea of consciousness, Mo Hua''s ethereal form looked just like his physical body and could move at will. However, it was not made of flesh or even spiritual power, but merely a shadow of spiritual sense.Mo Hua''s ethereal form held its breath and concentrated deeply, using a finger as a brush, he traced the pattern of the Blazing Fire Array on the Dao Stele.


    Pale blue lines fluidly followed Mo Hua''s finger movements on the dark Dao Stele, gradually forming intricate and mysterious patterns from simple beginnings.


    After completing the second array pattern, Mo Hua began to feel an unprecedented fatigue and even pain as he continued drawing.


    It felt as though a dam had been breached within his sea of consciousness, with spiritual sense flowing out like tidal waters.


    The more the spiritual sense flowed out, the closer his sea of consciousness came to depletion, resembling a riverbed drying up, cracking under unnamed pressures, causing tingling pain and a numbness on his scalp.


    Mo Hua''s thoughts also became sluggish, and the third array pattern was drawn slower and slower.


    Suddenly, a sharp pain surged from his sea of consciousness, causing a brief lapse in Mo Hua''s focus, and he misaligned a part of the pattern on the stele.


    Mo Hua had to stop, clutching his head, waiting for the pain to gradually subside.


    After a long while, Mo Hua recovered and realized, "Drawing array formations requires a vast amount of spiritual sense, far more than other cultivation methods! Far more than I had imagined!"


    "This is why the diagrams were specifically marked in red: ''Those not sufficiently advanced should study with caution.'' If one''s realm is inadequate and spiritual sense weak, forcibly drawing an array can lead to excessive consumption of spiritual sense, and even cause it to run dry..."


    Depletion of spiritual sense brings intense pain to cultivators, potentially damaging the sea of consciousness severely, causing it to crack. If it cracks too deeply, the sea of consciousness could shatter completely, resulting in the cultivator''s death.


    This was mentioned in class, but Mo Hua hadn¡¯t paid much attention at the time. Now, recalling it sent chills down his spine.


    "The Blazing Fire Array requires the third level of Qi cultivation, and I''m only at the second level... indeed, my spiritual sense is a bit lacking..."


    Holding his head in his hands, Mo Hua lay on the floor of his sea of consciousness, pondering, "Though it''s a bit lacking, it shouldn''t be by much. My spiritual sense is inherently stronger than others, and I''ve studied array formation for so long, practicing a few more times might just work."


    "If I can''t get it right the first time, I''ll draw it a second time, and a third... With each attempt, my spiritual sense strengthens a bit, and with each attempt, I draw more than before, I¡¯ll eventually be able to complete the formation..."


    After considering, Mo Hua stood up, erased the incomplete array pattern from the Dao Stele, and his spiritual sense began to fill again.


    It was as if he had never drawn an array before, but the strokes he had just drawn were etched in his mind.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but marvel.


    Thank goodness for this Dao Stele; otherwise, nearing spiritual sense depletion, I wouldn¡¯t know how long it would take to attempt a second drawing. By the time I learn the Blazing Fire Array, probably half a month would have passed, and the pawned spirit stones would have been deducted by then.


    This thought pained Mo Hua¡¯s heart, sharpening his focus as he began to draw the Blazing Fire Array a second time...


    In the vast whiteness of the sea of consciousness, there was no sense of time passing.


    Mo Hua would draw a bit, stop a bit, rest a bit. When he could draw no more, he''d erase everything and start anew.


    After countless attempts, he finally completed the entire Blazing Fire Array.


    Mo Hua exhaled deeply, collapsing to the ground, feeling like a small salted fish whose spiritual sense had been squeezed dry.


    After resting a bit longer, Mo Hua had the energy to stand up and admire his first completed array formation¡ªthe Blazing Fire Array.


    On the black Dao Stele, a complete pattern of pale blue lines, strict and beautiful, held an unknown mystery. Between the light and dark of the array pattern, it seemed to contain unspeakable rules and power.


    This is an array formation!


    Mo Hua felt a moment of enlightenment, as if there was nothing more beautiful in the world than these rules-contained lines. Even just looking at them was mesmerizing...


    But as Mo Hua continued to watch, something seemed off.


    While drawing, the array lines were pale blue, but now they seemed to be fading, turning a light gray.


    It was as if... the Dao Stele was telling Mo Hua that


    he had drawn it wrong...


    Mo Hua froze.


    "Drawn wrong?"


    "Can''t be..."


    Mo Hua felt disheartened, but he gathered his spirits to carefully check each stroke and finally found that he had indeed made errors, and not just one.


    Some lines were overdrawn, some connections at the wrong angles, some fusions of the fire patterns were incorrect...


    Because of these errors, his spiritual sense wasn''t consumed as much, allowing him to complete the Blazing Fire Array.


    Scratching his head, Mo Hua made a note of the mistakes, then erased the array to draw it again... S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This repetitive process left Mo Hua dizzy and numb. Amidst the pain in his sea of consciousness, looking at the array patterns on the Dao Stele seemed to blur into double images.


    At some point, in a daze, Mo Hua completed the final stroke.


    The Dao Stele seemed to tremble slightly, and the pale blue array lines emitted a gentle white light, within which seemed to flicker a firelight, like a bright candle in the darkness.


    The Blazing Fire Array!


    Mo Hua couldn''t contain his excitement; a night''s fatigue was swept away.


    For the first time, Mo Hua personally felt the power of a cultivator, that sensation of comprehending the heavenly rules through one''s own understanding and then manifesting them in an array formation, grasping the majesty of heaven and earth.


    Though it was just a tiny step, a small bit of power, it was the first drop of water in the great river of the Dao!


    Mo Hua was proud, even though the Blazing Fire Array was only used for illumination, one of the most common and least costly formations in cultivation, at least this formation lit the first step of Mo Hua''s path in cultivation.


    Wishing he could draw a few more times, Mo Hua knew his fragile spiritual sense was like a candle in the wind, unable to endure more.


    If he continued, his sea of consciousness might not dry up, but he would certainly go mad.


    After all, although spiritual sense does recover, the process of drawing an array was continually depleting, and it wasn¡¯t a comfortable one.


    This was Mo Hua''s first time drawing an official array, but it certainly wouldn''t be his last.


    He planned to practice the Blazing Fire Array every night, and once he became thoroughly proficient, he''d start using the materials from the array pavilion to draw arrays, exchange them for spirit stones with the managers, and ideally, gather enough to ease his parents'' burden.


    "Let''s call it a night..."


    The Blazing Fire Array shimmered brilliantly on the Dao Stele, Mo Hua admired it once more, involuntarily nodding, then somewhat reluctantly wiped the array away.


    The instant he erased it, his spiritual sense ebbed and flowed like the tides, waned and waxed like the moon, receded like the sea only to return again, sunset followed by sunrise, those depleted senses instantly restored, filling Mo Hua¡¯s sea of consciousness anew!


    Standing before the Dao Stele, his spiritual sense replenished, at that moment, it felt just as it had several hours ago when he first entered his sea of consciousness.


    This feeling of spiritual sense filling and depleting, and then filling again, no matter how many times experienced, always felt profoundly mysterious.


    And this experience was deeper than any before.


    Mo Hua looked at the Dao Stele, its surface dark and deep, seemingly void, yet as if it contained everything, appearing to have nothing, yet perhaps capable of revealing all.


    Transforming spiritual sense into array formation, and array formation back into spiritual sense, from existence to nonexistence, mutually generating and transforming.


    A phrase from ancient texts surfaced in Mo Hua¡¯s mind:


    "From existence, utility is derived; from nonexistence, use is found!"

 Chapter 10: Drawing Arrays

    The next morning, after breakfast, Mo Hua put down his chopsticks and returned to his room. He took out paper and ink for tracing, and while the memory of the Blazing Fire Array was still clear, he began to meticulously trace it.He used the cheapest ordinary ink and paper, which lacked spiritual energy. The arrays drawn were merely patterns without any effect, thus consuming minimal spiritual sense and without the worry of wasting spirit stones due to failure.


    Relying on his memory, Mo Hua completed the tracing of the array in one go, pausing only slightly due to the minimal spiritual sense used.


    He took out the original diagram of the Blazing Fire Array and carefully compared it to his tracing, identifying three mistakes.


    Setting aside the array paper, he took out another sheet and continued drawing. After three attempts, he finally traced a perfect Blazing Fire Array without any errors.


    Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief, stretched lazily, glanced at the small sundial on the table, and realized it was noon, which was when he finally felt hungry.


    Liu Ruhua had already prepared a meal with rice made from spiritual rice and several simple stir-fried vegetables; the only meat dish was a demonic chicken egg. The spiritual rice was of lower quality but sufficient to satisfy hunger.


    The meal was simple yet delicious, and Mo Hua relished it before running back to his room to continue practicing the Blazing Fire Array.


    Liu Ruhua, watching Mo Hua''s retreating figure, expressed her concern:


    "This child is working too hard; he has gotten much thinner."


    Mo Shan nodded, "It''s good to be diligent, but I worry he''ll overexert himself. Hua was born frail and with a weak constitution." S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua sighed, "It''s a pity he didn¡¯t inherit your physical talents, instead he''s frail and sickly like me..."


    Mo Shan gently embraced her slender shoulders, "How can you blame yourself? When Hua was born weak, we consulted Master Feng from Apricot Clinic. He said that a balance between spiritual sense and physical body is normal at birth. Hua was born with strong spiritual sense, which made his body weaker. Look how clever and good-looking Hua is now, that¡¯s thanks to you."


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Only you would say that."


    Seeing his wife''s mood lighten, Mo Shan added, "This morning, I spoke with Old Zhou from the demon hunting team. A few days ago, they accidentally killed a fire chick. It¡¯s not a demonic beast, but its meat contains spiritual energy. I bought some for Hua to try; it¡¯s also good for your health."


    "Do we have enough spirit stones at home?" Liu Ruhua asked.


    "No need," Mo Shan replied, "We¡¯re all brothers who have hunted demonic beasts together; it''s the same if I pay him back after the New Year."


    Liu Ruhua placed her storage pouch in Mo Shan''s hand, "Give whatever you can; we can repay the rest after the New Year. Everyone needs to earn some spirit stones for the New Year."


    Mo Shan thought for a moment and agreed, "That sounds good."


    While Mo Shan and his wife chatted, Mo Hua continued drawing the Blazing Fire Array into the evening until he was quite proficient.


    After a quick dinner, Mo Hua eagerly returned to his room, held his breath to calm his spirit for a moment, and then went to sleep on time, entering the sea of consciousness.


    In the ancient, empty sea of consciousness, an old stone stele stood prominently.


    Using his finger as a brush, Mo Hua began formally drawing the array on the stele. As the array patterns on the stele became complete, his spiritual sense poured forth.


    When his spiritual sense was nearly depleted, and he was almost unable to sustain himself, he finally completed the Blazing Fire Array.


    Mo Hua stopped, and the array on the stele emitted a gentle white light.


    The Blazing Fire Array was an array that third-tier Qi-cultivators could draw. Mo Hua, only a second-tier Qi-cultivator, managed it, but just barely, indicating that his spiritual sense was on par with third-tier cultivators.


    Mo Hua felt a small sense of pride, then erased the Blazing Fire Array he had drawn, and his spiritual sense was immediately replenished.


    He continued to draw the Blazing Fire Array, utilizing the night to fully master the array patterns, planning to formally draw the array the next day.


    In the silent and empty sea of consciousness, Mo Hua repeatedly drew the Blazing Fire Array, reflecting on and summarizing the various problems encountered.


    Unknowingly, dawn broke, and Mo Hua involuntarily exited his sea of consciousness.


    Feeling not the slightest fatigue, he immediately got up, sat on the bed to cultivate for a while, and after breakfast,


    he washed his hands and solemnly took out the array materials given by the steward.


    The materials included ten array papers and ten small bottles of light red ink. The array paper was made from demonic beast skin and bits of spiritual herbs, while the ink was a mix of fire-element demonic beast blood and spirit liquid. Unlike the ink and paper Mo Hua used for tracing, these contained spiritual energy and were consequently much more expensive.


    The steward had also included a new but crudely made brush, which was hardly better than Mo Hua¡¯s usual one, so he continued using his own, which felt more comfortable.


    Mo Hua spread an array paper on the table and carefully poured the ink into the inkstone, which helped preserve the ink¡¯s spiritual power for longer.


    With the array patterns of the Blazing Fire Array fresh in his mind, Mo Hua began to formally draw the array.


    The process went smoother than expected; it felt just like drawing the array on the stone stele in the sea of consciousness, even the rate of spiritual sense consumption was the same.


    However, due to nerves, some strokes were slightly crooked. Although it didn¡¯t affect the array''s function, the drawn array looked somewhat unappealing.


    After much effort and consumption of spiritual sense, Mo Hua finally completed the Blazing Fire Array, unfortunately making one mistake.


    He hadn''t succeeded yet but had already lost a spirit stone...


    Mo Hua felt a pang of regret.


    And with his spiritual sense depleted, he could no longer continue drawing arrays and had to rest with closed eyes.


    "I wonder if there''s a way to quickly recover spiritual sense..."


    Mo Hua thought, missing the days of practicing on the Dao Stele, but unfortunately, that wasn''t an option in reality.


    Mo Hua rested, and before his spiritual sense fully recovered, the morning had already passed, and Liu Ruhua was calling him for lunch.


    After a quick lunch, Mo Hua ran back to his room and spread out a new array paper.


    Stabilizing his emotions and summarizing his experiences, he silently recited "Failure is the mother of success," and began drawing the second Blazing Fire Array.


    This time, Mo Hua was more focused and careful, pondering each stroke and preemptively considering the subsequent array patterns. As his spiritual sense was used up, he closed his eyes to rest, constantly recalling the array diagram in his mind.


    Mo Hua drew slowly, but time flew by. By dusk, although with some interruptions, he had finally successfully drawn the Blazing Fire Array.


    Unable to hide his excitement, and overtaken by the fatigue of his exhausted mind, Mo Hua contentedly collapsed on his bed and soon fell soundly asleep.


    When Mo Hua woke up, it was already dark, and feeling famished, he followed a delicious aroma into the main hall, only to see a large bowl of meat on the table!

 Chapter 11: Fire Chick

    The meat in the bowl was a pale golden color, crystal clear, resembling chicken legs in appearance but the size of a pork hock that Mo Hua had eaten in his previous life.The soup was clear with a thin layer of oil on the surface, glossy yet not greasy, garnished with some mushrooms and small chunks of bright green herbs.


    Mo Hua had not eaten meat for a long time; the last was half a year ago during the Demonic Beast Hunting Festival.


    In the cultivation world, meat is quite expensive, only affordable during festivals and celebrations, making it a rare treat for common cultivators.


    There are two types of meat eaten by cultivators: one is the meat of spiritual beasts.


    Spiritual beasts differ from demonic beasts; they are raised by cultivators who feed them spiritual herbs and other natural spirit substances. Their meat is tender, easy to cook, infused with spiritual energy, and hence very expensive, not something a solitary cultivator could afford.


    The other type is the meat of herbivorous demonic beasts.


    All demonic beasts are killers, but not all consume human flesh. Those that feed on various spiritual herbs may be ferocious and slaughter cultivators, but they do not consume the flesh of cultivators.


    However, carnivorous demonic beasts usually have tasted human flesh, and if not, it is not because they do not eat humans, but because they have not yet encountered a cultivator to eat.


    Thus, the meat of herbivorous demonic beasts, although it has an unusual taste, is still consumable by cultivators. In contrast, the meat of carnivorous demonic beasts is bloody and impure, difficult to consume, and can easily contaminate a cultivator¡¯s vital energy, leading to disordered meridians and, in some cases, insanity.


    Herbivorous demonic beast meat, although not expensive, is still rarely consumed by average cultivators.


    The bodies of demonic beasts are much stronger than those of cultivators, and the meat of herbivorous demonic beasts is too tough to chew. It requires long hours of cooking over a fire to be palatable.


    Solitary cultivators cannot afford such an effort, and those who can, prefer the meat of spiritual beasts.


    Thus, any kind of meat is rare on the table of a solitary cultivator.


    The bowl of meat before them emitted a faint white mist, which, although slight, clearly contained a trace of spiritual energy.


    Liu Ruhua waved Mo Hua over, "This is Fire chick meat, your father bought it to nourish you."


    She couldn''t help but pinch Mo Hua''s pale little face, "Look at how thin you''ve become recently."


    Mo Hua was a bit reluctant and asked, "This meat must be quite expensive, right?"


    Mo Shan waved his hand, "We only bought half, it didn''t cost many spirit stones. Plus, it was from a friend in the hunting team; next year we''ll work together, so it''s part gift, part purchase."


    Mo Hua said, "Dad, are you planning to go deeper into the mountains next year?"


    Mo Shan nodded, "It¡¯s tough on the outer mountain now, the gains from killing a demonic beast are too low, and if someone gets injured, the costs could outweigh the benefits. The beasts in the inner mountain are stronger, but they also yield better loot, so next year..."


    Mo Shan suddenly stopped and chuckled, "Why am I telling you all this?"


    Liu Ruhua gently chided Mo Shan with a spoonful of meat soup for Mo Hua, "Try it and see how it tastes."


    Mo Hua tasted the soup and then a piece of meat; it was the most delicious meat he had ever eaten¡ªfresh and fragrant, fatty but not oily, a feast for all senses.


    Mo Hua squinted his eyes in delight, "Mom, it''s really tasty!"


    Liu Ruhua laughed, "If it''s good, eat more. This whole bowl is yours; make sure to finish it," she said, heading to the kitchen, "There are more dishes to come..."


    Mo Shan stood up, "I''ll help you..."


    Seeing his parents heading to the kitchen, Mo Hua quickly put several pieces of the Fire chick meat into his own bowl and distributed the rest into his parents'' bowls.


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


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    Liu Ruhua smiled warmly yet humorously, "This meat was specially bought for you. At our age, we''re not expecting any advancement in cultivation; eating this spirit-infused meat is just a waste..."


    As Liu Ruhua tried to add more meat to Mo Hua''s bowl, he covered it with his hands, shaking his head, "I''ve had enough, I can''t eat any more."


    Mo Hua covered his bowl, adamantly refusing to eat more.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua resigned themselves but then


    started insisting with each other.


    Mo Shan added meat to his wife¡¯s bowl, softly saying, "You''ve been through a lot these years, eat more to nourish yourself..."


    Liu Ruhua then transferred the meat back to her husband¡¯s bowl, softly replying, "You¡¯ve been working hard outside, facing harsh conditions; you should eat more..."


    Listening to this, Mo Hua''s teeth ached with the sweetness, he couldn''t help but say, "Dad, Mom, the meat will get cold if you don¡¯t eat now."


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua, having momentarily forgotten their son was there, now noticed his watery big eyes watching them. Liu Ruhua blushed slightly, and Mo Shan coughed lightly, pretending nothing was amiss, and began eating.


    Seeing his parents finish the meat in their bowls, Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.


    He then thought, although the Fire chick meat was delicious, it was too expensive.


    Demonic beast meat, although devoid of spiritual energy, could replenish blood energy, definitely beneficial for cultivators. But the meat of demonic beasts was really tough to chew...


    He wondered if there was a way for his parents to eat more meat?


    Mo Hua shelved this thought for now, as the most important task was to finish the Blazing Fire Array, and then visit the trading house to exchange for spirit stones.


    After dinner, Mo Hua returned to his room, meditated to digest the Fire chick meat¡ªsince it didn¡¯t contain much spiritual energy, it didn¡¯t take long.


    Once the spiritual energy was refined, Mo Hua continued drawing the Blazing Fire Array, completing another diagram before falling asleep that night.


    Later, he fell asleep, continuing to draw Array formations on the Dao Stele in his sea of consciousness, consolidating his memory of the formations, reflecting on issues with his brushwork.


    In the morning, he meditated and then continued drawing Array formations; he managed one in the morning and another in the afternoon, both successful, but the consumption of his spiritual sense was significant. After dinner, he had to rest for a while, then resumed his dreams at night, continuing to draw Array formations on the Dao Stele.


    On the fourth day, Mo Hua''s brushwork had become much more proficient, and his spiritual sense seemed a bit more robust, perhaps because he understood the Blazing Fire Array better, so the consumption of his spiritual sense was reduced. After completing two formations in the daytime, he had enough energy left to draw another in the evening, but because he was a bit too hasty, he made a mistake with his brushwork, and the formation failed.


    At night, after falling asleep, Mo Hua continued to reflect and summarize in his sea of consciousness, practicing drawing Array formations on the Dao Stele.


    On the fifth day, Mo Hua spent the entire day completing three Blazing Fire Arrays, and although they were successful, the consumption of his spiritual sense was significant, causing some dizziness and headache, but not as severe as the first time; a moment of closed-eye meditation was enough for recovery.


    Thus, Mo Hua had used up all ten sets of Array materials entrusted by the trading house, successfully creating eight Blazing Fire Arrays.


    Though there were some flaws and much room for improvement, overall, he was satisfied.


    That evening, Mo Hua indulged a little, not continuing to practice Array formations on the Dao Stele but instead drawing several comic strips for leisure.


    The next day, after breakfast, Mo Hua met up with Da Hu and the two others to go shopping.


    Mo Hua carried the completed Array formations in a storage bag slung over his shoulder. Before heading out, Liu Ruhua gave him a spirit stone and five broken spirit stones, instructing him to buy anything tasty or fun he saw and to be careful.


    Da Hu and the others patted their chests, promising to protect Mo Hua and not let anyone bully him.


    Mo Hua and his mother waved goodbye, and he and his three friends set out.


    Da Hu and the others were lively, hopping and skipping along the bustling stone-paved road, three tiger-headed young boys and a porcelain doll-like child, bouncing along...

 Chapter 12: Compensation

    After wandering for a while, Meng Xiao Hu suddenly asked, "Where are we heading next?"Mo Hua patted the storage bag on his side, "Let''s head to North Street first!"


    As they arrived at the entrance of Destiny''s Shop on North Street, Mo Hua stepped onto the storefront''s steps but turned back to see his three companions standing still. He couldn''t help but ask, "Aren¡¯t you coming in?"


    All three friends shook their heads in unison:


    "I get dizzy just looking at array formations..."


    "Me too..."


    "I¡¯ve given up on array formations in this lifetime; I''m not going in either..."


    Mo Hua had no choice but to say, "Then wait here for me, I''ll be out soon."


    His three friends nodded together.


    Entering the shop, the door chime rang as the steward looked up to see Mo Hua standing tall with his storage bag, and couldn''t help but chuckle, "It''s you again, huh? Did your brother finish all the array patterns?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Yes."


    The steward perked up, "Oh? That was quick, only five days," he beckoned to Mo Hua, "Let me see."


    Mo Hua reached into his storage bag and tiptoed to place the array patterns on the counter.


    The steward picked up the patterns and frowned slightly after inspecting them.


    Mo Hua felt uneasy, "Did I draw them incorrectly?"


    The steward pondered for a moment, "They''re correct, but these don¡¯t seem like they were done by an expert. Some are passable, but these..." He flipped through a few, revealing the ones Mo Hua had initially drawn.


    "These are quite off; the strokes are crude and discontinuous, as if pieced together bit by bit. Are you sure your brother is learning from an array master? This level is quite lacking..."


    Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed; it was his first attempt, and he had tried his best.


    "Can these be used, though?"


    The steward tapped the desk, examining the array again:


    "While the strokes are poor, the array itself isn¡¯t flawed, it''s still usable... just that the strokes are poor."


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s good to hear." He added, "Maybe my brother was unfamiliar with this array initially, hence the rough start, but you see, the later ones are much better, right?"


    After inspecting the later patterns, the steward slowly nodded, "Indeed, the latter ones are somewhat better, at least standard."


    "Right," Mo Hua reassured, "You can be sure he¡¯ll get better over time!"


    The steward was amused by Mo Hua¡¯s confidence, "Alright, for your sake, we¡¯ll consider this order complete. But next time, make sure the quality at least matches these later ones; no using practice arrays to fill the quota." S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded vigorously.


    The steward packed away the array patterns and counted out several spirit stones.


    "Eight successful, two failed; two spirit stones will be deducted from the deposit, leaving a reward of six spirit stones."


    "If your brother continues to draw, the deposit remains ten spirit stones. He already has the Blazing Fire Array pattern, just add ten more paper and ink materials."


    The steward handed Mo Hua a storage bag filled with paper and ink.


    Mo Hua collected the materials and picked up the six spirit stones, unable to suppress his excitement.


    Earning six spirit stones in five days was comparable to the income of a mid-to-late Qi-cultivation stage cultivator.


    Mo Hua''s mother, Liu Ruhua, helped in the kitchen at Spirit Meal Tower, earning only one spirit stone a day. His father, Mo Shan, earned more from hunting demonic beasts, but that income was less stable, sometimes higher if valuable beasts were hunted, and otherwise lower.


    Mo Hua thanked the steward and exited Destiny''s Shop, his three friends eagerly watching him.


    Mo Hua patted his storage bag and with a wave of his hand declared, "Come on, let¡¯s have some snacks!"


    Meng Da Hu and the others cheered joyfully and crowded around Mo Hua as they headed to a street-side pastry shop called Wang¡¯s Pastries.


    In Tongxian City, many establishments made pastries, and while Wang''s Pastries didn¡¯t use exquisite materials, they were affordable.


    During festive seasons, common cultivators often bought these to treat their children.


    Wang''s Pastries was famous for its Five-Colored Cakes, made by steaming five different colored spirit grains together, creating a sweet and soft treat that only cost two fragments of a spirit stone.


    As lower-tier cultivators had minimal income, many earned less than one spirit stone a day, resorting to using fragmented spirit stones. A whole spirit stone was divided into ten parts, with ten fragments equaling one whole stone.


    Fragmented spirit stones were not recognized by the Dao Court or the


    major sects and families, circulating only among the lower-tier Qi-cultivation cultivators.


    Mo Hua spent two spirit stones for ten Five-Colored Cakes, and given he was a child buying in bulk, the shopkeeper even gifted two extra cakes.


    Mo Hua distributed two cakes each, keeping four to take home for his parents.


    With one cake in each hand, sweet and steaming, they walked and ate. Meng Xiao Hu¡¯s mouth was too hot to close, but he couldn''t stop talking,


    "This pastry is really good, I''ll eat this every day once I earn my own spirit stones!"


    Meng Shuang Hu commented, "Then you might as well marry someone who can make pastries, so you can have them every day."


    Meng Xiao Hu had an epiphany, "Right, right, how did I not think of that!" then became conflicted, "But I already have someone I like, it¡¯s not right to be fickle..."


    Meng Shuang Hu widened his eyes, "Who do you like?"


    Meng Xiao Hu said, "The girl who sells tofu on the west street, I said I liked her first, you can''t compete with me for her!"


    Meng Shuang Hu scoffed, waving his hand, "Don''t worry, her temper is terrible, I won''t compete with you..."


    While Meng Shuang Hu and Meng Xiao Hu chatted, Meng Da Hu focused on eating his cakes, quickly finishing both and even licking his fingers.


    Mo Hua gave him the last cake he had saved.


    Meng Da Hu smiled sheepishly but couldn''t resist starting on the cake.


    Meng Shuang Hu suddenly asked, "Mo Hua, did you really help with the array patterns at that shop?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Meng Xiao Hu''s mouth fell open, "You can actually draw array patterns for others now?"


    Meng Shuang Hu gave him a look, "Where else do you think the spirit stones for the pastries came from?"


    Meng Xiao Hu grasped his pastry in shock, "These pastries were bought with the spirit stones you earned from drawing arrays? That''s incredible, Mo Hua, you might actually become a first-rate array master one day!"


    Mo Hua said, "It¡¯s too early to talk about that. Becoming an array master isn¡¯t so simple. Let¡¯s keep this to ourselves, okay? I''ll earn more spirit stones and treat you to more pastries later."


    Hearing the word ''pastries,'' the three friends eagerly nodded, with Meng Xiao Hu promising, "If I spill the beans, I''ll never have pastries for the rest of my life!"


    Mo Hua and his friends continued to roam the streets, exploring various curious and novel items, and as dusk fell, they each returned to their homes.


    Mo Hua gave the pastries to Liu Ruhua, who steamed them before placing them in Mo Hua¡¯s bowl. After some insistence, Mo Hua ended up eating two, while Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua each had one.


    The steamed pastries were hot and aromatic, tasting even better than at noon. Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "Mom, can you steam pastries?"


    Liu Ruhua smiled, "There¡¯s nothing too hard about it; I can make even more complicated dishes. It¡¯s just that many meals require an array craftsman to specially forge a stove and integrate specific arrays. We just don¡¯t have the means at home."


    "Are stoves expensive?"


    "A stove needs to be forged by a craftsman, so naturally, they aren''t cheap. But what''s even more expensive are the arrays. Getting an array master to draw arrays isn''t easy, especially for something big like a stove, so unless you¡¯re opening a restaurant, nobody spends a lot on a stove..."


    Mo Hua nodded, realizing that arrays were more widely used in the cultivation world than he had initially thought. He wondered which array was used in stoves.


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

 Chapter 13: The Oil Lamp

    In the following days, aside from eating, Mo Hua confined himself to his room, diligently drawing the Blazing Fire Array.Five days later, Mo Hua had exhausted ten batches of materials but had only successfully completed eight diagrams. One was ruined due to carelessness, and another due to a previously unnoticed error in technique.


    The Blazing Fire Array is considered the most basic and fundamental array in the cultivation world, yet Mo Hua still made mistakes occasionally, some of which he had made before.


    "Array formations are indeed profound and intricate, not to be taken lightly!" Mo Hua reminded himself silently.


    When he found the time, Mo Hua handed over the completed arrays to the chubby steward of Destiny''s Shop.


    This time, the steward was slightly more satisfied, noticing that Mo Hua''s brother''s diligence had noticeably improved his technique. The steward was happy to continue their collaboration, rewarding Mo Hua with six spirit stones and providing him with ten more batches of materials.


    Mo Hua had already earned twelve spirit stones. At this rate, he could make another deal before the year''s end, earning at least six more stones.


    Mo Hua worked even more diligently on the Blazing Fire Array, becoming more proficient. His spiritual sense also grew stronger, allowing him to complete an entire array without exhausting his spiritual sense, significantly reducing the time it took him to draw the arrays.


    A few days later, after dinner, as Mo Hua was about to return to his room, he suddenly heard a knock at the door.


    Mo Shan got up to answer it and found two people standing outside.


    One was a young man dressed in a clean, neat Taoist robe, looking well-cultivated and very polite.


    The other was a middle-aged cultivator with a few shallow scars on his face, his expression calm but his gaze sharp, his aura much denser, likely at least at the eighth or ninth level of Qi cultivation. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Little friend, does a brother Mo Shan live here?"


    "Are you looking for my dad?" Mo Hua asked, tilting his head.


    The middle-aged cultivator softened his gaze at Mo Hua, "You must be Mo Hua!"


    Mo Shan also came out and greeted, "Brother Ji!"


    The middle-aged cultivator returned the greeting, "Brother Mo, sorry to disturb you so late! We''ve traveled from Heishan City, rushing through the night to get here at this hour."


    "Do you have a place to stay?"


    "There is. He''s a brother of my dad''s generation. I was just about to visit him and stay for a while. I came to discuss the matter you mentioned before..."


    "Come in and talk."


    Mo Shan invited them in, and Liu Ruhua tidied up the table and brewed some tea to serve. Mo Shan then introduced them to Mo Hua:


    "This is your Uncle Ji, named Qingbai, and beside him is your Brother Ji, named Li."


    Mo Hua greeted them formally, "Uncle Ji, Brother Ji, hello!"


    Ji Qingbai smiled and nodded. He wanted to praise them but, seeing the tall and burly Mo Shan and the delicate and fair-skinned Mo Hua next to him, he found the usual praise "Like father, like son" unfitting.


    Being a demon hunter, he usually only had the generic praise "Like father, like son" ready, but now it seemed inappropriate, leaving Ji Qingbai momentarily at a loss for words.


    "This child..." Ji Qingbai hesitated for a while before coming up with, "Looks very good!"


    To avoid seeming perfunctory, Ji Qingbai added, "He is handsome like Brother Mo, his eyes soft and temperament similar to your sister-in-law''s, well-mannered, I''ve never seen such a good-looking child."


    Mo Shan didn''t think much of it; any praise for Mo Hua made him happy.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Mo Shan told Mo Hua, "Dad and your Uncle Ji are going to discuss some things, go back to your room and play."


    "Okay!"


    Mo Hua bowed to Ji Qingbai and returned to his room.


    Ji Qingbai, also a demon hunter, came to talk about hunting demons with his father.


    Mo Shan was burly, with a great talent for physical cultivation, at the eighth level of Qi cultivation, experienced in several powerful physical martial arts, and rich in demon hunting experience. His reputation among Qi-cultivating demon hunters in Tongxian City was quite significant.


    "Ji Qingbai came to discuss with dad about hunting demons in the inner mountains of Dahei Mountain after the new year..."


    The inner mountains must be dangerous...


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and sighed. These were not concerns he could deal with now. With only the second level of Qi cultivation and no physical martial arts training or chosen spells, he couldn''t be of much help.


    He decided to focus on drawing arrays.


    Mo Hua took out


    his brush and inkstone, and focused on drawing the array, hoping to complete a full Blazing Fire Array diagram before falling asleep and entering the sea of consciousness.


    Dipping the brush in pale red ink, he fluidly traced one array pattern after another.


    Having mastered the Blazing Fire Array, Mo Hua found the task almost effortless.


    After some time, the light from the oil lamp suddenly flickered out, plunging the room into darkness.


    "Is the lamp broken?"


    Mo Hua stopped drawing and, using the light from the hall, inspected the lamp but found nothing obviously wrong. "Could it have been used too long?"


    With plenty of time left in the evening, Mo Hua wanted to draw more arrays.


    "What to do?"


    Holding the lamp, Mo Hua went to the door and peeked through the crack, seeing Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai still talking.


    Not wanting to disturb Mo Shan at this time, Mo Hua was about to retreat when he heard Mo Shan ask, "Hua''er, what''s up?"


    Mo Hua realized he had been noticed.


    With Mo Shan''s level of Qi cultivation, and Uncle Ji''s likely higher, a peek through the crack couldn''t escape their spiritual sense.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to say, "Dad, the lamp is broken."


    Mo Shan gestured, "Bring it here."


    Mo Hua handed over the lamp.


    Mo Shan took it, twisted open the base, and remarked, "It''s been used for a long time, the array inside has faded. I''ll buy you a new one tomorrow. Go to bed early tonight."


    "Array?" Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Dad, let me see."


    Slightly surprised, Mo Shan handed the lamp back to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua took the lamp, recognizing the array in the base as somewhat familiar, similar to the Blazing Fire Array but cruder and with only two patterns.


    It was likely drawn this way to cut costs.


    Mo Hua knew the Blazing Fire Array well.


    "Dad, wait a moment."


    Mo Hua ran back to his room, fetched his brush and ink, and traced over the faded array, then changed a few lines.


    Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai watched quietly.


    Soon, Mo Hua completed the array, "Dad, try it now."


    Mo Shan reassembled the base, triggered a small mechanism on the lamp, and the light flickered back on, brightening the room.


    "It works?" Mo Shan was pleasantly surprised and affectionately ruffled Mo Hua''s hair, "Good job, take it back and remember to rest early, don''t study too late."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Dad, Uncle Ji, continue your talk, I''ll go back to my room." He then ran back with the lamp in hand.


    Mo Shan turned back to Ji Qingbai, "Sorry, Brother Ji, let''s continue."


    But Ji Qingbai seemed distracted, staring at the departing Mo Hua, lost in thought for a long time before finally saying cautiously, "Mo Hua is only at the second level of Qi cultivation, isn''t he?"

 Chapter 14: Ji Qingbai

    Mo Shan did not know why Ji Qingbai suddenly asked this question, but he nodded and said, "Elder Brother Ji is right, Mo Hua is cultivating at Tongxian Sect, and he is currently at the second level of Qi-cultivation."Ji Qingbai found it hard to believe, "The second level of Qi-cultivation, and he can already draw array formations?"


    Mo Shan explained, "It shouldn''t be the case; he''s only learned the basics at the sect, merely imitating what he¡¯s seen."


    "Elder Brother Mo is being modest. Even that is quite impressive. The few strokes he made were well-formed, showing that Mo Hua has talent," Ji Qingbai commented.


    Mo Shan smiled, "If that is true, then I¡¯ll take your auspicious words."


    Ji Qingbai sighed, "Among the descendants of us demon hunters, let alone an Array master, there are few who can roughly understand array formations and draw some Array patterns. Earlier this year, I went to request an Array master to help draw some array formations, and I ended up swallowing a lot of humiliation, even had to smile apologetically to avoid offending him."


    Ji Qingbai grew angrier as he thought about it, "It''s just a small array formation. Not only did he demand two hundred spirit stones, but he also wanted my niece to dine with him and toast him. If it were in Dahei Mountain, I really would have chopped him down!"


    Mo Shan¡¯s expression darkened, "To be so unreasonable?"


    "What else could I do?" Ji Qingbai sighed, "We don¡¯t understand array formations, and the younger generations won¡¯t learn them. Whenever there¡¯s an issue, we can only humbly seek help from those family Array masters. They act all high and mighty, and we have to appease them."


    "Elder Brother Mo," Ji Qingbai looked at Mo Shan earnestly, "If Mo Hua really wishes to learn array formations, you must let him continue, whatever the difficulties, come to me. I will help without hesitation!"


    "Elder Brother Ji, you¡¯re too kind! If Mo Hua really wants to learn, I will definitely let him," Mo Shan said seriously.


    Ji Qingbai nodded.


    The two talked a little longer about demon hunting before Ji Qingbai took his leave.


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


    After Ji Qingbai left, he took his son to the west side of Nanda Street to stay at an elder''s house.


    On the way, Ji Qingbai instructed his son, Ji Li, "The demon hunting business in our Qingxuan City is getting tougher, so this time I came to ask your Uncle Mo to visit the inner mountains of Dahei Mountain together. You have a good talent, already at the seventh level of Qi-cultivation, so you should come to gain some experience. But demon hunting is our job; you should not intervene lightly."


    "Father, I understand," Ji Li responded.


    "I know you understand, but you are still young and might not fully grasp how fierce and cunning beasts are. You are the least experienced among us, and if you act, any weakness will cost you dearly," Ji Qingbai explained.


    Ji Li nodded, then curiously asked, "Father, is Uncle Mo''s cultivation impressive?"


    "Of course, your Uncle Mo is the most talented demon hunter I''ve ever met in all these years. He has great natural ability and quick reactions, with rich hunting experience. It¡¯s just a pity that, like us independent cultivators who start families and have children, all the spirit stones we gather go towards the children¡¯s cultivation, leaving less for our own," Ji Qingbai sighed.


    "If that wasn''t the case, with his abilities, he could have continued to cultivate and possibly reached the Foundation-building stage," Ji Qingbai continued.


    Ji Li fell silent for a moment, his father¡¯s cultivation could have progressed further, but the spirit stones earned were also spent on his own cultivation.


    Speaking of Foundation-building cultivators, Ji Li asked in a low voice, "How is Elder Zheng''s health..."


    "He¡¯s not doing well," Ji Qingbai looked dejected, "Uncle Zheng is the only Foundation-building elder in our Qingxuan City¡¯s demon hunting guild. If he passes away, we Qi-cultivation independent cultivators will probably be bullied by those few families. It¡¯s going to get tougher..."


    "Are there any Foundation-building elders in Tongxian City?"


    "There is one, with the surname Yu. He has a bad temper but is also very protective. The entire demon hunting operation in Tongxian City relies on him, and even the powerful families don¡¯t dare to go too far. If things really get tough, you could move to Tongxian City, find a Dao companion, and settle down there. I would be more at ease," Ji Qingbai advised.


    Ji Li, still young


    , blushed, "Father, it''s too early to talk about that."


    Ji Qingbai laughed, "It¡¯s not too early. These things need to be planned early."


    Ji Li then tried to change the subject, asking, "Father, that younger brother at Uncle Mo''s house, Mo Hua, can he really become an Array master?"


    "I don''t know," Ji Qingbai frowned, "It¡¯s not easy to become an Array master. Starting from an apprentice to a non-ranked Array master, and only then can one become a ranked Array master."


    "First of all, it''s not easy to be an apprentice. We independent cultivators don¡¯t have a heritage. To learn array formations, you need to find a dedicated Array master as a teacher," Ji Qingbai explained.


    "Aren¡¯t there also teachings on array formations at the sect?" Ji Li asked. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s far from enough," Ji Qingbai replied, "What the sect teaches is just the basics, meant to make you aware of array formations, not to train you as an Array master."


    Ji Li was astonished, having found learning array formations at the sect challenging, and to think that was just the basics.


    "Finding an Array master as a teacher is not easy. Which Array master isn¡¯t arrogant, with standards higher than the sky? Asking them to take apprentices is so hard that even spending all your wealth wouldn¡¯t be enough," Ji Qingbai grew agitated, "Array formations are so difficult without a heritage or a teacher. How can one possibly learn?"


    Ji Qingbai shook his head in frustration.


    "So, after becoming an apprentice, can one then become an Array master?" Ji Li asked.


    "Being an apprentice is just the beginning. You have to endure many years, constantly learning and practicing, to gradually improve your skills before you can become an Array master, and that''s just for the non-ranked ones. Then you endure more, learn more, gain some renown, and only then are you eligible for ranking. The ranking is personally determined by the Dao Court, and that''s another huge hurdle... Some Array masters spend their whole lives trying to get ranked," Ji Qingbai explained.


    Ji Li was overwhelmed by the complexity, unable to help but say, "Can Brother Mo really become an Array master?"


    "Let''s hope," Ji Qingbai sighed, "Even if it¡¯s just a foolish dream, it¡¯s still something to look forward to."


    Mo Hua continued to draw the Blazing Fire Array, and a few days later, he completed the entire array. This time he was much more proficient, succeeding in nine out of ten attempts, earning eight spirit stones.


    On the last day of the year, Mo Hua went to Destiny''s Shop again to exchange the array formations for spirit stones.


    The manager at Destiny''s Shop, a stout man, was quite satisfied with the array formations Mo Hua delivered.


    "That¡¯s more like it. Since you''ve taken a master and become an apprentice, this is the standard you should achieve!"


    During the settlement, the stout manager gave Mo Hua ten spirit stones, with an extra two as a New Year¡¯s gift, "Although it¡¯s not much, it¡¯s still something festive!"


    For the stout manager, it wasn''t much, but for Mo Hua, it was quite a lot.


    Mo Hua was very pleased and chose some auspicious phrases like "Wishing the manager greater success and continued brilliance" to say.


    The stout manager was very pleased and nodded in agreement.


    The next day was New Year''s Eve, and Mo Hua''s family of three had a lively celebration.


    The New Year''s customs in the cultivation world had many similarities with Mo Hua¡¯s memories from another life, yet there were differences.


    For instance, although both involved hanging Spring Festival couplets, the couplets here glowed, the ''Fu'' character had moving cloud patterns, and the New Year paintings featuring mythical creatures like Qilin would stare at you with big eyes, sometimes even sneering, which was quite novel.


    The New Year''s Eve dinner was the most lavish meal of the year, including some meat, which was otherwise not commonly eaten, allowing everyone to fully enjoy rare delicacies.


    Mo Hua had a very happy New Year. After playing with his friends for several days, he continued to draw array formations for Destiny''s Shop.


    With night and day efforts, Mo Hua could draw the Blazing Fire Array from memory, completing ten array diagrams in just three days, maintaining a success rate of over ninety percent.


    Until the fifteenth day of the first month, the day before he was to start his studies at Tongxian Sect, Mo Hua had earned nearly fifty spirit stones.


    After dinner, Mo Hua was packing his belongings for his upcoming cultivation at the sect, while Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua discussed the future.

 Chapter 15: Payment of Sect Dues

    In the sect, the outer disciples are recruited to impart knowledge and skills for cultivation. Upon joining, disciples are required to pay a fee called "sect dues."Different grades of sects demand varying amounts of dues, with higher-grade sects charging more. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Tongxian Sect, being a first-tier sect within the cultivation world, is the largest in Tongxian City, despite being the only first-tier sect there. The annual dues here are a hundred spirit stones, not including other miscellaneous fees.


    A hundred spirit stones are not overly expensive but are by no means cheap¡ªit''s roughly what an average Qi-cultivating rogue cultivator might save up in a year, assuming no injuries or other major expenditures.


    Should there be illness or disasters, or expenses that require a significant number of spirit stones, it''s possible to end up with nothing for the year.


    The New Year is a happy time, but once it''s over, the heavy burden of cultivation life seems to press down again.


    Mo Shan guiltily placed a storage bag on the table, "I borrowed some spirit stones from a few brothers, plus some I had saved up, totaling over eighty..."


    Liu Ruhua comforted, "I''ll also talk to the manager at the Spirit Meal Tower tomorrow to get some spirit stones in advance..."


    Just as Mo Shan was about to reply, he noticed Mo Hua eavesdropping at the door.


    "Hua''er!"


    Caught, Mo Hua sheepishly smiled and ran over to sit by his mother.


    Liu Ruhua affectionately pinched Mo Hua''s ear, scolding, "So young, and already eavesdropping!"


    "Dad, Mom, are we short on spirit stones?"


    Mo Shan said, "We are a bit short, but your Uncle Ji said yesterday he''d lend me some, and he made me promise to tell you to study well at the sect."


    "Uncle Ji?"


    "Indeed, your Uncle Ji praises your intelligence all the time," Liu Ruhua said, stroking Mo Hua''s head.


    "But Uncle Ji¡¯s family isn¡¯t exactly flush with spirit stones either," Mo Hua noted.


    Mo Shan sighed lightly, "I''ll pay him back sooner after the New Year. Nowadays, who has extra spirit stones?"


    "I do!" Mo Hua chuckled.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were taken aback.


    Mo Hua trotted back into the house and then out again, clutching a storage bag.


    Opening the bag, fifty spirit stones glinted and sparkled, a dazzling sight. However, the emotional scene of his parents praising his thoughtfulness didn''t happen.


    Mo Shan''s expression was grave, Liu Ruhua furrowed her brows.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Mo Hua asked nervously.


    "Where did these spirit stones come from?" Mo Shan asked evenly.


    "No one gave them to me. I earned them myself!"


    Mo Shan paused, "You... earned them?"


    Liu Ruhua''s expression softened, pulling Mo Hua into her arms, "Tell Mom how you earned them."


    "I drew array patterns for Destiny''s Shop. They¡¯re simple ones, but I earn a spirit stone for each."


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua exchanged looks, realizing their son had been mostly indoors, coming and going briefly¡ªearning spirit stones by drawing arrays.


    Looking again at the bag¡¯s contents, one stone per array, nearly fifty in total...


    Liu Ruhua hugged Mo Hua tighter.


    Mo Shan struggled for words, finally just reaching out to gently stroke Mo Hua''s head.


    "These spirit stones are your hard-earned money. Keep them for cultivation or to buy something nice. I''ll figure out something for the sect dues."


    Mo Hua, knowing his father''s reluctance to use the stones, quickly added, "Then keep them for me, Mom and Dad. I''m just a kid; I can''t use so many, and it¡¯s easy for others to steal or rob me."


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua found no words to refuse.


    "Alright, we¡¯ll keep them for you."


    "Okay!" Mo Hua nodded firmly.


    "Alright, it¡¯s getting late, you have school tomorrow, go to bed early."


    "Okay, good night, Mom and Dad!"


    As Mo Hua got up to return to his room, he turned back, "Mom and Dad, use them if you need to, don¡¯t save them for me."


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua couldn''t help but laugh and cry at the same time.


    Watching Mo Hua return to his room and close the door, Mo Shan sighed and smiled bitterly, "As a father, I¡¯m not even close to how sensible my child is."


    Liu Ruhua comforted, "What are you saying? It¡¯s good that Hua''er understands and supports us. We should be happy he can earn spirit stones on his own. But..."


    Liu Ruhua looked down at the spirit


    stones, then up at her husband with concern, "He''s so young, can he really draw arrays and earn so many? I''m afraid someone might take advantage of his age..."


    "I''ll check it out tomorrow."


    Mo Shan said, his gaze sharpening.


    The next day, Mo Hua got up on time, practiced his cultivation, and went with Liu Ruhua to pay the sect dues and register for school at the outer gate of Tongxian Sect.


    Mo Shan had left early as Liu Ruhua mentioned, to prepare for a hunt with several demon hunters deep in the mountains.


    After handling the dues and registration at the outer gate, Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at Mo Hua.


    Once inside the sect for cultivation, except during holidays, it was rare to see their son.


    Liu Ruhua gave a few more instructions on good cultivation practices, relationships, and looking after oneself, before leaving reluctantly.


    Mo Hua waved from the gate until Liu Ruhua''s figure vanished at the turn of the road, then turned around.


    Instead of entering the sect, he first headed to Destiny''s Shop on North Street to pick up materials for twenty Blazing Fire Arrays, agreeing to deliver them within half a month.


    The sect had a monthly break, and Mo Hua planned to use these to meet and trade with the manager.


    The materials for twenty arrays, and the manager, considering past pleasant dealings with Mo Hua¡¯s... elder brother, and the increasing quality of delivered arrays, only asked for ten spirit stones as a deposit.


    After settling matters, Mo Hua left Destiny''s Shop satisfied.


    Unbeknownst to him, a burly man silently watched him leave.


    After Mo Hua was gone, the man entered the large doors of Destiny''s Shop.


    The bell rang as the manager looked up to see a plainly dressed but striking man with piercing eyes, giving off an imposing air.


    The manager could tell at a glance that the man was a demon hunter, a seasoned one who had seen real combat. His attitude wasn¡¯t great, looking at the manager as if he were a beast about to be slaughtered.


    Although the manager believed his own cultivation wasn¡¯t inferior, a real fight would be a different story, as demon hunters lived on the edge, constantly battling demons.


    Weighing his options, the manager straightened up and cautiously asked, "Esteemed Daoist, what array are you interested in?"


    The burly man was Mo Shan. He spread out a crumpled piece of paper with an array sketch, some parts incorrectly copied and smudged.


    "What array is this?"


    "Blazing Fire Array."


    "Do you accept these arrays?"


    The man''s tone made the manager uncomfortable. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t bother, but today he felt the need to be courteous and thorough with a customer.


    "Of course. It¡¯s a commonly used array, essential for ordinary cultivator households, so it¡¯s in high demand."


    Mo Shan asked, "The child who just left, does he draw arrays for you?"


    The manager replied, "Such matters cannot be disclosed. Destiny''s Shop upholds the privacy of our clients, it¡¯s our principle."


    Mo Shan¡¯s gaze sharpened, prompting the manager to think quickly. While adhering to principles is important, flexibility is necessary in the cultivation world.


    "Not him, but his elder brother."


    Mo Shan frowned, "Elder brother?"


    "Yes, what can such a young child draw? He¡¯s just running errands for his brother, who draws the arrays."


    "Did he tell you that himself?"


    "Of course," the manager answered, "otherwise, why would we do business with a child?"


    After speaking, the manager watched Mo Shan warily:


    "As for the child¡¯s full name and residence, I can¡¯t disclose that."


    Mo Shan scoffed. As a father, I know better than you. But knowing Mo Hua wasn''t being exploited, Mo Shan''s demeanor softened, and he bowed slightly, "I apologize for the disturbance, I¡¯ll take my leave."


    The manager breathed a sigh of relief, his demeanor slightly arrogant as he nodded.


    As Mo Shan turned and left, only when his figure disappeared did the manager finally exhale deeply, muttering discontentedly, "Didn''t even buy anything¡­"

 Chapter 16: The Third Level of Qi Cultivation

    After Mo Hua entered the Tongxian Sect, a new year of sect life began.The Tongxian Sect is a first-grade sect, which is the lowest in the hierarchy of the cultivation world. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The rankings of sects in the cultivation world are strictly hierarchical.


    At the founding of a sect, its grade must be determined, which is audited and adjudicated by the Dao Court.


    The criteria for setting a grade are stringent, evaluating the sect¡¯s assets, the mountains it occupies, the depth of its heritage, the virtue of its sect leader, the cultivation level and number of its elders and instructors, and the number of disciples it can accommodate, among other things.


    Promoting a sect''s grade is even more rigorous, requiring several high-level cultivators to preach and establish themselves for a set number of years before applying for an upgrade at the Dao Court''s Tian Shu Pavilion.


    Upgrading is a major event for any sect, requiring years of preparation and the need to cultivate relationships with the Dao Court, consuming considerable manpower and financial resources.


    In the Tongxian Sect, only the old sect leader is a Foundation Building cultivator, far from meeting the conditions for a second-grade sect. Moreover, it''s estimated that it will not qualify for an upgrade within a century.


    Moreover, the Tongxian Sect owns just three peaks: Tongling Peak, Tongxuan Peak, and Tongming Peak.


    In the external sect of the Tongxian Sect, early Qi cultivation disciples, i.e., levels 1-3, practice and learn on Tongling Peak, middle Qi cultivation levels 4-6 disciples are on Tongxuan Peak, and very few late Qi cultivation levels 7-9 external sect disciples are also on Tongxuan Peak, due to their small numbers, they are simply accommodated there.


    Meanwhile, the inner sect and personally transmitted disciples, including the sect leader, elders, and instructors, are all on Tongming Peak.


    It was said that there was originally another peak, Tongxian Peak, specifically for the sect leader and elders to live and cultivate. However, due to poor management of the sect and insolvency, they tearfully sold it off.


    Without Tongxian Peak, how could it still be called Tongxian Sect?


    Generation after generation of Tongxian Sect leaders have aspired to redeem Tongxian Peak, but unfortunately, this great ambition has yet to be fulfilled.


    Each peak''s disciples in the Tongxian Sect are divided into four classes: A, B, C, and D, with the quality of disciples decreasing from class A downwards, as does the sect''s focus and cultivation efforts.


    Class A generally only recruits so-called "children of heaven", who need good spiritual roots, high aptitude, and fast cultivation.


    Of course, if you have connections with the sect¡¯s elders or are willing to donate a significant amount of spirit stones, you can also enter class A.


    In short, either you have talent, connections, or spirit stones.


    Class B includes disciples with average spiritual roots but good aptitude and diligence, and their overall performance is also commendable.


    Class C''s disciples have average spiritual roots and aptitude, and their performance is mediocre, while class D''s disciples generally have poorer spiritual roots and performance, and are essentially just getting by.


    Mo Hua was placed in class B, belonging to those with average spiritual roots but who are diligent and perform fairly well in their studies.


    Mo Hua, at the second level of Qi cultivation, therefore lived and practiced on Tongling Peak, the mountain with the most disciples in the Tongxian Sect.


    After entering the sect and greeting familiar fellow disciples, Mo Hua began a year of study and cultivation.


    Even the poorest cultivators gather some spirit stones to let their children enter the sect for cultivation, at least to lay some foundation and not be too ignorant about the various aspects of the cultivation world, so the early Qi cultivation disciples in the Tongxian Sect are the most numerous.


    As for the mid-Qi cultivation phase, whether one can continue cultivating depends on the cultivator''s own talent and family wealth.


    Some loose cultivator families simply cannot afford the spirit stones and have to let their children drop out, help others refine tools, do odd jobs, or learn to hunt demons in the mountains, just to scrape by. An annual tuition fee of a hundred spirit stones is not a small sum; otherwise, the family would starve before the child could become skilled.


    And those who can continue to cultivate in the sect until the late Qi cultivation phase are even fewer.


    Mo Hua found that several familiar fellow disciples were no longer around. Upon inquiry, he learned that several of them had dropped out due to poor family circumstances and encountering difficulties, unable to afford the tuition.


    The path of cultivation is both broad and profound, and without guidance, one could wander aimlessly. Dropping out in the early Qi cultivation phase means it''s very difficult to make any further progress in cultivation unless one


    encounters an extraordinary opportunity.


    Mo Hua sighed slightly, feeling pity, but his own situation was not much better, leaving him little time for such thoughts.


    Mo Hua spent his days attending classes and cultivating, using his free time to draw array formations, leading a busy and fulfilling life.


    A few months later, almost without realizing it, Mo Hua broke through to the third level of Qi cultivation.


    Qi cultivation progress relies heavily on persistence and accumulation; daily consistent cultivation and accumulating over months and years. If the spending on spirit stones is on point, breakthroughs naturally occur.


    But what loose cultivators lack the most is always spirit stones.


    Small realm breakthroughs rely on accumulation, mid-realm breakthroughs encounter bottlenecks. These bottlenecks require some special heavenly and earthly treasures, or pills to aid in the breakthrough.


    As for major realm breakthroughs, such as from Qi cultivation to Foundation Building, it''s more a matter of fate, something that many lower-tier loose cultivators will never achieve in their lifetime.


    Every advancement in realm brings great benefits to a cultivator.


    At the third level of Qi cultivation, Mo Hua felt his spiritual power was more abundant, and his spiritual sense naturally strengthened.


    Previously, drawing the Blazing Fire Array was strenuous, but now it had become effortless, and he hardly needed to rest after completing it.


    Despite the anticipation, Mo Hua was still pleasantly surprised.


    No wonder so many cultivators endure the tedium of cultivation, focusing on advancing their realms. The unadorned joy that comes after such tedium is truly genuine happiness.


    At ten years old, being at the third level of Qi cultivation, Mo Hua was considered above average in class B.


    And now at the third level of Qi cultivation, Mo Hua needed to choose a cultivation technique.


    One day after class, the instructor, Yan, asked several third-level Qi cultivation disciples to stay, including Mo Hua.


    Instructor Yan, taking over for the unwell Elder Zhou, got straight to the point:


    "The most important thing for a cultivator is spiritual power, whether in physical cultivation, spiritual cultivation, drawing arrays, refining pills, or crafting talismans, all require spiritual power. Strong spiritual power puts you a level above, weak spiritual power puts you a level below. The fundamental difference between cultivators is the difference in spiritual power."


    "Spiritual power is determined by the cultivation technique, and the technique is determined by the spiritual roots. What kind of spiritual roots you have dictates what cultivation technique you can practice, and what technique you practice determines the abundance of your spiritual power."


    "Spiritual roots are innate, predestined at birth, and cannot be changed later. You can''t choose your spiritual roots, but you can choose what cultivation technique to practice."


    "Choosing a suitable cultivation technique is greatly beneficial for future cultivation. If you have poor spiritual roots but practice the right technique, you may have a relatively long cultivation path. However, if you have superior spiritual roots but practice the wrong technique, you are essentially cutting off your path to longevity."


    "No matter the quality of your spiritual roots, choosing a cultivation technique must be approached with the utmost caution¡­"


    "Cultivation technique, huh¡­" Mo Hua pondered silently.


    Mo Hua has a mid-grade lower-tier Five Elements spiritual root, which is considered below average among his peers in Tongxian City.


    It was uncertain what kind of cultivation technique he could learn with his spiritual roots.

 Chapter 17: Techniques

    Yan Jiaoxi spoke, "The Sect previously taught a breathing technique similar to this cultivation technique, which can also cultivate spiritual power but is quite basic, only suitable for cultivators below the third level of Qi Cultivation. After reaching the third level of Qi Cultivation, one should choose a genuine cultivation technique to learn. Of course, continuing with the breathing technique is also possible, but the cultivation will progress much slower...""This is a catalog of cultivation techniques provided by the Sect for the outer sect disciples, listing the names of the techniques, suitable spiritual roots, required spirit stones, spiritual items needed for breakthroughs, and the effects of each technique. Take a look for yourselves first."


    Yan Jiaoxi handed out the catalogs, and each disciple received one, Mo Hua included.


    The catalog was thin, only about a dozen pages, but it densely listed roughly dozens of cultivation techniques and related matters.


    "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," Yan Jiaoxi said.


    After a moment of silence, a disciple raised his hand and asked, "Sir, are cultivation techniques also categorized by attribute and rank like spiritual roots?"


    Yan Jiaoxi glanced at the disciple and responded, "At the third level of Qi Cultivation, and you still ask such a basic question. It seems you haven¡¯t been paying attention in Zhou Jiaoxi¡¯s classes. Go back and copy ''Introduction to Cultivation'' once, and hand it to me in three days."


    The disciple, as if struck by lightning, stood dumbfounded for a moment before sadly lowering his head and saying, "Yes," filled with regret.


    It was careless to forget that it wasn''t Zhou Jiaoxi speaking now and to blurt out whatever came to mind...


    Yan Jiaoxi surveyed the room and spoke earnestly, "Zhou Jiaoxi is older and more lenient, not strict with you all, and you may not always pay attention in class. But selecting a cultivation technique is a serious matter. I will explain it again, listen carefully and don¡¯t find it tedious."


    The disciples then sat up straight.


    "A cultivator¡¯s spiritual root is categorized by attributes and ranks, just like cultivation techniques."


    "The attributes of spiritual roots primarily consist of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Some are single-element, some are mixed, and there are small and grand Five Elements. Beyond these, there are also special spiritual roots born from variations of the five elements, such as ice, thunder, wind, and the yin-yang spiritual roots, which are quite rare and seldom encountered."


    "Furthermore, based on the quality of talent, spiritual roots are also divided into nine ranks, from the lowest to the highest, and each rank significantly differs. The higher the rank of a spiritual root, the better the innate talent for cultivation, and the greater the capacity of the spirit sea to hold spiritual power."


    "The classification of cultivation techniques is similar, divided by attribute and the same nine ranks. When choosing a cultivation technique, it should match your spiritual root; the technique should match the attribute and rank of your spiritual root."


    "The attribute of a spiritual root determines the unique nature of a cultivator¡¯s spiritual power; the rarer the attribute, the more special the spiritual power. The rank of the spiritual root determines the cultivator¡¯s talent for cultivation; the higher the rank, the greater the cultivation talent."


    ...


    "Is a rarer spiritual root better?" timidly asked a disciple.


    "Not necessarily. For disciples with large family clans and sect heritage, it''s a good thing. But for average cultivators, the rarer the spiritual root, the fewer the cultivation techniques available, and some may even find no suitable techniques to learn, which isn¡¯t a good thing," explained Yan Jiaoxi.


    "What if the attribute of the cultivation technique differs from that of the spiritual root?" asked another disciple.


    "Nothing happens," Yan Jiaoxi said, "because you can¡¯t cultivate it. A cultivator with a gold and water spiritual root simply cannot learn a technique of the earth and wood category."


    "Are there no exceptions?"


    Yan Jiaoxi raised an eyebrow and said, "At least, in the annals of the Dao Court over the past twenty thousand years, none have been recorded. If you encounter one, let me know; it would be an eye-opener for me."


    That disciple shrank back, silent.


    "Teacher, does the rank of the cultivation technique also have to match the rank of the spiritual root?" another disciple asked.


    "Those with higher-ranked spiritual roots can cultivate lower-ranked techniques, but those with lower-ranked roots cannot cultivate higher-ranked techniques," Yan Jiaoxi replied.


    A disciple puzzled, "Why would someone with a high-ranked spiritual root choose a lower-ranked technique? Wouldn¡¯t that mean cultivating less spiritual power?"


    "The higher the rank of the technique, the more spirit stones are required for cultivation, and the


    more precious the celestial materials needed for breakthroughs. Some celestial materials are not something an ordinary cultivator can afford. It''s not wise to choose a high-ranked technique and find halfway through that you can''t afford to continue; regret would come too late then."


    "What if someone with a low-ranked spiritual root learns a high-ranked technique?" the disciple asked again.


    Yan Jiaoxi said, "According to the ''Manual of Cultivation Techniques,'' if the rank of the technique exceeds that of the spiritual root, the cultivator, after absorbing too much spiritual power, often suffers damage to the spirit sea, which can lead to a complete collapse of cultivation ability, and in severe cases, deviation and death."


    "Some go into deviation; does that mean some don''t?" asked a disciple, eyes lighting up.


    Yan Jiaoxi looked at him meaningfully, "Don¡¯t always think you¡¯re the special one who won¡¯t have problems while others will. Some people might have the luck in cultivation, but don¡¯t stake your life on such fleeting fortune, seeking your own death."


    Many of the disciples present had harbored such thoughts; hearing this, they felt a chill in their hearts and dared not entertain other thoughts.


    Yan Jiaoxi continued, "These are not isolated cases but the bitter lessons from twenty thousand years of cultivation history. Not learning from the experiences of predecessors makes it easy to stray from the path. Once a cultivator deviates, it''s often beyond their control. Some may turn back, but others never can."


    Yan Jiaoxi sighed, looking somewhat forlorn. Mo Hua felt that Yan Jiaoxi seemed a bit troubled.


    But Yan Jiaoxi said no more, instead pointing to the ''Tongxian Sect Qi Cultivation Outer Sect Techniques Catalog'' and instructed:


    "Based on what I just explained, find a suitable technique for yourselves. Remember, in cultivation, appropriateness is best."


    The disciples then lowered their heads and began flipping through the catalog. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua understood the basics and started looking for a technique.


    His was a lower-middle rank spiritual root, so he could only practice techniques of the same rank, but he was still curious about what the higher-ranked techniques were like.


    Mo Hua first flipped to the last pages of the catalog, looking at several higher-ranked techniques:


    ''Yellow Earth Profound Technique'': Suitable for earth-element spiritual roots, allows for cultivating spiritual power for one hundred and twenty cycles, at least five thousand spirit stones required for complete Qi Cultivation phase, celestial materials needed: Xuan Huang Grass, Bitter Water Root, Celestial Black Stone...


    ''Gentle Water Technique'': Suitable for water-element spiritual roots, allows for cultivating spiritual power for one hundred and thirty cycles, at least five thousand two hundred spirit stones required for complete Qi Cultivation phase, celestial materials needed: Hundred-Year Rootless Water, Silver Serpent Blood...


    ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique'': Suitable for spiritual roots of the metal, wood, water, fire, and earth elements, allows for cultivating spiritual power for one hundred and fifty cycles, at least six thousand spirit stones required for complete Qi Cultivation phase, celestial materials needed: Gold Essence Stone, Molten Fire Stone, Century-Old Soil...


    ...


    Mo Hua was astounded.


    "At least five to six thousand spirit stones required for complete Qi Cultivation phase, and that''s just for the spirit stones needed for cultivation, not including the celestial materials for assisting cultivation and breaking through bottlenecks. Some rare celestial materials might cost even more than five to six thousand spirit stones..."


    Mo Hua had toiled for a month to earn just fifty spirit stones; the staggering cost of five thousand stones left him reeling.


    Mo Hua had also heard from others that ordinary loose cultivators, even with high-ranked spiritual roots, simply couldn''t afford high-ranked cultivation techniques.


    If one insisted on practicing them, there were generally only two options.


    One was to find a major sect, take a senior as a master, enter the inner sect, and bind oneself to the sect for life.


    The other was to marry into a family, allowing the family to support your cultivation, but the family would require you to change your surname, forsake your parents, your origins, and all your past, although you would have a future, you would no longer be yourself...


    Either way, you were more or less bound by others, though you had hopes for advancement in cultivation, you weren''t free anymore.


    No wonder cultivators often say, "Fate first, then luck and geomancy."


    A cultivator''s fate is set by their spiritual root and then by their birth.


    Changing one''s fate against the heavens is easier said than done...


    Mo Hua sighed deeply.

 Chapter 18: Choices

    "Let''s focus on the task at hand for now..."Mo Hua mused to himself, then earnestly began to flip through the lower-tier techniques.


    "Minor Five Elements Technique": A lower-tier technique suitable for cultivators with Five Elements spiritual roots. It allows for the cultivation of spiritual energy for seventy cycles. To achieve full mastery in the Qi-cultivation phase, at least one thousand spirit stones are needed, along with heaven-and-earth treasures like Century-Old Soil.


    "Rejuvenation Technique": A lower-tier technique suitable for cultivators with Wood spiritual roots. It allows for the cultivation of spiritual energy for seventy-five cycles. To achieve full mastery in the Qi-cultivation phase, at least one thousand one hundred spirit stones are needed, along with heaven-and-earth treasures like Evergreen Wood or leaves older than ten years.


    "Hundred Flames Technique": A lower-tier technique suitable for cultivators with Fire spiritual roots. It allows for the cultivation of spiritual energy for sixty cycles. To achieve full mastery in the Qi-cultivation phase, at least nine hundred spirit stones are needed, along with heaven-and-earth treasures like Magma Stone.


    ...


    Lower-tier techniques require a significant number of spirit stones for cultivation, but they are more accessible compared to superior techniques.


    However, there are trade-offs: while lower-tier techniques consume fewer spirit stones, the spiritual energy cultivated is also less potent.


    With Mo Hua''s lower-tier spiritual roots, practicing lower-tier techniques means his spiritual energy is roughly only a bit more than half of those cultivators with superior-tier spiritual roots in the same realm.


    This disparity is just the tip of the iceberg, as the difference in spiritual energy becomes more profound with superior mid-tier and high-tier techniques. The further one progresses in cultivation, the more significant the disparity in spiritual roots becomes.


    Indeed, some are blessed by the heavens from birth...


    Mo Hua shook his head, realizing that dwelling on unchangeable spiritual roots was pointless.


    Mo Hua turned to the last page of the "Technique Catalogue" and was stunned by the fine print at the bottom.


    "Technique Inheritance Fee... What is that?"


    Mo Hua read the note below:


    The techniques of the Tongxian Sect have been painstakingly compiled, studied, and refined by successive sect leaders and elders, representing the culmination of generations of effort.


    Disciples must pay a certain number of spirit stones to qualify for inheritance.


    The inheritance fee for superior-tier techniques is eleven hundred spirit stones, discounted to nine hundred ninety-eight for those with rare superior spiritual roots.


    The fee for lower-tier techniques is slightly less, and even less for the lowest tier, but still requires two hundred spirit stones.


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    There''s an inheritance fee? I''ve never heard of such a thing before.


    How can the sect charge fees so arbitrarily? That''s way too exploitative!


    With only eight spirit stones to his name, Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    This world of cultivation is all too real and harsh...


    "Once you''ve chosen a technique and paid the inheritance fee, the sect will impart the technique to you. These matters are significant; it''s best to discuss them with your parents or elders before deciding. Don''t aim too high or miss your future path due to shallow judgment."


    After delivering his advice, Instructor Yan left, his demeanor suggesting he was somewhat reluctant to enforce such matters.


    As soon as he departed, the disciples gathered in small groups, buzzing with chatter:


    "What''s this inheritance fee? I''ve never heard of it before..." s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Who knows, if the sect charges it, can we even refuse?"


    "The ''Heaven and Earth Mystique'' alone costs over a thousand spirit stones just in fees, tsk tsk..."


    "If you really study it, you might as well sell yourself to the sect."


    "Thanks, my spiritual roots aren''t even suitable."


    "My parents both have mid-tier spiritual roots; why am I stuck with low-tier roots? There''s hardly any technique I can choose..."


    "You should read ''The Theory of Spiritual Root Evolution Among Cultivators'' to understand why you, the offspring of mid-tier parents, ended up with low-tier roots..."


    "Are there really any superior spiritual roots among us?"


    "Yes, I have a distant cousin with superior roots, but his dad gambles and his mom is lazy. Their family is dirt-poor, and he ended up choosing a mid-low-tier technique, completely wasting his potential. It''s truly tragic..."


    "Even if I had superior roots, I couldn''t afford to cultivate them."


    "You could marry into a wealthier family..."


    "Not a chance!"


    ...


    The disciples'' discussions buzzed around Mo Hua, who propped his chin thoughtfully.


    This sect inheritance fee was more than he had anticipated.


    There were techniques in the "Technique Catalogue" that Mo Hua could choose from, but his parents had just scraped together his allowance, and they couldn''t afford to pay so many spirit stones soon. Even if they managed to scrape together the funds,


    it would be a huge burden on his family.


    "If that''s the case, I''ll have to forego choosing a technique for now. I''ll just make do with the ''Breathing Technique'' for the time being, and once I''ve saved up enough spirit stones through drawing array formations, I''ll pick a technique from the catalogue to practice. After all, I''ve only reached the third layer of Qi-cultivation; there''s still some time before I break through to the fourth layer."


    Mo Hua tossed the "Technique Catalogue" into his storage bag, with no immediate plans to bring it back to his parents. His priority was to earn spirit stones by drawing array formations.


    Mo Hua continued his daily routine just like before, practicing cultivation, attending classes, and drawing array formations in his spare time.


    Life in the sect was monotonous but still quite pleasant.


    Tongling Peak was beautiful, shrouded in light mist with lush greenery and frequent birdsong, and scented with flowers.


    After class, the outer sect disciples often wandered the mountains, admiring the flowers in groups. The female disciples were pretty and paired up for walks.


    The male disciples chased after spirit beasts around the mountain. There were budding romances among male and female cultivators whispering sweet nothings in the flowery valleys, and jealous disciples occasionally fought.


    But none of this concerned Mo Hua, who was devoted entirely to learning about array formations. Besides eating and attending classes, he spent all his time studying array formations, even practicing drawing array patterns on stone slabs in his sleep.


    Among the familiar disciples, Da Hu was at the fifth layer of Qi-cultivation, while Shuang Hu and Xiao Hu had already reached the fourth layer. They were practicing at Tongxuan Peak. Although the two peaks were not far apart, they knew Mo Hua was focused on learning array formations and generally did not disturb him if it wasn''t necessary.


    Mo Hua had a kind and unassuming face, appearing harmless to humans and animals alike, and was generally well-liked on Tongling Peak. No one thought to bully him.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was doing well in his studies of array formations, highly regarded by Instructor Yan. If anyone tried to bully him, and Instructor Yan found out, the consequences would be severe. Instructor Yan detested disciples causing trouble and not focusing on their cultivation. If he learned of any disturbances, the punishment would be extremely harsh.


    Furthermore, Da Hu and the others always looked out for Mo Hua. They were tall and took the path of physical cultivation, planning to enter Dahei Mountain to become demon hunters.


    They usually looked for opportunities to spar when there was nothing else to do. If something happened on Mo Hua''s side, they would roll up their sleeves and hurriedly run over from Tongxuan Peak.


    Mo Hua focused on his cultivation without distraction, the only exception being with An Xiaofu.


    Mo Hua had borrowed ten spirit stones from An Xiaofu before the year''s end and was now returning them.


    When Mo Hua handed over the spirit stones, An Xiaofu was stunned. He had clearly forgotten about them and took a long time to remember.


    The An Family was a prominent clan in Tongxian City, and he indeed did not care much about ten spirit stones. It could also be simply because he was forgetful.


    After furrowing his brows in recollection for a while, An Xiaofu''s expression became complex as he said, "You''re the first one who''s borrowed spirit stones and actually thought to return them."


    Mo Hua felt a mix of emotions inside. This must be what they mean by the foolish son of a landowner.


    Some of the lent spirit stones might have been forgotten by An Xiaofu himself, while others might have been intentionally not returned by others. He truly did not lack spirit stones, so he had grown accustomed to it over time.


    "You''re so... naive, be careful not to be deceived by others."


    Mo Hua had started to say "foolish" but switched to a more tactful word, patting An Xiaofu''s shoulder gently.


    An Xiaofu''s expression grew even more complex, even slightly touched:


    "Little Mo brother, everyone says I''m stupid, but only you know I''m just kind-hearted. Of all the disciples I''ve met, you''re the smartest. No wonder you''re so good at drawing array formations!"


    Mo Hua was at a loss for words for a moment.


    A month passed, and the sect had a ten-day break, giving them two days off.


    Mo Hua left the sect and headed to Destiny''s Shop on North Street, where he handed over the Blazing Fire Array he had drawn to Manager Wang, then asked:


    "Is there a more challenging array than the Blazing Fire Array that could earn more spirit stones?"


    Manager Wang glanced at Mo Hua. "Did your brother ask you to inquire?"


    "Yes!" Mo Hua nodded.


    "There is


    indeed," Manager Wang said, bending down to rummage through a drawer behind the desk before pulling out a diagram with several unfamiliar array patterns.


    "The Earth Solidification Array can solidify soil and stone, commonly used by cultivators to construct and reinforce buildings and windows. It''s a bit more challenging than the Blazing Fire Array, and each Earth Solidification Array pays two spirit stones."


    Two spirit stones... that''s double what the Blazing Fire Array paid.


    "Can I take a look at the array diagram first?"


    Manager Wang rolled his eyes at Mo Hua. "What''s the use of you looking? It should be your brother."


    Despite his words, he handed over the diagram to Mo Hua. Basic array diagrams like these weren''t particularly rare, so there was no harm in letting others see them.


    Mo Hua examined the diagram and realized many of the array patterns were unfamiliar, never taught by the sect instructors.


    "I wonder how long it will take to learn this array..."


    The inheritance fees for the sect''s techniques were too expensive, and it would take a long time to earn spirit stones with the Blazing Fire Array.


    Mo Hua wanted to draw a new array but hesitated. If he didn''t draw well, he might lose spirit stones, and if he couldn''t learn it within the deadline, the Array Pavilion would deduct the entire deposit.


    "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"


    Mo Hua made up his mind. Even if he didn''t learn it within the deadline and lost all twenty spirit stones, he could always go back to drawing the Blazing Fire Array to earn them back.


    To become an array master, he would eventually need to draw arrays far more challenging than just one Blazing Fire Array for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 19: Earth Solidification Array

    The deposit for the Earth Solidification Array was twenty spirit stones, and Mo Hua took out ten from his previous earnings to give to the pudgy manager, receiving the Earth Solidification Array diagram and ten sets of paper and ink materials, with a deadline of twenty days.After leaving the merchant''s office, Mo Hua went to the pastry shop and spent two spirit stones on ten colorful cakes, then headed straight back to the sect, sharing some of the cakes with the three Hus.


    The sect''s meals were not great, and the three were often greedy for a treat, but there wasn¡¯t much good food around.


    Buying some pastries was Mo Hua¡¯s way of treating them.


    A few evenings later, after finishing his classes for the day, Mo Hua was in his room studying the Earth Solidification Array when he suddenly heard someone knocking.


    Upon opening the door, he saw Shuang Hu standing there sneakily.


    Shuang Hu quietly handed him a greased paper package, whispering:


    "Keep it to yourself, don''t tell others."


    After looking around, he ran off like a thief.


    The disciples'' residence provided by Tongxian Sect was simple, with two modest wooden beds and tables in each room, just enough for living.


    There were more luxurious accommodations within Tongxian Sect, but they cost extra spirit stones.


    Mo Hua had had a sect mate as a roommate, but he dropped out this year¡ªnot because he couldn¡¯t afford the fees, but because he found cultivation tedious and was unwilling to continue, leaving Mo Hua alone in the room.


    Mo Hua closed the door and opened the still-warm greased paper to find a freshly roasted chicken leg.


    The chicken leg was the size of a fist, steaming hot, slightly charred, and emitting an enticing aroma, especially with a faint aura of spiritual energy.


    It was the meat of a spiritual beast.


    "This... it couldn''t have been stolen, could it?"


    The Hus couldn¡¯t afford such meat, and their sneaky demeanor suggested it was indeed stolen.


    Mo Hua hesitated, then took a bite. It was slightly burnt and undercooked, unseasoned, and somewhat bland.


    Culinary arts in the cultivation world are quite particular. Handling such ingredients is tricky without specific culinary training¡ªlike the meat of herbivorous demonic beasts, which is tough and requires intensive cooking.


    The meat from spiritual beasts is finer, but cooking it still requires care.


    Apart from meat, other vegetables and fruits carry their own flavors and some spiritual energy, which if not properly matched, can taste quite odd. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The chicken leg Mo Hua held was simply roasted, likely in a rush to avoid detection, which is why it wasn¡¯t very tasty.


    But for Mo Hua, who hadn¡¯t eaten meat in over a month, it was good enough.


    He finished the chicken leg with some effort, then lit a fire to burn the greased paper and threw the bones into the creek outside to completely erase the evidence.


    After eating, Mo Hua spent some time refining the spiritual energy from the chicken meat, then returned to studying the array.


    Sure enough, a couple of days later, Mo Hua heard that some Qi-cultivation disciples had stolen an elder¡¯s chickens, plucked them clean, and roasted them to eat.


    The elder was furious, caught several disciples, and punished them severely.


    A few days later, Mo Hua saw the three Hus with bruised faces and bumps on their heads.


    They were stationed at Tongxuan Peak, and the elder had easily found them. They couldn¡¯t escape punishment, though it was mostly superficial, serving more as a warning to the other disciples.


    The three Hus looked miserable but stood proudly; managing to steal a chicken right under an elder¡¯s nose was not something ordinary disciples could achieve.


    They saw Mo Hua but pretended not to, and Xiao Hu even winked at Mo Hua, signaling him to pretend he didn¡¯t know them.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, thinking he¡¯d buy them more pastries next break.


    It was still seven days until the next break, and thirteen days had passed since Mo Hua collected the array materials from the pudgy manager. His understanding of the Earth Solidification Array was not progressing well.


    The array patterns in the Earth Solidification Array were unfamiliar to Mo Hua, much more complex than the basic earth-element array patterns taught by the sect, and quite challenging to grasp.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t find it too hard to memorize the array patterns, but practicing them on the stele consumed much of his spiritual sense and was prone to errors.


    Either the drawn array patterns didn¡¯t form an array, or they were simply ineffective, unable to channel spiritual power.


    After more than ten days of trial and error, Mo Hua was still clueless. Sometimes he thought he understood, but he would make a mistake as soon as he started drawing.


    Finally, Mo Hua decided to seek advice from Instructor Yan.


    One day after class


    , while Instructor Yan was tidying up his desk, the students dispersed in small groups.


    Mo Hua approached Instructor Yan with several basic earth-element array patterns, respectfully asking for guidance:


    "Instructor, I don¡¯t quite understand these earth-element array patterns, could you please enlighten me?"


    Instructor Yan looked at the array patterns Mo Hua handed over and said:


    "These are basic Five Elements array patterns, quite standard and universal. If you¡¯re having trouble, just practice more."


    The basic earth-element array patterns taught by the sect were indeed easy for Mo Hua, but he was actually curious about something else.


    Mo Hua then brought out several earth-element array patterns from the Earth Solidification Array, saying:


    "I came across these array patterns that seem different from what¡¯s in the textbooks, but I can¡¯t exactly point out how. They¡¯re also easy to mess up when drawing; I don¡¯t know what the issue is."


    Instructor Yan was surprised and said:


    "These are modified Five Elements array patterns, different from the standard ones taught by the sect. When drawing these, you need to change your brushwork and the order of strokes..."


    Instructor Yan took a piece of paper and casually drew several array patterns, explaining as he went.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    The method of drawing array patterns was somewhat similar to calligraphy; apart from the standard array patterns, there were also more unique ones, each with slight variations in brushwork.


    These alternative array patterns were numerous and couldn¡¯t be classified, so the sect normally only taught the standard ones.


    "No wonder they say the art of array is profound; the pitfalls are endless. If I hadn¡¯t asked the instructor, I wouldn¡¯t have figured it out even with two heads..." Mo Hua thought to himself.


    "And to link these array patterns to form an array, like this kind of array..."


    Mo Hua finally brought out the diagram of the Earth Solidification Array.


    Instructor Yan glanced at it and recognized it, then looked at Mo Hua and said:


    "This is the Earth Solidification Array; it¡¯s too early for you to be learning this."


    "I was just curious and wanted to understand it thoroughly," Mo Hua earnestly requested.


    "Well, knowing a bit in advance is good for you."


    Instructor Yan was energized, having been teaching basic array patterns daily, and was clearly more excited to discuss a substantial array. He explained:


    "Arrays are formed by the arrangement and connection of array patterns. Simple arrays contain fewer patterns and are straightforward; the more complex the array, the more array patterns it contains, and the more intricate the arrangement, spatial configuration, and connections. The Earth Solidification Array includes four patterns, which need to be drawn in a specific sequence and orientation..."


    Instructor Yan spoke enthusiastically, and Mo Hua listened intently until the end. Instructor Yan seemed somewhat reluctant to stop, then added a warning:


    "The path of array mastery is vast and profound. It¡¯s good for you to get a head start, but the things taught by the sect are just the basics, not even the basics. If you want to become a true array master, the difficulty and effort required are beyond your current imagination..."


    Instructor Yan paused, then continued:


    "Also, don¡¯t aim too high and attempt to draw arrays beyond your grasp. It¡¯s okay to look at them, but actually trying to draw them can easily lead to exhaustion of your spiritual sense, so remember this well!"


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully: "I have learned much, thank you, Instructor!"

 Chapter 20: Completing the Array

    Mo Hua went back and tried to draw the array patterns as instructed by Yan Jiaoxi and indeed felt a sudden enlightenment.At night, while practicing on the stele, he found that his comprehension improved significantly faster.


    Some parts he didn''t understand at first became clear after drawing them multiple times.


    Once he firmly mastered the basic array patterns, learning the variable patterns wasn''t too challenging. The real difficulty was the lack of guidance; without it, Mo Hua wouldn''t think in that direction and found himself at a dead end.


    After practicing for another day, on the evening of the third day, Mo Hua started to formally draw the Earth Solidification Array.


    His initial attempts weren''t smooth, but after some stumbling, he finally completed it, though it took a bit long.


    The four-patterned Earth Solidification Array took Mo Hua one and a half hours to complete, and he needed another hour to rest due to the excessive consumption of his spiritual sense.


    By the time Mo Hua finished drawing the Earth Solidification Array, it was midnight.


    After checking, to no surprise, he found a mistake¡ªhe had drawn it wrong.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    In one night, he only managed to draw one, and it was incorrect.


    He only had five days to complete ten arrays, which made his time extremely tight.


    "What should I do?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and, with no other options, decided to skip some of his cultivation classes.


    History and general knowledge classes on cultivation, of course, couldn''t be skipped, as they were crucial for broadening his horizons and enhancing his cultivation experience.


    Alchemy and talisman making, which required spending spirit stones to purchase herbs and talisman jade stones and renting the sect''s alchemy furnace, were expensive, so Mo Hua selectively skipped some of these classes.


    After all, he never saw much future for himself in these expensive branches of cultivation.


    He could skip all the physical training classes.


    Cultivators train their spiritual power through techniques and utilize spiritual power to attack through Daoist laws.


    Daoist laws are divided into two types: spell-based and martial-based.


    Spells involve manipulating spiritual power with spiritual sense to form attacks, while martial techniques use spiritual power to enhance the body''s potential for physical combat.


    Those who train in spells are called spiritual cultivators, and those in martial techniques are known as physical cultivators.


    During the Qi cultivation phase, there are fewer spiritual cultivators and more physical ones, especially in Tongxian City, where most cultivators earn their living by hunting demons; spiritual cultivators are weaker and less suited for demon hunting, thus, many unaffiliated cultivators take the path of physical cultivation.


    For this reason, Tongxian Sect specifically opened a physical training course to allow inner sect disciples to train their bodies early.


    But physical training was not meant for Mo Hua.


    He didn''t inherit his father Mo Shan''s talent for physical training; instead, he was more like his mother Liu Ruhua, naturally frail from childhood and even weaker in constitution than Liu Ruhua.


    According to old Master Feng from Xinglin Hall, a cultivator''s spiritual sense and body are supposed to be balanced as they are born adhering to the way of Heaven.


    Mo Hua was born with the memories of two lifetimes, his innate spiritual sense was too strong, causing an imbalance with his body; as one flourished, the other waned, making him frail and frequently ill since birth.


    While his peers could easily lift a hundred-kilogram cauldron, Mo Hua could hardly move it, even with all his might. Most cultivators his age were a head taller and significantly more robust than him.


    Though Mo Hua was thin, his handsome appearance and gentle demeanor, with rosy lips and white teeth, made him look like a porcelain doll at the age of ten.


    This appearance wasn''t bad, but Mo Hua felt that a true man should be robust and imposing.


    Like his father, who was tall, ruggedly handsome, and imposing.


    In Mo Hua''s dreams, he envisioned himself in a white robe, practicing peerless martial arts, his spear striking like a dragon, standing valiantly alone against thousands. Unfortunately, such scenes were only possible in his dreams.


    "Oh, right."


    Mo Hua remembered that after falling asleep, his spiritual sense would automatically enter his sea of consciousness, making dreaming impossible... S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The instructor initially wanted to be strict with Mo Hua during physical training, but after seeing him struggle several times with the cauldron without moving it and injuring his arm, he became much more lenient.


    That''s how cultivation is sometimes; effort alone can''t solve everything.


    The instructor was quite understanding of Mo Hua.


    When one door closes, Heaven might want you to try a different path, not keep hitting the same obstacle.


    Thus, Mo Hua selectively skipped these classes and spent the freed-up time locked in his room, focusing on drawing the Earth Solidification Array.


    After


    five days of intensive work during his break, Mo Hua finally used up all ten sets of materials, successfully completing six arrays.


    Not only did he break even, but he also made a profit of four spirit stones, which pleased him.


    Taking advantage of the day off during the break, Mo Hua went to Destiny''s Shop on North Street and handed over the completed Earth Solidification Arrays to the chubby manager.


    The manager examined the arrays and commented, "Your brother''s foundation in array formation is really weak, but he learns quickly. Each of these arrays is visibly better than the last. However..."


    The manager critiqued the first array again, "This array is like that of a beginner, even some basic patterns are shaky..."


    Mo Hua was used to the manager''s grumbling, it went in one ear and out the other.


    Moreover, the manager was talking about his brother, which had nothing to do with him. He didn''t even have a brother.


    Mo Hua got straight to the point, "Can they be exchanged for spirit stones?"


    The manager gave Mo Hua a look but still counted out four spirit stones for him, "Tell your brother to do better next time."


    "Sure, sure," Mo Hua took the spirit stones, nodding repeatedly.


    He spent the four spirit stones on pastries, eating two himself and saving two, giving the rest to Da Hu and the others.


    Da Hu and the two were deeply moved by the abundance of pastries, and asked if Mo Hua wanted more meat. They had seen an elder raising a colorful and plump duck.


    Mo Hua had a headache and told them to stop stealing, or else the sect would notify their parents, and they''d be skinned alive at home.


    Reluctantly, Da Hu and the others gave up on the idea.


    Afterward, Mo Hua continued to draw the Earth Solidification Array, doing so for over two months.


    As he drew more, he gradually mastered the technique.


    Initially, each Earth Solidification Array, including the time for breaks and recovery of spiritual sense, took about three hours; now, he needed only one and a half hours.


    This improvement was due to practice making perfect, a deeper understanding and mastery of the array patterns reducing the time needed to draw them, and his continuous practice of array formation, constantly consuming, recovering, and applying his spiritual sense, invisibly strengthening his spiritual sense. His spiritual sense was much more robust than before.


    A strong spiritual sense had clear benefits for array formation.


    The success rate of the Earth Solidification Array reached eighty to ninety percent, occasionally achieving success with all ten arrays. Each array earned him two spirit stones. Over these two months, after deducting his daily expenses, Mo Hua had saved up a total of one hundred spirit stones.


    Mo Hua planned to save up two hundred spirit stones and then select a mid-grade lower-tier technique from the sect.


    After choosing, he would discuss it with his parents, who would surely say they could pay for the spirit stones and that he should keep his for cultivation or future expenses, such as acquiring a partner or buying a cave residence.

 Chapter 21: The Spiritual Pivot Array

    Afterwards, Mo Hua continued to draw the Earth Solidification Array, which he did for two months.Whenever he encountered something unclear in the array, he would consult Yan Jiaoxi. Yan Jiaoxi, a stern man with high standards, was always generous in sharing knowledge, explaining in detail and with earnest.


    Yan Jiaoxi felt it was too early for Mo Hua to delve into these advanced arrays without a solid foundation, but he patiently explained whenever Mo Hua asked, earning Mo Hua''s deep gratitude.


    Sometimes, Mo Hua skipped classes to secretly draw arrays for spirit stones, and Yan Jiaoxi did not pursue it too strictly, only advising Mo Hua: "A cultivator can specialize, but shouldn''t be overly biased. Some techniques might be unknown to you, but you must at least be aware of them, to avoid pitfalls after graduating from the sect and venturing into the cultivation world."


    Mo Hua humbly accepted the teaching and benefited greatly.


    Now, lacking spirit stones for his cultivation techniques, he continued to skip classes to draw arrays and gather spirit stones.


    Each Earth Solidification Array, with its four array patterns, could earn him two spirit stones, speeding up his collection significantly.


    Two months later, on a routine day, Mo Hua went to the steward to deliver an order, but upon entering, he found the usually quiet Destiny''s Shop occupied by a middle-aged man in a blue Daoist robe, drinking tea.


    The man''s back seemed familiar, and upon turning around, Mo Hua was startled.


    It was Yan Jiaoxi...


    Mo Hua suddenly felt like he had been caught skipping class.


    "Mo Hua?"


    Yan Jiaoxi also saw Mo Hua, expressing surprise.


    The steward, sitting across from Yan Jiaoxi and pouring tea, looked up and exclaimed in surprise, "You know each other?"


    Yan Jiaoxi replied, "He is one of my students from the Tongxian Sect."


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully, "Disciple pays respects to the instructor!"


    Yan Jiaoxi nodded in acknowledgment and asked, "What brings you here?"


    Before Mo Hua could reply, the steward explained, "He''s running errands for his brother, who draws arrays for our Array Pavilion. Once completed, he delivers them."


    Yan Jiaoxi nodded, asking no further.


    Relieved, Mo Hua handed over the array to the steward, took the spirit stones, and quickly excused himself, "Disciple must leave now, not to disturb the instructor."


    Yan Jiaoxi seemed to have matters to discuss with the steward and, seeing Mo Hua''s tact, nodded approvingly, "Head back to the sect early and be safe on the road."


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully and left the Array Pavilion.


    The steward, watching Mo Hua''s departure, said to Yan Jiaoxi, "That boy is very polite and clever. You''re lucky to have such a good disciple."


    Yan Jiaoxi hummed softly, then inquired, "You said his brother draws the arrays for you?"


    The steward presented the Earth Solidification Array Mo Hua had delivered, remarking, "It''s quite well done."


    Yan Jiaoxi was surprised, "This was drawn by his brother?"


    "What else?" the steward replied, "You don''t think he could draw a complete array at his age, do you? Even if he drained all his spiritual sense."


    Yan Jiaoxi nodded, remembering that Mo Hua had consulted him about the Earth Solidification Array, likely after seeing his brother work on it and developing questions.


    "Having a thirst for knowledge in arrays is good," Yan Jiaoxi thought silently. "If he maintains this mindset, he might truly excel in array cultivation."


    Yan Jiaoxi let the matter rest and surveyed the quiet, deserted shop before turning to the steward, "Is this how you want to live your life?"


    The steward, sipping tea, responded, "We both pursued cultivation together; you know my disposition. I''m not like you; you''re now an instructor at Tongxian Sect with profound expertise in arrays, close to becoming a first-grade array master. When you achieve that, you''ll have connections, status, and abundant spirit stones here in Tongxian City, and the sect will surely offer you an elder''s position."


    "As for me," the steward continued, "I''m content with living day by day, only superficially engaged in arrays and not fond of solitude in cultivation. Just getting by each day satisfies me. Don''t look down on me; consider those independent cultivators bustling on the streets. This leisurely life is beyond their reach."


    Yan Jiaoxi fell silent.


    The steward, seeing Yan Jiaoxi''s silence, sighed, "Tell me, what do you need my help with?"


    Yan


    Jiaoxi solemnly requested, "Help me find the ''Spiritual Pivot Array Diagram.''"


    The steward massaged his temples, "After all these years, you still haven''t given up. In my opinion, you''re not getting any younger. It''s time to find a partner and settle down."


    "Personal matters are trivial compared to the inheritance of array techniques."


    "Even if you find it, what then? Our grandmaster couldn''t master it, nor could our master. Do you think you can? A first-grade array requires understanding twelve array patterns, and you''re not even a first-grade master yet. How will the Spiritual Pivot Array Diagram help you? You might not master it even in your lifetime."


    Yan Jiaoxi remained silent.


    The steward, trying to persuade him, added, "Brother, let it go. Besides, you can''t even find it. That traitor left the sect and stole the techniques years ago without a trace, and even the Dao Court can''t track him down. You''re an array master, not skilled in Daoist techniques; what can you do?"


    Yan Jiaoxi was unmoved, "My master treated me with great kindness; all my array techniques were passed down from him. Now that my master is gone and the sect shattered, the techniques lost, I can''t rest easy. If I can recover the techniques and continue the legacy, nothing else matters."


    "I know you prefer comfort and won''t ask much of you. Just let me know if you hear anything about the ''Spiritual Pivot Array Diagram.'' You needn''t worry about the rest."


    "How do you know there might be clues about the ''Spiritual Pivot Array Diagram'' in Tongxian City?" the steward frowned.


    S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Yan Jiaoxi remained silent.


    The steward waved his hand, "Alright, knowing too much is not good for me either. I''ll help you, but I also kindly remind you, you might still end up with nothing in the end."


    Feeling troubled yet unable to hold back, the steward continued, "If I were you, I''d rather spend some effort finding a partner, have a child. Even if you can''t find it, your child might continue the search, ensuring you don''t die alone and miserable. While you''re still not too old, find a partner, just find one, so you don''t end up regretting later..."


    "The tea has cooled; I''m leaving."


    Yan Jiaoxi rose, brushed off his sleeves, and walked away, ignoring the steward''s continuous chatter behind him.

 Chapter 22: Clues

    Yan Jiaoxi left the Array Pavilion and returned to Tongming Peak at the Tongxian Sect.Each instructor at the Tongxian Sect had their own residence on Tongming Peak, consisting of three rooms and a living hall, complete with a small courtyard where one could cultivate spiritual plants or rear spiritual beasts.


    Yan Jiaoxi''s residence was clean and tidy, with array diagrams neatly pasted all over the walls, devoid of any other decorations.


    He reviewed the basic array manuals, preparing several array patterns he was to teach later in the month, and then began grading the array assignments submitted by the Qi-cultivation disciples.


    Nearly a thousand disciples at the Tongxian Sect''s Tongxuan Peak were under his supervision, and he meticulously corrected each of their array assignments, marking any errors.


    This task was time-consuming and required patience, but Yan Jiaoxi was meticulous in his work, a habit ingrained by his master''s teachings over the years.


    His master, a first-grade Array master, might not have been the most outstanding in the cultivation world, but he devoted his life to teaching and passing on the Dao of arrays in accordance with the heavenly principles.


    Now that his master had passed, Yan Jiaoxi, having become an instructor himself, could appreciate his master''s painstaking efforts.


    As evening approached, Yan Jiaoxi lit a lamp and continued grading the arrays.


    The Tongxian Sect was still a small and remote sect with weak cultivation heritage. Among the thousand disciples, only a few could draw the basic array patterns properly.


    Those who did well usually came from learned families or were from wealthy households willing to spend spirit stones on their education, such as children of officials serving at the Dao Court, children of sect elders, or disciples from cultivation families within the city.


    Very few from poor, unaffiliated cultivator backgrounds managed to excel in array drawing. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Regardless of their background, Yan Jiaoxi judged them solely on their arrays. He would add detailed comments to those who tried hard but lacked skill; for those who performed poorly and with a lackadaisical attitude, his comments were stern, and he took note of their names. Occasionally, when a disciple drew an excellent array, he felt reassured and would write "Excellent" next to their work, encouraging them with a larger character than usual.


    Diligently grading, Yan Jiaoxi''s interest was piqued by a particular array diagram. The strokes were proficient, clearly the result of considerable practice, and showed a mastery of the principles, even suitable for official array creation.


    He looked up at the scroll, which bore the name "Mo Hua," and nodded in approval before writing "Excellent" next to the array.


    As he continued grading, he revisited Mo Hua''s diagram, his brow furrowed in thought. The proficiency seemed almost too polished, even effortless. For a disciple at the second or third level of Qi cultivation, simply being able to complete an array diagram was an achievement.


    Reflecting on a recent encounter at the Array Pavilion with Mo Hua, Yan Jiaoxi pondered silently, a question emerging: "Does Mo Hua have an elder brother?"


    "If his brother is also skilled in arrays, that would suggest a familial learning, but if I recall correctly, Mo Hua comes from a poor, unaffiliated background. A family with a tradition in arrays wouldn''t be impoverished..."


    "He could be helping the Array Pavilion with diagrams, indicating significant talent in arrays. Having taught at Tongxian Sect for nearly a decade, I don¡¯t recall instructing anyone like that... Could he be from another sect? That seems unlikely, as brothers generally join the same sect, especially since Tongxian Sect is the largest in the city..."


    Tapping his fingers on the desk, Yan Jiaoxi momentarily set aside his thoughts and focused on finishing the grading.


    The next day, Yan Jiaoxi rose early and sought out the steward of Tongming Peak for a list of disciples¡¯ origins. Upon finding Mo Hua''s entry, it read:


    Mo Hua: Age 10, Qi cultivation level 3, lower-mid grade minor Five Elements spiritual root...


    Father: Mo Shan, Demon Hunter; Mother: Liu Ruhua, Meal Preparer.


    Apart from his parents, he had no other relatives, certainly no elder brother.


    Yan Jiaoxi felt a hunch but found it unlikely.


    During the morning array class, he announced an impromptu assignment: draw all the Five Elements array patterns they had learned and submit them in three days.


    The disciples, shocked by the sudden task, reacted as if struck by frost.


    Mo Hua, however, was indifferent. Having already assisted the Array Pavilion with array diagrams, drawing a few more was trivial.


    But why had Yan Jiaoxi suddenly assigned this work? It was uncharacteristic of him.


    Puzzled, Mo Hua was then approached by An Xiaofu


    .


    "Mo Hua, you must help me!" An Xiaofu almost cried out.


    "Why has the instructor suddenly assigned this homework? Usually, it''s only every few months that we get tested on our array skills."


    Caught off-guard and unable to draw a single pattern due to the tight deadline, An Xiaofu had no choice but to seek Mo Hua''s help.


    For Mo Hua, these basic array patterns were no longer challenging.


    He helped An Xiaofu draw the arrays, charging only a friendship price. Several other well-off but less skilled fellow disciples also sought Mo Hua''s assistance, which he readily provided.


    With arrays to draw and spirit stones to earn, Mo Hua had little else on his mind.


    Three days later, when the array assignments were submitted, Yan Jiaoxi picked out the diagrams drawn by Mo Hua and inspected them thoroughly before storing them in his bag and heading to Destiny''s Shop to find the stout steward.


    The stout steward was wary upon seeing Yan Jiaoxi. "Are you here for tea or to have me do something?"


    "Just to ask you something," Yan Jiaoxi replied, relieving the steward''s anxiety.


    "Do you still have the array diagrams Mo Hua submitted to you?"


    "Mo Hua?" the steward paused, then remembered, "Oh, that young man. Yes, I do. What about them?"


    "How many are there?"


    "A few of each, the Blazing Fire Array and the Earth Solidification Array. I keep them as spares."


    The steward handed over the diagrams Mo Hua had previously submitted for the Blazing Fire Array and the Earth Solidification Array to Yan Jiaoxi.


    After comparing them with the array homework, Yan Jiaoxi took a deep breath.


    The steward, curious, asked, "What are you looking at?"


    Yan Jiaoxi pointed to the array patterns and the diagrams, asking, "Do you think these patterns and these two diagrams were drawn by the same person?"


    The steward examined them closely, furrowing his brow before nodding, "The stroke work is quite similar, likely from the same person..."


    Thinking aloud, the steward suddenly asked, "Have you met Mo Hua''s elder brother?"


    "There is no elder brother."


    "No elder brother? Then who drew these arrays?"


    Yan Jiaoxi gave the steward a meaningful look.


    Stunned, the steward scoffed, "Are you suggesting he drew them himself?"


    "That might be possible with the Blazing Fire Array, but the Earth Solidification Array includes four patterns. Where would he get so much spiritual sense? Does he have two heads and two consciousness seas?"


    Doubtfully eyeing Yan Jiaoxi, the steward continued, "Are you saying you''ve taught a Qi-cultivation level three prodigy who can draw arrays? You''re not trying to glorify yourself, are you? I''ve known you for years, and you''re not that kind of person."


    Yan Jiaoxi coldly responded, pointing at the diagrams, "You yourself said these patterns and these diagrams come from the same person. If these patterns were drawn by Mo Hua, then who drew these diagrams?"


    Silenced, the steward stared at the array patterns and diagrams for a long time before murmuring, "No way..."

 Chapter 23: Talent

    Yan Jiaoxi asked, "Is there a Qi Cultivation cultivator at the third level who can draw Array formations in this world?"Pang Steward pondered and replied, "Naturally, there should be. The cultivation world is vast, and there are countless prodigies. I believe there are people born with the ability to draw Array formations, though these are just rumors as I have never seen it myself."


    "Even those with exceptional talents, despite being disloyal and betraying their masters... ahem, born into Array families and learning from a young age, can also draw simple Array formations containing three Array patterns by the time they reach the third level of Qi Cultivation."


    "And those major families and sects, with their profound inheritances, definitely have their share of geniuses in Array formations, they just don''t show off."


    Yan Jiaoxi said, "If that''s the case, it''s not impossible for Mo Hua to be able to draw Array formations at the third level of Qi Cultivation."


    Pang Steward was reluctant to admit it but had to at this point.


    His Brother Yan, though stubborn, was always meticulous and accurate in his judgment.


    "If that''s really the case, it would be remarkable. Why don''t you take him as a disciple?" Pang Steward thought for a moment and continued, "This kid is indeed a good seedling. Why don''t you formally accept him as your disciple? It would also be good to pass down the Array techniques your master taught you."


    Yan Jiaoxi hadn''t considered this before, and was somewhat moved by the idea, but after careful consideration, he shook his head:


    "The sect is in ruins, and the remaining Array techniques are just incomplete and fragmented. What''s there to pass on? Taking him as a disciple would just be misleading the young, not to mention my master''s unfulfilled wishes and the lack of clues about that person; I have no interest in inquiring about other matters."


    Pang Steward wanted to persuade further, but Yan Jiaoxi just waved his hand.


    Pang Steward sighed, "Well, I won''t persuade you anymore, since you never listen. As for Mo Hua, this kid..."


    "Don''t tell anyone for now. Trees that stand out in the forest are bound to be destroyed by the wind, and that has always been the case. Besides, he''s still young and must not develop a sense of pride, or he will surely stray from the right path."


    Pang Steward agreed, "That''s true."


    Yan Jiaoxi continued, "Don''t let him take any more Array formation orders from here either. Just find some excuse about poor business management."


    Although it was indeed poor business management, when said out loud, Pang Steward still felt it was a blow to his dignity, and corrected:


    "That''s not poor management, that''s a laissez-faire approach to business, leaving it all to fate!"


    "And why stop him from drawing Array formations, earning spirit stones, and supporting his family?"


    Yan Jiaoxi frowned, "At the third level of Qi Cultivation, even if he can draw Array formations, how much spiritual sense can he have? Drawing too much will overly deplete his spiritual sense, leaving lasting harm and damaging the foundation of his sea of consciousness."


    "And he''s still young, now is the time to solidify his foundation in cultivation, not just Array formations. He needs to understand all aspects of cultivation, especially his cultivation level. He mustn''t sacrifice his future for short-term gains..."


    Pang Steward said, "The family situation of independent cultivators is not that affluent, and they often don''t have enough spirit stones."


    "Even if they are poor, they cannot disregard the future..."


    "Do you know how poor ordinary independent cultivators really are?"


    Pang Steward''s expression became serious for once.


    Yan Jiaoxi seeing Pang Steward''s serious expression, his brow furrowed slightly.


    Pang Steward solemnly said, "I know you had a tough childhood despite having a family; being born out of wedlock, you were not valued by your family. Later, after joining the sect and being meticulously taught by your master, you worked hard and made some progress in Array formations, which improved your situation a bit. But even if your situation was not the best, you had a family to rely on, at least you had food and clothing, and life was worry-free, if not ideal."


    "People often say that the path of cultivation is arduous," Pang Steward sighed, "I have been in Tongxian City for over a decade since leaving the sect, and having interacted with many independent cultivators, I realized that although people say cultivation is tough, the degree of difficulty varies greatly."


    "Ordinary independent cultivators struggle to make a living, and just being able to support their families is already an achievement. Some


    are injured by the fires in weapon forging, others lose an arm to demonic beasts while hunting, and those who sell their spiritual power to help others with chores often suffer minor damage to their meridians. If they fall ill or get injured, without spirit stones for treatment, whether they can survive depends entirely on luck."


    "If they can survive, that''s great; if not, they die. The worst is hanging on by a thread, spending spirit stones and draining their entire family. What can they do? They just want to survive."


    Having said all this in one breath, Pang Steward poured himself a cup of tea and gulped it down.


    Yan Jiaoxi fell silent for a moment, then sighed with an apologetic tone:


    "I hadn''t considered that."


    Pang Steward gave him a look.


    Yan Jiaoxi thought for a moment, then said to Pang Steward, "Give me the list of Array formations from here."


    "What do you need the list for?" Pang Steward asked, puzzled, but still got up and fetched a book from behind the counter, handing it to Yan Jiaoxi. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Yan Jiaoxi took the list of Array formations, looked through it once, then picked up a pen on the table and marked several formations, noting the sequence on the back of each.


    "What are you doing?" Pang Steward asked.


    Yan Jiaoxi explained, "Next time Mo Hua comes, you let him draw the Array formations I''ve marked on the list in the order I''ve noted. This way, he''ll learn more solidly. Later, when I have time, I''ll give him some guidance at the sect, which is better than him learning haphazardly."


    "By doing this, he can earn some spirit stones by drawing Array formations to support his family, and he''ll also learn some proper techniques in Array formations."


    After finishing his explanation, Yan Jiaoxi added, "Another thing, don''t let him draw too many Array formations. Receiving three or four a month is enough. Otherwise, if his spiritual sense is overly depleted, it will damage his sea of consciousness, leaving a serious problem."


    Pang Steward looked at the list in his hand and then at Yan Jiaoxi, his expression complicated, "Are you really not planning to take him as a disciple?"


    Yan Jiaoxi shook his head, then stood up and reiterated before leaving, "Just don''t forget to follow the order I''ve marked."


    After saying that, he left without looking back.


    Pang Steward watched his retreating figure, unable to speak for a long while, only letting out a helpless sigh.


    Suddenly, Pang Steward remembered something and called out to Yan Jiaoxi.


    Yan Jiaoxi turned to look at him.


    Pang Steward hesitated for a moment before saying, "There''s one thing you might have gotten wrong..."


    Yan Jiaoxi frowned, "What''s wrong?"


    "When Mo Hua came with the Blazing Fire Array, he was only at the second level of Qi Cultivation. If these Array formations are indeed drawn by him, that means..."


    Pang Steward paused, choosing his words carefully:


    "He might have been able to draw Array formations already at the second level of Qi Cultivation!"


    Yan Jiaoxi''s pupils contracted, showing a look of disbelief.

 Chapter 24: Seeking the Dao

    Mo Hua went to see the plump steward again, only to be told that the market had changed.The Blazing Fire Array and Earth Solidification Array were no longer accepted at Destiny''s Shop.


    Mo Hua looked astonished and suspiciously said, "The Blazing Fire Array is used for illumination, and the Earth Solidification Array for building houses. Unless no one lives in Tongxian City anymore, there should still be a market for them."


    The plump steward internally complained about Mo Hua''s cleverness, which was not always a good thing as it made him hard to deceive. Deciding not to make excuses, which only made it harder to justify himself, he simply gestured dismissively:


    "How would I know? That''s just the market now, and there''s nothing I can do!"


    Mo Hua was speechless; he had only saved half of the spirit stones needed for his cultivation technique and asked, "Then what arrays do you accept?"


    The plump steward coughed and pulled out an array diagram with "Gold Stone Array Diagram" written on the cover.


    "Now we''re accepting the Gold Stone Array, which also includes four array patterns, not much different from the Earth Solidification Array."


    Mo Hua examined the array diagram and asked, "Steward, what is the Gold Stone Array used for?"


    The plump steward replied, "It''s similar to the Earth Solidification Array, both are used to reinforce doors, walls, and dwellings of cultivators, except one reinforces wood and earth, and the other strengthens metal and stone."


    Mo Hua frowned, "It serves a similar purpose to the Earth Solidification Array, which no one uses. Why would this one be in demand?"


    The plump steward glared at Mo Hua and sternly said, "That''s the market. Don''t ask too many questions, kid!"


    "Is this array also worth three spirit stones?"


    It should have been...


    The plump steward, feeling a bit reluctant, added, "By rights, it should cost three spirit stones, but it''s been scarce recently, so the price has gone up to four spirit stones, though we''re not collecting many, just five sets every half month."


    Scarcity shouldn''t stop us from making more, should it?


    Mo Hua found the steward a bit odd, but since it was Destiny''s Shop''s business, he didn''t pry further as long as he could earn spirit stones. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "If I successfully create all of them, I can earn twenty spirit stones every half month, which is quite substantial."


    "Deal," said the plump steward, relieved, pulling out a storage bag from under the counter as if he had prepared it in advance, and handed it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua received the storage bag, checked it, and confirmed it contained the "Gold Stone Array Diagram" and five sets of paper and ink, then bowed to the steward and took his leave.


    As he was about to exit, the steward couldn''t help but call out to him:


    "Mo Hua."


    Mo Hua turned back, and the steward hesitated before asking, "Do you find this array difficult?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, noting the similarity to the Earth Solidification Array with its four array patterns, and replied, "It''s manageable."


    Mo Hua took a few steps, then turned back and added, "My brother should be able to draw it."


    "Oh," the steward said, his expression complex, nodding, "Draw well."


    "By the way," the steward called out again, "My surname is Mo, as in ''Do not get angry.'' Just call me Steward Mo."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Alright, Steward Mo, I''ll remember that."


    Mo Hua returned to Tongxian Sect and studied the Gold Stone Array whenever he had time. Thanks to previous consultations with Yan Jiaoxi on the Earth Solidification Array, it wasn''t too difficult to grasp.


    Before a class on array techniques, Yan Jiaoxi had someone distribute the previously corrected array homework. Mo Hua''s diagram only received a "B" grade.


    Mo Hua looked left and right, comparing it against the sect''s "Detailed Explanation of Arrays" and found no mistakes. Why just a "B"?


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    A disciple sitting nearby saw the "B" on Mo Hua''s diagram and exclaimed, "Wow, Mo Hua, you only got a B?"


    Mo Hua glanced at the "C" on the other disciple''s diagram without a word.


    That disciple quickly covered his "C" with his hand, chuckled, and then curiously asked, "How come you only got a B?"


    Mo Hua also wondered aloud, "I didn''t make any mistakes. I don''t know why it''s only a B."


    "You didn''t make any mistakes. How could the instructor give you just a B?"


    Mo Hua showed him the diagram, "Can you see any mistakes?"


    That disciple confidently replied, "If I could see any, I wouldn''t have gotten a ''C''!"


    Other disciples around them also stretched their necks to look at Mo Hua''s diagram and then said one after another:


    "It seems like there aren''t any mistakes."


    "Mo Hua, did you offend the instructor?"


    "Be careful, the instructor might punish you."


    "Yan Jiaoxi isn''t that kind of person, though..."


    Before they could finish, Yan Jiaoxi entered the cultivation room, causing the group of disciples to quickly retract their necks and quietly sit like quails, not daring to breathe loudly.


    Yan Jiaoxi conducted the class as usual and said at the end:


    "Cultivation is like rowing upstream; not advancing means retreating. The way of array techniques is the same; you must not slack off, wasting your time and talent."


    After finishing, Yan Jiaoxi scanned the room with a stern face and finally turned to Mo Hua, "Mo Hua, come with me."


    "Yes," Mo Hua respectfully rose and followed Yan Jiaoxi out of the cultivation room.


    Seeing Yan Jiaoxi leave, the disciples gathered their heads again:


    "It''s over; Mo Hua is done for now."


    "The instructor said someone is slacking off. Was he talking about Mo Hua?"


    "But I''m slacking off too. Why didn''t the instructor come for me?"


    "You and Mo Hua can''t be compared. Mo Hua''s array techniques are so good; the instructor values him."


    "I''m glad the instructor doesn''t value me like that. Please, never value me..."


    Mo Hua followed Yan Jiaoxi out of the cultivation room, past the pill room, the artifact refining room, and finally left Tongxuan Peak.


    As they walked, Yan Jiaoxi remained silent, only nodding or bowing in response when other disciples or instructors and sect elders greeted him.


    Yan Jiaoxi led Mo Hua all the way to his residence on Tongming Peak.


    Tongming Peak is where the sect master, elders, instructors, and inner sect disciples cultivate and reside. It was Mo Hua''s first visit, and the environment was indeed much quieter and more beautiful, with many courtyards planted with vibrant spirit flowers and herbs, and various spirit birds leisurely strolling around.


    Only on Tongming Peak could these spirit birds be so carefree. If they were on Tongxuan Peak, they wouldn''t see the sun the next day.


    Mo Hua remembered the charred chicken leg that the twins had given him.


    Outside Yan Jiaoxi''s residence, an array was set up, and there was a small Eight Trigrams plate on the door, probably arranged by Yan Jiaoxi himself, as other courtyards and residences didn''t have this.


    Yan Jiaoxi traced his finger over the Eight Trigrams plate a few times, and after a flash of light, the door opened.


    Once inside, Yan Jiaoxi sat down at the desk and directly asked Mo Hua:


    "Do you want to be an array master?"


    Mo Hua humbly replied, "Disciple''s talents are limited; I''m afraid I can''t be an array master."


    Yan Jiaoxi frowned, "Whether you want to or not is one thing; whether you have the talent is another. Don''t lose your original intention just by looking at the results. All beings under heaven will die eventually; does that mean they shouldn''t live?"


    Mo Hua responded earnestly, "Disciple wants to be an array master!"


    "Why do you want to?"


    "Cultivation is difficult; array techniques can provide a livelihood."


    "What else?"


    "Cultivators seek the Dao to become immortals; understanding array techniques can help seek the Dao."


    Yan Jiaoxi frowned, "The Dao is elusive, and cultivators might spend their entire lives unable to glimpse even a hint of it."


    Mo Hua said, "As the instructor said, the Dao is in the heavens, but the pursuit of the Dao is in the hands of individuals. Since cultivators seek the Dao, regardless of whether they achieve it in the end, they must not lose the heart to seek it."


    Yan Jiaoxi fell silent for a moment, then nodded, "From now on, come here every day after classes. You may go back today."


    "Yes." Mo Hua was puzzled but bowed and took his leave.


    Yan Jiaoxi watched Mo Hua leave and sighed after a long while:


    "He''s a promising young man."

 Chapter 25: Instruction

    Mo Hua returned to his cultivation room and sat down, as a group of disciples quickly gathered around him."Mo Hua, Mo Hua, what did the instructor want with you?"


    "Did the instructor punish you?"


    Mo Hua honestly replied, "The instructor has asked me to see him after class every day."


    One disciple said, "It must be because you''ve been slacking off in your array formations, so he''s angry and wants you to practice daily to avoid regressing."


    Another disciple sympathized, "That''s too harsh, having to draw arrays right under the instructor¡¯s watchful eye every day."


    "Yes, it''s terrible. Just one look from the instructor makes me so nervous, let alone him watching me draw arrays..."


    Mo Hua sighed as well.


    Seeing this, the disciples started comforting Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sighed, not because of having to draw arrays under the instructor¡¯s scrutiny, but because visiting the instructor daily left little time to earn spirit stones by drawing arrays for the Array Pavilion.


    However, since the instructor asked Mo Hua if he wanted to become an array master, he would likely provide some guidance, which Mo Hua considered a good thing.


    The next day after class, Mo Hua timely arrived at Instructor Yan''s residence on Tongming Peak.


    Instructor Yan got straight to the point, placing a scroll of "Basic Array Theories" in front of Mo Hua.


    "The path of array mastery is long, and a solid foundation is crucial. This includes not only mastering basic array patterns and brush techniques but also strengthening one¡¯s spiritual sense and understanding scholarly treatises on array formations."


    "The so-called array treatises are the collective wisdom and theoretical summaries of numerous masters about the myriad array formations in the cultivation world, seeking the immutable principles among the ever-changing arrays."


    "Some cultivators can draw arrays well, but are clueless about the treatises. Once they reach advanced levels, they find themselves lost in a fog, unable to make further progress in the art of arrays."


    "I''m only one step away from becoming a first-grade array master, and most of the sect''s traditions are scattered. I can''t impart you the profound doctrines as those great clans and sects can, but for your current level, it should suffice."


    Mo Hua sat up straighter, his expression growing more respectful, "Please instruct me, Instructor."


    Instructor Yan nodded, opened the "Basic Array Theories," and said: S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "This introductory text records some basic principles of array formations, like the celestial circle and terrestrial square, the Bagua positions, the generating and overcoming cycles of the Five Elements, as well as the structure of single arrays, complex arrays, and grand arrays..."


    "An array is a manifestation of the natural laws, the external circle and internal square symbolizing heaven and earth, respectively. The placement of different array patterns follows the Bagua principles, and the different elemental array patterns generate and overcome each other. A single array is just that, a complex array consists of multiple single arrays, and a grand array is composed of many single and complex arrays..."


    "Grand arrays are extremely powerful, often referred to as sect-protecting arrays. They contain hundreds to thousands of individual arrays, constructed by dozens or even hundreds of array masters, and only a highly accomplished master can take charge of designing and delineating a grand array..."


    "To become a chief array master, designing and constructing a grand array, is the aspiration of many array masters."


    Instructor Yan spoke with some emotion, then added, "But that''s a distant goal. Even becoming an ordinary first-grade array master is no small feat."


    Mo Hua listened, enchanted by the prospect. Even a single array was already quite mysterious, let alone a grand array once activated, what a sight it would be.


    Instructor Yan hesitated a bit, then solemnly handed the "Basic Array Theories" to Mo Hua, saying:


    "Take this introductory text to study carefully, remember not to disclose it to others or discuss it with anyone."


    Afterwards, Instructor Yan explained some basic theories about arrays, then allowed Mo Hua to leave.


    Mo Hua returned to the disciples'' quarters, holding the thin volume of "Basic Array Theories," feeling its significant weight. It was the first time he truly appreciated the importance of cultivation heritage. Without instruction, these teachings were enough to puzzle over for a lifetime.


    Being merely an ordinary disciple, Mo Hua felt increasingly grateful for Instructor Yan''s earnestness.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind and carefully read through "Basic Array Theories," noting down anything he didn''t understand, preparing to ask the instructor the next day.


    Before sleeping, Mo Hua also reviewed the "Gold Stone Array Diagram," memorizing the array patterns inscribed on the stele, then closed his eyes and practiced the Gold Stone Array in his sea of consciousness.


    The Gold Stone Array only had four patterns, not too difficult, but it required time to familiarize with the patterns and practice them.


    Thanks


    to "Basic Array Theories," Mo Hua found his thought process while drawing the Gold Stone Array much clearer.


    Why were the four patterns located in the west? Because the west corresponds to metal, matching the attributes of the Gold Stone Array, and the specific drawing method also involves many considerations of trigrams.


    Previously, Mo Hua only knew to draw according to the diagrams, not understanding why it was done this way. Now, he had a deeper understanding.


    The next day, Mo Hua went to Tongming Peak.


    Instructor Yan asked Mo Hua some questions from the "Array Treatises," and Mo Hua answered them all, confirming that he had seriously finished reading "Basic Array Theories." Instructor Yan couldn''t help but nod.


    Afterwards, Mo Hua raised some questions he had noted down, and Instructor Yan answered each one, his expression visibly more relieved.


    On the third day, Instructor Yan used specific arrays as examples to analyze for Mo Hua, helping him understand some basic theories about arrays.


    Instructor Yan started with a single pattern''s arrays, including the Bright Fire Array that Mo Hua had painted before, as well as several arrays Mo Hua had not learned before, followed by arrays containing two patterns, all new to Mo Hua, who listened very attentively.


    Among the four-pattern arrays, the instructor first mentioned the Earth Solidification Array, which Mo Hua had previously consulted the instructor about. Although Mo Hua had already painted it quite proficiently, now listening to the instructor''s explanation, he realized he had only known the surface, not the underlying principles, lacking a lot in his understanding of arrays.


    After discussing the Earth Solidification Array, Instructor Yan then referred to the Gold Stone Array:


    "The Gold Stone Array is similar in function to the Earth Solidification Array. Among the Five Elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, earth generates metal, so when cultivators build their dwellings, they use the Earth Solidification Array to stabilize the foundation, and the Gold Stone Array to reinforce the structures. Because of the generating relationship between earth and metal, the effectiveness of the arrays is enhanced. These two arrays can be understood in reference to each other..."


    Mo Hua listened, and his understanding suddenly became clearer.


    Instructor Yan lectured for an hour, then assigned several tasks for Mo Hua to find some examples of arrays generating and overcoming each other, then let Mo Hua go.


    Mo Hua returned to the disciples'' quarters, pondering more and more.


    Many of the examples Instructor Yan used were arrays Mo Hua had helped the Array Pavilion draw.


    The Bright Fire Array and the Earth Solidification Array were obvious, but the Gold Stone Array was commissioned by the plump manager. Today, the instructor had specifically explained the Gold Stone Array to him, even though it was to illustrate the generating and overcoming relationship of the Five Elements, it was still too coincidental.


    "Is there some connection between the instructor and the plump manager? Could it be that the instructor already knows that those arrays at Destiny''s Shop were all drawn by me?"


    Mo Hua mulled over this secretly.

 Chapter 26: Advancement

    After classes each day, Mo Hua went to Yan Jiaoxi''s place to study the theory of arrays and seek advice on array formations. With Yan Jiaoxi''s explanations, Mo Hua quickly learned the Gold Stone Array Diagram, and after practicing repeatedly on the stele in his sea of consciousness, it took him just over ten days to complete five sets of the Gold Stone Array Diagram.Due to having ample time, Mo Hua painted carefully, failing only once, which after deducting the cost of materials, earned him about twelve spirit stones.


    During a period of rest, Mo Hua handed over the array formations to Manager Mo, who after reviewing them was quite satisfied, nodding and saying, "Your¡­ elder brother''s array formations are increasingly systematic."


    Mo Hua looked at Manager Mo doubtfully.


    For some reason, being watched made Manager Mo somewhat guilty; he coughed, waved his hand, and said, "Nothing''s wrong, just head back to the sect; I''m quite busy here."


    Mo Hua glanced at the empty Destiny''s Shop, which lacked even a single customer, and curiously asked, "There aren''t any customers here, what are you busy with?"


    Manager Mo felt that his management style was more about being laid-back rather than poor business, which he saw as fundamentally different.


    But the lack of customers was indeed obvious at a glance. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Manager Mo became a bit annoyed, "What does a kid know? I''m always busy here handling big deals, customer or no customers! When I say I''m busy, I am busy!"


    "Then, keep busy, I''ll be leaving now," said Mo Hua.


    As Mo Hua walked a few steps away, he suddenly turned back and asked, "By the way, are you and Yan Jiaoxi close?"


    Manager Mo guiltily replied, "Not really close, just some camaraderie from the same sect. His temper is both stinky and tough, not something ordinary people can endure, and we haven¡¯t been in touch for many years. It was only because we happened to meet recently that we had a cup of tea together and caught up."


    "Oh¡­" Mo Hua gave a meaningful "Oh."


    Saying they were not close, yet the tone was very familiar; that means they were quite close, at least not without a good relationship.


    Manager Mo quickly waved his hand, "Go on, go on, don''t disturb my business."


    Mo Hua left Destiny''s Shop, thinking to himself:


    "It seems Manager Mo and Yan Jiaoxi indeed have some secrets between them¡­"


    Afterward, Mo Hua''s life in the sect was monotonous and ordinary. Every day he attended classes, consulted Yan Jiaoxi about array formations after class, returned to his disciple residence to paint array formations, and after midnight, entered his sea of consciousness to practice on the broken stele.


    Simple yet fulfilling.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mastery over array formations improved daily, and his spiritual sense grew stronger. He was now able to comfortably draw four array patterns of the Gold Stone Array, without feeling a lack of spiritual sense.


    The orders for Manager Mo''s array formations also changed a few times, each time with the excuse, "The market has changed, the previous arrays are no longer bought, need to draw new ones," then handing over new array diagrams to Mo Hua.


    When Yan Jiaoxi taught the theory of arrays, he would also explain the array formations that Manager Mo gave to Mo Hua, which basically fed Mo Hua with a spoon.


    This also essentially confirmed Mo Hua''s guess that Manager Mo and Yan Jiaoxi must have a relationship, and probably both knew about him painting array formations for Destiny''s Shop.


    However, everyone kept this tacit understanding, and Mo Hua also pretended not to know.


    Mo Hua was puzzled why the instructor was so attentive to him, answering every question about array formations, and Manager Mo also provided many conveniences.


    Could it really be just because he was talented in array formations?


    Later, Mo Hua thought it over and felt that he was probably overthinking it.


    Yan Jiaoxi was meticulous and serious, whether in teaching or array formations, never hiding anything from his disciples. His care for Mo Hua was probably out of a desire to cherish his talent, not wanting it to go to waste, and truly hoping he would advance in array formations.


    Manager Mo¡¯s acquaintance with Yan Jiaoxi was likely under Yan Jiaoxi¡¯s arrangement, gradually setting up array formations for Mo Hua to draw.


    Mo Hua kept their kindness in mind.


    But for now, he was just a low-level Qi Cultivation Third Level minor cultivator, unable to do much. Even if he wanted to repay this kindness, he would have to wait until later.


    Two months later, besides the Gold Stone Array, Mo Hua also learned the Mud Sand Array, Flowing Sand Array, and Ventilation Array.


    Including the spirit stones he had saved from painting array formations, he had a total of over one hundred eighty.


    Mo Hua planned to save up two hundred spirit stones and then choose an intermediate lower-tier technique, which would relieve his parents of some burden.


    Once he had enough spirit stones and had chosen the technique, he would then tell his parents, who he thought would be happy about it.


    But before Mo Hua had saved enough spirit stones, trouble arose at home.


    One day during an alchemy class, Yan Jiaoxi suddenly called Mo Hua out with a somewhat solemn expression, telling him his mother was seriously ill and urging him to go home immediately.


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling him to the bone.


    He asked for a few days off from the instructor, then hurried home.


    But the door to his house was closed, and after knocking several times with no response, he became anxious. Just then, Neighbor Aunt Yang came out upon hearing the noise and said:


    "Is that you, Mo Hua?"


    "Aunt Yang, my mother¡­"


    "I was just about to tell you, your mother is seriously ill and is currently at the Xinglin Medical Hall seeking treatment from Old Master Feng. Hurry and go see her!"


    Mo Hua thanked her repeatedly and then rushed to Xinglin Medical Hall.


    Xinglin Medical Hall was the only pill hall nearby.


    The pill hall had alchemists stationed there, and generally, if cultivators were injured or sick, they would go to the pill shop to have the alchemists diagnose and refine pills for treatment and healing.


    Old Master Feng of Xinglin Medical Hall was a highly reputable old alchemist in Tongxian City, having studied the way of the pills for most of his life, and in his later years, he passed the fixed-grade assessment to become a true first-grade alchemist, one of the few in Tongxian City.


    Moreover, Old Master Feng was the only alchemist in Tongxian City who, after becoming a first-grade alchemist, still chose to open a shop in the lower-tier cultivators'' market to diagnose and treat patients.


    When Mo Hua arrived at Xinglin Medical Hall, Old Master Feng was seeing patients. Wearing a clean but somewhat worn black daoist robe with white trim, his hair and beard both white, he looked amiable. Upon seeing Mo Hua, he advised the patient in front of him for a moment, then beckoned to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua hurriedly approached and bowed, saying, "Grandfather Feng, how is my mother¡­"


    Old Master Feng nodded and said, "Good child, I have seen your mother''s condition. Although it is somewhat serious, it is not life-threatening. You can put your mind at ease."


    Mo Hua finally breathed a sigh of relief and regained his composure, but felt his throat dry and burning as if on fire.


    Mo Hua had been frail since childhood, and in his rush had run too fast. Now suddenly stopping, he felt sweat all over his body.


    Old Master Feng gently pressed Mo Hua''s back with his right hand, a pale blue light flashed through his hand, transferring some spiritual power to Mo Hua. Mo Hua felt a spring breeze passing through his limbs, and his breath became much smoother in an instant.


    Old Master Feng then gently poured a cup of tea and instructed, "Drink a little at a time, slowly."


    Following Old Master Feng¡¯s instruction, Mo Hua slowly drank some of the misty tea, and his breathing finally eased.

 Chapter 27: Heartache

    "Your mother has overworked herself, using spiritual energy for long periods to stoke the kitchen fire, which has damaged her heart and lungs from the heat, leading to her coughing, weakness, and difficulty in breathing."Old Master Feng explained the condition to Mo Hua and continued:


    "When she was first brought here, she could barely breathe. I''ve concocted some medicinal pills that have temporarily alleviated her condition. There''s no need to worry for the time being, but she must take good care of herself going forward. She cannot use her spiritual energy to stoke the fire anymore, and she must quit her job helping in the kitchen at the Spirit Meal Tower; otherwise, her heart and lungs will inevitably deteriorate beyond repair."


    Mo Hua, frightened by the diagnosis, bowed deeply and said, "I will forever remember Grandfather Feng''s kindness in my heart!"


    Old Master Feng helped Mo Hua to stand up, smiled slightly, and said, "Saving lives and helping the injured is the duty of a pill master; there''s no need to talk of kindness. Although you are young, you speak very precisely¡ªas if I might not be around by the time you wish to repay me."


    Mo Hua then breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Grandfather Feng, with your benevolent heart, you will surely live for hundreds more years!"


    Old Master Feng laughed out loud, "You''ve always been a sweet talker since you were little."


    "Why did my mother''s heart and lung damage become so severe all of a sudden? She only worked in the kitchen for four hours daily before and was fine," Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask.


    Old Master Feng replied, "I spoke to the cook at the Spirit Meal Tower. Starting this year, your mother''s kitchen hours increased from four to six per day. With the longer hours, her spiritual energy is more likely to deplete, and the excessive labor has naturally exacerbated her condition."


    "Wasn''t the Fire-Resisting Hairpin of any use?"


    "You mean the hairpin your mother wears?" Old Master Feng stroked his beard and nodded as he explained:


    "The hairpin is indeed useful, but as a common spiritual tool, its efficacy is limited. However, it''s fortunate she had it; otherwise, her condition could have been much worse, and even if cured, her heart and lungs might have suffered residual issues."


    Mo Hua felt somewhat relieved but still apprehensive, and then inquired about the cost of the diagnosis. Old Master Feng said, "The manager of the Spirit Meal Tower has already been here. They feel very guilty about your mother''s condition, so they will cover all expenses for the medicinal pills. You don''t need to worry about that."


    Old Master Feng winked at Mo Hua and whispered, "Since they are willing to pay, I won''t hold back and will use the best ingredients to ensure your mother is cured."


    Mo Hua, reassured, thanked Old Master Feng sincerely, then asked softly, "May I go see my mother?"


    Old Master Feng nodded, "Go ahead, she just took her medicine and laid down. Remember to keep your voice down."


    The Xinglin Medical Hall''s side rooms were opened up, placing several sickbeds specifically for patients to rest. Although simple, they were clean and tidy, with a faint scent of incense in the air.


    When Mo Hua saw Liu Ruhua, she was lying quietly on a bed near the inside, sleeping soundly with light breathing and a pale, somewhat gaunt face.


    Mo Hua moved a small stool over and sat quietly beside her, looking at Liu Ruhua''s face.


    Mo Hua remembered how young and gentle his mother looked when he was born, her smile was very beautiful.


    Ten years have passed unknowingly.


    For cultivators with long lifespans, ten years is not very significant; some cultivators do not even change their appearance in a decade.


    But Mo Hua''s mother had become somewhat gaunt, and there were even a few white hairs at her temples.


    Thinking about how his parents were aging slowly without his knowledge until one day, he suddenly realized they no longer looked like the images he remembered.


    Mo Hua felt a sourness in his heart, and his eyes blurred with tears.


    Liu Ruhua, not knowing how long she had slept, woke up to find Mo Hua by her side with red eyes, feeling both comforted and a bit pained.


    Liu Ruhua touched Mo Hua''s head, "Why are you here? Shouldn''t you be cultivating at the sect?"


    Mo Hua silently watched her, and Liu Ruhua, slightly embarrassed, said, "I''m fine; you don''t need to worry about me."


    "Old Master Feng mentioned you''ve been working six hours daily in the kitchen."


    "Six hours is nothing; look at your uncles and aunts in the neighborhood, their tasks are sometimes


    even harder. Your father goes out to hunt demons, sometimes for days and nights without rest. Everyone lives like this..."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Mother, you''re not well; how can you compare? Is our family lacking spirit stones?"


    Liu Ruhua sighed slightly, "We aren''t lacking spirit stones, but you''re about to start learning techniques soon, aren''t you? A mid-grade lower-tier technique would cost over two hundred spirit stones, so I thought to save up more to let you choose a better one."


    Mo Hua was startled, "I never mentioned the techniques; how did you know?"


    Liu Ruhua touched Mo Hua''s head again, "Silly child, how could your mother not know? You didn''t say because you are considerate, but your parents have to plan for you. We are only Qi-cultivating cultivators and can''t give you the best, but we still want to provide as well as we can within our means."


    Mo Hua''s nose tingled, and then he took out a storage bag and said:


    "Mother, I can earn it myself; I''ve already earned a hundred and eighty spirit stones!"


    Liu Ruhua was surprised, her mouth opened slightly, and after a moment, she said:


    "How did you earn so much...?"


    Mo Hua felt better, "I''ve been helping people with array formations."


    "Is it Destiny''s Shop on North Street?"


    "Yes."


    Mo Hua said, then paused, "Mother, how do you know about that too?" S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua chuckled softly, "Your father told me. He saw you taking out so many spirit stones one day, suspected someone was deceiving you with ill intentions, followed you to that merchant, asked the manager a few questions, then found out you weren''t being deceived, but rather, it was the manager who had been fooled by you. I didn''t even know you had an older brother..."


    Mo Hua''s mouth fell open in shock, feeling that he had hidden everything, yet nothing was truly hidden; he didn''t even know when his father had followed him to the array hall...


    Liu Ruhua stroked Mo Hua''s face, relieved, "When you were little, small and thin, I was worried you''d be bullied, and also worried about how you''d make a living in the future. I never imagined that at such a young age, you''d be able to earn so many spirit stones. Now I can rest easy."


    "But keep these spirit stones for yourself. Although it seems like a lot now, when your cultivation is higher in the future, or when you marry and have children, you''ll have many expenses. Save up now to avoid being strapped for resources later."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Mother, I''ll earn even more spirit stones in the future; you don''t need to worry about that. What''s most important now is for you to get well; don''t worry about anything else."


    Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Hua gently, wanting to say more, but couldn''t help coughing again. Mo Hua no longer let her speak, urging her to rest well.

 Chapter 28: A New Idea

    The next day, Mo Shan hurried back.When Mo Shan arrived at Xinglin Medical Hall, his clothes were ragged and stained with mud, his arm wrapped in a bandage as if torn by a demonic beast, with blood seeping through.


    It seemed he had just battled a demonic beast with his demon hunting team and hadn''t had the chance to tend to his wounds before rushing back.


    Upon hearing that his wife''s life was not in danger, Mo Shan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Elder Feng checked Liu Ruhua''s condition and also treated Mo Shan''s arm.


    A few days later, Liu Ruhua returned home to recuperate. Following Elder Feng''s instructions, she had a light diet, avoided exertion, took her medicinal pills on time, and also could not use her spiritual power for a month.


    Mo Shan and his son stayed at home for a few days until Liu Ruhua sent them out¡ªMo Shan, as the leader of the demon hunting team, needed to hunt demonic beasts, and Mo Hua, as a sect disciple, had to attend to his studies and could not afford to delay.


    Fortunately, Liu Ruhua couldn''t use spiritual power, but her daily life was not significantly impacted.


    Mo Shan had to ask the neighbor, Aunt Yang, for help, and whenever he was free, he would come back home. Similarly, every ten-day rest period, Mo Hua would take leave from his instructor and return home to check in.


    Yan Jiaoxi was understanding and did not make things difficult for Mo Hua, only reminding him not to neglect his cultivation and sect duties.


    A month later, Liu Ruhua was almost fully recovered, although she still had to stay at home and could not engage in activities that required spiritual power, as it would cause her to cough incessantly, but otherwise, she suffered no other harm.


    Mo Hua was relieved, but noticed that his mother was not very happy. Though she still smiled, her expression was noticeably more subdued than before, and she often sat alone in contemplation.


    Mo Hua was worried but couldn''t figure out why, so he asked Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan sighed and told Mo Hua, "Your mother''s wishes are simple; she wants to save enough spirit stones for you to cultivate properly, watch you grow up, get married, and have children... But now she can''t use her spiritual power and therefore can''t do anything, let alone earn spirit stones."


    "Having been busy for half her life, suddenly being unable to do anything or help you, she feels somewhat empty inside..."


    Mo Hua felt uneasy and asked, "Does mother have other interests, like Dan patterns or arrays?"


    "Other interests?"


    "Yes, things she''s interested in, like Dan patterns or arrays..."


    Mo Shan thought for a moment and said, "She hasn''t shown much interest in those, but she does enjoy cooking. Not to boast, but within ten miles, no one cooks better than your mother."


    Mo Shan added with a sigh, "When I promised to marry your mother and become spiritual partners, I boasted that I would open a meal tower for her to research various meals, but after all these years, she''s only endured hardships with me, and I never fulfilled that promise..."


    Mo Hua looked at his somewhat remorseful father and knew he couldn''t blame him.


    Mo Shan''s cultivation and methods were among the best among the demon hunters in the area, and over the years, he had risked his life fighting demonic beasts, often returning home covered in blood. Despite this, the family was still struggling to make ends meet.


    Ultimately, the life of a low-level independent cultivator was difficult; just maintaining a living was exhausting.


    Mo Hua then said, "Father, don''t worry, I will definitely open a large meal tower for mother in the future!"


    Mo Shan, knowing his son was trying to comfort him, patted Mo Hua''s head, feeling somewhat consoled, "Good!"


    But his wife could not use spiritual power, and even as a meal chef, spiritual power was necessary. Even if they opened a restaurant, without spiritual power, it would be hard to be a meal chef.


    Thinking of his wife''s melancholy, Mo Shan felt sorry for her and patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, "Talk to your mother more often when you have time; sometimes your words work better than mine, don''t let your mother think too much."


    "Alright," Mo Hua nodded.


    Afterward, whenever Mo Hua had time, he would actively talk with Liu Ruhua, and her complexion did indeed improve somewhat, but when alone, she still appeared melancholic.


    "If only mother could use her spiritual power," Mo Hua thought, but he also knew this was unlikely.


    Illness arrives like a mountain collapsing and recedes like drawing silk; moreover, it was a chronic illness accumulated over many years, only treatable through slow rehabilitation.


    The cultivation world surely had


    heavenly treasures capable of curing such illnesses, as Elder Feng had mentioned a few, but for a family like Mo Hua''s, finding such resources or affording them was nearly impossible.


    Mo Hua could only give up.


    Half a month later, the hottest month of the year arrived. The sun hung high, and the ground was scorchingly hot. Tongxian Sect, following tradition, began a month-long summer break.


    A year-end break and a summer break were the two longest vacations of the year.


    Due to the hot weather, demonic beasts were less active, and those that did appear were primarily fire-type, stronger in such weather and very challenging to deal with. Thus, the summer was also a slow season for demon hunting.


    Mo Shan would spend more time at home, only occasionally leaving for a few days if his team members discovered valuable demonic beasts, bringing back some spirit stones or skins.


    One time, after being out for a few days, Mo Shan returned home with a large bundle. When Mo Hua opened it, he found a large pack of beef tendons, his mouth agape in surprise, "Father, is this..."


    "This is wild mountain ox meat," Mo Shan explained, "It doesn''t contain much spiritual energy and isn''t very valuable, but compared to other demonic beasts, its meat quality isn''t too bad, and it doesn''t have a strong odor."


    "Recently, the demon hunting team hasn''t had much success, so we only got this wild mountain ox. After skinning and butchering it, we couldn''t sell the meat; everyone complained it was too tough and old, hard to cook and hard to chew, so we each took some home to eat," Mo Shan explained.


    Mo Hua uncertainly said, "Father, are you going to cook this meat?"


    Mo Shan ruffled Mo Hua''s head, "What, you think your father''s cooking isn''t tasty?"


    Mo Hua just smiled and didn''t respond.


    At noon, Mo Shan cooked the beef, struggling for half a day to get it tender, and served it in a large open-mouthed white porcelain bowl.


    "Try it, see how it tastes!"


    The white porcelain bowl contained soy-sauce-colored beef.


    Liu Ruhua glanced at the beef and put down her chopsticks, only scooping up a spoonful of soup and slowly sipping it.


    Mo Hua, however, picked up a piece of beef, chewed a few times, his teeth aching from the effort, the meat still stubbornly tough, not breaking apart at all.


    Mo Hua, embarrassed yet polite, spat the meat out and picked up a spoon to sip the soup, then complimented, "The soup is good!"


    Mo Shan glared at him, "The soup was made with the sauce your mother prepared, of course it''s good."


    Liu Ruhua pursed her lips and smiled, "I appreciate your effort, but meal preparation isn''t something that can be done casually. Even using spiritual power to stoke the fire for cooking requires much attention; when to use high heat, when to use low heat, when to add which sauce and how much, all require precision..."


    Hearing this, Mo Hua suddenly asked, "So if it''s cooked long enough, would the beef become tender?"


    Liu Ruhua responded, "In theory, yes, but that would require a cultivator to watch over the pot all day and night, continuously using spiritual power to stoke the fire..."


    "A normal cultivator definitely can''t do that, and a cultivator who could would probably not be so bored," Mo Shan added.


    "What if we used an array?" Mo Hua''s eyes lit up.


    "An array..." Liu Ruhua pondered, "I''m not sure, but I''ve heard from the head chef at the meal tower that some large meal towers have artifact craftsmen craft stoves, then array masters inscribe arrays on them. This way, only spirit stones are needed to sustain the cooking for long periods without using a cultivator''s spiritual power. However, hiring an array master is very expensive, and at least the previous meal tower couldn''t afford such a stove."


    "I see..."


    Mo Hua mused.


    Mo Shan also picked up a piece of beef, chewed a few times without breaking it down, and had to admit, "It''s indeed tough to chew." Then he just swallowed it, forcibly digesting it with his spiritual power.


    That evening, Mo Hua practiced arrays on the damaged stele while thinking about the meal tower.


    The next day, Mo Hua didn''t stay home to practice arrays but instead went out under the scorching sun directly to North Street.


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    Despite the intense heat making him sweat profusely after just a few steps, there were still some small vendors on the street, braving the scorching sun, their voices weak as they hawked their wares.


    Mo Hua arrived at North Street and found the largest meal tower there¡ªF


    ulu Meal Tower¡ªthen asked the shopkeeper, "Is your young master surnamed An, called An Xiaofu... no, An Xiaofu?"


    The shopkeeper, not looking down on Mo Hua for his ordinary clothes, instead guessed he might truly be an acquaintance of the young master due to Mo Hua''s familiar tone, and courteously responded, "The young gentleman is correct, the young master is upstairs, would you like me to send a message for you?"


    Mo Hua, also very polite, said, "Please inform him that a fellow sect member surnamed Mo is looking for him regarding a matter."

 Chapter 29: The Stove

    The innkeeper went upstairs and soon returned, politely inviting Mo Hua to come up.Mo Hua saw Young Master An, who was enjoying drinks with several lavishly dressed young men. The table was adorned with various colorful, juicy spiritual fruits, with maids fanning the air, creating a gentle breeze scented with fragrance, and singers performing songs that echoed around the beams.


    The room was cool and comfortable, a stark contrast to the summer heat. Screens in the room were carved with ice-element array patterns used for cooling and ventilation.


    Mo Hua, who had been enduring the harsh summer heat to run his street stall for a living, felt a pang of emotion.


    Here were all Qi-cultivation stage cultivators, living in the same city of Tongxian, yet it seemed like they were living in two different worlds.


    "Mo Hua, it really is you!" exclaimed Young Master An happily, gesturing, "Come, join us for a drink."


    Young Master An''s face was flushed from drinking, but he was young and was probably drinking fruit wine, which wouldn''t harm his health too much.


    Mo Hua, however, was not in the mood for drinking and directly said, "Young Master An, I need your help with something."


    "Oh," Young Master An sobered up a bit and waved the other young men away, "You guys go on, I have something to deal with."


    Then, the innkeeper led Mo Hua and Young Master An to a quiet private room where Mo Hua got straight to the point, "Young Master An, I need a favor from you."


    Young Master An, still a bit tipsy, slapped his chest and said, "As long as I can help, just say it!"


    Mo Hua looked around the opulent private room and asked, "This Spirit Meal Tower, it''s owned by your family, right?"


    Proudly, Young Master An responded, "Yes!"


    "Do your cooks use a traditional stove, or do cultivators power it with their spiritual energy?"


    Confused, Young Master An thought for a moment, clueless, then shouted, "Innkeeper!"


    Soon, the innkeeper entered and Young Master An pointed to him, telling Mo Hua, "Ask him."


    Mo Hua repeated his earlier question to the innkeeper.


    The innkeeper answered, "Originally, we did use cultivators'' spiritual energy, but that method could damage the cultivators'' lungs and heart, and it was also unstable. So, the owner decided against it and last year had an artifact smith specially forge a stove. An array master also crafted some array patterns, and since then, we have been using this stove."


    Curious, Mo Hua asked, "Is the cost of a stove higher than hiring a cultivator?"


    The innkeeper honestly replied, "In the long term, the stove is better. Hiring a cultivator might be more economical in the short term, and you can negotiate down the price. Sometimes, when times are tough, half a spirit stone can hire a Qi-cultivation stage independent cultivator." S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat bitter.


    Even as a cultivator, one couldn''t escape being exploited.


    "Can I see the stove?" Mo Hua inquired.


    The innkeeper hesitated, looking at Young Master An, unable to decide on his own since the kitchen was normally off-limits to outsiders.


    Young Master An, now more sober, asked, "Is it not possible to show others?"


    The innkeeper explained, "The recipes are secret, but the stove isn''t. Many Spirit Meal Towers have them, and those who don''t simply don''t want to spend the spirit stones to make one. It''s not a secret."


    "Then let''s have a look. I haven''t even seen that stove myself," Young Master An said.


    "Alright, I''ll take you two gentlemen there," the innkeeper, relieved that Young Master An was coming along, which meant any trouble wouldn''t be solely his responsibility.


    He led Mo Hua and Young Master An to the kitchen, pointing to a huge stove about the height of two men, "This is the stove. When spirit stones are placed inside, the array patterns inside the stove convert them into fire energy, which then spreads to every cooking station, allowing the cultivators to cook their ingredients."


    "The stove is connected to each cooking station by array patterns, and each station also has a specific array pattern etched into it to control the intensity of the fire..."


    Mo Hua was fascinated, having never seen artifact crafting and array patterns used in such a way.


    Young Master An was also captivated, his usual focus on eating never extending to how the food was actually made.


    As the innkeeper proudly explained the workings of the stove, Mo Hua examined it thoroughly, peering into every nook and cranny, even the gaps between the stove sections.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s intense interest, as if he wanted to dismantle the stove to see inside,


    the innkeeper couldn''t help asking, "Is there something specific you''d like to know, Young Master Mo?"


    Mo Hua inquired, "Innkeeper, do you know which array patterns are engraved inside the stove?"


    The innkeeper hesitated but then thought better of it, realizing that just knowing the array patterns wouldn''t help much without the skill to draw them.


    "The internal array pattern of this stove isn''t complex; it''s just a Magma Array with five array lines. However, the placement of the Magma Array is critical; it must be drawn at the bottom of the stove to ensure even heat distribution. There''s also an opening on the outside for placing spirit stones, which allows the spiritual energy of the stones to seep into the Magma Array, activating the array''s fire power..." the innkeeper explained everything in detail.


    "Oh, oh," Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    After a long discussion and having his questions thoroughly answered, Mo Hua sincerely thanked the innkeeper and then prepared to leave.


    Young Master An held onto Mo Hua, "Don''t rush off; let me treat you to some good food."


    Mo Hua had other matters to attend to and declined.


    "Are you not giving me face?" Young Master An was a bit upset.


    Mo Hua complimented Young Master An, praising his generosity, and then quietly told him, "Next time your tutor assigns array formation homework, I''ll help you draw it for free."


    Overjoyed, Young Master An eagerly nodded, "Mmm."


    He didn''t care about spirit stones; he cared about face. Having Mo Hua offer to draw arrays for him for free was a boost to his pride.


    The innkeeper watched Mo Hua''s departing figure and asked Young Master An, "Young Master, what is Mo Hua''s status?"


    "He''s a fellow sect brother of mine, and he''s excellent at drawing arrays, even better than me. To be honest, he''s helped me with all my array homework!"


    Young Master An was even a bit smug.


    The innkeeper, expressionless, thought to himself, "There''s really nothing to be proud of in that..."


    "You can go back to your duties; I''m off to drink," Young Master An said, turning to leave but suddenly stopped in shock, gripping the innkeeper''s sleeve, his eyes wide.


    The innkeeper was a bit nervous, "Young, Young Master..."


    Young Master An lowered his voice, "This matter, you must never let my father know!"


    "This matter?"


    "That someone else does my homework for me. You must never let my father know!"


    The innkeeper''s mouth twitched, "Alright, alright..."


    Relieved, Young Master An patted his chest, "That was close; good thing I''m clever, or I would have been exposed." He then made the innkeeper swear not to tell his father, and only then did he feel assured and went upstairs.


    The innkeeper, feeling helpless, thought, "Can the An Family''s fortunes really be maintained by this unreliable young master..."


    His thoughts then drifted back to Mo Hua.


    It seemed he wasn''t some wealthy noble''s child, just a regular cultivator''s kid. Why was he so interested in the stove?


    The innkeeper took a few steps, then recalled Young Master An''s words and suddenly stopped, "Good at drawing arrays? He wouldn''t be planning to replicate the stove''s array, would he?"


    "Young Master An is at the third level of Qi cultivation, and that Mo kid is his fellow sect brother, which means he''s also at most at the third level of Qi cultivation. How could someone at that level have the spiritual sense needed to draw arrays?"


    Shaking his head, the innkeeper decided to find a place to have some tea.

 Chapter 30: Magma Array Diagram

    Mo Hua returned home under the blazing sun, grabbed the teapot on the table, and gulped down several mouthfuls of tea to cool off before heading to his room to take out paper and ink to plan.First on the agenda was the stove.


    The stove is a type of spiritual device.


    Spiritual devices used by cultivators come in a wide variety, including weapons like swords and spears for attack, armors and Taoist robes for defense, magical accessories like hairpins and jade ornaments, and everyday items like pots and stoves.


    Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of artifact crafting was limited to the basic theoretical knowledge taught in the "Artifact Crafting General Knowledge" course at the Tongxian Sect, such as the essentials of furnace use, forging, and quenching.


    However, when it came to actual crafting, he was unable to proceed.


    The Tongxian Sect''s artifact crafting course also required disciples to craft by hand, but since Mo Hua was physically weak and couldn''t even swing a hammer, the instructors did not force him.


    Now, to craft a stove was no ordinary task¡ªit required a specialized artifact craftsman.


    Next was the array¡ªthe Magma Array contained five array patterns, which was challenging for Mo Hua at the moment.


    The arrays Mo Hua had drawn before consisted of no more than four patterns.


    The difference in efficacy between arrays as they increase in complexity is substantial, and for an array master, each additional pattern represents a significant hurdle.


    Mo Hua, who drew arrays daily and honed his skills on stone steles, had strengthened his spiritual sense considerably, managing four patterns with ease. However, a five-pattern array was another story.


    Another difficulty was that this Magma Array needed to be inscribed on the stove.


    The furnace''s walls, made of fine iron, weakly absorb ink, making drawing on iron far more challenging than on paper, and it greatly increases the consumption of spiritual energy and spiritual sense.


    According to "Basic Array Treatise" by Yan Jiaoxi, the medium that carries the array, called the array medium by array masters, is typically paper, followed by materials like ironwood and stone.


    Mo Hua had always drawn on paper, but now facing the challenge of drawing on a furnace, he was unsure if it would pose any problems.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, sighed, and decided to take things step by step.


    The immediate priority was to obtain a complete diagram of the Magma Array.


    The next day, Mo Hua got up, had breakfast, and first went to see Manager Mo.


    Manager Mo, a rather plump man who disliked the heat, was lethargically sprawled on the desk beside which stood a fan, inscribed with arrays that used spiritual power to keep it oscillating.


    However, in such heat, the fan only circulated hot air.


    Mo Hua said, "Manager Mo, I see other businesses have installed ice-element arrays on their walls for cooling. Why don¡¯t you do the same?"


    Manager Mo gave Mo Hua a listless glare, "Those arrays are expensive. Give me the spirit stones, and I¡¯ll set it up!"


    Mo Hua chuckled, then sat at a nearby table, poured himself a cup of tea, and slowly drank it.


    In the usually quiet Destiny''s Shop, Mo Hua was a regular and Manager Mo did not mind his presence, letting him be and then burying his head back into his work.


    After finishing his tea, Mo Hua asked, "Manager Mo, do you have a diagram of the Magma Array here?"


    Manager Mo looked up, annoyed, "This is a business specializing in arrays. What diagram don¡¯t we have?"


    Mo Hua skeptically responded, "Even second-grade diagrams?"


    Manager Mo banged the table irritably, "Don¡¯t be contentious like that, kid!" and then asked puzzledly, "What do you need a Magma Array diagram for?"


    "I saw such an array drawn on the stove at the Spirit Meal Tower and was curious, so I asked," Mo Hua thought for a moment and then added, "Manager Mo, is there anything special about drawing a Magma Array on a stove?"


    Manager Mo unenthusiastically explained, "It¡¯s just a Magma Array, there¡¯s nothing special about it. Some restaurants wanted to build stoves earlier this year, and they bought their diagrams from me. I have all their designs."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, "Can I take a look?"


    "No!" Manager Mo responded.


    "Just a glance!" pleaded Mo Hua.


    Manager Mo wanted to refuse again, but hesitated, then sighed and reluctantly pulled out a large diagram from a cabinet behind him, placing it on the desk.


    "You can only look at it here. In principle, these are confidential and shouldn¡¯t be shown to others."


    Mo Hua opened the diagram and saw a design of a stove covered in dense annotations including the materials used for the stove and the positions of


    matching array patterns, and even dimensions of the array, detailing how certain strokes should be altered.


    Mo Hua curiously asked, "Are these arrays different from regular ones, requiring notation of stroke methods and dimensions?"


    "Of course," explained Manager Mo, "The patterns of the array are standardized, but their specific applications vary. Some standard spiritual devices can be uniformly designed due to identical scales and dimensions, but custom-designed spiritual devices need to be adjusted based on their shape and structure."


    "I see¡­" nodded Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua carefully reviewed the diagram, trying to memorize the key points for reference.


    Manager Mo, seeing that Mo Hua had looked enough, took the diagram back.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Manager Mo, could I borrow a copy of the Magma Array diagram?"


    Anticipating Mo Hua''s request, Manager Mo took out a Magma Array diagram and said, "Normally, this diagram would cost ten spirit stones, but I won¡¯t charge you. Just make sure to return it to me without any damage."


    Mo Hua exclaimed, "Ten spirit stones? That''s expensive, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Of course, do you think it''s like those low-level arrays with only two or three patterns that are everywhere? The more patterns included, the stronger the array''s efficacy, naturally making the diagram more expensive."


    Manager Mo fanned himself and continued, "Some diagrams with ten patterns are even secret transmissions of certain sects and families. Not only would you not be able to buy them with spirit stones, but you wouldn¡¯t even be allowed to glance at them!"


    Mo Hua was amazed. Delving into arrays to a deeper level indeed posed significant challenges. Without proper inheritance, even if one wanted to learn arrays, it was difficult to know where to start. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua sincerely thanked Manager Mo as he took the Magma Array diagram.


    Manager Mo said dismissively, "It''s nothing, no need for thanks, don¡¯t be so formal." But his expression showed he was quite pleased.


    Before Mo Hua left, Manager Mo advised, "You can study it, but don¡¯t aim too high or be stubborn. Don''t immerse yourself too much. If your spiritual sense is overused, causing damage to your sea of consciousness, it can be a serious problem for an array master."


    After pausing, Manager Mo coughed and continued, "Pass this message to your brother as well¡­"


    Mo Hua smiled, bowed to Manager Mo, and then left Destiny''s Shop.


    After leaving, Mo Hua first went home to transcribe the stove diagram.


    There was a lot of information on the stove diagram, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t remember everything, only the key aspects, but this was enough.


    He didn¡¯t need to exactly replicate the Spirit Meal Tower''s stove design, especially since he didn¡¯t have enough spirit stones to craft it anyway.


    Mo Hua roughly memorized the diagram and then went out to a nearby artifact crafting shop.


    The artifact crafting shop was modest but spacious, with various spiritual devices and household items displayed on the walls and floor, including candlesticks, teapots, pots, hairpins, bracelets, and even swords and armor, albeit somewhat disorganized.


    The shop had an old sign hanging outside, "Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop," stained with black ash and worn from many years of use.


    This shop was recommended by Big Tiger and others as the oldest and best craftsmanship in the area.


    Master Chen, the artisan of Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop, had no children and spent his life forging and crafting artifacts. Although he never became a first-grade artisan, the spiritual devices he crafted were well-regarded, and many demon hunters sought him out for crafting armor and weapons.


    As Mo Hua entered, Master Chen was busy hammering with his apprentices, the sound of "clang, clang, clang" filling the air.

 Chapter 31: The Artificer

    Master Chen, a Qi cultivation practitioner of the eighth layer, was over a hundred years old. His hair was partially grey, and his physique was robust. His face, perpetually smoked by the furnace flames, was darkened, yet his spirit was lively and his voice robust.Master Chen was overseeing several disciples forging iron. Perhaps due to some mistakes made by the disciples, he glared at them and scolded loudly. The sturdy disciples obediently endured the scolding, not daring to raise their heads.


    After a thorough scolding, Master Chen himself demonstrated with a large hammer, swinging it vigorously. The red-hot refined iron sparked as it gradually took the shape of a blade under his hammering.


    Once he finished, Master Chen merely wiped off his sweat, his breathing even, seemingly having exerted little effort.


    Mo Hua, naturally frail, watched enviously, wishing he too could possess such strength someday...


    "Watch closely, this is how you forge iron. What was that earlier? Weak and listless, even a young lady''s embroidery has more spirit than that!"


    Master Chen scolded the disciples again, then turned to see a child with rosy lips and bright eyes, looking at him with a face full of envy.


    Hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Little one, do you also want to learn artifice?" S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Life as an independent cultivator is tough, and once outside a sect, one must fend for oneself. Some learn practical skills on their own if they can''t learn much within their sect.


    It was common for cultivators to send their children to Master Chen to learn artifice, enabling them to be self-sufficient in the future.


    Master Chen usually charged a few spirit stones, or accepted spirit grains as tuition if they had no stones.


    Mo Hua looked at the tall, muscular disciples, then at his own skinny arms and legs, and helplessly shook his head, then directly asked:


    "Master, do you also make stoves here?"


    "A stove?" Master Chen looked at Mo Hua. "What does a child like you need a stove for?"


    "I''m asking for my mother."


    "Of course, I can craft stoves, but making one requires a lot of refined iron, which would not be a small amount when converted into spirit stones."


    "What if it were smaller? Would it be cheaper then?"


    "Indeed, a smaller stove would require less refined iron and labor, making it cheaper. However, in Tongxian City, it''s rare for anyone to make small stoves since the arrays need to be individually designed and inscribed, which also costs a considerable number of spirit stones."


    "How much would the smallest stove cost in spirit stones?"


    Master Chen, not one to dismiss a child''s query, seriously took out a piece of paper, listed the prices of various materials, and then calculated the cost for stoves of different sizes and scales.


    Handing the paper to Mo Hua, he added:


    "Of course, that''s just the cost of materials. We artificers must also charge for labor by the day, based on how many days it takes to make the stove."


    "Oh," Mo Hua noted everything down, then said his goodbyes:


    "I''ve written it down. I''ll discuss with my parents how big a stove we should make and then come back to you."


    Master Chen nodded, waving his hand, "Go on home, little one, and be careful on the road!"


    He didn''t really take Mo Hua''s words to heart; many cultivators inquire about prices only to never follow up.


    Especially since it was just a child asking about crafting a stove¡ªa labor-intensive spiritual artifact¡ªit was unlikely there would be any follow-up.


    Back home, Mo Hua consulted the price list given by Master Chen and chose a stove that was the right size and within his budget. Just the material costs were about one hundred and fifty spirit stones.


    There was also the cost of labor, which was still to be negotiated.


    Mo Hua didn''t know how long Master Chen would take to make the stove. However, it would probably take at least ten to fifteen days, which would mean an additional fifty to seventy-five spirit stones.


    That was slightly over Mo Hua''s budget; he might have to ask his parents for some spirit stones or borrow some.


    Next, the most crucial part was the array.


    Mo Hua spread out the Magma Array diagram on the table and began to study it carefully.


    The Magma Array diagram included five fire-related array patterns, with most strokes located at the fire positions. Just looking at the complex array patterns, they were significantly more complicated than the Gold Stone Array and Earth Solidification Array.


    Mo Hua sighed softly, put aside all distractions, and focused on noting down the array patterns and the order of strokes.


    Mo Hua was absorbed in his studies, and before he knew it, it had gotten dark.


    Even during dinner, Mo Hua was still thinking about the patterns of the


    Magma Array; he chewed a few bites of steamed bun absent-mindedly, holding the bun and daydreaming.


    Liu Ruhua watched him, both amused and annoyed, pinching his cheek, "You need to eat properly. Think about things after you''ve eaten."


    Mo Hua snapped back to reality, chuckled, then focused on his meal, and after eating, he ran back to his room.


    Mo Hua had almost memorized the Magma Array''s patterns, then spent another hour practicing with ink that contained no spiritual energy on rough paper. Later, at midnight, he entered the Sea of Consciousness and began practicing the array on a stone stele.


    Although the array patterns were complex, their basic construction logic was no different from other arrays, and memorizing them wasn''t difficult. The challenge was likely the spiritual sense.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual sense might not be strong enough to produce a complete Magma Array diagram.


    Mo Hua began to draw the Magma Array on the damaged stele.


    The first three patterns went smoothly, but by the fourth, he clearly struggled, his spiritual sense becoming sluggish, feeling increasingly parched.


    Mo Hua''s brow furrowed slightly.


    When he completed the fourth pattern, pains shot through his Sea of Consciousness, as if a riverbed drying at low tide was starting to crack.


    Mo Hua quickly stopped, erased the patterns on the stele, and the pain in his spiritual sense eased.


    He collapsed on the quasi-physical ground of his Sea of Consciousness, breathing heavily.


    "That''s it, my spiritual sense is significantly lacking..."


    Mo Hua''s spiritual sense was only sufficient to draw four patterns; after the fourth, he had no strength left to draw the fifth.


    It seemed just one pattern short, but without a way to quickly enhance his spiritual sense, this single pattern could be a lengthy hurdle.


    "What to do?"


    Mo Hua pondered internally.


    There''s no shortcut to growing spiritual sense, a fact widely acknowledged in the cultivation world.


    At least for Qi cultivation practitioners in Tongxian City, this was commonly accepted.


    Mo Hua had consulted Yan Jiaoxi, who had said that growth in spiritual sense mainly depended on the increase in cultivation level. The higher the cultivation realm, the stronger the spiritual sense naturally becomes.


    Another way was to strengthen the spiritual sense through its frequent use. Array masters, who often need to engage their spiritual sense to draw arrays, naturally have a stronger spiritual sense than average cultivators.


    Mo Hua had also asked if there were any specific techniques to cultivate spiritual sense, and Yan Jiaoxi had bluntly stated there were none.


    Whether in ancient texts or records of various family techniques, there were no safe and reliable methods to cultivate spiritual sense. Some methods that did exist were often demonic or heretical, and practitioners were at high risk of deviating from their path, becoming demon cultivators to be universally shunned and eliminated.


    Whether truly none existed or they were secretly kept by powerful families was unknown.


    But even if there were such methods, Mo Hua was unlikely to obtain them, and even if he did, he wouldn''t dare to risk deviating from the path to practice them.


    Currently at the third level of Qi cultivation, Mo Hua couldn''t quickly break through to the fourth level, so enhancing his spiritual sense through cultivation growth was not feasible.


    The only method before him was:


    To keep drawing arrays.


    The method without shortcuts was, perhaps, the best shortcut.

 Chapter 32: Eating Out

    Utilizing the Dao Stele within the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua continuously honed his array techniques, thereby enhancing his Spiritual Sense.This method, although cumbersome, was the only approach Mo Hua could rely on at the moment.


    "Thankfully, the Dao Stele is within the Sea of Consciousness, otherwise, using such a clumsy method would be impossible," Mo Hua thought gratefully. Practicing array formations in reality drained the Spiritual Sense significantly and recovery was excruciatingly slow. To strengthen his Spiritual Sense by this method would demand much more time and energy.


    Resigned to his fate, Mo Hua settled down to practice the Magma Array on the Dao Stele without any distractions.


    As long as he kept practicing, he was bound to master it one day.


    Mo Hua initially managed to draw the first four Array patterns before his Spiritual Sense was nearly depleted, at which point he would erase them.


    After resting briefly, he would continue drawing and then erasing again.


    This cycle continued until he felt a slight reserve in his Spiritual Sense, allowing him to add an extra stroke after completing the four patterns.


    The entire night passed, and Mo Hua had managed only to add two more strokes, but these at least confirmed that his Spiritual Sense was indeed growing.


    Waking up the next day, Mo Hua headed to the market to buy some ink needed for the Magma Array.


    The ink, made from the blood of fire-attribute demonic beasts mixed with various herbs, wasn¡¯t particularly expensive. Mo Hua bought over ten portions at once.


    Because Array Masters were rare and few cultivators knew how to draw arrays, not many were purchasing this ink. The shopkeeper, encountering such a major customer in Mo Hua, even gifted him a few extra portions.


    Once home, Mo Hua began to practice drawing the Magma Array with the ink.


    Since the ink was purchased with Spirit Stones, Mo Hua drew with exceptional care, every stroke meticulous.


    However, limited by his Spiritual Sense, Mo Hua could still only manage two extra strokes beyond the four basic patterns, unable to complete the full five patterns of the Magma Array.


    After drawing, he would need to rest for an hour to recover his Spiritual Sense before he could continue.


    This efficiency was much lower compared to drawing on the Dao Stele in the Sea of Consciousness. It also consumed ink and spiritual paper, meaning he was spending Spirit Stones. However, in order to learn the Magma Array sooner, Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind the cost.


    Night after night, he practiced the array, and after half a month, he could add about ten more strokes, roughly half a pattern.


    At this rate, he estimated it would take another half-month for his Spiritual Sense to be sufficient to draw a complete Magma Array with five patterns.


    Mo Hua silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    Considering that the crafting of the stove also required time, some preparations needed to be made sooner.


    During the day, Mo Hua would stroll through the streets, and in the evening, he would return home to dine with his parents.


    Under the flickering candlelight, the table was laid with fragrant rice porridge, soft white steamed buns, two dishes of fresh vegetables, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.


    For an ordinary independent cultivator¡¯s family, this was quite a feast, as meat was rarely affordable.


    Liu Ruhua was skilled in cooking; the meal was simple but delicious, and Mo Hua enjoyed it immensely.


    Though Liu Ruhua cooked the meal, it was Mo Shan who provided the fire with his spiritual power.


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s expression was usual, but there was often a hint of loss in her eyes, and she occasionally appeared distracted.


    After swiftly consuming a steamed bun, Mo Hua cheekily asked, ¡°Mom, have you thought about opening a Spirit Meal Tower?¡±


    Caught off-guard while sipping her porridge, Liu Ruhua paused, then smiled, ¡°Why do you suddenly ask this?¡±


    ¡°You cook so well, opening a Spirit Meal Tower would surely earn a lot of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Starting a Spirit Meal Tower requires capital, you know. Where would independent cultivators like us get the Spirit Stones to open one?¡± Liu Ruhua replied with a chuckle, then playfully tapped Mo Hua¡¯s nose, ¡°Maybe we can consider it when you¡¯re grown up, have a high cultivation level, and can earn lots of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°We could start with a small one,¡± Mo Hua quietly suggested.


    ¡°What small one?¡± Liu Ruhua was puzzled.


    ¡°A small eatery,¡± explained Mo Hua. ¡°I walked around the market today and noticed many such places selling drinks, dishes, snacks, noodles, etc., and they all seemed quite profitable.¡±


    Liu Ruhua hesitated, her expression falling slightly.


    Mo Shan added softly, ¡°Child, your mother... she can¡¯t use spiritual power.¡±


    Unable to use spiritual power meant


    she couldn¡¯t provide the fire needed for a cultivator¡¯s meals.


    Even if she could use spiritual power, running an eatery with customers coming and going, requiring the preparation of many dishes, was not something a Qi-cultivation stage cultivator could sustain.


    Mo Hua raised an eyebrow, pride in his tone, ¡°We¡¯ll build a stove.¡±


    ¡°A stove?¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua looked at each other in disbelief.


    Mo Hua pulled out a large blueprint from his storage bag.


    ¡°This is the design for the stove. I¡¯ve asked Master Chen from Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop about the materials, dimensions, and the Spirit Stones needed; I¡¯ll figure out the array. Once the stove is crafted, it won¡¯t need cultivators to power it with spiritual energy. Just insert Spirit Stones, and it will continuously provide fire, making it much easier to cook and stew ingredients.¡±


    Mo Shan and his wife were stunned that their son had already prepared blueprints, both momentarily speechless.


    ¡°Crafting a stove requires a lot of Spirit Stones, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make a small one first. I¡¯ve asked Master Chen, and it doesn¡¯t need too many Spirit Stones. A small eatery will be fine with a smaller stove.¡±


    ¡°What about the array?¡± Liu Ruhua inquired.


    Mo Hua feigned nonchalance, though his expression betrayed a hint of pride, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the drawing. I¡¯ve already secured the array diagrams from Manager Mo; the arrays aren¡¯t too complex¡­¡±


    Despite his nights spent tirelessly practicing without fully mastering the Magma Array, Mo Hua felt a slight twinge of guilt at his boast.


    Liu Ruhua looked at him skeptically, ¡°Really not difficult?¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t mastered it yet, just give me a few more days, and it¡¯ll be no problem.¡±


    A Five-Pattern Array wasn¡¯t easy to learn, after all.


    Liu Ruhua nodded, considering Mo Hua¡¯s youth and his relatively short time learning array techniques. If he could learn it, it probably wasn¡¯t too complicated.


    But she pondered a moment and then shook her head, ¡°Opening a shop isn¡¯t so simple. Even a small eatery requires renting a place, hiring help, and managing many things. It also costs a lot of Spirit Stones. If we can¡¯t make ends meet, it¡¯ll be even harder for our family to get by. Right now, the most important thing is to save Spirit Stones for your cultivation¡­¡±


    Mo Shan, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, ¡°We¡¯ll open this eatery. I¡¯ll figure out the storefront and staffing; you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Mo Shan then pulled out a storage bag and handed it to Mo Hua, ¡°This contains over a hundred Spirit Stones, which I¡¯ve earned from hunting demonic beasts in recent months. I know you¡¯ve been earning Spirit Stones by drawing arrays for others, but let¡¯s use these for the stove first¡­¡±


    Mo Hua started to refuse, but Mo Shan pushed the storage bag into his hands.


    Holding the bag, Mo Hua felt the weight of the Spirit Stones earned through his father¡¯s life-and-death struggles with demonic beasts, making them seem heavier than ordinary stones.


    With Mo Shan¡¯s agreement, the decision to open the eatery was nearly finalized. After dinner, Mo Hua returned to his room to continue practicing the Magma Array.


    Liu Ruhua still looked worried.


    Mo Shan reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. It¡¯s just a small business. Even if we lose money, it won¡¯t be much.¡±


    Liu Ruhua sighed, ¡°Mo Hua is talented and smart. In the future, he¡¯ll need a lot of Spirit Stones for cultivation, to learn techniques and Dao methods, and to become an Array Master. If we use up all our Spirit Stones now, what will he do when he needs them for cultivation?¡±


    Mo Shan spoke gently, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate our son. He¡¯s already helping merchants with their arrays, even though they¡¯re simple ones. Maybe in a decade or two, after refining his skills, he really could become an Array Master.¡±


    Mo Shan smiled, ¡°By then, we might be relying on our son to support us.¡±


    Liu Ruhua smiled back, but her concerns lingered.


    Mo Shan took her hand, ¡°Then let¡¯s make the eatery successful, save up more Spirit Stones, and later think about finding Mo Hua a wife and seeing him start a family.¡±


    Liu Ruhua considered his words, a smile appearing on her face, though she was still not entirely reassured, ¡°But what if¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if something happens, I¡¯m here. No matter how tough life gets, there¡¯s always a way. We¡¯ll just have to work harder, hunt a few more demonic beasts.¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s tone was gentle yet firm.


    Liu Ruhua said no more, silently leaning into Mo Shan¡¯s embrace.

 Chapter 33: Crafting

    The following day, Mo Hua did not practice the Magma Array but instead took some spirit stones to Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop to find Master Chen.Master Chen was surprised to see Mo Hua, and even more so when he heard that Mo Hua truly intended to craft a stove.


    "Are you really planning to craft a stove?"


    "Of course, but just a small one, about four feet high. It doesn''t need to be made from expensive materials, just sturdy and durable."


    Master Chen nodded, "That''s just right, if it were a larger stove, I might not have enough hands on deck. Since it''s for personal use and you''re from the neighborhood, I''ll pick some affordable and durable materials for you, ensuring they are cost-effective yet long-lasting."


    "Thank you, Master Chen!"


    "However," Master Chen looked at Mo Hua and peered behind him, puzzled:


    "Where are your parents? Crafting a stove isn''t a minor matter; it usually requires an adult to discuss it."


    Mo Hua patted his chest, "My father has left it to me, just talk to me if there''s anything, Master Chen."


    Master Chen looked at the youngster, Mo Hua, and nodded, "Indeed, the children of the poor have to shoulder responsibilities early."


    After frowning and hesitating for a moment, he still said:


    "Did you bring the deposit? The materials for the stove cost one hundred and fifty spirit stones, with the crafting taking twenty days at five spirit stones per day, and a crafting fee of one hundred spirit stones. The deposit covers the material costs and must be paid first, amounting to one hundred and fifty spirit stones, while the crafting fee can be settled after completion."


    "Yes, I brought it."


    Mo Hua took out a heavy storage bag from his chest, opened the bag, and inside were sparkling, translucent spirit stones.


    Such an amount of spirit stones would be considered a fortune in a common independent cultivator''s family, and here the child was, carrying it in his chest¡­


    Master Chen took the storage bag with a complex expression, counted exactly one hundred and fifty spirit stones, and then took out a spirit contract, detailing the materials, costs, and delivery date for crafting the stove.


    The spirit contract is a recognized proof of agreement in the cultivation world, specially made and difficult to destroy or forge, serving as a record for transactions involving spirit stones among cultivators. In case of disputes, one could seek arbitration from an authoritative cultivator or request mediation from the Dao Court.


    Two copies of the spirit contract were made, with Master Chen signing one, and then handing it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua also signed his name, and each kept a copy as proof of the crafting transaction.


    Master Chen initially wanted Mo Hua to sign using his father''s name, but thinking better of it, he decided that since his parents had entrusted him, it was the same if he signed.


    Under the heavens, all beings are equal, regardless of cultivation level or age; once the spirit contract is signed, it is binding.


    "Mo Hua¡­"


    Master Chen saw the dignified and handsome handwriting on the spirit contract and realized that the child''s name was "Mo Hua." Looking again at his features¡ªred lips, white teeth, and brows like paintings¡ªhe found the name quite fitting.


    After securing a not insignificant business deal, which would take care of half a month''s livelihood, Master Chen grew increasingly fond of Mo Hua.


    "Young brother, the spirit contract is signed, and we''ll start crafting tomorrow. I''ll make sure to hurry and get it done for you. If you have time, you could also come over to check on the progress or learn about crafting. Normally, I don''t let those who aren''t apprentices in the shop watch."


    "Sure, thank you, Master Chen!"


    Mo Hua was quite interested in crafting. Although he might never craft a spiritual artifact in his lifetime, learning about crafting was beneficial, and this practical crafting skill was not taught in his sect.


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued to practice the Magma Array as usual. Whenever he had spare time, he would go to the crafting shop to check on the progress of the stove and inquire about crafting knowledge.


    Master Chen did not withhold information, answering all inquiries. After a few days of interaction, he was amazed at Mo Hua''s aptitude for learning yet lamented his poor physical constitution for crafting. He had seen weak-bodied children before, but rarely one who couldn''t even swing the crafting hammer.


    Otherwise, Master Chen would have truly liked to take Mo Hua as his apprentice.


    Mo Hua spent several days in the crafting shop, partly to learn the basics of crafting and partly to adjust the flow and measurements of the Magma Array. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    While the array was usually drawn on paper, allowing for practice without consequence, now it needed to be drawn on the stove, and Mo Hua couldn''t just ask Master Chen to craft another


    if a mistake was made...


    Thus, Mo Hua needed to be very familiar with the structure of the stove, frequently visiting the crafting shop to monitor progress.


    One morning, after finishing porridge personally cooked by his mother, Mo Hua practiced the array for a bit and, before the day grew too hot, slowly made his way to Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop.


    Upon arrival, he found the usually bustling shop unusually quiet today, without the loud calls or the "clang" of iron being struck.


    Mo Hua walked to the backyard and saw Master Chen and a few apprentices cleaning up, the crafting furnace was unlit, and the lid was open with some cleaned ashes on the ground.


    "Master Chen, what happened?"


    Seeing Mo Hua, Master Chen apologized, "Young brother, I''m sorry, the crafting furnace is broken, and the stove you ordered might be delayed."


    "The crafting furnace is broken?"


    Master Chen also looked dejected, "This furnace is quite old, and it had some minor issues before that were manageable with repairs, but today it just wouldn''t light, alas..."


    "Can''t it be fixed?" Mo Hua asked.


    Master Chen shook his head, "Before, it was just external parts that I could repair, but now it seems to be an issue with the internal array, and that''s beyond repair. We''ll need to consult other masters from the crafting pavilion, and if we need an array master to repair the array, it will cost quite a few spirit stones..."


    "Array?" Mo Hua perked up, "May I have a look?"


    Master Chen paused, "Look at what?"


    "The array."


    "Why do you want to see the array?" Master Chen was puzzled, "Do you understand arrays?"


    Mo Hua replied, "I''ve studied some arrays with a master in my sect, and maybe I can help, at least to see if the problem is indeed with the array."


    Half in doubt, Master Chen thought since the furnace was already broken, looking at it wouldn''t cause any harm, so he said, "Alright, I''ll have them completely disassemble the crafting furnace for you to examine the array inside."


    After speaking, he and the apprentices started to dismantle the crafting furnace piece by piece.


    The furnace was as tall as two men and made of various types of refined iron, making it very heavy. However, the apprentices, endowed with strong physiques and decent cultivation, managed to cooperate and handle it without much difficulty.


    Mo Hua knew his limitations well and didn''t even think of helping physically.


    Once the crafting furnace was dismantled, the dense array of dark red array patterns inside became visible, some obscured by black ash, but still discernible. The patterns inside were indeed a complete fire array.


    It was the very Magma Array that Mo Hua had been practicing every day but had not yet managed to complete...

 Chapter 34: Array Crafting

    "It''s actually a Magma Array¡­" Mo Hua remarked."Indeed," Master Chen nodded, recognizing Mo Hua''s swift identification of the array and feeling somewhat affirmed, his tone became more solemn: "Young Brother Mo, take a look, is there something wrong with this array? I¡¯m completely clueless about it and can¡¯t see any issues."


    Master Chen had someone wipe the soot off the crafting furnace, and Mo Hua leaned over the furnace mouth, scrutinizing the Magma Array patterns on the furnace walls. Although he couldn''t yet draw it perfectly, his night and day practice had made him very familiar with the drawing of array patterns, and soon he pointed out a few areas to Master Chen, saying: "The problem is indeed with the array; these array patterns have worn out, preventing spiritual power from transmitting, thus rendering the array ineffective."


    Seeing Mo Hua speak so logically, Master Chen couldn''t help but look at him with new respect, then furrowed his brow: "Then we¡¯ll have to ask an array master for help. Alas, business hasn¡¯t been great, and I don''t know how many spirit stones this will cost..."


    Mo Hua asked, "Is it expensive to have an array master repair the array?"


    "Naturally," Master Chen replied, "Array masters are rare, and this type of specialized repair work requires extra spirit stones, otherwise others might not be willing to come."


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then suggested, "How about I give it a try?"


    "You?" Master Chen was astonished. "Are you already an array master?"


    Mo Hua modestly waved his hand, "Not quite, I¡¯ve just studied array crafting with the masters in the sect, and I have studied this particular array before."


    Looking at the youthful and slightly naive face of Mo Hua, Master Chen gently declined: "Let¡¯s not trouble you, you''re just a kid, don''t overexert yourself."


    Knowing Master Chen still had concerns, Mo Hua quickly added, "Master Chen, the ones you ask for help aren''t necessarily real array masters, right?"


    "That''s... true," Master Chen admitted, "Some are merely apprentices, not quite array masters yet. But when asking for help, naturally, we¡¯d speak well of them; regardless of their real status, calling them ¡®array masters¡¯ is favorable. They¡¯re pleased to hear it, and it makes things go smoother. We don¡¯t know much else, we just need the array fixed."


    "Then every time, were they able to fix it?"


    Master Chen thought for a moment, "A few times, it went smoothly and was quickly fixed, but sometimes they would patch it up half a day, and it still wouldn¡¯t work, and we had to change the person to finally get it fixed."


    "That¡¯s exactly it, those who come are mostly apprentices, and even if their skills are higher than mine, they aren¡¯t that much higher," Mo Hua confidently said.


    Of course, the skills of a proper apprentice should be higher than Mo Hua¡¯s, but indeed, some apprentices'' skills might not surpass his.


    Mo Hua continued, "If they repair and it¡¯s still a repair, I might as well try, and if it doesn¡¯t work, you can still ask them to come."


    This logic seemed to make sense...


    Master Chen was somewhat persuaded, but still hesitated. Seeing this, Mo Hua added, "Even if you ask for an array master, they can¡¯t come immediately; they have to be available. Delaying even one day means the crafting shop loses one day''s income, and if it drags on, the expenses will exceed the income."


    The business of the crafting shop was fair, but the profits weren''t high, and Master Chen didn''t want to skimp on quality, earning only hard-earned money. Moreover, he had to provide for several apprentices; a prolonged downtime really wasn¡¯t easy to manage.


    Master Chen felt a headache coming on, finally gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, young brother, give it a try."


    He then cautiously instructed, "But just try, don¡¯t force it, and don¡¯t ruin the array..."


    Mo Hua assured him, "Don¡¯t worry, at worst, it just won¡¯t improve."


    Master Chen felt somewhat reassured, yet not entirely.


    Mo Hua asked Master Chen to wait a moment, went home to fetch his pen and Fire Elemental ink, and also brought the Magma Array diagram. At the crafting shop, he first showed the diagram to Master Chen.


    Seeing that the diagram and the array on the crafting furnace were indeed similar, Master Chen felt somewhat relieved, at least it wasn¡¯t completely unreliable.


    This was the first time Mo Hua was drawing an array on a spiritual tool, and he was somewhat nervous, but fortunately, having practiced the Magma Array many times before, his mindset calmed once he started drawing.


    Repairing an array was different from drawing a new


    one; it didn''t require much spiritual sense since the array itself was already complete. He only needed to reconnect the damaged parts of the array patterns with ink.


    What tested the array master was his eyesight, meticulousness, and familiarity with the array.


    Mo Hua leaned over the stove, completely focused on his drawing.


    In less than half an hour, Mo Hua had finished repairing the array, and then spent another tea time checking it over. Once he was sure there were no issues, he finally relaxed.


    Master Chen watched nervously by the side, afraid that Mo Hua might have damaged the array. Seeing that Mo Hua was done, he anxiously asked, "Is it... fixed now?"


    Mo Hua, with clothes dirtied and several streaks of soot on his face, uncertainly said, "It should be fixed, shall we light it to test?"


    Master Chen''s expression was complicated, but he still joined a few apprentices in sealing the array again, setting up the crafting furnace, and then embedding the spirit stones to activate the spiritual power and light the fire.


    However, the fire didn¡¯t ignite.


    Mo Hua was startled, touched his chin, his already dirty face now even dirtier, "Why isn¡¯t it igniting? The array should have been repaired."


    Master Chen asked, "Young brother, are you sure there¡¯s no problem with the array?"


    Mo Hua pulled out the Magma Array diagram, carefully compared it again, then nodded, "The array is fine."


    Master Chen felt the crafting furnace, sensed the temperature, and told the apprentices, "The spiritual power isn¡¯t sufficient, put in a few more spirit stones, and throw in a branding iron."


    The disciples did as instructed, and indeed, the temperature of the crafting furnace gradually rose.


    Soon, a fire "whooshed" out.


    Master Chen was overjoyed, "It''s fixed!"


    The apprentices also cheered. The crafting furnace was operational, they had work to do, and could continue learning from their master, hence they looked at Mo Hua with admiration. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was also pleased, "Let¡¯s try crafting a spiritual tool to see if there are any issues."


    Master Chen casually threw a knife into the furnace, crafted for a while, and then slightly regretfully said, "Using it, there¡¯s no big problem, but the firepower is a bit less than before, crafting might take a bit longer."


    Mo Hua was puzzled, "The same array, why would the firepower be less? Could it be that the effectiveness of the array decreases after repair?"


    Master Chen shook his head, "It¡¯s been repaired a few times before, but the firepower didn¡¯t decrease much."


    "Then why is that?"


    Mo Hua frowned, wondering if there was something not quite right in how the array was drawn.


    Master Chen pondered for a moment, then pointed at the inkwell on Mo Hua¡¯s desk, "Maybe it¡¯s the ink? The ink used by those who came to repair before was clearly much darker, a bright red, looking like it was burning."


    Mo Hua realized, he had bought the cheapest Fire Elemental ink available to save money, which was fine for practicing arrays, but when actually drawn on a spiritual tool, the effect was certainly inferior.


    "For the array''s effect to be good, higher grade spiritual ink is needed."


    Mo Hua silently noted this, then somewhat embarrassedly said, "Then it must be the ink issue. I bought the cheap stuff, the stimulation of spiritual power might not be very good."


    Master Chen said, "Why mention that, the firepower is a little less, but it¡¯s still usable, after all, old man me still has to thank you."


    Master Chen thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "That stove you wanted, the crafting fee need not be given, I¡¯ll help you craft the stove for free. Of course, I can¡¯t refund the material cost, after all, I still need to feed a whole bunch of lads."


    Mo Hua looked around the spacious but simple crafting shop, then at the dusky Master Chen and the apprentices covered in sweat and soot, knowing they earned their spirit stones with difficulty, he said, "Master Chen, just give me a fifty percent discount on the crafting fee."


    Master Chen shook his head, "That won¡¯t do, even this is me taking advantage, asking someone else to repair this array would cost at least a hundred or two hundred spirit stones."


    "It doesn¡¯t need to be that much."


    Master Chen stubbornly said, "We cultivators speak of honesty, a spit and a nail, how can we lightly retract what¡¯s been said? Since I said I won¡¯t take your spirit stones, then certainly I can¡¯t take them!"


    Such integrity...


    Mo Hua had no choice, thought for a moment, then smilingly said, "Then how about this, I won¡¯t give the crafting fee, after the stove is crafted, I¡¯ll give some spirit stones, as


    a tip for you and the others'' hard work."


    "That..."


    Master Chen was momentarily confused, crafting fee and hard work fee seemed the same, but felt a bit different.


    "It¡¯s like giving a tip to a friend who helps out." Mo Hua added.


    "Well... alright."


    Master Chen felt this made sense.


    The apprentices also looked at Mo Hua gratefully.


    Their families were not wealthy, and being apprentices and doing chores allowed them to earn a little to supplement their family income. If they couldn¡¯t earn spirit stones, their already difficult lives would be a bit harder.


    But earning spirit stones, even just a few more, made life a bit easier.


    "Then it¡¯s settled! It¡¯s getting late, I need to go home for dinner!"


    Mo Hua waved goodbye.


    Master Chen cautioned Mo Hua to be careful on the road, then added, "If you want to craft tools in the future, just come to me, I¡¯ll give you a discount!"

 Chapter 35: Fully Prepared

    Since Mo Hua began studying the Magma Array, sixteen days have passed.On this day, Mo Hua got up early. The morning sunlight bathed the table in a fresh and bright light, devoid of the oppressive heat of midday.


    Mo Hua laid out paper on the table and adjusted the red ink before he began to draw the Magma Array.


    This had been Mo Hua¡¯s daily routine for over ten days.


    But today was different; Mo Hua was set to draw a complete Magma Array for the first time.


    The previous night, in his sea of consciousness, Mo Hua was able to draw the Magma Array on the remnants of a stele, indicating his spiritual sense was now strong enough to support drawing five array patterns.


    After repeated practice and a repair session on the artifact crafting furnace at Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop, Mo Hua had mastered the array patterns.


    Mo Hua drew carefully and cautiously. An hour later, as he felt a prickling sensation in his spiritual sense growing towards exhaustion, he completed the final stroke of the Magma Array.


    Mo Hua infused a bit of spiritual power into it. The spiritual power slowly flowed along the red array patterns, starting from the first stroke of the first pattern, gradually moving to the last stroke of the fifth pattern, seamlessly connecting the whole array without any obstructions.


    It was a success!


    Mo Hua exhaled deeply, feeling the fulfillment of gradual progress reaching fruition.


    "A five-pattern array!"


    At the third level of Qi-cultivation, he was able to draw an array with five patterns.


    Mo Hua knew that a normal third-level Qi-cultivator could at most draw three patterns. Disciples from large families and sects, with higher talents and better legacies, might perform better in the same realm, but not by much.


    With a nod, Mo Hua acknowledged this.


    Moreover, the more he drew, the stronger his spiritual sense would become, making it easier to learn arrays and eventually become a first-rank Array Master.


    Even if he were just an ordinary Array Master, not officially certified, he would earn a considerable amount of spirit stones, easing his parents'' hardships.


    Thinking this, Mo Hua couldn''t help but feel happy.


    Then, the fatigue from practicing the array over the past few days hit him, and he fell asleep on his bed.


    Liu Ruhua entered the room carrying freshly washed wild fruits. Seeing the freshly drawn array on the table and Mo Hua sleeping soundly on the bed, she tidied up the table. She then covered Mo Hua''s belly with a fur blanket and watched him for a long time.


    Seeing Mo Hua sleeping sweetly, dreaming of unknown delights as saliva glistened at the corner of his mouth, Liu Ruhua couldn''t help but laugh. She wiped his mouth with her sleeve before leaving the room.


    A few days later, Da Zhu came to inform Mo Hua that the furnace had been completed.


    Da Zhu, Master Chen''s eldest disciple, was tall and robust, with a simple and honest smile.


    Following Da Zhu to Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop, Mo Hua saw a man-height furnace, its design ancient yet robust, with three legs and a rounded belly, the lid open, waiting for an array to be drawn inside before sealing.


    "The furnace is forged, young brother, take a look, are you satisfied?"


    Mo Hua circled the furnace, inspecting it from all angles and touching it to feel its solid craftsmanship, indicative of high-quality materials and meticulous attention to detail.


    "Not bad at all, Master Chen! This is the best spiritual tool I''ve seen," Mo Hua said, although he hadn''t seen many spiritual tools.


    Master Chen stroked his beard, "Of course, young brother, you asked for the best, and I provided."


    "Thank you, Master Chen!" Mo Hua was pleased and took out a storage bag, "Here are sixty spirit stones as your fee."


    The job had taken about twenty days, warranting a payment of over a hundred spirit stones, but Mo Hua had offered half that amount, plus a little extra.


    Master Chen initially wanted to refuse, considering his shop had been struggling for months and his disciples were often hungry. Still, he accepted the payment and said to Mo Hua:


    "Next time you need artifact crafting, come to me, and I''ll give you the lowest price in Tongxian City."


    "Thank you, Master Chen!" Mo Hua responded enthusiastically.


    "But," Master Chen hesitated, "the furnace still needs an array drawn on it to function. Who will do that?"


    "I''ll draw it myself!" Mo Hua patted his chest confidently.


    Master Chen was surprised, yet not completely. The array on the artifact furnace had been repaired by Mo Hua, and since the furnace, pill furnace, and stove shared similar processes and core arrays, it wasn''t strange for Mo Hua to attempt it himself.


    However, Master Chen


    kindly advised, "Repairing an array and drawing one are different tasks. Drawing an array consumes more spiritual sense, and with your current cultivation level, your spiritual sense might not be sufficient. Don''t force yourself to draw the array and risk harming your sea of consciousness."


    "Don''t worry," Mo Hua replied, "I know what I''m doing."


    Master Chen didn''t press further. He wasn''t more knowledgeable than the young cultivator before him when it came to arrays.


    Mo Hua, with his short stature, then dismantled the prepared furnace and laid it out on the ground, ready to draw the array.


    Da Zhu and the other disciples stood by, watching with curiosity as Mo Hua began to draw the array on the furnace''s inner wall. They didn''t understand the array, but they were mesmerized by the mysterious patterns flowing from Mo Hua''s brush, even though he was much younger than them.


    Mo Hua first dipped his brush in water to familiarize himself with it and get a feel for drawing on the artifact. He also anticipated the challenges he might face when actually drawing the array.


    He believed in the importance of preparation; being ready for anything could significantly increase the success rate of the array.


    After preparing, Mo Hua laid out the Magma Array diagram for reference and took out his brush and a small bottle of ink.


    The ink was a bright red color, thick and said to be made from the blood of fire-type demonic beasts. While it was only of medium quality, it was the best ink Mo Hua could afford within his budget, costing ten spirit stones per bottle. It was enough to draw two Magma Arrays, so he had to make sure he got it right to avoid wasting it.


    Mo Hua focused his mind and began to draw the array. The innocent and tender expression on his face gradually became serious. His black-and-white eyes shone brightly, as if containing starlight.


    Master Chen and the disciples watched in silence, not daring to disturb him, their expressions more nervous than Mo Hua''s. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, with his delicate hand, moved the brush with agility, guiding it along the furnace''s inner wall to create lively array patterns, with a rhythm that was both swift and steady, demonstrating impeccable technique.


    Though they couldn''t understand the array or the patterns, they were captivated by the mesmerizing flow of the patterns from Mo Hua''s brush.


    After what seemed like an eternity, Mo Hua finally stopped, exhaling deeply.


    Seeing this, the others inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.


    Master Chen hesitated, whispering, "Young brother, did you...succeed in drawing the array?"


    A bright smile lit up Mo Hua''s serious face once more.


    "Yes, I did!

 Chapter 36: The Stove

    As they observed Mo Hua¡¯s smile, Master Chen and the others also began to share in the joy.Master Chen couldn''t help but praise, "Young man, you¡¯re truly remarkable. I¡¯ve lived most of my life, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a young cultivator capable of designing array patterns."


    Mo Hua, somewhat embarrassed by the compliment, shyly responded, "Master Chen, let''s first see if the stove with the array pattern on it works."


    Master Chen called out, and with the help of several sturdy apprentices, they reassembled the stove and tossed a few spirit stones into it. Soon after, flames sprouted inside the stove.


    Master Chen nodded and said, "No problem, it¡¯s just a bit smaller in size, but this stove is no different from those expensively forged ones at the Spirit Meal Tower, even the flames are fiercer."


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, and then Master Chen and Da Zhu¡¯s disciples transported the stove to Mo Hua¡¯s house.


    After discussing with his parents, Mo Hua decided to open the eatery at his own home.


    It was more convenient, and the nearby market spaces were too expensive. Originally a small-scale business, renting a costly shop could lead to financial ruin if they ran at a loss.


    Moreover, Mo Hua¡¯s place, although mostly inhabited by poor independent cultivators, was near a busy road and became quite lively during festivals. As long as the food was good, selling it wouldn¡¯t be a concern.


    Mo Hua''s home was small, a typical layout for Qi-cultivation independent cultivators with two rooms and a living room, plus a small courtyard. It was sufficient for a family of three but cramped for an eatery.


    Mo Shan discussed with some neighbors and paid them some spirit stones monthly to use their courtyards, then he invited friends from a demon hunter team to help remodel a kitchen. They connected several courtyards, creating a large open space where tables and chairs could be set up for dining.


    The stove was too big to fit into a storage bag, so Da Zhu and the other disciples carried it to Mo Hua¡¯s house. When they arrived, Mo Shan and his wife were tidying up the courtyard, digging and building walls, making it appear somewhat disordered.


    Da Zhu and the others helped install the stove and then sat down for a cup of tea before taking their leave.


    Although Mo Hua had assured them beforehand and was generally reliable, seeing the stove forged and in front of them, Mo Shan and his wife still found it hard to believe.


    Liu Ruhua touched the stove and remarked, "It looks just like those at the big Spirit Meal Tower, only smaller, but clearly more sturdy and well-crafted, though it must have cost quite a few spirit stones."


    "I helped Master Chen fix the array in his artifact-forging furnace, and he gave me a fifty percent discount. Plus, I drew the array on this stove myself, so it didn¡¯t cost too many spirit stones," Mo Hua said, a bit smug.


    Liu Ruhua and Mo Shan exchanged glances. They knew Mo Hua had some talent in arrays, but they hadn''t realized he could not only repair arrays for others but had even started crafting them on spiritual artifacts himself.


    Liu Ruhua hugged Mo Hua and exclaimed, "Hua''er, you¡¯re truly amazing!"


    Mo Shan looked at his son, his eyes filled with pride.


    Originally worried about Mo Hua¡¯s frailty, seeing his son¡¯s talent in arrays now assured him that even without physical cultivation, Mo Hua could make a living through arrays, avoiding the dangers of battling demonic beasts like himself, which was more than ideal.


    "Mom, let me tell you how to use the stove."


    Mo Hua took Liu Ruhua¡¯s hand, explaining how to operate the stove, the amount of spirit stones needed, and how to control the heat. These instructions were not complicated, and Liu Ruhua understood them after one explanation.


    Using the stove, Liu Ruhua then cooked a simple yet tasty meal consisting of a pot of clear rice porridge, a few vegetable dishes, and soft, white steamed buns.


    Eating the meal prepared by his mother moved Mo Hua deeply, especially since most of their recent meals had been cooked by Mo Shan, whose culinary skills were understandably not as refined.


    "Mom, your cooking is much tastier than Dad¡¯s!" Mo Hua declared openly.


    "You little rascal!" Mo Shan chuckled as he ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, but seeing the smile on his wife¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh as well.


    After the meal, Liu Ruhua asked, "Opening an eatery is fine, but what should we sell?"


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua both looked at Mo Hua.


    "Beef!" Mo Hua responded, meeting his parents'' gaze.


    Mo


    Shan paused, frowning, "But where would we get the beef? Spirit-infused meat is expensive, and we can¡¯t afford it. Besides, the nearby independent cultivators wouldn¡¯t buy it either."


    "Dad, remember the wild mountain ox you killed before? We could use that meat."


    "That wild ox meat... it¡¯s too tough and dry; no one would want to eat it."


    "Then we could stew it for two days and two nights. Even the toughest meat should soften by then, and it would surely be flavorful."


    "Stew for two days and two nights..." Mo Shan¡¯s gaze involuntarily shifted to the stove, "So, you had this stove forged not only to spare your mother from using spiritual energy for cooking but also for stewing meat..."


    "Yes!" Mo Hua nodded.


    "Will that really work?" Mo Shan was hesitant.


    "It will work," Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes brightened. "Meat infused with spiritual energy is delicious and doesn¡¯t need to be stewed for long, or it loses its essence. But that meat is expensive and not affordable for families like ours."


    "Meat without spiritual energy is cheaper, but tough and needs to be stewed for a long time. While affordable for independent cultivators, they lack the means to properly stew it, so it¡¯s rarely consumed."


    "With this stove, we can stew meat that¡¯s both inexpensive and delicious, even affordable for ordinary cultivators."


    Mo Shan nodded, then added, "But stewing for two days and two nights would also consume a lot of spirit stones, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    Mo Hua counted on his fingers and then said, "It should take about ten spirit stones, but one batch can stew a lot of meat, and if sold, it should at least break even."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll try stewing a pot the day after tomorrow to calculate the costs," Liu Ruhua decided.


    Mo Shan nodded, "I¡¯ll go get some more wild ox meat; we¡¯ve run out at home, and the Zhao family should still have some. If this meat can sell, then the meat from hunting demonic beasts might also find a market, improving everyone¡¯s living conditions."


    As the day drew to a close, Liu Ruhua urged Mo Hua to go to sleep.


    Rising, Mo Hua suddenly recalled a question and asked, "Mom, forging a stove isn¡¯t that hard, but why do we seldom see ordinary independent cultivators using one?"


    "Oh, you silly child," Liu Ruhua touched Mo Hua¡¯s face and chuckled, "Aside from the complexity of artifact crafting, if you aren¡¯t drawing the stove¡¯s array yourself and have to hire another array master, that would cost a lot of spirit stones."


    "Becoming an array master is difficult, and once someone does, they naturally aim to advance further. Depending on their family and sect, they craft higher-level arrays to earn more spirit stones, hardly sparing a thought for us poor independent cultivators."


    "Not just array masters, but all cultivators are the same; when people climb higher, they seldom look back..."


    Mo Hua felt a complex mix of emotions and was momentarily lost for words.


    S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 37: Beef

    The next day, Mo Shan left the house and returned in the evening with a large bundle on his back, filled with wild mountain ox meat."I went to Old Zhao, he had a lot left. Nobody was buying the meat, and he couldn''t eat it all, so I took it all back," he said.


    Liu Ruhua soaked the meat to remove the blood, then marinated it with spicy and aromatic seasonings.


    These seasonings were harvested and sun-dried by Liu Ruhua herself, a method she learned from a neighbor¡¯s aunt. It''s a common practice among independent cultivator families in Tongxian City, but Liu Ruhua''s spices smelled particularly good.


    After marinating overnight, the meat was placed in the stove the next day to cook. After simmering for half a day, Liu Ruhua removed the meat, drained the water, and added fresh water and spicy seasonings. She boiled it on high heat first, then reduced to a simmer, stewing it for another day and night.


    By the evening of the third day, she finally extinguished the stove fire and lifted the pot lid.


    Steam surged out, and the aroma of meat mixed with the seasonings filled the entire house.


    Liu Ruhua took a small knife, cut a slice of meat, and placed it thinly sliced on a plate on the table, then waved Mo Hua over: "Hua''er, come and try this."


    Mo Hua picked up his chopsticks, took a piece, and after chewing a few times, felt the meat was tender and flavorful, leaving a fragrant aftertaste in his mouth. The slight gaminess was also balanced by the spiciness, creating a unique flavor.


    "Mom, this is the best meat I''ve ever eaten!"


    Mo Shan also tried a piece, his eyes lighting up, and he praised his wife: "It''s even better than what those chefs make at the tavern."


    Liu Ruhua smiled, tasted a piece of meat herself, and thought it was still not perfect: "The flavor is still a bit off. The spices should be milder, the spicy flavor stronger, and the fire higher¡­"


    Mo Hua thought it was already delicious. In his ten-plus years of life, he had never eaten such tasty meat. As for whether he had in another life, he couldn''t remember.


    The taste of the wild ox meat was excellent, giving them confidence to open the eatery. Liu Ruhua cut some of the beef into small boxes for Mo Shan and Mo Hua to share with neighbors and friends.


    Mo Shan distributed it to the neighbors and friends from the demon hunter team.


    Mo Hua carried a box first to Mr. Feng of the Xinglin Medical Hall, to thank him for treating his mother, and then to Master Chen, since the stove was made by Master Chen, and the beef stewed in it deserved to be tasted.


    Mr. Feng, skilled in dietary health, usually abstains from meat, but couldn''t resist trying a few slices of the beef Mo Hua brought, and he couldn''t stop praising it.


    Master Chen, needless to say, shared half of the beef with Da Zhu and his disciples, stowing the rest away for himself to savor slowly with his drinks.


    Mo Hua also delivered some to the Meng family home.


    The Meng family members all share the surname Meng, but the three boys¡ªDa Hu, Shuang Hu, and Xiao Hu¡ªare not biological brothers.


    The Meng family was once thriving, with three generations under one roof. The old man had three sons, each of whom had a son; these were Da Hu, Shuang Hu, and Xiao Hu.


    However, the good times didn''t last. Shuang Hu''s father died while hunting demonic beasts, and his mother succumbed to depression and illness soon after.


    Xiao Hu''s father got involved with another female cultivator while on a business trip and never returned. There were rumors that he had changed his name and started a new family or had been bewitched by a nefarious demoness, his essence drained and turned into a human pill.


    In any case, he was not coming back. Embarrassed, Xiao Hu''s mother remarried.


    The old Mr. Meng had hoped his descendants would thrive for generations, perhaps producing a Foundation Building cultivator, making them a minor renowned family in Tongxian City. But in a blink, he lost two sons, and overwhelmed by grief, he soon passed away.


    With only the eldest son left as the pillar of the Meng family, he never complained, raising his brothers'' children as his own. They shared meals when food was plentiful and hunger when it was not. When the children misbehaved, he disciplined them equally.


    As the three boys grew, so did their appetites, stretching the already modest means of their family even further.


    When Mo Hua arrived with the beef, the Meng family was having dinner.


    Da Hu, Shuang S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Hu, and Xiao Hu were munching on steamed buns and pickles. Hearing that Mo Hua had brought beef, their eyes widened. As Mo Hua opened the food box and the aroma wafted out, they drooled in anticipation.


    Aunt Meng scolded the boys, "Before you eat what others give, thank them first!"


    Shuang Hu was the first to pound his chest and declare, "Mo Hua! Between brothers, there are no strangers. Anyone who bullies you, I''ll beat up for you!"


    Da Hu and Xiao Hu also chorused, "Me too! Me too!"


    Aunt Meng tapped each of the three boys on the head with her chopsticks, annoyed, "All you know is fighting. If the three of you together were half as sensible as Mo Hua, I''d be thankful!"


    After she spoke, seeing the three kids looking pitifully at the meat, she softened and said:


    "Go on, eat. But remember to help your Uncle Mo and Aunt Liu with some chores, and don''t just freeload."


    The three boys nodded vigorously, then each took a piece of meat and put it in the bowls of Uncle Meng and Aunt Meng before they started on the remaining meat themselves.


    As soon as the beef was in his mouth, Xiao Hu''s eyes widened, "This meat is so delicious!"


    Da Hu and Shuang Hu, mouths full of meat, nodded continuously.


    Pleased that his mother''s cooking was praised, Mo Hua was also very happy.


    Uncle Meng and Aunt Meng tasted the meat, nodding continuously, then picked the remaining pieces for the three boys.


    Aunt Meng said enviously to Mo Hua, "Your mother''s cooking skills are really good!"


    Mo Hua also praised, "Aunt Meng''s cooking is great too!"


    Aunt Meng laughed, pulling Mo Hua''s hand, "I don''t know how such a well-behaved and sensible child was born."


    Uncle Meng tasted the beef and curiously asked, "Is this wild ox meat? It doesn''t taste like it."


    "It is wild ox meat, it was cooked for a very long time."


    "No wonder," Uncle Meng nodded, then told Mo Hua, "I heard your family is opening an eatery. If there''s anything we can help with, just tell your uncle and aunt, and we will definitely help."


    "Thank you, Uncle Meng!"


    After a few more pleasantries, Mo Hua got up to leave. Aunt Meng packed some freshly steamed buns and some wild fruits for Mo Hua to take home.


    "We don''t have much at home, but take these buns and fruits back with you."


    Mo Hua did not refuse, packing the buns into the food box, munching on the wild fruits as he walked home.


    The beef stewed in the stove for a long time was praised by everyone who tasted it.


    Liu Ruhua further perfected her cooking and seasoning skills, adjusted the stewing heat, and even made several bowls of beef noodles for Mo Hua to try. The broth was rich, the noodles were chewy, and the beef was fragrant, making Mo Hua happily squint his eyes.


    Additionally, Liu Ruhua added some other beverages and snacks to the eatery for sale.


    Alcohol was indispensable, but the independent cultivators were poor, and the grains used for brewing were of low quality, so the taste was not very good. However, Liu Ruhua''s own brewed alcohol was different.


    She added some flowers, fresh fruits to the brew, which had a lower alcohol content, and the rich aroma of different fruits added a sweet and lingering taste that Mo Hua particularly liked.


    Besides beef, the meals also included some pastries, fruits, pine nuts, and beef noodles.


    With the help of neighborhood friends, preparations were complete, and the eatery opened on the first day of the month.


    Initially, according to the street naming tradition, the eatery was to be called "Mo''s Eatery," but at Mo Hua''s suggestion and with Mo Shan''s approval, it was finally renamed "Liu''s Eatery."


    Liu Ruhua, unable to resist her son and husband, agreed.

 Chapter 38: Grand Opening

    The pricing at the eatery was not expensive, considering most patrons were neighbors or common independent cultivators, who didn''t have much to spend. This pricing strategy ensured that at least everyone could afford a meal, aiming for small profits but high turnover.The eatery''s specialty was beef. A serving of beef was priced at two spirit stones per plate, which was not exactly cheap for independent cultivators, but compared to other eateries serving spiritual meat or beef, it was a bargain.


    Beef noodles were even cheaper. Plain noodles cost only three fragments of a spirit stone, and with beef added, the price was six fragments of a spirit stone.


    For an ordinary Qi-cultivating cultivator, a day''s income was roughly one spirit stone plus a few fragments. A plate of beef required two days of hard work to afford. It was something to enjoy occasionally, but impossible to eat every day.


    However, for two spirit stones, one could have a meat dish, the only such offer in all of Tongxian City. Even just to satisfy a craving, a bowl of beef noodles cost only six fragments of a spirit stone.


    A few days after opening, the customer base had already started to grow.


    Local independent cultivators, while not able to afford meat daily, always had someone looking to indulge a bit and have a good meal every day.


    Some were Qi-cultivating cultivators from relatively well-off backgrounds who could afford to eat meat every few days; others met with Daoist friends, not wanting to be too extravagant nor too frugal, so they would order a plate of beef with some side dishes to accompany their drinks.


    Some parents, seeing progress in their children''s cultivation, would bring them for a spicy beef noodle treat to reward them.


    Occasionally, traveling merchants, weary from their journeys and hearing that the eatery served meat, both wanted to indulge but hesitated because they were short on money, would be wide-eyed upon hearing that a full plate of beef cost just two spirit stones.


    They were still wary, wondering if such cheap meat could taste good.


    But then, seeing how busy the eatery was, they figured the taste must not be too bad and decided to give it a try.


    Once they had a taste, they couldn''t stop eating.


    From then on, traveling merchants regularly stopped at the eatery, ordering a plate of meat and a few drinks. Even those who used to pass by without stopping now paused to enjoy some meat and chat.


    Some merchants, who originally did not pass through, would even make a detour to the eatery just to savor the beef and relieve the fatigue of their long journeys.


    After all, within a hundred miles, this was the only place where one could eat such delicious meat for so cheap.


    As more patrons came, the eatery became busier, and the three brothers from the Meng family came to help out. After a day''s work, they would eat a big bowl of beef noodles and take some beef home, fully satisfied.


    But as the Tongxian Sect was about to start its new term, there would soon be a shortage of hands.


    Mo Hua, not wanting his mother to overwork herself, suggested hiring someone to help. Mo Shan, considering his wife was still recovering and unable to use her spiritual power, agreed with Mo Hua''s idea.


    After discussing with his wife, they hired a hunter''s wife from the Demon Hunter team to help in the eatery for thirty spirit stones a month.


    The next day, a young-looking and shy woman came by, holding a basket of fresh wild vegetables still dewy from being picked that morning on the mountain.


    From his parents'' conversation, Mo Hua knew the woman''s surname was Jiang and her given name was Yun.


    Her husband, surnamed Chu, had been severely injured by a demonic wolf during a hunt, and the family had spent all their savings on his treatment. Though his life was saved, he was too injured to continue hunting, and the family had no income.


    Jiang Yun had a poor spiritual root and had left the sect after reaching only the fourth level of Qi-cultivation. A few years later, she married and had a child. After her husband was injured, she looked for work to support the family, but with her low level of cultivation, she couldn''t earn much. The odd jobs she found paid very few spirit stones and were unstable. Plus, with a young child to care for, making ends meet was extremely difficult.


    Now, with a steady job at the eatery earning thirty spirit stones a month, she was very grateful.


    Jiang Yun was inherently introverted and not good with words. She wanted to express her thanks but could only repeat the few phrases of gratitude she knew, her face flushing with embarrassment.


    Liu Ruhua quickly reassured her, telling her not to overthink and just focus on her work.


    Finally, Jiang Yun settled down, following Liu Ruhua''s instructions diligently. She was hardworking


    and meticulous, slow to learn but serious, which Liu Ruhua found endearing.


    After closing for the night, Liu Ruhua packed several bowls of noodles with extra pieces of meat for her to take home.


    Jiang Yun initially refused, her face turning red as she insisted: "Sister Liu, you have been too kind to me already. I can''t take this."


    But Liu Ruhua insisted, saying, "Take it for your child."


    Unable to refuse any longer, Jiang Yun accepted the food container, thinking of how to express her thanks, but still unable to articulate more than a few words of gratitude.


    Liu Ruhua simply comforted her, "Don''t think too much about it; it''s getting late, go home and check on your child."


    Jiang Yun carefully carried the food container, and as she walked home, she paused at a corner, standing still as if in tears, then silently wiped her eyes with her sleeve before continuing on her way.


    From a distance, Mo Hua watched her retreating figure, his emotions complex.


    His family was not wealthy either, living from hand to mouth, but in Tongxian City, many independent cultivator families were even worse off.


    He wished that all cultivators in this world could be free from the struggles of making a living.


    Mo Hua thought quietly to himself.


    Liu''s Eatery had a smooth opening. Liu Ruhua was busy with the eatery every day, looking thinner but healthier and more radiant.


    Running the eatery allowed her to study various diets and save spirit stones for her son''s future cultivation and marriage. Liu Ruhua felt very satisfied, her face often bright with smiles.


    Seeing his wife''s current state, Mo Shan felt reassured.


    And Mo Hua, enjoying more delicious food, also became happier.


    With the eatery''s opening, the family''s income from spirit stones increased, and they no longer had to live as frugally as before. By the time Tongxian Sect''s term started, the eatery had profited over two hundred spirit stones.


    Liu Ruhua gave all the earned spirit stones to Mo Hua, urging him to choose a suitable cultivation technique at the sect and reminding him not to neglect his cultivation.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    The next day, as the summer vacation ended, Tongxian Sect opened its gates, welcoming disciples back to school.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to Liu Ruhua at the foot of the mountain and then stepped into Tongxian Sect. S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As disciples gradually returned to school, the previously quiet Tongling Peak became lively again.


    However, after two months of summer break, many disciples had become lax in their cultivation, and returning to school, their expressions carried a trace of nervousness.


    Yan Jiaoxi, in an effort to refocus everyone, abruptly announced a sudden array formation assessment.


    The lingering heat of summer was instantly quenched by this unexpected cold shower, leaving many disciples with a look of utter despair.


    This assessment was to be done on the spot, without the opportunity for any tricks.


    However, Mo Hua was not the least bit intimidated.


    He had already mastered drawing five array patterns, making him an experienced apprentice. The sect''s basic array assessments were no challenge for him.


    Moreover, during the latter part of the summer break, he had practiced array formations day and night, pushing his spiritual sense to its limits and continuously strengthening it.


    Such a minor assessment was nothing to him, and he was confident it would be a piece of cake.


    But when the assessment papers were handed out, Mo Hua was taken aback.


    He checked several times to make sure, and finally realized that the assessment was not on individual array patterns, but a complete array formation, including six array patterns!

 Chapter 39: Grading

    Mo Hua frowned slightly.Something wasn''t quite right...


    Why would the third-level Qi cultivation array examination include a formation with six array patterns? Could it be that the instructor had handed out the wrong exam papers?


    It seemed unlikely for the instructor to make such a mistake¡ªcould there be a deeper meaning?


    At this point, several disciples were fervently writing, but most likely they knew nothing and couldn''t leave the paper blank, so they were blindly sketching with their eyes closed.


    Mo Hua collected his thoughts and reminded himself:


    "If the instructor has chosen to test us on a formation with six array patterns, there must be a purpose behind it, perhaps to show us the profound and extensive nature of array formations, and to prevent us from becoming arrogant..."


    After calming his emotions, Mo Hua focused on studying the array.


    The name of the formation was "Steady Water Formation," and while its purpose was not specified, it was well annotated. Although the formation included six array patterns, the patterns were fairly simple and had been discussed frequently during lectures, so they were not obscure.


    Still, memorizing the array patterns and learning to draw the formation in a short period of time, let alone completing it, was highly unlikely.


    If everyone failed to draw it, the instructor would likely grade based on the completeness of the formation.


    Mo Hua did his best to remember as much as he could.


    Once he began focusing on drawing the formation, time passed quickly, but when the examination time ended, Mo Hua had only managed to draw slightly more than five array patterns. He hadn''t had time to check the drawn patterns for errors, which was a bit regrettable. He deeply understood that he still had a long way to go in mastering array formations.


    After completing the formation, it was sent to the Hall of Virtue at Tongming Peak.


    All the instructors of Tongxian Sect would archive and grade the coursework there.


    Yan Jiaoxi, usually a stern instructor, now showed a displeased expression, looking quite dissatisfied at a middle-aged cultivator wearing the elder''s robe of Tongxian Sect:


    "Elder Qian, what is the meaning of this? Weren''t we only supposed to test the first two patterns of the Steady Water Formation? Why was the entire formation tested?"


    "The path of array formations is profound and extensive. I wanted the disciples to understand this early on."


    "And then?" Yan Jiaoxi raised an eyebrow.


    "Then, they will understand the difficulty and not foolishly aspire to become array masters."


    Elder Qian calmly stated, "A formation with six array patterns is the threshold for becoming an array master. Such a challenging formation is not something these talentless outer sect disciples can learn."


    Yan Jiaoxi, suppressing his anger, said, "I am the instructor of the outer sect. Isn''t Elder Qian being a bit too interfering?"


    "Elder Yan, these outer sect disciples will never become array masters. Teaching them is a waste of time."


    "How so?"


    Elder Qian''s demeanor became more polite, "Elder Yan, we are all aware and greatly admire your level of skill in array formations. But with your talents, teaching these dim-witted outer sect disciples, especially those who are independent cultivators, don''t you think it''s beneath you?"


    "What do you mean?" Yan Jiaoxi''s gaze sharpened.


    Elder Qian earnestly said, "If you agree, the Qian family would be honored to hire you as our instructor to teach our family members about array formations. Whether it''s spirit stones, spiritual items, or inheritance of formations, just say the word, and we will do our best to satisfy your demands."


    Yan Jiaoxi blinked slowly, not speaking.


    Elder Qian paused, then added, "Of course, if you prefer not to leave Tongxian Sect, that''s fine too. I can recommend you to become an elder of the inner sect and teach array formations to the inner sect disciples, even the direct disciples. At that time, all the sect''s direct disciples would have to respectfully address you as ''Master'', and your status would be much higher than that of a regular elder."


    Yan Jiaoxi was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "And if I don''t agree?"


    Elder Qian''s expression cooled, "Why must Elder Yan be so stubborn?"


    "I teach array formations to pass on knowledge, not for these worldly gains," Yan Jiaoxi said.


    Elder Qian scoffed, "Fine, keep your noble act!" and left without another word.


    Zhou Jiaoxi then said, "Elder Yan, why bother? The Qian family is powerful, and we cannot afford to offend them."


    Yan Jiaoxi sighed, "I just can''t stand it. If things continue this way, the sect and the families will be indistinguishable, and these lower-level independent cultivators will have


    no way to pursue cultivation."


    Zhou Jiaoxi also sighed, "When the old Sect Master was in charge, he could withstand the pressure from the Qian family. Now that he is aging and about to step down, Tongxian Sect might change..."


    Yan Jiaoxi also looked worried.


    "From my point of view, Elder Qian did show you respect. You have indeed been very dedicated in teaching these outer sect disciples, but what good does it do? There aren''t many who can go far on the path of array formations, and the lack of array masters among independent cultivators isn''t without reason."


    Zhou Jiaoxi advised, "Don''t let it come to a point where you can''t even be an instructor."


    Unmoved, Yan Jiaoxi replied, "As long as I am an instructor, I will do what needs to be done."


    Zhou Jiaoxi shook his head and said no more.


    Yan Jiaoxi sighed again and calmed himself before opening the array formation examination papers on his desk. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if there were errors in the exam questions, he still took the grading seriously.


    Naturally, the results were a mess.


    Most disciples could only draw one or two array patterns, and some who didn''t know how to draw anything sensible doodled random things to bluff their way through.


    Yan Jiaoxi silently noted down these disciples'' names. Not knowing was understandable, but doodling carelessly was not.


    Some did better, usually those from wealthier families in Tongxian City who had been exposed to array formations from a young age. These disciples could generally draw three array patterns, which was the limit for a third-level Qi cultivator''s spiritual sense, and already quite commendable.


    Yan Jiaoxi thought of Mo Hua, a child of an independent cultivator with an exceptional talent for spiritual sense, who was rare indeed.


    Based on Mo Hua''s progress, he estimated that he could draw about four and a half array patterns, possibly more if he hadn''t slacked off during the summer break.


    As Yan Jiaoxi continued grading, he finally came across Mo Hua''s paper and was startled when he opened it.


    The paper was neatly filled with five and a half array patterns. The last half-pattern was clearly rushed due to lack of time, but there were no mistakes in the technique.


    That is to say, Mo Hua, a third-level Qi cultivator, had managed to draw five and a half array patterns on his first attempt at the Steady Water Formation!


    Five and a half array patterns...


    This not only required experience and insight into array formations but also robust spiritual sense support.


    Yan Jiaoxi had seen Mo Hua draw array formations before. While he could draw four patterns, it was a bit forced, and his spiritual sense was not yet sufficiently broad.


    But two months had passed, and he had managed to draw five and a half patterns of the Steady Water Formation.


    If true, this indicated that not only was Mo Hua naturally gifted with extraordinary spiritual sense, but also that his spiritual sense was growing at an astonishing rate. Aside from cultivation progress, there were no known rapid methods to enhance spiritual sense.


    Yan Jiaoxi held his breath, unable to believe what he saw, and re-examined Mo Hua''s paper before slowly exhaling, murmuring to himself, "This can''t be possible..."


    Hearing this, Zhou Jiaoxi noticed Yan Jiaoxi''s distracted state and asked, "Elder Yan, what has happened?"


    Regaining his composure, Yan Jiaoxi considered for a moment before saying, "Some disciples'' array formations are just too far off the mark. I was momentarily taken aback..."


    Zhou Jiaoxi showed a look of understanding, "Teaching these disciples is indeed not easy, Elder Yan, don''t take it too seriously. You should cultivate your character and maintain your calm..."


    Yan Jiaoxi nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on Mo Hua''s paper, his emotions fluctuating.

 Chapter 40: Plans

    Yan Jiaoxi stared at Mo Hua''s exam paper, pondering for a moment before marking a "Grade A" on it.Yan Jiaoxi then continued to correct other disciples'' Array methods. After a while, he remembered something, and flipped back to the previous papers, upgrading other disciples from "Grade B" to "Grade A".


    Now, Mo Hua was not the only one who had achieved "Grade A".


    After finishing the corrections, Yan Jiaoxi sat at his desk lost in thought for a long time, muttering to himself:


    "It seems I can no longer stay at the Tongxian Sect¡­"


    When the Array exam papers were distributed, Mo Hua nodded at the "Grade A" on his paper but wondered if the other Qi-cultivating disciples could really draw the Stabilizing Water Array...


    This was an array with six Array patterns, after all.


    Curious, Mo Hua inquired around and heard that other disciples also received "Grade A", feeling surprised and reflective:


    "There are always higher skies and people beyond us, I must not be complacent about my own level of Array methods!"


    What Mo Hua didn''t realize was that his "Grade A" was genuine, while the "Grade A" others received was inflated by Yan Jiaoxi...


    Later, Mo Hua planned to continue his studies at the Tongxian Sect, learning Array methods, and after a while, consider choosing a Technique to practice. But half a month later, he heard something utterly preposterous:


    "Yan Jiaoxi is leaving the Tongxian Sect, and henceforth, the outer sect will no longer teach Array methods¡­"


    Mo Hua stood rooted to the spot.


    No more Array methods to learn...


    Mo Hua went to find Yan Jiaoxi, who looked at him with a complex expression, saying nothing, only telling Mo Hua to go back first and come find him again in a few days.


    After Mo Hua left, Yan Jiaoxi went to see Manager Mo.


    "Have you heard anything about the matter I entrusted to you?"


    Manager Mo handed Yan Jiaoxi a letter, "The person you''re looking for isn''t in Tongxian City anymore, here''s the clue, but I can''t guarantee its authenticity."


    "Thank you."


    Manager Mo hesitated for a moment before saying, "Are you really planning to leave the Tongxian Sect?"


    "Not just the Tongxian Sect, I''ll also leave Tongxian City."


    "Will you ever come back?"


    "It''s hard to say," Yan Jiaoxi forced a smile, "like you said, let''s leave it to fate."


    Manager Mo wanted to persuade him, but thinking better of it, said nothing. He knew persuasion was futile.


    "The parting of cultivators can be longer than their lifespan."


    In the end, without words, they had to substitute tea for wine and drank a cup together.


    "Take care!" said Manager Mo.


    "Take care!"


    Yan Jiaoxi nodded and disappeared into the bustling streets under Manager Mo''s gaze.


    Staying in the outer sect of the Tongxian Sect had become meaningless without the teaching of Array methods. Moreover, Yan Jiaoxi kept the issue of the Independent cultivator''s Array diagram in his heart and wouldn''t give it up.


    Before leaving Tongxian City, Yan Jiaoxi''s last task was to find an Array master for Mo Hua.


    He prepared some fine wine and tea gifts, knocking on the door of a cave dwelling on North Street in Tongxian City.


    This cave dwelling was one of the grandest on the street, splendid and luxurious. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The owner of the cave dwelling was one of the two first-rate Array masters in Tongxian City, known as Master Luo.


    Yan Jiaoxi presented the tea gifts, explaining his purpose.


    Master Luo, having good relations with Yan Jiaoxi, was intrigued and said, "Does this child truly possess such talent to warrant Yan''s personal plea?"


    Yan Jiaoxi showed Master Luo the Blazing Fire Array Diagram drawn by Mo Hua, "This was drawn by him when he was at the third level of Qi-cultivation."


    He didn''t bring out the Stabilizing Water Array with five and a half Array patterns that Mo Hua had drawn, as it would draw too much attention.


    Generally, at the third level of Qi-cultivation, being able to draw an array with three Array patterns was already considered exceptional.


    Master Luo''s eyes lit up and he nodded, "Indeed not bad!"


    After reviewing the Blazing Fire Array Diagram, he asked, "Which family does he belong to? The Qian Family? The An Family, or the Chen Family?"


    Yan Jiaoxi fell silent for a moment and said, "He''s an Independent cultivator, not from any family."


    Master Luo then became quiet, his interest fading significantly


    .


    Yan Jiaoxi tentatively asked, "Does Master have any concerns?"


    "Teaching an Independent cultivator is troublesome..." Master Luo said.


    "Brother Luo..."


    Master Luo waved his hand, "Yan, you know what I mean, but taking an Independent cultivator as an apprentice is complicated. You should understand."


    "Mo Hua is young but sensible, diligent, and has a high talent for Arrays. Just a little guidance from you, Brother Luo, and his future in Array methods would be limitless," Yan Jiaoxi earnestly said.


    "That''s not the issue." Master Luo sighed, "Regardless of his talent or comprehension, it''s about the fees for accepting a disciple. Can he afford it?"


    Master Luo stood up, pacing slowly, "It''s not that I covet these fees, but there are rules to accepting disciples. I''ve taken many disciples, and each has paid a significant fee. If only he can''t afford it or pays less, how would I explain it to the other disciples? Even if they don''t say anything, they would surely feel some resentment, thinking I am biased."


    "Not just the fees for discipleship, but the costs of paper, ink, and other materials for studying Arrays, can an Independent cultivator''s background support that?"


    "And even if he eventually becomes proficient, becoming an Array master, he still has only two paths: to attach to a family or a sect. If he doesn''t attach, his cultivation and study of Arrays would be very difficult. If he does attach, then it''s like selling himself, losing his own name, background, and parents, not his own master anymore, how could he still regard me as his master?"


    "So, whether taking him as an apprentice or a disciple, there''s no benefit to me."


    Master Luo finished speaking and sat down to drink some tea.


    Yan Jiaoxi remained silent, understanding Master Luo''s points, with nothing to refute. He had hoped that seeing Mo Hua''s exceptional talent, Master Luo would at least consider, but it seemed he had oversimplified things.


    Independent cultivators without an Array master had their reasons...


    Yan Jiaoxi looked dejected.


    Seeing this, Master Luo also sighed, his tone softening, "If he had any family background, even a minor one, I could have accepted him. But as an Independent cultivator, there are too many concerns, and I don''t have the energy for it..."


    "It''s too hard for an Independent cultivator to become an Array master!" Master Luo lamented.


    Yan Jiaoxi still wanted to try one last time and said, "Mo Hua''s talent in Array methods is truly unparalleled..." as he started to bring out the Stabilizing Water Array with five and a half Array patterns.


    But before he could fully present it, Master Luo said, "It doesn''t matter if he can draw three Array patterns, even if he could draw four or five Array patterns at the third level of Qi-cultivation, I wouldn''t accept him."


    Yan Jiaoxi''s hand stopped, and with no other option, he put the Array back.


    "Brother Luo, is there really no way?"


    "Yan, you can come here anytime to discuss or chat, but on this matter, there''s no room for negotiation."


    "Brother Luo..." Yan Jiaoxi had nothing more to say, only sighing, "Just don''t regret it later."


    "Many cultivators have said that to me, but Luo has never regretted it to this day!"


    The two remained silent, and Master Luo poured tea to see his guest off.


    Yan Jiaoxi sighed, looking disappointed, and stood up to leave.


    After Yan Jiaoxi left, Master Luo sat in the room, with a disciple serving him tea, who quietly asked, "Master, if he can indeed draw the Blazing Fire Array at the third level of Qi-cultivation, then his talent is truly remarkable."


    "Yes," Master Luo picked up his tea, taking a sip, "but what use is high talent? Cultivation isn''t just about talent. How many people were brilliant in their youth but ended up indistinguishable from others? Spirit stones, heritage, family background, all these are crucial. Without them, talent is just rootless vegetation, bound to wither eventually."


    "But, Master, if you just gave him a few pointers, he would at least be grateful to you..."


    Master Luo shook his head, "You''re oversimplifying human nature. Coming from a poor Independent cultivator background, they tend to be radical in temperament. A slight mishap could easily breed resentment, creating more enemies than gratitude. Why should I muddy the waters?"


    "Master''s words are wise, but such talent is indeed a pity."


    "It is a pity," Master Luo put down his teacup, sighing, "but that''s fate, and it can''t be forced."

 Chapter 41: Visitation

    Master Luo is a first-grade Array Master and has refused the request of Yan Jiaoxi.With no alternatives, Yan Jiaoxi had to settle for less, seeking Array Masters who, while not officially ranked, have studied the path of arrays for many years, to take Mo Hua as a disciple.


    However, some outright refused, others made excuses, and some, although they agreed, made such unreasonable demands that accepting them would mean Mo Hua would spend his life merely as a tool or puppet, devoid of any freedom¡ªakin to selling oneself.


    After days of fruitless searching, Yan Jiaoxi returned to his residence and sat alone, deeply sighing.


    Time was short as he would soon leave. If he could not find a suitable master, Mo Hua¡¯s progress in array cultivation might be hindered.


    After much deliberation, Yan Jiaoxi seemed to have made up his mind. He carefully sealed Mo Hua''s test papers and placed them in a storage bag.


    In the evening, Yan Jiaoxi left Tongxian City, heading southeast towards a mountain peak outside the city.


    This southeastern mountain of Tongxian City was secluded and beautifully scenic, creating its own tranquil charm. There were no signs or gates, just a small path leading into the residence nestled in the mountains.


    Standing at the foot of the mountain, Yan Jiaoxi heard a frail voice after a long silence:


    "Please."


    The voice seemed close yet echoed in his sea of consciousness.


    Yan Jiaoxi adjusted his Daoist robe, patted his storage bag, and with a resolved expression, began ascending the mountain.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua planned to withdraw from Tongxian Sect.


    Being merely an Outer Sect Disciple, his relationship with the sect was primarily a transactional one based on the cultivation of his spirit stones. There was little emotional connection.


    Especially since Yan Jiaoxi was leaving, and the Outer Sect would no longer teach arrays, there was no point in Mo Hua staying.


    His spiritual root destined that his spiritual power wouldn''t be strong, and his cultivation speed wouldn¡¯t be fast.


    The other teachings of the sect, such as body refining, pill concoction, artifact crafting, and talisman making, were also of limited use to Mo Hua¡ªworthless to learn but also a pity to abandon.


    The only prospect for Mo Hua in cultivation was in arrays.


    But within the Outer Sect, aside from Yan Jiaoxi, Mo Hua believed no one else could teach him arrays.


    Da Hu and the other two also planned to withdraw from the sect.


    However, their reason wasn''t educational but economic, as their families were too poor to afford the increased sect dues and various fees.


    According to Mo Hua, the old Sect Leader would retire in a few months and no longer involve himself in the sect''s affairs, leaving Elder Qian in charge, or essentially, the Qian family.


    The Qian family planned to reform the sect with various methods, but the core idea was to increase the collection of spirit stones.


    Whether it was pill concoction, artifact crafting, or talisman making, the sect previously taught only the basics. Now, they would teach more advanced techniques, but at an additional cost of spirit stones.


    Including the previously free transmission of techniques, Elder Qian had added a fee with the rationale that "sect teachings are precious and not easy to pass on, hence they come at a cost."


    With these reforms, wealthy family disciples or those from affluent backgrounds could afford more spirit stones to receive better teachings.


    But the poorer disciples, especially independent cultivators in the Outer Sect, could barely learn anything new and had to pay even more in spirit stones as sect dues.


    For such independent disciples, other than withdrawing, there was no other choice.


    Thus, through these reforms, Tongxian Sect was gradually purging its poorer disciples based on their family¡¯s economic status, leaving these low-level independent disciples with no choice but to fend for themselves in their future cultivation.


    Mo Hua discussed his plan to withdraw with his parents. Mo Shan was not entirely agreeable but recognized the inevitability of the situation¡ªit wasn¡¯t just about Mo Hua, but about all the lower-class independent cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Liu Ruhua was indifferent; knowing Mo Hua¡¯s dedication to his cultivation and that he had his own plans, she didn¡¯t object.


    Now that the restaurant business was doing well, even if her son did nothing at home, she could well afford to support him.


    Thus, Mo Hua, at the third level of Qi cultivation, withdrew from Tongxian Sect.


    He simply processed his withdrawal at the sect, receiving back half a year¡¯s dues¡ªabout fifty to sixty spirit stones.


    After withdrawing, the biggest issue was the cultivation techniques.


    Mo Shan agreed to explore the Demon Hunter path to see if there were suitable techniques for Mo Hua to practice, but this would take some time.


    The other


    issue was arrays.


    Without the sect¡¯s guidance, Mo Hua had to rely on himself to learn, or perhaps find an Array Master to take him as a disciple.


    But Mo Hua knew, for independent cultivators like himself, it was difficult to find an Array Master willing to teach, as not all were as open-hearted and keen to impart knowledge as Yan Jiaoxi.


    Mo Hua planned to visit Yan Jiaoxi to thank him for his careful guidance during this period. But he didn¡¯t know where Yan Jiaoxi lived, and just as he was about to ask the steward for information, Yan Jiaoxi found him.


    Having not seen each other for a few days, Yan Jiaoxi looked somewhat weary, as if he had been busy with something.


    Mo Hua respectfully greeted Yan Jiaoxi, who nodded and asked, ¡°Do you still want to learn arrays?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Yan Jiaoxi approvingly glanced at Mo Hua and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    He took Mo Hua to a mountain peak outside Tongxian City, to the southeast.


    Mo Hua remembered Da Hu mentioning that this mountain seemed to have been purchased by someone for secluded cultivation, keeping it off-limits to cultivators.


    The mountain had no demonic beasts, precious herbs, or spirit mines. Its only merit was its scenic beauty and tranquil environment.


    Tongxian City, bustling with independent cultivators, wouldn''t linger for the landscape, so it was rarely visited by cultivators.


    Yan Jiaoxi brought Mo Hua to the foot of the mountain and said, ¡°There lives a reclusive master on this mountain, whom I met by chance. I don¡¯t usually disturb him, but since I¡¯m leaving in a few days, I wanted you to meet him.¡±


    ¡°Does this master know arrays?¡± Mo Hua curiously asked.


    Yan Jiaoxi nodded, ¡°Indeed, this master is highly skilled in arrays.¡±


    ¡°Is he a first-grade Array Master?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure of his exact rank, but he¡¯s at least first-grade,¡± Yan Jiaoxi replied.


    Mo Hua respectfully admired the possibility.


    Just being a first-grade Array Master was impressive enough, and Mo Hua dared not even contemplate the abilities of those beyond that rank.


    Could they truly possess the legendary power to steal creation and alter the heavens and earth, as rumored?


    ¡°Why does this master live in such a secluded place? Because he dislikes noise?¡± Mo Hua asked further.


    ¡°The master is naturally detached and dislikes worldly matters, hence he doesn¡¯t wish to be disturbed. This mountain peak is seldom visited,¡± Yan Jiaoxi explained.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Yan Jiaoxi said, ¡°You¡¯ve guessed why I brought you here, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°To have this master take me as a disciple?¡±


    Yan Jiaoxi nodded, ¡°You guessed correctly. What I can teach you is limited, so I hope the master can guide you further.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already taught me a lot,¡± Mo Hua gratefully said.


    ¡°What I can teach you pales in comparison to what the master can offer.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Yan Jiaoxi shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re young and don¡¯t fully understand. The more you see, the more you¡¯ll realize the vastness and depth of array cultivation, which cannot be comprehended by merely Qi cultivating or even Foundation Building cultivators. Your spiritual sense is exceptional, your comprehension good, and you are diligent. You¡¯re a promising student for learning arrays, so you must cherish this rare talent and not waste it.¡±


    ¡°Today, I bring you here hoping you can be accepted by the master. His nature is reserved, and he¡¯s reluctant to take disciples. Even if you could be a nominal disciple, learning even a little would help you progress further in the path of arrays.¡±


    Yan Jiaoxi gestured forward, indicating the mountain path that stretched up to the mid-slopes, shrouded in mist. In the mist, a simple yet mysterious courtyard gate could be seen.


    Yan Jiaoxi instructed, ¡°Proceed up the mountain alone, be respectful, and answer honestly to whatever the master asks. If he takes you as his disciple, it will be your good fortune. If not, don¡¯t be discouraged; it simply means the fortune has not yet arrived.¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded seriously, then couldn¡¯t help but glance at Yan Jiaoxi.


    ¡°Teacher¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Yan Jiaoxi said no more but waved his hand.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then with a firm stride, began his ascent up the mountain.

 Chapter 42: The Path of the Heart

    Among the mountains, there is a mist, and within the mist, a courtyard, enclosed by a bamboo gate at the end of a narrow path that snakes down to the feet of Mo Hua.It appears entirely unremarkable.


    Mo Hua steps onto the path and immediately senses a fluctuation, as if something has been activated.


    Yet looking around, the peaks are still just peaks, the trees remain trees, and the flowers and grass are unchanged.


    Mo Hua pauses and surveys his surroundings, but discerns nothing unusual.


    Mo Hua has heard that some venerable seniors enjoy setting up arrays or scenarios to test others; perhaps the master on the mountain has similar inclinations.


    Or could it be that this very path is itself a test?


    Mo Hua feels inexplicably nervous.


    Since he is an array master and there are waves of spiritual sense, there likely is an array set up on this path.


    But what kind of array could it be?


    With Mo Hua''s limited experience with arrays, he is clueless. No matter how he looks, the scenery around him seems no different.


    As Mo Hua walks, he ponders, but comes to no conclusion.


    He simply remembers the instructions of his teacher: to keep a clear mind, let things come naturally, neither forcing nor discouraging himself.


    Walking on, he soon reaches the gate of the courtyard.


    The bamboo gate of the courtyard is simple but charming.


    Beyond the gate, the view opens up to a beautifully scenic yard, with elegant bamboo dwellings, verdant grass underfoot, mist over the pond, and cranes sipping dew¡ªa sight that lifts the spirits.


    In the yard stands a gaunt old man. Mo Hua quickly greets him: "Greetings, sir."


    The old man''s voice is as raspy and dry as his appearance, sounding like wind through decaying wood:


    "I am not the master; the master is inside. Follow me."


    He leads Mo Hua into one of the bamboo dwellings, which is refreshingly cool and open to breezes on all sides.


    In the middle of the room sits a middle-aged cultivator in white robes, his demeanor effortlessly graceful and unconstrained, giving off an aura of detachment, as if all of creation could not linger in his heart.


    This was the most transcendental person Mo Hua had ever encountered.


    The middle-aged cultivator greets Mo Hua with a casual smile: "You must be Mo Hua. Mr. Yan has told me about you. I''ll ask, and you answer freely, without restraint. Speak your mind."


    Mo Hua bows, "Yes, sir."


    The cultivator introduces himself, "My surname is Zhuang. You may call me Mr. Zhuang."


    Mo Hua bows again, "Mr. Zhuang."


    Mr. Zhuang nods slightly, "When you passed that path on the mountain, what did you see?"


    Mo Hua thinks and replies, "There were mountains, trees, flowers, grass, and a path."


    "Anything else?" Mr. Zhuang asks with interest, "Did you see anything else? Perhaps people or events?"


    Mo Hua shakes his head.


    Mr. Zhuang reveals, "That path contains an array called the Water Mirror Array, gifted to me long ago by a fellow daoist. The first time someone walks it, it can reveal some of their circumstances or even predict some aspects of their future."


    Mo Hua is shocked¡ªsuch an array exists that can reveal one''s circumstances and future?


    Then what does it mean that he saw nothing? Surely it doesn¡¯t mean he has no future...


    Mo Hua is momentarily anxious, but recalling Mr. Yan¡¯s earlier advice, he honestly says, "I saw nothing else..."


    Mr. Zhuang looks surprised, then nods, "I understand." He then produces an array diagram and continues:


    "Here are some brushes and ink; draw as much of this array as you can from this diagram."


    Mo Hua looks at the diagram¡ªit''s the Stabilizing Water Array, the same one Mr. Yan had used to test him previously.


    "Yes."


    Mo Hua takes the paper and brush, and following the diagram, begins to draw the array.


    An hour later, his spiritual sense exhausted, he has only managed to draw five and a half lines of the array pattern.


    Since he last attempted the Stabilizing Water Array only a few days ago, his spiritual sense hadn''t grown fast enough to complete six lines in such a short period.


    His attempt this time is more skilled, and his strokes more precise.


    Mr. Zhuang examines Mo Hua''s drawing of the array, raises an eyebrow slightly, then says:


    "Not bad. Would you like to become a recorded disciple here? I won''t teach you the specific sect arrays, but if you wish to learn the common arrays of the cultivation world, I am willing to teach you."


    Though unsure why, Mo Hua feels he has somehow passed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s test


    Mo Hua is overjoyed and respectfully bows to Mr. Zhuang, saying, "Thank you, sir, I am willing!"


    In the cultivation world, there are two types of master-disciple relationships: recorded disciples and direct disciples.


    Direct disciples address their masters as "master" and receive personal instruction, forming a deep bond akin to parent and child.


    Recorded disciples are more casual; they can learn whatever they wish, though they cannot address their master as "master," only as "sir." There is still affection between them, but not as profound as between direct disciples.


    However, Mo Hua is grateful that Mr. Zhuang is willing to accept him as a recorded disciple.


    Mr. Zhuang nods and says, "Return today and come back tomorrow at dawn. I will begin teaching you some array techniques."


    "Understood, sir!"


    Mo Hua bows once more, this time as a disciple bidding farewell to his master, then respectfully takes his leave from Mr. Zhuang''s courtyard.


    As he descends the mountain, he finds Mr. Yan still waiting at the foot. Learning that Mr. Zhuang has agreed to take him as a disciple, Mr. Yan breathes a sigh of relief and advises Mo Hua:


    "You are fortunate to have caught Mr. Zhuang''s attention. Treasure this opportunity; he is a great master. Show him respect."


    "Yes, Teacher," Mo Hua responds.


    They walk along the mountain path for a while until Mo Hua suddenly becomes curious and asks, "Teacher, have you been to Mr. Zhuang''s courtyard? What did you see when you passed that path?"


    Mr. Yan turns to look at Mo Hua silently for a moment before saying:


    "When I passed that path, I faintly saw some scenes. Those fleeting images told me that Mr. Zhuang was willing to accept you as his disciple and that you would become an outstanding array master in the future."


    After saying this, they arrive at a crossroad, and ahead lies Tongxian City.


    Mr. Yan looks at Mo Hua, then solemnly says, "Mo Hua."


    Mo Hua turns back, and after a moment of hesitation, Mr. Yan continues: S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Array masters seek the Tao, which is boundless, while human life is fleeting. Only by passing down arrays from generation to generation can cultivators possibly comprehend the Tao and benefit all beings with their arrays."


    "In the future, if you become a high-ranking array master, or even higher, and encounter cultivators with good character and talent in arrays, I hope you will not hesitate to guide them. The path of arrays is like water; only by passing it on can it flow far and wide. Otherwise, it will remain stagnant."


    Mo Hua suddenly feels the weight on his shoulders. He bows to Mr. Yan earnestly, saying, "I will remember, Teacher!"


    Mr. Yan looks relieved.


    Mo Hua can''t help but ask, "Teacher, are you leaving Tongxian City?"


    Mr. Yan nods, "I cannot stay in Tongxian Sect any longer, and I have some personal matters to attend to. I will be leaving soon."


    "Will I see you again?"


    Mr. Yan looks into Mo Hua''s dark and clear eyes, smiling, "We''ll see how fate decides."


    He reaches out to ruffle Mo Hua''s hair, "Go back to your parents and tell them the news."


    Mo Hua heads towards the city gate, but after a few steps, he turns back and bows to Mr. Yan once more.


    Mr. Yan waves his hand gently and says, "Go on." He watches Mo Hua until his figure becomes small in the misty mountains, then turns and walks away.


    At that moment, Mo Hua turns back again to look at Mr. Yan and bows deeply once more.


    As Mr. Yan''s figure gradually fades away, disappearing into the misty mountains, Mo Hua also turns and walks away, heading towards the city gate.

 Chapter 43: Seeking Knowledge

    The Mo family was overjoyed upon hearing that Mo Hua was recommended by Master Yan Jiaoxi to apprentice under a master of array formations.Mo Shan had his reservations initially, but after much thought, he found no cause for concern.


    Master Yan Jiaoxi, a long-serving and respected teacher at Tongxian Sect, wouldn''t recommend someone ordinary.


    Being mere independent cultivators without spirit stones or family wealth, the Mo family had no reason to suspect others of ulterior motives.


    Besides, it was rare for them to even meet a master of such status; this was truly a fortunate opportunity.


    Now that Mo Hua was studying array formations while living at home, Liu Ruhua was delighted to see her son daily and cook meals for him, which made her even happier.


    The next morning, after enjoying a hearty breakfast prepared by Liu Ruhua, Mo Hua set off to the southeastern mountains to seek apprenticeship under Mr. Zhuang.


    At the mountain''s base, following a narrow path, Mo Hua arrived at a bamboo gate and noticed a signboard titled ¡°Sit and Forget Abode,¡± which he hadn¡¯t seen the day before.


    Entering the abode, Mo Hua found Mr. Zhuang idly sitting by a pond, cheek propped on one hand, the other holding a fishing rod fashioned from a bamboo segment, its line dangling baitless into the fishless water.


    Peering into the pond, Mo Hua sensed a deeper meaning in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s actions and, looking up, realized Mr. Zhuang wasn¡¯t really fishing but rather dozing off.


    Fortunately, an elderly man who had met Mo Hua the day before called him aside and explained:


    ¡°Master often dozes off. Just let him be during such times, and try not to disturb him.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Mo Hua nodded, somewhat impressed.


    The elder introduced himself as the steward responsible for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s daily needs, inviting Mo Hua to call him ¡®Elder Gui¡¯. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Gui, noting Mo Hua¡¯s polite greeting, then brought out a chess set, asking, ¡°Do you play chess?¡±


    Looking at the board, Mo Hua inquired, ¡°Is this Five Elements Chess?¡±


    There were many types of chess played in the cultivation world, such as Bagua Chess, Five Elements Chess, Heavenly Origin Chess, and Three Talents Chess, among others. Five Elements Chess was the simplest and most popular form, primarily used for educating young cultivators about the interactions among the Five Elements.


    The rules were straightforward: each player had two types of chess pieces, and the board randomly generated various elemental chess pieces that were only identified upon being flipped over. A player''s pieces that were compatible in terms of generating and overcoming the Five Elements were stronger and could capture the opposing pieces.


    Simple, entertaining, and not overly thought-provoking, it was an excellent intellectual game for young cultivators.


    Although Mo Hua had no issues playing Five Elements Chess himself, it seemed somewhat incongruent for the world-weary Elder Gui to be playing it...


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s hesitation, Elder Gui asked if he thought the game too simplistic.


    After a moment¡¯s pause, Mo Hua, bending the truth slightly, replied, ¡°Simplicity leads to profundity. Often, the simplest of matters are the most profound.¡±


    Elder Gui paused, then realizing the implication, commented, ¡°That¡¯s a good justification. I¡¯ll use it next time I invite someone to play.¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°¡­¡±


    Thus, Mo Hua and Elder Gui began their game.


    Initially, Mo Hua assumed Elder Gui to be an expert, so he played very attentively. However, after a few rounds, realizing they were evenly matched, Mo Hua relaxed, and they both enjoyed the game immensely.


    Unknowingly, it was noon by the time Mo Hua remembered his original purpose...


    Mr. Zhuang, having napped beside the pond all morning, now opened his eyes, checked the position of the sun, and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s time for lunch.¡±


    After a morning of chess that had idly passed half a day, Mo Hua ended up joining them for lunch.


    The meal, prepared by Elder Gui, featured meat, vegetables, and rice, rich in spiritual energy but somewhat lacking in flavor. It seemed Elder Gui was not particularly adept at cooking.


    However, Mr. Zhuang was indifferent; grains turned into vital energy once consumed, and all sensory pleasures were ultimately illusory. Regardless of the meal¡¯s taste, each bite was consumed with a serene and elegant demeanor, as if he were partaking of the essence of nature itself.


    Mo Hua admired Mr. Zhuang¡¯s grace and tried to emulate his refined eating style but found it awkward and eventually just focused on eating heartily.


    Though not delicious, the ingredients were of high quality and contained spiritual energy. Mo Hua, not fussy by nature, found the meal satisfying, especially as Elder Gui kept adding


    meat to his bowl.


    After the meal, Mr. Zhuang seemed to finally remember Mo Hua¡¯s purpose and led him to a bamboo pavilion in the courtyard where a breeze stirred and bamboo rustled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had disciples before, but their learning was different from yours; it¡¯s hard to generalize. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve learned about array formations so far.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then posed several questions, which Mo Hua answered one by one.


    After Mo Hua¡¯s responses, Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment, then retrieved a thick tome, advising Mo Hua:


    ¡°Your knowledge of array theory is too superficial, and what you¡¯ve learned consists mostly of basic array patterns, which are neither comprehensive nor solid. Such a shaky foundation will make it difficult to understand more profound array formations later on. In the path of array formation, you won¡¯t get far without a solid grounding.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang handed the tome to Mo Hua, instructing, ¡°You should start with the basics. This book contains fundamental array theories from various schools, attributes, and lineages in the cultivation world. Memorize what you can, understand what you can, and come to me with questions. Once you have a solid foundation in array theory, I¡¯ll teach you how to craft arrays.¡±


    Gratefully accepting the thick book on array formations, Mo Hua thanked Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang waved him off, ¡°Find a comfortable spot in the courtyard to read; I¡¯m going to rest my eyes.¡±


    Mo Hua then took the ¡°Array Formation Fundamentals¡± to a shady spot under a tree, where he lay on the soft grass and began flipping through the book.


    The opening chapter of the book stated that ancient immortals observed the stars and surveyed the earth, drawing insights from the transformations of all things under heaven and earth. They manifested these insights into array formations that mimicked the workings of the heavenly dao, thus harnessing their immense and unfathomable power.


    Among all cultivation practices, array formation was the most direct and fundamental means of comprehending the heavenly dao, and it also placed the most stringent demands on spiritual sense.


    Array masters were classified from the ninth rank upwards, with those above the ninth rank considered immortals and known as Celestial Array Masters.


    However, Celestial Array Masters were the stuff of legend, as no one had truly attained immortality in nearly twenty thousand years, and thus no one had become a Celestial Array Master. What these heaven-altering Celestial Arrays looked like remained unknown.


    Even records of ninth-rank array masters were scarce, with eighth rank being legendary. Recorded history mentioned a few sixth and seventh-rank array masters, all of whom were from powerful families, ancient sects, or high-ranking elders of the Dao Court¡ªfigures of great ability yet beyond reach.


    From the fifth rank down to the third, more records of array masters appeared, but below that, none were mentioned unless they had achieved something unprecedented in array formation; otherwise, they were not deemed worthy of inclusion in the records.


    After documenting the history of array formations, the book analyzed various array schools and array formation terminologies.


    Families, sects, and regions differed significantly in their array schools, and even within the same array tradition, there could be many sub-lineages. These sub-lineages varied in their approach to learning, researching, and utilizing array formations, resulting in slight differences in effectiveness.


    Each major power kept their core array formations confidential, each conducting their own research and applications, leading to a flourishing yet somewhat insular state in the cultivation world¡¯s array formation landscape.


    Array formations were further categorized by types such as the Binary Array, Trinary Array, Quaternary Array, Five Elements Array, Six Harmonies Array, Seven Stars Array, and the Bagua Array, among others. The most widely transmitted and utilized were the Five Elements and Bagua Arrays, but other types of arrays also had their specific uses.


    ...


    Mo Hua spent most of the day roughly flipping through ¡°Array Formation Fundamentals,¡± feeling enlightened yet even more aware of his insignificance.


    For Mo Hua, becoming a first-rank array master was challenging enough, let alone reaching the seventh, eighth, or even celestial ranks. Array cultivation was like a vast ocean, and Mo Hua, not even a first-rank array master yet, was merely a speck in this vast sea.

 Chapter 44: Enlightenment

    can only be read at Mr. Zhuang''s place and cannot be taken out.In the following days, Mo Hua always arrived early at Mr. Zhuang''s Residence and found a quiet and comfortable place to read alone.


    He silently noted any questions he had, and once Mr. Zhuang had finished his nap, he would seek guidance. Mr. Zhuang was always responsive, often resolving Mo Hua''s doubts in just a few words, greatly impressing him.


    In just a few short days, Mo Hua''s understanding of array formation had grown significantly.


    The Mo couple wanted to visit Mr. Zhuang to express their thanks, but he declined, stating that he preferred solitude and did not engage much with others. He acknowledged their good intentions but dismissed the need for a visit.


    Despite this, the Mo couple still felt somewhat uneasy.


    Thus, Mo Shan went up the mountain and killed a wild ox. Liu Ruhua marinated the beef and stewed it to enhance the flavor, also preparing various pastries for Mo Hua to bring to Mr. Zhuang, advising Mo Hua:


    "Since Mr. Zhuang likes tranquility, we won''t disturb him, but it¡¯s customary to bring gifts. He probably doesn¡¯t lack for things like spirit stones, these foods aren¡¯t precious, but they are heartfelt gifts. I hope Mr. Zhuang won¡¯t find them too humble."


    "Uh-huh," Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    When Mo Hua delivered the food box to Mr. Zhuang, he felt somewhat apprehensive.


    Given Mr. Zhuang''s demeanor, he likely had tasted all sorts of exquisite delicacies, and might not favor these common offerings from independent cultivators.


    However, Mr. Zhuang seemed intrigued by the food box. He tasted a few slices of beef, nodding slightly.


    Though it was low-grade wild demonic beast meat, lacking spiritual energy, the cooking style was quite unique. The fragrance of the beef mixed with spicy seasonings offered a wild charm he had not experienced before.


    It was the first time Mr. Zhuang tasted beef like this, and he ate several more slices, saving some to accompany his drink later.


    Mo Hua also delivered some pastries to Elder Gui. Elder Gui was surprised to receive them but did not behave differently towards Mo Hua, tasting a few without expressing approval or disapproval.


    Seeing that both had accepted the gifts and had even tasted them without any dissatisfaction, Mo Hua felt relieved.


    Liu Ruhua was also happy and took the time to cook various dishes for Mo Hua to deliver to Mr. Zhuang and Elder Gui.


    The mountains had many types of demonic beasts, each with a different flavor. Liu Ruhua, busy with her eatery, would focus on cooking in her spare time. She experimented with different meats and seasonings, each combination yielding a unique flavor.


    She chose the best-tasting dishes for Mo Hua to bring to Mr. Zhuang to try.


    Elder Gui favored crispy pastries, particularly enjoying them while playing chess. So Liu Ruhua made some crispy fruit pastries, which Mo Hua delivered to Elder Gui every now and then.


    Over time, Mr. Zhuang grew accustomed to these flavors, showing less interest in the meals prepared by Elder Gui.


    One day, after delivering stewed meat and pastries to Mr. Zhuang and Elder Gui, and after a day of reading and asking a few questions, Mo Hua bid them farewell and headed home.


    It was getting dark. Mr. Zhuang sat by the pond, watching the evening sky while eating beef and sipping wine, his demeanor quite relaxed.


    Elder Gui, eating pastries on the side, played chess by himself. After a moment, he looked up at Mr. Zhuang and said:


    "Your qi sea is shattered, you can eat other things, but don''t overindulge. Don¡¯t neglect the medicinal meals I make either."


    Mr. Zhuang appeared indifferent: "A broken mirror cannot be made whole again, spilled water cannot be recovered. The qi sea is already shattered, what I eat makes no difference now, might as well enjoy what makes me happy."


    Elder Gui didn¡¯t bother with him and after a moment, suddenly asked, "Is it really that tasty?"


    Mr. Zhuang took another piece of meat and savored it, "The flavor is quite unique."


    Elder Gui frowned and said, "What delicacies haven¡¯t you tasted in your life? Why are you suddenly craving these simple things?"


    "Yes," Mr. Zhuang replied with a meaningful look, his eyes reflecting the cool detachment of the world:


    "I¡¯m tired of exotic foods. Now, these simple dishes, though plain, carry a simplicity of heart, making them truly rare."


    "Oh," Elder Gui seemed uninterested, continuing to focus on his chess game while taking a piece of crispy pastry and munching on it.


    Elder Gui,


    absorbed in the chess game, paused then said, "I¡¯m just chewing to hear the crunch."


    After saying this, he picked up a crispy cake and crunched away.


    Half a month later, after Mo Hua had almost finished reading , Mr. Zhuang began to teach him about array theory.


    The array theory taught by Mr. Zhuang was broader and more abstruse than that taught by Yan Jiaoxi. It was all new to Mo Hua, who learned very slowly.


    Mr. Zhuang was indifferent whether Mo Hua learned quickly or slowly, well or poorly, and never commented more than necessary.


    But perhaps because he had eaten too much beef, Mr. Zhuang felt uneasy and thus asked Mo Hua:


    "What kind of array master do you wish to become?"


    Mo Hua wanted to say a first-rate array master, but that goal might seem trivial in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes, and he really didn¡¯t know what kind of array masters there were, so he simply replied: S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Disciple doesn¡¯t know what kind of array master he can become."


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment then said, "Your spiritual root is not outstanding, even with ample spirit stones and techniques, reaching the Golden Core stage will be difficult, and your realm determines the limit of an array master. Even with high aptitude, without sufficient realm, you cannot touch deeper array methods¡­"


    "Speaking of aptitude, your aptitude is actually quite good, but unfortunately, you started too late and lack a foundational understanding of various array theories. Descendants of large families are immersed from childhood, familiar with profound array methods early on. You lack this depth of knowledge, even if you start learning now, you will be much slower."


    "I previously taught disciples by first teaching them array theory, letting them memorize the myriad array methods and theories of the cultivation world, establishing a foundation that makes it easier to integrate and advance further in the path of array formation."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his expression slightly apologetic, but still straightforwardly said: "But you may not go far, a third-rate array master might already be your limit, so teaching you in the usual way would just be wasting time, offering you no benefit."


    Mo Hua looked downcast, somewhat disheartened.


    But after thinking it over, even becoming a second-rate array master would be cause for joy, considering that in the entire Tongxian City, first-rate array masters were few and far between.


    He had almost been carried away by Mr. Zhuang¡¯s influence¡­


    After a moment, Mo Hua said earnestly: "All things in heaven and earth have their destinies; the disciple only needs to wholeheartedly study array formation. What I can learn is what I will achieve. Being overly concerned with gains and losses will only cause me to lose my true self. Please continue to teach me without reservation."


    Mr. Zhuang looked surprised, watching Mo Hua silently, then smiled faintly:


    "You are correct, man proposes, God disposes. We should not let the fear of loss consume us. Since this is the case, tomorrow I will change my teaching method."

 Chapter 45: Surprise

    The next day, Mr. Zhuang''s teaching method changed. He only taught theories of array formations within the Qi-cultivation stage, pairing them with various arrays to allow Mo Hua to learn progressively.This method resembled that of Yan Jiaoxi, but Mr. Zhuang¡¯s level was much higher, thus his approach was broader, the details more comprehensive, and the connections clearer.


    Mo Hua also felt a secret pity for Yan Jiaoxi. If not for his limited level, Yan Jiaoxi might have been more than just an ordinary instructor, especially in terms of his educational philosophy and deep understanding of array formations, akin to Mr. Zhuang.


    The complex theories of array formations previously taught by Mr. Zhuang gave Mo Hua a headache.


    Mo Hua had never encountered some theories before, so he was clueless and could only memorize them mechanically. However, even with his good memory, these abstract theories were hard to retain. Often, he would forget earlier parts as he memorized later ones. When he looked back at the earlier content, he would forget the latter, making the learning process exceedingly slow.


    These difficult topics Mo Hua was learning were considered foundational by major families, which explained why such families could stand for tens of thousands of years in the cultivation world without falling.


    Compared to these families, ordinary independent cultivators like Mo Hua had a significant gap in heritage and transmission, almost leading to a discontinuity among array masters.


    Mo Hua sighed; comparing himself with others was pointless. He could only strive to do his best. With this self-reminder, Mo Hua calmed his mind and followed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s methods to learn array formations.


    Now, starting from the Qi-cultivation stage, focusing on drawing arrays and supplementing with theory, Mo Hua learned much faster.


    Because he had drawn countless arrays day and night, painting on the Dao Stele at night and on paper during the day, and occasionally scratching roots on the ground when idle.


    In terms of practice volume, some array masters in the later stages of Qi-cultivation might not even match Mo Hua.


    Thus, after Mr. Zhuang changed his teaching method, Mo Hua learned very quickly. Once the theoretical part was completed, and Mo Hua started to draw the arrays himself, his progress accelerated even more.


    Mr. Zhuang first had Mo Hua relearn several arrays containing five array patterns, including some with the Five Elements attributes that Mo Hua had never seen before. Elder Gui had even prepared all the necessary drawing materials for him.


    Mo Hua learned eagerly and persistently.


    During the day, he drew arrays at Mr. Zhuang''s tranquil residence, and at night, he continued practicing in the Dao Stele within his sea of consciousness, finding the arrays with five patterns not too challenging. After a few days, he could master an array.


    Then came the six-pattern Stabilizing Water Array. Previously, Mo Hua''s spiritual sense was not strong enough to complete it. Now, after more than half a month, practicing arrays every day, his spiritual sense had increased significantly. Although still somewhat strenuous, he could now fully draw the array with six patterns.


    After completing the Stabilizing Water Array, Mr. Zhuang taught him several new arrays, such as the Heavyweight Array, the Flowing Sand Array, and the Small Cloud Rain Array. Supported by his spiritual sense and constant practice, Mo Hua mastered them all in half a month.


    Mr. Zhuang was very pleased with Mo Hua¡¯s progress and his temperament.


    Not every child of Mo Hua''s age had the determination to sit and study array formations every day.


    Privately, however, Mr. Zhuang still felt a tinge of regret and said to Elder Gui:


    "Mo Hua''s comprehension is even better than I thought, but it''s a pity he comes from an independent cultivator background. His foundational knowledge in array formations is lacking, otherwise, he might not be much inferior to those favored talents from major families..."


    "What¡¯s so great about those favored talents?"


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment.


    Elder Gui silently observed Mr. Zhuang, his voice flat and indifferent yet unmistakably ironic, "Weren¡¯t you once a favored talent? What about those disciples you took in before, weren¡¯t they all favored talents, and what came of them? How low have you fallen now, do I even need to say it..."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, annoyed, "If I die young, it would surely be from frustration caused by you!"


    Elder Gui remained unmoved, "Life and death are predestined, your saying this shows that you still don¡¯t understand the Dao of Heaven."


    Mr. Zhuang simply lay back in his lounge chair, thoughtfully adding, "The heavens are not benevolent; all beings are mere dogs. If one truly understands the Dao of Heaven, can he still be considered human?"


    Elder Gui


    continued to play chess alone, sitting still as if he were petrified wood.


    After teaching many array formations containing six patterns, because six patterns were relatively complete and involved many basic forms, it required extensive study and understanding.


    When Mr. Zhuang was ready to teach seven-patterned array formations, he discovered something quite surprising¡ªMo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense had grown unusually fast.


    The first time Mr. Zhuang met Mo Hua, his spiritual sense was insufficient to draw six patterns, but now, a month later, not only could he support himself to complete an array with six patterns, he was even able to draw six and a half patterns of a seven-pattern array.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual power had progressed minimally over the month, but his spiritual sense had increased rapidly.


    Mr. Zhuang frowned slightly, sensing something amiss.


    One day, as Mo Hua was learning an array with seven patterns, Mr. Zhuang suddenly asked, "Mo Hua, do you know about visualization techniques?"


    Mo Hua looked baffled, "Disciple has never heard of it."


    "Is that so," Mr. Zhuang tapped the table thoughtfully, then asked, "Have you ever seen any strange images or patterns that, upon a single glance, immerse one¡¯s spiritual sense uncontrollably?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and shook his head.


    The strangest thing he had seen was the Dao Stele in his mind, but it had no discernible patterns or lines, and staring at it did not lead to immersion.


    Mr. Zhuang paused, then added, "You must have noticed that your spiritual sense is growing faster than others."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Disciple draws arrays during the day, and at night, I dream of practicing them too. Moreover, practicing in dreams does not consume spiritual sense, allowing it to gradually strengthen over days and nights."


    He didn¡¯t mention the Dao Stele, but everything else was true.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t entirely sure whether his increased spiritual sense was due to the Dao Stele or simply because he kept drawing arrays.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Master, does continuously drawing arrays enhance spiritual sense?"


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily speechless.


    Drawing arrays continuously consumes spiritual sense but also continuously trains the sea of consciousness. Over time, naturally, the spiritual sense also strengthens.


    However, the usual practice in the cultivation world is to first find ways to enhance spiritual sense, then learn array formations.


    Because relying on drawing arrays to enhance spiritual sense is extremely slow and carries the risk of depleting spiritual sense, potentially damaging the sea of consciousness irreversibly.


    Thus, very few cultivators think of relying on such a simplistic and slow method, fraught with great risk, to enhance their spiritual sense.


    Mr. Zhuang felt that things weren¡¯t so simple, and looked at Mo Hua doubtfully. But meeting Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, he found a pair of unusually sincere and straightforward eyes.


    Mr. Zhuang had taught many disciples and seen eyes filled with admiration, fear, and craftiness, but never such candid eyes. He chuckled, "Well then."


    "Do you know meditation techniques?" Mr. Zhuang asked again.


    Mo Hua shook his head again. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Meditation techniques allow a cultivator to enter a meditative state through meditation, recovering spiritual sense more quickly. This isn¡¯t something a cultivator of your level should learn, but you are somewhat special, so you can learn it now."


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what Mr. Zhuang meant by special, but he was happy to learn something new, "Thank you, Master."


    "But there is one thing you must remember," Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression became more serious.


    "If anyone asks why your spiritual sense grows quickly, just say it¡¯s because of the meditation techniques I taught you. Don¡¯t say anything else."


    Mo Hua was somewhat confused, but he felt that Mr. Zhuang was looking out for his best interest and silently memorized his words.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and pulled a thin booklet from his sleeve, inscribed with three characters:


    "Meditation Techniques."

 Chapter 46: Meditation

    The content in the booklet was straightforward, containing just a few diagrams on entering a meditative state and some pages of mental techniques that briefly explained how to regulate, stop breath, and enter meditation, and how to abandon miscellaneous thoughts to achieve a state of self-forgetfulness.Mo Hua looked over the few diagrams and lines of text in the booklet, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.


    "Does it seem very simple?" he asked.


    Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "Sir, is this just a basic method of meditation?"


    "No," Mr. Zhuang denied, "All the insights and practices of the meditation technique are in this booklet."


    Seeing Mo Hua''s confusion, Mr. Zhuang further explained:


    "The meditation technique is simple in that all the key points are laid out in these diagrams and pages of insights, clear at a glance. However, the difficulty lies in the elusive nature of human thought; you cannot simply decide to meditate and forget yourself and the world around you."


    Mo Hua pondered thoughtfully as Mr. Zhuang continued:


    "For instance, the myriad desires of the world¡ªpeople claim they can see through them, but how many truly can? Some truths seem simple, those who understand can grasp them instantly, while those who don¡¯t might never understand in their entire life, and often, those who don¡¯t understand think they do."


    "This meditation technique is the same. If you truly can meditate, casting aside miscellaneous thoughts, then naturally, you will learn quickly. But if you are burdened with heavy thoughts and cluttered with distractions, no matter how much you learn, you will not grasp it."


    Mo Hua seemed to understand, then frowned and said, "So if I can''t cast aside my miscellaneous thoughts, does that mean I won''t be able to learn it?"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, "It''s not as difficult as you think. I have used this meditation technique for many years and have distilled it down to a simple piece of wisdom¡ª''Follow nature without deceiving yourself.''"


    "Follow nature without deceiving yourself..." Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    "Everything in the world is what it is, as is your own mind, whether it¡¯s restless or calm, cruel or depressed, righteous or despicable, even if it¡¯s unbearable, you should accept it frankly without deceiving yourself."


    "If you can achieve this, your mind will be as still as water and as clear as a mirror, and you will more or less be able to meditate."


    Mo Hua, enlightened, started browsing through the "Meditation Technique." After a while, out of curiosity, he asked:


    "Sir, does the meditation technique have any special use when mastered to a high level?"


    "There isn¡¯t," Mr. Zhuang replied, "The meditation technique from beginning to end only enables you to meditate and recover spiritual awareness. Even when mastered to a high degree, it merely speeds up the meditation and recovery of spiritual awareness. Moreover, the longer you practice, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you¡¯ll get better at it."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "Can it actually get worse with more practice?"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua meaningfully, "You''re still a child now, your experiences and thoughts are relatively simple, and you have fewer distractions, so perhaps you can meditate more quickly. As you grow older and see more of the world, you¡¯ll have more distractions and desires, and then meditation won¡¯t be so simple."


    Mo Hua nodded in realization.


    He thought about his own experiences, which weren''t few, considering he had memories from another life.


    But thinking about it, he was only in his twenties in his previous life, and not very experienced. This lifetime was just a decade more. Even combined, he was much younger than Mr. Zhuang, and his experiences couldn''t compare. Being called a "child" wasn''t wrong.


    Mo Hua, curious, asked again, "Then sir, how is your meditation technique now compared to before?"


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment, "I probably started when I was over ten years old, had learned various array theories, and was quite proficient in high-grade arrays. I then began learning the meditation technique, and initially, I learned it very quickly. During my youth, the technique continued to improve, often after drawing an array, a mere tea-time meditation would suffice to replenish my spiritual awareness."


    "When I was young and impetuous, my thoughts were unsettled, so my progress in the meditation technique stalled. Later, through many upheavals and a troubled state of mind, I didn''t settle down to meditate, and my proficiency regressed."


    "Now, many things seem less important, and I hardly need the meditation technique anymore¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang felt nostalgic, but realizing he had been talking too much, and seeing Mo Hua still engrossed as if listening to a story, tapped Mo Hua on the forehead and said, "


    Study hard."


    "Oh," Mo Hua then calmed his mind, focusing on studying the meditation technique.


    The essence of the meditation technique was to cast aside miscellaneous thoughts, to clear the mind, and to enter a state of self-forgetfulness.


    Mo Hua followed the methods described in the "Meditation Technique," sitting quietly and thinking of nothing, slowly entering a state of meditation.


    After entering the state, he truly felt relaxed, as if he had escaped the physical constraints of the body, his mind suddenly felt broad and open, and the spiritual awareness he had used up drawing arrays was gradually recovering, faster than before.


    However, Mo Hua''s meditative state was shallow; not even lasting the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, his thoughts drifted slightly, and he exited the meditative state.


    Mr. Zhuang, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, noticed this and opened his eyes, saying:


    "For your first time reaching this level, it''s quite good. Once you master it, after drawing arrays, just meditate and you''ll accomplish much more with less effort."


    "Thank you, sir!"


    Mo Hua was thrilled, previously he could only practice arrays on the stele in his sea of consciousness, and his progress during the day was slow. Now that he had learned to meditate, he could recover his spiritual awareness quickly, and even if he didn¡¯t have the background of those noble family disciples, his diligence could make up for it, and he might not be inferior to others in the future.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Sir, I understand the meditation technique now, but what about the visualization technique you mentioned earlier?"


    Mr. Zhuang, lying leisurely in a bamboo chair, said, "Guess, what is the visualization technique used for?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "The meditation technique is for recovering spiritual awareness, so is the visualization technique used to enhance spiritual awareness?"


    "Exactly," Mr. Zhuang nodded, "In the cultivation world, there are no techniques for cultivating spiritual awareness. Ancient cultivators created the visualization technique to strengthen spiritual awareness."


    "Is the visualization technique different from other techniques?"


    "The visualization technique is a simplified, unstable method that can enhance spiritual awareness, but it is not a cultivation technique for spiritual awareness," Mr. Zhuang explained.


    "Spiritual power is tangible and can be used to activate spiritual weapons and practice techniques, it follows meridians, but spiritual awareness is different, there are no meridians in the sea of consciousness, and there is no stable way to cultivate spiritual awareness."


    "The only way to quickly enhance spiritual awareness is through contemplation. Contemplation involves patterns, text, or ancient objects containing the rules of Dao or powerful spiritual awareness. To some extent, you can assimilate with them and gradually strengthen your spiritual awareness."


    "However, the effects of the visualization technique vary from person to person, and the diagrams used for practicing the technique, even in those large noble families, are extremely rare, so it has not spread widely in the cultivation world and cannot be promoted as a stable cultivation method like other techniques."


    "Visualization technique¡­" Mo Hua murmured.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment, his expression slightly serious:


    "Although the visualization technique can enhance spiritual awareness, you better not use it, even if you do, be cautious and not completely rely on it."


    Mo Hua asked, puzzled, "Is it because my talent is insufficient, so it might backfire?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "It has nothing to do with talent. The visualization images reflect others'' spiritual awareness and their understanding of the Dao. In other words, what you visualize is someone else''s ''Dao'', or perhaps, a non-human ''Dao''. Once your spiritual awareness becomes immersed in it, it can lead to very dire consequences." S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, "These things are still too early for you to worry about. You just need to focus on studying arrays. You might not even come across such diagrams in the future."


    After that, Mr. Zhuang had Mo Hua practice the meditation technique a few more times, and as the evening approached, he let Mo Hua go home.

 Chapter 47: Origin

    A few days later, Mo Hua became more skilled in his Meditation Techniques. After entering meditation, his spiritual awareness recovered twice as fast as before. Previously, after drawing one array, he needed a half-hour rest, but now, it only took the time of two or three cups of tea to recover.However, as he continued to comprehend the Meditation Techniques, he hardly felt any further advancement.


    Perhaps this was what Mr. Zhuang mentioned, that entering meditation requires a certain temperament, and without significant changes in temperament over time, the effectiveness of meditation wouldn''t increase. It requires years of persistent effort for the effects of meditation to gradually improve.


    This was the effort of grinding water, not something that could be rushed in a short time.


    Thanks to the Meditation Techniques, Mo Hua could draw more arrays each day, and his spiritual awareness grew faster.


    For nearly a month thereafter, Mo Hua spent most of his time learning array techniques from Mr. Zhuang.


    Sometimes, when Mr. Zhuang felt lazy, he would give Mo Hua a few days off.


    Mo Hua took the opportunity to visit Destiny''s Shop, finding Manager Mo, and told him that he was going to study array techniques with his master and wouldn''t have time to help Destiny''s Shop with their arrays anymore.


    Manager Mo wasn''t surprised; he just glanced at Mo Hua and said, "Weren''t these arrays drawn by your elder brother?"


    Mo Hua scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly.


    Manager Mo sighed and said, "I''ve never seen such a talented kid. Anyway, learn well."


    "Of course, Manager Mo!"


    Manager Mo paused, a bit embarrassed, but then whispered, "Later, if, cough, I mean, if there''s something I need your help with, if you can, please help me..."


    "Don''t worry, Manager Mo, considering our relationship, that''s not a problem," Mo Hua patted his chest.


    Manager Mo couldn''t help but smile, saying with a smirk, "You sure talk big," but he looked quite pleased.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked, "Where has Yan Jiaoxi gone, Manager Mo, do you know?"


    Manager Mo fell silent, then sighed, "It''s his private matter, related to the sect, and I shouldn''t tell you. When you''re older, if you still want to know, I''ll tell you."


    Mo Hua silently nodded.


    After Meng Da Hu and his brothers left the sect, they had more time.


    If there was nothing urgent, they would come to play with Mo Hua. Occasionally, when the restaurant was too busy, they would help out, and then enjoy a steaming bowl of beef noodles. Liu Ruhua would even let them take some other foods home.


    Sometimes, Mo Shan was at home and would teach them some martial arts and Taoist techniques.


    Taoist techniques are divided into spells and martial arts.


    Spell cultivators practice spells, and physical cultivators practice martial arts.


    Martial arts techniques activate the body''s potential with spiritual power, unleashing powerful physical strength and attributes of the spiritual power itself, fighting enemies at close range.


    For instance, Mo Shan excelled in Blazing Fist Technique. When he struck, his punches were swift and fierce, with red flames of spiritual power wrapped around his fists, demonstrating considerable power.


    Meng Da Hu and his brothers practiced with Mo Shan, their punches as fierce as a tiger''s wind, Mo Hua watching with envy.


    Unfortunately, Mo Hua lacked the talent for physical cultivation; he couldn''t learn any martial arts techniques, and even if he wanted to learn offensive techniques in the future, it would likely be through spiritual cultivation, practicing spells.


    Spells involve controlling spiritual power with spiritual awareness to condense spells for long-range attacks, avoiding close combat.


    Meng Da Hu and his brothers were very serious students, nearing the sixth layer of Qi cultivation. Reaching this level, they were to enter Dahei Mountain to become Demon Hunters.


    Dahei Mountain was dangerous, with fierce demonic beasts. If their skills were not up to par, hunting demons in the mountain could be a life-and-death ordeal. Thus, they did not dare to slack off.


    The restaurant''s business was better day by day. After being open for a long time and earning a good reputation, even some wealthy cultivators from the northern part of Tongxian City would make a special trip from north to south, crossing the entire city, to enjoy a plate of beef and a pot of brewed wine.


    In the entire city of Tongxian, this was the only place where one could enjoy meat for just two spirit stones.


    And in the entire region of Dahei Mountain, this was the only restaurant serving such delicious demonic ox meat.


    With the business thriving, Liu Ruhua, overwhelmed, hired two aunties to help. Both women came from poor families, and their husbands were disabled from demon hunting and unable to work.


    As lower-class cultivators, they


    worked diligently; the two aunties and Jiang Yun managed the restaurant impeccably.


    Jiang Yun, hardworking and earnest, helped in the restaurant, gradually improving her living conditions, and her husband''s health also improved, allowing him to perform some simple physical work. She was no longer as timid and reserved as before.


    To thank Mo Shan and his wife, Jiang Yun spent time making various snacks as a thank you gift, having learned the techniques from her mother.


    In her childhood, her family had once run a snack shop, but due to unforeseen changes, they lost their property, and the snack shop could no longer be operated, although the skills were passed down. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The snacks Jiang Yun made were simple but tasty. Liu Ruhua let her make more to sell in the restaurant, allowing her to earn more spirit stones to support her family.


    In her spare time, Liu Ruhua also learned to make snacks from Jiang Yun. Some of the snacks Mo Hua brought to Elder Gui were those Liu Ruhua learned from Jiang Yun.


    Besides, Jiang Yun also stir-fried pine nuts.


    Outside Tongxian City, there were various types of pine trees, and pine nuts were abundant, but they weren''t filling, so no one wanted them.


    Occasionally, when Jiang Yun went up the mountain to gather wild vegetables, she would bring back some pine nuts, roasting them in a pan until they were fragrant and crisp. Placed in the restaurant, customers would use them to accompany their drinks or tea, which was also quite popular.


    And surprisingly, Elder Gui liked pine nuts the most.


    Once, when Mo Hua brought some snacks to Elder Gui, he also grabbed a handful of pine nuts for him.


    As Elder Gui cracked the pine nuts while playing a game of Five Elements Chess with Mo Hua, the crisp sound of cracking nuts and the unique fragrance of pine nuts seemed to relax him.


    Before long, the chess game wasn''t finished, but Elder Gui''s pine nuts were all gone.


    Elder Gui''s already modest chess skills clearly declined further. Though he was expressionless, Mo Hua could sense some disappointment on his face.


    As Mo Hua was leaving, he said to Elder Gui, "Grandfather Gui, next time I come, I''ll bring some more pine nuts for you."


    Elder Gui nodded.


    As Mo Hua was leaving, the usually reticent Elder Gui also admonished him, "Be careful on the road."


    It was unclear whether he was concerned about Mo Hua or the pine nuts.


    Afterward, Mo Hua''s life gradually stabilized.


    In Tongxian City, amidst the thousands of lights, there was joy and sorrow, and the cultivators also lived diligently. Mo Hua was just one of those thousands of lights, quietly cultivating and drawing arrays.


    Time passed like this for over a month.


    Mo Hua continued to study array techniques with Mr. Zhuang, researching array diagrams, practicing drawing arrays, and meditating to restore his spiritual awareness. His days were calm like still water, without ripples.


    But Mo Hua''s foundation in spiritual awareness and array techniques gradually stabilized, and his understanding of array principles deepened. After viewing the Six Paths Array Patterns several times and practicing a few more, he could basically master them.


    One clear morning, the sunshine was bright, and the mountain air was crisp.


    As usual, Mo Hua went to Mr. Zhuang''s place to learn about array techniques, but at the door, he encountered several unfamiliar cultivators.

 Chapter 48: Visitors

    At the mountain path in front of Zuo Wang Residence, three cultivators stood.Among the three, two children stood in front, and behind them was a woman with a veiled face.


    The boy and girl appeared slightly older than Mo Hua and were dressed in splendid, luxurious clothes, clearly not of ordinary status. At the moment, they stood respectfully on the front steps, bowing towards the mountain above.


    The boy had handsome features, and his eyes sparkled with brilliance.


    The girl was extremely beautiful, her skin even whiter and more translucent than snow and ice under the sunlight.


    From afar, the duo resembled celestial beings, like a golden boy and jade girl beside an immortal.


    Behind the children stood a tall woman wearing a veil, her face obscured, resembling a family steward or guardian. There was no spiritual energy fluctuating around her, but she exuded a pressure Mo Hua had never felt before.


    "It seems they are scions of a noble family, here to seek instruction from Mr. Zhuang..." Mo Hua mused to himself, though such matters were obviously for Mr. Zhuang to decide and none of his concern.


    Mo Hua only needed to learn array techniques from Mr. Zhuang well, being just a nominal disciple with uncertain prospects of how long Mr. Zhuang would teach him.


    As Mo Hua made his way up the mountain, the trio at the gate also saw him. Noticing his plain clothes and weak spiritual power, they merely glanced over and didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    Mo Hua walked past them, ascending the remote mountain path, and reached the courtyard amidst the clouds.


    Then, with a push of his small hand, he opened the bamboo gate that they had waited for hours to enter. He walked in as if it was his own home.


    The expressions of the trio became complex.


    The two children couldn¡¯t help but glance at the woman behind them, who subtly shook her head, signaling them to be patient. With that, the children settled down and continued to wait respectfully.


    Inside the courtyard, Mo Hua put down his bamboo basket, took out a plate of soy-sauced meat and several plates of pastries, and arranged them on a small table. This way, Mr. Zhuang could enjoy some wine or tea while admiring the garden upon waking.


    Mo Hua sneaked a peek inside the house; Mr. Zhuang was still enjoying his sleep.


    Then, Mo Hua delivered two boxes of fried pine nuts to Elder Gui. Elder Gui, who was up early, was playing a game of Five Elements Chess by himself, his expression unreadable, between boredom and intrigue.


    Mo Hua placed the pine nuts aside, and Elder Gui tasted one, noting, ¡°The flavor is different.¡±


    ¡°These are two flavors. One is fried with sweet licorice and the other with spicy herbs. My mother said to give them to you, to change things up.¡±


    After trying one from each box, Elder Gui nodded, ¡°First practice your array techniques. If you get tired, come and play chess with me.¡±


    Mo Hua then ran to the study, picked up a few array manuals he hadn¡¯t finished reading, and sat down under the big locust tree in the courtyard, leaning over a small stone table to study the array techniques.


    The small table and stump were specially made by Elder Gui for Mo Hua and placed in his favorite spot, perfectly sized for him.


    Mr. Zhuang was undemanding, but Mo Hua knew such opportunities were rare and he might not have another chance to receive guidance on array techniques from such a master.


    Therefore, Mo Hua studied very earnestly.


    For a loose cultivator like Mo Hua, even being a nominal disciple was a significant fortune.


    Grateful, he showed no slack in his efforts.


    Studying array manuals and copying array patterns consumed spiritual awareness, which Mo Hua would restore using Meditation Techniques before returning to his studies. Once his spiritual awareness was depleted again, he would pause his meditative restorations.


    As Mr. Zhuang advised, moderation is key. Even though Mo Hua felt no issues, he still followed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings.


    When he couldn¡¯t read or draw arrays due to exhaustion of spiritual awareness, Mo Hua would play chess with Elder Gui.


    Five Elements Chess was simple and didn¡¯t require much thought, making it a relaxing pastime.


    After several games of chess with Elder Gui, as evening approached, Mo Hua bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang and took the empty dishes and food boxes back home.


    The sunset cast a beautiful glow on the mountains as Mo Hua left Mr. Zhuang¡¯s courtyard, noticing the trio still standing at the gate. Their posture and expressions were still respectful, but now tinged with fatigue.


    Even for cultivators, standing a whole day without food or drink could be trying, especially for the two children who were only slightly older than Mo Hua.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t wish to meddle.


    They


    had been standing outside for a day; Mr. Zhuang was certainly aware of it. Whatever the situation, it was clearly Mr. Zhuang¡¯s decision not to meet them.


    To see them or not was Mr. Zhuang¡¯s choice, not something for Mo Hua to worry about.


    So, Mo Hua simply nodded in acknowledgment to the trio, then silently continued down the mountain with his basket. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When he returned the next day, Mo Hua found the trio still at the gate.


    The mountain was hot during the day and cool at night with heavy dew.


    Having stood for a day and a night, the veiled woman was still fine, her profound cultivation enough to withstand the extremes.

 Chapter 49: Sunset Glow

    In the evening, Mo Hua first returned home to have some food prepared by his mother: two bowls of piping hot noodles, some soy beef, refreshing pickled vegetables, a few plates of snacks, and several pots of osmanthus wine.After packing these foods into a lunchbox and placing it in his storage bag, he headed up the mountain.


    On the mountainside, a boy and a girl, along with a veiled woman, were still standing upright.


    Approaching them with his storage bag, Mo Hua straightforwardly said:


    "You have disturbed Mr. Zhuang''s peace. It''s better for you to leave; Mr. Zhuang does not wish to see you."


    The children looked disheartened upon hearing this, and the veiled woman said:


    "Please inform him that an old friend has come to visit with urgent matters, and we must see Mr. Zhuang."


    Mo Hua responded, "Why you have come is already known to Mr. Zhuang. If he doesn''t want to see you, waiting any longer is futile."


    The boy, with a resolute expression, said, "I will wait as long as it takes to see Mr. Zhuang."


    The girl didn''t speak, but her eyes also showed no sign of backing down.


    Curious, Mo Hua asked, "What if Mr. Zhuang continues to refuse to see you? Will you really wait forever? Even for ten or a hundred years?"


    The boy stubbornly remained silent.


    He was quite handsome and seemed intelligent, but perhaps a bit too stubborn. Mo Hua mused to himself.


    "And what will you eat?" he asked.


    "I have sustenance pills," replied the boy.


    "Eating too many of those pills can harm your body," Mo Hua advised.


    Sustenance pills, crafted by alchemists using ordinary ingredients combined with preservative drugs to form pills, are easy to store and can stave off hunger and replenish vitality. They are essential for cultivators on long journeys or in prolonged seclusion. However, prolonged consumption can harm a cultivator''s vitality.


    "Ha," the boy snorted dismissively, but he still glanced covertly at the veiled woman.


    The veiled woman acknowledged Mo Hua''s consideration but said, "We must see Mr. Zhuang before we can leave."


    "You might stay here with the intent to see Mr. Zhuang, but no matter how long you wait, you won''t see him. Given Mr. Zhuang''s character, the longer you wait, the less he wants to see you," Mo Hua explained.


    The veiled woman hesitated; although she had never met Mr. Zhuang, she had heard of his ways and suspected the young boy before her was probably right.


    "If Mr. Zhuang does not want to meet you, even waiting until you become skeletal remains will be in vain," Mo Hua continued.


    Seeing her begin to waver, he added, "In cultivation, everything is about timing and fate. If Mr. Zhuang is not meeting you, it''s because the timing isn''t right. No matter how persistently you wait, it''s against your wishes."


    "When will we have the fate to meet him?" the woman inquired.


    "That depends on Mr. Zhuang''s mood. Visit on a bright and sunny day, perform a courtesy at his door, and if the door opens, Mr. Zhuang wishes to see you. If it remains closed, the time has not come, and you should leave," Mo Hua advised.


    The woman was still uncertain, "The lady instructed us to ensure the young master and miss meet Mr. Zhuang; leaving now..."


    "If waiting fruitlessly for ten or eight years damages your cultivation and vitality, even if you do meet Mr. Zhuang and become his disciples, the weakened foundation would hinder your path to the great Dao. What would be the point then?" Mo Hua countered.


    Nodding, the woman frowned, "We never said we wanted to become his disciples. How did you know?"


    Mo Hua thought to himself, you brought two children of the age to begin cultivation to meet the master; if not to become disciples, what else could it be for?


    But outwardly, he kept a calm demeanor and invoked Mr. Zhuang''s authority:


    "I''ve told you, everything is within Mr. Zhuang''s expectations. You should return now, and when Mr. Zhuang is willing to meet you, he will."


    After finishing his words and feeling the time was right, Mo Hua opened the lunchbox, and a delicious aroma wafted out.


    "Do you want to eat something?"


    The girl was okay, but the boy almost couldn''t stand still. Although he tried to appear composed, his eyes could not resist peering into the lunchbox.


    The taste of the sustenance pills was not pleasant, and they could not compare to the flavorsome meat and snacks in Mo Hua''s lunchbox.


    Seeing the pale faces of


    the young master and miss, who were accustomed to comfort and had never experienced such hunger, the veiled woman''s heart softened.


    She had watched the two children grow up; even if they could not become Mr. Zhuang''s disciples and had to defy the lady''s orders, she would rather face punishment herself than let the young master and miss suffer.


    Moreover, the young boy''s words were correct; daily consumption of sustenance pills, combined with the harsh mountain climate, could ruin their cultivation foundation, and nothing could compensate for that.


    "Then, thank you, young friend," the woman said to Mo Hua.


    "Young master, miss, please eat something first. Since Mr. Zhuang does not wish to see us, the time has not come. We will choose another day to visit."


    The children also thanked Mo Hua.


    Then they took out the noodles and various snacks from the lunchbox. Despite their hunger, they ate with grace, clearly well-mannered scions of a noble family.


    The boy tasted a piece of spicy beef, initially detecting an odd flavor, but as he continued to chew, the taste became increasingly delightful, and he found himself unable to stop.


    "Is this meat?" he asked.


    "It''s from a demonic beast," Mo Hua responded nonchalantly.


    The boy''s eyes widened, "Can you eat the meat of a demonic beast?!"


    "You are eating it...," Mo Hua looked at him indifferently.


    "But isn''t it said that consuming the meat of demonic beasts can damage one''s vitality and lose one''s mind?"


    "This is from a wild mountain ox; it feeds on grass and won''t harm a cultivator''s vitality. Those beasts that eat flesh and humans, their meat should not be consumed." S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua appeared unimpressed.


    The boy, a bit fearful yet not wanting to appear weak in front of Mo Hua, took a few more bites and discovered that the more he ate, the more irresistible it became...


    Meanwhile, the girl looked at the snacks in Mo Hua''s lunchbox, "These snacks..."


    "They''re made by my mother, and they''re delicious!" Mo Hua proudly stated.


    "Your mother... makes snacks for you to eat?"


    "Besides snacks, she makes lots of delicious food," Mo Hua nodded.


    The girl''s cool eyes revealed a trace of envy before she took a delicate bite from a snack on her plate.


    Crisp and sweet.


    Her long eyelashes shadowed her eyes, concealing her thoughts, and after a moment, she looked up at Mo Hua and praised, "It''s very tasty."


    Her voice was crisp and melodious, akin to celestial beings playing heavenly music.


    Mo Hua was pleased, squinting his eyes and smiling, "Yeah, my mother makes the tastiest food!"


    After finishing their meal, before departing, Auntie Xue took out a glowing jade pendant and offered it to Mo Hua:


    "This is a first-grade Clear Heart Pendant, which helps keep the mind focused during cultivation. It''s not very valuable, so consider it a token of our gratitude."


    Though Auntie Xue said it wasn''t valuable, the flowing light on it indicated it was no ordinary item, especially valuable to a solitary cultivator like Mo Hua.


    While Mo Hua was tempted, he knew he couldn''t accept it.


    Their politeness was all because of Mr. Zhuang''s influence. Without it, given the disparity in their statuses, they probably wouldn''t even speak to him.


    Studying array formations under Mr. Zhuang was already a favor; he couldn''t trade Mr. Zhuang''s face for benefits.


    Mo Hua politely declined, and when Auntie Xue insisted, he said:


    "If you really want to give something, just give some meal money. Five spirit stones would suffice."


    Auntie Xue was taken aback, as if she had never heard such a request before. Nevertheless, she took out a storage bag containing forty to fifty spirit stones.


    Mo Hua took only five stones and returned the bag to Auntie Xue. Without waiting for her to respond, he waved his hand and walked down the mountain with his storage bag.


    Auntie Xue watched Mo Hua in silence, and just as he was about to disappear into the distance, the girl suddenly spoke up, her voice crisp and melodious:


    "What is your name?"


    Although faint, Mo Hua heard her and turned back, smiling, "My name is Mo Hua."


    At that moment, the sunset was like spilled ink, and the mountain scenery resembled a painting.


    Amidst the brilliant sunset glow, Mo Hua stood on the mountain, as if he was part of the splendid mountainous landscape.


    The name Mo Hua, along with the colorful sunset, lingered in her sea of consciousness.

 Chapter 50: Siblings

    Every morning thereafter, the three of them would visit Mr. Zhuang, paying respects from outside his door for the span of half a teacup. If the door remained shut, they would then descend the mountain.Mo Hua actually wanted to tell them that Mr. Zhuang was accustomed to sleeping in until the afternoon, making their visit timing inopportune.


    Yet, he reconsidered, thinking that at least for the time being, Mr. Zhuang did not seem inclined to meet them.


    Whether they arrived early or late, they would not see Mr. Zhuang. Since they were fated not to meet, the timing of their visits seemed trivial.


    Their morning ventures into the mountain allowed them to witness the mountains draped in morning glow, making their trips worthwhile.


    During his ascents, Mo Hua would occasionally encounter them, exchanging greetings and, if time allowed, engaging in casual conversation.


    Though both hailed from prestigious families, appearing prideful, they were actually quite approachable.


    In their conversations, Mo Hua learned that the siblings¡¯ surname was Bai. The elder and strikingly handsome boy was Bai Zisheng, and his sister, Bai Zixi, delicate as a porcelain doll.


    They had traveled far on the behest of their family elders to apprentice under Mr. Zhuang and study array formations.


    Bai Zisheng was talkative, while Bai Zixi spoke less.


    The siblings bore some resemblance, but Bai Zixi was notably more beautiful.


    Mo Hua, shocked upon closer inspection, thought her beauty unreal, as if not made of flesh but crafted from celestial beauty and jade bones.


    As Mo Hua stole another glance, he mused internally:


    "Beauty often spells trouble, and it seems the Goddess Nuwa wasn¡¯t merely creating a person with Bai Zixi, but rather crafting a calamity¡­"


    Accompanying the Bai siblings was a veiled woman called Aunt Xue, apparently a family protector.


    Mo Hua was unsure of Aunt Xue''s cultivation level, but it was definitely high, emanating a subtle oppressive aura unlike any other cultivator he had met before.


    The highest cultivator he had seen was an elderly sect master from the Tongxian Sect, a mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator. However, due to his age and waning spiritual power, he did not exert the same pressure as Aunt Xue.


    ¡°At least a Foundation Building stage¡­¡±


    Mo Hua guessed silently.


    Having a Foundation Building cultivator as a guard spoke volumes about the siblings¡¯ status. The Bai family was undoubtedly a prominent clan from beyond Luzhou. Mo Hua wisely chose not to inquire further about their exact standing.


    Such matters of noble clans and sects were far beyond Mo Hua, a cultivator of humble origin.


    For independent cultivators like him, advancing to the Foundation Building stage was exceedingly challenging. In the small Tongxian City, such cultivators held significant status.


    His own cultivation might never surpass that of a mere guard in his lifetime.


    Mo Hua remembered his initial resolve: to diligently study array formations to become a first-class Array Master, which would eventually enable him to establish a foothold in the cultivation world.


    Despite Mr. Zhuang¡¯s silent consent to the Bai siblings'' daily visits, he showed no interest in meeting them.


    However, Mr. Zhuang seemed to relax over time, maintaining a routine of rising in the afternoon to drink beef with liquor or enjoy pastries with tea, gazing at the mountainous vistas in contemplation.


    Mo Hua continued his routine: studying arrays, drawing them, meditating, and then drawing some more. Whenever he had doubts, he would seek Mr. Zhuang''s guidance.


    One day, Mr. Zhuang abruptly tasked Mo Hua with drawing an array called the "Tripartite Array."


    This array included six paths of array patterns, which Mo Hua could not complete with his current spiritual awareness, and its structure was quite unique, differing from the Five Elements Array he was accustomed to.


    Mr. Zhuang gave Mo Hua only one day to work on it, asking to see whatever he could manage by the next day.


    Mo Hua devoted the day to studying the "Tripartite Array," attempting several drawings. That night, he practiced on the remnants of steles in his sea of consciousness.


    The next day, in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s presence, Mo Hua presented the array, albeit discontinuously and with difficulty, rendering some patterns ineffective due to insufficient spiritual awareness.


    Mr. Zhuang said nothing, noting Mo Hua¡¯s fatigue and pale complexion¡ªsigns of overused spiritual awareness¡ªand lit an incense stick. The pale smoke, carrying a refreshing fragrance, rose and filled the air.


    ¡°This is Calming Spirit Incense, nourishing for spiritual awareness. Meditate here until the incense burns out, then head back and rest. No more drawing arrays today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    After expressing his gratitude, Mo Hua meditated, feeling his spiritual


    awareness recover more rapidly. About the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the incense was spent, and he respectfully took his leave. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After Mo Hua departed, Mr. Zhuang stared at the "Tripartite Array," pondering deeply without uttering a word.


    Elder Gui entered, noticing his expression, and inquired, ¡°Was it poorly drawn?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not about being poorly drawn¡­ With insufficient spiritual awareness and limited time, it¡¯s impossible to draw it well. There will inevitably be flaws, but¡­¡±


    He furrowed his brows, ¡°Mo Hua is learning too quickly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with quick learning?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just quick; it¡¯s too quick¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang unfolded the "Tripartite Array," explaining:


    ¡°This ''Tripartite Array'' uses a completely different array hub and patterns compared to the Five Elements Array. I only gave him the diagram yesterday, and in just one day, he¡¯s almost mastered it. If not for his lacking spiritual awareness, he might have actually managed to draw this array correctly¡­¡±


    His gaze sharpened, ¡°The strangest part is, with Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual awareness, he should¡¯ve only been able to practice it three or four times at most, but looking at this ''Tripartite Array'' now, the strokes seem quite practiced, almost as if he¡¯s done it about ten times.¡±


    Elder Gui¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his tone deepened, ¡°Are you suggesting¡­ Mo Hua is hiding something from you?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve never asked, so it¡¯s not a matter of hiding. But it seems that Mo Hua might indeed have some other fortuitous encounter.¡±


    Elder Gui rolled his eyes, ¡°In the path of cultivation, who doesn¡¯t have their fortunes? Haven¡¯t you had your share? Every creature born into this world is already blessed with great fortune by the heavens.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell into thought.


    Elder Gui continued, ¡°If you really care, just ask him.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked startled, ¡°Ask him?¡±


    Elder Gui, growing impatient, said, ¡°You¡¯re such a person, believing yourself to be perceptive, yet really just overthinking things, always assuming others are as secretive as you. Mo Hua seems straightforward enough, not like you, hiding countless thoughts and acting all hesitant.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang lay back in his chair, his tone calm, ¡°If I really were that suspicious, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation.¡±


    ¡°Birds of a feather flock together; you think you¡¯re clever and like dealing with cunning people. But since your heart isn¡¯t as dirty as theirs, you naturally get played. This situation is of your own making, and you can¡¯t blame others.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled bitterly, ¡°Yes, so now I can only associate with someone as heartless as you to find some peace.¡±


    Elder Gui¡¯s face remained impassive, and he spoke no more.

 Chapter 51: Hidden Wood

    The next day, Mr. Zhuang, unusually, did not sleep in. Upon seeing Mo Hua, he gestured for him to come over. "Mo Hua, follow me."Mr. Zhuang led Mo Hua to his study and asked, "How many times have you practiced the Tripartite Array?"


    Mo Hua felt genuinely grateful to Mr. Zhuang and did not want to conceal anything. However, the matter of the Dao Stele was a bit mystical, and he felt it was not right to speak openly about it. Yet, he also did not want to lie, so he honestly replied:


    "Sir, I practiced it on paper three or four times, and then another seven or eight times in my dreams."


    He spoke the truth but omitted mentioning the Dao Stele.


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily stunned. "In your dreams?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua said. "After I fall asleep, I can continue to work on the arrays in my dreams."


    Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brows and looked at Mo Hua, only to find his expression sincere and his gaze so clear that it seemed to reflect one''s own image.


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, "I see."


    What did he see...


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang, puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, then advised Mo Hua:


    "This conversation stays between us. Should anyone else inquire, you need not respond, and certainly don''t mention practicing arrays in dreams."


    "What if someone insists on probing further?"


    "If they do, you tell them as I''ve said before, it''s because you learned Meditation Techniques, which is why you grasp arrays quickly."


    "And if they ask for the method of the Meditation Techniques?"


    Mr. Zhuang casually said, "If you can avoid giving it, do so. If they insist on taking it by force, you may have to fight them. If you cannot defeat them or escape, then hand over the technique. Techniques are mere external things; your life is what truly matters."


    Mo Hua thought it over and found it reasonable, but still asked:


    "What if someone learns the Meditation Techniques and finds it doesn''t help them learn arrays faster?"


    "In that case..." S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a bit, then said, "You can only claim that you have an exceptional talent, an eidetic memory that allows you to master arrays after a few glances. And remember, when you say this, you must be arrogant. Adopt a disdainful demeanor as if you are a rare genius."


    "A disdainful demeanor?"


    "I''ll show you. Watch and learn."


    With that, Mr. Zhuang''s usual languid demeanor transformed. He seemed like a dragon rousing from rest, full of proud and disdainful grandeur.


    After the display, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor relaxed again, and he told Mo Hua:


    "Like that, try to practice it when you have time."


    Mo Hua was deeply impressed.


    Mr. Zhuang usually exuded an air of sage-like grace, but when it came to bluffing, he was remarkably adept.


    Alone by the pond, Mo Hua tried to mimic the arrogant stance, chest puffed out and waist pinched, but he never quite matched Mr. Zhuang¡¯s imposing aura.


    "Cultivation is a profound learning, it seems not just about skills and arrays, but other things are also worth learning from the master."


    Mo Hua resolved to master this act of pretense whenever he had the chance.


    As the evening wore on and dusk approached, Mo Hua bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang and headed home.


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang lay on a lounge chair in the bamboo pavilion, lost in thought. Elder Gui played chess by himself.


    A breeze swept through the pavilion, and after a long silence, Mr. Zhuang suddenly said, "This is not good."


    Elder Gui lifted his eyelids, "What''s not good?"


    "That boy Mo Hua..."


    Elder Gui gave Mr. Zhuang a look, "Do you think he wasn''t telling the truth?"


    "Whether he told the truth or not doesn''t matter, there are some things that should not be said."


    "Why is that a problem?"


    "He learns too quickly," Mr. Zhuang frowned.


    Elder Gui was slightly taken aback, "Didn''t you already say that?"


    Mr. Zhuang continued, "He''s my registered disciple. Learning too fast can attract trouble."


    Elder Gui placed a piece on the board, "But he''s not that quick-witted, his talents and comprehension are far inferior to yours at his age. Even compared to many scions of great families, he still lacks much."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "You can''t compare like that. Great families have their own heritage and teachings. Even a pig, under their influence, would learn arrays faster than normal. As for me..."


    Mr. Zhuang spoke calmly,


    "In the world of cultivation, those with better innate talent for arrays than me are few, so it¡¯s normal for others to be inferior."


    It was a shame there was no audience; Elder Gui continued playing chess, uninterested in lifting his head.


    Mr. Zhuang felt a bit nostalgic for Mo Hua''s presence; his bright, admiring eyes always understood.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed,


    "Mo Hua is different. Being an independent cultivator with no family background or legacy, his foundational knowledge in arrays is weak. If his proficiency in arrays advances too quickly, it could attract unwanted attention or even danger."


    "You''re being cautious for once, that''s rare," Elder Gui smirked.


    Mr. Zhuang stretched lazily, "The tree that stands out in the forest is the one that gets blown down by the wind. I used to not understand the wisdom of keeping a low profile, and that¡¯s why I suffered losses."


    "So what do you plan to do? Stop teaching him?"


    Mr. Zhuang lay back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest, "I have to keep teaching him. He''s my disciple, even if not by direct transmission. I can''t just teach him a little; otherwise, it would damage my reputation and disgrace my sect."


    Elder Gui remarked, "You didn''t care about such superficial honors before."


    "People care about their image as they age," Mr. Zhuang replied.


    Elder Gui looked at the languid Mr. Zhuang, "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it."


    Mr. Zhuang ignored Elder Gui, closed his eyes, seeming to ponder, yet also like he was dozing off.


    Elder Gui continued to play chess as usual.


    As the night deepened and the evening wind rustled through the mountains, the trees whispered softly.


    Mr. Zhuang suddenly opened his eyes, gazing into the wooded mountains under the night sky, and murmured,


    "A tree stands out in the forest, and the wind will destroy it... If the tree does not stand out, the wind cannot touch it."


    Elder Gui looked puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze swept across the trees and then rested on the front gate of the courtyard.


    Every morning, the Bai siblings would come up the mountain to visit.


    Those two children were exceptionally talented, the finest of the woods.


    The next morning, just as usual, the Bai siblings arrived at the gate to pay their respects, but unlike other days, the usually closed bamboo gate suddenly swung open.


    At the same time, the sign "Sit and Forget Abode" appeared above the gate.


    Behind the gate was a courtyard with locust trees reaching to the sky, small bridges over flowing waters, clouds swirling, brimming with an air of mysticism.


    Bai Zisheng was stunned as he said,


    "Aunt Xue... The gate is open, does Mr. Zhuang wish to see us now?"


    The usually calm Aunt Xue was also emotionally stirred, "It seems so."


    She thought to herself,


    "If Mr. Zhuang is willing to see us, that¡¯s good. Even if he doesn¡¯t take the young master and young mistress as disciples now, they can at least serve by his side. With their talents, Mr. Zhuang will surely agree eventually."


    Bai Zisheng looked tentatively at his sister and noticed Bai Zixi¡¯s delicate face as usual showed no extra emotion.


    A trace of sympathy flashed in Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes, then he quietly stepped in front of his sister and walked into the courtyard.

 Chapter 52: Meeting with the Guest

    The scenery in the courtyard was different from what the three had imagined; it was serene but seemed quite casual.A pond and a view, merely ordinary in uniqueness, without any fluctuations of spiritual energy, did not resemble the residence of a great cultivator.


    Mr. Zhuang also differed from their expectations. Although he had the handsome and heroic look, and a visage weathered by hardships, it seemed he lacked the temperament they imagined.


    Aunt Xue was respectful, pondering silently in her heart.


    Before leaving, the madam had shown her a portrait in which the man stood with his hands behind his back atop a mountain peak, resembling a fully unsheathed celestial sword with a domineering aura that almost made one dare not look directly at him.


    The current Mr. Zhuang was lying leisurely in a bamboo chair, rocking back and forth, appearing very¡­ languid.


    If not for the portrait, one would hardly believe it was the same person.


    Despite this, Aunt Xue dared not show any disrespect, respectfully handing over a token and a jade slip to Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°The madam asked me to deliver this token and letter to you, sir, saying that you would understand once you see them.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the token and then at the jade slip, chuckled lightly:


    ¡°She really is a good junior sister, still thinking of me and sending troubles my way.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang turned to Aunt Xue, ¡°When you have time, tell your madam that too much scheming by a woman can age her quickly.¡±


    Aunt Xue bowed her head, not daring to respond.


    Mr. Zhuang then looked at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, nodding his head: ¡°The aptitude is indeed excellent, worthy of¡­¡± He paused, leaving his sentence unfinished.


    Aunt Xue did not know what Mr. Zhuang meant, but seeing his appreciation for Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi¡¯s aptitudes, she showed a pleased expression, ¡°Then, sir¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t take direct disciples, at most as a nominal disciple,¡± Mr. Zhuang put down the jade slip, ¡°If you are willing, stay; if not, you may leave.¡±


    This was within the expectations of the madam, as Aunt Xue remembered the madam¡¯s words before leaving:


    ¡°My senior brother is stubborn by nature; he will do what he promises, and nothing can make him do what he doesn¡¯t agree to. But he can be softened, just slowly persuade him. If not a direct disciple, then being a nominal one, or even just staying to serve tea and water is good. As long as he holds affection, he will eventually take in Zixi and Zisheng.¡±


    Aunt Xue quickly said, ¡°To be taken as a nominal disciple by sir is already a divine opportunity, how could we be unwilling.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s dispense with the formalities, just call me ¡®sir¡¯ and that will be enough.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi performed a kneeling salute to Mr. Zhuang, calling out ¡°We greet you, sir.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the two children, his expression becoming distant for a moment.


    He faintly saw two children, a handsome boy and a beautiful girl, paying respects to an old man with white hair, recalling the children¡¯s tender voices, ¡°We greet you, master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses, a trace of self-mockery crossing his face, then said:


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many rules here, your mother¡¯s skills in array formation are not low, she should have taught you what needs to be taught, and you¡¯re past the age for basic array initiation, you should have some foundation, learn on your own, if you have questions, come and ask me, but one thing, do not disturb me while I am meditating.¡±


    ¡°I have another nominal disciple here, called Mo Hua, you¡¯ve probably met him, just get along well.¡±


    After saying this, Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, ¡°You may leave, ascend the mountain at the hour of Chen, descend at the hour of You, the rest of the time is at your leisure, if unclear, go find Mo Hua.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi then respectfully took their leave, the three left the bamboo house, coming to the courtyard.


    Aunt Xue felt that things had gone more smoothly than she thought, almost a bit too casually.


    And she also didn¡¯t know why Mr. Zhuang had not met them before, but after these days, he was willing to see them and had simply accepted Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi as apprentices.


    Aunt Xue frowned, puzzled.


    ¡°Could it really be as Mo Hua said, that Mr. Zhuang acts based on opportune moments, not seeing us was because the opportunity


    hadn¡¯t come, and now seeing us, the opportunity has arrived?¡±


    As Aunt Xue walked, she saw Mo Hua under the locust tree, earnestly reading a book on array formations.


    Aunt Xue felt that there must be something unusual about Mo Hua, for Mr. Zhuang to take him as an apprentice, and Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng also wanted to know what Mr. Zhuang teaches.


    The three approached Mo Hua, who was intently reading a book on array formations.


    Mo Hua was completely focused on his book, but hearing their approach, he looked up and saw Bai Zisheng and his sister. He said, ¡°You met Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Aunt Xue replied, ¡°Indeed, and thanks to the young master¡¯s words before, otherwise we might have waited in vain for many days.¡±


    ¡°I am no young master, just call me Mo Hua,¡± Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°and if you have to thank anyone, thank the sir, it has nothing to do with me.¡± S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, Bai Zisheng could not help but ask, ¡°The book you¡¯re reading¡­ is it ¡®Elementary Solutions to the Five Elements Array¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng wondered, ¡°Following Mr. Zhuang, you are still at this stage? This is the book our clan¡¯s children three to four years old use for basic array training¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly annoyed.


    One could question him, but questioning Mr. Zhuang was not acceptable.


    Mo Hua retorted, ¡°Was this book written by three to four-year-old children?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was stunned for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s not the case, these basic array books, although seemingly simple, are very significant and mostly compiled by great cultivators with profound knowledge in array techniques.¡±


    ¡°If they were compiled by such great cultivators, why can¡¯t they be read? The simpler things are, the deeper the truths they contain, the great way is simple, returning to the pure and true. Even high-level arrays are composed of the most basic array patterns.¡±


    Mo Hua, imitating Mr. Zhuang, adopted an air of profound mystery.


    Still, his limited experience only allowed him to mimic three or four parts of the demeanor, but it was enough to fool Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng had an epiphany, seeing Mo Hua in a new light.


    However, moments later, he again wondered, ¡°Your cultivation is so low, you look only two or three years younger than me and Zixi, but how come you are only at the third level of Qi cultivation? Normally, one should at least be at the fifth or sixth level¡­¡±


    Mo Hua found him somewhat annoying; too much talk when full, but he seemed more likable when hungry and too weak to speak.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t really want to deal with him, but Aunt Xue, feeling apologetic, said:


    ¡°Sorry, Zisheng spoke out of turn, what does one need to do as Mr. Zhuang¡¯s apprentice?¡±


    Bai Zisheng wanted to argue something, but Bai Zixi gave him a cold glance, and Bai Zisheng swallowed his words.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind, saying, ¡°Nothing much, just practice and study on your own, consult the sir when he¡¯s free, but don¡¯t disturb the sir¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Is sir¡¯s proficiency in array formation really that high? I see that the courtyard is quite ordinary, not using any special arrays, shouldn¡¯t a place where an array master lives be covered in array formations?¡±


    Mo Hua countered, ¡°If Mr. Zhuang¡¯s proficiency in array formation wasn¡¯t high, why would you go through all the trouble to become his disciple?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±


    ¡°Young master!¡±


    Aunt Xue called out to Bai Zisheng, who realized his slip of the tongue, and casually replied, ¡°Because I had only heard about it and had not witnessed it myself, so I asked you.¡±


    ¡°Oh~¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him skeptically but said nothing else.

 Chapter 53: Disciples

    Bai Zisheng felt somewhat guilty and then a bit annoyed, feeling his spirit weaken. He straightened his chest and glared at Mo Hua."They probably have ulterior motives for wanting to become disciples¡­" Mo Hua thought to himself, then ignored Bai Zisheng and focused on reading the beginner¡¯s guide "Initial Explanation of the Five Elements Array."


    Today, he intended to finish the book because he had some questions to ask Mr. Zhuang in the evening. If he kept chatting, he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it.


    Bai Zisheng, finding no interest in the conversation and being new to the place, didn¡¯t know what else to do. He and Bai Zixi began sitting with spirit stones and meditating.


    While they meditated, a faint blue aura of spiritual power surrounded them, indicating that their cultivation level was probably at the later stages of Qi cultivation given the depth of their spiritual power.


    Mo Hua was secretly impressed. Indeed, the resources of a great family were different from ordinary cultivators. Although only two or three years older than Mo Hua, their cultivation was already four or five minor realms higher than his.


    And from Bai Zisheng''s earlier words, both siblings also possessed high talents and standards in array techniques.


    Mo Hua silently thought: "There are always people better than oneself, and the heavens beyond this sky. One should not be arrogant but also not disheartened. Just diligently continue cultivating and studying array techniques."


    Mo Hua quickly calmed his mind and continued to study the array book.


    A cool breeze started in the mountains, rustling the leaves and rippling the pond water, and then everything returned to calm.


    Initially, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s small courtyard had only one disciple, but now it had three.


    After consulting with Mr. Zhuang and finishing his questions as the evening approached and the sunset covered the mountains, it was time for Mo Hua to go home.


    He bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang, and at the crossroads, he also said goodbye to the Bai siblings before slinging his storage bag over his shoulder and walking down the mountain path illuminated by the sunset.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi took another mountain path. Halfway through, Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "Aunt Xue, can you tell what kind of spiritual root Mo Hua has?"


    Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, then said, "Judging by the fluctuation of his spiritual power, it seems to be a minor Five Elements spiritual root, with scant and mediocre quality, and it appears he hasn¡¯t formally started any cultivation techniques."


    "An ordinary minor Five Elements spiritual root, and he¡¯s looking at beginner''s array books¡­"


    Bai Zisheng muttered and added, "Mr. Zhuang only agreed to take us as nominal disciples, and that¡¯s also because of our mother¡¯s influence. What merits does that Mo Hua have to be taken as a nominal disciple by Mr. Zhuang?"


    Aunt Xue frowned slightly, recalling Mo Hua¡¯s behavior, and said:


    "Mr. Zhuang is unconventional in his methods of accepting disciples and doesn¡¯t necessarily look only at one''s aptitude¡­"


    Aunt Xue further explained, "Moreover, the path of cultivation is long; we shouldn''t only look at short-term progress. This child Mo Hua probably comes from an independent cultivator background. Independent cultivators are different from family cultivators; they lack inheritance and resources. Both their cultivation and understanding of arrays start late, and they progress slowly. They can¡¯t compare with the children from great families."


    Bai Zisheng asked, "Is the gap between independent cultivators and family cultivators really that big?"


    "The gap is not just big; it¡¯s like the difference between heaven and earth."


    Aunt Xue sighed and advised:


    "Even if Mo Hua comes from humble beginnings, you are now half his fellow disciples, so don¡¯t belittle him or hold a grudge, and be mindful of how you speak, lest you displease Mr. Zhuang."


    "I understand, Aunt Xue," Bai Zisheng replied, nodding, half understanding.


    The next day, the Bai siblings went up the mountain at dawn, and together with Mo Hua, they studied under Mr. Zhuang.


    Elder Gui set up two more stone tables under the big pagoda tree next to Mo Hua¡¯s small table.


    The three children each pursued their cultivation and studied, gathering in the evening at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place for answers.


    The Bai siblings, both in terms of cultivation level and knowledge of arrays, were far ahead of Mo Hua. Many questions they raised were things Mo Hua barely understood, but Mr. Zhuang often gave brief insights that struck the heart of the matter.


    Although Mo Hua did not fully understand, he gradually absorbed the knowledge and benefited greatly.


    Mo Hua thought it was a good thing that Mr. Zhuang


    had taken the Bai siblings as nominal disciples. Otherwise, many questions he had never encountered would have remained unasked.


    Now, with others to ask and Mr. Zhuang to answer, all Mo Hua needed to do was listen carefully.


    Thus, the three of them became Mr. Zhuang¡¯s nominal disciples, spending their days each practicing cultivation, drawing arrays, consulting Mr. Zhuang, and then returning home.


    The three didn''t talk much on a daily basis. Mo Hua was absorbed in his books when reading and had no time for idle chat.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat haughty, and since Mo Hua didn¡¯t approach him for conversation, he naturally didn¡¯t seek out Mo Hua either. Bai Zixi, on the other hand, was somewhat aloof and also not much of a talker.


    This routine continued for a month until one evening, the three Meng brothers approached Mo Hua, telling him that the Lotus Festival was coming, and invited him to go out and enjoy the festivities.


    The Lotus Festival was a minor holiday but quite lively.


    It was said to commemorate a meritorious cultivator from Tongxian City. Every year at this time, people would burn incense and light the nine-curved lotus treasure lamps to send their remembrances.


    Having drawn arrays all day and his spiritual sense depleted, Mo Hua had also used the Meditation Technique twice and could not use it again. With nothing else to do, he decided to go out with his three young friends to enjoy the festivities.


    Passing by the far left side of the street, they discovered a newly built cave dwelling. Located in a rather remote area, it occupied a large plot, seemingly formed by buying up several contiguous houses and rebuilding.


    The cave dwelling¡¯s gate bore no plaque and was built with greyish-blue bricks, appearing understated but still standing out among the ordinary and low houses of the independent cultivators.


    Mo Hua wondered, "When did this cave dwelling appear here?"


    Xiao Hu said, "You haven¡¯t been around this part for a while, so you didn¡¯t know. This cave dwelling has been built for about a month now."


    Xiao Hu looked at the high walls of the cave dwelling and exclaimed, "Building this cave dwelling must have cost a lot of spirit stones."


    "How many?" Da Hu counted on his fingers but couldn¡¯t figure it out, eventually scratching his head, "Thousands, maybe¡­"


    "Probably tens of thousands¡­"


    "Tens of thousands of spirit stones¡­ I could never save up that many in my lifetime¡­"


    "Can¡¯t you be a bit more ambitious?"


    "Do you have the ambition to save that many?"


    Shuang Hu said, "I said to have ambition, not that you necessarily need to save up the spirit stones. Most of those who aspire to become immortals usually don¡¯t become immortals and end up gone¡­"


    Da Hu and Xiao Hu nodded together, finding it reasonable.


    Shuang Hu curiously added, "This place is so remote, far from the market, and inhabited by ordinary independent cultivators. Who would bother building such a big cave dwelling here, unless they had too many spirit stones?"


    "If I had that many spirit stones, I¡¯d build such a big cave dwelling too."


    "Who do you think the owner of this cave dwelling is?" Shuang Hu turned to Mo Hua, "Mo Hua, do you know?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "How would I know?"


    Before their conversation ended, the gate of the cave dwelling opened.


    Out walked a handsome boy, a delicately beautiful girl, and a veiled woman with a graceful figure.


    Mo Hua recognized them immediately¡ªit was the Bai siblings and Aunt Xue.


    The Bai siblings also saw Mo Hua and his friends. Bai Zisheng paused, "Mo Hua?"


    Da Hu and the others all looked towards Mo Hua, who was also taken aback; he hadn¡¯t expected the owners of the cave dwelling to be the Bai siblings.


    Bai Zisheng asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Mo Hua replied, "I¡¯m out shopping."


    "Shopping?"


    Bai Zisheng seemed to hear the word for the first time, his expression becoming excited, then he eagerly looked at Aunt Xue.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes also brightened, her gaze turning towards Aunt Xue like autumn waters. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 54: Lotus Festival

    Aunt Xue looked into two pairs of watery eyes, her heart wavering.The lady of the house was always strict in her discipline, demanding high standards from the young miss and young master from a young age, allowing them to focus only on cultivation and studying arrays and alchemy. Except on special festivals, they were rarely allowed outside, and even then, they were accompanied and expected to return before dark, with no delays allowed.


    Though this ensured the young miss and master excelled in cultivation, it stifled their natural childlike spirit.


    Sometimes, Aunt Xue wished to let them play and laugh like normal children. However, the lady had high hopes for them, and any diversion caused by play could delay their cultivation, for which Aunt Xue would bear the blame.


    Bai Zisheng said, "Aunt Xue, I just want to look around a bit, to see what Tongxian City is like."


    Aunt Xue hesitated, but Bai Zixi tugged at her sleeve and also called out, "Aunt Xue..."


    Aunt Xue''s heart melted completely. "Alright, but we can only stay out until the hour of Hai."


    "Thank you, Aunt Xue!" Bai Zisheng immediately brightened up.


    Aunt Xue then smiled at Mo Hua, "We are new here and not familiar with Tongxian City, so please lead the way."


    s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.Aunt Xue''s kind demeanor, and Mo Hua, looking at the eager eyes of the Bai siblings, couldn''t refuse.


    He had planned to return early to draw a few more array patterns, but having drawn too many recently, and his meditation techniques not recovering, a night''s rest seemed good.


    The group then strolled down the streets, exploring the night market of the Lotus Festival in Tongxian City.


    Though Tongxian City was a minor celestial city, not particularly bustling, the crossflow of people and myriad lights created a lively, festive atmosphere.


    Mo Hua and the Meng brothers led the way, with the Bai siblings following a few steps behind, looking around with fresh, curious eyes. Aunt Xue, ever cautious, followed quietly behind them.


    Along the way, the twins whispered to Mo Hua, "Do you know them?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "We are fellow nominal disciples under Mr. Zhuang."


    "They aren''t from Tongxian City, are they?"


    "No, they seem to be from a distant, prominent family..."


    "Distant? Outside of Tongxian City?"


    "Probably even further, beyond the Li province."


    "Beyond Li province... How long would that take?"


    The group, feeling both excited and nervous about the unknown regions of the cultivation world, continued their chat.


    Xiao Hu suddenly asked, "Mo Hua, are you close to them?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, "Not really, just sort of fellow sect members; we don''t talk much otherwise."


    Xiao Hu nodded, "These noble family descendants really don''t have much in common with us."


    Mo Hua felt something was off with that statement, but couldn''t pinpoint what.


    In the cultivation world, the gulf between noble families and independent cultivators was vast. The older and more profound the noble family, the more unapproachable they were for ordinary cultivators. Although both were cultivators, they weren''t really considered the same.


    As they walked, the group felt somewhat constrained and didn''t enjoy themselves as much.


    Seeing their discomfort, Mo Hua chuckled, "Go and have fun on your own; I''ll just wander around with them for a bit and then head back. I still have some array patterns to draw tonight."


    Xiao Hu exclaimed, "You''re still going to draw arrays tonight? Being an array master is tough..."


    The twins said, "We''ll buy something fun for you too if we find anything good."


    "How about a candy figurine from Pan Datou''s stall? We plan to buy tiger-shaped ones; we''ll get one for you too."


    Da Hu scratched his head and added earnestly, "If anyone dares to bully you, just call us, and we''ll come help you!"


    "Got it," Mo Hua smiled, and the three ran off like birds freed from a cage.


    Aunt Xue, seeing this, called Mo Hua over, asking, "I don''t know what festival it is today, why it''s so lively."


    "Aunt Xue, today is the Lotus Festival."


    Aunt Xue looked puzzled, "I''ve never heard of such a festival in the cultivation world."


    Mo Hua explained, "It''s a minor festival, only celebrated near Tongxian City, not elsewhere."


    "Why is it called the Lotus Festival?"


    Bai Zisheng asked curiously, while Bai Zixi turned her head to listen to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua thought back, "When I was a child, I asked my parents, and they said the Lotus Festival commemorates the Wandering Lotus Hermit."


    "The Wandering Lotus Sage? Was this hermit a great cultivator?" Aunt Xue inquired.


    "To us, perhaps a great cultivator, but not so much in the grand scheme of the cultivation world," Mo Hua replied. "I''m not sure about the exact level of cultivation, but I''ve heard from some older folks that the Wandering Lotus Hermit was at the late Foundation Building stage, though some say it was the Golden Core stage."


    "It is said that back then, Li province was scorching hot, the vegetation withered, and starving demonic beasts descended from the mountains to prey on humans, causing a beast tide. The cultivators of Tongxian City fought bravely but were overwhelmed by the sheer number of beasts. Just as the city gates were about to be breached and many cultivators faced death, the passing Wandering Lotus Hermit alone held back the tide. The city''s cultivators were saved, but the hermit perished from exhaustion of spiritual power..."


    "It''s said that today marks the day of the hermit''s passing, and since then, every year at this time, the people of Tongxian City light various lotus lanterns, sending them into the sky to remember the hermit''s deed with a bright spectacle."


    Listening intently, Bai Zixi was captivated, while Bai Zisheng felt his blood boil.


    Imagining the scene, as if in the midst of the beast tide, fighting ferocious and brutal demonic beasts. After a fierce battle, although victorious, he too would fall exhausted and die.


    Years later, many cultivators still remembered the merit of that day, and his name was etched in the minds of the city''s cultivators.


    Bai Zisheng, filled with fervor, exclaimed, "To live without fear of death, to march towards it, such a tragic yet stirring life is the destiny of a true cultivator."


    Aunt Xue sighed helplessly, "Young master, the lady has only you for a son, please take care of yourself."


    Bai Zisheng''s enthusiasm waned, and he hung his head low.


    Mo Hua chuckled, and Bai Zisheng retorted slightly annoyed, "Are you laughing at me?"


    Mo Hua replied casually, "No."


    Bai Zisheng grew even angrier, while Bai Zixi''s lips curled up, her face shining brighter than the lantern-lit sky.


    Aunt Xue thought for a moment, still puzzled, "The physical bodies and demonic energies of demonic beasts are far stronger than those of cultivators. Even a Golden Core stage cultivator alone could not possibly withstand a beast tide, let alone a late Foundation Building cultivator. It doesn''t seem worth such an elaborate commemoration by the city''s cultivators..."


    As they spoke, they arrived at a small stall displaying various lotus lanterns, intricately designed and sold for a mere five fragments of spirit stones.


    Mo Hua took out five fragments, laid them on the stall, and picked a lotus lantern that couldn''t quite be made out to be any auspicious beast. Lighting it, the flame illuminated the creature, making it appear lifelike.


    Releasing the lantern, it slowly ascended, blending into the myriad lights above.


    Mo Hua watched the sky filled with lanterns and murmured, "In this world, despite cultivators reaching the skies with their abilities, how many would sacrifice their cultivation and dao foundation for strangers? The cultivators of Tongxian City commemorate not the cultivation level of the Wandering Lotus Hermit, but the benevolence that benefitted all lives."


    Bai Zisheng nodded, lighting a majestic red tiger-shaped lantern earnestly and sending it skyward.


    Bai Zixi released a golden phoenix-patterned lantern, dazzling and beautiful.


    Hesitating for a moment, Aunt Xue, after a glance at Mo Hua, also chose a green phoenix-shaped lantern, sending it into the night sky.


    Across Tongxian City, the specks of light gathered, illuminating the dark night sky.

 Chapter 55: Strolling the Streets

    After releasing the lotus lanterns, it was still not late, so the group continued to stroll along the street.Perhaps because of a few verbal spats, Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua had warmed up to each other, no longer standing on ceremony, and thus their conversation flowed more freely.


    "What are those cultivators doing?" Bai Zisheng asked, pointing curiously at a platform.


    Following his gaze, Mo Hua saw a simple platform where several cultivators dressed as Demon Hunters were wrestling with a bovine-shaped "demonic beast." The "beast" had a copper head and a brocade-like hide, shimmering as if it were alive, though it was actually a cultivator disguised in beast skin.


    "Oh, it''s a demonic beast fighting play."


    "Demonic beast fighting?" Bai Zisheng''s interest was immediately piqued.


    "The cultivators of Tongxian City mostly make their living as Demon Hunters, routinely battling demonic beasts, so during festive celebrations, Demon Hunters perform these fighting plays. It''s both a form of entertainment and a traditional activity for them."


    As they spoke, the fighting play on stage reached a climax.


    Several Demon Hunters, one wielding a knife that suddenly wrapped in intense flames, another swinging his fists creating a whooshing sound, and a third standing afar, forming hand seals that summoned several fireballs that soon engaged the beast in combat. The area sparkled with overflowing spiritual energy and lights.


    "Wow, Blazing Knife, Whirling Fist, Fireball Technique!"


    A child nearby shouted excitedly, clapping his hands loudly.


    Bai Zisheng was equally enthralled, his face flushed with excitement.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "You''ve reached the later stages of Qi cultivation, haven''t you? You must have learned some spells by now..."


    His expression was one of someone who hadn''t seen much of the world yet...


    Bai Zisheng gave Mo Hua a look, "Of course I know spells, but my mother doesn''t let me use them. She says that building a foundation during the Qi cultivation phase is most crucial. Learning some superficial spells to fight others is foolhardy. An injury could damage the foundation and ruin my future cultivation."


    "Oh," Mo Hua acknowledged.


    For noble families, the Qi cultivation phase is merely for laying a solid foundation; focused cultivation is sufficient, with no need for practical spell use.


    For ordinary independent cultivators, who might remain in the Qi cultivation phase their entire lives, learning various spells to battle demonic beasts and scraping a living on the knife''s edge is a necessity.


    "It would be nice if the lower ranks of independent cultivators didn''t have to live so hard," Mo Hua sighed, feeling a mix of emotions.


    Beyond the fighting plays, there were also novel spell tricks, fascinating shadow plays, wooden dogs that moved when fed spirit stones, and various aromatic snacks...


    After a full round, Bai Zisheng was still visibly excited, and Bai Zixi''s cheeks were flushed, looking even brighter than the lanterns above.


    As dusk approached, they regretfully parted ways, each heading home.


    "Thank you for showing us around and introducing us to the local customs of Tongxian City," Aunt Xue thanked Mo Hua, then mysteriously produced a small box of snacks she had purchased along the way as a token of gratitude, not costing many spirit stones.


    Mo Hua accepted it graciously, replying with a smile, "Thank you, Aunt Xue."


    Aunt Xue nodded with a light smile.


    Bai Zisheng then said to Mo Hua, "If you have time, come to Qianzhou. I''ll show you the Grand Heavenly Ceremony. It''s not as lively as here, but it''s a grand spectacle with all sorts of rare spiritual beasts and flying vessels¡ªit''s a sight to behold."


    "Definitely!"


    Mo Hua was quite intrigued, wondering about the grandeur of the millennia-old noble families and sects of Qianzhou, though he wasn''t sure if he would ever get to visit.


    The world of cultivation is vast, and even Li province alone contains countless immortal cities; Tongxian City is just one of many. With Mo Hua''s cultivation level, even leaving Tongxian City was challenging, let alone venturing to the distant Qianzhou.


    After saying goodbye to the Bai siblings, Mo Hua met up with Meng Da Hu and his brothers.


    The three kids had also enjoyed themselves, presenting Mo Hua with a variety of curious trinkets and a white sugar tiger.


    "Eat the sugar figure quickly before it melts," Xiao Hu advised Mo Hua, then enthusiastically explained how to play with the trinkets. These items were not expensive, costing only a fraction of a spirit stone, but their novelty was appealing, some of which Mo Hua had never seen before.


    Mo Hua shared Aunt Xue''s snacks with the three young friends, and while


    licking the sugar figure, he examined the toys.


    Meng Da Hu and his brothers ate the snacks and walked home with Mo Hua. Along the way, Xiao Hu suddenly asked, "Mo Hua, you won''t always be with the young master and young miss of the Bai family, will you?"


    "What''s wrong?" Mo Hua asked.


    Xiao Hu shook his head and didn''t answer immediately, but after a moment''s hesitation, he said, "That young miss from the Bai family... she''s too pretty..."


    "Is being pretty a bad thing?" Mo Hua was puzzled.


    "You shouldn''t play with pretty girls," Xiao Hu replied.


    Meng Shuang Hu and Meng Da Hu nodded in agreement.


    "Why not..." S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Meng Shuang Hu said seriously, "My mother told me that beautiful women make men stupid. The prettier they are, the stupider men become!"


    "That''s right, that''s right. My father saw a beautiful woman and left home, only to be swindled of all his money and eventually lost his life."


    "Exactly, exactly. I''ve also heard that many cultivators with good spiritual roots have wasted their cultivation because they married beautiful dao partners, achieving nothing in the end."


    "Yes, yes. I just glanced at that girl once and was dazed for a moment. My mind stopped working. If I looked a few more times, I might become a fool. It''s terrifying..."


    "Indeed, it''s terrifying..."


    Meng Shuang Hu patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, "Mo Hua, you''re the smartest among us, and you might become an Array Master in the future. If you become a fool, that would be troublesome."


    Meng Da Hu and Xiao Hu looked at Mo Hua worriedly.


    Mo Hua, somewhat amused yet considering their point, replied, "There''s not much I can do, we''re all learning array formations under the same master, seeing each other every day."


    "That''s a problem," the three kids looked solemn.


    Mo Hua smiled, "Drawing array formations makes one smarter. I''ll just draw more array formations, so I shouldn''t become too stupid."


    "Does drawing array formations really make you smarter?" Xiao Hu asked.


    "Of course," Meng Shuang Hu replied, "Isn''t Mo Hua smarter because he draws good array formations?"


    "Would you guys like to learn array formations? I can teach you," Mo Hua offered.


    The three had decent physical aptitude but lacked talent in drawing array formations; just the sight of dense array patterns gave them headaches.


    Xiao Hu hesitated for a long time before finally deciding, "I''d rather be a fool all my life than become smart by drawing array formations!"

 Chapter 56: A Change in Perspective

    After the Lotus Festival, Mo Hua continued to study array formation with Mr. Zhuang, along with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.Although all three were apprentices, they studied different things. Mo Hua focused solely on array formation, while Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi learned everything¡ªcultivation, array formation, alchemy, talisman crafting, and artifact forging.


    Their questions for Mr. Zhuang covered a wide range, not limited to array formation but all aspects of cultivation as well.


    Among these, Mo Hua could only understand the queries related to array formation; the rest were mostly beyond his comprehension.


    As an independent cultivator with limited background, he could study array formation thanks to his exceptional spiritual sense and having a Dao Stele in his mind, allowing him to practice without needing spirit stones. Other paths of cultivation seemed out of reach for him.


    Although he didn''t understand much else, Mo Hua kept those queries in mind. Even if he didn''t grasp them immediately, he retained some impression, sparing himself future confusion in the unpredictable world of cultivation.


    Mo Hua learned much from the Bai siblings and had to admit that they were far superior in talent and understanding, be it in their cultivation foundations or their proficiency in array formation.


    They were what one might call "favored by the heavens."


    Mo Hua admired Bai Zixi greatly.


    And for Bai Zisheng, along with admiration, there was a hint of disdain.


    Their relationship had been somewhat formal initially, but after roaming the markets together during the Lotus Festival, Bai Zisheng started to interact more casually with Mo Hua, often chatting and occasionally bickering.


    In front of strangers, Bai Zisheng was the talented and handsome scion of a great family, composed and confident.


    Once familiar, Bai Zisheng seemed more like a competitive child, somewhat loquacious. Though diligent in his daily practices, he liked to chat with Mo Hua whenever he had free time.


    "Mo Hua, when can we see another Demon Hunter Play?"


    "During the festivals."


    "Mo Hua, what techniques do Demon Hunters use when hunting demonic beasts?"


    "Whatever works."


    "Mo Hua, can I come along on a hunt sometime..."


    "I''m not a Demon Hunter; I don''t hunt demons."


    "Mo Hua..."


    "..."


    Sometimes Mo Hua would respond a few times, but if Bai Zisheng asked too many questions, Mo Hua would eventually stop responding.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s lack of response, Bai Zisheng would sneak peeks at the array books Mo Hua was reading. Initially cautious when they were not close, Bai Zisheng was now more relaxed.


    "The Six Harmonies Array Discourse? Not bad, you''re learning fast. Don''t you understand the meaning of ''array hub''?"


    Mo Hua honestly didn''t understand and nodded. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng said proudly, "Do you want to know?"


    Mo Hua silently looked at him, genuinely curious but slightly disdainful of Bai Zisheng''s smug expression.


    "There will be a Demon Hunter Play on the seventh of next month," Mo Hua slowly said.


    Bai Zisheng''s expression brightened.


    "But I''m not taking you," Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zisheng choked, "Then I won''t tell you what the ''array hub'' means."


    "I can ask the master."


    Bai Zisheng fell silent, struggling internally before compromising, "Then I''ll tell you what the ''array hub'' means, and you take me to see the Demon Hunter Play!"


    "No need, I''ll just ask the master," Mo Hua refused.


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head in frustration, "The master is very busy, and he explains things so profoundly that you might not understand as a beginner."


    Though Mo Hua was slightly annoyed by being called a beginner, Bai Zisheng spoke the truth.


    Master Zhuang''s expertise in array formation was so advanced that what seemed trivial to him could be baffling to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua said begrudgingly, "Alright, I agree, but if you can''t explain clearly, I still won''t take you."


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed, hastily explaining, "The array hub is the core of an array, connecting the array patterns and conducting spiritual energy... Imagine a cultivator, where the qi sea is like the array eye, the array hub like the meridians, the array patterns like the collaterals, and the array medium like the body that holds the meridians. A cultivator''s spiritual energy flows from the qi sea, through the main meridians, fills the collaterals, and forms techniques. Similarly, the spiritual energy of an array flows from the array eye, through the array hub, activating the array patterns, allowing the array to function..."


    After Bai Zisheng finished, Mo Hua understood and couldn''t


    help but glance at him.


    Without a solid foundation, one couldn''t explain so clearly and simply. It showed that Bai Zisheng indeed had a strong foundation in array formation, though sometimes he talked a bit too much...


    Mo Hua couldn''t help asking, "Do you always talk like this to others?"


    "With whom?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, "Um... the disciples in your family?"


    Bai Zisheng scoffed, "I don''t bother with them."


    Mo Hua was curious, "Why not?"


    "I don''t like the look in their eyes."


    Bai Zisheng''s expression cooled, "Some are sycophantic, some are jealous, some are disdainful, and some are indifferent. I find it annoying and don''t bother with them."


    Mo Hua was taken aback; he hadn''t expected the usually straightforward Bai Zisheng to be so perceptive.


    After finishing, Bai Zisheng returned to his usual demeanor, "I''ve explained the meaning of the ''array hub.'' Now you have to take me to the Demon Hunter Play on the seventh!"


    "Alright, alright," Mo Hua said resignedly, then added, "I need to practice array formation now, don''t talk to me for the next hour."


    Bai Zisheng waved his hand, "Go ahead, no one''s stopping you."


    Mo Hua then took out the "Tripartite Array" and started drawing.


    This was an array Mr. Zhuang had Mo Hua practice drawing recently. After several days of practice, Mo Hua could somewhat manage to draw it, though he still made mistakes and his technique was not very refined.


    Bai Zixi elegantly read her book, Mo Hua concentrated on his array drawing, and the bamboo pavilion fell silent.


    Bai Zisheng meditated for a while, glanced at Bai Zixi, then at Mo Hua, and tried to continue meditating. Eventually, he couldn''t resist and peeked at Mo Hua''s array drawing.


    As he watched, Bai Zisheng''s expression grew serious, several times he seemed to want to speak, but he held back.


    He lost interest in cultivating, staring intently at the array Mo Hua was drawing, his eyes not blinking.


    Originally reading, Bai Zixi noticed Bai Zisheng''s unusual behavior, gently tugged at his sleeve to get him to focus on his cultivation, but Bai Zisheng was oblivious.


    Bai Zixi followed his gaze and also couldn''t take her eyes off the array Mo Hua was drawing.


    Absorbed in his work, Mo Hua didn''t notice and continued drawing.


    When he finished the Tripartite Array, he looked up to see Bai Zisheng''s wide eyes and turned to see Bai Zixi''s eyes, clear and luminous as autumn waters.

 Chapter 57: Techniques

    Involuntarily, Mo Hua touched his face and then glanced down at his clothes before asking in confusion, "What are you all staring at?"Bai Zisheng couldn''t hold back and asked, "The formation you just drew¡­ was it a Tripartite Array?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "Which kind of Tripartite Array?"


    "Are there many types of Tripartite Arrays?"


    "What I mean is¡­ was it the one that includes the Six Paths Array Patterns?"


    "Yes, is there something wrong with that?"


    Bai Zisheng''s gaze sharpened, "Your cultivation level is only at the third level of Qi Refining, right?"


    "So what?"


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at each other, bewildered.


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua suddenly realized, "Being at the third level of Qi Refining and being able to draw a formation that includes Six Paths Array Patterns, is that considered an impressive feat?"


    He had assumed that drawing a few extra array patterns wouldn''t be difficult given the abundance of talent in a great family.


    Bai Zisheng was slightly unconvinced, "It''s not that unusual."


    "Could you draw the Tripartite Array when you were at the third level of Qi Refining?"


    Bai Zisheng didn''t want to answer and after a long pause, hesitantly said, "Well, that¡­ Although I couldn''t draw it, it was because the family elders wouldn''t allow it. Qi Refining cultivators have weak spiritual awareness, and forcefully drawing complex formations could deplete it too much, damaging the sea of consciousness, and preventing one from becoming an Array Master. One shouldn''t be reckless and harm their foundation out of greed for quick progress."


    "Oh," Mo Hua replied, half-doubtful.


    "However," Bai Zisheng added, "Some cultivators in our family are exceptionally gifted and could draw seven or eight array patterns at the third level of Qi Refining. It''s really not that rare."


    Mo Hua nodded, knowing his own talents were decent but not extraordinary in the cultivation world, where geniuses abound.


    There are always people better than oneself, a concept he understood well.


    Bai Zisheng then patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, comforting him, "Even though it''s not rare to be able to draw six array patterns at the third level of Qi Refining, it''s still quite commendable. With such talent for formation, even in our family, you would be considered average. Just keep working hard, and you will surely achieve something in formations."


    Bai Zisheng''s words eased Mo Hua''s mind.


    His goals were not that ambitious; becoming a first-rate Array Master and having a livelihood in the cultivation world, ensuring his parents'' happiness, was enough for now. Anything beyond that could wait.


    Bai Zixi silently observed Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng, feeling somewhat guilty, then pretended to cultivate earnestly.


    Among Mr. Zhuang''s formally acknowledged disciples, the Bai siblings, twins, were two to three years older than Mo Hua and had a cultivation level of the seventh Qi Refining layer, four levels above Mo Hua.


    This was because the noble family children focused on solidifying their cultivation foundation, emphasizing steady accumulation rather than rapid advancement.


    They needed to build a strong foundation step by step before attempting to break through to higher levels; otherwise, their cultivation would have been even higher.


    In terms of mastery of formations, Mo Hua felt he could still catch up with the Bai siblings. However, he might never catch up in cultivation level.


    Thus, Mo Hua spent about an hour each morning in routine cultivation, absorbing a spirit stone, advancing his cultivation steadily and unhurriedly.


    With only a lower-middle-grade spiritual root, this was the only way Mo Hua could steadily progress.


    He was not in a rush, nor could he afford to be, as cultivation progress was largely determined by the quality of one''s spiritual root, and there were no shortcuts.


    One day, while cultivating, Mo Hua felt a tingling and slight swelling in his Qi sea, signaling that it was full and he could consider breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Refining.


    Elated, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something crucial: he hadn''t chosen a technique yet!


    Before, he had planned to save up enough spirit stones to choose an economical and less resource-intensive technique of the Minor Five Elements at the Tongxian Sect.


    But after the sect leader of Tongxian Sect changed, Yan Jiaoxi left the sect, and the outer sect stopped teaching formations, Mo Hua simply dropped out.


    After being accepted as a formally acknowledged disciple by Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua focused all his efforts on learning formations, neglecting the matter of choosing a technique.


    Both of Mo Hua''s parents practiced techniques, but the attributes of their techniques were slightly different from Mo H


    ua''s and leaned more towards physical cultivation, so they were not suitable for him. Outside of the Tongxian Sect, there were no suitable avenues to learn techniques.


    It was best to start practicing a technique early in one''s Qi Refining stage, and Mo Hua was about to reach the fourth level, so he couldn''t delay any longer.


    "Zisheng, when did you start learning techniques?"


    During a moment of leisure, Mo Hua asked Bai Zisheng curiously.


    Bai Zisheng replied discontentedly, "I''m older than you; you should call me Elder Brother Bai or Brother Bai, not by my name directly. It makes me seem less senior." S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "In a few days, when my parents return from hunting demons, I can show you what the demons they hunt look like."


    "Really?" Bai Zisheng''s eyes lit up.


    "Really!"


    Bai Zisheng immediately said, "Zixi and I started learning techniques when we began cultivating. It''s naturally best to learn techniques early, and ideally, they should be passed down within the family. Otherwise, the more the techniques differ across cultivation stages, the more likely one is to deviate and go mad."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng suddenly thought of something and exclaimed in surprise, "You haven''t learned any techniques yet, have you?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "It''s not easy for an independent cultivator to choose a technique."


    "It can''t be so hard that you don''t have a technique at all¡­"


    Mo Hua gave him a look, "That''s like asking why don''t you eat meat paste."


    "What do you mean?"


    "It means you''re talking without considering the reality."


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, "It''s a pity that the family techniques can''t be passed on to outsiders, otherwise I would secretly teach you a few rare and good techniques."


    Mo Hua asked, puzzled, "Aren''t the grades of techniques determined by a cultivator''s spiritual root? With a lower-middle-grade spiritual root, one can only learn lower-middle-grade techniques. Since it''s lower-middle-grade, how can there be a good or bad distinction? It can''t be better than a superior-grade technique."


    "You don''t know this, but some special techniques have unique effects. Some are quicker to cultivate, some focus on physical refinement, and some are suitable for alchemy..."


    "Of course, the rank of the technique is still the most important, since a cultivator''s strength mainly depends on the amount of spiritual energy. But since the spiritual root is fixed and cannot be changed, there''s not much to discuss."


    Special techniques with unique effects...


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment but shook his head, "Even if there are rare techniques, I can''t practice them. If the technique is rare, then the required spiritual materials are naturally also rare. If I can''t gather these materials in my lifetime, wouldn''t my cultivation be stuck forever..."


    "That''s also true; I forgot you''re an independent cultivator and can''t gather those rare heavenly and earthly spiritual materials..." Bai Zisheng frowned and then said, "Why don''t you ask Mr. Zhuang?"


    Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head, "I''m already greatly indebted to Mr. Zhuang for teaching me formations. How could I take further advantage and ask him to teach me a technique?"


    Bai Zisheng nodded, "Good, that''s having integrity! That''s how you qualify to be my little brother Bai Zisheng."


    Mo Hua corrected him, "I''m not your little brother."


    Bai Zisheng said, "How are you not? I''m older, you should call me elder brother. Zixi, don''t you agree?"


    Bai Zisheng looked at Bai Zixi, who was reading a book with her head down, ignoring him.


    "Zixi is also older than you, so you should call her Sister Zixi." Bai Zisheng added.


    Bai Zixi was momentarily startled, her dark eyelashes lifting slightly, her eyes sparkling.


    Mo Hua snorted, "Dream on."


    "So many people want to be my little brother, and I''m not even interested." Bai Zisheng held his head high.


    "Who cares, I won''t take you to see the demons then."


    "Alright," Bai Zisheng said angrily, "You''re not keeping your word. You said you would, how can you go back on your word?"


    After a bit of bickering, Bai Zisheng agreed not to make Mo Hua call him elder brother, and Mo Hua agreed to take him to see the demons at the end of the month, and the matter was settled.


    As they cultivated and read until the evening, upon parting, Bai Zisheng asked, "So what are you going to do about the technique?"


    "Hmm..." Mo Hua thought, "I''ll ask my parents when I


    get home. After all, I want to be an Array Master, and Array Masters rely on spiritual awareness, not so much on spiritual energy. A passable technique will do."


    "How can just passable be okay? We''re all Mr. Zhuang''s apprentices; if your cultivation is too poor, wouldn''t it reflect badly on me?"


    Bai Zisheng huffed, "I''ll go home and look for a suitable technique that isn''t strictly regulated by the family. You can secretly learn it later."


    After speaking, he left with Bai Zixi.


    Mo Hua helplessly shook his head but felt warmed by Bai Zisheng''s good intentions. He packed up his things and went home too.


    At that moment, in the bamboo room, Mr. Zhuang, who was resting, opened his eyes. His pale, slender fingers tapped on the armrest of the bamboo chair as he murmured, "Techniques, huh¡­"

 Chapter 58: Gifts

    Mo Hua returned home and shared with his parents that he was on the verge of breaking through to the fourth level of Qi refining and needed a cultivation technique.Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were quite pleased. At Mo Hua''s age, reaching the fourth level of Qi cultivation made him outstanding among his peers in Tongxian City.


    Regarding the cultivation technique, Mo Shan reassured Mo Hua not to worry:


    "We''ve already discussed this, your mother and I. If you can''t learn the techniques from the Tongxian Sect, we''ll have to seek out some experienced independent cultivators. There¡¯s an elder surnamed Han among the demon hunters in Tongxian City, a cultivator with a middle-grade Five Elements spiritual root, who might be willing to help. Elder Han is known for his warm heart, and he would likely be glad to assist. We can offer him some spirit stones as thanks. However..."


    Mo Shan paused, then continued, "Elder Han also comes from an independent cultivator background, and he often says that although his family''s cultivation technique is complete, it doesn¡¯t promise much of a future in the later stages of cultivation..."


    Mo Shan wanted the best for Mo Hua, but that was all he could provide, which left him somewhat disheartened.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, consoled him, "Dad, I want to become an array master in the future. For an array master, abundant spiritual sense is enough; the specifics of the cultivation technique are not crucial, as long as I can cultivate steadily. This technique, passed down through generations by Elder Han, shows that it''s reliable and safe, which is better than anything."


    Mo Shan felt somewhat reassured by this, and Liu Ruhua gently patted Mo Hua on the head, saying warmly:


    "Let''s eat, and you should rest early after dinner, as tomorrow you will be learning array formations from Mr. Zhuang."


    "Okay," Mo Hua nodded obediently.


    Bai Zisheng mentioned he would help Mo Hua find some cultivation techniques, but Mo Hua hadn''t mentioned it to his parents because the larger the clan, the stricter their heritage, and they seldom shared their techniques freely.


    Moreover, he did not want to owe Bai Zisheng a favor, especially since he couldn''t repay it yet.


    Who knew that the next day, Bai Zisheng would actually bring several jade slips and sneak them to Mo Hua like a thief.


    "These are some I took out while Aunt Xue wasn¡¯t looking. Take a look and see if any are suitable. Keep one, and I''ll return the rest."


    Mo Hua was speechless.


    Bai Zisheng grinned, "How do you feel? Isn''t it touching!"


    Bai Zisheng appeared somewhat arrogant but was genuinely warm-hearted.


    Mo Hua said, "Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished for sneaking out these techniques?"


    Bai Zisheng scoffed, "I''m a direct descendant of the Bai family. It doesn¡¯t matter whether it''s a few minor techniques or even a family heirloom; if I take it, I take it, and they can¡¯t do much about it." S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was visibly skeptical.


    Bai Zisheng insisted, "I wouldn''t lie to you."


    "Maybe just a year or two of confinement, nothing serious."


    Bai Zixi spoke in a casual tone, a slight smile in her eyes.


    Bai Zisheng''s face reddened a bit.


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua shook his head, "I can¡¯t take these techniques; I can¡¯t implicate you."


    Bai Zisheng was displeased, "I''m not afraid, what are you afraid of?"


    Bai Zixi also added softly, "Though these techniques are precious, they are not rare for the Bai family. You can cultivate them without worry, or else Aunt Xue wouldn¡¯t have allowed my brother to take them out."


    "Exactly!" Bai Zisheng nodded vigorously, then suddenly exclaimed, "How does Aunt Xue know I took out the techniques?"


    Bai Zixi glanced at him lightly, "Everything you do is under Aunt Xue¡¯s watch; you¡¯re the only one who thinks otherwise."


    Bai Zisheng slumped his shoulders, his spirit somewhat dampened.


    Mo Hua was tempted; he wanted to know what kind of techniques the large families cultivated and what made them so profound.


    After understanding this, Mo Hua stopped refusing and silently acknowledged the kindness of the Bai siblings, then started examining the jade slips in Bai Zisheng''s hands:


    "The Minor Five Elements Technique," suitable for cultivators with a middle-grade Five Elements spiritual root. It''s a simplified version of the superior "Great Five Elements Technique." Cultivators can refine spiritual power for up to thirty-three heavenly cycles, controlling the five types of Five Elements spells: metal, wood, water, fire


    , and earth, simple and widely applicable...


    "The Hidden Spirit Technique," suitable for cultivators with a middle-grade water elemental root. It can refine spiritual power for twenty-eight heavenly cycles, suitable for concealment spells...


    "The Fiery Flames Technique," suitable for cultivators with a middle-grade fire elemental root. It can refine spiritual power for thirty-five heavenly cycles, enhancing the power of fire spells by ten to twenty percent...


    "The Water-Wood Spirit Technique," suitable for cultivators with middle-grade water and wood elemental roots. It can refine spiritual power for thirty-six heavenly cycles. This technique cleanses meridians and nourishes the body, reducing cultivation bottlenecks. It''s good for health maintenance but not for vigorous physical combat. Required spiritual materials: Celestial Ginseng Wood, Boundless Water, Spirit-Transforming Liquid...


    ...


    Mo Hua was dazzled by the array of choices, but as he continued to read, his brows furrowed.


    "Is there no suitable one?" Bai Zisheng asked, seeing Mo Hua''s expression.


    Mo Hua cautiously inquired, "What is Celestial Ginseng Wood?"


    "Celestial Ginseng Wood is the root wood of celestial ginseng. It nourishes the body and isn¡¯t too expensive."


    "How many spirit stones does it cost?"


    "The sprouts of celestial ginseng are extremely expensive, but the wood is much cheaper, probably a few hundred spirit stones each," Bai Zisheng replied uncertainly.


    "And what is Boundless Water?"


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, unsure, and looked at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi''s beautiful eyes shifted as she explained, "Boundless Water is sea water from the Boundless Sea, which must be refined by an alchemist over forty-nine days to remove impurities, resulting in Boundless Water. It''s not expensive, but it''s labor-intensive. A small bottle of Boundless Water might cost around a thousand spirit stones, more if it''s from a remote area. And this type of spiritual material is rare; even with spirit stones, it might not be available."


    Mo Hua inhaled sharply.


    What kind of cultivation techniques were these? He couldn''t afford to practice them!


    Techniques like "The Water-Wood Spirit Technique," even if they only required one piece of Celestial Ginseng Wood and a small bottle of Boundless Water, would cost far more in spirit stones than Mo Hua had anticipated.


    Not to mention, based on the technique descriptions, cultivation required spiritual materials, breakthroughs needed spiritual materials, and even daily cultivation needed spirit stones, adding up to an astronomical sum, far beyond Mo Hua''s means.


    This was just the expenditure for the Qi refining stage; the Foundation Building stage would be even more resource-intensive, a well-known fact in the cultivation world.


    Even if Mo Hua became a top-tier array master, tirelessly crafting array formations day and night, he could not afford the expense of such cultivation.


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng, then at Bai Zixi, and couldn''t help but ask, "Do all the disciples in your family cultivate these kinds of techniques?"


    "Of course not," Bai Zisheng shook his head. "Direct descendants cultivate even superior techniques requiring more precious natural treasures. Some spiritual materials are so rare they are priceless and exclusively preserved by the family, never shared externally."


    "But these techniques are also not to be shared externally. Even if one wanted to share them, without the specific spiritual materials required for cultivation, others wouldn''t be able to practice them."


    "The techniques I''ve given you are among the best that can be shared to some extent. Normally, collateral or illegitimate disciples, unless exceptionally talented, might not even qualify to cultivate them."


    "Do your family provide the spiritual materials for these cultivation techniques?" Mo Hua asked.


    "I''m not sure about others, but my sister and I receive everything we need for cultivation from our mother," Bai Zisheng said.


    Bai Zixi glanced at Bai Zisheng and added softly, "The family categorizes disciples by legitimacy and talent. The more legitimate and talented the disciple, the higher their status within the family, and the more cultivation resources they receive. For a talented direct descendant, whatever is needed for cultivation is readily provided..."


    "For other disciples, if they wish to cultivate superior techniques beyond what their status allows, they must find their own ways. Usually, parents or other relatives spend merit points to exchange for spiritual materials from within the family."


    "In any case, the descendants of noble families need only focus on their cultivation; the spirit stones and spiritual materials required are not their concern."


    "Right," Bai Zisheng nodded, "Whether it''s our Bai family or other noble families, all have thrived for at least a thousand years with rich heritage. The channels to obtain natural treasures are well-established, and except for truly extinct items, most natural treasures are not considered rare."


    Mo Hua was awed by the vast resources of noble families, their extensive heritages like a vast ocean, while independent cultivators could only access a mere speck of this vastness.


    No wonder the Qi refining stage is just the beginning for cultivators, but for the lower echelons of independent cultivators, it''s a lifelong struggle.

 Chapter 59: Choosing Techniques

    Mo Hua ultimately did not choose a technique. As they parted ways, Mo Hua''s silhouette carried a hint of desolation.Bai Zixi, observing this, suddenly spoke, "I''ll have Aunt Xue give you some spiritual items."


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned. He hadn''t expected the usually aloof Bai Zixi to have such a kind heart, prompting him to smile, though he declined, "No need. Cultivation is a lifelong journey; I can''t rely on others forever. Besides, one shouldn''t accept rewards without merits."


    Bai Zixi''s expression remained neutral, unreadable whether pleased or not.


    After expressing his thanks, Mo Hua continued to feel grateful for others'' kindness.


    As they left, Mr. Zhuang, who had been sunbathing from sun to moon, slowly rose and walked to his dusty, secluded study, mumbling, "Elder Gui is too lazy; how long has it been since this study was cleaned?"


    Suddenly, Elder Gui''s figure appeared behind him: "If it''s not used, what does it matter whether it''s clean?" S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang replied irritably, "How many times have I told you not to sneak up like that? You make the whole yard feel eerie."


    Wandering through the study, Mr. Zhuang flipped through various books and jade slips, further cluttering the already messy room.


    "What are you looking for?"


    "Some cultivation manuals," Mr. Zhuang replied nonchalantly.


    "For Mo Hua?"


    "Yes."


    "You never cared this much about your disciples before," Elder Gui commented dryly, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.


    Mr. Zhuang picked out a few jade slips, spread them on the table, and slowly sat down to look through them, "I was too proud and solitary before, focusing solely on my path. Now that I''m no longer concerned with that path, I find myself with the time to meddle in these matters."


    Elder Gui remained silent, and the room fell quiet.


    After a while, Mr. Zhuang couldn''t help but speak, "You could talk occasionally, or this place really does feel gloomy."


    Elder Gui coldly asked, "What do you want me to say?"


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment, "What technique should we pick for Mo Hua?"


    "It''s best not to choose any."


    "Why not?"


    "If you don''t interfere, you won''t create karma, and Mo Hua will have less trouble."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "You believe in karma, I don''t. Even if karma exists, it''s not something you can avoid if you want to. Perhaps by coming to Li province and taking Mo Hua as an apprentice, I''ve already set it in motion. Once the wheels of fate start turning, it''s not something I can change."


    Finding his own words ominous, Mr. Zhuang self-deprecatingly added, "I sound like those old fuddy-duddies at the Dao Court, always squabbling over fate."


    Elder Gui dryly remarked, "I am one of those old fuddy-duddies from the Dao Court."


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled awkwardly, "You''re a bit different, though." He then changed the subject, "What about the ''Dual Yin-Yang Technique''?"


    "Too obscure."


    "The ''Five Elements Life-Giving Technique''?"


    "His meridians won''t withstand it."


    "How about the ''Mysterious Dao Technique''?"


    "He''d be hunted by the Mysterious Dao Sect."


    ...


    Mr. Zhuang kept picking, and Elder Gui kept rejecting, until Mr. Zhuang finally asked, "Do you have any techniques that might work?"


    "The techniques I have aren''t suitable either."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "Poor spiritual roots are indeed troublesome. Why couldn''t Mo Hua have high-quality spiritual roots? Choosing techniques would be so much easier. Like back in my day, I just picked the best one available, without all this fuss."


    Elder Gui silently rolled his eyes.


    "To be outstanding, to have mid-to-low grade spiritual roots, and the required spiritual items can''t be too valuable..." Mr. Zhuang mumbled.


    "That requirement to be outstanding is unnecessary..."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "No, my disciples must stand out."


    "He''s just a nominal disciple, not one who has formally apprenticed and served tea."


    "That you don''t understand," Mr. Zhuang said cryptically, "Even nominal disciples must be exceptional to reflect the uniqueness of their master."


    Elder Gui retorted, "You used to say, ''The strong boast with their power, the weak boast with their words''..."


    "Why can''t you remember the good things I''ve said?" Mr. Zhuang complained.


    "You were unstoppable back then, never a kind word from you."


    Mr. Zhuang looked a bit chagrined but redirected, "Let''s focus on choosing the technique."


    He


    continued to search the room, setting aside those that seemed suitable and discarding the rest. Elder Gui silently followed, occasionally handing over a jade slip, which Mr. Zhuang would glance at with disdain but kept anyway, muttering, "Your taste in techniques is still as vulgar..."


    The next day, after a full day of designing arrays, Mo Hua was about to head home when he saw Mr. Zhuang waving from the pavilion.


    Mo Hua approached and bowed, puzzled, "Do you need something, Master?"


    Mr. Zhuang placed a large bag of mixed jade slips and books before Mo Hua, "Pick something."


    Mo Hua gasped in surprise, "Master..."


    "Since you call me ''Master,'' I can''t treat you too shabbily. Choosing a technique is but a small effort."


    Remembering Mr. Zhuang''s usual laziness, lounging all day if he could, Mo Hua felt a warm gratitude towards his master''s evident care in selecting these techniques. He stood up and bowed respectfully again.


    "You pick, I''ll contemplate the Dao for a while," Mr. Zhuang gestured dismissively, then laid back down in his chair, closing his eyes for a nap.


    Mo Hua, trying not to disturb his master, gently and carefully reviewed the pile of techniques.


    "Spiritual Transformation Technique," "Sitting Dao Technique," "Heaven and Earth Dual Yin-Yang Scripture," "Path of the Immortal God Technique"...


    These techniques'' names alone were profound, their effects extraordinary¡ªsome could enhance spiritual power, others could repair the spirit and body simultaneously, and some even reduced bottlenecks in cultivation. All required the usage of various spiritual items from heaven and earth, many of which Mo Hua recognized, suggesting that even though these items were rare, they were not unobtainable treasures or inherent spiritual items of mythical beasts.


    It was evident that Mr. Zhuang had put considerable thought into selecting these techniques.


    Mo Hua kept this kindness in mind as he focused on choosing a technique.


    First, he picked the cheapest, requiring the fewest heavenly and earthly spiritual items. Then, he looked for those that allowed for the cultivation of the most complete cycles of spiritual power. Next, he sought those best matched to his attributes, and finally, those with the most practical effects.


    After much deliberation, Mo Hua selected a few relatively suitable techniques, then hesitated again.


    The required spiritual items were the least expensive, but that did not mean they were free. In reality, they would still cost thousands of spirit stones.


    Considering the techniques he had seen in the past few days, some requiring tens of thousands of spirit stones for their items, a few thousand was already the cheapest.


    But then Mo Hua realized that even a few thousand spirit stones were more than he could afford.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua felt quite stuck.


    At that moment, Mo Hua flipped through a rough, archaic-looking jade slip that stood out awkwardly among the elegant or refined books and slips. Holding it in his hand and immersing his spiritual sense, the words "Heavenly Proliferation Technique" appeared in his mind. As Mo Hua read further, he felt something was missing in the technique''s description.


    After some thought, Mo Hua realized that there was no mention of required spiritual items from heaven and earth.


    Did that mean this technique required no additional spiritual items?


    This thought struck Mo Hua deeply, exciting him beyond measure.

 Chapter 60: Heavenly Proliferation Technique

    Mo Hua reviewed the technique description once more; it contained only a few lines, stating that this technique was not limited by the grade or attributes of spiritual roots, but produced a lower frequency of spiritual energy circulation, with the bottleneck being spiritual awareness¡ªit was unsuitable for non-array masters.The descriptions, though void of any specific required spiritual materials, emitted an odd sense of peculiarity.


    How could there be a technique that didn''t limit spiritual roots? The lower yield of spiritual energy was understandable; after all, if it didn''t restrict spiritual roots, even those of lower quality could practice it, resulting in less profound spiritual energy.


    But what did it mean that the bottleneck was in spiritual awareness? And why was it unsuitable for non-array masters?


    ...


    Mo Hua frowned in contemplation, unaware of how much time had passed before Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes, "Have you made your choice?"


    Returning to his senses, Mo Hua replied, "I have made my choice, Master, though I''m unsure which one is more appropriate."


    "Show them to me."


    Mo Hua respectfully handed over the techniques he had selected to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang reviewed them one by one, his expression calm but internally he felt slightly upset.


    The techniques Mo Hua chose were all selected by Elder Gui; none of the techniques Mr. Zhuang preferred were chosen by Mo Hua. This made Mr. Zhuang feel somewhat slighted.


    It wasn''t until the last jade slip that Mr. Zhuang''s eyes brightened.


    On the ancient, pale jade slip was inscribed the words "Heavenly Proliferation Technique."


    This was one of the unique techniques Mr. Zhuang had selected.


    Mr. Zhuang was very satisfied, thinking that Mo Hua had good judgment, a teachable child indeed.


    Noticing Mr. Zhuang''s focus on the "Heavenly Proliferation Technique," Mo Hua asked the question that concerned him most:


    "Master, the cultivation essentials of the ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique'' don¡¯t mention the need for any spiritual materials. Does this mean it can be practiced without any celestial treasures or earthly wonders?"


    "Correct," Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, but quickly regained his composure, "In the pursuit of the great Dao, every little bit contributes to progress; if no spiritual materials are needed, does it imply that cultivating this technique might bring other complications?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyes shone with approval before he slowly said:


    "This is an ancient technique."


    "An ancient technique?" Mo Hua was puzzled, "What¡¯s different about ancient techniques?"


    "There are differences, yet no differences. The ancient techniques cultivated by the ancients are just techniques, as are those practiced by people today. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and can¡¯t all be viewed the same..."


    "Some ancient techniques have been refined by generations of cultivators, becoming more stable with fewer bottlenecks, making cultivation much more effective, thus becoming the mainstream techniques practiced in the cultivation world today; some ancient techniques are obscure and odd, difficult to practice with lackluster results upon completion, and gradually have been abandoned..." S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Some techniques are cruel and bizarre, prone to driving cultivators mad, turning them into demonic cultivators, and thus are banned by the Dao Court; there are also those that can reverse fate, with extremely harsh conditions for cultivation, fought over by many cultivators, either being damaged or lost, eventually remaining only in the legends passed down by word of mouth among cultivators..."


    "Are all ancient techniques unrestricted by spiritual roots?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Not exactly, most techniques do restrict based on the attributes of spiritual roots, only a few do not restrict by grade, allowing cultivation from the highest to the lowest grades, but these are in the minority."


    "The standardization of spiritual roots and techniques for cultivation was enforced by the Dao Court after unification, pushed by the great families and major sects across the nine provinces of the cultivation world. On one hand, it was to standardize the vast array of techniques for easier cultivation; on the other hand..."


    It was actually to monopolize the transmission of techniques...


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze hardened, but he did not continue, only adding, "You will understand in time."


    "Oh," Mo Hua nodded, somewhat understanding, then asked, "Master, what kind of ancient technique is the ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique''?"


    "It belongs to the category of the obscure and odd." Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment before adding, "This technique, too, had its practitioners in the past. It¡¯s simple to practice, only requiring the cultivation of spirit stones, but its bottleneck during breakthroughs is quite peculiar. Other techniques usually have bottlenecks in the meridians or the Qi sea, needing the cultivation of celestial treasures and earthly wonders for breakthroughs. The bottleneck of this technique, however,


    lies in the sea of consciousness. The sea of consciousness is elusive and hard to grasp, and there are scarcely any supporting spiritual materials, so whether one can breakthrough is a question mark."


    "Spiritual materials, however rare, can always be procured, just a matter of cost; but when it comes to issues with the sea of consciousness, that¡¯s where it gets tricky, sometimes even impossible to start. Coupled with the fact that this technique produces weak spiritual energy and lacks other effects, it gradually fell out of favor."


    Mo Hua listened silently, then asked one last question:


    "So, what does it mean in the technique description that it¡¯s ''unsuitable for non-array masters''? Does one have to become an array master to practice this technique?"


    "Not exactly," Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "It¡¯s not that one has to become an array master to practice this technique, but among all the cultivation professions, only array masters extensively use and understand the sea of consciousness, and the bottleneck of the ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique'' lies in spiritual awareness, making it most suitable for array masters, or rather, if array masters find it challenging, other cultivators would find it even more so."


    "I see..."


    Mo Hua pondered this, then made up his mind.


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing his resolve, asked, "Have you decided which technique to cultivate?"


    "I have," Mo Hua nodded, "Master, I wish to cultivate the ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique''."


    Mr. Zhuang felt somewhat relieved, feeling a kinship with Mo Hua, unlike Elder Gui, whose taste in techniques was rather vulgar.


    Mr. Zhuang was about to hand over the jade slip of the ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique'' to Mo Hua, but suddenly hesitated, and after a moment, he sighed deeply and asked seriously:


    "Mo Hua, are you truly certain?"


    Mo Hua looked puzzledly at Mr. Zhuang.


    "This technique is simple to cultivate, but the variables in breaking through are too many, and the spiritual energy it provides is weak. Whether in cultivation or in combat, you will always be somewhat inferior."


    Despite some reluctance, Mr. Zhuang still pointed to the other techniques Mo Hua had ''left over'':


    "These techniques may not be unique, but they are stable and practical, and the spiritual energy they cultivate isn''t insignificant. Some spiritual materials, though somewhat troublesome, are not rare and can always be acquired."


    But Mo Hua was resolute, "I have decided, Master. Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual roots are mediocre, and it''s difficult to compare with others. I only hope to make some progress in array techniques, not to let down your teachings. Since I wish to become an array master, spiritual awareness is naturally the most important; the quantity of spiritual energy doesn¡¯t matter much."


    "The bottleneck of array masters lies in spiritual awareness, and so does the bottleneck of the ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique''; to me, it¡¯s all the same, as long as I focus on studying array techniques and enhancing my spiritual awareness. The path of cultivation is never smooth; success is in the hands of heaven, but effort is in the hands of man."


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly stunned, then nodded in agreement, "You are right. It''s rare for someone of your young age to have such a firm Dao heart."


    Mo Hua was embarrassed by such high praise, "I don¡¯t really have a firm Dao heart..."


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback.


    "It¡¯s mainly because I can¡¯t practice the other techniques either. This technique doesn¡¯t require spiritual materials, so I had no choice but to choose it..."


    Mr. Zhuang: "¡­"


    Mo Hua was also quite helpless.


    Issues with spiritual awareness can always be thought through, but those ''few spiritual materials,'' worth thousands of spirit stones each, were completely out of reach for Mo Hua, who came from an independent cultivator background.


    When one is poor, their Dao heart naturally becomes firm; there¡¯s no other option but to be firm.

 Chapter 61: Spiritual Power

    Mr. Zhuang handed over the jade slip of the "Heavenly Proliferation Technique" to Mo Hua:"The jade slips used for transmitting ancient techniques are quite special. Only when your cultivation reaches a certain level can you use your spiritual sense to explore the deeper cultivation methods contained within. The techniques for the Qi Cultivation stage aren''t restricted, but those for the Foundation Building stage are only visible to cultivators who have practiced the ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique'' and achieved the Foundation Building stage."


    "Most ancient techniques are a single technique per slip. If the slip is lost, the technique is virtually lost too. Even though some techniques have multiple slips made, it¡¯s not guaranteed you can find them. The world of cultivation is vast, searching for a rare ancient technique¡¯s jade slip is like searching for a needle in the ocean. Besides, this is the only ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique'' slip I''ve seen in my lifetime."


    "So, you must take good care of this slip. Never lose it!"


    Mo Hua solemnly received the jade slip, feeling its weight in his hand, but his heart couldn''t help but be filled with joy.


    This was a genuine cultivation technique. By learning this technique, he truly stepped into the ranks of cultivators. The vast path of cultivation lay ahead, and he had officially taken his first step.


    Mo Hua shared the news of Mr. Zhuang teaching him the technique with his parents.


    Mo Shan was delighted. Although the spiritual power derived from this technique wasn''t substantial, the phrase ''not suitable for non-array masters'' indicated its uniqueness. Very few true array masters had ever emerged from all the independent cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Moreover, this technique was given by the profound Mr. Zhuang, rumored to be an ancient technique, naturally making it extraordinarily precious. It certainly surpassed those commonly passed down among independent cultivators.


    Knowing that Mr. Zhuang did not much care for mundane items like spirit stones, Mo Shan thought of the meat and wine Mo Hua often brought him, which Mr. Zhuang always finished, probably suiting his taste.


    Before dawn the next day, Mo Shan went up the mountain in the dark, hunting several demonic beasts. Three days later, he came down the mountain with a large bundle containing the most tender loins from various cattle and sheep-type demonic beasts. To keep them fresh, he didn''t even store them in a storage bag.


    Liu Ruhua prepared the meats by smoking, frying, and marinating them in various savory and spicy flavors, adorned with some green herbs, neatly arranged in food boxes.


    She also brought out various fruit wines brewed at home and some freshly roasted pine nuts, sending them up the mountain with Mo Hua along with words of gratitude meant to convey respect without disturbing Mr. Zhuang''s quiet cultivation.


    Mr. Zhuang didn''t say much upon receiving the food boxes, but his expression was quite pleased. Sitting in a bamboo pavilion, enjoying the breeze and the mountain view, he savored the meat and sipped the clear wine.


    Elder Gui was also pleased with the pine nuts; the boxes had just been handed over when, right under Mo Hua''s watch, they disappeared, none left for Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua also brought some for the Bai siblings, as a token of thanks.


    Bai Zixi had a couple of slices of meat and drank a bit more of the sweet osmanthus wine, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright as the stars in the sky, twinkling.


    Bai Zisheng, who enjoyed spicy food, ate heartily, sweating profusely yet thoroughly enjoying himself.


    Seeing his eating style, Mo Hua couldn''t help but comment, "You don¡¯t lack for meat usually, do you?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t understand," Bai Zisheng said. "The meat we usually eat is from spiritual beasts. It¡¯s tender but lacks chewiness, and the abundant spiritual energy actually makes it less flavorful."


    Mo Hua felt his words were somewhat annoying; he hadn¡¯t eaten much spiritual beast meat, except what his mother made. His most memorable meal was the one where the elder of Tongxian Sect¡¯s embroidered chicken was stolen and even burnt by Da Hu.


    After Bai Zisheng had his fill, he again asked about Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation technique.


    Mo Hua repeated what he had shared about Mr. Zhuang''s technique.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat envious, "Mr. Zhuang is really good to you, but the spiritual power from this technique is too weak."


    "That can''t be helped. Life often doesn¡¯t go as we wish; there are always trade-offs."


    Bai Zisheng pursed his lips, "You talk like an old man despite your age."


    "Does low spiritual power really matter that much?" Mo Hua suddenly became a bit concerned.


    "Of course," Bai Zisheng said. "We are cultiv


    ators, after all, and what we cultivate is spiritual power. With low spiritual power, you¡¯re at a disadvantage everywhere."


    "For example, if you have to fight someone, and they have a hundred cycles of spiritual power while you only have fifty, in a head-on fight, they''ll still have fifty cycles left when you¡¯re depleted, and you''ll just be at their mercy."


    "A cultivator uses spiritual power for everything, not just in sparring or duels, but also in forging artifacts and alchemy. Even when carrying storage boxes at the spiritual docks, you need spiritual power."


    "If you forge one spiritual artifact, others can make two; if you refine one furnace of pills, others can refine two; if you carry ten boxes, others can carry twenty, earning twice the spirit stones you do. How can you compete with that?"


    "Being an array master, though, it might not matter as much if your spiritual power is a bit low," Mo Hua said, somewhat unsure.


    "Hmm... that''s true," Bai Zisheng nodded. "The most troublesome thing for array masters is the excessive consumption of spiritual sense, not spiritual power. When drawing array formations, generally the spiritual sense runs out before the spiritual power does. Low spiritual power doesn¡¯t impact your ability to be an array master."


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Bai Zisheng patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, "But don''t worry, although your spiritual power is low, mine is high. Call me ''big brother,'' and I¡¯ll take care of anyone who bullies you."


    "Never mind." S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng then proposed a compromise, "Then bring me beef every day, and I¡¯ll take care of you."


    "You can buy your own."


    "Aunt Xue doesn¡¯t let me eat casually, especially food without spiritual energy."


    "Oh."


    "What do you mean by ''oh''? I¡¯m giving you face here," Bai Zisheng said.


    Mo Hua ignored him, and Bai Zixi watched them, taking another small sip of her sweet wine.


    In the following days, Mo Hua gave up the basic breathing exercises and officially started practicing according to the meridian diagrams and breathing methods in the "Heavenly Proliferation Technique."


    After several sessions, Mo Hua distinctly felt a difference.


    The speed of spiritual energy refinement was faster, the refined spiritual energy was purer, and his meridians felt more open.


    The only issue was, the spiritual power he cultivated didn¡¯t feel special.


    Mo Hua asked Da Hu, who practiced the fire-based "Fiery Tiger Technique," which gave a slight burning sensation after cultivation, enhancing the power of any fire-based spells or physical techniques he practiced.


    The twins practiced the "Solid Foundation Technique," harmonizing spiritual and blood energy, enhancing physical strength when operating spiritual power. Mo Hua forgot which technique the third brother practiced, but it also resulted in some unique changes to his spiritual power.


    Only Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual power seemed unchanged from before.


    The "Heavenly Proliferation Technique" produced an average number of spiritual power cycles.


    It couldn¡¯t compare with disciples from clans like the Bai family, but it was above average compared to ordinary Qi Cultivation independents, not excellent, but acceptable.


    Moreover, the unique aspect of this technique was probably the increased consumption of spiritual sense during practice, several times more than basic breathing exercises.


    But basic breathing exercises, or general cultivation techniques, don¡¯t use much spiritual sense to begin with, even multiple times more isn¡¯t significant, barely enough for drawing a single array formation.


    However, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t expected anything special from this technique.


    For Mo Hua, a technique that saved spirit stones was the best technique.

 Chapter 62: Anomalies

    The Qi Cultivation Realm is divided into three stages and nine levels; the early stage comprises the first to the third level, beyond which lies the middle stage of Qi Cultivation.Mo Hua, already perfected at the third level of Qi Cultivation, was just a step away from breaking through to the middle stage.


    After practicing the , in just half a month, Mo Hua felt his Qi sea brimming, unable to refine spiritual power any further.


    This signified that Mo Hua was on the verge of a breakthrough.


    Typically, breakthroughs in cultivation require the preparation of special spiritual items from heaven and earth to stimulate the meridians and the Qi sea during the breakthrough, aiming to surpass the bottleneck and ascend in realm.


    The does not require the aid of special spiritual items for cultivation; therefore, it suffices to continue practicing.


    Mo Hua spent most of his time drawing array patterns, setting aside an hour each day for seated meditation.


    One evening, a few days later, as usual, Mo Hua was inscribing array patterns on the Dao Stele within his sea of consciousness when he suddenly experienced a surge of inspiration, causing a tumult in his Qi sea.


    Mo Hua hastily exited his sea of consciousness, seated himself cross-legged on the bed, and took out two spirit stones, quietly absorbing the spiritual power.


    In just a short while, Mo Hua felt all the acupoints throughout his body open, absorbing spiritual power much faster than usual. Soon, the spiritual power in the two spirit stones was completely absorbed.


    Mo Hua felt a twinge of pain for the consumed spirit stones, yet was also delighted about his impending advancement to the middle stage of Qi Cultivation.


    Mo Hua then took out a few more spirit stones and continued to absorb.


    In his storage bag, Mo Hua had a few dozen spirit stones he had saved, along with nearly a hundred more given by his parents, knowing he was about to breakthrough but unsure of when it would occur, so they had him carry these as a backup.


    These one hundred spirit stones would probably represent the income of a restaurant for half a month.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind, maintaining a humble and patient demeanor as he slowly circulated his breath.


    The spirit stones in his hands shimmered with a crystal blue light, which gradually dimmed until the spiritual power was completely depleted, turning them grayish-white.


    One after another, after consuming nearly fifty spirit stones, Mo Hua¡¯s Qi sea finally ceased its turmoil, and the spiritual power fed back into the meridians throughout his body, gradually thickening and stabilizing.


    Just when Mo Hua thought he was about to successfully break through, some fine strands of spiritual power began to seep out from his meridians, meandering through smaller blood vessels and gradually converging towards the Baihui acupoint at the top of his head.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened.


    What was this?


    He had never heard of refined spiritual power uncontrollably leaking out and converging towards the Baihui acupoint!


    The spiritual power didn¡¯t actually converge at the Baihui acupoint, but rather, as it reached the Tianmen acupoint, it formed a thread-like structure, gradually weaving and stabilizing before slowly seeping inward into Mo Hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    Mo Hua suppressed the palpitations in his heart and sank his spiritual awareness into his sea of consciousness, only to discover some fine, light blue spiritual strands there.


    These strands were intermittent and chaotic, resembling continuous spring rain or tangled strands of hair, weaving into a complex light blue spiritual screen.


    Mo Hua was utterly stunned.


    With his brief experience in cultivation, he had no idea what was happening.


    Mo Hua tried to mobilize his spiritual power, finding it could circulate normally.


    Mo Hua held a spirit stone, attempting to absorb spiritual energy for cultivation, but the spiritual energy passing through the sea of consciousness at the Tianmen point was automatically blocked, preventing the formation of a complete cycle, and thus could not be refined into spiritual power, could not accumulate in the Qi sea, and naturally could not enhance his cultivation level.


    This meant that Mo Hua could no longer cultivate or advance his cultivation level.


    Mo Hua gasped, murmuring, ¡°What should I do now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua lay back on the bed, his mind in turmoil. After a moment, he sat up, forcing himself to calm down:


    ¡°There¡¯s a Dao Stele in the sea of consciousness, but I didn¡¯t touch the Dao Stele during cultivation, so it shouldn¡¯t be the problem.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not the Dao Stele, then it must be the technique.¡±


    ¡°There was no problem with practicing the technique, it¡¯s an issue during the breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°When breaking through, spiritual power overflowed into the meridians, finally connecting to the sea of consciousness, forming a spiritual power


    curtain.¡±


    ¡°The spiritual curtain blocked the complete cycle of spiritual power, thus preventing further cultivation. If the issue with the spiritual curtain is resolved, and it no longer forms an obstruction, the spiritual power can flow, and it won¡¯t hinder cultivation.¡±


    ¡°So, the fundamental problem is resolving the spiritual curtain in the sea of consciousness¡­¡± S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua seized upon this critical point, then disregarded other factors, focusing solely on the spiritual curtain in his sea of consciousness. He sank his spiritual awareness into the sea of consciousness and carefully examined the intricate spiritual curtain.


    The curtain was composed of light blue spiritual strands that seemed alive, freely and disorderly drifting, sometimes intertwining, sometimes separating, appearing disordered and inscrutable.


    After watching for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Mo Hua collapsed back onto the bed.


    He thought to himself, ¡°What on earth is this spiritual curtain? I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua once again profoundly realized his lack of knowledge in cultivation.


    There¡¯s a saying that knowledge is the ladder of advancement for cultivators. Mo Hua wasn¡¯t sure where he had heard this, but it seemed very apt at the moment.


    Mo Hua began to recall all the cultivation knowledge he had encountered in his mind, to see if there was anything similar. But the more he thought, the more cluttered his mind became, the more it hurt, and he still ended up with no clue.


    In a flash of insight, he suddenly remembered a line from the :


    ¡°Not suitable for non-array masters.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly sat up.


    Not suitable for non-array masters, then this technique must be related to array masters, and if it¡¯s related to array masters, then could this spiritual curtain possibly be¡­ an array?


    He then remembered the previous line, ¡°The bottleneck lies in the spiritual awareness.¡±


    ¡°The bottleneck lies in the spiritual awareness, not suitable for non-array masters.¡±


    The bottleneck lies in the spiritual awareness because the spiritual curtain is the bottleneck, and the spiritual curtain is located within the sea of consciousness, not suitable for non-array masters because this spiritual curtain itself is an array, incomprehensible to those who are not array masters!


    Mo Hua again sank his spiritual awareness into the sea of consciousness, closely observing the spiritual curtain in the sea of consciousness, discovering that although the spiritual strands looked disorderly, the interactions between them subtly formed array patterns.


    However, as the spiritual strands continuously flowed, the array patterns also continuously changed, eventually solidifying into an array that was ever-changing and unfathomable.


    Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    Then he scratched his head.


    This array¡­ he had never seen it before either!


    The array techniques he had learned included at most six array patterns, but the array patterns within this spiritual curtain were perhaps tens or hundreds.


    What was even more terrifying was that these array patterns were continuously flowing and changing, ultimately forming arrays that Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand, and these arrays then continued changing into even more incomprehensible arrays¡­


    Just looking at it made Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingle.


    ¡°Is this the ancient array technique practiced by ancient cultivators?¡±


    ¡°Is this the so-called bizarre and rare ancient technique?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of awe in his heart, the wisdom of ancient cultivators truly extraordinary, just a Qi Cultivation stage technique making it so daunting.


    He also silently mourned for himself; although he knew this technique was ¡°bizarre and rare,¡± he hadn¡¯t expected it to be bizarre and rare to this extent.


    Mo Hua silently observed the spiritual curtain for a long while, feeling dizzy and headache-ridden, still clueless. Finally, he affirmed one realization:


    On his own, he was completely helpless against this array curtain.


    Recognizing his own helplessness was also a form of self-awareness.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask Mr. Zhuang tomorrow.¡±


    Relieved, Mo Hua covered himself with the blanket and fell soundly asleep.

 Chapter 63: The Mystery Array

    "An array curtain?" Mr. Zhuang also looked slightly astonished.Mo Hua recalled the spirit screen in his mind and described it in detail:


    "The spiritual energy was pale blue, like spirit ink, forming patterns that intertwined like array patterns, crafting the spirit screen into a whole array. However, the spiritual energy was flowing, and the patterns shifted, displaying various arrays on the screen."


    "Interesting."


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyes brightened a bit, then he took out paper and pen, spreading them on the table in front of him.


    "Do you remember those patterns? Draw some for me to see."


    "I remember some of the patterns, but they keep changing¡­" Mo Hua replied truthfully.


    "No matter," said Mr. Zhuang. "Draw them as you saw them." s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua''s small hand took up the pen and dabbed ink, and as the pen tip moved across the paper, several array patterns soon sprang to life on the paper.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at it and remarked, "These look like ordinary array patterns, nothing special."


    Mo Hua asked, "Did the predecessors who practiced this technique before me never encounter this situation?"


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment and replied, "Not that I know of."


    Mr. Zhuang further explained, "Even if it''s the same technique, different cultivators might encounter different issues, especially with such rare ancient techniques that have few inheritors and even fewer practitioners. When problems arise, it''s hard to find good precedents to follow."


    Mr. Zhuang mused, "The technique mentioned that the bottleneck is in spiritual awareness. Previous cultivators probably encountered problems at that level, but if it were the same issue as yours, it surely would have been noted in the jade slip. Matters concerning the transmission of internal sect techniques; our predecessors within the sect wouldn''t keep secrets or withhold information."


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, "Then, sir, what should I do? It seems I can''t continue my cultivation now."


    Mr. Zhuang gave a carefree smile, "If it''s just about arrays, it''s hardly anything to worry about," and then instructed, "Go home and jot down all the patterns and arrays displayed on the spirit screen, and bring them to me tomorrow."


    "Alright, sir!"


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, then remembered Mr. Zhuang''s words.


    Just an array matter, so it''s nothing?


    Just how profound was Mr. Zhuang''s mastery of arrays?


    Could he already be a third-grade array master?


    What kind of arrays could a third-grade master draw?


    Mo Hua harbored some admiration but then thought better of it, "I shouldn''t aim too high for now; even becoming a first-grade master is still a long way off¡­"


    Mo Hua gathered his thoughts, remembered Mr. Zhuang''s instructions, and after returning home, immersed his spiritual awareness into the sea of consciousness, observing the patterns and arrays on the spirit screen.


    Mo Hua recognized many of the array patterns on the spirit screen, though most of the arrays were unfamiliar, and some obscure patterns he couldn''t possibly remember at once. He had to keep watching and practicing on the stone tablet until he memorized them well, then emerged from the sea of consciousness and copied the patterns onto array paper.


    He continued this until midnight, when suddenly feeling dizzy, Mo Hua knew he had overused his spiritual awareness and decided to rest.


    Just as he relaxed, Mo Hua felt his stomach growling, only then realizing he had skipped dinner, too engrossed in recording the array patterns.


    "At this hour, my parents must be asleep."


    Mo Hua worried, "I wonder if there''s still anything to eat at home."


    Mo Hua stood up, about to open the door, when he noticed a small table by the door, on which a few bowls and dishes were placed, covered by a large bowl.


    Lifting the cover, Mo Hua found a small pot of white porridge, a dish of mixed small vegetables, two steamed buns, and a small dish of sauce beef.


    The vegetables and meat were cold, the buns warm, but the porridge was still hot.


    "Mother must have been worried that I hadn''t eaten and didn''t want to disturb my study of arrays, so she specifically placed it at the door. And she must have reheated it before sleeping, otherwise, the porridge would have cooled."


    Mo Hua felt warmed up after a sip of porridge.


    Then, like a whirlwind, he finished the other food, sweeping away his fatigue, rejuvenating his spirit.


    Mo Hua re-entered the sea of consciousness, continued tracing the patterns on the spirit screen, and then copied the remembered patterns onto array paper.


    He continued until the hour of the tiger, when his spiritual awareness was exhausted again, and he carefully stored the copied array paper and went to sleep properly.


    The next day, Mr. Zhuang looked at


    the copied array paper Mo Hua brought and his eyes narrowed slightly:


    "This is actually a riddle array."


    "A riddle array?"


    Mo Hua had never heard of such a thing.


    Mr. Zhuang patiently explained, "You know what a lantern riddle is, right?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "A riddle array is similar to a lantern riddle, only using array patterns as clues and arrays as the riddle surface. If you don''t get the trick, naturally you can''t see through the truth," Mr. Zhuang elaborated.


    "Oh." Mo Hua nodded.


    "This was something long-standing sects and noble families used to amuse and intellectually engage their disciples, but it''s not very common anymore."


    Mo Hua thought about the intricate and headache-inducing patterns, his expression becoming complicated.


    This was for intellectual amusement?


    "Does failing to solve it mean I''m rather dull?" Mo Hua asked delicately.


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing Mo Hua''s concern, smiled wryly, "Not really, this one''s a bit tougher, not everyone can solve it."


    Mo Hua felt Mr. Zhuang was trying to comfort him but not quite hitting the mark.


    Not everyone can solve it, which probably means many can, and few cannot.


    And he was among those who could not...


    Since it''s meant for intellectual amusement, it should be solved¡ªface must be maintained!


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "Then how should I solve this riddle array?"


    Mr. Zhuang casually tapped his bamboo chair, "Your situation is different from others. For others, failing to solve it might just be a bit depressing, but for you, this riddle array involves cultivation. If you can''t solve it, and your cultivation stagnates, the trouble is significant."


    "There are two methods: one is you learn to solve it yourself; the other is you jot down all the patterns, copy them out, and I''ll help you solve it."


    "The second method is the fastest and most straightforward. After all, cultivation is the foundation of a cultivator, without which all else is futile talk, not to mention becoming an array master; the first method requires you to learn on your own, which, while beneficial for your array learning, takes time and delays your cultivation. The choice is yours."


    After Mr. Zhuang finished, he watched Mo Hua with interest.


    Mo Hua was a bit conflicted.


    For a cultivator, the consequences of stagnant cultivation were too severe. His cultivation was naturally not as advanced as that of the Bai siblings or those great clan youths, but among his peers in Tongxian City, he was still considered a standout¡ªthough also a standout among the less gifted.


    If the bottleneck in the early stages of Qi cultivation took too much time, his cultivation would likely fall behind.


    Mo Hua thought it over and finally decided, "Sir, I choose the first one."


    Problems that could be solved by oneself were best dealt with personally.


    Falling behind in cultivation was acceptable; his spiritual roots and techniques were inferior to others anyway, and this gap would only widen further with time. Falling behind early or late made no difference.


    One shouldn''t covet a temporary sense of superiority.


    Besides, having Mr. Zhuang solve an initial stage of Qi cultivation bottleneck wouldn''t help later stages, middle and late Qi cultivation periods. Mr. Zhuang couldn''t always be by his side, and Mo Hua was only a disciple in name, not someone who could trouble Mr. Zhuang for everything.


    There was another reason, the phrase "intellectual amusement" bothered Mo Hua greatly.


    "Oh? Are you sure about your decision?"


    Mr. Zhuang asked meaningfully.


    Mo Hua nodded, "I have made up my mind."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval, "I have some books and jade slips here that outline the basics of riddle arrays. Take these and study them first. Once you''re done, come to me, and I''ll teach you how to solve arrays."


    Mo Hua solemnly accepted them, "Disciple takes his leave."


    Mr. Zhuang watched Mo Hua depart, his leisurely demeanor fading, his expression turning slightly grave.

 Chapter 64: Unusual Practices

    "This isn''t something used for intellectual diversion."Elder Gui appeared silently, speaking softly. After a glance at Mr. Zhuang and a slight hesitation, he added:


    "At least not for normal people."


    Mr. Zhuang frowned slightly, "Have you ever seen this technique before?"


    Elder Gui shook his head slightly, "I have seen stranger techniques, but none as peculiar as this..."


    "The bottlenecks involve spirit stones, spiritual roots, spiritual items, meridians, bloodlines, and even require killing¡ªwhether it be humans, demonic beasts, or demon cultivators. Techniques that draw on the living essence, spiritual power, and consciousness of others I have seen, but never one where the bottleneck lies in the Sea of Consciousness Riddle Array." S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Gui continued indifferently, "Such ancient and rare techniques are only preserved by your old-fashioned ancient sects."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, "This complicates things."


    "I''ve told you before, there''s no need to be different. Learning obscure techniques that no one else practices. Mo Hua''s spiritual root is inadequate, and now with this obscure technique, his cultivation progress is hampered and will be much slower." Elder Gui''s tone carried a hint of reproach.


    "I''ll figure something out. You have to start and finish well in everything."


    "What will you do? Don''t forget that you can''t stay here too long," Elder Gui''s gaze turned cold.


    "I must teach him to decipher the array so he can independently unravel the riddles within his Sea of Consciousness," said Mr. Zhuang. "Given Mo Hua''s comprehension, it shouldn''t take too long. After that, it''s up to his fate..."


    "What about those two children from the Bai family? You''re not going to take care of them anymore?"


    "I''ve already made an exception by taking them as nominal disciples. It¡¯s impossible to take them as direct disciples. My fellow disciple has been scheming against me all her life; I can''t let her manipulate everything."


    "That''s true. Your judgment in picking disciples has always been poor, and so is your choice of techniques."


    Mr. Zhuang wanted to retort, but the words died on his lips, as he realized Elder Gui was right and swallowed his words.


    Mo Hua eagerly started reading the jade slip he received from Mr. Zhuang.


    "Arrays draw from the principles of heaven and earth, depicting the myriad aspects of existence, possessing the power to change the heavens and earth, with an unfathomable might. One who knows the ways of heaven and earth and understands the principles of arrays can both establish and solve arrays."


    "An array consists of the array medium, array patterns, array hub, and array eye. Damaging the array medium or destroying the array eye is called breaking the array; solving the array patterns or reversing the array hub is called solving the array."


    "All things have their nurturing and restraining forces, and so do array patterns. The interplay of yin and yang, the mutual opposition of the Three Talents, the control of the Four Symbols, and the Five Elements, where metal restrains wood, wood restrains earth, earth restrains water, water restrains fire, and fire restrains metal..."


    ...


    The jade slip contained extensive descriptions on solving arrays.


    Mo Hua seemed to understand some of it but was confused upon further thought. As he pondered with a frown, Bai Zisheng leaned over secretly, "Hey, why are you reading a book on solving arrays?"


    "Master asked me to."


    "Oh."


    "Can you solve arrays?" asked Mo Hua.


    "I know a bit, but I''m not very good at it."


    Knowing a bit was still knowing, at least better than himself.


    Mo Hua humbly pointed to a section in the book, "What''s the difference between breaking and solving an array?"


    Bai Zisheng didn''t hold back and explained:


    "Breaking an array generally means using brute force to destroy the array medium and the array eye essential for the array''s operation, forcibly eliminating the array. Without the array medium, the array can hardly exist; without the array eye, the array cannot operate, and naturally, the array is broken..."


    "Solving an array is more troublesome; it relies on understanding the generative and restrictive interactions within the array patterns. By drawing array patterns that counteract the existing ones, the original patterns are neutralized, and the array is dissolved. Usually, only an array master has the ability to solve an array."


    "Do you not understand how to solve an array?" Bai Zisheng asked after explaining.


    "No," Mo Hua said a bit shyly, "I don''t quite understand the differences between the array eye, array hub, and array medium..."


    Bai Zisheng exclaimed, "Wow, how do you not know this?"


    "If I knew all this, would I still ask you? If I don''t ask you, how would it seem like you know so


    much?"


    Bai Zisheng stroked his chin, "That makes sense."


    Turning his head and seeing his sister Bai Zixi''s almost imperceptible smile, he realized something and then exclaimed:


    "That''s still not right, I can''t just teach for free!"


    "What if I bring you a plate of beef tomorrow?"


    Bai Zisheng scoffed, "What do you think I am? I am a direct descendant of the Bai family, a favored child of heaven. Do you think a plate of beef is enough to satisfy me?"


    "Two plates?"


    "...Okay."


    "What''s the difference between the array eye, array medium, and array hub?"


    Mo Hua seized the opportunity to ask.


    Bai Zisheng, satisfied with the promise of two plates of beef, explained:


    "The array eye is the core of the array''s operation, providing spiritual power for the array''s functioning. Generally, the array eye of a single array is a Spirit Gathering Array Pattern, and for a complex array composed of multiple single arrays, the array eye is a Spirit Gathering Array, the more powerful the array, the more spiritual power the array eye needs, and some family or sect''s protective arrays might even require an entire spirit vein as the supply of spiritual power for the array eye..."


    "The array hub is the pivot of the array and also involves the array''s layout, which is more intricate, generally adhering to the concepts of ''heaven is round, earth is square,'' the Dual Aspects and the Four Symbols, and the Eight Trigrams positions. Different attributes of array patterns must be placed in corresponding positions, otherwise, the array patterns won''t take effect..."


    "Different schools and heritages have different array hubs, and talking about that is too complicated. You shouldn''t worry about it. With our current level of understanding of arrays, it''s not possible to solve an array through the array hub..."


    "The array medium is the medium of the array, such as array papers, stone tablets, copper, iron, wood, etc., that carry the array patterns. After array patterns are drawn on them, they become the array medium. Some spiritual instruments that need array patterns can also be considered as the array medium..."


    Seeing Mo Hua''s somewhat understanding, somewhat not, Bai Zisheng gave an example:


    "Simply put, the array eye is like the heart''s vessels, the array hub is the main channel for the flow of Qi and blood, and the array patterns are the branches of this flow. The spiritual power supplied by the array eye, channeled through the array hub, flows into the array patterns, just like blood flowing from the heart through the body''s layout of various blood vessels to circulate throughout the body..."


    Bai Zisheng rattled off a bunch of explanations, then feeling thirsty, Mo Hua personally poured a cup of tea for him.


    "This...is this very basic array knowledge?" Mo Hua asked weakly.


    "I suppose so, at least in our Bai family, these are common knowledge for learning array techniques." Bai Zisheng said with slight pride.


    It was good that he had asked beforehand, otherwise bringing these superficial questions to Mr. Zhuang would have been quite embarrassing.


    "I''ll bring you a pot of osmanthus wine tomorrow."


    "Uh-huh!" Bai Zisheng nodded repeatedly, delighted.


    Mo Hua asked about a few other things, such as how arrays are usually solved, how they are broken, what specific schools of array hubs there are, and so on.


    As the evening approached, Mo Hua bid farewell to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, packing up to head home.


    "Mo Hua," Bai Zisheng suddenly called out to Mo Hua with a serious expression, "Don''t forget the most important thing..."


    "What?" Mo Hua looked at him puzzled.


    "The beef must be spicy!"


    Bai Zisheng said with a stern face.

 Chapter 65: Breaking the Array

    After Mo Hua returned home, he had dinner with his parents. His mother helped him prepare some soy beef, snacks, and fermented rice wine, and then he locked himself in his room, concentrating on solving arrays.He started by drawing a fire array pattern on paper. Once drawn, the pattern turned a pale red and emitted a faint heat.


    Then, following the methods described in a book, Mo Hua drew a water array pattern adjacent to the fire pattern on the Kan position.


    After he finished drawing, the red of the fire pattern slowly faded; the faint red aura was no longer visible, and it no longer felt warm to the touch. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This meant that the fire array pattern was deactivated.


    Bolstered by this success, Mo Hua tried breaking other five-element array patterns one by one, indeed able to deactivate them using the principles of generation and overcoming among the five elements.


    Next, he turned to arrays, taking some time to draw a Blazing Fire Array.


    The Blazing Fire Array, composed of three array patterns, is among the simplest kinds of arrays.


    When Mo Hua had first drawn the Blazing Fire Array for the manager, it was also the first one he drew. Now, redrawing this array came effortlessly to him.


    Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a meticulously drawn Blazing Fire Array took shape on the paper.


    Mo Hua pondered the Blazing Fire Array.


    Previously, when he drew the Blazing Fire Array, he simply copied the forms without much thought. Now, examining it carefully, he realized that indeed, one of the patterns was for gathering spirit, while the other two were ordinary fire patterns, meant to illuminate and activate the array.


    Following Bai Zisheng''s instructions, Mo Hua checked each component.


    The spirit-gathering pattern was the array eye, the tripartite positions served as the array hub, and the paper used for drawing was the array medium.


    Mo Hua tore a slit in the array paper, and as expected, the array on the paper was deactivated. He then redrew the Blazing Fire Array and altered the spirit-gathering pattern that served as the array eye, deactivating the array once more.


    "So this is what they call, ''Damage the array medium, destroy the array eye, thus breaking the array''..."


    "This method is... simple and brutal, even those who don¡¯t understand arrays can break them this way. Hmm, if you don''t understand arrays, this forceful method is your only option."


    "What about the Riddle Array in my sea of consciousness? What serves as its array eye and medium?"


    "If spiritual power is supplied by the array eye, then the Qi sea must be the array eye, and since the Riddle Array resides in the sea of consciousness, then the sea of consciousness is the array medium? To break the array, would that mean..."


    "Self-destruct the Qi sea and also ruin my own sea of consciousness?!"


    Mo Hua broke out in a cold sweat.


    "Let¡¯s not..."


    Breaking an array in such a crude manner lacks the refinement expected of an array master and does not demonstrate the skill level of an array master.


    Dismissing these distracting thoughts, Mo Hua drew another Blazing Fire Array and then meticulously solved it again, suddenly realizing that this method of solving was too wasteful in terms of paper and ink. Drawing and solving repeatedly, and if he solved it incorrectly, he''d have to redraw everything. This consumed more paper and ink than even his practice of array techniques.


    The issue of spirit stones was still serious. Although the income from the eatery had improved his family¡¯s financial situation, and they were not desperately short of ordinary spirit stones, it was still better to save wherever possible, as they would need plenty of spirit stones in the future.


    "The Dao Stele in my sea of consciousness, perfect for practicing breaking arrays..."


    Thinking this, Mo Hua submerged his spiritual sense into his sea of consciousness.


    In the vast, empty expanse of his sea of consciousness, the mysterious Riddle Array woven from strands of spiritual power remained, as did the Dao Stele, seemingly unaffected by the spiritual strands.


    With practiced ease, Mo Hua drew a Blazing Fire Array on the Dao Stele and tried to solve it. After solving it, the brightness of the Blazing Fire Array dimmed.


    Mo Hua erased the array and the array patterns used for solving, and the consumed spiritual sense was restored.


    "Indeed!"


    Mo Hua was overjoyed. The Dao Stele was not only suitable for practicing array techniques but also for practicing how to break them.


    Draw, then erase¡ªthe spiritual sense would recover, meaning there was no consumption of spiritual sense, and it also saved on paper and ink.


    Mo Hua then focused on practicing breaking arrays in his sea of consciousness until the hour of Yin, after which he meditated for an hour, then woke up refreshed.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua also woke up early, with Mo Shan heading to


    Dahei Mountain to hunt demons, and Liu Ruhua preparing for the eatery''s business.


    After a simple, warm, and delicious breakfast, Mo Hua, carrying a food box, then headed to Mr. Zhuang''s place.

 Chapter 66: The Thousand Arrays

    When Mo Hua arrived at Mr. Zhuang''s mountain residence, the Bai siblings were already there, engrossed in their books and cultivation under a tree beside the pond. Aunt Xue usually didn''t enter the residence but waited outside the gate.Seeing Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng hurriedly dropped his book and ran over excitedly.


    Mo Hua handed him a small portion of a food box and a little jug of fruit wine, "Have it later, you just had breakfast."


    Stuffing his mouth with meat, Bai Zisheng said with satisfaction, "It''s fine, I told Aunt Xue I didn''t have much appetite this morning, so I ate less."


    Shaking his head, Mo Hua then handed some pastries and osmanthus wine to Bai Zixi, who thanked him in her crisp, melodious voice, then gracefully and dignifiedly nibbled on the pastries and sipped the wine.


    Looking at Bai Zisheng and then at Bai Zixi, Mo Hua thought about the vast difference in dining manners between the siblings.


    Bai Zisheng, who had earlier maintained the demeanor of a noble family''s disciple, abandoned all pretenses of decorum upon getting familiar with Mo Hua. His current dog-like eating was a waste of his handsome appearance.


    Mo Hua also delivered some wine and food to Mr. Zhuang and Elder Gui, then started to ask about solving arrays.


    Mo Hua had already asked Bai Zisheng some basic questions; the remaining were more challenging, beyond his own understanding of cultivation.


    For instance, how to use the array eye and array hub to solve arrays, the basic principles of array solving, and how to solve incomprehensible arrays.


    Mr. Zhuang was quite pleased with the questions Mo Hua posed: "Asking these questions shows you''ve thoroughly read the texts given to you."


    "Solving using the array eye is tough, learning the reverse spirit array patterns is even harder, and they are usually family secrets not easily shared. Even if learned, they''re hard to apply because the spirit-gathering patterns differ with each array, and applying the reverse spirit array must be adapted to the specific array, which is difficult to gauge. Using the gathering patterns can easily lead to loss of control over the array''s spiritual energy, destroying the array and potentially harming the cultivator."


    "Don''t even consider using the array hub for now, at least not until you''re above a third-grade array master. Solving with the array hub requires deep foundational knowledge of arrays, and familiarity with the structures used by various families, sects, or schools, otherwise, you''d be clueless with unfamiliar arrays."


    "So, for you, just focus on solving with array patterns, which might seem complex but is actually the most basic and straightforward method."


    "Oh," Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    "Mo Hua, do you think it''s better for an array master to specialize deeply or to have broad knowledge?" Mr. Zhuang suddenly asked.


    "Isn''t it best to be both broadly knowledgeable and deeply skilled?" Mo Hua replied timidly.


    "Both are what mature cultivators choose."


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, "The great path is endless, but our lives are limited. We can either choose to specialize in one type of array, seeking depth over breadth, or accumulate a wide knowledge, seeking breadth over depth."


    "In that case, it''s definitely better to specialize in one type of array," Mo Hua said.


    "Why?" Mr. Zhuang asked, intrigued.


    "Array techniques are profound and vast. Merely seeking breadth will only skim the surface. Specializing in one type allows for deeper understanding and application when encountering complex arrays..."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Well said. Family traditions in array techniques value specialization over diversity."


    Mo Hua understood some but was still unclear about the relevance to himself.


    "In fact, not just families, all orthodox array traditions value specialization over diversity. First master one type of array thoroughly, then explore other types," Mr. Zhuang explained, pausing briefly before looking at Mo Hua again: "But you are different, you need to learn broadly, not just specialize in one type."


    Mo Hua was momentarily puzzled, then asked, "Because of the cultivation technique?"


    Mr. Zhuang looked approvingly, "Correct. You''ve learned the ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique.'' To advance, you need to solve riddle arrays. Only by solving these can you cultivate the technique, increase your cultivation, and elevate your realm. Without solving the riddle arrays, all is baseless."


    "Solving riddle arrays requires understanding sufficient array patterns and mastering numerous arrays. Many riddle arrays aren''t hard, it''s about knowing the related patterns and arrays. If you know them, solving is easy, but if not, even if your natural talent and knowledge in arrays are exceptional, it''s futile."


    "As the saying goes, ''even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without


    rice.'' Facing an unfamiliar riddle array, even the most profound array master is helpless."


    Enlightened, Mo Hua then scratched his head, asking, "Then, sir, what should I do?"


    Mr. Zhuang handed Mo Hua a book titled "Collection of Thousand Arrays."


    Opening it, Mo Hua found it densely packed with various arrays, all below the first grade, with most having less than nine array patterns, though a few included nine.


    Most were five-element arrays, with some peculiarly functional ones Mo Hua had never seen before.


    Mo Hua gaped, "This is..."


    "This is a collection of arrays below the first grade, documenting the names, grades, and purposes of arrays. Browse through it yourself, and if there''s something you want to learn, look for the corresponding array diagrams on the first floor of the library."


    "I''ve taught you the basics of array techniques, you can learn on your own now. If you have questions, come and ask me. Just remember one thing, return the array diagrams you''ve checked out, and do not lose them," Mr. Zhuang instructed.


    "I will remember," Mo Hua solemnly nodded.


    "Alright, off you go," Mr. Zhuang waved.


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully to Mr. Zhuang, treasuring the "Collection of Thousand Arrays" as he tucked it into his bosom. As he was about to leave, Mr. Zhuang called out.


    "Mo Hua," Mr. Zhuang hesitated, then said, "I should have chosen a more secure cultivation technique for you, one that wouldn''t require so much effort... This was my oversight."


    Elder Gui, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them slightly, looking surprised at Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua looked astonished, then shyly smiled at Mr. Zhuang, "My family is ordinary, and I don''t have many spirit stones. This cultivation technique doesn''t require spiritual items for breakthroughs and uses few spirit stones, which is perfect for me. In my eyes, the technique you chose is the best in the world."


    "Is that so..."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua''s youthful and handsome face, his eyes clear and sincere, and couldn''t help but smile, his demeanor returning to his usual carefree nature, though his voice grew softer: "Go study array techniques."


    Mo Hua politely bowed again and then scampered off on his little legs.


    S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 67: Compilation

    Since obtaining the "Collection of a Thousand Formations," Mo Hua has been incessantly poring over it, turning to Mr. Zhuang''s library whenever he encountered an interesting array, meticulously noting down any doubts.In the mornings or evenings, he would seek guidance from Mr. Zhuang.


    For independent cultivators like him, acquiring even a single array diagram was challenging. When copying arrays for Manager Mo, aside from basic ones like the Blazing Fire Array, any slightly more complex diagrams required additional spirit stones.


    But now, with nearly a thousand array diagrams at his disposal, mastering all these arrays would surely elevate him to a first-rate Array Master. Just the thought filled Mo Hua with excitement.


    Night and day, Mo Hua studied the arrays like a mouse trapped in a rice store, wishing he could stuff all the rice into his belly.


    During the day, he studied array books and practiced drawing arrays, consulting Mr. Zhuang with questions, while at night, he practiced repeatedly on the fragmented steles in his sea of consciousness.


    Mo Hua had learned the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, which, according to Mr. Zhuang, meant his learning should be broad rather than specialized. Thus, he didn''t delve too deeply, as long as he could draw the arrays. Some arrays he just learned to draw were forgotten immediately after.


    For months, Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness fluctuated between being fully charged and utterly depleted, yet his cultivation level hadn''t progressed, but his understanding of array theory deepened, making him more composed in learning and inscribing arrays. Arrays that once seemed complex and obscure now felt natural and familiar.


    "What are you looking at?"


    One day, while Mo Hua was engrossed in a book, Bai Zisheng popped his head over and asked.


    Mo Hua had been focused on learning arrays and hadn''t paid much attention to Bai Zisheng, whose Aunt Xue seemed to think Bai Zisheng was distracted and had tightened up his schedule, which now included cultivation, arrays, alchemy, and artifact forging.


    Although Mr. Zhuang was the tutor for the Bai siblings, he mostly let them learn independently. It seemed their goal wasn¡¯t to have Mr. Zhuang guide their cultivation. To avoid annoying him, aside from scheduled greetings and lessons, they rarely disturbed Mr. Zhuang.


    Thus, the Bai siblings'' cultivation was mainly managed by Aunt Xue, following the Bai family''s tradition of nurturing direct disciples.


    Back home, Bai Zisheng could shut himself away to study and cultivate in peace. Now outside, confronted with novel and intriguing things, and with Mo Hua to talk to, he found the routine of cultivation somewhat dull.


    Mo Hua''s eyes were fixed on the book, merely lifting the cover so Bai Zisheng could see.


    Bai Zisheng leaned over and read out, "Collection... of... a Thousand... Arrays..."


    "What''s so interesting about that?"


    "Do you have one too?" Mo Hua asked.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, "The Bai family''s library has it. It compiles various arrays collected within the family for disciples to study and refer to, broadening their horizons on array formation and facilitating research when learning specific arrays. Every disciple studying arrays gets one; it¡¯s not particularly rare."


    A copy for every family disciple, not rare...


    As someone from a background of independent cultivation, Mo Hua didn¡¯t bother to argue with someone speaking from a place of privilege, merely responding with a noncommittal "Oh."


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s indifference, Bai Zisheng scratched his head and suggested, "How about you lend it to me for a look?"


    "You just said your family has one. Why do you need to see it?"


    "Different families and sects have different inheritances; the arrays recorded in the compilations vary. I want to see what kind of arrays Mr. Zhuang has included."


    Mo Hua hesitated.


    "Just a peek!" Bai Zisheng pleaded gently.


    "Alright then."


    Mo Hua closed the thick "Collection of a Thousand Formations" and handed it to Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng flipped through it briefly, then his mouth fell open:


    "There really are over a thousand arrays!"


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes, "Isn''t it called ''Collection of a Thousand Formations''?"


    "You don¡¯t understand, those who compile these collections often do so out of vanity, embellishing the truth. If they compile ten arrays, they call it a ''Collection of a Hundred Arrays''; a thousand might be called a ''Collection of Ten Thousand.'' Some even name their techniques with grandiose terms like ''Heaven Opening,'' ''Earth Splitting,'' ''Creation,'' ''Divine Skills''¡ªsounds impressive but are just low-grade techniques..."


    "Do cultivators in the cultivation world like to do this kind of thing?"


    "Until they become immortals, they¡¯re still human, and humans like to brag."


    "Oh."


    Mo H


    ua thought of his own practice, the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, which also used the grand term "Heaven" yet wasn¡¯t highly rated. Was it also just for show?


    However, it was an ancient technique, likely created by ancient cultivators who were probably more honest...


    Mo Hua sincerely hoped so.


    Bai Zisheng continued flipping through the compilation, becoming more amazed as he did, soon gesturing to Bai Zixi to come over, "Zixi, Zixi, come look, there are so many arrays I''ve never seen before!"


    Bai Zixi, who had been quietly cultivating, also leaned over.


    Mo Hua curiously asked, "The Bai family is a major family, right? Does Mr. Zhuang''s collection have more arrays than your family¡¯s?"


    Bai Zisheng, feeling slighted, corrected, "Just the lower-tier arrays. It¡¯s hard to say for the higher-tier ones."


    "The Bai family does have a legacy of array techniques, but we''re not known for our prowess in arrays, so it''s normal that Mr. Zhuang''s collection is more extensive," Bai Zixi said calmly.


    "Hmph!" Bai Zisheng huffed, unable to retort or lose his temper at Bai Zixi, and just sulked.


    As Bai Zixi continued to peruse the compilation, her eyes brightened more and more, looking as if she couldn''t bear to let go. After a moment, she raised her head, her eyes as clear and bright as autumn waters, looking at Mo Hua.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but Mo Hua understood her look.


    Mo Hua hesitated, then sighed, "I can only lend it to you for an afternoon, okay?"


    They were, after all, fellow disciples, and Mr. Zhuang would probably not mind.


    A hint of a smile flickered across Bai Zixi¡¯s flawless face, like dawn light touching a lotus after emerging from water, clear and bright.


    Bai Zixi took out a coverless book from her storage bag and handed it to Mo Hua, "This is the Bai family¡¯s compilation of lower-tier arrays. Take a look, and if there¡¯s anything you want to learn, I can teach you."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, happily accepting the book. Though it contained fewer arrays than Mr. Zhuang''s, the ones it did include were more foundational and explained in greater detail, likely intended for beginner disciples. Many sections had handwritten notes, elegantly beautiful, seemingly written by Bai Zixi herself.


    "Isn''t this against your family rules?"


    Mo Hua was a bit worried; he knew some families were strict about their array teachings.


    "It might be..." Bai Zisheng nodded.


    "It''s not!" Bai Zixi countered.


    "Why?"


    "Because I''m giving it to you!"


    Bai Zixi''s casual yet resolute tone somehow made her seem unexpectedly charismatic.


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua not only studied arrays on his own but also learned from Bai Zixi. He soon realized that Bai Zixi''s knowledge of arrays was far deeper than his own, reminding him that the path of array techniques was endless and not to be complacent.


    When Bai Zixi had questions during their studies, Mo Hua noted them down and then asked Mr. Zhuang. After clarifying, he would discuss the answers with Bai Zixi, which led to him consulting Mr. Zhuang more frequently.


    One day after Mo Hua had consulted Mr. Zhuang and left, Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brows, "This isn¡¯t good."


    "What''s wrong?" Elder Gui asked casually.


    "Mo Hua keeps coming to me with questions, I have no time to close my eyes and meditate!"


    "You mean sleep..." Elder Gui bluntly corrected.


    Mr. Zhuang pretended not to hear and pondered, "What to do..."


    "Just don¡¯t answer him."


    Mr. Zhuang remembered Mo Hua¡¯s clear, inquisitive eyes, sometimes filled with admiration, and shook his head, "That wouldn¡¯t be right. A teacher who doesn¡¯t answer his disciple¡¯s questions is not a good teacher."


    "When did you start caring about such things?"


    "Just now."


    Elder Gui, uninterested, continued carving something out of wood, the knife moving along the wood, chips falling silently.


    Mr. Zhuang lounged in his chair, eyes fixed on the wooden beams above the pavilion, lost in thought for a moment before coming back to reality. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I need to find an excuse to laze around." Mr. Zhuang thought to himself.

 Chapter 68: Practical Application

    One morning, Mr. Zhuang called Mo Hua over, his expression inscrutable, and asked:"Mo Hua, what kind of Array Master do you aspire to be?"


    Mo Hua thought to himself that it would be nice to become a first-rate Array Master, earning a stipend each month, self-sufficient, surely making his parents proud.


    But that probably wasn''t what Mr. Zhuang meant.


    "Sir, are there differences among Array Masters?" Mo Hua humbly inquired.


    "There are countless arrays, and naturally, Array Masters who study them are equally diverse, each excelling in their own way."


    "Oh¡­" Mo Hua was somewhat perplexed.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, "Some Array Masters travel across the nine provinces, seeking lost forbidden arrays; others visit various sects to exchange insights through array challenges; some are devoted solely to their studies, unconcerned with worldly affairs, and yet others are more practical, seeking to revolutionize industries through arrays¡­"


    Mo Hua found it difficult to choose.


    The idea of traveling across the nine provinces to search for lost forbidden arrays was enticing¡ªthough he didn''t yet know what a forbidden array was. Visiting sects to challenge array techniques sounded appealing; being devoted solely to the study of arrays was peaceful and quiet; and using arrays to revolutionize industries seemed meaningful¡­


    Seeing Mo Hua''s finely furrowed brows, Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, then continued:


    "However, it doesn''t really matter which path you choose. The world has its strictures, but it is also free from prohibitions. No one dictates what kind of person you are or what kind of Array Master you should be."


    "As an Array Master, your choice doesn¡¯t matter as much as your dedication to arrays, your understanding of the Dao of Heaven, and remember the four words ''observe, learn, think, apply.''"


    "Observe, learn, think, apply?"


    "Observing is to broaden your horizons, learning is to enhance your skills, thinking is to avoid rote memorization, and applying is to turn your knowledge into practice. Understanding of arrays starts with observation and ends with application."


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling like he understood a bit, but not completely.


    "You¡¯ve done well with observing, learning, and thinking, but that''s not enough; you must also learn to apply. Studying arrays without applying them is like hiding treasures in the mountains to gather dust, or having talents that you never reveal, ultimately failing to achieve greatness. To truly learn, you must apply your knowledge to perfect your learning," Mr. Zhuang advised.


    "Then, sir," Mo Hua earnestly asked, "how should I apply array techniques effectively?"


    "Array techniques are the cultivators'' insights into the natural world; thus, everything in the world contains array techniques and principles for their application. With intent, everything, even the minutest detail or the simplest meal, is related to array techniques."


    Mo Hua suddenly realized that his previous use of array techniques for refining tools and building stoves were indeed applications of array techniques.


    "Disciple understands," Mo Hua joyfully said, "Array techniques are cultivators'' perceptions of the Dao of Heaven, and naturally, they can be applied across all professions in the cultivation world. Every plant and tree contains the essence of array techniques, and with intent, all can be explored and applied. Sir, is that what you mean?"


    "Exactly!" Mr. Zhuang expressed satisfaction. "There''s also one more important thing, learning through application allows you to integrate and comprehend the vast array of techniques you study, solving your problem of learning about various arrays superficially."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Mr. Zhuang explained, "Just drawing arrays on paper can lead to being theoretical without practical experience. The myriad forms of the natural world and array media are diverse; actively drawing and applying arrays deepens your understanding and intuition, and strengthens your ability to solve arrays!"


    Mo Hua felt this made a lot of sense but was also a bit troubled, "Disciple may not have that much time¡­"


    After all, drawing arrays on specific spiritual tools or stones was more troublesome than on paper, and considering the adjustments required in applying arrays, it would take much more time, preventing him from keeping his regular appointments with Mr. Zhuang.


    "No worries," Mr. Zhuang laid the groundwork for a long time before finally expressing the thoughts hidden in his heart:


    "I can give you some time off!"


    Mo Hua sensed something amiss and looked at Mr. Zhuang with a hint of suspicion.


    Mr. Zhuang looked up at the sky, explaining in a serene and clear manner:


    S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Typical disciples only learn one type of array and don''t need to consider applying them so early. But due to your technique, you need to learn a wide variety of arrays, and the broader your studies, the harder it is to find a unified approach. Only through ''learning by applying'' can you


    integrate and master the various techniques."


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression change from doubtful to thoughtful, and then to sudden realization, Mr. Zhuang took the opportunity to add:


    "So you don''t need to come to me every day. Just visit every few days, and if there''s anything unclear, I''ll guide you."


    Mo Hua¡¯s doubts cleared, and he gratefully said,


    "Understood, sir!"


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang lay back in his chair, leisurely shaking his fan.


    Elder Gui appeared, giving him a glance and scoffed, "Leading the pupil astray."


    Mr. Zhuang replied, "It''s just a bit of forcing the sapling to grow faster, not leading astray."


    "His foundation is still not solid, yet he''s already considering practical application. I''ve never seen anyone teach arrays like this. Isn¡¯t that leading astray?" Elder Gui''s tone was calm but slightly mocking.


    Mr. Zhuang, with a profound look, responded, "How solid can a foundation be? Compared to his peers in Tongxian City, his foundation is very solid, especially compared to the children of the Bai family. Even if he studies for another ten or twenty years, his foundation would still not be considered solid. If he can never catch up with others, why not try a different path?"


    "I thought you had some confidence, but it turns out you''re just trying," Elder Gui remarked.


    "The Dao of Heaven is constant yet elusive; how can those who stick to the rules glimpse the grand Dao?"


    Elder Gui was visibly moved by these words and then nodded, "You''re right."


    Mr. Zhuang felt somewhat uneasy, "I''m just blabbering, not sticking to the rules might also lead to a bad end. You''re old enough, don''t bother yourself with changing your ways or altering your Daoist heart."


    "I understand," Elder Gui said.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at him, then lay back down, murmuring, "Do you really understand¡­"


    Elder Gui then asked, "How long do you plan to teach?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression became slightly serious, "Finish what you start; I''ll wait until he becomes a first-rate Array Master."


    "What about those two children from the Bai family? They both have exceptional talents; don¡¯t you think it''s a pity?"


    Mr. Zhuang flicked his fan, "What does that have to do with me?"


    Elder Gui''s voice turned wooden, "Your younger sister might not give up."


    Mr. Zhuang, looking at the distant drifting clouds, said:


    "She wants me to remember the past affection, but she''s no longer that little sister, and I''m no longer that spirited second senior brother. She knows this too, but can''t accept it in her heart, otherwise, she would have come to me herself..."


    "And my senior brother, who has gone to great lengths to find me..."


    Elder Gui fell silent, then suddenly said:


    "Come back to the sect with me; otherwise, I can''t protect you for much longer."


    Mr. Zhuang, lying on the bamboo chair, gazing at the mountains, calmly said:


    "Time alternates, with sunrise there must be sunset, the seasons change, with flourishing comes withering, life is normal, and naturally, there is death. Life and death are ordinary matters of the world; what is there to worry about?"


    "I can enjoy days like this, eating meat, drinking wine, watching the scenery; then I desire nothing more."


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t persuade him, Elder Gui no longer spoke, his figure gradually merging into the shadows.

 Chapter 69: The Six Paths

    At Chen¡¯s Artifact Crafting Shop.Master Chen, along with a group of apprentices, swung their hammers vigorously, pounding the artifacts before quenching them in the smelting furnace. Once the artifacts glowed red-hot, they were removed for further pounding.


    Typically instructive when teaching apprentices how to craft, Master Chen seemed a bit distracted today because Mo Hua, a curious young observer, was intensely watching them.


    Early in the morning, Mo Hua had strolled in, expressing a desire to observe the crafting process.


    Master Chen couldn¡¯t refuse, having owed Mo Hua a favor previously, which also included a significant transaction. Therefore, he agreed.


    Mo Hua watched them intently, especially the smelting furnace, his eager eyes seemingly wanting to dismantle it to see what was inside.


    What¡¯s in a smelting furnace? Of course, it involves array patterns.


    Unsure of what Mo Hua was thinking, Master Chen felt somewhat uneasy. During a break, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ahem, Mo Hua, is there something you need?¡±


    Mo Hua quietly said, ¡°Master Chen, don¡¯t you think the fire in this smelting furnace is a bit small?¡±


    Master Chen glanced at the furnace. ¡°This¡­ it does seem smaller than before¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ because of the array patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Master Chen, you really have a keen eye!¡± Mo Hua flattered without any technical jargon, then whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you want the fire to be a bit bigger?¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Bigger?¡±


    ¡°Yes, bigger!¡±


    Master Chen¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be thinking of dismantling my furnace to redraw the array, would you?¡±


    Mo Hua gave a thumbs up, ¡°Exactly, Master Chen, right on the mark!¡±


    Master Chen shook his head like a rattle-drum, ¡°That won¡¯t do, this is my livelihood, how can we just dismantle it? If it¡¯s not drawn correctly afterward, all my apprentices will have to face hardship.¡±


    Then, worried about hurting Mo Hua¡¯s pride, he added, ¡°It¡¯s not that I doubt your skills in array patterns, to be honest, I¡¯ve never seen such a talented youngster. But this smelting furnace really shouldn¡¯t be dismantled lightly; it would be a disaster if something went wrong, and I don¡¯t have the spirit stones to buy another.¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very familiar with this array; it won¡¯t cause any problems.¡±


    Master Chen, with a reluctant face, still disagreed.


    Mo Hua then argued, ¡°Think about it, if the furnace fire were a bit larger, wouldn¡¯t your crafting process be faster? That would mean Da Zhu and the others could learn quicker and become masters sooner, and you could earn more spirit stones. To do a good job, one must first sharpen his tools!¡±


    Master Chen thought it over and found some sense in it, but still hesitated.


    Mo Hua played his trump card, ¡°I won¡¯t charge you any spirit stones; I¡¯ll draw it for free!¡±


    Master Chen found it hard to refuse then.


    Seeking another array master to repair the smelting furnace¡¯s array would cost a lot of spirit stones, not to mention redrawing it entirely. The risk seemed worth taking.


    ¡°What about the spirit ink¡­¡± Master Chen looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua also looked silently at Master Chen, clearly indicating:


    I¡¯m already helping you for free, and you want me to supply the spirit ink too?


    Master Chen chuckled awkwardly, gritted his teeth, and shouted, ¡°Da Zhu, go find Old Sun, and tell him to bring some top-quality spirit ink, fire-type, no dilution!¡±


    Da Zhu scratched his head, ¡°Master, what about the spirit stones?¡±


    ¡°Put it on the tab!¡±


    Da Zhu looked troubled, ¡°Old Sun is quite stingy.¡±


    ¡°Just tell him the smelting furnace is broken, and if he doesn¡¯t provide the spirit ink, he won¡¯t get his batch of spirit artifacts until next year.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Da Zhu agreed and dashed off.


    Master Chen was decisive, immediately waving his hand and ordering his disciples, ¡°Stop crafting, dismantle the furnace!¡±


    The apprentices looked at each other, but since Master Chen was firm in his decisions, they didn¡¯t delay. They extinguished the furnace fire, poured some cold water to cool it down, and then dismantled the smelting furnace, revealing the array patterns inside.


    The array was a Magma Array containing five array patterns, previously drawn by Mo Hua. Now, it looked somewhat familiar.


    Mo Hua took out a spirit-dissolving liquid, instructing Master Chen¡¯s apprentices to apply it to the smelting furnace, which would erase the previously drawn array patterns.


    The earlier Magma Array had a small fire because it only included five array patterns, which limited its power


    . Additionally, Mo Hua had hastily copied the array patterns using inferior spirit ink, which poorly conducted spiritual energy.


    The spirit-dissolving liquid, capable of erasing spirit ink, was a recipe Mo Hua learned from Bai Zixi. In the world of cultivation, array drawing usually involved either new creations or repairs; erasing and redrawing were rare, so spirit-dissolving liquid was seldom used.


    It was available in Tongxian City, but quite expensive. Mo Hua, reluctant to spend, had asked Bai Zixi for the recipe. The Bai family, a clan of scholars, had dozens of recipes for spirit-dissolving liquid, ranging from first to fifth grade.


    Bai Zixi chose a recipe suitable for arrays below first grade for Mo Hua, which was also inexpensive, with some ingredients available in the mountains. Mo Hua was grateful, offering a crabapple cake made by his mother as a token of appreciation.


    Once the array inside the smelting furnace was wiped with the spirit-dissolving liquid, it gradually faded away.


    Master Chen had never seen something that could cleanly erase an array before and felt that Mo Hua truly seemed professional in array drawing, which reassured him somewhat.


    Before long, Da Zhu returned with several bottles of spirit ink.


    ¡°Is it undiluted?¡± Master Chen asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master, I watched him closely. He had no chance to dilute it. Old Sun was in so much pain, it was as if I was asking for his blood, not ink.¡± Da Zhu chuckled.


    ¡°His blood might not even be more expensive than this spirit ink.¡± Master Chen handed the spirit ink to Mo Hua, somewhat reluctantly, ¡°Young friend, does this spirit ink look suitable?¡±


    Mo Hua shook the bottle in his hand. The spirit ink flowed evenly, with just the right consistency. Opening the cap, there was a faint scent of pine, the blood¡¯s stench was very faint, and it was glossily red.


    This was the first time Mo Hua had seen such high-quality spirit ink. Usually, to save money, he would just make do. Now, looking at the crystal-clear ink in the bottle, he couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge that you get what you pay for.


    Of course, to not lose face as an apprentice named under Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua acted nonchalantly and said in a casual and composed manner, ¡°It¡¯s okay, usable.¡±


    Master Chen was amazed, thinking, ¡°Is the standard for learning array drawing so high now that even such high-quality spirit ink is just ¡®okay¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua spread the array diagram on the ground, with the apprentices gathering around to watch.


    Master Chen didn¡¯t understand much, but still joined in the excitement.


    As he watched, he felt something was off. He might not understand array patterns, but he could count.


    One, two, three, four, five¡­ six!


    Six array patterns!


    He remembered the furnace¡¯s Magma Array having five array patterns. How come there¡¯s now an extra one?

 Chapter 70: A Test Run

    Master Chen deliberated and asked, "Mo... young brother, this array of yours, could there possibly be... something wrong with it?""Where do you think the problem lies?" Mo Hua inquired.


    "I don''t know much about it, but it seems... could there be an extra array pattern?" Master Chen suggested.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up. "You noticed?" S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Um..." Master Chen hesitated, "Is this array still a Magma Array?"


    "Of course!" Mo Hua explained, "This is a Magma Array with Six Paths Array Patterns I just learned from the master. It''s still a Magma Array, but the extra pattern significantly enhances its effectiveness..."


    "Have you drawn it before?"


    "Don''t worry, I''ve practiced it many times on paper!" Mo Hua confidently declared.


    "Have you ever drawn it on a forging furnace?"


    Master Chen didn''t voice this question, but he knew without asking that this young man had surely not done so in practice.


    A chill ran through Master Chen''s heart, "It''s done for, my forging furnace is now this kid''s practice ground!"


    But it was too late to turn back now.


    Master Chen looked at the dismantled forging furnace, then at the erased array, and steeled himself, "Go ahead and draw, old man, I trust you."


    Mo Hua didn''t detect the reluctance in Master Chen''s voice and felt greatly encouraged. With a flourish of his array brush, he began drawing.


    Master Chen watched anxiously. Every pause or furrowed brow from Mo Hua made him sweat nervously.


    This furnace was his entire livelihood. If anything went wrong, he''d be left out in the cold.


    The ordeal lasted nearly two hours until Mo Hua finished the entire array. Master Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could catch his breath, Mo Hua declared, "It''s done."


    Master Chen''s heart leapt to his throat.


    "Is the array... drawn incorrectly?" Master Chen''s voice trembled.


    "The array... isn''t wrong, but the array patterns can''t activate, spiritual power can''t be conducted..." Mo Hua pondered, stroking his chin.


    "What should we do then?"


    "Don''t rush, Uncle Chen, let me think."


    "Okay."


    Master Chen nodded eagerly, too anxious to make a sound, circling around but not daring to interrupt Mo Hua.


    "The array is exactly as on the array diagram, the array hub is correct, the patterns are correct, and the Array Eye is a Spirit Gathering Array. When the Spirit Gathering Array absorbs spiritual power, it should light up the entire array..."


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Typically, once an array is drawn on a spiritual tool, some spiritual power must be infused to light up the patterns to verify if the array can be activated.


    Mo Hua placed his palm on the Spirit Gathering Array, a faint spiritual power emanated from his hand into the array, which glimmered slightly, and spiritual power gradually entered each pattern, but the array showed no response.


    After a moment, Master Chen could no longer hold back, "Shall I give it a try?"


    Mo Hua thought, ''I drew the array and I couldn''t light it; what difference would another person make?'' But seeing Master Chen''s anxious expression, he agreed to let him try.


    Master Chen placed his palm on the Spirit Gathering Array, channeled his spiritual power, and then the entire array lit up...


    Mo Hua''s mouth fell open, looking at Master Chen, he couldn''t help but wonder, "Strange, why can''t I light it up, but you can?"


    "Is it possible," Master Chen gently suggested, "that your spiritual power is too weak..."


    Mo Hua: "..."


    "You''re only at the third level of Qi cultivation, right?"


    "If it weren''t for learning the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, I would have been at the fourth level by now!" Mo Hua explained.


    Master Chen reassured him, "It''s okay, it''s okay. At your age, having the third level of Qi cultivation is quite good. When my disciples were your age, they were only at the second or third level."


    "Right!"


    All the apprentices nodded along, though it was unclear if they were being genuine.


    Mo Hua didn''t want to explain further and simply said, "Let''s put the forging furnace back together and see if it works."


    "Yes, yes! I almost forgot about the main issue, let''s hurry and put it back together."


    Master Chen rallied his spirits and hurriedly called his disciples to assemble the furnace, then inserted two spirit stones at the back of the furnace.


    After lighting it, flames surged forth.


    Master Chen''s eyes brightened as he placed a knife-shaped spiritual tool embryo into the fire. After a moment, the embryo glowed red hot. Master Chen removed it, swung a hammer a few times, and couldn''t stop smiling


    .


    "Good! The fire is strong! This furnace''s flames are nearly as powerful as a larger forging furnace."


    Mo Hua also relaxed, confident in his skill but fearful of an accident that might ruin Master Chen''s furnace.


    "Master Chen, I''ll be heading back now."


    "What about the spirit stones for drawing the array?"


    Mo Hua waved his hand, "We agreed it would be free, so forget the spirit stones."


    Master Chen still felt uneasy and gave Mo Hua the remaining Spirit Ink used for the Magma Array and several array brushes, insisting on giving them to him.


    The array brushes were brand new, likely commissioned by others for Master Chen to craft. They were better than what Mo Hua had been using. As for the Spirit Ink, Mo Hua had long coveted such high-quality ink.


    Mo Hua politely refused at first but then gladly accepted the gifts.


    Master Chen added, "If you ever need to craft any spiritual tools, just come to me. As long as they''re not too large, I won''t charge you any spirit stones."


    This promise was quite generous.


    "Thank you, Uncle Chen!"


    Mo Hua went home happily, pondering which spiritual tools he might need Master Chen''s help to craft in the future.


    As Mo Hua walked away, Da Zhu quietly asked his master, "Master, is giving him just this much really enough? If we had Master Jia draw this array, it would have cost a lot of spirit stones!"


    Master Chen replied irritably, "I would have given more if I had the spirit stones."


    "We still owe the Shen family for that batch of spiritual tools, and we need spirit stones for fueling the furnace, buying iron for crafting, and even feeding you lot. Splitting one spirit stone into ten pieces wouldn''t be enough; I can only shamelessly take advantage of this young kid."


    Da Zhu, not wanting to upset his master, chose to remain silent.


    Master Chen stood up, paced a few steps, then decided, "Bring that box of Century-Old Poria Water. I''ll send it to Mo Hua later. I heard his mother is unwell, suffering from excessive internal heat, and this medicine would be perfect for her."


    (Translator Note: "Poria" is the English name for "Fu Ling," a type of fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine, and emphasizing the age ("Century-Old") convey the significance of the herb''s maturity and potency.)


    "But wasn''t that box of Century-Old Poria Water meant to be given to Master Jia? What will we do about him if we give it to Mo Hua?"


    "Never mind him. He''s polite when receiving gifts, but becomes arrogant when asked to draw an array. He charges a hefty sum for his services, as if he can''t choke on his own greed," Master Chen grumbled.


    "If we stop sending gifts, he might be unhappy and refuse to draw arrays for us," Da Zhu expressed concern.


    "It''s fine, we have Mo Hua now."


    "Are we not going to give Mo Hua any spirit stones for drawing arrays? That doesn''t seem right..."


    Master Chen glared at Da Zhu, "Do you think I''m that kind of person? We genuinely don''t have any spirit stones right now, but we''ll give him some when we do, okay?"


    "That''s good, that''s good," Da Zhu nodded, then voiced another worry, "But I heard that Master Jia might become a first-grade array master in a few years. If we offend him, won''t that cause trouble?"


    Master Chen scoffed, "Becoming a first-grade master isn''t that easy. He just takes advantage of others'' ignorance, spouting nonsense. When it comes down to actually drawing an array, he''s not even as adept as that young kid Mo Hua. I bet by the time Mo Hua becomes a master, he won''t even be close."


    "That''s unlikely. Mo Hua is only at the third level of Qi cultivation right now. Becoming a master will take ages."


    "Stop your nonsense. Just go and deliver it. I know what I''m doing."


    Da Zhu weighed his options and decided he''d rather give gifts to Mo Hua than to Master Jia.


    "I''ll go over later then."


    "Why wait?" Master Chen was puzzled.


    Da Zhu scratched his head, "If I go later, I might be able to join them for dinner. Aunt Liu''s cooking is really good."


    Master Chen: "......"

 Chapter 71: Xinglin Medical Hall

    Da Zhu delivered the century-old Poria water to the Mo family, where Mo Hua was eating beef noodles in a restaurant just like the other diners.Liu Ruhua opened the box and upon seeing the luminous blue Poria water, she hesitated, saying, "This is too precious, I can¡¯t accept it."


    "Aunt Liu, please take it," Da Zhu insisted. "Mo Hua has been a great help to my master, and he specifically asked me to deliver this."


    Liu Ruhua smiled and said, "Hua is just a child, what great help could he have possibly been?" S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When Mo Hua saw Da Zhu, he ran to the door with his bowl and asked, "What¡¯s this?"


    "This is Poria water," Da Zhu explained proudly. "It can clear heat, calm the mind, and soothe the spirit. A herb gatherer owed my master for crafting a spirit tool and couldn''t pay with spirit stones, so he gave this instead. It¡¯s perfect for your health, Aunt Liu."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he accepted it immediately, "Thank my Master Chen for me!"


    "It''s nothing, no trouble at all!" Da Zhu waved his hand.


    Seeing this, Liu Ruhua could only relent and invited Da Zhu inside, "Haven¡¯t eaten yet? Come in for a bowl of noodles."


    Da Zhu hesitated, "I¡¯m not really hungry."


    Mo Hua pulled Da Zhu inside, "Eat before you go back."


    Liu Ruhua served Da Zhu a big bowl of noodles topped with beef, the heat and aroma wafting up.


    Da Zhu ate until he was sweating profusely.


    Knowing these children often did physical labor and rarely had a full meal, Liu Ruhua served another bowl.


    Da Zhu¡¯s face lit up with a smile.


    Liu Ruhua glanced at the box of Poria water and said to Mo Hua, "This Poria water is very valuable. When you have time, go and thank Master Chen. If you can really be of help, try to assist more often."


    "It¡¯s fine, Mom, whatever array Master Chen needs, I¡¯ll handle it," Mo Hua confidently assured her, then thought for a moment and added, "Anything below first-grade is fine."


    He wasn¡¯t yet capable of drawing arrays that contained nine array patterns.


    "Be humble," Liu Ruhua advised as she stroked his head. "Don¡¯t boast about things you can¡¯t do."


    "Little Mo is very skilled at drawing arrays! My master even praises him, saying he could become a first-grade array master in the future," Da Zhu said naively.


    "The future is uncertain, and one must not be arrogant about cultivation," Liu Ruhua chided, though she was inwardly pleased to hear her son praised. She prepared some beef and rice wine for Da Zhu to take back to Master Chen, along with some pastries to treat his fellow disciples.


    Da Zhu, carrying several food boxes, went back happily.


    That evening, under Mo Hua¡¯s "supervision," Liu Ruhua brewed the Poria water into a medicinal soup, which truly cooled her meridians, although it pained her to use such valuable resources.


    Such a fine ingredient wouldn¡¯t have been used if Mo Hua hadn¡¯t insisted.


    After his mother had taken the medicine, Mo Hua returned to his room to continue studying array patterns.


    "The quality of spirit ink affects the efficacy of the array..."


    "The attachment of array patterns and the transmission of spiritual energy vary on different array mediums..."


    "The spiritual power at the third level of Qi cultivation is too weak..."


    "Practical application indeed enhances memory and comprehension of arrays; I was somewhat unfamiliar with the Magma Array containing six patterns before, but now it feels engraved in my mind, each stroke emerging almost instinctively..."


    Learning by doing, Mr. Zhuang was absolutely right!


    Drawing arrays on various mediums and making them functionally effective revealed many issues, greatly benefiting his understanding of arrays.


    However, finding opportunities for practical application wasn¡¯t easy; nobody would ask a third-level Qi cultivator like him to draw an array, and the arrays used by low-level independent cultivators were too basic, typically containing only two or three patterns. Arrays with more than four patterns were rare.


    What to do?


    It would be ideal to use an array containing at least five patterns, and the medium should be fine steel, and it would have to be someone he knew; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t let him draw the array, and any mistakes would be difficult to explain.


    Thinking it over, only Master Chen and his furnace were suitable.


    But it wasn¡¯t good to dismantle a recently repaired furnace to redraw it.


    Was there another furnace?


    Mo Hua sneakily glanced at the family stove, feeling that its flame seemed a bit weak.


    The next day, Mo Hua tentatively mentioned his idea to his mother, who promptly refused.


    "The stove is not only for business but also for cooking meals for you and your father, and the heat is sufficient. Unless it¡¯s broken, don¡¯t even think about messing with it."


    Liu Ruhua, Mo Hua¡¯s mother, had watched him grow up and could see through his little schemes at a glance.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to give up.


    A few days later, Liu Ruhua went to Xinglin Medical Hall to ask Master Feng for a follow-up consultation. Mo Hua accompanied her.


    Master Feng took her pulse with the thread method and nodded,


    "Good, the nourishment of the heart and lungs is well-managed. You can occasionally use spiritual power to let the meridians adapt, but prolonged activation of spiritual power will still damage the body. As for the residual fire toxin, it¡¯s almost completely cleared."


    "I¡¯ll prescribe a few herbs; go fetch them. I¡¯ll make a pill later for you to take home."


    Master Feng wrote down several herbs on paper. Liu Ruhua went to gather them and instructed Mo Hua not to wander off, but to keep Master Feng company.


    After Liu Ruhua left, Master Feng took a sip of tea and looked up to see Mo Hua staring at the pill furnace in the room.


    "What are you looking at that pill furnace for, Hua?"


    Mo Hua asked, "Grandpa Feng, can this pill furnace break?"


    "Any spirit tool can break," Master Feng stroked his beard.


    "Has it broken before?"


    Master Feng nodded, "It has indeed broken a few times."


    "Next time it breaks, can I fix it?" Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Master Feng was slightly taken aback, "You¡¯ve learned to craft tools?"


    "Not exactly," Mo Hua waved his small hands, "I mean the array inside. If it breaks, can I fix it?"


    Master Feng smiled at him, "Alright, if the pill furnace¡¯s array breaks, I¡¯ll let you fix it!"


    Mo Hua smiled, squinting his eyes, "It¡¯s a deal then!"


    "It¡¯s a deal!" Master Feng laughed.


    When Liu Ruhua returned with several packs of herbs, seeing Mo Hua and Master Feng chatting happily, she couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly, "What are you talking about?"


    "Just made a little deal with Grandpa Feng," Mo Hua beamed.


    "You¡¯re trying to earn Grandpa Feng¡¯s spirit stones?"


    "It¡¯s just about friendship, not spirit stones," Mo Hua said.


    Liu Ruhua shook her head with a smile, handing the herbs to Master Feng, "Thank you, Master Feng."


    Master Feng smiled and took them, then stood up and walked to the pill room, placing the herbs into the pill furnace, ready to start the fire, but suddenly paused, looking at the furnace with a complex expression.


    "Grandpa Feng, what¡¯s wrong?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Master Feng wiped the edge of the furnace, checked the spirit stones, then said with some resignation, "The pill furnace is broken."


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then whispered,


    "It didn¡¯t break just because I mentioned it, did it?"

 Chapter 72: The Alchemy Furnace

    Old Master Feng shook his head, "It''s been quite a few years, last time the array was repaired was either ten or twenty years ago. Using it for so long without issues is quite remarkable.""What about this alchemy furnace..."


    Old Master Feng twisted the crane carving on the exterior of the furnace, and both the inner and outer layers of the furnace began to rotate until they separated, revealing the array patterns inside.


    "I''ll keep my promise to you, but first, I want to test you," said Old Master Feng as he pointed to the array patterns inside the furnace. "Identify these arrays first."


    Mo Hua leaned in closely and studied them seriously, pondering for a moment before responding, "Magma Array, Wooden Qi Array, Spirit Gathering Array... Is this a composite array containing these three arrays?"


    Old Master Feng was slightly astonished, "You''ve even learned composite arrays?"


    A single array formed from array patterns is a basic array, and connecting several such arrays forms a composite array.


    Composite arrays are stronger than basic arrays and can achieve more complex spiritual energy effects, but without a strong foundation and heritage, an array master couldn''t learn them, let alone a common wandering cultivator.


    Old Master Feng knew that Mo Hua was studying array patterns and also knew about Mo Hua''s exceptional spiritual awareness and his talent in arrays, but he did not expect Mo Hua to recognize a composite array at a glance.


    Mo Hua said modestly, "I can''t draw composite arrays yet; I''ve only read about them in books. I haven''t even mastered the basic arrays yet."


    Old Master Feng nodded, "For someone your age, it''s good enough to know them. This is a Wood-Fire Spirit Control Array, a composite array that utilizes the spiritual effects of fire and wood elements. The wood element nurtures medicinal herbs, while the fire element refines their medicinal properties. These elements can be harmonized through the array to concoct the desired elixirs."


    "This seems much more complex than a tool forging furnace..." Mo Hua was astounded.


    "Want to give it a try?" asked Old Master Feng.


    "Yes," said Mo Hua, "I can''t draw composite arrays, but if it''s just about repairing the array, I should be able to manage by following the existing patterns."


    Liu Ruhua took Mo Hua''s hand gently and said, "If you''re not sure, don''t bother Old Master Feng."


    Old Master Feng smiled, "No worries, let him try. It doesn''t matter if he makes mistakes, it''s all part of learning. Whether it''s alchemy or drawing arrays, if you''re afraid of making mistakes, you won''t gain any deep insights."


    "Thank you, Grandpa Feng!"


    Mo Hua then took no further reservations, and asked Old Master Feng for fire and wood spirit ink to begin repairing the array patterns.


    The Wood-Fire Spirit Control Array had been failing due to wear and tear over years of alchemy, causing some array patterns to become dim and unable to channel spiritual energy, rendering the entire array ineffective.


    Mo Hua''s task was simple: to restore the dimmed and inactive array patterns back to function, ensuring the smooth flow of spiritual energy through the entire array would be considered a success.


    With the array brush in his small hand and dipped in spirit ink, Mo Hua began to redraw the array patterns.


    Old Master Feng silently praised him as he drew each stroke with ease and without hesitation, clearly the result of diligent practice. It was evident that Mo Hua had put in significant effort into learning arrays.


    Out of the three arrays, two had broken patterns, but there were also six or seven dimmed patterns that needed to be redrawn.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness couldn''t sustain drawing so many patterns, and the spiritual energy consumption was also quite high, so he had to rest two or three times before finally completing the array repair.


    At the third level of Qi cultivation, having repaired a total of eight or nine array patterns, even though he rested for a while, his spiritual awareness was much stronger than Old Master Feng had anticipated.


    Old Master Feng looked at Mo Hua with increased seriousness.


    "Grandpa Feng, I''ve finished drawing. Could you check if the alchemy furnace is fixed?"


    "Oh, alright, let me see."


    Old Master Feng came back to his senses, collected his thoughts, and inspected the alchemy furnace. Although he had some expectations, he was still genuinely surprised and appreciatively said, "Well done, you''ve really fixed it. You''ve really helped this old man out this time."


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    Liu Ruhua lightly tapped Mo Hua''s forehead, "Old Master Feng is praising you, and you don''t even show modesty."


    Her tone carried a bit of reprimand, but her expression was filled with satisfaction.


    Old Master Feng began refining elixirs in the furnace, spending an hour to complete


    the elixirs before placing them into a blue and white porcelain vial, handing it to Liu Ruhua.


    "Take one twice a day, morning and evening. Come see me after you finish them."


    Liu Ruhua bowed, "Thank you, Old Master Feng."


    Mo Hua also expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Grandpa Feng."


    Before they left, Old Master Feng suddenly called out to Mo Hua, pondering for a moment before advising, "Mo Hua, if you ever encounter poor cultivators, help them within your abilities."


    Mo Hua nodded but curiously asked, "Grandpa Feng, why do you suddenly say this?"


    Old Master Feng looked at Mo Hua and said, "I am old now, having spent my life just able to help the wandering cultivators of this area with alchemy and healing. But you are different; you might be able to help more cultivators in the future..."


    "Comprehend the Dao of Heaven, benefit all beings, this is what my master taught me when he saved me, a destitute and desperate man, and passed on his alchemy skills to me, allowing me to have today."


    Old Master Feng''s master held such a belief, saving Old Master Feng, and because of such kindness, Old Master Feng also saved Mo Hua, who was born weak and frail, and Liu Ruhua, who was afflicted with fire toxin.


    Moved by this, Mo Hua solemnly nodded, "Grandpa Feng, I will remember."


    Old Master Feng''s eyes showed a trace of gratification.


    Mo Hua then thought to ask, "But what if some people are not worthy of being helped?"


    "Not helping those unworthy of help is also a form of benefaction," Old Master Feng said meaningfully.


    After returning home, Mo Hua continued to study array patterns in his room.


    Liu Ruhua, after cleaning up the restaurant, sat in front of the hall sewing clothes.


    Just as midnight approached, Mo Shan, who had been out hunting demons, returned home dusty and weary. He wore several demon beast pelts on his shoulders and had several storage bags tied around his waist. His clothes were scratched and stained with blood. Seeing his wife, his tired expression softened:


    "Why haven''t you slept yet?"


    Liu Ruhua took off the pelts and storage bags from Mo Shan and handed him clean clothes to change into, "I couldn''t rest easy without you home. Did you get hurt this time?"


    "Just some minor scratches, I''ve applied medicine, it''s nothing serious. How''s Mo Hua?"


    "He''s in his room reading, probably asleep by now."


    "Hmm."


    Liu Ruhua brought over some food, and Mo Shan began to eat heartily.


    The dim candlelight flickered quietly, and the room was filled with tranquility.


    Seeing Liu Ruhua''s smiling lips, Mo Shan asked with a smile, "What''s the happy news?"


    "Yes," Liu Ruhua said, "Old Master Feng praised Mo Hua today for his skill in drawing arrays..."


    Liu Ruhua recounted the day''s events and then said, "I often hear others praise Mo Hua for his talent. Children are easily praised when they are smart, but it doesn''t always mean much. However, Old Master Feng, with his vast experience, said Mo Hua has a gift. This means Mo Hua might truly become an array master..."


    Liu Ruhua sighed, "I''m weak, and it affected Mo Hua from birth. As the saying goes, ''You live off the land you''re on.'' Around Tongxian City, there are many demons, and most cultivators can only make a living as Demon Hunters. Mo Hua is frail and couldn''t handle that line of work. We can''t look after him forever, and I was always worried that if something happened to us, and we couldn''t be there for him, how Mo Hua would manage on his own. Now that he has a chance to become an array master, not having to fight with demons, I''m relieved."


    Mo Shan gently held his wife''s hand, "Don''t worry, Mo Hua is a smart and sensible child, he will surely make something of himself. We''ll watch him grow up, achieve success, marry and have children. So, you must take care of yourself, we still have many days ahead..." S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes." Liu Ruhua nestled gently into Mo Shan''s embrace.


    In the room, Mo Hua''s eyes were open. Since he had been practicing array patterns day and night, his spiritual awareness had greatly improved, allowing him to hear his parents'' conversation.


    A tear moistened the corner of Mo Hua''s eye, which he gently wiped away, then his spiritual awareness dived back into his sea of consciousness, continuing to practice array patterns on the Dao Stele.

 Chapter 73: Fourth Level of Qi Refinement

    In the days that followed, as Mr. Zhuang had suggested, Mo Hua diligently practiced the art of array formation.Master Chen''s artifact furnace and Elder Feng''s pill furnace had both endured Mo Hua''s vigorous experiments.


    In the neighborhood, there was hardly anything left that could withstand Mo Hua''s "flourish."


    Finding no other avenues, Mo Hua resorted to practicing on simpler arrays such as the dual lock array on the door, the earthen stone array on the wall, and the bright fire array on the lamp.


    In the world of cultivation, arrays were extensively used, from spirit tools designed for combat to defensive armor and in all aspects of daily life including clothing, food, shelter, and travel.


    However, among the lower-tier independent cultivators, the use of arrays was quite crude and superficial, sometimes involving only one or two array patterns¡ªhardly qualifying as proper arrays.


    Compared to these, Master Chen''s artifact furnace and Elder Feng''s pill furnace were considered "high-end" goods.


    Especially Elder Feng''s pill furnace, which employed a composite array of three formations to harmonize wood and fire spiritual powers. In the entire city of Tongxian, there weren''t many array masters capable of crafting such composite arrays.


    Mo Hua spent about a month mending arrays for several neighbors, fixing doors, walls, and lamps. These tasks hardly showcased any profound mastery of arrays, but the local cultivators were immensely grateful.


    They weren''t wealthy, so they offered Mo Hua home-grown fruits and spiritual vegetables as thanks. The gifts were modest, but the sentiment was substantial.


    Mo Hua''s family was not wealthy, and among the independent cultivators in Tongxian City, many were even poorer. Typically, these cultivators were frugal, continuing to use their belongings even when damaged, and never hiring an array master to repair worn-out arrays.


    Sometimes, the cost of repairing an array with spirit stones was more expensive than buying a new one.


    Array masters were scarce, and most who mastered the art would serve only families, sects, or significant cultivation forces, not only for the wealth of spirit stones but also to advance further in array crafting.


    "Having mastered skills, one can serve the imperial house." This was a phrase from Mo Hua''s memories of another life.


    Stepping into the threshold of a superior clan or sect meant no longer associating with the impoverished classes.


    This was both a common human sentiment and a reflection of the fickleness of human nature.


    With this thought, Elder Feng, who still made pills and treated diseases for the impoverished cultivators even after becoming a top-tier pill master, was all the more respectable.


    Mo Hua continued to mend arrays for others, revisiting and reinforcing his knowledge of arrays, making his understanding much deeper than before.


    Previously, while drawing arrays on paper¡ªpaper being the medium¡ªthe real application of arrays involved using any item as a medium, whether it was brick, stone, or wood.


    The arrays drawn on paper could function, but they often felt like mere theoretical exercises. Moreover, paper arrays were usually discarded after one use and couldn''t be used long-term.


    Only by drawing arrays onto all things in the world¡ªwood, bricks, and various spirit tools¡ªand allowing them to operate over time, could one truly comprehend the Dao of Heaven and follow its principles.


    Drawing arrays on various mediums consumed more spiritual awareness and power, demanded higher precision, and was inherently more challenging.


    However, with persistent practice, Mo Hua''s understanding of arrays became even more profound.


    Over time, when Mo Hua looked at arrays again, they no longer seemed like obscure and abstract patterns but appeared as vivid and dynamic lines, tracing the paths of spiritual power in nature.


    When Mo Hua submerged his spiritual awareness into the sea of consciousness to observe the spirit power woven array patterns, the previous confusion vanished.


    The array patterns flowed with spirit power, becoming much clearer.


    One day, following Mr. Zhuang''s teachings on the generation and inhibition of spirit power, Mo Hua began to dismantle the array.


    As Mo Hua''s pale, slender hands traced the patterns, new array lines formed while others dissipated, unraveling like silkworm threads, stretching out slowly and then fading away into the sea of consciousness.


    Mo Hua faintly realized that with each unraveling of an array pattern, the connection between his spiritual awareness and power grew tighter.


    When Mo Hua unraveled the last array pattern, the entire array in the sea of consciousness had dissipated, returning it to its original state as if nothing had happened, except for the Dao Stele, which still stood out but remained unchanged. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is this considered unraveling it?" Mo Hua scratched his head and then tried to mobilize his spirit power, only to find his sea of consciousness trembling as if a stomach, starved for days, suddenly felt a burning hunger.


    Startled, Mo Hua quickly took out some spirit stones and absorbed the spirit energy.


    After refining more than a dozen spirit stones, the sea of consciousness gradually stabilized.


    Looking inward, Mo Hua noticed a substantial increase in his spirit power and a strengthening of his spiritual awareness.


    "I''ve reached the fourth level of Qi refinement!"


    Overjoyed, Mo Hua lay on his bed, too excited to sleep.


    He got up, lit a lamp, laid out paper and ink, and drew a Tripartite Array.


    The Tripartite Array included six first-grade array patterns.


    Previously, Mo Hua''s limited spiritual awareness made it challenging to draw such arrays, but now, with his breakthrough in cultivation and increased spiritual awareness, drawing the Tripartite Array had become much easier.


    After finishing, Mo Hua realized it was past midnight, which was the time he could draw arrays on the Dao Stele in the sea of consciousness, thus wasting a sheet of paper and ink.


    "Even a mosquito is still meat."


    Slightly pained by the waste, Mo Hua once again submerged his spiritual awareness into the sea of consciousness and began to draw arrays on the Dao Stele without any concerns.


    The arrays that previously seemed challenging due to the increase in cultivation level and spiritual awareness now became much easier. No wonder others often say that the cultivation level is the foundation of a cultivator.


    Mo Hua continued to draw arrays until dawn and then eagerly shared the good news with his parents.


    Mo Shan had just returned from the mountains after hunting several wild ox demons with his peers and was resting at home. His parents, after hearing the news, were so relieved that they organized a banquet for the nearby neighbors and familiar friends.


    Moving from the third to the fourth level of Qi refinement, from the early to the middle stage, was considered a breakthrough of a mid-level boundary, and it was customary to host a banquet. The three brothers, Da Hu, had also hosted a banquet when they reached the fourth level of Qi refinement. However, the Meng family was not well-off, so the three brothers combined their resources and hosted just one banquet.


    The restaurant was closed for the day, and Mo Shan had someone carry the recently hunted whole wild ox demon home. After skinning and butchering it, Liu Ruhua, renowned for her culinary skills, added spices and stewed it well, then directly held the feast at the restaurant.


    Master Chen and Da Zhu, along with Master Chen''s other disciples, all attended. The three brothers, needless to say, some not-so-close cultivators who had been helped by Mo Hua in the past also brought some modest gifts but did not stay for the meal. Liu Ruhua then wrapped some beef as a return gift for them.


    Although it was a banquet, the food was just slightly better than usual. There was no spiritual meat, as it was too expensive, but there was enough wild ox meat. Coupled with Liu Ruhua''s well-regarded cooking skills, the food, though simple, was delicious, and everyone enjoyed the meat and drinks, having a great time.


    Mr. Zhuang disliked the noise, and the Bai siblings had a special status, so Mo Hua did not invite them. Instead, he prepared some extra delicious food and sent it to Mr. Zhuang the next day.


    Bai Zixi expressed her thanks, enjoying the flaky pastries and the sweetly fermented rice wine, looking quite satisfied.


    However, Bai Zisheng was quite regretful; he too wanted to join the lively scene, to drink and eat meat heartily with others. But he knew he could only wish, as Aunt Xue, although gentle, was strict with them and would definitely not agree.


    Mo Hua originally felt a bit sympathetic towards him, but Bai Zisheng skeptically asked:


    "Is reaching the fourth level of Qi refinement really worth celebrating like this?"


    The slight sympathy Mo Hua felt instantly dissipated.


    For the average independent cultivator, reaching the Qi refinement stage might be the endpoint of their cultivation journey, so each step forward was not easy.

 Chapter 74: Heavenly Proliferation Technique

    When Mo Hua found Mr. Zhuang, he was leisurely taking a nap.Mo Hua opened the food box, which contained various types of beef and some refreshing vegetables and fruits, convenient for accompanying the wine. The aroma of meat and wine slowly began to diffuse.


    Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes, "Qi-cultivation level four, not bad."


    Mo Hua smiled, "Thanks to your teachings, sir."


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand dismissively and then slowly sat up, took a sip of wine, tasted a piece of meat, and leisurely lay back down.


    "How is your array training going?"


    "I am now attempting to draw arrays with seven array patterns. My spiritual awareness should be sufficient, but I need more practice with the arrays."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but he chewed his food slower, muttering to himself, "Qi-cultivation level four, seven array patterns..."


    "Sir, should I continue learning arrays in the same manner?" Mo Hua hesitated before asking.


    "Do you have any doubts?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Learning through application, drawing arrays on different array mediums while manifesting their effects indeed deepens the understanding of arrays..."


    "Then just keep it up," Mr. Zhuang said, "To become a first-grade array master, or even higher, is both difficult and simple. Just keep drawing arrays, continuously... Few can truly keep it up."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone held a deeper meaning.


    Mo Hua, feeling reassured, was about to leave when Mr. Zhuang suddenly asked, "Any changes in your Heavenly Proliferation Technique?"


    "Yes, my spiritual power has strengthened."


    "Advancement in cultivation naturally strengthens spiritual power, unrelated to the technique," Mr. Zhuang stated.


    "Then... my spiritual awareness has also strengthened."


    "Advancement in cultivation also strengthens spiritual awareness, again unrelated to the technique."


    "I feel my control over spiritual power has become more sensitive..." Mo Hua began, then hesitated, unsure, "Is that also unrelated to the technique?"


    For a moment, Mo Hua thought he saw a sharper look in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes, but looking again, it seemed unchanged, perhaps just an illusion.


    "Draw an array for me to see," Mr. Zhuang said calmly.


    "Oh," Mo Hua took out some paper, prepared it, and asked, "Sir, which array should I draw?"


    "Draw the Tripartite Array."


    "Understood."


    Mo Hua had recently practiced the Tripartite Array and remembered it well, so he completed it quickly. He was quite satisfied with his drawing, but when he looked at Mr. Zhuang, he noticed that his attention seemed not on the array.


    "Sir, is there something wrong?"


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, "Your speed in drawing arrays has increased."


    "With advancement in cultivation, wouldn¡¯t the speed of drawing arrays increase?" Mo Hua questioned.


    "Not at all!" Mr. Zhuang asserted firmly.


    "The strength of spiritual awareness determines whether you qualify to learn arrays, your comprehension of arrays determines whether you can draw them, and proficiency dictates the speed of drawing. Once proficient, the only thing that can affect the speed is the control of spiritual awareness."


    "Control of spiritual awareness?"


    "Correct," Mr. Zhuang explained, "In practices like spellcasting, object manipulation, and array drawing, control of spiritual awareness is crucial. You¡¯re still early in your cultivation to encounter this, but you''ll understand in time."


    Mo Hua looked forward with anticipation, "So, is my technique rather impressive?"


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, hesitated, and said:


    "In the vast world of cultivation, some techniques are so extraordinary they defy fate, unimaginable to most. Yours is decent, at least better than average."


    Elder Gui, who had been standing unobtrusively in the corner, silently rolled his eyes at Mr. Zhuang.


    But Mo Hua was already quite happy, being considered "decent" by the well-informed Mr. Zhuang was a compliment in itself.


    "Even so," Mr. Zhuang continued, "you must understand the importance of caution. It''s best not to disclose anything about your cultivation to others. If they discover something unique about your technique, they will attempt to seize it, disregarding your life."


    "Yes!" Mo Hua nodded emphatically.


    He hadn¡¯t experienced murder for treasure or heritage yet, but he had heard many such stories and understood the lesson well. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "A protruding nail gets hammered down, a fattened pig gets slaughtered."


    "What would you say if someone asked why your spiritual awareness is so keen?" Mr. Zhuang tested Mo Hua.


    "Um... should I say that I... have a unique talent?" Mo Hua hesitated.


    Mr. Zhuang appeared satisfied with the teachable moment.


    "Wouldn¡¯t that get you beaten?" Mo


    Hua was uncertain.


    "When you say that, keep your tone humble. Even if you get beaten, it¡¯s better than being captured, tortured, and then killed," Mr. Zhuang advised sagely.


    Mo Hua found this very reasonable; indeed, Mr. Zhuang was experienced and knowledgeable.


    After discussing the technique, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something, "Sir, what exactly is a Composite Array?"


    "You¡¯ve seen a Composite Array?"


    "Yes, in the alchemy furnace at Xinglin Medical Hall, Elder Feng uses the Wood-Fire Spirit Control Array, which is a Composite Array."


    "Composite Arrays, well, that¡¯s a complex topic..." Mr. Zhuang mused, then gestured towards the corner.


    Mo Hua then noticed Elder Gui, who had been standing there silently all along, so unnoticeable that Mo Hua hadn¡¯t seen him until then.


    Elder Gui retreated to the bookshelf and soon returned with a thick book, handing it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua took it, seeing the title page marked "Initial Solutions to Composite Arrays."


    "This book contains knowledge about Composite Arrays, including some basic array diagrams. You can broaden your horizons by reading it, but don¡¯t spend too much energy on it. It¡¯s too early for you to study this."


    Mo Hua was delighted; he had been somewhat embarrassed about disturbing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s rest. Now he could read and learn on his own, and then consult Bai Zixi or Bai Zisheng for clarification, thereby doubling his efficiency without overly disturbing Mr. Zhuang. After all, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s hobbies were few, mostly eating and sleeping.


    "Thank you, Mr. Zhuang!"


    Mo Hua also thought of Elder Gui, looked around, and realized Elder Gui had disappeared again. After a moment, he noticed Elder Gui was actually right beside him.


    It seemed that if Elder Gui wanted you to see him, you would; if not, you wouldn¡¯t.


    It might have been an illusion, or perhaps Elder Gui was just very adept at concealing his presence.


    Mo Hua handed Elder Gui a storage bag filled with about seven or eight boxes of pine nuts, specially roasted by Mo Hua¡¯s mother.


    Elder Gui accepted the storage bag, a hint of pleasure visible in his eyes...


    Although Elder Gui¡¯s expression seemed unchanged, Mo Hua felt that he was pleased at the moment.


    "Sir, I won¡¯t disturb your meditation."


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully, then happily withdrew.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "Such a good kid, really saves me a lot of worry!"


    Then he took another bite of meat, a sip of wine, and relaxedly lay down again.

 Chapter 75: The Man in Cyan

    After returning, Mo Hua continued to practice his cultivation while painting arrays.According to Mr. Zhuang, after learning the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness became stronger, and his recovery speed improved as he also learned the Meditation Techniques.


    This resulted in Mo Hua being able to paint arrays faster during the day, with quicker recovery of his spiritual awareness, allowing him to paint more arrays daily and easily feel fatigue.


    Occasionally, when tired from painting arrays, he would take out the "Introduction to Composite Arrays" given by Mr. Zhuang as a diversion to relieve the weariness.


    One day, as Mo Hua was perusing the array book at a table in the courtyard of an eatery, a man dressed in a cyan robe entered. The man ordered a pot of wine, a plate of beef, and two dishes of fruits and vegetables, and began to eat.


    As it was not yet lunchtime, the eatery had only a few cultivators who were local workers, either demon hunters or petty traders, all dressed quite ordinarily.


    The man in the spotless cyan robe stood out among them.


    Mo Hua glanced at him and noticed that the man was handsome, probably in his thirties, but appeared much younger due to his well-kept appearance. The man wore a jade pendant, and his clothes, primarily cyan, were simple yet made of expensive materials, with array patterns faintly visible on them.


    The materials used for Taoist robes are soft and not typically used as array mediums; those that can serve as array mediums are not cheap.


    The man in cyan might have felt someone watching him as he looked up and saw a plainly dressed but picturesque young boy with strikingly clear eyes observing him.


    The man smiled slightly and beckoned Mo Hua over.


    Mo Hua closed his book and approached. The man spoke softly, "Young friend, what would you like to eat? It''s on me."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "This is my family''s place, I can treat you."


    The man paused, then laughed after glancing at the sign at the entrance, "Is your surname Liu?"


    Mo Hua, seeing no malice in the man, replied, "My surname is Mo; my mother''s surname is Liu." S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The man nodded, then noticing the book in Mo Hua''s hand, asked, "What are you reading? If you have any questions, I can teach you."


    Mo Hua eyed the seemingly idle man in cyan and asked, "You know about arrays?"


    "Of course. Arrays are involved in all aspects of cultivation; even if one doesn''t pursue the path of an array master, the basics are necessary. While I don''t claim to be an expert, I certainly know more than a young child," the man said.


    Mo Hua, sensing the man''s confidence wasn''t false, handed him the "Introduction to Composite Arrays."


    The man in cyan''s eyelids twitched involuntarily when he saw the cover.


    Mo Hua looked at him skeptically, "Do you really know this?"


    "Of course."


    The man in cyan confidently said, gripping the book slightly tremblingly, inwardly cursing:


    "This is about composite arrays! Which idle adult gave such a book to a child? Aren''t they afraid of exhausting their spiritual awareness?"


    Nevertheless, he couldn''t lose face in front of the child, so he bravely opened the "Introduction to Composite Arrays."


    "The kid is probably just looking casually; he likely doesn''t understand, so I can just appease him a bit," the man in cyan thought, then flipped the first couple of pages and asked, "Where don''t you understand, just ask."


    Unexpectedly, Mo Hua didn''t look but flipped forward a couple of pages, pointing to a section and asked, "¡®Gather array patterns to form a basic array, gather basic arrays to form a composite array¡¯¡ªwhy not just accumulate array patterns to enhance the array''s effect, rather than reconfiguring basic arrays into composite arrays? Isn¡¯t that redundant?"


    The man in cyan''s heart tightened, recalling his clan tutor''s teachings.


    Fortunately, he had been attentive in his studies, and those teachings hadn''t faded.


    "Within the same realm, a cultivator''s spiritual awareness is limited, as is the number of array patterns a single-tier array can contain. Once the number of array patterns exceeds a certain amount, if a cultivator''s spiritual awareness is insufficient, they cannot complete the array, and may even exhaust their sea of consciousness to death..."


    "To break the limitation of array patterns, one must recombine basic arrays, forming composite arrays. This not only enhances the power of the arrays but also allows different arrays to interact, producing more varied effects..."


    "Oh, I see..." Mo Hua nodded unconsciously.


    The man in cyan wiped a cold sweat from his brow.


    Before he could relax, Mo Hua''s pale little hand swiftly turned several pages more, pointing to another paragraph


    :


    "¡®The array hub of a basic array is simple, the array hub of a composite array is complex,¡¯ should there be any difference between the hubs of basic and composite arrays? Array patterns are arranged according to the array hub to form a basic array; basic arrays are arranged according to the hub to form a composite array, the differences between the two types of hubs shouldn¡¯t be that significant, right?"


    "Cough, well... that''s a long story, just as beasts differ from beasts, and cultivators differ from cultivators, so too do array hubs differ from each other. You can''t assume they''re the same just because they''re both hubs..."


    As the man spoke these irrelevant words, his mind raced, then he said:


    "Basic array hubs are simple, mainly used to connect various array patterns; but composite array hubs are more complicated, not only do they connect basic arrays, sometimes they also modulate the opening and closing... and strength of spiritual forces, smooth out conflicts between different attributes of spiritual forces, and stabilize the entire structure of the composite array..."


    The man searched his memory to finish this statement.


    Books prove their worth in times of need!


    He had lived so long, only to be compelled by a young cultivator to relearn this lesson today!


    "Oh, right."


    Mo Hua nodded, then his little hand reached out to turn more pages.


    With each page turned, the man''s heartbeat accelerated, and he almost wanted to grab Mo Hua''s hand to stop him. If he continued, he might really not be able to answer.


    Finally, Mo Hua stopped, his fingertip settling on an array diagram.


    The man''s heart sank.


    That''s it, an array diagram.


    He knew some theory but had never actually painted one. Besides those cultivators who dedicated themselves to becoming array masters, who would bother with these things?


    "Cough, this array diagram... isn''t something you should be painting at your age," the man in cyan said diplomatically.


    Mo Hua said, "I tried drawing it, but for some reason, the composite array doesn''t activate..."


    The man''s vision darkened.


    You tried drawing it?


    What do you mean?


    What realm are you in, what cultivation level, how profound is your spiritual awareness, how bold are you, to dare draw a composite array?! Who gave you the courage?!


    Mo Hua pulled out a paper from his storage bag; it was clearly freshly drawn, though not activated, but had all the necessary array patterns, not missing a single stroke.


    The man in cyan was speechless.


    After calming himself a bit, he closely examined the array Mo Hua held, and a moment of elation came over him.


    "Although it''s a composite array, I recognize each basic array within it, and they''re all simple, only containing two or three array patterns, well within my level of understanding."


    The young man regained his composure, cleared his throat with a cough, and spoke with some assurance:


    "Theory is one thing, but actually taking up the brush to paint is not so simple. The problem here is with the array hub; you''ve used a basic array''s hub for a composite array, naturally, the array can''t activate..."


    Mo Hua had an epiphany, nodding repeatedly, thinking he had underestimated the man in cyan, then...


    He reached out to turn more pages.


    The man''s composure melted like snow in soup, instantly disintegrating.


    Please, no more turning...


    Fortunately, Mo Hua turned one page, found that he hadn''t read beyond there either, and stopped turning. He then closed the book, speaking with admiration, "Uncle, you really know a lot."


    The man in cyan breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua pointed to the pot of wine on the table, saying, "This pot of wine is my treat to you."


    The man finally relaxed completely, unable to resist drinking a cup of wine to calm his nerves.


    The moment the wine touched his lips, refreshing his heart and spleen, the man felt he had never tasted such crisp and sweet wine in his life.

 Chapter 76: Zhang Lan

    As long as Mo Hua doesn''t ask anything, there''s nothing to fear.The man in green regained his composure and silently vowed never to show off unnecessarily again, especially not before carefully checking what book the seemingly cute and obedient young cultivator in front of him was holding.


    "Uncle, are you an Array Master?" Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask.


    "No, why would I bother being an Array Master?" the man shook his head.


    "Not an Array Master, yet you know so much, you''re really amazing," Mo Hua sincerely praised.


    "It''s nothing really, these things are quite simple," the man in green said, somewhat sheepishly.


    "Can I still ask you things in the future?" Mo Hua inquired.


    "No!"


    The man panicked, and his refusal slipped out hastily, but then feeling it was inappropriate, he elaborated with earnest, "Uncle is also very busy, I might not always be available. Besides, the cultivation path always emphasizes lineage, and it''s not appropriate to pass on such knowledge lightly, especially since we''re neither kin nor kindred..."


    "Besides, I might not even know the answers..."


    The man added silently in his heart.


    Mo Hua was a bit disappointed, but he could still ask the Bai siblings and Mr. Zhuang, so he wasn''t too bothered.


    Mo Hua opened "Composite Array: A Beginner''s Guide" and continued reading.


    The man in green was afraid that Mo Hua might come across something he didn''t understand and ask him about it, so he made small talk: "Where''s your father?"


    "He went up the mountain to hunt demons."


    "Hunt demons? Are there many cultivators around here who live off hunting demons?"


    "Yes, the land here isn''t fertile and doesn''t produce much, but it''s rife with demonic beasts, so most cultivators make their living by hunting demons," Mo Hua explained, and then curiously asked, "Uncle, what do you do?"


    "I work at the Dao Court office," the man replied.


    Mo Hua''s mouth dropped open, the Dao Court...


    The Dao Court unifies all of Qianzhou and is the largest power in the cultivation world, akin to an imperial dynasty in feudal times, possessing the greatest authority. The Dao Court, located at the central Daozhou, acts as the cultivation world''s hub, while its subsidiary offices in other states handle affairs including spirit stone taxation, public works, cultivation industries, and law and order.


    In other words, it''s a "steel rice bowl," "eating the royal grain!"


    The status of a Dao Court cultivator goes without saying; even serving in a local office is a dream job for many cultivators.


    Mo Hua''s amazed expression was quite satisfying for the man, feeling it somewhat restored his dignity.


    "So, you''re here drinking because you''re slacking off?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    The man in green corrected him, "This is called inspecting the local geography and customs of the cultivators."


    "Oh," Mo Hua responded noncommittally, clearly skeptical. "Aren''t you afraid of being reprimanded by the head of the Dao Court office?"


    The man chuckled, "No worries, even if he did say something, I''d pretend I didn''t hear."


    Mo Hua nodded, "I see." s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "What do you see?" the man asked curiously.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "If I''m not mistaken, you''re a clan disciple."


    The man raised an eyebrow, and Mo Hua continued, "Your family must be quite significant. Coming to Tongxian City like this, either you were sent out due to some mistake, or you''re here for tempering and will return after a while."


    The man was stunned, "You can tell?"


    Mo Hua shrugged, pointing to the nearby diners, "There are people from all over here, and when they gather for meals, all kinds of gossip are discussed. The matters of clan descendants who make it here boil down to just a few things."


    The man looked at Mo Hua, "Seeing how obedient you look, I didn''t expect you to be so sharp."


    Mo Hua chuckled, then asked quietly, "So, what did you do wrong to be sent away by your clan?"


    "Nonsense!"


    The man was slightly annoyed.


    "Then why?" Mo Hua asked.


    The man sighed, somewhat romantically stating, "I won''t hide it from you; I come from a good family, have higher talent, and also look somewhat handsome. Some women from prestigious families fell for me at first sight and insisted on marrying me as their Dao companion. I found it annoying, so I came out to hide and seek some peace..."


    Mo Hua looked at him skeptically.


    "You don''t believe me?"


    "No," Mo Hua nodded.


    "Which part don''t you believe?"


    "The part about ''falling for me at first sight and secretly giving their


    heart''¡ªeven street storytellers don''t make up such clich¨¦s anymore; they can''t fool anyone. Erhu''s father was deceived by a woman like that, ended up abandoning his wife and child, and got his kidneys cut out, and no one knows where he was buried."


    The man in green: "¡­"


    "So if a woman tells you she fell for you at first sight, she''s definitely tricking you. You should be careful."


    The man in green was dumbstruck.


    "But there''s another possibility," Mo Hua said.


    "What possibility?" the man couldn''t help but ask.


    "That you started a mess and played with people''s feelings, then ran away because you didn''t want to take responsibility and marry them..."


    The man almost choked, "What do you mean by ''started a mess''? What playing with feelings? How old are you, and what are you thinking?"


    "I may have experienced little, but I''ve heard a lot of stories," Mo Hua stated firmly, "The cultivation world is perilous. Knowing more can prevent being deceived later."


    The man was both amused and irritated, "You little kid, you really are something when you talk."


    Mo Hua said seriously, "Uncle, I''m saying this for your good. There''s a saying that goes, ''Heed advice and you''ll eat well.''"


    Zhang Lan felt a mix of emotions, unsure of what to say for a moment. Then, suddenly remembering something, he asked, "By the way, what''s your name?"


    "Mo Hua."


    "Mo Hua?" The man looked at Mo Hua''s fair little face and delicate features, finding the name quite fitting.


    "Uncle, what''s your name?" Mo Hua also asked.


    "Zhang Lan."


    "Scum man?" Mo Hua repeated.


    Zhang Lan choked on his drink and coughed for a long time before gritting his teeth to correct him:


    "Zhang! Lan! The Zhang from ''changing the strings,'' the Lan from ''stemming the overwhelming tide''! Not scum man!"


    "It''s okay if you''re not, why are you yelling?" Mo Hua muttered.


    Zhang Lan realized he was indeed foolish to get worked up over a child''s words. He took out a jade pendant from his storage bag and tossed it to Mo Hua, "This is for you."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I don''t accept rewards without merit."


    "You treated me to a drink, I give you a jade pendant. Keep it, and I''ll come to play again next time."


    Zhang Lan waved his hand and was about to leave when he suddenly turned back to ask, "Just to confirm, what''s your cultivation level?"


    "Qi Cultivation Level Four!"


    Mo Hua was somewhat proud.


    Only Qi Cultivation Level Four...


    Zhang Lan sighed.


    Thinking back to the earlier discussion about composite arrays, he decided it wasn''t worth the headache and waved goodbye, fleeing as if escaping.

 Chapter 77: The Demon Hunting Festival

    Mo Hua originally thought Zhang Lan''s remark about "finding time to hang out" was just a polite expression, but it turned out he was serious.Since that day, Zhang Lan would often visit the eatery, ordering a pot of wine and a plate of meat, watching the bustling streets as he whiled away the morning. Occasionally seeing Mo Hua, he would chide him, saying, "You''re just a kid, where do you go every day? I''ve come several times and haven''t seen you." S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, with a serious expression, retorted, "I''m not like you; I''m very busy."


    "What could you possibly be busy with?" Zhang Lan asked incredulously.


    Counting on his fingers, Mo Hua listed his activities: "Daily routine cultivation, drawing array patterns when I have time, reading array books when tired, occasionally bringing some food to my teacher and asking him questions, and even helping the local uncles and aunties fix their arrays..."


    Zhang Lan, overwhelmed, replied, "Alright, alright, I concede; you''re busier than me."


    Mo Hua, a young cultivator of merely eleven or twelve years old, kept himself so busy, in contrast to Zhang Lan, a cultivator from the Dao Court, who spent his days drinking leisurely. This made Zhang Lan feel somewhat guilty, especially considering he remained unfazed even when his father berated him harshly.


    "By the way, is there anywhere fun in Tongxian City?" Zhang Lan inquired.


    "I''m a good kid; I don''t play around. How would I know?" Mo Hua declined to answer, wondering what Zhang Lan considered fun. Being still a child, he couldn''t involve himself in inappropriate activities.


    "Then, any lively places?" Zhang Lan asked, shifting his expectations.


    "The east side of South Street is somewhat lively."


    "I''ve been there; not many cultivators around, and the market isn¡¯t much, not interesting," Zhang Lan expressed his disinterest.


    "It''s bound to be quiet if you go during the day; not everyone idles about like you, people have to make a living," Mo Hua pointed out.


    Unable to refute, Zhang Lan conceded, "Then when does it get lively?"


    Thinking it over, Mo Hua replied, "The day after tomorrow, it''s the Demon Hunting Festival, the liveliest time of the year."


    "What''s the Demon Hunting Festival?"


    Mo Hua explained, "It¡¯s a celebration for demon hunters to mark a successful season. October is the peak month for hunting; after which, demonic activities decrease, and the hunters¡¯ earnings drop. They usually hunt more demonic beasts in October and sell them during the festival, then rest a while. At that time, the market will have everything; it''s really lively."


    Surprised, Zhang Lan remarked, "You sure know a lot."


    "Of course," Mo Hua patted his chest, "I¡¯m somewhat of a local authority here."


    Amused yet intrigued by the Demon Hunting Festival, Zhang Lan decided, "Alright, I''ll check it out the day after tomorrow," and prepared to leave, brushing off his sleeves.


    Watching him, Mo Hua curiously asked, "Haven''t you settled the bill yet?"


    "I''ve left some spirit stones at the counter; they''ll deduct it directly," Zhang Lan replied nonchalantly, displaying a somewhat foolish generosity.


    Then, Mo Hua continued studying his array books, planning to learn a few more array patterns in the next couple of days, then take a break during the Demon Hunting Festival, and have fun with Da Hu and the others.


    When Bai Zisheng heard Mo Hua was going to the festival, he was nearly drooling with envy.


    The Bai family''s rules were strict. Even away from the family, Aunt Xue required them to cultivate daily, along with alchemy, array formation, and artifact crafting studies, clearly organized.


    Perhaps because they were away from the family, Aunt Xue feared they would fall behind other family disciples, so she imposed even stricter demands. Many of the books on alchemy, artifact crafting, or cultivation that Mo Hua glanced at seemed profoundly obscure, utterly beyond his understanding.


    Fortunately, he could comprehend the array books, which didn''t seem too difficult.


    However, Mo Hua had a lingering question: why were the Bai siblings registered disciples of Mr. Zhuang? What were they really learning?


    So far, Mr. Zhuang didn''t seem to teach them anything special.


    They could learn the same things Mo Hua was learning; they could ask about the same things he heard when he was present. Some topics, though obscure, were not so profound that they required Mr. Zhuang''s guidance.


    And even without Mr. Zhuang''s involvement, their cultivation was meticulously arranged by the family, leaving no need for his interference.


    Only Mo Hua regularly visited Mr. Zhuang''s study, bringing some food and asking


    questions.


    The Bai siblings simply practiced in a small pavilion, learning on their own. In Mo Hua''s experience, apart from routine greetings and queries, they never sought Mr. Zhuang''s advice alone.


    This puzzled Mo Hua.


    Or perhaps, there were things Mr. Zhuang would not teach to registered disciples, reserving them only for direct disciples?


    They were so persistent; did they hope Mr. Zhuang would accept them as disciples to learn more profound arts?


    The difference between registered and direct disciples was significant; registered disciples could only address him as "teacher," while direct disciples could call him "master."


    The cultivator community placed great importance on the mentor-disciple relationship, treating a day''s teacher as a lifetime''s father. Da Zhu was taken as a disciple by Master Chen, who treated Da Zhu almost like a son, expecting him to care for him in his old age.


    Because of the deep bond between master and disciple, betraying one¡¯s sect was considered one of the gravest sins in the cultivation world.


    Touching his chin, Mo Hua wondered, "Would Mr. Zhuang accept me as a direct disciple?"


    Comparing his own cultivation, spiritual roots, talents, and family background with the Bai siblings, Mo Hua quickly sobered up.


    It''s best not to aim too high.


    Dismissing this unrealistic thought, Mo Hua continued reading.


    Two days later, it would be the Demon Hunting Festival.


    The Demon Hunting Festival was one of the biggest festivals in Tongxian City, even larger than the Lotus Festival.


    Every cultivator in Tongxian City, whether a poor wandering cultivator or a wealthy family cultivator, had been preparing for the festival early. From morning, the festive atmosphere permeated the city, and by evening, it was brightly lit.


    During the festival, the streets were crowded, and the eateries were busy, so Liu Ruhua would stay home, managing the business with Aunt Jiang and a few temporarily hired aunties.


    Mo Shan was busy contacting buyers to sell the demon beasts'' hides, bones, or inner cores that the hunting team had gathered over the past month, as the upcoming months would see a decrease in hunting activities and, consequently, lower earnings. Many cultivators relied on these spirit stones to last until the next year.


    Mo Hua would just stroll through the streets with Da Hu and the others.


    But Da Hu and his brothers had another event to attend: the Demon Hunting Ceremony.


    Every year, the Demon Hunting Ceremony was held to celebrate young cultivators above the sixth level of Qi refining becoming demon hunters.


    The sixth level of Qi refining represented a watershed for wandering cultivators in Tongxian City, marking the peak of the mid-phase of Qi refining and offering a chance to advance to the later phase.


    Mid-phase Qi refiners could learn some simple spells or martial arts, possessing sufficient spiritual power and physical strength to fend off demonic beasts.


    Advancing from mid to late Qi refining was a crucial step in a city dominated by Qi refining cultivators, representing the aspirations of many.


    However, this step involved many variables, and due to reasons such as spirit stones, spiritual roots, or cultivation methods, many cultivators never made the leap.


    Thus, reaching the sixth level of Qi refining allowed wandering cultivators to become true demon hunters, relying on hunting demonic beasts for their livelihood.

 Chapter 78: Demon Hunting Ceremony

    Nearly a year ago, Meng Da Hu reached the sixth level of Qi cultivation, but due to bad luck, he missed the demon hunting ceremony by just a few days, preventing him from becoming a demon hunter and hunting on the mountain.Meng Shuang Hu and Meng Xiao Hu, having similar talents and despite their playful nature, diligently advanced in their cultivation, both reaching the sixth level within a year.


    The ceremony was held in front of the ancestral hall. Meng Da Hu and others, who had just reached the sixth level of Qi cultivation, participated under the supervision of some highly respected elders.


    The ceremony was intricate, starting with the burning of incense to worship heaven and earth. Then, participants made a blood pact, slicing their palms with a knife to mix their blood with wine, which they then drank together in unison.


    Elder Han spoke a few words, but Mo Hua, standing at a distance, couldn¡¯t hear clearly, only catching the gist of it. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The essence was this: "As fellow demon hunters, though not related by blood, we are bonded by this blood pact. We drink this wine together, promising mutual support. If one bleeds, we all bleed; if one exerts force, we all do. The demonic beasts are many times stronger than cultivators. Without unity and concerted effort, one cannot sustain the life of a demon hunter and will easily become prey."


    After the blood pact, the new demon hunters received their hunting tokens from the elders.


    Reportedly made from the bones of special demonic beasts, each token was the size of a baby¡¯s fist and pale white in color.


    Each cultivator received a hunting token. With every demonic beast they killed, a red crack would appear on their token. The more beasts slain, the more prominent the cracks became.


    A token filled with cracks was considered a testament to a hunter¡¯s achievements.


    Meng Da Hu and his companions each received a token, dripped their blood on it, and wore it around their necks.


    The blood-stained token would accompany the demon hunters throughout their lives. Some hunters valued their tokens as dearly as their lives, preferring to lose their life over their token. Losing one¡¯s token meant losing all past achievements and essentially, the entirety of one¡¯s life as a demon hunter.


    With the distribution of tokens complete, the ceremony concluded.


    Meng Da Hu and his friends were tense throughout the ceremony but finally relaxed.


    They wore new Taoist robes and rattan armor, and held brand-new simple broadswords.


    The robes, made of ordinary fabric, were cheap but durable. The rattan armor and broadswords, however, were spiritual weapons. The armor protected vital channels, and the broadswords were used to hunt demonic beasts, making them the most common spiritual weapons among demon hunters.


    Uncle Meng had spent all his savings to equip them fully. From now on, they would rely on these spiritual weapons to fend for themselves.


    Mo Hua and the trio wandered the streets, noticing their lack of enthusiasm, and Mo Hua expressed concern:


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    They stopped on a small stone bridge, leaning on the railing, watching the flowing water blend with the distant lights.


    Meng Shuang Hu said, ¡°I saw my mother crying secretly last night.¡±


    Meng Xiao Hu added, ¡°I saw it too. I guess she¡¯s heartbroken over the spirit stones. Our family used up all our spirit stones, those she had painstakingly saved.¡±


    ¡°Not only that, she even borrowed some. I saw dad borrowing from the demon hunting team¡¯s uncles and Uncle Mo,¡± Meng Da Hu said, then asked Mo Hua, ¡°Your family isn¡¯t in urgent need of spirit stones, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have a restaurant at home, so we¡¯re not short for now,¡± Mo Hua reassured.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Meng Da Hu sighed in relief, but the three still looked dispirited.


    Just a day ago, they were still children. After the ceremony, they had to start bearing the hardships of a cultivator¡¯s life. Some things weren¡¯t deeply felt before, but now, with responsibilities on their shoulders, they realized life wasn¡¯t easy.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so downhearted; this is actually a good thing,¡± Mo Hua said.


    The trio looked at Mo Hua together.


    ¡°Before, only Uncle Meng and Aunt Meng could earn spirit stones, and you could only spend them. Now that you¡¯re demon hunters, you can hunt demonic beasts and earn spirit stones. Aunt Meng¡¯s burden will be lighter, and life will get better. Once you repay your debts and earn more spirit stones, Aunt Meng can buy lots of nice things to eat,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    Their eyes brightened.


    Meng Shuang Hu scratched his head, ¡°But, can we really earn spirit stones? Dad said that novice hunters mostly just watch and learn and don¡¯t get much.¡±


    ¡°You guys are pretty good fighters, aren


    ¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then just think of demon hunting as fighting. Before, you fought people; now, you fight demons.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ hunting is still different from fighting,¡± Meng Xiao Hu hesitated.


    ¡°Then learn more from the uncles in the hunting team. Not everything is achieved overnight. The faster you learn, the sooner you can help, and the sooner you¡¯ll earn spirit stones. That¡¯ll make Uncle Meng and Aunt Meng happy,¡± Mo Hua comforted, lifting their spirits somewhat.


    ¡°But,¡± Meng Da Hu hesitated, ¡°if we go hunting, we won¡¯t be able to come and play with you as often.¡±


    ¡°And probably won¡¯t be able to at all later¡­¡± Meng Xiao Hu added softly.


    After saying this, their expressions fell again.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, maybe in a year or two, I¡¯ll reach the sixth level of Qi cultivation too. Then I can become a demon hunter and join you on the mountain,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Meng Xiao Hu cheered.


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about that?¡± Meng Shuang Hu rolled his eyes, then looked at Mo Hua worriedly, ¡°You¡¯re not physically strong and you¡¯re not on the path of physical cultivation. Being a demon hunter is dangerous, and Uncle Mo won¡¯t agree. You should consider becoming an array master instead. It¡¯s a more prestigious identity, earns more spirit stones, and doesn¡¯t involve fighting.¡±


    Meng Da Hu nodded quickly, ¡°Being an array master is good!¡±


    Meng Xiao Hu agreed, ¡°Yeah, being an array master is good!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll consider becoming an array master first. If another opportunity arises, or if I can take the path of physical cultivation, then I¡¯ll consider becoming a demon hunter,¡± Mo Hua said.


    But he thought about it and realized he really didn¡¯t have the talent for being a demon hunter. Naturally frail and having learned techniques focused more on spiritual power, if he became a demon hunter, a demonic beast could easily maul him to death with just a few bites...


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful; he admired the robust and dashing lifestyle of physical cultivators.


    Unfortunately, born frail, that path wasn¡¯t an option for him.


    Mo Hua patted his wallet, ¡°Today, I¡¯ll treat you to Guihua cakes from Liu¡¯s street stall, as a celebration.¡±


    Upon hearing about food, the trio¡¯s spirits lifted.


    ¡°But, it¡¯s always you treating us, which doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± Meng Shuang Hu said, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°No worries. When you become renowned demon hunters, killing many demonic beasts and earning lots of spirit stones, you can treat me to something delicious!¡±


    Hearing this, they felt emboldened and nodded in agreement: ¡°Okay!¡±


    With their worries dispelled, they walked spiritedly towards the pastry shop.


    After enjoying the cakes, as it was getting late, they prepared to head home.


    Before leaving, Meng Da Hu reminded Mo Hua, ¡°Be careful after we go up the mountain. If anyone bullies you, tell us, and we¡¯ll come back to fight for you.¡±


    Mo Hua was touched and smiled, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal!¡±

 Chapter 79: Earth Fire Array

    Mo Hua couldn''t sleep as he lay in bed that night.Firstly, he was worried about Da Hu and the others; secondly, he considered that although he was a cultivator, he seemed to lack any means of attack or self-defense.


    The cultivators in Tongxian City were simple and honest, and he had grown up without facing any real dangers. However, the absence of danger did not mean it would never come.


    When real danger did present itself, one needed a way to defend oneself¡ªit was not an option to just sit and wait for death.


    Since Mo Hua wasn''t a body cultivator and lacked strong vital energy, he couldn''t learn martial arts related to cultivation. Thus, he could only consider learning magic. However, his spiritual power wasn''t very strong, especially since he was only at the fourth level of Qi cultivation, which made it somewhat premature to learn spells...


    After much thought, the only option available seemed to be using arrays...


    "Is there any attack array I could use?"


    Mo Hua got out of bed and took out Mr. Zhuang''s "Thousand Arrays Compendium" to search:


    "The ''Ice Spike Array'' requires seven array patterns, but I haven''t learned the ice series patterns, and the spirit ink required is also quite rare..."


    "The ''Thunder Fire Array'' seems powerful... Nine array patterns, better not..."


    "The ''Wooden Prison Array'' isn¡¯t meant for attacking..."


    "The ''Fire Breath Array'' has only three array patterns and seems a bit weak..."


    ...


    After flipping through the book, Mo Hua finally settled on the "Earth Fire Array".


    With seven array patterns, it used inexpensive ink, was simple to arrange, and he was quite familiar with the fire series patterns. Once activated, the array would self-destruct, seemingly with considerable power.


    Mo Hua was satisfied with his choice, and after the midnight hour, he began practicing the "Earth Fire Array" on the stele in his sea of consciousness.


    The array was not complicated; after practicing a few times overnight, he became quite familiar with it. The next morning, he tried drawing it on paper, and after a few successful attempts, he tried to activate the array.


    Suddenly, he realized something:


    What if the array activated and exploded as soon as he channeled his spiritual power into it? Would his house be destroyed, and might he end up severely injured or worse?


    Mo Hua broke out in a cold sweat.


    He then flipped through the "Thousand Arrays Compendium" for notes on the "Earth Fire Array," which stated: "Upon injecting spiritual power, the array explodes after three breaths, causing fire-type spiritual damage."


    "So, you inject spiritual power, and after about three seconds... the array self-destructs, with an explosive force similar to the magical power of a fire cultivator."


    It was essentially a landmine...


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Regardless, it was not feasible to test this array at home.


    Taking advantage of the morning free time, Mo Hua drew two more copies of the "Earth Fire Array" and in the afternoon, he left home for a secluded grove on the outskirts of the city. He placed the array under a tree and tried injecting a bit of spiritual power.


    The array lit up but did not explode.


    Mo Hua crouched down, resting his chin in his hands, "It lit up, so the array is fine. It didn¡¯t explode, which means the spiritual power I injected wasn¡¯t enough?"


    If he injected enough spiritual power, would the array instantly explode?


    Mo Hua felt a bit guilty; as he wasn¡¯t a body cultivator, he probably couldn¡¯t withstand the explosive force of the "Earth Fire Array".


    He pulled out the "Thousand Arrays Compendium" again and read it word by word, making sure it would only explode after three breaths before he felt relieved, "Array masters don¡¯t deceive each other, especially since this book was given by Mr. Zhuang; it couldn¡¯t be wrong."


    Mo Hua then channeled a large amount of spiritual power from his Qi sea directly into the "Earth Fire Array". The array patterns suddenly emitted a blinding red light.


    Mo Hua covered his head and ran, then jumped into a pit a few yards away, hiding his entire body inside.


    He had chosen this location specifically for this pit, even practicing several times to ensure that with his short arms and legs, he could successfully hide within three breaths.


    The "Earth Fire Array" exploded, living up to Mo Hua''s expectations; he was very satisfied.


    However, although it exploded, it only blew a large hole in the tree with some scorch marks¡ªloud noise, minimal effect, which Mo Hua found somewhat disappointing.


    Looking at it, setting off the "Earth Fire Array" was less like detonating a landmine and more like setting off fireworks.


    "A seven-patterned array should have been stronger..."


    Mo Hua


    felt the issue shouldn¡¯t be with the array itself but perhaps with himself, "Could it be because my cultivation level is low, so the spiritual power I injected wasn¡¯t enough?" If that was the case, he would need to use spirit stones.


    Mo Hua took out another "Earth Fire Array", placed it under another tree, and then, wincing in pain, crushed a spirit stone, channeling the spiritual power from the stone into the array.


    This time, the array''s patterns shone even more dazzlingly.


    Mo Hua quickly ran back to the pit, and with a loud "bang" that made his ears hurt, followed by the sound of rumbling and snapping branches, the tree targeted by the "Earth Fire Array" crashed down.


    When Mo Hua went over to look, his mouth fell open.


    The tree had withstood the self-destruction of the "Earth Fire Array"; its trunk was blown open with clear ash marks, as if scorched by fierce fire.


    "Is a single spirit stone really this powerful? Or is my own spiritual power truly that weak..."


    Mo Hua felt a bit disheartened.


    However, pleased with the power of the "Earth Fire Array" driven by a single spirit stone, Mo Hua decided to draw a few more to keep on hand, just in case.


    After ensuring there were no signs of fire on the blasted trees, Mo Hua happily returned home.


    Only the blasted tree was left standing lonely in its original spot.


    The next day, as Elder Yu of the Demon Hunter Team passed by, he saw the marks on the trees and angrily declared:


    "Go check which idiot from the Demon Hunter Team did this. If they have the energy to blast trees instead of hunting demons, do they think they¡¯re showing off their cultivation?"


    The big men of the Demon Hunter Team shrank back, not daring to utter a word.


    Elder Yu had a fierce temper and was not one to be contradicted; they dared not even say "no".


    After attending the Demon Hunting Ceremony, the three brothers, Da Hu, became busy. They either practiced martial arts and Dao techniques at home or followed senior demon hunters into the mountains to learn about demon hunting.


    The evening of the second day of the Demon Hunting Festival, Mo Hua had to wander alone without his friends. Even amidst the bustle, he felt somewhat lonely.


    Unbeknownst to him, the third day after visiting Mr. Zhuang and after asking him some questions, Bai Zisheng grabbed him tightly.


    "Take me with you!"


    Bai Zisheng''s handsome eyes stared intently at Mo Hua.


    "What..."


    "The Demon Hunting Festival!" Bai Zisheng said, "I''ve heard it lasts three days, and today is the last day. If we don''t go now, it¡¯ll be too late."


    "It¡¯s only once a year."


    "Who knows about next year? What if Zi Xi and I have to go somewhere else? Then I might never see it... No, you have to take me!"


    "But... I¡¯d like to take you, but it¡¯s no use, Aunt Xue won¡¯t agree," Mo Hua said.


    "I¡¯ve thought it through," Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, "We¡¯ll go secretly, without letting Aunt Xue know. If worse comes to worst, I¡¯ll take a beating. A man should stand tall and not be afraid of getting beaten. It¡¯s worth getting beaten for!" s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then think about how you¡¯re going to deceive Aunt Xue."


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment then slumped down dejectedly, "Yeah, it¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ve never been able to deceive her, not once since I was a kid."


    Seeing him like a frostbitten eggplant, Mo Hua felt a bit sympathetic and suggested, "Why don¡¯t you negotiate with Aunt Xue? Finish your studies during the day and take a walk on the streets in the evening?"


    "That might be the only way..." Bai Zisheng nodded.


    "Then you¡¯d better do your studies now. If you don¡¯t finish, you won¡¯t even have the right to speak to Aunt Xue," Mo Hua said.


    Bai Zisheng suddenly perked up, opened his books on the table, glanced at them, then asked Mo Hua, "If Aunt Xue agrees, how will I find you?"


    "Today, at the time of You, I¡¯ll wait for you under the big tree on the street. If Aunt Xue agrees, I¡¯ll take you around. If she doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll have to go alone."


    "Agreed!" Bai Zisheng brightened up.


    "Agreed."

 Chapter 80: A Bustling Scene

    As dusk fell, just as the hour of You arrived, Mo Hua reached the large tree on West Street.Bai Zisheng hadn''t arrived yet, and out of boredom, Mo Hua picked up a stick and began drawing array patterns in the dirt for fun.


    The array pattern Mo Hua was practicing was the Earth-Fire Array, which, being an offensive type, required more time to master and perfect.


    Just when Mo Hua thought Bai Zisheng wouldn¡¯t show, he looked up to see Aunt Xue arriving with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Mo Hua waved his hand politely and said, "Aunt Xue, long time no see!"


    "It has been a long time!" Aunt Xue replied, her pale hands instinctively touching Mo Hua''s head, which he somewhat reluctantly allowed.


    "It''s been tough for Zisheng and Zixi with their cultivation," Aunt Xue said in a gentle voice. "Today is also a festival day, so let them relax a bit. We''ll need your help to show us around."


    "No trouble at all," Mo Hua replied, shaking his head before gesturing, "Follow me. Today is the last day of the Demon Hunter Festival, and it''s very lively!"


    Bai Zisheng exclaimed softly and then ran up to Mo Hua, looking around curiously and asking about every novel thing he saw.


    The cultivation world is vast and varied, and with the strict control of their families, there were many things Bai Zisheng had never seen before.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, quietly followed Aunt Xue, wearing a similar but much smaller bamboo hat, her beautiful face mostly hidden behind white gauze, revealing only a glimpse of her delicate chin. She didn¡¯t talk much, but listened intently to the conversation between Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua.


    The street was ablaze with lights; it wasn¡¯t exactly bustling but certainly lively with the essence of worldly life. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    On both sides of the street, stalls were set up selling pills, spiritual tools, jewelry, snacks, array patterns, miscellaneous items, toys, herbs, spirit ink, and even the pelts, bones, and cores of demonic beasts, offering a dazzling array of goods.


    The crowd moved slowly along the stalls, their shadows flickering in the light, stretching off into the unseen distance.


    Even Aunt Xue, who came from a prominent family and had seen more prosperous immortal cities, was momentarily stunned by the lively and noisy streets and markets. It seemed that these cultivators were truly alive.


    Following the lively crowd, even those who normally transcended worldly concerns could feel the joys of the secular world.


    Bai Zisheng enjoyed his walk, buying many things, such as a fire-breathing bull, a blinking monkey, and a tail-wagging dog, all made of wood and painted vividly, likely containing simple array patterns that would animate with a touch of spiritual power.


    Among other things, he also bought an extravagant sword, flashy and ornate, shining with multicolored light, which, despite its appearance, was not even a real spiritual tool. But Bai Zisheng loved it immensely.


    Mo Hua ended up holding a bunch of things Bai Zisheng bought, and he could choose something he liked later on.


    Bai Zixi received a tiny white rabbit, only the size of a fingernail, which scampered around in her palm. Mo Hua had bought it for her because she had been staring at it at a stall but hadn''t said anything. Feeling like he was taking advantage of Bai Zisheng''s generosity, Mo Hua spent a spirit stone to buy the rabbit for Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi merely thanked him simply, her expression unreadable, but whenever she had a chance, she would open her palm and watch the little rabbit hopping about.


    Besides shopping, Bai Zisheng also enjoyed watching performances.


    One was a shadow puppet show, with a large screen displaying the shadows. The puppets included various characters¡ªmen, women, the old, and the young¡ªas well as all kinds of demons and beasts. Cultivators controlled the puppets with their spiritual power, performing various actions, while other cultivators narrated the stories.


    The stories in the shadow puppet shows involved both humans and demons, typically featuring a male cultivator heroically rescuing a beautiful female cultivator, leading to a sworn lifetime commitment.


    In one story, despite opposition from his sect and elders, the man elopes with the woman, who then strips off her clothes in a secluded area, transforms into a demonic beast, and devours him.


    Mo Hua found this story particularly meaningful and never tired of it.


    However, Bai Zisheng preferred the simpler and more lively beast-fighting plays.


    These plays depicted Demon Hunters hunting demonic beasts. They set up a large stage where some cultivators played Demon Hunters¡ªsome


    might not even need to act, being hunters themselves¡ªwhile others hid inside puppets made of demonic beast bones and fur, playing the beasts. The demonic beasts would breathe fire, and the cultivators would use spells, making for an exciting show.


    Mo Hua found it somewhat fake, as Mo Shan, a Demon Hunter, had told him that real hunts were tense and dangerous, even when facing weak beasts, as one could get seriously injured or even killed if careless.


    But such performances were just for fun¡ªwell, except for Bai Zisheng, who dreamed of going up the mountain to fight a beast one-on-one, which Aunt Xue would never allow.


    As they continued their stroll, they ran into Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan was walking with a group of older cultivators, all with little hair but clearly of high status, likely senior members of the Dao Court and elders from several families in Tongxian City.


    A procession of cultivators marched grandly, with cultivators in Dao Court robes clearing the way in front and a group of young cultivators respectfully following behind.


    These young cultivators, highly regarded within their families and performing well in the Tongxian Sect, were allowed to accompany the elders on their outing.


    Zhang Lan, conspicuously out of place among the white-haired cultivators and sporting a forced smile, seemed to be awkwardly making conversation.


    Mo Hua spotted Zhang Lan, but Zhang Lan, busy socializing, probably didn¡¯t see him.


    Suddenly, Zhang Lan said something to an elder with particularly white and sparse hair, bowed, and quietly excused himself. When Mo Hua turned around, he found Zhang Lan not far away, waving at him.


    "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be with them? Those are all important people from the city..." Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Don¡¯t even mention it, I was actually on leave, sneaking out for a stroll, but I got caught by the head of the court and had to spend half the day accompanying these family heads and elders."


    "Oh, I thought you were not serious about your duties, but I didn¡¯t expect you to handle those elders quite well, even if it was a bit superficial," Mo Hua admitted, somewhat impressed.


    Zhang Lan casually ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, "What do you know, kid? It¡¯s all just for show; I¡¯m lazy, not stupid."


    Mo Hua was slightly disdainful.


    "Oh, well, I still have things to do, you go enjoy yourself," Mo Hua dismissed him.


    Zhang Lan chuckled, "What could you possibly have to do?" then turned and noticed Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, both young but of extraordinary appearance, and behind them the distinguished but face-obscured Aunt Xue.

 Chapter 81: Qian Xing

    Observing the distinguished presence of Aunt Xue, Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away.Mo Hua looked even more disdainful at his expression.


    Zhang Lan coughed, adjusted his appearance, and faced Aunt Xue with a serious yet slightly sycophantic tone:


    "May I know who this esteemed Daoist is?" he asked.


    Aunt Xue ignored him completely, speaking to Mo Hua instead: ¡°Mo Hua, we¡¯ll wait up ahead for you.¡± After saying this, she walked away with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, leaving Zhang Lan standing there, his sycophantic look still frozen on his face.


    Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan with a hint of sympathy. He wanted to pat Zhang Lan¡¯s shoulder, but he wasn¡¯t tall enough, so he settled for patting his waist, saying:


    "Everyone faces setbacks, Uncle Zhang, try to see the bigger picture¡­"


    The comfort meant to be offered through his childish voice did little to soothe.


    Zhang Lan remained puzzled: ¡°I¡¯m well-groomed, my cultivation is not low, and I carry myself with the manners of a noble family''s disciple. Why won¡¯t she speak even a word to me?¡±


    Mo Hua found his narcissistic demeanor annoying but conceded that he had a point.


    ¡°Perhaps Aunt Xue heard your name as ¡®worthless man¡¯, so she avoided you. Why don¡¯t you try changing your name?¡± suggested Mo Hua.


    Zhang Lan looked speechless at Mo Hua.


    After a few more comforting words, Zhang Lan managed to put the incident behind him. After a few more exchanges, he left with a look of regret.


    Mo Hua then met up with Aunt Xue and the others, and they continued their stroll through the market. When it was nearly midnight, they each headed home.


    Bai Zisheng returned home full of purchases, pushing many unusual items into Mo Hua¡¯s hands, which he couldn¡¯t refuse even if he wanted to.


    Mo Hua also bought gifts for his parents, including a Fire-Resisting Hairpin for Liu Ruhua, crafted far better than the one he bought two days earlier.


    The array inside the hairpin had been erased by Mo Hua, who then drew a new, more intricate array.


    For this, he had specifically sought Master Chen¡¯s help to dismantle the hairpin and after redrawing the array, had it reassembled by Master Chen.


    The gift for Mo Shan was a jade pendant, within which Mo Hua had drawn a Clear Plague Array that, once activated, could alleviate the mountain''s poisonous vapors to some extent, though its range was limited.


    Both Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were delighted not only by the gifts but because they contained arrays personally drawn by Mo Hua.


    After the noise of the Hunting Festival, Tongxian City quieted down, with cultivators living their usual lives.


    Mo Hua was no exception; he had many arrays to learn and his cultivation to improve.


    One day, as he was returning home from Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings, pondering the arrays he still needed to master, he was suddenly blocked by a group of people.


    Looking up, Mo Hua saw a dandy young master in luxurious clothes, fluttering a golden fan, with frivolous eyes and brows.


    ¡°Young Master Qian?¡±


    Qian Xing, the youngest son of the Qian family patriarch.


    The Qian family was the most influential and affluent in Tongxian City. As the patriarch''s son and part of the direct lineage, Qian Xing, being the youngest, was most doted upon.


    He wasn¡¯t concerned with inheriting family business, hence focused only on enjoying life. Mo Hua¡¯s interactions with him were limited to occasionally helping him with array homework at the Tongxian Sect.


    ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    Qian Xing smiled amiably, ¡°Indeed, I need a favor.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mo Hua sensed he was up to no good.


    Qian Xing coughed lightly, ¡°The night of the Hunting Festival, I happened to see you with a young lady wearing a veil. Do you know her?¡±


    The veiled young lady? Was he talking about Bai Zixi?


    ¡°I suppose I know her¡­¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, ¡°Call her out, let¡¯s get acquainted, become friends.¡±


    That evening, from among his family¡¯s disciples, Qian Xing had caught a glimpse of the young lady behind Mo Hua. Despite her young age and veiled face, her ethereal demeanor was unforgettable.


    He had people inquire about her background, but to no avail. Thus, he decided to approach through Mo Hua, and had been seeking him out with his attendants for days, finally catching him.


    ¡°Not close enough to call her out,¡± Mo Hua responded dismissively.


    Qian Xing replied, ¡°You were together at the market, saying you''re not close doesn¡¯t make sense to me. Rest assured, if you agree, I¡¯ll make it worth your while. Do you want spirit stones or a spiritual weapon?¡±


    Mo Hua calmly responded, ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡±


    The smile on Qian Xing''s face slowly faded, ¡°I¡¯m offering you face here.¡±


    Your face isn¡¯t worth much, no one would pick it up if it were dropped on the ground¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t intend to engage further, simply stating, ¡°I need to get home, can you let me through?¡±


    ¡°Let you through?¡±


    Qian Xing was momentarily stunned, then scoffed coldly, ¡°Ask around in Tongxian City. Everyone else makes way for me, no one has ever dared to ask me to step aside!¡± S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Xing¡¯s demeanor darkened:


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, call that young lady out so I can meet her. I won¡¯t hold your earlier offense against you. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make your parents regret bringing you into this world, making you suffer for nothing!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes also began to harden, dismissively retorting:


    ¡°Your father should be the one with regrets, for having birthed such a useless person, shaming himself before the world!¡±


    Insulting, isn¡¯t it? If Qian Xing could start it, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t about to be polite.


    To Mo Hua, it was just an ordinary insult, but Qian Xing¡¯s reaction was unexpectedly intense.


    Qian Xing turned pale, his expression twisting grotesquely.


    The surrounding area also quieted down considerably.


    The minions behind Qian Xing were momentarily dazed, accustomed to their young master¡¯s swagger; it was their first time seeing someone publicly rebuke him so boldly.


    Mo Hua was somewhat taken aback as well.


    He hadn¡¯t said much, yet why did that break Qian Xing¡¯s composure?


    Such fragile pride, then what would happen if he unleashed the harsher words brewing in his stomach? Would Qian Xing simply keel over?


    Truly, those pampered from birth tend to have a fragile spirit¡­


    Qian Xing, overwhelmed with rage, his eyes bloodshot with visible veins, his fingers trembling as he pointed at Mo Hua, bellowed venomously:


    ¡°I want him dead! He must die!¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, just a few harsh words and he resorts to murder?


    Qian Xing, driven to madness, commanded his followers, ¡°He dies, or you die. Choose!¡±


    They were mostly bastards of the Qian family or affiliates, following Qian Xing for scraps of benefit. Angering him meant being discarded from the Qian family like dead dogs.


    Though they had done their share of dirty work, they felt no guilt.


    One of the Qian family disciples smirked malevolently, ¡°Kid, you¡¯re out of luck. Better watch out in your next life.¡± With that, he aimed a vicious punch straight at Mo Hua¡¯s forehead.


    This punch was both sneaky and deadly.


    However, just when the fist was still a few feet from Mo Hua, it was suddenly grabbed.


    The Qian disciple struggled to free his fist but couldn¡¯t; instead, he felt his bones creaking. Before he could cry out in pain, he was struck in the face by a powerful punch, blood spurting from his nose as the force drove him back, and he collapsed like a rag doll against the wall, knocked out cold.


    The others were momentarily shocked, looking up only to see a robust young man who had appeared behind Mo Hua.


    It was Da Zhu, the apprentice of Master Chen from the artifact crafting shop.


    Normally good-natured and simple, Da Zhu now stood expressionless, his muscular arms like iron, exuding a calm but imposing aura, silently supporting Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua appeared unfazed.


    On this southern street of Tongxian City, if a fight broke out, his ¡°connections¡± were quite extensive.

 Chapter 83: Da Zhu

    Chapter 82: doesn''t exist.-------


    A disciple from the Qian family recognized Da Zhu and shouted, "Chen Da Zhu, just focus on swinging your hammer and stop meddling!"


    Da Zhu sneered, "None of your business!"


    Mo Hua, with his extraordinary spiritual awareness, noticed that Da Zhu had already positioned himself behind him when the Qian family disciple threw a punch, so he didn''t dodge.


    Of course, he couldn''t dodge even if he wanted to.


    The punch from the sixth-level Qi Cultivation body cultivator was quite fast, and Mo Hua''s powerful spiritual awareness gave him ample reaction time. However, his frail physique was not strong enough to respond.


    Fortunately, Da Zhu took the punch for him.


    The Da Zhu that Mo Hua remembered was always the simple, smiling figure, generous and kind, who loved to eat noodles at his home. Now, Da Zhu''s expression was cold, with a hint of ruthlessness.


    "Chen Da Zhu, get out of the way!" threatened the Qian family disciple.


    Da Zhu not only refused to move but also pulled Mo Hua behind him, shielding him with his body, unconcerned, "I won''t move!"


    Da Zhu, ten years older and much taller than Mo Hua, stood in front of him, effectively hiding Mo Hua from view. The Qian family members couldn''t even see Mo Hua''s shadow.


    Seeing Chen Da Zhu standing firm, another disciple tried to persuade, "Chen Da Zhu, this kid is neither your kin nor kith. Why bother showing off for him?" S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I like it, none of your business!"


    Da Zhu, not eloquent, wanted to curse more but couldn''t find the words, and felt his momentum weakening, so he sneakily glanced at Mo Hua.


    Understanding the cue, Mo Hua leaned forward and said, "Kin or not, you¡¯re all like dogs to Qian Xing. He treats you like dogs anyway!"


    Da Zhu quickly nodded in agreement, "Exactly! Treats you like dogs!"


    The group of Qian family disciples blushed, unable to refute.


    Qian Xing, realizing the situation was against him, coldly said, "You want to oppose the Qian family?"


    Just as Da Zhu was about to retort, Mo Hua tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to stay quiet, and he complied.


    Mo Hua continued, "Qian Xing, if your father knew you were bullying others under your family¡¯s name and tarnishing the Qian family¡¯s reputation, do you think he¡¯d regret having you? Are you sure he¡¯s your real father, or did he just find you somewhere? Maybe he¡¯s not your dad, and she¡¯s not your mom?"


    Qian Xing understood the insult¡ªcalling him a bastard, not even of the Qian lineage.


    Accustomed to a life of privilege, Qian Xing felt he had never been so humiliated. He waved to his followers and said menacingly, "Beat them to death! Flay them! Strip their tendons! I¡¯ll handle things with the Dao Court; you needn¡¯t worry!"


    Seeing Qian Xing¡¯s enraged eyes, Mo Hua whispered to Da Zhu, "Brother Da Zhu, they have more people; we should run."


    Da Zhu, fearless, replied, "It''s okay, we''re not lacking in numbers either."


    No sooner had he spoken than a commotion arose behind them. A group of youths arrived, carrying sticks and hammers, standing behind Da Zhu.


    "Brother Zhu, we¡¯ve got the tools!" a young man shouted loudly.


    Mo Hua noticed most were apprentices from Chen''s Artifact Crafting, naturally wielding hammers and other such makeshift weapons. Some even glowed red as if freshly drawn from the forge.


    With everyone standing behind Da Zhu, Mo Hua was safely encircled in the middle.


    A few of the Qian family disciples grew timid, their cultivation mostly at the sixth and seventh levels of Qi Cultivation. Although their cultivation was higher, they were used to bullying the weak and feared real confrontation.


    Facing the imposing figures from the artifact crafting school, burly as blacksmiths with fists like casserole pots, they didn''t want to experience the consequences of a direct hit.


    Moreover, these low-level cultivators were known for their recklessness, which the Qian family disciples dared not match.


    "Sir, the situation isn¡¯t favorable, maybe we should retreat and trouble them another day," suggested someone to Qian Xing in a low voice.


    "What did you say?" demanded Qian Xing, his eyes blazing.


    The disciple trembled, "We... we¡¯re concerned for your safety, sir. If something were to happen during the fight, we couldn''t explain it to the family head..."


    "I support you, not my father. You should think about how you¡¯ll explain to me," Qian Xing said, patting the disciple¡¯s face. "Killing that kid is the best explanation you could give! If not, think about how you¡¯ll explain it to me.¡±


    The Qian family disciples broke out in a cold sweat.


    Qian Xing continued, "Don''t worry, I¡¯ve already called for backup. Just hold them off for a while. Once this is over, each of you will get a hundred spirit stones. And whoever kills Mo Hua, I¡¯ll speak to my father and secure him a direct lineage position in the Qian family."


    The disciples exchanged looks¡ªsuch a position was tempting enough to risk everything.


    One of the Qian family disciples gritted his teeth and declared, "I¡¯ll share your troubles, young master!"


    He then turned to Da Zhu and called out, "Da Zhu, I need to talk to you," and walked towards him. As he approached, he suddenly drew a knife, swirling with green spiritual energy and a chilling aura, and slashed at Da Zhu.


    Da Zhu raised an eyebrow and snorted. His body surged with vitality as he lifted his large hammer to meet the attack.


    But the disciple''s knife swiftly shifted direction, bypassing the hammer and aiming for Mo Hua behind Da Zhu.


    He had calculated it: enduring Da Zhu''s hammer might severely injure him, but not kill him, while a direct hit on Mo Hua would surely be fatal. Trading a severe injury for a direct lineage position was a profitable exchange.


    Though the attack was sudden, Mo Hua had already sensed the trajectory of the spiritual energy of the knife. However, the attack was too quick for him to speak or dodge with his current physical conditioning.


    Just as the knife was about to strike him, an apprentice pulled at his collar, narrowly causing the knife to miss. Mo Hua could even feel the slight pain from the pressure of the spiritual energy passing dangerously close to his forehead.


    Da Zhu, seeing the disciple''s initial strike and the sudden change in target, was too slow to redirect his heavy hammer. Internally panicking, he was relieved when Mo Hua narrowly avoided the attack.


    Relieved but furious, Da Zhu no longer held back. He channeled all his vitality into the hammer and smashed it down hard.


    The disciple was struck in the back, crashing to the ground with a mouthful of blood surging up his throat, accompanied by the cracking sound of his own bones breaking.


    He had anticipated injury but not to such a devastating extent. As his consciousness blurred, he felt himself being kicked away, then crashing down, losing consciousness soon after.


    "Scoundrel, using underhanded tactics!"


    "Even the rats in the sewers aren¡¯t as dirty as him!"


    "Beat them up!"


    The apprentice artifact crafters, filled with righteous indignation, raised their sticks and swung their hammers, charging at the Qian family disciples. Left with no choice, the disciples had to fight back.


    On the empty street, cultivators on both sides clashed fiercely.

 Chapter 84: Earth Fire

    Disciples of the artifact refining and the Qian family were embroiled in a fierce melee, the scene momentarily descending into chaos.In Tongxian City, it is generally believed that once a cultivator reaches the middle stage of Qi cultivation, around the fifth to sixth level, they can begin learning offensive Dao techniques.


    There are two types of Dao techniques used by cultivators: the physical techniques learned by body cultivators, which rely on a robust physical body to channel spiritual power for close combat; and the spell techniques learned by spirit cultivators, which involve using spiritual awareness to control spiritual power to condense spells for ranged attacks.


    There are also cultivators who practice both physical and spirit techniques, but such cultivators require two exceptionally favorable conditions:


    First, they must possess outstanding talent, including top-grade spiritual roots and excellent physical refining qualities; second, they need a strong familial background with a profound Daoist heritage that can mitigate conflicts between physical and spiritual cultivation techniques. Additionally, it''s best if their family owns several spirit mines, ensuring an inexhaustible supply of spirit stones...


    Dual cultivation of spirit and body is rare among cultivators, with some large clans unable to produce even one dual cultivator over several generations, let alone in the remote Tongxian City.


    Whether independent cultivators or those from smaller clans, most must choose to specialize in one path: either focusing on physical cultivation to become body cultivators or concentrating on spell techniques to become spirit cultivators.


    During the Qi cultivation phase, body cultivators have a significant advantage over spirit cultivators, unless one is born with particularly poor physical constitution¡ªlike Mo Hua, who would choose the path of physical cultivation, becoming a body cultivator.


    Thus, the current battle was predominantly a melee among body cultivators.


    A few disciples from the Qian family were spirit cultivators, but before they could cast their spells, they were rushed and knocked down with a punch.


    The melee among the body cultivators was a spectacle of fists and feet colliding, punches landing with the flesh, accompanied by multicolored spiritual energy that made the scene look quite dashing.


    This was Mo Hua''s first time witnessing such a large-scale battle among cultivators; he was so mesmerized that he momentarily forgot what he should be doing.


    What should he do?


    Mo Hua thought it over and realized there was only one thing he could do¡ªrun!


    A melee among body cultivators; with his slender arms and legs, escaping unharmed would be an achievement. Not burdening others was his greatest contribution!


    As Mo Hua prepared to flee, he had only taken a few steps when someone grabbed his shoulder. Mo Hua struggled, but not only did he fail to break free, but a pair of icy hands also clasped around his neck.


    Turning his head, Mo Hua saw Qian Xing staring at him coldly.


    As if he were his father''s murderer.


    "Stop!" Qian Xing shouted menacingly.


    Everyone halted their actions and split to either side, the Qian family''s disciples clutching their arms and wiping blood, standing disgracefully behind Qian Xing, while Da Zhu and his group stood in front of them, confronting them.


    Seeing this scene, Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart: "It''s over, the worst possible situation has occurred!"


    Initially, Da Zhu and his group had the upper hand, but now that he was captured, everyone hesitated, and the situation turned grim.


    Da Zhu looked at Qian Xing with an expressionless face and said, "Let him go! Or you''re dead!"


    "Playing dirty because you can''t win, coward!"


    "If you''re capable, fight again..."


    The other disciples of artifact refining also shouted angrily.


    Qian Xing sneered, "All you know is how to fight and kill, destined to be lowly all your lives. I''ve already gone to call for help. Soon, the family''s guards will arrive, and none of you will escape."


    "What do you want?" Da Zhu demanded.


    "What do I want?" Qian Xing smirked, tightening his grip on Mo Hua''s neck, "Don''t worry, I won''t kill him now. Killing him would dirty my hands. Although I''m not afraid of the Dao Court, it would still be troublesome. I just need to take him up the mountain, hang him on a tree, and let a few demonic beasts slowly eat his flesh, letting him die in agony. Even if the Dao Court wants to investigate, they can''t trace it back to me since it was the beasts that ate him."


    Da Zhu''s eyes reddened with anger: "Bastard, you dare!"


    "You dare to curse me, bastard? What are you?" Qian Xing laughed bitterly in anger, "Alright, then kneel before me, slap yourselves, and end it on your own. I won''t kill him then, how about that? You like to stand out, so I''m giving you this chance."


    Qian Xing, still clutching Mo Hua''s neck, threatened, "Kneel, or I''ll kill him right now!"


    Da Zhu and the others were in a dilemma, feeling both furious and humiliated. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, with a flash of sharpness in his gaze, said hoarsely, "Qian Xing... don¡¯t overstep!"


    "Overstep? I¡¯ve been nice and polite to you, but you refused to comply, turning things into this mess, and you blame me for overstepping?" Qian Xing replied. "Today, I¡¯ve lost so much face. It¡¯s only reasonable to take a few lives to restore my reputation, right?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s youthful voice carried a chilling tone:


    "That means you''re asking for death!"


    Qian Xing laughed off the threat, "You, a mere fourth level Qi cultivator who knows neither martial arts nor spells, what can you do to me? Saying I¡¯m seeking death, fine, I¡¯d like to see how you..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence, as he suddenly saw a splash of bright red ink thrown at his face. In a rush, he could only lift his right hand to block, but it was too late; streaks of ink splattered on his eyes, seeping into his eyeballs, causing an intense burning pain.


    It was the Fire Elemental Spirit Ink used for drawing arrays!


    Enraged, Qian Xing, enduring the pain in his right eye, tightened his left hand, intending to strangle Mo Hua. But due to the sudden pain, his grip loosened momentarily, allowing Mo Hua to break free.


    Qian Xing reached out again to grab him, but knowing he couldn''t escape, Mo Hua suddenly turned around and kicked at Qian Xing''s body.


    However, the kick landed on Qian Xing without moving him an inch, nor did he feel any pain. Instead, it was Mo Hua who was sent flying backward by the rebound.


    Mo Hua used the momentum to roll back and ended up on the ground, then quickly rolled several times before lying face down, hands covering his head.


    Seeing him in this state, Qian Xing couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "Now you know who''s the useless one?"


    He continued moving forward, intending to catch Mo Hua before Da Zhu could intervene.


    But just as he took a step forward, Qian Xing suddenly felt a burning sensation on his chest. Looking down, he saw a piece of paper tucked into his robe. The paper was marked with seven array patterns, drawn in bright red ink, and the red of the ink grew increasingly glaring, even glowing brightly.


    Was this... an array?


    Before Qian Xing could understand what was happening, a thunderous explosion sounded.


    An array had detonated.


    Without warning, a strong surge of spiritual power erupted in front of Qian Xing, accompanied by a searing burn and heart-wrenching pain, engulfing him completely.


    His Dao robe instantly turned to ash, and the spiritual protector amulet on his chest cracked. The fiery blast surged upwards, scorching his face beyond recognition, and the explosive aftermath hurled his body through the air, crashing through several stalls before coming to a stop.


    The street fell silent instantly.


    Several of the Qian family''s disciples caught in the blast lay on the ground, wailing in pain.


    Da Zhu and the other cultivators stood in shock, staring at Mo Hua, who was crouching and covering his head on the ground, appearing somewhat disheveled, and at the other side, Qian Xing, whose body was charred and disfigured. For a moment, they were at a loss for words.


    The sound of the explosion and the resultant surge of spiritual power had also alarmed nearby cultivators, and more and more of them were rushing towards the scene.

 Chapter 85: Confrontation

    "Is this¡­ a spell?" stuttered an apprentice artifact-crafter.Da Zhu shook his head, equally confused about what had just occurred.


    He had only seen Mo Hua throw Spirit ink at Qian Xing, who, pained, reached to grab Mo Hua. Mo Hua kicked Qian Xing in return, but ended up being blown away himself. Then, Qian Xing exploded¡­


    "Right, Mo Hua!"


    Given the loud explosion, Da Zhu was unsure whether Mo Hua was injured. Mo Hua was not a body cultivator; an explosion would mean serious danger.


    Da Zhu and the others hurried towards Mo Hua, but halfway there, they saw him standing up, casually dusting off his clothes. Seeing them, he asked with concern:


    "Brother Da Zhu, are you all okay¡­?"


    Everyone: "¡­"


    "Mo Hua, are you alright?" Da Zhu asked.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just some scrapes and a bit of neck pain." Mo Hua rubbed his neck, where Qian Xing had choked him, leaving bruises.


    "Where¡¯s Qian Xing?"


    After searching for a while, Mo Hua found Qian Xing, charred and bloody, his condition unknown.


    The power of the Earth Fire Array was stronger than Mo Hua had anticipated; it didn¡¯t seem so when exploding trees, but the effect on humans was clearly devastating.


    "Mo Hua, what exactly happened¡­" Da Zhu asked quietly.


    Before Mo Hua could answer, a middle-aged cultivator rushed over, arriving beside Qian Xing in a blink. His eyebrows furrowed, he checked Qian Xing¡¯s breath, then slightly relaxed.


    The middle-aged cultivator administered some pills to Qian Xing, then his gaze swept around sharply, his voice chilling, "Who did this?"


    His voice, infused with spiritual power, made Mo Hua¡¯s ears buzz.


    A cultivator of the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement!


    Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingled. Just as he was about to step forward, Da Zhu pulled him back, whispering, "Leave the matters of the Ninth Level to others."


    Sure enough, a burly man wrapped in wolf pelt stepped forward, shouting, "Kids will be kids. Why are you, Qian Zhongli, such an old man joining in?"


    Qian Zhongli sneered, "Your kid plays like this?"


    The burly man laughed loudly, "If he had such skills, I¡¯d let him be!"


    Qian Zhongli retorted, "Don¡¯t try to fool me here. Hand over the person responsible, or you¡¯ll regret it."


    The burly man¡¯s laughter ceased, his face suddenly stern, "Qian Zhongli, you bastard, am I giving you too much face? Being polite was out of respect, don¡¯t push it!"


    "I¡¯ll say it again, hand him over! Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t dare to act!"


    Qian Zhongli, suppressing his anger, said.


    "I¡¯m also saying it again, if I tell you to scram, you better scram. What if you do act? I''m not scared?"


    The burly man retorted sharply.


    Though Qian Zhongli said so, he was genuinely wary of the burly man and dared not act rashly, merely threatening, "Elders from the Qian family will be here soon, don¡¯t escalate things; it won¡¯t end well for anyone."


    "What, relying on the Qian family¡¯s power to bully us solitary cultivators?" the burly man scoffed, impervious to threats.


    "You really want to lead this?"


    "Today you''re here to arrest someone, tomorrow you could be crapping on our heads. You know what your young master is like. I don¡¯t care if he bullies people, but if he gets himself killed doing it, he damn well deserved it, and you can¡¯t do a thing about it!"


    "The Qian family does have Foundation Building cultivators¡­"


    "So what? Only your Qian family has Foundation Builders? What about it, picking on younger Qi Refinement cultivators? At your age, you¡¯ve cultivated straight to the guts of a dog?" the burly man cursed. "All those shady deeds your Qian family pulled to get established, need I spell them out?"


    Qian Zhongli, unable to outtalk him, and fearing the burly man might spill more unsavory truths, finally said:


    "Alright, I won¡¯t press for the person now, but tell me, what exactly happened here? Who used what means to injure the third young master?"


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious?" the burly man scoffed lightly. "Your precious young master tried to use a spell to bully someone and botched it. The spell backfired and blew him into this sorry state! Can¡¯t you see that, or are your eyes just for decoration?"


    The


    burly man closed his eyes, blatantly spinning a tale, leaving Qian Zhongli speechless.


    Where would Qian Xing know any spells? Even if he did, he was only a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator; what kind of spell could cause such a ruckus?


    "Don¡¯t spout nonsense!" Qian Zhongli shouted.


    "Then you tell me, among these people, can you find a cultivator capable of such a spell?"


    The burly man pointed towards Mo Hua, "If you can find one, I¡¯ll let you take them without a word!"


    Qian Zhongli found himself speechless.


    Among these cultivators, the highest was only the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement; none had sufficient spiritual power to wield such spells. Although a few had the necessary cultivation level, it was clear they were body cultivators. The martial arts of body cultivators were completely different from the spells of spirit cultivators.


    Qian Zhongli scanned with his spiritual awareness over and over, even beginning to doubt himself¡ªcould it be that the one who injured Young Master Qian wasn¡¯t here at all? None of these cultivators seemed capable of such spells.


    Among the crowd, Mo Hua ducked his head. No spell users here, but there was one who knew about arrays...


    Yet, the Fourth Level Qi Refinement Mo Hua wasn¡¯t even considered by Qian Zhongli.


    "How about that? Nothing to say now, huh?" the burly man sneered.


    Qian Zhongli frowned, "Regardless, I need an explanation."


    The burly man¡¯s temper flared, "Need an explanation from your mom! You looking for trouble? Then let¡¯s talk with our cultivation levels; let¡¯s see whether today I beat you crying for daddy, or you get beaten so bad you¡¯re picking up your teeth from the ground!"


    The burly man pulled out a menacing mace, its tips stained with dark red blood, exuding a sinister demonic aura. It was clear that many a demonic beast had perished under this mace.


    Qian Zhongli didn¡¯t want to fight, but now there was no choice. He drew his sword, his entire body¡¯s spiritual power surging, appearing stronger, but facing the mace-wielding burly man¡¯s cold laughter, he lacked any real confidence.


    Just then, someone shouted to stop. A cultivator dressed in the robes of the Dao Court approached. Mo Hua looked closely¡ªit was Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan was usually idle, but now, dressed in the Dao Court¡¯s robes, he indeed looked quite authoritative. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "This matter will be handled by the Dao Court," Zhang Lan announced formally.


    "Dao Court Officer Zhang, this matter¡­"


    Qian Zhongli tried to say something but was silenced by Zhang Lan¡¯s raised hand. "I¡¯ve said, this matter is under the Dao Court¡¯s jurisdiction, all irrelevant parties withdraw!"


    Qian Zhongli was reluctant to leave, and the burly man was fearless; for a moment, they stood at an impasse.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s gaze hardened slightly as he looked at the burly man wrapped in wolf pelt, "We shouldn¡¯t make a big fuss," then turning to Qian Zhongli, "and don¡¯t tarnish your family¡¯s reputation."


    Qian Zhongli gritted his teeth, bowed, and said, "I¡¯ll abide by the Officer¡¯s decision!"


    The burly man also bowed his head, then glanced at Mo Hua, waving dismissively, "Kid, what are you looking at? Get going!"


    Mo Hua and the others prudently slipped away.


    Da Zhu and his group had fought a battle and were more or less injured; Mo Hua led them to Mr. Feng to treat their wounds. Qian Zhongli took the severely injured Qian Xing away, not even glancing at the other Qian family disciples.


    The burly man watched and sneered, then sauntered off.


    Soon after, several Dao Court cultivators arrived, and under Zhang Lan¡¯s direction, they began cleaning up the scene.


    Zhang Lan had been slacking nearby and only rushed over upon hearing the explosion, catching the confrontation between Qian Zhongli and the burly man, but as for what had really happened, he was also unclear.


    However, he was an officer of the Dao Court after all, and couldn¡¯t completely ignore his duties. When it was time to put on a show, he still had to do so.


    Zhang Lan searched the scene thoroughly, then looking at the ground strewn with Spirit ink and the nearly burnt-to-ash array papers, murmured, "Could it be an array?"


    Who would use such an array?


    Arrays weren¡¯t something every cultivator could learn, especially not in a small place like Tongxian City.


    Zhang Lan recalled Mo Hua¡¯s curious face, which had flashed through the crowd earlier.


    He had thought Mo Hua was just there to watch the


    excitement, but now, a somewhat absurd thought suddenly crossed his mind, and Zhang Lan¡¯s eyelid uncontrollably twitched.


    "No way, this kid couldn¡¯t be that uncanny, could he¡­"

 Chapter 86: Healing Wounds

    Zhang Lan furrowed his brows.He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but the more he denied it, the more likely it seemed to be true.


    Could it be Mo Hua who drew that array? Was he also responsible for its explosion?


    Although Mo Hua was only at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, his skill in Composite Arrays was not to be underestimated. For him, drawing an array capable of causing an explosion was hardly a challenge.


    After pondering, Zhang Lan erased all traces of the array, thinking about when to visit Mo Hua for a drink and to clarify the matter.


    He harbored no guilt over this personal favor.


    Born into a prominent family, he had seen his fair share of wasteful heirs. Thus, he held in low regard those like Qian Xing, who abused their family¡¯s reputation to bully others and flaunt their power, believing they not only squandered their family''s resources but also tarnished its reputation.


    He only regretted that the array wasn''t powerful enough to eliminate that young scion of the Qian family.


    ¡°Mo Hua, the lad is still lacking in his craft...¡± Zhang Lan muttered to himself.


    At Xinglin Medical Hall, Old Master Feng treated Da Zhu and the others.


    Old Master Feng disliked troublemakers and initially hesitated to treat them, but Mo Hua explained that he was bullied, and it was only because Da Zhu and the others came to his aid that they were injured.


    Of course, the supposedly bullied Mo Hua was lively and only slightly bruised, while those who bullied him were blasted beyond recognition... This was a detail best left unshared with Old Master Feng.


    Old Master Feng, who had watched Mo Hua grow up, was somewhat biased. Hearing Mo Hua''s account, he softened his approach, mixing some herbal remedies for them to apply on their wounds and also provided them with pills to improve their blood circulation and remove blood stasis.


    Da Zhu whispered, ¡°Mo Hua, you really have a way with Old Master Feng. I''ve been injured in fights before and, regardless of the reason, I never dared to seek help from Old Master Feng, fearing his rebuke.¡±


    ¡°Old Master Feng is kind-hearted; he would definitely help if it were serious. If he doesn¡¯t treat you, it means he knows your injuries are minor,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Da Zhu nodded, albeit skeptically, but he would never have dared to seek out Old Master Feng if not for Mo Hua¡¯s presence.


    After examining their wounds, Old Master Feng also checked on Mo Hua and, seeing that he had only superficial injuries, was finally at ease.


    ¡°You were born frail; it''s not suitable for you to engage in fights. If unavoidable, better to think of an escape to avoid risking your life,¡± Old Master Feng advised.


    ¡°I tried to run, but I didn¡¯t make it,¡± Mo Hua replied helplessly.


    Old Master Feng frowned, ¡°In Tongxian City, who would be so unreasonable as to bully a child?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, it¡¯s all in the past now,¡± Mo Hua chuckled.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was reluctant to speak further, Old Master Feng did not press. He simply cautioned, ¡°I may still have some influence here in Tongxian City. If someone really bullies you and you can¡¯t defend yourself, you must tell me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandfather Feng!¡± Mo Hua gratefully responded, touching his neck to find the ointment given by Old Master Feng cool and soothing. He then bid farewell, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I should head home. Next time, I¡¯ll bring you some osmanthus wine my mother brews to try!¡±


    Old Master Feng waved his hand, ¡°Head back early, don¡¯t worry your mother.¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua and Da Zhu said their goodbyes. Seeing Da Zhu and the others looking troubled, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Are your injuries severe?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not severe, but we¡¯re all marked up, and it won¡¯t heal in a day or two. There¡¯s no way to hide it from our master,¡± Da Zhu replied dejectedly.


    ¡°Master Chen?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Yes, our master repeatedly warns us not to seek trouble or get into fights. Fighting leads to injuries, and healing them costs spirit stones, not to mention compensating others with spirit stones...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, regardless of whether we are right or wrong, our master always punishes us after a fight,¡± the disciples chimed in.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat guilty; Da Zhu and the others had fought because they were helping him. If not for Qian Xing''s aggressive behavior, the fight would not have happened.


    ¡°Qian Xing uses his power to bully others; you fought because you were helping me. Master Chen is reasonable; he shouldn¡¯t blame you,¡± Mo Hua reassured them.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Da Zhu nodded, though still


    a bit uneasy.


    ¡°If Master Chen still blames you, tell him that whenever the artifact crafting shop needs any arrays drawn, I can help as long as they aren¡¯t too difficult.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Da Zhu¡¯s eyes lit up. Commissioning someone to draw arrays was costly, and every time their master would be distressed. If Mo Hua could help in the future, their master would surely be pleased.


    ¡°But,¡± Da Zhu hesitated, ¡°won¡¯t you be at a disadvantage?¡±


    ¡°My father always says that neighbors and friends should look out for each other. You helped me, and I help you; how could that be a loss?¡± Mo Hua patted his chest, echoing the philosophy his father Mo Shan often shared, who also believed that the harsh life of lower-level wandering cultivators was made bearable by mutual support.


    Mo Hua''s family had experienced hardships before, receiving much care from others.


    Da Zhu was thrilled, ¡°If that little bastard Qian Xing troubles you again, we¡¯ll help you beat him up!¡±


    ¡°Right, beat him up!¡± the disciples agreed.


    After parting ways, Mo Hua returned home, had dinner, and chatted with his mother before returning to his room to continue studying arrays.


    He didn¡¯t mention Qian Xing to avoid worrying his mother.


    The Qian family''s influence was vast, and it was best to avoid them if possible. Fortunately, they were unaware that it was Mo Hua who had used the array to injure Qian Xing; they were unlikely to trouble Mo Hua anytime soon.


    Liu Ruhua sat alone, sewing under the lamp, her mind heavy with thoughts, waiting for Mo Shan to return. She then shared her concerns with her husband:


    ¡°Hua¡¯er was injured. He didn¡¯t mention it and covered his wounds, not wanting me to see, but how could I, his mother, not notice...¡±


    Mo Shan comforted his wife, ¡°Mo Hua is a boy; it¡¯s right for him to be responsible. If he doesn¡¯t mention it, it means he can handle it. It¡¯s probably nothing serious, so don¡¯t ask him about it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Liu Ruhua nodded, still a bit worried, ¡°Mo Hua is usually well-behaved and unlikely to get into conflicts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around tomorrow to find out exactly what happened. Don¡¯t worry, even if something did happen, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Mo Shan spoke gently, reassuring his wife, but a sharp gleam flickered in his eyes.


    Meanwhile, at Chen¡¯s Artifact Crafting Shop, Da Zhu and the others were kneeling in front of the hall, being punished by Master Chen.


    Master Chen held a stick in his hand, his expression as grim as water.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve grown bold and hardened, even stirring up trouble with others and alerting the Dao Court itself. Had I not heard about this from someone else, you would have kept me in the dark. Do you no longer respect me as your master?¡±

 Chapter 87: Rebuke

    Master Chen, furious, entered the room, and his disciples didn¡¯t dare even breathe loudly in his presence.¡°Why are you all silent now?¡±


    They looked at each other, their minds grumbling, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you, Master, started hitting as soon as you entered, not letting us speak?¡±


    Their gazes then turned to Da Zhu, who reluctantly spoke up:


    ¡°Master, this wasn¡¯t our fault.¡±


    ¡°Not your fault? Then whose fault is it? Mine? Did I start the fight?¡±


    ¡°They started bullying first!¡± Da Zhu whispered.


    ¡°Yes, Master, they were too much!¡± the disciples chimed in.


    Master Chen scoffed, ¡°Oh, so they were too much, and you guys did nothing wrong? Even if others are at fault, does it justify you beating them to this extent? If you were detained by the Dao Court, would I not have to shamelessly beg for your release? If someone got seriously injured, wouldn¡¯t I have to compensate with spirit stones?¡±


    The more Master Chen spoke, the angrier he got. ¡°Not to mention anything else, do you think spirit stones are easy to earn? How have I taught you bunch of wastrels? Up to now, you¡¯ve hardly learned anything about artifact crafting, just causing me trouble!¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua was bullied, and that¡¯s why we fought!¡±


    ¡°So what if Mo Hua was bullied? Who hasn¡¯t been bullied? If you retaliate every time you¡¯re bullied, how many cultivators would die in this world? I think you lot need a beating to learn your lesson¡­¡±


    Master Chen raised his stick as if to strike, then suddenly stopped and furrowed his brows:


    ¡°Who was bullied?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡± Da Zhu, seeing the stick in his master¡¯s hand, shrank back a little.


    ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    Master Chen thought about Mo Hua¡¯s appearance¡ªa docile, harmless child barely in his teens¡ªand couldn¡¯t help but doubt:


    ¡°Who¡¯s gone mad, bullying that little kid Mo Hua?¡±


    Seeing his master¡¯s anger subsiding, Da Zhu quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s not just bullying; they were really out to hurt him, so I had to step in!¡±


    ¡°Really out to hurt him?¡± Master Chen exclaimed, ¡°This is outrageous!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°Too much!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re shameless!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Master Chen ordered sternly.


    Unbeknownst to him, after he had finished his work and gone for a drink to relieve his fatigue, his buttocks had barely warmed his seat when he heard that Da Zhu had gotten into a fight again¡ªnot just Da Zhu, but other apprentices as well, and not just a small skirmish, but a large one that had even disturbed the Dao Court.


    Blood rushing to his head, he stormed back to settle the account with his disciples.


    Master Chen continued to press Da Zhu, ¡°Who was bullying Mo Hua?¡±


    ¡°Qian Xing.¡±


    ¡°Qian Xing? The young master of the Qian family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    Da Zhu shook his head.


    Master Chen¡¯s brows furrowed tighter. What conflict could there possibly be between the Qian family and Mo Hua? Still, considering Qian Xing¡­


    It was said that the boy was always up to no good, likely just throwing his weight around.


    Da Zhu continued, ¡°When I got there, Qian Xing and his group had surrounded Mo Hua, and someone was about to strike him hard on the forehead. In my panic, I intervened.¡±


    Listening, Master Chen felt his guess was not off the mark and cursed, ¡°What a little bastard¡­¡±


    Probably used to throwing his weight around, wanting to bully anyone he sees just to show off his power. As long as someone doesn¡¯t play along, he gets infuriated.


    Qian Hong, the head of the Qian family, though not a good person, at least knew some limits. How could he have fathered such a miscreant¡­


    Could it¡­ really be a bastard?


    Master Chen couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Da Zhu, seeing his master no longer angry, quietly asked:


    ¡°Master, are you still going to hit us?¡±


    Master Chen glared at him: ¡°What, not satisfied unless you¡¯re beaten?¡±


    Da Zhu hastily shook his head, ¡°No, no, no!¡±


    Master Chen tossed aside his stick but still said, ¡°It¡¯s good you stood up for him, but simply helping out doesn¡¯t justify beating them to such an extent. You definitely got carried away and lost all sense of proportion.¡±


    Master Chen knew his disciples too well. If it were truly about saving someone, they would have done it and left. There must have been some confrontation, these are young people after all, grievances arose and they couldn¡¯t stop themselves.


    Fortunately, none of the disciples were seriously injured or killed; otherwise, just the cost of healing pills would have been a huge burden of spirit stones


    , a not so trivial matter for an ordinary cultivator family.


    It¡¯s good for young people to be spirited, but their background and family circumstances can¡¯t support such fervor.


    Master Chen sighed, but still, he couldn''t be vague about right and wrong.


    Looking at the group of kids in front of him, he felt both concern and relief:


    ¡°The matter has a cause, so I won¡¯t pursue it further. Helping others is right, but try to avoid casualties and don¡¯t act impulsively, nor worry your parents. Today, you won¡¯t be beaten. Just kneel here for an hour, reflect on this and then you can leave.¡±


    Da Zhu and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Kneeling for an hour wasn¡¯t a big deal, not being beaten was the main thing, and it seemed the Master wasn¡¯t really angry with them, just giving a symbolic punishment.


    With this in mind, they felt much better. Even while kneeling, they sat up straighter.


    Just then, Da Zhu thought of something and said to Master Chen, ¡°Master, Mo Hua said that we helped him, so if we need any array drawn in the future, we can just ask him. As long as it¡¯s not too difficult, he can draw it¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Master Chen walked away, hands behind his back, then turned back abruptly, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Da Zhu found his master¡¯s reaction a bit odd and repeated, ¡°Mo Hua said¡­¡±


    Da Zhu repeated what Mo Hua had said.


    ¡°Mo Hua really said that?¡± Master Chen asked.


    Da Zhu nodded, and the disciples added, ¡°That¡¯s what he said.¡±


    Master Chen, after calming himself down, couldn¡¯t help but rub his hands together, pondered for a moment, then hesitantly said:


    ¡°You helped him, and he helps us with some arrays; that shouldn¡¯t count as taking advantage of him, right¡­¡±


    Da Zhu recalled for a moment, then said, ¡°Mo Hua said it¡¯s mutual aid among wandering cultivators, not taking advantage!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Master Chen finally couldn¡¯t help but laugh, then, remembering he was in front of his disciples, he tried to maintain a stern face, but couldn¡¯t quite keep his smile at bay.


    Now that the artifact shop¡¯s array needs were sorted, even just saving on the array master¡¯s fee was a significant saving.


    With the saved spirit stones, the shop could afford repairs, make necessary purchases, and even afford better quality steel for crafting. His subordinates could also afford to eat a bit more each meal.


    Master Chen felt a great weight lift off his shoulders, feeling more agile all over.


    ¡°What fine children¡­¡± Master Chen said cheerfully, turning to his disciples, ¡°Although Mo Hua is young, he is talented and diligent. He¡¯s willing to help us with arrays; we are the ones benefiting. If his family ever faces any trouble, you must help out as much as you can, remember that!¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master!¡± Da Zhu and the others nodded eagerly.


    ¡°Alright, off you go,¡± Master Chen waved them off.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Just as Da Zhu responded, he suddenly remembered something and asked quietly, ¡°Aren¡¯t we kneeling anymore?¡±


    Master Chen was both amused and annoyed, ¡°Kneel for what, get lost!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The disciples responded loudly, relieved, and all ran off.


    Master Chen shook his head, ¡°A bunch of foolish boys, when will they ever grow up¡­¡±


    Originally, he had returned in a rage, but now, seeing his disciples, his mood had much improved. Thinking of having a few more drinks somewhere, he took a few steps, then suddenly stopped.


    Master Chen slapped his forehead, ¡°I forgot to ask, how is the Qian family doing?¡±


    Although Qian Xing was a good-for-nothing, any real trouble would still be troublesome.


    But then again, the Qian family had many people and plenty of guards, and it was hard to imagine them suffering any loss. Moreover, it was just children in the Qi-cultivation stage fighting; even if someone was injured, it shouldn¡¯t be too serious. If there had been any real trouble, these kids wouldn¡¯t have come back so easily.


    Thinking this, Master Chen felt relieved and went to enjoy his drink in peace.


    S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 88: Inquiry

    After a day of troubles, Mo Hua wanted to sleep early but couldn''t. After some thought, he decided to practice array formations on the stele within his Sea of Consciousness throughout the night.When drawing the arrays, his mind was completely focused, which also made it easier for him to calm down.


    The next day, Zhang Lan found Mo Hua.


    He was sitting at an Eight Immortals table in the corner of an eatery, with several dishes for pairing with drinks and a pot of wine on the table.


    Zhang Lan poured himself a cup of wine and said, ¡°Tell me, what happened yesterday?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan curled his lips slightly, ¡°Don''t play dumb with me, it¡¯s about Qian Xing.¡±


    ¡°He bullied me, and then Brother Da Zhu and the others helped out, and a fight broke out, and then you guys showed up,¡± Mo Hua said, downplaying the incident.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Don¡¯t try to evade the issue. It was that array you used, wasn¡¯t it?¡± S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Uncle Zhang, you saw it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it,¡± Zhang Lan took a sip of his wine, ¡°If I had seen it, how could I let them carry on like that?¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°Then how do you know it was an array and not a spell?¡±


    After the Earth Fire Array exploded, the spirit paper turned to ash, leaving no trace unless witnessed. Nobody should have known that Mo Hua injured Qian Xing with an array.


    ¡°Traces remain after the rain, sounds linger after a goose passes. Whatever a cultivator does, leaves a trace. You might not see them, but that doesn''t mean others can''t,¡± Zhang Lan explained.


    ¡°What kind of traces?¡± Mo Hua earnestly asked.


    ¡°The ash of the spirit paper, when burned, disperses with the wind and dissolves in water, or you can draw another array using a different array medium; that way, no ash remains. After an array explodes, the lingering aura of spirit power is also distinct; those who know their stuff can even tell which array was used. Besides, there aren¡¯t many spells that a Qi-cultivation stage four could use, apart from spells, only talismans and arrays have such power. Talismans are expensive and easier to identify, so that leaves arrays¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan, sounding very confident, continued, ¡°That¡¯s how it is,¡± Mo Hua suddenly realized, ¡°Then how can these traces be erased?¡±


    ¡°Spirit paper¡¯s ash scatters with the wind and dissolves in water, or directly using another array medium for drawing arrays leaves no residual ash; after an array explodes, the lingering spirit power can be deliberately obscured, though that¡¯s not too important since regular cultivators can''t distinguish between the spirit power of an array and that of a cultivator. There¡¯s also¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan suddenly realized something wasn¡¯t right as if he was teaching Mo Hua how to cover up misdeeds¡­


    ¡°What else?¡± Mo Hua asked, intrigued.


    Zhang Lan coughed, ¡°That¡¯s not important. Tell me, was it you who injured Qian Xing?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡± Mo Hua wasn¡¯t foolish enough to admit something that could bring trouble upon him.


    Zhang Lan looked skeptical.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, think about it, I¡¯m only at the fourth level of Qi cultivation, how could I possibly draw such a powerful array?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good excuse,¡± Zhang Lan said noncommittally.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Mo Hua said, then realizing, he corrected, ¡°It¡¯s not an excuse, it¡¯s the truth!¡±


    Zhang Lan chuckled, ¡°Okay, okay, I get it. Don¡¯t worry, I just wanted to know what happened. I¡¯m not actually going to send you to the Dao Court for interrogation.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Dao Court care?¡±


    ¡°The Dao Court acts if there¡¯s a complaint, investigates if there¡¯s a clue, and convicts if the evidence is conclusive. Otherwise, they can¡¯t intervene, or even if they do, it ends with no results, eventually leading to nothing.¡±


    So the things Qian Xing did would probably lead to nothing¡­


    Many people are criticizing me¡­


    This plot isn¡¯t that bad, right?


    It¡¯s like being suddenly cornered by a school bully on the way home from school, clearly, no matter what you say, they won¡¯t let you go, so the protagonist doesn¡¯t feel like wasting words either.


    Compared to his peers, the protagonist¡¯s level in array formations is already strong. Although he doesn¡¯t seek trouble, it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s afraid of it.


    The protagonist solved his own problem, won the fight, and the adults will handle what follows.


    Among the demon hunters, there¡¯s unity, and they defend their own, fighting with


    demonic beasts daily and possessing a spirited nature; naturally, they won¡¯t stand by and watch a child of a demon hunter be bullied.


    Not only the protagonist, but this also applies to other children.


    Moreover, the protagonist has already made many connections¡ªan alchemist, an artifact crafting master, the Dao Court, and his father is also influential among the demon hunters. Plus, there are masters like Aunt Xue and Mr. Zhuang.


    In such circumstances, why should he tolerate being bullied?


    When powerless, enduring is cautious; when powerful, not enduring is merely cowardly...


    Despite the criticism, the subscriptions and follow-ups are actually okay, at least for a newcomer, it¡¯s quite good and within expectations.


    I¡¯ll leave it at that, I¡¯m going to focus on writing now, and I¡¯ll look at comments less. Being criticized too much really makes you not want to write a single word...


    Lastly, thanks for everyone''s support, ten more updates today.

 Chapter 89: Insights

    Mo Hua sighed, "I originally thought Qian Xing was just a brash young master at worst, a bully perhaps, but I never imagined he could stoop to such vile deeds behind the scenes¡­"Upon hearing this, Zhang Lan''s gaze sharpened, and he spoke earnestly, "Mo Hua, you often hear the phrase ''the human heart is fraught with peril,'' right?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "The malice in the human heart can sometimes be invisible. Bad people don¡¯t have the word ''bad'' written across their faces. Many despicable people appear just like everyone else on the surface, some even more so than ordinary folks."


    "What people allow others to see are usually the respectable parts of themselves; what''s hidden in the dark, the secrets they harbor, remain unknown¡­"


    Mo Hua was taken aback by Zhang Lan''s words, uncharacteristic of his usual carefree demeanor, and felt profoundly stirred.


    "That is to say, for someone like Qian Xing, what is visible is hardly commendable, not to mention the hidden deeds, which are likely far worse."


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua, surprised, "You catch on quick."


    "What a pity though¡­"


    As Mo Hua seemed to regret something, Zhang Lan asked, "A pity about what?"


    "The power of the array is still somewhat lacking¡­"


    It hadn¡¯t killed Qian Xing.


    Zhang Lan nodded, sharing the sentiment.


    "Although it didn¡¯t kill him, it did wound him severely. The Qian family is now seeking a top-tier alchemist to treat him, but whether he can be fully healed is uncertain. If you ask me, it''s just a waste of precious elixirs."


    Zhang Lan added, then suddenly recalled something, "If Qian Xing survives, will he know it was you who acted?"


    "I splashed Spirit Ink in his eyes; he shouldn''t be able to see."


    "Oh?" Zhang Lan thought to himself, aren¡¯t you admitting it now?


    Mo Hua looked up innocently, pretending to have said nothing.


    "What if he does find out?"


    Mo Hua pondered and replied, "If he finds out, given his pride, he definitely won¡¯t tell his family. Being injured by a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi-refinement would be too embarrassing."


    "And if he seeks revenge privately?" Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Then I¡¯m even less worried. If he can be ambushed once, why not a second time? He was lucky the first time; he might not be so fortunate again¡­" Mo Hua shrugged.


    He wasn¡¯t one to provoke trouble, but he wasn¡¯t afraid of it either. It had been an unexpected incident before, and he had been at a disadvantage. If he were prepared, he wouldn¡¯t fear Qian Xing as much.


    Zhang Lan was stunned, "How can you be so sure his luck will falter the next time?"


    Mo Hua pretended not to hear.


    Zhang Lan whispered, "Even if you use the Earth Fire Array, it only injures him severely, not fatally. You¡¯re only at the fourth level of Qi-refinement, without any other means¡­"


    At the fourth level, and without spell techniques, even if he had them, they wouldn¡¯t be very powerful.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t one for physical cultivation; getting close would be suicidal.


    Regarding arrays, drawing one containing seven array patterns at his level was already his limit; even more powerful arrays wouldn¡¯t be much stronger.


    Even if there were such arrays, they would be secret formations held by major families, not shared lightly.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t think of any other methods Mo Hua might have.


    "You¡¯re not planning to have those artifact-crafting apprentices come and beat Qian Xing to death, are you?" Zhang Lan suddenly said.


    Mo Hua gave Zhang Lan a slightly disdainful look, whispering, "One Earth Fire Array can injure him; two could kill him¡­"


    Zhang Lan: "¡­"


    He was used to thinking from a cultivator¡¯s professional perspective, not expecting such a straightforward solution.


    Mo Hua leaned closer to Zhang Lan, lowering his voice, "I''ve thought it through, just as you said. After the explosion, I¡¯ll wash away the ashes with water, pinch a spirit stone on the spot to confuse the spiritual energy. That way, they won¡¯t know it was done with an array¡­"


    Zhang Lan nodded, then suddenly realized something was off, "Wait, what do you mean ¡®as you said¡¯?"


    Mo Hua sheepishly smiled, "Well, thanks to your earlier advice."


    Zhang Lan blurted out, "I didn¡¯t give you any advice!"


    "Well, even if you didn¡¯t."


    "What do you mean ¡®even if¡¯? No advice means no advice!"


    Mo Hua simply comforted him, "I was just speaking hypothetically. I, a mere fourth-level Qi-refinement


    cultivator, couldn¡¯t possibly do something so risky."


    "Let''s drop it," Zhang Lan waved it off, fearing that further discussion might implicate him as the mastermind.


    He was initially a bit worried about Mo Hua, but now it seemed he should be more concerned about that Qian Xing fellow.


    The Qian family probably didn¡¯t want to escalate the situation, given they were at fault. Not only had their bullying backfired, but they were also left in a terrible state. If it became widely known, it would be their own disgrace.


    Digging deeper might even drag out the shady deeds Qian Xing had done in private, which would give the Dao Court enough to deal with them.


    As long as the Qian family didn¡¯t intervene, even if Qian Xing sought personal revenge, Mo Hua should be able to handle it, especially if he was cautious.


    Mo Hua¡¯s concern was primarily the Qian family; as for Qian Xing, he verbally scorned him as useless, but deep down, he always regarded him as such. Unless unexpectedly ambushed and forced to react hastily, dealing with Qian Xing with prior preparation wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    "By the way, you¡¯ve been studying array formations; you must have a master, right?" This question had been on Zhang Lan¡¯s mind.


    In the realm of cultivation, mastering arrays is notoriously challenging, and the assessment and certification of array masters are among the strictest. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Most cultivators studying arrays have a lineage; the notion of self-taught mastery is virtually nonexistent.


    Even the most talented array masters need guidance; without it, not to mention the vast sea of array formations, even grasping the basic array patterns would take a tremendous amount of time and insight.


    Mo Hua, being a wandering cultivator not affiliated with any sect, yet skilled in arrays, must have practiced diligently. Zhang Lan guessed he also had some guidance.


    "Not a master, just a teacher. I¡¯m only his nominal disciple," Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide it.


    "Does this teacher have a name?" Zhang Lan inquired.


    Mo Hua shook his head, "The teacher lives in seclusion, enjoying tranquility, and prefers not to reveal his name."


    Zhang Lan nodded, understanding that many cultivators in the daoist realm are like this; eccentric and averse to socializing, they find a quiet place to do what they love.


    Mo Hua having met such a person was indeed his good fortune.


    He didn¡¯t press further, knowing when to stop; probing too deeply into the affairs of such recluses is often frowned upon.


    "But... this teacher didn¡¯t take you as a formal disciple?"


    Zhang Lan still couldn¡¯t help but ask, finding Mo Hua to be a good kid, diligent and hardworking, with high aptitude, though sometimes his words were aggravating. If Zhang Lan were skilled in arrays, he might even consider taking Mo Hua as his disciple.


    Mo Hua responded, "My talent is quite ordinary. I¡¯m already happy that the teacher taught me array formations."


    Zhang Lan nodded, saying no more. After finishing their meal and a few drinks, he gave Mo Hua a few more pieces of advice before leaving the restaurant.


    Stepping outside, a gentle breeze brushed against his face, dispersing the slight intoxication and clearing his mind.


    Zhang Lan suddenly pondered a question: "Fourth level of Qi-refinement, drawing seven array patterns, Earth Fire Array... Is that really considered ''ordinary talent''?"


    "I¡¯m at the fourth level of Qi-refinement; how many array patterns can I draw again? Four? No, surely I can manage five or six... Mo Hua can draw seven..."


    "He aims to be an array master, so drawing seven is normal. I¡¯m not pursuing that path, just dabbling, so five or six should be reasonable..." Zhang Lan nodded to himself.


    "But, generally, how many array patterns can a fourth-level Qi-refinement array master draw? Four?"


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment, then shook his head, still unclear.


    He had always hated drawing arrays back at clan school; it drained his spiritual awareness rapidly, giving him headaches, so he never took it seriously.


    "I should write a letter back home, ask how many array patterns a fourth-level Qi-refinement disciple can draw..."


    Zhang Lan mused quietly.

 Chapter 90: The Pill Master

    At the same time, in the Xinglin Medical Hall, Mr. Feng had just finished seeing a patient and was sitting in the hall, enjoying a cup of tea.Several cultivators walked in, bowed to Mr. Feng, and respectfully said, "Someone in our clan has been seriously injured; we humbly request Mr. Feng''s assistance."


    Mr. Feng glanced at their light yellow Dao robes embroidered with golden threads and asked, "Are you from the Qian family?"


    "Yes."


    "How severe are the injuries?"


    One of the Qian family cultivators hesitated before replying, "It seems he was injured by a powerful fire elemental spiritual force; his flesh is charred, and his meridians are damaged, leaving him with a weak breath..."


    Mr. Feng frowned, "That severe?"


    "A few pill masters have tried to treat him, but they have disagreed and cannot decide on the best course of action, so we hope you could take a look. In Tongxian City, your medical skills are truly unmatched."


    "You flatter me," Mr. Feng said, "We must not delay. I''ll prepare and head over immediately."


    Mr. Feng, known for treating everyone equally, regardless of their status or wealth, would help anyone genuinely in need, whether they were independent cultivators or from prestigious families.


    Several more bows from the Qian family cultivators, and they gratefully said, "Thank you, Mr. Feng."


    Mr. Feng selected several herbs, bottles of pills, and a few medicinal books to bring along. After giving some instructions to his apprentices, he followed the cultivators to the Qian family''s home.


    Upon arriving, he learned that the person in need was Qian Xing. Mr. Feng frowned slightly, somewhat displeased.


    He had heard of Qian Xing''s conduct: bullying others and being overbearing were common complaints.


    However, he reconsidered; these were just rumors, and he had not witnessed them himself. Although Qian Xing was known to be troublesome, he hadn''t heard of him committing any atrocious acts. He couldn''t justify leaving him unaided.


    The Qian family was in distress, with women crying and the elders looking solemn.


    Mr. Feng sighed. As long as monks do not become immortals, they remain human, and humans must endure life''s suffering and death. Although he had seen such scenes often, they still moved him to pity. He decided to help.


    Inside, Mr. Feng examined Qian Xing''s injuries, then discussed possible treatments with the other pill masters.


    One pill master said, "Young Master Qian''s injuries are severe; he needs nourishing care with wood element spiritual items and pills to gradually heal his physical body..."


    Another disagreed, "Nourishing alone won''t cure him. He was injured by fire elemental power, leaving residual fire poison in his body. If we don''t completely remove it, it will damage his meridians and Qi sea, causing endless trouble later..."


    "How would you remove it?"


    "Use celestial water, along with water elemental pills. The combination of water and fire will completely eliminate the fire poison. Once the fire poison is gone, the damaged meridians and flesh will slowly recover..."


    "Combining water and fire is too harsh. If the fire poison isn''t removed properly, it might end Young Master Qian''s life!"


    ...


    The pill masters argued endlessly, each sticking to their views, unable to convince the others.


    Mr. Feng coughed, and the pill masters immediately quieted down.


    Having treated the ill in Tongxian City for over a hundred years, Mr. Feng, though seemingly without power or influence, commanded great respect.


    Many monks in Tongxian City, if not treated by Mr. Feng themselves, had friends or relatives who owed their health to him. With the unpredictable Dao of Heaven, no one could be sure when they might need his help.


    The pill masters knew Mr. Feng''s character well and held him in high regard. Before reaching their current ranks, some had even sought his advice.


    With another cough from Mr. Feng, the pill masters stood quietly to the side and listened.


    "The fire poison needs to be cleared," Mr. Feng began, to the delight of the pill master who suggested it.


    "But celestial water is too strong..."


    "That is wise," the pill master respectfully replied.


    "Nourishing is possible, but it can''t be too mild; otherwise, you''re just feeding the poison..." Mr. Feng continued, listing several spiritual herbs and pills, analyzing the injuries, and explaining how to use the medicine effectively, adjusting the dosage according to the symptoms'' severity...


    Finally, Mr. Feng said, "The art of pill-making requires exchange and debate; having your own ideas is good, but don''t be too stubborn, refusing to listen to others."


    The pill masters nodded in agreement.


    After finishing his advice, Mr. Feng returned to his tea.


    While the other pill masters quietly


    discussed treatment strategies, deciding which pills to use and how to refine the medicine was still up for discussion and would take some time to finalize.


    As Mr. Feng sipped his tea, he suddenly asked, "By the way, why was Qian Xing injured so severely?"


    The pill masters stopped their discussion, unsure of what to say, especially since it wasn''t something pleasant to mention in the Qian family''s presence.


    One pill master, seeing no one from the Qian family nearby, whispered, "I heard that Young Master Qian was bullying someone, and someone else intervened to help, leading to a big fight. It''s rare these days, but there are still cultivators who stand up for justice."


    Mr. Feng''s expression grew colder as he pondered. "Do you know who the child was?"


    "I''m not sure. I only heard that an apprentice from Master Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop helped, and the bullied child''s surname seems to be Mo..."


    Mr. Feng set down his tea cup, stood up, and swept out of the room.


    "Mr. Feng..." the pill masters hastily got up to follow.


    Seeing this, the Qian family members also hurried after him, urgently saying, "Mr. Feng, where are you going?"


    "Back home!"


    "But Young Master''s condition is critical; he''s relying on you..." S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I won''t treat him!" Mr. Feng declared decisively.


    "But... you..." the Qian family disciples were at a loss.


    A deeply wrinkled, Foundation Building stage elder from the Qian family stepped in front of Mr. Feng, "Mr. Feng, please reconsider. The family head won''t let you go unrewarded for curing the Young Master!"


    Mr. Feng looked at the Qian family elder, "Are you instructing me on how to do my job?"


    "Of course not, we only ask that you save the Young Master," the elder bowed.


    Mr. Feng scoffed, "I''ve spent my life making pills and treating the ill to save lives, not to commit sins. What kind of person is your Young Master, deserving of my help?"


    The Qian family elder was left speechless. He knew what kind of person the Young Master was, and he also knew that once Mr. Feng learned the full story, he would refuse to help.


    Mr. Feng''s expression was stern, "Will you let me pass?"


    Despite the elder''s Foundation Building cultivation, facing the gaze of a mere ninth-level Qi Cultivation stage Mr. Feng, he felt inexplicably timid and eventually stepped aside silently.


    Mr. Feng shook his sleeves and walked out of the Qian family home. A few pill masters followed suit, taking the opportunity to excuse themselves. Those who could not afford to offend the Qian family reluctantly stayed behind.


    A Qian family disciple asked the elder, "Elder, why didn''t you stop Mr. Feng?"


    The elder glared at him, "How could I stop him? My own father''s life was saved by Mr. Feng years ago. How could I have the face to stop him? He didn''t scold me, and that alone was him showing me respect!"

 Chapter 91: Parents

    After his conversation with Zhang Lan during the day, Mo Hua took the given by Mr. Zhuang and flipped through it all day long. He found several array techniques that could be used and planned to learn them first in the coming days. After mastering them, he would draw a few copies to carry with him for emergencies.One should not harbor malicious intentions, but one must guard against others.


    Currently, Mo Hua''s means of self-protection were too few, relying solely on arrays clearly wasn''t enough.


    The incident involving Qian Xing served as a wake-up call for Mo Hua. Even though the Dao Court has laws, not all cultivators necessarily abide by them. The Dao of Heaven grants cultivators power, and killing has always shadowed power.


    Being a cultivator now, physical cultivators fight with martial arts, and spiritual cultivators seek lives with their spells. If he knew nothing, in the perilous world of cultivation, he wouldn''t live long enough to take care of his parents in their old age...


    Of course, Mo Hua could solely focus on being an array master, find a safe place, neither struggling with demonic beasts nor conflicting with other cultivators, and just concentrate on studying arrays, leading a stable life.


    But to entrust one¡¯s life to the kindness of others is never a good choice.


    After all, Mo Hua didn''t know when and where he would meet a cultivator who might harbor the intent to kill him. If a cultivator harbored such intent and he had no means of self-protection, other than to be slaughtered, he had no other choice.


    So, how could he protect himself?


    Mo Hua pondered this in his heart.


    Becoming a physical cultivator was impossible, not in this lifetime.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s physique, attempting physical cultivation, learning cultivation martial arts, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat would be no different from courting death.


    Then he could only be a spiritual cultivator.


    But as a spiritual cultivator, Mo Hua''s talent was not particularly good either.


    His spiritual roots were only considered mediocre; his Qi sea couldn¡¯t contain too much spiritual power, and the technique he practiced, , didn''t provide any special enhancements to spiritual power. This led to his spiritual power being somewhat weaker compared to cultivators of the same realm.


    This was in comparison with cultivators of similar talent. If compared with prodigies like Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, Mo Hua''s spiritual power could even be described as "miserable."


    And the amount of spiritual power is closely related to the power of spells.


    "Let''s wait until the fifth level of Qi cultivation," Mo Hua sighed.


    At the fifth level of Qi cultivation, physical cultivators could learn body refining martial arts, and spiritual cultivators could learn spells, as they would have sufficient spiritual power to operate the Dao.


    And by the sixth level of Qi cultivation, many cultivators needed to make their own living. By then, it would be too late to start learning.


    Thinking it over, for now, he could only rely on arrays.


    Mo Hua sighed again and earnestly entered the sea of consciousness to practice a few new arrays on the Dao Stele.


    After a day out, Mo Shan also returned home.


    "I''ve asked around; Hua''er did nothing wrong. It was Qian Xing from the Qian family who deliberately stirred up trouble and even intended to harm Mo Hua. Thankfully, Da Zhu and the others took action, and it turned out to be a close call without any harm."


    Liu Ruhua breathed a sigh of relief, then worriedly said, "The Qian family won¡¯t cause trouble for Hua''er, right?"


    Mo Shan snorted coldly, "They dare not? Although the Qian family is powerful, we hunters who fight demonic beasts and lick blood off our blades are not vegetarians. Unless it''s a Foundation Building cultivator, as long as they dare to come, they won¡¯t be able to return intact!"


    When Mo Shan said this, he exuded a fierce aura, a demeanor formed from years of battling with demonic beasts, which was slightly chilling to behold.


    Liu Ruhua rarely saw her husband show such an expression. Usually at home, Mo Shan was very gentle and considerate. She held her husband¡¯s hand and asked softly, "What if the Qian family really sends a Foundation Building cultivator?"


    Mo Shan shook his head, "They won¡¯t. The Qian family has Foundation Building elders, and so do our demon hunters. Once Foundation Building cultivators get involved, it would escalate things, and neither side would end well."


    "Did you mention this to the elder?"


    "I did. Initially, I wanted to trouble the Qian family. It¡¯s not easy to say in Tongxian City, but in these mountains, it


    ¡¯s the demon hunters who have the say. I wanted to make them suffer a bit, but the elder didn¡¯t agree..."


    "Did the elder ask you all to consider the bigger picture?"


    "Not exactly." Mo Shan hesitated, then said, "The elder mentioned that now is not the time to start trouble without a reason."


    "Without a reason?" Liu Ruhua looked puzzled.


    Mo Shan whispered, "The elder said that since Qian Xing bullied Mo Hua and ended up severely injured while Mo Hua is unscathed, it¡¯s hard to justify starting trouble under such circumstances."


    This was the first time Liu Ruhua had seen such a side of the elder, and she couldn¡¯t help asking, "What if there was a reason?"


    "With a reason, we would be justified. Then we could start the trouble and make them compensate with spirit stones. The demon hunting team has been tight lately, unable to distribute spirit stones, and the elder has been very anxious. If there was a reason, he would have gone to shake them down long ago."


    Liu Ruhua: "..."


    "Rest assured, although Mo Hua is frail and cannot be a demon hunter, he is still considered a part of the demon hunters. In such situations, the elder won¡¯t stand idly by. Otherwise, if we let these families bully us as they usually do, we poor demon hunters wouldn¡¯t be able to survive," Mo Shan reassured his wife.


    Liu Ruhua then felt relieved, then curiously said, "You mentioned Qian Xing was severely injured? The Qian family has followers and guards; how could he get hurt?"


    Mo Shan¡¯s expression turned meaningful, "Guess."


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s beautiful eyes widened as she looked at her husband, thought for a moment, and said, "Was it Da Zhu and the others who did it?"


    Mo Shan shook his head.


    "Then, was it other demon hunters nearby who helped?"


    "That¡¯s not it either."


    ...


    Liu Ruhua guessed a few more times, all wrong, then shook her head, "Then I can¡¯t guess. It couldn¡¯t possibly be Hua''er who hurt him."


    Mo Shan raised an eyebrow, "You guessed it right, it was Hua''er."


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s mouth fell open, "Impossible, Hua''er is so young, and his cultivation is low, how could he severely injure Qian Xing?"


    Mo Shan¡¯s expression was complex, "I didn¡¯t believe it either. Logically, it¡¯s impossible. But indeed, someone saw it. That day, when Hua''er was held hostage by Qian Xing and struggled free, Hua''er splashed spirit ink on Qian Xing¡¯s eyes and then stuffed a piece of paper with an array drawn on it into Qian Xing¡¯s bosom. At the same time, he crushed a spirit stone. When he kicked Qian Xing, and was himself thrown to the ground by the shock, the array exploded, and Qian Xing was blown away..."


    Liu Ruhua listened in stunned silence, then covered her mouth and laughed, "Hua''er really didn¡¯t suffer a loss."


    Mo Shan also laughed, "He got a few scratches, mostly from falling and scraping himself, and had some bruises on his neck. Old Master Feng applied some medicine, and he was fine. Compared to Qian Xing, who looked like a burnt piece of charcoal, he really didn¡¯t lose out."


    "Does anyone else know about this?"


    "Not many people know, and even if it were told, no one would believe it. Hua''er is still young, and only at the fourth level of Qi cultivation. Even we as parents don¡¯t believe it, let alone others."


    Liu Ruhua nodded, "That¡¯s good, the Qian family won¡¯t trouble Hua''er. But we really have to thank Da Zhu and those kids; otherwise, Hua''er might have suffered."


    Liu Ruhua still felt a bit frightened thinking about it.


    "Yeah, we¡¯ll prepare some gifts tomorrow and send them to Master Chen and the others."


    "Alright."


    "But don¡¯t worry," Mo Shan added with a smile, "Our son is well-liked. Even without Da Zhu, other cultivators would help. I hear even the Chief Steward of the Dao Court is quite familiar with Hua''er..."


    Liu Ruhua remembered the scene she saw during the day and couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "He even invited the Chief Steward for a drink. He really is a little devil."


    Mo Shan embraced Liu Ruhua, "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve told the brothers in the demon hunting team to keep an eye out. If anyone tries to cause trouble for Hua''er again, I¡¯ll make sure they regret it."


    S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 92: Harsh Words

    Many things occurred behind the scenes that Mo Hua was unaware of. His parents thought they had kept things well-hidden.It was only days later, when Mo Shan and his wife prepared some gifts to bring to Master Chen, that Mo Hua realized he hadn''t kept things hidden after all.


    "Rain leaves traces, geese leave sounds. Uncle Zhang was right, once something happens, traces are bound to be left. If you don''t know about them, others will," Mo Hua sighed silently.


    Mo Shan didn''t blame Mo Hua; he felt that a man should act with responsibility and keep secrets when necessary, not sharing everything openly.


    Despite his young age, Mo Hua was able to handle crises on his own and remained calm afterward, showing both courage and responsibility. Mo Shan felt a sense of relief thinking about this.


    Liu Ruhua was both worried and heartbroken, and although she felt some resentment, she did not voice any reproach. Instead, she pinched Mo Hua¡¯s cheeks firmly as if to vent her frustration.


    The family of three delivered the gifts to the artifact crafting shop.


    Among the gifts were large chunks of wild mountain ox meat, freshly slaughtered by Mo Shan from two demonic oxen, specifically the thigh meat which was then stewed and marinated by Liu Ruhua over several days.


    The meat of the wild mountain ox was not expensive; what was costly was the effort of marinating and the spiritual stones spent on stewing it in a stove. If one were to buy it with spiritual stones, it wouldn¡¯t come cheap, and Master Chen certainly wouldn¡¯t want to spend his precious spiritual stones on it, as he had many other uses for them.


    With so much wild mountain ox meat, even the hearty appetites of the young men at the crafting shop would be satisfied for over a month.


    Da Zhu and the others were astounded, having never seen so much meat in their lives. Their mouths watered so much they couldn¡¯t wipe it away fast enough.


    Master Chen received a large vat of wine and smiled from ear to ear.


    He also enjoyed drinking but was usually too thrifty, counting each cup he drank. Now, with this vat of wine, he could afford to sip a little longer.


    Two months of calm passed before Zhang Lan found Mo Hua again, saying, "Qian Xing''s injuries have healed."


    "Healed?"


    "The pill masters of Tongxian City were unwilling to treat Qian Xing. The Qian family spent a substantial amount of spiritual stones to hire several top-tier pill masters from outside, taking two months to heal him. It¡¯s said that dozens of furnaces of pills were refined, consuming countless spiritual herbs," Zhang Lan remarked with a tsk.


    "So many spiritual stones..." Mo Hua lamented, thinking it a waste to use so many just to save Qian Xing.


    "Be careful," Zhang Lan warned.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, "Does Qian Xing know it was me who injured him? Will he still cause me trouble?"


    "You rejected his request, which infuriated him, leading to his explosive injuries and a two-month bedridden recovery. He spent a fortune on spiritual stones for his treatment, and most importantly, he¡¯s lost a great deal of face. Regardless of who injured him, you initiated it, and he will ultimately blame you," Zhang Lan explained.


    "He was the one who troubled me first. If anyone started it, it was him. Doesn¡¯t he ever consider his own faults?" Mo Hua said discontentedly.


    "Family heirs, pampered from a young age, tend to be extreme in their views. He will never think he is at fault; others are always to blame. I''ve seen many such people..."


    Zhang Lan played with his cup, "Worse still, if he wants your life and you refuse, he¡¯ll see it as defiance and become even more enraged."


    Mo Hua was astounded, "Are there really people like that?"


    "You¡¯ll encounter them sooner or later," said Zhang Lan. "In this world, not everyone is treated as a human."


    Zhang Lan drained his cup and stood up, "I''m leaving. Don¡¯t worry too much about this. With so many eyes watching, the Qian family wouldn¡¯t dare make a move. But be aware, Qian Xing is spoiled and somewhat malicious. Just be cautious, just in case."


    So many eyes watching... What did that mean? Who was watching?


    Mo Hua wanted to ask, but Zhang Lan had already left.


    Mo Hua frowned and felt inside his storage bag for a stack of array patterns, along with spirit liquids and spirit stones prepared under Zhang Lan''s guidance to erase and confuse traces, thinking to himself,


    Afterward, Mo Hua went to Mr. Zhuang to study array formations, to help people


    repair array patterns, or to shop in the market. On his repeated journeys, he always felt the gaze of some cultivators.


    They thought Mo Hua hadn¡¯t noticed, but having drawn array formations for so long, his spiritual awareness was far deeper than cultivators of the same realm. He could clearly distinguish between those who spied on him openly and those who did so discreetly.


    Some gazes carried malice, like venomous snakes lurking in the grass, their eyes filled with venom. Others seemed to be just following orders, watching Mo Hua to keep track of his movements.


    Then there were those whose scrutiny was cold and subtle, which Mo Hua could only faintly sense, not quite clearly.


    This indicated that these cultivators¡¯ spiritual awareness might be stronger than Mo Hua¡¯s, suggesting they were likely in the later stages of Qi cultivation.


    Some gazes were benevolent and unhidden. When Mo Hua looked their way, these familiar faces greeted him warmly. Whether they were neighbors or diners at eateries, or fellow demon hunters in the hunting teams.


    Although not close to all, Mo Hua had seen some of them a time or two. There were also some he didn¡¯t recognize, but they seemed to know him and would smile and nod when he looked their way.


    Zhang Lan''s remark about "so many eyes watching" finally made sense...


    Mo Hua felt both wary and warmed by this realization.


    The cultivators who were watching Mo Hua did not act, and just when Mo Hua began to doubt their intentions, Qian Xing found him himself.


    As Mo Hua left Mr. Zhuang¡¯s and was about to head home, he encountered Qian Xing at the foot of the mountain.


    Months had passed, and Qian Xing looked unwell¡ªnaturally, anyone who had been blasted by a ground fire array would not look good.


    Some parts of his body were still bandaged, and his face was disfigured. He no longer carried the golden fan that he used to flaunt, and his expression was one of sheer hatred.


    "Don¡¯t think you¡¯re safe just because you have protectors. The humiliation I suffered, I will make you pay back a hundredfold. When the time comes, you won¡¯t even wish for a quick death!"


    "Then take care of your health, so you don¡¯t die first," Mo Hua responded, unable to resist as he observed Qian Xing¡¯s pitiful state.


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression twisted again.


    Mo Hua sighed internally, having faced life and death situations, yet still seeing such a poor attitude in others, where even a single word could enrage them so.


    Qian Xing was angry but dared not act. Although they were at the foot of the mountain, it was still a place frequented by cultivators, most of whom were demon hunters.


    As they spoke, several demon hunters nearby turned their sharp gazes towards Qian Xing. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Knowing his limits, Qian Xing said in a low, vicious voice, "You wait." He then left with several Qian family disciples.


    Mo Hua shook his head, seeing that Qian Xing was set on a path of no return.


    Isn¡¯t it better to enjoy the life of a spoiled young master, indulging in food, drink, and leisure, without worrying about livelihood or spiritual stones? Indeed, when life is too easy, people think about tempting fate.


    Mo Hua bowed to the nearby demon hunters, thanking them, and received friendly responses before heading home.


    At that moment, behind him on the mountain path, Bai Zixi watched Mo Hua''s retreating figure, her brow slightly furrowed. After a moment, her white teeth gently parted, and she softly said, "Aunt Xue, check what happened."


    Aunt Xue, standing behind Bai Zixi, nodded.

 Chapter 93: Intimidation

    The Bai Residence, Early MorningAs dawn was breaking, Bai Zixi rose early to begin her cultivation. Her daily routine was packed¡ªcultivating techniques, studying array talismans, and learning both alchemy and artifact crafting.


    The Bai residence, specially constructed by Aunt Xue for the Bai siblings, was equipped with various rooms like an alchemy room, a crafting room, a library, and a practice room. Despite being smaller, these rooms mimicked the Bai family''s layout and had all necessary facilities. This arrangement was at the behest of Lady Bai.


    Even though the Bai siblings were away from home, they were not to neglect their cultivation. Aunt Xue, following Lady Bai¡¯s orders, took care of their daily needs and their cultivation matters.


    Lady Bai held high hopes for her children, hence her strictness.


    Bai Zisheng, though a bit mischievous and active, was generally obedient. In contrast, Bai Zixi was a relief to look after. She completed her daily lessons without fail, her innate talent and dedication to the path of cultivation were impeccable, hardly a worry to anyone.


    Bai Zixi, having risen at the hour of Mao, sat in the bamboo pavilion in the courtyard to meditate for an hour.


    Aunt Xue had just returned and stood quietly in the nearby bamboo grove, waiting.


    The early morning was draped in a light mist, the greenery lush and dripping, the flowers radiant and on the verge of blooming.


    S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.Bai Zixi, dressed in a snow-white robe, her skin luminous and her features flawless, was a picture of serenity amidst the misty backdrop.


    The morning sun filtered through the mist, touching the greenery and the petals, casting a soft golden glow over Bai Zixi.


    Aunt Xue sighed, content to sit and watch such a scene all day if she could.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s long lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes.


    Aunt Xue approached and relayed the information she had gathered. This included Mo Hua being confronted by Qian Xing, the words exchanged, the conflict that ensued, and its resolution. She mentioned that after his recovery, Qian Xing harbored resentment towards Mo Hua and had sought him out with threats.


    This was the scene Bai Zixi had witnessed the day before.


    Bai Zixi frowned slightly, murmuring, "We seek to study under Mr. Zhuang undisturbed."


    Aunt Xue nodded and then withdrew.


    However, as she left, she pondered over Bai Zixi¡¯s use of "we." Did she mean just her and her brother, or did it include Mo Hua as well?


    Mo Hua had sought advice from Mr. Zhuang and, as usual, had brought beef, osmanthus cake, and sweet fermented rice for the Bai siblings, while also discussing some array techniques.


    As they spoke, Mo Hua felt Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze on his neck.


    He turned, curious, and met her eyes.


    "Did your neck get injured?" Bai Zixi asked.


    "Uh, yes," Mo Hua nodded. "It was a minor injury, but it''s healed now."


    No more was said on the matter.


    Bai Zixi tasted the fermented rice, bite by bite.


    Returning home from Mr. Zhuang''s, Mo Hua went back to his cottage and began reviewing array manuals.


    Knowing Qian Xing¡¯s hostility was unlikely to end there, Mo Hua started preparing to counteract Qian Xing¡¯s tactics. While he couldn¡¯t yet learn spells, he focused on arrays, especially.


    He chose a few arrays to master diligently.


    One was the Wood Binding Array, which, upon activation, released pale green wood-elemental energy like vines to bind an opponent¡ªuseful for trapping enemies.


    Another was the Fireworks Array, similar to the Illuminating Fire Array he had previously used for lighting, but the Fireworks Array, when activated, shot a dazzling red firework into the sky.


    The Fireworks Array was typically used for celebrations. During cultivator festivals, it created a spectacular display of colorful fireworks. Mo Hua planned to use it to attract attention in sudden dangers, to avoid being isolated and helpless.


    He also prepared the Iron Armor Array, drawn onto a set of lightweight vine armor which could turn as hard as steel in emergencies, potentially saving his life.


    Originally, the Iron Armor Array was used to strengthen metal armors, already tough due to being forged from fine steel. With the array, they became nearly indestructible. For body cultivators who fought in close quarters, wearing such array-imbued metal armor made them nearly invincible.


    However, such armor was expensive, requiring a lot of fine steel and effort to make¡ªbeyond what Mo Hua could afford. Among all the demon hunters in Tongxian City, only a few had metal armor; most used cheaper vine armor instead.


    Mo Hua''s vine armor, tailored specifically for him by Master Chen, was compact and exquisitely made. Mo Hua was small, so the armor didn''t require much material, and Master Chen even waived the cost of the spirit stones.


    Since Master Chen didn''t take spirit stones, Mo Hua could only offer flattering compliments, which Master Chen outwardly dismissed but inwardly enjoyed.


    When Mo Hua tested the vine armor, it could block most swords and knives, but it couldn¡¯t withstand heavy blows. While it wouldn¡¯t cause external injuries, internal injuries were still a risk.


    This was unavoidable; vine armor was designed for body cultivators who were tough enough to ignore such blunt force impacts, but Mo Hua was different.


    He had no choice but to draw an Iron Armor Array on it. While it couldn''t completely stop the force, it was significantly more effective than before. Moreover, with the Iron Armor Array, the armor itself became much more durable. Previously, swords and knives could leave marks, but now they left none.


    The vine armor was meant for self-defense, and wearing it wasn''t comfortable. Mo Hua stored it in his storage bag, ready to be used in emergencies.


    As for offensive arrays, he only had the Earth Fire Array for now. Its power was decent, and other arrays likely wouldn¡¯t be much stronger. More importantly, the Earth Fire Array activated three breaths before exploding, while most other arrays had an instant effect. If they exploded, Mo Hua would also be caught in the blast.


    Such powerful arrays could severely injure Qian Xing, but if Mo Hua was too close, he would certainly perish.


    Mo Hua also kept a variety of smaller arrays ready for unforeseen circumstances.


    Two days later, Zhang Lan found Mo Hua and immediately said, "Qian Xing has gone mad; he won¡¯t trouble you anymore."


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, Zhang Lan felt relieved and explained:


    "While Qian Xing was sleeping, someone drenched him in fresh demon blood and gory innards. He was soaked in blood all night and by the morning, he had completely lost his mind."


    Mo Hua was shocked and asked, "Was he scared into madness?"


    "It''s not that simple," Zhang Lan shook his head. "The blood and viscera could indeed scare someone, but normally, burning some Calming Spirit Incense and resting would suffice; it shouldn''t drive someone mad."


    "What happened then?" Mo Hua asked.


    "I suspect that in addition to using demon blood and viscera to frighten him, someone might have employed an illusion technique," Zhang Lan suggested.


    "Illusion technique?"


    "Apparently, when Qian Xing woke up, he was panic-stricken and kept screaming ''Don''t eat me''. If I''m right, someone used an illusion technique to make him believe he was being eaten by a demon beast bite by bite in his dream. When he woke to find himself surrounded by the remains of demon beasts, he thought he was inside a beast¡¯s stomach and had indeed been eaten. The agony and terror drove him completely insane."


    Mo Hua listened in awe, fascinated by such a potent technique, and couldn''t help asking:


    "An illusion technique¡­ Can I learn it?"


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua and flatly said, "You can¡¯t!" effectively quashing Mo Hua¡¯s naive hope.


    "Illusion techniques are a very special kind of spellcraft that require unique meridians and constitution, as well as a deep familial heritage in cultivation. Most cultivators can''t learn them; they neither have the resources nor the capability," Zhang Lan explained.


    Disappointed, Mo Hua then asked, "Uncle Zhang, can you learn it?"


    Zhang Lan choked up a bit, "I¡­ can''t either."


    Mo Hua felt somewhat comforted by this.

 Chapter 94: Limits

    Zhang Lan observed the cunning thoughts of Mo Hua and hummed, "Although I am not skilled in illusion techniques, the spells I do know are not inferior.""Wow, Uncle Zhang, you''re so amazing," Mo Hua said perfunctorily.


    Zhang Lan didn''t take offense and returned to the main topic. "Do you know who might be using illusion techniques?"


    "How would I know?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, though as he said this, the veiled figure of Aunt Xue flashed through his mind.


    Having encountered only a few high-level cultivators, Mo Hua thought Aunt Xue was the most likely candidate, especially since the illusions matched the impression she had left on him.


    "Have you guessed it?" Zhang Lan, with a raised eyebrow, looked at Mo Hua''s expression.


    Zhang Lan truly belonged to the Dao Court; despite appearing lethargic, his observational skills were sharp.


    Mo Hua thought to himself, then asked Zhang Lan, "What does the Dao Court plan to do about this?"


    "We won''t do much," Zhang Lan casually sipped his wine. "Cultivators capable of using illusions are not ordinary. The Qian family wouldn¡¯t dare to make this public or pursue it further. Since the Qian family isn¡¯t speaking out, the Dao Court prefers peace, so there¡¯s no need to intervene."


    "Can the Qian family just let this go?" Mo Hua was skeptical.


    "The Qian family does have a Foundation Building cultivator stationed, yet someone managed to cast illusions on their young master without leaving any trace. That alone is enough to frighten them..."


    Zhang Lan seemed to take some pleasure in their misfortune, continuing, "This person used an illusion to drive Qian Xing mad, but could have easily used other spells to kill him. Using illusions was merely to intimidate, warning the Qian family to tread carefully. If they can¡¯t understand that, they wouldn¡¯t have become the leading clan in Tongxian City."


    "After all, the Qian family is only a first-class family, ranking lowest among the established clans, nowhere near the true noble clans."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood¡ªthe importance of family hierarchy. Zhang Lan, born into a noble clan, knew much about these intricacies.


    "That settles it then. Even if Qian Xing recovers from his ordeal, after these upheavals, he won¡¯t dare to cause more trouble. Just focus on your cultivation and learning about arrays," Zhang Lan said with a lighter tone.


    "Thank you, Uncle Zhang." Mo Hua expressed his gratitude.


    With Zhang Lan''s laid-back nature, seeking Mo Hua for a chat was not only to relieve boredom but also showed his care, something Mo Hua could appreciate.


    Zhang Lan gave Mo Hua one last look, thinking how well-liked the lad was.


    Not to mention the demon hunter, even that young man named Da Zhu who stood up to Qian Xing did something commendable, along with many fellow cultivators in the neighborhood who were quite friendly toward Mo Hua.


    As for the cultivator who used illusions, it was unlikely they had no connection to Mo Hua at all.


    Who would go out of their way to terrorize a member of an unrelated clan?


    Zhang Lan shook his head and bid Mo Hua farewell, "Take care, Uncle Zhang!" Mo Hua waved his little hand as Zhang Lan walked away.


    After Zhang Lan left, Mo Hua sat at the table, rifling through his storage bag filled with array diagrams, feeling somewhat regretful.


    It was a pity that Qian Xing no longer sought trouble, rendering these array diagrams useless.


    And that illusion¡ªcould it have been Aunt Xue¡¯s doing?


    Mo Hua pondered with doubt.


    The next day, Mo Hua went to consult Mr. Zhuang about array formations, then visited the Bai siblings.


    Bai Zisheng was dozing off, while Bai Zixi was engrossed in her book.


    Mo Hua quietly watched Bai Zixi, trying to discern if she knew anything. However, Bai Zixi''s face revealed nothing beyond her beauty.


    Feeling Mo Hua''s gaze, Bai Zixi turned her head and curiously looked back at him.


    Their eyes met, and Mo Hua whispered, "Was Aunt Xue at home three nights ago?"


    Bai Zixi paused, then with a half-smile, replied, "It seems she was not."


    "Oh," Mo Hua acknowledged, deciding not to probe further.


    After a moment, he whispered again, "My family made some osmanthus cakes. Would you like some?"


    Bai Zixi nodded, and Mo Hua, smiling with narrowed eyes, focused back on his book without further conversation.


    With Qian Xing¡¯s matter resolved, Mo Hua could now concentrate on his cultivation.


    He aimed to reach the fifth layer of Qi cultivation soon


    so he could learn more spells.


    Mo Hua was particularly excited about spellcasting, though he dismissed the idea of mastering illusion techniques like Zhang Lan¡¯s, considering simpler spells like igniting a flame or conducting electricity manageable.


    However, cultivation was a gradual process¡ªdaily absorption of spiritual energy and conversion into spiritual power had its limits, dependent on routine practice. Wishing to speed it up or slow it down wasn''t much of an option.


    Based on his current progress, reaching the fifth layer of Qi cultivation seemed a ways off. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In terms of array formation, Mo Hua could now design arrays containing up to seven array patterns, but eight patterns remained out of reach.


    His spiritual sense might not be strong enough, which made learning somewhat forced, as eight patterns were generally the limit for ordinary array masters. Mo Hua, already capable of drawing seven patterns, was genuinely a proficient junior array master.


    And beyond eight patterns was the ninth¡ªthe entry point to becoming a first-class array master!


    Reaching nine patterns would qualify him for the rigorous, stringent assessment reserved for first-class array masters.


    Mo Hua had heard that the array master¡¯s examination was among the most demanding and difficult in all cultivation practices.


    "I wonder what kind of arrays will be tested?"


    Mo Hua felt nervous yet excited.


    Becoming a first-class array master meant earning spiritual stones monthly without any active duties. Even if an accident made further cultivation impossible, he wouldn¡¯t starve, thanks to the basic support provided.


    Mo Hua envied this greatly.


    But in the entire Tongxian City, including all clans and sects, few could pass the assessment to become a first-class array master, especially someone from a humble background like a wandering cultivator, showing how challenging the array master assessment truly was.


    Mo Hua could draw eight array patterns, and though just one step from nine seemed close, it felt infinitely far.


    Previously, he practiced array formations day and night, feeling his spiritual sense steadily growing. But now, as the arrays became more complex and frequent, the growth of his spiritual sense felt less noticeable.


    How long it would take to reach nine patterns was uncertain.


    Mo Hua consulted Mr. Zhuang about this issue.


    Mr. Zhuang looked complicated, and for the first time, Mo Hua saw such an expression on his face.


    "Aren¡¯t you aware that your realm is too low?"


    Mr. Zhuang silently observed Mo Hua, "No matter how strong your spiritual sense, its foundation is ultimately your cultivation realm."


    Mo Hua realized he had asked a foolish question.


    A cultivator''s physical body and spiritual power are limited, naturally dependent on their cultivation realm. Without breaking through to a higher realm, neither strength nor physical capabilities would improve.


    Cultivators work on their bodies and spiritual power, but not on spiritual sense, something Mo Hua momentarily forgot.


    "Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Zhuang."


    Mo Hua, slightly embarrassed, asked a few more questions before standing to leave.


    "Spiritual sense is limited..." Mr. Zhuang watched Mo Hua''s small figure disappear around the corner of the path, pondering for a long time before chuckling to himself, "I¡¯ve taught so many cultivators, but it seems I''ve never said this before..."


    After a moment, Mr. Zhuang looked toward Mo Hua, who was drawing arrays under the large locust tree, his gaze profound, "Is spiritual sense really limited..."

 Chapter 95: Spirit Ink

    "Spiritual awareness is limited."Mr. Zhuang''s words seemed profoundly reasonable to Mo Hua.


    Given that, Mo Hua stopped worrying about it. As his cultivation improved, so would his spiritual awareness; everything would come naturally with focused cultivation.


    The most important thing at the moment was to learn more about arrays.


    The bottleneck of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique was the Riddle Array. To solve the Riddle Array, one must master complex array techniques. Mr. Zhuang had given him the "Thousand Arrays Compendium," but Mo Hua had only learned a small part of it. His current experience with arrays was far from sufficient.


    Failing to solve the Riddle Array meant a halt in his progress, and if his progress halted, his cultivation journey would end.


    Thus, Mo Hua devoted all his thoughts to arrays apart from his routine cultivation.


    At night, he would practice arrays on the remnants of a stele in his sea of consciousness; by day, he would draw arrays on paper; occasionally, when someone¡¯s array failed, they would ask Mo Hua for help.


    Master Chen from Chen''s Artifact Crafting Shop would also need him, like for repairs to the crafting furnace or adding arrays to spiritual tools, and occasionally Elder Feng would refer cultivators to Mo Hua to have arrays drawn.


    Some would give Mo Hua spirit stones as a reward, while those with modest means could only offer apologies along with vegetables and fruits from their gardens, or sugar figures and toys sold in the marketplaces.


    Mo Hua knew the life of an independent cultivator was not easy, so he only symbolically accepted a few spirit stones. Occasionally getting something to eat, drink, or play with also made him quite happy.


    Mo Hua¡¯s intention was to apply what he learned; hence, he wasn''t particular about these matters.


    This led to Mo Hua, whenever he went shopping, being stuffed with items by uncles, aunts, and elderly neighbors he had helped¡ªwild fruits from the mountains, home-steamed rice cakes, bamboo-crafted grasshoppers, calming herbal sachets, and even rouge and handkerchiefs used by female cultivators...


    Mo Hua tried to pay with spirit stones, but they wouldn''t accept them. If Mo Hua didn''t take the items, they would be upset.


    In this way, Mo Hua walked from one end of the street to the other without spending a single spirit stone, his storage bag stuffed to the brim, feeling a bit like a freeloader, which made him both laugh and cry.


    After some time, Mo Hua realized a severe problem:


    He had no spirit stones to buy spirit ink!


    Ever since Liu Ruhua opened a restaurant, Mo Hua''s family situation had improved significantly.


    The spirit stones Mo Hua used for daily cultivation were provided by his parents. Mo Hua originally didn''t want them, but Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua insisted. They said Mo Hua was still young and not yet at the age to be self-sufficient.


    Mo Hua himself earned some spirit stones by drawing arrays, which he spent on buying ink and paper to practice arrays, and occasionally, he could afford some treats.


    Overall, his income and expenses of spirit stones were relatively balanced, with a little surplus.


    Although the surplus was not much...


    But as Mo Hua''s cultivation improved and his spiritual awareness grew stronger, the arrays he drew became more intricate. Due to the effects of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, his control over spiritual awareness became stronger, and he could draw arrays faster.


    The faster he drew the arrays, the more he drew each day, the stronger his spiritual awareness became, and the more complex the arrays he could draw, though he could still draw them faster, leading to even more arrays being drawn...


    Dao Stele, Heavenly Proliferation Technique, Meditation Techniques...


    This originally benign cycle led to a malignant outcome:


    Mo Hua''s spirit ink was used up like water, and naturally, his spirit stones were spent like flowing water.


    Until one day, Mo Hua realized he had run out of both spirit ink and spirit stones. That was when he grasped the severity of the situation.


    "Whatever shall I do?" S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Ask his parents?


    Mo Hua shook his head. He wanted his parents to spend more spirit stones on their cultivation so that they could reach higher realms and live longer. If he asked, they would definitely give him all their spirit stones.


    Charge more for drawing arrays?


    Mo Hua felt that was not right either. His neighbors were all independent cultivators, already stretched thin financially, and he had indeed received much kindness from them, so charging more was not an option.


    Mix his own spirit ink?


    Mo Hua did not know the formula or technique for mixing spirit ink, and even if he did, he would still need the raw materials, which he had no way of obtaining.


    Mo Hua thought about this problem for two days but


    still had no good solutions.


    That afternoon, Liu Ruhua, frowning, said, "Little Tiger was injured while hunting demons in the mountains, and I heard it''s serious. Take these things over to see how Little Tiger''s injury is."


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, "Yes, mother, I''ll go right away!"


    When Mo Hua arrived at the Meng family''s house, Da Hu and Shuang Hu were taking care of Xiao Hu.


    Xiao Hu was lying on the bed, eyes closed, his face pale, with a fresh and bloody claw mark on his back, the blood continuously seeping out.


    Seeing Mo Hua, Da Hu and Shuang Hu''s eyes lit up, then their expressions fell again.


    It was the first time Mo Hua had seen Da Hu and the others in two months.


    Being a Demon Hunter was not an easy profession. A demonic beast of the same realm was far stronger than a cultivator, due to their inherently powerful physical bodies, robust vitality, keen reactions, and agile movements. The demonic energy of the beasts, carrying either the power of the Five Elements or innate deadly toxins, was particularly troublesome.


    Once one became a Demon Hunter, it meant relentless hard work and life-or-death dangers.


    Many powerful Demon Hunters had been devoured by demonic beasts due to a moment of carelessness. Even the strongest of Demon Hunters needed to hunt in groups, taking care of each other without any negligence.


    Da Hu and the others were novices, just starting to hunt demons, with much to learn and naturally facing greater dangers.


    Despite being among the best of their age group in terms of cultivation and techniques, once they actually began hunting demonic beasts, it was impossible to adapt quickly.


    Over the past two months, they had stayed in the mountains, learning to familiarize themselves with the environment, understanding the beasts, and attempting to fight them. In these battles, one had to be fully focused, as the slightest carelessness could lead to injury or even death.


    A 17-year-old young cultivator had panicked upon encountering a demonic beast and was bitten on the neck, bleeding out and dying.


    This was something Da Hu had previously told Mo Hua, and it deeply impressed upon him the significance of the title "Demon Hunter." Now, seeing Xiao Hu, who had played with him since childhood, with a blood-drenched back, Mo Hua felt saddened.


    "Has Elder Feng looked at him?"


    Mo Hua asked, looking at the pale-faced Xiao Hu, feeling distressed.


    "Elder Feng has looked at him, applied herbal medicine to the wound, and Xiao Hu has taken the medicinal pills," Shuang Hu replied, his eyes red.


    "What happened?" Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask.

 Chapter 96: Vine Armor

    "We followed Uncle Zhou and the others up the mountain to hunt demons, encountering a Split-Claw Demonic Wolf that stood two men tall, its fur a deep red, with fangs three feet long and claws curved like hooks. Its prowess was roughly mid-tier rank one, not yet at the later stages, manageable for our squad. Uncle Zhou and the others engaged it in combat, tasking us with support from the outside, ensuring it couldn''t escape...""After a prolonged battle, Uncle Zhou and his team were wounded, and the Split-Claw was nearing its end. Unexpectedly, it burst forth, charging at the three of us. Da Hu and I remembered Uncle Zhou¡¯s instructions and did not act rashly. Xiao Hu, in his urgency, slashed at the Split-Claw."


    "His blade struck the Split-Claw, only slicing its fur. Taking advantage of Xiao Hu''s opening, the Split-Claw circled to his back and with a swipe tore through Xiao Hu''s vine armor, his skin split open and blood flowed unstoppably..."


    Twin Hu wiped away tears with his sleeve, his voice choked up:


    "Uncle Zhou said that the claws of the Split-Claw are wrapped in demonic power. Once they tear the flesh, the blood flows incessantly. Many cultivators have died from such wounds, bleeding out after being torn apart..."


    Tears also welled up in Da Hu''s eyes, filled with remorse, "I should have shielded him; I¡¯m stronger than Xiao Hu and wouldn¡¯t have been hurt as badly."


    The brothers were both sorrowful and regretful.


    "Old Master Feng''s pill-concocting skills are formidable, Xiao Hu will be alright," Mo Hua tried to console them with teary eyes.


    Mo Hua examined Xiao Hu¡¯s wounds carefully; although they still bled, the blood at the wound site was slowly clotting, likely due to the medicine administered by Old Master Feng.


    Mo Hua sighed in relief.


    Using his spiritual awareness, Mo Hua noticed a faint red aura swirling around Xiao Hu¡¯s wound, which was probably the demonic energy often mentioned by demon hunters, a chaotic spiritual energy acquired by demonic beasts from their prey, mixed with their own blood and spirit. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Not only humans can draw power from the great Dao of heaven and earth; demonic beasts can too.


    Mo Hua comforted Da Hu and Twin Hu a bit more, then handed over the items Liu Ruhua had sent him to deliver to Aunt Meng.


    Aunt Meng was secretly wiping away tears on the side. Seeing Mo Hua, she tried to muster her spirits, "Please thank your mother for me; she has been a great help over the years. Also, do stay for lunch..."


    But considering the scant food at home and the high cost of Xiao Hu¡¯s healing requiring a considerable amount of spirit stones, she didn¡¯t know where the spirit stones would come from...


    Aunt Meng''s heart ached, and though she forced a smile, tears rolled down her cheeks again.


    Mo Hua pretended not to notice, saying, "No need, Aunt Meng, my mother asked me to return early. Take good care of Xiao Hu, and once he¡¯s better, I¡¯ll visit again."


    Aunt Meng, choked up, nodded her head.


    Mo Hua added, "I¡¯ve just checked; Xiao Hu¡¯s wound is healing, and the demonic energy is much weaker. He should recover slowly over a few days. Don¡¯t worry about the spirit stones; once Da Hu and the others can stand on their own, things will gradually improve..."


    "Mmm," Aunt Meng touched Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    Despite his young age, Mo Hua was sensible and knew much, bringing an inexplicable comfort to Aunt Meng¡¯s heart.


    Mo Hua handed over the food box to Aunt Meng and then took his leave.


    "Be careful on the way."


    Aunt Meng saw Mo Hua out, then opened the food box to find some steamed buns and dried meat, a small pot of nourishing soup, and several bottles of healing pills.


    Underneath the pills was a small cloth bag, heavy. Opening it, Aunt Meng found it filled with more than a dozen spirit stones.


    Staring at the spirit stones, Aunt Meng was momentarily stunned, then tears flowed again.


    After returning home, Mo Hua felt rather down.


    He wanted to help Xiao Hu and the others, but couldn¡¯t think of how. He lacked magical abilities and physical training, his cultivation wasn¡¯t high, and his own spirit stones were long spent.


    After pondering, he realized he could only resort to drawing array patterns. Mo Hua hastily finished his lunch and then hurried to Chen¡¯s Artifact Crafting Shop, hoping Master Chen would provide a new set of vine armor.


    Without any spirit stones, Mo Hua had intended to ask for credit, but Master Chen, without a word, gave him three sets instead.


    "Vine armor, if you were to buy it, would cost spirit stones, but here at our shop, it¡¯s practically worthless. Crafting vine armor doesn''t require much fine iron or spirit liquid. Just soak the vine grass, roast it with a fierce fire using a special technique, and it won¡¯t even use up much furnace time. It¡¯s mostly just a bit of effort, so you can just take these three sets for yourself..."


    Afterward, Mo Hua drew several array patterns for Master Chen without asking for spirit stones. Master Chen felt indebted and was eager for Mo Hua to ask for more items.


    "If it were precious spirit weapons, he might need to think twice, but vine armor, something even an apprentice could craft, he gave away without a second thought."


    Mo Hua thanked him, and once back home, he drew Iron Armor Arrays on all three sets of vine armor.


    Such vine armor was something Mo Hua had in his storage bag, prepared for self-defense against Qian Xing when he went mad, but since Qian Xing was gone, the vine armor was of no practical use.


    However, what Mo Hua couldn''t use, Da Hu and the others certainly could.


    Demon hunters constantly battle with demonic beasts, a perilously dangerous endeavor, especially for those who focus on physical cultivation.


    Veteran demon hunters fare better, with rich experience and familiarity with demonic beasts, managing risks well even amidst danger.


    But it''s different for novice demon hunters. Lacking experience, they can''t handle emergencies effectively. Any oversight can be exploited by a demonic beast, resulting in injury or even death.


    Many young cultivators with great potential, who could have become outstanding demon hunters, lost their lives to unforeseen accidents, forfeiting their futures.


    Such tragedies happen all too often, something Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua lamented during their chats, which Mo Hua had overheard.


    In such situations, having sufficiently sturdy armor could be lifesaving.


    Unfortunately, most demon hunters can''t afford expensive armor and have to settle for cheap vine armor.


    If Xiao Hu¡¯s vine armor had been tougher during the Split-Claw¡¯s surprise attack, he might not have been injured, or at least, the wounds would have been less severe.


    The vine armor with Iron Armor Arrays was significantly more robust than before, and Mo Hua hoped that wearing it would mean Da Hu and the others suffered fewer injuries during their hunts.


    Mo Hua thought to himself silently.


    A few days later, Mo Hua visited Xiao Hu, whose injuries had significantly improved, and his complexion was much better.


    Mo Hua took out the three sets of vine armor and presented them to them. Da Hu and Twin Hu¡¯s vine armor was still functional, only showing some cracks from battling demonic beasts. Xiao Hu¡¯s vine armor, however, had been directly torn apart by the demonic wolf and was no longer usable.


    Aunt Meng looked at the vine armor in Mo Hua¡¯s hands, hesitating to speak.


    Reading Aunt Meng¡¯s thoughts, Mo Hua said, "These sets of vine armor were given to me by Master Chen, and I don¡¯t need them. They''re perfect for Da Hu and his brothers. The arrays I drew on them make them much tougher than ordinary vine armor, making them less likely to get injured during hunts, and even if they do, the injuries should be less severe."


    Aunt Meng, initially reluctant to accept, couldn¡¯t refuse after hearing Mo Hua''s explanation about their enhanced durability. Her eyes turned red, feeling somewhat ashamed.


    Mo Hua, tugging at Aunt Meng¡¯s sleeve, added, "In the future, if I need help, I will call on Da Hu and his brothers. They better not be lazy and refuse to help me."


    Aunt Meng nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, whatever you need, you just ask them. If those three dare to refuse, I¡¯ll break their legs!"


    Aunt Meng¡¯s spirits brightened, and Da Hu and the brothers also laughed heartily, holding the vine armor.

 Chapter 97: The Young Array Master

    Ten days later, thanks to the healing pills provided by Elder Feng, the injuries of Meng Xiao Hu and Meng Da Hu had healed, and they ventured back into the mountains to hunt demonic beasts.For demon hunters, injuries and bloodshed were inevitable. Meng Da Hu and his brothers were young and inexperienced, but from the moment they donned their Hunting Tokens and entered the mountains, they began to acclimate to the life of a demon hunter.


    In Tongxian City, this was the usual path for demon hunters¡ªdaily ventures into the mountains, monthly injuries, and annual deaths in the wilderness.


    Mo Hua could only silently wish them good luck in his heart.


    Unfortunately, Mo Hua¡¯s wishes did not seem to take effect. Half a month later, Meng Da Hu was carried out of the mountains, his body drenched in blood.


    Mo Hua was at home working on array formations when he heard the commotion. Upon investigating, he learned that Meng Da Hu had been severely injured while hunting and was on the brink of death.


    Mo Hua felt as if cold water had been splashed over him, chilling him to the bone.


    He rushed to the Xinglin Medical Hall and saw Elder Feng, his expression grave, treating Meng Da Hu¡¯s wounds.


    Meng Da Hu lay on the bed, his eyes tightly shut, his face pale as paper, and it was uncertain whether he was still breathing. His chest was covered in a large pool of blood, which stained his clothes bright red.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart raced with fear.


    Elder Feng, upon seeing Mo Hua, picked up a blood-soaked rattan armor and asked with a serious tone, ¡°Did you draw this array on it?¡±


    The rattan armor was also bloody, with a hole on one side that looked like it had been pierced by the fangs or claws of a demonic beast, and some array patterns were drawn inside it.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Feng was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh of relief. "Thankfully he had this rattan armor; otherwise, this young man might have lost his life..."


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.


    Elder Feng''s words meant that Meng Da Hu should be out of danger, and being alive was all that mattered.


    Growing up together and always standing in front of Mo Hua in fights, the thought of losing a friend was unbearable.


    Meng Xiao Hu and Meng Shuang Hu rushed over in tears, and upon hearing that Meng Da Hu was not in grave danger, they quietly wiped their tears away.


    Uncle Meng had also been hunting in the mountains and hurried back when he heard of Meng Da Hu¡¯s accident. His expression was relatively calm, but his hands trembled slightly.


    Aunt Meng was originally helping out on the eastern side of the street. The family was short on spirit stones, and she had become busier than before. Hearing about Meng Da Hu¡¯s accident, she rushed over as well.


    Aunt Meng stood hesitantly at the door, biting her lip, and staggered inside. When she heard Meng Da Hu was not in life-threatening danger, she collapsed on the floor, burying her face in her sleeves, sobbing.


    Elder Feng said it was thanks to the rattan armor Mo Hua had provided that Meng Da Hu¡¯s life was saved.


    Today, they were hunting a Split-Claw Demonic Wolf when suddenly, a Long-Tail Demonic Beast emerged from the bushes.


    Meng Da Hu shielded his younger brothers and faced the Long-Tail Demonic Beast head-on. However, with his current level of cultivation, he was no match for the beast. The beast¡¯s tail, sharp and fast, was tipped with spikes, and in a flash, it aimed for Meng Da Hu¡¯s heart. Meng Da Hu could not dodge in time and was struck in the chest.


    Fortunately, the rattan armor on Meng Da Hu¡¯s chest was reinforced with an Iron Armor Array, tougher than regular armor, and it was not pierced through. Although Meng Da Hu did not evade the attack, he slightly turned his body, causing the beast¡¯s tail spike to skew slightly. As the tail spike pierced the rattan armor and entered Meng Da Hu¡¯s chest, it did not damage his vital meridians.


    Meng Da Hu was stabbed in the chest and bled profusely, but his vital meridians were undamaged, so his life was not at risk. Elder Feng¡¯s timely treatment meant that even though he was temporarily unconscious, he would gradually regain consciousness after some time.


    Aunt Meng thanked Elder Feng profusely and then tightly grasped Mo Hua¡¯s hand, grateful yet choked with emotion, unable to speak a word... S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A life is full of hardships, and some endure more than others.


    Mo Hua looked at the haggard Aunt Meng, feeling a bitter ache in his heart.


    Fortunately, the Iron Armor Array Mo Hua had inscribed was effective, and Meng Da Hu¡¯s life was not in danger, which eased Mo Hua''s worries slightly.


    Ten days later, Meng Da Hu¡¯s injuries had healed, and he was ready to head back into the mountains with his brothers to hunt demonic beasts. Mo Hua made a special trip to see them off.


    Meng Da Hu¡¯s complexion was still poor, but his eyes were determined. Meng Xiao Hu and Meng Shuang Hu looked solemn but showed no fear.


    Despite having bled so much and suffered such severe injuries, and even nearly losing their lives, the three brothers did not hesitate or show any fear, ready to return to the mountains as soon as their wounds healed.


    "Our parents treated our injuries, and we owe so many spirit stones; we need to pay them back soon."


    "I don¡¯t want Mom to suffer anymore."


    "Me neither¡­"


    With these words, they bid farewell to Mo Hua and walked down the path towards the mountains.


    Mo Hua watched as their figures grew smaller and eventually disappeared into the vast expanse of Dahei Mountain.


    In the following days, Mo Hua lived frugally.


    At night, on the Dao Stele in his Sea of Consciousness, he could draw array formations without restraint. During the day, he was meticulous with every drop of spirit ink he used.


    For the array formations he already knew well, he refused to use spirit ink because it would be wasteful; for those he had yet to master, he also refused to use spirit ink for the same reason.


    For those half-mastered array formations, Mo Hua would carefully select only those with rare attributes or unusual array hubs. Only then would he consider opening his ink bottle, dotting out the spirit ink, and painstakingly tracing and contemplating the patterns.


    After some time had passed, one evening at dinner, Mo Shan spoke up unexpectedly to Mo Hua:


    "Mo''er, someone has asked me to have you draw a few array formations¡­"


    Mo Hua was somewhat taken aback, and Mo Shan''s expression was subtly complex.


    Mo Shan usually didn¡¯t interfere much with Mo Hua¡¯s dealings with array formations.


    Firstly, because hunting demons was hard enough, and Mo Shan, as the leader of the hunting team, was preoccupied with leading a team of cultivators into the mountains to hunt demonic beasts and ensure their safety. The earnings from these hunts were to be distributed according to the rules, a task both dangerous and busy. Previously, the Mo family had mainly relied on Mo Shan''s earnings from hunting for spirit stones, leaving little time for other concerns.


    Secondly, Mo Shan wasn''t very knowledgeable about array formations. His understanding of arrays was limited to recognizing a few common ones or detecting traps set by cultivators. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the intricacies of being an array master, so he wouldn''t know what questions to ask.


    Thirdly, because Mo Hua was responsible, whether it was cultivation or array formations, he handled everything well without needing much oversight from Mo Shan, who didn¡¯t want to burden Mo Hua with unnecessary pressure.


    Mo Hua was still young and his cultivation was not high. Even though he was talented, it would still take time to achieve something significant with array formations.


    Becoming an array master is extremely difficult, a fact Mo Shan was well aware of. Even those slightly renowned array masters in Tongxian City were often elderly, some with white hair, and others nearly bald.


    At this point, if Mo Hua could become a basic array master by the age of thirty and make a living from it, even if he didn¡¯t achieve a high rank, Mo Shan would be satisfied.


    All he needed was to be a bit more cautious and not end up in the belly of a beast before Mo Hua grew up.


    It was only yesterday that a demon hunter approached Mo Shan, formally requesting Mo Hua to draw a few array formations, speaking very politely and without a hint of doubt about Mo Hua''s ability.


    That was when Mo Shan realized something was amiss.


    Being sought after to draw array formations was a treatment reserved for an array master.


    Could it be that Mo''er has already become an array master...

 Chapter 98: Request

    Yesterday, Mo Shan hunted down a demonic beast. After skinning it and removing its bones, he collected its demonic core and was about to head home from the mountain when a somewhat acquainted Demon Hunter approached him, his demeanor exceedingly polite."Brother Mo, there''s something I''d like to ask for your help with..."


    This Demon Hunter, named Zhou Cheng, was of average height and rather slender.


    Mo Shan, ever generous, responded, "Go ahead, I''ll help if I can."


    Zhou Cheng seemed a bit embarrassed, "It''s not that I need you to take action yourself, but there''s a small favor I''d like to ask of your son..."


    Mo Shan was taken aback, "My son, Mo Hua?"


    "That''s right," Zhou Cheng confirmed. "Though I''m somewhat acquainted with you, I''ve never met your son, so it seemed inappropriate to approach him directly. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve come to you..."


    Mo Shan looked at him skeptically, "My son, Mo Hua, is only at the fourth level of Qi cultivation. What could he help you with?"


    "He can!" Zhou Cheng hurriedly explained. "You see, my youngest son, who is about fifteen or sixteen and recently became a Demon Hunter, is at the sixth level of Qi cultivation. But his talent is average, and he hasn¡¯t mastered his martial cultivation well. I¡¯m worried about him encountering a tough demonic beast on the mountain and... if something happens..."


    Zhou Cheng sighed, "He''s been lucky so far, not running into any troublesome demonic beasts and staying safe. But as fathers and fellow Demon Hunters, we both understand the risks once you enter the Dahei Mountain. I can''t sleep well just thinking about it."


    Mo Shan nodded empathetically.


    "A few days ago, I heard that there¡¯s a young Array Master in your area who can fortify vine armor with arrays that could save a life in critical moments. Later, I found out that the young Array Master is surnamed Mo, with a father named Mo Shan. I thought that was quite a coincidence, so I came to ask for your help."


    Zhou Cheng looked earnestly at Mo Shan, afraid of being refused.


    Mo Shan hesitated, then said, "It''s not that I don''t want to help you, but... I only know that Mo Hua is studying array formations. I don¡¯t understand much about them and don¡¯t know how well he¡¯s learned. The array you need doesn¡¯t sound simple, and he might not be able to draw it."


    "He can draw it, he can," Zhou Cheng assured quickly.


    "How do you know he can?" Mo Shan questioned. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I heard it from Old Xu, who hunts demons with me. He used to be rude to you, wanting to challenge you, but you knocked him down with a single punch," Zhou Cheng chuckled, then continued, "He said the Meng family¡¯s son, Da Hu, was recently stabbed in the chest by a scorpion demon. It was because the vine armor was arrayed that it didn''t reach his vitals, saving his life. He also said you¡¯re lucky to have such a capable son, though he was a bit sarcastic. But don¡¯t mind him; after all, you did hit him..."


    "Oh, Old Xu..." Mo Shan recalled.


    He had heard about Da Hu¡¯s injury, but since he was also in the mountains at that time and learned Da Hu was alright when he came down, he didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    It''s common for Demon Hunters to get injured as long as they don¡¯t lose limbs or damage their meridians, or lose their lives, given the nature of their work.


    If it was Da Hu, then it was likely, as Mo Hua and the Meng brothers had grown up playing together. Drawing an array on Da Hu''s vine armor was nothing unusual.


    Mo Shan thought to himself.


    Zhou Cheng gripped Mo Shan¡¯s hand, "Brother Mo, you must help me with this. Otherwise, I really can''t be at ease about my young son!"


    Mo Shan considered, then said, "I''ll ask and see. If Mo Hua really can draw the array you need, he will certainly help you. But if he can¡¯t, there¡¯s nothing I can do¡­"


    Zhou Cheng was overjoyed and quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Brother Mo! If he can really do it, any amount of spirit stones will do."


    Then his expression turned apologetic, "But recently... I¡¯m short on spirit stones. If it¡¯s not enough, could I owe you until next month when I go demon hunting and split the stones?"


    Mo Shan waved his hand, "It''s a small matter; we''ll talk about it later."


    If he was helping, whether to collect spirit stones or not was fine, but since it involved Mo Hua, he needed to go back and consult his son¡¯s opinion.


    But then, could Mo


    Hua really draw the array in question?


    Mo Shan returned home with this doubt and directly asked Mo Hua, "Can you do it?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded.


    "Do you have time these days?" Mo Shan asked.


    "I do."


    "Can you help him draw it?"


    "Sure."


    Mo Shan hadn¡¯t expected it to go so smoothly.


    When others had sought his help yesterday, their earnest attitudes made it seem like a difficult task. Yet here with Mo Hua, it seemed like a trivial matter.


    "How long will it take?"


    "Very quick, half a day maybe," Mo Hua responded.


    In reality, it wouldn¡¯t even take an hour since Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense was strong, and he had a solid grasp of the Iron Armor Array, making it practically effortless to draw. However, it was always good to allow for some extra time.


    Mo Shan nodded, then asked, "What''s the usual compensation for drawing an array?"


    Mo Hua saw his father hesitating to speak and asked, "Dad, is there something else you want to say?"


    Mo Shan thought for a moment, then said, "Their family isn¡¯t well-off, and the son being a Demon Hunter has many expenses. I guess they don¡¯t have much in terms of spirit stones, so maybe charge less if possible. But it¡¯s still your decision since you¡¯re the one drawing the array."


    Previously, Mo Shan thought since Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation wasn''t high, the arrays he learned wouldn¡¯t be very profound. He could help the neighbors with simple array fixes, and it didn¡¯t matter whether he charged spirit stones or not. A little loss was bearable.


    But now Mo Shan realized it was different. The arrays useful to Demon Hunters were far from being merely a couple of array patterns strung together.


    Mo Hua could draw such arrays, almost comparable to those ordinary Array Masters in the city.


    Becoming an Array Master was difficult; even the most basic Array Master would spend a decade or two in diligent study.


    And Mo Hua was only about eleven or twelve years old, evidently spending almost all his available time on studying array formations. While other children complained about their cultivation practices and thought about where to play, Mo Hua studied arrays day and night.


    Mo Shan remembered, every time he went hunting in the mountains and came home, Mo Hua was almost always drawing arrays. Sometimes, when he returned late, the light in Mo Hua¡¯s room was still on.


    Mo Shan felt a twinge of sadness and didn¡¯t want his son to be at a disadvantage.


    Unaware of his father¡¯s thoughts, Mo Hua considered for a moment and then said, "Just bring over the vine armor and prepare a bottle of metallic elemental spirit ink. Better quality ink would enhance the effectiveness of the array, but if they can¡¯t afford the best, ordinary ink will do. As for the payment, Dad, how much do you hunters earn per day in spirit stones?"


    "About five stones per person."


    "Five stones a day, but you can¡¯t be in the mountains every day, and you won¡¯t encounter demonic beasts daily. Even if you do, you might not always kill them. If you get injured by a difficult beast, you¡¯d also have to spend some on medicinal pills. So, those spirit stones really aren¡¯t much, especially considering how dangerous demon hunting is."


    "Then let¡¯s charge five spirit stones," Mo Hua suggested.


    Mo Shan nodded, then couldn''t help but ask, "Five spirit stones... aren''t you at a loss?"


    Hiring an Array Master to draw arrays typically costs a lot of spirit stones. Although Mo Shan had never hired one and didn¡¯t have the stones to do so, having lived in Tongxian City for so long, he knew somewhat about these matters.


    Mo Hua explained, "I''m still learning array formations. Earning more or less doesn¡¯t matter as long as I have the opportunity to practice more. Besides, Dad, you always tell me that among independent cultivators, we should look out for one another. When our family was in trouble, these uncles and aunts helped us out too. Now that we have the means, it¡¯s only right to help them in return."


    Mo Hua smiled and added, "It helps others, gives me practice, and earns some spirit stones. It¡¯s a win-win-win situation, isn¡¯t it good?"


    "Good," Mo Shan agreed, unable to resist patting Mo Hua''s head. "Then I¡¯ll have him prepare the materials tomorrow, and you can draw the array."


    After dinner, Mo Hua returned to his room to rest.


    Mo Shan sat alone, feeling increasingly gratified. Thinking about his son¡¯s words and realizing that his son was already an Array Master, the usually composed Mo Shan couldn''t hide the smile on his face.

 Chapter 99: Expressing Gratitude

    When Zhou Cheng heard that Mo Shan only requested five spirit stones, he couldn''t help but open his mouth wide, then earnestly said:"Brother Mo, this can''t be right. How about I give you five more?"


    He wanted to give more, but he truly had no more spirit stones.


    He had discreetly inquired in Tongxian City; to commission an Iron Armor Array, array masters generally charged fifty spirit stones, and those newly initiated, lacking confidence in their own skills, would ask for thirty¡ªthat was already the lowest rate.


    Returning home last night, his mind was uneasy for a long time, unsure of how much Mo Shan would ask for. Today, when he asked, Mo Shan only wanted five spirit stones, which made him feel quite uneasy.


    Mo Shan patted his shoulder, "Keep the extra spirit stones, and buy some quality spirit ink instead; it''s all for the kids, no need to refuse."


    Zhou Cheng felt grateful and didn''t say more.


    That afternoon, he took the time to buy some Gold Essence Spirit Ink and personally delivered it, along with an armor made from rattan, to Mo Hua''s house. Mo Hua completed the Iron Armor Array in less than an hour, then handed the rattan armor over to Mo Shan.


    This earned him five spirit stones and half a bottle of unused Gold Essence Spirit Ink.


    Mo Hua thought this business deal was quite acceptable.


    "Should I tell others that I''m now an array master, and let them come to me for arrays?" Mo Hua thought, then shook his head.


    He was still young, and being too conspicuous was not advisable. He remembered what Mr. Zhuang had once said: cultivators should keep a low profile, as the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and a pig gets slaughtered when it¡¯s fat. The cultivation world was filled with too many dangers, and with Mo Hua¡¯s current cultivation level and experience, he was not ready to face them all.


    Moreover, his skill in array crafting was still far from sufficient; there was much more to learn in the art of arrays. He couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted by short-term profits at the expense of his true pursuit of the Dao.


    That matter was thus settled. The next day, the demon hunter who had asked Mo Hua to craft the array unexpectedly showed up at his door, accompanied by a naively honest-looking young man.


    "Da Ping, quickly thank Uncle Mo and Brother Mo."


    The young man bowed respectfully, "Thank you, Uncle Mo, thank you, Brother Mo!"


    Mo Shan then introduced him: "This is your Uncle Zhou Cheng, his given name is Cheng, and this is his younger son, Zhou Da Ping. That array was commissioned by your Uncle Zhou Cheng."


    "Hello, Uncle Zhou, hello, Brother Da Ping!"


    "Hello, hello," Zhou Cheng laughed heartily, "No need to be so formal, just call him Da Ping."


    Zhou Da Ping scratched his head, "Just call me Da Ping."


    Zhou Cheng brought a variety of items, including some drinks, vegetables, and fruits, which were fine, but the most valuable was a bottle of spirit ink.


    Mo Hua only took five spirit stones for his work on the array. Zhou Cheng originally felt uneasy about this, but after receiving the rattan armor, he saw that the array patterns were meticulous and the strokes were elegant, shimmering with a faint golden color.


    Though he was not knowledgeable about arrays, he could tell at a glance that the craftsmanship was expertly done and would not have been possible without significant effort.


    Zhou Cheng originally thought that, given Mo Hua''s young age, the array would barely be functional. Now, seeing the quality, he realized it was comparable to those crafted by array masters in Tongxian City who had been practicing for twenty to thirty years.


    Zhou Cheng also tested the armor''s effectiveness; it exceeded his expectations significantly. In critical situations, it might indeed save his son''s life.


    Feeling even more indebted, he scraped together more spirit stones and personally went to express his thanks.


    Mo Shan adamantly refused, "Keep these items for yourself; earning spirit stones isn¡¯t easy."


    But no matter what Mo Shan said, Zhou Cheng was determined to give the gifts.


    The two men thus stood in a deadlock, looking like it could last all night.


    Mo Hua finally said, "Dad, Uncle Zhou is genuinely kind-hearted, please accept it. If he needs any arrays in the future, he can just come to us."


    Zhou Cheng was overjoyed, "Brother Mo speaks truly; please don''t refuse."


    Mo Shan, with no other choice, reluctantly accepted.


    Afterwards, Zhou Da Ping went hunting demons in the mountains, wearing the rattan armor Mo Hua had enchanted. He was injured a few times, but the armor, being sturdy, prevented serious harm.


    Knowing this, Zhou Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief


    , glad that all his efforts weren''t in vain. Just the spirit stones saved from treating injuries were substantial, not to mention the potential life-saving ability of the array on the armor in real danger.


    As an independent cultivator, life was hard; he had raised his son through great hardship. If his son lost his life hunting demons, it would be truly devastating.


    As a veteran demon hunter, Zhou Cheng knew that every year, young cultivators lost their lives to demons.


    Every time he thought of this, Zhou Cheng was profoundly grateful to Mo Hua, but being poor, he could only offer words of appreciation to express his feelings.


    From then on, he praised Mo Hua wherever he went, saying that although Mo Hua was young, his array crafting was excellent. After Mo Hua had enchanted the rattan armor, it was impervious to blades and spears, and his son no longer feared going into the mountains to hunt demons.


    His words were a bit exaggerated and somewhat embellished, but they were well-received by those who loved a good story.


    A young array master in his early teens was met with skepticism by some, but others believed it.


    Every few days, someone would invite Mo Shan for a meal or a drink, then indirectly inquire whether his son truly could craft arrays and whether the enchanted rattan armors were indeed impervious to blades and spears.


    Mo Shan, feeling helpless, would explain: "My son can indeed craft arrays, but even with the array, the rattan armor isn''t completely impervious to blades and spears; it''s just tougher than before."


    "I thought so; if it were truly impervious, that would be something else."


    "I''ve seen that rattan armor; with the array, it''s definitely tougher, but it''s still not quite there. It''s usable for mid-stage Qi cultivation, but not for the later stages. It can''t withstand a swipe from a high-grade demon."


    "Usable for mid-stage Qi cultivation?" someone asked.


    "Yes, it''s quite effective, at least in protecting vital areas."


    "Then I need to get one for my son; every time he goes into the mountains, I''m on tenterhooks. When I was young, I wasn''t nearly as nervous going up there. I''m tough, a demon biting me doesn''t scare me, but I''m terrified of those beasts biting my son. One wrong move and I might be burning paper for him before he has a chance to do the same for me..." a burly man said with a rueful smile.


    "After all, it''s just mid-stage Qi cultivation gear, not that useful..." another person disdainfully remarked.


    "You don''t have a son, of course it''s not useful for you, but it''s different for me, I have three sons! Mo Shan, we''ve been friends for so many years, you''ve got to let your son make a few for me, let''s say... three... no, six, I need a few spares..."


    "Count me in as well."


    "And I want one too..."


    "You don''t even have a son, what do you need it for?"


    The man retorted, "I don''t now, but who says I can''t have one in the future?"


    S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s not certain."


    "Stop talking nonsense; if he wants it, let him have it. Maybe he has a few illegitimate children out there."


    "You bastard, what are you talking about!"


    Several of them, drunk, started fighting.


    Mo Shan could only laugh and cry at the absurdity of it all.

 Chapter 100: Elder Yu

    Every now and then, people would come through Mo Shan to request Mo Hua to draw array patterns. More often than not, they asked for the Iron Armor Array to be inscribed on rattan armors.This was always arranged by Mo Shan, and for Mo Hua, drawing array patterns was not too troublesome and did not require much ostentation.


    The Iron Armor Array contained only six array patterns, which for Mo Hua was no longer challenging, and he could complete them quite swiftly. Occasionally, when asked, he would draw the arrays without it taking up much of his time.


    For each set of the Iron Armor Array, he would receive five spirit stones along with half a bottle of spirit ink.


    After drawing for a while, Mo Hua had accumulated some spirit stones and spirit ink, albeit all of the ink was of the metallic attribute, which limited him to drawing only metal-based arrays; he couldn¡¯t use it for other types of arrays.


    The Iron Armor Array, containing only six array patterns, was intended for mid-stage artifact-refining cultivators, typically only used by novice demon hunters.


    For a late-stage Qi-cultivating practitioner like Mo Shan, it was practically useless. In front of high-grade demonic beasts, even rattan armors inscribed with the Iron Armor Array were as fragile as paper mache, offering little enhancement.


    However, among demon hunters, those in the mid-stage of Qi cultivation made up the majority, and with new cultivators becoming demon hunters every year, these were precisely the ones who needed the Iron Armor Array the most.


    While the Iron Armor Array could only provide minimal protection against a demonic beast''s attack, that slight deflection could mean the difference between a minor and a severe injury, and sometimes even between life and death.


    Mo Hua thought it would be good to draw more Iron Armor Arrays, as this could reduce the injuries for young demon hunters like Da Hu.


    For ordinary wandering cultivators, a light injury was bearable, but a severe injury could mean struggling to survive daily, and a death could be a disaster for their entire family.


    In Tongxian City, demon hunters with whom Mo Shan had a relationship were few, and most demon hunters would not specifically ask someone to draw arrays because arrays were difficult to draw, and array masters were hard to hire due to their high cost. So, the number who actually came to Mo Hua for Iron Armor Arrays was not large.


    One evening, after dinner, while Mo Hua was browsing through an array manual at home, he heard someone arriving. Mo Shan greeted the guest enthusiastically, a level of enthusiasm that Mo Hua saw from him for the first time.


    After a while, Mo Shan called Mo Hua over to meet the guest.


    As Mo Hua lifted the door curtain, he saw a bearded, elderly cultivator sitting upright in the middle of the room. The old cultivator, dressed in the common garb of a demon hunter, had a serious demeanor and an imposing presence, seemingly not very approachable.


    Mo Shan introduced, "This is Elder Yu. Hua, greet Elder Yu."


    Elder Yu? An elder from the demon hunters'' council?


    Politely, Mo Hua greeted him and then noticed that Elder Yu possessed a profound aura, emitting a subtle oppressive force. Mo Hua discreetly scanned him with his spiritual awareness, but found that he couldn¡¯t discern much, barely sensing someone sitting there.


    When Mo Hua was using his spiritual sense, Elder Yu''s eyes flickered with a sharp light as he glanced at Mo Hua.


    A Foundation Building cultivator! And not just any ordinary one at that! His spiritual sense was much stronger than Mo Hua''s!


    Mo Shan patted Mo Hua¡¯s head and said, "Hua, Elder Yu has something to discuss with you. Have a chat. I''ll go help your mother tidy up in the front."


    "What could Elder Yu possibly want from me?" Mo Hua wondered aloud but nodded in agreement.


    After Mo Shan left, Elder Yu got straight to the point:


    "I heard from Mo Shan that you can draw the Iron Armor Array?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua replied.


    Elder Yu nodded slightly, "Good, I have a matter to discuss with you."


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    "Please speak, Elder," Mo Hua said.


    Elder Yu nodded again, having previously heard from multiple sources about Mo Shan''s son, who, despite his young age, was already an array master. He hadn''t believed it at first, thinking it was preposterous.


    Eventually, as more people mentioned it, he started to believe it a bit, but deep down, he felt that those who were talented at a young age tended to be arrogant, especially array masters. The array masters he had encountered, regardless of their skill level, tended to have quite the temper.


    At first, he did not have a good impression of Mo Hua, but upon seeing him now, young and polite, his demeanor softened.


    "I plan to


    have you draw a batch of arrays, all Iron Armor Arrays, on rattan armors. At the upcoming demon hunting ceremony, we''ll distribute a set to each of the young demon hunters. This way, they''ll have some protection when they venture into the mountains to hunt demons."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood; the demon hunting ceremony was coming up soon, and a new group of young cultivators would become demon hunters.


    Elder Yu was an elder of the demon hunters'' council, responsible for maintaining the rules for demon hunters and ensuring their safety, especially the young ones who had not yet seen the ferocity of demonic beasts. They were the newcomers needing protection now, but in twenty or thirty years, they could potentially be the backbone of the demon hunters.


    "How many sets do you need?"


    "About a hundred," Elder Yu said.


    "A hundred sets..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback; that would keep him busy for quite a while.


    "Is that possible?" Elder Yu asked tentatively.


    Mo Hua hesitated, "When do you need these arrays?"


    Elder Yu thought for a moment and replied, "Before the demon hunting festival is fine, which gives us about three months."


    Three months was plenty of time. Mo Hua nodded, "That''s no problem."


    Elder Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He was concerned that with Mo Hua¡¯s low cultivation level and limited spiritual sense, his resolve might not hold to complete so many arrays in three months.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confident response, not seeming like he was lying, eased Elder Yu''s concerns somewhat.


    Even if Mo Hua couldn''t complete all of them, having seven or eight out of ten done would still be good.


    After a moment of hesitation and some thought, Elder Yu said:


    "I heard from Mo Shan that you charge five spirit stones for drawing an Iron Armor Array for others. These cultivators have a relationship with your father, so charging them less is understandable and reasonable. However, for these hundred sets of arrays, let''s not consider these personal connections. I''ll pay you eight spirit stones per set as remuneration. How does that sound?"


    Eight spirit stones was not a lot, especially considering that an array master''s spiritual sense is limited and the number of arrays they can draw per day is finite; naturally, they would want the highest price possible for their work.


    Normally, this price would not be enough to hire an array master to draw arrays.


    But this was already Elder Yu¡¯s limit. The demon hunting business was extensive, but every family involved was poor and scattered, relying on him for everything. Eight spirit stones were the most he could offer.


    "Eight spirit stones..." Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s expression, Elder Yu¡¯s face remained unchanged, but his heart felt a bit cold.


    Array masters are indeed difficult to deal with, he thought to himself silently.

 Chapter 101: The Deal

    Elder Yu spent a hundred and fifty years to reach the Foundation Building stage.Throughout these years, he had dealt with various kinds of cultivators, naturally including numerous Array Masters.


    Elder Yu generally held a poor opinion of Array Masters.


    Those from familial clans or sects looked down on independent cultivators, while some independent Array Masters felt superior, as if they had transformed from fish to dragons, and showed even greater disdain towards those from clans or sects.


    Since learning arrays was difficult and Array Masters were scarce, they were often the proudest, considering themselves above the mundane dust.


    Out of respect for a Foundation Building cultivator, some Array Masters were superficially polite, but once asked to construct an array, they would ask for exorbitant fees.


    If you tried to bargain, they would feel insulted, questioning whether you thought their arrays weren¡¯t worth the spirit stones. If you didn¡¯t haggle, the steep price in spirit stones was something many independent cultivators couldn¡¯t afford.


    But in this world, Array Masters were few, yet many cultivators needed arrays. Sometimes, despite their high demands, you had no choice but to comply.


    Therefore, while Elder Yu treated Array Masters with surface respect, he held no real fondness for them.


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    Mo Hua frowned slightly, causing Elder Yu to guess that this deal might not happen. Eight spirit stones were the most he could offer, and he couldn¡¯t afford any more.


    Though a Foundation Building cultivator, he was neither affiliated with a sect nor attached to a clan. He had to earn his own spirit stones and deal with the mundane affairs of demon hunters, not much richer than those at the Qi Cultivation stage.


    Elder Yu was somewhat dissatisfied with Mo Hua, who seemed young and well-behaved, but probably as greedy as the other Array Masters when it came to spirit stones.


    Indeed, all Array Masters were cut from the same cloth, none of them good.


    "How much do you want?" Elder Yu asked with an unfriendly tone, curious to see how much Mo Hua would ask for.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "Three."


    Elder Yu snorted coldly.


    The room went quiet for a moment, and Elder Yu hesitated before asking incredulously, "How much?"


    "Three..."


    "Three?!"


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, suddenly finding Mo Hua endearing again.


    Then he suspected, this child must be foolish, who negotiates by lowering the price?


    "Are you sure you only want three?"


    "Yes, three spirit stones will do, but I have a small condition," said Mo Hua.


    "A condition?" Elder Yu paused, "Let''s hear it."


    "I would like some Spirit Ink, all five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, for regular array practice. Not too much, just manage it as an extra reward."


    "Is that all?"


    "That¡¯s all," Mo Hua nodded.


    "That¡¯s easy," Elder Yu immediately replied.


    Some Spirit Ink, though it also cost spirit stones, was nothing compared to the price of a hundred Iron Armor Arrays. Being a Foundation Building cultivator, he had his own connections and could obtain good Spirit Ink without spending many spirit stones, saving him a significant amount.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and suddenly found the child increasingly handsome.


    He still said this Spirit Ink was for practicing arrays?


    "Not bad! Diligent and studious, no wonder you can draw arrays so well at such a young age," Elder Yu praised inwardly.


    Elder Yu thought again, worried Mo Hua might be short-changed, and said, "You only want three spirit stones, is that enough?"


    "It¡¯s fine, three spirit stones are not few. Besides, we are all independent cultivators; we should look out for each other, this is what my father always tells me," Mo Hua said in a youthful voice.


    This struck a chord in Elder Yu''s heart, warming it.


    He too was an independent cultivator who had struggled to reach the Foundation Building stage, hoping to explore higher realms for greater opportunities and perhaps further advancement in cultivation.


    But looking back at the aunts, uncles, friends, and elder brothers who had cared for him, living was truly hard. Without the care of a Foundation Building cultivator, they would surely suffer daily under the oppression of those clan cultivators, living a miserable life.


    He thought for a long time and decided to stay.


    The outside cultivation world was vast, and he would be just one of the many minor cultivators with dim prospects, but in Tongxian City, he was a respected Foundation Building cultivator who could make many people no longer suffer, ensuring their safety and slightly improving the lives of many independent cultivators.


    Hearing such words from a child like Mo Hua, Elder Yu felt deeply gratified.


    Elder Yu gazed at Mo Hua, looking left and right, liking him more and more.


    Look, Mo Shan has raised this son so well!


    Mo Hua felt a bit uneasy under Elder Yu¡¯s intense gaze and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Elder Yu, is there something wrong?"


    "Nothing, nothing, it''s just right! Very right!" Elder Yu said, "Tomorrow I will have someone bring the rattan armor, and I''ll find the Spirit Ink for you, all five elements, right? I''ll send them over once I''ve gathered them. Rest assured, you¡¯ve helped this old man greatly this time, I won''t let you be short-changed. If you need anything in the future, you can also come to me."


    Mo Hua was delighted, "Thank you, Elder!"


    "It¡¯s a trifle, a trifle!" Elder Yu waved his hand, then added caringly, "Then you rest now, don''t stay up too late at such a young age."


    "Okay," Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Yu then walked out, took a few steps, seemed to suddenly remember something, and stopped. After hesitating for a while, he walked back.


    Mo Hua looked puzzled and asked, "Elder Yu, is there anything else?"


    Elder Yu coughed and quietly pulled out a storage bag, "I... cough, have two grandsons, they... about their arrays, I need your help."


    "Is this urgent?" Mo Hua asked.


    "This... it''s a bit urgent, but not particularly so, just draw when you have time," Elder Yu replied.


    Elder Yu''s two grandsons, along with Da Hu, had already started going up the mountain to hunt demons.


    As the saying goes, grandparents are often closer to their grandchildren, and Elder Yu, indifferent to his own son, was extremely fond of his two grandsons. Each time he saw them return from the mountains with injuries, it troubled him deeply.


    As a Foundation Building cultivator, he couldn¡¯t simply go up the mountain.


    Foundation Building cultivators frequently entering the mountains could be seen as a provocation by the demonic beasts, attracting second-tier great demons. In Tongxian City, second-tier great demons were virtually without natural enemies.


    There weren''t many Foundation Building cultivators in Tongxian City to begin with, and getting them to join forces to hunt demons was even rarer, and even if they did, they were hardly a match for second-tier demonic beasts.


    And if a mistake were made, allowing a second-tier demonic beast to devour one or two Foundation Building cultivators, the problem would be grave.


    So unless necessary, Elder Yu generally wouldn¡¯t enter Dahei Mountain, at most wandering around the outer mountain. If entering the inner mountain, he tried his best not to reveal his cultivation level.


    Because he couldn¡¯t casually enter the mountains, he often worried about the safety of his two grandsons, drawing an Iron Armor Array on their rattan armor as a means of protection, so he could have some peace of mind.


    "Alright, I''ll help you draw when I have time!" Mo Hua agreed.


    Elder Yu nodded, seeing Mo Hua about to return to his room, he advised softly, "Take your time with those arrays, more or less doesn''t matter, just don¡¯t tire yourself out."


    The usually strict Elder Yu''s voice was unexpectedly gentle and kind.

 Chapter 102: The Fifth Level of Qi Refining

    When Elder Yu entered the room, his expression was stern, but upon leaving, his face noticeably brightened, and Mo Shan could even discern a faint smile on his face.Having known Elder Yu for so long, Mo Shan remembered him as someone who was often irascible, with a severe demeanor and a temper to match. The expression he wore today was something Mo Shan had never seen before.


    "Mo Shan, you have raised a fine son!" Elder Yu unexpectedly praised Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan was taken aback, even a bit flattered. Despite his achievements in the Dao and his prowess in slaying demons, Elder Yu had never complimented him before; he had thought Elder Yu was too strict to praise anyone.


    The sudden compliment caught him off guard, and for a moment, he didn''t know how to respond.


    After speaking, Elder Yu didn¡¯t wait for Mo Shan¡¯s reply and, nodding at Liu Ruhua, walked out the door.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua respectfully escorted Elder Yu to the door.


    It was late evening, the moon hung high, and the streets were sparsely populated. Yet, the houses on either side always had some warm yellow lights on, with occasional laughter, children''s shouting, and parents'' scolding heard.


    After walking a few steps, Elder Yu turned back to look at Mo Hua''s house, thinking to himself, "Among us wandering cultivators, perhaps we might actually have a true Array Master..."


    In the world of cultivation, arrays are revered, essential not only for daily needs but also in battles against demonic beasts. However, arrays were not meant for low-level wandering cultivators like them, who were too poor to deserve such resources...


    If Mo Hua truly excelled in arrays, and remained true to his heart, aiding other wandering cultivators¡ªeven if he remained just a Qi Refining cultivator his entire life¡ªhe would be far more useful to the wandering cultivators of Tongxian City than he, a Foundation Building cultivator but a decaying old wood...


    "How wonderful it would be to have an Array Master," Elder Yu thought wistfully.


    "I wonder if I will live to see that day..."


    The next day, Elder Yu had twenty sets of vine armor, twenty bottles of Gold Essence Spirit Ink, and fifty spirit stones delivered, along with two bottles of Five Elements Spirit Ink, with the promise to deliver more vine armors once they were crafted.


    The fifty spirit stones were an advance payment; the rest would be paid upon completion. The Five Elements Spirit Ink was specifically sourced for Mo Hua, serving as an extra reward, and the quality was quite good, which made Mo Hua very happy.


    These spirit stones and spirit inks would last Mo Hua a considerable amount of time.


    Although the Hunting Festival was still three months away, Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to wait that long; he planned to finish within a month and a half, drawing two to three arrays daily during his spare time, making sure it wouldn¡¯t interfere with his cultivation or learning of higher-level arrays.


    Mo Hua was also waiting to reach the Fifth Level of Qi Refining to learn some spells.


    Half a month later, Mo Hua completed the thirty-sixth Iron Armor Array and was about to continue when he noticed something unusual about his Qi sea.


    His eyes lit up as he quickly sat down to meditate and took out a spirit stone, beginning to absorb the spiritual energy.


    After some time, Mo Hua felt a tremble in his Qi sea, followed by a moment of chaotic spiritual power which then stabilized and deepened slightly.


    He had reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refining!


    Mo Hua was quite happy, as a cultivator''s realm was their foundation.


    It seemed that the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, aside from major breakthroughs that required overcoming the Riddle Array bottleneck, did not pose significant obstacles for minor advancements and did not require any rare heavenly materials.


    Mo Hua felt a profound respect for the ancestors who created this technique, like the continuous and unending flow of a mighty river.


    "What if I continue to cultivate like this? Could I truly become an immortal?"


    Mo Hua''s thoughts began to wander.


    He then thought of the substantial spirit stones required for cultivation, the complex Composite Arrays he had encountered while studying, and the mysterious and unknown Riddle Arrays.


    Mo Hua reined in his fleeting thoughts.


    "Cultivation should be grounded and realistic; don''t aim too high and far! Cultivation should be grounded and realistic; don''t aim too high and far!"


    Mo Hua repeated this to himself twice, then began planning his cultivation at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining.


    First and foremost, spells! A cultivator who doesn''t learn spells, can they even be called a cultivator?


    Physical cultivation aside, as a cultivator destined and only capable of being a spirit cultivator, not learning some spells would make it hard to survive outside.


    But whom to learn from?


    Mo Hua worried slightly, as most Demon Hunters were physical cultivators, and there were few spirit cultivators.


    If physical cultivation posed risks in hunting demonic beasts, then for spirit cultivators, it was essentially gambling with their lives.


    The difference between spirit and physical cultivators in hunting was significant.


    If a spirit cultivator was attacked by a demonic beast, compared to a physical cultivator, they might suffer minor injuries where the physical cultivator would be unharmed, serious injuries where the physical cultivator had minor injuries, and death where the physical cultivator was seriously injured. If a physical cultivator died, the spirit cultivator wouldn''t even have a complete corpse left...


    That''s why there were so few spirit cultivators among Demon Hunters, not only because few chose to be spirit cultivators but also because those who did often didn''t survive.


    Unless there was no other choice, like for Mo Hua.


    If he had been physically strong, he would have chosen to be a physical cultivator, commissioning a crescent blade engraved with a blue dragon from Master Chen, charging into groups of demonic beasts, and slaughtering them left and right¡ªjust thinking about it was thrilling.


    But the only drawback to this idea was that it was just that¡ªan idea.


    What about seeking advice from Mr. Zhuang? Mo Hua shook his head; he was content that Mr. Zhuang could teach him about arrays. To ask for spells might seem too greedy.


    Moreover, Mr. Zhuang''s appearance was inscrutable; his vitality seemed weak, his spiritual power was lacking, and his spiritual awareness was unfocused, completely embodying the image of an elusive master. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If Mo Hua approached Mr. Zhuang and upset him, he might lose the opportunity to learn about arrays altogether, trading a sesame for a watermelon and suffering a great loss.


    What about Aunt Xue? Aunt Xue was quite kind to Mo Hua.


    Oh, right, Aunt Xue specialized in Illusion Techniques, which Mo Hua, with his modest abilities, was neither suited nor able to learn.


    Thinking it over, there was only one person who could help Mo Hua...


    Mo Hua found a book titled "Qi Refining Spell Catalog," which listed some basic spells for Qi Refining cultivators. Of course, it only had the catalog and not the specific cultivation methods.


    Mo Hua even deliberately enlarged the word "spells" on the cover to make it easily noticeable.


    Early in the morning, Mo Hua sat in a restaurant, holding the "Qi Refining Spell Catalog," ready to fish. As the sun rose higher and the weather cleared, the fish came.


    Zhang Lan appeared at the street corner, basking in the sunrise and stretching lazily, then casually strolled towards the restaurant.


    Mo Hua ignored him, pretending to be engrossed in his book.


    Zhang Lan entered the restaurant, sat in his usual spot, ordered a pot of wine, a plate of meat, and a plate of fruit, and began to look around out of boredom. His gaze soon fell on Mo Hua, and naturally, he noticed the book in Mo Hua''s hands and the prominent word "spells" on its pages.


    Zhang Lan carefully confirmed again that the book¡¯s cover said "Qi Refining Spell Catalog."


    He reconfirmed the words "spells" and "Qi refining" several times, feeling a sense of triumph rising within him.


    The last time Mo Hua''s book, "Introductory Solutions to Composite Arrays," almost caused him to capsize. Now, remembering it still gave him a shiver. But as long as it wasn''t about arrays, especially not about Composite Arrays, Zhang Lan felt fearless.


    Moreover, it was "Qi refining" and "spells"! In these categories, no one could stop him from showing off!


    Zhang Lan deliberately coughed, cleared his throat, and staggered over to Mo Hua, feigning nonchalance: "Oh? What book are you reading? Got any questions, need me to teach you?"

 Chapter 103: Spellcraft

    Mo Hua thought to himself, "I deliberately wrote the book title so large that it can be seen from several yards away, and yet you still ask what book it is? Such pretentiousness, could it be any more fake?""No need, I''m just looking," said Mo Hua.


    The more Mo Hua refused to answer, the more curious Zhang Lan became. He leaned in to take a closer look and then pretended as if he had just noticed the book title, saying, "¡®Compendium of Qi-Cultivation Spells,¡¯ not bad. Thinking of learning some spells? Have you reached the fifth level of Qi cultivation?"


    "Just reached the fifth level, I''m just taking a look, no rush," Mo Hua replied, feigning nonchalance.


    "How about it? Want me to teach you?" Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow.


    "Uncle Zhang, are you a spiritual cultivator?" asked Mo Hua.


    "Mm, kind of," Zhang Lan replied.


    "Kind of¡­ what does that mean? Oh, a half-baked cultivator?" Mo Hua teased.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s face darkened. "What half-baked? Where did you learn these absurd words at such a young age?"


    "I see your vitality is strong, though I haven''t sensed much spiritual power. Is it just me not noticing?" asked Mo Hua.


    Zhang Lan proudly said, "I''ve used a spell to conceal my aura; of course, you can''t see it. If you could, all my cultivation would have been in vain!"


    "Oh, does that mean you practice both spirit and body cultivation?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    "Spirit and body cultivation isn''t that easy. I''ve just cultivated my physique a bit to avoid disadvantages in close combat during duels; my main focus is still on spellcraft. Those who practice both spirit and body cultivation need not only exceptional talent but also a great family legacy and vast wealth. You might not encounter one in your whole life," Zhang Lan lamented.


    Mo Hua was taken aback by the need for talent, legacy, and wealth¡ªthree conditions far beyond his reach, making it nearly impossible even if he reincarnated a thousand times.


    "Then, Uncle Zhang, are your spells powerful?"


    "They''re alright, fairly decent," Zhang Lan said modestly.


    "So, not very powerful then."


    Zhang Lan, annoyed, knocked on Mo Hua''s head, "That¡¯s called being modest, understand? Modesty!"


    Mo Hua rubbed his head and asked, "Then between you and Aunt Xue, who is more formidable?"


    "That, well," Zhang Lan hesitated, "we¡¯ve never sparred, how would I know?"


    "Can you perform illusions?"


    "Of course... not." s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua declared, "Aunt Xue can perform illusions, but you can''t, so you must not be as formidable as her! I''ll ask Aunt Xue sometime to see which spells I should learn."


    Zhang Lan objected, "I just can''t perform illusions, but my other spells are not inferior to hers."


    "Really?" Mo Hua looked at him skeptically.


    "Qi-cultivation spells, you can ask me anything about them."


    "Alright, if I want to learn spells now, which should I start with?"


    "Do you have any in mind?" Zhang Lan inquired.


    Mo Hua handed over the ¡®Compendium of Qi-Cultivation Spells¡¯, "I''ve marked a few spells, you can see which one I should learn first."


    Zhang Lan took the book, flipped through a few pages, and saw several spells circled with a pen.


    Fireball Technique, Water Arrow Technique, Metal Blade Technique, Earth Stone Technique...


    These were all spells that could be learned at the mid-stage of Qi cultivation, not difficult, and the spiritual power required for casting was manageable.


    Zhang Lan nodded, "Starting with basic spells is wise. Many cultivators, when they first learn spells, want to learn those of a higher rank, with great power, or those that are very rare. Little do they know, higher-ranked spells require more spiritual power, more time to cast, and the rarer the spell, the stricter the conditions for learning it.


    Not to say whether they can be learned, but even if they are, a single spell could exhaust most of their spiritual power. If they miss their target, they are essentially sitting ducks."


    Zhang Lan stared at Mo Hua for a while, then suddenly realized a problem, "The spells you picked, are they all offensive?"


    Mo Hua was startled, "If not offensive spells, then what should I learn?"


    "Aren''t you thinking about how to protect yourself?"


    "Oh, right," Mo Hua had an epiphany, "First, I need to be able to protect myself. If I can¡¯t even do that, who am I attacking?"


    The incident with Qian Xing also made


    it clear to him that cultivators must have means to protect themselves. Otherwise, if suddenly in danger, they would be powerless and caught in a passive deadlock.


    "What protective spells are there? Something like the Golden Bell Shield?" Mo Hua asked earnestly.


    "The Golden Bell Shield isn''t bad, but it''s not very useful for you."


    "Why not?" Mo Hua didn''t understand.


    Zhang Lan looked at him with a hint of disdain, "Haven''t you realized your spiritual power isn''t that strong?"


    "That''s because my cultivation level is low," Mo Hua argued.


    "It''s partly because your cultivation level is low, but isn''t your spiritual root quality just average? If I''m not mistaken, the cultivation technique you¡¯re using also doesn''t enhance your spiritual power much, so the spiritual power in your Qi sea is definitely weaker compared to others at the same level."


    Although Mo Hua didn''t want to admit it, it seemed to be the truth.


    Zhang Lan looked at him and thought to himself, fortunately your spiritual root talent is average. If your talent in spiritual roots was as good as your talent in array patterns, what then? It seems the Dao of Heaven is still relatively fair.


    Zhang Lan continued, "If your spiritual power is weak, even if you use defensive spells like the Golden Bell Shield, it won¡¯t last long. Once your spiritual power is exhausted, you can only sit and wait for death."


    "Moreover, the Golden Bell Shield requires foreknowledge of danger and prior activation of spiritual power. If you are ambushed and don¡¯t have time to activate it, then the spell is as good as unlearned."


    Mo Hua looked troubled, "Then what should I learn?"


    So you have your troubles too, huh? Not willing to ask me! Zhang Lan secretly gloated for a while.


    In the Qi-cultivation stage, every problem is a small problem... as long as it doesn¡¯t involve array patterns.


    Zhang Lan put on a bit of an act and then said to Mo Hua, "You could learn evasion techniques."


    "Evasion techniques?"


    "If you learn defensive spells like the Golden Bell Shield, you can only take hits when attacked..." Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua, "But your physique and spiritual power can''t really withstand much."


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    "So, if you learn evasion techniques, you can attack or retreat as necessary, and if all else fails, you can still run," Zhang Lan explained.


    "Are there any drawbacks?"


    "There definitely are. If you use defensive spells, at least you can withstand a few hits before your spiritual power is exhausted. But if you use evasion techniques, you either dodge skillfully without a scratch, or if you are not careful and someone catches you off guard, you''re likely doomed."


    "So, it''s like taking an attack without any defense at all, is that right?"


    "Exactly."


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then said, "Defensive spells mean being at the mercy of others once spiritual power is exhausted. Evasion techniques mean being at risk if caught off-guard. But at least with evasion techniques, there''s a chance to advance or retreat. If I learn the Golden Bell Shield, I really wouldn¡¯t be able to block or run..."


    "Have you decided?"


    "Yeah, I¡¯ll learn evasion techniques."


    Zhang Lan nodded, "That¡¯s smart. Since you can¡¯t have it all, you might as well play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses."


    Zhang Lan picked up the ¡®Compendium of Qi-Cultivation Spells¡¯, flipped through it, and then picked up the pen on the table, marking a few evasion techniques for Mo Hua to choose from. But he suddenly realized something wasn''t right.


    These evasion techniques, common in the Qi-cultivation stage, were fine for Mo Hua to learn, but since they were common, others could teach them too. How then could he stand out?

 Chapter 104: Steps of Flowing Water

    By Mo Hua''s side, most indeed were wandering cultivators with limited perspectives, yet there were not a few cultivators with extraordinary insights.For instance, the master who taught Mo Hua the array formations was certainly not an ordinary cultivator. There was also the lady known as Aunt Xue, veiled in an ethereal mist, who possibly mastered illusion techniques, not to mention other magical arts. Additionally, the two children who accompanied him shopping one day, surnamed Bai, displayed an appearance and demeanor that suggested an exceptional background. And then there was his father, Mo Shan, whose cultivation might be mediocre, but his experience and vision from years of hunting demonic beasts in the mountains were surely not weak...


    Zhang Lan pondered internally. If they knew he had taught Mo Hua a commonplace technique, it wouldn''t be Mo Hua who would be despised.


    What could a child like Mo Hua possibly understand?


    It would be him, Zhang Lan, who would face disdain.


    The thought of Aunt Xue looking down on him with a disdainful gaze was somewhat unbearable for Zhang Lan.


    No, he couldn''t afford to lose this face! "This matter concerns not only my personal dignity but also the reputation of the Zhang family. I can''t let others think the Zhang family lacks a foundation in cultivation," Zhang Lan justified to himself.


    "These techniques are all quite ordinary. I''ll teach you something different," said Zhang Lan to Mo Hua.


    "Something different?"


    "Yes, unlike any ordinary technique."


    Mo Hua was troubled. He had originally hoped Zhang Lan could just offer some guidance on what spells to learn¡ªpreferably well-known and commonly practiced spells.


    Such spells would undoubtedly be practical, as cultivators wouldn''t waste time on spells they couldn''t use.


    And if they were commonly learned, the stability of the spells would be guaranteed. Even if Zhang Lan stopped teaching, Mo Hua could seek guidance from others if he had any doubts.


    But now that Zhang Lan intended to teach him something unique, Mo Hua was worried about the cultivation requirements, including the need for rare spiritual materials, which he simply couldn''t afford...


    "What''s with that look?" Zhang Lan couldn''t help but lightly slap the table, "Why do you seem so reluctant? Others beg me to teach them, and I refuse. Don''t act like you''re being wronged when offered a privilege!" s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s just that I don''t want to trouble you, Uncle Zhang," Mo Hua scratched his head, "How about you pick any technique from this book to teach me?"


    Mo Hua spread open the "Compendium of Qi Cultivation Techniques." The book contained common spells known to those in the Qi Cultivation stage, familiar to low-level wandering cultivators. Learning from it seemed safer to him.


    "No way! I can''t afford to lose that face!" Zhang Lan would not agree.


    Mo Hua didn''t understand. How could learning a spell be disgraceful...


    Determined, Zhang Lan gritted his teeth and declared, "I''ll teach you the Steps of Flowing Water¡ªit''s the Zhang family''s unique skill!"


    Mo Hua hesitated for a long while before meekly saying, "Is your family''s unique skill so worthless that you''d teach it so casually to others?"


    Zhang Lan nearly burst a blood vessel in anger. Seizing Mo Hua''s collar with his spiritual power, he lifted him up, "Follow me!"


    Liu Ruhua witnessed this but knew Zhang Lan was an official from the Dao Court and had a good relationship with Mo Hua; she would not mistreat him, so she did not interfere.


    Only thinking to herself, "Old Zhang is such a grown man, yet his temperament is hardly better than Mo Hua''s..."


    Zhang Lan dragged Mo Hua by the collar to the base of a mountain outside Tongxian City.


    The area was dense with trees, secluded and quiet, seldom visited by others.


    Mo Hua felt himself being lifted by spiritual power, his feet off the ground, then everything around him whirled as the scenery reversed. After a moment, he came back to his senses and found himself outside Tongxian City.


    "Uncle Zhang, why have you brought me here?" Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask.


    "Stab me with this sword."


    Zhang Lan handed him a sword, black lacquered with gold inlay and decorated with an ancient pine pattern, clearly no ordinary item.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth, "This doesn''t seem right."


    "Just stab."


    "What if I hurt you?" Mo Hua voiced his concern.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua silently, making him realize he might have overestimated himself.


    With Mo Hua''s cultivation level, Zhang Lan could stand still, let him stab all day, and still not even a hair would be harmed.


    "Alright."


    Zhang Lan wasn''t worried, so why should he be? Mo Hua


    gripped the sword, prepared to stab Zhang Lan, but then said, "I can''t."


    "What now?" Zhang Lan asked.


    "I can''t lift this sword..."


    Mo Hua muttered quietly.


    What kind of sword was Zhang Lan using? Why was it so heavy? Could it really be a sword meant for spiritual cultivators?


    Zhang Lan sighed and pointed slightly upward. Before Mo Hua could see what was happening, a section of a tree branch fell from above.


    "Use this branch."


    "Oh." Mo Hua nodded.


    He took the branch, held his breath, and concentrated his strength through the branch, stabbing towards Zhang Lan. Of course, Mo Hua''s strength was almost negligible, since he was not a body cultivator.


    What happened next astonished Mo Hua.


    His branch pierced through Zhang Lan''s body.


    Mo Hua was startled, but when he regained his senses, he found no feedback of force on the branch, and he had actually hit nothing. When he looked again, Zhang Lan''s figure gradually blurred and then disappeared, reappearing a step away.


    Although Mo Hua didn''t understand what had happened, it felt impressive!


    "Is this a movement technique?"


    Zhang Lan smiled lightly, then his form dispersed like mist, creating many afterimages around Mo Hua that neither eyes nor spiritual sense could pinpoint.


    Soon, all spiritual power dissipated, and Zhang Lan reappeared in his original spot, as if he had never moved.


    Mo Hua was profoundly shocked.


    Zhang Lan watched Mo Hua''s inexperienced expression, feeling quite relaxed, though his face remained calm.


    "Now, do you want to learn it?"


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but nod.


    "This technique is called Steps of Flowing Water, a unique skill of the Zhang family, normally not taught outside. The Steps of Flowing Water is a movement technique for spiritual cultivators that allows the use of spiritual power to control the body, swiftly dodging attacks within a confined space. At higher levels, one can even create afterimages to confuse others'' vision and disturb their spiritual sense..."


    Mo Hua listened intently, then worriedly said:


    "But by teaching me, aren''t you revealing it outside? Won''t the Zhang family punish you? If so, maybe we should forget it."


    "Isn''t the technique good?"


    "It is good, but I don''t want to cause you trouble," Mo Hua felt conflicted.


    Zhang Lan paused, then laughed, "Don''t worry, if I dared to teach you, it''s certainly alright. Those old sticklers in the clan can''t do much about me."


    At most, they''d lock me up for a few months or make me kneel in the ancestral hall for a few days...


    Zhang Lan silently added to himself, though such a loss of dignity, he would never admit aloud.


    "Oh," Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "But if I learn it, wouldn''t your family consider killing me to ensure the secret doesn''t spread?"


    Zhang Lan couldn''t help but tap Mo Hua''s forehead, "What on earth is in that little head of yours, how can you say such a jumble of nonsense?"

 Chapter 105: Movement Technique

    "Our Zhang family is a genuine lineage, strict in family conduct, how could we resort to silencing others at will. The Passing Water Step, though a unique skill, is not absolutely forbidden to be taught externally. I can secretly teach you, and you can secretly learn, there won''t be any issues. Should anyone find out, you just say I taught you, and push all the blame onto me..." Zhang Lan said rather heroically."If they aren''t going to do anything to me, then why should I push it onto you? I''ll just say I learned it by a chance coincidence, wouldn''t that work?" Mo Hua blinked, whispering.


    Zhang Lan frowned and said, "What you''re saying... does seem to make some sense..."


    If the Zhang family wouldn''t trouble Mo Hua, then why should he step forward to take responsibility? If this matter were to be exposed, and the clan elders found out, he would be confined for several months. Although he was accustomed to such confinement and kneeling at the ancestral hall, they were indeed not matters of pride; if avoidable, it was best avoided.


    "You need to find an excuse," Zhang Lan said.


    "I''ll just say it was a kindly passing uncle who taught me, if asked for the name, I wouldn''t know; if asked how he looked, I''ve forgotten," Mo Hua said.


    "Fine, as long as that kind uncle isn''t me."


    With no concerns left, Zhang Lan said, "I''m teaching you the Passing Water Step now, practice it more when you have the time."


    "The Passing Water Step is a movement technique specifically for spiritual cultivation, using spiritual power to guide the body, achieving nimbleness within a small space, moving forward and backward freely."


    "The essence of this technique lies in using spiritual sense to control spiritual power minutely, directing the spiritual power through the corresponding meridians, then guiding the body, thus in a small distance, swiftly dodging, and in the blink of an eye, evading enemy swords and blades."


    Zhang Lan conveyed the key points of practicing the movement technique to Mo Hua and handed him a diagram of the meridians.


    "This meridian diagram records the sequence and specific acupoints of spiritual power flow in different motions of the Passing Water Step. Take it home, study it well, memorize it in your mind, and burn it after, leaving no trace."


    "Behind the meridian diagram, there''s also a simple body refining technique..."


    "It''s not a spell, but body refining is needed too?"


    Mo Hua was not confident in his talent for body refining.


    Zhang Lan corrected Mo Hua''s understanding: "Spiritual cultivation refers to cultivators who rely on spiritual power to drive spells for attack, not those who only cultivate spiritual power. Both the physical body and spiritual power are the foundations of a cultivator, both indispensable. Even spells cannot completely separate from the physical body. For spiritual cultivation, spells are too important, hence body cultivation might seem optional."


    Zhang Lan reassured Mo Hua after finishing, "Don''t worry, the body refining technique attached to the Passing Water Step isn''t for cultivating physical strength, but a method to make the limbs flexible and the body coordinated."


    "If the body is out of sync, with stiff legs and feet, the step technique might not be executed, and you could end up being pulled and injured by your own spiritual power..."


    ...


    Zhang Lan detailed the technique, Mo Hua listened attentively, and soon, Zhang Lan had taught everything, then said:


    "Try now to see how much you''ve grasped."


    Mo Hua mobilized his spiritual power, following the intricacies recorded in the meridian diagram of the Passing Water Step, indeed feeling lighter on his feet, his movements much quicker.


    Mo Hua, an array master with strong spiritual sense and further strengthened by cultivating the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, found the flow of spiritual power in the Passing Water Step unimpeded.


    This movement technique was simpler than Mo Hua had imagined.


    Mo Hua tried to take a step forward using the Passing Water Step, but his right leg circulated spiritual power too quickly, his left leg slightly slower, and he slipped...


    Falling face-first onto the ground.


    Mo Hua lifted his head, wiped the mud off his face, and while still tasting dirt, muttered, "This doesn''t seem so simple..."


    Zhang Lan saw this and thought to himself, that''s more like it, it''s already fast learning array techniques, it couldn''t possibly be so fast learning spells too.


    Mo Hua tried a few more times, but still couldn''t succeed, either the coordination of spiritual power in his limbs was off, causing him to slip, or he would fall sitting squarely on the ground with the same hand and foot.


    Zhang Lan watched the dirt-covered Mo Hua, his expression unchanged, secretly delighted, thought: "Now you know the difficulty of learning spells..."


    Zhang


    Lan''s specialty was other movement techniques; he wasn''t very skilled with the Passing Water Step, mainly because among the unique techniques of the Zhang family, it was considered neither outstanding in offense nor defense, attacking was not sharp enough, and controlling spiritual power was too difficult, thus not many in the Zhang family primarily practiced the Passing Water Step.


    This was also why he dared to secretly teach it to Mo Hua.


    If it were a mainstream technique like the Falling Flower Step, which everyone in the clan learned, anyone could recognize the origin of the technique as soon as it was used, then his troubles would be much greater.


    The Passing Water Step was just right, the technique itself was decent, low-key enough, not widely learned, and using it secretly was no issue.


    After practicing the Passing Water Step for half a day, Mo Hua fell on the ground again.


    Zhang Lan picked up Mo Hua, dusted him off, then said, "Alright, go back and practice well yourself, learning spells and learning arrays are similar, it''s all about practice makes perfect, if it doesn''t work once, just try a few more times."


    "Okay." Mo Hua nodded.


    Zhang Lan sent Mo Hua back to the eatery, then reminded Mo Hua a few words, to not tell anyone that the technique was taught by him, to practice secretly, then righteously accepted a few pots of wine and several pounds of meat as "bribery" from Mo Hua, contentedly walking away.


    Liu Ruhua pulled out a towel, dampened it with water, and while wiping Mo Hua''s face, said, "Did Zhang steward teach you something?"


    "Uncle Zhang told me not to say," Mo Hua smiled.


    "Alright, then you learn well, and find time to thank Steward Zhang." Liu Ruhua spoke softly.


    "Mhm." Mo Hua nodded.


    Afterward, Mo Hua began his days of cultivating the Passing Water Step.


    In a corner of the courtyard, Mo Hua first tried to control his hands and feet with spiritual power, simply moving them.


    This was the simplest, also the foundation of all movement techniques following the Passing Water Step. S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At first, practice might feel uncomfortable, and he would fall from losing balance, but after practicing a few times, becoming familiar with the meridians guided by spiritual power, the movements gradually became smooth.


    So in the backyard corner, one could see faint blue spiritual power wrapped around Mo Hua''s legs, like water, like mist, even without moving his feet, his body could gradually advance or retreat.


    Mo Hua tried a few more times, feeling like sliding on ice in severe winter, quite fun.


    Afterward, Mo Hua tried several more difficult movement techniques, like front somersaults, back somersaults, handstands, and handsprings, and unsurprisingly, he fell a few times...


    Mo Hua analyzed the reasons, finding that his own body was too weak, lacking strength, and his movements not agile enough.


    Mo Hua took out the body refining techniques Zhang Lan had given.


    These techniques were simple, only including some basic movements, different from the physical cultivation''s body refining, not cultivating strength, but the limbs'' flexibility and coordination.


    The figure drawn on the diagram moved naturally and lightly, as fluid as water.


    Mo Hua realized, no wonder it''s called the Passing Water Step.


    Mo Hua then followed the movements on the diagram, practicing them one by one.


    In the beginning, his limbs felt awkward and stiff, causing him to falter, but as he continued practicing, he gradually became more adept, movements light and natural, as if flowing water.


    When Mo Hua felt he was ready, he began to formally practice the more challenging techniques of the Passing Water Step.

 Chapter 106: The Big Tree

    Mo Hua soon realized that the Passing Water Step wasn¡¯t as difficult as he had initially thought.The challenge of the Passing Water Step lay in using Spiritual Awareness to control spiritual power and using this power to guide the physical body. The stronger the control of Spiritual Awareness over spiritual power, the more agile the manipulation of the body.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, an ancient cultivation method, does not amplify spiritual power or strengthen the Five Elements. Instead, it focuses on enhancing the control of Spiritual Awareness.


    Being an Array master who dealt with array formations daily, Mo Hua naturally had a stronger application of Spiritual Awareness than ordinary cultivators. After cultivating the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, it was like adding wings to a tiger, as controlling spiritual power and activating bodily movements became effortless.


    The previous difficulties were mostly due to his inherently weak constitution, which made it easy to lose balance and thus hinder the execution of physical techniques.


    For ordinary cultivators, even if the physical body wasn''t strong, it was sufficient for practicing physical techniques. The difficulty lay in how to delicately control spiritual power to precisely operate it through the limbs, channels, and acupoints.


    For Mo Hua, however, the most challenging aspect was his weak body, making the flow of spiritual power through channels and acupoints seem trivial.


    Moreover, the circulation of Mo Hua''s spiritual power was even more meticulous than required by the heart method charts of the Passing Water Step. In some complex physical moves, Mo Hua could execute even more complicated variations.


    In just over ten days, Mo Hua had nearly mastered the movements of the Passing Water Step.


    But merely learning them wasn¡¯t enough; Mo Hua felt the need for actual combat practice.


    That day, Mo Hua went to the foot of the mountains outside Tongxian City and found a tree with deep roots and lush foliage.


    The tree was laden with wild fruits that were small and tart to the taste, inedible and therefore abundant; almost every branch was heavy with them.


    Mo Hua kicked the tree hard, but the tree remained unmoved, leaving him with a numb sensation in his foot.


    With no other choice, Mo Hua drew a simple Earth Movement Array and buried it under the tree.


    The Earth Movement Array was a basic Earth-type array formation, not complicated in its array patterns, and simple to draw. Once activated with spiritual power, it would produce vibrations.


    After Mo Hua injected some spiritual power, the array flashed a dusty grey light and started vibrating, causing the tree to tremble and the wild fruits to fall.


    The falling fruits aimed straight for Mo Hua.


    His spirits lifted as he started dodging the fruits using the Passing Water Step.


    Of the dozen fruits that fell, Mo Hua dodged most but still got hit by two¡ªone on the shoulder and one on the head.


    Mo Hua clutched his head, sucking in a breath from the pain.


    It was a miscalculation¡ªhe hadn¡¯t expected it to hurt so much.


    Mo Hua glanced at the towering tree, then walked away somewhat angrily, returning about an hour later wearing a small helmet that Master Chen had crafted for him on short notice. It was simple and lightweight; while it might not withstand an attack from a cultivator, it was more than enough for a few falling fruits.


    Unfazed, Mo Hua reactivated the Earth Movement Array and resumed dodging the falling fruits with the Passing Water Step.


    Initially, Mo Hua was fully focused and hardly got hit. As time passed, although his Spiritual Awareness remained sharp, his limbs grew weary, his movements less agile, and his spiritual power weakened, resulting in him getting hit by more fruits.


    As dusk approached, Mo Hua patted the big tree and said, ¡°I¡¯ll come back tomorrow,¡± before heading home.


    At home, Liu Ruhua tenderly applied medicine to him, saying worriedly, ¡°Where have you been playing to end up bruised and swollen like this¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mother, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Liu Ruhua pressed a bit harder with her medicine application, causing Mo Hua to cry out in pain.


    ¡°Still say it doesn¡¯t hurt?¡± she retorted, a touch of tenderness softening her movements.


    ¡°It¡¯s just superficial injuries, nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get into a fight, did you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I was practicing my body techniques. This way, I can escape if there¡¯s any danger¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Liu Ruhua asked.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Liu Ruhua sighed in relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Seeing the bruises on Mo Hua¡¯s body, she couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°Just be careful.¡±


    Mo Hua confidently replied, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve just started learning. Soon, even a heavy rain won¡¯t wet the hem of my robe¡­¡±


    Liu R


    uhua chuckled and shook her head, playfully pinching Mo Hua¡¯s nose, ¡°Such big talk!¡±


    The next day, Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°injuries¡± were not yet healed, and the bruising on his shoulders hadn¡¯t subsided, making every movement painful. Although his skill in the Passing Water Step had improved, his performance wasn¡¯t better than the first day.


    By the third day, the pain had eased somewhat, and his technique improved further, so the number of fruits hitting Mo Hua decreased.


    Each subsequent day, Mo Hua practiced his body techniques under the tree. As the number of fruits on the tree decreased, his skill in the Passing Water Step similarly improved.


    By the time Mo Hua¡¯s mastery of the Passing Water Step had become somewhat proficient, there were only a few fruits left on the tree.


    In front of Mo Hua, the towering tree stood silently. A few unripe fruits hung forlornly on what were once lush branches.


    It looked somewhat desolate¡­


    Feeling somewhat guilty, Mo Hua drew a Water-Wood Array and buried it at the base of the tree.


    The Water-Wood Array could accumulate moisture and nourish the spirit wood, helping flowers and trees grow¡ªit was Mo Hua¡¯s way of apologizing.


    Nourished by the Water-Wood Array, the tree¡¯s leaves seemed to grow lush once more.


    Although Mo Hua had become quite skilled at the Passing Water Step, how it would perform in actual combat was another matter.


    After all, the trajectory of falling fruits was predictable, but in a real fight, the attacks and spells of an opponent might not follow a set pattern.


    It was time to find someone to spar with.


    But who?


    Mo Shan was going into the mountains to hunt demons, and whether in terms of cultivation level or actual combat experience, he was far superior to Mo Hua, making him an unsuitable partner. Da Hu and his group, having become demon hunters, also frequently ventured into Dahei Mountain. Whether they were away for a few days or half a month, they were too busy upon their return, certainly too busy to be bothered.


    Da Zhu and his companions were also busy learning artifact crafting from Master Chen daily. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan then?


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but then shook his head. Although he seemed idle, Zhang Lan was after all a registrar of the Dao Court and couldn¡¯t truly be doing nothing all day. Moreover, Zhang Lan had taught him the technique, so asking him to practice with him again would be rather shameless.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t think of a suitable candidate.


    A few days later, Mo Hua brought wine and food to Mr. Zhuang and asked him a few questions before bidding him farewell.


    Walking under the great locust tree, Mo Hua saw Bai Zixi calmly and elegantly reading a book, the crystal-clear locust flowers gently falling upon her.


    Beside her, Bai Zisheng lay back under the tree with a book covering his face, displaying a bored and listless demeanor, occasionally rolling over in a manner hardly dignified.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Bai Zisheng, hearing the sound, immediately sat up, his eyes bright and focused on Mo Hua.

 Chapter 107: Sparring

    "Mo Hua!" Bai Zisheng said happily, "Did you bring something to eat?""No¡­"


    "Then did you come to play with me?"


    "Not really... I came to see Mr. Zhuang," Mo Hua honestly replied.


    Bai Zisheng felt quite disappointed.


    "Have you finished your homework?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Not yet, almost there, but I don''t feel like doing it anymore," Bai Zisheng said, then lay down again.


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened, "So, you''re not busy now?"


    "Suppose so," Bai Zisheng nodded.


    "Then let''s spar!"


    "Spar!" Bai Zisheng sat up excitedly, but looking at Mo Hua, who was at the fifth level of Qi refining, with scant spiritual power and a thin figure, he frowned and said, "What are we going to spar with?"


    Mo Hua whispered, "We can spar with movement techniques."


    Bai Zisheng felt it was a bit boring, "That sounds dull."


    "If you don''t want to, then never mind," Mo Hua turned to leave.


    Bai Zisheng quickly stood up and grabbed Mo Hua, saying, "It''s not dull, not dull at all, it''s definitely better than lying around doing nothing."


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and then suggested, "Add a box of begonia pastries for Zixi."


    "Okay," Mo Hua readily agreed.


    The two marked a boundary under the big locust tree, each standing at one end.


    Mo Hua said, "Start," and saw Bai Zisheng''s gaze change instantly. In his white robe, he pounced like a fierce tiger, his speed incredibly fast.


    Mo Hua''s eyelids twitched, he held his breath and concentrated, predicting Bai Zisheng''s trajectory in his spiritual sense, and lightly sidestepped to avoid him. Then, with a tap of his foot, he lightly retreated three meters.


    "Eh?"


    Bai Zisheng was surprised; he thought he would have caught Mo Hua this time, but Mo Hua had merely shifted slightly and dodged past him.


    "Where did you learn this movement technique from?"


    "A passing, unknown, kind-hearted uncle taught me," Mo Hua replied.


    Bai Zisheng was confused and didn''t bother to inquire further, but his competitive spirit was aroused, and his eyes shone even brighter.


    "Be careful!"


    Bai Zisheng pushed off the ground, and a faint golden spiritual power flashed on his body. In a blink, he appeared in front of Mo Hua again, reaching out to snatch the jade pendant from Mo Hua''s neck.


    Mo Hua leaned back, almost falling, but used his spiritual power to pull his body back, lightly retreating while staying close to the ground.


    Bai Zisheng''s hand grasped at nothing, and he turned and pounced towards Mo Hua even faster.


    Mo Hua, having not completed his move and unable to adjust his technique in time, was too late and was tackled to the ground by Bai Zisheng, who snatched the jade pendant. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng pulled Mo Hua up, somewhat guiltily saying, "I didn''t hold back for a moment there, you alright?"


    Mo Hua rubbed his arm, slightly in pain but no worse for wear, "It''s fine, it''s just a spar."


    Bai Zisheng then relaxed and shook the jade pendant in his hand somewhat proudly, "Don''t forget the beef and snacks."


    Seeing his childish demeanor, Mo Hua couldn''t help but laugh, "Don''t worry, I''ll bring it tomorrow."


    "Okay," Bai Zisheng nodded repeatedly, then hesitated, "Still play, no... spar!"


    Bai Zisheng corrected himself; sparring was serious business, unlike playing.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and regretfully shook his head, "No, our cultivation levels are too different. It would still be a loss even if we played a few times."


    Bai Zisheng, who came from a prominent family outside Li province, had superior spiritual roots, cultivation techniques, and was a family prodigy with exceptional comprehension. Although he often appeared carefree, his strength was not to be underestimated.


    Having used the Passing Water Step a few times just now, Mo Hua knew very well that with his current movement techniques, he couldn''t possibly outmatch Bai Zisheng.


    Moreover, Bai Zisheng''s realm was significantly higher than his.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but sigh.


    Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua looking a bit down and said, "I''ll suppress my cultivation level and compare with you."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "Is that really okay?"


    "If it''s a spar, it needs to be fair. Relying on higher cultivation to win would be bullying," Bai Z


    isheng said righteously, "Besides, we''re comparing movement techniques, so it shouldn''t depend on cultivation anyway, or it wouldn''t be fun."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Alright, but let me rest a bit."


    After resting, Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng, who had suppressed his cultivation to the fifth level of Qi refining, had a few matches.


    The results were entirely different.


    Even though Bai Zisheng''s cultivation was suppressed and his techniques and movements were high-grade, the lack of cultivation support made his moves significantly slower.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness could clearly see this.


    Most of Bai Zisheng''s moves could be anticipated by Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness, and he could dodge them using the Passing Water Step. Occasionally, some very tricky moves came in too fast for Mo Hua to dodge, and he had to admit defeat.


    The two agreed on twenty rounds to determine the winner. If the jade pendant could be snatched, Bai Zisheng would win; if not, Mo Hua would win.


    As evening approached, the two had their wins and losses, roughly even, but Bai Zisheng was slightly better.


    Bai Zisheng had a lot of fun, and Mo Hua gained a deeper understanding of the Passing Water Step.


    Bai Zisheng wanted to continue sparring, but Bai Zixi quietly reminded him about "homework," which felt like a bucket of cold water poured over him. Bai Zisheng had no choice but to stop and hurriedly finish his homework before it got dark.


    Mo Hua bid them goodbye, promising to come again the next day, and under Bai Zisheng''s repeated reminders, agreed to bring the wine, meat, and begonia pastries.


    Under the locust tree, everything was observed from a bamboo pavilion by Elder Gui.


    Elder Gui watched Mo Hua''s departing figure with a meaningful gaze, "The Zhang family''s Passing Water Step, huh..."

 Chapter 108: Progress

    Mo Hua often visited Mr. Zhuang''s Sit and Forget Abode whenever he had free time, to spar with Bai Zisheng in the art of movement.Bai Zisheng was quick to understand; with each session, his movements became more refined. However, Mo Hua''s progress was notably swifter.


    Initially, Bai Zisheng had the upper hand, but as Mo Hua''s Passing Water Step became more adept, within twenty rounds, Bai Zisheng found it increasingly difficult to snatch the jade pendant hanging around Mo Hua¡¯s neck.


    To extend their practice, they decided to increase the rounds from twenty to forty.


    "Something¡¯s off..." Bai Zisheng frowned after one such session.


    "What do you mean?" asked Mo Hua.


    "Your technique, it¡¯s somewhat sinister¡­" Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    "It seems ordinary enough, nothing remarkable at first glance, but it''s slippery as an eel. Just when you think you''ve got it, with a flicker, it slips right through your fingers, impossible to grasp."


    "Isn¡¯t that the very proof that this technique is anything but ordinary?" Mo Hua countered.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head. "This technique essentially uses spiritual power to guide the body, but there are many such techniques and I''ve never encountered one so tricky."


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand. "Isn¡¯t it just about using spiritual awareness to direct spiritual power through certain meridians and acupoints to move the body? How is that difficult?"


    It wasn''t necessarily difficult, but to control spiritual power with such precision and finesse using one''s spiritual awareness was not simple at all.


    Bai Zisheng gave Mo Hua another look. At this point, Mo Hua was at the fifth level of Qi cultivation, but his spiritual awareness was sufficient to draw eight array patterns. He had watched Mo Hua draw array formations; his strokes were as swift as a dragon or snake, and he could complete a formation of six or seven patterns in no time.


    Bai Zisheng hesitated, unsure whether the peculiarity lay in the technique or in Mo Hua himself.


    However, he didn''t dwell on it. In the realm of cultivation, there were myriad techniques and practitioners, and some indeed excelled in certain arts more than others.


    Mo Hua¡¯s ability to match Bai Zisheng, even with suppressed cultivation levels, was more a cause for joy than concern.


    From then on, Bai Zisheng would complete his studies early each day and sit under the large pagoda tree, waiting for Mo Hua to join him for their sparring sessions.


    Then one day, Bai Zisheng asked, "Did you learn this movement technique to dodge spells from cultivators?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "and from demonic beasts as well."


    He might venture into the Dahei Mountain someday, where the demonic beasts were far more formidable than any cultivator.


    "You might want to practice against demonic beasts too," Bai Zisheng suggested, taking a bite of his meat.


    "Ah?" Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.


    "The attacks of demonic beasts are different from those of human cultivators. You might be able to dodge a cultivator, but not necessarily a demonic beast."


    "That''s true," Mo Hua realized.


    Demonic beasts were larger, had stronger bodies, sharper claws and teeth, and most moved on all fours, making their attack trajectories quite different from those of cultivators.


    Moreover, some demonic beasts specialized in using their poisonous tails, spines, saliva, and jagged teeth, making their attacks even more bizarre and tricky.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, "But I don¡¯t have a demonic beast to practice with, and I¡¯d rather not end up being eaten by one¡­" S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m just saying, keep an eye out," Bai Zisheng mentioned casually.


    Mo Hua, however, took it to heart.


    He estimated his chances of being killed by a cultivator versus a demonic beast.


    He concluded that being killed by a demonic beast was more likely.


    Dahei Mountain was notoriously treacherous, its beasts fierce and cunning.


    "Perhaps I should try becoming a Demon Hunter?" Mo Hua thought, then decided against it.


    A few days later, Mo Hua was at an eatery reading a book on arrays.


    He had mastered drawing formations with eight array patterns and, to save on spirit ink, did not practice daily, opting instead to read about arrays.


    His frequent sparring sessions with Bai Zisheng had also become less frequent.


    Aunt Xue, upon learning about their sparring, was mildly annoyed, believing Bai Zisheng was being overly playful and distracting Mo Hua from his studies in array formation. She assigned more tasks to Bai Zisheng.


    Mo Hua tried to intercede on Bai Zisheng¡¯s behalf, claiming the initiative for their sparring came from his own desire to practice movement techniques.


    But Aunt Xue didn¡¯t buy it


    ; she knew Mo Hua¡¯s constitution was naturally weak and couldn¡¯t believe he would suddenly take up physical techniques. Thinking Mo Hua was making excuses for Bai Zisheng, she said, "Good child, I know you mean well for the young master, but without rules, there can be no standards."


    After speaking with Mo Hua, Aunt Xue went and assigned even more tasks to Bai Zisheng.


    Helpless, Mo Hua could only occasionally bring some food for Bai Zisheng as a form of comfort.


    Zhang Lan, who used to frequent the eatery, seemed suddenly busy with other matters and had not been seen for some time.


    This left Mo Hua with a lot of quiet time to himself, just to read his books on arrays.


    One day, while Mo Hua was alone with his book, Aunt Jiang brought him a bowl of hot chicken soup to enjoy while it was still warm.


    Aunt Jiang, whose given name was Yun and whose husband, Mr. Chu, was a Demon Hunter who had been severely injured during a hunt, leaving the family without an income and a child who often went hungry. Liu Ruhua had her come to the eatery to help out, and their financial situation gradually improved, reflecting in her healthier complexion.


    Her husband, although no longer able to hunt demonic beasts, was skilled with traps and occasionally caught small demonic beasts in the mountains, selling them for spirit stones to help support the family. Sometimes, he even captured spiritual beasts that had escaped from clans or sects and had turned somewhat demonic, losing much of their spiritual essence but still better than the meat of ordinary demonic beasts.


    Aunt Jiang would stew these spiritual beasts into delicious soups, always setting aside some especially for Mo Hua.


    Aunt Jiang was skilled with pastries and had learned culinary arts from Liu Ruhua; her dishes were quite tasty.


    "Thank you, Aunt Jiang!" Mo Hua gratefully sipped the savory chicken soup.


    Aunt Jiang was pleased, though she was shy with words and merely smiled bashfully.


    "By the way, how did that Wood Binding Array I gave Uncle Chu work out?"


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered and asked.


    "Ah, yes, it works well," Aunt Jiang nodded. "Every time your Uncle Chu returns from the mountains, he praises how useful that array is. Now, the demonic beasts caught in his traps don''t damage their fur as much."


    Beasts trapped often thrashed and bit around, damaging their pelts which then couldn''t fetch much in terms of spirit stones.


    After hearing this, Mo Hua had searched in the Thousand Arrays Compendium for a Wood Binding Array that could restrain a demonic beast. Although activating the array required a spirit stone, an undamaged pelt from a demonic beast could sell for much more.


    "There is just one thing..." Aunt Jiang hesitated.


    "Is there a problem with the array?" Mo Hua asked.


    "No, no," Aunt Jiang waved her hand. "It''s not the array. It''s about a young demonic beast your Uncle Chu caught. It was trapped for several days and surprisingly didn''t die. He brought it back, but now he doesn''t know what to do with it¡­"


    "A young demonic beast?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.

 Chapter 109: The Demon Cat

    "What kind is it?""It looks like a cat, just born not long ago, only about two to three feet long, its fur patterns aren''t fully developed yet..." Aunt Jiang said.


    "Can you give it to me? I''ll buy it with spirit stones!" Mo Hua eagerly said.


    Aunt Jiang waved her hand, "If you want it, I''ll have Old Chu bring it to you tomorrow, no need for the spirit stones."


    Mo Hua insisted on paying with spirit stones.


    Aunt Jiang firmly refused, "Sister Liu has helped me a lot, and you even helped our family set up an array. I absolutely cannot take the spirit stones..."


    Aunt Jiang, often shy and introverted, could sometimes be the most stubborn.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to agree not to give the spirit stones but thought of mentioning it to his mother to give Aunt Jiang a bit more salary this month.


    "However, what do you want this demon beast for? Demon beasts can''t be kept."


    After a while, Aunt Jiang curiously asked.


    All demon beasts inherently harbor malice towards cultivators.


    Some demon beasts, carnivorous by nature, hunt cultivators and devour their flesh and blood.


    Even those not carnivorous may still hunt those weaker than themselves, ripping open cultivators and then striding away.


    Young demon beasts share this nature, hence they cannot be raised by cultivators.


    Some cultivators in Tongxian City had once raised demon beasts.


    When young, demon beasts are manageable, weak, and do not threaten their master. But as they grow and taste human blood, they seize the opportunity to kill their master and devour their flesh.


    Many cultivators have perished in the bellies of their pets.


    Thinking Mo Hua was young and unaware of the nature of demon beasts, Aunt Jiang worriedly said, "Keeping a demon beast is very dangerous..."


    "Aunt Jiang, don''t worry, I''m not keeping it." Mo Hua explained.


    Aunt Jiang nodded, knowing she would discuss the matter with Mo Hua''s parents. Mo Shan, a demon hunter, was familiar with demon beasts and would likely manage any issues.


    The next day, Aunt Jiang brought the demon cat.


    This was Mo Hua''s first encounter with a young demon beast, and he couldn''t help but observe it several times.


    The demon cat was thin and small, its fur wrinkled, primarily white with dark patterns mixed in, but appearing very dull due to mud stains.


    Despite its small size, the demon cat had sharp claws and two slender fangs beside its mouth. Its eyes were alert, hiding a fierce wildness.


    Last night, Mo Hua had spoken to his parents about the demon cat, so today when Aunt Jiang brought it, Mo Shan was standing by.


    The demon cat was confined in an iron cage with scratch marks on the bars.


    Perhaps because Mo Shan was a demon hunter, often stained with the blood of beasts, the demon cat, though fierce-eyed, only laid its head down, not daring to act rashly.


    Mo Shan frowned at the demon cat.


    "Dad, what kind of demon beast is this? A cat?" Mo Hua asked.


    "It''s too young to tell. Some demon beasts look very different when they grow up. But by the looks of it, it could be a Night Cat or a Fluorescent Cat." Mo Shan pondered.


    "Are demon cats known for their speed?"


    Mo Shan nodded, "Indeed, cat-type demon beasts aren''t very strong physically, but they are quick and elusive, making them troublesome to deal with."


    Mo Shan moved the demon cat in the iron cage to a side room in their house.


    This room was originally used for storage, but Mo Hua wanted to use it, so Mo Shan temporarily cleared it out.


    Mo Hua shared his plans with Mo Shan; he wanted to use the demon beast to practice his physical techniques.


    Mo Shan had some reservations but agreed.


    A young demon beast was ideal for practicing physical techniques; otherwise, facing an adult demon beast unprepared could be deadly.


    Still, Mo Shan cautioned, "Even young demon beasts can have troublesome innate demonic powers and are often cunning. Do not take it lightly."


    "Understood." Mo Hua nodded, took out some beef, and threw it to the demon cat.


    The demon cat warily glanced at Mo Hua, sniffed the beef, then gobbled it down ravenously.


    Uncle Chu had caught the demon cat, planning to kill it eventually, so he hadn''t fed it.


    After eating the beef, the demon cat looked healthier.


    "You practice first, I''ll watch," Mo Shan said, still concerned for Mo Hua''s safety.


    Mo Hua gently opened the iron cage.


    The moment the cage door opened, the originally weak demon cat''s eyes suddenly flashed fiercely, and it disappeared from in front of Mo Hua, reappearing with its claws lunging towards Mo Hua''s eyes.


    "Truly


    cunning and vicious!" Mo Hua was inwardly startled, but this was still within his expectations.


    Mo Hua, at the fifth level of Qi cultivation, had a spiritual sense beyond ordinary people. While the demon cat was young, only a tier-one beginner, its movements, ghostly and swift, were all clear in Mo Hua''s spiritual sense.


    Mo Hua tilted his head back, dodging the demon cat''s claws.


    While the demon cat was still in the air, it adjusted its posture. As soon as it landed, it charged at Mo Hua like an arrow.


    Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened, and with a hand support on the ground, his body lightly flipped in the air, evading the demon cat below.


    But then, the demon cat suddenly vanished.


    Mo Hua''s pupils constricted, focusing his spiritual sense. Two breaths later, he sensed a presence behind him.


    Mo Hua turned to dodge, but it was a fraction too slow. A claw streaked a white light, tearing his sleeve and leaving a shallow trail of blood.


    The demon cat landed, licked Mo Hua''s blood off its claws, its eyes gleaming even fiercer.


    "Seeking death!" Mo Shan roared, his right hand forming a fist, flames igniting, ready to crush the demon cat.


    "Dad!" Mo Hua quickly intervened, "It''s just a minor injury, it''s fine."


    Mo Shan''s hand was already raised, he shook his head, "This beast has tasted human blood, we can''t keep it."


    "Dad, just one month." Mo Hua insisted.


    After all, young demon beasts were not easy to find. Most cultivators would kill any demon beast they encountered, regardless of age. Some even killed their own young to prevent them from falling into cultivator''s hands.


    Mo Shan frowned for a moment, looked at Mo Hua''s determined eyes, sighed, and lowered his hand, "Alright, then keep it for a month."


    Then Mo Shan turned to the demon cat, his gaze sharp as a sword, "But if it harms you again, I''ll crush it right away."


    The demon cat, intimidated by Mo Shan''s aura, curled up in a corner, trembling.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Dad, don''t worry, I was just careless just now."


    Then, he said to the demon cat, "Be good this month, accompany me to practice my physical techniques, and after a month, I''ll let you go."


    Mo Shan, hearing this, couldn''t help but say, "Kid, demon beasts don''t understand human speech."


    "What if it does?"


    "Alright..." Seeing Mo Hua''s childlike nature, Mo Shan let it be.


    "Put on the vine armor, be wary of the demon beast''s innate demonic powers, and if this demon cat shows any signs of craving human blood or losing control, kill it sooner."


    Mo Shan cautioned further.


    Mo Hua listened carefully, committing it to memory, then nodded repeatedly. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 110: Minor Success

    Beasts are incapable of understanding human speech.Mo Hua had come to clearly understand this fact.


    Over the next two days, the demon cat seemed to have been frightened by Mo Shan, always shrinking back within its iron cage, refusing to come out, let alone attack Mo Hua.


    No matter what Mo Hua said, the demon simply could not understand and would stare at him with a fierce yet somewhat timid gaze.


    Only when Mo Hua fed it meat would its gaze soften slightly.


    This situation made practicing the Passing Water Step impossible.


    What to do?


    After pondering for two days, Mo Hua finally devised a plan.


    He starved the demon cat for two days, until its eyes glowed green with hunger, then fed it dried fish specially prepared by Liu Ruhua.


    These dried fish, also demonic beasts in their own right, had poor meat quality and a strong fishy smell; cultivators would not eat them, but the fish-loving demon cat relished them.


    Mo Hua then strung several dried fish on a rope around his neck, gesturing first at the dried fish and then at the demon cat.


    The implied meaning was: "If you want to eat, come and snatch it yourself."


    This was similar to the rules during his previous sparring with Bai Zisheng, only now, his opponent had changed from Bai Zisheng to the little demon cat.


    Even if the demon cat could not understand human language, it now grasped the situation.


    Thus, the previously timid demon cat, in a bid to satiate its hunger, began to snatch the dried fish from around Mo Hua''s neck.


    But the piercing gaze of Mo Shan, it remembered clearly, thus it dared not harm Mo Hua, focusing only on the dried fish around his neck.


    In this way, in the secluded wing room, human and demon shadows intertwined in a chase.


    After several days of "sparring" with the demon cat, Mo Hua could not help but remark that indeed, demonic beasts were much stronger than cultivators.


    This demon cat was only at the early stage of the first rank, not known for its strength, but its speed was extremely fast, its movements exceptionally agile, even surpassing an average sixth level Qi-refining cultivator.


    The demon cat''s methods of attack were richer than those of cultivators, reaching a level of trickiness bordering on bizarre.


    For physical cultivators, their attacks were primarily punches and kicks; for spiritual cultivators, they predominantly used long-range spells, with predictable movements.


    The demon cat, however, could attack with its teeth, claws, and tail, from tricky angles and unexpectedly.


    Furthermore, the demon cat possessed innate demonic powers that could blur its figure temporarily, nearly impossible to discern with the naked eye. Only by pushing his spiritual sense to its limits could Mo Hua barely perceive the demon cat''s position.


    And this was only an early first rank; if it were mid or late first rank, its speed would be unimaginable.


    No wonder a demon hunter team typically required about ten members.


    If it encountered a second rank demonic beast, comparable to a Foundation Building cultivator, how formidable would it be?


    A normal cultivator, wouldn''t they be annihilated at first contact?


    Mo Hua involuntarily shivered.


    "I must master the Passing Water Step well, so that even if I can''t defeat them, at least I can run."


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    Sparring with a demonic beast was also a process of practice makes perfect.


    Initially unfamiliar with the demon cat''s techniques, Mo Hua''s dried fish would soon end up in the mouth of the demon cat.


    The demon cat would then lie in the iron cage, leisurely chewing on the dried fish while licking its paws, occasionally casting a glance at Mo Hua, its eyes carrying a hint of pride and scorn.


    As Mo Hua gradually became familiar with the attack habits of the demon cat, he could vaguely predict whether the demon cat would swipe with its claws, bite with its teeth, or lash out with its tail studded with needles.


    The demon cat''s innate talents, initially unpredictable, became more manageable as he saw them more often and began to anticipate them. Mo Hua gradually managed to see through its movements with his spiritual sense.


    The demon cat''s fish-eating process then became increasingly difficult.


    Sometimes, if Mo Hua was careless, it could snatch one or two, enough to fill its belly.


    If Mo Hua was fully attentive, the demon cat could not get a single fish and would only stand by the wall, staring fiercely at Mo Hua. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But this fierceness was somewhat hollow and ineffective.


    Knowing the unpleasantness of hunger, Mo Hua would sometimes pretend to be careless, allowing it to eat a few dried fish.


    In this manner, a month passed. Although the demon cat was not fully fed, it did not starve either and grew significantly larger, now five feet long.


    Mo Hua knew that the time


    had come; this demon cat could no longer be raised. If it were allowed to grow larger, there might come a day when it could potentially eat him if he was not careful.


    The nature of a demonic beast is not so easily changed.


    Mo Hua did not plan to kill it but intended to honor the agreement and set it free.


    Though the demon cat did not understand human speech and was unaware of this agreement.


    One evening, Mo Hua placed the demon cat in an iron cage covered with black cloth and took it outside Tongxian City, to the nearest foot of Dahei Mountain.


    Living creatures like demonic beasts cannot be stored in storage bags, only in iron cages.


    Mo Hua covered it with black cloth specifically to prevent it from being discovered by other demon hunters, who might kill it on sight.


    Seeing no one around, Mo Hua uncovered the black cloth, opened the cage door, and released the demon cat.


    The demon cat, upon seeing the surrounding mountains and forests, paused for a moment, then its eyes gleamed with joy.


    Yet, it did not leave but watched Mo Hua cautiously.


    Mo Hua said to it, "I''m keeping my promise and letting you go. But remember, it''s best not to eat people. If we meet again, I''ll definitely have to kill you, and if not me, other demon hunters will."


    "People aren''t that tasty anyway. You might as well eat more fish; it won''t do you any harm."


    "If you don''t provoke cultivators, with your innate abilities, you should be able to survive longer¡­"


    Mo Hua didn''t care whether it could understand or not, he still gave it a lengthy lecture. Then, he waved his hand and said, "Go."


    The demon cat looked at Mo Hua puzzledly, moved a few steps to test the reaction, and seeing Mo Hua nod affirmatively, it mustered the courage to head towards Dahei Mountain. As it was about to enter the forest, it suddenly sped up and dashed into Dahei Mountain.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    This way, both were satisfied; his Passing Water Step had reached a minor stage of accomplishment, enough to cope with cultivators of the same realm or to fend off demonic beasts.


    And the demon cat had been released into the forest.


    Dahei Mountain was vast; they were unlikely to encounter each other again. Even if they did, the demon cat had grown and changed its appearance, making it hard for Mo Hua to recognize.


    He only hoped it wouldn''t kill other cultivators, and ideally, it wouldn''t die at the hands of other demon hunters.


    But that was beyond Mo Hua''s control.


    Relieved, Mo Hua strolled home, whistling lightly.


    Meanwhile, in the forests of Dahei Mountain, the demon cat had not gone far but lay in the grass, stealthily watching Mo Hua.


    After watching Mo Hua leave, a flicker of confusion appeared in its vertical pupils. Moments later, its pupils dilated, memorizing Mo Hua''s retreating figure, then it looked around cautiously and walked deeper into Dahei Mountain.


    The demon cat crossed the forest, skirted a poison marsh, climbed the rocks, and reached a small creek between the mountains.


    Seeing no cultivators or other demonic beasts around, the demon cat leaped into the creek, using the stream to wash off the dust. After a moment, it climbed ashore, shook off the water droplets, its black stripes deepening and its white fur becoming even more lustrous.


    Simultaneously, the pattern on the demon cat''s forehead became clearer, gradually revealing a "king" character.

 Chapter 111: Delivery

    The small Demon Cat practiced agility techniques with Mo Hua, repaying the life-saving grace Mo Hua had shown it, thus settling their debts.Mo Hua had achieved initial mastery in agility techniques and was planning to spar with Bai Zisheng when he happened upon some Demon Hunters wearing rattan armor on the street, which made his heart skip a beat.


    Rattan armor?


    A chill went through Mo Hua''s heart.


    He had forgotten!


    He had promised Elder Yu to complete the Iron Armor Array, but it wasn''t finished...


    He had managed to draw a few diagrams each day, expecting to finish within a month. However, since Zhang Lan taught him the Passing Water Step, all his attention had been devoted to mastering this agility technique.


    Initially dodging wild fruits falling from trees and later sparring with Bai Zisheng and engaging the small Demon Cat had distracted him.


    Now, more than a month had passed, and while he had mastered the Passing Water Step, he had completed only over thirty of the Iron Armor Arrays...


    In haste, Mo Hua rushed home, fetched the rattan armor, spread out the Spirit Ink, and feverishly began to draw.


    Over the next several days, Mo Hua secluded himself in his house, dedicating himself to drawing the Iron Armor Array.


    The sunlight streamed through the window into the room, and Mo Hua would lean over the small desk, meticulously drawing the Iron Armor Array on the rattan armor. His hand movements were swift, and with each flex of his wrist, intricate array patterns emerged vividly on the armor, interlocking and combining into a mysterious formation.


    When his Spiritual Awareness was depleted, Mo Hua would use Meditation Techniques to restore it.


    Once replenished, he continued drawing.


    Five days later, he finally completed all one hundred Iron Armor Arrays.


    Mo Hua handed over the completed Iron Armor Array rattan armors to his father, Mo Shan, to deliver to Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua had no personal acquaintance with Elder Yu, nor knew how to find the busy Foundation Building cultivator, the only one among the Demon Hunters.


    He had taken longer than the planned month, hoping Elder Yu wouldn¡¯t take offense...


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    When Mo Shan visited Elder Yu, he found him discussing matters in his study and deemed it improper to disturb. Thus, he handed the storage bag to Elder Yu''s eldest son, asking him to pass it on.


    Elder Yu¡¯s eldest son, Yu Chengyi, a ninth-level Qi cultivator and one of the top Demon Hunters in Tongxian City, was second only to his Foundation Building stage father and was quite influential among the Demon Hunters.


    Yet, the one person Yu Chengyi truly feared was his father.


    Yu Chengyi secured the storage bag, went to find Elder Yu, who was still meeting with several aged Demon Hunters, and seemed in a foul mood:


    ¡°How come that old coot from the Qian family isn¡¯t struck by lightning? Always brooding and scheming against me, if I¡¯m about to die, I¡¯d drag him down with me, even in death, he¡¯d be my stepping stone!¡±


    ¡°That Qian Hong, head of his house, is nothing but a weakling, never does good, just full of malice like his undying father¡­¡±


    ¡°Blood-suckers, always pressing us down, here a spirit stone less, there a spiritual weapon short, to hell with them¡­¡±


    ¡°If this continues, none of us can live well, I wonder how far the Qian family can go¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Yu ranted about the Qian family at length.


    Demon Hunters earned their livelihood by hunting demons, and their gains were often sold to the Qian family, who had built their fortune thus, but instead exploited the Demon Hunters for more profit from spirit stones.


    Naturally, Elder Yu, who supported the Demon Hunters, had numerous conflicts with the Qian family.


    Elder Yu was known for his bad temper, hardened and stubborn from years of hardships, often directly targeted by the Qian family, sometimes through lowly means, which infuriated him enough to curse them openly.


    The study, supposedly for discussing matters, spent more than half of the year as a venue for cursing the Qian family.


    Yu Chengyi was used to it by now.


    But indeed, the Qian family was despicable.


    He lacked his father''s cultivation and backbone; otherwise, he would have joined in the cursing.


    After a long tirade, Elder Yu finally stopped, chatted briefly with the old Demon Hunters, and then they dispersed.


    After the meeting, still simmering, Elder Yu poured himself a cup of tea and slowly sipped it.


    Yu Chengyi quietly approached, ¡°Father.¡±


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Brother Mo Shan was here earlier, he asked me to give you this storage bag.¡±


    Yu Chengyi said, handing over the storage bag.


    ¡°Mo Shan?¡±


    Elder Yu furrowed his brow, then relaxed and said, "Let''s see."


    Elder Yu''s expression carried a hint of anticipation as he opened the storage bag and found it indeed contained a set of rattan armor, intricately drawn with array patterns.


    Elder Yu couldn''t help but rejoice.


    Yu Chengyi watched in surprise; his father, usually prone to displaying his emotions¡ªmostly anger or a stern demeanor¡ªit was rare to see him this visibly pleased.


    "Father, what''s in the storage bag?"


    Yu Chengyi couldn''t help but ask.


    "Rattan armor," Elder Yu replied casually.


    "Rattan armor?"


    "Yes, rattan armor with the Iron Armor Array drawn on it."


    "For Big Brother and Second Brother?" Yu Chengyi inquired.


    Big Brother and Second Brother were his sons, and as the saying goes, grandparents are often fond of their grandchildren. Elder Yu was strict with Yu Chengyi but doted on his two grandsons.


    "Yes, but not only for them," Elder Yu sighed, "You group of Demon Hunters, all seasoned and tough-skinned, a few bites from a demonic beast won¡¯t hurt much¡­"


    Being bitten by a demonic beast still hurt, though¡­


    Yu Chengyi thought to himself. No cultivator could withstand a demonic beast¡¯s bite, but he dared not contradict, only silently listening.


    "¡­but it''s different for the new Demon Hunters. Though they''ve learned the Dao, they are still kids. If anything were to happen to them, I¡¯d feel it deeply. The future of the Demon Hunters depends on them," Elder Yu continued.


    Yu Chengyi nodded, then couldn''t help asking, "Father, which Array Master did you ask to draw these arrays?"


    "He''s young, not sure if he counts as an Array Master."


    Elder Yu, recalling Mo Hua''s obedient and charming demeanor, felt even more pleased, "It''s Mo Shan''s son, named Mo Hua."


    "Mo Hua..." Yu Chengyi nodded, having heard of him through other familiar Demon Hunters¡ªMo Shan had a son quite talented in array arts.


    But he had one more question:


    "How much are you paying him per piece?"


    Elder Yu, weathered by life¡¯s storms, blushed slightly, "Ahem¡­ just three spirit stones¡­"


    Yu Chengyi meekly said, "Father, isn¡¯t that a bit inappropriate¡­"


    Elder Yu immediately scowled, "What do you mean inappropriate? We low-level cultivators should support each other, and I see great potential in Mo Hua, more so than you."


    Yu Chengyi fell silent.


    Elder Yu thought for a moment, then sighed, "You¡¯re right, I am indeed taking advantage of him. If his family needs anything in the future, I¡¯ll lend a hand."


    Yu Chengyi was internally shocked; it was rare for his father, who often had a thick skin about such matters, to acknowledge owing a favor. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Iron Armor Arrays aren¡¯t simple, can that kid Mo Hua really draw them?" Yu Chengyi then asked.


    "Why wouldn''t he be able to? Here they are."


    Elder Yu patted the rattan armor in his hand, where the pale golden array patterns were meticulously and elegantly drawn, complex yet graceful, with a subtle mysterious aura flowing through them.


    Yu Chengyi also couldn¡¯t help but be impressed, "Father, you weren¡¯t wrong, these arrays are excellently drawn!"


    "Of course! I personally sought him out!" Elder Yu said proudly.


    "How many did you ask him to draw?"


    "One hundred."


    "One hundred?" Yu Chengyi was taken aback, "All done?"


    "How could that be? He''s just a kid, how could he draw so fast."


    Elder Yu hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to finish all at once; getting most of them done was sufficient, considering Mo Hua¡¯s young age and lower cultivation level probably didn¡¯t allow for enough Spiritual Awareness to draw so many arrays.


    Having about seventy to eighty would be temporarily sufficient.


    "Inside here there are just¡­"


    Elder Yu looked relaxed, scanning with his Spiritual Awareness, and counted roughly: "Thirty¡­ Fifty¡­ Eighty¡­"


    Was there more?


    Elder Yu''s expression then stiffened as he counted again, "Forty¡­ Seventy¡­ Ninety¡­ One hundred!"


    A hundred?!


    Elder Yu silently drew a breath of cold air, incredulously muttering, "Finished?!"

 Chapter 112: Giving Gifts

    A hundred Iron Armor Arrays, completed in just over a month and a half? Mo Hua had actually finished them?Elder Yu furrowed his brows, remaining silent.


    Seeing this, Yu Chengyi asked, "Father, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Elder Yu handed over a storage bag to his son, "Count them."


    Yu Chengyi took it, sweeping it with his spiritual sense. He counted once, then again, and couldn¡¯t help but count one more time¡­


    Moments later, his mouth agape, he exclaimed, "They¡¯re¡­ all finished?"


    Elder Yu glared at him, "Can¡¯t you count?"


    Yu Chengyi sheepishly smiled, then couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Did he¡­ draw all these by himself?"


    Elder Yu flipped through the vine armor inside and compared it to the Iron Armor Arrays. Though some strokes were hasty, the spirit and form were unified, indeed the work of a single hand.


    Father and son looked at each other, at a loss for words.


    "This Mo Shan¡­ could he be some minor demon?" Yu Chengyi couldn¡¯t help but mutter.


    Elder Yu immediately slapped him, "What nonsense are you talking about?!"


    Yu Chengyi held his head, mumbling, "I was just saying."


    Elder Yu looked at him with an expression of unexpected severity.


    After a moment, Yu Chengyi ventured, "Couldn¡¯t someone else have helped him draw?"


    "Who would help him draw?" Elder Yu snorted, "I, a Foundation Building cultivator, have asked everywhere, yet no one would draw arrays for me."


    As soon as he mentioned this, Elder Yu grew a bit angry. It wasn¡¯t that others refused to help; it was that the price he offered was too low.


    "If it really was him drawing by himself, not to mention anything else, the spiritual sense consumption must have been significant. Mo Hua, this child, is only at the fifth level of Qi cultivation, and he¡¯s not that old either¡­"


    "Indeed," Elder Yu sighed, suddenly feeling a bit sympathetic, and instructed, "Bring some nourishing pills and spiritual items from home; I¡¯ll go check on the Mo family."


    Yu Chengyi hesitated.


    "Spit it out!" Elder Yu barked.


    Yu Chengyi whispered, "We don¡¯t have many nourishing pills at home¡­"


    "Bring whatever we have!"


    "But¡­"


    Elder Yu¡¯s face darkened.


    Yu Chengyi dared not say more, quickly gathering some Qi and blood nourishing pills, spiritual herbs, and lingzhi, sealing them in parchment, and packing them into the storage bag, which he handed to Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu took it, turned to leave, then suddenly turned back and instructed, "You come with me."


    Yu Chengyi puzzled, "What am I going to do?"


    "If Mo Hua really can become an array master, that would be our fortune as demon hunters. I¡¯m taking you to get acquainted, so it¡¯ll be easier to speak if something comes up in the future."


    Yu Chengyi, albeit a ninth-level Qi cultivator and demon hunter, was somewhat reluctant to ingratiate himself with a child, but seeing his father¡¯s stern expression, he could only obediently reply, "Yes."


    Elder Yu took Yu Chengyi to the Mo family.


    Mo Shan was surprised beyond belief; he hadn''t expected Elder Yu to come personally, and Yu Chengyi too, thinking it must be something serious, his expression also grew solemn.


    Elder Yu waved his hand, "It¡¯s nothing. I came to see Mo Hua. You go about your business."


    Mo Shan was bewildered but thought it must be about the arrays and thus relaxed.


    Upon seeing Elder Yu, Mo Hua too was startled.


    He thought Elder Yu was displeased with his slow progress in drawing arrays and had come to reprimand him.


    But that wouldn¡¯t make sense, right? A Foundation Building elder wouldn¡¯t be so petty¡­


    Mo Hua whispered, "Elder Yu, you wanted to see me?"


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t know how to start and coughed, asking, "That array, it must have taken quite some time, right?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened.


    Elder Yu wasn¡¯t really blaming me for being slow, was he? S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But indeed, he was to blame; he had been focused on practicing his footwork and had forgotten about it.


    When he remembered, a month had already passed.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat embarrassed and could only say, "Elder, I¡¯m quite slow at drawing; I can only finish two or three arrays a day, and only managed to complete them yesterday."


    Elder Yu and Yu Chengyi exchanged glances.


    "It really was him who drew them!"


    Iron Armor Arrays with Six Paths Array Patterns, drawn by a child in his teens, two or three a day! And that was while not neglecting his cultivation, sparing time to draw!


    A storm


    of amazement surged in their hearts, but they tried to keep their composure.


    "Not slow at all!" Elder Yu hastily said, "It¡¯s even faster than I thought."


    He had thought that if Mo Hua could stick to finishing one array a day, that would be good. In three months, even if not a hundred, there would be eighty or ninety, and the rest could slowly be made up later.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s speed at drawing arrays was much faster than he had expected! What a talent!


    Elder Yu was overjoyed, took out the storage bag, and spoke warmly and gently, "I was worried you¡¯d tire yourself out, so I brought some nourishing pills and spiritual items for you, along with some spiritual meat. They''re not anything precious, but rest assured and keep them¡­"


    Yu Chengyi stood by, wide-eyed; he had never heard his father speak with such a warm and amiable tone.


    It was as if someone else had taken over his body¡­


    Yu Chengyi couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    "How can I accept this¡­"


    Mo Hua politely declined.


    Elder Yu sternly insisted, "What I give you, you take!"


    Mo Hua had no choice but to accept, and Elder Yu then nodded, pulling Yu Chengyi over and saying, "This is your Uncle Yu. If you run into any troubles in the future, just turn to him, no need to be polite."


    Caught under Mo Hua¡¯s piercing, bright eyes, Yu Chengyi was momentarily at a loss and managed a forced smile, saying, "Yes, if you have any trouble, just turn to your Uncle Yu, there¡¯s no need to be formal."


    Yu Chengyi repeated his father¡¯s words, unsure of what else to say.


    Elder Yu was somewhat frustrated, this foolish son of his couldn¡¯t even speak properly!


    Mo Hua gratefully said, "Thank you, Elder Yu! Thank you, Uncle Yu!"


    Elder Yu nodded in satisfaction, then patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, "Cultivate well, learn arrays well, we won¡¯t disturb you further."


    After speaking, he took Yu Chengyi and left.


    Mo Hua initially felt uneasy, thinking Elder Yu might dislike his slow progress in drawing arrays, but seeing Elder Yu not only didn¡¯t mind but was also pleased, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Happily, Mo Hua handed the gifts from Elder Yu to his father, Mo Shan.


    "Dad, these are from Elder Yu, you keep them."


    Mo Shan nodded, took the storage bag, and looked inside, then suddenly froze, "Who gave you these?"


    "Elder Yu." Mo Hua replied innocently.


    "Elder Yu?" Mo Shan frowned, "The Elder Yu who just entered¡­ that Elder Yu?"


    "Yes, in Tongxian City, he¡¯s the only Elder Yu," Mo Hua said, puzzled.


    Mo Shan was stunned; that temperamental, stern, stingy Elder Yu, known for never parting with a penny, was giving gifts? And to his son?


    Mo Shan was shockingly speechless.

 Chapter 113: Magic Techniques

    On the way back, Elder Yu advised his son, saying:"Don''t mention Mo Hua''s work on array formations to anyone else for now."


    Yu Chengyi, surprised, asked, "Why?"


    "He''s young and from a humble background, yet his talent is outstanding. He may attract jealousy, which might not bode well."


    "Oh," Yu Chengyi responded, somewhat understanding.


    "But we can''t keep it a secret forever. If Mo Hua truly has a gift for arrays, it''ll come out sooner or later," Yu Chengyi added.


    "At least wait until he''s older and can protect himself," Elder Yu said, his gaze filled with pride yet tinged with worry.


    I hope this child can grow up safely...


    After completing the Iron Armor Array, Mo Hua earned some spirit stones, received some spirit ink, and even got a gift from Elder Yu, leaving him in high spirits.


    The next day, he went to see Bai Zisheng to test the effects of the Passing Water Step.


    Bai Zisheng was initially pleased, but then he suddenly thought of something, and his head drooped, his expression turning to disappointment.


    "Aunt Xue has given me a lot of homework, and she doesn''t allow me to spar with you anymore."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "How about a quick spar then?"


    Bai Zisheng hesitated.


    "We could spar secretly. Aunt Xue won''t know, right?"


    Bai Zisheng sneaked a glance at his sister Bai Zixi, who was sitting nearby, "Aunt Xue has told Zixi to watch me, and I''m not allowed to engage with you."


    Bai Zixi, who was quietly reading a book nearby, heard this and shifted her gaze faintly, looking at Bai Zisheng with a soft and melodious voice, "I won¡¯t tell Aunt Xue, but can you finish your homework?"


    Bai Zisheng was at a loss for words.


    The homework Aunt Xue assigned was plentiful, including alchemy, artifact crafting, and cultivation theory. A spar with Mo Hua would certainly mean he couldn''t finish it.


    Mo Hua looked sympathetically at Bai Zisheng, "You better focus on your homework. I¡¯ll bring you some treats when I have time."


    That slightly improved Bai Zisheng¡¯s mood.


    As Mo Hua left the Sit and Forget Abode, he sighed.


    Having finally learned a technique, he found no use for it, which was quite disappointing.


    "Why not take this time to learn another technique?" he thought, his spirits lifting again.


    To advance is to attack, and to retreat is to defend; that''s what makes a proper spiritual cultivator.


    But who else could teach him a technique? Mo Hua felt a bit stuck.


    He hadn''t seen Zhang Lan in many days, wondering what he was busy with, probably tied up with the affairs of the Dao Court.


    Even if Zhang Lan were available, it wouldn¡¯t be right to disturb him. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    You can''t always pull wool from the same sheep.


    Learning the Passing Water Step quietly was one thing, but to learn more from him might be pushing it.


    If Zhang Lan impulsively taught him a sect-defining skill, the elders of the Zhang family would surely not let him off.


    They might not kill him, but they''d likely force him to marry into the family.


    That would be a huge loss for Mo Hua.


    But there seemed no one else to teach him techniques...


    After much thought, Mo Hua decided to brazen it out and ask Mr. Zhuang.


    The next day, Mo Hua brought some beef and pastries for siblings Zisheng and Zixi, and also brought some meat and wine to see Mr. Zhuang.


    After asking a few questions about array formations, Mo Hua repeatedly hesitated to speak further.


    Mr. Zhuang, looking the part of an immortal with his ethereal demeanor, was neither perceivable in vitality nor spirit power. What if he wasn¡¯t skilled in magical arts and never engaged in conflicts?


    What if he couldn¡¯t answer Mo Hua¡¯s questions?


    Considering Mr. Zhuang''s feelings, Mo Hua eventually chose not to ask.


    As he left, he encountered Elder Gui playing chess alone in the pavilion. Mo Hua gave him several boxes of pine nuts and then played a couple of games of Five Elements Chess with him.


    As he was leaving, Elder Gui asked, "Something on your mind?"


    "How did you know?" Mo Hua couldn''t help asking.


    "Your chess skills have regressed," Elder Gui said.


    Mo Hua was speechless.


    Five Elements Chess was so simple; one could play it with eyes closed. How could he possibly regress...


    Yet Elder Gui''s words reminded him, and Mo Hua quietly asked, "Elder Gui, do you know any magical techniques?"


    Elder Gui hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Somewhat."


    Mo Hua


    ''s eyes lit up, "Could you teach me a little?"


    Elder Gui got up and walked away.


    Mo Hua thought Elder Gui was unwilling, but after a few steps, Elder Gui turned back and looked at him, saying:


    "Follow me."


    "Oh!" Mo Hua quickly followed.


    Elder Gui led Mo Hua to a grassy area far from the great pagoda tree.


    The area was open and green, surrounded by a small bridge, a pond, and a rustling bamboo forest.


    "When learning magic, don¡¯t just look at the power level. The right technique is the best," Elder Gui said.


    Mo Hua listened intently and then asked, "Elder Gui, what kind of magic should I learn?"


    Elder Gui thought for a moment, "Mysterious and unpredictable techniques, like illusion, trickery, strange techniques..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes sparkled.


    "...your spiritual roots are weak; you can¡¯t learn those."


    Mo Hua: "..."


    "Powerful techniques, like the Great Five Elements..."


    Mo Hua perked up again.


    "...you don¡¯t have enough spirit power to use them."


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Gui with a bit of resentment.


    Elder Gui''s face had a barely perceptible smile, "But your spiritual awareness is exceptional; you don¡¯t need to learn those complex ones. Start with the simplest technique."


    Elder Gui threw a thin booklet to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua opened it to see three big characters:


    Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment, then couldn''t help asking, "Elder Gui, is this Fireball Technique different from the others?"


    Elder Gui shook his head, "The same."


    Mo Hua flipped through it and found that the Fireball Technique recorded in Elder Gui¡¯s booklet was not much different from the ''Basic Fireball Techniques During the Qi Cultivation Stage'' he had seen before.


    He felt a bit let down.


    "Don''t want to learn it?" Elder Gui asked.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, thinking that Elder Gui was right. Techniques that were too complex, too difficult, or required too much spirit power really weren¡¯t suitable for him.


    After all, he hadn''t intended to learn any remarkable techniques; starting from the basics was best, practicality mattered.


    Elder Gui was willing to teach him, he should be grateful, not choosy.


    Mo Hua shook his head, sincerely saying:


    "I want to learn, Elder Gui. Please teach me."


    Elder Gui imperceptibly nodded.


    "The key to a technique is three points: spiritual awareness, spirit power, and meridians."


    "Use spiritual awareness to mobilize spirit power, travel through the meridians to specific acupoints to form a cycle, and you can condense the technique."


    "Body techniques are also a kind of magic; you''ve learned a body technique, the principle should be clear to you. Now learning the Fireball Technique shouldn¡¯t be difficult..."


    ...


    Elder Gui and Mo Hua discussed a few key points, and Mo Hua memorized them, then followed the incantations and meridian charts of the Fireball Technique to circulate his spirit power.


    The Fireball Technique was simple, and the pathway for circulating spirit power was much simpler than the Passing Water Step.


    Mo Hua tried a few times and then mastered it.


    "Give it a try," Elder Gui said.


    Mo Hua held his breath, concentrated, activated his spirit power, stimulated his meridians, formed a cycle, and then, pointing his fingers at a nearby pond,


    A faint red spirit power gathered at Mo Hua''s fingertips, forming a ball of gaseous red flame, which then, directed by Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness, flew straight towards the pond.


    The fireball exploded on the water''s surface, stirring up the pond water, shattering the water grass, and startling the fish below.


    The surface of the pond rippled tumultuously, leaving it in disarray.

 Chapter 114: Fireball

    "Is this magic?"Mo Hua''s eyes widened in astonishment.


    It was simply a matter of channeling spiritual power along specific meridians and, with spiritual awareness, propelling it outward to form spells of various attributes, resulting in power that surpassed Mo Hua''s expectations.


    After a disturbance, the pond returned to tranquility.


    Only the mottled water stains on the shore and the charred remains of the aquatic plants indicated that something had occurred.


    Elder Gui nodded, "Not bad."


    Mo Hua scratched his head, "Elder Gui, what should I practice next?"


    "Continue with this."


    "Continue with this?"


    "Yes," Elder Gui said, "Practice it a hundred times, get a feel for it."


    "What should I feel?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    "You wouldn''t understand even if I told you. After a hundred times, you will feel it," Elder Gui explained.


    Mo Hua was somewhat confused.


    Elder Gui added, "It''s similar to when you practice array formations. Practice makes perfect. The more you draw, the more some things will naturally become clear to you, but these things are hard to convey in words."


    "Oh." Mo Hua nodded, understanding a bit.


    "Can I practice here?"


    Mo Hua asked somewhat sheepishly.


    He couldn''t possibly practice at home; what if he burned the house down with a fireball?


    Practicing alone in the mountains was equally risky.


    "It''s fine," Elder Gui said nonchalantly.


    Mo Hua hesitated, "What if I damage the pond or these flowers and plants, is that okay?"


    Elder Gui glanced at Mo Hua and then, with a gentle wave of his sleeve.


    Mo Hua didn''t even know what happened; in the blink of an eye, the water stains by the pond had disappeared, the charred plants restored, and fish leisurely swam in the pond again.


    As if nothing had happened, as if Mo Hua had never cast that fireball.


    Mo Hua stood dumbfounded.


    "It''s fine," Elder Gui said calmly.


    In the following days, Mo Hua often visited Mr. Zhuang''s place.


    If Mr. Zhuang was awake, he would go greet him and ask some questions. If Mr. Zhuang was asleep, he would just go to the pond by the bamboo grove to practice his fireball spell.


    Mo Hua had come to understand the principles of the fireball spell and, after several days of practice, was getting the hang of using it.


    However, the power of the fireball spell, the speed of its casting, and the accuracy of its hits all varied slightly each time.


    These indeed, as Elder Gui had said, required personal practice to fully grasp, and were hard to articulate.


    Over these days, Mo Hua practiced the fireball spell by the pond.


    Each fireball exploded in the pond, disturbing the tranquility of the spring water, sending aquatic plants flying, and the fish scurrying in panic.


    Fortunately, every day after Mo Hua left, Elder Gui would restore the pond.


    Otherwise, the pond''s water would have been blasted dry by Mo Hua...


    Today, as Mo Hua was practicing the fireball spell by the pond, he saw a little head stealthily peeping over.


    "Bai Zisheng?"


    Seeing that it was only Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng sneaked over, curiously asking, "What are you playing with?"


    "I''m not playing; I''m practicing magic," Mo Hua corrected.


    Bai Zisheng''s eyes lit up, "You''re learning magic? Show me one!"


    Mo Hua cast another fireball into the pond.


    With a loud boom, water splashed everywhere.


    Bai Zisheng watched, then suddenly lost interest, pouting, "Just a fireball spell..."


    "What''s wrong with the fireball spell?" Mo Hua challenged.


    "It''s okay, I guess. I thought you''d learn something more powerful."


    "Like what?"


    "Well... oh, right, you wouldn''t be able to use it anyway since your spiritual power is low," Bai Zisheng said.


    Mo Hua glared at him, "Have you finished your homework?"


    "Not yet," Bai Zisheng suddenly became downcast, "I heard some noise over here, so I snuck over. I need to go back soon."


    Bai Zisheng then asked, "Practicing the fireball spell here, aren''t you disturbing Mr. Zhuang?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I asked Elder Gui, and he said it wouldn''t. Mr. Zhuang''s place is far and very quiet." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng nodded, looking enviously at Mo Hua, "Mr. Zhuang is really good to you..."


    "Mr. Zhuang is also nice to you guys, and you have some connections with him, don''t you?" Mo Hua questioned.


    Bai Zish


    eng waved his hand, "You don''t understand..." He paused, then said no more.


    He and Bai Zixi respected Mr. Zhuang; though they would consult him if they had problems, they generally wouldn''t dare to disturb him casually. Like Mo Hua, running to ask the teacher questions and even using the fireball spell to blast the pond in Mr. Zhuang''s courtyard, they would never dare.


    "Are you planning something against the teacher, having a guilty conscience, so you''re afraid of him?"


    Mo Hua looked suspiciously at Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng pouted, "I''d need to be capable of that first."


    "That''s true," Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng, curious again, asked, "Did Elder Gui teach you this fireball spell?"


    "Yes."


    "Elder Gui only taught you the fireball spell?"


    "You don''t understand, the right one is the best."


    Mo Hua, imitating Elder Gui, adopted an experienced look.


    Bai Zisheng thought about it, then nodded, "That''s true."


    Mo Hua counterasked, "Is Elder Gui very powerful?"


    "He should be," Bai Zisheng said uncertainly.


    "So you don''t know either."


    Bai Zisheng laughed awkwardly.


    Mo Hua then shooed him, "Go do your homework, don''t disturb me while I''m practicing magic."


    Bai Zisheng didn''t really want to leave; homework was too boring.


    "You practice, I can give you some pointers."


    "What can you point out? You don''t even know magic," Mo Hua was stunned.


    Bai Zisheng was displeased, "Haven''t eaten pork, but haven''t you seen a pig run? Although I practice martial arts, I still know some powerful spells."


    That was true, after all, the Bai family had a rich heritage.


    "Use the fireball spell again for me to see," Bai Zisheng said.


    "Oh." Mo Hua cast the fireball spell again.


    The pond was blasted once more.


    "Hmm... the power is a bit small," Bai Zisheng said.


    "Is it because my spiritual power is too weak?"


    "Not entirely. The power of a spell is related to your proficiency in it. The more skilled you are with the spell, the greater its power. Even if the amount of spiritual power you use remains the same, the power will increase if you''ve mastered the spell," Bai Zisheng patiently explained.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, "So what specifically does this proficiency entail?"


    "Do you have a meridian diagram for the fireball spell?"


    Mo Hua opened the meridian diagram for the fireball spell.


    Bai Zisheng pointed at the diagram and said:


    "Simply put, it''s about the precision of your spiritual power flow. If you can pass through these meridians and acupoints without deviation every time you channel your spiritual power, then the power of your spell will definitely increase."


    "Of course, absolute precision isn''t really possible; after all, humans are not puppets, it''s enough to be approximately accurate," Bai Zisheng added.


    Mo Hua had an epiphany and asked Bai Zisheng a few more questions.


    Bai Zisheng, rarely having the chance to show off in front of Mo Hua, was excitedly giving advice for a long time.


    Suddenly, a paper ball came flying from nowhere, hitting Bai Zisheng right on the head.


    Mo Hua picked up the paper ball and unfolded it, finding a simple face drawn with a brush.


    The face was simple, with just a few lines and two dots, and it seemed unhappy.


    Bai Zisheng, holding his head, looked at the note in surprise:


    "Oh no, Zixi is angry. I told her I was coming to play with you for a while, but I ended up staying too long."


    Bai Zisheng hastily got up, leaving with the words "You practice some more," and dashed off.


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then couldn''t help but laugh.


    Afterward, Mo Hua, following Bai Zisheng''s advice, tried to channel his spiritual power with precision every time, and indeed, the power of his fireball spell increased somewhat.


    When Mo Hua had practiced a hundred times, he had become quite proficient with the fireball spell.


    He then went to find Elder Gui, "Elder Gui, I''ve practiced a hundred times!"


    "Have you learned it?"


    "I have."


    "Good," Elder Gui nodded approvingly: "Now I''ll officially start teaching you."


    "Ah?"


    Mo Hua was stunned, "Haven''t you already taught me?"


    Elder Gui said calmly:


    "I haven''t started teaching yet. What''s there to teach about a fireball spell?"

 Chapter 115: Spiritual Awareness

    "What''s there to teach about the Fireball Technique..."After practicing the Fireball Technique a hundred times over four to five days, Mo Hua was stunned.


    He thought he had almost mastered it, but Elder Gui''s comment made him realize he hadn''t really learned anything...


    "Elder Gui, what else will you teach me then?"


    Mo Hua was somewhat expectant.


    "No need to teach other techniques; the Fireball Technique is sufficient," Elder Gui stated.


    Mo Hua was completely baffled. "Then what are you teaching me?"


    Elder Gui did not answer but instead posed a question, "What''s the primary point in using a technique?"


    "To learn the technique first?" Mo Hua ventured a guess.


    "That''s the basics, not the primary point. The main thing is, you need to hit your enemy. No matter how powerful a technique is, if it doesn''t hit, it''s as good as useless. It''s a waste to even learn it," Elder Gui explained.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, though he felt it was somewhat obvious.


    "What depends on hitting the target with a technique?" Elder Gui continued.


    "Spiritual awareness," Mo Hua replied.


    "Why?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, "The operation of a technique depends on spiritual awareness, casting relies on spiritual awareness, and even the trajectory of the technique after it''s cast is controlled by spiritual awareness. So, if a technique is to hit someone, it also depends on spiritual awareness."


    Elder Gui nodded, "The world seen through spiritual awareness is different from what the naked eye sees, you know this, right?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The world seen by the naked eye has clear outlines and vibrant, intricate colors.


    But when a cultivator releases their spiritual awareness, what they perceive is a vast whiteness where the specifics of things dissolve, leaving only the state of their spiritual energy.


    In other words, the world within a cultivator''s spiritual awareness is like a blank sheet of paper splashed with colorful spiritual energy graffiti.


    What spiritual awareness sees is not the concrete appearance of things but their more essential state of spiritual energy.


    Elder Gui continued, "To hit with a technique, your spiritual awareness needs to ''see'' it first."


    "Can''t I just use my eyes?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Eyes are too easily deceived. It''s foolish for a cultivator to rely only on sight," Elder Gui replied.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Gui casually plucked a slender emerald bamboo leaf and held it between his fingers.


    "From three zhang away, hit this bamboo leaf with your Fireball Technique."


    Worried about injuring Elder Gui with the Fireball Technique, but realizing the gap in their cultivation levels, Mo Hua tactfully remained silent.


    His Fireball Technique probably wouldn''t even warm Elder Gui''s hands...


    Mo Hua retreated three zhang, released his spiritual awareness, and the world within his spiritual awareness turned into a vast white expanse. The bamboo leaf floated in mid-air, its spiritual energy leaving a faint green shadow.


    However, in this white expanse, there was no trace of Elder Gui.


    Mo Hua understood that this was due to the significant difference in their spiritual awareness.


    Those with weaker spiritual awareness cannot perceive a cultivator with a much stronger one.


    "Elder Gui, here I come."


    Mo Hua said, then activated his Fireball Technique, aiming at the spiritual shadow of the bamboo leaf.


    The Fireball Technique hit the bamboo leaf, turning the vibrant green leaf into ash, but Elder Gui, holding the leaf, remained unscathed.


    Elder Gui flipped his fingers, plucking another bamboo leaf.


    "This time, hit this one."


    Mo Hua hesitated, but still focused intently, tracking the trajectory of the leaf with his spiritual awareness before casting the Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball flew through the air and missed the leaf, passing right by it.


    "Do you know why you missed?" Elder Gui asked.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, "Because the leaf was flying too fast?"


    Elder Gui waved his hand casually, creating a gust of wind that whisked several bamboo leaves into a swift aerial dance.


    With a flick of his finger, a spark flew up, chasing the fluttering leaves in the air.


    Regardless of how the leaves danced, the spark eventually caught up with each one, piercing them and turning them into ash.


    Mo Hua watched in awe.


    "This is the first lesson I''m teaching you," Elder Gui looked at Mo Hua and said slowly:


    "Spiritual Locking."


    "Spiritual Locking..."


    Mo Hua murmured, not fully understanding but feeling a profound impact.


    "Spiritual Locking means using your spiritual awareness to lock onto your opponent. No matter how they dodge, they can''t escape the pursuit of the technique," Elder Gui explained.


    "So, if I lock them with spiritual awareness, will it definitely hit?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Unless the opponent''s movements are too


    fast, faster than your technique, or they block with another technique or spiritual tool, they won''t be able to escape."


    "Oh..." Mo Hua was a bit excited and asked, "How do I use spiritual awareness to lock on?"


    "Release your spiritual awareness, perceive the opponent''s spiritual energy, and attach your awareness to it to lock onto their position," Elder Gui explained succinctly, then added, "It sounds complicated, but you''ll understand once you try it a few times."


    After saying this, Elder Gui pinched another bamboo leaf, "Try locking onto this."


    Mo Hua nodded and did as Elder Gui instructed, releasing his spiritual awareness and perceiving the spiritual state of the bamboo leaf. Soon, he felt a sensation of "insightful locking."


    It was like drawing an array. Once you understand the array patterns, the entire array seems to be imprinted in your mind.


    Mo Hua locked onto the bamboo leaf with his spiritual awareness.


    Elder Gui''s gaze sharpened. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Learning so quickly...


    "Is it because his spiritual awareness is too strong?" Elder Gui thought silently to himself.


    After a moment of silence, Elder Gui released the leaf, and it danced into the air.


    Mo Hua closed his eyes and channeled his energy, forming a pale red fireball at his fingertips. With his will, he sent it arcing through the air, striking the dancing leaf and reducing it to ash.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and smiled happily.


    Elder Gui nodded, "Well learned."


    "You teach well, Elder Gui!"


    Elder Gui was noncommittal.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "What if I can''t lock onto my opponent with spiritual awareness?"


    "The best option," Elder Gui looked at Mo Hua, "is to run."


    Mo Hua was stunned, then understood.


    If you can''t lock onto them with spiritual awareness, it means their spiritual awareness is far stronger than yours, and naturally, their cultivation is much superior to yours. Not running is simply waiting for death, and fighting is tantamount to seeking it.


    "If you really can''t run, or escape is impossible, you just have to rely on your eyes or guess based on feelings," Elder Gui said.


    So it''s just leaving it to fate...


    Mo Hua silently thought.


    "How can I avoid being locked onto by an opponent''s spiritual awareness?" Mo Hua asked again.


    "If your spiritual awareness is stronger than your opponent''s, it''s not easy for them to lock onto you. If your spiritual awareness is much stronger than theirs, they can''t lock onto you at all."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then understood.


    The stronger your spiritual awareness, the harder it is for others to perceive you, and naturally, the harder it is for them to lock onto you.


    If your spiritual awareness is so strong that your opponent can''t even perceive it, they naturally can''t lock onto you.


    "The use of spiritual awareness in combat also involves techniques, but I can''t teach that. You''ll have to figure it out yourself when you face other cultivators in the future," Elder Gui said.


    "Not even a little bit?" Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Gui explained, "Spiritual awareness is different from spiritual energy. Spiritual energy leaves traces, but spiritual awareness is intangible. Cultivators can use meridians and acupoints to locate spiritual energy, but there''s nothing that can define spiritual awareness."


    "Therefore, the use of spiritual awareness can only be understood through your own experiences. I could explain, but you wouldn''t understand, and even if you did, it doesn''t mean you''d be able to use it..."


    Mo Hua nodded, taking to heart all that Elder Gui had said.


    Although he didn''t fully understand now, he would definitely find it useful in the future.


    Elder Gui continued, "But you don''t need to worry too much. Generally speaking, among cultivators of the same major realm, the gap in spiritual awareness isn''t large enough to prevent an opponent from locking on..."


    Elder Gui stopped there, glanced at Mo Hua, and his gaze slightly hardened.


    Generally speaking, that is...

 Chapter 116: Speed is Supreme

    In general, cultivators of the same realm do not have a significant disparity in spiritual awareness that would prevent them from locking onto an opponent.However, Mo Hua is not what one might call a "typical" cultivator, at least not in terms of spiritual awareness.


    If his spiritual awareness continues to grow at this rate, whether it can still be locked onto by others is a question worth pondering...


    Unperturbed, Elder Gui contemplates quietly, ripples of thought stirring within him.


    Mo Hua raises another question, "Elder Gui, is spiritual awareness locking something every cultivator can do?"


    "Not exactly," Elder Gui returns to the present and responds indifferently, "Among the cultivators I have observed, seventy percent cannot do it, more than twenty percent can but are not adept, and less than ten percent can use it exquisitely." S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua expresses his confusion, "It doesn''t seem that hard, why can''t most cultivators do it?"


    At least to him, it didn''t seem challenging.


    Elder Gui silently regards him, noting a resemblance between Mo Hua and Mr. Zhuang at this moment.


    Not all cultivators possess strong spiritual awareness, nor are all adept in utilizing it.


    "Like master, like disciple," Mo Hua seems somewhat influenced...


    With a sigh in his heart, Elder Gui explains, "Seventy percent of cultivators cannot lock spiritual awareness because half of them have no one to teach them the technique, and the other half, even if taught, cannot grasp it..."


    "Spiritual awareness is ethereal, like an antelope hanging its horns, traceless and elusive. Thus, it is difficult to teach and learn, hard to grasp through mere words..."


    "Oh," Mo Hua nods, half-understanding.


    "But," he hesitates before asking, "even if a spell hits, Fireball Technique isn''t very powerful and seems harmless, right?"


    Elder Gui does not answer directly but counters, "How much spiritual power is needed to kill a cultivator?"


    Mo Hua shivers slightly, shaking his head.


    He had never killed anyone; how would he know...


    "Some cultivators can kill with the spiritual power of ten Heavenly Cycles, while others can''t kill even with a hundred," Elder Gui says.


    A Heavenly Cycle refers to one complete circulation of spiritual power through the twelve primary meridians. Regardless of a cultivator''s age or physique, the variation in spiritual power for one Heavenly Cycle is minimal.


    Thus, cultivators often use "Heavenly Cycles" to measure the amount of spiritual power.


    The more Heavenly Cycles, the greater the spiritual power and the stronger the magic invoked.


    "Is it because cultivators have vital points?" Mo Hua asks.


    Elder Gui nods, "Vital points like the Baihui, Shenting, Heart Meridian, and Dantian are crucial. If hit by a spell unguarded, one could either be severely injured or killed."


    Mo Hua realizes, "So, hitting these vital points, even with a weaker spell, can cause greater damage. But if it hits non-critical areas, even a powerful spell may not be fatal."


    "Exactly."


    Mo Hua ponders and then has an epiphany, "That''s why spiritual awareness locking is crucial. Only with strong spiritual awareness and precise locking can spells hit vital points more effectively. Is that right, Elder Gui?"


    Elder Gui nods.


    Mo Hua grows excited; even with his weak spiritual power, his spells could pose a significant threat.


    However, Elder Gui throws cold water on his enthusiasm, "That''s the theory, but it''s useless in actual combat."


    "Ah..." Mo Hua is stunned.


    "Anyone not a fool knows to protect their vital points. If you aim at vital points, even if not hitting armor or Dao robes, the cultivator will block with hands or arms," Elder Gui explains.


    Mo Hua is confused again, "Then what should I do?"


    "You should know the cultivator''s vital points. Sneak attacks might work occasionally, but relying on them in direct combat isn''t worthwhile," Elder Gui advises, "For a spiritual cultivator who excels in magic, the most important thing is to know how to use spells."


    "How should I use them?"


    Elder Gui nods, explaining, "Casting a spell takes time."


    Mo Hua still doesn''t quite understand.


    "Cultivators need to channel spiritual power to cast spells, which can take from a single breath up to ten," Elder Gui continues.


    "The higher the grade of the spell, the more spiritual power it requires and the greater its power, thus the longer the casting time. Some extremely powerful spells can even take hours to cast."


    "Conversely, lower-grade spells require less spiritual power and have less power, but their casting time is also shorter..." Elder Gui slowly explains.


    Mo Hua''s eyes brighten.


    "Thus, in facing an enemy, a spiritual cultivator must either anticipate the opponent''s moves, casting powerful spells in advance to strike a lethal blow, or..."


    Elder Gui''s gaze sharpens, "take the initiative with simple yet fierce spells to suppress the enemy, leaving them no room to breathe..."


    Mo Hua''s understanding deepens.


    Given his low-grade spiritual roots and weak spiritual power, he cannot learn those powerful but energy-consuming high-grade spells.


    He must find an alternative path, learning spells like the Fireball Technique, which, although not very powerful, can be executed quickly and seize the initiative.


    However, a new concern arises.


    "Can a spell with small power truly suppress?" Mo Hua asks.


    "Physical cultivators interrupt their moves, spiritual cultivators disrupt their spells; if the opponent cannot attack, they can naturally be suppressed," Elder Gui explains further, "Physical cultivators are also human. Struck by your spell, they naturally suffer pain. Unless their will is exceptionally strong, their assault will inevitably break..."


    "If you encounter someone who trades injury for injury, risking their life in the fight, you can aim at their joints or vital points. This makes them think twice during the battle. Once they hesitate, they dare not stake their lives recklessly..."


    ...


    Mo Hua had never imagined there was so much nuance to the use of spells, feeling as if he had received a sudden enlightenment. He looks at Elder Gui with profound respect.


    Elder Gui remains composed, but seeing Mo Hua''s admiring gaze, a ripple of satisfaction passes through his otherwise still heart.


    Mr. Zhuang was right, teaching his disciples is indeed a pleasant pastime.


    "Do you understand?"


    Mo Hua nods vigorously.


    Elder Gui continues to instruct, "There are countless spells in the world, but the principle is generally the same. Every spell has its disadvantages and advantages. What cultivators must do is to play to their strengths and avoid weaknesses."


    "Conversely, every spell has its advantages, but also inevitable disadvantages. What you need to do is to see through these disadvantages and exploit them to break the opponent''s spells."


    "The myriad arts of Dao each have their strengths and weaknesses, the art of their use lies within the heart."


    ...


    Usually reticent, Elder Gui becomes eloquent when discussing spells, his words sparkling with wisdom.


    "These principles might not be applicable now, but the path of cultivation is long, and someday they may prove useful," Elder Gui states.


    Mo Hua listens intently, engraving every word in his heart, then bows respectfully to Elder Gui:


    "Thank you, Elder Gui, for your guidance. I have remembered everything!"


    Elder Gui nods in acknowledgment.


    Mo Hua reflects further on Elder Gui''s words, then faces a practical issue.


    He currently knows only the Fireball Technique.


    With all the strategies of "initiating to suppress, using spells to exploit strengths and weaknesses, and breaking the enemy''s spells" that Elder Gui mentioned, it still seems a bit distant.


    After all, he knows only the Fireball Technique...


    "What should I do now?" Mo Hua scratches his head.


    "Practice the Fireball Technique," comes the straightforward reply from Elder Gui.


    "How long should I practice?"


    "Keep practicing, making it as accurate and fast as possible."


    Elder Gui looks at Mo Hua with profound eyes, "Just remember one thing..."


    "In the realm of spells, speed is unbeatable!"

 Chapter 117: Spirit Ink

    In the world of magic, speed is unbeatable!Mo Hua silently engraved this in his heart.


    "Grandfather Gui, what kind of magic should I learn next?" Mo Hua asked Elder Gui.


    He couldn''t possibly use the Fireball Technique forever...


    "Whatever you like."


    Elder Gui answered casually.


    "Does that mean as long as I understand the principles, I can learn anything..."


    That was the only way Mo Hua could interpret it.


    Elder Gui then reverted to his usual reticent self, and Mo Hua, feeling it improper to pry further, simply went back to practicing his Fireball Technique.


    Whenever he had spare time, Mo Hua would practice the Fireball Technique.


    He remembered Elder Gui''s words: to practice with greater accuracy and speed!


    Now, with the Passing Water Step for defense and the Fireball Technique for offense, he barely managed a balance of "attack and defense," securing some ability to protect himself.


    For future magic, Mo Hua was not in a rush anymore; at least, there was no urgency for now, as learning more might not be immediately useful.


    Mo Hua then shifted his focus back to array formations. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At the fifth level of Qi cultivation, Mo Hua could now draw eight array patterns, but he estimated that within the fifth level, drawing nine patterns would be impossible.


    As Mr. Zhuang had said, spiritual awareness has its limits.


    Every evening, Mo Hua still practiced at the Dao Stele to enhance his spiritual awareness, but he felt that its growth was minimal, as if gradually reaching a bottleneck; his sea of consciousness was already overflowing.


    Thus, only a breakthrough in his realm would allow him to attempt drawing nine array patterns.


    Nine array patterns...


    Mo Hua frowned in thought and suddenly shuddered.


    Nine array patterns would mean becoming a First-Rank Array Master!


    Was he, unbeknownst to himself, on the verge of becoming a First-Rank Array Master?!


    A slight tremor of shock passed through Mo Hua''s heart.


    Although it still required the Dao Court''s assessment and a vacant First-Rank Array Master position, being able to draw nine patterns meant he had one foot in the door of becoming a First-Rank Array Master!


    Mo Hua felt moved, "Mr. Zhuang was indeed correct; as long as one is undistracted and keeps drawing arrays, keeps drawing, and keeps drawing, one will eventually become a First-Rank Array Master."


    The simplest method is often the most straightforward!


    Mo Hua felt a slight urge to boast, but recalling Mr. Zhuang''s teachings of "being neither arrogant nor rash" and "humble and low-profile," he restrained himself and calmed his mind.


    The path of cultivation is long, and a momentary achievement means little.


    Remaining humble and undiscouraged is the key to pursuing the great path of longevity.


    Even if he wanted to boast, he would wait until he could draw nine array patterns and become a First-Rank Array Master!


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s supply of Spirit Ink was becoming an issue again...


    To learn and master the nine-pattern array and become a First-Rank Array Master, not only did he need to practice on the Dao Stele, but he also had to draw on array papers and various other array mediums.


    Not just to learn, but to apply what was learned, to grasp the array deeply.


    Moreover, Mo Hua''s cultivation technique was the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, whose bottleneck was the Riddle Array. Without solving the Riddle Array, he could not break through the bottleneck and advance his realm.


    Solving the Riddle Array depended on his experience with arrays; to solve it, he needed to observe and practice many arrays.


    Whether to become a First-Rank Array Master or to solve the Riddle Array, Mo Hua needed to study and practice numerous arrays.


    This meant he needed a lot of Spirit Ink...


    A normal Array Master wouldn''t need so much Spirit Ink because their limited spiritual awareness meant they could only draw a few arrays each day.


    But Mo Hua was different.


    His spiritual awareness was significantly higher than cultivators of the same level, and with the Dao Stele, it was still gradually increasing.


    Due to the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, he could draw arrays much faster than others, and with the Meditation Techniques taught by Mr. Zhuang, his spiritual awareness recovered quickly.


    Thus, from morning till evening, Mo Hua continuously drew, capable of completing nearly ten arrays.


    This was several times more than an average Array Master.


    This led to Mo Hua''s Spirit Ink being used up like flowing water.


    Elder Yu occasionally had someone bring some Spirit Ink to Mo Hua.


    In Elder Yu''s view, considering Mo Hua''s young age and unstable spiritual awareness, this amount of Spirit Ink should have been sufficient.


    But for Mo Hua, it was far from enough.


    Mo Hua was


    somewhat troubled but had no better solution, which made him wonder:


    "How exactly is Spirit Ink concocted?"


    Mo Hua thought to ask Mr. Zhuang, but considering the question wasn''t too profound and not worth disturbing his mentor¡¯s peace, he decided to ask Bai Zisheng instead.


    Bai Zisheng sat under a large locust tree, looking painfully at his homework.


    Mo Hua glanced at it; it was "Pill Concoction Fire Control and Pill Quality Classic."


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand...


    He wasn''t very skilled at pill concoction, though he was quite familiar with the Water-Wood Spirit Control Array inside the pill furnace, having once helped Elder Feng repair it.


    Bai Zisheng closed the book and lay down on the ground, stiff as a salted fish, motionless.


    "Zisheng, I have a question for you."


    Bai Zisheng replied weakly, "This book is giving me a headache, ask ZiXi instead, let me rest a bit."


    "Oh." Mo Hua turned his head to Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi had just closed her book too, her eyes like autumn waters looking at Mo Hua.


    "Do you have a moment?" Mo Hua asked softly.


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua carefully asked, "How is the Spirit Ink used in arrays concocted?"


    "Using demon blood, spirit liquid, spirit herbs, or spirit minerals."


    Bai Zixi answered succinctly, her voice clear and melodious.


    But Mo Hua didn''t quite understand, "Is there a more specific method?"


    Just knowing these materials, Mo Hua wasn''t sure how to mix them...


    "Wait a moment." Bai Zixi opened a nearby storage bag, white with delicate, light gold phoenix embroidery, and took out a book.


    Mo Hua watched as Bai Zixi, with her elegant but exquisite storage bag, piqued his curiosity.


    He wondered what else was stored in that bag that seemed to have every kind of book.


    Bai Zixi''s slender, fair hand handed the book to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua took it and flipped through.


    The cover of the book read "First-Rank Spirit Ink Record," containing information about Spirit Ink commonly used in arrays of First-Rank and below, including types of Spirit Ink, formulas, and specific mixing methods.


    The cover also had a line: "Bai family ancestral collection, not to be disseminated."


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but glance at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi said indifferently, "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not top secret."


    Mo Hua was reassured and continued to flip through the book.


    The methods for concocting First-Rank Spirit Ink were relatively simple, mostly using demon blood as the base, mixed with a certain proportion of spirit stone powder in spirit liquid, or some juice of spirit herbs, to neutralize the malicious nature of the demon blood and activate its potency, harmonizing the spiritual power of the ink.


    Spirit liquid and spirit herbs were not used much, so it wasn¡¯t too troublesome; the most challenging part was actually the demon blood.


    The demon blood used in Spirit Ink must be drawn from the demon beast while it was still alive or within a short time after its death.


    Once a demon beast died and time passed, the demon blood would either cool and dim, greatly reducing its effectiveness, or completely solidify, rendering it unusable as Spirit Ink.


    Moreover, the extraction of demon blood required a special technique to slowly guide the blood out of the demon beast¡¯s veins and into a specially prepared jade bottle for preservation to prevent the blood from solidifying.


    This special technique for extracting demon blood was called the Blood Drawing Technique.

 Chapter 118: Blood Drawing Technique

    "Blood Drawing Technique?" Mo Hua was momentarily stunned before asking Bai Zixi, "Is the Blood Drawing Technique difficult to learn?"Bai Zixi shook her head, "It''s not difficult to learn, but it''s challenging to use."


    "The Blood Drawing Technique is a simplified form of Spiritual Awareness Manipulation, allowing for the pulling of demonic blood with one''s spiritual awareness. This ability is typical of cultivators in the Foundation Building stage. Qi-cultivation practitioners can barely use it; they cannot do so from a distance, and it consumes a lot of spiritual awareness," Bai Zixi explained.


    If it were merely a matter of large spiritual awareness consumption, Mo Hua would not be afraid. After all, his spiritual root and body refining skills weren''t great; his only strength was in his spiritual awareness.


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zixi with hopeful, dark, and sparkling eyes.


    Understanding his expression, Bai Zixi sighed lightly and pulled a book out of her phoenix-patterned storage bag.


    The cover of the book was titled "Blood Drawing Technique."


    "Drawing blood like this is quite taxing and greatly drains one''s spiritual awareness. Most cultivators won''t learn it. Be careful on your own," Bai Zixi warned.


    "Okay!" Mo Hua replied cheerfully.


    He then took out a rosewood food box from his own storage bag, which contained several pieces of jadeite cakes and a pot of pear blossom brew.


    The jadeite cake was sweet, and the pear blossom brew was refreshingly sweet. Mixed together, they created a rich fragrance.


    "My mother just made these. Try some," Mo Hua offered.


    Bai Zixi paused, her lips curving slightly upwards, not hesitating to indulge. She delicately picked up a piece of jadeite cake and nibbled on it.


    Perhaps it was the taste, but her bright eyes slightly narrowed in pleasure.


    Bai Zisheng, smelling the aroma, suddenly sat up, sniffing a few times and looking towards Mo Hua:


    "Where''s mine?"


    "Aren''t you having a headache?"


    "It''s gone now," Bai Zisheng declared.


    "You should rest more."


    "I''ll rest after I eat."


    Shaking his head, Mo Hua also took out a plate of beef for him.


    "This is cooked with spicy seasoning; it''s even spicier."


    Bai Zisheng grabbed a few slices of beef, stuffing them into his mouth, and immediately exclaimed, "It''s so spicy!"


    After chewing a few bites, he nodded, "It''s tasty!"


    While enjoying the spiciness and the aroma, Bai Zisheng quickly finished the plate of beef and then asked:


    "What were you going to ask?"


    "I''ve asked already."


    "I can''t just eat your food for free. Think of something else to ask!" Bai Zisheng insisted.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked:


    "The Blood Drawing Technique is a simplified version of Spiritual Awareness Manipulation... What exactly is Spiritual Awareness Manipulation?"


    "You don''t know about Spiritual Awareness Manipulation? Every cultivator in the Foundation Building stage knows it," Bai Zisheng questioned.


    "It''s normal for a Qi-cultivation practitioner like me not to know, right?" Mo Hua stated.


    Bai Zisheng found no words to rebut and nodded, explaining:


    "Spiritual Awareness Manipulation means using one''s spiritual awareness to remotely control objects, such as these small stone tables and stools. From a distance, you could move them using your spiritual awareness."


    "That doesn''t sound like much..."


    "How could it not be?" Bai Zisheng huffed, "Controlling these tables and stools might be trivial, but think about controlling swords! Imagine, with a flick of your spiritual intent, a sword flies through the air and strikes down an enemy miles away! Isn''t that amazing?"


    "Really, miles?"


    Bai Zisheng looked incredulous, "Are you just being contrarian?"


    "A cultivator in the Foundation Building stage can''t project their spiritual awareness for miles," Mo Hua realistically asserted.


    Bai Zisheng reluctantly admitted, "True... managing ten or a hundred miles would be impressive."


    Mo Hua looked vindicated.


    "Precision in cultivation is crucial; a slight deviation can lead to a great error. If you don''t calculate properly in a duel, it could cost you your life," Mo Hua sternly said.


    Bai Zisheng: "¡­" S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Besides, your claim of controlling a sword for miles is nearly ten to a hundred times off from the reality. With such a large error, if you really had to act, you''d surely be doomed!" Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zisheng helplessly replied, "Aren''t you excited about Spiritual Awareness Manipulation of swords?"


    "Swords are expensive, and I can''t afford them. What''s the use of being excited..." Mo Hua pragmatically stated.


    Bai Zisheng: "


    ¡­"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said to Bai Zisheng, "You''re a body cultivator, right?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "Do body cultivators also control swords?"


    "Generally... not."


    "You can''t control swords either, so what are you excited about?" Mo Hua questioned.


    Bai Zisheng took a deep breath, feeling a sense of powerlessness wash over him.


    He lay down on the ground, facing Mo Hua earnestly:


    "Mo Hua, one day, someone in this world will surely be talked to death by you!"


    Mo Hua looked puzzled, "How could that be? After all, we''re cultivators with resilient Dao hearts. How could anyone be killed just by a few words?"


    "Don''t worry, there definitely will be!"


    Bai Zisheng declared confidently.


    After parting with the Bai siblings, Mo Hua returned home and began to learn the Blood Drawing Technique.


    The Blood Drawing Technique wasn''t exactly a spell, nor could it truly be considered a secret technique. Instead, it resembled other cultivation crafts like herb gathering, mining, or spiritual plant cultivation.


    Some cultivators relied on this craft to extract fresh demonic blood, selling it to businesses or other cultivators in need of demonic blood.


    The process of drawing blood wasn''t difficult, but it was taxing on one''s spiritual awareness and quite laborious.


    Cultivators who practiced blood drawing were akin to physical cultivators who did manual labor at the Spiritual Transport Docks, except these physical cultivators used their physical strength to transport goods, while blood drawing used spiritual awareness to manipulate demonic blood.


    Physical strength recovers quickly, but spiritual awareness does not, hence cultivators could only extract a limited amount of demonic blood each day, yielding low profits. At least near Tongxian City, there weren''t many cultivators who knew the Blood Drawing Technique.


    Mo Hua speculated that some cultivators from other regions might be able to extract large amounts of demonic blood and make a living off the Blood Drawing Technique, otherwise, given its rarity, the spirit ink used by array masters would be much more expensive.


    But this was just a guess, as Mo Hua''s experience in the cultivation world was limited, and he couldn''t be sure.


    The Blood Drawing Technique wasn''t difficult to learn; Mo Hua was able to master it after reading the instructions a few times as described in the book.


    As Bai Zixi mentioned, the Blood Drawing Technique was a simplified version of Spiritual Awareness Manipulation, but this type of manipulation couldn''t be done from afar. It required one''s palm to be in contact with the demonic beast''s fur, sensing the flow of demonic blood before using spiritual awareness to extract the blood from the beast''s blood vessels.


    There were no live or recently deceased demonic beasts in Tongxian City for Mo Hua to practice the Blood Drawing Technique on.


    Mo Hua had to ask Mo Shan to cut a piece of wild ox demon''s fur, then pour water on it and use his spiritual awareness to manipulate the water flow over the fur.


    Although this was quite different from the actual Blood Drawing Technique, it was better than nothing.


    After practicing a few times, Mo Hua grasped the method.


    However, the biggest problem was that although he had learned the Blood Drawing Technique, there were no demonic beasts for Mo Hua to extract demonic blood from.


    Without demonic blood, he couldn''t mix the spirit ink. The shortage of spirit ink remained unsolved.


    Mo Hua thought for a few days and finally came up with one solution:


    Go into the mountains and hunt demons!


    He planned to enter the vast and treacherous Dahei Mountain, hunt demonic beasts, and while their blood was still fresh and uncoagulated, extract the vital essence from their blood vessels.


    This was the only way to steadily and massively obtain demonic blood.


    Mo Hua looked up, his gaze traveling beyond the houses and streets of Tongxian City, fixating on the dark and profound Dahei Mountain in the distance.


    The mountain was perilous, filled with deadly miasma, shrouded in clouds and fog, and permeated with demonic energy.


    It was the dwelling place of formidable demonic creatures and had been the site where countless demon hunters from Tongxian City had both made their living and met their ends over thousands of years...

 Chapter 119: The Trap

    Forewarned is forearmed, unpreparedness spells disaster.If one wishes to venture into the Dahei Mountain, ample preparations are essential.


    Dahei Mountain, with its treacherous terrain, is rife with poisonous creatures and miasmic air, and beasts lurk at every corner. S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    These beasts do not reason; they generally devour any human they see, and those that do not still kill, disemboweling cultivators before striding away.


    Mo Hua, having grown up in Tongxian City and his father being a demon hunter, was deeply aware of the perils of Dahei Mountain from a young age.


    Venturing into the mountain without caution could mean vanishing without a trace, likely leaving not even bones behind.


    Thus, entering the mountain requires thorough consideration and planning in advance to avoid unforeseen dangers and a precarious fate.


    ¡°My parents have only me as their son,¡± Mo Hua silently mused.


    One day, Liu Ruhua brought some beef and vegetables to Jiang Yun, asking her to take them home for her children.


    Jiang Yun demurred, saying she couldn¡¯t carry so much.


    Storage bags used by Qi-cultivating cultivators are indeed cheaper and smaller, hardly holding much.


    ¡°Aunt Jiang, I can help you take it back,¡± Mo Hua volunteered.


    ¡°How could I let you do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m actually on my way to see Uncle Chu.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Jiang Yun asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    No longer refusing, Jiang Yun led the way with the storage bag, while Mo Hua followed, carrying two large Chinese cabbages.


    Along the way, Jiang Yun frequently looked back, advising Mo Hua to be careful and inquiring if he was tired and needed to rest.


    It took about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to reach Jiang Yun¡¯s house.


    Jiang Yun¡¯s home was modest, with just a few rooms. The walls were mottled, and the furniture, though old and worn, was sufficient.


    Fortunately, the kitchen was still lively, ensuring at least enough for sustenance.


    Jiang Yun, somewhat embarrassed, said, ¡°My home is a bit shabby¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Aunt Jiang,¡± Mo Hua smiled.


    The homes of independent cultivators in Tongxian City were generally like this, simple and modest.


    Mo Hua¡¯s family had been slightly better off, thanks to Liu Ruhua¡¯s frugality and Mo Shan''s prowess in demon hunting which kept the family stable, allowing them to live modestly but comfortably.


    However, such stability was contingent on avoiding misfortunes.


    Once disaster struck, the family¡¯s fortunes would plummet, and even making a living would become challenging, let alone pursuing the path of cultivation for immortality.


    Aunt Jiang''s husband had been severely injured while hunting demons, leaving the family in financial ruin and without income, with a child still to feed. Despite her tears, there was no solution in sight.


    Later, working in a restaurant brought some income from spirit stones, and as her husband''s condition improved, it helped supplement the family''s needs somewhat.


    The life of an independent cultivator is more fragile than one might assume, but despite this, they still strive to survive.


    Aunt Jiang''s mother-in-law was entertaining the child, who peeked out with big, curious eyes, sizing up Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua handed the child a cloth tiger, and with a voice full of excitement, the child thanked him and clung to the toy without letting go, shouting joyfully.


    Mo Hua smiled, then went to see Jiang Yun¡¯s husband, Chu Guangshan.


    Chu Guangshan was surprised to see Mo Hua but happy to hear he had matters to discuss.


    ¡°Tell me, what is it? If I can help, consider it done!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Chu, I¡¯d like to learn how traps are used,¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    The small demon cat Mo Hua had practiced the Passing Water Step with was caught by Chu Guangshan using a trap.


    Juvenile demonic beasts, although not strong, are highly alert and familiar with their environment, rarely falling for traps laid by cultivators.


    That Chu Guangshan could trap hunting demons, and even alive, was quite impressive.


    Part of this was because Mo Hua had drawn the Wood Binding Array on the trap, making it difficult for the beast to escape.


    But it also spoke volumes about Chu Guangshan¡¯s vast experience and skill in setting traps.


    Not every demon hunter has the patience and meticulousness to study traps.


    Chu Guangshan hesitated.


    ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient, never mind,¡± Mo Hua quickly added.


    It was somewhat presumptuous to inquire about a livelihood skill.


    Chu Guangshan paused, then laughed:


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inconvenient about it. I¡¯m happy you asked, but¡­¡±


    He paused again and added:


    ¡°These are just minor tricks. Don¡¯t spend too much time on them; focus more on cultivation and learning arrays; that''s where your future lies.¡±


    ¡°I, myself, am practically disabled now. I can¡¯t hunt demons anymore, so I just focus on these little tricks to make a living. Otherwise, your Aunt Jiang would suffer too much...¡±


    Chu Guangshan sighed, his expression self-deprecating.


    Moved by his words, Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°All knowledge is learning, and the path of cultivation is profound and vast, encompassing all things. The greater path is a path, and so is the lesser path.¡±


    Chu Guangshan looked slightly taken aback, then chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know where you learned such reasoning, but it makes sense. Since you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll teach you everything. Still, remember what I said: these tricks aren''t worth too much of your effort.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t neglect my cultivation and array learning,¡± Mo Hua reassured him.


    Chu Guangshan then nodded in approval.


    ¡°Setting traps is actually quite simple, but it requires patience and carefulness,¡± he explained.


    ¡°When setting a trap, you need to observe the terrain and predict where the demons might come from and where they might go. Place the trap along their inevitable path...¡±


    ¡°After setting a trap, you need to erase any traces. Whatever the plants and rocks looked like before, they should look the same afterward. You also need to eliminate any scents. For those scents you can''t remove, you need to learn how to mask them...¡±


    ¡°How do you mask them?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°Demonic beasts are drawn to the scent of blood and decay. You can use demon blood or rotten flesh to mask the scent, or use herbs like blood-scented grass that naturally emit a bloody smell.¡±


    ¡°I''ll draw you a few diagrams of the traps later; they are quite simple. You can add some array patterns yourself; that should enhance their effectiveness.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Lastly, be wary of demonic beasts playing dead. They are cunning and might feign death if they accidentally fall into a trap. When you approach to check, they might suddenly attack, and nine times out of ten, you won''t be able to guard against it.¡±


    Chu Guangshan detailed everything meticulously.


    Mo Hua listened intently, nodding frequently.


    When it was time to leave, Chu Guangshan appeared hesitant, as if he had more to say but was reluctant to speak.


    ¡°Uncle Chu, is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, nothing.¡±


    Chu Guangshan quickly waved his hand, but his expression clearly indicated that there was something, though he felt uneasy about mentioning it.


    Mo Hua gently pressed, ¡°Aunt Jiang has been very kind to me, and you¡¯ve taught me how to use traps. Just say whatever it is.¡±


    Chu Guangshan¡¯s face flushed red, and after a long hesitation, he finally spoke:


    ¡°When Zhou grows a bit older, could you, perhaps, teach him a bit about arrays¡­¡±


    Zhou was Chu Guangshan and Jiang Yun¡¯s son, the child Mo Hua had just met.


    Chu Guangshan himself had been injured by a demonic beast, and while he hadn¡¯t died, he could no longer hunt demons, making it difficult even to earn a living.


    He did not want his son to follow the same perilous path, constantly living on the edge. So, he hoped his son would learn a bit about arrays to secure a livelihood.


    Learning arrays requires taking on a master, and he simply couldn¡¯t afford the spirit stones for it.


    Thus, he could only ask Mo Hua for help, unable to afford any compensation, feeling both embarrassed and ashamed.


    But he had no other options, and despite how difficult it was to voice, for his son¡¯s sake, he had to make the request.


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback and thought it over for a moment.


    Chu Guangshan quickly added, ¡°Of course, if Zhou is not smart enough or lacks the talent, then never mind¡­¡±


    He said this, but hope lingered in his eyes, even appearing somewhat humble.


    Mo Hua felt a twinge of sorrow¡­


    He pretended not to notice anything and simply smiled, saying, ¡°Sure, but let¡¯s wait until Zhou is a bit older. Even if his talent isn¡¯t great, as long as he can learn a few arrays, he can trade with merchants to earn some spirit stones. That should be enough to provide a decent living.¡±


    A weight seemed to lift from Chu Guangshan¡¯s heart, and he breathed a sigh of relief.


    He looked at Mo Hua, his emotions fluctuating and his eyes slightly moist. Grateful words hovered on his lips, but feeling they were too meager, he didn¡¯t know how to express them properly.


    Mo Hua smiled as he bid farewell.


    Chu Guangshan escorted Mo Hua out of his house and down the street, watching him until he reached the sign for "Liu''s Restaurant,"


    where he finally stopped, his gaze lingering on Mo Hua as he walked away.

 Chapter 120: Preparations

    Mo Hua went to consult Mr. Zhuang about teaching others the arrays.Mr. Zhuang was unconcerned, "What I''ve taught you, you can teach others, as long as you wish to do so."


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, "Thank you, Sir!"


    As Mr. Zhuang savored his meat and wine, contentment on his face, he suddenly asked with curiosity, "Teaching others, there''s really no benefit to you, is there? Aren''t you afraid of the hassle?"


    "Yan Jiaoxi once told his disciple that the path of arrays is like water, only by passing it on can it flow far and endure."


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression showed a slight surprise.


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang and said, "Sir, you imparted the art of arrays to me, this is a tradition. Although my talents are limited and my mastery of arrays is modest, within the limits of my ability, I also wish to pass on these arrays. In doing so, I honor your guidance, allowing the path of arrays to flow far and endure."


    "Flow far and endure, huh..." Mr. Zhuang''s slender fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the bamboo chair, "Flow far and endure, but to what end?"


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "Studying arrays is to comprehend the laws of Heaven, drawing arrays is to practice these laws, and teaching them is to pass on these laws. Cultivators seek the Dao for immortality, and if the art of arrays endures, it signifies the perpetual flow of the Heavenly Dao..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes brightened, he nodded and said, "Well said, the Dao births all things, the Dao transforms all things."


    He looked at Mo Hua again, "No matter what happens in the future, do not forget your initial resolve."


    "Of course, Sir!"


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang lay back in the bamboo chair, raised his right hand, and looked at his palm.


    Now it was empty, devoid of spiritual power, unable to draw arrays, grasping nothing at all.


    "Passing it on, huh..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze deepened, tinged with a hint of bitterness.


    Mr. Zhuang had allowed Mo Hua to pass on the arrays, and Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    The children were still young; learning even simple arrays could help them scrape a living in the future.


    Mo Hua continued preparing for the trip to Dahei Mountain.


    He had learned how to create traps and knew the tricks of setting them up.


    Over the next few days, using the remaining spirit ink, Mo Hua drew five Earth Fire Arrays, among various other minor, possibly needed arrays.


    He also indirectly learned about the rules and taboos of the outer regions of Dahei Mountain from Mo Shan, along with the basic procedures and methods used by demon hunters to hunt demonic beasts.


    With preparations in place, Mo Hua found the three brothers, Da Hu.


    They had gradually shed their greenness, appearing a bit more composed, yet youthful traces lingered in their eyes.


    They had entered Dahei Mountain, been injured, bled, and shed silent tears. Now, they were gradually adapting to the life of a demon hunter. Although they couldn''t handle things on their own yet, they were at least able to assist the hunting team, sharing some spirit stones after hunting demonic beasts.


    However, these spirit stones were still but a drop in the bucket for their arduous life.


    The trio had just returned from hunting with the team, repairing at home for a few days, with plans to re-enter the mountains soon.


    Mo Hua approached them, and they were glad to see him.


    "I have something to discuss with you."


    Chewing on the sour-sweet wild fruits given by Meng Dame, Mo Hua spoke with his cheeks bulging.


    The trio was taken aback, "What''s the matter?"


    "I''m going into Dahei Mountain too!" Mo Hua declared.


    The trio stared in disbelief, shaking their heads like rattle drums.


    "No, no, no!"


    Da Hu said, "It''s too dangerous in Dahei Mountain, you can''t go!"


    "Exactly, you''re only at the fifth level of Qi cultivation, you can''t go."


    "You''re not a physical cultivator, what if you get hurt?" Xiao Hu worried.


    "Right, you''re fragile, you can''t get injured!"


    Da Hu thought of his own blood-soaked chest wound, then looked at Mo Hua''s frail frame.


    He could endure his injuries, but if Mo Hua were slapped by a demonic beast, he might just breathe his last.


    The more Da Hu thought about it, the firmer his tone became, "You can''t go!"


    Mo Hua scratched his head, "Don''t worry, it


    ''ll be fine."


    The duo hesitantly asked, "What are you going to do in Dahei Mountain?"


    "Hunting demons!"


    The trio jumped, even more adamant that Mo Hua should not go.


    "If you won''t let me, I''ll just sneak in, wouldn''t that be even more dangerous?" Mo Hua argued.


    Of course, he was just saying this. Dahei Mountain was too perilous; going alone was akin to seeking death.


    The trio were in a dilemma.


    "Are you guys not earning enough spirit stones as demon hunters?" Mo Hua seized the opportunity to ask.


    The trio didn''t want to admit it, but they nodded.


    They were still new and could only help out, receiving few spirit stones.


    "I have a way to hunt demonic beasts, but I need your help," Mo Hua said.


    "What''s your plan?" Xiao Hu couldn''t help but ask.


    "Arrays!"


    "I''ll set up arrays to lure the demonic beasts, first blast them into severe injuries, then you three finish them off."


    "But..." Da Hu was still worried for Mo Hua.


    "I''ll just set up the arrays, then hide. Once the beasts are injured, you finish them off, and I''ll come out. There will be no danger," Mo Hua plotted.


    "But can arrays really injure demonic beasts..."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll set up several, they might not kill the beasts but will surely inflict serious injuries."


    This was originally planned against Qian Xing, but since Qian Xing had been scared off his wits, now it could be used against the demonic beasts.


    The trio looked at each other, trusting Mo Hua''s arrays but still harboring concerns.


    "Don''t you want Meng Dame to have a better life?"


    The trio fell silent, of course, they did.


    Meng Dame had endured much hardship to raise the three of them. Sometimes, not wanting her children to see, she would hide away alone and secretly wipe away her tears.


    The trio bowed their heads, their eyes slightly reddened.


    Mo Hua sighed, patted their shoulders, "Don''t worry, I wouldn''t undertake something I''m not confident about." S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Hu hesitated a bit, "Are you really sure?"


    "We''ll go to the outer mountain tomorrow, or the day after, find a weak demonic beast, and test it out. If it works, great, if not, we can still escape."


    "We might be able to escape, but can you..."


    The duo looked at Mo Hua and implied.


    Mo Hua proudly said, "I''ve specially learned a technique, don''t worry, the beasts can''t hurt me."


    "What technique?"


    "The person who taught me said not to tell."


    "Who taught you?"


    "Just a passing, unknown, kind-hearted uncle," Mo Hua replied straightforwardly.


    Da Hu looked at Mo Hua suspiciously, "He wasn''t a swindler, was he?"


    "How could he be, this technique is really powerful."


    The trio glanced at each other and finally compromised.


    "Alright, we''ll take you to the outer mountain, but just once, okay? If anything happens, you must run."


    Mo Hua quickly nodded, "Don''t worry, my life is mine, I won''t lose it."


    Thus, two days later, as dawn was just breaking, Mo Hua met with the three brothers outside Tongxian City.


    Together, they set off towards the demon-infused Dahei Mountain.

 Chapter 121: Demon Hunting

    Dahei Mountain looms, its vast dark depths unknown.In Tongxian City, the elder Demon Hunters typically divide Dahei Mountain into three areas: the outer, inner, and deep mountains.


    The outer mountain is where most Demon Hunters hunt demonic beasts. The toxicity is minimal here, and the miasma is faint. Although the terrain is treacherous, it is not exceedingly perilous.


    In the outer mountain, the demonic beasts are primarily of the first-grade mid-stage, with occasional sightings of late first-grade beasts, though rare.


    The inner mountain, however, is a different story¡ªdangerously rife with poison, thick with miasma, and shrouded in mind-confounding toxic fog.


    Here, the demonic beasts are mainly of the late first-stage, with the occasional second-grade beast.


    For a Qi Cultivation stage cultivator, encountering a second-grade beast typically means a slim chance of survival unless they can avoid it beforehand. Thus, only a few hunters venture into the inner mountain.


    As for the deep mountain of Dahei, it is strictly off-limits to all cultivators.


    Mo Hua has never heard of a hunter daring to enter the deep mountain. Mo Shan also told him that entering it guarantees death.


    Aware of his modest capabilities, Mo Hua would not even glance at such a forbidden zone.


    He wouldn''t step into the perilous inner mountain either.


    Only the outer mountain, particularly its very edges, is where Mo Hua limits his activities.


    Mo Hua, along with Da Hu and three others, entered Dahei Mountain, stopping at the edge of the outer region.


    The surrounding forest was dense, and the mountain paths rugged. The deep mountains hid unknown dangers, and eerie sounds occasionally pierced through. S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The air was tinged with a faint miasma, mixed with the mountain breeze and an indistinct stench, creating a discomforting aroma.


    A faint demonic aura lingered in the secluded corners of the mountains.


    Even at the edge of the outer mountain, Mo Hua already felt an inexplicable oppression.


    He dared not even imagine what the inner or deep mountains would be like.


    "What shall we do next?" Shuang Hu whispered.


    All eyes turned to Mo Hui.


    "Leave it to me," Mo Hua said confidently, his plan already formulated.


    He deduced the route of the demonic beasts through tracks on the ground, hairs rubbed off on trees, bloodstains on rocks, and the faint demonic aura lingering in the air.


    At a narrow mountain fissure along the predicted route, Mo Hua set a trap.


    The trap, armed with a Wood Binding Array, could briefly hold a mid-first-grade demonic beast for about ten breaths.


    Around the trap, five Earth Fire Arrays were set, each embedded with a spirit stone.


    Mo Hua covered the trap with broken rocks, placed several stalks of Blood Grass on top, and splashed it with blood water.


    The Blood Grass was gathered by Aunt Jiang, and the blood water was leftover from cooking demonic meat at a restaurant.


    With everything in place, Mo Hua and the others hid behind some nearby rocks.


    "Will this work?" Little Hu asked tentatively.


    "Let''s try," Mo Hua replied with a try-and-see attitude.


    He had meticulously planned everything¡ªthe trap, the Blood Grass, the blood water, and every subsequent detail.


    Demon hunting was fraught with peril, and no detail could be overlooked.


    This was Mo Hua''s first time participating in a hunt, so he had prepared thoroughly.


    They waited behind the rocks.


    From dawn, when a thin mist hung in the air, to midday, when the fog had fully dissipated. Yet, no demonic beasts appeared.


    "Could it be that no demonic beasts will come?" Little Hu grew restless.


    "Shh," Mo Hua hushed with a finger to his lips, echoing the advice of Uncle Chu: "Setting traps requires care and patience. We can''t rush."


    This seemed reasonable to them, and they nodded in agreement.


    Another hour passed, and amidst the rustling trees, a beast emerged.


    It was a Split-Claw Demonic Wolf, its crimson fur, sharp fangs, and drooling mouth indicating its mid-first-grade strength.


    For Mo Hua, it was a perfect match.


    His spirits lifted, and Da Hu and the others were also on full alert.


    The Split-Claw was not easy to handle; they had learned this the hard way.


    The beast prowled, its fierce eyes scanning cautiously, occasionally rubbing against tree bark or licking its dark red claws.


    It approached the trap, attracted by the scent of the Blood Grass and the stench of the blood water, greedy yet wary, circling the trap a few times before finally stepping inside.


    The trap sprung, and pale green spirit shackles, formed by the Wood Binding Array, bound the Split-Claw in place.


    The beast struggled fiercely, and it seemed that it would soon break free.


    Mo Hua peeked out from behind the rocks and, with a flick of his fingers, conjured a fireball. The fireball arced through the air, missing the Split-Claw but exploding right beneath its feet.


    "Didn''t hit?" Da Hu and the others were surprised to see Mo Hua use the Fireball Technique.


    Though the fireball didn''t hit as they expected, there was a hint of disappointment.


    "No, it hit," Mo Hua calmly stated.


    He wasn''t aiming for the Split-Claw, but rather the spirit stone beneath it.


    The spirit stone shattered under the impact of the fireball, releasing spiritual energy that charged into the Earth Fire Arrays buried below.


    The arrays lit up with a flash of red, and within three breaths, the five arrays exploded.


    The blast shattered rocks and sent them all reeling from the shock, their ears ringing.


    As the smoke cleared, the ground was littered with rubble and scorched marks.


    The Split-Claw lay grievously wounded, half its fur charred, its gaze malevolent but its breaths faint.


    Now was the time to strike while it was weakened.


    Mo Hua waved his hand, signaling, "Go!"


    Da Hu and the others, snapping out of their shock from the explosion, charged at the command, positioning themselves around the Split-Claw in a strategic formation.


    Mo Hua stayed behind the rocks, merely peeking out.


    He wasn''t a body cultivator, nor was he skilled in close combat or melee, so he wouldn''t add to the chaos.


    Da Hu, with his talent in physical cultivation, had honed his martial arts through numerous hunts. He used boxing techniques, while Shuang Hu wielded blades and Little Hu employed kicks.


    The trio moved precisely, their punches thunderous, kicks like wind, and blades casting multiple shadows.


    Fire and earth spiritual powers interwoven with the dark red demonic energy of the Split-Claw.


    After dozens of exchanges, the already severely injured beast could no longer hold on and was fatally slashed in the flank by Shuang Hu, ending its life.


    The trio bore scars, blood-stained but not critically.


    They stood their ground, somewhat in disbelief.


    This Split-Claw had just perished?


    Usually, to hunt a mid-first-grade Split-Claw Demonic Wolf, their hunting team would need one or two late-stage Qi Cultivators to lead, with about five or six mid-stage Qi Cultivators continuously engaging the beast.


    Additionally, a few cultivators would be stationed on the perimeter to prevent the beast from escaping.


    Only after several difficulties, under normal circumstances, would they be able to kill a Split-Claw.


    Now, Mo Hua had simply set a trap, arranged a few arrays, thrown a fireball, and the Split-Claw was severely wounded.


    They had surrounded and easily subdued a grievously injured beast...


    It had been much easier than they had anticipated.


    Da Hu and the others looked at Mo Hua, remembering the explosive power of the Earth Fire Arrays, and felt a residual fear.


    A mid-first-grade beast, with such a robust body, had been brought to the brink of death...


    Unbeknownst to them, Mo Hua had grown capable of setting such powerful arrays!


    Their gazes towards Mo Hua shifted slightly.


    Mo Hua peeked out from behind the rocks, glanced at the Split-Claw, and asked, "Is it dead?"


    The three snapped back to the present.


    Da Hu nodded, "It''s dead!"


    "Good!" Mo Hua''s spirits lifted, and he clutched a jade vial as he emerged from behind the rocks.


    He was ready to use the Blood Drawing Technique.

 Chapter 122: Harvest

    The Blood Drawing Technique allows for the extraction of blood from beasts that have recently died.The Split-Claw Demonic Wolf lay on the ground, its body covered in wounds, blood flowing from the cuts but quickly congealing. Thus, it couldn''t be collected through ordinary means.


    Mo Hua pointed to the heart channels of the Split-Claw and said to Da Hu, "Make a cut here."


    Da Hu, puzzled, still drew his knife and pierced the heart channels of the Split-Claw.


    The physical body of the Split-Claw was tough; it took several stabs from Da Hu to make a small incision.


    Mo Hua placed a jade bottle at the incision, then rested his palm near the heart channels, sensing the still-vibrant demonic blood flowing under the fur. He activated his Spiritual Awareness in accordance with the essentials of the Blood Drawing Technique, guiding the demonic blood into the jade bottle.


    These jade bottles, made from a special type of jade, were not particularly precious but could seal spiritual energy and prevent the demonic blood from spoiling for a time.


    Originally containing Spirit Ink, the bottles had been repurposed by Mo Hua after the ink was used up.


    Using the Blood Drawing Technique, Mo Hua filled the jade bottle with demonic blood.


    Shortly after, the bottle was full, and Mo Hua sealed it and switched to another.


    Thus, Mo Hua continued until he had drawn ten bottles of demonic blood before stopping.


    There was not much blood left in the blood vessels of the Split-Claw, and it was gradually cooling, slowing its flow and diminishing its effectiveness, making further extraction unnecessary.


    The spiritual consciousness of Mo Hua was significantly drained, roughly equivalent to having drawn a formation with seven or eight array patterns.


    For ordinary cultivators, this might be quite taxing, but for Mo Hua, an Array Master, it was not much of an issue.


    Mo Hua sat in meditation to recover a bit of his Spiritual Awareness.


    Seeing the ten bottles of demonic blood in his storage bag, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    This blood would be sufficient for Mo Hua to draw quite a few arrays.


    Da Hu and the others curiously examined the jade bottles, then couldn''t help but look at Mo Hua.


    Xiao Hu couldn''t help asking, "Is this blood useful?"


    "Yes, for drawing arrays."


    "Can we help you collect demonic blood?"


    "It requires the use of the Blood Drawing Technique."


    Mo Hua briefly explained how to use the Blood Drawing Technique.


    Da Hu and the others listened but were thoroughly confused and decided to give up.


    "Mo Hua, you really know a lot," praised the Hu twins, and Da Hu and Xiao Hu nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua chuckled, "It¡¯s all from reading more."


    After storing the demonic blood, Mo Hua said, "What shall we do with this beast?"


    This was the first time Da Hu and the others had relied on themselves to kill a demonic beast, and they could even skin it and sell it!


    Though mainly relying on Mo Hua¡¯s arrays, they were still very pleased.


    "We need to skin it, remove the bones, and take the teeth and claws, along with the heart and organs..."


    The Hu twins listed these tasks one by one to Mo Hua.


    Scratching his head, Mo Hua admitted he was a novice at this and didn¡¯t know how to proceed.


    Da Hu said, "Go play nearby, don''t go far. We¡¯ll finish skinning this beast and then head back together."


    Da Hu and the others then rolled up their sleeves, took out their knives, and began skinning the beast, extracting other valuable materials.


    An hour ago, the Split-Claw looked ferocious, but now its dead body lay in a pitiful state.


    Mo Hua felt no sympathy; if it weren''t for the demonic beast dying, they might have been the ones dismembered.


    This beast was fierce, and many a Demon Hunter had probably died at its hands.


    After the trio finished skinning the beast, Mo Hua wandered around, observing the mountains, trees, and waters, familiarizing himself with the environment of Dahei Mountain.


    This was his first venture into Dahei Mountain.


    Though he felt a bit nervous and pressured in the morning, having spent half a day there and having designed an array that injured and nearly killed a Split-Claw, Mo Hua felt much more at ease.


    The hunting process largely went according to Mo Hua¡¯s plan.


    The strategy required carefulness and patience but was simple and efficient, minimizing casualties and yielding considerable benefits.


    Afterward, only slight adjustments were needed for different demonic beasts.


    Even though Mo Hua was not a physical cultivator, he could still participate in hunts and extract various elemental bloods from different beasts.


    After skinning the Split-Claw, they called Mo Hua, and left Dahei Mountain.


    They had entered the mountain in


    the morning, hunted at noon, and departed in the evening.


    In less than a day, the four of them had hunted a mid-stage first-tier demonic beast, and it felt like a dream unless they felt the fur and fangs in their bulging storage bags.


    Afterward, they went to the market and sold the materials from the Split-Claw.


    Being a common type of demonic beast, the Split-Claw wasn¡¯t very expensive but had a steady market.


    After some bargaining, they sold the materials for more than eighty spirit stones in total.


    After deducting the cost of the spirit stones used for drawing and activating the arrays, each person received twelve spirit stones.


    Holding the hefty spirit stones in their hands, Da Hu and the others looked dazed.


    This was the first time the trio had ever earned so many spirit stones.


    Mo Hua was used to it, but seeing Da Hu and the others so excited made him happy too.


    "Mo Hua, thanks to you, what would you like to eat? We¡¯ll treat you!"


    "Yes, yes, we¡¯ll treat you!" agreed the Hu twins.


    "No need, I also owe thanks to your help," Mo Hua waved his hand, "Keep the spirit stones for now, next time we have a chance, let¡¯s head into the mountains again."


    Although the demonic beast¡¯s physical body was robust and its blood recovered quickly, Mo Hua could use arrays to severely injure or nearly kill it but couldn''t necessarily kill it outright.


    And since he wasn¡¯t a physical cultivator and not skilled in close combat, he still needed Da Hu and the others to finish the job.


    He had learned the Passing Water Step, allowing him to tangle with demonic beasts, but there was no need to take that risk.


    After all, even the best swimmers can drown, and overconfidence could lead to a downfall sooner or later.


    After selling the beast and dividing the spirit stones, they looked up to see the bright lights on the streets.


    The night streets were gradually becoming lively.


    Mo Huya was busy with drawing arrays and practicing spells and hadn¡¯t been out for a while. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Da Hu and the others felt the same; since becoming Demon Hunters, they felt as if a huge stone weighed on their shoulders, their moods heavy.


    Now, having killed a beast, they all breathed a sigh of relief, felt lighter, and strolled along the street, admiring the new and noisy scenery before bidding each other goodbye and heading home.


    On the way, Xiao Hu asked, "How should we use these spirit stones?"


    The Hu twins thought for a moment, then said, "I want to give them to Mother."


    All three fell silent, then pooled their spirit stones together, totaling over thirty.


    It was somewhat late by the time they got home. Meng Dame was heating up dinner, and upon seeing them, couldn¡¯t help but scold:


    "Where have you been all day, not even knowing to come home for meals, I¡¯ve heated them several times¡­"


    Da Hu handed her the storage bag.


    Meng Dame took it, feeling its heft, puzzled, "What is this?"


    Upon opening it, she discovered over thirty dazzling spirit stones.


    Meng Dame was stunned.


    "Mother, this is the spirit stones we earned from hunting demons. Please take them."


    It took Meng Dame a moment to come to her senses, looking at her three children who had grown up before she knew it, tears welled up in her eyes.


    She felt relieved and wanted to smile, but tears flowed nonetheless.


    In her life, she had shed many tears, all salty and bitter, but today, they were tears of joy.

 Chapter 123: Father and Son

    Whenever Da Hu and his two companions had free time, Mo Hua would accompany them into the mountains to hunt demonic beasts using trap formations.After slaying the beasts, they would share the spirit stones, and Mo Hua could also extract the demonic blood.


    While Da Hu and the others were happy, they also felt some concern and said to Mo Hua:


    "By only killing severely wounded beasts and avoiding direct confrontation, could our Dao techniques become weaker?"


    Mo Hua replied, "This is nurturing through battle. First, hunt the beasts to earn spirit stones and enhance your cultivation. Once your cultivation is high enough, considering direct confrontations won''t be too late."


    Mo Hua looked at them and added, "We are still young. Engaging with demonic beasts directly is at a disadvantage. Without a strategy, we would only be courting death."


    Da Hu and the others nodded repeatedly.


    Thus, following the methods designed by Mo Hua, their hunting skills improved, becoming more familiar and coordinated. Facing demonic beasts no longer left them panicked as before.


    However, an accident still occurred after several hunts.


    One day, they surrounded a Hyena Flame Hound as tall as a man, with a long tongue and fiery eyes.


    After a dozen rounds, the Hyena Flame Hound, despite taking a blow from the twins, found a gap and, with a flash, escaped the encirclement.


    This Hyena Flame Hound was a mid-stage Grade One peak beast, almost advancing to late-stage Grade One, so the damage caused by the Earth Fire Array was far less severe than with other beasts.


    The Hyena Flame Hound moved ten feet away, its eyes glowing red, seemingly memorizing Da Hu and his companions'' faces before turning to leave.


    Halfway through, it sniffed the air and suddenly noticed Mo Hua hiding behind some nearby rocks.


    Mo Hua, only at the fifth level of Qi cultivation, was not highly skilled and had weak vital energy.


    The Hyena Flame Hound''s eyes brightened fiercely, its fangs bared in a stench-filled grin, dripping with drool. It turned and charged directly at Mo Hua.


    "Mo Hua, run!" Da Hu cried out in panic.


    Mo Hua froze for a moment.


    The Hyena Flame Hound had already circled behind him, its huge mouth biting down.


    Its eyes gleamed with cruelty and excitement, but upon snapping its jaws shut, it tasted neither the sweetness of fresh blood nor the delight of flesh.


    It bit into thin air.


    By then, Mo Hua had already moved ten feet away, his expression tense but not panicked.


    The Hyena Flame Hound, confused, did not understand how this young cultivator had dodged its attack.


    Da Hu and the others shouted loudly from a distance as they approached.


    The Hyena Flame Hound, its eyes mocking, leaped with even greater speed toward Mo Hua.


    But within a span of ten feet, Mo Hua effortlessly drifted back a step, his movement light and composed, easily evading the claw.


    The Hyena Flame Hound paused, and Mo Hua took the opportunity to retreat another thirty feet, his gaze calm and slightly mocking.


    This mocking look infuriated the Hyena Flame Hound. Its eyes flashed red, and its fur glowed red until flames erupted.


    When the Hyena Flame Hound was enraged, its body would burst into fierce flames.


    "This is bad!"


    Da Hu and his companions, arriving halfway, were startled.


    The raging Hyena Flame Hound, like a blaze, rushed towards Mo Hua, its speed increased and its demonic power burning fiercely.


    This kind of flame, transformed from the beast''s demonic power, could erode a cultivator''s flesh, burn their spiritual power, and even destroy their meridians. Once it entered the body, it was difficult to eradicate.


    Mo Hua''s expression grew solemn as he pushed his spiritual sense to the limit, tracing the Hyena Flame Hound''s trajectory while stimulating his spiritual power to perform the Passing Water Step.


    With every advance of the Hyena Flame Hound, Mo Hua retreated a step.


    With every attempt to strike, Mo Hua managed to float away in the nick of time, his form fluid like water, elusive and unfathomable.


    After several bouts, Mo Hua appeared in peril but remained unharmed.


    Da Hu and his companions watched, heart pounding and dumbfounded.


    What kind of movement technique was this...


    Coming to their senses, the three immediately rushed towards Mo Hua.


    After several fruitless attempts, the Hyena Flame Hound, seeing Da Hu and the others approaching, pushed its demonic power to the limit, its flames intensifying.


    It glared at Mo Hua, its eyes filled with ferocity.


    Mo Hua instantly guessed that it was desperate.


    If it could kill him, consume his flesh and blood to replenish its energy, it could continue to contend with Da


    Hu and the others, or at least retreat smoothly.


    Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened as he gathered energy for the Fireball Technique between his fingers. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The distance was close enough for Mo Hua to cast the Fireball Technique, but it was uncertain how effective it would be against the beast.


    But before Mo Hua could launch the Fireball Technique, a blade descended from the sky, piercing the Hyena Flame Hound and pinning it to the ground.


    The Hyena Flame Hound struggled a few times, its flames gradually dissipating until it breathed its last, its eyes still filled with malice.


    Mo Hua was shocked and looked up to see Mo Shan standing alone on a distant rock, his expression as still as water.


    Mo Hainsides grew cold.


    It was over. He had sneaked into the mountains and his father had discovered him.


    Mo Hua had not informed his parents because he feared their worry, and they would not have agreed to him entering Dahei Mountain.


    Although Dahei Mountain was dangerous, it was not a place one could avoid forever.


    With thorough preparation and caution, Dahei Mountain was not necessarily a deadly trap.


    Mo Hua knew his parents would discover his activities eventually, but he did not expect to be caught so soon.


    His plan to hunt demons in Dahei Mountain had just begun...


    Mo Hua sighed, finally understanding the meaning of "a venture failing midway."


    Mo Shan said nothing, but his expression was clearly unhappy.


    Mo Hua felt uneasy, and Da Hu and the others dared not even breathe too loudly.


    After collecting the Hyena Flame Hound''s body, Mo Shan asked Da Hu and the others to head back first.


    "Unclet Mo, don''t blame Mo Hua, it''s our..." the twins said weakly.


    "Go on, head home," Mo Shan said softly.


    A father knows his son best.


    Though Mo Hua was young, he was intelligent and assertive.


    Although Da Hu and the others were older, when they played together, Mo Hua was always the one making decisions. It was definitely Mo Hua who had persuaded them to go demon hunting in the mountains.


    Mo Shan sighed. He wanted to reprimand Mo Hua, but he was at a loss for words.


    Father and son returned home and ate their meal in silence.


    Mo Shan''s face was expressionless, and he said nothing, while Mo Hua ate obediently, eyes on his bowl.


    Liu Ruhua glanced at Mo Shan curiously, then at Mo Hua with interest.


    After the meal, just as Mo Shan was about to speak, Liu Ruhua said, "Hua''er, go back to your room and read."


    Mo Shan was caught off guard and paused.


    Mo Hua, relieved, gratefully glanced at his mother before slipping away to his room.


    Then Liu Ruhua finally asked, "What happened?"


    Mo Shan sighed and recounted the incident at Dahei Mountain.


    Liu Ruhua was shocked. "He''s so bold!"


    "Yes, Dahei Mountain is so dangerous, and if something had happened..."


    Mo Shan frowned, his expression filled with apprehension.


    "What do you think we should do?"


    Mo Shan thought for a long time and said:


    "I watched from a distance. When Hua''er entered Dahei Mountain, it wasn''t out of curiosity or for fun. He definitely had a plan. And the way he hunted demons, setting traps and formations, and having Da Hu and the others finish up, it was all meticulously planned, even more cautiously than some seasoned demon hunters..."


    "But places like Dahei Mountain are always risky. You never know what dangers you might encounter..."


    Mo Shan''s voice was firm as he continued, "I won''t blame him this time, but he absolutely cannot go to Dahei Mountain again!"


    Liu Ruhua pondered for a moment, sighed, and gently held Mo Shan''s hand, softly saying:


    "You know, as parents, we can''t be with Hua''er for a lifetime."

 Chapter 124: Sparring

    Mo Shan was momentarily taken aback."I too wish to stay by Hua''er''s side, to see him marry and have children, a house full of descendants..." Liu Ruhua said, her eyes brimming with longing. "But who can be certain of the future?"


    Mo Shan comforted his wife, "Don''t worry."


    Liu Ruhua shook her head. "I''m not worried. I know you are concerned about Hua''er facing dangers, but how can a cultivator''s life be without peril?"


    Mo Shan pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement.


    The life of a cultivator, even if smooth, is inevitably marred by several twists and fraught with dangers. Especially for them, wandering cultivators who literally gamble their lives to survive.


    Liu Ruhua continued, "As the saying goes, the love of a parent for their child involves making long-term plans. We are only Qi cultivators and cannot shield him from all dangers, so we can only teach him to face them."


    Mo Shan remained silent, caressing his wife''s long hair, his expression one of resignation.


    "You''re right. The path of cultivation is long; we can''t look after him forever. We can only teach him to take care of himself."


    The following evening, Mo Shan called Mo Hua into the courtyard and asked:


    "How well have you mastered your bodily movements?"


    Mo Hua, thinking his father was about to reprimand him, was momentarily stunned before replying:


    "I''ve learned quite a bit."


    Mo Shan nodded, "Let me test you."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Alright!"


    He was curious to see if his father, a late-stage Qi cultivator, could counter his Passing Water Step.


    Mo Hua moved ten paces away, turned to face Mo Shan, and said:


    "Father, I am ready."


    "Good, pay attention."


    As soon as Mo Shan''s words fell, his figure blurred into an afterimage, rushing forward.


    So fast!


    Mo Hua was startled, released his spiritual awareness, and mobilized his spiritual power, his body drifting backwards.


    Halfway through his retreat, Mo Hua lost sight of his father, and then felt a faint pressure from behind. His heart tightened, his body lightly twisted, and he drifted to the left.


    Mo Shan, who had appeared behind Mo Hua at an unknown time, grasped at empty air, his expression slightly surprised. He then flashed again, his right hand reaching towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua''s expression was grave.


    Mo Shan was too fast. His many years of battling demon beasts had given him a wealth of experience, and his movements were sometimes solid, sometimes ethereal. Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness could hardly detect Mo Shan''s presence.


    And when he did perceive him, Mo Shan was usually already beside him.


    Mo Shan''s spiritual awareness was not much stronger than Mo Hua''s. The reason Mo Hua could not detect him was purely due to Mo Shan''s speed and decisive actions, which made it difficult for Mo Hua to judge.


    Mo Hua could not help but sigh, realizing how far behind he was in combat experience.


    The two sparred a few more times, with Mo Hua dodging awkwardly but still managing to hold his ground.


    As the rounds of pursuit went on, Mo Shan''s movements became clearer in Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness and easier to recognize.


    Mo Hua''s dodging gradually became more methodical.


    Mo Shan would feint to the east and strike to the west, attacking unexpectedly. Mo Hua also learned to blend reality with illusion, catching his opponent off-guard.


    The more they exchanged blows, the more composed Mo Hua''s movements became.


    Just when Mo Hua''s techniques were reaching their peak, Mo Shan suddenly grabbed him without a trace, clutching his collar and lifting him up.


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded, "Dad, you could catch me like that!"


    Mo Shan snorted, "You still need to practice your techniques."


    Though he said this, Mo Shan was still inwardly shaken. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua''s techniques were far stronger than he had expected. Even cultivators at the same stage might not have been able to dodge every attack as Mo Hua had. Not only had he dodged them, but he also seemed quite at ease. After some initial panic, he became more and more composed, his steps graceful, advancing and retreating with precision, not unlike some veteran demon hunters.


    Moreover, this technique was formless and traceless, with no obvious signs of force application, leveraging, or force retraction.


    Judged against ordinary physical techniques, it was completely unpredictable.


    Mo Shan had not deciphered this technique; he had merely guessed where Mo Hua might appear based on his many years of life-and-death battles and his familiarity with his son.


    If not for this, the sparring might have continued for dozens more rounds, waiting for Mo Hua to tire and reveal a flaw before capturing him.


    Mo Shan felt a surge of emotions.


    Mo Hua was only at the fifth level of Qi cultivation...


    Seeing his father standing silently, his expression neutral and seemingly lost in thought, Mo Hua asked, "Dad?"


    Mo Shan snapped back to reality, looked at Mo Hua, and after a moment said:


    "Your technique is adequate, but you must still practice diligently. Do not slack off!"


    "Oh." Mo Hua nodded.


    But considering this was also a form of praise, he felt somewhat pleased.


    "Dad, have you also learned this technique?" Mo Hua asked.


    Mo Shan shook his head, "What I use is not really a technique, just something I''ve realized on my own while fighting demon beasts to avoid injuries, combined with watching others and piecing together bits and pieces."


    "Purely practical then?" Mo Hua asked with respect.


    "You could say that."


    Mo Hua''s eyes sparkled, "Can you teach me?"


    Mo Shan hesitated, "Haven''t you learned a technique already? Don''t mix them up; master one first."


    "I''ll just reference it..." Mo Hua said.


    Mo Shan thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright."


    Mo Shan then demonstrated a few basic movements to Mo Hua.


    Some resembled the Passing Water Step but with slight differences, some were simply straightforward advancing and retreating steps, and others were miscellaneous techniques from other methods, which ultimately formed a streamlined and forceful set of movements.


    Though it seemed like a patchwork of techniques, Mo Hua did not underestimate it.


    This was currently the most threatening set of movements to him, and he could not think of how to counter it.


    Simple, efficient, with no unnecessary movements, it emphasized adaptability and winning without a move.


    It could be said to be full of flaws, but if used well, it could also be said to be flawless.


    If these movements were broken down and mixed into the Passing Water Step, could the Passing Water Step become even more powerful?


    Mo Hua was invigorated, seriously memorizing all these techniques, planning to practice them more when he had time.


    Mo Shan thought about the technique Mo Hua had used just now and still found it unbelievable, asking:


    "Did Uncle Zhang teach you this technique?"


    "Uncle Zhang told me not to say."


    "Hmm." Mo Shan nodded, then couldn''t help but think, that''s pretty much the same as telling me...


    "Dad, you''re not angry anymore?" Mo Hua whispered.


    Mo Shan glared at him, "You know I would be angry?"


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    "Get up early tomorrow morning." Mo Shan said.


    "Tomorrow morning?" Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Mo Shan said no more and turned away.


    The next day at dawn, Mo Hua got up and went to the courtyard, only to see his father Mo Shan already there.


    "Your mother made breakfast, eat something first." Mo Shan said.


    After father and son had eaten, Mo Shan led Mo Hua out of the house.


    They walked through the streets in the early morning and stepped out of the city gates of Tongxian City, onto the mountain paths beyond.


    "Dad, where are we going?" Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask.


    Mo Shan paused for a moment, then said, "I''m taking you into Dahei Mountain!"

 Chapter 125: Entering the Mountain

    "Hunting demons is perilous. I originally didn''t want you to get involved in this, but since you''ve learned some techniques and can defend yourself, I''ll teach you all there is to know about demon hunting."Mo Shan gazed at Mo Hua and said, "These are the lessons learned from thousands of years of demon hunters, using their lives and blood as the price. Learn them well. Even if you don''t become a demon hunter, this knowledge will still be useful."


    Mo Hua''s small face was serious as he nodded solemnly.


    "The first rule of demon hunting is not about killing the beasts but familiarizing yourself with the mountain terrain."


    "Dahei Mountain has a complex landscape filled with tangled slopes. You need to first familiarize yourself with the paths, know where the peaks are, where the cliffs lie, where the caves are, where the beasts roam, where the toxic miasmas are dense, and which spirit herbs are poisonous¡­"


    "If you know these things, when danger arises, even if your cultivation isn''t enough, you''ll know how to avoid death."


    "Conversely, if you don''t know the terrain, don''t understand the geography, you might inhale toxic miasma, eat poisonous plants, or accidentally enter a demon''s lair; even with high cultivation, it would be difficult to leave Dahei Mountain alive."


    "I''ll take you around the outer mountain, and you need to remember the terrain and the locations of small streams, miasmas, poison marshes, and dense forests¡­"


    After saying this, Mo Shan began walking along the mountain path.


    Mo Hua followed closely behind, memorizing the path underfoot and the features along the way.


    At particularly dangerous spots, Mo Shan would stop and explain them to Mo Hua in detail.


    For instance, where the miasma was light and where it was dense¡ªplaces with intense miasma should not be stayed in for more than half an hour, or the miasma would seep into the body, causing confusion and dizziness.


    Some dense forests generated thick fog. If one accidentally entered, they might lose their way, only able to escape when the midday sun dissipated the fog.


    There were also poison marshes home to venomous demonic beasts that changed color with their environment, requiring vigilance.


    And there were certain peaks where great demons roamed, with signs of their presence¡­


    ¡­


    From morning till evening, they only covered a small part of Dahei Mountain''s outer mountain.


    As dusk fell, Mo Shan brought Mo Hua to a small campsite on the mountainside.


    The camp was a simple cave, hidden with vegetation and sealed with an iron door, on which a basic array was drawn to prevent attacks from demonic beasts.


    The camp was not large but had some dry food, weeds, and a few crude stone beds.


    "This is a temporary rest spot or overnight camp for demon hunters. It''s rudimentary but sufficient for shelter."


    Mo Shan then pointed at the iron door and said, "There''s an array on the door; it''s not the best, but it works. If you''re chased by demonic beasts with nowhere to go, you can hide in here, activate the array, and most beasts won''t be able to enter."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The father and son spent the night in the camp.


    The next morning, as dawn was breaking, they got up and continued along the mountain path.


    Mo Shan walked and lectured along the way.


    In this manner, they spent seven full days and nights in Dahei Mountain''s outer mountain, with Mo Shan finally taking Mo Hua through all of it.


    After returning home, Mo Hua was sore all over, his calves swollen, and his head throbbed from inhaling too much miasma. Despite taking pills to ward off the miasma, his forehead still ached faintly.


    Liu Ruhua asked Mr. Feng to prepare a Spirit-Clearing Decoction for Mo Hua, applied swelling-reducing herbs on his body, and seeing his pale face, felt very distressed, scolding Mo Shan:


    "You could have taught him slowly, no need to stay in the mountains for seven days and suffer so much."


    Mo Shan, seeing his wife angry, also explained softly, "These hardships are inevitable, better to endure them now and have an easier time later."


    Liu Ruhua knew this, but still felt angry and served Mo Shan only clear porridge and steamed buns at night, not even a dish of pickles.


    Mo Shan couldn''t help but laugh and cry.


    Two days later, Mo Hua recovered, having no major issues.


    Thinking that it had been nearly ten days since he had been to the Sit and Forget Abode, Mo Hua took some wine and meat to pay his respects to Mr. Zhuang and explained his recent activities.


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing Mo Hua''s still pale face, told


    him to rest and not to worry about formalities here.


    Mo Hua also brought some crispy pastries and pine nuts to Elder Gui, and then brought some food and fruit wine to the Bai siblings.


    Bai Zisheng, hearing that Mo Hua could now hunt demons in Dahei Mountain, was extremely envious.


    He was strictly supervised by Aunt Xue and hardly got to go out, let alone hunt demons.


    Mo Hua sympathetically patted his shoulder, helpless to assist.


    A few days later, Mo Shan took Mo Hua back into Dahei Mountain.


    This time, they didn''t need to explain everything in detail, just familiarize themselves with the terrain, so they completed the outer mountain in just three or four days.


    After that, whenever Mo Shan had time, he would take Mo Hua up the mountain for a walk.


    Mo Hua became more and more familiar with the outer areas of Dahei Mountain.


    Mo Shan felt it was about time and took Mo Hua to a cliff on the outer mountain.


    The cliff was steep, with bizarre rocks, and offered an unobstructed view of the mountainside below.


    After ensuring the area was safe, Mo Shan said to Mo Hua, "You''re familiar enough with the outer mountain now, I''ll now teach you what to pay attention to when dealing with demonic beasts."


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on the rock, listening intently. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "The principles of a demon hunter are twofold: know yourself and know your enemy, and be prepared in advance."


    "To ''know yourself and your enemy'' means to recognize your own strength. Whether your cultivation is profound, what spells, martial arts, and spiritual weapons you have at your disposal. You also need to know about the demonic beasts, including their realm, vitality, demonic power, and habits. Where are they strong, where are they weak, are they treacherous, do they feign death, and so on."


    "Then, weigh each other''s strength. If you can kill it, then act. If not, don''t rush into action."


    "If, during a fight, the situation changes, and the beast you thought you could kill is now unbeatable, you need to plan ahead and retreat timely. Otherwise, once your spiritual power is exhausted, you will be the one to die."


    ¡­


    "What ''being prepared in advance'' entails is to plan ahead thoroughly for everything. Especially when facing powerful demonic beasts, whether you can kill them, how you will kill them, what to do if something goes wrong¡ªall these must be considered beforehand."


    "If you don''t plan ahead and act rashly, once a mistake happens, casualties are inevitable."


    ¡­


    Mo Shan explained carefully in great detail.


    Mo Hua listened intently, absorbing the knowledge.


    "Listen for now; you''ll understand more as you fight more demonic beasts."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "Another thing to remember," Mo Shan cautioned, "is to avoid initiating conflict whenever possible, but if you must act, be ruthless!"


    "Ruthless?" Mo Hua was a bit surprised.


    "As a demon hunter, your enemy is the demonic beast. If you''re not ruthless, the beast will be. If you don''t kill the beast, then it will kill you."


    "So, what does being ruthless entail?"


    Mo Shan''s brow quirked as he said:


    "When not acting, don''t show any intent to kill. When it''s time to act, don''t hesitate at all."


    "As soon as the enemy shows a flaw, strike first to gain the upper hand, aiming to kill in one blow, not giving the opponent a chance to act."


    "The opponent who doesn''t strike is the best opponent!"


    Mo Hua was somewhat shocked to hear such words from his burly father.


    After a moment''s hesitation, he couldn''t help but ask, "Isn''t that a bit¡­ unsportsmanlike?"


    Mo Shan''s expression turned solemn as he said seriously, "In demon hunting, there is no winning or losing, only life and death. Winning unsportingly is still surviving; losing honorably is still death."


    After finishing his explanation, Mo Shan patted Mo Hua on the head:


    "Life as an independent cultivator is not easy; try your best to stay alive."

 Chapter 126: Yu Chengyi

    Mo Hua, after familiarizing himself with the outer mountain under Mo Shan''s guidance, took it upon himself to draw a map of the area.This map, a necessity for demon hunters, detailed the mountainous terrain, streams, rivers, toxic miasmas, and areas frequented by demonic beasts.


    Mo Shan also possessed a map, albeit a rudimentary one that barely outlined some trails, offering little else.


    For seasoned demon hunters, maps were not drawn on paper but memorized, ingrained in their minds.


    After all, one couldn''t possibly afford to stop and consult a map while being chased by a demonic beast to figure out an escape route...


    However, Mo Hua, not yet a seasoned demon hunter, sought to create a more detailed map.


    Starting from the old map Mo Shan provided, he meticulously marked everything from mountainous terrain to streams and key points along the route.


    After traversing the outer mountain several more times with Mo Shan, Mo Hua gradually enriched the map until both the terrain and the map were etched into his mind.


    Mo Shan casually tested Mo Hui with a few questions¡ª


    Locations of toxic miasmas, areas where demonic beasts prowled, campsites, and emergency hideouts.


    Mo Hua responded with ease, his answers even clearer than those of some veteran hunters.


    Mo Shan sighed in relief and subsequently relaxed his supervision over Mo Hua.


    Then, Mo Hua joined Da Hu and his brothers on a mountain expedition.


    Da Hu and his siblings hunted demonic beasts, Mo Hua drew their blood, and together they shared the spirit stones.


    A clear division of labor¡ªsimple and efficient.


    "But, Uncle Mo really let you into the mountain..." Little Hu was still in disbelief.


    "Aren''t you guys in the mountain too? I can be here as well."


    As Mo Hua drew blood from a boar-like demonic beast, he conversed.


    "It''s not the same..."


    "Indeed, the other day when that Hyena Flame Hound charged at you, I sweated bullets out of sheer terror..."


    "Thankfully, your agility saved the day, or it would have been truly frightening."


    Reflecting on the incident, they were still visibly shaken.


    "But Mo Hua, your agility is truly remarkable!"


    Shuang Hu couldn''t help but praise.


    He had never seen such agility before¡ªfluid like water, elusive like a butterfly, darting unpredictably left and right.


    Even the furiously snapping Hyena Flame Hound failed to even graze his clothes.


    Mo Hua blushed modestly, "Thanks to that kind passerby uncle... But I''ve only learned a little."


    After securely storing a jade bottle filled with demonic blood, Mo Hua continued:


    "I''ve finished drawing blood; you guys can start skinning. This pig is huge; it should fetch a good price in spirit stones."


    Energized, Da Hu and his brothers began skinning and deboning the demonic pig, preparing to sell it for spirit stones.


    Mo Hua, with nothing else to do, checked his storage bag, which now contained dozens of bottles of demonic blood.


    But he felt it wasn''t enough.


    The Nine Array Patterns are a significant hurdle for any array master.


    And beyond the sixth level of Qi cultivation, solving arrays to break through the bottleneck of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique is another considerable hurdle.


    Both require extensive use of arrays, and naturally, an abundance of spirit ink is beneficial.


    It''s always good to stock up on demonic blood.


    But how to increase the stockpile?


    Da Hu and his brothers, only sixth-level Qi cultivators, managed to kill one demonic beast per day, which was commendable.


    Mo Hua, relying solely on his agility and Fireball Technique, found it challenging to kill even a dying beast. The technique''s power was limited, especially against thick-skinned or fire-elemental demonic beasts.


    Killing a dying beast required several shots of the Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua practiced the Fireball Technique whenever he had the chance; it was now both accurate and quick, allowing him to strike before the demonic beasts.


    However, even if he could kill ten beasts with the Fireball Technique, any slip could put him in danger.


    The risk was hardly worth the reward of ten bottles of demonic blood and some spirit stones.


    After several days, Mo Hua still hadn''t found a better method.


    That changed the day he was updating his map on the outer mountain and encountered Yu Chengyi leading a demon hunting expedition.


    Yu Chengyi, the esteemed eldest son of Elder Yu, was a ninth-level Qi cultivator with considerable prestige among demon hunters.


    Usually, he led teams hunting in the inner mountain, but recent news of a particularly troublesome mid-tier demonic beast in the outer mountain had brought him here.


    Fully alert, Yu Chengyi and several hunters were tracking the beast when he heard a call, the voice surprisingly youthful.


    Startled, Yu Chengyi looked up to see a young cultivator waving at him from


    a distant rock.


    His jaw nearly dropped.


    A child here? In Dahei Mountain? How did he get in? Wasn¡¯t he afraid of being devoured by demonic beasts?


    Upon recognizing Mo Hua, Yu Chengyi''s heart skipped a beat, and he exclaimed in shock, "Mo Hua?!"


    He remembered Mo Hua well.


    The son of Mo Shan, young and with an innocent face, proficient in array drawing, his father had asked him to keep an eye on the boy.


    Chilled to the bone, Yu Chengyi shuddered at the thought of such a loss.


    With a swift move, he rushed to Mo Hua, lifted him from the rock, and set him down on the ground.


    "Uncle Yu, your agility is impressive!" Mo Hua complimented as he landed.


    "It''s alright," Yu Chengyi replied modestly, then paused, realizing this wasn''t the time for such talk.


    He looked at Mo Hua, then surveyed the surroundings, and couldn''t help but ask, "Where''s your father?"


    "In the inner mountain."


    "No, I mean... isn''t he with you?"


    "I can''t go to the inner mountain." Mo Hua said.


    Mo Shan had instructed him to play in the outer mountain and adamantly forbidden him from venturing into the inner mountain¡ªa decree Mo Hua strictly followed.


    Yu Chengyi pressed, "You mean your father isn''t with you?"


    "Right, he''s hunting in the inner mountain. He can''t stay with me all the time." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Stunned, Yu Chengyi blurted, "You mean Mo Shan brought you into the mountain and left you in the outer mountain?"


    Had Mo Shan lost his mind?


    "Not exactly," Mo Hua explained, "I came with Da Hu and his brothers. My dad just told me to stay in the outer mountain and not to go into the inner mountain."


    Yu Chengyi, pausing between each word, asked slowly, "You mean, Mo Shan allowed you into the outer mountain?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Frustrated, Yu Chengyi exclaimed, "What a joke! The outer mountain is still part of Dahei Mountain! It''s filled with poison, miasma, and demonic beasts!


    Don¡¯t underestimate the outer mountain!"


    It took a long while for Yu Chengyi to calm down.


    "Forget about that," Mo Hua said, "Uncle Yu, could you do me a favor?"


    Yu Chengyi asked a few trivial questions, disrupting Mo Hua''s train of thought, almost making him forget his initial purpose.


    "A favor?" Yu Chengyi paused, "Find someone to take you back?"


    "No," Mo Hua waved his hand dismissively, "I''ve just entered the mountain; why go back now?"


    Mo Hua glanced surreptitiously at the demon hunters behind Yu Chengyi and whispered:


    "Could I borrow a few people from you?"

 Chapter 127: Borrowing Help

    "Borrowing help?""Mm-hmm." Mo Hua nodded.


    "What do you need people for?"


    "I have some business that requires assistance. Six layers of Qi cultivation will suffice¡ªno, four will do," Mo Hua stated.


    Yu Chengyi wanted to ask what Mo Hua needed them for, but knowing Mo Hua was an array master, and that it would be related to array formations¡ªwhich he knew little about¡ªhe realized it would be futile to inquire.


    His father, Elder Yu, had instructed him to take care of Mo Hua. If he failed to do so and his father learned of it, he would face severe consequences.


    His father always showed a warm face to Mo Hua but not to him.


    Yu Chengyi tensed up inside and promptly said, "It''s a trivial matter, no problem."


    Mo Hua thought he would have to spend more words persuading him, but Yu Chengyi agreed so readily, making him happy:


    "Thank you, Uncle Yu!"


    Yu Chengyi selected a few cultivators at the sixth level of Qi cultivation from behind him and ordered them to follow Mo Hua and ensure his safety, ready to assist him with anything he needed.


    Still worried, he also spoke to an older demon hunter:


    "Old Zhao, you follow too, just to keep an eye on things."


    Old Zhao looked surprised but nodded and said, "Alright."


    "Uncle Yu, that''s enough, we don¡¯t need so many people," Mo Hua quickly interjected.


    The demon hunter known as ''Old Zhao,'' who had a robust aura, was probably at the later stages of Qi cultivation, plus the five at the mid-stage, made them quite a sizable group.


    He only intended to hunt a mid-stage first-grade demonic beast, not needing so many people.


    Yu Chengyi waved his hand dismissively, "It''s fine, let them follow; it gives me peace of mind."


    Better to have more people than necessary, in case anything unexpected happened. Mo Hua was still a junior array master, and if anything went wrong, his father would surely skin him alive!


    This was Dahei Mountain, after all, a place teeming with demonic beasts and not to be underestimated.


    If he could, he would have gone along too.


    "Are you sure you have enough people left, Uncle Yu?" Mo Hua asked, somewhat concerned.


    Yu Chengyi''s heart warmed, and he patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, saying:


    "It''s okay, the ones left are all experienced; you can be at ease."


    Mo Hua nodded, then said, "Then we''ll be going first, goodbye, Uncle Yu!"


    "Go on." Yu Chengyi said, and after thinking a bit more, he added:


    "Wrap up your affairs quickly and don''t linger in the mountains. Dahei Mountain is dangerous."


    Mo Hua then led several demon hunters through the mountain.


    "Brother Mo, what are we doing exactly?"


    A young demon hunter quietly asked.


    Mo Hua turned around, surprised: "Da Ping?"


    Da Ping, surname Zhou, his father Zhou Cheng had once requested Mo Hua to set up an Iron Armor Array and had even personally thanked him.


    Mo Hua had only met Da Ping once, thus he didn''t recognize him in the crowd until Zhou Da Ping spoke, and his familiar voice jogged his memory.


    Zhou Da Ping was somewhat introverted and shyly said: "Brother Mo, you remember me?"


    "Mm-hmm." Mo Hua replied, "I''m taking you to hunt demonic beasts."


    Zhou Da Ping was stunned, and the other demon hunters exchanged glances.


    Old Zhao was also inwardly shocked.


    Such a bold young lad!


    With just a few mid-stage Qi cultivators, whether they could come back intact from hunting demonic beasts was uncertain...


    No wonder Yu Chengyi had him keep an eye on them.


    Zhou Da Ping hesitated: "Brother Mo, we... can''t kill demonic beasts."


    After speaking, he timidly asked, "What rank of demonic beast?"


    If it was an early first-grade, it might be manageable.


    "Um, mid first-grade, but we can¡¯t take on a later-stage one."


    Zhou Da Ping felt a sinking feeling; they couldn''t even handle a mid-stage, let alone a later-stage...


    "Don''t worry." Mo Hua patted his chest, "I''ve planned everything, just leave it to me!"


    Zhou Da Ping wanted to say more, but didn''t know what else to say, and could only follow Mo Hua reluctantly.


    Old Zhao was now on high alert.


    These kids didn''t know the gravity of the situation, but having spent many years on Dahei Mountain, he knew that even a mid-stage first-grade demonic beast was not to be trifilled with.


    Yu Chengyi had asked him to keep an eye on them, and he couldn''t afford to fail.


    "Hopefully, nothing goes wrong..."


    Old Zhao could only pray silently.


    Mo Hua led them along the mountain path and then stopped at the edge of a forest and cliff, a junction of two paths where the terrain was narrow¡ªa bottleneck for beasts entering or exiting the forest.


    With deep wild grass and rocky obstructions nearby, it provided good cover.


    Mo Hua set the trap, laid down an array, erased their tracks, and covered their scent with Blood Grass. Then, they hid behind the rocks.


    "We''ll wait here, and when the demonic beast arrives and triggers the trap, I''ll activate the array, and then... no, then you''ll take action," Mo Hua instructed.


    He wouldn''t be adding to the trouble.


    Zhou Da Ping and the others nodded, while Old Zhao raised an eyebrow.


    He had heard that Mo Shan''s young son was quite adept at drawing arrays.


    But this was a demonic beast¡ªthick-skinned and tough-fleshed. Could an array really be effective?


    Old Zhao''s brow furrowed again.


    Zhou Da Ping was uneasy, "Brother Mo, are you sure this will work?"


    Mo Hua reassured him, "Don''t worry, I''ve tested it, it''ll work."


    Zhou Da Ping nodded, still a bit uneasy, gripping his knife tightly.


    The other demon hunters, all young as well, were also tense, barely daring to breathe.


    The wait was agonizing, their expressions serious.


    Only Mo Hua appeared relaxed, even bored, and began idly drawing array patterns with a grass stalk on the ground.


    After some time, Da Ping gently nudged Mo Hua, "Brother Mo... it''s coming."


    His voice trembled slightly from nervousness.


    Mo Hua instantly perked up, threw aside the grass stalk, and peeked out, indeed seeing a goat-like demonic beast emerge from the forest.


    Its eyes were blood-red, its mouth covered in fresh blood, seemingly just having torn apart its prey.


    But perhaps because it was too full, its vigilance was low.


    As it slowly walked into the trap and was caught by the Wood Binding Array, Mo Hua threw a fireball from afar, igniting the Earth Fire Array.


    An explosion sounded, flames swirled, spiritual energy overflowed, and the surrounding rocks shattered.


    Zhou Da Ping and the others were dumbstruck.


    Mo Hua shouted, "Go for it!"


    They finally snapped back to reality, and without hesitation, drew swords and threw punches, rushing at the demonic beast.


    Before long, the beast lay on the ground.


    Mo Hua popped his head out from a distance and asked, "Is it dead?"


    Seeing the beast already lying on the ground after a few exchanges, Zhou Da Ping was stunned for a long moment before slowly saying:


    "It''s... it''s dead."


    Mo Hua then rushed forward, using the Blood Drawing Technique to extract the demonic blood.


    The bright red demonic blood, guided by Mo Hua''s spiritual sense, flowed into a bottle.


    "Brother Mo, this is for..." s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Da Ping couldn''t help but ask.


    "Drawing arrays," Mo Hua replied while collecting blood.


    "Oh," Zhou Da Ping said no more.


    After Mo Hua finished collecting blood, seeing Zhou Da Ping and the others still standing there foolishly, he asked:


    "Aren¡¯t you going to skin it?"


    "Eh?"


    "It''s a demonic beast, skin it, debone it, sell it."


    They then snapped back to reality, busily processing the beast and putting it in storage bags.


    Mo Hua calculated the costs for them, how many spirit stones the array used, how many to activate the array. After selling the beast and deducting these costs, the spirit stones would be split among everyone.


    Da Ping hurriedly shook his head, "No way, this is all your doing, how can we take the spirit stones?"


    The others also declined.


    "You helped, you deserve this!"


    "But..."


    Mo Hua wouldn''t let them refuse, waved goodbye, "I''m heading back now, next time I need help, I¡¯ll call you." Saying this, he happily went home.


    Da Ping and the others stood there, exchanging glances, their expressions somewhat complex.


    The demonic beast sold for seven or eight spirit stones each.


    They had never earned so many spirit stones before...

 Chapter 128: Night Drinking

    As night fell on the outskirts of Dahei Mountain.Yu Chengyi exerted the strength of "nine oxen and two tigers" to slay the demonic beast before him.


    It took more effort than he had initially anticipated.


    This beast was not particularly strong, but it was exceedingly cunning and fast. Even with severe injuries, it still managed a few escapes from his grasp.


    Normally, with more hands, they could have surrounded and trapped the beast, preventing any escape. However, having lent a few men to Mo Hua, their encirclement was flawed.


    The beast took these opportunities to escape several times, until Yu Chengyi relentlessly pursued it to death by nightfall.


    Others in his group were also injured, albeit only with superficial wounds, which were not of much concern.


    After dealing with the demonic beast, they retreated to a nearby hunter''s camp to rest.


    With night deepening and the day''s fatigue upon them, they decided against traveling further and opted to rest for a while.


    A few demon hunters lit lamps, and the dim yellow glow brought a warm ambiance to the cramped campsite.


    Yu Chengyi pulled out several bottles of strong liquor and poured for everyone.


    They raised their cups and downed the drinks in one go. The strong liquor banished much of their fatigue.


    Yu Chengyi smacked his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, we have liquor but no meat.¡±


    One of the hunters coughed and pulled out a paper-wrapped package from his storage bag. Inside were several pounds of sliced wild ox demon meat.


    The meat was a rich maroon, spiced with pungent and spicy seasonings that filled the air.


    Yu Chengyi cursed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring this out sooner? I¡¯ve already had a few drinks.¡±


    The man retorted, ¡°Then don''t eat, I didn¡¯t even want to bring it out!¡±


    Amidst laughter and teasing, they began to feast on the meat and drink more liquor.


    ¡°Is this beef from the Mo Shan family?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Of course, who else could provide such delicious meat?¡±


    ¡°You could try the Spirit Meal Tower on North Street; their spiritual meat is top-notch!¡±


    ¡°Too expensive, not worth it.¡±


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll try to get closer to Mo Shan, maybe he¡¯ll send some over¡­¡±


    ¡°Dream on!¡±


    ...


    As they ate and chatted, Yu Chengyi¡¯s brow furrowed, his thoughts turning to Mo Hua, his son.


    He wondered how Mo Hua was doing and if he had encountered any danger.


    Just then, Yu Chengyi suddenly tensed up, his expression grave, ¡°There¡¯s a disturbance!¡±


    The hunters quickly set down their cups, crouched, and gripped their weapons, vigilantly watching the camp entrance. One of them stepped to the doorway, peered out, and relaxed, turning back, ¡°It¡¯s just Old Zhao.¡±


    Everyone relaxed and resumed their seats, lifting their drinks again.


    Old Zhao entered, seeing them at ease with food and drink, and couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°I rush here through the night, and you lot are comfortably enjoying yourselves!¡±


    ¡°We thought you wouldn¡¯t be back.¡±


    ¡°Your wife is pregnant, we figured you¡¯d gone home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your loss¡­¡±


    Everyone laughed.


    Yu Chengyi poured a cup for Old Zhao and invited him to sit.


    Without ceremony, Old Zhao, tired and thirsty from the journey, downed the drink. It was spicy, but it brought much relief.


    Unable to hold back, Yu Chengyi asked, ¡°Mo Hua is alright, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Old Zhao¡¯s expression turned complex.


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s heart skipped, ¡°What, something happened?¡±


    Old Zhao shook his head, ¡°No, he went home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Yu Chengyi sighed in relief, then scolded, ¡°Can¡¯t you speak more clearly? You gave me a scare!¡±


    Yu Chengyi took a sip of his drink, then casually inquired:


    ¡°What¡¯s Mo Hua up to?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, hunting demonic beasts¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi spit out his drink, ¡°What?¡±


    Old Zhao reluctantly repeated, ¡°Hunting demonic beasts.¡±


    ¡°First-grade middle phase?¡±


    ¡°First-grade middle phase.¡±


    Yu Chengyi was stunned, ¡°How did he manage it?¡±


    Old Zhao sighed, and Yu Chengyi¡¯s expression cleared as he patted Old Zhao¡¯s shoulder:


    ¡°Old Zhao, you¡¯ve done well, tough it was!¡±


    After a pause, he seemed puzzled, ¡°But you¡¯re not injured, doesn¡¯t seem like you did the killing.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± Old Zhao said, ¡°At least, not exactly.¡±


    Yu Chengyi frowned, ¡°What do you mean by not exactly? Stop beating around the bush, out with it!¡±


    Old Zhao organized his words, ¡°Mo Hua set a trap, laid out an array, and when the beast stepped into the trap, he ignited the array with a Fireball Technique, severely injuring


    the beast¡­¡±


    ¡°Then the rest of us, actually, the few Qi cultivators in the mid-phase were enough, finished off the nearly dead beast¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi furrowed his brow.


    The other hunters interjected, ¡°Old Zhao, you must be drunk, what are you babbling about?¡±


    ¡°Could that beast really be first-grade middle phase?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t drunk that much, is your tolerance slipping?¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Old Zhao was done arguing with them.


    Yu Chengyi, however, believed some of it and asked, ¡°What array?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have asked?¡± Yu Chengyi said.


    ¡°I was too shocked to think of it.¡±


    ¡°What happened next?¡±


    ¡°Then he drained the beast¡¯s blood, we sold the beast, and I... got eight spirit stones¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi looked at him with disdain, ¡°Taking advantage of a kid.¡±


    Old Zhao¡¯s face reddened, ¡°I tried to refuse, but couldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°How can you keep those spirit stones with a clear conscience?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, take them to his family¡¯s restaurant, buy some meat, and share it with everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re uneasy, let us share the burden.¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    The hunters laughed heartily.


    But Yu Chengyi remained frowning.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Old Zhao asked, seeing his expression.


    ¡°Are you sure, that array, could really injure a first-grade middle-phase demonic beast to such an extent?¡± Yu Chengyi asked seriously.


    Old Zhao¡¯s demeanor turned solemn, ¡°I saw it with my own eyes!¡±


    ¡°What kind of beast?¡±


    ¡°A Red-Eyed Sheep, over ten feet tall, with twisted horns, white fur, and red eyes, fond of viscera, with a mouth still bloody from its last meal.¡± Old Zhao finished, opening his storage bag, and pulled out a blood-stained hoof, ¡°This is the sheep demon¡¯s hoof, not valuable, so I didn¡¯t sell it.¡±


    Seeing the hoof, as thick as a cultivator¡¯s thigh and with a tip darkened by blood, the jovial atmosphere vanished.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely first-grade middle phase, and in its prime, having devoured much flesh.¡±


    A hunter hesitated, ¡°Mo Shan¡¯s son, he¡¯s only at the fifth or sixth level of Qi cultivation, right? Could he really draw such a powerful array?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, the Iron Armor Array on my son¡¯s vine armor was drawn by him. I can¡¯t understand it, but it¡¯s indeed well-done!¡± another hunter said.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t understand it, how do you know it¡¯s good or not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten pork, but I¡¯ve seen pigs run!¡±


    ...


    The group debated boisterously.


    Yu Chengyi pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°You go ask tomorrow... never mind, I¡¯ll go. Let¡¯s see what array it was, if it could really hurt a first-grade middle-phase demonic beast.¡±


    Old Zhao nodded, ¡°But tomorrow, aren¡¯t we supposed to go into the inner mountains?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll delay it by a day, go the day after.¡±


    Everyone paused, ¡°Is this array that important? To make a team wait a day¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not crucial for us, but it¡¯s very important for novice demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    Yu Chengyi thought for a moment, then slowly explained, ¡°With this array, couldn¡¯t three or four mid-phase Qi cultivators kill a first-grade middle-phase demonic beast?¡± S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The hunters looked at each other, a realization dawning on them all.

 Chapter 129: Mutual Benefits

    The next day, Yu Chengyi made a special trip to the eatery to find Mo Hua, who was busy drawing array patterns."Mo Hua, drawing arrays again?" Yu Chengyi greeted somewhat stiffly.


    "Uncle Yu?" Mo Hua looked surprised. "What brings you here?"


    "I came to see you," Yu Chengyi said with a smile.


    Mo Hua also smiled. "Thank you for yesterday, Uncle Yu."


    Yu Chengyi waved his hand dismissively. "It was nothing."


    Mo Hua glanced at Yu Chengyi again and asked, "Uncarely, you must be here for something?"


    With the Demon Hunter team so busy, it was unlikely he would visit without a reason.


    Yu Chengyi hesitated before asking, "Mo Hua, the array you used yesterday, what was it?"


    "Yesterday?" Mo Hua thought for a moment. "It was the Earth Fire Array."


    The Earth Fire Array... Just the name suggested its formidable power.


    Yu Chengyi nodded, then asked with some anticipation:


    "Can this Earth Fire Array injure a mid-stage Tier-One demonic beast?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua replied. "But one alone isn¡¯t powerful enough; using four or five together could severely injure a mid-stage Tier-One demonic beast, then a few more strikes to finish it off."


    Just as expected!


    Yu Chengyi got excited for a moment. "When you have time, could you draw a few for me, Uncle Yu?"


    "Uncle Yu, do you need them? But this array might not be very useful for you," Mo Hua wondered aloud.


    Yu Chengyi was already a ninth-level Qi cultivator, capable of hunting mid-stage Tier-One demonic beasts without relying on arrays.


    For late-stage Tier-One demonic beasts, the power of the Earth Fire Array was rather limited.


    "I won''t use them myself; I thought they might be useful for the novices."


    Yu Chengyi sighed. "Their cultivation levels aren¡¯t up to par; following us, they sometimes don¡¯t even get to drink the broth. It¡¯ll take too long for them to stand on their own. With this array, at least they can earn some spirit stones."


    Mo Hua thought of Da Hu and the others.


    Just becoming a Demon Hunter was dangerous and hardly lucrative¡ªit was indeed the most difficult period.


    Mo Hua agreed: "I can do that."


    Yu Chengyi breathed a sigh of relief, then his expression became troubled as he gritted his teeth and asked, "How many spirit stones would drawing this array cost¡­"


    This array was no simple matter, surely more complex than the Iron Armor Array, and deserved a higher reward, but he really couldn¡¯t offer much.


    Yu Chengyi was finally understanding his father¡¯s dilemma.


    Knowing it was a tough request, yet he had to ask shamelessly. He couldn¡¯t offer many spirit stones, yet he had to ask someone to do him a favor.


    And that someone was a mere teenager.


    The usually generous Yu Chengyi couldn¡¯t help but lower his eyes, too embarrassed to look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    Whether it was Elder Yu or Uncle Yu, they were both proud men, yet they were willing to set aside their pride for other Demon Hunters.


    Mo Hua felt a surge of respect and with a twinkling black eye, he smiled and said:


    "Uncle Yu, let¡¯s make a deal."


    Yu Chengyi was stunned. "A deal?"


    "Yes, a deal!"


    Mo Hua said, "You just provide me with the spirit ink. I¡¯ll draw the arrays, and after they¡¯re used in hunts, we split the spirit stones earned, giving me a share as my fee for drawing the arrays."


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s eyes lit up. "That¡¯s a great idea!" s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "But I have one more condition," Mo Hua added.


    "Anything, just say it!" Yu Chengyi was eager not to let Mo Hua lose out.


    "I want the demonic blood after the beasts are killed."


    "Demonic blood?" Yu Chengyi looked puzzled. "What do you need demonic blood for?"


    "To mix the spirit ink for drawing arrays."


    Hearing it was for arrays, Yu Chengyi immediately nodded:


    "That¡¯s no problem; nobody wants the demonic blood, it¡¯s all yours."


    "But," Yu Chengyi paused to think, then continued, "can we collect the demonic blood for you? Dahei Mountain is quite dangerous, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go there."


    "I need to use the Blood Drawing Technique myself," Mo Hua said.


    "That so..."


    Yu Chengyi felt a bit regretful; he didn¡¯t want Mo Hua to take risks, but it seemed there was no choice.


    "Then please be very careful," Yu Chengyi advised.


    "Mmm, don¡¯t worry, Uncle Yu, I¡¯ll be careful."


    After discussing some more details, Yu Chengyi said,


    "Then I¡¯ll head back first, won¡¯t disturb your drawing


    ."


    As he left, he also bought a few pounds of beef.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye.


    Yu Chengyi, holding the beef, left the eatery, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.


    "What a great kid..."


    Smart and sensible, understanding of human feelings, and so talented in arrays.


    Indeed, as the old saying goes, ''Ginger gets spicier as it ages,'' his father¡¯s judgment of people was truly accurate.


    Initially, his father had asked him to check on Mo Hua, to get acquainted, which he had been reluctant about. Now, he wished he could move next to Mo Hua¡¯s house.


    Seeing each other without looking up is what truly means to be familiar.


    "I¡¯ll instruct old Zhao and the others to look out for Mo Hua in the mountains; we can¡¯t let anything happen to him!"


    Yu Chengyi thought to himself.


    After Yu Chengyi had left, Mo Hua also sighed in relief.


    He had been wondering how to gather more demonic blood to mix with the spirit ink.


    Relying solely on Da Hu and the others, there weren¡¯t enough hands, and he couldn¡¯t always ask Uncle Yu for help.


    Now, it was sorted. He just needed to draw the arrays and use the Blood Drawing Technique to extract the demonic blood. Meanwhile, the novice Demon Hunters could gain more hunting experience and earn some spirit stones.


    After all, Demon Hunters weren¡¯t exactly wealthy.


    With this thought, he had helped Uncle Yu, and Uncle Yu had helped him¡ªit was indeed a situation where both benefitted.


    Mo Hua quickly drew several Earth Fire Arrays and handed them to Yu Chengyi.


    Yu Chengyi had people try using the Earth Fire Arrays to hunt demonic beasts, but it failed.


    The issue lay with the traps.


    Other Demon Hunters could also set traps, but their placement wasn¡¯t ideal, and the techniques were somewhat crude, easily detected by the demonic beasts.


    If the beasts weren¡¯t caught in the traps, they couldn¡¯t be contained, and naturally, the Earth Fire Arrays couldn¡¯t be detonated.


    Yu Chengyi came to ask Mo Hua if there was a solution.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then recommended Uncle Chu¡ªChu Guangshan.


    Mo Hua¡¯s own trap-setting skills had been learned from Uncle Chu, making him the best person for the job.


    Thus, Chu Guangshan, who had been too injured to hunt anymore, rejoined the Demon Hunter team and entered Dahei Mountain.


    He was responsible for tracking the demonic beasts, setting traps, then laying Mo Hua¡¯s Earth Fire Arrays, which would be ignited by arrows tipped with fire stones.


    After the explosion of the Earth Fire Arrays, he didn¡¯t need to act; the other Demon Hunters would naturally finish off the beasts.


    Even though he was severely injured and couldn''t fight the beasts directly, he still helped in hunting them and ended up earning a substantial amount of spirit stones.


    Chu Guangshan bought many items with his share of the spirit stones and visited with Jiang Yun to express their gratitude.


    Both husband and wife were not very articulate.


    Jiang Yun blushed, and Chu Guangshan was also tongue-tied, unsure of what to say.


    Mo Hua watched the couple struggle to express themselves and felt a mix of amusement and emotion.


    The old saying indeed held true: "If you¡¯re not family, you don¡¯t enter the same door."

 Chapter 130: Spices

    The effectiveness of the Earth Fire Array exceeded expectations.Yu Chengyi''s predictions were spot on; laying out the Earth Fire Array required only a few Qi cultivators of the sixth layer to hunt down a mid-tier first-rank demonic beast, and with a bit of caution, major casualties could be largely avoided.


    Previously, the hunting teams comprised of veterans leading novices. This not only protected the newcomers but also allowed them to acclimate to the environment, gain experience, refine their Daoist practices, and earn some spirit stones to support their families. However, this team arrangement significantly reduced the hunting efficiency of the experienced hunters.


    Now, with the array in place, simply teaching the novices some basic techniques enabled them to hunt on their own. Since the Earth Fire Array inflicted severe injuries on the demonic beasts, disrupting their meridians and slowing their demonic power, the novices were relatively safer.


    Thanks to the Earth Fire Array, the novices could earn spirit stones, and the veterans had an easier time; the days of the demon hunters had become more comfortable.


    However, Mo Hua was alone. Despite his quick mastery of the array, the number of Earth Fire Arrays he could draw in a day was limited.


    After some thought, Yu Chengyi decided to save a few arrays and deploy more manpower.


    Five arrays would require three or four demon hunters to finish off the beasts.


    Now, with three arrays, six or seven demon hunters were needed to complete the job.


    The results were comparable.


    Mo Hua had memorized the Earth Fire Array so well that he could draw it faster and in greater numbers, and more demon hunters were using Mo Hua''s arrays for hunting.


    Over time, most of the Qi cultivators in the mid-stages had become familiar with Mo Hua.


    Some wore armor drawn by Mo Hua; others used his Earth Fire Arrays for hunting; and yet others had their homes'' doors and windows arrayed by him.


    And many of the late-stage Qi cultivators also knew Mo Hua well.


    Some had life-saving bonds with Mo Shan and naturally knew Mo Hua; some had asked Mo Shan to have Mo Hua draw arrays for them; others, even without direct relations with Mo Hua, had heard of this young array master from relatives and friends.


    Some were specifically instructed by Yu Chengyi to keep an eye on Mo Hua in Dahei Mountain.


    Thus, after spending over a month on the mountain, Mo Hua found that nearly everyone in the outer mountain was now an acquaintance.


    Often, as he walked along, familiar cultivators would greet him.


    Some would even offer him wild fruits they picked from the mountain.


    The fruits were sour and sweet, crisp and delicious.


    Apart from wild fruits, others offered dried grains, dried meat, pine nuts, and rice wine.


    With such generosity, Mo Huali could enter the mountain empty-handed and still return full and satisfied.


    But one should always reciprocate kindness.


    Afterward, every time Mo Hua went to the mountain, he would ask his mother to pack several pounds of sliced beef in his storage bag, available in various flavors.


    Whenever others offered him food, he reciprocated with beef.


    Gradually, some began to hope for encounters with Mo Hua in the mountain.


    Especially some older demon hunters, who craved liquor but lacked meat for pairing.


    Previously, they couldn''t bear to stay in the mountain when not hunting.


    Now, they would specifically wait along the mountain paths, eager for Mo Hua''s arrival. Then they would invite him for snacks and wild fruits, while he would invite them to enjoy the meat with their drink.


    These demon hunters had been entrusted by Yu Chengyi to look after Mo Hua, and sometimes, when Mo Hua faced difficulties in the mountain, they would also lend a helping hand. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua remembered their kindness.


    So sometimes, he would bring some meat to the mountain and sit with them on large boulders among the scenery, eating meat and listening to their hunting stories.


    Occasionally, they would offer suggestions about the beef.


    For instance, it wasn''t spicy enough, was too mushy, or lacked a certain flavor...


    As they critiqued, they enjoyed the meat more than anyone else.


    Some hunters also suggested that there were some spices in the mountain that could enhance the flavor of the meat when cooked.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, and he immediately inquired about these spices.


    "There are many in the mountain, but you''ll have to find them yourself," said the demon hunter, pulling out a thin booklet. The booklet depicted various plants and trees, indicating which parts could be used as spices¡ªflowers, leaves, branches, dew, flower pastes, resins, etc.


    There were dozens of types listed.


    The demon hunter handed the booklet to Mo Hua with only one request¡ªthat he be allowed to taste the delicious meat once it was cooked.


    Mo Hua nodded eagerly, treasuring the booklet.


    Afterward, as he


    traveled through the mountains, he kept an eye out for the spices listed in the booklet.


    If he found them, he would collect them and later hand them over to his mother.


    Liu Ruhua was pleasantly surprised; she had been devoted to studying various Daoist dietary practices, and with these spices, her cooking could only improve.


    Using the spices, Liu Ruhua prepared some meat dishes that Mo Hua tasted and found even more flavorful and rich.


    As promised, Mo Hua shared this meat with the demon hunter who had given him the booklet.


    After tasting it, the hunter''s expression was so content and liberated, it was as if he had no regrets in this life...


    His reaction was so exaggerated that Mo Hua was at a loss for words.


    Mo Hua also delivered some of this beef to the Sit and Forget Abode.


    Bai Zisheng tasted it and found the flavor had improved, enviously saying, "Mo Hua, your mother is truly wonderful!"


    Then, a spark of inspiration struck him, and he asked, "Why don''t you ask your mother if she''d like to adopt me as her godson?"


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.


    Bai Zixi couldn''t help but throw a paper ball at Bai Zisheng''s head.


    The beef Mo Hua delivered to Mr. Zhuang was the best, both in appearance and taste, each dish uniquely flavored with either vibrant green onions or spicy red chili.


    Mr. Zhuang took a bite and frowned. After a moment, he lamented:


    "The desires of the palate can corrupt one''s will!"


    Unable to resist, he took another bite.


    The spices were excellent, and the restaurant''s business improved even more.


    Mo Hua was delighted. During his subsequent spice gathering, he thought it wouldn''t hurt to collect some medicinal herbs as well.


    After all, setting up arrays and hunting demonic beasts didn''t really require his presence.


    He just needed to draw the arrays and then collect blood at the end.


    The rest of the time, he usually wandered around the outer mountain.


    He gathered spices, herbs, and even mined some minerals.


    Mo Hua consulted with Mr. Feng for a copy of "Daoist Herbology" and Master Chen for a copy of "Daoist Mineralogy."


    Following the descriptions in these books, he gathered herbs and various minerals.


    It was a convenient way to expand his Daoist knowledge and collect useful materials.


    The herbs he gathered were given to Mr. Feng, and the minerals to Master Chen.


    They did not stand on ceremony with Mo Hua, simply telling him to come to them if he needed any pills or spiritual instruments.


    Thus, Mo Hua continued to map, gather spices, and collect herbs and minerals in the outer areas of Dahei Mountain, waiting for other demon hunters to kill the beasts before he ran to collect the blood, storing it to mix spirit ink.


    Until one day, he realized that more and more hunters were using the Earth Fire Array. Often, before he had finished collecting blood from a beast killed in the south, another beast in the north would be slain.


    By the time he learned of it, the northern beast was already cold, and its blood unusable.


    Ten bottles of demonic blood were lost this way...


    After several such instances, Mo Hua furrowed his brow, pondering:


    "I need to think of a solution, otherwise it''s just too wasteful..."

 Chapter 131: Si Nan

    After returning home at night, Mo Hua lay in front of his small desk, deep in thought.When a demonic beast died, Mo Hua needed to be there immediately.


    The best way would be to transmit sound.


    But after inquiring, he learned that transmission arrays, transmission talismans, or other sound transmission methods were not usable by Qi cultivators.


    Was there any kind of reconnaissance array?


    Mo Hua lay on his desk, flipping through the "Thousand Arrays Compendium" under the lamplight, but couldn''t find any suitable arrays.


    After reading for a long time, his neck felt a bit sore. He leaned back against the wooden chair, contemplating.


    If such an array existed, it should be recorded in the "Thousand Arrays Compendium."


    Reconnaissance arrays shouldn''t be so rare that families or sects would keep them secret and not share them.


    If it wasn''t in the "Compendium," there was another possibility: it was a composite array.


    Reconnaissance arrays might require the combination of different single arrays to achieve the desired effect. Since the "Thousand Arrays Compendium" collected only single arrays, it made sense that it wouldn''t include such arrays.


    "Composite array..."


    Mo Hua sighed. It seemed he still needed to consult Mr. Zhuang.


    The next day, Mo Hua went to the Sit and Forget Abode to find Bai Zisheng first.


    Bai Zisheng''s knowledge of arrays wasn''t extensive, so he looked to his sister, Bai Zixi, for help.


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and said, "There aren''t any. Reconnaissance arrays are quite complex, and you might not find them below the first grade. At least, I haven''t seen any."


    "Are there any similar ones?"


    "In what way similar?"


    "Something that could let me know if an array was triggered or a demonic beast died..." Mo Hua pondered before replying.


    Bai Zixi remained silent.


    "A composite array would be fine too..." Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zixi''s delicate brows furrowed slightly. After a brief thought, her long eyelashes fluttered as she answered, "Si Nan Mother-Child Array."


    "Si Nan... Mother-Child Array?"


    (Note: "Si Nan" refers to an ancient Chinese term for a type of compass. Specifically, it was an early form of a directional device, often featuring a spoon-shaped lodestone that would indicate south.)


    Mo Hua had never heard of it...


    Bai Zixi nodded, "It''s a composite array that can sense spiritual power fluctuations."


    Seeing Mo Hua still not quite understanding, she explained, "When the array is activated or when cultivators fight, there will be spiritual power fluctuations. With these fluctuations, the array can sense them."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood and asked, "Can you draw this array?"


    "I can''t. You''ll need to ask Mr. Zhuang."


    "Alright, thank you!" Mo Hua said.


    Getting an answer was an unexpected surprise. Bai Zixi''s knowledge of arrays was much more extensive than Mo Hua had imagined.


    Mo Hua looked at her with admiration and couldn''t help but praise, "Zixi, you know so much!"


    "Just average."


    Bai Zixi responded lightly, but her fair and delicate chin couldn''t help but lift a little.


    Mo Hua then went to find Mr. Zhuang.


    Sure enough, Mr. Zhuang was napping in the bamboo room. Mo Hua sat on the steps at the entrance, waiting.


    As he waited, Mo Hua thought about what to ask next. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, a gentle breeze blew through the quiet hall, brushing over Mo Hua''s shoulder.


    Mo Hua knew that Mr. Zhuang had awakened. He stood up, tidied his clothes, and went in to see Mr. Zhuang, explaining his purpose.


    Mr. Zhuang raised his eyebrows with interest, "Si Nan Mother-Child Array?"


    "Yes, sir. Can you teach me?"


    Mo Hua''s clear, dark eyes looked at Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang found it hard to refuse, but he still said, "This is a composite array. It''s a bit early for you to learn composite arrays."


    Mo Hua replied, "Sir, I can already draw arrays with eight patterns, but drawing nine patterns is still out of reach. It seems unlikely to achieve in the short term..."


    "But drawing eight patterns is no longer interesting, so I want to learn composite arrays."


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes showed a subtle change.


    Drawing eight patterns... and finding it uninteresting...


    Even he found his young disciple''s words increasingly outlandish.


    Mr. Zhuang coughed and called out, "Elder Gui," then gestured with his hand.


    Elder Gui seemed to understand Mr. Zhuang''s meaning. He took a book from the back shelf and placed it in front of Mo Hua.


    The book''s cover read: "Introductory Composite Arrays Collection."


    "I gave you a book called ''Basic Composite Arrays'' before. That was the foundation. Study it more."


    After speaking, Mr. Zhuang pointed to the book in front of Mo Hua and said, "This ''Introductory Composite Arrays Collection'' contains the Si Nan Mother-Child Array. Study ''Basic Composite Arrays'' thoroughly first. If you don''t understand, come ask me."


    Mo Hua was overjoyed and then asked, "Sir, can I learn the other composite arrays in this book as well?"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a meaningful expression, "Yes, as long as you can learn them, you can study them."


    "Thank you, sir. I won''t disturb your rest any longer!"


    Mo Hua happily bowed and left the bamboo room with the book.


    Mr. Zhuang lay back on his bamboo chair, closing his eyes to rest.


    Elder Gui, with a wooden expression, said, "Isn''t it a bit early?"


    "Don''t worry. It''s just composite arrays."


    Elder Gui couldn''t help but say, "You gave him an entire ''Composite Arrays Collection.''"


    "It''s just introductory."


    Elder Gui rolled his eyes, "What''s introductory about it? Some of the arrays in there aren''t even suitable for Qi cultivators."


    Mr. Zhuang remained silent.


    Elder Gui frowned, "Do you have some plan in mind?"


    "Sort of." Mr. Zhuang lay on the bamboo chair, his gaze gradually deepening, "I just want to see, let him learn on his own, and see how far he can go..."


    Mo Hua took the "Introductory Composite Arrays Collection" home and couldn''t wait to start reading.


    The "Basic Composite Arrays" given by Mr. Zhuang before, Mo Hua had actually finished. He even "consulted" Zhang Lan about some of the knowledge in the book.


    However, Mo Hua had read the book in a hasty manner, not seeking a thorough understanding, just gaining a general idea of composite arrays. Most of the composite arrays in it, he hadn''t drawn himself, so he only knew a little.


    Since composite arrays were considered "advanced," Mo Hua knew his array skills weren''t up to par, so he hadn''t put much effort into it.


    But now that Mr. Zhuang had given him the "Composite Arrays Collection" and allowed him to study composite arrays, it showed that in Mr. Zhuang''s eyes, his spiritual sense was ready to explore composite arrays.


    Mo Hua had great confidence in Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was knowledgeable and exceptional in arrays. If he said Mo Hua could learn, then the composite arrays in this book should be within his capability and not considered "advanced."


    Moreover, the book was titled "Introductory Composite Arrays Collection," so it shouldn''t be too difficult.


    With this in mind, Mo Hua started reading the "Introductory Composite Arrays Collection" and found the diagram for the Si Nan Mother-Child Array.


    The Si Nan Mother-Child Array was a relatively simple metal-type composite array.


    The array consisted of two single arrays: the Si Nan Mother Array, containing eight patterns, and the Si Nan Child Array, containing only three patterns.


    The array''s hub was a widely used Five Elements Array hub, utilizing the repulsion of metal spiritual power to detect significant spiritual power fluctuations within a certain range.


    Mo Hua glanced over the general structure, memorized the array diagram, and planned to practice drawing it a few times.


    Since it was his first time formally learning to draw composite arrays, it was already past midnight by the time Mo Hua memorized all the patterns and array hub structures.


    Mo Hua lay down on his bed and closed his eyes to sleep.


    In his sea of consciousness, a simple and ancient Dao stele emerged.

 Chapter 132: Array Hub

    Mo Hua began to draw the compass dual array on the Dao Stele.A single array is drawn starting from the array patterns, connecting each independent array pattern through the array hub. A composite array, however, starts from the array hub, using it to coordinate different single arrays.


    When drawing a single array, the brush may pause, but the spiritual sense cannot be interrupted.


    If the spiritual sense is interrupted, it becomes impossible to connect with the profound mysteries of the Dao contained within the array, causing the drawing to fail and the patterns to be rendered useless.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, this is called "completing it in one breath."


    That means maintaining a continuous spiritual sense to complete the array in one go.


    A single array must be completed in one breath, but a composite array is different; it does not need to be completed in one breath.


    Otherwise, a composite array, containing several single arrays, would consist of dozens of patterns, which would be impossible for a Qi cultivator to draw all at once.


    Composite arrays were originally conceived by ancient cultivators to circumvent the limitations of their spiritual sense and enhance the effectiveness of their arrays.


    When a cultivator''s spiritual sense cannot increase or comprehend more patterns, they can connect individual arrays to achieve a more powerful effect.


    Thus, composite arrays are relatively flexible. Within a composite array, only the array hub and the spiritual sense of each single array need to be continuous; the entire array does not need to be completed in one breath.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual sense projection stood before the Dao Stele, using a finger as a brush to begin drawing the array hub of the compass dual array.


    The technique for drawing the array hub differs from drawing array patterns because it needs to guide spiritual power and govern the entire array. Therefore, the strokes are bolder, the structure more stable, and it requires more spiritual sense.


    The highest single array in the compass dual array contains eight patterns. Hence, the spiritual sense required for the array hub must also be no less than that of an eight-pattern array.


    Although it does not reach the level of a nine-pattern array, it requires more spiritual sense than an ordinary eight-pattern array.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual sense was just sufficient to draw this array hub, though it was somewhat strenuous.


    After finishing the array hub, there were still subsequent arrays to draw, and the spiritual sense could not be undone. Thus, Mo Hua could only meditate and let his spiritual sense gradually recover.


    This was Mo Hua''s first time using the meditation technique in his sea of consciousness.


    Entering a state of calm and concentration was easier here than outside, and he vaguely felt a sense of resonance with the Dao Stele.


    Within his spiritual thoughts, he could sense a breath of ancient, primordial Dao.


    When he delved deeper, there was nothing.


    Mo Hua frowned, unable to comprehend it.


    After a while, he stopped thinking about it, focused on meditating, and restored his spiritual sense.


    Before long, his spiritual sense was replenished, much faster than when meditating outside.


    He couldn''t tell if it was an issue with the sea of consciousness or because of the Dao Stele.


    With his spiritual sense fully recovered, Mo Hua continued to draw the array.


    After completing the array hub, the next step was to draw the mother and child arrays of the compass at specific locations based on the framework of the array hub.


    The compass mother array, containing eight patterns, was a metal-based array and a common structure among the Five Elements arrays. It was not difficult, and after a few glances, Mo Hua could draw it.


    The compass child array, with three patterns, was even simpler. Mo Hua only needed a glance to understand how to draw it.


    With smooth and practiced strokes, half an hour later, Mo Hua completed the entire compass dual array.


    The entire array was more complex than any array he had drawn before, yet it possessed a profound and intricate beauty. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This is a composite array...


    Mo Hua was stunned, unable to resist taking a few more glances, feeling a sense of admiration.


    Indeed, drawing challenging arrays was far more interesting.


    The principle of the compass dual array was the interaction between the mother and child arrays. When the child array sensed a fluctuation in spiritual power, the mother array would react.


    Mo Hua slightly moved his spiritual sense, lighting up the child array. In just a breath''s time, the mother array also began to glow. The glowing point corresponded precisely to the lit compass child array.


    Success!


    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted, showing a smile, but then he frowned again.


    Although the array was successful, many key points still eluded him.


    For instance, what exactly was the array hub, its role, why lighting up the child array caused the mother array to resonate, and what changes might occur within other single arrays in composite arrays...


    "It seems I still need to ask Mr. Zhuang."


    Mo Hua thought to himself, then, while it was still early, practiced drawing the compass dual array on the Dao Stele a few more times.


    Early the next morning, Mo Hua brought some pastries, wild fruits, wine, and pine nuts to visit Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang had recently developed a preference for lighter flavors and vegetarian food, claiming it was to "purify the heart and reduce desires."


    But isn''t wanting to eat vegetarian also a kind of desire?


    Mo Hua didn''t understand but wisely chose not to ask.


    "Have you mastered it?"


    Mr. Zhuang asked leisurely, sipping his wine.


    Mo Hua nodded, "I have!"


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyelid twitched.


    He learned so quickly...


    It had only been one night.


    "I still have some questions and would like to seek your guidance, sir."


    Mo Hua asked respectfully and obediently.


    "What would you like to ask?"


    Mr. Zhuang asked curiously.


    Mo Hua recounted the important questions that had puzzled him while drawing the compass dual array the previous night.


    Mr. Zhuang tapped his long fingers on the bamboo chair, pondered for a moment, and then asked:


    "What do you think an array hub is?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "Is it a kind of array structure?"


    "Correct, but not entirely."


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "A single array''s hub is a kind of array structure, but a composite array''s hub is more like an array itself."


    "An array?"


    "Yes, you can consider it a special array with positional and functional structures."


    Mo Hua thought carefully, nodded slowly, and then asked, "I understand the positional aspect, but what specifically are the functions of the array hub?"


    "The array hub is the key to a composite array, capable of controlling the array''s spiritual power, coordinating different single arrays, and managing all patterns. Its specific functions vary but generally include controlling the opening and closing of spiritual power, its sequence, repulsion, suppression, concentration, and dispersion..."


    Mo Hua felt dizzy, his small eyebrows furrowing together.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn''t help but laugh, "Simply put, it controls the sequence of spiritual power operations within the composite array, the start and stop, mutual repulsion, enhancement, suppression, concentration, and dispersion."


    Mo Hua understood a bit and then said:


    "Like the compass dual array, it uses the magnetic properties of metal-based spiritual power''s mutual attraction and repulsion, so when the child array moves, the mother array also responds..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, and he continued, "I once repaired an alchemy furnace for Mr. Feng. The array inside was a wood-fire spirit control composite array. Wood fuels fire, using a wood-based single array to enhance a fire-based single array. Does this count as ''enhancement'' in the hub''s functions?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then couldn''t think of anything else, as he hadn''t encountered other composite arrays.


    Mo Hua frowned, and after a moment, he remembered another question:


    "Sir, what about a grand array?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze sharpened, his expression serious, and he said slowly:


    "Do you want to learn grand arrays..."


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, "Can''t grand arrays be learned?"


    Mr. Zhuang paused, raised his eyebrows, and laughed:


    "Yes, they''re all arrays. Why can''t they be learned?"


    Mo Hua looked expectant.


    Mr. Zhuang gently tapped Mo Hua''s forehead, "Don''t aim too high. First, master what you have in front of you. Grand arrays are still far off!"


    "Oh." Mo Hua held his head.


    "Go, study well." Mr. Zhuang''s gaze was gentle, lightly brushing his sleeve.


    "Yes! Take care, sir. Your disciple takes his leave."


    Mo Hua nodded, respectfully bowed, and then left the bamboo room under Mr. Zhuang''s watchful eyes.

 Chapter 133: Disappearance

    Mo Hua was preparing to formally draw the Si Nan Zimu Array.He went to Master Chen to refine a simple compass and dozens of stone needles.


    The mother array of the Si Nan Zimu Array was only one, drawn on the compass. The sub-arrays could be many, drawn on the stone needles.


    The sub-arrays were not interconnected, only sensing each other with the mother array. Although there seemed to be many sub-arrays, the actual control through the array hub was only a pair of single arrays.


    Therefore, the Si Nan Zimu Array could only be considered a composite array containing two single arrays.


    Mo Hua spent half a day drawing the array.


    Afterwards, he prepared to test the effect.


    Mo Hua entered Dahei Mountain, set up traps and arrays, and placed the stone needles at intervals of several feet. He had Da Hu and the others watch nearby while he ran far away holding the mother array compass.


    After walking for more than half an hour, Mo Hua stopped, crouched in a bush, and stared at the compass in his hand.


    He waited and waited, feeling a bit drowsy.


    Suddenly, a dot on the compass lit up.


    The lit dot corresponded to the stone needle Mo Hua had placed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and he immediately ran back.


    By the time he arrived, the demonic beast had been killed by Da Hu and the others, lying on the ground with blood still fresh.


    Mo Hua approached, pressed his fingers on the demonic beast¡¯s vital pulse, and found the blood still active. Using his spiritual sense, he could manipulate it, so he took out a jade bottle and used the Blood Drawing Technique to extract the demonic blood.


    He filled about eight or nine bottles before stopping.


    He then checked the stone needle, finding it intact and undamaged, which made him smile.


    ¡°Mo Hua, is it done?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done!¡±


    Da Hu and the others didn¡¯t understand what Mo Hua was doing with the compass, but guessed it was related to arrays.


    They didn¡¯t know much about arrays, so they didn¡¯t ask. Seeing Mo Hua complete his task successfully, they couldn¡¯t help but smile along.


    As usual, they skinned and deboned the drained demonic beast, putting it in their storage bags.


    They would sell the spirit stones and deliver them to Mo Hua¡¯s home in the evening.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to Da Hu and the others and continued to wander around Dahei Mountain, placing stone needles with the Si Nan Zimu sub-array.


    The locations for the stone needles were mostly on paths, mountain trails, and forest areas frequented by demonic beasts or demon hunters, suitable for setting traps.


    Mo Hua spent three or four days placing all the stone needles.


    Now, the outer mountain was basically under Mo Hua¡¯s control.


    Not to the extent of sensing every movement, but at least he would be the first to know if there were any cultivator fights or demonic beast clashes causing spiritual power fluctuations.


    In the following days, Mo Hua ran around the outer mountain holding the compass, busily enjoying himself.


    Whenever a light spot appeared on the compass, it meant a fight was happening.


    Mostly, it was due to the Earth Fire Array exploding, causing fluctuations from novice demon hunters besieging demonic beasts.


    By the time Mo Hua arrived, the fight was usually ending. He would wait for the demonic beast to die and then go up to draw blood.


    Sometimes, other demon hunters were besieging demonic beasts.


    Technically, a demon hunter team¡¯s prey wouldn¡¯t allow others to interfere.


    But Mo Hua was a familiar face, very familiar.


    Most demon hunters had asked Mo Hua to draw arrays before and received benefits from him. Some hadn¡¯t, but wanted to build a relationship with him for future array needs.


    So, generally, demon hunter teams didn¡¯t mind Mo Hua drawing a bit of blood from the demonic beasts they killed.


    After all, they didn¡¯t need the demonic blood.


    Sometimes, it was due to demonic beasts fighting each other, causing demonic power fluctuations.


    Demonic beasts fought for mating, food, hunting, and territory, causing clashes.


    Approaching demonic beast fights recklessly was too risky.


    Mo Hua could only observe from afar, gaining knowledge, observing the habits or characteristics of demonic beasts, and recording some special demonic power abilities or their rage states.


    As a Qi cultivator, Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense was already very strong, allowing him to observe from afar and even spy on the demonic power states in demonic beasts¡¯ meridians without being noticed.


    In this way, Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation gradually increased, nearing the barrier of the sixth level of Qi cultivation.


    He also accumulated a lot of demonic blood, filling several hundred bottles.


    Mo Hua was well-prepared, planning to break through the realm and strive to become a Nine Pattern First-Class Array Master.


    In the following days, Mo Hua focused on cultivating and learning arrays.


    A few days later, at dusk, Mo Hua and Liu Ruhua were at home, waiting for Mo Shan to come back for dinner.


    Suddenly, it started pouring rain, which lasted for a little over half an hour.


    After the rain, Mo Shan returned, but his expression was serious. He ate a few bites of food, took some dry rations, and was about to leave again.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Dad, what happened?¡±


    Mo Shan initially didn¡¯t want to say, but then he remembered that Mo Hua could now survive in Dahei Mountain alone and was no longer the weak child he used to be. He solemnly said:


    ¡°Old Zhao is missing.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, ¡°Is it that medium-built Zhao Uncle with thick eyebrows who knows the Mountain Splitting Palm?¡±


    Mo Shan was surprised, ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That day when he borrowed someone from Uncle Yu, Uncle Yu called ¡°Old Zhao¡± and had him take care of Mo Hua, who was a late-stage Qi cultivator.


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Where did he go missing?¡±


    ¡°Dahei Mountain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look too.¡±


    Mo Shan was about to refuse, but after thinking, he said, ¡°Follow me and don¡¯t get separated.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Liu Ruhua prepared some more food for them to take, and anxiously reminded, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±


    Mo Shan took Mo Hua out, not directly to Dahei Mountain but to Elder Yu¡¯s house first.


    Elder Yu¡¯s house was spacious but simply furnished, with many demon hunters standing inside.


    Elder Yu glanced at Mo Shan and noticed Mo Hua beside him. He was slightly surprised but still nodded kindly at Mo Hua and smiled warmly.


    Then, he said gravely, ¡°Old Zhao is missing. I¡¯ve already sent Chengyi and others to search, but there¡¯s no news yet.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s just blocked by the rain in the mountain, found a camp to shelter, and will come down tomorrow morning?¡± a demon hunter speculated.


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°Old Zhao¡¯s wife came by, saying her husband is missing.¡±


    Elder Yu explained the situation.


    Old Zhao¡¯s wife was pregnant, five or six months along.


    Old Zhao heard from an alchemist that a herb called Baizhu Ginseng could nourish and stabilize the fetus. He found one in the mountain and picked it, planning to bring it down to his wife.


    But the demonic beast he hunted was tricky, delaying him. When he came down, he found his storage bag torn and the Baizhu Ginseng lost.


    Old Zhao guessed it was lost during the fight with the demonic beast and told his wife he would go back to find it and be back soon.


    As soon as Old Zhao entered the mountain, it started pouring rain, and he didn¡¯t return after the rain stopped.


    Normally, it was common for demon hunters to stay overnight in the mountain when they had tasks.


    But Old Zhao¡¯s wife felt an inexplicable fear and palpitations, as if she would never see her husband again.


    She couldn¡¯t explain this fear, but it was incredibly strong, so she had no choice but to ask Elder Yu for help, pleading for him to send people to search the mountain.


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Better safe than sorry. It¡¯s better to be a little tired than for Old Zhao to lose his life. How would his wife and child survive then?¡±

 Chapter 134: Searching for Someone

    Elder Yu finished speaking and led the group into Dahei Mountain.At a camp near the outer mountain entrance, they met up with Yu Chengyi.


    Elder Yu asked, "How is it?"


    Yu Chengyi''s clothes were soaked with rain and his face was pale, frowning deeply:


    "The rain was too heavy. After the downpour, all traces in the mountain were washed away. We have no idea where he went."


    Elder Yu sighed deeply, "This is going to be troublesome."


    Dahei Mountain was vast. Even the outer mountain would take seven or eight days to traverse. A thorough search would take even longer.


    It would be fine if Old Zhao was safe, but if something had happened to him, the outcome could be dire.


    The demon hunters in the camp all wore worried expressions.


    "Where did Uncle Zhao enter the mountain from?"


    A clear, childish voice sounded from the crowd.


    Everyone turned to see Mo Hua following behind Mo Shan.


    Though young, Mo Hua was well-acquainted with most of the demon hunters, who all called him "Little Array Master," so no one ignored him because of his age.


    Yu Chengyi quickly called Mo Hua over, spread out a map, and pointed to a mountain path:


    "Old Zhao entered the mountain from this entrance at dusk."


    Mo Hua glanced at it, then closed the map and took out his own hand-drawn map from his storage bag.


    When Mo Hua spread out his map, everyone was stunned.


    The map was incredibly detailed, marking not only mountain paths, poisonous swamps, and miasma zones, but also locations of various spices, spiritual herbs, and minerals.


    At a glance, it was densely packed. If not for space limitations, Mo Hua would have probably noted down every tree and its appearance in the mountain.


    Mo Hua pointed to a location on his map, "Is it here?"


    Yu Chengyi nodded.


    Mo Hua compared the map and found the nearest stone needle, then took out the compass with the mother array and checked it. His brows gradually furrowed.


    Yu Chengyi tensed and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Mo Hua pointed to several spots on the map, "There''s been a spiritual power fluctuation here."


    "What does that mean?"


    "It means someone has fought here!"


    Everyone exchanged looks, all a bit stunned.


    "You can tell?" a demon hunter couldn''t help but ask.


    Mo Hua nodded, "This is the Si Nan Mother-Child Array. I placed stone needles in the mountain. If there''s a spiritual power fluctuation nearby, it will show on this compass."


    Everyone was shocked and looked at Mo Hua with more respect.


    Elder Yu''s expression lightened slightly, "We can''t delay, let''s go now!"


    Without further delay, everyone set off immediately. Mo Shan reminded, "Be careful," and silently followed behind Mo Hua.


    A cup of tea later, they arrived at the location Mo Hua mentioned.


    It was a small hill, with a narrow mountain path below, a forest above, and a cliff to the right.


    Mo Hua found the stone needle and noticed the array patterns on it were dim and twisted, a sign of strong spiritual power fluctuations.


    "How is it?" Yu Chengyi asked nervously.


    Mo Hua nodded, "Someone fought here, and their cultivation level wasn''t low. There should be traces nearby." S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Chengyi ordered, "Spread out and search the area."


    Soon, someone shouted, "Over here!"


    Everyone rushed over to find the ground''s stones cracked and trees broken. On the nearby stone wall was a slanted palm print with faint traces of earth element spiritual power.


    Yu Chengyi looked at it and said, "Mountain-Splitting Palm, it''s Old Zhao."


    Mo Shan stepped forward, wiped the stone wall, sniffed it, and his eyes turned cold, "There are blood traces, washed away by the rain."


    Everyone''s expressions turned serious.


    Elder Yu asked Mo Hua, "Any other traces?"


    Mo Hua checked the compass and found many spots dim or disappeared. He shook his head, "It''s been too long. The spiritual power fluctuations are very weak, hard to distinguish."


    The Si Nan Mother-Child Array had a time limit. Spiritual power fluctuations were bright initially, but dimmed and disappeared over time.


    Elder Yu and the others frowned.


    Mo Hua was also anxious, then suddenly had an idea, "Uncle Yu, when did Uncle Zhao enter the mountain?"


    Yu Chengyi thought for a moment, "Around the middle of the You hour, about an hour ago."


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened. Array masters had excellent memories. He had glanced at the compass before eating and, though not focused, had a lingering impression.


    He spread out the map and marked several points.


    "These spots showed signs of battle after the You hour. It might not be Uncle Zhao, but other cultivators or demon beasts. And the points may not be precise..."


    "No matter," Elder Yu said, "Having a direction is better than searching aimlessly."


    Elder Yu patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, "You''ve done your best. If we can''t find him, it''s just Old Zhao''s bad luck."


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling a bit down.


    "Any other clues?" Elder Yu asked.


    Mo Hua checked the map again and drew a few lines.


    "These paths showed continuous spiritual power fluctuations. We can search them thoroughly."


    Elder Yu''s eyes sharpened, and the demon hunters'' spirits rose.


    Continuous spiritual power fluctuations meant ongoing battles, indicating someone was being chased.


    Were they chased by a demon beast or another cultivator?


    Elder Yu''s expression turned serious, and he decisively ordered, "Split into teams, small teams of three, large teams of five. Each path with at least ten people. Be careful and signal with a whistle if you find anything."


    The demon hunters acted swiftly, scattering in all directions.


    Elder Yu reminded Mo Hua, "Stay with your father, don''t get separated."


    "Okay," Mo Hua nodded.


    Night fell as they searched the rain-soaked Dahei Mountain for the missing demon hunter.


    An hour later, they found more battle traces, even fragments of vine armor, but still no person.


    Mo Hua marked all the battle points on his map.


    Looking at the map, he frowned in thought.


    With battle traces and being chased, the person would be heavily injured and unable to go far. They should be near these mountain paths.


    But why hadn''t they found him?


    Alive, they should find the person, dead, they should find the body...


    Confused, Mo Hua asked Mo Shan, "Dad, how do you search for people?"


    "How?"


    "Do you use spiritual sense?"


    Mo Shan thought for a moment, "We look for traces with our eyes, listen for sounds, smell for blood, and use spiritual sense for basic perception."


    This method seemed fine...


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly thought, what if he used only spiritual sense, abandoning other senses?


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened. He closed his eyes and released his spiritual sense.


    Everything around him turned into a vague white void.


    The night-colored mountains, trees, streams, and cultivators all turned into faint spiritual power silhouettes.


    In his spiritual sense, the world''s outlines were clear.


    Mo Hua pushed his spiritual sense to the limit, expanding the boundaries and clarifying the spiritual power silhouettes.


    "Nothing..."


    Mo Hua opened his eyes, moved to the next path, and closed his eyes again, releasing his spiritual sense.


    Mo Shan didn''t know what Mo Hua was doing, but didn''t disturb him, silently following his son.


    "Nothing."


    "Nothing..."


    Mo Hua continued moving, releasing his spiritual sense. After crossing several cliffs, Mo Hua suddenly stopped.


    Mo Shan tensed, seeing Mo Hua abruptly open his eyes and point to a cliff not far away:


    "There''s someone there!"


    Mo Shan and the nearby demon hunters quickly rushed over, pushed aside the foliage, and illuminated the area with torches.


    Hanging on the cliff, entangled in branches, was the barely breathing Old Zhao!

 Chapter 135: Unexpected Encounter

    Old Zhao was severely injured, his breath weak.The group rescued him, fed him some pills to protect his heart meridians, and then sent him down the mountain, knocking on the door of Xinglin Medical Hall late at night.


    Mr. Feng stepped in and saved his life.


    Though his life was saved, he had yet to wake up.


    According to Mr. Feng, he had been given a fatal blow, chased over a long distance, exhausted his spiritual power, and lost too much blood, which led to his coma.


    He needed to be carefully nursed back to health; once his blood and qi were restored, he would wake up.


    Fortunately, they discovered him in time; any later and it would have been too late.


    When it was mentioned that Mo Hua was the one who found and rescued him, Mr. Feng was momentarily stunned, then smiled appreciatively, patting Mo Hua on the head: S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "You child, you''re truly blessed."


    Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed.


    Old Zhao''s wife, who had fainted several times from excessive worry, relaxed only after hearing that her husband, though comatose, was still alive.


    She took a moment to thank Mo Hua, gifting him several hand-sewn dao robes with two lines of small characters embroidered on the collars:


    "Safe and Sound, Long and Lasting."


    It was the most sincere blessing.


    Liu Ruhua pulled her into the house for a chat, softly comforting her. When she left, her expression was much improved.


    However, there was still one thing that Mo Hua was very concerned about.


    Mr. Feng had said that Uncle Zhao was given a fatal blow by someone, not chased by a demonic beast.


    Who in Tongxian City would go to such lengths to kill a late-stage Qi cultivator demon hunter?


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure it out.


    Elder Yu had already sent people to investigate, and there should be some clues. Even if they couldn''t find anything, once Uncle Zhao woke up, the truth would probably come out.


    But these matters were for Elder Yu and the others to worry about, not Mo Hua.


    He had done everything he could.


    He just hoped Uncle Zhao would wake up soon, and their family could be reunited.


    In the following days, Mo Hua focused more on his cultivation.


    He spent an extra hour each day meditating and refining spirit stones.


    Cultivators emphasized persistence in their practice; daily cultivation, accumulating over time, naturally led to breakthroughs.


    One didn''t need to practice for long each day; just an hour of consistency was enough.


    The extra hour Mo Hua spent wasn''t very efficient, and the amount of spiritual power he could refine wasn''t much. But being so close to the sixth level of Qi Refinement, Mo Hua wanted to make a bit more effort to break through sooner.


    A few days later, he indeed felt the threshold of the sixth level of Qi Refinement.


    Mo Hua solemnly burned incense, bathed, prepared spirit stones, and concentrated his mind, waiting for the breakthrough.


    And then he failed.


    He didn''t cross that threshold...


    Mo Hua''s face darkened, and he slung his storage bag over his shoulder, heading into Dahei Mountain again.


    Breaking through in cultivation was something that required fate; he couldn''t be bothered to stress about it.


    He decided to stock up on more demonic blood to practice his arrays.


    Upon entering Dahei Mountain, Mo Hua noticed that there were fewer demon hunters around.


    Previously, when he entered the mountain, he would encounter several acquaintances in half a day. Now, after wandering for a whole day, he only saw one or two.


    Mo Hua met a not-so-familiar demon hunting team, shared their demonic blood, treated them to beef, and inquired about the reason.


    Old Zhao had been chased by someone, and Elder Yu, concerned, had sent people to investigate and advised everyone to stay out of Dahei Mountain for a few days. Thus, there were fewer demon hunters in the mountain.


    Mo Hua frowned. With fewer people, there would be relatively more demonic beasts.


    Staying in the mountain would be dangerous.


    If he were chased by a demonic beast, there wouldn''t be anyone around to help.


    "Should I go down the mountain now?"


    Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head. His spiritual sense was already very strong, not weaker than that of an average late-stage Qi cultivator. If he encountered a demonic beast, he could detect it early and wouldn''t be chased.


    But he still needed to be cautious.


    Mo Hua smeared some grass juice on his clothes, stuck a few branches in his hair, and dirtied his face.


    This way, demonic beasts wouldn''t catch his scent, and from a distance, with the grass and branches, they wouldn''t be able to make out his figure.


    As for dirty clothes, his mother would wash them when he got back.


    Mo Hua, reassured, continued his "patrol" according to his plan.


    Mo Hua held his compass and wandered until noon. When he got hungry, he lay in the grass, eating the beef his mother had made.


    As he ate, he suddenly noticed movement. Raising his head to look through the grass, he saw several cultivators approaching from afar.


    Judging by their attire, they didn''t look like demon hunters.


    Mo Hua''s expression tightened, and he lay down, quietly extending his spiritual sense.


    He sensed three people approaching, two men and one woman, all at the late stage of Qi Refinement. Their spiritual power was concealed, making it hard to detect, and they seemed to be arguing.


    Mo Hua pricked up his ears, curious.


    "...We''ve been searching for days and found nothing..." one man said intermittently.


    "Be patient... That person is extremely cunning..."


    "...Despicable... If I find him, I''ll tear him to pieces..." said a woman.


    Who are they talking about? Could it be Uncle Zhao?


    Mo Hua held his breath, listening carefully.


    The three drew closer, and their voices became clearer. One of the voices sounded vaguely familiar to Mo Hua.


    "...If we still can''t find him, you should go back first," said the man leading them.


    "I''m not going back!" the woman replied.


    "Is this the capability of your Tongxian City Dao Court, unable to find a single person?" the other man said, his tone sarcastic.


    "That thief is very familiar with Dahei Mountain. Hiding here makes it like searching for a needle in a haystack."


    "Even if it''s like searching for a needle in a haystack, we must find it..."


    "You aren''t local cultivators, so you don''t understand. Dahei Mountain is full of demonic beasts and extremely dangerous..."


    "It''s just a second-tier state''s demonic mountain; how dangerous can it be?"


    "Ignorance is bliss..."


    "Hmph, I''m not like you, timid and fearful! Whether it''s a demonic beast or that thief, I''ll kill anything I see..."


    The leading man suddenly stopped, sneering:


    "Stop boasting, haven''t you noticed we''re being watched?"


    "What did you say?"


    "Being watched?"


    The man was silent for a moment, then suddenly drew his sword, pointing it towards the grass where Mo Hua was hiding, coldly saying:


    "Stop hiding, come out!"


    The other two were startled, then their eyes flashed with shock as they stepped back half a step, drawing their weapons, their expressions grave, looking towards where the man''s sword pointed.


    The rocky terrain and thick grass showed no signs of abnormality.


    The more they saw nothing, the more alarmed they became.


    The sword-wielding man''s face turned cold with caution.


    If he hadn''t accidentally used his spiritual sense and detected a barely noticeable figure in the grass, they wouldn''t have known they were being watched!


    Three late-stage Qi cultivators, and they had been watched without noticing!


    Strong spiritual sense, high cultivation, skilled in concealment, and cunning...


    The sword-wielding man felt a chill down his spine.


    Knowing he was discovered, Mo Hua slowly stood up from the grass.


    The three saw the grass move and then a small figure emerged.


    With strange branches on his head, wearing what looked like a cultivator''s dao robe but stained with grass juice, his face was smeared with dirt, making it hard to see his features.


    His spiritual power was weak, or rather, deliberately concealed.


    "Is it a person? Or a demonic beast?"


    The sword-wielding man grew more nervous, unsure whether to strike.


    Then, the figure, whether person or beast, waved at him cheerfully, saying:


    "Uncle Zhang, long time no see!"


    The sword-wielding man was dumbfounded.


    He recognized the voice and the figure...


    "Mo... Mo Hua?!"


    "Yes, yes." Mo Hua nodded happily.


    Zhang Lan was stunned, dropping his sword with a clatter.

 Chapter 136: The Flower Thief

    Zhang Lan felt that the dark history of his cultivation life had been vividly embellished once more by this child, Mo Hua.He had been on high alert, only to find that the opponent was a small cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refinement.


    How embarrassing!


    Zhang Lan couldn''t help but scold, "What are you, such a young child, doing in the mountains?!"


    "I have lots of things to do in the mountains: drawing maps, setting up arrays, extracting demon blood, finding spices, collecting herbs, digging for minerals..."


    Mo Hua counted each task on his fingers, listing them for Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan''s head was spinning, "Alright, alright, I get it."


    What a mess.


    Zhang Lan didn''t quite believe it. Was Dahei Mountain a place for a child to come?


    Even as a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, he had to be extremely cautious when entering the mountain, let alone Mo Hua, a small fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivator.


    Moreover, from what Zhang Lan knew about Mo Hua, though the child had good talent in arrays, his innate constitution was weak. Encountering any demonic beast would mean being snatched up and eaten.


    Setting up arrays and collecting herbs? Nonsense...


    Zhang Lan didn''t believe it.


    But he also knew that Mo Hua was a bit unconventional, not easily judged by normal cultivation standards.


    So, although he didn''t believe it, he said nothing.


    The two people behind him were still in shock, not even listening to what Mo Hua was saying.


    Their bewildered expressions made Zhang Lan feel a bit better, as if he had somewhat regained his dignity.


    Mo Hua glanced at the two people behind Zhang Lan and asked, "Who is this sister?"


    "Wrong generation," Zhang Lan said, "You should call her Auntie."


    The female cultivator glared at Zhang Lan and then turned to Mo Hua with a gentle smile, "Sister''s surname is Situ, single name Fang. Don''t listen to your Uncle Zhang; just call me Sister."


    Zhang Lan was speechless.


    Mo Hua sweetly called out, "Sister."


    Situ Fang immediately beamed with joy.


    The man beside her said arrogantly, "My name is Situ Xiu."


    Mo Hua responded perfunctorily with an "Oh."


    Zhang Lan couldn''t help but tell Mo Hua, "Go wash your face, look at you, all dirty."


    He had been startled by Mo Hua''s sudden appearance and still felt uneasy looking at him now.


    Mo Hua found a small stream and washed his face clean.


    His dirty little face instantly turned into one with rosy lips and white teeth, like a porcelain doll.


    Situ Fang glanced a few more times and couldn''t help but praise, "Truly as beautiful as a painting, you look great!"


    "Thank you, Sister, you are beautiful too!"


    Mo Hua reciprocated the compliment.


    Situ Fang''s face bloomed with a smile.


    Zhang Lan sighed and said to Mo Hua, "It''s getting late, why don''t you head back first?"


    Situ Fang nodded, "There are demonic beasts in the mountains, it''s not safe for you here. Do you need Sister to escort you down?"


    Zhang Lan couldn''t help but glare at Situ Fang, "Have you forgotten the important task?"


    Situ Fang hesitated.


    Mo Hua curiously asked, "What are you doing in the mountains?"


    "It''s a secret of the Dao Court, I can''t tell you."


    "You''re looking for someone, right?"


    Zhang Lan''s head ached, "How did you know?"


    "I heard you talking just now."


    Zhang Lan sighed again, helpless against Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua''s dark eyes turned, "Why don''t I help you find them?"


    Situ Fang smiled, "Thank you, little brother, but this matter is too dangerous. We can''t let you go."


    Zhang Lan stood aside, saying nothing.


    Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Lan, "Dahei Mountain is very large. If you don''t know the way, it could take ten days to half a month to find someone."


    Zhang Lan frowned, pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright, you can come with us."


    Situ Fang furrowed her brow, "Are you crazy? He''s still a child."


    Zhang Lan helplessly said, "Without him guiding us, not only will we not find the person, but we might also get lost in the mountains."


    Situ Xiu sneered, "With this kid leading the way, we won''t get lost?"


    "We won''t!" Zhang Lan said firmly, "We might get lost, but he won''t!"


    "How do you know..."


    "If he could get lost, he wouldn''t have come to the mountain alone."


    Zhang Lan understood that Mo Hua wouldn''t do things recklessly. If he offered to help, he must be confident.


    Situ Fang and Situ Xiu fell silent, recalling how Mo Hua had appeared silently from the bushes.


    The fear they felt earlier also resurfaced.


    This small cultivator in front of them might indeed be reliable; the ones to worry about might be themselves...


    "The thief is quite dangerous..." Situ Fang was still hesitant.


    Zhang Lan said, "The three of us can''t protect him?"


    Situ Fang had no words, and Situ Xiu snorted, saying nothing more.


    Mo Hua asked, "Who are you looking for? Any clues?"


    Situ Fang glanced at Zhang Lan.


    At this point, Zhang Lan didn''t hide anything, "We''re chasing a flower thief."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Flower thief?"


    He had heard the term but not in the cultivation world, so he wasn''t sure of the difference.


    Zhang Lan explained, "A flower thief refers to someone who uses evil cultivation methods to forcibly extract energy from women to enhance their own cultivation. Such thieves are not tolerated by the Dao Laws and are pursued by the Dao Court."


    Situ Fang nudged Zhang Lan, whispering, "That''s enough. Don''t talk about extraction and such things to a child." Her cheeks reddened slightly.


    Zhang Lan, who hadn''t felt it was inappropriate before, now felt embarrassed.


    Mo Hua was a bit disappointed, wanting to know more.


    "Do you have any clues?" Mo Hua asked.


    "We have a portrait." Zhang Lan spread out a portrait.


    The man in the portrait was young and handsome, with a hint of evil in his eyes.


    "So young?" Mo Hua asked.


    "He practices an evil extraction method, so he looks young but is actually over a hundred years old. If he doesn''t extract energy for over a month, he will age rapidly..." Zhang Lan explained.


    Mo Hua was shocked, "Such techniques exist?"


    "There are all sorts of bizarre evil methods..." Zhang Lan said, then reminded Mo Hua, "Don''t practice them. Evil and demonic techniques are cold and cruel, erasing humanity..."


    Mo Hua nodded quickly, taking the warning to heart.


    Zhang Lan continued, "We got information that this flower thief, pursued by the Dao Court, had no choice but to enter Dahei Mountain. He probably wouldn''t dare go deep into the mountain and is likely in the outer area, around Lone Cloud Peak and Duan Cliff..."


    With Zhang Lan''s explanation, Mo Hua had a rough idea and said, "Don''t worry. If he''s in the outer area, he won''t escape."


    Situ Fang smiled, "Then we rely on you."


    "Mm!" Mo Hua nodded.


    A flower thief hiding in the outer mountains, practicing evil techniques, over a hundred years old, pursued by Uncle Zhao...


    Could the cultivator chasing Uncle Zhao be this flower thief? S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua also wanted to capture this thief and find out the truth.

 Chapter 137: Pursuit

    Mo Hua led Zhang Lan and the other two as they set out for Lone Cloud Peak.Mo Hua was extraordinarily familiar with the mountain paths, to an extent that left Zhang Lan astounded.


    He knew exactly where there were paths, where there was water, where there was poison, and where there was fog.


    Sometimes, when it seemed there was no path, he would lead them left and right through the forest, and suddenly a path would appear.


    Whenever they encountered demonic beasts, Mo Hua would guide them to avoid them long before the beasts noticed them.


    He even picked wild fruits and dug up medicinal herbs along the way...


    His leisurely demeanor made it seem as though they were not hunting a dangerous criminal, but merely taking a stroll in the mountains...


    Zhang Lan found it hard to believe.


    How could the outer areas of Dahei Mountain be like Mo Hua''s own backyard?


    This was not the Dahei Mountain he remembered.


    Even a late-stage Qi cultivator should tread carefully here, right?


    While Zhang Lan was internally shocked, Si Tu Fang was unaware of the specifics, only feeling that their journey was much smoother than she had anticipated.


    Situ Xiu, on the other hand, wore a mocking expression and said to Zhang Lan, "Didn''t you say Dahei Mountain was dangerous? Why has there been nothing along the way?"


    Zhang Lan looked at him as if he were a fool.


    This idiot has no clue, even with someone guiding him. Is his brain full of water...


    After a while, Mo Hua suddenly stopped and said, "There are demonic beasts ahead. We need to take a detour."


    Situ Xiu, feeling bored from the smooth journey, said, "We''re in a hurry. Taking a detour is too troublesome. It''s just a demonic beast, we can kill it."


    His voice was a bit loud, and he hadn''t concealed his presence. Just after he finished speaking, a pair of blood-red eyes stared at them from not far away.


    They were discovered!


    Zhang Lan frowned and cursed "idiot" under his breath.


    The demonic beast resembled a sheep, with red eyes and curled horns, white fur, and sharp teeth. Standing up, it was as tall as a person, its body enveloped in a bloody aura, exuding a faint sense of oppression.


    Seeing Zhang Lan and the others, a bloodthirsty gleam flashed in its eyes, and it charged at them.


    Zhang Lan and the other two had no choice but to brace themselves for battle.


    Fortunately, all three of them were late-stage Qi cultivators, so handling a single Red-Eyed Sheep demon was not too difficult.


    Situ Xiu, despite being of average skill, grew bolder as the fight went on and shouted, "It''s just a mere demonic beast!"


    Just as he finished speaking, another demonic beast emerged from the bushes.


    This one had dark red fur and reeked of blood, a Split-Claw Demonic Wolf.


    Zhang Lan felt bitter and wished he could slap Situ Xiu''s mouth crooked!


    One demonic beast was manageable, but two made things much harder.


    Situ Xiu was injured, his wounds burning painfully, and he dared not be arrogant anymore.


    After a tough battle, they managed to kill the Split-Claw, and the sheep demon fled wounded.


    Only then did the three get a chance to catch their breath.


    Zhang Lan''s back was soaked in sweat. After a moment''s rest, he realized Mo Hua was missing.


    He looked around but saw no sign of Mo Hua. Just as he was about to call out, he heard Mo Hua''s concerned voice beside him:


    "Uncle Zhang, are you all okay?"


    Mo Hua had appeared out of nowhere, holding a bottle, and ran excitedly to the fallen demonic beast, doing something unknown...


    During the fight, Mo Hua had no presence at all. Now, he reappeared as if by magic.


    Zhang Lan thought to himself that they could get lost in the mountains and Mo Hua would still be fine.


    Si Tu Fang, curious, asked, "What are you doing?"


    "I''m collecting demonic blood," Mo Hua replied.


    "Demonic blood? For what?" Si Tu Fang asked.


    "For mixing spirit ink and drawing arrays," Mo Hua explained.


    Si Tu Fang was surprised, "You know how to use arrays?"


    Mo Hua, a bit embarrassed, modestly said, "I know a little."


    "Oh," Si Tu Fang nodded.


    Zhang Lan looked up at the sky, speechless.


    He says he knows a little, and you believe him...


    After collecting the demonic blood, Mo Hua said, "We need to hurry, or we won''t make it before dark."


    Then, with a bit of blame in his voice, he added, "Fighting demonic beasts wasted a lot of time."


    Si Tu Fang felt a bit ashamed and asked, "You knew the demonic beasts were troublesome, so you wanted us to avoid them?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Situ Xiu, unconvinced, said, "We were just unlucky to encounter two..."


    Mo Hua replied, "If it were just one, would I have told you to avoid it?"


    Situ Xiu was at a loss for words.


    Si Tu Fang was also shocked.


    Mo Hua had known there were two demonic beasts all along, while they only realized it after the second one appeared...


    After collecting the demonic blood and seeing that Zhang Lan and the others were ready to move, Mo Hua said, "We need to hurry."


    The three nodded.


    Mo Hua walked a few steps ahead, then turned back and reminded them, "You must listen to me, or it will be very dangerous."


    Si Tu Fang felt a bit embarrassed, and the heavily injured Situ Xiu also lowered his head.


    After that, the three followed Mo Hua quietly. The journey was relatively smooth, but it was getting late, and they would probably have to spend the night in the mountains.


    Mo Hua found a passing demon hunter and said, "Uncle Zhou, when you go back, please tell my mother I won''t be home for dinner. I''ll return tomorrow."


    "Are you okay on your own?" the demon hunter asked.


    "Yes, I''m with some officials from the Dao Court," Mo Hua replied.


    "Alright, be careful then."


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to the demon hunter, then turned and said, "Let''s find a place to spend the night. We can only reach Lone Cloud Peak tomorrow."


    Zhang Lan frowned, "Can''t we go at night?"


    "You want to catch someone, right? It''s harder to do that at night, and there are more demonic beasts."


    Zhang Lan nodded, "I guess we have no choice."


    Mo Hua found a small campsite nearby, lit some lamps, and took out some meat from his storage bag, offering it to Zhang Lan and the others.


    Si Tu Fang took a bite and his eyes lit up, "This is delicious! Did your family make this?"


    Mo Hua proudly said, "My mother made it!"


    Si Tu Fang ate a few more bites and said, "It''s a pity this meat has no spiritual energy."


    "Independent cultivators can''t afford spirit meat," Mo Hua replied.


    Si Tu Fang apologized, "I didn''t mean it wasn''t good."


    To show her apology, she took out some pastries from her storage bag and offered them to Mo Hua.


    Situ Xiu, though silent, also offered Mo Hua some wine.


    But the wine was too strong, and after one sip, Mo Hua choked and didn''t drink anymore.


    Zhang Lan, however, ate and drank everything without fuss.


    After they had eaten their fill, they lay down to sleep in their clothes.


    Mo Hua couldn''t sleep. He had to enter his sea of consciousness at midnight to draw arrays. Seeing Zhang Lan lying there with his eyes open, clearly not sleepy either, he scooted over and whispered:


    "Uncle Zhang, tell me about the flower thief?" S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to be a flower thief?"


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.


    Zhang Lan chuckled, "What do you want to know?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "The Dao Court issued the ''Dao Law,'' prohibiting wanton killing, robbery, and plundering. It equates plundering with wanton killing and robbery. Is plundering a serious crime?"


    Zhang Lan''s expression turned serious, and he asked back, "Do you know what plundering means?"

 Chapter 138: Harvesting

    "I''m still a child, how would I know?" Mo Hua retorted confidently.Zhang Lan was momentarily stunned, filled with helplessness, and had to explain:


    "The so-called harvesting is actually a form of dual cultivation."


    After Zhang Lan finished speaking, he paused and said, "You should at least know what dual cultivation is, right?"


    Mo Hua''s face reddened slightly, "I just know a little."


    Zhang Lan couldn''t tell if he genuinely didn''t know or was pretending, so he continued:


    "Actually, it''s just a matter between men and women. To put it plainly, it''s like that. However, dual cultivation can slightly enhance one''s cultivation, and the process is rather pleasant, so many cultivators are fascinated by researching the way of dual cultivation."


    Mo Hua had a question, "Can dual cultivation really improve one''s cultivation?"


    "It can improve it a little, but it''s better than nothing. Instead of spending time on such trivial matters, it''s better to spend more time meditating and cultivating." Zhang Lan said.


    "Then what''s the difference between dual cultivation and harvesting?"


    "Dual cultivation is still considered normal, but harvesting is vicious. Evil cultivators use harvesting to extract others'' blood, essence, and spiritual power. The one being harvested might suffer from a decline in cultivation at best, or at worst, have their foundation destroyed or even die from the harvesting. Such incidents are common."


    Mo Hua''s heart chilled.


    "The flower thief you are pursuing, did he also harvest people to death?" S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "He''s certainly done such things, but not now. We''re chasing him because last month, he harvested a perfectly healthy woman to the point of emaciation, her qi sea completely destroyed, and she has been in a state of constant fear and confusion ever since..."


    Zhang Lan sighed and gritted his teeth.


    Mo Hua felt sympathy and asked, "If we catch him, will he be sentenced to death?"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "The Dao Court has always been strict with such matters. Sentences range from a hundred years to the death penalty. For this one, the death penalty is unavoidable."


    Mo Hua felt relieved.


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and added:


    "I forgot to tell you, dual cultivation is also prohibited."


    Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    I''m still a child, why are you telling me this?


    Zhang Lan felt a bit embarrassed under Mo Hua''s gaze, but since he had started, he had to continue:


    "Normal relationships between men and women are not managed by the Dao Court. But dual cultivation is different. All dual cultivation techniques and secret arts, once discovered, will be immediately destroyed..."


    "If a cultivator engages in dual cultivation and is caught by the Dao Court, they will be held accountable. Although the penalty is not as severe as harvesting, it will still be recorded and will affect your future apprenticeship and marriage..."


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, "Didn''t you say that dual cultivation is not harmful? Why is it prohibited then?"


    "Theoretically, it''s not harmful, and it doesn''t violate the Dao Laws. But not banning dual cultivation indirectly allows harvesting, as some people will use the guise of dual cultivation for harvesting. Furthermore, if dual cultivation is not banned, it becomes difficult for the Dao Court to investigate. Once they start investigating, people will just claim they are dual cultivating instead of harvesting, making it impossible to deal with them..."


    Zhang Lan continued, becoming more animated, "The most frustrating thing is that some cultivators, even after being harvested, don''t realize it and still enjoy it, even defending the harvester. It''s sheer stupidity!"


    "If they claim it was consensual, are you unable to do anything about it?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan snorted coldly, "In the face of the Dao Laws, there is no such thing as consensual. Anyone who violates the Dao Laws will be caught, no exceptions."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Zhang Lan said, "That''s the first reason."


    Mo Hua was surprised, "There''s more?"


    "Of course," Zhang Lan said, "The cultivation world has existed for over twenty thousand years, with countless cultivators. What kind of messy situations haven''t we seen?"


    "Oh, I see."


    Zhang Lan continued, "The second reason is that dual cultivation between Dao companions can also turn into harvesting."


    Mo Hua''s mouth fell open, "Isn''t a good relationship required to become Dao companions?"


    "What do you know?" Zhang Lan gave him a look that said, ''You''re still young, you don''t understand.''


    "The closer Dao companions are, the more likely they are to harbor resentment. Today they love each other to death, tomorrow they might hate each other to the bone. Once there''s conflict, it easily turns into enmity, and what was once dual cultivation becomes harvesting..."


    Mo Hua was amazed and couldn''t help but say:


    "Uncle Zhang, you know so much, have you ever been harvested..."


    Zhang Lan immediately grabbed Mo Hua''s ear and said:


    "Don''t talk nonsense! I''m a proper cultivator!"


    Mo Hua rubbed his ear and muttered softly:


    "Who knows if you''re proper..."


    Zhang Lan sighed helplessly, then looked at Mo Hua and said:


    "You need to be careful in the future."


    "What should I be careful about? I''m not going to harvest anyone..."


    Zhang Lan smiled mischievously, "You might not harvest anyone, but you could be harvested."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "No way..."


    "Not only can female cultivators be harvested by male cultivators, but male cultivators can also be harvested by female cultivators." Zhang Lan said with a smirk, "Especially someone like you, who looks so handsome and adorable."


    Mo Hua''s mouth fell open.


    Zhang Lan patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, "In the future, when you see those seductive and flirtatious female cultivators, be more cautious. They might be eyeing you for harvesting."


    Mo Hua thought for a long time and nodded seriously.


    Then he realized something else and curiously asked:


    "If female cultivators can be harvested by male cultivators, and male cultivators by female cultivators, can male cultivators be harvested by male cultivators and female cultivators by female cultivators?"


    Zhang Lan''s eyes darkened.


    What kind of nonsense is this?!


    What on earth is going on in your little head, how can you ask such questions?!


    Zhang Lan was speechless for a long time and finally sighed helplessly, "Go to sleep, I''m tired."


    He closed his eyes, ignoring Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua wanted to ask more, but seeing Zhang Lan''s weary expression, he sensibly refrained.


    The campfire flickered, and the camp gradually quieted down.


    Mo Hua read the array book for a while, then around midnight, entered his sea of consciousness to practice the array techniques, and then rested briefly.


    At dawn the next day, Mo Hua woke up.


    As he got up, Zhang Lan and the other two also opened their eyes.


    The three of them ate a simple meal and then left the camp to continue their journey.


    When they arrived at Lone Cloud Peak, Mo Hua examined the terrain and marked a few places on the map.


    These places were relatively hidden, rarely visited by demonic beasts, and unlikely to be discovered by other cultivators.


    Zhang Lan instructed, "Be careful not to reveal your whereabouts to avoid alerting the enemy. If you encounter the thief, don''t engage immediately. Watch from a distance and wait until we''re all together to make a move."


    Everyone nodded, then split up to search the areas Mo Hua had marked.


    Mo Hua followed Zhang Lan.


    With Zhang Lan''s high cultivation level, it was safer for him to stay close.


    After searching around, they gathered in a forested area. Not far from the forest was a camp.


    Mo Hua said, "There are traces around, that thief should be hiding in that camp."


    "Could it be other demon hunters?" Situ fang asked.


    Mo Hua replied, "This camp has long been abandoned. Demon hunters wouldn''t stay there."


    Zhang Lan nodded and said, "We''ll surround the camp and attack together. Mo Hua, it''s dangerous here, stay back."


    "Okay."


    Mo Hua nodded and quickly retreated to a safe distance.

 Chapter 139: The Battle

    Zhang Lan and the other two began to surround and kill the old camp.Before long, a white-robed cultivator rushed out of the camp.


    His Dao robe was luxurious in style and looked expensive, but after half a month of fleeing, it was now covered in mud and tattered.


    His appearance was similar to the portrait Mo Hua had seen, but much older, with peeling, decayed skin.


    It seemed that due to lack of cultivation resources, the evil technique had backfired, causing his appearance to age and decay.


    Indeed, he was the evil cultivator who had practiced the harvesting technique.


    After confirming this, Zhang Lan and the others wasted no words and attacked without mercy.


    The evil cultivator cursed and began to fight back.


    The battle erupted instantly.


    Mo Hua hid far away, watching them fight secretly.


    Zhang Lan was a spiritual cultivator, skilled in water-based spells with considerable power. From a distance, he summoned water sword energy, continuously attacking the evil cultivator.


    Situ Fang and Situ Xiu were both body cultivators, skilled in sword techniques.


    Situ Fang''s sword was thin and light, infused with faint green spiritual energy, moving swiftly and precisely. Situ Xiu''s style was more forceful, using spiritual energy to enhance his body, emitting a faint golden glow.


    The two engaged in close combat, keeping the evil cultivator busy.


    The evil cultivator, also a body cultivator, had a powerful blood energy and wielded an iron fan decorated with delicate, almost transparent, beauties.


    When the iron fan was swung, it emitted pink spiritual energy waves.


    No wonder he was an evil cultivator, even the color of his spiritual energy was inappropriate...


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    The evil cultivator''s cultivation was at the ninth level of Qi refining, no match for Zhang Lan and the others, but his agility allowed him to maneuver under Situ Fang and Situ Xiu''s attacks while evading Zhang Lan''s water sword energy.


    But no matter how agile he was, he could not withstand the three-person siege for long.


    Each hit from the water sword deepened his injuries, and every slash from Situ Fang caused him to bleed more.


    Moreover, the faint green spiritual energy on the wounds prevented them from healing.


    After a while, the evil cultivator was hit by one of Zhang Lan''s sword energies, fell to the ground, and stopped moving.


    Mo Hua didn''t act rashly until he saw Zhang Lan use shackles to lock up the evil cultivator, then he came out.


    "Is he dead?" Mo Hua asked.


    "No, this beast has a tough life."


    Mo Hua scanned with his spiritual sense and found that the evil cultivator''s spiritual energy was still flowing inside.


    "Are all evil cultivators this tough?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan replied, "Not all, but most are quite troublesome. Evil cultivation techniques have great drawbacks, but they are also powerful. Otherwise, many wouldn''t fall into the evil path."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    With the evil cultivator captured, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Situ Xiu asked, "What next?"


    Zhang Lan kicked the evil cultivator, "Take this beast back to the Dao Court, interrogate him, and sentence him according to the law. We also need to report to Master An."


    "Master An?" Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Lan.


    Realizing he had misspoken, Zhang Lan looked up at the sky, pretending he hadn''t said anything.


    Situ Fang and Situ Xiu cut down some trees, made a raft, and placed the evil cultivator on it, ready to drag him back.


    Mo Hua stared at the evil cultivator for a long time, then kindly reminded:


    "You need to break his legs."


    "Huh?" Situ Fang was stunned.


    "And destroy his meridians and shatter his Qi sea!"


    Situ Fang was dumbfounded.


    This kid, how could he say such terrifying things with such an innocent face...


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment, "Makes sense."


    Situ Fang hesitated, "We''ve already captured him, he can''t resist, isn''t this excessive..."


    "We''re just temporarily restraining him, not capturing him yet," Mo Hua corrected.


    "Is this okay..." Situ Fang was hesitant.


    Zhang Lan already drew his sword, intending to sever the evil cultivator''s meridians.


    Previously, Mo Hua didn''t understand why Zhang Lan, a spiritual cultivator, carried a sword. He thought it was just for show.


    Now he understood, even for a spiritual cultivator, having a sword for emergencies was useful.


    At least for cutting meridians, it made things much easier.


    But before Zhang Lan''s sword could descend, the evil cultivator suddenly opened his eyes, shook his hands, and the chains fell off.


    Zhang Lan''s gaze sharpened, and his sword sped up.


    The evil cultivator twisted his body, dodging the vital strike, and the sword only grazed his skin.


    "Be careful!" Zhang Lan shouted.


    The moment the evil cultivator opened his eyes, Mo Hua had already retreated several feet away.


    When scanning with his spiritual sense earlier, Mo Hua had found the evil cultivator''s spiritual energy fluctuations strange.


    But he didn''t expect the evil cultivator to be so cunning and resilient. Despite being severely injured, he still had the strength to resist.


    Dodging Zhang Lan''s sword, the evil cultivator struck at Zhang Lan''s face with his palm.


    Zhang Lan''s expression tightened, he retreated to dodge, having no time to cast spells, he could only counter with his sword.


    The evil cultivator, however, did not take the bait, his figure flickering, appearing beside Situ Xiu, who was ready to strike.


    Situ Xiu had intended to attack from behind, but the evil cultivator had already noticed, using his strange movement technique to appear by his side.


    Failed in his sneak attack, Situ Xiu was counter-attacked, hit in the ribs by the evil cultivator''s palm, spitting blood and flying to the side.


    The palm strike was excruciating, the strange spiritual energy seeping into his organs with the force.


    Only then did Situ Xiu realize that the evil cultivator had not been using his full strength earlier!


    But he realized it too late, he was already out of the fight.


    Situ Fang also drew his sword, slashing at the evil cultivator. After a few moves, he suddenly felt weak, his meridians corroded by the pink spiritual energy, unable to circulate his own spiritual energy.


    The evil cultivator''s spiritual energy was poisonous!


    It hadn''t been noticeable during the fight, but after a while, the poison began to take effect.


    Situ Fang forced his energy, but suddenly spat out blood, glaring at the evil cultivator with resentment.


    The evil cultivator licked his lips, looking at Situ Fang, "Not bad!"


    He hadn''t harvested in a month.


    He needed to vent his evil fire and replenish his spiritual energy.


    As he looked at Situ Fang, his mind wavered, and in that moment of distraction, a light blue sword energy pierced through his shoulder.


    Furious, the evil cultivator turned, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, glaring.


    Not far away, Zhang Lan was pointing his fingers like a sword, staring coldly.


    Another tough opponent.


    The evil cultivator gathered his thoughts, he needed to deal with Zhang Lan to escape.


    Even if he ran now, he wouldn''t survive long in the dangerous Dahei Mountain.


    With his body weakened and evil fire growing, he needed to harvest.


    If he could kill Zhang Lan...


    The evil cultivator''s eyes flashed with determination, he rushed at Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan''s heart tightened, such speed!


    This evil cultivator''s movement technique was even faster and more bizarre than before, indeed he had been holding back...


    "Fine, let me face you!"


    Zhang Lan''s gaze focused, he used the Falling Flower Step, creating multiple shadows, as graceful as falling flowers.


    The evil cultivator was surprised.


    This Dao Court cultivator''s movement technique was no less than his own.


    He was a flower thief, relying on his movement technique for survival!


    Caught in a dilemma, the evil cultivator had to fight, exchanging ten moves with Zhang Lan without landing a hit.


    Zhang Lan had seen through his tricks, advancing and retreating with ease, still having time to condense sword energy to intimidate him.


    Just as Zhang Lan was about to seize the opportunity to finish him with sword energy, the evil cultivator suddenly disappeared.


    Zhang Lan extended his spiritual sense but found nothing.


    Suddenly he felt a warning, looking at Mo Hua in the distance, he shouted urgently, "Be careful!"


    At the same time, a shadow flickered behind Mo Hua, the evil cultivator appeared, voice hoarse and fierce:


    "Kid, you want to break my legs?"

 Chapter 140: Severed Leg

    The dark cultivator''s pale right hand reached for Mo Hua''s nape.Everything had been going according to his plan.


    He had feigned defeat, conserved his spiritual power, and waited for the Dao Court officers to lower their guard. Then, he would suddenly strike, killing the two men and capturing the woman to restore his energy and spiritual power by draining her essence until death.


    His appearance would also be restored.


    With his youthful and handsome facade, he could easily deceive an innocent young girl, slowly drain her essence while temporarily hiding and avoiding pursuit.


    Once the heat died down, he would remain free and unrestrained.


    If not for that brat!


    Talking about breaking his legs, crippling his meridians, and shattering his Qi Sea!


    His plan might have succeeded already.


    When the Dao Court cultivators moved to cripple his meridians, he couldn''t just stand by. Even with his exceptional skills, if his meridians were crippled and his spiritual power lost, he wouldn''t be able to stir any trouble.


    He had to act preemptively.


    The two cultivators wielding knives were manageable, but the one with the sword was problematic.


    He had expected it to be challenging, but he hadn''t anticipated it would be this challenging.


    His relied-upon body technique was ineffective.


    The swordsman remained uninjured and unfazed by his sinister spiritual power.


    Moreover, his own injuries had accumulated, leaving him exhausted and on the brink of collapse. Dragging it out any longer would lead to his death.


    Even if he managed to escape, in the wilderness of Dahei Mountain, without clothes or food, and no female cultivator to drain, he would eventually die.


    So he had no choice but to seize the brat to threaten the swordsman for a chance at survival.


    The dark cultivator''s hand reached for Mo Hua''s nape.


    To him, this brat was inescapable.


    Not to mention a ten-year-old kid, even a late-stage Qi cultivator caught off guard couldn''t avoid this¡­


    But he missed.


    Mo Hua seemed to have sensed it beforehand, ducking his head, crouching down, and rolling to the side, ending up several meters away.


    Leaving the dark cultivator standing foolishly in place¡­


    Mo Hua dodged, and Zhang Lan breathed a sigh of relief.


    If Mo Hua had been captured, he would have been utterly helpless, and the situation would have turned deadly.


    Either some would die, or everyone would perish together.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua was quick-witted.


    In such a short time, he sensed danger and dodged nimbly.


    Zhang Lan felt a lingering fear but then his gaze turned cold as he directed his sword energy towards the dark cultivator.


    He needed to kill this beast quickly to prevent further trouble.


    The dark cultivator snapped back to his senses, looking at Mo Hua in the distance, his eyes cold.


    "Brat, lucky you."


    He didn''t believe Mo Hua had avoided his strike; he thought it was just luck.


    Mo Hua stood in the distance and sighed:


    "It seems I have to cripple your meridians, shatter your Qi Sea, and break your legs, or you''ll keep causing trouble."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and added:


    "All three legs."


    Zhang Lan''s expression froze, and he hurriedly said, "Don''t provoke him!"


    He turned his head and saw the dark cultivator''s eyes were blood-red with rage.


    The dark cultivator, enraged, had never been humiliated by a brat before.


    With a flash, the dark cultivator, eyes filled with venom, charged at Mo Hua.


    Zhang Lan''s heart sank.


    Damn it, this is a ninth-level Qi cultivator; Mo Hua can''t handle this.


    He had just been relieved that Mo Hua dodged the danger, thinking he would be safe if he ran farther.


    Then he could use his spells to repel the dark cultivator and they could plan further.


    But Mo Hua''s taunts provoked the dark cultivator, who was already planning to use him as a threat. Now, humiliated and enraged, the dark cultivator wouldn''t let it go.


    Zhang Lan, anxious, hurriedly directed his sword energy, hoping the dark cultivator would retreat.


    But he was far from Mo Hua, and the dark cultivator was close.


    Casting spells took time, so his sword energy, once released, was hard to hit the dark cultivator, only delaying him.


    The dark cultivator, with an eerie movement, dodged several sword energies and reached for Mo Hua.


    Again, he missed.


    Mo Hua gently floated back, dodging the grasp.


    The dark cultivator, disbelieving, lunged again, his left hand swiping upwards towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nimbly backflipped, seeming to float like a leaf in the wind, slipping through the dark cultivator''s fingers.


    The dark cultivator kept grabbing, but each time he missed by a hair, Mo Hua always slipping away.


    His movement technique was fluid, adapting to the situation, unpredictable.


    It seemed close yet far.


    The dark cultivator almost spat blood.


    He was a master thief, relying on his agility!


    Losing to the Dao Court officer was one thing, but now even a little kid was toying with him?


    And worse, he couldn''t even catch this kid!


    Each time he thought he had him, he missed.


    The more he attacked, the more relaxed Mo Hua''s movements became.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua distanced himself and focused his energy.


    The dark cultivator hesitated, "What''s he doing? Using a spell? Foolish!"


    At this distance, he could kill Mo Hua before he finished casting.


    The dark cultivator sneered, lunging forward.


    Before he reached Mo Hua, a fireball formed and hit his face.


    The dark cultivator, shocked, felt his face burn and his mind reel.


    "How could it be so fast?!"


    Though the fireball''s power wasn''t high, it caused searing pain and dizziness.


    The dark cultivator''s body froze.


    At that moment, Zhang Lan seized the opportunity, sending a water-formed sword energy striking the dark cultivator''s heart.


    The dark cultivator''s eyes lost focus, and he collapsed.


    The forest grew silent.


    Zhang Lan, having felled the dark cultivator, stood in a daze, emotions surging.


    What had he just seen?


    A ninth-level Qi cultivator''s attack, evaded by Mo Hua?


    Ninth-level Qi cultivator? All dodged?


    And what was that movement technique?


    Fluid, unpredictable, elusive¡­


    Who taught him that?


    Zhang Lan stood, memories stirring, then remembered.


    Oh right, it seemed to be the Passing Water Step!


    Wait, did I teach him that¡­?


    Mo Hua glanced at the fallen dark cultivator, scanning with his spiritual sense, then called:


    "Uncle Zhang, come quickly, he''s not dead yet."


    Zhang Lan snapped out of it, hurried to the dark cultivator''s side. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He checked the wounds, "Not dead yet, but out of spiritual power and blood, he can''t do much."


    His sword energy had pierced the dark cultivator''s heart, but slightly off-center, so he wasn''t dead.


    The dark cultivator groaned in pain, eyes full of hatred.


    "Tough life," Mo Hua remarked.


    Zhang Lan gave pills to Situ Fang and Situ Xiu, who meditated and recovered, then prepared to drag the dark cultivator back to the Dao Court.


    "Wait," Mo Hua said.


    They turned, puzzled, looking at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua walked to Zhang Lan, struggling to pull out the sword at his waist.


    He held the sword with both hands, walked to the dark cultivator, and said:


    "Yes, I''m the one who said I''d break your legs!"


    Then, with a swing, he severed the dark cultivator''s leg.

 Chapter 141: Inquiry

    As the evil cultivator''s cries of pain filled the air, Zhang Lan and the others looked at Mo Hua with increasingly complex expressions.Mo Hua wiped Zhang Lan''s sword on the ground, but the bloodstains remained.


    Zhang Lan sighed helplessly, took the sword back, and sheathed it.


    "Alright, we''re done here. Let''s go back."


    With Mo Hua leading the way, Zhang Lan and the others took turns dragging the evil cultivator down the mountain path.


    They didn''t care whether the evil cultivator would die from the jostling. If he survived, it was his fate; if he didn''t, he deserved it.


    Situ Fang couldn''t help but praise:


    "Mo Hua, your movement technique is amazing!"


    She had been watching from the side, sweating profusely in fear.


    Seeing Mo Hua dodge the evil cultivator''s attacks every time, she breathed a sigh of relief and couldn''t help but feel admiration.


    Mo Hua felt delighted inside but remained modest:


    "Not really, just average."


    "Who taught you?" Situ Fang asked.


    Zhang Lan coughed a few times.


    Mo Hua glanced at him and said seriously, "A kind uncle who passed by taught me..."


    Situ Fang was puzzled, "Is there really such a person?"


    She thought for a moment and then whispered to Zhang Lan, "Why does it look so much like your Zhang family''s Passing Water Step?"


    Zhang Lan choked and coughed a few times before finally recovering, exclaiming:


    "Don''t slander me! What Passing Water Step? How does it look like that?"


    Situ Fang nodded, "It does seem a bit different. Your Zhang family''s Passing Water Step isn''t that impressive."


    Zhang Lan was indignant, "How is our Zhang family''s Passing Water Step not impressive? It''s..."


    Situ Fang looked at him.


    Zhang Lan''s tone weakened, "It is... slightly less impressive than this."


    Zhang Lan was confused.


    The Zhang family had two movement techniques: Falling Flower Step and Passing Water Step.


    He mainly practiced Falling Flower Step but also knew Passing Water Step and had seen other Zhang family members who specialized in it. However, none of them used it as effortlessly, mysteriously, and intriguingly as Mo Hua.


    "How did I teach him again?"


    Zhang Lan frowned, trying to recall, and muttered to himself:


    "Did I teach him Passing Water Step? It should be, right?"


    While Zhang Lan''s mind was in chaos, Mo Hua heard a faint "Thank you."


    He turned to see Situ Xiu''s eyes flashing, but his face was stubborn.


    Clearly wanting to thank him but feeling embarrassed, his voice was as soft as a mosquito''s buzz.


    He had been confident and arrogant on the way up the mountain, but after getting injured and bleeding a few times, he seemed much more composed now.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling a bit gratified.


    Indeed, a youth who has faced setbacks will grow.


    He forgot that he himself was even younger, not even a teenager.


    As they walked down the mountain path, Zhang Lan was still troubled by the Passing Water Step.


    He replayed the scenes of Mo Hua dodging the evil cultivator over and over in his mind.


    Carefully comparing Mo Hua''s Passing Water Step with his impression of it, he noticed the basic steps were the same, but the movements were more detailed and some unnecessary actions were omitted. It seemed Mo Hua had learned something from someone else...


    Why was it that the movements were similar, but the impression was completely different?


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and suddenly realized, "Is it because of spiritual awareness?"


    With strong spiritual awareness, one could control spiritual power more precisely, making the movement technique more agile and detailed.


    The Zhang family members weren''t skilled in array formations, so their spiritual awareness wasn''t strong. They hadn''t grasped the essence of the movement technique, making it seem mediocre.


    "Great!" Zhang Lan''s heart sank. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When he taught Mo Hua the movement technique, he thought Mo Hua would only learn it superficially, not mastering it well.


    Even if Mo Hua used it, people would forget it after a glance.


    A naturally weak child couldn''t master the technique well, right?


    Unexpectedly, Mo Hua not only mastered it but did so to an absurd degree, even better than the Zhang family members...


    If Mo Hua made a name for himself in the future, people would say:


    "That''s the Zhang family''s Passing Water Step, used better than the Zhang family!"


    Where would the Zhang family put their face?


    Unintentionally, Zhang Lan had added to the family''s potential disgrace.


    Zhang Lan''s scalp tingled.


    He didn''t mind being punished, but shaming the family was more than just kneeling in the ancestral hall or being confined.


    Zhang Lan, while Situ Fang and Situ Xiu were not paying attention, quietly tugged Mo Hua''s sleeve and said solemnly:


    "Don''t ever! Don''t ever! Don''t ever say I taught you!"


    Mo Hua also put on a serious face and assured:


    "Don''t worry, I won''t rat you out!"


    Zhang Lan nodded, then realized something was off.


    What did he mean by "rat out"... it sounded like they were accomplices in a crime...


    The group stopped halfway on a small hillside to rest for a while.


    Mo Hua took out some beef and distributed it.


    The evil cultivator got none; he wasn''t worthy of eating what his mother made.


    Zhang Lan, eating the beef, which was tender and flavorful, couldn''t help but sigh:


    "Mo Hua''s family''s beef is truly excellent, tender yet chewy, and the cooking is perfect..."


    Then Zhang Lan was stunned, suddenly recalling that Mo Hua had used a Fireball Technique earlier.


    The power was average, but the speed was quite fast...


    At least faster than his spells.


    Zhang Lan gave Mo Hua a meaningful look.


    He had thought Mo Hua''s spiritual power wasn''t strong and that his spells wouldn''t be proficient, but now it seemed otherwise...


    Passing Water Step combined with such a fast and accurate Fireball Technique made Zhang Lan feel a headache just thinking about it.


    After eating, they continued on their way.


    Before evening, they reached the foot of Dahei Mountain.


    Mo Hua remembered something and approached the evil cultivator, who was awake, and asked:


    "Did you chase a demon hunter in the mountains a few days ago?"


    The evil cultivator snorted and didn''t answer.


    "I''m asking you."


    The evil cultivator looked at Mo Hua with contempt.


    Mo Hua''s temper flared, and he turned to draw Zhang Lan''s sword again.


    Zhang Lan was startled and quickly stopped him, "What are you doing?"


    Mo Hua said, "He''s stubborn. I''ll break another leg!"


    Situ Fang softly advised, "That''s enough. You''ve already broken one of his legs."


    Mo Hua replied, "One leg down, two more to go!"


    Situ Fang was troubled, "If you break them all, he''ll probably die."


    Mo Hua regretted, "Then it''s just his bad luck."


    Hearing this, the evil cultivator immediately said:


    "What do you want to know? I''ll tell you!"


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Why was the evil cultivator suddenly so cooperative?


    The evil cultivator, on the other hand, was trembling.


    He wasn''t afraid of death.


    He could be killed by an enemy, die from extraction, be sentenced to death by the Dao Court, or be killed by any means by a cultivator. He didn''t care.


    But he couldn''t die at the hands of a ten-year-old kid!


    Being killed by a mere fifth-stage Qi cultivator was unbearable humiliation!


    "Then speak," Mo Hua said.


    "It wasn''t me who chased him."


    "And then?"


    "That''s it."


    Mo Hua said slowly, "You said it wasn''t you, meaning you saw someone else chasing him."


    The evil cultivator fell silent.


    Mo Hua was about to draw his sword again, and the evil cultivator quickly said:


    "There were a few cultivators chasing him."


    "What did they look like?"


    "I couldn''t see their faces, but they wore silver-white Dao robes."


    Mo Hua''s eyes narrowed, silver-white...

 Chapter 142: Inviting Guests

    After parting ways, Mo Hua returned home and found Elder Yu the next day to tell him about the matter.When Elder Yu heard "silver-white Dao robe," he was furious.


    "It must be those dogs from the Qian family!"


    Elder Yu, hands on his hips, stood in the room and cursed the Qian family from top to bottom, from old to young, with coarse language and without repetition, making Mo Hua marvel at his eloquence...


    After venting his anger, Elder Yu noticed Mo Hua beside him, staring at him with wide, shiny eyes.


    Elder Yu felt a bit embarrassed and silently thought, "I got carried away with anger and forgot that Mo Hua is still here. I need to be more careful next time and not set a bad example for this good kid..."


    Elder Yu coughed and said, "Forget what you just heard."


    "Okay," Mo Hua nodded, but in his heart, he memorized Elder Yu''s cursing words for future reference.


    Cursing wasn''t good, but if he had to, he couldn''t lose.


    "Elder, has the Qian family done a lot of bad things?" Mo Hua asked again.


    Elder Yu was about to speak but stopped, saying, "That''s an adult matter; you don''t need to worry about it."


    He then muttered under his breath, "The upper beam is not straight, and the lower beam is crooked. The Qian family''s ancestor is a scoundrel, and there aren''t many good ones below... really a nest of rats in a stinking ditch..."


    As he spoke, Elder Yu unconsciously started cursing again.


    Mo Hua was amused.


    Indeed, the people of the Qian family all wore silver-white Dao robes, but that didn''t mean everyone in a silver-white Dao robe was a Qian family cultivator.


    This matter was left for Elder Yu to investigate; Mo Hua didn''t meddle further.


    Two days later, Zhang Lan finished dealing with the evil cultivator''s affairs and treated Mo Hua to a meal at the Spirit Meal Tower on North Street. Situ Fang was also there.


    The Spirit Meal Tower was run by the An family. Mo Hua had some acquaintance with the young master of the An family, An Xiaopang, having helped him with array assignments before. He had been there to ask about the method of making the stove but hadn''t eaten there yet.


    After all, the meals at the Spirit Meal Tower were infused with spiritual energy and were very expensive.


    However, Zhang Lan wasn''t short of spirit stones, so Mo Hua didn''t stand on ceremony.


    "This time, you did a great job catching that evil cultivator. Eat more," Zhang Lan pointed to the full table of dishes and said.


    Situ Fang nodded repeatedly, "Eat more; if it''s not enough, we can order more."


    Mo Hua''s cheeks were stuffed, and he asked, "Where''s the big brother named Situ Xiu?"


    "He went back to report."


    "Oh," Mo Hua responded, not really caring; he was just asking casually.


    Mo Hua ate voraciously while Zhang Lan leisurely drank wine, barely touching his chopsticks.


    He had grown tired of these spirit meals since childhood. Although they were rich in spiritual energy, their taste was mediocre, and he didn''t particularly like them.


    In his heart, he still preferred the wild ox demon meat from Mo Hua''s house, fragrant and spicy, much more flavorful.


    Situ Fang found Mo Hua''s way of eating with puffed cheeks particularly delicate and cute, so she just propped her chin and watched him eat.


    The table full of chicken, duck, and fish from unknown spirit beasts was only being eaten by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua actually didn''t think it was as good as his mother''s cooking, but these meals were too expensive to waste.


    But even after filling his stomach, there were still many dishes left on the table.


    Zhang Lan said, "I''ll ask the shopkeeper to pack them up for you to take home."


    He then took out a storage bag and handed it to Mo Hua, saying, "There are a hundred spirit stones inside, for you."


    Mo Hua was delighted and was about to take it when he frowned and whispered, "Food and a gift... Are you bribing me because you need something from me?"


    "What are you thinking?" Zhang Lan sighed helplessly, "Treating you to a meal is indeed because you helped a lot. These spirit stones are the reward from the Dao Court Division."


    "I see."


    Mo Hua accepted it contentedly.


    Zhang Lan added, "I mentioned it to the supervisor. Originally, the Dao Court Division would also give you other rewards, but those rewards are mostly in name only, flashy but impractical, and might even cause trouble."


    Mo Hua was curious, "What kind of trouble?"


    "These evil cultivators might not be alone. Some have companions, some have fellow disciples, and some even have sects. Once the Dao Court Division rewards you openly, they might come for revenge."


    Zhang Lan took a sip of wine, "So, the merit is credited to the Dao Court Division, and I got them to give you more spirit stones instead. After all, spirit stones are more practical for you."


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement, "Yes, making a fortune in silence is the best!"


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and said, "There''s another matter. The old master of the An family wants to see you."


    "The old master of the An family?"


    Mo Hua frowned, then suddenly understood and whispered to Zhang Lan, "Did the evil cultivator use the Extraction Method on the An family''s daughter?"


    Zhang Lan gasped, "How do you know?"


    "You let it slip that day, saying it was hard to explain to the An family..."


    Zhang Lan interrupted, "I didn''t say that!"


    Mo Hua gave him a meaningful look, and Zhang Lan was headache-ridden under his gaze.


    This matter couldn''t be leaked... S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Situ Fang saw the two whispering and frowned, "What are you two muttering about?"


    Zhang Lan immediately said, "Nothing," and gave Mo Hua a look, "I''ll treat you to another meal next time."


    Mo Hua also said, "Uncle Zhang didn''t say anything."


    Situ Fang glanced at Mo Hua, then suspiciously at Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan felt uneasy under her gaze and stood up, starting to pack the food for Mo Hua.


    Afterwards, the two took Mo Hua to the An family.


    The An family was in the business of spirit meals, emphasizing color, aroma, taste, and a welcoming atmosphere.


    The An family wasn''t as arrogant as the Qian family. The pavilions and towers within their clan were luxurious yet understated, elegant without being ostentatious.


    Mo Hua looked around along the way.


    He wasn''t interested in the An family''s decorations, only in the arrays they had set up.


    Since entering the gate, he had been studying the various arrays on the walls and floors.


    Some arrays were obvious, easy to recognize at a glance; others were more obscure or complex, requiring him to deduce based on array patterns or spiritual energy characteristics.


    Mo Hua watched with great interest, while the accompanying An family guards were nervous.


    They felt Mo Hua wasn''t here as a guest but as a scout.


    Scout during the day, come to steal at night.


    The key was that although Mo Hua was young, his gaze was clear and somewhat profound, as if he could see through the walls and stones, perceiving the arrays within.


    He even muttered to himself, saying things like "Earth Solidification Array," "Gold Stone Array," "Blazing Fire Array"...


    He named all the arrays on the An family''s walls, floors, and ceilings...


    What kind of guest is this!


    The An family guards felt bitter.


    But a guest is a guest, and they couldn''t say anything.


    Fortunately, after a while, Mo Hua reached the guest hall.


    The guards breathed a sigh of relief, saluted an old man in the hall, and respectfully withdrew.


    In the elegant guest hall, an old man sat upright.


    Mo Hua glanced at him secretly. Seeing his white hair and beard, ruddy complexion, and somewhat stern face but friendly expression, he guessed this must be the old master of the An family, also the actual head of the family.

 Chapter 143: Old Master An

    The An family is the second largest family in Tongxian City. The patriarch is An Yonglu, who is also An Xiaopang''s father. However, the family''s major affairs are still decided by the Foundation Building cultivator, Old Master An.Upon meeting Old Master An, everyone paid their respects. Old Master An exchanged a few polite words in return.


    Old Master An did not dismiss Mo Hua because of his young age; on the contrary, he was quite courteous.


    His excessive politeness made Mo Hua feel uneasy.


    Having never met before, why was he being so kind to him?


    Mo Hua grew suspicious.


    After chatting for a while, Mo Hua learned the truth of the matter.


    The rogue cultivator who practiced the Extraction Method had indeed taken a concubine from the An family.


    This woman, captivated by the rogue''s handsome appearance and deceived by his sweet words, secretly pledged her life to him. When she realized something was wrong, it was too late; she had become a cauldron, her body withering away, and her spirit listless.


    In her misery, she sought death. Although she was rescued, she was left in a state of living death, haunted and suffering every day...


    Old Master An was furious upon hearing this and secretly sent An family disciples to investigate, but they found nothing.


    The rogue cultivator was skilled in evasion, making him difficult to track and even harder to catch.


    Old Master An then sought help from the Situ family, with whom he had connections, and asked Mr. Zhuang from the Dao Court to assist in the search.


    Later, with Mo Hua leading the way, they managed to capture the rogue cultivator on Dahei Mountain.


    Old Master An was deeply grateful to Mo Hua.


    However, Mo Hua still felt something was off. Old Master An''s gratitude seemed excessive.


    He should be more grateful to Mr. Zhuang and Situ Fang, as they were the ones who captured the rogue; Mo Hua had only helped a little.


    Sure enough, after a period of indirect questioning, Old Master An began to inquire about Mo Hua''s personal affairs.


    He asked about his parents, what he planned to do in the future, and whether he had studied arrays.


    Old Master An was not someone Mo Hua could afford to offend.


    Mo Hua responded politely and carefully, choosing unimportant topics to answer.


    Old Master An continued to probe.


    Mo Hua, feigning innocence, rambled on from one unrelated topic to another, speaking in circles, all the while maintaining a serious expression but providing evasive answers.


    When he couldn''t keep it up any longer, he just laughed and said he didn''t remember.


    After all, he was still a child, and such an excuse was acceptable.


    Old Master An, having tried various indirect questions without getting any useful information, sighed inwardly:


    If only the younger generation of the An family had such wit, it would save him a lot of trouble.


    After a while, Old Master An called in some of the An family''s younger disciples.


    There were both males and females, mostly girls, all around Mo Hua''s age, well-dressed and attractive.


    Among them, Mo Hua spotted An Xiaopang.


    It was hard not to notice him, being the plumpest among them.


    Standing out like a crane among chickens, it was impossible to miss him...


    But An Xiaopang didn''t seem happy, standing among the disciples, looking downcast and sullen.


    It seemed that even though he was the son of the family head, he was not valued, and among the An family disciples, he appeared to have the lowest aptitude and cultivation, likely included just to make up the numbers.


    Old Master An said, "I have some matters to discuss with Mr. Zhuang. Mo Hua, if you don''t mind, you can take a stroll in the An family''s garden. It''s full of blooming flowers and beautiful scenery."


    "These family disciples can accompany you," Old Master An added, gesturing towards the group, particularly the beautiful female disciples in the front.


    Mo Hua felt a bit awkward; Old Master An''s intentions were clear to everyone.


    Situ Xiu was also somewhat embarrassed, not knowing what to say.


    Mr. Zhuang, however, calmly sipped his tea, raising an eyebrow at Mo Hua with a hint of schadenfreude.


    Old Master An seemed to be trying hard to make Mo Hua marry into the family.


    To avoid making it too obvious, he had mixed in other An family disciples.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly, too lazy to continue humoring Old Master An.


    Just now, he had wasted time on polite conversation, which was already quite courteous of him.


    Mo Hua stood up and said, "It''s getting late. I have other matters to attend to, so I''ll take my leave. I won''t disturb you and Mr. Zhuang any longer."


    Old Master An looked slightly disappointed but didn''t insist, saying only:


    "Feel free, little brother, no need to stand on ceremony."


    As Mo Hua got up to leave, he turned and saw An Xiaopang''s dejected expression. After a moment''s hesitation, he sighed inwardly.


    "Young Master An?"


    Old Master An''s eyes lit up, "Little brother, do you know Xiaofu?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "We are fellow disciples and have some acquaintance. Young Master An has even helped me before."


    An Xiaopang was stunned.


    Wasn''t it Mo Hua who helped him with his homework? When did he help Mo Hua?


    He couldn''t remember at all...


    Old Master An''s eyes brightened even more, looking at An Xiaopang with newfound appreciation.


    "Since you are fellow disciples, Xiaofu, why don''t you show Mo Hua around?"


    Everyone in the room looked at An Xiaopang.


    For the first time, An Xiaopang was the center of attention, feeling a bit awkward but straightened his back and said, "Yes, Grandpa."


    An Xiaopang led Mo Hua out of the living room.


    Once outside, he immediately sighed in relief, deflating like a punctured balloon, looking both pitiable and amusing. S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "Are you afraid of your grandfather?"


    An Xiaopang nodded, "Yes. I''m not only afraid of my grandfather but also my father and my uncles."


    "Do they beat you?"


    An Xiaopang shook his head.


    "Do they scold you?"


    "My father does, but my grandfather doesn''t, and my uncles generally don''t either. Oh, and my father also hits me sometimes..."


    Mo Hua was puzzled, "Then what are you afraid of?"


    An Xiaopang didn''t answer immediately but looked dejected, saying:


    "Mo Hua, am I useless?"


    Mo Hua wanted to say no but couldn''t think of any of his strengths, so he tactfully said:


    "Just a little."


    An Xiaopang became even more dispirited, "My father is the patriarch, so logically, I should become the patriarch in the future. But I''m not capable enough to be the patriarch..."


    "Is that why you''re unhappy?"


    "Yes." An Xiaopang nodded, "So my uncles and grandfather look at me with regret and disappointment. When I was young, my grandfather loved me dearly, but as I grew older, he stopped looking at me with affection..."


    An Xiaopang''s voice grew softer, almost inaudible.


    "Didn''t you realize this earlier?"


    The An Xiaopang Mo Hua remembered was a carefree, somewhat temperamental, but kind-hearted chubby boy.


    Now he seemed burdened with worries.


    "I didn''t realize it before because I wasn''t aware. But one day, I suddenly noticed that my grandfather''s gaze was no longer caring but indifferent and disappointed. Then I looked at my father and uncles; they all had the same look, eyes filled with disappointment..."


    "Maybe they''ve been disappointed in me for a long time, but I just never noticed."


    An Xiaopang''s eyes showed deep sadness.


    "Then why don''t you work hard in cultivation and learn more things?" Mo Hua suggested.


    An Xiaopang wiped away a tear, "Mo Hua, I''m stupid. No matter how hard I try, I just can''t learn anything. Things that others can learn easily, I just can''t grasp no matter how much I try..."

 Chapter 144: The An Family

    An Xiaopang secretly wiped his tears.Mo Hua sighed and took An Xiaopang for a stroll around the An family estate. An Xiaopang felt a bit better but suddenly realized something was off:


    "This is my home, how come you know it better than I do?"


    "The formations in your house are too simple, I saw through them at a glance," Mo Hua thought, but to save the An family''s face, he didn''t say it directly, instead he said, "I''m an array master, I figured it out based on the formations."


    The formations were arranged according to the layout of the An family''s pavilions and towers. Seeing through the formations naturally meant Mo Hua understood the structure of the An family estate.


    Artificial mountains and waters, pavilions and towers, every stone and tree followed the formations and left clues.


    An Xiaopang admired, "Mo Hua, you''re really amazing. I wish I was as smart as you."


    Mo Hua replied, "You don''t need to be discouraged. Everyone has their talents. Think about it, what do you like to do?"


    Everyone has their talents...


    An Xiaopang felt encouraged, furrowed his brows in deep thought, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "I like to eat!"


    Mo Hua''s expression froze.


    An Xiaopang scratched his head, "Is that... not good?"


    "It''s... okay," Mo Hua said against his conscience.


    An Xiaopang scratched his head again.


    Mo Hua said, "Don''t worry about what others say or think. Just think carefully about what you want to do the most in this life. You don''t have to achieve great success; it''s enough to live without regrets."


    "Oh." An Xiaopang nodded.


    The two walked around the garden.


    An Xiaopang suddenly remembered something and said, "Mo Hua, I think my grandfather wants you to marry into our family."


    Mo Hua wasn''t surprised and asked curiously, "How do you know?"


    "I overheard my mom and my aunts talking. They love to chat about this kind of thing and can talk about it all day without getting tired..."


    Mo Hua saw An Xiaopang''s happy expression and guessed that while his mother and others chatted all day, An Xiaopang also listened with great interest all day...


    However, Mo Hua was still puzzled, "I''m only about ten years old. Isn''t it too early for your grandfather to think about this?"


    "It''s not early." An Xiaopang shook his head, "This kind of thing needs to be decided early. If it''s too late, someone else will snatch it."


    An Xiaopang lowered his voice, "I heard that some prominent families match their children for marriage as soon as they are born and their spiritual roots are determined."


    "Childhood betrothal?"


    "Yes." An Xiaopang nodded, "These families with deep roots study the inheritance of spiritual roots. They match cultivators with certain spiritual roots to produce children with desirable spiritual roots. To cultivate rare and high-quality spiritual roots, prominent families arrange marriages based on spiritual roots."


    "Does marriage based on spiritual roots really work..."


    "It does." An Xiaopang said, "Among the disciples of prominent families, those with high-quality spiritual roots are countless. Even lower-grade high-quality spiritual roots are considered average. For us cultivators from small places, medium-grade roots are already good. This is the result of prominent families studying spiritual root inheritance and arranging marriages accordingly."


    Mo Hua frowned, realizing that the issue of spiritual root inheritance was more complex than he thought.


    "Isn''t becoming Dao companions supposed to be a matter of mutual consent? Can those forced into marriage agree?"


    "They have no choice." An Xiaopang sighed, "You eat from the family, drink from the family, cultivate with the family''s methods, use the family''s spirit stones and spirit items, and even rely on the family''s power outside. You can''t avoid paying a price."


    "Did you come up with that yourself?"


    "No, I heard my mom say it." An Xiaopang replied honestly.


    "What if they disagree, can they resist?"


    An Xiaopang pouted, "A finger can''t twist a thigh. What''s the use of resisting? Prominent families are like towering trees, and family disciples are just leaves. One more or one less leaf doesn''t matter. If you don''t resist, you can cultivate and enjoy life peacefully. If you resist, you lose everything."


    Mo Hua felt complicated.


    In families maintained by blood, familial affection was the thinnest...


    "However, there is a way." An Xiaopang added.


    "What way?" Mo Hua asked.


    An Xiaopang said secretly, "Everyone does their own thing!"


    "What do you mean..." Mo Hua didn''t understand.


    "It means..." An Xiaopang recalled what his mother said during her chat, "You can follow the family''s requirements to match spiritual roots, become Dao companions, and have children, but in private, you can be with whoever you like and do whatever you want, as long as it doesn''t look too bad on the surface..."


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded, "That''s so messy..."


    An Xiaopang nodded, "It''s very messy!"


    He added, "The bigger the family, the messier it is!"


    On the other side, Old Master An casually chatted with Zhang Lan about trivial matters.


    Zhang Lan didn''t have much to say to Old Master An.


    It was boring.


    He would rather chat with Mo Hua, even though Mo Hua sometimes said annoying things.


    Zhang Lan made some polite remarks and then left with Situ Fang.


    Old Master An sat and pondered for a moment, and An family head An Yonglu entered, sat next to Old Master An, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked:


    "Father, have the guests left?"


    Old Master An nodded.


    "Then what are you thinking about?"


    "I''m not going to live much longer, considering my affairs."


    An Yonglu choked on his tea, "Father, you shouldn''t say such things."


    Old Master An''s eyes were sharp as he glanced at An Yonglu and slowly said:


    "Our An family has been fighting with the Qian family for hundreds of years, always at a disadvantage. We''ve almost handed over the fields of artifact crafting and alchemy. Only in spiritual meals do we still have some advantage."


    An Yonglu lowered his head. As the family head, even if it wasn''t his fault, he had to bear the responsibility.


    Old Master An sighed and asked, "Do you know why we''re inferior to the Qian family?"


    "Not as ruthless as them..."


    "Qian Hong is a wolf, his son, and all the direct disciples of the Qian family are wolf cubs. And you, and your son... I won''t say more."


    An Yonglu bowed his head lower.


    Seeing his son''s appearance, Old Master An stopped scolding and said, "Do you still want your son to be the head of the family?"


    An Yonglu raised his head, looking ashamed but still insisted, "Father, although Xiaofu has no great skills, he at least has a good heart and knows propriety. If he becomes the family head, he may not achieve much, but he won''t make mistakes."


    His son was naturally dull. If he, as a father, didn''t consider him, who else would?


    Old Master An closed his eyes to rest, unwilling to speak.


    An Yonglu was anxious but knew it was not a good topic to continue, so he changed the subject and said:


    "I heard you wanted to bring a boy into the family?"


    Old Master An opened his eyes, "Not anymore."


    "Why not?" An Yonglu asked quietly.


    "The An family doesn''t deserve it." Old Master An said flatly.


    An Yonglu was stunned and felt a bit indignant, quietly arguing:


    "Why doesn''t the An family deserve it?"


    Old Master An raised an eyebrow, "With what?"


    An Yonglu said with some pride, "Our An family''s industries, spirit stones, and numerous disciples are among the best in Tongxian City. Even this estate, many cultivators in Tongxian City want to live here..."


    "Oh, what''s so good about this estate?"


    "The layout is exquisite, the materials are meticulous, and the formations were drawn by a famous array master in the city at a high cost. It''s almost impenetrable..."


    Old Master An sighed, "That boy saw through all the formations inside and outside without missing a single one."


    An Yonglu was stunned, "What?"


    How could he see through them?


    These formations weren''t simple street formations. How could they be so easily seen through? S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Master An glanced at his son and said:


    "Your ''impenetrable'' formations are like sieves to him..."


    Like sieves...


    These words were like knives stabbing into An Yonglu''s heart.


    An Yonglu opened his mouth wide, unable to speak for a long time.

 Chapter 145: The Threshold

    Mo Hua chatted with Young Master An for a while, then Zhang Lan approached him to say goodbye and asked if Mo Hua wanted to leave.Mo Hua bid farewell to Young Master An, who seemed reluctant. Mo Hua advised him to take some time to think about what he wanted to do in life.


    Ultimately, people can only rely on themselves.


    Young Master An nodded solemnly.


    Mo Hua and his companions left the An family. Zhang Lan and Situ Fang did not return home but followed Mo Hua to his family''s eatery. They spent spirit stones to buy a lot of wine and meat, saying they would take it home to eat.


    Their actions puzzled Mo Hua greatly.


    They spent spirit stones to treat Mo Hua to a spiritual feast, didn''t eat it themselves, and then went to Mo Hua''s house to buy meat to eat with more spirit stones!


    Mo Hua didn''t know what to say.


    But since they had plenty of spirit stones, he let them be.


    Zhang Lan didn''t like spiritual feasts, and Situ Fang had tasted the beef Mo Hua brought from the mountains before and couldn''t forget it.


    Each of them bought several pounds of demonic meat and then bid farewell to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua remembered that he still had some spiritual feast dishes from the Spirit Meal Tower in his storage pouch.


    Chicken, duck, fish, and meat, there was plenty.


    Mo Hua handed the spiritual feast over to his mother.


    Liu Ruhua divided some of it among Madam Meng, Aunt Jiang, and other neighbors, keeping some for herself. She then cooked it again that evening for Mo Hua to try.


    After eating, Mo Hua nodded in approval, feeling that the taste was just right.


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued his regular practice of drawing arrays.


    One morning, while meditating, Mo Hua felt his meridians tremble.


    He immediately took out more spirit stones and focused on absorbing and refining them.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed, but his cultivation had broken through.


    Mo Hua felt a complex mix of emotions.


    Striving hard for a breakthrough doesn''t always succeed, but cultivating with a calm mind often leads to success.


    Indeed, cultivation is a process of gradual accumulation, a natural progression.


    At last, he had reached the sixth layer of Qi cultivation!


    Mo Hua felt invigorated.


    He sensed that his spiritual awareness had strengthened further, and the invisible shackles limiting his spiritual growth had unknowingly loosened.


    Mo Hua lifted his blanket to find a row of storage pouches beside his bed, all filled with jade bottles, each containing demonic blood!


    There were over a thousand bottles!


    Mo Hua planned to use this demonic blood to comprehend the nine array patterns and cross the threshold to become a first-rank array master!


    He opened the "Thousand Arrays Compendium" and selected an array.


    The First-Rank Iron Armor Array!


    This was the first array with nine patterns that Mo Hua aimed to learn.


    Mo Hua had long memorized the array patterns, but his spiritual awareness was previously insufficient to draw them.


    Now that he had reached the sixth layer of Qi cultivation and his spiritual awareness had significantly improved, he could attempt to draw the nine-pattern array.


    Calming his mind, Mo Hua spread out the paper, prepared the spirit ink, dipped his brush in it, and began drawing the First-Rank Iron Armor Array.


    He easily drew the first eight patterns, but as he started the ninth, he felt his spiritual awareness waning.


    "Impossible..."


    Mo Hua was stunned. As his spiritual awareness neared exhaustion, he had only managed to draw eight and a half patterns.


    "Why is it so difficult?"


    Mo Hua set down his brush, resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought.


    Logically, his cultivation had advanced, and his spiritual awareness should have correspondingly increased. Why was it that his spiritual awareness now only allowed him to draw half a pattern more?


    He had thought that even if he couldn''t complete the nine-pattern array in one go, he could at least sketch a rough outline and refine it with practice.


    Now it seemed far from simple.


    Frowning, Mo Hua sat down to meditate, using visualization techniques to restore his spiritual awareness. After several attempts, the results were unsatisfactory.


    In the afternoon, he went to the Bamboo Residence to consult Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang gave Mo Hua a complicated look and asked, "How many patterns does the array you¡¯re drawing have?"


    "Nine."


    "And your cultivation level?"


    "Sixth layer."


    Mo Hua didn''t understand why Mr. Zhuang was asking this.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed inwardly and said, "The breakthrough from the fifth to the sixth layer of Qi cultivation¡ªwhat makes you think it can bridge the gap between eight and nine patterns?"


    "Aren''t they just one level apart?"


    "The difference between the ninth layer of Qi cultivation and the Foundation Building stage is also just one level."


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly.


    Patiently, Mr. Zhuang explained, "Within each major realm, the closer you get to the end, the slower the progress in cultivation and spiritual awareness. The gap between levels becomes more significant."


    "So the gap between eight and nine patterns is larger than the previous ones?" Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Generally, nine patterns mark the extreme limit for a first-rank array master."


    "Drawing nine patterns in one stroke requires a high level of skill in array drawing, memory of the array diagrams, comprehension of the array hub, and control and strength of spiritual awareness..."


    "The gap between eight and nine patterns may seem small, but it¡¯s substantial. Some array masters spend their entire lives at this stage, always one step away from advancing, but that one step may never be crossed." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with a sense of resignation.


    Mo Hua felt a bit nervous. Would he also spend his whole life at this threshold?


    Seeing through Mo Hua''s thoughts, Mr. Zhuang tapped his forehead and said, "You¡¯re still young, no need to worry. Just go back and practice more."


    With Mr. Zhuang''s reassurance, Mo Hua felt at ease.


    As long as he continued practicing array drawing, sometimes the simplest method was the best.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, a gentle breeze stirred in the Bamboo Residence, and Elder Gui appeared behind Mr. Zhuang, curiously asking:


    "How long will it take him to cross this threshold?"


    Mr. Zhuang replied, "A few days at the shortest, half a month at the longest."


    Elder Gui fell silent, eventually unable to hold back, "You call that a threshold?"


    Ten days to half a month, that¡¯s not a threshold, not even a stumbling block...


    Mr. Zhuang calmly explained, "His breakthrough released the shackles on his spiritual awareness, broadening its growth limit. Though his spiritual awareness is still insufficient now, with ten days of practice, his spiritual awareness will strengthen enough to handle the nine-pattern array."


    Elder Gui was speechless.


    Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow and said, "For other cultivators, nine patterns are indeed a threshold, but for Mo Hua, who has practiced many arrays, it¡¯s nothing."


    Elder Gui was displeased, "Then why did you say so much nonsense earlier?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression turned playful, and he smiled slightly:


    "I was just teasing him, to keep him from getting arrogant."


    Upon returning home, Mo Hua earnestly followed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s advice, maintaining a calm mindset and diligently practicing his arrays.


    After some practice, he felt his spiritual awareness strengthening and found that he could draw more patterns of the Iron Armor Array each day.


    Encouraged, Mo Hua continued his practice.


    Gradually, as his spiritual awareness grew stronger each day, he was able to draw more patterns daily.


    Ten days later, Mo Hua naturally completed the Iron Armor Array, feeling a sense of accomplishment and seamless progress.


    Yet, Mo Hua frowned.


    It didn¡¯t seem as difficult as Mr. Zhuang had said.


    Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be a threshold between eight and nine patterns? Where was it?


    Mo Hua recalled carefully but couldn¡¯t identify anything that seemed like a threshold.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    Mo Hua was puzzled, frowning even more deeply.


    Where was the promised threshold?

 Chapter 146: Dividing Ranks

    When Mo Hua saw Mr. Zhuang again, there was a hint of melancholy on her young face."Sir, didn''t you say there was a threshold?"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled and replied casually, "There is a threshold. You might have crossed it without realizing."


    "So, am I considered a First-Rank Array Master now?"


    "It''s not that simple."


    Mr. Zhuang adjusted himself to a more comfortable position on his bamboo chair and explained to Mo Hua, "Being able to draw the nine array patterns only means you''ve stepped over the threshold of becoming a First-Rank Array Master. You still need to learn more, draw more, and master more First-Rank arrays. Only when you can seamlessly complete the nine patterns in one thought can you be considered to have the strength of a First-Rank Array Master."


    Mo Hua sensed something in Mr. Zhuang''s words. "Having the strength of a First-Rank Array Master doesn''t mean having the title?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded. "The title is determined by the Dao Court."


    "The Dao Court? Isn''t it the Dao Court Division?"


    "The Dao Court Division is overseen by the Dao Court. The Division itself doesn''t have the authority to rank Array Masters."


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyes deepened. "The Dao Court is situated in the central province of Daozhou, named after the Seven Stars. Among the seven pavilions, the Tian Shu Pavilion is responsible for determining the ranks of all Array Masters above the First Rank across the nine provinces. Every few years, the Tian Shu Pavilion sends cultivators to evaluate and rank Array Masters."


    "The Tian Shu Pavilion..."


    Mo Hua was shaken. The Dao Court was lofty and out of reach, and he had never heard of the Tian Shu Pavilion before.


    "Is it difficult to get ranked?" Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded. "It''s quite difficult. Firstly, the examination is tough. Secondly, it''s about connections."


    Mo Hua didn''t quite understand.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, "The assessment depends on your array skills. The number of spots depends on your connections."


    Mo Hua frowned. "Ranking Array Masters should be based on their array skills. Why does it depend on connections?"


    Mr. Zhuang sneered. "The ranking is based on array skills, but the people who rank you are humans. As long as humans are involved, connections are inevitable."


    "What kind of connections..."


    "Either you come from a prestigious family, your parents are extraordinary, or you have plenty of spirit stones to smooth things over. Connections will naturally follow."


    Mo Hua was stunned. As a wandering cultivator with no power, influence, or many spirit stones, did this mean he had no chance of being ranked?


    Mo Hua weakly asked, "Do wandering cultivators have any spots?"


    "It''s not impossible. There are always a few spots. Whether you can get one depends on your luck."


    Luck, in this context, essentially meant fate.


    Mo Hua frowned. "Does this mean Array Masters are all from prestigious families and sects, leaving a gap among the lower-level cultivators?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze became meaningful as he looked at Mo Hua and said calmly, "Exactly."


    Mo Hua was stunned, a faint chill rising in his heart.


    Mr. Zhuang gently rubbed Mo Hua''s head. "These are all external matters. Don''t worry too much about them." s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but worry. After a pause, he couldn''t help but ask, "Sir, what if I''m unlucky and never get ranked?"


    Mr. Zhuang slowly sat up, his eyes losing their laziness and revealing a sharp edge. In a calm manner, he said:


    "Array Masters seek the Dao of Heaven, comprehending all truths, unbound by any worldly constraints or judged by any cultivator."


    "The Dao Court can set ranks, but they are ranks of power and profit."


    "What Array Masters truly seek is not the rank of authority, but the grade of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth!"


    Mo Hua was deeply moved. For a moment, his consciousness cleared, feeling suddenly enlightened.


    "Thank you, sir, for your guidance."


    Mo Hua respectfully stood up and gave Mr. Zhuang a deep bow.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and then casually said, "However, you should still try to get ranked by the Dao Court."


    "Ah?" Mo Hua was stunned.


    "Once you''re ranked by the Dao Court, your status will change. You''ll speak with more authority, work more easily, and won''t have any random people bothering you. Plus, the spirit stones you receive won''t be wasted..."


    Mo Hua was once again shaken, thinking Mr. Zhuang was indeed quite... pragmatic.


    "What if I can''t get ranked?" Mo Hua asked weakly.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua indifferently. "No rush."


    "No rush to get ranked?"


    "No rush even if you can''t get ranked."


    "Uh..."


    Mr. Zhuang said, "How old are you? When you go for the ranking, those taking the test with you will either be middle-aged cultivators or old men with white hair. They''re more anxious than you. Why are you in a hurry?"


    "Oh." Thinking about it this way, Mo Hua indeed felt much more relaxed.


    "But what if I still can''t get ranked?"


    Mo Hua became serious.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn''t help but rub Mo Hua''s head again. "If you really can''t get ranked, just go for the Second Rank directly."


    Mo Hua was stunned. "Second Rank?"


    "The First Rank has hurdles, but the Second Rank doesn''t. The Tian Shu Pavilion isn''t full of fools. If they block you at the First Rank, they''ll turn a blind eye. But the Second Rank is different. If your array skills are good enough for the Second Rank, even without a prestigious background, you''re definitely extraordinary. The Tian Shu Pavilion wouldn''t dare provoke you."


    Mr. Zhuang smiled knowingly. "If you truly have the skills of a Second-Rank Array Master and the Tian Shu Pavilion refuses to rank you, you can stand at their gate, point at the plaque, and scold their elders for being blind."


    Mo Hua whispered, "What level are the elders of the Tian Shu Pavilion?"


    "That''s hard to say. At least, they''d be in the Dongxu realm..."


    Mo Hua''s mouth fell open. He had never even heard of the Dongxu realm.


    Mo Hua glanced at Mr. Zhuang and quietly asked, "Sir, you wouldn''t have scolded the elders before, right?"


    Standing at their gate, scolding their elders.


    If Mr. Zhuang hadn''t done it, how would he know so well?


    "I never scold people," Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang again.


    With his celestial demeanor and graceful manner, even when lying down, he exuded a sense of elegance and ease.


    Mo Hua thought: Mr. Zhuang doesn''t look like someone who would scold people, but who knows what he''s really like.


    Then Mr. Zhuang lightly tapped Mo Hua''s head.


    "Are you thinking ill of me?"


    Mo Hua chuckled and then said, "But sir, it would take forever for me to become a Second-Rank Array Master."


    Mr. Zhuang said, "A First-Rank Array Master is difficult, with only one rank. The Second Rank is different, divided into three levels: elementary, intermediate, and advanced. Each step up shows a significant improvement in array skills."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua. "With your ability, as long as you can build your foundation and put in the effort, becoming an elementary Second-Rank Array Master shouldn''t be too hard."


    Mo Hua''s spirit lifted, feeling he had a new goal to pursue.


    But he still had a doubt: "Why is the Second Rank divided into three levels, but the First Rank isn''t?"


    According to Mr. Zhuang''s logic, the First Rank could also be divided into three levels.


    Unranked apprentices, Array Masters, and those who made it to the First Rank.


    The current First-Rank Array Masters could be considered as high-level First-Rank Array Masters.


    "What do you think?" Mr. Zhuang asked.


    Mo Hua frowned, thinking for a while. "Is it because of the threshold?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, calmly saying, "Raising the threshold prevents lower-level cultivators from crossing it."

 Chapter 147: Kui Wood Wolf

    Having mastered the Iron Armor Array, crossing the threshold of the first-tier Nine Pattern Array.Afterward, he just needed to continue learning and practicing the arrays as before.


    With Mr. Zhuang''s insight, he said it wouldn''t be difficult for him to become a second-tier junior array master, which greatly boosted Mo Hua''s confidence.


    But then he thought again, becoming a second-tier array master might not be difficult, but becoming a Foundation Building cultivator was hard for him...


    Scattered cultivators building their foundation faced numerous difficulties.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Forget it, just take it one step at a time.


    Mo Hua took some time to visit Chen¡¯s Artifact Crafting Shop and asked Master Chen to forge a new vine armor.


    Hunters often used two types of armor: vine armor and iron armor.


    Vine armor was made by soaking and air-drying vines, then crafted by artifact masters. Its defense was average, barely able to withstand mid-tier first-tier beasts. Without the Iron Armor Array, it was easy to get injured during hunts.


    Iron armor was forged from refined iron, capable of defending against late first-tier beast attacks, but it consumed a lot of refined iron and was expensive. Ordinary hunters couldn''t afford it.


    Usually, late-stage Qi cultivator hunters would ask artifact masters to mix refined iron into the vine armor, merging vine with iron, thus enhancing its defense without making it too expensive.


    Mo Hua requested Master Chen to forge vine armor suitable for late-stage Qi cultivators.


    Previously, Mo Shan went hunting in the inner mountains, encountered a tricky beast, and during the fight, his vine armor was torn open by the beast.


    Mo Shan couldn''t bear to throw away the torn vine armor and still wore it.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua decided to forge a new set of vine armor for his father.


    Because it was Mo Hua''s request, Master Chen put in his utmost effort, not letting Da Zhu and others intervene, handling every step himself: hammering, quenching, soaking.


    Moreover, the amount of refined iron mixed in was substantial.


    When Mo Hua offered spirit stones to Master Chen, he refused.


    When Mo Hua insisted, Master Chen''s already dark face turned even darker:


    "Are you looking down on me?"


    Mo Hua had helped him with arrays and occasionally dug some ores for him, though he never said it, he remembered it in his heart.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to bring him a few pounds of beef, which Master Chen accepted gladly.


    After taking the vine armor back, Mo Hua drew a first-tier Iron Armor Array on it!


    The first-tier Iron Armor Array truly contained nine array patterns, even Qi cultivators at the ninth level could use it.


    With the Iron Armor Array drawn, the vine armor''s defense was significantly enhanced.


    Mo Hua didn''t want his hunter father to be covered in wounds anymore.


    A few days later, Mo Shan was about to go hunting in the inner mountains again. Liu Ruhua packed his luggage, preparing dried meat and rations.


    Mo Hua then gave this set of vine armor to Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan was momentarily stunned looking at the new, well-crafted vine armor.


    "This is..."


    "Master Chen at the artifact shop forged it for me. I helped him, and he didn''t take my spirit stones," Mo Hua said with a smile.


    Mo Shan couldn''t take his eyes off the vine armor but still pushed it away:


    "It''s too precious. My old one is still usable."


    "But it''s cracked and very dangerous," Mo Hua said.


    Liu Ruhua also smiled, "It''s Mo Hua''s heartfelt gift, you should accept it."


    Mo Shan then took the vine armor, feeling its weight and warmth.


    Mo Shan tried it on; although it was a bit heavy, it fit perfectly, then he was about to take it off.


    Liu Ruhua frowned, "Aren''t you going to wear it?"


    Mo Shan touched the vine armor, thinking it was a gift from his son, felt a bit reluctant, and said:


    "It''s still new, I''ll keep it safe, I''m afraid I''ll damage it."


    Liu Ruhua replied, "If the vine armor isn''t damaged, wouldn''t it be you who gets hurt?"


    Mo Shan was taken aback, then smiled awkwardly, "You''re right."


    After getting ready, Mo Shan wore the vine armor sent by Mo Hua and entered the mountains.


    The mountain roads were rugged, and the beasts were fierce.


    Wearing the vine armor, Mo Shan entered Dahei Mountain, suddenly feeling invigorated. No matter how difficult the road ahead was, he feared nothing.


    Mo Hua watched Mo Shan leave, feeling a bit regretful.


    He had even drawn a first-tier nine-pattern Iron Armor Array on the vine armor.


    A genuine first-tier array!


    If his father had asked, he could have boasted a little.


    Mo Shan didn''t ask, and he felt embarrassed to boast about himself.


    However, with the new vine armor and the Iron Armor Array, Mo Shan hunting in the mountains again made Mo Hua feel more at ease.


    Afterward, Mo Hua continued learning other arrays.


    In the inner mountains of Dahei Mountain, Mo Shan and his hunter team gradually gathered.


    This time, they were going to hunt a late first-tier Kui Wood Wolf demon.


    The Kui Wood Wolf demon, standing over two meters tall, with black-green fur, sharp claws, and fangs, and faint green demonic energy. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The demonic energy of the Kui Wood Wolf was poisonous and wood-based. Once injured by it, the demonic energy would spread and grow, making it hard to eradicate.


    After discussing their strategy, the hunters set off to find the Kui Wood Wolf demon.


    Since opening the restaurant at home, Mo Shan had surplus spirit stones for cultivation and was lucky enough to reach the ninth level of Qi cultivation.


    Mo Shan and several other ninth-level Qi cultivator hunters took the lead, searching for the Kui Wood Wolf''s tracks along the mountain forest.


    A hunter glanced at Mo Shan and exclaimed:


    "Old Mo, you finally changed your vine armor?"


    "My son gave it to me."


    Mo Shan''s tone was indifferent, but his expression couldn''t hide a hint of pride.


    The other hunters felt both envious and annoyed.


    "Enough already."


    "If you want to laugh, just laugh... we won''t beat you."


    "You''d have to be able to beat him first."


    The group joked and laughed.


    Suddenly, Mo Shan''s expression tensed, "We''re close."


    All the hunters immediately became serious and alert.


    They crouched low, using the dense forest vegetation as cover, carefully advancing, and finally found the Kui Wood Wolf demon by a trickling stream.


    The Kui Wood Wolf demon was drinking water by the stream, its cruel eyes scanning around.


    Mo Shan whispered, "Same old rule, I''ll strike first, be careful, don''t get hit by its claws!"


    Everyone nodded.


    Taking advantage of the Kui Wood Wolf demon''s unawareness, Mo Shan, with his swift movements, leaped out, his fist wrapped in flames, striking towards the wolf''s ribs.


    Halfway through the punch, the Kui Wood Wolf sensed the danger, turned, and the punch hit its back.


    The Kui Wood Wolf, feeling the pain, retreated a few steps, its black eyes flashing green, with an even more savage look.


    The other hunters also emerged from all directions, surrounding the Kui Wood Wolf.


    The hunt began.


    Hunting beasts was a time-consuming, energy-draining, and mentally exhausting task.


    Hunters had to stay fully alert, fighting the beasts up close, without a moment of negligence, or they could easily be caught off guard, leading to dire consequences.


    The beast''s physical strength was formidable, and their blood was more vigorous than cultivators, requiring time to gradually exhaust them.


    This process was lengthy, testing their cultivation, techniques, patience, and experience.


    Only seasoned hunters dared to hunt in the inner mountains.


    Mo Shan''s team was no exception.


    They coordinated seamlessly, striking decisively, retreating if the situation turned unfavorable, and never hesitating when seizing an opportunity.


    Time passed slowly.


    During the hunt, Mo Shan was more cautious than usual, pushing his movements to the limit, avoiding the beast''s attacks as much as possible, not wanting to leave a scratch on the vine armor.


    After about an hour, the Kui Wood Wolf''s breath weakened and finally collapsed to the ground.


    The hunters remained vigilant, not approaching immediately.


    A hunter cautiously checked and then sighed in relief, "It''s dead."


    After speaking, the hunter turned towards Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan glanced at the beast from the corner of his eye, feeling a warning, and shouted, "It''s not dead yet!"


    Before the words finished, the Kui Wood Wolf on the ground opened its eyes.

 Chapter 148: Golden Armor

    The Kui Wood Wolf, who had feigned death, suddenly opened its eyes.The blood energy around its body thickened, and its demonic power began to circulate.


    The demon hunter, who had his back turned to the Kui Wood Wolf, felt a sudden chill and quickly dodged to the side.


    He managed to dodge, but not completely.


    The Kui Wood Wolf''s sharp claws slashed down his left side, leaving a bloody gash on his arm. The faint green demonic power seeped into his meridians through the wound, making his arm numb and causing blood to flow uncontrollably.


    Cold sweat broke out on the man''s forehead.


    With a fierce look in its eyes, the Kui Wood Wolf''s second claw came down viciously towards his head.


    "There''s no way to dodge this!"


    Injured and with his movements slowed by the demonic power, the man''s eyes filled with despair. s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Mo Shan appeared, kicking the man away and saving him.


    The Kui Wood Wolf''s claw missed again.


    After landing, the man felt a burning pain where Mo Shan had kicked him, and his blood churned.


    He knew Mo Shan hadn''t held back to save him, using full force in that kick.


    That kick indeed saved his life.


    But the pain was real.


    The man couldn''t help but say, "Mo Shan, you..."


    Looking up, his face changed dramatically as he saw the Kui Wood Wolf''s claws raised high, targeting Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan, still in the motion of his kick, couldn''t evade.


    "Mo Shan!" the man shouted urgently.


    Mo Shan frowned but showed no panic; he had anticipated this.


    He knew that saving the man would expose him to the Kui Wood Wolf''s attack.


    However, he had calculated the wolf demon''s strike. The claw, coming from above, would only injure his back and not be fatal.


    A minor injury to save a brother''s life was worth it.


    The other demon hunters saw this too, but they weren''t as agile as Mo Shan and couldn''t reach him in time.


    They could only watch as the Kui Wood Wolf''s claw, reeking of blood, slashed at Mo Shan''s back.


    But then they were stunned.


    The wolf demon''s claw didn''t tear flesh, didn''t break skin, not even the rattan armor.


    A faint golden light flashed across the rattan armor, blocking the Kui Wood Wolf''s claw.


    Mo Shan was sent flying by the blow, spitting blood upon landing, but there was no wound, and he wasn''t contaminated by demonic power, only shaken by the beast''s force, which wasn''t a major issue.


    But this was a late-stage Grade 1 demon beast; how could there be no wound?


    Everyone was momentarily stunned before realizing now wasn''t the time for contemplation.


    Recalling the close calls both the man and Mo Shan had just faced, they furiously attacked the wolf demon with their knives, chopping it to death.


    Mo Shan wanted to stop them, but it was too late; he could only sigh silently:


    Well, now the pelt is ruined.


    As they skinned the Kui Wood Wolf, they found the hide torn to shreds, like ragged cloth strips, with no intact pieces.


    Mo Shan sighed again.


    Unable to stay in the inner mountains long, they cleaned up the wolf demon''s carcass and retreated to an outer mountain camp for a temporary rest.


    On the way, the demon hunter''s arm throbbed with pain, and he couldn''t help but curse:


    "Damn these demon beasts, each playing dead differently, I got fooled this time, really let my guard down."


    Another demon hunter said, "Alright, count yourself lucky this time. Without Brother Mo, you would''ve been dead."


    The man thanked Mo Shan, "Thanks, brother."


    Mo Shan waved his hand, "We''re comrades in arms, no need to be so formal."


    In the same demon hunting team, they were all brothers risking their lives together. Today you save me, tomorrow I save you, it''s all as it should be.


    The man stopped being pretentious and didn''t say anything more.


    As they walked, he glanced at Mo Shan''s rattan armor and couldn''t help but ask:


    "I say, what''s your rattan armor made of, how can it be so tough?"


    A late-stage Grade 1 demon beast''s claw couldn''t even scratch it.


    The other demon hunters, hearing this, also looked over.


    Such a tough rattan armor, they had never seen before.


    Mo Shan frowned, "It should be mixed with refined iron..."


    "Impossible," the man shook his head, "If that''s the case, I''d eat my own rattan armor."


    A demon hunter approached Mo Shan, examined the rattan armor closely, and said to the man:


    "You can eat it now, it is indeed mixed with refined iron."


    The man said, "Nonsense! My rattan armor is also mixed with refined iron, and a demon beast''s claw turned it into strips."


    The other demon hunters laughed, "You probably bought fake goods."


    "What you mixed in wasn''t refined iron, but sand."


    "Shut up!" The man''s face turned red with anger.


    Mo Shan couldn''t help but smile.


    But he also wanted to know why this rattan armor was so tough.


    "Could it be that Hua-er inscribed some array?"


    Mo Shan wondered.


    After walking for half an hour, they finally reached the camp.


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the man collapsed on the ground, took out a pill, swallowed it, then crushed a few more and sprinkled them on his wound before bandaging it.


    The man sighed, "I''ll have to bother Mr. Feng again."


    "Be content. Without Mo Shan''s kick, you wouldn''t even have a chance to bother Mr. Feng."


    Thinking of the Kui Wood Wolf''s claw glowing green, the man shuddered.


    If that claw had struck his head, he''d be dead.


    With this thought, the man felt grateful again, took out a storage bag, and tossed it to Mo Shan:


    "Old Mo, let me treat you to a drink."


    "Come on, you''re treating him to a drink? You just want him to treat you to some meat."


    The man kicked the demon hunter, "Shut up, if you don''t want to eat, then don''t!"


    "Whether I eat or not is none of your business!"


    The two started bickering.


    Mo Shan shook his head.


    Every time they went into the mountains, Liu Ruhua would pack him some dry food and beef. He ate well himself and shared some with the other demon hunters.


    Mo Shan took out the beef and shared it with everyone, then distributed the bottles of wine from the man''s storage bag.


    The other demon hunters also took out their storage bags.


    There were wild fruits, dry food, snacks, and other flavors of wine.


    With food and drink, the camp became lively.


    Mo Shan ate a few slices of meat, drank some wine, and took off his rattan armor, remembering something, and couldn''t help but take it apart for a look.


    The other demon hunters crowded around.


    "It''s an array!"


    "What kind of array?"


    "How would I know?"


    A demon hunter looked up at Mo Shan and asked, "What kind of array is it?"


    Mo Shan shook his head.


    "Your son drew it, you don''t know?"


    "My son drew it, not me, how would I know?"


    The man, envious and jealous, said, "Old Mo, did you worship some immortal before your son was born? I should go and worship too, maybe my son will be as smart."


    "Give it up. You''re not smart yourself, how can you expect your son to be?"


    "How would you know if you don''t try?"


    "This array isn''t the Iron Armor Array, is it?" A demon hunter asked.


    "Definitely not, it''s obviously much more complex."


    Under the camp''s light, they saw the array inside the rattan armor, its intricate lines and profound patterns glowing faintly gold, clearly not simple.


    They also noticed the craftsmanship of the rattan armor, which was meticulously made.


    Knowing it was a gift from Mo Shan''s son, everyone felt a twinge of envy.


    Just then, Mo Shan suddenly said, "Oh no!"


    The other demon hunters became tense, "What''s wrong?"


    Mo Shan touched the rattan armor, heartbroken:


    "It''s scratched."


    The demon hunters looked at him in silence for a long time.

 Chapter 149: Turbulence

    "Old Mo... Mo Shan, no, Brother Mo!" A demon hunter placed his hand on Mo Shan''s shoulder."Tell me, with our friendship, if I shamelessly beg your son to draw an array for me, will he agree?"


    Before Mo Shan could respond, another demon hunter nearby said:


    "Do you think your face is that valuable?"


    "At your age, stop relying on your face to get by."


    Others laughed and chimed in.


    "Mo Shan, just tell us, how many spirit stones would it take to draw this array? Let me at least have a sense of it."


    Mo Shan smiled wryly, "I need to ask my son. This array isn''t easy to draw."


    Everyone thought about it and nodded.


    An array that could withstand a late-stage first-rank demon beast''s attack was indeed not easy to draw.


    Another demon hunter secretly whispered to Mo Shan, "Is your son still single?"


    Mo Shan nodded, "He''s still young."


    "Not that young. It''s something to consider early."


    "What are you scheming?"


    The demon hunter laughed, "I have a daughter, very pretty. How about we become in-laws?"


    "Mo Shan, don''t listen to his nonsense. My niece is the real beauty."


    "Brother Mo, this kind of thing shouldn''t be rushed. I''d say wait a bit. Next year, my daughter will be born..."


    "How old is your daughter? Have some decency!" S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Shan looked at their bickering and smiled helplessly.


    Despite some complications, the demon hunt was generally smooth and didn''t take much time.


    After descending the mountain, they sold the demon beasts, divided the spirit stones, and each went home.


    As evening approached, the streetlights gradually lit up.


    Mo Shan walked through familiar streets, pushed open the familiar courtyard door, and returned home.


    Liu Ruhua had already prepared the meal. On the table were green vegetables, beef, and steaming rice porridge.


    During the meal, Mo Shan asked Mo Hua, "Did you draw an array on the rattan armor?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua, holding a white bun in one hand and with a mouthful of meat, nodded and said, "I drew the Golden Armor Array!"


    "The Golden Armor Array? Is it of a higher grade than the Iron Armor Array?"


    "Yes, its effect is significantly better."


    Mo Shan thought for a moment and then asked, "Some uncles in your demon hunting team also want you to help draw this array."


    "No problem, but they need to wait a bit."


    Mo Hua needed time to study a new first-rank array. Once his array skills were stable, he would draw the Golden Armor Array again to improve his proficiency.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and added, "To draw the Golden Armor Array, they need to prepare some metal-based ink and give some spirit stones as a token of appreciation. After all, wandering cultivators aren''t usually wealthy."


    Mo Shan felt relieved and smiled, "I''ll let them prepare first. When you have time later, you can help them draw it."


    "Alright!" Mo Hua agreed, then curiously asked, "Dad, how effective is the Golden Armor Array on the rattan armor?"


    He wanted to know the effectiveness of the first-rank Golden Armor Array.


    Mo Shan was about to say "very effective," as the late-stage first-rank Kuimu Wolf couldn''t tear through the rattan armor.


    In his life, he had never worn a more durable armor.


    But as the words reached his mouth, Mo Shan hesitated.


    Saying "very effective" would imply he encountered danger in the mountains.


    To avoid worrying his wife and children, Mo Shan had never mentioned the dangers he faced.


    After a moment of hesitation, Mo Shan said, "It should be effective, but today''s hunt was smooth, without any danger. We''ll see next time."


    Mo Hua nodded, a bit disappointed.


    But then he thought that not encountering danger was always a good thing.


    Whether the rattan armor or the Golden Armor Array, both were meant to reduce danger. Yet, no matter how much the danger was reduced, it still existed.


    The best situation was not encountering danger at all.


    Thinking this way, Mo Hua felt relieved and happily continued eating.


    While eating, Mo Hua suddenly remembered, "Dad, how''s Uncle Zhao?"


    Mo Shan frowned, "Not very well, still hasn''t woken up."


    Old Zhao, while escaping from an unknown cultivator in the mountains, fell off a cliff, got entangled in branches, and was found by Mo Hua using his spiritual sense.


    Old Zhao, on the brink of death, survived thanks to Mo Hua''s timely discovery. Otherwise, he would have likely perished.


    "Was it the Qian family?"


    "No conclusive evidence, but it''s very likely."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "Did the Qian family chase Uncle Zhao out of spite, or were they covering something up?"


    "Elder Yu is investigating, but there are no leads. Once Uncle Zhao wakes up, things might become clear," Mo Shan sighed.


    Mo Hua was worried, "When will Uncle Zhao wake up?"


    Mo Shan patted Mo Hua''s head, "Don''t worry. Mr. Feng said it would be within the next couple of days. You can visit him if you have time."


    "Okay." Mo Hua nodded.


    The next day, Mo Hua visited Xinglin Medical Hall.


    The severely injured and comatose Old Zhao was placed in a side room there.


    Old Zhao''s wife was pregnant and couldn''t exert herself, so she could only visit her husband occasionally.


    Elder Yu often came by and arranged for people to help take care of Old Zhao. Although Old Zhao''s life was not in danger, he hadn''t regained consciousness.


    When Mo Hua arrived, he found Elder Yu there as well.


    Elder Yu, usually stern, softened his expression upon seeing Mo Hua, "Mo Hua, you''re here."


    "Yes, I came to see Uncle Zhao."


    Mo Hua walked to the bedside and saw Uncle Zhao still lying there, his face as pale as paper. He felt worried and quietly asked Elder Yu, "Elder, has there been any progress on the Qian family matter?"


    Elder Yu hesitated for a moment and lowered his voice, "I had people investigate. Over the past month, the Qian family has been sneaking into Dahei Mountain, acting suspiciously. It''s unclear what they''re up to."


    Mo Hua frowned, "I also went into the mountain but didn''t encounter them."


    "They mostly go at night, sneaking around. Once they enter the mountain, they disappear. Naturally, you wouldn''t encounter them. Not just you, other demon hunters haven''t noticed them either," Elder Yu explained.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "Did Uncle Zhao run into them?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "He went up the mountain in the evening and likely encountered the Qian family. He probably knew what they were up to, so they tried to kill him to silence him..."


    Kill to silence!


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat.


    What was the Qian family doing in Dahei Mountain that they needed to kill to cover their tracks?


    At this moment, Mr. Feng entered, and Elder Yu and Mo Hua stopped their conversation.


    Mr. Feng carried a tray with pills, acupuncture needles, and a small steaming furnace.


    "Grandpa Feng, what are you going to do?" Mo Hua asked.


    "I''ll use acupuncture to clear his meridians and activate the medicine''s power. He should wake up soon."


    "Oh." Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, watching curiously.


    Mr. Feng used the furnace to heat the medicine, extracting its essence, then dipped golden needles into the medicine and inserted them into Old Zhao''s acupoints.


    Old Zhao''s skin gradually turned red, blood oozed out, and the chaotic spiritual energy within him began to stabilize. Suddenly, he opened his eyes.


    Everyone was overjoyed.


    Elder Yu''s expression softened. Just as he was about to comfort Old Zhao, telling him to rest well, Old Zhao suddenly grabbed his arm tightly.


    Old Zhao, struggling to breathe, couldn''t speak.


    But he gripped Elder Yu''s arm tightly, gritting his teeth and using all his strength to say:


    "Dahei Mountain... has a spirit mine!"


    Elder Yu''s pupils dilated upon hearing this.

 Chapter 150: Spirit Mine

    Old Zhao said this sentence and then fainted again.It seemed that this sentence was his obsession. Ever since he fell off the cliff, he held on to his last breath just to say it.


    "Mr. Feng!" Elder Yu called urgently.


    Mr. Feng stepped forward, checked his pulse, examined his meridians, and then sighed with relief.


    "Don''t worry, he''s just fainted. Let him rest. I''ll go and make some more pills."


    "Thank you, Mr. Feng," Elder Yu expressed his gratitude.


    Mr. Feng left the room, while Elder Yu''s expression grew serious.


    There was a Spirit mine in Dahei Mountain! S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu paced around the room for a few steps, then stopped and called for a demon hunter, instructing:


    "Go and notify Yu Chengyi. Gather all the leading demon hunters. I have something to discuss."


    The demon hunter accepted the order and left. Mo Hua, curious, asked:


    "Elder Yu, what is a Spirit mine?"


    Mo Hua only knew that Spirit mines contained spirit stones, but he wasn''t clear about the specifics.


    Seeing that it was still early and that gathering the demon hunters would take some time, Elder Yu patiently explained to Mo Hua:


    "To cultivate, a cultivator needs spiritual energy. However, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth is thin. Except for some famous mountains and great rivers where spiritual energy gathers, in other remote places like Tongxian City, the spiritual energy has become too thin to support cultivation."


    "Therefore, cultivators can only cultivate using spirit stones, and the source of spirit stones is Spirit mines."


    "A Spirit mine is formed when the dense spiritual energy or spiritual mist in the mountains during ancient times solidifies, assimilates with the mountain rocks, and then gets buried deep underground due to changes in the mountain terrain over the years."


    "Additionally, some are formed when ancient spiritual beasts, large patches of spiritual grass, and other spiritual objects, rich in spiritual energy, get buried underground after great calamities or numerous changes in the world, eventually transforming into Spirit mines."


    Mo Hua nodded and couldn''t help but ask:


    "I read in books that in ancient times, great cultivators could move mountains and overturn seas, change the sky and shift the sun. Was the spiritual energy also thin back then?"


    "Well..." Elder Yu thought for a moment and said, "It''s said that in ancient times, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was extremely dense. After experiencing great calamities, the spiritual energy gradually thinned due to changes in the world''s structure."


    "What kind of great calamities?"


    "I don''t know. These are just legends, vague and unverifiable."


    After finishing, Elder Yu added:


    "Another reason for the thinning spiritual energy is that there are too many cultivators now..."


    "Before the Dao Court unified the cultivation world, various factions fought continuously for years, causing immense suffering and countless deaths among cultivators. After the Dao Court unified, laws were established to prohibit reckless killing, allowing the cultivation world to flourish and cultivators to increase in number."


    "But the more cultivators there are, the more spiritual energy is absorbed for cultivation, making the spiritual energy in heaven and earth naturally less."


    "Today, twenty thousand years later, the spiritual energy is extremely thin, and cultivation can only rely on refining spirit stones."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, then worriedly asked:


    "If the spirit stones in heaven and earth are used up, won''t cultivators be unable to cultivate?"


    "They won''t be used up."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "That''s impossible."


    "At least it won''t be a problem for tens of thousands of years."


    Mo Hua frowned, "But we always lack spirit stones..."


    "That''s because we don''t have Spirit mines."


    Mo Hua fell silent.


    Elder Yu sighed, "In this world, from large to small Spirit mines, half are occupied by the Dao Court, and the rest are mostly controlled by powerful families and sects. We can only scrape by with the spirit stones they discard..."


    "Those big families and sects naturally don''t lack spirit stones. The ones who lack them are us wandering cultivators."


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and sighed:


    "The Dao of Heaven nurtures all things with spiritual energy; the Dao of Heaven is fair, but people are not."


    Mo Hua, with a serious expression, couldn''t help but recall a saying:


    "The Dao of Heaven diminishes the surplus to make up for the deficiency; the Dao of people takes from the deficient to serve the surplus."


    "Can we occupy the Spirit mine in Dahei Mountain?" Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu frowned, "According to custom, medium to large unowned Spirit mines belong to the Dao Court, and the spirit stones mined are used to benefit the cultivators of this province¡ªthough it''s mostly for their own gain..."


    "As for small Spirit mines, they are generally first-come, first-served."


    Mo Hua asked, "So, does the Spirit mine in Dahei Mountain count as ours or the Qian family''s?"


    "It''s hard to say."


    Elder Yu replied, then raised an eyebrow at Mo Hua, "But usually, the one with the bigger fist gets it first."


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Half an hour later, the demon hunters gathered in Elder Yu''s courtyard.


    Those who came were mostly the leaders among the demon hunters, all at the ninth level of Qi cultivation. Mo Shan was also among them.


    Elder Yu sat in the center, with the others seated on either side.


    Mo Hua, eager to know what would happen next, brought a chair and listened in from the side.


    The demon hunters couldn''t help but look at the ten-year-old Mo Hua.


    This was a meeting of demon hunters, was it really appropriate for a child like Mo Hua to be here...


    But they didn''t dare to ask.


    Elder Yu was known for his bad temper. Seeing his serious expression now, they dared not say a word.


    If they irritated Elder Yu, even if they were at the ninth level of Qi cultivation, they''d get a harsh scolding.


    Forget it. Since Mo Hua was here with Elder Yu''s approval, they decided to ignore it.


    Mo Hua, sitting not far from Elder Yu, swung his legs back and forth on the high chair.


    The others watched, feeling complicated emotions.


    Elder Yu was too indulgent with this child...


    But indulging was one thing, they didn''t dare to comment.


    Elder Yu felt somewhat comforted seeing Mo Hua there.


    In his eyes, with Mo Hua''s talent, he would surely become an Array Master in the future, possibly even passing the assessment to become a first-class Array Master.


    To wandering cultivators like them, Array Masters were unattainable.


    Mo Hua''s concern for demon hunter matters was naturally a good sign.


    Elder Yu thought silently.


    Once everyone had arrived, Elder Yu spoke about the Spirit mine.


    The room was filled with astonishment.


    A Spirit mine, an unowned Spirit mine!


    Thinking about Old Zhao nearly dying at the hands of the Qian family, a demon hunter cursed:


    "Those Qian family bastards, not only did they steal the Spirit mine, but they also tried to kill and silence him!"


    "Old Zhao almost lost his life!"


    "Damn it, those Qian family scumbags!"


    A cultivator suddenly recalled, "Could Old Sun''s disappearance also be the work of the Qian family?"


    Everyone paused, their faces darkening.


    Not just Old Sun, but a few other demon hunters had gone missing before too.


    They had thought those were accidents or beast attacks, but now it seemed the Qian family might have killed them to silence them.


    "Bastards!"


    "Too much!"


    The demon hunters cursed, anger filling the room.


    Elder Yu frowned and gestured for silence, then began to issue orders:


    "Gather all late-stage Qi cultivator demon hunters. We''ll go up the mountain under the cover of darkness, searching inch by inch to find the Spirit mine''s location."


    A demon hunter asked, "What if we encounter Qian family cultivators?"


    "Capture and interrogate them thoroughly."


    "What if we run into a large group of Qian family cultivators?"


    Elder Yu''s expression turned stern, and he slammed the table in anger:


    "Then we''ll kill them!"

 Chapter 151: Searching the Mountain

    The demon hunters began searching the mountain under the cover of night, but Mo Hua did not join them.Both Mo Shan and Elder Yu forbade him from going.


    Because they might clash with the Qian family, the dark and windy night on Dahei Mountain could be very dangerous.


    Although Mo Hua was not afraid, he did not want to take unnecessary risks. He stayed home and practiced array techniques.


    Early the next morning, Mo Shan returned, looking exhausted. His clothes were damp with dew, but he showed no signs of having fought.


    "Didn''t find anything?" Mo Hua asked.


    Mo Shan nodded, "The Qian family is hiding well, not a trace left."


    "Why don''t you take me with you tonight?"


    Mo Shan frowned, "It''s very dangerous."


    Mo Hua said, "I''ll stay in the camp and won''t go out."


    "Then what''s the point of you going?" Mo Shan was puzzled.


    Mo Hua chuckled, "You''ll see."


    After thinking it over, Mo Shan agreed.


    With Mo Hua''s agility, as long as he didn''t get caught in a battle with the Qian family where swords clashed and spiritual energy flew wildly, staying in the outer mountain should be safe enough.


    As night fell, Dahei Mountain was shrouded in darkness, veiled in a black mist.


    Mo Hua followed the demon hunters up the mountain. The mountain was pitch black, and one couldn''t see their hand in front of their face.


    Only the cold, damp mountain wind blew through, making the leaves rustle, and in the distance, there were the howls of demonic beasts.


    Mo Shan brought Mo Hua to a camp, closed the door, lit a lamp, and took out a fur blanket, wrapping Mo Hua up like a little dumpling.


    "The mountain is cold at night, don''t catch a chill."


    Mo Hua poked his head out from the blanket and nodded.


    "Be careful, try not to go out. If you encounter danger, set off your flare, and the demon hunters will come."


    Mo Shan repeatedly warned.


    Mo Hua nodded again, "Don''t worry, Dad. I''m familiar with the outer mountain."


    He had hunted demons, gathered spices, mined ore, collected herbs, and mapped the area countless times.


    To him, the outer mountain was as familiar as his own backyard.


    Although Dahei Mountain was more dangerous at night, Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness was strong. As long as he was cautious, there shouldn''t be any major problems.


    Moreover, many demon hunters were now in the outer mountain searching for the Qian family''s traces, many of whom he knew.


    Mo Shan shook his head with a smile, patting Mo Hua''s head, "I''m off. Be careful."


    After Mo Shan left, Mo Hua opened his storage bag and took out the compass of the mother array of the Si Nan Array, placing it to the side.


    He then extended his spiritual awareness, checking the surroundings to ensure there were no abnormalities, and redrew an array on the camp gate.


    The array was a composite one including the Earth Solidification Array, which could strengthen the soil and stone, making the gate more impregnable.


    After all, Mo Hua would be spending the night in the camp.


    As an array master, he felt safest in an array he had drawn himself.


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    Then he took out some beef and fruit wine, eating and drinking while studying the array patterns of a first-grade nine-pattern array, occasionally glancing at the Si Nan mother array compass.


    He spent a peaceful night like this.


    Nothing happened.


    The next morning.


    Mo Shan, who had spent the whole night searching the mountain and looked exhausted, saw Mo Hua, who was well-fed and relaxed, and couldn''t help but feel a bit envious.


    "Are you coming again tonight?" Mo Shan asked.


    Mo Hua nodded, "I am."


    So, on the second and third nights, Mo Hua accompanied Mo Shan into Dahei Mountain, staying in the camp all night.


    But still, nothing happened.


    Until the fourth night, when Mo Hua was wrapped in his little blanket, eating mutton and flipping through array books, the compass of the Si Nan mother array suddenly showed a light spot.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up.


    Gotcha! A slip-up!


    The Qian family cultivators could evade the demon hunters but might not escape demonic beasts.


    Whenever they encountered a demonic beast, a battle would ensue. And where there was a battle, there would be spiritual energy fluctuations. Once these fluctuations occurred, they would trigger the Si Nan sub-arrays Mo Hua had placed in the mountain, allowing the mother array compass to pinpoint their location.


    However, such battles didn''t happen every day, so patience was required, like waiting for a rabbit by a tree stump.


    And tonight, the rabbit had finally stumbled into Mo Hua''s trap.


    Mo Hua spread out the map, and according to the Si Nan mother array, quickly pinpointed the location.


    It was a small hill at the boundary between the outer and inner mountains, very desolate and rarely visited by cultivators.


    Mo Hua extinguished the lamp, packed his things, and left the camp.


    Outside, the moonlight was faint, shadows of trees overlapped in the mountains, and everything was shrouded in darkness.


    Mo Hua closed his eyes and extended his spiritual awareness to its limit.


    The surrounding darkness turned into a field of white in an instant.


    After a moment, Mo Hua opened his eyes and walked in a certain direction.


    There, a demon hunter was cautiously searching the mountain.


    In the dense forest, the demon hunter was fully focused on searching when he suddenly felt a small hand patting his shoulder, scaring him so much he almost jumped out of his skin.


    Mo Hua quickly shushed him, "Uncle Wu."


    The demon hunter recognized Mo Hua''s voice and calmed down, though his heart was still pounding.


    "Mo Hua, you scared me to death."


    Mo Hua was baffled. He had just walked up and patted his shoulder, how could that scare him?


    "Aren''t you an adult? Can''t you be a bit steadier?"


    The demon hunter collected himself and whispered, "What are you doing here? Didn''t your dad tell you to stay in the camp?"


    "I''m looking for my dad," Mo Hua replied.


    "Oh." The demon hunter nodded, "Your dad is at the Great Rocky Ridge." s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you, Uncle Wu."


    The hunter looked at Mo Hua worriedly, "The mountain is dangerous at night. Should I take you there?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "No need, I can manage. Uncle Wu, you keep searching."


    The demon hunter nodded, "If you run into danger, call out, and I''ll come over."


    Mo Hua thanked him again and headed towards the Great Rocky Ridge.


    After Mo Hua left, the demon hunter continued searching. Suddenly, a thought struck him:


    "Why didn''t I hear Mo Hua''s footsteps?"


    It was as if his feet didn''t touch the ground, as if something was carrying him.


    And just now, why hadn''t he noticed Mo Hua approaching?


    Whether it was his spiritual awareness, aura, or sound, he hadn''t detected anything...


    The cold mountain wind blew, rustling the trees.


    A chill crept into the demon hunter''s heart, and he shivered.


    "Forget it, thinking about it will really scare me to death..."


    He shook his head hard, refocusing on his search.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua was using the Passing Water Step to hurry.


    A light spiritual energy, like water ripples, supported his feet.


    This made his movements light, silent, and faster.


    When Mo Hua reached the Great Rocky Ridge, he extended his spiritual awareness and found his father, Mo Shan, not far to the left.


    Mo Shan was carefully searching for clues when he suddenly sensed something and looked up to see a small figure approaching.


    "Hua''er?"


    "Dad." Mo Hua quickly reached Mo Shan''s side.


    "Didn''t I tell you to stay in the camp?" Mo Shan was worried.


    "I found it."


    Mo Shan was puzzled, "Found what?"


    "I found the spirit mine''s location!"

 Chapter 152: Finding an Opportunity

    Mo Shan''s expression tightened as he and Mo Hua found Elder Yu.Mo Hua pointed to a spot on the map, saying, "There was a fight here."


    It couldn''t be the demon hunters because everyone had agreed to signal with fireworks if they engaged in battle to alert each other.


    Aside from that, it was unlikely but possible that demon beasts were fighting each other, causing the demonic power fluctuations.


    More likely, Qian family cultivators encountered demon beasts and a fight ensued.


    In any case, it was necessary to investigate.


    Elder Yu immediately ordered, "Gather everyone; we''re going over there."


    Although demon hunters usually spread out, they weren''t far from each other, and information spread quickly. Soon, hundreds of late-stage Qi cultivators gathered together.


    Elder Yu briefly explained the situation, then waved his hand, saying, "Move out!"


    All the demon hunters crouched down, concealed their presence, and silently moved towards the mountain peak Mo Hua had marked.


    Half an hour later, they arrived.


    It was a desolate and remote hill. Because no one came here often, the demon hunters hadn''t bothered to name it, simply calling it "Nameless Peak."


    In a clearing among the trees, they found the remains and blood of a demon beast.


    Mo Shan went up, looked at it, wiped the blood with his hand, and said, "It was killed by a cultivator, but the method was rough, not the work of a demon hunter."


    Elder Yu''s eyes narrowed as he expanded his spiritual sense.


    Mo Hua could only vaguely sense a slight fluctuation, then nothing.


    A person with strong spiritual sense is hard to detect.


    When spied on by someone with strong spiritual sense, it is also hard to notice.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart. The spiritual sense of a Foundation Building cultivator was indeed extraordinary.


    Mo Hua mimicked Elder Yu, expanding his spiritual sense to search for any clues in the mountain.


    After a while, Elder Yu retracted his spiritual sense and looked at Mo Hua with a surprised expression.


    After a bit more time, Mo Hua also retracted his spiritual sense.


    "Did you find anything?" Elder Yu asked.


    Mo Hua nodded. "There are mine tunnels in the mountain, hidden with wood and stones."


    Elder Yu''s eyes brightened. "Mark them for me."


    Mo Hua took out the map and circled several spots near the summit of Nameless Peak.


    These were the locations of the mine tunnels he had detected with his spiritual sense.


    Elder Yu nodded, then marked a few more spots on the map.


    Mo Hua looked at them and realized his mistakes.


    Some were too far, beyond his spiritual sense range. Some were hidden too deeply, and his spiritual sense wasn''t strong enough. Others were missed due to his lack of experience and carelessness.


    Mo Hua silently reflected and summarized the use of his spiritual sense in his heart.


    Elder Yu, looking gratified, patted Mo Hua''s shoulder and said, "Not bad."


    Then his expression turned serious, his eyes sharp as he instructed:


    "All demon hunters, remember these locations!"


    "Divide into teams and enter these mine tunnels quietly, don''t alert the enemy."


    "If you encounter Qian family cultivators, cripple them. If necessary, kill them. I''ll handle any issues with the Dao Court."


    The demon hunters received their orders, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.


    One by one, black shadows leapt forward, approaching the mine entrances on the mountainside.


    Mo Shan instructed Mo Hua, "Stay hidden on the side, don''t go in. If any cultivators come out, don''t engage, just protect yourself!"


    Mo Hua nodded, saying, "Dad, wear that vine armor."


    The vine armor had a top-tier Iron Armor Array drawn on it by Mo Hua.


    Mo Shan''s heart warmed. He patted Mo Hua''s head, then his figure flashed as he too headed towards the mine entrances on the mountainside.


    Mo Hua scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense, found a safe, well-hidden pit, and hid inside.


    After a while, there was commotion in the mountain, signaling the start of a battle.


    Even from outside, Mo Hua could hear the rumbling, the shouts and curses of the cultivators, and the multicolored spiritual power surges.


    Then there was a loud bang.


    The oppressive spiritual power Mo Hua could sense grew stronger.


    It was likely Elder Yu fighting with the Qian family''s Foundation Building cultivator.


    The intense fluctuations continued for a while before a figure shot out from one of the mine tunnels on the mountainside.


    The figure fled without looking back, leaving a trail of afterimages.


    Given the speed of the escape, it was undoubtedly a Foundation Building cultivator!


    Mo Hua sighed in relief.


    With the Foundation Building cultivator fleeing, the remaining Qian family cultivators would soon be defeated.


    Sure enough, within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Qian family cultivators began to stagger out of the mine tunnel entrance one after another.


    Most of them were bloodied and battered, covering their arms or limping, fleeing down the mountain in panic.


    Mo Hua didn''t want to act rashly, considering he was alone. It was better to be cautious.


    He stayed quietly in the pit.


    After a while, he heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, he saw two Qian family cultivators, evidently having endured a fierce battle, walking towards him.


    They were battered and their spiritual power was weak, clearly at their limits.


    Not following the others, these two chose to walk alone, and of all the paths, they had to limp through the grass in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt that if he didn''t act, he would be letting them off too easily.


    One of the Qian family cultivators cursed continuously:


    "Those bastards, where did they get this information..."


    "When we report back to the family head, they''ll pay for this!"


    "...damn it!"


    He cursed as he ran.


    Suddenly, a Fireball Technique exploded in his face.


    A surge of pain hit him as the fiery spiritual power blasted him into a daze, his ears ringing, and his face burning.


    "What..."


    Before he could react, another fireball hit him, and he fell flat.


    "Ambush?!"


    The other Qian family cultivator was shocked, turning to flee, but after a few steps, a fireball hit the back of his head.


    He fell, face hitting a rock, and lost consciousness.


    Mo Hua didn''t rush out. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He scanned with his spiritual sense, finding the spiritual power in their bodies flowing erratically.


    This indicated they were unconscious and couldn''t control their spiritual power.


    To be safe, Mo Hua hit each of them with another Fireball Technique. Seeing no response, he climbed out of the pit.


    What to do now?


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then took their storage bags.


    The Dao Laws prohibited robbery.


    Mo Hua wanted to be a law-abiding cultivator, but since the Qian family had bullied him, he couldn''t just let it go.


    "Seems cultivators are often forced into situations beyond their control..."


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling a bit melancholic as he put the storage bags into his own pouch.


    He then ran back to the pit, waiting to see if more Qian family cultivators would come his way, giving him another chance to be "forced beyond his control."


    Sure enough, more Qian family cultivators came by one after another.


    If there were many, Mo Hua let them go.


    If there were few, he repeated his previous actions.


    By dawn, as the battle in the mine tunnel drew to a close, Mo Hua''s pouch was already full...

 Chapter 153: Mediation

    After the battle ended, the demon hunters began to clean up the battlefield.The injured demon hunters received treatment.


    The cultivators from the Qian family were stripped of their storage bags and spiritual artifacts and thrown outside. Whether they lived or died depended on whether the Qian family would come to save them.


    Additionally, all seized spoils had to be handed in, categorized uniformly, and then distributed according to merit and need.


    In the mine, Elder Yu found a large stone to sit on.


    The demon hunters approached one after another, handing over their captured storage bags to Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua, with his arms full of storage bags, walked up to Elder Yu, ready to hand them in.


    Elder Yu was startled, "What are you doing?"


    "Handing them in."


    Elder Yu glared at him slightly, "Kid, don''t join in the fun, keep them for yourself."


    "Oh." Mo Hua sat down to the side.


    After a while, Elder Yu couldn''t help but ask curiously:


    "Where did you get all these storage bags?"


    Mo Hua replied somewhat embarrassedly, "I picked them up at the foot of the mountain."


    "Picked them up?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua explained, "If I saw a lone Qian family cultivator escaping, I would take them down and then take their storage bag."


    Elder Yu stared at him, thinking, what are you talking about?


    Even if a Qian family cultivator was alone, they were still a proper late-stage Qi cultivator. How could a ten-year-old kid deal with them?


    And he said it so casually, like eating candied hawthorn... S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu frowned and then asked, "Did you learn any techniques?"


    "Yes, I learned Fireball Technique."


    "Oh."


    Elder Yu nodded. That made more sense.


    But then he frowned again.


    No, Fireball Technique shouldn''t be that easy to deal with either.


    To cast a spell, one needed to concentrate their Qi. If they weren''t proficient, hitting the target could still be a problem...


    Elder Yu wanted to ask more, but other demon hunters had come up to hand in their storage bags, so he didn''t ask further.


    "Elder Yu, do I really not need to hand these in?" Mo Hua asked secretly.


    "Stuff picked up outside the mine is considered your own skill. Besides, we aren''t so stingy as to take things from a child."


    "Thank you, Elder Yu!"


    Mo Hua accepted this with a clear conscience.


    After the mine was tidied up, Elder Yu assigned people to guard it and sent the injured demon hunters back to recuperate.


    Mo Shan also went back, though he wasn''t injured. Wearing a rattan armor inscribed with a top-grade Iron Armor Array, not even the demonic beasts could tear it apart, let alone the swords of ordinary Qi cultivators.


    He was going to send Mo Hua back home, as Mo Hua now had a "fortune in his hands."


    Once home, Mo Hua closed the door and threw the storage bags on the table, opening them one by one.


    Mo Shan watched with a complex expression.


    He didn''t know how his son managed to pick up so many storage bags...


    There were about ten storage bags, filled with various items.


    Mostly spirit stones, spiritual artifacts, pills, dao robes, and some miscellaneous items of little value.


    There were also a few colorful booklets depicting coquettish female cultivators doing strange things.


    Mo Hua had just opened one when Mo Shan took it away.


    Mo Hua was a bit disappointed, "I wonder what those pictures are about..."


    The ten storage bags were quickly sorted.


    There were about three to four hundred spirit stones, plus some raw spiritual minerals, and with the pills and spiritual artifacts, it was estimated to be worth five to six hundred spirit stones in total.


    Five to six hundred spirit stones!


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but be amazed.


    No wonder people often said, "A horse grows fat without night grass, and a man becomes wealthy without windfalls."


    However, this kind of business should be avoided if possible.


    Mo Hua still wanted to be a law-abiding cultivator.


    Unless some foolish and evil Qian family member ran into his hands...


    Mo Shan gave Mo Hua the spirit stones from the storage bags for his cultivation and to learn array techniques. The other spiritual artifacts, pills, dao robes, and rattan armor were taken by Mo Shan.


    This time, the Qian family suffered a huge loss and would not let it go easily.


    In the coming days, they would likely face a furious counterattack from the Qian family. These spiritual artifacts and pills would come in handy.


    But before the Qian family could retaliate, the Dao Court came knocking.


    After all, the conflict between the demon hunters and the Qian family had caused considerable casualties. Both emotionally and rationally, the Dao Court could not stand by.


    The head of the Dao Court personally sought out Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua heard about it and followed his father to join in the excitement.


    Elder Yu and the head of the Dao Court talked in the room for a long time. No one knew what they discussed, but when they came out, both looked unhappy.


    It seemed they had parted on bad terms.


    What did they talk about?


    Mo Hua was very curious, but he knew Elder Yu wouldn''t tell him.


    At that moment, he saw Zhang Lan following the head of the Dao Court.


    Zhang Lan was a Dao Court registrar, holding a high position and a member of a prominent family, so his presence at such an important occasion was to be expected.


    As Zhang Lan walked, he noticed a familiar gaze upon him.


    He turned his head and sure enough, it was Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua winked at him.


    Zhang Lan sighed inwardly, pretended not to see, and turned away.


    In the afternoon, he found some free time and went to Mo Hua''s family restaurant to drink.


    Mo Hua personally poured him a drink, looking at him eagerly.


    Zhang Lan helplessly said, "Go ahead, ask what you want to know."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "What did Elder Yu and your head talk about this morning?"


    Zhang Lan coughed, lowered his voice, and said:


    "You know about the spirit mine, right?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Though he expected it, Zhang Lan was still a bit surprised, "How much do you know?"


    "Everything I should know. I was there when we captured the spirit mine."


    And picked up ten storage bags...


    Of course, Mo Hua didn''t say that.


    After all, Zhang Lan was a Dao Court cultivator with his own stance, and he didn''t want to make things difficult for him.


    Mo Hua "considerately" thought of Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan sighed, "You really have guts."


    A kid daring to intervene in a battle between cultivators.


    Zhang Lan said, "Since you already know, I won''t beat around the bush. With such a big incident, both sides suffered casualties. The head wants to resolve the matter peacefully, and the Qian family agrees, but their condition is for you to hand over the spirit mine, and they won''t pursue further..."


    Mo Hua snorted, "Wishful thinking!"


    "That''s what Elder Yu said too," Zhang Lan replied.


    Of course, along with a lot of swearing. Some curses were so crude, Zhang Lan had never even heard of them.


    Zhang Lan had seen many Foundation Building cultivators, but Elder Yu wasn''t the highest in cultivation, though he was the best at cursing.


    "What happens next?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan sighed, "Nothing. At this point, the Dao Court can''t intervene."


    "Huh?"


    Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    You mean the Dao Court is this useless?


    Zhang Lan explained helplessly, "The Dao Court only has so many cultivators. Maintaining Dao Law and catching a few criminals is manageable, but conflicts between two forces are beyond our capability."


    He added, "At least the Dao Court in Tongxian City can''t handle it. We can only mediate and ensure both sides follow common rules."


    Mo Hua asked again, "What are ''common'' rules?"


    Zhang Lan''s expression grew serious as he lowered his voice:


    "The common rule is to use the Nameless Peak where the spirit mine is located as the boundary. Outside the Nameless Peak, you can''t kill without reason, but on the Nameless Peak, you fight as needed until both sides have had enough..."


    "Deaths on the peak remain unknown to others, and the Dao Court will turn a blind eye, not reporting it."


    Brutal and barbaric.


    Hearing this, Mo Hua''s eyes also sharpened.


    This meant the real battle was just beginning...

 Chapter 154: First Battle

    The stakes involving the spirit mine were enormous. The Dao Court''s mediation failed, and as per common practice, the Qian family and the demon hunters were set to clash at the nameless peak¡¯s spirit mine.The victor would claim the mine.


    Currently, the Qian family was on the offensive, while the demon hunters were tasked with defending.


    The atmosphere among the demon hunters grew increasingly tense.


    Elder Yu ordered all demon hunters to avoid entering Dahei Mountain for hunting and summoned most of the Qi cultivators from levels seven to nine to guard the mine at the nameless peak.


    On one hand, the demon hunters prepared to fend off the Qian family''s attack; on the other hand, they accelerated the mining of spirit stones.


    If they could hold the mine, it would be ideal, but the Qian family was powerful and had numerous cultivators. The demon hunters doubted they could hold out to the end.


    Given that they didn¡¯t know when the mine might fall, they aimed to extract as many spirit stones as possible beforehand.


    Late-stage Qi cultivators had to enter the mine, and Mo Shan, being a level nine Qi cultivator, was no exception.


    Mo Hua also wanted to go in, but Mo Shan forbade it, and Elder Yu would not allow it.


    Previously, during the attack on the mine, Mo Hua had been outside. With rocks and trees to hide behind, he could flee if danger loomed.


    Now, inside the mine, there was virtually nowhere to escape.


    If the Qian family¡¯s cultivators broke in, and a chaotic battle ensued with swords and spiritual energy flying everywhere, no one could guarantee Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    Thus, Elder Yu initially refused to let Mo Hua, a mere level six Qi cultivator, stay in the mine.


    That was until Mo Hua said he could help draw arrays.


    "I can draw the Golden Armor Array, and even late-stage Qi cultivators can use it!"


    Upon hearing this, Elder Yu had no grounds to refuse.


    In large-scale battles among cultivators, arrays played a significant role.


    Moreover, the Golden Armor Array sounded much stronger than the Iron Armor Array. With the Golden Armor Array, the chances of holding the mine greatly increased.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t hold it in the end, it would buy more time to mine more spirit stones.


    This was a spirit mine, after all, and even a small one could provide for many independent cultivators for a long time.


    Elder Yu was tempted. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Several demon hunters then praised the Golden Armor Array¡¯s efficacy, recalling how Mo Shan had been unharmed by a blow from the Kui Wood Wolf thanks to the Golden Armor Array on his rattan armor.


    Mo Shan sighed and reluctantly brought out his rattan armor inscribed with the Golden Armor Array.


    Elder Yu examined it closely and, after testing its defense, his eyes lit up and he immediately decided to let Mo Hua stay.


    Thus, Mo Hua stayed in the spirit mine.


    Elder Yu instructed the other demon hunters to take good care of Mo Hua, secretly vowing:


    "Anyone who dares to harm Mo Hua, I will kill them with one blow!"


    Over the following days, Mo Hua began drawing the Golden Armor Array for the demon hunters.


    Given the strength of Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual awareness, enhanced by the Heavenly Proliferation Technique and the recovery speed from Meditation Techniques, he could draw ten first-grade Golden Armor Arrays per day.


    Mo Hua provided the spiritual ink for these Golden Armor Arrays.


    Elder Yu would convert the spiritual ink into spirit stones, along with the payment for the arrays, to be given to Mo Hua later.


    Previously, Elder Yu was stingy due to a lack of spirit stones.


    Now, having occupied a small spirit mine, he wouldn¡¯t let Mo Hua suffer any loss.


    To ensure Mo Hua¡¯s comfort in drawing arrays, Elder Yu even opened a small, cozy mine cave for him and instructed him to express any needs.


    Mo Hua stayed in the small mine cave, drawing arrays. In three days, he had drawn about thirty Golden Armor Arrays.


    Then the Qian family¡¯s cultivators began their assault on the mountain.


    Mo Hua watched from the cave entrance as the numerous Qian family cultivators approached, feeling anxious. He asked Elder Yu, "Can we defeat the Qian family?"


    "We can fight them, but it won¡¯t be easy. The outcome is uncertain."


    "Have we fought them before?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "Several times. The Qian family bullied us, we fought back, and it escalated into an uncontrollable brawl. We suffered more losses, but the Qian family didn¡¯t gain much advantage either."


    Mo Hua asked, "Where does the Qian family have the upper hand?"


    Elder Yu thought for a moment, "In direct combat, each side has its strengths, but the Qian family has more spirit stones, better spirit tools, and they can hire people."


    Mo Hua said, "So, with the Golden Armor Array, we can have more of an advantage?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "Yes."


    He wasn¡¯t sure how powerful the Golden Armor Array was, but even a slight advantage in such a battle could impact the outcome.


    The Qian family began their attack openly.


    Historically, the Qian family looked down on demon hunters, seeing them as impoverished.


    With their abundance of spirit stones and higher cultivation levels, the Qian family didn¡¯t bother with stealth attacks but marched in broad daylight.


    They aimed to intimidate the demon hunters.


    However, as soon as the battle commenced, something felt off.


    Thirty level nine Qi cultivators from the demon hunters charged forward with ferocity, starting the fight immediately.


    The Qian family¡¯s swords barely scratched their rattan armor.


    The Golden Armor Array, a first-grade nine-pattern array, made the rattan armor nearly impervious to ordinary swords, even in the hands of level nine Qi cultivators.


    With the Golden Armor Array, the demon hunters fearlessly slashed away, cutting down the Qian family¡¯s cultivators who could barely defend themselves and were forced into retreat.


    They retreated until they had nowhere left to go.


    Seeing no way to win, the Qian family fled in disarray.


    They had arrived with great momentum but were utterly defeated. The Qian family felt humiliated and soon returned with reinforcements.


    This time they were better prepared, wearing rattan armor, and some level nine Qi cultivators even donned iron armor.


    Iron armor, made entirely of refined iron, was costly and very durable.


    The two sides clashed again.


    The Qian family¡¯s cultivators quickly realized the demon hunters¡¯ rattan armor was different from theirs.


    The demon hunters¡¯ rattan armor was incredibly tough, hard to cut through.


    In contrast, their own rattan armor was like paper, easily sliced apart.


    Even their iron armor was comparable to the demon hunters¡¯ rattan armor.


    However, iron armor was heavier, making them slower and easier targets.


    The ten or so Qian family cultivators in iron armor were outmaneuvered by the demon hunters in rattan armor and were quickly taken down.


    Their iron armor was stripped away.


    The Qian family felt as if they could spit blood.


    Iron armor was costly, requiring a significant amount of refined iron to make, and now it had been taken from them!


    But they couldn¡¯t give up the fight for the spirit mine, with its glowing spirit stones.


    To counter the demon hunters¡¯ rattan armor, the Qian family spent heavily on twenty genuine first-grade blades.


    These blades were extremely sharp, cutting through ordinary rattan armor with a single stroke.


    Handpicked Qian family experts wielding these first-grade blades re-engaged the demon hunters.


    The blades were effective, slicing through rattan armor with a few strikes.


    But then the Qian family faced a bigger problem.


    There were more and more demon hunters wearing rattan armor!


    Initially, there were only thirty.


    Then more each day, until now, nearly all the demon hunters wore the troublesome rattan armor.


    Everyone had it!


    The Qian family¡¯s cultivators were aghast.


    They only had twenty blades to face over two hundred sets of rattan armor!


    How could they possibly win?


    Unsurprisingly, they were defeated again¡­


    The repeated defeats demoralized the Qian family¡¯s cultivators, forcing them to pause their assault.


    Elder Yu was overjoyed.


    The Golden Armor Array¡¯s effect was far beyond his expectations.


    He had anticipated a tough battle with heavy casualties even in victory.


    Yet now, not only had they won, but they had done so easily with minimal losses.


    Elder Yu sighed in relief, then curiously asked Mo Hua:


    "Why is the Golden Armor Array so strong?"


    Strong enough that first-grade blades required several strikes to break it.


    They wore ordinary rattan armor, not first-grade iron armor.


    Mo Hua naturally replied, "Because the Golden Armor Array is a first-grade array."


    "A first-grade array..." Elder Yu nodded, "No wonder."


    A first-grade array was bound to be powerful.


    Suddenly, Elder Yu realized something, his heart pounding.


    "First-grade?!"

 Chapter 155: Spirit Stones

    Elder Yu initially thought that the Golden Armor Array would be slightly stronger than the Iron Armor Array, but he never expected it to be this much stronger¡ªit was directly at the first grade...When he had previously asked Mo Hua to draw the array, wasn''t he only drawing six-path array patterns?


    How long has it been, and now he can already draw a first-grade array?!


    Elder Yu hesitated for a long while before asking a rather pointless question:


    "Is it really a first-grade array¡­"


    Mo Hua thought Elder Yu was acting a bit strange, so he took out a just-completed Metal-Based Array and counted for Elder Yu to see:


    "One, two, three¡­ nine, right? A total of nine array patterns."


    Elder Yu hadn''t looked carefully at the Metal-Based Array before. At this moment, he didn''t dare to blink and counted again, one by one.


    It was indeed nine array patterns, and nine patterns make it first grade!


    Elder Yu''s hand holding the rattan armor trembled slightly, unable to believe it.


    "Then doesn''t that make you¡­ a first-grade array master?"


    A first-grade array master!


    How many years has it been? For them, these wandering cultivators and poor demon hunters, they didn''t even have an ordinary array master.


    And now, there was a first-grade array master!


    Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed and humbly said, "I can only draw a first-grade array. It doesn''t count. I need to pass the Dao Court''s grading to officially become a first-grade array master."


    Elder Yu sighed with relief, "So that''s how it is, just able to draw a first-grade array..."


    Elder Yu pondered again: just able to draw a first-grade array¡­ only?


    Is being able to draw a first-grade array something that can be called "only"?


    Elder Yu''s expression was complex.


    Mo Hua is so young, already able to draw a first-grade array. What about the future?


    Second grade? Or¡­ third grade? s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It took Elder Yu a long time to calm down. He pretended to be calm and praised Mo Hua a few times, encouraging him to continue drawing arrays. Then he gathered Yu Chengyi, Mo Shan, and a few other ninth-level Qi cultivator demon hunters together.


    "This child, Mo Hua, must not encounter any danger!"


    Everyone exchanged glances. Yu Chengyi said, "Father, we understand. We will watch over him."


    "No, you don''t understand."


    Elder Yu shook his head and said, "Mo Hua is now drawing first-grade arrays!"


    Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan were shocked.


    Yu Chengyi looked at Mo Shan and couldn''t help but say:


    "It''s one thing for us to be shocked, but as his father, why are you also surprised?"


    Mo Shan was helpless, "I just found out too¡­"


    Yu Chengyi didn''t know what to say.


    "I only knew he helped me draw the array¡­" Mo Shan said.


    "You didn''t ask?"


    "It was a gift from my son. I was just happy and forgot to ask."


    Elder Yu said, "This matter must not be known to the Qian family. You all need to inform the other demon hunters to keep the array matter strictly confidential."


    Everyone nodded, though their hearts were still turbulent and unable to calm down.


    Focused on drawing arrays, Mo Hua suddenly felt that someone had been silently watching him recently.


    Mo Hua frowned, released his spiritual sense, and then shouted through the wall:


    "Uncle Yu."


    Yu Chengyi immediately poked his head out from behind the wall, "What''s wrong?"


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but say, "Uncle Yu, why are you watching me?"


    Yu Chengyi was stunned, "How did you know?"


    He had hidden behind the wall very well and even concealed his aura.


    "A sweep of my spiritual sense and I knew¡­"


    Yu Chengyi was surprised, "You could even detect that?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Yu Chengyi''s eyebrows twitched, and he couldn''t help but think, your spiritual sense is a bit over the top¡­


    But considering that Mo Hua could draw a first-grade array, having a strong spiritual sense was reasonable.


    "I''m afraid you''ll encounter danger, so I''m keeping an eye on you." Yu Chengyi said.


    Mo Hua looked around, puzzled, "What danger could there be here?"


    This is a mine, surrounded by familiar demon hunters.


    Yu Chengyi coughed, "Just in case."


    Mo Hua said, "Uncle Yu, you should go and get busy. Aren''t you dealing with the Qian family? There must be a lot to do."


    If there''s really nothing to do, go dig some spirit mines or something¡­ why watch me¡­


    Yu Chengyi thought silently: Nothing is more important than you. If we lose some spirit mines, my father would only be heartbroken for a decade. If we lose you, he might want to kill me¡­


    "No worries, you draw your arrays, just pretend I''m not here."


    How could you pretend a living person isn''t here¡­


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Uncle Yu, if you have nothing to do, take me to see the spirit mine inside."


    Since entering the mine, he had been drawing arrays and hadn''t seen what the spirit mine looked like.


    "You''re not drawing arrays anymore?"


    "I''ll take a break and draw later."


    Yu Chengyi thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, I''ll take you to see."


    Mo Hua was instantly invigorated.


    Yu Chengyi led Mo Hua towards the depths of the mine.


    The further they went, the more humid it became. The smell of earth and stone grew stronger, and the spiritual energy became denser, almost congealed, showing a faint blue hue.


    The mine was filled with the continuous "ding-ding" sounds.


    This was the sound of pickaxes mining spirit stones.


    Spirit stones in the spirit mine are fused with the mountain rocks. To extract the spirit stones, body cultivators must use pickaxes to chisel them out bit by bit.


    The mined stones are raw ores, irregular in shape, some containing other impurities like mountain rock, generally unsuitable for direct use, and cannot be directly refined by cultivators.


    These raw ores can be traded with the Dao Court Office, exchanged at a certain ratio for purified, standardized spirit stones.


    These standardized spirit stones are what cultivators use for daily cultivation and transactions.


    The raw ores, on the other hand, are processed and refined uniformly by the Dao Court.


    Refining spirit mines into spirit stones is a special branch of artifact crafting, involving complex and intricate procedures. According to Dao Law, only the Dao Court is qualified to refine spirit stones.


    Any other families, sects, or individual cultivators are not allowed to refine them privately.


    Violators will be held accountable by the Dao Court Office, and serious offenders will be treated as rebels and suppressed or even exterminated by the Dao Court!


    As they walked, Yu Chengyi explained the knowledge related to spirit mines to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua listened, suddenly enlightened, realizing that the Dao Court''s control over spirit stones was very strict.


    For spirit mines occupied by families and sects, the Dao Court couldn''t interfere, so they could only monitor and balance major forces by controlling the final refining process of spirit stones.


    Spirit stones are the lifeblood of cultivators. Controlling spirit stones means controlling the entire cultivation world.


    Mo Hua asked again, "Can we cultivate directly here, given the dense spiritual energy?"


    "No," Yu Chengyi said, "the spiritual energy here looks dense but is impure. It contains moisture, fishy smell, various accumulated mixed and foul energies. Direct cultivation could cause problems."


    Mo Hua didn''t quite understand, "What are moisture, fishy smell, mixed energy, and foul energy?"


    Yu Chengyi was stumped, thinking Mo Hua had so many tricky questions¡­


    He could only do his best to recall and explain according to his understanding:


    "Energy is akin to a primal force in cultivation. Spiritual energy is the purest form of energy close to this primal force, absorbable by cultivators without harm. Cultivators'' spiritual power comes from refining spiritual energy."


    "Apart from that, there are various other energies in the cultivation world, generally mixed, evil, or foul. If a cultivator refines or is invaded by such energies, it can cause various problems in blood energy, Qi sea, or meridians."


    "More specifics, I''m not very sure. But you must be careful in the future, avoid absorbing any energy other than spiritual energy, or you might get into trouble."


    "Understood." Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, silently noting it in his heart.

 Chapter 156: Earth Fire Array

    "This spirit mine, how many spirit stones can it produce..." Mo Hua looked at the interconnected tunnels and curiously asked.


    Yu Chengyi replied, "This spirit mine isn''t large. Fully mined, it should be enough for all the demon hunters in Tongxian City to use for ten years or so."


    "Is that a lot or a little?"


    Yu Chengyi smiled, "It''s quite a bit. It means everyone can live comfortably for ten years or so."


    Ten years...


    That''s indeed not a short time. After all, he was only in his teens now.


    But to cultivators, ten years is really nothing.


    Time flows, fleeting like a white steed flitting past a crack, for some cultivators, a hundred years is but a moment.


    "How can we make these good days last longer..."


    Mo Hua''s brows gradually furrowed.


    The spirit stones in the spirit mine could allow demon hunters to live good lives for ten years and could also elevate the Qian family to new heights.


    If they monopolized the spirit mine and extracted the spirit stones, the Qian family could become even more dominant.


    By then, if the Qian family expanded their alchemy and artifact crafting businesses, monopolizing the trade in Tongxian City, all cultivators would have to rely on the Qian family.


    So, they couldn''t give up this spirit mine.


    Not long after, the Qian family launched their second wave of attacks.


    This time, they didn''t launch a full-scale assault but focused on sneak attacks and harassment.


    As night fell and the sky dimmed, the Qian family cultivators suddenly began their assaults.


    The demon hunters were attacked, sustaining casualties, and just as they were about to counterattack, the Qian family retreated with a signal.


    This happened several times, continuously harassing them.


    The injured demon hunters grew in number, and they had to remain on high alert at all times, their spirits constantly tense, making everyone look grim.


    Elder Yu was vaguely angry but had no good solution.


    Now they defended while the Qian family attacked.


    They were on the defensive, facing the Qian family''s relentless harassment, and whenever they tried to strike back, the Qian family would disappear like punching into cotton, leaving them feeling utterly frustrated.


    But with the spirit mine here, they couldn''t leave and had to endure the Qian family''s grip, suffering in torment.


    It seemed the Qian family intended to boil the frog slowly, wearing them down.


    The demon hunters'' faces were all ashen.


    Mo Hua also felt a bit irritated and would often sneak to the mine entrance to ponder the rugged landscape outside.


    After a few days of this, Mo Hua suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He found Elder Yu and said: S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Elder, I have an idea."


    Mo Hua shared his thoughts with Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu''s eyes lit up after hearing him, but he was hesitant, "Will it work?"


    Mo Hua wasn''t entirely sure but said, "Why not give it a try?"


    Elder Yu thought for a moment, not having any better ideas, and said, "Then let''s try it."


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued drawing arrays.


    This time, he wasn''t drawing the Iron Armor Array but the seven-patterned Earth Fire Array.


    This was a set of arrays from the "Introductory Array Compilation" given to Mo Hua by Mr. Zhuang, linking two Earth Fire Arrays to enhance their power.


    Because the array hub of the composite array increased spiritual power, this set of arrays would be more powerful than two separate Earth Fire Arrays detonating.


    After finishing the array, Mo Hua handed it to Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu released his spiritual sense and noticed that the Qian family cultivators were still watching the spirit mine like flies. He then ordered the demon hunters to launch a feint attack.


    The demon hunters suddenly charged out. The Qian family cultivators, caught off guard, retreated instead of fighting.


    They adhered to a harassment strategy, not planning a frontal battle for now.


    The demon hunters chased the Qian family cultivators away.


    Elder Yu scanned the area with his spiritual sense again, confirming there were no Qian family cultivators around the spirit mine, and waved his hand.


    Several demon hunters, carrying the Earth Fire Arrays drawn by Mo Hua, started setting them in various hidden spots on the mountain.


    Deep in the underbrush, beneath thick tree roots, among scattered rocks, and in the soil mixed with fallen leaves and grass roots, these hidden corners were all arrayed with the Earth Fire Arrays.


    After the setup, the demon hunters all retreated.


    Mo Hua found a concealed spot at the mine entrance and waited for the show.


    Unfortunately, the Qian family cultivators, having been chased away by the demon hunters, didn''t dare come up the mountain for a while.


    Mo Hua, bored, took out an array book to study, thinking about what other arrays could counter the Qian family''s attacks.


    It wasn''t until evening that the Qian family cultivators regrouped, lurking at the foot of Nameless Peak.


    The distance was too far for Mo Hua to see, but his spiritual sense vaguely detected movement, indicating the Qian family was planning something.


    Mo Hua knew the show was about to start!


    He put away the array book, laid out a blanket on the ground, and took out beef jerky, pine nuts, wild fruits, and a bottle of his treasured osmanthus wine from his storage bag.


    This osmanthus wine was sweet and refreshing, not intoxicating, and he rarely drank it.


    Mo Hua, munching on pine nuts and beef, eagerly watched the foot of the mountain.


    Sure enough, the Qian family soon made their move.


    At the foot of Nameless Peak, the Qian family cultivators gathered, led by a six-foot tall, broad-shouldered man.


    Surrounded by several Qi cultivation level nine cultivators, they whispered about the night''s plans.


    "Tonight, we''ll teach these demon hunter bastards a lesson!"


    "We''ll sneak up as usual, strike on sight, no need to hold back. If they die, it''s their bad luck..."


    "If they chase us, we''ll pretend to retreat."


    "But unlike before, we won''t really retreat. We''ll ambush them when they return."


    "After these days of attacks, they won''t expect us to strike back!"


    "Taking them by surprise this time, even if we don''t succeed completely, we¡¯ll severely weaken them! In a few days, their morale will be shattered, and they''ll be at our mercy!"


    "And the family head will surely recognize our achievements. Once the Qian family seizes the spirit mine and grows stronger, our futures will be limitless, and Foundation Building will be within reach!"


    The man''s speech fired up everyone.


    Some Qian family cultivators were puzzled, "Why did the demon hunters suddenly charge at us today?"


    The Qian family man waved his hand, "No matter. As long as we work together, no matter their schemes, they¡¯re just clowns!"


    The Qian family cultivators nodded, their fighting spirit high.


    Seeing this, the Qian family man began dividing them into teams. Several groups moved forward, restraining their breath, heading up the mountain.


    Everything was as usual.


    They had always snuck up this way, thinking it would be the same this time.


    Until a Qian family cultivator unknowingly stepped on something.


    He felt a slight unease underfoot, but before he could think about it, flames surrounded him.


    Boom.


    The explosion of the Earth Fire Array lit up the night spectacularly.


    The surrounding Qian family cultivators were all blasted away, not killed but mostly charred, blood pouring from their mouths.


    "Enemy attack?!"


    "Where?"


    The Qian family cultivators, panicked, looked around but saw no one.


    "Don''t panic!"


    The man quickly ordered, "It''s just their dying struggle. Stick to the plan!"


    The Qian family cultivators calmed down and continued forward.


    But they soon couldn''t stay calm...


    Boom!


    Boom, boom, boom...


    Explosions echoed continuously, Earth Fire Arrays detonated, flames roared, like blooming lotuses, one after another.


    The Qian family cultivators could only scurry in the firelight, triggering more explosions...


    The Qian family man stood still, dumbfounded.


    What was happening?!


    Where did these explosions come from?


    The man racked his brains but couldn''t figure it out.


    Seeing the Qian family cultivators wailing and scattering in the flames, the man knew they were doomed.


    He thought he had everything planned, but the explosions ruined all his schemes...


    The man felt a bitter taste in his mouth.


    Clowns, it turned out, were themselves...

 Chapter 157: Offensive

    The Earth Fire Array exploded continuously, as dazzling as fireworks. Amidst the explosions were the cries of Qian family cultivators, adding to the chaos.Satisfied after a hearty meal, Mo Hua nodded in approval.


    At the entrance of the mine, other demon hunters watched, cheering at the sight of the Qian family''s misery.


    "Great explosion!"


    "Make it louder!"


    The frustration caused by the Qian family''s constant harassment over the past few days was swept away.


    Elder Yu was also pleased, cursing the Qian family from top to bottom once more.


    Now, the pressure had shifted to the Qian family cultivators.


    To fight or not to fight?


    Attacking would lead to disastrous explosions, but not fighting would mean handing over the spirit mine.


    Either way, it was unacceptable to the Qian family.


    The next day, the Qian family cleaned up the battlefield and carried the wounded back for treatment.


    Originally, there were many injuries but few deaths.


    However, some wounded cultivators were ambushed by demonic beasts on their way back.


    The beasts, attracted by the scent of blood, found them, and the severely injured Qian family cultivators, just off the battlefield, ended up in the bellies of the demonic beasts.


    Qian Hong, the head of the Qian family, was furious and ordered the capture of the spirit mine at all costs!


    Qian Zhuang, a direct descendant of the Qian family, felt the pressure. Although not from Qian Hong''s branch, he was tasked with this dangerous mission.


    This suited him. Despite being a direct descendant, he was underutilized within the family, with an uncertain future.


    If he could capture the spirit mine, the family would look at him with new eyes, and he might receive spirit stones and pills as rewards, giving him a chance to build his foundation.


    Once a Foundation Building cultivator, he could become an elder, gaining significant power in the Qian family.


    Qian family elders had significant power, but advancement was strict.


    One needed either Foundation Building cultivation, high proficiency in arrays, alchemy, or artifact crafting, a key position in a sect or the Dao Court, or significant contributions to the family.


    Qian Zhuang met none of these conditions, so his only path to becoming an elder was through Foundation Building cultivation.


    Thus, he had to capture the spirit mine, or else he would face severe punishment.


    In the Qian family, fellow cultivators were considered family, but not truly close. Failing to bring benefits to the family made one useless.


    Qian Zhuang didn''t want to be useless. He wanted to capture the spirit mine, stepping on these demon hunters to climb higher within the Qian family.


    Soon, a Qian family disciple reported:


    "Big brother, the brothers have investigated. The explosion last night was an array!"


    Qian Zhuang frowned. "An array? These bumpkins can use arrays?"


    "Yes!"


    Qian Zhuang''s frown deepened.


    He recalled their previous attack, wondering if the unbreakable rattan armor was also enhanced with arrays.


    "What kind of array?"


    "A disciple asked Master Qian, who said it looked like an Earth Fire Array."


    Master Qian was an array master in the Qian family, not yet a first-grade master, but well-respected.


    "Earth Fire Array? What level?"


    "Seven-pattern array."


    Qian Zhuang''s expression turned cold. "A seven-pattern array, no wonder."


    A seven-pattern array could harm late-stage Qi cultivators, and several combined would be even more powerful.


    Qian Zhuang''s heart was filled with hatred, but he couldn''t help but sneer, "An array master helping these paupers!"


    He didn''t believe these poor wandering cultivators could afford to hire an array master.


    This array master probably signed a spirit contract with them, receiving spirit stones from the mine in return.


    In this world, people were driven by profit, and this array master was no exception.


    The disciple asked, "Big brother, what should we do next?"


    Qian Zhuang replied, "No matter, it''s just a seven-pattern array master."


    How many arrays could one master draw?


    The previous night''s explosion must have used many Earth Fire Arrays, and he doubted they had any left for tonight.


    Mo Hua indeed couldn''t draw many arrays, just seven or eight Earth Fire Arrays a day.


    But Mo Hua still had plenty of regular Earth Fire Arrays, stockpiled for trapping and hunting demonic beasts.


    With the demon hunters and the Qian family at odds, Elder Yu had stopped the demon hunters from entering Dahei Mountain for hunting, leaving Mo Hua with a surplus of Earth Fire Arrays to use now.


    Thus, the Qian family disciples were unlucky.


    On the first night, they were bombed.


    On the second night, they were bombed again.


    On the third and fourth nights, they were still bombed.


    Qian Zhuang was furious but kept pressing on, curious to see how many more Earth Fire Arrays the demon hunters had.


    But the Qian family disciples were reluctant.


    Stepping on Earth Fire Arrays might not be fatal, but it would cause injuries, making them easy prey for demonic beasts.


    So many Qian family cultivators hesitated, staying on the outskirts, afraid to enter the array''s range.


    Qian Zhuang knew this was bad and passionately encouraged them:


    "Brothers, we''ve attacked for four days. They can''t have that many arrays left. They''re probably running out..."


    "We''re just one step away. We can''t let our efforts be in vain! Otherwise, all the sacrifices will be for nothing!"


    "As long as we capture the spirit mine, the family head will reward us generously!"


    The Qian family cultivators, roused with fervor, set off again.


    And once more, they fled in defeat, escaping the fire of the Earth Fire Arrays.


    Mo Hua stood halfway up the mountain, watching, and couldn''t help but respect the commanding Qian family cultivators.


    Using lives to deplete his array stock¡ªtruly ruthless!


    At the same time, Qian Zhuang, watching the scene, almost spat blood.


    Damn, how do they still have arrays?


    Do you have ten hands to draw so many arrays?


    Facing the rugged, verdant mountain terrain ahead, Qian Zhuang felt a shadow over his heart.


    But with the current morale shattered, they couldn''t attack again soon. The Qian family had to retreat once more.


    The demon hunters repelled the Qian family''s offensive without losing a single soldier.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with a kinder expression, making Yu Chengyi, his son, feel uncomfortable.


    His father never showed him such kindness, always stern and harsh, like a rock used to press salted vegetables.


    After these days of rest, the demon hunters were in better spirits, looking more relaxed.


    Mo Hua suddenly thought of a question and asked Elder Yu worriedly:


    "If the Qian family sends a Foundation Building cultivator, what do we do?"


    "Do what we can."


    Mo Hua was slightly surprised, "Foundation Building cultivators are supposed to be very powerful, right?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "Foundation Building is powerful, but not invincible."


    Mo Hua frowned, not quite understanding.


    Elder Yu explained further:


    "A Foundation Building cultivator''s power is roughly equivalent to ten late-stage Qi cultivators. If there''s only one, even five or six late-stage Qi cultivators can''t match them, unable to last a few moves..."


    "But if there are more than ten experienced late-stage Qi cultivators, they can contend with a Foundation Building cultivator. The outcome is uncertain. It would likely be an exchange of injuries, lives for lives, ten lives for one. Even if the Qi cultivators die, the Foundation Building cultivator would be severely injured or dying."


    "If there are dozens, even hundreds of late-stage Qi cultivators, the Foundation Building cultivator, if unable to escape, will be worn down to death."


    "There''s a saying, ''Even a fierce tiger fears a pack of wolves,'' which illustrates this principle." S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.

 Chapter 158: Open Assault

    "Is the Qian family''s Foundation Building cultivators not making a move because they fear being exhausted and then besieged to death?" Mo Hua asked."Yes, but not entirely," Elder Yu said. "On one hand, the Qian family¡¯s Foundation Building cultivators indeed fear being exhausted. If I hold him down, he won''t be able to escape and will inevitably be killed."


    "In such chaotic battles, Foundation Building cultivators usually balance each other out and don¡¯t make a move lightly. When they do, it either decisively determines the outcome or serves another significant purpose that can sway the battle."


    "On the other hand, the Qian family has more than one Foundation Building cultivator..." Elder Yu chuckled lightly.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, "Isn''t this an advantage for the Qian family?"


    Elder Yu did not answer directly but said, "One monk drinks water, two monks carry water, three monks have no water to drink."


    "Oh," Mo Hua understood, "They all want others to take the risk and sacrifice, so they can reap the benefits."


    Elder Yu nodded approvingly.


    "The Qian family has such internal strife?"


    "Even siblings have clear accounts, not to mention that although they are a family, their bloodlines are diverse and their interests are intertwined. There may not be any real familial affection."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    No wonder Elder Yu always scolded the Qian family as a heartless pack of wolves.


    If they treat their own family¡¯s cultivators this way, let alone other cultivators.


    "What if all the Qian family''s Foundation Building cultivators come together?" Mo Hua asked.


    "I hope they do," Elder Yu raised an eyebrow. "If they all come, their family and industries will be unguarded. If their enemies find out and plunder their industries and slaughter their direct descendants, it would be amusing."


    Elder Yu''s expression was quite schadenfreude.


    Mo Hua''s mouth gaped, "Does that kind of thing happen?"


    "Of course, it does. You''re still young. When you''ve lived for hundreds of years, you''ll know that in this world, there''s nothing people won''t do, only things you can''t imagine."


    Mo Hua was deeply shocked. "Won''t the Dao Court intervene?"


    "After the plundering and killing, what use is the Dao Court?"


    Elder Yu wanted to curse but restrained himself in front of Mo Hua.


    "If the direct disciples are all dead, leaving only the Foundation Building cultivators, it¡¯s just an empty shell that will soon be squeezed out of existence."


    "Also, the important industries of the Qian family outside, if not guarded by Foundation Building cultivators, any mishap would be a significant blow..."


    "A large family business is hard to protect, so they dare not let their Foundation Building cultivators join the battle early."


    "I see..."


    Mo Hua realized.


    Seeing Mo Hua deep in thought, Elder Yu reassured, "Don¡¯t worry, the Qian family''s Foundation Building cultivators seem fierce but are actually cowards. If one comes, I''ll deal with him easily. Even if two or three come, I have ways to handle them."


    Mo Hua was astonished by Elder Yu¡¯s confidence.


    "Elder, are you very powerful?" Mo Hua asked.


    "It''s not that I''m powerful," Elder Yu sighed, smiling bitterly, "It''s just that I dare to risk my life, and they don¡¯t."


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu''s lean arms and neck bore various light scars, barely noticeable on his dark skin.


    These scars must have been left from desperate battles...


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    The Qian family didn¡¯t attack, so the demon hunters concentrated on mining spirit mines. But Elder Yu knew the Qian family wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    A few days later, the Qian family came again at night.


    This time they had reinforcements: several robust earth-attribute spirit root cultivators, fully armed in iron armor.


    This was Qian Zhuang''s strategy after much deliberation. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Earth Fire Array¡¯s power wasn''t too strong, so he found some tough earth-attribute body cultivators in iron armor to walk through the array.


    Without the Earth Fire Array, the path would be clear.


    So he used his connections, requesting and pleading to gather several earth-attribute cultivators who practiced earth techniques and had strong bodies.


    He also nearly exhausted his savings to buy or borrow a few sets of iron armor and some fire-resistant spirit tools.


    Tonight, he must break the Earth Fire Array!


    As he expected.


    The earth-attribute cultivators in iron armor, equipped with fire-resistant spirit tools, walked through the Earth Fire Array, sparking explosions.


    The mountains echoed with explosions and were illuminated by flames.


    The fiery spirit energy impacted the iron armor, but most of the force was neutralized. The fire-resistant spirit tools dissolved some of the fire energy, and the remaining power only caused minor injuries to the earth-attribute cultivators in iron armor.


    After several passes, the earth-attribute cultivators in iron armor cleared the Earth Fire Array in the mountains.


    Some iron armor was damaged, with one set even ruined.


    Qian Zhuang felt heartache, but these costs were worth it!


    He finally broke the Earth Fire Array!


    Qian Zhuang felt triumphant and elated.


    He led the Qian family cultivators across the mountain pass, which had previously frustrated him due to the Earth Fire Array.


    The Qian family cultivators reached the mine entrance, confronting the demon hunters.


    Then Qian Zhuang suddenly realized he had forgotten a crucial point:


    Their original tactic seemed to be a sneak attack...


    Now, the demon hunters, fully armored and well-prepared, had been watching them for a long time.


    After the ordeal of the Earth Fire Array, they finally faced the demon hunters.


    But... could this be called a sneak attack?


    The demon hunters looked at them with mocking eyes, as if watching fools.


    Qian Zhuang''s face flashed with anger, but his heart grew cold.


    What to do next, he suddenly didn¡¯t know...


    Fight?


    They probably couldn''t win.


    Escape?


    Then why did they come, and why go through the Earth Fire Array?


    As Qian Zhuang doubted himself, Yu Chengyi drew his sword.


    Immediately, the demon hunters drew their swords in response.


    The night was dark, the demon hunters'' swords gleamed white.


    "Kill!"


    Yu Chengyi roared, and the demon hunters charged at the Qian family cultivators with overwhelming momentum.


    Thus, the Qian family cultivators, who had painstakingly crossed the Earth Fire Array, were quickly driven back.


    Qian Hong struggled back to the camp, summarizing the battle with a dirty face.


    The disciples'' casualties were inevitable, and several sets of iron armor were seized.


    No wonder, as the demon hunters'' primary target was the iron armor, with the people being secondary.


    The demon hunters, experienced and cooperative, quickly took down the Qian family cultivators in iron armor.


    Then, in a few swift moves, they stripped off and took the iron armor.


    For demon hunters skilled in skinning demon beasts, iron armor was no challenge.


    Qian Zhuang felt heart-wrenching pain and absurdity.


    If he hadn''t been so focused on breaking the Earth Fire Array, he wouldn''t have forgotten their original intention.


    Turning a sneak attack into an open assault.


    And getting caught off guard, attacked by an enemy prepared and waiting.


    Qian Zhuang was furious.


    Who the hell designed this Earth Fire Array?!

 Chapter 159: Qian Zhongxuan

    Who painted the array? Qian Zhuang didn''t know, but he knew he was finished.So many people were lost, so much time wasted, and so many pills and spirit tools spent, without reclaiming a single piece of spirit mine.


    The family wouldn''t give him another chance.


    The next day, Qian Zhuang was informed that he was stripped of his command but was still allowed to stay at the spirit mine to redeem himself through meritorious deeds.


    That evening, a Qian family cultivator with deep furrows of law markings on his face arrived at the Qian family''s camp. He saw Qian Zhuang and snorted coldly:


    "All you do is fail and make things worse!"


    Qian Zhuang bowed deeply, keeping his head low, not daring to argue.


    The visitor was an elder of the Qian family, a Foundation Building cultivator, Qian Zhongxuan.


    He was the biggest supporter of Qian Zhuang''s branch.


    "I didn''t want to come, but since you¡¯ve been ineffective for so long without making any progress, I had to come and clean up your mess. Otherwise, our branch would be a laughingstock in the family," Qian Zhongxuan said coldly.


    Qian Zhuang was even more ashamed, "Elder, it''s not that I''m ineffective, it''s just that those..."


    Qian Zhongxuan cut him off, "No excuses! Excuses are useless to the family head and other elders. They don''t care what you say; they only look at what you do and what results you achieve!"


    Qian Zhuang lowered his head and said, "Yes."


    Seeing Qian Zhuang''s sincere attitude, and considering that his branch didn''t have many Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators to support, Qian Zhongxuan''s expression softened a bit. He gave him some pointers:


    "People say our Qian family members are like wolves, with wolfish ambition. This is not an insult but a compliment. As disciples of the Qian family, we must be like wolves¡ªfighting and seizing!"


    "Every piece of meat must be held tightly in our mouths. If someone takes a bite from your mouth, you must bite back a piece from them!"


    Qian Zhuang''s spirit was lifted, and he cupped his hands, "I am taught."


    "Good." Qian Zhongxuan nodded, "Don''t dwell on this failure. Victory and defeat are common occurrences. Don''t lose your spirit of striving because of it."


    Qian Zhuang was greatly encouraged and felt even more grateful to Qian Zhongxuan. He said:


    "I will follow the elder''s teachings!"


    "Rest for a few days first. Once I reorganize the personnel, we will attack the mountain. Perform well and do not disappoint me," Qian Zhongxuan said seriously, then got up and left.


    Qian Zhuang respectfully saw Qian Zhongxuan off, feeling relieved.


    At this time, Elder Yu also received the news. Knowing that Qian Zhongxuan had entered Dahei Mountain, he snorted coldly:


    "This old fox Qian Zhongxuan is up to no good. Be alert; we might have a tough battle in the next few days."


    Yu Chengyi and the others nodded solemnly.


    Mo Hua also nodded.


    Elder Yu glanced at him and said, "You don''t need to nod. Just stay here and don''t go out."


    "Can I peek?"


    "Peek at what?"


    "Watch you guys fight."


    Elder Yu frowned, "What''s so interesting about that?"


    "I want to learn."


    Mo Hua looked humble and eager to learn.


    Elder Yu sighed, "You can watch, but don''t go out. Battles between cultivators are no child''s play."


    "Mm-hmm!" Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    His life was more important; he wouldn''t go out. He wasn''t stupid. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the next few days, Mo Hua learned a new array:


    First-grade Earth Fire Array.


    This was also learned from Mr. Zhuang''s array book. Its effect was similar to the Earth Fire Array, but it was more powerful, containing nine array patterns, making it a true first-grade array.


    However, the previous one with seven array patterns was called Earth Fire Array, and this one was directly called First-grade Earth Fire Array. The name didn''t change, just added "First-grade."


    Mo Hua silently criticized in his heart, wondering who compiled these array books. They were too lazy to even change the names.


    After mastering the First-grade Earth Fire Array, Mo Hua would draw it whenever he had time, about ten arrays a day.


    Ten Earth Fire Arrays were not many but not few either. Directly using them might not be very effective, so Mo Hua decided to stockpile them first.


    One day, after drawing arrays, Mo Hua took out some pine nuts and started munching.


    Next door, Elder Yu was discussing matters.


    To ensure Mo Hua''s safety, Elder Yu had set up a stone room next to Mo Hua''s for rest and meetings with other demon hunters.


    Elder Yu was discussing with Yu Chengyi and a few others on how to deal with the Qian family when he suddenly became serious and stepped out of the mine cave.


    Outside the cave were rugged rocks and lush trees.


    However, the Earth Fire Array had blasted it once, making the ground very uneven and chaotic.


    Elder Yu sneered and cursed directly:


    "Qian Zhongxuan, you old bastard, what are you sneaking around for?"


    Not far away, Qian Zhongxuan suddenly appeared, smiling sarcastically, "Your dog''s nose is still as sharp as ever."


    Elder Yu replied sarcastically, "If I have a dog''s nose, then your mother is a bitch, your father is a dumb dog, and you are a wild dog..."


    His words were vulgar and loud, echoing up and down the peak, making Qian Zhongxuan''s blood boil.


    Qian Zhongxuan regretted provoking Elder Yu, knowing well that this old man could spew the most offensive words.


    Qian Zhongxuan took a long time to calm himself.


    "Let''s set some rules."


    "You think you can set rules? Your ass must be on your face; otherwise, where do you get the nerve?"


    Qian Zhongxuan endured his anger and gritted his teeth, "If you keep messing around like this, there''s no point in talking."


    Elder Yu chuckled, "You are not as patient as Qian Hong. Qian Hong can endure more than you, no, he is more shameless than you."


    Qian Zhongxuan almost couldn''t hold back.


    Seeing that it was enough, Elder Yu asked, "What do you want?"


    Qian Zhongxuan took a deep breath, "In this fight for the spirit mine, neither of us will take action."


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, "What about the other Foundation Building cultivators in the Qian family?"


    "They won''t take action either."


    "Why should I trust you?"


    Qian Zhongxuan said, "I have arranged for the Dao Court''s supervisor to witness this. You should be reassured."


    Elder Yu frowned slightly. He didn''t know what Qian Zhongxuan was up to, but if both sides'' Foundation Building cultivators didn''t take action, it would be beneficial for the demon hunters.


    "Alright, I agree."


    Qian Zhongxuan breathed a sigh of relief, "Then it''s settled."


    Elder Yu suddenly sneered, "Qian Zhongxuan, are you scared of dying?"


    Afraid of risking his life against the old man and the demon hunters.


    Qian Zhongxuan''s face darkened, saying nothing.


    He was indeed afraid. Elder Yu didn''t value his life because rogue cultivators lived hard lives.


    But he was different. He was a Foundation Building elder of the Qian family, with a high status and endless wealth. He didn''t want to die.


    Seeing his expression, Elder Yu thought, ''As expected.'' He began to insult him directly:


    "Then go back to your mother''s womb and suckle. This place of real fighting isn''t for you. Stay a cowardly weakling in your luxurious nest, rotting away..."


    Knowing he couldn''t win this war of words, Qian Zhongxuan left in a huff.


    Mo Hua listened, dumbfounded.


    He thought if cursing had levels, Elder Yu would at least be a half-step immortal.


    Elder Yu, not yet satisfied, saw Qian Zhongxuan leave dejectedly. He turned back and saw Mo Hua looking at him in awe.


    Elder Yu coughed and said, "Don''t learn what I just said."


    Mo Hua, having already learned, replied, "Don''t worry, Elder Yu."

 Chapter 160: Spiritual Cultivators

    Both sides agreed that Foundation Building cultivators would not take part in the fight.The next day, the Qian family cultivators began their operation, their ranks extending from the base of Nameless Peak all the way to the mine halfway up the mountain.


    Their numbers were roughly twice that of the demon hunters.


    From the entrance of the highest mine, Mo Hua looked down and saw a dense crowd of Qian family cultivators. He estimated there were over a thousand people.


    How could they possibly win this fight?


    Mo Hua turned to Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu nonchalantly said, "They may look numerous, but they are all useless."


    Thus, the two sides began to engage.


    At first, it was just tentative strikes, testing each other''s strength.


    Although the demon hunters'' cultivation levels were somewhat lower than the Qian family cultivators, they were seasoned fighters, having battled demonic beasts for years. Their Dao techniques were skillful, their experience abundant, and they cooperated seamlessly in combat.


    The Qian family cultivators, despite their higher cultivation, were used to a life of leisure and their Dao techniques were mediocre. They didn''t dare to risk their lives, fighting timidly.


    After a brief chaotic battle, the situation became clear.


    The demon hunters could advance or retreat as needed, appearing to fight individually but supporting each other. Despite their numerical disadvantage, they managed to make the Qian family cultivators retreat step by step. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Demon hunters made their living by hunting demonic beasts; defeating these unskilled cultivators was no difficult task.


    The Qian family cultivators gradually began to lose ground.


    Qian Zhongxuan watched, his expression indifferent, and signaled for the Qian family cultivators to retreat.


    He probably wanted to avoid being berated by Elder Yu for being slow.


    The first day ended abruptly, with both sides resting and recuperating. The next day, they faced off again.


    This time, the Qian family cultivators had about twenty new members.


    These twenty cultivators stood together, heavily protected by the other Qian family cultivators.


    Elder Yu frowned, "So this is Qian Zhongxuan''s plan."


    He said this while chewing on a piece of beef.


    The beef belonged to Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu had been observing the battle from above and spotted Mo Hua peeking out from a cave, with wild fruits, pine nuts, beef, and fruit wine laid out before him.


    Worried about Mo Hua''s safety, Elder Yu joined him.


    The two watched and ate together.


    Mo Hua initially thought today would be like the previous day¡ªa victory with some setbacks but ultimately one-sided.


    So he prepared snacks and drinks, ready to watch the show.


    But now, seeing Elder Yu frowning and looking uneasy, Mo Hua asked, "Is something wrong?"


    Elder Yu pointed at the twenty Qian family cultivators standing alone and said, "Look at those people."


    Mo Hua observed them. They seemed weak, not particularly strong, but the Qian family had isolated and heavily protected them, which was puzzling.


    "Elder, who are they?"


    "You''ll see soon enough," Elder Yu replied.


    Before long, the battle resumed, with the demon hunters charging forward.


    The Qian family cultivators didn''t advance but formed a defensive formation around those twenty cultivators.


    At the same time, those twenty cultivators began casting spells in unison.


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat.


    They were spiritual cultivators!


    Within a few breaths, the spiritual cultivators completed their spells. Fireballs, ice arrows, and wind blades flew out, hitting the demon hunters.


    In the chaos, the spells didn''t need to be accurately aimed; they hit targets regardless.


    Those struck by the spells either spat blood from the impact or collapsed from severe injuries, losing their combat capability.


    Meanwhile, the Qian family''s body cultivators pressed forward, pushing back the demon hunters.


    The spiritual cultivators continued casting spells.


    Soon, another wave of fireballs and ice arrows rained down.


    The demon hunters were in agony.


    If they charged, they would be blocked by the Qian family''s body cultivators.


    If they didn''t charge, they would become live targets for the spiritual cultivators'' spells.


    Elder Yu frowned even deeper.


    Twenty spiritual cultivators, most in the late stages of Qi Refinement, some even at the ninth level!


    Qian Zhongxuan had planned this all along.


    He was taking advantage of the demon hunters'' lack of spiritual cultivators!


    Qi Refinement stage demon hunters were indeed unsuitable for becoming spiritual cultivators.


    Casting spells took time, and in the life-and-death battles with demonic beasts, a slight delay could be fatal.


    Thus, demon hunters generally focused on martial arts and Dao techniques, using spiritual energy to enhance their physical abilities in combat.


    Moreover, spiritual cultivators were physically weaker. A light scratch from a demonic beast could be fatal. Body cultivators, with their tough bodies, could withstand more attacks.


    But now, fighting against the Qian family cultivators, the Qian family knew the demon hunters had no spiritual cultivators, or at least none that could make a difference.


    Taking advantage of this, the Qian family used their spiritual cultivators to gradually wear down the demon hunters.


    There were a few spiritual cultivators among the demon hunters, but not enough to turn the tide.


    Elder Yu''s anger simmered.


    No wonder Qian Zhongxuan insisted on excluding Foundation Building cultivators from the fight.


    If he could participate, he would have immediately slaughtered those twenty spiritual cultivators, saving a lot of trouble.


    But now, he couldn''t intervene. The demon hunters, with only their Qi Refinement stage body cultivators, couldn''t break through and could only endure the spiritual cultivators'' spells.


    Elder Yu sighed, realizing the unfavorable situation, and ordered the demon hunters to retreat, holding only the entrance of the mine.


    Qian Zhongxuan sneered and did not pursue.


    He wasn''t in a hurry. Without dealing with the spiritual cultivators, the demon hunters would be slowly worn down.


    Chasing recklessly could fall into Elder Yu''s trap.


    Over the years, he had dealt with Elder Yu many times and knew the man was shameless to the extreme.


    He had rarely gained the upper hand against Elder Yu, but now it was his turn to revel in victory.


    The Qian family withdrew, and Elder Yu frowned, pondering how to deal with their spiritual cultivators.


    Yu Chengyi suggested, "Father, why don''t you secretly kill those spiritual cultivators?"


    Elder Yu glared at him. "What nonsense! Didn''t you hear what that old scoundrel said? The Dao Court''s director is overseeing this. If I act rashly, it would be a slap in the Dao Court''s face. How would I explain it to the director?"


    Yu Chengyi whispered, "Secretly¡­"


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, "Do you think everyone is stupid and won''t notice it was me?"


    Yu Chengyi had no response. After a while, he suggested, "We could charge in wearing iron armor?"


    Mo Shan shook his head, "Wearing iron armor would slow us down, making us easier targets."


    Yu Chengyi proposed, "Then let''s send a few with agile movement techniques to bypass the Qian family''s body cultivators and assassinate their spiritual cultivators from behind!"


    Mo Shan nodded, "That''s the best option for now, but it''s risky. Extreme caution is needed, or they could be surrounded and trapped."


    "The risk is too high. If they fail, it will be hard to escape," Elder Yu sighed.


    He didn''t want the demon hunters to take such a risk unless absolutely necessary.


    "Should we find spiritual cultivators to counter them?" Yu Chengyi tentatively asked.


    Elder Yu thought for a moment and shook his head, "Our spiritual cultivators aren''t strong enough or numerous enough to change the situation."


    The group fell silent.


    Elder Yu suddenly remembered something, "Do we have any spiritual cultivators among the demon hunters?"


    Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan were stunned, unable to recall anyone.


    A proper demon hunter wouldn''t be a spiritual cultivator, right?


    They looked at each other.


    Mo Hua timidly raised his hand, "I am."

 Chapter 161: Swift and Accurate

    The surroundings fell silent for a moment.¡°I know spells,¡± Mo Hua emphasized.


    Elder Yu gathered his thoughts and first praised him, ¡°Not bad, you¡¯re a spiritual cultivator. Study spells well, and you¡¯ll have a bright future.¡±


    These words were somewhat insincere.


    After the compliment, Elder Yu continued, ¡°But your current level is low, and your spiritual power is weak. Even if you know spells, it¡¯s not suitable to engage in battles, especially in such chaotic situations.¡±


    Elder Yu was afraid that Mo Hua would impulsively rush out to fight with the Qian family cultivators.


    In such chaotic battles, without strict protection, spiritual cultivators are very vulnerable.


    Yu Chengyi also nodded quickly; he too feared that something might happen to Mo Hua.


    Mo Shan, however, looked at Mo Hua thoughtfully.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I think I can still help a bit.¡±


    Elder Yu was slightly stunned, ¡°How will you help?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t handle chaotic battles, but I can deal with those spiritual cultivators,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    Elder Yu frowned.


    Mo Hua elaborated, ¡°I¡¯m only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, so my spells aren¡¯t very powerful. I might not be able to kill them, but interrupting their spells shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°What if they use spells against you?¡± Yu Chengyi asked.


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°They can¡¯t hit me.¡±


    Yu Chengyi was taken aback, ¡°Why?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Their spiritual awareness isn¡¯t as strong as mine. I can stand outside their range, and if their spiritual awareness can¡¯t touch me, their spells won¡¯t hit me either.¡±


    Yu Chengyi suddenly understood and exchanged a glance with Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu decided, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll try it tomorrow. But you stay inside the mine and don¡¯t go out.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua agreed with a nod.


    The next day, the battle resumed.


    The Qian family used the same strategy, with body cultivators holding the front line and spiritual cultivators attacking with spells, slowly wearing down the demon hunters.


    The demon hunters, following Elder Yu¡¯s secret instructions, didn¡¯t forcefully charge but dodged the spells to avoid getting hurt.


    Some agile demon hunters pretended to circle around to attack the Qian family¡¯s spiritual cultivators, distracting the Qian family¡¯s body cultivators and spreading them thin.


    With this maneuvering, the Qian family¡¯s spiritual cultivators became exposed to Mo Hua¡¯s sight.


    Mo Hua cast spells without looking, only needing to lock on with his spiritual awareness.


    The purpose of spreading the Qian family¡¯s body cultivators was to prevent them from blocking the Fireball Technique.


    Elder Yu stood behind Mo Hua.


    He wouldn¡¯t interfere in the fight but would protect Mo Hua if necessary.


    If Mo Hua were really in danger, Elder Yu wouldn¡¯t stand by and watch.


    Hitting the Dao Court¡¯s face was one thing; apologizing to the master was another, but he could handle that, given his thick skin.


    A ten-year-old who had already reached the threshold of a first-grade array master and came from their wandering cultivators was too valuable to risk.


    Elder Yu measured the position of the Qian family¡¯s spiritual cultivators and whispered to Mo Hua, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit far? Can you hit them?¡±


    Elder Yu knew Mo Hua had strong spiritual awareness, but strong spiritual awareness didn¡¯t necessarily mean accurate spellcasting. Hitting from such a distance wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t sure, ¡°I think I can.¡±


    It was worth a try.


    As the chaotic battle ensued, the Qian family¡¯s spiritual cultivators began chanting incantations.


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyes narrowed, knowing it was time.


    He then saw Mo Hua raise a hand, join his fingers, and a fireball shot out. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu was shocked, ¡°So fast?¡±


    Before he could even notice Mo Hua¡¯s movements, a fireball was already cast and flying out.


    The fireball drew an arc and hit a Qian family spiritual cultivator.


    Caught off guard while channeling energy, the Qian family spiritual cultivator¡¯s spell was interrupted by the Fireball Technique.


    It hit!


    Elder Yu was delighted but saw Mo Hua looking displeased, mumbling, ¡°Missed¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it hit?¡± Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Mo Hua regretfully said, ¡°No, I aimed for the heart but hit the wrist.¡±


    Elder Yu opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Hitting from this distance was already impressive, and he expected to hit the heart?


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    To avoid appearing ignorant, Elder Yu suppressed his shock and calmly said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, hitting is good enough. Just aim better next time.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    Mo Hua joined his fingers, and in a blink, another fireball shot out.


    This time Elder Yu watched carefully.


    It was indeed too fast!


    Elder Yu was astonished, ¡°I wonder who taught this kid spells. It¡¯s just a regular Fireball Technique, yet it looks so extraordinary¡­¡±


    The second fireball hit a Qian family spiritual cultivator¡¯s shoulder.


    Mo Hua sighed regretfully, then adjusted his mindset, held his breath, concentrated his spiritual awareness, and continued casting Fireball Technique.


    Fortunately, the third and fourth fireballs were quite accurate.


    One of them indeed hit a spiritual cultivator¡¯s heart, causing him to collapse immediately, not dead but unable to get up for a while.


    The other exploded in a spiritual cultivator¡¯s face, scorching his hair and leaving him disfigured.


    Elder Yu watched silently, his eyelid twitching.


    Is this really Fireball Technique?


    Can it be this accurate?


    This was ridiculous¡­


    In a chaotic battle, one or two fireballs might not be noticeable, but three or four made a significant impact.


    Especially with one collapsing and another disfigured.


    Even a fool would realize something was wrong!


    ¡°Spells?!¡±


    ¡°There are spiritual cultivators on the other side!¡±


    The Qian family cultivators looked towards Mo Hua, who quickly lay flat on the ground, hidden entirely by thick bushes.


    Many spiritual awarenesses scanned Mo Hua¡¯s direction but found nothing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s position was beyond the reach of a typical ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator¡¯s spiritual awareness.


    Unwilling to give up, the Qian family¡¯s spiritual cultivators cast spells towards Mo Hua¡¯s direction.


    Fireballs, water arrows, wind blades, and golden rays flew in but dissipated as they lost control without reaching Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was completely relieved.


    Since the Qian family¡¯s spiritual cultivators couldn¡¯t hit him and their body cultivators couldn¡¯t reach him, he could act without restraint.


    Mo Hua poked his head out, casting Fireball Technique one after another.


    Fireballs flew over the grass and rocks, hitting the Qian family¡¯s spiritual cultivators.


    Though the sixth-level Fireball Technique wasn¡¯t very powerful, getting hit still hurt, especially when hitting vital points.


    Spiritual cultivators weren¡¯t good at physical cultivation. Getting hit by Fireball Technique, they were injured even if not severely, some were even burned with their hair gone.


    Being suppressed by Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique, they couldn¡¯t cast their spells.


    With the Qian family¡¯s spiritual cultivators unable to cast spells, the demon hunters were no longer hindered.


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s eyes lit up, and he shouted, ¡°Kill!¡±


    The demon hunters responded loudly, their shouts shaking the air.


    Spiritual power surged, and bloodlust burst forth. The demon hunters slashed their blades, charging at the Qian family cultivators.


    The Qian family cultivators were stunned.


    Originally, they had a clear division of roles, with spiritual cultivators attacking and body cultivators defending, mutually supporting and suppressing the demon hunters.


    Now, with the spiritual cultivators unable to attack, the body cultivators couldn¡¯t defend without their spells.


    Under the fierce assault of the demon hunters, the Qian family was once again forced to retreat.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s face turned ashen.


    ¡°Where did these spells come from?¡±


    He extended his spiritual awareness towards Mo Hua¡¯s direction, but Elder Yu suddenly appeared, blocking his scan.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s eyes widened, seeing Elder Yu¡¯s mocking and disdainful gaze.


    Just as Elder Yu was about to start cursing, Qian Zhongxuan made a swift decision, ¡°Retreat!¡±

 Chapter 162: Iron Armor

    The Qian family retreated.Qian Zhongxuan was perplexed throughout the journey. Where did that spell come from?


    Demon Hunters shouldn¡¯t be adept at spellcasting.


    ¡°Could it be that old fox Yu Changlin himself?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan shook his head, ¡°No, the spiritual energy was too weak. It didn¡¯t seem to be even at the late Qi refining stage.¡±


    But with such a low level, how could the spell be cast so far?


    Qian Zhongxuan couldn¡¯t fathom it and could only curse silently in his heart:


    ¡°Yu Changlin, you sly old fox, hiding such a trick, truly despicable!¡±


    However, only Elder Yu knew that he was wronged this time because he wasn¡¯t the treacherous one...


    Seeing the Qian family retreat, Mo Hua stood up, dusted off his clothes, and smiled happily.


    ¡°Fireball Technique is really fun!¡±


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with newfound respect, patted his small shoulder, and praised, ¡°Not bad, you used the spell quite well!¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to praise too much, lest he seemed inexperienced.


    Receiving praise, Mo Hua smiled even more happily and then asked:


    ¡°What other tricks does the Qian family have?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate that old man Qian Zhongxuan. The fact that he could think of this method is already extraordinary. Next, it will be a straightforward battle, and he will be at a disadvantage.¡±


    The next day at dawn, the Qian family cultivators arrived again.


    As Elder Yu predicted, Qian Zhongxuan had no new tricks and could only honestly form ranks for a frontal battle.


    Qian Zhongxuan cursed Elder Yu bitterly in his heart but dared not speak out loud for fear of self-humiliation.


    Don''t argue with a fool to save face!


    Qian Zhongxuan admonished himself.


    In the frontal battle, the Qian family had more people and superior cultivation levels. The Demon Hunters were fewer but battle-hardened, making the odds about even.


    But you wouldn¡¯t know without fighting.


    Both sides didn¡¯t waste words and directly clashed.


    On the mountainside of Nameless Peak, cultivators were densely packed, with bright swords and various colors of spiritual energy crisscrossing.


    Mo Hua was extraordinarily shocked.


    As both sides fought hard, Elder Yu estimated that the Qian family cultivators could not easily retreat, so he waved his hand and made a cutting gesture.


    ¡°Let me show you something good.¡±


    Elder Yu looked at Qian Zhongxuan in the distance, a mocking smile playing at the corner of his mouth.


    Qian Zhongxuan was taken aback, and then saw a dozen or so Demon Hunters in iron armor emerge from the ranks.


    The sunlight shone on the iron armor, giving off a somber luster, making them look imposing and solemn.


    Qian Zhongxuan almost spat blood.


    Where did these poor Demon Hunters get iron armor?!


    Then he found the iron armor somewhat familiar and glanced at Qian Zhuang standing aside.


    Qian Zhuang shrank his head, not daring to say a word. At this moment, he hated his tall stature, which made him particularly conspicuous in the crowd, making it impossible to hide.


    ¡°No matter, iron armor isn¡¯t impenetrable.¡±


    Facing a formidable enemy, Qian Zhongxuan calmed himself and ordered the Qian family cultivators to contain the iron-armored Demon Hunters.


    Swords and blades striking multiple times would still damage the armor.


    Then he discovered that this iron armor seemed truly impenetrable!


    Ordinary swords couldn¡¯t leave a scratch. Even first-grade blades didn¡¯t do much damage.


    The impact force and spiritual energy fluctuations were also absorbed by a faint golden light on the armor.


    These iron armors were seized from the Qian family, and they originally had formations inside, but they were too crude for Mo Hua¡¯s liking. He erased the old formations and inscribed a Golden Armor Array himself.


    A first-grade Golden Armor Array made the iron armor as solid as a fortress!


    With Qi refining level nine, battle-hardened Demon Hunters wearing iron armor, and the first-grade Golden Armor Array, they were almost invincible in a Qi refining battlefield without Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    God blocks, kill God; Buddha blocks, kill Buddha!


    These dozen iron-armored Demon Hunters moved unhindered, and no Qian family cultivator could match them.


    No one could withstand the iron armors in a head-on clash.


    Qian Zhongxuan watched in horror.


    When did the Qian family¡¯s iron armor become so formidable?


    Couldn¡¯t even scratch it?


    Then he noticed the faint golden light on the armor.


    ¡°This is¡­ a formation?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan cursed inwardly. The iron armor was already hard enough, but they had reinforced it with a formation? No shame at all?


    ¡°Yu Changlin, I will remember this grudge!¡± Qian Zhongxuan cursed.


    But the defeat had already begun, and Qian Zhongxuan couldn¡¯t turn the tide. He could only resentfully order, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    However, retreating wasn¡¯t so easy.


    The battlefield was sprawling, with cultivators fighting chaotically.


    The Qian family¡¯s order to retreat was like a collapsing mountain, causing chaos.


    The Qian family cultivators lost morale, fleeing in panic, while the Demon Hunters pursued, expanding their victory.


    By the time the Qian family cultivators managed to retreat to the foot of the peak and temporarily regroup, they had suffered heavy casualties, with nearly half unable to fight anymore.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s heart bled.


    Qian Zhuang felt bad but not as bad anymore.


    Compared to Elder Qian¡¯s failure, his own was just a minor setback, hardly worth mentioning.


    Thinking this way, Qian Zhuang felt a bit better...


    But he didn¡¯t dare to provoke Qian Zhongxuan and could only feign sorrow and anger, saying:


    ¡°The casualties are severe, the Demon Hunters are too much! Does Elder have a plan for revenge?¡± S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s expression was pained, then he gritted his teeth and said:


    ¡°This vengeance must be avenged!¡±


    ¡°Even if it costs me everything, I¡¯ll make that old fox Yu Changlin pay!¡±


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Elder Qian was truly angry, but he wondered what else he could do.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s heart bled, while Elder Yu was elated.


    This was a resounding victory!


    Elder Yu allowed a small celebration, with meat and wine.


    The meat was cooked and smoked beforehand, it was wild ox demon meat prepared by Liu Ruhua earlier.


    Due to the conflict with the Qian family, it was uncertain how long they would guard the spirit mine, so she prepared a lot. But with many Demon Hunters, each got only a few pieces, just enough for a taste.


    The wine was limited to two bowls per person.


    Due to the importance of the spirit mine, no mistakes were allowed. Even on a day of victory, they couldn¡¯t be careless.


    Other food like dry rations and wild fruits were unlimited.


    The atmosphere in the mine became lively.


    Guarding the spirit mine, extracting spirit stones, dealing with Qian family¡¯s harassment, and real battles made the usual atmosphere either serious or somber. Now they could finally relax a bit.


    Mo Hua wandered around, greeted warmly by Demon Hunters wherever he went.


    Without Mo Hua¡¯s Golden Armor Array, they would have suffered more injuries, making guarding the spirit mine harder.


    Some Demon Hunters even offered their own meat and wine to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua refused. Everyone had worked hard for so long, it wasn¡¯t easy to get something good to eat.


    Most importantly, his storage bag had plenty of good food prepared by his mother, fearing he¡¯d go hungry.


    But after being there for a while, Mo Hua ate sparingly, and the meat was nearly gone.


    ¡°I wonder how long we¡¯ll have to guard this spirit mine¡­¡±


    Mo Hua wondered silently.

 Chapter 163: Concealment

    Mo Hua asked Elder Yu, "Elder, how long do we have to guard the spirit mine?"Elder Yu took a sip of wine, thought for a moment, and said, "Not sure."


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Elder Yu explained, "At this rate, the Qian family is bound to lose. Even Qian Zhongxuan, that old guy, can''t turn the tide. But this is a spirit mine, and the Qian family won¡¯t give up easily. They¡¯ll probably come up with other plans."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    In the following days, the Qian family remained quiet, not making any significant moves.


    Until one early morning, before dawn, in the misty twilight, a large group of various cultivators entered Dahei Mountain and gathered at the base of Nameless Peak to meet Elder Qian.


    Qian Zhuang then understood what Elder Qian meant by "even if it costs a fortune."


    He really did spend a fortune, hiring a large group of late-stage Qi cultivators from outside Tongxian City.


    "How many spirit stones did this cost..." Qian Zhuang thought, feeling a pang in his heart.


    When Elder Yu received the news, he widened his eyes, saying, "Qian Zhongxuan, that bastard, he really went all out."


    Mo Hua asked, "Elder, where did these cultivators come from?"


    "They were hired from outside the city with spirit stones. These cultivators usually wander around; whoever pays them, they work for. They only recognize spirit stones, not people. But hiring them costs a lot of spirit stones. Qian Zhongxuan must be bleeding money."


    "Can we defeat them?"


    "We¡¯ll see." Elder Yu sighed.


    Both sides began to line up again, but now the originally uniform silver-white robes of the Qian family cultivators were mixed with various other cultivators. Their appearances and outfits were diverse, making the formation look somewhat disorderly.


    Elder Yu called out, "Qian Zhongxuan, can your mixed-up team handle this?"


    Qian Zhongxuan''s eyelid twitched, "Old bastard, stop with the sharp tongue!"


    "Must have cost you a lot of spirit stones..." Elder Yu tutted, "Cutting your own flesh to drive away wolves, you''ve got guts."


    Qian Zhongxuan didn¡¯t want to speak. He had indeed spent a fortune, and thinking about it made his heart bleed.


    "We agreed beforehand, this is a battle for the spirit mine between your Qian family and us demon hunters. Do these hired cultivators count as your Qian family¡¯s cultivators?" Elder Yu questioned loudly.


    Qian Zhongxuan snorted, "I paid them spirit stones, so they are part of the Qian family."


    Elder Yu spat, "Then if I sleep with your mother and pay her spirit stones, does that make her mine?"


    "You!" Qian Zhongxuan was so angry he couldn''t speak.


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t let up, "So by that logic, I¡¯m your cheap old man now? Ungrateful son, come over and kowtow to your dad! Haha!"


    The demon hunters roared with laughter.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s defenses were completely breached. He pointed forward with a trembling finger, "Kill them for me!!"


    Elder Yu also stopped laughing, his voice low, "Kill!"


    Both sides¡¯ momentum surged instantly, and a fierce battle was imminent.


    After a brief skirmish, Elder Yu observed the situation, frowning slightly. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Qian family cultivators were still not to be feared, but these hired cultivators were very troublesome.


    The demon hunters were battle-hardened, but mostly against demon beasts. The hired cultivators, accustomed to taking on other cultivators, had all sorts of insidious and strange tactics, making them difficult to deal with.


    "Elder Yu, can we win?" Mo Hua asked worriedly.


    Elder Yu pondered for a moment and said, "We should be able to."


    He explained, "These hired cultivators seem troublesome because we¡¯re not familiar with their tactics. Once we get used to them, it¡¯ll be easier."


    "Demon hunters have long hunted demons, fighting side by side with great teamwork, giving us an advantage in group battles. Plus, we have the Iron Armor. As long as they can¡¯t break through our Iron Armor, we will have the upper hand."


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling relieved.


    At first, the demon hunters were indeed overwhelmed by the hired cultivators, but once they adapted, the situation gradually stabilized.


    The demon hunters, wearing Iron Armor, moved like they were in an empty field. Although they killed slowly, wherever they went, neither Qian family cultivators nor hired cultivators could withstand their might.


    Gradually, the Qian family¡¯s formation revealed more flaws, slowly being suppressed by the demon hunters.


    Watching the demon hunters in Iron Armor, Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s expression remained calm, but a cold smile appeared on his lips.


    At the same time, Mo Hua sensed something amiss with his spiritual awareness. He focused on the battlefield.


    He saw a demon hunter in Iron Armor suddenly get his throat slashed, blood gushing out. The demon hunter clutched his throat, half-kneeling, as the surrounding hired cultivators swarmed like hungry wolves.


    Fortunately, Yu Chengyi was nearby, rescuing the demon hunter with Mo Shan¡¯s help. Together, they managed to save him.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief but felt a sudden surge of doubt.


    What just happened?


    He saw nothing, only the demon hunter¡¯s throat being cut.


    Although the Iron Armor was sturdy, it didn¡¯t cover the entire body. Vulnerable spots like the neck, eyes, and joints were still exposed. In a direct confrontation, these could be guarded against, but the earlier attack was undetectable.


    Mo Hua had sensed a slight anomaly with his spiritual awareness, but his eyes saw nothing.


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu, who also had a furrowed brow, murmuring, "It¡¯s Concealment Technique."


    "Concealment Technique?"


    Mo Hua was shocked, "It can make one invisible?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "Yes, the Concealment Technique can make one invisible. After using it, the body disappears, and nothing can be seen with the naked eye."


    Mo Hua was astonished, "Can I learn it?"


    If he mastered the Concealment Technique, it would be very convenient for moving around the cultivation world!


    "You need water spiritual roots to learn it. You have mixed five-element spiritual roots. Though you have water, it¡¯s mixed with the other elements, making it difficult to learn." Elder Yu poured a bit of cold water on his enthusiasm.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed and then worried, "How can we counter this technique?"


    Elder Yu sighed, "It depends on spiritual awareness. The Concealment Technique hides the body and partially the aura, but it can¡¯t hide the presence of spiritual energy. If your spiritual awareness is stronger, you can see through it."


    "That¡¯s troublesome," Mo Hua said.


    Demon hunters were not known for their spiritual awareness. If they couldn¡¯t see through the Concealment Technique, they¡¯d be like fish on a chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered.


    On the battlefield, many demon hunters were being ambushed, bleeding and falling.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sharpened. In such a chaotic battle, to move freely, this cultivator not only mastered the Concealment Technique but also had extensive experience and exceptional agility.


    What to do? Mo Hua was anxious.


    Suddenly, he sensed a disturbance around Mo Shan, who was fighting fiercely.


    "Be careful!" Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    But he was too far away, and the chaos drowned his voice.


    Mo Shan, in the midst of battle, showed a flaw, and the concealed cultivator seized the chance to strike.


    At the critical moment, Mo Shan, relying on his experience, instinctively tilted his neck. A dagger slashed across, leaving a trail of blood but not a serious wound.


    Mo Shan¡¯s eyes turned cold. He struck back, but there was nothing around.


    Gone?


    Mo Shan frowned, knowing that things would get worse if this continued.


    He wiped the blood from his neck, feeling somewhat fortunate that he had sensed the killing intent and dodged.


    Watching this, Mo Hua felt a mix of relief and determination.


    "Daring to ambush my father, I¡¯ll remember you!"

 Chapter 164: Fireball Technique

    "Elder, find two people to protect me!"Mo Hua spoke to Elder Yu, then lightly leaped and jumped down from the entrance of the mine.


    Elder Yu didn''t know what Mo Hua was up to, but after a brief thought, he called two demon hunters to follow and protect Mo Hua.


    He also kept his own spiritual sense on Mo Hua to guard against any danger.


    Mo Hua didn''t enter the center of the battlefield but instead found a concealed spot on the edge and carefully hid.


    The two demon hunters guarded around Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua held his breath, focused his mind, and closed his eyes, pushing his spiritual sense to the extreme.


    The chaotic and mixed battlefield suddenly turned into a void, with the battling cultivators appearing one by one in their spiritual energy forms within Mo Hua''s spiritual sense.


    After a long time, Mo Hua finally found a strange figure.


    The figure was faintly light blue, wandering the battlefield, moving like a ghost, elusive.


    If Mo Hua hadn''t pushed his spiritual sense to the extreme, he wouldn''t have noticed this figure at all.


    Mo Hua tried to lock onto it with his spiritual sense.


    But the figure was erratic and barely present, making it difficult to lock onto with spiritual sense.


    Seeing more and more demon hunters falling, Mo Hua took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and entered a state of meditation where he forgot himself and everything around him.


    Mo Hua did his best to capture the light blue figure with his spiritual sense. After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua''s eyes suddenly opened, gleaming slightly.


    Locked on!


    The light blue figure appeared faintly in Mo Hua''s spiritual sense, but its trajectory was clear.


    Mo Hua brought two fingers together and pointed forward. A Fireball Technique shot out with a whoosh.


    The Fireball Technique flew towards an open space on the battlefield.


    Near the open space, a demon hunter wearing iron armor was entangled in a fight.


    Suddenly, the demon hunter felt a warning, sensing danger nearby, but his hands were tied with his sword and blade, making it impossible to move.


    At that moment, a dagger suddenly appeared in the gap beside the demon hunter, with a tricky angle, aiming straight for his eyes.


    The demon hunter had no way to avoid it and showed a look of despair.


    Just then, a fireball whistled over, hitting the cultivator who was ambushing him.


    The moment the Fireball Technique exploded, flames spread, interrupting the ambush.


    The ambushing cultivator briefly revealed his form.


    He was a short, ordinary-looking cultivator in black clothes with venomous eyes.


    The demon hunter seized the moment to catch his breath, swung his blade, and attacked the black-clothed cultivator.


    The black-clothed cultivator cursed, performed a body technique, retreated, and weaved through the crowd at the edge of the battlefield, gradually disappearing.


    The demon hunter felt regret but also relief. Luckily, there was that Fireball Technique; otherwise, his life would have ended here.


    It was a pity he didn''t capture and kill the black-clothed cultivator!


    The black-clothed cultivator weaved through the crowd, hiding his form again, continuing to roam the battlefield, but he couldn''t help but wonder:


    "Where did that Fireball Technique come from?"


    Demon hunters were mostly body cultivators, rarely skilled in spells.


    The spell just now was both tricky and precise; the caster must be an expert.


    Fortunately, its power wasn''t great, only interrupting his attack without causing any injury.


    But then the black-clothed cultivator thought it over and felt something was wrong. An expert''s Fireball Technique couldn''t be this weak.


    Was it just a coincidence?


    In a chaotic battle, getting hit by stray spells wasn''t unusual. It must have been bad luck that he got hit just now.


    He didn''t believe anyone could lock onto him with a spell in such a chaotic battle.


    The black-clothed cultivator calmed himself, regained his confidence, and continued prowling for opportunities.


    A demon hunter exposed a flaw, and the black-clothed cultivator was about to strike when another Fireball Technique flew over, interrupting his ambush again!


    Once might be a coincidence, but twice was definitely not.


    The black-clothed cultivator was slightly annoyed, his eyes scanning around quickly.


    Cultivators casting spells needed to gather Qi and raise their hands, and with his rich experience in combat, he could spot it at a glance.


    But none of the surrounding demon hunters showed any signs of casting spells.


    The black-clothed cultivator lightly scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense but found nothing, his expression bewildered:


    "Who is casting the Fireball Technique?"


    He didn''t dare extend his spiritual sense too far or scan for too long.


    If he diverted his spiritual sense for too long, he''d expose himself to danger.


    Mo Hua hid far behind a large stone, first locking on with his spiritual sense, then popping out to cast a Fireball Technique before hiding back again.


    The black-clothed cultivator couldn''t see him with his eyes, and being at a distance, couldn''t sense him with his spiritual sense either.


    With the repeated spiritual sense locking and Fireball Techniques, Mo Hua''s technique became increasingly proficient.


    The hidden figure in his spiritual sense became clearer.


    The black-clothed cultivator sensed something amiss.


    It seemed he was being watched by someone''s spiritual sense! s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the chaotic battlefield with mixed spiritual energy, he hadn''t noticed it before.


    But after being hit by Fireball Techniques twice, he realized that indeed, a spiritual sense had been following him, lingering like a shadow.


    Foundation Building cultivator?!


    "No, impossible," the black-clothed cultivator thought, "If it were a Foundation Building cultivator, I wouldn''t have noticed."


    Then it must be another Qi Refinement ninth level cultivator with a stronger spiritual sense than his!


    But how could a Qi Refinement ninth level cultivator''s spell be so weak?


    The black-clothed cultivator''s thoughts were in chaos.


    He had to find the cultivator casting the Fireball Technique! Otherwise, every time he struck, he''d be hindered, putting him in a precarious position.


    With growing apprehension, the black-clothed cultivator didn''t make any rash moves and just roamed the battlefield, patiently looking for clues to find Mo Hua.


    The enemy doesn''t move, I don''t move.


    The black-clothed cultivator didn''t act, so Mo Hua had no reason to.


    Mo Hua leisurely hid behind the big stone, even taking out a sweet and sour wild fruit to eat with relish.


    But with the black-clothed cultivator not making a move, the demon hunters felt the pressure ease, and they fought more freely.


    The Qian family cultivators felt the increasing pressure, struggling to hold their ground.


    Seeing the unfavorable situation, the black-clothed cultivator had to act again.


    But each time he did, Mo Hua''s Fireball Technique interrupted him.


    The black-clothed cultivator pretended to make a move, trying to see where the Fireball Technique came from. At first, he figured out the general direction, but the second time, he couldn''t.


    Because the subsequent Fireball Techniques exploded directly on his face.


    Mo Hua sensed his intent and guessed his plan, so he aimed the Fireball Techniques right at his face, blinding him.


    With the repeated spiritual sense locking, the black-clothed cultivator''s movements became clearer, and Mo Hua''s aim became more precise.


    The black-clothed cultivator felt like spitting blood.


    How could he keep getting more accurate?


    Hitting the face every time?


    Feeling infuriated, the black-clothed cultivator''s anger affected his spiritual energy flow, causing his Concealment technique to falter for a moment.


    Mo Shan, who had been watching for an opportunity, seized this flaw, flashed before the black-clothed cultivator, grabbed his shoulder, and forcefully threw him down.


    The sound of bones cracking echoed.


    The black-clothed cultivator was heavily slammed to the ground, spitting blood!

 Chapter 165: Who Was It?

    After Mo Shan was ambushed, he remained vigilant.He vaguely guessed that among the Qian family''s hired cultivators, there was one adept at concealment, secretly attacking, so he became more cautious in his moves, trying not to leave any flaws.


    At the same time, he kept an eye on the battlefield, hoping to find some trace of this cultivator.


    However, although Mo Shan''s observation was sharp, his spiritual awareness was not strong, so he couldn''t see through the concealment technique.


    Just then, he saw a Fireball Technique!


    With just one glance, he recognized it as the Fireball Technique used by his son, Mo Hua.


    As the Fireball Technique was unleashed, it exploded a short, black-clad cultivator from what was originally an empty space.


    "Mo Hua''s spiritual sense can detect this adept at concealment!"


    Mo Shan''s spirit was lifted. While fighting the Qian family''s cultivators, he also kept an eye on the Fireball Technique.


    Sure enough, every time the Fireball Technique flew by, the black-clad cultivator''s ambush would be interrupted, and he would briefly appear.


    Mo Shan watched silently, waiting for the black-clad cultivator to expose a flaw.


    Just now, the black-clad cultivator''s state of mind suddenly became unstable, and his spiritual power became chaotic, revealing his form.


    Mo Shan seized the opportunity, grabbing his shoulder and throwing the black-clad cultivator harshly to the ground.


    The black-clad cultivator, skilled in concealment and ambush with vicious attacks, was not physically strong. With this throw, his bones shattered, and he spat blood, feeling a chill in his heart.


    For a cultivator skilled in concealment techniques, being discovered meant impending disaster!


    Especially on a battlefield with such chaos.


    Enduring the excruciating pain, the black-clad cultivator tried to use his spiritual power to perform the concealment technique again.


    Yu Chengyi seized the chance, striding over and kicking him hard in the abdomen.


    The black-clad cultivator felt his internal organs shift, his body curled up, and he was kicked far away, landing right among a group of demon hunters.


    The demon hunters, already fuming with anger, immediately raised their blades and attacked the black-clad cultivator.


    By the time the Qian family''s cultivators arrived to rescue him, he was already covered in knife wounds, barely clinging to life.


    Elder Yu watched with satisfaction, laughing heartily.


    Without this concealed cultivator, the Qian family would be slowly consumed.


    Elder Yu couldn''t help but glance at Mo Hua again.


    He thought to himself that Mo Hua''s Fireball Technique was masterful¡ªquick and precise. In the future, he might really become an exceptional spiritual cultivator.


    Right now, he was still young, his cultivation level low, and his spiritual power not strong. Thus, the Fireball Technique was only tricky and used to disrupt or disturb the battle.


    But when he advanced in cultivation, the Fireball Technique''s power would increase. Unexpectedly targeting your heart or Qi Sea...


    And you wouldn''t even know where he was.


    Elder Yu put himself in that situation and found it troublesome just thinking about it.


    Meanwhile, Qian Zhongxuan was furious.


    Again with the Fireball Technique!


    He had been watching the show, seeing the black-clad cultivator toy with the demon hunters, watching them fall one by one, imagining Yu Changlin''s helpless and furious face.


    In the blink of an eye, he became the one helpless and furious!


    Qian Zhongxuan''s gaze turned cold, and his spiritual sense suddenly spread out. He wanted to see who was using the Fireball Technique!


    Just as his spiritual sense was about to reach Mo Hua, Elder Yu suddenly appeared, blocking Mo Hua.


    Qian Zhongxuan felt his spiritual sense obstructed. Looking closely, it was that old face of Yu Changlin again!


    Elder Yu looked at him with a mocking smile. Qian Zhongxuan felt something was wrong and immediately shouted, "Retreat!"


    Qian Zhongxuan had grown quite practiced at shouting "retreat."


    Seeing Qian Zhongxuan retreat without using his spiritual sense, Elder Yu then picked up Mo Hua and leapt into the mine.


    "In the future, be more careful. Avoid taking risks. If you can avoid action, do so," Elder Yu instructed.


    He feared that if Mo Hua acted and the Qian family noticed, given Qian Zhongxuan''s petty nature, he would certainly target Mo Hua.


    "Mm, mm," Mo Hua nodded with his small head, "If I act, I''ll take the opponent''s life!"


    Mo Hua''s childish voice spoke harsh words.


    Elder Yu couldn''t help but laugh, "Who taught you that?"


    "My dad taught me!"


    Elder Yu nodded and smiled, "Well said! The cultivation world is treacherous. If you act, don''t hold back. Your dad taught you well!"


    Proud of his father''s praise, Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    The black-clad cultivator was crippled, Qian Zhongxuan had called the retreat, and the Qian family''s cultivators slunk away. During their retreat, they were ambushed by demon hunters, losing many men.


    Qian Zhongxuan was utterly defeated, losing both money and men. The spirit mine seemed out of reach now.


    In the family, he couldn''t hold his head high anymore.


    Qian Zhongxuan was furious!


    He hated Yu Changlin, the old bastard, blamed the hired cultivators'' carelessness, and despised his subordinates'' incompetence.


    But what concerned him most was who was helping the demon hunters with arrays and who was secretly using techniques.


    Which array master would lower themselves to help these impoverished demon hunters?


    Which cultivator would use such low-power but tricky Fireball Techniques?


    Without the arrays and Fireball Techniques, he would have taken the spirit mine long ago.


    Unable to figure it out, Qian Zhongxuan vented his anger on Qian Zhuang, scolding him harshly.


    If it weren''t for his incompetence, none of this would have happened!


    Originally, he had negotiated with the family head to get more spirit stones by capturing the spirit mine. Now, even an extra share couldn''t compensate for his losses.


    The more Qian Zhongxuan thought about it, the angrier he became.


    Qian Zhuang quietly asked, "Elder, what do we do next?"


    He wanted to change the subject so Qian Zhongxuan wouldn''t keep scolding him.


    Qian Zhongxuan frowned, still undecided when they heard cries from outside the camp.


    It was the injured Qian family cultivators and hired cultivators.


    Qian Zhongxuan sighed, waved his sleeve, and said helplessly, "Let''s save them first."


    Outside the camp, the wounded lay everywhere, groaning in pain.


    The black-clad cultivator was also being treated.


    The Qian family''s alchemist fed him pills, applied herbs, and slowly cleared the residual spiritual power from his body, even trimming his singed hair.


    The black-clad cultivator''s injuries stabilized, and after a long time, he slowly regained consciousness.


    The pain left him blank, but memories of the day''s events gradually returned.


    Amid the chaos, many faces flashed by¡ªthose who threw him, kicked him, and hacked him with knives.


    And, of course, the one using the Fireball Technique!


    Hatred surged in the black-clad cultivator''s heart.


    He had survived in the Black Mountain State for over a century, rarely failing. Now, he was ambushed by a Fireball Technique and ended up in such a miserable state.


    That elementary Fireball Technique, with mid-stage Qi Refinement power!


    Ambushed by a Fireball Technique!


    A century-old cultivator, ambushed by a Fireball Technique!


    It was a disgrace beyond words!


    Alongside his hatred, the black-clad cultivator was deeply puzzled. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    How had he been ambushed, how was his concealment technique seen through, who was using the Fireball Technique, and how could it hit him every time?


    No matter how he thought, he couldn''t figure it out. The frustration built up, and he spat blood, shouting in anger:


    "Who the hell was using the Fireball Technique?!"


    With that, his anger overwhelmed him, his wounds reopened, and he fainted again.

 Chapter 166: Qian Hong

    The black-clad cultivator was so infuriated that he spat blood, while Mo Hua, who was using the Fireball Technique, appeared calm and unperturbed.For the next few days, the Qian family cultivators did not launch any attacks. Mo Hua spent his time drawing arrays, wandering around, inspecting spirit mines, and admiring the mountain scenery. He calculated that the meat in his storage bag would last him a few more days.


    One day, Mo Hua noticed Elder Yu looking solemn and couldn''t help but ask:


    "Elder Yu, has the Qian family made a move?"


    "Not yet, but that old turtle Qian Hong should be arriving soon."


    "Old turtle?"


    "Qian Hong."


    "Oh, the head of the Qian family?" Mo Hua''s expression turned serious. "Is Qian Hong formidable?"


    Elder Yu scoffed, "He''s about the same as Qian Zhongxuan."


    "Then how did he become the head of the family?"


    Elder Yu chuckled, "There''s a lot more to it. In the world of cultivation families and sects, it''s not always about cultivation and ability. If you can boast, scheme, deceive, and flatter, those are more useful than working diligently."


    Elder Yu sneered again, "Many of those who appear dignified are probably just empty suits."


    Mo Hua was enlightened and asked, "So is Qian Hong an empty suit?"


    "Not exactly."


    "Is he scheming?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "Yes, Qian Hong is very cunning. This time, after Qian Zhongxuan suffered a big loss, he came to take advantage."


    "Taking advantage?" Mo Hua was puzzled. "Do they even take advantage of their own family?"


    Elder Yu laughed, "The Qian family is big, with many people. By blood, they''re all family. But because they''re all family, they don''t treat each other like family."


    Mo Hua scratched his head, "Is there really such intense infighting in the Qian family?"


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow and said, "I didn''t call the Qian family ingrates for nothing. They treat their own people the same as outsiders. If there''s meat, they''ll eat it, no matter whose body it came from."


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue and asked, "What should we do then?"


    Elder Yu stroked his chin, "We should think about running."


    "Running?" Mo Hua''s eyes lit up. "Is the spirit mine fully excavated?"


    Elder Yu shook his head, "It can''t be fully excavated."


    Mo Hua looked a bit regretful, "Isn''t that a bit wasteful¡­"


    Elder Yu laughed, "We can have the meat, but we should leave some soup for the Qian family."


    As night fell, the mountain winds howled. A group of cultivators arrived at the Qian family''s camp, led by the head of the Qian family, Qian Hong.


    Qian Zhongxuan stood outside the camp with the Qian family cultivators, braving the cold wind, respectfully welcoming the head of the Qian family, Qian Hong.


    Qian Hong, middle-aged with graying hair, had a handsome face but a slightly arrogant expression. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings like an eagle.


    Qian Zhongxuan cupped his hands and said, "Welcome, Patriarch."


    The Qian family cultivators beside him all bowed in greeting.


    Qian Hong nodded in acknowledgment and followed Qian Zhongxuan into the camp.


    Once they were seated and alone, Qian Hong asked, "How goes the battle?"


    Qian Zhongxuan gave a brief report.


    Qian Hong sighed, "Elder Qian, you were too hasty. They are trapped inside and can''t escape. You should have taken your time. This way, we wouldn''t have suffered such losses."


    Qian Zhongxuan was quite embarrassed but had nothing to say.


    Whether attacking, defending, besieging, or trapping, as long as he failed, there was always an excuse to blame him.


    He had indeed lost. He spent a lot of spirit stones, lost many people, and his reputation was ruined.


    At this moment, Qian Zhongxuan could only grit his teeth and say, "Patriarch, you are right!"


    Qian Hong glanced at Qian Zhongxuan and slowly said:


    "However, Elder Qian, you have worked hard this time. The clan will remember your efforts. I''ll take care of the rest. You need not worry anymore."


    Qian Zhongxuan couldn''t help but curse inwardly.


    Remember my efforts? Does that mean I have no achievements at all?


    Qian Zhongxuan said, "The patriarch is busy with many affairs. How can I trouble you with the spirit mine? Just give me some more people, and I will definitely take the spirit mine!"


    "Elder Qian!" Qian Hong frowned, "I trust your ability and am willing to let you handle this matter, but if I do, I won''t be able to explain to the clan."


    Qian Hong''s expression was solemn, with a hint of distress, "After all, the previous losses were too severe!"


    Qian Zhongxuan silently cursed.


    Hypocrite! If you wanted to take advantage, why didn''t you come earlier? You just waited for me to fight with Yu Changlin, deplete my resources, and now you come to pick up the pieces. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At that time, the credit would be his, the spirit mine would be his, and the prestige would be his.


    What a great plan!


    Qian Zhongxuan regretted his carelessness, not resisting the temptation of spirit stones and agreeing to Qian Hong''s request.


    He didn''t expect Yu Changlin to have so many tricks, all of which he had never seen before. He had indeed suffered a huge loss!


    Qian Hong took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "Elder Qian, are you dissatisfied?"


    Qian Zhongxuan was full of dissatisfaction, but he knew he had no right to complain now. He could only cup his hands and say through gritted teeth:


    "I will follow the patriarch''s instructions!"


    "Good." Qian Hong lowered his eyes, a faint smile on his lips. After a moment, Qian Hong''s tone changed, and he asked:


    "I wonder why Elder Qian failed this time?"


    Qian Zhongxuan hesitated for a moment and said, "There is an array master among the demon hunters!"


    Qian Hong was slightly surprised, "A first-grade one?"


    "Even if not first-grade, not far from it¡­" Qian Zhongxuan said.


    Qian Hong shook his head, "I asked Master Qian. The array master used the Earth Fire Array, which only has seven array patterns¡­"


    "This¡­"


    Qian Hong smiled mockingly at Qian Zhongxuan, "Seven array patterns are just over the threshold for ordinary array masters. Does this seem like a first-grade array master to you? Although you are not an array master, you should not make such a mistake!"


    The difference between seven and nine array patterns is a significant barrier for ordinary array masters. It''s not a small difference but a huge one.


    Qian Zhongxuan was ashamed and angry, unable to argue.


    Qian Hong continued, "Are there any other reasons?"


    Qian Zhongxuan suppressed his anger and said, "There is also a spell-wielding spirit cultivator¡­"


    Qian Hong''s eyes showed a trace of ridicule, "One?"


    Qian Zhongxuan mumbled, "I don''t know¡­ Maybe more than one¡­"


    "Are their cultivation levels high?"


    Qian Zhongxuan was silent for a while before slowly saying, "Probably not past the late stage of Qi cultivation¡­"


    Qian Hong couldn''t help but laugh, shaking his head, "Elder Qian, Elder Qian, an array master who can only draw seven array patterns, and one or several spirit cultivators not even at the late stage of Qi cultivation¡­"


    Qian Hong sighed, his gaze mocking, "Just because of these, you suffered such heavy losses? How can I speak for you in the clan? Who would believe your excuses?"


    Qian Zhongxuan''s face turned red, his fingers clenched white.


    Seeing he had made his point, Qian Hong softened his tone:


    "Enough, enough. It''s no use talking about it now. I''ll handle the rest. You need not worry anymore."


    Qian Zhongxuan''s face alternated between red and white. He cupped his hands and asked:


    "What are your plans, Patriarch?"


    Qian Hong, confident and composed, took a sip of tea before slowly saying, "I told you, there''s no need to rush. I have my ways."


    Qian Zhongxuan suppressed his discontent and respectfully said, "Then I''ll rely on the patriarch!"


    Despite his respectful words, Qian Zhongxuan sneered inwardly.


    In terms of ability, he and Qian Hong were evenly matched. The only difference was that Qian Hong was more shameless and ruthless.


    Qian Zhongxuan couldn''t deal with these demon hunters, but he didn''t believe that Qian Hong, who only knew how to take advantage, had any good strategies.


    That array master and that spirit cultivator might seem unremarkable, but once encountered, they proved to be formidable.


    Qian Zhongxuan''s eyes flashed with contempt as he waited to see Qian Hong''s performance.

 Chapter 167: Earth Stone Array

    The next day, Qian Hong met with Elder Yu.Mo Hua peeked into the mine tunnel and secretly looked over, instantly recognizing Qian Hong.


    Qian Hong was Qian Xing¡¯s father. Mo Hua had used the Earth Fire Array to blow up Qian Xing. Knowing what Qian Xing looked like, he found it easy to recognize Qian Hong since they looked alike.


    Besides, even without looking at their faces, it was easy to identify the only two Foundation Building cultivators among the Qian family cultivators.


    Qian Zhongxuan stood right next to Qian Hong. Although both were Foundation Building cultivators, Qian Hong''s demeanor was clearly superior.


    Qian Zhongxuan had deep nasolabial lines and a stern face, but in terms of imposing presence, he couldn¡¯t compare to Qian Hong, the head of the Qian family.


    Mo Hua curiously asked, "Elder, why do you call Qian Hong ''Old Turtle''?"


    At least, on the surface, Qian Hong seemed to be proud and handsome, with an extraordinary bearing.


    Elder Yu said, "Do you want to know?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "Alright, just watch later."


    Watch? Watch what?


    Mo Hua was a bit confused.


    After a while, both sides faced off. Elder Yu stood in a warrior stance at the entrance of the cave, directly cursing at Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan.


    He cursed them from head to toe.


    Qian Zhongxuan trembled with anger, but Qian Hong''s expression remained calm, as if he hadn''t heard anything.


    Elder Yu, tired from cursing, stopped to rest and said to Mo Hua, "Do you understand now?"


    Mo Hua nodded in amazement,


    "Indeed, he''s an ''Old Turtle''¡ªhe can really endure!"


    Despite being cursed like that by Elder Yu, he remained unfazed, silent, without even moving an eyebrow.


    "This, to put it nicely, is called deep scheming; to put it bluntly, it''s shameless." Elder Yu said.


    Mo Hua asked, "Elder, won''t it be bad to anger him like this?"


    Elder Yu scoffed, "It makes no difference whether we provoke him or not. As long as there''s benefit, he won''t recognize kin. Don''t think that not provoking him will make him merciful."


    Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "Are we going to fight them next?"


    Elder Yu sighed, "It''s best not to fight. We''ve been fighting for too long and are exhausted, while they keep rotating fresh forces. Engaging them head-on would be disadvantageous. Also, we have limited food and healing pills."


    "Should we run?"


    "Yes."


    "How do we run? With so many Qian family cultivators, it won''t be easy to escape." Mo Hua frowned.


    "I initially wanted to defeat the Qian family and openly transport the spirit mine out. But now, with Qian family cultivators swarming like locusts, and Qian Hong himself here, that''s no longer feasible."


    Elder Yu said, "Our only option is to dig another tunnel and sneak away."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "A tunnel? Can we dig it in time?"


    Elder Yu sighed, "Hard to say. We need to hold the entrance as long as possible."


    Mo Hua nodded but felt it would be difficult to hold.


    The mine entrance was indeed hard to defend.


    Subsequently, the Qian family attacked irregularly every day, not greedy for merit, not lingering in battle, purely to wear down the demon hunters¡¯ morale.


    They also kept the demon hunters occupied, preventing them from taking other actions.


    Elder Yu had to have people guard the entrance, mine the spirit mine, and dig another tunnel for escape.


    For a while, he was quite overwhelmed.


    Mo Hua was also worried but had no good solution.


    One day, Elder Yu suddenly found Mo Hua and helplessly asked, "Mo Hua, is there any array that can seal the mine?"


    Since they couldn¡¯t hold it, it would be better to seal it completely. That way, the Qian family couldn''t get in, and they could leave through the tunnel.


    "Seal it completely?"


    "Just leave one or two openings."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, his eyes lit up, "Yes!"


    He thought of an array that could solidify earth and stone to seal the entrance, found in the array book given by Mr. Zhuang.


    Elder Yu''s spirits lifted, "Can you draw it now?"


    "No." Mo Hua shook his head, "I haven''t learned it yet."


    Elder Yu sighed, "Then I''ll have everyone hold on a bit longer. You start learning... no rush..."


    In truth, Elder Yu was very anxious.


    Short-term endurance was manageable, but dragging it out with the Qian family like this, each day was torment. The Qian family had supplies and manpower, but they did not.


    Yet Elder Yu didn¡¯t want to pressure Mo Hua, who had already helped a lot.


    He knew learning arrays wasn¡¯t easy. Many array masters took ten days to half a month to learn an array. Otherwise, array masters wouldn''t be so rare.


    Elder Yu hesitated.


    Not knowing how long Mo Hua would take to learn this array, if it took ten days to half a month, they might not hold out and would need another plan.


    Elder Yu was about to leave but couldn''t help asking softly,


    "Mo Hua, I''m not rushing you, but how long do you think you''ll take to learn this array?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said,


    "Quickly, by tomorrow morning; slowly, the day after tomorrow."


    It wasn¡¯t an obscure first-grade array, and Mo Hua was learning quickly now, memorizing array patterns by day, practicing on the Dao Stele by night. If he couldn¡¯t learn it in one night, two would be enough.


    Elder Yu opened his mouth.


    He felt his earlier worries were unnecessary, his mood fluctuating wildly, "Do all you array masters learn this fast¡­"


    Mo Hua chuckled, "Probably not all."


    "So it¡¯s just this kid Mo Hua who learns fast¡­" Elder Yu glanced at Mo Hua, thinking silently.


    Anyway, whether tomorrow or the day after, the time was enough.


    Elder Yu breathed a sigh of relief, "You study at your own pace, I won''t disturb you." Then he left with a relaxed expression.


    Mo Hua opened the "Thousand Arrays Compendium," found an array, the "First-Grade Earth Stone Array." S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Earth Stone Array was a type of first-grade earth array, which could merge and solidify earth and stone, making it tougher.


    The array patterns weren''t difficult; Mo Hua memorized them after a few glances. It was still early, a few hours before midnight.


    At midnight, Mo Hua could enter the sea of consciousness and practice on the Dao Stele.


    "What to do now?"


    Mo Hua propped his chin in thought.


    He had memorized the array patterns, and looking more wouldn''t help.


    So, he took out paper and ink, deciding to practice drawing the "First-Grade Earth Stone Array."


    Usually, he practiced arrays on the Dao Stele first before drawing on paper to save ink.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about ink.


    Mo Hua started drawing the Earth Stone Array on paper.


    As expected, the first drawing failed.


    Mo Hua felt regret but not much distress; he had accumulated over a thousand bottles of demonic blood and wasn¡¯t short of ink.


    He drew the second one, still failed.


    The third one, failed again.


    Mo Hua summarized his mistakes, calmed down, continued drawing, and gradually succeeded¡­


    He tried infusing spiritual energy; the array patterns lit up, emitting a faint gray light.


    Succeeded?


    Mo Hua was initially happy, then felt somewhat¡­ anticlimactic.


    He had planned to spend the night practicing the Earth Stone Array, but now he had learned it before night.


    "What should I learn tonight?"


    Mo Hua scratched his head, flipped through the messy array books beside him, and accidentally saw an array:


    "First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Array."

 Chapter 168: Earth-Wood Composite Array

    The First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Array?Mo Hua''s eyes lit up as he eagerly flipped through the pages.


    The so-called First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Array is a combined array that includes the First-Grade Nine-Pattern Earth-Stone Array and the Five-Pattern Wood Qi Array.


    In this composite array, the highest single array reaches the first grade, thus it can be considered a first-grade composite array.


    This Earth-Wood Composite Array includes only two single arrays and does not have a separate Spirit Gathering Array as an array eye. Instead, it relies on the Spirit Gathering Array patterns within the single arrays to gather spiritual energy. Although its power is slightly weaker, its effect is still much stronger than a first-grade Earth-Stone Array.


    After all, even if it''s weaker, it is still a composite array.


    And because of its relatively simple structure, it won''t be too difficult to learn.


    If the composite array included three or more single arrays and required a Spirit Gathering Array as the array eye, the array hub structure would be completely different. With Mo Hua''s current array skills, learning it would be very challenging.


    The two single arrays included in this composite array, the Wood Qi Array only has five patterns, which Mo Hua already knows. He has just learned the first-grade Earth-Stone Array.


    To master this composite array, Mo Hua only needs to grasp its array hub.


    Mo Hua decided to practice this composite array on the Dao Stele at night!


    By midnight, Mo Hua had memorized the array hub of the Earth-Wood Composite Array. He then closed his eyes to sleep, letting his spiritual awareness enter his sea of consciousness, where the Dao Stele emerged.


    Mo Hua began practicing the array on the Dao Stele.


    It didn''t go smoothly at first, but learning arrays is a process of practice makes perfect. If it doesn''t work once, try twice; if twice isn''t enough, try three times.


    Mo Hua drew it over and over again.


    But he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, his spiritual awareness was sufficient to draw a first-grade nine-pattern array, but it was barely enough for a first-grade composite array.


    Mo Hua practiced all night but still couldn''t master the first-grade Earth-Wood Composite Array.


    The next day, Elder Yu eagerly looked at Mo Hua.


    Although he didn''t ask verbally, his eyes were full of anticipation.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment.


    To seal the cave, the first-grade Earth-Stone Array should be enough, but the Earth-Wood Composite Array would be more effective.


    Anyway, there was no rush for a day or two, so Mo Hua asked Elder Yu to wait a bit longer.


    Mo Hua practiced all day, meditating to recover when his spiritual awareness was exhausted.


    At night, he practiced again on the Dao Stele and finally managed to draw the first-grade Earth-Wood Composite Array.


    Mo Hua informed Elder Yu, who was overjoyed and ordered the demon hunters to start sealing the cave.


    But sealing the cave wasn''t easy. If they acted so openly, the Qian family would definitely notice. If the Qian family harassed them daily, the cave entrance would never be sealed.


    Mo Hua asked Elder Yu if he had any solutions.


    Elder Yu chuckled but didn''t answer, only telling Mo Hua to watch carefully.


    Elder Yu began by cursing.


    He stood at the mine entrance, looking furious, cursing the Qian family, Qian Hong, and Qian Zhongxuan, seeming extremely agitated as if he could no longer endure being trapped.


    Then Elder Yu ordered the demon hunters to charge out, looking determined and ready to fight to the death.


    Qian Hong didn''t want a direct confrontation and had to retreat.


    At this point, in Qian Hong''s eyes, these demon hunters were merely trapped prey, not worth losing more men over.


    The demon hunters now appeared as desperate fighters, and if pushed too hard, they might fight to the death, which would be a lose-lose situation.


    The Qian family had already suffered heavy losses and couldn''t afford any more, especially not on Qian Hong''s watch.


    So as soon as the demon hunters showed a fighting stance, the Qian family immediately withdrew.


    For three consecutive days, the demon hunters made a full-scale sortie, pretending to fight to the death.


    Qian Hong became even more certain that Elder Yu was out of tricks, becoming less anxious and pulling the Qian family cultivators back to avoid direct clashes.


    An initial surge, followed by decline, and then exhaustion.


    Qian Hong didn''t believe the demon hunters could sustain their fighting spirit for long.


    Once their resolve faded, he would reap the benefits without lifting a finger, so he wasn''t in a hurry.


    This played right into Elder Yu''s hands. He cursed Qian Hong inwardly, calling him a "turtle," and then ordered the sealing of the cave entrance.


    The demon hunters used mining debris to block the entrance while Mo Hua painted the Earth-Wood Composite Array on both sides of the cave walls.


    After each layer of debris, Mo Hua would paint another array, and then more debris would be added, followed by another array.


    They sealed all the other entrances, leaving only one at the highest point of the mountainside.


    This entrance was for Elder Yu to continue his cursing.


    Elder Yu sat there cursing whenever he had the chance, calling Qian Hong a coward and challenging him to a fight.


    This was actually to distract the Qian family''s attention, preventing them from attacking rashly.


    The more agitated Elder Yu seemed, the more reassured Qian Hong felt.


    But as time passed, Qian Hong started to feel something was amiss.


    He sensed that Elder Yu''s cursing lacked its previous fervor, as if he was deliberately hiding something.


    Qian Hong grew cautious but didn''t dare to act rashly. He sent a small group to scout the mine entrance under the cover of night.


    As soon as this group of Qian family cultivators reached the mine entrance, they were ambushed by the demon hunters.


    Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi, and several ninth-level Qi Refining demon hunters had been hiding outside, waiting to ambush the Qian family cultivators.


    They wore iron armor, wielding large blades, their spiritual energy surging. The Qian family cultivators were no match and fled in panic.


    Qian Hong felt relieved, thinking:


    "Elder Yu is indeed pretending to seal the cave while preparing an ambush. Luckily, I anticipated this and only sent a small group to probe, or I would have suffered a great loss!"


    The ambushing Mo Shan and others returned to the spirit mine through the mountainside entrance.


    This ambush could only be used once, but it served its purpose of misleading the enemy.


    Qian Hong''s hesitation bought them time to seal the cave and allowed Mo Hua to draw the arrays.


    As time dragged on, Qian Zhongxuan grew suspicious and approached Qian Hong:


    "Elder Yu seems to be trying to seal the cave entrance."


    Qian Hong replied indifferently, "I know."


    Qian Zhongxuan frowned, "Are we just going to let him seal it?"


    Qian Hong looked unconcerned, "He''s not really sealing the entrance, he''s setting up an ambush."


    "What if he really seals the entrance? What then?" Qian Zhongxuan asked.


    Qian Hong said, "It''s just dirt and rocks. If they seal it, we can break through."


    "What if they dig another tunnel and escape?" Qian Zhongxuan continued.


    "They won''t escape." Qian Hong sneered, "We''ve dealt with Elder Yu for a long time. We can guess what tricks he has. He''ll either guard the entrance or dig a tunnel to escape."


    "If we break through the entrance, we can catch them like turtles in a jar. If we find the tunnel, we can intercept them halfway. The spirit mine they worked so hard to dig out will be all ours."


    Qian Hong''s eyes were cold as he mocked, "We''ll kill them and take their spirit stones without any effort, killing two birds with one stone."


    Qian Zhongxuan praised outwardly, "Master is wise."


    But inwardly, he cursed Qian Hong, thinking that his habit of taking the easy way out was incurable.


    Elder Yu was so stingy, would he really let Qian Hong get away with it so easily?


    And the array master among the demon hunters hadn''t even made a move yet.


    In such confrontations, arrays were extremely troublesome, and Qian Zhongxuan had suffered from them before.


    He knew the risks but didn''t say anything!


    He wanted to see if Qian Hong would get a good deal or a nasty surprise this time. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, he had lost everything, and his position in the family was gone, so he was happy to watch the show.


    If trouble came, everyone would suffer together, and no one would have a good time!


    Qian Zhongxuan thought bitterly.

 Chapter 169: Sealing the Cave

    Qian Hong felt assured as the demon hunters had already sealed the cave entrance.Rubble was piled into a wall. Mo Hua drew array patterns on the wall, then added another layer of rubble and drew again, repeating the process a third time.


    Three walls in total, with three sets of arrays.


    Mo Hua requested several hundred spirit stones from Elder Yu, crushed them, and infused the array with spiritual power, activating the Earth-Wood Composite Array.


    Gray and pale green patterns intertwined on the array, with spiritual power seeping into the rubble, fusing earth and stone into a solid barrier.


    "Will this array hold?" Elder Yu still had some doubts.


    Mo Hua felt confident.


    The Earth-Fire Array used paper as its medium and was single-use. However, the current Earth-Wood Composite Array used earth and stone, making it durable and time-consuming to break.


    Besides, it was a first-tier compound array, enough to handle Qi cultivators¡ªas long as Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan, who were at the Foundation Building stage, didn''t intervene.


    But it was hard to be certain without testing it.


    So Mo Hua replied ambiguously, "It should work."


    Given the situation, Elder Yu didn''t hesitate and ordered all cultivators to focus on digging escape tunnels, leaving the remaining spirit stones unmined.


    They had to create an escape route before the Qian family broke through the mine.


    The Qian family noticed the demon hunters'' movements.


    Qian Hong sneered, "As expected, Yu Changlin sealed the entrance and is digging escape tunnels."


    He then ordered the Qian family cultivators to scout. After investigating, they reported that the entrance was sealed with walls of earth and stone.


    Qian Hong wasn''t concerned, believing that walls of gray earth and rubble wouldn''t last more than two days.


    But after half a day of effort, the Qian family cultivators returned, reporting:


    "Master, we can''t break through." S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Hong frowned, "What do you mean, can''t break through?"


    The disciple lowered his head, "The entrance is sealed with earth and stone, and we can''t break through..."


    Qian Hong''s frown deepened.


    Qian Zhongxuan, hearing this, was slightly surprised but smiled smugly.


    Qian Hong said, "Let me take a look."


    He approached the sealed entrance and sensed the array''s fluctuations on the earth and stone.


    There''s an array drawn here?


    Qian Hong felt uneasy and instructed, "Try hitting it."


    Several Qian family cultivators stepped forward, using knives, swords, bare hands, and spells.


    Though they could chip away some rubble, it quickly reformed as if the stones were alive, fusing back together like earth and wood, self-repairing.


    The Qian family cultivators continued their assault, but their efforts were futile, leaving them exhausted.


    Qian Hong couldn''t stand it any longer and drew his sword, slashing at the wall.


    With his Foundation Building stage cultivation, his spiritual power was solid, and the sword energy cleaved through the rubble.


    Qian Hong was shocked, "A first-tier array?"


    Qian Zhongxuan didn''t lie? There''s really someone among the demon hunters who can draw a first-tier array!


    Qian Zhongxuan''s pleased expression didn''t escape Qian Hong''s notice, adding to his frustration.


    "A seven-pattern array isn''t much. The master will break it soon and capture these demon hunters!" Qian Zhongxuan''s tone was slightly sarcastic.


    Qian Hong''s face remained impassive, but he was inwardly angry, unable to retort.


    The demon hunters'' array master was just an ordinary array master who could draw seven-pattern arrays.


    If he denied this, it would be like slapping his own face.


    Qian Zhongxuan''s mockery had to be endured, with plans to settle the score later.


    The immediate problem was breaking through the entrance, attacking the mine, killing the demon hunters, seizing the spirit stones, and occupying the spirit mine.


    Just as Qian Hong was about to take action, Elder Yu''s voice echoed from above:


    "We agreed that Foundation Building cultivators wouldn''t intervene. Don''t push it."


    Qian Hong looked up and saw Elder Yu, with a mocking smile, watching from the only unsealed entrance halfway up the mountain.


    Qian Hong sneered, "We agreed not to attack cultivators, but not the rocks."


    Elder Yu smirked, "Go ahead, I''ll watch."


    Qian Hong hesitated, reluctant to act. If he exhausted too much spiritual power breaking the entrance, he might be vulnerable to Elder Yu''s attack.


    If reported to the Dao Court, Yu Changlin could argue that Qian family''s Foundation Building cultivator attacked first.


    It could indeed be seen as Qian family attacking first if their cultivator broke the demon hunters'' array.


    Moreover, Qian Zhongxuan might take advantage of the situation if he acted.


    After some hesitation, Qian Hong stepped back.


    "Fine, I''ll stick to the agreement. Only Qi cultivators will attack."


    Elder Yu sighed in relief but looked down on Qian Hong even more.


    "Then stop wasting time and let your Qi cultivators try breaking the mine entrance."


    Qian Hong glared venomously at Elder Yu before signaling his cultivators.


    They took turns attacking the earth and stone with knives, swords, martial arts, and spells.


    One cultivator would tire, and another would take over.


    As for the entrance where Elder Yu stood guard, it was impregnable.


    Only by opening multiple entrances and attacking simultaneously could they hope to overwhelm the demon hunters.


    The first-tier Earth-Wood Composite Array''s defense was strong but relied on spirit stones and spiritual power.


    Each attack depleted its energy.


    The Qian family cultivators attacked continuously for days, day and night, finally breaking through the first layer.


    With a rumble, the first wall of earth and stone lost its array''s support and collapsed into rubble.


    The Qian family cultivators cheered.


    But their joy was short-lived. Behind the first wall was another wall.


    They tried slashing it, but the earth and stone didn''t budge, indicating another array.


    Despair spread among the Qian family cultivators, and Qian Hong''s eye twitched.


    He hadn''t expected Yu Changlin to be so ruthless, creating two walls with two arrays.


    No, there might be more than two...


    Qian Hong gritted his teeth, pausing the attack to let the cultivators rest before resuming.


    There was no turning back now.


    While the Qian family was attacking the mine, Elder Yu listened inside. Suddenly, the noise stopped, and he wondered:


    "Why did they stop?"


    "They can''t break through."


    After these days, Mo Hua confirmed the effectiveness of the first-tier Earth-Wood Array, which was difficult for Qi cultivators to breach.


    Especially with three layers.


    Elder Yu still didn''t understand, "Why can''t they break through?"


    "It''s a first-tier compound array. It''ll exhaust them to death!"


    "Compound array?" Elder Yu was puzzled.


    "It''s slightly more powerful than a first-tier array," Mo Hua explained.


    Elder Yu''s eyes widened. More powerful than a first-tier array?


    "So this array can hold for a long time?"


    Mo Hua estimated and nodded. If Foundation Building cultivators didn''t intervene, it could hold for a very long time.


    Assuming they had enough food and water.


    Elder Yu was stunned, then deeply regretted it.


    Had he known Mo Hua''s array was so effective, he wouldn''t have rushed to dig escape tunnels.


    There were still many unmined spirit stones in the cave...


    Those were all spirit stones!


    Frugal by nature, Elder Yu felt pained.


    Seeing through Elder Yu''s thoughts, Mo Hua''s eyes lit up:


    "Why not be more ruthless? Don''t let them have anything!"


    This idea resonated with Elder Yu, and after some thought, he nodded, "Indeed, waste brings retribution!"

 Chapter 170: The Mine Tunnel

    The spirit mines that the demon hunters excavated could ensure their livelihood for the next ten years. However, if the Qian family got their hands on them, they would grow stronger and, in turn, bully the hunters.Although the spirit mines were important, the mine tunnel took precedence.


    After all, the mine tunnel was crucial for everyone''s safe retreat. Elder Yu understood which was more critical.


    Elder Yu instructed everyone to focus on digging the tunnel first. A few days later, with the tunnel completed and an escape route secured, the demon hunters could then turn their attention to mining.


    Elder Yu demonstrated his extreme frugality, wandering the mine daily and scraping even the tiniest bits of spiritual ore from the walls with his fingers and putting them into his storage bag.


    According to Elder Yu, they had to mine everything they could, leaving nothing for the Qian family. They were to scrape the bowl clean so that even if the Qian family licked the bowl''s rim, they wouldn''t get a drop of soup.


    Mo Hua watched with deep admiration.


    He had only suggested being thorough, but he hadn''t expected this level of thoroughness! Elder Yu was truly remarkable!


    Mo Hua learned a lot from this.


    Elder Yu''s mining activities were also detected by the Qian family''s cultivators.


    Qian Hong knew Elder Yu''s intentions, so he had sent people to monitor Dahei Mountain early on, looking for any signs of the demon hunters.


    Mining such a tunnel couldn''t be done without any noise.


    Indeed, the Qian family soon found traces of the demon hunters.


    At one pit entrance, surrounded by broken rocks and camouflaged with grass and wood, Qian Hong sneered, "Yu Changlin, burrowing like a rat, but you''ll still fall into my hands in the end."


    Qian Hong had people keep watch, but after several days, no demon hunters appeared.


    Frowning, Qian Hong instructed Qian Zhuang to lead a team to investigate.


    Qian Zhuang took the order and led a few Qian family cultivators into the pit cautiously.


    The tunnel was dark and damp, surrounded by broken rocks, clearly newly dug.


    They searched for a long time but found nothing, no demon hunters, not even a trace of anyone.


    While Qian Zhuang was puzzled, a Qian family cultivator noticed a section of the stone wall that was paler in color and echoed when tapped, indicating it was thin.


    The Qian family cultivators exchanged excited glances.


    This suggested that behind the stone wall was an empty space, a mine tunnel, and the wall was just a facade.


    The demon hunters were hiding behind this wall!


    Qian Zhuang led his men to break through the wall.


    The wall collapsed, dust billowed.


    When the dust settled, they were met with a pair of copper bell-sized, blood-red vertical pupils.


    Qian Zhuang gasped.


    This was not a demon hunter but a late-stage Tier 1 adult demon beast!


    The demon beast''s eyes showed confusion, anger, and a bloodthirsty glee.


    It was confused about why there were people in its lair; angry at being disturbed during its rest; delighted at the meal delivered to its door!


    In the narrow tunnel, the demon beast hunted and fed, while the Qian family cultivators fled in terror.


    When Qian Zhuang and his men finally returned to Qian Hong, they were in a pitiful state.


    Qian Zhuang was heavily injured but intact, while the others were missing limbs, and some had permanently stayed in that tunnel, resting in the demon beast''s belly.


    Qian Hong''s expression was no longer as composed.


    Even with his deep cunning, he was now furious, gritting his teeth, "Well played, Yu Changlin, digging a fake tunnel beside a demon beast''s lair to deceive me! Too much!"


    The Qian family disciples bowed their heads, not daring to speak.


    After a while, another Qian family disciple reported finding another tunnel.


    Qian Hong''s eye twitched, uncertain.


    This tunnel could be real, but it could also be another of Yu Changlin''s traps.


    But since it had been discovered, it couldn''t be ignored.


    Qian Hong sent more disciples, cautioning them to be wary of demon beasts.


    As expected, there was indeed a demon beast in the tunnel.


    The returning Qian family disciples were again missing limbs, and some had lost their lives.


    Their caution was futile against the demon beasts. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The tunnels connected to the demon beasts'' lairs were dark and narrow, making it hard for cultivators to maneuver, while the demon beasts thrived.


    Demon beasts were inherently stronger than cultivators of the same level. Experienced demon hunters had to find open spaces, use patience, and coordinate in groups of several or even a dozen to surround and kill a demon beast.


    Qian family cultivators were not skilled in demon hunting, entering such narrow, dark lairs was essentially delivering themselves as food.


    Their resistance was merely the demon beast''s entertainment before a meal.


    Qian Hong''s blood boiled with anger, wanting to curse Yu Changlin, but he held back for the sake of his dignity as the family head. However, his mood was far from calm.


    The Qian family found two more tunnels but dared not send anyone in.


    He couldn''t risk the lives of his disciples.


    He finally understood that Yu Changlin, a demon hunter familiar with Dahei Mountain, knew far more about the mountain than he did.


    Finding the tunnels dug by Yu Changlin was almost impossible.


    And if they guessed wrong, it would cost lives, a risk he couldn''t afford.


    Though he was the family head, it didn''t mean he had to be the family head.


    Qian Hong''s expression was grave, his brows tightly furrowed.


    Qian Zhongxuan watched, smirking inwardly. He understood Yu Changlin''s cunning now, didn''t he?


    Now, he hoped Qian Hong would suffer misfortune.


    The more successful Qian Hong was in capturing the spirit mines, the more his own failures would stand out.


    Conversely, the more setbacks Qian Hong faced, the less noticeable Qian Zhongxuan''s failures would be.


    Qian Zhuang, observing Qian Zhongxuan''s expression, understood his thoughts.


    He couldn''t help but admire their shared mindset.


    "If the family head fails, then Elder Qian''s failure is nothing. Likewise, if Elder Qian fails, my failure is also nothing."


    "And now that both the family head and Elder Qian have failed, my failure is even more insignificant!"


    Qian Zhuang felt relieved, his bleeding wounds hurting less.


    Since they couldn''t find the demon hunters'' escape tunnel to ambush them, the Qian family''s only option was a frontal assault, breaking through the formations and the stone walls.


    There were seven or eight tunnel entrances, and the Qian family cultivators divided into teams, advancing simultaneously, hoping to break through all of them.


    This way, they could overwhelm the demon hunters, who would soon run out of supplies.


    In the following days, the Qian family tirelessly broke down walls.


    Qian Hong appeared calm, but inside he was anxious.


    He knew that if they delayed further and allowed Yu Changlin to finish mining and escape, their efforts would be in vain!


    With a rumble, another stone wall collapsed.


    Behind the collapsed wall, as Qian Hong expected, was a third stone wall, with a third formation!


    Qian Hong felt a surge of anger, wanting to tear the array master who drew these formations into pieces!


    But he could only suppress his fury, close his eyes, and helplessly wave his hand, "Continue digging!"

 Chapter 171: Running Away

    The Qian family had yet to break open the cave entrance, but the spirit stones in the spirit mine had already been completely extracted.They had been thoroughly cleaned out.


    Elder Yu checked twice himself, scanned it twice with his divine sense, and even had Mo Hua use his divine sense to check again to ensure no spirit stones were left behind. Only then did he feel at ease.


    "Elder, are we running away now?" Mo Hua asked eagerly.


    He had been in the spirit mine for a long time, hadn''t been home for a while, and had run out of meat in his storage bag. The wine he had been reluctant to drink was also gone.


    Elder Yu took another look around the spirit mine, then decisively waved his hand and said, "Retreat!"


    Nearly a thousand demon hunters, laden with storage bags and carrying storage boxes in pairs, began to leave through another excavated tunnel.


    These storage bags and boxes had all been prepared by Elder Yu in advance.


    The storage bags used during the Qi cultivation stage were crudely made, convenient to carry but with limited space inside.


    The storage boxes were square and had much larger space inside, but were inconvenient to carry, typically used for transporting large items.


    The spirit mine was small, but the extracted spirit stones were not few. Elder Yu had gathered all the storage bags and boxes he could find to transport all the spirit stones.


    Mo Hua followed behind his father, Mo Shan, moving forward step by step with the team of demon hunters, eventually leaving the tunnel.


    The exit of the tunnel was well hidden, carefully selected by Elder Yu using Mo Hua''s detailed map.


    Without Mo Hua''s map, Elder Yu might not have found this location.


    Outside the tunnel was the outer area of Dahei Mountain.


    Mo Hua immediately felt a sense of familiarity.


    The familiar peaks, dense forests, the mist mixed with thin miasma, the soft soil and stones underfoot, the faint earthy scent, the mountain wind brushing past his cheeks, and the sounds of demonic beasts in the mountains.


    All of this lifted Mo Hua''s spirits, instantly dispelling the gloom of the mine.


    Elder Yu, still not completely at ease, immediately said upon exiting the tunnel, "Hurry up! We need to get back quickly. If the Qian family catches up, it''ll be troublesome!"


    The demon hunters began to speed up, aiming to leave Dahei Mountain and return to Tongxian City before the Qian family could catch up.


    Once they reached Tongxian City, the Qian family wouldn''t dare act rashly.


    And the demon hunters would have ten years of worry-free days!


    On the other side, Qian Hong also sensed something was wrong.


    For several days, Elder Yu hadn''t scolded him.


    Qian Hong leaped to the cave entrance where Elder Yu had appeared before, took a few steps forward, and found the entrance sealed.


    Qian Hong''s heart grew cold.


    Why seal the entrance?


    Because they had already finished mining the spirit stones and run away!


    Yu Changlin, that old rascal, no longer needed to waste words here!


    Qian Hong could no longer remain calm. He shouted urgently, "Quick! Dig quickly! The demon hunters have already escaped!"


    Finding the tunnel dug by Yu Changlin in Dahei Mountain was impossible. The Qian family was far less familiar with Dahei Mountain than the demon hunters who lived off the mountain.


    The only option now was to break through the entrance and find the escape tunnel inside.


    The Qian family''s cultivators labored to chisel through the stone wall, again and again.


    Each time they opened a bit, the array would repair a bit.


    Qian Hong was so anxious that he grew more furious at the array master who had set the formations!


    One array would have sufficed, but they had laid three inside and out!


    What shamelessness!


    Finally, Qian Hong could bear it no longer and called for Qian Zhongxuan. The two Foundation Building stage cultivators combined their efforts, their spirit power surging, forcibly breaking the array and dismantling the stone wall at the entrance.


    Even so, it took nearly half an hour.


    Qian Hong rushed into the mine, scanning with his divine sense, but there wasn''t a trace of the demon hunters!


    Not to mention the demon hunters, there wasn''t a single spirit stone in sight.


    This was a spirit mine, and it had been cleaned out completely!


    Not a single spirit stone remained!


    Qian Hong cursed Yu Changlin in his heart.


    How stingy must one be to mine a spirit mine so thoroughly, leaving not even a morsel like a bone gnawed clean by a dog?


    A disciple of the Qian family came to report, "Patriarch, we''ve found the tunnel."


    Qian Hong immediately moved over, discovering a newly excavated tunnel, deeper and wider than the one they had been tricked with.


    The entrance to the tunnel was also blocked by rubble, but there was no array.


    They must have left in a hurry, unable to set up any formations.


    Qian Hong struck with his palm, the overwhelming spirit power blasting the rubble away.


    Qian Hong ordered sternly, "All disciples, pursue immediately. Kill any demon hunters on sight!"


    The Qian family cultivators, hearing this, became serious and without hesitation, entered the tunnel, chasing after the demon hunters.


    Halfway through their journey, Elder Yu sensed something, leaping up a few steps to a mountaintop, looking back with a frown.


    When Elder Yu came down, Mo Hua asked, "Is the Qian family catching up?"


    Elder Yu nodded gravely.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "Didn''t the Dao Court decree that only Nameless Peak was designated for our conflict? Now that we''re out of Nameless Peak, would they still dare make a move?"


    Elder Yu replied, "The Qian family has suffered too great a loss. Now they''re desperate. If they hunt us down, they''ll claim all the spirit stones. If they don''t, they not only gain nothing but also lose everything."


    Mo Hua''s expression turned serious, "The Qian family won''t let this go easily."


    Elder Yu nodded, "They''re like starving wolves, following the scent of blood, wanting to devour our flesh. If they catch up, it will be a fight to the death."


    "Then will escaping to Tongxian City be useful?" S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Once we reach Tongxian City, they won''t dare act. Even if they suffer a great loss, they''ll have to swallow it."


    Seeing Mo Hua''s confusion, Elder Yu explained further, "Dahei Mountain is chaotic; the Dao Court can''t manage it well. But Tongxian City is different. It''s under the Dao Court''s jurisdiction, strictly governed, and must not have any trouble..."


    "If the Qian family dares to act in Tongxian City, at best, they would be ignoring the Dao Court, at worst, defying the Dao laws, which would be a grave crime!"


    Mo Hua was still puzzled, "But isn''t the Dao Court in Tongxian City weak, with fewer cultivators than the Qian family? What can they do if the Qian family defies them?"


    "You don''t understand," Elder Yu raised an eyebrow and said, "The Dao Court is under the Dao Court''s control, wielding its authority and representing its face. If the Qian family goes too far, the Dao Court can petition the Dao Court to deploy Dao soldiers to exterminate the entire Qian family!"


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and said slowly, "Then the entire Qian family would be stripped of their titles, the patriarch executed, their properties confiscated, their legacy handed over, family members killed, relocated, or exiled, and they would be forced to change their surname, never allowed to be called Qian again. The Qian family in Tongxian City would cease to exist!"


    Mo Hua was shocked by what he heard.

 Chapter 172: The Rear Guard

    Mo Hua felt the deep impact of the Dao Law and the majesty of the Dao Court for the first time.Given the current situation, it was clear that the Qian family, traveling light and fast, was approaching menacingly. The Demon Hunters, burdened with transporting spirit mines, were moving slowly. If this continued, they would be caught by the Qian family before reaching Tongxian City.


    Elder Yu said, "We need someone to cover the rear!"


    Yu Chengyi, Mo Shan, and some other ninth-level Qi cultivators stepped forward.


    Elder Yu nodded slightly and instructed, "When the time comes, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan will likely attack. I''ll hold them off, and you deal with the other Qian family cultivators. Fight and retreat, don''t get entangled. We just need to buy enough time."


    The remaining people nodded solemnly.


    In such a situation, covering the rear meant facing a fierce assault from the Qian family, fighting against many with few, which was very dangerous.


    Moreover, the Qian family had two Foundation Building cultivators. If they broke the agreement and attacked, and Elder Yu couldn''t withstand them, the Qi cultivators left behind would be in great danger.


    Mo Hua said, "I''ll stay and cover the rear too!"


    Elder Yu glared at him, "What are you, a kid, doing here? Go home!"


    At that time, he would have to deal with Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan and wouldn''t have time to take care of Mo Hua''s safety.


    Mo Shan also patted Mo Hua''s head and said gently, "Go back, your mother is still waiting for you at home."


    They didn''t say much, but Mo Hua understood that staying to cover the rear meant they were prepared to die.


    Even if they successfully covered the rear, a few Demon Hunters might still lose their lives.


    Many Demon Hunters had already died or been injured in battles with the Qian family.


    Now that the spirit mines had been dug up and they had held out until now, Mo Hua didn''t want any more casualties.


    Whether it was Mo Shan, Elder Yu, or the other Demon Hunters, familiar or not, Mo Hua hoped they could all return home together.


    Mo Hua said to Elder Yu, "I can use arrays to cover the rear without anyone risking their lives!"


    Elder Yu trusted Mo Hua''s arrays.


    This time, they managed to defend the spirit mines and escape successfully, all thanks to Mo Hua''s arrays. But seeing the Qian family approaching, with time running out, Elder Yu was still worried:


    "Time is too short, there''s no time to draw arrays."


    "Don''t worry," Mo Hua patted his bulging storage bag, "I''ve prepared in advance!"


    Elder Yu opened his mouth, "All of these are arrays?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. They had no idea when Mo Hua prepared the arrays.


    "Can these arrays be useful?" Elder Yu asked again.


    "We don''t need to fight to the death. As long as we use the arrays to scare them and delay them, that''s enough," Mo Hua said.


    Elder Yu pondered for a moment and nodded, "Alright, we''ll use the arrays to buy some time."


    Then Elder Yu found Mo Shan and whispered, "If things go south, take Mo Hua and leave first!"


    Mo Shan wanted to say something, but Elder Yu''s face turned stern, "That''s an order!"


    Mo Shan tightened his lips and said nothing, but his brows furrowed deeply.


    Elder Yu lowered his voice and said solemnly, "Mo Hua''s safety is more important than anything. No matter what, you must send him back safely!"


    Mo Shan was stunned, then nodded gravely.


    Mo Hua was rummaging through his storage bag, taking out arrays.


    A thick stack of arrays, all were Nine-Pattern Earth Fire Arrays of the first rank. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Previously, a Seven-Pattern Earth Fire Array was broken by the Qian family''s iron-armored earth cultivators. So, Mo Hua learned the higher-grade first-rank Earth Fire Array just in case.


    Earth Fire Arrays were effective, but in small numbers, they wouldn''t change the outcome of the battle.


    So Mo Hua drew them whenever he had time, secretly saving them up until now. He had accumulated a thick stack of first-rank Earth Fire Arrays.


    Mo Hua distributed the first-rank Earth Fire Arrays, and the Demon Hunters chose a narrow mountain pass, hiding the arrays in secret spots and camouflaging them so the Qian family cultivators wouldn''t easily find them.


    After everything was ready, the dozen or so Demon Hunters left behind hid behind rocks, waiting for the Qian family cultivators to arrive.


    Mo Hua hid with them.


    Time passed slowly, and everyone''s faces were tense and serious.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua said with a hint of regret, "It''s a pity it''s not nighttime."


    Elder Yu was puzzled, "What difference does it make at night?"


    "At night, when the Earth Fire Array explodes, it goes boom, just like fireworks. It''s beautiful!" Mo Hua said.


    When he used the Earth Fire Array before, Mo Hua watched happily. He even prepared wine and snacks to enjoy while watching.


    But now, all the good food was gone, and Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    Elder Yu and Mo Shan didn''t know what to say. But with Mo Hua''s interruption, they no longer felt tense and even had a bit of a theatrical mindset, quietly watching the road.


    In less than a tea''s time, footsteps grew louder, and the figures of the Qian family cultivators became clearer.


    A dense crowd of nearly two thousand people.


    The Demon Hunters held their breath, not speaking.


    Qian Hong, upon seeing the narrow terrain, raised his hand, signaling the Qian family cultivators to stop.


    He scanned the area with his spiritual sense and then sneered, shouting loudly, "Yu Changlin, hiding like a turtle?"


    Elder Yu motioned for the Demon Hunters to stay put. He flashed up to a high place, then sat cross-legged on a large rock, laughing, "Hiding like a turtle is fine. But I''m a big turtle, you''re a little turtle, and you have to call me daddy."


    Qian Hong''s eyes turned cold, his expression unchanged.


    Elder Yu praised, "If there''s anyone with the deepest scheming and the most patience, it''s you. No matter how you''re insulted, you remain unmoved like a turtle..."


    Before he finished, Elder Yu suddenly acted surprised, "Could it be that your mother gave birth to you with a turtle?"


    Even Qian Zhongxuan couldn''t bear to listen to these words, but Qian Hong only slightly furrowed his brows and said, "Yu Changlin, are you stalling for time?"


    Elder Yu didn''t deny it, "You could say that."


    Qian Hong said coldly, "Why? Because of those dozen or so Demon Hunters hiding behind the rocks?"


    Elder Yu said, "Your Qian family is all useless. These dozen or so people are enough. Any more, and we might scare you."


    "Then why don''t you make a move?" Qian Hong asked.


    "We''ll talk after a break. Digging those mines was tiring." Elder Yu sighed, "You know, this Dahei Mountain is strange. How did we end up digging into a demon nest?"


    Elder Yu asked Qian Hong kindly, "Did any of your Qian family disciples enter the mines? Did they encounter any demon beasts? I hope they weren''t eaten by the beasts..."


    Qian Hong''s face turned slightly unpleasant.


    Seeing this, Elder Yu acted shocked, "No way, your people went into the mines? Were they eaten by demon beasts? No way?"


    Then Elder Yu regretted, "If I had known, I wouldn''t have let them dig those mines. That way, fewer of your Qian family members would have died... This is my fault!"


    Qian Hong gritted his teeth, "Yu, you old fool, stop your nonsense. What are you up to?"


    Elder Yu remained calm and silent.


    Qian Hong, feeling uneasy, coldly asked, "Are you going to make a move?"


    Elder Yu replied, "As agreed, you don''t make a move, I don''t make a move."


    "Fine," Qian Hong said, then ordered the Qian family cultivators to advance.


    No matter what tricks Yu Changlin was playing, he would find out soon enough.


    As the Qian family cultivators moved forward, Elder Yu remained still, not showing any sign of action.


    "What''s that old fox Yu Changlin up to?"


    Just as Qian Hong was growing suspicious, explosions erupted, flames raging, engulfing the front ranks of the Qian family cultivators.


    Screams followed, and the Qian family cultivators were terrified, not daring to advance.


    Qian Hong instantly understood and couldn''t help but curse:


    "Damn it, another array!"

 Chapter 173: Roadblock

    "Yu Changlin, since when has the Demon Hunter had such a powerful Array Master? Let me meet them," Qian Hong said coldly.Elder Yu feigned ignorance, "What Array Master? I haven''t seen one."


    Qian Hong''s eyelid twitched, "What is this you''ve set up?"


    Elder Yu replied, "How would I know? I just passed by. I don''t know what''s on the ground."


    Qian Hong grew angry, "Old fool, stop pretending with me!"


    Elder Yu shrugged indifferently, "Old turtle Qian, don''t act high and mighty with me!"


    Qian Hong seethed with anger but knew now was not the time to spar with Yu Changlin.


    Yu Changlin would be happy to hurl insults for a day and night, waiting for the Demon Hunters to escort the spirit mine into the city, rendering the Qian family powerless.


    The Earth Fire Array could harm Qi cultivators but posed little threat to Foundation Building cultivators.


    Given the urgency, Qian Hong reluctantly decided to scout the path himself to locate the Earth Fire Array.


    Just as Qian Hong took a step, he felt someone''s spiritual sense locked onto him with murderous intent.


    Qian Hong felt a premonition and looked up displeased, "Yu Changlin, what do you mean?"


    Elder Yu''s eyes were sharp, but he said calmly, "Nothing at all."


    Qian Hong''s eyes narrowed, "You want to fight?"


    Elder Yu spread his hands, acting forthright, "Where do you see me making a move?"


    Qian Hong gritted his teeth, "You just targeted me with your spiritual sense, harboring killing intent."


    Elder Yu sneered, "That''s because you''re too timid. I always look at people this way. If you''re scared, that''s your problem."


    Qian Hong glared at Elder Yu, who remained unafraid.


    Qian Zhongxuan whispered, "This old fool is stalling. Master, don''t fall into his trap."


    Qian Hong knew this but had no good plan.


    Qian Zhongxuan suggested, "Master, why not lead the way to scout the Earth Fire Array? I''ll cover you." s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Hong shot him a cold look, "Why don''t you lead the way, and I''ll cover you?"


    Qian Zhongxuan appeared ashamed, "Master, you forget, you''re in charge now. I''ve failed repeatedly and can''t intervene anymore."


    Qian Hong cursed Qian Zhongxuan inwardly.


    He didn''t know what traps Yu Changlin had set. If he scouted and got ambushed, he''d be severely injured or worse.


    Then Qian Zhongxuan could save him, claiming credit and indebting him.


    Qian Zhongxuan hoped Qian Hong would be ambushed, not killed, just gravely injured.


    Both men hesitated, each with their own schemes.


    At this moment, Qian Zhuang stepped forward, "May I give it a try?"


    Qian Zhuang''s tone was respectful, but he couldn''t hide his excitement.


    His chance to shine had come!


    He was familiar with the Earth Fire Array, having suffered greatly but also successfully dismantling it.


    Though breaking the array cost him dearly, earning him severe punishment, this opportunity could turn his disgrace into merit.


    Qian Hong frowned, "You have a way?"


    Qian Zhuang replied, "Master, I''ve broken this Earth Fire Array before!"


    "A Qi cultivator broke it?"


    "Yes!"


    Qian


    Hong showed interest, "Explain."


    Qian Zhuang detailed his previous method of breaking the Earth Fire Array. After listening, Qian Hong pondered briefly and nodded, "It makes sense."


    Qian Zhuang beamed with joy.


    Qian Hong ordered, "I have a dozen sets of iron armor. Pick cultivators with earth spiritual roots, and be quick. If this succeeds, you''ll be greatly rewarded!"


    Qian Zhuang was overjoyed, "Yes, Master!"


    Soon, a dozen Qi cultivators at the ninth level with earth spiritual roots, skilled in body cultivation and with tough skin, were selected.


    They donned the iron armor and, following Qian Zhuang''s instructions, spread out and cautiously advanced, attempting to trigger all the Earth Fire Arrays on the mountain path.


    Qian Zhuang was confident, having tested this method and believing it foolproof.


    Once all the Earth Fire Arrays were cleared, the path would be open, and the Demon Hunters would be trapped, ensuring his great merit.


    Qian Zhuang thought so.


    However, as the first Earth Fire Array exploded, his confidence shattered.


    With a loud bang, crimson flames flared, black smoke rose, and powerful spiritual energy waves surged.


    The Qian family cultivator in iron armor was engulfed in flames, then blasted away by the intense spiritual energy, rolling on the ground in agony.


    His body was half charred, bleeding, and the iron armor was cracked all over!


    The onlookers gasped, and Qian Zhuang was dumbfounded.


    This wasn''t right!


    Why was the array''s power so much stronger?!


    This wasn''t the Earth Fire Array he had broken before!


    Qian Hong glanced at the injured cultivator and then at Qian Zhuang with a cold gaze, as if looking at a dead fish.


    Cold sweat soaked Qian Zhuang''s back. He knew he was doomed.


    If he hadn''t sought the spotlight, he wouldn''t be in this mess. Now, his recklessness had led him to disaster.


    He had hoped to turn his disgrace into merit, but now not only had he lost that chance, his disgrace had doubled.


    Qian Zhongxuan also gave Qian Zhuang a cold look, then turned to Qian Hong, "Master, the only option now is to charge through."


    Qian Hong glared at Qian Zhongxuan, "How? You''ve seen the array''s power. Even late-stage Qi cultivators would be severely injured if not killed."


    Qian Zhongxuan''s eyes flickered, "The mountain path isn''t wide. A hundred or two cultivators charging through, triggering all the Earth Fire Arrays, would clear the way for the rest."


    Qian Hong''s heart sank, glaring at Qian Zhongxuan even more harshly.


    This was forcing him to be the villain.


    Out of nearly two thousand men, sacrificing a hundred or two would break the arrays.


    The problem was, how to choose who to send to their deaths?


    Or rather, who to sacrifice?


    If done secretly, it would be fine, but with so many Qian family disciples watching, if he dared to do this, he could forget about remaining the master.


    Qian Hong gritted his teeth, "As the master, I should lead by example and break this Earth Fire Array. Elder Qian, join me to guard against Yu Changlin''s schemes."


    Qian Zhongxuan feigned reluctance.


    Qian Hong quickly said, "If you do this, your previous mistakes will be forgiven."


    Qian Zhongxuan''s eyebrow twitched, "Really?"


    "Really!"


    Qian Zhongxuan respectfully said, "As an elder of the Qian family, I should advance and retreat with the master!"


    Qian Hong inwardly spat, but outwardly he appeared gratified, "Time is of the essence. Let''s act now but beware of Yu Changlin''s ambush."


    "Agreed!"


    Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan, the two Foundation Building elders, worked together, using their techniques to personally trigger the Earth Fire Arrays on the mountain path.


    Two figures darted along the path, causing a series of explosions, firelight, and spiritual energy waves.


    When the explosions subsided, the firelight dimmed, and the smoke cleared, they stopped.


    Both were in a sorry state, with tattered clothes, soot-streaked faces, and while there was no visible blood, their internal organs ached from the spiritual energy shockwaves, suppressing the urge to spit out blood.


    Bathing in a top-grade Earth Fire Array, even Foundation Building cultivators found it hard to endure.

 Chapter 174: Escape

    Qian Hong had never felt so humiliated in his life.As the head of the Qian family, he was always respected, his status esteemed, and his demeanor dignified. But now, he had to wade through the Earth Fire Array for a group of Qi cultivators, looking disheveled and utterly embarrassed.


    This appearance seemed to display his incompetence, making him feel utterly disgraced!


    Qian Zhongxuan also felt humiliated, but seeing Qian Hong looking even more humiliated beside him made him feel a bit better.


    Qian Hong coughed, forcefully swallowing the blood rising in his throat, and angrily shouted at the Qian family cultivators behind him:


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry and chase them!¡±


    The Qian family cultivators, hearing his words, finally moved forward to pursue.


    Just as Qian Hong breathed a sigh of relief, he felt a surge of energy behind him. Turning quickly, he engaged in a fierce clash.


    The clash of Foundation Building stage spiritual energy created a violent shockwave. Qian Hong felt his arm go numb, and the opponent''s spiritual energy seeped into his hand, causing intense pain.


    Qian Hong staggered back four or five steps before stopping.


    The Qian family cultivators, sensing the commotion, halted and looked toward Qian Hong.


    ¡°Chase the demon hunters! Seize the spirit stones! Don¡¯t let them escape!¡± Qian Hong barked.


    The Qian family cultivators hesitated for a moment before resuming their pursuit, crossing the mountain path.


    Qian Hong glared at his attacker, saying, ¡°Yu Changlin, how shameless of you to launch a sneak attack!¡±


    ¡°Sneak attack?¡± Elder Yu feigned ignorance. ¡°I was just trying to pat you on the shoulder and say hello. You attacked me first. The shameless one is you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can take on two Foundation Building cultivators from the Qian family alone?¡± Qian Hong sneered coldly.


    Qian Zhongxuan stood beside Qian Hong, his expression wary.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? We agreed that Foundation Building cultivators wouldn¡¯t intervene. I am a man of my word,¡± Elder Yu declared confidently.


    Qian Hong saw through Elder Yu¡¯s intentions and sneered, ¡°Even if you hold us back, once our cultivators catch up with you, you¡¯ll have nowhere to run.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for sure,¡± Elder Yu said with a faint smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see when they catch up.¡±


    Not far ahead, Mo Hua was directing about ten demon hunters to set up the Earth Fire Array.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t used all the Earth Fire Arrays; he kept some in reserve.


    It was Elder Yu who taught him to always keep a trump card.


    The earlier Earth Fire Array had delayed the main force of the Qian family, wearing down their Foundation Building cultivators, making it easier for Elder Yu to hold them back.


    The current Earth Fire Array was meant to intimidate them, making them hesitate to advance recklessly, thus slowing their progress.


    After experiencing the earlier Earth Fire Array, the Qian family cultivators knew its power.


    An Earth Fire Array capable of injuring Foundation Building cultivators was enough to terrify these Qi cultivators from the Qian family.


    The dozen or so demon hunters left behind continued to set up Earth Fire Arrays along the Qian family¡¯s path while retreating.


    Mo Hua used the Passing Water Step, scouting for suitable spots to lay the arrays, with Mo Shan shadowing him closely.


    The pursuing Qian family cultivators soon triggered another Earth Fire Array.


    Flames erupted, spiritual energy surged, followed by the sounds of explosions and cultivators'' screams.


    Another Earth Fire Array? S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Qian family cultivators, both fearful and suspicious, halted.


    A few leaders either urged or tempted the group forward, and they continued their advance.


    But shortly after, another explosion rang out.


    The Qian family cultivators, once again startled, stopped. After a moment, they mustered their courage and continued, only to trigger another Earth Fire Array soon after.


    Thus, the journey was marked by sudden bursts of flame. Though not many were injured, the psychological torment was immense.


    No one knew where the next explosion would occur or who would be hit next.


    With growing hesitation, their pace unconsciously slowed.


    Every step was taken with trepidation, and every completed step was a moment of relief.


    Gradually, all the Qian family cultivators developed a fear of the Earth Fire Arrays, and their progress slowed significantly.


    Qian Zhuang and others tried to motivate or threaten them, but it was futile.


    Thus, they proceeded slowly, halting frequently.


    By the time the Qian family cultivators finally saw the demon hunters in the distance, the latter were already leaving Dahei Mountain with storage bags and chests full of spirit stones.


    When the Qian family cultivators exited Dahei Mountain, the demon hunters were entering Tongxian City one after another.


    Mo Hua was at the rear of the demon hunter team, entering the city last.


    Before him was the gate of Tongxian City, and behind him were the hasty and furious Qian family cultivators.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. After such a long and chaotic confrontation, they had finally finished mining the spirit mine and escaped the Qian family¡¯s pursuit, securing their safety.


    The demon hunters had entered Tongxian City; no matter how anxious the Qian family was, there was nothing they could do.


    When Mo Hua came to his senses, he found Elder Yu standing beside him.


    Elder Yu¡¯s clothes were torn in several places, and his spiritual energy was significantly depleted. He glanced at Mo Hua and, seeing him uninjured, relaxed.


    At the same time, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan arrived.


    They had been held back by Yu Changlin all the way, and now both looked exhausted. But what they found hardest to accept was the scene before them.


    The demon hunters, laden with storage bags and carrying storage chests in pairs, walked into Tongxian City unscathed and openly!


    Those storage bags and chests were filled with spirit stones!


    Freshly mined spirit stones!


    Spirit stones that should have belonged to the Qian family!


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    The Qian family had spent so much time, spirit stones, and manpower, only to end up with nothing.


    He himself was now dirty and disheveled, utterly embarrassed.


    This was the greatest defeat since he had become the head of the family!


    Qian Hong¡¯s anger overwhelmed him, his face twisted as he roared:


    ¡°Yu Changlin! You old scoundrel! I will not let you go! I will have you cut into a thousand pieces!¡±


    ¡°And that array master of yours, I will find him and tear him into eight pieces to vent my anger!¡±


    Elder Yu wasn¡¯t afraid of Qian Hong¡¯s threats. Over the years, he had faced many threats from the Qian family. If he were truly afraid, he wouldn¡¯t have opposed them.


    But he worried about Mo Hua. Though he could protect Mo Hua, he feared the young man might be frightened.


    Elder Yu turned to look at Mo Hua, only to find him smirking instead of showing fear.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mo Hua blinked and whispered, ¡°The old turtle¡¯s shell is cracked.¡±


    Elder Yu frowned, puzzled. Then he saw the disheveled and enraged Qian Hong and understood.


    Qian Hong, usually composed and emotionless, was now completely unhinged, looking like a madwoman, shouting insults.


    Despite their long acquaintance, Elder Yu had never seen Qian Hong in such a state.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but laugh and then shouted back at Qian Hong:


    ¡°Qian Hong, you old turtle, if your shell is cracked, just hide your head and roll away. Stop embarrassing yourself here!¡±

 Chapter 175: Returning Home

    Elder Yu scolded Qian Hong loudly again.This time, Qian Hong, who was already mentally unbalanced, finally couldn''t bear it anymore. Just as he was about to act recklessly, cultivators from the Dao Court arrived.


    Elder Yu had informed the Dao Court beforehand, fearing that the Qian family would act rashly.


    More than ten people from the Dao Court arrived, led by the highest-ranking chief, along with the deputy chief and several officers, including Zhang Lan.


    With the Dao Court intervening, it meant that the matter was settled.


    Qian Hong had no choice but to leave with the disciples of the Qian family, though his expression was venomous, clearly unwilling to let it go.


    He glanced coldly at Elder Yu, then his gaze swept over Mo Hua and the other demon hunters, pondering deeply.


    Who among the demon hunters was the array master who had caused him so much trouble?


    All the demon hunters present were suspects, but the ten-year-old Mo Hua was the first to be ruled out.


    In Qian Hong''s understanding, an array master capable of drawing first-grade arrays would at least be middle-aged, with cultivation at least at the ninth level of Qi cultivation.


    Mo Hua, whether in age or cultivation, did not catch his eye.


    Elder Yu noticed that Qian Hong''s gaze did not linger on Mo Hua and didn''t care, letting him guess.


    "Guess all you want, if you can figure it out, I swear I''ll treat everyone with respect and never curse again!"


    Elder Yu thought silently.


    Even knowing now that Mo Hua could draw first-grade arrays, it still felt like a dream. If Mo Hua hadn''t demonstrated it many times in front of him, he wouldn''t have believed it.


    A ten-year-old first-grade array master, it was simply unimaginable.


    Qian Hong would never guess it, no matter how much he thought.


    The Qian family left, and Elder Yu was discussing matters with the Dao Court chief.


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua and couldn''t help but sigh inwardly.


    This child, Mo Hua, wherever there was trouble, there you were...


    You never missed any excitement.


    Mo Hua also saw Zhang Lan and winked at him, his big, shiny eyes twinkling.


    Zhang Lan shook his head, a bit helpless.


    After Elder Yu finished talking with the chief, he looked pleased and told everyone to go home and rest, and they would discuss the rest later.


    Mo Hua then went home with Mo Shan. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua was tidying up the dishes at the restaurant entrance, her eyes occasionally glancing towards the road, her expression both hopeful and anxious.


    Before long, Mo Shan appeared at the entrance holding Mo Hua''s small hand.


    Liu Ruhua quickly put down the dishes and hurried out to meet Mo Hua, hugging him tightly as if afraid he would disappear in a blink.


    Mo Hua, a bit embarrassed, blushed and said, "Mom, I''m fine."


    Liu Ruhua then carefully examined Mo Hua, seeing that he had no injuries and looked good, though a bit thinner, she was relieved.


    She felt a bit heartbroken, "You''ve been inside for so long, you must not have had enough to eat. Did you finish all the food I packed for you?"


    Mo Hua patted his empty storage bag, "I finished it all!"


    Liu Ruhua nodded, "You''re still young, you need to eat more."


    "Mm-hmm," Mo Hua agreed.


    Liu Ruhua examined him again and then smiled warmly, "You must be hungry, I made lots of delicious food for you."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, and he said crisply, "Mom, you''re the best!"


    Liu Ruhua smiled brightly and led Mo Hua into the restaurant.


    Mo Shan, who had been left standing aside, shook his head helplessly.


    Mo Hua had a hearty meal, took a bath, changed into clean clothes, and then fell asleep on the bed.


    During the days guarding the spirit mine, although he hadn''t fought much directly, he had used spells to sneak attack and draw arrays to deal with enemies, which was mentally and physically tiring.


    Now, back home, carefree, he could finally have a good sleep.


    Liu Ruhua brought some wild fruits and pastries for Mo Hua. When she entered the room, she saw Mo Hua sleeping soundly, his cheeks puffed up as if eating something in his dream. She couldn''t help but smile and shake her head.


    She placed the wild fruits on the table, tucked Mo Hua in, and after looking at him a few more times, quietly left.


    When Mo Hua woke up, he rubbed his eyes and realized it was already dark. Hearing voices, he walked into the living room and saw Elder Yu and Yu Chengyi discussing something with Mo Shan.


    Elder Yu smiled warmly and waved him over.


    Mo Hua, puzzled, asked, "Elder, what are you talking about?"


    Elder Yu said, "We''re discussing the distribution of spirit stones."


    "Can I listen too?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "You have a share as well."


    Mo Hua pulled a small stool over and sat down. Elder Yu then explained, "We finished mining the spirit mine, but the spirit stones are impure and irregular, so they can''t be used directly. They need to be handed over to the Dao Court to be exchanged for standard spirit stones, which are pure and refined, usable for both circulation and cultivation..."


    "Of course, there will be a cut for the Dao Court and some for the Dao Court officers as bribes. Even so, what we get will be a substantial amount of spirit stones."


    "According to merit, these spirit stones will be distributed in four grades monthly to all demon hunters for their cultivation and daily use."


    "Mo Shan has the highest merit and will get the highest grade. Mo Hua, you too."


    Mo Hua was surprised, "I also get the highest grade?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "You should actually get more, but since your family already has two highest grades, it''s not appropriate to give you more."


    In Elder Yu''s mind, Mo Hua''s contributions far exceeded the highest grade.


    Whether it was using the Fireball Technique to repel the Qian family cultivators, forcing hidden cultivators to show themselves, or using arrays to help defend and escape, all were crucial to the battle.


    But according to demon hunter tradition, the highest grade was the limit, and Elder Yu couldn''t make an exception.


    Mo Hua didn''t mind, happy to get the highest grade.


    After all, although he had used spells and drawn arrays from the rear, the real fighting and risking their lives were done by others.


    The demon hunters bled, got injured, and fought desperately.


    Mo Hua had only helped from the side.


    Then he thought of something, looking a bit sad, "A lot of people died this time, right..."


    Elder Yu patted Mo Hua''s head, "Death and injury are inevitable, don''t dwell on it."


    Mo Hua understood but still felt sad.


    Elder Yu said, "Death is a part of life. People die from old age, illness, and accidents. Compared to that, dying to protect the spirit mine means their families will get more compensation. It''s the best outcome."


    Mo Hua nodded silently.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and sighed, "Suffering is inevitable. Over the years, demon hunters have always lived this way. But people must look forward."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Elder, I understand."


    Elder Yu felt relieved and said no more.


    Mo Hua, however, understood that all suffering stemmed from weakness.


    If he were strong enough, the Qian family would be no threat. If his arrays were powerful enough, the Qian family would be easily defeated.


    As long as the arrays were strong enough...


    Mo Hua''s eyes were resolute, and he silently vowed:


    "One day, within my arrays, no cultivator will ever bleed or die again!"

 Chapter 176: Fortune Making

    The next day, Mo Hua went to visit Mr. Zhuang. After all, he was Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple, and he felt a bit guilty for not visiting him while being stuck in the spirit mine for so long.Mr. Zhuang was still sleeping, so Mo Hua played a game of Five Elements Chess with Elder Gui.


    After all this time, their chess skills were still mediocre, with hardly any improvement.


    However, the simplicity of Five Elements Chess made it interesting without too much mental strain, making the game more enjoyable.


    Mo Hua and Elder Gui were well-matched opponents, exchanging moves with difficulty to determine a winner.


    When Mr. Zhuang finally woke up, Mo Hua reluctantly ended the game and went to pay his respects to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang had always let Mo Hua learn independently and only asked questions if he had any, so he didn¡¯t say much.


    Before leaving, Mr. Zhuang praised him, ¡°Well done.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, squinting his eyes with a smile.


    However, after leaving Mr. Zhuang¡¯s bamboo room, Mo Hua felt puzzled.


    He hadn¡¯t told Mr. Zhuang anything, yet Mr. Zhuang seemed to know everything...


    And even praised him for doing well.


    Mo Hua frowned. How did Mr. Zhuang know?


    Feeling perplexed, Mo Hua thought that Mr. Zhuang might have some divine insight or perhaps it was natural for him to know given the commotion with the Qian family. It was not unusual for Mr. Zhuang to be aware.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself and didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    He then went to see Bai Zisheng and his sister.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing Mo Hua and immediately complained, asking where he had been all this time.


    Mo Hua explained the situation with the spirit mine.


    Bai Zisheng listened with enthusiasm and envy.


    Bai Zixi, who was pretending to read, was also engrossed, her eyes sparkling, and she didn¡¯t notice the book in her hand was askew.


    ¡°Next time something like this happens, you must call me. I¡¯ll help you!¡± Bai Zisheng said energetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use calling you; Aunt Xue wouldn¡¯t let you go,¡± Mo Hua replied nonchalantly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing Bai Zisheng¡¯s enthusiasm.


    Bai Zisheng instantly deflated, lying on the ground like a wilted eggplant, feeling that life had become much gloomier.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you something to eat tomorrow.¡±


    Bai Zisheng immediately sat up straight, ¡°Make it spicy!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Mo Hua replied helplessly, then noticed Bai Zixi also looking at him with sparkling eyes.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°My mother is making Jade Crisp Cakes. I haven¡¯t tasted them yet, but they smell wonderful. I¡¯ll bring some for you to try tomorrow.¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded gently, looking quite relaxed.


    The next day, Mo Hua brought the promised food.


    Bai Zisheng ate heartily, while Bai Zixi nibbled on the jade-like fragrant cakes, her eyes narrowing like a contented kitten.


    Seeing them enjoy the food, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but smile with squinted eyes.


    A few days later, Elder Yu asked Mo Hua to collect spirit stones from the Demon Hunter Hall¡¯s warehouse.


    A lot of spirit stones had been mined, and distributing them all at once would lead to waste or theft, causing many problems.


    The Demon Hunter Hall needed to reserve a batch of spirit stones for emergencies.


    Therefore, the spirit stones in the warehouse were distributed in batches according to merit, ensuring a steady and sustainable use.


    Mo Hua queued outside the warehouse and soon received a storage bag containing about three hundred spirit stones, feeling the heavy weight in his arms.


    Three hundred spirit stones!


    That would last a long time, eliminating any worries about spirit stones for the foreseeable future.


    And this was just the first batch; there should be more in the future.


    Mo Hua was extremely happy.


    Not only Mo Hua, but all the demon hunters receiving spirit stones wore smiles. Some were in disbelief and even cried with joy.


    For those struggling to make a living, such a large number of spirit stones was unprecedented.


    With these spirit stones, children wouldn¡¯t go hungry, and their cultivation needs were met without desperate measures to earn spirit stones.


    Under such heavy pressure, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    And this relief would last ten years!


    Mo Hua felt gratified but then his thoughts turned heavy.


    What about ten years later?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    After ten years, when the spirit stones were used up, wouldn¡¯t they return to their old lives of licking blood off the blade, enduring hardship and suffering?


    Mo Hua thought of Meng Dame, Aunt Jiang, Da Hu and the other familiar demon hunters.


    He thought of their tears in life, their bloodshed in demon hunting, their suffering, and lives on the edge.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew heavier.


    Was there a way to extend these good days for everyone?


    This thought lingered in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    He thought about it while eating, while cultivating, and even while drawing arrays.


    One day, while flipping through array books, an idea struck Mo Hua.


    He ran to the Demon Hunter Hall¡¯s warehouse and found Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu, worried about the large stockpile of spirit stones, had been personally guarding the warehouse.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Elder Yu, how did the Qian family become wealthy?¡±


    Elder Yu was slightly surprised but then thought and said, ¡°The Qian family¡¯s ancestor was also a demon hunter. After saving a batch of spirit stones, he stopped demon hunting and started artifact crafting and pill refining...¡±


    ¡°Demon hunters sold him materials at low prices, and he hired cultivators to refine them into spirit tools and pills, which he sold at high prices to demon hunters.¡±


    ¡°Gradually, his business grew, buying materials cheaper, hiring cultivators for longer, and selling tools and pills at higher prices, making the Qian family wealthier.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone compete with them?¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t compete,¡± Elder Yu shook his head. ¡°They didn¡¯t have the Qian family¡¯s ruthlessness and tactics.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I heard the Qian family started from scratch.¡±


    Elder Yu sneered, ¡°That¡¯s just the Qian family boasting.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡±


    Elder Yu scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense, ensuring there were no eavesdroppers, then sat down, drank tea, and began to speak:


    ¡°As I said, the Qian family¡¯s ancestor saved a batch of spirit stones. Guess how he did it?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and was suddenly startled.


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why could he save spirit stones when other demon hunters couldn¡¯t? The spirit stones needed to start an artifact or pill business aren¡¯t a small amount, something a regular demon hunter couldn¡¯t save in a lifetime...¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°What did he do?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°Old demon hunters told me that the Qian family¡¯s ancestor was unscrupulous from a young age, betraying and killing comrades to monopolize demon cores. He even disguised as a bandit in Dahei Mountain, robbing others, doing anything for spirit stones. That¡¯s how he saved his first batch of spirit stones...¡±


    Elder Yu sneered again, ¡°No one gets rich without dirty deeds. There¡¯s no such thing as starting from scratch.¡±


    Mo Hua was secretly shocked.


    Elder Yu finished his gossip, drank tea to soothe his throat, and then remembered something, ¡°You didn¡¯t come to chat with me. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Elder Yu, let¡¯s start an artifact and pill business to earn spirit stones!¡±


    Elder Yu laughed, ¡°Silly child, the Qian family got rich through robbery and deceit. We don¡¯t have that kind of capital...¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°We don¡¯t need to rob or deceive; we already have the capital.¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, about to speak, but suddenly his heart jumped, and he turned towards the warehouse.


    The warehouse was filled with a dense pile of spirit stones, freshly mined and exchanged from the Dao Court!


    ¡°But... artifact crafting and pill refining aren¡¯t easy.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°There are many cultivators skilled in these arts among the wanderers. If we lack manpower, we can hire them with spirit stones.¡±


    Elder Yu frowned in thought, ¡°The main difficulty is the refining furnaces, especially large, high-quality ones needed for a big business.¡±


    ¡°Are refining furnaces hard to make?¡±


    ¡°Crafting them requires extensive manpower, resources, and fine iron, but the trickiest part, the core, is the inside of the furnace...¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Mo Hua.


    The core of the furnace was... the array!


    Linking everything together, Elder Yu¡¯s thoughts became clear.


    Everything was ready! They lacked nothing!


    They had spirit stones, manpower, and the crucial arrays... they had Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu was momentarily incredulous.

 Chapter 177: Establishment

    Everything was ready. Could they really open their own artifact crafting shop and alchemy shop?Elder Yu was uncertain.


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu and continued, ¡°Elder Yu, these spirit stones are only enough for ten years. What will we do after that?¡±


    Elder Yu frowned.


    He had considered what Mo Hua said, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t come up with a good solution.


    The life of a demon hunter was already very hard. If they could have ten years of respite, where everyone could eat and clothe themselves without worry and focus on their cultivation, Elder Yu would be very satisfied.


    That was all he could do.


    But what Mo Hua said stirred Elder Yu¡¯s emotions.


    Maybe, their good days could last a bit longer?


    Elder Yu carefully considered his thoughts again and increasingly felt that Mo Hua¡¯s suggestion was feasible.


    Previously, they lacked both spirit stones and array masters who could draw array patterns, so they never considered this possibility.


    But now, they had spirit stones, and they had young and capable array masters. What was there to worry about?


    Suddenly, Elder Yu was filled with excitement.


    This was an opportunity given to them by the heavens!


    If they didn¡¯t seize this fleeting opportunity, they would surely regret it in the future!


    ¡°Mo Hua,¡± Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and said solemnly, ¡°You are right, but this matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with the others before deciding what to do.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He was only making a suggestion; whether to proceed and how to proceed still depended on Elder Yu¡¯s decision.


    However, Elder Yu was highly respected among the demon hunters. If he agreed, it was almost a done deal. The meeting would likely be just a formality.


    ¡°There is one more thing,¡± Elder Yu deliberated, ¡°If we are to build the artifact crafting shop and the alchemy shop, we will need to forge large artifact furnaces and alchemy furnaces. The array patterns involved¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patted his chest, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me!¡±


    To Mo Hua, this was an opportunity to practice array patterns for free, and on large spirit tools at that. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t ask for more.


    Large spirit tools were extremely expensive and not something an average cultivator could forge.


    If he could draw array patterns on these large spirit tools, Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of arrays would reach a higher level.


    Although he wasn¡¯t certified by the Dao Court, Mo Hua¡¯s level was already that of a first-rank array master.


    But to Mo Hua, first-rank was not the end, but the beginning. He aimed to become a higher-ranked array master in the future, understanding more and more powerful arrays!


    With the help of arrays, one could have abilities that could reach the heavens and penetrate the earth!


    Thinking this, the light in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone like starlight.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and felt that this child standing before him was more important to their demon hunters than all the spirit stones in the warehouse.


    Elder Yu returned to convene everyone for a meeting, discussing the establishment of the artifact crafting shop and the alchemy shop, and stated bluntly:


    ¡°I have already agreed.¡±


    Everyone silently criticized in their hearts.


    If you have already agreed, what else is there to say¡­ could they even dare to oppose it?


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t waste time and directly said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the specific implementation.¡±


    Everyone started to offer their opinions and discuss.


    It took a whole half day before they finally settled on a rough procedure.


    Elder Yu reviewed the procedure again, feeling that there were no major issues, only some details needed further refinement, but it wouldn¡¯t affect the overall situation.


    After the decision, Elder Yu immediately began assigning tasks, detailing who would do what and how much time it would take.


    Finally, Elder Yu solemnly said, ¡°This matter concerns the livelihood of countless wandering cultivators in Tongxian City. It is of great importance. Every task must be done meticulously and carefully, without any negligence!¡±


    Everyone solemnly cupped their hands and said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    From then on, the demon hunters in Tongxian City gradually became busy.


    Elder Yu¡¯s vision was to establish the largest artifact crafting shop and alchemy shop in Tongxian City.


    The demon hunters would go into the mountains to hunt demons and obtain materials. The artifact craftsmen among the wandering cultivators would craft artifacts, and the alchemists would make pills. Some of the spirit tools and pills would be used by the demon hunters themselves, and the rest would be sold to earn spirit stones.


    Such a large-scale artifact crafting and alchemy shop would require many artifact craftsmen and alchemists, as well as many apprentices learning the crafts, providing many job opportunities for the demon hunters.


    Some wandering cultivators, who were not good at fighting demons, could also learn artifact crafting or alchemy to make a living. Once they mastered the skills, they could also benefit other wandering cultivators in the future. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The specific construction procedures were numerous and complicated, handled by Elder Yu and the leading demon hunters. Mo Hua didn¡¯t need to worry about it, and he couldn¡¯t help even if he wanted to.


    What he could do was draw array patterns.


    The construction of the large artifact crafting shop and alchemy shop required two main types of arrays: the architectural arrays for the buildings and the refining arrays for the artifact furnaces and alchemy furnaces.


    The architectural arrays were the first to be considered.


    According to Elder Yu¡¯s plan, the construction would be divided into two phases: the first phase to build the artifact crafting shop, and the second phase to build the alchemy shop.


    Compared to alchemists, there were more artifact craftsmen among the wandering cultivators, and cultivators¡¯ consumption of spirit tools was also higher, so there was no worry about sales. Therefore, they needed to concentrate their efforts on building the artifact crafting shop first.


    After the artifact crafting shop was built, they would use a similar framework to build the alchemy shop. With the experience gained, building the alchemy shop would be much faster.


    Mo Hua¡¯s first task was to design the architectural arrays for the artifact crafting shop.


    The artifact crafting shop covered a large area with many related buildings, including walls, gates, various warehouses, artifact crafting rooms, cultivators¡¯ residences, and storage rooms.


    The specific site was still being negotiated with the Dao Court, but the building plans had to be prepared in advance.


    Elder Yu also found some architectural drawings of other artifact crafting shops for Mo Hua to refer to.


    However, these drawings were either too small, using only a few basic arrays, or even if they used arrays, they were just basic arrays with three or four patterns, like the Earth Solidification Array or the Gold Stone Array that Mo Hua had learned at the beginning.


    Now that Mo Hua¡¯s vision had broadened, he no longer looked up to them.


    Some drawings, although using more arrays, were disorganized and lacked a system, offering little reference value.


    Other drawings were vague, likely to prevent the core arrays from being revealed, so they couldn¡¯t see much.


    He originally thought there would be profound knowledge in these drawings, but it turned out everyone used rather basic methods. In comparison, the set of architectural arrays used by the An Family, although full of flaws, was already quite good.


    Mo Hua took a brief look at these drawings, got a general sense, and then began designing.


    Since the arrays used here were not that sophisticated, Mo Hua felt no pressure.


    He could now draw first-rank arrays. Even if he drew randomly, the results wouldn¡¯t be worse than the arrays used in those buildings.

 Chapter 178: Limits

    Mo Hua, after planning the array for the Artifact Crafting Shop''s construction, checked everything over and found no major issues.All the basic functions were in place, and since the arrays were relatively independent, their interconnection wasn''t significant; at least there shouldn''t be any issues with their application.


    However, Mo Hua still felt a bit uneasy.


    The construction of the Artifact Crafting Shop was a major matter, affecting the lives and cultivation of wandering cultivators for ten, twenty years, or even longer, without any room for error.


    Since he wasn''t completely sure, it was best to consult Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua went to the Sit and Forget Abode and showed Mr. Zhuang the architectural array diagram he had drawn.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at the densely packed array diagram, his eyelids twitched, but seeing that it was just a simple arrangement of single and composite arrays, each independent, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Sir, is there something wrong?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly, ¡°It''s okay.¡±


    ¡°Can it be used?¡±


    ¡°It''s sufficient,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, then took out a few diagrams and handed them to Mo Hua, ¡°These are also simple architectural array diagrams; you can refer to them.¡±


    Mo Hua eagerly took them and had a quick look.


    The arrays on the architectural diagrams were as expected, primarily Earth-Wood Arrays. The single arrays ranged from five-pattern to nine-pattern, and there were some first-grade composite arrays, but none were particularly difficult, still within Mo Hua¡¯s grasp.


    Although these architectural diagrams primarily used Earth-Wood Arrays, they also included other Five Elements Arrays, with many detailed differences.


    For instance, how to solidify earth and stone with Metal-Based Arrays, how to nourish earth and wood with Water Arrays, and how to ensure heating and lighting in the buildings with Fire Arrays.


    The frameworks were similar, but the details contained many aspects worth pondering.


    As Mo Hua studied, he became engrossed. When he snapped out of it, he found that Mr. Zhuang was already lying on a chair, leisurely resting with his eyes closed.


    Mo Hua scratched his head in embarrassment.


    Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes and asked with a smile, ¡°How is it?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°The diagrams you gave me, sir, look simple, but the interrelationships and nuances of various arrays are intricate, and I didn''t fully understand them right away.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Not bad. In Daoism, once multiple arrays are involved, the planning, coordination, and relationships of mutual promotion and restraint need to be carefully considered... It''s commendable that you noticed these aspects on your first look.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled happily, then pondered and asked, ¡°Sir, although the arrays on these architectural diagrams are independently coordinated, wouldn''t linking these arrays together make the overall array more powerful?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang showed a meaningful smile, ¡°How would you link them?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then tentatively said, ¡°¡­Using an array hub?¡±


    ¡°And if you link them with an array hub, what do you get?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked again.


    Mo Hua imagined it: linking single arrays creates a composite array, linking so many single arrays together would result in¡­


    ¡°A large composite array?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°You can simplify it,¡± Mr. Zhuang''s gaze was profound, ¡°A large composite array is actually called a ¡®Great Array¡¯.¡±


    A Great Array!


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat.


    The kind of array that countless array masters dreamed of, even in their sleep?


    The grandest in the cultivation world, with the most intricate patterns and the strongest effects?


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Can I draw one?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang extended his long, white fingers and gently knocked on Mo Hua''s little head.


    ¡°Don''t aim too high. You haven''t even mastered composite arrays yet; don¡¯t think about Great Arrays.¡±


    Mo Hua covered his head and laughed, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    However, he still cared, so he quietly asked, ¡°Sir, why are Great Arrays so difficult?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly, with a touch of helplessness, ¡°The difficulty lies in the array hub.¡±


    ¡°The array hub?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°Is the hub of a composite array difficult?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It is.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said blandly, ¡°A composite array only links a few single arrays, and its hub is not easy to learn, whereas the hub of a Great Array connects hundreds or even thousands of single arrays.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, hundreds or even thousands?


    There wouldn''t be enough spiritual awareness in the sea of consciousness to handle that.


    Even if you exhausted all your spiritual awareness and ground the sea of consciousness into powder, you couldn¡¯t squeeze out that much.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Therefore, a first-grade Great Array is not something a first-grade array master can draw. Typically, only second-grade array masters can learn and lead the drawing of a first-grade Great Array.¡±


    ¡°Lead array master?¡± Mo Hua asked in confusion.


    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°An array master who plans a first-grade Great Array and can draw the array hub is called a lead array master.¡±


    ¡°Why not draw it all by oneself? Why distinguish between lead and others?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang laughed, ¡°The scale of a Great Array is immense, with intricate patterns. Drawing it alone would exhaust you to death. So, a Great Array is usually planned by a lead array master, who personally draws the hub, and other array masters follow the lead master¡¯s diagram to draw the specific single arrays on the hub structure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Mo Hua understood.


    A fence needs three stakes, a good man needs three helpers.


    Given the immense scale of a Great Array, it cannot be drawn by one person alone; it requires many array masters working together to construct it.


    Such a vast and intricate project must be of great importance, crucial to a family, a sect, or even a city or a realm.


    No wonder many array masters pursue Great Arrays as a lifelong goal.


    Mo Hua then thought of the most crucial question: ¡°Building a Great Array must cost a lot of spirit stones¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pondered briefly and said, ¡°Although it is a Great Array, its scale varies. A smaller one doesn¡¯t require too many spirit stones.¡±


    Mo Hua asked weakly, ¡°How many spirit stones would a smaller one need¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, with an amused expression, smiled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys dig up a spirit mine? Using all the spirit stones from there, you could build a small Great Array. Provided the array masters, craftsmen, and artifact refiners work for free and excluding the spirit stones needed to activate the array.¡±


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    An entire spirit mine, so many spirit stones, only enough to build a small Great Array.


    If you include the wages and the spirit stones to activate the array, it¡¯s far from enough¡­


    After all, array masters capable of planning and leading the drawing of a first-grade Great Array are usually second-grade array masters, not easy to hire.


    Thinking of so many spirit stones, Mo Hua couldn''t help but gasp. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    How deep must one¡¯s resources be to construct a first-grade Great Array? No wonder there isn¡¯t a single Great Array in the entire Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua gave up; even if he could draw a Great Array, he wouldn¡¯t have enough spirit stones to construct it.


    Still curious, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Can¡¯t a first-grade array master lead the drawing of a first-grade Great Array?¡±


    ¡°Generally, no.¡±


    ¡°What about exceptions?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his gaze slightly condensed, and slowly said:


    ¡°An exception would mean breaking through the limits of spiritual awareness.¡±

 Chapter 179: Master Ban

    "The limit of spiritual awareness..."This wasn''t the first time Mo Hua had heard this term, but he didn''t understand what the limit of spiritual awareness was, nor how to break through it.


    Mo Hua, puzzled, asked quietly, "The limit of spiritual awareness... how do I break through it?"


    Mr. Zhuang silently looked at him.


    Mo Hua came to his senses, scratched his head, and smiled sheepishly, "Sir, I am being too ambitious again."


    Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Knowing more is a good thing, but don''t spend too much time on these matters. Your priority should still be learning more composite arrays. After all, you are already at the sixth layer of Qi cultivation."


    So what if he''s at the sixth layer of Qi cultivation?


    Mo Hua frowned, suddenly remembering that he was at the sixth layer of Qi cultivation. Breaking through meant reaching the seventh layer.


    Going from the sixth to the seventh layer of Qi cultivation would be a breakthrough from mid-stage to late-stage Qi cultivation, representing a significant advancement. This also meant there would be a bottleneck in his cultivation!


    The cultivation method he practiced was the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, and its bottleneck was the Riddle Array.


    If he couldn''t solve these Riddle Arrays, he wouldn''t be able to break through, meaning he would remain a sixth-layer Qi cultivator for life.


    Mo Hua felt a shiver in his heart.


    Yes, the immediate task was still to learn more arrays, practice more arrays, and use more arrays to find a way to solve the Riddle Arrays of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique. Otherwise, if his cultivation couldn''t advance, everything else was pointless.


    After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua began planning his array studies.


    First, he would use the architectural arrays of the artifact crafting shop to broaden the application range of arrays and consolidate some basic composite arrays, such as the First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Array.


    Then, using the artifact crafting furnace and the pill furnace, he would learn and apply more complex composite arrays, such as those including the First-Grade Magma Array.


    The array hubs of these arrays would not only connect single arrays but also control and suppress the spiritual power within the array.


    After spending two days referencing the array diagrams provided by Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua used the architectural plans of the artifact crafting shop as a base to plan the shop''s architectural array diagram.


    Mo Hua presented the architectural array diagram to Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu took one look and felt his scalp tingle.


    The densely packed arrays were too complex for Elder Yu to understand, causing his head to spin. Not understanding arrays, he felt like he was reading a celestial book and could only wave his hand, saying, "Do as you see fit, there should be no problem."


    Seeing Elder Yu''s agreement, Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Yu secretly observed Mo Hua, glancing left and right, unable to help but mutter inwardly:


    "I don''t know how Mo Hua''s brain works, managing to remember and draw such complex arrays..."


    Elder Yu shook his head.


    A few days later, Elder Yu invited the Director of the Dao Court for a few drinks, negotiated with other officials, and spent a significant amount of spirit stones to purchase a large piece of wasteland in the southern part of Tongxian City, along with some uninhabited old houses nearby.


    This piece of wasteland was designated for the artifact crafting and pill crafting shops, chosen as the most suitable and affordable location after discussions.


    With the location selected, construction could begin.


    Building houses in the cultivation world required craftsmen, skilled in earth and wood construction, a branch of artifact crafting that gradually separated as the cultivation world developed.


    There were few craftsmen in Tongxian City, so Elder Yu had to hire a batch of craftsmen from nearby immortal cities.


    The leading craftsman among them was Master Ban, an old acquaintance of Elder Yu, renowned for his skills in several nearby immortal cities.


    Elder Yu went to an inn in Tongxian City and handed the architectural array diagram to an elderly man with dark skin and a slightly stooped figure, similar in age to him.


    "Master Ban, the array diagram is ready. You can start the work."


    The elderly man, called Master Ban, took the array diagram, glanced at it, and furrowed his brows tightly. "Such a complex array... which array masters are you planning to hire to draw it?"


    Elder Yu replied, "You''ll find out when the time comes."


    Master Ban was still uneasy, "This array is too difficult, with too many patterns. If we can''t finish it or are short-handed, the slow progress will greatly affect the schedule."


    Elder Yu, understanding his concerns, said, "Don''t worry. The progress won''t be delayed, and your final payment won''t be affected."


    With Elder Yu''s assurance, Master Ban breathed a sigh of relief, though he still felt somewhat uneasy.


    Such a multitude of arrays, appearing quite complex, where would the array masters come from to draw them?


    Most array masters in Tongxian City had good relations with the Qian family, who held a grudge against him and would likely refuse to help the demon hunters.


    Hiring from outside? That would be a significant expenditure of spirit stones. Although Elder Yu had recently obtained a large sum of spirit stones, he couldn''t afford to squander them...


    Master Ban, puzzled, soon dismissed the thoughts, thinking:


    "Why should I worry about that? As long as he pays the final amount on time, it''s fine."


    After all, in these times, it was fortunate for craftsmen to get paid on time without being owed spirit stones. He had many workers to feed.


    Thinking this, he envied Elder Yu.


    It was said that Elder Yu, leading the demon hunters, had snatched a spirit mine from the Qian family.


    The Qian family, known for taking from others, was robbed for the first time, losing an entire spirit mine. Truly remarkable.


    Master Ban clicked his tongue in wonder.


    Having a long-standing friendship with Elder Yu, this time he benefited from Elder Yu''s success, securing such a significant construction project.


    Completing both the artifact crafting and pill crafting shops would ensure their livelihood for two years, allowing them to take on small jobs to support their families afterward.


    No longer would they worry about projects, stressed and exhausted. S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling a bit relieved, Master Ban urged his apprentices to start work, instructing them to be meticulous and diligent.


    Elder Yu had given them this opportunity, and they had to do their best to complete the work thoroughly, not letting Elder Yu down and gaining others'' respect.


    Thus, the construction of the artifact crafting shop began in full swing.


    Elder Yu had already purchased the building materials, which were transported in batches to the wasteland in the city''s south.


    The craftsmen began step-by-step, leveling the ground, laying the foundation, and pre-processing various materials.


    Master Ban was busier than ever, overseeing every detail of the project, wishing he could be in multiple places at once.


    In addition to the craftsmen, some demon hunters came to help. Though they were not builders and lacked the necessary skills, they were physically strong and could assist in moving bricks, lifting timber, and digging foundations.


    With more hands, the construction progressed faster.


    While appreciative of the help, Master Ban remained vigilant.


    With more people, the site could become chaotic, and unrelated individuals might sneak in.


    With years of experience, he knew some people came out of curiosity, some to steal, and others with malicious intent.


    Given Elder Yu''s conflict with the Qian family, it was possible the Qian family might send someone to sabotage the project.


    Master Ban was on high alert, watching the coming and going cultivators, looking for unfamiliar faces.


    Then he saw a small cultivator at the newly laid foundation, lying on the ground, curiously peering around.

 Chapter 180: The Craftmaster

    The young cultivator looked about ten years old, with delicate features that made him appear both obedient and adorable. However, lying on the ground, covered in dirt, he looked quite messy."Whose child is this, playing around here?"


    Master Ban was momentarily stunned, quietly approaching and following the young cultivator''s gaze. He discovered that the boy was staring at the foundation stone below, which seemed to be reserved for drawing array patterns.


    What was a child doing looking at this foundation stone?


    Master Ban didn''t quite understand and leaned over to examine it for a while. He saw nothing special besides dirt and stone. At that moment, he heard the boy speak:


    "Are you Master Ban?" S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Ban was taken aback. "Do you know me?"


    "Yes, my name is Mo Hua. Elder Yu sent me."


    Mo Hua stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes.


    However, he only dusted the front, leaving some mud on his back, probably from crawling somewhere dirty. His little arms couldn''t reach it.


    Master Ban approached and gently patted his back, brushing off the dust while curiously asking, "What did Elder Yu send you here for?"


    "Elder Yu asked me to take a look."


    "Look at what?"


    Mo Hua chuckled but didn''t answer.


    He was here to see where the arrays should be drawn, whether the planned array diagrams complied with the standards, and if the rooms built by the craftmasters would interfere with the array layout.


    However, Elder Yu had instructed him not to reveal that he could draw arrays to prevent anyone with ill intentions from harming him, especially fearing that the Qian family might retaliate if they found out.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s silence, Master Ban had a guess in his mind.


    He probably thought the child had sneaked over to play because it looked lively here but was afraid of being scolded, so he used Elder Yu as an excuse.


    Thinking about it, what could Elder Yu expect a child to do?


    But from the boy''s tone, he seemed very familiar with Elder Yu. If not a relative, he was likely another demon hunter''s child.


    As long as he wasn''t from the Qian family, it was fine.


    Master Ban was relieved and kindly reminded, "Play for a bit and then go back. There''s nothing much to see here, and it''s somewhat dangerous for a child."


    Mo Hua nodded, "I''ll just take a look and go back soon."


    Master Ban didn''t bother with him anymore, having plenty of tasks to keep him busy. With so many craftsmen and demon hunters around, so many eyes watching, no real danger would come to a child.


    Master Ban focused on his work. After a while, he looked up and saw Mo Hua was still there.


    Mo Hua was strolling slowly along a half-built wall, his hands behind his back, examining everything while muttering about some patterns and wood stones.


    Several demon hunters were nearby, neither stopping him nor watching him, seemingly accustomed to the boy''s actions.


    Master Ban was puzzled. What exactly was this kid doing?


    Why was no one managing him?


    Could he be Elder Yu''s beloved grandson, making the demon hunters too afraid to intervene?


    Master Ban speculated in his mind.


    "Mo... Hua?" Master Ban remembered the boy''s name and called out.


    After calling, he realized that since the boy''s surname was Mo, he shouldn''t be Elder Yu''s grandson.


    Mo Hua heard Master Ban and waved at him. Then he lightly leaped, floating down from the wall like a leaf.


    Master Ban was secretly astonished. If nothing else, this movement skill was extraordinary.


    "Why haven''t you gone home yet?" Master Ban asked.


    "I''ll leave soon."


    "Alright." Master Ban nodded, casually picked a few bricks, piled them up, and sat down.


    He had been busy for a while and could use a rest.


    Mo Hua mimicked him, hugging a brick and placing it on the ground, sitting beside Master Ban.


    "Master Ban, do you want some wine?"


    Mo Hua took out a bottle of fruit wine from his storage bag, not very strong but just right to quench thirst.


    Master Ban was a bit thirsty but hesitated, seeing that Mo Hua was just a child. "That wouldn''t be appropriate..."


    Mo Hua said, "Our family runs a restaurant. We have plenty of wine, and this is homemade. Try it?"


    Curious, Master Ban took a sip and nodded in praise, "It''s fragrant and refreshing, perfect for quenching thirst!"


    "Right?" Mo Hua laughed happily.


    This wine was brewed by his mother, of course, it was delicious. Mo Hua thought Master Ban must be a connoisseur.


    In this aspect, Elder Yu''s taste was a bit lacking. He only liked strong liquor and couldn''t appreciate the sweetness of this fruit wine.


    Mo Hua asked, "Master Ban, do all craftsmen have earth and wood spiritual roots?"


    Mo Hua was curious. He had just used his spiritual sense to scan and found that these craftsmen''s spiritual power was mostly brown, with hints of green.


    This was because their spiritual roots were earth-based with some wood attributes, and they practiced earth and wood techniques.


    Master Ban, having drunk Mo Hua''s wine and now with some free time, explained, "Generally, earth and wood spiritual roots are best for craftsmen. Besides that, water-earth, metal-earth, and metal-wood can also work. Building with earth and wood, dealing with soil and stone, requires the corresponding spiritual power for shaping, carving, and engraving. With the right spiritual roots, the work is much more efficient."


    Mo Hua listened, nodding repeatedly.


    Master Ban took another sip of wine to moisten his throat and continued, "It''s not just us craftsmen. Other cultivation paths are similar. For example, alchemy and artifact forging require fire spiritual roots. Culinary arts too, though fire quality doesn''t need to be high, but it''s necessary..."


    "For other examples, sailing requires water spiritual roots, spiritual planting needs wood or water roots, building tombs needs metal or earth roots, and escorting goods is best with wind roots, and so on. Spiritual roots are crucial..."


    From this conversation, Mo Hua learned a lot.


    The vastness of the cultivation world was incredible, with so many diverse cultivators, engaged in various cultivation paths, living rich and colorful lives...


    He wondered if he would ever travel across the nine regions, experiencing the different customs and meeting the various cultivators.


    Mo Hua thought with some longing.


    After chatting, the wine was finished, and Master Ban had to get back to work. He said, "It''s getting late. I need to be busy. You should go back soon, don''t worry your parents."


    Mo Hua had seen enough and had a good understanding, so he waved, "Goodbye, Master Ban."


    Master Ban continued supervising the construction progress, focused, soon forgetting about Mo Hua.


    A few days later, he met Elder Yu. After discussing the planning of the artifact workshop, he was about to leave when he suddenly remembered and asked:


    "I met a child named Mo Hua earlier. Do you know him?"


    "Mo Hua?" Elder Yu nodded, "I sent him to take a look."


    "What did you ask him to look at?" Master Ban frowned.


    Elder Yu was about to explain but stopped, smiling, "Nothing much, just letting him take a look."


    Master Ban wasn''t pleased, puzzled, "Is he your relative?"


    If only he were my relative...


    Elder Yu thought silently, then shook his head, "No, just an ordinary child. Let him do what he wants. You don''t need to worry."


    Master Ban couldn''t help but grumble internally.


    Let him do what he wants, just an ordinary child?


    You wouldn''t be this lenient with your own grandson...


    Master Ban shook his head but, knowing Elder Yu didn''t want to elaborate, didn''t press further, and resumed discussing the artifact workshop.

 Chapter 181: The Array Master

    The construction progress of the artifact crafting shop was proceeding as Master Ban had expected.As the end of the year approached, the sooner the shop was completed, the sooner he could settle the spirit stone payments. This would also provide an explanation to his craftsmen and disciples, allowing everyone to go home for the New Year.


    Master Ban was very attentive, spending almost every day at the shop, supervising the craftsmen, and instructing the demon hunters who came to help. For tasks that some disciples couldn''t handle, he would step in himself.


    During this period, Master Ban often saw Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua would wander around with his hands behind his back, occasionally muttering something and jotting notes on a piece of paper.


    If someone didn''t know better, they might think he was just a junior craftsman.


    Master Ban remembered Elder Yu''s words: let him do whatever he wants, so he didn''t interfere.


    Occasionally, Mo Hua would ask him some questions, and if Master Ban had time, he would answer them one by one. Mo Hua would then thank him with meat and wine from his family''s eatery. After tasting it once, Master Ban could never forget it.


    The meat was tender yet chewy, spicy with a hint of wild flavor.


    Master Ban had eaten meat before, but never anything as delicious as this. Usually busy with work, he didn''t pay much attention to his meals, but the taste of this meat was so unique that he couldn''t forget it.


    Master Ban silently remembered the name of Mo Hua''s family eatery, planning to buy more meat once the shop was completed and he had earned some spirit stones, so his grandchildren could taste it.


    About a month and a half later, the initial construction of the shop was completed.


    Next, it was time for an array master to draw the arrays on the walls, inside the building, and on some key structural stones. The craftsmen would then further construct the shop, sealing the arrays with earth, wood, and bricks, before making final adjustments to complete the entire shop.


    Master Ban was a bit worried.


    It was time for the array master to draw the arrays, but where was the array master?


    Occasionally, he would consult with Elder Yu about the work, but despite many visits, he had never seen a trace of an array master.


    Normally, at the beginning of the construction of an artifact crafting shop, the array master would survey the terrain and the building layout. During the construction process, the array master would also check on the progress from time to time.


    However, for a long time, Master Ban had no impression of seeing an array master.


    Without understanding the building layout, how could the array master draw the arrays?


    Moreover, he had seen the construction array diagrams. Although he didn''t understand arrays, he could tell at a glance that many of the arrays used in this building were complex and not something an ordinary array master could draw, nor could one or two array masters complete them.


    If the arrays were not drawn well, the project couldn''t be completed.


    Similarly, if the arrays were drawn too slowly, they wouldn''t be able to finish on time. If delayed, it could become an endless process, making it unlikely to settle payments by the end of the year.


    Thinking of this, Master Ban was deeply worried.


    After much hesitation, he found Elder Yu, unable to hide his anxiety, "Elder Yu, we''ve finished our current work. What about the arrays...?"


    "No rush," Elder Yu replied, completely unperturbed.


    You may not be in a rush, but I am...


    Master Ban thought to himself and then asked Elder Yu, "Have you hired an array master?"


    "Already hired."


    "That''s good," Master Ban sighed in relief but couldn''t help asking, "Then why haven''t I seen them?"


    Elder Yu smiled slightly, "You''ve seen them."


    Master Ban was taken aback, "Where did I see them?"


    "Tomorrow, when they start drawing the arrays, you''ll see them," Elder Yu replied.


    Master Ban frowned, unable to recall when he had seen an array master, but since Elder Yu said they would start drawing the arrays tomorrow, he would find out then.


    The next day, Master Ban arrived at the shop early.


    He hadn''t slept well all night, worried that Elder Yu might be deceiving him.


    This project was so large that if something went wrong and he couldn''t settle the spirit stones, he wouldn''t be able to explain it to his craftsmen and disciples.


    Logically, Elder Yu, a Foundation Building cultivator, who had a good relationship with him, wouldn''t deliberately harm him, but logic aside, Master Ban couldn''t help but worry.


    Who could truly understand another''s heart?


    As dawn broke, around the hour of the rabbit, Elder Yu arrived.


    Master Ban stared at Elder Yu for a long time, then looked behind him, unable to help but ask, "You came alone? Where''s the array master?"


    Seeing his anxious expression, Elder Yu reassured him, "Don''t worry, they''ll be here soon."


    Master Ban could only try to be patient and wait.


    After a while, just as the hour of the rabbit approached, Mo Hua came walking towards the shop, carrying a storage bag and munching on a large bun.


    The morning sun broke through the clouds, casting a faint golden glow on him.


    Mo Hua finally finished his bun with great effort, looked up, saw Elder Yu and Master Ban, and greeted them from a distance.


    Master Ban stared for a long time, and when Mo Hua got closer, he couldn''t help but ask, "Mo Hua? What are you doing here..."


    Mo Hua patted his storage bag and smiled, "I''m here for business."


    Before Master Ban could ask what business, Elder Yu asked with a smile, "Are you ready?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Ready."


    Then Mo Hua walked into the shop, with Elder Yu following.


    Master Ban had no time to ask and could only follow them inside, feeling increasingly puzzled:


    What business? What exactly is this kid going to do?


    Master Ban soon found out.


    Mo Hua went to a cornerstone, spread out a densely drawn array diagram, took out fine, medium, and large array brushes from his storage bag, prepared spirit ink in five colors representing the five elements, and began drawing the arrays.


    With a small brush dipped in spirit ink, he glanced at the array diagram and then started drawing array patterns on the cornerstone.


    His expression was calm, his technique skillful, and his brushwork smooth and confident.


    He looked every bit like a master craftsman!


    Master Ban was stunned. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The array master Elder Yu mentioned was this kid?


    This ten-year-old kid was an array master?


    Master Ban''s thoughts were chaotic and his mind in turmoil.


    After thinking for a long time, he recalled why Elder Yu had said he had seen the array master.


    Indeed, Mo Hua often wandered nearby, chatting and drinking with him. How could he have not seen him?


    Reflecting carefully, the first time he saw Mo Hua, Mo Hua was inspecting the cornerstones, probably surveying the terrain and understanding the building layout. Afterward, he often came by to check if the building layout matched the array diagram...


    Thinking this way, these were indeed tasks an array master would do, but he had never thought of it that way.


    Master Ban''s feelings were complicated. It wasn''t his fault for not thinking of it. Who would have thought of such a thing...


    Master Ban looked at Mo Hua again.


    Mo Hua, concentrating on drawing the arrays, had a serious expression, his eyes slightly narrowed. Each stroke was steady and calm, his brushwork orderly yet fluid, creating one complex array pattern after another, linking into a profound and mysterious array.


    This was a stark contrast to the innocent and cute child who had been laughing and playing just a few days ago.


    Master Ban sighed. After living so many years and meeting so many cultivators, he had never been so mistaken...

 Chapter 182: Architectural Arrays

    It wasn''t entirely his fault for missing the details; this was an unusual situation.Master Ban silently thought to himself.


    After all, for so many years, he had mostly dealt with Array Masters with white hair, and had never seen a young Array Master, just around ten years old, drawing arrays for such a large-scale artifact crafting project.


    Master Ban couldn''t help but be amazed.


    With an Array Master now present, Master Ban also breathed a sigh of relief. Having nothing else to do, he stood behind Mo Hua with Elder Yu, stretching his neck to watch Mo Hua draw the arrays.


    Seeing Master Ban''s intense focus, Elder Yu couldn''t help but ask in a low voice, "Do you understand?"


    Master Ban shook his head, "No." He countered, "Do you?"


    Elder Yu also shook his head, "No. What are you looking at?"


    Master Ban replied, "You''re watching too, aren''t you?"


    Elder Yu grinned sheepishly, "I''m just curious, watching from the side."


    Master Ban silently thought to himself, This is the first time I''ve seen such a young child drawing arrays, I''m more curious than you are.


    Master Ban glanced at Mo Hua, then at the arrays Mo Hua was drawing, and asked in a low voice, "What grade are these arrays?"


    Elder Yu wasn''t quite sure either, but based on Mo Hua''s array level, he estimated, "First Grade, perhaps."


    Master Ban was startled, exclaiming, "Ah?"


    Elder Yu shot him a reproachful look and whispered, "Keep your voice down, don''t disturb his drawing."


    Master Ban lowered his voice, "What do you mean by First Grade?"


    "First Grade arrays," Elder Yu replied.


    Master Ban shook his head repeatedly, "Impossible!"


    "Believe it or not," Elder Yu responded indifferently.


    Master Ban didn''t believe it but thought Elder Yu wouldn''t lie to him either. After much consideration, he could only stare at the arrays under Mo Hua''s pen.


    Although he didn''t understand arrays, he could count the array patterns.


    One, two... five, this one only has five patterns.


    One, two, three... seven, this one only has seven patterns.


    Master Ban''s feelings grew complex. A young cultivator, able to draw seven array patterns, was already on par with the average Array Master.


    With this level, he unconsciously said "only" seven patterns, indicating his lack of understanding...


    Master Ban continued counting.


    Finally, in a single array that Mo Hua completed, he counted nine patterns!


    Nine patterns indicate a First Grade array!


    Master Ban was deeply shocked.


    "Is it really a First Grade array?"


    Elder Yu, seeing his astonished expression, felt a secret satisfaction. When he first heard that Mo Hua could draw First Grade arrays, he had the same expression and tone, likely thinking the same as Master Ban now.


    Master Ban looked at Elder Yu, his voice trembling slightly but still trying to keep it down, "So... is this child now a First Grade Array Master?"


    "Not officially certified by the Dao Court yet," Elder Yu replied.


    "Still, that''s incredible..."


    Master Ban shook his head, still finding it hard to believe.


    Now, when he watched Mo Hua draw arrays, his heart was filled with admiration and even a hint of reverence.


    This was a First Grade array, something he had rarely seen Array Masters accomplish in his lifetime.


    Master Ban leaned in again, looking at the arrays on the cornerstone, and couldn''t help but praise, "These arrays are drawn so well!"


    Elder Yu said, "I thought you didn''t understand arrays?"


    "No need to understand!" Master Ban waved his hand, "These arrays are drawn as if carved from a mold, so neat and beautiful. I''ve never seen such neat array patterns in my life!"


    Mo Hua was praised, and Elder Yu felt secretly pleased but maintained a modest appearance, "He''s still a child, with much to learn."


    Master Ban was once again engrossed in the arrays, ignoring him.


    After completing a composite array, Mo Hua felt his spiritual energy almost exhausted and stopped drawing to sit and rest for a while.


    Elder Yu immediately stepped forward, his expression kindly, "Are you tired?"


    It was the first time Master Ban had seen such a "kind" expression on Elder Yu''s face.


    Having dealt with Elder Yu for so many years, his impression was always of a grumpy, cold, and harsh person. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, Elder Yu looked like a "benevolent" old grandfather...


    It was as if he had become a different person.


    Master Ban was truly surprised.


    Mo Hua was indeed tired; drawing arrays on various large-scale construction materials consumed a lot of spiritual energy and awareness, but it was still within his expected range.


    "I''m fine, I need to meditate and rest for a while."


    Mo Hua said, actually intending to use meditation techniques to recover his spiritual energy.


    "Okay, rest well, no rush."


    Elder Yu said kindly, then refrained from disturbing Mo Hua, instead examining the completed arrays, thinking to himself that Master Ban wasn''t wrong; they were indeed neat and beautiful.


    Hearing Elder Yu''s words, Master Ban suddenly became concerned.


    Elder Yu might not be in a hurry, but he couldn''t afford to be.


    He pulled Elder Yu aside and asked quietly, "How many Array Masters did you hire?"


    "What do you mean by ''how many''?"


    "The Array Masters for drawing the architectural arrays."


    Elder Yu was slightly taken aback.


    Master Ban was stunned, "Surely it can''t be just Mo Hua alone?"


    Elder Yu hesitated, "One should be enough..."


    Master Ban said angrily, "How can one be enough? There are so many arrays, how can a single child complete them? Even if he could, how long would this project take..."


    Such a large artifact crafting shop, with so many craftsmen, how could they afford the delay...


    Elder Yu stroked his beard, also frowning.


    He hadn''t really thought about it in detail before, having always been confident in leaving the array work to Mo Hua.


    Even if he wasn''t confident, it wouldn''t matter, as he didn''t understand arrays himself.


    But what Master Ban said made sense; the architectural array diagram was densely packed with arrays, and it was unclear if Mo Hua could complete it alone.


    Too much drawing could deplete his spiritual energy, which could harm his sea of consciousness.


    Elder Yu was somewhat worried. It would be fine if the progress of the artifact crafting shop slowed down, but Mo Hua mustn''t be overworked.


    However, Elder Yu also thought that generally, Mo Hua handled array-related matters very carefully, and if he hadn''t mentioned any issues, there probably weren''t any.


    Elder Yu asked Master Ban, "Normally, how many Array Masters would it take to complete this many arrays?"


    "At least five or six, up to a dozen."


    Elder Yu was shocked, "That many?"


    Master Ban couldn''t help but roll his eyes, "What did you think? Architectural arrays contain a large number of array patterns, not something one or two Array Masters can finish."


    Elder Yu''s face flushed with embarrassment, though it was hard to tell given his dark complexion.


    He really wasn''t aware of such matters.


    Previously, the Demon Hunter Hall was very poor, with no spirit stones for such large-scale constructions; building a few rooms was already good, without needing arrays.


    Now, having come into a windfall, they decided to build an artifact crafting shop so the lower-level wandering cultivators could live better. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have known how challenging architectural arrays were.


    Without Mo Hua, hiring Array Masters would have cost a significant amount of spirit stones.


    Once the artifact crafting and pill refining shops were built and profitable, he must allocate more spirit stones to Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu thought to himself.

 Chapter 183: Progress

    Mo Hua followed the planned architectural array diagrams, drawing one array after another, one set of composite arrays after another, methodically and orderly.When his spiritual sense was exhausted, he would sit down and meditate to recover. If he got tired, he would sit aside and rest for a while, reading theoretical books on arrays to relieve fatigue.


    After resting, he continued drawing arrays.


    For such a large-scale project, the arrays were numerous. Although not particularly difficult, they were incredibly tedious and tested the array master''s patience and determination.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua was accustomed to drawing arrays. Having practiced day and night before, he was now well-adapted.


    Moreover, he had accumulated a thousand bottles of demonic blood, which he had all converted into spirit ink. If he didn''t use it now, the effectiveness of the spirit ink would weaken over time, which would be a waste.


    These were all obtained by Mo Hua, bottle by bottle, from demonic beasts.


    Days passed, and Mo Hua continued drawing arrays alone.


    Master Ban also understood that Elder Yu had indeed not hired other array masters; only Mo Hua was drawing the arrays.


    For such a large artifact crafting shop, with so many buildings and arrays containing countless array patterns, it all had to be completed by one person.


    Just thinking about it made Master Ban''s scalp tingle.


    How long would it take to finish...


    Master Ban was anxious, but he couldn''t directly ask Mo Hua.


    Firstly, Mo Hua was focused on drawing arrays and couldn''t be disturbed.


    Secondly, ever since knowing Mo Hua was an array master and could draw First Grade arrays, Master Ban had a bit of reverence for him and didn''t dare to speak to him casually.


    Array masters always had a prestigious status, different from them, the lower-level independent cultivators.


    Master Ban, as an artifact craftsman, often dealt with array masters. Most of them were difficult to get along with¡ªsome were arrogant, some were aloof, some were greedy. Even those who were polite on the surface looked down on artifact craftsmen in their hearts.


    After all, artifact craftsmen were seen as mere laborers, doing hard work that couldn''t compare to array masters.


    Therefore, they didn''t dare to offend array masters and often suffered from their difficulties.


    Sometimes the building materials were unsuitable for drawing arrays, and the array masters would make them replace them. Sometimes the layout didn''t match the array diagrams, and they had to rebuild. Sometimes, even when the array master made a mistake, it was still the craftsmen who had to make corrections.


    Master Ban hesitated for days but didn''t dare to ask Mo Hua.


    However, a few days later, Master Ban was surprised to find that many foundations and inner walls of the buildings had already been drawn with arrays.


    He checked them repeatedly against the architectural array diagrams and found they matched exactly.


    Master Ban was stunned. The arrays were drawn so quickly!


    So many arrays, in such a short time, was it really possible for one array master to finish?


    Master Ban secretly observed Mo Hua.


    He then discovered that when Mo Hua drew arrays, his brush strokes were very skillful, and he drew without hesitation, as if these array patterns were already deeply ingrained in his mind. His drawing was smooth and fast!


    The array masters in Master Ban''s impression would carefully ponder over the array diagrams and cautiously draw each stroke. After completing one array, they would be pale and need to sit down and drink tea to rest, taking half a day. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But Mo Hua was different. He drew decisively, forming arrays with each stroke. After completing one array, he would quickly move on to the next.


    Even when he needed to rest, he would meditate and soon be full of energy again, continuing his work.


    In this way, even four or five array masters together might not be faster than Mo Hua alone.


    Master Ban was truly amazed.


    In all these years, it was the first time he had seen someone draw arrays as effortlessly as drinking water.


    "Could it be... he can really finish drawing all these arrays by himself within the project deadline?"


    Master Ban thought in disbelief but also with some expectation.


    Mo Hua continued drawing arrays methodically yet fluidly, while at the same time, the construction of the artifact crafting shop caused a stir in Tongxian City, known to all the prominent families.


    Not far from the artifact crafting shop, there was a street with a teahouse. On the second floor, in a private room with an elegant and simple layout, the air was filled with the fragrance of tea.


    Old Master An and the head of the An family, An Yonglu, were sitting opposite each other, drinking tea.


    An Yonglu poured tea for Old Master An, frowning, "Elder Yu is really ambitious this time, building such a large artifact crafting shop..."


    "He seized the spirit mine and now has the capital, so naturally, he wants to do big things."


    "The Qian family really suffered a great loss this time!" An Yonglu said with some schadenfreude.


    Old Master An glanced at his son and sighed, "Do you think this is a good thing for us?"


    An Yonglu was taken aback, "Isn''t it good that the Qian family suffered a loss?"


    Old Master An looked at him helplessly, "Let me ask you, with such a large artifact crafting shop, producing so many spiritual artifacts, it will affect not only the Qian family but also our An family''s business..."


    "And looking at this layout, it''s not just an artifact crafting shop but also a pill refining shop. If Yu Changlin really completes it, how can we compete with him?"


    "But it''s the Qian family who should be worried first. Our An family doesn''t have much artifact crafting or pill refining business."


    Old Master An glared at him, "Do you want to do restaurant business forever? How much can you achieve with that?"


    "I know, but we can''t compete with the Qian family''s ruthlessness. We can only do some peaceful business like restaurants..." An Yonglu said in a low voice.


    Old Master An sighed, "I don''t blame Xiaofu, but as a father, you''re not much better."


    An Yonglu felt a bit indignant, "Father, Xiaofu is much worse than me. If he had half my abilities, he could be a decent head of the family."


    Old Master An said coldly, "You really have some nerve, comparing yourself to your own son."


    An Yonglu felt embarrassed.


    Old Master An picked up his cup and sipped his tea, saying nothing more. However, his gaze occasionally drifted to the unfinished artifact crafting shop in the distance.


    Such a grand layout, such a grand framework, Elder Yu indeed had great vision...


    Old Master An sighed in his heart. He was old now, and even if he had the capital, he didn''t have the ambition or drive.


    An Yonglu thought for a moment and said, "Father, can such a large artifact crafting shop be successfully completed?"


    Old Master An glanced at him.


    An Yonglu continued, "The Qian family won''t sit idly by. They won''t watch these independent cultivators grow stronger. After all, their wealth comes from exploiting them. If these independent cultivators become strong, the Qian family''s days will be tough. They''ve always made a living by fleecing others."


    "What you said is correct." Old Master An nodded slightly.


    "Then what should we do?" An Yonglu asked.


    Old Master An raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Wait and see."


    An Yonglu nodded, intending to see if the Qian family would take any action.


    With such a big move from Elder Yu, the An family, though anxious, didn''t need to rush. After all, their main business was restaurants, and their artifact crafting and pill refining businesses had already been squeezed out by the Qian family.


    But the Qian family was different. Their core business was artifact crafting and pill refining, so they were definitely more anxious than anyone else now.

 Chapter 184: Master Qian

    Inside the luxurious and refined study of the Qian family.Qian Hong sat in a chair, his brows tightly knitted. Opposite him, a half-grey-haired, proud-looking cultivator sat at ease.


    "Master Qian, are you aware of the recent events?" Qian Hong asked.


    "I''ve heard a bit. The patriarch need not worry," the middle-aged cultivator known as "Master Qian" replied calmly.


    Despite only having a ninth-level Qi cultivation, Master Qian could draw first-grade nine-pattern arrays. Although not yet officially recognized as a first-grade array master by the Dao Court, it was only a matter of time.


    Therefore, even without the formal title, Qian family cultivators and allied array masters in Tongxian City respectfully called him "Master Qian."


    Having the potential to become a first-grade array master, Master Qian held a high status in the family, even without a Foundation Building stage cultivation. He became an elder of the family, second only to the patriarch.


    Qian Hong said, "Yu Changlin has the help of an array master. That''s why he could compete with us in Dahei Mountain. Now, because of that array master''s support, he has the confidence to build such a large artifact crafting shop."


    Taking such a large piece of land and hiring so many craftsmen to build the largest artifact crafting shop in Tongxian City was clearly a challenge to the Qian family.


    They took a large piece of meat from the Qian family in Dahei Mountain.


    Now that they had grown stronger by eating that meat, they dared to snatch more meat from the Qian family. How presumptuous!


    Master Qian sneered, "So what if they have an array master? Does the Qian family not have one?"


    Qian Hong said, "That array master might be a first-grade array master!"


    "Impossible!" Master Qian declared.


    "The array used in Dahei Mountain was indeed first-grade..."


    Master Qian shook his head, "Patriarch, you are not an array master and haven''t studied arrays, so you don''t understand how difficult it is to become a first-grade array master..."


    "Take me for example, not to boast, but among all the family disciples, my talent in arrays is unique. I spent decades becoming a ninth-level Qi cultivator, then devoted myself to studying arrays. The struggles I''ve been through, not to mention, it took me ten years to cross the threshold from eight-pattern to nine-pattern arrays..."


    Master Qian sighed, "Although there is only a difference of one pattern, it is as difficult as crossing a chasm. At that time, I could only draw a nine-pattern array once a day and couldn''t complete it. But I still kept trying every day for over ten years, and finally, I crossed that threshold."


    "I put in so much effort and perseverance for so many years to gain the strength of a first-grade array master. Even then, I failed to pass the last evaluation by the Tian Shu Pavilion."


    Qian Hong said emotionally, "Master Qian, you have worked hard!"


    Master Qian shook his head, "I''m not telling you this to complain, but to make you understand how difficult it is to become a first-grade array master!"


    "With the family''s support, I barely managed to reach this point. How much harder would it be for other array masters?"


    After speaking, Master Qian sneered again, "In such circumstances, any talented and ambitious array master would look upwards, seeking to align with larger families or sects for better inheritance and advancement in arrays! Such an array master wouldn''t ally with mere demon hunters. What would they gain from it?"


    "Master Qian makes sense," Qian Hong frowned. "But in Dahei Mountain, the array master in the demon hunter''s camp did use a first-grade array..."


    "Are you sure you didn''t see it wrong?"


    "I personally experienced the power of that array. It was no less than first-grade," Qian Hong said, feeling a surge of humiliation.


    Indeed, he personally tested the array, getting blasted, disheveled, and embarrassed.


    In the end, the spirit mine fell into others'' hands, and he was ridiculed by Yu Changlin.


    This would be a lifelong shame for him as the patriarch of the Qian family!


    Master Qian pondered for a moment, "Even so, being able to draw a first-grade array doesn''t necessarily make one a first-grade array master. Furthermore, first-grade arrays are difficult to learn and master. At most, they can draw one or two types, not more."


    Qian Hong felt relieved. In terms of arrays, Master Qian had profound knowledge. His assertion meant the array master among the demon hunters was not worth worrying about.


    Qian Hong then felt regretful. If only Master Qian had been present on the Nameless Peak of Dahei Mountain, they wouldn''t have been helpless against the demon hunters'' array.


    But it was common knowledge in the cultivation world that array masters should not take risks personally.


    If Master Qian had gone and Yu Changlin shamelessly killed him with a single palm, the Qian family''s loss would have been tremendous.


    A home-grown array master with the potential to be first-grade was crucial to the Qian family.


    "Their array master is not a concern, but if Yu Changlin really establishes his artifact crafting shop, it will undoubtedly threaten the Qian family. The patriarch should plan early," Master Qian suggested.


    Qian Hong nodded, "Rest assured, Master Qian. I have already sent people to use some tactics. Even if we can''t stop the construction, we can at least make them suffer."


    Master Qian nodded proudly, "In Tongxian City, anyone who dares to challenge the Qian family must be taught a lesson."


    Qian Hong pondered for a moment and said, "There is one more thing I need to trouble you with, Master Qian."


    "Speak freely, Patriarch."


    Qian Hong detailed his plan:


    "First, we will send people to harass and provoke them, making it hard for them to continue the construction. This would be the best outcome. Even if it doesn''t work, it will delay their progress..."


    "Secondly, I want to forge a batch of refining furnaces, having the family''s artifact crafting shops work overtime to produce spirit artifacts. When Yu Changlin''s shop is completed, we will flood the market with artifacts, lowering prices, leaving them with no foothold."


    Master Qian, not well-versed in artifact trading, asked, "What do you need me to do?"


    Qian Hong said, "I want to forge a batch of refining furnaces. These furnaces are expensive and of high quality, with stronger fire, capable of crafting more spirit artifacts. But the arrays inside require your expertise!"


    Master Qian frowned, "First-grade arrays?" S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Preferably."


    Master Qian thought for a moment, "A first-grade refining furnace requires a first-grade magma array, which I haven''t studied before. I''ll need some time to research it."


    Qian Hong quickly responded, "Of course. We will trouble the demon hunters, so you need not worry. Just focus on your research."


    Master Qian nodded, "Alright."


    Qian Hong''s eyes lit up, and he bowed, "I entrust this task to you, Master Qian."


    Qian Hong was very polite. Though he was the patriarch with Foundation Building stage cultivation, he still showed respect to Master Qian.


    In the cultivation world, some matters required cultivation to resolve, while others could not be solved by cultivation alone.


    Array issues could not be resolved solely by cultivation.


    Cultivation levels were a personal matter, but arrays could benefit and influence many cultivators.


    Combat required cultivation, but improving the efficiency and quality of various crafts and production relied heavily on arrays.

 Chapter 185: Stirring Trouble

    The next day, Mo Hua was drawing arrays in the artifact crafting shop when the Qian family sent people to cause trouble.The outer wall of the shop was incomplete, and the arrays hadn''t been finished, giving the Qian family an opportunity to exploit.


    Several cultivators from the Qian family disguised as ordinary wandering cultivators snuck into the shop, found a corner, and started causing damage when no one was around.


    They collapsed several walls, smashed some foundations, and cut through a few wooden beams. Some freshly drawn arrays were also smeared and ruined.


    A few craftsmen discovered this and tried to stop them, only to be beaten up.


    Some demon hunters came to assist, and after a few exchanges, the Qian family cultivators saw the situation turning against them and fled.


    In the afternoon, the Qian family came again. Although they were eventually driven away by the demon hunters, they still managed to damage quite a few buildings.


    Master Ban was worried, fearing the worst.


    Elder Yu Changlin was furious when he heard about this. He pretended to leave, then secretly returned, blending in with a group of craftsmen to see who dared to stir up trouble under his watch.


    Not long after, the group of cultivators came again.


    Believing they were unnoticed, they started to destroy the walls and beams once more.


    But every move they made was within Elder Yu¡¯s spiritual sense.


    Before they could act, Elder Yu leaped up and slapped them down one by one, making them cough up blood.


    Elder Yu held back, not taking their lives.


    The leader of the group, with his face covered, was at the ninth level of Qi refinement. Upon seeing Elder Yu, he turned to run.


    But as a Qi cultivator, how could he escape from Elder Yu, who was at the Foundation Building stage?


    Within moments, Elder Yu caught up with him, and after a few exchanges, the cultivator was slapped to the ground, his shoulder in immense pain, bones fractured.


    Elder Yu tore off the black cloth covering his face and cursed:


    "Qian Shunzhi, so it''s you, you little bastard!"


    Qian Shunzhi gritted his teeth, "Falling into your hands, kill me if you must..."


    Elder Yu squeezed his shoulder, making him scream.


    "Playing the hero? Do you think I don''t know what you''re up to?" Elder Yu scolded.


    Qian Shunzhi quickly said, "Elder Yu, Elder Yu! Let''s talk, I was just... following orders!"


    "Whose orders?"


    Qian Shunzhi remained silent.


    Elder Yu spat, "It¡¯s nothing but orders from that old turtle Qian Hong. Why can''t you say it?"


    Qian Shunzhi smiled bitterly, "You already know, why ask?"


    "I wanted to see if you''d be honest." Elder Yu said.


    "Elder Yu, whatever you say goes, you''re magnanimous, can you let me go?"


    Elder Yu sneered, "Are you dreaming? Even if you hadn''t fallen into my hands, I would still trouble you. Now you¡¯ve come to provoke me, do you think I¡¯d let you go?"


    Elder Yu called people over to tie up Qian Shunzhi and his men, then threw them at the Qian family¡¯s gate.


    "Qian Hong, you coward, plotting behind the scenes, sneaking around, are you still a man? If you''re not a man, have your wife remarry and your son change his surname!"


    Elder Yu cursed loudly.


    The Qian family''s gate remained tightly closed, with no response.


    Elder Yu continued to curse, from top to bottom, finally cursing the Qian family patriarch, calling him ungrateful, shameless, and a despicable person.


    The Qian family finally couldn''t bear it anymore. An elder at the Foundation Building stage came out and accused:


    "Yu Changlin, this is the Qian family, stop spouting nonsense!"


    Elder Yu didn''t care and asked, "Where''s that old turtle Qian Hong?"


    The Qian family elder frowned, "The family head is not here, if you have something to say, tell me."


    Elder Yu snorted, "Is he really not here? He''s probably hiding in a woman''s bed, too afraid to come out."


    "Yu Changlin!" The Qian family elder roared.


    Elder Yu stopped as he achieved his goal; he wasn¡¯t here just to curse. There was a lot of work waiting for him at the artifact crafting shop.


    Elder Yu said, "Your Qian family members came to my place to cause trouble."


    The Qian family elder deflected, "How do you know it¡¯s our Qian family?"


    Seeing this, Elder Yu was about to curse again when the Qian family elder quickly said, "Alright, what do you want?"


    Both sides knew the truth, there was no need to beat around the bush.


    "We want spirit stones!" Elder Yu was straightforward.


    The Qian family elder frowned, "How many?"


    Elder Yu demanded an exorbitant amount.


    The Qian family elder angrily said, "Don¡¯t push your luck!"


    Elder Yu smiled, "Let''s negotiate, no need to rush."


    In the end, they agreed on one hundred spirit stones per person. The Qian family would ransom their people with spirit stones, and Elder Yu would drop the matter.


    Elder Yu returned with nearly a thousand spirit stones.


    Part of these would be used to compensate the injured craftsmen and demon hunters, treating their injuries and comforting them.


    The rest, Elder Yu planned to buy some food and drink to reward everyone and ease their nerves.


    But he knew the Qian family wouldn''t stop.


    The Qian family elder, upon receiving Qian Shunzhi back, scolded, "You''re such a fool, how could you be so careless?"


    Qian Shunzhi was helpless, "Elder, it''s not my fault. Who would have thought Yu Changlin, that old fox, would be so cunning. I saw him leave the shop with my own eyes, that¡¯s when we acted. Who knew he¡¯d sneak back, dressed as a craftsman, blending in with the crowd. You couldn''t tell at a glance."


    The Qian family elder sighed, "Yu, the old fox, truly is cunning."


    The key issue was his shamelessness, his skin thicker than a refining furnace.


    Qian Shunzhi asked, "Elder, what do we do next?"


    "Continue with the plan," the Qian family elder said. "But be more careful. Best to act at night or when they''re resting. Cause trouble, don¡¯t let them stop working. At least delay their progress."


    "What about Yu Changlin?" Qian Shunzhi asked.


    "He''s a demon hunter elder, he can''t stay at the shop all the time. There will be times when he¡¯s away or careless."


    "But... what if he catches us again?" Qian Shunzhi asked quietly.


    The Qian family elder said lightly, "If he catches you, you take a beating. At most, we pay some spirit stones for compensation. He can¡¯t really kill you, otherwise he¡¯d have to answer to the Dao Court."


    Qian Shunzhi was reluctant.


    Being beaten by someone at the Foundation Building stage was no small matter...


    His body still ached, his shoulder bones fractured, and the lingering spiritual energy from Elder Yu''s strikes made him suffer.


    This was Elder Yu holding back, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have survived.


    The Qian family elder was displeased, "What are you afraid of? Have some guts!"


    Qian Shunzhi lowered his head, saying nothing.


    The Qian family elder said, "Rest assured, the family head has promised that if you succeed, you won¡¯t be treated poorly. If you achieve great merit, even Foundation Building pills are within your reach."


    Qian Shunzhi''s eyes lit up, "The family head really said that?"


    "Of course, would I lie to you?"


    Qian Shunzhi''s heart burned with determination, "Alright, I will risk my life to complete the task." S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Qian family elder nodded, "Go, this is like a weasel stealing a chicken; patience is key. There are no perpetual guards against thieves. They will slip up eventually. Just keep an eye out, and you¡¯ll find an opportunity."


    Qian Shunzhi bowed, "I will follow your instructions."

 Chapter 186: A Solution

    The Qian family continued their harassment repeatedly.Elder Yu caught them one by one, beat them until they vomited blood, and then threw them at the Qian family''s gate, demanding spirit stones as compensation.


    But the Qian family remained undeterred, and Elder Yu eventually found himself unable to keep up.


    It was like catching mice¡ªone after another, troublesome and disgusting. Missing a few would leave hidden dangers.


    Some craftsmen were injured, some buildings were destroyed, and several arrays were smeared, causing delays in the entire project.


    Elder Yu had to let the demon hunters guard day and night, keeping an eye on the Qian family''s people to prevent their mischief.


    But the crafting shop was so large and yet to be completed, with leaks everywhere. It was easy to cause trouble and difficult to guard.


    The Qian family cultivators acted like thieves, smashing one place and moving to another. By the time they arrived, the Qian family cultivators had already run away.


    And the demon hunters couldn''t stay here day and night, wasting so much manpower.


    Elder Yu became somewhat irritable.


    Mo Hua was also unhappy. The Qian family caused trouble, and it was either Elder Yu who dealt with it or the demon hunters who intercepted them, without needing Mo Hua to act.


    But the Qian family destroyed the arrays that Mo Hua had just finished drawing, forcing Mo Hua to redraw them.


    After several incidents, while Elder Yu was irritated, Mo Hua also couldn''t bear it anymore.


    If the mice weren''t driven out, the house couldn''t be lived in!


    Mo Hua found Elder Yu and gave him some Earth Fire Arrays. These Earth Fire Arrays were not first-grade, containing only seven array patterns, but they should be enough to deal with those troublemakers.


    Mo Hua also modified the architectural array diagram, adding a Master-Sub Earth-Wood Composite Array around the originally planned array diagram. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This way, if a battle occurred and spiritual power fluctuations were generated, the demon hunters could quickly rush to support. Even if the Qian family cultivators smashed things, as long as they used spiritual power, they could be quickly detected.


    With this arrangement, by stationing some demon hunters in various places and having several teams of demon hunters holding the Master-Sub Earth-Wood Arrays patrolling and responding, the Qian family cultivators would have no opportunity.


    Once everything was arranged, Mo Hua took two days to prioritize drawing the Master-Sub Earth-Wood Composite Array, then explained the purpose of the Earth-Wood Compasses to the patrolling demon hunters. After that, he didn''t need to worry about it anymore.


    However, he still had to redraw some of the arrays that had been destroyed.


    Mo Hua sighed and could only calm down and continue drawing the arrays.


    Night fell, and Qian Shunzhi, leading some Qian family disciples and gathered rogue cultivators, hid under a dirt slope far from the crafting shop.


    The surrounding vegetation concealed their view, making it hard for them to be discovered.


    Despite their significant losses in recent days, they had also achieved good results.


    With these casualties, they had delayed the construction progress of the crafting shop, which was recognized by Elder Qian, and the family head rewarded them with many spirit stones.


    This boosted their morale.


    Qian Shunzhi said, "We are injured and bleeding for the Qian family. The family will not forget us, and the family head will reward us. As long as we succeed, we will have plenty of spirit stones!"


    The Qian family disciples and rogue cultivators, having tasted the rewards, nodded in agreement.


    Qian Shunzhi instructed, "Act as before. If you can fight, fight; if you can smash, smash. If the situation turns bad, retreat immediately."


    The group divided into teams, each finding a place to hide, then looking for gaps to sneak into the crafting shop and cause destruction.


    Everything was as usual, and these Qian family cultivators were already skilled at this.


    At this moment, explosions rang out, and flames blossomed in the night.


    Several Qian family cultivators stepped on the Earth Fire Arrays.


    The higher-level cultivators were not severely injured but felt pain, dizziness, and ringing in their ears. The lower-level cultivators bled, sometimes burned, lying on the ground and wailing.


    A few rogue cultivators had their clothes and hair burned, rolling on the ground.


    Qian Shunzhi was shocked and took a cold breath.


    It was the Earth Fire Array!


    Qian Shunzhi hadn''t participated in the spirit mine dispute with the demon hunters, but he had heard from the Qian family disciples who had that there was an array master among the demon hunters who could draw the Earth Fire Arrays.


    The Earth Fire Arrays were powerful, very concealed, extremely insidious, unavoidable, and indefensible.


    The Qian family had suffered greatly from the Earth Fire Arrays, not just once.


    "What to do?"


    Qian Shunzhi''s mind raced, and in desperation, he decided to take a gamble.


    They had come to cause trouble two days ago, but there were no Earth Fire Arrays on the ground then. Clearly, these Earth Fire Arrays had just been laid, so there shouldn''t be many.


    If they didn''t go in now, giving the demon hunters time, in a few days, when the Earth Fire Arrays were everywhere, it would be like walking on thorns, and going in would be suicidal.


    But while Qian Shunzhi wanted to gamble, the other Qian family cultivators didn''t.


    Especially those who had participated in the spirit mine dispute, who had been blown up by the Earth Fire Arrays, or had seen their companions blown up, or at least had seen the family head blown up by the Earth Fire Arrays.


    They still had lingering fears of the Earth Fire Arrays and didn''t dare act rashly.


    Although the Earth Fire Arrays now had only seven array patterns and, for convenience, Mo Hua hadn''t even drawn a composite array.


    But the Qian family disciples were scared just seeing the Earth Fire Arrays, not having the mind to think about so much.


    Qian Shunzhi had no choice but to lead by example.


    He was a ninth-level Qi cultivator, and even if he was blown up, the injuries shouldn''t be severe.


    Qian Shunzhi led his subordinates, gritting their teeth, and walked forward, stepping cautiously, trying to avoid the ground dangers. But this caution was meaningless because he didn''t know where the Earth Fire Arrays were.


    Every step was a gamble.


    Seemingly cautious, it was actually just a pretense.


    Qian Shunzhi bet correctly and didn''t step on the Earth Fire Arrays.


    But his subordinates bet wrong, not following Qian Shunzhi''s steps precisely, and in their panic, stepped on an Earth Fire Array.


    Qian Shunzhi was engulfed by the Earth Fire Array, experiencing its power up close.


    The explosion''s spiritual power fluctuation shook his blood and energy, and the booming sound made him dizzy.


    Part of his skin was scorched, with blood flowing from the charred areas.


    The seven-pattern Earth Fire Array wasn''t fatal for him, but it wasn''t pleasant either, and such sudden pain and injury left a lasting fear.


    Qian Shunzhi finally understood why some of the family''s disciples always turned pale at the mention of the Earth Fire Arrays and why it left a shadow in their hearts.


    The explosion of the Earth Fire Arrays alarmed the demon hunters, who rushed over and attacked them, seemingly harboring a lot of anger from being repeatedly harassed, making their attacks ruthless.


    The Qian family cultivators couldn''t hold on and fled in disarray.


    Qian Shunzhi limped back to the Qian family and reported the Earth Fire Array to Elder Qian.


    He could arrange sneak attacks, but this kind of array wasn''t something he could deal with.


    Elder Qian comforted Qian Shunzhi and then informed Family Head Qian Hong.


    Qian Hong, upon hearing the words "Earth Fire Array," was furious.


    Another Earth Fire Array! Couldn''t there be something new?


    Qian Hong found Master Qian and inquired about ways to break the array.


    After all, within the Qian family, Master Qian''s array skills were the highest.

 Chapter 187: Night Disturbance

    Master Qian appeared relaxed, smiling lightly, ¡°It¡¯s always the same stuff back and forth. Clearly, he doesn¡¯t know many arrays. This array master¡¯s level isn¡¯t that impressive.¡±Qian Hong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.


    Master Qian asked, ¡°How powerful was it?¡±


    ¡°This time, it seems there wasn¡¯t any First Grade, and the array¡¯s power was only around seven array patterns.¡±


    Master Qian nodded, ¡°In such a short time, that array master couldn¡¯t draw many First Grade arrays. They could only use seven array patterns to make up the numbers.¡±


    ¡°With just seven array patterns, the power isn¡¯t great. A Foundation Building cultivator with Earth spiritual roots, wearing Iron Armor, can withstand it without injury.¡±


    Master Qian shook his head, ¡°Too reckless, unnecessary. It¡¯s impossible to break in head-on every time. It¡¯s both alarming the enemy and wasting the Iron Armor.¡±


    Qian Hong asked, ¡°Does the master have a solution?¡±


    ¡°The solution is simple.¡± Master Qian smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll bring along some ordinary array masters from the family to accompany you. They can identify where these Earth Fire Arrays are located.¡±


    Qian Hong was a bit puzzled, ¡°Only array masters can see it?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Master Qian¡¯s expression was confident, ¡°Everything in the world moves in cycles, leaving traces in every action. Some things you can¡¯t discern if your spiritual sense isn¡¯t strong enough or your research isn¡¯t deep.¡±


    ¡°Arrays are the same. The array patterns have a faint flow of spiritual power. Ordinary cultivators can¡¯t distinguish it, but for us who have dealt with array patterns for years, drawing them hundreds or thousands of times, we can naturally tell them apart.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble Master Qian!¡±


    But he thought for a moment, still a bit worried, and said, ¡°If the family¡¯s array masters go over, it would be a great loss if they encountered danger¡­¡±


    After all, array masters spend years studying arrays, and their cultivation and strength are generally weaker. If the Qian family lost them, it would be a significant loss.


    ¡°No worries,¡± Master Qian said, ¡°Array masters won¡¯t take risks themselves. They just need to observe from a distance and find the Earth Fire Arrays¡¯ positions.¡±


    Qian Hong said, ¡°I¡¯ll send more people to protect them.¡±


    Master Qian nodded, ¡°That would be best.¡±


    Late at night, under a dim crescent moon, the sky was pitch black.


    Several array masters of the Qian family, led by Qian Shunzhi, arrived outside the artifact crafting shop in the south of the city. They hid in the distant bushes, extending their spiritual sense far to carefully distinguish the anomalies in the surrounding spiritual power, sensing the fire-based array patterns, and locating the Earth Fire Arrays.


    The Qian family array masters compared the city¡¯s map and marked the positions of these Earth Fire Arrays, then handed the map to Qian Shunzhi.


    Qian Shunzhi¡¯s injuries were not healed, but this task was personally assigned by the family head. It was of great importance. If done well, it would be a significant merit and would be noticed by the family head.


    This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    Qian Shunzhi carefully stored the map, summoned the Qian family disciples and a group of rogue cultivators, and pointed out the positions of the Earth Fire Arrays to them one by one.


    ¡°Did you remember clearly?¡±


    The cultivators nodded.


    Qian Shunzhi divided the cultivators into teams, each with a designated route, and then waved his hand, ¡°Move out!¡±


    Thus, a group of cultivators, under the cover of night, crept towards the artifact crafting shop.


    Qian Shunzhi whispered, ¡°Act according to the plan.¡±


    The cultivators split into several groups, avoiding the Earth Fire Arrays on the ground, stealthily approaching the artifact crafting shop.


    The Qian family cultivators avoided most of the Earth Fire Arrays, only a few were triggered, sporadically bursting into flames in the night.


    Some were triggered by the Qian family cultivators¡¯ carelessness, while others were missed by the array masters.


    All of this was within Qian Shunzhi¡¯s calculations. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    No matter how careful, it¡¯s impossible to be flawless.


    So he divided the cultivators into several teams to attack simultaneously. This way, even if some Earth Fire Arrays were triggered, attracting the attention of the demon hunters, they could advance on multiple fronts, causing the demon hunters to be overwhelmed.


    In the dim night, visibility was low, and it was normal to miss things amidst the chaos.


    The demon hunters wouldn¡¯t know where their attackers were coming from.


    As long as they caused enough damage to the buildings and arrays, they would achieve a great merit.


    Qian Shunzhi watched from a distance.


    His leg was injured by an Earth Fire Array explosion, making him slow, so he didn¡¯t personally lead the team this time. He also feared being caught again by Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu, despite being a Foundation Building cultivator, had a thick skin and wild methods. Qian Shunzhi couldn¡¯t guess what torment he would face if he fell into Elder Yu¡¯s hands again.


    In previous attempts, without an excuse, he had to go personally. But now that he was injured, he could conveniently watch from the back.


    Things were progressing as he planned.


    The Earth Fire Arrays exploded, but only sporadically, posing little threat and instead attracting the demon hunters¡¯ attention, allowing them to strike in the east while hitting in the west.


    Several Qian family cultivators had already infiltrated, with spiritual power fluctuations indicating either battles or dismantling of buildings.


    In the pitch-black night, colorful spiritual lights lit up all over the artifact crafting shop.


    But the chaos only lasted a while before things settled down. The noise decreased, and the spiritual power fluctuations gradually calmed.


    The infiltrated Qian family cultivators did not come out again.


    The whole artifact crafting shop seemed like a beast resting in the night, opening its mouth and swallowing them all.


    Qian Shunzhi¡¯s thoughts were in disarray.


    What happened?


    In the dim night and chaotic situation, their distraction tactics should have been effective.


    Why had it gone silent so quickly?


    At this moment, Qian Shunzhi noticed a group of people emerging, rushing straight towards them.


    In the dark, he couldn¡¯t see clearly but had a vague sense that they weren¡¯t their own people!


    Qian Shunzhi immediately said, ¡°Quick, retreat!¡±


    Upon his command, some Qian family cultivators hurriedly gathered the array masters and started retreating.


    But it was too late; a group of demon hunters quickly caught up with them.


    The leading demon hunter, with sharp brows and starry eyes, a robust build, and agile movements, was none other than Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan¡¯s figure flickered, appearing in front of Qian Shunzhi, and punched with fire spreading all around, aiming straight for Qian Shunzhi¡¯s face.


    Qian Shunzhi crossed his arms to block the punch, but his forearms burned with pain instantly, with a crunching sound suggesting bones breaking.


    Mo Shan followed with a kick. Qian Shunzhi, unable to resist, was sent flying to the ground, his whole body aching, clearly unable to run anymore.


    Mo Shan left Qian Shunzhi behind and went straight for the Qian family¡¯s array masters.


    The Qian family¡¯s guards tried to stop him. They were all at the ninth level of Qi Refining, with deep cultivation, temporarily holding Mo Shan back.


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t engage them for long, using swift and decisive moves to maneuver, seizing the opportunity to bypass the guards and reach an array master.


    The array master, unaware of what was happening, only felt a figure appear before him, followed by a sharp pain in his neck and darkness as Mo Shan¡¯s hand struck him unconscious.


    Mo Shan, knocking out the array master, grabbed his collar and tossed him to several demon hunters nearby.


    Those demon hunters caught the array master, pulled out ropes, and tied him up securely like a pig.

 Chapter 188

    Afterward, Mo Shan followed the same method and began to capture the Qian family¡¯s array masters.The Qian family guards were not weak, but they had to deal with the demon hunters and prevent Mo Shan from capturing people, leaving them exhausted and running for their lives.


    In this critical situation, the array masters of the Qian family, who usually maintained a composed and dignified demeanor, now threw everything aside and ran desperately, wishing they could grow an extra pair of legs.


    In the end, Mo Shan only managed to capture three array masters, while the rest escaped.


    The battlefield was chaotic after the skirmish. Some demon hunters were injured, and several Qian family cultivators lay on the ground, wailing.


    Mo Shan, along with the other demon hunters, tied up the array masters and the remaining Qian family cultivators and took them back to the artifact crafting shop.


    The demon hunters threw the Qian family cultivators to the ground, and Mo Shan waved to Mo Hua, who was perched on the high wall. Mo Hua nodded, leaped down gracefully, and landed lightly on the ground.


    He had just climbed to the high gate wall of the artifact crafting shop using the Passing Water Step, sitting atop the wall and watching everything outside.


    Although the Qian family cultivators avoided the Earth Fire Array, once they entered the artifact crafting shop, any use of spiritual power would trigger the array, alerting the patrolling demon hunter squads with their main array compass, which would respond to the sub-array¡¯s reaction and rush to assist.


    The Qian family¡¯s apparent tactic of feinting an attack was actually a ruse; their position had already been fully exposed.


    Thus, the Qian family cultivators who infiltrated were quickly subdued.


    Mo Hua was curious about how they had avoided the Earth Fire Array he had set up.


    He had specifically consulted Uncle Chu.


    When it came to setting traps, demon hunters excelled, and Uncle Chu was the best among them.


    Mo Hua, having studied and practiced extensively, was also highly skilled in trap-setting among the demon hunters.


    He had checked the Earth Fire Array outside and found no issues, so how had the Qian family discovered it?


    Mo Hua then climbed onto the wall and scanned the area with his spiritual sense.


    With Elder Yu absent, Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense was the strongest among the present cultivators. Ordinary ninth-layer Qi cultivators couldn¡¯t compare to him.


    Mo Hua soon discovered the Qian family¡¯s array masters and realized what had happened.


    Immediately, Mo Hua was delighted.


    These were fish delivered to his door, and he wasn¡¯t going to miss the opportunity to catch them.


    Mo Hua found Mo Shan and explained the situation, adding, ¡°Focus on capturing the array masters alive!¡±


    Mo Shan nodded and led a team of skilled demon hunters to pursue the array masters. After a battle, they finally captured a few array masters.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we only caught three; the rest escaped,¡± Mo Shan lamented.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°It¡¯s enough, it¡¯s enough!¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do with these array masters?¡± Mo Shan asked curiously.


    ¡°Leave them to Elder Yu. Everyone will have meat to eat for the next month,¡± Mo Hua said with a smile.


    The next day, Elder Yu arrived at the artifact crafting shop and was surprised to see the captured Qian family array masters. He asked, ¡°How did you capture them?¡±


    ¡°They came right to us,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Elder Yu was slightly stunned, ¡°Is Qian Hong an idiot?¡±


    ¡°They tried to break my Earth Fire Array but ended up failing miserably.¡±


    The Qian family array masters, who had thought they were safe from danger by staying far away, hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense to be so strong that he could discover them even from a distance.


    After learning the details, Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but praise Mo Hua for his meticulousness and skillful use of spiritual sense.


    Even though his own spiritual sense was stronger, he might not have noticed these people with just a sweep, nor connected them to the array masters.


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve all worked hard. Leave the rest to me. Tonight, we¡¯ll feast!¡±


    Elder Yu then took the array masters to the Qian family.


    These array masters couldn¡¯t be killed; otherwise, the Qian family wouldn¡¯t let it go. After all, training an array master required a lot of resources and wasn¡¯t guaranteed to succeed.


    Moreover, even if they were killed, the Dao Court wouldn¡¯t be pleased. The rules needed to be followed in Tongxian City; unless absolutely necessary, it was best to avoid fatalities.


    Since they couldn¡¯t be killed or kept, they could only be used for extortion.


    And the array masters were valuable chips that Elder Yu intended to leverage heavily! S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Hong was so furious he spat blood. He had investigated and knew Elder Yu wouldn¡¯t be at the artifact crafting shop that night, and he had stationed guards far away, believing that with their spiritual sense at the Qi refining stage, they wouldn¡¯t be discovered.


    He even sent guards to follow, being extremely cautious, yet they were still captured.


    How on earth were they caught?


    Qian Hong couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Meanwhile, Elder Yu had already arrived with the array masters. This time, he didn¡¯t curse; instead, he was in a good mood, looking pleased.


    He looked like a gambler who had won, holding chips, waiting for the dealer to exchange for spirit stones.


    And they were the losers, the dealer was them, they had to pay with spirit stones, and even these chips were delivered by them!


    Qian Hong was furious but kept a straight face, sneering first, ¡°Elder Yu, you, a Foundation Building cultivator, dare to kidnap my Qian family¡¯s array masters and come to extort us?¡±


    Elder Yu waved his hand, ¡°Stop with the nonsense. We both know what¡¯s going on. Why pretend?¡±


    Qian Hong sneered, ¡°I will report this to the Dao Court¡¯s superintendent.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Elder Yu was unafraid, ¡°and mention how your Qian family caused trouble at the artifact crafting shop, injured our people, damaged things, ruined arrays, and delayed our projects¡­¡±


    ¡°So you, a Foundation Building cultivator, bully juniors?¡±


    Elder Yu laughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything this time. I didn¡¯t know anything from beginning to end. You caused trouble and got caught. I just found out this morning and came to discuss it.¡±


    Qian Hong glared at him, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Show some sincerity, and I¡¯ll return your people. This way, we can save face and avoid hurting our relationship.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyelid twitched at these words. What face-saving? What relationship? Elder Yu didn¡¯t care about these things!


    ¡°What sincerity do you want?¡±


    Elder Yu asked back, ¡°What kind of sincerity?¡±


    Qian Hong suppressed his anger, ¡°Five hundred spirit stones per person!¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°Not enough sincerity.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°These are array masters, you need to pay more!¡± Elder Yu said.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    Elder Yu immediately said, ¡°Ten thousand per person!¡±


    Qian Hong stood up in rage, ¡°Don¡¯t push it!¡±


    Elder Yu advised, ¡°You¡¯re the family head, stay calm. We can negotiate¡­¡±


    Qian Hong suppressed his anger, ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    Elder Yu began haggling over each spirit stone, as if Qian Hong wasn¡¯t the family head but an old man selling vegetables at the market.


    Finally, after a negotiation, Elder Yu took the spirit stones and left satisfied.


    Qian Hong¡¯s face was ashen. He slammed his hand on the table, turning it to dust.


    ¡°Yu Changlin, I will kill you!¡±

 Chapter 189: Worries

    Elder Yu took the spirit stones, allocating a portion for public use to build the artifact crafting shop, while the rest was used to purchase a large amount of wine and meat. He then invited the craftsmen and demon hunters for a feast.The wine was of good quality, but the meat was not spirit meat.


    With so many cultivators, Elder Yu couldn''t afford to serve spirit meat. He found Mo Shan and spent some spirit stones to have Liu Ruhua help cook some demonic beast meat.


    There was beef, mutton, and chicken, all stewed with spicy spices. The various aromas mixed together, making it very tempting, and there was plenty of it, enough for everyone to eat their fill.


    Everyone was having a great time, and Mo Hua was also eating heartily. The artifact crafting shop was filled with a lively and joyful atmosphere.


    Only Master Ban had lost his appetite.


    He was originally worried that with only Mo Hua painting the array patterns, there wouldn''t be enough manpower, and they wouldn''t be able to keep up with the schedule.


    Now, with the Qian family repeatedly causing trouble, injuring craftsmen, and destroying some buildings, some array patterns had to be redrawn. It was clear that they were falling further behind schedule.


    Master Ban sighed, the wine tasted sour and bitter in his mouth, and he couldn''t tell what flavor it was.


    Mo Hua, who was gnawing on a large chicken leg, saw Master Ban''s expression and asked, "Master Ban, do you have something on your mind?"


    Master Ban sighed again, his heart heavy with worries, but he didn''t know how to express them.


    He couldn''t possibly rush Mo Hua, asking him to paint the array patterns faster. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, since he knew Mo Hua was an array master capable of painting first-grade array patterns, Master Ban had developed a subtle respect for him. Speaking to Mo Hua had become more cautious and less relaxed than before.


    Mo Hua noticed Master Ban''s concerns and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."


    Seeing Mo Hua''s openness, Master Ban had no choice but to muster the courage to say, "Mo... Mo Hua, how much longer will it take to finish these array patterns?"


    Mo Hua estimated and said, "It depends on whether the Qian family continues to cause trouble. If they do, it will take longer. If they get scared off, then it will be quicker. But since some array patterns need to be redrawn because of their interference, it will definitely take longer than expected."


    Master Ban nodded, "Thank you for your hard work."


    Despite his words, he still felt uneasy.


    As a craftsman for so many years, he had heard many promises and estimates, but very few were actually fulfilled or met on time.


    Mo Hua saw that Master Ban was still worried and asked, "Is it very serious if the construction is delayed?"


    "It''s not that serious, it''s just that if the project is delayed, we craftsmen can''t settle the accounts, and the workers under us won''t get their spirit stones."


    Master Ban''s expression turned gloomy, "Craftsmen usually come from poor families. They need to earn spirit stones to support their families and to provide for their children''s cultivation. They work day and night just to make a living. If the project is delayed, they won''t get paid, and their families might not be able to make ends meet..."


    Mo Hua nodded, deeply empathetic, as his family had also struggled financially in the past.


    In Tongxian City, most of the wandering cultivators made a living as demon hunters, and there were few craftsmen, even fewer who became master craftsmen.


    These craftsmen were mostly cultivators from other regions who had to travel wherever they were needed to build cave dwellings, houses, artifact crafting shops, alchemy shops, and other structures.


    A single construction project for a cultivation building could take anywhere from a few months to a year or more, rarely allowing them to return home, resulting in long separations from their families.


    Despite this hard work, the spirit stones they earned were barely enough to make ends meet.


    Indeed, wandering cultivators found it difficult to make a living no matter what they did.


    Mo Hua sighed and asked, "Do people often default on payment for spirit stones?"


    Master Ban looked resigned, "It''s very common. Once the cave dwelling is built, some people claim they can''t spare the spirit stones or make excuses about cash flow issues, dragging out payments indefinitely. We have no recourse."


    "About eighty or ninety years ago, when I was just a regular craftsman working under my master, we built a small cave dwelling for a cultivator. When it was completed, the cultivator claimed he had no spirit stones and asked us to wait."


    "We waited for three months without receiving a single spirit stone. Our families were starving, so we had to seek him out again. We found him feasting and carousing, lavishly spending spirit stones. When we asked for our payment, he arrogantly declared that he had plenty of spirit stones but wouldn''t give us any."


    Mo Hua was incensed, "Didn''t you beat him up?"


    "We did!" Master Ban nodded, "We tied him up and beat him, leaving him seriously injured."


    "And then?"


    "Then he reported us to the Dao Court, and they arrested us, locking us up for half a month. My master took the blame and was sentenced to ten years in prison. We were given a few dozen lashes and released."


    Thinking of his former master, Master Ban felt a pang of sorrow.


    "The Dao Court is truly despicable!" Mo Hua was furious.


    Then he remembered that Zhang Lan was also a cultivator from the Dao Court and seemed to be a good person, though he might have unintentionally injured him...


    "It''s not all like that," Master Ban tried to reason with Mo Hua.


    "Are there exceptions?"


    Master Ban nodded, "The cultivation world is vast, and there are Dao Courts everywhere. Some are dutiful and honest, while others are greedy and corrupt. It''s not fair to generalize."


    "I''ve dealt with several Dao Courts in nearby cities. The one in Tongxian City is relatively fair. Even if they occasionally take bribes, it''s understandable. Other places vary. Some Dao Courts collude with local families, seizing properties and scheming for cultivation techniques, causing families to be ruined..."


    Master Ban spoke with lingering fear.


    Mo Hua was also shocked, realizing that the cultivation world was more complex than he had imagined.


    He kept these things in mind, preparing himself for any future encounters.


    "Master Ban, don''t worry. Elder Yu may be stingy, but he will pay the spirit stones owed. He won''t default."


    Mo Hua said with certainty, then added, "I''ll try to paint the array patterns faster to minimize the delay."


    After all, it wasn''t easy for the craftsmen to earn spirit stones, and it was hard for them to wait for their payment.


    Master Ban was taken aback, "Paint faster?"


    He was already working quickly. How much faster could he go? After all, Mo Hua was just one person, and only an eleven or twelve-year-old child at that.


    Master Ban felt a bit guilty, worried, "You don''t have to rush. Just follow the normal pace. Don''t push yourself too hard, or you might damage your sea of consciousness. I heard that if an array master''s sea of consciousness is injured, they won''t be able to paint array patterns for life..."


    "Don''t worry, I know my limits," Mo Hua reassured him.


    Previously, it was his first time painting array patterns on such a large-scale cultivation building and his first time designing and planning so many array patterns. He had been cautious, ensuring no mistakes, which slowed him down.


    Now, after painting for so many days, he was much more skilled. Most of the array patterns, though numerous, were not complex, many not even reaching first-grade. Painting them wasn''t difficult, just tedious.


    Mo Hua also wanted to finish quickly and find a way to learn and apply more advanced composite arrays.


    Composite arrays should be much more interesting.

 Chapter 190: Completion

    Master Ban felt inexplicably relieved seeing Mo Hua''s confident demeanor.Although he always treated array masters with utmost respect, he couldn''t help but harbor some resentment. It was merely because he had to bow under their lofty status and authority.


    Array masters lived in grand abodes, while craftsmen like them were only fit to build those abodes.


    The architecture of the cultivation world was mostly built brick by brick by these craftsmen, yet not a single brick belonged to them.


    But Mo Hua was different from any other array master he had met. He was not aloof or overbearing; his eyes were as clear as a mountain spring.


    Master Ban looked at Mo Hua and couldn''t help but smile.


    Seeing Master Ban finally smiling instead of frowning, Mo Hua also smiled. "Leave the arrays to me. Don''t worry."


    Master Ban nodded heavily, "I trust you."


    Then he raised his cup and smiled at Mo Hua, "I toast to you."


    Mo Hua had no cup nor wine, and he didn''t like the taste of the strong liquor. He just clinked the chicken leg in his hand with Master Ban''s cup, "Cheers!"


    Master Ban burst into laughter, all his worries dissipated, and he downed his drink in one gulp. Only then did he taste the liquor''s flavor, exclaiming, "Good wine!"


    In the following days, Mo Hua accelerated his array drawing.


    The deeper he cultivated the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, the stronger his spiritual control became, and the faster he could draw the arrays.


    Moreover, these arrays were ones he had practiced countless times on the Dao Stele or array paper. Every single pattern was etched into his mind.


    Mo Hua''s hand flew, his brush danced, creating patterns as smoothly as flowing water, forming one array after another.


    Master Ban watched in amazement, and even Elder Yu, who had seen Mo Hua draw arrays many times, was secretly shocked.


    Such skilled techniques were akin to those of an array master with a century of experience.


    Every stroke was ingrained in his memory, not even needing to look, each brushstroke naturally forming an array.


    After another ten days, Mo Hua finally completed all the arrays on the Artifact Crafting Shop''s buildings.


    The progress was delayed by five or six days due to repeated disruptions by the Qian family. The foundation was damaged and had to be rebuilt, wooden beams collapsed and had to be re-erected, and the arrays had been defaced, requiring Mo Hua to start over. Otherwise, the progress would have been even faster.


    Master Ban looked at the intricate and numerous arrays covering the walls and buildings of the Artifact Crafting Shop, filled with disbelief.


    So many arrays, all drawn by Mo Hua alone...


    Even though he had witnessed Mo Hua''s speed in drawing arrays and was mentally prepared, seeing it with his own eyes was still astonishing.


    This was the largest Artifact Crafting Shop in Tongxian City, and so many arrays were completed by one person!


    Master Ban pinched his thigh hard, the pain confirming he wasn''t dreaming.


    With the arrays finished, Mo Hua''s task was temporarily complete. The remaining work of sealing the arrays and further finishing the buildings fell to the craftsmen.


    These tasks were for Master Ban and his team to worry about.


    Mo Hua rubbed his wrist and stretched his shoulders.


    After days of drawing arrays, he could finally take a break and use this time to review his gains and losses in array drawing.


    The arrays used in architectural diagrams primarily had earth and wood attributes, supplemented by metal, water, and fire attributes, utilizing almost all five elements arrays.


    The five elements arrays were the most widely used in the cultivation world. Through this opportunity, Mo Hua broadened his understanding of basic arrays, solidified his application of five elements arrays, and gained a deeper understanding of the use and interaction of arrays.


    Additionally, after days and nights of drawing arrays, Mo Hua''s spiritual sense had also grown, and his control over it had strengthened, deepening his foundation in arrays.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling satisfied, and began preparing for the next phase of his array studies.


    Master Ban, busy with the follow-up work of the Artifact Crafting Shop, was no longer worried about the arrays. The project would be completed on schedule, relieving Master Ban, making him feel light-hearted.


    With the completion of the Artifact Crafting Shop, they could settle the spirit stones, and he could give a good account to his craftsmen disciples, allowing everyone to go home and have a good New Year.


    Thinking of this, Master Ban felt completely at ease and, after months of hard work, could finally sleep soundly at night.


    Meanwhile, Qian Hong frowned.


    According to reports from the Qian family disciples, the craftsmen had already started finishing the building.


    To his knowledge, this was an impossible feat!


    Finishing the building meant the arrays inside were completed.


    That large an Artifact Crafting Shop, even with basic and simple arrays, couldn''t be finished so quickly. Moreover, he had continuously sent people to disrupt their progress, delaying the construction.


    In Qian Hong''s estimation, even in the best scenario, the Artifact Crafting Shop wouldn''t be completed for another month. But now, they were already finishing up?


    "Could it be another trick by Yu Changlin? Trying to tell me the shop is finished so the Qian family would give up?"


    Yu Changlin was thick-skinned and black-hearted; it was not surprising for him to come up with such a scheme.


    Qian Hong''s eyes narrowed, instructing someone to invite Master Qian, and the two went to a teahouse near the shop, sitting in a private room while extending their spiritual senses towards the Artifact Crafting Shop.


    Master Qian merely scanned with his spiritual sense, then retracted it, saying, "The arrays are complete!"


    Qian Hong was secretly surprised and asked, "What level of arrays are they?"


    Master Qian hesitated slightly and then slowly said, "Comparable to the arrays in the Qian family mansion."


    Qian Hong was incredulous, "How is that possible?"


    The arrays in their mansion had cost a fortune and were designed by a First Grade array master and drawn by several array masters over a long period.


    What right did Yu Changlin have to equate the arrays in his mere Artifact Crafting Shop with those in the Qian family mansion?


    Master Qian also found it hard to believe. He furrowed his brows and pondered, "I only scanned from a distance and didn''t look closely, but the strength of those arrays on the outer walls is indeed not ordinary."


    "You mean..."


    "They might have focused on the outer wall arrays, leaving the internal ones crude or perhaps not drawn at all."


    Qian Hong nodded; Master Qian''s speculation was very reasonable.


    Otherwise, there was no way to explain how the demon hunters could finish drawing the arrays for such a large shop in such a short time.


    "There''s another issue," Master Qian said, "Even the outer wall arrays, given their strength, contain enough patterns that one or two array masters couldn''t complete them." S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Hong also frowned, a question arising in both their minds:


    How many array masters were among the demon hunters?

 Chapter 191: Predictions

    With the artifact crafting shop now built and the array formations complete, they could no longer cause trouble.Once the outer wall is enclosed and the arrays activated, trying to sneak in would be as futile as a dream.


    Master Qian glanced at the artifact crafting shop and suddenly asked:


    ¡°Patriarch, do you know what array formations are used in this shop?¡±


    ¡°Common architectural arrays generally involve earth and wood systems. As for the specific arrays, I am not an array master, so I am not sure,¡± Qian Hong thought for a moment and replied.


    ¡°You have encountered these arrays before,¡± Master Qian said calmly.


    Qian Hong pondered briefly, then his eyes lit up, ¡°Are you referring to the array used at the entrance of the spirit mine that day?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Master Qian nodded, ¡°Among the First Grade arrays, there is one called the Earth Stone Array, which can strengthen soil and stone to defend against external enemies. If I am not mistaken, this artifact crafting shop''s outer wall uses this very First Grade Earth Stone Array.¡±


    Qian Hong frowned, suddenly realizing something.


    Master Qian continued, ¡°One Earth Fire Array and one Earth Stone Array, these were the two arrays before, and they remain the same now. As I predicted, the array master among the demon hunters knows few arrays, so he can only reuse these two.¡±


    ¡°This is not his fault,¡± Master Qian sighed, ¡°First Grade arrays are difficult to learn. The fact that he has mastered these two is already commendable.¡±


    Qian Hong nodded slightly. Arrays are indeed difficult to learn, and mastering a First Grade array is even more challenging.


    Learning array formations is hard, and dealing with them is even harder.


    During the previous battle on Nameless Peak against the demon hunters, these two arrays caused the Qian family a lot of trouble. Without these arrays, the Qian family would not have suffered such heavy losses.


    Yu Changlin, that old rogue, and the demon hunters would not have escaped with so many spirit stones unscathed.


    Every time Qian Hong thought about it, his heart ached as if being cut by a knife. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Qian said, ¡°Since the artifact crafting shop is built, there is no need to dwell on it. The Patriarch can proceed according to plan.¡±


    Qian Hong nodded, ¡°Yu Changlin built the artifact crafting shop to craft spiritual tools and compete with our business. If we produce more and better spiritual tools first and lower our prices, their shop will naturally not be able to sustain itself.¡±


    ¡°The key to mass production of artifacts lies in the refining furnace,¡± Qian Hong said, then asked, ¡°Master, how is the progress on understanding the First Grade Molten Fire Array for the refining furnace?¡±


    Master Qian stroked his beard, ¡°These days, I have been studying day and night and have almost fully comprehended it. It won''t be long before I master it completely.¡±


    Qian Hong smiled with joy and cupped his hands, ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±


    Master Qian returned the gesture, ¡°Since I am a member of the Qian family and supported by the family, I should do my best to serve the family. The Patriarch is too kind.¡±


    Qian Hong seemed to think of something but hesitated.


    ¡°If the Patriarch has something to say, please speak directly,¡± Master Qian said.


    Qian Hong frowned and thought, ¡°Could the array master among the demon hunters also have mastered the First Grade Molten Fire Array? Otherwise, why would Yu Changlin build an artifact crafting shop?¡±


    Master Qian was slightly taken aback, then thought carefully and found it plausible but quickly denied it:


    ¡°Impossible. The First Grade Molten Fire Array is different from other First Grade arrays. Its patterns are more intricate, and the array hub is more complex. It is not easy to learn. If he really knew the First Grade Molten Fire Array, combined with the Earth Fire Array and the Earth Stone Array, he would already have the strength of a First Grade array master.¡±


    ¡°Every First Grade array master is highly esteemed and honored by families and sects. How could they demean themselves by associating with these wandering cultivators?¡±


    Qian Hong found this reasoning convincing but still had concerns, ¡°What if he really knows how to draw the Molten Fire Array?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, even if he can draw the Molten Fire Array, it will be a common one with five or six patterns at most, not an authentic First Grade Molten Fire Array.¡±


    ¡°After these days of research, I deeply understand how difficult the Molten Fire Array is to learn. This array is not comparable to ordinary First Grade arrays. That array master definitely cannot learn it!¡±


    Master Qian asserted.


    Mo Hua indeed did not know how to draw a First Grade Molten Fire Array.


    He had no use for it before and did not spend time learning it. Now that he wanted to attempt a First Grade composite array that included the Molten Fire Array, he needed to take time to learn it.


    After starting to learn, he realized that the Molten Fire Array was indeed difficult to master.


    The array patterns were more intricate and differed slightly from general fire-type patterns. The array hub required a higher intensity of spiritual awareness. After a day and a half of practice, Mo Hua was starting to get the hang of it when he noticed Elder Yu with a troubled expression.


    ¡°Elder, is the Qian family causing trouble again?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°We lack enough artifact crafters.¡±


    ¡°How many are we short?¡±


    ¡°About ten or so.¡±


    ¡°So many?¡± Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°There should be quite a few artifact crafters in the city. Are they unwilling to come?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Elder Yu was somewhat helpless, ¡°They either already have their own artifact crafting shops and don''t want to move, or they don''t want to work for others and be restricted, or they are solitary and don''t want to interact with others... There are all kinds of reasons, but in the end, they just don''t want to come.¡±


    ¡°Are they also worried about the Qian family?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°That''s part of it. They fear the Qian family causing trouble and worry that we won''t be able to compete with the Qian family, which would bring them bad luck.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then asked, ¡°Is Master Chen willing to come?¡±


    ¡°Which Master Chen?¡±


    ¡°The one from Chen¡¯s Artifact Crafting Shop near the pond on South Street, thin and dark-faced.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Elder Yu remembered, ¡°He is not willing to come either.¡±


    Mo Hua put down the unfinished Molten Fire Array and said, ¡°I''ll go and see.¡±


    ¡°What will you see? Will he listen to you?¡± Elder Yu was a bit surprised.


    ¡°Not necessarily, but I can try. I have a good relationship with Master Chen,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Elder Yu looked at the half-grown Mo Hua and thought of Master Chen''s stern face, unable to imagine any connection between the two.


    ¡°Well, you try first. I''ll find some other artifact crafters.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua returned home, asked his mother for some wine and meat, put them in a food box, and placed them in his storage bag. Then he went to Chen¡¯s Artifact Crafting Shop and found Master Chen.


    Master Chen was forging iron with Da Zhu and the others, the clanging sounds echoing, and sparks flying everywhere.


    Mo Hua called out twice before Master Chen heard him. He let Da Zhu practice on his own, washed his hands, wiped his sweat, and invited Mo Hua into the courtyard.


    The courtyard had many small stools and tables.


    Mo Hua picked a small stool and sat down, then took out the wine and meat from his storage bag.


    ¡°This is for everyone to enjoy!¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°How can I accept this...¡±


    Master Chen verbally refused but his eyes never left the wine jar.


    ¡°No need to be polite!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Master Chen didn''t stand on ceremony, knowing that Mo Hua was not an outsider, and smiled, ¡°Then I won''t be polite.¡±


    Master Chen called out to the apprentices, ¡°Take a break, come and have some food.¡±


    The group of apprentices cheered, stopped their work, and gathered around.


    Since Mo Hua entered, placing the food box on the table, their minds were no longer on forging.


    Artifact crafting is physically demanding, and these young apprentices, still growing, often felt hungry.


    The business at the artifact crafting shop wasn''t great, and they were usually just glad to have enough to eat, let alone enjoy delicious food. So when they saw the meat Mo Hua brought, their eyes sparkled.

 Chapter 192: Invitation

    Master Chen lightly knocked on the table, "Thank the person before eating."The refining disciples all said in unison, "Thank you, Brother Mo!"


    Mo Hua smiled and waved his hand, "No need to thank me!"


    Master Chen nodded, "Line up, no pushing."


    Mo Hua had brought quite a bit of beef, so everyone got a share. Though it wasn''t enough to fill them up, it was enough to satisfy their cravings.


    The refining disciples lined up to take their meat and then devoured it hungrily.


    Master Chen also tasted the meat and took a sip of wine, instantly looking pleased and animated.


    The strong liquor burned his throat, invigorating him. Feeling satisfied, Master Chen said:


    "Alright, tell me what you need."


    "I just wanted to treat you to some meat and wine."


    Master Chen said, "If you don''t say, we''ll just eat and drink for free."


    Mo Hua chuckled, "I do have a small favor to ask."


    Master Chen raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Bringing wine and meat to bribe me, it must be something big. Let''s hear it."


    Mo Hua got straight to the point, "Elder Yu has built a new refining shop, a big one. Would you consider going over?"


    Master Chen was puzzled, "Are you familiar with Elder Yu? Acting as his lobbyist?"


    "Very familiar." Mo Hua nodded.


    Master Chen''s eyelids twitched. Despite Mo Hua''s young age, his connections were impressive. Even an elder at the Foundation Building stage was familiar with him.


    He usually focused on refining and paid little attention to the outside world, only hearing bits and pieces from others. He had no idea how Mo Hua had gotten to know Elder Yu...


    Master Chen was curious and asked, "Does that refining shop have anything to do with you?"


    "All the arrays inside were drawn by me!"


    Mo Hua patted his chest proudly.


    Master Chen was astonished.


    He knew Mo Hua was good at drawing arrays, but he didn''t expect him to be this good. To think that he had drawn all the arrays for such a large refining shop.


    This was truly remarkable.


    Master Chen thought for a moment and straightforwardly said, "Alright, I agree."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Huh? You agreed so quickly?"


    He had prepared a whole speech, but Master Chen agreed without hearing any of it...


    Master Chen laughed, "I''m not familiar with Elder Yu. If he asked me to go, I wouldn''t want to. I¡¯ve worked hard to maintain this refining shop, though it¡¯s a bit old and business is slow, it¡¯s enough to make a living and support my disciples while teaching them the craft."


    "But since you asked, it''s different. You¡¯ve drawn many arrays for us without charging much spirit stones, and that''s a huge favor. I may not have a relationship with Elder Yu, but I trust you."


    Master Chen''s words made Mo Hua a bit embarrassed.


    Seeing Master Chen so agreeable, Mo Hua added, "Do you have any familiar refining masters? Can they come along?"


    Master Chen was slightly surprised, then laughed, "You¡¯re really not holding back..."


    Mo Hua chuckled, "We¡¯re so close, why be polite?"


    Master Chen also laughed, "I don''t mind going, but convincing other refining masters is a different story."


    "How so?"


    "I need a reason to persuade them. They won''t abandon their own businesses just to work for Elder Yu."


    "There are plenty of reasons!"


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up. He had been worried about not having a chance to use his prepared speech, and now it was the perfect opportunity.


    "On the surface, this refining shop belongs to Elder Yu, but it''s actually for all demon hunters, and possibly for all wandering cultivators in Tongxian City."


    "As long as everyone helps out, the shop will share spirit stone profits based on individual contributions once it¡¯s profitable." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Chen was taken aback, "Is this true?"


    Though he was a wandering cultivator in Tongxian City, he made a living through refining and had never hunted demons in Dahei Mountain. He interacted with demon hunters mainly for trading spirit tools and knew little about their internal affairs.


    This was the first time he heard of such a profit-sharing model.


    Master Chen had initially thought that the demon hunters, having seized the spirit mine, would have Elder Yu, a Foundation Building cultivator, take the lion''s share, and the refining shop would be the same.


    But now it seemed, Elder Yu, who appeared stingy, actually had a much larger vision than he imagined.


    Master Chen couldn''t help but nod.


    Mo Hua continued, "Moreover, joining the refining shop guarantees three meals a day. Though the food might not be luxurious, it will be sufficient, so Brother Da Zhu and the others won''t have to go hungry anymore."


    Master Chen was moved.


    He was strict but cared deeply for his disciples. Watching them go hungry made him feel bad as a master.


    If he could ensure they were well-fed, everything would be worth it.


    Master Chen agreed, "Alright, I''ll talk to them, but I can''t guarantee they''ll agree."


    "Okay." Mo Hua nodded, "I haven''t finished yet, there''s one more thing."


    Master Chen was surprised, "Still not finished? What else do you want to say?"


    Mo Hua didn''t rush to answer. Instead, he glanced at Master Chen''s refining furnace and asked quietly:


    "Master Chen, don''t you think the fire of this refining furnace is a bit weak?"


    These words sounded familiar.


    Master Chen frowned, recalling something, and suddenly grew wary, "Are you eyeing my refining furnace again?"


    "No, no." Mo Hua quickly denied.


    Master Chen didn''t believe him, his attitude firm, "This furnace''s fire may be weak, but it''s enough. Don''t think about dismantling it!"


    "I won''t, I won''t."


    Master Chen still looked skeptical.


    Mo Hua said, "This time I really won¡¯t dismantle it, but don¡¯t you want to replace it?"


    "Replace it?"


    "Yes, with a bigger, stronger, and higher quality refining furnace!"


    Bigger, stronger, higher quality?


    Master Chen frowned, then was shocked, "Are you talking about a First Grade refining furnace?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Not just a First Grade refining furnace, but with First Grade array patterns drawn on it, the firepower will be even stronger..."


    A First Grade refining furnace with First Grade arrays.


    Just thinking about it made Master Chen¡¯s heart race.


    He had no other desires in life, just to own a First Grade refining furnace¡ªeven if he couldn¡¯t own it, just using it to refine a few spirit tools would make him happy.


    But a First Grade refining furnace was extremely expensive, the materials and cost required a large amount of spirit stones, far beyond what he could afford.


    If Elder Yu could actually get a First Grade refining furnace, he couldn¡¯t refuse. Not to mention, it would have Mo Hua''s First Grade arrays on it...


    Master Chen thought it through, then suddenly realized and was shocked, exclaiming:


    "First Grade arrays? You can draw First Grade arrays?!"

 Chapter 193: Refining Grades

    Mo Hua nodded proudly.Master Chen was shocked, "How long has it been, and you can already draw a First Grade array?"


    "This is just a small matter." Mo Hua waved his small hand and continued:


    "With a First Grade refining furnace and a First Grade magma array, it should attract quite a few refiners."


    Drawing a First Grade array can be a small matter...


    Master Chen felt a mix of emotions and sighed, "Rest assured, with a First Grade refining furnace and a First Grade array, no refiner can refuse."


    The skill of a refiner largely depends on the refining furnace. There aren''t many First Grade refining furnaces in the entire Tongxian City, let alone one with a First Grade array drawn on it.


    If someone were to refuse, what kind of fool would they be?


    "That''s good." Mo Hua was relieved.


    Then he remembered a question, "Master Chen, how are refining grades determined?"


    "Grades?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Just like an Array Master, a First Grade array is one with nine patterns. What standards define a First Grade spiritual artifact?"


    A refining furnace is actually a type of spiritual artifact, just one used for cultivation production, unlike those used by cultivators for attack or defense.


    The wandering cultivators in Tongxian City couldn''t forge a First Grade refining furnace. The one Elder Yu promised was also bought from outside.


    But there should be First Grade refiners among the wandering cultivators, so why can''t they forge a First Grade spiritual artifact?


    "This is a long story..." Master Chen said.


    Mo Hua sat on a small stool, ready to listen.


    Master Chen took a sip of wine, organized his thoughts, and began:


    "First of all, determining the grade of an Array Master is the hardest. Only a Qi Refining Stage cultivator at the ninth level can become a First Grade Array Master..."


    Master Chen glanced at Mo Hua, coughed, "Generally, only those at the ninth level of Qi Refining can become a First Grade Array Master."


    Then he continued, "Compared to Array Masters, the grading standards for refiners, pill refiners, and talisman makers are much more relaxed. As long as they reach the late stage of Qi Refining, through practice and experience accumulation, if their refining skills reach a certain level and they can forge a First Grade spiritual artifact, they can basically become a First Grade refiner."


    "Then why can wandering cultivators rarely forge a First Grade spiritual artifact?" Mo Hua asked.


    "There are many reasons. For instance, the cost of a First Grade spiritual artifact is high, and materials are rare, so ordinary wandering cultivators can''t afford it. Or they lack inheritance, many refining manuals are not available to wandering cultivators, and some refining techniques can''t be learned..."


    Master Chen sighed, "Of course, the most important reason is that we don''t have a good refining furnace."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Is the refining furnace that important?"


    "Of course," Master Chen sighed, "The refining furnace is the weapon of the refiner. It''s like a sword in the hands of a sword cultivator. How can you practice sword techniques without a sword? How can you refine spiritual artifacts without a refining furnace?"


    Mo Hua nodded frequently, finding it very reasonable.


    Master Chen pointed to his refining furnace, "Don''t look down on my refining furnace, even though it''s old and small. Among the refining shops run by wandering cultivators in Tongxian City, it''s considered quite good."


    Master Chen was a bit proud, "Many people are envious of my refining furnace and want to borrow it to refine spiritual artifacts, but I haven''t agreed. How can I lend out my tool for making a living?"


    "So, many wandering cultivators can''t become First Grade refiners because they don''t have a good refining furnace and can''t forge First Grade spiritual artifacts?"


    "That''s right," Master Chen said, "Without a refining furnace, there''s no chance to refine a First Grade spiritual artifact, so how can one become a First Grade refiner?"


    Mo Hua was curious, "Is the refining furnace really that crucial?"


    Master Chen said, "The iron ore in the cultivation world, even the bones of demonic beasts, are extremely tough. They must first be smelted in the furnace before being forged. During the Qi Refining stage, there''s no pill fire, so we can only rely on furnace fire. If the grade of the furnace is low and the firepower weak, the materials can''t be smelted, so naturally, they can''t be forged..."


    Mo Hua understood, then asked, "So if we have a good refining furnace with strong firepower, how can we forge a First Grade spiritual artifact?"


    Master Chen sighed, "This is a bit complicated to explain."


    Mo Hua poured him a glass of wine, "Take your time."


    Master Chen looked at Mo Hua''s curious eyes and felt a bit helpless, "Since you want to know, I''ll briefly explain."


    "The grades of spiritual artifacts are determined by the standards set by the Dao Court. A First Grade spiritual artifact must include a certain amount of refined iron or equivalent materials, undergo a specific number of processes, and be forged a certain number of times. These are all measurement standards."


    "The most important is the number of times it''s forged. Generally, a First Grade spiritual artifact must be forged a hundred times. Then, based on whether the materials are hard, the shape is special, or the techniques are complex, adjustments are made. After being recognized by most refiners, it becomes a convention and is then officially stipulated by the Dao Court and recorded in the grading regulations."


    "Sounds complicated..."


    "That''s because you''re not a refiner. If you were, after swinging a hammer for a few days and forging refined iron according to the refining manual, you''d naturally understand everything."


    Mo Hua looked at his small arms and legs and thought it best to forget about it.


    Master Chen laughed, "To put it simply, it''s about how many times you can forge iron. The more times a spiritual artifact is forged, the higher its grade. As the saying goes, ''Forged a thousand times, tempered into a tool.'' That''s the principle."


    "So it''s similar to drawing arrays. The more patterns an array has, the higher its grade. It seems that the principles of this world are interconnected." Mo Hua nodded.


    Master Chen laughed, "I don''t understand arrays, but based on your explanation, it does seem to be the case."


    Mo Hua then asked, "What about pill refining and talisman making? Are they similar?"


    "Pill refining and talisman making... I guess they are similar, but I haven''t learned them, so I don''t know the details. After all, different fields are like separate mountains, it''s hard to make assumptions."


    Mo Hua nodded, understanding this truth.


    Although he was quite proficient in arrays, when it came to refining, pill making, and the like, he only knew a little. There were many nuances he hadn''t personally studied or practiced, so he was often confused.


    Not only refining and pill making, even in arrays, there''s a big difference between composite arrays and basic arrays. He''s quite familiar with the Five Elements arrays, but when it comes to other structures or attribute types of arrays, he''s not very clear.


    For example, the Tripartite Array, and other arrays like the Two Elements Array, Four Symbols Array, Seven Stars Array, Eight Trigrams Array that Mr. Zhuang mentioned.


    If he really learned and used them, they would probably be very different from the Five Elements arrays. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Not to mention, Mo Hua had heard of some cruel and forbidden arrays like demonic arrays, evil arrays, ghost arrays, and corpse arrays, which were explicitly prohibited by the Dao Court.


    Mo Hua then had another doubt, asking, "Master Chen, are you familiar with talisman making?"


    "Not very familiar." Master Chen replied honestly.


    "You must know a little."


    Master Chen was puzzled, "What do you want to know?"


    "What''s the difference between talisman making and array drawing?"


    When Mo Hua was cultivating at Tongxian Sect, he also learned some introductory courses on talisman making, but they were too basic and theoretical, somewhat detached from the actual cultivation practice.


    While studying arrays, Mo Hua always felt that the arrays he drew on paper were very similar to the "talismans" in his past memories.


    He was never quite sure about the difference between the two.

 Chapter 194: Talismans

    Because rogue cultivators rarely used talismans, Mo Hua had never seen one in person, so he had put this question out of his mind.Now, discussing artifact crafting and the topic of talismans came up again, Mo Hua suddenly remembered and asked about it.


    Master Chen tugged at his beard and frowned in thought, ¡°I am neither an array master nor a talisman master, so I can¡¯t say for sure. But since you asked, I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡±


    After finishing, Master Chen added, ¡°But this is definitely outsider talk. Just listen and get an impression, don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡±


    ¡°Mm, mm.¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°As far as I know, talisman making is both a branch of array crafting and artifact crafting.¡± s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°A hybrid of array crafting and artifact crafting?¡± Mo Hua was surprised.


    Master Chen glared at him, half laughing and half annoyed, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so bad. The various branches of Dao cultivation are inherently independent yet interconnected.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°For instance, a pill furnace for alchemists needs to be crafted by artifact crafters, the furnaces crafted by artifact crafters require array masters to inscribe arrays, and the spiritual ink used by array masters is sometimes prepared by alchemists?¡±


    ¡°Well said.¡± Master Chen nodded approvingly, then continued on the topic of talismans:


    ¡°The cultivation world has developed for so many years, and the various branches of Dao cultivation have evolved accordingly. Talismans naturally followed suit...¡±


    ¡°The earliest talismans were actually quite similar to arrays, or rather, they were simple arrays. Drawn on paper and activated by spiritual power, they had some effects of arrays.¡±


    ¡°But such talismans had many problems. The paper was difficult to preserve, spiritual power was hard to seal, and their power fluctuated depending on the cultivator''s spiritual power. If activated with spirit stones, they were inconvenient to use.¡±


    ¡°The most important issue was that it lacked prestige. Talisman masters were often considered low-end array masters, inherently inferior, which no one could tolerate.¡±


    ¡°After years of development, many powerful cultivators have improved talismans significantly, transforming them into a distinct branch of Dao cultivation different from array crafting and artifact crafting.¡±


    ¡°What has changed?¡± Mo Hua was very curious.


    Master Chen said, ¡°A lot, at least in terms of form. Now, jade talismans have replaced paper talismans, storing not just simple spiritual power and arrays but specialized spells. This makes them easier to preserve and use.¡±


    ¡°Specialized spells?¡±


    ¡°Yes, talismans are like disposable spells¡ªsimple and convenient. Once your cultivation level is sufficient, you can use them, regardless of spiritual root attributes.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that incredible?¡± Mo Hua was intrigued.


    ¡°They are indeed powerful, but also very expensive,¡± Master Chen said with a click of his tongue.


    ¡°The cost must be high.¡±


    Master Chen nodded, ¡°Creating talismans requires jade stones to make jade talismans. Jade itself is not cheap, and the higher the grade of the talisman, the more expensive the materials. Additionally, the crafting of jade talismans incorporates some artifact crafting techniques and simple array structures. Talisman makers also need to learn special techniques to seal spells into jade talismans.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Both costly and troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Master Chen agreed.


    ¡°No wonder I¡¯ve never seen one. It¡¯s because they¡¯re too expensive for people to use.¡±


    Even if one were to obtain a few talismans by chance, it would be more practical to sell them for spirit stones than to use them oneself.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Are there any other differences?¡±


    ¡°There must be, but this is all I know,¡± Master Chen said, ¡°These are just superficial things I learned from chatting with a talisman master while crafting spiritual tools for him. As for the deeper intricacies, I am not aware.¡±


    Master Chen apologized, ¡°After all, I am not a talisman master, and I know nothing about making talismans.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°No problem, I don¡¯t know anything about it either!¡±


    Master Chen chuckled, ¡°When you find out in the future, come back and tell me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Mo Hua replied with a smile.


    After chatting for a while, Mo Hua realized it was getting late and stood up to leave, ¡°Master Chen, I¡¯ll head back now. We¡¯ve agreed on the artifact crafting workshop.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Master Chen didn¡¯t keep him, instead, he called out to Da Zhu, ¡°Da Zhu, see him out.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Da Zhu replied cheerfully.


    Da Zhu escorted Mo Hua home, chatting along the way. He told Mo Hua some interesting recent events, and Mo Hua listened with great interest.


    In this vast world, there was no shortage of strange occurrences. With millions of cultivators, naturally, all sorts of bizarre things happened.


    Mo Hua, having listened to many stories, broadened his understanding of cultivation.


    Once home, Mo Hua invited Da Zhu for a meal. Da Zhu shyly smiled but accepted Mo Hua¡¯s hospitality graciously.


    The issue with the artifact crafting workshop was temporarily resolved, now it was up to Master Chen.


    Master Chen had crafted spiritual tools in Tongxian City for many years and knew many cultivators. He was acquainted with many artifact crafters, so he should be able to persuade several to join the new artifact crafting workshop.


    Mo Hua then thought of another problem.


    After establishing the artifact crafting workshop, there was still the alchemy workshop to consider. There were even fewer alchemists in Tongxian City, and they would be harder to invite.


    It was always best to prepare early. Otherwise, if unprepared when the time comes, it would be difficult to manage.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then took some wine and meat and headed to Xinglin Medical Hall to see Mr. Feng.


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, I¡¯ve come to see you!¡± Mo Hua said with a smile.


    Mr. Feng glanced at Mo Hua, smiling knowingly, ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    Mr. Feng laughed, ¡°I watched you grow up.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Since Mr. Feng asked, Mo Hua didn¡¯t beat around the bush and directly explained about the artifact crafting workshop and the alchemy workshop.


    As Mr. Feng listened, his expression gradually became serious, ¡°Is Elder Yu really thinking this and planning to do it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Feng said, ¡°Alright, I agree to this.¡±


    Mr. Feng had a compassionate heart, and anything that could truly benefit the lower-level rogue cultivators in Tongxian City, he would likely agree to.


    Mo Hua had expected this but was still very happy when Mr. Feng agreed.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Feng!¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve agreed, there¡¯s something you need to be mentally prepared for,¡± Mr. Feng added.


    ¡°Mental preparation?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Mr. Feng paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°Some things in this world, even if they start with good intentions, inevitably end in chaos and disgrace due to entangled interests and unpredictable human nature.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment. Thinking carefully, he felt it made a lot of sense.


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Mo Hua said earnestly.


    He thought for a moment and then said, ¡°But since it¡¯s beneficial to everyone, it¡¯s still something that needs to be done. Even if things change later, that¡¯s a problem for the future. We can¡¯t let fear hold us back and do nothing.¡±


    Mr. Feng looked at Mo Hua, slightly surprised, then smiled with satisfaction and nodded, ¡°Indeed, even if it ends in chaos, what needs to be done should be done with determination.¡±

 Chapter 195: First Grade Molten Fire

    Mr. Feng and Master Chen both agreed, so Mo Hua informed Elder Yu.Elder Yu was a bit surprised, ¡°Mr. Feng agreed too?¡±


    Though Mr. Feng only had a cultivation of the ninth level of Qi Refining, he was a First Grade Alchemist. He had established a Dan Hall in Tongxian City, treating and saving people for many years, earning extensive connections and high prestige among cultivators.


    Elder Yu had previously visited Mr. Feng specifically to bring up this matter indirectly, but Mr. Feng had tactfully declined, citing old age and fatigue as reasons for not taking on additional work.


    Elder Yu hadn¡¯t expected Mr. Feng to agree now.


    With Mr. Feng''s alchemical skills and extensive network, there was no need to worry about lacking alchemists for the alchemy business.


    Elder Yu was curious, ¡°How did you persuade them?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t say much. But since it¡¯s a good thing for everyone, Grandpa Feng and Master Chen usually wouldn¡¯t refuse.¡±


    They didn¡¯t refuse you, but they refused me...


    Elder Yu examined Mo Hua again, sighing inwardly.


    This child''s influence seemed to surpass that of him, a Foundation Building Elder...


    Mo Hua then inquired about the main matter, ¡°Elder Yu, what about the refining furnace you bought?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on the way and will arrive in a few days.¡±


    There were refining furnaces sold in Tongxian City, but none of First Grade quality. Even if a few sellers wanted to sell, Elder Yu had inquired, and they didn¡¯t dare to act due to the Qian family¡¯s influence.


    So Elder Yu used his connections to purchase a new First Grade refining furnace from the neighboring Xian City.


    ¡°Will it get hijacked?¡± Mo Hua was a bit worried.


    ¡°Payment on delivery. If it gets hijacked, it¡¯s not our concern. I need to see the refining furnace delivered to the refining shop¡¯s door, or I won¡¯t pay them the spirit stones.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    As expected of Elder Yu, meticulous and cautious, never acting without assurance.


    It was a good habit, one Mo Hua felt he should learn well.


    ¡°And the arrays on the refining furnace... no problem, right?¡± Elder Yu asked.


    Mo Hua patted his chest, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me. I haven¡¯t learned it yet, but I should soon.¡±


    Learning on the spot...


    Elder Yu had mixed feelings. If it were any other array master, he would be uneasy about them learning the array last minute. But with Mo Hua, Elder Yu had no such concerns.


    ¡°Let me know when the refining furnace arrives.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    In the meantime, Mo Hua focused on learning the First Grade Molten Fire Array.


    At the same time, Master Qian went to the study to see the family head, Qian Hong.


    Master Qian looked slightly pale and a bit weary, but his spirit was high, and his eyes were filled with excitement.


    ¡°Family Head, after these days of painstaking research, I have fully mastered the First Grade Molten Fire Array!¡±


    Qian Hong raised an eyebrow, overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Master Qian. I will immediately instruct to clear out the First Grade refining furnace in the family, erase the previous arrays, and have you personally inscribe the Molten Fire Array.¡±


    Qian Hong cupped his hands, ¡°This matter troubles you greatly, Master.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡±


    Qian Hong also breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°In this way, we can seize the initiative.¡±


    The Demon Hunter¡¯s refining shop was smoothly built, and everything else was progressing rapidly. Yu Changlin even bought a First Grade refining furnace from another place, which added pressure on Qian Hong.


    Refining heavily relied on the refining furnace.


    As long as their refining furnace was better than the Demon Hunters'', and their arrays were stronger, the quality and quantity of the spirit tools they produced would be higher.


    If Yu Changlin wanted to compete with their Qian family, it would be a fool¡¯s dream.


    As long as Yu Changlin¡¯s refining shop ran at a loss, its downfall was only a matter of time. Then he would take action to swallow up the refining shop.


    Yu Changlin had been busy for so long, only to prepare the groundwork for their Qian family.


    Qian Hong pondered again and felt the only variable was the array.


    In most cultivation industries, the core array was crucial.


    Qian Hong was always a bit uneasy and confirmed again, ¡°Are you certain the array masters among the Demon Hunters can''t possibly know the First Grade Molten Fire Array?¡±


    Master Qian waved his hand, ¡°Rest assured, Family Head, it¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡±


    Qian Hong was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Why are you so certain, Master?¡±


    Master Qian smiled confidently, ¡°Before mastering the Molten Fire Array, I couldn¡¯t be so sure. But now that I¡¯ve mastered it, I understand. This array is very difficult, not something an average array master can learn!¡±


    Qian Hong frowned, ¡°Is it really that difficult?¡±


    ¡°Family Head, you¡¯re not an array master, so you don¡¯t understand the difficulties.¡±


    Master Qian explained, ¡°The Molten Fire Array¡¯s array patterns are rather obscure. Compared to basic fire arrays, the strokes are slightly different, the array hub structure is conventional, but it requires more spiritual sense.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Aren¡¯t they all First Grade arrays? Why is there a difference in spiritual sense requirements?¡±


    ¡°You may not know,¡± Master Qian said solemnly, ¡°Arrays are manifestations of the Dao of Heaven, but their grades are human-defined. How could the array patterns manifested by the Dao of Heaven strictly follow human-defined standards?¡±


    ¡°So within the same grade, there can be variations in difficulty. Some arrays require more spiritual sense, some less, but generally, they¡¯re within the same framework, just with slight differences.¡±


    Qian Hong was a bit moved, ¡°Arrays are truly profound.¡±


    Master Qian continued, ¡°Compared to other First Grade arrays, the Molten Fire Array requires slightly more spiritual sense. Don¡¯t underestimate this slight increase. When spiritual sense approaches its limit, each additional bit is as hard as ascending to heaven. This extra bit of spiritual sense required by the Molten Fire Array is a major hurdle for array masters, one that not all can overcome.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the array patterns are quite obscure, requiring much practice to familiarize. But due to the high spiritual sense requirement, it¡¯s not suitable for frequent practice, making it exceptionally difficult to master. If someone truly masters it, they must have the capabilities of a First Grade Array Master.¡±


    Qian Hong listened with partial understanding but grasped the key points and happily congratulated, ¡°Master, having comprehended this array, your array skills must have advanced. Next appraisal, the title of First Grade Array Master should be within reach.¡±


    ¡°Family Head flatters me. It¡¯s only increased the chances. Until it¡¯s certain, nothing is guaranteed.¡±


    Master Qian spoke modestly, but his expression was quite proud.


    There were few true array masters in Tongxian City, and he was about to become one of them! S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Hong immediately gave orders to prepare the First Grade refining furnace and have Master Qian inscribe the array.


    Two days later, Mo Hua also learned the First Grade Molten Fire Array.


    Though he had learned it, Mo Hua still frowned.


    Generally, he could master a First Grade array in one or two days. But the Molten Fire Array took him four or five days of practice to fully inscribe it.


    It wasn¡¯t due to the slightly higher spiritual sense requirement.


    To Mo Hua, the Molten Fire Array¡¯s spiritual sense requirement was only a bit more, not significant, and less than that of a First Grade Composite Array.


    Mo Hua¡¯s slower progress was due to the obscure array patterns. He was used to drawing patterns based on basic styles, and any deviations would easily cause errors.


    Mo Hua repeated the practice for several days, finally memorizing the patterns and fully inscribing the Molten Fire Array.


    ¡°This First Grade Molten Fire Array is indeed a bit difficult.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 196: The Large Furnace

    After mastering the First-Grade Molten Fire Array, the next step was to officially draw it on the refining furnace.The following day, Elder Yu informed Mo Hua that the refining furnace had arrived.


    A towering, several-zhang-high refining furnace stood imposingly in the courtyard.


    Its design was ancient and simple, standing on three legs, with a lid like an eave and a large belly like a cauldron. Its entire body was engraved with cloud patterns, cast from refined iron, exuding a deep, dark gray luster.


    Mo Hua looked up at the refining furnace, mouth agape.


    At just over ten years old, Mo Hua already appeared small, and standing before the furnace, he seemed even tinier.


    Not only was Mo Hua astonished, but Master Chen was also deeply shocked.


    He walked around the furnace, examining it from every angle, wanting to touch it but hesitant, as if this enormous refining furnace were a phantom that would vanish upon contact.


    He had never seen such a large refining furnace in his life.


    In his youth, he had studied by renting others¡¯ small and simple refining furnaces, which had weak fires that took half a day to heat a piece of iron rod. It was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the spiritual tools were poorly refined.


    Later, he worked as an assistant in artifact crafting, toiling day and night. After saving up for a long time, he finally bought his own refining furnace, qualifying him to open his own artifact crafting shop.


    His furnace was small, and the shop was modest, but he was content.


    Many artifact crafters might spend their entire lives without owning a refining furnace, let alone running a shop.


    He had also studied at larger artifact crafting shops and had seen a true First-Grade refining furnace. The enormous furnace and the blazing flames inside had filled him with envy.


    But those belonged to others, unrelated to him. He could only look at them, knowing he might never use a First-Grade furnace to craft a spiritual tool in his lifetime.


    Yet now, a brand-new, perfect refining furnace stood before him.


    This was a true First-Grade refining furnace, larger than any he had seen before.


    And he could use this furnace to craft spiritual tools!


    Just the thought made Master Chen feel as if he were dreaming; it was still hard to believe.


    Elder Yu, feeling a bit proud, asked, ¡°How about it? Isn¡¯t this furnace big enough?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slowly, ¡°This is indeed very big.¡± S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for a large refining furnace? The bigger, the better?¡±


    ¡°I did, but this seems a bit too big¡­¡± Mo Hua stammered, then asked, ¡°Are all First-Grade refining furnaces this large?¡±


    ¡°No, this one is especially large, which is why it couldn''t be sold,¡± Elder Yu replied.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°Couldn''t be sold?¡±


    ¡°Yes, too large to be useful, so it couldn''t be sold,¡± Elder Yu examined the furnace and continued, ¡°Most small artifact crafting shops use smaller furnaces. Even medium and large shops don¡¯t need such a big First-Grade furnace.¡±


    ¡°The larger the furnace, the harder it is to draw arrays inside, and it uses more materials, making it costly to produce and expensive to sell. If we hadn¡¯t discovered a spirit mine and become wealthy, we couldn''t afford it.¡±


    ¡°Then why did they make such a large furnace if it couldn''t be sold?¡± Mo Hua asked, still confused.


    ¡°How would they know it wouldn¡¯t sell if they didn¡¯t make it?¡± Elder Yu patted the furnace, ¡°And now it¡¯s sold, we bought it!¡±


    Mo Hua had no rebuttal.


    Elder Yu chuckled, ¡°We got a bargain. This furnace had been unsold for years, and I used that as an excuse to haggle the price down hard.¡±


    Mo Hua was secretly amazed. If Elder Yu thought the price was harshly reduced, it must have been drastically low¡­


    ¡°Well, now that the furnace is here, the rest is up to you,¡± Elder Yu patted Mo Hua¡¯s small shoulder.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Mo Hua had the furnace disassembled, measured its dimensions, and recorded them on paper before beginning to design the array.


    This large furnace was perfect for Mo Hua to try drawing a First-Grade Molten Fire Composite Array.


    However, there were many kinds of composite arrays including the First-Grade Molten Fire Array, and the specifications and forms of refining furnaces varied greatly. Deciding which array to use, what type of composite array to construct, and how to draw the array on the furnace required careful consideration.


    After much deliberation, Mo Hua chose an array called the ¡°First-Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array¡± for this large furnace.


    The First-Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array consisted of a basic five-element array hub structure, maintaining two First-Grade Molten Fire Arrays, one Spirit Gathering Array, one Cold Qi Array, and one Gold Stone Array.


    There was one array hub and five arrays, including two First-Grade arrays!


    This was the most difficult array Mo Hua had attempted, with immense spiritual sense consumption and strength requirements.


    Mo Hua decided that if he could master it, he would draw this composite array. If not, he would cut corners, omitting one First-Grade Molten Fire Array, significantly reducing the composite array¡¯s difficulty.


    This was a compromise and a fallback plan.


    If possible, Mo Hua still aimed to complete the composite array.


    After all, such an opportunity to practice array drawing on such a large First-Grade refining furnace might not come again.


    Mo Hua spent time based on the furnace¡¯s dimensions and inner layout, designing the initial array diagram for the First-Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array.


    After checking it over and ensuring no omissions, Mo Hua took the diagram to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow involuntarily, thinking how outrageous the things his disciple brought to him for advice were getting.


    He was only at the sixth level of Qi refining but was asking about a composite array containing two First-Grade arrays, and he had adjusted it based on the furnace.


    Though not perfect, it was functional.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced over it and casually pointed out a few spots, ¡°Reconsider these areas. The way you¡¯ve drawn it, the spiritual power flow will be obstructed, consuming more spirit stones during refining.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Spirit stones were precious and must not be wasted!


    ¡°Also, the array hub¡¯s function here is not just to connect single arrays to form a composite array but to control the flow of spiritual power, adjusting the furnace¡¯s heat. Pay close attention when you draw it.¡± Mr. Zhuang advised.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Mo Hua asked a few more questions, which Mr. Zhuang answered.


    As Mo Hua was about to leave after asking his questions, he suddenly remembered another one and humbly inquired, ¡°Sir, do I have the strength of a First-Grade Array Master now?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him silently, ¡°Yes.¡±


    You¡¯re already drawing composite arrays with two First-Grade arrays. If you¡¯re not a First-Grade Array Master, then there aren¡¯t many who qualify in the cultivation world.


    Mr. Zhuang thought silently.


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°Should I go for the Dao Court¡¯s certification?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang remained silent for a long while before saying, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Achieving fame young isn¡¯t always a good thing. You still have much to learn. Let it settle first.¡±

 Chapter 197: Wisdom

    Mo Hua understood."The tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be toppled by the wind."


    He had originally been torn about whether to spend effort on determining his rank, but now that Mr. Zhuang had said so, he decided to hold off.


    Mr. Zhuang had seen much of the world. If he advised against rushing to determine rank, it must mean the timing wasn''t right.


    As an independent cultivator with low cultivation, drawing too much attention by determining rank at the Dao Court might not be wise.


    An array master¡¯s foundation is their proficiency in arrays. As long as one masters the arrays, everything else follows naturally; there''s no need to rush.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s understanding expression, Mr. Zhuang nodded secretly.


    Mo Hua''s temperament was commendable. At his age, not every array master could focus solely and wholeheartedly on learning arrays.


    Moreover, he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. If he went to determine his rank and succeeded, how would the elder array masters feel?


    S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Too much talent invites envy.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and said, "Wait until you reach the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining before determining your rank."


    "Yes, sir," Mo Hua nodded.


    After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua devoted himself to arrays, building a solid foundation, learning various array formations, pondering deeply, and practicing diligently.


    As Mr. Zhuang said, he needed to "settle down."


    Currently, the most important task for Mo Hua was to draw the composite array on the refining furnace.


    The first-grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array was complex, including two first-grade arrays and several other types of arrays, along with a special array hub for controlling spiritual power.


    Mo Hua had to integrate these into one composite array and ensure it matched the internal structure of the large refining furnace, which was a challenging task.


    At midnight, the ancient and profound Dao Stele emerged in the void of his sea of consciousness.


    Mo Hua began learning the composite array from the Dao Stele.


    The hardest part of this composite array was the array hub.


    This array hub had to accommodate two first-grade arrays, requiring a higher level of spiritual awareness and containing special functionalities for opening and controlling spiritual power, which Mo Hua had never encountered before.


    The array hubs Mo Hua previously drew were simpler, merely linking single arrays. The current task was more complex, and so was the array hub.


    Mo Hua began drawing the array hub on the Dao Stele.


    He failed the first two times because his spiritual awareness wasn''t strong enough to complete the array hub.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Spiritual awareness is always the first hurdle; without sufficient strength, it''s impossible to draw the array.


    Mo Hua had to use his old method: erase the array hub, restore his spiritual awareness, and start over.


    Mo Hua drew over and over again, familiarizing himself with the structure of the array hub and using the Dao Stele and array practice to enhance his spiritual awareness.


    Currently, Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness was enough for most first-grade arrays and simple composite arrays.


    Experiencing the deficiency in his spiritual awareness and needing to use the Dao Stele to practice continuously was something Mo Hua hadn''t encountered in a long time.


    Mo Hua even felt a bit nostalgic.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words: as long as you keep drawing, you will improve, and you will master the arrays.


    It''s a simple truth, but the hardest to practice.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind, focused, and began practicing the array hub of the first-grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array repeatedly.


    If he made a mistake, he would erase it and start over. If his spiritual awareness was insufficient, he would erase it and start over.


    The night passed like this. Mo Hua gained a deeper understanding but had not yet fully mastered it.


    Mo Hua was not in a hurry. If something couldn''t be accomplished in one go, one had to have the perseverance to keep at it, without arrogance or impatience.


    Mo Hua also considered using a simpler first-grade Molten Fire Composite Array but decided against it.


    The key to running an artifact crafting shop was the refining furnace, which was crucial to the shop''s success and even to the livelihood of the demon hunters and all independent cultivators in Tongxian City. It had to be done perfectly.


    Moreover, in the future, Mo Hua would encounter many hurdles in learning arrays. The first-grade Molten Fire Composite Array was just one of them. If he retreated now, it would foster a habit of giving up.


    Elder Yu saw that Mo Hua still needed time to learn the arrays, so he began constructing the second phase of the pill refining shop.


    The pill refining shop was built adjacent to the artifact crafting shop, with similar architecture and layout. With the experience from the artifact crafting shop, the construction of the pill refining shop proceeded much faster, and the workflow and personnel arrangements were more efficient.


    As for the arrays, they would be added later when Mo Hua was available.


    Meanwhile, in the Qian family.


    Master Qian had drawn the first-grade Molten Fire Array on three first-grade refining furnaces.


    As soon as Master Qian finished, Qian Hong immediately ordered the furnaces to be sent to the Qian family''s artifact crafting shop and instructed the disciples to have the artifact crafters work overtime to produce spiritual tools quickly.


    He had to stockpile a large number of standard spiritual tools before the demon hunters¡¯ refining furnace was completed and put into operation, to gain the upper hand in competition with Yu Changlin.


    The Qian family¡¯s artifact crafters worked tirelessly, forging refined iron, day and night, to produce spiritual tools.


    One after another, the spiritual tool embryos were thrown into the refining furnaces, heated until red-hot, then taken out and meticulously crafted by the artifact crafters, undergoing special processes for shaping, cooling, and polishing, eventually forming complete spiritual tools, neatly arranged in the courtyard.


    The artifact crafters were drenched in sweat, yet tireless. Qian Hong was very pleased.


    With these three first-grade refining furnaces inscribed with the first-grade Molten Fire Array, and the relentless efforts of the artifact crafters, the output of spiritual tools was considerable.


    Even if Yu Changlin''s refining shop was completed, it wouldn''t be able to compete with his.


    Besides, the demon hunters might not even be able to buy first-grade refining furnaces. Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t have the first-grade Molten Fire Array.


    The refining furnace was the core of the refining shop¡¯s production. If the refining furnace was inferior, there would be no basis for competition and only a slow decline.


    The Qian family¡¯s refining shop was bustling, but the artifact crafters were exhausted.


    Most of these artifact crafters were ordinary independent cultivators hired by the Qian family, with only a few being the Qian family¡¯s distant relatives.


    These independent cultivators had learned the craft of refining but couldn¡¯t afford refining furnaces or start their own refining shops, so they had to work under the Qian family to make a living.


    However, this livelihood was hard to secure.


    A steward suggested to Qian Hong, "The weather is scorching, and the furnace heat is unbearable. The artifact crafters are overly fatigued. Why not let them rest a bit?"


    Qian Hong was unmoved.


    The steward persisted, "Please reconsider, Master."


    Qian Hong coldly glanced at the steward, "If they don¡¯t work hard, how can our Qian family prosper? If they don¡¯t suffer, should our Qian family suffer? Our current prosperity relies on their effort and toil."


    The steward was silent for a moment and then said, "I fear they might become resentful and difficult to manage."


    "No worries," Qian Hong said indifferently, "Tell them this: whoever produces the most spiritual tools this month will receive an additional three hundred spirit stones. They will work hard despite the fatigue, willingly. It won''t be our fault."


    The steward thought for a moment and then bowed, "Master, you are wise!"

 Chapter 198: Injustice

    Mo Hua was still comprehending the First-Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array, but progress was slightly slow.Sometimes, when he felt tired from studying, he would go and look at the large refining furnace, compare it with the array diagrams he had designed, and simulate in his mind the problems he might encounter while drawing the array. This would also make Mo Hua''s thoughts clearer.


    As Mo Hua looked at the refining furnace, completely focused on the array, he suddenly noticed Elder Yu standing beside him.


    It seemed that while Mo Hua was staring at the refining furnace, Elder Yu had been watching him from the side, though it was unclear for how long.


    Seeing Mo Hua come to his senses, Elder Yu kindly asked, "How''s the array learning going?"


    "I''ve learned about half of it, but it might take a bit more time to fully understand it."


    Elder Yu nodded, "You need to balance work and rest; don''t overexert yourself."


    "Thank you, Elder Yu." Mo Hua smiled and then asked, "Elder, aren''t you in a hurry?"


    After all, the sooner the array is drawn, the sooner the refining business can start, and everyone can earn some spirit stones sooner.


    Given the current situation, the Qian family wouldn''t let things go. If the refining business started too late, they might be at a disadvantage.


    Elder Yu''s expression remained calm, "I''ve been in a hurry for over a hundred years; a few more days won''t make a difference."


    Mo Hua didn''t quite understand.


    Elder Yu dusted off the ground and sat beside Mo Hua, saying:


    "Ever since I started cultivating, I haven''t had any good days. The wandering cultivators around me, too, work hard every day but don''t earn many spirit stones. I often wondered, where did all the spirit stones go?"


    "Until I saw the Qian family, their mansion, their clothes and food, and their refining and alchemy businesses..."


    "In the Qian family''s refining business, the iron forgers are wandering cultivators, the quenchers are wandering cultivators, all the labor is done by wandering cultivators, while the Qian family''s cultivators just sit by, drink tea, give orders, and do nothing else."


    "I often wondered, we wandering cultivators suffer and toil, yet we can only eat rough food. The Qian family, clearly a bunch of useless people who can''t do anything, don''t have to do anything and can enjoy the best life every day."


    Elder Yu sighed, "Later, when I reached the Foundation Building stage and opposed the Qian family, fighting openly and secretly, relying on my thick skin and sharp tongue to survive, I gradually understood some truths..."


    "I also wanted the wandering cultivators to have a better life, and I thought about opening a few refining and alchemy businesses, but I had no spirit stones and didn''t know arrays, making it extremely difficult to achieve anything."


    "I lived like this for over a hundred years, endured for over a hundred years, and was in a hurry for over a hundred years. Now that such a large refining business has been built, and the alchemy business is halfway done, I''m no longer in a hurry."


    "I''ve done more in these past few months than I have in over a hundred years combined, so why should I be in a hurry?"


    Elder Yu''s expression was content.


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu, white-haired, emaciated but with bright eyes, and couldn''t help but feel admiration.


    "But what if, after the refining business is built, we still can''t compete with the Qian family?" Mo Hua asked worriedly.


    "Then we''ll sell it," Elder Yu said decisively.


    "Sell it?" Mo Hua was stunned.


    "Yes!" Elder Yu nodded, "If we can compete with the Qian family, that''s great. If not, we''ll sell both the refining and alchemy businesses for a large sum of spirit stones, which will be a considerable amount for everyone. We won''t lose out."


    "Is it easy to sell..." Mo Hua was uncertain.


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, "Such a large refining and alchemy business, how could it not sell? Others may not have the time or ability to build it."


    Elder Yu pointed to the arrays inside and outside, "And the arrays you drew, could any ordinary array master draw them? Even if they could, how many array masters would they need, and how long would it take?"


    "Don''t worry," Elder Yu patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, "With the arrays you drew, these two businesses will sell for a sky-high price!"


    "Sky-high price?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "If it''s not a sky-high price, we won''t sell. I''m quite good at negotiating."


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu, feeling that he was a "cultivation industrialist" one moment and a "cultivation real estate developer" the next.


    "Who would buy it?" Mo Hua quietly asked.


    "There are many options," Elder Yu said, "The best would be to sell it to the An family, so they can compete with the Qian family, and we demon hunters can watch the show and profit. Next best would be to sell it to families from other immortal cities, pitting them against the Qian family. If all else fails, we can even sell it to the Qian family."


    "The Qian family?" Mo Hua was shocked.


    "The world is bustling for profit; as long as they offer enough spirit stones, selling to them is not impossible. It''s not like I haven''t done business with the Qian family before..."


    That was extortion with a Qian family hostage, not really business...


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    "Of course, these are all last resorts, which might create future problems. The best situation is still for us to run it ourselves, giving the wandering cultivators in Tongxian City a long-term livelihood."


    Mo Hua nodded and then asked, "Elder Yu, did you think all this through from the beginning?"


    "Of course." Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and patiently explained, "For such a big matter, if you take a gamble, it''s destined to fail. Everything must be thoroughly considered, with plans for both advancement and retreat. Especially, always leave a way out for yourself."


    Mo Hua found great benefit in this and nodded, "I understand!"


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with satisfaction, then took a long breath and stood up, "Alright, you carry on. I won''t disturb you."


    "Alright, Elder, take care."


    After Elder Yu left, Mo Hua continued to think about the array.


    In Mo Hua''s heart, he still wanted to learn the array as soon as possible so that the refining furnace could be ready sooner and the refining business could start earlier. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    However, learning arrays is indeed a gradual process, which can only be done step by step, drop by drop, until it becomes natural.


    Mo Hua couldn''t rush it.


    About half a month passed before Mo Hua finally mastered the core of the Molten Fire Composite Array. He then spent a few more days practicing adding the First-Grade Molten Fire Array and other arrays within the core framework.


    Afterward, he spent some time revalidating the compatibility between the composite array and the refining furnace''s structure.


    When Mo Hua felt fully prepared and everything was ready, he began drawing the First-Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array on the large First-Grade refining furnace.


    Elder Yu watched from the side.


    Before Mo Hua started drawing, he was calm and composed. Now that Mo Hua began to draw, he suddenly felt nervous.


    It must be because of the long-standing wish that was about to be realized...


    Elder Yu sighed in his heart.


    The large refining furnace in the yard had been dismantled, with the scattered parts neatly arranged on the ground. The huge furnace was open, placed in the center of the yard.


    Mo Hua''s first step was to draw the core of the composite array, then draw a First-Grade Molten Fire Array on the core, and finally inject spiritual power to see if the array could be activated.


    If it couldn''t be activated, it meant there was a problem with the core, which needed to be rechecked, debugged, and redrawn.


    If the array could be activated, it meant the core was fine, and then, according to Mo Hua''s plan, he could continue adding another First-Grade Molten Fire Array and other related arrays.


    Mo Hua prepared the spirit ink, set up the large brush for the array, and after taking a deep breath, began to formally draw the array.


    The brush soaked in spirit ink landed on the inner wall of the refining furnace, following the momentum, drawing the first array pattern.


    First-Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array.


    This was an array that surpassed the capabilities of ordinary First-Grade array masters, and it was the most difficult array Mo Hua had ever drawn!

 Chapter 199: Array Principles

    Array pens are generally divided from small to large into micro, small, medium, and large. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.The larger the array pen, the larger the array pattern it draws, and the larger the array formation. However, the effectiveness of the array formation will not change qualitatively.


    Large refining furnaces require drawing array patterns with large array pens, which consumes more spirit ink and divine sense.


    This was Mo Hua''s first time drawing such a large array. Initially, he felt unfamiliar, but as he calmed down and followed the pre-planned array diagram, he began to draw step by step.


    Gradually, Mo Hua''s brush strokes became more fluent.


    Although the array mediums differed, the essence of the array formations remained the same.


    Mo Hua had practiced this composite array formation many times on array paper and the Dao stele.


    Elder Yu watched from the side, holding his breath, not disturbing Mo Hua.


    Master Chen also didn''t dare to breathe heavily. He had previously doubted whether Mo Hua could draw a First Grade array. Now, seeing Mo Hua personally drawing the array on such a large refining furnace, he was both shocked and impressed.


    Drawing such a large array on such a large refining furnace required an enormous amount of firepower...


    Master Chen''s heart raced just thinking about it.


    Mo Hua, however, was having difficulty with the array drawing.


    He had been able to draw the First Grade Molten Fire Spirit-Control Composite Array on the Dao stele in his sea of consciousness, thinking his divine sense was sufficient. But now, drawing the array on the refining furnace, the required divine sense increased slightly.


    This slight increase, like the straw that broke the camel''s back, caused Mo Hua to fail several times.


    Mo Hua had to ask for help to wash away the failed array hubs with spirit-dissolving liquid and then continue drawing.


    He meditated and restored his divine sense to fullness.


    Mo Hua continued drawing, but failed again.


    After a whole day of this back-and-forth, drawing and erasing, there was still no progress.


    Elder Yu, seeing the late hour, comforted Mo Hua, "Rest well, continue tomorrow. Don''t rush."


    Mo Hua, exhausted and mentally unclear, nodded.


    After Mo Hua left, Master Chen asked Elder Yu, "Is this array particularly difficult?"


    He had never seen Mo Hua fail so many times in a row.


    "If Mo Hua has failed so many times, it must be very difficult!"


    Master Chen thought for a moment and found it reasonable.


    As night fell, Master Chen could still see the remaining array patterns on the refining furnace. These patterns were not only huge but also complex and profound.


    He couldn''t understand any of it.


    Master Chen shook his head. He had just watched the whole day and felt mentally exhausted, let alone Mo Hua, who had drawn it repeatedly.


    Mo Hua felt tired but more unwilling.


    He was so close...


    After dinner, Mo Hua returned home to rest, closing his eyes and regaining his spirit.


    Refreshed, Mo Hua replayed the day''s array drawing process in his mind, reflecting on his successes and failures.


    At midnight, Mo Hua lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and his divine sense sank into his sea of consciousness.


    The Dao stele appeared in his sea of consciousness.


    Mo Hua began practicing the composite array on the Dao stele again.


    Due to the difficulties of the day and the "weight-bearing" training of drawing the array on the inner wall of the refining furnace, it was much easier now to draw on the Dao stele.


    The previously awkward array patterns became much smoother.


    Mo Hua practiced array drawing on the Dao stele all night.


    Besides becoming more familiar with the array hub structure and array pattern styles, his divine sense also strengthened a bit.


    This bit of improvement was enough for Mo Hua to cross the critical threshold and draw the Molten Fire Composite Array.


    Early the next morning, Mo Hua got up, had a fragrant and delicious breakfast made by Liu Ruhua, and then headed to the artifact crafting shop.


    Elder Yu and Master Chen had not slept well all night. Elder Yu worried about the artifact crafting shop, while Master Chen worried about the refining furnace and Mo Hua.


    After all, Mo Hua was still a child. Drawing arrays all day, erasing and redrawing, with no progress, might have hurt his morale.


    Their worries were dispelled when they saw Mo Hua, carrying a storage bag, walking confidently towards them, determined not to give up on the refining furnace.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s spirited and determined demeanor, they felt their concerns were unnecessary.


    Energized and determined, Mo Hua quickly took out his pen and ink and continued drawing the array.


    This time, it went much smoother.


    Though there were still small mistakes, he eventually drew the array hub.


    The array hub is the core structure of the composite array and the divine sense threshold. Successfully drawing the array hub means more than half the battle is won; the rest will be easier.


    Mo Hua sighed in relief.


    "Is it done?" Elder Yu asked quietly.


    "Not yet, but the array hub is done. The rest will be quick." Mo Hua wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled.


    His face was smeared with red and black spirit ink, looking dirty.


    Elder Yu wiped his face with his sleeve and encouraged him.


    Master Chen also praised, "You did very well!"


    Although he didn''t really understand what was good about it.


    Mo Hua ate something, meditated to restore his divine sense, and relaxed a bit before continuing to draw the array.


    With the array hub drawn, the structure of the composite array was established.


    Next was drawing the First Grade Molten Fire Array.


    Among First Grade arrays, the Molten Fire Array is slightly difficult, but compared to the composite array, it was nothing.


    It didn''t take long for Mo Hua to draw the First Grade Molten Fire Array.


    The next step was to test if the array hub worked by utilizing the Molten Fire Array.


    If it didn''t work, Mo Hua would have to erase and redraw it.


    Thinking of the repeated drawing and erasing, Mo Hua felt he had wasted a lot of spirit ink.


    Mo Hua''s heart ached.


    The Dao stele, where arrays could be drawn without wasting ink, was the best!


    Sighing, Mo Hua began verifying the array hub.


    "Oh right, there''s also a Spirit Gathering Array."


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered. The Spirit Gathering Array is the eye of the composite array, needing to absorb spirit stones, provide spirit power, and activate the array.


    The previous arrays he drew weren''t particularly powerful, mostly one-time use or limited in reuse, so they didn''t need a separate Spirit Gathering Array.


    Those arrays only required a single spirit gathering pattern or the inherent spirit power absorption of the array patterns.


    But now, it was different.


    A large refining furnace needed extremely strong firepower, which meant consuming a lot of spirit stones, providing abundant spirit power, and using complex arrays to convert spirit power into firepower.


    The refining furnace had to be durable, reusable, and efficiently supply fire.


    This meant the array on the refining furnace must include the array eye, array hub, array patterns, and array medium for a stable spirit power supply cycle.


    The array eye provides spirit power, the array hub controls spirit power, the array patterns convert spirit power, and the array medium carries spirit power.


    This is the true array cycle system, the fundamental spirit power cycle structure of an array.


    Successfully constructing and applying this spirit power cycle composite array signifies mastering the basic logic of spirit power operation in arrays and truly entering the realm of array formations!

 Chapter 200: Molten Fire Composite Array

    Mo Hua''s spirit was lifted as he added a Spirit Gathering Array to the structure of the First Grade Molten Fire Composite Array."Elder, do you have any spirit stones?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Spirit stones?" Elder Yu was puzzled but complied, grabbing a handful of spirit stones and placing them beside Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua placed the spirit stones on the Spirit Gathering Array.


    The Spirit Gathering Array could refine spirit stones, absorb spiritual energy, and convert it into spiritual power.


    According to the array book, when the First Grade Composite Array was operating, the Spirit Gathering Array would automatically refine the spirit stones, converting them into spiritual power to activate the array, channeling it through the array hub.


    Mo Hua found the nodes of the array hub and communicated with it using his spiritual awareness.


    At the moment of successful communication, all the array patterns within the entire composite array clearly appeared in Mo Hua''s sea of consciousness.


    With a thought, Mo Hua could control the entire composite array.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness found the Spirit Gathering Array within the composite array, attempting to control it with his spiritual awareness to activate it.


    This was the "activation" in the array hub''s spirit control mechanism.


    The Spirit Gathering Array flashed, and the spirit stones on it emitted a misty spiritual energy that seeped into the composite array through the array patterns.


    Mo Hua could sense a pure stream of spiritual energy flowing into the array hub and circulating through it.


    "So that''s how it works."


    Mo Hua realized, intervening in the array hub with his spiritual awareness, controlling the flow of spiritual power, and guiding it into the First Grade Molten Fire Array.


    As the spiritual power was channeled in, the First Grade Molten Fire Array suddenly burst into a fiery red glow, and then a blazing flame erupted.


    It was like a gigantic firework blossoming out of thin air, containing immense firepower and scorching heat.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Not only Mo Hua, but Elder Yu and Master Chen also showed surprise.


    "This firepower..." Master Chen was incredulous.


    The flames ignited in the courtyard''s fireplace. Mo Hua, standing at a distance, wasn''t hurt but felt the scorching heat on his face.


    Mo Hua re-communicated with the array hub with his spiritual awareness, reducing the spiritual power, and the furnace fire indeed diminished.


    Mo Hua then shut down the Spirit Gathering Array.


    With the spiritual power supply cut off, the furnace fire gradually decreased until it flickered out.


    Activation and spirit control!


    This meant that the array hub of this First Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array was effective!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    With the array hub effective, this complex composite array was more than halfway to success.


    "Is the array complete?" Master Chen eagerly asked Mo Hua.


    "We can assemble it and give it a try."


    The current composite array wasn''t finished, but the basic structure was established. They could assemble the refining furnace and try refining a spiritual tool.


    This way, any issues could be discovered early.


    If there were no problems, Mo Hua could complete the remaining array.


    Master Chen, full of energy, quickly ran out to call Da Zhu and a few Qi refining disciples over.


    Everyone worked together to reassemble the large refining furnace.


    The array patterns on the entire composite array matched perfectly with the refining furnace.


    The Molten Fire Array was positioned on the inner wall of the refining furnace, providing fire.


    The Spirit Gathering Array was located at a special furnace opening. When spirit stones were placed inside, the Spirit Gathering Array could absorb and convert them into spiritual power.


    The array hub''s node was situated at a double-crane knob, allowing control of the entire furnace''s fire.


    "Indeed, a proper First Grade refining furnace considers every aspect of array compatibility."


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Elder Yu grabbed another handful of spirit stones and placed them in the furnace, stored in the Spirit Gathering Array.


    Mo Hua again used his spiritual awareness to communicate with the array hub, activating the Spirit Gathering Array, refining the spirit stones, converting them into spiritual power, and channeling it into the First Grade Molten Fire Array.


    The refining furnace immediately ignited with a roaring fire.


    "Excellent!" Master Chen exclaimed excitedly.


    Elder Yu also breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.


    Master Chen circled the refining furnace, approaching it to feel the temperature of the fire, unable to contain his joy: S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "This fire is excellent! Truly a First Grade array!"


    With such powerful fire, even First Grade spiritual tools could be attempted.


    Mo Hua smiled, "The fire can be even stronger!"


    Master Chen was stunned, "Even stronger?"


    Mo Hua controlled with his spiritual awareness, maximizing the Spirit Gathering Array, channeling all the spiritual power into the Molten Fire Array.


    Simultaneously, the Molten Fire Array, supplied with spiritual power, glowed bright red, and the furnace fire became even more intense, radiating scorching heat even from a distance.


    Master Chen was shocked.


    This firepower was too strong!


    He had seen other First Grade refining furnaces, but none as large or fierce as this one.


    "This is a First Grade array..."


    The red firelight reflected in Master Chen''s eyes, and he murmured in awe.


    "Master Chen, try refining something." Mo Hua suggested.


    Master Chen snapped out of his daze, took an iron rod from his storage bag, and placed it in the fire.


    In no time, the tip of the iron rod turned red.


    Master Chen took it out and casually hammered it a few times, and the iron rod easily bent like a noodle.


    Master Chen was excited; as he expected, this firepower was very strong, stronger than any refining furnace he had ever seen.


    The quenched refined iron was easier to shape and forge.


    Moreover, the quenching time was greatly shortened, improving the efficiency of refining spiritual tools, and the quality of the refined tools would also be better.


    Master Chen was very satisfied.


    Mo Hua shut down the Spirit Gathering Array, and the furnace fire gradually diminished until it extinguished.


    Having tested the furnace fire''s effectiveness, there was no need to keep it burning continuously, as it consumed spirit stones, and saving them was essential.


    Elder Yu, watching the refining furnace, felt very gratified.


    Master Chen also grew increasingly fond of it, eager to start refining with this furnace.


    He had never used such a good refining furnace in his life...


    "Master Chen, is the furnace working well?"


    Master Chen praised with a smile, "Yes! Very well!"


    Mo Hua was also pleased and said, "Let''s disassemble it once it cools down."


    Master Chen was taken aback, "Disassemble it?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "Why?"


    "The array isn''t finished yet."


    "Oh." Master Chen understood, "The array needs to be completed."


    "Yes, there''s still one more Molten Fire Array to be drawn," Mo Hua said.


    Master Chen thought he misheard.


    Another Molten Fire Array?


    He might not understand arrays well, but he knew the refining furnace relied on the Molten Fire Array for fire.


    The fact that it had just ignited meant there was already a Molten Fire Array inside.


    "How many Molten Fire Arrays are there?" Master Chen asked weakly.


    "Not many, just two."


    Just two...


    Master Chen was a bit confused and asked, "Are both First Grade?"


    "Yes, both are First Grade," Mo Hua nodded.


    Master Chen''s heart skipped a beat.


    Two First Grade Molten Fire Arrays? How powerful would this refining furnace be?!

 Chapter 201: Furnace Fire

    After the refining furnace cooled down, Master Chen instructed the disciples to dismantle it.Mo Hua continued to complete the unfinished arrays, including a First-Grade Molten Fire Array, a regular Cold Qi Array, and a Gold Stone Array.


    The purpose of the Gold Stone Array was to reinforce the inner wall of the furnace, making it more durable.


    The Cold Qi Array was to cool down the refining furnace.


    After Mo Hua finished the arrays, Master Chen had the furnace reassembled.


    With this, all the array hubs and arrays of the First-Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array were completed.


    Mo Hua let out a long breath.


    This composite array was much more complicated than he had anticipated, and there were many unforeseen minor issues during the actual drawing process.


    But now it was finally done.


    This was a composite array that included two First-Grade arrays.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat proud and then instructed Master Chen to reassemble the refining furnace. He then activated the Spirit Gathering Array through the array hub.


    Spiritual power circulated inside the furnace, and the furnace fire began to rise.


    Master Chen circled the refining furnace, frowned, and said, "The fire doesn''t seem to have grown; it even seems smaller than before."


    Previously, even from a distance, he could feel the scorching heat of the furnace fire. Now, even when close to the refining furnace, he didn''t feel the heat.


    Mo Hua also noticed that despite activating the furnace fire, the surrounding temperature wasn''t high.


    "Did I draw something wrong?"


    Mo Hua touched his chin and wondered.


    At this moment, Master Chen took another look at the furnace fire and suddenly froze.


    He pointed at the furnace fire with a trembling finger, "This fire... is bright red."


    Mo Hua looked over and found that the flame was indeed different from before. It now looked purer and was glowing a bright red, almost as if it were solid.


    "Bright red furnace fire..."


    Master Chen murmured, full of disbelief.


    "Is this good or bad?" Mo Hua didn''t quite understand.


    "Good!" Master Chen exclaimed.


    He wanted to explain why it was good, but his excitement left him momentarily speechless.


    Elder Yu collected himself and said to Mo Hua, "The purer the color of the furnace fire, the fewer impurities it contains, and the stronger the spiritual power. Such a bright and pure red furnace fire exceeds the realm of ordinary Qi Refining stage spiritual power and even shows signs of condensation."


    "Condensation?" s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "When spiritual power becomes pure and accumulates to a certain level, it condenses. The spiritual power of the Qi Refining stage is gaseous, while that of the Foundation Building stage condenses like liquid. It¡¯s often said that spiritual power becomes like mercury when breaking through to Foundation Building."


    Elder Yu explained, then flipped his palm, and golden spiritual power condensed in his hand, indeed pure and liquid-like, like mercury.


    So this is the spiritual power of the Foundation Building stage...


    Mo Hua was shocked and then asked, "Does this mean the furnace fire is at the Foundation Building stage?"


    "It''s not that simple," Elder Yu shook his head and looked at the furnace fire, "It only shows slight signs of condensation, far from the strength of Foundation Building stage spiritual power. But compared to ordinary Qi Refining stage spiritual power, it''s much stronger."


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling quite satisfied.


    This was a true First-Grade Molten Fire Composite Array, and its effect was indeed extraordinary!


    All the effort, time, spiritual awareness, and spirit ink he had spent on practicing and drawing the array was worth it.


    Mo Hua nodded involuntarily.


    Elder Yu remained calm, but he couldn''t hide his inner shock.


    Although he knew that the array Mo Hua was drawing was unusual, he hadn''t expected it to be this extraordinary.


    The furnace fire was pure, bright red, almost like a solid.


    Could this really be an array drawn by a First-Grade Array Master...


    Elder Yu glanced at the refining furnace again and felt something was off. He frowned and said, "Logically, this furnace fire should be stronger and the temperature higher. Why don''t I feel the heat even when standing so close?"


    "That''s right," Mo Hua remembered.


    He walked around the refining furnace, thought about the arrays in the composite array, and suddenly realized.


    "It''s the Cold Qi Array."


    "Cold Qi Array?"


    Mo Hua nodded and explained, "There''s a Cold Qi Array in the composite array, drawn on the furnace wall to isolate the external heat. This way, the refining process won''t feel as hot..."


    Mo Hua hadn''t considered this when drawing the array; he had just followed the array diagram. It was only now that he realized the significance of including a Cold Qi Array in the composite array.


    This way, the refining master wouldn''t be constantly subjected to the furnace heat, making the process less arduous.


    The senior array master who designed this array was indeed very thoughtful.


    Elder Yu also sighed, "This array is... very considerate..."


    At this moment, Master Chen was still standing in front of the furnace fire, staring at the bright red and almost "luxurious" fire, feeling his blood boil and his heart unable to calm down for a long time.


    Such pure furnace fire, he hadn''t even dreamed of...


    With the arrays completed on the refining furnace, the artifact crafting shop could now start operating.


    The preparation of refining materials, the placement of the refining furnace, the arrangement of refining masters, the types and processes of refining, all of these were discussed and organized by Elder Yu and Master Chen.


    Elder Yu had long commanded demon hunters, and Master Chen was experienced in refining.


    The two of them, discussing and organizing, covered all aspects, arranging everything in the artifact crafting shop neatly.


    Mo Hua wasn''t familiar with these specific affairs, so he didn''t ask about them.


    But he was still a bit worried and asked Elder Yu, "Elder, how many First-Grade refining furnaces does the Qian family have?"


    "About three or four," Elder Yu thought.


    "We only have one refining furnace, is it enough?"


    Elder Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Probably not, but this one refining furnace is very costly. Buying more would waste spirit stones."


    "Can we make our own?"


    Elder Yu looked somewhat helpless, "I asked Master Chen, and it''s difficult to make one ourselves. The main issue is we don''t have the refining blueprint for the refining furnace, so we don''t know the method and can''t start refining."


    "Is this refining blueprint rare?" Mo Hua asked.


    "A First-Grade refining furnace blueprint is rare. Few can make it," Elder Yu said, frowning in thought. "I''ll think of a way. One refining furnace might indeed be insufficient."


    A few days later, Elder Yu spent some spirit stones to acquire an old refining blueprint from a daoist friend with whom he had some past connections.


    The refining blueprint was somewhat worn, the paper yellowed, and the handwriting was still legible, though somewhat blurry. Fortunately, the refining method for the refining furnace was clearly recorded.


    Elder Yu said the blueprint was passed down from his daoist friend''s ancestors.


    His friend''s ancestors had made a name through refining and had once been prosperous. However, their descendants were lazy and uninterested in refining, causing the craft to become unfamiliar over time.


    Without the craft, they squandered their resources, and the family quickly declined.


    By his friend''s generation, there wasn''t a single disciple in the family who knew how to refine. They survived through other means.


    The refining blueprint had become a family heirloom, a keepsake, but it had no practical use.


    It couldn''t be sold because those capable of refining a First-Grade refining furnace naturally didn''t lack the method. Other cultivators, even if they bought it, didn''t have the skill to refine it.


    Now, this refining blueprint had fallen into Elder Yu''s hands.

 Chapter 202: The Daoist Industry

    Master Chen and a group of artifact refiners gathered, flipping through the refining manuals and discussing how to craft a refining furnace.The refining furnace was a First Grade spiritual tool, and it was a large item. For these artifact refiners, it was both a challenge and an opportunity.


    These artifact refiners were all independent cultivators with years of refining experience. However, without a First Grade refining furnace, they could not craft First Grade spiritual tools.


    Naturally, they could not become First Grade artifact refiners.


    If they could craft this First Grade refining furnace, and then take the opportunity to practice more, perhaps their refining skills would truly improve, enabling them to become First Grade artifact refiners.


    Some of these artifact refiners had graying hair and were half in the grave. They had spent their entire lives refining spiritual tools and had resigned themselves to their fate.


    Now, suddenly, there was a chance for them to advance to First Grade artifact refiners. These old refiners were revitalized, their eyes gleaming with a sharp light.


    The spirit that life had ground down to nothing was now rekindled.


    Mo Hua was also extending his little head, joining in the excitement.


    The artifact refiners were discussing what materials to use, what techniques, how to quench, how to forge, and how to shape.


    Although he couldn¡¯t understand everything, he had a general sense.


    So that if he encountered this in the future, he wouldn¡¯t be at a loss and get taken advantage of.


    The artifact refiners passionately discussed for two days and then drafted a basic refining plan.


    Most of them were not First Grade artifact refiners, so it was too ambitious to start with a First Grade refining furnace.


    So the first step was to refine some ordinary First Grade spiritual tools.


    After becoming familiar with the crafting techniques of First Grade spiritual tools, they would select some of the more skilled refiners to formally attempt the First Grade refining furnace.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t spend much time on the specific refining process.


    After all, he would never personally refine artifacts in this lifetime. Knowing some theoretical knowledge and having a rough impression of the refining techniques was enough without spending too much effort.


    Besides, most of the time in refining was spent repeatedly hammering, quenching, hammering again, quenching again, and hammering again.


    If he were the one wielding the hammer, it might be fine. But watching from the side was rather dull, and the constant banging hurt his ears.


    Mo Hua spent most of his time studying arrays every day.


    He still had to learn a functional Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array.


    When he was tired of drawing arrays, he would go to the refining shop to check on Master Chen¡¯s progress.


    After half a month, Master Chen, with the combined efforts of all the artifact refiners, finally managed to craft a First Grade refining furnace, albeit with some difficulty.


    After the refining was complete, Master Chen had Da Zhu invite Mo Hua over.


    ¡°See if you can draw arrays on it,¡± Master Chen said expectantly to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua began to examine the refining furnace.


    The furnace was significantly smaller, and the materials used were not particularly good. The luster was rather dull, and there was little space on the furnace wall for drawing arrays, with few reserved positions for arrays.


    It seemed that the initial design of this refining furnace was as a small-scale furnace, capable only of accommodating some simple arrays, with no space for complex composite arrays.


    It seemed that not all refining furnaces could serve as the medium for a First Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    A refining furnace could be used as an array medium to carry an array.


    An array required a suitable medium, and the medium also needed to match the array.


    In other words, to draw complex and profound arrays, one must forge high-quality spiritual tools; only then could the two complement each other.


    The current refining furnace was clearly not suitable as a medium for a First Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array.


    Mo Hua said regretfully, ¡°I can only draw a First Grade Molten Fire Array; the composite array won¡¯t fit.¡±


    The artifact refiners were somewhat disappointed to hear this.


    Master Chen sighed, but then suddenly froze, realizing something.


    Why should he feel regretful?


    This was a genuine First Grade refining furnace, coupled with a true First Grade array. He had dreamt of owning such a refining furnace.


    Master Chen glanced at the large refining furnace in the middle of the courtyard and couldn¡¯t help but lament, ¡°Once you¡¯ve seen the sea, you can no longer settle for a stream.¡±


    Mo Hua had raised their expectations too high.


    With the refining furnace ready, Mo Hua could draw arrays on it.


    Drawing just a First Grade Molten Fire Array didn¡¯t take much effort.


    Mo Hua quickly finished drawing.


    Then Master Chen and the others refined two more First Grade refining furnaces.


    Practice makes perfect.


    With the experience from the first furnace, the materials and craftsmanship for the next two were better.


    But no matter how well they were refined, they could still only accommodate a First Grade Molten Fire Array.


    This was determined by the structure of the refining furnace.


    After the three refining furnaces were ready, Elder Yu no longer let Master Chen and the others continue because they had run out of iron and materials.


    They had to save some to refine spiritual tools. Otherwise, having only furnaces without refining materials was like having a pot without rice, leading to starvation.


    Mo Hua drew two more First Grade Molten Fire Arrays.


    With everything in place, the refining shop now had four refining furnaces: three ordinary First Grade Molten Fire refining furnaces and one large refining furnace with a First Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array.


    Elder Yu let out a long sigh of relief.


    Everything was ready except for the crucial moment.


    He had struggled for one or two hundred years without securing a good life for the independent cultivators at the bottom of Tongxian City. But now, in a short time, they had taken a huge step forward.


    Next, it was up to them to see how far they could go.


    The refining shop was completed, the refining furnaces were ready, and the artifact refiners were assembled.


    Elder Yu chose an auspicious day to officially start the operations. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The refining shop was named simply and directly; since it was located in the southern part of the city, it was called ¡°Southern City Refining Shop.¡±


    In Tongxian City, the rich lived in the north, and the poor in the south.


    So naming it ¡°Southern City¡± indicated that this refining shop was not owned by one person but was for all demon hunters, and also for all the independent cultivators in the southern part of the city.


    When the refining shop opened, all the demon hunters and the independent cultivators who had participated in its construction gathered together, eating meat and drinking wine to celebrate for a night.


    Thanks to Elder Yu and Master Chen¡¯s planning, the artifact refiners in the refining shop began to refine spiritual tools in an orderly manner.


    The initial spiritual tools crafted were of three types: rattan armor, broad sabers, and Clear Heart hairpins.


    Rattan armor and broad sabers were commonly used by demon hunters.


    The Clear Heart hairpin was a versatile spiritual tool, useful for clearing the mind, cultivating, dispelling miasma, and also as an ornament. Though it didn¡¯t excel in any function, it was the most versatile.


    After the refining shop opened, Mo Hua also went to take a look.


    In the vast refining shop, with numerous artifact refiners and apprentices, categorized refining materials, specialized refining techniques, orderly forging processes, and the surging furnace fires.


    And the exquisitely crafted, standardized spiritual tools, quenched in the refining furnaces, forged by the refiners, cooled in water or ash, and then arranged in rows...


    All of this left Mo Hua greatly impressed.


    For the first time, Mo Hua had a clearer understanding of the Daoist industry.

 Chapter 203: The Cunning Rabbit

    The artifact crafting shop started off smoothly, but soon problems arose because Mo Hua overheard Elder Yu cursing again.Mo Hua went to the shop to check the arrays and saw Elder Yu chatting with Yu Chengyi.


    As they chatted, Elder Yu suddenly started cursing Qian Hong.


    He called him "bloodsucking parasite," "old turtle hiding in its shell," "insidious beast," and other creative insults.


    Elder Yu was in the middle of cursing when he noticed Mo Hua eavesdropping, taking notes with great interest.


    Mo Hua murmured softly, "So you can curse like that too," "Why didn''t I think of that."


    Elder Yu coughed, stopped cursing, and said to Mo Hua:


    "You didn''t hear anything."


    "Mm." Mo Hua nodded, "I didn''t hear anything!"


    Elder Yu''s anger subsided, and he sat down comfortably in a chair.


    Mo Hua poured him a cup of tea, handed it to him, and asked, "Is the Qian family causing trouble again?"


    Elder Yu was used to chatting with Mo Hua now and didn''t avoid talking to him about anything, except for cursing.


    Elder Yu took a sip of the tea Mo Hua poured, sighed, and nodded, "We can''t sell our spiritual tools."


    "No one wants them?"


    "There are cultivators who want them, of course. After all, spiritual tools like rattan armor and simple knives are always useful. But I approached several traveling merchants and some demon hunters from other immortal cities, and they all think the price is too high."


    Mo Hua was puzzled, "Aren''t our prices quite cheap?"


    Because the shop was large with high output, their spiritual tools were priced a couple of spirit stones lower than the market rate.


    "It''s the Qian family; they''re undercutting us."


    "The Qian family is lowering their prices?"


    "Yes." Elder Yu got angry again at the mention, "The Qian family''s artifact shop treats cultivators like livestock, making them work overtime to stockpile spiritual tools. They waited until we opened and then sold their stock at low prices to suppress us."


    "That Qian Hong, that turtle son of a turtle..."


    Elder Yu stopped mid-curse, glanced at Mo Hua, and swallowed his words.


    Mo Hua frowned but realized he had no good solution either. He noticed that although Elder Yu was angry, he didn''t seem too worried, so he asked:


    "Elder, do you have a plan?"


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, "You can tell?"


    Mo Hua said, "If you didn''t have a plan, you''d be more anxious, and your cursing would be much harsher."


    Compared to before, Elder Yu''s cursing was relatively "mild" now.


    Elder Yu felt a bit embarrassed and thought he should curse less in the future, at least not in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was too young to learn from him and fill his head with curses...


    Elder Yu coughed to cover his embarrassment and said, "There is indeed a plan."


    Mo Hua poured him another cup of tea, "Tell me about it."


    Mo Hua looked curious.


    Elder Yu thought for a moment and decided this was something he could teach, so he patiently explained, "I told those traveling merchants that whatever price the Qian family offers, we would be five-fen cheaper."


    "Five fen..."


    As expected of Elder Yu, he calculated everything precisely, even undercutting by five fen...


    Mo Hua thought.


    "Five fen is quite good." Elder Yu snorted, "With so many spiritual tools, it adds up. Five fen of spirit stones isn''t a small amount."


    "And after that?" Mo Hua asked.


    "As long as we can sell them and get the spirit stones back, the Qian family won''t be able to compete with us." Elder Yu said confidently.


    "Why won''t the Qian family be able to compete with us?" Mo Hua didn''t understand.


    Elder Yu glanced at Mo Hua and sighed, "Because of the arrays you drew."


    "The Qian family keeps their artifact furnaces highly confidential. I can''t find out much, but I can see the spiritual tools they produce..."


    "The quality of the Qian family''s spiritual tools is good, but ours are slightly better. Besides Master Chen''s exquisite craftsmanship, another reason is that our artifact furnaces are better than theirs..."


    "Their artifact furnaces are First Grade, and so are ours. If there''s a difference, it''s the arrays inside."


    Elder Yu took another sip of tea and continued, "I guess their artifact furnaces also have a First Grade Molten Fire Array. These furnaces are comparable to our small artifact furnaces but far inferior to our large artifact furnace."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    The large artifact furnace had a First Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array, which was more effective than a regular First Grade array.


    "Will the Qian family find out about our large artifact furnace?" Mo Hua asked. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Artifact furnaces are highly confidential. I can''t find out about theirs, and they won''t know about ours either." Elder Yu said.


    "But the Qian family will find out eventually."


    "As long as they don''t know now, it''s fine. Even if they find out later, it''ll be too late."


    "Is there more to it?"


    Elder Yu patiently explained, "Undercutting prices is a losing game and can''t last long. The Qian family is undercutting because they have good artifact furnaces and high output. They want to kill us in one go, even if it means losing some money initially. But they don''t know that our artifact furnaces are better and our output is higher."


    "Over time, as we recover and produce more spiritual tools, their continued undercutting will mean cutting their own flesh, making a losing deal."


    Elder Yu looked somewhat pleased.


    "So, as long as we get through the beginning, we won''t fear the Qian family anymore?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Exactly!" Elder Yu said proudly, "At that time, our shop will be bigger than theirs, our furnaces better, our craftsmen more numerous, and our spiritual tools better in quality and quantity. The Qian family won''t be a threat."


    Mo Hua nodded, understanding a bit but still sensing some flaws. Even if things developed as planned, it would just be competition, with their side having some advantage.


    It shouldn''t make Elder Yu so pleased.


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu suspiciously, "Elder, do you have another plan?"


    Elder Yu paused, looked at Mo Hua, and said helplessly, "You''re like a little fox."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, waiting for Elder Yu to continue.


    "The other plan is ''cutting off the supply.''"


    "Cutting off the supply?"


    Elder Yu said, "The Qian family''s artifact shop rushes production, making their craftsmen work day and night. Their own craftsmen might manage, but the hired ones will be resentful, only working for food, unwilling to be slaves..."


    "I''ve secretly sent people to recruit them, offering more spirit stones and not making them work day and night. In a while, these craftsmen will come to work for us."


    "I''ve also notified all demon hunters that any materials they get should not be sold to the Qian family. We''ll buy them ourselves."


    "I''ve informed the market owners run by independent cultivators not to do business with the Qian family for now. If the Qian family troubles them, they can come to me, and I''ll handle it."


    Elder Yu''s eyes showed a hint of mischief, "In the future, the Qian family will lack both materials and craftsmen for artifact crafting. This is called cutting off the supply."


    On the surface, they were undercutting each other, but secretly, they were poaching their craftsmen and cutting off their material supply.


    Mo Hua sighed, "Elder Yu, you''re so insidious!"

 Chapter 204: Identity

    Elder Yu was halfway through his triumphant laughter when he realized what Mo Hua was praising him for. He gave Mo Hua a stern look:"How is this risky? This is called having three burrows for the cunning rabbit! Learn more and be more careful in everything you do."


    Mo Hua hurriedly nodded, "I will definitely learn more!"


    Being more careful in everything is always a good thing; otherwise, you''ll suffer in the future.


    "But things can¡¯t always go so smoothly..." Mo Hua frowned again.


    "Of course," Elder Yu said, "plans are just plans; the actual situation changes constantly. You have to adapt accordingly. This is what I''ve learned over the years, often losing out in my dealings with the Qian family."


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "Even with such calculations, you still suffer losses?"


    Elder Yu sighed, "What''s the use of just calculations if you have no cards to play? Even a clever woman cannot cook without rice."


    There weren''t many spirit stones, and he was the only Foundation Building cultivator, so it was good enough to be able to contend with the Qian family.


    But now things were different.


    Elder Yu glanced at Mo Hua.


    Now with Mo Hua, who could draw arrays, he had more cards in his hand, so naturally, he wouldn''t let everyone suffer losses to the Qian family again!


    Thinking of this, Elder Yu couldn''t help but pat Mo Hua on the shoulder and said emotionally:


    "Thanks to you."


    Mo Hua didn''t understand why Elder Yu suddenly praised him out of nowhere, but he still smiled happily.


    As for what happened next, it was just as Elder Yu said, plans are just plans, and there will always be changes.


    Things proceeded according to Elder Yu''s plans, but there were still some deviations.


    Some artifact refiners left the Qian family and defected to Elder Yu, while some were retained by the Qian family with increased wages.


    The materials from the demon hunters were mostly not sold to the Qian family, but some markets still secretly did business with the Qian family.


    Although things did not go entirely as hoped, they did cause the Qian family a lot of trouble.


    Qian Hong had to deal with these trivial matters every day, and when he came to his senses, he realized something was wrong.


    They lowered the price, and Yu Changlin was also lowering the price against them.


    They had lowered the price so much that most of the spirit tools they had refined were consumed, while Yu Changlin was still lowering the price against them.


    And it seemed that Yu Changlin still had quite a few spirit tools left...


    Why was that?


    The demon hunters'' artifact refining shop had just started, how could they possibly produce so many spirit tools?


    Qian Hong couldn''t figure it out no matter how hard he thought.


    He sent Qian family cultivators to secretly inquire, but Elder Yu kept the secret of the refining furnace tightly, and they couldn''t find out anything.


    When he saw the spirit tools refined by the other side, an absurd idea emerged in his mind.


    Could it be that the demon hunters'' refining furnace was no worse than the Qian family''s?


    Or even better than the Qian family''s refining furnace?


    Qian Hong went to ask Master Qian. Master Qian looked at the spirit tool, his expression serious, and after a long time, he sighed:


    "Only a first-grade refining furnace with a first-grade Molten Fire Array could refine such a high-quality spirit tool."


    Qian Hong''s eyelids twitched, "So, the array master among the demon hunters..."


    Master Qian sighed deeply and said slowly, "He is a genuine first-grade array master!"


    Qian Hong felt a chill in his heart, then he said in a daze:


    "How much did Yu Changlin have to pay to invite a first-grade array master?"


    Master Qian also shook his head.


    He couldn''t understand either. A first-grade array master had such a high status that even if he came to the Qian family, they would have to greet him with utmost respect. Why would he help those demon hunters? What benefit could he possibly get?


    Master Qian frowned and said, "Next, we must find out this array master and figure out his identity, or we''ll continue to suffer in the dark."


    Qian Hong''s eyes narrowed, "I must find him..."


    Master Qian glanced at Qian Hong and reminded, "It''s enough to find out his identity. Do not offend him."


    Qian Hong frowned, "He''s repeatedly opposing our Qian family, and we still have to be polite to him?"


    "This array master is extraordinary. If he is willing to help our Qian family, our Qian family will be like a tiger with wings, and it will only be a matter of time before we rise to the second-grade family." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m afraid he might not be willing."


    "Then don''t offend him first. It''s best to win him over. If not, try to keep him out of it. Only as a last resort should we consider a life-and-death struggle," Master Qian said.


    Qian Hong didn''t understand, "Is this array master really that important?"


    Master Qian said, "This array master is already known to use the first-grade Earth Fire Array, first-grade Earth Stone Array, and first-grade Molten Fire Array."


    "Even if he can use these three first-grade arrays, so what?"


    Master Qian sighed, "It''s rare to master three first-grade arrays, but it''s not a big deal. The problem is, what if he knows far more than just these three? What if he knows some arrays that you and I have never even heard of?"


    Qian Hong''s expression became serious.


    "Before he shows his stance, it''s best not to offend him lightly," Master Qian said solemnly, "The Dao of arrays is vast and profound. Some array masters know arrays that you can''t even imagine their power..."


    Qian Hong''s pupils quivered, and he couldn''t help but show a look of dread.


    At this time, the array master whom Qian Hong feared was sitting on a wall, gnawing on a chicken leg, swinging his legs, and chatting casually with Master Ban.


    The artifact refining shop was already built and operational, and the pill refining shop was still under construction.


    Elder Yu had already paid the first installment of spirit stones to Master Ban.


    With the spirit stones, Master Ban felt secure and worked even harder.


    The overall layout of the pill refining shop was consistent with the artifact refining shop, starting with the basic structures, then having Mo Hua draw the arrays, and finally having the craftsmen finish the construction.


    The basic structure wasn''t completed yet, so Mo Hua came to check the layout and inspect the array diagrams.


    But since the inspection was already done once when building the artifact refining shop, and the layouts were the same, the inspection for the pill refining shop didn''t take much time.


    Mo Hua just took a few looks and understood.


    Having nothing to do for the moment, he climbed onto the wall, eating a chicken leg, and chatted with Master Ban.


    Master Ban was grateful to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua drew the arrays quickly, allowing the artifact refining shop to be completed roughly on schedule. Once the project was completed, they could settle the spirit stones.


    Moreover, Mo Hua''s deep array skills at such a young age were something Master Ban had never seen before.


    He was also happy to chat with little Mo Hua. Basically, whatever Mo Hua asked, he would answer.


    From craftsmen''s building techniques to the life of cultivators, from family members to cultivator customs.


    What good food and fun places were in other places, what strange customs, what bad people did what bad things, they chatted about everything.


    Mo Hua''s curiosity was satisfied, and his horizons broadened.


    Every cultivator''s life is like a painting, no matter how ordinary, there are always some colors that others have never seen.


    These stories, if Mo Hua didn''t chat with them, he would probably never know.


    Someday in the future, will he be able to travel across the Nine Regions, meet more people, hear more stories, and see more of the extraordinary colors in those ordinary paintings?


    Mo Hua dreamed about it.

 Chapter 205: The Pill Furnace

    The matters of the Qian family were managed by Elder Yu, and the affairs of the Artifact Crafting Shop were handled by Master Chen. Mo Hua only needed to focus on drawing array diagrams.The construction of the Alchemy Hall progressed quickly, and Mo Hua''s array drawings were swift as well.


    Since it was the same architectural array diagram, Mo Hua only needed to draw it once more.


    After spending over half a month, Mo Hua completed the array diagrams for the Alchemy Hall.


    Master Ban was overjoyed, humming an off-key tune while leading his craftsmen and artisans to finish the work.


    Mo Hua also planned to invite Mr. Feng to take a look.


    After all, Mr. Feng would be in charge of the Alchemy Hall later on.


    When Mo Hua went to find Mr. Feng, he was still at Xinglin Medical Hall, treating patients, prescribing medicine, and occasionally refining pills.


    Mr. Feng spent most of his time at Xinglin Medical Hall, unless he went out for consultations.


    Mo Hua explained the situation of the Alchemy Hall to Mr. Feng.


    "So soon?"


    Mr. Feng was a bit surprised. He originally thought that such a large project would take three to four months to take shape, and it would take at least half a year to complete.


    Moreover, the Alchemy Hall was the second phase, following the completion of the Artifact Crafting Shop.


    But on second thought, the sooner the better; he was also eager to see what the Alchemy Hall would look like.


    "Wait for me a moment."


    Mr. Feng said to Mo Hua, finishing up with a few patients and instructing a few disciples to look after the hall before he packed up briefly and followed Mo Hua to the Alchemy Hall.


    Upon seeing the Artifact Crafting Shop, Mr. Feng''s gaze sharpened as he surveyed it inside and out, exclaiming in surprise, "Did you draw this array?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Yes!"


    "You drew it alone?"


    "Yes, I drew it alone!" Mo Hua replied.


    Mr. Feng chuckled, "No wonder everyone calls you ''Little Array Master''."


    Mo Hua was a bit embarrassed and chuckled shyly.


    The layout of the Alchemy Hall was similar to that of the Artifact Crafting Shop¡ªlarge in scale and well-organized.


    Mr. Feng was very satisfied.


    With such a large Alchemy Hall, a lot of pills could be refined.


    By then, all the wandering cultivators would have pills to use, whether for injuries or illnesses; pills could solve urgent problems.


    With cheaper pills, many wandering cultivators could keep some on hand for emergencies.


    This was indeed a good deed for the wandering cultivators of Tongxian City.


    Mr. Feng stroked his long white beard, nodding in satisfaction.


    Before leaving, Mr. Feng went to look at the refining furnace. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon seeing it, he was stunned.


    He walked around the large refining furnace, examining it closely, and then looked at Mo Hua with disbelief, "A First Grade Composite Array?"


    "Grandpa Feng, you have a keen eye, recognizing it at a glance!" Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise.


    Ordinary cultivators couldn''t even recognize a First Grade array.


    Mr. Feng had identified it as a First Grade Composite Array just by looking at it from outside the furnace, a testament to his sharp eye.


    After all, Mr. Feng was not an Array Master.


    "Did you draw this as well?" Mr. Feng hesitated before asking again.


    Mo Hua nodded, "Yes!"


    Mr. Feng was speechless.


    He never underestimated Mo Hua''s skill in array drawing and always valued his talent, but this was beyond his expectations.


    A First Grade Composite Array...


    He had rarely seen First Grade Array Masters capable of drawing a First Grade Composite Array.


    Mr. Feng was momentarily stunned, then noticed the pure flame within the furnace.


    Bright red, glowing vividly, it captivated Mr. Feng''s heart instantly.


    His heart couldn''t help but tremble.


    "This flame..."


    "Elder Yu said it''s even stronger than the fire used by Qi Refining stage cultivators," Mo Hua said.


    How could Mr. Feng not know this? He stood there for a long time, staring at the flame.


    Besides his dedication to pill refining and healing, Mr. Feng had always been without desires. But now, he couldn''t help but ask, pointing at the furnace, "Can you make one for me too?"


    Mo Hua also wanted to make a large First Grade Pill Furnace for Mr. Feng.


    But this Pill Furnace was not easy to make.


    An ordinary First Grade refining furnace couldn''t serve as the array medium for a First Grade Molten Fire Composite Array. Similarly, an ordinary First Grade Pill Furnace couldn''t support the long-term operation of a First Grade Molten Fire Composite Array.


    Moreover, the array used on a Pill Furnace was more complex than that on a refining furnace.


    A refining furnace only needed to provide fire; other array functions were auxiliary. But a Pill Furnace needed to balance the wood nature of herbs and the harmony of spiritual energy besides providing fire.


    Thus, the composite array used in a Pill Furnace was more difficult.


    This also meant that the quality of the Pill Furnace, the crafting technique, and the specifications had to be higher.


    Mo Hua asked Elder Yu if there was a suitable Pill Furnace.


    Elder Yu was troubled. The large refining furnace was already a lucky find.


    But a large First Grade Pill Furnace was even harder to find.


    Mo Hua had to explain the situation to Mr. Feng honestly.


    He could solve the array issue, but he couldn''t handle the Pill Furnace.


    Mr. Feng pondered for a moment and asked, "Can you make it yourself?"


    "It''s possible, but do you have the crafting manual?"


    Mr. Feng thought for a moment and said, "Yes!"


    "Really?" Mo Hua was surprised.


    Mr. Feng went inside, opened a storage box in the corner, and took out a piece of yellowed parchment from the bottom. It described the crafting method for a large Pill Furnace.


    Mo Hua glanced at the blueprint and exclaimed, "Grandpa Feng, where did you get this?"


    The blueprint was very standardized and compatible with complex arrays, clearly not an ordinary heritage.


    Mr. Feng sighed, "It was passed down from my sect. Before my master passed away, he gave all this to me. I had no use for it, so it stayed at the bottom of the box for seventy or eighty years. If you hadn''t brought it up, I would have forgotten, and it might have stayed there forever."


    "Can you use it?" Mr. Feng asked.


    Mo Hua examined it carefully and said, "The array part is fine, but I don''t understand crafting. I''ll have to ask Master Chen and the others."


    Mr. Feng nodded, "Then take it and ask them."


    Mo Hua took the blueprint to Master Chen.


    Master Chen glanced at it, and his eyes lit up, "Good diagram, good diagram!"


    "Can you craft it?" Mo Hua asked.


    Master Chen tugged at his beard and said slowly, "It''s difficult but not impossible. I''ll have to discuss it with the other masters."


    "And with Elder Yu as well," Master Chen added, "We''ll need a lot of refined iron and some special minerals like Molten Fire Stone and Gold Vein Ore. We''ll need Elder Yu''s help to prepare them."


    Elder Yu readily agreed. Once everything was prepared, Master Chen and the other masters studied the blueprint for several days before starting the crafting process.


    This Pill Furnace was the most challenging spiritual tool they had ever crafted.


    Mo Hua didn''t watch the entire crafting process but knew they failed several times.


    In the end, although there were some flaws, they still crafted the Pill Furnace.

 Chapter 206: Alchemical Jade

    The newly forged alchemical furnace was large, but slightly smaller than the grand artifact furnace in the courtyard. Its appearance was more ancient, with elegant cloud patterns and a more intricate design.The arrays within the alchemical furnace were similar yet different from those in the artifact furnace.


    Both required the Molten Fire Array as a base for providing fire, but while artifact crafting depended heavily on the intensity of the fire, alchemy emphasized controlling the heat and harmonizing the spiritual energy attributes.


    Mo Hua planned to draw a type of composite array on the alchemical furnace, named the First Grade Fire-Wood Dual Birth Composite Array.


    This composite array included two First Grade arrays, one being the First Grade Molten Fire Array, the other the First Grade Wood Spirit Array, along with other functional arrays like the Spirit Gathering Array and the Cold Qi Array.


    The array hub of this composite array not only controlled the opening and closing of the spiritual energy but also harmonized the attributes.


    The entire composite array required higher spiritual awareness, had a more difficult drawing process, and was more complex in adapting to the alchemical furnace compared to the previous First Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array.


    However, it was still within Mo Hua''s capabilities.


    Especially after casting the artifact furnace, Mo Hua was familiar with and had applied the First Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array. Learning this similar advanced composite array was now second nature to him.


    The only difficulties were the strength of the spiritual awareness and the proficiency in the composite array.


    Both could be overcome with time.


    Mo Hua had already planned this, so after finishing the Molten Fire Composite Array on the artifact furnace, he began practicing the composite array for the alchemical furnace.


    After a few more days, Mo Hua finally mastered the drawing of the First Grade Fire-Wood Dual Birth Composite Array and began to draw the array.


    In the courtyard of the Southern City Alchemy Hall, the large alchemical furnace was dismantled and laid out in sections on the ground.


    Mo Hua squatted by the inner furnace, frowning as he drew the array.


    At first, it did not go smoothly. He made mistakes several times on the array hub, having to erase and redraw it, but he persevered patiently.


    Mr. Feng arrived and, seeing Mo Hua engrossed in his work, did not disturb him, silently observing from the side.


    Mo Hua''s expression was focused, his eyes bright and shining as he drew the array, with an intense brilliance in his gaze.


    The array under his brush was complex and elegant, appearing very methodical.


    Mr. Feng watched intently, finding it hard to believe even after seeing it many times.


    That frail child born with clear eyes and an innocent smile, whom he had watched grow up, was now only in his early teens and capable of drawing a First Grade array.


    A First Grade array...


    Many elderly array masters with gray hair had to concentrate deeply and exhaust their minds to draw a First Grade array, often left pale and drenched in sweat afterward.


    Yet Mo Hua seemed to handle these First Grade arrays with ease. Even when tired, he only needed to meditate briefly to regain his energy.


    If he had not watched Mo Hua grow up, Mr. Feng might have suspected that Mo Hua was possessed by some ancient spirit...


    When Mo Hua grew tired, he exhaled and sat on the ground, rubbing his sore arms.


    Mr. Feng approached and massaged a few acupoints on Mo Hua, using gentle spiritual energy to ease his blood flow.


    Mo Hua felt as if bathed in a spring breeze, significantly more comfortable.


    "Thank you, Grandpa Feng!" Mo Hua thanked him with a smile.


    "I should be the one thanking you," Mr. Feng replied, brushing off the dust and sitting beside Mo Hua, kindly saying, "Without you, I might never have had the chance to use such an alchemical furnace."


    "I''ll make you an even better one in the future," Mo Hua declared confidently.


    Mr. Feng chuckled, "This one is already excellent." S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He then took out a jade pendant and handed it to Mo Hua, "This is for you."


    The jade pendant was pale white with faint greenish-blue spiritual patterns within. It was unclear what kind of jade it was, and it had no spiritual power, appearing simple in design and ordinary in carving. Yet, it exuded a harmonious aura that calmed the mind at a glance.


    "What kind of jade is this?"


    "This is Alchemical Jade," Mr. Feng replied.


    "Alchemical Jade?"


    Mr. Feng turned the jade pendant over, revealing the character "µ¤" (alchemy) engraved in a strong, silver hook-like script.


    "Alchemists typically carry a piece of Alchemical Jade, nurturing it with wood-element spiritual energy over time. Eventually, the jade becomes like a spiritual tool, bringing peace and clarity to the mind, free from distractions."


    "This piece of Alchemical Jade was a gift from my master. For many years, I have carried it with me, using it to diagnose illnesses and refine elixirs. Now that I no longer need it, I give it to you."


    Mr. Feng explained.


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I can''t accept such a precious item."


    But Mr. Feng placed the jade pendant around Mo Hua''s neck himself, "A gift from an elder cannot be declined."


    "But..." Mo Hua felt unworthy, "I''m not even an alchemist. Why give it to me?"


    Mr. Feng pondered for a moment and said, "Alchemists save people, but they cannot save many. Array masters do not save people directly, but they can save many more lives."


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then nodded in understanding.


    Mr. Feng looked at Mo Hua with hopeful eyes and said, "There is another saying: Alchemists accumulate merit through healing and saving lives. This Alchemical Jade carries an alchemist''s merit. By giving it to you, I hope it will protect you from harm and ensure your safety as you grow."


    Mo Hua was startled, concerned, "But if I take the jade, what about you?"


    Mr. Feng smiled, "Merit is intangible and elusive. It merely brings peace of mind. For many years, I have practiced alchemy and medicine not because I believe in these things."


    Mo Hua said, "But what if the merit is real?"


    Mr. Feng''s smile grew kinder, "If the merit is real and the jade can indeed protect you, then giving it to you may be the greatest merit I''ve ever achieved."


    Mo Hua felt embarrassed, accepting the jade with gratitude, "Thank you, Grandpa Feng!"


    With the cool Alchemical Jade hanging around his neck, Mo Hua felt peaceful and warm inside.


    Whether due to the jade''s influence or not, Mo Hua''s mind was calm and focused, making his array drawing smoother and more fluid.


    Two days later, Mo Hua completed the First Grade Fire-Wood Dual Birth Composite Array.


    Mo Hua invited Mr. Feng to start the furnace, accompanied by other alchemists.


    These alchemists, invited by Mr. Feng, joined the Alchemy Hall to research alchemy and refine elixirs together.


    Mr. Feng placed spirit stones and ignited the furnace, causing a brilliant red flame to blaze instantly.


    Despite his expectations, Mr. Feng was momentarily taken aback by the purity of the flame.


    This was a fire surpassing the ordinary Qi refining stage''s spiritual power.


    The other alchemists were even more astonished, soon becoming excited.


    Mr. Feng tried using the furnace''s fire-wood spiritual energy harmony to refine a batch of pills.


    The pills were common Blood Qi Pills, used to stop bleeding and replenish energy, a staple for cultivators at home or when hunting demons.


    Though the pills were ordinary, their quality was exceptional, with the pure flame enhancing their efficacy by over ten percent.


    Mr. Feng was very satisfied, looking at Mo Hua with pride and nodding in approval.

 Chapter 207: Speculation

    With the array on the alchemy furnace completed, Mo Hua finally breathed a sigh of relief.He had finished drawing all the necessary arrays. The next steps were no longer his concern.


    Master Chen managed the Artifact Crafting Shop, Mr. Feng oversaw the Alchemy Hall, and the completion of the project was the responsibility of Master Ban. Elder Yu was in charge of the overall situation.


    If there were minor areas needing arrays, Mo Hua could easily fill them in.


    The remaining task was to wait for the spirit stones distribution.


    Elder Yu had said that once the Artifact Crafting Shop and Alchemy Hall were profitable, all contributing cultivators¡ªwhether demon hunters, artifact refiners, alchemists, or general wandering cultivators¡ªwould receive a substantial share of spirit stones.


    Since Mo Hua had handled all the arrays, Elder Yu mentioned that his share of the spirit stones would be the largest.


    Mo Hua didn''t bother asking for specifics. He had enough spirit stones now, so he focused solely on arrays.


    Summarizing his work, Mo Hua realized he had drawn numerous arrays.


    The architectural array diagrams for the Artifact Crafting Shop and Alchemy Hall were extensive, primarily based on earth and wood, supplemented by metal, water, and fire, involving various applications of the Five Elements Arrays.


    Mo Hua planned and coordinated the array diagrams, then redrew them from start to finish to solidify his understanding of the array foundations.


    The arrays used on the artifact furnace and alchemy furnace were all First Grade composite arrays, highly challenging. Mo Hua had to make numerous adjustments, but he managed to complete them.


    His spiritual sense had strengthened, his understanding of arrays had deepened, and he had grasped the basic concepts of composite arrays'' principles and applications.


    Thanks to his comprehension of the array hub, he could now draw ordinary arrays swiftly, although his spiritual sense consumption was slightly higher.


    However, this level of spiritual sense consumption wasn''t a problem for Mo Hua.


    In short, these days were exhausting but fulfilling.


    Mo Hua felt he had gained a lot.


    He had used up more than half of the thousand bottles of demonic blood he had stocked. Now, he could finally take a short break.


    Touching his own face, Mo Hua felt he had lost some weight from being busy with arrays every day. He decided to ask his mother to make some delicious food to reward himself.


    "What should I eat?"


    Mo Hua pondered as he walked home briskly. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the Qian family main hall.


    A black cauldron-patterned carpet covered the floor, mountain and river screens adorned the walls, a crimson lacquered table stood, and auspicious beast incense burners emitted curling smoke, creating an atmosphere of luxury.


    Qian Hong sat in the main seat, with Master Qian sitting beside him.


    The two were drinking tea amidst the fragrant smoke, but despite the calming scent, their minds were restless.


    Qian Shunzhi entered, respectfully saluting and reporting:


    "Master, I''ve inquired among the demon hunters but found no leads on other array masters. However, I did hear about a child among the demon hunters, known as the ''Little Array Master.''"


    "Little Array Master?" Master Qian frowned, "How old is he?"


    "Not very old, perhaps around ten years old, with the surname Mo. As for his exact name, appearance, or residence, the demon hunters were tight-lipped. We couldn''t find out."


    Qian Hong showed displeasure.


    Qian Shunzhi lowered his head, barely daring to breathe.


    Master Qian pondered briefly and said, "It can''t be that child, but he must be related."


    Qian Hong speculated, "Master, do you mean that the array master opposing us is likely this child''s teacher, or there''s a master-student relationship between them..."


    "Indeed," Master Qian nodded, "Array skills aren''t self-taught. For such a young child to make a name for himself in arrays and be called the ''Little Array Master,'' he must have a highly skilled mentor or a direct teacher."


    Qian Hong instructed Qian Shunzhi, "Keep investigating."


    Qian Shunzhi hesitated, "But... how should I proceed..."


    He had already investigated all he could and asked everyone he could.


    Previously, they had disguised Qian family members as passing merchants to chat with demon hunters in a bustling tavern, gathering only a few hints.


    But within two days, the demon hunters had noticed.


    When they inquired again, mentioning "array master," the demon hunters'' wariness was evident, and even ordinary wandering cultivators kept their lips sealed.


    If they asked too much, demon hunters would look at them with suspicion and might even turn the questioning on them.


    A wrong answer could lead to a beating.


    Qian Hong frowned, "Then don''t ask about array masters. Inquire about unfamiliar cultivators or mysterious experts. Probe subtly; you''ll find some clues."


    Qian Shunzhi accepted the order and was about to leave when Master Qian called him back.


    "One more thing," Master Qian instructed, "Try to get some of the arrays drawn by that Little Array Master. I need to study them closely."


    "Yes," Qian Shunzhi replied respectfully.


    In the southern part of the city, the Artifact Crafting Shop was completed, and the Alchemy Hall was nearing completion.


    The Qian family felt immense pressure, and the An family was equally anxious.


    Old Master An had returned to the private room of a teahouse in the southern city, gazing at the newly built Artifact Crafting Shop with An Yonglu, the head of the An family.


    Once a wasteland, the chaotic and desolate land now housed a grand Artifact Crafting Shop.


    Next to it, an equally large Alchemy Hall was about to be finished.


    Old Master An sighed, "Elder Yu really managed to build it!"


    An Yonglu was worried, "At this rate, we won''t have any standing here."


    "With the Artifact Crafting and Alchemy businesses, our An family won''t achieve anything in these fields for the next hundred years. We won''t even get the scraps."


    Old Master An felt disheartened.


    The Qian family already suffocated them, and now, with two massive Artifact Crafting and Alchemy establishments in the southern city, the An family had no chance of rising.


    "This might be for the best," An Yonglu said, somewhat relieved, "Since we can''t compete, we''ll just focus on our Spirit Meal Tower business."


    Old Master An glared at his son, "Running the Spirit Meal Tower all your life, watching others'' faces, what future is there?"


    "At least we can make a living..." An Yonglu muttered.


    His demeanor almost screamed "lack of ambition."


    Old Master An felt exhausted.


    His son seemed proper on the surface, fit to be the head of the family. But when faced with challenges, he just wanted to get by, with no ambition.


    No wonder his son, An Xiaofu, had no big aspirations.


    Old Master An was too tired to argue.


    An Yonglu silently sipped his tea, glancing at the Artifact Crafting Shop. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Father, the outer wall seems to have very advanced arrays..."


    Old Master An glanced at him, "Can you tell what kind of arrays?"


    "No," An Yonglu shook his head, "But they seem extraordinary, much better than the ones on our An family estate."


    "Where did Elder Yu find such an array master?" An Yonglu wondered.


    Old Master An remained silent, his heart skipped a beat, suspecting but still unsure.


    Seeing this, An Yonglu asked, "Father, do you know?"


    Old Master An frowned, silent for a while before slowly saying, "Do you remember the child who saw through our An family''s arrays..."


    An Yonglu was stunned, his mouth agape, "No way..."

 Chapter 208: Knowing the Taste

    Elder Yu informed Mo Hua about someone inquiring about array masters, and advised Mo Hua to be cautious.One should not harbor the intent to harm others, but must always be vigilant against being harmed.


    Mo Hua thought it over and felt that the possibility of being suspected was quite low. Unless it was someone familiar, it was unlikely that an ordinary cultivator would believe that a ten-year-old Mo Hua could draw a First Grade array.


    Mo Hua was more worried about Mr. Zhuang. He feared that the Qian family might suspect Mr. Zhuang and cause trouble for him.


    Mo Hua went to see Mr. Zhuang and briefly explained the situation.


    Mr. Zhuang, upon hearing this, merely smiled and said, "Do what you believe is right. There''s no need to worry about me."


    "Won''t the Qian family trouble you?"


    "They won''t find me."


    "What if they do?" Mo Hua was still a bit uneasy.


    "''Originally there is nothing, so where does the dust alight?'' They won''t be able to find me," Mr. Zhuang said calmly.


    Mo Hua nodded in partial understanding, feeling that Mr. Zhuang''s words were somewhat cryptic, not entirely sure what he meant.


    But since Mr. Zhuang said so, he must be confident, and Mo Hua felt reassured.


    Mr. Zhuang was profound and mysterious, likely not putting the Qian family in his eyes, but if trouble arose because of the Qian family and disturbed Mr. Zhuang''s peaceful cultivation, that wouldn''t be good.


    "How is your array learning going?" Mr. Zhuang asked.


    "I have learned both the First Grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array and the First Grade Fire-Wood Dual Birth Composite Array, and I have used them on the furnace," Mo Hua said happily.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval, "Not bad."


    Mo Hua smiled and then asked, "Sir, what array should I learn next?"


    "Find some composite arrays to learn casually," Mr. Zhuang said. "When you break through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining and see the Riddle Array in your Sea of Consciousness, then make further plans."


    "Alright," Mo Hua nodded.


    What kind of Riddle Array would the bottleneck at the seventh layer of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique be?


    Mo Hua was both expectant and a bit apprehensive.


    After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua returned home as usual, but on the way, he encountered An Xiaofu.


    "What a coincidence," Mo Hua greeted An Xiaofu.


    An Xiaofu, with a drooping head and a frowning face, replied, "Not really. My grandpa and my dad specifically had me wait for you nearby."


    "Huh?" Mo Hua was taken aback.


    "They wanted me to pretend to meet you by chance and get close to you," An Xiaofu explained. "But you''re so smart, you''d see through it at a glance, so I didn''t bother pretending. My grandpa and dad also asked me to..."


    An Xiaofu spilled everything his grandpa and dad had instructed him to do, both what he could say and what he couldn''t, all in one go.


    Mo Hua was amused and exasperated.


    An Xiaofu felt much better after saying everything.


    He felt that his task was accomplished, having said everything his grandpa and dad wanted him to say and done everything they wanted him to do.


    Though the method might be a bit different from what they instructed, the result was the same.


    An Xiaofu breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted.


    "By the way, here are some gifts my grandpa asked me to give you. Please accept them," An Xiaofu handed over a storage bag containing some array books, a few array pens, and a considerable amount of spirit ink.


    They weren''t too valuable, but they were carefully selected to suit Mo Hua''s tastes, clearly showing a lot of thought had been put into them.


    Mo Hua declined at first.


    An Xiaofu shoved the bag into Mo Hua''s hand, "If I take it back, my grandpa will scold me. If I give it to you, he might even praise me. Besides, it''s not that valuable. Just take it. Refusing a free gift would be silly."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded, "Indeed."


    Not wanting to be "silly," Mo Hua accepted the gifts and then said, "Come on, I''ll treat you to something to eat!"


    An Xiaofu waved his hand, "How could I let you spend money?"


    "It''s not spending," Mo Hua said, "My family owns the place!"


    An Xiaofu, curious, thought that since there wasn''t anything fun to do at home, he might as well follow Mo Hua and have some fun.


    Following Mo Hua through several streets and around a few corners, An Xiaofu saw a restaurant at the end of the road. The sign fluttered in the wind, and the spacious ground was filled with clean tables and long benches.


    Customers gathered in small groups, eating meat and drinking wine, clinking glasses, and enjoying a lively atmosphere.


    The smell of meat and wine wafted through the air, carried away by the breeze.


    This was a scene An Xiaofu had never experienced.


    "Mother," Mo Hua waved from a distance.


    Liu Ruhua smiled as she came out, noticing Mo Hua and the well-dressed chubby boy beside him. She asked curiously, "Who is this?"


    An Xiaofu bowed politely, "Hello, Auntie. My name is An Xiaofu."


    "The An family?"


    An Xiaofu nodded, "My father is the head of the An family."


    Liu Ruhua was a bit surprised and then looked at Mo Hua, wondering how he got to know the young master of the An family.


    Mo Hua said, "Mother, I invited Xiaofu for a meal. Could you make something delicious?"


    "So young and already inviting guests..." Liu Ruhua laughed, then asked An Xiaofu, "What would you like to eat, young master An?"


    An Xiaofu waved his hand, "Just call me Xiaofu. I''m not picky, anything is fine."


    Liu Ruhua nodded, "You two play for a while, and I''ll prepare something to eat."


    Mo Hua then pulled An Xiaofu to a bright table to sit down.


    An Xiaofu looked around and said, "So this is your family''s restaurant."


    "Yes!" Mo Hua said proudly.


    He had helped a lot to get this restaurant up and running.


    An Xiaofu was a bit envious, "That''s great."


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, "Doesn''t your An family have the Spirit Meal Tower? Isn''t it bigger and more grand?"


    "It''s different," An Xiaofu thought for a moment, "Although the Spirit Meal Tower is big and quiet, it always feels cold and lonely. Eating there isn''t fun."


    An Xiaofu looked at the surrounding customers.


    There were demon hunters, artifact refiners, alchemists, local independent cultivators, passing vendors, and foreign merchants, all gathered together, eating and chatting, laughing and talking.


    Sometimes, even those who met by chance would enthusiastically chat, share a drink, and wish each other well on their journey.


    "Everyone gathering together like this, eating lively, is more interesting," An Xiaofu said.


    Mo Hua felt the same, "Then eat more later, my mother''s cooking is delicious."


    "Thank you," An Xiaofu thanked him.


    But he was just being polite, not expecting it to be particularly good.


    The An family ran the Spirit Meal Tower, employing famous chefs who studied top recipes and created exquisite delicacies.


    He ate the best food every day, what could be better?


    But when Liu Ruhua brought out the dishes, An Xiaofu realized he had never tasted anything like it before.


    An Xiaofu took a bite and asked, "What kind of meat is this?"


    "Beast meat," Mo Hua took a bite, "Probably some kind of sheep. If it were in Dahei Mountain, I could recognize it, but now it''s on a plate, I can''t."


    An Xiaofu was surprised, "Beast meat can be cooked so well?"


    "Yeah, who would''ve thought."


    An Xiaofu took another bite, savoring it, "This seasoning is different too."


    "You can tell the seasoning?" s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    An Xiaofu nodded.


    "What can you identify?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    "Hmm..." An Xiaofu thought, "There''s cassia leaf, mustard seed, plum, flower ginger..."


    An Xiaofu listed several, then said, "There are also some unique flavors I haven''t tasted before, so I can''t name them."


    Mo Hua was amazed, "You''re impressive!"


    Some of these seasonings were bought from the market, while others were rare herbs Mo Hua had picked from outside Dahei Mountain. It was normal that An Xiaofu didn''t know their names.


    But being able to identify so many was already impressive.


    Embarrassed by the praise, An Xiaofu said, "I just eat a lot, so I can recognize them. It''s not really useful. I''m nothing compared to you..."


    Mo Hua was an array master with high-level skills that even his grandpa found unbelievable.

 Chapter 209: Master Luo

    Mo Hua shook his head and said, "Every person is born with a purpose, how could you be useless?"An Xiaofu was stunned for a moment, "What use could I be?"


    Mo Hua thought for a while. He couldn''t really explain it clearly either, so he said, "Your family runs a restaurant, and you have such a good sense of taste. How could you be useless?"


    An Xiaofu sighed, "We run a restaurant out of necessity..."


    "Necessity?"


    Seeing that it was still early and the meat was delicious, An Xiaofu rarely had someone to talk to. He took a bite of meat, sipped some fruit wine, and started chatting with Mo Hua:


    "The An family initially engaged in artifact crafting and pill refining, but later couldn''t compete with the Qian family. Our business failed, and we had to rely on some ancestral properties to start a spiritual restaurant..."


    "My grandfather didn''t like running a restaurant. He always wanted to craft artifacts and refine pills. He felt that running a restaurant was very shameful."


    ...


    "What''s wrong with running a restaurant?" Mo Hua was a bit puzzled.


    "I think it''s great, but my grandfather doesn''t." An Xiaofu pouted and said, "Moreover, in the myriad professions of cultivation, there are also distinctions of high and low."


    An Xiaofu counted on his fingers and said one by one:


    "First is array formation, the hardest to learn and the most widely used. Array masters are highly respected everywhere. Next are pill refining, artifact crafting, and talisman making, which are also considered good."


    "Other fields like spiritual cuisine, spiritual planting, weaving, craftsmanship, and demon hunting are not highly regarded."


    "Don''t get angry when I say this," An Xiaofu said weakly, "Many big families and sect cultivators look down on professions like spiritual cuisine and demon hunting, considering them lowly occupations for wandering cultivators."


    Mo Hua understood this but was somewhat dismissive, "Without cultivators engaged in spiritual planting, spiritual cuisine, and weaving, what would they eat and wear? Without food and clothing, what else is there to boast about?"


    An Xiaofu nodded, "Exactly!"


    An Xiaofu loved eating and felt that eating was the most important thing. Anything related to eating was crucial.


    Liu Ruhua cooked a few more dishes, including demon meat and wild vegetables from the mountains. Although the ingredients were ordinary, the taste was excellent and very unique.


    An Xiaofu, his cheeks bulging, ate to his heart''s content and couldn''t help but praise, "Mo Hua, your mother''s cooking is really delicious."


    Mo Hua was even happier than if he had been praised himself, "Of course!"


    After they finished eating, they waved goodbye to each other.


    Mo Hua watched An Xiaofu''s departing figure, pondering:


    What could a good sense of taste be useful for?


    Becoming a culinary master? Opening a restaurant?


    But the An family already runs a spiritual restaurant...


    Mo Hua had an idea but needed to think it through more carefully.


    Qian Shunzhi had been investigating for a few days and finally had some leads. He went to report to the family head, Qian Hong.


    "A new cave residence was recently built in the south of the city. The plaque reads ''Bai Residence.'' A veiled woman lives there with a young boy and girl, but it''s unclear if they are proficient in array formations."


    Qian Hong''s eyes showed a hint of apprehension, "These are disciples of a major family on a journey. We can''t provoke them, and they won''t help those demon hunters. Anything else?"


    Qian Shunzhi said, "An elderly cultivator passed through, behaving mysteriously, but left Tongxian City after a few days. Several middle-aged array masters also came, stayed at inns, and had some connections with families in the city..."


    Qian Hong thought for a moment and coldly said, "These are not right. Keep investigating."


    Qian Shunzhi saw that Qian Hong looked displeased and took out several array diagrams, handing them over.


    "Among the demon hunters, there is a young array master. These arrays were drawn by this young array master. Some are authentic arrays, while others are rubbings I had someone make."


    Qian Hong glanced at them and was somewhat disappointed, "Just some common arrays, not even reaching the first grade."


    Although he was not an array master, he could count the array patterns.


    These arrays were both new and old. The strokes were skilled but mostly had only five or six patterns.


    A young cultivator, about ten years old, able to draw five or six patterns, already showed exceptional talent. No wonder people called him a "young array master."


    But the Qian family was not looking for this young array master but the mysterious first-grade array master.


    "Send more people to continue the search," Qian Hong ordered.


    "Yes."


    Qian Shunzhi bowed respectfully and was about to leave when Qian Hong called him back.


    Qian Hong thought for a moment and handed him the array diagrams, "Take these to Master Qian and see if he can find any clues."


    Qian Shunzhi respectfully agreed and then handed the array diagrams and their rubbings to Master Qian.


    Master Qian was in the Qian family''s library, discussing with a group of array masters.


    Some of these array masters were from the Qian family, some had close ties with the Qian family, and others, although not very close, came at Master Qian''s invitation.


    In such a large city as Tongxian City, there were not many array masters. They saw each other frequently and naturally had some connections.


    The Qian family was the largest and wealthiest family in Tongxian City, and they didn''t want to offend the Qian family.


    A first-grade array master could not be an unknown figure and must have some connections with various families.


    Master Qian invited these array masters to find out if they had any clues or connections.


    If there was a connection, everything would be easy. They could use this relationship to establish some rapport with the array master.


    But after talking for half a day, there were still no clues.


    The first-grade array master seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. No one knew their background.


    Just as everyone was at a loss, Qian Shunzhi brought in the array diagrams.


    Master Qian took the arrays, looked through them, frowned, and then passed them around for the other array masters to examine.


    "Can anyone see anything?" Master Qian asked.


    "These arrays are well drawn."


    "Very methodical."


    "The strokes are very skillful, showing great skill."


    "Unfortunately, they are just low-level arrays with five or six patterns, revealing nothing..."


    The array masters discussed.


    A lean array master finally said, "If these arrays were drawn by that young array master, then this young array master must have a connection with the first-grade array master."


    The other array masters nodded, "If not, such a young age couldn''t produce such good arrays."


    While they were talking, a Qian family disciple entered the room and respectfully said, "Master Luo has arrived."


    Master Qian immediately stood up, and the other array masters also stood and walked to the door, bowing and greeting the visitor:


    "Greetings, Master Luo!"


    The visitor was Master Luo, one of the few first-grade array masters in Tongxian City certified by the Dao Court.


    The other first-grade array masters in Tongxian City were already old and liked to stay quiet, no longer socializing. Only Master Luo occasionally made appearances.


    Master Luo returned their salutes, "No need for such courtesy."


    Then he turned to Master Qian, "Master Qian, long time no see."


    Master Qian quickly deferred, "I dare not accept such a title in your presence, Master Luo."


    Master Luo smiled, "Brother Qian, you are too modest. With your skill in arrays, it is only a matter of time before you reach the first grade."


    Master Luo entered the main hall and took the seat of honor, with the other array masters sitting in order.


    A Qian family maid served tea.


    Master Qian said, "This is Misty Peak''s cloud mist tea, emerald green and tender, both in color and aroma. Please enjoy, Master Luo."


    Master Luo''s eyes brightened, and he lifted the lid of his cup. The tea''s fragrance rose like mist. He took a sip, sweet and refreshing, and praised, "Excellent tea!"


    After settling in and tasting the tea, they began discussing business.


    s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 210: Identity

    Master Luo said, "I heard that in Tongxian City, there is an unknown First Grade Array Master who has some grievances with the Qian family. Brother Qian, did you invite me here for this matter?"Master Qian sighed, "Master Luo, you''re perceptive. We''re all Array Masters, and we all know how rare a First Grade Array Master is. So unless absolutely necessary, we don''t want to tear our faces and make things difficult for everyone."


    "Then what does Brother Qian intend to do?"


    Master Qian said, "Regardless of what happened before, our Qian family is willing to befriend him. Spirit stones and other things are negotiable. If that doesn''t work, we hope he will remain neutral and not trouble our Qian family. We will still treat him with courtesy. If this Array Master is unreasonable, then our Qian family will have no choice but to tear our faces."


    Master Luo nodded, "To be able to do this, Brother Qian can be considered as going to great lengths."


    "Does Master Luo know the origin of this Array Master?" Master Qian asked.


    Master Luo shook his head, "I''ve never interacted with him, nor have I heard of such a person."


    Master Qian was slightly disappointed. He had thought that since the person was a First Grade Array Master, he should have had some interaction with Master Luo.


    "Does Brother Qian have any clues?" Master Luo asked.


    Master Qian then shared the information he knew, including that the Array Master had used several First Grade arrays and might have taken on a disciple, who was referred to as the ''Little Array Master.'' It was unclear whether this disciple was an official or an honorary one.


    "These are the arrays drawn by the Little Array Master."


    Master Qian handed the arrays to Master Luo.


    Master Luo took them, glanced at them, and nodded in praise, "Well drawn."


    "Can Master Luo discern the lineage?" an Array Master asked.


    Master Luo pondered briefly and shook his head, "These are basic Five Elements arrays, not rare, and they don''t involve any sect or family inheritance, so I can''t tell."


    Everyone was a bit disappointed and started speculating about the Array Master''s lineage. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Luo continued to look through the arrays in his hands.


    Little Array Master? I wonder how old he is. His talent in arrays is indeed outstanding.


    As he flipped through, he frowned, as if pondering something. After a moment, he dipped his finger in tea and drew something on the table.


    The tea water outlined simple array patterns on the reddish table.


    Master Luo drew several times, and with each iteration, his expression grew more serious, even incredulous.


    Seeing this, Master Qian asked, "Master Luo, did you discover something?"


    Master Luo hesitated for a moment, then said, "Nothing much."


    But Master Luo still looked puzzled and drew the array patterns with tea on the table several more times before slowly asking:


    "Are these arrays really drawn by the Little Array Master?"


    Master Qian looked over and saw that Master Luo was holding a stack of arrays, with the top one being a Cold Qi Array.


    This Cold Qi Array was an original and not a copy, and the handwriting was very new, probably drawn recently. Since it was a Cold Qi Array, it was likely drawn to cool the surroundings.


    Master Qian nodded, "Indeed, it was drawn by the Little Array Master."


    Master Luo tapped the table and pondered for a moment, "If my guess is correct, the person who drew this array is a First Grade Array Master."


    The Array Masters were all surprised and looked at each other in amazement.


    "Cold Qi Array is not a First Grade array, Master Luo, why do you say this?" Master Qian frowned and asked.


    "Although the Cold Qi Array is not a First Grade array, look at this array pattern. It is centered on the array hub, leading from start to finish in one stroke, with room to spare. This shows that the person has a deep understanding of the array hub and a very strong spiritual sense, which allows them to draw so effortlessly."


    Master Luo pointed at the water stains on the table, "I just tried drawing the Cold Qi Array in the same way. After finishing, I found it extremely exhausting to my spiritual sense. Only a First Grade Array Master can draw it."


    Upon hearing this, Master Qian immediately took out paper and a pen and drew the Cold Qi Array following the pattern.


    After finishing, his expression turned serious.


    Following this pattern, centering on the array hub, drawing the array in one stroke was very fast, but it also consumed a lot of spiritual sense!


    An Array Master who can draw this, even if not a First Grade, is at least a half-step First Grade, capable of drawing nine-pattern arrays.


    Other Array Masters also tried to follow the pattern and draw the Cold Qi Array.


    Some barely managed to complete it, some faltered after a few strokes, and some couldn''t even draw half.


    Everyone was in disbelief.


    "Does this mean that the Little Array Master is a First Grade Array Master?"


    "That''s absurd!"


    "Arrays are not child''s play. Becoming a First Grade Array Master at such a young age? How is that possible..."


    The Array Masters debated intensely.


    Master Luo cleared his throat, and the discussion quieted down, everyone looking at him.


    "The cultivation world is vast, and geniuses are countless. It is not impossible for a young person to become a First Grade Array Master. We are just confined to a small place with limited knowledge," Master Luo said.


    Everyone sighed upon hearing this.


    Seeing the dissatisfaction on their faces, Master Luo added, "Moreover, this is just speculation. The truth needs to be verified."


    Master Qian agreed, "Yes, we need to investigate this further."


    Despite his words, he felt that Master Luo''s guess might be true.


    The Little Array Master probably could draw First Grade arrays.


    Such a seamless, refined array pattern, seemingly simple, but truly showcasing profound skill, was beyond his own ability without copying.


    And he was already considered a quasi-First Grade Array Master.


    The group continued to discuss, while Master Luo sipped his tea.


    As he had said, the cultivation world was vast, full of various geniuses.


    The gap between rogue cultivators and family clans was significant, and the difference between small clans and large families was also enormous.


    A so-called genius in a small place might be dazzling locally, but in the broader cultivation world, might be nothing remarkable.


    And what did it matter to him if someone else was a genius?


    Master Luo remained calm.


    "By the way, what is this Little Array Master''s name?" Master Luo suddenly remembered to ask.


    Master Qian replied, "I don''t know his exact name, only that his surname is Mo."


    "Surname Mo..."


    Master Luo nodded, thinking that ''Mo'' was indeed a fitting surname for an Array Master.


    He took a sip of tea, and past memories surfaced in his sea of consciousness.


    "Surname Mo... sounds familiar..."


    He vaguely recalled an incident from two years ago when Instructor Yan came to him, asking him to accept a student as a disciple.


    What did Instructor Yan say?


    Master Luo thought for a moment, then remembered Instructor Yan''s helpless expression and words:


    "Mo Hua is young but obedient, diligent, and extremely talented in array techniques. With just a little guidance from Brother Luo, his future in arrays would be limitless..."


    Master Luo''s heart skipped a beat.


    It couldn''t be such a coincidence...


    He comforted himself, thinking it might just be the same surname. After all, coincidences like this were rare.


    But both were surnamed Mo, both learned arrays, both highly talented...


    Master Luo took a deep breath to calm himself.


    Even if it was the same person, so what? Just a prodigy in arrays.


    Just a teenage First Grade Array Master!


    He wouldn''t regret it!


    Master Luo took another sip of tea, but the once sweet tea had turned bitter in his mouth...

 Chapter 211: Ambush

    The small array master among the demon hunters was that First Grade array master.Following this lead, Qian Hong ordered Qian Shunzhi to investigate further. After a few days, they had some clues.


    Qian Shunzhi found out Mo Hua¡¯s name, address, parents¡¯ details, and even had a portrait of him.


    Now, this portrait was placed before Qian Hong.


    The portrait depicted a boy of about eleven or twelve years old, with a delicate and handsome face, eyes clear as water, and a smile as radiant as the morning sun.


    Qian Hong felt both shocked and fearful.


    He was shocked at such a young age having the skills of a First Grade array master, and fearful that if this child grew up and advanced further in array techniques, the Qian family might have no place to stand. S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Among all the paths of cultivation, array techniques were the most widely used and had the greatest impact.


    Now Mo Hua could only create First Grade arrays, making it hard for the Qian family to cope. If he advanced to the Second Grade, they wouldn¡¯t need to take action themselves; a single word from him could spell disaster for the Qian family.


    Qian Hong¡¯s heart turned murderous.


    Master Qian still wanted to negotiate first and advised Qian Hong not to act rashly.


    A First Grade array master at such a young age would be a great loss if killed.


    Master Qian knew the hardships of studying array techniques and becoming an array master, so he did not suggest Qian Hong to go to extremes.


    Qian Hong thought for a moment and said, ¡°Master Qian makes sense. I will consider it carefully.¡±


    Master Qian nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.


    After sending off Master Qian, Qian Hong immediately ordered Qian Shunzhi, ¡°Find some Qian family disciples at the ninth level of Qi refining and find a way to kill this little array master!¡±


    Qian Shunzhi was somewhat surprised, ¡°What about Master Qian¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Qian is obsessed with array techniques and doesn¡¯t understand these matters.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s gaze turned cold as he continued, ¡°That Mo Hua comes from a wandering cultivator background, his father is a demon hunter, and all his relatives and friends are also wandering cultivators. He is highly valued by Yu Changlin, making it absolutely impossible for him to ally with our Qian family!¡±


    Qian Shunzhi bowed his head and agreed, then added, ¡°If the Dao Court finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°If the Dao Court pursues this, I will try my best to protect you. If I can¡¯t, using a few lives to exchange for a First Grade array master¡¯s life is still worth it.¡±


    Qian Hong looked at Qian Shunzhi and said, ¡°Try not to get involved yourself; let others take action. They will bear the blame. I value you, so don¡¯t get yourself into trouble. Keep your hands clean.¡±


    Qian Shunzhi felt a chill in his heart.


    He finally understood why Qian Hong could become the head of the family.


    This cold and ruthless heart, combined with such thick and black methods, was something worth learning.


    Qian Shunzhi respectfully accepted the order and then followed Qian Hong¡¯s instructions, finding some unfamiliar ninth-level Qi refining cultivators in the family. He told them that the family head had ordered them to kill someone, and if successful, they would receive a direct descendant¡¯s spot.


    If they met misfortune, the family head would also provide generous compensation for their children.


    Seeking wealth amid danger, none of the cultivators refused.


    They disguised themselves as traveling merchants and sat in a teahouse on South Street, listening to storytelling and drinking tea while keeping an eye on Mo Hua.


    This was a path Mo Hua had to take on his way home.


    They were well-prepared, even carrying expensive jade talismans, aiming to kill in one strike without leaving any loose ends.


    Qian Shunzhi sat farther away, pretending to drink tea, but his peripheral vision kept scanning the entrance, searching for Mo Hua based on the portrait in his mind.


    Soon, he spotted a small cultivator with rosy lips and white teeth carrying a storage bag appearing at the entrance.


    It was Mo Hua.


    Qian Shunzhi coughed to signal.


    The Qian family cultivators remained composed, continuing to eat, drink, and listen to the storytelling, but their hands were ready.


    Some were touching their knives, some were holding their swords, and some reached into their robes, ready to use talismans.


    They were well-disguised, showing no signs of their intentions, preparing to strike as soon as Mo Hua got close and then swiftly retreat.


    However, as Mo Hua walked, he suddenly stopped, his gaze filled with slight confusion as he looked at the teahouse and spotted Qian Shunzhi and the others.


    ¡°These people want to kill me?¡± Mo Hua was stunned for a moment.


    He sensed the spiritual power of these cultivators already circulating, a sign of preparing to act.


    Moreover, since his appearance, their spiritual senses had been vaguely probing him, carrying obvious malice.


    They were all at the ninth level of Qi refining, their spiritual senses far weaker than Mo Hua¡¯s. They thought they were being discreet, but to Mo Hua, it was as clear as day.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Mo Hua reached into his storage bag, felt a few arrays, secretly took them out, and slipped them into his sleeve.


    He first prepared the arrays.


    If he could escape, he would; if not, he would find an opportunity to set up the arrays and blow them up.


    A First Grade Earth Fire Array might not kill them, but it could at least temporarily block them.


    Then, Mo Hua could rely on the Passing Water Step to escape.


    He was currently at the sixth level of Qi refining, and it wasn¡¯t wise to entangle with these ninth-level body cultivators. Escaping was the best option.


    With his mind made up, Mo Hua turned to leave.


    Qian Shunzhi and the others also sensed something was wrong. Their intentions seemed to have been discovered.


    Without delay, they all stood up, ready to take action.


    Suddenly, a pair of large hands pressed on Qian Shunzhi¡¯s shoulders, pushing him back into his seat.


    Qian Shunzhi looked up and saw an unfamiliar demon hunter, at the ninth level of Qi refining, with a thick and solid aura.


    He glanced around and saw that his companions were also restrained, surrounded by several demon hunters.


    ¡°You stole my things,¡± the demon hunter said.


    Qian Shunzhi¡¯s eyelids twitched as he denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything.¡±


    ¡°No, you stole!¡±


    Qian Shunzhi sneered, ¡°What did I steal from you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was mistaken,¡± the demon hunter said, ¡°You are trying to rob me!¡±


    ¡°Release¡ª¡±


    Before Qian Shunzhi could finish, the demon hunter punched him in the stomach.


    A wave of pain surged, and Qian Shunzhi knew the plan had failed. Enduring the pain, he drew his knife and slashed at the demon hunter.


    The other Qian family cultivators also began to fight.


    The demon hunters and the Qian family cultivators clashed, blood qi surging, and spiritual power fluctuating.


    The scene became chaotic for a while. After more than twenty rounds of fighting, the numerous demon hunters finally subdued the Qian family cultivators and tied them up.


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment before he understood.


    This was South Street, the demon hunters¡¯ territory, and it was essentially his ¡°territory¡± as well.


    The street was filled with demon hunters he was familiar with.


    Mo Hua suddenly felt his confidence grow.


    The Qian family came looking for trouble, naturally, the demon hunter uncles and aunts would deal with them.


    He didn¡¯t even need to run, nor did he need to waste his arrays.


    Seeing them all tied up, Mo Hua went over to take a look and asked, ¡°Uncle Zhao, what should we do with these people?¡±


    The lead demon hunter was Old Zhao.


    He had previously been hunted by the Qian family, hanging on a cliff¡¯s branch, barely alive. It was Mo Hua who found him, allowing everyone to save him.


    Old Zhao had been seriously injured and had been recuperating for a while. Now, he had mostly recovered.


    Old Zhao smiled at Mo Hua, ¡°Beat them up first, then send them to the Dao Court, claiming they attempted murder.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°They indeed tried to kill me. Thank you, Uncle Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Old Zhao smiled, ¡°If anyone should thank someone, it should be me thanking you. Without you, I might not have survived.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°It was nothing, no need to thank me.¡±


    Old Zhao rummaged through the storage bags of the Qian family cultivators and took out a few jade talismans, tossing them to Mo Hua, ¡°Take these talismans and play with them.¡±

 Chapter 212: Meeting

    S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.Mo Hua glanced at the talismans in his hand, discovering there were three of them, all made of jade. Two had red patterns inscribed with "Flame Talisman," and the other had a gold pattern inscribed with "Golden Sword Talisman."


    "Are these talismans very expensive?" Mo Hua asked.


    Old Zhao nodded, "They are quite expensive and hard to come by. These talismans have the power of a ninth-layer Qi refining spell, with significant destructive power. They are regulated by the Dao Court and not available through ordinary channels."


    "That''s too valuable. I can''t accept them."


    "Take them for self-defense. We''ll feel more at ease." Old Zhao patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, not allowing him to refuse. "Alright, go home early. I''ll deal with these scoundrels."


    "Yes, thank you, Uncle Zhao."


    Mo Hua accepted the talismans and walked home.


    Behind him came the wails of the Qian family cultivators, but Mo Hua ignored them.


    They had brought this upon themselves.


    Once home, Mo Hua examined the three talismans.


    He knew the basic use of talismans but had never used them due to their cost.


    Using talismans was simple: inject spiritual power to activate the talisman, and it would automatically form a spell.


    Most talismans were single-use but packed a powerful punch.


    There were few restrictions on using talismans. As long as one was within the same realm, regardless of spiritual root attribute, cultivation method, or the amount of spiritual power, one could activate the talisman.


    Due to their minimal restrictions and great power, the Dao Court regulated powerful talismans.


    Unregulated use of talismans, especially when stockpiled, could pose a significant threat to the security of the cultivation world.


    Thus, it was challenging for most cultivators to obtain high-quality talismans.


    Mo Hua wondered how the Qian family had acquired these talismans. They had really spared no expense.


    Why do they hate me so much? Mo Hua thought. He had only drawn a few arrays, yet they were targeting him instead of Elder Yu, who was in the Foundation Building stage. Were they just bullying the weak?


    Qian Shunzhi and his companions were beaten black and blue and thrown to the Dao Court.


    Qian Hong spent some spirit stones to bail them out.


    This time, Elder Yu did not extort them, intending to bring the matter to the Dao Court to expose the Qian family''s schemes. This would make Qian Hong more cautious about crossing the Dao Court''s line.


    Hidden conflicts were acceptable, but overt strife was not.


    In Tongxian City, everyone had to adhere to the Dao Court''s laws.


    Qian Hong did not give up. He bribed or hired cultivators from outside the city to make further attempts.


    However, Elder Yu protected Mo Hua well.


    As soon as these cultivators appeared in the south of the city, they were quickly discovered and subdued if they attempted any action.


    Then, as usual, they were beaten up and thrown to the Dao Court.


    The more Qian Hong wanted to kill Mo Hua, the more determined Elder Yu was to protect him, not allowing a single hair on his head to be harmed.


    Qian Hong was frustrated; all his plans failed.


    The demon hunters, who often hunted in Dahei Mountain, were more alert and sensitive to killing intent than ordinary cultivators. Their teamwork was more coordinated, their moves faster, and their strikes deadlier.


    Moreover, this was their territory. If a demon hunter was vigilant, even a foreign fly couldn''t escape detection, let alone a ninth-layer Qi refiner.


    "Should we let Foundation Building cultivators handle it?"


    Qian Hong frowned.


    One wouldn''t be enough, at least two.


    One to hold off Yu Changlin, and another to secretly strike, breaking through the demon hunters'' defenses to kill the young array master.


    But who in the Qian family would take such a risk?


    Everyone was scheming for their own benefits, and as the head of the family, he didn''t want to dirty his hands either.


    Violating Dao laws and murdering cultivators was a serious crime. If no one pursued it, nothing would happen. But if someone did, it could lead to severe consequences, even death.


    Qian Hong sighed.


    For now, hiring Qi refining cultivators was the best option. If they succeeded, it would be a one-time solution. If not, it would only cost some spirit stones.


    If all else failed, Foundation Building cultivators would have to intervene.


    In the long run, the threat posed by a genius array master could not be underestimated.


    The Qian family knew about Mo Hua, and so did Master Luo.


    Previously, he had only suspected, but now that he knew, his feelings were complicated.


    How could it be such a coincidence?


    He was also curious if a first-grade array master, just over ten years old, could truly possess such extraordinary talent.


    Master Luo wanted to see for himself.


    He found Mr. Feng.


    Mr. Feng had been refining pills and saving people in Tongxian City for over a hundred years. He had interacted with many cultivators, from wandering cultivators to family cultivators, regardless of their wealth or status. Master Luo was no exception.


    Master Luo''s grandson had once been critically ill and was saved by Mr. Feng.


    As a token of gratitude, Master Luo had personally drawn a composite array for Mr. Feng''s pill furnace.


    Although the array was exquisite, it was not a first-grade array.


    Mr. Feng was discussing a pill recipe with other alchemists in the Dan Hall when he heard of Master Luo''s visit.


    Mr. Feng pondered for a moment and had someone invite Master Luo to the guest hall for tea.


    The guest hall was specifically for receiving visitors. High walls separated it from the Dan Hall, preventing any view of the interior.


    Some arrays were painted on the walls to obscure spiritual sense. Although they couldn''t completely block it, unless one''s spiritual sense was very strong, they couldn''t detect anything crucial.


    Master Luo walked to the guest hall, sighing inwardly.


    "This is indeed the work of a first-grade array master."


    In the guest hall, the two exchanged pleasantries before Mr. Feng asked, "What brings you here, Master Luo?"


    Master Luo hesitated for a while before speaking, "I wish to meet the ''young array master.''"


    "Mo Hua?"


    Master Luo nodded, "Yes, that''s the name."


    Mr. Feng frowned, "Just to meet?"


    "To be honest, I have studied arrays for many years and have never seen such a talented array master. I am both amazed and curious, so I wish to meet him," Master Luo said.


    "This has nothing to do with the Qian family?"


    "Nothing to do with the Qian family!"


    Mr. Feng remained silent.


    Master Luo earnestly requested, "I hope you can introduce us."


    After a moment of hesitation, Mr. Feng said, "Alright, when Mo Hua comes to the Dan Hall, you can meet him. Please wait a while."


    Master Luo was delighted, "Thank you, Mr. Feng."


    They sat in the guest hall, drinking tea and chatting about past events.


    After two cups of tea, Master Luo began to feel a bit anxious. Then he heard light footsteps approaching. Looking up, he saw a child entering, dressed plainly but with a cute appearance.


    The child''s face was fair, eyes lively, and pupils like stars.


    Master Luo''s eyes widened slightly in surprise.


    There was a faint light in the child''s spiritual sea, indicating a full sea of consciousness and an extraordinary spiritual sense.


    Master Luo became mostly convinced.

 Chapter 213: Regret

    Mo Hua entered the room, greeted Mr. Feng, and then curiously looked at Master Luo.Mr. Feng said, "Mo Hua, this is Master Luo, a First Grade Array Master from Tongxian City."


    Mo Hua was taken aback and hurriedly bowed, "Greetings, Master Luo."


    Master Luo felt a bit uncomfortable with the courtesy and almost wanted to stand up.


    If he wasn''t mistaken, the child before him was already a First Grade Array Master.


    There is no precedence in learning; the accomplished are revered.


    Their array skills were about the same, and he felt unworthy of such courtesy.


    But since Mr. Feng was sitting, he couldn''t stand up directly, so he just clasped his hands and smiled, "No need for such formality, please sit."


    Mo Hua was puzzled, are all First Grade Array Masters so polite?


    Seeing that Master Luo was not so particular, Mo Hua also relaxed, sitting on a high stool, poured himself a cup of tea, and sipped it slowly.


    He had eaten a lot of delicious food before leaving and was now a bit thirsty.


    The living room was momentarily silent, somewhat quiet.


    Master Luo hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly opened his mouth:


    "Mo Hua, is the array in the alchemy hall drawn by you?"


    Mo Hua glanced at Mr. Feng, saw him nod slightly, and then said, "I drew it."


    Master Luo said, "I noticed that several arrays are ingeniously designed and can even confuse spiritual awareness. Is there any particular technique involved?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and didn''t speak.


    Master Luo realized his mistake and quickly said, "I was too abrupt, I apologize."


    Other people''s array insights and inheritances involve secrets, and he shouldn''t have asked so rashly.


    Usually, he was absorbed in studying arrays and had never seen such usage. He was too interested and couldn''t find other topics to talk about, so he asked without thinking. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    With peers who are old Array Masters, he could engage in verbal sparring and mind games, but when faced with a child, Master Luo didn''t know how to start the conversation.


    Mainly, he had never dealt with such a young Array Master before. Generally speaking, someone Mo Hua''s age would be doing well to be an array apprentice.


    Mo Hua said, "It''s okay, I was just thinking about how to explain it."


    "In fact, it''s not purely an array that isolates spiritual awareness, but using the interplay and arrangement of Five Elements arrays, sometimes overlapping, sometimes interweaving, making the Five Elements'' spiritual power either generate or counteract each other, creating a chaotic pattern. When spiritual awareness sweeps over it, it''s naturally confused and unable to perceive the things inside clearly..."


    Mo Hua patiently explained.


    Master Luo suddenly understood, realizing that it didn''t deviate from the framework of Five Elements arrays but cleverly used the layout to achieve the effect of confusing spiritual perception. The thought process was unique and the design exquisite.


    Master Luo felt enlightened, having never seen such an array construction method before.


    "Do you have a mentor?" Master Luo couldn''t help asking.


    Mo Hua smiled and said calmly, "That''s inconvenient to say."


    Master Luo nodded, feeling a bit indebted, and took out a book on arrays from his storage bag:


    "These are some of my array insights over the years. They aren''t profound but are based on experience. They might be useful. I hope you won''t disdain them."


    Mo Hua politely accepted it, flipped through it briefly, his eyes lighting up, "Thank you, Master Luo!"


    The two then chatted briefly about other arrays, both gaining something.


    Master Luo was experienced with arrays, familiar with some obscure array patterns, while Mo Hua was intelligent, quick to learn, and had innovative ideas in array construction.


    As it was getting late, Mo Hua got up to leave, saying:


    "I have some matters to attend to, so I''ll take my leave. Goodbye, Master Luo!"


    Master Luo stood to see him off. After Mo Hua left, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    Mr. Feng took a sip of tea and asked, "What do you think?"


    Master Luo sighed, "He indeed has the knowledge and ability of a First Grade Array Master."


    Moreover, his knowledge and ability were exceptional, his temperament excellent, he was polite and composed, and didn''t withhold his array knowledge.


    Master Luo then said wistfully, "The world is vast and full of wonders. This kind of prodigious talent is something I''ve never seen before..."


    Mr. Feng''s eyes slightly narrowed, "Since that''s the case, I have a request."


    Master Luo was puzzled, "Please, go ahead."


    "This child, Mo Hua, has great talent, but he is still young. If he encounters difficulties, I hope you can lend a hand."


    Master Luo suddenly understood, "You mean the Qian family?"


    "Correct."


    Master Luo frowned, "It''s not that I''m unwilling to help, but I can''t oppose the Qian family without reason. Mo Hua is talented, but he has no connection to me, right?"


    "No need to oppose the Qian family, just speak up if something happens."


    That wasn''t difficult, and Master Luo was willing to do it, but he still asked, "I need a reason, right?"


    Mr. Feng glanced at him, "Do you want to advance further in array skills?"


    Isn''t that a given? What Array Master doesn''t?


    But Mr. Feng was highly respected, so Master Luo couldn''t say it directly and only said implicitly, "Of course."


    After speaking, Master Luo suddenly paused, "You mean... Mo Hua can help me..."


    Mr. Feng nodded.


    Master Luo was shocked, then a bit angry, and said coldly:


    "Mo Hua indeed has great talent, but he is a First Grade, and so am I. Moreover, he hasn''t been certified, while I am a certified First Grade Array Master by the Dao Court."


    "Array skills have their strengths. In some areas, he may not surpass me. Even if he has better talent and will surpass me in array skills in the future, that''s in the future, not now."


    Array Masters have their pride. They don''t easily seek help from others, especially not from a child. How would he maintain his dignity?


    Master Luo thought this to himself.


    Mr. Feng sighed, "You don''t understand."


    Master Luo frowned, "What is there not to understand?"


    "Come with me," Mr. Feng stood up and said to Master Luo.


    Master Luo, not understanding, followed Mr. Feng, who led him past a high wall, through the alchemy hall, around several stone paths, to the center of a courtyard.


    In the middle of the courtyard stood a large alchemy furnace. It was ancient in design, with elegant cloud patterns.


    The courtyard was bustling and busy.


    Herbs were sorted into categories around, with alchemists flipping through alchemy books, apprentices grabbing herbs, and several alchemists focusing on controlling the fire and refining pills.


    When Master Luo saw the furnace, he had a vague suspicion.


    The furnace was too large, which meant that the array on the furnace was extraordinary.


    As he got closer and saw the furnace fire, his heart couldn''t help but race.


    He pointed at the furnace fire, looking at Mr. Feng in disbelief, "This... this furnace fire..."


    Mr. Feng nodded.


    Master Luo looked at the alchemy furnace again, showing shock:


    "Then... this array is..."


    Mr. Feng nodded again.


    Master Luo stood stunned for a long time, finally murmuring:


    "A First Grade Composite Array!"


    Master Luo didn''t know how he got back.


    When he returned to his cave dwelling and stood in his courtyard, he finally came to his senses.


    A First Grade Composite Array!


    He had never mastered it, and even his fellow disciples and master hadn''t been able to draw a First Grade Composite Array during the Qi refining stage.


    He recalled that it was in this courtyard that Instructor Yan had asked him to take Mo Hua as a disciple.


    And he had casually refused...


    Master Luo stood dazed for a long time, then, seeing no one around, couldn''t help but slap his mouth:


    "Why did I have to be so stupid? Why did I have to say things so definitively? Why didn''t I leave some room for maneuver?"


    Even if he didn''t take him as a disciple, just giving some guidance would have been a great favor.


    Master Luo felt bitter, deeply regretting his actions...

 Chapter 214: Negotiation

    Master Luo had a sleepless night. The next day, he found several array masters in Tongxian City, gave them a few instructions, and then went to the Qian family to find Master Qian."I''ve spoken to them all. From now on, they are not to trouble Mo Hua. It''s best to avoid any conflicts with the demon hunters as well."


    Master Qian frowned, "Master Luo, you..."


    Master Luo asked back, "Brother Qian, what are your plans?"


    "Are you talking about Mo Hua?"


    "Indeed."


    Master Qian was slightly taken aback and said, "I originally intended to befriend him. If he could serve the Qian family, that would be ideal; if not, I hoped he would stay neutral. If that also fails, then we would have no choice but to act ruthlessly. Once it comes to blows, life and death are out of our hands."


    Master Qian shared his suggestion regarding Qian Hong with Master Luo.


    Master Luo sneered, "But Qian Hong acted directly, aiming to kill Mo Hua."


    Master Qian was stunned and then sighed, "He is the head of the family, I am helpless."


    The affairs of the Qian family could only be decided by the head. Although he was an array master and an elder, with a high status, he couldn''t influence the head''s decisions.


    Master Luo''s gaze sharpened, "Have you thought about your future?"


    "Future?"


    "If the Qian family continues to prosper, you can remain an elder of the Qian family. But if the Qian family falls, where will you go?"


    Master Qian was displeased, "Master Luo, you''re wrong. The Qian family has been entrenched in Tongxian City for many years. How could it fall so easily?"


    Master Luo sipped his tea and said nothing.


    Master Qian thought deeply, and a chill crept into his heart. He lowered his tone and said softly, "I am an elder of the Qian family and an array master. I enjoy the privileges of the clan. It is not appropriate for me to act against the clan''s interests."


    Master Luo pointed out, "You are an array master, so the family treats you well. If you were not an array master, would the Qian family still treat you well?"


    Master Qian''s heart trembled.


    He had long known this in his heart but had never thought deeply about it due to his high position.


    Master Qian had interacted with various members of the Qian family: some guarded the house, some served tea, and some attended diligently.


    They were also members of the Qian family, but they had never been treated well.


    If he were not an array master, would he be any better off than them?


    The family treated him well because he was an array master, not because he was a member of the Qian family. Everything he had now was because he was an array master.


    Master Luo continued, "If you are an array master, even if the Qian family weakens, you will still be treated well. If you are not an array master, even if the Qian family is strong, it might not benefit you."


    Master Qian was silent for a moment and then said in a low voice, "Please enlighten me, Master Luo."


    Master Luo raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is most important for an array master?"


    Master Qian thought for a moment and said, "The family and the legacy?"


    Master Luo looked disappointed, sighed, and tapped the table with his fingers, "It is the arrays!"


    "An array master should study arrays and seek higher attainments in array arts. If you were a Second Grade Array Master, would you care about these small matters in the Qi Refining Stage?"


    Master Qian hesitated, "But learning arrays is not easy..."


    He knew the importance of arrays, but without the family''s support and array legacy, how could he learn arrays?


    Master Luo looked at him and said, "You are already a First Grade Array Master. You don''t need to rely too much on the family. The Qian family has no higher legacy in arrays. Now, you need to find a way to further advance in arrays."


    "Master Luo is right, but how can I advance?" Master Qian asked.


    Master Luo did not answer directly.


    Master Qian thought over the conversation and suddenly realized, "Mo Hua?"


    Master Luo nodded.


    "But what does this have to do with Mo Hua?" Master Qian was puzzled.


    Master Luo was silent for a long time before sighing deeply and reluctantly said, "Mo Hua''s array skills surpass mine."


    Master Qian''s eyes widened, "You''re not joking, are you?"


    Master Luo''s expression turned unfriendly.


    Master Qian realized he had misspoken. An array master was proud and would not joke about such matters.


    "But... but how is this possible? How old is he?" Master Qian couldn''t believe it.


    "Never mind his age. Facts are facts. The cultivation world is vast, with countless outstanding talents. It is normal that we haven''t encountered such brilliance."


    Master Luo paused and then said, "Moreover, the younger he is, the greater his future potential, and the more remarkable his achievements in arrays will be."


    Master Qian frowned, feeling uncomfortable, and coldly snorted, "Even if he could become a Second Grade Array Master in the future, I don''t want to curry favor with him and live under his thumb!"


    "You fool!" Master Luo cursed softly, "Who said you should live under his thumb? You need to form good relations so that he might help you with arrays in the future."


    "Arrays require hard work, but the real danger is in going down the wrong path. If he becomes a high-ranking array master, a few words from him could enlighten you and save you years of misguided effort." S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Curry favor? You''re an old man with a face full of wrinkles, not a young and pretty girl. Do you think anyone cares about you currying favor?"


    Master Qian felt ashamed but realized Master Luo made sense.


    In Tongxian City, a First Grade Array Master was the pinnacle, but progressing further was extremely difficult.


    Without legacy or guidance from a Second Grade Array Master, many higher-level arrays were incomprehensible to him.


    If Mo Hua could indeed advance and become a Second Grade Array Master, his guidance would be invaluable, saving him years of blind study.


    As for pride, if Master Luo didn''t mind, why should he?


    Compared to the grand path of arrays, these concerns were trivial.


    "But..." Master Qian hesitated, "The Qian family wants to kill him, and I am their array master. If he holds a grudge against me, what then?"


    "Don''t worry," Master Luo said, "I''ve met Mo Hua. He is good-natured and reasonable. As long as you don''t provoke him, he won''t take it out on you."


    Master Luo, with over a century of life experience, had a good eye for people.


    Master Qian nodded but still frowned, "Then what should I do?"


    He couldn''t openly betray the Qian family...


    "Do nothing."


    Master Qian was stunned, "Do nothing?"


    "The Qian family''s disputes are none of your concern. Don''t trouble Mo Hua. Prepare some gifts, and I will deliver them for you, explaining the situation. He won''t blame you," Master Luo said.


    Master Qian thought for a long time and finally relaxed, "That would be best. I''ll trouble you, Master Luo."


    This way, he wouldn''t be in a dilemma.


    The next day, he went to see Qian Hong. Although he didn''t speak directly, he expressed his dissatisfaction with Qian Hong''s decision to send people to kill Mo Hua, creating deep enmity.


    Qian Hong was displeased, and their conversation ended in disagreement.


    Qian Hong couldn''t ask Master Qian to do anything else but didn''t dare to offend him too much.


    Master Qian was an elder and was about to become a First Grade Array Master, with significant influence in the family.


    If he pushed Master Qian too far, causing him to ally with other elders, his position as head of the family would be in jeopardy.


    Currently, Master Qian was the only one who could become a First Grade Array Master, but there were many candidates for the head of the family, not just Qian Hong.


    Master Qian also took this opportunity to distance himself from Qian Hong.

 Chapter 215: Supervisor

    Mo Hua''s life had recently become much more interesting.There were always cultivators from the Qian family, or those hired by the Qian family, trying to cause him trouble, but their every move was always observed by Mo Hua.


    Most of the time, just when they were about to take action, they would be discovered by demon hunters and get a good beating.


    In rare instances, when they managed to hide well enough to avoid the nearby demon hunters, they still couldn''t escape Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness.


    Mo Hua would call over a few demon hunter uncles, point them out one by one, and they would inevitably receive another beating.


    Mo Hua watched the show from the side.


    This made his days of practicing cultivation techniques and learning arrays much less boring.


    One day, Mo Hua was chewing on wild fruits given by Aunt Jiang while chatting with An Xiaofu at a food stall.


    Ever since Mo Hua had treated An Xiaofu to a meal that day, An Xiaofu had been coming over every three or two days.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, "Doesn''t your family have a meal tower?"


    "I''m tired of eating there. It''s not as good as here, and it''s more lively here," An Xiaofu said.


    The first few times he came, An Xiaofu was a bit reserved.


    The other cultivators saw that he dressed differently and didn''t talk to him.


    Later, as he came more often and got familiar, and because he was Mo Hua''s friend, the other cultivators started chatting with him.


    An Xiaofu talked about food in great detail and listened with interest to stories about Dahei Mountain or the neighborhood.


    Over time, An Xiaofu became less reserved.


    Occasionally, he would bring some wine brewed by the An family to share, and others would offer him wild fruits, pastries, and the like.


    The taste wasn''t always great, but it was unique, and the sentiment was genuine.


    An Xiaofu enjoyed coming here even more.


    At home with the An family, he always felt a bit stifled.


    It was better to come to the food stall, chat with ordinary cultivators, drink some wine, and live leisurely.


    Seeing him enjoying himself, Mo Hua also felt relieved.


    An Xiaofu would tell Mo Hua some strange and interesting stories, sometimes embellishing or exaggerating them, and regardless of their truth, Mo Hua found them entertaining.


    As it grew late, An Xiaofu reluctantly headed home.


    Mo Hua saw him off and turned to see Zhang Lan walking over from the other side of the stone path.


    "Uncle Zhang? Why are you here now?"


    Zhang Lan sighed, "Busy, just found some time."


    Mo Hua didn''t believe him.


    Zhang Lan sighed helplessly, "Go, get me some food. I''ll talk to you later."


    "Anything specific you want?"


    "Just order as you like."


    Mo Hua didn''t order anything too expensive, just some slightly pricier dishes that he liked but didn''t eat often.


    There was a kind of mutton, slightly gamy but deliciously chewy.


    And a kind of dog meat, spicy and tasty.


    Both were grass-eating demonic beasts, though they killed people, they didn''t eat them, so their blood was relatively clean.


    There were also some seasonal vegetables and cut fruits.


    There were four or five plates in total, both meat and vegetables, looking colorful, set on Zhang Lan''s table.


    Zhang Lan handed a pair of chopsticks to Mo Hua, "Sit down and eat too."


    Mo Hua didn''t stand on ceremony, took the chopsticks, and started eating.


    The food was delicious, both because his mother made it and because he ordered it.


    After a few bites, Mo Hua couldn''t help but squint his eyes in satisfaction, but thinking Zhang Lan had to pay for it, he generously said:


    "I''ll give you a 20% discount!"


    Zhang Lan couldn''t help but laugh, "Alright, 20% off! Thank you, little shopkeeper!"


    "You''re welcome."


    Mo Hua smiled, took another bite of the mutton, and asked: S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "You said you had something to talk to me about. What is it?"


    Zhang Lan got straight to the point, "The Supervisor wants to see you."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "The Supervisor? The Supervisor of your Dao Court?"


    "Yes." Zhang Lan nodded after tasting some meat and continued, "He heard you draw arrays well and wants to meet you."


    "Just because of that?"


    Zhang Lan sighed.


    It wasn''t just that he drew arrays well, but that he drew them exceptionally well.


    He didn''t even know when Mo Hua had started being able to draw even First Grade arrays. When the Supervisor mentioned it, he was taken aback.


    "Drawing arrays well is respectable in itself, especially since you''re so young. The Supervisor definitely wants to meet you."


    "There''s another reason." Zhang Lan added, "It''s because you helped build the artifact crafting shop and the alchemy shop in the south of the city, which are the biggest cultivation industries in Tongxian City."


    "What does that have to do with the Supervisor?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    "The Dao Court also values merits. Stability under their rule, spirit stone taxes, and the construction of cultivation projects are all considered merits. The biggest artifact crafting and alchemy shops in Tongxian City were built under his jurisdiction, so naturally, these are counted as his merits."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    Zhang Lan took a sip of wine and continued, "The old Supervisor worked diligently in his youth but didn''t achieve much. Now that he''s older and wants to retire, he unexpectedly gained such significant merits."


    Zhang Lan shook his head, laughing, "It''s a blessing. The old Supervisor is very grateful to you."


    Mo Hua smiled modestly, "I didn''t do much, just drew some arrays."


    Zhang Lan rolled his eyes at him, "That''s enough. Too much humility is arrogance."


    Is that "drawing some arrays"?


    From architecture to the refining furnaces and alchemy furnaces, the arrays were all drawn by you.


    Thinking of this, Zhang Lan couldn''t help but sigh again.


    He didn''t know how Mo Hua''s little brain worked, how it could have such powerful spiritual awareness.


    The entire artifact crafting shop and alchemy shop, so many arrays, all drawn by him alone...


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, was worried, "Is there anything I should be mindful of when meeting the Supervisor? Any taboos?"


    Zhang Lan shook his head.


    Mo Hua asked again, "By the way, the Supervisor''s surname isn''t Fu, right?"


    Zhang Lan was puzzled, "What''s wrong with the surname Fu?"


    "If his surname is ''Fu,'' he would be demoted a rank, becoming a Deputy Supervisor, so if his surname is Fu, he could only be called the Supervisor, not the Deputy Supervisor."


    Zhang Lan was exasperated, "Where do you hear all these things?"


    "This is cultivation experience, don''t worry about where I heard it."


    Zhang Lan said helplessly, "The Supervisor''s surname is Zhou, he''s a good person, with no particular taboos. You''re young, even if you say something inappropriate, he won''t blame you, don''t worry."


    "Okay." Mo Hua nodded.


    Two days later, Mo Hua followed Zhang Lan to the Dao Court to meet Supervisor Zhou.


    The Dao Court was quite imposing, but evidently old, with some rooms tightly shut, the contents unknown.


    The accessible rooms were mostly offices for Dao Court cultivators, decorated solemnly, not luxurious, filled with various cultivation texts and records, as well as jade slips of different shapes.


    It looked a bit dull, different from Mo Hua''s imagination.


    This was the upper building; supposedly, there was a Dao Prison underground.


    The so-called Dao Prison was a prison for cultivators who violated the Dao Laws.


    Mo Hua wanted to see it to broaden his knowledge, but Zhang Lan wouldn''t let him.

 Chapter 216: The Ancestor

    "The Dao Prison doesn''t allow cultivators to enter casually. Ordinary cultivators should best avoid it for life; it''s not a good place."Mo Hua nodded in agreement, finding Zhang Lan''s words reasonable.


    He wanted to be a law-abiding cultivator, so the Dao Prison was best avoided if possible.


    Inside and outside the Dao Court, there were many arrays.


    These arrays were quite subtle and of high grade; some Mo Hua could recognize, and some he couldn''t discern.


    Mo Hua didn''t dare look too closely.


    After all, this was the Dao Court. If he saw some forbidden arrays, it would be troublesome.


    Zhang Lan brought Mo Hua before Chief Zhou and respectfully bowed.


    Mo Hua followed suit, then sneaked a glance at Chief Zhou.


    Chief Zhou was very old, with graying hair and a slightly stooped figure. His face was kind, but his gaze still held the authority of someone in a high position.


    Chief Zhou looked at Mo Hua, nodded, and couldn''t help but praise him.


    Mo Hua reciprocated with a few compliments about Chief Zhou, using phrases Zhang Lan had taught him, like "peace under your rule," "hard work and great achievements," and "outstanding merits."


    Chief Zhou''s smile grew wider.


    He glanced at Zhang Lan and said, "This child is indeed exceptionally clever."


    Zhang Lan smiled, feeling a mix of emotions:


    "Clever indeed, these flattering words were all taught by me, and he used them all so quickly..."


    Chief Zhou then asked about the arrays.


    Mo Hua answered truthfully.


    However, Chief Zhou was not proficient in arrays, so he asked seemingly profound but actually simple questions. Mo Hua found it easy to answer.


    Chief Zhou was even more satisfied, looking at Mo Hua with appreciation.


    That was enough conversation; it was just casual small talk without deeper topics.


    Chief Zhou was busy with the affairs of the Dao Court in Tongxian City, so Mo Hua and Zhang Lan bowed and took their leave.


    Before leaving, Chief Zhou called out to Mo Hua and said:


    "I''ve spoken to the Qian family. You don''t need to worry, just focus on studying arrays."


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "Thank you, Chief!"


    Chief Zhou stroked his long beard and nodded in satisfaction.


    What he wanted to hear was that "thank you."


    ---


    The Qian Family.


    In the ancestral cave of the Qian family, Qian Hong looked incredulous.


    The ancestor had just instructed him to be cautious and not trouble that young array master, Mo Hua, any further.


    Qian Hong quickly said, "Ancestor, Mo Hua is young but already a First Grade Array Master. If we leave him be, in time, our Qian family might have no place in Tongxian City."


    The Qian family ancestor was at the mid-Foundation Building stage, but he was old, his blood and energy weakening, and his cultivation declining. He wouldn''t meddle in family affairs unless something major happened.


    His cloudy eyes looked at Qian Hong and slowly said, "You should have acted sooner. You, along with a few Foundation Building elders, should have swiftly killed that boy. Now, it''s too late..."


    The Qian family ancestor''s breath was weak, his voice hoarse, and his speech halting.


    Qian Hong respectfully said, "Grandson wanted to act cautiously, not wanting to be reckless and leave evidence."


    The Qian family ancestor scrutinized him silently.


    Qian Hong felt immense pressure and had to say, "The elders in the family have their own interests and might not obey my orders."


    The Qian family ancestor looked at him with disappointment, "You are the family head. If they don''t obey you, who do you blame?"


    These words were heavy, implying Qian Hong''s incompetence and inability to command.


    Qian Hong dared not retort and bowed his head respectfully, "Ancestor''s criticism is right."


    "You..." The Qian family ancestor coughed, "You are ruthless, but not ruthless enough; selfish, but not selfish enough; able to endure, but not to the end."


    The Qian family ancestor sighed, "You have a bit of everything, but each is lacking."


    Qian Hong quickly knelt and kowtowed, "Please give grandson another chance. I will decisively kill that young array master!"


    "You can''t kill him anymore..."


    The Qian family ancestor slowly said, "Even if you kill him, it won''t be much better than not killing him."


    Qian Hong was puzzled, "Please enlighten me, Ancestor."


    "Go back and count how many people you will offend if you kill that young array master."


    The Qian family ancestor closed his cloudy eyes, "Go, think it over carefully."


    Qian Hong kowtowed and respectfully withdrew.


    In the vast and empty cave, only the Qian family ancestor remained.


    He looked down at his withered hands, the brown age spots on the backs, and the occasional peeling skin, his gaze numb.


    "Am I dying..."


    The Qian family ancestor muttered hoarsely.


    After speaking, he started coughing violently, as if coughing up his lungs.


    The Qian family ancestor hurriedly took out a jade bottle from his robe, tremblingly poured out a pill, and carefully put it in his mouth, closing his eyes to refine the medicinal power.


    The medicine took effect, and the coughing subsided. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Qian family ancestor slowly opened his eyes, which had a faint blood-red hue.


    "But... I don''t want to die yet..."


    ---


    After leaving the ancestor''s cave, Qian Hong immediately had people investigate who had spoken to the ancestor.


    In the evening, someone reported to him:


    "It was Chief Zhou from the Dao Court who specially visited the ancestor, seemingly asking the Qian family not to trouble that young array master."


    Qian Hong frowned, "No personal connection, why would Chief Zhou speak for that young array master?"


    He recalled the ancestor''s words, "If you kill that young array master, how many people will you offend..."


    Qian Hong sorted through Mo Hua''s connections and had people investigate further, getting a list.


    Qian Hong glanced at it and slumped in his chair.


    How could this be?


    The list of names was overwhelming, giving Qian Hong a headache:


    Chief Zhou of the Dao Court wanted to protect Mo Hua. The Dao Court''s Zhang Lan was familiar with Mo Hua, and behind Zhang Lan was the Zhang family.


    Among the demon hunters, Elder Yu was protective, that was certain.


    Other demon hunters, regardless of their level, were mostly indebted to that boy and willingly protected him.


    Among the wandering cultivators, many array masters and alchemists knew Mo Hua.


    Especially Mr. Feng, who had many disciples and connections, had watched Mo Hua grow up.


    The young master of the An family was friends with Mo Hua. The An family''s old master already opposed the Qian family and would naturally side with Mo Hua. Moreover, Mo Hua was a First Grade Array Master, giving the old master more reason to help.


    Among the array masters in Tongxian City, Master Luo had declared that no array master in the city should trouble Mo Hua.


    Even within the Qian family, Master Qian was unwilling to oppose Mo Hua.


    Additionally, the three members of the Bai family, who were visiting from afar, especially the siblings, seemed to have a good relationship with Mo Hua. They were seen together during the demon hunting festival...


    Counting all these connections made Qian Hong''s scalp tingle.


    How could a boy of around ten know so many cultivators?


    If he really killed Mo Hua, wouldn''t it instantly create a massive problem?


    Qian Hong was both shocked and fearful.


    As the saying goes, a strong dragon does not suppress a local snake.


    In theory, the Qian family was the undisputed local power in Tongxian City.


    But now, it seemed that if the Qian family was the local snake, then Mo Hua was the "local dragon."


    In this situation, how could he act? How dare he act?


    How did things develop to this point?


    Qian Hong''s head throbbed. After a while, he sighed, rubbed his forehead, and though filled with unwillingness, could only reluctantly say:


    "Given the current situation, we can only take a long-term view and endure for now..."


    He didn''t want to let Mo Hua go, but for now, he had to endure.


    Endure for now, as long as he endured, there would always be a chance...

 Chapter 217: The Dining House

    The Qian family had known when to back off and hadn¡¯t caused him any trouble for many days.Mo Hua was happy to be free from disturbances and resumed his own affairs.


    The artifact refining shop and alchemy shop were already built, so he no longer needed to worry about them. There was another matter he had planned to take on.


    One afternoon, An Xiaofu came by again to eat.


    He drank wine, ate meat, and chatted with everyone.


    Perhaps inheriting his mother¡¯s talent, An Xiaofu was very good at listening to and sharing gossip.


    When he listened, people liked to talk; when he talked, people liked to listen.


    Mo Hua beckoned to him.


    An Xiaofu, seeing this, was initially surprised but then delighted, immediately running over with joy.


    He approached and saw nothing on the table in front of Mo Hua, looking puzzled:


    ¡°No food?¡±


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly, thinking that An Xiaofu must have thought there was food, which was why he called him over.


    ¡°Have you decided what to do?¡± Mo Hua asked directly.


    An Xiaofu sighed, ¡°Not yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to open a dining house?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°A dining house?¡± An Xiaofu was momentarily confused, ¡°Our family already has one¡­¡±


    ¡°This one is different.¡±


    An Xiaofu frowned, thinking for a long time but couldn¡¯t figure out what could be different.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all dining houses the same?¡±


    ¡°The dining house you open will be your own.¡±


    ¡°My own?¡±


    An Xiaofu thought for a moment, a light bulb went off, and he was startled, ¡°You want me to get rid of my dad and take over the family dining house?¡±


    Mo Hua was also startled, ¡°How did you come up with such an idea¡­¡±


    ¡°A traveling merchant passed by a few days ago. I invited him for a drink, and he told me¡­¡±


    An Xiaofu lowered his voice, secretly confiding to Mo Hua:


    ¡°He said there was a son who secretly killed his father and took over his father¡¯s cultivation property, doing it so cleanly that no one knew until the son accidentally revealed it when drunk¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t need to kill your father.¡±


    An Xiaofu breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°You should open your own dining house, according to your own preferences.¡±


    ¡°My own preferences?¡±


    An Xiaofu still didn¡¯t quite understand.


    ¡°Do you like eating here?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded.


    ¡°Do you like listening to stories?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Do you like eating the demon meat here?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded even more enthusiastically.


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    An Xiaofu roughly understood, his eyes gradually brightening, but he still hesitated:


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have anything.¡±


    ¡°What do you need to open a dining house?¡±


    An Xiaofu counted on his fingers, ¡°Spirit stones, a small building, a chef, recipes, a stove, staff¡­¡±


    ¡°I can handle the stove, the recipes can come from my mother, and the spirit stones, location, and staff can come from Old Master An.¡±


    ¡°My grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    An Xiaofu felt timid, ¡°My grandfather won¡¯t agree¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you know if you don¡¯t ask?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to open this dining house?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    An Xiaofu thought about what Mo Hua said, seriously nodded, ¡°I do!¡±


    ¡°Since you want to do it, you should strive to do it.¡±


    An Xiaofu thought about his grandfather and felt scared.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Some things, the more you fear, the less likely you are to do them, and the less you do, the more you fear.¡±


    An Xiaofu mumbled, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Does your grandfather hit you?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t usually hit me, my father does¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of your father scolding you?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded.


    ¡°Then imagine your grandfather has already scolded you and hit you, then go talk to him.¡±


    An Xiaofu was stunned.


    ¡°If he¡¯s already scolded and hit you, what are you still afraid of?¡±


    An Xiaofu suddenly understood, feeling less scared, ¡°It makes sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patted his shoulder, ¡°If you don¡¯t strive for what you love now, you¡¯ll regret it in the future.¡±


    An Xiaofu felt endless courage rising within him and nodded earnestly.


    But that courage dissipated as soon as he got home.


    Thinking of his grandfather and father, he instinctively felt afraid.


    He couldn¡¯t say exactly what he was afraid of, but he just felt very scared.


    An Xiaofu couldn¡¯t eat, and couldn¡¯t sleep at night. He wanted to go to Mo Hua¡¯s eatery to play but felt embarrassed because he didn¡¯t have the courage to face Mo Hua after backing down.


    Mo Hua had encouraged him so much, but he had chickened out, making him feel very guilty.


    An Xiaofu¡¯s mother noticed his condition and was very worried:


    ¡°I told you to eat less, not to stop eating altogether.¡±


    An Xiaofu mumbled, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not that¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so distracted these past few days, is something on your mind?¡±


    An Xiaofu couldn¡¯t say it.


    She couldn¡¯t guess her son¡¯s thoughts, so she just said, ¡°You need to eat well to have the strength to think.¡±


    An Xiaofu originally had no appetite, but after a few bites, he suddenly felt like eating, and finally ate ravenously until he was full.


    After eating, his courage suddenly returned.


    An Xiaofu, with a face full of determination, said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going.¡±


    His mother looked at him bewildered, wondering what was going on with this child¡­


    An Xiaofu, with a heart set on a do-or-die mission, walked down the long corridor and finally reached the door of Old Master An¡¯s study.


    This journey had nearly exhausted all his energy.


    An Xiaofu stood there for a long time, regaining some courage before biting his lip, closing his eyes, and stepping over the threshold.


    Old Master An had long known his grandson was coming.


    When he was young and carefree, Xiaofu often came to play alone.


    But since he was seven or eight years old, he never took the initiative to approach the study.


    Perhaps he grew up and became sensible, or maybe he could read people¡¯s expressions.


    Children, though young, can be very perceptive. This sensitivity is almost instinctive, and they might not even realize it themselves.


    This time, for some reason, he came alone again.


    But with such a solemn expression, it was as if he was going to his execution¡­


    Old Master An felt complicated watching this.


    ¡°I¡¯m still his grandfather, at most I¡¯ll scold him a few times, I won¡¯t eat him, why is he so scared¡­¡±


    An Xiaofu mustered his courage and finally stood in front of Old Master An.


    ¡°Xiaofu, do you have something to say?¡±


    Old Master An asked, trying to make his voice sound kinder.


    An Xiaofu stammered for a long time before saying:


    ¡°Grandfather, I¡­ I want to open¡­ a dining house.¡±


    Old Master An frowned, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the An family already have many dining houses?¡±


    An Xiaofu felt timid but still braced himself and said, ¡°I want to open my own.¡±


    ¡°Why do you suddenly want to open a dining house? Did someone tell you something?¡± Old Master An asked calmly.


    An Xiaofu, feeling the need to be loyal, didn¡¯t mention Mo Hua and just said:


    ¡°No one told me anything, I just want to do it.¡±


    Old Master An raised an eyebrow, ¡°What about the location and the spirit stones for capital?¡±


    An Xiaofu said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you for them!¡±


    This was said with a hint of righteous indignation.


    Old Master An was a bit surprised and asked again, ¡°What about the food and recipes?¡±


    ¡°I have connections.¡±


    ¡°And the stove?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find someone to refine it.¡±


    ¡°What about the formations on the stove?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua will help me draw them.¡±


    An Xiaofu blurted out.


    When it came to formations, the first person that came to his mind was Mo Hua¡­


    Old Master An understood.


    But he wasn¡¯t displeased, rather he was quite happy.


    Mo Hua helping An Xiaofu, regardless of what he did, was a good thing.


    Old Master An pretended to ponder and didn¡¯t speak.


    An Xiaofu was on pins and needles, both hopeful and anxious, his chubby forehead sweating.


    Old Master An thought it was enough and nodded, ¡°I agree.¡±


    An Xiaofu was overjoyed, his eyes wide, ¡°Really?¡±


    Old Master An nodded, ¡°Go talk to your father. Ask for whatever you need and say I agreed. He cannot refuse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh.¡± An Xiaofu nodded repeatedly, then immediately ran out.


    Halfway, he suddenly remembered something, ran back quickly, and respectfully said:


    ¡°Thank you, grandfather!¡±


    Old Master An shook his head helplessly, ¡°Go.¡±


    An Xiaofu ran out again, completely immersed in joy, his feet feeling light, as if walking on clouds.


    An Xiaofu found his father, An Yonglu, and told him what his grandfather had said.


    An Yonglu was surprised, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Grandfather agreed!¡±


    An Xiaofu was more confident.


    An Yonglu was skeptical, but he also knew his son wasn¡¯t bold enough to lie about such a thing, especially using his grandfather¡¯s name.


    An Yonglu agreed. After An Xiaofu left happily, he went to find Old Master An.


    ¡°Father, about Xiaofu¡¯s matter¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him do it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts, it¡¯s just a dining house, and Mo Hua is willing to help. It¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°Why would Mo Hua


    help Xiaofu?¡± An Yonglu was puzzled.


    ¡°Probably some friendship.¡± Old Master An glanced at An Yonglu, ¡°In Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, your son has more face than you. If you ask Mo Hua for help, he might not even bother.¡±


    An Yonglu smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°But,¡± An Yonglu was still puzzled, ¡°Why open a dining house?¡±


    Although a dining house could earn spirit stones, it couldn¡¯t compare to an artifact refining shop or alchemy shop.


    Why would Mo Hua open a dining house?


    Old Master An couldn¡¯t figure it out for a moment, but although Mo Hua was an array master, he was still a child.


    It was hard to predict what was on a child¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just playing around, opening it for fun.¡±


    Old Master An sighed and instructed An Yonglu:


    ¡°Whatever Xiaofu needs, give it to him. It¡¯s just a dining house. Let them do it and consider it a good connection with Mo Hua.¡±


    An Yonglu nodded, ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    An Xiaofu mustered all his courage, spoke to his grandfather, made his request, and his grandfather agreed.


    His dining house was settled.


    An Xiaofu felt he had completed his mission and lived up to Mo Hua¡¯s expectations, feeling a huge relief.


    That afternoon, he happily went to Mo Hua¡¯s eatery.


    Having completed his task, he felt he had the ¡°face¡± to see Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua praised him and treated him to many good things.


    An Xiaofu was very touched and decided to make up for the meals he had missed in the past few days.


    Then came the preparation for the dining house.


    Preparing a dining house was much simpler than an artifact refining shop or alchemy shop.


    Moreover, the An family had opened so many dining houses that everything was familiar, from location to staff, all handled by the An family without Mo Hua needing to worry.


    Mo Hua only needed to care about the stove and the formations on it.


    The stove in the eatery was refined by Master Chen and the formations were drawn by Mo Hua.


    However, at that time, Mo Hua¡¯s formation skills were still low, the stove was small, the heat was not strong, and its functions were average.


    Mo Hua suggested changing it, but Liu Ruhua disagreed.


    It was the stove they used when the eatery first opened, and the formations were drawn by Mo Hua himself. She had gotten used to it over time and didn¡¯t want to waste spirit stones to change it.


    But for the new dining house, the small stove wouldn¡¯t do, so Mo Hua decided to refine a larger first-grade stove.


    Mo Hua asked Master Chen for help, who agreed without hesitation.


    Having refined first-grade artifact refining furnaces and alchemy furnaces, a stove was a piece of cake.


    The artifact refining blueprint was found by Master Chen, materials were provided by Elder Yu, and the artifact refiners worked together. In less than a week, the stove was ready.


    The refined stove was two people tall, made of solid and durable materials, with less celestial aura and more earthly smoke in its design.


    This stove was already at the first-grade spiritual tool level.


    Mo Hua was very satisfied.


    He then drew a simplified version of the first-grade Molten Fire Spirit Control Composite Array inside the stove.


    This array could control the heat and had a cold air array for cooling, but it only included a first-grade Molten Fire Array.


    Cooking didn¡¯t require as much heat as refining artifacts, so one array was enough.


    Too much heat could damage the stove.


    With the stove ready, the dining house was also renovated.


    The dining house wasn¡¯t on North Street but on South Street where many independent cultivators lived.


    North Street already had the An family¡¯s spiritual dining house, so opening another one there was meaningless, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t want it there either.


    He wanted the dining house to provide cheap meat for independent cultivators. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    So it naturally had to be on South Street where they congregated.


    The dining house was named ¡°Fortune Dining House,¡± hoping that all the lower-level independent cultivators in Tongxian City would have good food, bringing some joy to their hard lives.


    Fortune Dining House was half owned by An Xiaofu and half by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua gave his half to his mother.


    Liu Ruhua disagreed, but Mo Hua said:


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s mine is yours. Please help me manage this dining house for now.¡±


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t argue with Mo Hua and had to agree.


    The recipes were provided by Liu Ruhua, and the chefs were guided by her, but she didn¡¯t need to personally labor. She just needed to oversee the eatery and study recipes.


    An Xiaofu managed the day-to-day affairs of the dining house.


    As a young master of the An family, even if he didn¡¯t know how to manage, the An family would find someone to teach him. Even if he made mistakes initially, he would become adept over time.


    Although An Xiaofu was a family member, he was kind-hearted and sincere, making him suitable for the dining house business.


    The An family was already in the dining house business, so An Xiaofu had been influenced since childhood and would learn quickly and do well.


    This was also why Mo Hua pulled An Xiaofu and his family into the business.


    He didn¡¯t want his mother to be too overworked.


    Running an eatery was tough, let alone a dining house larger than an eatery.


    An Xiaofu was chubby and liked to eat; a bit of hard work would help him lose weight.


    But his mother¡¯s health was poor, and she couldn¡¯t work too hard. She just needed to focus on researching recipes and occasionally cooking some good food.


    This way, she could do what she wanted without being too burdened.


    Mo Hua had thought it all through.

 Chapter 218: Prosperity

    Fushan Tower occupied a large area. To show goodwill to Mo Hua, Old Master An bought three buildings, connected them, and converted them into the dining tower.The location was excellent, with traffic flowing north and south, teeming with people.


    Since it was on South Street, the land was cheap, so the expenditure in spirit stones was not much, at least for the An family.


    Fushan Tower had two floors. The second floor was for private rooms, and the first floor was a large hall, with some tables and chairs set outside.


    The entire Fushan Tower could accommodate many diners, and it also offered some meat snacks for takeaway.


    The recipes used in the dining tower were provided by Liu Ruhua, containing various methods for cooking demonic beast meat. After Liu Ruhua¡¯s long research and improvement, the flavors were rich and unique.


    The stove in the dining tower was a first-grade stove, large in size, painted with a first-grade composite array. The fire was strong and controllable, able to cook many ingredients simultaneously.


    Therefore, many of the dishes in the dining tower were priced cheaply.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s initial intention: to use the large stove to reduce costs and increase cooking efficiency.


    In this way, most of the independent cultivators in Tongxian City could spend fewer spirit stones to eat better dishes.


    Cheap and delicious, it naturally attracted many customers, and the foot traffic was large.


    The dining tower could also achieve thin profit margins with large sales volumes, earning a lot of spirit stones.


    Since the dining tower was large, it needed a lot of people to help.


    Some injured demon hunters, or independent female cultivators not adept at Dao techniques, could have a job to earn some spirit stones to supplement their household income.


    With everything ready, Fushan Tower chose an auspicious day to open.


    After opening, Fushan Tower was continuously crowded, with excellent business.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua felt happy and relieved.


    But An Xiaofu felt nervous.


    A whole dining tower with so many diners bustling about, he didn''t know what to do.


    The key was that he was the assistant manager. According to Mo Hua, he would have to manage everything in the future.


    An Xiaofu felt overwhelmed.


    Although there were people in the An family who could help him, they could help for a while, but not forever. He still had to learn and do it himself.


    But he didn''t know where to start learning and doing.


    Mo Hua said, "You don''t have to think of yourself as the assistant manager. Just consider it like being in a food shop, eating and chatting with the diners. Don''t be too rigid."


    With Mo Hua''s words, An Xiaofu relaxed.


    He could then run up and down, greet familiar demon hunters, offer a drink, send some snacks, and introduce the dining tower''s signature dishes.


    He loved eating, and talking about these things came naturally and fluently.


    When he had nothing to do, he liked to join a table, listen to others talk about Daoist experiences or strange stories. If someone told a good story, he would give a pot of wine.


    Sometimes the dining tower invited storytellers to tell stories.


    If the stories were too old, An Xiaofu would compile some stories based on what he had heard and have the storytellers tell them, often receiving applause from the audience.


    Gradually, An Xiaofu got to know more diners, talked more, and became more cheerful.


    Old Master An and An Yonglu also came to see him, seeing him running up and down, sweating but full of energy.


    This was completely different from how he was at home.


    An Yonglu sighed, feeling gratified.


    Old Master An glanced at him with a look of helplessness.


    He originally didn''t want the An family to continue running the dining tower, but it seemed both his son and grandson were only capable of running the dining tower.


    They didn''t have the ambition to open an artifact crafting shop or an alchemy hall.


    They also lacked the means to contend openly and covertly with the Qian family.


    At this rate, the An family might only run a dining tower for the rest of their lives...


    But An Xiaofu didn''t think running a dining tower was bad.


    He could fill his own stomach and others'', and make everyone eat well.


    But he sometimes hesitated and asked Mo Hua:


    "If I run the dining tower for a lifetime, will people look down on me..."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "In the Daoist world, each occupation has its own strengths. Doing anything to the extreme is remarkable. If you can open dining towers all over the Nine Regions, so everyone can eat meat, who would dare look down on you?"


    An Xiaofu was stunned. He hadn''t thought that far.


    "The Nine Regions are so big, can we really open them everywhere?" An Xiaofu doubted.


    "Probably not," Mo Hua said. "But how will you know if you don''t try?"


    An Xiaofu nodded, silently determined.


    Although he was of low cultivation and the dining tower was just one, he would strive to open many dining towers, so everyone could eat meat and drink happily!


    After Fushan Tower opened, it gradually got on track, and a month later, it was the New Year.


    Half a month before the New Year, the alchemy hall was completely finished.


    Master Ban settled the payment of spirit stones, and the craftsmen could happily go home for the New Year.


    Before leaving, Master Ban, with some leading craftsmen, visited Mo Hua, bringing some New Year''s gifts to show their gratitude.


    Without Mo Hua¡¯s quick and good array drawings, such a large Daoist building would have been finished after the New Year.


    Otherwise, they couldn''t go home for the New Year or go back without spirit stones, making it a hard year.


    Master Ban praised Mo Hua, and Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were also happy, so they invited Master Ban and the others for a meal.


    They had a lively meal and drank a lot of wine.


    After the meal, Master Ban and his team were about to set off.


    Before leaving, Master Ban specifically told Mo Hua that if he needed craftsmen, just look for him, and he guaranteed not to cut corners and to satisfy Mo Hua.


    He also invited Mo Hua to visit Qingxuan City next door when he had time, showing him around to experience the local customs.


    Mo Hua nodded, waving goodbye to Master Ban.


    The group of craftsmen gradually went far away.


    They carried storage bags on their backs, pushed small wooden carts, with old storage boxes on them. Tools that couldn''t fit in the boxes were piled on the sides. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Step by step, they walked on the bluestone streets, out of Tongxian City''s gate, and onto the dusty road home.


    Mo Hua stood at the door, watching them go, waving goodbye again.


    He hoped they could go home safely and have a good New Year.


    He also hoped that every year after, they could go home safely and happily for the New Year.


    Ten days passed, and every household in Tongxian City was preparing for the New Year.


    The streets were decorated with lanterns and festoons, bustling with joy.


    This was probably the richest and liveliest New Year for ordinary independent cultivators in Tongxian City in the past century or even centuries.


    The basic Daoist industries were complete.


    The artifact crafting shop refined spiritual tools, the alchemy hall refined pills, and Fushan Tower cooked meat.


    With spiritual tools, demon hunters could get fewer injuries. With pills, low-level independent cultivators could have fewer illnesses. With the dining tower, everyone''s diet could improve.


    Moreover, whether it was the artifact crafting shop, the alchemy hall, or Fushan Tower, they could help independent cultivators make a living or earn spirit stones.


    Whether demon hunters, artifact crafters, alchemists, dining tower chefs, or just ordinary independent cultivators, they could have a stable job and earn spirit stones for living and cultivation.


    Life''s essentials were better than before.


    So this New Year was particularly prosperous and lively.


    The streets were crowded with cultivators.


    Markets were everywhere, with goods of all sorts, dazzling, and everything for eating, drinking, and entertainment.


    There were many ingenious toys, uniquely flavored snacks, fragrant wine, and colorful performances.


    Affected by this lively atmosphere, Mo Hua also felt happy.


    Cultivating Dao was hard, making a living was tough.


    There wasn''t much else Mo Hua could do. What he could do was to make the lives of independent cultivators in Tongxian City better within his ability.


    He had grown up receiving a lot of care from neighbors and uncles and aunts.


    Now that he had learned array formations, he naturally wanted to help everyone.


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua couldn''t help but feel grateful.


    Fortunately, he had the Dao Stele in his sea of consciousness, and fortunately, he learned array formations.


    Array formations adhered to the Dao of Heaven. Only array formations could help so many cultivators.

 Chapter 219: New Years Gifts

    A few days before the New Year, Mo Hua visited Mr. Zhuang early in the morning, bringing some New Year''s gifts, all personally prepared by Liu Ruhua.Mr. Zhuang didn''t need spiritual stones or tools.


    After thinking for a long time, Liu Ruhua didn''t know what to give, so she could only follow the usual practice and make more delicious food to show her sincerity.


    Liu Ruhua started preparing ten days in advance, busy until now to finish everything.


    There were different parts and flavors of meat from various demonic beasts like cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs, colorful cakes made from different grains, and wines brewed from osmanthus, peach blossoms, and wild fruits from the mountains. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Mr. Zhuang, who was used to eating such delicacies, couldn''t help but be a little surprised.


    "So much, how can I finish all this?"


    Then he started tasting each one with great interest, occasionally frowning and asking, "What kind of meat is this? I''ve never tasted it before..." Sometimes he would nod and praise, "This tastes good."


    Mo Hua sat beside him, chatting with Mr. Zhuang.


    He told Mr. Zhuang which demonic beasts the meat came from, what spices were used, how long it was cooked on high or low heat.


    Or he asked small questions about arrays, occasionally chatting about interesting things in the city.


    Many of these stories were told to him by An Xiaofu.


    An Xiaofu was now the little manager at Fushan Pavilion, dealing with customers every day, chatting and gossiping with people, listening to a bellyful of stories, which he would then embellish and tell to Mo Hua when he had time.


    Mo Hua found them interesting and told them to Mr. Zhuang, who listened with great interest while drinking and eating.


    After talking for a long time, Mo Hua saw that the bamboo room was serene and quiet but inevitably lonely, so he asked, "Sir, will you go out to see the New Year festivities? It''s very lively outside."


    Mr. Zhuang seemed to stay in Sit and Forget Abode all the time, either resting in the bamboo room, watching the water from the bridge, or sitting in the courtyard, looking at the mountains, the breeze, the morning sun, and the evening glow.


    Mo Hua had never seen Mr. Zhuang go out.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, "It''s quiet here, I don''t like noise."


    "Oh." Mo Hua nodded, "Then am I disturbing you by talking to you?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "It''s too quiet, it can be boring. Talking with you is quite nice."


    Mo Hua felt relieved.


    A breeze swept through the room, the bamboo forest outside rustled, and flowers and grasses swayed.


    Mo Hua and Mr. Zhuang chatted for a long time, their clear and deep voices mingling, drifting into the mountains with the wind.


    Until he noticed that Mr. Zhuang looked a bit tired, perhaps from eating too much and feeling sleepy, Mo Hua stood up and said goodbye:


    "I won''t disturb your rest. My mother made some New Year cakes, sweet, soft, and sticky. I''ll bring you some in a few days."


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, "Go ahead."


    Mo Hua said goodbye to Mr. Zhuang and then found Elder Gui to give him some New Year''s gifts as well.


    Mo Hua knew Elder Gui''s preferences.


    Although Elder Gui looked old, he didn''t like soft and sticky foods; he preferred crispy things and those that made a sound when eaten.


    So Mo Hua brought crispy snacks and a few boxes of pine nuts in original, five-spice, and spicy flavors.


    Elder Gui put everything into his sleeve and took out a chessboard, looking at Mo Hua.


    Seeing it was still early, Mo Hua nodded, "Let''s play!"


    The breeze stirred, leaves fell, and the sound of chess pieces hitting the board echoed in the courtyard.


    The two poor chess players spent half a day playing Five Elements Chess.


    In the evening, Da Hu and the others invited Mo Hua to watch a demonic beast play.


    They were the performers, along with Da Ping and Da Zhu from the Artifact Crafting Shop.


    The swords and rattan armors used in the play were readily available, and the props for disguising as demonic beasts were borrowed. Da Hu and the others joined for fun and to earn some tips.


    Originally, Da Hu and Da Ping were playing the demon hunters because they were demon hunters.


    The demonic beasts were played by Da Zhu and a few disciples from the Artifact Crafting Shop, but the Da Hu brothers felt Da Zhu and the others acted too stiffly, like fools, so they played the demonic beasts themselves.


    The demonic beasts in Dahei Mountain were very ferocious; acting stiffly wouldn''t do.


    So in the end, the three Da Hu brothers played the demonic beasts, and Da Zhu, the artifact refiner, played the demon hunter.


    Their performance was quite decent.


    Mo Hua stood by, applauding and tipping them.


    The onlookers also joined the fun, taking out some fragments of spirit stones as encouragement.


    After the performance, Da Hu and the others took Mo Hua to find some good food and fun places, strolling and playing.


    Da Hu was already at the seventh level of Qi refining, considered late-stage in Qi refining.


    Mo Hua humbly asked, "What should I pay attention to when breaking through to the late stage of Qi refining?"


    He was now at the sixth level of Qi refining. The next step would be the seventh level, the late stage of Qi refining.


    Although his cultivation method was different from Da Hu''s, he could still listen to his advice for reference.


    Da Hu scratched his head, "Just cultivate normally, then you''ll need some spiritual items. I used setting sun grass and molten fire stones, along with some pills, to break through."


    "Is it that simple?"


    "Not every breakthrough is successful. I was lucky. Otherwise, I would have had to try several times." Da Hu said.


    Twin Hu added, "I failed once. Otherwise, I''d be in the late stage of Qi refining too."


    "What do you do if you fail?"


    "Continue cultivating, save up spirit stones, buy spiritual items and pills, and try breaking through again."


    Twin Hu said nonchalantly, "As long as a cultivator is alive, they keep doing this, unless you accept your fate, or you''re too poor to afford spirit stones, or you have a family and heavy burdens."


    Mo Hua nodded, "It sounds simple, but it''s not easy to persist for a lifetime."


    Little Hu said worriedly, "The main problem is that some spiritual items are too expensive. It''s hard for independent cultivators to buy them, and some are not available. Breaking through once consumes everything. If you fail, you have to buy another set."


    Da Ping and Da Zhu nodded in agreement, "Exactly! How can independent cultivators have so many spirit stones and connections to buy those spiritual items?"


    Everyone started to worry.


    Mo Hua also worried but suddenly remembered that his cultivation method, the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, didn''t require many spiritual items or spirit stones, so he secretly sighed with relief.


    The bottleneck of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique lay in the sea of consciousness and arrays, not in spiritual items.


    He chose this method precisely because of this point.


    Mo Hua secretly congratulated himself on his foresight.


    But then he thought, although the Heavenly Proliferation Technique''s breakthrough didn''t require spiritual items, it did require solving riddle arrays.


    Riddle arrays were profound and complex, obscure and ever-changing, not easy to solve.


    The Dao has its balance; it wouldn''t let you take shortcuts.


    He wondered what kind of riddle array awaited in his sea of consciousness this time...


    Mo Hua silently calculated:


    "I''m already at the sixth level of Qi refining. It shouldn''t be long before I reach the peak of the sixth level. Then I can try breaking through and see what kind of riddle array awaits."

 Chapter 220: Exchanges

    This, however, was something for after the New Year.Recently, there had been a lot going on, and with all the commotion and the tiring array drawings, at least during the New Year, Mo Hua could relax and not think too much.


    But Mo Hua soon realized that even without considering cultivation and array matters, there were still plenty of things to keep him busy.


    Because he had to give gifts and return them.


    And many of these gifts had to be delivered by Mo Hua himself, and many gifts had to be reciprocated by him as well.


    Previously, he was just an unknown little cultivator and naturally didn¡¯t have to worry about such things.


    But now he was a somewhat famous young array master, knew many cultivators, and some interactions were inevitable.


    For instance, the old head of the Dao Court had given him a jade pendant, the An family sent some fine wine and spirit meat, and several smaller families also sent New Year¡¯s gifts.


    They weren¡¯t very expensive, but they were heartfelt.


    Mo Hua then visited some familiar and deeply connected families or cultivators to thank them personally.


    For example, the old head and old master An were both prominent cultivators in Tongxian City. Since they sent gifts, Mo Hua naturally had to return the favor.


    Mo Hua also brought some gifts.


    These gifts were simple, bought with spirit stones at random, but the significant part was that they all had arrays drawn on them.


    Like a lantern with the character "Fortune" painted with a Blazing Fire Array inside. Once lit, the character would glow brilliantly. There was also a small screen painted with a Cold Qi Array and a blanket with a Warmth Array, among others.


    They were neither luxurious nor overly simple, and although they looked plain, they clearly had thought put into them.


    These were fitting for his identity as a young array master, and more importantly, fitting his financial capacity¡ªhe didn''t have enough spirit stones to buy expensive gifts for people.


    The old head and old master An were both very pleased.


    Other cultivators were content just to receive reciprocation from Mo Hua, and when they saw the arrays he had personally drawn, they were overjoyed.


    Mo Hua also gave some items to Master Chen.


    As the year-end approached, Master Chen was still busy at the artifact crafting shop, and many artifact craftsmen were working on spirit tools. They would only finish by New Year¡¯s Eve, allowing them to enjoy the New Year peacefully.


    Although it was exhausting, they didn¡¯t mind since they would earn more spirit stones by selling the spirit tools.


    Master Chen had no children, only a disciple named Da Zhu, so he didn¡¯t have any familial obligations.


    Mo Hua brought Master Chen a lot of good food and several jars of fine wine, making Master Chen laugh heartily.


    "These wines are great. As long as there¡¯s wine, it¡¯s enough!"


    Being alone, wine and meat as companions, he could still celebrate the New Year.


    Master Chen had spent many years like this and didn¡¯t feel lonely. Besides, after the New Year, many disciples would come to pay their respects, making it lively.


    After chatting with Master Chen for a bit, Master Chen said:


    "Do you want a spirit tool?"


    "What kind of spirit tool?"


    "Anything you like, just don¡¯t pick a sword; it¡¯s hard to forge, and I¡¯m not good at it."


    "A weapon like a knife, spear, or staff?"


    Master Chen nodded, "Thanks to your refining furnace, my crafting skills have greatly improved recently, and I can now forge first-grade spirit tools. Pick one, and I''ll forge it for you, for self-defense."


    Mo Hua thought about it but still didn¡¯t know what to choose.


    "I¡¯m not a body cultivator, so these wouldn¡¯t be of much use to me..."


    "It¡¯s okay," Master Chen smiled, "Mainly, I want to practice crafting more spirit tools."


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say...


    "Then why not forge for others?"


    "Some have asked, but those aren¡¯t urgent. I can do them anytime. I¡¯ll forge one for you first."


    Mo Hua wanted to forge a "Zhang Ba Snake Spear" or a "Green Dragon Crescent Blade," but he wouldn¡¯t be able to use them since he wasn¡¯t a body cultivator.


    "Then could you forge one for my father?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about that; Elder Yu will make the arrangements. You don¡¯t need to bother."


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Master Chen then said, "If you really don¡¯t know, I could forge a small knife for you, to cut beef or peel fruit."


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complicated, "I¡¯ll think about it."


    A rare chance to forge a first-grade spirit tool shouldn¡¯t be wasted on a fruit knife...


    Master Chen nodded, "Alright, let me know when you decide."


    Mo Hua bid farewell to Master Chen and then went to see Mr. Feng.


    Previously, Mr. Feng only saw patients at Xinglin Medical Hall and never went out besides consultations.


    Now that the Alchemy Hall was completed, Mr. Feng would often go there, and some ailing cultivators would even come to the Alchemy Hall seeking his treatment and pills. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Feng was in the adjacent Alchemy Hall, checking the quality of the pills, organizing prescriptions, and verifying the finished pills.


    Mo Hua gave his New Year¡¯s gift to Mr. Feng, who in turn gave Mo Hua a bunch of pills.


    There were pills for treating fire and water toxins, repelling miasma, clearing the mind and calming the spirit, hunger-suppressing fasting pills, hemostatic pills, and a few small pills for emergency life-saving.


    Each type of pill was carefully categorized, labeled, and noted for its use.


    Mo Hua thanked Mr. Feng, and just as he was about to leave, Mr. Feng called him back and handed him another bottle of pills.


    Mo Hua sniffed and asked, "Grandpa Feng, what are these pills? They smell sweet and sour, quite nice."


    "Digestive pills, for aiding digestion. I¡¯m worried you might overeat and upset your stomach. Take a few after meals. If you¡¯re feeling peckish, you can also eat them as snacks."


    Mo Hua was delighted, "Thank you, Grandpa Feng."


    After the flurry of giving and returning gifts, Mo Hua finally caught his breath, thinking the busy period was over. But then he received another New Year¡¯s gift from Master Luo.


    A red and gold storage box was placed in Mo Hua''s courtyard, looking quite substantial.


    Mo Hua opened it and was surprised.


    Inside were not only Master Luo¡¯s gifts but also Master Qian¡¯s.


    Presumably to avoid detection, they were sent together under Master Luo¡¯s name.


    Master Luo¡¯s gifts were modest and mostly related to arrays.


    Master Qian¡¯s gifts, on the other hand, were much more valuable, including all sorts of items for eating, wearing, and using. It seemed he wanted to apologize to Mo Hua and express his goodwill.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and accepted them.


    He had no direct conflict with Master Qian, and building a good relationship was beneficial. Moreover, he might need Master Qian''s help with some matters in the future.


    Since Master Luo had sent gifts, Mo Hua also prepared some gifts and personally went to thank him.


    Master Luo was much older than him, so this was a basic courtesy.


    Master Luo¡¯s cave was one of the most luxurious in Tongxian City, splendid and magnificent.


    Many cloud chariots and carriages were parked in front, brought by various family members or stewards delivering gifts.


    However, as a first-grade array master certified by the Dao Court, Master Luo¡¯s threshold was high, so many couldn¡¯t get in and had to queue outside, waiting for Master Luo¡¯s reception.


    The crowd outside and the grand spectacle opened Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    The status of an array master was indeed high, especially a first-grade array master officially recognized by the Dao Court.


    However, the crowd was too large, and Mo Hua doubted he could get in.


    Just as he was considering whether to return and try again later, one of Master Luo¡¯s disciples spotted Mo Hua.

 Chapter 221: The Luo Residence

    The disciple, five or six years older than Mo Hua, was elegant and courteous. He hurried over, respectfully saluted Mo Hua, and then invited him inside.Mo Hua followed him through the crowd towards the Luo Residence. Just as he stepped over the threshold, Master Luo came out to greet him personally.


    Mo Hua saluted and said, "Master Luo, Happy New Year!"


    Master Luo returned the salute with a broad smile, "Happy New Year, my young friend. Please, come in."


    With that, he led Mo Hua inside.


    The previously noisy entrance suddenly quieted down. The cultivators blinked and looked at each other.


    "Was that Master Luo just now?"


    "Seems like it..."


    "Why is he being so polite to a child?"


    "Don''t you know? It''s said that this child is also a First Grade Array Master..."


    "You''re talking nonsense. How old is he? A First Grade Array Master?"


    "Why are you swearing?"


    "How can I not swear when you''re talking nonsense?"


    "Exactly. That child probably has an extraordinary background, perhaps an illegitimate son of some great family..."


    "You''re talking nonsense again. Look at his clothes, he''s obviously a wandering cultivator..."


    The crowd buzzed with speculation, their arguments growing louder.


    Master Luo''s disciple shouted, "Everyone, quiet down!"


    The cultivators fell silent, their questions momentarily buried.


    Mo Hua entered Master Luo''s residence and found it already filled with people, many of whom were Array Masters.


    These Array Masters greeted Mo Hua warmly. Even those who were somewhat resentful didn''t dare to show it too clearly.


    In the crowd was an Array Master in a silver-white robe.


    Master Luo introduced him, "This is Master Qian."


    Mo Hua had some guesses, but although Master Qian was from the Qian family, he had no direct conflict with Mo Hua and had even given him gifts. Mo Hua didn''t take it to heart.


    "Master Qian, hello." Mo Hua greeted politely.


    Master Qian was visibly stunned, his expression showing surprise. He hadn''t expected Mo Hua to greet him first. After a moment, he returned the greeting, "Mo..."


    Master Qian paused, unsure how to continue.


    By rights, given Mo Hua''s First Grade Array Master status, he should be called "Master Mo," but he was so young that it seemed inappropriate.


    Not calling him "Master" would be disrespectful.


    After all, according to Master Luo, Mo Hua''s array skills were even above his own.


    "Just call me Mo Hua," Mo Hua said.


    He didn''t care much about titles.


    Master Qian hesitated for a long time, then, after much thought, addressed him as "Young Master Mo."


    This title was respectful but didn''t make Mo Hua sound old.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling it was appropriate.


    Master Qian breathed a sigh of relief.


    Master Luo had told him that Mo Hua had a gentle disposition and was not vindictive. He had been skeptical, but seeing Mo Hua now, he felt reassured.


    Warm and courteous, treating people like a spring breeze.


    Though young, he indeed had the demeanor of a grandmaster.


    The atmosphere gradually became more relaxed.


    Master Luo invited everyone to appreciate some arrays, some of which were obscure patterns, others were remnants of ancient arrays, and some were intricately crafted on tiny fruit seeds. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua found it eye-opening.


    The arrays themselves were not uncommon, but their application on array mediums was innovative, something Mo Hua hadn''t considered before.


    Master Qian took out his treasured tea leaves and invited everyone to taste them.


    The tea leaves were diverse: some tender and green, some coiled like dragons, some embraced like snails, and some flat like leaves.


    The brewed tea varied: some were fresh, some mellow, some bitter, and some refreshing.


    Mo Hua couldn''t discern the quality but found the taste quite pleasant.


    Then they discussed arrays.


    Master Luo shared some insights and invited everyone to debate their validity.


    The discussion was lively, but no one spoke to Mo Hua.


    Firstly, they were not familiar with him, and secondly, it was said that Mo Hua was also a First Grade Array Master. Many of them could only draw seven or eight array patterns, far from the First Grade, so they didn''t dare to approach Mo Hua.


    After the Array Masters finished their discussion, Master Luo nodded and asked for Mo Hua''s opinion.


    Mo Hua briefly shared his thoughts.


    Mostly, they involved array hubs and array patterns, areas in which Mo Hua was well-versed.


    Since he could manage the array hubs of complex arrays, ordinary array hubs were no challenge for him.


    Hearing him, the others gained more respect for Mo Hua.


    "Indeed, a First Grade Array Master, with profound skills, broad knowledge of arrays, and a humble attitude, not hiding his knowledge."


    The crowd silently noted. Some previously resentful Array Masters now showed much more respect.


    As the discussion ended and the sky darkened, Mo Hua prepared to leave.


    Master Luo and Master Qian escorted Mo Hua to the door, followed by the other Array Masters.


    "Feel free to visit again for tea, chat, and exchange arrays," Master Luo said with a smile.


    "Yes, next time for sure. Goodbye, everyone!" Mo Hua waved.


    Mo Hua left, his storage bag containing the array books gifted by Master Luo and the top-grade tea leaves from Master Qian.


    Master Qian watched Mo Hua''s figure disappear down the street, finally relaxing.


    "At ease now?" Master Luo smiled.


    Master Qian cupped his hands, "Thank you, Master Luo."


    Master Luo smiled, "There are not many Array Masters in Tongxian City, even fewer at the First Grade. We should support each other, no need for thanks."


    Master Qian frowned, "Mo Hua... Young Master Mo''s array skills are truly exceptional. He must have a master or some high guidance..."


    Master Luo coughed, stopping Master Qian from continuing.


    "So what if he does?" Master Luo said.


    "Don''t you want to know who his mentor is?"


    "What difference does it make whether we know or not?" Master Luo countered.


    "This..." Master Qian was speechless.


    "What is a high mentor?" Master Luo looked at Master Qian, answering his own question, "Someone beyond our reach. If we can''t reach them, why ask?"


    "Among the nine realms of cultivation, we are only in the Qi Refining stage, the lowest tier. There are countless mentors above us."


    "If they are high mentors, they must be beyond our comprehension and provocation. It''s best not to ask."


    "To ask rashly and displease them would bring disaster!"


    Master Qian shivered.


    He had always thought Master Luo could become a First Grade Array Master due to his smooth talking and good luck. Now he realized he had underestimated Master Luo.


    With such insight, no wonder he thrived in Tongxian City.


    "I am enlightened!" Master Qian saluted earnestly.


    Master Luo, however, grabbed his hand, "These are trivial matters, not worth mentioning. But Brother Qian''s tea is excellent. It''s still early. How about a few more cups?"


    Master Qian smiled, "It would be impolite to refuse."

 Chapter 222: Patrol

    Mo Hua returned home, took out the gifts from the storage bag, and handed them to his parents for safekeeping.Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua exchanged a glance, both somewhat stunned.


    They didn''t know when it started, but Mo Hua had made so many friends among cultivators, most of whom were influential figures in Tongxian City¡ªsupervisors, managers, family heads, elders, and array masters...


    Even during the New Year, he received so many gifts.


    Whenever Mo Hua went out, he would bring gifts back. If he didn¡¯t go out, people would deliver gifts to his home.


    The gifts, both big and small, piled up until there was almost no room left in the house.


    Mo Hua put down the storage bag, slumped into a chair like a little adult, and sighed, "So busy!"


    Liu Ruhua couldn''t help but laugh.


    Mo Hua then said, "Mom, I''m hungry."


    "Save some room for dinner. I''ll get you some osmanthus cake. Just have a little."


    "Okay." Mo Hua nodded.


    Liu Ruhua brought the osmanthus cake to Mo Hua and poured a cup of tea, asking, "Have you thanked everyone who sent the gifts?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, counted in his heart, and said, "I''ve thanked those who needed to be thanked. I can relax for the New Year."


    After that, Mo Hua had more peace and didn¡¯t have to run around. He stayed at home and waited for the New Year.


    Every day, Mo Hua still got up early, meditated, practiced for a while, drew a few arrays, read some array books, and practiced the array formations on the Dao stele in the evening.


    The rest of the time, Mo Hua spent with his parents.


    On New Year''s Eve, the family had a joyful reunion dinner.


    Liu Ruhua made a lot of delicious food, and as expected, Mo Hua ate too much. He sighed and took out two digestive pills given by Mr. Feng.


    "As expected of Grandpa Feng, he really has foresight."


    Mo Hua thought with emotion.


    The next day, they started visiting for New Year greetings, and in the evening, they attended the New Year festival, which lasted until the Lantern Festival. The entire Tongxian City was bustling with festivities in the evenings.


    Usually, the festival wouldn''t last this long, but this year was special. With the discovery of a spirit mine, the establishment of the Artifact Crafting Shop and Alchemy Hall, and the opening of the Fushan Tower, the lives of independent cultivators improved, and they had more spirit stones, so the celebration lasted longer.


    They didn''t have to start working hard for their livelihood right after the New Year as they did before.


    Mo Hua also took it easy, occasionally wandering around the streets, and visited Fushan Tower to see An Xiaofu.


    During the New Year''s period, Fushan Tower was crowded, and An Xiaofu was busy non-stop.


    When Mo Hua saw him, he was sitting in the hall, gulping down tea from a teapot.


    Although he was exhausted, he seemed much more spirited and cheerful.


    However, he was still chubby and hadn¡¯t lost much weight.


    Maybe, despite being busy, he also ate a lot.


    After leaving Fushan Tower, Mo Hua ran into Zhang Lan on the street.


    Zhang Lan, a family disciple, didn''t take leave to go home for the New Year.


    He knew some people here, but not many friends. Mo Hua was one of the few he could really talk to, so he was quite happy to see Mo Hua and pulled him along to stroll around.


    "See if there''s anything good to eat or fun to play with. It''s on me!" Zhang Lan said generously.


    "Thank you, Uncle Zhang," Mo Hua said, then added with some confusion, "Uncle Zhang, you''re not that young anymore. Isn''t it improper for you to hang out with a kid like me instead of starting a family?"


    "This is called maintaining a child''s heart," Zhang Lan said.


    "Keeping a child''s heart?" s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan ruffled Mo Hua''s hair. "Everything you say sounds different."


    Mo Hua covered his head, a bit dissatisfied. "You''re just being touchy."


    "Alright, I can''t argue with you," Zhang Lan said helplessly, then sighed, "What''s good about starting a family?"


    Mo Hua''s eyes turned, and he thought for a moment, then said, "Are you avoiding marriage?"


    Zhang Lan was stunned. "Why do you say that?"


    "Xiaofu told me that in family marriages, spiritual roots are matched, and strong pairs... no, forced marriages are arranged by the family."


    Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan and said, "You probably came this far to avoid a marriage arranged by the family, marrying someone you don''t like and living a depressed life."


    After speaking, Mo Hua nodded, feeling his guess was reasonable.


    Zhang Lan sighed. "You''re somewhat right, but not entirely. I just don''t want to go back to the family."


    "Not even for the New Year?"


    Zhang Lan said seriously, "I''m now a supervisor at the Dao Court, and I should maintain the peace in Tongxian City. Such an important time like New Year''s, how could I go back?"


    "Is the Dao Court not busy? Can they let you wander around like this?"


    Zhang Lan said unhappily, "I''m on duty, not wandering. The head supervisor knows and wouldn''t mind."


    "Really?" Mo Hua didn''t believe it.


    "Of course."


    Mo Hua responded with an "oh," then pointed behind Zhang Lan, "It seems the head supervisor is calling you over. He doesn''t seem to know you''re ''on duty.''"


    Zhang Lan''s body immediately stiffened. He slowly turned his head and saw the head supervisor waving at him with a half-smiling expression.


    Supervisors patrolling was a routine of the Dao Court.


    During such major festivals, the head supervisor had to lead by example, patrolling everywhere to prevent any incidents among the gathered cultivators.


    Caught while slacking off, Zhang Lan could only smile stiffly.


    Mo Hua was a bit schadenfreude, ready to slip away, but Zhang Lan grabbed him, "You''re coming with me."


    "Why should I go? I''m not part of the Dao Court."


    "You''ll accompany the head supervisor on patrol with me," Zhang Lan didn''t want to let Mo Hua escape.


    "I''m not going."


    "Many cultivators in Tongxian City dream of this opportunity. You should feel honored to accompany the head supervisor at such a young age."


    "Then you can feel honored yourself."


    He knew the head supervisor and had given him gifts during the New Year, so there was no need to stick around now.


    Moreover, accompanying the head supervisor on patrol was dull and restrictive, not as free as wandering on his own.


    But before Mo Hua could run away, he saw the head supervisor also waving at him.


    Now Mo Hua couldn¡¯t escape. He could only sigh inwardly and follow Zhang Lan to greet the head supervisor.


    Supervisor Zhou also found the patrols boring. Most of his companions were family elders or sect elders, fake smiles and hollow compliments.


    It was dull and tiresome.


    He had grown used to it over the years, but seeing Zhang Lan and Mo Hua having fun and chatting freely from a distance, he felt a bit envious.


    So he waved them over, letting them accompany him on the patrol.


    Joy could be shared, and dullness could be alleviated.


    With Zhang Lan and Mo Hua accompanying him, the patrol became much more interesting, at least not as dull as before.


    Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan resentfully. If he hadn''t pulled him, he would''ve escaped.


    Zhang Lan winked at Mo Hua, indicating he''d make it up to him next time.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to follow the head supervisor on patrol.


    Supervisor Zhou occasionally asked Mo Hua about various things, like cultivator customs, demonic beast materials, and snacks.


    Mo Hua answered them all.


    In this way, Mo Hua was forced to spend a day patrolling with Zhang Lan, accompanying Supervisor Zhou around the city without incident.


    Supervisor Zhou was very satisfied, but Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly.

 Chapter 223: A Visit

    Two days later, Mo Hua visited Mr. Zhuang again and played a game of chess with Elder Gui.As he was leaving, he ran into Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi at the door.


    During the New Year holidays, Mr. Zhuang was slacking off and allowed the Bai siblings to have a break as well.


    They were there to pay their respects to Mr. Zhuang.


    When Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua, his eyes lit up, and he asked, "Mo Hua, are you here to pay respects to Mr. Zhuang too?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "I''ve already seen Mr. Zhuang. I''m heading home now."


    Bai Zisheng felt a bit disappointed and then asked, "Can I come to your house to play?"


    "Sure," Mo Hua replied, feeling puzzled, "Why do you suddenly want to come to my house?"


    Bai Zisheng didn''t hide his intention, "I want to eat meat."


    "You don''t lack meat to eat. Even if you don''t eat demonic meat, there''s still spiritual meat."


    Bai Zisheng looked around and whispered to Mo Hua, "Aunt Xue''s cooking is terrible."


    Bai Zixi gave Bai Zisheng a light glare.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but laugh.


    "Don''t tell Aunt Xue, or she''ll be angry," Bai Zisheng said.


    "Don''t worry," Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "But will Aunt Xue let you come?"


    "I''ve already thought of an excuse," Bai Zisheng said proudly, "I''ll say that I''ve been taken care of by you and Aunt Liu, so I want to come to thank you."


    "Alright, as long as you can persuade Aunt Xue."


    Bai Zisheng nodded, "Then it''s settled. I''ll go back and tell Aunt Xue."


    "Do you have anything specific you want to eat? I''ll let my mom know to prepare it for you," Mo Hua said.


    "I''m not picky, as long as there''s meat," Bai Zisheng was not at all choosy.


    Mo Hua then looked at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and said softly, "Anything is fine."


    When Mo Hua got home, he told his mother about this. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua was a bit surprised.


    She had only heard Mo Hua mention that he had two siblings studying with him at Mr. Zhuang''s place. They were from a prestigious family, well-mannered and talented, but she had never met them.


    Now that they were coming over to play, Liu Ruhua was naturally happy.


    "Even though you''re just registered disciples, studying together creates a deeper bond than ordinary sect members. We should entertain them well."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    In the evening, Aunt Xue brought Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi to visit personally.


    Aunt Xue still wore a veil, but her attire was much more plain and her cold demeanor was softened, making her seem much more approachable.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi wore elegant, light-colored Dao robes. Though the materials were good, they did not appear ostentatious.


    However, their exceptional appearances and temperaments made it difficult to hide their extraordinary looks even with simple clothing.


    When the Bai siblings entered, Liu Ruhua was momentarily stunned.


    Bai Zisheng was handsome with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, while Bai Zixi had skin like snow and eyes like starlight, as if carved from jade.


    She looked at Bai Zisheng and then at Bai Zixi, unable to help but think, "How could there be children so good-looking in this world?"


    Aunt Xue brought a gift, a finely crafted and beautiful First Grade hairpin.


    Liu Ruhua brought out various snacks and treats to entertain them.


    In the clean and tidy living room, Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi sat on one side eating, while Liu Ruhua and Aunt Xue chatted on the other side.


    Bai Zisheng glanced at Liu Ruhua, thinking that other people''s mothers were so kind, smiling warmly, personally making food for their children, and looking at them affectionately.


    Bai Zisheng lowered his eyes. His mother wasn''t like that and rarely smiled.


    Bai Zixi''s expression remained calm, but her eyes flickered with a trace of sadness and envy.


    Mo Hua didn''t know why they seemed a bit down, so he pushed the food box towards them, "My mom made this especially for you. It''s really delicious."


    Bai Zisheng''s attention was drawn to the food box. He took a bite of the meat, his eyes lit up, and he curiously asked, "What kind of meat is this?"


    "It''s rabbit meat, more tender than regular demonic meat, and quite chewy with a fragrant taste. But it''s troublesome to make," Mo Hua explained, "Even if I want to eat it, my mom doesn''t always make it for me. This time, I benefited because of you."


    Mo Hua also took a bite and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.


    Bai Zisheng felt moved and gratefully said, "Thank you, Aunt Liu!"


    Liu Ruhua smiled gently, "If you like it, eat more."


    Bai Zisheng nodded repeatedly, all his worries dissipated.


    Bai Zixi looked at the pastries in front of her, a bit dazed.


    The pastries were colorful, in various styles, each with different flower patterns on top.


    Some had osmanthus flowers, some had plum blossoms, some had peach blossoms, and some had orchids, looking exquisite and delicious, exuding a faint sweet fragrance.


    She didn''t know which one to eat first.


    After some hesitation, Bai Zixi decided to start from the top and try them one by one. Some were soft and sticky, some were crispy, and all had a faint floral scent.


    They were sweet in her mouth...


    Seeing Bai Zixi enjoying the pastries, Liu Ruhua smiled and couldn''t help but think, "This girl looks so beautiful even when eating."


    Bai Zixi was eating quietly but noticed Liu Ruhua''s gentle gaze, not knowing what to do. She lowered her head slightly, her pale cheeks tinged with a light blush.


    Liu Ruhua liked her even more, poured a cup of tea, handed it to Bai Zixi, and softly said, "There are plenty of pastries. If you don''t mind, take some back with you later."


    Bai Zixi nodded, whispering, "Thank you, Aunt Liu."


    Seeing this, Aunt Xue asked, "Sister Liu, I wonder how you made these pastries..."


    Aunt Xue could cook some meals, but she was not proficient, barely able to make edible food to fill the stomach.


    During their travels to study with Mr. Zhuang, Aunt Xue cooked most of their meals.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi didn''t say anything about it, but after tasting Liu Ruhua''s cooking, they were less fond of Aunt Xue''s cooking.


    Knowing her limitations in culinary skills, Aunt Xue wanted to learn for the sake of the siblings.


    Liu Ruhua, noticing Aunt Xue''s refined demeanor, started explaining from the basics: ingredients, cooking time, steaming, boiling, or frying, explaining everything in detail.


    Aunt Xue realized that cooking involved so much knowledge, and making a dish with good color, aroma, and taste required many steps and a lot of patience.


    Bai Zixi kept her calm demeanor but focused entirely on Liu Ruhua, listening intently.


    After a while, Mo Shan returned home, slightly surprised to see guests.


    During the New Year period, Mo Shan had many social engagements, coming and going, reciprocating visits, and sometimes drinking with his demon hunting team brothers. He had been busy all day and just returned.


    Liu Ruhua briefly introduced the guests, and Mo Shan smiled in greeting. Seeing the outstanding appearance and temperament of the Bai siblings, he was secretly amazed.


    These well-bred children from prestigious families were studying with Mr. Zhuang alongside Mo Hua, indicating that Mr. Zhuang was indeed an extraordinary master.


    Mo Hua being accepted as a registered disciple by Mr. Zhuang was indeed a great opportunity.


    Mo Shan felt even more grateful to Mr. Zhuang.


    Bai Zisheng, noticing Mo Shan''s upright and heroic stature, sharp eyes, and light steps, curiously asked, "Uncle Mo, are you a demon hunter?"

 Chapter 224: A Thousand Homes Smoke

    Mo Shan smiled and nodded, "Yes." S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality."Are demonic beasts hard to deal with?"


    "They are indeed difficult to handle. Demonic beasts have thick blood and tough skin. It usually takes five or six cultivators of the same level to hunt one. To be safe, it''s best to have eight or nine."


    Bai Zisheng pondered for a moment and asked, "So, do you think I can kill a demonic beast on my own?"


    "On your own... no, you''d more likely be killed yourself," Mo Hua said quietly while gnawing on a chicken leg.


    Bai Zisheng was unconvinced and glared at him lightly.


    Mo Shan chuckled, "Not now, but in the future, when your cultivation is higher, it might be possible."


    Bai Zisheng felt greatly encouraged.


    "Dad, it''s wrong to lie," Mo Hua said.


    Bai Zisheng protested, "Uncle Mo is a demon hunter, he definitely knows better than you."


    He had previously asked Mo Hua if he could hunt a demonic beast alone.


    Mo Hua said no, which made Bai Zisheng somewhat unconvinced, but since Mo Hua had fought demonic beasts and he hadn''t, Mo Hua''s words carried some credibility.


    But now Uncle Mo said he had great potential, maybe he really could hunt a demonic beast on his own in the future.


    After all, Uncle Mo was a genuine demon hunter, while Mo Hua was just a little array master who relied on formations to outwit demonic beasts.


    Mo Shan added, "Even if you could kill a demonic beast on your own, it''s best to find some companions. They can watch your back. Demonic beasts are extremely cunning."


    Bai Zisheng nodded, "Don''t worry, Uncle Mo, I understand."


    He often listened to Mo Hua''s stories about demon hunting, both Mo Hua''s personal experiences and those he heard from others.


    Many demon hunters in those stories lost their lives due to carelessness, being ambushed, or deceived by demonic beasts playing dead. Bai Zisheng always kept these stories in mind as warnings.


    Curious, Bai Zisheng asked, "Is the inner mountain of Dahei Mountain much more dangerous than the outer mountain?"


    Mo Hua, whose cultivation was only at the sixth level of Qi refining, could only stay in the outer mountain. When he spoke of Dahei Mountain, he only mentioned the outer mountain.


    Demonic beasts, miasma, mountain fog, and perilous areas were all things Bai Zisheng found both thrilling and curious. If the outer mountain was like this, what would the inner mountain be like?


    Mo Hua chewed his meat, his cheeks puffed up, listening intently. He had never been to the inner mountain but knew he would go there eventually.


    He had only heard snippets about the inner mountain from other demon hunters and didn''t know much.


    Seeing two pairs of black eyes staring at him, Mo Shan sat down and patiently began to speak:


    "Miasma, mist forests, and poisonous swamps exist in both the outer and inner mountains, but the miasma is thicker, the fog denser, and the poison more potent in the inner mountain."


    "The demonic beasts in the inner mountain are mostly in the late stage of First Grade, very powerful. If you''re unlucky, you might encounter a Second Grade demonic beast, which is almost certain death."


    Mo Hua asked, "Dad, have you ever encountered a Second Grade demonic beast?"


    Mo Shan nodded, "I saw one from afar. Its blood was so thick it stained the whole forest red. We were lucky to spot it early and avoided it. The beast seemed to be dozing off after eating, so it didn''t bother us."


    Mo Hua sighed in relief.


    Bai Zisheng asked, "Can''t Second Grade demonic beasts be killed?"


    "It''s very hard," Mo Shan sighed, "It would take at least five or six, or even seven or eight Foundation Building cultivators to kill one. It''s not easy to gather that many."


    Mo Hua was worried, "Dad, will you encounter Second Grade demonic beasts again?"


    Seeing Mo Hua''s concerned look, Mo Shan''s heart warmed, and he smiled, "The inner mountain is vast. It''s rare to encounter one. Second Grade demonic beasts aren''t common and live scattered in the large inner mountain, so meeting one isn''t easy."


    "And their blood is so thick you can sense them from afar. As long as you stay alert and avoid them early, there usually isn''t any danger."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Mo Shan continued, "Besides the environment and demonic beasts, the most dangerous thing in the inner mountain is people."


    Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng exchanged surprised looks.


    "Are you talking about demon hunters or other cultivators?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Both. Some demon hunters from other places deliberately rob prey, and there are cultivators of various intentions and treacherous minds."


    Mo Hua was curious, "Why haven''t I met these cultivators in the outer mountain?"


    Mo Shan explained with a smile, "Dahei Mountain is vast and stretches far, connected to other areas. Tongxian City is just a part of it..."


    "The outer mountain of Dahei Mountain is connected to Tongxian City, not to other places, but the inner mountain is different."


    "The paths in the inner mountain are more intricate, leading in all directions. Cultivators from the southern regions, when wanting to enter the city or pass through, must go through the inner mountain."


    "The inner mountain is gloomy and remote, which suppresses the human mind and often gives rise to evil thoughts. Robbery, murder, and treasure-snatching happen frequently. Afterwards, they hide the bodies, leaving no trace."


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    Demonic beasts were dangerous, but human hearts were even more so.


    In this world, those who ate people might not be demonic beasts but humans.


    Seeing Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng''s tense faces, Mo Shan realized it was inappropriate to talk about such topics during festive days, so he switched to talking about amusing demon hunting stories.


    Bai Zisheng, hearing them for the first time, listened with great interest.


    Mo Hua, however, had heard some of these stories before. Bai Zisheng was hearing what he had already heard.


    But now that he had entered Dahei Mountain, he knew what demon hunting was like.


    Those stories he once found interesting now revealed their dangers and uncertainties, making him feel differently upon hearing them again.


    Unnoticed, it grew late, and Liu Ruhua invited them to stay for dinner.


    Bai Zisheng was eager, but Aunt Xue politely declined, "Thank you, Sister Liu, but we''ve troubled you long enough, it''s time to go back."


    Liu Ruhua didn''t insist and, along with Mo Hua, saw them to the door.


    Bai Zisheng felt reluctant to leave.


    Here, there was food, drinks, stories to hear, and people to chat with. Going back meant only cultivating and doing tedious tasks.


    Bai Zixi showed no emotion, but a slight regret flickered in her eyes.


    Mo Hua, carefree himself, though he had to practice cultivation and array formations daily, could play whenever he wanted, unlike the Bai siblings, who had to follow a strict schedule.


    Seeing their downcast expressions, Mo Hua''s eyes brightened, and he invited, "Aunt Xue, on the fifteenth there will be lanterns and fireworks, why don''t you come and watch?"


    Aunt Xue smiled warmly at Mo Hua but still declined politely, "We appreciate your kindness, but we won''t watch the fireworks."


    Mo Hua said, "The fireworks are powered by arrays, which I drew. They''re really beautiful."


    Aunt Xue was surprised, "You drew them?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "I put a lot of effort into them!"


    In fact, it hadn''t taken him long, since they were just firework arrays and not too difficult.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s confident look, Aunt Xue couldn''t help but smile. After a moment''s thought, she agreed, "We''ll come to see when you set off the fireworks."


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed and looked at Mo Hua with gratitude. Bai Zixi''s eyes also brightened as she looked at Mo Hua.


    On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, night had fallen, and the streets were adorned with lanterns and decorations.


    Mo Hua checked the firework arrays again and, confirming everything was fine, nodded.


    The firework arrays were composite arrays made up of ordinary firework arrays, less than First Grade, with few array patterns, making them easy for Mo Hua to draw.


    The firework arrays were drawn on both sides of the riverbank, using the stone embankment as the array medium. By crushing spirit stones and injecting spiritual energy, the arrays could be activated to launch fireworks into the sky.


    Mo Hua didn''t use paper as the array medium because it was disposable; once the array was activated, the array paper couldn''t bear the spiritual power and would be destroyed.


    Using earth and stone as the medium allowed the arrays to operate multiple times.


    This way, not just on the fifteenth, but on every festival, the arrays could be activated to release fireworks for celebration.


    Mo Hua went to Elder Yu to get reimbursed for the spirit stones used in the firework arrays.


    Since the arrays weren''t complicated and didn''t consume many spirit stones, Elder Yu readily agreed.


    At the hour of Xu, Mo Hua activated the arrays.


    Then he ran to the stone bridge to watch the fireworks with his parents, Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and Aunt Xue.


    After activating the arrays, it took fifteen breaths for the array patterns to activate.


    The array patterns along the riverbank lit up in a variety of colors, then condensed into brilliant lights that shot up into the dark sky, bursting into dazzling fireworks, layer upon layer


    , one after another, like a thousand blooming flowers and falling stars.


    The dark night sky served as a backdrop, with fireworks blooming like splendid embroidery, weaving a magnificent and colorful tapestry.


    The sky was filled with brilliance, breathtakingly beautiful.


    For a moment, countless cultivators looked up at the sky, gazing at the splendid fireworks, watching them illuminate the streets and alleys of Tongxian City.

 Chapter 225: Dao Heart

    After watching the fireworks, Aunt Xue thanked Mo Hua, then bid farewell to Mo Shan and his wife, and left with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.Mo Shan had made plans with a few brothers from the Demon Hunting team to drink together.


    Liu Ruhua went with Aunt Jiang to see the lanterns and taste some snacks from the newly opened pastry shops.


    With fireworks still lighting up the sky, Mo Hua strolled alone.


    As he wandered, Mo Hua suddenly felt a sensation and looked up, seeing Elder Yu also sitting alone on a rooftop, drinking by himself.


    Mo Hua used the Passing Water Step, walking vertically up the wall, step by step to the rooftop.


    Elder Yu''s eyes lit up when he saw Mo Hua and patted the tile next to him, "Come, sit here and have a drink with me."


    Mo Hua sat down next to Elder Yu, took out fruit wine from his storage bag, and clinked glasses with him.


    Elder Yu''s wine was strong and spicy.


    Mo Hua''s wine was sweet and could be drunk in any amount.


    As the fruit wine entered his throat, its sweetness lingered. Mo Hua couldn''t help but shake his head slightly, then looked at Elder Yu and asked:


    "Elder, are you here alone?"


    "What''s wrong with being alone?"


    "You seem a bit lonely..." Mo Hua said sympathetically.


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, sighed, and looked into the distance, "I''m happy, so I came up here alone to drink."


    Mo Hua nodded, as long as he was happy, it wasn''t a problem.


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua asked, "Elder, is it hard to become a Foundation Building cultivator?"


    "Why, are you thinking of Foundation Building?" Elder Yu was a bit surprised.


    "It''s still early for me. I''m just asking." Mo Hua smiled shyly.


    He was currently at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, not yet at the late stage, so Foundation Building was still some way off. s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Foundation Building, it''s neither too hard nor too easy."


    "Elder, can you be more straightforward?"


    Elder Yu choked for a moment, then said directly:


    "The difficulty in Foundation Building actually lies in two things: spiritual roots and spirit stones..."


    "Spiritual roots go without saying. Good roots mean deep spiritual power, making breakthroughs easier. As for spirit stones, without them, cultivation itself is problematic, let alone Foundation Building."


    "Aren''t there spiritual objects?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Most spiritual objects still need to be bought with spirit stones. At least for ordinary cultivators like us, the necessary spiritual objects can all be bought with spirit stones." Elder Yu explained.


    Mo Hua nodded, "So it all comes down to spirit stones."


    Elder Yu nodded, "Exactly."


    "If the spiritual roots are decent and spirit stones are sufficient, is Foundation Building guaranteed?"


    "Nothing is certain in this world. There are always surprises, but if spirit stones aren''t lacking, Foundation Building is very likely."


    Elder Yu took a sip of wine and continued, "Prepare the spirit stones, gather the spiritual objects. If you fail once, try again. Eventually, there will be success. And as long as you succeed once, you become a Foundation Building cultivator."


    Mo Hua frowned, "It doesn''t seem too hard then..."


    "From Qi Refining onwards, although Foundation Building is a step up, it''s just one more step from Qi Refining. From the Golden Core stage onwards, each step becomes progressively harder, requiring exceptional spiritual roots, talent, comprehension, and inheritance."


    Elder Yu sighed, "As for Foundation Building, as long as you have spirit stones, it can be done."


    Foundation Building requires spirit stones, but in the past century, only Elder Yu had succeeded among the wandering cultivators...


    Mo Hua asked, "Does it take a lot of spirit stones for Foundation Building?"


    Elder Yu sighed, "It varies from person to person, but for cultivation and purchasing spiritual objects, at least ten thousand spirit stones."


    Mo Hua silently calculated. An ordinary Qi Refining cultivator earns one spirit stone a day, which totals three hundred and sixty a year. To save over ten thousand spirit stones would take about thirty years.


    No eating, drinking, or spending for thirty years.


    And that''s just for one attempt at a breakthrough. If it fails, all those spirit stones are consumed, and thirty years of effort is wasted.


    Moreover, how could a cultivator not eat or drink, not get sick, or not encounter unexpected events?


    Mo Hua sighed as well.


    Elder Yu bitterly said, "The main reason wandering cultivators can''t build a foundation is actually poverty."


    "There are many thresholds in cultivation, but poverty is the most despairing one."


    "If your spiritual roots are poor, you know from the start that this path is not for you. But poverty first gives you hope and then leads you to despair. Spirit stones are always insufficient, and the Dao is always out of reach."


    Elder Yu''s expression was filled with both longing and helplessness.


    "Are all wandering cultivators in this world like this?" Mo Hua asked.


    "For the most part, yes." Elder Yu sighed, "In the cultivation world, the most numerous and the most bitter are the Qi Refining cultivators. Across the vast Nine Regions, when you step out of Black Mountain, you''ll see even poorer cities than Tongxian City, and countless cultivators more bitter than us demon hunters."


    Mo Hua looked downcast and remained silent.


    Elder Yu realized he had said too much, things that shouldn''t have been said to this young one.


    He patted Mo Hua on the shoulder and changed the subject, "We can''t control others'' affairs, but at least the wandering cultivators of Tongxian City will get better, thanks to you."


    Mo Hua was a bit embarrassed, "I didn''t do much, just drew some array formations."


    "Array formations are the most important." Elder Yu said solemnly, "Without array masters drawing formations, even if there were a few more Foundation Building cultivators among the wandering ones, it wouldn''t change anything. They would still be poor and bitter."


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He knew that array masters held a high status and that array formations were hard to learn, needed in all aspects of cultivation, but he hadn''t thought it was as important as Elder Yu said, more so than several Foundation Building cultivators.


    Elder Yu saw Mo Hua''s confusion and patiently explained:


    "Qi Refining is the base, stepping up to Foundation Building gives one the qualification to seek the Dao and change their fate."


    "I became a Foundation Building cultivator and changed my fate, but I can''t change the fate of other wandering cultivators. I can negotiate with the Qian family to prevent oppression, but I can''t help them much."


    "They''re still poor, still bitter, still struggling, destined to remain Qi Refining cultivators for life. Even if I stole or robbed, I couldn''t gather enough spirit stones."


    "But array formations are different!"


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with bright eyes, "Even if you''re just in Qi Refining, as long as you know array formations, you can truly benefit all wandering cultivators. Help them make a living, earn spirit stones, and advance in their cultivation."


    "Spiritual power can kill, but array formations can benefit all beings!"


    Mo Hua was deeply moved and nodded, "Elder, I understand."


    Elder Yu nodded in relief, said no more, and quietly watched the myriad lights of Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua also followed Elder Yu''s gaze.


    The bright red lanterns hung from street to street, under their light, children chased and played, cultivators greeted or walked together, creating a lively scene.


    The fireworks were dazzling in the sky, the market was bustling with rows of shops, and the streets were crowded with people.


    Laughter and joy blended with the myriad lights, lighting up the entire night sky alongside the brilliant fireworks.


    These myriad lights and splendid fireworks also reflected in Mo Hua''s eyes.


    Little Mo Hua gradually solidified his Dao heart:


    In this life, he would cultivate diligently, comprehend array formations, and seek immortality through them, defying fate.


    He would change his fate and the fate of all the lower-level cultivators in the world.


    By then, not only Tongxian City, but all the wandering cultivators in the world would no longer remain mere Qi Refining cultivators for life!

 Chapter 226: Seventh Layer

    The lively New Year celebration had ended, and Mo Hua had turned thirteen.He had grown a bit taller, but not significantly. He still looked like a small cultivator.


    Mo Hua''s mind was primarily focused on his cultivation, aside from daily practice of array techniques.


    He had reached the peak of the sixth layer of Qi Refining and was on the verge of breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining.


    Once he broke through, he would become a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.


    Reaching the late stage of Qi Refining meant he was closer to the Foundation Building stage.


    In the vast world of cultivation, where countless cultivators existed, Qi Refining was merely an ant-like existence. Achieving Foundation Building was the first step to changing one''s cultivation fate.


    Foundation Building laid the foundation of cultivation.


    Regardless of one''s Dao heart, without building the foundation, everything was mere talk.


    That day, Mo Hua woke up at dawn and began his usual cultivation.


    Suddenly, his Qi sea trembled, and spiritual power began to flow rapidly.


    Mo Hua felt a surge of energy, took out his spirit stones, and focused on cultivating. The spirit stones were refined by Mo Hua, forming pure spiritual power that gathered in his Qi sea until it overflowed.


    Then, just like the first time he faced a breakthrough, the overflowing spiritual power traveled up his meridians, converging at the Baihui acupoint. When it reached the Tianmen acupoint, it seeped into the sea of consciousness, weaving a spiritual curtain within it.


    This spiritual curtain was the riddle array, the bottleneck that needed to be broken through when practicing the Heavenly Proliferation Technique.


    Mo Hua felt both anticipation and apprehension, calming his mind to comprehend the riddle array.


    After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    The array patterns on the riddle array were numerous and chaotic, but Mo Hua noticed that most of them, though complex and constantly changing, fell within the realm of Five-Element Array patterns, which he recognized.


    Recognizing them meant he had a way to solve them.


    Recalling the basic principles of breaking arrays, using the interrelations of the Five Elements, the integration and dissolution of array patterns, and the rules of spiritual power flow, Mo Hua began to unravel them one by one.


    Half a day passed, and Mo Hua had deciphered over ten array patterns.


    He was delighted at the smooth progress.


    Thanks to Mr. Zhuang''s teachings and Mo Hua''s relentless practice, including his understanding and application of first-grade composite arrays, his array techniques were now among the best of first-grade array masters.


    He could now rely on his own array skills to solve these riddle arrays.


    On the riddle array, spiritual threads were intertwined, and array patterns were densely packed and constantly shifting.


    What would baffle ordinary cultivators and alarm even general array masters was now clear and straightforward to Mo Hua.


    All the efforts spent on array techniques were worth it.


    However, the riddle arrays were numerous, and solving them would take time.


    Thus, Mo Hua devoted himself to solving the riddle arrays day and night, often getting lost in thought while eating or walking, sometimes frowning, sometimes realizing, sometimes pondering deeply, and sometimes brightening up.


    Other cultivators around him, seeing his state, understood that he was contemplating something difficult and quietly refrained from disturbing him.


    Finally, after a month, Mo Hua solved all the riddle arrays.


    The spiritual curtain dispersed suddenly, the riddle array unraveled, and the thread-like spiritual power gradually dissipated, finally merging into Mo Hua''s sea of consciousness.


    Mo Hua''s sea of consciousness expanded, his spiritual awareness deepened, and his spiritual power became more profound.


    He had broken through the bottleneck and reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining.


    The seventh layer of Qi Refining marked the late stage!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed. His cultivation had taken a significant step forward. From now on, he needed to proceed steadily and gradually advance toward Foundation Building.


    The ones even happier than Mo Hua were Liu Ruhua and Mo Shan.


    Following the custom, they invited neighbors and close cultivators for a feast.


    Mo Hua received many gifts from Elder Yu, Master Chen, Mr. Feng, Demon Hunters, and array masters like Master Luo.


    After the lively banquet, Mo Hua calmed his mind and pondered his next steps.


    Consistent cultivation, perseverance, and achieving success through continuous effort were key. There was no shortcut to this, so there was nothing much to discuss.


    Regarding Dao techniques, Mo Hua wanted to learn one or two more spells for future needs.


    Although he had reached the late stage of Qi Refining and his strength had increased, greater dangers might await him. It was necessary to master more techniques.


    However, Mo Hua didn''t know whom to learn from for the time being.


    He had no suitable spell books himself.


    It wasn''t appropriate to seek Elder Gui again, as Elder Gui had already taught him the essentials. Mo Hua couldn''t keep asking for more.


    When it was time to find a way on his own, he had to rely on himself.


    There was no rush for this; it could be done slowly.


    What puzzled Mo Hua most was the array techniques.


    He had already mastered first-grade arrays, and even more challenging first-grade composite arrays. However, his cultivation level was still far from Foundation Building. Without building the foundation, he couldn''t become a second-grade array master.


    So, what should he learn during this period?


    Should he continue with composite arrays?


    Mo Hua was already familiar with general composite arrays. More difficult ones required stronger array hubs, which his current spiritual awareness couldn''t handle.


    Yet, he had already mastered the principles of composite arrays, especially Five-Element array hubs. Further study would only broaden his array knowledge without deeper insights.


    Studying further felt somewhat dull to Mo Hua.


    Should he learn large arrays then?


    Mo Hua had a shallow understanding of large arrays, knowing only that they were large-scale composite arrays.


    Moreover, even if he wanted to learn large arrays, he could only practice them in the Dao stele of his sea of consciousness and couldn''t draw them in reality.


    Large arrays required significant resources, large array mediums, numerous spirit stones, and a lot of manpower, which Mo Hua couldn''t manage.


    Besides, Mo Hua didn''t understand something about spiritual awareness.


    His spiritual awareness was already strong, stronger than most ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivators, and even superior to ordinary first-grade array masters.


    Yet, compared to Foundation Building spiritual awareness, it was still lacking.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness was growing. The Dao stele enhanced it, practicing arrays refined it, and future breakthroughs would also increase it.


    Could it be that one day, his spiritual awareness would match Foundation Building cultivators even before reaching that stage?


    Where was the boundary between Qi Refining and Foundation Building spiritual awareness?


    This was beyond Mo Hua''s knowledge, so he visited Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing Mo Hua, remained calm but sighed inwardly, "This child, his spiritual awareness has grown stronger..."


    He didn''t know how to teach him anymore. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua respectfully saluted Mr. Zhuang and asked, "Sir, should I continue learning composite arrays?"


    "Continue as usual."


    "Oh."


    Mo Hua found composite arrays somewhat dull but didn''t voice it.


    Mr. Zhuang asked, "What was the riddle array in your sea of consciousness like this time?"


    Mo Hua thought and said, "Still Five-Element array patterns, but the riddle array was of a higher grade, mostly first-grade arrays with some composite arrays."


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment, then sighed, "In that case, reaching Foundation Building will be very difficult for you."

 Chapter 227: Foundation Building Spiritual Sense

    Mo Hua was stunned.Mr. Zhuang said, "These days, I have been looking through the notes of predecessors in our sect who practiced the Heavenly Proliferation Technique. After some research and referencing the Riddle Array you encountered, I discovered a problem."


    Mo Hua''s spirit was lifted, and he listened attentively.


    "The bottleneck of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique varies from person to person," Mr. Zhuang said slowly.


    Mo Hua was slightly confused. "Varies from person to person?"


    "Do you remember the small notes on the Heavenly Proliferation Technique?" Mr. Zhuang asked.


    Mo Hua recalled, "The bottleneck lies in spiritual sense, and it can only be cultivated by array masters."


    "The problem is with the spiritual sense," Mr. Zhuang said, looking at Mo Hua. "Your spiritual sense is too strong. The stronger the spiritual sense, the stronger the bottleneck."


    Mo Hua''s mouth opened wide, and he weakly asked, "If my spiritual sense were weaker, would cultivating the Heavenly Proliferation Technique be much smoother?"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a faint smile. "If the spiritual sense is weak, the bottleneck is weak, and naturally, the effect of the technique is also weak."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment. The benefits of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique were to make the spiritual sense sharp, increase control, and speed up array drawing. However, his spiritual sense was already outstanding, so a slight reduction in effect didn''t seem to matter much.


    "Do you think that control over the spiritual sense is not important?" Mr. Zhuang saw through Mo Hua''s thoughts.


    Mo Hua honestly nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "The purpose of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique is to unravel arrays through the sea of consciousness, training your control over the spiritual sense. The more complex the array you solve, the sharper your control over the spiritual sense will become after the breakthrough."


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression was filled with emotion. "Control over the spiritual sense is extremely important for array masters and even for cultivators. It affects the speed of drawing arrays and the time needed to cast spells."


    In simple terms, the arrays would be drawn faster, in greater quantity, and the spells would be cast more quickly.


    Mo Hua nodded. "So, this technique is quite powerful, isn''t it?"


    "As I said earlier, it depends on the individual." Mr. Zhuang''s gaze sharpened. "The stronger the spiritual sense, the more the technique enhances it; the weaker the spiritual sense, the more useless the technique becomes."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up.


    His spiritual sense was not weak; in fact, it was very strong.


    It seemed he had made the right choice. The Heavenly Proliferation Technique was the most suitable for him.


    Feeling a bit proud, Mo Hua was quickly doused with cold water by Mr. Zhuang. "Although the stronger the spiritual sense, the more effective the technique, the bottleneck also becomes stronger, and the Riddle Array becomes more complex."


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "Your mid-stage Qi refining sea of consciousness Riddle Array was already a First Grade Composite Array. So, what level of Riddle Array do you need to solve to break through to the Foundation Building stage?"


    Mo Hua was shocked. "It won''t be a large array, will it..."


    "Not necessarily. Strictly speaking, although large arrays fall under the First Grade category, they are not meant for First Grade array masters to learn."


    "Teacher, can I learn large arrays now?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Not yet."


    "Oh," Mo Hua nodded. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Mr. Zhuang said so, he wouldn''t aim too high for now.


    The immediate priority was to solve the technique''s problem.


    Mo Hua asked, "The stronger the spiritual sense, the stronger the bottleneck. How should I break through the Foundation Building bottleneck in the future?"


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua and said calmly, "It''s actually simple. You just need to make your spiritual sense stronger."


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows even tighter, realizing a problem. "Teacher, if the stronger the spiritual sense, the stronger the bottleneck, does that mean no matter how strong my spiritual sense gets, the bottleneck will always increase? If so, can simply strengthening the spiritual sense break through the bottleneck?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze sharpened. "Therefore, your spiritual sense growth must exceed the limit."


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened. "The limit between Qi refining and Foundation Building?"


    "That''s right," Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    "How much difference is there between the spiritual sense in Qi refining and Foundation Building?" Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "The spiritual power of cultivators is quantified in cycles, but spiritual sense is not easily unified for quantification."


    "One commonly used method is to measure the strength of a cultivator''s spiritual sense by its external range."


    "A Qi refining stage cultivator''s spiritual sense can extend ten to twenty zhang. The stronger the spiritual sense, the farther it extends; the weaker, the closer."


    Mo Hua nodded. During spellcasting, he relied on his strong spiritual sense for a longer range, giving him an advantage.


    "But this method is not precise. Some cultivators have a naturally farther spiritual sense range, but their spiritual sense strength is average. Some are not good at extending their spiritual sense, but their sea of consciousness is very solid and deep."


    "The most accurate way to measure spiritual sense is through drawing arrays."


    "Drawing arrays?" Mo Hua was puzzled. "The number of array patterns?"


    "Exactly," Mr. Zhuang nodded. "Just as array masters measure the level of arrays by the number of patterns, measuring spiritual sense strength by the number of patterns is the most accurate method."


    "A Qi refining stage cultivator who can draw one pattern has a spiritual sense of one pattern. Two patterns mean a spiritual sense of two patterns, and so on. Drawing nine patterns means a spiritual sense of nine patterns."


    "And nine-pattern spiritual sense is the limit for Qi refining stage cultivators."


    Mo Hua pondered silently. "Then the spiritual sense of a Foundation Building cultivator is ten patterns?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    "Just one pattern difference?" Mo Hua was stunned.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly. "It seems like just one pattern, but the amount of spiritual sense is doubled."


    Mo Hua was shocked. "Why is there such a big difference?"


    Mr. Zhuang explained, "Because breaking through from the ninth level of Qi refining to Foundation Building involves a qualitative change in spiritual power, doubling the spiritual sense. Therefore, a Foundation Building cultivator''s spiritual sense for drawing Second Grade arrays starts at twice that of a ninth-level Qi refining cultivator."


    "Nine-pattern Qi refining, ten-pattern Foundation Building. The spiritual sense of nine patterns doubled to reach the ten-pattern level."


    "And this doubling is the spiritual sense limit and the insurmountable gap for cultivators!"


    Mo Hua was shocked. No wonder he always felt that since becoming a First Grade nine-pattern array master, his spiritual sense improvement seemed like a boundless sea.


    The gap was so large, the chasm so deep.


    "Is it possible for a Qi refining stage cultivator to have a ten-pattern Foundation Building spiritual sense?" Mo Hua asked weakly.


    "It''s possible," Mr. Zhuang said, looking at Mo Hua meaningfully.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it was possible.


    Then his heart skipped a beat, suddenly understanding. "Do I need to have a Foundation Building spiritual sense to solve the Riddle Array and break through the bottleneck to become a Foundation Building cultivator?"


    Seeing that he understood, Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, "That''s right. The stronger the spiritual sense, the stronger the bottleneck. But no matter how strong the bottleneck, it''s still a Qi refining stage technique. If your spiritual sense surpasses the Qi refining stage limit, you can naturally break through the bottleneck. This means..."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said slowly, "Other cultivators must break through to Foundation Building to have a Foundation Building spiritual sense. But you are different. You must have a Foundation Building spiritual sense first to become a Foundation Building cultivator!"

 Chapter 228

    Mo Hua was utterly stunned.To become a Foundation Building cultivator, one must possess Foundation Building Spiritual Awareness, but to acquire Foundation Building Spiritual Awareness, one must first become a Foundation Building cultivator...


    The saying goes, "A skilled swimmer drowns; a skilled rider falls."


    What was initially an advantage of his strong spiritual awareness had now become an obstacle.


    Mo Hua silently counted the ways to enhance his spiritual awareness:


    First, his current cultivation level was at the seventh layer of Qi Refining. Breaking through to the eighth and ninth layers would increase his spiritual awareness.


    Next, he could practice array techniques on the Dao Stele.


    Normally, drawing arrays could train spiritual awareness, leading to some improvement, which is why array masters generally had stronger spiritual awareness than ordinary cultivators.


    But practicing array techniques on the Dao Stele, with a clear mind, could lead to occasional insights and more noticeable enhancements in spiritual awareness.


    Beyond that, Mo Hua couldn''t think of other ways to enhance his spiritual awareness.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "Sir, before reaching Foundation Building, is it really possible to have Foundation Building Spiritual Awareness?"


    "How would you know without trying?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyes flickered slightly. "Given the current speed of your spiritual awareness growth, it''s not impossible."


    Mo Hua nodded but remained uncertain. "Sir, are there other ways to enhance spiritual awareness?"


    After some thought, Mo Hua''s eyes brightened. "For example, the Visualization Technique you mentioned."


    "The Visualization Technique..." Mr. Zhuang pondered, his gaze slightly focused. "The Visualization Technique is very rare and contains dangers. It''s best not to touch it unless absolutely necessary, and definitely not rely on it."


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, "Other than that, there''s not much else. You can only rely on drawing arrays¡ªlearn more and practice more. But the things you practice can be different."


    Mr. Zhuang took out a booklet and an ancient array diagram from his sleeve. "This is the ''Array Solution Collection'' and a special array diagram."


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang. "Sir, have you had these prepared all along?" s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Otherwise, how did he pull them out just after mentioning them...


    Mr. Zhuang glanced helplessly at Mo Hua, thinking this child was too perceptive.


    "To be prepared is to have no worries. The same goes for teaching and learning," Mr. Zhuang instructed.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement. The same applied to demon hunting: thorough preparation ensured a balanced approach to any situation.


    Pointing to the ''Array Solution Collection,'' Mr. Zhuang said, "This is an array book with more complex principles than the previous one I gave you. Take it back, study it carefully, and practice array solving when you have time."


    "Drawing arrays can train spiritual awareness, and so can array solving. In fact, the training effect is even better."


    Mo Hua then looked at the other array diagram. "What about this array diagram?"


    "This array diagram is also for training your spiritual awareness."


    Mo Hua glanced at the diagram and asked in confusion, "This array diagram seems incomplete?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded. "Incomplete is enough; you can''t draw a complete one."


    "Can''t draw it?" Mo Hua examined it closely again, startled. "Sir, is this a First Grade array? Why does it have nine and a half array patterns?"


    Isn''t it said that a First Grade single array can only contain up to nine array patterns?


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze deepened, his expression becoming solemn.


    "Do you remember what I told you? The grades in the Dao Court are determined by their own rules, but the Dao of Heaven has its anomalies, not governed by human norms."


    "Nine patterns for a First Grade, ten patterns for a Second Grade. But a First Grade with ten patterns is an anomaly of the Dao of Heaven!"


    "This Reverse Spirit Array contains ten patterns of a First Grade array, an anomaly of the Dao of Heaven, not within the Dao Court''s array inheritance norms."


    Mo Hua was greatly shocked. It was his first encounter with such profound array inheritance.


    With a solemn expression and a respectful heart, Mo Hua carefully examined the Reverse Spirit Array diagram again.


    The ancient paper and obscure patterns, with their intricate hub, conveyed an inexplicable profundity at a glance.


    Just as Mr. Zhuang had said, it was filled with a sense of anomaly in the evolution of the Dao of Heaven.


    Moreover, the diagram was missing a corner, further hinting at its profound and heavy origins.


    Mo Hua cautiously asked, "Is the damage to this diagram due to its inheritance?"


    "No," Mr. Zhuang casually replied, "I just tore it off."


    "Ah..." Mo Hua''s thoughts were momentarily chaotic.


    "The complete Reverse Spirit Array is too difficult for you. I tore off a corner, leaving nine and a half patterns for you to learn."


    Mo Hua didn''t know what to say.


    Should he appreciate Mr. Zhuang''s thoughtfulness or be surprised by Mr. Zhuang''s unexpected actions?


    "Isn''t a First Grade array with ten patterns supposed to be very precious? You just tore it off like that..." Mo Hua whispered.


    "Ordinary cultivators can''t learn it anyway. Keeping it would only collect dust," Mr. Zhuang said. "Learn it well. If you master the nine and a half patterns, I''ll give you a complete one."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Mo Hua then recalled, "The term ''Reverse Spirit Array'' sounds familiar." After a moment of contemplation, his eyes brightened as he asked:


    "Is the Reverse Spirit Array used to break array hubs?"


    Generally, the hubs of arrays are gathering arrays, and breaking them requires a Reverse Spirit Array.


    However, Mo Hua hadn''t found any mention of the Reverse Spirit Array in the many array books he had read.


    It was said that the Reverse Spirit Array was a profound pattern, often passed down within families skilled in arrays and rarely disclosed.


    Mo Hua now understood: ten patterns for a First Grade, an anomaly of the Dao of Heaven, a family inheritance. No wonder it wasn''t in common array books.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded. "So these two tasks are actually one¡ªarray solving."


    "To train spiritual awareness through array solving: one, learn to solve array patterns; two, learn the Reverse Spirit Array to solve array hubs. Different paths to the same goal."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood and was impressed by Mr. Zhuang''s far-sighted consideration.


    From now on, he would focus on practicing array solving and honing his spiritual awareness.


    As long as his spiritual awareness was strong enough, he could hope to reach Foundation Building.


    "By the way, sir," Mo Hua had another question. "Besides ''intellectual entertainment'' and training spiritual awareness, are there any practical uses for array solving?"


    Mo Hua believed in applying what he learned, preferring useful knowledge over abstract study.


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze became playful. "Array solving is naturally used to dismantle arrays."


    "Can''t arrays also be broken by force or spiritual power? What are the advantages of array solving?"


    "Breaking arrays is too crude and creates too much commotion."


    Mr. Zhuang looked disdainful, then continued, "Array solving is much more sophisticated and very discreet. You can dismantle someone else''s array without them even noticing."


    Mo Hua nodded, beginning to understand.


    "One more thing," Mr. Zhuang added, "Array solving can also break a person''s Dao Heart."


    "Dao Heart?"


    "When an array master''s proud arrays are dismantled by you, pattern by pattern, their Dao Heart can waver. Those with weak Dao Hearts might even crumble completely."


    Mr. Zhuang''s lips curved into a mischievous smile, his handsome face showing a hint of mischief.


    Mo Hua found it curious. "Sir, have you done this often before?"


    Mr. Zhuang ruffled Mo Hua''s hair with his slender fingers. "Stop being nosy."


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand. "Go study well. A skilled array master must not only draw arrays but also excel in solving them."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Mo Hua carefully placed the ''Array Solution Collection'' and the incomplete Reverse Spirit Array into his storage bag, then bowed and took his leave.


    Mr. Zhuang watched Mo Hua''s departing figure, shaking his head and sighing, "This disciple is hard to teach..."


    Elder Gui materialized beside him, his expression calm. "You chose a good cultivation technique."


    Mr. Zhuang detected the sarcasm in his tone but didn''t mind, instead saying:


    "If he aspires to be an array master, spiritual awareness is paramount. Training spiritual awareness facilitates learning arrays and breaking through realms¡ªit''s a win-win."


    "Have you ever seen a cultivator with Foundation Building Spiritual Awareness without reaching Foundation Building?"


    "Records exist, but I haven''t seen one..."


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze traveled through the corridor, over the courtyard, and landed expectantly on Mo Hua, who was talking with the Bai siblings under the large locust tree.


    "So I also want to see it with my own eyes."


    Elder Gui''s gaze sharpened. "This is not an easy feat."


    Mr. Zhuang replied, "I know that. But I had underestimated this technique. This ''Heavenly Proliferation Technique''¡ªif it can break through, any cost is worth it."


    Elder Gui was slightly surprised.


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze turned deep, looking far into the distance at Mo Hua, his eyes gradually becoming profound:


    "Heavenly Proliferation... the evolution of the Dao of Heaven..."

 Chapter 229: Movement Technique

    After returning home, Mo Hua began learning to decipher arrays following Mr. Zhuang''s instructions.He leaned over his small desk, first skimming through "Essays on Deciphering Arrays" before cross-referencing it with his previous studies to fill in the gaps.


    He skipped what he already knew, noting down the unfamiliar, confusing array concepts to review and contemplate later.


    After spending an hour getting a general impression, Mo Hua put away "Essays on Deciphering Arrays."


    He felt that he had grasped the framework, and he could consult the book again when encountering specific problems in deciphering arrays.


    Mo Hua then carefully unfolded an ancient array diagram to study the Reverse Spirit Array.


    The Reverse Spirit Array wasn''t part of the Five Elements Array category but a special type of array Mo Hua had never studied before.


    The patterns, hubs, and brush techniques of the Reverse Spirit Array all had their unique intricacies, making it feel entirely different from other arrays.


    Mo Hua felt both nervous and excited.


    He was nervous because the Reverse Spirit Array was considerably more difficult, and he wasn''t sure if he could master it.


    He was excited because the Reverse Spirit Array, while still an array, was fundamentally different from the common First Grade arrays he was used to.


    First Grade arrays typically had ten patterns, and the anomalies in the Dao of Heaven meant they weren''t confined by rank, which challenged Mo Hua''s established understanding of arrays.


    At the same time, Mo Hua felt a sense of anticipation.


    There were many array categories he had yet to learn about, and many super-grade arrays deemed "Heavenly anomalies."


    These arrays were collected by families, sects, Dao courts, or some unknown forces.


    They could also be remnants in ancient gates, cave ruins, ancient cultivator tombs, wild lands, boundless seas, or some unremarkable corners of the vast Nine Regions.


    He wondered if he would travel across the Nine Regions in the future, seeking ancient arrays.


    If he could master all these arrays, would he truly gain the divine abilities to change the heavens and the earth?


    Mo Hua fantasized for a moment, then calmed himself, reminding himself twice not to aim too high.


    Then he began to diligently study the Reverse Spirit Array. S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua first memorized the array patterns and, after midnight, closed his eyes to rest.


    His consciousness sank into the sea of awareness to practice the array on the Dao Stele.


    Mr. Zhuang''s Reverse Spirit Array had nine and a half patterns.


    Mo Hua only managed to draw a bit more than nine patterns before his spiritual sense was exhausted, unable to draw further.


    He erased the patterns, reflected on his spiritual sense, and frowned in thought.


    Although the Reverse Spirit Array had nine and a half patterns, it consumed far more spiritual sense than a typical nine-pattern array.


    Nine patterns was the limit, and above that limit was an immeasurable gap in spiritual sense.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    But this was within his expectations. As Mr. Zhuang had said, with his current spiritual sense, he wouldn''t be able to draw the Reverse Spirit Array.


    Mo Hua''s goal was to use the practice of the Reverse Spirit Array to temper his sea of awareness and strengthen his spiritual sense.


    Whether he could master the array was secondary.


    As long as his spiritual sense was strong enough, he would have the foundation to break through to the Foundation Building stage. With strong spiritual sense and enough practice, no array would be beyond his grasp.


    If he couldn''t master it, he would practice dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of times until he did.


    Mo Hua practiced throughout the night, becoming familiar with the Reverse Spirit Array and slightly enhancing his spiritual sense. Although the improvement was modest, Mo Hua was satisfied.


    He found ordinary First Grade arrays no longer challenging, providing minimal spiritual sense training.


    Composite arrays required strong spiritual sense but included many lower-level patterns, making them time-consuming and inefficient for deep understanding of patterns.


    In comparison, the Reverse Spirit Array offered robust spiritual sense training.


    One night of practicing the Reverse Spirit Array enhanced his spiritual sense more than two nights of previous training.


    After practicing arrays all night, Mo Hua''s spiritual sense was still full, but he felt mentally tired.


    He cleared his mind and rested until the hour of the hare.


    As the morning sun rose, a new day began.


    The early bird catches the worm. Mo Hua followed his usual practice routine. Watching the rising sun and the glowing sky outside the window lifted his spirits.


    As long as he continued to understand the Reverse Spirit Array, practiced composite arrays, and deciphered arrays, his spiritual sense would gradually grow along with his spiritual power, eventually reaching the Foundation Building stage.


    Condensing spiritual power and doubling spiritual sense would lay the foundation for the great Dao.


    Achieving the Foundation Building stage would be a significant step on the path of cultivation.


    To reach the Foundation Building stage, Mo Hua began to temper his spiritual sense, but it wouldn''t happen overnight.


    Besides this, Mo Hua had another task: to enter the inner mountains.


    He was very familiar with the outer mountains. He had mapped them, collected herbs, minerals, and spices, and killed demonic beasts¡ªalbeit with the help of arrays.


    Going back to the outer mountains had lost its appeal.


    At the same time, Mo Hua desired demonic blood from late-stage First Grade demonic beasts.


    Most demonic beasts in the outer mountains were mid-stage First Grade, whose demonic blood diluted the effectiveness of First Grade arrays.


    The inner mountains were different. The demonic beasts there were mainly late-stage First Grade, with rich blood and better-quality demonic blood, producing stronger arrays.


    The quality of spiritual ink significantly impacted the effectiveness of arrays.


    Although Mo Hua was not yet ranked, he was already a First Grade array master. His array skills were close to the peak of First Grade array masters.


    In the short term, Mo Hua''s array skills wouldn''t improve significantly, so he could only enhance the power and effectiveness of arrays by improving the quality of spiritual ink.


    Mo Hua sought out Mo Shan, expressing his desire to enter the inner mountains.


    At Qi Refining stage seven, Mo Hua had reached the late stage of Qi Refining and was preliminarily qualified to enter the inner mountains.


    Naturally, Mo Shan disagreed.


    The inner mountains were more dangerous, with more ferocious demonic beasts, and besides demonic beasts, there were other cultivators of unknown identities and intentions.


    The treacherous terrain and ferocious beasts were dangerous, but the most dangerous aspect was human nature.


    "Father, my movement technique has improved. I can protect myself," Mo Hua said.


    Since his breakthrough, with increased spiritual sense and power, the effects of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique had also strengthened.


    Utilizing spiritual sense to control spiritual power, and spiritual power to move the body, his Passing Water Step had naturally reached a higher level.


    Mo Shan was slightly taken aback, thought for a moment, and said, "Then let''s spar again. I''ll try to catch you. If you can evade, I''ll allow you to enter the inner mountains."


    Mo Hua nodded. "Alright!"


    In the afternoon, father and son sparred in the small courtyard for an hour.


    Mo Shan, at Qi Refining stage nine, had recently approached perfection due to abundant spirit stones and diligent cultivation.


    His movement technique, honed from years of demon hunting and life-and-death battles, was simple, practical, and swift.


    Despite this, Mo Shan found it increasingly difficult to catch Mo Hua or even sense his position.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual sense was too strong. The stronger the spiritual sense, the more concealed and harder to detect.


    Using his eyes to track Mo Hua''s fluid, elusive form was easily deceived by the Passing Water Step.


    Mo Shan''s only strategy was to outlast Mo Hua until his spiritual power was exhausted and sluggish, then use his familiarity with Mo Hua''s aura to catch him by feel.


    This was Mo Shan''s only chance to find a flaw in Mo Hua''s movements.


    It was less a strategy and more a "bloodline suppression"...


    After an hour of maneuvering, Mo Shan managed to catch Mo Hua twice using this method; otherwise, he couldn''t even touch his clothes.


    Mo Shan concluded that unless a Foundation Building cultivator intervened, an ordinary Qi Refining stage nine cultivator couldn''t handle Mo Hua.


    Unless Mo Hua exhausted his spiritual power and couldn''t use his movement technique.


    But his son was clever. If his spiritual power ran low, sensing danger, he would retreat early.


    An invincible movement technique below the Foundation Building stage...


    Mo Shan, both shocked and gratified, sighed and agreed to let Mo Hua enter the inner mountains.

 Chapter 230: Inner Mountain

    Before entering the inner mountain, Elder Yu secretly handed Mo Hua a demon hunting token."Take this, you''re now officially a demon hunter."


    Mo Hua was taken aback. "Can I become a demon hunter without undergoing the demon hunting ceremony?"


    He had missed this year''s ceremony due to being preoccupied with guarding the spirit mine, setting up the artifact crafting shop and the alchemy hall, and his usual training and array drawing.


    Besides, being a spiritual cultivator and an array master, he rarely engaged in close combat with demonic beasts, making him somewhat unsuitable for being a demon hunter.


    "Those are just formalities. It doesn''t matter. As long as I say you''re a demon hunter, you are one!" Elder Yu declared confidently.


    As the only Foundation Building cultivator in the Demon Hunter Hall, Elder Yu indeed had the final say.


    Elder Yu personally hung the demon hunting token around Mo Hua''s neck. "This demon hunting token is crucial. With it, you''re a genuine demon hunter."


    "Just drop a drop of your blood on it," Elder Yu added.


    Mo Hua hesitated.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s delicate hands, Elder Yu thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, I''ll help you."


    He took Mo Hua''s fair hand, used his spiritual power to form a thin needle, pricked Mo Hua''s index finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the demon hunting token.


    Mo Hua sucked on his finger, and the bleeding stopped after a while.


    Simultaneously, he felt a slight tremor in his spiritual consciousness, as if it resonated with the demon hunting token, forming a connection, making the bone token feel like a part of his consciousness rather than a lifeless object.


    "Is this a blood recognition ceremony?"


    "Sort of. But since the demon hunting token isn''t a spiritual artifact, calling it a blood recognition is a bit of a stretch. It''s more like a stamp of ownership."


    "I see," Mo Hua nodded.


    He then curiously asked, "Elder Yu, how exactly is this demon hunting token made?"


    Elder Yu found a chair, poured himself a cup of tea, and explained, "It''s an heirloom from the ancient demon hunters. They say there are many bone trees in the world, with the bloodline of ancient great demons. They are both demons and trees. They look like trees, but their trunks, branches, and even leaves are made of bones."


    "The demon hunting token is made from the bone wood of these trees. When a demon beast is killed, the token senses it and forms blood marks, representing the hunter''s achievements."


    "The more and denser the blood marks, the higher the achievements, and it''s something to boast about."


    Mo Hua''s expression became complicated. "It''s for boasting?"


    "It''s mainly to show experience. Veteran and rookie demon hunters'' tokens are vastly different. But it''s also convenient for boasting," Elder Yu replied with a raised eyebrow.


    "Without proof, who would believe you killed so many demon beasts? The demon hunting token is that proof. When you show it with blood marks all over, your boasts become credible."


    Judging by Elder Yu''s demeanor, he must have boasted quite a bit himself...


    Mo Hua asked, "Can we make our own demon hunting tokens?"


    Elder Yu shook his head. "No, they are made by the Dao Court and distributed uniformly. Though they look similar, each token is recorded by the Dao Court and cannot be faked."


    Mo Hua examined the token, finding no marks. He wondered how the Dao Court recorded them.


    Could it be some special array?


    Elder Yu whispered to Mo Hua, "Your token is special, made from the bone wood at the center of the bone tree''s annual ring. I''ve kept it for decades, never giving it away."


    Mo Hua felt the weight of the token. "You won''t keep it for Uncle Yu?"


    Elder Yu snorted. "I wouldn''t give it to my stupid son."


    Mo Hua felt unworthy.


    Elder Yu reassured, "It''s no big deal. Whether it''s the trunk, branch, or leaf, the effect is the same. It''s just a matter of preference. Don''t worry about it."


    Mo Hua felt relieved and nodded.


    "Keep it safe, don''t lose it," Elder Yu instructed.


    "Alright!"


    Now, besides the warm alchemical jade from Mr. Feng, Mo Hua also wore the demon hunting token made from demonic bone.


    The next day, Mo Hua prepared and entered the inner mountain with Mo Shan.


    The inner mountain had miasma and toxic swamps, far more poisonous than the outer mountain.


    In the outer mountain, one could manage without medicinal pills if careful. But in the inner mountain, pills were essential.


    Mo Hua carried various medicinal bottles in his storage bag, including miasma-repelling pills, poison-repelling pills, calming pills, and hemostatic pills.


    These were all prepared by Mr. Feng.


    Additionally, he had some jerky, wine, and pastries prepared by his mother.


    At dawn, Mo Hua set off, ate a simple meal, and entered Dahei Mountain with Mo Shan.


    They trekked through the outer mountain to reach the inner mountain.


    Mo Hua took a miasma-repelling pill and observed the inner mountain''s environment.


    The inner mountain was more complex, with denser forests, more rugged paths, and harder-to-recognize directions.


    The miasma was thick, and the fog varied in density.


    At times, the fog was so thick one couldn''t see their hand, then it would clear, and then envelop them again. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was quite eerie.


    Mo Shan said, "Avoid dense fog as much as possible. If you can''t, be extra careful. Don''t take unfamiliar paths. It''s better to wait than to act rashly."


    "Otherwise, you might lose your way and encounter unknown dangers."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The inner mountain was much larger than the outer mountain. Even though Mo Shan had hunted demons here for years, he hadn''t explored every corner.


    So, he led Mo Hua along the main paths to familiarize him with the inner mountain''s environment.


    In case of danger, Mo Hua would know where to run, how to find his way out, and how to return home.


    The inner mountain was complex and rugged, so they walked a while and then rested.


    During breaks, Mo Hua would take out a map and make notes.


    He had asked Elder Yu for this map, which was originally very simple, only marking the terrain and main paths.


    So, Mo Hua wanted to improve the map of the inner mountain.


    He had done this in the outer mountain, which helped him familiarize himself with the environment and made it easier to collect herbs, spices, and ores. In emergencies, having a map for reference was also handy.


    After about half a month of trekking the main paths, Mo Hua became familiar with the inner mountain.


    His map was filled with marks and additions.


    Next, Mo Hua needed to set up the Si Nan Parent-Child Composite Array.


    Being an array master, he wasn''t comfortable without setting up some arrays in the inner mountain.


    The Si Nan Parent-Child Composite Array would allow him to sense spiritual power fluctuations, making it easier to join the action or foresee dangers and escape in advance.


    It also made bloodletting the demon beasts easier.


    Mo Hua couldn''t do this alone, so he enlisted the help of some demon hunter uncles.


    Yu Chengyi called ten or so demon hunters at the ninth level of Qi refining to help Mo Hua place stone needles inscribed with the Si Nan array.


    Since the inner mountain was vast, one Si Nan parent array compass couldn''t cover it all, so Mo Hua made two, splitting them into A and B compasses.


    Compass A monitored the south, and compass B the north.


    He also made a set for Mo Shan and Yu Chengyi, making it easier for demon hunters to operate in the inner mountain.


    Yu Chengyi was delighted. With this array compass, their operations in the inner mountain would be much safer.


    Whether hunting demons, predicting dangers, or assisting each other, everything became more convenient, no longer relying solely on the experience and intuition of demon hunters.

 Chapter 231: The Sheep Demon

    Everything was ready, and Mo Hua began his demon hunt.Of course, he didn''t need to take action himself.


    Although he had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, and the power of his Fireball Technique had increased significantly, he was still not strong enough to deal with a late-stage First Grade demon beast directly.


    At most, he could provide some support and clean up the aftermath.


    The demon hunters did not lack his small spells'' power either.


    Yu Chengyi, Mo Shan, and six other late-stage Qi Refining demon hunters formed a team, taking Mo Hua with them. The nine of them started hunting a late-stage First Grade Red-Eyed Sheep Demon.


    Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan had hunted demons in the inner mountains for many years, and their experience was far richer than Mo Hua''s. Their planning before the hunt was also more thorough, considering almost everything.


    Mo Hua only needed to listen attentively and learn.


    Learning the habits of demon beasts, the methods of hunting demons, and the precautions to take.


    This demon hunt was the same as usual, but also somewhat different because they were using an array drawn by Mo Hua.


    Previously, only mid-stage Qi Refining demon hunters used the Seven-Pattern Earth Fire Array to hunt mid-stage First Grade demon beasts.


    Now, Mo Hua could draw First Grade arrays, which were powerful enough to injure late-stage First Grade demon beasts. Therefore, late-stage Qi Refining demon hunters could also try to hunt late-stage First Grade demon beasts with the help of a First Grade Earth Fire Array.


    Hunting demons with the help of arrays was both safe and efficient.


    After discussing everything, Yu Chengyi asked Mo Hua, "Is there anything else to note?"


    Since the array was drawn by Mo Hua, he needed to ask for Mo Hua''s opinion.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and felt that everyone had considered everything thoroughly. He couldn''t think of anything to add, so he said, "No problem."


    "Good." Yu Chengyi nodded, "Then we set off tomorrow and act according to the plan."


    The demon hunters spent the night at the camp in the inner mountains. The next day, at dawn, with the mountains shrouded in mist and the grass and trees covered in dew, they set off.


    Yu Chengyi and a few experienced demon hunters scouted ahead, searching for traces of the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon.


    Mo Shan was also experienced, but Mo Hua''s safety was more important, so he had to stay by Mo Hua''s side.


    Before long, a demon hunter found the sheep demon''s hoofprints, the remnants of its meal, and blood-stained white wool.


    Everyone became alert and fully focused.


    Yu Chengyi and a few demon hunters released their spiritual senses, starting to search for the sheep demon''s figure.


    Before they could find it, Mo Hua had already taken out a map and marked the location for them: "Behind the mountain path, there''s a small stream here; it''s drinking water there." s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Chengyi and the others exchanged glances, secretly shocked.


    This distance was much further than the limit of their spiritual senses.


    Was Mo Hua''s spiritual sense that much stronger than theirs?


    Yu Chengyi leaped to the mountaintop, using the rocks for cover, and looked down. Sure enough, he saw the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon drinking water by the stream after its meal.


    Yu Chengyi made no sound and leaped down from the mountaintop. He told the others, "It''s drinking water. Once it''s done, it''ll probably return to the woods. We''ll take a detour and ambush it ahead."


    The demon hunters nodded, then chose a path around to the spot where the sheep demon would enter the woods, setting up traps.


    Mo Hua took out an iron compass with a complex array drawn on it.


    Seeing this, Yu Chengyi couldn''t help but ask, "What''s this compass for?"


    "I''ve drawn the Earth Fire Array on it," Mo Hua replied.


    "How is this different from drawing it on paper?" Yu Chengyi asked.


    "Using paper as an array medium, the Earth Fire Array can only be used once. After it explodes, the array paper is destroyed, and the array is gone," Mo Hua explained. "This compass was specially refined by Master Chen. It contains some fine iron, making it much more durable. Drawing the Earth Fire Array on it allows it to be used multiple times."


    Yu Chengyi''s eyes lit up as he listened, "Is there any special usage for it?"


    "Just use it as before."


    Yu Chengyi nodded, "Good!"


    Everyone set up the traps and placed the array compass. They also put several spirit stones on the array, then erased their traces, sprinkled blood and the juice of Blood Grass, and hid behind the rocks.


    Soon, the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon appeared at the entrance.


    This sheep demon was full of blood energy, still had blood at the corner of its mouth, and was extremely vigilant.


    It stared at the traps for a long time, clearly tempted by the Blood Grass, but still restrained itself, pacing back and forth without moving forward.


    After a while, the sheep demon began to retreat, gradually walking away.


    Mo Hua was surprised and whispered to Mo Shan, "Dad, is this demon beast really so cautious?"


    "A late-stage First Grade demon beast has a long lifespan, rich experience, and is more cunning."


    "So, if it runs, should we chase it?"


    Mo Shan shook his head, "No, we''ll wait here."


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, then his eyes lit up, "Will it come back?"


    "Exactly." Mo Shan also whispered, keeping his eyes on the entrance, "It''s also testing us. It will return shortly."


    Sure enough, after a while, the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon returned.


    If they had chased it earlier, the sheep demon would have noticed, and the traps would have been wasted.


    Mo Hua silently marveled at how even a demon beast in the inner mountains could be so cunning, realizing he still had much to learn.


    The Red-Eyed Sheep Demon finally couldn''t resist the temptation of the Blood Grass. While keeping an eye on its surroundings, it moved towards the traps.


    Demon beasts had a sense similar to spiritual sense but generally not as strong as cultivators. They relied on special vision, keen smell, hearing, and sensitivity to auras and blood.


    The team consisted of experienced demon hunters who knew how to conceal their auras, preventing the demon beast from detecting them.


    So, as the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon looked around, it saw nothing and finally stepped into the trap, lowering its head to lick the blood on the ground, tasting the Blood Grass''s scent.


    Yu Chengyi stood up, drew his bow, and shot an arrow. The arrow flew through the air, carrying spiritual power, and struck the spirit stone on the array.


    The spirit stone turned to powder, its spiritual energy seeping into the Earth Fire Array compass below.


    The sheep demon sensed something was wrong and heard the arrow''s sound, trying to escape, but it was too late.


    The trap held the sheep demon for a moment. Then the compass''s fiery red array patterns flashed, and the First Grade Earth Fire Array activated. The explosion of fiery spiritual power was deafening.


    As the explosion''s aftermath cleared, the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon was severely injured.


    To be safe, Mo Hua had set up three First Grade Earth Fire Arrays. The combined power of three explosions was extraordinary.


    Without a word, the demon hunters charged forward, spreading out to surround the injured sheep demon.


    Eight people formed two circles, with four inside fighting the demon beast and four outside providing support, preventing the demon from escaping.


    After a while, the circles switched, using a rotation strategy to slowly wear down the heavily injured demon.


    Their actions were decisive, coordinated, and ruthless.


    In less than half an hour, the severely injured Red-Eyed Sheep Demon fell.

 Chapter 232: Hunting

    The sheep demon''s fur was charred, blood flowing, and it lay on the mountain path.The demon hunters did not approach easily. Yu Chengyi glanced at the demon beast and then looked at Mo Shan, giving an inquiring look.


    Mo Shan frowned slightly and shook his head gently, indicating that the demon beast was pretending to be dead.


    Thus, everyone spread out, surrounding the demon beast and patiently waiting.


    Different demon beasts had different ways of feigning death, and naturally, the demon hunters had different ways of dealing with them.


    With a Red-Eyed Sheep Demon, one could not approach hastily after it pretended to be dead. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Whoever approached first would face its last desperate counterattack, extremely dangerous. Those less fortunate might end up being devoured.


    If everyone approached together, they could easily be affected by its demonic power.


    A late-stage First Grade demon beast not only had abundant blood energy but also had very thick demonic power, making its innate abilities particularly troublesome when it borrowed demonic power to activate them.


    If one was injured by its demonic power, it would be a big problem.


    Demon hunters also lacked long-range attack methods. Though they had bows and arrows, their power was not strong. Triggering the spirit stones on the array could work, but it was quite useless against demon beasts.


    Therefore, to be safe, the demon hunters did not act rashly.


    The sheep demon lay motionless on the ground, and the demon hunters remained vigilant, patiently waiting.


    The demon beast was on the brink of death, its blood flowing little by little, its breath weakening bit by bit. With enough patience, it was certain that the demon beast would be the one who couldn''t hold out in the end.


    Mo Hua also hid behind a rock, watching. In his spiritual awareness, the demonic power of the beast was slowly flowing.


    It seemed both like a still-living beast accumulating power and a dying beast whose power was slowly dissipating.


    Mo Hua couldn''t tell if the beast was dead or not.


    "It seems my experience is insufficient. Even with spiritual awareness showing the flow of power, I can''t discern the beast''s life or death."


    His father, Mo Shan, didn''t even need spiritual awareness. Just one look, based on experience, and he could tell the beast was pretending.


    A cultivator''s experience was also part of their ability.


    Mo Hua thought silently to himself.


    The beast was still playing dead, and the hunters were still waiting, but Mo Hua was getting a bit impatient.


    They didn''t have long-range attack methods, but Mo Hua did.


    So, Mo Hua began to channel his energy, casting the Fireball Technique.


    With a thought, spiritual power gathered at his fingertips. He pointed forward, and a fireball formed and flew towards the pretending sheep demon.


    The demon hunters were a bit startled, but seeing that it was Mo Hua casting the spell, they relaxed.


    The fireball exploded on the sheep demon, but it remained unmoved.


    "It''s clearly a sheep, yet it wants to act like a turtle?"


    Mo Hua remarked curiously, then pointed again, sending another fireball that hit the sheep demon.


    Finally, the sheep demon couldn''t hold back, letting out a roar, standing up, its eyes blood-red with fury, glaring at Mo Hua.


    Yu Chengyi coldly ordered, "Kill!"


    The demon hunters slashed at the sheep demon with their blades.


    Already at the end of its strength, the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon couldn''t hold on. Its eyes were blood-red, its demonic power surging to the limit, its blood energy raging.


    Seeing this, Yu Chengyi immediately shouted, "Retreat!"


    The demon hunters, well-prepared, quickly withdrew.


    As they retreated, a burst of blood mist erupted around the sheep demon.


    Mo Hua had heard from Mo Shan that at the brink of death or in dire straits, the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon would use its demonic power to release a blood mist.


    If hunters were caught in the blood mist, their eyes would be tainted, their vision turning blood-red, rendering them blind, their minds also affected by the mist.


    In such a state, without companions to rescue them, death was almost certain.


    "So this is the blood mist..."


    Mo Hua was amazed. A late-stage First Grade demon beast was indeed more dangerous than he had imagined.


    Fortunately, the blood mist, though troublesome, didn''t last long and soon dispersed.


    The sheep demon, having exhausted its demonic power, truly became a lamb to the slaughter.


    The demon hunters quickly slaughtered the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon. As it collapsed again, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua scanned the sheep demon again with his spiritual awareness.


    He noticed that the truly dead demon had slower, more sluggish power flow, and its color was gradually fading.


    Mo Hua memorized this difference, giving him a basis for distinguishing whether a demon beast was pretending to be dead in the future.


    But unfamiliar with late-stage First Grade demon beasts, he still sought confirmation from his father:


    "Is it dead?"


    Mo Shan glanced at the beast and nodded, "It''s dead."


    Mo Hua then emerged from behind the rock, approached the sheep demon, and pointed near its heart, "Dad, make a cut here for me."


    Mo Shan made a half-finger-long cut, and demon blood flowed from it.


    Mo Hua quickly took out a jade bottle to collect the blood while using the Blood Drawing Technique to draw the remaining blood from the beast''s meridians.


    After collecting the blood, the hunters skinned and deboned the beast, then returned to the camp.


    The inner mountains always harbored unknown dangers, but staying in the camp was much safer.


    The inner mountain camp was similar to the outer mountain but more spacious, more concealed, and the array on the stone door was better.


    But to Mo Hua, the array seemed rather simple.


    He found it quite unsightly, so he used the newly collected demon blood to mix some spirit ink and personally drew a First Grade Earth Stone Array, making it much more pleasing to the eye.


    After eating something, everyone rested in the camp for a while.


    Yu Chengyi, holding a compass inscribed with the Earth Fire Array, looked it over from every angle, unable to help but remark:


    "This thing is great!"


    It had considerable power and could be used multiple times, with a First Grade array inscribed on it.


    A First Grade array...


    From now on, they could rely on First Grade arrays to hunt demon beasts.


    This had never been possible before.


    A few years ago, it was something he wouldn''t have dared to imagine.


    Yu Chengyi sighed, then asked, "How many times can this be used?"


    Mo Hua, chewing on meat, thought for a moment and said, "Seven or eight times."


    "This array medium isn''t too good. It''s mixed with refined iron, so it''s slightly sturdier. After seven or eight uses, it won''t be able to withstand the spiritual power explosion of the Earth Fire Array." Mo Hua continued.


    "Then it''s useless after that?" Yu Chengyi felt it was a pity.


    "It can be recycled. Have Master Chen melt it down and reforge it," Mo Hua said.


    That''s the advantage of having an artifact craftsman. Sometimes, you could make things according to your needs.


    "That''s good."


    Yu Chengyi nodded, holding the compass with the Earth Fire Array, growing more fond of it.


    With this, their demon hunting would be much easier. Most importantly, it reduced risks, meaning fewer casualties.


    It''s not easy for demon hunters to survive.


    Who doesn''t want to enter the mountains safely and return home without incident?


    "It''s just that this compass is a bit ugly..." Yu Chengyi spoke the truth.


    Though he liked its function, it was indeed quite ugly.


    Mo Hua scratched his head. He couldn''t help it; it was made hastily.


    Usually, spiritual tools had matching arrays, and arrays had corresponding standard spiritual tools.


    For example, a sword with a sword array, a blade with a blade array, and a Clear Heart Hairpin with a Clear Heart Array.


    But Mo Hua hadn''t found the matching spiritual tool for the Earth Fire Array. Even Master Chen didn''t know, so he had to use his compass, temporarily crafting an iron compass as an array medium.


    Though it was ugly, Yu Chengyi still treasured the compass with the Earth Fire Array.

 Chapter 233: Prosperity

    Utilizing the Molten Fire Array for hunting demonic beasts is indeed highly efficient.This time, hunting the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon seemed somewhat tumultuous, but compared to their previous hunts, it was much easier.


    Previously, hunting a fully healthy demonic beast required surrounding and attacking it first. After the beast fled, they had to continue the pursuit, which could take at least a day, sometimes even several days.


    Now, the Red-Eyed Sheep Demon was directly blasted into severe injuries, weakening its attack power and demonic energy significantly, making it much easier to deal with. Generally, it could be exhausted to death within an hour.


    However, they still needed to be wary of the demon beast faking its death to prevent any mishaps.


    But for demon hunters, this was standard practice, so it didn''t affect them much.


    The group stayed at the camp overnight and returned to Tongxian City the next day.


    Yu Chengyi went to find Elder Yu, had a brief chat, and received his approval.


    In the following days, Yu Chengyi began teaching other late-stage Qi refining demon hunters how to use the Molten Fire Array for hunting.


    He taught them how to set traps, place the array, activate the array, surround and kill the demonic beast, and finally wrap up the process.


    These steps were familiar to mid-stage Qi refining demon hunters because they had previously used the Molten Fire Array drawn by Mo Hua for hunting.


    However, because the previous Molten Fire Array had only seven patterns, it lacked sufficient power, so the late-stage Qi refining demon hunters hadn''t used it.


    Now that Mo Hua''s array skills had improved, he could draw a First-Grade Molten Fire Array.


    Therefore, all demon hunters, including the late-stage Qi refining ones, had to learn how to use the array.


    Additionally, the demon hunters also started wearing iron armor.


    Some of the armor was previously seized from the Qian family, while Elder Yu painfully purchased a significant amount of refined iron and had the masters at the Artifact Crafting Shop personally forge it.


    The shop''s refining furnace was a First-Grade Refining Furnace, with a First-Grade Molten Fire Composite Array drawn on it. The furnace fire was pure, and the iron armor produced was of superior quality compared to ordinary iron armor.


    Mo Hua also took the time to draw the Golden Armor Array on each piece of iron armor.


    Wearing iron armor with the Golden Armor Array, the demon hunters'' defense was no less than that of a typical late-stage First-Grade demonic beast.


    This batch of iron armor was prioritized for demon hunters at the peak of the ninth level of Qi refining.


    Mo Shan naturally received a set.


    Besides, Mo Hua also learned the First-Grade Golden Blade Array.


    The First-Grade Golden Blade Array, a metal-based array, could be drawn on swords and sabers to enhance their sharpness.


    This made it even easier for demon hunters to hunt demonic beasts.


    Naturally, Mo Hua first drew the Golden Blade Array on Mo Shan''s saber.


    With the ambush of the First-Grade Molten Fire Array, the defense of the Golden Armor Array, the attack of the Golden Blade Array, and the Sima Compass Composite Array for detection and warning, Mo Hua felt much more at ease with Mo Shan going into the inner mountains to hunt demons.


    Not just Mo Shan, but as the Artifact Crafting Shop and Alchemy Hall grew, and the income from spirit stones increased, these arrays would gradually be applied to all demon hunters.


    From then on, every step of the demon hunters'' hunting process was closely tied to the arrays.


    Arrays were widely used in demon hunting, making the hunts safer, more convenient, and more efficient.


    Now, all the demon hunters in Dahei Mountain knew Mo Hua.


    The arrays they wore, used, and set in traps were all drawn by Mo Hua.


    Having personally experienced the arrays, they understood how crucial they were.


    Thanks to these arrays, hunting demonic beasts was vastly different from before.


    With the support of the arrays, they didn''t have to worry about getting injured or being eaten by demons due to a moment of carelessness.


    Their families no longer had to live in constant fear, worrying that their loved ones would return from the mountains bloodied.


    Mo Hua could also focus on building his foundation without worries.


    Currently, Mo Hua didn''t lack spirit stones. Whether it was from Fushan Tower, the Artifact Crafting Shop in the southern city, the Alchemy Hall, or the spirit mines he occupied, he had substantial shares. S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, his parents had saved a lot of spirit stones for his future cultivation and marriage.


    Now, the most critical issue for Mo Hua was his spiritual awareness.


    To build his foundation, he needed to enhance his spiritual awareness. To enhance his spiritual awareness, he needed to draw more arrays, which required more demonic blood to prepare spiritual ink.


    Previously, in the outer mountains, he used arrays to hunt demonic beasts and accumulated nearly a thousand bottles of spiritual ink.


    Later, while guarding the spirit mines, building the Artifact Crafting Shop and Alchemy Hall, refining the refining furnace, and other various tasks, Mo Hua drew many arrays, and now they were almost used up.


    Though building his foundation was still a bit far off, in the foreseeable future, whether drawing or deciphering arrays, he would need a lot of spiritual ink. Mo Hua had to start accumulating again.


    Moreover, arrays drawn with late-stage First-Grade demonic blood would be even more powerful.


    So, Mo Hua started wandering around the inner mountains again.


    While updating his maps, he collected herbs for Mr. Feng, mined ores for Master Chen, and gathered spices for his mother to study new dishes.


    Most importantly, he kept an eye on the compass to see where battles were happening.


    Whenever the compass flashed, indicating a battle, Mo Hua would judge the direction and rush over.


    Late-stage First-Grade demonic beasts were hard to kill.


    Even with the help of a First-Grade Molten Fire Array, it still took some effort to hunt them.


    By the time Mo Hua arrived, it was usually just right; often, he even had some time to spare.


    He didn''t need to participate in the fight, just find a safe spot to hide, and once the hunt was over, he would come out and use a small bottle to collect demonic blood.


    Occasionally, when the battle was intense or the demonic beast faked death, he would use a few Fireball Techniques to harass or test if the beast was truly dead.


    Due to his breakthrough, his Heavenly Proliferation Technique had improved, making his Fireball Technique faster, more accurate, and more powerful.


    With just a thought, the Fireball Technique would be formed.


    In stalemates between demon hunters and demonic beasts, Mo Hua''s Fireball Technique was quite helpful.


    Most demon hunters were very grateful to Mo Hua and extremely friendly.


    Typically, demon hunters wouldn''t allow others to interfere with their prey, but Mo Hua was an exception.


    The demonic beasts were theirs, but all the demonic blood belonged to Mo Hua.


    Some demon hunters, after killing a demonic beast, wouldn''t immediately extract materials but would wait for Mo Hua to come and collect the blood.


    If Mo Hua didn''t show up, they would be unhappy, feeling that the demonic blood was wasted.


    Thus, Mo Hua thrived in the inner mountains.


    Mo Hua was a part of the demon hunters; their glory was his glory, their loss his loss.


    With so many demon hunters helping, he naturally found it more convenient to operate in the inner mountains.


    The inner mountains were much more dangerous than the outer mountains.


    But with the arrays, Mo Hua felt that the inner and outer mountains weren''t much different.


    Gradually, Mo Hua''s stockpile of spiritual ink increased, and the demon hunters'' strength grew.


    Although the demon hunters'' cultivation hadn''t advanced, their combat power had significantly increased, and the time needed to hunt demons had greatly reduced.


    Simultaneously, the materials obtained from hunting late-stage First-Grade demonic beasts became more abundant.


    These materials were transported to the Artifact Crafting Shop and Alchemy Hall in the southern city, refined into spiritual tools and pills, and sold to city cultivators or foreign merchants, earning substantial spirit stones.


    These spirit stones were then proportionally distributed to the wandering cultivators.


    The wandering cultivators in Tongxian City gradually became wealthier, and the city itself prospered unknowingly.


    As Tongxian City prospered, various unknown and dubious cultivators from outside also started to gather...

 Chapter 234: Saving Lives

    Outside of Tongxian City, the number of wandering cultivators increased gradually.Two months later, Mo Hua sat on a rock in the inner mountains, frowning as he looked at the compass in his hand.


    Previously, when the compass lit up, it often indicated Demon Hunters hunting demonic beasts or beasts fighting over territory, rarely involving cultivators battling each other.


    Occasionally, there were unfamiliar Demon Hunters with different clothing styles, different Dao techniques, and different spiritual tools from those in Tongxian City, likely from elsewhere, but their numbers were few and they rarely encountered each other.


    But now, things were different.


    Mo Hua often saw unfamiliar faces in the inner mountains of Dahei Mountain.


    When the compass lit up, there were more battles, mostly involving foreign cultivators.


    Cultivator skirmishes had also increased suddenly.


    Some were fighting over demonic beasts, some were quarreling, and some cultivators clearly intended to cause trouble.


    Worse yet, there were blatant acts of murder and robbery!


    Mo Hua had seen a cart with its goods missing, surrounded by bloodstains and scattered cultivator limbs.


    From the tracks nearby, it was clear that a group of merchants had been ambushed by cultivators, their goods stolen, and they themselves killed.


    Afterwards, demonic beasts, attracted by the smell of blood, came and devoured the bodies.


    The scene was chaotic, the deaths tragic.


    Mo Hua felt uncomfortable, his heart heavy with sympathy, unable to stop sighing.


    It seemed that the inner mountains would not be peaceful in the days to come.


    Fortunately, the Demon Hunters in Tongxian City had gradually grown stronger, with more manpower, most clad in iron armor and wielding First Grade weapons. Among the nearby immortal cities, their strength was unrivaled.


    These foreign cultivators dared not easily provoke the local Demon Hunters.


    But the future was uncertain.


    Anyway, he would let Elder Yu worry about these things. He needed to accumulate some spiritual ink, practice arrays, and enhance his spiritual awareness, hoping to reach the Foundation Building stage.


    Mo Hua set aside his worries, ate some dried meat, and drank some wild fruit juice.


    This juice had been chilled with a cold array, making it sour, sweet, and icy.


    Mo Hua felt much better.


    After a while, the compass lit up again. Mo Hua packed his things and, using the Passing Water Step, moved lightly through the forest and rocks towards the source.


    From a distance, Mo Hua extended his spiritual awareness for a quick scan, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Another cultivator fight.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Generally, Mo Hua did not intervene in cultivator fights.


    He was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, with only the Fireball Technique as his attack method. Though he was very proficient in the Passing Water Step and had no problem protecting himself, he did not want to get into trouble.


    Moreover, the conflicts between cultivators were often hard to judge. Just passing by and taking a look usually did not clarify right from wrong.


    The weaker party was not necessarily good, and the stronger party was not necessarily evil.


    Those with fierce appearances were not necessarily bad people, and those who looked kind were not necessarily good.


    One could only see the exterior, not the heart; people could not be judged by appearance alone.


    Mo Hua decided to do as usual, sneak a glance, since he had nothing else to do.


    With his spiritual awareness, Qi Refining cultivators would not notice him.


    Mo Hua climbed a rock, concealed his presence, and, using the vegetation for cover, peeked out.


    On a narrow, rugged mountain path, two groups of cultivators were fighting.


    Both groups were mostly in the late stages of Qi Refining.


    One group, consisting of three men and one woman, was at a disadvantage, desperately defending a few boxes of luggage.


    The other group had seven people, each dressed differently and unfamiliar in appearance, attacking the four.


    The attack was becoming more aggressive, and the four cultivators would not hold out much longer.


    Robbery?


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    Mo Hua frowned and continued watching, then realized something was wrong.


    He seemed to recognize those four cultivators.


    An older cultivator with faint scars on his face had a good relationship with his father, Mo Shan, and had visited Mo Hua''s home before.


    Mo Hua remembered his name was Ji Qingbai, whom he called Uncle Ji.


    Beside him, a young and refined cultivator was Ji Qingbai''s son, Ji Li.


    Both were Demon Hunters but not from Tongxian City; they were from Qingxuan City nearby.


    Qingxuan City was quite far from Tongxian City, with the inner mountains of Dahei Mountain in between, so the cultivators of the two cities rarely interacted.


    Another robust cultivator, with a wolf pelt around his waist and wielding a spiked wolf-fang mace, had once intervened in a conflict between Mo Hua and Qian Xing, stopping a Qi Refining ninth-level cultivator from the Qian family.


    Mo Hua remembered this sturdy man as skilled, with a sharp tongue.


    Now, he was fighting three enemies alone, showing no sign of falling behind. His wolf-fang mace, enveloped in earthy spiritual power, created gusts of wind as he swung it, indicating his strength.


    Meanwhile, he was cursing loudly, calling his enemies "scum," "sneaky cowards," and "worthless bullies."


    Of the four, the only one Mo Hua did not recognize was the female cultivator.


    She seemed about Ji Li''s age, was injured, had the lowest cultivation level, and was struggling the most. Fortunately, Ji Li was looking out for her.


    However, her entire sleeve was soaked in blood, and if this continued, she would not last much longer.


    From Mo Hua''s experience in observing battles in the inner mountains, the man with the wolf-fang mace could probably escape, and Uncle Ji might also have a chance if not pursued. But if pursued, their chances were slim.


    Ji Li would not escape. Though at the eighth level of Qi Refining, his lack of combat experience and the number of enemies left him no way out.


    As for the female cultivator, she was almost certainly doomed.


    Perhaps death would be the best outcome...


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    What to do?


    There were seven enemies, too many to save them all, even if he joined the fight.


    Mo Hua could escape, but Ji Li and the female cultivator could not.


    Ji Li could not escape, and Uncle Ji would not abandon his son.


    The sturdy man seemed loyal and righteous and would likely fight to the end.


    "Saving lives is the priority."


    Mo Hua made up his mind, took out a red bamboo tube with a Firework Array drawn inside.


    These bamboo tubes were simple to make, and the Firework Array was specially drawn by Mo Hua. Most Demon Hunters who ventured into the mountains had one.


    In case of an emergency, activating the array would release fireworks, summoning nearby Demon Hunters for help.


    Mo Hua activated the Firework Array with his spiritual power, sending a beam of light into the sky.


    Both sides in the mountain path fight were startled by the fireworks.


    Mo Hua then used the Passing Water Step to quickly run far away, activated another firework, and then ran to a different mountain top, setting off another firework.


    This created the illusion of three groups of Demon Hunters coming to help.


    "Are those the Demon Hunters from Tongxian City?" one foreign cultivator exclaimed.


    "What should we do, boss?" another asked.


    "They have more people and iron armor; we''re no match," the leader hesitated.


    They were so close...


    They had fought for half a day, almost killing the cultivators and taking their goods, ready to capture the female cultivator.


    If they retreated now, it would be all for nothing!


    Seeing they were not leaving, Mo Hua raised his right hand and released a Fireball.


    The Fireball was quick and accurate, hitting one of the foreign cultivators, who stumbled and fell, screaming from the burn.


    A Qi Refining seventh-level spell might not be much against demonic beasts, but it was significant against cultivators.


    "A spell?!" the leader was shocked.

 Chapter 235: Old Acquaintance

    The fireball technique was executed with great skill and considerable power, clearly the work of a spirit cultivator.Spirit cultivators were rare among demon hunters. If a spirit cultivator entered the mountains, they would follow a demon hunting team and never act alone.


    A demon hunting team typically consisted of five to six people, sometimes up to ten or more, all well-armed with fine weapons and armor. This group stood no chance against such a team.


    Once surrounded by demon hunters, escape would be impossible.


    Those in this line of work knew their lives were always on the line; they couldn''t risk their lives over a moment of greed.


    The leader of the cultivators panicked and decisively ordered, "Retreat quickly!"


    The seven foreign cultivators hastily retreated.


    Seeing this, Ji Qingbai and his companions, who had been struggling to hold on, breathed a sigh of relief and put down their weapons, leaning against their storage chests to catch their breath.


    Ji Qingbai felt a sense of relief and gratitude for surviving the ordeal.


    This was an exceptionally dangerous situation. If he and his father had fallen here, it would have been a tragic end for their family.


    With this thought, Ji Qingbai felt grateful and cupped his hands towards the mountain peak, calling out:


    "Thank you! Which brother from the demon hunting team helped us?"


    The others followed Ji Qingbai''s gaze.


    Among the rugged rocks and shaking shrubs on the mountain, the small figure of Mo Hua appeared.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, embarrassed, and said:


    "Wrong generation, Uncle Ji."


    Ji Qingbai''s father and Mo Hua''s father were close friends, so Mo Hua couldn''t accept being called "brother."


    Ji Qingbai was taken aback. How could it be a child?


    Looking closely, he found the child somewhat familiar.


    His features were delicate and handsome, looking very much like Mo Shan''s child.


    Ji Qingbai had met Mo Hua before and had a deep impression of him.


    "Are you... Mo Hua?" Ji Qingbai asked incredulously.


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded.


    "What are you doing here?" Ji Qingbai looked around, "Are you alone? Where''s your father?"


    The other three also looked at each other in confusion.


    Mo Hua replied, "Let''s talk later. This isn''t the time."


    "Then now..." Ji Qingbai was somewhat puzzled.


    Mo Hua said, "Run quickly..."


    The inner mountains were vast, and there might not be other demon hunters nearby. Even if someone saw the fireworks, they might not come to help in time.


    If those seven cultivators came to their senses and returned, they would be in big trouble.


    Ji Qingbai instantly understood and stopped chatting, immediately starting to pack up for departure.


    He was reluctant to leave the large storage chests behind, as they contained all their belongings.


    Mo Hua saw this and said, "Take them with you."


    Ji Qingbai was surprised and hesitated, "What if those people catch up?"


    "If they catch up, I''ll warn you in advance. You can throw them away then," Mo Hua said.


    Ji Qingbai was stunned. How could he know in advance?


    Mo Hua looked calm.


    Even if those cultivators pursued them, with his spiritual awareness, he could sense them early and have enough time to respond.


    As long as they had time to prepare and set up arrays, even if more enemies came, Mo Hua could make sure they suffered.


    "And if we take the chests, they might not dare to chase us. If we leave them behind, it will show our fear, and they will definitely come after us," Mo Hua added.


    Ji Qingbai nodded immediately, "Alright!"


    They put the storage chests on a wheelbarrow, with Ji Qingbai and the big man taking turns pulling it, Ji Li supporting the injured female cultivator, and Mo Hua leading the way.


    As they walked along the mountain path, Mo Hua occasionally took out a compass to check their direction before choosing a new path.


    Ji Qingbai and his companions didn''t understand but followed Mo Hua''s confident lead without hesitation.


    They were all amazed at how familiar Mo Hua was with the inner mountain paths.


    Mo Hua led them to a campsite and said, "Let''s rest here and treat our injuries."


    Ji Qingbai and the others nodded. They had fought hard and were all wounded, only holding on through sheer willpower. Now, they had no strength left.


    They rested at the campsite.


    Mo Hua distributed hemostatic pills and other healing medicines to everyone.


    Ji Qingbai took the pills and, after smelling them, exclaimed, "These pills are of such high quality!"


    Mo Hua nodded, "They were made by Grandpa Feng."


    These pills were specially made for him by Mr. Feng.


    Mr. Feng was an extraordinary alchemist, using the finest grade-one furnace with a grade-one array inside, producing pure fire for refining. The quality of his pills was naturally superior.


    Mo Hua had kept these emergency pills for a long time, never having been injured in the inner mountains. Now, they were finally useful.


    "Mr. Feng from Xinglin Medical Hall?" Ji Qingbai was slightly surprised, then nodded, "No wonder."


    Mr. Feng was a renowned first-grade alchemist who had saved countless lives and was well-respected even in Qingxuan City.


    Ji Qingbai took two pills and gave the rest to Ji Li and the injured young female cultivator.


    The female cultivator had the most severe injuries, losing a lot of blood. After taking the pills, she relaxed and soon fell unconscious.


    Ji Li stayed by her side, looking both worried and tender.


    Mo Hua glanced at the female cultivator, then at Ji Li, and curiously asked, "Brother Ji, are you Dao companions?"


    Ji Li''s face turned red.


    "No... no... not yet."


    "Not yet? Does that mean you''re almost there?" Mo Hua pressed on, eyes shining with curiosity, "If you get married, can I come to your wedding?"


    He had never attended a wedding before.


    Ji Li''s face turned even redder.


    Ji Qingbai, seeing this, smiled and said, "If you don''t mind, we''ll definitely invite you."


    "It''s a deal," Mo Hua smiled.


    The atmosphere in the campsite became a bit more relaxed.


    Ji Qingbai then asked, "By the way, why are you alone in the mountains? It''s very dangerous here. Where''s your father?"


    "I''m fine alone. My father has other things to do," Mo Hua replied.


    Ji Qingbai looked at Mo Hua, feeling both shocked and regretful.


    At such a young age, Mo Hua had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining and could navigate the inner mountains alone, familiar with the paths and calmly handling crises.


    Indeed, like father, like son. Mo Hua had the same talent for demon hunting as his father.


    But it was a pity that he had become a demon hunter.


    Ji Qingbai noticed the demon hunting token hanging around Mo Hua''s neck and sighed inwardly.


    Becoming a demon hunter made it difficult to focus on studying arrays.


    Ji Qingbai still hoped Mo Hua would follow the path of an array master rather than just being an excellent demon hunter.


    Among independent cultivators, demon hunters were common, but array masters were exceedingly rare.


    With Mo Hua''s talent, it would be a shame if he didn''t study arrays and become an array master.


    Ji Qingbai felt deep regret.


    Mo Hua noticed Ji Qingbai seemed preoccupied and asked, "Uncle Ji, did you come to Tongxian City for something?"


    Ji Qingbai was slightly taken aback, then smiled bitterly, "We couldn''t survive in Qingxuan City, so we came here to make a living." S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 236: Oppression

    "Can''t survive?" Mo Hua was startled.Ji Qingbai nodded. He initially didn''t want to go into details, but seeing how Mo Hua, despite his young age, handled himself adeptly in the inner mountains, he realized Mo Hua''s abilities and character were not to be underestimated. He could no longer treat him like a child.


    Moreover, if they planned to make a living in Tongxian City in the future, they would inevitably need help from his father, Mo Shan. So, he spoke truthfully:


    "Qingxuan City is not like Tongxian City. The scattered cultivators in the city no longer have the protection of a Foundation Building cultivator."


    "The last Foundation Building cultivator among the scattered cultivators in Qingxuan City, Elder Zheng, passed away a year ago. Over the past year, without a Foundation Building cultivator among us, we scattered cultivators have been oppressed by the families, living a life of increasing hardship."


    "Although it was difficult before, we could still barely make a living. But now, the spiritual stones we earn decrease by the day. Forget about cultivation; we can barely afford basic necessities."


    "Moreover, those family disciples constantly provoke and oppress us scattered cultivators. If we swallow our anger, we might be fine, but any resistance brings even harsher oppression."


    "If conflicts escalate, resulting in fights, scattered cultivators without a Foundation Building cultivator cannot compete with the family cultivators. We can only end up defeated."


    The more Ji Qingbai spoke, the angrier he became, and his wounds throbbed with pain.


    Mo Hua handed him some pills.


    Ji Qingbai accepted the pills, took them, and thanked Mo Hua. Then, he glanced at the unconscious female cultivator and said:


    "This child is called Fu Lan. Her father was a demon hunter like me. He was accidentally killed by a demonic beast during a hunt years ago, leaving her mother to raise her alone."


    "Last month, the young master of the Kong family in Qingxuan City wanted to take her as a concubine. Though he called it a concubine, she would be treated no better than a slave. Her mother disagreed and was severely injured by the Kong family. The injuries were not treated properly, and she died within half a month."


    "After that, the Kong family''s young master continued to harass her. Ji Li and I couldn''t stand it, so we taught him a lesson, but it caused a great disaster and enmity with the Kong family. I had no choice but to flee Qingxuan City with these two children."


    "The scattered cultivators in the nearby immortal cities are also having a hard time. After much thought, only Tongxian City seemed better, with Elder Yu in the Foundation Building stage to protect us, offering some safety."


    Ji Qingbai sighed, "But the journey here was tough. We were hunted by the Kong family, and after barely escaping, we were attacked by unidentified cultivators in Dahei Mountain. My son and I almost lost our lives."


    Ji Qingbai was grateful, saying to Mo Hua, "If it weren''t for you, we would have been in great danger."


    Mo Hua replied, "I was just borrowing someone else''s authority, nothing much."


    For someone so young to understand and use borrowed authority effectively and to come out unscathed showed both wisdom and skill.


    Ji Qingbai silently admired Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, thinking about what Ji Qingbai had just said, felt both angry and puzzled:


    "Doesn''t the Dao Court care about the Kong family''s misdeeds?"


    Ji Qingbai''s expression turned bitter, "The Dao Court in Qingxuan City has been bribed by the Kong family and other families. When scattered cultivators break the law, they are punished according to the rules, but when family disciples break the law, it is brushed aside. The Dao Court turns a blind eye, and the matter is settled."


    Mo Hua frowned, "Is there no solution at all then..."


    Ji Qingbai shook his head, "If there were any way out, who would want to leave their homeland?"


    Mo Hua listened with a heavy heart.


    Without Elder Yu in the Foundation Building stage, Tongxian City today could become Qingxuan City tomorrow.


    Seeing Ji Qingbai''s downcast expression, Mo Hua comforted him:


    "Don''t worry, Tongxian City is doing well now, and no one will bully you here."


    Hearing this, Ji Qingbai felt slightly relieved.


    His expectations were not high; as long as there was a place to settle down, earn some spiritual stones, and feed his family, that would be enough.


    The group continued to rest and heal. Mo Hua, having nothing to do, looked at the burly man nearby and suddenly felt curious.


    Throughout the journey, the burly man had not said a word.


    Mo Hua had initially thought he was a chatterbox because of how fiercely he cursed.


    Mo Hua stared at the burly man for a few more moments, then suddenly asked in surprise, "Are you Elder Yu''s son?"


    The burly man froze for a moment, frowned, and asked, "Do you know my father?"


    As expected.


    Mo Hua thought the man bore some resemblance to Elder Yu, though more robust. Elder Yu was much leaner.


    Moreover, this burly man''s temper and manner of cursing were somewhat similar to Elder Yu''s, indicating a family trait.


    "I''m quite familiar with Elder Yu," Mo Hua said.


    The burly man snorted lightly but said nothing.


    He assumed Mo Hua was boasting. His father was a Foundation Building elder, and Mo Hua, at the seventh level of Qi Refining and much younger, couldn''t be that familiar with him.


    Mo Hua asked again, "What''s your name?"


    The burly man didn''t want to answer.


    Seeing this, Ji Qingbai intervened, "His name is Yu Chengwu."


    "Oh." Mo Hua realized, "Is Yu Chengyi your elder brother?"


    Yu Chengwu was surprised, "You know my brother too?"


    Mo Hua nodded and asked, "Should I call you Uncle Yu then?"


    "No need," Yu Chengwu replied indifferently.


    Mo Hua found it strange and quietly asked Ji Qingbai:


    "Is he always like this? He must have a hard time getting along with others."


    He seemed to be ignoring people who spoke to him.


    Ji Qingbai''s expression was complicated, "He usually talks a lot, but he has some issues with your father, so he probably doesn''t want to talk to you."


    "Some issues with my father?"


    This was unexpected for Mo Hua.


    His father, Mo Shan, was known for being righteous and well-liked among demon hunters, rarely having conflicts with others.


    Mo Hua speculated several possible reasons for the conflict and asked Ji Qingbai:


    "What kind of issues?"


    "It''s not a big deal," Ji Qingbai sighed, "He''s a competitive person and can''t beat your father, so he doesn''t like him."


    "That''s it?" Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    Yu Chengwu, feeling annoyed, said, "What would a kid know?"


    Mo Hua didn''t argue and instead asked, "Do you know me?" s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Chengwu glanced at him, "You''re Mo Shan''s son, so of course, I know you."


    From his tone, it seemed he had known for a long time.


    Mo Hua thought back and said, "When Qian Xing was causing trouble and Da Zhu helped me fight, were you watching from the sidelines?"


    Yu Chengwu raised an eyebrow, surprised, "Yes."


    "Then why didn''t you intervene earlier?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Why would I intervene in a children''s fight?" Yu Chengwu said indifferently, "Besides, your father is Mo Shan. I didn''t want to get involved."


    "Then why did you intervene later?"


    "When children fight, it''s none of my business. But when the Qian family''s higher-level cultivators got involved and bullied scattered cultivators, I had to step in."


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking that although Yu Chengwu had a bad temper, he was quite righteous.


    "Do you have a wolf tooth club?" Mo Hua asked again.


    Yu Chengwu, exasperated, said, "Didn''t I just tell you I have issues with your father?"


    Why was he asking so many questions?


    "Your issues with my father are your business. What does it have to do with me?" Mo Hua replied confidently.


    Besides, from a child''s perspective, their conflict seemed a bit childish...

 Chapter 237: Yu Chengwu

    Yu Chengwu was slightly taken aback, feeling somewhat annoyed.However, upon further thought, he realized that Mo Hua had a point. No matter how much he disliked Mo Shan, it was beneath him to argue with Mo Hua.


    Moreover, quarreling with Mo Shan''s son would be lowering himself in terms of demeanor.


    "Alright, you''re right. I won''t argue with you."


    Mo Hua then asked, "Do you have a wolf-tooth club?"


    Yu Chengwu nodded, "That''s correct."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Can I take a look at it?"


    Yu Chengwu was a bit reluctant, but seeing Mo Hua''s curious and eager eyes, he couldn''t bear to refuse. After thinking for a moment, he took the wolf-tooth club out from his storage bag and placed it on the ground for Mo Hua to see.


    The wolf-tooth club was about five or six feet long, with sharp spikes, forged from fine iron, resembling wolf teeth, and stained with dark, dried blood.


    The bloodstains likely belonged to both demonic beasts and cultivators.


    Mo Hua tried to lift it but found it completely immovable.


    He pushed with both hands, but the club remained still.


    "So heavy," Mo Hua couldn''t help but remark.


    A trace of pride flashed in Yu Chengwu''s eyes, "Naturally."


    "Was it made this heavy on purpose?" Mo Hua asked earnestly.


    "Yes," Yu Chengwu nodded, "The heavier the spiritual tool, the greater the force, and the more lethal it becomes when swung."


    "Oh," Mo Hua nodded.


    Yu Chengwu suddenly became curious, "Why are you asking about this?"


    "I want one too."


    Yu Chengwu was stunned, "Want one of what?"


    Mo Hua pointed to the wolf-tooth club on the ground, "This club."


    Yu Chengwu looked at Mo Hua, with his delicate skin and small limbs, not looking like a body cultivator at all, and asked:


    "You''re not a body cultivator, why do you need this?"


    Mo Hua blinked, "I have my ways."


    Yu Chengwu couldn''t help but frown.


    Mo Shan was cunning, but his son was even craftier, full of ideas, but who knew what he was planning.


    "I''ll treat you to a drink!"


    Seeing the wolf-tooth club, Mo Hua had a plan and decided to reciprocate by treating Yu Chengwu to a drink.


    "Your injuries are not severe, you can drink a little," Mo Hua said.


    Yu Chengwu hesitated but took the drink Mo Hua handed over, took a sip, and frowned.


    It was sour and sweet, with a faint taste of alcohol, like something for children.


    But given the current situation, having any drink at all was a luxury, so he didn''t complain.


    Yu Chengwu sighed, took a few more sips to relieve his fatigue, but then realized that he had never drunk with Mo Shan despite their differences.


    Yet now he was drinking a child''s drink with Mo Shan''s son.


    Yu Chengwu''s feelings became complicated.


    After resting and stabilizing their injuries, they continued on their way.


    After walking for a while, Mo Hua scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense, sighed in relief, and said:


    "We can take it slow now, no need to rush."


    According to his spiritual sense, there were many demon hunters around.


    To Mo Hua, having demon hunters nearby meant they were in his territory. Any outsider cultivators who dared to chase them now would be seeking death.


    Ji Qingbai didn''t understand why Mo Hua said that, but he inexplicably trusted Mo Hua''s words and also sighed in relief.


    As they continued, they indeed encountered more and more demon hunters.


    No matter if they were familiar with Yu Chengwu or not, all the demon hunters would greet them.


    At first, Yu Chengwu didn''t notice, but gradually he felt something was off.


    All these demon hunters greeted Mo Hua first and then him.


    If it was just one or two, that was fine, but this happened with every group of demon hunters they encountered, four or five groups already. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He even felt that these demon hunters were here for Mo Hua, greeting him just as an afterthought.


    Yu Chengwu frowned, "Something''s not right."


    Mo Hua was only a seventh-level Qi refining cultivator, though talented, he shouldn''t have such good relations.


    These people must be greeting Mo Hua out of respect for his father, Mo Shan.


    But even Mo Shan''s face wasn''t this influential.


    Unless... Mo Shan had successfully built his foundation...


    If Mo Shan had built his foundation, making Mo Hua the son of a Foundation Building cultivator, then naturally, others would show him respect.


    Yu Chengwu silently pondered, but then realized this didn''t make sense.


    His father, Yu Changlin, was also a Foundation Building cultivator, making him the son of a Foundation Building cultivator, but he never received such respect.


    Yu Chengwu was puzzled, but what puzzled him more was the iron armor.


    Among the groups of demon hunters they encountered, not everyone wore it, but most of them did.


    This was iron armor! Where did they get it from?


    Yu Chengwu frowned deeply.


    He was on a mission from his father, Elder Yu, but an accident delayed him for over a year, and he was only now returning.


    Passing through Qingxuan City, he met Ji Qingbai, and due to their acquaintance and his disdain for bullies, he helped out and traveled with them to Tongxian City.


    Returning now, after just over a year away, it felt like everything had changed.


    Ji Qingbai and Ji Li were also amazed by the demon hunters.


    In Qingxuan City, demon hunters with iron armor were rare, but in Tongxian City, it seemed everywhere.


    The Ji father and son were equally puzzled.


    The group encountered no trouble, exiting Dahei Mountain and entering Tongxian City through the south gate. They were greeted by the sight of a massive artifact refining and pill refining establishment.


    The area was vast, the specifications grand, with tall outer walls and strict arrays, looking magnificent and imposing.


    The clear sound of metalwork and the rich aroma of pills wafted out from within.


    Yu Chengwu and his companions were stunned.


    Not just Tongxian City, but the surrounding immortal cities combined couldn''t match this scale of cultivation industry.


    Yu Chengwu couldn''t believe it, "Could this be the Qian family''s?"


    In just over a year, the Qian family had grown this powerful?


    Would they ever see better days?


    Mo Hua shook his head, "No, it''s everyone''s!"


    "Everyone?" Yu Chengwu didn''t understand.


    Mo Hua pointed with his small hand, encompassing the entire southern part of the city, "Everyone."


    Yu Chengwu understood but still found it unbelievable, thinking to himself, "Am I dreaming..."


    In his daze, he felt like this was just a dream during his wanderings, half-awake and half-asleep.


    In the dream, he traveled far and wide, finally returning to Tongxian City.


    He saw the demon hunters wearing iron armor, saw the rogue cultivators building artifact refining and pill refining establishments, saw the abundant spirit stones, and the smiles on everyone''s faces.


    These were things he had thought about before, but only in his dreams.


    The scene before him seemed like just that dream.


    Mo Hua noticed his distraction and called out to him, "Second Uncle Yu?"


    Yu Chengwu snapped back to reality but still found everything hard to believe, thinking:


    "Is this a dream, or an illusion?"


    Seeing his changing expressions, Mo Hua thought he was homesick and emotional, so he didn''t bother him.

 Chapter 238: Settlement

    Mo Hua asked Ji Qingbai, "Uncle Ji, do you have a place to stay?"Ji Qingbai finally came to his senses, but his heart remained unsettled for a long time.


    He had only heard that Tongxian City was no longer what it used to be and was flourishing day by day, but he hadn''t expected it to thrive to such an extent.


    His heart was both shocked and envious.


    Hearing Mo Hua''s words, Ji Qingbai was slightly stunned and thought for a moment, then said, "There is an old senior who was a close friend of my father. I can temporarily stay at his place."


    Mo Hua nodded, "If you encounter any difficulties, you can find my father."


    Ji Qingbai''s eyes showed gratitude, "Thank you for your care along the way."


    "It''s nothing," Mo Hua replied.


    He had just scared people a bit, led the way, and it was only a small effort. It wasn''t much trouble.


    Everyone being safe and sound was good.


    The young female cultivator named Fu Lan, who had taken the pill, had recovered somewhat. Although her face was still pale and her movements were difficult, she still made a special effort to salute Mo Hua and said gratefully, "Thank you, little brother!"


    Seeing that although she was a woman, alone and with many hardships, seriously injured but still resolute, Mo Hua secretly admired her and asked, "Sister, do you know how to cook?"


    Mo Hua''s question was peculiar, and Fu Lan was stunned for a while before she came back to her senses and said, "My mother ran a tofu shop, so I can cook some dishes."


    "Tofu!"


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up and he said, "When you recover, if you have nothing else to do, you can go to Fushan Tower on the south side of the street and make some tofu to earn some spirit stones."


    Fu Lan was slightly stunned, her heart warmed, and she said softly, "Thank you, but Fushan Tower is a big place, they may not take me in."


    "Don''t worry," Mo Hua said confidently, "Just mention my name."


    After all, Fushan Tower was half his.


    Mo Hua spoke with a tone of grandeur, which made Fu Lan dumbfounded.


    Mo Hua didn''t say anything more and waved goodbye to them.


    They had been running around and were still injured, so the most urgent thing was to find a place to settle down.


    After saying goodbye, Mo Hua walked alongside Yu Chengyi into the city.


    After a while, Yu Chengyi frowned and asked, "Why are you following me?"


    "I''m not following you; I''m just going to see Elder Yu."


    Yu Chengyi was stunned and thought it was impossible.


    Mo Hua being familiar with those demon hunters was one thing, but could he also be familiar with his father?


    But Mo Hua really did walk with him all the way to Elder Yu''s house.


    Yu Chengyi pushed open the door, and Mo Hua followed him in, as if he were at home, very familiar and not at all restrained.


    Elder Yu was drinking tea in the living room. When he saw the two of them, his eyes lit up, and he came out to greet them.


    After more than a year, Yu Chengyi''s emotions fluctuated upon seeing his father, and he was about to greet him, but saw Elder Yu bypass him directly and start chatting with Mo Hua.


    "Mo Hua, is there something you need?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Yes, there is..."


    Mo Hua recounted the things he encountered on the road.


    More and more outside cultivators were coming, their identities unknown and unmanageable, making demon hunting more dangerous.


    For now, they did not dare to target local demon hunters.


    But if this continues, disputes and incidents will be inevitable.


    Robbing prey and killing for goods are likely to become more frequent.


    The more conflicts, the more it affects Mo Hua''s collection of demon blood for spirit ink.


    With less spirit ink, fewer arrays can be drawn, slowing down the growth of Mo Hua''s spiritual sense and delaying his foundation building progress.


    Elder Yu nodded, "I heard about this before and have talked with the Dao Court''s overseer. They should come up with a solution in a few days..."


    After talking with Elder Yu for a while and getting his response, Mo Hua took his leave.


    Elder Yu personally saw Mo Hua off at the door, reminding him to be careful on the road.


    Yu Chengyi, who had been standing aside for a long time, finally couldn''t help but say, "Father, I''m back!"


    Elder Yu glanced at him and frowned, "You''re back, so what? It''s not like I didn''t see you."


    Yu Chengyi was speechless.


    After a while, he asked softly, "Father, am I your son?"


    Elder Yu''s eyes widened at his words, and he immediately scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? If you''re not my son, did I pick you up?"


    Thinking of the kind tone his father used when talking to Mo Hua and comparing it to the current attitude, Yu Chengyi felt a bit tired.


    But he also breathed a sigh of relief.


    This grumpy temper and scolding tone were familiar and endearing. It was indeed his father, and he wasn''t dreaming.


    "Finally, I''m home."


    Yu Chengyi felt a bit emotional.


    Mo Hua went to the south city artifact crafting shop and found Master Chen, who was forging iron, and said, "Master Chen, please craft a spiritual tool for me."


    "Have you decided what kind of spiritual tool you want?"


    "Yes."


    Master Chen, halfway through forging a knife, handed it over to Da Zhu and walked to the side, took a sip of water, and asked Mo Hua, "What do you want to craft?"


    Mo Hua gestured with his hands, "A wolf-fang club this long!"


    Master Chen choked on his water and couldn''t help but ask, "What do you want a wolf-fang club for?"


    "A wolf-fang club is handy for knocking people out and doesn''t have a blade, so it won''t hurt me."


    Mo Hua had thought it through. If he chose a knife or sword, he might accidentally cut himself due to his lack of strength.


    A club was just right. Even if he slipped up, hitting himself wouldn''t be a big deal.


    "Also, the wolf-fang club shouldn''t have any fangs," Mo Hua added.


    The fangs were sharp and dangerous.


    "If it doesn''t have fangs, can it still be called a wolf-fang club?" Master Chen was stunned.


    "Then it won''t be called a wolf-fang club. I''ll give it a new name," Mo Hua said.


    "Fine, whatever you say. After all, it''s for your use." Master Chen said, and then worriedly asked, "Isn''t a wolf-fang club very heavy? Can you handle it?"


    "Don''t make it too heavy, just sturdy and durable."


    "Then what''s the use of this... club?" Master Chen was puzzled.


    Without fangs and not heavy, wouldn''t hitting someone be like scratching an itch?


    Mo Hua said, "I''ll draw an array on it."


    An array?


    Master Chen understood. A regular club might be useless, but with an array, it would be different.


    "As long as you know what you want."


    Master Chen nodded. He didn''t ask about the array, as he wouldn''t understand even if he did.


    "I have some crafting blueprints for clubs. You can look through them and pick one as a model. I''ll modify it according to your ideas."


    "Thank you, Master Chen!"


    Mo Hua took the blueprints and looked through them one by one, finding a spiritual tool that matched his idea. It was about four to five feet long, forged from refined iron, just the right length, and not too heavy.


    "This one, but remove the nails on it." S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua showed it to Master Chen and drew a sketch, marking a few positions, saying, "I''ll draw arrays in these places."


    Master Chen glanced over it and nodded, "No problem, come back in five or six days."


    "Great!" Mo Hua said happily.


    After returning home, Mo Hua told Mo Shan about Ji Qingbai''s situation.


    Mo Shan sighed and shook his head, "I didn''t expect the situation for wandering cultivators in Qingxuan City to be so dire."


    Mo Hua asked, "Are all wandering cultivators oppressed by families?"


    "Even if they aren''t oppressed by families, there are sects and the Dao Court."


    "Is it because wandering cultivators are too weak?"


    Mo Shan nodded, "That''s right. The strong oppress the weak; it''s human nature. Moreover, some families or sects directly compete with wandering cultivators for benefits. They need these benefits to grow."


    "Many benefits in this world are not created out of thin air but are taken from one group of cultivators and concentrated in another."


    Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully.

 Chapter 239: The Thousand-Jin Rod

    "Is there any family or sect that doesn''t oppress wandering cultivators?""Naturally, there are." Mo Shan explained, "Some families uphold strict principles, and some sects have rigorous rules, so they don''t do anything out of line. Or perhaps their cultivation industries don''t compete with wandering cultivators, so there''s no need to mistreat lower-level cultivators."


    "But these are the minority. As long as you''re weak, you will be oppressed; it''s only a matter of time."


    Mo Shan sighed again and continued:


    "Our Tongxian City is relatively good. In some places, the life of a wandering cultivator is truly harsh. Not to mention some high-tier state borders, where families and sects have existed for thousands of years, dominating one region like giants. Those wandering cultivators oppressed by them truly have no hope of ever turning their lives around..."


    Hearing this, Mo Hua also felt somewhat heavy-hearted.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s downcast expression, Mo Shan patted his head and smiled to comfort him:


    "Let''s just focus on our own affairs. We can''t manage these things anyway. If you really have the ability to reach the heavens in the future, then consider these issues."


    "Yes!" Mo Hua nodded.


    "And your Uncle Ji, he¡¯s new here. If there''s anything you can help with, do so as much as you can. Big Brother Ji is righteous and helpful; back in the day, our family was in trouble, and we received a lot of help from him."


    "I understand, Dad."


    After that, Mo Shan was busy with demon hunting. A few days later, when he had some free time, he prepared some gifts, including wine, meat, pills, and some daily items, and visited Ji Qingbai.


    Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai chatted about old times. Before leaving, Mo Shan handed him a bag of spirit stones, saying, "Big Brother Ji, keep these for emergencies."


    Ji Qingbai declined, but Mo Shan said, "As brothers, we should support each other. Back when my family was in trouble, you helped us out a lot, so please don''t refuse."


    Only then did Ji Qingbai reluctantly accept.


    After leaving Qingxuan City and traveling all the way, his savings were nearly depleted.


    When he arrived in Tongxian City, it wasn''t proper to stay with his old friends for too long, so he rented a small courtyard. It wasn''t big or expensive but enough to live in.


    After buying some necessary items, the few spirit stones he had left quickly ran out.


    Mo Shan''s gift was like timely help in his hour of need.


    Before, he wouldn''t have accepted it, but now, with his financial difficulties, he could only accept it with gratitude.


    Once he recovered, he could go hunting demons with Ji Li, earn spirit stones, and repay Mo Shan.


    In the evening, Ji Qingbai and Ji Li discussed going into the mountains to hunt demons, when Fu Lan came in from outside.


    These past few days, her injuries had improved a lot. Although not fully recovered, she could move around.


    Fu Lan, being a wandering cultivator from a young age, had endured hardships. She thought about earning some spirit stones to alleviate their immediate needs and not burden Uncle Ji and Big Brother Ji too much.


    Remembering the Fushan Tower mentioned by Mo Hua, she went to inquire and just returned.


    "Your injuries haven''t fully healed. You should rest more." Ji Qingbai, seeing her still pale face, expressed concern.


    Ji Li helped her sit down and poured her a cup of tea.


    Fu Lan''s pale face flushed slightly.


    Ji Qingbai, seeing the two of them like this, remained expressionless but felt comforted inside.


    After a while, he remembered to ask, "Did you visit Fushan Tower?"


    Fu Lan nodded, "They accepted me, and the spirit stones they offer each month are quite a lot."


    Ji Qingbai breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s good."


    "But..." Fu Lan seemed puzzled.


    "But what?"


    "But when they heard I was an out-of-town cultivator, they initially didn''t want to accept me. Later, when I mentioned that young man''s name, they accepted me without another word." Fu Lan said.


    Ji Qingbai was stunned, "Mo Hua?"


    Fu Lan nodded.


    Ji Qingbai was surprised, "That kid Mo Hua has such influence..."


    A large establishment like Fushan Tower respected his name.


    Moreover, he learned during the day that Mo Hua was also a junior array master, and many of the arrays among wandering cultivators were created by Mo Hua.


    This shocked Ji Qingbai.


    Before coming here, he thought Mo Hua had given up on arrays, which made him feel regretful.


    Unexpectedly, Mo Hua had already become a genuine array master.


    Ji Qingbai solemnly said, "Anyway, we owe him a huge favor. We must find a way to repay him properly in the future. Especially Mo Hua, we can''t let anything happen to him."


    An array master among wandering cultivators, with such a good heart, must not suffer any harm.


    Ji Li and Fu Lan both nodded seriously.


    Ji Qingbai felt relieved and sighed, "These past few days, I''ve looked around, and Tongxian City is truly different. If we can settle here, it would be a good life."


    He had been busy all his life, just seeking to live peacefully. After experiencing many hardships, he finally found a place to settle down.


    Looking at Ji Li and Fu Lan, he felt comforted and smiled:


    "If you don''t mind, just start a family here. In some time, I''ll arrange your marriage and make you Dao companions."


    The two of them were taken aback, their faces turning red, and they quietly glanced at each other, then lowered their heads.


    The night was dark, and in the small courtyard, the weak light gradually became warm.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Two days later, Mo Hua was practicing dismantling arrays at the eatery.


    He would first draw a composite array himself and then dismantle it.


    This way, a piece of paper was used to practice the array twice, both drawing and dismantling, though it did waste some spirit ink.


    As Mo Hua was drawing, Da Zhu ran over, saying that his wolf-toothless wolf-tooth club was ready.


    Mo Hua, excited, left the unfinished array and went with Da Zhu to the artifact crafting shop.


    Master Chen handed an iron rod to Mo Hua:


    "I made it as you requested, without wolf teeth. The positions for the arrays are left, and it''s wrapped in iron skin outside, very solid. Inside, it''s made of hard wood, so it won''t be too heavy."


    "Thank you, Master Chen!"


    Mo Hua happily took the iron rod and examined it carefully.


    The iron rod was silver-white, with a tough exterior, thicker than both of Mo Hua''s arms, and felt heavy in his hands.


    Mo Hua tested it and found it a bit heavy, but that was his problem, not the rod''s.


    Mo Hua was very satisfied with the rod and praised, "Excellent work, Master Chen!"


    Master Chen beamed with pride.


    Mo Hua found time to draw a first-grade array on the rod, named "Thousand-Jin Array."


    The Thousand-Jin Array was a first-grade earth-element array. Once infused with spirit power, the inscribed array on the artifact would instantly make it weigh a thousand jins.


    Of course, the claim of a thousand jins was an exaggeration.


    Mo Hua himself didn''t believe it.


    Many cultivators gave exaggerated names to their techniques and arrays; you should take them with a grain of salt.


    Mo Hua didn''t know the exact weight, and it varied with the amount of spirit power infused.


    But regardless, it was certainly very heavy, enough to smash people effectively. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua''s idea was to lift the rod first, then activate the array, making the rod instantly heavy and smashing it down.


    Even though he wasn''t a body cultivator and his physical strength wasn''t great, the rod would have enough force.


    It would be enough for sneak attacks and finishing blows.


    The Thousand-Jin Array was simple, and Mo Hua learned it in two nights.


    Drawing the array wasn''t difficult; Mo Hua finished it in half an hour.


    Mo Hua went to Dahei Mountain and found a large rock to test it.


    He lifted the rod high, then infused it with spirit power. The gray-brown array pattern flashed, and the rod fell heavily.


    The rock shattered into pieces, and Mo Hua''s hand was numbed by the impact.


    Despite the numbness, Mo Hua was very satisfied.


    He gave the rod a name he had long thought of:


    The Thousand-Jin Rod!

 Chapter 240: Techniques

    Mo Hua named the Qianjun Stick and carefully placed it into his storage bag.In the following days, he practiced whenever he had time and developed two simple yet practical techniques:


    One technique involved smashing downwards, and the other was a horizontal swing.


    He tried the downward smash and found it quite easy to use.


    The horizontal swing was more troublesome. It required him to first swing the Qianjun Stick, and during the swing, inject spiritual power to activate the array, causing the iron stick to instantly increase in weight. Following the momentum, he would swing it horizontally.


    Controlling both the spiritual power and the force was challenging.


    If he hit the target, the impact would make his hand ache.


    If he missed, he had to let go of the Qianjun Stick; otherwise, his arm would dislocate.


    This was the helplessness of having a weak constitution and being unable to train as a body cultivator.


    However, after a few practices, Mo Hua became much more familiar with it and at least avoided dislocating his arm.


    Mo Hua also gave these two techniques resounding names: the downward smash he called "Force Like a Thousand Juns," and the horizontal sweep he named "Sweeping Across a Thousand Juns."


    The names sounded imposing, but they were just for emergencies. After all, he wasn''t a body cultivator and couldn''t rely on them for direct combat, at most using them for sneak attacks.


    But anyway, it was another means of defense.


    In his spare time, he went to Fushan Tower and found Fu Lan to help make tofu.


    It was his first time eating tofu in the cultivation world.


    It wasn''t particularly white, with a faint yellowish hue, but the bean fragrance was rich.


    Whether fried, stir-fried into dishes, or made into sweet tofu pudding, it was delicious.


    Mo Hua also shared some with his parents, Mr. Zhuang, and the siblings Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    He didn''t give any to Elder Gui, who preferred crunchy foods that made noise when chewed; tofu was not his favorite.


    As for the inner mountains of Tongxian City, even though more visiting cultivators made it more dangerous, Mo Hua still needed to go.


    He was an array master and couldn''t lack spirit ink.


    Moreover, the amount of spirit ink he required was probably several times that of an ordinary first-grade array master.


    So, demon blood was naturally the more the better.


    Now that he was at the seventh level of Qi refining and proficient in the Passing Water Step, ordinary Qi refining cultivators couldn''t do anything to him except Foundation Building cultivators. Even against Foundation Building cultivators, if he was cautious and discovered them early, he had a high chance of escaping.


    On this day, he went into the mountains and collected sixteen or seventeen bottles of demon blood. Satisfied, he found a cool spot under a large tree, sat down, and started eating wild fruit.


    After a while, his spiritual sense stirred, sensing someone nearby with a somewhat familiar aura. He looked up quietly and saw Yu Chengyi and a few other demon hunters.


    They were walking along a secluded path, seemingly looking for something.


    Mo Hua stood up and greeted them from afar.


    Yu Chengyi noticed Mo Hua and couldn''t help frowning.


    From such a distance, his spiritual sense couldn''t detect Mo Hua, so how did Mo Hua spot them?


    Mo Hua used the Passing Water Step, lightly leaping a few times from the mountain top and landing gracefully in front of Yu Chengyi.


    Yu Chengyi was stunned.


    What kind of movement technique was this?


    Previously, Mo Hua hadn''t used any movement techniques while traveling with them, so Yu Chengyi thought he didn''t know any. Unexpectedly, Mo Hua''s movement technique was so proficient.


    Even more impressive than some veteran demon hunters...


    No wonder he dared to wander the inner mountains alone.


    Mo Hua sized up Yu Chengyi and curiously asked, "You''re not here to hunt demons?"


    They weren''t wearing iron or rattan armor, and their swords were put away, dressed like ordinary wandering cultivators, posing as outsiders.


    Yu Chengyi replied, "We''re here to capture someone."


    "Who?"


    "The cultivators who ambushed me last time." Yu Chengyi''s eyes flashed with cold light as he said hatefully, "A bunch of scoundrels. They dared to ambush me; I won''t let them go."


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, "You know who they are now?"


    "Not yet."


    "Then how will you find them?"


    "They didn''t dare enter the city, so they must be hiding in the mountains. If we search, we''ll surely find them."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Not finding these cultivators would always be a hidden danger. If demon hunters were ambushed while hunting demons, it would be dangerous.


    "Go ahead, then," Mo Hua waved his hand.


    He didn''t want to get involved in this matter; he had more important things to do, like gathering more demon blood.


    "If I encounter them, I''ll set off fireworks to alert you," Mo Hua added.


    Yu Chengyi was slightly taken aback, then nodded, "Good idea. But be careful yourself."


    "Don''t worry."


    Mo Hua parted ways with Yu Chengyi and wandered the inner mountains for most of the day. As he descended the mountain at dusk, he encountered them again.


    Yu Chengyi and the others were injured, bleeding, but the wounds didn''t seem too severe.


    They were escorting two cultivators in black, their hands and feet bound with iron chains, covered in wounds. One had a broken arm, and the other limped.


    It was obvious they had been captured after a fierce battle and then severely beaten.


    The two cultivators looked exhausted, but there was resentment in their eyes.


    Mo Hua recognized their faces and thought for a moment. They were indeed two of the seven cultivators who had ambushed them that day.


    "You actually caught them?" Mo Hua was surprised.


    "Of course, we''re demon hunters. No one knows Dahei Mountain better than us."


    Yu Chengyi kicked one of them, "These scoundrels thought they could hide well, but with so many traces left while eating, drinking, and camping in the mountains, how could we not find them?"


    "Only these two?"


    "The others probably went out to rob, leaving these two to guard the camp."


    "Are you going to kill them?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Yu Chengyi hesitated and said, "Not yet. We''ll take them back first and beat them up some more, see if we can get any information. As for their camp, we''ve already alerted them, so we probably can''t catch the others."


    Mo Hua nodded and then scanned the two black-clad cultivators with his spiritual sense, frowning.


    These two looked miserable, but their spiritual power was still quite abundant, which was risky.


    "Better break their legs first," Mo Hua suggested kindly.


    Yu Chengyi hesitated.


    "They have abundant spiritual power," Mo Hua said.


    Abundant spiritual power posed a risk.


    Yu Chengyi thought for a moment and nodded, "Break their legs."


    The demon hunters were about to act when Mo Hua called, "Wait."


    He pondered for a moment and said, "Better break their arms. If their legs are broken, they can''t walk, and we''ll have to carry them."


    Breaking their arms would disable them from fighting despite their spiritual power.


    Yu Chengyi nodded, and the demon hunters immediately twisted the arms of the two black-clad cultivators, breaking them.


    The two cultivators screamed, their faces filled with hatred, glaring at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua raised an eyebrow, "Still dare to glare at me?"


    The demon hunters kicked them again, making them wince in pain, but their eyes only grew more venomous.


    Mo Hua sighed and said to Yu Chengyi:


    "Maybe blind them too? They keep glaring at me."


    The two cultivators instantly broke into cold sweat, lowering their gaze, not daring to look at Mo Hua.


    Yu Chengyi felt a bit helpless.


    This kid had a good heart at times, but when he was mean, he was truly mean.


    He could think of the most malicious ideas.


    But he thought it was good this way. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    One must not show mercy to bad people, or they''d end up suffering.


    These two had committed numerous murders and robberies; killing them now would be letting them off easy.

 Chapter 241: Encounter with Danger

    Yu Chengwu escorted the two black-robed cultivators to Elder Yu, locking them in a secluded room for interrogation, hoping to extract some useful information.Mo Hua, curious, followed along to watch the excitement.


    While Yu Chengwu interrogated inside, Mo Hua sat outside with Elder Yu, drinking tea.


    Before long, the screams from inside ceased, and Yu Chengwu emerged, with some bloodstains on him, but they were not his. His expression was contemplative.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Did you find out anything?"


    Yu Chengwu glanced at Mo Hua, reluctant to answer.


    Elder Yu said calmly, "Speak."


    Yu Chengwu pondered for a moment and then said, "Those two confessed they are criminal cultivators."


    "Criminal cultivators?" Mo Hua was slightly stunned.


    Elder Yu explained, "It refers to cultivators who have violated the laws of the Dao Court and committed serious crimes, now wanted by the Dao Court officials."


    "What crimes did they commit?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Yu Chengwu shook his head, "They didn''t say. Judging by their reticence, the crimes are likely significant. Even if they spoke, it would mean death for them. I didn''t press further since we aren''t Dao Court officials. It''s not our jurisdiction."


    Elder Yu asked, "Anything else?"


    "Yes," Yu Chengwu nodded, "According to them, their group consists of over twenty people, mostly criminal cultivators wanted by the Dao Court, banding together out of desperation to rob and kill for spirit stones."


    Elder Yu snorted coldly, "A bunch of beasts."


    Mo Hua asked, "What should we do then?"


    Elder Yu said, "First, send these two scoundrels to the Dao Court. If they''re indeed wanted, we can claim some reward. After that..."


    Elder Yu put down his tea cup, thought for a moment, and said, "After that, we''ll wait and see what the Dao Court does. Capturing criminal cultivators is their job. If they don''t act, we shouldn''t interfere lightly."


    "However, if you encounter them in the mountains, don''t hesitate. Capture them if possible and claim the reward. If not, kill them and feed the demon beasts in the ravine."


    "A bunch of scoundrels, a waste of spirit stones even while alive!"


    Elder Yu cursed again.


    Yu Chengwu nodded but still frowned, "I suspect those two didn''t tell the truth."


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"


    "These kinds of cultivators are seasoned in the cultivation world, their words habitually half-true. If they say twenty, it might be more. If they say they rob and kill, their motives might not be that simple."


    Elder Yu nodded, "Spread the word. Hunters entering the mountains should be more cautious and act accordingly."


    "Yes," Yu Chengwu cupped his hands.


    Elder Yu also advised Mo Hua, "You need to be extra careful. If there''s no urgent matter, don''t go deep into the mountains. If you must go, stay vigilant."


    "Don''t worry," Mo Hua nodded.


    He still needed to enter the inner mountains but had to be more cautious.


    Otherwise, with the speed he used spirit ink for drawing arrays, his stock would soon deplete.


    High-quality spirit ink of late first grade was too expensive to buy with spirit stones.


    Though Mo Hua wasn''t short of spirit stones now, it was only relative to the Qi Refining stage. For Foundation Building, he would need a lot more, so he needed to start saving.


    Afterward, the hunters entering the mountains were more careful. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Whenever there were hunters in the mountains, Yu Chengyi or Mo Shan would patrol nearby with the Sima Compass.


    If a fight broke out, they would respond promptly if there was danger.


    Thus, seven or eight days passed uneventfully.


    Though they encountered some suspicious cultivators, these only watched from afar and then quietly retreated.


    One day, Mo Hua, as usual, drained the blood of several demon beasts and sat by a stream to wash his hands.


    After washing, Mo Hua looked up and saw a dense fog rolling in, obscuring vision beyond a hundred feet.


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened, sensing trouble.


    He released his spiritual sense, detecting faint blue spiritual energy mixed with thick miasma and heavy fog within the mist.


    These mixed elements blurred and obstructed his spiritual sense.


    Mo Hua remembered Mo Shan''s advice.


    If encountering dense fog, do not move recklessly. Otherwise, getting lost in the deep mountains could be fatal.


    However, staying put was also risky.


    Mo Hua took out his brush and ink, drew several arrays nearby, covered them with soil and rocks to hide their traces, then sat in the center, patiently waiting for the fog to dissipate.


    After half an hour, the fog suddenly cleared.


    The inner mountain fog came quickly and left quickly.


    Mo Hua packed his things, ready to leave, when he saw a bloodied cultivator running towards him from afar.


    Seeing Mo Hua, the bloodied cultivator was shocked and urgently shouted, "Run!"


    Mo Hua recognized the bloodied cultivator as Ji Li!


    Ji Li, pale and wounded, weakly stumbled a few steps before a black-robed man caught up and slashed his back.


    Blood gushed out as Ji Li collapsed, still looking at Mo Hua, muttering, "Run..."


    The black-robed man glanced disdainfully at Ji Li, then at Mo Hua, and said hoarsely, "Do you know him?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The man sneered, "Good, then you can accompany him in death."


    He then strode towards Mo Hua.


    After a few steps, he frowned and looked down to see Ji Li''s bloody hand gripping his trouser leg, preventing him from approaching Mo Hua.


    Ji Li tried to speak but could only cough up blood.


    The man sneered, broke Ji Li''s hand, and continued towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stood motionless, staring blankly.


    "Scared stiff?"


    The man sneered internally.


    It was understandable. Such a young kid, facing death, being scared was normal.


    The man, with a cruel look, continued walking.


    As he was about to step within ten feet of Mo Hua, a doubt crossed his mind:


    How did this kid survive in the inner mountains?


    The inner mountains were full of demon beasts, miasma, dense fog, poisonous swamps, and criminal cultivators.


    This kid should have died long ago.


    The man was puzzled but continued stepping forward, feeling something crush underfoot, a crisp, fine sound, like a spirit stone, with a sense of spiritual energy flowing.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the stones glowing faintly red.


    The man looked up to see Mo Hua calmly retreating, his expression no longer dazed, but calm, with a hint of amusement in his clear eyes.


    The man was first confused, then suddenly realized, "Not good!"

 Chapter 242: Flame Talisman

    The burly man sensed something was wrong and tried to retreat, but it was too late.The three Level One Earth Fire Arrays activated, unleashing a powerful surge of spiritual energy. Amidst the explosive roar, the crimson flames engulfed the man.


    When the flames subsided, his disheveled figure emerged.


    His clothes were tattered, covered in scorch marks. His right side remained intact, but his left side was severely injured, with his arm blasted to a bloody mess.


    In a life-and-death moment, the man in black relied on his years of combat instincts to avoid the center of the Earth Fire Array explosion.


    At the cost of one arm, he preserved his life.


    Otherwise, even if he survived, he would have been severely wounded.


    ¡°You little brat, I''ll make you wish you were dead!¡±


    The man in black was furious but also shocked.


    An array?


    There were only a handful of rogue cultivators who knew arrays. Where did this array come from?


    ¡°Could it have been drawn by his elders to protect him? It can''t be his own work...¡±


    The man in black was wary. Although angry, he didn''t dare to recklessly pursue Mo Hua.


    This young cultivator seemed a bit tricky and was quite good at acting. He couldn''t figure out the truth for a moment and dared not act rashly.


    He was also afraid there might be other arrays on the ground.


    Mo Hua regretted that the array didn''t kill him.


    Three Level One Earth Fire Arrays could severely injure a demon beast. It seemed that cultivators who roamed the cultivation world were still more alert to the methods of other cultivators.


    Mo Hua secretly released his spiritual sense to observe the man''s condition.


    The man looked miserable, but most of his spiritual energy remained.


    His aura was deep, his body strong, a peak ninth-layer Qi refining body cultivator. Judging by his disregard for human life, he was likely a criminal cultivator, experienced in combat.


    Though injured by the Earth Fire Array, with one arm crippled, the other arm was unharmed.


    Dealing with him would still be very troublesome.


    Both were wary, eyeing each other for a while. The man dared not pursue, and Mo Hua, after some thought, fled in a panic, his steps disordered and flustered.


    ¡°Trying to run?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes turned cold. Suffering such a loss, he wouldn¡¯t let Mo Hua go.


    He wanted to chase but was unsure what other tricks this young cultivator might have, hesitating to make a decision.


    Just then, Mo Hua stepped on a stone, slipped, and fell to the ground.


    Seeing this, the man¡¯s face twisted in a sinister grin.


    He concluded that the brat was truly panicking!


    The man in black leaped out, following the path Mo Hua took. With a few strides, he was in front of Mo Hua.


    ¡°Brat, where do you think you''re going?¡±


    The man reached out to grab Mo Hua.


    But Mo Hua, who had fallen, moved like water, flowing along the ground, disappearing from the man''s sight in an instant, reappearing behind him.


    The man¡¯s grasp found empty air, startling him.


    ¡°Body technique?!¡±


    This brat had learned a body technique?!


    Cold sweat broke out on the man¡¯s back as he barely turned his head to see Mo Hua standing behind him, holding a jade talisman between his fingers.


    The man''s pupils dilated, ¡°A talisman?¡±


    Mo Hua activated the talisman with his spiritual energy. A flash of red light appeared on it, spiritual energy surged, and flames burst forth, engulfing the man in black.


    This talisman was one Zhao had taken from a Qian family cultivator and given to Mo Hua for self-defense.


    Named the Flame Talisman, it was a Level One talisman containing a ninth-layer Qi refining spell¡ªFlame Technique.


    Mo Hua pretended to flee, slipping and falling to deceive the black-robed cultivator into lowering his guard.


    Then, in an instant, he used the Passing Water Step to get behind the man. In a situation where the man couldn''t react, he activated the Flame Talisman.


    Talismans were expensive, so they couldn''t be wasted. Timing was crucial to maximize their effectiveness.


    Caught off guard, the man was hit by the full force of a ninth-layer Qi refining spell. His entire body felt scorched, his meridians burning with pain.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua drew the Qianjun Stick from his storage bag.


    Taking advantage of the man''s severe injuries and dizziness, Mo Hua raised the Qianjun Stick, infused it with spiritual energy, and activated the Thousand-Jin Array.


    With a flash of gray light, the stick became as heavy as a thousand jins, carried by the wind, and smashed down hard.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The stick hit the man''s head.


    The man¡¯s scalp burned with pain.


    Mo Hua¡¯s hands trembled from the impact.


    ¡°No wonder he''s a body cultivator, his head is really hard.¡±


    Mo Hua thought, then raised the stick again, smashing it down on the man¡¯s head.


    The man¡¯s mind grew muddled, his senses dulling.


    Mo Hua kept up the momentum, delivering another blow.


    After the hit, he realized he hadn''t called out the name of the move, losing some of its momentum, so he added another strike, shouting:


    ¡°Thousand-Jin Force!¡±


    The man in black finally couldn''t hold on. His eyes rolled back, his body swaying, finally collapsing face down to the ground. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua released his spiritual sense, examining the man''s spiritual energy.


    He found the man''s meridians'' spiritual energy scattered, uncontrolled, slowly flowing.


    This meant the man had lost consciousness.


    Mo Hua, still wary, added a Fireball Technique for good measure, then laboriously broke the man''s limbs with the Qianjun Stick, finally feeling relieved.


    Mo Hua was panting heavily.


    He wasn''t a body cultivator. Even with the array''s help, swinging the Qianjun Stick several times made his arms ache.


    But the goal was achieved.


    The once fierce man in black now lay on the ground, his spiritual energy in chaos, his blood energy weak, and his limbs useless.


    Mo Hua confirmed the man couldn¡¯t cause trouble for a while and rushed to Ji Li.


    Ji Li was still bleeding.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew serious. He quickly fed Ji Li a Small Life-Saving Pill, crushed several Hemostatic Pills, sprinkling the powder on Ji Li''s wounds, then gave him two Blood Qi Pills.


    The Small Life-Saving Pill was to sustain life, the Hemostatic Pill to stop bleeding, and the Blood Qi Pill to replenish blood energy.


    These were taught by Mr. Feng, useful in emergencies to save lives.


    Mo Hua then observed Ji Li¡¯s meridians with his spiritual sense, finally relaxing.


    Though Ji Li¡¯s aura was weak, his spiritual energy was still flowing, and his wounds were gradually healing.


    ¡°As long as he''s not dead.¡±


    Mo Hua ignited fireworks, sending a signal.


    Although he temporarily saved Ji Li¡¯s life, he needed to be treated by Mr. Feng quickly, or the situation could still be dire.


    Mo Hua alone couldn¡¯t carry Ji Li down the mountain.


    Moreover, Ji Li, covered in blood, could attract demon beasts. Dealing with late-stage Level One demon beasts would be even more troublesome.


    He could only hope nearby demon hunters would see the signal and come to help, giving Ji Li a chance to survive.


    Ji Li lay on the ground, bleeding heavily. After a while, his fingers twitched, showing some reaction.


    ¡°Brother Ji! Brother Ji!¡± Mo Hua called out.


    Ji Li seemed to hear, slowly opening his eyes. Seeing Mo Hua was safe, he seemed to relax, then his eyes lost focus, and he closed them again.


    This was a sign of spiritual sense dispersal.


    Mo Hua was startled, knowing this was bad. Once a cultivator¡¯s spiritual sense scattered, even if their body was saved, it was as good as dead.


    To live, there had to be a strong will.


    Mo Hua thought and said, ¡°Brother Ji, if you die, what will happen to Sister Fu Lan?¡±


    Ji Li¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°Uncle Ji is still waiting to drink your wedding wine.¡±


    Ji Li didn¡¯t open his eyes, but tears flowed from the corners.

 Chapter 243: Familiarity

    Mo Hua painted some arrays around him, then guarded Ji Li, wary of other demons and cultivators.After a while, Mo Hua''s spiritual sense twitched, sensing the approach of a cultivator.


    He extended his spiritual sense to investigate, relaxed, and then shouted, "Uncle Zhou, over here!"


    Not far away were three demon hunters, led by Zhou Cheng, Zhou Da Ping''s father.


    They followed the traces of fireworks to come for support. Hearing the shout, they rushed over and saw Ji Li lying on the ground, covered in blood.


    Zhou Cheng was startled and quickly asked, "How''s the injury?"


    "Temporarily stabilized, but he needs to be taken down the mountain quickly for Elder Feng to treat him," Mo Hua said.


    Zhou Cheng nodded and asked Mo Hua, "Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine," Mo Hua shook his head.


    Zhou Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s good."


    Rescuing Ji Li was urgent. Zhou Cheng didn''t say more and called a few people to carry Ji Li on a stretcher down the mountain.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to them, silently praying, "I hope we make it in time."


    Uncle Ji only had one son, Ji Li.


    Mo Hua didn''t follow them down the mountain; he had other things to do.


    The burly man in black was still lying on the side, looking miserable and unconscious, but seemingly not dead.


    Mo Hua had no time to deal with him now. He would wait for other demon hunters to arrive and then take the man back to see if they could extract any information.


    "Right, the storage bag."


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered, running to the man¡¯s side, and retrieved the half-destroyed storage bag.


    Without time to examine it, Mo Hua kept the storage bag and then took out the Sima Compass Composite Array, calculating:


    "Brother Ji came into the mountain with Uncle Ji. Since Brother Ji was being chased, Uncle Ji must be in danger too."


    "Moreover, this burly man has profound cultivation and seems to be a ruthless killer. His accomplices must be formidable as well."


    Mo Hua found his position on the Sima Compass, indeed discovering a bright spot not far to the south.


    This indicated that the battle was still ongoing.


    Mo Hua''s eyes turned cold. He put away the compass and headed south.


    The bright spot to the south was a small hill.


    The surroundings were overgrown with bushes, fallen leaves piled underfoot, scattered large trees spread their branches and leaves, shading the sunlight, making the area appear deep and secluded.


    When Mo Hua arrived, he found Ji Qingbai and two other demon hunters engaged in combat.


    Their opponents were also three black-clad rogue cultivators.


    In the alternating light and shadow, blades flashed, spiritual power surged, and both sides were body cultivators engaged in close combat, fighting fiercely.


    The black-clad rogue cultivators had the upper hand, leaving Ji Qingbai''s side struggling and in a dire situation, barely holding on.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Something was off.


    The difference in cultivation and techniques between both sides wasn''t significant. Moreover, two demon hunters were wearing iron armor.


    Logically, even if they were outmatched, they shouldn''t be in such a dire state.


    At this moment, Mo Hua saw a shadow appear beside Ji Qingbai, a blade flashing by.


    In a split second, Ji Qingbai sensed the danger and barely dodged, but his arm was still slashed, bleeding profusely.


    The figure, after the attack, quickly retreated, gradually blending into the shadows.


    Ji Qingbai frowned, his expression growing more serious.


    Mo Hua, however, was slightly taken aback.


    Despite the brief moment, he saw it clearly.


    The attacker was a black-clad figure, short and with a sinister look.


    Moreover, they were skilled in concealment...


    Mo Hua had a guess, extending his spiritual sense, revealing the remnants of spiritual power in the world.


    Behind a large tree, a faint blue figure appeared.


    This figure was very familiar.


    Mo Hua pondered briefly, his eyes lighting up, "So it''s you!"


    Previously, when the demon hunters guarded the spirit mine, the Qian family hired cultivators to harass them. Among them, a cultivator skilled in concealment caused significant trouble for the demon hunters.


    Unexpectedly, they encountered him here again. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised, "He''s not dead?"


    He thought this concealed cultivator had been killed by the demon hunters'' chaotic blades.


    But even if he survived, he seemed heavily injured.


    This cultivator''s current attacks lacked the decisiveness and fierceness of before, and his movements were sluggish.


    His concealment technique was also greatly reduced, needing to rely on the cover of large trees and the interplay of light and shadow to better hide.


    Ji Qingbai and his two companions, facing three opponents, shouldn''t have been at such a disadvantage.


    But with this concealed cultivator lurking nearby, the situation changed completely.


    They had to engage their opponents while guarding against the concealed cultivator''s ambushes. Once injured, they became more vulnerable.


    Moreover, an ordinary ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator''s spiritual sense couldn''t detect the concealed technique, making it impossible to counter this hidden cultivator.


    But this was nothing to Mo Hua.


    In Mo Hua''s spiritual sense, this hidden cultivator was as clear as day, with no place to hide.


    During the battle for the spirit mine, he fell into Mo Hua''s hands. Now that Mo Hua''s spiritual sense had strengthened, the hidden technique was even more futile.


    Previously, he escaped the demon hunters'' blades by luck.


    But this time, Mo Hua didn''t intend to let him go.


    However, the priority was to save Uncle Ji and the others.


    Mo Hua hid in a spot beyond their spiritual senses, took out a bamboo tube, and ignited a firework.


    Then he moved to two other positions, each time releasing a firework.


    Mo Hua repeated the trick, hoping to make them retreat.


    The fireworks in the sky attracted the attention of the rogue cultivators, causing both sides to pause.


    But the rogue cultivators seemed unfazed.


    One of them said, "These demon hunters already used fireworks to call for help before. If reinforcements were coming, they would have arrived. Now, this person is hiding without showing themselves, probably bluffing. Let''s finish this quickly and kill them."


    The other rogue cultivators nodded.


    Ji Qingbai, enduring his injuries, gritted his teeth, "We have no personal grudge. Why must you kill us all?"


    The rogue cultivator replied, "The Kong family paid spirit stones for your heads. Your son''s head is likely already collected; now, it''s your turn."


    Ji Qingbai''s face turned sorrowful upon hearing this.


    "No more talking, kill them quickly!" the leader, a one-eyed rogue cultivator, said coldly.


    Both sides stopped talking and resumed their fight, their attacks even more fierce and relentless.


    Mo Hua was somewhat helpless; these rogue cultivators weren''t falling for the trick.


    In that case, he had to intervene and find a way to buy time.


    There should still be many demon hunters nearby. If they saw the fireworks, they should come to support.


    Mo Hua only needed to delay the rogue cultivators until then.


    On the small hill, shielded by trees, Ji Qingbai and the two demon hunters continued to struggle.


    Meanwhile, the hidden black-clad cultivator found another opportunity to strike.


    Using the forest as cover, he silently approached Ji Qingbai.


    Ji Qingbai, thinking his son was likely dead, fought desperately, exposing more openings.


    The hidden cultivator, with a sinister look, seized the moment and thrust a dagger at Ji Qingbai.


    The dagger flashed coldly, but just before it reached Ji Qingbai, a fireball appeared.


    The fireball struck the hidden cultivator''s arm before the dagger could reach Ji Qingbai, interrupting the attack.


    The fireball exploded, turning into flames that scorched his arm, spreading burning pain.


    The hidden cultivator, in pain, was suddenly dazed.


    This scene was so familiar.

 Chapter 244: Delays

    The Fireball Technique exploded, changing the situation, and both sides temporarily stopped fighting.The concealed cultivator was momentarily stunned, then became furious.


    Some unbearable and humiliating memories surfaced.


    "Fireball Technique again!"


    The concealed cultivator moved slightly, retreated to a distance, looked around, and angrily shouted, "Who is using the Fireball Technique?"


    The surroundings were silent.


    The one-eyed convict leader scolded, "Diao Lao San, don''t worry about anything else, kill that Ji guy first!"


    Mo Hua, hiding in the shadows, focused his gaze.


    This black-clad, small-built, sinister-looking, and stealthy cultivator was actually called Diao Lao San.


    He silently remembered the name.


    Diao Lao San looked around again and released his divine sense to scan, still seeing no one, and couldn''t help but feel uneasy.


    The feeling of being ambushed without knowing by whom resurfaced.


    The one-eyed convict frowned, "It''s just a Fireball Technique, are you that scared?"


    The convict''s cultivation was deeper than a typical Qi Refining ninth layer, while Ji Qingbai had been at the ninth layer for years, matching his level, which allowed them to stalemate for so long.


    Originally, the convict wanted to use the concealed cultivator''s sneak attack to kill Ji Qingbai and his group quickly so they could retreat calmly.


    Now it seemed Ji Qingbai and his group couldn''t hold on any longer.


    But unexpectedly, Diao Lao San was so fearful of a Fireball Technique.


    Diao Lao San didn''t want to admit it but had to reluctantly say, "The person using the Fireball Technique can see through my Concealment Technique. I fell into his hands last time."


    The one-eyed convict sneered, "Didn''t you say that your Concealment Technique can''t be seen through by anyone below the Foundation Building stage?"


    Diao Lao San''s withered old face turned red.


    Seeing this, the one-eyed convict stopped dwelling on it and asked, "Are you sure the cultivator using the Fireball Technique is the same person who saw through your Concealment Technique last time?"


    Diao Lao San pondered for a moment, suddenly feeling uncertain.


    That familiar feeling was identical.


    It was as if a divine sense was sticking to him like a bone-attached maggot, impossible to shake off.


    This made Diao Lao San convinced that the person using the Fireball Technique was the same as before.


    But the power of the Fireball Technique had increased significantly.


    Previously, it was only at the mid-Qi Refining stage, but now it had the power of a late-Qi Refining spell, though at most only at the seventh or eighth layer.


    Could it be that this person''s cultivation had improved, hence the increased power of the Fireball Technique?


    But if that were the case, how could a divine sense at such a cultivation level see through his Concealment Technique?


    Diao Lao San was hesitant.


    Seeing his hesitation, the one-eyed convict cursed, "Stop hesitating and do what you need to do. Leave that cultivator to me."


    Diao Lao San''s eyes darkened, then he disappeared, and the other convicts simultaneously attacked Ji Qingbai and the other two demon hunters, forcing them to expose a flaw.


    Diao Lao San also found a flaw and slashed at a demon hunter''s throat with his dagger.


    But he was cautious, wary of the Fireball Technique.


    Sure enough, the Fireball Technique flew over again.


    Diao Lao San quickly stepped back, dodging the Fireball Technique, which missed its target.


    The one-eyed convict, who had been watching the surroundings, suddenly had a sharp glint in his eyes.


    He turned and charged toward the source of the Fireball Technique, where Mo Hua was hiding.


    "Come out, you coward!"


    The one-eyed convict shouted, and with a few flashes, he reached behind a large tree and found Mo Hua hiding there.


    Small in stature, with a young face and clear eyes, Mo Hua even smiled at him.


    "A kid?"


    The one-eyed convict was stunned but didn''t stop his actions, reaching out to grab Mo Hua''s neck.


    Mo Hua used the Passing Water Step to easily evade the convict''s grasp.


    The one-eyed convict exclaimed in surprise and continued to reach out.


    Mo Hua flipped away, his feet infused with spiritual power, and walked vertically up the tree trunk.


    The one-eyed convict drew his sword and slashed at Mo Hua.


    But no matter how swiftly he slashed, Mo Hua always dodged at the last moment.


    The one-eyed convict thought the next strike would hit, but each time he was just a bit off.


    After several rounds, he suddenly understood.


    "This kid is playing with me! He''s stalling for time!"


    "Damn it!"


    The one-eyed convict was furious but helpless, realizing the kid''s movement techniques were far superior.


    He couldn''t even touch the kid''s clothes.


    Such a young age, truly uncanny.


    The one-eyed convict cursed and turned to find Ji Qingbai again, shouting, "Kill that Ji guy first!"


    Killing the Ji family father and son would earn them spirit stones from the Kong family.


    Spirit stones were the most important.


    As for the demon hunters and the kid, they could settle with them later.


    But as he tried to run, Mo Hua disagreed, throwing another Fireball Technique at the convict''s back.


    Though not fatal, it was painful, and the meridians burned by the fire caused considerable damage.


    The one-eyed convict, furious, charged at Mo Hua again, but couldn''t catch him.


    Whenever he tried to run, Mo Hua threw another Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua''s Fireball Techniques were fast and accurate, leaving the convict no choice but to endure them.


    After several rounds, the convict''s clothes were nearly burned off.


    Feeling extremely aggrieved, the convict couldn''t catch or escape from Mo Hua.


    Finally, Diao Lao San and the other two convicts came to support, and Mo Hua stopped.


    But this gave Ji Qingbai and the other two demon hunters a chance to catch their breath.


    The situation stalemated again.


    Mo Hua wanted to delay time, and the stalemate was the best outcome.


    The convicts wanted to kill, but if they delayed, the demon hunters'' reinforcements would arrive, making it impossible to kill anyone.


    But with Mo Hua''s intervention, it was four against four, and no winner could be determined in a short time.


    Especially Diao Lao San, whose physical cultivation was mediocre, making him no match for the demon hunters in a direct fight.


    He could only rely on his Concealment Technique for surprise attacks.


    Now that his Concealment Technique was seen through by Mo Hua, he was almost useless.


    All the cultivators present were watching Mo Hua.


    The convicts were angry, while Ji Qingbai was incredulous. S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He never expected that Mo Hua, with only a seventh-layer Qi Refining cultivation, could single-handedly restrain the powerful one-eyed convict.


    Moreover, the stealthy and ghostly cultivator was also seen through by him.


    And his mastery of the Fireball Technique was impressive.


    Indeed, like father, like son. Although his skills differed from Mo Shan, not following the body refining path, he was still remarkable.


    Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, the one-eyed convict sarcastically said to Ji Qingbai, "That kid isn''t your son, right? Oh, right, your son is dead, his body probably discarded somewhere, being eaten by wild wolves."


    Ji Qingbai''s heart ached upon hearing this, his face pale, his fingers trembling, barely able to hold his sword.


    Mo Hua said to Ji Qingbai, "Brother Ji isn''t dead."


    Ji Qingbai looked up sharply, his eyes red, filled with hope, "Really?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Mo Hua''s gaze was very sincere.


    Ji Qingbai suddenly regained his spirit, his body filled with boundless strength, gripping his sword tightly again.


    The one-eyed convict sneered, "Impossible, that Ji kid is definitely dead!"


    Mo Hua looked at him, "How do you know?"


    The one-eyed convict coldly replied, "Zhao Hu chased him. How could he survive? He''d be lucky not to be torn apart."


    "Zhao Hu, the big guy?"


    The one-eyed convict''s remaining eye narrowed, "You''ve seen him?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The one-eyed convict scoffed, "Impossible! If you had seen him, you''d be dead too!"


    Mo Hua said, "I''m not dead, but whether he is dead or not, I can''t say."


    The one-eyed convict snorted, "You lying brat!"


    Mo Hua smiled, pulling out a half-burned storage bag and shaking it in front of him without saying anything.


    The one-eyed convict''s pupils shrank.


    That storage bag belonged to Zhao Hu!

 Chapter 245: Return

    The one-eyed cultivator''s face was filled with disbelief.If Zhao Hu wasn''t severely injured or dead, his storage bag would never have fallen into someone else''s hands.


    Initially, he had planned to have Zhao Hu kill that kid named Ji and then come back to help, so they could slaughter all these cultivators together.


    But now, not only did Zhao Hu fail to kill anyone, he might have been killed instead.


    The one-eyed criminal cultivator cursed.


    In the current situation, he had no time to think about who might have defeated Zhao Hu.


    If they delayed any longer and the demon hunters arrived, they would be the ones to die.


    The one-eyed criminal cultivator hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Retreat!"


    The other criminal cultivators were reluctant, but they knew they were powerless in the current situation and had no choice but to retreat with venomous glares.


    Mo Hua saw their intention to retreat and his eyes flickered before he spoke:


    "Hey, shorty, are you called Diao Laosan?"


    The short, hidden cultivator stopped in his tracks, his eyes cold.


    He had been mingling in the cultivation world for a hundred years; when had he ever been yelled at by a little brat like this?


    Mo Hua feigned concern and said, "Your concealment technique is terrible; I saw through it at a glance. Next time you see me, you''d better hide, or you''ll embarrass yourself again."


    Diao Laosan''s anger surged.


    Mo Hua continued mockingly, "Why don''t you change your name from Diao Laosan to Diao Wei? That way, when you see me, you can tuck your tail and run."


    Diao Laosan was so enraged he nearly broke his teeth from clenching them, feeling a rush of blood to his throat, almost making him vomit.


    The one-eyed criminal cultivator said coldly, "Don''t let him provoke you. We''ll deal with him later."


    Diao Laosan glared at Mo Hua, seeming to imprint his appearance in his memory.


    Afterward, the criminal cultivators said no more, retreating into the dense forest until their figures disappeared.


    Ji Qingbai and the other two let out long sighs of relief.


    Mo Hua, however, felt a bit regretful that he couldn''t keep the hidden cultivator Diao Laosan.


    In his divine sense, he had already sensed the presence of demon hunters; they would be here to support them soon.


    Uncle Ji and the other two were injured and couldn''t chase after them recklessly, and Mo Hua couldn''t hold back those criminal cultivators alone.


    But fortunately, everyone was safe, which was a relief for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua distributed the pills refined by Elder Feng to the three of them.


    The two demon hunters thanked him, took the pills, and began to meditate to heal.


    Ji Qingbai, however, looked worriedly at Mo Hua, wanting to say something but hesitating.


    Mo Hua said, "Brother Ji is indeed still alive, but his injuries are severe. You should heal quickly so you can go see him sooner."


    Ji Qingbai nodded hastily, swallowed the pill, and began to meditate and heal.


    After a while, the demon hunters arrived.


    Earlier, a sudden fog had disoriented them, causing some to get separated.


    Now that the fog had cleared, those who saw the signal fire could come to support.


    Meanwhile, the one-eyed criminal cultivator, Diao Laosan, and the others followed a rugged mountain path to a forest.


    The one-eyed cultivator suddenly looked up and saw someone ahead. He instructed everyone to scatter and hide in the bushes on both sides.


    After a while, over a dozen cultivators, all dressed in black with unfriendly appearances, approached.


    Seeing them, the one-eyed cultivator heaved a sigh of relief, stepped out, and cupped his fists, "Big brother!"


    The criminal cultivator called ''big brother'' was bald, at the ninth level of Qi refining, of medium build, with eagle-like eyes and sharp ears. He frowned and asked:


    "How did it go?"


    The one-eyed cultivator looked ashamed, "We failed."


    "How did you fail? Where''s Zhao Hu?"


    The one-eyed criminal cultivator couldn''t speak.


    How did they fail?


    Could he say that he had been toyed with by a young brat using body techniques, wasting time and failing to kill Ji Qingbai,


    and Zhao Hu''s whereabouts were unknown, whether he was dead or alive?


    He couldn''t afford to lose face in front of so many people.


    The one-eyed criminal cultivator gritted his teeth and said, "The demon hunters arrived quickly; Brother Zhao''s fate is unknown."


    The bald-headed ''big brother'' cultivator''s eyes turned cold.


    Diao Laosan glanced at the number of criminal cultivators, his eyes shifting, and cupped his hands, saying:


    "Big brother, we have the advantage in numbers now. We should turn back and catch them off guard!"


    His voice was filled with hatred.


    He wanted to kill that young cultivator who used the Fireball Technique!


    He had suffered several major losses at that brat''s hands.


    When he left, that brat had even mocked and ridiculed him. Thinking about those words still made him furious and aggrieved.


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    When had he ever been humiliated like this?


    The key issue was that his concealment technique and all his skills were completely countered by that brat.


    If he didn''t get rid of that brat, he would fall into his hands sooner or later!


    Unless, as the brat said, he tucked his tail and ran whenever he saw him.


    But if he really did that, he would lose all his face and never be able to show himself in Heishan Prefecture again.


    That would be worse than killing him!


    Diao Laosan continued, "They must not have gone far. If we turn back now, that guy named Ji will surely die, and we can kill the other demon hunters too!"


    Especially that damned young cultivator. If he didn''t grind that brat''s bones to dust, he wouldn''t be satisfied.


    The one-eyed criminal cultivator''s eyes lit up at this suggestion:


    "Big brother, this plan could work. We have the numbers now and can end this quickly."


    The bald-headed cultivator pondered for a moment before slowly saying:


    "Kill the one named Ji, and the Kong family will pay the remaining spirit stones. Let''s move quickly, kill them, and retreat!"


    The criminal cultivators all shouted in unison, then their figures flickered as they headed toward the small hill.


    On the small hill, Mo Hua was still there, and demon hunters were gradually arriving, increasing in number.


    This surprised Mo Hua.


    The inner mountain was vast, and even though he had set off several signal flares, he didn''t expect so many demon hunters to arrive.


    After asking about the situation, Mo Hua was somewhat stunned.


    Previously, many demon hunters had been scattered due to the sudden fog.


    Typically, when fog rises, it''s best to stay in place, but this was the inner mountain, where danger lurked everywhere. There were always unexpected situations.


    They could encounter demonic beasts, poisonous swamps, or be attacked by cultivators, forcing them to continue searching through the fog and inevitably getting separated.


    Once the fog cleared, the demon hunters regrouped in small numbers.


    Those who saw the signal fire came to support, spreading the word.


    Some demon hunters who knew Mo Hua said, "Someone''s injured, and Mo Hua is here too."


    This message spread quickly, becoming "Mo Hua is injured."


    Hearing this, the demon hunters were incensed.


    Mo Hua injured? That wouldn''t do!


    Upon hearing this news, demon hunters rushed over from all directions.


    Some were chasing wounded demonic beasts, some were skinning and butchering them, and some were packing up their storage bags, ready to descend the mountain. But hearing this news, they dropped everything and hurried over.


    So the small hill was now crowded with nearly a hundred demon hunters...


    After learning the reason, Mo Hua felt both touched and amused.


    After a while, Yu Chengyi also arrived.


    He had been hunting demonic beasts on the other side, far away. Gasping for breath, he hurried over and asked upon seeing Mo Hua, "Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine."


    Mo Hua had already said this dozens of times.


    Yu Chengyi finally sighed in relief, "Good to hear."


    Then he looked puzzled and asked, "But I heard someone say you were injured?"


    Mo Hua said helplessly, "Someone is injured, but it''s not me."


    "That''s good." Yu Chengyi nodded, then became angry and ordered:


    "Tell everyone Mo Hua is fine, no more spreading false information."


    If this continued, his father, Elder Yu, might come up the mountain himself.


    Yu Chengyi looked around and then asked, "What happened?"


    Mo Hua briefly explained how Ji Li was pursued and how Ji Qingbai and the two demon hunters were surrounded.


    Yu Chengyi was furious, "These bastards are a scourge in the mountain. We should kill them all!"


    Mo Hua also felt a bit regretful.


    If the inner mountain wasn''t so large, if the demon hunters had arrived a bit earlier, or if the criminal cultivators had been provoked longer, they could have captured them all.


    Mo Hua released his divine sense again, scanning the area, but was disappointed.


    "That hidden technique guy is really patient. I insulted him so much, yet he doesn''t want to come back for revenge?"


    Were they all like Qian Hong, turtles?


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    After a while, Ji Qingbai finished healing and was anxious to check on Ji Li''s injuries, so everyone prepared to descend the mountain.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua''s divine sense tingled, and his eyes lit up. He quickly said, "Wait."


    The demon hunters stopped, looking at him in confusion.


    Mo Hua


    held his breath, extending his divine sense to the limit, then opened his eyes and smiled:


    "The big fish has taken the bait."

 Chapter 246: Ambush

    The one-eyed criminal cultivator led a group of criminal cultivators back along the original path, hiding in the bushes at the foot of the hill. They looked up.They saw only four people on the quiet hill.


    Ji Qingbai and the others were covered in blood and still meditating to heal their injuries. The little cultivator stood guard beside them with a vigilant expression.


    "Not running, waiting here to die?" Diao Laosan sneered.


    The one-eyed criminal cultivator frowned. "I''m afraid it''s a trap."


    "Should we use our spiritual senses to check?" suggested another criminal cultivator.


    "They''ll notice."


    "But there''s no Foundation Building cultivator among them. We can check carefully."


    "It''s that little brat; his spiritual sense is ridiculously strong. If we probe with our senses, he''ll definitely notice."


    "How is that possible?"


    "Would I lie to you?"


    ...


    The criminal cultivators argued for a while. The one-eyed cultivator asked, "Big brother, what should we do?"


    The bald criminal cultivator pondered, "Ji Qingbai is an outsider. He doesn''t have many connections in Tongxian City, so not many cultivators would help him."


    "As for that little brat, he looks like a local demon hunter, but he''s too young to know many people."


    "Even if there''s an ambush, it won''t be many."


    "We have enough people to kill them all!"


    The one-eyed cultivator nodded, flattering, "Big brother, you''re wise!"


    The bald criminal cultivator''s gaze turned cold. "We''re in the business of licking blood off knives. Even if the meat is on the knife''s edge, we have to eat it."


    The criminal cultivators all grinned sinisterly, their eyes greedy.


    "Attack!" ordered the bald criminal cultivator.


    Over twenty criminal cultivators swarmed up the hill like hungry wolves, spreading out quickly to surround Mo Hua and the others, preventing them from escaping. S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    One criminal cultivator stepped forward to capture Mo Hua, but as soon as his foot touched the ground, an explosion of fire erupted.


    The criminal cultivator was blasted to the ground, half his body charred, writhing in agony.


    "An array?"


    The criminal cultivators'' hearts skipped a beat. They looked at each other, hesitating.


    The power of the array was no small matter. No one could be sure who had set it up or how many there were.


    The atmosphere grew tense, and the two sides began to confront each other again.


    Mo Hua''s expression showed a trace of fear and nervousness, but Diao Laosan didn''t believe it. This little brat was too cunning to show such an expression.


    His gaze turned venomous as he coldly said, "Brat, stop pretending. Call out your hidden people."


    The fear and nervousness on Mo Hua''s face faded. He scratched his head, "Was my acting that bad?"


    He thought he had done a decent job.


    Diao Laosan''s eyelid twitched. "You''re about to die, and you''re still joking."


    "How do you know I''m about to die?"


    Diao Laosan raised his dagger, its blade glinting with a chilling light. "When I cut your throat and blind you, you''ll understand."


    Mo Hua showed no fear. "Then come over here."


    Diao Laosan wanted to step forward but hesitated.


    He didn''t know if there were more arrays on the ground and didn''t dare act rashly.


    The one-eyed cultivator frowned. "Something''s wrong."


    This little cultivator was too calm.


    Why was he so calm? Was it just because of the few arrays on the ground? Or did he have other support?


    At this point, they had surrounded Mo Hua and the others. They weren''t afraid of alarming anyone, so he wanted to use his spiritual sense to check.


    As soon as he extended his spiritual sense, he sensed the surrounding auras. His face changed dramatically, and he felt a chill all over.


    "Big brother!" the one-eyed cultivator urgently called.


    Before he could say more, shadows of demon hunters appeared all around the hill, surrounding the criminal cultivators in a dense crowd, numbering over two hundred!


    The one-eyed cultivator''s face showed terror, and the other criminal cultivators'' faces went pale.


    So many demon hunters!


    How could there be so many demon hunters?


    Mo Hua raised his delicate eyebrows, pointing at the criminal cultivators with a clear voice, "You''re the ones who are doomed!"


    As he spoke, the demon hunters charged down the hill like a dark cloud pressing down, overwhelming in their momentum.


    "Big brother! What do we do?" the one-eyed cultivator cried out.


    The bald criminal cultivator''s eyes flashed with panic, but then he shouted fiercely, "Capture that brat!"


    He had guessed that the brat''s identity was unusual.


    If they captured him, they could use him to threaten the demon hunters and have a way out.


    Two criminal cultivators rushed towards Mo Hua, but halfway there, they were blown away by the Earth Fire Array.


    Several others took advantage of the chaos to charge through the array, but one was stopped by Ji Qingbai and another was punched back by Yu Chengyi.


    The remaining ones finally reached Mo Hua, but before they could strike, Mo Hua used the Passing Water Step to float away. They couldn''t even touch the hem of his robe.


    The demon hunters swarmed in, and the over twenty criminal cultivators were quickly overwhelmed, unable to hold out for long.


    Mo Hua stepped out of the battle, scanning with his spiritual sense. His eyes narrowed as he launched a fireball at a distant bush.


    The Fireball Technique exploded, and a cry of pain came from the bushes, revealing the hiding figure of Diao Laosan.


    Mo Hua pointed again and shouted, "Catch that dwarf, don''t let him escape!"


    The nearby demon hunters rushed towards Diao Laosan.


    Diao Laosan cursed Mo Hua in his heart.


    He also hated himself for learning the Concealment Technique, which Mo Hua countered so thoroughly.


    Without the Concealment Technique, he was like a rat in broad daylight, easily targeted by everyone.


    He had no choice but to sit and wait for death.


    In just a few rounds, Diao Laosan was knocked down by a demon hunter, tied up tightly with iron chains.


    On the main battlefield, there was no suspense. Several criminal cultivators were killed on the spot, and most of the rest were captured, with only two escaping.


    One was the one-eyed cultivator, who was lucky. During the chase, a demonic beast suddenly appeared, blocking the demon hunters, allowing him to escape.


    The other was the bald criminal cultivator, whose movement technique was excellent and extremely cunning.


    While shouting to capture Mo Hua, he was the first to run when the situation turned bad, moving swiftly like a ghost, beyond the reach of the demon hunters.


    The battle ended with only a few demon hunters injured, easily treated with a few pills.


    The criminal cultivators were all injured, some missing limbs, bound with iron chains and gathered together.


    These iron chains were meant to restrain demonic beasts and were extremely sturdy. The injured criminal cultivators had no chance of escape.


    Yu Chengyi was delighted, "We were worried about catching these scum, and they delivered themselves to us."


    Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Yu, what do we do with these criminal cultivators?"


    Yu Chengyi thought for a moment, "First, beat them up and interrogate them. See if we can get any useful information. Then send them to the Dao Court for the bounties."


    These criminal cultivators were murderers and robbers, clearly repeat offenders. According to the Dao Law, they were as good as dead.


    The demon hunters would get the bounty, and the Dao Court would gain merit. It was a win-win situation without dirtying their own hands.


    Mo Hua nodded, then pointed at Diao Laosan, "I want that dwarf. I have some questions for him."


    Yu Chengyi was surprised, then grabbed Diao Laosan and threw him in front of Mo Hua, recognizing him.


    "So it''s you!"


    He recognized this criminal cultivator as the small, black-clad cultivator who had caused them so much trouble when the Qian family attacked the spirit mine.


    Yu Chengyi twisted Diao Laosan''s arm, making him powerless, and threw him in front of Mo Hua, "Ask whatever you want."


    Mo Hua stared intently at Diao Laosan, then smiled warmly, "Hand over the Concealment Technique''s method!"

 Chapter 247: Interrogation

    Concealment Technique!Mo Hua had coveted this technique for a long time.


    The first time he saw Old Third Diao use this technique, Mo Hua wanted to learn it.


    Although Elder Yu said he was a small Five Elements spiritual root, not suitable for this technique, how could he know without trying?


    Previously, he thought that the hidden cultivator had been hacked to death, which was a bit regrettable.


    But now, unexpectedly, he appeared again. This was a pleasant surprise.


    Since he appeared, he shouldn''t think of running away.


    Mo Hua must get the method of the Concealment Technique out of him.


    Now that he had reached the seventh level of Qi refining, his movement skills were sufficient for the time being, but he only knew one spell, the Fireball Technique.


    Its power was mediocre, neither too weak nor too strong, just average.


    But Mo Hua''s spiritual root wasn''t good, and his techniques didn''t enhance his spiritual power, so the spell''s power wouldn''t be strong. Even if he learned another attack spell, it wouldn''t be meaningful.


    Mo Hua wanted to learn some more practical spells.


    The Concealment Technique was quite suitable.


    With strong spiritual sense, he could conceal his aura, making it difficult for others to detect him, and the Concealment Technique could hide his figure, making him invisible.


    Mo Hua had a strong spiritual sense, and learning the Concealment Technique would ensure his safety.


    Cultivating the Dao to seek longevity meant staying alive first.


    Old Third Diao had his arm twisted off by Yu Chengyi, causing him to sweat profusely from the pain. He angrily said, "Don''t even think about it!"


    Having been repeatedly bested by this little ghost, he wanted to kill him, so how could he possibly hand over the Concealment Technique?


    Mo Hua snorted, "Don''t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"


    But Old Third Diao gritted his teeth and refused to speak.


    Mo Hua looked at him and suddenly brightened, asking Yu Chengyi, "Uncle Yu, where''s his storage bag?"


    When a criminal cultivator was captured, whether alive or dead, their storage bags were taken and marked.


    Yu Chengyi searched and found a storage bag with blue water patterns, throwing it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua poured out the contents of the storage bag.


    There were two spare daggers, one a First Grade spiritual tool, the other not, probably just a temporary substitute.


    Several bottles of poison with labels indicating their names, meant to be smeared on the daggers.


    There were also a few antidotes, though unlabeled, but the colors matched the poisons.


    There were several books on cultivation and Dao techniques, but Mo Hua glanced at them and found them to be common stuff.


    There was no manual for the Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua frowned, "Where did you hide the manual?"


    Old Third Diao gritted his teeth, "You little bastard, I won''t tell you!"


    "Still cursing at me?" Mo Hua raised an eyebrow, drew out his Qianjun Stick, and angrily said, "Watch me smash your mouth!"


    Yu Chengyi quickly stopped him, "No need for you to do it, don''t tire yourself out."


    Mo Hua wasn''t a body cultivator and wasn''t good at physical cultivation, so he might hurt himself.


    Besides, there were plenty of demon hunters around, no need for him to act.


    Several demon hunters, having guarded spirit mines and seen many companions fall to Old Third Diao''s poisonous daggers, were filled with anger and took the opportunity to beat him.


    When they had almost finished, Yu Chengyi called a halt.


    Mo Hua continued, "Will you talk now?"


    Old Third Diao spat out a mouthful of blood and softened, "If I talk, will you spare my life?"


    Mo Hua coldly snorted, "Dreaming!"


    He raised two small fingers and continued, "You have two choices: tell us honestly, and we''ll send you to the Dao Court. Whether you live or die depends on their judgment..."


    "The second choice, if you don''t talk, we''ll hack you to death right now. You''re just a criminal cultivator, dying is meaningless."


    Old Third Diao coldly replied, "I''m dead either way, why should I talk?"


    He knew the crimes he had committed would surely lead to death at the Dao Court.


    "One is a possible death, the other is immediate death, there''s a big difference."


    Mo Hua explained, "If you enter the Dao Court, you might bribe the authorities and avoid the death penalty, or even be released. At worst, you might bribe the guards and escape..."


    Old Third Diao rolled his eyes. If he had such ability to bribe officials, he wouldn''t have ended up as a bandit.


    He would have become a clan leader or sect master, at the very least an elder.


    Old Third Diao sneered internally, still refusing to speak.


    Mo Hua, seeing this, regretted, "Then you can die peacefully."


    These criminal cultivators deserved death. Once dead, it would be quiet, and he could find another way for the technique, it didn''t have to be the Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua glanced at Yu Chengyi, who nodded and ordered, "Drag him aside and hack him to death."


    A demon hunter came over, grabbed the chain, and dragged Old Third Diao to a small grove. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Halfway there, Old Third Diao realized, "I''m really going to die!"


    Having lived for over a hundred years, he had thought about his death many times but had never taken it seriously.


    Now, facing death for real, he felt the fear of extinction.


    The boundless fear swallowed him, breaking his resolve, his will crumbled.


    In that moment, he only thought of living, even just another day or an hour.


    As long as he didn''t die now, even dying tomorrow or in the next hour was better.


    Dying in the Dao Court was better than being hacked to death and fed to demonic beasts.


    Old Third Diao hurriedly shouted, "I''ll talk! I''ll talk!"


    Mo Hua''s spirit lifted, "Wait!"


    The demon hunter dragged him back and threw him before Mo Hua.


    Old Third Diao was already weak, barely breathing.


    Mo Hua, puzzled, said, "You should have talked earlier, why make it hard on yourself, taking a beating for nothing..."


    Old Third Diao, furious, spat out more blood.


    Yu Chengyi whispered to Mo Hua, "Speak less, don''t anger him to death."


    "Oh, oh." Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, asking, "Where is the Concealment Technique manual?"


    Old Third Diao, completely subdued, having faced death''s fear, honestly said, "In those Dao technique books, there''s a ''Blazing Fist,'' from page nineteen to fifty-four, it records... the Concealment Technique."


    Mo Hua rummaged through the storage bag''s contents, found a well-thumbed ''Blazing Fist,'' and opened it to the nineteenth page. The text indeed changed abruptly.


    From body refinement fire techniques, it suddenly became secretive water cultivation techniques.


    And between the lines was a small inscription:


    Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, glancing at Old Third Diao, thinking he was indeed cunning, hiding the precious technique in a common body refinement book.


    Naturally, it wouldn''t be easily discovered.


    Mo Hua, satisfied, put the ''Blazing Fist'' containing the Concealment Technique manual into his own storage bag. Suddenly, he frowned and thought:


    If he hid the Concealment Technique in the ''Blazing Fist,'' could there be other techniques hidden in other books?


    Mo Hua began flipping through the other Dao technique books, page by page, until he found something unusual.


    In a book titled ''Flowing Sand Palm,'' he found another technique he hadn''t heard of:


    Water Prison Technique.


    Mo Hua raised an eyebrow, it was a bonus!

 Chapter 248: Water Prison Technique

    Water Prison Technique? Mo Hua had never heard of this spell before.He had once owned a book titled "Qi Refining Techniques Compendium," which recorded some common spells during the Qi refining stage, but it did not mention the Water Prison Technique.


    This spell must be well-hidden by Diao Laosan, likely as rare as the Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua asked Diao Laosan, "What kind of spell is the Water Prison Technique?"


    Diao Laosan replied, "I don''t know."


    Mo Hua looked at him indifferently, his gaze somewhat malicious.


    Seeing this, Diao Laosan felt a chill in his heart, fearing that Mo Hua might torment him again if he didn''t answer. He hurriedly said, "I really don''t know."


    "Then how did this spell end up in your hands?"


    Diao Laosan said, "Years ago, I accidentally killed a heavily injured cultivator from the Water Gate Sect and found these two spells in his storage bag. One was the Concealment Technique, and the other was this Water Prison Technique."


    "The Water Gate Sect?"


    "It''s a relatively low-profile sect in the Black Mountain region, with few members but a long heritage."


    Mo Hua nodded, "And then?"


    Diao Laosan continued, "I have a single water spiritual root, which is just right for learning the Concealment Technique. I thought it was my fate, so I learned it, moved to another place, and started doing some business to make a living..."


    Yu Chengyi kicked him and spat, "What business? The business of lives, right!"


    Diao Laosan dared not speak out in anger.


    Mo Hua asked again, "So you learned the Concealment Technique but didn''t learn the Water Prison Technique?"


    "I couldn''t learn it," Diao Laosan sighed, "The Water Prison Technique is very difficult to master. It''s hard to control the spiritual power when casting it, and even after casting, it''s hard to hit the target. It only traps people and has no offensive power. I thought it was somewhat useless, so I didn''t spend much time on it."


    "And I''m a body cultivator, not relying on spells. Although this spell is rare, it''s useless to me. I just kept it for now, hoping to exchange it for other martial arts or Dao techniques."


    "But this spell is so niche that I haven''t been able to exchange it until now..."


    Diao Laosan spilled everything like beans.


    Mo Hua roughly understood and asked Diao Laosan again, "The two escaped criminal cultivators, one with one eye and the other bald, which one is your boss?"


    Diao Laosan didn''t want to say but had to, "The bald one..."


    "What''s his name?"


    Diao Laosan shook his head, "I don''t know his real name. We just call him ''Boss,'' and the cultivators in the underworld call him ''Bald Monk.''"


    "Bald Monk?"


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking the name was fitting and easy to remember.


    "How many bosses do you have?" Mo Hua asked again.


    "Just him at the moment..."


    "At the moment?"


    "The boss position is rotated. When one dies or is captured, another takes over. As long as someone survives long enough, they all have a chance to be the boss..." Diao Laosan said silently.


    "Really a case of shallow waters and many turtles, full of bosses everywhere..." Mo Hua muttered.


    The interrogation over, Mo Hua took the two spell books and returned the storage bag to Yu Chengyi.


    Yu Chengyi also acknowledged that the two spells belonged to Mo Hua. After all, there weren''t many spiritual cultivators among the demon hunters. Even if Mo Hua didn''t ask for it, he would have given it to him.


    After that, the demon hunters escorted all the criminal cultivators down the mountain and handed them over to Elder Yu.


    These criminal cultivators were interrogated again, suffered a bit, provided some information, and were then sent to the Dao Court.


    Yu Chengyi personally escorted them, explained the situation, completed some paperwork, and locked these criminals in the Dao Prison.


    An hour later, Yu Chengyi returned to find Mo Hua sitting in the living room, drinking tea with Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu looked up and saw Yu Chengyi, asking:


    "All done?"


    Yu Chengyi nodded, "All done, and I have informed the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice is very pleased."


    Elder Yu laughed, "That old guy, gaining merit for nothing, of course, he''s pleased."


    "Will those criminal cultivators be sentenced to death?" Mo Hua asked curiously while holding a teacup.


    "For murder and robbery, most of them have criminal records. According to the law, they will be sentenced to death. Even if not, being locked in the dark Dao Prison until death is almost the same as a death sentence," Yu Chengyi said.


    "That''s good, so they won''t harm others again," Mo Hua was greatly relieved.


    Yu Chengyi sat next to Mo Hua, and Mo Hua poured him a cup of tea. Then, Mo Hua remembered something and asked:


    "That blind cultivator said they accepted spirit stones from the Kong family to kill Uncle Ji and Brother Ji. Can the Dao Court handle this?"


    Yu Chengyi shook his head, "Words alone are not enough to convict. Moreover, the Kong family is from Qingxuan City, and the Dao Court in Tongxian City can only question but not directly intervene. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Dao Court in Qingxuan City has been bribed by the family, so they will definitely not hold the Kong family accountable.


    Even if there is evidence, it will likely end without resolution."


    Mo Hua felt some regret.


    Yu Chengyi then explained the background and reasons for this group of criminal cultivators.


    Most of these criminals were cultivators from the Black Mountain region, with different backgrounds, including family members, sect members, and some wandering cultivators.


    Most of them had blood on their hands and were wanted by the Dao Court, so they wandered around.


    As Tongxian City gradually prospered and more cultivators traveled through, they gathered on Dahei Mountain to murder and rob for spirit stones.


    They would kidnap cultivators for ransom or kill and rob, discarding the bodies in the wilderness for demonic beasts to devour.


    Ji Qingbai and his son, along with Fu Lan, fled from Qingxuan City, pursued by the Kong family cultivators. When the pursuit failed, they encountered these criminals and paid them spirit stones to continue the pursuit.


    According to the Kong family''s young master, Ji Qingbai and his son hit him, so he wanted their lives.


    Fu Lan disobeyed him, so he wanted her to be a slave.


    After success, he would give the criminals a thousand spirit stones.


    Elder Yu couldn''t help but curse, "That little bastard, may he die a horrible death!"


    Yu Chengyi, also feeling furious, continued:


    "We have had some conflicts with these criminals as they have been watching us for a long time. Today, a sudden fog provided them the opportunity to act."


    "Unfortunately, we didn''t catch them all. Two escaped," Mo Hua frowned.


    Yu Chengyi said, "It''s already good enough. With fewer people, they can''t cause much trouble in a short time."


    "Can they be caught?"


    "I''ve already asked the demon hunters to keep an eye out, but the inner mountain is vast, and it won''t be easy to catch them quickly."


    "Alright," Mo Hua nodded.


    However, Mo Hua remembered the bald head. Next time, he wouldn''t let him escape.


    "By the way," Yu Chengyi said to Mo Hua, "there is a reward for capturing criminals from the Dao Court. In a few days, I''ll bring it to you."


    "Does everyone get it?" Mo Hua asked.


    Yu Chengyi nodded, "Everyone."


    Mo Hua smiled, "Thank you, Uncle Yu!"


    After chatting and drinking tea for a while, Mo Hua got up to leave.


    Then, Mo Hua went to see Mr. Feng and check on Ji Li.


    Ji Li had been safely brought back. Mr. Feng had performed acupuncture, given him pills, and used wood spiritual power to clear his meridians, saving his life.


    Although still unconscious, with proper care, he would recover in time.


    Fu Lan''s eyes were red as she stayed by Ji Li''s side.


    Ji Qingbai looked serious but finally felt relieved.


    Being alive was better than anything...


    Seeing that Ji Li was out of danger, Mo Hua felt at ease.


    Mr. Feng, seeing Mo Hua, was very pleased and praised:


    "The pills I gave you were used well. Otherwise, saving Ji Li''s life wouldn''t have been so easy."


    Fu Lan got up and bowed sincerely to Mo Hua.


    Ji Qingbai also cupped his hands towards Mo Hua and said, "Great kindness cannot be thanked enough!"


    They were so serious that Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed, scratching his head and smiling:


    "Then invite me to your wedding banquet!"


    Ji Qingbai was momentarily stunned, then felt comforted and smiled, "Alright!"

 Chapter 249: Spells

    After dealing with the matter of the crime cultivator, Mo Hua devoted his time to studying two spells.One was the Concealment Technique, and the other was the Water Prison Technique.


    In the Mo family''s courtyard.


    Because the restaurant was quieter, Liu Ruhua had time to sit in the courtyard and sew clothes for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, was learning the Concealment Technique nearby.


    After a while, Mo Hua asked, "Mother, can you see me?"


    He didn''t know what the Concealment Technique looked like when successfully learned, so he wanted his mother to help him check.


    Liu Ruhua found it amusing, and while sewing, she looked up and said, "I can see you."


    "What about now?"


    "I can see you."


    "And now?"


    "I can."


    ...


    "And now, can you see me?"


    Liu Ruhua looked up, her expression surprised, and exclaimed:


    "Hua''er, I can''t see you!"


    Mo Hua was delighted, but then realized something was wrong. His mother was looking at him while saying she couldn''t see him.


    He looked down and could still clearly see his body and the clothes he was wearing.


    Mo Hua was a bit exasperated and said, "Mother..."


    Liu Ruhua laughed, her eyes filled with laughter, "You keep practicing, Mother won''t tease you anymore."


    Mo Hua sighed, a bit helpless but also happy to see his mother so joyful.


    After that, he tried the Concealment Technique several more times, but to no avail.


    Mo Hua then took out the book on the Concealment Technique and reviewed it, carefully recalling the key points and the meridians for spiritual power circulation before trying the Concealment Technique again.


    Spiritual power flowed out from the sea of Qi, through the meridians, covering his skin and clothes.


    Mo Hua''s figure gradually began to change.


    Liu Ruhua watched, her expression showing genuine surprise this time.


    Mo Hua asked, "Mother, can you still see me?"


    Liu Ruhua frowned, "It seems like I can see you, but also like I can''t..."


    "What does that mean?"


    Mo Hua didn''t understand. He raised his hands and saw that his arms had turned a faint blue, semi-transparent appearance.


    They looked like they were made of water.


    It could be considered invisibility, but not complete invisibility.


    Mo Hua thought about it and understood.


    The key to the Concealment Technique lay in the spiritual root.


    A single-element water spiritual root was suitable for learning the Concealment Technique and could fully utilize its effects.


    Mo Hua had small five-element spiritual roots, including water, but it was not pure, so he could learn the Concealment Technique, but the effect was poor. His form turned into flowing water but could not be completely hidden.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    Liu Ruhua thought for a moment, her eyes brightening, "If you hide in the water, others won''t be able to see you."


    That seemed logical, but there weren''t many places with water near Dahei Mountain...


    Mo Hua sighed, "I''ll think of another way."


    For now, the Concealment Technique wasn''t very useful.


    Since the Concealment Technique wasn''t very effective, Mo Hua decided to learn another spell¡ªthe Water Prison Technique.


    The Water Prison Technique wasn''t powerful, and it could even be considered dispensable.


    However, this spell was originally meant to trap enemies, so its power didn''t matter much.


    When the Water Prison Technique was cast, spiritual power would transform into water chains, temporarily binding the enemy cultivator, preventing them from escaping.


    The binding time was usually around three breaths. If used on lower-level cultivators, it could bind them longer; if used on higher-level cultivators, it would only bind them for one or two breaths. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It seemed not very useful, but in life-and-death battles or during desperate pursuits, this obscure spell could be crucial.


    The difficulty of the Water Prison Technique lay in its complexity and precision.


    Casting the Water Prison Technique required complex spiritual power circulation and many acupoint nodes, making it hard to learn.


    And because the spiritual power circulation was complex, the casting was slow, making it hard to hit the target.


    Especially for many agile cultivators, by the time the spell was completed, they would have already escaped.


    Therefore, few spiritual cultivators would spend the effort to learn such a difficult and impractical spell with little power.


    But these were not problems for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had strong spiritual awareness, practiced the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, which specialized in spiritual awareness control, and Elder Gui had taught him spiritual awareness locking, so his spells were both fast and accurate.


    This Water Prison Technique was just right for him.


    And because his spiritual awareness was so strong, Mo Hua learned it with hardly any effort.


    Mo Hua wanted to test the effect of the Water Prison Technique, so he casually threw a wild fruit into the air, then locked onto it with his spiritual awareness, and his right hand made a grasping motion. Spiritual power formed into light blue chains, binding the wild fruit in midair.


    After a few breaths, the wild fruit fell to the ground.


    The effect was decent, but he still needed to test it on some living creatures.


    So Mo Hua thought of the fish in Mr. Zhuang''s pond.


    The next day, Mo Hua got up early, went to Sit and Forget Abode, greeted Mr. Zhuang, and then went to the pond to cast the Water Prison Technique on the swimming fish.


    The water plants were green, and the pond water was clear.


    The fish swam leisurely at the bottom of the pond, when suddenly a light blue water light appeared, trapping a fish, which struggled left and right but couldn''t escape.


    The bottom of the pond became chaotic.


    The other fish, startled, swam faster and more frantically.


    Mo Hua''s fingers moved rapidly, one fish after another was bound by the water light.


    After playing for a while, Mo Hua got a bit bored and felt it was too easy.


    Mo Hua released the fish one by one. The freed fish swam away in panic, and after a while, sensing no danger, they resumed their leisurely swimming, and the pond gradually returned to tranquility.


    After troubling the fish in the pond, Mo Hua felt the Water Prison Technique was still not well-practiced, so he went to the big locust tree to find Bai Zisheng.


    Under the towering locust tree, Bai Zixi was quietly reading, while Bai Zisheng was still bored.


    "I''ve learned a new spell," Mo Hua whispered to Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng''s eyes lit up, then he glanced sneakily at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi''s eyes didn''t leave the page, but she said in a clear voice, "As long as your homework is done."


    "I''m just a little bit away, I can finish it in less than half an hour," Bai Zisheng said.


    Bai Zixi softly replied, "Hmm."


    Bai Zisheng was delighted and said to Mo Hua, "Come, let''s spar a bit."


    Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng moved aside, not disturbing Bai Zixi''s reading.


    "What spell did you learn?" Bai Zisheng asked.


    "Water Prison Technique."


    Bai Zisheng frowned, "Sounds a bit strange, but it doesn''t seem particularly powerful."


    "This spell can trap enemies, but it has no real power."


    "Isn''t that kind of boring?" Bai Zisheng lost interest and asked, "So how do we compare?"


    Mo Hua said, "You use your movement technique, and I''ll use the spell to trap you."


    "This doesn''t seem like sparring," Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua suspiciously, "Isn''t it just me getting hit?"


    "Purposeful sparring is true sparring. Sparring without a purpose is just fighting," Mo Hua argued, "This trains my spell and also your movement technique."


    "Alright, you have a point." Bai Zisheng nodded.


    Having something to do was better than nothing, and he also wanted to see the effect of the Water Prison Technique.


    Mo Hua marked out a large area of grassland, "In this circle, I''ll use the Water Prison Technique on you."


    "Okay."


    The two began practicing under the big locust tree, one practicing spells, the other practicing movement techniques. Bai Zisheng dodged, while Mo Hua tried to trap him with the Water Prison Technique.


    After about an hour, they stopped and sat on the grass to rest.


    When casting the Water Prison Technique, the complex spiritual power circulation made it slower than the Fireball Technique.


    At first, Mo Hua could trap Bai Zisheng once every three casts. Gradually, he became more proficient, managing to trap him once every two casts.


    Bai Zisheng, being a scion of an aristocratic family, had top-notch techniques and methods. For ordinary cultivators, escaping Mo Hua''s Water Prison Technique would be almost impossible.


    "To be honest, this spell is a bit annoying," Bai Zisheng couldn''t help but say.

 Chapter 250: Bamboo Rice

    ¡°Doesn''t this show that this spell is powerful?¡±¡°It¡¯s not that powerful,¡± Bai Zisheng raised an eyebrow confidently, ¡°It can only trap me for about two breaths. Once I activate my spiritual power, I can break free in no time.¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°In a life-and-death battle, every second counts. These two breaths can determine victory or death.¡±


    Hearing this, Bai Zisheng frowned, thought for a moment, and admitted, ¡°You''re right.¡±


    If caught off guard and tricked, these two breaths of time could indeed decide life or death.


    Mo Hua reminded, ¡°Be careful in the future, don¡¯t get caught by such obscure spells.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded solemnly.


    Then he thought, there aren''t many cultivators in this world with such strong spiritual senses, quick moves, and obscure spells like Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng felt a strange sense of relief.


    Opportunities are rare; not all cultivators know such obscure spells. Bai Zisheng wanted to spar with Mo Hua a bit more, but if he continued, he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish his tasks.


    Reluctantly, Bai Zisheng returned to his tasks.


    After practicing the Water Prison Spell, Mo Hua was about to leave when Bai Zixi suddenly called out to him.


    Turning around, Mo Hua saw Bai Zixi take a book from her storage bag embroidered with elegant pale gold phoenix patterns and hand it to him.


    ¡°What book is this?¡±


    ¡°A recipe book.¡±


    Mo Hua took it and examined it closely. It was indeed a recipe book, recording various gourmet dishes and cooking techniques from the cultivation world.


    The dish names were dazzling, such as "Golden Splendor," "Jade Blossom," "Plum Flower Reflecting Snow," "Dew Hibiscus," "Only Envy Mandarin Ducks," "Immortal Dew Pearls," and so on.


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°For me?¡±


    Bai Zixi glanced at him, ¡°For Aunt Liu.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking it made sense. He wasn''t a chef, so a recipe book wouldn¡¯t be of much use to him.


    ¡°Consider it a thank you gift,¡± Bai Zixi said crisply.


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, my mother will be very happy.¡±


    Bai Zixi also smiled slightly, her eyebrows like new moons, her eyes like ephemeral flowers, clear and stunning.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly, ¡°Why be so beautiful?¡±


    On his way back, Mo Hua flipped through the recipe book, looking at the delicious dishes. As he looked, he got hungry.


    After returning home, Mo Hua handed the recipe book to Liu Ruhua, ¡°Mother, Zixi asked me to give this to you.¡±


    Liu Ruhua took it, glanced at it, and smiled happily, ¡°Thank Zixi for me.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then pointed to a dish called ¡°Jade Bamboo Rice¡± and smiled, ¡°Mother, I want to eat this.¡± S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Jade Bamboo Rice involves cutting a section of jade bamboo, filling it with fragrant rice, adding some green plums, fruit, and sweet spring water, and roasting it over a fire.


    When it''s done, the green color of the bamboo fades, and the rice is cooked.


    Splitting open the bamboo, the aroma of the bamboo, the slight acidity of the green plums, and the fragrance of the rice mix together, making it fragrant and soft, with perfect color, aroma, and taste.


    The method is not difficult, and the ingredients are simple, not particularly rare, with some rare ingredients having substitutes.


    Mo Hua had chosen this after much consideration.


    Liu Ruhua fondly patted Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°Alright, Mother will make it for you.¡±


    The next day, Liu Ruhua prepared the ingredients and tried making it a few times. Soon, the Jade Bamboo Rice was successfully made.


    Mo Hua took a bite, feeling the soft and fragrant taste, and couldn¡¯t help but squint his eyes, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua eat happily, Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes were also filled with joy.


    In the next two days, Liu Ruhua made more and asked Mo Hua to send some to Mr. Zhuang and the Bai siblings.


    Mr. Zhuang enjoyed the fresh taste, nodding in satisfaction.


    Although Bai Zisheng liked it, he preferred spicy demon meat.


    The one who liked it the most was Bai Zixi. She sat under the big locust tree, eating bite after bite, elegantly and delicately, but continuously, quickly finishing three or four sections.


    ¡°Is it that good?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Bai Zixi looked up, picked up a section, and handed it to Mo Hua.


    As Mo Hua ate, he felt it was indeed tastier than what he had eaten the other day. He finished a section and wanted more.


    So, under the big locust tree, the two of them ate the bamboo sections like little pandas.


    With the matter of the rogue cultivators settled, Mo Hua continued his tasks within the mountain, making it easier to draw blood from demonic beasts.


    The remaining time, Mo Hua continued to practice, drawing arrays, and studying array-solving and the Reverse Spirit Array.


    First, he learned the basic composite arrays, drawing them on paper, and then solving them himself.


    Mo Hua continued this self-practice, and if he got bored, he practiced the nine-and-a-half-pattern Reverse Spirit Array.


    The progress in array solving was smooth, with each successful solve enhancing his ability.


    But the progress in the Reverse Spirit Array was slow.


    A complete Reverse Spirit Array has ten patterns, and the spiritual sense required is comparable to the Foundation Building stage. Mo Hua''s spiritual sense was far from enough, so he couldn¡¯t draw a complete Reverse Spirit Array.


    Even the incomplete nine-and-a-half-pattern array was increasingly difficult for him to draw.


    Each additional stroke in the tenth pattern above nine patterns consumed as much spiritual sense as a whole pattern previously.


    Mo Hua had doubts.


    At this rate, could he really have spiritual sense comparable to the Foundation Building stage before reaching it¡­


    Even if he could have such spiritual sense before Foundation Building, how many years of practice would it take?


    Decades?


    Mo Hua felt a faint worry, then thought:


    ¡°I wonder if there''s another way to enhance spiritual sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and felt it was unlikely. Among the cultivators around him, his spiritual sense growth was the fastest.


    Even Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, though their spiritual roots were better and their cultivation higher, had inferior spiritual senses compared to his.


    The Bai family was a prominent family, and Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were among the best. This indicated that Mo Hua¡¯s current spiritual sense was among the best, even in prominent families or large sects.


    It seemed there was no better way.


    Mo Hua sighed, calmed his mind, and stopped thinking about it.


    Since he could only rely on arrays for now, he persisted in drawing them.


    One day, his spiritual sense would grow to be comparable to the Foundation Building stage. It was just a matter of time.


    About ten days later, Mo Hua met Yu Chengyi, noticing his serious expression, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Uncle Yu, did something happen?¡±


    Yu Chengyi, deep in thought, looked up at Mo Hua, thought for a moment, and then said:


    ¡°Yes, something happened. Those rogue cultivators struck again.¡±


    ¡°That bald guy?¡±


    Yu Chengyi nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked, ¡°Did he rob and kill again?¡±


    ¡°This time, he attacked a caravan. Over twenty cultivators disappeared without a trace, not even bodies, only some blood at the scene.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, feeling uneasy, then puzzled, ¡°There should have been other caravans robbed before. What¡¯s different this time?¡±


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s expression was very serious, which was rare.


    ¡°It is different.¡± Yu Chengyi sighed, ¡°First, the number of cultivators robbed this time is quite large, and none seem to have survived. Second, one of the cultivators in this caravan had a special identity.¡±


    ¡°A big shot?¡± Mo Hua was curious.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Yu Chengyi said, asking Mo Hua, ¡°Do you remember the Kong family?¡±


    ¡°The Kong family of Qingxuan City?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua naturally remembered the Kong family, who forced Uncle Ji and his son into exile, destroyed Fu Lan¡¯s family, bribed the Qingxuan City Dao Court, and oppressed scattered cultivators.


    ¡°There was a young master from the Kong family, Kong Sheng, in this caravan.¡±

 Chapter 252: Lu Hui

    "I wonder what kind of benefits we''ll reap this time."Mo Hua was quite curious, but since Zhang Lan had made up his mind not to say anything, there was no point in asking.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Is that bald man really powerful?"


    Zhang Lan shook his head, "The bald man has committed many crimes, but his cultivation is not that strong, just slightly better than an average criminal cultivator."


    "Then how did he become the leader?"


    "He has good movement techniques, runs fast, and has lived long."


    Mo Hua understood; he had survived long enough to gain seniority.


    Then he asked, "What movement technique does that bald man practice?"


    Previously, when the bald man was surrounded, he managed to escape from hundreds of demon hunters, which showed his extraordinary movement skills.


    Zhang Lan said, "He has Wind spiritual roots and practices a technique called ''Gale Technique.'' This movement technique isn''t good for combat, but it''s extremely fast, perfect for escaping."


    Mo Hua was intrigued but regretted that he couldn''t learn it since he didn''t have Wind spiritual roots.


    The five elements include Water but not Wind, so while he could learn concealment techniques, they wouldn''t be very effective. But Wind-based movement techniques were entirely out of reach.


    The name ''Gale Technique'' itself indicated its swiftness.


    Mo Hua wondered if his Water Prison Technique could trap this bald man.


    He pondered silently and then said, "Tell me, how can I help?"


    "Didn''t you set up that... Sima Compass Composite Array in the inner mountain?"


    Zhang Lan mentioned this, internally lamenting how complicated this array was. It was impressive that Mo Hua could actually draw it out.


    He continued, "At the time, we''ll use the array to assist the Dao Court in capturing the bald man."


    "No problem." Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "And then?"


    "That''s it."


    "That simple?"


    "That simple." Zhang Lan took a leisurely sip of his wine, "If it were complicated or dangerous, I wouldn''t have asked you to do it."


    There were no Foundation Building cultivators among the criminal cultivators; the bald man was the leader, accompanied by some other criminals. Mo Hua couldn''t defeat them, but he could certainly escape.


    Moreover, just using the array to locate them was a trivial task, merely time-consuming.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, "Why not ask Elder Yu? Normally, demon hunting matters are handled by him. Besides, I gave a set of the array to both my father and Uncle Yu."


    "The Director went to ask Elder Yu, and Elder Yu said we should find you." Zhang Lan said.


    "Elder Yu said that?" Mo Hua was surprised.


    Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow, "Elder Yu wants you to do a favor for the Dao Court so that in the future, if anything happens, as long as it''s not too serious, the Dao Court will protect you."


    "And this isn''t dangerous; otherwise, Elder Yu wouldn''t have agreed to let you take the risk."


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and couldn''t help but say, "Elder Yu treats you very well."


    "Naturally!" Mo Hua laughed.


    Zhang Lan shook his head and then reminded him, "In a few days, people from Qingxuan City''s Dao Court will come, and we''ll enter the mountain together."


    "A few days later? By then, even if Kong Sheng wasn''t dead, he''d be close to it, right?" Mo Hua said.


    "Isn''t that perfect?" Zhang Lan laughed.


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then also laughed, "Indeed."


    A few days later would be fine. Once Kong Sheng was dealt with, they could capture the bald man, removing two threats and bringing peace to Dahei Mountain.


    Zhang Lan chatted with Mo Hua about other things, and after finishing their meal and drinks, he left.


    After taking a few steps, Zhang Lan turned around and quietly reminded Mo Hua:


    "Don''t mention that matter to anyone."


    Mo Hua was confused for a moment, "That matter? Which matter?"


    "The Passing Water Step."


    "Oh." Mo Hua remembered and said, "Don''t worry, if you hadn''t reminded me, I almost forgot. I''ll say it wasn''t you who taught me."


    "That''s good."


    Zhang Lan nodded, feeling a bit uneasy, "Just keep it in mind and don''t really forget."


    The Passing Water Step was, after all, a unique skill of the Zhang family and shouldn''t be forgotten...


    A few days later, as Zhang Lan had said, people from Qingxuan City''s Dao Court arrived.


    Mo Hua accompanied Zhang Lan to meet the cultivators from Qingxuan City.


    Leading the group was a thin, gloomy-looking middle-aged cultivator with a greedy gaze, named Lu Hui, who was at the ninth level of Qi Refining and held a position equivalent to Zhang Lan.


    The other three were also late-stage Qi Refining, one at the seventh level and two at the eighth level, holding slightly lower positions as enforcers in Qingxuan City.


    Zhang Lan exchanged polite but insincere greetings with Lu Hui, while Mo Hua remained silent, not wanting to engage with such people.


    Lu Hui, with a fake smile, complimented Zhang Lan a few times before expressing his desire to meet Ji Qingbai.


    Zhang Lan didn''t refuse, curious about Lu Hui''s intentions.


    Zhang Lan had Ji Qingbai summoned to the Dao Court, and Lu Hui bluntly asked Ji Qingbai to accompany him into the mountains to rescue Kong Sheng, the young master of the Kong family.


    Ji Qingbai frowned and said, "Director Lu, what do you mean by this?"


    What did Kong Sheng''s life or death have to do with him?


    Lu Hui feigned concern, "Brother Ji, you cannot shirk responsibility for Kong Sheng''s disappearance..."


    Ji Qingbai''s gaze turned cold.


    Lu Hui continued, "Previously in Qingxuan City, you and your father injured Kong Sheng for no reason and then fled. Kong Sheng, in his anger, went into Dahei Mountain seeking justice and met with misfortune, his fate now unknown."


    "You must save him; it''s the only reasonable thing to do."


    Ji Qingbai was angered, "Lu Hui, don''t falsely accuse me. It was Kong Sheng who went too far!"


    Lu Hui sighed, "There are witnesses, Brother Ji, from the locals and Kong family''s followers. They all testify that you attacked Kong Sheng without cause. Your words alone cannot clear you."


    This was clearly a setup.


    Zhang Lan frowned, and Mo Hua was also upset.


    Ji Qingbai sneered, "Your Dao Court in Qingxuan City has truly become the Kong family''s lapdogs?"


    Lu Hui''s expression darkened, "Brother Ji, you''re slandering the Dao Court of Qingxuan City."


    Ji Qingbai snorted, saying nothing.


    Lu Hui then sternly said, "I also heard that Kong Sheng''s disappearance was due to your collusion with local cultivators. Seeing it now, it''s not impossible..."


    "You!" Ji Qingbai was furious.


    Zhang Lan frowned, "Director Lu, are you implying that our Tongxian City is lax in law, with cultivators conspiring to murder Kong Sheng?" s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Hui cupped his hands, "Director Zhang, please don''t misunderstand; it''s just rumors."


    Zhang Lan''s gaze turned cold, "Without evidence, please be careful with your words!"


    Lu Hui smiled indifferently, then said:


    "Whether these rumors are true or not depends on Brother Ji''s actions..."


    "If Brother Ji helps rescue Kong Sheng, these rumors will naturally be dispelled, and the Kong family will forgive your offense. Otherwise, the Kong family won''t let you and your father off."


    Lu Hui looked at Ji Qingbai with a sinister glint in his eyes, "What do you say, Brother Ji?"


    Ji Qingbai''s expression changed.


    He had already fled to Tongxian City, yet the Kong family and their lackeys still wouldn''t leave him alone. He just wanted to live peacefully.


    Ji Qingbai had no choice but to sigh, "I''ll do as Director Lu says."


    "Good! Then we''ll enter the mountain tomorrow."


    Lu Hui nodded, a sinister look in his eyes.


    After Lu Hui left, Ji Qingbai looked worried.


    Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Ji, this Lu Hui is not a good person, right?"


    Ji Qingbai smiled bitterly, "You can tell?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "He''s like a snake, sinister and always sticking out his tongue, as if he''s tasting the air."


    Ji Qingbai sighed, "Lu Hui is greedy, ruthless, and most loyal to the Kong family."


    "Has he done many bad things?"


    "When the Kong family commits crimes, it''s Lu Hui who covers it up, using threats, bribes, or coercion."


    Ji Qingbai''s expression turned somber as he slowly said:


    "Two years ago, Kong Sheng ruined a girl around fourteen or fifteen. She was so humiliated that she took her own life."


    "Her father went to the Dao Court to seek justice, but Lu Hui imprisoned him, tortured him for a few days, and then released him. He was too scared to speak up again and eventually took his own life, feeling he had failed his daughter..."


    "This incident caused quite a stir but was eventually covered up."


    Mo Hua felt a chill, turned to Zhang Lan, and asked:


    "Doesn''t anyone control such actions?"


    Zhang Lan also felt angry but could only sigh, "We can''t control it. The local forces are intertwined, and it''s hard to root out the corruption."


    Mo Hua said, "The Dao Court should have a supervisory body, right?"


    Zhang Lan was surprised, "How do you know?"


    "I guessed." Mo Hua said.


    The Dao Court couldn''t possibly grant power to local Dao Courts without supervision, or there would be no one to control them if they acted lawlessly.


    Zhang Lan nodded, "Indeed, the Dao Court


    has a Supervisory Division to oversee the local Dao Courts'' adherence to Dao Law. But they act secretly and are limited in number, unable to cover everything."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Uncle Zhang, you''re from a prominent family, right?"


    Zhang Lan felt uneasy, "What are you planning?"


    "Can you report this to the Supervisory Division?"


    Zhang Lan was helpless, "It''s not that easy. The Nine Regions are vast, and the Zhang family''s influence isn''t everywhere. The Supervisory Division might not even handle it."


    "Give it a try."


    Zhang Lan sighed, "Alright, I''ll send a message back and see. But don''t get your hopes up too high. Local powers are deeply entrenched, and it''s hard to eradicate the corruption."


    "Even weeding out some would be good." Mo Hua smiled, "Thank you, Uncle Zhang."


    Ji Qingbai also looked excited and bowed, "Thank you, Director Zhang!"


    Zhang Lan waved his hand, "It''s my duty. There won''t be any news on this for a while, so let''s focus on catching those criminals and finding Kong Sheng, dead or alive..."


    "And be wary of Lu Hui; he''s very cunning."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Got it."


    Lu Hui, huh...


    Mo Hua silently remembered his name.


    Daring to cause trouble in Tongxian City, he shouldn''t think about leaving easily.

 Chapter 253: Pursuit

    The next day, they entered the mountains to capture Guang Toutuo, while also attempting to rescue Kong Sheng, whose fate was uncertain.The Dao Court of Tongxian City dispatched ten enforcers, led by Zhang Lan. From Qingxuan City, Lu Hui was in charge. From the Demon Hunter side, only three were present: Ji Qingbai, Mo Shan, and Mo Hua.


    Mo Shan had a good relationship with Ji Qingbai and was also worried about Mo Hua, so he joined them in entering Dahei Mountain.


    Lu Hui was initially indifferent to these arrangements, but upon seeing Mo Hua, he frowned.


    "Zhang Dian Si, what is this young cultivator''s role?" Lu Hui asked Zhang Lan with a sharp look.


    "We rely on him to guide us through the mountains," Zhang Lan responded calmly.


    "Guide us? Rely on him?" Lu Hui''s expression was one of disbelief, tinged with a hint of disdain.


    Zhang Lan glanced at him, "Does Lu Dian Si have any objections?"


    Lu Hui smiled faintly, "I wouldn''t dare."


    He said nothing more, but inwardly sneered, "I don''t know if it''s because the Demon Hunters are short-staffed, or if your Dao Court is incompetent, but to rely on such a youngster for guidance?"


    The group left the city and entered Dahei Mountain, passing the outer mountains and moving into the inner mountains.


    The terrain became perilous, the forests eerie, and the miasma much denser.


    Everyone took a Miasma-Repelling Pill and found a campsite to rest temporarily.


    "What are your plans, Zhang Dian Si?" Lu Hui asked.


    Zhang Lan initially didn''t want to deal with him, but since they were working together, he had to explain.


    "The inner mountains are arrayed. If a fight breaks out, we will know."


    "Elder Yu has also instructed that the Demon Hunters should avoid hunting in the mountains these days. So, if there''s a fight, it''s likely Guang Toutuo committing murder and robbery..."


    Lu Hui was taken aback, "Such an array exists? Whose handiwork is it?"


    Mo Hua remained expressionless.


    Zhang Lan glanced at him, thinking silently, "It''s the handiwork of the ''master'' beside you."


    But he didn''t say it aloud, only remarking, "You will know in time."


    Lu Hui looked puzzled.


    Zhang Lan, not wanting to continue the conversation, said, "We will split into two teams, each with a Sima Compass Array. If a fight breaks out, we will investigate. If we encounter Guang Toutuo, don''t act rashly. Wait for everyone to regroup."


    Mo Shan and Mo Hua each had a Sima Compass. They divided into two teams and spent the next few days patrolling the mountains, searching for signs of the criminal cultivator, and meeting at the camp each night.


    Several days passed without sighting Guang Toutuo or any criminal cultivators, leaving everyone puzzled.


    However, like hunting in the mountains, patience was required.


    A few days later, after a fruitless morning search, Mo Hua was resting by a dense forest.


    With him were Zhang Lan, Lu Hui, and a few other Dao Court cultivators. Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai were in the other team.


    Mo Hua drank some water and remarked to Zhang Lan, "It''s strange that we can''t find them."


    Zhang Lan frowned, "It is peculiar."


    "Maybe Guang Toutuo is no longer in Dahei Mountain."


    "It''s possible," Zhang Lan mused.


    "If that''s the case, young master Kong is probably dead," Mo Hua said with a hint of schadenfreude.


    Lu Hui shot him a cold look, "Young brother, mind your words."


    "Alright," Mo Hua changed his tone, sighing, "Young master Kong may be in grave danger."


    Lu Hui''s eyelids twitched.


    Zhang Lan sighed; Mo Hua still had the energy for banter at such a time.


    But then he thought, this matter had nothing to do with Mo Hua. He would be glad if Guang Toutuo killed Kong Sheng.


    Zhang Lan felt the same, but he couldn''t shirk his duty.


    After a rest, they continued following the light points on the Sima Compass, mostly indicating beast fights and some external Demon Hunters hunting, with no sign of criminal cultivators.


    In the afternoon, they encountered a group of Demon Hunters, about four or five.


    Judging by their attire, they were from Tongxian City, but Mo Hua hadn''t seen them before.


    "Where are you from?" Mo Hua asked.


    A Demon Hunter replied, "We are from Tongxian City."


    Mo Hua inquired about the route and asked if they had seen any unusual cultivators.


    The Demon Hunters replied, "We haven''t seen any other cultivators."


    Mo Hua nodded and they parted ways. After a few steps, Mo Hua signaled to Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan''s eyes narrowed, and he nodded slightly, signaling the other Dao Court cultivators. They secretly followed the Demon Hunters to a valley.


    The Demon Hunters entered the valley and disappeared.


    Mo Hua said, "Their lair is here."


    Lu Hui asked, "How do you know they''re not Demon Hunters?"


    "Because they claimed to be from Tongxian City, but I''ve never seen them."


    Lu Hui frowned, "There are nearly a thousand Demon Hunters in Tongxian City, and you recognize them all?"


    Mo Hua ignored him and said to Zhang Lan, "Let''s prepare to act."


    Zhang Lan nodded, "I''ll gather everyone."


    The Dao Court cultivators followed Zhang Lan''s orders and quickly got into position.


    Lu Hui''s gaze at Mo Hua turned sinister.


    Night fell, with faint firelight and the sound of cultivators talking from the valley.


    Zhang Lan''s group gathered outside the valley, hiding behind a large boulder and tall grass.


    Zhang Lan whispered, "I''ve been watching all afternoon. There are about twenty of them. Guang Toutuo and a one-eyed cultivator are inside."


    This was more than expected, either previously hidden or newly gathered criminal cultivators.


    They didn''t have the numerical advantage, so an ambush was necessary.


    Ji Qingbai suggested, "They''re likely drinking. We can attack now, but it''s dark, and some might escape. It''s best to strike at dawn."


    Mo Shan agreed, "Attack at dawn when they''re drunk and sleepy. It''s the best time."


    Zhang Lan nodded, "We''ll follow Mo''s plan."


    He discussed details with Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai, while Lu Hui remained silent, occasionally eyeing Ji Qingbai, plotting something.


    After the discussion, Zhang Lan said, "We need to block the mountain pass."


    The valley had only one entrance, easy to defend but also easy to trap.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded, "I''ll block the pass."


    He scanned the valley with his spiritual sense, ensuring the criminal cultivators were intoxicated and unaware, then approached quietly.


    Using the night for cover, he hid in the grass. Even if spotted, his Concealment Technique would protect him.


    His technique wasn''t perfect, but it worked better at night. With strong spiritual sense and concealed aura, he wouldn''t be detected.


    With limited time, Mo Hua began drawing a Molten Fire Array on the valley''s rocky entrance.


    Zhang Lan''s team was accustomed to this, but Lu Hui was shocked to discover that this youngster was an Array Master!

 Chapter 254: The Siege

    Mo Hua finished drawing the array without alerting the criminals. Using the grass for cover, he quietly retreated."I have completed the array, leaving just one opening. Tomorrow, we will pass through there," Mo Hua pointed out the opening in the array to Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan nodded, "Thank you."


    Lu Hui asked, "Director Zhang, is Young Master Kong Sheng in the valley?"


    Zhang Lan shook his head, "I watched all afternoon but did not see Young Master Kong."


    Mo Hua had also scouted with his spiritual sense and found only criminals inside, no other cultivators, let alone Kong Sheng. It was likely he was already dead.


    Lu Hui''s expression grew increasingly grave.


    If Kong Sheng was truly dead, how would he explain this to the Kong family?


    Zhang Lan ignored him and instead selected a few cultivators to take turns keeping watch while the others rested, preparing to act at dawn.


    The noise in the cave gradually quieted down, leaving only occasional snores and murmurs.


    As dawn approached, the criminals still lay sprawled around, including those on guard duty near the valley entrance who were dozing off.


    This place had been their hidden refuge for so long without being discovered, leading to their laxity.


    Zhang Lan drew his blade, exchanged a glance with his comrades, and whispered, "Move!"


    The group entered the valley through the opening in the Earth fire array. Upon encountering the criminals, they swiftly covered their mouths and slit their throats.


    After killing a few, they were suddenly discovered. A criminal shouted, "Who''s there? How dare you!"


    Chaos erupted, and a melee ensued.


    Mo Hua did not enter the valley, deeming his participation unnecessary in this situation. He opted to stay outside and watch.


    Before long, a defeated criminal fled toward the valley entrance, stepping into the Earth fire array.


    A flash of fire sent the criminal flying, crashing to the ground in a miserable state.


    Lu Hui, watching from a distance, felt his eyelid twitch.


    The Earth fire array''s power was greater than he had anticipated.


    What level of array master was that little cultivator?


    Meanwhile, the battle within the valley became more intense.


    The criminals were not easily dealt with, and although they were groggy from their drunken stupor, the situation still favored the Dao Court.


    Zhang Lan, utilizing his agile movements, weaved through the criminals, forming sword energy in his hand to strike at several spiritual cultivators among them.


    Suddenly, he noticed Guang Toutuo trying to escape and shouted, "Guang Toutuo! Don''t let him get away!"


    Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai both advanced to engage Guang Toutuo, with Lu Hui joining the fray.


    Zhang Lan wanted to assist but was temporarily tied up, needing to first deal with the spiritual cultivators among the criminals, who otherwise would target his men.


    Guang Toutuo, despite his strong cultivation, could not hold his own against three opponents and soon fell into a disadvantage.


    Ji Qingbai seized an opening and swung his Hidden Wood Blade at Guang Toutuo, his blade infused with a surge of pale green spiritual energy.


    Guang Toutuo, unable to dodge in time, was about to be struck when Lu Hui suddenly turned his sword towards Ji Qingbai''s nape.


    "Watch out!" Mo Shan shouted.


    Ji Qingbai tried to withdraw his blade to defend, but it was too late.


    Mo Shan, fighting Guang Toutuo, deflected Lu Hui''s sword, though the impact numbed his arm and caused his blood to churn, leaving him vulnerable.


    Seeing this, Guang Toutuo''s eyes flashed with viciousness as he swung his blade wrapped in pale white wind blades at Mo Shan.


    Guang Toutuo, possessing rare wind spiritual roots, was extremely fast.


    Mo Shan, disrupted by deflecting Lu Hui''s sword, could not evade the attack.


    Ji Qingbai, turning swiftly, held his blade horizontally in front of Mo Shan, taking Guang Toutuo''s blow and spitting blood from the impact.


    Taking advantage of the gap, Guang Toutuo, moving like the wind, escaped their encirclement.


    Ignoring Guang Toutuo, Lu Hui aimed his sword at Ji Qingbai again, but Zhang Lan formed a water sword and struck in front of him.


    "Director Lu, what do you intend to do?" Zhang Lan coldly asked.


    Lu Hui remained composed, "Naturally, I want to kill Guang Toutuo. Unfortunately, he escaped."


    "Is that so?" Zhang Lan''s expression darkened.


    "Otherwise?" Lu Hui sneered.


    Zhang Lan snorted, "Don''t let me see you trying to stab someone in the back again, or I''ll kill you myself."


    Lu Hui did not back down, "Director Zhang, are you trying to frame me?"


    Zhang Lan ignored him and pursued Guang Toutuo.


    A flicker of venom flashed in Lu Hui''s eyes.


    Among this group, the only one he truly feared was Zhang Lan. However, they were both directors of different branches of the Dao Court, so he didn''t need to overly concern himself with Zhang Lan''s attitude.


    He had come to rescue Young Master Kong and earn the Kong family''s favor. But now it seemed Young Master Kong was likely dead.


    In that case, killing Ji Qingbai would serve as an explanation when he returned to Qingxuan City.


    Ji Qingbai and his father had grievances with the Kong family and had fled to Tongxian City. If they continued to live safely, how could the Kong family intimidate other wandering cultivators in Qingxuan City?


    If other wandering cultivators followed their example, the Kong family''s dominance would be threatened.


    Lu Hui''s daily luxuries and cultivation resources were provided by the Kong family, so their interests were his interests. He would eventually have to deal with the Ji family father and son.


    If they were in Qingxuan City, he had countless ways to imprison them and then make an example of them.


    Since they hadn''t returned and were under the protection of demon hunters, he had to kill them here, discreetly.


    Ji Qingbai was just an ordinary wandering cultivator.


    He could "accidentally" kill Ji Qingbai and receive a mild reprimand upon returning, and the matter would be brushed off.


    As a director of the Dao Court, he didn''t believe anyone would openly act against him. Whether it was Zhang Lan or the demon hunters, they would face the Dao Court''s retribution if they attacked him.


    "Too bad I missed the chance just now, but there''s still time," he thought.


    Killing Ji Qingbai would earn the Kong family''s favor, and capturing Guang Toutuo would be a great achievement¡ªkilling two birds with one stone.


    Having failed in his earlier attempt to kill Ji Qingbai, he had to focus on stopping Guang Toutuo now.


    Lu Hui''s eyes gleamed as he pursued Guang Toutuo.


    Ji Qingbai also wanted to give chase but was stopped by Mo Shan, "Brother Ji, Lu Hui wants to kill you."


    Ji Qingbai fumed, "I''ll kill him first to avoid dragging you all down."


    "He''s a Dao Court director. Killing him would bring even greater trouble."


    "But..."


    Mo Shan said firmly, "Let''s deal with these criminals first and then talk."


    Ji Qingbai hesitated, sighed, and reluctantly nodded.


    The criminals, groggy from their drunkenness and caught off guard, gradually fell into a disadvantage.


    One by one, they collapsed, leaving only the one-eyed cultivator struggling to hold on, though he wouldn''t last much longer.


    The one-eyed cultivator''s movements were clumsy; his previous escape had been sheer luck. Now trapped in the valley, he had no chance of escape.


    Guang Toutuo, using his wind escape technique, had already reached the valley entrance and saw the Earth fire array.


    He cursed, "Where did this damn array come from? Blocking my way!"


    He didn''t dare force his way through. Thinking quickly, his eyes turned cold as he grabbed a criminal and threw him toward the entrance. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Caught off guard, the criminal was thrown into the array, which exploded, seriously injuring him, his life uncertain.


    Guang Toutuo continued throwing other criminals to trigger the array.


    These criminals, brothers when benefits were shared, showed no loyalty when in danger.


    The Earth fire array, powered by spirit stones provided by Zhang Lan, though numerous, was finite. After several detonations, the stones were exhausted.


    Ordinary mountain stones, not high-grade array mediums, caused the array patterns to deteriorate after a few explosions.


    Soon, a gap appeared in the Earth fire array.


    By this time, Zhang Lan and Lu Hui had reached the valley entrance.


    Seeing this, Guang Toutuo''s expression turned desperate. Without hesitation, he used his body technique to flee the valley.


    Mo Hua, hidden in the grass outside, raised his right hand, rapidly gathering spiritual energy.


    With a Water Prison Technique, he could capture Guang Toutuo.


    But after a moment''s thought, he lowered his hand and watched as Guang Toutuo escaped through the array, leaving a blurred trail behind.

 Chapter 255: Trapped

    The bald monk moved like the wind, fleeing into the distance, with Lu Hui and Zhang Lan in hot pursuit.Mo Hua stayed behind.


    The battle in the valley was nearing its end. The criminal cultivators were either dead or subdued, with minimal casualties on the Dao Court''s side.


    After a while, Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai appeared at the valley''s entrance. They intended to chase after the bald monk but were stopped by Mo Hua.


    "Father, I''ll go with you. Uncle Ji doesn''t need to go."


    Ji Qingbai quickly responded, "How can that be?"


    Mo Shan glanced at Mo Hua, seemingly understanding, and said, "Brother Ji, you don''t need to go."


    "This matter started because of me..."


    Mo Shan shook his head. "The Kong family bullies others. This is because of the Kong family, not because of you. The fault lies with them."


    Ji Qingbai frowned. "But..."


    Mo Hua smiled mysteriously and said, "Uncle Ji, don''t worry."


    Ji Qingbai wanted to insist further, but Mo Shan and Mo Hua had already set off to chase the bald monk.


    Ji Qingbai remained in place, contemplating Mo Hua''s smile and feeling puzzled. "What is Mo Hua up to?"


    Mo Hua and Mo Shan moved swiftly, occasionally stopping to check the Sima Compass to determine the general direction.


    The bald monk, being chased by Zhang Lan and Lu Hui, had to use all his strength to flee, inevitably causing spiritual fluctuations that left clear traces on the Sima Compass.


    Soon, Mo Hua''s spiritual sense detected the residual traces of the bald monk''s spiritual energy.


    With wind spiritual roots, his spiritual energy was a pale white, making it easy to identify.


    The bald monk was hiding cautiously in a forest, with no sign of Zhang Lan and Lu Hui around.


    He had likely used his superior movement techniques to temporarily shake them off.


    "Father, over there," Mo Hua pointed out the bald monk''s location.


    Mo Shan''s spiritual sense wasn''t as strong as Mo Hua''s, but his eyesight was excellent. Following Mo Hua''s direction, he quickly spotted the bald monk crouching in the bushes.


    In a flash, Mo Shan dashed towards the bald monk.


    At the same time, the bald monk noticed Mo Shan''s figure. He cursed and had to activate his spiritual power to flee again.


    The bald monk cursed inwardly. He had already fooled Zhang Lan and Lu Hui, intending to rest and recover his spiritual power, but now he was discovered again.


    However, he was confident in his movement techniques. Over the years, he had relied on his wind escape technique to survive and thrive.


    As a criminal cultivator, no matter how strong his cultivation was, it was no match for being fast.


    As long as he could run fast enough, he wouldn''t be caught by his enemies or the Dao Court.


    Over the years, those stronger than him had either died or been crippled.


    Only he survived, thanks to his movement techniques, and eventually became a leader!


    He had been chased many times over the years, and this situation was nothing new.


    But gradually, he felt something was wrong.


    His movement techniques were faster than the demon hunter chasing him, but whenever he stopped to rest, the demon hunter quickly caught up.


    It was as if an invisible eye was constantly watching him.


    "What''s going on?" The bald monk felt a chill in his heart.


    He carefully observed himself and found a faint trace of spiritual sense clinging to him like a parasite.


    If he hadn''t been fully focused, he would have missed it.


    The more concealed the spiritual sense, the stronger it was!


    Cold sweat dripped down the bald monk''s back. "Whose spiritual sense is this?"


    Could it be a Foundation Building cultivator watching me?


    The bald monk panicked, losing his composure, allowing Mo Shan to spot an opening. In a flash, Mo Shan closed in and swung a blazing knife.


    The blade glowed like flames, surging with red spiritual energy.


    The bald monk''s heart sank. He tried to dodge but was a fraction too slow, the blade slicing his arm, causing a burning pain and blood to flow.


    He had to stop and deal with Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan didn''t waste words, attacking directly.


    The bald monk wanted to delay with words but saw Mo Shan giving no opportunity and had to fight head-on.


    Their weapons clashed, wind and fire spiritual energies colliding, force exploding around them.


    After a few exchanges, the bald monk realized he was no match for Mo Shan. Defeat was inevitable.


    Knowing this, he decided to act quickly.


    After a few more exchanges, he suddenly retreated and raised his right hand, revealing several talismans.


    Mo Shan was startled and stopped advancing.


    The bald monk activated the talismans, and the ground erupted with dust. Waves of earth spiritual energy surged towards Mo Shan, forcing him to retreat.


    The bald monk''s eyes focused, and he turned to flee.


    The talisman was called the Earth Tremor Talisman, which he had found in the storage bag of a family of three he had killed.


    He activated it to repel Mo Shan and escape.


    Once he used his movement techniques again, it wouldn''t be easy for Mo Shan to catch up.


    Of all movement techniques, wind escape was the fastest!


    In this Great Black Mountain, he had killed countless people and robbed them. No one had managed to capture him so far. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A smile appeared on the bald monk''s lips. Wind spiritual energy swirled around him as he turned to leave, casting a contemptuous glance at Mo Shan.


    But as he took a step, something felt wrong.


    He seemed to be locked in place, unable to move!


    The bald monk looked down and his pupils shrank.


    Out of nowhere, chains of water vapor had formed around him, binding him tightly in place!


    "Not good!"


    The bald monk was shocked. Looking up, he saw Mo Shan''s blade coming down like fire.


    The bald monk struggled with all his might, breaking free from the spell just before Mo Shan''s blade reached him.


    He quickly raised his weapon to block Mo Shan''s attack.


    He broke free from the spell and blocked the blade, but the chance to escape was lost.


    The bald monk was furious. While fighting Mo Shan, he shouted, "Who is plotting against me?"


    His angry voice echoed around.


    But Mo Hua, hidden in the forest, naturally didn''t respond. A plot was meant to be concealed. Revealing oneself would defeat the purpose.


    Mo Hua leisurely sat on a large tree branch, holding a freshly picked wild fruit in his left hand and raising his right hand, his spiritual sense locked onto the bald monk.


    A cat-and-mouse expression of interest appeared on Mo Hua''s face.


    He was right; the Water Prison Technique was indeed effective against cultivators skilled in movement techniques, even more so than he had expected.


    Whenever the bald monk tried to run, he would cast the Water Prison Technique, pinning him in place.


    The Water Prison Technique could bind him for about two breaths. In those two breaths, there was no way the bald monk could escape from the experienced Mo Shan.


    The bald monk tried several times but couldn''t break free.


    Every time he had a chance, the mysterious technique would bind him.


    It was quick, precise, and unavoidable.


    The bald monk grew increasingly alarmed and disheartened.


    His movement technique, which had allowed him to dominate the Great Black Mountain, was completely countered by this unknown, eerie technique!


    If this continued, he would surely meet his end here today.

 Chapter 256: Design

    The battle between Guang Toutuo and Mo Shan continued at the edge of the forest.Guang Toutuo couldn¡¯t win, nor could he escape, initially believing his end was near.


    However, after several more rounds, he unexpectedly discovered that the demon hunter hadn¡¯t aimed to kill him.


    The hidden cultivator using strange techniques only employed binding spells to keep him there, not lethal ones.


    It seemed neither of them intended to kill him.


    Guang Toutuo breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt both ashamed and angry.


    They were toying with him!


    Neither killing nor letting him go, like hunters playing with their prey.


    This was pure mockery and humiliation!


    "Utterly intolerable!" Guang Toutuo raged.


    Not wanting to sit still, he used talismans and pretended to be defeated, trying every way to escape.


    But no matter how many chances he created, he was always pinned in place by the Water Prison Technique, rendering all his efforts futile. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Against Mo Hua''s Water Prison Technique, his schemes were useless.


    Guang Toutuo was both shocked and angry.


    Who was this hidden cultivator?


    Every move he made was under this person''s control, giving him no chance to escape.


    In his shock and anger, Guang Toutuo also wondered:


    "Why aren¡¯t they killing me? What do they want?"


    Guang Toutuo and Mo Shan fought for a long time, and soon, he noticed two figures approaching from afar¡ªZhang Lan and Lu Hui.


    Guang Toutuo felt a chill in his heart:


    "It''s over, there''s no escape now."


    In the forest, Mo Hua''s eyes lit up.


    Binding Guang Toutuo with the Water Prison Technique had become somewhat boring after several practices.


    Playing cat and mouse for too long gets tiresome.


    He was waiting for Lu Hui, and now, the prey had finally arrived.


    Mo Hua smiled slightly.


    Zhang Lan and Lu Hui had been searching the mountains for a while. Upon seeing Mo Shan entangled with Guang Toutuo, they quickened their pace and swiftly approached.


    The three of them surrounded Guang Toutuo in a triangular formation.


    Guang Toutuo looked desperate and said angrily:


    "You Dao Court dogs, must you be so ruthless?"


    Zhang Lan scolded, "Isn¡¯t that obvious? You beast, you should have been dead long ago!"


    Guang Toutuo¡¯s face twitched.


    Lu Hui¡¯s eyes narrowed, "Guang Toutuo, let me ask you, did you kidnap the young master of the Kong family?"


    Guang Toutuo frowned, "What young master of the Kong family?"


    "Half a month ago, did you rob a caravan?"


    "I¡¯ve robbed many caravans, how would I know which one you¡¯re talking about?"


    Lu Hui¡¯s eyelid twitched, "Then let me ask you, what did you do with the cultivators you captured?"


    Guang Toutuo sneered, "Depends on whether they were men or women. Men were killed on the spot, women were played with before being killed."


    At this point, he figured he couldn¡¯t escape.


    The crimes he committed would lead to death at Dao Court anyway, so he had nothing to hide.


    Lu Hui¡¯s heart sank. If so, the young master of the Kong family was likely killed without even identifying himself.


    Zhang Lan said, "Let¡¯s capture him and question him at Dao Court."


    With that, he formed a water sword with his fingers and attacked Guang Toutuo.


    Lu Hui also drew his sword, aiming for Guang Toutuo¡¯s heart.


    Mo Shan, remembering Mo Hua¡¯s instructions, pretended to be exhausted and delayed his strike.


    Due to Mo Shan¡¯s delay, a gap instantly appeared in their encirclement.


    An experienced fighter, Guang Toutuo immediately seized this opportunity, his face lighting up with joy.


    He had thought he was doomed, either dead or captured by Dao Court, but Mo Shan¡¯s mistake gave him a slim chance.


    Dodging Zhang Lan¡¯s water sword and clashing with Lu Hui, he then retreated, exploiting the gap to use the Wind Escape Technique, flashing out of their encirclement.


    Still wary, Guang Toutuo feared the hidden cultivator might bind him again.


    But to his surprise, the hidden cultivator did not act!


    "A great opportunity!"


    Overjoyed, Guang Toutuo sprinted away, surrounded by wind, leaving a trail behind.


    Lu Hui clicked his tongue, dissatisfied, and glanced at Mo Shan before pursuing Guang Toutuo.


    Guang Toutuo had killed the young master of the Kong family, so he must not be allowed to escape.


    Zhang Lan, puzzled, looked at Mo Shan.


    In his experience, Mo Shan wouldn¡¯t make such a rookie mistake.


    Then he saw Mo Shan wink at him and subtly glance at the departing Lu Hui.


    Zhang Lan paused, gradually understanding, and smiled mischievously.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua emerged from the forest.


    The three exchanged glances, understanding each other, then moved to pursue Guang Toutuo and Lu Hui.


    Cursing in his heart, Lu Hui chased after Guang Toutuo at full speed.


    "Three people surrounded Guang Toutuo, yet he still escaped. These demon hunters are truly incompetent."


    But it was fine, as long as he captured or killed Guang Toutuo first, the credit would be his.


    Fulfilling Dao Court¡¯s mission and avenging the young master of the Kong family.


    The rewards from Dao Court and the gratitude from the Kong family would be substantial.


    Fueled by ambition, Lu Hui pursued even harder.


    Mo Hua and the others kept a distance, not joining Lu Hui but not letting Guang Toutuo escape either.


    If Lu Hui lost track, Mo Hua would kindly have Zhang Lan point the way.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense locked on, Guang Toutuo couldn¡¯t escape.


    Lu Hui and Guang Toutuo chased and fled for over half an hour until Lu Hui finally cornered Guang Toutuo and engaged him in battle.


    Mo Hua and the others stopped at a distance, not moving forward.


    Exhausted from his earlier fight and flight, Guang Toutuo was nearly spent.


    Lu Hui had also consumed much of his spiritual power but was in better shape than Guang Toutuo.


    However, he was puzzled why Guang Toutuo, despite his excellent escape techniques, couldn¡¯t evade them.


    But he had no time to ponder. He needed to capture Guang Toutuo quickly.


    After more than ten exchanges, Lu Hui gained the upper hand, stabbing Guang Toutuo in the shoulder.


    Guang Toutuo half-kneeled, knowing he was at the end of his rope. Unwilling to accept his fate, he slashed at Lu Hui¡¯s chest.


    He knew he was too exhausted to land the blow, but he swung anyway.


    Lu Hui smirked.


    The attack posed no threat. He only needed to step back to avoid it.


    Just as he prepared to step back, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flashed coldly from afar. She lightly gestured, and spiritual chains bound Lu Hui in place!


    In mid-step, Lu Hui found himself immobilized, his soul almost leaving his body in shock!


    Before he could react, Guang Toutuo¡¯s blade struck his chest.


    The blade pierced his chest armor, cutting into his flesh, and blood gushed out.

 Chapter 257: Blood Grass

    Lu Hui was actually struck by him, something Guang Toutuo never expected.He couldn''t understand why Lu Hui, halfway through dodging, suddenly stopped evading.


    Was it arrogance, deliberately not avoiding his blade?


    But the opportunity was rare. Guang Toutuo hesitated for a moment before regaining his composure and striking again, aiming for Lu Hui''s lower body.


    Lu Hui''s chest was in severe pain. Seeing Guang Toutuo''s cunning strike made his heart tremble with cold. He struggled to break free from the Water Prison Technique, retreating backward.


    However, due to the constraints of the Water Prison Technique, he was half a beat too slow, and his thigh was still struck by Guang Toutuo.


    Furious, Lu Hui endured the pain and struck back with his sword. The attack was swift and fierce, piercing Guang Toutuo''s right chest.


    Guang Toutuo''s eyes gradually lost focus as he collapsed to the ground.


    Lu Hui, covered in blood, also slowly fell.


    In a remote forest, the two fought to the death, blood flowing freely, ultimately wounding each other and collapsing under each other''s blades.


    This scene perfectly matched the scenario that Mo Hua had pre-designed in his mind.


    Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.


    Zhang Lan, on the other hand, was stunned.


    What kind of spell was this? Where did this kid Mo Hua learn it from?


    It was truly a deadly trap...


    Seeing Mo Hua''s confident demeanor, Zhang Lan knew he had a way to deal with Lu Hui but didn''t expect it to be so surprising.


    Using minor spells to kill with borrowed knives, effortlessly leading to Lu Hui''s demise.


    Lu Hui and Guang Toutuo perishing together made perfect sense, with no flaws at all.


    "Shall we go take a look?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan snapped out of his daze and nodded but delayed for a while, waiting for Lu Hui to bleed more before heading toward the fallen two with Mo Shan.


    Mo Hua followed behind them.


    The three reached Lu Hui and Guang Toutuo, carefully checking their breaths, exchanging glances with regret.


    Guang Toutuo wasn''t dead. Lu Hui had pierced his right chest, not damaging his heart, leaving him with a breath of life.


    Lu Hui, due to excessive blood loss, was temporarily unconscious, but the chest wound wasn''t fatal, so he hadn''t died either.


    "Why do bad guys have such tough lives..." Mo Hua couldn''t help but say.


    What to do next?


    Lu Hui was, after all, an official of the Dao Court. Should they save him or not?


    Mo Shan and Mo Hua both looked at Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan sighed and said, "I''m so tired."


    Then he found a place to sit leisurely, "The scenery here is nice, let''s take a break."


    Mo Hua looked around. The forest was remote, surrounded by dead trees and fallen leaves, with no scenery to speak of.


    But Mo Hua nodded, "The scenery is indeed good."


    Then he sat down on the ground, took out wine, meat, and pastries from his storage bag, and the three began to eat cheerfully.


    Lu Hui bled alone beside them. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, Lu Hui still didn''t die. Not only that, but he gradually regained consciousness, mumbling in pain.


    His right hand trembled as he took out a pill from his storage bag and swallowed it. After refining its power, the bleeding in his chest gradually stopped.


    Mo Shan drew his sword, intending to finish him off, but Zhang Lan stopped him.


    Zhang Lan shook his head, "Don''t dirty your hands."


    Lu Hui struggled to get up, seeing Zhang Lan and the others, his expression changed, filled with both hatred for their inaction and fear of them killing him.


    Zhang Lan feigned concern, "Director Lu, are you alright?"


    Lu Hui forced a smile, "Thanks to Director Zhang, I''m not dead yet."


    "That''s good. I''m quite worried about your severe injuries."


    Lu Hui smiled sarcastically, "Thank you for your concern, Director Zhang."


    Inwardly, however, he cursed, "Concern? Concerned I won''t die?"


    A sinister look flashed in Lu Hui''s eyes.


    He remembered this debt and would settle it later.


    But he didn''t dare show his hatred, fearing that Zhang Lan and Mo Shan would kill him.


    Lu Hui said, "I will remember your kindness. After meditating and resting for a while, shall we continue our journey?"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "Alright."


    So Lu Hui continued to meditate and heal his wounds.


    Mo Shan and Zhang Lan used chains to bind the still-breathing Guang Toutuo.


    Mo Hua glanced at Guang Toutuo with disdain.


    Guang Toutuo was useless, failing to kill even Lu Hui despite the good opportunity provided.


    Lu Hui was also lucky. The blade hadn''t hit a vital spot, so he survived.


    But Mo Hua wasn''t in a hurry. This was Dahei Mountain, the territory of demon hunters, essentially his territory.


    Lu Hui had no chance of walking out alive.


    After Lu Hui''s wounds had healed enough for him to move temporarily, they set off, escorting Guang Toutuo, and walked along the mountain path.


    At a fork, Mo Hua suddenly quickened his pace and turned into a narrow path on the left.


    Mo Shan''s eyes flashed with understanding and followed Mo Hua.


    Zhang Lan, unfamiliar with the mountain paths, naturally followed Mo Hua.


    Lu Hui, from Qingxuan City and unfamiliar with Dahei Mountain, despite his caution, didn''t know what was wrong with this path and naturally followed.


    This path, though narrow and remote, had nothing unusual about it.


    The fog wasn''t heavy, and the miasma wasn''t particularly dense.


    Lu Hui suspected nothing, but as he walked, he suddenly smelled a pungent stench.


    He looked around and found the smell coming from a plant in Mo Hua''s hand.


    Lu Hui frowned and asked, "Little brother, what kind of grass is that?"


    Mo Hua didn''t hide it, "It''s Blood Grass."


    "What is it used for?"


    Seeing that he didn''t recognize it, Mo Hua explained, "There are many demonic beasts in the mountains. This grass has a pungent stench that can drive them away."


    Lu Hui, not a demon hunter, found nothing suspicious.


    "Can I take a look?"


    "Sure."


    Mo Hua readily handed the Blood Grass to Lu Hui.


    Lu Hui examined it carefully and found nothing unusual about the grass, no tampering, just an exceptionally pungent smell.


    Did this kid really carry this grass just to drive away demonic beasts?


    Lu Hui pondered as he walked, suddenly noticing that Mo Hua and the others had moved ahead, now ten steps away.


    Lu Hui was startled, but before he could think further, he felt a cold sensation behind him.


    He turned slowly and saw two demonic beasts in the forest, one with red skin and fangs, drooling, the other with white fur and horns, red-eyed.


    Both beasts stared intently at him.


    Lu Hui was terrified, suddenly understanding.


    Blood Grass, Blood Grass, pungent and rotten.


    Cultivators disliked it, but demonic beasts liked it. How could it drive them away?


    The Blood Grass was meant to attract demonic beasts!


    And now, this Blood Grass was in his hand.


    "Damn it, that kid tricked me!"


    Lu Hui was furious, quickly throwing away the Blood Grass, but it was too late. The demonic beasts had already set their sights on him, charging.


    Despite his injuries, Lu Hui had no choice.


    He mustered his spiritual power, blood surging, and ran with all his strength.


    If caught by the demonic beasts, he would surely be devoured today. At this life-and-death moment, even as his wounds tore and blood oozed, he couldn''t care less.


    Lu Hui pushed his speed to the limit, indeed outpacing the demonic beasts slightly, feeling less pressure behind him.


    Just then, he saw Mo Hua ahead, turning back with a smile.


    "Why is this kid smiling?"


    Lu Hui was puzzled, then saw Mo Hua raise his small hand, making a grasping motion and then a gentle squeeze.


    Mysterious and eerie spiritual power appeared, forming water chains that instantly bound him!


    In a flash, Lu Hui understood everything.


    Why Guang Toutuo, despite his speed, couldn''t escape, why he couldn''t dodge that blade.


    "It was this sinister kid?!"


    Lu Hui understood, but it was too late.


    The Water Prison Technique had him tightly bound.


    In less than two breaths, the demonic beasts caught up, their jaws tearing into his shoulder.

 Chapter 258: Pit Killing

    Lu Hui was already severely injured, and no matter how he struggled, he could not possibly be a match for two Grade One demonic beasts.The two beasts weren''t about to let go of the meat at their mouths and began to tear into Lu Hui.


    The scene was somewhat bloody, and Mo Hua felt a bit uncomfortable, but Lu Hui deserved it.


    Moments later, Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness suddenly stirred, and he said to Zhang Lan, "The Dao Court cultivators are coming."


    He could already sense the presence of the Dao Court cultivators with his spiritual awareness.


    Zhang Lan nodded.


    Lu Hui could die, but he couldn''t be eaten. At the very least, his body needed to remain as evidence.


    Otherwise, who would know if Lu Hui''s death had anything to do with them?


    Zhang Lan then shouted, "Audacious beasts! How dare you kill Supervisor Lu!"


    With that, Zhang Lan condensed water sword energy and charged at the two demonic beasts.


    The sword energy hit the beasts, causing them pain. They roared and glared at Zhang Lan with fierce eyes.


    Mo Shan also took the opportunity to attack the beasts, while Mo Hua used the Water Prison Technique to restrain them.


    The Water Prison Technique was less effective on late-stage Grade One demonic beasts, binding them for less than a moment, but even that instant was enough to hinder their attacks and give Mo Shan an advantage.


    After some struggle, Mo Shan finally managed to pull Lu Hui away from the beasts.


    The meat they had almost eaten slipped away, making the two demonic beasts furious. One pounced at Mo Shan, while the other charged at Zhang Lan.


    Mo Shan, relying on his deep cultivation and profound Dao techniques, engaged one of the beasts in battle, but mainly focused on dodging and maneuvering.


    Mo Hua set off fireworks and used the Passing Water Step to maneuver around the other beast, buying time.


    They were no match for the two Grade One demonic beasts in a frontal confrontation.


    They could only find a way to delay for a while, waiting for the Dao Court cultivators to arrive after seeing the fireworks.


    Zhang Lan attacked from a distance with water sword techniques to assist the two, feeling secretly astonished.


    Mo Shan was a seasoned demon hunter with extraordinary strength, capable of holding off a late-stage Grade One demonic beast without much issue.


    But Mo Hua, a mere seventh-level Qi refining cultivator, could also rely on his movement technique to tangle with a late-stage Grade One demonic beast, and he was doing it quite adeptly.


    Every time the beast lunged to tear, claw, or bite, Mo Hua would skillfully evade, fully demonstrating the subtlety of the Passing Water Step. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He even found time to cast a few spells.


    Whether it was a Fireball Technique to harass or a Water Prison Technique to trap, his spells were swift and precise, allowing him to conjure spells even in close combat with the beast.


    Although his spells merely tickled the beast, they at least hit it.


    The beast battling Mo Hua, no matter how enraged, couldn''t touch him, not even to scratch an itch.


    Zhang Lan felt conflicted.


    The Passing Water Step was clearly a Zhang family secret, yet Mo Hua, who wasn''t from the Zhang family, had mastered it so proficiently.


    It made him wonder if this movement technique should be surnamed Mo instead of Zhang.


    "You better not let my Zhang family ancestor see this, or he''ll drag you into the family," Zhang Lan thought to himself as he watched Mo Hua.


    After a while, the Dao Court cultivators arrived to support them, about fifteen or sixteen of them, both from Tongxian City and Qingxuan City.


    With this many people, the two demonic beasts, after a few unwilling roars, had no choice but to retreat into the forest.


    A Dao Court cultivator from Qingxuan City saw Lu Hui and was shocked, "Lord Lu! What happened to you..."


    One of Lu Hui''s arms had been eaten by the beast, his body covered in blood, his breath weakening, a mouthful of blood stuck in his throat.


    He pointed at Mo Hua but couldn''t speak.


    Zhang Lan grabbed Lu Hui''s shoulder, shook him vigorously, and cried out in grief, "Supervisor Lu, what happened? Supervisor Lu, speak to us!"


    Lu Hui''s last breath was shaken out of him, and he died with his head tilted.


    Zhang Lan looked incredulous and mournful, "Supervisor Lu, how could you leave us like this?"


    Mo Hua was impressed.


    Zhang Lan was truly a seasoned Dao Court actor, performing as if it were real.


    To the uninformed, it seemed as if he and Lu Hui had a deep relationship.


    This kind of genuine and seamless acting, Mo Hua couldn''t help but admire.


    Zhang Lan confirmed that Lu Hui was really dead, then sighed, "Supervisor Lu first fought bravely against Guang Toutuo and subdued him. Then, to prevent Guang Toutuo from being eaten by the beasts, he fought the beasts to the death, ultimately sacrificing his life in the line of duty. His actions are truly commendable and worthy of song."


    Several Dao Court officers from Qingxuan City looked at each other.


    Was this the same Supervisor Lu they knew? Supervisor Lu wasn''t that kind of person...


    The words "commendable and worthy of song" had nothing to do with Supervisor Lu, not in a million years.


    He wouldn''t risk his life for the Dao Court.


    Zhang Lan glanced coldly at them, "Supervisor Lu is dead, yet you remain indifferent. Do you harbor resentment against him?"


    The officers from Qingxuan City tensed up, quickly lowered their heads, and adopted sorrowful expressions, bowing, "We are deeply saddened by Supervisor Lu''s passing and find it hard to believe. Please, Supervisor Zhang, handle the aftermath."


    Zhang Lan nodded, "You all contributed to capturing Guang Toutuo, and Supervisor Lu''s contribution was unparalleled. His body should be taken back to Qingxuan City for a proper burial."


    With Supervisor Lu dead, Zhang Lan was the only remaining supervisor, so his word was law.


    Besides, capturing Guang Toutuo earned them merit, making the trip worthwhile.


    As for Supervisor Lu, dead was dead.


    What could they do? They couldn''t oppose Supervisor Zhang.


    The officers from Qingxuan City bowed, "We will follow Supervisor Zhang''s instructions."


    Zhang Lan nodded in satisfaction, instructing, "Take Supervisor Lu''s body to the Dao Court in Tongxian City first for inspection by the chief officer, then send it back to Qingxuan City."


    "Yes."


    The officers from Qingxuan City took Lu Hui''s body and descended the mountain. Mo Hua and Zhang Lan returned to the valley where the rogue cultivators resided.


    Ji Qingbai and several Dao Court cultivators were cleaning up the battlefield. Seeing Mo Hua, Ji Qingbai glanced around and couldn''t help but ask, "Where is Lu Hui?"


    Mo Hua sighed, "Supervisor Lu died in the line of duty."


    Ji Qingbai looked incredulous.


    It hadn''t been long, how did he die in the line of duty?


    That was Lu Hui, the notorious Supervisor of the Dao Court in Qingxuan City, who committed all sorts of evil deeds.


    How could he die so quickly in Tongxian City?


    Ji Qingbai thought for a moment and cautiously asked, "Is there no problem?"


    Mo Shan glanced at Mo Hua and sighed, "We didn''t make a move."


    Mo Hua chuckled, "It was Guang Toutuo and the beasts who killed Lu Hui. It has nothing to do with us."


    Zhang Lan nodded, "Without evidence, the Dao Court won''t pursue it."


    Ji Qingbai was stunned, unable to understand how Lu Hui could be killed without leaving any evidence.


    But he didn''t need to know. He just needed to know that the notorious Supervisor Lu was dead.


    A heavy burden lifted from his heart.


    The rogue cultivators in Qingxuan City could also breathe easier.


    Ji Qingbai bowed deeply, "On behalf of the rogue cultivators in Qingxuan City, thank you all!"


    Zhang Lan waved his hand, "I didn''t do much. Thank Mo Hua."


    Ji Qingbai looked at Mo Hua in surprise.


    Mo Hua chuckled, "It was just a small effort."


    He had merely cast a few Water Prison Techniques, a minor effort indeed.

 Chapter 259: Explanation

    Lu Hui''s body was first transported to the Dao Court in Tongxian City, where an official reported to the chief, Zhou Da Ping.Upon hearing the news, Zhou Da Ping furrowed his brows. When he saw Lu Hui''s corpse, his frown deepened, and he couldn''t help but curse, "Zhang Lan, that brat, always causing me trouble."


    Lu Dian, in perfect condition, came to Tongxian City. However, after entering the mountains with Zhang Lan, he turned into a mutilated corpse. How was Zhou Da Ping supposed to explain this to Qingxuan City''s Dao Court? Could this incident have nothing to do with Zhang Lan? Who would believe that?


    Zhou Da Ping asked the official, "What exactly happened?"


    The official bowed and said, "According to Zhang Dian, Lu Dian was pursuing Guang Toutuo when he was ambushed, sustaining severe injuries. During the escort of Guang Toutuo, they encountered a demonic beast, and unfortunately, Lu Dian died heroically in the line of duty."


    "Died in the line of duty?" Zhou Da Ping snorted coldly. "He''s certainly washed his hands of the matter. The death is disgraceful, but he found a respectable excuse."


    "Does he think others are fools? The body is right here; anyone with insight can see how Lu Hui truly died."


    Zhou Da Ping pondered silently, shook his head, and scrutinized Lu Hui''s body with his spiritual sense. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.


    The method... was quite clean.


    The fatal wounds on Lu Hui''s body were of two kinds.


    One was inflicted by a cultivator, with a faint trace of wind elemental spiritual power at the wound site. The person who injured him was clearly Guang Toutuo. Wind elemental spiritual roots are quite rare, and their Dao Court could not find a single cultivator with wind spiritual roots. Among the cultivators on this mission, none had wind spiritual roots; this spiritual power couldn''t be faked.


    The other kind of wound was from a demonic beast''s bite. The wound bore the beast''s foul saliva and scarlet demonic power, confirming death by a demonic beast''s bite. This, too, couldn''t be faked.


    Feeling relieved, Zhou Da Ping thought better of Zhang Lan. He could handle some things but should not leave loose ends or cause trouble for the Dao Court. This way, Zhou Da Ping could turn a blind eye, acting as if nothing had happened, and give a plausible explanation to the outside.


    With a satisfactory explanation and no trouble, Zhou Da Ping felt at ease. He looked at Lu Hui''s corpse again and thought, "Good riddance!"


    From top to bottom, the Dao Court in Qingxuan City was a mess; what kind of people were they?


    Though Zhou Da Ping didn¡¯t express it, he held great contempt for them. He wasn''t exceptionally virtuous, but he had a conscience. At most, he took some kickbacks but never engaged in cannibalistic practices.


    However, he was merely the chief of Tongxian City and could only manage his domain; he couldn¡¯t intervene in Qingxuan City¡¯s affairs.


    Sighing, Zhou Da Ping found himself puzzled again. How exactly did Zhang Lan manage to kill Lu Hui?


    Judging by the wounds, it was indeed Guang Toutuo who injured Lu Hui, and the demonic beast killed him. But things couldn''t be that simple.


    Lu Hui was cunning and shouldn''t have been that foolish...


    Lu Hui was at the ninth level of Qi refining, and so was Zhang Lan. Though Zhang Lan was stronger, he couldn''t have killed Lu Hui without leaving any trace. Someone must have helped.


    Zhou Da Ping pondered quietly. Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai, who had entered the mountains with Zhang Lan, likely assisted. Who else?


    A flash of cunning eyes crossed his mind.


    Zhou Da Ping stopped stroking his beard, slightly startled, "Could it be that Mo Hua also took action?"


    The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. After getting to know Mo Hua, Zhou Da Ping realized that despite his young age, Mo Hua couldn''t be judged by common standards. He was meticulous, acted after careful planning, and left no traces.


    Zhou Da Ping nodded approvingly as he glanced at Lu Hui¡¯s body, "Well done!"


    At this time, Mo Hua and Zhang Lan were still in the valley where the criminals hid.


    This valley was used by Guang Toutuo and his men for hiding, living, and storing stolen goods. Many caves, big and small, were dug out, totaling about ten.


    Inside the caves were beds, pills, spiritual tools, food, and other items for the cultivators'' daily use and cultivation, indicating that the criminals had been hiding there for quite some time.


    The Dao Court''s cultivators searched each cave, sorted the stolen goods, recorded them, and piled them in the valley center.


    A considerable amount of stuff was already piled up in the valley¡ªspiritual tools, pills, miscellaneous books, and more. However, it was clearly not enough.


    Given how long Guang Toutuo had been robbing in Dahei Mountain, there should have been more. Where was it hidden? s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Frowning, Zhang Lan continued searching the valley, expanding his spiritual sense to look for any hidden rooms or mechanisms. Then he noticed Mo Hua standing before a stone wall, deep in thought.


    Zhang Lan approached and knocked on the stone wall. The sound was normal.


    "Is it hollow?" Zhang Lan asked.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Zhang Lan scanned it with his spiritual sense but found nothing unusual. It seemed like an ordinary stone wall. He asked, "How did you figure it out?"


    "Just a sweep with my spiritual sense," Mo Hua replied casually.


    "Alright." Zhang Lan sighed. Though he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he had to. This kid''s spiritual sense was already stronger than his.


    Thankfully, he wasn''t the only one with a weaker spiritual sense compared to Mo Hua. Few cultivators at the ninth level of Qi refining could match Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense.


    "Can you break it open?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "There¡¯s an array. Breaking it by force would be troublesome, and who knows what traps might be inside."


    "Do you have a way to break the array?" Zhang Lan asked.


    Mo Hua nodded, "I''ll see if I can disarm it."


    Zhang Lan''s eyelid twitched, "Disarm the array?"


    "Yes, Uncle Zhang, you know about it?" Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan curiously.


    "Of course," Zhang Lan feigned nonchalance, though he was trembling inside. This kid could even disarm arrays?


    He had only heard the term "disarm the array" briefly mentioned by an array instructor at the Zhang family academy. The instructor didn¡¯t know the specifics, only that it wasn''t something ordinary array masters could learn.


    Disarming arrays and composite arrays were different matters. Could this really be something a first-grade array master should learn?


    Zhang Lan coughed and cautiously asked, "Isn''t disarming arrays difficult? If you can¡¯t, we can just break it open."


    Mo Hua scratched his head. He had been observing the stone wall, thinking about the array and how to disarm it. He had seen some clues.


    Mo Hua said, "No problem, I''ll disarm it. This array isn¡¯t difficult, probably not even first-grade, so it should be easy."


    He was being modest. Disarming arrays below first-grade was quite easy, but it was best not to speak too confidently to avoid embarrassment if he failed.


    "Not even first-grade... easy to disarm..."


    Zhang Lan sighed. Alright, comparing oneself to others could be frustrating.


    He patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, "I¡¯ll leave it to you then."

 Chapter 260: The Cave

    Cultivators have two general methods for dealing with arrays: breaking the array and resolving the array.Breaking the array involves a cultivator using their cultivation or martial arts to forcibly destroy the array¡¯s core, medium, hub, or patterns.


    Resolving the array can only be done by Array Masters, and only a few with extensive experience and high proficiency can do so.


    Resolving an array involves utilizing the interactions among array patterns, the opening and closing of array hubs, or the positive and negative spiritual power of the array core.


    Currently, Mo Hua only knows one method to resolve arrays, which is through the interactions of array patterns.


    Mo Hua had just used his spiritual awareness to observe for a while, confirming the array painted on the stone wall. Inside, the array mainly consisted of an Earth-Wood Array, mixed with several smaller arrays.


    For ordinary cultivators, this array was quite impressive.


    But in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, it was insufficient.


    Mo Hua took out his pen and ink from his storage bag and began drawing array patterns on the stone wall.


    There are two situations when resolving arrays through array pattern interactions: from the inside or the outside.


    When resolving from the inside, one can see the array patterns, and the patterns drawn to resolve the array are on the same side as the array medium.


    Mo Hua usually practices by drawing and resolving his own arrays, which is considered internal resolution.


    This method is relatively easier.


    Resolving from the outside means drawing patterns without seeing the array patterns, based only on one''s understanding of arrays and using spiritual awareness to sense the position of the patterns, drawing counter-patterns in the same position to cancel out the array.


    The current situation required external resolution.


    Mo Hua had never tried this method before.


    Fortunately, the array painted on the stone wall wasn¡¯t too difficult. With Mo Hua¡¯s experience and the strength of his spiritual awareness, he could sense the specific positions of the array patterns.


    All that remained was to draw the counter-patterns, which was simple enough.


    Within two cups of tea¡¯s time, Mo Hua finished drawing the resolving patterns on the stone wall.


    These patterns resembled the array structure but were drawn with a special technique, embodying the principles of interactions, looking like the mirror image of the array, strange and profound.


    Zhang Lan watched in amazement.


    As Mo Hua completed the last stroke, the resolution was done.


    The patterns on the stone wall flashed with a glow, spiritual power seeped inside, and then the earth and stone began to crack and crumble, resembling dried tree bark, the entire stone wall gradually turning into a dry gray-brown color.


    Zhang Lan was secretly astonished: ¡°It actually worked¡­¡±


    Moreover, from Mo Hua¡¯s effortless demeanor, it was clear he wasn¡¯t guessing but had a solid foundation in array resolution, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to resolve the array in one go.


    Zhang Lan sighed, realizing he had underestimated Mo Hua¡¯s talent in arrays.


    It wasn¡¯t just talent anymore; it was solid proficiency.


    If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t believe that a young cultivator, barely over ten, had already mastered array resolution.


    Zhang Lan felt deeply moved.


    With the array on the stone wall resolved, the protection was gone.


    Someone needed to break through the wall.


    Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Lan, who silently said, ¡°I¡¯m not a Body Cultivator.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him disdainfully and called out, ¡°Father.¡±


    From a distance, Mo Shan responded, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed at the stone wall, ¡°Father, we need to break this.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, his spiritual power enhancing his physical strength. With one punch, the stone wall shattered. As the dust settled, the scene inside was revealed.


    It was a large cave, dark and dry.


    The cave was filled with spirit stones, various spiritual tools, and many bottles and jars, mostly medicinal pills, and some fine wines.


    Mo Hua looked shocked, then felt uneasy.


    The more cultivation resources here, the more cultivators had been robbed, and the more people had died at the hands of these criminals.


    Zhang Lan, with a heavy expression, sighed, ¡°No wonder those criminals didn¡¯t say anything under interrogation. With this cave discovered, they¡¯re doomed even if they hadn¡¯t committed capital crimes before.¡±


    A cave full of stolen goods¡ªthey must have killed countless people¡­


    ¡°What should we do with these?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    After some thought, Zhang Lan said, ¡°Categorize and register them.¡±


    He explained, ¡°Many missing caravans and cultivators are unaccounted for. These items can help identify who was robbed by these criminals and which cultivators were killed.¡±


    ¡°Many families of the missing are still waiting for them. Whether they are alive or dead, there should be an answer.¡±


    Saying this, Zhang Lan sighed.


    Cultivation is perilous. Without sufficient strength, one¡¯s fate is uncertain.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua and said, ¡°If you see anything you like, take it. You¡¯ve done a great job this time. The Dao Court will reward you handsomely. Taking some things is well-deserved.¡± S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but shook his head, ¡°No, these things mostly belong to innocents who died unjustly. Let¡¯s register them first. Identifying them might give their families some closure.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua approvingly and nodded.


    Mo Hua scanned the cave again, feeling puzzled, ¡°There seems to be nothing from Kong Sheng¡¯s caravan.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there those medicinal pills?¡±


    Kong Sheng¡¯s caravan dealt in medicinal pills.


    Zhang Lan, suddenly realizing something was wrong, walked to a corner, picked up a few bottles, opened them, and smelled them. His brows furrowed, ¡°These are all old pills, their scent is faint. They weren¡¯t recently stolen.¡±


    A caravan dealing in medicinal pills wouldn¡¯t sell old pills. Even if they mixed in some inferior ones, most would be freshly made within six months.


    Fresh pills have a strong fragrance, while old pills gradually lose their scent.


    All the pills in this cave had a faint scent, indicating that these criminals hadn¡¯t robbed a medicinal pill caravan recently.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Zhang Lan murmured, ¡°Did they eat all the pills?¡±


    Even if they ate pills as food, they couldn¡¯t have consumed so many in such a short time.


    Mo Shan, pondering, said, ¡°When we arrived, there wasn¡¯t much blood in the valley.¡±


    This meant that the criminals didn¡¯t bring their victims to the valley to kill them.


    Based on Guang Toutuo¡¯s confession, they usually killed their victims on the spot and took their goods.


    When Kong Sheng¡¯s caravan was robbed, there wasn¡¯t much blood at the scene, only signs of a struggle, no slaughter.


    If eaten by demonic beasts, the scene would be bloodier.


    The three of them were puzzled.


    Logically, Guang Toutuo should have robbed the caravan, taken the pills, and killed the cultivators on the spot.


    Kong Sheng should have died with the merchants.


    But now, it seemed Guang Toutuo¡¯s group hadn¡¯t robbed that caravan, and naturally, hadn¡¯t killed Kong Sheng.


    So where did that caravan go?


    And what happened to Kong Sheng?

 Chapter 261: Map

    ¡°I¡¯ll go back and ask Guang Toutuo again,¡± Zhang Lan said.¡°Alright.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded. This matter seemed strange and needed clarification.


    For the remaining time, Zhang Lan had his subordinates inventory the stolen goods. After they were catalogued, the Dao Court would send people the next day to transport these items back to Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua and his companions would stay the night in the inner mountain.


    Once the cave was tidied up, they prepared to leave for the campsite.


    Just as they were about to leave, Mo Hua suddenly exclaimed, "Huh?"


    Zhang Lan turned back and quickly asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed to a small corner, ¡°There¡¯s something here.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes lit up. He walked to the corner Mo Hua pointed out, extended his spiritual sense, and carefully inspected it before exclaiming in surprise:


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a hidden compartment.¡±


    Previously, this spot had been covered by miscellaneous items, so no one had noticed.


    Now that the cave was cleared, Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense detected the hidden compartment.


    ¡°Is there a formation?¡± Zhang Lan asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Hua shook his head.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Shan, ¡°Mo brother, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, clenched his fist, which ignited in flames, and then struck the stone wall in the corner with a ¡°boom.¡±


    The stone wall creaked and cracked.


    Mo Shan punched it five or six times, shattering the stone completely.


    Behind the broken stone wall was a small, square hidden compartment, containing a wooden box.


    Zhang Lan retrieved the wooden box, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and finding no danger, opened it.


    Mo Hua also leaned in to look.


    Inside the wooden box were two books and a map.


    One book was the "Long Wind Technique," and the other was the "Gale Technique."


    The Long Wind Technique was a wind element cultivation method, while the Gale Technique was a wind element movement technique, both learned by Guang Toutuo.


    It seemed this hidden compartment was where Guang Toutuo stored his belongings.


    As for the map, it appeared to be a topographical map.


    The lines sketched mountains and cliffs simply, with rough handwriting and no annotations, making it difficult to determine its purpose.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°These cultivation methods and techniques are valuable, but few can learn them due to the rarity of wind spiritual roots. Copy them down later; they can be sold or exchanged for other cultivation methods, likely worth a good number of spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°As for this map¡­¡± Zhang Lan frowned and asked Mo Hua, ¡°Can you tell where this map is from?¡±


    Zhang Lan wasn¡¯t familiar with the area around Tongxian City, especially the mountain paths of Dahei Mountain.


    He didn¡¯t use maps often.


    He remembered that Mo Hua had personally drawn a map of Dahei Mountain, marking every stream and tree clearly.


    If this map was indeed of Dahei Mountain, Mo Hua should be able to recognize it.


    Mo Hua took the map and examined it carefully, feeling both familiar and strange.


    ¡°This mountain shape looks like Dahei Mountain¡¯s map, but I haven¡¯t seen it exactly like this before.¡±


    Mo Hua pondered and then asked Mo Shan:


    ¡°Dad, can you identify it?¡±


    Mo Shan looked at it for a while, also finding it peculiar, and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you draw maps of the inner and outer mountains? Compare it with those.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Mo Hua nodded, retrieved his own maps, and spread them out on the ground.


    Since Guang Toutuo had been captured, the criminals¡¯ hideout had been destroyed, and Lu Hui was dead, they had time to carefully compare the maps.


    After half an hour of searching, they couldn¡¯t find a matching location.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°It could be a map of the mountain range outside Tongxian City.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking it was quite possible.


    Dahei Mountain was large, and its terrain extended beyond the area near Tongxian City.


    If so, it¡¯s no wonder Mo Hua found it familiar yet couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact location.


    ¡°We can ask Guang Toutuo about the map¡¯s origin and its purpose when we return,¡± Mo Hua suggested. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Guang Toutuo had hidden the map with his cultivation and movement techniques, it was evidently important, likely holding a significant secret.


    Mo Hua copied the map as well.


    The three then stayed the night at Dahei Mountain. The next morning, they rose early and returned to Tongxian City with the morning dew and sunrise.


    After a brief rest, Mo Hua went to the Dao Court to find Zhang Lan and asked:


    ¡°Are you going to interrogate Guang Toutuo? Take me with you.¡±


    Zhang Lan hesitated, ¡°Interrogations by the Dao Court can¡¯t have outsiders¡­¡±


    ¡°I was involved in capturing Guang Toutuo, how can I be considered an outsider?¡±


    ¡°True, but rules are rules.¡± Zhang Lan gently declined.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask the chief officer.¡±


    Mo Hua started to leave, and Zhang Lan quickly stopped him, ¡°Why seek the chief officer?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t decide, naturally the chief officer can.¡±


    ¡°The chief officer won¡¯t agree.¡±


    Mo Hua grinned slyly, ¡°How do you know he won¡¯t?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered and realized the chief officer might not refuse.


    Since Mo Hua helped capture Guang Toutuo, it seemed reasonable for him to be present at the interrogation.


    Moreover, Mo Hua had many connections and sources of information, potentially knowing more than Zhang Lan himself.


    Allowing Mo Hua to help might indeed yield more information.


    The chief officer already admired Mo Hua, and Mo Hua was a first-grade array master. He would definitely give Mo Hua this consideration.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression was complex, and he sighed, ¡°The interrogation might be bloody¡­¡±


    Mid-sentence, Zhang Lan remembered that Mo Hua was a demon hunter, accustomed to the blood and violence of battles between cultivators and monsters.


    Realizing this, Zhang Lan relented, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang.¡±


    The Dao Court¡¯s torture chamber was in a dark corner to the west.


    Mo Hua followed Zhang Lan into the chamber, immediately smelling blood and decay. The dim room had torture instruments hanging on the walls, dark blood stains on the floor, and a furnace with branding irons.


    The atmosphere was oppressive and sinister.


    No wonder Zhang Lan didn¡¯t want him here.


    Zhang Lan instructed, ¡°You can listen from the side. If you feel uncomfortable, go outside for some air. This isn¡¯t a good place to be.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang!¡±


    Mo Hua thanked him again.


    Zhang Lan smiled slightly, patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, and then ordered Guang Toutuo to be brought in.


    Mo Hua found a clean spot to sit. Soon, he heard the clinking of shackles and saw several officers bringing in the chained Guang Toutuo.


    Guang Toutuo was covered in wounds, looking battered and exhausted, clearly having suffered in the Dao Prison.


    The officers bound Guang Toutuo to a torture rack.


    Zhang Lan put on a cold expression and said:


    ¡°Guang Toutuo, I¡¯ll ask you some questions. Answer truthfully, and you¡¯ll suffer less.¡±


    Guang Toutuo kept his eyes closed, saying nothing.


    Zhang Lan asked several questions, but Guang Toutuo remained silent, not even responding to torture.


    He seemed resigned to death, regarding the Dao Court cultivators as lackeys, having been captured by them.


    Facing imminent death, he had nothing to lose.


    Zhang Lan tried several times, using various methods, but finally shook his head in frustration.


    Then he noticed Mo Hua signaling to him.


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and nodded.


    Mo Hua walked up leisurely, smiling, and asked, ¡°Big Baldy, do you know the Water Prison Technique?¡±


    Hearing the clear voice, Guang Toutuo looked up and saw a young, red-lipped, white-toothed cultivator smiling at him.


    How could there be a child in the Dao Court¡¯s torture chamber?


    And this figure and aura seemed familiar, likely the young demon hunter who saved Ji Qingbai.


    Guang Toutuo was puzzled and asked, ¡°What Water Prison Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, raised his small hand, and spiritual chains formed, locking onto Guang Toutuo.


    This technique¡­


    Guang Toutuo trembled violently, his eyes widening.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

 Chapter 262: Clues

    Guang Toutuo relied on his sharp movement skills, moving unrestricted in the Dahei Mountain. His capture was entirely due to the disgusting Water Prison Technique, which severely restrained his movements.The person who performed the technique possessed strong spiritual awareness and exquisite skill, both swift and precise.


    Guang Toutuo initially thought that even if this person wasn''t a Foundation Building cultivator, they must be a chief enforcer of the Dao Court or an experienced spirit master.


    They didn''t kill him but repeatedly trapped him with the Water Prison Technique, toying with him like a cat with a mouse.


    It wasn''t because of a personal grudge but likely due to the Dao Court''s bounty.


    Over the years, he had committed countless evil deeds, creating many causes and effects. Anyone wanting to deal with him was possible.


    But he never expected that the one toying with him would be this kid?!


    Where did this little monster come from?


    Guang Toutuo''s gaze was both vicious and incredulous. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua looked at him with a smile, "Now you know who I am?"


    "I remember."


    Guang Toutuo forced a bloody smile, "I remember your face. If I ever escape, I will definitely come back to kill you!"


    Mo Hua was unafraid: "Entering the Dao Prison and sentenced to death, you might as well stop dreaming. Just wait for your death."


    "If you do escape, just run as far as you can. Coming back for me? Are you courting death?"


    Mo Hua''s tone was indifferent, with a hint of contempt in his eyes.


    Guang Toutuo was furious, his face twitching, but he had no words to refute.


    He knew that the kid was right.


    He couldn''t escape from the kid''s grasp now, and it would be even harder in the future.


    Moreover, in his impression, this kid had excellent movement skills, was slippery, had deep spiritual awareness, and precise and eerie Water Prison Techniques.


    It was hard to kill him, and even harder to escape from his hands.


    Guang Toutuo thought for a moment, then suddenly sneered: "You came here to ask me something?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua didn''t hide it.


    Guang Toutuo sneered, "I''ve fallen into your hands, wanting to kill you. Now, being doomed, why would I answer your questions?"


    Mo Hua indifferently said, "I''m just here to humiliate you. It''s fine if you don''t answer. I''ll just ask someone else."


    "By the way," Mo Hua continued, as if remembering something, "I''ll let it be known that the notorious Guang Toutuo fell into the hands of a thirteen-year-old cultivator like me, being toyed with for a long time, running around like a rat, unable to escape..."


    Guang Toutuo spat out a mouthful of blood, "You dare?!"


    "Why wouldn''t I dare?"


    "You''re asking for trouble. Other criminals will come after you for revenge," Guang Toutuo said hatefully.


    "You fell into my hands, let alone other cultivators."


    Mo Hua formed a Water Prison with his right hand, smiling: "Then I''ll just wait for them, catching one after another. Anyone who dares to provoke me won''t escape!"


    Guang Toutuo gritted his teeth, "I''m doomed anyway..."


    "Death isn''t the end," Mo Hua continued, "If I spread this, you''ll become a joke. The nearby Dao Court, demon hunters, and even other criminals will make fun of you."


    "They''ll ridicule you, calling you a waste for falling into the hands of a child, calling you stupid, a pig-brained fool."


    Guang Toutuo coughed up blood repeatedly.


    Mo Hua sighed, "See? Even in death, you won''t find peace. Being scolded for evil deeds might not bother you, but being scolded for stupidity and incompetence is unbearable..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "I forgot to tell you, there''s a storyteller in Fushan Tower. I''ll have them make your story into a tale, telling it every day..."


    Guang Toutuo shouted, "Shut up!" After a while, he compromised, "I''ll talk..."


    Mo Hua seemed unsatisfied, "I wasn''t finished..."


    Guang Toutuo angrily said, "Ask, I''ll tell you everything!"


    He was doomed, but becoming a laughingstock for other cultivators to mock was unacceptable!


    The enforcers holding Guang Toutuo were stunned, looking at Mo Hua with shock.


    Zhang Lan wasn''t too surprised but still felt a bit amazed.


    As expected of someone who followed Elder Yu. His words were sharper than a knife, directly breaking the spirit.


    While others used knives to kill, his words killed hearts...


    Seeing Guang Toutuo becoming obedient, Mo Hua asked:


    "Did the merchant caravan you recently robbed have any pills?"


    "Yes."


    "How many pills?"


    "Not many, just dozens of bottles. They dealt in various goods, not just pills."


    Mo Hua exchanged a look with Zhang Lan, both feeling a bit surprised.


    That caravan indeed wasn''t robbed by Guang Toutuo.


    "Do you know Kong Sheng?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Who is Kong Sheng?"


    "The young master of the Kong family."


    Guang Toutuo sneered, "What good can come from the Kong family? Never seen him."


    Mo Hua was momentarily speechless. Criminals and the Kong family were both equally bad, yet they still looked down on each other...


    "The young master of the Kong family might have died at the hands of your gang of criminals."


    "So what?"


    Mo Hua asked, "Didn''t you have dealings with the Kong family?"


    Guang Toutuo coughed, "We criminals work for spirit stones. Whoever pays, we listen to. No spirit stones, who cares about the Kong family or their young master? If they anger me, I''ll kill them too."


    Mo Hua nodded, roughly understanding, and then asked:


    "One last question, this map, where does it point?"


    Mo Hua took out a roughly drawn map from his storage bag and spread it in front of Guang Toutuo.


    Guang Toutuo looked up in shock, "You found the secret compartment?"


    "Yes."


    Guang Toutuo murmured, "How is that possible..."


    Mo Hua curiously asked, "Why not? The secret compartment wasn''t hidden deeply."


    "It was hidden in a cave, with an array outside..."


    "That array was broken by me," Mo Hua said casually.


    Guang Toutuo paused, almost spitting blood, "You''re also an array master?"


    He then understood. No wonder his spiritual awareness was so strong.


    And the arrays he encountered were all drawn by this kid.


    Mo Hua looked at Guang Toutuo with a displeased expression.


    If he cursed again, Mo Hua would take out the Qianjun Stick and smash his mouth.


    Guang Toutuo didn''t dare curse anymore, his eyes twitching, then gradually showing despair.


    The cave was discovered, and the treasures inside were gone.


    Those were his savings from decades of robbery and murder. Even if he escaped now, he''d have nothing left.


    Mo Hua waved the map, "Ready to talk now?"


    Guang Toutuo was completely disheartened.


    At this point, there was nothing worth hiding.


    Guang Toutuo sighed, "This map belonged to a good brother of mine from years ago..."


    "We were all criminals, drinking together, eating meat together, killing together, and being wanted by the Dao Court together."


    "He treated this map like a treasure. I wanted to borrow it, but he wouldn''t give it. So, I poisoned his wine, killed him, and took the map."


    "After killing him, I regretted it. The map was rough, with unclear directions. I didn''t know what it pointed to. I studied it for decades, but it was useless. The most painful thing was losing a good brother for this worthless thing..."


    Mo Hua was speechless after hearing this.

 Chapter 263: Badge

    The interrogation was complete, and Guang Toutuo was taken away to the Dao Prison.Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan, ¡°Uncle Zhang, was Guang Toutuo telling the truth?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered for a moment before responding slowly, ¡°The beginning was true, but the latter part is unclear. It''s probably half-true, half-false. This person is cunning; his words can''t be fully trusted.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    There was certainly something he was hiding about the map.


    But what exactly the map pertained to, there were too few clues for Mo Hua to discern.


    ¡°Should we question that one-eyed cultivator again?¡± Mo Hua suggested.


    He recalled that among the guilty cultivators, there was a one-eyed man who seemed to be a leader and might know more.


    ¡°Alright, when I have time, I''ll interrogate him. For now, you should go back; this punishment chamber is not a pleasant place to be.¡±


    Zhang Lan said, waving his hand in front of his nose as if to dispel the stench.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua also found the smell here unpleasant and oppressive if he stayed too long. He prepared to leave.


    Zhang Lan suddenly added, ¡°I''ll come find you in a few days.¡±


    Mo Hua turned back, puzzled, ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± Zhang Lan winked at Mo Hua, ¡°We agreed that if we caught Guang Toutuo, the Dao Court would give you a reward.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What kind of reward?¡±


    ¡°You''ll find out in a few days.¡±


    Zhang Lan kept the suspense.


    A few days later, Zhang Lan indeed sought out Mo Hua and handed him a brocade pouch.


    When Mo Hua opened it, he found a bronze badge inside.


    The material wasn''t particularly valuable, nor did it seem like a spiritual tool. Its design was somewhat ancient and even a bit crude.


    ¡°Just this?¡± Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    He had thought the Dao Court would give him some spell, cultivation technique, pill, or array.


    Zhang Lan, exasperated, said, ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    ¡°This is a badge of the Dao Court!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth dropped open, ¡°Isn''t it only the cultivators of the Dao Court who have official badges?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°So this one is not official.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°A fake?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°Unofficial.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua understood.


    To become an official cultivator of the Dao Court, from the lowest Executors to the higher Deputy Chiefs and Chiefs, one had to pass rigorous examinations.


    The examinations were stringent, covering many aspects like spiritual roots, techniques, martial arts or spells, family background, any criminal records, and whether there were any direct blood relatives who had been imprisoned or turned to evil within three generations.


    Passing the examinations was no easy feat, often involving complex relationships and networks among cultivators.


    For Mo Hua, officially passing the examination to become even a basic Executor was unlikely.


    Getting an unofficial status was already a good deal.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between unofficial and official status?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan explained, ¡°Unofficial means you''re not part of the official establishment. You can help the Dao Court in exchange for merit, which can be used to obtain spirit stones, techniques, spells, spiritual tools, and arrays.¡±


    ¡°But without official status, there''s no promotion, no authority, and the benefits can''t compare to those of a regular Dao Court cultivator.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°So it¡¯s like being a temporary worker.¡±


    Zhang Lan snorted, ¡°Many cultivators want even this and have no way to get it.¡±


    Mo Hua leaned in and whispered, ¡°Is this badge really that good?¡±


    Zhang Lan pointed to the badge in Mo Hua¡¯s hand, ¡°For others, it might just be a means to a job and some food. But for you, it''s different. You''re an Array Master; you don''t rely on this to make a living, but you can use it to benefit from the Dao Court.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered back, ¡°Uncle Zhang, aren''t you part of the Dao Court? Encouraging me to take advantage of it, isn''t that a bit improper¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan glared at Mo Hua, ¡°I¡¯m not encouraging you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°The Dao Court is vast and resource-rich. If you can benefit from it, it''s due to your own abilities.¡±


    Only someone like you could have the Chief willingly give out a badge...


    Zhang Lan thought silently.


    Mo Hua pondered and asked, ¡°How exactly do I benefit?¡±


    Despite being a badge of the Dao Court, it only had some simple patterns and no inscription, looking like an ordinary bronze token with no special features.


    Even though Zhang Lan said it could be beneficial, Mo Hua didn''t know how.


    Realizing he was always asking Zhang Lan questions, Mo Hua patted his chest and generously said:


    ¡°Eat and drink as you please today; it''s on me.¡±


    After all, the restaurant was owned by his family.


    Zhang Lan laughed, shaking his head, and explained:


    ¡°If you help the Dao Court without this badge, it counts as a favor. A favor can be light or heavy, and may not be reliable.¡±


    ¡°But with the badge, you earn merit, which can be exchanged for spirit stones, pills, and spiritual tools.¡±


    ¡°For example, you helped us capture Guang Toutuo. Without the badge, it¡¯s merely a favor known to me and the Chief, but not necessarily recognized by others.¡±


    ¡°Now with the badge, this favor is recorded as merit, acknowledged by the Chief, and noted in the merit ledger. This is concrete recognition, undeniable by anyone.¡±


    Mo Hua understood and asked, ¡°How is this merit calculated?¡±


    Zhang Lan took a sip of tea and continued:


    ¡°Firstly, it¡¯s divided by grade. You¡¯re at the Qi Refining stage, so your merit is Grade One.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s categorized by size: A, B, C, and D. Different levels of merit exchange for different things, but with limitations.¡±


    ¡°This time, for capturing Guang Toutuo, the Chief recorded a ¡®B¡¯ level merit for you, worth about a thousand spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°That much?¡± Mo Hua was shocked.


    Over twenty people were involved in capturing Guang Toutuo, and Mo Hua alone could earn a thousand spirit stones.


    ¡°This is just the merit calculation. There are also bounties and miscellaneous rewards.¡±


    ¡°Is Guang Toutuo worth that much? Shouldn''t we catch more of them for a fortune?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Zhang Lan lightly rubbed Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°You think Guang Toutuo is a turnip? Catch as many as you want?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and nodded.


    Indeed, among those guilty cultivators, Guang Toutuo was at least a ¡°big brother.¡±


    Even if he was a turnip, he was the biggest one.


    ¡°But this merit is best saved for later. Exchanging it for spirit stones is a waste.¡± Zhang Lan added.


    ¡°Is there a particular reason?¡± s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Dao Court is backed by the Dao Court with deep heritage and abundant resources. What they offer as rewards might not be the most valuable but are comprehensive.¡±


    Zhang Lan patiently explained, ¡°In future cultivation or array crafting, you may need some rare but not necessarily precious items. Even if you have spirit stones, they might be hard to find, and this is the trickiest part.¡±


    ¡°With this badge, you can directly exchange these from the Dao Court¡¯s warehouse, saving a lot of trouble.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Without Zhang Lan''s guidance, he would have been unaware of these details.


    Mo Hua then asked worriedly, ¡°Does having this badge mean I must obey the Dao Court''s orders?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to become a ¡°Dao Court¡¯s lackey,¡± forced to act at their command.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Zhang Lan raised his brows at Mo Hua, ¡°This is another advantage of this bronze badge: you follow orders, not commands.¡±


    ¡°The Dao Court can call upon you, but they don''t have true authority over you. If you don''t rely on this job for a living, you can just throw the badge away, and no one can do anything to you.¡±


    ¡°Is this what they call ¡®no desire leads to strength¡¯?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered and nodded, ¡°Something like that. As long as you don¡¯t act selfishly, seeking only gains, it¡¯s quite easy.¡±


    Hearing this, Mo Hua felt relieved.


    He was an Array Master and didn''t rely on this for a living; the badge was just a means to benefit from the Dao Court.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°My identity is getting complicated now.¡±


    He was primarily an Array Master, then a Demon Hunter, and now a little rogue benefiting from the Dao Court.

 Chapter 264: Concealment Array

    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and thought that having multiple identities could be beneficial.The cultivation world of the Nine Regions was vast and boundless.


    If he ever encountered difficulties while wandering outside, having multiple identities could provide more avenues of escape.


    "Thank you, Uncle Zhang!"


    Mo Hua sincerely expressed his gratitude.


    "Also, remember to thank the Chief Supervisor. Without his approval, you wouldn''t have this token," Zhang Lan replied.


    "Then please thank him on my behalf. I''ll be happy to help if anything comes up in the future."


    Feeling that he could now reap the benefits, Mo Hua''s enthusiasm increased significantly.


    Zhang Lan chuckled, "Alright, I''ll let him know."


    Soon, Jiang Yun served them food, five or six dishes in total, both meat and vegetables, along with some fine wine.


    Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow, "Not bad, you¡¯re quite generous now."


    Mo Hua grinned, "Eat as much as you like, it''s all on me."


    With over a thousand spirit stones, Mo Hua didn''t mind treating Zhang Lan for a whole month.


    "Alright, then I won''t hold back."


    Having run around for Guang Toutuo and Kong Sheng for a long time, enduring hardships and eating bland food, Zhang Lan indeed felt the need to reward himself.


    As Zhang Lan ate, Mo Hua also picked his favorites from a small bowl on the side.


    The two chatted while eating, and after they were full and content, Zhang Lan left.


    Mo Hua contemplated the issue of the map for a while but still couldn''t come up with any leads, so he set it aside for the time being.


    He hoped Zhang Lan could extract some information from the one-eyed man.


    Mo Hua decided to focus on the Concealment Technique.


    He was very keen to learn it.


    The Concealment Technique could be used for hiding, scouting, self-defense, and ambushing.


    On the surface, it seemed to have little use, but when applied correctly, it was a versatile technique for both offense and defense.


    It could be used to attack unexpectedly or to retreat and hide over a thousand miles.


    Even if the Concealment Technique was detected, he still had the Passing Water Step as a backup, unlike Diao Laosan, who ended up in a desperate situation with no way out.


    Even in a chaotic battle among cultivators, he could handle himself with ease.


    Mo Hua remembered Elder Gui''s teaching, "With thousands of techniques, each has its merits. The key lies in the mind."


    The Concealment Technique perfectly matched Elder Gui''s words.


    However, Mo Hua''s spiritual roots were not very suitable, so what he had learned was a half-baked Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow in thought.


    Cultivators had different spiritual roots and abilities, with strengths and weaknesses.


    Since his Concealment Technique was flawed, was there any other way to compensate for it?


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua could only think of using arrays.


    This was also his forte.


    He took out the "Thousand Arrays Compendium" given by Mr. Zhuang from his storage bag and flipped through it for a long time until his eyes were sore, but he couldn''t find any array related to concealment.


    Scratching his head, Mo Hua decided to ask Bai Zisheng.


    "Concealment Array?" Bai Zisheng was a bit surprised. He looked around and lowered his voice, "Are you planning to steal?"


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes, emphasizing, "I am a proper cultivator!"


    "Then why do you want to learn this array?"


    "Of course, for self-defense," Mo Hua replied.


    And for ambushing¡­


    Naturally, Mo Hua didn''t say this out loud as it didn''t sound very upright.


    Bai Zisheng, being straightforward, didn''t doubt him and nodded, "Indeed, the Concealment Technique is very suitable for self-defense."


    "Do you know the diagram for the Concealment Array?"


    Bai Zisheng shook his head and turned to ask Bai Zixi, "Zixi, do you know?"


    Bai Zixi also shook her head, "This is a rare array. The Bai family library should have it, but I didn''t bring it out."


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed. He still had to bother Mr. Zhuang.


    Then he wondered, "Why is the Concealment Array a rare array? Is it because the Concealment Technique is rare?"


    "That''s right," Bai Zixi''s voice was clear as she nodded.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s confusion, Bai Zixi patiently explained:


    "With unique spiritual roots and rare inheritance, this technique is hard to learn. Consequently, arrays that can achieve the same effect are also rare."


    Mo Hua understood.


    The Concealment Technique was difficult to pass down and had strict requirements for spiritual roots, needing pure water spiritual roots to learn.


    If mixed with other elemental spiritual roots, it would result in a half-baked technique like Mo Hua¡¯s, where water enveloped his body but couldn''t make him completely invisible.


    Therefore, cultivators who mastered the Concealment Technique were rare, and so were the arrays that could achieve concealment.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling grateful, and asked Bai Zixi, "Is there anything you want to eat?"


    Bai Zixi hesitated for a moment, then took out a recipe book from her storage bag. She flipped to a page with a crease and pointed to a dessert named "Flowers Full Moon."


    Mo Hua glanced at it. "Flowers Full Moon" seemed to be a mooncake with flower fillings.


    It included osmanthus, peach blossom, locust flower, and crabapple flower.


    The floral fragrance was strong, but he wondered if mixing so many flowers would result in a strange taste.


    Mo Hua took the recipe and put it in his storage bag, "Alright, I''ll ask my mother to make it."


    "Okay." Bai Zixi''s eyes were clear and bright. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As Mo Hua prepared to find Mr. Zhuang, he turned around to see Bai Zisheng looking at him expectantly and asked helplessly, "What do you want to eat?"


    Bai Zisheng blurted out, "Rabbit meat!"


    "That''s troublesome."


    "No rush. Just bring some if you have it," Bai Zisheng replied.


    "Alright."


    Bai Zisheng gratefully said, "I''ll help you in fights from now on."


    "Okay," Mo Hua nodded, "I''ll definitely call you when there''s a fight."


    Though Aunt Xue might not let him fight.


    As a proper family scion, Bai Zisheng had more responsibilities and constraints in his cultivation work, making him less free.


    Like Qian Xing and Kong Sheng, they were free but unruly.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly and then went to see Mr. Zhuang to inquire about the Concealment Array.


    Upon hearing his question, Mr. Zhuang said, "You can''t learn it yet."


    Mo Hua timidly asked, "Is it very difficult to learn?"


    "It is somewhat difficult," Mr. Zhuang replied, looking at Mo Hua, "But not for you."


    After all, he could draw such complex composite arrays so well¡­


    Mr. Zhuang thought silently.


    "Is it because of spiritual awareness?" Mo Hua guessed.


    "Exactly," Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    Mo Hua was surprised, "This Concealment Array doesn''t also have ten array patterns, does it¡­"


    "Not every array has ten patterns. A ten-pattern array isn''t that common."


    Mr. Zhuang laughed, shaking his head, and continued:


    "The Concealment Array has only nine patterns, but they are special. Drawing them consumes more spiritual awareness, requiring more than that of a typical nine-pattern array."


    "The amount of spiritual awareness needed is above nine patterns but less than ten."


    Mo Hua asked, "So, how much exactly is needed?"


    Above nine patterns but less than ten.


    It seemed like just one pattern difference, but the amount of spiritual awareness required was double.


    As Mr. Zhuang had said before, nine patterns were for Qi Refining, and ten patterns for Foundation Building. The leap from nine to ten patterns required crossing the chasm between Qi Refining and Foundation Building, resulting in a significant difference in spiritual awareness.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, "Didn''t I give you the nine and a half-pattern Reverse Spirit Array before?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "Once you master that, your spiritual awareness will be sufficient for the Concealment Array," Mr. Zhuang explained.


    "So, the spiritual awareness required for the Concealment Array is about nine and a half patterns?"


    "Nine and a half, but a bit more," Mr. Zhuang said precisely.


    "I understand. Thank you, sir."


    Now that he had a goal, it was simple. Moreover, nine and a half patterns of spiritual awareness were not that far off for Mo Hua.


    After bidding farewell, Mr. Zhuang pondered deeply, not knowing what he was thinking.


    In the bamboo chamber, Elder Gui''s figure gradually appeared.


    Mr. Zhuang said to Elder Gui, "You were right. It''s indeed challenging for someone in the Qi Refining stage to have the spiritual awareness of the Foundation Building stage."


    "Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual awareness is growing quickly," Elder Gui said calmly.


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze was profound, "It is fast, but not fast enough."


    Elder Gui''s eyes turned woodenly towards him.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, "Among all the cultivators I''ve seen, his spiritual awareness growth is the fastest. But to break through the limits of Qi Refining spiritual awareness, it''s still far from enough."


    "How long would it take?"


    "Hard to say," Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "At the current pace, it could take five to ten years. Moreover, spiritual awareness growth slows down over time. If any mistakes occur, it could take decades to reach Foundation Building."


    Elder Gui frowned, and the room fell silent.


    "Is there any


    way?" Elder Gui asked.


    Mr. Zhuang tapped the armrest of his bamboo chair with his fingertips, his eyes flickering. After a long time, he sighed, "Let me think about it."

 Chapter 265: Strange Occurrence

    After returning, Mo Hua spent all his time, apart from his daily cultivation, on the Reverse Spirit Array.At night, he practiced the Reverse Spirit Array in the Sea of Consciousness on the Dao Stele. During the day, he continued to draw the Reverse Spirit Array, stroke by stroke, either in his small room or on the table at the eatery.


    After about ten days, his spiritual sense had grown considerably. He could roughly draw the nine and a half incomplete Reverse Spirit Arrays. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he could fully draw them.


    Once he could draw these nine and a half Reverse Spirit Arrays, he could go to Mr. Zhuang to learn the Hidden Array.


    Mastering the Hidden Array would allow Mo Hua to compensate for the deficiencies in his own concealment techniques using the array.


    With the mastery of the concealment technique, he would have more room to maneuver in any situation.


    The recipe Bai Zixi gave him, he passed it on to his mother, pointing specifically to the dessert called "Flowers Full Moon."


    "Mother, I want to eat this."


    "Always thinking about food," Liu Ruhua gently tapped Mo Hua''s nose, her tone slightly reproachful, but her expression was doting.


    She took the recipe and glanced at it, looking puzzled, "Is this what you want to eat?"


    Although Mo Hua was not picky about food, his mother knew his preferences well.


    This dessert, with so many flowers as ingredients, seemed overly sweet and cloying, likely not something he would choose.


    Mo Hua blinked, "Mother, I want to try something different."


    Sweet, floral...


    Liu Ruhua seemed to understand, and then laughed, "Alright, mother will make it for you."


    Though the "Flowers Full Moon" was a bit complicated, the ingredients were not expensive. After studying for two days, Liu Ruhua figured out the method and steamed a basket.


    Mo Hua carefully stored the dessert and brought it to Bai Zixi when he visited Mr. Zhuang.


    Bai Zisheng also received a portion, his favorite rabbit meat.


    This was ordered by a diner, and Mo Hua had asked his mother to make a bit more for Bai Zisheng.


    Under the big locust tree, Bai Zisheng ate with great enjoyment.


    Bai Zixi, as usual, ate quietly and elegantly, savoring each bite. Some petals stuck to her lips without her noticing.


    Mo Hua watched, wanting to remind her, but he found her lips more beautiful than the flowers, and was momentarily stunned, forgetting to speak.


    Seeing Mo Hua looking at her, Bai Zixi thought he wanted some too. After a moment''s hesitation, she took out a piece and handed it to him.


    Mo Hua was taken aback but shook his head, "You eat it."


    He had tasted it earlier; the floral fragrance was too strong, too sweet, and he couldn''t eat much.


    Bai Zixi asked, "You really don''t want it?"


    After a moment of thought, Mo Hua took it.


    A little cloying was fine, eating one piece wouldn''t hurt.


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly, and the two ate the flower cake quietly under the tree.


    Afterward, Mo Hua continued to study the Reverse Spirit Array.


    Occasionally, when he had time, he would take out the copy of the map to examine.


    After pondering for a long time, he still couldn''t figure out which part of Dahei Mountain the map depicted.


    He also wondered how the bald and one-eyed men were faring in their interrogation, and whether there were any new clues.


    One day, while practicing the Reverse Spirit Array in the eatery, Zhang Lan came to dine, looking troubled.


    Seeing Mo Hua, Zhang Lan hesitated.


    "What''s the matter?" Mo Hua asked.


    After some thought, Zhang Lan said, "That one-eyed convict confessed."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up.


    Zhang Lan sighed slightly. He hadn''t intended to tell Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had already helped capture Guang Toutuo. The matter should have ended there, leaving the interrogation, sentencing, and execution to the Dao Court.


    These should have had nothing to do with Mo Hua, but if what the one-eyed convict said was true, it might concern all demon hunters.


    Zhang Lan continued, "Regarding the map, Guang Toutuo did lie."


    Mo Hua snorted, "That bald man is still lying on his deathbed!" He then asked, "What did the one-eyed man say?"


    Zhang Lan''s expression grew serious, "The map is indeed of Dahei Mountain."


    Mo Hua''s brows furrowed, feeling a sense of unease.


    Zhang Lan continued, "Among the convicts, there''s a rumor that if you''re covered in blood and have nowhere to go, you can enter Dahei Mountain."


    "How long has this rumor been around?" Mo Hua asked.


    "A long time, according to the one-eyed man, it''s been around for about a hundred or two hundred years," Zhang Lan said, his tone heavy. "Previously, few believed it, as Tongxian City is remote and Dahei Mountain is dangerous, so not many convicts came. But recently, it''s different..."


    "Recently, Tongxian City has been flourishing, and wandering cultivators are wealthy. With more merchants and more profit, many convicts have gathered in Dahei Mountain. That''s why we could capture them all and get this clue."


    As Zhang Lan spoke, his tone grew heavier.


    If this were true, the biggest trouble in Dahei Mountain might not be these convicts.


    "If you''re covered in blood and have nowhere to go, you can enter Dahei Mountain..."


    Mo Hua repeated, then asked, "And then? What can they do after entering Dahei Mountain?"


    Zhang Lan shook his head, "That we don''t know. Or rather, those who know might not have been caught yet."


    "Neither Guang Toutuo nor the one-eyed man knows?"


    "No," Zhang Lan nodded, "They were tortured but didn''t say, likely because they truly don''t know."


    If these convicts didn''t know, the only clue would be...


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat, "The map?"


    Zhang Lan nodded slowly, "That''s what I think. If we can find the location marked on the map, we might uncover the truth behind the rumor."


    "What about Guang Toutuo? This map is his."


    Zhang Lan looked disappointed, "He doesn''t know either. He indeed stole the map by killing someone, but he has no idea about its location or significance."


    "But that one-eyed man mentioned something strange."


    "Strange?" Mo Hua frowned.


    Zhang Lan nodded slightly and recounted the story:


    "Ten years ago, the one-eyed man went to Dahei Mountain to rob but found nothing. He wrapped himself in a single garment at night, braving the mountain winds, and slept in a tree. He didn''t dare sleep below, fearing he might be eaten by beasts in his sleep."


    "In a daze, he heard voices."


    "The voices were low, rough, and eerie at night, and he couldn''t hear them clearly."


    "Alone and scared, he held his breath in the tree, listening for a long time before he made out some of their conversation."


    "The men below were also convicts, having slaughtered a whole family of cultivators and looted their spirit stones. Chased by the Dao Court, they fled to Dahei Mountain."


    "They were powerful and ruthless. The one-eyed man shivered in the tree until dawn, not daring to come down until he was sure no one was around."


    "After that, he never saw those convicts in Dahei Mountain again. Though they said they were hiding there, it was as if they had vanished from the world..."


    Mo Hua felt a chill.


    If true, Dahei Mountain was a den of evil, and its depths were unfathomable.


    Seeing the diners around, Zhang Lan thought for a moment, then whispered to Mo Hua:


    "The one-eyed man heard them say something else..." S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan''s expression was grave, making Mo Hua''s heart tighten.


    "What did they say?"


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment, then slowly said:


    "Thick fog in Black Mountain, conceals the lair; Midnight at the third watch, ask the way with a name."

 Chapter 266: Deep Mountains

    Mo Hua felt a slight chill in his heart and silently memorized the sixteen characters.It seemed that this map was no ordinary item. If he didn¡¯t figure it out, it would surely become a significant hidden danger.


    Cultivators lived off the mountains, adapting to the environment.


    Near Tongxian City, there were no fertile spiritual fields, no surging rivers or seas, and no spirit beasts to raise.


    The wandering cultivators nearby all had to make a living in Dahei Mountain.


    The artifact crafting shops, pill refining shops, and even Fushan Tower in the south of the city also relied on demon hunters to hunt demonic beasts, stripping their bones and flesh to provide materials for artifact crafting, pill refining, and cooking.


    Mo Hua, studying arrays, also needed to draw a large amount of demonic blood to prepare spirit ink.


    The cultivators in Tongxian City, whether in their cultivation or daily life, were closely linked to Dahei Mountain.


    If Dahei Mountain harbored hidden dangers, it would be a huge problem.


    From then on, Mo Hua studied the Reverse Spirit Array while occasionally venturing into Dahei Mountain. Whenever he encountered remote or unfamiliar areas, he would compare them with the criminal cultivator¡¯s map to see if he could locate the marked positions.


    However, after several days of searching, he still found nothing.


    Feeling dejected, Mo Hua looked up and suddenly saw a thick fog covering the distant mountains, obscuring the sun, creating a hazy scene where it was hard to distinguish mountain from cliff.


    That area was the deep mountains of Dahei Mountain, known to be the most dangerous part of the mountain.


    It was said that the deep mountains were fraught with unpredictable dangers, with no cultivator ever returning.


    As Mo Hua gazed at the scene, he was suddenly startled, taking a sharp breath:


    ¡°Dahei Mountain¡¯s fog can cover the abyss¡­¡±


    Could the marked location on the map be in the deep mountains of Dahei Mountain?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.


    He knew the outer mountains like the back of his hand, and while the inner mountains were large, he was also quite familiar with them.


    If the marked location was truly in the inner or outer mountains, he would definitely have an impression of it.


    It wasn¡¯t in the outer mountains, nor the inner mountains, so it must be in the deep mountains.


    The disappearing criminal cultivators, the deep mountains from which no one returned.


    A chill crept into Mo Hua¡¯s heart as he speculated.


    He hurriedly rushed back to Tongxian City, breathlessly finding Elder Yu Changlin, and urgently asked:


    ¡°Elder Yu, has anyone ever ventured into the deep mountains?¡±


    Elder Yu was startled by the question, ¡°Why are you asking this? The deep mountains are dangerous; you cannot go there.¡±


    He thought Mo Hua was curious and wanted to explore the deep mountains.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going, just asking.¡± Mo Hua took a breath, ¡°Have the demon hunters who entered the deep mountains never returned?¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s serious expression and tone, Elder Yu, realizing this might not be a trivial matter, nodded:


    ¡°Indeed, that is true.¡± S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    Elder Yu frowned in thought and after a moment said, ¡°About two hundred, maybe more than three hundred years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only lived for over two hundred years; how would I know about earlier events? I¡¯ve only heard about them.¡±


    Elder Yu stroked his beard, recalling, then said:


    ¡°It seems that more than three hundred years ago, although the deep mountains were dangerous, they were still accessible.¡±


    ¡°Accessible?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Yes, accessible, but the fog was thick, the miasma poisonous, and the demonic beasts strong, with quite a few second-grade beasts.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Elder Yu added, ¡°At that time, it was called the deep mountains, but it was actually part of the inner mountains, just the most dangerous part. But later, too many demon hunters who entered the deep mountains never returned, and gradually, no one dared to go there. The deep mountains of Dahei Mountain became taboo.¡±


    ¡°Even Foundation Building cultivators don¡¯t dare enter?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyelid twitched, ¡°Foundation Building cultivators don¡¯t dare because Foundation Building cultivators have died there.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Foundation Building cultivators also died in there?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded.


    ¡°Not disappeared, but died in there?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    Logically, disappearing didn¡¯t necessarily mean death, so how could it be certain that they died in the deep mountains?


    ¡°Because their bodies were found on the outskirts of the deep mountains.¡±


    The more Mo Hua listened, the more suspicious it seemed, ¡°Who died?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression turned complex, ¡°The former Grand Elder of the Qian family.¡±


    ¡°The Qian family?¡± Mo Hua found it hard to believe.


    Elder Yu nodded slightly and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°When I was still a lowly Qi Refining cultivator, I heard that the Grand Elder of the Qian family entered the deep mountains and vanished. Half a month later, the Qian family patriarch led a group to search the deep mountains, determined to find him, dead or alive.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Elder of a family, a man of high status, couldn¡¯t die in vain. At that time, the Qian family was already very powerful, with many people, so they dared to enter the deep mountains. But even so, they didn¡¯t dare be careless.¡±


    ¡°The entire Qian family, from Foundation Building to Qi Refining cultivators, almost all of them went, forming a human net, advancing from the outer to the inner deep mountains. Finally, they found the deceased Grand Elder under a tree on the outskirts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said he died very strangely, missing an arm, seemingly bitten off by a demonic beast, but this is a rumor after all. The Qian family has never disclosed the cause of death.¡±


    ¡°What happened next?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°After that, it was left unresolved. The Qian family didn¡¯t dare go deeper. The Foundation Building Grand Elder had died, and the body was found, which was a sort of closure. Going deeper might have led to some great calamity, and the Qian family could have been wiped out.¡±


    Elder Yu seemed both gleeful and regretful.


    Gleeful perhaps because the Qian family¡¯s Grand Elder died, and regretful that the Qian family didn¡¯t all perish in the deep mountains.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Since then, no cultivators have dared enter the deep mountains?¡±


    Elder Yu corrected, ¡°Some dare, but no one has come out.¡±


    ¡°There are always those in the world who are audacious or ignorant. There are both highly skilled and foolishly fearless ones, but regardless, no one has ever returned from the deep mountains.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complex as he slowly said, ¡°Did they go willingly?¡±


    Elder Yu smiled, wanting to say something, but suddenly froze, his smile fading, and he solemnly said:


    ¡°Did you¡­ find out something?¡±


    Mo Hua took out the map and handed it to Elder Yu, then told him about Guang Toutuo and the criminal cultivators, including the sixteen characters.


    ¡°Dahei Mountain¡¯s fog can cover the abyss; at midnight, throw a stone to test the path.¡±


    Elder Yu murmured, repeating the words, increasingly alarmed.


    His mind raced, his voice trembling slightly:


    ¡°Do you mean that the deep mountains of Dahei Mountain could be a massive den of criminals, with heinous criminal cultivators lurking there for the past two or three hundred years?¡±


    Mo Hua slowly nodded.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but stand up, frowning as he paced back and forth in the hall.


    After pacing a few times, Elder Yu gathered his thoughts, sat down, drank a cup of tea to calm himself, and said in a deep voice:


    ¡°This is indeed possible¡­¡±


    ¡°In the past two hundred years, not only foreign cultivators but also many demon hunters have disappeared in the deep mountains.¡±


    ¡°When the Elder of the Demon Hunter Hall and I were still here, we repeatedly warned not to enter the deep mountains, or there would be little chance of survival.¡±


    ¡°But some demon hunters didn¡¯t heed the warnings and ventured into the deep mountains, never to be heard from again.¡±


    ¡°I used to think they were foolish, not knowing their limits. Now I realize something is very suspicious.¡±


    ¡°To be demon hunters and survive in the inner mountains, who among them didn¡¯t know the dangers of Dahei Mountain? How could they not value their lives, suddenly rushing into the deep mountains?¡±


    ¡°Even if they didn¡¯t value their own lives, their wives and children depended on them hunting demons for spirit stones to live. With families to support, how could they risk their lives so recklessly?¡±


    ¡°If they died, leaving behind widows and orphans in misery, how could they not understand this?¡±


    ¡°Now it seems they didn¡¯t enter the deep mountains willingly; they were captured or killed and then taken into the deep mountains!¡±

 Chapter 267: The Cliff

    Elder Yu finished speaking, slammed the table, and angrily exclaimed, "This is outrageous!"Over the past two hundred years, so many demon hunters had disappeared in Dahei Mountain.


    Some were indeed killed by the demon beasts, but many more were killed by those wicked people in the deep mountains, their bodies dragged into the depths, the number unknown.


    The key point is that for so many years, no one noticed anything amiss.


    Elder Yu thought it over. Perhaps it was precisely because Dahei Mountain was so dangerous, with missing cultivators being a common occurrence, that these criminals used this as a cover, killing people without anyone noticing.


    A chill ran deeper in Elder Yu¡¯s heart.


    These people were truly sinister, scheming for a long time, with deep and cunning minds!


    Elder Yu took a deep breath and said to Mo Hua:


    "I will notify everyone. Regardless of whether this is true or false, everyone should be on guard. Although your agility is good, you must also be careful."


    Mo Hua nodded and said, "Rest assured, Elder Yu, I will be careful."


    Elder Yu nodded in satisfaction.


    If it weren''t for Mo Hua''s meticulous mind discovering the hidden problem, it might have taken another ten or even a hundred years to realize the danger lurking in Dahei Mountain.


    An evil tiger sleeps by the bed!


    Elder Yu sighed deeply, his brows furrowed tightly.


    Then Elder Yu passed on the news about the deep mountains, and the demon hunters were all shocked.


    Over the years, among the missing demon hunters were their fathers, elders, brothers, or friends.


    Demon hunting was already perilous, with life and death uncertain, and if one disappeared, there was nothing they could do.


    They could only bury the sorrow deep in their hearts and continue to live with effort.


    But now knowing that there was such a secret in the deep mountains, these demon hunters might not have gone missing but were harmed, with no remains left.


    Everyone was both shocked and angry.


    In the following days, whenever the demon hunters entered the mountains, they were extremely vigilant, hoping to find some clues about the criminals or pay attention to the locations marked on the map.


    However, still no clues were found.


    These wicked people had been hiding for two or three hundred years, making it really difficult to find them in a short time.


    The demon hunters were filled with righteous indignation but were helpless.


    In the inner mountain of Dahei Mountain.


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on a large stone.


    In front of him was the deep mountain, shrouded in miasma, covering the mountains.


    Releasing his spiritual awareness, he could only perceive vague, chaotic remnants of spiritual power.


    Like threads of various spiritual energies, woven together into tangled clusters, layer upon layer, covering everything in the inner mountain.


    "Black Mountain''s fog can conceal the abyss..."


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, then opened the map and began to cross-reference it at the junction of the inner and deep mountains.


    The fog in the deep mountains was heavy. Entering it without knowing the direction was perilous and would lead to certain death.


    The criminals could enter the deep mountains; there must be a special path.


    If Mo Hua''s guess was correct, Guang Toutuo¡¯s map was actually a guide to the deep mountains.


    Criminals, after committing heinous crimes and being pursued by the Dao Court, could find a way into the deep mountains using this guide.


    Otherwise, with such dense fog in the deep mountains, even the local demon hunters could not find their way, let alone these outsiders.


    Since it was a guide, it must lead from the inner mountain to the deep mountain.


    In other words, part of the map''s route was in the inner mountain and part in the deep mountain.


    This was why Mo Hua found it both familiar and unfamiliar.


    Familiar with the inner mountain, unfamiliar with the deep mountain.


    As long as he found the locations on the map, he could pass through the fog, enter the deep mountains, and find where these wicked people were hiding.


    But finding the exact location with this incomplete map was not easy.


    The map was hastily drawn, incomplete, and did not show the full terrain.


    Who knows who copied this map or from where it came before it ended up in Guang Toutuo¡¯s hands?


    Guang Toutuo killed for the map, thinking of it as his last resort.


    As a criminal, killing others and being killed was inevitable. S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Having this map meant that if things went wrong, he could enter the deep mountains to find a place to stay.


    But the map was incomplete, and he couldn¡¯t find the entrance to the deep mountains.


    Moreover, his escape techniques couldn''t elude Mo Hua, so he was captured and imprisoned in Dao Prison before he could enter the deep mountains.


    Previously, he didn¡¯t want to tell the truth, possibly still harboring a glimmer of hope.


    His stash of loot in the valley was confiscated, his savings over the years gone, so if he managed to escape, the deep mountains would be his only choice.


    The only choice for those on the run.


    Fortunately, with a direction, Mo Hua could start searching.


    After days of fruitless searching, Mo Hua finally found a place that matched the map by about sixty to seventy percent.


    This place was at the junction of the inner and deep mountains.


    The mountain ranges on both sides faintly faced each other, undulating and supporting each other.


    Although located in the inner mountain, the fog was thicker, carrying the aura of the deep mountain.


    Mo Hua''s spirit lifted, comparing the map as he walked.


    After walking for a while, he could go no further.


    In front of him was a cliff.


    The cliff stretched endlessly.


    Below the cliff was a bottomless abyss, shrouded in fog, making one shudder at the sight.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    After searching for so many days, this was the place most similar to the map, yet it turned out to be a dead end.


    But giving up was not an option for Mo Hua.


    He looked around and pondered:


    "Black Mountain''s fog can conceal the abyss... this abyss could mean the wickedness of the criminals or the bottomless abyss..."


    So, could it be that they were hiding in the abyss below the cliff?


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened slightly.


    It didn''t seem impossible.


    "What should I do? Jump down directly?"


    Mo Hua lay on the edge of the cliff, looking down, his hair standing on end.


    The cliff was too deep. Falling down might mean certain death.


    "Maybe the cliff below isn''t that deep, just covered by the fog?"


    Mo Hua speculated again.


    He found a large rock nearby, exerted great effort to move it to the edge, and then pushed it off the cliff.


    The falling rock disappeared into the cloud and fog below, and a "clunk" sound followed as it seemed to hit the mountainside, then rolled down the cliff, eventually making no sound at all.


    "It is indeed unfathomable..."


    Mo Hua expanded his spiritual awareness to scan the surroundings.


    In the faint white field of his spiritual awareness, all kinds of auras were present.


    There were spiritual energies almost indistinguishable in color, murky yellow miasma, pale white mist, and the faint shadows of other mountain stones and trees.


    But still no path.


    Mo Hua sighed. Maybe this wasn''t the place.


    After searching for several more days with no success, Mo Hua had to temporarily set this matter aside.


    Whenever the demon hunters entered the mountains, they would keep an eye out, and with many people, they might find some clues.


    Mo Hua still had an important task to do.


    He had already drawn nine and a half patterns of the Reverse Spirit Array and could seek out Mr. Zhuang to learn the Concealment Array.


    Once he mastered the Concealment Array, he could perform concealment techniques even if his spiritual roots had some flaws.

 Chapter 268: Reverse Spirit

    "This is the array diagram for the Concealment Array."Mr. Zhuang handed over an array diagram to Mo Hua, "Take a look at it yourself and practice more. It shouldn''t be too difficult for you."


    Mo Hua respectfully accepted it, glancing briefly at the diagram.


    The array hub of the Concealment Array was somewhat special, the array patterns were somewhat obscure and differed from the general Five Elements Arrays, but it was indeed not too difficult¡ªat least not for Mo Hua.


    For an array master, learning arrays, the most challenging aspect was actually the spiritual sense.


    As long as one''s spiritual sense was sufficient, the rest could be solved with some time and effort.


    But if the spiritual sense was insufficient, one wouldn''t even have the qualification to learn arrays.


    "Thank you, sir!" Mo Hua said happily.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, his gaze deepening as he took out another array diagram and said:


    "This is the complete Ten-Pattern Reverse Spirit Array!"


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened. He received it solemnly, glanced at it, and mentally sketched it, exclaiming:


    "Sir, this one seems much more difficult..."


    "Ten patterns is the limit for the spiritual sense of Qi Refining. The closer you get to this limit, the slower the growth of spiritual sense, and naturally, the harder it becomes." Mr. Zhuang said slowly.


    Mo Hua sighed, "I wonder when I will be able to learn it."


    "Learn until you reach Foundation Building."


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then realized that only Foundation Building cultivators could learn the Ten-Pattern Arrays.


    If he could draw the Reverse Spirit Array, it would indeed mean he had the spiritual sense of a Foundation Building cultivator.


    "Sir, based on my current progress, how long will it take for me to have the spiritual sense of Foundation Building?" Mo Hua asked weakly.


    Mr. Zhuang did not answer but instead asked:


    "What if it takes ten years, or a hundred years?"


    Mo Hua''s heart sank, "Will it take a hundred years?"


    "Just hypothetically," Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said helplessly, "It seems there''s no other way. I should continue to practice and draw arrays as I should."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly:


    "That''s right. No matter the outcome, what needs to be done won''t change. Don''t let success or failure, or certain expectations, affect your state of mind."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood and smiled, "Thank you for your guidance, sir!"


    Mr. Zhuang also smiled slightly, "That being said, don''t worry too much. You might encounter some opportunity that allows you to leap over this gap."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Really?"


    Mr. Zhuang added, "Just hypothetically."


    After saying this, Mr. Zhuang used his long fingers to tap Mo Hua''s forehead, "Opportunities are external things. Don''t let them affect your state of mind in pursuing the Dao."


    Mo Hua''s eyes sharpened, "Disciple understands."


    Seeing Mo Hua''s clear eyes and bright thoughts, Mr. Zhuang nodded and said softly:


    "Just focus on learning arrays. Don''t worry about other things. If you reach the ninth layer of Qi Refining and your spiritual sense is still insufficient, I have my ways."


    Mo Hua felt warmth in his heart and smiled, "Thank you, sir!"


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, "Go and study the arrays. I''ll rest for a while."


    "Okay."


    Mo Hua turned to leave but suddenly remembered something and hesitated.


    Mr. Zhuang noticed and said, "If you have a question, just ask."


    "But..." Mo Hua hesitated, "Won''t it disturb your rest?"


    Mr. Zhuang relaxed into a bamboo chair, "I''m already resting. Talking for a bit doesn''t matter."


    Mo Hua smiled and asked, "Sir, is the Reverse Spirit Array really just for breaking arrays?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s half-closed eyes opened slightly, surprised, "Why do you ask?"


    "If it were just for breaking arrays, it wouldn''t be this difficult..." Mo Hua pondered, "The Reverse Spirit Array can break arrays, but it''s a First Grade Ten-Pattern array. Most Qi Refining cultivators can''t learn it, and since they can''t learn it, they can''t use the Reverse Spirit Array to break arrays."


    "Moreover, there are many ways to break arrays. It doesn''t have to be with the Reverse Spirit Array, which makes this array difficult and useless, a bit redundant."


    "A redundant array, even if it were an anomaly of the Dao, wouldn''t be treasured by families and clans, right?"


    "If families and clans value it so much, does it mean this array has other important uses besides breaking arrays?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyelids twitched. He then shook his head and laughed:


    "You child, you have a perceptive mind. I don''t know where you get all these ideas."


    Mo Hua smiled shyly.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "You got one thing wrong. The Reverse Spirit Array is not difficult and useless but very useful."


    "Using array patterns to break arrays, you might need to break hundreds or even thousands of patterns. But with the Reverse Spirit Array, you can directly break the array hub, only needing to break a few core Spirit Gathering Arrays."


    "As long as you find the array hub, using the Reverse Spirit Array, the speed of breaking arrays is several times or even dozens of times faster."


    Mo Hua nodded frequently.


    In this way, the saved spirit ink would also be several times or even dozens of times. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua''s spirit ink had always been insufficient. Saving this much spirit ink was indeed very important.


    "There''s another thing you got right."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and nodded approvingly, "The Reverse Spirit Array is indeed not just for breaking arrays. Most importantly, it can make arrays collapse!"


    "Collapse?" Mo Hua was shocked, "Do you mean the array collapses or goes out of control?"


    "It means collapse, but not out of control. It''s more like the array collapses under the will of the array master."


    "Control the array collapse?" Mo Hua scratched his head, not understanding, "What use does that have?"


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a long time, his expression changing several times. Finally, he sighed and said:


    "Arrays adhere to the Dao of Heaven, containing the principles of heaven and earth and the operation of spiritual power."


    "When an array collapses, spiritual power reverses and conflicts within the framework of the array in the form of array patterns, continuously creating and destroying, generating extremely strong spiritual power fluctuations with extraordinary and unbelievable power."


    "If the array''s grade is high enough, its collapsing power can be earth-shattering!"


    Mr. Zhuang''s tone was unprecedentedly serious.


    Mo Hua was even more shocked and deeply moved.


    "If I learn the Reverse Spirit Array, can I also make arrays collapse?"


    Mr. Zhuang said with a half-smile, "If you learn the Reverse Spirit Array, you will almost be at the Foundation Building stage. The power of a First Grade Reverse Spirit Array can transcend its level, but it would be roughly equivalent to the power of Foundation Building spells. Why go through all that trouble?"


    "Huh?" Mo Hua was stunned, "What about a Second Grade Reverse Spirit Array?"


    "That would be something you could only learn if you become a late Second Grade array master."


    Second Grade array master, and late stage at that...


    When would that be possible?


    Mo Hua sighed, "Then this Reverse Spirit Array is still somewhat redundant."


    A First Grade Reverse Spirit Array can''t be learned by a First Grade array master, and a Second Grade array master can''t use it.


    "It''s not that the array is redundant, just that the array master''s abilities are limited and can''t comprehend the array, unable to bring out its effects."


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, "Moreover, array collapse isn''t easy. Even ordinary Second Grade array masters don''t have the ability to make a First Grade array collapse."


    "Or rather, there are very few array masters in this world who can fully master the Reverse Spirit Array and use it to collapse arrays."


    Mo Hua frowned, "Is there a lot of intricate usage for the Reverse Spirit Array?"


    Mr. Zhuang wanted to say more but suddenly looked tired, yawned, and said:


    "If you really can learn the Reverse Spirit Array, I''ll teach you then. For now, it''s still early."

 Chapter 269: Concealment

    Mo Hua wanted to master the Reverse Spirit Array.But the Reverse Spirit Array was a ten-pattern array, requiring the spiritual awareness of the Foundation Building stage. By that time, Mo Hua might already be close to Foundation Building.


    Mr. Zhuang probably found it troublesome, so he started making grand promises...


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    Then he noticed Mr. Zhuang looking at him with a half-smile, which startled Mo Hua. He knew Mr. Zhuang had sensed his silent complaints.


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure out how Mr. Zhuang knew.


    Mo Hua could only laugh awkwardly and say, "Sir, you rest well. I won''t disturb you."


    Leaving Mr. Zhuang''s Sit and Forget Abode, Mo Hua quickly took out the Concealment Array and began to study it carefully.


    The Concealment Array was a type of water-based array, but its effects were different from typical water-based arrays.


    Therefore, its array hub and patterns were different, appearing more profound.


    However, Mo Hua already had enough spiritual awareness. The next step was to practice drawing it repeatedly.


    Practice makes perfect. After drawing it dozens or hundreds of times, even the most complex patterns would become second nature. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, Mo Hua had the Dao Stele, had learned the Visualization Techniques, and practiced the Heavenly Proliferation Technique.


    In a few days, he could practice the array nearly a hundred times.


    For others, it might take months, or even half a year for those with poor aptitude, to practice the array a hundred times.


    Thus, Mo Hua learned arrays much faster than ordinary cultivators.


    In just three days, Mo Hua mastered the Concealment Array.


    He drew the array on paper and injected a bit of spiritual power to activate it, and indeed, the whole sheet of paper disappeared.


    Mo Hua scanned with his spiritual awareness and could still detect the array patterns, but they were slightly blurred due to the water-based spiritual power covering them.


    Paper, being inanimate, couldn''t deceive spiritual awareness.


    If a cultivator used the Concealment Technique, concealing their aura with their spiritual awareness, other cultivators, unless possessing strong spiritual awareness, wouldn''t be able to detect them.


    Diao Laosan, though experienced in sneak attacks, had poor martial arts and Daoist techniques, relying solely on the Concealment Technique to cause trouble for so long.


    Unfortunately, he met his match in Mo Hua, whose spiritual awareness was exceptionally strong.


    He was unlucky and deserved his fate.


    Diao Laosan''s spiritual awareness was mediocre, so using the Concealment Technique was still hard to detect, let alone Mo Hua, whose spiritual awareness was naturally strong.


    Mo Hua drew the Concealment Array on his Dao robe.


    Ordinary Dao robes, being soft, were not suitable for drawing arrays.


    In other words, Dao robes that could bear arrays were very expensive.


    Although Mo Hua no longer lacked spirit stones, he didn''t want to waste them.


    When he reaches Foundation Building, his daily consumption of spirit stones would increase several times, so saving a little now was prudent.


    Mo Hua bought half a bolt of fabric suitable for drawing arrays, quite expensive, costing a hundred spirit stones.


    Mo Hua drew the Concealment Array on the fabric and had his mother sew it onto the inside of his Dao robe, making the array effective without wasting spirit stones.


    Mo Hua tried it out and found that the Concealment Array still had flaws.


    The array was drawn on the Dao robe; the parts covered by the robe were indeed concealed, but the uncovered hands and face still showed faint blue shadows.


    This was within Mo Hua''s expectations.


    Dao robes capable of concealment were also considered spiritual tools and were extremely expensive, not available even in Tongxian City.


    Given their high price, the materials and craftsmanship of Dao robes as array mediums were very meticulous.


    Mo Hua knew that simply drawing an array on fabric and patching the Dao robe couldn''t compare to those high-end items.


    The quality matches the price; Mo Hua understood this well.


    Mo Hua still asked his mother to help him check.


    Liu Ruhua, seeing his confident demeanor, watched with a smile.


    Mo Hua wore the Dao robe, activated the Concealment Array, and then used the Concealment Technique.


    The combined effects of the Concealment Technique and Concealment Array created an invisible water flow covering his body, making Mo Hua''s figure disappear completely.


    Liu Ruhua was genuinely surprised.


    She covered her mouth, muttering, "I really can''t see him..."


    Mo Hua''s voice came from the empty space in front of her, "Mother, really?"


    Liu Ruhua nodded, "Really."


    "Then how about using spiritual awareness?"


    Liu Ruhua used her spiritual awareness to sense and then shook her head, "Nothing at all."


    Mo Hua revealed himself, smiling.


    Liu Ruhua smiled too, but then frowned slightly and reminded him, "Concealment Technique is good, but don''t use it for bad things."


    "Mother, don''t worry," Mo Hua laughed.


    Still not entirely reassured, Mo Hua tested it with his father Mo Shan, Zhang Lan, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi.


    None of them could see through Mo Hua''s Concealment Technique.


    Mo Shan was surprised but also felt more at ease.


    With the Concealment Technique and the Passing Water Step, it was more than enough for self-defense against Qi refining cultivators.


    As a father, he no longer worried about Mo Hua facing dangers in the inner mountains.


    Zhang Lan found it very tricky.


    The techniques Mo Hua learned were becoming increasingly bizarre and harder to counter.


    Passing Water Step made him elusive, Water Prison Technique trapped his opponents, and now the Concealment Technique made him invisible...


    Not only invisible, but even his aura couldn''t be sensed with extended spiritual awareness.


    Usually, cultivators practicing the Concealment Technique had flaws, detectable by those with strong spiritual awareness.


    But Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness was too strong, making it nearly impossible for anyone to see through him.


    Would it take a Foundation Building cultivator to counter this Qi refining seventh-level little cultivator?


    Zhang Lan felt a headache thinking about it.


    Then he realized, since he had a good relationship with Mo Hua, there was no need to target him. Instead, he could seek Mo Hua''s help when needed, so why worry?


    With this thought, Zhang Lan felt much more at ease.


    Bai Zisheng was envious, his mouth agape.


    If he mastered the Concealment Technique, he could sneak out and play without Aunt Xue knowing.


    Bai Zixi, also surprised, furrowed her brows and said something similar to Liu Ruhua: "Don''t use it for bad things."


    Mo Hua didn''t know what to say.


    Even experienced cultivators like his father Mo Shan, the skilled Zhang Lan, and the knowledgeable Zisheng and Zixi couldn''t see through his Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but nod, satisfied with its effectiveness.


    But then he wondered, "If Qi refining cultivators can''t see through it, can Foundation Building cultivators?"


    Should he find someone to test it?


    Foundation Building cultivators were rare in Tongxian City. The one he was most familiar with was Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua, using the Concealment Technique and activating the Concealment Array, stealthily went to Elder Yu''s home in broad daylight.


    Elder Yu, seemingly having just finished a conversation with another cultivator, was sitting alone in the living room, drinking tea.


    Mo Hua quietly entered the room and chose a chair by the door, sitting far from Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu didn''t react.


    Mo Hua moved a bit closer.


    Elder Yu still seemed unaware, sipping his tea.


    Mo Hua, careful not to make any noise, moved even closer, now just two seats away from Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua silently watched Elder Yu, thinking he should have noticed him by now.


    But Elder Yu kept sipping tea, seemingly oblivious.


    Mo Hua was delighted, not expecting the Concealment Technique to be so effective.


    Even Elder Yu, at the Foundation Building stage, couldn''t see through it.


    At that moment, Elder Yu looked up, his expression playful, and smiled at Mo Hua, saying:


    "Is it fun?"

 Chapter 270: Discovery

    Mo Hua revealed himself and asked in surprise, "When did you see me?"Elder Yu smiled faintly, "Of course, from the moment you entered."


    Mo Hua''s face showed a bit of discouragement; it seemed he couldn''t hide from a Foundation Building cultivator after all.


    "Was it through your spiritual sense?" Mo Hua asked again.


    Elder Yu shook his head slightly, "No, I heard you."


    "Heard me?" Mo Hua was stunned.


    "That''s right," Elder Yu said. "I''ve been a demon hunter for many years, spending most of my time in the mountains hunting demonic beasts. I can detect even the slightest disturbance."


    "Moreover, this is my home. I often sit in the living room drinking tea. When the room is empty and suddenly there''s another presence, how could I not notice?" Elder Yu explained kindly, looking at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded, acknowledging the reasonableness of Elder Yu''s explanation. After thinking for a moment, his eyes lit up.


    "So, if the environment were more chaotic and I remained still and silent, would you be able to detect me?"


    "Hmm..." Elder Yu stroked his beard, somewhat hesitant.


    Saying he couldn''t detect would hurt his pride as a Foundation Building elder. But claiming he could, he wasn''t entirely sure.


    When Mo Hua entered the room earlier, he hadn''t noticed at first. It wasn''t until he heard Mo Hua''s light footsteps that he pinpointed the location and used his spiritual sense to confirm a faint human figure, realizing it was a small cultivator using concealment techniques.


    The presence was very familiar. And among those who could use concealment techniques, were young, and dared to play in his living room, only Mo Hua fit the bill.


    Elder Yu had pretended not to see him, teasing Mo Hua for a bit. But now, in retrospect, if not for the sound and his deliberate spiritual sweep, he might not have detected Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu frowned, thought for a moment, and finally admitted, "In such a scenario, it''s hard to say."


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened. "Elder Yu, why don''t we test it?"


    Elder Yu wanted to say he had other things to do, but seeing Mo Hua''s eager eyes, he couldn''t say it.


    "Anyway, it''s nothing important. Consider it a break, playing with Mo Hua," Elder Yu thought to himself, also curious about the effectiveness of Mo Hua''s concealment technique.


    "Alright, let''s find a place to test if I can detect you," Elder Yu nodded and smiled.


    They went outside Tongxian City to a secluded mountain foot. The area was densely wooded with lush vegetation.


    "I''ll hide in the forest first, and you can come find me," Mo Hua said, then walked into the forest, hiding in the bushes behind a large tree. He then used his concealment technique, becoming invisible, remaining still and silent.


    After counting to fifteen, Elder Yu entered the forest, releasing his spiritual sense, frowning. At first glance, he really couldn''t find Mo Hua''s figure.


    Elder Yu had to calm down and search the bushes methodically. After a cup of tea''s time, he finally detected a faint figure in the bushes behind a large tree.


    Elder Yu raised his eyebrows, feeling relieved. He had found him; otherwise, it would have been embarrassing.


    Elder Yu coughed and looked at the bushes where Mo Hua was hiding, saying casually, "Come out."


    Mo Hua revealed himself, not disappointed but rather expectant, asking Elder Yu, "Elder, how was my concealment technique?"


    Being found was expected; Mo Hua just wanted to test how effective his technique was against a Foundation Building cultivator.


    "Not bad," Elder Yu nodded approvingly. "If you stay still and silent, an ordinary Foundation Building cultivator might not detect you without deliberately using their spiritual sense."


    Mo Hua was delighted.


    "However," Elder Yu reminded, "the strength of a Foundation Building cultivator''s spiritual sense varies. Just because I couldn''t detect you doesn''t mean others can''t. You must still be cautious."


    "I understand, Elder," Mo Hua said seriously.


    Elder Yu nodded, feeling a bit sentimental. To be able to conceal to this extent was impressive. How strong was Mo Hua''s spiritual sense now? Could it be nearing the Foundation Building stage?


    Elder Yu pondered, suddenly recalling something, and asked, "How did you learn the concealment technique?"


    He had been curious before but hadn''t had the chance to ask. If he remembered correctly, the concealment technique was typically only learnable by those with single water spiritual roots or very special yin spiritual roots.


    Mo Hua had minor five-element spiritual roots with mixed water elements, making it unlikely he could learn the concealment technique.


    Mo Hua smiled mysteriously, "I drew an array."


    "Oh," Elder Yu realized.


    Mo Hua was an array master, naturally solving problems with arrays.


    "Is this array rare?" Elder Yu asked.


    In his experience, he hadn''t heard of any array master creating a concealment array, nor had he seen a concealment spiritual tool. He had only seen a few cultivators who could use concealment techniques, like Diao Laosan, but such cultivators were rare.


    Mo Hua nodded, "Yes, it''s very hard to learn."


    The concealment array, though a nine-pattern array, required special strokes, and the spiritual sense needed to draw it was almost nine and a half patterns.


    Ordinary first-grade array masters didn''t have the necessary spiritual sense, making it rare.


    Elder Yu nodded slightly.


    If Mo Hua said it was hard to learn, it must indeed be difficult, which explained why he had never seen it.


    Curious again, Elder Yu asked, "With this array, is everything truly invisible?"


    Mo Hua activated the concealment array alone, becoming invisible except for faint outlines of his hands and head.


    Elder Yu was a bit disappointed, "The array still has flaws; the concealment isn''t perfect." S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes," Mo Hua agreed. "That''s why I learned a half-baked concealment technique and combined it with the flawed array to achieve invisibility."


    Using either method alone was ineffective, but together, they achieved invisibility.


    "This is double concealment... well, one and a half," Mo Hua said.


    Elder Yu stroked his chin, pondering, "Your combined method seems more effective than pure concealment techniques, especially at night."


    In the dark, even if someone saw through one layer of concealment, Mo Hua still had another layer, avoiding detection. Normal cultivators wouldn''t expect someone to have two layers of concealment.


    Mo Hua smiled proudly.


    Being praised by a Foundation Building elder for his concealment effectiveness made his efforts worthwhile.


    As they chatted, it grew late. Elder Yu suddenly remembered, "I forgot, I still have things to do."


    "Important things?"


    "Not really," Elder Yu smiled. "It''s getting late; let''s head back."


    "Okay."


    Elder Yu escorted Mo Hua back. At the South Street junction, Elder Yu gave Mo Hua a few more instructions before heading to the artifact crafting shop.


    Mo Hua walked home alone, in a good mood. Mastering the concealment technique gave him more options for ambush, escape, and stealth.


    No one could see him anyway.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but laugh, humming a tune as he walked. Suddenly, he stopped, a shiver running through him.


    Invisible...


    Elder Yu''s earlier words echoed in his mind: "With this array, is everything truly invisible..."


    Array hidden... invisible...


    In Mo Hua''s mind, the image of that cliff and the abyss below it suddenly surfaced.


    "Could it be... hidden by a concealment array?"


    Mo Hua''s pupils contracted as he muttered to himself.

 Chapter 271: The Path Between Cliffs

    Returning home at night, Mo Hua practiced the Concealment Array and the Reverse Spirit Array on the Dao Stele in his Sea of Consciousness throughout the night.He was already familiar with the Concealment Array and was just reviewing it. The Reverse Spirit Array was extremely difficult; a complete array required ten patterns of spiritual awareness, which Mo Hua couldn''t yet draw, using it merely for practice and honing his spiritual awareness.


    The next day, he got up early and followed his usual routine of cultivating for an hour. After a quick breakfast, he set off for Dahei Mountain. Crossing the outer mountain and reaching the inner mountain, he arrived at the edge of the cliff.


    The cliff was a sheer drop of thousands of feet, shrouded in mist and unfathomably deep. Mo Hua sat cross-legged at the cliff''s edge, closed his eyes, and extended his spiritual awareness downwards.


    This time, having anticipated what he might find, his purpose was clearer and his perception more focused. After a while, Mo Hua opened his eyes, a look of confusion in them. There was still nothing.


    He speculated that these criminal cultivators might have hidden themselves using a Concealment Array, most likely at the bottom of this cliff. Yet, the cliff was so steep and deep that his spiritual awareness could not detect any signs of life or special aura.


    This was perplexing. If they weren''t at the bottom of the cliff, could they be on the opposite side?


    Mo Hua looked across to the other side. The opposite side was a deep mountain, thick with clouds and mist, and the air was filled with a dangerous miasma. The mist obscured the view, making it unlikely that anyone would use an array to hide there.


    "If not below the cliff, nor opposite it, could they be between the cliffs?" Mo Hua murmured, directing his spiritual awareness to explore between the cliffs.


    Between the two cliffs, the mist and the foul air from the mountains intertwined, making it hard to see clearly. As he continued to watch, Mo Hua''s eyes suddenly widened. There was indeed something there!


    Shocked, Mo Hua closed his eyes again, calmed his mind, and focused his spiritual awareness to its fullest, striving to filter out the interference of the miasma and perceive as clearly as possible.


    Gradually, Mo Hua discovered a path leading to the opposite cliff. When he realized what this path was, he was astounded. It was not a mountain path but an inclined peak!


    The peak was slender and solid, leaning from the opposite side and forming a natural stone bridge between the two cliffs. A formation master had placed a Concealment Array on the peak, hiding its presence and using the natural miasma between the cliffs to obscure spiritual perception.


    This peak had thus become a highly concealed and unknown secret path suspended above a deep chasm, connecting the two cliffs.


    Using the natural elements as the array medium and the mountain miasma as a cover, it left no trace, completely unnoticed. Mo Hua was amazed.


    He thought to himself, "This formation master is a true expert!"


    Although Mo Hua had just learned the Concealment Array, this formation master had placed this concealing array on the mountain peak long ago, demonstrating a higher level of skill.


    Since mastering the art of arrays, apart from the mysterious Mr. Zhuang, this was the first time Mo Hua encountered a formation master with greater skill than his own. He was curious about this formation master''s identity. Who would create such a formation for criminal cultivators, hiding their tracks? Could they also be a criminal cultivator?


    Mo Hua felt a bit of regret. Having just learned arrays, it was unfortunate to see them used for aiding criminals in murder and robbery. S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    What should he do next?


    Mo Hua frowned. Since he had discovered the traces of these criminal cultivators, he naturally needed to investigate further. But it was impossible for him to take such a risk alone. No one knew how many criminal cultivators there were, their cultivation levels, or their malicious intentions. Hiding deep in the mountains, who knew what they were plotting?


    Mo Hua planned to return and inform Elder Yu, and also report to the Dao Court. With the help of the Demon Hunters and the Dao Court, they could capture these criminal cultivators in one fell swoop.


    Having made up his mind, Mo Hua turned to leave but then stopped, frowning. This seemed unwise. Returning to call for help would surely alert the criminals, giving them time to prepare. They might have many men, and if they used the terrain to ambush the Dao Court and the Demon Hunters, many could die.


    Mo Hua had deep ties with both the Dao Court and the Demon Hunters. This was something he didn''t want to see. Moreover, not knowing the exact situation, making a rash move would reduce their chances of success.


    If the criminals managed to escape, eradicating them later would be impossible. Furthermore, everything was just Mo Hua''s speculation. Although there was a high probability, he couldn''t be sure without seeing it himself. What if the cliff didn''t hide criminals but a reclusive master like Mr. Zhuang or a high-ranking formation master with a solitary temperament?


    Gathering a group of cultivators would undoubtedly create enmity.


    Mo Hua was torn. After much thought, it seemed the best approach was for him to take the risk alone...


    His spiritual awareness was strong, allowing him to detect danger early. He had the Passing Water Step technique, which made him swift, and most importantly, he could conceal himself. He was the only cultivator in Tongxian City who could do so.


    Using the Concealment Technique and the Concealment Array, his stealth was even better than usual, and even a Foundation Building cultivator might not notice him. If the person on the other side was a master, they likely wouldn''t hold a grudge against a small cultivator like him. If they were indeed criminals, he could investigate without alerting them.


    Knowing one''s enemy ensured victory. Once he had gathered enough information, he could devise a strategy.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself. Taking a bit of risk to save the Demon Hunters or the Dao Court members was worth it. Moreover, he only needed to sneak a look and then return quietly. The criminals might not even notice him. After all, his Concealment Technique and Array were not learned in vain.


    Mo Hua decided to first use the Concealment Technique to sneak over, investigate, and then return.


    This way, he wouldn''t alert the enemy and wouldn''t take excessive risks. He gathered some stones and a branch, then opened his storage bag, took out a bottle of spirit ink, and poured it over the cliff edge.


    The golden spirit ink splashed down and was soon blocked, spreading out in mid-air to form a visible ink mark.


    "There is indeed a path."


    Mo Hua nodded, then tossed a few stones down to confirm they also landed in mid-air and didn''t fall into the abyss, feeling reassured. He activated the Concealment Array, then the Concealment Technique, and using the Passing Water Step, he lightly jumped off the cliff into the mist.


    A moment later, he felt a slight tingle in his feet and landed on the invisible stone path. The ink he had poured and the stones he had thrown were at his feet. Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief. Even knowing there was a path, jumping off a cliff was still nerve-wracking.


    He glanced down, feeling his limbs go weak and his face turn pale. Below the cliff was a bottomless abyss, a fall that would mean certain death. At this moment, it felt as if he were standing in mid-air, above the deep chasm.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath, telling himself, "Don''t look down, don''t look down..."


    Gathering his courage, he took cautious steps forward, testing the path with the branch. Between the misty cliffs, a concealed path led by a hidden cultivator walked silently towards the other side.


    For the past two or three hundred years, Demon Hunters hadn''t discovered this hidden path, and at this moment, the criminals hadn''t noticed the hidden Mo Hua.

 Chapter 272: Asking for Directions

    Between the cliffs, on an invisible path, Mo Hua carefully walked.After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Mo Hua finally reached the other side.


    Climbing the opposite cliff, as soon as his feet touched the ground, the surrounding fog suddenly thickened, and the miasma became so intense that it made people feel dizzy and nauseous.


    Mo Hua hurriedly took out two Miasma-Repelling Pills and swallowed them. He circulated his spiritual power to refine the medicinal effects, which made him feel a little better.


    Looking around, he found himself in a small forest with no one else around.


    Apart from the heavier fog and more toxic miasma, it was no different from the inner mountain.


    "Where are those criminals? Could they not be here?"


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    He walked around cautiously for a while and found that the sunlight was obscured by the thick fog, making the forest misty and indistinguishable. He had no idea where he was anymore.


    The most crucial point was that there were no traces of any cultivators.


    Mo Hua sat on the ground, feeling a bit lost.


    Could he have guessed wrong?


    It shouldn''t be...


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and suddenly found it strange.


    On the other side of the cliff, the sunlight was bright, and the fog wasn''t that thick. But here, on this side, separated by a stone path, why was the fog so dense?


    The sunlight on both sides was not very different, so even if the fog was thicker, it shouldn''t be to this extent.


    Mo Hua released his spiritual sense and took a closer look, suddenly frowning.


    There was a faint weave of spiritual power in the fog, like a pattern, condensing around him.


    Ordinary cultivators might not notice it, but Mo Hua could tell at a glance that this was an array master''s work!


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    The dense fog in this deep mountain wasn''t naturally this thick. It was an array set up by an array master, causing the fog in the deep mountain to become so dense that you couldn''t see your hand in front of your face.


    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted. He followed the position of the array patterns and found a large tree. He took out a dagger and chiseled away the bark.


    As the dried bark was peeled away, there indeed lay an array.


    The array had nine patterns and was a First Grade array. The patterns were mainly water-based, with some variations in technique and a slightly unfamiliar form. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua hadn''t seen it before but guessed it must be a fog array.


    The array''s function was to condense water vapor, making it float between the ground and the forest, forming an enduring fog.


    Mo Hua found it intriguing. Seeing no one around, he took out paper and pen and began to meticulously copy the array.


    Typically, learning arrays is best done with array diagrams.


    Array diagrams include detailed array patterns, brushstroke sequences, ink ratios, array types, array hub structures, and other considerations.


    Reverse-engineering the drawing from an existing array is quite difficult.


    But no matter how difficult, it was just an ordinary First Grade array. The patterns were somewhat special but still within the scope of Five Elements Arrays, which was not too challenging for Mo Hua.


    After drawing it five or six times, Mo Hua had grasped about seventy to eighty percent of it and had a good understanding.


    The fog can be deceptive, but the arrays set within it are fixed and cannot deceive, especially not Mo Hua.


    Not only was this within the bark, but scattered around on the ground, rocks, and shrubs, this array was also drawn here and there.


    Based on the positions of the fog arrays, he could roughly deduce the path within the fog.


    With this thought, Mo Hua''s vision cleared.


    He didn''t need to worry about the fog. As long as he used the fog arrays as landmarks, he wouldn''t get lost.


    The array master who set up the fog array intended to confuse the directions with the dense fog.


    But the fog arrays instead helped Mo Hua find his way.


    Mo Hua put away his paper and pen, expanded his spiritual sense to sense the positions of the fog arrays, and began walking deeper into the mountains.


    After a few steps, Mo Hua suddenly thought, if others could set arrays, so could he.


    In his storage bag, he had some stone needles marked with the Sima Compass Array from the inner mountain, which he could now use along the way.


    If anything unexpected happened, he would be able to know in advance.


    Preparation is key. Being unprepared leads to failure.


    It''s always better to be prepared than to be caught off guard in times of danger.


    Mo Hua then walked along the path of the fog arrays, occasionally placing the Sima stone needles in hidden spots.


    As he walked, Mo Hua became more familiar with the foggy forest''s path.


    However, after half a day, he still hadn''t seen any sign of the criminals.


    Mo Hua frowned. Had he missed something? Or were the criminals hiding too well?


    Should he go back first and return another time?


    Just as he was hesitating, he heard footsteps.


    Mo Hua was startled. Seeing no rocks or dense vegetation around to hide, he quickly used the Passing Water Step to swiftly climb up a nearby tree.


    Perched on the tree branches, Mo Hua realized he had already used the Concealment Technique. Generally, Qi refining stage cultivators couldn''t see him or sense him with their spiritual sense.


    But it''s always better to be cautious.


    What if it was a Foundation Building cultivator?


    The footsteps came closer, and the vague outlines of two figures appeared in the thick fog, accompanied by some indistinct conversation.


    "Brother... is it this way? You didn''t lie to me, right?"


    "Don''t worry, it''s correct."


    "This fog is too damn thick... we''ve been walking for so long..."


    "If the fog wasn''t thick, we would be discovered, wouldn''t we?"


    "Can we get in?"


    "Don''t you trust me?"


    ...


    As they got closer, it turned out to be two cultivators, one fat and one thin, both at the late stage of Qi refining.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they weren''t Foundation Building cultivators, it was fine.


    Even if these Qi refining cultivators saw through his Concealment Technique, he had ways to deal with them.


    Moreover, Qi refining cultivators couldn''t see through his Concealment Technique unless they had Foundation Building spiritual sense.


    Mo Hua carefully observed. In the fog, he couldn''t see their faces clearly, but he noticed their different clothing and heard their distinctive voices¡ªone sharp, one carefree. Their actions were a bit sneaky, suggesting they weren''t good people.


    "Could they be criminals?"


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up. If they were criminals, then there was a clue.


    Even if they weren''t the deep mountain criminals, they must know the way inside the deep mountain.


    The fat and thin cultivators walked side by side. Mo Hua quietly climbed down the tree and stealthily followed them.


    The two walked and chatted, unaware that they were being followed.


    They wandered through the foggy forest, occasionally checking maps and pointing out mountain paths. After turning several corners, they stopped in front of a large tree stump.


    "Is this the place?" the thin cultivator asked.


    "Yes," the fat cultivator nodded.


    "What now?"


    "Wait."


    "Wait for what?"


    "Midnight."


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat, recalling the saying:


    "At midnight, the path reveals itself."


    It seemed they were outsiders looking to join the deep mountain criminals.


    Mo Hua frowned. Did he also need to wait with them?


    It was getting late, and he wanted to return early.


    But he had come this far. If he didn''t follow them, the clue would be lost, and it would be hard to find another opportunity.


    "Let''s wait..."


    Mo Hua decided to be patient.


    By noon, the fat and thin cultivators were bored and hungry, so they took out some dry food to eat.


    The thin one spat after a few bites:


    "This is so dry and hard, like bird droppings, really awful!"


    The fat cultivator glanced at him indifferently, "Better than nothing. Otherwise, you''d be eating prison food in the Dao Court."


    The thin cultivator grinned, "Can''t eat much prison food before it''s execution food."


    The fat cultivator shook his head.


    Suddenly, the thin cultivator asked, "Brother, how many lives have you taken?"


    The fat cultivator thought for a moment, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Just six."


    The thin cultivator gave a thumbs up, "Brother, you''re impressive. I only have four."


    He started counting, "An old man over a hundred, a cultivator in his thirties, a female cultivator, and her child."


    The fat cultivator was slightly shocked, "You count the child too?"


    "If not, it''s only three. I didn''t want to embarrass you."


    "No matter." The fat cultivator patted his shoulder, "Follow me into this deep mountain, and we''ll have plenty to eat and drink, no one will look down on you."


    The thin cultivator was delighted, "I''ll rely on you, brother!"


    The fat cultivator took out a bundle from his pocket, which contained a piece of jerky and a flask of wine.


    "I saved this specially. We met by fate, escaped from the Dao Court''s dogs, and traveled a long way to this deep mountain. It''s worth celebrating."


    The thin cultivator''s eyes lit up, "You thought of everything, brother."


    They shared the meat and wine. Though it wasn''t much, they were content.


    After eating, the fat cultivator noticed it was almost time. He suddenly frowned and pointed to the tree stump:


    "Looks like something is there."


    The thin cultivator, slightly drunk, stood up and checked.


    The fat cultivator quietly moved behind him and, taking advantage of his distraction, swiftly stabbed him through


    the heart with a sword.


    The thin cultivator felt a sudden pain in his chest, looked down to see the sword tip protruding from his chest, piercing his heart. As the sword was withdrawn, blood spurted out.


    He turned slowly, eyes filled with disbelief.


    The fat cultivator remained indifferent, "Good brother, this meal was your execution meal."


    The thin cultivator showed anger and sorrow, tried to struggle, but the fat cultivator grabbed his throat, pressed him against the tree stump, and decapitated him with a swift stroke.


    The head rolled away, blood splattering everywhere, staining the fat cultivator''s clothes.


    He didn''t care.


    "We were brothers. You drank my wine, ate my meat. It''s fair I use your head."


    He then picked up the head and threw it toward the dark mountain wall.


    As the head hit the ground, the mountain wall vanished.


    A bloody and eerie mountain gate appeared, with three ancient characters above:


    Heishan Stronghold.

 Chapter 273: Black Mountain Fortress

    Mo Hua was utterly stunned.¡°Black Mountain Fortress!¡±


    Deep within Dahei Mountain, there was unexpectedly a fortress!


    The mountain gate of this fortress was ancient, likely existing for a century.


    The gate was stained with blood, evidently from decapitations, where fresh blood splattered over the years, giving off a nauseating bloody scent.


    It appeared both eerie and sinister.


    ¡°At midnight, present a token of allegiance.¡±


    Mo Hua silently repeated.


    Presenting a token of allegiance, that¡¯s what it meant¡ªkilling someone, using a severed head as an offering, thus revealing the gate of Black Mountain Fortress.


    The gate appearing meant the acceptance of the sinners within the fortress.


    Sure enough, after a moment, accompanied by a creaky, unpleasant sound, the gate of Black Mountain Fortress slowly opened.


    The chubby cultivator showed a crazed expression, adjusted his dao robe, and then stepped into Black Mountain Fortress.


    Once he entered, the creaky sound resumed, and the gate slowly closed, then gradually vanished.


    The chubby cultivator was nowhere to be seen.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    So, this is how you enter Black Mountain Fortress...


    Hidden so deeply, no wonder it hasn''t been discovered for years.


    Moreover, it seemed that those who could enter Black Mountain Fortress were indeed all bloodstained sinners.


    At least this chubby one was not a good person.


    He had six lives on his hands, and had ruthlessly and swiftly struck down a sworn brother, piercing his chest with a sword, catching him completely off guard.


    His association with the thin cultivator was only to bring a living "token of allegiance." When the time came, he would decapitate him and use his head to gain entry into Black Mountain Fortress.


    He probably never even considered the beheaded thin cultivator.


    Cultivating is perilous, and people''s hearts are unpredictable.


    Mo Hua had witnessed this and took it to heart.


    It''s wise to be wary of unfamiliar cultivators, especially those who seem half-familiar; you never know their true intentions.


    At the same time, Mo Hua also learned.


    If he had to strike, he should do it like this chubby cultivator, catching the other completely off guard.


    ¡°What should I do next?¡± Mo Hua pondered.


    Should he sneak in to take a look?


    This Black Mountain Fortress was rather eerie; it wouldn¡¯t hurt to see what¡¯s inside to get a sense of it.


    At least get a rough count of how many sinners were inside.


    Quietly, without alerting anyone...


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    But how to sneak in?


    Mo Hua was in a bit of a quandary.


    The mountain gate of Black Mountain Fortress was probably also set with a concealment array, even more densely than the path between the cliffs.


    Without careful spiritual sense scanning, it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable at all.


    Now the gate was closed and concealed.


    Unless someone else presented a ¡°token of allegiance,¡± it probably wouldn¡¯t open. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t just throw a head in to knock, right...


    Besides, going in through the front, even if he could hide, there was no guarantee he wouldn¡¯t be discovered.


    Once discovered, it would be dangerous.


    ¡°What to do?¡± Mo Hua mused.


    Although the mountain gate of Black Mountain Fortress had vanished, its outline remained in Mo Hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    Mo Hua spied on Black Mountain Fortress with his spiritual sense, thoughts racing, gradually coming up with an idea.


    All paths of cultivation involve arrays, especially in the construction of cultivators¡¯ buildings.


    Though Black Mountain Fortress was sinister and eerie, it didn¡¯t appear out of nowhere; it was built by cultivators, with all its concealment, defense, and warning functions achieved through arrays.


    Moreover, there should be a high-level array master in the fortress. If so, the fortress was likely constructed relying heavily on arrays.


    Since it relied on arrays, there was a way to solve it.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expertise was in arrays.


    He maintained his concealment and wandered around the mountain gate of Black Mountain Fortress, forming a rough guess.


    This fortress was built against the mountain, with the mountain¡¯s slopes embracing it on both sides, and the gate built at the gap. There should also be high walls on both sides.


    Mo Hua climbed up along the mountain slopes on both sides and indeed saw high mountain walls.


    The mountain gate was shrouded by a concealment array, but the high walls on both sides were not.


    Probably because concealment arrays are hard to learn and draw, they could only cover the gate, not the entire walls.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that although the array master was skilled, he wasn¡¯t extraordinarily so.


    Perhaps only slightly better than himself...


    Besides the concealment array on the gate, the arrays on the high walls were primarily for defense and warning.


    The defensive arrays included Earth Stone Array, Earth-Wood Array, and some Earth Solidification Arrays, mostly composite arrays with a few single arrays mixed in.


    There were also some arrays on the walls that Mo Hua had not seen before, but their structure resembled the Sima Compass Composite Array, and they were also metal-based composite arrays.


    So Mo Hua speculated these should be warning arrays.


    Concealed in the front to avoid detection, defended and warned on both sides to prevent sneak attacks from cultivators.


    Mo Hua nodded. This array design was quite reasonable.


    To guard against ordinary cultivators, it should be sufficient. Even a common array master might not notice any flaws.


    However, Mo Hua had personally designed and drawn all the arrays on the largest artifact crafting and alchemy shops in Tongxian City, being thoroughly familiar with first-grade building arrays.


    The arrays on Black Mountain Fortress, though cleverly designed, were built on a ghostly mountain stronghold, limiting their scope and structure, making many of the arrays crudely constructed in comparison.


    To Mo Hua, the flaws were numerous.


    Moreover, the fortress arrays seemed to have been drawn by a single array master.


    He had likely drawn them over a long period, with old and new arrays overlapping, some even conflicting, just barely linked together.


    Typically, array masters draw arrays slowly.


    Array masters like Mo Hua, who drew arrays daily, was well-versed in them, and could draw them quickly due to his keen spiritual sense from learning the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, were rare.


    It was normal for one person to draw them like this.


    But this made the flaws in the whole array system even more apparent.


    Mo Hua was reassured that this array master wasn¡¯t superior to him in some aspects.


    Mo Hua circled around a couple more times, then identified the general layout of these arrays. He then found a weak spot, sat cross-legged, and took out his pen and ink from his storage bag.


    The best way to deal with arrays was to decipher them.


    Breaking an array caused too much commotion, and with Mo Hua¡¯s current cultivation level, he couldn¡¯t break the fortress¡¯s arrays.


    Moreover, deciphering arrays best showcased an array master¡¯s skills.


    Mr. Zhuang had told him this, and Mo Hua remembered it clearly.


    Mo Hua then began to decipher the arrays.


    He first deciphered the warning arrays to prevent the cultivators inside from noticing, then used array pattern counteraction to neutralize the connected Earth Stone Arrays and Earth-Wood Arrays.


    This small section of the array was independent and not part of the surrounding composite arrays, so its deactivation wouldn¡¯t be noticed.


    After the arrays were deciphered, the array patterns flickered, then turned gray, losing their array effect.


    The corners of the wall, serving as array mediums, also withered and crumbled as the array patterns lost effect, becoming loose.


    Mo Hua scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense, ensuring no one was around, then stealthily took out a small dagger and started chipping away at the wall.


    Master Chen had crafted the Qianjun Stick for Mo Hua and, feeling unsatisfied, had specially made a small dagger for him to peel fruit.


    This small dagger was perfect for chipping at the wall now. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua chipped for a while, rested, extended his spiritual sense to confirm no one was nearby, then continued chipping.


    After an unknown amount of time, he finally broke through the wall corner, creating a small opening.


    Mo Hua, covered in dust, had only his eyes shining brightly.


    ¡°Success!¡±


    He could sneak in and take a look!


    Mo Hua, being young and small, found the opening just right and not easily noticeable.


    He rested again until his strength and spiritual power recovered, then reactivated his concealment technique, activated the concealment array, made sure everything was prepared, and carefully crawled through the opening.


    Under the dark night sky, in the eerie deep mountains.


    The small Mo Hua sneaked into Black Mountain Fortress without anyone knowing.


    After two or three hundred years, Black Mountain Fortress welcomed its first intruder who didn¡¯t enter through the main gate.

 Chapter 274: Inside the Fortress

    Mo Hua stealthily dug at the base of the wall, slipping into the Black Mountain Fortress undetected.As soon as he entered, the pungent stench of blood and decay hit him.


    The smell was a mix of old rot and fresh blood.


    The surroundings were filled with an eerie chill that seeped into the bones.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but shiver, then he looked around and his mouth dropped open in shock.


    What a huge fortress!


    Nestled between two mountain slopes, the Black Mountain Fortress lay in the center.


    The wall Mo Hua had just dug through was only a small part of the tall walls encircling the place, and more towering walls could be seen in every direction.


    Besides the high walls, the encircling mountain slopes also formed a natural barrier for the fortress.


    The entire Black Mountain Fortress sprawled beneath the night sky, resembling an impregnable fortress, or perhaps a monstrous creature that devours humans.


    Mo Hua was deeply shocked and then felt a wave of fear.


    This was likely the largest group of criminal cultivators not just in Tongxian City, but perhaps in the entire Black Mountain Province.


    Without prior investigation, calling people over recklessly would likely lead to heavy casualties.


    Mo Hua then began to cautiously observe the layout of the Black Mountain Fortress.


    The fortress was vast, with numerous buildings densely packed between the enclosing mountains, roughly numbering in the hundreds.


    The overall atmosphere was sinister and eerie.


    Under the dim firelight, mottled bloodstains could be seen almost everywhere¡ªon the roads, walls, and pillars.


    In some corners, unidentified body parts and remains of cultivators were discarded.


    Some houses were inhabited by criminal cultivators, while others held captured cultivators, likely abducted.


    These innocent cultivators were imprisoned in iron cages, emaciated and skeletal, looking neither human nor ghostly.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    "What are these criminal cultivators keeping them here for? Normally, they would just kill them, wouldn''t they?"


    Criminal cultivators like Guang Toutuo killed without hesitation, and the Black Mountain Fortress seemed even more sinister, its cultivators presumably even worse. Why would they spare these cultivators'' lives?


    Mo Hua was puzzled and watched for a while.


    Soon, a fierce-looking criminal cultivator came over, picking out a cultivator who seemed in slightly better condition, and slit his wrist to drain his blood.


    The cultivator''s face contorted in pain, but he couldn''t struggle, his blood filling a bowl.


    The criminal cultivator drank the fresh blood in one gulp, his energy surging.


    He licked his lips, seemingly unsatisfied.


    After a while, another criminal cultivator came.


    This one pressed his large hand on a young cultivator''s forehead, and the young cultivator screamed in agony.


    Through his spiritual sense, Mo Hua saw the young cultivator''s spiritual power reverse flow from his dantian, through his meridians, to his head, and finally into the criminal cultivator''s hand.


    The reverse flow of spiritual power caused immense pain.


    The young cultivator''s screams were inhumanly shrill.


    Annoyed, the criminal cultivator continued to absorb the spiritual power with his right hand while choking the young cultivator with his left to silence him.


    When he finished absorbing the spiritual power, the young cultivator fell to the ground, silent and unmoving, his fate unknown.


    More criminal cultivators arrived afterward, doing similar things¡ªabsorbing blood or spiritual power, or using even more terrifying methods.


    Mo Hua felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar.


    He realized that the Black Mountain Fortress wasn''t just a hideout for criminal cultivators but a nest of demonic cultivators!


    The entire huge fortress was filled with hundreds of demonic cultivators!


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but gasp.


    Criminal cultivators killed and looted for wealth.


    But demonic cultivators used people for their cultivation, not treating them as humans at all.


    The imprisoned innocent cultivators were more like... livestock being raised!


    Mo Hua was both shocked and angry, but he could only sigh helplessly.


    He couldn''t save these cultivators.


    He was lucky to protect himself.


    If the Black Mountain Fortress was a demonic cultivator''s nest, it was much more dangerous than he had initially thought.


    "Should I sneak back while they haven''t discovered me?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but shook his head.


    He had been lucky to sneak in this time. If he came back, he might not be so lucky again.


    Moreover, although demonic cultivators were dangerous, as long as they were still in the Qi refining stage and their spiritual sense wasn''t stronger than his, they wouldn''t be able to detect his concealment technique.


    As long as his concealment technique wasn''t discovered, he was safe.


    Demonic cultivators had cruel methods.


    But Mo Hua didn''t plan to confront them head-on; no matter how strange and vicious their methods, they didn''t matter.


    Mo Hua breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    For now, the large demonic force in the Black Mountain Fortress posed a severe threat to all demon hunters and even the entire Tongxian City.


    If they were allowed to grow for another two or three hundred years, the demonic cultivators could number in the thousands.


    By then, all the independent cultivators in Tongxian City would be their livestock.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    Since they didn''t know he had a concealment technique and he had already snuck in, he should try to uncover their secrets.


    Then he could call for help, plan thoroughly, and eradicate them to prevent endless troubles.


    Mo Hua made up his mind and began considering his next steps.


    "First, the most important thing is to determine if there are any Foundation Building stage demonic cultivators here!"


    Only demonic cultivators at the Foundation Building stage could potentially see through his concealment technique.


    In other words, as long as he didn''t encounter a Foundation Building demonic cultivator, the risk wouldn''t be too high even in this fortress filled with demonic cultivators.


    Where would the Foundation Building demonic cultivators be?


    Mo Hua pondered and then used his understanding of arrays to reverse-engineer the layout of the Black Mountain Fortress.


    He had seen through the array layouts of the An Family.


    He personally designed the arrays for the artifact crafting and alchemy shops in the southern part of the city, constructing them based on the arrays.


    So he was quite skilled in this.


    After some calculations, Mo Hua had a rough idea.


    The Black Mountain Fortress was divided into the front and back sections.


    The front section was where Mo Hua had just wandered around; it was mostly filled with Qi refining stage demonic cultivators, though many were at the eighth or ninth level of Qi refining, none were at the Foundation Building stage.


    The arrays in the front section were relatively simple, mainly first-grade single arrays, with many not even reaching first grade.


    The basic buildings like dining halls, prisons, and residences were in the front section.


    The arrays in the back section were much more complex.


    They primarily consisted of first-grade Earth-Wood Composite Arrays, mixed with first-grade single arrays, and there was even a separate wall dividing it, making it clearly more important than the front section.


    Mo Hua disabled a small part of the array and slipped into the back section. S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Using his concealment technique and Passing Water Step, Mo Hua moved between rooftops and beams, observing everything.


    The back section was quieter and more solemn compared to the front section.


    The smell of blood was less intense, but the atmosphere was more oppressive.


    The buildings were larger and more exquisite.


    However, the exquisite craftsmanship had a somewhat sinister feel to it.


    As Mo Hua walked, he suddenly heard voices and immediately found a beam to lie down on.


    Two people inside seemed to be talking, but their tones were cold, indicating a lack of close relationship.


    Mo Hua secretly peeked down.


    He could only see the table below and the food and wine on it.


    Mo Hua guessed that these two people were of high status, as their side dishes were the best.


    Better than what any other demonic cultivator outside had.


    Seeing that they hadn''t noticed him, Mo Hua thought they were Qi refining cultivators, and he tilted his head slightly to get a look at them.


    One was a middle-aged cultivator with a stern expression.


    The other was a burly man with slightly red eyes and bloodshot veins.


    Mo Hua only glanced briefly, his gaze just brushing over the burly man.


    The burly man''s eyes suddenly widened, the bloodshot veins deepening, and his aura surged violently as he shouted, "Who''s there?"

 Chapter 275: Visualization

    Mo Hua was startled and immediately lay flat on the beam, motionless.At the same time, a divine sense swept over him but failed to penetrate his concealment.


    The burly man retracted his divine sense, finding nothing, and shouted angrily, "Who¡¯s there, sneaking around?"


    The middle-aged cultivator frowned and also released his divine sense to scan the surroundings.


    A significantly deeper divine sense passed through the beam and focused on Mo Hua, penetrating the first layer of his concealment array.


    But beneath the array, there was another layer of concealment technique.


    It was nighttime, and the beams were dark. Even a half-baked concealment technique was hard to detect.


    The middle-aged cultivator penetrated one layer of concealment but still didn¡¯t find Mo Hua. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he retracted his divine sense and said lightly:


    "There''s no one here. Don¡¯t be paranoid."


    The burly man said, "Impossible, someone is watching me!"


    The middle-aged cultivator glanced at him, "Nonsense, I am looking at you, aren¡¯t I?"


    The burly man did not argue, but his expression remained fierce, "No, someone is watching me from the dark!"


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, tense.


    The middle-aged cultivator asked, "You mean someone infiltrated here?"


    "It''s not impossible," the burly man replied.


    The middle-aged cultivator sneered, "Do you know where this is?"


    Before the burly man could answer, the middle-aged cultivator continued with a cold smile:


    "This is the deep mountains of Dahei Mountain, our lair as evil cultivators!"


    "The entrance is protected by my concealment array, and every wall and tile is inscribed with my arrays."


    "Which ordinary cultivator can discover this lair, dare to come here, and even dare to spy under our noses?"


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    This middle-aged cultivator was the array master and also a Foundation Building cultivator!


    Even with the middle-aged cultivator''s assurance, the burly man was not willing to let it go, still trusting his intuition.


    "Someone is definitely spying!"


    The middle-aged cultivator''s expression turned cold, "Are you doubting my arrays or mocking my divine sense?"


    The burly man fell silent.


    In terms of seniority, he was a step below the middle-aged cultivator; in terms of arrays, he knew nothing; in terms of divine sense, he was far inferior.


    If the middle-aged cultivator said no one was there, then there should be no one.


    The bloodshot in the burly man''s eyes gradually faded, his fierceness diminished, and he cupped his hands in apology:


    "Third Brother, forgive me. I was too rash."


    The middle-aged array master¡¯s expression softened slightly. He nodded and didn¡¯t pursue the matter further, asking instead:


    "Didn''t drink blood tonight?"


    The burly man nodded, "No, I had some wine, felt a bit restless."


    As he spoke, the bloodshot in his eyes began to reappear.


    Bloodthirsty and restless, prone to suspicion and paranoia.


    The middle-aged array master understood, his gaze darkened, "Take some time to drink some blood. Don''t let it disturb your mind and ruin important matters."


    The burly man nodded, feeling his throat getting parched. The more he drank, the thirstier he felt, and he was agitated, constantly feeling someone was watching him.


    This feeling was extremely uncomfortable.


    His eyes grew bloodier, almost red. He stood up and cupped his hands, "I''ll be going now."


    The middle-aged array master asked, "Human blood may not be enough, should you drink demon blood? Need my help?"


    "No need, Third Brother is busy, I won¡¯t bother you."


    With that, the burly man left. The middle-aged array master sat for a while, finished his wine, and also went deeper into the lair.


    Mo Hua waited another hour, ensuring both had indeed left and were not pretending. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Elder Yu was right, the effect of these two layers of concealment is that as long as you stay still, even Foundation Building cultivators may not find you."


    Especially the middle-aged cultivator, an array master, had failed to discover Mo Hua¡¯s concealment.


    It showed just how effective Mo Hua''s concealment methods were.


    However, Mo Hua didn''t dare to be arrogant.


    Eavesdropping under the noses of Foundation Building evil cultivators was highly dangerous. Even if they couldn¡¯t discover him, it was best not to take such risks again.


    Mo Hua reminded himself.


    If his concealment was really breached, even with the Passing Water Step, he might not escape from a Foundation Building cultivator.


    It seemed he should avoid the back of the lair in the future.


    Especially these two Foundation Building evil cultivators, best to avoid them.


    Mo Hua spent another two days studying the behavior patterns of these two Foundation Building cultivators.


    The burly man usually cultivated in the back lair during the day but would leave the lair alone at night.


    Mo Hua guessed he was going to drink blood.


    This burly man practiced evil arts, needing to drink human blood, but since he was at Foundation Building stage, human blood wasn¡¯t enough, so he had to drink demon beast blood.


    Some demon beasts eat human flesh and drink human blood.


    So drinking demon blood was similar to drinking human blood.


    As for the array master, he was likely an evil array master, staying deep in the lair daily, doing who knows what.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t guess and didn¡¯t dare to look.


    Occasionally, the evil array master would go out at night.


    Mo Hua guessed he was drawing arrays deep in the mountains.


    But it was just a guess; he didn¡¯t dare to follow, as it would be courting death. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua gradually understood the routines of these two Foundation Building evil cultivators.


    As long as he avoided meeting them, he had nothing to fear in this Heishan Lair.


    After all, if the Foundation Building array master and burly man couldn¡¯t find him, let alone these Qi Refining stage evil cultivators.


    Moreover, the array master himself said it was impossible for anyone to infiltrate Heishan Lair and eavesdrop under their noses.


    The other evil cultivators likely believed even less that anyone could infiltrate.


    Mo Hua thought for a while and decided to stay a few more days.


    First, to draw a complete map of Heishan Lair, and second, to gather more intelligence on Heishan Lair.


    Know yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles without defeat.


    Heishan Lair¡¯s power was too great. Without knowing the details, they were no match.


    But he had to minimize risks and avoid encounters with Foundation Building evil cultivators.


    Evil array master¡¯s strong divine sense and the burly man¡¯s keen instincts were not to be trifled with.


    Then Mo Hua became curious.


    How many Foundation Building evil cultivators were in Heishan Lair?


    Mo Hua began to eavesdrop everywhere to figure it out.


    Finally, one night, two evil cultivators were on night watch, drinking and chatting about the ¡°master¡± of Heishan Lair.


    These two evil cultivators, one strong and scarred, the other pale and thin like a noodle.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know their names, so he called one ¡°Scarface¡± and the other ¡°Pale Man.¡±


    Night watch, as Mo Hua understood it.


    Meant guarding the mountain gate at midnight.


    If a sin cultivator threw in a head, seeking to join, they would open the gate and welcome him.


    If something unexpected happened or a cultivator tried to escape, they could warn others.


    Night watch was dull and boring.


    The mountain wind at night was chilly. They sat around a fire, eating hard dried meat, drinking cheap wine, and chatting.


    Mo Hua sat on the roof behind them, listening intently.


    Pale Man, warming himself by the fire, muttered, ¡°Heishan Lair has a curfew, but the Fourth Master goes out every night.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression shifted.


    Fourth Master?


    It should be the bloodshot-eyed, bloodthirsty burly man.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then was startled.


    The ¡°master¡± should be the leaders of Heishan Lair.


    The burly man was a Foundation Building cultivator, ranking fourth, the Fourth Master, meaning there were at least four Foundation Building evil cultivators in Heishan Lair!


    Mo Hua broke into a cold sweat.


    Four Foundation Building evil cultivators and hundreds of murderous evil cultivators.


    Even if all the demon hunters and Dao Court members from Tongxian City came, they wouldn¡¯t be a match.


    The old master of Dao Court was aged and not good at fighting, and Elder Yu, though powerful, couldn¡¯t defeat four Foundation Building evil cultivators.


    If Foundation Building cultivators were defeated, it would be a one-sided massacre.


    Mo Hua, sweating profusely, calmed himself and continued to listen, hoping to gather more information.


    Scarface heard Pale Man¡¯s words and coldly said:


    ¡°If you were the master, you wouldn¡¯t need to follow these rules.¡±


    Pale Man smiled sheepishly, dissatisfied.


    Then he curiously asked, ¡°What do you think the Third Master is doing in the back lair every day?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an array master, what else?¡±


    Pale Man didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Array drawing is so dull, what¡¯s there to practice? How does the Third Master not get bored?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Third Master is an array master and the master, and you can only guard the gate at night.¡± Scarface said disdainfully.


    Pale Man sneered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you also guarding the gate with me?¡±


    Scarface¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°Are you seeking death?¡±


    Pale


    Man was displeased, and they were on the verge of a fight, but didn¡¯t really do it.


    Evil cultivators were violent but knew restraint.


    After a moment, they calmed down, Pale Man found it boring, and suddenly laughed lewdly:


    ¡°Do you think the Third Master has a woman hidden in the back lair, enjoying every night?¡±


    Scarface glanced at him coldly and snorted, ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Pale Man asked, disappointed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to the back lair?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve delivered things to the Third Master a few times.¡±


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Scarface frowned, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°The Third Master in the back lair was either drawing arrays or looking at a diagram¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, listening closely, suddenly felt a jolt.


    A diagram?


    What diagram?


    The Third Master was an array master, drawing arrays at night. Could it be a rare array diagram?


    ¡°Not impossible¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then froze as a word popped into his mind.


    ¡°Could it be... a visualization diagram?¡±

 Chapter 276: The Leader

    Mr. Zhuang had mentioned Visualization Techniques to Mo Hua.In the cultivation world, there was no technique for training spiritual sense; the only method to enhance spiritual sense was through Visualization Techniques.


    Visualization Techniques were extremely rare, even among those from noble families; they were considered secret inheritances.


    The Third Leader, the middle-aged evil array master Mo Hua had seen before.


    For him to become a First Grade Array Master, and even have the potential to break through to Second Grade, he must have had an inheritance of array techniques.


    Moreover, he had been in Heishan Stronghold for many years, killing countless cultivators and looting numerous cultivation resources and inheritances. It wasn¡¯t surprising for him to possess a Visualization Technique.


    Mo Hua was very curious.


    He had long wanted to know what a Visualization Technique was.


    Whether it truly could enhance spiritual sense just by looking at the diagram.


    However, Mr. Zhuang had warned him that Visualization Techniques held unknown dangers, and should not be delved into or relied upon, so Mo Hua had not paid much attention to it before.


    But even if he didn''t use the Visualization Technique to enhance his spiritual sense, it would still be beneficial to take a look and gain some knowledge.


    Perhaps the Third Leader had a Visualization Technique in his possession.


    If it really was a Visualization Technique, and visualizing the diagram could indeed enhance his spiritual sense, he might be able to achieve the spiritual sense needed for Foundation Building earlier and become a Foundation Building cultivator sooner.


    Otherwise, at the current rate of spiritual sense growth, reaching Foundation Building would take too long.


    Mo Hua felt a bit excited, but after thinking it over, he felt somewhat dejected.


    The Third Leader was a Foundation Building cultivator and an evil array master.


    How could he possibly give Mo Hua the opportunity to steal the diagram?


    Not to mention stealing it, it would be extremely dangerous even to hide nearby and take a look with him.


    ¡°Forget it. If one day I can take down Heishan Stronghold, then I¡¯ll think of a way to get that diagram.¡±


    Besides, this was just his speculation.


    What the Third Leader had might not necessarily be a Visualization Technique; it could just be a rare array diagram.


    For now, gathering information was more important.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind and continued to eavesdrop.


    After Scarface finished speaking, the pale-faced man was also a bit stunned and asked, ¡°What kind of diagram is it?¡±


    Scarface was unwilling to answer.


    The pale-faced man continued to pester him, and Scarface couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, cursing:


    ¡°How the hell should I know? Do I have a few heads to look at the Third Leader''s things?¡±


    The pale-faced man was somewhat disappointed but then asked:


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here for so long, have you ever seen the First Leader?¡±


    The pale-faced man had joined the stronghold later and knew less, whereas Scarface had been here longer and had more seniority.


    But speaking of the First Leader, Scarface also shook his head:


    ¡°The First Leader is elusive. Not to mention me, even those who have been here longer than me may not have seen him.¡±


    The pale-faced man asked again, ¡°What about the other leaders?¡±


    Scarface glanced at him, ¡°Why, do you want to become a leader?¡±


    The pale-faced man gave a sheepish smile but thought to himself, isn¡¯t that obvious?


    In Heishan Stronghold, who doesn¡¯t want to become a leader?


    Becoming a leader means wielding immense power, far above that of ordinary evil cultivators, able to do as one pleases.


    A glint of greed flashed in the pale-faced man¡¯s eyes.


    Scarface saw his thoughts and said mockingly, ¡°Let me tell you, so you can weigh whether you¡¯re up to it.¡±


    ¡°To become a leader, you must first be a Foundation Building cultivator.¡±


    ¡°There are several leaders in Heishan Stronghold. The First Leader is enigmatic, and the Second Leader is a cold-blooded killer.¡±


    ¡°The Second Leader hasn¡¯t been seen lately because the First Leader ordered everyone to keep a low profile. The Second Leader, unable to suppress his urge to kill, went to another city to kill people.¡±


    ¡°The Third Leader is an array master. You should know the status of an array master. All the arrays in Heishan Stronghold were set up by him. Besides the First Leader, no one dares to offend him.¡±


    ¡°As for the Fourth Leader, the previous one is dead, and this one is newly promoted. He likes to drink blood. If you provoke him, be careful not to get drained dry.¡±


    Scarface sneered, ¡°Do you think you can replace any of them and become a leader?¡±


    The pale-faced man¡¯s face twitched, but he still put on a brave front, saying:


    ¡°Thirty years east, thirty years west. Who knows what the future holds?¡±


    Scarface snorted coldly, ¡°In thirty years, you might not even be alive.¡±


    Being an evil cultivator in Heishan Stronghold was not a stable job. Not to mention reaching Foundation Building, even living to old age was rare.


    The two men glared at each other and drank their wine in silence. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua pondered quietly.


    He had guessed right; there were indeed four leaders in Heishan Stronghold!


    He had seen the Third and Fourth Leaders.


    The Second Leader was away and hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    The First Leader was elusive, either in seclusion or not in the stronghold.


    In other words, Mo Hua only needed to be wary of the Third and Fourth Leaders.


    Avoiding them would keep him safe.


    The only concern for Mo Hua was the First Leader¡¯s cultivation level.


    Since he was the First Leader, he must be the old evil cultivator who established Heishan Stronghold.


    With so many ruthless evil cultivators under him, his cultivation level must be high.


    It was uncertain whether he was in the mid or late stage of Foundation Building.


    If he was indeed in the mid or late stage, it would be terrifying.


    Elder Yu was only in the early stage of Foundation Building; if they were to fight, how could he win...


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    But this was not something he could worry about. For now, he needed to draw the stronghold map and gather more intelligence.


    Mo Hua began working on the map of Heishan Stronghold.


    Starting from the mountain gate, he marked the roads, houses, the residences of the evil cultivators, and the iron prison where they held cultivators.


    He noted where the arrays were set up and what precautions were needed.


    By analyzing the arrays, he could deduce the layout of the stronghold.


    This way, he could guess the purpose of those tightly sealed places he couldn''t investigate.


    At night, Mo Hua continued to eavesdrop on Scarface and the pale-faced man.


    In Heishan Stronghold, the evil cultivators rarely spoke much.


    These two were exceptions.


    Probably because they were on night guard duty and needed to talk to stave off boredom.


    Mo Hua took advantage of this, hiding nearby to listen for useful information.


    In Heishan Stronghold, dangers lurked everywhere, so Mo Hua couldn¡¯t practice arrays on the Dao Stele at night.


    But by occasionally immersing himself in his sea of consciousness and meditating before the Dao Stele, he could stay energetic even without sleep.


    Moreover, with the Fourth Leader going out to drink blood and the Third Leader staying behind closed doors at night, it was actually the safest time for Mo Hua.


    After chatting for a long time, Scarface and the pale-faced man suddenly started arguing.


    Mo Hua listened closely.


    It turned out Scarface, despite his fierce appearance, practiced an extraction technique.


    The pale-faced man, despite his frail appearance, practiced a technique that borrowed others¡¯ spiritual power to replenish his own.


    The pale-faced man, being lustful, wanted to learn the extraction technique from Scarface to supplement his own Yang energy.


    Scarface ignored him.


    The pale-faced man, embarrassed and angry, taunted, ¡°With your looks, practicing extraction? Aren¡¯t you afraid women will be disgusted?¡±


    Scarface retorted, ¡°With your frail body, what¡¯s the point of learning extraction? Don¡¯t end up exhausting yourself to death.¡±


    They exchanged a few more insults before starting to fight.


    Scarface was a body cultivator, while the pale-faced man was a spiritual cultivator.


    Scarface, relying on his physical strength, tried to get close to the pale-faced man, who used spells to keep him at bay, conjuring and launching fireballs.


    He was also using the Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then felt annoyed:


    ¡°What kind of trash is he, using the same technique as me?¡±


    After watching for a bit longer, he suddenly noticed something interesting.


    The pale-faced man¡¯s Fireball Technique seemed more powerful than his own.


    Though not as fast or accurate as his, the fireball''s color was deeper, and its power was quite formidable.


    It wasn¡¯t a matter of cultivation level.


    A typical ninth-level Qi Refining spiritual cultivator using the Fireball Technique wouldn¡¯t have such power.


    Could the pale-faced man have some secret to his Fireball Technique?

 Chapter 277: Spirit Slave

    Mo Hua grew interested.He scrutinized it a few more times, confirming that the pale-faced man''s Fireball Technique was indeed extraordinary, different from the usual.


    Mo Hua wanted to study it further.


    Scarface and the pale-faced man had already stopped.


    This was Heishan Stronghold; they had to guard the mountain gate. If any mishap occurred due to a moment of discord, they would both lose their lives.


    So even if they fought, it was just a taste, not daring to really go all out.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    He was hoping for them to fight to the death so he could benefit from it.


    But the thunder was loud, the rain was small, and after a few moves, it was over.


    Scarface and the pale-faced man exchanged a few harsh words, then sat together drinking cheap wine as if nothing had happened.


    However, in their eyes, there was now a killing intent.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, still very interested in the pale-faced man''s Fireball Technique.


    He now had life-saving spells, but his offensive spells were lacking.


    The Fireball Technique was quick and accurate, but its power was ordinary.


    If he could learn the secrets of the pale-faced man''s Fireball Technique, he wouldn''t need to learn other spells to enhance his attack methods.


    Mo Hua decided to keep an eye on it, so after the day, he began to follow the pale-faced man.


    He saw the pale-faced man finish his night watch and go straight back to his room.


    The pale-faced man was just an ordinary demonic cultivator; his room was no different from other demonic cultivators, fairly spacious but cluttered, not particularly bloody, with only a large chest in the corner.


    After a night of staying up, the pale-faced man looked exhausted. He rested for a while, then got up to meditate.


    Mo Hua found it strange.


    The pale-faced man seemed to be meditating without using spirit stones.


    Without spirit stones, how could he cultivate? Meditate on air?


    After a while, the pale-faced man opened his eyes, a trace of irritation flashing in them.


    He walked directly to the corner and opened the large chest.


    Mo Hua, lying on the beam, turned his head to look and saw that the chest contained a living cultivator!


    The cultivator was pale and emaciated, cowering in the chest, not daring to make a sound.


    The pale-faced man ordered, "Come out."


    The cultivator, hearing this, looked dazedly around before coming out.


    "Kneel!"


    The cultivator did not resist, obediently kneeling.


    The pale-faced man, seeing the person kneeling before him, looked excited and placed his palm on the cultivator''s forehead.


    The cultivator''s spiritual power began to reverse, flowing from the pale-faced man''s palm into his Qi sea.


    The cultivator seemed accustomed to this, expressionless, not resisting or making a sound, like a piece of wood, enduring the fate of having his spiritual power extracted.


    After a short while, the pale-faced man had absorbed enough spiritual power, his previously pale face now showing some color.


    He patted the cultivator''s face, speaking in a condescending tone:


    "I taught you the cultivation technique. You must cultivate diligently."


    "Remember, I saved your life. Making you a ''spirit slave'' is a mercy. Otherwise, you would have been drained dry by other demonic cultivators long ago."


    "You should be grateful you are still alive because of me!"


    After speaking, the pale-faced man pointed to the chest, "Go back, and don''t make a sound."


    The cultivator, treated as a ''spirit slave,'' returned to the chest, curling up silently inside without making a sound.


    Mo Hua watched with a chill in his heart.


    He now understood that so-called spirit slaves were cultivators used as slaves to be drained of their spiritual power.


    These cultivators were more like walking ''spirit stones'' than people.


    Mo Hua''s small eyebrows furrowed.


    As Elder Yu had said, the cultivators here were indeed beasts.


    After absorbing the spirit slave''s spiritual power, the pale-faced man began to meditate and refine it.


    Spirit stone energy is pure, but a cultivator''s spiritual power varies.


    Refining another cultivator''s spiritual power, though easier and more convenient, could conflict with one''s own, causing aberrations, making it easy to deviate and go mad.


    Therefore, techniques that absorb spiritual power were universally considered evil and forbidden by the Dao Court.


    This was what Zhang Lan had told Mo Hua.


    The pale-faced man, after absorbing the spirit slave''s spiritual power, meditated, his expression constantly changing. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    One moment ferocious, another ecstatic, sometimes mad, sometimes a mix of pain and pleasure.


    After a while, the pale-faced man finished meditating, returning to his pale and frail appearance, though his cultivation level had indeed increased.


    The pale-faced man, in a good mood, took out a book from his storage bag and began to read.


    Mo Hua stole a glance, his heart skipping a beat.


    The book''s cover was partially blocked by the pale-faced man, but the exposed characters read "Fireball."


    The Fireball Technique!


    As expected, this pale-faced man practiced a special Fireball Technique!


    If it were just an ordinary Fireball Technique, he wouldn''t treasure it so much, carrying it with him and studying it often.


    However, he kept the Fireball Technique''s manual with him, making it difficult for Mo Hua to steal.


    It seemed he had to wait for another opportunity.


    Before leaving, Mo Hua glanced again at the corner chest, containing the spirit slave.


    The spirit slave didn''t seem very old, just pale and emaciated from having his spiritual power drained, looking much older.


    Though now expressionless and dazed, he might once have been a bright and kind youth.


    Mo Hua wondered if his parents knew he was trapped in Heishan Stronghold.


    With this thought, Mo Hua sighed.


    Currently, his cultivation was limited, and he couldn''t save him.


    If he ever reached higher cultivation, he would surely kill these evil cultivators one by one!


    Mo Hua angrily thought.


    For the next few days, Mo Hua continued to focus on drawing maps.


    One day, feeling hungry, he went to Heishan Stronghold''s kitchen to find something to eat.


    The kitchen was large and somewhat secluded.


    It was dirty and bloody inside, with all sorts of meat chunks on the tables.


    Mo Hua didn''t know what kind of meat it was, so he didn''t dare eat it.


    He could only steal some wild fruits and pastries to fill his stomach.


    He hadn''t expected to stay in Heishan Stronghold for so long, so he didn''t bring much food in his storage bag.


    Now, with all his supplies gone, he had to make do with the demonic cultivators'' food.


    The wild fruits were sour and astringent, tasting terrible.


    Probably due to the dense poisonous miasma in the mountains and poor soil and water, they couldn''t produce good fruits.


    The pastries were even worse.


    Mo Hua took a bite and nearly spat it out.


    Far worse than what his mother made.


    He missed his mother''s cooking, suddenly realizing he''d been in Heishan Stronghold for several days, worrying his parents with no news.


    Mo Hua thought, "I should have told my parents first to prevent them from worrying."


    But now it was too late to regret.


    He should finish drawing the map, gather information, and return as soon as possible to ease his parents'' worries.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, enduring the strange taste, swallowing the pastry.


    Though it tasted awful, it at least filled his stomach.


    At this time, he couldn''t be picky.


    While eating, he suddenly heard someone talking.


    One was the old man cooking in the kitchen; the other voice sounded familiar to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua peeked from under the table and saw that the other person was the fat cultivator.


    The fat cultivator, who had killed the skinny cultivator and used his head to ask for directions to enter Heishan Stronghold, had only gotten a job delivering meals.


    The old man instructed the fat cultivator, "Take this meal to the young master. Don''t let him starve."


    The fat cultivator nodded.


    Mo Hua, chewing the pastry, suddenly paused.


    "Young master? What young master?"


    Mo Hua frowned.


    "Could it be... the young master from the Kong family?"

 Chapter 278: Young Master Kong

    Young Master Kong from the Kong family¡ªcould it be that Kong Sheng isn''t dead yet?Mo Hua, curious, quietly followed the fat cultivator out, treading lightly behind him.


    The fat cultivator, unaware of his shadow, carried a food box and grumbled in a low voice all the way.


    "I went through so much trouble to get into this Heishan Stronghold, and now I''m just delivering meals."


    "Not letting me learn demonic techniques is one thing, but they don''t even let me do proper tasks. Every day it''s just delivering food to these useless folks."


    "Damn it, a bunch of unappreciative fools..."


    "I had quite a reputation outside..."


    Mo Hua understood that this fat cultivator felt he was being wasted, believing that Heishan Stronghold didn''t recognize his talents. They didn''t let him learn demonic techniques, kill, or plunder, just made him deliver food, which made him resentful.


    Mo Hua silently smirked. As expected, a hopeless case. You can''t get ivory from a dog''s mouth, nor can you carve rotten wood.


    He does nothing proper, only thinks about harming others.


    The fat cultivator kept cursing under his breath as he walked through several paths, rounding a few corners until he reached a secluded house. He knocked on the iron door.


    "Young Master Kong, dinner''s here."


    The fat cultivator said, then dumped the food into a large bowl in front of the door like feeding a pig and pushed the bowl through the door''s gap.


    He was about to leave when a sharp voice came from inside.


    "Don''t go!"


    The fat cultivator frowned. Other demonic cultivators might yell at him, but this young master, a mere piglet, dared to talk to him like this?


    The fat cultivator forced a smile, "Does Young Master Kong have something to say?"


    Kong Sheng quickly asked, "Has there been any word from my father?"


    "That, I wouldn''t know."


    "It''s been so long; he can''t possibly not ransom me."


    Through the iron door, Kong Sheng''s voice sounded anxious.


    "Is it that the spirit stones aren''t enough? I can increase it¡ªsix thousand... no, eight thousand!"


    "As long as you let me out and give me a way to live."


    "Any amount of spirit stones, my father will definitely give you!"


    The mention of spirit stones made the fat cultivator''s eyes light up, "Is Young Master Kong serious?"


    "Absolutely! Absolutely!" Inside, Kong Sheng seemed to be nodding repeatedly, "Just let me out!"


    After a pause, as if recalling something, Kong Sheng asked, "Are you new here?"


    The voice of the food-delivering cultivator sounded unfamiliar to him.


    The fat cultivator''s eyes narrowed slightly, "Yes."


    Kong Sheng thought he understood. Since he was new and delivering food, he must be low-ranked, like a servant in his household.


    Kong Sheng said, "Secretly send a message to my father, and he will reward you generously."


    The word "reward" made the fat cultivator very unhappy.


    He preferred to "take" rather than be "rewarded."


    "Does Young Master have proof?"


    Kong Sheng pushed a jade pendant through the door gap, "This jade pendant, given by my father, is worth five hundred spirit stones. Show it to him, and he''ll understand."


    The fat cultivator took the jade pendant, satisfied, and asked, "What message does Young Master want me to deliver?"


    Kong Sheng lowered his voice, "My father is a Foundation Building cultivator! Tell him to secretly bring people to annihilate this stronghold and kill them all. Once it''s done, you can join the Kong family. I''ll have my father grant you the Kong surname; you can become a steward, no, an elder!"


    Not only Mo Hua but even the fat cultivator was shocked.


    Could someone truly be this foolish?


    What on earth did his father teach him?


    Did he really think his Kong family was invincible and he could act with impunity for life?


    The fat cultivator tucked the jade pendant into his robe, flattering, "Rest assured, Young Master, I''ll definitely deliver the message."


    "Good! Good!" Kong Sheng was overjoyed.


    The fat cultivator sneered, but Kong Sheng couldn''t see it through the door.


    "Young Master Kong, stay put here. Before it''s done, don''t even think about escaping; the demonic cultivators here will surely kill you if they get angry."


    The fat cultivator hypocritically reminded.


    Kong Sheng replied, "Don''t worry, I won''t run. You go quickly."


    The fat cultivator sneered, turned, and walked away, spitting at the door midway and muttering:


    "What a fool, damn it!"


    Mo Hua watched him, knowing he would pocket the jade pendant and do nothing, gaining five hundred spirit stones for free.


    Mo Hua shook his head, climbed the wall silently, and, seeing no one around, disabled the array on the roof, removed a tile, and peeked inside.


    The room was simple and shabby.


    At the door stood a young cultivator, dressed in luxurious but now tattered clothes, looking like he had been through a lot. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This must be Kong Sheng, the young master of the Kong family.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but mutter:


    "Good people don''t live long; mischief lasts for a thousand years. How does this Kong Sheng have such luck, being so foolish yet surviving among demonic cultivators?"


    Then he sighed, wondering what the Kong family taught him, for his mind to be so muddled?


    Still thinking of bribing demonic cultivators with spirit stones to make them do his bidding.


    They were kind enough to give him food and keep him alive.


    Mo Hua murmured, watching Kong Sheng suddenly throw a fit.


    Kong Sheng picked up the food bowl, ate a few bites, then pretended to vomit but forced it down.


    Then a surge of anger and frustration overtook him.


    He started smashing and throwing things, lashing out with fists and feet, his face contorted in rage, cursing:


    "All should die! Damn it, they all should die!"


    "What are they, stepping on my head? I still have to ask them for help? Damn it!"


    He seemed to recall the numerous humiliations, the times he knelt and begged for mercy, proclaiming himself the young master of the Kong family, seeking their pity.


    Remembering the mocking and ridicule from the demonic cultivators.


    Kong Sheng''s eyes reddened, growling:


    "It''s all that Ji bastard father and son!"


    "If you hadn''t provoked me, I wouldn''t have sought revenge, wouldn''t have left the city, wouldn''t be in this mess!"


    "And that slut Fu Lan, just a pretty face! Acting pure! How dare she defy me!"


    "Once I have you, I''ll make you wish you were dead!"


    "These demonic cultivators too, humiliating me like this, looking down on me¡ªyou all will die!"


    "You all will die!"


    Kong Sheng''s expression was hysterical.


    Mo Hua listened, frowning gradually.


    Clearly, he had done wrong himself, yet he always blamed others.


    And his vengeful nature, such malice.


    "Seems before leaving, I should find a way to keep Kong Sheng here in Heishan Stronghold forever."


    Mo Hua silently pondered.


    Evil should stay where evil belongs.


    Kong Sheng and Heishan Stronghold were quite a match.


    But first, he needed to finish drawing the map.


    Two days later, with most of the map completed, Mo Hua felt a bit hungry and went to the stronghold''s kitchen to eat.


    While eating, he heard the old cook scolding the fat cultivator.


    "The pastries for the third master were stolen... you were supposed to watch them, but you didn''t. Can''t even handle such a small task, what use are you?"


    Third master''s pastries?


    Mo Hua paused, looking at the half-eaten pastry in his hand.


    These were for the third master?


    No wonder...


    He found them not as bad as usual and ate a bit more.


    Meanwhile, the old cook kept scolding.


    He was seasoned and grumpy, his harsh words making the fat cultivator''s head spin.


    The fat cultivator didn''t dare argue back.


    The old cook, after finishing his tirade, left with a cold snort.


    The fat cultivator stood there, his eyes twitching with anger, cursing:


    "Whoever stole, if I catch you, I''ll make you wish you were dead!"


    Mo Hua, still eating the pastry, paused and then slowly licked his lips, a cold glint in his eyes.


    A bastard?


    Wishing me dead?


    "Not only cursing me but wanting me dead?"


    Mo Hua silently watched the fat cultivator, his mind racing, contemplating whether to kill this fat man first.

 Chapter 279: The Tiger Demon

    Kong Sheng wasn''t in a hurry, knowing that the other wouldn''t be able to escape.The fat cultivator was keeping a close watch on the kitchen. Now that he was on guard, it was difficult for Mo Hua to sneak in for food.


    Moreover, Kong Sheng wanted that jade pendant. However, he needed to be discreet and thorough in his actions, ensuring no loose ends.


    Mo Hua began observing the fat cultivator for a day, quickly formulating a plan.


    The fat cultivator was delivering food to both the demonic cultivators and a demonic beast.


    This beast was a tiger demon, at the late stage of First Grade, kept in a separate room and restrained by chains.


    The chains were inscribed with an array, immobilizing the tiger demon.


    Tigers were among the most powerful demonic beasts on Dahei Mountain. Without the array, they were extremely dangerous.


    This particular tiger demon was unique, with a mix of black and white stripes and a distinctive "king" pattern on its forehead.


    Its unusual bloodline was likely why the demonic cultivators had captured and locked it in Heishan Stronghold.


    Mo Hua wasn''t sure what the tiger demon was being used for.


    Every noon, the fat cultivator fed the tiger demon.


    However, the portions were always small, likely to prevent the tiger demon from regaining its strength and breaking free.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua smiled, thinking, "If they won''t feed it, I will."


    He picked some jerky from the kitchen, stuffed it into his storage bag, and sneaked into the tiger demon''s cell.


    The starving tiger demon lay weakly on the ground. Seeing the pieces of meat appear out of nowhere, though dry and hard, it couldn''t resist tearing into them.


    After finishing the meat quickly, it licked its fangs, unsatisfied.


    Mo Hua tossed more meat in front of it.


    The tiger demon stared ahead, sensing a cultivator''s presence but seeing no one.


    Driven by hunger, it ate all the meat.


    Then it noticed the cultivator''s presence vanish.


    The tiger demon let out a low growl.


    Now partially full, its strength began to return, though still bound by the chains and array.


    Its eyes flashed with a sharp light, but it lay back down, pretending to be weak.


    From a distance, Mo Hua couldn''t help but admire the tiger demon''s intelligence.


    The next day, the fat cultivator returned to feed it, looking displeased.


    He had been scolded again.


    First, it was the pastries that went missing, now even the meat was gone.


    The fat cultivator couldn''t understand who dared steal food in Heishan Stronghold.


    Despite his thorough investigation, he found no clues. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides himself and the old man, there was no one else in the kitchen.


    No one stole, so was it a ghost?


    The fat cultivator sneered but then frowned, a thought crossing his mind.


    "Could it be Concealment Technique?"


    The only way to avoid detection would be using Concealment Technique.


    But he shook his head.


    Learning Concealment Technique wasn''t easy, and it was unlikely anyone in Heishan Stronghold could master it.


    Even if they did, a cultivator using Concealment Technique couldn''t completely hide from spiritual sense.


    He had encountered hidden cultivators before; while they could escape the eyes, they couldn''t evade spiritual sense. With his combat experience, he could quickly expose and kill them.


    The fat cultivator was confident that no one using Concealment Technique could evade his spiritual sense and steal food under his nose.


    So what was happening? Who was stealing from the kitchen?


    As he fed the tiger demon, he pondered over the mystery.


    He failed to notice a small white hand in the shadows, meticulously dismantling the array patterns on the binding chains.


    The fat cultivator didn''t sense it, but the tiger demon''s spirit lifted. It felt the array weakening, and its peripheral vision caught sight of new patterns forming on the chains, signaling the array''s impending failure.


    The tiger demon''s eyes gleamed, but it kept its head down, pretending to be feeble while eating the meager food.


    The fat cultivator was still mulling over the puzzle.


    The more he thought, the more frustrated he became.


    "Damn it!" he cursed, slapping the tiger demon''s head in anger. "Serving people is one thing, but now I have to serve you too!"


    He often vented his frustrations on the tiger demon.


    Since it was bound by the array, it couldn''t fight back, so he felt it was harmless to hit it.


    As he turned to leave, he noticed something was off.


    The ground beneath his feet seemed shadowed, and a fierce, ominous aura emanated from behind him.


    The fat cultivator''s eyes widened.


    He glanced back and saw the tiger demon, now standing, opening its jaws towards his head.


    His heart pounded in terror.


    "How did this beast break free?!"


    Fearful, the fat cultivator activated his movement technique, sprinting forward.


    The tiger demon''s bite missed, its limbs stiff from long confinement, giving the fat cultivator a chance to escape.


    Relieved, the fat cultivator steadied himself.


    But the tiger demon, enraged, charged at him, swiping its paw.


    Prepared now, the fat cultivator narrowly dodged, engaging in a fierce battle.


    As a demonic cultivator, he was skilled in evasion.


    After a few exchanges, he regained his composure.


    Both he and the tiger demon were at the late stage of First Grade.


    Even if he couldn''t defeat it, he could certainly hold his own for a while.


    Moreover, the tiger demon had been weakened from long hunger and confinement.


    With this realization, the fat cultivator felt more confident, smirking, "Beast, I''ll make you suffer for this later!"


    Even if the tiger demon escaped the chains, it couldn''t leave Heishan Stronghold. It would fall into his hands eventually.


    Then, he wouldn''t be so kind.


    The tiger demon''s fury intensified its attacks, but the fat cultivator became more composed.


    Observing from the shadows, Mo Hua assessed the fat cultivator''s strength.


    His cultivation was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, close to the peak, with exceptional movement skills. He practiced a First Grade technique called Golden Light Fist.


    As a demonic cultivator with years of battle experience, he was formidable.


    Though weaker than Mo Shan, he was stronger than most Qi Refining demon hunters.


    The fat cultivator wasn''t underestimated for his lack of trust and new arrival.


    In terms of cultivation, he was above average among demonic cultivators.


    Mo Hua nodded silently.


    This implied that demonic cultivators, on average, were stronger than demon hunters.


    But demon hunters had First Grade iron armor and broadswords, making them evenly matched in combat.


    Satisfied with his analysis, Mo Hua decided the fat cultivator was no longer useful.


    Extending his small hand, he prepared to use Water Prison Technique to restrain the fat cultivator, giving the tiger demon a feast.

 Chapter 280: Old Acquaintance

    The battle inside the room continued.The fat cultivator did not intend to leave, nor did he think of calling for help.


    The tiger demon had been starved for a long time and had a lot of blood drawn, severely weakening its strength. He thought he could subdue the tiger demon with his own cultivation.


    Being new here, if people found out he made a mistake and let the tiger demon break free from its chains, he would certainly be blamed and scolded.


    So, not alerting others and subduing the tiger demon was the best approach.


    But as the fight dragged on, the fat cultivator realized that if this continued, it would be good enough if he didn''t fall prey to the tiger, let alone subdue it.


    The tiger demon was much stronger than he had anticipated.


    A doubt arose in the fat cultivator''s heart.


    Why was the tiger demon''s blood energy still so strong after being starved for so long?


    After a few more exchanges, the tiger demon not only showed no signs of fatigue but became even more ferocious. The fat cultivator suddenly realized:


    "Something''s wrong!"


    "Someone fed the tiger demon!"


    A chill surged up from the fat cultivator''s heart. Who could have fed the tiger demon right under his nose?


    After thinking for a moment, the fat cultivator felt a cold sweat break out.


    He remembered the missing pastries from the kitchen and the dried meat that had disappeared.


    Someone had stolen the pastries, fed the tiger demon, and even unlocked its chains.


    And this person was invisible to him!


    Was it a highly skilled concealment technique?


    The fat cultivator glanced at the chains binding the demon, his heart pounding.


    When he had entered the room, the chains were still intact. In just a short while, they had been unlocked.


    And he hadn''t noticed a thing.


    This meant that the invisible cultivator''s skills were extremely profound, their spiritual sense unfathomable, and their methods elusive.


    And right now, this terrifying cultivator was in the room!


    Perhaps watching him fight the tiger demon with a mocking expression.


    Cold sweat poured down the fat cultivator''s face.


    He had to run!


    If he didn''t run, he would surely die!


    The fat cultivator made a swift decision, dodged the tiger demon''s claws, and retreated, sprinting towards the door.


    But it was already too late.


    An evil little hand extended from the Mo Hua in the corner, making a gentle grasping motion towards him.


    Spiritual power instantly gathered, forming several chains that bound him tightly in layers, trapping him completely!


    The fat cultivator felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his face turning pale.


    What kind of spell was this?!


    What in the world was this spell?!


    Before he could think further, the tiger demon pounced, biting his shoulder.


    The fat cultivator struggled desperately, still trying to run towards the door.


    But the second Water Prison Technique locked him in place again, making him unable to move.


    The tiger demon opened its mouth again, biting through his neck.


    The fat cultivator knew he was doomed.


    A formidable enemy lay in ambush, a fierce tiger fought openly, and at this moment, he had fallen into the tiger''s jaws.


    In his life, he had always deceived others, but this was the first time he had been tricked.


    But just this one time, and it cost him his life.


    He turned his head laboriously, looking towards the corner of the room, wanting to know who had tricked him.


    But the corner was empty, not a single shadow.


    He knew someone was there, but he just couldn''t see them.


    The fat cultivator spat out a mouthful of blood and died with his eyes open in disbelief.


    Until his death, he did not know who had trapped him, nor did he know what the person who had killed him looked like.


    The tiger demon, having killed the fat cultivator, took a few more bites to ensure he was completely dead, then discarded him disdainfully.


    The tiger demon not only did not eat the fat cultivator''s flesh but even spat out the blood in its mouth.


    Mo Hua found this curious.


    This big tiger demon did not eat humans?


    Was it because the fat cultivator tasted bad, or was it because his heart was evil, so his meat was also unclean?


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment but couldn''t figure it out, so he decided to ignore it and focus on the important matters.


    He concealed himself and walked up to the fat cultivator, opening his storage bag and taking out the jade pendant given to him by Kong Sheng.


    To avoid being discovered, Mo Hua took nothing else.


    But this jade pendant was only known to Kong Sheng and the fat cultivator, so even if Mo Hua took it, no one would know.


    Mo Hua put the jade pendant into his storage bag.


    This jade pendant was valuable. According to Kong Sheng, it was worth more than five hundred spirit stones.


    But Mo Hua didn''t plan to exchange it for spirit stones.


    This jade pendant was something Kong Sheng carried close to him, with the character "Kong" engraved on it. It was an item of the Kong family''s direct lineage. Mo Hua intended to keep it, thinking it might be useful in the future.


    After securing the jade pendant, Mo Hua noticed the tiger demon looking at him.


    Or perhaps not looking.


    The tiger demon couldn''t see through Mo Hua''s concealment technique, only sensing his presence, so it stared at his position.


    And it seemed to have no malice.


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Could it be that the tiger demon was grateful for the food he had given it?


    But this didn''t seem like something a demonic beast would do. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    According to veteran demon hunters, demonic beasts were naturally hostile to humans, even if they didn''t eat people, they would still want to kill them.


    Mo Hua stared at the demonic beast''s eyes for a while, suddenly realizing:


    "Could it be recognizing me?"


    Mo Hua released his spiritual sense, ensuring there was no one else around, and revealed himself briefly.


    The tiger demon''s eyes lit up when it saw him, letting out a low growl.


    This growl sounded like both a "roar" and a "meow," resembling both a tiger and a cat.


    A cat?


    Mo Hua was stunned, then examined the tiger demon more closely, feeling increasingly familiar, finally realizing:


    "Could it be that little cat demon..."


    Uncle Chu once caught a young cat demon in a trap. Mo Hua had fed it dried fish, used it to practice his body techniques, and eventually released it back into the Dahei Mountain, reminding it "not to eat humans."


    He never expected that the little cat demon would turn out to be a tiger demon.


    And it had grown so big, looking like a full-grown tiger now.


    But what kind of tiger demon was this? It looked strange, like a mix between a tiger and a cat. Mo Hua had never seen anything like it in Dahei Mountain before.


    Mo Hua wanted to reminisce, but suddenly remembered that this was a demonic beast, probably unable to understand what he was saying.


    And demonic beasts were hard to tame. Even if it appeared docile now, it might one day lose its temper and eat him in one bite.


    Mo Hua sighed, thought for a moment, took out a few pieces of dried meat from his storage bag, and threw them to the tiger demon as a "greeting gift."


    The tiger demon held the dried meat, chewing loudly.


    Demonic beasts shouldn''t understand human language. Whether it remembered Mo Hua''s "reminder" or had a special disposition, it wasn''t eating human flesh now.


    Mo Hua was about to say something when he sensed someone approaching.


    The fat cultivator was dead, but the noise from his fight with the tiger demon seemed to have attracted the attention of the evil cultivators.


    Several evil cultivators were heading this way.


    Mo Hua quickly used his concealment technique, walked up the wall in a few steps, and quietly lay on the beam.


    The tiger demon also sensed the movement, quickly finished the dried meat, walked back to its original spot, and even put its paw back into the chains.


    Then it lowered its head, lying on the ground, looking listless.


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    Had this tiger demon gained enlightenment?


    How could it be so clever? It was even better at acting than he was!


    Before long, two evil cultivators, one tall and one short, entered the room.


    As soon as they entered, they saw the bloodstains on the ground and the fat cultivator''s body nearby.


    The short evil cultivator said, "No problem, just a dead man."


    The tall evil cultivator walked up, kicked the fat cultivator''s body, and said in confusion, "How could he be bitten to death by a tiger?"


    "Newcomer, probably careless."


    "Useless trash."


    The tall evil cultivator looked around, puzzled, "Something''s not right. This tiger demon was chained up, unable to move. How did the fat guy die so far away?"


    "Probably got bitten while feeding it, then crawled away, leaving blood everywhere."


    "Damn it, can''t even die properly, making such a mess for us to clean."


    The tall evil cultivator cursed, then asked, "What now? Should we kill the demon beast?"


    The short evil cultivator sneered, "Do you dare?"


    "What? This demon beast can''t be killed?" The tall evil cultivator was surprised.


    The short evil cultivator glanced at him, saying calmly:


    "This demon beast has a special bloodline. The fourth master is keeping it for its blood. If you kill it, the fourth master will kill you."

 Chapter 281: Rage

    The tall demonic cultivator was startled by what he heard and shook his head.He wouldn''t dare provoke the Fourth Leader''s bad luck.


    "So this fat man is just dead then."


    He then asked, "Should we just feed him directly to save some trouble?"


    "If this demonic beast wanted to eat humans, it would have done so already. It¡¯s very picky and doesn¡¯t eat human flesh."


    "How strange," the tall demonic cultivator said in surprise.


    "Indeed."


    The two demonic cultivators threw the fat man''s corpse out and began cleaning the bloodstains in the room.


    Soon, they discovered the array on the demon-binding chains seemed dimmer than usual.


    The tall demonic cultivator frowned and said, "Is the array broken? Or did someone tamper with it?"


    Hearing this, Mo Hua, who was hiding in the rafters, was startled and considered whether to eliminate these two demonic cultivators as well.


    He had tampered with many arrays in Heishan Stronghold.


    Generally, an array master would not check an array unless it malfunctioned. After all, there were so many arrays in Heishan Stronghold that it was impossible to check them all.


    But if these two demonic cultivators found out that the array had been tampered with and reported it to the Third Leader, the demonic cultivators would conduct a thorough investigation and discover the traces Mo Hua left while breaking the array.


    Even if they couldn''t see Mo Hua, they would increase their vigilance.


    This would make it much harder for Mo Hua to gather information.


    Mo Hua weighed the strength of the two demonic cultivators, considering whether he could eliminate them right here.


    If he couldn''t do it alone, he still had the big tiger.


    If he and the big tiger worked together, striking from the shadows, killing one first and then dealing with the other, they could likely succeed.


    The short demonic cultivator also looked at the array and asked, "Do you understand arrays?"


    "No," the tall demonic cultivator shook his head.


    "Then why are you talking like you do?"


    "But this array does seem a bit off."


    "How could it be different?" the short demonic cultivator retorted, "An array is an array. They all look the same to me."


    "How can they be the same?" the tall demonic cultivator was still confused.


    The short demonic cultivator cursed under his breath, "Use your brain for a moment. If this array had really malfunctioned, would this tiger demon be lying here so quietly?"


    The tall demonic cultivator was taken aback but then nodded, "That makes sense."


    He glanced at the tiger demon.


    The tiger demon was lying quietly with its head drooping, looking very weak.


    The tall demonic cultivator couldn¡¯t help but say, "This demon beast seems quite docile. Why would it suddenly bite the fat man to death?"


    "Probably the fat man did something to provoke the beast, which made it angry and cost him his life. Such things happen often. Newcomers don''t know their limits..."


    The tall demonic cultivator nodded.


    After that, the two stopped chatting and focused on cleaning the bloodstains on the floor.


    Seeing that they weren¡¯t dwelling on the array, Mo Hua was relieved.


    Fortunately, these two were "array blind" and knew nothing about arrays, or it would have taken more effort.


    Mo Hua glanced at the big tiger and thought to himself, "You''re on your own now. I''ve helped you as much as I can. Whether you can escape or not is up to you."


    The tiger demon let out a soft "huff" as if it had really heard Mo Hua''s thoughts.


    Mo Hua shook his head. This big tiger was too clever. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After another day passed, with most tasks completed, Mo Hua considered whether to return.


    The fat cultivator was dead, Kong Sheng''s jade pendant was in hand, the map of Heishan Stronghold was mostly drawn, and some intelligence had been gathered.


    More confidential information was probably unknown even to the demonic cultivators in the front stronghold, and Mo Hua didn''t dare venture into the back stronghold.


    It was about time to wrap things up.


    However, there was one more thing that Mo Hua was conflicted about.


    It was the Fireball Technique manual of the pale-faced man.


    He had been eyeing the pale-faced man for days, wanting to steal his manual, copy it, and then return it without anyone noticing.


    But after several days, he hadn''t found any opportunity.


    The pale-faced man always kept his storage bag close and treated the Fireball Technique manual like a treasure.


    Then there was Kong Sheng. Killing him was easy, but doing so without leaving any traces was difficult.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    It seemed he would have to think of another way in the future.


    At night, the scar-faced man and the pale-faced man were still on night watch, sitting around the fire, roasting meat, drinking terrible wine.


    Mo Hua remained hidden nearby, listening.


    He planned to go home the next day and was hoping to overhear some new information tonight.


    The scar-faced man and the pale-faced man chatted while drinking.


    Their conversation was either complaints, dirty jokes, or meaningless nonsense.


    There was no new information.


    Mo Hua was getting drowsy when he heard the two start discussing their demonic cultivation techniques.


    The pale-faced man first sighed, "My ''spirit slave'' died. It''s really unlucky. I have to train another one."


    The scar-faced man sneered, "Did you overdo it?"


    "No matter how much I overdid it, it couldn''t be worse than you," the pale-faced man retorted, "What have you done to your ''furnace''?"


    "At least mine isn''t dead."


    "Living a life worse than death might be better off dead."


    "Feeling sympathetic?" the scar-faced man looked at him mockingly.


    The pale-faced man replied, "Unlike you, I know how to cherish beauty. If I practiced the extraction method, I would treat her well..."


    The scar-faced man sneered, "What nonsense are you spouting?"


    The pale-faced man wasn¡¯t offended, wearing a lecherous grin. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Isn''t this woman supposed to have a dao companion? How could she willingly let you use her for extraction?"


    The scar-faced man laughed, "I threatened her with her husband. If she didn''t comply, I would ensure her husband suffered a terrible fate."


    "For her husband''s sake, she had no choice but to obey me, pleading with me every time not to torment her husband."


    The pale-faced man also laughed, "You''re a real beast."


    The scar-faced man''s eyes gleamed with greed as he grinned.


    The pale-faced man took a sip of wine and suddenly exclaimed, "Wait a minute, isn''t her husband already dead, cut down by you?"


    The scar-faced man laughed heartily, "Exactly."


    "You''re truly ruthless..."


    ...


    Mo Hua''s expression grew colder. He couldn''t listen any longer.


    He stood up and walked along the dark path to a corner of Heishan Stronghold, where some crude houses stood, holding a few innocent cultivators captive.


    There weren''t many female cultivators left alive in Heishan Stronghold. After searching a few rooms, Mo Hua found the woman the scar-faced man had mentioned.


    She was locked in a room alone.


    The room was simple, with basic food supplies. She wasn''t chained, not restricted, just unable to leave.


    The night was dark, and the cold moonlight shone through the window into the room.


    The woman lay on the bed, hair disheveled, clothes tattered, body covered in bruises, looking frail and pitiful.


    She wasn''t crying, as if her tears had long dried up.


    Suddenly, she slowly got up, took a wooden hairpin from beside the bed, and aimed it at her heart. But then, thinking of something, her hands trembled, unable to make the final move.


    After a while, she seemed to resign herself and lay back down, clutching a sachet tightly in her hand, her knuckles white.


    The sachet was embroidered with a pair of brocade mandarin ducks.


    Mo Hua remembered his mother telling him this was a token of love between dao companions.


    She must be worried about her husband''s safety.


    Despite the torture, despite losing her dignity, she was still holding on to life.


    But her husband was already dead, and her future held only endless torment and pain.


    Her perseverance was merely to endure more suffering.


    Mo Hua wanted to save her, but he couldn¡¯t.


    His cultivation wasn''t strong enough, his spells not powerful enough. He could hide, he could trap enemies, but he wasn¡¯t good at killing.


    If he went to find help, it would take too long.


    This woman couldn''t hold on until then.


    Mo Hua felt a bit downhearted and sighed, then softly spoke, "Your husband is already dead."


    The woman was startled, "Really?"


    Her voice was hoarse but not surprised. Perhaps a husband and wife share a heart. Maybe she had already felt it but didn''t want to admit it, still clinging to a sliver of hope.


    "The scar-faced man said it himself."


    "Is that so..." The tears she had long run dry began to flow again.


    "Already... dead."


    The room was silent. The woman''s sobs made no sound.


    "Thank you."


    She spoke slowly, not knowing who was speaking to her, but the voice was tender, like a child''s.


    Why would a child be in this place?


    This filthy, terrible place.


    Maybe it was a boy under an immortal, unable to bear seeing her suffer and so told her the truth.


    Were there really immortals in this world?


    If there were, I wouldn¡¯t ask for rescue from this hell, only that those who deserve it should fall into the depths of it.


    The woman silently wished, then clutched


    the sachet in her left hand and drove the wooden hairpin into her heart with her right.


    Blood stained her clothes, like poppies in the night.


    With a look of peace and relief, the woman slowly closed her eyes.


    "Husband, this life has been too bitter. If there is another life, let''s become dao companions again."


    Before closing her eyes, she murmured in her heart.


    Mo Hua silently watched, his face saddened, then anger welled up within him.


    In this world, those who should die still live, and those who should live well die tragically.


    The moonlight was cold, and Mo Hua''s gaze was even colder.


    He made up his mind. Before going back, he would first kill that scar-faced man!

 Chapter 282: Chain Reactions

    The next day, Scarface found that the ''furnace'' he used for his energy extraction had died.Scarface couldn''t believe it.


    It was fine before, so why would she suddenly end her own life?


    Scarface was both furious and agitated.


    He was at a crucial point in his cultivation and needed to perform energy extraction daily, or his sinister technique would backfire.


    In the short term, it would merely cause an excess of demonic fire and irritability.


    But over a longer period, the backlash would intensify, causing either spiritual power disorder or complete loss of sanity.


    He needed to find another woman to serve as his furnace!


    But in this desolate Dahei Mountain, where could he find a woman for energy extraction?


    A few days ago, the head of the stronghold had already sent word to keep a low profile and avoid trouble outside to avoid attracting attention.


    With already few furnaces, now it was even more impossible.


    Scarface had no choice but to find a way to suppress his demonic fire and desires to prevent losing his sanity.


    On the right side of Heishan Stronghold, there was a waterfall.


    The water from the waterfall flowed down from the mountain like a white ribbon, falling into the stronghold and then into the abyss below.


    The water of the waterfall was bone-chillingly cold.


    Seeing no one around, Scarface took off his Dao robe and storage bag, placed them aside, and meditated under the waterfall, using the cold to suppress his demonic fire.


    But this method was only a temporary fix.


    The unbearable heat within him still made him feel as if he was burning with desire.


    His temperament grew increasingly irritable and violent, so he didn''t notice his clothes and storage bag being quietly taken by the concealed Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua carefully put away Scarface''s storage bag and threw his Dao robe near the edge of the cliff by the waterfall.


    The cliff led to a deep abyss; falling down would mean certain death.


    Then Mo Hua patiently waited nearby.


    About half an hour later, Scarface opened his eyes under the waterfall. Feeling the demonic fire subside slightly, he got up to leave, only to find his Dao robe and storage bag gone.


    Scarface frowned, looking around, and saw his Dao robe at the edge of the waterfall.


    "Was it washed away by the water?"


    Scarface thought irritably.


    He approached the waterfall and picked up his Dao robe.


    At that moment, Mo Hua focused, and with a flick of his fingers, launched three Fireball Techniques.


    The three Fireball Techniques were fast and accurate.


    The first fireball hit Scarface in the face, taking him by surprise; the second hit his chest, causing him to lose balance; and the third struck his knee, aiming to make him slip off the cliff and fall to his death.


    The fireballs exploded in succession, catching Scarface off guard.


    As Mo Hua anticipated, Scarface was first shocked, then stumbled backward repeatedly, finally slipping and falling toward the waterfall.


    Just when Mo Hua thought he was dead for sure.


    A pair of hands suddenly appeared on the cliff.


    Scarface, in the nick of time, grabbed the edge of the cliff with both hands, his fingers digging into the rock. Though he slipped, he didn''t fall.


    Scarface was a body cultivator with a strong physique. With a forceful pull, he leaped back up from the waterfall.


    His eyes turned blood-red with fury.


    "Who dares to ambush me?"


    "Get out here!"


    Scarface roared furiously, but Mo Hua remained hidden.


    Feeling a bit regretful for not finishing Scarface off, Mo Hua still knew this was just the first step; if this plan failed, there were more to come.


    Mo Hua quietly left with Scarface''s storage bag.


    Scarface continued cursing at the scene.


    He released his spiritual sense, scanning the waterfall, rocks, and woods but found no trace of anyone. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "What¡¯s going on? Where is the person?"


    Scarface looked puzzled, growing angrier as he thought.


    "Who the hell is trying to ambush me?"


    Suddenly, a thought struck him.


    Fireball Technique?


    Among those he knew, only one person used the Fireball Technique.


    The pale-faced man who guarded the night with him.


    "That bastard, he wants to kill me?!"


    But why?


    Furious, Scarface quickly figured out the reason:


    Energy extraction technique!


    The pale-faced man had repeatedly asked him for the energy extraction technique, but he never gave it.


    In this desolate Dahei Mountain, it was not easy to capture a female cultivator as a furnace.


    In Heishan Stronghold, he wasn''t the only one practicing energy extraction; with many monks and few furnaces, reducing one competitor was always good.


    He would never give the energy extraction technique to the pale-faced man.


    This time, the pale-faced man''s ''spiritual slave'' died, so he wanted to switch to energy extraction and targeted him.


    Ambushing him with the Fireball Technique to make him fall off the cliff and then seizing his storage bag.


    And inside his storage bag was the energy extraction technique!


    Scarface suddenly understood everything.


    "That bastard wants to kill me!"


    Already inflamed with demonic fire, Scarface, now even angrier, didn''t realize that the ambush''s Fireball Technique was faster and more accurate than the pale-faced man''s, but much weaker in power.


    Enraged, Scarface cursed:


    "Daring to plot against me, you''re really courting death!"


    Suppressing his anger, Scarface gloomily headed back to the stronghold.


    Ahead, Mo Hua placed Scarface''s storage bag at the pale-faced man''s door and knocked.


    The pale-faced man was meditating inside.


    Without his spiritual slave, his cultivation was extremely slow. Hearing the knock, he frowned and asked, "Who is it?"


    Mo Hua knocked again but said nothing.


    The pale-faced man got up, opened the door, and found a storage bag at the door.


    "Whose storage bag is this? Why is it here?"


    A cultivator''s storage bag was an important item, always kept close. It wouldn''t be casually discarded.


    Could it be a trap?


    The pale-faced man, cautious, looked around but saw no one.


    He looked down at the storage bag again and saw that the bag''s opening was slightly open, revealing spirit stones and a book inside, titled "Energy Extraction."


    The pale-faced man was stunned, then overjoyed.


    He was distressed about losing his spiritual slave and having trouble finding another, and desperate for the energy extraction technique. Unexpectedly, here it was, without any effort.


    Fortune favors the bold.


    Feeling no guilt, the pale-faced man picked up the storage bag, took out the energy extraction book, and was about to read it when he saw Scarface approaching with a dark expression, eyes fixed on the storage bag in his hand.


    The pale-faced man hesitated, then asked:


    "Is this storage bag yours?"


    Scarface nodded, cursing inwardly:


    "Still playing dumb with me? Coward who dares not admit!"


    Suppressing his anger, Scarface asked, "How did it end up in your hands?"


    The pale-faced man answered truthfully, "It was at my door, so I picked it up."


    Scarface''s eyelids twitched.


    Lying so blatantly, does he think I''m a fool?


    "Give it to me," Scarface demanded.


    The pale-faced man smiled, "I will, but I want to look at the energy extraction technique first."


    Scarface nodded, "Okay."


    As Scarface approached to take the storage bag, the pale-faced man, suspecting nothing, put the energy extraction book in his pocket and handed over the bag.


    The moment Scarface took the bag, he suddenly attacked, his claw-like hands swift and lethal.


    His iron-hard fingers, wrapped in a sinister green spiritual power, pierced the pale-faced man''s heart and then ripped downward, tearing flesh and spilling blood.


    The pale-faced man''s face showed disbelief.


    As he tried to counterattack, raising his hand to cast a spell, Scarface grabbed his throat.


    The pale-faced man rasped, "Why... kill me?"


    Scarface, even angrier, said, "Still playing dumb at death''s door?"


    With a forceful grip, Scarface''s fingers pierced the pale-faced man''s throat, killing him instantly.

 Chapter 283: Feeding the Pigs

    The scar-faced man killed decisively, but Mo Hua found it troublesome to watch.Although spirit cultivators are at a disadvantage when close to body cultivators, this pale-faced man was too weak.


    Couldn''t he sense the obvious killing intent from the scar-faced man? And he was a demonic cultivator, supposedly more experienced than a child like Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sighed. He initially intended to use the storage bag to provoke a fight between the two, allowing him to reap the benefits.


    Even if they didn''t kill each other, at least they would both be severely injured, allowing Mo Hua to swoop in for the final blow.


    But he didn''t expect the pale-faced man to be so useless, easily allowing the scar-faced man to get close and kill him.


    With such low vigilance, what kind of spirit cultivator was he?


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but grumble inwardly.


    After killing the pale-faced man, the scar-faced man took the book on the Extraction Technique from his body, tossed him into the house, spat, and left.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up; the scar-faced man didn''t take the pale-faced man''s storage bag?


    Could it be that the demonic fire had clouded his mind?


    "If you don''t take it, I won''t be polite," Mo Hua thought.


    He sneaked into the house and put the pale-faced man''s storage bag into his own. Inside was the Fireball Technique manual he had been yearning for.


    With this manual, his Fireball Technique might become even more powerful.


    It wasn''t a total loss.


    Mo Hua stored the bag and quickly climbed onto the beam.


    After a while, the scar-faced man returned, searched the pale-faced man''s body but couldn''t find the storage bag.


    "Did I remember wrong? He clearly had it on him..." The scar-faced man frowned, pondered for a moment, then grew impatient and said, "Forget it, there''s nothing valuable anyway."


    He turned around and ransacked the house, collecting some spirit stones and tools before leaving, leaving the pale-faced man dead on the floor.


    Mo Hua sighed, "What''s the use of being a demonic cultivator? No one even takes care of your corpse when you die."


    But it was his own fault, so Mo Hua didn''t sympathize with him.


    "This scar-faced man is really hard to kill," Mo Hua thought again.


    He had plotted twice, yet the scar-faced man remained unscathed, proving he was indeed a seasoned demonic cultivator.


    Facing him directly, Mo Hua had no confidence.


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on the beam, thinking for a while, then remembered Kong Sheng.


    Kong Sheng was also someone he had to deal with eventually.


    Mo Hua thought for a while, then stealthily moved to the house where Kong Sheng was imprisoned.


    Kong Sheng was still mad, occasionally throwing fits, growling about killing this person and that.


    Mo Hua sat on the roof, patiently waiting for the scar-faced man to pass by.


    The roads in Heishan Stronghold crisscrossed and seemed complicated, but there were intersections.


    The scar-faced man, on his night watch, would inevitably pass this road.


    After waiting for a long time, as night fell, Mo Hua sensed the scar-faced man''s presence in the distance.


    After killing the pale-faced man, the scar-faced man had to guard alone tonight.


    Mo Hua wasn''t sure if Heishan Stronghold had any rules, whether the scar-faced man would be punished for killing the pale-faced man.


    But now wasn''t the time to think about that.


    Mo Hua concealed himself and entered Kong Sheng''s house.


    Kong Sheng''s eyes were filled with venom, muttering, "I''ll kill you all eventually..."


    Mo Hua quietly approached from behind, raised the Qianjun Stick, activated the array, and struck him hard.


    Kong Sheng, with only a seventh-level Qi refining stage and weak cultivation, was knocked out with one blow.


    Mo Hua then unlocked the array on the door, opened the iron door, took out a Flame Talisman, tied it with a string, and fastened it to Kong Sheng''s wrist, hiding it in his sleeve.


    This Flame Talisman was one of three he had taken from the Qian family cultivators; he had used one, and two remained.


    After making all the preparations, Mo Hua slapped Kong Sheng awake and disappeared.


    Kong Sheng woke up groggy, feeling pain in his head and face, and cursed, "Who the hell..."


    Before he finished cursing, he noticed the iron door was open.


    What''s going on? S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Kong Sheng was stunned for a moment, then realized.


    It must have been that chubby cultivator who delivered food!


    "He must have given the jade pendant to my father, and now my Foundation Building stage father has brought the Kong family cultivators to rescue me!"


    But why knock me out?


    No time to think about details now; the most important thing was that he could escape.


    Kong Sheng was ecstatic.


    He quickly got up and ran out the door.


    He had had enough of this place, didn''t want to eat the awful food anymore, didn''t want to endure the cold stares and ridicule of the demonic cultivators.


    Once he got out, he would still be the young master of the Kong family in Qingxuan City.


    He could do as he pleased in Qingxuan City, and no one would dare to stop him!


    And the hatred towards the Ji family father and son, and that little bitch Fu Lan, he could finally avenge!


    The more Kong Sheng thought about it, the more excited he became, but as he reached the door, he saw a tall, burly figure with a terrifying scar on his face.


    It was the scar-faced man.


    The scar-faced man sneered, "Trying to escape?"


    Seeing the scar-faced man''s sinister smile and the cold killing intent emanating from him, Kong Sheng''s limbs went weak. He stammered, "I...I didn''t..."


    The scar-faced man looked around and asked, "Who opened the iron door?"


    "I...I don''t know."


    The scar-faced man sneered, "You must have been told, any prisoner of Heishan Stronghold who dares to escape will die."


    Kong Sheng, terrified, quickly waved his hand, "I didn''t escape..."


    But in his heart, he was thinking, "Why hasn''t my father come? Once he arrives, he can kill all these bastards!"


    In his panic, he didn''t notice the talisman exposed in his sleeve.


    Kong Sheng, in his haste, didn''t realize, but the scar-faced man saw it.


    The talisman''s grade was obviously high. The young master of the Kong family hid it in his sleeve, pretending to be scared, waiting for a chance to strike and ambush him.


    The scar-faced man was instantly enraged, "Even a little bastard like you dares to plot against me?"


    In a flash, he approached Kong Sheng and, with a lightning-fast move, cut him down.


    Kong Sheng, a seventh-level Qi refining stage cultivator who had always lived in comfort and bullied others, had no chance to resist and died at the scar-faced man''s hands.


    After a while, an old demonic cultivator came over and scolded the scar-faced man, "What madness is this? Killing one in the daytime wasn''t enough, you even killed the hostage?"


    The scar-faced man bowed his head and said, "He tried to escape."


    The old demonic cultivator snorted, "Don''t make excuses. This time, you''re given a major demerit. From now on, you''ll guard the night alone. If anything goes wrong, you''ll be held accountable!"


    The scar-faced man could only agree.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He didn''t expect the punishment for demonic cultivators in Heishan Stronghold to be so light.


    The scar-faced man killed the pale-faced man and then Kong Sheng, yet he only received a major demerit and was assigned to guard the night alone, with no other penalties.


    He had hoped that if the scar-faced man received a heavy punishment or was seriously injured, it would make it easier for him to kill him.


    Mo Hua still remembered the tragic sight of that female cultivator in the night.


    He was determined to kill the scar-faced man.


    But now it seemed it wouldn''t be possible in the short term.


    Having set up two deaths, he had already left many traces.


    The pale-faced man''s storage bag, the open iron door in Kong Sheng''s room, and the talisman in his sleeve.


    Anyone with a keen eye could spot the clues and deduce that someone was behind this.


    He couldn''t stay in Heishan Stronghold for long.


    As expected, the scar-faced man said to the old demonic cultivator, "The iron door of Kong Sheng''s room was open. Someone must have released him."


    The old demonic cultivator frowned.


    The two talked for a while but found no clues, so they temporarily set the matter aside.


    But Mo Hua knew they were suspicious.


    Anomalies are always suspicious.


    It was already quite an achievement for Mo Hua to remain hidden with his concealment technique for this long.


    "Should I go home now? Father and mother must be worried," Mo Hua thought silently.


    Just then, he heard the old demonic cultivator say to the scar-faced man, "Drag this young master of the Kong family to feed the pigs."

 Chapter 285: Visualization Diagram

    Mo Hua¡¯s mind was racing, continuously pondering:"This Third Boss has a strong spiritual sense, and his array formation skills have reached this level. Could it be due to the visualization diagram?"


    "If I obtained the visualization diagram, would my spiritual sense also be enhanced?"


    Mo Hua had learned the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, which required a Foundation Building spiritual sense to break through to the Foundation Building stage.


    He possessed a Dao Stele, practiced array formations daily, and honed his Sea of Consciousness. His spiritual sense had grown quickly.


    But it was still far from enough.


    The gap between the Qi Refining stage and Foundation Building spiritual sense was immense, and the further one progressed, the harder it became for spiritual sense to grow.


    Mo Hua didn''t know how long it would take for him to achieve a Foundation Building spiritual sense and break through to the Foundation Building stage.


    He had asked Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang hadn''t given a clear answer, but from his expression, it was clear that he was not optimistic.


    If comprehending the visualization diagram could enhance his spiritual sense, could he reach Foundation Building faster?


    Mo Hua felt a surge of excitement.


    If he could achieve Foundation Building sooner, he could learn Second Grade array formations and become a Second Grade Array Master sooner.


    The cultivation and abilities of a Foundation Building cultivator and a Second Grade Array Master were far superior to those of a Qi Refining cultivator and a First Grade Array Master.


    Mo Hua envisioned this, but soon felt disheartened.


    The visualization diagram was in the hands of the Third Boss. He was a Foundation Building demonic cultivator and an evil Array Master. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t possibly take it by force.


    Scheming was also useless.


    Against Qi Refining cultivators, he could still scheme.


    But in front of a Foundation Building cultivator, his schemes were mere petty tricks.


    Cultivation was the foundation of a cultivator. In the face of the chasm of realms, small schemes were of little use.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, not knowing what to do for a while.


    He then realized that the biggest problem was not whether he could obtain the visualization diagram, but whether he could get out safely.


    If the Third Boss didn''t leave, or if he locked the door when he left, Mo Hua would be trapped in this blood-colored pill room.


    He hadn''t studied demonic arrays and didn''t know if he could break them.


    If he couldn¡¯t break them, he would be stuck here, keeping company with the bone pill furnace and the foolish pig demon.


    Mo Hua thought for a long time but had no solution.


    Since there was no solution, he could only patiently wait.


    Patience in waiting for an opportunity was also a necessary quality for a Demon Hunter.


    Mo Hua was not only a Demon Hunter but also an Array Master.


    He could patiently draw array formations for a day, so waiting patiently for a chance to escape was nothing.


    Mo Hua lay motionless on the beam, patiently waiting.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed when someone suddenly approached from outside.


    Mo Hua was startled, "Could it be the Fourth Boss coming back¡­"


    If so, it would be troublesome.


    The Third Boss had a deep spiritual sense, and the Fourth Boss had keen perception. If they both gathered, the risk of Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique being exposed would greatly increase.


    Mo Hua watched intently.


    Soon, a figure appeared at the door. It was the old demonic cultivator at the door, not the Fourth Boss.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    The old demonic cultivator stood respectfully at the door for a while.


    The Third Boss noticed and carefully put away the visualization diagram, then said slowly:


    "Come in."


    The old demonic cultivator came in and walked briskly to the Third Boss, whispering something.


    Mo Hua couldn''t hear clearly, only catching vague phrases like ¡°Demon Hunter activity¡­¡±, ¡°¡­inner mountain incident¡­¡±, ¡°worry about Fourth Boss causing trouble¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised and puzzled, "What could happen in the inner mountain?"


    After the old demonic cultivator finished speaking, the Third Boss frowned and said:


    "Got it, I''ll go take a look."


    The old demonic cultivator bowed and respectfully retreated.


    The Third Boss sat in thought for a moment, then got up to leave.


    But halfway out, he turned back, paced in the pill room, seemed to find something amiss, and took the visualization diagram out of his storage bag again.


    The Third Boss lifted the meditation mat, pointed to the ground, and with a flash of array patterns, the stone slab sank, revealing a hidden compartment beneath.


    He hid the visualization diagram in the compartment, sealed it with an array, and nodded slightly, feeling satisfied.


    If there was trouble outside tonight, it might lead to conflicts.


    If he accidentally lost the visualization diagram, it would be more painful than losing his life.


    This blood-colored pill room, deep in Heishan Stronghold, was a place no one dared to enter.


    Even if someone did come, no one would know about the hidden compartment under the meditation mat, let alone the visualization diagram inside.


    In Heishan Stronghold, no one could decipher this array.


    The Third Boss, feeling confident, finally left.


    He exited the pill room, sealed the blood array, and locked the beast door.


    With a harsh, grating sound, the bronze blood array beast door shut completely.


    The pill room fell into dead silence, the blood color intensifying.


    The Third Boss left, unaware that everything he did was observed by Mo Hua from the beam.


    After confirming no one was in the pill room and the Third Boss had left completely, Mo Hua silently descended from the beam.


    Mo Hua first approached the bronze beast door.


    The beast door was sealed, and the array was activated.


    Without the key ¡ª the white skull ¡ª he couldn¡¯t open the door.


    Even with the key, it couldn¡¯t be opened from inside.


    Mo Hua examined the array with his spiritual sense and sighed.


    The door was covered with demonic arrays, which he knew nothing about and didn¡¯t know how to break.


    "Looks like I can''t get out for now¡­"


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Since he couldn¡¯t get out, he decided to look at the Third Boss¡¯s diagram.


    Mo Hua, now focused, returned to the pill room.


    In the pill room, the bone pill furnace burned eerily, and the giant pig demon was covered in bloodstains.


    Mo Hua found the spot where the Third Boss had meditated and lifted the mat.


    Nothing was under the mat.


    But with his spiritual sense, Mo Hua could see the interwoven array patterns.


    An Array Master''s methods might deceive ordinary cultivators, but not a fellow Array Master.


    Unless their array skills were vastly different.


    Though the Third Boss was a Foundation Building cultivator, he was still a First Grade Array Master.


    In terms of array skills, he was on par with Mo Hua. In some areas, he was better, but in others, he fell short.


    Mo Hua examined the array sealing the hidden compartment.


    It was a concealment array paired with some gold-stone composite arrays. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The concealment array was for hiding, the composite arrays for reinforcement.


    "At least it''s not a demonic array," Mo Hua thought silently.


    The Third Boss probably found demonic arrays too conspicuous for hiding, so he used a concealment array and a composite array to hide and seal the compartment.


    Near Tongxian City, First Grade Array Masters capable of drawing concealment and composite arrays were extremely rare.


    And those who could break these arrays were even rarer.


    But Mo Hua was an exception.


    Against demonic arrays, Mo Hua had no solutions, but against proper arrays, especially First Grade Five-Element arrays, he could handle them effortlessly.


    Mo Hua quickly dismantled the Third Boss¡¯s carefully arranged arrays, preserving their integrity, without damaging the hidden compartment.


    Mo Hua nodded appreciatively, thinking:


    "Mr. Zhuang''s array-breaking techniques are really effective."


    Otherwise, infiltrating Heishan Stronghold wouldn¡¯t have been so easy.


    After breaking the array, Mo Hua opened the hidden compartment and carefully took out the visualization diagram.


    The visualization diagram was old, made of material resembling both paper and skin, folded so the content couldn¡¯t be seen.


    Mo Hua intended to take a quick look but suddenly hesitated.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s warning:


    "Visualization diagrams are extremely rare and contain hidden dangers. Unless it''s an emergency, it''s best not to touch them¡­"


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened.


    If he followed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s advice, opening the diagram recklessly might bring unforeseen dangers.


    Mr. Zhuang''s words were always taken seriously by Mo Hua.


    If Mr. Zhuang said the diagram was dangerous, it was best not to touch it until its nature was understood.


    But now that he had the diagram, should he return it?


    Mo Hua hesitated.


    The Third Boss used the diagram to enhance his spiritual sense, learn more demonic arrays, and commit more evil deeds.


    Even if Mo Hua didn¡¯t keep the diagram, it couldn¡¯t fall back into the Third Boss¡¯s hands.


    "What should I do?"


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then brightened up.


    If the diagram was dangerous, he wouldn¡¯t look at it now. He would keep it and consult Mr. Zhuang when he returned.


    If Mr. Zhuang deemed it safe, he would then study it.


    If Mr. Zhuang said it was dangerous, he would throw it into a refining furnace to destroy it.


    Mo Hua nodded, finding this the safest approach, and prepared to put the diagram into his storage bag.


    However, as he moved the diagram, his peripheral vision inadvertently caught a glimpse of one corner.


    It was a moss-covered rock.


    The sight puzzled Mo Hua.


    He couldn¡¯t help but slowly unfold the diagram bit by bit.


    When Mo Hua came to his senses, he was shocked.


    "What am I doing?!"


    Mo Hua broke out


    in a cold sweat.


    He hadn¡¯t intended to do anything, yet it felt as if someone had controlled him to open the diagram.


    Gritting his teeth, he tried to close it, but it was too late.


    The diagram was fully unfolded.


    A complete visualization diagram lay before Mo Hua¡¯s eyes!


    Mo Hua saw what was depicted.


    It was a landscape with figures.


    Distant mountains, nearby streams, moss-covered rocks, and a small Daoist child reciting scriptures atop the rock.


    A scene of serene and peaceful celestial beauty.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Was this the visualization diagram?


    What did it mean?


    As he pondered, the Daoist child in the diagram seemed to come to life and smiled at him.


    The smile was innocent and charming.


    Mo Hua, though startled, couldn¡¯t help but smile back.


    His smile was pure and clear, resembling that of the Daoist child.


    But soon, a chill crept into his heart, and his smile faded.


    He noticed the Daoist child¡¯s innocent smile had gradually turned sinister.


    The sinister look became more eerie.


    The more the child smiled, the more terrifying and grotesque it became.


    Suddenly, the child¡¯s skin peeled away like paper, revealing a blue-faced, fang-bearing little demon.


    The demon''s coppery eyes stared intently at Mo Hua, as if seeing a rare treasure, its expression hungry.


    Before Mo Hua could react, the demon leaped out of the diagram, shrank to palm-size, and pounced on Mo Hua¡¯s forehead, its claws tearing through his consciousness barrier, burrowing into his Sea of Consciousness.

 Chapter 286: The Blue-faced demon

    The Blue-faced, fang-bearing demon drilled into the expanse of the illusory sea of consciousness, and couldn''t help but be overjoyed, laughing sinisterly:"What profound divine sense! Enough for me to feast on for a long time!"


    Then its copper bell-like eyes turned, and it saw Mo Hua within the sea of consciousness, causing its smile to freeze, "Why are you here?"


    Mo Hua looked puzzled, "This is my sea of consciousness, why can''t I be here?"


    "No, something''s wrong! You shouldn''t be here!"


    The Blue-faced demon''s eyes rolled, its expression changing, and suddenly it screamed:


    "A divine sense manifestation, an extraordinary talent, a natural great supplement! This is a heaven-sent opportunity! Excellent! Truly excellent!"


    Mo Hua frowned.


    "A great supplement? Are you referring to me? This Blue-faced demon, does it feed on a cultivator''s divine sense?"


    Mo Hua remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said:


    "The visualization diagram reflects others'' divine sense and their understanding of the Dao of Heaven. In other words, what is visualized is others'' ''Dao,'' or perhaps the ''Dao'' of some non-human entities. Once the divine sense indulges in it, it often results in extremely terrifying consequences..."


    Could this Blue-faced demon be the ''non-human Dao'' that Mr. Zhuang mentioned?


    Mo Hua''s eyes sharpened as he asked, "What exactly are you?"


    The Blue-faced demon sneered, "Little brat, once I devour you, you''ll know."


    Without waiting for Mo Hua to react, it transformed into a green shadow, baring its teeth, looking ferocious, and rushed towards Mo Hua as if to swallow him whole.


    Mo Hua hurriedly retreated, his movements graceful, avoiding the Blue-faced demon''s attack.


    The Blue-faced demon was startled.


    Mo Hua was also slightly taken aback. He realized that in the sea of consciousness, he could use the Passing Water Step.


    Previously, when he entered the sea of consciousness, he had always been sitting in front of the Dao Stele drawing array patterns, and had never tried using body techniques. Now, evading the demon''s attack, he inadvertently used the body technique, and only then did Mo Hua realize it.


    Since the Passing Water Step could be used, what about spells?


    The Blue-faced demon attacked again, and Mo Hua dodged while trying to use the Water Prison Technique and Fireball Technique.


    However, neither spell could be cast.


    The Passing Water Step is controlled by divine sense, using spiritual power to move the body.


    Now, in the sea of consciousness, Mo Hua was purely a divine sense entity, without spiritual power and physical body, naturally able to maneuver like with the Passing Water Step.


    But both the Water Prison Technique and Fireball Technique required divine sense to activate spiritual power to condense the spell, with spiritual power being the foundation.


    Now, without spiritual power in the sea of consciousness, naturally spells could not be cast.


    The Blue-faced demon moved extremely fast, but Mo Hua''s body technique was more exquisite, so after several rounds of entanglement, the demon could do nothing to Mo Hua.


    The Blue-faced demon''s face contorted in rage.


    Mo Hua''s heart sank slightly.


    He could only use the Passing Water Step to dodge, unable to use the Water Prison Technique to trap the enemy or the Fireball Technique to attack, becoming merely a moving target. Continuing to dodge indefinitely was not a solution.


    He needed to think of another way!


    The Blue-faced demon attacked again for half a day, still unable to touch Mo Hua. Feeling humiliated, its eyes filled with malice:


    "You''ve forced me to this!"


    "When I catch you, I''ll chew you to pieces!"


    Saying this, the Blue-faced demon tore off its left arm and stuffed it into its mouth, chewing it to pieces first.


    Simultaneously, a brutal aura rose from the demon.


    The demon''s body gradually enlarged, its eyes filled with murderous intent, its fangs growing longer, and its face becoming more ferocious. In no time, it transformed into a true malevolent spirit.


    "Now you can''t escape."


    The Blue-faced demon grinned viciously at Mo Hua, only to see Mo Hua standing still, no longer running.


    Around Mo Hua, unknown to the demon, complex patterns had been drawn.


    "Putting on an act!"


    The malevolent spirit rasped and then, without fear, rushed directly at Mo Hua.


    As it approached within a zhang of Mo Hua, just touching the patterns, a terrifying force suddenly reverberated.


    Raging flames engulfed it, burning its body and bringing immense pain.


    The malevolent spirit screamed in disbelief:


    "An array! You''re an array master?!"


    Mo Hua saw the array take effect, and its power was even stronger than he had expected, and he couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    Since spells couldn''t be used, the only thing he could rely on was arrays.


    Mo Hua practiced the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, and its bottleneck was the Riddle Array.


    The Riddle Array formed within the sea of consciousness, and to break it, Mo Hua needed to draw array patterns in the sea of consciousness, unravel the Riddle Array, and break through the bottleneck.


    In other words, in the sea of consciousness, arrays were effective.


    However, these arrays were different from those outside the sea of consciousness.


    Arrays manifest the rules of the Dao of Heaven, essentially the divine sense''s understanding of the Dao of Heaven.


    When drawing arrays in the outside world, one needs to use array media to carry the array, spirit ink to draw the array, and finally, spiritual power to activate the array.


    The effect of the array is realized by spiritual power.


    The power of the array is actually the destructive power of the five elements and various spiritual powers.


    But the arrays in the sea of consciousness are different. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the sea of consciousness, there are no external objects, only the essence of divine sense, so the effect of the array is actually the effect of the divine sense.


    The power of the array is the power of the divine sense.


    The Earth Fire Array drawn by Mo Hua, the flames produced by its explosion, are not real flames, but illusory flames condensed from divine sense.


    They can only harm divine sense, burning without fire, accompanied by illusory burning pain.


    And coincidentally, this Blue-faced demon, like the Mo Hua in the sea of consciousness, is a phantom of divine sense.


    Now it seems that the array''s effect is better than Mo Hua imagined.


    An array constructed by divine sense is extremely pure and powerful, enough to harm the essence of this malevolent spirit''s divine sense.


    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted, his gaze gradually turning cold.


    Drawing arrays takes time. Previously chased by the demon, Mo Hua had no time to spare, naturally having no chance to draw arrays.


    But this demon got angry, spouting nonsense during the fight.


    It even chewed its own arm for half a day, then enlarged its body, wasting more time.


    Such a long preparation time was enough for Mo Hua to draw the array.


    The demon''s transformation into a malevolent spirit seemed to strengthen it, but it gave Mo Hua time to draw the array as an array master.


    An array master within an array is the most powerful.


    Mo Hua''s eyes gleamed coldly, starting to consider how to kill this demon.


    Previously chased and enraged by it, Mo Hua was now determined not to let it go.


    The Blue-faced malevolent spirit was blasted away by the Earth Fire Array, falling to the ground, burning in the flames, howling in pain.


    It tried to extinguish the flames, but the flames were formed by the array''s condensed divine sense power, without physical form, only the phantom of divine sense.


    The malevolent spirit couldn''t extinguish them, the flames kept burning, roasting its green ghost skin black before gradually extinguishing.


    The malevolent spirit stood up, its charred skin quickly restoring, but its aura weakened considerably.


    Its outer form was a phantom of divine sense; the array fire burned its divine sense.


    Even if its outer form remained unchanged, its essence of divine sense had suffered greatly.


    The Blue-faced malevolent spirit still looked viciously at Mo Hua, but its inner fear was growing.


    "What is this little monster? Manifesting divine sense and able to draw arrays with it?"


    In terms of divine sense strength alone, it was stronger than this little cultivator.


    In a normal divine sense fight, it could have devoured this little cultivator whole.


    But this little cultivator could use arrays, making it entirely different.


    Arrays inscribe the Dao of Heaven, the ultimate use of divine sense.


    Especially in divine sense battles, arrays leverage the Dao of Heaven, directly harming the essence, with immense destructive power.


    With this thought, the malevolent spirit felt the urge to retreat.


    Continuing to fight was meaningless.


    It couldn''t do anything to this little cultivator.


    Not only that, if it continued fighting and got hurt by his arrays, it might suffer a great loss of vitality, even leading to its divine sense''s complete destruction.


    "Little brat, I won''t let you go."


    The malevolent spirit threatened, but its body slowly retreated.


    Mo Hua saw it wanting to escape and frowned.


    His arrays, whether offensive or defensive, could only be used in place.


    This Blue-faced demon trying to run seemed to have no way to be stopped.


    The Blue-faced malevolent spirit slowly retreated, reaching the edge of Mo Hua''s sea of consciousness, almost escaping.


    At this moment, the hour arrived.


    In the middle of the illusory white sea of consciousness, a broken stele quietly emerged.


    A vast but deep aura instantly spread.


    Within this aura lay immense terror.


    The Blue-faced malevolent spirit was suddenly alarmed, its eyes widened, its green face turning somewhat pale, screaming in extreme fear:


    "What is this?!"

 Chapter 287: Devoured

    The mere trace of the aura spreading out caused the blue-faced ghost to tremble violently, overwhelmed by a profound terror of its very essence being eradicated.This trace of aura seemed to be a rejection from the Dao of Heaven.


    The Dao of Heaven suppresses all malevolent spirits.


    Simultaneously, a burning agony emanated from the blue-faced ghost''s body.


    It looked down and saw that, unknowingly, its hands, feet, and body seemed to be gradually burning away, as if scorched by molten fire.


    Its form also began to shrink, gradually revealing its original shape, transforming back into the small blue-faced, fanged imp.


    "Must escape, or surely die!"


    Terrified, the blue-faced imp shrieked, struggling desperately, trying to flee from Mo Hua''s sea of consciousness.


    Naturally, Mo Hua wouldn''t let it escape.


    His eyes brightened, seizing the opportunity to perform the Passing Water Step, moving swiftly to the imp and grabbing it firmly.


    Previously, the imp''s aura was too strong for Mo Hua to approach.


    But now, after being bombarded by Mo Hua''s Earth Fire Array and scorched by the Dao Stele''s aura, it had reverted to its original form, and its remaining consciousness was significantly weakened.


    Mo Hua easily subdued it.


    The blue-faced imp continued to struggle, screaming, "Let me go! Let me go!"


    Mo Hua didn''t release it, instead asking, "What exactly are you?"


    The imp didn''t answer, its expression turning ferocious as it threatened, "Release me... or one day, I will eat you!"


    Mo Hua''s eyes narrowed, his face stern.


    Even on the brink of death, it dares to threaten me?


    He tightened his grip on the imp''s throat, coldly saying, "If you keep being arrogant, I''ll eat you first!"


    Mo Hua was merely threatening, but unexpectedly, the imp''s face suddenly showed fear.


    "Don''t... don''t say ''eat''..."


    The blue-faced imp was both terrified and frightened.


    But it was too late. As soon as Mo Hua finished speaking, an even more overwhelming aura emanated from the Dao Stele, directly incinerating the imp into a phantom.


    The phantom screamed, twisted, and struggled, but to no avail. It was shredded by the Dao Stele''s aura, soon being refined into strands of green energy.


    These strands of green energy then directly entered Mo Hua''s mouth, swallowed into his stomach.


    In an instant, the blue-faced imp was "eaten" by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He had only said it casually, how did he actually "eat" the imp?


    He didn''t really intend to eat it...


    Thinking of the imp''s fierce, fanged face, Mo Hua couldn''t help but mutter, "It won''t upset my stomach... no, my mind, right?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Hua''s expression changed.


    He felt as if a kaleidoscope had exploded in his mind, filled with numerous images.


    In the deep mountains, a young novice followed a Daoist priest to learn cultivation.


    The Daoist priest was reading a strange book, and the novice followed suit. As they read, their smiles grew eerie, and they both developed a craving for human flesh.


    The novice and the priest conspired to deceive wandering cultivators and started eating people.


    As they ate, they lost their human forms.


    One turned into a red-faced, fanged demon, the other into a blue-faced, fanged imp.


    Later, a swordsman in white appeared, slashing the red-faced demon with one strike, while the blue-faced imp managed to escape, hiding in a painting and sealing itself in a Daoist temple.


    Later, many cultivators obtained this painting.


    Those with shallow knowledge, unaware of its true nature, said it was a novice under a high master.


    Those with profound spiritual awareness, seeing through its true nature, called it an evil creature.


    Some, ignorant of its origins, used the painting for visualization, borrowing its spiritual awareness. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But borrowing always comes with a price.


    It gradually devoured the spiritual awareness of these people.


    Until an elder of a sect sealed it, keeping it out of sight, starving for a long time.


    Later, a disciple of the sect stole it.


    This disciple, with a youthful face and ambitious eyes, was none other than the third leader of Heishan Stronghold...


    Various images and experiences flooded Mo Hua''s mind.


    His thoughts were chaotic, unable to distinguish them clearly, but an overwhelming urge soon arose in his heart.


    He wanted to eat people!


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    Simultaneously, thoughts of slaughter, greed, and evil surged forth.


    Mo Hua frowned, suddenly realizing.


    By "eating" the imp, his mind was now filled with these evil thoughts.


    Over time, he would undoubtedly be consumed by these thoughts and truly start eating people.


    Enduring the pain, Mo Hua quickly sat in front of the Dao Stele, using the meditation techniques taught by Mr. Zhuang, focusing his mind and dispelling the distracting thoughts.


    The evil thoughts surfaced in his mind, only to be dispelled one by one, rising and falling, circulating endlessly.


    Simultaneously, Mo Hua remembered Mr. Zhuang''s words.


    Keep a natural mind, and do not deceive yourself.


    Even if evil thoughts arise, do not fear, do not deceive yourself. Visualize with a clear mind, free your thoughts, and wander boundlessly.


    Worldly thoughts are nothing, the mind like a clear mirror, untouched by dust.


    Strands of green energy mixed with evil thoughts emanated from Mo Hua, only to be completely crushed and dispersed by the Dao Stele''s aura.


    After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua finally opened his eyes.


    The evil thoughts that had surfaced were completely dispelled, his mind clear and his spiritual awareness thorough.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, just about to stand up when suddenly, an extremely pure spiritual awareness surged into his mind.


    This spiritual awareness was the purified remnant of the imp''s consciousness, a pure force of spiritual awareness.


    This pure spiritual awareness filled Mo Hua''s mind.


    The imp''s spiritual awareness was originally stronger than Mo Hua''s. Now, after being refined, its power was even more immense.


    Mo Hua was at a loss.


    He had never encountered such a situation in his cultivation books or Mr. Zhuang''s teachings.


    As he hesitated, the pure spiritual awareness grew, like a tide, flooding into Mo Hua''s mind, impacting his mental barriers.


    His mind ached, even showing signs of splitting.


    "Not good!"


    Mo Hua was alarmed.


    This spiritual awareness was too much, it would break his mind.


    Enduring the pain, Mo Hua quickly began drawing arrays on the Dao Stele.


    Drawing arrays consumed a lot of spiritual awareness, and Mo Hua hoped to use this method to expend the excess spiritual awareness, preventing his mind from breaking.


    Using his finger as a brush, Mo Hua frantically drew.


    Various Five Elements Arrays, Sima Compass Composite Arrays, First Grade Molten Fire Arrays, Concealment Arrays, and more.


    Mo Hua didn''t think, he just drew whatever came to mind.


    He moved quickly, his finger a blur, spiritual awareness pouring out, array after array layering on the Dao Stele.


    But no matter how fast he drew, he couldn''t keep up with the growing spiritual awareness.


    At this moment, Mo Hua thought of the Reverse Spirit Array.


    A First Grade Ten-Pattern Reverse Spirit Array, which he couldn''t fully draw with his current spiritual awareness.


    But this also meant that drawing it would consume a lot of spiritual awareness.


    Mo Hua began recalling the patterns of the Reverse Spirit Array, then attempted to draw it on the Dao Stele.


    The first attempt failed.


    The second attempt also failed.


    ...


    Mo Hua persisted, drawing again and again.


    Meanwhile, the rate at which he consumed spiritual awareness finally matched the rate of its growth.


    The pressure on his mind eased, and the pain gradually subsided.


    Mo Hua felt a bit better, his spirits lifted, and he continued to consume the spiritual awareness, focusing on practicing the Reverse Spirit Array.


    He drew repeatedly.


    The arrays he drew on the Dao Stele layered upon each other, countless times.


    Each time he drew, he added a bit more, consumed a bit more spiritual awareness, and his spiritual awareness grew stronger.


    Gradually, the trickle of a stream turned into a river.


    Finally, with the last stroke, the Reverse Spirit Array glowed with a profound light.


    The array patterns lit up, the array activated.


    This meant that Mo Hua had successfully drawn the Reverse Spirit Array in its entirety.


    An extraordinary feat, beyond ordinary understanding, a First Grade Ten-Pattern Reverse Spirit Array!


    By a stroke of luck, Mo Hua had used the spiritual awareness from the painting to draw an array that an ordinary First Grade Array Master couldn''t comprehend.

 Chapter 288: Spirit Sense Foundation Building

    Mo Hua collapsed to the ground completely exhausted.So tired.


    The little green-faced ghost had devoured so many people''s spirit senses, forming such a massive spiritual mind.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know how many arrays he had drawn before exhausting this immense spiritual mind. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Dao Stele in front of him was covered with layers of arrays drawn by Mo Hua, interwoven densely and looking extremely complex.


    Mo Hua wanted to erase these arrays but hesitated.


    If he erased these arrays, would the spiritual mind consumed by drawing the arrays revert and refill his Sea of Consciousness?


    Mo Hua was indecisive and decided to erase one first to see.


    Mo Hua reached out and erased a First Grade Five Elements Single Array.


    The spirit sense did not revert.


    Mo Hua, resting his chin in his hand, thought for a while and then understood.


    When he drew these arrays, it was the green-faced ghost''s spiritual mind that was consumed, not his own spirit sense.


    So, after drawing the arrays, erasing them wouldn¡¯t revert the spirit sense.


    Because the power of this spiritual mind wasn¡¯t his in the first place.


    Mo Hua was relieved and proceeded to erase all the other arrays.


    The surface of the Dao Stele returned to nothingness, leaving only a Reverse Spirit Array with ten patterns.


    The complete Reverse Spirit Array had an ancient and obscure beauty, with its flowing light both brilliant and profound.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerized by it.


    This was an array pattern that contained the anomalies of the Dao of Heaven, transcending First Grade rules, and he had drawn it with his own hands.


    Unfortunately, it was drawn with the help of the Visualization Diagram¡¯s spiritual mind.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful and emotional at the same time.


    Indeed, arrays were vast and profound, and it seemed he still had much to learn.


    Mo Hua admired it for a while longer, then reluctantly reached out to erase the Reverse Spirit Array.


    He only erased one stroke when he suddenly felt a shock in his heart and widened his eyes.


    He felt his own spirit sense had reverted!


    Mo Hua was astonished.


    Could it mean that this array was drawn using his own spirit sense?


    Mo Hua''s heart was pounding.


    His gaze sharpened as he completely erased the Reverse Spirit Array.


    At the same time, a vast and majestic spirit sense surged back into his Sea of Consciousness!


    This spirit sense was extremely strong, much deeper and more powerful than Mo Hua¡¯s previous spirit sense.


    This was¡­ the spirit sense of the Foundation Building stage!


    Mo Hua could hardly believe it.


    ¡°My spirit sense is already comparable to the Foundation Building stage?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s emotions were tumultuous for a moment, but he quickly suppressed the waves in his heart and began drawing the Reverse Spirit Array on the Dao Stele again.


    Stroke by stroke, Mo Hua drew with great seriousness.


    When he had drawn nine and a half array patterns, there was still a significant amount of his spirit sense left.


    Suppressing his excitement, Mo Hua continued drawing.


    When he finally completed the Reverse Spirit Array, his spirit sense was almost entirely consumed.


    The Dao Stele once again displayed a complete Reverse Spirit Array.


    This also meant that Mo Hua could indeed draw the Reverse Spirit Array with his own spirit sense!


    Though still in the Qi Refining stage, he now possessed a spirit sense comparable to that of the Foundation Building stage.


    The bottleneck of the Heavenly Proliferation Technique lay in the spirit sense.


    Now, this bottleneck no longer existed.


    This also meant that the door to the Foundation Building stage had opened. With further cultivation, once he reached the peak of the Qi Refining stage, Mo Hua could truly become a Foundation Building cultivator.


    Or rather, he now had one foot already in the door of the Foundation Building stage.


    Mo Hua exhaled deeply and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Becoming a Foundation Building cultivator marked the first step towards seeking the Dao and achieving immortality, laying the foundation for the Great Dao!


    This threshold had stopped countless wandering Qi Refining cultivators.


    Now, he was just one step away from crossing this threshold.


    From now on, he only needed to cultivate step by step. Once he reached the perfection of the ninth layer of the Qi Refining stage, he could attempt Foundation Building.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    After a while, Mo Hua suddenly slapped his forehead.


    ¡°Almost forgot, I¡¯m still in Heishan Stronghold. It¡¯s not the time to be happy yet. I need to find a way to escape first.¡±


    Mo Hua erased the Reverse Spirit Array. When his spirit sense reverted and filled his Sea of Consciousness, he exited from his Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua, having exited his Sea of Consciousness, opened his eyes and looked around, suddenly stunned.


    He found someone silently watching him from the side.


    And this person was the third master of Heishan Stronghold¡­


    The one who owned the Visualization Diagram!


    Mo Hua''s expression remained calm, but his heart was racing.


    It¡¯s over!


    When had this third master been here, and how long had he been watching?


    He had tangled with the green-faced ghost in the Visualization Diagram and then used up the spiritual mind by drawing arrays, taking too long. The third master must have gone out to do something and then returned.


    What should he do?


    Mo Hua kept a calm exterior while his mind raced, thinking of a way to escape.


    At this moment, he couldn¡¯t panic, couldn¡¯t show weakness. If the enemy didn¡¯t move, he wouldn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t let the third master see through him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he stared at the third master.


    The third master also silently stared at Mo Hua, expressionless but filled with doubt.


    Where did this little ghost come from?


    He had only gone out for a while, and before leaving, he even sealed the Blood Array and closed the Beast Gate. Upon returning, he found an unfamiliar little ghost meditating on his mat.


    The third master found it unbelievable.


    What kind of place was Heishan Stronghold? He knew better than anyone.


    How could there suddenly be a little ghost?


    And how could this little ghost enter the deepest part of the Dan Room without anyone knowing?


    There was something unusual here.


    Unable to figure out this little ghost''s background, he dared not act rashly.


    Mo Hua and the third master stared at each other for a long time, both pretending to be calm but full of apprehension.


    After a long while, the third master couldn¡¯t stand it any longer.


    He had initially only scanned Mo Hua with his spirit sense briefly, not daring to probe deeply.


    But continuing this stalemate was not a solution; he didn¡¯t have the time to waste here.


    The third master gritted his teeth and released his spirit sense fully to see Mo Hua¡¯s true identity.


    As soon as his spirit sense touched Mo Hua, it felt like falling into an abyss, unfathomably deep.


    The third master was horrified.


    Such a profound spirit sense, comparable to the Foundation Building stage!


    This little ghost seemed to be at the seventh layer of the Qi Refining stage. How could he possess a spirit sense of the Foundation Building stage?


    No, it might not just be the spirit sense of the Foundation Building stage.


    This little ghost¡¯s spirit sense was so obscure and unclear that it might even surpass the Foundation Building stage, but he couldn¡¯t see through it.


    The third master broke out in a cold sweat.


    A word suddenly emerged in his mind.


    Possession!


    The forbidden technique of the demonic path to extend life against the will of heaven!


    The Dao of Heaven has its order, and the life and death of cultivators are determined by fate.


    Any cultivator who doesn¡¯t enter the immortal path cannot achieve immortality. Once the end of their life approaches, no matter how powerful they are, they cannot escape death.


    Therefore, unable to become immortals, powerful cultivators researched and created many forbidden techniques to deceive the Dao of Heaven and extend their lives.


    These methods allowed them to live even after their natural lifespan ended.


    Possession was one of the highest-level forbidden techniques, strictly prohibited by the Dao Court and kept secret by the demonic path, typically used only by demonic ancestors who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years.


    The third master felt a chill to his bones.


    The forbidden technique of the demonic path, spirit possession!


    Was this little ghost an old monster who had possessed someone?


    He looked at Mo Hua again. Mo Hua, still calm, met his gaze without panic or fear, showing no emotions.


    No normal child would remain so calm in front of him!


    The third master became even more certain, hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke with difficulty:


    ¡°Senior¡­ may I ask why you have come here?¡±


    Mo Hua, initially unaware of what the third master was thinking, had been pretending to be calm, unsure of what to do.


    Upon hearing this, he was momentarily stunned. In a flash of insight, he let out a peculiar laugh.


    This laugh carried innocence, tinged with naivety, yet exuded a sinister and eerie vibe, like a little demon in human skin.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I want to eat people,¡± Mo Hua said.

 Chapter 289: Leaving the Stronghold

    Mo Hua finished speaking and licked his lips.His lips were red and glossy, appearing somewhat sinister under the crimson light in the room.


    The Third Leader''s heart skipped a beat.


    As expected, he was an old monster!


    These demonic cultivators at most absorbed essence, spiritual energy, and drank blood, but had never actually practiced cannibalism.


    In other words, techniques that relied on eating people were not simple techniques but genuine demonic arts, which were beyond the reach of these demonic cultivators who had taken up the path halfway.


    Then the Third Leader thought of another problem.


    This old monster wanted to eat people, but there was only one person in the room. If he wanted to eat, it would be him...


    The Third Leader broke out in a cold sweat, his mind racing with thoughts and calculations.


    He couldn¡¯t sit still and wait for death, but if he made a move, he didn¡¯t know what kind of methods this eerie old monster had.


    Even a demonic old monster with low cultivation was insidious and dangerous.


    The Third Leader, deeply wary, stiffened and asked:


    ¡°May I know what kind of person the senior wants to eat?¡±


    Mo Hua licked his lips again, ¡°Anyone will do. I''m very hungry and not picky.¡±


    The Third Leader breathed a sigh of relief.


    As long as it wasn¡¯t him.


    ¡°Is there anything the junior can do to assist?¡± the Third Leader cupped his hands and asked.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Mo Hua raised his eyebrows, nodded slightly, and said, ¡°Then pick a few for me.¡±


    Pick a few for what?


    Mo Hua didn''t explicitly say, but the Third Leader understood¡ªit was to pick a few people for him to eat.


    In the Heishan Stronghold, besides him, there were other demonic cultivators and imprisoned cultivators.


    The imprisoned cultivators had either had their spiritual energy drained or essence absorbed, and their foundations were already destroyed, making them weak.


    Giving these people to the old monster to eat would be disrespectful.


    If it angered the old monster, their Heishan Stronghold would be in big trouble.


    That left only the demonic cultivators in the stronghold as viable options.


    The Third Leader, having thought it through, cupped his hands and said:


    ¡°May I know the senior''s preferences? Perhaps I can lead the way, and the senior can pick for himself.¡±


    The Third Leader wanted to lead the old monster out, let him eat his fill, and then send him off from the Heishan Stronghold.


    Losing a few demonic cultivators to gain favor with the old monster was a worthwhile trade.


    He didn¡¯t expect the demonic old monster to offer any guidance or help.


    This kind of old monster, who had lived for a long time and mastered such forbidden techniques, was capricious and unpredictable. If he wanted to toy with them, it would be effortless.


    They were absolutely no match for this old monster.


    He just hoped the old monster would appreciate the favor, not cause them trouble, and leave quietly after eating his fill.


    Lead the way?


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat but pretended to hesitate. After a brief thought, he nodded slightly and said:


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    So the Third Leader led the way, personally unsealing the blood array and opening the beast gate, leading Mo Hua out.


    Mo Hua followed the Third Leader openly, walking out of the crimson alchemy room.


    The night was pitch black, and dawn had not yet broken.


    The two walked along the small path of Heishan Stronghold, both silent.


    The Third Leader wanted to send him away.


    Mo Hua also wanted to leave the Heishan Stronghold.


    Their goals were aligned, and they tacitly understood each other.


    But they still needed a pretext, and someone to ¡°eat¡± had to be chosen.


    Mo Hua followed the Third Leader calmly, pointing out some familiar, notorious demonic cultivators along the way.


    He usually hid and gathered intelligence, witnessing many evil deeds and recognizing many notorious demonic cultivators, but lacked the power to kill them.


    Now, encountering them by chance, Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind ¡°eating¡± them.


    The Third Leader called over the demonic cultivators Mo Hua pointed out one by one.


    These demonic cultivators were baffled but didn¡¯t dare disobey the Third Leader¡¯s orders, and since he didn¡¯t explain, they didn¡¯t dare ask, silently following along.


    By the time they reached the bonfire near the main gate of Heishan Stronghold, Mo Hua had already selected four demonic cultivators.


    If he picked too few, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to ¡°eat.¡± If he picked too many, he feared the Third Leader would get suspicious.


    Soon they reached the bonfire by the main gate of Heishan Stronghold. Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flashed as he saw the night guard with a scarred face.


    This was a demonic cultivator who practiced essence extraction, had killed countless people, and whom Mo Hua wanted to kill but hadn¡¯t been able to.


    Mo Hua extended his small hand and pointed at the scar-faced man.


    The Third Leader nodded slightly and called over the scar-faced man. Seeing his ferocious, ugly appearance, he silently thought to himself:


    ¡°The senior really has a heavy taste, able to eat even this. He¡¯s truly not picky¡­¡±


    The Third Leader instructed the scar-faced man, ¡°Follow me out, there¡¯s something to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The scar-faced man respectfully agreed, feeling a bit excited.


    The Third Leader¡¯s personal order must be something important. Perhaps it was killing someone or robbing spirit stones, or maybe even capturing a female cultivator.


    He lacked a furnace, and his demonic fire was raging. He urgently needed a female cultivator to absorb essence.


    And if he performed well and impressed the Third Leader, he would certainly be valued by him in the future.


    The scar-faced man was secretly thrilled.


    Then he noticed Mo Hua and was taken aback.


    Why was there a kid?


    What was this kid doing?


    He glanced around and noticed that although the Third Leader was in front, it seemed he was leading the way for this child.


    The scar-faced man was shocked.


    What was the identity of this child to have the Third Leader lead the way?


    The scar-faced man couldn¡¯t figure it out but didn¡¯t dare to ask.


    In Heishan Stronghold, being nosy might not necessarily kill you, but it would certainly make you die sooner than others.


    ¡°Open the gate,¡± the Third Leader ordered.


    ¡°Eating people¡± naturally required a quiet, desolate place.


    Such places were generally deep in the Dahei Mountain, which meant outside the Heishan Stronghold.


    The Third Leader naturally led the old monster Mo Hua outside, and Mo Hua was secretly pleased, following the Third Leader¡¯s intentions without a word. S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As long as he left the Heishan Stronghold and the Third Leader¡¯s sight, he could activate his concealment technique, and these demonic cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to him.


    With his current spiritual sense, deep in Dahei Mountain, no cultivator could see through his concealment technique.


    The scar-faced man activated the mechanism, revealing the gate of Heishan Stronghold, which opened with a creak.


    The Third Leader led the way in front, followed by the other demonic cultivators, with Mo Hua in the middle.


    A group of people walked through the gate of Heishan Stronghold.


    Mo Hua, who had snuck into Heishan Stronghold, now left grandly, surrounded by demonic cultivators.


    Once outside Heishan Stronghold, the fog suddenly thickened, but the smell of blood diminished, and the atmosphere was less oppressive.


    The Third Leader led the group, choosing a secluded path, winding left and right, until they reached a quiet mountain forest deep in the mountains.


    The surroundings were desolate, shrouded in fog, with shrubs and rugged rocks everywhere.


    The Third Leader glanced at Mo Hua, seeking his opinion.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, indicating that the place was suitable.


    The Third Leader then asked, ¡°Is there anything else the senior commands?¡±


    The demonic cultivators exchanged glances, deeply shocked.


    The Third Leader actually asked this child for ¡°commands¡±?


    Who was this child to have such a high status?


    Mo Hua said calmly, ¡°How do you eat them alive?¡±


    The Third Leader understood.


    The demonic cultivators exchanged glances, still confused.


    Eat them alive? What did that mean?


    But soon they understood.


    Because the Third Leader suddenly struck, his hand like a claw, spiritual energy condensed like mercury, killing each of the demonic cultivators by ripping their hearts out one by one.


    The scar-faced man was the most alert. When Mo Hua said ¡°how do you eat them alive,¡± he thought of running.


    But he was only at the ninth level of Qi refining, unable to escape from the Third Leader, who was at the Foundation Building stage.


    The Third Leader¡¯s claw pierced through his chest from behind.


    The scar-faced man spat blood, dying in confusion.


    ¡°Is the senior satisfied?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    With the demonic cultivators dead, he was naturally satisfied.


    He then kindly invited the Third Leader, ¡°Would you like to eat together?¡±


    The Third Leader hesitated.


    Although he was a demonic cultivator, practicing evil arts and drawing evil arrays, he had never actually eaten a person and couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    The Third Leader said, ¡°I appreciate the senior¡¯s kindness, but please enjoy it alone.¡±


    Mo Hua said with a faint smile, ¡°Do you want to watch me eat?¡±


    The Third Leader¡¯s heart skipped a beat, finally understanding.


    Eating people to cultivate must be a special demonic art.


    Since it was a demonic art, it couldn¡¯t be known by outsiders.


    Staying here was offending the old monster¡¯s taboo.


    The Third Leader immediately


    cupped his hands and said, ¡°Enjoy, senior. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    He hurriedly turned and left.


    As he left, he felt a subtle spiritual sense following him, faintly lingering.


    The Third Leader¡¯s heart skipped a beat, knowing that the old monster was guarding against him, watching him.


    It was both a precaution and a warning.


    The Third Leader quickened his pace, only relaxing when he reached the edge of the forest, no longer sensing Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual sense.


    Mo Hua, seeing that the Third Leader had gone far, took out the Qianjun Stick from his storage bag, walked over to the scar-faced man, and smashed it on his head.


    ¡°Pretending to be dead in front of me?¡±

 Chapter 290: Wrapping Up

    Scarface was pretending to be dead, but he didn¡¯t expect Mo Hua to suddenly hit him with the Qianjun Stick, causing him to grunt in pain.However, he had been severely wounded by the Third Master¡¯s claw, leaving him gravely injured and his breath weak. Facing Mo Hua, he had no strength to resist. Even if he forcefully endured the blow from the Qianjun Stick, he could only suffer through it.


    "You brat, how did you see through it?"


    Scarface asked through clenched teeth, his heart filled with confusion.


    His Turtle Breath Technique, which allowed him to feign death, was something he had stolen from an old demonic cultivator.


    That old demonic cultivator had relied on this technique to escape danger throughout his life, surviving numerous close calls and living to an old age.


    The Turtle Breath Technique was quite obscure, and few cultivators could see through it. Even the Third Master hadn''t noticed it immediately.


    Scarface couldn''t understand how this young brat, who seemed inexperienced, could tell he was faking death.


    Mo Hua snorted coldly but didn¡¯t answer.


    With his spiritual awareness now at the Foundation Building stage, Scarface¡¯s slow but not stagnant flow of spiritual power was evident to Mo Hua¡¯s senses. Such subtle movements couldn¡¯t fool him.


    Besides, he was a Demon Hunter.


    A Demon Hunter¡¯s essential training included seeing through a beast¡¯s feigned death. How could Scarface''s crude Turtle Breath Technique deceive him?


    As for the Third Master, he hadn¡¯t detected Scarface¡¯s feigned death because his focus was entirely on Mo Hua, and he was confident that his attack had killed Scarface.


    The most important reason was that he wasn¡¯t a Demon Hunter and lacked experience in identifying feigned death.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t respond to Scarface¡¯s question but instead raised the Qianjun Stick, activated an array, and broke all of Scarface¡¯s limbs one by one.


    Scarface screamed in agony and cursed, "You brat, we have no grievances. Why do you insist on killing me?"


    "No grievances?" Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and struck him again. "What about the women you drained to death and the cultivators you slashed? Did they have any grudges against you? Didn¡¯t you also kill them without mercy?"


    Scarface sneered through his pain, "Whether I drained or killed, what does it have to do with you?"


    "Take a guess."


    Scarface¡¯s eyelid twitched. This brat spoke in an unpredictable manner, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking or planning. He couldn''t even sense any killing intent.


    But he knew that this brat was surely going to kill him!


    Why?


    He should have had no dealings or grudges with this brat.


    Scarface couldn¡¯t understand and gritted his teeth, "What did I ever do to offend you? Speak clearly so I can die understandingly."


    "I prefer to let people die without understanding, it saves trouble," Mo Hua replied.


    His unyielding attitude left Scarface helpless.


    Scarface¡¯s mind raced, and he suddenly sneered, "Are you trying to play the hero?"


    Mo Hua ignored him and began contemplating something.


    Scarface mocked, "In this world of cultivation, it''s survival of the fittest. You are so naive and childish. You won''t survive in the cultivation world. You will die without a place to be buried¡­"


    Seeing Scarface still babbling despite his impending death, Mo Hua struck him in the face again.


    "What nonsense are you spouting?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, took out a handful of Blood Grass from his storage bag, squeezed out its juice, and dripped it on Scarface while continuing, "Survival of the fittest is a lie..."


    "When you are strong and want to oppress the weak, you say ''survival of the fittest''; when you are weak and oppressed by the strong, you say ''Heaven''s justice''."


    "In the end, it¡¯s just a selfish excuse."


    After squeezing out the juice, Mo Hua threw the remaining Blood Grass on Scarface and said, "And now, the one who will die without a place to be buried is you..."


    Scarface smelled the foul odor on his body and panicked, "What are you going to do?"


    "This is Blood Grass. Its stench will attract demonic beasts to eat you."


    "Didn''t you say ''survival of the fittest''? I''ll let you experience what it''s like to be a ''weak'' prey. Let¡¯s see if you still say that after..."


    Scarface''s eyes widened in fear.


    "Oh, right," Mo Hua remembered, "you won¡¯t have a next time... maybe in your next life, if you reincarnate as a human again."


    Scarface''s eyes bulged with rage, "You little brat, you¡¯re so vicious!"


    "Vicious?" Mo Hua snorted, "When you harmed others, you didn¡¯t think you were vicious. Now that others harm you, you call them vicious. It''s unfair to be biased."


    Scarface knew he was at death¡¯s door and was filled with fear. He quickly tried to plead, "Little brother... no, Daoist, spare me, and I will change."


    "Change what?" Mo Hua asked casually as he began drawing an array on the ground.


    "I will do good deeds and avoid evil in the future!" Scarface hurriedly promised.


    "Really?"


    "I swear, if I break this oath, may Heaven strike me down!" Scarface vowed. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua showed hesitation, "Are you sure?"


    Seeing a glimmer of hope, Scarface quickly said, "Yes! I will definitely eat vegetarian and do good deeds, not doing anything against Heaven¡¯s justice."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then nodded in apparent approval, "Knowing one''s mistakes and correcting them is great."


    Scarface was overjoyed, "Then can you spare my life?"


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, "No."


    Scarface was stunned.


    "I was lying. ''Knowing one''s mistakes and correcting them'' is also nonsense. How easy do you think it is to change mistakes? Even a dog can''t stop eating shit."


    Scarface was furious.


    This brat was mocking him!


    He struggled to get up, but suddenly realized that Mo Hua had already set up an array around him, trapping him in place.


    This brat had been distracting him to lower his guard and set up an array, making his death inevitable!


    Now, even the bit of spiritual power he had recovered was useless.


    Once the demonic beasts came, he would surely die!


    Scarface was filled with despair and glared at Mo Hua with a ferocious and resentful expression, "You little bastard, even if I become a ghost, I won''t let you go!"


    Mo Hua ignored him.


    He had already "eaten" real ghosts; why would he fear a fake ghost who couldn''t even become one?


    Before Scarface could curse more, Mo Hua finished his work and was out of patience.


    "Remember this..."


    Mo Hua stood over Scarface, holding the Qianjun Stick high, "If you are human, I¡¯ll make sure you die without a complete corpse. If you become a ghost, I¡¯ll scatter your soul!"


    "Just wait for your death!"


    Without waiting for a response, Mo Hua brought the Qianjun Stick down heavily.


    The blow knocked Scarface out completely.


    Mo Hua put away the Qianjun Stick and nodded slightly.


    Scarface was unconscious now. When he woke up, he would likely see himself being eaten by demonic beasts, truly experiencing "survival of the fittest".


    Mo Hua had knocked him out to prevent him from screaming and suffering before death.


    After all, waiting for death was the most painful part.


    Mo Hua "considerately" thought.


    After finishing everything, Mo Hua sighed, feeling a bit low.


    He thought of the woman who had committed suicide in the night.


    Living was full of torment, and even wanting to die was a luxury.


    The torment and despair she experienced before death, Scarface was now going to feel.


    But with his limited cultivation and ability, this was all Mo Hua could do for now.


    Not far away, a few nocturnal demonic beasts, attracted by the smell of Blood Grass and human blood, were greedily heading toward the forest.


    Mo Hua had already sensed these demonic beasts.


    He calmly used the Concealment Technique to hide himself and then used the Passing Water Step to head in a direction without demonic beasts or the Third Master.


    After staying at Heishan Stronghold for so long and going through so many twists and turns, he finally finished his business and could go home.


    Moreover, on this journey, he no longer had to worry.


    He had seen through the Visualization Diagram, consumed the Blue-Faced Ghost, and refined his spiritual sense.


    Now, Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness was comparable to that of a Foundation Building cultivator, and no one in the deep mountains could see through his Concealment Technique.


    Once he left Heishan Stronghold, he would be like a fish in the sea.


    Those demonic cultivators could no longer find him.

 Chapter 291: Worries

    Mo Hua traveled quietly along the path.Finally able to go home, he felt a bit more at ease.


    The deep forests of Dahei Mountain looked much the same as when he had come, still densely wooded, with heavy fog making it difficult to discern directions.


    However, unlike before, now every blade of grass, every tree, and every rock was vividly clear in Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness.


    His spiritual sense had grown stronger, allowing him to see further and perceive more intricately.


    The fog array set up by the third in command within the foggy forest acted like a signpost, clearly guiding Mo Hua along the way.


    To the naked eye, it was a mass of fog, but in Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness, the paths were distinct and easily recognizable.


    After half an hour of walking, Mo Hua reached the edge of the deep forest.


    He stopped and frowned.


    This wasn¡¯t the cliff he had come from, so he wasn¡¯t familiar with the area, and there were many forks in the road, leaving him unsure which way to go.


    At that moment, he heard some sounds coming from the distant fog.


    The sounds were mixed, as if many people were shouting, anxiously calling "Mo Hua"...


    Mo Hua was taken aback, recognizing the voices of the Demon Hunters.


    He used the Passing Water Step technique, quickening his pace towards the voices.


    In the dense fog, about ten Demon Hunters formed a human net, searching the deep forest with anxious expressions, calling out Mo Hua''s name.


    At that moment, they saw a figure in the fog.


    The Demon Hunters'' faces tensed, their sabers drawn, ready for action.


    The figure approached, small in stature, resembling a young cultivator.


    Some of the Demon Hunters showed slight smiles, while the others looked expectant.


    As the figure drew near and the fog cleared, they saw a young face with bright, spirited eyes.


    They confirmed that it was indeed Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua greeted them.


    Hearing Mo Hua''s voice and seeing him safe and sound, the Demon Hunters were all relieved, their anxious expressions turning to joy.


    One of the Demon Hunters exclaimed, "We found Mo Hua!"


    The others passed the word along.


    Soon, the dense fog was filled with voices of Demon Hunters announcing the good news.


    "We found Mo Hua!"


    "Mo Hua has been found!"


    "Found him!"


    ...


    Mo Hua stood in place, feeling both touched and guilty.


    He realized so many people cared about him, even venturing into the deep forest to find him.


    He felt like he had troubled everyone...


    Mo Hua remembered the words the old evil cultivator had said to the third in command that night:


    "The Demon Hunters are making a move..."


    "¡­Something has happened in the inner mountain..."


    He had wondered at the time what had happened in the inner mountain.


    It turned out the biggest event in the inner mountain was his disappearance.


    Years ago, when the elder of the Qian family went missing, the Qian family had mobilized all their disciples, forming a human net to search the dangerous deep mountains.


    Now, the Demon Hunters were doing the same for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua''s eyes felt sore, and he felt a pang of guilt.


    After a while, Mo Hua met Elder Yu. Feeling remorseful, he was about to speak, but Elder Yu interrupted him.


    "We''ll talk when we get back," Elder Yu said.


    Elder Yu''s expression was complicated. He was worried about Mo Hua, feeling that Mo Hua had been somewhat reckless, but he also knew why Mo Hua had ventured into the deep mountains and thus refrained from criticizing him.


    Not everyone possesses both the kindness and courage to take such risks for the wandering cultivators of Tongxian City.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua returned safely.


    Though Elder Yu maintained a calm exterior, he was inwardly greatly relieved.


    Whatever Mo Hua had discovered in the deep forest, they would discuss it back home.


    Elder Yu instructed everyone to head back.


    Gradually, the group gathered and slowly retreated from the deep forest.


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that more people had come to find him than he had imagined.


    Among the Demon Hunters he recognized, most were present, and even some cultivators from the Dao Court had joined.


    Mo Hua also saw Zhang Lan.


    Seeing Mo Hua safe and sound, Zhang Lan heaved a heavy sigh of relief. He wanted to say something but couldn''t find the words, so he simply ruffled Mo Hua''s hair, messing it up.


    Knowing he was at fault, Mo Hua said nothing. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon reaching the inner mountain, Mo Shan arrived from the other side of the deep forest.


    Although he had already known that Mo Hua was safe, seeing him in person reassured him.


    Mo Hua hung his head and softly said, "Father..."


    Mo Shan had been angry, but upon seeing his son, his anger dissipated.


    He could only sigh, patting Mo Hua''s head, and said, "Go see your mother. She hasn''t slept in days..."


    Mo Hua was startled, "Mother is in the mountains too?"


    Mo Shan nodded.


    Following Mo Shan, Mo Hua arrived at a camp in the inner mountain and saw his mother, Liu Ruhua.


    Liu Ruhua stood at the camp entrance waiting for him, her thin figure and haggard face full of worry. Upon seeing Mo Hua, tears silently streamed down her face.


    Mo Hua''s nose tingled, and he called out, "Mother..."


    Before Mo Hua could say anything else, Liu Ruhua ran over and hugged him tightly, her arms trembling.


    She held him so tightly, as if afraid he might vanish if she let go.


    These past days she had been too anxious to sleep, and no matter how everyone searched, they couldn¡¯t find Mo Hua.


    She had feared she would never see her child again, that one day it might be impossible to even catch a glimpse of him.


    Liu Ruhua held Mo Hua for a long time before her emotions calmed down a bit.


    Mo Hua, filled with guilt, apologized, "Mother, I''m sorry..."


    Liu Ruhua, tears in her eyes, sighed and shook her head, "You''re still young, but you have skills, know right from wrong, and have your own ideas. Mother doesn''t blame you."


    "But you must remember, there are many people in this world who care about you. Whatever you do, don''t let them worry. And no matter what happens, always let your father and me know."


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly, "Mother, I will remember!"


    Looking at Mo Hua''s handsome face and clear eyes, Liu Ruhua, feeling reluctant, added, "And no matter what happens, you must protect your own life."


    "There are countless treasures in this world, but to your father and me, you are the most unique treasure. Even becoming an immortal cannot compare to your safety."


    Liu Ruhua''s gaze was gentle and profound.


    Mo Hua felt even more guilty.


    He thought he had considered his parents'' feelings, but he realized he understood nothing.


    He had guessed his parents would be worried, but he had no idea how deep their worry would be.


    In this world, a child''s concern for their parents is not even a tenth of a parent''s concern for their child.


    Next time, he must not let everyone worry, and he certainly must not let his parents worry.


    Mo Hua silently vowed in his heart, then earnestly said to Liu Ruhua, "Mother, don''t worry. I will live well, live long, and live until I become an immortal."


    "You and Father will also live long and attain immortality!"


    Liu Ruhua did not take it seriously but felt greatly comforted.


    She wiped her tears, rubbed Mo Hua''s little face, and with a smile, said, "Alright, it''s a deal!"

 Chapter 292: Gains and Losses

    On the way back, Mo Hua silently summarized the gains and losses of this trip in his heart.Overall, the infiltration into Heishan Stronghold was thrilling but not dangerous. However, upon closer reflection, many situations were indeed perilous.


    Especially eavesdropping on the conversations of the Foundation Building demonic cultivators, spying right under their noses, and even stealing the Visualization Diagram of the third leader, only to be caught on the spot...


    These actions were akin to pulling teeth from a tiger''s mouth or picking chestnuts from the fire.


    Although Mo Hua managed to bluff his way through and resolve the crises, one should always seek advantages and avoid dangers. Such risky actions should be minimized in the future. If unavoidable, one must plan even more thoroughly.


    Mo Hua sighed slightly.


    His actions lacked thoroughness, his considerations were insufficient, and his methods were not meticulous enough.


    Most importantly, he had worried everyone, including his parents.


    Mo Hua took this as a lesson to remember.


    The cultivation world is vast and boundless, and the path of cultivation is long and arduous.


    He was still young and inexperienced, with much to learn and many more experiences to go through in the future.


    If there were any oversights in his actions, he must reflect deeply to benefit from them, so he could act more prudently in the future.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    After summarizing his mistakes, Mo Hua began to calculate the gains from this trip.


    Firstly, he learned the truth about the deep mountains, found the entrance to Heishan Stronghold, explored its secrets, almost mapped it out completely, and even discovered some of its deepest secrets.


    Heishan Stronghold was the largest hidden tumor in Dahei Mountain. If not eradicated, the entire Tongxian City would face great danger.


    By then, all the cultivators in Tongxian City, including his parents, as well as the Demon Hunters, artifact craftsmen, and alchemists he was familiar with, might fall victim to the demonic cultivators'' hands.


    This was something Mo Hua did not want to see.


    Therefore, Heishan Stronghold had to be eliminated eventually, and conflict with it was inevitable.


    Knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles.


    Once a direct confrontation with Heishan Stronghold occurred, the information Mo Hua gathered would be crucial.


    Knowing the stronghold''s realities would make planning and dealing with it much easier.


    If one were ignorant of its realities and engaged recklessly, the treacherous Heishan Stronghold would be several times more formidable.


    The casualties in a battle with Heishan Stronghold would also be several times higher.


    Mo Hua hoped everyone could live well, with no casualties being the best outcome. If unavoidable, the casualties should be minimized.


    Besides the intelligence on Heishan Stronghold, Mo Hua had personal gains as well.


    He caused the death of the fat cultivator and obtained Kong Sheng''s jade pendant.


    This jade pendant was exclusive to the direct line of the Kong family, holding significant symbolic value. For now, it could only be exchanged for spirit stones, but if kept, it might be useful for dealing with the Kong family in the future.


    Secondly, Mo Hua obtained a manual for the Fireball Technique from the white-faced demonic cultivator.


    He had put this manual into his storage bag without closely examining it.


    If Mo Hua''s guess was correct, although this manual was in the white-faced demonic cultivator''s possession, it probably wasn''t originally his. It might have been stolen or seized, or obtained by chance.


    Such manuals, focusing on a specific type of spell, were quite rare and not something ordinary cultivators had access to.


    Mo Hua was secretly pleased.


    Understanding this manual could enhance the power of his Fireball Technique, compensating for his agility and resourcefulness but lacking in offensive strength.


    However, there was no rush. Mo Hua planned to study it carefully once he returned.


    Additionally, the most important item was the Visualization Diagram.


    For the first time, Mo Hua saw the Visualization Diagram, glimpsed its secrets, and encountered the dangers within it.


    He had some speculations about the Visualization Diagram, but due to his limited knowledge, he couldn''t be certain. He needed to consult Mr. Zhuang.


    Thanks to the Visualization Diagram, Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness had increased dramatically, now comparable to that of a Foundation Building cultivator. He even drew a First Grade Ten-Pattern, a reverse spirit array, which was a rare occurrence against the Dao of Heaven.


    Mr. Zhuang probably didn''t expect this either.


    Mo Hua was secretly a bit proud, wondering if he would scare Mr. Zhuang when he returned.


    Finally, the most important item was the Dao Stele.


    Mo Hua had been using the Dao Stele to practice array formations and sharpen his spiritual awareness. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This Dao Stele, rather than being a stele, was more like a "blackboard" where drawings could be erased and redrawn.


    Anything could be drawn on it, but ultimately, nothing was left behind.


    However, after this trip to Heishan Stronghold, seeing the Visualization Diagram, having the Blue-faced Demon enter his sea of consciousness, experiencing danger and resolving it, Mo Hua realized that he might know nothing about this Dao Stele.


    He still remembered the Blue-faced Demon''s look of fear.


    It seemed to face the greatest terror in the world, true death and destruction of the Dao.


    The Dao Stele did nothing¡ªno light, no phenomena¡ªjust a few wisps of aura that turned the Blue-faced Demon into blue smoke.


    Mo Hua was awed.


    This Dao Stele might be far more powerful than he imagined, with a frightening origin.


    Mo Hua couldn''t ask Mr. Zhuang about it yet.


    Although he trusted Mr. Zhuang deeply, the Dao Stele''s origins were special and significant. The fewer people knew, the better. It was best if only he knew.


    As for the secrets of the Dao Stele, he would study them slowly in the future.


    The surrounding miasma thinned, and the fog lightened. The scenery was no longer oppressive, and the demonic beasts along the way became weaker.


    Unknowingly, the group had exited the inner mountains and was now on the path in the outer mountains.


    Mo Hua looked back at the deep mountains.


    Shrouded in dense fog, it seemed vast and indistinct.


    But Mo Hua knew Heishan Stronghold was hidden in that thick fog, having existed for two to three hundred years.


    Inside the stronghold were mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with demons dancing wildly.


    The spirit slaves were emaciated, the furnaces worse than death, and other captured cultivators were also tortured endlessly.


    Mo Hua had lived in Tongxian City since childhood, experiencing a life of poverty but with harmonious neighbors and helpful cultivators.


    Only now did he truly see the other side of the cultivation world.


    Bloody, cold, cruel, and evil.


    In this world, there were diligent and righteous cultivators, but there were also lawless, wicked demons.


    Some cultivators not only killed but drank human blood, absorbed human spiritual power, treating people not as people but as spirit slaves, blood slaves, and living spirit stones.


    This was a "man-eating" world.


    Mo Hua understood that just learning array formations was not enough.


    If his cultivation were strong, he could save all the innocent cultivators in Heishan Stronghold, instead of watching them suffer at the hands of demonic cultivators.


    To kill those demonic cultivators, he wouldn''t need to resort to tricks. A single Fireball Technique would be enough to burn them to ashes.


    If his cultivation were sufficient, he could comprehend stronger array formations, even drawing an Earth-Fire Array to send the entire Heishan Stronghold up in flames.


    Ultimately, cultivation is the foundation of a cultivator, array formations are the basis of one''s standing, and spells are the tools of defense.


    All three are indispensable.


    He must understand the Dao through array formations, benefiting all beings, and also master spells through cultivation to eliminate evil.


    Mo Hua''s thoughts gradually became clearer, and his gaze grew firmer.


    Liu Ruhua, beside Mo Hua, noticed his changing expressions¡ªsometimes happy, sometimes frowning, deep in thought, and finally, a resolute determination.


    Even just quietly watching Mo Hua, Liu Ruhua felt much more at ease.


    Liu Ruhua smiled with relief, her gaze soft as water.

 Chapter 293: Intelligence

    The group finally returned to Tongxian City. Elder Yu dismissed others, leaving only Mo Hua, Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi, Yu Chengwu, and Zhang Lan from the Dao Court. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.Elder Yu led them to the reception room of the artifact crafting shop in the south city. It was secluded, with formations isolating them from the outside, ensuring some privacy.


    Everyone knew Elder Yu''s intent, and their expressions were somewhat grave.


    Elder Yu took a sip of tea and asked Mo Hua, "In the deep mountains, there are really criminal cultivators?"


    Mo Hua had always been careful in his actions. The fact that he spent so long in the deep mountains indicated he must have found something.


    Considering the previous speculations about the deep mountains, Elder Yu suspected that what Mo Hua said before might indeed be true. Deep within Dahei Mountain, there was likely a group of criminal cultivators, and their power was probably significant.


    However, Mo Hua shook his head. "Not criminal cultivators."


    Elder Yu was momentarily stunned, then sighed in relief.


    "It''s not criminal cultivators, that''s good..."


    "It''s demonic cultivators," Mo Hua said.


    Elder Yu''s relief was short-lived. He was shocked and asked, "Demonic cultivators?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Everyone, including Mo Shan and Zhang Lan, looked astonished. Zhang Lan, with a serious expression, asked, "How many?"


    "Several hundred."


    "Can you be more specific?"


    "About five or six hundred."


    Everyone, including Elder Yu, gasped in shock.


    Five or six hundred demonic cultivators!


    Demonic cultivators, unlike ordinary cultivators, practice sinister techniques that are not permitted by the Dao Court. These techniques generally progress quickly, are powerful, and have strange, unpredictable effects, making them extremely difficult to deal with.


    Demonic cultivators pursued by the Dao Court usually operated alone, rarely gathering in groups. But unexpectedly, there were five or six hundred demonic cultivators deep within Dahei Mountain.


    Although Zhang Lan knew Mo Hua wouldn''t lie, he couldn''t help but ask, "You didn''t miscount, did you?"


    Mo Hua replied, "I saw it with my own eyes and counted myself."


    Zhang Lan nodded, then suddenly realized something was off. "You saw them with your own eyes and counted them? They just let you see?"


    "I used the Concealment Technique. They couldn''t see me."


    Concealment Technique...


    Zhang Lan remembered that Mo Hua had learned the Concealment Technique.


    Even though he knew this beforehand, it still seemed incredible to Zhang Lan.


    Mo Hua had managed to gather intelligence right under the noses of five or six hundred demonic cultivators and retreated safely.


    Zhang Lan felt he should be shocked, but he couldn''t muster the energy. He was becoming numb, feeling that no matter how unbelievable the situation, it seemed less so when it involved Mo Hua...


    "You have great courage..."


    Elder Yu asked, "What else do you know?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then gradually filled in more details.


    "The demonic cultivators are all gathered in a stronghold called Heishan Stronghold."


    Heishan Stronghold...


    Everyone''s expressions turned serious upon hearing this.


    The stronghold of demonic cultivators deep within Dahei Mountain, just hearing the name Heishan Stronghold felt ominous.


    "Do you know the location of Heishan Stronghold?" Yu Chengyi asked.


    Mo Hua took out a map, with two lines drawn on it.


    The map was a simple diagram of the deep mountains, drawn from Mo Hua''s memory. One line was the route Mo Hua took to get there, a hidden mountain path between cliffs leading directly to the stronghold''s gate.


    The other line was the route Mo Hua took to return, extending from the gate of Heishan Stronghold to its outskirts and into the inner mountains.


    The routes on the map, though drawn from memory, were likely in the correct general direction.


    Everyone looked at the map, astonished.


    "You''re truly an array master. Your memory is amazing," Zhang Lan marveled, then curiously asked, "But with such thick fog in the deep mountains, how did you know the route?"


    "Because I am an array master."


    Zhang Lan didn''t understand.


    Mo Hua explained, "The fog in the deep mountains isn''t naturally that dense. It''s due to a fog array set up by the third master of Heishan Stronghold, making it difficult to discern directions..."


    "But as an array master, the formations actually helped me distinguish the way."


    Zhang Lan nodded, thinking it was fortunate Mo Hua was an array master. Otherwise, they would never have known that the dense fog was due to an array.


    Even knowing that the fog was caused by an array, those who were not array masters wouldn''t be able to see through it. The deep mountains would still appear as a misty expanse, hiding its secrets.


    Only someone proficient in formations and quick-witted like Mo Hua could figure this out.


    Zhang Lan was inwardly impressed.


    Mo Shan, hearing this, was moved and asked, "The third master?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "The head of Heishan Stronghold is a Foundation Building demonic cultivator."


    Mo Shan''s expression turned serious, "How many leaders are there?"


    "There are four," Mo Hua answered.


    Everyone exchanged looks, their expressions growing heavier.


    Elder Yu asked, "Do you know anything more about these four leaders?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "I found out by eavesdropping on two demonic cultivators on night watch..."


    Of course, those two demonic cultivators had since been disposed of...


    "The first leader founded Heishan Stronghold, has the deepest cultivation, and is the most senior, but is elusive and rarely seen; the second leader is cold-blooded and loves to kill, currently out killing people, not in the stronghold; the third leader is an array master who sets up sinister formations; the fourth leader is newly appointed, has a thirst for blood, and when there''s not enough human blood, goes out at night to drink demon blood..."


    Mo Hua revealed all the information he had gathered about the four leaders of Heishan Stronghold.


    The more Elder Yu listened, the more astonished he became. This information was highly classified, revealing not only the identities of the leaders but also their sinister techniques and cultivation habits.


    Without Mo Hua, they would have had no way to obtain such intelligence.


    Four Foundation Building demonic cultivators!


    Elder Yu frowned deeply.


    Even though he had anticipated that these demonic cultivators, after years of clandestine development, would have Foundation Building cultivators among them, he hadn''t expected there to be as many as four.


    And these were cultivators who practiced sinister techniques.


    For a moment, everyone was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "Elder Yu, can we defeat them?"


    Elder Yu shook his head decisively, "We can''t!"


    "No matter what?"


    "Relying on just us, no matter what."


    "Then what should we do?" Mo Hua was also troubled.


    Elder Yu looked at Zhang Lan and cupped his hands, "We can only ask for the Dao Court''s assistance."


    Mo Hua frowned slightly. The Dao Court didn''t have many personnel either. But then he realized that Elder Yu referred to the "Dao Court," not the "Dao Court Division."


    If that was the case, then Elder Yu''s meaning was...


    "Dao soldiers?" Mo Hua asked in surprise.


    Dao soldiers, as the name suggests, were a military force of cultivators, directly under the Dao Court''s jurisdiction.


    When local Dao Court Divisions encountered threats they couldn''t handle, they could petition the Dao Court to deploy Dao soldiers to suppress the threat.


    Mo Hua had never seen Dao soldiers but had heard of their formidable strength and imposing presence.


    The demonic cultivators of Heishan Stronghold were too powerful. Even all the demon hunters combined might not be able to defeat them. So the only solution was to request Dao soldiers.


    Zhang Lan nodded slightly, "I will return immediately to report to the chief and ask him to petition the Dao Court for Dao soldiers to eliminate the demonic cultivators!"


    Requesting Dao soldiers was not an overnight process. Assessing the threat posed by the demonic cultivators, the Dao Court''s approval, and the deployment of Dao soldiers all took time.


    Time was of the essence, and Zhang Lan stood up to leave, but Mo Hua stopped him.


    "My intelligence isn''t finished yet."


    "There''s more?" Zhang Lan couldn''t help but ask, "How much intelligence did you gather that you haven''t finished yet... Did you map out the entire Heishan Stronghold?"


    "Not that exaggerated..." Mo Hua smiled, then took out another map and spread it on the table.


    The map showed dense buildings and complex formations. At first glance, it appeared to be a large-scale architectural array diagram. Zhang Lan examined it closely, his eyes twitching.


    This was no ordinary architectural array diagram!


    Pointing at the map, Zhang Lan asked incredulously, "Is this..."


    Mo Hua nodded, "It''s the topographical map of Heishan Stronghold."


    Zhang Lan couldn''t help but ask, "Did you steal this?"


    "I drew it."


    Zhang Lan was incredulous, "You drew this too?"


    Drawing a topographical map that included the structure of cultivation buildings and array designs, especially one of this size, required on-site investigation, analyzing the layout, and expertise in formations...


    "I am an array master." Mo Hua''s tone was matter-of-fact.


    Zhang Lan didn''t want to say anything more.


    Alright, you''re an array master, you''re impressive.


    Elder Yu carefully examined the map, also marveling inwardly.


    This map was detailed and precise, showing the residences of the demonic cultivators, their prison cells, and even their kitchens.


    The fact that Mo Hua drew this under the noses of


    the demonic cultivators made it even more remarkable.


    As Elder Yu examined the map, he frowned, pointing at a location.


    "What is this place?"


    The map was divided into the front stronghold and the back stronghold.


    The front stronghold''s map was detailed, but the back stronghold part was more simplified, indicating that it was likely more dangerous and Mo Hua didn''t know much about it.


    However, one area of the simplified back stronghold map was particularly detailed.


    The paths, beast gates, blood array, hall layout, and even the beams of the hall were clearly marked, with a pill furnace drawn in the center, and even a pig.


    "This is the demonic cultivators'' pill room," Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Lan''s face changed dramatically, "What kind of pills are they refining?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I don''t know, but I saw them using people for pill refining, the whole room was filled with blood mist, and some herbs looked alive."


    Elder Yu frowned. He didn''t know much about demonic cultivators and didn''t understand what kind of pills these were.


    Zhang Lan''s expression turned severe, and he said coldly, "They are refining Longevity pills from humans!"

 Chapter 294: Longevity

    "Longevity Pill?"Mo Hua had never heard of this term before, so he asked, "Can it extend one''s lifespan?"


    Zhang Lan pondered and said, "You could say it extends life, but not in the way you think."


    Elder Yu and the others exchanged glances, looking puzzled.


    Mo Hua urged, "Uncle Zhang, stop being cryptic."


    Zhang Lan hesitated for a moment and then asked Mo Hua, "What is the most important thing for a cultivator?"


    "Strength?" Mo Hua guessed after a moment.


    "No," Zhang Lan shook his head, "Strength is fundamental for a cultivator, but more important is lifespan. Only with lifespan can one pursue strength and seek longevity."


    "True longevity is essentially eternal lifespan."


    Mo Hua understood, "In simple terms, no matter what one does, one must first be alive. Without life, everything is meaningless."


    "That''s right," Zhang Lan said, "Even the most powerful cultivator must first stay alive. Without lifespan, no matter how powerful, they will still face death."


    Mo Hua asked, "So cultivators will go to great lengths to extend their lifespan?"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "The term ''extend lifespan'' is actually misleading. There are natural laws, and cultivators have their limits. When one''s lifespan is exhausted, it''s inevitable to face death."


    "But some pills or techniques can indeed extend lifespan..." Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Mo Hua had read about pills and techniques that extend life in Daoist texts, so it wasn''t a new concept to him.


    "That''s why I said, those so-called ''life-extending'' methods are not truly extending life," Zhang Lan explained.


    Mo Hua listened attentively, waiting for Zhang Lan to continue.


    With a serious expression, Zhang Lan said, "When a cultivator''s limit is reached, it is impossible to extend life. This is a law of the Dao. The so-called life extension for cultivators generally falls into two categories."


    "One is through techniques or pills that condition the body and meridians, removing impurities and illnesses, thereby prolonging life."


    "But in this case, the cultivator''s limit has not been reached, and their lifespan is not exhausted. This kind of life extension is actually just using the cultivator''s own lifespan, so it doesn''t count as truly extending life."


    "And once the cultivator''s limit is truly reached, restricted by the Dao, death is inevitable. To avoid death, one would have to resort to demonic paths, practicing forbidden techniques, and crafting forbidden pills."


    "The Longevity Pill is one such forbidden pill." S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and asked, "Does making the Longevity Pill require killing many people?"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "The Longevity Pill is difficult to craft and requires the killing of many people."


    "Making the Longevity Pill involves using humans in the pill, borrowing life from others. But such acts against the Dao are extremely difficult. It might take a lot of effort, and one person can only lend a little life, so it requires killing many people to extend one''s own life..."


    Mo Hua felt a shudder and gradually understood:


    "The way of humans is to take from those who have less to give to those who have more, exploiting others for their own benefit..."


    "Families and clans grow powerful by exploiting spirit stones; the Dao Court monopolizes power; demonic paths are more cruel, some drink blood, exploiting blood; some absorb spirits, exploiting spiritual power; and crafting the Longevity Pill is directly exploiting human lives..."


    Zhang Lan was startled and asked, "Who told you this?"


    Mo Hua scratched his head, "Isn''t it so?"


    Zhang Lan wanted to deny it, but he vaguely felt it was true, although he couldn''t articulate his thoughts.


    Elder Yu was also surprised and looked at Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan shook his head, indicating that he didn''t teach Mo Hua this, and he didn''t know how Mo Hua came to say such things.


    After a moment of thought, Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan, "If it''s true that this pill is crafted from humans, then is it made for the big boss?"


    Zhang Lan, still frowning and thinking about Mo Hua''s words, suddenly remembered the current issue with Heishan Stronghold and speculated, "The big boss is a Foundation Building cultivator. A Foundation Building cultivator has about three hundred years of lifespan, maybe four hundred at most in later stages. Given this timeline, the big boss''s limit must be nearing, which is why he established the stronghold deep in Dahei Mountain, gathered demonic cultivators, and resorted to killing and pill-making to extend his life..."


    "Such actions are forbidden by the Dao Law," Mo Hua remarked.


    "Indeed, such acts are capital crimes, punishable by death, dismemberment, or even array execution," Zhang Lan sighed, but his expression relaxed somewhat, "Crafting the Longevity Pill is an act of utmost wickedness. Once reported, the Dao Court will take it extremely seriously and will deploy Dao soldiers to eradicate these demonic cultivators!"


    Elder Yu and the others also felt relieved.


    If this were the case, eliminating Heishan Stronghold wouldn''t be so troublesome.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "Are these demonic cultivators so discreet because they fear their actions being exposed and triggering a Dao Court raid?"


    Zhang Lan pondered briefly and nodded, "Very likely, but..."


    Then Zhang Lan thought of another question and asked Mo Hua, "Crafting the Longevity Pill is a closely guarded secret, and the pill room is a forbidden area. How did you get in?"


    Elder Yu and the others looked at Mo Hua curiously.


    "It wasn''t a big deal, I just sneaked in while the third boss was out," Mo Hua said nonchalantly.


    "And then?" Zhang Lan pressed, knowing it couldn''t be that simple.


    "Then I got delayed and was caught by the third boss..."


    Everyone''s expressions changed, and Mo Shan''s heart trembled with worry.


    "Getting caught by a Foundation Building demonic cultivator, and you still managed to escape?" Zhang Lan was shocked, "How did you get out?"


    "The third boss sent me out," Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Lan didn''t believe it, "What nonsense is that?"


    "It''s true," Mo Hua insisted.


    Zhang Lan asked, "Was he out of his mind?"


    "His mind was fine, but he probably got confused and misunderstood," Mo Hua explained.


    "Misunderstood what?"


    "Misunderstood me as an old demon possessing a body."


    "Possessing?" Zhang Lan was taken aback and asked, "Why?"


    Mo Hua tried to remain humble but couldn''t help feeling a bit proud, "Maybe because my spiritual sense is strong."


    Zhang Lan was stunned, "I know your spiritual sense is strong, but not to this extent..."


    As he spoke, Zhang Lan suddenly sensed something and his expression changed, incredulously saying, "Your spiritual sense..."


    Elder Yu, hearing this, also released his spiritual sense. After a moment, his eyes widened, and he stood up abruptly.


    He hadn''t noticed it before, but upon hearing about the spiritual sense, he extended his own to probe Mo Hua.


    Only a moment later, he couldn''t remain seated.


    In his spiritual perception, Mo Hua''s presence was indistinct, his aura vague, impossible to see clearly or grasp the reality.


    The stronger the spiritual sense, the more obscure it became.


    This indicated that Mo Hua''s spiritual sense was already strong enough to rival his own, even obstructing his perception!


    But how was this possible? He was at the Foundation Building stage, and Mo Hua was only at the Qi Refining stage! This defied his understanding of cultivation...


    Elder Yu was astonished, "Your spiritual sense..."


    Mo Hua scratched his head, embarrassed, "My cultivation is at Qi Refining, but my spiritual sense has already reached Foundation Building..."


    Everyone gasped, and the room fell into dead silence.


    Meanwhile, deep in the mountains.


    The third boss muttered to himself, "Qi Refining cultivation, Foundation Building spiritual sense, how is this possible..."


    He realized something was amiss.

 Chapter 295: Unfathomable

    After Mo Hua left, and after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Third Leader couldn''t sense Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness. He then returned to that remote grove.Blood was everywhere, the place a complete mess.


    Those evil cultivators were indeed eaten, thoroughly consumed, leaving the ground drenched in blood.


    "How could a child''s body devour people so completely, yet leave such a mess?"


    The Third Leader mused to himself.


    He noticed something odd: there were many claw marks, bite marks, and even blood-stained fur on the ground.


    The Third Leader was taken aback, his brow furrowing slightly.


    These evil cultivators, torn to pieces, weren''t eaten by a person, but by a demonic beast.


    And the child who had been possessed was nowhere to be seen.


    The Third Leader''s eyes narrowed as he sensed something amiss.


    Were these people not eaten by that little demon?


    Or perhaps, that little demon wasn''t an old monster possessing a child''s body, but a demonic beast wearing human skin.


    But that didn¡¯t make sense either. If it wasn''t possession, how could a mere Qi refining cultivator have the spiritual awareness of a Foundation Building cultivator?


    Heaven has its rules; everything has its limits.


    No matter how strong a Qi refining cultivator¡¯s spiritual awareness is, it cannot exceed the limits and be comparable to Foundation Building.


    The Third Leader couldn¡¯t understand, then suddenly remembered something important:


    The Visualization Diagram!


    That little demon was meditating on his mat, and underneath that mat was the Visualization Diagram he had stolen from the sect!


    The Third Leader moved like the wind, rushing back to the alchemy room at Heishan Stronghold.


    When he arrived, he lifted the mat and found the secret compartment had been opened, and it was empty.


    The Third Leader felt a chill in his heart, and in his panic, thinking the Visualization Diagram had been stolen, he saw a scroll not far away, its texture like skin or paper, depicting Qingyan Stream, precisely his Visualization Diagram.


    Recovered, the Third Leader was ecstatic.


    Someone had opened his secret compartment, found his Visualization Diagram, but failed to recognize its value and discarded it aside.


    This was the Visualization Diagram!


    A treasure countless array masters dream of.


    The Third Leader sighed with relief, carefully opened the Visualization Diagram, but his smile quickly froze.


    The diagram was the same, the mountains the same, the stones the same, even the moss on the stones and the stream beside them, all exactly the same.


    But the little Daoist boy was gone!


    The Third Leader''s hands trembled. He quickly sat down cross-legged, trying to visualize the diagram.


    But no matter how many times he visualized, he could no longer connect with the essence within, nor did his spiritual awareness increase at all.


    The Third Leader was both shocked and furious.


    The Visualization Diagram was ruined! It could no longer enhance his spiritual awareness.


    The Third Leader''s face gradually lost color.


    Without the ability to enhance his spiritual awareness, his progress in array formations would be difficult.


    Originally, he was just a step away from becoming a Second Grade Array Master, but now that step seemed insurmountable.


    "Who ruined my Visualization Diagram?!"


    The Third Leader was enraged, and in his bewilderment, he thought of Mo Hua.


    "Did that little demon destroy it?"


    But how did he destroy the Visualization Diagram?


    The Third Leader pondered carefully.


    The scenery in the diagram was the same, only the Daoist boy was missing. Why did the boy disappear? Where did he go?


    The Third Leader recalled Mo Hua''s clear face and innocent smile, an unbelievable guess forming in his mind.


    "Could that little demon be the Daoist boy in the Visualization Diagram¡­"


    "No, that¡¯s impossible!"


    The Third Leader shook his head repeatedly.


    But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed plausible, especially their smiles, both innocent yet subtly sinister.


    A chill ran through the Third Leader, and he grew wary.


    He could no longer fathom that little demon.


    Was he a human or a ghost, an old monster possessing a body, or a demonic beast in human skin, the Daoist boy in the Visualization Diagram, or just an illusion?


    "I must capture that little demon and find out the truth, see who he really is¡­"


    The Third Leader thought silently.


    Unfathomable individuals are best kept at a distance.


    But with the Visualization Diagram ruined, the reason likely lay with that little demon. He had to find that little demon and get to the bottom of it.


    Without the Visualization Diagram, his spiritual awareness would grow slowly, making it difficult to make any breakthroughs in array formations and become a Second Grade Array Master.


    The Third Leader frowned.


    His innate talent for array formations wasn¡¯t high, and he was unwilling to toil day and night like other array masters.


    He considered such behavior foolish.


    Array formations adhere to the Dao of Heaven, relying on comprehension, not mindless practice.


    Even though he took a crooked path, using an evil Visualization Diagram to enhance his spiritual awareness, his progress in arrays was faster than most.


    Hard practice was a dead end.


    The Third Leader was convinced of this. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    So the Visualization Diagram¡¯s failure severed his spiritual awareness growth and blocked his path to array mastery advancement.


    "I must find that little demon!"


    If he were human, possessing Foundation Building spiritual awareness at the Qi refining stage, there must be a secret method to enhance spiritual awareness, and he had to obtain it;


    If he were the Daoist boy in the Visualization Diagram, he only needed to seal him back in the diagram to restore it. He could still use it to enhance his spiritual awareness and step into the realm of a Second Grade Array Master.


    The Third Leader''s eyes gleamed coldly, then turned blank:


    "Where is that little demon now¡­"


    The one on the Third Leader¡¯s mind, Mo Hua, was now at home, heartily eating the food his mother made for him.


    The table was full of dishes, all looking and smelling wonderful.


    He held a big bun in his left hand, a large chicken leg in his right, his cheeks bulging, eyes squinted into crescents, thinking:


    "Home-cooked meals are the best."


    The food at Heishan Stronghold was terrible; he would never eat there again.


    The Third Leader probably noticed something and was targeting him, but Mo Hua had no intention of returning to Heishan Stronghold.


    Unless the Dao Court wiped out Heishan Stronghold, he wouldn¡¯t go just to watch the excitement.


    But in the short term, breaking through Heishan Stronghold was impossible, so Mo Hua naturally wouldn¡¯t venture into the deep mountains again.


    If the Third Leader wanted to wait by the tree for a rabbit, he could keep waiting.


    Once he successfully built his foundation and became a Second Grade Array Master, he wouldn¡¯t need to play tricks to deal with him.


    Mo Hua''s next goal was Foundation Building!


    He had saved enough spirit stones.


    He had shares in the artifact and alchemy shops in the southern city, dividends from the Fushan Tower, and could fleece some benefits from the Dao Court when needed.


    However, he could save the benefits from the Dao Court for urgent needs later, as suggested by Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan was an ¡°internal cultivator¡± in the Dao Court and knew more than him, so his advice was worth following.


    Mo Hua had mid-low-grade spiritual roots, practicing an ancient technique called Tianyan Jue, which was also mid-low-grade. The spiritual power cycles he cultivated were slightly below average.


    His spiritual power wasn¡¯t much, so the spirit stones needed for a breakthrough weren¡¯t particularly many. The ones he had now were enough.


    The bottleneck of Tianyan Jue was in spiritual awareness, and Mo Hua¡¯s current Foundation Building level spiritual awareness far exceeded expectations, so it should suffice.


    Now, all was ready except for the crucial moment.


    As soon as he reached the peak of the ninth layer of Qi refining, he could make the leap to Foundation Building!


    Foundation Building¡­


    There were only a few Foundation Building cultivators in Tongxian City, let alone among the independent cultivators. For years, they relied on Elder Yu Changlin, a single Foundation Building cultivator, to stand against the Qian family and seek justice for independent cultivators.


    Now, Mo Hua could become a Foundation Building cultivator.


    He had imagined this day before, but never thought it would come so soon, so vividly and tangibly¡­


    Mo Hua was lost in thought.


    Liu Ruhua patted his head gently and said softly, ¡°Focus on eating.¡±


    Mo Hua snapped back to reality, smiled at his mother, and began earnestly tackling the feast before him.


    Seeing him devour the food ravenously, Liu Ruhua thought of the hardships he must have endured in the deep mountains and felt a pang of heartache. She added another large chicken leg to his plate, urging:


    ¡°Eat more.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t know, the food at Heishan Stronghold was awful.¡±


    ¡°How bad could it be?¡±


    ¡°As bad as you can imagine.¡±


    Liu Ruhua laughed, ¡°But you still ate it?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re hungry, you eat whatever¡¯s there.¡±


    Liu Ruhua frowned, ¡°Was it dangerous in Heishan Stronghold this time?¡±


    Mo Hua was about to nod but didn¡¯t want to worry his mother, so he said: ¡°It was alright. I have Concealment Techniques; I can eavesdrop, spy, and steal food without them noticing¡­¡±


    Then he hesitated, remembering his mother¡¯s advice, and whispered:


    ¡°They¡¯re all bad people. Stealing a bit from them shouldn¡¯t count as doing something bad, right?¡±


    Liu Ruhua smiled, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Mo Hua started telling other stories.


    But unlike those told to Elder Yu Changlin, these were more ¡°interesting¡± little tales.


    For instance,


    a fat man being fed was unexpectedly bitten to death by a tiger.


    Two night watchmen killed each other in a misunderstanding.


    The Third Leader, though a Foundation Building cultivator, drew arrays worse than him. He secretly sabotaged many formations, and the Third Leader might still be unaware¡­


    Liu Ruhua listened attentively, her mood lightened considerably.


    Mo Shan, on the other hand, had a complex expression.


    He knew these stories sounded ¡°interesting,¡± but they were actually fraught with danger.


    When he used to hunt demons in the Dahei Mountain, he also omitted the dangers, telling Mo Hua only the ¡°interesting¡± parts.


    Now, Mo Hua, to keep his parents from worrying, was doing the same, telling these ¡°interesting¡± stories.


    Mo Shan felt both wistful and gratified.

 Chapter 296: Evil Thoughts

    After dinner, Mo Hua spent some time drawing arrays and then lay down on the bed to rest. As soon as it was midnight, he entered his Sea of Consciousness.In the Sea of Consciousness, the ethereal Dao Stele emerged.


    Mo Hua scrutinized the Dao Stele, finding it no different from usual.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    He had thought that after devouring the Blue-faced Demon and refining its divine sense, with his own divine sense reaching the Foundation Building stage, the Dao Stele would undergo some mystical transformation.


    But it seemed he had overthought it.


    The Dao Stele remained ethereal, ancient, profound, and silent, like the Dao itself, eternal and unchanging.


    Mo Hua silently stared at the Dao Stele.


    This Dao Stele had accompanied Mo Hua in his Sea of Consciousness for more than a decade. It was utterly familiar, yet now it appeared unfathomable, as if it concealed many unknown causes and effects.


    "I wonder if, when my cultivation advances further, and my divine sense grows stronger, or when my experience in cultivation deepens, I will be able to uncover the secrets within the Dao Stele?"


    Mo Hua pondered in his heart.


    Then Mo Hua set aside his miscellaneous thoughts and practiced drawing arrays on the Dao Stele as usual.


    Cultivation values accumulation over time, and arrays require constant effort, like water dripping through stone.


    Both need relentless effort day and night, with persistent practice. Nothing can be achieved overnight, nor should one seek quick success.


    Even though Mo Hua''s divine sense was already strong, he still needed to practice arrays diligently, honing and consolidating his skills.


    Mo Hua used his finger as a pen, drawing complex and profound array patterns on the Dao Stele.


    These were esoteric patterns that ordinary first-grade array masters could not learn. The array formed by these esoteric patterns was the Reverse Spirit Array of ten patterns, a first-grade array.


    This was also the most difficult array Mo Hua had learned so far.


    For Mo Hua now, only this array was worth spending time practicing.


    After all, his divine sense had reached the Foundation Building stage. Ordinary first-grade arrays could no longer deepen his understanding or hone his divine sense; drawing them was as easy and flavorless as drinking water.


    Of course, this was just Mo Hua''s inner thought. If spoken out loud, it would surely provoke resentment.


    Mo Hua concentrated on practicing the Reverse Spirit Array.


    But as he practiced, Mo Hua felt something amiss.


    Whenever he consumed his divine sense, remnants occasionally appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.


    Among the remnants, there were visions of a Taoist temple hidden in the green mountains, a Taoist boy who was sometimes innocent and sometimes evil, a Taoist who was sometimes ethereal and sometimes greedy, and various cultivators with ulterior motives...


    Mo Hua''s state of mind fluctuated frequently.


    Sometimes he felt pure, sometimes restless, sometimes despondent, sometimes violent, and even occasionally developed a craving for human flesh and blood.


    Mo Hua quickly sat in meditation, discarding distracting thoughts.


    After a moment, Mo Hua opened his eyes and frowned.


    "Could it be that the divine sense of the Blue-faced Demon wasn''t completely purified, leaving so many evil thoughts behind?"


    He recalled what Mr. Zhuang had said about the visualization diagram being perilous and that the divine sense visualized might belong to some "non-human" entity...


    If that were true, the aftermath of "eating" the demon could be more dangerous than he had imagined.


    "I''ll ask Mr. Zhuang about it tomorrow."


    Since evil thoughts remained, it wouldn''t be wise to use his divine sense to practice arrays.


    Otherwise, the remaining evil thoughts might subtly corrupt his Sea of Consciousness, leading him astray or even causing him to deviate from the right path.


    Mo Hua continued to meditate, reflecting on himself, overcoming evil thoughts, and maintaining his true self.


    At the hour of the Rabbit, as dawn broke, Mo Hua sat cross-legged, bathed in the morning sun, and performed his routine cultivation.


    After finishing his cultivation, feeling more energized, Mo Hua ate the breakfast his mother had prepared and took some wine and meat to visit Mr. Zhuang at the Sit and Forget Abode.


    It had been a while since Mo Hua last visited Mr. Zhuang.


    The scenery at the mountain residence was as serene and leisurely as ever, calming one''s mind just by looking at it.


    It was still early, and Mr. Zhuang was dozing.


    Mo Hua peeked inside and saw that Mr. Zhuang was indeed lying leisurely on a bamboo chair, eyes closed, seemingly lost in a trance. Not wanting to disturb him, Mo Hua quietly sat on the steps outside as usual, reading a book on arrays.


    Above him was the golden sunlight, and before him, the emerald-green mountains.


    As Mo Hua read and gazed at the scenery, he felt his evil thoughts dissipate, and his mood became much more relaxed.


    While reading, Mo Hua suddenly sensed movement inside. He turned and saw Mr. Zhuang standing up, looking at him seriously. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Who are you?"


    Mr. Zhuang asked, his tone slightly cold.


    Mo Hua was taken aback and scratched his head. "Sir, it''s me, Mo Hua..."


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression softened slightly after looking at Mo Hua for a few moments. He then asked, "Where did your divine sense come from?"


    "I encountered a visualization diagram."


    A visualization diagram...


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, "And then?"


    "There was a little demon in the diagram. It jumped into my Sea of Consciousness, and I ate it..."


    Mo Hua was succinct.


    Mr. Zhuang, who was usually calm and composed, couldn''t help but show a shocked expression. "Ate it?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Ate it."


    Mr. Zhuang twitched his mouth, "How did you eat it?"


    "It tried to eat me, so I injured it with an array. It turned into wisps of blue smoke, which I swallowed..."


    Mo Hua briefly recounted the incident, omitting the part about the Dao Stele.


    In fact, it was the aura of the Dao Stele that burned the Blue-faced Demon into blue smoke.


    "Can your divine sense manifest?" Mr. Zhuang asked.


    "Yes." Mo Hua nodded.


    Mo Hua had learned from the Blue-faced Demon that the appearance of a self-manifested divine sense in the Sea of Consciousness was called divine sense manifestation.


    Mo Hua had been able to manifest his divine sense since he was young, thinking it was commonplace. But seeing the demon''s reaction, he realized not all cultivators could manifest their divine sense in the Sea of Consciousness.


    At this moment, Mr. Zhuang''s expression was unsurprised. It seemed that although he hadn''t asked before, he had long guessed that Mo Hua''s divine sense could manifest.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, "So after eating the demon and refining it, your divine sense suddenly surged?"


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking that Mr. Zhuang indeed lived up to his reputation. He had figured out most of the situation with just a few words from Mo Hua.


    Mr. Zhuang stood there, his expression complex, hesitating several times before finally confirming slowly:


    "So your divine sense has now reached the Foundation Building stage?"


    "Yes, sir!" Mo Hua smiled shyly, his eyes sparkling with a bit of pride.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and slowly sat back down, his expression returning to leisure, though his heart was far from calm.


    These past days, Mo Hua hadn''t come to see him. He thought Mo Hua had gone off somewhere and lost track of time. Little did he know that in just a few days, Mo Hua''s divine sense had reached the Foundation Building stage.


    "It''s too fast..." Mr. Zhuang thought silently.


    Though it''s said that planning leads to success and lack of planning leads to failure.


    But Mo Hua''s rapid growth in divine sense was beyond anticipation. As a result, all his previous preparations and plans had to be overturned...


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang deep in thought, Mo Hua voiced his concern:


    "Sir, after eating the demon in the visualization diagram, it seems to have left its memories in my Sea of Consciousness. I occasionally experience various illusions and distractions. Could this be dangerous?"


    "Hmm..." Mr. Zhuang''s gaze deepened. "It''s hard to say."


    Mo Hua didn''t expect the knowledgeable Mr. Zhuang to give such a vague answer and couldn''t help but ask:


    "Why is it hard to say?"


    "Because no one has done this before..."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "No one has eaten a demon?"


    "No." Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a complex expression. "Usually, it''s the demons eating people. You''re the first to eat a demon..."

 Chapter 297: Visualization Diagram

    Mo Hua couldn''t help but gape.He didn''t expect that in such a vast cultivation world with so many cultivators, he could be lucky enough to become the first person to "eat a crab."


    Mo Hua was conflicted. He didn''t want to eat a crab; without any prior examples, he might end up with a stomachache if he did it wrong.


    "So what should I do?" Mo Hua asked, "Will there be a day when my sea of consciousness is eroded by evil thoughts, losing my true self, and I really become a little demon that eats people?"


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, "Don''t worry unnecessarily. You''ve eaten all the living demons; what do some remnants after death count for?"


    "At most, it could be..." Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and found a term, "Indigestion."


    "Indigestion..." Mo Hua pondered for a moment and understood.


    "Indigestion, right?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "You could say that."


    Mo Hua felt relieved and began to ask other questions:


    "Sir, where did the visualization diagram come from? And you said the visualization diagram contains dangers. Is the little demon one of them? Is it the ''non-human'' way you mentioned? Do all visualization diagrams have such little demons? What should I do if I encounter them again?"


    Mo Hua''s voice was clear and he asked a long string of questions in one breath.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn''t help but rub his forehead.


    Having a clever disciple was both a blessing and a burden. The faster the brain worked, the more questions there were, and answering them all was a bit strenuous.


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and decided to start from the basics, then asked Mo Hua:


    "All extraordinary powers of a cultivator rely on three things. Do you know what they are?"


    "Is it spiritual sense, spiritual power, and the physical body?" Mo Hua replied.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Correct, all abilities of a cultivator are based on spiritual sense, spiritual power, and the physical body."


    "Martial arts stimulate the body with spiritual power, spells condense spiritual power with spiritual sense, and arrays communicate with the Dao of Heaven through spiritual sense, using array patterns to transmit spiritual power. Other cultivation methods are generally the same, just with different focuses."


    "If you encounter anything strange or bizarre in the cultivation world in the future and can''t figure it out, you can consider it from these three aspects."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    "The little demon in the visualization diagram has no physical body or spiritual power. It is purely spiritual sense, right?"


    "Correct," Mr. Zhuang said, "In other words, the so-called visualization diagram is just a medium for carrying spiritual sense. What it carries are the remnants of some cultivators'' spiritual sense left by chance, or the spiritual thoughts of some non-human beings born by coincidence."


    "These spiritual senses or thoughts are often called evil beings or ghosts by cultivators."


    Mo Hua asked, "Can these evil beings and ghosts be eaten?"


    Mr. Zhuang knocked Mo Hua''s head lightly, "Don''t be greedy, thinking of eating everything."


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly.


    Mr. Zhuang warned, "These evil beings and ghosts vary in strength. The Blue-faced Demon you encountered was relatively weak, so you could eat it. If you encounter a stronger one, who knows who will eat whom."


    "How strong can they be?" Mo Hua was curious.


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyes flashed with deep fear, and he said gravely:


    "Very strong and terrifying."


    Mo Hua also became serious.


    Even the unfathomable Mr. Zhuang found them terrifying?


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, thought for a moment, and decided to give him a warning.


    Originally, Mo Hua''s realm was too low to encounter these, but now he unexpectedly found a visualization diagram and even devoured the demon within. Who knows what he might encounter in the future.


    Mr. Zhuang liked this clever disciple and didn''t want him to fall into a doomed situation due to ignorance and fearlessness.


    "There are some dangers in this world that you cannot see," Mr. Zhuang said.


    "Desolate mountains, ancient temples, sealed caves, and ancient tombs often harbor unspeakable evil beings or ghosts. They feed on human spiritual sense and are adept at corrupting the human heart."


    "Cultivators with weak spiritual sense who encounter these beings might not even know how they died, as they can''t see or touch them. Either their spiritual sense is completely devoured, or their sea of consciousness is occupied by the evil being, becoming unknowingly controlled and turning into a puppet-like living dead."


    "Some beings have existed for even longer, with overwhelming spiritual thoughts, nearly indestructible. Some cultivators, out of awe, regard them as ''ghost gods'' or ''evil gods'' and worship them."


    "But most of these ghost gods and evil gods are inherently evil, with treacherous spiritual thoughts. Cultivators who revere them often do not meet a good end..."


    "Whether they are weaker evil beings or ghosts or extremely powerful ghost gods and evil gods, they need a place to reside in this world. That residence is the visualization diagram."


    "That''s why I told you that the visualization diagram contains dangers and embodies non-human ways..."


    Mo Hua listened in horror but also asked in confusion:


    "Are they all hidden in the diagram?"


    Can such a small diagram hold them all?


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Although it is called a visualization diagram, it doesn''t necessarily have to be a picture. Some murals, statues, or strange patterns can also be visualization objects. Cultivators just habitually refer to them all as ''visualization diagrams.''"


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling enlightened.


    Without Mr. Zhuang''s guidance, he would never have known these cultivation secrets. If he really encountered a powerful ghost, he might not even know how he died.


    Mo Hua asked, "Is this knowledge part of cultivation basics?"


    "These are not basics," Mr. Zhuang said, "but cultivation secrets. They are the secrets known only to ancient families proficient in spiritual sense or ancient sects that pass down arrays. Ordinary cultivators are unaware of them."


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, carefully remembering these rare cultivation secrets.


    Other than Mr. Zhuang, no one could tell him these things.


    "Do you understand?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua replied, then suddenly thought of something, "but..."


    Mr. Zhuang saw his hesitant expression and said helplessly, "Just ask if you have a question, don''t keep it inside."


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, "Thank you, sir!"


    Then he asked, "When I first saw the visualization diagram, I saw a little Dao child. But later, the Dao child turned into a little demon. Why is that? Does every visualization diagram have two forms?"


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua in surprise.


    He hadn''t mentioned such a subtle point, but Mo Hua thought of it himself. He was indeed talented and highly perceptive.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, showing approval:


    "All things in the world have an appearance and an essence. The visualization diagram is the same. The various scenes in the diagram are its appearance, and beneath the appearance is the essence of spiritual thoughts."


    Mo Hua followed Mr. Zhuang''s words and thought:


    "So, the little Dao child in the visualization diagram is the appearance, and the Blue-faced Demon is its essence?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Correct."


    "Do all visualization diagrams have both appearance and essence?"


    "Yes, but it''s not that simple," Mr. Zhuang patiently explained:


    "Some diagrams'' appearance is the essence, while others'' essence is just a deeper hidden appearance."


    "Appearance and essence, essence and appearance..."


    Mo Hua thought for a while, feeling a bit confused, then asked:


    "How can I distinguish them?"


    Mr. Zhuang raised his long finger and said slowly:


    "First, rely on spiritual sense. If your spiritual sense is strong, stronger than the spiritual thoughts or evil beings in the visualization diagram, you can see through their true nature."


    "Second, rely on experience. The more visualization diagrams you see, the more intuitively you can distinguish some authenticity and see through some appearances."


    "Third, rely on understanding the Dao of Heaven. The deeper your understanding of the Dao, the closer you are to the essence of the Dao, the more you can see the essence hidden beneath the appearance."


    "These three points, the first is the most direct, the second takes time, and the third is the hardest."


    "The Dao of Heaven..." Mo Hua pondered for a moment and asked, "How can I deepen my understanding of the Dao of Heaven?"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "First, look at your character; second, look at your tempering."


    Mo Hua frowned, thinking carefully for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up, "Meditation to enhance character, arrays to temper comprehension?"


    Mr. Zhuang didn''t expect him to grasp it immediately and nodded, "Yes."


    Mo Hua thought it through from beginning to end and gradually understood:


    "My spiritual sense is strong, and because I meditate and draw arrays every day, my understanding of the Dao of Heaven is deeper. So, unknowingly, I saw through the Blue-faced Demon''s essence. The Blue-faced Demon then entered my sea of consciousness, trying to devour my spiritual sense..."


    "But..." Mo Hua was puzzled, "The Third Master also has strong spiritual sense. Why didn''t he see through the essence of the visualization diagram?"


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, "His spiritual sense may be strong, but his character is too greedy, blinded by desire. His understanding of the Dao of Heaven is poor, so he couldn''t see through."


    Mo Hua understood.


    It seems that character is very important. Otherwise, it''s easy to be blinded by appearances and fail to see the essence, deviating from the Dao of Heaven.


    Through this


    conversation with Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua understood a lot and sincerely said, "Thank you, sir!"


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze became profound as he asked, "Do you know why I''m telling you so much now?"


    "Because I asked you..."


    Mo Hua thought silently, but he knew that since Mr. Zhuang asked this question, it couldn''t be that simple.


    He could ask, and Mr. Zhuang could answer or not answer.


    How much Mr. Zhuang chose to answer and what he chose to answer could have many considerations.


    Mo Hua reviewed Mr. Zhuang''s answers in his mind and felt that they were all related to ''spiritual sense'' and ''the Dao of Heaven.''


    But he couldn''t figure out why Mr. Zhuang was saying these things.


    Mr. Zhuang saw Mo Hua''s thoughtful but confused expression and decided not to keep him guessing. Instead, he asked meaningfully: S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Foundation Building is about laying the foundation for the Dao..."


    "Have you thought about what kind of foundation you want to build?"

 Chapter 298: Proving the Dao with Spiritual Awareness

    What Kind of Foundation Should Be Built?Mo Hua had never considered this question before, so he asked:


    "Is there a difference between foundations?"


    "Naturally, there are great differences between cultivators, and so the foundations they build are also different," Mr. Zhuang explained.


    "The foundation of a cultivator relies on their spiritual awareness, spiritual power, and physical body."


    "Different cultivators have different innate seas of consciousness, seas of Qi, and physical bodies. The methods and Dao they cultivate also vary widely, and the choices they make will lead to different paths of cultivation."


    Mo Hua was a bit troubled.


    He originally thought that being able to build a foundation was good enough, but he didn''t expect there to be so many considerations and choices to make.


    He had never thought about these matters before and didn''t know what to do.


    "Sir, can''t I just take it one step at a time?" Mo Hua asked softly.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "Cultivation is about building a solid foundation through Qi refinement, paving the way step by step. From the beginning, you need to consider what path you want to take and what Dao to cultivate. If you want to change course later, it will be very difficult."


    Mo Hua paused, then weakly asked, "Sir, what do you think would be suitable for me?"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said bluntly:


    "Your physical body is not strong, and your spiritual roots... are actually not that good either."


    Although Mo Hua was aware of his weak constitution and mediocre spiritual roots, hearing Mr. Zhuang say it made him feel a bit disheartened. He tentatively asked:


    "Is it really that bad?"


    He thought it wasn''t too bad, at least his spiritual roots were below average.


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing Mo Hua''s watery eyes, couldn''t bear to be too blunt.


    "It''s not that bad..." Mr. Zhuang said tactfully, "It''s just that your potential is very high!"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, his expression becoming complex.


    Mr. Zhuang''s words were indeed very tactful...


    Great potential for the future meant that his current abilities were very poor...


    "Then in the future, is there any chance that my physical body or spiritual power will have any advantages?" Mo Hua still held a bit of hope.


    Mr. Zhuang stroked his chin, "That depends on who you''re comparing to."


    "What do you mean?"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "Firstly, your spiritual roots are of lower-middle quality, which might seem decent compared to independent cultivators in Tongxian City. But if you compare them to family cultivators or disciples from sects, especially those from third or fourth-grade forces, you''re not even in the same league."


    Mo Hua nodded; that was indeed the case.


    The spiritual roots of some family and sect disciples were much better than his.


    "Do you know about the inheritance of spiritual roots?" Mr. Zhuang asked.


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded.


    He had heard from An Xiaofu that the spiritual roots and grades of children born to parents with different spiritual roots follow a certain pattern, which is the inheritance of spiritual roots.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "More than twenty thousand years ago, when the Dao Court was first established, high-quality spiritual roots were indeed very rare. Even lower-tier high-quality spiritual roots were highly valued and heavily cultivated..."


    "But since some families discovered that spiritual roots could be inherited and this inheritance could be controlled, all families and sects began to arrange marriages for their children according to this principle."


    "And because of this, high-quality spiritual roots are now common in larger families and sects. Lower-tier high-quality spiritual roots are no longer rare."


    Mr. Zhuang glanced silently at Mo Hua, not saying anything.


    Lower-tier high-quality spiritual roots were not rare, let alone Mo Hua''s lower-middle quality roots.


    There were three levels of difference between lower-middle quality and lower-tier high-quality roots.


    Mr. Zhuang kindly did not point this out.


    Mo Hua understood Mr. Zhuang''s meaning and couldn''t help but droop his head, letting out a long sigh.


    But Mr. Zhuang wasn''t finished yet, and he continued:


    "This is only compared to ordinary disciples of family sects. If you compare yourself to the prodigies among them, the gap is even greater."


    "Take Zisheng and Zixi, for example. The gap between your physical and spiritual root talents compared to theirs is like the difference between the clouds and the mud."


    "Is the gap really that big?" Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell the truth, "The gap is not just that big; it''s actually larger than I''ve described..."


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    He didn''t know that Zisheng and Zixi''s talents were so high.


    Or maybe it was his talents that were so low?


    Mo Hua thought of Mr. Zhuang''s previous mention of the "Dao of Heaven" and "spiritual awareness," and said:


    "Then should I focus on cultivating spiritual awareness?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Exactly. Since your physical body and spiritual roots cannot compare to others, then don''t compare them. Focus on your spiritual awareness."


    "Your physical body and spiritual roots are weaker than you think, but your spiritual awareness is actually stronger than you think."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, thinking silently, "It might even be stronger than I think..."


    Mo Hua didn''t know what Mr. Zhuang was thinking and was still troubled by his physical body and spiritual roots. He asked:


    "Can my physical body and spiritual roots be improved?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly and said:


    "Weakness is an innate problem. It can be improved, but not fundamentally changed. At most, your body won''t be as weak, but it won''t be much stronger, and it can''t compare to those with natural body cultivation talents."


    "Spiritual roots are even more innate. Whatever spiritual roots you''re born with, that''s what you''ll have for life. You can''t change it. If you''re weaker than others, you''re just weaker. There''s no other good solution."


    "So, should I focus on my strengths and avoid my weaknesses?" Mo Hua said.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Spiritual awareness, spiritual power, and the physical body are the foundations of a cultivator''s practice. All three are essential, but the Dao of Heaven is harsh, and human talent is limited. It''s impossible to excel in all areas. Cultivation doesn''t require you to be better than others in everything. If you can excel in one aspect, that''s enough."


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling a sense of clarity, then curiously asked:


    "Are there people who excel in all aspects?"


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "There are, but such people are rare geniuses, encountered once in a millennium in the entire cultivation world."


    Mo Hua felt a bit envious, but then decided against it.


    He knew without thinking that to cultivate all three aspects¡ªspiritual awareness, spiritual power, and the physical body¡ªrequired profound cultivation heritage, abundant spirit stone resources, and extremely rare heavenly materials.


    Even if he had such extraordinary talent, without the heritage and resources, it would be like a pearl covered in dust, wasting his potential.


    One shouldn''t be too greedy. Focusing on spiritual awareness was good enough.


    But if he focused on spiritual awareness, could he really reach the Dao? And he hadn''t heard of any cultivators focusing solely on spiritual awareness.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "Sir, are there other cultivators who focus on spiritual awareness?"


    "Very few."


    "How few?"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "Normal cultivators wouldn''t focus on spiritual awareness."


    Mo Hua was stunned, feeling conflicted. Did that make him an "abnormal" cultivator...


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, "The physical body and spiritual power are tangible and obvious, but spiritual awareness is elusive and difficult to grasp. Except for some array masters who need strong spiritual awareness for their formations, other cultivators rarely choose this path."


    "I see..." Mo Hua sighed softly.


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyes sharpened, "But you''re different. Your weak body and average spiritual roots mean that spiritual awareness is almost your only strength, and it''s much stronger than you think..."


    "In that case, focus on cultivating your spiritual awareness to the extreme, to the point where other cultivators can only look up to you in awe..."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the small Mo Hua with a deep gaze and said:


    "As long as your spiritual awareness is strong enough, one day, you can prove the Dao with your spiritual awareness and glimpse the true essence of the Dao!"


    s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 299: Staying True to Oneself

    Spiritual Awareness Proving the Dao, Seeing the Great Dao with Supreme Spiritual Awareness¡­ s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.Mo Hua was utterly shocked as he listened.


    He pondered deeply. Indeed, focusing on spiritual awareness seemed to be the most suitable path for him.


    All of his cultivation and skills relied on his spiritual awareness.


    Firstly, drawing arrays required spiritual awareness. Without strong spiritual awareness, it was impossible to comprehend arrays, let alone learn and use them.


    Arrays and spiritual awareness complemented each other. Constantly practicing arrays could also hone the sea of consciousness, enhancing spiritual awareness.


    Secondly, the bottleneck in Mo Hua''s cultivation technique was the maze array, which resided in the sea of consciousness.


    Without strong spiritual awareness, he couldn''t unravel the maze array, break through the bottleneck, and his cultivation would remain stagnant forever.


    Finally, the spells he practiced, whether it was the Fireball Technique, which required precise spiritual awareness for targeting and speed, the Passing Water Step, which needed spiritual power manipulation, or the Concealment Technique, which hid his presence from others¡ªstronger spiritual awareness made these spells more effective.


    Thus, using spiritual awareness to prove the Dao was the most suitable and possibly the only path for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded, suddenly recalling a question and asked Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°But my spiritual awareness has already reached the Foundation Building stage, what else needs to be done?¡±


    ¡°It''s not enough.¡±


    ¡°Even reaching the Foundation Building stage in spiritual awareness is not enough?¡± Mo Hua was surprised and puzzled.


    Wasn''t it said that achieving the Foundation Building stage in spiritual awareness at the Qi refining stage was extremely difficult? Even so, his spiritual awareness was still insufficient...


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°It¡¯s enough for others, but not for you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Instead of answering directly, Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi have higher talents than you, are older, have better inheritances, and more spirit stones...¡±


    Mr. Zhuang listed many advantages, and Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly.


    Comparison was indeed discouraging.


    Despite being registered disciples, Mo Hua felt like he was dragging Mr. Zhuang¡¯s registered disciples down, and not just by a little.


    After listing the advantages of the Bai siblings, Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°Do you know why they haven''t reached the Foundation Building stage yet?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and answered, ¡°Are they honing their foundation?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Qi refining is the first stage and the starting point of cultivation, so one must solidify the foundation, build up vitality, and not rush.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Sir, if that''s the case, then Qi refining should be the stage for Foundation Building, shouldn''t it? Isn¡¯t it about honing the foundation and laying the groundwork for the Great Dao?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Qi refining is only for solidifying the foundation, but it''s different from the Foundation Building stage.¡±


    ¡°Does the Foundation Building stage have any extraordinary significance?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang solemnly said:


    ¡°The Foundation Building stage is the first major breakthrough among the various stages of cultivation!¡±


    ¡°When a cultivator reaches the Foundation Building stage, spiritual power undergoes a qualitative change, condensing into liquid; the physical body undergoes a qualitative change, with blood and Qi like mercury; at the same time, the sea of consciousness expands, and spiritual awareness doubles!¡±


    Spiritual awareness doubling!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, his gaze deep, ¡°This means that no matter how strong your spiritual awareness is during the Qi refining stage, it could potentially double after reaching the Foundation Building stage!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, showing an expression of disbelief.


    Other cultivators would have their Qi refining stage spiritual awareness doubled, reaching Foundation Building stage spiritual awareness.


    But he already had Foundation Building stage spiritual awareness. If it doubled, how powerful would his spiritual awareness become...


    Mo Hua couldn''t imagine, so he looked at Mr. Zhuang and asked:


    ¡°What about my spiritual awareness¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Your current spiritual awareness is roughly equivalent to the early Foundation Building stage. After doubling, it will be at the mid Foundation Building stage.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused and then continued, ¡°If you had mid Foundation Building stage spiritual awareness before reaching the Foundation Building stage, after reaching the Foundation Building stage, though not as strong as the Golden Core stage, it would be at the peak of the late Foundation Building stage.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide.


    If this were true, with such strong spiritual awareness after reaching the Foundation Building stage, becoming a second-grade array master would be a breeze.


    Furthermore, breaking bottlenecks would be easier, the Fireball Technique would be faster, Passing Water Step would be stronger, and Concealment Technique would be harder to detect.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but fantasize for a while, but when he looked up, he found Mr. Zhuang watching him with a faint smile.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped again.


    Based on his intuition and his understanding of Mr. Zhuang, Mr. Zhuang definitely had more to say.


    ¡°Is it not that simple...¡± Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly and asked Mo Hua, ¡°How do you plan to enhance your spiritual awareness?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and answered truthfully:


    ¡°Just like before, by drawing arrays and practicing½âÕó?¡±


    ¡°Your spiritual awareness has already reached the Foundation Building stage. Drawing first-grade arrays now will hardly increase your spiritual awareness.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, only then realizing that no wonder drawing first-grade arrays had felt boring and meaningless these past few days.


    It was because these were too simple, no longer honing his spiritual awareness or comprehending the laws of the Dao.


    ¡°Then should I consume the Visualization Diagram?¡± Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but knock on Mo Hua¡¯s head, shaking his head:


    ¡°Even if you could see through the Visualization Diagram¡¯s true nature and distinguish what you are consuming, what would be the consequences?¡±


    ¡°Even if you could consume it, Visualization Diagrams are rare. How could you be lucky enough to obtain another one?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Visualization Diagrams vary in strength. If the evil entity in the diagram is too strong, it¡¯s uncertain who would consume whom¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had the Dao Stele in his sea of consciousness, so he might not be consumed, but he didn¡¯t want any extra trouble.


    If a powerful evil entity entered his sea of consciousness, saw his Dao Stele, and he couldn¡¯t keep it, letting it escape, it would be a big problem.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    Since he couldn¡¯t consume the Visualization Diagram and couldn¡¯t draw first-grade arrays, there was only one way left.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Can I draw the Reverse Spirit Array?¡±


    ¡°Not just the Reverse Spirit Array, all first-grade ten-pattern arrays that contain heavenly anomalies can help you enhance your spiritual awareness,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°There are other heavenly anomaly arrays?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t have them.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Can we obtain them?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. Learn the Reverse Spirit Array first. Once you¡¯ve mastered it, I have other things to teach you. If you can fully grasp the Reverse Spirit Array, I¡¯ll find other heavenly anomaly arrays for you to learn.¡±


    Mo Hua felt grateful and respectfully bowed, ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang had said so much, his face showing signs of fatigue.


    Mo Hua then prepared to leave, not wanting to disturb Mr. Zhuang¡¯s rest. After taking a few steps, Mr. Zhuang called him back.


    ¡°I forgot to tell you,¡± Mr. Zhuang lay on the bamboo chair, looking at Mo Hua with gentle eyes, ¡°Those evil thoughts are actually useful.¡±


    ¡°The Blue-faced demon¡¯s evil thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What are they used for?¡±


    ¡°To refine the heart with evil thoughts,¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze sharpened as he spoke to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Cultivators seek the Dao and longevity, facing countless obstacles and dangers. Beyond cultivation stages, the greatest obstacle is the Dao heart.¡±


    ¡°Can cultivators lose their Dao heart?¡±


    ¡°They can,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, his expression melancholic:


    ¡°Cultivators¡¯ path is long. Initially, they may be devoted to the Dao with a firm Dao heart.¡±


    ¡°But as time passes, worldly desires taint the heart, and gradually, they forget what they are cultivating for. Living long enough, they also forget why they are living.¡±


    ¡°Devotees to the Dao indulge in sensual pleasures, demon slayers become demonic, those concerned with the world become tyrants, and the compassionate become callous¡­¡±


    ¡°The most resilient and fragile thing in this world is the human heart.¡±


    ¡°In this vast world, appearances are deceptive. Over time, the Dao heart erodes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to prove the Dao with spiritual awareness.¡±


    ¡°With strong spiritual awareness, you can see through appearances, keep your thoughts clear, and fend off external evils. No matter what happens in the future, I hope you remain true to your Dao and never forget your original Dao heart¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke earnestly, his expression suddenly becoming extremely fatigued. He involuntarily closed his eyes and quietly fell asleep.


    Mo Hua respectfully bowed to Mr. Zhuang.


    He silently remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words, especially the last two sentences:


    Stay true to your Dao, and never forget your original Dao heart.

 Chapter 300: Demons

    Mo Hua bade farewell to Mr. Zhuang, walked through the bamboo forest, crossed the grassland, and passed the pond until he reached the large locust tree.Under the large locust tree, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were reading books.


    When Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua, his eyes lit up, and he quickly threw down the book in his hand and asked:


    ¡°Where have you been? I haven''t seen you recently.¡±


    Mo Hua opened the food box and shared the beef and pastries his mother had prepared with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    ¡°I was delayed by something.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and didn¡¯t ask any more questions, focusing on eating the beef.


    His mind was simple; if he had meat to eat, he usually didn''t think about anything else.


    Mo Hua thought for a while and asked him, ¡°Zisheng, when do you plan to start Foundation Building?¡±


    Bai Zisheng corrected him, ¡°You have to call me Brother Bai!¡±


    Mo Hua ignored him.


    Bai Zisheng, eating Mo Hua''s meat, couldn¡¯t refuse to answer, so he said: S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°There is still some time. The foundation needs to be solid before I can start Foundation Building.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    It seems Mr. Zhuang was right; disciples from noble families or sects, if they want to go far on the path of cultivation, will not be greedy for quick success. They start honing their realms and laying a solid foundation from the Qi Refining stage.


    Bai Zisheng then asked Mo Hua, ¡°Are you planning to start Foundation Building?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am at the seventh level of Qi Refining and need to start planning early.¡±


    Bai Zixi, taking small bites of the pastries, glanced at Mo Hua, then suddenly froze, frowned, and said:


    ¡°Your spiritual awareness¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng, hearing this, also looked at Mo Hua and was startled, ¡°Mo Hua, what happened to your spiritual awareness?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my spiritual awareness has reached the Foundation Building stage.¡±


    Mo Hua pretended to be calm, but there was still a hint of pride in his eyes.


    Bai Zisheng''s mouth gaped open, and Bai Zixi stared at him, forgetting to eat her pastry.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°A Qi Refining cultivator can''t have spiritual awareness at the Foundation Building stage.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then just consider it so.¡± Mo Hua said nonchalantly.


    Bai Zisheng scrutinized Mo Hua from head to toe, still not daring to believe it, ¡°Did your spiritual awareness really reach the Foundation Building stage?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s impossible?¡±


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, muttering:


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. I¡¯ve never heard of spiritual awareness reaching the Foundation Building stage first¡­¡±


    Mo Hua picked up a piece of pastry and put it in his mouth, chewing with a smile.


    ¡°How did your spiritual awareness reach the Foundation Building stage?¡± Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but ask again.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Bai Zixi''s voice was crisp, with a hint of reproach.


    Bai Zisheng then remembered and apologized:


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked. Cultivators have their own opportunities, usually not shared with others.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°But I can¡¯t tell you now. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    The matter of the visualization diagram, he had only told Mr. Zhuang about, because it involved the sea of consciousness, and he had a Dao Stele in his sea of consciousness. So, the fewer people who knew, the better.


    At least, for now, he couldn¡¯t tell Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s frankness, nodded and said, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Mo Hua smiled.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s smile, Bai Zisheng was suddenly startled and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Why did you suddenly smile so eerily, with a hint of evil?¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, then remembered it should be the evil thoughts of the Blue-faced Demon occasionally surfacing. When he smiled, he looked like the Blue-faced Demon, with a sinister aura.


    Mo Hua rubbed his cheeks, ¡°It''s nothing, I ate something bad, it will pass soon.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was confused but didn¡¯t delve deeper. Instead, he curiously asked:


    ¡°What have you been doing lately?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment. He couldn¡¯t talk about the visualization diagram, but he could tell Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi about the Heishan Stronghold.


    Moreover, they were Bai family disciples, well-versed in family knowledge, and might know some other clues.


    So, Mo Hua narrated the events of the Heishan Stronghold to Bai Zisheng.


    From the hidden mountain path between cliffs, to the foggy forest filled with Fog Arrays, to the midnight encounters with fat and thin cultivators asking for directions, and finally, the blood-colored alchemy room and the Bone Pill Furnace...


    Mo Hua told them everything he could, except for matters related to the visualization diagram.


    Bai Zisheng listened with a mix of suspense and indignation.


    Sometimes he worried for Mo Hua, other times he was furious at the evil cultivators¡¯ deeds, wishing he could storm into Heishan Stronghold and slaughter the demons.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s impression, noble family disciples were either strictly disciplined and followed rules or were pampered and lawless.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s righteous and chivalrous personality was truly unexpected.


    Bai Zixi was also listening intently, the book in her hand had fallen to the ground without her noticing.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked:


    ¡°Do you know the difference between evil cultivators and demonic cultivators?¡±


    The third leader of Heishan Stronghold regarded him as a demon possessing the body of an old monster. In theory, demonic cultivators should be stronger and more terrifying than evil cultivators.


    But Mo Hua had never understood the difference between them. When he asked Elder Yu, he was vague, probably because he had never encountered them and didn¡¯t know much.


    After all, if Mo Hua hadn¡¯t entered Heishan Stronghold, he would only have encountered one evil cultivator¡ªthe flower thief he and Zhang Lan caught, who had one leg broken by Mo Hua.


    As for the term ¡°demonic cultivator,¡± Mo Hua had rarely heard of it.


    ¡°I know this!¡± Bai Zisheng said with a hint of pride, showing off his knowledge in front of Bai Zixi:


    ¡°Both evil cultivators and demonic cultivators are not good. They practice evil demonic methods, and generally, it doesn¡¯t matter if they are called evil or demonic cultivators.¡±


    ¡°To be specific, evil cultivators usually refer to those who fell into evil ways halfway, while demonic cultivators have orthodox demonic inheritance and practice demonic techniques and Dao laws.¡±


    ¡°Demonic cultivators have a more orthodox inheritance, while evil cultivators are self-taught, so demonic cultivators are generally stronger. Of course, in the evil demonic path, the more evil you are, the stronger you are, and the more you deserve to die.¡±


    Bai Zisheng explained in detail.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood but then became puzzled, ¡°How do you know so much?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said righteously, ¡°A cultivator who slays demons and monsters is a good cultivator! If so, how can we slay demons without knowing our enemies?¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    So, that¡¯s his intention.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°What about evil arrays? How are they different from ordinary arrays?¡±


    When it came to arrays, especially in front of Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng felt a bit intimidated.


    He was well aware of Mo Hua¡¯s proficiency in arrays, far surpassing any ordinary Qi Refining stage array master.


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t dare to talk nonsense. If he said something wrong and embarrassed himself in front of Mo Hua, he couldn¡¯t shamelessly consider himself Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°big brother¡± anymore.


    Although Mo Hua never acknowledged him as a ¡°big brother¡±...


    Bai Zisheng sneaked a glance at his sister Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi, a bit helpless, said:


    ¡°Evil arrays and demonic arrays are strictly forbidden by the elders of our clan and are not mentioned by the instructors. But I saw some mentions in a book¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s long black eyelashes fluttered, and her autumn-water-like eyes showed a look of contemplation. After a moment, she recalled the book¡¯s content and continued:


    ¡°Evil arrays and demonic arrays generally use flesh and blood as the array medium, draw array patterns with evil thoughts, use the anti-Dao as the array hub, and refine human lives as the array eye.¡±


    ¡°As for the specifics, the book didn¡¯t elaborate. I¡¯m also unclear about the differences between evil and demonic arrays.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng whispered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Mo Hua had the same thought, but Bai Zixi shook her head and said:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Bai Zixi replied, ¡°Because you are too smart. Mr. Zhuang is afraid you will learn it too quickly.¡±

 Chapter 301: Reluctance

    Mo Hua was a bit surprised but then thought it wasn''t a big deal: "Just asking about the differences in demonic arrays doesn''t mean I''ll learn it right away..."


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment, then shook his head firmly:


    "Others might not, but you definitely will!"


    Whether it''s an evil array or a demonic array, they inherently go against the Dao, relying on opportunistic and deceitful methods.


    Orthodox arrays are very difficult to learn. To master them, one must proceed step by step, strengthening their spiritual sense bit by bit, practicing arrays repeatedly until achieving success through years of hard work.


    However, some impatient demonic cultivators, unwilling to put in the effort but eager to make quick progress, would resort to harmful and unscrupulous methods to forcibly enhance the power of arrays.


    Evil and demonic arrays are easier to learn. The two are opposites and often counter each other. A typical array master might not be able to decipher them, but someone as talented as Mo Hua would grasp them quickly.


    Despite Bai Zisheng''s reluctance to admit it, Mo Hua was the most gifted array master of his age group he had ever seen.


    He learned orthodox arrays quickly, so learning those demonic arrays would be even easier.


    Even if Mr. Zhuang just mentioned a few principles, Mo Hua might figure out the demonic array on his own.


    Once he fell into demonic ways, there would be no turning back.


    Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua and quickly reminded him:


    "Don''t ask Mr. Zhuang about this, or you will definitely make him angry! These demonic arrays are unworthy of mention and should be avoided."


    "Really?" Mo Hua was doubtful.


    He didn''t actually want to learn demonic arrays, just to be prepared if he encountered them again, so he wouldn''t be caught off guard and fall into a desperate situation.


    "Really!" Bai Zisheng said seriously.


    "Alright."


    Listening to others'' advice fills the belly. Since both Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi said so, he would leave it for now and talk about it later if the opportunity arose.


    "By the way, how did you get out of Heishan Stronghold after entering?" Bai Zisheng asked curiously.


    Mo Hua then recounted his "heroic" act of having the third leader lead the way and walking out of Heishan Stronghold''s main gate openly and proudly.


    Bai Zisheng was stunned and said, "You''re bragging!"


    "Believe it or not."


    Mo Hua''s expression was genuine, causing Bai Zisheng some conflict, and he asked, "Then what happened?"


    Mo Hua then briefly recounted the subsequent events, including tricking several demonic cultivators to their deaths.


    Bai Zisheng''s expression turned serious, and after a long period of contemplation, he made a decision, saying solemnly:


    "With your courage and actions, I''ve decided, I won''t take you as my little brother."


    "What?"


    "You can be promoted to my junior brother!"


    Mo Hua, uninterested, pouted, "I''m not interested."


    Bai Zisheng was shocked, "You don''t even want to be my junior brother?"


    "What''s so special about that?"


    "This is being my junior brother! Even if it were members of the Zhao family, Li family, or the direct descendants of the Situ family wanting to be my junior brother, I wouldn''t care."


    Bai Zisheng tried hard to persuade Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "We are all registered disciples of Mr. Zhuang, so we shouldn''t be considered the same sect brothers, right?"


    "A registered disciple is also a disciple!" Bai Zisheng insisted.


    "That''s not right. I joined first, so by logic, I should be the senior brother, and you should be my junior brother."


    Bai Zisheng was stunned, then jumped up, "Impossible!"


    Failing to become the "big brother" was one thing, but barely becoming a "senior brother" was acceptable. Now he couldn''t even be the senior brother and might end up as the junior brother!


    Bai Zisheng couldn''t accept this!


    "I''m older than you, so I''m the senior brother!"


    "I joined first, you should call me senior brother!"


    ...


    Bai Zixi, watching them argue, picked up her book again, reading elegantly and quietly.


    Under the large locust tree, the clear voices were noisy, both lively and peaceful.


    As evening fell, everyone went home, and the mountain dwelling fell into quietness.


    The night was tranquil, with the moonlight casting a thin layer of silver over the mountain scenery and bamboo forest.


    In the bamboo house, Mr. Zhuang slowly opened his eyes, staring at the moonlit mountains, lost in thought.


    Unnoticed, Elder Gui appeared silently, his voice as dry and hoarse as ever:


    "Your injuries have worsened."


    "They''ve always been this bad," Mr. Zhuang replied calmly, without showing any emotion.


    Elder Gui remained silent for a moment, then said indifferently:


    "When the injuries worsen, it''s time to leave."


    Mr. Zhuang didn''t respond.


    "Are you reluctant?" Elder Gui asked woodenly.


    Mr. Zhuang stretched lazily and smiled nonchalantly, "Yes, the scenery here is nice, the days are leisurely, there''s food and drink, it''s hard to leave."


    "Is that what you''re reluctant about?"


    Mr. Zhuang still looked at the dark mountains, not speaking.


    "Don''t get too deeply involved in karma," Elder Gui reminded again.


    "Let''s wait a bit longer," Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, sighing, "I don''t feel at ease leaving without teaching everything."


    Elder Gui frowned, "Staying in one place too long, you''ll be found, and then life and death will be uncertain."


    "I know, there''s still time," Mr. Zhuang remained composed.


    "As long as you know. After all, it''s your life," Elder Gui said indifferently, then fell silent.


    The bamboo house returned to silence.


    The night deepened, and the moonlight grew colder.


    After a long while, Mr. Zhuang spoke again:


    "Elder Gui, how much longer do you think I can hide?"


    The room remained silent.


    Elder Gui was nowhere to be seen, either absent and couldn''t hear, or heard but didn''t know how to answer, so remained silent.


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze deepened, and he smiled self-deprecatingly.


    Mo Hua returned home, had dinner, and went back to his room, lying on his small desk, beginning to draw the Reverse Spirit Array.


    He had already learned this array, and practicing it now was to refine his spiritual sense and improve his proficiency to better master the array.


    The first-grade ten-pattern Reverse Spirit Array was hard to learn and equally difficult to practice.


    Mo Hua could barely draw it, his strokes unfamiliar, the array patterns unclear, his understanding of the array hub shallow, and his spiritual sense barely sufficient. Thus, there were many areas to practice and many repetitions needed for mastery.


    Mo Hua lay on his desk, concentrating, his small hand holding the pen, drawing the Reverse Spirit Array with some difficulty.


    After completing one, his spiritual sense nearly exhausted, he meditated to recover.


    Meanwhile, evil thoughts would emerge, constantly growing, disturbing Mo Hua''s mind.


    Mo Hua followed Mr. Zhuang''s teachings, using the evil thoughts to refine his mind.


    When evil thoughts arose, he did not fear or evade, his heart like a clear mirror, reflecting on himself, dispelling the evil while steadily affirming his true heart amidst the chaos.


    After a while of meditation, the evil thoughts gradually faded, and Mo Hua''s spiritual sense filled up.


    He practiced the Reverse Spirit Array again, rested a bit, and began planning his foundation establishment.


    Previously, he only thought about establishing the foundation without knowing how or what to prepare.


    After consulting Mr. Zhuang, his understanding became clearer.


    In short, before establishing the foundation, one''s spiritual sense must be as strong as possible. After foundation establishment, the spiritual sense would multiply, laying a strong foundation for future Dao attainment.


    The first task was to cultivate until the ninth level of Qi Refining.


    Before, Mo Hua was impatient to establish the foundation, so his mindset was anxious. Now, he needed to temper his state, solidify his spiritual sense, and take his time.


    Maintain a normal mind, practice daily without interruption, and let things naturally come to fruition without rushing.


    Besides cultivation, the most important aspect was spiritual sense.


    He was now at the seventh level of Qi Refining, with two small breakthroughs left. Each breakthrough would enhance his spiritual sense.


    Learning the Reverse Spirit Array and practicing with the Dao Stele would steadily increase his spiritual sense.


    Once mastering the Reverse Spirit Array, Mr. Zhuang said he would teach him other things.


    Mo Hua speculated that it would involve how to use the Reverse Spirit Array to cause array collapse.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying:


    "When an array collapses, spiritual power within the array framework disrupts and conflicts in the form of array patterns, creating strong spiritual fluctuations with extreme and extraordinary power..." S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was deeply impressed and curious about the power of array collapse, wondering how strong it could be to astonish Mr. Zhuang.


    After learning this, Mr. Zhuang would probably find other Dao anomalies for him to study.


    Mo Hua wanted to know if other Dao anomaly arrays also surpassed the capabilities of ordinary cultivators.


    How did these arrays compare with the Reverse Spirit Array and other first-grade arrays?


    Lastly, there was the Visualization Diagram.


    If the divine thoughts in the diagram weren''t too strong, could he really enhance his spiritual sense by "eating the diagram"?


    Eating diagrams to refine the mind, using evil thoughts to refine the heart.


    With the Dao Stele''s suppression, the risk shouldn''t be as high as imagined.


    But eating diagrams was only a


    backup option; visualization diagrams were rare, and Mo Hua didn''t know where to find them.


    Also, if he couldn''t see through the essence, he wouldn''t know if the divine thoughts in the diagram were evil or ghosts, strong or weak, making it risky to act rashly.


    "Visualization diagrams can wait..."


    Even without relying on visualization diagrams, completing the tasks would sufficiently refine his spiritual sense beyond the foundation establishment stage.


    With strong spiritual sense, learning second-grade arrays would be easier, and becoming a second-grade array master would be just a matter of time.


    What effects would second-grade arrays have?


    If he mastered second-grade arrays, would he be the youngest second-grade array master?


    The cultivation world was vast with countless geniuses. Even if he wasn''t the youngest second-grade array master, he should be among the youngest.


    Mo Hua felt some anticipation, grateful to Mr. Zhuang.


    Without Mr. Zhuang''s guidance, he wouldn''t have learned arrays so well and so quickly, let alone become a first-grade array master or learn arrays beyond first-grade.


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua unconsciously frowned.


    Mr. Zhuang seemed a bit off recently.


    He seemed sleepier, more easily tired than before, perhaps due to some problem in his cultivation...


    Although he still appeared lazy and carefree as usual.


    But Mo Hua, being observant and spending so much time with Mr. Zhuang, noticed something amiss.


    "Mr. Zhuang... is he alright..."


    Mo Hua felt a bit worried.

 Chapter 302: Progress

    Mo Hua considered for a moment and then sighed.His cultivation was currently low, and his understanding of arrays was limited. Even if Mr. Zhuang had difficulties, he couldn''t help.


    "Better to cultivate well and study arrays diligently. In the future, when my cultivation is successful, I will repay Mr. Zhuang for his teachings."


    Mo Hua nodded and saw that it was already midnight. He submerged his consciousness into his sea of consciousness, using the Dao Stele to meticulously practice the Reverse Spirit Array.


    The days passed calmly, with Mo Hua continuing his cultivation and array practice as usual.


    Besides that, Mo Hua was also very concerned about the matters of Heishan Stronghold, but he didn''t know the progress made by the Dao Court.


    A few days later, at noon, Mo Hua visited Mr. Feng and received some daily use pills. On his way home, he saw Zhang Lan.


    Mo Hua quickly greeted Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan, walking with his head down, heard a child''s voice calling "Uncle Zhang." Without looking, he knew it was Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua walked up to Zhang Lan, lowered his voice, and asked secretly, "How is it?"


    Mo Hua was naturally referring to the matter of the Dao soldiers.


    Being a confidential matter, Mo Hua was very cautious not to speak openly.


    Zhang Lan looked around and said, "There are too many people here. Let''s talk at the restaurant."


    The two arrived at the restaurant and sat in their usual spot. Jiang Yun served some wine and dishes.


    Seeing that the surrounding customers were regulars, mostly demon hunters who were drinking happily and wouldn''t pay attention to their corner, Zhang Lan softly said to Mo Hua, "I have reported the details to the Chief Supervisor. The Chief Supervisor has already reported to the Dao Court. Now we just need to wait for the Dao Court''s approval. If they agree, it won''t be long before they dispatch Dao soldiers to eliminate Heishan Stronghold."


    "Will it take long?"


    "If the Dao Court agrees, it won''t take long."


    "What if the Dao Court doesn''t agree?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan took a sip of wine and pondered, "If what you saw is true, that there are five or six hundred demonic cultivators in Heishan Stronghold, killing people to refine human pills, the Dao Court cannot let demonic cultivators run rampant. They will definitely send Dao soldiers. Don''t worry."


    Mo Hua nodded, visibly relieved.


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua but sighed inwardly.


    This matter wasn''t that simple. The hardest part was proving that there was indeed a stronghold deep in the mountains with five or six hundred demonic cultivators refining human longevity pills.


    So far, these were only Mo Hua''s words.


    The only evidence was two maps drawn by Mo Hua: one showing the path through the fog forest and the other the topography of Heishan Stronghold.


    There were no other witnesses or physical evidence.


    They believed Mo Hua, but the Dao Court wouldn''t trust a young cultivator in his teens.


    Moreover, Mo Hua didn''t have the rank of a first-grade array master.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou was also in a difficult position.


    He was old, looking forward to a peaceful retirement. Now, with the issue of Heishan Stronghold, he was torn.


    Reporting to the Dao Court, if Mo Hua''s information was incorrect and there was no stronghold or demonic cultivators, Chief Supervisor Zhou would be held responsible. While it wouldn''t lead to imprisonment, he would lose his position.


    Not reporting would allow the demonic cultivators to grow stronger, potentially bringing great disaster to all cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Choosing between personal safety and the peace of Tongxian City wasn''t easy.


    In the end, Chief Supervisor Zhou chose to report the matter to the Dao Court.


    Zhang Lan remembered Chief Supervisor Zhou''s words:


    "I have been a Chief Supervisor for most of my life, always playing it safe without any notable achievements. Later, the independent cultivators built the artifact crafting shop and the alchemy hall, bringing me merits. Honestly, I feel guilty..."


    "Now that there is danger lurking in Tongxian City, as the Chief Supervisor, I share its fate. I cannot stand by and do nothing."


    "The worst outcome is being dismissed by the Dao Court and living a leisurely life afterward."


    "The report on the elimination of Heishan Stronghold must be submitted to the Dao Court!"


    Chief Supervisor Zhou''s expression was very determined.


    Zhang Lan knew that being dismissed by the Dao Court and retiring honorably were vastly different in reputation and treatment. Chief Supervisor Zhou wouldn''t take this lightly.


    Looking at Mo Hua, who was eating, Zhang Lan speculated that Chief Supervisor Zhou made this decision partly because of Mo Hua.


    If it were anyone else, even if they gathered this information, the Dao Court wouldn''t believe it, and Chief Supervisor Zhou wouldn''t risk his position to report it...


    Mo Hua noticed Zhang Lan watching him and asked, "Uncle Zhang, aren''t you eating?"


    Zhang Lan snapped back to reality and smiled, "No rush, I''ll have some wine."


    Mo Hua offered a piece of meat to Zhang Lan, "Uncle Zhang, you should eat more!"


    Zhang Lan looked much more haggard, probably from running around for the Heishan Stronghold matter, making him appear thinner.


    Zhang Lan was slightly startled and felt touched.


    Mo Hua then said, "Uncle Zhang, you look more proper now, like a typical Dao Court official."


    Zhang Lan''s face darkened, his earlier sentiment gone.


    "What do you mean ''more proper now''? I''ve always been a proper cultivator, not just now but always, a dignified and upright cultivator!"


    "Yes, yes." Mo Hua replied nonchalantly while eating beef.


    Zhang Lan felt indignant and uncertain, so he asked Mo Hua, "What did I look like before?"


    Mo Hua recalled his first impression of Zhang Lan and tried to describe, "A little bit like an idle, unproductive young master..." S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Zhang Lan displeased, Mo Hua added, "Just a little bit."


    Zhang Lan was speechless.


    How was he idle and unproductive?


    Before, he drank here in his spare time to "understand the cultivators'' sentiments," which couldn''t be considered idle.


    A little bit? If I were really an idle young master, it wouldn''t just be a little bit...


    Zhang Lan sulkily drank a mouthful of wine.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, and he asked, "Uncle Zhang, what are you like in your family?"


    He shouldn''t be this lazy...


    "In the family?" Zhang Lan recalled, "Dashing, charming, admired by many young female cultivators who competed to be my Dao companions..."


    Mo Hua whispered, "Uncle Zhang, you don''t have to lie to me. We''re close enough."


    Zhang Lan choked on his wine and couldn''t help but retort, "Who''s lying?"


    Mo Hua silently watched him.


    Zhang Lan sighed, "Next time, I won''t eat with you. I''ll be full from anger before I''m full from food."


    Mo Hua offered him another piece of meat, "Uncle Zhang, hurry and eat, or you''ll be too full from anger to eat."


    Zhang Lan, both amused and exasperated, shook his head, "You kid..."


    The two continued chatting and eating.


    After bickering with Mo Hua, Zhang Lan felt better and less tired.


    Recently, due to the Heishan Stronghold issue, he had been busy and worried, with few cultivators in Tongxian City to talk to.


    After eating and drinking, Zhang Lan was about to leave when Mo Hua stopped him and asked, "If the Dao Court sends Dao soldiers, can I go see?"


    Mo Hua''s eyes sparkled. He had long wanted to see what Dao soldiers looked like.


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and shook his head, "No."

 Chapter 303

    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed and couldn''t help but ask, "Why?"Zhang Lan explained, "The deployment of Dao soldiers is a secret of the Dao Court. Their actions are usually very covert, emphasizing immobility like a mountain, swiftness like the wind, and striking like thunder. Either they act without being noticed, or if they are discovered, they must strike with thunderous force and resolve the situation swiftly!"


    "So," Zhang Lan smiled, "It''s impossible for you to know how the Dao soldiers operate."


    "What if I need to help?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan smiled slightly, "How could they possibly need your help..."


    He stopped mid-sentence.


    Suddenly, he realized that the task of eradicating Heishan Stronghold might indeed require Mo Hua''s assistance. After all, Mo Hua was an Array Master.


    Direct combat was tough, and perhaps Mo Hua wasn''t needed for that, but if it involved array formations, there were probably very few Array Masters in the entire Tongxian City as reliable as Mo Hua...


    Heishan Stronghold had a First Grade Foundation Building demonic Array Master.


    However, Zhang Lan didn''t want Mo Hua to take risks, so he said, "Don''t worry, you probably won''t need to intervene. Just stay in the city and don''t wander off."


    "Alright." Mo Hua nodded.


    At times like this, not causing trouble might be considered helping.


    A few days later, Mo Hua met Elder Yu, who also cautioned him immediately, "Don''t go deep into the mountains, and especially stay away from Heishan Stronghold."


    "Elder, don''t worry, I won''t venture into the mountains recklessly again."


    Mo Hua promised, but then he felt puzzled, "Why did you suddenly remind me of this?"


    Elder Yu looked around, making sure no one was around, and then whispered, "I asked Director Zhou, and the Dao Court has approved the deployment. Dao soldiers will soon arrive to eradicate Heishan Stronghold. I''m afraid you''ll follow the excitement and enter the mountains."


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    He wasn''t that fond of excitement, and not all excitement interested him.


    But Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua seriously.


    With Qi Refining cultivation and a Foundation Building spiritual sense!


    Even now, it was still somewhat unbelievable to him.


    Elder Yu didn''t understand arrays, but he knew that spiritual sense was the foundation for an Array Master. With such a profound spiritual sense, Mo Hua''s future achievements in array formations were limitless.


    So, under no circumstances could he let Mo Hua take any risk.


    Heishan Stronghold had four Foundation Building demonic cultivators. If they knew about Mo Hua''s identity and array talent, they would stop at nothing to kill him.


    Elder Yu said, "You showed your face in front of the Third Boss, so be careful not to hold a grudge."


    Mo Hua thought about it and nodded, feeling it made sense.


    He had eaten the little demon in the Visualization Diagram and deceived the Third Boss. If he didn''t show himself, the Third Boss would certainly be suspicious and might not figure out his true identity.


    Even if the Third Boss discovered that the array formations in Heishan Stronghold had been secretly dismantled, he might not suspect Mo Hua.


    Because array formations weren''t something anyone could learn, and Mo Hua, at his age, didn''t look like an Array Master.


    But once he showed himself and the Third Boss realized he was an Array Master and a Demon Hunter, all the blame would fall on him.


    Although all these things were indeed done by him...


    It was best to avoid trouble if possible. He didn''t want the Third Boss to hold a grudge against him.


    Doing things covertly meant doing them in a way that others wouldn''t even know who to blame.


    Mo Hua asked Elder Yu again, "When the Dao soldiers arrive, can I take a look?"


    Mo Hua raised a little finger, "Just a glance!"


    Elder Yu, like Zhang Lan, refused outright, "No."


    Mo Hua felt disappointed.


    Elder Yu comforted him, "Dao soldiers are mainly for killing, and ordinary cultivators should avoid contact. Their actions are secretive and not meant to be investigated."


    "Alright..."


    Although Mo Hua still couldn''t help but want to know what Dao soldiers were like, he couldn''t disobey Elder Yu and Zhang Lan''s words.


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued to practice and train in array formations.


    One day, feeling tired from drawing array formations, Mo Hua sat at an Eight Immortals table in a restaurant, flipping through an array book to rest for a while.


    On the table was a plate of crispy pastries, a new recipe tried by Liu Ruhua.


    Mo Hua read the book while munching on the pastries.


    After a while, Zhang Lan came in, saw Mo Hua, and hesitated.


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned but then understood, though he pretended not to notice.


    Zhang Lan lingered for a while before approaching Mo Hua, coughing and asking, "Reading?"


    Mo Hua nodded, chewing on the pastry, without speaking.


    Zhang Lan hesitated for a while, not knowing how to start.


    Mo Hua pushed the pastries toward Zhang Lan, speaking slowly, "Uncle Zhang, want to try some? My mom just made them, they¡¯re delicious."


    Zhang Lan wasn''t in the mood to eat but still tried one. His eyes lit up, finding them quite tasty.


    After eating some pastries, Zhang Lan finally stammered, "Mo Hua, can you help with something?"


    "Sure." Mo Hua answered straightforwardly, his eyes brightening, and then he asked, "But, is there any benefit?"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "Yes, it will count towards your merit with the Dao Court."


    "Deal!"


    Mo Hua told his mother and then left the restaurant with Zhang Lan, heading outside Tongxian City and into the outer mountains of Dahei Mountain.


    On the way, Zhang Lan didn''t say much, and Mo Hua didn''t ask much.


    Zhang Lan sneaked a glance at Mo Hua, seeing him humming an unknown tune, his steps light, his expression joyful, and his eyes filled with anticipation. He couldn''t help but ask, "You seem... quite happy?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua replied cheerfully.


    "Why?"


    "Aren''t you taking me to see the Dao soldiers?" Mo Hua answered.


    Zhang Lan opened his mouth but couldn''t help asking, "How did you know?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then listed the reasons to Zhang Lan:


    "You hesitated at the door, so there must be something you initially didn''t agree to but changed your mind about."


    "When I asked if there were any benefits, you said it would count towards the Dao Court''s merit, so it must be a Dao Court matter."


    "Elder Yu told me that the Dao Court has deployed Dao soldiers."


    "Both you and Elder Yu didn''t want me to go to Dahei Mountain, but now you¡¯re taking me to the outer mountains without saying a word. Since Dao soldiers operate covertly..."


    "Thinking it over, it must be that the Dao Court¡¯s Dao soldiers have arrived in Tongxian City and are secretly stationed in Dahei Mountain, encountering some trouble and wanting to consult me."


    Zhang Lan looked complex; this kid''s mind was too quick...


    Mo Hua, however, was delighted, "Is it really to see the Dao soldiers?"


    Zhang Lan sighed, "Yes."


    Mo Hua''s expression brightened, but he was puzzled, "Did you tell Elder Yu? He hasn''t let me go into the mountains lately."


    Zhang Lan sighed again, "I told him."


    "Elder Yu actually agreed?" Mo Hua was surprised.


    Zhang Lan sighed once more, "Elder Yu was adamantly opposed, but I had to invoke the Dao Court and even the Dao soldiers'' commander. I assured him that I would protect you at all costs, and he reluctantly agreed."


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua and continued, "Originally, I didn''t want you to go into the mountains either, but the situation is urgent, and we need your help. As long as you don''t enter Heishan Stronghold or encounter the leaders, with your Concealment Technique and Passing Water Step, you are actually quite safe, even safer than most of our cultivators."


    Zhang Lan finished, feeling somewhat emotional.


    He had also been worried about Mo Hua, not wanting him to take risks or venture into the mountains again. But thinking it over, their worries about Mo Hua were already "outdated."


    The most worrying time for Mo Hua was when he sneaked into Heishan Stronghold alone, causing trouble and even confronting the Third Boss directly.


    Now, things had changed. Mo Hua''s spiritual sense had reached Foundation Building level, and even demonic cultivators at Foundation Building stage might not be able to detect his Concealment Technique.


    With Mo Hua''s intelligence, familiarity with Dahei Mountain, and flawless Concealment Technique, he was like a fish in water in Dahei Mountain. Their worries were somewhat unnecessary.


    S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 304: Commander Yang

    Zhang Lan had previously decided not to let Mo Hua enter the mountain. Now, needing Mo Hua''s help, he felt a bit embarrassed.Mo Hua, however, didn''t mind. He figured that Zhang Lan''s request was likely related to exterminating the Heishan Stronghold.


    As long as they could wipe out Heishan Stronghold and kill all the demonic cultivators there, he was more than happy to help.


    Zhang Lan led Mo Hua into the inner mountain, arriving at a desolate peak.


    The area around the peak was pitted and scarred, with numerous signs of past battles, though these marks were quite old. Several mining caves remained on the mountain.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    This peak turned out to be the Nameless Peak.


    It was the same peak they had fought the Qian family over, where a small spirit mine was located.


    The battle scars were left by the Demon Hunters and Qian family cultivators. Most of them were from the Earth Fire Array he had set off.


    Unexpectedly, the Dao soldiers had secretly stationed themselves here.


    Zhang Lan and Mo Hua reached the foot of the mountain. Mo Hua''s spiritual sense detected shadows moving within the mining caves.


    These cultivators had steady auras and were well-trained, indicating they were Dao soldiers dispatched by the Dao Court.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua''s expression tensed; someone had sensed his spiritual presence!


    And it was a Foundation Building cultivator!


    Simultaneously, a tall, robust, stern-looking cultivator with a square face appeared at the cave entrance halfway up the mountain.


    His expression was grave, his spiritual sense extended, and his gaze was sharp, carrying a hint of killing intent.


    Upon seeing Zhang Lan and Mo Hua at the foot of the mountain, his expression relaxed a bit. He nodded slightly to Zhang Lan before turning back into the cave.


    "Reaching Foundation Building, he sure is putting on airs..." Zhang Lan muttered disdainfully.


    Though Zhang Lan''s voice was low, Mo Hua heard it and couldn''t help but ask, "Uncle Zhang, do you know him?"


    "Sort of," Zhang Lan replied, unwilling to elaborate. He then said to Mo Hua, "Let''s go up."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Amid the shrubs and rocks near the mining caves, numerous Dao soldiers in standard armor stood guard with long spears, their expressions vigilant.


    Mo Hua had already spotted them with his spiritual sense, so he wasn''t surprised.


    Zhang Lan remained composed, as if he were a regular visitor.


    The Dao soldiers seemed to recognize Zhang Lan, greeting him respectfully, "Inspector Zhang!"


    One of the Dao soldiers stepped forward and led Zhang Lan and Mo Hua into a stone chamber inside the cave.


    The stone chamber was spacious, suitable for habitation and discussions.


    Mo Hua recalled that during the battle with the Qian family over the spirit mine, Elder Yu had stayed in this very chamber, while he had stayed in a smaller, warmer, and more comfortable stone chamber next door, eating beef and drawing arrays every day.


    He hadn''t expected this place to now serve as a temporary camp for Dao soldiers.


    The large stone chamber''s layout hadn''t changed, but its furnishings were entirely different.


    Silver armor and a red-tasseled spear were placed around the room. In the middle, a large table held a sand table with a map on it.


    The sand table resembled Heishan Stronghold.


    Standing before the sand table was the tall, stern Foundation Building commander.


    The commander nodded at Zhang Lan, acknowledging his presence, then frowned and asked, "Didn''t you say you''d bring an Array Master? Where is he?"


    Zhang Lan pushed Mo Hua forward. "Here."


    The commander was momentarily stunned before his expression turned angry. "Zhang Lan! Damn you, I''m not beating you because I''m now at Foundation Building, and it wouldn''t be fair. But if you keep messing with me, I won''t hold back!"


    Zhang Lan scoffed. "Open your eyes and see clearly. This kid is a genuine Array Master. He''s very busy, and if it weren''t for my sake, you wouldn''t have been able to invite him."


    "You''re talking nonsense!" Commander Yang cursed. "How could such a young kid know any arrays? Do you think I''m completely ignorant about arrays?"


    Zhang Lan retorted, "I''ll write to my mother, telling her you cursed her. Let''s see if she skins you alive..."


    Commander Yang''s eyelids twitched. "Nonsense, I cursed you, not your mother!"


    "What''s the difference?" Zhang Lan argued confidently.


    "There''s a big difference! Can you stop being so shameless at your age?"


    "I''m not old! A man at thirty is in his prime. I''m at my most dashing and handsome age..."


    ...


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    These two grown men were arguing more childishly than he ever did.


    After a while, Zhang Lan and Commander Yang, both feeling parched, sat down to drink tea.


    Commander Yang realized that arguing with Zhang Lan, a Qi Refining cultivator, in front of a child was quite embarrassing for a Foundation Building cultivator.


    He blamed Zhang Lan for being so inconsiderate, always dragging him into arguments.


    Commander Yang coughed, trying to pretend nothing had happened, and asked Mo Hua as kindly as he could, "Young brother, are you really an Array Master?"


    But his stern face made him look more like a plotting villain than a kind uncle.


    Mo Hua didn''t know how to address him, so Zhang Lan interjected, "His surname is Yang. Just call him ''Commander Yang''."


    Mo Hua responded crisply, "Commander Yang, Uncle Zhang is right. I am an Array Master."


    Commander Yang nodded, sighing inwardly.


    Zhang Lan was truly a troublemaker, bringing a child for such an important task.


    Looking at Mo Hua''s young age, he doubted how much array knowledge the kid had...


    But there was no choice. None of them, including himself, understood arrays. Among so many Dao soldiers, barely a handful could even recognize array patterns.


    Commander Yang took a sip of tea and asked, "How far have you studied in arrays?"


    Mo Hua modestly replied, "Not far, just reached the First Grade..."


    At these words, Commander Yang spat out his tea, soaking the sand table and map.


    Seeing this, Zhang Lan felt a wave of satisfaction and taunted, "Look at you, acting like you''ve never seen the world. What''s so surprising about a ten-year-old First Grade Array Master?"


    Zhang Lan''s tone was calm, but he couldn''t hide his inner glee.


    Commander Yang cursed Zhang Lan again, "Damn it! How could there be so many genius Array Masters in the cultivation world, reaching First Grade at such a young age? And you just happened to find one?"


    Zhang Lan shrugged. "Believe it or not."


    Commander Yang said, "I don''t believe it. Show me some of the arrays this kid has drawn."


    Zhang Lan pointed to the map on the sand table. "Isn''t that it?"


    The map on the sand table depicted the layout of Heishan Stronghold.


    Commander Yang was dumbfounded. "Nonsense! The report to the Dao Court stated that the ''Inspector of Tongxian City'' risked his life to infiltrate Heishan Stronghold and draw this map. How could it be this kid''s work?"


    Zhang Lan smiled and told Mo Hua, "Take out the badge and show Commander Yang."


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment before taking out the bronze badge given to him by the Dao Court from his storage bag.


    Commander Yang was taken aback.


    Zhang Lan said proudly, "See? A bronze badge. He''s a cultivator of the Dao Court. His map is our Dao Court''s map."


    Commander Yang was speechless. "A bronze badge is just an auxiliary position..."


    "But it still belongs to the Dao Court."


    Commander Yang frowned. "If this kid drew the map, he should be credited. Why wasn''t his name written on the report?" S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan sneered. "Who would believe it if his name was written? Would you?"


    Commander Yang glanced at the young Mo Hua, then at the intricate map of Heishan Stronghold on the sand table, containing many First Grade arrays. He sighed silently.


    Any cultivator with a bit of common sense wouldn''t believe it.


    He certainly didn''t.

 Chapter 305: Strong Troops

    Although that was the case, the facts were undeniable, and Commander Yang had no choice but to believe it.Mo Hua had already started explaining the formations on the Black Mountain Stronghold map.


    Where each formation was drawn, its purpose, what would happen if one forcibly broke it, and what would happen if it remained intact.


    Also, the overall structure of the formations in the Black Mountain Stronghold, where the formations were strong and where they were weak, and the best route for an attack.


    Where there were secret doors and escape routes that needed to be sealed off in advance to prevent the demonic cultivators from escaping...


    The more Commander Yang listened, the more shocked he became.


    The level of formation mastery demonstrated completely surpassed his understanding. Many of the formation principles were not only difficult for him to grasp but even understanding the general concepts was a struggle.


    The last time he felt this way was in the clan school, scratching his head while learning formations from the formation master.


    Commander Yang sneaked a glance at Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan''s expression was much calmer, appearing very composed. However, it was more a kind of numbness...


    It was like being in class, no matter how the instructor explained, he couldn''t understand. Over time, it just went in one ear and out the other.


    Commander Yang felt much better.


    He thought, Zhang Lan and he were on the same level.


    His own formation skills were lacking, and the little he had learned was nothing in front of a real formation master.


    Even if Zhang Lan was a bit better than him, it wasn''t by much. There was no way he could understand this level of formation.


    Commander Yang secretly despised Zhang Lan for a moment, then focused entirely on listening to Mo Hua''s clear and detailed explanation of the formations.


    He needed to understand the terrain and formation layout of the Black Mountain Stronghold to formulate his tactics accordingly.


    Some formations he didn''t need to fully understand, but he needed to know their functions and what to be cautious of when breaking them to avoid falling into the traps set by the demonic cultivators.


    The complex composite formations surpassed his formation knowledge, but fortunately, Mo Hua explained everything clearly and in detail. What he noticed, Mo Hua mentioned, and what he didn''t notice, Mo Hua also explained thoroughly.


    Commander Yang listened more and more attentively, even picking up a pen to jot down key points.


    After Mo Hua spent most of the day explaining the formations on the Black Mountain Stronghold map, Commander Yang felt both shocked and conflicted.


    He was shocked by Mo Hua''s profound formation skills at such a young age.


    He was conflicted because he had never listened so attentively in his clan school formation classes. Now, he was fully focused and even taking notes while listening to a young formation master explain formations...


    Commander Yang''s attitude towards Mo Hua became much more respectful without realizing it.


    This was respect for a First Grade formation master.


    Compared to most First Grade formation masters he knew, Mo Hua''s formation skills were clearly a notch higher.


    Commander Yang clicked his tongue in amazement and then had someone serve tea and pastries, as well as several plates of spirit fruits and spirit meat, to entertain Mo Hua.


    "Mr. Mo, please help yourself."


    Commander Yang''s tone was very polite.


    "Thank you, Commander Yang!"


    Mo Hua had been talking for a long time and was a bit thirsty, so he didn''t stand on ceremony. He sat down and drank the sweet tea, sampling some spirit fruits and spirit meat he hadn''t tried before.


    Commander Yang held the annotated map and discussed something with Zhang Lan.


    They didn''t avoid Mo Hua, so he listened in openly.


    However, most of their discussion was about the deployment of Taoist soldiers, offense and defense strategies, and battle formations, which he couldn''t fully understand. He could only grasp bits and pieces, hoping to use the information in the future.


    Mo Hua listened with interest while eating.


    After they finished talking, Mo Hua, who was now full, asked the question he was most concerned about:


    "Commander Yang, can we destroy the Black Mountain Stronghold this time?"


    Commander Yang thought for a moment, considering the recent plan, and then firmly said:


    "Yes!"


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Really?"


    Commander Yang nodded and explained to Mo Hua:


    "The Taoist soldiers can be considered the most elite cultivators of the Dao Court. Their strength lies not in the individual cultivators'' levels but in the harmony between their armor, spiritual tools, formations, and the soldiers'' spiritual roots, techniques, and Daoist methods."


    "A team of ten Taoist soldiers is often chosen based on similar or compatible spiritual roots and complementary techniques. They wear refined armor and wield sharp weapons, with formations drawn on their armor and weapons to enhance morale and synchronization. In battles with cultivators of the same level, they are virtually invincible."


    "Even against higher-level cultivators, they have a fighting chance!"


    "Can they defeat multiple Foundation Building cultivators?" Mo Hua asked.


    He knew there were four leaders in the Black Mountain Stronghold, all at the Foundation Building stage.


    From Mo Hua''s perception, there was only Commander Yang among the Taoist soldiers at the Foundation Building stage.


    Commander Yang didn''t answer directly but asked Mo Hua:


    "How does a Qi Refining cultivator compare to a Foundation Building cultivator?"


    Mo Hua recalled Elder Yu''s words and replied, "Ten Qi Refining ninth level cultivators can exchange for one early Foundation Building cultivator."


    "That''s correct but not entirely accurate," Commander Yang said. "It''s not just any ten Qi Refining ninth level cultivators that can contend with an early Foundation Building cultivator."


    "If those Qi Refining cultivators lack combat experience and don''t coordinate well, even ten or more of them will be picked off one by one by a Foundation Building cultivator."


    "Only those with extensive battle experience, firm will, and perfect coordination can fight beyond their level."


    "Is that what Taoist soldiers are?" Mo Hua asked.


    Commander Yang nodded, "Not only that, but Taoist soldiers also have specialized armor and formation support. In formation, they can even kill Foundation Building cultivators head-on!"


    Mo Hua was astonished.


    Taoist soldiers were indeed formidable. No wonder the Black Mountain Stronghold, despite its size and secrecy, was so wary of the Dao Court''s discovery and the Taoist soldiers'' eradication.


    Even a group of Qi Refining ninth level Taoist soldiers could stand against Foundation Building cultivators.


    If one Qi Refining ninth level couldn''t, then ten could. If ten weren''t enough, then a hundred.


    Once hundreds or thousands of Taoist soldiers formed battle formations on the battlefield, a few higher-level cultivators wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Mo Hua suddenly realized:


    "This is similar to formations. If the formation patterns are not strong enough, accumulate them to form a single formation. If a single formation is not enough, accumulate more to form a composite formation. If the composite formation is still not enough, accumulate even more to form a grand formation!"


    "Accumulating grains of sand forms a tower, and gathering rivers forms a sea. Formations build up to form greater arrays, and cultivators combine their strengths to overcome the strong. This is also a principle of the Dao of Heaven!"


    The more Mo Hua spoke, the brighter his eyes became.


    Although Commander Yang didn''t understand formations, he couldn''t help but nod, finding it very reasonable. His years of leading troops in battle gave him a deep understanding of this concept.


    Mo Hua had another doubt, "What kind of formations do Taoist soldiers use?"


    Commander Yang hesitated, then apologized:


    "This is a secret of the Dao Court and cannot be disclosed to outsiders."


    Actually, it wasn''t that it couldn''t be said, but he didn''t know either.


    These formations were standardized and distributed by the Dao Court, and the Taoist soldiers only used them without needing to understand or repair them, so naturally, he didn''t know what formations were drawn on them.


    However, admitting his ignorance would be too embarrassing, so he used a pretext to brush it off.


    Mo Hua didn''t doubt him and also apologized, "I was being presumptuous."


    The secret formations of Taoist soldiers indeed shouldn''t be pried into. He was just curious to know how these formations differed from those he usually studied.


    "These are minor matters, don''t worry about it," Commander Yang, feeling a bit guilty, waved it off.


    After a brief chat with Commander Yang, Mo Hua prepared to leave.


    Commander Yang, however, looked hesitant and wanted to say something.


    Mo Hua asked, "Is there something else, Commander Yang?"


    Commander Yang glanced at Zhang Lan and sighed:


    "There''s one more thing. The fog array in the deep mountains has changed, and we can''t find where the Black Mountain Stronghold is."


    He had asked Zhang Lan to invite a formation master, one to explain the formations on the Black Mountain Stronghold map and the other to venture into the deep mountains to reconfirm the location of the fog array, facilitating their attack on the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    However, the scouts he sent discovered that the positions of the fog arrays in the foggy forest had changed. Moreover, the fog in the forest had become denser.


    Naturally, the guide map Mo Hua previously drew was no longer useful.


    With the guide map invalid, they couldn''t find the entrance to the Black Mountain Stronghold, making the plan to eradicate it impossible.


    Mo Hua hesitated. He had promised Elder Yu not to venture into the deep mountains.


    Moreover, the third leader might still hold a grudge against him.


    But without finding a way through the foggy forest, there was no way to eliminate the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Mo Hua looked at Commander Yang and Zhang Lan and asked, "Will you act as my bodyguards?"


    Commander Yang nodded, "Zhang Lan and I will escort you."


    "What if we encounter Foundation Building demonic cultivators?"


    Commander Yang said coldly, "I''ll mobilize several teams of Taoist soldiers. If we encounter Foundation Building demonic cultivators, we''ll kill them on


    sight! We will ensure your safety and won''t let a hair on your head be harmed."


    Zhang Lan also said, "That''s what I told Elder Yu. With Taoist soldiers protecting you, even if a Foundation Building demonic cultivator wants to kill you, they probably won''t dare. That''s why he agreed to let me ask for your help."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Alright, let''s go check out the foggy forest." S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 306: Misty Forest

    Commander Yang deployed three teams of Dao soldiers, all clad in sturdy armor and armed with sharp weapons, their cultivation profound.Commander Yang sternly ordered them, "Ensure the safety of Mr. Mo Hua on this journey, or you will be dealt with by military law!"


    "Yes!" the Dao soldiers responded in unison.


    Afterwards, Commander Yang took the lead, guiding the three teams of Dao soldiers to escort Mo Hua towards the Misty Forest deep in the mountains, with Mo Hua and Zhang Lan walking behind.


    On the way, Mo Hua secretly asked Zhang Lan, "Uncle Zhang, are you and Commander Yang very familiar with each other?"


    "Sort of."


    "You seem to get along well."


    "Don''t talk nonsense," Zhang Lan pouted. "How are we getting along well?"


    "You just seem very close."


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua and explained:


    "Our Zhang family and the Yang family have always had marital ties. The elders are related and often visit each other. Yang and I are of similar age and have known each other since childhood, but we''ve never really gotten along."


    "You two seem to bicker happily, not like people who don''t get along..."


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    Zhang Lan gave Mo Hua a sideways glance, "Are you thinking bad things about me?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "No."


    Zhang Lan snorted.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Uncle Zhang, since you and Commander Yang are of similar age and have known each other since childhood, why is it that he''s already in the Foundation Building stage, while you''re only at the ninth level of Qi Refining? Is it because your talent isn''t as good as his?" S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "What do you know?" Zhang Lan lowered his voice, "I''m laying a solid foundation, seeking the greater Dao for the long term."


    Mo Hua muttered softly, "I don''t see it..."


    Zhang Lan pinched Mo Hua''s cheek in frustration, "Foundation Building is nothing. If I wanted, I could achieve it tomorrow."


    Mo Hua clearly didn''t believe it, "Foundation Building isn''t as easy as picking cabbages, you know."


    "It''s difficult for independent cultivators, but for disciples of noble families, Foundation Building is just a matter of course. The hard part is honing the Dao foundation during the Qi Refining stage."


    Mo Hua nodded, as Mr. Zhuang and Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had said the same.


    "But..." Mo Hua couldn''t help but say, "You''ve been honing for too long..."


    Honing until you''re over thirty...


    Zhang Lan sighed, "It''s not up to me."


    Mo Hua quietly approached Zhang Lan, concerned, "Uncle Zhang, if you have any worries, just tell me. I''ll keep it a secret."


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua, "You just want to hear a story..."


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly.


    Zhang Lan shook his head helplessly, "It''s nothing major. Once you reach Foundation Building, you have to marry someone you don''t like for the sake of the family."


    "Do you have someone you like?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan scratched his head, "You''re still young. Don''t ask about these things. Focus on your cultivation and studying arrays."


    "I''m very focused on my cultivation," Mo Hua said. "It''s just that the journey is boring, so I''m chatting with you to pass the time."


    Zhang Lan''s face darkened, somewhat amused and annoyed. So I''m just a way to pass the time...


    The two muttered along the way.


    At the edge of the Misty Forest, the group found a huge rock to hide behind.


    Mo Hua poked his head out, observed the opposite side for a while, then released his spiritual sense, using Xu Bai''s spiritual sense vision to sense the lingering spiritual power on the other side.


    As soon as Mo Hua released his spiritual sense, Commander Yang was startled but then shook his head, murmuring to himself, "Impossible..."


    After a while, Mo Hua retracted his spiritual sense and nodded:


    "The positions of the mist arrays have indeed changed, and there are more of them."


    Zhang Lan''s eyes narrowed, "Have they detected something?"


    Commander Yang''s expression was firm, "If they haven''t detected anything, we''ll attack by surprise. If they have, we''ll confront them head-on and eliminate them all! No matter what, our task remains the same."


    Mo Hua nodded, thought for a moment, and then said:


    "Commander Yang, you all stay here. I''ll go in first. If I don''t encounter any demonic cultivators, I''ll draw a map of the Misty Forest. If I find any, I''ll come back and call you, and we can secretly capture them and interrogate them thoroughly."


    Commander Yang was taken aback, then immediately refused:


    "That''s too dangerous. I''ll go with you."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "If we go together, they''ll be in the dark and we''ll be in the light, easily alerting them. If I go alone, they''ll be in the light and I''ll be in the dark. They won''t notice me."


    Commander Yang didn''t understand, "How will you be in the dark if you go alone?"


    He stopped talking because Mo Hua disappeared right under his nose, silently, without leaving a trace.


    Commander Yang looked at Zhang Lan in disbelief, "Is that Concealment Technique?"


    Zhang Lan nodded.


    Commander Yang frowned, thought for a moment, but still shook his head, "Concealment Technique has flaws and can be detected by spiritual sense..."


    He suddenly stopped talking.


    Because when he released his spiritual sense, Mo Hua''s figure was completely absent from his spiritual sense vision.


    Recalling his previous suspicion, Commander Yang''s eyes widened, his voice trembling:


    "Foundation Building spiritual sense?!"


    Zhang Lan pretended to be calm and nodded, patting Commander Yang''s shoulder, frowning:


    "You get startled too easily. How can you be a good commander? Don''t tell anyone you know me, it''s embarrassing..."


    "Get lost!" Commander Yang lowered his voice, "I''ve never seen a Qi Refining cultivator with Foundation Building spiritual sense before."


    "Well, now you have."


    Commander Yang''s eyes were still filled with shock, muttering, "How did he do it..."


    "Don''t ask about that."


    Zhang Lan suddenly remembered something and sternly warned, "Don''t tell anyone about this. Mo Hua comes from a poor background and might provoke envy."


    Commander Yang glanced at Zhang Lan, "Don''t worry, I''m not as unreliable as you."


    Then Commander Yang looked around and said to the nearby Dao soldiers:


    "The conversation between me and Officer Zhang just now is confidential. You heard it, keep it to yourselves, not a word should leak."


    Commander Yang''s expression was stern. The Dao soldiers, all his trusted subordinates, looked serious and bowed in response:


    "We will follow the commander''s orders!"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "I have to admit, you do look like a commander now..."


    Commander Yang gave him a sidelong glance and ignored him.


    Mo Hua, concealing his figure, silently entered the Misty Forest.


    There were more mist arrays, and the mist was thicker, but it didn''t affect Mo Hua much.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, everything has an appearance and a true nature.


    In this Misty Forest, the mist is the appearance, and the arrays are the true nature.


    Mo Hua had already learned the First Grade Ten Pattern Reverse Spirit Array, so the First Grade Nine Pattern mist arrays seemed rather "simple" to him.


    After a quick look, Mo Hua discerned the arrays in the Misty Forest.


    Using the Passing Water Step, Mo Hua climbed to the treetop, took out paper and pen, and marked the positions of the mist arrays in the forest.


    From the outer edge to the inner, Mo Hua meticulously sketched out the terrain of the deep mountains.


    Following the positions of the mist arrays along the outer edge of the Misty Forest, Mo Hua reached the gate of Heishan Stronghold without encountering a single demonic cultivator.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Among the demonic cultivators in Heishan Stronghold, only the third leader was a First Grade array master, and these mist arrays were all set up by him.


    The third leader had refurbished the mist arrays. Had he discovered something?


    But what exactly did he discover?


    The breach in the wall of Heishan Stronghold?


    The dismantled arrays?


    Or Mo Hua''s identity?


    Unable to figure it out, Mo Hua decided to let it go for now. Once the Dao soldiers breached Heishan Stronghold and annihilated the demonic cultivators, everything would become clear.


    There was no point in staying at Heishan Stronghold any longer. Drawing the map of the Misty Forest would achieve their goal.


    Mo Hua stood up and prepared to leave.


    Before leaving, he turned and looked at Heishan Stronghold again.


    A long-standing question resurfaced in his mind:


    How was such a large Heishan Stronghold built in the first place?

 Chapter 307: Invitation

    At the edge of the foggy forest, Commander Yang had been waiting for a long time and was getting worried. He asked, "Isn''t it taking too long?"Zhang Lan thought for a moment and replied, "The foggy forest is completely still, so there shouldn''t be any problems."


    Commander Yang nodded but asked curiously, "Aren''t you worried?"


    "If he were heading into Heishan Stronghold, I''d be a bit concerned. But the foggy forest is so vast, he can escape if needed. Besides, we''re here to support him, so there''s nothing to worry about."


    Commander Yang was slightly taken aback. "Has he been to Heishan Stronghold before?"


    Zhang Lan nodded. "All the information you received was secretly gathered by him sneaking in and eavesdropping."


    Commander Yang gasped. "Didn''t you say that the information was obtained by your Dao Court Department?"


    "Oh..." Before Commander Yang could finish, he realized, "Zhang Lan, you shamelessly claimed him as part of your Dao Court Department again, didn''t you?"


    Zhang Lan corrected him, "He is a part of the Dao Court Department, even if he''s technically an external member."


    Commander Yang pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "He gathered the intelligence, he drew the maps, he broke the formations. What did the rest of your Dao Court Department do?"


    Zhang Lan was at a loss for words. After a moment, he laughed sheepishly, "Well... we reported the intelligence to the Dao Court and brought you here..."


    But even as he spoke, he felt guilty, and his voice grew softer.


    Commander Yang looked at him with disdain. "You people are truly impressive..."


    Zhang Lan sighed, "There''s nothing we can do. By the time we knew about it, Mo Hua had already gathered all the information. Moreover..."


    Zhang Lan looked at Commander Yang seriously and said, "Besides him, no one else could sneak into Heishan Stronghold unnoticed and draw its map."


    Commander Yang was stunned. On further thought, it seemed true.


    To achieve such feats, one needed to master concealment techniques, formations, have a strong spiritual sense, and possess courage and wit.


    Even the most experienced scouts among their Dao soldiers couldn''t infiltrate Heishan Stronghold and gather any useful information.


    Not to mention breaking formations, which wasn''t something an average cultivator could master.


    The more Commander Yang thought about it, the more he admired Mo Hua. This child was indeed talented! Courageous and wise, skilled in concealment and formations...


    Commander Yang fell silent, contemplating something carefully.


    Zhang Lan watched him suspiciously, "Are you scheming something?"


    Commander Yang shook his head expressionlessly, "No."


    Behind a rock, the two men were bored. Zhang Lan, chewing on a grass stem, imitated Mo Hua by drawing on the ground.


    But unlike Mo Hua, who drew formations, he drew Commander Yang, making him fat and ugly, getting beaten up and running around.


    Commander Yang ignored him, focusing entirely on the foggy forest, staying alert for any changes. Several teams of Dao soldiers around were also fully vigilant.


    After an unknown amount of time, Commander Yang''s eyebrows twitched. He noticed someone approaching.


    He couldn''t see them, and his spiritual sense didn''t detect them, but he could hear faint footsteps and slight depressions on the ground''s pebbles.


    It felt like someone was walking towards them, step by step.


    Before long, the person reached his side and revealed themselves under his watchful eyes.


    Small and handsome, it was Mo Hua.


    Commander Yang breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, waving a map in his hand. The map showed the forest paths and the locations of the fog formations.


    "It''s done!"


    Commander Yang took it and, his eyes lighting up, couldn''t help but exclaim, "It''s fortunate we have you, an array master. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have figured out the secrets of this foggy forest."


    Mo Hua smiled happily.


    Commander Yang put away the map, looked at Mo Hua, and suddenly showed a very kind, enthusiastic, even somewhat fawning smile.


    This smile bewildered Mo Hua, as he never thought Commander Yang was such a person. Now he seemed possessed.


    Zhang Lan also got goosebumps watching.


    "Little Mo, would you like to see the formations our Dao soldiers use?"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Isn''t that classified? Can I look?"


    Commander Yang nodded eagerly, "Although it''s classified, there''s no problem if you want to see it."


    Mo Hua looked at him suspiciously, "Really?"


    "Really, really!"


    Zhang Lan also asked, "Really?"


    Commander Yang snapped, "None of your business. Even if you see it, you won''t understand."


    Zhang Lan retorted disdainfully, "Who cares."


    With Commander Yang and several teams of Dao soldiers escorting him, Mo Hua returned to Nameless Peak, to the cave where the Dao soldiers were stationed.


    Commander Yang indeed took out a set of armor and a spear, handing them to Mo Hua, "These are spares. Feel free to look, even take them apart if you want. Just report any damage and send them to the Dao Soldiers Department for repair."


    "Isn''t that a bit much?"


    Commander Yang waved his hand, "Nothing wrong with it. Armor and weapons are meant to be used, and it''s normal for them to get damaged."


    Hearing this, Mo Hua was relieved. He examined the spear and the armor. Both were First Grade spiritual tools, forged from refined iron. Compared to the demon hunter''s iron armor, the refined iron content was higher, the forging technique more unique, and the quality better.


    "As expected of Dao Court standard spiritual tools..." Mo Hua thought silently.


    He tried to use some strength to dismantle the armor and see the formations inside but found himself too weak to do so.


    Mo Hua glanced at Commander Yang.


    Commander Yang personally helped Mo Hua take apart the armor, revealing the formations inside.


    However, as the armor was dismantled, the formations inside dimmed and were also damaged.


    Mo Hua was surprised.


    Commander Yang explained, "This is a Dao Court inherited formation. To prevent it from being leaked, once the armor is forcibly dismantled, the formation inside will be damaged."


    So that''s how it is...


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Although the formation was damaged, the basic array patterns inside were still visible.


    Mo Hua spread out the armor and began to study the formations inside.


    The armor contained a metal-based formation. It looked like a First Grade formation but included more than nine array patterns.


    "Above First Grade formations?"


    Mo Hua was shocked. Then, he simulated the spiritual power''s path in his mind and found that this formation was actually just an ordinary First Grade formation, with only nine effective array patterns.


    The other patterns were redundant, likely used to prevent the real formation from being leaked, serving as a distraction.


    Moreover, this wasn''t a single array but part of a composite array.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and understood.


    When Dao soldiers fight, a team wears identical armor. The single arrays on the armor combine to form a composite array, enhancing the formation''s effect through resonance.


    The single arrays used by Dao soldiers weren''t rare, just ordinary Five Elements metal-based formations. The core was actually the hub of this composite array.


    The hub coordinated the single arrays based on distance, making different single arrays resonate.


    This array hub structure was something Mo Hua had never studied before, making him very curious.


    However, a team of ten Dao soldiers meant this hub connected to ten sets of armor. To study this hub, all ten sets of armor might need to be dismantled.


    Mo Hua already felt bad dismantling one, let alone ten.


    After studying it, Mo Hua looked up and asked, "Does this armor need to be sent for repair?"


    Commander Yang nodded, "Yes."


    "Can I try repairing it?"


    Commander Yang was surprised, "You want to repair it?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Commander Yang thought for a moment and agreed, "Sure, go ahead. It''s already broken anyway."


    Mo Hua took out an array pen and metal spiritual ink from his storage bag and began to repair it, following the array patterns'' paths.


    In no time, Mo Hua finished the repair.


    Commander Yang reassembled the armor and activated it with spiritual power, stunned to find it fully repaired. "You actually fixed it?"


    "Just lucky," Mo Hua said shyly.


    Commander Yang''s eyes shone as he looked at Mo Hua, then asked, "Little Mo, what do you think of this formation?"


    "It''s quite ingenious..." Mo Hua said honestly.


    "Do you want to learn it?"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Can I?"


    "Of course! But there''s a small condition..."


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "What condition?"


    "Join the Dao Soldiers Department!"


    Commander Yang smiled kindly and warmly, "As long as you join the Dao Soldiers Department, you can learn these formations. As many as you want!"


    Zhang Lan, hearing this, spat, "So that''s your plan."


    Commander Yang snorted, "If he can join the Dao Court Department, why can''t he join the Dao Soldiers Department?"


    "The Dao Soldiers Department is no good place, always fighting."


    "At least it''s better than your Dao Court Department, with its backstabbing and scheming."


    Zhang Lan sneered, "How good can the Dao Soldiers Department be? It''s controlled by noble families. Without background, can anyone really make it there?"


    "That''s the upper ranks. On the battlefield, brothers fight side by side, like family, judged by true ability. Unlike your Dao Court Department, rotten to the core..."


    S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shut your filthy mouth!"


    "See, struck a nerve, didn''t I?" Commander Yang mocked, then continued, "Besides, background isn''t a big deal. You could marry into the Yang family..."


    Zhang Lan spat again, "Dreaming? Even if he married in,


    it wouldn''t be to your Yang family. My Zhang family hasn''t spoken yet."


    Mo Hua learned the Passing Water Step from the Zhang family. Even if he married in, it would be to the Zhang family. What did the Yang family have? Yang Jiyong''s big face?

 Chapter 308: Annihilation

    "Join the Dao Soldiers Division, and I''ll cover everything!" Commander Yang pounded his chest in assurance."A mere Foundation Building cultivator talking big?" Zhang Lan scoffed.


    Commander Yang glared at Zhang Lan, "I may be just a Foundation Building cultivator, but some can''t even reach that level."


    Zhang Lan didn''t argue further but said seriously, "Mo Hua is physically weak and can''t train his body. Joining the Dao Soldiers and fighting in battles would be extremely dangerous for him."


    "He won''t have to do such things," Commander Yang replied. "In military operations, the hardest part is ''knowing the enemy and oneself.'' With his Concealment Technique, he can scout the enemy''s situation and use it to protect himself if necessary."


    "Isn''t scouting dangerous?"


    "Then forget scouting," Commander Yang retreated further, "he can just set up arrays."


    Mo Hua asked, "Does the Dao Soldiers Division also lack array masters?"


    Commander Yang vaguely replied, "Not that much..."


    Zhang Lan sneered, "Don''t listen to his nonsense. Where in the cultivation world is there no shortage of array masters? Even the demonic cultivators, like those who built Heishan Stronghold, rely on their third leader, the demonic array master."


    "Not to mention that the Dao Soldiers Division is a dirty, tiring place where lives are at risk at all times. Esteemed array masters usually wouldn''t go there."


    Commander Yang blushed but persisted, "Precisely because of this, an array master skilled in concealment and self-protection is even more valuable on the battlefield."


    Looking at Mo Hua, Commander Yang solemnly said, "If you''re willing to join the Dao Soldiers Division, I can even apply for you to become a Deputy Commander."


    "Then you can follow me. With the Yang family''s extensive connections in the Dao Soldiers Division, no one will dare to bully you!"


    Mo Hua hesitated.


    It wasn''t that he feared hardship or danger and didn''t want to join the Dao Soldiers Division, but once he joined, he''d have to leave home and be away for long periods.


    He still needed to learn arrays from Mr. Zhuang and take care of his parents when he grew up.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s furrowed brow and troubled expression, Commander Yang quickly said, "You''re still young; no need to decide in haste. You can think it over carefully. Even if you don''t go now, you can always come to the Dao Soldiers Division later if you change your mind. Just mention my name, Yang Jiyong."


    Yang Jiyong...


    Mo Hua nodded silently, remembering the name, and then thanked him, "Thank you, Commander Yang."


    Commander Yang smiled, "No need to be so formal. If you call Zhang Lan ''Uncle,'' you can call me ''Uncle'' too."


    Mo Hua complied, "Uncle Yang."


    Commander Yang nodded, his face beaming with joy.


    Zhang Lan sighed helplessly, "Yang Jiyong, after all these years, you still have no shame!"


    Commander Yang snorted, "You''re no better."


    With the map of the Misty Forest and the layout of Heishan Stronghold in hand, Commander Yang and Zhang Lan spent a day planning the operation to annihilate Heishan Stronghold.


    The next day, the various factions in Tongxian City gathered at the Dao Court to discuss the operation.


    Participants included Commander Yang from the Dao Soldiers Division, the old Supervisor and Chief Zhou from the Dao Court, Elder Yu, Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi from the Demon Hunter Hall, and others.


    Mo Hua sat on a small stool nearby, listening in.


    Commander Yang began directly, "The array in the Misty Forest has changed. The demonic cultivators might have sensed something. If we act directly, we might alert them and fail to wipe them out."


    "The best strategy is for the demon hunters to feign an attack to lure the demonic cultivators out, then the Dao Soldiers will encircle and kill them all in one go."


    "There are four Foundation Building demonic cultivators in Heishan Stronghold. They may not all be there, but we should plan for the worst. Chief Zhou, Elder Yu, and I will each handle one. I''ll split two teams of the finest Dao Soldiers with the best equipment to take down the fourth."


    "If any of the Foundation Building demonic cultivators fall, we can outnumber and defeat them."


    "As for the other demonic cultivators, despite their sinister techniques, they''re not a threat in a head-on battle. The demon hunters just need to delay them until the Dao Soldiers charge in, then they''ll be nothing more than a disorganized mob..."


    Commander Yang then opened the sand table, showing both the Misty Forest and Heishan Stronghold''s terrain.


    He began detailing the plan, including how to enter the mountain, where the demon hunters would position themselves, where the Dao Soldiers would ambush, and how to attack the stronghold.


    They discussed how far to feign the attack, where to retreat if necessary, how to coordinate, and when the Dao Soldiers would charge.


    Elder Yu and others raised questions and suggestions, which Commander Yang either answered or considered. After half a day''s discussion, the plan gradually took shape.


    Mo Hua listened attentively.


    He was unfamiliar with such matters, and both the experienced Commander Yang and Elder Yu were far more knowledgeable.


    The world is full of knowledge.


    Mo Hua simply listened carefully, hoping to learn more. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After the meeting, the participants dispersed. Mo Hua stayed behind and quietly asked Zhang Lan, "Uncle Zhang, is there any risk?"


    Zhang Lan patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, "There''s always risk, but this time it''s minimal."


    "Why?"


    "First, because of the intelligence you overheard. Second, the Dao Court''s Dao Soldiers are stronger than you think."


    "Are they really that strong?" Mo Hua was doubtful.


    "Absolutely," Zhang Lan replied. "The Dao Court can unify the cultivation world because of its powerful Dao Soldiers. Large-scale battles involving thousands of soldiers are entirely different from ordinary cultivator duels."


    Mo Hua hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, so he didn''t fully understand but nodded and felt somewhat reassured.


    Commander Yang acted swiftly, and two days later, all preparations were complete.


    Before dawn, three hundred seasoned ninth-level Qi Refining demon hunters and three hundred well-trained Dao Soldiers, led by Commander Yang, Elder Yu, and Chief Zhou, silently moved into the deep mountains under the cover of twilight.


    Mo Hua wanted to go but was firmly opposed by everyone.


    Not only did his father Mo Shan forbid him, but also Chief Zhou, Zhang Lan, Elder Yu, Yu Chengyi, and even Commander Yang opposed it.


    They didn''t mind getting hurt themselves, but they couldn''t let Mo Hua get injured.


    Mo Hua had to stay obediently at the Dao Soldiers'' camp on Nameless Peak.


    The camp was relatively safe, and if they encountered any tricky arrays during the assault on Heishan Stronghold, they could return and consult Mo Hua.


    Some Dao Soldiers stayed in the camp to guard it and protect Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stayed in the camp, sleepless, practicing arrays on the Dao Stele in his sea of consciousness until dawn, when distant noises finally reached him.


    Even from afar, he could faintly hear the sounds of battle, filled with a solemn killing intent, and could sense waves of powerful spiritual energy without using his spiritual awareness.


    It was a large-scale melee involving numerous ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators and full-force battles by Foundation Building cultivators!


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling worried.


    His father Mo Shan and many close uncles and elders were in the mountains, fighting against those vicious demonic cultivators.


    Mo Hua wanted to go but restrained himself.


    He couldn''t help much and would only cause trouble.


    Mo Hua forced himself to draw arrays to calm his mind.


    The battle at Heishan Stronghold lasted three days, and news finally arrived.


    The Dao Soldiers and demon hunters suffered minimal casualties. Mo Shan, Elder Yu, and Zhang Lan were mostly only slightly injured.


    The Heishan Stronghold, which had entrenched itself in the deep mountains for hundreds of years, was completely annihilated!

 Chapter 309: Suspicion Clouds

    Mo Hua once again stood before the gates of Heishan Stronghold.Two days ago, Heishan Stronghold was breached, and the majority of the demonic cultivators were eradicated.


    Among the four Foundation Building demonic cultivators, the fourth leader was killed in battle, the second leader was captured with severe injuries, and the first and third leaders escaped heavily wounded, currently being pursued by the Dao Court and Dao Soldiers.


    Heishan Stronghold, which had once hidden deep in the mountains and committed numerous atrocities, was nearly annihilated.


    The remaining demonic cultivators would be hunted and pursued.


    The main force that destroyed Heishan Stronghold was the Dao Court¡¯s Dao Soldiers.


    As Zhang Lan mentioned, the Dao Soldiers were indeed powerful.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t witnessed it firsthand but had inquired from his father, Mo Shan, afterward.


    It was said that during the battle, the Dao Soldiers¡¯ spears were invincible.


    The demonic cultivators under their spears had no match; in a brief moment of engagement, the demonic cultivators were either severely injured or killed.


    The Dao Soldiers were the sharp blade maintaining the Dao Court¡¯s power, symbolizing its strength and authority.


    With such powerful Dao Soldiers under its command, it was no wonder the Dao Court could unify the cultivation world and stand strong for twenty thousand years.


    And these were just First Grade Dao Soldiers in the Qi Refining stage.


    The Dao Soldiers above First Grade would undoubtedly be even more terrifying...


    Mo Hua sighed in his heart.


    Although Heishan Stronghold was destroyed, he still had many things he couldn¡¯t figure out.


    Mo Hua looked towards the mountain gate of Heishan Stronghold.


    The Concealment Array on the gate had failed, the bloody and eerie gate had one pillar broken, and the entire stronghold was in ruins.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t enter through the main gate but went around to a nearby high wall.


    The first time he entered Heishan Stronghold, he had unlocked the array from the high wall and dug a hole to sneak in.


    At this time, the small hole in the corner of the wall was still there.


    ¡°Did the demonic cultivators not find this?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised, released his spiritual sense, and sensed through the high wall for a moment, then his gaze tightened.


    ¡°No, they discovered it!¡±


    Behind the wall hole, several new arrays had been added, including the Golden Bell Array, the Wood Binding Array, and a few others.


    The Golden Bell Array was for warning, the Wood Binding Array was to trap people, and the other arrays had similar purposes.


    They discovered this hole and wanted to lie in wait for him!


    As long as Mo Hua entered through the hole again, he would trigger the arrays, alerting the demonic cultivators and trapping him.


    These arrays must have been set by the third leader.


    Mo Hua almost didn¡¯t need to think; he knew the third leader must have stationed people nearby, ready to catch him once the arrays were triggered.


    But before they could catch Mo Hua, Heishan Stronghold was already destroyed...


    Now that there were no demonic cultivators left in the stronghold, Mo Hua had no more concerns.


    He took out the Qianjun Stick, made the hole larger, and destroyed the arrays on the opposite side before walking into Heishan Stronghold through the wall hole.


    The current Heishan Stronghold was still bloody, but it had a few more traces of desolation and wasn¡¯t as oppressive.


    Mo Hua spent some time walking around the front stronghold according to his memory.


    Most of the houses had collapsed, their contents cleared out and handed over to the Dao Court.


    The prison within the stronghold was empty.


    The cultivators who had been captured and imprisoned here were all killed by the demonic cultivators without exception.


    Perhaps the demonic cultivators killed them before the battle; perhaps during the standoff, they killed them to replenish their blood and spiritual power; or maybe during their defeat, they went on a killing spree in a fit of rage.


    In any case, not a single person was left alive.


    The Dao Court and Dao Soldiers had already encoffined the bodies, sealed the coffins, and taken them back to the Dao Court, trying to identify them to give their families an explanation.


    If they couldn¡¯t be identified, they would be buried nearby with a simple grave and an unnamed tombstone.


    These cultivators met a tragic end.


    After death, no one mourned or remembered them; even their tombstones wouldn¡¯t bear their names.


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat bitter.


    After looking around the front stronghold, Mo Hua went to the back stronghold and frowned.


    The arrays in the back stronghold were dense, much more than when he first came.


    Drawing arrays took time, and only the third leader in Heishan Stronghold knew how to draw these First Grade arrays, so these arrays were laid out early.


    Probably right after he left, the third leader began arranging them.


    But why?


    Did they suspect something?


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on the high wall of the back stronghold, looking at the front stronghold, deep in thought.


    The front stronghold was too large to defend, so they concentrated the arrays in the back stronghold, making it harder for the Dao Soldiers to attack.


    Mo Hua had asked Commander Yang; during the three days of attacking Heishan Stronghold, two days were spent breaking the arrays in the back stronghold.


    The demonic cultivators seemed to know they would be attacked and weren¡¯t opponents, so they preemptively laid arrays in the back stronghold for a desperate fight.


    The purpose was to... delay time?


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°What¡¯s the point of delaying time? In the end, they¡¯re still waiting to die.¡±


    ¡°Could it be to delay the time for refining pills?¡±


    Mo Hua turned and walked towards the pill room.


    The beast door was mostly destroyed, and the arrays in front were forcefully broken, indicating the Dao Soldiers had attacked here as well.


    Mo Hua walked into the pill room, where the pillars had collapsed, and the floor was cracked, indicating a Foundation Building cultivator had fought here.


    Blood was splattered everywhere, it was unclear whether it was human or demonic.


    The white bone pill furnace in the center of the room was also damaged, first pierced by a spear, then half of its lid was shaved off, exposing the bone walls inside and the blood-colored demonic array on them.


    There was some foul, thick pill liquid inside the furnace, which should be the remnants of refining Longevity Pills. Just smelling it made one nauseous.


    ¡°Can anyone really consume such a thing...¡±


    Mo Hua covered his nose, thinking in disgust.


    The pill furnace was destroyed, and the demonic herbs around it were also gone.


    They were likely cleared out by the Dao Court, either handed over or destroyed on the spot, not left in the world.


    After all, these herbs were used for refining human pills, which was heinous and forbidden.


    It seemed the pills weren¡¯t refined...


    Mo Hua opened the secret compartment, which was empty.


    The third leader didn¡¯t hide anything here again.


    Of course, that made sense. Being stolen from once, hiding things here again would indeed be foolish.


    Mo Hua looked around the back stronghold and found several hidden chambers for closed-door cultivation.


    There was also a treasury, now empty, likely cleared out by the Dao Soldiers.


    Besides that, there was nothing special in the back stronghold.


    Mo Hua thought over the entire matter carefully.


    First, the third leader discovered the hole he had dug and the unlocked arrays, becoming suspicious.


    How far the suspicion went, Mo Hua didn¡¯t know.


    But Heishan Stronghold made a move.


    First, they changed the arrays in the foggy forest, adding more fog arrays, then strengthened the arrays in the back stronghold.


    But this was to no avail.


    When the Dao Soldiers attacked, it seemed they delayed time, but not for long; they seemed to hold out for a while, but ultimately didn¡¯t hold.


    Heishan Stronghold was thus eradicated.


    It all seemed reasonable, but thinking about it felt off.


    Mo Hua pondered for a long time before realizing what felt off:


    Heishan Stronghold seemed to know it would ¡°die,¡± and inevitably ¡°die,¡± then after a slight struggle, calmly ¡°accepted death.¡±


    This battle seemed less like they eradicated Heishan Stronghold and more like Heishan Stronghold ¡°planned¡± and methodically... was eradicated.


    It was as if an unseen hand silently pushed Heishan Stronghold to the blade, and then Heishan Stronghold naturally extended its neck and was beheaded.


    Mo Hua frowned tighter, left the pill room, and climbed to a high point, taking in the entire Heishan Stronghold.


    Nestled between two mountains, Heishan Stronghold covered a vast area.


    The previous doubts resurfaced:


    ¡°How was such a large Heishan Stronghold built?¡±


    The stronghold was enormous, with numerous arrays, requiring massive manpower and resources to construct, especially in such a remote mountain. Could the demonic cultivators alone build it?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Was there someone secretly supporting Heishan Stronghold?


    If someone were indeed supporting it, it must be a force from Tongxian City, as it was closest to Dahei Mountain, making clandestine communication convenient.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    The first one he thought of was the Qian family.


    The Qian family was deep-rooted and ruthless; it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they did such a thing.


    But thinking carefully, it didn¡¯t seem right.


    At least for now, on the surface, there was no connection between the two.


    The Qian family had no collusion with Heishan Stronghold, and there were no Qian family cultivators in Heishan Stronghold. S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If it was just because he had grudges with


    the Qian family and hated them, attributing this to the Qian family would be biased.


    But if not the Qian family, then who?


    Besides the Qian family, the major forces in Tongxian City included the An family and Tongxian Sect.


    But supporting Heishan Stronghold didn¡¯t seem beneficial to them either.


    Moreover, with their strength, they might not be able to support such a large stronghold.


    The An family was oppressed by the Qian family, barely surviving by running a restaurant. If they had raised such a large group of demonic cultivators, they would have already retaliated against the Qian family.


    Tongxian Sect was even less likely; they couldn¡¯t even redeem their own Tongxian Peak, so how could they have spare resources to support demonic cultivators?


    Mo Hua unconsciously scratched his head, unable to figure it out.

 Chapter 310: Fireball Technique Manual

    Does Heishan Stronghold have a mastermind behind the scenes?In the days that followed, Mo Hua often pondered this question, but no matter how much he thought, he had no clues. Even if he wanted to investigate, there were no leads to start from.


    Mo Hua could only focus on his own affairs: enhancing his spiritual awareness, mastering arrays, and learning more skills.


    In case something unexpected happens in the future, he would have some confidence in dealing with it.


    There was no need to mention arrays; Mo Hua practiced the Reverse Spirit Array every day.


    Apart from that, what else could he learn?


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that he still had a manual for the Fireball Technique.


    This manual was obtained from a white-faced demonic cultivator who guarded Heishan Stronghold at night.


    The white-faced demonic cultivator practiced a spirit-absorbing demonic technique, and his spells were mediocre. It was only because of this manual that his Fireball Technique had considerable power.


    Mo Hua had used a stratagem to kill the white-faced man and obtained this Fireball Technique manual.


    But due to various events, Mo Hua had temporarily forgotten about it.


    Mo Hua sat at his small desk, took out his storage bag, and searched for the Fireball Technique manual.


    The manual was titled "Insights on Fireball Technique." The handwriting was handwritten, and the edges were rough, showing signs of frequent flipping.


    It seemed not to be an orthodox spell inheritance but a personal collection of spell insights from a cultivator.


    Mo Hua opened the book, glanced at it, and quickly understood the gist of it.


    This "Insights on Fireball Technique" was not originally owned by the white-faced man. It was likely also obtained through murder.


    The original owner of the manual was surnamed Yang, just an ordinary spiritual cultivator.


    He did not have high talent or good spiritual roots, and the techniques he practiced were naturally not great. The only spell he could learn was this Fireball Technique.


    But he did not get discouraged. Instead, he continuously practiced and studied, even seeking advice from various spiritual cultivators proficient in the Fireball Technique. He spent most of his life exploring and finally discovered a method to enhance the Fireball Technique''s power.


    The secret of the method lay in the meridians.


    All spells, at their core, involve driving spiritual energy in the Qi Sea with spiritual awareness, running it through specific meridians to form different spells.


    Even the same spell, though with similar effects, may have different inherited meridian diagrams.


    Some differences are in the main meridians, others in the minor collateral meridians.


    The original owner of the manual spent countless time and effort collecting various meridian diagrams of the Fireball Technique, categorizing, comparing, and summarizing them into the most complex yet powerful meridian diagram for the Fireball Technique.


    He also recorded his various insights on using the Fireball Technique in the manual.


    But for some reason, this insightful manual ended up in the hands of the white-faced demonic cultivator.


    Mo Hua read through the entire manual in one go and couldn''t help but feel emotional.


    How much effort must have been spent to write this thin book of insights...


    The tenacity, meticulous thinking, and dedication of the cultivator who wrote this manual made Mo Hua feel inferior.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but think that there might be many cultivators with such perseverance and talent in the world.


    But due to their background, spiritual roots, and inheritance, their talents could only be wasted or buried.


    Mo Hua felt it was a pity.


    The original owner of this manual must have been a remarkably talented person, yet he was unknown and even died in obscurity.


    At the end of the manual, there was a simple sentence:


    "There is no great or small in the Dao, no strong or weak in techniques. A spark can set the prairie ablaze."


    Mo Hua felt invigorated after reading this.


    This insightful manual, in the hands of the white-faced demonic cultivator, was truly a hidden gem wasted.


    Mo Hua resolved to learn this Fireball Technique to the fullest.


    He wanted the entire cultivation world to know the power of the Fireball Technique!


    Mo Hua began learning this stronger Fireball Technique according to the meridian diagram in the manual.


    The meridian diagram of this Fireball Technique was very complex, and Mo Hua originally thought it would be challenging to learn.


    But it took him only half a day to learn it...


    This time was much less than he had expected.


    Moreover, the Fireball Technique he used was strange. The color was darker, a deep red, and the fireball was noticeably smaller.


    It looked somewhat odd...


    Mo Hua wasn''t sure if he had truly learned it, learned it incorrectly, or something else...


    As for its power, Mo Hua didn''t dare to test it yet.


    He feared there might be a problem, and his home was not a place to test spells.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and went to Mr. Zhuang''s mountain residence. He walked through the small bamboo forest and came to the pond, ready to practice on the fish in the pond as usual.


    The foolish fish in the pond were still swimming leisurely, unaware of what was about to happen.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind and focused, circulating his spiritual power. Moments later, a deep red but small Fireball Technique was formed.


    Mo Hua directed the peculiar fireball with a finger, and it swiftly flew into the pond.


    A low explosion sound was heard.


    In an instant, the pond water evaporated, the aquatic plants burned, and the fish in the pond were reduced to charred fish bones.


    Mo Hua was stunned, his mouth gradually opening wide.


    The power of this Fireball Technique was unexpectedly immense...


    Such power was entirely beyond his expectations.


    Then he suddenly thought, "If the pond is blown up like this, won''t Mr. Zhuang be angry..."


    Just as Mo Hua was wondering what to do, he turned and saw Elder Gui silently standing behind him, looking at the pond with a surprised expression.


    "Grandpa Gui... this..." S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Gui said indifferently, "No matter."


    Then he waved his sleeve, and the scene before him rippled and restored to its original state.


    The pond was still clear, the aquatic plants lush, and the fish swimming leisurely but foolishly.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Where did you learn this Fireball Technique?" Elder Gui asked.


    Mo Hua took out the manual from his storage bag and handed it to Elder Gui, "I got it from a demonic cultivator."


    Elder Gui took it, glanced at it, and nodded, "Not bad."


    Mo Hua was delighted. If Elder Gui said it was good, then the Fireball Technique must indeed be good.


    Mo Hua then asked, "But the Fireball Technique I used seems a bit off..."


    "Off?"


    Elder Gui was slightly surprised, "Show me again."


    Mo Hua looked at the clear pond and hesitated.


    Elder Gui said, "No need to worry."


    Mo Hua felt reassured and cast another Fireball Technique towards the pond.


    A deep red fireball condensed at Mo Hua''s fingertip and shot towards the pond.


    This time, there was no explosion.


    The Fireball Technique entered the pond, causing the entire pond''s space to distort and finally dissolve the fireball as if nothing had happened.


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    What level of spell was this? How could it have such an effect?


    Elder Gui saw Mo Hua''s shocked expression and a barely noticeable smile appeared in his eyes. Then he said to Mo Hua, "It''s unconventional, but still a Fireball Technique."


    Mo Hua asked, "Will there be any problems using it?"


    Elder Gui shook his head, "No problem."


    Mo Hua was relieved but still puzzled, "Why does the color deepen and the fireball shrink?"


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure it out himself, so he decided to ask Elder Gui directly.


    With Elder Gui''s high level of spell mastery, he must know the secret.


    Elder Gui answered without hesitation, "Because you condensed the spell with spiritual awareness."


    "Condensed with spiritual awareness?"


    Elder Gui nodded, "The meridian diagram you see is the method of condensing spells with spiritual awareness. The more complex the meridian, the greater the consumption of spiritual awareness, and the stronger the spell."


    "It''s similar to arrays..." Mo Hua remarked.


    "The Dao is different but converges to the same end," Elder Gui said indifferently.


    "But I saw the white-faced demonic cultivator use the Fireball Technique. It was just more powerful, not this deep in color, nor this small in size..."


    "Your spiritual awareness is different."


    Elder Gui said succinctly.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "Because my spiritual awareness is too strong?"


    Elder Gui nodded, "With Foundation Building spiritual awareness, the condensed spell will naturally be different."


    Mo Hua was completely reassured now.


    When he becomes more proficient in the Fireball Technique, combined with his Concealment Technique, Passing Water Step for defense, Water Prison Technique to trap enemies, and the Fireball Technique for offense, his overall strength would greatly improve.


    "Thank you for the guidance, Grandpa Gui," Mo Hua said gratefully.


    Elder Gui''s expression remained wooden, "I didn''t guide anything."


    Mo Hua just smiled, keeping Elder Gui''s kindness in his heart.


    Elder Gui was about to leave but suddenly asked, "Would you like to play a game of chess?"


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised. Elder Gui rarely invited him to play chess unless he was very free.


    Mo Hua nodded, "Alright!"


    Under the breeze and bamboo forest, amidst the small chessboard.


    Mo Hua and Elder Gui played an intense game, but despite playing for so long, neither of them showed any improvement in their skills.


    Until the sun set and dusk approached, Mo Hua had to go home, so he got up and said goodbye to Elder Gui.


    When bidding farewell, Elder Gui''s always wooden expression rarely showed a trace of reluctance.


    Not only Elder Gui, but Mr. Zhuang had also occasionally shown signs of wistfulness and distraction these days.


    Mo Hua had a vague guess in his heart.


    Mr. Zhuang... might be leaving Tongxian City soon...


    He might never be able to ask Mr. Zhuang for advice again.

 Chapter 311: The Dao of Heaven

    After mastering the new Fireball Technique, Mo Hua dedicated his efforts to studying arrays.A few days later, after becoming proficient in the Reverse Spirit Array, Mo Hua sought advice from Mr. Zhuang. Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment and then suddenly asked:


    "Hua''er, cultivators seek the Dao of Heaven. Do you know what the Dao of Heaven is?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, "Is it immortality?"


    "Immortality is the result, not the Dao of Heaven itself."


    "Isn''t immortality the same as attaining the Dao?" Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said earnestly:


    "Immortals attain the Dao to achieve longevity. Only by comprehending the Great Dao and practicing the principles of the Dao of Heaven can one ultimately achieve immortality."


    "If one does not comprehend the Dao of Heaven and practice the laws of the Great Dao, but instead blindly seeks immortality, they are pursuing the superficial and ignoring the fundamental. This will inevitably lead to a misguided path."


    Mo Hua seemed to understand but still nodded, remembering Mr. Zhuang''s words.


    "Does the Five Elements count as the Dao of Heaven?" Mo Hua thought and asked.


    "Yes, it does," Mr. Zhuang replied.


    "If the Five Elements count..." Mo Hua continued to think, "then do the Two Poles, the Three Talents, the Four Symbols, the Seven Stars, or the use of spiritual sense, physical body, and spiritual power all count as forms of the Dao of Heaven?"


    Mo Hua was a bit uncertain.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    Mo Hua was stunned, "If that''s the case, isn''t the Great Dao too diverse..."


    Mr. Zhuang said, "The Great Dao encompasses myriad things. Everything in this world, every blade of grass and every tree, all conform to the Dao of Heaven."


    Seeing that Mo Hua did not quite understand, Mr. Zhuang explained further:


    "Ancient cultivators observed the heavens and the earth, studied all things in the world, and understood the principles of the operation of the forces of heaven and earth. This is how they created all the methods of cultivation, as well as arrays, pills, talismans, and artifacts."


    "Everything in this world follows the Dao of Heaven, and the power of cultivators also originates from the Dao of Heaven."


    Mo Hua pondered for a while and then asked, puzzled:


    "If everything in this world follows the Dao of Heaven, what about those who go against it? Are they following it or defying it?"


    "The so-called defiance of the Dao of Heaven is actually also following the Dao of Heaven."


    Mr. Zhuang explained, "The Great Dao encompasses creation and destruction. Those who follow the Dao of Heaven follow the path of ''creation,'' while those who defy it follow the path of ''destruction.''"


    Mo Hua suddenly understood a bit.


    The Dao of Heaven is divided into two poles, opposing yet complementing each other.


    Existence and non-existence give rise to each other, creation and destruction shape each other, righteousness and evil contrast, and good and evil accompany each other.


    Everything is part of the Dao. All human actions also follow the ''Dao,'' but some ''Dao'' are eternal, while others lead only to self-destruction.


    Mo Hua thought for a while but still had some confusion:


    "If everything in this world follows the Dao of Heaven, then all that we see and hear is the Dao. What are cultivators seeking the Dao of Heaven for?"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "The Great Dao encompasses all things, but it also implies chaos and complexity, with both righteousness and evil, truth and falsehood, appearance and essence."


    "Humans have eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, while objects have color, sound, fragrance, taste, touch, and law. Every day, what we see, hear, and know is a mix of good and bad, truth and falsehood. Over time, one naturally becomes immersed in illusions and superficiality, making it difficult to perceive the true essence of the Great Dao."


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened, and then he said:


    "It''s like looking at a visualization diagram, where one needs to see beyond the surface to glimpse the true essence?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyes showed a hint of satisfaction, and he nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua was still puzzled, "Then what counts as the true essence of the Great Dao?"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "That is something you have to figure out for yourself. As long as you have not become an immortal, the Dao you recognize is not the true essence of the Dao. Some are even flawed or erroneous."


    Mr. Zhuang then smiled, "I have not become an immortal either, so what I tell you is certainly not correct. What I perceive as the true essence might just be a deeper layer of the surface, not the ultimate Great Dao."


    "I understand, sir," Mo Hua nodded. "The principles one comprehends through personal understanding are one''s own. No matter how much others say, no matter how right, if I haven''t experienced it, I cannot fully grasp it."


    "Therefore, seeking the Dao of Heaven requires personal understanding. Even if the initial comprehension is shallow, as long as one keeps thinking and understanding, gradually discerning truth from falsehood, one will eventually see the true essence of the Great Dao."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Well said."


    Mo Hua smiled but was still somewhat uncertain, "Sir, I''m just at the Qi refining stage and already thinking about comprehending the Dao of Heaven. Is it too early..."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, his voice gentle:


    "Cultivation starts from the Qi refining stage, and understanding the Dao also starts from bit by bit, step by step, from low to high, from weak to strong, from shallow to deep. Only then can one form a Dao heart and truly comprehend the Great Dao."


    "Just like observing this world, if you look from a high position, you will be blinded by your own height and see only yourself. Only by looking from the lowest point, seeing all living beings, and witnessing the hardships of cultivators, can you see the most essential things in this world."


    Mo Hua nodded, lost in thought.


    But he was still young and inexperienced. Although he roughly understood Mr. Zhuang''s meaning, he had not seen the broader cultivation world outside of Tongxian City, so his comprehension was not deep.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, "These principles, I didn''t intend to tell you now. Telling you now is too early..."


    But if I don''t say it now, I may not have the chance to say it later...


    Mo Hua was taken aback and understood Mr. Zhuang''s meaning. He then solemnly nodded and said:


    "Sir, I will remember all your teachings!"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly and said:


    "Since you understand this principle, I can teach you the use of the Reverse Spirit Array."


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised, "Does the Reverse Spirit Array have something to do with these principles?"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "Cultivators seek the Dao of Heaven, which involves both the Dao heart and cultivation level. To pursue the Great Dao, both the Dao heart and cultivation are indispensable."


    "What I mentioned earlier relates to the Dao heart. What I am about to teach you concerns cultivation and arrays, or rather, the essence of the Dao of Heaven in terms of spiritual power."


    Mr. Zhuang''s tone gradually slowed, and his gaze became profound.


    Mo Hua''s eyes sharpened, and he sat upright, listening attentively.


    Mr. Zhuang gently exhaled and slowly said:


    "The origin of heaven and earth is Qi. At the beginning of the universe, a single Qi transformed and gave birth to all things in the heavens and earth." S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "The original Qi is called the Primordial Qi. Its breath is chaotic and powerful. After countless years, the chaos cleared and became the Vital Qi of all things."


    "Among them, the purest and densest Qi, which can be refined and utilized by cultivators, is Spiritual Qi. Spiritual Qi contains the power of the Dao of Heaven. This power is called spiritual power."


    "All methods and Dao techniques in the world, whether related to metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, or ice, fundamentally derive from the manifestation of spiritual power."


    "The spells of spiritual cultivators, as well as the blood Qi and strength of body cultivators, although they appear different, are also forms of spiritual power."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood:


    "So, the power of the Five Elements, as well as spells, blood Qi, and strength, are all manifestations, and spiritual power is the essence of their power?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Indeed, all Dao techniques, whether spells or martial arts, are constructed from spiritual power."


    "Are arrays the same?"


    "Arrays are the same."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and understood.


    Arrays require array eyes to provide spiritual power. Spiritual power flows through array patterns and eventually forms the distinct power of the Five Elements arrays.


    "Then, what is different about the Reverse Spirit Array?" Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment and then said slowly:


    "Ordinary arrays gather and form spiritual power to create the power of the Five Elements. The Reverse Spirit Array, however, reverses and decomposes spiritual power, generating a purer and more fundamental power of destruction closer to the essence of the Great Dao."


    "The Great Dao encompasses creation and destruction. Gathering leads to creation, while decomposition leads to destruction!"


    "The Reverse Spirit Array contains the power of destruction and decomposition of the Great Dao. What it truly decomposes is not the array but the more essential spiritual power within the array!"

 Chapter 312: Calculation

    Disabling an array involves interpreting its patterns and disrupting the entire formation through the interaction of these patterns.The Reverse Spirit Array can also disable formations, but its deeper use lies in directly disrupting spiritual power.


    Mo Hua, though not fully understanding, felt it sounded impressive.


    "But how do you disrupt it?"


    He could disable formations, but he had never heard of disrupting spiritual power.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated before finally speaking slowly:


    "Spiritual Awareness Calculation."


    Mo Hua frowned. This was another term he had never heard before.


    None of the array books he had read or the array masters he had encountered had ever mentioned "Spiritual Awareness Calculation."


    "Sir, is Spiritual Awareness Calculation also a highly advanced array study?" Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Yes."


    "How advanced is it?"


    "Ordinary array masters will never learn it in their lifetime."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "A lifetime?"


    Mr. Zhuang emphasized again, "A lifetime!"


    "Even high-ranked array masters won''t learn it?"


    Mr. Zhuang laughed, "High-ranked array masters merely have higher cultivation and stronger spiritual awareness, so they learn higher-level formations. However, in terms of using spiritual awareness and understanding formations, they may not necessarily surpass some lower-ranked array masters."


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    So there was such a concept...


    "Do array masters not learn Spiritual Awareness Calculation because it''s unnecessary or too difficult?" Mo Hua asked again.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "Both because it''s unnecessary and too difficult."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed slightly, "Array studies are profound and vast. The more advanced the formation, the more it taps into the mysteries of heaven and earth, reversing yin and yang."


    "In comparison, a cultivator''s spiritual awareness is much more limited. The more advanced the formation, the more strained the spiritual awareness becomes. Being able to comprehend the formation is already good enough; there''s no extra spiritual awareness to calculate the formation."


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly as he listened.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua with a gentle expression:


    "Originally, Spiritual Awareness Calculation is not something you should learn now, but if I don''t teach you now, there may be no one else to teach you later."


    "Your spiritual awareness foundation is so good; it would be a pity not to learn it." S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt a bit sad, "Sir, are you leaving?"


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, "There is no eternal banquet. I''ve stayed here long enough."


    Mo Hua''s small face fell.


    Mr. Zhuang gently patted his head, "There''s still some time. I''ll teach you a few more things. You must study well."


    Mo Hua nodded seriously, "Don''t worry, sir. I will study hard!"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly and began to explain Spiritual Awareness Calculation to Mo Hua:


    "The array knowledge you have learned before, whether it is array mediums, patterns, hubs, or eyes, single arrays or composite arrays, is based on the understanding of the array structure itself."


    "You should have realized that besides the structure of the array, the essence of the array''s effectiveness comes from the flow of spiritual power."


    "The array eye is the source of the spiritual power flow, the array medium is the carrier of the spiritual power flow, and the patterns and hubs are the trajectories of the spiritual power flow."


    "All paths lead to the same goal. Like other cultivation methods, spiritual power is the intrinsic essence."


    "Spiritual Awareness Calculation is to deduce and reconstruct the operation trajectory of the array''s spiritual power in the sea of consciousness."


    "Just like seeing the spiritual power state of others in spiritual awareness, Spiritual Awareness Calculation is to precisely deduce the existence of the array''s spiritual power in spiritual awareness."


    Mo Hua remembered that he had sensed the existence of a Fog Array in the fog forest before, so he could distinguish directions.


    However, what he sensed at that time was only the vague form of the array patterns, more precisely, the spiritual power shadow of the array patterns, not the clear flow of spiritual power.


    Mo Hua weakly asked, "What is the use of this?"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled and patiently explained:


    "First, it can deepen your understanding of formations, letting you know what array patterns and hubs are for, and how spiritual power passes through the hubs and connects the patterns."


    "Ultimately, patterns and hubs are forms, and the flow of spiritual power is the essence."


    "If you understand this, you''ll know why the same formation, from different traditions or schools, always has some differences in pattern strokes."


    "You''ll also understand why the same formation can still work even if different array masters draw the patterns differently each time, but if a pattern is drawn slightly off, the formation fails completely."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Because the former''s patterns, although different, do not affect the spiritual power flow, while the latter''s single deviation prevents the spiritual power from flowing, causing the formation to fail. Is that right?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly and warned:


    "Some array masters, stuck in their ways, don''t understand the essence of formations. They treat fixed patterns as the Dao itself and rigidly adhere to the form, not allowing any alteration. Don''t become such a rigid mind."


    "Yes, yes." Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, "Second, by learning Spiritual Awareness Calculation, you can sense the spiritual power flow within a formation and deduce its patterns."


    "Some formations are deeply hidden, and you can''t see through them. The most dangerous formations are those you can''t understand."


    "When you travel in the future and inadvertently fall into someone''s formation, if you can''t see the patterns and can''t guess the formation, you''re basically left to await your doom."


    "If you guess wrong and mistake a killing array for an illusion array, the consequences are equally severe."


    Mo Hua suddenly realized, "So learning calculation allows you to see through formations based solely on the spiritual power flow, making it impossible for other array masters to deal with you!"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, and he whispered, "Can I also learn others'' formations secretly?"


    If he could deduce the patterns from the spiritual power, he could learn formations without needing diagrams.


    In the future, if other array masters used formations against him, he could even learn their formations directly.


    "Your formation is powerful, but after a few glances, it''s mine."


    Mo Hua could already imagine how domineering he would be when he said this in the future.


    Mr. Zhuang, however, shook his head.


    Mo Hua was greatly disappointed, "Can''t I learn secretly?"


    "You can learn, but it''s not called secret learning."


    Mr. Zhuang laughed, "With your own skills, learning openly and honestly, how can it be called secret learning?"


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then also laughed, "Sir, you are right!"


    "The final use of Spiritual Awareness Calculation is what I mentioned before, using the Reverse Spirit Array to reverse and disrupt spiritual power, causing the formation to collapse and generating terrifying destructive power."


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze was slightly focused, and his tone was also more serious.


    Mo Hua was shocked and curious, "How strong can it be?"


    "It depends on the formation''s strength. Ordinary single arrays are not worth collapsing because their spiritual power structure is too weak; common composite arrays also don''t need to be collapsed because their hub structure is simple; only slightly complex composite arrays need to be collapsed."


    "On this basis, the more complex the formation and the stronger the spiritual power, the more powerful the collapse."


    Mo Hua was invigorated, "Can it cross levels to kill enemies? Can collapsing a First Grade composite array kill Foundation Building cultivators?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "It can."


    Mo Hua was excited, "Then I..."


    "No."


    Mo Hua felt a complex mix of emotions, "Sir, I haven''t even finished my sentence..."


    Mr. Zhuang couldn''t help but laugh, "No need to say it. I know you want to collapse composite arrays to kill a few Foundation Building cultivators."


    Mo Hua smiled shyly, "Can''t I?"


    "No."


    Seeing Mo Hua''s puzzled expression, Mr. Zhuang said directly:


    "Your spiritual awareness is insufficient."


    Mo Hua was surprised, "Even Foundation Building spiritual awareness is insufficient?"


    "Insufficient." Mr. Zhuang nodded, "The reason so few array masters learn Spiritual Awareness Calculation is that the consumption of spiritual awareness during calculation is excessive."


    "I''m teaching you now because your spiritual awareness in Foundation Building has barely reached the threshold, but with your current spiritual awareness, you can at most calculate a simple First Grade composite array. This collapsing force can injure Foundation Building cultivators but cannot kill them."


    Foundation Building spiritual awareness was barely at the threshold...


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    Mr. Zhuang said warmly, "I''m teaching you Spiritual Awareness Calculation not to collapse formations, but to see through the essence of formations, better comprehend them, and not be endangered by unknown formations in the future..."


    Mo Hua was stunned, feeling warmth in his heart, and gratefully said, "Thank you, sir!"

 Chapter 313: A Joyous Event

    Nightfall descended, and after dinner, Mo Hua sat at his small desk. On the desk lay a First Grade Earth Fire Array. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Following the method taught by Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua began calculating the array patterns of the Earth Fire Array using his spiritual awareness.


    There are two ways to calculate with spiritual awareness: positive and reverse calculations.


    One method is to convert array patterns into spiritual power.


    Following the array patterns, one calculates step by step, simulating the complete operation of the array''s spiritual power within the sea of consciousness.


    This calculation allows a clear understanding of the relationship between the metaphysical array patterns and their inherent spiritual power, thereby deepening the comprehension of the array''s essence.


    After calculation, one can even understand the flow and transformation of the array''s spiritual power through the patterns, akin to capturing the essence of calligraphy and painting.


    The other method is to convert spiritual power into array patterns.


    When encountering tricky and mysterious arrays in the future, one can sense the spiritual power with their awareness and deduce the array''s pattern diagram.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but think, if he had known this method earlier, when he first entered the deep mountain fog forest, he wouldn''t have needed to dig up tree roots to examine the array. Just by sensing the flow of the array''s spiritual power, he could have deduced the complete diagram of the fog array.


    However, at that time, his spiritual awareness hadn''t reached the Foundation Building stage, so he couldn''t have learned this method.


    The calculation of spiritual awareness is a profound technique for the application of spiritual awareness and a method for comprehending array principles.


    Mo Hua planned to start with First Grade arrays, recalculating all the arrays he had learned, one by one.


    This would not only practice the calculation method but also review and gain a deeper understanding of the arrays.


    The first array he calculated was the Earth Fire Array.


    Mo Hua began calculating the spiritual power trajectory of the Earth Fire Array in his sea of consciousness according to the array patterns.


    In the blank sea of consciousness, the light blue spiritual power trajectory appeared like fine threads, gradually connecting bit by bit, outlining a continuous, beginning-to-end, endlessly circulating spiritual power trajectory prototype.


    Simultaneously, Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness poured out like a flood.


    The consumption rate far exceeded Mo Hua''s expectations.


    His spiritual awareness seemed to connect with a profound and obscure Dao.


    The Dao was chaotic and indistinct, containing everything yet seemingly empty. Just sensing its existence caused his spiritual awareness to pour out continuously.


    Mo Hua was deeply shocked.


    When drawing arrays, he occasionally had this feeling.


    It felt like he was not comprehending the array but the form of the Dao.


    Learning arrays consumed spiritual awareness, which was actually comprehending a certain profound and obscure Dao.


    The more Mo Hua drew, the clearer this understanding became.


    But this time, the understanding was far more vivid than any previous experience.


    Mo Hua had never experienced such rapid consumption of spiritual awareness before!


    After spending an hour to complete the calculation of the First Grade Earth Fire Array, Mo Hua was shocked to find that his spiritual awareness had been completely depleted.


    The spiritual awareness of the Foundation Building stage, calculating a First Grade array, and only one diagram, was entirely consumed¡­


    Mo Hua found it hard to believe.


    Mr. Zhuang said that calculating with spiritual awareness consumed a lot, but Mo Hua never imagined it would be this much!


    No wonder no array masters learn this method...


    Mo Hua sighed with some emotion and a bit of relief.


    His innate body was weak, and his spiritual roots were poor. His only strength was his spiritual awareness, which was almost excessive.


    Calculating arrays consumed too much spiritual awareness, but while others couldn''t learn it due to insufficient spiritual awareness, Mo Hua had plenty to spare.


    This calculation method suited him perfectly.


    Mo Hua meditated to restore his spiritual awareness, summarized his gains and losses in his mind, and then drew another Earth Fire Array to start recalculating.


    The Earth Fire Array had a uniform structure, and the patterns were the same, but each drawn array''s spiritual power circulation was different.


    Just like people having similar facial features but differing in specific appearances.


    Arrays were the same.


    Each specific array''s spiritual power operation was different, requiring recalculation.


    However, while the spiritual power operations varied, the essence remained the same array.


    Having successfully calculated one, the second calculation became much easier for Mo Hua.


    After attempting to calculate several arrays, Mo Hua submerged his spiritual awareness into the sea of consciousness at midnight to continue practicing the Reverse Spirit Array on the Dao Stele.


    Mo Hua initially planned to practice calculation during the day and array techniques at night. But while practicing, he pondered:


    "The Dao Stele can be used to draw arrays, can it also be used to calculate arrays..."


    In external calculations, the spiritual power trajectory appeared in the sea of consciousness.


    If calculating in the sea of consciousness, where would the spiritual power trajectory appear?


    Mo Hua wasn''t sure, so he decided to try.


    He first drew a First Grade Molten Fire Array on the Dao Stele.


    The Molten Fire Array was new to him, and he hadn''t calculated it before.


    Then Mo Hua meditated to restore his spiritual awareness and began calculating the array''s patterns with his spiritual awareness.


    To Mo Hua''s surprise, the calculated spiritual power trajectory appeared on the Dao Stele!


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and understood.


    Since the stele was called "Dao Stele," it should represent the Dao of things, or the essence of arrays.


    If array patterns could be presented, then the essence of the array''s spiritual power trajectory could also be presented.


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding and concentrated on completing the calculation of the Molten Fire Array.


    The Dao Stele displayed the complete spiritual power trajectory diagram.


    Compared to the complex structure presented by the array patterns and array hubs, the spiritual power trajectory was simpler and clearer, continuously circulating with an indescribable Dao charm.


    Mo Hua stared at the spiritual power trajectory on the Dao Stele, lost in thought, suddenly comprehending something.


    In arrays, the structure of patterns and the essence of spiritual power complemented each other, like bones and flesh, forming a complete array.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly and hesitated before wiping away the spiritual power trajectory.


    The moment the spiritual power trajectory disappeared, a surge of spiritual awareness returned.


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened.


    His guess was correct!


    Drawing arrays on the Dao Stele and wiping them away restored spiritual awareness. So calculating arrays on the Dao Stele and wiping away the spiritual power trajectory should also restore spiritual awareness!


    If so, he could calculate more arrays without being limited by spiritual awareness!


    Endlessly calculating would continually deepen his understanding of arrays!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Calculating with spiritual awareness was difficult, but no matter how hard, as long as he practiced day and night, he would master it eventually.


    Mr. Zhuang taught him this method, and he must learn it well and not disappoint him.


    At this thought, Mo Hua felt a bit down.


    Mr. Zhuang would leave Tongxian City soon.


    And he didn''t know if they would meet again...


    Mo Hua sighed, determined to master the calculation method before Mr. Zhuang left, giving him a pleasant surprise.


    For the next half month, apart from cultivation, Mo Hua spent most of his time learning spiritual awareness calculations.


    Except for one day.


    On that day, Ji Li and Fu Lan became Dao companions.


    Everyone was very happy, and after some hesitation, Mo Hua happily gave himself a half-day off to attend Ji Li''s wedding with his parents.


    The destruction of Heishan Stronghold and the extermination of most demonic cultivators meant the remaining ones were being hunted.


    Although Mo Hua still had some doubts, the matter seemed settled for now.


    For at least a century or two, demonic cultivators couldn''t rise again.


    The wandering cultivators of Tongxian City felt relieved, merchants came more frequently, and the city became more bustling and prosperous.


    Ji Qingbai wanted his son Ji Li and Fu Lan to marry, fulfilling a long-held wish.


    For cultivators, becoming Dao companions was a significant event in their cultivation journey.


    The wedding was solemn and complex; even for poor wandering cultivators, the rituals could be simplified but not omitted.


    Moreover, life for the wandering cultivators in Tongxian City had improved significantly.


    Although Ji''s family was outsiders, Ji Qingbai had strong cultivation, Ji Li was diligent, and Fu Lan had a job at Fushan Tower. They had accumulated some savings during their time in the city.


    As long as there was no oppression from family clans or exploitation from the Dao Court, life would always improve.


    Ji Qingbai spent all his savings, with support from friends like Mo Shan, and hosted a lively wedding for Ji Li at Fushan Tower.


    Mo Hua happily joined the festivities.


    It was his first time attending a cultivator''s wedding.


    The customs of welcoming and sending off the bride and groom were new and festive to him.


    Many customs were unfamiliar to Mo Hua, but he didn''t mind.


    He was there for the fun, following the crowd, wherever the excitement was.


    The small alley in front of Ji''s house was decorated with lanterns and banners, drums and gongs resounded, red clothes fluttered, lanterns hung high, laughter and joy filled the air.


    In Ji''s main hall, Mo Hua, with his parents, watched the bride and groom in red robes bow to each other.


    Ji Li was handsome, and Fu Lan was radiant.


    After bow


    ing to the heavens, they looked at each other, blushing, appearing very compatible.


    After the ceremony, it was time for the banquet.


    Mo Hua was about to enjoy the food when Ji Qingbai called him over.


    Ji Qingbai had Mo Hua sit down and then called Ji Li and Fu Lan to offer Mo Hua a cup of tea.


    Mo Hua was startled and wanted to stand up, but Ji Qingbai held him down.


    "Uncle Ji, how can I accept this?" Mo Hua said, troubled.


    Mo Shan also said, "Brother Ji, Hua can''t accept this courtesy..."


    Ji Qingbai shook his head, "If he can''t accept it, no one can."

 Chapter 314: Blessings

    Ji Qingbai, with a solemn expression, continued, ¡°Back at Dahei Mountain, if it weren¡¯t for Mo Hua¡¯s help, our entire family might not have survived.¡±¡°Later, when we were chased by the criminal cultivators, Ji Li nearly lost his life, and it was Mo Hua who saved him.¡±


    ¡°And then there was Lu Hui and Kong Sheng, who died at Heishan Stronghold. Although I don¡¯t know what happened, I know it was Mo Hua who helped.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention, he drew so many arrays for the Demon Hunters. Without those arrays, the Artifact Crafting Hall and Alchemy Hall couldn¡¯t have been established, and the Demon Hunters would face much greater danger when hunting demons in the mountains...¡±


    ¡°Because of his arrays, the life of wandering cultivators in Tongxian City has improved, giving us a stable place to live. Only then could Ji Li and Fu Lan get married...¡±


    The more Ji Qingbai spoke, the more emotional he became, resolutely saying:


    ¡°This cup of tea must be offered!¡±


    Mo Shan declined, ¡°Brother Ji, Mo Hua is still young and cannot take on such responsibility...¡±


    Ji Qingbai insisted, ¡°Though young, his deeds are significant, and he can bear this.¡±


    Mo Shan still wanted to refuse, but Ji Li and Fu Lan had already solemnly brought the tea to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t decline and awkwardly accepted the tea and drank it.


    Only then did Ji Qingbai smile and say:


    ¡°Mo Hua, you are the benefactor of our family. In the future, no matter what, just say the word, and we will go through fire and water for you.¡±


    Mo Hua, half-laughing and half-crying, said, ¡°Uncle Ji, you overpraise me.¡±


    Mo Shan also smiled wryly.


    Fortunately, after drinking the tea, there were no more formalities, and Mo Hua felt relieved, happily joining the banquet.


    The feast was joyous and lively, with abundant food and wine.


    Mo Hua sat at a table with Da Hu, Da Ping, and Da Zhu, eating heartily with his friends.


    With toasts exchanged, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves until late, when they finally dispersed.


    As Mo Hua was about to leave, Ji Qingbai, along with Ji Li and Fu Lan, personally saw him off.


    Ji Qingbai, having drunk a lot, was very happy, holding Ji Li and Fu Lan¡¯s hands, their faces full of smiles.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but think, if everyone could remain this peaceful and happy, it would be great.


    That way, he could enjoy his meals even more.


    Ji Qingbai, drunk, repeated his gratitude from the day. Ji Li, though introverted and not good with words, looked at Mo Hua with eyes full of gratitude.


    Fu Lan then handed Mo Hua a festive box: S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Inside is ¡®Joy Cake¡¯, which I made myself. If you don¡¯t mind, please take it and try it.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled sweetly, ¡°Thank you, Sister Fu!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua happily accept the gift, Fu Lan also smiled.


    The Joy Cake was beautifully packaged and quite heavy.


    Mo Hua originally thought it was just one of the usual wedding cakes that everyone would get, but upon returning home, he found out that he was the only one who had it.


    Liu Ruhua explained, ¡°Joy Cake is handmade by the newlyweds and given to the most esteemed guests. The process is very intricate and the ingredients are carefully selected. Many cultivators may never get to taste one in their lifetime.¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Is it that precious?¡±


    Liu Ruhua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s their heartfelt wish, a blessing.¡±


    ¡°A blessing for what?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    ¡°A blessing for harmony and finding a happy marriage.¡±


    Mo Hua blushed, ¡°I¡¯m still young.¡±


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Such blessings are best given early.¡±


    ¡°Should I eat it then?¡± Mo Hua hesitated, ¡°Or should I save it?¡±


    He felt that such a precious cake should be saved.


    Liu Ruhua chuckled, ¡°Cakes are meant to be eaten. Don¡¯t waste Fu Lan¡¯s kind gesture.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mo Hua nodded. Though reluctant, he took out a piece and tasted it, eyes lighting up.


    Delicious!


    The Joy Cake looked ordinary but was soft and glutinous, with a rich and aromatic filling inside.


    Both fragrant and sweet.


    Mo Hua took another piece and offered it to his mother, ¡°Mother, try it too.¡±


    Liu Ruhua shook her head, smiling, ¡°I¡¯m already married, I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°Then I wish you and father harmony and happiness.¡±


    Liu Ruhua blushed, laughing, ¡°You child...¡±


    Mo Hua insisted, so Liu Ruhua took a piece, tasting it and nodding, ¡°It¡¯s really good. Fu Lan is quite skillful.¡±


    Mo Hua also agreed, the Joy Cake was indeed delicious.


    He then looked at the large box of Joy Cake, considering how to share it.


    The Joy Cake was rare, and Mo Hua wanted everyone to have a share of the joy.


    ¡°Mother has had a piece, so this piece is for father.¡±


    ¡°Master Chen has been single all his life, let him try one and maybe he¡¯ll find a wife...¡±


    ¡°Mr. Feng might not be looking for a wife, but he should still taste it.¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu... he already has two sons, so maybe not...¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang Lan, though a bit of a playboy, is still alone. He¡¯s a good person, he should have one.¡±


    ¡°Commander Yang, he¡¯s a Dao soldier commander, probably hard to find a companion... And since Uncle Zhang Lan got one, he should get one too, can¡¯t be biased...¡±


    ¡°And Da Hu and the others...¡±


    ¡°And Mr. Zhuang...¡±


    ...


    Mo Hua muttered, distributing the cake to everyone.


    Liu Ruhua watched, amused.


    The next day, Mo Hua made a round of Tongxian City, distributing Joy Cake.


    Some just enjoyed the taste, some were grateful for the blessings, others had complex expressions, and some were amused...


    After making his rounds, Mo Hua still had a little left. He packed it in the festive box and brought half to Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Joy Cake?¡± Mr. Zhuang was surprised.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a blessing for harmony and a happy marriage.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was stunned, his expression shifting several times.


    Mo Hua watched quietly, confirming that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s reaction was the amused type.


    ¡°Sir, please try it?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated but didn¡¯t refuse Mo Hua¡¯s kindness, tasting a piece and nodding slightly, ¡°It is indeed good.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled.


    Mr. Zhuang seemed about to say something, but his eyes caught sight of the red festive box and the ¡°‡Ö¡± character on it, his expression momentarily wistful, a trace of guilt in his eyes.


    There¡¯s a story here!


    Mo Hua was taken aback; he rarely saw Mr. Zhuang show such an expression.


    Mo Hua wanted to ask but was hesitant.


    If he asked, Mr. Zhuang probably wouldn¡¯t say.


    But not asking made Mo Hua very curious.


    Mo Hua held back his curiosity... but couldn¡¯t resist, eyes brightening as he softly spoke, ¡°Sir...¡±


    Before he could ask, Mr. Zhuang tapped his little head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t reproachful, rather a bit helpless.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua sensibly didn¡¯t ask further.


    Leaving the bamboo room, Mo Hua took the remaining Joy Cake to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zisheng, who didn¡¯t usually like cakes, tried a piece and praised, ¡°Really good.¡±


    The rest of the Joy Cake went to Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi thanked him, sitting under the white Bone Tree, eating slowly. After a while, she gently asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°How is this Joy Cake made?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... it¡¯s very complicated.¡±


    ¡°Can Aunt Liu make it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes brightened.


    ¡°But my mother won¡¯t make it.¡± Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zixi was puzzled, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Joy Cake has special meaning, it¡¯s only made for weddings.¡±


    Bai Zixi ate another piece, then asked:


    ¡°Do you have any upcoming weddings?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Bai Zixi looked slightly disappointed.


    She glanced at the cake, then asked, ¡°Have you tried it?¡±


    ¡°I had a piece.¡± Mo Hua said.


    One piece to share the joy was enough.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s fair hand reached out, took a piece from the box, and offered it to Mo Hua, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Mo Hua, feeling a bit hungry after running around all day, took the cake and ate it.


    The mountain breeze gently blew, ruffling the pond¡¯s surface, smoothing the soft grass, carrying the fragrance of the Bone Tree flowers, wandering through the mountain residence.


    Bai Zisheng lay on the grass, flipping through a book out of boredom.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zixi, two delicate children, sat quietly under the tree, eating Joy Cake.


    White Bone Tree flowers floated above, with a festive red box in front of them.

 Chapter 315: Collapse

    The following days were as calm as water. With constant efforts day and night, Mo Hua''s ability in divine sense calculations increased day by day.Until one day, he suddenly thought of a question:


    "Can I try to cause the array to collapse?"


    Although Mr. Zhuang said that teaching him divine sense calculations was not to make him collapse the array, since he had learned it, he had to give it a try.


    Mo Hua wanted to see what the collapse of an array would look like.


    Even Mr. Zhuang found the power of collapse incredible. How strong could it be?


    The principle of array collapse was not difficult; the hard part was learning the Reverse Spirit Array and divine sense calculations.


    Mo Hua had now learned the Reverse Spirit Array. Though not proficient in divine sense calculations, he had practiced for many days and had become quite skilled, having the basic foundation for collapsing an array.


    Still not completely confident, Mo Hua sought out Mr. Zhuang to subtly inquire about the precautions of array collapse.


    Mr. Zhuang saw through Mo Hua''s little scheme at a glance but did not mind.


    Curiosity was a good thing.


    Without curiosity and a thirst for knowledge about arrays, one could easily become numb to the monotonous path of cultivation and lose the original intent of seeking the Dao of arrays.


    Moreover, array collapse was not that easy to learn.


    With Mo Hua''s current divine sense, it would be commendable if he could calculate and collapse a First Grade single array.


    The power of a First Grade single array collapse, though not weak, was not particularly strong. Even if he made a mistake, it wouldn''t be life-threatening.


    Mr. Zhuang then instructed:


    "Array collapse is based on divine sense calculations."


    "First, calculate the spiritual power trajectory of the array, and then set up the Reverse Spirit Array on the array hub according to the trajectory."


    "Once the array is activated, the spiritual power will flow through the array hub and be reversed by the Reverse Spirit Array, leading to the collapse of the entire array, generating a force close to the primal power of destruction..."


    ...


    Mr. Zhuang explained in detail.


    Mo Hua remembered every word Mr. Zhuang said, and then found a time to go to Dahei Mountain to experiment with array collapse.


    The array to be collapsed was a First Grade Earth Fire Array.


    Although Mo Hua''s divine sense was at the Foundation Building stage, he couldn''t calculate too complex arrays, so he had to start with a simple First Grade array.


    Mo Hua set up the Earth Fire Array, spent some time calculating the spiritual power trajectory, and then drew the Reverse Spirit Array on the array hub according to the trajectory.


    After a long time, Mo Hua finally prepared everything.


    Everything was ready, only needing to activate the array.


    Mo Hua placed the spirit stones on the array and then ran far away.


    He didn''t know how powerful the array collapse would be, so to be safe, he stayed far away.


    Mo Hua cast a Fireball Technique, accurately shattering the spirit stones, releasing spiritual energy into the Earth Fire Array.


    The array flashed for a moment, and then the light disappeared.


    Mo Hua, hiding in the distance, only saw the array light up briefly and then nothing.


    No explosion, no sound, no spiritual power fluctuations, as if he had just set off a dud firecracker...


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Did the collapse fail?


    Or was there an error in the calculations?


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure it out and didn''t dare to go forward recklessly. He waited for a while and saw no movement. He released his divine sense but couldn''t sense any spiritual power flow, so he approached.


    With just one look, Mo Hua frowned, even more confused.


    The array was gone!


    Nothing was left on the ground.


    Only the stones that carried the array had turned into fine powder, which scattered with the wind.


    "So this is... success?"


    The array had collapsed, completely dissolving everything, even the array medium turned into powder.


    But was this what collapse was supposed to be?


    Mo Hua was not sure and decided to try again.


    He set up the array again, calculated the spiritual power trajectory, and drew the Reverse Spirit Array on the array hub, then activated the array.


    This time, Mo Hua didn''t run too far. He observed closely, focusing his divine sense on the changes during the array collapse.


    This time, he finally saw what happened.


    The moment the array was activated, spiritual power began to flow, connecting the array patterns. When the spiritual power reached the Reverse Spirit Array, it was decomposed.


    The pale blue spiritual power decomposed not into finer elements but transformed into a completely different kind of spiritual power, faintly edged with black, exuding a destructive aura, dissolving everything it touched, and then vanishing.


    This process was extremely terrifying but silent. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    No, even sound was decomposed! That''s why it was silent...


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    This was unlike any spiritual power form he had ever seen.


    Ordinary cultivators used spiritual power to activate Dao techniques, forming the mysterious powers of the Five Elements and Three Wonders. If this process was positive, then this destructive power was negative.


    It was a form of spiritual power outside the usual framework of cultivators.


    As Mr. Zhuang had said, it was a power close to the primal destruction of the Dao...


    Previously, Mo Hua had not fully understood these words. Now, having seen it with his own eyes, he deeply felt the terrifying nature of this primal destruction power.


    The only problem was that the range of the collapse was too small...


    When an array explodes, the spiritual power spreads outward; when it collapses, the spiritual power concentrates inward.


    The Earth Fire Array in front of him, if it exploded normally, would be as large as a big watermelon. When it collapsed, the range was only as big as a small hawthorn.


    To use this against an enemy, they would have to be tied to the array, otherwise, it wouldn''t harm anyone.


    Even if it did, only injuring an arm or a leg wouldn''t mean much.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    No wonder Mr. Zhuang had no reservations about telling him such a dangerous method of collapse.


    With his current divine sense, he could only collapse a simple First Grade single array.


    As Mr. Zhuang said, "Ordinary single arrays are not worth collapsing because their spiritual power is too weak..."


    The weak spiritual power composition, even though the collapse power was special, was too small in scale to be much of a threat.


    Stronger arrays, at least more complex composite arrays, could not be calculated by his current divine sense.


    Mo Hua felt disappointed. He had hoped that if the collapse power was strong enough, he would have a more powerful trump card.


    That way, even when facing Foundation Building cultivators, he wouldn''t be helpless.


    The First Leader and Third Leader of Heishan Stronghold were still at large. If left unchecked, they would be a great hidden danger in the future.


    If he could master array collapse, he would have a way to deal with them.


    But now it seemed he had thought too simply.


    The power to threaten Foundation Building cultivators was not so easy to obtain...


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Since that was the case, he decided not to dwell on it and focused on practicing divine sense calculations, increasing his understanding of arrays through calculations.


    "One shouldn''t be too greedy; mastering calculations is enough. Forget about collapse for now."


    Mo Hua silently reminded himself.


    That was his original plan...


    Until two days later, at midnight, when Mo Hua was practicing calculations on the Dao Stele in his sea of consciousness, he suddenly froze.


    Mo Hua looked at the Dao Stele, frowning slowly.


    There were two spiritual power trajectories calculated on the Dao Stele.


    One was what he had just calculated, and the other was what he had calculated before but forgot to erase.


    At this moment, the two spiritual power trajectories coexisted on the Dao Stele.


    A question naturally emerged in Mo Hua''s mind:


    "Drawing an array requires ''one continuous effort,'' does divine sense calculation require it too?"


    The so-called ''one continuous effort'' meant that all the array patterns of a single array, or the complete array hub of a composite array, needed to be drawn continuously without interruption, otherwise the array would not work.


    Mo Hua had always assumed divine sense calculations were the same, but now it seemed they were not.


    For an array, you could calculate a bit today and a bit tomorrow, as long as the final result in the sea of consciousness was a complete spiritual power trajectory diagram.


    In other words, for a composite array, he could calculate one single array at a time and then piece them together to form a complete spiritual power trajectory of the composite array.


    Divine sense calculations did not need to be done all at once.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and roughly understood.


    Because the array exists externally as an objective spiritual power flow, while the spiritual power trajectory calculated by divine sense is actually a recognition of the array.


    Whether you calculate it or not, the array exists; you just might not recognize its essence.


    Upon realizing this, Mo Hua was completely stunned.


    His Dao Stele could trace back his divine sense.


    This meant he could use the Dao Stele to truly calculate arrays indefinitely.


    It also meant that not only single arrays, but even complex composite arrays, or even large arrays, could be calculated bit by bit over time.


    Being able to calculate composite arrays or large arrays meant...


    He could collapse composite arrays or even large arrays, thus truly possessing the power to annihilate Foundation Building cultivators!

 Chapter 316: Farewell Banquet

    Is it really that simple?Mo Hua went to ask Mr. Zhuang again.


    ¡°Sir, must the calculations for the array be completed in one go?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Can it be done bit by bit each day?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    So it was indeed like that.


    Mo Hua sighed, realizing he had been misguided by his preconceptions. If only he had asked Mr. Zhuang earlier, he would have understood this much sooner...


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°In that case, the collapse of an array doesn¡¯t seem so difficult...¡±


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression turned subtle, and he couldn''t help but say, ¡°It''s fine to say that here, but don''t say it outside, or you might get beaten up...¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Why?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°The greatest difficulties in array collapse lie in the Reverse Spirit Array and the calculation using spiritual awareness.¡±


    ¡°The First Grade Reverse Spirit Array has ten array patterns, exceeding the standard of ordinary arrays. The same goes for arrays above the second grade. There are only a handful of array masters in the world who can master this array.¡±


    ¡°Calculating with spiritual awareness also requires a vast amount of spiritual awareness as a foundation. Ordinary array masters, with insufficient spiritual awareness, do not even qualify to calculate. If they forcibly calculate, their sea of consciousness will instantly dry up.¡±


    ¡°Calculations using spiritual awareness do not need to be completed in one thought; they can be done bit by bit. However, even this bit-by-bit calculation consumes an enormous amount of spiritual awareness and requires a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, for an array master, if they don''t know the Reverse Spirit Array, they can''t begin to collapse the array. Even if they learn the Reverse Spirit Array, they might not have the spiritual awareness to calculate. Even with the spiritual awareness to calculate, they might not have the time to do it. Without the calculations, they naturally can''t collapse the array...¡±


    ¡°Is it really that difficult?¡± Mo Hua was a bit surprised, ¡°I thought that since calculating with spiritual awareness doesn''t need to be completed in one thought, collapsing the array would be easier...¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and sighed, ¡°You kid, it''s easy to talk when you don''t have to do it yourself...¡±


    Not everyone has such strong spiritual awareness.


    Mo Hua smiled a bit sheepishly.


    Then he softly asked, ¡°Sir, is there any danger in collapsing a composite array?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave Mo Hua a surprised look, ¡°Have you collapsed an array before?¡±


    Mo Hua knew he couldn''t hide it from Mr. Zhuang, so he truthfully said, ¡°I collapsed a First Grade Earth Fire Array.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyelid twitched slightly.


    He had only guessed that Mo Hua would learn quickly but hadn''t expected him to learn this fast.


    He had only briefly mentioned the method of array collapse, yet Mo Hua had managed to figure it out on his own.


    For a moment, Mr. Zhuang hesitated, unsure whether to continue teaching.


    Calculating with spiritual awareness and collapsing arrays was already way beyond the standard curriculum...


    He had never thought he would teach such things in his lifetime, especially not to a registered disciple in the Qi refining stage...


    Mr. Zhuang was indecisive, looking at Mo Hua, unsure of what to think. After a while, his eyes brightened as if he had made up his mind.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Mo Hua softly called.


    Mr. Zhuang returned to his senses and, after a moment of thought, said, ¡°The method for collapsing composite arrays is the same, just make sure not to get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°Not get myself killed?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Can I just run far away?¡±


    ¡°Either run far away or leave an escape route for yourself.¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°Escape route... What does that mean?¡±


    Mo Hua didn''t understand.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you about the Dao of life and death?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°The Dao has life and death; where there is life, there is death. Array collapse is death; calculating the escape route is life. An array master can use the array to kill enemies, but if they don''t leave an escape route and get killed by their own array, they are a fool.¡±


    Mo Hua certainly didn''t want to be that fool, so he humbly asked, ¡°How do I leave an escape route?¡±


    ¡°When calculating with spiritual awareness, carefully sense the place where the array hub''s spiritual power is the weakest; that is the escape route. Do not draw the Reverse Spirit Array near the escape route.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and asked, ¡°Does a single array collapse also have an escape route?¡±


    ¡°A single array''s spiritual power structure is too weak; its collapse force is too small. There is an escape route, but its range is so small it¡¯s almost negligible. Only consider leaving an escape route for composite arrays and above.¡±


    ¡°Got it, sir!¡±


    Mo Hua had no more questions, so he did not disturb Mr. Zhuang any further and got up to leave.


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang sat in the bamboo chair in silence for a long time.


    Elder Gui silently appeared behind Mr. Zhuang and said blandly, ¡°If you keep teaching him, you might not be able to leave.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled wryly, ¡°I didn''t expect him to learn so quickly.¡±


    ¡°How much longer?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression darkened slightly, ¡°It should be... soon...¡±


    ¡°Aren''t you going to wait until Mo Hua learns to collapse composite arrays?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°This is already beyond the curriculum, not something he should be learning now. Whether he learns it or not doesn''t matter.¡±


    S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I''m just afraid that when I leave, there will be no one to teach him these things, which is why I taught him in advance. But I didn''t expect that whatever I teach him, he can actually learn, and learn it well...¡±


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression was complex, and he sighed before continuing, ¡°But collapsing composite arrays is different. It requires consuming a lot of spiritual awareness. Mo Hua probably won¡¯t learn it in a short time.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Elder Gui said woodenly.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, but as he was about to speak, he paused.


    Will he really not learn it?


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated, thinking about what Mo Hua had accomplished so far. He suddenly felt unsure.


    This registered disciple of his seemed truly beyond conventional understanding...


    After returning, Mo Hua eagerly began trying to collapse composite arrays and calculate the escape routes.


    The more difficult the array, the more interesting it was.


    Moreover, collapsing composite arrays could potentially kill Foundation Building cultivators!


    However, Mo Hua soon realized that calculating composite arrays indeed required too much spiritual awareness.


    Even with the aid of the Dao Stele, allowing him to recover his spiritual awareness afterward, it still required consuming a lot of time and couldn''t be completed overnight.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful but quickly adjusted his mindset.


    If the power of collapsing composite arrays was as strong as claimed, then spending more spiritual awareness and time was justified.


    So Mo Hua began patiently calculating the composite array, one pattern at a time.


    A few days later, while Mo Hua was sitting in a restaurant calculating the array, a tall, square-faced cultivator walked in.


    Mo Hua sensed his presence, looked up, and was surprised, ¡°Commander Yang?¡±


    Commander Yang smiled kindly, ¡°Mr. Mo, working on array calculations?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then invited, ¡°Commander Yang, please sit.¡±


    Commander Yang sat next to Mo Hua, pretending to be displeased, ¡°I told you not to be so formal; just call me Uncle Yang.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Mo Hua remembered and smiled, calling out, ¡°Uncle Yang.¡±


    Commander Yang smiled broadly and nodded.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Uncle Yang, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I''m about to leave, and I wanted to host a farewell banquet, so I came to invite you.¡±


    Commander Yang explained his intentions.


    ¡°You''re too kind, Uncle Yang.¡± Mo Hua said, then realized something, ¡°Isn''t it our job to host the farewell banquet and invite you?¡±


    Why are you hosting the banquet and inviting me instead...


    Commander Yang waved it off, ¡°These are trivial matters, no need to fuss over them.¡±


    Mo Hua paused, looking at Commander Yang suspiciously, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°It''s a small matter; we''ll talk about it then.¡±


    Since Commander Yang didn''t want to say, Mo Hua didn''t press further.


    He remembered another matter and quietly asked, ¡°Have the main leader and the third leader been captured?¡±


    After the destruction of Heishan Stronghold, most of the demonic cultivators were either killed or captured. The remaining minor figures, even if they escaped, wouldn''t cause much trouble.


    But the main leader and the third leader were different.


    One was the chief of Heishan Stronghold, the founder who gathered demonic cultivators, entrenched for hundreds of years.


    The other was a genuine First Grade demonic array master, in the Foundation Building stage, capable of drawing demonic arrays with potentially unknown methods.


    Without capturing these two, Mo Hua couldn''t feel at ease.


    Commander Yang''s expression darkened, and he lowered his voice, ¡°We''ve searched the mountains for several days. Most of the other demonic cultivators have been caught, with no one slipping through. But the main leader and the third leader are nowhere to be found.¡±


    Mo Hua''s eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed, ¡°Could they have a hiding place deep in the mountains?¡±


    Commander Yang nodded, ¡°That''s what I think too. But the mountains are vast, with Second Grade demonic beasts. We''re unfamiliar with the terrain and can''t conduct a thorough search.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, both of them are in the Foundation Building stage. It¡¯s too easy for them to evade our


    search.¡±


    Commander Yang sighed, ¡°The deployment of Dao soldiers has a time limit. Now that the time is up, we can''t continue the search.¡±


    ¡°The rest of the matter is left to the Dao Court and Elder Yu.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Understood, thank you, Uncle Yang!¡±


    ¡°Why thank me?¡±


    Mo Hua gratefully said, ¡°Without your leadership in this campaign against Heishan Stronghold, many independent cultivators in Tongxian City would have suffered casualties. Now that we have successfully broken through Heishan Stronghold, I naturally have to thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of my duty, nothing to thank me for!¡±


    Commander Yang feigned indifference, but receiving Mo Hua''s gratitude made him happy, unable to hide his satisfaction.


    After chatting for a bit, Commander Yang got up to leave.


    ¡°Remember, tomorrow at noon, Ling Meal Tower in the north city. Be sure to come!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Absolutely, absolutely!¡±

 Chapter 317: Clues

    Mo Hua naturally accepted the invitation to a grand meal without hesitation.The next day at noon, Mo Hua went to the banquet.


    Commander Yang seemed to have invited quite a few people, including members from the Dao Court and Dao Soldiers Division, as well as many demon hunters.


    Mo Hua''s father, Mo Shan, also attended, but he went early with Elder Yu, probably to discuss some matters.


    Mo Hua practiced the array formations a few times and did some calculations before setting off. He was slightly late but should arrive just in time for the feast.


    While walking along the way, Mo Hua unexpectedly encountered Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan seemed reluctant, wandering aimlessly, heading in the same direction as Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua greeted him, and upon seeing it was Mo Hua, Zhang Lan perked up and joined him.


    "Uncle Zhang, are you also going for a free meal?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan corrected him, "It''s not free; I''m attending the banquet out of respect!"


    "Well, you can say that too."


    Zhang Lan clearly didn''t agree but then thought about it and realized attending a banquet and getting a free meal were indeed quite similar.


    The street was bustling at noon.


    The two strolled and chatted.


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and quietly asked, "Any news from Heishan Stronghold?"


    Zhang Lan was surprised, "What do you want to know?"


    "The second in command was captured, right? Did he say anything?"


    Seeing the noisy surroundings and that no one was listening to them, Zhang Lan lowered his voice and said, "The second in command is bloodthirsty and has long lost his sanity. He only responds to a few names, knowing nothing else. After ten days of questioning, nothing useful has come out."


    Mo Hua was a bit disappointed.


    Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow, asking quietly, "Are you still suspicious of something?"


    Mo Hua released his spiritual sense, ensuring safety, and whispered, "I suspect there is someone behind Heishan Stronghold..."


    Zhang Lan''s eyes narrowed, but he didn''t seem surprised.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Uncle Zhang, do you think so too?"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "Heishan Stronghold''s power is too great, and they''ve been entrenched for so long. Without local support, it''s almost impossible."


    Mo Hua bluntly asked, "Could it be the Qian family?"


    Zhang Lan asked, "Do you know what the Qian family has done?"


    Mo Hua thought hard but shook his head.


    He had thought about it for days but couldn''t find any connection between the Qian family and Heishan Stronghold.


    The Qian family had no transactions with Heishan Stronghold, didn''t hire their demonic cultivators for murders, and had no cultivators hiding within Heishan Stronghold.


    Zhang Lan said, "In such cases, anyone can be suspected. Even the Dao Court, Elder Yu, or myself. You have to guess everyone..."


    "But when it comes to conclusions, you must be cautious and have evidence. Otherwise, it''s easy to make mistakes."


    Mo Hua knew Zhang Lan was guiding him and nodded seriously, "Uncle Zhang, I understand."


    This child grasps things quickly...


    Zhang Lan nodded slightly, feeling both gratified and a bit envious.


    At this rate, he would soon have nothing to teach Mo Hua, and thus nothing to show off in front of him.


    He needed to build his foundation quickly, or else he wouldn''t even be able to hold his head high in front of Yang Jiyong, let alone Mo Hua...


    Zhang Lan thought to himself. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, unaware of Zhang Lan''s thoughts, was still pondering over Heishan Stronghold''s matter: "If it''s not the Qian family, who else could it be? What dealings do they have with Heishan Stronghold? What have they done to help Heishan Stronghold?"


    Mo Hua walked along, thinking deeply.


    As they reached the Spirit Meal Tower, Mo Hua temporarily set aside his doubts and went upstairs with Zhang Lan.


    The farewell banquet was lavish, with many attendees, most of whom were familiar to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt at ease, and after everyone started eating, he happily joined in.


    Commander Yang sat next to Mo Hua, quietly asking, "Mo Hua, have you thought about joining the Dao Soldiers Division?"


    Mo Hua glanced at his father, Mo Shan.


    Commander Yang continued, "I''ve asked your father. He said it''s up to you, and he won''t interfere."


    Zhang Lan mumbled nearby, "Persistent as ever, thick-skinned!"


    Commander Yang said, "It''s a great opportunity..."


    "What''s so great about the Dao Soldiers Division?"


    "Better than your Dao Court..."


    The old supervisor from the Dao Court, pretending not to hear anything, couldn''t help but cough.


    Realizing his slip, Commander Yang apologized to the old supervisor, "I meant Zhang Lan, not the Dao Court. Please don''t take offense."


    The old supervisor said nothing, while Zhang Lan retorted, "Yang, don''t make me reveal your embarrassing secrets..."


    "Do you think you don''t have any? Who''s afraid of whom?"


    They started arguing again.


    Luckily, the banquet was lively, and everyone was busy, so the overall atmosphere remained harmonious.


    Initially, Mo Hua listened to their argument but soon lost interest and focused on eating.


    After a while, Commander Yang remembered his purpose, having almost forgotten it while arguing with Zhang Lan.


    He looked at Mo Hua intently.


    Mo Hua, enjoying his meal, saw Commander Yang''s look and, feeling he couldn''t refuse directly, politely said, "Uncle Yang, I still need to study array formations. Once I master them, I''ll consider joining the Dao Soldiers."


    Mo Hua thought Commander Yang might be displeased but was surprised when he beamed and praised, "That''s right! An array master should focus on the path of formations. There''s no rush to join the Dao Soldiers. Even if you become accomplished in arrays and don''t join, it''s no big deal..."


    With a kind smile, Commander Yang continued, "You could join my Yang family instead..."


    Zhang Lan sneered, "Dreaming in broad daylight? He''d join the Zhang family first!"


    "My Yang family is prestigious..."


    "And mine isn''t?"


    "I don''t want to argue with you."


    "As if I want to argue with you?"


    ...


    They started arguing again.


    Mo Hua sighed and focused on his meal.


    When the banquet ended, Mo Hua was full.


    As they left, the crowd exchanged a few words before parting.


    In a few days, Commander Yang would lead his troops away. The path of cultivation is long, and who knows when they would meet again?


    Facing this parting, Zhang Lan refrained from arguing with Commander Yang.


    Elder Yu, representing the wandering cultivators of Tongxian City, presented some gifts to Commander Yang, thanking him, "This success is due to Commander Yang''s excellent leadership and the bravery of the Dao Soldiers, ensuring the safety of Tongxian City."


    "It was a mere trifle. Elder Yu is too kind."


    Commander Yang returned the salute and added, "In fact, we owe a lot to Mo Hua this time..."


    Zhang Lan couldn''t help but roll his eyes, "Enough already..."


    He just wanted to recruit Mo Hua into the Dao Soldiers Division. How much more praise could he give?


    "I''m not exaggerating..." Commander Yang said seriously, "In battles involving Dao Soldiers, formations are crucial. Without Mo Hua, this operation against Heishan Stronghold would have been much more difficult."


    Chief Supervisor Zhou thought for a moment, sighed, and nodded, "Commander Yang is right. Without Mo Hua, we wouldn''t have found the mountain path, seen through the fog, located the hidden gate of Heishan Stronghold, or broken through the layers of formations..."


    He also praised Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu nodded proudly.


    Mo Hua, being a demon hunter''s child, felt a bit embarrassed but pleased with the praise.


    Mo Shan, though embarrassed, was proud of his son''s recognition by two Foundation Building cultivators.


    After exchanging farewells, Mo Hua followed his father home.


    The streets were bustling and noisy.


    As Mo Hua walked, recalling the praise from Commander Yang and Chief Supervisor Zhou, he smiled contentedly.


    But as he smiled, a sudden unease gripped his heart.


    He felt something was off.


    It seemed he had realized something but couldn''t quite grasp it.


    Mo Hua carefully reviewed their words.


    "...Without Mo Hua, this operation against Heishan Stronghold would have been much more difficult..."


    Without an array master... difficult to eradicate Heishan Stronghold...


    Without an array master... couldn''t find the path, see through the fog, locate the hidden gate...


    Without an array master...


    Mo Hua''s heart trembled as he recalled a saying:


    Wandering cultivators lack array masters.


    Among wandering cultivators, few study formations, and even fewer achieve mastery.


    Mo Hua was an exception, with his unique spiritual awareness, encountering Yan Jiaoxi, and becoming Mr. Zhuang''s disciple, leading him to become a first-grade array master.


    Typically, wandering cultivators don''t produce array masters.


    "What happens if there are no array masters?"


    Mo Hua''s brows furrowed as he pondered, feeling a growing chill.


    Without array masters, no one could see through hidden formations, find the mountain path, or see through the fog to discover the truth.


    No one could find the hidden gate of Heishan Stronghold or even know about the terrifying demonic stronghold in the mountains!


    Heishan Stronghold could exist unnoticed in Dahei Mountain due to formations!


    As long as wandering cultivators couldn''t see through hidden formations and fog arrays, they could remain there, killing, practicing evil arts, refining human pills... without anyone knowing!


    Mo Hua gasped!


    He forced himself to calm down and think carefully.


    Preventing wandering cultivators from learning formations...


    Mo Hua remembered that Tongxian Sect initially taught formations.


    But after Yan Jiaoxi


    left, no one taught array patterns, and Tongxian Sect stopped offering formation courses. Consequently, Mo Hua couldn''t learn formations and left the sect...


    Since then, wandering cultivators couldn''t learn formations, completely severing the path to becoming array masters.


    Without Mo Hua, there would indeed be no array masters among wandering cultivators.


    "Yan Jiaoxi left, preventing wandering cultivators from learning formations..."


    And why did Yan Jiaoxi leave?


    Mo Hua frowned, then his eyes gradually sharpened.


    It was the Qian family!

 Chapter 318: Seeking Trouble

    The Qian family exerted pressure, forcing Instructor Yan to leave, and Tongxian Sect ceased teaching arrays. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.In this way, the Qian family could monopolize the arrays, and Heishan Stronghold could use them to cover their evil deeds.


    The independent cultivators of Tongxian City, unable to understand arrays, would never know what the demonic cultivators did with them...


    The more Mo Hua thought about it, the colder his heart became, and he felt hesitant.


    Could the Qian family''s conspiracy really be so far-reaching?


    As Mo Shan walked, he saw Mo Hua suddenly stop, as if thinking of something. His expression grew increasingly grave, even showing a hint of fear. Mo Shan asked worriedly:


    "What''s wrong, Hua''er?"


    Mo Hua snapped back to reality, thought for a moment, and solemnly said, "Father, we need to find Elder Yu."


    Mo Shan didn''t know what Mo Hua had thought of, but he guessed it must be something important, so he nodded:


    "Alright."


    Mo Hua followed Mo Shan to the Yu family.


    Elder Yu had just returned and was leisurely drinking tea in the hall. Hearing that Mo Hua had come, he stood up with a smile. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Mo Hua''s grave expression, with Mo Shan also looking serious.


    Elder Yu''s smile gradually faded as he asked:


    "What happened?"


    After a brief consideration, Mo Hua shared his suspicions.


    The Qian family forced Instructor Yan to leave, stopping Tongxian Sect from teaching arrays. This allowed Heishan Stronghold to hide in the deep mountains, committing numerous crimes without being discovered.


    Elder Yu frowned, his thin fingers tapping the table. After a long contemplation, he slowly said:


    "It''s very possible, but somewhat far-fetched..."


    The Qian family monopolizing arrays could simply be for profit, not necessarily to cover for Heishan Stronghold.


    This was just a clue, not solid evidence.


    Mo Hua nodded, "I know it''s a bit far-fetched, which is why I came to ask you."


    Elder Yu asked, "What do you want to know?"


    "That day when we attacked Heishan Stronghold, you fought with the demonic cultivators. Were there really no Qian family cultivators among them?" Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu''s gaze sharpened. After thinking carefully, he shook his head:


    "At least, those leaders weren''t from the Qian family."


    Mo Shan added, "Among the other demonic cultivators at the Qi refining stage, I didn''t find any from the Qian family either."


    "What about the main leader? Do you know his identity?"


    Elder Yu shook his head, "He was masked with a black cloth, so I couldn''t see his face. But his aura was very unfamiliar, not even like a local foundation building cultivator from Tongxian City."


    Mo Hua scratched his head, feeling uncertain again, "Could I be wrong?"


    "That''s the problem."


    Elder Yu sighed, "If the Qian family is truly behind this, and has ties with Heishan Stronghold, there would definitely be Qian family cultivators among the demonic ones, especially among the leaders. There would certainly be a foundation building cultivator from the Qian family."


    "No exceptions?" Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu sighed, "I''ve dealt with the Qian family for many years and know their style very well. If they were collaborating with Heishan Stronghold, they would certainly try to infiltrate it, gradually taking over.


    "And if Heishan Stronghold was established by the Qian family, the main leader, even if not Qian Hong, would be one of the Qian family elders."


    Mo Hua asked, "Could it be disguise or something like that?"


    Elder Yu shook his head, "No matter how they disguise themselves, their spiritual energy aura doesn''t change. I''m very familiar with the foundation building cultivators of the Qian family. As soon as they speak, I can recognize them. There''s no way I''d mistake them."


    Mo Hua felt a bit dejected. He thought he had found a connection between the Qian family and Heishan Stronghold...


    Elder Yu patted his shoulder, encouraging him:


    "Your thinking is good, but more evidence is needed. I''ll have people keep a closer eye on the Qian family to see if there''s anything unusual."


    "Alright." Mo Hua nodded.


    On the way home, Mo Hua asked Mo Shan:


    "Father, do you think it''s the Qian family?"


    Mo Shan nodded, "It seems likely."


    "But, there really aren''t any clues..." Mo Hua felt a bit discouraged.


    Mo Shan pondered, "Paper can''t wrap fire, and there''s no wall without a crack. If the Qian family is really involved with Heishan Stronghold, they''ll eventually leave traces."


    He patted Mo Hua''s head, gently saying:


    "Some things can''t be figured out immediately. Just keep an eye out, and eventually, you''ll understand."


    Mo Hua felt a bit better and nodded silently.


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued his cultivation and array practice, always thinking about this issue, but made no progress.


    He didn''t get discouraged, keeping his father''s words in mind, knowing that if he stayed alert, he''d eventually find a clue.


    One day, Zhang Lan came to find Mo Hua, immediately saying:


    "Be careful these days."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Why?"


    "Someone might be looking for trouble with you."


    Mo Hua frowned, "The Qian family?"


    Could it be that his suspicion of the Qian family had been discovered, and they were coming after him?


    "Not exactly the Qian family... but also the Qian family..."


    Zhang Lan''s words were vague.


    Mo Hua looked at him suspiciously, "Uncle Zhang, are you drunk? Why are you speaking so confusingly?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense, I haven''t had a drink yet!"


    Zhang Lan glared at Mo Hua, then gulped down a large bowl of wine before speaking, "It''s Qian Xing."


    "Qian Xing?"


    Mo Hua was surprised. He hadn''t heard any news about Qian Xing for a long time.


    "Wasn''t Qian Xing crazy?"


    "Crazy for a while, but not for life," Zhang Lan said. "And since he''s the legitimate son, the Qian family has been seeking a cure for him. After all this time, he''s finally been cured."


    Mo Hua rested his chin on his hand, pondering, "He shouldn''t come looking for trouble with me, right?"


    Zhang Lan gave Mo Hua a half-smiling look, "What do you think?"


    Mo Hua frowned.


    It seemed... it was hard to say.


    Qian Xing had always been a bully, vengeful and petty. He might really not let him off.


    Such a spoiled brat typically had a temper but no brains.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, his eyes brightening as he whispered, "If I kill him..."


    Zhang Lan coughed, looking complicated, "I''m a supervisor of the Dao Court. Is it appropriate for you to tell me this?"


    "I was just saying ''if.''"


    "''If'' is not okay either."


    Mo Hua sighed, "Uncle Zhang, you''ve changed. When you guided me to harm Qian Xing back then..."


    Zhang Lan quickly covered Mo Hua''s mouth, "I never guided you!"


    "Alright, let''s say you didn''t."


    Zhang Lan had no choice but to sigh:


    "If he really causes trouble, just find someone to beat him up. Just don''t kill him, or it''ll be hard to explain to the Qian family."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Got it!"


    In the following days, Mo Hua started waiting for Qian Xing to come.


    If his guess was right, Qian Xing would definitely come for him.


    And Qian Xing didn''t disappoint him. One evening, at the foot of a mountain, on a side path, Qian Xing, accompanied by a few lackeys, blocked Mo Hua''s way.


    It had been a long time since they''d seen each other, and Qian Xing had lost a lot of weight.


    His face was paler, cheekbones more pronounced, with a sinister and somewhat crazed aura.


    He had changed quite a bit, but what remained unchanged was the hatred in his eyes.


    Without a word, Qian Xing ordered his lackeys:


    "Get him! Cripple him first!"


    To ensure success this time, he brought five lackeys.


    One at the ninth level of Qi refining, four at the eighth level, plus himself. Dealing with Mo Hua, who was at the seventh level of Qi refining, was more than enough.


    Moreover, he had chosen a secluded place without demon hunters or other independent cultivators.


    This time, he wanted to wash away his shame and make Mo Hua beg for mercy.


    As soon as Qian Xing gave the order, the Qian family disciples attacked, with the one at the ninth level of Qi refining leading the charge, rushing straight at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stood still, expressionless, raising his hand to cast a fireball technique.


    The fireball was dark red, not large, but extremely fast.


    The ninth-level Qi refining disciple didn''t have time to dodge, but he didn''t care to dodge either.


    Just a mere fireball technique.


    He was a body cultivator with earth spiritual roots, thick-skinned and tough, unafraid of such a small fireball technique. At most, he''d suffer a minor injury.


    Moreover, with Young Master Qian watching, this was a good opportunity to show his bravery and leave a good impression.


    So he took the fireball head-on with his chest.


    The dark red fireball exploded with a strange wave.


    The scorching and twisting spiritual power shattered his chest armor, pierced his chest, and evaporated the blood near his heart.


    Unbearable pain hit him.


    Caught off guard, the ninth-level Qi refining disciple''s eyes rolled back,


    and he fell with a thud.


    He rushed fast and fell even faster.


    The other Qian family disciples stopped in their tracks, terrified and incredulous.


    What the hell... was that fireball technique?


    A single fireball knocked him down?


    The once bustling mountainside fell silent.

 Chapter 319: The Present is Different from the Past

    Qian family disciples looked terrified, but Mo Hua remained calm.With his Foundation Building spiritual awareness, Concealment Technique, and Passing Water Step, he could easily advance or retreat against ordinary Qi refining cultivators, ensuring his invincibility.


    Moreover, he possessed spells and arrays.


    The current him was no longer the little array master who couldn''t practice martial arts or spells and struggled to escape.


    Thus, when Qian Xing sought trouble, he didn''t even need to call for help; he could handle it himself.


    They were just some bullies from the Qian family who preyed on the weak and feared the strong.


    They weren''t bloodthirsty criminal cultivators or demonic cultivators with malicious intent, nor did they have any coordination in their attacks, making it easy for Mo Hua to deal with them.


    Mo Hua also wanted to test the power of his Fireball Technique.


    Since learning the Fireball Technique, he had never used it in actual combat.


    Now, having tried it, the power was quite impressive.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, feeling very satisfied.


    However, Mo Hua reconsidered and thought the Fireball Technique''s power shouldn''t be this great.


    The Qian family fool at the ninth level of Qi refining didn''t dodge or evade, instead receiving the special Fireball Technique directly in his chest, leading to his severe injury and collapse.


    Mo Hua had held back, not taking his life.


    He didn''t want to cause a fatality, avoiding trouble for Zhang Lan and himself.


    But these Qian family disciples were no good either.


    Today they bullied him, a little cultivator, and tomorrow they might be causing trouble elsewhere.


    Even if he didn''t kill them, they still needed to be taught a lesson.


    Mo Hua raised his hand and pointed, beginning to condense the Fireball Technique again.


    His spell casting was fast, and in no time, fireballs flew out one after another.


    Some Qian family disciples, not understanding what had happened, were knocked down by Mo Hua''s Fireball Technique;


    Others realized what was happening and tried to run but were too late, being hit by fireballs and falling unconscious;


    Some tried to fight back desperately, charging at Mo Hua, but their speed was no match for Mo Hua''s, and they were knocked down by fireballs;


    Some had already run far but were immobilized by Mo Hua''s Water Prison Technique, followed by a fireball, collapsing directly...


    Fireballs flew, and cries of pain echoed, with Qian family disciples falling one after another.


    In an instant, only Qian Xing was left standing.


    Qian Xing stood there dumbfounded, as if he was in a nightmare.


    What had just happened?


    Mo Hua stood still, only raising his hand a few times to cast Fireball Techniques, and all the family cultivators he brought were down one by one.


    They couldn''t get close! They couldn''t escape!


    Qian Xing''s expression changed dramatically.


    When did Mo Hua become so terrifying?!


    "Am I still crazy, not fully awake, and what I saw just now was just an illusion?"


    "Is this in front of me not Mo Hua but a monster in human skin?"


    Qian Xing''s pupils dilated, falling into deep self-doubt.


    In a daze, Qian Xing looked up and saw Mo Hua smiling at him from a distance.


    That smile was innocent and pure, yet carried a hint of malice, making it strangely frightening.


    Qian Xing screamed, fell to the ground, and crawled a few times without getting up.


    When he finally struggled to his feet, he found that Mo Hua was already standing silently in front of him.


    Qian Xing trembled, "Don''t come near me! Don''t eat me!"


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    It seemed Qian Xing''s madness had somewhat improved but wasn''t completely cured, occasionally suffering from delusions. The lingering fear from his dreams sometimes blurred with reality.


    Mo Hua was about to say something when he frowned, took out the Qianjun Stick, and swung it down "with the force of a thousand pounds."


    The stick hit Qian Xing''s arm, breaking his forearm and knocking the talisman from his hand.


    "Playing tricks in front of me?"


    Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing with a half-smile.


    Qian Xing gritted his teeth, sweating coldly, and tremblingly asked, "Are you... Mo Hua?"


    He couldn''t believe it!


    He had been mad for just a few years, and upon waking, he found Mo Hua to be a completely different person from the one he knew.


    The little boy he used to strangle was now manipulating him effortlessly!


    He couldn''t beat Mo Hua, his disciples couldn''t beat Mo Hua, and even his little schemes were seen through by Mo Hua.


    How was this possible?


    Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing in confusion, "Didn''t your father tell you not to mess with me?"


    Qian Xing was furious, his face turning blue and then purple.


    His father had indeed told him.


    The first thing his father said upon his waking was to warn him:


    Don''t mess with Mo Hua!


    Instead of dissuading him, this intensified his hatred.


    He was the legitimate son of the Qian family, his father the head of the Qian family. In this part of Tongxian City, he had always done whatever he wanted.


    Now, repeatedly falling into the hands of a low-born independent cultivator.


    Even worse, his father, Qian family head Qian Hong, not only refused to seek justice for him but also warned him not to cause trouble.


    This baffled Qian Xing.


    They were the Qian family, how had they ever suffered such indignities?


    The more his father forbade him to provoke Mo Hua, the more Qian Xing wanted to kill Mo Hua to vent his anger.


    Now, Qian Xing finally understood why his father warned him.


    Because he truly couldn''t afford to provoke Mo Hua...


    Mo Hua''s expression was unreadable, and his methods instilled fear in Qian Xing.


    Especially that innocent yet slightly malicious smile, which sent chills down Qian Xing''s spine.


    Mo Hua, holding the Qianjun Stick, sized up Qian Xing, contemplating something.


    Qian Xing''s face turned pale, and he threatened loudly, "I am the legitimate son of the Qian family, you can''t kill me!"


    "Really?"


    Qian Xing struggled to retreat, disregarding the pain in his broken arm, muttering, "Don''t come closer!"


    Mo Hua pretended to be sinister, "I will ask you a few questions. If you answer honestly, I won''t kill you."


    Although he hadn''t intended to kill Qian Xing, just to scare him and ask a few questions.


    Qian Xing gritted his teeth and nodded, "Okay!"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "Can outsiders enter your Qian family?"


    "What kind of outsiders?"


    "People who aren''t part of the Qian family."


    Qian Xing replied, "As long as they have blood ties or distant relations, but they won''t be treated well and are usually categorized as collateral branches."


    Collateral branches were basically the marginalized cultivators of the family.


    "Have you seen any strangers in your family?" Mo Hua asked again.


    "The Qian family is large, I can''t possibly know everyone."


    "Any cultivators who look like they don''t belong to your family?"


    Qian Xing frowned, "Why are you asking this?"


    Mo Hua coldly glanced at Qian Xing, "Are you questioning me?"


    Qian Xing felt a chill in his heart, realizing his life was in Mo Hua''s hands, he was in no position to ask questions.


    Qian Xing reluctantly said, "No."


    Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened, "You just said you can''t know everyone in the Qian family, so how can you be sure there are no outsiders?"


    Qian Xing explained honestly, "Appearance might be hard to distinguish, but behavior and conformity to family rules can be observed. Even if outsiders wear Qian family clothes, their actions will be out of place..."


    Mo Hua remained expressionless, but felt a bit disappointed.


    If Qian Xing wasn''t lying, then the Qian family rarely had outsiders, meaning there likely weren''t any demonic cultivators infiltrating the Qian family, at least not openly.


    "Do any of your family cultivators practice strange techniques?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Strange techniques?"


    "Techniques that absorb spiritual power, blood, or are like the extraction method..."


    Qian Xing sneered, "Even I know these are demonic techniques prohibited by the Dao Court. How could the Qian family practice them?"


    Qian Xing''s tone was a bit sarcastic.


    Mo Hua knocked him on the head with the stick, displeased, "Watch your tone!"


    Mo Hua didn''t activate the array, so the blow wasn''t strong, just a bit painful.


    Qian Xing gritted his teeth, still a bit defiant, but his tone became more respectful, "The Qian family rules prohibit practicing demonic techniques. Violators are removed from the family records, stripped of the surname, and permanently exiled."


    Mo Hua was surprised; this didn''t seem like something the Qian family would do...


    But it could be a public display to comply with the Dao Court''s prohibition, while secretly doing otherwise.


    Mo Hua asked, "Has the Qian family done any bad things..."


    Mo Hua realized halfway through the question that it was pointless.


    The Qian family did bad things all the time.


    Not doing bad things would be strange.


    Mo Hua then asked several indirect questions, which Qian Xing answered truthfully, seemingly not lying.


    But Mo Hua still found nothing, unable to prove demonic cultivators had infiltrated the Qian family, nor that Qian family members had been to Heishan Stronghold.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly, realizing he wouldn''t get anything useful.


    It made sense; though Qian Xing was a legitimate son, he was still a playboy. Even if the Qian family had dealings with Heishan Strong


    hold, they wouldn''t tell Qian Xing.


    Since he couldn''t get any information, Mo Hua decided to let Qian Xing go, threatening, "I''ll let you go this time. If you bother me again, watch your life!"


    Qian Xing was overjoyed, not expecting Mo Hua to actually let him go.


    Qian Xing nodded quickly, then disregarded his injuries and the Qian family disciples lying on the ground, running towards Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua shook his head at Qian Xing''s retreating figure.


    Qian Xing really didn''t consider others as people.


    Not only did he disregard outsiders, but he also didn''t care for the Qian family disciples.


    These disciples worked for him, now seriously injured and unconscious, yet he didn''t spare them a glance, only caring for his own escape.


    He was a bully, but a coward.


    How did the Qian family produce such a waste?


    Mo Hua pondered, recalling Qian Xing''s words back then:


    "If I take him to the mountain... let the demon beasts eat his flesh piece by piece, making him die in pain..."


    Mo Hua frowned.


    The Dahei Mountain was dangerous, and Qian Xing didn''t seem like the type to dare enter it.


    Moreover, the Qian family wasn''t demon hunters; they killed people, but feeding people to demon beasts wasn''t their style.


    Qian Xing ran desperately, but suddenly found himself unable to move.


    Blue chains formed around him, completely binding him. Mo Hua appeared before him with a few quick steps.


    Qian Xing shouted, "You said you''d let me go!"


    "I have one last question..."


    Mo Hua''s gaze darkened, "Back then, did you say you would take me to the mountain to feed me to demon beasts?"


    Qian Xing''s expression changed, but he gritted his teeth and said, "Yes!"


    "Have you done this before?"


    Qian Xing hesitated, "No."


    Mo Hua was surprised, "Then someone else in the Qian family has done it?"


    Qian Xing shook his head, eyes avoiding Mo Hua''s.


    Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened, "You''ve seen Qian family members do it!"


    Qian Xing tried to stay calm, "No, I haven''t!"


    But his guilty look gave him away.


    Mo Hua''s eyes narrowed, "Who is feeding people to demon beasts?"


    Qian Xing avoided Mo Hua''s gaze, mumbling "No" repeatedly. Even when Mo Hua threatened to kill him, he didn''t reveal anything.


    Unable to get an answer, Mo Hua thought and stepped back, "You don''t have to tell me who, but tell me what kind of demon beast." S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Xing was panicked. He didn''t dare say who, but feared Mo Hua might kill him if he said nothing.


    This secluded place was convenient for Mo Hua to kill him.


    After a long hesitation, fear of death won out, and Qian Xing stammered, "It''s... it''s a pig."


    Mo Hua''s eyes gleamed, "What kind of pig?"


    Qian Xing stuttered for a while, unable to describe.


    Mo Hua calmly asked, "Is it a fat, large pig with scars all over?"


    Qian Xing''s face showed shock, "How do you know?!"

 Chapter 321: Identity

    Mo Hua was shaken to the core, momentarily at a loss for words.The secret of the Qian family''s patriarch had been discovered by Qian Xing. He didn''t want to kill his great-grandson, but he feared he would reveal the secret. Thus, he decided to tell Qian Xing some of the truth, intending to groom him as the next head of the Qian family.


    A head of the Qian family who saw others as mere animals.


    After speaking, Qian Xing''s expression suddenly turned fearful. "Mo Hua, save me!"


    Why hadn''t his great-grandfather aged, yet pretended to be old and frail?


    Why, after killing someone, did he feed the body to the pigs?


    Why did he warn him not to speak of this, even harboring a momentary intent to kill his great-grandson?


    Qian Xing didn''t know and didn''t dare to ask or inquire. But he knew there was an unspeakable secret behind all this.


    He didn''t know, but Mo Hua certainly did! S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Mo Hua knew, he would surely have a way.


    He had been bested by Mo Hua many times and knew Mo Hua was clever and hard to deal with. In other words, he would surely have the ability to help him!


    If the patriarch found out he had spoken of this, he would undoubtedly be killed!


    Even if he weren''t killed, he would no longer have a place in the Qian family.


    Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing and suddenly said:


    "Pretend you know nothing."


    "Pretend?" Qian Xing was stunned, then shook his head vigorously. "No, the patriarch will see through me. I can''t hide it from him!"


    Mo Hua said, "Then don''t pretend. Just faint."


    "What do you mean..."


    Mo Hua pointed to several Qian family disciples around them. "Didn''t they all just faint?"


    Qian Xing was slightly taken aback.


    Mo Hua continued, "You came to trouble me, which is reasonable; you overestimated yourself and weren''t my match, which is also reasonable; I knocked you out, so you know nothing, and no one will suspect you. This is also reasonable..."


    Qian Xing tugged at the corners of his mouth. "How long will I be out?"


    "Three or four days. When you wake up, act crazy and pretend you''re ill. Stay in your room." Mo Hua advised.


    "What about after that?" Qian Xing was still uneasy.


    Mo Hua''s eyes narrowed slightly. "After that, you need not worry. Your patriarch won''t trouble you."


    Qian Xing was puzzled. "What are you planning? The patriarch is powerful, you can''t handle him."


    Mo Hua looked at him silently. "Do you want to know?"


    Qian Xing was about to nod but then reacted and said in horror:


    "Don''t tell me! Please don''t tell me!"


    Mo Hua looked at him with satisfaction. "As long as you say nothing, no one will know what you said."


    "Alright!" Qian Xing nodded repeatedly.


    At this point, he had no other choice.


    The biggest mistake he''d ever made was knowing something he shouldn''t.


    He didn''t want to make that mistake again.


    Qian Xing leaned his head towards Mo Hua, gritting his teeth and said:


    "Do it, hit me hard, let me be out longer. I don''t want to know anything!"


    Mo Hua didn''t hesitate, raising the Qianjun Stick and striking Qian Xing on the head with a clang.


    Qian Xing wobbled and fell down.


    Mo Hua added a few more strikes to ensure he wouldn''t kill him but would keep him unconscious for several days.


    This was the best solution Mo Hua could think of at the moment.


    He couldn''t kill Qian Xing. Killing him would complicate things with the Dao Court and the Qian family, and might alert others.


    Letting him go back was out of the question.


    His thoughts couldn''t be hidden from the patriarch. If he revealed anything, the patriarch would easily figure out what Mo Hua knew.


    He had to knock him out and then figure out a way to deal with the patriarch in the meantime!


    Mo Hua set off a firework, and soon, some demon hunters arrived. Seeing the scattered Qian family disciples lying around, they were momentarily stunned.


    Mo Hua briefly explained the situation and asked the demon hunters to send these people back to the Qian family.


    Then he returned to Tongxian City and found Elder Yu, asking him to secretly summon a few people for an urgent matter.


    Elder Yu, though puzzled, did as Mo Hua asked.


    Soon, Zhang Lan from the Dao Court, Yang Jiyong from the Dao Soldiers Division, and Mo Hua''s father Mo Shan were all gathered in Elder Yu''s living room.


    There weren''t many people, but all the key forces were present.


    Everyone looked at Mo Hua with solemn expressions, unsure of what he was going to say.


    Mo Hua released his spiritual sense and, seeing no other cultivators around, lowered his voice and said:


    "Qian Xing came to trouble me..."


    Zhang Lan was startled. "Did you kill him?"


    Mo Hua was speechless. "No."


    Zhang Lan breathed a sigh of relief. "You sounded so serious, I thought you killed him and needed us to clean up the mess..."


    Mo Hua''s expression was complicated. "I''m not that kind of person..."


    Zhang Lan thought to himself, who knows what you''re capable of?


    "What did you do to Qian Xing?" Zhang Lan asked again.


    "I knocked him out."


    "That''s it?"


    "And injured four or five other Qian family disciples." Mo Hua added.


    "You did it alone?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Zhang Lan was surprised. "You''re that powerful now?"


    Mo Hua modestly said, "I''m alright."


    "Then why did you call us?"


    "Qian Xing will be out for three or four days."


    Zhang Lan nodded.


    "During these three or four days, we need to find a way to deal with the Qian family''s patriarch!" Mo Hua said firmly.


    The living room fell silent.


    Everyone looked at each other, momentarily unsure of what to say.


    Zhang Lan wondered if he had misheard, "Qian Xing being knocked out, and dealing with the Qian family''s patriarch, what''s the connection?"


    Mo Hua explained, "The Qian family''s patriarch once killed a cultivator, then took the body to Heishan Stronghold and fed it to the pig in the pill room."


    Zhang Lan''s expression changed dramatically. "How do you know?"


    "Qian Xing told me." Mo Hua replied.


    "Why would he tell you this?"


    Zhang Lan found it incredible.


    Mo Hua said, "It''s complicated, but with Qian Xing unconscious, we can strike first. If he wakes up and the patriarch finds out, we won''t have a chance."


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and looked at Yang Jiyong. "What does the Dao Soldiers Division say?"


    Yang Jiyong pondered, "I trust Mo Hua, but we need solid evidence to mobilize the Dao soldiers."


    Mo Shan frowned, "Besides, there''s another problem. What is the Qian family''s patriarch''s identity in Heishan Stronghold?"


    Zhang Lan nodded. "If we can''t figure out his identity, even if we catch him, it''s hard to convict him."


    "Is he the head of Heishan Stronghold?"


    Elder Yu shook his head. "No, the aura doesn''t match."


    "That''s strange." Zhang Lan was puzzled. "If the Qian family''s patriarch had been to the pill room and consumed Longevity Pills, he must be a core member of Heishan Stronghold, with a significant identity. But the four leaders don''t include him."


    Everyone felt there was a deeper mystery.


    The Qian family''s patriarch was clearly connected to Heishan Stronghold, but none of the known identities matched.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and suddenly questioned, "Does the leader of Heishan Stronghold have to be the head?"


    Elder Yu was taken aback. "You mean..."


    Mo Hua said, "Usually, the leader of a stronghold could also be called the ''Stronghold Master,'' right?"


    Zhang Lan frowned, "If the Qian family''s patriarch is the Stronghold Master, then who is the head?"


    The Qian family''s patriarch being the Stronghold Master couldn''t possibly appoint someone unrelated as the head, the visible leader of Heishan Stronghold.


    Elder Yu suddenly remembered something and stood up abruptly, "The head..."


    "Elder?" Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu in confusion.


    Elder Yu''s pupils shrank, his expression shocked:


    "The head... could be... the Great Elder of the Qian family!"


    Mo Hua was shocked. "Isn''t the Great Elder of the Qian family..."


    Elder Yu nodded, "Yes, the one who supposedly died in the deep mountains over two hundred years ago, the Great Elder of the Qian family!"


    Everyone was stunned!


    If that were the case, Heishan Stronghold was essentially another Qian family!


    A hidden, secretive Qian family not bound by blood ties!

 Chapter 322: The Past

    Elder Yu frowned and said, "When the Grand Elder of the Qian family died, no, perhaps I should say when he faked his death, I was still young, and my cultivation was not high. My interactions with him were limited to seeing him from afar a few times, watching him exchange blows with the late demon hunter elder.""In everyone''s perception, the Grand Elder of the Qian family was already dead, so when I encountered him at Heishan Stronghold, I didn''t think in that direction."


    "But if what Mo Hua said is true, and the ancestor of the Qian family is indeed the leader of Heishan Stronghold, then this main leader is very likely the supposedly dead Grand Elder!"


    Elder Yu recalled further and added, "Moreover, on the day we attacked Heishan Stronghold, I fought with this main leader. One of his arms lacked spiritual power, as if it had been replaced by an iron arm. And back then, the Grand Elder of the Qian family had lost an arm."


    Everyone''s faces darkened.


    The ancestor of the Qian family is the leader, and the main leader is the Grand Elder of the Qian family.


    In this way, everything makes sense.


    The Qian family used a scheme to fake the Grand Elder''s death, making him the main leader of Heishan Stronghold, recruiting demonic cultivators, practicing evil arts, and refining human pills.


    The Qian family ancestor, with the substantial resources of the Qian family, secretly supported and built the vast Heishan Stronghold, allowing it to grow step by step.


    Few people in the Qian family knew about this, and not many demonic cultivators in Heishan Stronghold were aware either.


    The Qian family ancestor could hide in the shadows; even if Heishan Stronghold were destroyed and most demonic cultivators were killed or captured, no one would suspect him.


    Because most demonic cultivators didn''t know he existed.


    And if Heishan Stronghold wasn''t destroyed...


    The Qian family ancestor could use the Longevity Pill to extend his life, surviving in this world. At the same time, the Qian family would have the support of Heishan Stronghold in the dark, standing undefeated forever.


    No matter how much the Qian family suffered openly, with a little patience, they would always rise again.


    Near Tongxian City, no force could rival Heishan Stronghold.


    "What a deep calculation..." Elder Yu sighed.


    Yang Jiyong and Zhang Lan also nodded gravely.


    Elder Yu sighed again, "The Qian family ancestor was erratic and vengeful when he was young. In his later years, he became much more low-key. I thought it was because he was about to die, so his competitive spirit waned. But I didn''t expect it was because he was lying low, setting up such a big game."


    Mo Hua also pondered:


    "So the Qian family, despite suffering so many losses in the past year or two, always made a big fuss but then downplayed it lightly. They were being low-key and patient to avoid exposing their secret..."


    It started with Qian Xing being injured in an explosion, and the Qian family did not pursue it;


    Then the Qian family failed to compete for the spirit mine;


    The Qian family lost in the competition between the artifact crafting shop and the alchemy hall;


    Finally, when they tried to kill Mo Hua, who had exceptional talent in array formations, they also failed...


    In all these cases, the Qian family endured.


    Because the foundation of the Qian family was not the cultivators, spirit stones, artifact crafting, or alchemy hall, but Heishan Stronghold, which harbored hundreds of demonic cultivators.


    The most important thing for the Qian family was not to expose this secret.


    Once they let the situation escalate, attracting more attention and allowing someone to uncover their connection with Heishan Stronghold through meticulous investigation, the Dao Court would surely send Dao soldiers to annihilate Heishan Stronghold!


    And the Qian family, for colluding with demonic cultivators, would be exiled, their family destroyed!


    Centuries of the Qian family''s efforts would be ruined in an instant!


    Everyone was both shocked and fearful, a chill in their hearts.


    Yang Jiyong sighed, "Fortunately, this Qian family ancestor is only in Tongxian City, a small place, and is only at the Foundation Building stage. If he were in a higher realm or reached a higher cultivation stage, he would probably be an unfathomable great demon."


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    The cunning and scheming of the Qian family ancestor were far deeper than Qian Hong''s.


    In comparison, Qian Hong''s only specialty was patience, like an old turtle...


    Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Yang, can you deploy Dao soldiers to deal with the Qian family ancestor?"


    Yang Jiyong pondered for a moment and then said slowly, "According to the original order from the Dao soldiers'' department, we were supposed to leave tomorrow, but now, given the urgency, I will write to the department to delay our departure by a few days."


    Mo Hua was delighted, and Yang Jiyong continued, "However, it''s best to confirm whether the Qian family ancestor is indeed the leader of Heishan Stronghold and if he is truly connected to it, to avoid any mistakes."


    Mo Shan thought for a moment and said, "We can ask that second-in-command."


    Zhang Lan shook his head, "He''s half-crazy, knows nothing."


    "We don''t need to ask anything specific, just confirm if Heishan Stronghold has a leader. If he reacts to the term ''leader,'' it means Heishan Stronghold indeed has one, making the Qian family ancestor more suspicious," Mo Shan explained.


    Zhang Lan''s eyes lit up, and he nodded, "That works."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and added, "I''ll ask Old Master An. He''s been fighting openly and covertly with the Qian family for many years; he must know something."


    Elder Yu said, "I''ll also ask some old people in the city to see if there are any clues."


    After agreeing on their plan, everyone went their separate ways.


    Yang Jiyong wrote to the Dao soldiers'' department, while others went to gather information.


    Mo Hua went directly to the An family.


    The guards of the An family recognized Mo Hua and respectfully led him to the An family living room, offering him top-quality tea and asking him to wait.


    Mo Hua took a sip of the tea, finding it delicious but unable to pinpoint why. He drank several more sips, still puzzled by its taste.


    Every time Mo Hua finished his tea, someone would come and refill his cup.


    After two cups, Old Master An finally appeared, apologizing:


    "Sorry for the wait, I was tied up with some mundane affairs."


    Mo Hua also bowed and said, "You''re too kind, Old Master An."


    Old Master An sat down, took a sip of tea, and then asked:


    "Why has Young Master Mo come to visit?"


    Mo Hua glanced around.


    Old Master An understood and dismissed everyone, ensuring there were no outsiders around before saying:


    "Now you can speak."


    Mo Hua nodded and asked, "Old Master An, are you familiar with the Qian family ancestor?"


    Old Master An was slightly surprised, "Familiar, but not in a friendly way. The An and Qian families have been fighting openly and covertly for years, known to everyone in Tongxian City."


    "Why hasn''t the An family been able to defeat the Qian family?" Mo Hua asked.


    Old Master An felt somewhat uncomfortable.


    He was unwilling to admit that the An family couldn''t defeat the Qian family, even though it was true. He couldn''t swallow this pride.


    Usually, other cultivators wouldn''t dare ask him such questions to his face.


    But Mo Hua was an exception; he could ask.


    Old Master An sighed and honestly said:


    "The Qian family is cunning and ruthless. Our An family is not ruthless enough, so naturally, we can''t beat them."


    "Is the Qian family ancestor also ruthless?"


    Old Master An''s eyes grew cold, "The most ruthless of all, cruel and vengeful, causing countless deaths... But heaven has eyes; he''s aging quickly, his blood and energy declining. It''s a miracle he''s still breathing." S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a hint of schadenfreude in Old Master An''s tone.


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself that the ancestor was probably not aging or declining but had instead extended his life, breathing just fine...


    After a moment of silence, Mo Hua asked the most pressing question:


    "Old Master An, have any of your family''s caravans disappeared in Dahei Mountain?"


    Old Master An was stunned, his eyes gleaming with surprise as he looked at Mo Hua and said:


    "How do you know?"


    Seeing Old Master An''s reaction, Mo Hua felt his guess was confirmed and said:


    "Tell me the whole story, and then I''ll tell you how I know."


    Old Master An''s brows furrowed tightly, and after a long contemplation, he sighed and said:


    "Alright, it''s all old news now, no harm in telling you..."


    Mo Hua held his teacup and listened intently.

 Chapter 323: Plotting a Kill

    Master An took a sip of tea before he began to speak: "In those years when our An family competed with the Qian family for profits, we were not at a disadvantage from the start."


    "Initially, both families had their wins and losses, but the Qian family was profit-driven, and most of their disciples were selfish and self-serving. Our An family, on the other hand, was harmonious, united, and unlike the Qian family, we didn''t exploit our people so harshly. Gradually, we gained the upper hand in the struggle against them."


    "At that time, over half of the artifact refining and alchemy businesses in Tongxian City were under our An family''s control. The Qian family was on the verge of defeat..."


    "Did something unexpected happen?" Mo Hua asked.


    Master An nodded, sighed deeply, and continued:


    "Yes, a major incident occurred. The Qian family took on a significant business deal..."


    "It was the largest deal our An family had ever handled. Completing this transaction would have ensured that the Qian family could not rival us for the next hundred years."


    "We had everything prepared. All we needed was to safely transport the goods out of Tongxian City to the nearby Runan City, and the deal would have been successfully completed."


    S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality."To this end, I specially arranged for our only Foundation Building elder to oversee the operation, fifty elite disciples to escort, along with two hundred An family cultivators."


    "Even the Qian family wouldn''t dare underestimate these cultivators. Moreover, the Qian family wouldn''t risk a direct confrontation with us, as it would result in significant casualties and would be a lose-lose situation."


    "I believed my plans were meticulous and our preparations secure, but I never anticipated... never anticipated..."


    Master An''s face showed regret and pain.


    "They entered Dahei Mountain and never returned!"


    "Not a single one returned!"


    "They all vanished in Dahei Mountain!"


    Master An''s face trembled with intense emotions.


    Mo Hua quickly poured him another cup of tea. Master An took a sip, breathed deeply, and nodded slightly before continuing:


    "This not only hurt our strength but struck at the very foundation of our An family, as if a piece of flesh had been cut from my heart!"


    "Afterwards, I went into Dahei Mountain myself, but no matter how I searched, I couldn''t find our elder or those disciples. It was as if they had evaporated from the world."


    "I even risked going deeper into the mountains, but the thick fog provided no clues, and I didn''t dare venture too far, so I retreated."


    Mo Hua asked, "Did you suspect the Qian family?"


    Master An nodded, "The first ones I suspected were the Qian family."


    "But I observed that on the day our disciples entered the mountain, the Qian family patriarch and most of their Foundation Building elders did not leave their premises nor entered Dahei Mountain. They didn''t have the opportunity to attack us..."


    "Yet, it must have been the Qian family!"


    Master An''s eyes were filled with coldness.


    Mo Hua quietly asked, "How do you know?"


    Master An hesitated, unwilling to involve Mo Hua further. However, seeing that Mo Hua seemed to know something, and considering the time that had passed, he decided to share.


    "I wasn''t sure if the Qian family was involved, but later, during a conflict over a pill furnace, a rift between our families deepened."


    "Though our An family was greatly weakened, we refused to bow down. However, the Qian family patriarch said something to me..."


    "No one can compete with the Qian family. In Dahei Mountain, I can make anyone disappear..."


    "From then on, I knew it was the Qian family. Their strength was greater than I had thought, and their methods more ruthless."


    "I wanted to fight them to the death, but the other An family disciples needed to live. If we fought the Qian family head-on, our An family might be the one to disappear..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes sharpened, and he asked quietly, "Do you know what the Qian family did exactly?"


    Master An shook his head, then his expression turned serious. "Do you know?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Master An was shocked, "How do you know?"


    "Do you know about Heishan Stronghold?" Mo Hua continued.


    Master An nodded slightly, "I''ve heard it''s a group of demonic cultivators in the deep mountains, recently eradicated by Daoist soldiers."


    He then froze, "Are you saying..."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Heishan Stronghold was created by the Qian family patriarch. The An family disciples were killed by the demonic cultivators of Heishan Stronghold. On the surface, the Qian family patriarch didn''t need to get involved directly and could keep his hands clean."


    Master An was suddenly enlightened and then fell into a trance, "So that''s it..."


    With this revelation, he understood.


    Although his disciples weren''t directly killed by the Qian family, they were indeed dead because of them.


    Master An''s eyes sharpened, "You didn''t come to me just to say this, did you?"


    "I wanted to confirm the relationship between the Qian family patriarch and Heishan Stronghold and ask if you want revenge," Mo Hua said.


    Master An''s gaze became focused, "Revenge?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "The Qian family patriarch extended his life with a Longevity Pill and will live for a long time. If he remains, he will become a great calamity, so we must strike first."


    Master An calculated, "How many people do you have?"


    "Quite a few," Mo Hua said simply, listing the demon hunters, Dao Court officers, and Dao soldiers.


    Master An didn''t hesitate, "Good, count our An family in!"


    "As long as that old dog from the Qian family is alive, Tongxian City will never have peace!"


    Mo Hua initially intended only to gather information and evidence of the Qian family patriarch''s connection with Heishan Stronghold.


    Unexpectedly, the deep-seated grudge between the An and Qian families, and Master An''s willingness to help, turned out to be a pleasant surprise.


    When Mo Hua told Elder Yu about it, Elder Yu was also relieved.


    Although the An family was weakened, they were still the second strongest family in Tongxian City. Their assistance increased the chances of defeating the Qian family.


    An hour later, Zhang Lan and Mo Shan returned.


    Elder Yu asked, "How did it go?"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "We had someone pose as a demonic cultivator and talked to the second-in-command. He didn''t react to most topics."


    "But when we mentioned ''the leader is dead,'' the second-in-command opened his eyes and sneered, saying it''s impossible. When we said ''the stronghold chief is also dead,'' he laughed even harder, saying it''s even more impossible."


    "This shows that Heishan Stronghold indeed has a chief, and he''s not the same as the leader!"


    Mo Hua then relayed Master An''s words and asked Commander Yang, "Is this evidence enough?"


    Yang Jiyong pondered, "It''s not conclusive, but it''s sufficient. When dealing with demonic cultivators, it''s better to act than to miss the chance. Delaying might alert the Qian family and lose the opportunity."


    Elder Yu nodded, "We''ll know if the Heishan Stronghold chief is the Qian family patriarch once we make a move."


    "If he is, we''ll kill him on the spot!"


    "If not, I''ll apologize to the Qian family. I''ve scolded them plenty, so apologizing isn''t a big loss."


    Yang Jiyong nodded, "Alright, let''s finalize our plan to infiltrate the Qian family and kill their patriarch!"


    The group spent the entire day planning.


    By evening, Master An, dressed in black, arrived quietly.


    After brief greetings, Master An shared secret information about the Qian family, including their layout, the patriarch''s cultivation methods, Dao techniques, and combat tactics.


    Mo Hua listened intently.


    He didn''t understand the intricacies of Foundation Building cultivators'' spiritual power operations or how to kill one.


    His abilities couldn''t harm a Foundation Building cultivator.


    The only thing that might work was using his spiritual sense to calculate and collapse an array.


    But array calculations took time, and Mo Hua, busy tracking the Qian family patriarch, hadn''t completed the calculations, nor had he used it practically, so it was useless now.


    For now, Mo Hua could only listen and learn:


    How to design a plan to kill a powerful enemy cultivator.


    How to estimate the opponent''s strength, including cultivation, techniques, Dao methods, and spiritual tools.


    How to assess the required strength to succeed.


    How to arrange and deploy people, avoid the enemy''s strengths, attack their weaknesses, and minimize casualties.


    As a Dao soldier commander, Yang Jiyong, with Zhang Lan''s family heritage, Elder Yu''s experience, and Mo Shan''s battle-hardened skills, each had their strengths.


    When discussing plans, they each expressed their views, complementing each other.


    Mo Hua silently watched and listened, memorizing everything, slowly thinking and internalizing.


    He couldn''t use it now, but someday, it might come in handy.


    Two days and a night later, the plan to kill the Qian family patriarch was finalized.

 Chapter 324: The Qian Family Patriarch

    The Qian Family Patriarch was a mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator.If he took the Longevity Pill to extend his life, with his vitality and spiritual power undiminished, he would likely be the most powerful Foundation Building cultivator in Tongxian City.


    Moreover, he was certainly a demonic cultivator, practicing a bizarre yet powerful dark cultivation technique.


    Thus, the plan to eliminate the Qian Family Patriarch had to be meticulous and thorough.


    The next evening, the Dao soldiers broke camp, pretending to leave Tongxian City.


    At midnight, they secretly returned, lodging at Dahei Mountain for the night. At dawn, they donned Demon Hunter robes, disguised themselves, and stealthily hid in houses around the Qian family estate.


    The hiding place was provided by the An family.


    Mo Hua also rose early, finding a secluded house, climbing to the roof, and using his spiritual sense to observe the Qian family¡¯s movements.


    His cultivation was low, so there was no need for him to participate in the ambush against the Qian Family Patriarch.


    Moreover, this matter was extremely dangerous; he couldn¡¯t risk exposing himself.


    What he could do was draw the array diagram of the Qian family mansion, facilitating Commander Yang and others in their ambush.


    At this moment, he could only watch from afar.


    Fortunately, his spiritual sense was strong, with a wide range of perception. Even from a distance, he could roughly understand the situation.


    The first step of the plan was to enter the Qian family and probe the strength of the Qian Family Patriarch.


    The morning sunlight shone on the bluestone streets.


    The streets were deserted, with few people around.


    Elder Yu had notified all the independent cultivators in advance, advising them to stay indoors today.


    He himself arrived early at the Qian family gate, knocking and shouting curses.


    Elder Yu¡¯s cursing was harsh.


    Over the years, this was a common occurrence for Elder Yu.


    Before long, the Qian family stirred, and an elder came out to argue with Elder Yu.


    The argument was relentless. Elder Yu refused to leave, fabricating a lie that a Demon Hunter had died and blaming the Qian family.


    The Qian family elder believed it to be true.


    Such things were not uncommon for the Qian family, so he did not suspect Elder Yu of lying.


    But the Qian family naturally would not admit it, only accusing Elder Yu of slander.


    Elder Yu was indeed slandering them, and he cursed even more fiercely, loudly threatening to report to the Dao Court to seek justice.


    The Qian family elder, infuriated, retorted, ¡°Fine, then let¡¯s have the Chief Supervisor come and we¡¯ll settle this!¡±


    The Qian family went to fetch the Chief Supervisor.


    The Chief Supervisor arrived slowly, intentionally showing reluctance, advising both parties to seek peace and avoid further trouble.


    Elder Yu, with a flushed face, argued with the Chief Supervisor, ¡°Since the deceased is not from the Dao Court, you can talk big.¡±


    The Chief Supervisor, angered, replied, ¡°What do you intend to do?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°I want Qian Hong, that old turtle, to give me an explanation. If he can¡¯t, there¡¯s an even older turtle in the Qian family. I demand an explanation from them!¡±


    At this point, Qian Hong had no choice but to appear.


    Elder Yu and the Chief Supervisor then entered the Qian family mansion.


    The Qian family had arrays isolating the area, preventing Mo Hua from seeing details.


    But if the plan went smoothly, Elder Yu would escalate the matter, the Chief Supervisor would fan the flames, forcing the Qian Family Patriarch to appear, and they could confront him directly.


    Elder Yu would then launch a sudden attack, testing the Patriarch¡¯s power to determine if he was hiding his strength and any secrets he might have.


    Only Foundation Building cultivators could undertake this task.


    Commander Yang couldn¡¯t do it; as the Dao soldiers'' commander, his presence would raise suspicion.


    Old Master An couldn¡¯t do it either; he had a grudge against the Qian family, who wouldn¡¯t let him in.


    After consideration, Elder Yu was deemed the most suitable.


    Though he had grievances with the Qian family, he frequently visited, causing trouble and negotiating, without raising too much suspicion.


    Moreover, he had to go with the Chief Supervisor, so they could support each other.


    The Qian Family Patriarch was mid-stage Foundation Building. If he suddenly attacked, Elder Yu might be in mortal danger.


    With the Chief Supervisor accompanying him, at least he¡¯d have some backup.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what happened after Elder Yu entered the Qian family.


    About an hour later, a violent wave of spiritual power erupted from the Qian family, shaking Mo Hua even from a distance.


    Simultaneously, a house in the Qian family collapsed, dirt and stones flying, arrays shattering.


    From afar, Mo Hua heard Elder Yu¡¯s sharp cry, ¡°Attack!¡±


    Before the shout had faded, disciples of the An family, Demon Hunters, Dao Court cultivators, and Dao soldiers swarmed towards the Qian family.


    The Dao soldiers led the charge.


    The Qian family¡¯s defensive arrays lit up layer by layer, only to be shattered by the Dao soldiers'' spears, turning into rubble.


    Other cultivators followed the Dao soldiers, attacking and charging into the Qian family.


    Mo Hua had previously identified the weak points in the Qian family¡¯s arrays, marking them for Commander Yang. This allowed the Dao soldiers to break through the arrays much faster.


    Caught off guard, Qian family disciples emerged from everywhere, drawing their swords and confronting the attackers.


    But when they saw the attackers were led by Dao soldiers, they were stunned, not knowing what to do.


    Dao soldiers were the most powerful cultivator army of the Dao Court, representing its authority and prestige.


    Fighting against Dao soldiers was tantamount to rebelling against the Dao Court, warranting extermination of the entire family!


    The Qian family disciples hesitated, unsure of what to do.


    Their gazes involuntarily turned towards the center, where the spiritual power had surged, and walls had crumbled¡ªwhere the Qian Family Patriarch was in seclusion.


    As the dust settled, three figures appeared.


    One was stern-faced, pale¡ª the old Chief Supervisor of the Dao Court;


    One had lost an arm, blood at the corner of his mouth, and a gaunt face¡ªthe Demon Hunter Elder Yu;


    The third had half-white hair, blood-red eyes, with half of his shriveled skin peeled off, exuding a powerful and dangerous aura.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    The Qian family disciples looked at each other in confusion.


    Some Qian family elders were shocked, ¡°Is this¡­ the Patriarch?¡±


    The Qian family was instantly in an uproar.


    ¡°The Patriarch?¡±


    ¡°How did he become like this?¡± S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Why are his eyes blood-red?¡±


    Some Qian family elders had a horrifying suspicion, their faces turning pale.


    Their Patriarch¡­ turned out to be a demonic cultivator!


    Demonic cultivators were intolerable to the Dao Court.


    The atmosphere became instantly tense.


    Commander Yang and Old Master An stepped forward, along with Elder Yu and the Chief Supervisor, surrounding the Qian Family Patriarch.


    Elder Yu coughed up blood, saying, ¡°Be careful, his technique is demonic, it corrupts blood qi¡­¡±


    He had launched a surprise attack but was detected by the Patriarch, resulting in a clash. He lost an arm and had his blood qi corrupted by the demonic spiritual power.


    The Chief Supervisor, supporting him, had also clashed with the Patriarch, though he wasn¡¯t injured, his meridians were in discomfort.


    Commander Yang nodded.


    Old Master An, seeing the Patriarch¡¯s current state, was both shocked and furious, ¡°I never expected you to become this abomination.¡±


    The Patriarch sneered, ¡°As long as I can seek the Dao, what does this form matter?¡±


    Old Master An, not wanting to waste words, said angrily, ¡°Qian old dog, I want you to pay for my An family disciples'' lives!¡±


    The Patriarch, with blood-red eyes, showed disdain, ¡°You want to kill me, the Patriarch of the Qian family, on our territory?¡±


    A tall, thin Qian family elder shouted, ¡°We can¡¯t let them harm the Patriarch!¡±


    The Qian family disciples raised their swords and knives, eyes filled with battle intent.


    The Chief Supervisor coldly glanced at them, ¡°The Dao Court has decreed, the Qian Family Patriarch practices demonic techniques and colludes with demonic cultivators. His crimes are unforgivable and punishable by death according to the law!¡±


    ¡°Any Qian family disciple who obstructs will be killed without mercy!¡±


    ¡°If the Qian family knowingly aids him, the entire family will be executed!¡±


    The Chief Supervisor¡¯s tone was stern and cold.


    The Qian family disciples, terrified, hesitated.


    The Qian family elder, seeing this, cursed angrily, ¡°The Dao Court is not our Qian family¡¯s Dao Court, the Patriarch is our Qian family¡¯s Patriarch. Can¡¯t you tell which is more important? We must protect the Patriarch at all costs!¡±


    Before he finished speaking, another elder quickly interjected, ¡°Shut up! Do you want to get our entire family executed?¡±


    ¡°Qian Zhongli, do you intend to abandon the Patriarch?¡±


    Qian Zhongli replied, ¡°The Patriarch is our Patriarch, but the Qian family is not his alone. Do you want to doom all the cultivators of our Qian family?¡±


    ¡°You coward!¡±


    ¡°You blindly loyal fool!¡±


    The two Qian family elders insulted each other fiercely.


    Some Qian family disciples, fearful, quietly discarded their swords. Gradually


    , more and more Qian family disciples abandoned their weapons.


    In no time, most of the Qian family disciples were unarmed.


    Seeing this, the disciples who intended to fight also gave up their plans.


    Elder Yu sneered, ¡°Qian old dog, you are abandoned by your own kin.¡±


    The Qian Family Patriarch shook his head and sighed, ¡°I was right. In times of great danger, even blood relatives can¡¯t be trusted.¡±


    Elder Yu, holding his sword in his remaining hand, pointed at the Patriarch, ¡°Someone like you doesn¡¯t deserve kin.¡±


    ¡°I have one question that I can¡¯t figure out¡­¡±


    The Qian Family Patriarch, seemingly in a desperate situation, showed no panic but rather curiosity.


    ¡°Heishan Stronghold acted in secret, killing and robbing without being discovered for over two hundred years. Those who knew of Heishan Stronghold either joined or were dead.¡±


    ¡°I hid well. Except for a few, no one knew of my connection to Heishan Stronghold, that I built it, harbored so many demonic cultivators, and used them for a specific purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    The Qian Family Patriarch frowned slightly, his gaze sharp.


    ¡°How was Heishan Stronghold discovered so quickly?¡±


    ¡°How did the Dao soldiers arrive so fast?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how the news leaked.¡±


    ¡°All I know is that someone tampered with the arrays in the stronghold.¡±


    ¡°But who had the skill to do so under the watch of four Foundation Building leaders and hundreds of demonic cultivators?¡±


    ¡°Who unraveled my secrets bit by bit?¡±


    ¡°Who destroyed my two-hundred-year effort in Heishan Stronghold?¡±


    The Qian Family Patriarch looked around, his blood-red eyes shining brightly, ¡°Whoever it is, I want to meet them!¡±


    His aura surged.


    Mo Hua, hiding far away and eavesdropping, was stunned.


    The person the Patriarch was talking about¡­ seemed to be him?


    Mo Hua was startled, quickly shrinking back.


    He definitely didn¡¯t want to meet the Patriarch. It would be best if they were separated by life and death¡ªthe Patriarch dead, and him alive, never meeting¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself, suddenly puzzled.


    Wait!


    How could the Patriarch not guess it was him?

 Chapter 325

    Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought.The third-in-command of Heishan Stronghold had seen him.


    If he told the Qian family elder about Mo Hua entering Heishan Stronghold and provided a sketch, the elder would naturally recognize him.


    Mo Hua had caused the Qian family so much trouble and was also a highly talented young array master. The Qian family elder would surely know his appearance.


    The formations at Heishan Stronghold had been tampered with.


    Mo Hua had been in Heishan Stronghold; Mo Hua was a young array master.


    The Qian family elder would inevitably think that Mo Hua was responsible for all this, and all the blame would fall on Mo Hua.


    But it seemed that the Qian family elder was unaware.


    Why?


    Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened.


    The only possibility was that the third-in-command only mentioned the tampered formations but did not report encountering Mo Hua to the Qian family elder.


    The tampered formations had aroused the Qian family elder''s vigilance.


    Heishan Stronghold had taken defensive measures.


    However, they did not expect that the Dao Court would directly submit a request and deploy Dao soldiers to annihilate Heishan Stronghold.


    Their precautions were futile.


    Since the third-in-command concealed his encounter with Mo Hua, the Qian family elder did not suspect Mo Hua.


    Although Mo Hua was an array master, he was also just a young cultivator in his teens with a low cultivation level. The Qian family elder did not know about his concealment technique and Passing Water Step.


    With just the information about the tampered formations, the Qian family elder could not possibly think this had anything to do with Mo Hua.


    Therefore, in the Qian family elder''s eyes, it seemed that Heishan Stronghold had inexplicably leaked information and was suddenly wiped out by Dao soldiers.


    "But why didn''t the third-in-command report seeing me?"


    Could it be that the third-in-command was actually a traitor?


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    The Qian family elder was unaware of Mo Hua''s involvement, and Elder Yu and others were happy about it. They would never mention Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu coldly said, "The net of heaven is vast and wide, but nothing escapes it. What you do, heaven sees. Your evil deeds have led to this retribution!"


    The Qian family elder faintly smiled, "What a pity, this retribution came a bit late. If it had come earlier, not so many people would have died."


    Everyone was furious.


    "No need to waste words with him," Commander Yang pointed his spear and shouted, "Kill!"


    The Dao soldiers behind him shouted in unison, "Kill!" and charged towards the Qian family elder following the spear''s direction.


    The siege against the Qian family elder officially began.


    During the siege, none of the Qian family disciples stepped in to help.


    This was expected, but the fact that not a single person took action was still surprising.


    To fight against Dao soldiers would be to defy the Dao Court.


    The Qian family did not want to commit the grave crime of defiance, and at the critical moment of life and death, no one cared about their elder.


    The demon hunters, Dao Court officers, and An family''s Qi refining cultivators mostly did not take action, merely standing opposite the Qian family disciples to intimidate them and prevent any unrest.


    The main force besieging the Qian family elder was Elder Yu and the other four early-stage Foundation Building cultivators, along with the several hundred Dao soldiers under Commander Yang.


    Mo Hua witnessed the scene of Dao soldiers attacking for the first time.


    A team of ten Dao soldiers, with similar spiritual roots and identical techniques, dressed in standard armor and wielding sharp spears, resonated with each other through formations, their spiritual power interlinked, boosting their morale instantly.


    During the attack, their movements were synchronized, spears thrusting like dragons, striking at the Qian family elder, then retreating immediately, avoiding prolonged combat.


    Meanwhile, another team of Dao soldiers followed up with their attack, a continuous cycle, unrelenting, giving the Qian family elder no chance to catch his breath.


    The Qian family elder, surrounded by condensed blood energy, waved his hands, drawing bloody marks in the air, nullifying the attacks one by one, but gradually, he started to struggle.


    Commander Yang, Elder Yu, Old Master An, and Chief Supervisor Zhou also joined forces with the Dao soldiers, aiming to exhaust the Qian family elder.


    However, after a long time, the Qian family elder''s blood energy remained vigorous.


    Elder Yu angrily shouted, "Old Qian dog, how many people have you killed, how many Longevity Pills have you eaten?!"


    The Qian family elder sneered silently.


    The attacks intensified.


    The Foundation Building cultivators tightly held the Qian family elder in place, preventing his escape.


    Commander Yang led the Dao soldiers in the main assault, with a continuous barrage of attacks, gradually depleting the Qian family elder''s spiritual power and exacerbating his injuries, causing his blood energy to dissipate.


    Mo Hua watched with a mix of tension and anxiety, understanding something.


    Strength overcoming weakness is the law of heaven.


    But weakness overcoming strength is also the law of heaven.


    When a single cultivator''s power is insufficient, they can unite and fight the strong together.


    Just like formations, accumulating array patterns one by one, forming a powerful array with extraordinary power.


    Human strength has limits, but with enough people and unity, the power is endless.


    The battle continued, and after several hours, the Dao soldiers started to sustain casualties, and the injuries on Elder Yu and others worsened.


    The Qian family elder''s breath finally weakened, and his blood energy began to falter.


    Several times he tried to break out of the encirclement, but Elder Yu and others risked their lives to stop him, and the Dao soldiers restrained him, repeatedly plunging him back into the besieged situation.


    The Qian family elder''s demeanor was no longer as relaxed as before; instead, he became more violent, his blood energy thickening, his eyes filled with a fierce red glare, like a trapped beast struggling before death.


    Just as everyone thought that they could eventually kill the Qian family elder, an unexpected change occurred.


    A powerful aura suddenly emerged from a corner of the Qian family and headed straight for the battlefield.


    Elder Yu recognized the person and exclaimed in anger, "Grand Elder!"


    The newcomer was the Grand Elder of the Qian family, who was also the head of Heishan Stronghold!


    The Qian family was in an uproar.


    "Grand Elder?"


    "Wasn''t the Grand Elder dead?"


    "What is going on?"


    The Qian family disciples only now realized that their family had hidden so many secrets, and they, as Qian family disciples, were completely unaware.


    When the Grand Elder appeared, the Qian family elder tried to escape.


    He forced Commander Yang back with a palm strike, avoided the Dao soldiers'' spears, and with a swift slash, drew terrifying blood marks, killing several Dao soldiers instantly.


    Commander Yang''s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.


    These Dao soldiers were not only his subordinates but also his comrades-in-arms.


    "Old scum, die!"


    Commander Yang channeled all his power into his spear, which vibrated and emitted dazzling light, condensing a formidable force.


    The Qian family elder''s expression changed, "Superior Dao technique?"


    He wanted to escape, but another team of Dao soldiers entangled him again, preventing his escape.


    Moments later, Commander Yang''s spiritual power reached its peak, his aura surging, and then he merged with his spear, charging at the Qian family elder like a dragon. The spear, carrying immense power, pierced through the Qian family elder''s chest.


    The golden light entwined around the spear continuously attacked the Qian family elder''s blood energy, destroying his vitality. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the Qian family elder about to die under the spear, the Grand Elder''s expression darkened. He took a blow from Elder Yu and another from Old Master An, using the force to retreat, and rushed towards Commander Yang, forcing him back with a sinister palm strike.


    Commander Yang had to withdraw his attack.


    The Qian family elder seized the opportunity to take two blood-red pills. His chest wound wriggled, and the bleeding gradually stopped.


    However, these pills only treated the symptoms, not the cause. If this continued, he would surely die!


    He must escape...


    The Qian family elder mustered all his strength, activated a blood-colored escape technique, and tried to break out again.


    Commander Yang wanted to stop him, but his previous Dao technique had exhausted all his spiritual power.


    That spear technique, known as the Radiant Golden Spear, was a secret Yang family technique, a superior second-grade Dao technique.


    Superior Dao techniques were powerful but consumed a lot of spiritual power and required a long time to charge. They had to be used at the right moment to succeed; otherwise, they either missed the target or left the user vulnerable due to excessive spiritual power consumption.


    He had used the spear technique during a moment when the Qian family elder was trapped, hitting him.


    However, the Qian family elder, at the mid-stage Foundation Building, had thick blood energy from consuming Longevity Pills. Despite being heavily injured, he did not die.


    Elder Yu and others tried to stop the Qian family elder, but the Grand Elder intervened.


    The other teams of first-grade Dao soldiers could not stop the Qian family elder, only managing to inflict more wounds on him.


    The Qian family elder broke out of the encirclement, silently glanced back at the Grand Elder, and then at everyone, without a word, turned into a blood-red light, and flew out of Tongxian City.


    He fled towards Dahei Mountain!


    Everyone was too exhausted from the long battle to stop him


    , allowing the Qian family elder to escape.


    But the Grand Elder was left behind.


    The Grand Elder did not want to escape. He fought until he was utterly spent, his life force exhausted, finally kneeling on the ground, blood flowing everywhere.


    Elder Yu looked at him silently, sighing, "Was it worth it?"


    The Grand Elder, expressionless, mocked himself, "A dying person should have died long ago. Anything I do is worth it."


    With that, he slowly closed his eyes.


    The Qian family Grand Elder, who had "died" long ago, was now truly dead.


    The siege ended.


    Everyone was heavily injured, and some died at the hands of the Qian family elder.


    The Qian family elder, severely wounded, escaped to Dahei Mountain.


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on the roof, watching from afar.


    He felt both regret and sorrow.


    Regret for not being able to kill the Qian family elder, sorrow for the many people who bled and sacrificed in this siege.


    Mo Hua thought to himself:


    "If I were a second-grade array master and set up a second-grade array, could I have trapped and killed the Qian family elder, preventing so many casualties?"


    Mo Hua sighed softly.


    It seemed his abilities were still insufficient; his array skills needed improvement.


    The path of cultivation is long, and the study of arrays is vast and profound. He still had much to learn and was not strong enough yet...

 Chapter 326: Disposal

    The news that the Qian Family''s patriarch was a demonic cultivator quickly spread throughout Tongxian City.People were surprised, but not entirely shocked.


    After all, the Qian Family''s reputation was already terrible, and they had many enemies.


    Because of the Qian Family patriarch, the entire Qian Family was sealed off and confined, with no cultivators allowed to leave. Violators would be punished as traitors to the demonic cultivators.


    Once the Qian Family patriarch was found, the Dao Court would convict him, and then further actions would be taken.


    "What will happen to the Qian Family?"


    While drinking tea in the Dao Court, Mo Hua asked Chief Supervisor Zhou.


    Mo Hua was there to help Chief Supervisor Zhou.


    The Qian Family patriarch had escaped, but his cave residence remained. The Dao Court had confiscated everything in it, looking for more clues or evidence.


    Since the cave involved arrays that Chief Supervisor Zhou did not understand, he had invited Mo Hua to help.


    At the old chief''s request, Mo Hua examined the arrays one by one, identifying the demonic ones and finding other clues proving the Qian Family patriarch''s connection with Heishan Stronghold.


    With such solid evidence, Chief Supervisor Zhou could write a comprehensive report to the Dao Court.


    After working for a while, Chief Supervisor Zhou invited Mo Hua for tea. During their break, Mo Hua asked the question.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou, still pale from his injuries, coughed lightly and said slowly, "The Qian Family patriarch must be captured and executed to uphold the Dao Laws and set an example."


    "As for the other Qian Family members... their fate varies."


    Mo Hua was puzzled, "What do you mean?"


    "If convicted severely, there is no doubt. I will report to the Dao Court that the Qian Family colluded with Heishan Stronghold and demonic cultivators, committing murder and robbery. Most Qian Family cultivators will be executed. Even if not killed, their family will be exiled, stripped of their surname, and banished from Tongxian City."


    "If convicted lightly, we could claim that the collusion was solely the Qian Family patriarch''s doing and that the other members were unaware. In that case, the Dao Court''s punishment would be less severe, perhaps just confiscating their property, sparing most of their lives."


    Chief Supervisor Zhou patiently explained.


    Mo Hua was shocked, "Isn''t there a lot of room for manipulation here? Wouldn''t that breed corruption?"


    Chief Supervisor Zhou choked, coughed violently twice, and said irritably, "You child, how dare you say anything..."


    Mo Hua smiled apologetically.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou, helpless, sighed, "Indeed, it does..."


    He sighed again, "That''s why some cultivators commit great crimes yet remain unharmed, protected by the Dao Court, while others make minor mistakes but are exterminated because they offended the Dao Court."


    "I''m telling you this not to encourage bribery or corruption, but to make you understand how things work so you won''t suffer losses in the future."


    "Some things are simple if you know the right way, but if you don''t, no matter how hard you try, you might face obstacles everywhere, ending up in a sorry state."


    Chief Supervisor Zhou spoke earnestly.


    Having spent most of his life in the Dao Court, he knew its workings inside out.


    These things weren''t profound or complex, but without someone to point them out, an outsider cultivator might never understand them.


    Mo Hua, grateful for Chief Supervisor Zhou''s guidance, patted his chest and said, "Supervisor, if you ever need array help, just ask me!"


    Chief Supervisor Zhou, both amused and exasperated, laughed, "Alright, I''ll count on you, little array master!"


    Mo Hua nodded confidently.


    Within the scope of First Grade arrays, he was fearless, seeing no worthy opponents, except for Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua then asked, "So, how will the Qian Family matter be handled?"


    "What do you think?" Chief Supervisor Zhou asked back, his eyes cautious.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, "I think neither harsh nor lenient treatment is good..."


    "Harsh punishment would result in too many deaths, and even if many Qian Family cultivators are guilty, there are always innocent people. A blanket punishment isn''t right."


    "Lenient treatment won''t work either; the Qian Family wouldn''t learn a lesson and might worsen in the future."


    "The best way is to look into past crimes, execute and arrest those with blood on their hands or criminal records to set an example, confiscate their property, and make the remaining cultivators live tough lives, forcing them to refine tools, pills, or hunt demons..."


    "When people live comfortably, they tend to develop evil thoughts. If they''re exhausted daily and fall asleep as soon as they lie down, they won''t have the energy to think of bad ideas."


    Chief Supervisor Zhou''s eyes brightened.


    Neither vengeful nor overly kind, with a clear sense of right and wrong, each punishment fitting its crime.


    What a good kid...


    Chief Supervisor Zhou smiled, "Well said, just like a little old man who always strives for moderation."


    Mo Hua muttered, "A little old man is fine..."


    As long as things are handled properly.


    Leaving the Dao Court, Mo Hua was about to go home when he encountered Master Luo on the way.


    Master Luo greeted, "Mr. Mo, what a coincidence."


    But Mo Hua saw that Master Luo seemed well-prepared, not coincidental at all.


    "Master Luo, do you need something?"


    "Meeting by chance is better than a planned encounter. I have recently acquired some Dragon Group Tea at home. Would you honor me with a tasting?"


    Already filled with tea, Mo Hua intended to refuse, but Master Luo''s enthusiasm was hard to reject, and he was curious about the Dragon Group Tea, so he agreed.


    Master Luo personally took Mo Hua to his cave, carefully bringing out the tea cake and brewing it himself, then offering it to Mo Hua.


    "Please!"


    Mo Hua glanced at the tea''s golden color, tasting it¡ªrich and fragrant, better than the tea Chief Supervisor Zhou had offered.


    He couldn''t help but sigh, seeing that Master Luo lived a more "corrupt" life than Chief Supervisor Zhou... S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good tea!" Mo Hua praised.


    Though he didn''t know why it was good, it indeed tasted great.


    Master Luo, pleased with the compliment, smiled brightly.


    Mo Hua took another small sip before leaning closer to Master Luo, asking, "Do you need something?"


    "No," Master Luo said casually, "just inviting Mr. Mo for tea."


    Mo Hua looked at Master Luo with a "who would believe that" expression.


    Master Luo, embarrassed, coughed lightly before lowering his voice, "Master Qian wants to see you."


    "Master Qian?"


    Master Luo sighed, "With the Qian Family patriarch''s scandal, the Qian Family is now sealed off. Master Qian, unable to leave and worried about the family''s fate, asked me to arrange a meeting with you."


    "But why me?" Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Master Luo explained, "The Qian Family isn''t well-liked. Though Master Qian is an array master with many connections, he''s helpless in this situation and could only turn to you."


    "What does Master Qian want to tell me?"


    "I''m not sure, probably just questions about the Qian Family''s fate."


    Master Luo sighed, "Such a large Qian Family, collapsing overnight."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright."


    Master Luo was overjoyed, "Thank you, Mr. Mo!"


    Later, Mo Hua went to Chief Supervisor Zhou, got a pass to enter the Qian Family, and met Master Qian.


    Using his spiritual sense, Mo Hua confirmed no elders or Foundation Building cultivators were around, just Master Qian, before speaking.


    Master Qian asked nothing else, just as Master Luo had said, only about the Qian Family''s safety and Dao Court''s actions.


    For Mo Hua, it was a minor matter, but for Master Qian, it was life or death.


    However, the Dao Court would decide the matter, so Mo Hua couldn''t overstep but simply said, "The Dao Court is fair. They won''t kick you when you''re down. The Qian Family is guilty but not to the extent of extermination."


    Master Qian breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Were you aware of the Heishan Stronghold affair?"


    Master Qian smiled bitterly, shaking his head.


    He was just an array master, devoted to his studies, never daring to involve himself in demonic matters.


    Mo Hua nodded, "If you know nothing, you''re safe."


    Master Qian, a true First Grade array master, was invaluable everywhere.


    Even if the Qian Family were severely punished, as long as Master Qian was truly unaware, the Dao Court would find a way to spare his life.


    Because he was an array master.


    Even if the Dao Court didn''t intervene, Mo Hua would ask the old chief to spare him, based on their relationship.


    Hearing this, Master Qian gratefully looked at Mo Hua.


    Master Qian escorted Mo Hua to the door, apologizing, "Being disgraced, I can only see you off here. Please forgive me, Mr. Mo."


    "No need to be so polite, Master Qian."


    Mo Hua turned to leave but was called back by Master Qian.


    Master Qian deeply bowed to Mo Hua, solemnly saying, "I won''t say thank you for such a great favor. In the future, if Mr. Mo needs anything, I, Qian, will do whatever it takes!"


    "No need for such courtesy, Master Qian."


    Mo Hua returned the bow, thinking that he might indeed need Master Qian''s help in the future.

 Chapter 327: The Third Chief

    The situation at Heishan Stronghold had essentially come to an end.The true identity of the Qian family''s patriarch had been exposed, and the Qian family could no longer rely on Heishan Stronghold to commit evil deeds.


    Without the support of the Qian family, Heishan Stronghold couldn''t develop further; without the backing of Heishan Stronghold, the Qian family couldn''t continue to grow.


    Even if the instigator, the Qian family patriarch, was still lurking in Dahei Mountain, he wouldn''t be able to cause any major disturbances in the short term.


    No matter how powerful a Foundation Building cultivator was, without the support of a family or faction, he was just a Foundation Building cultivator, with no place to utilize his cultivation.


    Moreover, the heavily injured Qian family patriarch''s cultivation wouldn''t be as strong as before.


    However, to completely wrap up the Heishan Stronghold matter, two things still needed to be done:


    First, they needed to find the Third Chief.


    He was a demonic array master who could draw demonic arrays, and could not be left unchecked; otherwise, he would cause endless troubles.


    Array masters were already extraordinary, and the Third Chief was a demonic array master at the Foundation Building stage.


    Even if he wasn''t very talented and didn''t work hard, and was still just a First Grade array master, he couldn''t be underestimated.


    After all, without the arrays he drew, Heishan Stronghold might have been discovered long ago and couldn''t have lurked in Dahei Mountain for so long.


    The second thing was to hunt down the Qian family patriarch.


    Mo Hua always felt that the Qian family patriarch wasn''t so simple.


    The Qian family patriarch was very thoughtful, with twists and turns in his mind probably more numerous than a mouse''s burrow.


    That day, when he was surrounded and attacked, even though he seemed to be at his wits'' end, the Qian family patriarch''s expression was still too calm.


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure it out.


    Was he really relying on something, or was it just that he was so deep in his schemes that even facing death, he wouldn''t show any signs of panic or desperation?


    Mo Hua didn''t know if he had any other plots.


    But as long as they caught or killed the Qian family patriarch, everything would eventually settle down.


    Even if he had some schemes, as long as they were buried with him, Mo Hua wouldn''t care.


    Mo Hua first found clues about the Third Chief.


    The First Chief had been hiding in the Qian family and had already been executed.


    The Third Chief was likely still hiding deep in the mountains.


    The Dao soldiers had been searching the mountains for days, but there was no news of the Third Chief or the Qian family patriarch.


    Mo Hua volunteered to help with the search.


    Since he had learned the technique of spiritual sense calculations, his sensitivity to the traces of array spiritual energy had become increasingly keen.


    If the Third Chief was hiding deep in the mountains, he would definitely set up arrays, and as long as he set up arrays, the spiritual energy traces generated by the arrays would be like a bright light in the night, unable to escape Mo Hua''s spiritual sense detection.


    Commander Yang was worried and followed Mo Hua into the deep mountains.


    The deep mountains were vast, and Heishan Stronghold was just a part of it. There were many other remote, overgrown, poisonous, and desolate areas.


    With Commander Yang guarding him, Mo Hua observed everywhere while expanding his spiritual sense to search for traces of arrays.


    A good array master wouldn''t set up arrays carelessly.


    As long as there were arrays, they couldn''t escape Mo Hua''s spiritual sense.


    Half a day later, Mo Hua finally discovered traces of an array on a cliff.


    It was a familiar concealment array!


    In the area near Tongxian City, the only array master who could draw concealment arrays, besides himself, was probably the Third Chief.


    "Found it?" Commander Yang, seeing Mo Hua suddenly stop moving, his eyes lit up and he asked.


    Mo Hua nodded and pointed to the cliff, "It''s nearby."


    Commander Yang followed Mo Hua''s pointing, but the cliff was just a mass of strange rocks and shrubs, no different from other cliffs they had seen along the way.


    How did he find it...


    "Is it here?" Commander Yang confirmed.


    "Yes, there''s a concealment array here, hiding their tracks."


    Commander Yang released his spiritual sense, but he still couldn''t find anything. The array patterns'' spiritual energy blended with the mountain mist, making it obscure and indistinguishable. He wasn''t an array master and couldn''t tell the difference.


    But he didn''t want to let Mo Hua know he couldn''t see anything, so he nodded seriously and agreed, "Indeed."


    "I''ll go in and take a look," Mo Hua said.


    Commander Yang quickly stopped him, "I''ll go with you."


    The Third Chief was a demonic array master, hiding in a concealed cave with unknown dangers. He feared Mo Hua might encounter danger.


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I''ll go in invisibly, he won''t see me."


    Commander Yang still disagreed.


    Mo Hua continued, "Uncle Yang, you don''t know what arrays are set up inside. If you rush in, you''ll either fall into a trap or alert him and let him escape."


    "You know what arrays are set up inside?" Commander Yang asked, puzzled.


    "I''ll know once I take a look," Mo Hua said.


    Commander Yang hesitated.


    He didn''t recall any other array masters having this ability...


    Knowing the arrays set up just by looking?


    But seeing Mo Hua''s confident demeanor, he must have confidence.


    "Alright then," Commander Yang nodded, "I''ll wait here. If you encounter danger, just shout, and I''ll rush in to save you!"


    "Okay!" Mo Hua nodded.


    Then Mo Hua used the Concealment Technique and disappeared from Commander Yang''s sight.


    Commander Yang sighed. Despite seeing this Concealment Technique many times, he still found it unbelievable.


    He was only at the Qi Refining stage, yet he could evade the senses of Foundation Building cultivators...


    "Let''s see if there are any suitable, beautiful, gentle girls in the family. I have to find a way to trick Mo Hua into joining the Yang family..."


    The upright Commander Yang couldn''t help but think of some crooked ideas...


    Mo Hua, concealing his form, walked along the hidden steps on the cliff into the concealed cave.


    The cave was filled with arrays, including concealment arrays and some warning, trap, and defensive arrays.


    Mo Hua, using his spiritual sense calculations, knew the range of the arrays and the types of array patterns, avoiding them without leaving a trace.


    The process was much easier than Mo Hua had expected.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but marvel at how effective Mr. Zhuang''s calculation methods were.


    Especially when dealing with array masters, he could see through their arrays at a glance.


    The cave was relatively spacious and dark, with only a faintly glowing array providing illumination.


    In the dim light, he could see array books, array plates, pens, and ink scattered around, along with some materials for pill furnaces and several large vats of human blood.


    The Third Chief was sitting at a stone table, focused on drawing something.


    Mo Hua quietly used the Passing Water Step, trying not to make any noise, and tiptoed closer. He could see the table but wouldn''t draw the Third Chief''s attention.


    The fully concentrated Third Chief never imagined that hiding in such a secluded cave, he still couldn''t escape Mo Hua''s "peeping."


    Mo Hua stretched his neck, curiously observing the Third Chief, wanting to see what he was doing.


    After a while, he understood.


    The Third Chief was drawing an array, and it was a demonic array!


    Another demonic array...


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened, and he focused to see what kind of demonic array it was.


    After a while, Mo Hua felt disappointed.


    As Bai Zixi had said, demonic arrays were unconventional, but not profound in array techniques.


    Demonic arrays were derived from orthodox arrays, altering the array medium, ink, and some array hubs to achieve quick results.


    Using flesh and blood as the array medium saved spiritual sense; using human blood as ink enhanced the array''s power, but the array patterns were simplified, shoddy, and crude.


    The so-called demonic arrays seemed more like "opportunistic" arrays.


    They were "quick-success" arrays.


    They seemed profound and terrifying, but their essence was rough and shallow, lacking in quality.


    Whether in cultivation or array techniques, quick success might start fast but couldn''t go far or understand the ultimate Dao.


    Mo Hua tried calculating in his mind, and the demonic array patterns clearly appeared in his mind.


    No wonder Bai Zixi said he might "learn it at once."


    Mo Hua lost interest.


    The demonic arrays, looking fierce, were actually not interesting.


    Too low in technical content...


    Mo Hua didn''t want to watch anymore and quietly left.


    Outside the cave, Commander Yang was fully alert, staring at the cave entrance.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua appeared beside him, startling him.


    "When did you come out?"


    "Just now..."


    Commander Yang coughed to cover his embarrassment, pretending to be calm, and asked, "Is the Third Chief inside?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "He''s inside. There''s a hidden path. You go in and catch him, don''t let him escape!"


    Mo Hua took out paper and pen, drew a schematic of the cave, and marked everything clearly.


    Where the arrays were, what types they were, their functions, the safest path to avoid traps and not alert the enemy, the cave''s mechanisms, and the location of the hidden path...


    Mo Hua told everything to Commander Yang.


    Commander Yang couldn''t help but sigh.


    He wanted to carry Mo Hua around like a treasure.


    Expert in warning, searching, detecting, and breaking arrays.


    With him, future military operations would be so convenient!


    But Commander Yang knew he could only think about it.


    Such wishful thinking was impossible.


    Commander Yang memorized the route and, imitating Mo Hua, sneaked into the cave. After a while, there was the sound of fighting inside, mixed with the Third Chief''s angry and shocked voice.


    After a while, the commotion stopped. S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Commander Yang''s voice echoed from the cave, "Mo Hua!"


    Mo Hua knew the Third Chief had been subdued, his spirits lifted, and he swaggered into the cave.

 Chapter 328: Inquiry

    The cave was in a state of chaos. Some of the arrays had been destroyed, and some books and array disks were shredded by spiritual power. There were several pits on the walls, and blood was splattered all over the ground.The Third Master had his shoulder pierced by a long spear, pinning him to the wall. His hands and feet were bound with silver shackles.


    These shackles were specialized tools used by the Daoist Soldiers Department, classified as second-grade spiritual tools, and inscribed with spirit-locking arrays designed specifically for restraining prisoners.


    Commander Yang was a scion of a noble family and had led the Daoist soldiers through numerous battles. His personal strength and combat experience were far superior to the Third Master''s.


    The only thing the Third Master excelled at was array formations.


    But now, with Mo Hua''s assistance, his arrays were rendered useless, and naturally, he was no match for Commander Yang.


    After a dozen rounds of combat, Commander Yang captured him.


    Mo Hua entered the cave.


    The Third Master, upon seeing him, suddenly widened his eyes in shock and exclaimed, "It''s you?!"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Yes, it''s me!"


    The Third Master struggled to stand up but was held down by Commander Yang with a slap, making it impossible for him to move.


    In pain, the Third Master gave up struggling, still finding it hard to believe, "Are you really... an array master?"


    "You guessed it?" Mo Hua did not deny it.


    The Third Master''s eyelids trembled, and he felt a chill in his heart.


    He understood everything now.


    It was this little demon who had infiltrated Heishan Stronghold, dismantled his arrays, and destroyed his visualization diagram...


    Indeed, it was all done by this little demon!


    Yet he found it unbelievable, "How is it possible? How can you have such strong spiritual sense?"


    He was only at the Qi Refining stage, but his spiritual sense was comparable to Foundation Building.


    This was far beyond his understanding of cultivation.


    Mo Hua smiled faintly and did not answer.


    He didn''t want to reveal his secrets.


    Let the Third Master keep guessing.


    The Third Master''s expression changed several times, and finally, seemingly unwilling, he asked, "Did you really dismantle my arrays?"


    "Sort of," Mo Hua said casually.


    Who knew this would cause the Third Master to look defeated, becoming despondent.


    Having strong spiritual sense might just be this little demon''s talent, but dismantling his arrays meant his understanding of arrays was far superior to his own.


    A young cultivator in his teens with such superior array skills...


    Cracks began to appear in the Third Master''s Dao heart...


    This was impossible!


    Even if such a person existed, they should be the prodigies of noble Daoist families or ancient sects, not a humble independent cultivator from such a remote place.


    The Third Master looked at Mo Hua with disbelief, then with despondence, and finally with jealousy and hatred.


    "You lucky little b..."


    Before he could finish cursing, Mo Hua swung the Qianjun Stick at his face.


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, "You seem to still not understand your situation."


    Commander Yang also frowned, thrusting the spear deeper, the violent spiritual power on the spear corroding the Third Master''s flesh.


    The pain from the wound sobered the Third Master a bit.


    He suddenly realized that the little demon in front of him was not easy to deal with.


    This little demon had the audacity to infiltrate Heishan Stronghold, and even after being discovered, he could still calmly deceive him, killing a few demonic cultivators in the process...


    Such courage and cunning were extraordinary.


    This little demon, even if not an old devil who had seized a new body, was a cunning little monster.


    Offending him now was indeed unwise.


    The Third Master suppressed his many jealous and hateful feelings, forcing himself to calm down.


    Seeing that the Third Master was sensible, Mo Hua stopped hitting him.


    Of course, his body was weak. Even if he swung the Qianjun Stick, he might dislocate his arm, but it wouldn''t cause much harm to the Third Master, only expressing his dissatisfaction.


    Mo Hua asked about the things he cared about:


    "You didn''t tell your leader about me?"


    "No."


    "Why?" Mo Hua was puzzled.


    The Third Master was reluctant to say.


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, "Don''t be ungrateful!"


    With that, he raised the Qianjun Stick, ready to hit the Third Master''s face, not to hurt him but to humiliate him.


    The Third Master gritted his teeth, "I''ll talk!"


    He didn''t want to be humiliated by a young cultivator.


    Mo Hua put away the Qianjun Stick, "Speak."


    The Third Master hesitated briefly, "I noticed that the arrays in Heishan Stronghold had been tampered with and suspected it was you, but I wasn''t sure. After all, dismantling arrays is not something an ordinary array master can learn."


    "You are too young to have such array skills."


    "But later, I thought about your strong spiritual sense and felt it was likely you."


    "Then why didn''t you tell your leader?" Mo Hua asked.


    The Third Master sneered, "If I told him and you fell into his hands, your secrets would belong to him..."


    "But if I didn''t tell, and I caught you, I could explore your spiritual sense secrets, force you to reveal your array techniques, and enhance my spiritual sense, improving my array skills rapidly."


    "If you were me, what would you choose?" the Third Master retorted.


    Mo Hua touched his chin.


    He seemed to make sense...


    People are naturally selfish, especially demonic cultivators like the Third Master.


    "Besides, there''s another reason..." The Third Master looked at Mo Hua, his gaze becoming serious, "I was afraid you would join the leader."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "Join the leader?"


    The Third Master said coldly, "I''ve seen your array dismantling techniques. To be honest, I am ashamed and fearful."


    "So young, with such strong spiritual sense and profound array skills."


    "If the leader knew, he would definitely invite you to join Heishan Stronghold. Even if you were unwilling, he would try every means, including coercion and inducement, to make you become a demonic cultivator of Heishan Stronghold."


    "And once you joined Heishan Stronghold, there would be two array masters. The principle of one mountain not accommodating two tigers, you should understand."


    "Moreover, you are so young. Your array skills will be limitless in the future. Even if you wanted to kill me, the leader would probably help you."


    "That''s an exaggeration..."


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised. He didn''t know he had such a big face... S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Third Master sneered, "I''ve followed the leader for many years. I know his character very well. As long as you have talent, you can get anything you want, but if you are useless, he will discard you like trash."


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    This also matched his impression of the old ancestor of the Qian family.


    As the Third Master spoke, he suddenly realized something, his expression changed dramatically, and he asked, "No, how do you know there is a leader in Heishan Stronghold?"


    Mo Hua was momentarily speechless.


    This Third Master was really slow to react...


    However, from his reaction, he probably didn''t know that the identity of the Qian family ancestor had been exposed, nor that he had been besieged by the Daoist soldiers and was heavily injured and on the run.


    In other words, he had no contact with the Qian family ancestor while hiding here.


    "Your leader has already been killed!" Mo Hua bluffed him.


    The Third Master was shocked, then calmed down, sneering, "Impossible."


    "Why?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    The Third Master sneered but was unwilling to answer.


    "What are these demonic arrays you drew used for?" Mo Hua asked again.


    The Third Master closed his eyes, still silent. Even though Commander Yang stabbed the spear deeper and stirred his wound with spiritual power, the Third Master endured the pain without saying a word.


    It seemed these matters were highly confidential, and the Third Master would not easily reveal them.


    Commander Yang said, "Take him back, lock him in the Dao Prison, and interrogate him severely."


    Mo Hua nodded. For now, that was all they could do.


    Commander Yang withdrew the spear, preparing to escort the Third Master back to Tongxian City. Before leaving, the Third Master suddenly asked, "What happened to the leader?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth:


    "His identity was exposed, he was besieged, heavily injured, and escaped. He probably can''t cause much trouble now."


    The Third Master looked disappointed.


    He had hoped the Qian family ancestor would find him, regroup, and rebuild Heishan Stronghold.


    Such wishful thinking...


    Mo Hua sneered in his heart.


    As the Third Master was escorted away by Commander Yang, he looked despondent but turned back with a subtle, sinister smile.


    This smile was so faint that if not for Mo Hua''s keen spiritual sense, he would not have noticed it.


    What was this Third Master, this old trickster, smiling about?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He thoroughly checked everything in the cave again but found nothing special.


    He and Commander Yang had already searched the Third Master''s storage bag, which contained only some spirit stones, some blood ink, some Longevity Pills, and a damaged visualization diagram.


    The visualization diagram lacked the image of the blue-faced demon child¡ªbecause that little demon had been eaten by Mo Hua.


    Of all the items, the only thing that caught Mo Hua''s attention was the demonic array drawn by the Third Master.


    What was this demonic array used for?

 Chapter 329: The Evil Pill

    Mo Hua found a clean place to sit cross-legged and began to ponder.The only place he had seen an evil array was at Heishan Stronghold.


    The outer perimeter of Heishan Stronghold used the orthodox Five Elements Array, not an evil array.


    The Five Elements Array aligns with the Dao of Heaven¡¯s laws, being an orthodox array, whereas the aura of an evil array is filthy and, even with a Concealment Array, cannot be completely hidden if used excessively.


    Thus, the Third Master had only set up a few evil arrays in the most secretive blood-colored pill room in the rear stronghold.


    One was the bronze beast gate, and the other was the Bone Pill Furnace.


    The evil array on the bronze beast gate was for guarding, while the evil array in the Bone Pill Furnace was for refining pills.


    The Third Master¡¯s painstaking research into this evil array was certainly not for guarding.


    Given this, it was for refining pills.


    Refining evil pills naturally requires an evil furnace, and making an evil furnace naturally requires an evil array.


    The evil array drawn by the Third Master was very likely for pill refining.


    But what pill could it be?


    The Longevity Pill?


    At this time, is he still thinking about refining the Longevity Pill?


    Is this Third Master so "dedicated"?


    Heishan Stronghold has fallen, the stronghold leader has fled, and he is still diligently studying evil arrays, preparing to refine life-preserving pills?


    It seems unlikely...


    Mo Hua felt something was off, but couldn¡¯t grasp it immediately.


    ¡°Should I ask Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then shook his head.


    Taking this array to ask Mr. Zhuang might make him think Mo Hua wanted to learn evil arrays.


    Moreover, Mr. Zhuang cherished peace and quiet, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to bring such filthy arrays to disturb his serene cultivation.


    Besides, Mr. Zhuang was likely leaving soon, and Mo Hua would have to rely on himself in the future.


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua felt a bit downhearted.


    Mr. Zhuang is leaving...


    I wonder if I will ever see him again.


    After a moment of gloom, Mo Hua shook it off and continued to think.


    If not from the evil array, then maybe some clues could be found from the pills.


    Mo Hua took out paper and a brush, sketched a rough diagram of the Bone Pill Furnace, the blood-colored pill room, and some strange herbs from the Third Master¡¯s storage bag.


    Mo Hua went to the Alchemy Hall in the south of the city and showed these to Mr. Feng.


    Mr. Feng''s face changed dramatically and he exclaimed, ¡°These are¡­¡±


    ¡°Pills refined by evil cultivators!¡±


    Mo Hua explained the situation, including the matters of Heishan Stronghold and the Third Master, as well as his suspicions:


    ¡°Are they still refining other pills?¡±


    Mr. Feng took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and then said:


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. These strange herbs look similar but have different properties, not like they are for refining the same batch of pills...¡±


    Mo Hua quickly asked, ¡°Do you know what pills they might be?¡±


    This stumped Mr. Feng.


    Mr. Feng politely said, ¡°I am not an evil pill master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    Mr. Feng glared slightly at Mo Hua and said irritably:


    ¡°Would it not be a pity if I were an evil pill master?¡±


    Mo Hua realized his blunder, scratched his head, and gave an embarrassed smile.


    Mr. Feng chuckled, shook his head, and said, ¡°I will call other pill masters from the Alchemy Hall to help you ask.¡±


    Mo Hua asked doubtfully, ¡°If you don¡¯t know, will they?¡±


    Mr. Feng smiled gently and said, ¡°Do not underestimate anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°People in this world are diverse, each with their strengths. On the long road of cultivation, even an ordinary person has experiences others haven''t had, knowledge others don''t know, and insights others don''t understand.¡±


    ¡°How will you know they don¡¯t know if you don¡¯t ask?¡±


    Mo Hua seemed to understand and nodded.


    After a while, Mr. Feng gathered the pill masters from the Alchemy Hall. The room was soon crowded.


    Mr. Feng explained the situation and showed them Mo Hua¡¯s sketches of the Bone Pill Furnace and the strange herbs.


    For a moment, there was an uproar.


    ¡°The Qian family''s patriarch is truly despicable.¡±


    ¡°Refining such pills, truly devoid of conscience!¡±


    ¡°An outrage against heaven and earth, he will sooner or later feed pigs and dogs!¡±


    They only knew that the Qian family''s patriarch was an evil cultivator who colluded with Heishan Stronghold and did bad things, but they were not clear on the specifics. Upon learning about the human pill refining, they were furious.


    Pill masters research the Dao of Pills to cure and save people, not to use people to refine pills.


    This violated their initial purpose as pill masters.


    Mr. Feng raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down, and asked:


    ¡°Does anyone know what other pills these herbs could refine?¡±


    The pill masters looked at each other in confusion; they were not evil pill masters and had never refined evil pills, so they were unfamiliar with these.


    Mr. Feng said, ¡°You can also mention uncertain guesses to see if there are any clues.¡±


    Now the pill masters had much to say.


    This was about refining evil pills. They might not have "professional" knowledge, but they had plenty of "unprofessional" information.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a Blood Fiend Pill¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a Human Essence Pill.¡±


    ¡°How could it be a Human Essence Pill?¡±


    ¡°I only know this one evil pill, so I can only guess this one¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you guess?¡±


    ¡°Guessing is just guessing, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I once dealt with an evil pill master who used the blood of his closest kin as a medicinal guide to refine a Blood Source Pill¡­¡±


    ¡°To my shame, an ancestor of mine was an evil pill master who refined several types of evil pills and even shamelessly recorded their names in the family genealogy. It¡¯s a disgrace I¡¯ve never mentioned until now¡­¡±


    Mr. Feng listened carefully, noting down the names and origins of the pills.


    In a short time, he filled a whole page.


    Mo Hua glanced at it and saw it was full of pill names like "Swallow," "Human," "Blood," "Evil," and "Fiend," indicating they were not good pills. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, none of these seemed to match the pills the Qian family''s patriarch was refining.


    Mr. Feng also frowned.


    Just then, a young pill master hesitated, saying, ¡°I¡­¡±


    He ¡°I¡±ed for a long time without saying anything.


    The pill master next to him grew impatient, ¡°What are you ¡®I¡¯ing about? Speak up if you have something to say!¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­ have heard a rumor.¡±


    This young pill master was young and of low status, so he was nervous speaking in front of so many people.


    Everyone waited patiently for him to continue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize these herbs or this furnace, but¡­ but I¡¯ve heard a rumor.¡±


    The pill master next to him grew impatient again, ¡°Get to the point!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush him, let him speak slowly.¡±


    After some commotion, Mr. Feng quieted everyone down and gently said to the young pill master:


    ¡°Speak slowly, no need to hurry, it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    The young pill master finally relaxed, took a breath, and continued:


    ¡°When I was traveling with my master, we passed by a dilapidated temple. It was cold at night, and I slept in my clothes. I woke up in the middle of the night, freezing, and saw my master talking to a strange Daoist.¡±


    ¡°That Daoist¡¯s voice was peculiar. Though he spoke, it sounded like the voice was borrowed from someone else¡­¡±


    ¡°He told my master about a pill named¡­ the ¡®Life-Transforming Elixir.¡¯ It uses human lifespan as a medicinal guide to convert a person¡¯s life force into blood and qi, then refines it into medicinal power to create a pill that can break through cultivation levels¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened next?¡± a pill master asked.


    ¡°Next¡­¡± The young pill master said embarrassedly, ¡°I was cold and hungry, and I fell back asleep. I don¡¯t know what happened afterward¡­¡±


    Everyone felt regretful.


    Someone asked, ¡°What about your master?¡±


    ¡°He went in.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The young pill master said softly, ¡°He was taken to the Dao Prison¡­¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Did he refine this¡­ Life-Transforming Elixir?¡±


    The young pill master shook his head, ¡°He hadn¡¯t refined it yet. He was just caught buying a few herbs, and then the Dao Court found out and took him¡­¡±


    ¡°The Dao Court didn¡¯t trouble you?¡±


    The young pill master said, ¡°I was also taken in, but I knew nothing, so they let me go after ten days.¡±


    The young pill master sighed, looking troubled:


    ¡°My parents spent spirit stones to get me a master to learn some skills for a living.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t learn much before my master was taken¡­¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, I didn¡¯t learn my master¡¯s skills, or I might have been taken too¡­¡±


    ¡°When I returned, my parents told me to keep my mouth shut, not to mention this to anyone, but now seeing you all discussing such matters, I thought I might as well share it in case it helps¡­¡±


    Mr. Feng nodded, ¡°It indeed helped. However, this matter should not be mentioned to outsiders in the future.¡±


    The young pill master beamed at the praise and nodded repeatedly.


    The impatient pill master patted his shoulder and sighed:


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t go astray, or your life would have been ruined.¡±


    The young pill master gave an awkward smile.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew more serious.


    The


    Longevity Pill¡­ the Life-Transforming Elixir¡­


    Breaking through cultivation levels, enhancing power¡­


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    If the Qian family patriarch is really refining the Life-Transforming Elixir, then there¡¯s big trouble.

 Chapter 330: Disintegration

    Mo Hua told Zhang Lan and Commander Yang about this matter.They were both from prominent families and should know something.


    "Life-Transforming Elixir?"


    Zhang Lan gradually frowned, his expression becoming grave. "I''ve never heard of this pill."


    Zhang Lan looked at Commander Yang, who also shook his head. "I haven''t heard of it either."


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised. This pill was so obscure that even Zhang Lan and Commander Yang had never heard of it.


    Zhang Lan said, "Copy the drawings of the pill furnace and herbs for me. I''ll send them back to my family to inquire."


    Commander Yang also said, "Give me a copy as well, I''ll ask around too."


    Mo Hua copied a set for each of them and asked, "How long will it take to get a reply?"


    Zhang Lan pondered, "It''s hard to say. If it''s quick, less than a week. If it''s slow, it might take half a month."


    "With a low cultivation level, many means of transmission can''t be used, so it takes longer," Zhang Lan sighed again.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    About six days later, Zhang Lan received a reply from his family.


    Zhang Lan found Mo Hua, his expression serious. "This is no ordinary demonic pill!"


    "Life-Transforming Elixir refines a cultivator''s life force, converting it into cultivation power. It''s a pill passed down in some major demonic sects, a true demonic technique!"


    "Several of the herbs, such as Soul Refining Grass and Withering Life Vine, are indeed used to refine Life-Transforming Elixir."


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened. "How could the Qian family''s ancestor have such a pill recipe?"


    Zhang Lan shook his head. "Perhaps he obtained it inadvertently, or someone deliberately gave it to him. There are too few clues to know."


    The next day, Commander Yang also received a reply from his family.


    The reply was similar to Zhang Lan''s, but it added a bit more detail.


    "Even in demonic sects, Life-Transforming Elixir is extremely precious. The pill refining method is a secret of the demonic sects, and it''s not easily shared."


    "Refining this pill requires heavy killing. First, people are refined into Longevity Pills, which are then used as medicinal primers, using human blood and flesh as materials to convert life into cultivation power, enhancing one''s cultivation."


    "Refining a batch of these pills can take decades or even a hundred years, continuously killing people to refine the pills."


    "Even in demonic sects, refining a batch of these pills is very taxing."


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    This aligned with the actions of the Qian family''s ancestor.


    The Qian family''s ancestor established the Heishan Stronghold, kept demonic cultivators, and killed people to refine pills.


    First refining Longevity Pills to extend his own and the Qian family''s elder''s lives; then using Longevity Pills as a primer to refine Life-Transforming Elixir.


    Mo Hua had asked Mr. Feng, and although Longevity Pills could extend life, they had a limit.


    Continuous consumption would gradually reduce the pill''s efficacy, shortening the life extension until it eventually became ineffective.


    The Qian family''s ancestor couldn''t rely on Longevity Pills to live indefinitely.


    So his goal was to use Longevity Pills to prolong his life for a century, long enough to refine Life-Transforming Elixir, which he would then consume to enhance his cultivation and breakthrough to the late Foundation Building stage.


    Breaking through from mid to late Foundation Building stage could increase his lifespan by a hundred years, giving him another century to live!


    Reaching the late Foundation Building stage, with a century of life, he could then seek methods to form a Golden Core in higher-grade regions beyond Tongxian City!


    In a hundred years, anything could happen!


    Zhang Lan and Commander Yang had also thought of this, their expressions shocked.


    "But there''s one problem," Zhang Lan said with a hint of doubt. "The pill furnace at Heishan Stronghold was destroyed. Does that mean this batch of pills was also destroyed?"


    Commander Yang pondered, "It seems so..."


    But everyone''s expressions did not relax.


    The Qian family''s ancestor was very cunning; things might not be that simple.


    "Does the Qian family have other pill furnaces?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan nodded. "Yes, the Qian family''s ancestor had several pill furnaces in his cave, but they were all destroyed in the battle."


    "What about other pill furnaces in the Qian family?"


    "Are you suggesting that some furnaces might look like legitimate pill furnaces but are not?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Commander Yang nodded. "I''ll send Dao soldiers to destroy all the Qian family''s pill furnaces, leaving none!"


    Zhang Lan added, "I''ll inform Chief Supervisor Zhou. All private or sect-owned pill furnaces in Tongxian City must be reported and inspected, leaving no stone unturned."


    Zhang Lan finished, thought for a moment, and then said to Commander Yang, "Heishan Stronghold must be searched again." s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Commander Yang nodded. "I''ll personally lead a team to search thoroughly!"


    "As long as we find and destroy the Qian family''s ancestor''s pill furnace, preventing him from refining Life-Transforming Elixir, he won''t be able to stir up any trouble."


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling he had overlooked something crucial...


    Zhang Lan saw his serious expression and thought he was still worried, so he comforted him, "Don''t worry, no matter how cunning the Qian family''s ancestor is, his schemes will be useless once exposed."


    Mo Hua still had concerns but nodded.


    In the following days, the search of the Qian family, inspection of pill furnaces, and search of Heishan Stronghold proceeded methodically.


    These tasks were handled by the Dao Court and the Dao soldiers, and Mo Hua couldn''t help much, so he focused on the disintegration of the composite array.


    After nearly a month of intermittent work, Mo Hua finally completed the calculation of the composite array.


    It wouldn''t have taken this long, but one thing after another caused delays.


    Fortunately, it was now complete.


    Mo Hua was very curious to see if the disintegration of the composite array could really harm Foundation Building cultivators.


    He wanted to find an opportunity to test the array''s power.


    But there certainly wouldn''t be any Foundation Building cultivators willing to let him test it on them, nor would a second-grade demonic beast do.


    Mo Hua didn''t know if his Concealment Technique could deceive a second-grade demonic beast''s senses.


    Demonic beasts differed from cultivators. Besides vision and demonic sense, they were also highly sensitive to smells.


    And different demonic beasts had different racial talents, with some having keen vision, others sharp demonic senses, and some sensitive to blood.


    Even if the Concealment Technique could deceive one type of second-grade demonic beast, it might not deceive all demonic beasts.


    After all, human physical structures are similar, but demonic beasts vary greatly.


    Without prior knowledge, recklessly approaching a second-grade demonic beast was like courting death.


    In this situation, a peak late first-grade demonic beast was the limit Mo Hua could find.


    Even if something went wrong and he couldn''t win, he could still escape.


    Mo Hua first set up the array.


    It was a set of first-grade Earth Fire composite array.


    The power of the composite array''s disintegration had nothing to do with the type of array but was related to the array''s spiritual sense strength, the amount of spiritual power, and the number of array patterns.


    As long as the array''s strength was high enough, even a Concealment Array could produce great power upon disintegration.


    Mo Hua chose the Earth Fire composite array for comparison.


    Mo Hua had previously tested that triggering this Earth Fire composite array could heavily injure a peak late first-grade demonic beast.


    Now, he wanted to see the power of the composite array''s disintegration.


    Would it be stronger than the Earth Fire composite array explosion, and by how much?


    Everything was ready, and a black bear appeared in Mo Hua''s sight.


    The black bear had black hair like thorns, eyes like copper bells, and a huge body, one of the strongest demonic beasts in Dahei Mountain.


    It was also one of the most feared demonic beasts by demon hunters.


    But now, Mo Hua felt little fear.


    All fear stemmed from one''s own weakness.


    Mo Hua''s current cultivation wasn''t strong, but he had some means of self-preservation even against Foundation Building cultivators, let alone a peak late first-grade demonic beast.


    He might not be able to kill this beast, but it couldn''t kill him either.


    But soon, things would be different.


    Mo Hua now wanted to verify if, with his array skills, he could rely on the disintegration of the array to kill this peak late first-grade demonic beast!


    He set traps, placed the array, covered his traces, and masked his scent with Demon Stinkweed...


    The entire process was well-practiced by Mo Hua.


    The black bear walked unrestrainedly along the predicted route.


    In Dahei Mountain, there were few cultivators or demonic beasts that posed a threat to it. It could kill or eat anything it wanted.


    Moreover, it sensed no danger.


    Soon, it stepped into Mo Hua''s trap, triggering the array he had drawn.


    At the moment the array was triggered, the spiritual power suddenly reversed.


    The composite array disintegrated!


    Mo Hua''s pupils contracted.


    As with the previous disintegration of a single array, the spiritual power reversed and then disintegrated and vanished, silent and without a trace.


    But this time, the scale of the disintegration was much larger, with the reversed spiritual power covering most of the black bear''s body.


    Half of the black bear''s body instantly disappeared, turning into black ash and vanishing.


    It was as if someone had suddenly crushed the void, crushing half of the black bear''s body along with it!


    The powerful black bear, leaving only half its body, fell to the ground and died on the spot!


    Mo Hua''s expression was shaken, his heart in awe, and he murmured, "This is the true... disintegration of the array..."


    This is the true... power of the Dao''s destruction!

 Chapter 331: Divergent Thoughts

    Mo Hua calmed his mind and thought carefully again.The Grand Dao''s annihilation and dissolution might not be quite accurate; at best, it was a prototype of the Grand Dao''s annihilation and dissolution.


    After all, he was still in the Qi refining stage and could only draw first-grade arrays and derive and induce first-grade Qi refining annihilation power.


    But this was already enough.


    Mo Hua was very satisfied with this power.


    A peak late-stage first-grade Black Bear Demon was annihilated by the array, dying instantly. This was already beyond the usual destructive power of the Qi refining stage.


    "In that case, could the array collapse really injure a Foundation Building cultivator?"


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but wonder.


    Who should he test it on?


    Judging by this power, even an early-stage Foundation Building cultivator could likely be killed...


    He could only find some wicked Foundation Building cultivators to test on.


    Mo Hua touched his chin, contemplating:


    "Why not sacrifice the third boss?"


    After all, he was likely to be executed by the Dao Court. Using him to test the array before his death would be a waste of a bad person.


    However, the Dao Court might not agree.


    Execution was according to the Dao Laws, and using him to test the array would be extrajudicial punishment, which was against the rules.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    If only he had learned this earlier.


    In that case, during the attack on Heishan Stronghold, he could have tried to use the array secretly to test its power against a Foundation Building cultivator.


    Now, the only remaining Foundation Building cultivator in Heishan Stronghold was the Qian Family Patriarch.


    But the Qian Family Patriarch was mid-stage Foundation Building and very cunning.


    Mo Hua wasn''t confident that the array collapse could kill him, and even if it could, he might not be able to outsmart him.


    He didn''t want to end up failing and getting killed by the Qian Family Patriarch.


    Mo Hua released his spiritual sense, confirming the surroundings were safe and that the Black Bear Demon was indeed dead. He then ran forward to check the details.


    Half of the Black Bear Demon''s body was intact, not a hair harmed.


    The other half had disappeared, turned into black powder. This powder was pitch black, odorless, with no trace of blood or spiritual energy, like the remnants of a lifeless corpse after death.


    This was the array master''s understanding of arrays and the use of the power of the Dao.


    "Array masters are truly terrifying..."


    Mo Hua muttered, then nodded:


    "Luckily, I am an array master!"


    Mo Hua felt a small sense of relief.


    Then he found a small grass among the black powder.


    This small grass was intentionally left by Mo Hua as the "Gate of Life."


    Mr. Zhuang had told him that the Dao of life and death cycles, life and death transformation, where there is death, there must be life.


    The power of the array''s collapse could annihilate everything, but within the annihilation, there was a sliver of life, which was the "Gate of Life" left in the calculation.


    Mo Hua wanted to test the power of the array collapse and the retained life contained in the "Gate of Life."


    And the location of this "Gate of Life" was left to this small grass.


    In the gentle mountain breeze, this weak grass swayed, unscathed even in the midst of the terrifying annihilation power of the array collapse.


    This proved that Mo Hua''s calculations were correct.


    He had not only calculated the power of the array collapse but also the "Gate of Life" within the array collapse.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but feel happy.


    As long as he practiced more calculations, attempted more collapses, and deduced more "Gates of Life," his array skills would improve daily.


    One day, his array skills would become so profound that other array masters would be in awe.


    Mo Hua was happy for a while, then began cleaning up the traces.


    The traces of the array collapse needed to be erased, and the Black Bear Demon needed to be skinned and boned to be sold for spirit stones. Although the pelt was damaged and most of the blood was gone, it wouldn''t fetch many spirit stones, but every little bit helps, and it couldn''t be wasted.


    After cleaning up, Mo Hua summarized the usage of the array collapse and felt regret.


    Although the array collapse was strong, it wasn''t particularly practical.


    The collapse required prior calculation, which consumed a lot of spiritual sense and time.


    Without ample preparation, the array collapse couldn''t be used in combat.


    Currently, the array collapse could only be used as a trap, like the Earth Fire Array.


    It needed to be set up in advance and unnoticed.


    Using it against demonic beasts had too much destructive power; after the collapse, most of the demonic beast''s body turned to black ash, and what was left couldn''t be sold for much.


    It was basically a losing proposition.


    Using it against cultivators required that the opponent not be too smart or too wary of him, preferably not knowing he was an array master, to catch them off guard.


    Otherwise, they might not fall for it.


    After the array collapse, the "Gate of Life" was also relatively small, only about a foot or two in space, not enough for a person to survive.


    Currently, this "Gate of Life" was useless to him.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Thinking about it, the conditions for using the array collapse were really stringent.


    The calculations were complex, preparation time was long, the "Gate of Life" was narrow, and the opponent preferably needed to be a fool, or at least not too smart.


    Indeed, the more powerful the force, the more restrictions there were.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    But despite the many restrictions, having a powerful force was better than not having one.


    One shouldn''t be too greedy.


    Mo Hua nodded, packed up everything, and prepared to leave. Before turning around, he glanced at the small grass.


    The surrounding soil, stones, and plants were annihilated by the array, leaving a barren land.


    Only this small grass, weak but resilient, swayed in the wind, seemingly containing infinite vitality.


    Mo Hua watched, lost in thought, and suddenly had an epiphany.


    Mr. Zhuang was right. In this world, where there is life, there is death, and where there is death, there is life.


    ¡ª


    In the following days, Mo Hua would visit Mr. Zhuang daily.


    Sometimes he indeed had questions about arrays that needed Mr. Zhuang''s guidance;


    Sometimes his mother made delicious food, and he brought it for Mr. Zhuang to taste;


    When he had nothing to do, he would chat with Mr. Zhuang about the customs and culture of Tongxian City and ask about the customs and anecdotes of various cultivation states.


    When he had time, he would also play chess with Elder Gui.


    Playing the simple and intellectually stimulating Five Elements Chess, the two of them enjoyed themselves immensely.


    Mo Hua cherished this time.


    Because he knew that perhaps in half a year, perhaps in a month, Mr. Zhuang would leave.


    The cultivation world was vast, and cultivation time was long.


    Once parted, it might be years before they could meet again.


    Whenever he thought of this, Mo Hua''s expression would become forlorn.


    Mr. Zhuang would gently pat his head, "Cultivate well, and there will be a day when we meet again."


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Meeting is fate, gathering is fate, and parting is also a kind of fate.


    After meeting comes parting, and after parting, comes meeting.


    Even the carefree Bai Zisheng felt the atmosphere was off. He asked Mo Hua, "Is Mr. Zhuang leaving?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua didn''t hide it from him.


    Bai Zisheng''s expression became complicated, while Bai Zixi remained calm, though her gaze dimmed a bit.


    "If Mr. Zhuang leaves, will you two also leave?"


    Mo Hua asked.


    Bai Zisheng seemed arrogant but was kind-hearted and treated him well. Bai Zixi had helped him a lot, telling him much about cultivation knowledge and insights.


    Even though they were all just named disciples, they were like half a sect, and Mo Hua cherished this friendship.


    Bai Zisheng looked dejected, "Probably..."


    They had visited Mr. Zhuang, hoping he would take them as direct disciples. Once Mr. Zhuang left, they would have to leave regardless.


    Even if they wanted to stay, Aunt Xue wouldn''t agree.


    The atmosphere became a bit heavy.


    Mo Hua took out the wine, meat, and cakes his mother made and said, "Cultivation is long; fate will bring us together again."


    "Yes."


    Bai Zisheng nodded, though his expression remained gloomy, and even the beef he ate tasted bland. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zixi said nothing, just tasted a few bites of cake, finding it less sweet.


    Due to frequent visits to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua and the Bai siblings spent more time together.


    Aunt Xue assigned fewer tasks, and Bai Zisheng would spar with Mo Hua when free.


    Bai Zisheng, at the ninth level of Qi refining, had deep cultivation and excellent martial arts. Previously, when sparring with Mo Hua, he would suppress his cultivation, only comparing body techniques or Dao techniques.


    But now, with Mo Hua''s spiritual sense foundation, his Passing Water Step, Concealment Technique, and Fireball Technique were more powerful, allowing him to spar with Bai Zisheng head-on without needing him to hold back.


    The two sparred back and forth, exchanging moves intensely.


    After tiring out, they would rest under the large locust tree.


    Mo Hua lay on the soft grass, covered in sweat, breathing heavily.


    His Dao techniques, relying on his powerful spiritual sense, were actually superior to Bai Zisheng''s.


    But his physical body and spiritual


    roots were too weak.


    Often, after a few rounds, his spiritual energy would run out, or his limbs would weaken, allowing Bai Zisheng to find an opening and subdue him.


    Bai Zisheng also lay on the ground, panting.


    He had thought he could easily win against Mo Hua with full effort.


    But it wasn''t as simple as he imagined.


    Mo Hua''s Passing Water Step was slippery, with no openings to exploit; his Fireball Technique was powerful, fast, and accurate, not to be underestimated.


    Moreover, Mo Hua hadn''t used his Concealment Technique. If he did, sneaking an attack would be even harder to deal with.


    Bai Zisheng had to resort to "shameless tactics," exhausting Mo Hua''s spiritual energy and waiting for his physical exhaustion to find a chance to close in and subdue him.


    Though he could win, it wasn''t a fair victory.


    He realized he needed to work harder, not letting Mo Hua surpass him, or he wouldn''t be able to be his big brother!


    Bai Zisheng''s fighting spirit ignited.


    The two lay under the tree, resting, watching the blue sky and white clouds, letting their thoughts drift.


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered the pill furnace.


    These days, the Dao Court and Dao Soldiers had searched Tongxian City and Heishan Stronghold thoroughly. Any pill furnaces with different designs and unclear functions were destroyed.


    Better to kill mistakenly than let go, to fundamentally eliminate the possibility of the Qian Family Patriarch refining the demonic pill.


    Zhang Lan also told Mo Hua:


    "All suspicious pill furnaces on the surface have been destroyed. Even if the Qian Family Patriarch wanted to refine, he would have no pill furnace to do so."


    "And refining the Life-Transforming Elixir takes a hundred years, the refining time is too long, and any sect specializing in refining demonic pills might not succeed, let alone the Qian Family Patriarch. We might just be worrying unnecessarily."


    Mo Hua felt Zhang Lan made sense and was somewhat reassured.


    But there was still a vague doubt in his heart.


    He felt he had forgotten something but couldn''t remember what.


    It was like the fog in the mountains, visible but untouchable, yet undeniably present.


    While deep in thought, Mo Hua noticed Bai Zixi quietly watching him.


    Mo Hua turned to look, their clear eyes meeting, like crystal-clear pools reflecting each other.


    Both were slightly stunned.


    White locust flowers fell, dancing between them.


    Time seemed to freeze.


    They stared at each other, not knowing how long, then silently looked away.


    For some reason, Mo Hua suddenly felt a pang of loss, memories swirling, Bai Zixi''s words, her clear and melodious voice, echoing in his mind.


    Her guidance on arrays, her sharing of secret techniques, and her praise for his mother''s cakes...


    As thoughts surged, a sudden phrase surfaced in Mo Hua''s mind:


    "Evil arrays and demonic arrays mostly use flesh and blood as the array medium, drawing array patterns with evil thoughts, going against the Dao..."


    Mostly using flesh and blood as the array medium...


    Using "flesh and blood" as the array medium...


    Mo Hua was startled, suddenly standing up.


    He realized why he felt something was wrong.


    He had indeed forgotten something.


    He had forgotten... the fat pig in the bloody pill room!


    Evil arrays use flesh and blood as the array medium...


    That pig covered in blood marks was the array medium.


    The blood marks on it were not blood marks but the array patterns of the evil array.


    The evil array was carved on the pill furnace.


    This meant that the pig was the real pill furnace!


    Inside it, the Life-Transforming Elixir that could help the Qian Family Patriarch break through was being refined!

 Chapter 332: Searching the Mountain

    Mo Hua gradually understood.Why, when they broke into Heishan Stronghold, the pill furnace was broken, but the pig was missing, and there was no large bloodstain on the ground. This indicated that the pig had been moved away beforehand and had not appeared since.


    The evil cultivators of Heishan Stronghold either died or were captured, but the pig was nowhere to be found.


    This indicated that the pig was very important, even more important than Heishan Stronghold and all the evil cultivators.


    Everyone, including Mo Hua, had ignored this fact.


    Why did the evil cultivators feed people to the pig? Because the pig was the real pill furnace.


    Feeding people to the pig was equivalent to putting people into the pill furnace as medicinal materials.


    Heishan Stronghold had been feeding people to the pig, indicating that the pill was still being refined.


    Or rather, the Life-Transforming Elixir had been in the process of refinement for a long time, and it might even have been completed.


    After all, no one knew how long Heishan Stronghold had been feeding people to the pig.


    If it had been for hundreds of years, then the Life-Transforming Elixir might already be perfected!


    A chill surged through his heart, and Mo Hua''s expression kept changing.


    Bai Zixi noticed and asked in confusion, "What''s wrong?"


    Mo Hua snapped back to reality and hurriedly said, "I just remembered something, something very important!"


    After saying that, he ran down the mountain.


    "Aren''t we fighting anymore?" Bai Zisheng asked regretfully behind him.


    Mo Hua waved his hand, "We''ll talk about it later..."


    Mo Hua used the Passing Water Step and quickly disappeared, leaving Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi staring at each other, not knowing what had happened.


    Mo Hua found Commander Yang and saw that Zhang Lan was also there. He said, "The pig!"


    Zhang Lan and Commander Yang were stunned, "Are you insulting us..."


    Mo Hua, out of breath, shook his head and said intermittently, "That pig... is the pill furnace!"


    Zhang Lan and Commander Yang were both taken aback. After thinking for a moment, their expressions changed dramatically!


    "What did you say?!"


    Mo Hua caught his breath and said solemnly, "Blood and flesh as the array medium, blood marks as the array patterns, the demon pill as the array eye, bones as the array hub..."


    "So that pig is the pill furnace for refining the Life-Transforming Elixir! And it might have been refining for over a hundred years."


    Commander Yang''s pupils contracted sharply. He glanced at Zhang Lan, "Does that mean..."


    Zhang Lan exclaimed, "The pill... is almost finished?!"


    Commander Yang''s face darkened, and he immediately called a Dao soldier, ordering sternly, "Quickly invite Elder Yu, Chief Supervisor Zhou, and Master An to come here at once; there''s an urgent matter to discuss!"


    The Dao soldier took the order and left swiftly. Within half an hour, everyone had gathered.


    Commander Yang repeated Mo Hua''s words, and everyone''s faces changed, their hearts filled with fear.


    "Where is the Qian family''s ancestor now?"


    "In Dahei Mountain."


    "Dahei Mountain is too vast..."


    "He is most likely in the deep mountains."


    "What should we do?"


    Elder Yu frowned and said coldly, "Find him! We must find the Qian family''s ancestor. If he takes the pill and advances to the late Foundation Building stage, we won''t be able to stop him."


    In the second-grade state boundary, the late Foundation Building stage was already the pinnacle of cultivation. He could come and go freely within this state, and no one could do anything to him.


    Trying to kill him would result in a great loss!


    If they didn''t kill him, the entire Tongxian City would face great danger!


    Commander Yang nodded, "Then gather all Dao soldiers and thoroughly search the deep mountains!"


    "Just relying on Dao soldiers won''t do." Chief Supervisor Zhou shook his head, "The Dao Court, demon hunters, and all the cultivators in Tongxian City must search every grass, tree, stone, and soil."


    "This matter concerns the safety of the entire Tongxian City; everyone must work together!"


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou then turned to Mo Hua and said, "We need your help with this matter."


    "Alright!" Mo Hua agreed.


    After the discussion, they returned to mobilize their forces. The next day, they entered the deep mountains of Dahei Mountain and began a thorough search.


    The Dao soldiers, Dao Court, demon hunters, and cultivators from various families and sects all set out.


    The dense crowd of cultivators started from the outer edges of the deep mountains, slowly advancing inward, not missing a single corner.


    At the same time, under Mo Hua''s arrangement, they removed the fog arrays in the deep mountains one by one and placed stone needles engraved with the Sima Compass Composite Array in various corners to monitor the movements in the mountains.


    Mo Hua also began to draw a map of the deep mountains.


    He wanted to capture every peak, stone, grass, and tree on the map.


    He had done this in the outer mountains and the inner mountains, and now he was doing it again in the deep mountains.


    The deep mountains had once been a forbidden zone in Dahei Mountain, a place of fear for all cultivators.


    Most human fears stem from the unknown.


    As long as all the secrets hidden in the deep mountains were uncovered and the fog dispersed, the once terrifying deep mountains would have nothing to fear.


    The search progressed bit by bit.


    The map of the deep mountains was also being perfected bit by bit.


    However, there were still a few blank spots on the map, which were the habitats or lairs of second-grade demonic beasts.


    With so many cultivators searching the mountains, the ordinary first-grade demonic beasts had long fled.


    But second-grade demonic beasts were different, with thick blood and powerful demonic energy, not something Qi refining stage cultivators could provoke.


    Even if they gathered everyone''s strength to kill one or two second-grade demonic beasts, the losses would be considerable.


    Moreover, the urgent task was to find the whereabouts of the Qian family''s ancestor, not to waste time entangling with these demonic beasts.


    Therefore, when searching the mountains, they had to avoid these second-grade demonic beasts.


    It took nearly seven days for everyone to search the entire deep mountains, but they still did not find any trace of the Qian family''s ancestor.


    "Could the Qian family''s ancestor not be in the deep mountains?" Commander Yang wondered.


    Elder Yu shook his head, "Impossible. If he went to another immortal city, he would have been discovered long ago. Dahei Mountain is hidden, the best place for him to hide, especially since he has to take care of a pig and refine the pill..."


    "Then there''s only one possibility left..." s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Commander Yang looked at the blank spots on the map.


    The blank spots on the map were the places they hadn''t searched, which were... the lairs of second-grade demonic beasts!


    Everyone''s expressions became serious.


    Second-grade demonic beasts were powerful, and their lairs were even more dangerous.


    Demonic beasts of the same realm were much stronger than cultivators.


    Even if Commander Yang, a Foundation Building cultivator, led the Dao soldiers into the lairs, once they angered the second-grade demonic beasts, there would be significant casualties.


    "How did the Qian family''s ancestor come up with this idea?" Chief Supervisor Zhou frowned.


    Elder Yu sighed, "Before the Qian family''s ancestor became wealthy, he was also a demon hunter."


    So using demonic beast lairs, faking the elder''s death, using demonic beasts as the pill furnace to refine pills, all these methods had a demon hunter''s style.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou regretted, "The Qian family''s ancestor''s methods are indeed clever, but it''s a pity he didn''t use them on the right path."


    "What about the third master? Any clues?" Elder Yu asked.


    "He keeps his mouth shut and says nothing." Commander Yang said.


    "What should we do?" Zhang Lan frowned, "Should we search the lairs of second-grade demonic beasts?"


    Searching would result in heavy losses, potentially many lives.


    But if they didn''t search, once the Qian family''s ancestor refined the Life-Transforming Elixir, more cultivators would likely die at his hands.


    No matter the choice, they were in a dilemma.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "How about I take a look?"


    Everyone was slightly stunned, and Commander Yang asked, "What will you look at?"


    "I''ll look at the arrays."


    "Arrays?" Commander Yang was puzzled.


    Mo Hua nodded and explained, "The Qian family''s ancestor relies on arrays in his actions, whether it was building Heishan Stronghold or refining pills with cultivators, arrays are everywhere."


    "If he is hiding in the lairs of demonic beasts in the deep mountains, he will definitely set up some arrays around, either for concealment, warning, or defense."


    "I can see the traces of the arrays."


    "If there are traces of arrays in the lairs of second-grade demonic beasts, it means a cultivator has been there. And the one who can enter the lairs of second-grade demonic beasts in the deep mountains is most likely the Qian family''s ancestor!"


    Everyone''s eyes lit up at his words, and they agreed, "Let''s try it!"


    Elder Yu said, "I''ll go with you."


    He was a bit worried about Mo Hua and didn''t want him to take risks.


    Commander Yang shook his head, "We Foundation Building cultivators will all go together."


    Although Mo Hua was good at hiding and acting cautiously, it didn''t mean he wouldn''t encounter danger.


    Searching the lairs of second-grade demonic beasts meant facing either the second-grade demonic beasts or the Qian


    family''s ancestor directly.


    Commander Yang still wanted Mo Hua to join his family, so he didn''t want him to get hurt at all.


    "Alright!" Everyone nodded in agreement.


    So a group of Foundation Building cultivators surrounded Mo Hua and began searching for the lairs of second-grade demonic beasts in the deep mountains...

 Chapter 333: Unexpected Changes

    Outside a gloomy and eerie Grade-2 demonic beast lair, Mo Hua sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, extending his spiritual sense to its limits to sense the spiritual energy traces within the lair.After a cup of tea''s time, Mo Hua opened his eyes and shook his head, "Nothing."


    Several Foundation Building cultivators surrounded Mo Hua and, following the map, moved to the next demonic beast lair.


    After searching several lairs, Zhang Lan couldn''t hold back anymore. He lowered his voice and quietly asked Commander Yang:


    "How can you tell?" S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan had also come along.


    Although he was a Qi Refining cultivator, he was a Registrar of the Dao Court and came from an influential family. Even if he encountered a Grade-2 demonic beast, he had some means of self-preservation, so he followed along.


    "How else would you tell?" Commander Yang also whispered, "Of course, using spiritual sense."


    "That''s obvious. Do you even need to say that?" Zhang Lan said, displeased. "I¡¯m asking how spiritual sense can detect the traces of formations?"


    "As long as the spiritual sense is strong enough."


    "What do you mean by strong enough?"


    "Foundation Building level... this kid''s spiritual sense has already reached Foundation Building, hasn''t it?"


    "You also have Foundation Building spiritual sense. Can you see it?" Zhang Lan questioned.


    "Of course..." Commander Yang said, feeling guilty.


    Zhang Lan glanced at him, "Liars will stay single forever."


    Commander Yang was stunned and couldn''t help but say, "You¡¯re so vicious! How can you say such a thing?"


    "Can you really see it?" Zhang Lan asked again.


    Commander Yang hesitated for a long time, weighing it in his heart. Compared to a lifelong commitment, it wasn¡¯t worth losing face in front of Zhang Lan.


    Commander Yang truthfully said, "I can''t see it..."


    Zhang Lan looked at him with disdain.


    Commander Yang returned the disdainful look, "You can¡¯t see it either."


    "I¡¯m at Qi Refining, it¡¯s normal not to see it. But you¡¯re at Foundation Building, it¡¯s shameful that you can¡¯t see it!" Zhang Lan said confidently.


    "Just a Qi Refining cultivator, and yet you''re proud of it? You¡¯re truly shameless, Zhang Lan!" Commander Yang mocked.


    Such ridicule no longer had any effect on Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan remained calm and then wondered:


    "If it¡¯s not because of spiritual sense, what else could it be?"


    Commander Yang also touched his chin, thought for a moment, and slowly said, "Because Mo Hua is an array master?"


    Because he was an array master, constantly dealing with formations and drawing array patterns every day, it was normal for his spiritual sense to detect the traces of formations.


    Zhang Lan nodded slightly, feeling it made some sense.


    "But," Commander Yang himself was puzzled:


    "Can other array masters really sense it?"


    This was a demonic beast lair, filled with demonic energy, mixed with various blood and demonic powers, enough to mask all spiritual energy traces.


    Even with his Foundation Building spiritual sense, he couldn¡¯t distinguish what was in the lair.


    Other array masters, even if slightly stronger, shouldn¡¯t be that much stronger.


    But Mo Hua was different. His certainty about the presence of formations in the lair was very confident, even resolute.


    This indicated that his spiritual sense perceived the lair very clearly, and his perception of the formation¡¯s existence was also very clear.


    Zhang Lan frowned, thinking for a moment but still couldn''t understand, so he simply stopped thinking about it and muttered:


    "He must have learned some strange things..."


    Zhang Lan was already used to it.


    Especially in terms of formations, at the beginning, he could still "instruct" Mo Hua a bit, but now compared to Mo Hua, he was already an "illiterate" in formations...


    Since he was illiterate, Yang Jiyong must be a big illiterate.


    Two formation "illiterates" considering such issues was indeed overestimating themselves.


    Zhang Lan belittled Yang Jiyong in his heart again, feeling a bit better.


    After searching a few more lairs, they came to a remote cave. Mo Hua released his spiritual sense and suddenly paused.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions became serious, "Did you find something?"


    Mo Hua raised his head, his eyes slightly bright, "There¡¯s a formation!"


    There really was one!


    Everyone was delighted and asked, "What kind of formation?"


    "Wait a moment," Mo Hua said, "Let me see."


    Then Mo Hua began to release his spiritual sense, following the formation''s spiritual energy traces, deducing the formation patterns, sketching the complete formation pattern in the blank space of his sea of consciousness to determine the type of formation.


    After an hour, Mo Hua opened his eyes again, took out paper and pen, and simply drew a few passages inside the cave and the formations laid on them.


    "Time is limited, I didn¡¯t calculate everything. The formation should still have some flaws, but you can use this as a reference."


    Elder Yu and the others, who didn''t understand formations, didn''t think much of it, only feeling that Mo Hua was reliable and could solve any formation problem.


    Zhang Lan and Commander Yang, however, exchanged a glance, both showing some suspicion.


    "What does ¡®calculate¡¯ mean?"


    They had never heard that formations could be "calculated"?


    How to calculate it?


    Although their formation studies were poor, they had family heritage and had been exposed to some formation knowledge since childhood.


    But from childhood to adulthood, having encountered so many array masters, whether from families, sects, or wandering cultivators.


    So many array masters, regardless of their rank or expertise, never mentioned "calculating".


    They never thought that such an obscure formation term would come from the mouth of Mo Hua, who was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, had only First Grade formation skills, and was just a teenager.


    Who had Mo Hua been following, and what had he been learning?!


    Zhang Lan and Commander Yang remained calm on the surface, but their hearts were in turmoil.


    For the first time, they felt the unfathomable depth of the person who guided Mo Hua in formations.


    At the same time, in their eyes, the little Mo Hua also became somewhat unfathomable...


    But now was not the time for such sentiments.


    Capturing the Qian family patriarch was the priority.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou pointed to the map Mo Hua had drawn and said, "These passages lead to the lair¡¯s depths. The Qian family patriarch should be hiding inside..."


    "We¡¯ll split up and search. If you encounter anything unusual, don''t act rashly, send a signal, and the others will come to join you. Once together, we¡¯ll act together."


    Everyone nodded, each choosing a path. Before leaving, Elder Yu turned back and gently reminded Mo Hua:


    "Hide yourself well and be careful."


    "Mm." Mo Hua nodded, looking at Elder Yu¡¯s arm with concern, "Elder, your injury, is it serious?"


    Previously, Elder Yu had been injured by the Qian family patriarch during an ambush, losing an arm. Although Mr. Feng had treated it, it still left residual problems, making movement difficult.


    Not only Elder Yu, but everyone had more or less been injured while besieging the Qian family patriarch.


    The Qian family patriarch''s strength was unknown. If encountered again, it could be disastrous.


    Elder Yu laughed freely, "I¡¯ve opposed the Qian family for so many years, never dreamed of pushing the Qian family patriarch to this extent. As long as we can kill him, even if both arms are broken or this old life is lost, it¡¯s worth it."


    Mo Hua''s worry deepened.


    Elder Yu lightly patted his shoulder and sighed:


    "Don''t worry, I know my limits."


    Mo Hua nodded, anxiously watching everyone head into the lair¡¯s depths, disappearing into the darkness.


    Even knowing the danger ahead, everyone remained undeterred.


    "Hope everything goes well..."


    Mo Hua concealed himself and hid quietly to the side, sighing silently and hoping in his heart.


    Meanwhile, at Sit and Forget Abode on Nanshan.


    Mr. Zhuang was not resting on the bamboo chair as usual but was sitting elegantly at the table, organizing some books and jade slips.


    "Are these for Mo Hua?"


    Elder Gui appeared silently, speaking in a wooden voice.


    "Yes." Mr. Zhuang didn''t lift his head, still looking at the book in his hand, "Organizing some formation insights for him. After I leave, he¡¯ll have to rely on himself to study formations..."


    Mr. Zhuang''s tone was calm but carried a hint of melancholy.


    "You¡¯ve never been this attentive to your direct disciples," Elder Gui said lightly.


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly stunned, memories surfacing, a bitter smile appearing on his lips:


    "I was never a qualified teacher..."


    Mr. Zhuang then self-deprecatingly said:


    "Not only unfit to be a teacher, but unfit to be a disciple, otherwise, it wouldn''t have ended up like this..."


    Mr. Zhuang didn''t continue, but his expression became more forlorn.


    Elder Gui remained silent.


    "Forget it, old matters are like passing clouds, no use dwelling on them now."


    Mr. Zhuang put away the books and jade slips into a storage bag and leisurely lay down.


    "What about the two Bai family children?" Elder Gui asked.


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and sighed:


    "They¡¯re good children."


    He was somewhat surprised, "I didn¡¯t expect my selfish junior sister to raise such a pair of children."


    "Will you take them as disciples?" Elder Gui asked.


    "No!" Mr. Zhuang shook his head firmly:


    "Not much time left, before I¡¯m buried, I want some peace, less entanglements,


    and fewer worries."


    "They may not give up."


    "What if they don''t?" Mr. Zhuang looked expressionlessly across the courtyard, beyond the mountains, to the distant horizon, and said calmly:


    "The sky is high and the water is vast, meeting again won¡¯t be easy. It¡¯s not always possible to have such fate..."


    Nor is it always possible to have a little disciple like Mo Hua...


    Mr. Zhuang silently thought.


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s decision, Elder Gui said no more.


    They fell into silence. Mr. Zhuang slowly closed his eyes, intending to rest.


    Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and he opened his eyes, looking at the sky for a long time.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Elder Gui asked.


    Mr. Zhuang''s brow gradually furrowed, speaking seriously:


    "Why is the aura of the Dao so turbid?"


    Elder Gui was slightly stunned, also looking at the sky, his expression changing.


    "This is..."


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but stand up, calculating with his fingers, his expression becoming incredulous.


    "The Dao of Heaven is changing?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s heart trembled, calculating again, his expression more and more astonished.


    "How is this possible..." Mr. Zhuang muttered to himself, losing focus:


    "This place is just a corner of the Nine Regions, how could it, produce a change in the Dao of Heaven?"

 Chapter 334: The Demonic Path

    Mr. Zhuang noticed the abnormal changes in the Dao, but Mo Hua was unaware of this at the moment. S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.He found a hidden bush at the cave entrance, performed the Concealment Technique, and hid inside.


    Even a Foundation Building cultivator wouldn''t be able to discover him.


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried about Elder Yu and the others, but after staring at the cave entrance for a long time, there was no movement inside.


    "Are there no demonic beasts in this lair?"


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    When he used his spiritual sense to perceive, he found that the demonic aura in this lair was very faint, and the atmosphere was dull, not like a place where demonic beasts resided.


    Or perhaps, there once was a second-grade demonic beast living here, but now it''s gone; otherwise, the demonic aura wouldn''t be so faint.


    What kind of second-grade demonic beast used to live here?


    Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly felt startled and silently thought to himself:


    "Could it be that pig..."


    The Qian family patriarch wanted to refine the Life-Transforming Elixir, and refining a demonic elixir required a demonic array. For the demonic array to be effective, flesh and blood were needed as the array medium.


    The flesh and blood used as the array medium had to be either human or demonic.


    Refining such a pill was difficult and time-consuming, and human blood and Qi couldn''t sustain such a long process.


    Moreover, refining this kind of pill required continuously using humans as ingredients.


    The Qian family patriarch couldn''t possibly force people to eat other people.


    So the most suitable cauldron was a second-grade demonic beast.


    Demonic beasts ate humans, had abundant blood and Qi, and had long lifespans, making them ideal cauldrons for refining the Life-Transforming Elixir.


    Mo Hua gradually formed a hypothesis.


    This lair might have belonged to that pig.


    It likely fell into the hands of the Qian family patriarch because it was severely injured, allowing him to take advantage of it.


    The Qian family patriarch then occupied this lair, turning it into his secret pill room.


    Even if the second-grade demonic beast was severely injured, the Qian family patriarch couldn''t have dealt with it alone. It''s likely that the Qian family¡¯s elder was also involved.


    During the process of subduing the pig demon, the Qian family elder lost an arm and was severely injured, probably not expected to live long.


    But with the Longevity Pill, it was a different story.


    The Longevity Pill, using human life as the guiding ingredient, could replenish blood and Qi and extend life.


    However, if the Qian family elder took the Longevity Pill and healed his injuries, it would arouse suspicion.


    So the Qian family patriarch had the elder fake his death to deceive others, secretly hiding in the deep mountains, helping him build the Heishan Stronghold, recruit demonic cultivators, and refine the Life-Transforming Elixir, as well as the Life-Transforming Essence Elixir.


    Although these were just Mo Hua''s guesses, the truth was likely not far off.


    Mo Hua sighed in his heart, "This Qian family patriarch is really meticulous."


    Looking at the lair in front of him, Mo Hua felt increasingly uneasy.


    The Qian family patriarch was cunning, so what kind of dangers might he have set up in the depths of this lair?


    It was already nighttime, the dew was heavy in the deep mountains, and the mountain wind brought a chill.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but shiver and suddenly heard a faint sound of wind.


    Mo Hua paused, listening carefully, and found the sound was coming from the cave.


    It was the echo of the wind.


    Mo Hua''s eyelid twitched.


    The lair was so deep, how could there be an echo from the mountain wind?


    Mo Hua concealed his form, cautiously walked into the lair, and followed the sound. He found a significant crack in a wall near the entrance.


    Mo Hua touched the wall, and the earth and stone were fresh, with a faint moisture.


    With a little force, the earth and stone fell inward.


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    This was an entrance, recently sealed with earth and stone.


    There were no formations around the entrance.


    Mo Hua had focused all his attention on the formations inside the lair, so he hadn''t noticed this entrance.


    As a formation expert, he was misled by the formations, ignoring the areas without them.


    "A good swimmer drowns, a good rider falls."


    Was this the blindness under the light?


    Mo Hua sighed, taking this as a lesson to be more vigilant next time.


    But what was this entrance for?


    Could the Qian family patriarch really be hiding here?


    Mo Hua released his spiritual sense, feeling the air behind the entrance was murky and filled with a thick blood smell, making it impossible to discern anything.


    What should he do?


    Mo Hua frowned, thought for a moment, and decided to go in and take a look.


    He wouldn''t go deep, just peek inside, and retreat if there was anything unusual.


    If there was nothing special or unrelated to the Qian family patriarch, he could still sneak away quietly.


    The crack in the entrance was large and not tightly sealed. Mo Hua, being small, slipped in directly.


    Behind the entrance was a dark stone staircase leading downward, with a faint red glow at the end.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart but steeled himself and walked down the steps.


    After a few steps, he heard harsh snoring and an old voice.


    The sounds, along with the thick blood smell, seemed trapped in this space, inaudible from afar but too loud up close, indicating some method was used.


    The stone staircase was narrow and deep but not long. Mo Hua soon reached the end.


    To the right of the staircase end was a spacious stone chamber.


    Mo Hua, hidden and pressed against the stone wall, peeked into the chamber.


    Cold sweat trickled down his back.


    It was the Qian family patriarch!


    That old thing was really here?


    Mo Hua calmed himself, pondering, and felt complicated.


    Encountering the Qian family patriarch had both pros and cons.


    The advantage was that others wouldn''t encounter the patriarch and face danger.


    The disadvantage was that he did...


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    The formations in the depths were just a decoy.


    Everyone thought the Qian family patriarch must be hiding deep in the lair, but he was actually at the entrance!


    The Qian family patriarch indeed thought differently from ordinary people, acting unpredictably!


    Had the patriarch noticed him?


    Mo Hua tensed up, but noticing no spiritual sense probing and the patriarch continuing his conversation without changing his tone, he relaxed.


    It seemed his Concealment Technique hadn''t been detected.


    Mo Hua took another peek and found the stone chamber blood-stained and chaotic, filled with various demonic herbs and porcelain bowls containing colorful herbal juices.


    In the center of the chamber lay a snoring pig.


    Beside the pig were two cultivators, one being the Qian family patriarch, and the other was Qian Hong, the head of the Qian family!


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    The Qian family was sealed, and all cultivators were forbidden to leave.


    How was Qian Hong here?


    He was the head of the Qian family, though not very powerful, he was still the highest-ranking person below the patriarch.


    Could the Heishan Stronghold be related to him too?


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure it out.


    But no matter the reason, it was best to sneak away.


    As long as the pig was breathing, the elixir wasn''t finished.


    Without the elixir, the Qian family patriarch was still in the mid-Foundation Building stage, severely injured.


    He could sneak out, send a signal, call for help, and everyone could deal with the patriarch together.


    The Heishan Stronghold issue could then be resolved completely.


    Mo Hua turned to leave but heard the Qian family patriarch sigh:


    "Hong''er, our Qian family has it tough..."


    Mo Hua sneered silently, "This old thing is shameless. Your Qian family has it tough, but what about the poor independent cultivators in Tongxian City?"


    But he stopped, wanting to hear what the patriarch had to say.


    Was there something he didn''t know?


    After all, such demonic techniques and elixir recipes weren''t something normal cultivators could obtain.


    The Qian family patriarch continued, "Do you know what the world is really like?"


    Qian Hong didn''t respond.


    The patriarch didn''t expect an answer and continued:


    "I''ve lived over three hundred years and finally understood one thing: a cultivator''s abilities are limited. To achieve great things, you must use others'' strength and blood."


    "This world is survival of the fittest; big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp."


    "The cultivation world is the same. Independent cultivators are exploited by small families, small families are oppressed by medium families, and medium families are suppressed by great families."


    "In other words, independent cultivators support small families, small families support medium families, and medium families support great families..."


    "In essence, it''s all about draining the blood of independent cultivators."


    "The Dao Court''s policies, the rise and fall of families, and the changes in sects¡ªall remain constant. The independent cultivators at the bottom are always at the bottom, always exploited, always scorned."


    "The prosperity of the cultivation world is built on the blood and tears of independent cultivators, but it has nothing to do with them."


    "So, never be an independent cultivator!"


    "This is what I realized when I was an independent cultivator."


    "So I wanted to establish a family, relying on the family to achieve the Dao."


    "But building a family didn''t work either. I had no spirit stones, no connections, and couldn''t build the Qian family by myself."


    "Relying solely on hunting demons,


    I couldn''t earn many spirit stones in a lifetime."


    "So, I had to kill and rob."


    "No matter how dirty the methods of establishing power, once you succeed, someone will clean your name, praise you, and serve you loyally."


    "The Qian family was established and grew stronger, but it still wasn''t enough."


    "The greatest benefits in this world are taken by greater families and sects. Small families like ours can''t scrape much off the independent cultivators."


    "The family''s development was limited, my cultivation stagnated, and my lifespan was less than a century..."


    "I realized that if this continued, I would die a mediocre death."


    "But heaven doesn''t seal all paths. One day, I met a mysterious Daoist. After talking, he was delighted and gave me several demonic techniques, the Longevity Pill, and the Life-Transforming Essence Elixir recipe."


    "I practiced demonic techniques, refined demonic pills, and entered the demonic path, feeling enlightened."


    "Is there such a thing as people in this world?"


    "There can be, or there can be none, depending on how you see it."


    "If you see others as people, then they are people. If you don''t see them as people, they aren''t people."


    "Others are just tools for you to earn spirit stones, servants to follow your orders, pigs and dogs to slaughter at will, spirit slaves and blood slaves for your cultivation, the foundation stones of your Dao."


    "I finally understood, this world is all about people eating people."


    "Not only do demonic cultivators eat people, but righteous cultivators do too."


    "Demonic cultivators consume human flesh and blood, absorbing their spiritual power. Righteous cultivators also oppress and enslave, draining invisible blood, eating invisible flesh. People just don''t see it clearly."


    "The way of humanity is to diminish the weak and serve the strong, to take from others to benefit oneself, and rise above all, reaching for immortality."


    "This is the most unbreakable truth of this world!"

 Chapter 337: Emergence

    Mo Hua was utterly shocked, finding it hard to believe.The Qian Family Patriarch¡­ just died like that?!


    Mo Hua had just mentioned that evildoers would meet their retribution, implying that such actions would invite consequences.


    But he had only said it casually.


    He hadn''t expected that the Qian Family Patriarch would indeed face retribution, and so quickly!


    Mo Hua''s emotions surged, but what happened next shocked him even more.


    After devouring the Qian Family Patriarch, the Pig Demon¡¯s dead white eyes began to turn bright red.


    Blood started flowing through its body again, demonic energy began to gather, and the dark red scars on its body gradually turned scarlet, even emitting a blinding red light.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils contracted.


    This Pig Demon was refining the medicinal power!


    Not only was it refining the Life-Transforming Elixir, but it was also refining the blood and qi of the Qian Family Patriarch.


    At the same time, a terrifying aura began to gather around the Pig Demon, making everyone tremble and feel as if the natural order was being overturned, bringing about strange transformations!


    Mo Hua didn''t know what was happening, but he had only one thought at this moment:


    Run!


    At the same time, the Pig Demon turned its head, its blood-red eyes looking at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s hair stood on end as he activated the Passing Water Step to its utmost, fleeing madly out of the stone chamber.


    He hadn''t run far before he saw someone ahead, Yang Jiyong and Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan and Yang Jiyong appeared at the cave entrance. Seeing Mo Hua''s pale face, they were about to speak when Mo Hua urgently interrupted.


    "Run!"


    The two were stunned and had not yet understood what was happening when they saw a blood-red grotesque pig head appear at the end of the stone steps.


    The two were greatly alarmed, "What kind of demon beast is this?"


    The Pig Demon''s head was stuck at the entrance of the stone chamber, its scarlet pupils turning erratically. It glanced at Mo Hua, shrieked, and lunged directly.


    The stone walls on either side were crushed like tofu by its massive body.


    The Pig Demon looked cumbersome but was extremely fast, almost catching up in an instant.


    Zhang Lan and Yang Jiyong''s expressions turned grim. They quickly shielded Mo Hua behind them, trying to hold off the Pig Demon for a moment so Mo Hua could escape.


    But the Pig Demon''s aura was too terrifying. They were unsure if they could hold it off, their palms sweating.


    Mo Hua, protected behind them, felt both touched and anxious.


    He knew that Yang Jiyong and Zhang Lan were no match for this demonic Pig Demon and couldn¡¯t stop it at all.


    If they forced themselves to resist, at best they would be seriously injured; at worst, they would end up like the Qian Family Patriarch and be eaten by the Pig Demon.


    At this critical moment, a flash of insight struck Mo Hua.


    He suddenly remembered that there was an array he had set up on the ground.


    When the Pig Demon charged, the array hadn''t been activated.


    Mo Hua pushed his spiritual sense to the limit, quickly locking onto the array amidst the chaotic stone chamber. He found the Earth Fire Composite Array he had laid out.


    In less than a breath, Mo Hua combined his fingers, formed a fireball, and unleashed it.


    The fireball flew out following Mo Hua''s spiritual sense, tracing an arc and precisely igniting the array.


    For a moment, the stone chamber fell into a dead silence, as if even sound had been erased.


    At the same time, the Earth Fire Composite Array began to collapse!


    Zhang Lan and Yang Jiyong witnessed an unbelievable scene.


    They saw Mo Hua rapidly form a fireball and activate the array in the corner.


    But the array didn¡¯t explode. Instead, the spiritual power began to reverse, gradually collapsing and producing intermittent black spiritual energy.


    This collapsing spiritual energy, like tiny black daggers, sliced through the Pig Demon''s flesh instantly.


    First, the outer skin, then the flesh and blood, and finally the bones¡ªall were disintegrated by the reverse spiritual energy, turning into black powder.


    As the array collapsed, the Pig Demon''s right hind leg vanished as if erased by the void.


    The Pig Demon lost balance and fell, stopping its attack.


    However, within moments, blood qi gathered at the spot where the leg had disappeared.


    First, bones formed, then flesh and blood vessels, and finally skin.


    As the collapsing force disintegrated, the blood and flesh regenerated.


    Yang Jiyong and Zhang Lan were utterly shocked:


    "What kind of array is this? What are those tiny black spiritual energies that can disintegrate the body of a second-tier demon beast?!"


    "What kind of demon beast is this? Why does it regenerate so quickly?!"


    Seeing them still stunned, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but slap each of them hard, shouting:


    "Run now!"


    The Pig Demon¡¯s hind leg, though regenerated, was still obstructed by unsteady blood qi, struggling to get up.


    If they didn¡¯t run now, it might be too late.


    Yang Jiyong and Zhang Lan snapped back to their senses, immediately using their body techniques to run out of the cave.


    After running for a while, they heard the Pig Demon''s roar again¡ªit had stood up.


    Everyone''s hearts trembled.


    Yang Jiyong decisively picked up Mo Hua, tucked him under his arm, and grabbed Zhang Lan, running forward.


    Being a Foundation Building cultivator, his speed was much faster than Mo Hua and Zhang Lan.


    Within a few breaths, they reached the cave entrance.


    There were already people outside.


    Elder Yu, Chief Supervisor Zhou, and Old Master An were all there.


    They had followed the bell''s signal to the cave entrance. Before they could find the exact location, they heard the vibrations and roars from inside the cave.


    Not knowing what was happening, they could only wait at the entrance.


    Seeing Mo Hua and the other two looking terrified and pale, Chief Supervisor Zhou frowned and asked:


    "What happened?"


    Yang Jiyong was about to speak when Mo Hua grabbed his sleeve.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath and only said, "Run!"


    Chief Supervisor Zhou and the others looked at each other, "With us Foundation Building cultivators here, even if it¡¯s the Qian Family Patriarch, we can still put up a fight..."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "The Qian Family Patriarch was eaten. Not only should we run, but all the cultivators searching the mountain must retreat from the deep mountains immediately!"


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice carried deep fear.


    That Pig Demon was too terrifying.


    Its aura felt both familiar and strange to Mo Hua.


    Familiar because its aura was similar to the collapsing force of the array, seemingly containing the power of the Dao of Heaven.


    Strange because this aura was completely opposite to the collapsing force, more like an unending regenerative power.


    Mr. Zhuang once said, where there is life, there is death.


    If the collapsing force of the array was a force of disintegration, then this Pig Demon was a force of regeneration!


    Reborn from death, it had clearly died but was revived again.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart. He didn¡¯t know how powerful this Pig Demon was, but his long experience with arrays and the inexplicable fear rising within him told him that if they didn¡¯t run now, they would all perish in the Pig Demon¡¯s maw!


    Everyone was shocked by his words.


    The Qian Family Patriarch¡­ was eaten?!


    That cunning, powerful Qian Family elder, who could retreat even when besieged by several early Foundation Building cultivators and Dao soldiers, was eaten by this Pig Demon?!


    Chief Supervisor Zhou didn¡¯t hesitate, decisively saying, "We retreat!"


    At this moment, there was another loud noise from the cave.


    It seemed the Pig Demon was crashing around, shattering the stone walls, and its increasingly bloody and terrifying aura emanated from the cave entrance.


    No longer hesitating, they immediately retreated.


    Yang Jiyong grabbed Zhang Lan, while Elder Yu carried Mo Hua on his back.


    As they retreated, they passed through various camps, spreading the word:


    "Deep mountains in upheaval, possible great disaster, all cultivators must evacuate immediately!"


    The deep mountain''s silence was broken in the dead of night. After a brief panic, the cultivators searching the mountains began to orderly evacuate.


    An hour later, including Mo Hua, all cultivators gathered at the foot of the deep mountain.


    This was the boundary between the deep mountain and the inner mountain. A few steps more and they would be in the inner mountain, relatively safer.


    Elder Yu put Mo Hua down, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    At this moment, a sudden change occurred in the deep mountain.


    In the darkness, a column of blood qi shot into the sky, the mountain peak collapsed, and a massive, bloody Pig Demon emerged, its horrifying roar tearing through the night.


    Not only Mo Hua and the others saw this.


    At this very moment, cultivators far away in Tongxian City sensed it, looking up to see the sky-reaching column of blood qi.


    The ferocity and malevolence of that aura shook all the cultivators'' hearts. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Some elderly Demon Hunters trembled in disbelief, their voices quivering with fear:


    "This is¡­ a Great Demon¡­"


    Standing beside Mo Hua, Elder Yu saw the Pig Demon¡¯s current form, felt its aura, remembered the ancient tales of Demon Hunters, and instantly felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar, exclaiming:


    "A Great Demon has emerged¡­"


    Elder Yu¡¯s face turned deathly pale, "But how¡­ how is this possible¡­"

 Chapter 338: The Great Demon

    The deep mountain had truly become a forbidden land.Day and night, one could see the blood-red aura soaring into the sky, emanating from the blood-colored pig demon perched atop the peak.


    The pig demon was refining the medicinal power of the Life-Transforming Elixir.


    To say it was refining would be inaccurate; it was more like assimilation.


    This elixir had originally been formed within its body, forcibly extracted, and now it was merely "returning to its rightful owner."


    The pig demon''s refining of the blood aura was slow; it seemed to take a long time, but no matter how long, there would eventually be a day when it finished refining.


    Time passed slowly, and the pig demon''s blood aura grew denser, its presence more terrifying.


    All the cultivators in Tongxian City wore expressions of deep concern.


    Elder Yu and the others looked increasingly grave.


    A storm was brewing; a great calamity was approaching.


    Mo Hua, however, was deeply puzzled.


    What was a great demon, why did that pig become one, and why did a great demon signify a great calamity?


    These secrets of cultivation were things he had never encountered before.


    Mo Hua went to ask Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu sighed, "The term ''great demon'' is used by demon hunters to refer to immensely powerful demonic beasts, beyond human capability to resist, capable of destroying a city or realm."


    "What level of demonic beast qualifies as a great demon? Second grade and above?" Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu shook his head, "A great demon isn''t simply measured by grade."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, "Is it based on the grade of the realm?"


    Elder Yu nodded and explained to Mo Hua:


    "In a second-grade realm, a great demon is second grade; in a third-grade realm, a great demon is third grade, and so on. A powerful demonic beast approaching the upper limit of a realm''s grade is called a ''great demon.''"


    "But why could that pig become a great demon?" Mo Hua was puzzled.


    That pig had merely eaten Elder Qian, even died at one point, so why did it suddenly become a great demon?


    "I don''t know either," Elder Yu said bitterly, "Great demons have always been legends; no one knows how they come to be... The last record of a great demon in Tongxian City was two or three thousand years ago."


    "Was that great demon killed?"


    "No," Elder Yu shook his head, "The great demon wasn''t killed."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "Then how did it die?"


    "It starved to death."


    "Starved to death?" Mo Hua was shocked.


    This was a death he had never considered.


    Elder Yu''s eyes were filled with deep fear:


    "It ate all the cultivators in Tongxian City, all the demonic beasts in Dahei Mountain, everything it could eat. After more than a hundred years with nothing to eat, it finally exhausted its blood aura and starved to death..."


    Mo Hua took a deep breath, "It ate... all the cultivators in Tongxian City?!"


    Elder Yu nodded, "Yes."


    "Couldn''t it be killed?"


    "If it could be killed, the city''s cultivators wouldn''t have all been eaten..." Elder Yu said with a bitter smile.


    "Why couldn''t it be killed?"


    Mo Hua was very puzzled.


    It was just a second-grade demonic beast, no matter how strong, there must be a way to kill it.


    Even if Foundation Building wasn''t enough, there were still Qi cultivators. If the demon hunters weren''t enough, there were Dao soldiers. So many cultivators working together, even if they had to wear it down, they could eventually kill the great demon...


    Elder Yu pointed to the sky, "Do you see that blood aura?"


    Mo Hua looked up and saw the blood aura of the pig demon soaring into the sky.


    "Is it because... the blood aura is too thick?" Mo Hua pondered for a moment and said.


    Elder Yu nodded, "A great demon''s attack is only slightly stronger than a same-grade demonic beast, but the most troublesome is its blood aura..."


    "The blood aura of a great demon is extremely thick, almost dozens of times that of a same-grade demonic beast."


    Mo Hua felt a chill, "The blood aura is so thick?"


    "That''s not the scariest part," Elder Yu continued:


    "The scariest part is that it can restore its blood aura by eating people. Trying to wear it down with numbers is impossible."


    "A great demon''s blood aura is thick, and fighting it is a long, protracted battle with inevitable casualties."


    "But once there are casualties, the great demon will replenish its blood aura. In this cycle, all the cultivators will end up being eaten alive!"


    "Unless no one dies, cultivators are just ''blood supplements'' for the great demon."


    "But a great demon is so terrifying, how could no one die in the fight?"


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and frowned, asking:


    "What should we do now?"


    Elder Yu shook his head, his tone heavy:


    "Our only hope is that we are mistaken, that the pig isn''t really a great demon, so the Dao Court can be petitioned to send more Foundation Building cultivators for the siege."


    "What if it is a great demon?"


    "If the Dao Court confirms the pig is a great demon," Elder Yu sighed, "we can only... consider relocating the city."


    "Relocate the city?" Mo Hua was stunned.


    "Relocate the city," Elder Yu nodded:


    "All the cultivators in Tongxian City will have to move to another place to make a living. Otherwise, once the great demon finishes refining its blood aura and starts hunting, it will eat all the demonic beasts and then the people, eventually devouring all the cultivators in Tongxian City just like two or three thousand years ago..."


    Elder Yu''s expression was extremely bitter, "This is a great calamity, or even an unprovoked disaster, and we have no way to deal with it..."


    Mo Hua was somewhat lost.


    He hadn''t expected things to become this serious.


    He had thought a "great demon" was just a more powerful demonic beast that could be killed with combined effort, but he hadn''t realized a great demon truly meant a "great calamity," forcing an entire city of cultivators to relocate.


    But Mo Hua knew in his heart that "relocate the city" was more like fleeing.


    "Where will we relocate to?" Mo Hua asked, "There shouldn''t be any places nearby suitable for cultivators to live."


    Moreover, even if only Tongxian City relocated, all the small immortal cities nearby would have to move too.


    This meant more cultivators relocating and fewer places to settle.


    "We''ll generally move south, close to the wild borderlands, where most of the land is undeveloped, with demonic beasts and barbarians."


    Elder Yu sighed, "But this means life will be very tough..."


    Long journeys, eating and sleeping outdoors, unpredictable dangers along the way, and hardship at the destination.


    Mo Hua''s mood also fell.


    He hoped that pig demon wasn''t really a great demon...


    But Mo Hua knew in his heart that this was unlikely.


    Because he had seen the pig demon with his own eyes and had injured it with an array collapse, he knew the pig demon''s blood and flesh regeneration was mysterious and extraordinary, almost Dao-like, far beyond ordinary demonic beasts.


    Three days later, the Dao Court issued a document:


    "In the twenty-fourth year of the Dao calendar, a second-grade Black Mountain realm, the pig demon causes chaos.


    After verification by the Divination Office, this is a great demon, anciently named Feng Xi.


    The local Dao Court should take appropriate measures to ensure peace in the area.


    If unable to handle the disaster, consider relocating the city."


    Mo Hua learned the contents of this document from Zhang Lan.


    When the Dao Court issued the document, Zhang Lan received the news, knew it was unavoidable, and feeling a bit depressed, went to a restaurant to drink, where he shared the news with Mo Hua.


    "Doesn''t the Dao Court have any other solutions?" Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan.


    "If the Dao Court had a solution, great demons wouldn''t be considered one of the ''great calamities.''"


    Mo Hua still didn''t understand, "Can''t the Dao Court send Golden Core cultivators to kill that pig?"


    "It''s Feng Xi," Zhang Lan corrected, "Once it becomes a great demon, it gets a name recorded in the history of cultivation. Historically, pig-type great demons are generally called ''Feng Xi.''"


    Zhang Lan took a sip of wine and sighed, "Golden Core cultivators can''t come."


    "Are they afraid of dying?"


    Zhang Lan shook his head, "A second-grade great demon, Golden Core cultivators can''t kill it, but they can escape."


    "What they fear..." Zhang Lan pointed to the sky, "is the Dao Law."


    "What does this have to do with the Dao Law?" Mo Hua didn''t understand.


    Zhang Lan didn''t answer but asked, "What realm are we in now?"


    "Black Mountain realm."


    "What''s the full term?"


    Mo Hua had studied cultivation geography in Tongxian Sect. He had studied diligently and remembered clearly, so even though he had left school, he could still answer, "The cultivation world is divided into nine provinces, each province divided into realms, with immortal cities within the realms."


    "Tongxian City is part of the Dahei Mountain realm in Li Province. Leaving out the province name, it''s called the Black Mountain realm."


    Zhang Lan nodded and asked again, "What grade?"


    Mo Hua was puzzled but answered, "Second grade."


    "Why is it second grade?"


    "Because the highest cultivators are Foundation Building..."


    Mo Hua felt Zhang Lan was asking redundant questions, but also felt Zhang Lan wouldn''t ask pointless questions, so he thought for a while and slowly said, "Golden Core is third grade


    , exceeding the second-grade realm limit, so they can''t come?" S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s not that they can''t come, they just can''t use powers above the second grade."


    Zhang Lan explained, "Golden Core cultivators can''t use their Golden Core powers here, so what''s the use of coming?"


    "What happens if they forcefully use it?" Mo Hua asked.


    "If they forcefully use it, they''ll die!" Zhang Lan said solemnly.


    "They''ll die?!" Mo Hua was shocked.


    "They''ll die!" Zhang Lan nodded, thought for a moment, and added, "So saying they''re afraid to die and don''t dare to come is also correct."


    "Why?" Mo Hua still didn''t understand.


    Zhang Lan sighed, "This is the rule of the Dao Law. When the Dao Court was established, it designated this place as second grade, so all the cultivators here can only use Foundation Building powers at most..."


    "Once this limit is exceeded, they''ll be erased by the Dao Law!"


    "No exceptions?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan said firmly, "None!"


    "Above Golden Core?"


    Zhang Lan said, "Even beyond Golden Core, up to the Great Ascension stage, as long as they haven''t become immortals, they must abide by this Dao Law. If they violate this rule, no matter how high their cultivation, how strong their power, they''ll be erased by the Great Dao, and their bodies and spirits will perish!"


    "Even the Dao Sovereigns, who rule the nine provinces, are no exception!"


    "This is the Dao Law!"


    Zhang Lan said solemnly:


    "The Dao Law is above all things and all cultivators!"

 Chapter 339: Law

    Mo Hua was shaken and then slowly frowned:"If we follow this law, doesn''t it mean that within one realm, cultivators can''t possibly resist a great demon?"


    High-level cultivators cannot intervene, and low-level cultivators are powerless to resist.


    Against someone like Qian Family Patriarch with high cultivation, one could rely on numbers and unity to subdue him.


    But against a great demon like Feng Xi, numbers are useless. Exhausting its blood qi, it would replenish by consuming people.


    The more people, the stronger the great demon might become.


    Zhang Lan sighed deeply and said:


    "''In one realm, the great demon is invincible,'' is a consensus in the cultivation world. Otherwise, the Dao Court wouldn''t have suggested relocating the city. This is an unavoidable and helpless decision."


    "But great demons also die, right?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan nodded, "Naturally, all things in the world have life and death. No matter how strong a great demon is, it is still a demon, not an immortal. Naturally, it will die."


    "How do great demons usually die?" Mo Hua asked again.


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and replied:


    "Some starve after consuming all the cultivators in a realm, some die of old age after thousands of years, some are eradicated by the laws of the Dao for breaking through their limits, and some are jointly killed by families and sects..."


    "Jointly killed?" Mo Hua''s expression shifted.


    "Don''t even think about it," Zhang Lan guessed Mo Hua''s thoughts and quashed them:


    "The families and sects capable of killing great demons have been passed down for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, with deep foundations, strong disciples, and protective arrays. Only then can they kill great demons... Even so, they suffer greatly and pay a heavy price."


    "Unless a great demon appears directly threatening their foundation, they wouldn''t risk everything to kill it."


    "There is no power in Tongxian City with such depth."


    "Moreover, such records are extremely rare, even in the texts of great families and sects."


    Mo Hua was a bit disappointed.


    Indeed, others had thought of all the ways he could think of, and others had used all the usable methods.


    The Dao Court had developed for over twenty thousand years, with countless brilliant talents. Other cultivators are not fools; they couldn''t have missed something he thought of.


    But Mo Hua''s doubts only increased.


    "Then why establish realm grades? Without these grades, high-level cultivators could kill great demons, right?"


    "What are these grades based on?"


    "Why is our realm specifically a second-grade one?"


    "The eradication by the Dao laws, what specific laws are these, and how are they enforced?"


    ...


    Mo Hua asked a barrage of questions, leaving Zhang Lan with a headache.


    So, being too smart is not always a good thing.


    The smarter one is, the more questions they ask, which can be troublesome.


    Regarding the Dao Court''s coordination, the division of the Nine Regions, and the cosmic order, Zhang Lan couldn''t answer and wouldn''t spout nonsense.


    First, it would mislead Mo Hua''s understanding of cultivation.


    Second, Mo Hua was no longer a novice; he knew much more about arrays than Zhang Lan. Any nonsense would easily be caught by Mo Hua.


    Admitting one''s ignorance is wisdom too.


    Better to lose some face than to mislead.


    Zhang Lan had to honestly say, "I don''t know these things..."


    "Alright." Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    Though Zhang Lan came from a prestigious family, he was still a Qi refining cultivator, so not knowing was understandable.


    Yet Mo Hua was not entirely convinced:


    "Is there really no way to deal with the great demon?"


    Zhang Lan patted his shoulder:


    "In the face of the Dao, cultivators are insignificant. A cultivator''s life is spent seeking the Dao, but the more one seeks, the more one realizes its profoundness, beyond human understanding or resistance."


    In other words, there''s no way.


    Mo Hua said softly, "So we have to relocate?"


    Zhang Lan sighed, "In a few days, the Dao Court will discuss again. If there''s no other way, we''ll have to head south to the wilderness."


    But there wasn''t much to discuss. It was just that no one wanted to make the final decision until necessary.


    Relocating meant leaving their homes, facing uncertainty and hardship.


    Mo Hua was unwilling and confused.


    He wanted to understand the situation clearly.


    The next day, he visited Mr. Zhuang.


    "Sir, why do great demons exist, and why are realms graded?"


    Mr. Zhuang silently looked at Mo Hua, "Do you want to know?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang remained silent for a long time before saying:


    "The great Dao''s cause and effect, I can tell you, but remember, do not speak of it to others, or you will invite disaster."


    Mo Hua''s expression became serious, and he nodded. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed lightly and said:


    "All things in the world originate from the Dao."


    "The Dao produces One, One produces Two, Two produces Three, and Three produces all things. Great demons and realm grades are all derived from the Dao."


    "Violating the Dao gives birth to calamities, hence great demons."


    "The Dao''s balance divides the Nine Regions, hence the grading."


    Mr. Zhuang explained succinctly.


    Mo Hua frowned, carefully pondering.


    Mr. Zhuang further explained:


    "Great demons are a form of the Dao''s calamities. Cultivators go against the Dao, defying natural order, thus breeding calamities."


    "Calamities against the Dao are called Dao calamities."


    "And great demons are one form of Dao calamities."


    "''Dao calamities'' is a term used internally by the Dao Court''s Divination Bureau. It is not mentioned outside. The Dao Court claims to follow the Dao. If there are Dao calamities, it implies the Dao Court is at fault, against the Dao."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua sternly:


    "So these words are for your ears only. Especially the term ''Dao calamities.''"


    Mo Hua solemnly nodded.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua slowly said:


    "So that pig became a great demon because the Qian Family Patriarch''s actions were against the Dao, nurturing a Dao calamity within the demon?"


    After all, he had killed and refined hundreds of people over two hundred years, committing countless atrocities.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, "In simple terms, yes, but there''s more at play, which you need not know now."


    "Is it a strange Daoist?"


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, his gaze sharpening, "Who told you this?"


    "The Qian Family Patriarch and a young alchemist at the Alchemy Hall both mentioned a Daoist."


    Mo Hua answered honestly, "The evil techniques and the longevity elixir recipes were given by a Daoist, but I don''t know if they referred to the same person."


    Mr. Zhuang pressed Mo Hua''s shoulder, his expression severe:


    "Do not mention or think about that Daoist. Forget him."


    Mo Hua wanted to ask why but seeing Mr. Zhuang''s unprecedentedly grave expression, he nodded:


    "Yes, sir."


    Mr. Zhuang breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua had never seen anyone make Mr. Zhuang so wary.


    But since Mr. Zhuang warned him, he decided not to dwell on it and instead asked about other matters:


    "Sir, what about the realm grading?"


    "What do you want to know?" Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua organized his thoughts and continued:


    "Why does the Dao Court grade realms?"


    "If there were no grading, there would be no cultivation restrictions, and the Dao Court could send high-level cultivators to kill great demons, preventing the devastation within the realm."


    Mr. Zhuang countered, "What supports the grading?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, "The eradication by the Dao laws?"


    Because without the Dao laws'' enforcement, cultivators wouldn''t be bound by realm grades.


    The realm grading would be meaningless.


    "What are the Dao laws?" Mr. Zhuang asked.


    Mo Hua was stunned, muttering, "How would I know..."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly, "You know."


    Mo Hua was bewildered, "I know?"


    When did I know? Why don''t I know...


    Mo Hua frowned, pondering for a while. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he exclaimed:


    "Could it be... arrays?!"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Indeed."


    "But... where are the arrays?"


    Mo Hua guessed but still couldn''t understand.


    Mr. Zhuang pointed to the sky, and Mo Hua looked up, seeing the vast sky, endless, with clouds rolling, full of mysteries.


    "This sky is an array!" Mr. Zhuang said solemnly.


    Mo Hua''s mind was shaken, he couldn''t help but exclaim:


    "This is... an array?"


    "Indeed." Mr. Zhuang nodded, his gaze profound, "And it''s not just any array. It''s a great array, the most powerful known in the world!"


    "The most powerful array..." Mo Hua was dazed, muttering, "Then isn''t it..."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "The innate great array, the legendary celestial-grade array!"


    Mo Hua was profoundly shocked, speechless for a long time.


    The sky above is actually the most powerful array in the world.


    This world''s strongest array has always been suspended above, covering every inch of the cultivation realm, shielding every cultivator.


    What an incredible, towering feat...


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky, deeply feeling his own insignificance and the boundlessness of array studies.

 Chapter 340: Balance of Power

    Mr. Zhuang spoke with reverence:"This array embodies the true laws of the Dao of Heaven. Under the array, all beings are equal. Anyone who violates the taboos of this array, regardless of their status or cultivation level, will be eradicated without exception."


    "Hence, this array is also called: ''Heavenly Dao Array''!"


    "Heavenly Dao Array..." Mo Hua murmured, imprinting the name deeply in his mind, and feeling a sense of anticipation.


    He hoped that one day, he too could draw such an all-encompassing array.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "Then, sir, who drew this array? Was it an immortal?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head and said, "When the Dao Court was founded, this array already existed. No one knows its origins, nor who created it. Even if the one who drew it was not an immortal, they must have been a powerful cultivator who had entered the path of immortality."


    "Therefore, people also call this array the ''Innate Grand Array,'' implying that it was born with the heavens and earth."


    "The Dao Court used this Heavenly Dao Array to delineate the ranks of the states. The array in each state limits the cultivation levels allowed, thus determining its rank."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "However, only a few cultivators are aware of the ''Heavenly Dao Array.''"


    "Many array masters don''t even believe that the vast sky is actually an array."


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask, "Is it because there is no inheritance, so people don''t know?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Even if there were records, they still wouldn''t believe it."


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, "Why?"


    Mr. Zhuang pointed to the sky and asked Mo Hua, "What can you see from the sky?"


    Mo Hua tilted his head and looked at the sky for a long time until his neck ached, then hesitantly said, "There are clouds..."


    "And what else?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Nothing else."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Exactly, nothing else... No array patterns, no array hubs, not even the array mediums are visible, let alone the array eye. How can it be called an array then?"


    "Sir, can you not see it either?"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and smiled warmly, "Like you, I see nothing..."


    "Not only me, but even those cultivators who are much more advanced in cultivation and array mastery than I am can see nothing."


    "If we can''t see anything, if there is nothing there, how can it be called an array?"


    "But aren''t there records in the Daoist texts?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Records in the world may contain errors; even Daoist texts shouldn''t be fully trusted," Mr. Zhuang explained.


    "I see..."


    Mo Hua nodded, then looked up at the sky again, feeling the boundless, ever-changing mysteries.


    Mo Hua seemed to grasp something, and with a determined expression, he said, "Sir, this must be an array!"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, "Why do you say that?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I don''t know, but I feel it is."


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly stunned, then gently patted Mo Hua''s head and said softly, "An array master''s intuition is sometimes very important for understanding the Dao of Heaven. I hope one day you can truly see the array in the sky..." S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was encouraged by Mr. Zhuang''s hope and nodded earnestly.


    Then he asked with some confusion, "Sir, if there really is a Heavenly Dao Array in the sky, what is its purpose, or rather, what is the significance of such a Dao law?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze deepened, and he said four words solemnly: "Balance of Heaven''s Dao."


    Mo Hua seemed to understand but couldn''t fully grasp it.


    Mr. Zhuang raised his head, looking at the vast sky, and slowly said, "Like you, I also believe that the Heavenly Dao Array exists. It''s just that our divine senses are not strong enough, our array mastery is shallow, so we can''t see it."


    "Suppose the Heavenly Dao Array really exists..."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and continued, "If the states'' ranks were not determined, if cultivation levels were not limited, without the balance of the Heavenly Dao Array, what would the cultivation world be like?"


    Mo Hua thought for a while and then said cautiously, "Would it be chaotic?"


    "Why would it be chaotic?" Mr. Zhuang asked again.


    "Because the power of the cultivators would be unchecked?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Never overestimate human nature. Humans are a species that will kill for profit, for grudges, or even for amusement."


    "Without cultivation restrictions, high-level cultivators would slaughter low-level cultivators indiscriminately."


    "The human Dao heart is never firm. It is restless, wavering, indulgent, like duckweed on the waves, rising and falling with the flow, hard to settle. Even the most upright person can have evil thoughts."


    "Among a hundred high-level cultivators, even if only one harbors evil thoughts, it would be a catastrophe for low-level cultivators."


    "Without the balance of the Heavenly Dao, high-level cultivators could easily massacre low-level cultivators."


    "Qi refining cultivators could face slaughter from Golden Core, Ascended, or even Void-returning cultivators, and they would have no power to resist."


    "A Golden Core cultivator could slaughter a city, an Ascended cultivator a realm, and a Void-returning cultivator a state."


    "Some demonic cultivator leaders might act even more recklessly, perhaps refining the entire population of a state to forge magical treasures..."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and continued, "The strength of the cultivation world lies in high-level cultivators, but its longevity lies in low-level cultivators."


    "Once the low-level cultivators are slaughtered, the cultivation world will inevitably decline."


    "Over time, the entire cultivation world would be destroyed by killing."


    "But with the balance of the Heavenly Dao Array, high-level cultivators dare not act recklessly, giving low-level cultivators a chance to survive. This allows the cultivation world to thrive and endure..."


    Mo Hua nodded, gradually understanding the significance of the balance of the Heavenly Dao.


    For example, Tongxian City is a second-grade state. If a Foundation Building cultivator causes trouble, there will be other Foundation Building cultivators to deal with it. If not, even Qi Refining cultivators can unite to resist.


    But without the balance of the Heavenly Dao, if they were invaded by high-level cultivators, they would be unable to resist.


    Mo Hua then asked, "But if that''s the case, if there is a demonic threat in the state, wouldn''t the cultivators also be unable to resist?"


    Because demonic threats are so powerful, and they can kill and absorb blood, almost "endlessly."


    "Yes," Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Everything has pros and cons. With the Heavenly Dao Array, high-level cultivators are restrained, but demonic threats become invincible within a state;"


    "But without the Heavenly Dao Array, while there are ways to subdue demonic threats, it easily allows high-level cultivators to commit endless killings..."


    "Between two evils, we choose the lesser. A demonic threat can at most destroy a state, but unrestricted high-level cultivators can destroy the entire cultivation world."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed deeply, saying meaningfully, "After all, the ones who kill the most are always humans, not beasts."


    The ones who kill the most are always humans, not beasts...


    Hearing this, Mo Hua felt a complicated mix of emotions.


    Mo Hua pondered for a long time, hesitated for a while, and finally asked the question he was most concerned about: "Is there any way to deal with the great demon?"


    He grew up in Tongxian City and couldn''t bear to see the cultivators there flee to the wilderness, living a life of hardship.


    Nor could he bear to see Tongxian City destroyed by the great demon.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with some relief, "You already have an idea, don''t you?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "I''ve thought it over. The only way to deal with the great demon is with a grand array..."


    From the records he obtained from Zhang Lan, he learned that some families or sects had subdued great demons relying on protective arrays.


    Mo Hua looked up, hoping, "Sir, can I learn the grand array?"


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression showed a moment of emotion.


    He had anticipated this day but hadn''t expected it to come so soon...


    Mo Hua, at the first grade of Qi Refining, wanted to learn the grand array from him.


    This wasn''t an issue.


    The grand array is the ultimate pursuit of array masters. Every array master in the world wants to learn the grand array.


    Even if they don''t become the chief array master, just participating and adding a few strokes to the array patterns is already considered a great honor.


    But Mo Hua was different because he truly had the qualifications to learn the grand array.


    His divine sense intensity, his control over his divine sense, his array mastery experience, and his array proficiency were already among the best of first-grade array masters.


    But the grand array is not that simple...


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "You need to think it through."


    "I''ve thought it through!" Mo Hua nodded.


    "You haven''t really thought it through." Mr. Zhuang shook his head, his expression stern, and said slowly, "The grand array is the most complex, the most difficult, and the largest construction project among arrays. It''s not something you can learn just because you want to, nor can you build it alone."


    "Building a grand array requires a lot of manpower and resources


    ..."


    "The array mediums of a grand array need to be refined by artifact refiners and constructed by craftsmen. The array hubs, you can draw yourself after learning, but within the grand array, there are thousands of individual arrays. You can''t draw them all by yourself; other array masters must assist you."


    "In addition to manpower, there are also resources. The materials for constructing the array mediums, the spirit ink for drawing the arrays, and the spirit stones to activate the array are all enormous in quantity."


    "Moreover, the array hub of a grand array is extremely difficult, consuming a lot of divine sense. Learning it is not easy."


    "The most crucial point is..." Mr. Zhuang''s expression grew serious as he looked at Mo Hua and said slowly:


    "Even if you exhaust all efforts to build the grand array, what if it still can''t withstand the great demon?"


    "After spending so much manpower and resources, depleting spirit stones, and still failing to subdue the great demon, what will the cultivators of Tongxian City do? In such a case, migrating the city would be almost impossible. How would they survive?"


    "Have you considered all these things?"


    With each of Mr. Zhuang''s words, Mo Hua''s heart grew colder, and finally, he looked disappointed, his head hanging low.


    Mr. Zhuang gently patted Mo Hua''s head and said softly, "Think these things through before deciding whether to learn the grand array or build it."

 Chapter 341: Dao Calamities

    Mo Hua silently nodded.He thought he had considered everything, but he hadn''t expected there to be so many things he hadn''t thought about...


    After Mo Hua left with a mind full of thoughts, Mr. Zhuang stared blankly at the dense blood mist in the deep mountains.


    After a long time, Mr. Zhuang murmured in a low voice, "Is this my karma?"


    Elder Gui quietly appeared behind him and said indifferently, "Not everything is related to you. Don''t flatter yourself."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head.


    Elder Gui glanced at him lightly, "So what? Are you not leaving again?"


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "I''ll wait until this matter is settled."


    "What do you want to wait for?"


    "Until this matter is concluded, the issue of the Dao calamities has a resolution. Then I will leave and no longer get entangled in this karma."


    Elder Gui reminded him, "The Daoist has already been here."


    "So what if he has? It''s not like he came in person."


    Elder Gui frowned, "The Dao calamities are breeding here. The news has already spread to the Dao Court, alarming the Tian Shu Pavilion. Your whereabouts will be calculated, and they have always been watching you..."


    "Let them calculate. It''s not like they haven''t figured it out before." Mr. Zhuang said nonchalantly.


    Elder Gui knew he couldn''t persuade him. Mr. Zhuang, in such a way, could be called determined or stubborn.


    Elder Gui snorted coldly, "A dead man cannot be persuaded with good words."


    After saying this, Elder Gui turned to leave, but Mr. Zhuang suddenly said in a low voice, "Thank you."


    Elder Gui was slightly stunned, "Did you take the wrong medicine?"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled bitterly, "I have always remembered your kindness."


    "What?" Elder Gui asked suspiciously, "Do you still think about repaying me?"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, "If there is such a day."


    "Only the living can repay kindness. What can the dead repay? The dead can only repay ghosts."


    Elder Gui said bluntly and left, his back somewhat lonely.


    In the bamboo room, only Mr. Zhuang was left.


    Mr. Zhuang still silently watched the deep mountains and the blood mist that soared into the sky. After a long time, he muttered in a low voice, "Senior brother, isn''t the karma you created enough?"


    At this moment, in the center of Daozhou, in the Dao Court, in the most prominent position of the court.


    An old man with white hair and beard was playing chess.


    In front of him was only a chessboard, no chess pieces.


    Opposite him was only a cushion, no player.


    The cushion was empty, just as the chessboard was empty.


    The old man sat silently, staring at the blank chessboard, expressionless, as if he existed both here and in the void.


    After a while, the old man slowly said, "Come in."


    A white-robed cultivator who had been waiting outside for a long time respectfully stepped forward, placed a jade slip on the table, and then respectfully withdrew.


    The old man stared at the chessboard for a long time, then couldn''t help but complain, "No one plays chess anymore..."


    He shook his head and looked at the jade slip on the table.


    The jade slip had words written in pale golden spiritual power, with only two short lines:


    North of Li Province, Second Grade, Black Mountain Province border, Tongxian City.


    A Dao calamity has emerged, forming a great demon named Feng Xi.


    The old man glanced at it, then ignored it, continuing to stare at his empty chessboard. After a while, he suddenly had a feeling, "Li Province... Tongxian City..."


    The old man opened his right hand, and spiritual power radiated from his palm, forming a celestial compass with the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches, and the Two Instruments and Four Symbols.


    The compass rotated and calculated layer by layer, finally matching each other. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The old man was slightly stunned, "It really is here..."


    He took out another jade slip marked with "Nine Regions Atlas", according to the compass calculation, he traced a clear trajectory with his finger and instructed faintly, "Pass it on."


    The white-robed cultivator at the door bowed forward, took the jade slip, and retreated.


    Soon, the jade slip reached the hands of various high-ranking cultivators in the Tian Shu Pavilion. They were all shocked and thoughtful.


    After a while, cultivators began to leave the Tian Shu Pavilion one after another, some with serious expressions, some with excitement, and some with ulterior motives.


    Every move of the Tian Shu Pavilion was clearly visible in the old man''s sea of consciousness, but he remained indifferent, placing the first piece on the blank chessboard.


    After placing the piece, the old man complained, "Don''t let me figure it out. If I figure it out, it will be difficult for me..."


    "Wouldn''t it be better to stay quiet? It would be good for you and me. You have to make trouble for me."


    "Now, whether you live or die depends on your own fate..."


    The old man muttered a lot, but no one heard, and no one answered.


    After speaking, the old man turned his head again, picked up the jade slip, looked at the two lines again, and muttered, "Tongxian... This name is interesting..."


    "Feng Xi? Who is feeding the pig this time?"


    "Fortunately, it is only Second Grade..."


    The old man placed this jade slip together with other similar jade slips.


    The other jade slips also had similar words written on them:


    Qianzhou, Second Grade, Wentao Mountain Province border, Qiandeng City.


    A Dao calamity has emerged, forming a great evil, ancient name Huapi.


    Annotation: Residual thoughts of the evil god, hidden in the visualization diagram, Qiandeng City has relocated.


    ...


    Genzhou, Third Grade, Longji Mountain Province border, Longshan City.


    A Dao calamity has emerged, forming a great ghost, ancient name Wuchang.


    Annotation: Ghosts are formless, discovered too late, Longshan City was destroyed, turned into a ghost city, no cultivators survived.


    ...


    Kanzhou, Fourth Grade, Jingwei Province border, Sanchuan Ancient Crossing.


    A Dao calamity has emerged, forming a great demon, ancient name Xiangliu.


    Annotation: Relocation failed, Xiangliu poisoned the Sanchuan, more than half of the relocating cultivators died or were injured.


    ...


    Kunzhou, Fourth Grade, Cangyun Province border, Cangyun City.


    A Dao calamity has emerged, forming a great corpse, ancient name Hanba.


    Annotation: Cangyun Province border destroyed, turned into a sea of corpses...


    ...


    The old man gradually frowned.


    In recent years, Dao calamities have become more and more frequent.


    "Dao calamities are frequent, chaos is born in the world... Is it because the Dao is too exploitative, the Dao of Heaven is imbalanced, causing people''s hearts to generate calamities, or is there someone or something non-human secretly plotting?"


    The old man pondered silently.


    Finally, he looked up at the sky for a long time and couldn''t help muttering, "I look at this sky every day. Where is the array? Is the boy surnamed Zhuang lying to me?"


    ¡ª¡ª


    In Tongxian City, at the Mo family''s eatery.


    Mo Hua was still considering the grand array, but he saw his parents already packing.


    "Father, mother, are we moving the city?"


    Mo Shan nodded and sighed, "The Dao Court has already notified us. We must prepare in advance."


    "Is everyone leaving?"


    "Yes."


    "Where are we going?"


    Mo Shan said, "The old supervisor is still discussing, but it will probably be south of Li Province, either wasteland or barren mountains, places without cultivators. We will re-cultivate and settle."


    Mo Hua muttered, "It will be hard..."


    "Re-cultivating is secondary, just a bit of hard work. The hardest part is the journey, not all cultivators can safely migrate to the destination..." Mo Shan sighed.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Along the way, there might be places like Dahei Mountain with dangerous terrain, toxic miasma, demonic beasts, criminal cultivators, and even evil cultivators.


    Even some families, sects, and the Dao Court might not be good people.


    "Uncle Ji''s family?"


    "They will move with us," Mo Shan answered with some emotion, "Your Uncle Ji''s family has nowhere to turn. Originally, they came to Tongxian City, Ji Li and Fu Lan got married, and the family could live a stable life for a while. But unexpectedly, they encountered a great demon, and now they have to move again..."


    And their future is uncertain, not necessarily better.


    After all, Qi Refining stage cultivators are at the bottom of the cultivation world, life is hard and fragile, they can''t bear much risk.


    In the following days, Mo Hua''s acquaintances and former friends were all preparing to move the city.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    The grand array might not be learned or built...


    He would probably have to move with the city.


    Once the city moved, he would likely bid farewell to Tongxian City forever, and also to Mr. Zhuang, and his fellow disciples Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi...


    Mo Hua felt a bit depressed.


    In the evening, a guest suddenly arrived at the eatery, it was Master Luo.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, "Master Luo? Aren''t you preparing to move?"


    Master Luo shook his head helplessly, "I am moving, but not to the south of Li Province. I am moving to the northern


    border of Lanling Province, I have old friends there, and several sects have invited me to be an elder."


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Master Luo explained to him, "It''s not just me, any cultivators with status and position in Tongxian City won''t move to the barren lands. We all have our ways."


    Master Luo handed an invitation to Mo Hua:


    "Young Master Mo, you have your ways too."

 Chapter 342: A Way Out

    "This is an invitation from Lanshan Sect, a Second Grade sect in Lanling Province."Master Luo said, "Lanshan Sect is a well-known sect in Lanling Province, with a Golden Core cultivator presiding. It is just a matter of time before it becomes a Third Grade sect. The array inheritance there... is fairly decent."


    Master Luo initially wanted to say "profound array inheritance," but considering the enigmatic array master behind Mo Hua, he couldn''t bring himself to use the word "profound," so he could only say "fairly decent."


    "Lanshan Sect is founded on array formations, with a strong atmosphere of array techniques, unlike other sects with many conflicts of interest and scheming."


    Master Luo continued, "I have some connections with them. Coincidentally, I also plan to seek refuge in Lanshan Sect, so I took the liberty of recommending you, Mr. Mo. I hope you don''t mind."


    Mo Hua quickly waved his hand, "Master Luo, you''re too kind."


    Master Luo then handed the invitation to Mo Hua, "Mr. Mo, you may take a look first."


    Mo Hua politely accepted the invitation.


    The invitation was made of an unknown type of paper, elegant and exquisite, with text written in gold-infused ink.


    Mo Hua opened the invitation and glanced at the document.


    The invitation was concise and respectful, essentially inviting Mo Hua to Lanshan Sect as an instructor, and once he breaks through to Foundation Building, he could become an elder.


    It was an extremely formal sect document, not a private agreement.


    This was quite solemn.


    Holding the invitation, Mo Hua felt its weight and couldn''t help but frown.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s expression, Master Luo quickly said, "Mr. Mo, don''t be in a hurry to refuse."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "I haven''t said I would refuse yet..."


    "Nor should you rush to agree."


    Mo Hua was even more confused, "Master Luo..."


    Master Luo smiled slightly, "Everything is negotiable..."


    Master Luo was adept at handling interpersonal matters, always finding a way to navigate through, grasping the intricacies precisely.


    "If Mr. Mo wants to accept, I can discuss the conditions with them."


    Master Luo explained in detail, "Within the sect, instructors and instructors differ, as do elders and elders. Although the titles are the same, the actual power and status can vary greatly."


    "The invitation doesn''t specify, but these positions should be outer sect roles. In terms of authority and benefits, the outer sect is not as good as the inner sect."


    "Some peripheral guest elders may not even have higher status than seasoned inner sect instructors."


    Master Luo looked at Mo Hua and said softly, "Mr. Mo, your biggest disadvantage is actually your identity as a rogue cultivator."


    "Being a rogue cultivator means being an ''outsider.'' To the sect, you are not ''one of their own.'' Even if the higher-ups in Lanshan Sect treat you with courtesy, some disciples and array masters below will still be unaccepting..."


    "Are all sects in the world so exclusive?" Mo Hua asked.


    "It''s not just the sects in the world; it''s all people in this world who are exclusive..." Master Luo said.


    "So, what is usually the best way to handle this?" Mo Hua asked sincerely.


    He wasn''t really thinking of joining Lanshan Sect; he was simply curious and wanted to hear Master Luo''s opinion.


    In fact, Master Luo didn''t care if Mo Hua really wanted to join Lanshan Sect or not.


    Mo Hua''s willingness to ask him questions met his expectations.


    If Mo Hua asked, and he answered, it would be a favor, no matter how small, and could win Mo Hua''s goodwill.


    Master Luo patiently said, "The best way is not to be an outer sect instructor but to join the inner sect, endure some grievances, and start as an inner sect disciple."


    "With your talent in array formations, Mr. Mo, soon no one in the inner sect will be able to teach you. Then, it will naturally be your turn to teach others. Being an inner sect member who can teach others, you will naturally become an inner sect instructor." S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "At that point, all the branches within Lanshan Sect will try to win you over. You can choose one to show goodwill to, or choose none and focus on learning array formations."


    "Array formations are your foundation. As long as your array skills are exceptional, you will have a superior status, and others will not dare to offend you."


    "When you reach Foundation Building and become an elder, you will also be a person of power and influence."


    "Moreover, you are so young that even the head of Lanshan Sect will go to great lengths to win you over. Not just Lanshan Sect, but all the prominent cultivators in Lanling Province will give you respect..."


    As Master Luo spoke, he smacked his lips, feeling envious himself.


    A renowned array master...


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the ability, the talent, or the possibility to receive such treatment.


    "What if I don''t want to join the inner sect?" Mo Hua asked.


    Master Luo wasn''t surprised and instead expressed understanding, "Joining the inner sect means binding yourself to Lanshan Sect, with many restrictions. If you want to leave in the future or seek a higher position, Lanshan Sect will not let you go and might turn against you..."


    Others might be eager to join the inner sect of Lanshan Sect, but Master Luo knew this did not include Mo Hua.


    He knew Mo Hua''s talent. Although Lanshan Sect was a significant power in the Second Grade province, in the broader cultivation world, it wasn''t much.


    Lanshan Sect might not be able to contain Mo Hua.


    Master Luo continued, "If you don''t want to join the inner sect and only wish to stay temporarily or use Lanshan Sect as a stepping stone for a higher position..."


    "Then start as an outer sect instructor and become a guest elder, but you can add more conditions and get better treatment."


    "In this case, you don''t need to get too close to the inner sect, at least not proactively."


    Mo Hua was puzzled, "Shouldn''t I build good relationships?"


    Master Luo shook his head, "Too close and it¡¯s disrespectful, too distant and it¡¯s dismissive. No need to deliberately distance yourself, nor to get too close."


    "If you distance yourself from the inner sect, they will resent you. If you get too close, they will despise you. Even if they don''t say it outright, they will look down on you in their hearts."


    "Just focus on learning array formations, avoid causing trouble, and remain detached. This way, you won¡¯t offend anyone."


    "What if there¡¯s internal strife in Lanshan Sect and they force me to choose sides?" Mo Hua asked Master Luo again.


    "That depends on the situation," Master Luo said.


    "What situation?"


    Master Luo pondered, "Depends on whether you want to stay, who is forcing you, whether their methods are excessive, and whether it violates your principles."


    "If it''s trivial, you can tolerate it. If they overstep, you can directly resign and use it as leverage."


    "Would that work?" Mo Hua was stunned.


    "It might not work for others," Master Luo silently added in his mind, "like me..."


    "But it will definitely work for you!"


    Looking at Mo Hua, Master Luo continued, "As long as you excel in array formations, you will be welcome everywhere. If you resign, they will fear it..."


    "Firstly, talented array masters are rare and hard to recruit; secondly, if word gets out that they forced a master of array formations to resign due to infighting, Lanshan Sect''s reputation will suffer, so they won''t dare to go too far..."


    Mo Hua nodded, then realized a problem, "Master Luo, didn''t you say Lanshan Sect doesn''t have many ''conflicts of interest and scheming''? Now it sounds like you''re teaching me how to ''scheme''..."


    Master Luo was at a loss for words, realizing he had contradicted himself.


    Master Luo awkwardly smiled and could only say, "There aren¡¯t as many conflicts, but as long as there are people, scheming is inevitable."


    Mo Hua also smiled, knowing that Master Luo was telling the truth.


    He pondered for a moment, feeling somewhat hesitant.


    Joining Lanshan Sect seemed good, but Mo Hua felt this might not be the path he should choose.


    Master Luo added, "Mr. Mo, if you go to Lanshan Sect, your parents can also go with you. Lanshan Sect agreed to give them positions within the sect, not prominent ones, but comfortable and leisurely."


    Mo Hua was stunned, then felt tempted.


    He didn¡¯t want his parents to suffer. If they could enter the sect and have stable positions, they could enjoy some peace and happiness.


    "What about the other rogue cultivators in Tongxian City?"


    Master Luo sighed, "Mr. Mo, to be honest, you might not like what I say..."


    "The fate of other rogue cultivators is not something we can consider. It¡¯s enough if we can take care of ourselves."


    "And although you are a rogue cultivator, in reality... you are no longer just a rogue cultivator."


    "If you are willing, many sects will recruit you, and many families will flatter you. Your status is already different from other rogue cultivators."


    "In the face of great disasters, rogue cultivators have only one path, full of uncertainties and thorns..."


    "But Mr. Mo, you are different. You have many paths, and all of them are very good..."


    Mo Hua''s emotions were complex, and he remained silent for a while, lowering his gaze.


    Master Luo observed Mo Hua''s expression and, seeing that he wasn¡¯t angry, felt relieved.


    These words might seem to sow discord.


    And he did have personal motives in saying them.


    In his eyes, Mo Hua was very important, much more so than other rogue cultivators. So, while he felt sympathy for the


    plight of other rogue cultivators, he didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    But Mo Hua''s choice was very important to him.


    He hoped Mo Hua would have a bright future and become a renowned master of array formations.


    In this way, he could "ride on his coattails" and further his own skills in array formations.


    As for other matters, as an ordinary array master, he had no time or ability to care for them.


    "Mr. Mo, you can think about it. If you want to go to Lanshan Sect, I will negotiate for better terms for you."


    "If not, it¡¯s fine. I can say some good words and politely decline them."


    Master Luo had considered everything thoroughly.


    Mo Hua nodded, grateful, "Thank you, Master Luo. Regardless of the outcome, I will remember this favor."


    Master Luo modestly said, "It''s a small matter, Mr. Mo, you''re too kind."


    In his heart, he breathed a long sigh of relief.


    If Mo Hua went to Lanshan Sect, his introduction would be a great help; if Mo Hua didn¡¯t go, he would still remember Master Luo''s goodwill.


    Either way, he had made a good impression, and his efforts were not in vain.

 Chapter 343: Choices

    Master Luo finished speaking and then stood up to leave.¡°Mr. Mo Hua, I will take my leave for now. You can think about this matter carefully; there''s no need to rush your decision.¡±


    After speaking, he sighed again, ¡°The path I offer is a good one, but it may not be the best. You have many choices; just follow the best one.¡±


    Master Luo indeed had Mo Hua¡¯s best interests at heart.


    In the following days, Mo Hua understood what Master Luo meant by "many choices."


    Nearby sects and families, both large and small, sent invitations to Mo Hua.


    Some invited him to become an array instructor; some directly promised to make him an elder; some forces, with passionate words, invited Mo Hua to ¡°discuss great plans and create new achievements together.¡±


    Some families even wanted Mo Hua to marry into their family, attaching pictures of young female cultivators in their prime, either pure or charming, with their invitations.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t say much, but Liu Ruhua was particularly angry.


    She threw all those pictures into the stove and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Families with such indecent intentions, using beauty to tempt people, are not proper families. You mustn¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°If you are looking for a Dao companion, find a decent and pure girl.¡±


    Mo Hua said helplessly, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s too early to think about this¡­¡±


    ¡°Prevent troubles before they happen!¡± Liu Ruhua said seriously.


    ¡°All right¡­¡±


    A few days later, Zhang Lan came to see Mo Hua.


    ¡°I have a few things to discuss with you.¡±


    Zhang Lan sat in his usual spot at the food stall, ordered a pot of wine and a few plates of meat, and spoke to Mo Hua while drinking.


    ¡°You''re not trying to recruit me too, are you?¡± Mo Hua asked suspiciously.


    Zhang Lan choked on his wine, then nodded, ¡°To put it subtly, it''s about building good relations. To be blunt, yes, it¡¯s about recruitment.¡±


    ¡°For the Zhang family?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°Not just them.¡±


    He first took out a document, ¡°This is a handwritten document from the Chief Supervisor. You can join a sect directly under the Dao Court.¡±


    ¡°Directly under the Dao Court?¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It''s a sect directly affiliated with the Dao Court, training talents for it. You need connections within the Dao Court to enter. A city¡¯s Chief Supervisor has a few recommendation spots, but they are rare¡­¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s very precious.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°This is also a token of the Chief Supervisor¡¯s goodwill. If he encounters difficulties in the future, you mustn¡¯t stand by idly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a good relationship with the Chief Supervisor. I will definitely help him!¡± Mo Hua promised.


    Zhang Lan nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°After completing the training in the sect, can I enter the Dao Court Office?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    Zhang Lan explained, ¡°It depends. Generally, as long as you practice diligently, have a decent character, and are not extreme in conduct, you can join the Dao Court Office after completing your training.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not restricted by your current status,¡± Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua, ¡°As an independent cultivator, it¡¯s hard to enter the Dao Court Office. But through these directly affiliated sects, it¡¯s much easier.¡±


    ¡°So many pathways¡­¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but complain.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Zhang Lan took a sip of wine, his gaze slightly focused, ¡°Those who set the rules leave some loopholes for their own benefit. Cultivators who don¡¯t know the rules hit the barriers head-on, ending up battered and bruised.¡±


    ¡°The higher-level cultivators, familiar with the rules, easily bypass these barriers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why independent cultivators, despite their talents, often can¡¯t compete with well-connected family cultivators.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He wouldn¡¯t have known these things if Zhang Lan hadn¡¯t told him.


    ¡°What about unusual situations?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°There are two cases,¡± Zhang Lan replied, ¡°One is having extremely poor aptitude, unable to learn anything despite the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Such people enter the sects purely by connections. Unless they use more connections, they can¡¯t get any position in the Dao Court Office.¡±


    ¡°The other is having outstanding aptitude, excelling in learning. Such cultivators might directly enter the Dao Court.¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°The Dao Court, not the Dao Court Office?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°The central Dao Court, not the local Dao Court Office.¡±


    Then Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°But don¡¯t think about that.¡±


    ¡°Is my spiritual root too poor?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhang Lan regretted, ¡°Your talent in array formations is exceptional¡­¡±


    ¡°So exceptional that I don¡¯t know how to praise it¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan thought silently and then continued:


    ¡°But your spiritual root and physical body are indeed¡­ lacking¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan spoke mildly, but seeing his expression, Mo Hua knew that ¡°lacking¡± actually meant ¡°seriously lacking.¡±


    However, Mo Hua didn¡¯t blame him. Knowing oneself is wisdom. He knew his spiritual root and physical body were indeed his weak points.


    After saying this, Zhang Lan changed his tone:


    ¡°This is the Dao Court Office¡¯s invitation. It¡¯s up to you whether to go. Now, let me talk about the Zhang family¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t hold back, directly stating the conditions: the status, prospects, and array inheritance the Zhang family could offer him.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of marriage. If you stay with the Zhang family, marriage is inevitable.¡±


    ¡°But for a normal marriage, your Dao companion would be from a collateral branch, and your children would follow your surname.¡±


    ¡°But if you are willing to marry into the family, you can marry a direct-line female disciple. You and your future children would change your surname, but in return, the family would treat you as one of their own. You would truly become part of the Zhang family¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Zhang Lan explained everything about joining the family in detail to Mo Hua.


    After finishing, Zhang Lan¡¯s tone shifted again, ¡°This is what I should say as a Zhang family disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll speak to you personally.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua seriously:


    ¡°Do not marry into a family. Unless absolutely necessary, do not rely on families!¡±


    ¡°Marrying into a family means abandoning your surname, losing yourself, in exchange for your own success¡­ unless you have no other choice, it¡¯s best not to do this.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t marry into a family, with your skills, the cultivation world is vast, and you can go anywhere; if you do, you step into a deep, stagnant pool.¡±


    ¡°Better to be a roaming crane than a fish trapped in stagnant water.¡±


    ¡°Besides, in my eyes, no family in this world is worthy of you marrying into, not even the Zhang family!¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect Zhang Lan to hold him in such high regard and was grateful for his kindness.


    As Mo Hua was firming his resolve never to marry into a family, Zhang Lan suddenly changed his tone again:


    ¡°Of course, if you really want to marry into a family, then it should be my Zhang family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him with a complicated expression.


    Zhang Lan helplessly said, ¡°Better to keep the benefits within the family¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that inappropriate¡­¡± Mo Hua was speechless.


    Zhang Lan waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s a minor matter. As long as the meaning is clear, don¡¯t mind the details.¡±


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, a second-best choice¡­ would be the Yang family¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan showed a hint of disdain.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Do the Zhang and Yang families not get along?¡±


    ¡°The Zhang and Yang families are on good terms; it¡¯s just I don¡¯t get along with Yang Jiyong.¡±


    Zhang Lan said seriously, ¡°The Yang family disciples are brave and battle-hardened, worthy of admiration¡­¡±


    ¡°Except for Yang Jiyong¡­¡±


    ¡°You excel in array formations. On the battlefield, you could achieve great things. With the Yang family¡¯s backing, you would do well in the Dao Soldiers Office.¡±


    ¡°But following Dao soldiers in battle is harder and more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°You should think this through¡­¡±


    After speaking, Zhang Lan also left it for Mo Hua to consider carefully. He quickly finished his wine and meat and left.


    As a Dao Court Office official, he usually could be lazy, but now with Feng Xi appearing and cultivators relocating, he had a lot to do.


    Zhang Lan bid farewell to Mo Hua.


    But as he left, he glanced back at the food stall, feeling heavy-hearted.


    He had become accustomed to eating and drinking here.


    After the relocation, he too would leave.


    As a family disciple, he couldn¡¯t move with the independent cultivators of Tongxian City. He would likely return to his family or seek a more promising position.


    After leaving, he might no longer experience this simple and bustling atmosphere.


    These wines and meats, he might never taste again, and perhaps he would never again have a small cultivator like Mo Hua to chat and joke with¡­

 Chapter 344: Decision

    "Where should I go?"Mo Hua was uncertain, sitting in a restaurant, watching the coming and going cultivators, observing the entire Tongxian City.


    Tongxian City was no longer bustling; instead, it had a sense of impending storm.


    There were fewer cultivators on the streets.


    Those who could find a way out were seeking one, while the scattered cultivators who couldn''t find a way out had only one path:


    Migrate with the large group of scattered cultivators to the impoverished wilderness, reclaim and build a place to live anew.


    With the appearance of the great demon, even some powerful cultivation factions had no power to resist, let alone scattered cultivators.


    They had no choice.


    They had no status, no background, no connections, and no one willing to take them in. To survive, they had to find another way, struggling bit by bit through their hard work.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Perhaps it had always been this way in the world.


    In any disaster, upper-level cultivators always found a way to escape.


    In the end, it was the lower-level cultivators who faced all the difficulties and bore all the pain.


    Even if this disaster was completely undeserved.


    Mo Hua went to see Elder Yu again.


    Elder Yu was going to migrate with the scattered cultivators.


    He was a Foundation Building cultivator and could have escaped.


    But because he was a Foundation Building cultivator, the only one among the scattered cultivators, he had to protect them during the southward migration.


    Without a Foundation Building cultivator holding the line, who knew how many would die or be injured on the way.


    "You shouldn''t go."


    Elder Yu had been busy day and night these past few days, looking tired. Seeing Mo Hua, he spoke directly.


    Before Mo Hua could respond, Elder Yu continued, "We are migrating, not building a city. Even if we reach the other side, it''s all barren land, and there''s no immediate need for you to draw arrays."


    Mo Hua understood Elder Yu''s intentions and couldn''t find words to say.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua, speaking gently, "You should have a better future, learn more array techniques, and do more in the future. There''s no need to suffer with us."


    Mo Hua whispered, "This journey will be dangerous, right?"


    "Everything has its risks, but we can''t avoid doing things because of danger. This concerns the lives of an entire city of scattered cultivators," Elder Yu sighed.


    "How about... I go too," Mo Hua suggested.


    Elder Yu glared at him, "What trouble are you trying to stir? Even if you go, it won''t change anything. The most important thing for you is to learn arrays well, not to suffer with us."


    Elder Yu was stubborn, and Mo Hua knew he couldn''t argue with him.


    Mo Hua turned and glanced at the large artifact crafting shop and alchemy hall, feeling a bit dejected, "Will these be abandoned too?"


    Elder Yu sighed helplessly and nodded, "We can''t take such large artifact crafting and alchemy shops with us..."


    "Are they to be sold?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "I have contacted Chief Supervisor Zhou. The array furnaces you drew on are valuable, and the Dao Court will compensate us with spirit stones. After all, spirit stones are the hard currency needed for migration and reclamation."


    "Oh, right," Elder Yu remembered something and handed a jade token to Mo Hua, "This is the identity jade token for the storeroom. There are more than ten thousand spirit stones in it, all for you. You can collect them when you have time."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "More than ten thousand... all for me?"


    Elder Yu nodded, "These are for your Foundation Building."


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with some regret, "I should have given you more. Without your arrays, the scattered cultivators of Tongxian City wouldn''t have had a good life, and Heishan Stronghold wouldn''t have been eliminated. But now, with the migration, the spirit stones are mostly consumed, so I can only give you this much..."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "It''s already a lot."


    Mo Hua took the jade token, feeling its weight, and was about to say something when Elder Yu interrupted him again:


    "Don''t say you don''t want it. Whoever receives spirit stones should take them. Only a fool would refuse."


    Mo Hua held the jade token, feeling inexplicably guilty.


    Elder Yu patted his shoulder, "No matter what you choose, just stand tall and do it honestly. You owe nothing to anyone!"


    Mo Hua nodded slightly and walked away, filled with thoughts.


    Watching Mo Hua''s departing figure, Elder Yu felt reluctant but could only sigh helplessly.


    Mo Hua had already helped them a lot; they couldn''t drag this child down any further.


    He should go to a broader world, learn more advanced array techniques, and seek a longer path.


    Not stay with them, the struggling scattered cultivators, with no future.


    The great demon''s emergence happened to be a turning point.


    Elder Yu turned to look at the empty artifact crafting and alchemy shops, feeling a wave of bewilderment.


    All this seemed like a dream.


    Attacking the spirit mine, building the artifact crafting and alchemy shops, improving the lives of scattered cultivators, seemed like a dream.


    Eliminating Heishan Stronghold, removing the threat of demonic cultivators, even digging out the roots and catching the Qian family''s patriarch, removing the greatest worry, was another dream.


    Everything was improving, their days were getting better...


    But now, it was all gone.


    Like a dream.


    When they woke up, they had to leave their homes. Tongxian City might no longer exist.


    Elder Yu sighed deeply, his expression bitter.


    The life of scattered cultivators was hard...


    They didn''t even dare to dream of immortality, just to live well and peacefully for one or two hundred years. Why was it so difficult?


    ...


    Mo Hua walked around, visiting familiar people, then returned home and sat silently in the courtyard.


    Everyone was leaving.


    Elder Yu, Uncle Yu Chengyi, and Uncle Yu Chengwu, along with other familiar demon hunters and uncles;


    Uncle Ji''s family, Uncle Meng''s family, Uncle Chu''s family;


    Master Chen of the artifact crafting shop, who had no children, would also migrate with them;


    Mr. Feng, though elderly and highly respected, had been saving lives through alchemy for many years. Many people remembered his kindness, so he had other ways out;


    But he worried about the scattered cultivators'' migration, fearing how many would die from poisonous miasma and injuries without an alchemist, so he planned to go along, and no one dared persuade him otherwise;


    The three who grew up with Mo Hua, the ones who fought for him, would leave with their parents too...


    His parents might stay with him, but everyone else, those familiar to Mo Hua;


    Those who grew up with him or watched him grow up;


    People Mo Hua had helped and those who had protected him.


    They would all leave Tongxian City, walking an unknown path to a strange place, starting a hard life anew.


    Maybe facing the elements, suffering from hunger and cold, perhaps being oppressed by some family, sect, or the Dao Court.


    And he probably wouldn''t go with them.


    He would take a path entirely different from theirs.


    Mo Hua pondered silently. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    With no bottleneck in spiritual awareness and enough spirit stones, he could soon build his foundation.


    He could choose a family or sect, or even the Dao Court or Dao Soldiers to rely on, training steadily until Foundation Building, then aspiring to Golden Core, step by step, learning higher array techniques, seeking greater realms...


    The path of scattered cultivators was full of thorns, while his path was filled with flowers.


    ...


    But was this really what he wanted?


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask himself.


    Why did he study arrays?


    He had changed some things, but in the end, it seemed like nothing had changed.


    In the face of disaster, he could protect himself this time, but what about next time?


    Would he always protect himself every time he faced difficulties?


    "Will I become numb and indifferent over time?"


    "Will I forget my original intention, lose my true self, and become a selfish person?"


    Could such a self really achieve immortality? Could he really ask the Dao?


    Could he truly seek the true essence of arrays and comprehend the ultimate Dao?


    If he lost his Dao heart, could he truly find immortality even with success and fame?


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure it out for a while, so he lay in the courtyard, looking up at the sky.


    "What is my Dao heart?"


    "What Dao am I seeking?"


    "What should I do?"


    ...


    The sky was vast, the clouds boundless, seemingly full of endless vitality and truths.


    If there was Dao, then the sky was its manifestation.


    If there was a grand array, then the Heavenly Dao Array was the ultimate array.


    And this was what an array master should pursue!


    Mo Hua''s eyes gradually brightened.


    "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."


    "I can''t lay down such a grand array that encompasses heaven and earth, using heavenly laws to balance all cultivators and let the cultivation world thrive endlessly."


    "Then I''ll start with the simplest First Grade array, figure out how to lay the first First Grade array, eliminate a local disaster, and protect the peace of a region!"


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, his expression gradually firm, his eyes shining like stars.


    He lay in the courtyard, reaching out to the sky.


    His small palm seemed to grasp the entire sky.


    .

 Chapter 345: The Grand Arra

    Mo Hua made a decision; he would construct a grand array to kill Feng Xi!He had his own way out, but he also wanted to provide a path for all the independent cultivators, so they wouldn''t have to abandon their homes and wander aimlessly.


    With his mind made up, Mo Hua began to consider how to proceed.


    A grand array was a colossal engineering feat in the realm of cultivation.


    It was difficult to learn and even more challenging to build.


    Mr. Zhuang had told him about the many difficulties of constructing an array, not to discourage him, but to make him think more carefully and plan more thoroughly.


    A grand array required manpower and material resources, but before anything else, it needed time.


    Building the grand array required time, and learning about grand arrays also required time.


    Without time, nothing could be accomplished.


    Mo Hua first went to find Commander Yang and asked:


    "Uncle Yang, how long will it take for that pig to refine its blood qi?"


    Commander Yang, who led the Dao soldiers stationed at the edge of the deep mountains, always kept an eye on the movements of the great demon. After thinking for a moment, he replied slowly:


    "About one to two months."


    One to two months...


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Learning and building the grand array would take more time than that.


    However, Mo Hua was also a bit puzzled and couldn''t help but ask:


    "Does it usually take that long for a great demon to refine blood qi?"


    The old patriarch of the Qian family had taken the Life-Transforming Elixir, and his cultivation began to rise within half an hour.


    Could it be that this pig had digestive issues?


    Commander Yang pondered, "Generally speaking, it doesn''t take that long. But this Feng Xi is somewhat special. It didn''t become a great demon by itself but was forcibly fed by someone."


    "The blood qi within it is extremely mixed; it doesn''t belong to it and hasn''t been refined by it. Therefore, the refining process takes longer."


    "Moreover, this Feng Xi has died once before, so it needs to refine the blood qi to maintain its vitality."


    Commander Yang glanced at the deep mountain''s blood qi with a solemn expression:


    "But once it finishes refining, restores its vitality, and starts feeding again, there will be big trouble."


    Mo Hua frowned and asked, "Is there a way to delay it?"


    Commander Yang nodded, "In a while, the Dao soldiers will send some Foundation Building stage leaders over. We will jointly harass Feng Xi and delay its refining progress to buy time for the cultivators of Tongxian City to relocate."


    "How long can you delay it?"


    "About a month, I estimate."


    So, there were still two to three months of time, which should be barely enough.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, "That''s good."


    Commander Yang was taken aback, "What''s good?"


    "Nothing, Uncle Yang, you go ahead."


    Mo Hua waved his hand upon receiving the news and then dashed off.


    Commander Yang watched Mo Hua''s back and couldn''t help but mutter, "This child, I don''t know what he''s up to again..." S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But whatever it was, it wouldn''t make much difference...


    Commander Yang turned his head to look at the deep red blood qi in the mountains. Within the blood qi, a great demon lurked, hiding a chilling aura.


    This aura was growing stronger bit by bit.


    This pig demon, clearly dead, had come back to life...


    A Dao calamity that had come back from the dead. It was the first time he had seen or heard of such a thing.


    Commander Yang sighed, his expression growing even graver.


    Mo Hua, however, breathed a sigh of relief.


    Two to three months was extremely tight, but it was enough to give it a try.


    First, he had to learn the grand array.


    This was the prerequisite; otherwise, everything else was just empty talk.


    Mo Hua immediately ran to find Mr. Zhuang, his face solemn:


    "Sir, I want to learn the grand array!"


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat surprised, not by Mo Hua''s desire to learn the grand array, but by how quickly he had made up his mind.


    "Have you thought it through?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "I''ve thought it through."


    A grand array was the ultimate pursuit of an array master.


    An array master who didn''t want to build a grand array wasn''t a good array master.


    Since he wanted to be an array master, sooner or later, he would have to understand and construct a grand array.


    Moreover, he wanted to be the chief array master of the grand array.


    The one who led the design and construction of the grand array, the core array master, rather than just a regular array master participating in its construction.


    But building a grand array was difficult and required vast amounts of manpower and resources.


    Typically, the selection of the chief array master was meticulous and cautious.


    The candidate had to be highly respected, have a strong family background, be academically outstanding, or have a stellar reputation.


    At the same time, they had to have experience in leading the construction of a grand array.


    Mo Hua met none of these criteria.


    Outside Tongxian City, no force would be willing to take the immense risk of inviting him, an array master of independent origins, to lead the construction of a grand and massive array.


    This was his first opportunity, not just theoretical but a chance to personally learn and try to construct a grand array.


    If he missed this first opportunity, it might be his only chance in this lifetime.


    The beginning is always the hardest.


    As long as he gained experience in leading the construction of a First Grade grand array, he could gradually understand and lead the construction of higher-grade grand arrays.


    But if he didn''t take the first step and gain experience in leading the construction of a grand array, he might never have the chance to work with grand arrays in his lifetime.


    So, for both his pursuit in array studies and for the independent cultivators of Tongxian City, he had to take this step.


    Even if he didn''t succeed, he had to do his best.


    Mo Hua''s expression was firm, and Mr. Zhuang felt a bit gratified, but he still reminded:


    "Grand arrays are very difficult to learn."


    "Difficult or not, I must learn!" Mo Hua insisted.


    "Are you really sure you want to learn?" Mr. Zhuang''s expression was somewhat profound.


    "I do!"


    "What if you can''t learn it?"


    Mo Hua said calmly, "If I can''t learn it, it means I lack the ability; there''s nothing more to say. But if I don''t try to learn, it shows fear of the array, a cowardly heart, and I''ll struggle to go far in array studies."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, showing approval.


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang''s expression, Mo Hua slightly relaxed and then whispered:


    "Sir, I can learn the grand array, right?"


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly taken aback, "How do you know?"


    Mo Hua explained, "If I really couldn''t learn it, you would have refused me from the start instead of asking me to think it over."


    "Since you asked me to think it over, it means it''s within my capability."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head helplessly, then took out a set of ten jade slips and placed them on the table, saying solemnly:


    "These are the jade slips of the grand array!"


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up. He had guessed right; Mr. Zhuang had already prepared them.


    "Before learning the grand array, there are some things I need to make clear to you," Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua sat up straight, listening attentively.


    Mr. Zhuang first asked, "What is a grand array?"


    "It is a more complex and extensive composite array."


    This was something Mr. Zhuang had taught him, and Mo Hua remembered it clearly.


    "And what is a composite array?"


    "An array that integrates single arrays through an array hub, forming a composite array."


    "What is the fundamental difference between a composite array and a single array?"


    "The array hub."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, "The array hub of a single array is simple, while that of a composite array is complex. The array hub of a grand array is even more complex."


    "What exactly makes it complex?" Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask.


    "The array hub of a single array connects array patterns; the array hub of a composite array connects single arrays; and the array hub of a grand array connects a vast number of single arrays."


    "This means the array hub of a grand array requires stronger spiritual sense, connects more single arrays, has more complex spiritual power trajectories, and must consider the compatibility between the array hub and single arrays."


    Mo Hua carefully pondered this and then said:


    "So the core of the grand array is still the array hub. As long as we can master the array hub, ensure smooth spiritual power flow, and single array compatibility, we can master the grand array, right?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded. "That''s correct."


    "What makes it difficult?"


    "Spiritual sense."


    "Still the spiritual sense..."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "All the problems of an array master ultimately come down to insufficient spiritual sense."


    Mo Hua felt somewhat relieved, grateful that his spiritual sense was decent.


    Although spiritual sense was his only strength...


    Then Mo Hua weakly asked, "Is the spiritual sense of the Foundation Building stage enough?"


    "The spiritual sense of the Foundation Building stage is enough, but just barely."


    Mr. Zhuang explained, "Spiritual sense is intangible and cannot be precisely quantified, only roughly estimated."


    "The most objective criterion is to measure the strength of spiritual sense by the number of array patterns an array master can draw before exhausting their spiritual sense."


    "But even so, this criterion is difficult to accurately define."


    "This means that on the surface, two arrays may require the spiritual sense of ten patterns. However, some arrays are simple, and the actual spiritual sense required is less than ten patterns. Others are extremely complex, and the spiritual


    sense consumed far exceeds ten patterns, but not to the extent of eleven patterns."


    "The grand array is one of those arrays that require the spiritual sense of ten patterns but due to its complexity, demands even more spiritual sense."


    "Starting with the spiritual sense of ten patterns..." Mo Hua murmured.


    And it sounded so complicated...


    Mo Hua felt a headache coming on.


    "So as I said," Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said slowly:


    "A First Grade grand array is actually not meant for First Grade array masters to learn."

 Chapter 346: Teaching

    "Sir, are there any array masters who can create a First Grade array at the First Grade of Qi Refining?" Mo Hua couldn''t help but ask.Mr. Zhuang responded lightly, "Of course there are. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have you learn it."


    "Oh, right."


    Mo Hua realized and nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang spoke earnestly:


    "The cultivation world has flourished for over twenty thousand years, with countless cultivators and geniuses of all kinds. Though rare, there are always cultivators who can construct a First Grade array even at the Qi Refining stage."


    Hearing this, Mo Hua reflected seriously:


    "Sir, I understand! There''s always someone better, countless extraordinary cultivators in the world. I must always maintain respect and humility to keep progressing in array techniques."


    "I''m just lucky to have Foundation Building-level spiritual sense at the Qi Refining stage. Even if I can draw an array, I''m far from being a true prodigy..."


    Mr. Zhuang''s eyelids twitched.


    No... having Foundation Building spiritual sense at the Qi Refining stage is already remarkable.


    Being able to create a First Grade array makes you even more extraordinary.


    If you can truly create an array, it''s not that you''re far behind others, but that others are far behind you...


    After all, being able to construct a First Grade array and actually doing it is extremely rare.


    One needs not only the ability but also financial resources, manpower, and the right opportunity.


    He had only seen such cases in sect records and cultivation tales.


    In reality, he had never met an array master who could truly achieve this.


    Mr. Zhuang intended to encourage Mo Hua to stay humble and avoid arrogance.


    But now it seemed, this child, Mo Hua, might be too humble...


    However, humility towards the Dao and arrays is always good. Mr. Zhuang didn''t reveal his thoughts and instead nodded approvingly:


    "It''s good that you think this way."


    Encouraged by Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua felt greatly inspired.


    He thought that the path of arrays was indeed endless, and he needed to work harder.


    Even if he couldn''t match other array geniuses, he couldn''t lag too far behind, lest he disgrace Mr. Zhuang as his unofficial disciple.


    He must learn the grand array!


    Mr. Zhuang sensed Mo Hua''s determination and felt both comforted and emotional.


    If Mo Hua could maintain this humble pursuit of the Dao, his future achievements in arrays might be truly terrifying...


    "What kind of unofficial disciple have I accepted..."


    Mr. Zhuang''s feelings were complex, but he quickly composed himself and continued teaching Mo Hua about grand arrays.


    "A First Grade grand array starts with ten-pattern spiritual sense, meaning you must have Foundation Building spiritual sense to learn a First Grade grand array."


    "But ten-pattern spiritual sense is the requirement for array masters. Ordinary cultivators, who don''t study arrays or master spiritual sense techniques, typically have spiritual sense between nine and ten patterns after Foundation Building."


    "Stronger than a typical nine-pattern Foundation Building, but still short of ten patterns."


    "Ordinary array masters are the same. After Foundation Building, they need time to enhance their spiritual sense and learn Second Grade arrays."


    "So, usually, it''s said that only Second Grade array masters can learn a First Grade grand array."


    Mr. Zhuang paused, his gaze focused, and said, "Such transcendent arrays are generally called Absolute Arrays in array studies."


    "Meaning arrays that can serve as the ultimate skill of a sect, or those extremely difficult to master, with nearly extinct legacies."


    "The Reverse Spirit Array you''re learning is an Absolute Array."


    "A grand array, due to its complex spiritual sense requirements and extensive array knowledge, is also an Absolute Array."


    "But because of its massive scale and long-lasting benefits, once completed, it can benefit cultivators for hundreds or even thousands of years. To highlight its importance, it''s called a ''grand array'' instead of an Absolute Array."


    Mo Hua nodded, silently counting the array concepts he knew:


    Single array, composite array, grand array, riddle array, illusion array, Absolute Array...


    Array researchers really like creating all these confusing names...


    Though proficient in arrays and able to distinguish them, he couldn''t help but complain inwardly.


    Mr. Zhuang gently tapped Mo Hua''s head, "What are you thinking?"


    His eyes sparkled, clearly harboring some inner complaints.


    Mo Hua quickly shook his head, "Nothing!" Then hastily changed the subject, asking:


    "Sir, does this mean that Second Grade array masters find learning a First Grade grand array easier?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Not that easy."


    "Isn''t spiritual sense sufficient?"


    "Spiritual sense is just the threshold. Without sufficient spiritual sense, you don''t even qualify to step through the door," Mr. Zhuang explained:


    "But having enough spiritual sense is just one step. Truly mastering a grand array, constructing it, and skillfully using it is far more challenging."


    "Are there additional requirements for spiritual sense usage?" Mo Hua asked again. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not just spiritual sense usage," Mr. Zhuang sighed slightly, "A grand array is too complex, involving many single arrays. It requires detailed observation of the relationships between arrays, such as compatibility, opening and closing, and the flow of spiritual power."


    "Proficient spiritual sense usage, strong control, and preferably some understanding of spiritual sense calculations are needed..."


    "Grand arrays of the same type are typically the culmination of that array type. In other words, array masters who can create grand arrays are also those who have mastered that type of array thoroughly!"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, "Now do you understand?"


    "I understand, sir."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He then thought seriously and asked, "What you described sounds like me?"


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily stunned, then laughed, instinctively ruffling Mo Hua''s hair:


    "Be modest."


    "Oh." Mo Hua smiled sheepishly.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed inwardly.


    Mo Hua wasn''t wrong; he was indeed suited for learning grand arrays.


    His spiritual sense foundation was strong, his usage was proficient, and his control was sensitive.


    In terms of arrays, Mo Hua had drawn the Five Elements Arrays countless times, thoroughly mastering them.


    He had also dabbled in architectural composite arrays from artifact crafting and pill refining, achieving a deep understanding.


    Considering all these factors, when Mo Hua sought to learn grand arrays, Mr. Zhuang didn''t refuse but pointed out the challenges, asking him to reconsider.


    Because Mo Hua truly had the potential to learn grand arrays.


    If he didn''t try, Mr. Zhuang would feel it was a pity, even regrettable.


    But grand arrays were not simple, and this was just the beginning.


    Mr. Zhuang unfolded ten jade slips:


    "These are the grand arrays I will teach you!"


    "These ten jade slips cover the principles of array eyes, the structure of array hubs, the distribution of array patterns, the construction of array mediums, and the compatibility and cost estimation of single arrays."


    "This array is a trapping and killing type, utilizing the Five Elements'' mutual generation and restriction to trap enemies and eliminate powerful foes with the attacking arrays within the grand array!"


    "Among Five Elements grand arrays, this array excels in offensive capabilities, enough to deal with Feng Xi."


    Mr. Zhuang handed the jade slips to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua received them and immersed his spiritual sense into the slips, immediately seeing the powerful characters:


    Five Elements Demon-Slaying Grand Array!


    The characters were vigorous and forceful, exuding a killing aura.


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened, and he carefully put away the jade slips.


    Grand arrays were extremely precious.


    Though Mr. Zhuang took them out casually, in ordinary families or sects, they could serve as ultimate skills.


    Mo Hua respectfully bowed to Mr. Zhuang.


    He was grateful for Mr. Zhuang''s teaching and for his efforts for the independent cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Mr. Zhuang seemed to understand Mo Hua''s thoughts and shook his head slightly:


    "Don''t think too much. I came here, and disaster struck, creating karma. Within my abilities, I won''t stand by idly."


    After speaking, Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, "Go back and study well. Come to me if you have questions."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Mo Hua respectfully bowed again and then took his leave.


    Mr. Zhuang''s gaze followed Mo Hua''s figure until it disappeared into the mountains. He remained lost in thought for a while before frowning and asking:


    "Do you think he can learn it?"


    There was no sound or response in the room.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "The Grand Elder has already calculated for me, you can''t escape either. Pretending to be dead won''t work."


    Elder Gui appeared and shook his head:


    "You''ll get yourself killed sooner or later. To avoid being dragged down by you, I want to stay away."


    Mr. Zhuang said helplessly, "You''re already far away, how much further do you want to hide?"


    Elder Gui remained silent.


    Mr. Zhuang then returned to the previous question, "Do you think Mo Hua can learn the grand array?"


    Elder Gui glanced at Mr. Zhuang, "You''re the array master, not me. I can''t guess."


    "How do you think his array drawing is?"


    "Very good."


    Mr. Zhuang suggested, "I''m already a cripple. Why don''t you take him back? Given time, he might help you."


    Elder Gui was clearly tempted but still shook his head, "His level is too low, too long to wait."


    "You can teach him slowly."


    "I don''t know arrays, how can I teach?"


    "You can invite an array master."


    Elder Gui said flatly, "Don''t push your own matters onto me."


    Mr. Zhuang''s intentions were exposed, and he sighed.


    After a moment, Elder Gui frowned and asked:


    "If you want to teach him the grand array, just teach him. Why waste time making him think it over?"


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a long


    time, his gaze obscure, then slowly spoke, as if to Elder Gui, yet also to himself:


    "Only in the face of great disasters can a cultivator understand their true heart."


    "Only by making choices between right and wrong can they solidify their Dao heart."


    "If one doesn''t establish and solidify their Dao heart from the beginning, they''ll unknowingly deviate further. Even if they achieve success, they''ll ultimately be completely at odds with the path to longevity."


    A trace of self-mockery and sadness appeared on Mr. Zhuang''s face.


    "The mistakes I''ve made, I don''t want him to repeat..."

 Chapter 347: Beyond the Ten Patterns

    Mo Hua returned home and eagerly began reading the jade slip on the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array.However, even after reading until nightfall, he had not finished a single jade slip.


    And there were ten jade slips in the entire set.


    Mo Hua sighed. The array was indeed a "great" array, its complexity vast, with just the instructions on its construction taking up so many jade slips.


    Time was of the essence, but Mo Hua couldn''t afford to be hasty.


    The array was crucial and couldn''t tolerate any mistakes.


    He had to be patient, study meticulously, and not rush. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A single careless mistake could lead to a chain reaction, causing the entire array to collapse.


    Yet learning at this pace would take too long...


    Mo Hua considered his options and decided to prioritize. He would start with the most important parts and work his way through the rest later.


    He first spent some time skimming through all ten jade slips.


    Then, he extracted the core parts of the array''s hub and eyes, leaving the arrangement of array patterns, single array compatibility, and array medium construction for later.


    Mo Hua began studying the array''s hub.


    The difficulty of the array''s hub was significantly higher than that of any composite array hub he had learned before.


    This level of complexity was the pinnacle of First Grade array formations.


    The array''s hub, managing the entire array and connecting numerous single arrays, required a structure that was robust, resilient, and stable, yet inclusive.


    Inside the hub, numerous tracks for spiritual power had to be accommodated, controlling the opening, closing, direction, and flow of the spiritual power.


    The outer edge of the hub also needed to leave interfaces to integrate various single arrays with different functions.


    In the grand array, if single arrays were the veins, then the hub was the meridians; if single arrays were the flesh, then the hub was the skeleton.


    The hub was the backbone of the array, the nexus of spiritual power flow.


    Although Mo Hua understood these principles before, it was only now, hands-on, that he truly comprehended them.


    Mo Hua first memorized a portion of the array hub. At night, he immersed his spiritual consciousness into the sea of consciousness and began practicing on the Dao Stele.


    After practicing twice, he discovered something unbelievable:


    His spiritual consciousness was far from sufficient!


    Even after memorizing only a part of the array hub, his spiritual consciousness was exhausted and he still couldn''t complete the hub.


    The requirement for spiritual consciousness was simply too exaggerated...


    Was this really a First Grade Ten-Pattern array?


    Mo Hua found it hard to believe.


    But then he thought, if it weren''t so difficult, it wouldn''t be called an ultimate array, nor would it be revered as the strongest array, and sought after by array masters worldwide as a lifelong pursuit.


    Since it was so, no matter how difficult, it was reasonable.


    Instead of complaining, it was better to practice more.


    Persistence was key in array formations. As long as one persevered, there would eventually be progress.


    If he couldn''t master it in one try, he''d draw it ten times. If ten times wasn''t enough, he''d draw it a hundred times...


    Even if he ultimately couldn''t master it, at least he wouldn''t have any regrets.


    Mo Hua forced himself to calm down.


    Ignoring how difficult the array was, and not worrying about whether he could master it in the end, he began to learn step by step, practicing repeatedly.


    Mo Hua drew the hub once, exhausted his spiritual consciousness, erased it, and then continued drawing.


    On the Dao Stele, from nothing to something, from something to nothing, repeating the cycle over and over.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed, but it seemed he sensed a faint Dao rhythm from the Dao Stele.


    This rhythm was elusive and hard to describe, but it made him feel more at peace, more focused, and his understanding of the array hub gradually deepened.


    Compared to composite and single arrays, the grand array''s hub shared the same origin but was fundamentally different.


    Single array hubs were extremely simple, with only a few strokes.


    Even simpler hubs didn''t require strokes; the array''s structure itself could serve as the hub.


    Composite array hubs were more difficult, with heavier strokes and greater consumption of spiritual consciousness.


    But the grand array''s hub was much more complex.


    It wasn''t just one stroke but countless fine strokes connected to form a unified pattern, creating the hub.


    The unified pattern was the hub''s outline, and the fine strokes were the specific tracks of spiritual power flow.


    This unified pattern, though seemingly a thicker stroke than the composite array hub, was actually filled with countless fine strokes of specific lengths, shapes, and lines.


    Like weaving hemp into a rope.


    Except each strand of hemp had strict regulations on shape, angle, and connection during weaving.


    This was why the hub was so complex and consumed so much spiritual consciousness.


    Understanding this principle, Mo Hua found it hard to believe.


    How could such a concept be conceived?


    Or rather, was this really something a human could come up with?


    Learning it was so strenuous; the array master who created this grand array must have had an incredible understanding of the Dao and array formations.


    Mo Hua felt a sense of awe.


    The more he learned about array formations, the more he realized his own inadequacies, the more he learned, the more he felt ignorant.


    And the more he felt ignorant, the more he wanted to learn.


    Mo Hua resolved to eliminate distractions and focus on studying the hub.


    In the following days, Mo Hua practiced the array hub tirelessly, day and night.


    Even while eating, his hands would sometimes unconsciously make gestures.


    Sometimes, he''d get lost in thought while eating, staring blankly until the food in front of him went cold.


    Liu Ruhua could only reheat his meals helplessly.


    Mo Shan quietly watched his son, not disturbing him.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua originally planned to migrate to the city with their demon-hunting brothers and neighborhood friends.


    But they were worried about Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was their flesh and blood. No matter what choices he made, what he did, or what the future held, they wanted to stay by his side.


    A few days later, Mo Hua''s understanding of the hub made significant progress.


    The reason was that his spiritual consciousness had increased considerably.


    Mo Hua realized this after some thought.


    Mr. Zhuang had said that spiritual consciousness had a limit.


    The closer one got to the limit, the harder it was to increase spiritual consciousness.


    The limit for spiritual consciousness in the Qi Refining stage was the First Grade Ten-Pattern Foundation Building.


    So previously, Mo Hua''s spiritual consciousness grew slowly through practicing array formations.


    But after consuming the Blue-faced demon and refining the Visualization Diagram''s divine thought, his spiritual consciousness had already broken through the Ten-Pattern limit.


    In other words, Mo Hua''s current spiritual consciousness limit was that of the Foundation Building stage.


    The Foundation Building limit was still far away for Mo Hua.


    Thus, practicing complex array formations still significantly enhanced his spiritual consciousness.


    Before, Mo Hua hadn''t realized this because the arrays he studied weren''t difficult enough, consuming too little spiritual consciousness, leading to slow growth.


    But now, the grand array was difficult enough, consuming a lot of spiritual consciousness, so naturally, his spiritual consciousness grew quickly.


    At this rate, with his spiritual consciousness continuously strengthening, he might really master the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array before the migration!


    Thinking this, Mo Hua''s eyes lit up with hope.


    With renewed hope, he practiced even more diligently.


    When encountering difficulties, he would consult Mr. Zhuang.


    If Mr. Zhuang was resting, he would wait at the bamboo house''s door or under the large locust tree.


    While waiting, he would take out paper and ink to practice the array hub.


    One day, as Mo Hua practiced under the large locust tree, Bai Zisheng saw him and, curious, put down his book and leaned over to take a look, frowning at what he saw.


    "What is this?"


    It looked very complex, like random strokes of ink, but not as orderly as array formations, yet still seemed like one.


    "The array hub."


    Mo Hua answered without looking up, his hands still drawing with full concentration.


    Bai Zisheng was stunned.


    The array hub?


    What kind of array hub was this complicated?


    He wanted to ask more but didn''t want to interrupt Mo Hua''s concentration.


    Yet his curiosity got the better of him, and he kept watching Mo Hua draw.


    Watching for a while, Bai Zisheng felt a headache and dizziness, thinking:


    "Not good, my spiritual consciousness is overextended..."


    He quickly looked away, resting for a long time before recovering, looking at Mo Hua with a hint of shock.


    What was Mo Hua drawing?!


    "I only watched for a while, how did my spiritual consciousness deplete?"


    Bai Zisheng was incredulous.


    For a moment, he felt that Mo Hua''s array was something beyond his understanding of array formations...


    Bai Zixi, seeing this, was also curious and quietly approached Mo Hua, looking at the array he was drawing.


    Her eyebrows furrowed, and as she watched, she suddenly guessed something, her expression momentarily stunned.


    "Zixi..."


    Bai Zisheng started to speak, but Bai Zixi shook her head, signaling him not to disturb Mo Hua.


    When Mo Hua''s spiritual consciousness was exhausted and he stopped to rest, he suddenly found two pairs of beautiful eyes staring at him intently.


    One pair of starry eyes, one pair of bright, watery eyes.

 Chapter 348: Enlightenment

    "What''s wrong?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.Bai Zisheng hesitated, "Is this... an array hub?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Yes."


    "What kind of array hub?" Bai Zisheng asked curiously, while Bai Zixi also looked at Mo Hua with curiosity.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then played coy, "You''ll find out later."


    Bai Zisheng muttered discontentedly, "Stingy..."


    Then, remembering something, he asked worriedly in a low voice, "Are you planning to relocate the city?"


    "Possibly."


    "What do you mean by possibly?" Bai Zisheng asked, "When a great demon appears, isn''t relocating the city usually the only option?"


    Mo Hua asked, "Isn''t it usually the only option? Are there other ways?"


    He wanted to know if Bai Zisheng had any other methods to deal with the great demon.


    "How would I know..." Bai Zisheng shook his head, "I asked Aunt Xue, and she told me."


    Bai Zixi''s clear voice added, "The Bai family has cultivators working at the Tian Shu Pavilion who have seen such records. Usually, relocating the city is the best option when facing a disaster like a great demon."


    Some people are devoured by great demons, turned into corpse slaves, or become ghosts... all are human tragedies.


    Thinking of this, the three of them looked solemn.


    Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, then asked, "If the city relocates, will you leave too?"


    Bai Zisheng nodded, "Once the city relocates, Mr. Zhuang will definitely leave. He doesn''t seem willing to take Zixi and me as disciples."


    "But we must become his disciples!" Bai Zisheng said firmly.


    "Why?" Mo Hua was very curious.


    Bai Zisheng hesitated, glancing at Bai Zixi, who didn''t stop him or look unhappy. He then solemnly leaned toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua''s expression tensed as he leaned closer.


    Bai Zisheng whispered, "I don''t know either..."


    Mo Hua was stunned, then looked at Bai Zisheng disdainfully.


    Bai Zisheng hurriedly said, "I haven''t finished yet."


    He lowered his voice even more, "Originally, I wasn''t supposed to tell outsiders, but since we share the same sect... sort of, I won''t hide it from you..."


    "My mother instructed Zixi and me to find Mr. Zhuang, become his disciples, and learn a special array."


    "This array can only be learned by direct disciples, not registered disciples."


    "Oh," Mo Hua nodded.


    So that''s it...


    No wonder Zisheng and Zixi were so determined to become Mr. Zhuang''s disciples.


    Perhaps it wasn''t their determination but their mother''s, or even the Bai family''s...


    This array must be very important...


    "Don''t you want to know what kind of array it is?" Bai Zisheng was dissatisfied with Mo Hua''s indifferent reaction, feeling that he should be more shocked.


    Just saying "oh"? How could that be?


    Mo Hua glanced at him, "Didn''t you say you didn''t know?"


    Bai Zisheng was stunned, "How did you know I didn''t know?"


    "You just said ''I don''t know,'' which means you don''t know what array you need to learn from Mr. Zhuang, right..."


    "Besides, even if you knew, you couldn''t tell me, right?" Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, "Mo Hua, you''re no fun. We can''t have a conversation like this."


    "You''ve said everything, how can I keep any secrets?"


    Bai Zisheng was a bit dissatisfied.


    "Alright." Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "If Mr. Zhuang leaves without taking you as disciples, what will you do?"


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at each other and sighed.


    Bai Zisheng said bitterly, "I don''t know, maybe we''ll keep looking for Mr. Zhuang until he accepts us..."


    That''s difficult, as Mr. Zhuang is elusive, and no one knows where he will go.


    They might face many difficulties just finding Mr. Zhuang, let alone becoming his disciples.


    Mo Hua felt sympathy for them and a bit of resentment towards their mother and the Bai family.


    With such a big family, why not solve their problems themselves? Why make Zisheng and Zixi find a master?


    They wanted to use these two children to soften Mr. Zhuang''s heart.


    It seemed An Xiaofu was right, the bigger the family, the weaker the family ties.


    Bai Zisheng suddenly asked Mo Hua, "Do you think Mr. Zhuang will take you as a disciple?"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, thought for a moment, and shook his head, "You have a connection with Mr. Zhuang, good family background, and talent, yet Mr. Zhuang doesn''t want to take you. Why would he take me?"


    Bai Zisheng muttered, "That''s not necessarily true..."


    Mr. Zhuang treated Mo Hua better than them...


    If it weren''t for Mo Hua''s poor spiritual roots, he would have suspected that Mo Hua was Mr. Zhuang''s blood relative...


    A blood relative of Mr. Zhuang wouldn''t have such poor spiritual roots!


    So Mo Hua definitely had no blood relation with Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua stared at Bai Zisheng, like a cat narrowing its eyes, "Are you bad-mouthing me in your heart?"


    Bai Zisheng was shocked, "You can tell?"


    Mo Hua snorted, "I learned it from Mr. Zhuang."


    Every time he secretly cursed Mr. Zhuang, Mr. Zhuang could see through him. Over time, he also learned to see if others were bad-mouthing him.


    Bai Zisheng said helplessly, "What did you learn..."


    "As long as it works!"


    ...


    The two bantered for a while.


    Mo Hua needed to restore his spiritual awareness, so chatting with Bai Zisheng was a good break.


    As they talked, Bai Zisheng suddenly lowered his head, looking a bit down.


    "What''s wrong?" Mo Hua asked.


    Bai Zisheng looked at the big locust tree and the distant Tongxian City, sighed, "If the city relocates, will everything be gone..."


    Mr. Zhuang''s mountain home, the big locust tree, the bamboo forest, the pond, the fish in the pond...


    The cultivators in Tongxian City would leave, the eateries would be gone, the bustling streets, the brilliant fireworks, the exciting demon-fighting plays...


    And after parting, they might never taste the wine and meat Mo Hua brought, or Aunt Liu''s handmade pastries...


    If they went to find Mr. Zhuang, it would be a tough journey.


    Returning to the Bai family meant returning to a gilded but stifling cage.


    Their days in Tongxian City were the happiest.


    If Tongxian City remained, they could always think of coming back.


    If it were gone, there would be nothing to remember...


    The more Bai Zisheng thought, the more dejected he became.


    Even Bai Zixi''s bright eyes showed deep loneliness.


    Mo Hua, for a moment, couldn''t find words.


    He thought for a while and suddenly said firmly, "It won''t happen!"


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were stunned, "What won''t happen?"


    "Tongxian City won''t disappear!"


    "But..."


    Mo Hua stood up, "You''ll see soon!"


    He packed his things and said, "I''m going to find Mr. Zhuang," then ran off like the wind.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at each other, puzzled by what Mo Hua intended to do.


    Mo Hua went to find Mr. Zhuang, asking about the array hub, and then returned home to study the grand array.


    The city relocation was still in preparation.


    Before the actual relocation began, he had to master the array hub! S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mastering the array hub meant mastering the core of the array.


    The individual arrays'' compatibility and array mediums could be built while learning.


    In the following days, Mo Hua locked himself in his room, practicing the array repeatedly.


    His spiritual awareness unknowingly grew stronger.


    The array hub''s structure became clearer in his mind.


    The array hub he drew also became more refined.


    But it wasn''t enough...


    Mo Hua''s spiritual awareness was still lacking.


    Every time, he would exhaust his spiritual awareness, then recover, and exhaust it again, repeating the cycle.


    Yet, he still couldn''t draw the complete array hub.


    Mo Hua tried and failed repeatedly.


    Like a person crossing a river, he could see the shore but always drowned before reaching it.


    "Does a ten-pattern grand array really consume this much spiritual awareness?"


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but feel discouraged.


    But he didn''t give up.


    He continued tirelessly, like a puppet wound up, repeating the same task mechanically and numbly.


    Drawing the array hub, erasing, drawing again, erasing again...


    Monotonous, repetitive, and dull.


    But Mo Hua remained focused, forgetting time and everything, completely immersed in the array.


    Heaven rewards diligence, and after a month, Mo Hua had a breakthrough and for the first time, drew the complete array hub of the Five-Element Demon-Slaying Grand Array in his sea of consciousness!


    At that moment, Mo Hua was stunned.


    He felt no joy, only numbness and a bit of self-doubt.


    "Did I really draw it?"


    Was it a dream...


    Mo Hua looked at the array hub again.


    It was flawless, orderly, with intricate lines, layered and interwoven, forming the grand structure of the array hub.


    Profound, obscure, complex, yet with an inexplicable, intricate beauty.


    Mo Hua emerged from his numb, mechanical "puppet" state, and joy slowly seeped into his heart like rain.


    "I finally


    drew it!"


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up with joy.


    Drawing the complete array hub alone meant he could create the grand array, and he could formally begin constructing the powerful Five-Element Demon-Slaying Grand Array!


    Build the grand array, kill Feng Xi, and save Tongxian City!

 Chapter 349: Eleven Patterns

    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then calmed down again.Although he had drawn the complete array hub, he still felt uneasy.


    Was this a coincidence?


    He erased the hub and redrew it, sighing as he did.


    Indeed, it was only due to a moment of inspiration and perfect concentration that he managed to draw it. When he tried again without the same level of focus and clarity, he failed.


    However, he wasn''t far off. He just needed to be more meticulous and have a deeper understanding.


    Where there is one success, there must be a second.


    Since he succeeded once, he could certainly do it again.


    Mo Hua concentrated and continued drawing.


    Time passed slowly. By the fourth attempt, he finally drew the array hub of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array completely and perfectly.


    Mo Hua exhaled a long breath.


    He withdrew his spiritual awareness from his sea of consciousness.


    The sky was still dark, and the night was deep.


    Mo Hua felt a wave of exhaustion from a month of tireless effort and fell asleep sprawled out on the bed.


    He slept until noon, awakened by the smell of food.


    The room was filled with dishes.


    Liu Ruhua, seeing that he had lost weight and his cheeks were no longer round, felt distressed and prepared a table full of delicious food for him.


    Mo Hua''s mood instantly brightened.


    He ate heartily and then continued drawing the array hub.


    This time, unlike in his sea of consciousness, he needed to redraw the hub on paper.


    The hub in his sea of consciousness was essentially a formation condensed from his spiritual awareness; the real hub was drawn on paper using spirit ink, forming a tangible array.


    Drawing an array in the sea of consciousness was easier;


    Drawing it on paper was relatively harder;


    And actually constructing the array, drawing it on a special array medium, would consume even more spiritual energy and be more difficult.


    Therefore, Mo Hua needed to draw it on paper first.


    He had to present the array hub from his sea of consciousness onto real array paper before constructing the array in the world.


    The array hub was large, and the paper used as the medium was even larger.


    Mo Hua laid out a piece of paper several times larger than himself in the courtyard and began to draw the hub stroke by stroke.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua watched him, helping to lay out the paper, hand him brushes, mix ink, wipe his sweat, and serve him tea.


    They didn''t know exactly what Mo Hua was drawing.


    But watching the ten-year-old child drawing such a complex, profound, and large-scale array with meticulous and serious strokes, Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua felt a mix of shock and pride.


    Mo Hua drew all afternoon, ruining two pieces of paper before finally completing a drawing of the array hub by nightfall.


    He asked his parents to help store the array paper in his storage bag, then ran excitedly to find Mr. Zhuang.


    The sky was dusky, and the mountain shadows deepened.


    Mr. Zhuang was sitting in his room, examining the blood aura of the deep mountain demon, his fingers gently pinching the air as if calculating something.


    Seeing Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang was a bit surprised.


    It was rare for Mo Hua to come and disturb him at this hour.


    Mr. Zhuang was about to speak when he noticed a hint of surprise in his eyes. "You... learned it?"


    The panting Mo Hua nodded.


    He carefully took out the array paper from his storage bag and laid it out on the ground.


    A complete First Grade array hub slowly unfolded before Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions.


    He stood up slowly, examining the hub meticulously, feeling a wave of shock.


    This was what he had expected.


    But when it actually happened, he was still astonished.


    Although he had taught it and instructed Mo Hua to draw it, was this something a ten-year-old novice cultivator could actually achieve?


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, a hint of doubt in his heart.


    The cultivation world of the Nine Regions was vast and boundless.


    He had settled in a remote little immortal city by chance.


    By coincidence, he accepted this seemingly average child with decent array comprehension and agility as a nominal disciple.


    But this disciple was somewhat unexpected.


    He had extraordinary spiritual awareness, learned arrays quickly, used the Heavenly Proliferation Technique to decipher arrays, built his spiritual foundation with visualization diagrams, and even mastered array calculations...


    Now, despite being only at the Qi Refining stage with a First Grade array level, he had learned and drawn the array hub in a month.


    This array comprehension and learning speed were... astonishing.


    Mr. Zhuang felt a growing sense of mystery:


    The cultivation world might indeed have such naturally talented individuals.


    But why did he happen to encounter this disciple?


    Why had he, who had decided never to take another disciple, suddenly changed his mind?


    Was this truly a coincidence?


    Mr. Zhuang remained silent.


    Mo Hua, seeing Mr. Zhuang deep in thought, worriedly asked, "Sir, did I draw it incorrectly?"


    Mr. Zhuang snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua''s eyes were clear and bright, like a pristine lake without a trace of impurity.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s eyes, Mr. Zhuang''s doubts faded.


    He had misjudged people and accepted poor disciples all his life.


    Perhaps this nominal disciple was a gift from heaven, a bright and clever child.


    Why bother with coincidences, schemes, or hidden meanings?


    Having embarked on the path of cultivation, he should live freely. At his age, what was there to fear?


    Mr. Zhuang felt enlightened, looked at the array hub again, and said with satisfaction, "No, it''s very good!"


    Mo Hua sighed in relief, smiling with eyes like crescent moons.


    Mr. Zhuang, feeling inexplicably relieved, also smiled faintly.


    Suddenly, Mr. Zhuang was taken aback.


    He realized something!


    Mo Hua, as his nominal disciple, could indeed construct a First Grade array hub with some effort.


    A Qi Refining stage First Grade array master could construct a First Grade array.


    And this array master was his nominal disciple...


    Mr. Zhuang straightened up, feeling a sense of pride.


    He had never taught any outstanding disciples.


    Now, as a mere instructor with a nominal disciple, he had achieved such "great achievements."


    Mr. Zhuang''s expression remained calm, but he felt proud.


    However, he also felt a sense of regret.


    He had fallen on hard times.


    Old acquaintances, brilliant rivals, and close friends were now out of reach, unlikely to meet again.


    Otherwise, showcasing this achievement would surely be unrivaled, commanding respect everywhere.


    The more Mr. Zhuang thought, the more he regretted, lamenting, "What a pity..."


    "Pity for what?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    "Pity... nothing," Mr. Zhuang muttered.


    Boasting couldn''t be told to Mo Hua, as it might mislead him and tarnish his image.


    Unaware of Mr. Zhuang''s thoughts, Mo Hua asked anxiously, "Sir, can I start preparing the array now?"


    The foundation of preparing an array was knowing how to draw it, with the key being the array hub.


    Mo Hua, unfamiliar with arrays, had drawn the hub but lacked confidence and sought confirmation from Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang, hearing this, thoughtfully considered the array and hub Mo Hua had drawn, then nodded approvingly, "You can."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up.


    Mr. Zhuang, with a gentle gaze, said, "You can start preparing the array."


    Mo Hua gratefully said, "Thank you, sir!"


    "No need to thank me." S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head; it was your own hard work...


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and reminded, "But don''t get too excited. Preparing an array might be harder than drawing it."


    "I told you before, constructing an array requires a lot of manpower and resources, and operating it needs a large number of spirit stones, which are real cultivation resources, not easy to gather..."


    "Taking people''s money is like taking their lives; it''s not something that can be easily handed over."


    "You need to think clearly and be prepared."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Sir, I have thought it through!"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, "Good, it''s good to have a plan."


    He then gave a few more tips on gathering resources, manpower, array connections, and compatibility.


    Mo Hua remembered them and then respectfully took his leave.


    Mr. Zhuang watched his small, determined figure and couldn''t help but smile and shake his head.


    In the dark night, the quiet bamboo room suddenly revealed the aged face of Elder Gui.


    Mr. Zhuang''s smile faded, and he couldn''t help but complain, "Can you appear more naturally and not so sinisterly..."


    Elder Gui ignored him, looking at the blood aura in the deep mountain, and said, "The blood aura is stronger, and there''s a presence of death."


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment, sighing, "Yes."


    With the presence of death, it was more troublesome...


    "Can a First Grade Ten-Pattern Array really trap and kill this demon?" Elder Gui asked doubtfully.


    "No," Mr. Zhuang said calmly.


    Elder Gui was stunned, then his gaze sharpened, looking at Mr. Zhuang, thinking he had heard wrong:


    "No?"


    "No," Mr. Zhuang repeated.


    Elder Gui frowned, "Then why..."


    "A ten-pattern array can''t," Mr. Zhuang paused, his calm gaze turning sharp, and said slowly:


    "So, I gave him not a ten-pattern... but an eleven-pattern Demon-Slaying Array!"


    Elder Gui''s heart trembled, showing disbelief.

 Chapter 350: Changing Fate

    "You''re lying to him?""I didn''t lie." Master Zhuang said defiantly, "I only said the grand array starts at the first-grade ten patterns, but I never said the one I gave him was just ten patterns."


    "A first-grade eleven-pattern array is also considered a ten-pattern start!"


    Master Zhuang argued with conviction.


    Elder Gui''s face twitched with disbelief, realizing that Master Zhuang''s actions were truly outlandish:


    "So, what he drew wasn''t actually a first-grade ten-pattern formation array hub, but... a first-grade eleven-pattern one?"


    Master Zhuang sighed, "That''s why I was surprised."


    "The array jade slip is yours. Why are you surprised?"


    "Precisely because it¡¯s mine, I¡¯m surprised." Master Zhuang sighed, "It¡¯s difficult to draw; even second-grade array masters can¡¯t master it."


    Yet, Mo Hua had drawn it in a month...


    And apparently, his brushwork was very skilled, as if he had drawn it countless times...


    "Why didn''t you say it from the beginning?" Elder Gui asked.


    "What¡¯s the point of saying it?" Master Zhuang said lightly.


    He turned his head, looking towards the deep mountains, stained red by the night¡¯s blood, his gaze profound:


    "This demon is no ordinary demon. A first-grade ten-pattern grand array can''t trap and kill it, so only an eleven-pattern formation can."


    "Ten patterns or eleven, since Mo Hua is determined to learn, what kind of grand array is actually irrelevant."


    "If he can learn it and construct an eleven-pattern grand array to trap and kill the demon, fine. If he can¡¯t, he will naturally give up, without wasting manpower and resources on this useless struggle."


    Elder Gui furrowed his brow, "Can an eleven-pattern grand array really kill it?"


    Master Zhuang chuckled lightly, "In this world, is there anything certain? Even if an array collapses, it will still leave a faint escape route. There¡¯s no such thing as a truly inevitable death trap."


    "The eleven-pattern Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array, in terms of lethality, is already enough to trap and kill a demon. But the demon is a Dao calamity, a variable in the Heavenly Dao. Until the end, no one knows what will happen..."


    "And if it doesn¡¯t kill it?" Elder Gui asked again.


    "Don¡¯t worry." Master Zhuang said, "As long as the grand array is successfully constructed, even if it doesn¡¯t kill the demon in the end, it can still drain most of its blood essence, leaving it severely injured."


    "A fully powered demon is untouchable, but a severely injured demon is of great interest to many."


    "The Dao Court, major families, and sects will find ways to intervene. After all, it is a living... Dao calamity."


    "If it really doesn¡¯t work, you can step in too," Master Zhuang looked at Elder Gui, half-smiling, "but it¡¯s just one death."


    "A body for a Dao calamity is still worth it."


    Elder Gui''s gaze fell, his hands behind his back, a flicker of sharpness passing through his lowered eyes.


    Master Zhuang muttered softly, "At your age, still so insincere, pretending to be profound..."


    Elder Gui was taken aback, sighing, then asked:


    "Don¡¯t you really want to accept a direct disciple?"


    This time, Master Zhuang was caught off guard. After hesitating for a while, he sighed, "I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t take disciples in this life."


    Elder Gui said lightly, "I¡¯ve lost count of how many times you¡¯ve gone back on your word. What¡¯s with the solemnity..."


    Master Zhuang was silent, sighing:


    "Talking to you is really boring, it¡¯s too easy to have my faults exposed."


    Elder Gui ignored him.


    Master Zhuang thought of Mo Hua, his mind in a daze.


    If it were before, he would have accepted this disciple, but now, things were different...


    Master Zhuang was silent for a moment, then sighed to himself:


    "Let him be a named disciple. To take him as a direct disciple would harm him, and it would harm me too..."


    Master Zhuang stood in the boundless darkness, his body shrouded in blackness, the cold moonlight casting a desolate glow on the ground, but not on his face.


    "After all, there are countless people who want to kill me..."


    ...


    After returning home, Mo Hua began to seriously consider building the grand array.


    He first sought Elder Yu, saying directly, "Elder, I want to kill that pig!"


    Elder Yu was stunned, "Which pig?"


    Mo Hua extended a small hand, pointing towards the deep mountains, where the blood-red aura soared into the sky, making people¡¯s hearts tremble.


    Elder Yu was shocked, "What nonsense!"


    That was Feng Xi, the legendary demon who could devour an entire immortal city. How could it be killed?


    Even if it could be killed, it wasn¡¯t their place to do so. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    They simply didn¡¯t have the foundation or strength.


    "It can be killed!" Mo Hua insisted.


    Elder Yu wanted to say something but looked at Mo Hua and suddenly fell silent.


    He knew that Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to leave Tongxian City, nor did he want them to leave their homeland.


    They didn¡¯t want to leave either, but leaving was unavoidable.


    When a great disaster came, these scattered cultivators had no choice but to go with the flow, leaving their homeland to seek another path.


    At this point, Elder Yu suddenly felt a pang of reluctance.


    Once they moved the city, he didn¡¯t know if he could see Mo Hua again.


    Although he valued Mo Hua because he was an array master, he genuinely liked the child from the bottom of his heart.


    Elder Yu felt a bit bitter, patting Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, and said seriously:


    "Take these spirit stones and find a good way out in the nearby states. Settle down and build your foundation safely. With your ability, you will surely become a respected array master in the future."


    "As for the scattered cultivators in Tongxian City, leave it to me."


    "Moving south will be tough, but as long as we can be self-reliant, a little hardship is nothing to fear. After all, scattered cultivators fear nothing more than hardship."


    Elder Yu tried to comfort Mo Hua.


    But Mo Hua shook his head, saying earnestly, "Elder, I really have a way to kill the demon!"


    Elder Yu was stunned, frowning as he carefully examined Mo Hua¡¯s expression.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was calm, his demeanor steady, with confidence that didn¡¯t seem like a joke or wishful thinking.


    Elder Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, unable to help but ask, "You... really have a way?"


    Mo Hua nodded, saying directly, "We can build a grand array to kill Feng Xi!"


    Elder Yu was bewildered, "grand array..."


    He had heard about grand arrays before, but it was the first time he heard "building a formation" in his life.


    He had heard people mention grand arrays, talking about how some states, sects, or families, with deep foundations, even had powerful protective sect formations, standing for a thousand years...


    But those were just words he heard, and he didn¡¯t care much.


    As scattered cultivators, they couldn¡¯t even afford regular arrays, let alone grand arrays.


    Even the ones who talked about it had never seen a grand array in person.


    Unless it was a moment of life and death, sects wouldn¡¯t activate their protective grand arrays.


    Many scattered cultivators, even many cultivators from families or sects, might never see a grand array activated in their lifetime.


    Let alone "building a grand array."


    This was simply a fantasy.


    Elder Yu was stunned for a while, then his thoughts returned, hesitantly asking, "What grand array?"


    "Five Elements Demon-Slaying grand array!" Mo Hua said boldly.


    Elder Yu was shocked. The name of the array alone, with its murderous aura, was enough to make one tremble.


    And it sounded like it could slay a demon...


    But he was still uneasy, "Really able to kill?"


    Mo Hua said solemnly, "It¡¯s highly likely to kill, if nothing goes wrong."


    Since Master Zhuang gave him the array, in Master Zhuang¡¯s estimation, the Five Elements Demon-Slaying grand array could kill Feng Xi. Even if it couldn¡¯t kill, it could at least contend with the demon.


    Otherwise, Master Zhuang wouldn¡¯t have taught him.


    But after spending time with Master Zhuang, listening to his reasoning, Mo Hua knew that nothing in this world was absolutely certain, so he spoke with caution.


    Despite that, it was enough to shock Elder Yu.


    Highly likely to kill.


    This was a demon, a disaster that could not be resisted in the history of Tongxian City. Yet Mo Hua said, "highly likely to kill"...


    Elder Yu was conflicted.


    He put his hands behind his back, pacing the hall, lost in thought, unable to make a decision for a long time.


    After walking a few circles, Elder Yu suddenly stopped and asked:


    "Who will draw this grand array?"


    Mo Hua patted his chest, "I will!"


    Elder Yu thought as expected, but still couldn¡¯t believe it, "You... can draw grand arrays now?"


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide it...

 Chapter 351: The Agreement

    Mo Hua went separately to the Dao Court and the Dao Soldier Division, inviting Chief Supervisor Zhou, Commander Yang, and Zhang Lan to Elder Yu''s home, and shared his plan:To establish a grand array and kill Feng Xi.


    The mention of "grand array" left Zhang Lan and the others in silence.


    They never imagined that this was what Mo Hua wanted to discuss.


    Elder Yu knew about it, but he might not fully understand what a grand array was. However, they were clear about it.


    A grand array was a large-scale formation that every sect and clan in the cultivation world dreamed of establishing.


    With a grand array, the foundation of a clan or sect would be secured.


    Under the restrictions of the Dao Law, activating a grand array would nearly guarantee an invincible position, making them fearless against attacks from other forces or enemies.


    Among the thousands of sects and clans in the cultivation world, only a few had the foundation to build a protective grand array.


    Killing a great demon was extremely difficult, but establishing a grand array was not any easier.


    For a moment, no one knew how to respond.


    Finally, Zhang Lan weakly asked, "Can you draw a grand array?"


    "I can!" Mo Hua nodded.


    Everyone fell silent again, unsure if Mo Hua was joking.


    It was as absurd as a first-grade Qi refining cultivator claiming to be a Foundation Building cultivator the next day.


    But considering Mo Hua''s talent in arrays, it wasn''t entirely impossible. After all, they had witnessed Mo Hua''s exceptional talent in arrays.


    Moreover, Mo Hua wouldn''t joke about something like this.


    Elder Yu saw their hesitation and stated, "Our Demon Hunters have already agreed..."


    Being the only Foundation Building Elder, his agreement meant that the Demon Hunters agreed.


    "...But this matter is significant and requires further discussion with everyone," Elder Yu sought their opinions again.


    Zhang Lan and the others exchanged glances, thinking that Elder Yu''s trust in Mo Hua was remarkable to agree so readily.


    Though they also trusted Mo Hua, they had concerns from the perspectives of the Dao Court and the Dao Soldier Division.


    Commander Yang hesitated and asked Mo Hua, "Can you really draw it?"


    It wasn''t that he didn''t believe him, but the matter seemed too fantastical.


    "I can."


    Mo Hua nodded and, after speaking, went to the hall, selected an empty spot, and spread out the array hub he had drawn on the ground.


    Seeing it, Zhang Lan and the others were shocked.


    What kind of array was this?


    It was extremely complex and large, with a structure they had never seen before. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is the hub of the grand array. I tried drawing it," Mo Hua explained.


    Upon hearing this, they were even more shocked.


    This was just the hub?


    How large and complex would the full array be if this was just the hub? Could it really be a grand array?


    They began to believe him a bit more.


    But this was a significant matter, and they couldn''t decide lightly.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou said, "We need to consider this further before making a decision."


    Mo Hua nodded, expecting this. The establishment of a grand array was challenging, and decisions had to be made cautiously.


    "But it''s best to hurry; that pig won''t wait," Mo Hua reminded.


    Constructing the grand array would take time. Once Feng Xi absorbed enough blood qi and descended the mountain to feed, it would be too late to build the array.


    "Don''t worry, we will decide in a few days," Chief Supervisor Zhou nodded.


    Afterwards, everyone left, and Chief Supervisor Zhou took Commander Yang and Zhang Lan to the Dao Court, found a quiet room, and asked seriously:


    "What do you think?"


    Zhang Lan had been thinking all the way, and now, with a serious expression, he said:


    "We can try!"


    Commander Yang was surprised, "Aren''t you agreeing too hastily?"


    "Not hastily," Zhang Lan shook his head, "The key points are clear, and the pros and cons are understood. If we spend time thinking, it''s not really thinking, just hesitating."


    "Ultimately, it''s just that we don''t dare to decide."


    Chief Supervisor Zhou and Commander Yang fell silent.


    From the perspective of independent cultivators, taking a risk offered more hope.


    But from the perspective of the Dao Court and the Dao Soldier Division, especially given their positions, making this decision was difficult.


    If they failed, they would be held accountable.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou planned to retire in the Dao Court, and Commander Yang aimed to advance in the Dao Soldier Division. Taking such a risk was not rational.


    Moreover, constructing the grand array depended on Mo Hua''s ability to draw it.


    Even if he could draw the array hub, it didn''t guarantee he could build the grand array. And whether the hub was indeed for a grand array and if it would work was beyond their knowledge as non-array masters.


    Even ordinary array masters might not understand it.


    Array formations were profound for ordinary cultivators, and grand arrays were equally profound for array masters.


    Commander Yang asked, "Do you really trust Mo Hua?"


    Zhang Lan nodded, "I trust him."


    Looking at Commander Yang, he continued, "You know Mo Hua well, but not thoroughly. You don''t know how extraordinary his talent in arrays is. I do. If he is confident, it''s almost certain..."


    Commander Yang still had doubts, "Do you really think he can draw a grand array?"


    Zhang Lan shook his head, "I trust Mo Hua, but I don''t think he can draw a grand array."


    Commander Yang couldn''t help but roll his eyes, "Do you hear yourself?"


    Zhang Lan said seriously, "I trust Mo Hua has a solution. If he says he can draw a grand array, then he can. But it may not be him who draws it..."


    Commander Yang was puzzled, then had an epiphany, "You mean..."


    Zhang Lan hinted, "Mo Hua has a mentor."


    Chief Supervisor Zhou and Commander Yang were startled, then understood.


    That made sense!


    Even with Mo Hua''s exceptional talent, claiming he could draw a grand array was still hard to believe.


    Even if they wanted to believe, they couldn''t.


    But if Mo Hua couldn''t draw it, someone else could.


    Mo Hua had a mysterious teacher teaching him arrays.


    Teaching someone like Mo Hua indicated this teacher''s profound expertise in arrays, making it reasonable to draw a grand array.


    A great demon appearing would prompt this expert to intervene through Mo Hua to construct a grand array to resist the disaster.


    This reasoning was logical.


    It made more sense than a young array master drawing a grand array himself...


    An expert secretly drawing a grand array to slay the demon.


    They felt much reassured.


    Zhang Lan speculated, "Mo Hua''s teacher probably wants to remain hidden and thus let Mo Hua handle it."


    Commander Yang nodded in agreement, "That''s typical of experts; they act discreetly, not wanting attention."


    Chief Supervisor Zhou sighed, "This is a blessing for the cultivators of Tongxian City."


    "But there''s still one question," Commander Yang said, puzzled:


    "This expert seems unrelated to Tongxian City. Why help us build a grand array to fight a great demon? Is it just out of kindness?"


    Everyone frowned.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and he said slowly:


    "This expert has two purposes: saving the people of Tongxian City and guiding Mo Hua, involving him in building the grand array to ensure he becomes the master arrayist of the grand array in the future!"


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Lan and Commander Yang were moved.


    Mo Hua''s teacher had such high hopes for him!


    Master arrayists of grand arrays were always those with extraordinary skills and extensive knowledge, leading other array masters!


    Chief Supervisor Zhou continued:


    "So, building the grand array helps the cultivators of Tongxian City and assists Mo Hua, allowing him to gain experience and insight from participating in its construction, laying the foundation for him to become a master arrayist."


    Becoming a master arrayist was significant, especially since it paved the way for Mo Hua.


    Commander Yang immediately nodded, "I agree!"


    Chief Supervisor Zhou nodded, "Good! We all agree to build the grand array!"


    The three decided, and that night Chief Supervisor Zhou wrote a note and sent it to Mo Hua. The note simply read: "The grand array can be built."


    Though simple and hastily written, it bore Chief Supervisor Zhou''s seal.


    It was an official response.


    Mo Hua was surprised, thinking it would take a few more days, but he didn''t expect such a quick reply.


    Moreover, Chief Supervisor Zhou and the others agreed so readily to build the grand array...


    Why?


    Mo Hua pondered but couldn''t link it to Mr. Zhuang. He thought they simply trusted him!


    Feeling deeply moved, Mo Hua also felt the weight of responsibility, his small shoulders heavy with the burden. He silently vowed:


    "I must build the grand array, kill Feng Xi, and not let everyone down!"


    But Mo Hua wondered, what if they couldn''t kill him?


    Mr. Zhuang said, nothing is absolute; there are always unexpected events...


    If they couldn''t kill Feng Xi, it would be a huge problem.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Since everyone trusted him, he had to plan meticulously, leaving no gaps.


    Even if there were surprises, he needed to be prepared in advance.


    Mo Hua thought deeply and gradually came up with an idea.


    He had a trump card¡ªarray collapse.


    Mo Hua looked up at the deep mountains, his eyes flashing with a cold light.


    If the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array couldn''t kill the great demon, he would collapse the array, sending Feng Xi to the heavens!

 Chapter 352: Fundraising

    Previously, Mo Hua had tried it before. The reverse force generated by the collapse of the composite array could indeed injure the Feng Xi.However, the Feng Xi''s blood and qi were too strong, and it regenerated quickly. Small-scale collapses couldn''t kill it, but large-scale array collapses were entirely different.


    If the entire large array were to collapse, the resulting force would be unimaginably strong...


    Mo Hua shuddered at the thought.


    It would be best to avoid reaching this point...


    Building a large array required immense effort and resources, something Mo Hua was reluctant to waste.


    However, when he had the chance, he still needed to use his spiritual awareness to calculate the array, to be prepared in advance.


    Even if it wasn''t used for collapse, using spiritual awareness calculations to increase understanding of the array was immensely beneficial.


    After all, opportunities to create a large array were rare and precious.


    The matter of constructing a large array to suppress the Feng Xi was agreed upon by the Dao Court, Dao Soldier Office, and Elder Yu, and formally announced to the cultivators of Tongxian City.


    The reactions of the cultivators were mixed.


    Some cultivators from small families didn''t believe the array could be built and were unwilling to participate. They packed their belongings and left overnight.


    Cultivators with property or special status also prepared their escape routes early on, unwilling to stay in Tongxian City and take risks.


    Some rogue cultivators thought building such an array was a fantasy and quietly left to seek new livelihoods elsewhere.


    Compared to this, most rogue cultivators and nearly all demon hunters chose to stay.


    They had lived in Tongxian City for generations, born and raised there, married and had children there, and aged there. Their lives and emotions were deeply tied to the city.


    They couldn''t bear to abandon their homeland.


    As long as there was a glimmer of hope, they would fight for it.


    Moreover, after experiencing many events, they trusted Elder Yu and believed in Mo Hua.


    Their current lives owed much to Mo Hua''s arrays.


    Now that Mo Hua wanted to build a large array, they all wanted to help.


    Besides, the array was for their own protection.


    Additionally, the artifact crafters, led by Master Chen, mostly stayed; and the alchemists, under Mr. Feng''s leadership, also wanted to stay and contribute.


    Mo Hua felt a bit emotional.


    In times of crisis, most "upper-class" cultivators in Tongxian City fled;


    While the lower-class cultivators, who had endured hardships in the city, were doing their best to protect it...


    But some cultivators fleeing was actually not a big deal.


    Most rogue cultivators staying provided the necessary manpower for the array construction.


    To construct the large array, they needed array mediums, which required craftsmen. Elder Yu went to ask Master Ban.


    Master Ban agreed without hesitation.


    He had been favored by Elder Yu and owed Mo Hua a favor. He was also in awe of Mo Hua''s array skills.


    Now that he had the chance to repay them, he didn''t hesitate.


    Moreover, this was an opportunity to build a large array.


    In his lifetime, neither he nor any craftsman he knew had built a large array. Master Ban naturally wanted to witness it.


    Master Ban sighed internally:


    "This is a grand endeavor. If we can indeed build the large array, it will be a notable event in the province''s history, something to boast about to future generations."


    His team of craftsmen all nodded in agreement.


    With manpower resolved, the next step was gathering spirit stones and materials.


    Elder Yu donated most of the demon hunters'' earnings.


    This included the spirit mines they had seized, the earnings from the artifact crafting shop and the alchemy hall over the years, and some of his personal savings.


    Other rogue cultivators also donated some spirit stones, leaving just enough for their basic cultivation needs.


    Mo Shan also donated, and Liu Ruhua gave most of the spirit stones she had saved from running her restaurant.


    She was somewhat reluctant, as these were meant for Mo Hua''s future cultivation, buying a cave abode, and marrying a Dao companion.


    But now that Mo Hua was leading the construction of the large array, these spirit stones were being used according to his plans.


    Mo Hua also donated the ten thousand spirit stones Elder Yu had given him, but Elder Yu refused to accept them.


    Elder Yu blew his beard and glared, "Don''t cause trouble!"


    "I am building the large array, so I naturally have to donate some spirit stones," Mo Hua said.


    "We don''t need your contribution," Elder Yu refused.


    Ten thousand spirit stones... could that be considered just a bit...


    "But..."


    Mo Hua wanted to say more, but Elder Yu interrupted him:


    "These are for your Foundation Building. Whether or not the large array is completed, whether or not the Feng Xi is killed, you must not delay your Foundation Building."


    Elder Yu said solemnly, "Your Foundation Building is the most important!"


    "But we must deal with the current situation first..."


    "No matter what, you must complete your Foundation Building!" Elder Yu repeated.


    Seeing Mo Hua still wanting to say more, Elder Yu sighed and said:


    "If you really feel bad about it, just help us in the future when you become a Second Grade Array Master and are able." S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "A Second Grade Array Master would be truly influential. At that time, everything you do will be easier."


    Mo Hua nodded. Elder Yu was right, but he knew that successfully building the large array was equally important for him.


    He wanted to complete the large array to gradually comprehend more advanced array techniques.


    Mo Hua still insisted on giving the spirit stones to Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu sighed, reluctantly accepted them, and then quickly slipped them back into Mo Hua''s pocket while he wasn''t looking.


    "Alright, you''ve donated now, so I''m giving them back to you."


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but laugh.


    "How can an array master draw arrays without compensation?" Elder Yu said sternly. "Keep them properly."


    Mo Hua knew Elder Yu''s stubborn nature, so he had to accept them.


    The collection of spirit stones proceeded methodically, but relying solely on demon hunters and rogue cultivators was far from enough.


    Mo Hua went to find Chief Supervisor Zhou.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou stroked his beard and suggested two solutions:


    "One is to petition the Dao Court for more spirit stones and materials, citing the need to relocate and resist disasters, and the lack of spirit stones..."


    "Not directly state it''s for building the large array?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    "If you say it''s for building the large array, it won''t be approved," Chief Supervisor Zhou said.


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou explained to him:


    "If I say it''s for building the large array, the Dao Court won''t believe it, let alone approve it. Tongxian City is just a small immortal city with few First Grade Array Masters. How can we build a large array?"


    "Even if they believe it and want to approve, they will send people to inspect thoroughly."


    "The Dao Court''s bureaucracy is cumbersome, and my superiors aren''t supportive. This back and forth could take an unknown amount of time."


    "Moreover, the resources required to build the large array are a bottomless pit, and the Dao Court may not be willing to allocate them."


    "It''s better to request based on known, reliable reasons. Apply for what we can, little by little, and if we get more, it''s a bonus."


    "As for the bulk of the spirit stones, we need another plan."


    Mo Hua was curious, "What other plan?"


    Chief Supervisor Zhou stroked his beard, smirking, "Take a guess."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and tentatively said:


    "The Qian family?"


    Chief Supervisor Zhou nodded, "Correct. The Qian family is wealthy, and much of it is illicit due to their ancestor''s activities."


    "Are we going to confiscate the Qian family''s assets?"


    Chief Supervisor Zhou shook his head, "Not yet. Given the urgency, we can have them donate their assets, and in return, we won''t pursue the Qian family ancestor''s involvement in creating the Heishan Stronghold and colluding with demonic cultivators."


    "Chief Supervisor Zhou said coldly, "Ultimately, the Feng Xi incident is tied to the Qian family ancestor. If it weren''t for him using human lives to refine pills and using this demonic pig as a furnace, this disaster wouldn''t have happened."


    "Now, giving them a chance to atone for their sins, I hope they won''t be ungrateful..."


    Mo Hua nodded and said:


    "Then I''ll also visit Old Master An and see if he''s willing to donate."


    The An family was the second largest family in Tongxian City and had many spirit stones.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou hesitated, "The An family does legitimate business, and Old Master An may not agree to donate their assets."


    "How will we know unless we try? What if Old Master An is generous and charitable?" Mo Hua said.


    Chief Supervisor Zhou smirked, clearly skeptical, but still said:


    "You can try."


    Mo Hua went to see Old Master An and got straight to the point:


    "Old Master, we need to build a large array. Do you want to donate some spirit stones?"


    Old Master An''s expression remained calm, "What if I don''t want to donate?"


    Mo Hua said casually, "I''m just asking. If you don''t want to donate, that''s fine. We are so familiar with each other, I won''t make things difficult for you."


    Old Master An observed Mo Hua''s expression, seeing no displeasure, and sighed, realizing he had overthought.


    He had thought Mo Hua was using a polite pretext before using force.


    Building a large array required spirit stones, and the An family had them, making the situation delicate.


    If things went wrong, the An family would naturally be targeted for their wealth.


    Old Master An, having lived so long, knew well that relationships were fragile and interests were the hard, lasting reality.


    The An family and Mo Hua had


    some relationship, but no relationship was stronger than spirit stones, especially since their relationship with Mo Hua wasn''t particularly deep.


    Old Master An''s expression grew serious.


    He knew that Mo Hua was in charge of building the large array.


    He couldn''t understand how Mo Hua had convinced Elder Yu, Chief Supervisor Zhou, and Commander Yang of the Dao Soldier Office for such a significant undertaking.


    Building a large array wasn''t easy.


    But Mo Hua had done it.


    Mo Hua had a unique status and extensive connections. Despite his young age, he led many matters in Tongxian City.


    Now, the city''s major forces stood behind him.


    If Mo Hua wanted to pressure the An family, they would face immense difficulties.


    If he insisted on them donating spirit stones, they had no choice but to comply. Refusing would lead to dire consequences.


    If Mo Hua didn''t pressure them, neither the Dao Court nor the Dao Soldier Office, nor even the demon hunters would pressure the An family.


    It seemed Mo Hua didn''t want to make things difficult for them...


    Old Master An secretly breathed a sigh of relief but was still puzzled:


    "Do you really not want me to donate?"


    Mo Hua corrected, "I certainly want you to donate, but it''s up to you."


    Old Master An nodded, then hesitated before testing:


    "What if I want to donate?"


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, and he began to "paint a big picture" for Old Master An, using the prepared persuasion.

 Chapter 355: Array Master

    The scattered cultivators delayed for a while, and Commander Yang had already caught up, the golden light on his long spear intensified, piercing the left shoulder of the Kong Family¡¯s head.The other scattered cultivators, fighting desperately, hacked at him with knives.


    The head of the Kong Family, a Foundation Building cultivator, was hacked to death alive.


    With the death of the Kong Family head, the situation spiraled out of control.


    The enraged scattered cultivators rushed into the Kong Family, killing anyone they saw.


    Commander Yang led the Dao soldiers, taking a long time to regain control of the situation.


    But by then, the Kong Family was in ruins.


    Almost all of the young and strong cultivators of the Kong Family were dead or injured, leaving only some elderly, women, and children, protected by the Dao soldiers, barely surviving.


    The scattered cultivators who slaughtered the Kong Family cultivators gradually calmed down, their faces showing no joy of revenge, but numbness and painful tears.


    Blood stained the white walls, corpses were everywhere.


    Commander Yang watched this scene, his heart shaken.


    How much sin had the Kong Family accumulated...


    ...


    Listening to this, Mo Hua felt uneasy.


    "How will this matter be handled?"


    Mo Hua was a bit worried about the scattered cultivators in Qingxuan City.


    "What else can be done?" Commander Yang sighed, "The law does not blame the masses, and besides, this matter is understandable. The Kong Family met their deserved end."


    "The Dao Court won¡¯t trouble them?"


    The Dao Court of Qingxuan City had been in cahoots with the Kong Family, allowing the Kong Family to act so recklessly.


    Now that the Kong Family was gone, the Dao Court of Qingxuan City might not let it go easily.


    "Dao Court?" Commander Yang sneered, "They can hardly protect themselves."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Will the Dao Court pursue this?"


    Commander Yang nodded, "The Kong Family¡¯s rebellion, the scattered cultivators¡¯ riot, and the Kong Family¡¯s collusion with Heishan Stronghold... With so many troubles under their jurisdiction, the Dao Court of Qingxuan City will not come out unscathed."


    "What will be the outcome?" Mo Hua asked curiously, digging for details.


    Commander Yang said, "Typically, the person in charge will be held accountable, and the position of the Chief Supervisor of Qingxuan City will definitely not be preserved. If more evidence of corruption and bribery is uncovered, his life might even be in jeopardy."


    "The subordinate officials are also likely corrupt; they will all face imprisonment to some extent."


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling relieved, and then asked, "Were all the Kong Family members killed?"


    Commander Yang shook his head, "The young and strong cultivators and those with higher cultivation levels are all dead. The scattered cultivators'' resentment was too strong, even the Dao soldiers couldn¡¯t stop them. Only the elderly, women, and children are left."


    "These people can''t stay in Qingxuan City anymore. The Dao soldiers will arrange for them to go elsewhere to make a living, but they will be stripped of the ''Kong'' surname. The Kong Family is completely finished..."


    Mo Hua felt a vague sense of melancholy but also thought it was justified.


    The heavier the oppression, the stronger the backlash.


    A family that grew strong by sucking the blood of scattered cultivators could be toppled in an instant.


    ...


    The Dao soldiers confiscated the Kong Family''s assets, most of the spirit stones were transported to Tongxian City to build a large array.


    The remaining spirit stones were distributed to the scattered cultivators of Qingxuan City, making their lives less harsh.


    Mo Hua thought this matter was over, but two days later, Ji Qingbai, Ji Li, and Fu Lan came to visit again.


    Ji Qingbai, upon seeing Mo Hua, gratefully said:


    "All the scattered cultivators of Qingxuan City asked me to thank you."


    Mo Hua quickly waved his hand, "I didn¡¯t do anything..."


    Ji Qingbai shook his head, calling Ji Li and Fu Lan to bow deeply to Mo Hua.


    Fu Lan''s eyes were red; her father died at the hands of the Kong Family when she was young, she grew up with her mother, who was eventually forced to death by the Kong Family.


    Now that the Kong Family was destroyed, she finally had her revenge, but regretted that it wasn¡¯t by her own hands.


    Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly.


    He hoped that from now on, neither Tongxian City nor Qingxuan City would have such hatred and pain.


    The spirit stones were almost enough, the last task was to find array masters to help draw the array.


    Mo Hua could draw the core of the array himself, but the many smaller arrays under the core needed other array masters to help.


    Otherwise, it was impossible to complete the large array in two months.


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua sighed.


    Building a large array was really troublesome.


    Resource preparation, manpower recruitment, various adjustments... it was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and required a lot of thought.


    But even so, it had to be pushed forward step by step...


    Mo Hua went to find Master Luo for help with the array masters.


    He was the most famous First Grade array master in Tongxian City, well-connected, highly respected, and influential among the array masters in Tongxian City. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua visited him and briefly explained the situation.


    Master Luo hesitated, thought for a moment, and finally said:


    "I will convey Mr. Mo''s intentions to all the array masters in Tongxian City, but whether they are willing to help depends on their own decision."


    Master Luo apologized, "Array masters hold a special status, not under any jurisdiction. Although I have some reputation, I can''t force them."


    Mo Hua knew this, so he thanked Master Luo.


    It was good enough that Master Luo was willing to help.


    The core of the large array was the most critical part, the other smaller arrays just needed to be drawn to specifications, which wasn¡¯t too difficult and didn¡¯t require high-level array masters.


    After all the drawing was done, the chief array master still needed to inspect and control the adjustments.


    The most challenging parts would be handled by Mo Hua.


    The other parts of the array just needed any array masters to lend a hand.


    After Mo Hua left, Master Luo gathered the array masters of Tongxian City for tea, and briefly mentioned the large array.


    The younger array masters were excited and eager to participate in constructing the large array.


    For many array masters, participating in the construction of a large array was a lifelong pursuit.


    The older array masters mostly didn¡¯t express their stance, but after returning home, they sneered at the idea.


    "Overestimating themselves..."


    "A bunch of scattered cultivators and bottom-tier array masters below First Grade dreaming of building a large array, what a joke!"


    These array masters, having lived long and experienced much, knew the difficulties of constructing a large array, something beyond the capability of ordinary array masters and powers.


    Meanwhile, they were also jealous of Mo Hua.


    These old array masters had struggled for years, not only failing to become First Grade array masters, but their current array skills were also inferior to Mo Hua, who had studied arrays for less than ten years.


    They knew Mo Hua was good at drawing arrays, but didn¡¯t believe he could truly create a large array, secretly waiting to see him fail.


    "Naive child, getting carried away!"


    "Taking such a big step, he will surely stumble..."


    These thoughts, they dared not voice, but it didn¡¯t stop them from mocking in their hearts.


    In the end, about half of the array masters in Tongxian City agreed to stay and help.


    This proportion was more than Master Luo had expected.


    With so many array masters, building the large array should be barely enough, provided that the large array could actually be constructed...


    Master Luo then faced another dilemma: should he stay or not?


    He had already found a backup plan.


    The Third Grade Lanshan Sect in Lanling Province was willing to hire him as an Outer Sect Elder. Although it was just a nominal position with a teaching salary, he would receive true elder treatment once his cultivation level rose to Foundation Building.


    This couldn¡¯t compare to Mo Hua''s treatment.


    After all, his array skills and talent, as well as future prospects, were far behind Mo Hua.


    But this backup plan was already good enough.


    With Lanshan Sect as his backing, his later years wouldn¡¯t be prosperous but at least comfortable.


    But was this really enough?


    Did he not want to build a First Grade large array?


    Master Luo asked himself, leaving himself stunned.


    In the face of disaster, seeking benefits and avoiding harm is human nature. Finding a safe retreat is natural.


    But this was a First Grade large array!


    It might be his only chance in life to witness and even participate in the construction of a large array.


    Master Luo sighed.


    Only an array master knew how difficult it was to build a large array.


    The old array masters knew, and he, being more experienced, knew even better.


    Not to mention the difficulty of drawing the large array, finding a chief array master was even harder.


    The sheer scale of the large array''s construction was massive.


    Such large-scale Daoist construction was generally either organized by the Dao Court or built by deeply rooted family sects.


    In any case, it had nothing to do with an ordinary First Grade array master like him.


    He wouldn¡¯t even get a chance to touch it.


    Only because Mo Hua was building the array did he get a call.


    If the Dao Court or family sect were constructing the array, they wouldn¡¯t even glance at him, no matter how many spirit stones he offered.


    Not to mention helping to draw the array, he wouldn¡¯t even qualify to draw a stroke on the large array.


    Master Luo felt lost, but his heart also pounded with excitement.


    Now there was an opportunity right


    in front of him...


    An opportunity to personally participate in constructing a First Grade large array!


    If he missed this, he might never have another chance in his life.


    The youthful passion and enthusiasm he felt when he became an array master gradually revived in his numb body.


    Master Luo felt very strange but also joyous.


    But he forced himself to calm down.


    "Can this large array really be built?"


    Master Luo believed in Mo Hua''s array skills, but not enough to believe he could draw the core of the large array.


    After all, Mo Hua was too young.


    If Mo Hua couldn¡¯t draw the large array, someone else must be behind it, likely a mysterious senior backing Mo Hua.


    Master Luo breathed a sigh of relief, feeling more assured.


    If so, then this was promising.


    Master Luo thought for a while and gradually understood.


    That senior probably wanted to stay out of the spotlight and also wanted to "polish" his disciple.


    Letting Mo Hua, at such a young age, have the experience of leading the construction of a First Grade large array would be a prestigious accomplishment.


    This was a common method used by powerful families.


    To elevate a family heir, they would attribute the achievements of others to him, creating a "prodigy" image.


    Compared to such heirs, Mo Hua was much better.


    At least in Master Luo''s eyes, Mo Hua''s array skills were already the pinnacle of a First Grade array master.


    Given time, he could genuinely draw a First Grade large array on his own.


    A bit of embellishment now was normal.


    After all, no matter how good the wine, it needs a good reputation to sell. As an array master, having a renowned name was essential for a career.


    With this understanding, Master Luo made up his mind.


    He would stay and help build the large array.


    Mo Hua was very surprised when he heard this.


    He thought that Master Luo, being well-connected, would quietly leave now that he had a backup plan. He didn¡¯t expect him to stay and take the risk.


    "It seems I underestimated Master Luo..."


    Mo Hua nodded, gaining new respect for Master Luo.


    With Master Luo staying, some wavering array masters also decided to stay, increasing the number of helpers significantly.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    With enough manpower and resources, and spirit stones gathered, everything was ready for the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array to officially begin construction!

 Chapter 356: The Demon-Slaying Array Hub

    Before the official commencement, the array''s location needed to be chosen.Chief Supervisor Zhou and Elder Yu specifically sought out Mo Hua for his opinion.


    Since the array was designed and constructed by Mo Hua, it was natural for him to determine the location as well.


    After careful consideration, Mo Hua decided to place the array at Heishan Stronghold.


    The Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array is a trap and kill array, not a defensive array meant to protect a sect. Therefore, it couldn''t be placed in Tongxian City and had to be far from it.


    If the array were activated near the city, the violent spiritual energy might affect Tongxian City.


    The most suitable location was in the deep mountains.


    Killing Feng Xi directly in the mountains, preventing it from entering the city, was the best choice.


    Among the deep mountains, Heishan Stronghold was the ideal spot.


    Heishan Stronghold, nestled between two mountains, was easy to defend and difficult to attack. In other words, its enclosed environment was suitable for trapping and killing.


    The Qian family ancestor chose to build Heishan Stronghold here precisely because the location was ideal for setting up arrays.


    Although Heishan Stronghold was destroyed, some of its array foundations still existed, which would save a lot of effort when building the new array.


    Although Chief Supervisor Zhou and Elder Yu were somewhat surprised, they nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua then told Commander Yang, "Uncle Yang, we need to find a way to restrain Feng Xi and buy some time."


    The array''s construction would take at least two months. If there were any delays and the array wasn''t completed before Feng Xi started to feed, it would be a major problem.


    Therefore, it was essential to prevent Feng Xi from refining blood energy as much as possible to buy more time.


    Commander Yang nodded, "Don''t worry. I''ve used my family''s connections to write to the Dao Soldiers Bureau and requested two more units of Dao soldiers. We''ll find ways to harass Feng Xi and slow down its blood energy refining."


    Everyone then divided their responsibilities. Chief Supervisor Zhou handled the distribution of spirit stones and materials, Elder Yu managed the manpower, and Mo Hua took full charge of the array.


    The construction of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array officially began.


    Mo Hua designed the array''s overall blueprint based on the array hub, referencing other arrays and incorporating suggestions from Master Ban, the craftsman.


    First, the remnants of Heishan Stronghold''s buildings were cleared, and the array''s foundation and framework were reconstructed, a task overseen by the craftsmen.


    Meanwhile, the artifact crafting shops in the southern city worked day and night, with their refining furnaces continuously producing array plates, locks, gates, and other components needed for the array.


    Alchemists prepared various pills to dissipate heat, detoxify, repel miasma, and restore physical and spiritual energy for the craftsmen.


    The Fushan Tower and the An family''s dining hall provided meals for everyone.


    Demon hunters, led by Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan, opened a path from Tongxian City through the inner and outer mountains to the old site of Heishan Stronghold.


    The mountain path wound along the mountain terrain, wide and flat, facilitating the transportation of numerous materials needed for the array.


    Demon hunters also cleared the beasts along the path to prevent them from attacking the cultivators.


    A few days later, some independent cultivators from Qingxuan City came to help, and cultivators from nearby immortal cities, upon hearing that Tongxian City was building an array to fight a great demon, also gathered to contribute.


    The number of cultivators involved in the construction grew, and the scale of the project became increasingly grand.


    Mo Hua stood on a mountaintop at Heishan Stronghold.


    Looking down, he saw a winding mountain road starting from the foot of Heishan Stronghold, extending along the terrain of Dahei Mountain all the way to Tongxian City.


    The road was crowded with cultivators transporting materials and supplies in an orderly manner.


    At his feet, the ruins of Heishan Stronghold had been cleared, the foundations rebuilt, and the frameworks of some basic array components were already in place.


    Master Ban and numerous craftsmen were busy among them, and the array''s initial form was beginning to take shape.


    In the distance, Tongxian City was bustling with activity; artifact crafting shops were in full swing, alchemy shops were at their peak, and Fushan Tower was filled with cooking smoke.


    The prepared meal boxes, pills, and spiritual tools were either handed to individual cultivators or transported along the winding mountain road into the deep mountains.


    Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of cultivators worked together to build the massive Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array.


    The scene left Mo Hua inexplicably moved.


    "This is the array..."


    A single array wasn''t strong enough, so multiple arrays were combined through a core array hub to form a large array.


    A single cultivator wasn''t strong enough, so numerous cultivators united for a common goal.


    Human strength is limited, but when enough people come together, their power is boundless.


    In a trance, Mo Hua had a sudden realization. S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He could draw the array, kill Feng Xi, and save the city''s cultivators.


    But in reality, it wasn''t just him saving others; everyone was saving each other.


    Without him, no one could draw the array, but without so many united cultivators, he wouldn''t be able to complete the array either.


    Fate was never changed by one person but by all cultivators working together to defy destiny.


    In that instant, Mo Hua''s sea of consciousness trembled slightly, his divine sense clear, and he felt a profound understanding of the array''s concept.


    The once unfamiliar array hub patterns seemed to be etched clearly in his sea of consciousness.


    With a sudden realization, Mo Hua felt confident.


    He truly believed he could build and master the entire Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array!


    Master Luo, who was following Mo Hua, was marveling at the complexity of the array. Suddenly, he looked up and saw Mo Hua appearing to be in a state of enlightenment, exuding an unfathomable aura.


    It seemed that Mo Hua had understood some profound truth, advancing in array mastery.


    He even faintly exhibited the demeanor of an array grandmaster.


    At that moment, Master Luo thought he was seeing things.


    He rubbed his eyes and saw that the profound aura around Mo Hua had vanished, leaving him as the same simple cultivator.


    Since it was noon, someone called out, "Lunch is ready," and Mo Hua used his Passing Water Step to happily run off to grab a chicken leg...


    Master Luo stood there for a long time, then sighed with a complex expression, muttering to himself:


    "Was I just seeing things..."


    Ten days later, the foundation of the array''s base framework was completed.


    Thanks to the collective effort of all the cultivators, the speed was much faster than Mo Hua had anticipated.


    Next, the formal array needed to be drawn.


    The Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array used the array eye as the source, the array hub as the control, single arrays for layout, and array components as the foundation.


    The array eye comprised multiple First Grade Spirit Gathering Arrays to refine spirit stones, absorb spiritual energy, and condense the array''s spiritual power, thus providing the energy source for the entire array.


    The core of the array was the array hub, which managed the control of spiritual power, including its opening and closing, starting and stopping, and its strength and suppression.


    Only after drawing the array hub could the layout of the single arrays extending from the hub be arranged.


    Similarly, within the entire array, the array hub was the hardest to draw and was also the core and most confidential part of the array, which had to be drawn by the chief array master personally.


    In other words, only those who could draw the array hub qualified to be the chief array master, leading the array''s completion.


    Mo Hua chose a high peak for the array hub.


    The high terrain provided a good view, was distant from the central trapping area, allowing a broad overview when controlling the array and preventing spiritual energy interference when trapping Feng Xi.


    The array hub''s component was a massive array plate forged from refined iron, extremely sturdy and difficult to damage.


    Before Mo Hua started drawing, Master Luo led all the array masters to leave.


    The array hub was the core and the array master''s secret, naturally requiring confidentiality during its drawing.


    Master Luo also thought that perhaps Mo Hua''s teacher would draw the array hub, so he took everyone out to avoid revealing this.


    Master Luo was considerate of Mo Hua''s situation.


    However, he didn''t know that Mo Hua was indeed drawing the array hub himself.


    The array hub was difficult to draw.


    Even though Mo Hua had a thorough understanding, drawing the array hub was still challenging.


    Using a refined iron array plate as the component consumed more divine sense during the drawing process.


    Due to insufficient divine sense, Mo Hua failed twice, using spirit-dissolving liquid to erase the array patterns and redraw them.


    He made mistakes in the complex patterns twice more and had to redraw them again.


    ...


    Despite failing five or six times, Mo Hua didn''t get discouraged.


    Thanks to his earlier realization, the array hub''s patterns were clearly etched in his mind.


    He knew he could draw it, needing only more familiarity and some trial and error.


    After five days and countless attempts, Mo Hua finally completed the array hub for the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array.


    Mo Hua infused his divine sense into the array hub, revealing every pattern and spiritual energy path, all matching the records on the array jade slip.


    To ensure everything was correct, Mo Hua meticulously checked every detail several times before letting out a sigh of relief.


    Success!


    Looking at the profound and complex array hub before him, Mo Hua felt a surge of joy.


    The array hub''s structure was precise, built with meticulous strokes, exuding a sense of intricate and profound beauty


    .


    The only flaw was that it was Mo Hua''s first time drawing an array hub on an array plate, resulting in many corrections, making it look less aesthetically pleasing.


    Though not visually perfect, it was functional!


    Mo Hua believed that practicality was most important for cultivators; functionality was paramount.


    After finishing the array hub, Master Luo led the other array masters back in. The sight before them left everyone in awe.


    This was the array hub...


    The intricate patterns were intimidating, clearly beyond their ability to learn...


    After recovering from his amazement, Master Luo studied the array hub for a long time.


    He was astonished by the high level of array mastery this expert had achieved, being able to draw the array hub.


    Yet, he also wondered why this "expert" seemed to have a child''s scrawl-like drawing style, with so many corrections...

 Chapter 357: Completion

    After completing the array hub, it was necessary to extend the lines from the hub to all corners of the large array, connecting thousands of individual arrays. S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.All of these individual arrays were of the Five Elements type, with the lowest grade having six patterns and the highest being a First Grade Nine-pattern array.


    Given the sheer number of arrays, no matter how fast Mo Hua could draw them, it was impossible for him to complete so many within two months alone.


    Thus, assistance from other array masters was essential.


    Mo Hua, as the main array master, had two primary tasks. One was the overall design and planning of the individual arrays: determining where to use which type of array, how many were needed, and how to control them centrally via the array hub.


    The other task was to ensure compatibility among the individual arrays. Some arrays might seem fine on paper but could conflict with each other when spiritual power flowed through them.


    In such cases, it was up to the main array master to adjust and modify the design.


    Mo Hua handed over the comprehensive array diagrams to Master Luo, asking him to assign tasks to specific array masters.


    Being young, Mo Hua''s direct orders might not command respect from the other array masters, who might harbor resentment even if they didn''t express it openly.


    But Master Luo was a First Grade array master with significant prestige, making him the ideal person for the job.


    Mo Hua''s responsibilities included filling in the individual arrays, checking their compatibility, and adjusting the flow of spiritual power between the individual arrays and the array hub.


    Another crucial task was the derivation calculations for the array hub.


    The hub of the large array was extremely complex, and Mo Hua had to work diligently to fully understand it.


    In case of emergencies, if the First Grade Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array failed to suppress Feng Xi, he could attempt to dismantle the array to eliminate the demon and prevent future troubles.


    This was a last resort, to be prepared but never used unless absolutely necessary.


    Demon-slaying with the large array wasn''t just his task; it concerned the entire Tongxian City and even the stability of the entire Heishan Province for centuries to come.


    Therefore, every detail had to be meticulously planned.


    Mo Hua spent his days drawing arrays, checking the work of other array masters, and making adjustments based on compatibility and spiritual power flow.


    At night, while others rested, he submerged his spiritual sense into his sea of consciousness, using the Dao Stele to calculate the spiritual power trajectories of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array''s hub.


    As he progressed in his calculations, his understanding of the large array grew clearer, making the daytime adjustments much easier.


    Master Luo was also busy drawing arrays in recent days.


    The large array comprised numerous individual arrays, and with the tight schedule, he had to give his all to complete the assigned tasks on time.


    Mo Hua had to "check" Master Luo''s arrays after completion.


    During these moments, Master Luo felt particularly tense.


    He recalled the unease and apprehension he felt as a young array apprentice, waiting for his teacher to review his work.


    Mo Hua was like the teacher, while he, once again, became an apprentice awaiting review.


    Mo Hua''s reviews were swift.


    If he read through from start to finish without pausing, it meant the array was fine, and Master Luo could breathe a sigh of relief;


    If Mo Hua paused, Master Luo''s heart would tighten;


    If Mo Hua frowned while reviewing, Master Luo''s heart would skip a beat, and he would even break out in a cold sweat.


    Despite repeatedly reminding himself that he was now a First Grade array master and no longer an apprentice, and that Mo Hua was just a young array master who hadn''t been officially ranked by the Dao Court, he couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    Other array masters'' critiques didn''t bother him because he was confident in his skills, but Mo Hua was different. If Mo Hua pointed out a mistake, it was undoubtedly a real error.


    Master Luo sighed inwardly, marveling:


    "How can there be such a vast difference between First Grade array masters..."


    Before meeting Mo Hua, he believed that the skill levels of First Grade array masters were similar, with only minor differences.


    Now he realized that some array masters were like shallow pools, while others were like the unfathomable depths of the ocean.


    His admiration for Mo Hua grew.


    However, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he had misjudged something, leading him to observe Mo Hua closely.


    Mo Hua, with hands as delicate as an apprentice''s, drew arrays with the precision and fluidity of a master.


    He worked swiftly, his lines flowing seamlessly, creating intricate and precise arrays effortlessly.


    Master Luo was astonished.


    Such mastery wasn''t possible without extensive practice.


    But it didn''t make sense... Mo Hua was too young to have practiced so much.


    Continuing his observations, Master Luo discovered something startling:


    Mo Hua controlled all the adjustments of the large array himself, ensuring compatibility among the individual arrays, and even corrected errors in the array hub personally.


    Realizing that Mo Hua had drawn the entire array hub and controlled the entire array system alone, Master Luo felt a chill run down his spine.


    What kind of prodigy could single-handedly manage a First Grade array construction?


    Master Luo stood stunned, unable to believe his eyes.


    This was truly a thirteen-year-old main array master!


    He had completely misjudged the situation...


    With such unparalleled array skills, there was no need for any formal ranking.


    In Master Luo''s eyes, Mo Hua was already a master, radiating golden brilliance.


    This was a genuine First Grade array master...


    Master Luo''s respect for Mo Hua deepened, and he began to speak to him with a slight bow.


    Mo Hua found it strange, thinking Master Luo was simply exhausted.


    Master Luo''s dedication to the array construction increased. He scolded the other array masters for their mistakes, a stark contrast to his usual polite demeanor.


    His attitude surprised the others, but they soon realized that Mo Hua had a real chance of completing the large array.


    With Master Luo''s seriousness, the other array masters also committed themselves fully to the project.


    ...


    Working together, the cultivators advanced the array''s construction amid busy, monotonous, and exhausting efforts.


    Despite Commander Yang''s repeated disruptions, delaying Feng Xi''s refinement process, the blood energy on Dahei Mountain continued to intensify.


    Meanwhile, the outline of the large array began to take shape at the former site of Heishan Stronghold.


    Its circular exterior and square interior symbolized the harmony of heaven and earth.


    The internal layers and trenches formed a complex array maze.


    The entire array was grand and menacing.


    All the participating cultivators felt a sense of awe and momentary disorientation, realizing they were indeed constructing a large array and might actually complete it.


    After many more days and nights of hard work, with countless cultivators contributing their efforts, the array was finally preliminarily completed.


    After the initial construction, the arrays needed verification.


    Mo Hua inspected all the arrays, tested the spiritual power flow, and, with Master Luo, meticulously checked for potential issues.


    Only after these thorough checks did Mo Hua nod in approval.


    His nod signified the array was functioning properly.


    All the cultivators behind him felt relieved, their worries lifted.


    Finally, the large array was complete!


    ...


    On the twenty-third day of the tenth month in the year 2025 of the Dao calendar,


    The entire manpower and resources of Tongxian City were mobilized.


    After two months and five days,


    Deep within Dahei Mountain, the First Grade Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array was officially completed!

 Chapter 358: The Battle Begins

    The grand array was completed, and the battle to suppress the demon could begin.Yet, when it was truly time for battle, all the cultivators in Tongxian City harbored doubts in their hearts.


    Was the array really flawless? Could it truly kill Feng Xi?


    Not just the common rogue cultivators, even Elder Yu Chengyi and the other Foundation Building cultivators were deeply worried.


    But they dared not question Mo Hua.


    First, they feared putting pressure on Mo Hua, and second, asking wouldn¡¯t help.


    There was no turning back now.


    With the situation at this point and the array already established, they had no choice but to proceed with the plan to suppress and kill the great demon.


    Throughout, Mo Hua remained calm and composed, his gaze serene.


    As if this time, the great demon would surely die within the array.


    This inexplicably calmed several Foundation Building cultivators.


    Elder Yu Chengyi sighed inwardly. Despite living for over a hundred years and having experienced many trials as Foundation Building cultivators, they were not as steady as the young Mo Hua.


    However, upon reconsideration, they realized that while they had weathered many storms, facing a great demon of such magnitude was indeed a first.


    The array was still an array; since they didn¡¯t understand it, they had to trust Mo Hua.


    Not just Elder Yu Chengyi, all the cultivators thought the same.


    The Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array was designed to trap and kill. To trap Feng Xi, they first had to lure him into the array.


    This step was very dangerous, so only Foundation Building cultivators could do it, with Dao soldiers providing cover.


    Among the Foundation Building cultivators tasked with luring Feng Xi, Mo Hua saw Zhang Lan.


    "Uncle Zhang, you''ve reached Foundation Building?!"


    Mo Hua was surprised.


    Zhang Lan feigned nonchalance, but his eyebrows couldn''t hide his pride, "Not bad, I just found some time to break through."


    Mo Hua smirked. Found some time to break through... as if breaking through was as casual as a blind date.


    Was breaking through to Foundation Building really that easy...


    But he recalled Zhang Lan''s earlier words.


    For disciples of noble families, breaking through to Foundation Building was indeed not difficult.


    Zhang Lan had previously halted at the ninth level of Qi Refining, partly to solidify his foundation and partly to avoid family troubles.


    "Did you solidify your foundation well?" Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan replied casually, "Good enough, no need to keep polishing."


    "So, now that you''ve reached Foundation Building, are you going back home to get married?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Zhang Lan''s face darkened, "Kid, can you talk about serious matters?"


    Mo Hua chuckled, feeling grateful.


    He knew Zhang Lan did this for the cultivators of Tongxian City. After all, having one more Foundation Building cultivator to deal with the great demon meant an extra force and an additional guarantee. Hence, he hastened his breakthrough.


    Mo Hua silently noted Zhang Lan¡¯s kindness, thinking:


    "I must help Uncle Zhang whenever I get the chance!"


    The plan to suppress the great demon was discussed before the array was completed; now it was just about finalizing the participants.


    The next day, at dawn, the Dao soldiers began to gather.


    Yang Jiyong stood on a mountaintop, looking solemnly at the bloody great demon in the distance.


    After a while, another armored Dao soldier leader approached and said softly, "Brother, everything is arranged."


    This man was Yang Rong, also a member of the Yang family and the leader of the Dao soldiers sent to support them.


    Yang Jiyong nodded, still frowning.


    The atmosphere was a bit heavy, so Yang Rong tried to chat with Yang Jiyong about some family trivia.


    After some idle talk, Yang Rong asked curiously, "Brother, why did you only mobilize Yang family members this time?"


    Applying for the transfer of Dao soldiers was usually at the Dao Court¡¯s discretion. This time, Yang Jiyong used Yang family connections to transfer Yang Rong and others.


    Moreover, not only Yang Rong, but all the Dao soldiers here had ties to the Yang family; either they were surnamed Yang, married into the family, or were indebted to the Yang family ¨C they were all considered ¡°one of their own.¡±


    "I trust our own people." Yang Jiyong answered.


    Yang Rong clearly didn¡¯t believe him, "Brother, be honest with me, don¡¯t lie."


    Yang Jiyong glanced at Yang Rong, pondered a bit, and then said slowly:


    "Fine, I¡¯ll tell you, but you must keep it a secret, and make sure the others do too."


    Yang Rong''s expression grew serious as he nodded, "Brother, rest assured."


    Yang Jiyong said, "I brought you here mainly to maintain confidentiality. Regardless of whether the array succeeds or fails in killing Feng Xi, do not leak any information."


    Yang Rong looked troubled, "The construction of such a large array is hard to conceal..."


    "It''s not about concealing the array," Yang Jiyong explained, "It''s about concealing the person who built the array."


    Yang Rong was momentarily stunned, then asked, "Who built the array?"


    When they arrived in Tongxian City, they were stationed near the great demon to prevent any incidents, so they had little contact with the city''s cultivators.


    They didn¡¯t involve themselves in the array construction.


    They didn¡¯t understand array drawing either.


    He only remembered seeing a group of array masters, among whom an imposing old array master stood out. As for who led the construction, he had no idea.


    Yang Jiyong was about to answer but then shook his head, "It''s better you don''t know."


    Yang Rong hesitated, not wanting to press further, but curiosity gnawed at him like a cat''s paw.


    Yang Jiyong¡¯s serious tone indicated that this matter was indeed extraordinary.


    "Brother, you need to tell me. Knowing what is confidential helps me keep it better. If I don¡¯t know, I might accidentally spill something."


    Yang Jiyong paused, "When did you get so clever?"


    Yang Rong chuckled.


    Yang Jiyong thought for a moment and decided to tell him, "In the past few days, have you seen a young cultivator?"


    "A young cultivator?" Yang Rong was puzzled.


    "With features as delicate as a painting, fair and handsome, clever and cute at first glance, but inscrutable on closer inspection..."


    Yang Rong frowned in thought, then exclaimed, "Ah, that young cultivator following the old array masters."


    "You have it reversed."


    "Reversed?"


    Yang Jiyong said calmly, "It''s not him following the old array masters; it''s the old array masters following him."


    Yang Rong gaped, "No way..."


    Then he connected Yang Jiyong¡¯s words about "the person who built the array," and was stunned, "No way..."


    Yang Jiyong ended the conversation there, just reminding him:


    "Got it?"


    Yang Rong was dazed for a while, then shook his head, murmuring, "Too terrifying..."


    These days, even young kids could build grand arrays?


    Yang Rong moved closer to Yang Jiyong and whispered, "Brother, this must not be known to the Li and Chang families."


    Otherwise, they would stop at nothing to recruit him.


    "That''s why I used the Yang family connections to bring you here."


    "But what if we can¡¯t keep it secret?" Yang Rong was worried.


    "No worries," Yang Jiyong said calmly, "As long as they don¡¯t see it with their own eyes, they won¡¯t believe it."


    Yang Rong nodded.


    He had seen it with his own eyes, but still found it hard to believe...


    But since his brother said so, he would follow suit.


    "And one more crucial thing..."


    Yang Jiyong looked at Yang Rong and cautioned:


    "During the attempt to kill Feng Xi, success or failure is unknown. If we fail, ensure Mo Hua''s safety at all costs."


    "Mo Hua..."


    Yang Rong remembered the name and nodded, "Understood!"


    Afterward, he looked at Feng Xi in the distance, sighed, and said:


    "Such a huge demon, I feel scared just looking at it. Can we really kill it?"


    Yang Jiyong said gravely, "No matter what, we must try."


    He then sighed inwardly:


    Hopefully, not too many will die this time...


    The Dao soldiers here were mostly Yang family loyalists, many of whom had fought life and death battles with him. He didn¡¯t want heavy casualties.


    But they were facing a terrifying great demon.


    In the state, great demons were invincible.


    Even with the array, fighting a great demon was no easy task.


    Yang Jiyong appeared calm but couldn¡¯t help worrying inside.


    After Yang Rong left, Zhang Lan soon found Yang Jiyong.


    After reaching Foundation Building, Zhang Lan felt more confident, standing taller in front of Yang Jiyong. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    They briefly discussed the plans to kill Feng Xi. As Zhang Lan turned to leave, Yang Jiyong called him back.


    "Zhang Lan." Yang Jiyong called, paused, and then said hoarsely, "Don¡¯t die..."


    Zhang Lan paused, surprised, but responded sarcastically:


    "I won''t die. Don¡¯t jinx me, you bastard."


    Yang Jiyong''s eyelids twitched, "I said don''t die, not go die!"


    Zhang Lan sneered, "Before a great battle, words are said in reverse. Your words make it sound like I''m going to die..."


    Yang Jiyong''s brief concern for Zhang Lan vanished, and he cursed:


    "Damn you, you can¡¯t spit ivory from a dog''s mouth. My kindness is wasted on you!"


    "You have kindness?"


    "Gone, eaten by you, you dog."


    ...


    After some mutual insults, they both fell silent.


    Zhang Lan said,


    "Don¡¯t worry. Mo Hua built the array. He wouldn¡¯t do anything without confidence. Just don¡¯t seek death yourself, and you should be fine..."


    Yang Jiyong said nothing, but his mood lightened.


    ...


    At dawn, they began according to plan, preparing to wake Feng Xi and lure him into the array.


    Yang Jiyong acted first.


    He raised his spear, fully concentrating his spiritual power into it. The spear gleamed with golden light, and with immense force, he thrust it towards Feng Xi''s abdomen.


    This was the Yang family''s superior Dao technique¡ªRadiant Golden Spear.


    Even the mid-Foundation Building ancestor of the Qian family had been severely injured by this spear technique.


    Where the spear struck, Feng Xi''s abdomen was torn apart by spiritual power, leaving a deep hole. But in an instant, blood energy gathered, regenerating flesh.


    Everyone was amazed.


    Such powerful spear techniques and such formidable blood energy.


    Facing such a strong great demon, killing it seemed almost impossible for cultivators.


    Even if it stood still, letting Foundation Building cultivators attack until they exhausted themselves, they might not deplete a tenth of its blood energy.


    But this spear did inflict significant damage on Feng Xi.


    Feng Xi, in pain, roared ferociously, causing fear in all who heard.


    It opened its eyes, pupils moving erratically, finally fixing on Commander Yang. In an instant, its hostility surged.


    It stood up shakily, having refined blood energy for three months, now resembling a small mountain, radiating a strong bloody aura, and charged at Commander Yang.


    Luckily, the demon was clumsy, its blood energy not fully refined, hindering its movement.


    Yang Jiyong retreated while guiding Feng Xi towards the array.

 Chapter 359: Activating the Array

    Yang Jiyong dared not confront Feng Xi head-on, retreating after each strike, provoking the beast and leading it away.Feng Xi lumbered forward, its massive body flattening forests and crushing rocks, causing the beasts of the deep mountains to scatter in fear.


    But as it moved, Feng Xi seemed to grasp something, suppressing its anger, and continued to refine its blood energy while crouching on the ground. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jiyong once again channeled his spiritual power, wielding his spear technique to attack Feng Xi.


    However, having already expended most of his spiritual power using the high-level Daoist technique, Radiant Golden Spear, its power was now ordinary. Even as the spear tip struck like rain on Feng Xi, the beast remained unperturbed.


    Feng Xi seemed to understand that as long as it completed the refining of its blood energy, it could descend the mountain to feed, and thus did not act on its immediate anger.


    Yang Jiyong dared not continue attacking. Once his spiritual power was exhausted, he would be in danger. If Feng Xi devoured him, not only would his life be forfeit, but the beast would also gain the equivalent of a "blood-replenishing pill" at the Foundation Building stage.


    Yang Jiyong retreated, and Zhang Lan stepped forward.


    With spiritual power surging through his body, Zhang Lan formed a giant pale blue sword with his fingers. With a distant point, the sword energy shot forth, directly piercing Feng Xi''s head.


    Flesh and blood at Feng Xi''s head splattered, but then gradually reformed.


    This was Zhang Lan''s full-strength technique. Although he had just entered the Foundation Building stage and had not yet learned his family''s superior Daoist techniques, this technique''s power was still considerable, enough to make Feng Xi wary.


    Feng Xi, enraged again, struggled to its feet, its eyes darting around before fixating on Zhang Lan. With a roar, it charged at him.


    Zhang Lan led Feng Xi for a while longer, but soon exhausted his spiritual power, unable to use any substantial techniques to threaten the beast.


    At this point, Yang Rong thrust his spear like a dragon, delivering a full-strength strike, then immediately retreating, drawing Feng Xi''s attention.


    As Yang Rong''s spiritual power waned, Elder Yu, Chief Supervisor Zhou, and Old Master An took turns engaging.


    One person would take the lead in attacking, while Dao soldiers provided support, and the others took the opportunity to rest.


    They took turns in this manner, step by step, leading Feng Xi to the former Black Mountain Stronghold, now transformed into the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array.


    Embraced by two mountains, the area was filled with buildings and heavily fortified with array formations.


    As Feng Xi stepped into the array, it suddenly sensed danger and roared, attempting to retreat.


    Yang Jiyong immediately shouted, "Seal the gate!"


    At the entrance of the array, embraced by the mountains, two massive iron gates swung shut, forming inner and outer iron barriers, blocking the demon''s retreat.


    Ignoring the obstacles, Feng Xi rammed into the gates.


    The iron gates, forged by artifact craftsmen, were immediately breached, twisting and deforming like clay, rendered useless in an instant.


    The sheer power of Feng Xi was terrifying!


    Everyone gasped in shock.


    Seeing Feng Xi about to break through the second gate, a golden light suddenly appeared on the iron door. Array patterns flickered, reinforcing the entire gate.


    When Feng Xi rammed it again, it collided with the array.


    The golden light on the array trembled violently, gradually dimming until it finally extinguished, but the iron door remained intact.


    Feng Xi was momentarily halted. In that brief delay, Mo Hua focused, swiftly communicating with the array hub through his spiritual sense. The intricate network of the array''s spiritual power channels was clearly visible in her sea of consciousness.


    With a slight movement of his spiritual sense, Mo Hua controlled the array hub, instantly activating all spiritual power circuits.


    Mo Hua coldly shouted, "Activate the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array!"


    In an instant, the array''s eyes lit up, and the spirit stones piled on the spirit-gathering sub-array were refined, transforming into immense spiritual power that surged through the entire array.


    Spiritual power roared, rapidly circulating, causing the array to tremble and emit a deafening hum.


    Like a colossal cultivation machine operating at full capacity, or a massive beast letting out a low growl.


    A powerful wave of spiritual energy reverberated.


    Simultaneously, all cultivators in Tongxian City felt their hearts tremble, looking up toward Dahei Mountain.


    They saw five-colored light beams soaring into the sky under the morning sun.


    Array patterns lit up one after another on the mountain, connecting into a vast five-colored canopy. Immense spiritual power gathered into rivers, flowing within the array.


    The array radiated light, covering the deep mountains, splendid and majestic, completely suppressing the lingering bloody aura!


    At that moment, all the cultivators were stunned, their hearts filled with indescribable shock.


    This was the grand and majestic array...


    The array they had built with all their might...


    The array''s formations seemed like a manifestation of the grand Dao of Heaven.


    Powerful enough to make hearts tremble, beautiful enough to captivate.


    This was the first, and possibly the only time in their lives, that all the cultivators of Tongxian City witnessed a fully activated first-grade array!


    On a remote hill in the south.


    Mr. Zhuang also gazed nostalgically at the vast array in the deep mountains, a look of reminiscence on his face.


    Behind him, Elder Gui''s expression was wooden, his eyes slightly narrowed, muttering, "It¡¯s really... been completed..."


    At the same time, Feng Xi sensed a deadly threat, roaring furiously.


    It struggled desperately, trying to escape from the array.


    But once inside Mo Hua''s array, escape was no easy task.


    Mo Hua merely glanced at it, raising his small hand slightly. A pattern in the center of the array hub flashed.


    The ground within the array suddenly turned into quicksand, swirling rapidly into a vortex, converging toward the center.


    The Five Elements Earth Confinement Array¡ªQuicksand Array!


    Feng Xi''s eyes gleamed with ferocity as it struggled, but the ground had turned to quicksand, offering no purchase. It couldn''t escape and was dragged by the quicksand vortex to the center of the array.


    At the center of the array lay the core of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array''s confinement and killing mechanism:


    The Five Elements Confinement and Slaughter Composite Array.


    The Five Elements Confinement and Slaughter Composite Array used an earth-stone array base constructed by craftsmen as its array medium, resembling a labyrinth with a five-element cyclic structure, composed of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, each aligned with its corresponding direction.


    The west was metal, the east was wood, the north was water, the south was fire, and the center was earth.


    Each direction had a primary five-element base array, forming a five-element labyrinth.


    Its fundamental principles were twofold: "confinement" and "slaughter."


    The metal base array on the left used the Metal Lock Array for confinement, with the Metal Birth Water Array forming the Water Sword Array for slaughter;


    The wood base array on the right used the Wood Prison Array for confinement, with the Wood Birth Fire Array forming the Fire Rain Array for slaughter;


    The water base array above used the Overturning Water Array for confinement, with the Water Birth Wood Array forming the Wood Poison Array for slaughter;


    The fire base array below used the Red Fire Array for confinement, with the Fire Birth Earth Array forming the Earth Crack Array for slaughter;


    The earth base array in the center used the Quicksand Array for confinement, with the Earth Birth Metal Array forming the Gold Light Array for slaughter!


    The five-element arrays complemented each other, seamlessly connected, creating a complete system of confinement and slaughter.


    The confinement arrays trapped Feng Xi, impeding its movement, while the slaughter arrays depleted its blood energy and ended its life.


    Utilizing the mutual generation of the five elements, the attributes of the confinement arrays amplified the slaughter arrays, maximizing the use of spiritual power and enhancing the slaughter arrays'' potency.


    The five-element base arrays were interconnected, forming a labyrinth.


    Surrounding the labyrinth were solid earth and wood structures.


    These structures were reinforced with arrays, primarily earth and wood-based, supplemented by metal, water, and fire arrays. With the immense spiritual power of the grand array, they were impregnable.


    Feng Xi, unable to break through, had no way out, forced to traverse the five-element labyrinth, repeatedly encountering confinement and slaughter arrays until its blood energy was exhausted and it perished.


    The cyclical flow of the five elements severed all life force¡ªthis was the first-grade eleven-pattern Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array!


    Feng Xi, drawn into the array, first found itself in the central earth base array.


    The surging spiritual power and the rumbling sound of its flow alerted the ferocious and foolish Feng Xi to great danger.


    It used all its strength to ram the walls of the labyrinth.


    With a thunderous crash, the walls, bolstered by the array''s spiritual power, remained intact. The array patterns on the walls dimmed slightly, indicating considerable spiritual power consumption.


    With a slight mental effort, Mo Hua directed his spiritual sense, and in an instant, new spiritual power flowed in to replenish, restoring the array patterns on the stone walls.


    Repeatedly failing to break through, Feng Xi had no choice but to flee along the labyrinth.


    But the Quicksand Array trapped it; the ground turned to quicksand, causing Feng Xi to stagger, its movements extremely slow.


    Simultaneously, the Golden Light Arrays on both sides lit up, forming hundreds of golden sword


    beams, like a torrential downpour, engulfing Feng Xi, repeatedly extinguishing its blood energy.


    The immense spiritual power and unmatched killing intent made all the Foundation Building cultivators outside the array shiver.


    "So this is the power of a first-grade confinement and slaughter array..."


    Although the array was only first-grade, the sheer number of formations was incredibly terrifying!


    When the slaughter arrays were activated, it was like thousands of cultivators casting spells simultaneously, as dense as a rainstorm, leaving no place to hide, no way to defend.


    Once trapped in such an array, even a hundred Foundation Building cultivators forming Dao soldiers would face certain death!

 Chapter 360: Suppression and Slaughter

    Zhang Lan felt a shiver down his spine.He knew the array was powerful, but he never expected its destructive force to be so terrifying.


    It was clearly just a First Grade array, yet it made him, a Foundation Building cultivator, feel a sense of unavoidable despair.


    "Can the array really be this strong?"


    Zhang Lan and Yang Jiyong simultaneously expressed their amazement, murmuring to themselves.


    After speaking, both of them were stunned, then they looked at each other with disdain as if they had swallowed flies.


    Zhang Lan sneered, "Doesn''t your Yang family have a grand array too? Why are you so surprised, acting like you''ve never seen the world?"


    Yang Jiyong retorted, "And your Zhang family doesn''t? You''re not any better."


    Zhang Lan said, "Our Zhang family has deep foundations, we don''t need to activate the grand array."


    Yang Jiyong responded, "Our Yang family is renowned for our conquests; no small fry would dare to provoke us, so we naturally don''t need to activate the grand array."


    Zhang Lan laughed coldly, "You talk a big game, but you still haven''t seen a grand array in action, have you?"


    "Neither have you," Yang Jiyong shot back.


    ...


    The two argued for a while, both equally matched, unable to make fun of each other.


    Afterward, they both looked towards the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array in the center and sighed softly.


    The grand array was indeed a rare sight to behold...


    Although both the Zhang and Yang families had grand arrays, they rarely activated them.


    Activating a grand array consumed a large amount of spirit stones, and even if their families had spirit mines, they couldn''t afford such waste.


    Unless faced with a powerful enemy or a catastrophe threatening the family, the grand array would remain dormant.


    Due to their deep foundations and vast influence, neither the Zhang nor Yang families had officially activated their grand arrays for hundreds of years.


    Thus, Zhang Lan and Yang Jiyong had never truly seen a grand array in action until now.


    The Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array depicted by Mo Hua was the first full-powered grand array they had ever seen.


    Before today, they knew the array was powerful but had no idea just how powerful until they experienced it firsthand.


    Moreover, the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array was different from their family protection arrays, which were primarily defensive or balanced with some offensive capabilities.


    This array was purely offensive.


    The power of such an array was far greater than they had imagined.


    Both men fell silent. After a long while, Yang Jiyong murmured:


    "Array masters are truly terrifying..."


    Zhang Lan did not refute this time but softly agreed, "Yes..."


    Yang Jiyong looked at the array, filled with surging spiritual power and overwhelming killing intent, and couldn''t help but be shocked:


    "If such an array were deployed on the battlefield, it would undoubtedly suppress and annihilate all enemies! Even cultivators of a higher realm might not survive!"


    He looked up towards a distant mountain peak.


    There, at the array hub, sat young Mo Hua, controlling the entire Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array.


    Yang Jiyong had never felt Mo Hua''s depth more profoundly than now.


    A thirteen-year-old chief array master, deploying a purely offensive array.


    "This child will surely become a great weapon in the future."


    "He can create arrays to save millions, but he can also create arrays to kill millions..."


    Yang Jiyong was both awed and terrified, his gaze growing more solemn.


    At this moment, Mo Hua was fully focused, meticulously controlling the array, maneuvering the Five Elements formations to trap and kill Feng Xi.


    Meanwhile, Feng Xi had already escaped from the traps of the Earth-based Flowing Sand Array and the Metal-based Golden Light Array, climbing along the rock wall into the Water-based formations.


    Mo Hua communicated with the array hub, cutting off the spiritual power supply to the Earth-based formations, then channeling the refined spiritual power through the array hub to the Water-based formations.


    With the infusion of spiritual power, the Overturning Water Array and Wood Poison Array were activated, instantly flooding the ground. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Feng Xi waded through the water, struggling with each step.


    Moreover, the surrounding greenish wood poison gas gradually corroded Feng Xi''s skin, causing paralysis and eroding its blood energy.


    Some wood poison gas seeped into the water, intensifying the poison through the principle of mutual generation in the Five Elements, with water nurturing wood.


    As Feng Xi''s four feet waded through the water, the poison eroded its flesh step by step, until only bones remained. After the blood energy condensed, it was eroded again...


    Trapped in the Overturning Water Array for several hours, Feng Xi emerged with significantly weakened blood energy.


    Ahead awaited layers of formations, including the Metal Lock Array, Water Sword Array, Wood Prison Array, Fire Rain Array, Red Fire Array, and Earth Fissure Array.


    As long as it couldn''t escape the grand array, it would remain trapped in the Five Elements'' cycle of entrapment and slaughter until completely annihilated by the thousands of formations.


    All the cultivators who witnessed this scene were shocked, but a glimmer of hope arose in their hearts:


    Maybe they really could kill the great demon with the grand array!


    Everyone''s spirits lifted.


    Thus began the long process of suppression and slaughter.


    The array''s destructive power was terrifying and effective against Feng Xi.


    But Feng Xi''s blood energy was thick; to completely suppress and kill it, they had to keep the array running continuously, repeatedly trapping, killing, and exhausting Feng Xi''s blood energy until it died.


    This wasn''t a quick task.


    This suppression might last for days, even ten days or more.


    All the cultivators involved had to remain vigilant and unrelenting. If Feng Xi escaped, it would be almost impossible to trap it again and kill it.


    Mo Hua stayed at the array hub, controlling the entire array.


    When Feng Xi tried to crash into the walls, he strengthened them with spiritual power.


    When Feng Xi was trapped, he activated the formations there while stimulating nearby killing arrays.


    He cut off unnecessary formations to save some spirit stones.


    Mo Hua''s spiritual sense was constantly being consumed.


    If Feng Xi was temporarily trapped, Mo Hua would sit and meditate to restore some spiritual sense.


    If Feng Xi escaped, Mo Hua would consume his spiritual sense to manipulate the array hub and activate nearby formations to contain Feng Xi.


    Feng Xi was constantly manipulated within the composite array of the Five Elements, trapped by confinement arrays and attacked by killing arrays.


    Feng Xi kept struggling; Mo Hua remained sleepless and relentless.


    Master Luo, watching from the side, was deeply impressed.


    Such profound spiritual sense foundation and rapid recovery...


    To control the grand array alone, Master Luo wasn''t surprised.


    But to control the grand array, maneuvering it effortlessly, without sleep or fatigue, with abundant spiritual sense¡ªwas this truly within the capabilities of a Qi Refining cultivator?


    If he were to control the grand array, he''d be exhausted within a few hours.


    Master Luo sighed.


    Originally, he thought if Mo Hua got tired, he could help for a while.


    But now, seeing Mo Hua unfatigued, he felt exhausted just watching.


    Moreover, the array hub looked complicated, but actual control was even more complex. One had to be thoroughly familiar with every part of the array to manage it properly.


    Master Luo realized he had overestimated himself.


    Such a task could only be entrusted to the chief array master, Mo Hua.


    Watching Mo Hua, Master Luo sighed:


    "Indeed, there''s always someone better out there..."


    Mo Hua remained fully focused on controlling the array.


    The grand array was vast, and even with precise control, errors inevitably occurred.


    These could be mistakes in spiritual power flow, compatibility issues between formations, or insufficient bearing capacity of the array mediums, causing breaks and wear in the array patterns.


    During these moments, when spiritual power supply faltered and formations couldn''t function, the Foundation Building cultivators and stationed Dao soldiers within the array had to act, temporarily restraining Feng Xi to prevent its escape.


    Facing such suppression, Feng Xi was furious.


    Acting during these moments was extremely dangerous.


    Thus, Zhang Lan, Yang Jiyong, Elder Yu, and others were fully alert, never letting their guard down. Each person acted only once, then withdrew to let another take over.


    This way, they restrained Feng Xi without prolonged combat, preventing anyone from being devoured by Feng Xi, which would rejuvenate its blood energy.


    Zhang Lan and the others were under immense pressure, cautious with every move.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua quickly adjusted the array hub, resuming the array''s operation, trapping Feng Xi again, activating the formations in turn...


    This process was exceedingly long...


    Outside the array, in Tongxian City, all the cultivators'' emotions shifted from shock and joy to anxiety and torment.


    They didn''t know how long it would take to kill the great demon or if they could succeed, leaving them in prolonged anticipation...


    For the next ten days, day and night, the multicolored lights in the deep mountains never faded, and the powerful spiritual energy fluctuations rose and fell continuously.


    Feng Xi''s roars echoed day and night.


    Its blood energy waned, but its ferocity grew, staining the sky over the mountains red, like the gate of a purgatory slowly opening in the heavens.


    The Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array, like a multicolored shackle, tightly locked this purgatory gate.


    Finally, after more than twenty days, Feng Xi''s roars grew weak and gradually subsided.


    The blood-red sky also dimmed.


    The setting sun cast its light, dyeing Dahei Mountain in gold, and a glimmer of hope surfaced in everyone''s hearts.


    Within the array, after more than twenty days of sleepless battle, all the cultivators were exhausted, and their spirit stone reserves were nearly depleted.


    All the cultivators,


    working together, finally drained Feng Xi''s blood energy completely!


    Feng Xi''s blood energy dissipated, its body turning ashen as it collapsed to the ground.


    Elder Yu and the others, pale and panting, clenched their teeth, having endured over twenty days.


    As Feng Xi fell, everyone initially felt numb, then slowly regained their senses, incredulously murmuring:


    "Dead?"


    "Killed?"


    "The great demon is dead, it''s been killed..."


    ...


    Joy surged like a tide, and they couldn''t help but cheer.


    Mo Hua exhaled deeply and collapsed to the ground.


    But before he could rejoice, a sudden sense of foreboding struck him.


    He quickly got up, looked down, and his pupils contracted.


    The fallen Feng Xi, silently, slowly stood up again...


    Just like the pig demon before, which had once silently risen and devoured the Qian family ancestor.


    The cheers abruptly stopped as everyone witnessed this, exclaiming in shock:


    "The great demon isn''t dead?"


    "Impossible, its blood energy is clearly exhausted..."


    "What should we do?"


    At the same time, Feng Xi''s aura changed, surrounded no longer by crimson blood energy but by dark gray death energy.


    Its pig face twisted, deformed, and reformed into a large human face.


    This human face resembled an eerie Daoist.


    It opened its mouth, lipless and toothless, and spoke, its voice indistinguishable in gender.


    It sounded like one person speaking, yet like many speaking together, eerie and chaotic:


    "Who dares? Ruin my plans!"


    "Ruin my plans!"


    "Who? How dare?"


    "Ruin...my plans!"


    ...


    The chaotic voices mingled, sounding both near and far, as if echoing in their minds.


    Zhang Lan and the others turned pale:


    "What is this?!"


    "Is this pig...a human?"


    Seeing the human face, Mo Hua had a sudden realization. He understood why the pig could resurrect.


    Because it harbored another divine sense within.


    The divine sense of that eerie Daoist!


    Feng Xi''s demonic consciousness had long perished; what drove it to resurrect was the Daoist''s divine sense.


    The one Mr. Zhuang had warned him not to ask, think about, or mention...that eerie Daoist!


    Feng Xi resurrected, its human face emerging, entangled in grievances, shrouded in heavy death energy.


    In the secluded mountain abode, Mr. Zhuang''s expression grew solemn as he murmured:


    "Dao Heart Demon Planting..."

 Chapter 361: Opening the Formation

    Yang Jiyong did not dare to confront Feng Xi head-on, so he could only strike and retreat immediately, causing Feng Xi to rage and drawing it away.Clumsily, Feng Xi moved, its massive body flattening forests and crushing rocks, startling the monster beasts in the depths of the mountains into scattering.


    However, as it moved, Feng Xi seemed to understand something. It suppressed the hatred in its eyes and crawled back to the ground, continuing to refine the Blood Qi.


    Yang Jiyong again circulated his Spiritual Power and executed his spear techniques, attacking Feng Xi.


    But having used the superior Taoist Skill Radiant Golden Spear, he had already expended most of his Spiritual Power. Now, with insufficient Spiritual Power, the power of his Taoist Skill was ordinary. Even though his spear¡¯s tip rained down like a shower, striking Feng Xi¡¯s body, Feng Xi paid it no mind.


    Feng Xi seemed to know that as long as it finished refining the Blood Qi, it could descend the mountain to hunt for food, not bothering with a momentary burst of anger.


    Yang Jiyong did not dare to continue attacking.


    Once he exhausted his Spiritual Power, he would be the one in danger. If consumed by Feng Xi, not only would his life end here, the pig would also gain a Foundation Establishment Stage ¡°Blood Pill.¡±


    Yang Jiyong stepped back, and Zhang Lan stepped forward.


    His whole body surged with Spiritual Power, and with a point of his finger, a pale blue Giant Sword materialized, sending forth sword Qi that cut through the air and directly pierced Feng Xi¡¯s head.


    The flesh on Feng Xi¡¯s head disintegrated, then slowly recongealed.


    This was also Zhang Lan¡¯s all-out effort with a spell. Having just reached Foundation Establishment, he had not yet learned the Zhang Family¡¯s superior Taoist Skills. However, the power of this spell was nevertheless remarkable, enough to make Feng Xi wary.


    Again angered, Feng Xi struggled to its feet, its pupils whirling, then fixated on Zhang Lan with a fierce roar before lunging towards him.


    Zhang Lan drew Feng Xi further away, his Spiritual Power nearly depleted, unable to cast any significant spells that would threaten Feng Xi.


    At this moment, Yang Rong¡¯s spear struck with the force of a dragon, delivering a full-powered blow and likewise striking and escaping, leading Feng Xi onward.


    When he was running low on Spiritual Power, Elder Yu, Court Leader Zhou, and Old Master An took turns entering the fray.


    One led the attack, Taoist Soldiers restrained, and others recovered their breath.


    Then, they took turns battling, step by step, drawing Feng Xi into the previous site of Black Mountain Stronghold, now the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    Two mountains embraced the area, with buildings densely packed and the Formation meticulously arranged.


    As Feng Xi stepped into the Large Formation, it suddenly became alert, letting out a roar in an attempt to retreat.


    Yang Jiyong immediately shouted, ¡°Close the gate!¡±


    At the entrance of the Large Formation, embraced by the mountains, two huge iron gates swung closed from left and right, forming an inner and outer iron barrier, blocking the Big Demon¡¯s escape route.


    Without hesitation, Feng Xi charged at the iron gate.


    The iron gate, cast from fine iron and forged by Artifact Refiners, was directly shattered by Feng Xi¡¯s impact, twisting and caving like mud, instantly ruined.


    Such was the terrifying force of Feng Xi!


    Everyone gasped in shock.


    Seeing that another charge by Feng Xi would break through the other iron gate.


    A golden light suddenly appeared above the iron gate, with Formation Patterns flickering, spread in every corner of the gate and reinforcing it.


    When Feng Xi charged again, it hit the Formation.


    The golden light on the Formation vibrated intensely, gradually dimming, until finally extinguished, yet the iron gate remained intact.


    Blocked by the Formation, Feng Xi was stalled, and during that brief moment, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, quickly connecting with the Formation Pivot using his Divine Sense. The entire Large Formation¡¯s Spiritual Power pathways intricately crisscrossed, vividly presenting themselves in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness. ??????????


    With a slight stir of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua controlled the Large Formation through the Formation Pivot, instantly activating all Spiritual Power circuits.


    Mo Hua shouted coldly:


    "Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, activate!¡±


    In an instant, the Formation eyes of the Great Formation lit up, Spirit Stones stacked upon the Gathering Spirit Compound Formation were instantly refined, transforming into a torrential rush of Spiritual Power, surging into the entire Great Formation.


    Spiritual Power surged violently, circulating rapidly, the Great Formation trembling, even emitting a deafening hum.


    It was as though a massive Tao Cultivation machine were working at full capacity, and like a giant Monster Beast, it was growling.


    A powerful aura of Spiritual Power shockingly burst forth.


    At the same time, all the Cultivators in Tongxian City felt their minds tremble in unison, raising their heads to look towards Big Black Mountain.


    Under the morning sun, they saw five-colored lights erupting skyward.


    One after another, Formation Patterns on the mountain lit up, connecting in clusters, weaving into a vast tapestry of multicolored light, where copious Spiritual Power gathered into rivers, flowing throughout the Great Formation.


    The Great Formation burst forth with dazzling light, enveloping the deep mountain, magnificently vast, suppressing the lingering stench of blood that had long plagued the upper parts of the mountain!


    At this moment, all the Cultivators stood there, dumbfounded and shocked, their hearts inexplicably stirred.


    This was the grandeur of a Great Formation¡­


    It was the Great Formation they had constructed with all their might¡­


    The Formation appeared as if it were the manifestation of the grand Heavenly Dao.


    Mighty enough to make hearts palpitate, dazzling enough to make souls yearn.


    This was the first time, and perhaps the only time in their lives, that all the cultivators of Tongxian City witnessed the full activation of a first-class Large Formation!


    On the secluded South Mountain. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang also gazed wistfully at the vast formation deep in the mountains, his expression tinged with nostalgia.


    Behind him, Old Kui¡¯s face was wooden, and his eyes slightly focused as he muttered:


    "It¡¯s really¡­ been completed¡­¡±


    Simultaneously, Feng Xi sensed a lethal danger and began to howl frantically.


    It used all four of its limbs, struggling vehemently, trying to break free from the Large Formation.


    However, once inside Mo Hua¡¯s formation, escaping was not so simple.


    Mo Hua merely gave it a cool glance, lifted her hand slightly, and a pattern at the center of the formation pivot flashed.


    The ground within the Large Formation suddenly turned into quicksand, swirling rapidly and gathering into a vortex toward the center.


    The Earth-series Trapping Formation¡ªQuicksand Formation!


    Feng Xi¡¯s eyes were fierce, and its limbs flailed, but with the ground turned to quicksand, there was no firm footing. It couldn¡¯t break free and was sucked towards the vortex¡ªthe quicksand dragged its massive body to the center of the Large Formation.


    And at the center of the large formation was the core of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation¡¯s trapping and killing:


    The Five Elements Cycle Compound Formation.


    The Five Elements Cycle Compound Formation, constructed by craftsmen with an Earth Stone Formation base as the formation media, resembles a labyrinth with a Five Elements cycle and is composed of the Five Elements positioned according to their directional affinities.


    The west corresponds to metal, the east to wood, the north to water, the south to fire, and the center to earth.


    In each direction, led by the main attribute of the Five Elements, a foundational Five Elements Formation filled with formation patterns is built, creating a Five Elements labyrinth.


    The fundamental principles are based on ¡°trapping¡± and ¡°killing.¡±


    The Golden Series Formation base to the left uses the Golden Lock Formation as a trapping formation and the Water Sword Formation as a killing formation because metal generates water;


    The Wood series Formation base to the right uses the Wood Prison Formation as a trapping formation and the Fire Rain Formation as a killing formation because wood generates fire;


    The Water Series Formation base to the north uses the Inundating Water Formation as a trapping formation and the Poisonous Wood Formation as a killing formation because water generates wood;


    The Fire-series Formation base to the south uses the Red Fire Formation as a trapping formation and the Earth Crack Formation as a killing formation because fire generates earth;


    The Earth Series Formation base at the center uses the Quicksand Formation as a trapping formation and the Golden Light Formation as a killing formation because earth generates metal!


    All Five Elements Formations are in place, interconnected in a cycle that never ceases, forming a complete system of trapping and killing.


    The trapping formations hold Feng Xi, impeding its movements, while the killing formations drain its Blood Qi, putting an end to its life.


    At the same time, they take advantage of the generative interactions of the Five Elements to strengthen the killing formations with the attributes of the trapping formations, maximizing the use of Spiritual Power to enhance the power of the killing formations.


    The foundational Five Elements Formations are interconnected at their borders, forming a labyrinth.


    Around the labyrinth, there are sturdy Earth and Wood constructions.


    Atop the buildings, there are reinforced Formation Patterns, primarily of Earth and Wood with the aid of the Golden Series and interspersed with Water and Fire Series formations. Supported by the formidable Spiritual Power of the Large Formation, they are indestructible.


    Feng Xi couldn¡¯t break through and found no way out. It could only follow the Five Elements labyrinth, dashing left and right, navigating through the cycles of the Five Elements Trapping and Killing Formations until it finally died, depleted of its Blood Qi.


    The cycle of the Five Elements, severing all chances of survival¡ªthat is the might of a first-class formation with eleven patterns, the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation!


    Having been drawn into the formation by the Quicksand Formation, Feng Xi¡¯s starting position was at the central Earth Series base.


    The surging Spiritual Power in the Large Formation, along with the roaring of the flow of Spiritual Power, made the simple-minded and fierce Feng Xi aware of a tremendous threat.


    It put all its strength into crashing against the walls of the labyrinth.


    There was a thunderous boom, but the wall, reinforced by the Spiritual Power of the Large Formation, did not shatter. Instead, the luminance of the formation patterns on it dimmed slightly, clearly having consumed quite a bit of Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts shifted slightly, her Divine Sense guiding the flow of energy. In an instant, new Spiritual Power flowed in for replenishment, and the luminosity of the formation patterns on the stone wall was restored.


    Feng Xi¡¯s attempts to break through the wall were fruitless, and it had no choice but to start fleeing through the labyrinth.


    But the Quicksand Formation had it trapped; the quicksand on the ground caused it to falter, and its movements were exceedingly slow.


    Meanwhile, the Golden Light Formation Patterns on both sides lit up one after another, coalescing into thousands of golden sword beams, which assailed it like a downpour, enveloping Feng Xi within and repeatedly grinding away its Blood Qi.


    The vast Spiritual Power and the ferocious aura of slaughter caused all the Foundation Building Cultivators outside the Large Formation to shiver with fear.


    "Is this the might of a first-class trapping and killing formation¡­¡±


    Though the Large Formation was only first-class, and the formations were of the Qi Refinement level, the sheer number of such formations was terrifying!


    When the killing formations were activated, it was like tens of thousands of cultivators casting spells all at once, dense as a sudden downpour, leaving no place to hide or strategy to counter.


    Once trapped within such a formidable formation, even if more than a hundred Foundation Building Cultivators assembled as Taoist Soldiers, they would likely face a hopeless demise!

 Chapter 362: Quelling

    Zhang Lan also felt his scalp go numb.He knew the Large Formation was formidable, but he hadn¡¯t expected its killing power to be so terrifying.


    Despite being a mere First-grade Formation Method, it made him, a Foundation Building Cultivator, feel an overwhelming sense of despair that he couldn¡¯t resist.


    "Is the Large Formation really that strong¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan and Yang Jiyong couldn¡¯t help but express their admiration, muttering to themselves.


    After speaking, both of them were taken aback, then looked at each other with disgust, as if they had swallowed flies.


    Zhang Lan disdainfully said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your Yang Family also have a Large Formation? Why are you making such a fuss, acting like you¡¯ve never seen the world before?¡±


    Yang Jiyong retorted, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Zhang Family have one? You¡¯re not any better, are you?¡±


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°Our Zhang Family has profound resources; there¡¯s no need to activate the Large Formation.¡±


    Yang Jiyong also said, ¡°Our Yang Family has fought far and wide, with a formidable reputation; no petty foes dare to offend us, so naturally, there¡¯s no need to activate the Large Formation.¡±


    Zhang Lan sneered, ¡°All that flowery talk, but isn¡¯t it just because you¡¯ve never seen the Large Formation activated?¡±


    "Nonsense, aren¡¯t you the same?¡±


    ¡­


    After half a day of bickering, they were both equally matched and could not mock one another.


    Thereafter, they both looked towards the center where the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was situated, and each let out a slight sigh.


    Indeed, the activation of the Large Formation was a rare sight¡­


    Although the Zhang and Yang Families both constructed Large Formations, they would not activate them under normal circumstances.


    Activating the Large Formation requires a massive amount of Spirit Stones, and even if their families did own Spiritual mines, they could not afford such wastefulness.


    Only if powerful enemies attacked, or the clan faced a catastrophic disaster, would they activate the Large Formation to defend against the foes.


    Given the profound resources and vast power of the Zhang and Yang Families, no one dared to provoke them, and the Large Formation had not been officially activated for hundreds of years.


    Therefore, neither Zhang Lan nor Yang Jiyong had ever truly witnessed the activation of a Large Formation up close.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation drawn by Mo Hua was the first time they saw a fully activated Large Formation.


    Although they knew Large Formations were powerful, they had no idea how powerful they really were until today, experiencing it firsthand, and realizing just how dreadful a Large Formation could be. ?????¦­?£Â¨º?


    Moreover, the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was different from their families¡¯ Protecting Sect Formations; it wasn¡¯t simply a defensive Formation or one that focused on defense while incorporating offense.


    It was a Formation purely designed for slaughter.


    The power of such a Formation was even more formidable than they had imagined.


    This time, both of them remained silent for a long time until Yang Jiyong finally murmured:


    "Formation Masters are truly terrifying¡­¡±


    This time, Zhang Lan did not refute, but softly agreed, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Yang Jiyong looked at the surging Spiritual Power and sky-high fighting spirit of the Large Formation, his heart filled with shock:


    "On the battlefield, if such a Formation could be constructed, it would surely dominate all directions and annihilate all powerful enemies! Even Cultivators a realm higher might not survive!¡±


    He looked up towards a mountain peak in the distance.


    At that peak, sat the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation, where the young Mo Hua was in control of the entire Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    Yang Jiyong had never felt as profoundly aware of Mo Hua¡¯s inscrutability as he did now.


    A thirteen-year-old main Formation Master, and moreover, one who had laid down a Formation focused on killing.


    "This child will undoubtedly become a great weapon of slaughter in the world.¡±


    "He can build Large Formations to save tens of thousands of people, and naturally, he can also build Large Formations to kill tens of thousands¡­¡±


    Yang Jiyong¡¯s heart trembled with fear, and his gaze grew more solemn.


    At this moment, Mo Hua was completely focused, conscientiously controlling the Large Formation, manipulating the Five Elements Formation to entrap and kill Feng Xi.


    Meanwhile, Feng Xi had escaped from the entrapment of the Quicksand Formation and Golden Light Formation within the Earth Series foundation and fled along the stone wall into the Water Series foundation.


    Mo Hua connected with the Formation Pivot, cut off the supply of Spiritual Power to the Earth Series foundation, and then transferred the Spiritual Power refined at the Formation eye through the Formation Pivot to the Water Series foundation.


    With the infusion of Spiritual Power, the Inundating Water Formation and Poisonous Wood Formation were activated, and the ground was instantly covered in accumulated water.


    As Feng Xi waded through the water, each step became increasingly difficult.


    Around it, the air carried waves of dark green Wood Poison, which gradually eroded Feng Xi¡¯s skin, causing numbness and corroding its Blood Qi.


    Some of the Wood Poison mixed into the water, getting more potent by virtue of the interaction between the elements, where water can nourish wood, hence intensifying the toxicity.


    With each step through the water, Feng Xi¡¯s flesh was eroded by the Poison, and soon only bones remained. After the Blood Qi congealed, it was corroded again¡­


    Feng Xi was trapped in the Inundating Water Formation for several hours, and by the time it got out, its Blood Qi was visibly weakened.


    Awaiting it ahead were the successive formations constructed by the Golden Lock Formation, Water Sword Formation, Wooden Prison Formation, Fire Rain Formation, Red Fire Formation, and Earth Crack Formation.


    As long as it could not leave the Large Formation, it would remain trapped in an endless cycle of the Five Elements¡¯ entrapment and slaughter until it was gradually worn down by thousands upon thousands of Formation Patterns.


    All the cultivators witnessing this scene were deeply shaken, and a glimmer of hope also arose:


    Perhaps they could indeed, using the Large Formation, kill the Big Demon!


    The spirits of everyone soared.


    Afterward was a lengthy process of subjugation.


    The killing power of the Large Formation was formidable and highly effective against Feng Xi.


    But because Feng Xi¡¯s Blood Qi was so profound, in order to completely quell it, the Large Formation had to be kept in constant motion ¨C continuously driven, restrained, and depleting Feng Xi¡¯s Blood Qi until its demise.


    This was not an overnight feat.


    This suppression could last for days, or even tens of days.


    During this time, all cultivators had to remain diligent and vigilant, for if Feng Xi managed to escape, it would be difficult to lure it back into the Formation, and even more challenging to kill it.


    Mo Hua remained in front of the Formation Pivot, controlling the entire Large Formation.


    Whenever Feng Xi tried to smash through the walls, Mo Hua controlled the Spiritual Power to reinforce the stone walls.


    Wherever Feng Xi was trapped, Mo Hua would stimulate the Formation there, while also activating nearby Killing Formations.


    Mo Hua would cut the Spiritual Power to unnecessary Formations, saving some Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was in constant depletion.


    If Feng Xi was confined and could temporarily not escape, Mo Hua would sit in meditation to recover some Divine Sense.


    If Feng Xi escaped, Mo Hua would consume Divine Sense to control the Formation Pivot and stimulate the nearby Formations to restrain Feng Xi.


    Feng Xi was constantly manipulated within the Compound Formation of the Five Elements¡¯ entrapment by Mo Hua, restrained by the lock Formations and attacked by the Killing Formations.


    As Feng Xi never ceased, Mo Hua, too, was relentless in his efforts.


    Master Luo, watching from the side, was filled with admiration.


    How profound must one¡¯s foundation of Divine Sense be, and how swift must the recovery of Divine Sense be to achieve this¡­


    Master Luo was not surprised that one could control the Large Formation on their own.


    But to control the Large Formation on one¡¯s own, command it as effortlessly as one¡¯s own limb, while being tirelessly vigilant with an abundance of Divine Sense ¨C could a Qi Refinement cultivator truly achieve this¡­


    "At least let him control the Large Formation; in just a few hours, he¡¯d probably be utterly exhausted.¡±


    Master Luo sighed.


    He had initially thought that if Mo Hua grew tired, he could take over for a while.


    But now that Mo Hua wasn¡¯t tired and he was just watching, he felt unbearably exhausted himself.


    Moreover, while the Formation Pivot looked complex, actually controlling it was even more so. One must have a thorough familiarity with all areas of the Large Formation to be able to open, close, transfer, and adjust it properly.


    Master Luo realized he had overestimated himself.


    This task, beyond his own abilities, could only be entrusted to the Master Formation Master of the Large Formation, which was Mo Hua.


    Watching Mo Hua, Master Luo felt a sense of admiration in his heart:


    "Indeed, there is always someone better.¡±


    Mo Hua still meticulously controlled the Large Formation without distraction.


    With the Large Formation¡¯s vast expanse, errors were inevitable even with Mo Hua¡¯s precise control¡ªbe it a mistake in the flow of Spiritual Power, compatibility issues within a Single Formation, insufficient carrying capacity of the Formation media, or wear and tear causing Formation Patterns to break, and so forth.


    There would be moments when the Large Formation¡¯s supply of Spiritual Power was insufficient and the Formation would fail to activate.


    At such times, the Foundation Building Cultivators within the Large Formation and the stationed Taoist Soldiers needed to take action, even if only to briefly contain Feng Xi and prevent its escape.


    Feng Xi, trapped and being killed, was furious to the extreme.


    Taking action to contain it at such times was extremely dangerous.


    Therefore, Zhang Lan, Yang Jiyong, Elder Yu, and others were all on high alert, not daring to be careless. Everyone would strike only once and then retreat after a single hit before letting another take over.


    This way, they could both contain Feng Xi and prevent everyone from engaging in prolonged combat with it, avoiding showing any weaknesses that Feng Xi could exploit to devour them, costing them their lives and replenishing Feng Xi¡¯s Blood Qi.


    Zhang Lan and the others were under tremendous pressure and acted with extreme caution.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua was quick to adjust the Formation Pivot, restoring the operation of the Large Formation and once more trapping Feng Xi within it, activating the Formation, and killing it in turns¡­


    This process was exceedingly lengthy¡­


    Outside of the Large Formation, the mood of all the Cultivators in Tongxian City shifted from shock and joy to anxiety and agony.


    They did not know how long they would have to kill the Big Demon or if they could kill it at all; they could only fall into a long wait¡­


    In the following ten days, whether day or night, the colorful lights over the mountains never faded, and the strong fluctuations of Spiritual Power rose and fell.


    The roar of Feng Xi was also incessant, day and night.


    As its Blood Qi gradually faded, its ferocity intensified, staining the sky over the mountain crimson as if a gate to purgatory was slowly opening in the heavens.


    And the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was like a five-colored shackle, firmly locking that purgatorial gate.


    Finally, after more than twenty days, Feng Xi¡¯s roars weakened, gradually quieting.


    And the blood-red in the sky also slowly darkened.


    Evening clouds spread down, coating Big Black Mountain in a golden glow, and a shred of hope rose in everyone¡¯s heart.


    Inside the Large Formation, after more than twenty days of relentless battle without rest, all the Cultivators were exhausted, and their supplies of Spirit Stones were nearly depleted.


    All the Cultivators worked together and finally drained Feng Xi of its Blood Qi completely!


    Feng Xi¡¯s Blood Qi dissipated, and it seemed feeble; it slowly collapsed to the ground.


    Elder Yu and the others were pale, gasping for air, clenching their teeth, having endured for over twenty days.


    When Feng Xi fell, everyone felt numbness filling their hearts. It took a long time before they gradually came to their senses, incredulous, they said:


    "Dead?¡±


    "Killed?¡±


    "The Big Demon is dead, it¡¯s been killed¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Joy surged like a tide, and they couldn¡¯t help but shout out in celebration.


    Mo Hua also took a deep breath and collapsed to the ground.


    But before Mo Hua could relish the victory, a sudden unease gripped his heart.


    He scrambled up and looked down, his pupils shrinking involuntarily.


    The fallen Feng Xi, without noise, was slowly standing up again¡­


    Just like the Pig Monster that had died once before, it stood silently and suddenly, silently, swallowed the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    The cheers stopped abruptly, and the onlookers also saw this scene, exclaiming in shock:


    "The Big Demon isn¡¯t dead?¡±


    "Impossible, its Blood Qi was clearly depleted¡­¡±


    "What do we do now?¡±


    At the same time, the aura of Feng Xi changed; no longer did it carry the crimson hue of Blood Qi but was now enveloped in a black-grey aura of death.


    Its pig face twisted and deformed, reshaping and transforming into a huge human face.


    This human face was like a strange Taoist persona.


    He opened his mouth, without lips or teeth, and spoke in an indistinguishable gender.


    It sounded like one person speaking, yet also like many speaking together, eerie and noisy:


    "Who is it? Who ruined my grand plan?¡±


    "Ruined my grand plan!¡±


    "Who dares?¡±


    "Ruined¡­ my grand plan!¡±


    ¡­


    Many disordered voices mingled together, sounding as though they were both ringing in the ears and in the Sea of Consciousness.


    Zhang Lan and others turned pale:


    "What is this thing?!¡±


    "This pig¡­ is a person?¡±


    The moment Mo Hua saw the human face, enlightenment struck; he understood why the pig could die and then return to life. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because within it, there had always been another Divine Thought hidden.


    The Divine Thought of that strange Taoist persona!


    The Monster Sensing of Feng Xi had long since extinguished; what drove its rebirth was the Divine Thought of that Taoist persona.


    The person Mr. Zhuang prohibited him from asking about, thinking about, or mentioning¡­ that strange Taoist persona!


    Feng Xi revived, the human face emerged, evil spirits entwined, and Death Qi was heavy.


    In the mountain abode, Mr. Zhuang also wore a grave expression and muttered:


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­¡±

 Chapter 363: Planting Demon

    Old Kui sighed, ¡°I did not expect his ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯ to be cultivated to this extent¡­¡±Mr. Zhuang remained silent.


    Old Kui said, ¡°You¡¯re in big trouble now.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°Debts many worry not, lice plenty itch not, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    Old Kui let out a cold snort, then frowned, asking curiously, ¡°What on earth did he do?¡±


    "How would I know?¡±


    "He is your senior brother, how could you not know?¡±


    "I¡¯ve never cultivated ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯¡­¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After thinking for a while, Old Kui said, ¡°Tell me the principles of ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯, and I¡¯ll grant you one request.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, ¡°Really?¡±


    Old Kui looked at him and spoke indifferently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°I might know.¡±


    "My word is my bond,¡± said Old Kui.


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, his gaze growing somber, and explained:


    "The so-called ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯ is a demon spell that utilizes Divine Sense.¡±


    "This spell allows one to split their Divine Thought and nurture a Demon Seed, planting it atop someone else¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, destroying their Taoist Heart, driving them into the Demon Path, or causing their Taoist Heart to collapse, turning into a Walking Corpse, to be toyed with at will¡­¡±


    Old Kui frowned, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound difficult.¡±


    "Things concerning Divine Sense always sound easy, but are extremely difficult in practice. Otherwise ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be one of the ten great Forbidden Techniques of the Demon Path,¡± Mr. Zhuang stated.


    "So what¡¯s the deal with Feng Xi? What has Gui Tao¡¯s people done?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke lightly, ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. He first implanted a Demon Thought in someone, had them go to Black Mountain Stronghold to die, and after their corpse fed the pigs, this strand of Demon Thought naturally entered the body of the Pig Monster.¡±


    "Ordinarily within the body of Monster Beasts, a human¡¯s Demon Thought wouldn¡¯t last long. But someone kept feeding the pigs with humans, and this strand of Demon Thought survived by devouring human Divine Senses, so while it appeared to have one face, in truth it had many, and though it seemed to have one voice, there were many speaking.¡±


    "Once the timing was ripe, it took over and commanded the entire Big Demon.¡±


    "Within the state boundary, the Big Demon is invincible. With his Demon Thought controlling the Big Demon, he could do almost anything he wished, and even the Taoist Court and the Great Clans could not thwart him¡­¡± ?¨¢N?????¦¥?


    Old Kui remarked, ¡°Your senior brother is far smarter than you.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang faltered, then quickly thought again, ¡°He is smarter than me, but it¡¯s a pity that he fell into my disciple¡¯s hands¡­ Well, in other words, it¡¯s as good as falling into my own hands.¡±


    After saying this, Mr. Zhuang nodded to himself.


    Lucky for him to have had the foresight to accept Mo Hua as his nominal disciple and teach him the Great Formation.


    And indeed, Mo Hua actually learned and established the Great Formation himself and exhausted the Big Demon¡¯s Blood Qi using the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, forcing Gui Tao to reveal his Demon Thought.


    Therefore, he considered this a victory for himself.


    Old Kui couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Have some shame.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang ignored the comment.


    Old Kui furrowed his brow again, ¡°The Great Formation killed the Big Demon, but now it¡¯s alive again, shrouded in death energy, half-corpse and half-ghost. The cultivators of Tongxian City alone can¡¯t cope with it, can they?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°We can only delay.¡±


    "Waiting for the Taoist Court to take action?¡± Old Kui¡¯s gaze grew sharp.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Within this half-dead Feng Xi¡¯s body is the Demon Thought planted by Gui Tao¡¯s people. The Taoist Court is bound to want to capture its Demon Thought for research, but¡­¡±


    But he did not know whether Tongxian City could hold out¡­


    Once the half-corpse, half-ghost Feng Xi entered the city, the cultivators of Tongxian City would likely still face a great calamity.


    Mr. Zhuang did not spell it out, but both men knew it well.


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze also grew somber.


    "So¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyebrows arched as he spoke again, ¡°about the request I just made.¡±


    Old Kui had a bad premonition.


    "If Feng Xi enters the city, you die once and give a hand,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Talking in circles, it turned out he was scheming against himself here.


    Old Kui looked conflicted, ¡°You Formation Masters have such filthy hearts.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang humbly said, ¡°It¡¯s said that water that is too clear has no fish, my heart is only slightly dirty.¡±


    Old Kui said, ¡°Tongxian City should have nothing to do with you, right? Why the good heart?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°I am, after all, a gentleman, and before leaving, I ought to do something for my disciple.¡±


    The cultivators of a city were either Mo Hua¡¯s kin or acquaintances.


    He could accept living with regrets himself, but he did not want his younger brother to experience the same bitterness.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze dropped, tinged with melancholy.


    Old Kui nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    "Thank you!¡± Mr. Zhuang said lightly.


    "No need to thank me, I agreed only out of consideration for Mo Hua,¡± Old Kui stated.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression faltered slightly, ¡°What if it weren¡¯t for Mo Hua¡¯s sake?¡±


    "I wouldn¡¯t have agreed.¡±


    "About the request I just made¡­¡±


    "Your single sentence in exchange for my life, do you think that¡¯s fair?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang eyed him suspiciously, ¡°Were you planning on breaking your word from the beginning?¡±


    "A person is known by the company he keeps. I learned it from you. Going back on my word is simple,¡± Old Kui responded impassively.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°You too, have an unclean heart.¡±


    Old Kui paid him no attention.


    Mr. Zhuang, seemingly unconcerned, let out a silent sigh of relief inside.


    It was a good thing that Old Kui was willing to help. He did not want Mo Hua to be heartbroken, nor did he want his senior brother to commit more killing.


    Feeling somewhat weary in heart and mind, Mr. Zhuang lay on the bamboo chair, looking up at the sky, and then furrowed his brow, sensing something amiss.


    Old Kui looked at him, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze narrowed, his fingers pinched, his thoughts fluttering rapidly, frown deepening.


    "There¡¯s still uncertainty in Heavenly Dao¡­ but that¡¯s not right, why should there be any uncertainty?¡±


    "Where does the uncertainty lie?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang faintly perceived something amiss and silently gazed toward the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation deep in the mountains, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.


    Within the Great Formation, cultivators had already begun to evacuate.


    Feng Xi had come back to life, yet he was half-dead, shrouded in a terrifying aura of death.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation could still exhaust him to death.


    But there were no more Spirit Stones.


    The collected Spirit Stones had been depleted, and the few remaining could only activate the Great Formation for a few hours, insufficient to kill the resurrected Feng Xi.


    The other Foundation Building Cultivators were also exhausted, unable to continue fighting Feng Xi.


    At this moment, the only option was to retreat first and regroup for a long-term plan.


    Everyone¡¯s expression was grim, subtly revealing utter despair.


    They couldn¡¯t think of any method to kill Feng Xi again.


    Mo Hua stood on top of the mountain, looking at Feng Xi from a distance, her mind made up, her expression gradually firming.


    Elder Yu and the others approached her, helplessly saying, ¡°Let¡¯s retreat for now, rest for a while, and then think of other methods.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°You go first; I¡¯ll control the Great Formation and cover our retreat.¡±


    Zhang Lan and the others frowned and quickly said, ¡°How can this be possible? It¡¯s not your place to cover the retreat.¡±


    With all these Foundation Building Cultivators present, how could they possibly let Mo Hua, a junior cultivator, cover the retreat?


    Moreover, Mo Hua¡¯s status had changed by now.


    She had successfully constructed the Great Formation and had resisted Feng Xi; whether or not someone had lent a hand, she would inevitably become a famous Formation Master.


    Under such circumstances, they could not afford to take any risks.


    Mo Hua corrected them, ¡°It¡¯s the Great Formation covering the retreat, not me.¡±


    Zhang Lan and the others wanted to say more, but Mo Hua said,


    "Hurry up and call everyone to retreat. Before evacuating, place the last of the Spirit Stones on the Gathering Spirit Formation at the Formation eye.¡±


    "I will activate the Great Formation and cover the retreat; don¡¯t worry about what happens afterward¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s demeanor was too composed, her tone imbued with an undeniable calmness, and Zhang Lan and the others, with no reason to doubt her, nodded and did as Mo Hua instructed.


    Within the Great Formation, there were still cultivators operating it, including Formation Masters and Taoist Soldiers.


    They needed to maintain the formations and also transport Spirit Stones to provide Spiritual Power for the operation of the Great Formation.


    Most of the Spirit Stones had been consumed in the attempt to kill Feng Xi, leaving only a small portion, which Mo Hua had meticulously saved while controlling the Great Formation.


    These Spirit Stones were intentionally kept by Mo Hua.


    Lighting firecrackers requires a spark.


    Triggering the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution also requires Spiritual Power as a primer.


    These Spirit Stones were the ¡°spark¡± for the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution.


    She intended to use these Spirit Stones as a lure, initiating the dissolution of the Great Formation, to eradicate the Big Demon completely!


    If she had said she would use the Great Formation to slay the Big Demon, then she must keep her word.


    She didn¡¯t know what this Big Demon now was.


    But regardless of whether the Big Demon was alive or dead, a body or a ghost, wrapped in Blood Qi or dead air, since it had entered her Great Formation, it was doomed!


    It would never leave the Great Formation to consume another person.


    Within the Great Formation, cultivators were gradually evacuating.


    Mo Hua, who had already calculated everything in advance, began to prepare to draw on the Formation Pivot, penning the Reversed Spirit Formation that would trigger the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution.


    Before she put pen to paper, Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, feeling a profound reluctance in her heart.


    This was the first Great Formation she had ever constructed¡­ and yet it could not be preserved in the end.


    Mo Hua sighed with a tinge of regret, then her small hand moved to draw, and she penned the first Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Almost simultaneously, Mr. Zhuang in his mountain dwelling felt a pang in his heart, suddenly perceptive, and murmured in bewilderment,


    "What is this child Mo Hua trying to do¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Four hours later, the evacuation of the cultivators was complete.


    Mo Hua had also finished drawing the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    With a sweep of her Divine Sense, Mo Hua found that within the Great Formation, no one remained except herself, and the mountains were desolate and silent with no trace of cultivators, allowing her to feel at ease.


    The resurrected Feng Xi was still trapped within the Great Formation.


    Lacking Spirit Stones, Mo Hua had not activated the Killing Formation but merely used a trapping formation to confine it, preventing it from escaping the Great Formation.


    However, even the trapping formation would not last much longer.


    Within the Great Formation, many formations also began to fade due to the lack of Spirit Stones for sustenance.


    The pressure on Feng Xi was significantly reduced and, at that moment, he sensed the only cultivator¡¯s presence within the Great Formation.


    That presence was Mo Hua¡¯s.


    Feng Xi, as large as a small mountain and wrapped in deathly aura, staggered forward, inching closer to Mo Hua with each thundering step.


    Its eyes were pitch-black wells of fear.


    Eventually, Feng Xi stood before Mo Hua.


    Tiny Mo Hua looked down from her higher position, staring into the large, terrifyingly dark eyes of Feng Xi.


    Feng Xi¡¯s face was human, with various expressions and continued struggles and changes, finally revealing a Taoist¡¯s face. It began to speak, but it was as if different people were talking at the same time:


    "Your aura?¡±


    "Quite courageous¡­¡±


    "Formation Master?¡±


    "Very familiar¡­¡±


    All voices eventually merged into one question:


    "Who are you?¡±


    The light in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes turned icy as she crisply replied,


    "The one who will send you to heaven!¡±


    Then Mo Hua slightly closed her eyes, with one thought of her Divine Sense, she manipulated the Formation Pivot, reversing the Spiritual Power, triggering the dissolution of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation!

 Chapter 364: Collapse

    The remaining Spirit Stones instantly refined into spiritual power, driving the Large Formation to operate.When the spiritual power encountered the first Reversed Spirit Formation, it reversed instantly, disintegrating, bringing a black color of nothingness, forming a terrifying force of dissolution.


    Like a spark, the spiritual power followed the flow of the Large Formation, successively triggering Reversed Spirit Formations, leading to deeper, more complex layers of dissolution.


    In the end, these forces of dissolution, along with the operation of the Large Formation, reached every corner, reversing every Formation Pattern, accumulating an incredibly terrifying force that instantaneously triggered the complete collapse and self-destruction of the Great Formation!


    ¡­


    Outside the mountain, Cultivators were retreating towards Tongxian City.


    Mo Shan had a bad feeling. He searched through the crowd for Mo Hua¡¯s figure, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t find her. At that moment, he saw Zhang Lan and hurriedly approached, grabbing Zhang Lan¡¯s sleeve, and asked anxiously,


    "Where¡¯s Mo Hua?¡±


    Zhang Lan, who was busy with the evacuation, was stunned before he realized and involuntarily turned his head to look towards the mountains.


    At that moment, the world suddenly went silent.


    It was as if all sounds were swallowed by boundless nothingness; Big Black Mountain became instantly quiet, yet it harbored the oppressive silence before a cataclysmic storm.


    Zhang Lan and Mo Shan¡¯s faces turned deathly pale in an instant.


    In Tongxian City, Liu Ruhua suddenly felt her heart palpitate, and as she looked towards Big Black Mountain, tears streamed down her face.


    A surge of black spiritual power fluctuated, shooting up into the sky, clearing away the clouds, a terrifying aura emerged.


    The potent spiritual power dissolved the depths of the mountain into flying ash bit by bit.


    Even though it seemed incredibly fearsome, there was not a single sound.


    It was as though the world was left with only the silent colors of black and white.


    At this moment, all the Cultivators in Tongxian City were looking on in shock.


    Not just in Tongxian City, but all the Cultivators from the Second Grade Black Mountain State Boundary were panickedly looking up, witnessing the dark energy of spiritual power dissolution in the distance, unable to help trembling all over.


    The Great Formation Dissolution was earth-shaking, terrifying all the Cultivators in the entire state boundary.


    They didn¡¯t know what had happened, but they felt an inexplicable terror.


    However, Zhang Lan and the others on the outer mountains saw first-hand what had happened.


    They saw the surging reverse transformations of spiritual power, the collapse of the Great Formation, the dissolution of Formation Patterns, and also Feng Xi within the force of dissolution.


    The force of dissolution, like a pitch-black, fine, razor-sharp blade, cut through Feng Xi¡¯s flesh time and time again, disintegrating his bones, breaking apart his Demon Thoughts, and erasing his deathly aura. ?¦Á??????????S


    It seemed determined to completely erase his existence from the world!


    This process was accompanied by extreme agony.


    Feng Xi was struggling, howling in rage.


    On its body, countless human faces were wailing, crying out, lamenting, begging.


    But it seemed even these sounds were being fully dissolved, not reaching the ears at all.


    Everyone was struck with inexplicable horror, and Zhang Lan¡¯s pupils shook violently.


    What kind of power was this? S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had never heard of it, let alone seen it.


    Zhang Lan was stunned, suddenly recalling that this was perhaps the ¡°covering one¡¯s retreat¡± that Mo Hua had spoken of, and at this moment, Mo Hua was right in the midst of this self-destructing Great Formation.


    Zhang Lan was overwhelmed with boundless guilt and regret.


    At this time, Mr. Zhuang, watching the surging, pitch-black force of the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution in the sky, couldn¡¯t hide the shock in his heart.


    "The Great Formation is dissolving¡­ How did he manage to do it¡­¡±


    Dissolving a Great Formation required an enormously large number of Calculations, consuming a tremendous amount of Divine Sense.


    How on earth did Mo Hua calculate it?


    Mr. Zhuang was perplexed and full of doubts.


    Old Kui was similarly struck speechless by shock.


    With his high realm and having lived so long, he had seen many grand events in his lifetime, but the shock brought by this scene might not be comparable to any he had seen before.


    This unbelievable dissolution of the First Grade Great Formation¡­


    After a while, Old Kui said seriously, ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, frowning, did some Calculations in his mind and then breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°He left a Life-gate for himself.¡±


    There was a Life-gate, it seemed everything had been prepared in advance¡­


    Old Kui also felt slightly relieved, ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡± He turned to look at the sky again, saying in awe, ¡°The boy has some nerve.¡±


    "Indeed,¡± Mr. Zhuang replied, his expression complex.


    Both of them were gazing at the terrifying and magnificent scene of the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution in the sky, unable to speak for a long time.


    As they watched, they both suddenly felt a chill in their hearts, their pupils constricting slightly.


    In the distance, thunderclouds were converging, within which hints of red could be seen.


    Old Kui, in disbelief, said, ¡°That is¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes went blank, and his voice trembled slightly as he said,


    "Thunder Punishment?!¡±


    In the outer mountains, Yang Jiyong also noticed the anomaly and said in fright,


    "Zhang Lan, what is that?¡±


    Zhang Lan looked up, his eyes filled with horror, ¡°How is that possible?!¡±


    It was the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment!


    The unnamed, pitch-black spiritual power in this place was too powerful, having broken through the limits imposed by the Heavenly Dao Laws, and had drawn forth the eradicating thunder punishment that wiped out all things!


    But what was this thunder punishment meant to eradicate?


    Zhang Lan suddenly realized and hurriedly looked towards the deep mountains.


    Within the deep mountains, the Great Formation had completely dissolved, peaks had crumbled, flora and rocks had turned to black ash, dissipating with the spiritual power.


    Only one peak stood erect.


    Around the peak, full of pits and hollows, it looked like a pillar eroded by time.


    That was the Life-gate of the Formation.


    And at the top of the peak stood a slender figure.


    That figure was Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was pale, but his aura was calm.


    It seemed he hadn¡¯t been affected by the terrifying spiritual power just now.


    Mo Shan, Elder Yu, and all the others who had been worried about Mo Hua couldn¡¯t believe it, yet they were ecstatic. But before they could rejoice, they witnessed an even more terrifying sight.


    Above Mo Hua¡¯s head, thunderclouds gathered, and the crimson thunder punishment, carrying an aura of extinction, circled above.


    All hearts quaked with fear.


    The target of the thunder punishment, was it Mo Hua?


    The Heavenly Dao Laws were going to eradicate Mo Hua?!


    Despair showed in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    The Heavenly Dao Laws, supreme and inviolable. Cultivators could not contend with them; even the most powerful cultivators at higher realms were doomed under this thunder punishment!


    Just as everyone was losing hope, the situation took another turn.


    The crimson thunder punishment descended, but hesitated just as it was about to strike Mo Hua.


    It seemed even the thunder punishment had not anticipated that the one who had triggered the Heavenly Dao Laws, the one to be eradicated by the Heavenly Dao, was just a child in his early teens.


    Moreover, his cultivation was lowly, merely at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement.


    There was no other sinister aura on him either.


    The thunder punishment lingered by Mo Hua¡¯s side, as if confirming, hesitating, doubting, and finally seemed to decide there had been an error in the Formation, and slowly moved away from Mo Hua, returning to the thunderclouds¡­


    As the thunder punishment vanished, the Great Formation completely collapsed, and peace returned to heaven and earth.


    The terrifying fluctuations of the deep mountains disappeared.


    Whether it was Feng Xi, the Great Formation, or the thunder punishment, none remained.


    Within the deep mountains, there was only Mo Hua.


    At this moment, all the cultivators who had witnessed such horrifying sights all turned their gaze towards the deep mountains, towards Mo Hua on the peak.


    The Great Formation had collapsed, the world seemed destroyed, the deep mountains turned to ash, and only Mo Hua remained unharmed.


    About him, the mountain rocks crumbled, all was desolation.


    Big Demon Feng Xi, unrivaled in the realm, turned into nothing but dust at his feet, leaving only shapeless black ash remains.


    The crimson thunder punishment that eradicated all things had gathered above his head, had encircled and hovered around him, but ultimately dissolved by his side.


    Mo Hua stood atop the boundless Big Black Mountain, his form slight yet towering as if merged with the Heavenly Dao, surviving though heaven and earth crumbled and the thunder punishment fell without perishing.


    This incredible scene deeply etched itself into the hearts of all the cultivators of Tongxian City.


    At this time, Mo Hua looked up at the sky, his gaze trembling.


    He saw a sight even more shocking.


    He saw the thunder punishment, the thunderclouds, and above the thunderclouds, a Pattern of Formation!


    The Heavenly Dao had sought to eradicate him, but it had not done so.


    The thunder punishment came and went, and as it dissipated, it tore the sky open, and Mo Hua, gazing at the torn heavens above, laid eyes upon a Formation Pattern in the midst of the void!


    It was just a single Formation Pattern.


    Simple and primitive, grand and opaque, embedding the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, it also concentrated the power to eradicate all things, causing one¡¯s heart to palpitate and yearn.


    Mo Hua took a fleeting glance, wishing to remember this Formation Pattern.


    But his Divine Sense was too weak to comprehend the Heavenly Dao Formation. With just one look, his Divine Sense was exhausted in an instant, and excruciating pain of tearing spread through him, his Sea of Consciousness on the brink of collapse.


    In that critical moment, the Taoist Stele suddenly emerged, protecting Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The Sea of Consciousness that was about to collapse was reconstructed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s awareness gained a moment of clarity.


    This brief clarity brought him an epiphany.


    He understood that his Divine Sense was limited and couldn¡¯t memorize the Formation Pattern.


    But the Taoist Stele could!


    If his Sea of Consciousness couldn¡¯t remember, then inscribe it on the Taoist Stele.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t remember the whole Formation Pattern, remembering just one stroke was sufficient!


    The thunder punishment was about to vanish in an instant, and the sky was about to close.


    Mo Hua looked up to the heavens, blood streaming from his eyes, and with all his might, he inscribed a stroke of the Formation Pattern onto the Taoist Stele within his Sea of Consciousness.


    It was only one stroke!


    But this one stroke of the Formation Pattern was profoundly mysterious and powerful!


    It was derived from the Heavenly Dao Formation that penetrated heaven and earth, categorized as Immortal Grade, the true Immortal Pattern!

 Chapter 365: Rest

    Mo Hua noted down this Immortal Pattern, and afterwards, his Divine Sense was completely exhausted, and he collapsed to the ground.At the moment he lost consciousness, he vaguely felt many Cultivators shouting his name, rushing toward him.


    Their voices were incredibly anxious.


    There was his father Mo Shan, Zhang Lan, Elder Yu, Leader Yang, and many other familiar people.


    After that, he slipped into unconsciousness, fainting away.


    ¡­


    Zhang Lan and Mo Shan, among others, rushed to Mo Hua¡¯s side, saw the blood traces at the corners of his eyes, his faint breath, but stable pulse and smooth Blood Qi, all breathed a sigh of relief.


    Afterwards, everyone took Mo Hua for treatment to Old Mr. Feng¡¯s place.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Zhuang still stood outside the bamboo room on the corridor, watching the deep mountain¡¯s sky, silently reflecting.


    In that patch of sky, once there were Feng Xi¡¯s soaring Blood Qi, the Large Formation¡¯s majestic Spiritual Power, the collapsing Power of Silence, and also the terrifying power of Robbery Thunder.


    But now, everything had disappeared, the horizon was broad, and it was as if nothing had ever been.


    This is the sky, this is the Dao.


    Even if the world stirs dramatically, in a blink, it all becomes fleeting clouds; those departed thus leave not a trace.


    Mr. Zhuang gazed at the horizon, dazed, not knowing what he was thinking about.


    From dusk, he watched until deep into the night.


    Old Kui couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t rest, you will die.¡±


    "Who will not die?¡±


    "Then at least choose a more dramatic way to die, not so blandly.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t speak again, still silently reflecting.


    Old Kui was somewhat surprised, and fearing that he might really seek death, asked:


    "What are you thinking about, thinking for so long?¡±


    "I am thinking¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang said faintly, ¡°How long I can actually hide?¡±


    "How long you can hide, just hide that long, haven¡¯t you always been doing that, muddling through?¡± Old Kui said coldly.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°But what¡¯s the point in that?¡±


    Old Kui furrowed his brows.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°Living like this, living one more day or one less day, makes absolutely no difference¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze slightly hardened, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Mr. Zhaung didn¡¯t answer, still silently watching the horizon.


    There was once the figure of Mo Hua.


    The Large Formation collapsed, the Robbery Thunder dissipated, the figure of Mo Hua standing atop Big Black Mountain, deeply imprinted in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mind. ?????£Î????????§¦?


    The sky grew darker, and the night deepened.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s body was swallowed by the night, yet his eyes shone like starlight, burning with hope.


    ¡­


    When Mo Hua groggily woke up, he realized there was someone beside him, it was his mother, Liu Ruhua.


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes were marked with tear stains, her hand clenching Mo Hua¡¯s small hand unwillingly, seemingly having been taking care of him all along, but due to excessive exhaustion, she had fallen asleep beside Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt warmth in his heart, and a bit of heartache, stretched out his small hand, and gently wiped the tear stains from Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes.


    Liu Ruhua woke up startled, suddenly opened her eyes, and seeing Mo Hua¡¯s smiling face, gradually let her mind ease.


    She took a long breath, feeling a heavy weight lifted from her heart, and tenderly said:


    "You¡¯re awake, what would you like to eat? Mom will make it for you.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he listed a bunch of food he wanted to eat.


    Liu Ruhua paused, then chuckled, ¡°Still so greedy.¡±


    Then she cautioned, ¡°Old Mr. Feng said your Sea of Consciousness was damaged, but it¡¯s not severe, just rest well for a few days.¡±


    "But your eyes, I don¡¯t know what you saw, they were hurt, and during this period, there may be occasions when you might be temporarily blind, unable to see clearly, you must be a bit more careful.¡±


    "Old Mr. Feng has already refined a few Pills for you to take every day, after some time, ask Old Mr. Feng to check again¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua chattered on and on.


    Mo Hua listened quietly, nodding repeatedly.


    After a while, Mo Shan also came in, and seeing that Mo Hua was awake, his face brightened.


    But his deep concern was hidden in his heart, he didn¡¯t know how to start talking, he just asked dryly, ¡°Are you alright¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Hmm!¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Shan also sighed with relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.


    What had happened in the deep mountains, what Mo Hua had done, neither Mo Shan understood, nor did they ask in detail, as long as Mo Hua was fine.


    Liu Ruhua frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t take such risks in the future¡­¡±


    Mo Hua reassured her, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve calculated everything, nothing will go wrong, it just looks a bit dangerous¡­¡±


    Listening on the side, Mo Shan¡¯s heart was helpless:


    Causing such a terrifying commotion, Feng Xi blown to ashes, Robbery Thunder even drawn, calling it ¡°just looks a bit dangerous¡±¡­


    Liu Ruhua also didn¡¯t quite believe it, skeptically asking, ¡°Really calculated?¡±


    "Really!¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°The Formation doesn¡¯t lie, life is life, death is death, I left the Life-gate, so I definitely won¡¯t die.¡±


    Liu Ruhua didn¡¯t understand at all, but seeing Mo Hua so confident and assertive, she couldn¡¯t help but pinch Mo Hua¡¯s cheek, smiling gently:


    "Alright, mother believes you.¡±


    Mo Hua also smiled, eyes crinkling like crescent moons.


    Beside them, Mo Shan watched his wife and child, his gaze becoming tender.


    Afterward, Zhang Lan, Elder Yu, Court Leader Zhou, and others came to see Mo Hua, bringing many gifts, mostly food, some nourishing blood, some calming nerves, some invigorating¡­


    Mo Hua was very grateful and very satisfied.


    When they asked about the collapse of the Large Formation, Mo Hua didn¡¯t use the obscure term ¡®collapse,¡¯ just said he found a way to make the Large Formation ¡°self-destruct.¡±


    The collapse is a secret heritage of the Formation, it¡¯s still better not to mention it casually.


    As for how it self-destructed, Mo Hua¡¯s explanation was ambiguous, mentioning some terminologies about Formation Pivot and Formation Patterns.


    Seeing Mo Hua speak as if he knew what he was talking about, everyone believed him.


    After all, whether Mo Hua was telling the truth or not, they couldn¡¯t understand either way.


    For a Formation Master, the Large Formation was already complex enough, let alone its collapse.


    And for non-Formation Master Cultivators, even ordinary formations were completely puzzling, let alone the Large Formation and its collapse.


    As long as they knew, the Large Formation self-destructed, the Big Demon was slain, Mo Hua was safe, that was enough.


    At this thought, everyone¡¯s hearts were moved, especially Elder Yu.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that when everyone united, they would actually manage to kill a Big Demon.


    This hadn¡¯t happened in Tongxian City for thousands of years.


    Much of this achievement was due to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had helped Tongxian City, and them¡­


    Elder Yu and others held this silently in their hearts.


    Later, in order not to disturb Mo Hua¡¯s rest, everyone left.


    Mo Hua¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t that severe, after resting for a few days at Old Mr. Feng¡¯s place, he went home a few days later.


    His Sea of Consciousness was slowly healing, and for a short time, he couldn¡¯t paint Formations, use Divine Sense sparingly, so Mo Hua could just be lazy and rest for a few more days.


    Aside from that, his eyes would occasionally go blind.


    It was like he had seen something he shouldn¡¯t have seen, viewed patterns containing the profound truths of the universe.


    So now, when he looked at other things, the visions would occasionally be illusory, like a layer of white, void-like phantoms overlaying reality, uncertainly true or false, hard to distinguish.


    Old Mr. Feng didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua saw, only gave advice based on the injuries, pragmatically saying:


    "Your eyes have been burned by something, occasionally not seeing clearly is normal, it will get better after some rest.¡±


    Mo Hua was then reassured, he certainly did not want to be half-blind.

 Chapter 366: Waves

    Mo Hua recuperated for a few days and, feeling that there was nothing seriously wrong, went to visit Mr. Zhuang.Mr. Zhuang was leaving.


    Mo Hua had previously thought about mastering Divine Sense Calculation and then giving Mr. Zhuang a surprise.


    Now it seems that this ¡°surprise¡± might be a bit too big¡­


    But Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t seem to care, not even bothering to ask.


    Mo Hua was a little puzzled and asked,


    "Gentleman, aren¡¯t you going to ask what happened?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and shook his head slightly,


    "I know what I need to know, you don¡¯t have to say it and I also don¡¯t need to know what I don¡¯t know, nor should you tell anyone else, let no one be aware of it.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly startled, but nodded in agreement.


    Mr. Zhuang cautioned him,


    "You may use Divine Sense Calculation, but be discreet, and if someone takes notice, find a way to cover it up¡­¡±


    "As for Formation Collapse, never use it again!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with utmost solemnity.


    Mo Hua hesitated and then asked in a soft voice,


    "But what if¡­ it¡¯s absolutely necessary, and I have no choice but to use it?¡±


    After all, he didn¡¯t know what dangers he might encounter in the future. If calamity struck, he surely couldn¡¯t just sit and wait for death.


    "If it¡¯s absolutely necessary¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang replied indifferently, ¡°then you must ensure that after using it, no living person knows about it.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and nodded again.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his expression softening,


    "These things are not meant for someone of your realm to learn. Once people find out, they will surely covet them and you¡¯ll be bringing trouble upon yourself.¡± ???????????§¦????


    Especially Formation Collapse.


    This legacy was an absolute secret among secrets.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    He taught Mo Hua Divine Sense Calculation, hoping to give him a glimpse into its ways and make it easier for him to grasp formations, but he hadn¡¯t expected him to dissolve an entire Large Formation¡­


    That was something he hadn¡¯t anticipated at all.


    Great Formation Dissolution¡­


    Even now, the thought still made Mr. Zhuang¡¯s heart flutter.


    Mr. Zhuang knew that Mo Hua must have some special fate; he had sensed it early on, and this fate might be even greater than he imagined.


    But Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t want to delve any deeper.


    Every cultivator has their own destiny. What¡¯s more, this little cultivator who had such a destiny was also his disciple.


    Mr. Zhuang intended to keep Mo Hua¡¯s secrets.


    And the best way to keep a secret is to be unaware of it yourself.


    The divine sense of a person is ethereal and elusive.


    But however illusory the divine sense is, it always leaves traces.


    Once known, it will inevitably be discerned by others.


    So the best method is to know nothing from the start.


    When originally there is nothing, where can the dust alight? S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had initially planned to disclose the matters of the Thunder Punishment and Formation Patterns to Mr. Zhuang, but since Mr. Zhuang had said so, it was better not to mention it for now.


    Mo Hua thought of another matter and asked,


    "Gentleman, are you really leaving soon¡­¡±


    After all, he had learned the Large Formation on his own, and the Feng Xi issue was also resolved, so it seemed there wasn¡¯t any reason for Mr. Zhuang to stay¡­


    And Mr. Zhuang¡¯s aura was also diminishing by the day.


    On the surface, his appearance and demeanor seemed unchanged from before, without any noticeable transformation.


    But Mo Hua, who was sensitive and had been with Mr. Zhuang for a long time, vaguely sensed that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s aura seemed to be gradually fading.


    It was a strange feeling,


    As if the very existence of Mr. Zhuang was slowly dissipating.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    "Will I have the chance to see you again in the future?¡±


    Mo Hua asked somewhat disheartenedly.


    Seeing the reluctance in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, Mr. Zhuang seemed to make up his mind, his tone gentle but firm,


    "If it¡¯s meant to be¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After Mo Hua left, the shadowy figure of Old Kui materialized, looking at Mr. Zhuang with a frown and said,


    "Don¡¯t do anything unnecessary.¡±


    "What do you mean by unnecessary?¡±


    Old Kui spoke in displeasure, ¡°You know what I mean, do I need to spell it out?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent, and after a moment, his eyes brightened as he said,


    "I¡¯m thinking¡­ of taking Mo Hua as my direct disciple.¡±


    Old Kui inwardly thought as much and spoke with increased disapproval,


    "You want to meet your own end, but don¡¯t drag the child into it. He comes from humble origins and shouldn¡¯t be entangled in such consequential matters.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°No, he has great destiny!¡±


    Old Kui frowned.


    Mr. Zhuang recalled the scene at Big Black Mountain, then added,


    "Born from a Great Formation Dissolution and not dying when the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment descended, that is great destiny!¡±


    Old Kui said with derision, ¡°Nonsense about great destiny, the Life-gate was calculated by himself, and the thunder was never meant to kill him. These events have their own causes and effects, unrelated to the illusory notion of destiny.¡±


    Destiny was something that might deceive unaware cultivators, but it was a stretch to deceive Old Kui.


    Seeing he couldn¡¯t sway Old Kui, Mr. Zhuang then said,


    "Let¡¯s not say he has destiny, but at least he has a Taoist Heart, young in age but vast and resolute.¡±


    On this point, Old Kui did not object but just sighed and asked,


    "Have you really thought this through?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    "You carry no good karma,¡± Old Kui reminded him.


    It wasn¡¯t that there was no good karma, but rather¡­ all were ominous causes and evil consequences¡­


    Mr. Zhuang felt a bitter sweetness in his heart, sighed softly, and then looked into the distance,


    "Therefore, I have to find a way¡­ to keep him untainted by these karmic entanglements.¡±


    ¡­


    Under the locust tree, Mo Hua was sharing food with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi from opposite sides.


    In front of them were delicately prepared pastries, snacks, various flavors of meat, and fermented beverages.


    All these were made by Liu Ruhua, who doted on Mo Hua and had prepared them by hand.


    Mo Hua, unable to finish all by himself, gave some to Da¡¯hu and the others; the rest he brought to share with Zisheng and Zixi.


    After all, Mr. Zhuang was about to leave, and the three sworn disciples would soon part ways.


    Having been together for so long, Mo Hua was somewhat reluctant to let go.


    Bai Zisheng was enjoying the food immensely when he suddenly remembered something and asked Mo Hua,


    "If you get hurt, will Aunt Liu make delicious food for you?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Bai Zisheng appeared envious, and a hint of jealousy flashed in Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes.


    Mo Hua, puzzled, asked, ¡°Won¡¯t your mother make things for you to eat?¡±


    Bai Zisheng sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve grown so much, but have never even had a cup of water boiled for me by my mother, let alone food¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, curious, asked, ¡°What¡¯s your mother like?¡±


    He had rarely heard Bai Zisheng mention his mother.


    "Very beautiful!¡± answered Bai Zisheng, then muttered, ¡°But she¡¯s cold as ice, and very strict with me and Zixi.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded silently.


    Zisheng and Zixi were both very good-looking, so it was natural that their mother was beautiful.


    Moreover, with their excellent talents and being born into a noble clan, strict demands seemed understandable¡­


    But why would she be so cold?


    Generally, with such children, one would expect parents to cherish them to the point of trepidation, bursting with happiness. How could they be cold?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand and asked further, ¡°What about your father?¡±


    This question seemed to touch a sore spot for Bai Zisheng. His expression changed, and he said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t have a father!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°No father, then no father.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback and asked, ¡°How can a person not have a father?¡±


    "Wasn¡¯t it you who said you didn¡¯t have one?¡±


    "That was said in anger!¡±


    "Then what¡¯s the truth?¡± Mo Hua asked, curious.


    Bai Zisheng sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know who my father is. My mother won¡¯t tell, and everyone else in the family avoids the topic like a taboo.¡±


    "I guess he¡¯s either dead or has an identity that can¡¯t be revealed¡­¡±


    "Things in your noble clan really are complicated¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng sighed, then confessed enviously, ¡°You have it better.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°In what way?¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    Bai Zixi also silently observed Mo Hua, not speaking. However, her eyes, like autumn water, brimmed with deeper longing.


    Afterward, the three set aside their thoughts, ate their fill, practiced their lessons for a while, and then each headed home.


    ¡­


    The days in Tongxian City were as tranquil as still water, while the Heaven Shu Pavilion in the Taoist Court was stirring up waves.


    An elder in the high positions of Heaven Shu Pavilion, who was also a Pavilion Elder, now held a Jade Slip in his hand. Reading the content, his eyebrows furrowed into the shape of the character ¡°´¨.¡±


    The Jade Slip detailed the aftermath of the Taoist Demon in Tongxian City:


    To the north of Li State, within the Second Grade Black Mountain State Boundary lies Tongxian City.


    A Taoist Demon emerged, taking the form of a Big Demon by the name of Feng Xi.


    Appendix: Local cultivators constructed the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation (Note: Second Grade, eleven patterns), but the Great Formation collapsed, drawing the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment, and Feng Xi perished¡­


    The Pavilion Elder understood each sentence, yet when put together, they made no sense to him.


    How did they construct the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation?


    Was such a Great Formation so easily constructed? Who could do it on a whim?


    Who aided them? And who was the main Formation Master?


    "Great Formation Dissolution¡±¡­


    How could the Great Formation collapse?


    Collapse is not something an ordinary Formation Master would know, is it?


    Moreover, it was the collapse of an entire Great Formation¡­ Could that be the tactic of any ordinary Formation Master?


    "Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment,¡± that¡¯s even less necessary to mention.


    Who initiated it? What was meant to be obliterated?


    "Feng Xi¡¯s death,¡± the fact that seemed most surprising at first, now seemed the least surprising¡­


    Under the restrictions of Heavenly Dao Laws, it was nearly impossible to slay a Taoist Demon, and even if one was killed, it usually happened within the boundaries of noble clans.


    For a place like Tongxian City, a small Immortal City at the bottom rung, managing to come together to kill a Taoist Demon was astonishing¡­


    But in the face of ¡°constructing a Great Formation,¡± ¡°Great Formation Dissolution,¡± ¡°summoning Thunder Punishment,¡± Feng Xi¡¯s death seemed almost expected¡­


    The Jade Slip was concise.


    The Pavilion Elder had previously instructed the clerks of Heaven Shu Pavilion to be as succinct as possible and avoid superfluous words.


    But now, he found the report overly concise, making it somewhat difficult to understand¡­


    The Pavilion Elder sighed.


    "A single Feng Xi¡­ why make such a fuss¡­¡±


    Just hearing about it made one anxious.


    Especially regarding the Thunder Punishment. Even at their level, it was something to be greatly feared and avoided at all costs.


    Initiating Thunder Punishment was indeed playing with fire¡­


    The Pavilion Elder shook his head slightly, frowning in thought. There was only one explanation that came to mind:


    That youngster surnamed Zhuang made a move.


    Otherwise, who could have constructed the Great Formation, and who could have caused its collapse?


    The only question was whether he was dead or alive after summoning the Thunder Punishment, or whether it was a person or a puppet that had perished¡­


    The Pavilion Elder then grew doubtful.


    Since when had that Zhuang youngster been so altruistic?


    It was just a tiny Immortal City, not out of the ordinary.


    In the Cultivation World, there are millions of such small Immortal Cities. Why would he care so much?


    Could there be some unknown reason behind it that he wasn¡¯t aware of?


    The Pavilion Elder resumed examining the Jade Slip, and at the end, he noticed an additional line:


    "Feng Xi¡¯s flesh and blood, Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, suspected to be the doing of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­¡±


    The Pavilion Elder inhaled a breath of cold air, looked into the distance, his gaze sharpening, and murmured softly,


    "This is troubling¡­¡±

 Chapter 367: Immortal Pattern

    The Great Formation collapsed, and the Big Demon perished.The Feng Xi, birthed by Black Mountain Stronghold, died atop the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation constructed above the Black Mountain Stronghold, and with the collapse of the formation, both were annihilated together.


    Tongxian City also gradually recovered.


    The Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business remained, the Refining Furnace and the Alchemy Furnace stayed intact, and other trades within the city were also unaffected.


    The deep mountains were almost destroyed in an instant, but the influences on the Outer Mountain and the Inner Mountain were minimal.


    Monster Hunters could still go into the mountains to hunt monster beasts.


    Monster Hunters hunted monsters, Artifact Refiners refined artifacts, Alchemists concocted pills, and then carried out trade¡­


    Soon everything returned to normal operation.


    Moreover, within Big Black Mountain, there was now a wide and convenient mountain road.


    This road was forged by all cultivators in order to build the Great Formation.


    With this mountain road, not only was it convenient for the cultivators of Tongxian City to enter and exit the mountains, but it also facilitated the traveling merchants to enter Tongxian City for trade.


    Gradually, Tongxian City recovered its vitality.


    The streets became more lively, and the number of cultivators coming and going increased.


    In the near future, perhaps it would become even more prosperous¡­


    ¡­


    Elder Yu was very busy, as he had to attend to the reconstruction of Tongxian City, the revival of Tao cultivation production, and the aftermath of the Feng Xi incident.


    Some places within the city also required the use of formations.


    But due to Mo Hua¡¯s injured Sea of Consciousness, he temporarily could not use his Divine Sense, and even less could he paint formations. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, other Formation Masters helped with the areas that required formations, with Mo Hua guiding them from the side.


    Where they drew correctly and where they did not, Mo Hua would tell them.


    If they had any difficulties with the formations, Mo Hua would also give them guidance.


    The other Formation Masters called Mo Hua ¡°Little Gentleman¡± and showed him half the respect due to a disciple, treating him with utmost respect and reverence. ??????????B§¦s


    They knew the Great Formation was the work of the ¡°Little Gentleman¡± before them.


    Moreover, even as the Great Formation self-destructed, this Little Gentleman remained unharmed. Such a mastery of formations was simply unimaginable to them.


    Mo Hua was kind and approachable, without any air of superiority. They asked and he would most often answer.


    A few simple pieces of advice from him could enlighten them instantly.


    This was the grace of ¡°imparting knowledge, guiding a disciple, and resolving doubts.¡±


    It also filled them with immense gratitude.


    With his hands behind his back, Mo Hua ¡°guided¡± everyone in painting formations, but these formations were too simple, and he found it somewhat uninteresting.


    He wanted to paint some more difficult, more profound formations.


    A few days later, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had mostly healed.


    Although he could not overuse it in the short term and could not paint formations incessantly like before,


    If he controlled the consumption of his Divine Sense, he could begin trying to paint some complex formations properly.


    During the day, Mo Hua painted a few Reversed Spirit Formations for a light review.


    At night, at 1 a.m., Mo Hua could hardly wait to immerse his Divine Sense into his Sea of Consciousness, arriving before the Taoist Stele.


    On this stele was the Formation Pattern Mo Hua had long been contemplating.


    It was the Immortal Pattern from the Heavenly Dao Formation that he glimpsed amidst the Annihilation Tribulation Thunder!


    Mo Hua wanted to try to see if he could learn this Immortal Pattern.


    The Heavenly Dao Formation was too profound, too magnificent, and with Mo Hua¡¯s low cultivation level, he could not understand it at all, but he could try to begin comprehending it starting from a single Formation Pattern.


    A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    One Formation Pattern, one Formation, one Formation Painting, one Compound Formation, progressively advancing to grasp the entire Great Formation¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were high, but reality poured cold water on him.


    Let alone comprehend, he couldn¡¯t even look at this Immortal Pattern.


    Though Mo Hua had recorded the Immortal Pattern on the Taoist Stele, he wasn¡¯t even looking at it directly. Merely sensing it briefly like skimming the surface, his Divine Sense rushed out, rapidly depleting.


    Mo Hua was stunned and couldn¡¯t help but complain:


    "I haven¡¯t even started looking yet, and it¡¯s already deducting my Divine Sense, how stingy!¡±


    Then he sighed again, realizing that even just a single Immortal Pattern was still an ¡°Immortal¡± Pattern.


    It encompassed the creation of heaven and earth, and it was simply not something a Qi Refinement cultivator like him could grasp.


    If he forced himself to look, he feared his Sea of Consciousness would be injured again.


    Though protected by the Taoist Stele, the Sea of Consciousness would not collapse, but it would still be damaged, and over time, there might even be lingering effects.


    The Sea of Consciousness of someone at the Qi Refinement stage was still too fragile.


    The Dao of formations that the Formation Master seeks lay right before him, yet he could not learn it, he could not even look.


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    It seemed he could only set it aside for now and wait to ponder over it once his cultivation improved.


    "I must cultivate diligently and establish my foundation as soon as possible!¡±


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself, following which he became a little puzzled.


    Just what level, and how profound must one¡¯s Divine Sense be, to comprehend these Immortal Patterns?


    Foundation Establishment? Golden Core? Or an even higher realm?


    And what good would it do to master this Immortal Pattern?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    He hadn¡¯t considered this question until now. After mulling it over carefully for a while, he suddenly felt a chill.


    This Immortal Pattern was related to the scarlet-colored Tribulation Thunder.


    If one could truly master the Immortal Pattern, could they then control the Annihilation Tribulation Thunder and gain the power to erase all existence?


    Tribulation Thunder¡­


    Mo Hua remembered the blinding crimson, terrifying aura, and the silent deaths of all living things from the thunderstorms he saw that day, sending a shiver down his spine.


    At that time, his mind was consumed with the Great Formation Dissolution; the thunderstorm came and went, and the impression was fleeting.


    Now that he thought about it, he was frightened by his delayed reaction.


    A sudden feeling of relief washed over Mo Hua:


    "It¡¯s a good thing my realm is low and my cultivation weak, or perhaps I would¡¯ve been directly erased by the Tribulation Thunder¡­¡±


    Such terrifying Tribulation Thunder, Mo Hua did not wish to witness a second time.


    Of course, if there was a Tribulation Thunder that he could draw himself and control, then naturally, it would be a different matter.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart suddenly filled with anticipation¡­


    Unfortunately, when it came to Immortal Patterns, Mo Hua still had no clue.


    What exactly is different about Immortal Patterns, whether they can be learned, and if so, how¡­


    Even if Immortal Patterns are profound, Mr. Zhuang, with his knowledge, should at least know something.


    But since this involves the Taoist Stele, and according to what Mr. Zhuang said, no one should be told, including himself, so Mo Hua couldn¡¯t ask him.


    Not just with Immortal Patterns, in the future, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to ask Mr. Zhuang any questions he encountered.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood began to sink again.


    Mr. Zhuang was about to leave.


    Mo Hua feared that one day, when he visited Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mountain residence, he would find it empty and perhaps never see Mr. Zhuang again for the rest of his Tao cultivation life.


    Mo Hua was a bit scared.


    Therefore, he visited Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place every day.


    Mo Shan¡¯s couple also learned that Mr. Zhuang was about to leave, filled with regret.


    They had never met Mr. Zhuang, but deep down, they were ever grateful to him.


    Liu Ruhua said to Mo Hua, ¡°Mr. Zhuang took you as an honorary disciple and taught you about Formations. He has shown great kindness to our family. We must find a way to repay this kindness in the future.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded gravely, ¡°Mm!¡±


    Liu Ruhua also wanted to show her gratitude, but Mr. Zhuang lacked nothing, not Spirit Stones, and certainly not rank-one items like Spiritual Artifacts and Pills. After much thought, she decided to prepare some food and offer it to Mr. Zhuang to taste.


    Liu Ruhua studied the recipes that Zixi had given her and selected a few dishes.


    Mo Shan went hunting Monster Beasts in the mountains and asked other Monster Hunter friends to kill at least one of every type of Monster Beast they could find. Afterwards, he picked the tenderest and most flavorful parts to bring back for his wife.


    Liu Ruhua ended up preparing a ¡°Full Monster Feast¡± from Big Black Mountain.


    Chicken, duck, fish, beef, mutton, and dog¡ªthere was meat from all kinds of edible Monster Beasts, each with a unique flavor.


    Some were fresh, some were fragrant, some were numbing, and some were spicy¡­ a feast for the senses.


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    After that, every day when he went to visit Mr. Zhuang, he would take some food with him, offering it for the gentleman to taste as a small gesture of his feelings.


    Mr. Zhuang initially thought to decline the bother, but upon further thought, he started to eat with a sense of rightful enjoyment.


    Besides Mr. Zhuang, Bai Zisheng was the happiest.


    In his life, he had eaten many finer things, but he had never tasted so many delicious foods at once.


    Especially since the variety of dishes and flavors were so numerous, and there were no duplicates.


    Bai Zisheng was immensely shocked, so he broached an old topic again, whispering to Mo Hua:


    "Mo Hua, when you go back, could you ask Aunt Liu if she¡¯s lacking a foster son?¡±


    Mo Hua was speechless and shot him a look.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s crystal-clear eyes showed slight annoyance as she also glared at Bai Zisheng.


    Within the bamboo residence on the mountain.


    Mr. Zhuang lay in the bamboo chair, savoring meat and wine as he watched the rosy glow suffuse the ink-adorned forest, feeling all his worries and contemplations dissipating into nothingness.


    Old Kui asked him, ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°I have, but there¡¯s one problem¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze turned serious as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    "All this meat¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang glanced at the meat and wine on the table, touched his face, and remarked with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten fat from eating¡­¡±


    Old Kui: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 368: Taking Disciples

    "You¡¯re not getting chubbier; your skin is just getting thicker¡­¡± Old Kui couldn¡¯t help but say.Mr. Zhuang denied it:


    "Impossible, my skin has always been this thick.¡±


    Old Kui sighed, not wanting to bicker with him, and asked about serious matters, ¡°Have you thought about how to avoid karma? ¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°I have.¡±


    Old Kui silently looked at him.


    Mr. Zhuang took a sip of wine and said lightly:


    "Karma is predetermined, just like this wine, you can¡¯t avoid it just by wishing not to. Once you drink it, you can¡¯t avoid getting the scent of it.¡±


    "Since it can¡¯t be avoided, then use other karmas to confuse it.¡±


    "By confusing the smell of the wine, others might not be able to smell it; by confusing karma, others might not be able to see through it.¡±


    Confusing karma¡­


    Old Kui frowned and thought about it, understanding, but still said,


    "Won¡¯t this make karma even more complicated?¡±


    "It¡¯s not me who¡¯s making it complicated¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, then his gaze became distant as he looked towards the courtyard.


    In the courtyard, under the large pagoda tree, three disciples were happily together.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng were talking about something, and Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes were bright as she quietly listened, occasionally revealing a smile as faint and gentle as a crescent moon.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was deep, ¡°It¡¯s just that some karmas already exist.¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, as usual, Mo Hua went to visit Mr. Zhuang, bringing many edibles in large and small boxes.


    "Gentleman, my mother asked me to bring these for you to try!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone was cheerful, his eyes bright as if filled with starlight.


    The morning sun was splendid, and the room was filled with a clear glow.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor suddenly softened and gently said:


    "Mo Hua, would you like to be my disciple?¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly startled, ¡°Aren¡¯t I already your disciple?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Not a nominal disciple, but a direct disciple!¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    His mouth hung open, for a moment, he couldn¡¯t believe his ears and thought he had misheard.


    "Direct¡­ direct disciple?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly and nodded gently.


    Mo Hua was thrilled, but then he cautiously asked,


    "Gentleman, you won¡¯t regret taking me as your direct disciple, right? My spiritual root is very poor¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought he was dreaming, but even if it were a dream, he had to agree to such a thing.


    Just as Mo Hua was about to agree, Mr. Zhuang stopped him.


    Mr. Zhuang said solemnly, ¡°You need to think it through.¡±


    "Is there anything to think about?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, not understanding what there was to consider.


    Mr. Zhuang then said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving Tongxian City. If you become my disciple and learn formations from me, you¡¯ll have to wander with me.¡±


    "Wandering without knowing the time, you should discuss with your parents, consider their feelings, and then decide whether you want to become a disciple.¡± ????¦Â§¦????


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s considerations were considerate and thoughtful.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small eyebrows knitted together, quite troubled.


    He wanted to acknowledge Mr. Zhuang as his master and learn higher formations, but he didn¡¯t want to leave his parents and worried they would be concerned.


    Mr. Zhuang gently said, ¡°Go ask your parents, think it over, and then give me your answer.¡±


    "Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded seriously.


    After returning home, Mo Hua told his parents about the matter.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua both showed happy expressions, then both hesitated a bit.


    Mo Shan was about to say something with a frown, when Liu Ruhua said firmly:


    "Huar, take Mr. Zhuang as your master.¡±


    Mo Hua was briefly taken aback, ¡°But¡­¡±


    But once he became a disciple, he would have to leave with Mr. Zhuang, and he didn¡¯t know when he would be able to return, when he could see his parents again¡­


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s demeanor was gentle, she shook her head and said:


    "Don¡¯t worry about so much. If you have accomplishments in formations, the world is vast, and you can go anywhere. Don¡¯t mind the temporary separation.¡±


    "To learn formations from Mr. Zhuang is an incredible opportunity that you must not miss!¡±


    "We are just loose cultivators without name or gain, and despite that, Mr. Zhuang is willing to take you as a disciple, which is an immense kindness.¡±


    "We have no way to repay this kindness.¡±


    "By taking Mr. Zhuang as a master and attending to him, you would be showing some gratitude for his kindness¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s tone was gentle but firm.


    Mo Shan also nodded, ¡°Listen to your mother.¡±


    "Alright, I¡¯ll remember!¡±


    Mo Hua seriously nodded.


    After Mo Hua returned to his room, Liu Ruhua¡¯s resolute expression disappeared, turning hesitant and anxious, torn with indecision.


    Mo Shan held her hand and softly said:


    "Are you reluctant to let him go?¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes tinged with sourness, she nodded.


    How could she bear to let go of the child who had been by her side since childhood, especially one so caring and considerate¡­


    But there was no choice in the matter of reluctance.


    Liu Ruhua sighed,


    "Huar¡¯s mastery of formations is so good that no one in Tongxian City can teach him anymore. Staying here his whole life, it¡¯s likely difficult for him to make any further progress¡­¡±


    "I know he likes to study formations and wants to learn more, but he¡¯s also concerned about us and can¡¯t make up his mind.¡±


    "Parents¡¯ love for their child leads them to plan for his future¡­¡±


    "I can¡¯t delay his future just because I can¡¯t bear to let him go.¡±


    Mo Shan also found it hard to let go in his heart, but he didn¡¯t show it and just smiled to comfort her,


    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just traveling the clouds; it¡¯s not like he¡¯s not coming back. Who didn¡¯t travel when they were young?¡±


    "Maybe after a few years, he¡¯ll come back.¡±


    "By then, he might even bring back a little bride for you.¡±


    Liu Ruhua burst into laughter through her tears and scolded him, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Seeing that his wife¡¯s mood had improved, Mo Shan held her hand tightly and reassured her,


    "No matter where he roams, he will always have a day of return; as parents, we simply wait for him here¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s mood gradually stabilized, and she silently nodded her head.


    ¡­


    The next day, Mo Hua went to find Mr. Zhuang again, remembering his parents¡¯ instructions, he respectfully performed a deep bow and crisply said,


    "Mo Hua is untalented and humbly requests Mr. Zhuang to accept me as a disciple!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was stunned.


    It was clear that he wanted to take a disciple, but Mo Hua came to respectfully request apprenticeship¡­


    A warmth arose in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s heart; he came forward to help Mo Hua up and even dusted off his clothes for him, ¡°No need for such big formalities, it¡¯s too stand-offish¡­¡±


    Mo Hua squinted his eyes and smiled.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s innocently joyful smile, Mr. Zhuang also smiled warmly, feeling a weight lifted from his heart.


    No matter what, he had finally accepted this disciple.


    No matter how the world may change, and how causes and effects evolve, this matter will remain unchanged.


    Since it had been decided, there was no need to hesitate or wander; it was best to proceed with firm steps.


    Mr. Zhuang suddenly felt much lighter in his heart.


    It seemed after so many years of uncertainty, he had finally found his bearings and the many years of sullen hardships had all gone with the wind.


    Mo Hua was happy for a while, then suddenly thought of something and became somewhat troubled again.


    He quietly asked, ¡°Gentleman, do you plan to take several disciples?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him with a hint of a smile, ¡°What is it you want to ask?¡±


    Mo Hua felt it wasn¡¯t quite appropriate and hesitated before saying, ¡°What about Zisheng and Zixi? Aren¡¯t you going to take them as well?¡±


    If everyone was a nominal disciple together, but only he were to become Mr. Zhuang¡¯s direct disciple, it probably wouldn¡¯t sit well with them¡­


    Mr. Zhuang laughed, ¡°They have good aptitudes, and there¡¯s some connection with me; I¡¯ll accept them.¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and was very happy.


    With this, everyone would start off as nominal disciples together and then become direct disciples together; then they would truly be of the same sect.


    Mo Hua then thought that Zisheng and Zixi were extremely talented and had a family heritage; maybe Mr. Zhuang had thought of accepting them as disciples long ago.


    Compared to them, he was born frail, with an inadequate spiritual root and a poor background; it was only his strong divine sense and his slightly better skill in formations.


    It was only natural for Mr. Zhuang to accept Zisheng and Zixi as disciples while taking him on seemed a bit like making up the numbers.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t care; he was happy that Mr. Zhuang was willing to take him as a disciple.


    After Mo Hua left happily, Mr. Zhuang called Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi over and directly asked them,


    "Are you willing to take me as your teacher?¡±


    Bai Zisheng and the others were also shocked.


    After a moment, Bai Zisheng¡¯s face lit up with excitement, and Bai Zixi also showed signs of delight.


    They originally thought Mr. Zhuang wouldn¡¯t accept them, but unexpectedly, there was a twist in the end, and the gentleman agreed to take them as disciples.


    The two immediately performed the rituals and respectfully said,


    "We greet our master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and said, ¡°Rise.¡±


    They respectfully stood up again.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°We¡¯ll choose an auspicious day to burn incense and offer tea before formally taking me as your master.¡±


    "As for the rest, your mother should know everything and must have told you.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became profound, ¡°Since I¡¯ve agreed to take you as disciples, naturally I¡¯ll teach you everything I should, and give her an explanation as well.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded in agreement.


    They just needed to become disciples; the rest was not for them to overly concern themselves with.


    Before becoming disciples, they followed their mother¡¯s arrangements; after becoming disciples, they would follow Mr. Zhuang¡¯s orders.


    The matters within, in fact, were not up to the siblings to decide.


    Or it might be said that in noble clans, these clan disciples, even though they might be direct descendants and exceptionally talented, often had no say in such matters.


    The more important the matter, the less room there was for change.


    After giving brief instructions, Mr. Zhuang sent them on their way.


    With her keen mind, Bai Zixi hesitated before leaving, but finally asked,


    "Gentleman, about Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi didn¡¯t finish her question when Bai Zisheng caught on and also asked on her behalf,


    "Gentleman, will you accept Mo Hua as your disciple too?¡±


    If everyone started off as nominal disciples, and now they had all become Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples, it would undoubtedly weigh on Mo Hua¡¯s heart if he were left out, even if it went unspoken.


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, feeling an inexplicable sense of gratification, and nodded,


    "Yes!¡±


    The two of them were even happier now.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s face showed his elation, and Bai Zixi smiled gently, her smile blooming like a night-blooming cereus, beautiful and breathtaking.


    Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang reflected inwardly,


    This child¡¯s appearance is even better than her mother¡¯s.


    One wonders if that will be a good thing in the future¡­

 Chapter 369: Little Junior Brother

    ¡°`Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi returned to the family estate and informed Aunt Xue of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s agreement to take on disciples.


    Aunt Xue was naturally overjoyed.


    She had taken the siblings through much hardship to become Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples, and finally, her wish was fulfilled, allowing her to account for it with the lady of the house.


    However, after her initial excitement, she was puzzled:


    "Why did Mr. Zhuang initially refuse to take on disciples, but has now suddenly changed his mind?¡±


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, as he hadn¡¯t thought about it and couldn¡¯t fathom Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts.


    On the other hand, Bai Zixi seemed to be deep in thought and slowly said,


    "Could it be because of¡­ Mo Hua?¡±


    Aunt Xue was startled and asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡±


    Bai Zixi calmly said, ¡°Because the gentleman values him.¡±


    "Values?¡±


    Aunt Xue didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Mo Hua did have a decent talent for Formation and was quite likable, but to say he was valued by Mr. Zhuang seemed a bit of a stretch.


    After all, both the quality of a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Root and physical body are equally important, and Mo Hua was somewhat lacking in both aspects¡­


    Aunt Xue thought of a polite way to put it.


    Indeed, within the Bai Family, high-grade Spiritual Roots were common, and medium to low-grade ones, even among side branches, were considered insignificant.


    Yet Bai Zixi nodded and said, ¡°He values him a great deal.¡±


    Aunt Xue was still confused, ¡°Because of Formations? It¡¯s true that Mo Hua is quite skilled at Drawing Formations¡­¡±


    "Not just quite skilled,¡± Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°but extremely, extremely skilled!¡±


    Aunt Xue was taken aback, ¡°Extremely, extremely skilled?¡±


    It was the first time she heard such high praise from Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi never praised anyone because she was exceptionally talented, insightful, and diligent in her Cultivation ¨C an excellent prospect for Tao Cultivation ¨C and naturally, she was also exceptionally beautiful. ????????§§?


    Like an uncarved jade, pure and flawless.


    In terms of Cultivation or any other Tao Cultivation disciplines like Formation, none of her peers in the Bai Family could match her.


    Some of the Bai Family disciples, regardless of gender, even felt ashamed in her presence and dared not speak loudly.


    Bai Zixi was somewhat aloof and had few friends in the clan, and rarely praised anyone, for no one was worthy of her praise.


    But now, she was praising Mo Hua¡¯s Formation as ¡°extremely, extremely good¡±¡­


    Aunt Xue realized she might have overlooked something, but still uncertain, she said, ¡°Is it really that good?¡±


    Bai Zisheng then interjected, ¡°Aunt Xue, do you know about the Large Formation that killed the Big Demon?¡±


    Aunt Xue nodded, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s doing?¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°It was drawn by Mo Hua.¡±


    Aunt Xue was shocked, ¡°How is that possible? How old is he?¡±


    Aunt Xue, born into the Bai Family, did not pay much attention to the happenings in a small place like Tongxian City.


    But she did not expect that Tongxian City would face such disasters repeatedly, even a Big Demon emerging.


    The appearance of a Big Demon surely meant foul play; such calamities would not just coincide in a little Immortal City.


    If not for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s presence, she would have taken Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi away long ago.


    A mighty demon of such scope was no match for ordinary Cultivators.


    Yet, what followed still shocked her.


    Tongxian City built a Large Formation, destroyed it, killed the Big Demon, and even attracted a heavenly tribulation.


    Such events were a rarity in her life.


    But because Mr. Zhuang was there, she took it for granted.


    Such feats must have been Mr. Zhuang¡¯s work.


    When Mo Hua was struck by heavenly lightning, Aunt Xue was initially very worried, but then thought it was not so serious.


    Since it was all part of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s plan, and Mo Hua followed his instructions, surely nothing would go wrong.


    As for why Mr. Zhuang would have Mo Hua perform such dangerous tasks¡­


    Aunt Xue guessed it was because Mr. Zhuang preferred not to be involved.


    And since Mo Hua was his disciple, a local Cultivator from Tongxian City, and proficient in Formation, who better to do it?


    However, now she realized she might have been wrong from the start.


    Mastery of Formation could no longer simply be called ¡°proficiency¡±¡­


    A primary Formation Master was already a distinguished figure among Formation Masters, especially at such a young age.


    "Is the Large Formation truly drawn by Mo Hua?¡± Aunt Xue still found it hard to believe.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded.


    Aunt Xue was somewhat stunned, the more she thought about it, the more unfathomable it seemed.


    Thirteen years old, a primary Large Formation¡­


    Aunt Xue couldn¡¯t help but sigh,


    "No wonder Mr. Zhuang values him so highly.¡±


    Yet Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze flickered. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She faintly felt that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s valuation of Mo Hua was not solely due to his Formation skills.


    That Mr. Zhuang treated Mo Hua well and valued him highly was a consensus between her and her brother.


    This matter was something she originally did not quite comprehend.


    Latterly, as Mo Hua¡¯s learning of Formation accelerated and his talent became more fearfully evident¡­


    Initially, she could teach Mo Hua; later, she could exchange insights on Formation with him; and eventually, the Formations Mo Hua drew, and his knowledge of Divine Sense spell points, had become beyond her comprehension.


    ¡°`


    Bai Zixi was a direct descendant of the Bai Family and had seen countless Bai Family classics since childhood.


    Some things, even if she didn¡¯t know how to use them, she wasn¡¯t completely ignorant of.


    However, the Formations that Mo Hua had mastered, as well as some Formation methodologies, she hadn¡¯t just not learned them¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even heard of them, let alone seen them recorded in the Bai Family¡¯s Scripture Pavilion.


    These abstruse teachings must have been taught by Mr. Zhuang and were extremely precious inheritances.


    Moreover, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s attitude towards his three disciples appeared to be the same, but it was clearly biased.


    Whenever Mo Hua wanted to visit Mr. Zhuang¡¯s bamboo room, he could do so, just as if it were his own home.


    Even if Mr. Zhuang was busy, Mo Hua could still sit on the threshold, casually read a book or fish in the pond.


    Both Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui showed nearly ¡°indulgent¡± goodwill towards Mo Hua.


    She had heard her mother speak of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s past.


    Mr. Zhuang had exceptional talent and a willful nature; he was never such an easygoing person.


    And he had never before treated a disciple this way, especially one who was just a named disciple¡­


    Aunt Xue also understood Zixi¡¯s meaning now.


    Mr. Zhuang wouldn¡¯t change his mind for no reason.


    Certainly, Mo Hua must have said something, done something, or perhaps Mr. Zhuang considered something on behalf of Mo Hua.


    Only then did Mr. Zhuang change his mind, initially accepting them as named disciples, and now taking them as Direct Disciples.


    Aunt Xue sighed.


    Unexpectedly, their Bai Family had received a great favor from this child, Mo Hua.


    If not for Mo Hua, they might not have been able to meet Mr. Zhuang, might not have become named disciples of Mr. Zhuang.


    And now it was even less certain they would have been able to become disciples of Mr. Zhuang.


    Aunt Xue then said to Zisheng and Zixi:


    "Now that you have Mr. Zhuang as your teacher, you are of the same alliance from now on. Being from the same alliance, you must take good care of Mo Hua.¡±


    Bai Zisheng assured her while thumping his chest, ¡°Aunt Xue, don¡¯t worry, I will look after him from now on!¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly, her eyes gradually lighting up.


    ¡­


    Several days later, Mr. Zhuang chose an auspicious day for a simple initiation ritual.


    Why it was an auspicious day, Mr. Zhuang did not say.


    Mo Hua flipped through a calendar and couldn¡¯t find what was special about that day.


    It was probably dependent on Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mood.


    The ceremony was indeed simple.


    It involved burning incense, bowing to heaven, presenting tea, and then the ritual of respecting the teacher was complete.


    The burning of incense was an offering to heaven.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, Formation Masters sought out the Heavenly Dao, they only bowed to heaven, not to gods, nor to humans.


    Mo Hua and the two other children lit incense, and after bowing three times to heaven, the ceremony was concluded.


    After that, each of them in turn presented Mr. Zhuang with tea, and then they were allowed to address him as ¡°Master.¡±


    A named disciple could only call him ¡°Gentleman,¡± but only a Direct Disciple could call him ¡°Master.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both called out ¡°Master¡± once.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua also happily called out ¡°Master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded too, but his gaze flickered, betraying a different emotion.


    After the incense was burnt, heaven was bowed to, and the tea was offered, and they had called him Master.


    Mo Hua and the others were now truly members of the same alliance.


    But now that they were of the same alliance, the matter of seniority arose.


    The three began to argue.


    "I¡¯m the oldest, I should naturally be the senior brother!¡± Bai Zisheng argued strongly.


    "There is a sequence in learning the way, I entered first, I should be the senior brother!¡± Mo Hua humphed.


    Bai Zixi had a calm expression, but she had her own insistence:


    "I want to be the senior sister!¡±


    "In any case, I¡¯m the senior brother.¡±


    "You¡¯re the junior brother, I¡¯m the senior brother¡­¡±


    "I¡¯m the senior sister¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In the end, no one could persuade the other, and three pairs of bright eyes looked toward Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily startled, his thoughts stirred, and then he said to Mo Hua:


    "You¡¯re the youngest, take a little grievance and be the junior disciple.¡±


    Mo Hua was greatly disappointed, but since Mr. Zhuang had spoken, he naturally would listen and replied, ¡°Okay, Gentleman.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, ¡°Are you still calling me Gentleman?¡±


    Mo Hua realized his error and smiled as he called out:


    "Master!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, his eyes full of mirth.


    And so, the three named disciples under the great pagoda tree became Direct Disciples of Mr. Zhuang.


    There was a pair of siblings born of Noble Clans, with the grace of dragons and phoenixes, and dazzling talents as the senior brother and sister.


    And there was one of humble origin, with inferior Spiritual Root, who seemed to be ¡°making up the numbers,¡± the junior brother.

 Chapter 370: Legacy

    Mr. Zhuang would be leaving in a month.He had said this to Mo Hua and the siblings Bai Zisheng, asking them to prepare during this time and to handle their private affairs.


    After that, they would leave Tongxian City and wander elsewhere.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi didn¡¯t have much to prepare.


    The month was mainly for Mo Hua to say goodbye, to spend time with his parents and friends, and to settle some trivial matters.


    Mo Hua was going to leave¡­


    When Liu Ruhua made the decision, she was resolute, but now, as the departure approached and she realized that Mo Hua, who had been with her for over a decade, was about to leave, she suddenly felt heartache and reluctant to let go.


    She worried about him facing the hardships of travel, not having enough food, and not sleeping well.


    She was concerned about the long journey ahead of him, not knowing what dangers he would encounter, how much hardship he would endure¡­


    So, Mo Hua took more time to stay at home, to keep his parents company, and to reassure them.


    Elder Yu learned of this matter and, while he couldn¡¯t bear to part with Mo Hua, he was also happy for him.


    It was not easy for a monk to become a Formation Master, especially one as gifted as Mo Hua.


    But a dragon that swims in the shallows cannot soar to the nine heavens.


    Tongxian City was too small; being confined here would make it very difficult for Mo Hua to achieve greater accomplishments. Therefore, despite feeling regret, Elder Yu was also pleased to see him set out and become an apprentice to wander the lands.


    After Mo Hua left, there would be no Formation Masters among the Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Considering this, Mo Hua had made early preparations.


    He went to Master Qian and said:


    "Master Qian, I have a request.¡±


    Master Qian hurriedly responded, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡±


    He neither dared to call himself ¡°Master¡± in front of Mo Hua, nor did he dare to accept Mo Hua¡¯s request, so he said:


    "Little Master Mo, please tell me your command. As long as Qian can do it, I will not shirk.¡±


    After the Patriarch of the Qian Family was convicted by the Taoist Court, all the family property was donated; the clan fell apart, and the members scattered, living their separate lives. Not only would they not help each other, but sometimes they would even fight tooth and nail over petty gains. ?????£Î????????¦¥?


    The Qian Family used to value profit over righteousness, and its disciples were like wolf cubs.


    Now in decline, with no benefits left, it was natural for clan members to drift apart and lose their morals.


    The Qian Family of today was no longer a clan but more like a group of Loose Cultivators sharing the Qian surname, and they weren¡¯t even as united as the Loose Cultivators.


    Master Qian was a Formation Master with a unique status; even without the protection of the Qian Family, he could still get by.


    But many changes had also made him reflect on the unpredictability of Tao Cultivation and the impermanence of the world, and his desire for gains had faded, turning his focus to the study of formations.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Master Qian, could you teach Loose Cultivators formation methods?¡±


    Master Qian looked astonished; he had never expected that Mo Hua would make such a request.


    Master Qian hesitated:


    "Teaching is certainly possible, it¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    It¡¯s just that he had never considered this before, nor had he ever imagined that one day he might do such a thing¡ªto teach formation methods to Loose Cultivators¡­


    Mo Hua said, ¡°If you are willing, I can speak to Elder Yu. If you ever need help in the future or encounter any difficulties, Elder Yu will also help you.¡±


    Master Qian was slightly stunned, then slowly grasped the meaning.


    Mo Hua was offering him an opportunity as well as some security.


    With the Qian Family¡¯s fall, they faced hostility from many sides, and old debts were being settled, foreshadowing difficult days ahead.


    Although he was a Formation Master and didn¡¯t need to concern himself with such things, he was, after all, a Qian by surname and couldn¡¯t completely detach himself from these matters.


    Now Mo Hua was giving him an opportunity: by teaching formation methods to Loose Cultivators, he was forming an alliance with Elder Yu, easing their relationship.


    Should any difficulty arise in the future, Elder Yu would help him out of consideration for the formation teaching he provided.


    Behind Elder Yu were the Monster Hunters of the entire Tongxian City. With this connection to Elder Yu, he would be untroubled by others in Tongxian City.


    This arrangement was beneficial for both parties and had been thoughtfully considered.


    Master Qian then agreed, ¡°As long as Little Master Mo doesn¡¯t find my skills meager, I am naturally willing to share all I know.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Although the Qian Family didn¡¯t establish itself with formations, it still had a certain legacy in this field, particularly in imparting formation methods to disciples, and had experience to follow.


    Mo Hua was counting on this when he asked Master Qian to teach formation methods to Loose Cultivators.


    But this was not enough.


    Mo Hua then took out a book titled ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡± and handed it to Master Qian:


    "This is a formation book I compiled in my free time. It records the drawing methods for common first-grade formations, lays out the learning process in a step-by-step progression, and includes some insights and experiences¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Please, Master Qian, review it. If there¡¯s nothing wrong, you can use this ¡®Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡¯ as the foundation to teach formation methods to the Loose Cultivator disciples¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke very politely.


    Master Qian smiled wryly upon hearing this, ¡°Little Master Mo is too courteous. I don¡¯t dare claim the word ¡®review¡¯¡­¡±


    With Mo Hua¡¯s level of expertise in formations, he truly had no place to ¡°review¡± anything.


    But Master Qian was curious about what kind of formation book Mo Hua would compile.


    He opened the ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡± and after a few glances, he was stunned.


    This was no ordinary formation book.


    It was a comprehensive guide to learning all the principles of first-grade formations and below, from a single formation pattern up to nine patterns, with depth and simplicity, progressively explaining the principles of first-grade formations and the laws of Spiritual Power operation.


    Plain yet profound, with a deep foundation in Formation knowledge.


    It¡¯s even more valuable because it isn¡¯t limited to basic Formation principles; it teaches how to advance further and learn more complex Compound Formations after mastering the Nine-Pattern Formation.


    All of this is explained in this ¡°Comprehensive Explanation.¡±


    It means that this ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡± can not only help Cultivators who are unfamiliar with Formations to learn First-grade Formation Methods from scratch, step by step.


    But also for someone like me, a ¡°pseudo-First-grade¡± Formation Master who is stuck at the assessment threshold, it¡¯s beneficial, teaching higher-level Formations that can help me cross the threshold and gain the ability to pass the assessment and become a true First-grade Formation Master.


    This book represents a continuous and comprehensive transmission of Formation inheritance. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even the Formation tradition collected by the Qian Family over hundreds of years cannot compare to it.


    Master Qian¡¯s hands trembled, feeling the heavy weight of the book in his hands, he couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    "Is this¡­ really for me to take?¡±


    He felt unworthy of it.


    "Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Formations, if hoarded selfishly, become nothing but stale knowledge. They only become true Formations when they are passed down, allowing more people to understand and benefit more Cultivators. This is how it conforms to the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were clear, and his tone sincere.


    In that moment, Master Qian even felt somewhat ashamed. He sighed and said solemnly,


    "Rest assured, Mr. Mo, I will keep my promise and pass on these Formation Methods for the rest of my life!¡±


    Mo Hua felt greatly relieved and gave a bow,


    "Then I must thank Master Qian for his trouble!¡±


    Master Qian hurriedly returned the bow, ¡°Mr. Mo, you are too polite!¡±


    After a moment of thought, Mo Hua said, ¡°There is one more thing, I¡¯d like to ask Master Qian for a favor.¡±


    "Please don¡¯t call it a ¡®trouble,¡¯ Mr. Mo, just let me know.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯d like to ask Master Qian to take in a child and teach him Formations personally.¡±


    Master Qian was slightly startled, ¡°Who is this child?¡±


    "His last name is Chu, and his nickname is Zhouer. I once promised his father, Uncle Chu, to teach him Formations, but at that time, Zhouer was too young to learn.¡±


    "Having made that promise, I cannot go back on my word.¡±


    "I will be traveling and I don¡¯t know when I will return, so I¡¯d like to ask Master Qian to help and teach Formations on my behalf, so he will have a means to make a living in the future.¡±


    "Chu Zhouer¡­¡± Master Qian repeated the name then nodded, ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Mo, I will teach him well.¡±


    "Then I am very grateful to Master Qian!¡±


    Afterwards, Mo Hua got up to leave, and Master Qian respectfully saw him to the door.


    After leaving, Mo Hua went to find Master Luo and also gave him a copy of the ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method.¡±


    Master Luo treasured it, filled with gratitude.


    The basic Formation techniques inside didn¡¯t mean much to Master Luo, but the insights into Formations included in the appendix were invaluable to him and might even help him break through the bottleneck of becoming a First-grade Formation Master.


    Mo Hua mentioned to Master Luo his request for Master Qian to teach Formations to Loose Cultivators. Master Luo, somewhat surprised, thought for a moment, then nodded his approval, saying,


    "That¡¯s a very good idea!¡±


    It passed on Formation knowledge and eased tensions as well.


    Seeing Master Luo relaxing at home, leisurely drinking tea, Mo Hua became curious and asked,


    "Aren¡¯t you going to Lanshan Sect anymore?¡±


    Previously, when a Big Demon appeared and Tongxian City had to relocate, Master Luo found a way out by taking a position as an Outer Gate Elder at Lanshan Sect.


    Master Luo shook his head, ¡°Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. I know my own worth.¡±


    "If it weren¡¯t for no other choice, I wouldn¡¯t want to leave Tongxian City.¡±


    Master Luo smiled wryly, ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing to say to you, Mr. Mo, that here in Tongxian City, I am revered as a First-grade Formation Master. But outside, I would simply be an ordinary Outer Gate Elder, in a position neither high nor low and subjected to others¡¯ control. It may look impressive, but it¡¯s not comfortable. I would not subject myself to that hardship.¡±


    Mo Hua questioned, ¡°But aren¡¯t the Formation inheritances better outside? Don¡¯t you want to advance further?¡±


    "Just because you want to progress further doesn¡¯t mean you can,¡± Master Luo shook his head. ¡°When a power grows large, so do the interests involved. And with more interests come inevitable backstabbing and scheming.¡±


    "Formations, sometimes, are better pursued outside the limelight, seeking tranquility and distance. When your mind is disturbed, it¡¯s not easy to learn well, and you might even end up learning the wrong way.¡±


    "Besides, getting a Formation inheritance from outside is not easy,¡± sighed Master Luo. ¡°You might exert a lot of effort to get just scraps and leftovers that can scarcely fill your stomach, all the while enduring disdain from others¡­¡±


    Then Mo Hua realized that Master Luo had his own story.


    Perhaps he too had once ventured out, weathered the storm, struggled bitterly, yet still ended with nothing and faced others¡¯ cold looks.


    That¡¯s probably why he returned to Tongxian City, to lie on his bamboo chair, drink tea, and live a steady and stable life.


    "You don¡¯t feel resentful?¡± inquired Mo Hua curiously.


    "Everybody has their fate; it cannot be forced,¡± Master Luo seemed at peace with this, ¡°and as for inheritance, sometimes it¡¯s a matter of chance¡­¡±


    He gently patted the copy of the ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡± that Mo Hua had given him, ¡°See, chance has just arrived, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh, finding Master Luo to be quite an interesting person.


    After sharing several cups of Master Luo¡¯s cherished tea and discussing some Formation knowledge, as the sky grew dark, Mo Hua got up to leave.


    Master Luo also stood up and personally saw Mo Hua out.


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure, Master Luo muttered to himself,


    "To follow his mentor and travel, that¡¯s to receive personal instruction¡­¡±


    "If he returns after learning well, having advanced even further in Formations, that would truly be¡­ boundless¡­¡±


    Master Luo murmured appreciatively, then with an expectant expression, watched Mo Hua¡¯s silhouette and whispered,


    "Study hard¡­¡±

 Chapter 371: Descent

    After bidding Master Luo farewell, Mo Hua felt at ease.Cultivation makes cultivators powerful, yet it does not involve production, and cannot make more cultivators wealthy.


    Only formations can make life somewhat better for loose cultivators.


    In Tongxian City, Mo Hua was the only one among the loose cultivators who knew about formations. Once he left, with no one to draw formation patterns for them, the lives of the loose cultivators might sink back into hardship in a few years, or perhaps a decade.


    Self-sufficiency brings ample food and clothing.


    Only if more formation masters who understand formations emerge among the loose cultivators.


    These formation masters also make a vow to learn formations and benefit the loose cultivators.


    This is the only way to truly improve the situation of loose cultivators.


    No matter how strong Mo Hua¡¯s formation abilities are, he is still just one person, capable of changing only the immediate circumstances.


    But the legacy of formations can be passed on to many people.


    Passed down from generation to generation, it can change the lives of loose cultivators for a very long time.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want Tongxian City to revert to the old state of ¡°loose cultivators without a formation master¡± after he left. He hoped that when he returned, more loose cultivators would have learned formations and that everyone could live better lives.


    Once the matter of passing on formation techniques was resolved, Mo Hua had many farewells to say to acquaintances.


    The first was Leader Yang.


    With the Taoist soldiers Court¡¯s mission completed and the Big Demon subdued, it was time for him to return and report back.


    Before leaving, Leader Yang patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, repeatedly admonishing,


    "If you ever want to join the Taoist soldiers Court, be sure to find me. No matter what happens, the Yang Family will protect you!¡±


    "If you don¡¯t wish to join the Taoist soldiers Court, then you must stay firm in your Taoist Heart, act cautiously, never stray onto the wrong path, and certainly do not fall into the Demon Path¡­¡±


    Leader Yang had witnessed the terror of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation up close and had felt it personally.


    In his life thus far, he had not seen another Trapping and Killing Formation with such a strong killing aura.


    Let alone the self-destruction of the Large Formation later on, the strange and horrifying phenomena generated by the change in spiritual power.


    Though a formation master¡¯s personal strength may not be formidable, once they complete a formation or construct a large formation, they can truly wield the power to change the heavens and earth or even destroy them.


    This was something he had not fully grasped before seeing Mo Hua.


    Only after seeing the Trapping and Killing Formation laid by Mo Hua and witnessing the deadly force produced by the destruction of the formation did Leader Yang truly realize the power and the terror of a formation master.


    So, he was truly worried about Mo Hua making a misstep.


    At only thirteen years of age, Mo Hua was already capable of constructing large formations on his own, confining Feng Xi.


    Given time, who knows what level his formation skills will reach.


    If he were to truly take the wrong path and build large formations to slaughter cultivators, it would undoubtedly bring calamity to a city, a realm, or even a whole state. £Ò????N??????????


    Leader Yang was very afraid of witnessing that scene and could not bear to face Mo Hua in a battle.


    Mo Hua then reassured him, ¡°Uncle Yang, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a serious cultivator and won¡¯t do such bad things.¡±


    The world is full of changes; who can be certain about the future?


    Leader Yang remained worried but could do nothing more as his mission was complete and it was time for him to leave.


    Before departing, he also went to Mo Hua¡¯s food business and took away more than fifty pounds of beef.


    It was the first time he had tried this beef. After sampling it once at Mo Hua¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t forget about it, so he bought a lot before leaving, planning to enjoy it with wine on the road.


    After the Taoist soldiers set out, Leader Yang left along Big Black Mountain.


    Mo Hua waved his small hand, bidding farewell to Leader Yang.


    After Leader Yang left, Zhang Lan found Mo Hua, telling him he would also be leaving soon.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is it because you¡¯ve succeeded in Foundation Establishment that you¡¯re returning to your clan?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, his expression forlorn, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua patted his shoulder, comforting,


    "Just going back for a blind date isn¡¯t so bad. What if you meet someone suitable? It could be a kind of fate.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s face darkened again, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re still so young, is it appropriate for you to say such things?¡±


    Mo Hua earnestly replied, ¡°I may be young, but I¡¯ve heard a lot of things.¡±


    In his free time, he would often go to the Fulu Building to play with Xiaofu.


    Xiaofu enjoyed gossip and even spiced up the stories, commissioned storytellers to perform them in the Food Building. The place was always packed, popular among diners.


    Mo Hua had heard quite a bit.


    He especially liked stories about defeating demons or bizarre tales.


    He didn¡¯t have much taste for romance stories, but he wasn¡¯t picky and would listen when they were told.


    In those stories, noble family descendants like Zhang Lan, who were initially averse to blind dates, would go reluctantly, but upon meeting a beautiful girl, they would instantly become eager and start pursuing her¡­ S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought Zhang Lan seemed like the type who could do something like that.


    Zhang Lan listened with a headache ensuing.


    "That¡¯s just a tale, embellished and not to be taken seriously.¡±


    Mo Hua insisted, ¡°¡®When the fake is used as the real, the real also becomes fake.¡¯ How can you be sure that what¡¯s told in the stories isn¡¯t true?¡±


    "Alright then¡­¡± Zhang Lan said helplessly.


    Mo Hua was quick-witted, and Zhang Lan indeed could not outtalk him.


    However, thinking that once he left Immortal City, he might not have a child as interesting as Mo Hua to banter and chat with anymore, Zhang Lan felt a pang of loss.


    Mo Hua then comforted, ¡°We will meet again if it¡¯s destined. Perhaps one day, we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


    Zhang Lan considered it and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, if it¡¯s fated, we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


    "If you ever pass through Kan State and reach the Zhang Family¡¯s domain, make sure to visit. Mention my name, and I¡¯ll host you properly and treat you well,¡± Zhang Lan said with a buoyant and confident expression.


    Mo Hua asked quietly, ¡°Uncle Zhang, do you hold a high position in your clan?¡±


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t elaborate much, only saying, ¡°It¡¯s decent enough. As long as you come, you won¡¯t be disappointed. I¡¯ll treat you to some good food.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up and he quickly agreed, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Seeing this, Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but smile. Then, he suddenly remembered something important and lowered his voice,


    "There¡¯s something most important to remember¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    "The Water Passing Step¡­¡± Zhang Lan reminded.


    Suddenly understanding, Mo Hua also spoke in a low, serious voice:


    "Water Passing Step wasn¡¯t taught by you, Uncle Zhang. Rest assured, no matter what, I won¡¯t sell you out¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression was complex.


    Mo Hua¡¯s silence was naturally a good thing.


    But the way you used the word ¡°sell out¡± makes it sound like we¡¯re colluding in disgrace, doing something nefarious¡­


    Zhang Lan had to hand things over to the Taoist Court, which would probably take about two months.


    During this time, if he was free, he would also come to drink and chat with Mo Hua.


    There was laughter and conversation, but there was already a faint air of parting.


    ¡­


    Additionally, Mo Hua took some time to see Manager Mo.


    It was from Manager Mo that Mo Hua, by drawing Formation Patterns, made his first sum of Spirit Stones and took his first step to becoming a Formation Master.


    Without Manager Mo, Instructor Yan might not have discovered his talent in formations, might not have recommended him to Mr. Zhuang, and he wouldn¡¯t have become a recorded disciple of Mr. Zhuang, nor would he have taken Mr. Zhuang as his master today.


    Manager Mo¡¯s business had improved a lot.


    The sign hanging in front of his door was the old one, bearing the three characters for ¡°Fated Gathering,¡± but the entire entrance and interior decorations had been completely renewed.


    Manager Mo also looked more spirited.


    When he saw Mo Hua, he was both surprised and delighted, quickly inviting Mo Hua into the house and pouring him a cup of tea.


    Mo Hua waved his hand and said, ¡°Manager Mo, there¡¯s no need for such courtesy.¡±


    "You are an honored guest now; it is only right to observe the proper formalities.¡±


    Manager Mo watched Mo Hua sipping tea, feeling a wave of emotion in his heart.


    Once, the young Cultivator who pretended to be his older brother to draw Formation Patterns for Spirit Stones, had now become a Great Formation Master known throughout the city.


    He remembered Mo Hua¡¯s first visit, a young boy standing beneath the counter, poking his little head out.


    Now, he seemed not much taller, and his appearance was still cute and lovely, but his look and demeanor were completely different.


    The aura around him was even more inscrutable.


    The first time Manager Mo saw Mo Hua, he could only draw three Formation Patterns for the Bright Fire Formation. Two or three years had passed, and now he could create a top-grade Large Formation.


    The chasm between then and now was vast as a rift in the earth.


    He had no idea how Mo Hua had learned so much.


    Manager Mo shook his head, his heart full of wonder.


    After a while, he remembered something, stood up, went to the counter, and took out a maroon food box, setting it in front of Mo Hua.


    Inside the food box were an assortment of exquisite pastries.


    "These were given to me by someone, very precious pastries. Have a taste.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, taking a bite. Soft, sticky, and sweet, his eyes lit up as he said, ¡°Thank you, Manager!¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua enjoyed the pastries, Manager Mo also started smiling.


    Such pastries had never been sent to him before.


    After receiving Master Luo¡¯s patronage, some Formation Masters were willing to draw formations for his store. With more formations in the store, more customers came, improving his business, and naturally, the gifts he received became more luxurious.


    Master Luo wouldn¡¯t help him for no reason; it must have been for Mo Hua¡¯s sake.


    He didn¡¯t say this, but he understood it in his heart.


    After they had tea for a while, Manager Mo asked,


    "You didn¡¯t come just to have tea with me, did you?¡±


    Swallowing his pastry and taking a sip of tea, Mo Hua nodded and said,


    "I am going to leave Tongxian City and go traveling.¡±


    Manager Mo was slightly stunned but not surprised.


    Young Cultivators always needed to go out and see the world, seek opportunities, witness the vastness of the Cultivation World, meet all sorts of Cultivators, and explore some unknown inheritances¡­


    However, for Mo Hua to go traveling at his age was somewhat early.


    But an extraordinary Cultivator does extraordinary things.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°I came here, firstly, to see you and express my gratitude.¡±


    After all, if Manager Mo hadn¡¯t allowed him to earn Spirit Stones by drawing formations back then, his formation skills might not have reached this level.


    He also told Master Luo to continue looking after Manager Mo¡¯s business in the future.


    "There¡¯s another matter,¡± Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned solemn, ¡°I want to ask about Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    Manager Mo was a bit startled, but also touched, ¡°You still remember him¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Instructor Yan had bestowed upon him the kindness of enlightenment, and his opportunity to take Mr. Zhuang as his master was also thanks to Instructor Yan¡¯s recommendation.


    A drop of water should be reciprocated with a gushing spring.


    Now that his own mastery of formations showed slight success, he naturally wanted to inquire about Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts within the scope of his ability, to see if there was anything he could do to help Instructor Yan.


    Manager Mo sighed in his heart: What a good child.


    After a long hesitation, he still decided to lay out the truth:


    "Actually, the matter is pretty simple. I and Instructor Yan are essentially fellow disciples from the same Sect. He entered the Sect earlier than I did, and we had some acquaintance, but since I joined the Sect not long before it encountered turmoil and was dissolved, I didn¡¯t learn much, so our relationship isn¡¯t that deep.¡±


    "Turmoil?¡±


    Manager Mo nodded and said with a sad expression, ¡°Our master was an old Formation Master who treated his disciples kindly and taught tirelessly.¡±


    "But he misjudged someone, taking in a disciple with wolfish ambitions who coveted the Sect¡¯s Sect Protecting Faction Formation. That person actually¡­¡±


    Manager Mo took a sip of tea to suppress the anger in his heart before continuing,


    "He committed the act of murdering his master, stole the formation, and fled the Sect¡­¡±


    "Our Sect was originally a small one with not many people. Those who came to our master, they just wanted to learn formations to make a living. Once the master died, things naturally fell apart, and the whole Sect was gone¡­¡±


    Manager Mo had a look of bitterness on his face.


    "He¡¯s truly a disgrace to all Formation Masters.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed as he listened, feeling somewhat angry, and asked,


    "When Instructor Yan left, did he say he had personal matters to attend to, to seek out this disgrace¡¯s whereabouts?¡±


    "Yes,¡± Manager Mo said with some emotion, ¡°He entered the Sect early and had a deep bond with our master, so he couldn¡¯t accept it. He wanted to bring that traitor to justice to appease our master¡¯s spirit in heaven and also to retrieve the Sect Protecting Faction Formation¡­¡±


    Looking at Mo Hua, Manager Mo¡¯s eyes flickered, and he spoke slowly,


    "That formation is known as the Spiritual Pivot Formation, a formation considered impossible for any Formation Master to learn¡ªa first-grade¡­ twelve-pattern formation!¡±

 Chapter 372: Assessment

    ¡°`First-grade, twelve patterns!


    Mo Hua was startled, he had never imagined that Instructor Yan¡¯s sect would have an inheritance with a first-grade formation of twelve patterns.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation that Mr. Zhuang taught him was only a first-grade with ten patterns.


    And although Mr. Zhuang had not explicitly stated, but according to Mo Hua¡¯s own estimation, the Divine Sense required for the Spirit Pivot of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation wouldn¡¯t exceed eleven patterns either.


    Now, from Manager Mo¡¯s words, he had actually heard of a first-grade formation with twelve patterns, which seemed to be a type of Single Formation.


    "Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently remembered this name and then out of curiosity, he asked:


    "Does this formation have any special characteristics, to require such a strong Divine Sense of twelve patterns¡­¡±


    Manager Mo smiled bitterly and shook his head: ¡°No one has learned it, so naturally nobody knows.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head slightly, and then continued to muse to himself:


    "Spiritual Pivot Formation doesn¡¯t sound like a Five Elements Formation. Since it contains the word ¡®spirit,¡¯ it must be related to Spiritual Power, probably similar to ¡®Spirit Gathering Array¡¯ or ¡®Reversed Spirit Formation,¡¯ a formation regarding the gathering or flow of Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    "The name of the formation includes the word ¡®pivot,¡¯ which could either refer to Spiritual Power being the pivot or the uniqueness of the ¡®Formation Pivot¡¯.¡±


    "The Formation Pivot of a Single Formation is typically simple in structure, but this Single Formation requires twelve patterns of Divine Sense; could it be because its Formation Pivot is complex and out of the ordinary?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, lost in thought for a long while.


    Manager Mo was dumbfounded as he listened.


    He hadn¡¯t said anything, just mentioned the name of the formation, and Mo Hua was able to infer so much¡­


    And he didn¡¯t even understand it himself. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Manager Mo was secretly astounded.


    The way of formations, indeed profound and intricate, Mo Hua¡¯s level in formations was also truly impenetrable and advanced; no wonder even Master Luo had such admiration for Mo Hua¡­


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua still couldn¡¯t reach any firm conclusion.


    With just the name of a formation, indeed, not much could be discerned.


    He then asked: ¡°Manager Mo, do you know where Instructor Yan has gone?¡±


    Manager Mo came back to his senses, thought for a moment, took a piece of paper out of his Storage Bag, and handed it to Mo Hua. The paper had only one line of writing:


    "Minor Wilderness State Boundary, South Yue City.¡±


    "This is what I found out through someone I asked, a former sect acquaintance saw that traitor, who betrayed and murdered his mentor, in an Immortal City named South Yue, to the east of Li State, within Minor Wilderness State Boundary.¡± ??????¨¯?¦¥????


    "I have informed Senior Brother Yan about this. If I¡¯m not wrong, he should have gone to South Yue City as well.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head and carefully stored the piece of paper away.


    Manager Mo thought it over and still made a request:


    "Mo Hua, I have an impolite favor to ask¡­ If you pass by that place and encounter Senior Brother Yan, I hope you can help him.¡±


    Mo Hua said with all seriousness, ¡°Manager, rest assured, I will definitely help Instructor Yan catch that traitor.¡±


    "No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Manager Mo shook his head.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°What do you mean not it?¡±


    "I¡¯m not asking you to help him catch someone, I want you to persuade him for me, to find a companion, settle down and start a family¡­¡± Manager Mo said with resignation.


    Mo Hua was a bit confounded.


    Manager Mo sighed: ¡°Senior Brother Yan is actually quite talented¡­¡±


    "Of course not comparable to you¡­¡± Manager Mo looked at Mo Hua and then continued:


    "If he dedicated himself to studying formations, not to mention achieving great success, but at least to become a first-grade Formation Master and an Outer Gate Elder, that would be no problem.¡±


    "A first-grade Formation Master, in most state boundaries, is also considered a remarkable person¡­¡±


    Manager Mo¡¯s tone carried some envy.


    Mo Hua also nodded; his initial dream when learning formations was to become a first-grade Formation Master.


    Manager Mo then sighed again: ¡°But these past years, Senior Brother Yan has been troubled and restless, unable to calm down, so he has always been unable to cross that threshold.¡±


    "He joined the sect early and had a deep affection for his master, so he can¡¯t accept what happened. I understand that very well, but one should not waste one¡¯s entire life seeking revenge.¡±


    "Even if he avenges the great wrong, in the end, being alone with white hair, it will be difficult to make any more progress in formations.¡±


    "If you happen to meet him, just persuade him to be a bit more considerate of himself, no matter if he gets revenge, his master is already dead, and the sect has dispersed, the past gone with the wind, but he himself still needs to find a way to live well¡­¡±


    Manager Mo expressed his feelings earnestly, his tone mixed with some helplessness:


    "He might not listen to these words from me, but he might listen if you say them.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement and also sighed internally, Manager Mo truly had Instructor Yan¡¯s best interests at heart, so he promised:


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will talk to the Instructor.¡±


    Manager Mo then smiled happily.


    When Mo Hua was about to leave, Manager Mo took out a few boxes of expensive pastries and stuffed them into Mo Hua¡¯s arms:


    "Take these and try them.¡±


    Mo Hua was unable to decline and had to accept them.


    After Mo Hua left, Manager Mo sat alone in the room, pouring and drinking tea by himself, drinking several cups. He looked somewhat melancholic as he mumbled to himself:


    "Senior Brother, don¡¯t blame me for being meddlesome¡­¡±


    "I told Mo Hua about the Spiritual Pivot Formation, don¡¯t be angry with me for that.¡±


    "Our sect is gone, so the formation is no longer a secret.¡±


    Manager Mo was silent for a while, then looking at the floating tea leaves in his cup, he slowly continued:


    "Moreover, I also want to know if it is really possible for anyone to learn that outlandishly extreme first-grade twelve-pattern formation¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua bid farewell to Manager Mo, taking with him the memory of the name ¡°South Yue City¡±.


    Thinking of Instructor Yan¡¯s charge to him, his expectations, and the somewhat desolate figure he had left behind.


    Mo Hua felt rather heavy-hearted for a moment.


    Unsure of where Instructor Yan was now, whether he was doing well, if he had encountered any difficulties.


    Whether he had found the mentor-killing traitor, and whether he might face any dangers¡­


    ¡°`


    But worrying now is useless; I hope I really can meet Instructor Yan in the future.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Then he thought of another issue:


    I originally studied Formation to become a First-grade Formation Master; now that I am about to set out on a journey, should I try to get assessed?


    Mo Hua went to ask Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was not surprised and nodded, ¡°You can give it a try.¡±


    "Really?¡± Mo Hua was suddenly nervous, ¡°What if I fail?¡±


    "Just go and take the test; whether you pass or fail doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    That¡¯s what Mr. Zhuang said, but he thought to himself:


    "You are now the lead Formation Master of a First-grade Large Formation; how can you possibly not pass the examination for a regular First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    "With something like Formation, whether it¡¯s good or bad is clear at a glance, and an expert can see it right away.¡±


    "For the assessment, even if there is foul play, they wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with you.¡±


    "If they really dare to be ¡®blind with open eyes¡¯ and revoke your qualification for the First-grade, they will definitely regret it in the future¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, and after thinking, he agreed that a regular First-grade Formation really wasn¡¯t something to worry about.


    "When should I go for the assessment then?¡±


    Mo Hua was clueless about the process of the assessment.


    "Before you leave on your journey, you must finish the assessment,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    "Can¡¯t I do it somewhere else?¡±


    "That won¡¯t work,¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head and patiently explained:


    "The assessment of Formation Masters follows a recommendation system and is limited by state boundaries.¡±


    "If you want to get assessed, not only do you need a recommendation letter, the number of First-grade Formation Masters allowed is fixed for each state, each boundary, and each city; some places have more quotas, some have less.¡±


    "Here in Tongxian City, you have a recommendation; after the assessment, the quota for Tongxian City is taken.¡±


    "Once outside, unfamiliar with the place, firstly no one is willing to recommend, and secondly, if you pass the assessment, you take up a quota from another Immortal City, which others are even less willing to give up¡­¡±


    "That sounds troublesome¡­¡± Mo Hua recalled what Mr. Zhuang had said before and asked:


    "Is all this complexity designed to set barriers and make a profit?¡±


    "Part of it is,¡± Mr. Zhuang admitted.


    "And the other part?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang wanted to explain but didn¡¯t; instead, he just said:


    "You¡¯ll gradually find out in the future; knowing now is of no use.¡±


    Mo Hua, only partially understanding, nodded and asked again, ¡°Then how is the quota distributed?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°There are many factors, including the wealth of the state boundary, the number of Family Sects and Clans, personal connections, and so on¡­ The poorer the state boundary with a weaker Formation heritage, the fewer the quotas, and the more effort one has to put in to become a First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    "On the contrary, in places with a deep foundation or entrenched power, there are many quotas given each year, and it¡¯s relatively easier to become a First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue and said, ¡°That¡¯s really¡­ not very fair.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°The Heavenly Dao is fair, and the Formation stands as it is; knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing. What¡¯s unfair is actually people; some know but still can¡¯t become First-grade Formation Masters, while some don¡¯t know yet still wear the title of a First-grade Formation Master¡­¡±


    Reflectively, Mo Hua quietly asked:


    "Then who should I ask for a recommendation?¡±


    "The Taoist Court, local Clans, Sects, or other powerful entities recognized by the Taoist Court can all qualify to recommend,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    "As for you¡­ better go through the Taoist Court Officials. After all, don¡¯t you have a Bronze Waist Token from them? Your Court Leader would surely be very happy to recommend you.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang advised.


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Gentleman, you knew about the waist token too?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked composed, ¡°Such trifles, if I want to know, I naturally do.¡±


    Mo Hua marveled internally at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mysterious prowess.


    "Also,¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s slender fingers ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°you should call me ¡®Master¡¯ now, not ¡®Gentleman.¡¯


    "Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua realized and gave an embarrassed laugh.


    He had become accustomed to calling ¡®Gentleman¡¯ and hadn¡¯t managed to switch immediately.


    "Master!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was crisp and clear.


    Mr. Zhuang half-closed his eyes, his expression relaxed, and he nodded lightly.


    After that, Mo Hua went to find Court Leader Zhou.


    When the Court Leader heard that Mo Hua wanted to participate in the First-grade Formation Master assessment, he agreed without a second thought.


    If Mo Hua could get a recommendation from the Taoist Court and pass the assessment, becoming a First-grade Formation Master would also reflect well on him.


    Even if Mo Hua failed the assessment, Court Leader Zhou was more than willing to help with this favor.


    Although in his heart, Court Leader Zhou knew it was impossible for Mo Hua not to pass the assessment with his Formation expertise.


    But he also understood that the ins and outs of the assessment process were very complex.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s assessment determined not the grade of the Formation but that of the Formation Master, and it was not decided by the Heavenly Dao but by people with complicated interests.


    Unless one had an extraordinary network of connections, the outcome was uncertain to anyone.


    Zhou, the Court Leader, was only an official of a small Immortal City; he had some connections but couldn¡¯t influence the major decisions of the Heaven Shu Pavilion in the central Taoist Court, so all he could do was provide a recommendation. For the rest, Mo Hua had to rely on himself.


    Zhou, the Court Leader, checked the relevant documents, handwrote a letter of recommendation, and then said to Mo Hua:


    "On the twenty-sixth of October, there will be an assessment for Second-grade Black Mountain State Boundary, held at the Azure Cloud Sect in Azure Mountain City. I will send someone to take you there.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The twenty-sixth of October, which was only seven days away, was very soon.


    "It seems Mr. Zhuang¡­ Master has calculated even the timing of the assessment¡­¡±


    Mo Hua inwardly mused.

 Chapter 373: Azure Cloud Sect

    Several days later, Mo Hua followed the Taoist Court¡¯s carriage to Azure Cloud Sect in Azure Mountain City.Since he was only there to participate in the examination, the entourage was not large; only a few Enforcement Leaders from the Taoist Court and his father, Mo Shan, accompanied him.


    The carriage was exclusive to the Taoist Court, and the horses that pulled it were nurtured by cultivators, having ordinary bloodlines and not considered valuable.


    The carriage bore the Taoist Court¡¯s flag; traveling on main roads, it generally did not invite trouble.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first long journey.


    He sat inside the carriage, lifted the curtain, and stuck out his little head to watch the scenery along the way.


    Whenever he encountered anything novel or unfamiliar, such as strange and peculiar cultivators, he would turn his head to ask his father, Mo Shan:


    "Dad, what mountain is this?¡±


    "Why are there no fish in this river?¡±


    "Why is that cultivator carrying a big sword?¡±


    "And what are those red things being sold by the roadside?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua kept asking questions throughout the journey, and Mo Shan patiently explained:


    "This is Qingping Mountain, the river is poisonous so there are no fish, the cultivator carrying the sword works as a mercenary, and those sold by the roadside are the unsatisfying ¡®mountain delicacies¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked all the way, and Mo Shan answered all the way.


    The journey was bumpy, but also smooth sailing, and after three days, they reached Azure Cloud City.


    Azure Cloud City was larger than Tongxian City and the streets were more spacious, but it was not as bustling; although some of the goods sold on the street stalls were novel, most were similar to those in Tongxian City.


    After turning a few streets, they could glimpse in the misty clouds on Qingping Mountain, a majestic sect.


    Azure Cloud Sect.


    This was the largest sect in the Black Mountain State Boundary, a Second-Grade prefecture.


    The sect was Second Grade, with more than ten Foundation Building Cultivators, and it was said that the Supreme Elder was even in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. ??¦­¦Ï????¨§£Ó


    However, all this had nothing to do with Mo Hua; he was only there to take an exam.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s Formation Master Grading took place every few years at irregular intervals, on specific dates decided by the Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Taoist Court.


    The Heaven Shu Pavilion would select the examination venue, and Formation Masters who were eligible for grading would gather from each state to participate in the examination.


    Generally, the venue would be at a sect or a prominent clan.


    This year, the chosen site was Azure Cloud Sect.


    Upon entering Azure Cloud Sect and dismounting the carriage, disciples of the sect approached to inquire about their purpose.


    A young Enforcement Leader from Tongxian City said, ¡°We are here to participate in the Formation Master Grading.¡±


    The disciple¡¯s attitude became more respectful as he said, ¡°Please,¡± and led Mo Hua and others to an elegantly decorated hall on the left-hand side.


    Inside the hall were many cultivators sitting on rosewood chairs, drinking tea while waiting.


    "Before grading, you must present a letter of recommendation, which will be registered by our sect¡¯s Elder. Once the Taoist Court¡¯s examiners confirm there are no errors, you may join the Formation examination at the main peak of Azure Cloud Peak, Wenxian Palace, the day after tomorrow.¡±


    The disciple reminded them and, after saying this and bowing, took his leave.


    Mo Hua and the others sat down to drink a cup of tea while waiting.


    Meanwhile, Formation Masters registered in turn.


    Having nothing better to do, Mo Hua was curious about what would be asked during registration, but despite straining his ears, he couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    Only when he expanded his Divine Sense did he realize that a Sound Isolation Formation was placed around the area.


    The formation was simple and posed no challenge for Mo Hua, but out of respect, he withdrew his Divine Sense and sat down properly, waiting quietly.


    After a while, about half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it was his turn.


    Accompanied by Mo Shan, Mo Hua handed over the letter of recommendation to the registering Elder.


    The Elder was of middle age, with a cultivation level of Qi Refining Ninth Level, seemingly not very senior, which suggested he had been recently promoted, hence he was assigned to do the registration work.


    He looked at Mo Hua with a hint of suspicion, took his letter of recommendation, and his eyebrows knit together instantly. After a moment of thought, he tentatively asked:


    "Which one of you is Mo Hua?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Me.¡±


    The Elder asked again, ¡°Then which one of you is taking the exam?¡±


    Mo Hua replied again, ¡°Me!¡±


    The Elder glanced at Mo Hua, then at the letter of recommendation, back to Mo Hua, and once more at the letter of recommendation¡­ After a long while, he asked:


    "How old are you?¡±


    Mo Hua declared, ¡°I¡¯m thirteen!¡±


    The Elder¡¯s expression became incredibly complex for a moment.


    He then looked toward Mo Shan and asked, ¡°Are you this child¡¯s father?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded.


    "Do you know what he¡¯s here to do?¡±


    Mo Shan slightly frowned and said calmly:


    "It should be clearly written on the letter.¡±


    The Azure Cloud Sect¡¯s Elder glanced at the letter of recommendation, which indeed spelled out clearly:


    "There is a cultivator from Tongxian City, surnamed Mo and named Hua, aged thirteen, with profound knowledge in formations and already qualified for assessment. He is hereby recommended.


    Tongxian City Court Leader: Zhou Tiancheng.¡±


    There was the official seal of the Taoist Court, as well as the private seal of Court Leader Zhou Tiancheng.


    The letter was real, but the more one looked at it, the faker it seemed.


    Who, at the age of thirteen, would participate in a grading assessment?


    "Could it be a deception¡­¡±


    The middle-aged Elder felt uneasy and unleashed his Divine Sense, attempting to probe into Mo Hua.


    He was very subtle, sending out his Divine Sense and retracting it immediately, but as soon as it reached Mo Hua, it was instantly annihilated, leaving no trace behind, and he gleaned no information.


    Unfathomable?


    This Elder was shocked and as he raised his head, he saw Mo Hua silently looking at him, with a hint of displeasure on his face.


    "I¡¯ve been discovered!¡±


    A chill ran through the Elder¡¯s heart, and he quickly stood up, cupping his hands and saying:


    "It was presumptuous of me. Please, no offense; I will register you now.¡±


    Mo Hua was not the type to be unreasonable, so he nodded and said:


    "I appreciate it, Elder.¡±


    The Elder sat back down, relieved.


    "That was a close call¡­¡±


    Unable to be probed by Divine Sense, he must be wearing a Spiritual Artifact that hinders it.


    Such artifacts are extremely valuable, usually only worn by those from noble clans with a background or by sect disciples.


    If that is the case, then this child¡¯s background should not be underestimated.


    If not, then it¡¯s even more frightening.


    The stronger the Divine Sense, the more deceptive it becomes.


    One¡¯s own Divine Sense cannot probe.


    This means that the child¡¯s Divine Sense is extremely powerful, perhaps much stronger than one¡¯s own, thus completely blocking one¡¯s probing.


    Even a mere glance of surveillance could be detected by him.


    With such a powerful Divine Sense, he indeed has the capital to study formations, and likely, the ability to participate in the grading and become a First-Grade Formation Master.


    Moreover, he is only thirteen years old.


    A thirteen-year-old First-Grade Formation Master¡­


    That would be truly terrifying¡­


    The Elder pondered deeply, growing more and more anxious.


    On the surface, he composed himself and diligently registered Mo Hua¡¯s name, stroke by stroke. Then he bowed and apologized once more: S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I was offensive just now, please forgive my impudence.¡±


    He then introduced himself:


    "My surname is Li. I am an Outer Gate Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect, in charge of receiving duties for this Formation Master Grading. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.¡±


    Elder Li handed over a jade plaque, a map, and a jade token.


    "This jade plaque is your credential. You must have it to participate in the grading assessment the day after tomorrow.¡±


    "This map is a simplified layout of the Outer Mountain, marking the buildings of the Outer Mountain, where you can and cannot go, and it is all marked on it.¡±


    "Our Azure Cloud Sect is the largest sect within the Black Mountain State Boundary. When free, you may browse around according to the map and enjoy the views of the Azure Cloud Sect¡¯s Outer Mountain.¡±


    "This is my identity token. All elders of the Azure Cloud Sect have one. If you encounter any trouble, showing this token can save you a lot of effort¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Li¡¯s attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, yet his words were quite warm.


    Mo Hua was pleasantly surprised and said with a smile:


    "Thank you, Elder Li!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s genuine smile, not bearing a grudge, Elder Li finally breathed a sigh of relief and personally escorted Mo Hua and Mo Shan out.


    The other Formation Masters waiting to register looked at each other in confusion.


    They had been waiting for a long time, observing for a long time.


    Elder Li carried out his duties in strict accordance with the rules, dealt with matters formally, and was not someone overly warm or given to superfluous words.


    Why was he so warm towards this father and son duo?


    A sense of bewilderment grew in their hearts.


    The registration area was equipped with a simple Sound Isolation Formation, so they couldn¡¯t hear clearly what Mo Hua and others had said, and naturally did not know what had transpired¡­


    At the same time, what made them more curious was Mo Shan.


    They didn¡¯t know his exact name or background, but saw that he had starry eyes and a noble presence, with surging Blood Qi around him. His clothing was not expensive, but he indeed carried an extraordinary air.


    However, although he had an extraordinary demeanor, he didn¡¯t seem like a Formation Master.


    He looked more like a Body Cultivator skilled in using swords rather than a Formation Master skilled in Drawing Formations.


    Furthermore, his participation in the Formation Master assessment along with his son¡ªwhat was that all about?

 Chapter 374: Assessment Evaluation

    After arranging accommodation, Mo Hua, accompanied by Mo Shan, took a stroll around the outer mountains of the Azure Cloud Sect.At first, he only felt that the Azure Cloud Sect was vast, with many things to see, but after walking for several rounds, the novelty wore off, and each mountain, each water feature, each building, each platform, seemed to be much the same as the others, leaving not much left to explore.


    Mo Shan then went back to his room to calmly review Formation methods.


    However, common first-grade Formations were too simple and there was not much to review.


    Mo Hua could only draw the Reversed Spirit Formation a few times and review the Formation Pivot of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    When it was time to eat, he went to scrounge a meal at the Azure Cloud Sect.


    The Formation Master assessment was managed by the Dao Court Tian Shu Pavilion and conducted by the Azure Cloud Sect.


    The Azure Cloud Sect paid particular attention to it, daring not to be the slightest bit negligent.


    Otherwise, not only would they be profaning the Daoist Court, risking accountability from the Daoist Court Official, but they would also offend the Formation Masters coming to participate in the assessment, causing the sect¡¯s reputation among Formation Masters to deteriorate.


    Those who could partake in the assessment were all ¡°prospective first-grade¡± Formation Masters, and the Azure Cloud Sect dared not treat them lightly.


    Therefore, regardless of accommodation or food, all was meticulously arranged. They stayed in spacious accommodations and ate very abundant meals.


    Mo Hua ate many kinds of Spiritual Meat that he had never tried before.


    The texture of the Spiritual Meat was indeed finer, without the slightest hint of gaminess, and it was shrouded in dense Spiritual Energy. After eating and refining it, the Spiritual Power within his Qi Sea also increased slightly.


    Only, the taste was quite ordinary. Because of the rich Spiritual Energy, it was a bit like ¡°eating Spirit Stones,¡± and the flavor was nowhere near as delicious as what his mother cooked.


    But Mo Hua was not picky with his food.


    Furthermore, considering the preciousness of these Spiritual Meats, he would eat a little more.


    Mo Hua was well-accommodated and well-fed, and the disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect were all respectful and polite, so he did not encounter any trouble.


    After two days like this, the official assessment day arrived.


    The location of the exam was set in the Wenxian Palace on the main peak of the Azure Cloud Sect.


    The hall was broad and towering, solemn and majestic, with dozens of desks and cases inside.


    The desks and cases were made of rosewood, with wide surfaces, delicately carved with cloud beast Patterns, and they felt weighty with a gentle sheen; they were clearly very valuable.


    Around the desks and cases were Formations to isolate Divine Sense, sound, and sight.


    If a Formation Master made any inappropriate move, it would trigger a warning from the Formation, and the offender would be expelled from the exam hall and stripped of the assessment qualification.


    Mo Hua presented his Jade Slip to the examiner, entered the Wenxian Palace, found his desk, sat down quietly, and felt the solemn and serious atmosphere, which made him somewhat nervous. ?????¦­????B??


    He looked around and suddenly felt less nervous.


    Mr. Zhuang was right; most of the people taking the exam with him were old Formation Masters with white hair, as well as some middle-aged Cultivators with strands of grey.


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself,


    "These uncles and grandpas have been studying and taking exams all their lives and still face the prospect of failing; I¡¯m still young, and even if I don¡¯t pass this time, it¡¯s no big deal¡­¡±


    With this thought, Mo Hua completely relaxed.


    He then realized that everyone seemed to be secretly watching him.


    It started with the examiners at the door.


    His hair was half white, his demeanor stern, and his face rigid. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wore a white Taoist Robe embroidered with a Seven Stars pattern on his chest.


    The Seven Stars were in the shape of the Big Dipper, with the other six stars dim, only the chief star of the Big Dipper, that is, the Tian Shu star, shone brightly, emitting a soft starlight.


    This signified that he was a Cultivator from the Tian Shu Pavilion within the central Seven Stars Pavilion of the Daoist Court.


    He was also the chief examiner for the Formation assessment.


    When Mo Hua handed him the Jade Slip, he could clearly see the astonished look on the examiner¡¯s face.


    After looking at the Jade Slip and staring at Mo Hua for a while, he slowly nodded his head, admitting Mo Hua into the examination hall.


    Mo Hua entered the Wenxian Palace.


    Soon after, he noticed that everyone was staring at him, either openly or covertly.


    Watching him enter the door, walking through the aisle, approaching the desk, and sitting down straightforwardly.


    In an instant, a collective gasp arose.


    It seemed that they realized that this youngster in his teens was really here for the assessment, and all of the Formation Masters looked momentarily dumbfounded.


    This was an assessment for a first-grade Formation Master, after all¡­


    First-grade Formation Master!


    The crowd exchanged glances, at a loss for words for a moment.


    Even though Mo Hua had seen the collapse of Large Formations, at this moment, amid everyone¡¯s shocked, envious, or suspicious gazes, he too felt a bit out of place and embarrassed.


    Fortunately, after half an hour, everyone had arrived, and the examination was about to begin, so no one was surreptitiously watching Mo Hua anymore.


    Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    A moment later, the sound of the Azure Cloud Sect¡¯s bell rang out.


    Everyone was silent.


    The examiner looked around solemnly and said,


    "The Dao Court Tian Shu Pavilion, Second Grade Black Mountain State Boundary, Azure Cloud Sect¡¯s Wenxian Palace, the official start of the first-grade Formation Master assessment!¡±


    After finishing his speech, he raised an iron box with gold and jade inlay and announced solemnly,


    "Now, in front of everyone here, I will unlock the Formation Seal of the exam questions.¡±


    The examiner manipulated several small Array Plates, combining them with the iron box, and after a flash of light, the Formation was unlocked, and the inlaid gold and jade all fell off.


    This was a one-time Formation; once activated, the gold and jade fell, irreparable, to prevent someone from opening it in advance and stealing the exam questions.


    The examiner opened the iron box to show everyone.


    Inside the iron box were several dozen Jade Slips, which contained the questions for the assessment.


    The examiner ordered the distribution of the Jade Slips, along with the Daoist Court¡¯s specified Formation Pen, Formation Paper, Spiritual Ink, inkstone, and other items.


    This meticulous and complicated process aimed to prevent cheating among Formation Masters.


    Afterward, the official assessment began.


    Mo Hua looked at the Jade Slip.


    The exam questions were in two parts: one part was Formation theory, which examined Formation methodology, including types of Formations, the origin stream of Formation Methods, the history of Formations, and interactions among Formation Patterns, etc.


    Mo Hua was not particularly skilled at these, but that was in comparison to noble family¡¯s sons like Bai Zixi with rich family education. Having studied Formations with Mr. Zhuang and absorbed them over time, he was familiar with the basic first-grade Formation theory.


    The second part was the actual Formation, which examined the depiction of practical Formations.


    Mo Hua glanced at the exam¡¯s Formations and completely relaxed.


    First-grade Melting Fire Formation, First-grade Golden Light Formation, First-grade Water Prison Formation¡­


    They were all Five-elements Formation Methods, and all were Formations that Mo Hua had drawn many times.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation encompassed most of the confining and killing, as well as Architectural Formations within the Five Elements.


    Mo Hua had constructed the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, and he even drew out the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation, let alone the simple Single Formations used to fill it in.


    But Mo Hua remembered the teachings of his father, ¡°When hunting a rabbit, a lion must still use all its might.¡±


    The simpler the task, the more one must not be careless.


    Mo Hua first completed the Formation Theories, and then began to seriously draw the Formation.


    But no matter how serious he was, it was just an ordinary First-grade Nine Patterns Formation; frankly, there wasn¡¯t much difficulty.


    Mo Hua started with meticulous care, drawing stroke by stroke.


    As he drew, habit took over, his brush strokes became swift and powerful; with a few quick movements, the Formation was completed in no time.


    Then Mo Hua was stunned:


    "I seem to have finished the exam¡­¡±


    He looked up at his surroundings; though the Formation obscured the view, he could still see vaguely.


    Most of the Formation Masters had just finished the Formation Theories and were then starting to earnestly draw the Formation with a solemn expression, as if facing a great enemy.


    But Mo Hua had already finished drawing his, and there was nothing left for him to draw¡­


    He checked his work again and found there wasn¡¯t much to check.


    It was just a First-grade Formation; he could see through it at a glance. What was there to check?


    Mo Hua thought about drawing some other Formations for fun to pass the time, but he had no extra Formation Paper left.


    Suddenly, he found he had nothing to do¡­


    Should he hand in his paper early?


    Mo Hua thought about it and then shook his head.


    That would be too showy, and it would also be disrespectful towards the ¡°First-grade Formation Master assessment¡±.


    "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.¡±


    His mere participation in the assessment at his age was already high-profile enough; it was better to keep a low profile at this time.


    "I¡¯ll wait until everyone else hands in their papers, and then I¡¯ll hand mine in along with them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua decided.


    Afterwards, he sat up straight for a while but still felt extremely bored.


    The Formation Master examination provided a full day¡¯s time; he used to think this was good and ample. Now, however, he found it was perhaps a bit too generous¡­


    He certainly couldn¡¯t just sit here and do nothing all day.


    With nothing better to do, Mo Hua, without any ink or paper, leaned on the table, tracing Formation Patterns on the smooth surface idly with his finger to relieve the boredom.


    But it was really too boring¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s small face pressed against the table surface, and as he drew, his upper and lower eyelids began to fight, and soon he fell asleep with soft snores¡­


    His snores were light and gentle.


    But soon they were discovered by an examiner.


    The examiner¡¯s face was as still as water, silently muttering the name on the jade slip:


    "Tongxian City, Mo Hua!¡±


    When Mo Hua entered, he had taken note of him.


    What kind of child, only in his teens, comes to take part in a Formation Master¡¯s assessment?


    What kinds of backdoors had he gone through?


    Whose connections had he relied on?


    He originally thought that this child was recommended by some noble family or Sect.


    He was planning to order the local Taoist Court to revoke their nomination rights for fifty years.


    But to his greatest surprise, it turned out that the child was recommended by the Taoist Court itself!


    To bribe the Taoist Court, what a hefty price that must have been, truly extravagant!


    During the assessment, it¡¯s unavoidable that some under-the-table dealings happen; usually, the Taoist Court turns a blind eye and lets it go.


    But they shouldn¡¯t go too far!


    Letting a child take part in an assessment, are they treating everyone as fools?


    The assessment for a First-grade Formation Master is an extremely serious matter; now it¡¯s been turned into child¡¯s play by these people, how preposterous!


    The examiner was furious inside.


    He didn¡¯t confront the situation immediately to avoid affecting the assessment of the other Formation Masters.


    Moreover, he still harbored a slim hope that this child might genuinely possess some talent for Formation and actually qualify for the assessment, so he intentionally or unintentionally kept an eye on Mo Hua¡¯s answers.


    The supervising position in the Wenxian Palace was a high platform. Standing on it, everything was in clear view,


    Naturally including all of Mo Hua¡¯s behaviors.


    The child at first answered the Formation Theories with some seriousness.


    But it wasn¡¯t long before, whether he had finished or didn¡¯t know how to continue, he put the Theories aside and started drawing the Formation.


    His initial drawing of the Formation was also serious, stroke by stroke, with great precision.


    But as he drew, his true colors showed.


    He glanced at the Formation Diagram only once, then completely abandoned it, brushing with swift and fluid motions, as if he was doodling without a care.


    He quickly used up several sheets of Formation Paper¡­


    Having wasted all his Formation Paper, he became bored and started laying his head on the table, his little hands tracing something or another.


    While tracing, he actually¡­


    Actually!


    He fell asleep!


    The examiner¡¯s eyelids twitched violently with rage.


    How outrageous!


    This was a mockery of the Taoist Court, of Formations, of the examination hall, and him as an examiner!


    The examiner looked at Mo Hua again, thinking about getting angry, but seeing him sleeping so sweetly, looking so innocent, he felt a pang of softness in his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh,


    "A child, what does he know?¡±


    Then his gaze turned cold.


    This surely must be the scheme of the family or Sect behind this little cultivator, bribing the Taoist Court official to let this Junior Formation Master, who hadn¡¯t studied Formations for long, to take part in the First-grade Formation Master¡¯s assessment.


    The child probably came in a daze, unable to answer the questions nor draw the Formations, not sure what to do but to lie down and sleep.


    The examiner sighed and silently said to himself,


    "Let him sleep for now; this matter can be pursued later¡­¡±


    Thus, during the First-grade Formation Master¡¯s assessment, after completing his exam, Mo Hua laid down on his desk and slept soundly, from beginning to end¡­

 Chapter 375: First Grade

    Mo Hua was awakened by the bell of the Azure Cloud Sect.He groggily opened his eyes and realized that he was participating in the assessment for a first-rank Formation Master, and there was only the time it took to brew a pot of tea left until the assessment ended.


    Mo Hua checked over his answer sheet again and, finding no problems, laid his head down on the table again, waiting to hand it in.


    The tabletop was smooth and cool to the touch, quite comfortable to lie on.


    The only issue was the examiner who kept staring at him, which made Mo Hua feel somewhat uneasy.


    But since he was the examiner, it seemed like there wasn¡¯t much of a problem with it.


    After the time it would take to sip a pot of tea had passed, the bell rang again.


    One after another, Formation Masters sealed their answer sheets and handed them over to the examiner.


    Mo Hua did as the others did, blending into the crowd and handing his own answer sheet to the examiner.


    Mo Hua thought he had kept a low profile, but all along the way, many Formation Masters looked at him.


    And that examiner, with a stern expression, didn¡¯t look at others and just kept his gaze on him, and he even seemed to hesitate as if wanting to say something.


    This left Mo Hua somewhat puzzled.


    It wasn¡¯t like he did anything wrong¡­


    Could it be because he slept during the exam?


    After handing in his paper, Mo Hua left the Wenxian Palace and suddenly felt a sense of relief wash over him.


    The assessment itself wasn¡¯t tiring, as he had finished quite quickly.


    It was rather the feeling of being watched by others that was exhausting.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was strong, and he could perceive anyone watching him.


    Whenever someone looked at him, his Divine Sense would react and, over time, it was indeed very tiring.


    After the examination, Mo Hua would still have to stay in the Azure Cloud Sect for three days.


    During these three days, examiners from the Heaven Shu Pavilion would mark the answer sheets and review the Formations, ultimately deciding who would be awarded the title of first-rank Formation Master.


    With nothing to do, Mo Hua practiced his formations, or he would go to Azure Mountain City with his father, Mo Shan, to browse around. If he found anything interesting, he would buy it thinking of giving it to his mother when he returned.


    Two days later, the answer sheets had already been reviewed.


    In the sealed hall, the answer sheets tentatively determined to be of first-rank were grouped together.


    The assessment had several examination halls, each with an examiner, and now these examiners were gathered together, discussing the final decisions:


    "This Zhao Cheng from Qingxuan City, at the age of one hundred and ninety-six, has skilled penmanship. In my opinion, he can be awarded first-rank¡­¡±


    "Conventional to a fault, lacking in Spirit Transformation, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s particularly good¡­¡±


    "Azure Mountain City, Yang Xu, eighty-six years old, has a profound foundation in formation arts and can be considered exceptionally talented for his age.¡± ?a???§¦?


    "The Yang Family¡¯s foundation is indeed not bad, but at eighty-six, he¡¯s still a bit young. We should give more spots to the older Formation Masters¡­¡±


    "How many spots do we have left?¡±


    "Not many. A few of the Great Clans have pulled some strings and secured a few spots, and some Sects have also reserved a few. There are also two spots donated by Golden Core Cultivators for their juniors in exchange for Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    "All things considered, we¡¯re left with fewer than five.¡±


    "Sigh¡­ it¡¯s tough making these decisions,¡± one of the examiners lamented.


    "What else can we do? The higher-ups have sent their word, we can¡¯t afford to offend them, nor can we do nothing¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The examiners discussed amongst themselves.


    One examiner with a rigid face, however, was looking at an answer sheet with an expression of utter disbelief.


    "Brother Zhao, what are you looking at?¡± asked one curious examiner.


    Coming back to his senses, the examiner named Zhao spread out the answer sheet in his hands and slowly said,


    "Look at this formation¡­¡±


    Everyone leaned in to take a look, showing signs of amazement:


    "Such good penmanship!¡±


    "Such a solid foundation!¡±


    "Effortless like clouds flowing in the sky, completed in one go, it even has a bit of a master¡¯s style¡­¡±


    "Indeed, it¡¯s not bad!¡±


    ¡­


    After the praise, another examiner expressed his doubts:


    "How did we miss such a good formation?¡±


    "This mastery of formations isn¡¯t included in our provisional first-rank lineup?¡±


    A middle-aged examiner responded with a bitter smile:


    "I¡¯m the one who excluded it¡­¡±


    The others asked with frowns, ¡°Why?¡±


    The examiner pointed to the name section in the margin of the answer sheet, ¡°Guess the age of this Formation Master?¡±


    The margin bore the name ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Seeing this, everyone exchanged glances and began guessing:


    "With such a profound foundation, he must be at least one or two hundred years old?¡±


    "I guess over two hundred¡­¡±


    "Below a hundred isn¡¯t impossible. After all, amongst Formation Masters, there are countless geniuses¡­¡±


    The middle-aged examiner slowly said, ¡°Thirteen years old.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How much?¡±


    "Thirteen.¡±


    "What kind of joke is this?¡±


    "At thirteen years old, how many formations could he have drawn, how many Formation Books could he have read?¡±


    "One hundred and thirty years old is more like it¡­¡±


    The examiner named Zhao let out a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s thirteen years old.¡±


    The room went silent for a moment.


    "Truly thirteen years old?¡±


    "Impossible, right?¡±


    "Are you kidding us?¡±


    "Did he really draw this himself, or could someone have drawn it for him¡­¡±


    "There was someone proctoring the exam, how could he have someone else draw for him?¡±


    "Who proctored this person?¡±


    The stern-faced, rigid examiner named Zhao said indifferently, ¡°It was me.¡±


    At that, everyone fell silent again.


    Someone asked, ¡°Brother Zhao, are you certain the formation was drawn by him himself?¡±


    The examiner named Zhao gave a wry smile, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He himself was unwilling to believe it, but the formation was right before his eyes, and he had no choice but to accept it.


    Previously, he had only intended to check Mo Hua¡¯s paper to see what nonsense he had scribbled. If it really was nonsensical, he was prepared to report it to the Heaven Shu Pavilion and hold the local Taoist Court accountable.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected that the formation would leave him feeling ashamed¡­


    Another question came to the middle-aged examiner, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, with the child drawing so well, why did you exclude him on your own?¡±


    The middle-aged examiner helplessly replied, ¡°He¡¯s too young¡­ For Formation Masters under one hundred, we have to consider carefully, not to mention, he¡¯s only thirteen¡­¡±

 Chapter 376: First Grade (2)

    "If we really give him first-grade, others will definitely say we have something fishy going on¡­¡±One examiner nodded, ¡°Without others saying it, I myself feel there¡¯s a fishy business.¡±


    "It¡¯s a pity¡­ The formation painting is truly well done, I am simply in awe¡­¡±


    Everyone felt somewhat regretful.


    Yet, the examiner surnamed Zhao said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s give him first-grade.¡±


    The other Formation Masters were taken aback.


    The middle-aged examiners frowned and said:


    "If we give him first-grade, we will surely be doubted and provoke criticism, and if Heaven Shu Pavilion investigates, we will be in trouble.¡±


    "Besides, he¡¯s too young; there will be plenty of opportunities for him in the future, there¡¯s no need to rush this moment.¡±


    However, the examiner surnamed Zhao said, ¡°Not giving him first-grade will bring us even bigger trouble.¡±


    The middle-aged examiners frowned, ¡°Brother Zhao, what do you mean by this?¡±


    The examiner surnamed Zhao slowly said, ¡°As everyone knows, to learn formation methods, one must have a mentor. Without a famous mentor guiding, one will surely find it difficult to make any progress.¡±


    "At thirteen, to be at a first-grade level, he must have been taught by a master.¡±


    "Who this master is, we do not know, but their identity and background, their expertise in formations, must be very profound; we can¡¯t afford to offend them¡­¡±


    "That is just one thing,¡± the examiner surnamed Zhao held up a finger.


    "Secondly,¡± he continued, raising a second finger and sighed, ¡°This child, we also cannot afford to offend.¡±


    Everyone was startled, then gradually came to understand.


    At thirteen, to have a first-grade formation level, he was extraordinarily gifted.


    If one day he became a Second Grade, or even higher grade formation master, remembered their enmity, dug up their past actions, and pursued their responsibility, who could endure that?


    "Moreover, there¡¯s another point.¡±


    The examiner surnamed Zhao added, ¡°The talent of this child in formations is even more frightening than you now believe.¡±


    Everyone frowned, not understanding.


    The examiner surnamed Zhao was silent for a long time, and with a bitter sigh, he said:


    "During the examination, he spent most of his time sleeping¡­¡±


    All the examiners were astonished in their expressions.


    "Sleeping?¡±


    "Inconceivable, he actually slept during the examination?¡±


    Seeing that they didn¡¯t understand, the examiner surnamed Zhao said helplessly:


    "Which is to say, the first-grade formations he needed for the assessment, he completed in a very short period of time; then, out of sheer boredom, he slept until the end of the exam¡­¡± ?????????????


    As the examiners pondered carefully and grasped the implication, they all felt their hearts clench and a chill ran through them.


    What kind of person was this?


    Was this even humanly possible?


    Where did this evil monster pop up from?


    "Therefore,¡± the examiner surnamed Zhao looked around and said in a deep voice, ¡°we must, award him first-grade!¡±


    The examiners looked at each other, all speechless and silent, with nothing to say.


    By now, this first-grade, it had to be given whether they liked it or not.


    An examiner sighed and murmured:


    "Thirteen years old, he¡¯s probably the youngest first-grade formation master in the Black Mountain State Boundary in a thousand years¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The next day when the results were released, Mo Hua saw his own name on the first-grade list.


    Mo Hua felt a surge of joy in his heart.


    "Tongxian City, Mo Hua, first-grade formation master.¡±


    The list only showed the place of origin and name, without other information.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t shout ¡°I¡¯ve passed!¡± either.


    Therefore, the formation masters around him didn¡¯t know that he had passed the assessment and become a first-grade formation master.


    After the initial elation, Mo Hua felt it was unexpected, yet after some thought, not unexpected at all.


    What was unexpected was that there really wasn¡¯t any foul play.


    Unsurprisingly, the test was indeed too simple; becoming a first-grade Formation Master was truly not difficult for him now.


    His father, Mo Shan, was genuinely overjoyed from the bottom of his heart.


    Although he had long known that Mo Hua had the ability of a first-grade Formation Master, receiving official recognition from the Taoist Court held a different significance.


    Mo Shan then hosted a banquet at the Food Building in Azure Mountain City for several Enforcement Leaders he knew, both in gratitude and celebration.


    The Enforcement Leaders were honored to participate.


    This trip could indeed be said to have been a fruitful one.


    Freeloading meals, enjoying a trip, and successfully completing the assessment to become a first-grade Formation Master.


    After settling matters at Azure Cloud Sect, he could go home.


    Before departing, Mo Hua unexpectedly encountered the examiner who had proctored his test.


    Mo Hua approached, performed a respectful bow, and just as he was unsure how to address the other, the examiner said,


    "My surname is Zhao, I am a study official at Heaven Shu Pavilion.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what a study official at Heaven Shu Pavilion did, but still respectfully said, ¡°Study official, sir.¡±


    Zhao, the study official, said frankly, ¡°I have an undue request.¡±


    "Please speak, study official.¡±


    "Follow me.¡±


    Zhao, the study official, took Mo Hua to an empty hall, laid out Formation Paper, took out brush and ink, and said to Mo Hua, ¡°Could you draw another Melting Fire Formation for me to see?¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Is this a follow-up assessment for a first-grade Formation Master?¡±


    Zhao, the study official, shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s a personal request.¡±


    Mo Hua felt relieved, nodded, and then with a small hand gripping the brush, he painted effortlessly, swiftly completing the Melting Fire Formation.


    Although Zhao, the study official, had expectations, he was still profoundly moved.


    That day, this child¡¯s brush had danced like dragons and serpents, truly in the act of Drawing Formation¡­


    Only, his brushwork was too skilled, so natural, and he was so young, that it looked as if a child was scribbling randomly.


    An effortless creation, this is the manifestation of a first-grade Formation Method reaching perfection.


    How high was this child¡¯s comprehension, and how many times had he painted Formation Methods¡­


    Emotions surged within Zhao, the study official, and in the end, he could only sigh inwardly,


    "There are heavens beyond this heaven, people beyond these people¡­¡±


    The demeanor of Zhao, the study official, suddenly became much more solemn and held a hint of respect as he clasped his hands and said, sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you, young friend!¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what he was being thanked for but just habitually waved his hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re too kind, study official.¡±


    Zhao, the study official, nodded lightly, his eyes showing admiration, and then said,


    "After this departure, if fate allows, we shall meet again!¡±


    Mo Hua also clasped his hands in farewell, then together with his father, Mo Shan, boarded the Taoist Court¡¯s carriage and slowly left Azure Cloud Sect, starting the journey home.


    Zhao, the study official, stood on the peak of Azure Cloud Sect, watching Mo Hua¡¯s carriage move away into the distance, his thoughts unknown.


    After a while, a disciple from Heaven Shu Pavilion arrived to invite Zhao, the study official, to Wenxian Palace for a meeting.


    Zhao, the study official, nodded, but did not move.


    The disciple was puzzled and, following the study official¡¯s gaze, saw the carriage about to disappear into the green mountains and asked somewhat in doubt,


    "Study official, is this Mo surname junior Formation Master really that remarkable?¡±


    This disciple was surnamed Zhao as well, related by clan to Zhao, the study official, who had brought him along for this assessment to gain experience.


    Zhao, the study official, nodded and said, ¡°He is the most talented Formation Master I have ever seen up to this point.¡±


    The disciple was startled, frowned and said, ¡°It can¡¯t be possible that he has more talent than our Zhao Family¡¯s Seventh Young Master¡­¡±


    The disciple was somewhat unconvinced, ¡°The Seventh Young Master might have been assessed as first-grade at the age of twenty, but if the old ancestor hadn¡¯t asked him to consolidate his learning, he could have gone for the assessment earlier; not at thirteen, but at least by fifteen, he could have become a first-grade Formation Master.¡±


    "And our Zhao Family has a deep foundation in Formation Study; the Seventh Young Master had to learn many things from childhood, which is what slowed his progress in the assessment.¡±


    "When it comes to talent and prospects in Formation Method, this Brother Mo might not match our family¡¯s Seventh Young Master, right¡­¡±


    "You don¡¯t understand,¡± Zhao, the study official, shook his head.


    The disciple was puzzled, ¡°What don¡¯t I understand?¡±


    Zhao, the study official, looked into the distance again, sighed, and slowly said,


    "The Seventh Young Master became a first-grade because he could, but this child became a first-grade because we, could only assess him as that¡­¡±

 Chapter 377: Immortal Fair

    ¡°`Mo Hua officially became a One-rank Formation Master after the assessment.


    The news spread back to Tongxian City, and everyone was overjoyed.


    This was, so far, the first and only One-rank Formation Master from the loose cultivators of Tongxian City.


    Elder Yu decided to celebrate.


    The celebration was not only for Mo Hua becoming a One-rank Formation Master but also for the communal effort of Tongxian City in slaying the Big Demon Feng Xi.


    Moreover, Elder Yu had another purpose, which was to see Mo Hua off on his journey.


    Mo Hua was about to set out and leave Tongxian City.


    And in the slaying of the Big Demon, preserving the peace of Tongxian City, Mo Hua could be said to have played a significant role.


    Elder Yu had no way to repay him, so he wanted to use a citywide festival as a farewell for Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu specially sought out Court Leader Zhou, and after several discussions, they set the first day of the eleventh month as the Tongxian Festival.


    Upon returning from the Azure Cloud Sect, Mo Hua saw that Tongxian City was decorated with lanterns and streamers, all in the spirit of the upcoming festival.


    After learning the reason, Mo Hua was delighted.


    After all, festivals are very lively.


    Although Azure Mountain City is big, it clearly isn¡¯t as lively as Tongxian City, and naturally, it isn¡¯t as interesting as Tongxian City.


    However, Mo Hua still had one concern:


    "We built a Large Formation, and almost all of the Spirit Stones were used up. Do we still have Spirit Stones for the festival?¡±


    Elder Yu said calmly, ¡°We were even poorer before, but we still celebrated the festival, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    Mo Hua was a little stunned, feeling that it made a lot of sense.


    Elder Yu smiled and said, ¡°In any case, the festival has to be celebrated. When we are wealthy, we celebrate more lavishly, and when we are short on money, we go a bit frugal.¡±


    "Although we used most of the Spirit Stones for the Large Formation, the remaining ones are still enough for our needs.¡±


    "Besides, the Refinery Shop, Alchemist¡¯s Business, and the like are all here. Now, with the mountain pass, travel is convenient. In a few years, Tongxian City will become richer and richer.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, and then he was relieved.


    He then asked with some anticipation, ¡°Will the days ahead get better and better?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Rest assured, loose cultivators are not afraid of hardships. As long as we are not oppressed, life will always get better.¡±


    As long as we are not oppressed¡­


    Mo Hua felt mixed emotions upon hearing this.


    The ways of people, taking from those who lack to give to those who have plenty.


    In this world, there should still be many cultivators who are oppressed and exploited, and Tongxian City in the future¡­


    Elder Yu saw that Mo Hua seemed to be thinking about something with a small frown and patted his shoulder with a smile, saying:


    "Don¡¯t overthink it. Work hard on your cultivation, keep your Taoist Heart, and just do what you can.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded:


    "Okay!¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Afterward, he happily celebrated the festival.


    He also invited Zisheng and Zixi to join in the fun.


    Mr. Zhuang agreed to accept disciples, and Aunt Xue, having completed her mission for the trip, specially gave the siblings time off.


    Moreover, they would soon be leaving Tongxian City, and whether they could return in the future was still unknown.


    So Aunt Xue wasn¡¯t strict with the two children, wanting them to enjoy themselves to their heart¡¯s content without any regrets.


    Bai Zisheng was extremely happy, and Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes shone like stars in the sky.


    On the day of the Tongxian Festival, Mo Hua, fulfilling his duty as ¡°host,¡± took Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi about for the day.


    The streets were bustling with activity during the day, and at night, they were brilliantly illuminated with lights.


    Mo Hua led the way at the front, with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi following behind him.


    Full of enthusiasm, Bai Zisheng looked around eagerly, and upon encountering something novel, he asked:


    "Mo Hua, what is that?¡±


    "Mo Hua, is that tasty?¡±


    "Mo Hua, this bamboo dragonfly can actually fly¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As a Junior Brother, Mo Hua could only patiently answer.


    Bai Zixi didn¡¯t talk as much, but when she saw pastries she hadn¡¯t tried before, she would stop and silently gaze at them.


    Mo Hua understood, bought a few pieces over, and shared them with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, eating while they walked.


    Although it was ¡°buying,¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t need to pay with Spirit Stones.


    Because if he had, others would not have accepted them.


    Almost all cultivators on the street knew Mo Hua, aware that he was the Junior Formation Master who built the Large Formation and slew the Big Demon, and now recognized by the Taoist Court as a One-rank Formation Master. ????????¦­¨°????¨§????


    So no one accepted Mo Hua¡¯s Spirit Stones.


    Some stall-owning cultivators would even select the best of their goods and offer them to Mo Hua.


    If Mo Hua tried to refuse, they would get upset.


    The three of them walked the entire way, receiving a bunch of items without spending a single Spirit Stone.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were quite astonished.


    Bai Zisheng whispered, ¡°Mo Hua, if I didn¡¯t know you, I¡¯d suspect this whole street was owned by your family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.


    The streets were bustling with people during the daytime, filled with noise and excitement.


    When night fell, and the curtains of darkness descended, lanterns were hung. Dots of light reflected each other, stretching into the distance, and Tongxian City revealed a different scene.


    The evening had more interesting activities.


    For example, the usual Monster Hunting play of Tongxian City.


    Because it was a celebration of the hunting of Feng Xi, the ¡°Monster Beasts¡± in the ¡°Monster Hunting play¡± became a Pig Monster, huge in size, looking rather dumb and silly.


    The Pig Monster was impersonated by Monster Hunters.


    Because of its large size, several Monster Hunters took turns pretending to be the Pig Monster.


    In addition to Da¡¯hu, Dazhu, and a few young men, adults like Yu Chengyi and Yu Chengwu also joined in the fun.


    ¡°`


    After watching the ¡°Demon Fighting Play,¡± they started eating the ¡°Pig Killing Feast.¡±


    Feng Xi had already been dissolved into black ash by Mo Hua using a Great Formation Dissolution, and the pig killed in this feast was other herbivorous Pig Monsters.


    The Monster Hunters killed quite a few Pig Monsters, which were then cooked by the Fulu Building, specifically for the feast day.


    To celebrate the killing of the Pig Monsters, naturally, they ate pork.


    Every cultivator in Tongxian City ate a portion.


    Afterward, it became a custom in Tongxian City, and every year on the first day of November, the Tongxian Festival, to celebrate the suppression of Pig Monster Feng Xi, every cultivator in Tongxian City would eat a portion of pork.


    After the Pig Killing Feast, there were fireworks.


    The Fireworks Formation this time was still designed by Mo Hua.


    He added new formations on the basis of the original Compound Formation.


    Combining the experience from the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, utilizing the principle of the Five Elements Generation and Restraint and the way of Divine Sense Calculation, he made the colors of the fireworks richer, their trajectories clearer, and they used fewer Spirit Stones.


    Before setting off the fireworks, Mo Hua took Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi up to a roof.


    "This eaves belong to Elder Yu¡¯s house, and it¡¯s very suitable for watching the fireworks,¡±


    Mo Hua said to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zisheng was startled and secretly said, ¡°You¡¯re climbing onto Elder Yu¡¯s roof; won¡¯t he give you trouble?¡±


    "He won¡¯t,¡± Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I mentioned it to Elder Yu in advance.¡±


    At most, a few tiles would be broken, which wouldn¡¯t cost much.


    Bai Zisheng nodded, finally at ease.


    Thus, the three fellow disciples, a junior brother, a junior sister, and another junior brother sat side by side on the eaves, their little legs swinging, waiting to watch the fireworks in the sky.


    Mo Hua was also looking forward to it.


    Although he designed this formation, he used a different technique in drawing it, so he hadn¡¯t seen what it would look like when lit up.


    On the roof of Elder Yu¡¯s house, the three of them sat side by side.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng each clutched a skewer of roasted pork in their left and right hands.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, was holding a box of pastries, which contained white, chewy, rabbit-shaped cakes.


    All three were somewhat expectant.


    In a short while, the fireworks burst forth.


    First came a clear whistle, as a streak of fire cut through the night sky.


    Then the light from the Five Elements Formation soared skyward, converging in the air and bursting into multicolored fireworks before scattering again, and then bursting anew, layer upon layer, creating a colorful canopy that filled the entire night sky with splendor and brilliance.


    It was as if a Great Formation was opening, with its light filling the skies.


    But in this magnificent scene, there was no aura of slaughter, just prosperity and peace.


    Mo Hua and the others also looked up together.


    This sky full of dazzling, multicolored fireworks imprinted itself into their clear eyes, forever remaining in their memories.


    At this moment, every cultivator in Tongxian City raised their heads, gazing at this incomparably beautiful fireworks display, utterly spellbound.


    All the Formation Masters in Tongxian City were also shaken by this spectacle, but couldn¡¯t help mumbling to themselves in their hearts:


    "It¡¯s just fireworks¡­ is such a complex formation really necessary¡­?¡±


    ¡­


    The Tongxian Festival ended in a joyous and lively atmosphere.


    After the Tongxian Festival, Mr. Zhuang was to leave.


    One early morning, Mo Hua bid farewell to his parents outside the city.


    Elder Yu, Old Mr. Feng, Master Chen, Court Leader Zhou, Zhang Lan, as well as Da¡¯hu, Dazhu, and Daping were among those seeing him off¡­


    A sea of people crowded outside the city.


    Everyone watched Mo Hua with reluctance in their hearts.


    "You must respect your teacher and cherish the Tao, and listen well to Mr. Zhuang,¡± Liu Ruhua instructed, ¡°And take good care of yourself¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly, his eyes feeling somewhat sore.


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t say much, just patted his head and looked at him with a gentle expression.


    The crowd also said their goodbyes, imparting words of concern.


    After a while, the Bai Family¡¯s carriage arrived.


    Mo Hua boarded the carriage and then stuck his head out again, waving goodbye to the crowd.


    He was not only waving to his parents, so many elders, friends, acquaintances, and companions,


    But also bidding farewell to his hometown where he was born and grew up.


    From then on, he would embark on a long journey to witness the various states of the world and to delve into the depths of formations, not knowing when he could return.


    The carriage took Mo Hua, gradually receding into the distance.


    Liu Ruhua stood in place, watching Mo Hua with longing, watching his figure until it disappeared at the end of the road, vanished behind the layers of mountains, and faded into the misty clouds until it could no longer be seen.


    Only then did she silently shed tears of parting.


    ¡­


    Six months later, at the foot of Big Black Mountain.


    A huge Demon Suppression Monument was completed.


    The monument was personally supervised for construction by Old Master An, made from high-quality stone that could endure wind and sun without perishing.


    On the monument were engraved the names of cultivators who made outstanding contributions in the battle against Big Demon Feng Xi in Tongxian City.


    Suppressing a Big Demon was the greatest feat in Tongxian City in hundreds, or even nearly a thousand, years.


    This stele was likewise the biggest Demon Suppression Monument in nearly a thousand years.


    As long as Tongxian City stands, so will the monument, and the names upon it will remain.


    At the head of the monument, in a prominent position, was engraved the name of Old Master An.


    The characters were powerful and vigorous, clear and forceful from afar.


    Above Old Master An¡¯s name, another even more prominent name was inscribed:


    "Mo Hua.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    (End of Volume One ¨C Black Mountain Volume)

 Chapter 378: Wandering

    To the south of Tongxian City, on the mountain road outside Shangtai City, a horse-drawn carriage rolled along leisurely.Mo Hua, who was thirteen years old, sat in this carriage.


    Besides Mo Hua, there were also Mr. Zhuang, Old Kui, and his Junior Brother Bai Zisheng and Junior Sister Bai Zixi.


    Aunt Xue did not receive Mr. Zhuang¡¯s permission, so she did not follow.


    This carriage belonged to the Bai Family.


    It appeared ordinary on the outside, but it was exceptionally sturdy. Inside, it was not luxurious but comfortable, and quite spacious, able to accommodate five or six people.


    Since Mo Hua and the other two were still young and didn¡¯t take up much space, the interior of the carriage seemed even more roomy.


    However, they could only sit cross-legged and not lie down to sleep.


    Old Kui drove the carriage from the front, Mr. Zhuang drank tea inside, and Mo Hua and the other two leaned over a small desk, doing the coursework set by Mr. Zhuang.


    The coursework mainly concentrated on Formation, along with some secrets of cultivation.


    Occasionally, after traveling for a while, they would stop to rest.


    Mo Hua would then run down from the carriage, to a nearby hilltop, and pick some grass to feed the horses.


    This horse was also from the Bai Family, and it was a Spirit Beast with a gentle nature. Even when encountering Monster Beasts, it would not get frightened.


    According to Bai Zisheng, although the horse looked ordinary and its fur wasn¡¯t particularly white, it had a special bloodline, and it also had a very cool name that was something Cloud, something Dragon, something Steed¡­


    Mo Hua found it too much of a tongue twister, so he renamed the horse ¡°Big White.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was not satisfied with this name, thinking it weakened the animal¡¯s imposing manner and lacked dignity.


    But the horse seemed to like it very much; whenever Mo Hua called it ¡°Big White,¡± it would affectionately nuzzle Mo Hua with its head.


    Mo Hua grew increasingly fond of Big White. Consequently, whenever they stopped to rest, he thought about what to find for Big White to eat, and released his Divine Sense to search for grass to feed to the horse. R?????¦­o????


    Big White was not picky, eating whatever Mo Hua fed it.


    At that moment, as it neared noon, Old Kui stopped the carriage for a rest.


    Mo Hua, while feeding Big White, looked back at the overlapping mountains and the distant paths. They were far from Tongxian City now, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly.


    It had been more than half a month since he had left.


    Mo Hua had gradually adapted to the itinerant lifestyle.


    Contrary to what he had previously thought, wandering was not about having an ethereal aura, traveling all around, but rather about sleeping outdoors and enduring the hardships of travel.


    Fortunately, they had Big White to pull the carriage; otherwise, the journey would have been even more arduous.


    Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm weren¡¯t able to fly; thus, wandering thousands of miles meant traveling on foot.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t even seen a cultivator who could fly.


    It was probably because the state boundary he was in belonged to a Second-Grade Prefecture, where the highest cultivation level was only at Foundation Establishment.


    Flying was likely an ability of cultivators at the Golden Core Realm or above.


    If they were to fly in the Second-Grade Prefecture Border, they¡¯d fear using their cultivation; as they ascended, they would be struck down by thunderbolts in a flash, truly ¡°ascending to the heavens¡±¡­


    Flying in the sky¡­


    Mo Hua silently chanted to himself, filled with longing. Would there come a day when he could attain the Golden Core and travel through the skies and earth?


    Alas, the Golden Core was still far away; he hadn¡¯t even reached the Foundation Establishment yet.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat melancholic.


    As these thoughts crossed his mind, he got hungry.


    But thinking about what they had to eat for lunch, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t muster any enthusiasm.


    Along the road, they mostly ate Fasting Pills.


    Fasting Pills were straightforward and convenient for cultivators to stave off hunger, but eating them for an extended time inevitably became monotonous, and one¡¯s Blood Qi would not flow smoothly.


    However, given that they were on an expedition, they didn¡¯t fuss too much over this.


    Mo Hua could tolerate this bit of hardship.


    Besides Fasting Pills, Mo Hua actually had other food.


    Before departing, Liu Ruhua had made many pieces of dried meat, stored in the Storage Bag for him to take along.


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t bear to eat these.


    Only when he was sick of Fasting Pills would he take them out to eat, or on occasions when he missed home, he would have a piece.


    It was personally made by his mother, and as he wandered around, unable to return home, every piece he ate was one piece fewer; once it was gone, there would be no more¡­


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Ahead, there was no village; behind, there was no shop.


    Thus, for lunch that day, everyone once again ate Fasting Pills.


    Bai Zisheng wore a gloomy expression.


    It¡¯s difficult to shift from luxury to frugality; having been used to the spicy flavors of beef, it was indeed hard to endure eating Fasting Pills every day.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s face was expressionless, but she didn¡¯t look happy either.


    Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brow and suddenly said,


    "Don¡¯t you think about making something to eat yourselves?¡±


    All three of them, Mo Hua included, were taken aback before looking towards Old Kui.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him too.


    Normally, it seemed that Old Kui should be the one cooking.


    Old Kui said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, as long as you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi looked at each other, not understanding what they should mind.


    The following midday, when Old Kui served up a pot of meat, they understood.


    Just the appearance of it was quite concerning¡­


    Out of politeness, they tried a bite, but could not bring themselves to eat any more of it.


    Mr. Zhuang also sighed and said,


    "The food I used to eat¡­ was actually like this¡­¡±


    Old Kui shot him a glance, ¡°You¡¯ve developed a fastidious taste now. How is that my fault? Either way, that¡¯s the flavor it¡¯s supposed to be. Whether you like it or don¡¯t, that¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Naturally, Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t stomach it. After pondering for a moment, he turned his eyes toward Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, their eyes lighting up, also turned to Mo Hua.


    Even Old Kui was looking at him.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°I¡¯m not really good at it either¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang stroked his chin, ¡°Normally, cooking skills should be hereditary, right? Your mother¡¯s cooking is so good, you shouldn¡¯t be too bad either.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang offered a word of encouragement.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s expectant looks, Mo Hua reluctantly nodded.


    Afterward, Mo Hua recalled how his mother used to cook and tried making a meat soup.


    Mr. Zhuang tasted it and nodded slightly.


    Bai Zixi tried it and also nodded lightly.


    Bai Zisheng wolfed it down and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s still not as good as Aunt Liu¡¯s.¡±


    "Then why did you eat it so clean?¡±


    Bai Zisheng honestly said, ¡°I was hungry¡­¡±


    Although it wasn¡¯t particularly delicious, it was the best among the choices, so cooking naturally fell onto Mo Hua, the junior brother.


    Perhaps he really inherited Liu Ruhua¡¯s culinary talents, for Mo Hua learned cooking rather quickly.


    A few days later, his dishes already looked quite professional.


    But it¡¯s hard to satisfy everyone¡¯s tastes, and there were still a bunch of problems.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s blood qi was weak, so he wanted something light; Old Kui wanted something crunchy, something that made noise when chewed; Bai Zisheng wanted something spicy, preferably meat; Bai Zixi wanted something sweet, preferably pastries¡­


    Mo Hua scratched his head as he listened.


    Eventually, he came up with a solution, which was to build a separate stove.


    He created four formations, for four separate stove tops.


    One for steaming, one for dry frying, one for boiling, and one for steaming pastries.


    Mo Hua drew up the blueprints and designed the formations, then, passing through a little Immortal City, stayed a few days longer, spent some extra spirit stones, and commissioned an Artifact Refiner to forge the stove into being.


    After it was forged, the Artifact Refiner was puzzled:


    "Young man, I can make this stove for you, but no one here can draw the formation for you.¡±


    Mo Hua said nonchalantly, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll draw it myself.¡±


    And so, Mo Hua actually drew the formation right in front of him.


    The Artifact Refiner was greatly shocked.


    Even after Mo Hua had paid the spirit stones and left the Refinery Shop with the stove, he remained in awe¡­


    The formations on the stove were drawn by Mo Hua, but the spirit stones for its creation were merely fronted by him; it was Bai Zisheng who¡¯d paid for them in the end.


    Once the stove was ready, Mo Hua tried to use it four ways at once.


    He made a dish of steamed fish.


    The fish was from a spirit beast, otherwise, it couldn¡¯t be steamed properly and would remain tough.


    He fried a pan of pine nuts.


    The pine nuts were prepared for Old Kui, who enjoyed cracking them for their sound; he could skip meals, but not pine nuts.


    He boiled a pot of beef.


    This beef was monster meat, quite cheap, but took a while to stew, using many spices and having a strong spicy flavor.


    He also steamed a pot of pastries.


    Soft, glutinous, sweet¡­


    Not only Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, but even Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui were deeply impressed.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but wonder if teaching Mo Hua about formations had hindered his development in culinary skills¡­


    Bai Zisheng still finished every last bite, then sadly said, ¡°Still not as good as Aunt Liu.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t indulge him this time and snorted coldly, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you cook?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said boldly, ¡°I will cook!¡±


    He felt that even though he hadn¡¯t eaten pork before, he¡¯d seen pigs run.


    Besides, having eaten a lot of meat and seen Mo Hua¡¯s cooking process, he thought such a task should be nothing for someone with his aptitude.


    So Bai Zisheng tried to cook a pot of meat himself.


    But the meat he cooked turned out dry and stringy, flavorless, tough to chew, and even had a gamey taste.


    Bai Zisheng tasted it and his whole face scrunched up.


    Curious, Bai Zixi also tried to knead some dough, but it wasn¡¯t steamed thoroughly, limp like a clump of white mud¡­


    Both of them could only look longingly at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sighed and had to cook for them again. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After some effort, Bai Zisheng, again eating the dishes made by Mo Hua, was moved almost to tears, especially when compared to his own attempt.


    Bai Zixi nibbled on the pastries, her eyes gleaming with delight.


    And so, as the carriage trundled along, unknowingly, another half a month passed by.


    During the day, they traveled and learned about formations from Mr. Zhuang on the carriage.


    When it came to mealtimes, Mo Hua cooked.


    If by night they hadn¡¯t come across an Immortal City, a small town, or some wild temples and small sects nestled in the mountains, they would have to camp out.


    The carriage was naturally reserved for Mr. Zhuang.


    As the master for the three of them, respecting and valuing the teacher was only natural.


    Moreover, since leaving Tongxian City, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s complexion had improved somewhat, but his breath was still somewhat weak.


    Mo Hua also hoped Mr. Zhuang could rest well.


    The three disciples would camp outside.


    Before camping, Mo Hua would set up stone formations around the perimeter and lay an Early Warning Formation to guard against monster beasts or bandits.


    Then, Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi would each cover themselves with a blanket and lie down on the ground.


    These blankets were also from the Bai Family, but Mo Hua had redrawn formations on them.


    They could warm up and let air through, cozy and not stuffy, very comfortable to cover with.


    The night fell, and the mountain moon shone coldly.


    Wrapped in their blankets, the three resembled little caterpillars, bathed in moonlight, sleeping quietly.

 Chapter 379: Supreme Divine Sense

    A few days later, Mo Hua and a few others arrived at Shangtai City.Shangtai City was but a Little Immortal City, even smaller than Tongxian City, with fewer Cultivators undergoing Foundation Establishment within it.


    The streets were not busy, and the Cultivators who came and went were dressed in humble clothes; their faces bore expressions of worry and suffering.


    Mo Hua let out a small sigh.


    It seemed that not only the Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City lived in hardship, but most Loose Cultivators in the world likely shared the same plight.


    And it was possible that their suffering was even more severe than that of others.


    The group entered the city and found an inn to rest.


    Mr. Zhuang took Mo Hua aside for a conversation.


    Sitting respectfully on a small stool, Mo Hua listened attentively to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words.


    Mr. Zhuang asked gently, ¡°Do you know what you need to do on this journey?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua answered,


    "Learn Formation?¡±


    "Anything else?¡±


    "Umm¡­¡± Mo Hua thought for a bit, then added, ¡°Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°You are different from ordinary people, and from ordinary Formation Masters. The Cultivation Technique you practice is the Heaven Yan Jue, whose bottleneck lies in Formation mastery.¡±


    "Your Formation skills and Cultivation are actually one and the same.¡±


    "If you can¡¯t master Formations well, you won¡¯t be able to decipher Mystery Formations; if you can¡¯t break through the bottleneck, your Cultivation won¡¯t improve.¡±


    "If your Cultivation doesn¡¯t improve, you can¡¯t break through the boundary, and you won¡¯t be able to learn higher-grade Formations¡­¡±


    "What¡¯s more crucial is that the Formations you need to learn are much more profound than what others learn. Studying ordinary Formations won¡¯t enable you to solve Mystery Formations or break through the bottleneck¡­¡± ????£Â§§?


    Mo Hua nodded, having anticipated these issues already.


    If he wanted to become a Great Formation Master, he must become a Great Cultivator; and if he aspired to be a Great Cultivator, he must also become a Great Formation Master.


    "Master, what should I do before I attempt Foundation Establishment? Continue learning Formations?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    Mr. Zhuang affirmed with a nod, ¡°Correct.¡±


    "But¡­ which Formations should I study?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    He had mastered the Reversed Spirit Formation with Thirteen Stripes, and he had also learned the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Can I study Second-Grade Formations?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing through Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, smiled and shook his head, ¡°No¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°The Spiritual Power structure of Second-Grade Formations is entirely different from that of the First Grade. You can¡¯t learn Second-Grade Formations until your Cultivation has reached Foundation Establishment, as you lack the mercury-like Second-Grade Spiritual Power.¡±


    "Then, can I still learn Large Formations?¡±


    With an expression that was a mix of a smile and seriousness, Mr. Zhuang replied,


    "How many Large Formations are there for you to learn? There aren¡¯t many First-Grade Large Formations to begin with, and most are highly confidential and exclusive. I don¡¯t have many in my possession either¡­¡±


    "Besides, even if you learn them, how will you construct the Large Formations?¡±


    "The resources and manpower required for Large Formations are extremely vast.¡±


    "Unless there is a Big Demon that appears, and Tongxian City is at risk ¨C and they all trust you, willing to work wholeheartedly with you ¨C otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able to construct the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and upon reflection, realized that this was indeed the case.


    The cost and risks involved in constructing a Large Formation were too high, and within a state boundary, there were only a handful of forces that could possibly gather the resources to construct a Large Formation.


    These forces had either already established a Large Formation.


    Even if they hadn¡¯t, and wished to construct a new one, they wouldn¡¯t consider Mo Hua, a thirteen-year-old Junior Formation Master, as the main Formation Master.


    They would not place their trust in Mo Hua to be the main Formation Master of a Large Formation.


    Scratching his head, Mo Hua asked, ¡°So, what else can I learn?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Do you remember the Ultimate Formations I told you about?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while and nodded,


    "Formations above Thirteen Stripes of the First Grade that deviate from the Taoist Court standards, requiring Supreme Divine Sense and knowledge that surpasses the norm, are called Ultimate Formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in confirmation, ¡°To other Formation Masters, Ultimate Formations are unattainable, but for you, they are essential. You can and must learn them.¡±


    Mo Hua originally also wanted to learn more challenging Formations, but upon second thought, he meekly asked,


    "Master, if I don¡¯t study Ultimate Formations, will I still be able to achieve Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°Generally speaking, your current level of Divine Sense and Formation expertise is already sufficient for Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face brightened with delight.


    Mr. Zhuang then added, ¡°¡­But merely reaching Foundation Establishment is not enough.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Is it because my Divine Sense is not strong enough¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded his head and said, ¡°Compared to cultivators of the same realm, your Divine Sense is already very strong, but it¡¯s not strong enough.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his doubts, ¡°Then how strong does it need to be to be considered strong enough?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became slightly intense as he slowly spoke:


    "At least above thirteen stripes¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°Above thirteen stripes¡­ Is that the middle phase of Foundation Establishment?¡±


    "Correct,¡± Mr. Zhuang spoke gravely, ¡°At the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, Divine Sense ranges from ten to thirteen stripes. Above thirteen stripes, one enters the middle phase of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    After he finished speaking, Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment then added:


    "Do you still remember what I told you about Divine Sense Foundation Establishment?¡±


    "I do,¡± Mo Hua nodded. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with an earnest expression:


    "Foundation Establishment is the first major breakthrough of realms. After the breakthrough, the quality of Spiritual Power changes and Divine Sense multiplies.¡±


    "Therefore, before Foundation Establishment, one must establish a solid foundation.¡±


    "If you fall behind before Foundation Establishment, you¡¯ll be far behind after it, and as you continue to cultivate, the gap will only grow larger.¡±


    "Many cultivators do not focus on their foundation, only blindly chasing progress in their cultivation, recklessly achieving Foundation Establishment, causing their foundation to be insufficient. Despite a glorious start, they will quickly fade into the crowd. Thus, simply achieving Foundation Establishment is not enough. One must choose their own path, lay down a foundation, and then forge their Taoist Foundation.¡±


    "My path¡­ It¡¯s Divine Sense, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua still remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said about Divine Sense Proving the Dao.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The disadvantages of your physical body and Spiritual Root are difficult to overcome, and you will never be able to compare with those Proud Sons of Heaven. However, your Divine Sense could potentially leave them all in the dust, making all peers look up to you in vain¡­¡±


    "That¡¯s why I want you to enhance your Divine Sense to the extreme before Foundation Establishment.¡±


    "If you possess a Divine Sense above thirteen stripes, at the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, once you¡¯ve established your foundation and your Divine Sense has multiplied, you might directly step into the late stage of Foundation Establishment!¡±


    As Mr. Zhuang spoke, he too felt a tremor in his own heart.


    To have Divine Sense comparable to the late stage of Foundation Establishment right upon entering it.


    That would truly be an exceptional and monstrous talent.


    Divine Sense may seem obscure, not as direct and powerful as Spiritual Power or Blood Qi, but that¡¯s because other cultivators¡¯ Divine Senses aren¡¯t strong enough.


    If one¡¯s Divine Sense becomes extremely strong, then it is an absolute terror.


    Supreme Divine Sense, reigning over everything, is a fearsome force that can make all beings and creatures in heaven and earth submit and tremble.


    Although Mo Hua didn¡¯t fully understand how powerful this was, he was shocked speechless.


    Soon after, he asked with some anticipation:


    "Then how can I strengthen my Divine Sense to above thirteen stripes¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses, his eyes twinkling slightly as he said, ¡°Still the old method, and it¡¯s a crude one¡­ Drawing Formations.¡±


    Comprehending Formations, refining Divine Sense.


    This task, other Formation Masters might not be able to do, but Mr. Zhuang knew that Mo Hua could.


    Mo Hua had some unidentifiable opportunity in him that even he could not clearly see.


    Mo Hua had drawn formations many times, far more often than other Formation Masters, surely practicing formations incessantly day and night.


    This was something many Formation Masters could not do.


    Moreover, when Mo Hua practiced formations, the growth of his Divine Sense seemed to be more than that of other Formation Masters.


    It seemed as if he had comprehended something profound in the process.


    So as long as he kept practicing formations, especially those that highly consume Divine Sense, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense would continuously grow.


    "The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation is a first-grade eleven-stripes Large Formation,¡± Mr. Zhuang continued.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then thought to himself that it was indeed so.


    He had long suspected that Mr. Zhuang had deceived him¡­


    It wasn¡¯t deception, at least not entirely. He had hidden something and hadn¡¯t told him the whole truth.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°In other words, your Divine Sense is actually eleven stripes now.¡±


    "Divine Sense at eleven stripes is stronger than that of cultivators who have just entered Foundation Establishment, and even some who are in the initial stage with shallow cultivation.¡±


    "You are now at eleven stripes, so practicing the ten-stripes Reversed Spirit Formation won¡¯t increase your Divine Sense by much any longer.¡±


    "You can practice formations at eleven stripes, but there is no opportunity for you to actually draw them, so it¡¯s not very meaningful¡­¡±


    "Moreover, drawing the pivot of a Large Formation takes too long. It¡¯s a less efficient way to refine Divine Sense.¡±


    "Therefore, you need to learn an Ultimate Formation that is at eleven stripes or even higher. This will enhance your understanding of formations, and by using formations, you will further refine your Divine Sense.¡±


    "The only bottleneck of Heaven Yan Jue lies in formations, and the key to formations lies in Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked deeply at Mo Hua and said:


    "The stronger your Divine Sense, the better you¡¯ll learn formations. The better you learn formations, the smoother your cultivation, and the farther you¡¯ll go on the Path of Longevity¡­¡±


    "Therefore, you must cultivate your Divine Sense to the utmost.¡±


    "In the future, use your Supreme Divine Sense to Prove your own Dao!¡±

 Chapter 380: Ultimate Formation

    ¡°`Supreme Divine Sense, Achieving the Great Dao¡­


    Mo Hua slightly lost his focus.


    He had not expected Mr. Zhuang to have such deep expectations for him, planning so far ahead.


    Originally, he would have been satisfied with just achieving Foundation Establishment, and he had not yet considered anything beyond that¡­


    Mo Hua nodded his head, saying earnestly,


    "Master, I¡¯ve remembered it all!¡±


    His train of thought also became clearer.


    He would keep learning profound Formation methods, honing a stronger Divine Sense, becoming a higher-grade Formation Master, cultivating to even higher realms, and seeking the longer paths of the Great Dao.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes revealed his gratification.


    After a brief thought, Mo Hua asked,


    "Master, where then should I go to learn the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused, his gaze showing a hint of regret,


    "I originally had some inheritances of Ultimate Formations, but due to unexpected events, most have been lost. Therefore, if you want to learn the Ultimate Formations, you have to learn to find them yourself.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and asked humbly, ¡°How should I look for them¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The vast majority of Formation inheritances in this world are monopolized by the Taoist Court, Noble Clans, and Sects, and this includes Ultimate Formations as well.¡±


    "It¡¯s practically impossible to learn from them directly; even if you could, the price would be extremely high.¡±


    "So if you want to learn Ultimate Formations, you can only search for those secret Formation methods lost in various corners of the Nine State, unknown to others.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his confusion, ¡°If it¡¯s an Ultimate Formation, it must be valuable. If it¡¯s valuable, how could it be unknown to others?¡±


    "Because ordinary people don¡¯t understand Formation Patterns, and even if they do, Formation Masters without the pertinent inheritance cannot probe the mysteries of Ultimate Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood but couldn¡¯t help being curious,


    "Then wouldn¡¯t the Taoist Court and the Family Sects and Clans collect these Ultimate Formations?¡±


    "They do,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded. ¡°But the world is vast, and the intricacies of Formations are profound; no matter how much they collect, there are always some that will slip through.¡± ?????????¦¯????§§s


    "Besides, some Ultimate Formations are so exquisite and subtle, they can¡¯t be recognized by ordinary Cultivators with mere fleshly eyes.¡±


    "Even those born into the Taoist Court or those with inheritances from Family Sects and Clans, most of them are merely booksmart, unable to understand or even conceive of things that transcend their grade of learning.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression bore a trace of disdain.


    Looking at him with great admiration, Mo Hua asked stealthily,


    "Master, what grade have you achieved?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang turned around, saw Mo Hua¡¯s shining eyes, and couldn¡¯t help but tap his forehead, speaking in a gentle tone, ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions recklessly.¡±


    "Oh,¡± Mo Hua covered his forehead, thought for a moment, then asked again,


    "So next, we are going to look for the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    "That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes conveyed a mix of emotions,


    "I¡¯m going to visit a Sect, meet some old friends, have you learn their Formations, and en route, incidentally search for some Ultimate Formations.¡±


    Sect? Old friends? Formations?


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Master, which Sect is it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang did not answer, only saying,


    "You will know when the time comes.¡±


    Mo Hua was still curious and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    "Then what Formations are we going to learn?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression stalled, tinged with a hint of melancholy, and he said slowly,


    "It¡¯s a Formation that I, too, failed to learn back then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked shocked, ¡°Master, even you didn¡¯t learn it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, ¡°Your teacher is only human, not yet an Immortal, naturally, there are things I have not learned.¡±


    Mo Hua said uncertainly, ¡°If even Master couldn¡¯t learn it, can I?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a gentle gaze, ¡°You should be fine.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a surge of joy but also some worry,


    "If Master couldn¡¯t learn it, can I really learn it?¡±


    If he couldn¡¯t learn it, wouldn¡¯t he let down his Master¡¯s expectations and lose face for his Master¡­


    Mr. Zhuang, reading Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, shifted his gaze and smiled slightly,


    "I didn¡¯t learn it back then and suffered their contempt. This time, taking you there is to have you avenge this old grudge for your teacher.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.


    Contempt?


    They dared to show contempt towards my Master?


    Mo Hua¡¯s face set in a stern expression, and his fighting spirit soared.


    He patted his chest, promising earnestly,


    ¡°`


    "Master, rest assured, I will definitely master the Formation, slap them in the face, and then infuriate them to death!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily stunned, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh:


    "Good, infuriate them to death¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Afterward, Mr. Zhuang entrusted Mo Hua with a few more words and pointed out some difficulties related to Formations, before showing signs of fatigue.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua stood up to take his leave and gently closed the door behind him.


    After Mo Hua left, walking through the corridor, his mind was filled with doubts. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Why Mr. Zhuang had left Tongxian City and became an itinerant cultivator was something he hadn¡¯t known before.


    But it seemed that it was for the sake of teaching him Formation?


    A warmth filled Mo Hua¡¯s heart, followed by more doubts.


    Learning Formation was true, but there must be more to it than that¡­


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang mentioning that bizarre Taoist that he shouldn¡¯t talk about, think about, or better yet, forget about.


    And there was Feng Xi who returned from death, his face covered with overlapping faces, including one that resembled the appearance of a Taoist.


    Mo Hua vaguely recalled, as he looked directly into Feng Xi¡¯s cavernous eyes, the voice of the Taoist saying:


    "Your aura?¡±


    "Quite bold¡­¡±


    "So familiar¡­¡±


    "Who are you?¡±


    ¡­


    These words, spoken by different speakers, in different voices, came out all at once, chaotic and eerie.


    But put together, they meant:


    "Your aura¡­ is so familiar¡­ Who are you?¡±


    He had never met this Taoist before, so what about his aura made the Taoist feel it was familiar?


    Mo Hua thought it over and felt that it probably had something to do with Mr. Zhuang.


    Being a disciple of Mr. Zhuang, constantly in contact with him, and being taught Formation by him, as well as the Five Elements Formation he laid out, which was also provided by Mr. Zhuang, it was natural that he carried Mr. Zhuang¡¯s aura.


    And that Taoist said his aura was ¡°very familiar¡­¡±


    In other words, he was familiar with Mr. Zhuang.


    The mysterious Taoist and Mr. Zhuang must have some kind of old grudge.


    Moreover, it was certainly not a good one.


    The Taoist was undoubtedly not a good person, and his methods were strange and unpredictable. With Mo Hua¡¯s experience in Tao cultivation, he had no clue about the Taoist¡¯s realm, cultivation, or the spells he used.


    He was somewhat worried for Mr. Zhuang.


    Nowadays, Mr. Zhuang was weak in vitality, his Divine Sense ethereal. If he had a grudge with the Taoist and was being hunted, then he would be in danger¡­


    And in such a situation, it seemed he, too, had no means to deal with that mysterious Taoist¡­


    He couldn¡¯t possibly just collapse another Large Formation, could he?


    The key was, even if he wanted to, there was no Large Formation available for him to collapse.


    With his mind heavy with concerns, Mo Hua walked along the inn¡¯s corridor. As he walked, he looked up and saw a pretty little girl approaching from the opposite direction.


    Her face was somewhat unfamiliar, yet her aura felt recognizable.


    As they passed by one another, Mo Hua paused, then turned his head to test:


    "Zixi?¡±


    The little girl turned her head, lifted her fair little finger, and corrected:


    "You should call me senior sister.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and slowly said, ¡°Little senior sister¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded in satisfaction.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°How did you change your appearance like this?¡±


    "I used an Illusion Technique to change my appearance to avoid trouble,¡± Bai Zixi said.


    "Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s looks were outstanding; wherever she went, she drew crowds of onlookers, which could easily lead to trouble.


    Her current appearance, although still pretty, was just ¡°normally¡± pretty, not unbelievably so.


    "How did you know it was me?¡± Bai Zixi was also curious.


    "I guessed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua admitted truthfully.


    Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua skeptically but said nothing further.


    Still, she wondered how Mo Hua had recognized her now that her appearance was so greatly altered.

 Chapter 381: Small Town

    Mo Hua returned to his room and practiced the Reversed Spirit Formation for a while.He indeed felt the growth of his Divine Sense slowing down; it wasn¡¯t as fast as before.


    ¡°It seems that I need to find more difficult formations to learn,¡± Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    After practicing formations for a while more, until his Divine Sense was exhausted, Mo Hua rested for a short moment. Then he thought about it and opened his Storage Bag.


    With the travels ahead, he didn¡¯t know what he would encounter, so he decided to take an inventory of his possessions first.


    The first item was Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua carried over a thousand Spirit Stones on his person.


    There were also several thousand more Spirit Stones stored inside the carriage, sealed with a formation under Mr. Zhuang¡¯s care.


    These Spirit Stones were for Mo Hua¡¯s Foundation Establishment.


    He had earned some himself, some were saved by his parents, and some were given by Elder Yu.


    At the very least, they should be enough for Foundation Establishment.


    Additionally, there was a first-grade Spiritual Artifact, the Thousand Jun Stick.


    Mo Hua had Master Chen reforge this Thousand Jun Stick; its material was now more robust, and he had added a layer of Thousand Jun Compound Formation to it. It felt even more comfortable to use when dealing blows stealthily.


    Around Mo Hua¡¯s neck, he also wore a Pill Jade.


    This was a gift from Old Mr. Feng, with a faint warmth that could refresh and calm the mind.


    Although Old Mr. Feng said ¡°talk of merits is illusory and intangible,¡±


    the Pill Jade seemed to truly carry the merit of Old Mr. Feng¡¯s healing and saving lives, always emitting a gentle and moist luster.


    Every time Mo Hua looked at it, he felt it contained a lot of goodwill.


    Besides the Pill Jade, Mo Hua also wore a Monster Hunting Token around his neck.


    This Monster Hunting Token was given to him by Elder Yu, and every Monster Hunter had one.


    But Mo Hua found that his seemed a bit different.


    Other Monster Hunters, after killing Monster Beasts, would have a thin red blood streak appear on their tokens.


    After using the Great Formation Dissolution to kill Feng Xi, Mo Hua¡¯s Monster Hunting Token also gained a bloodstreak.


    However, this bloodstreak was half a finger thick and pale gold.


    Mo Hua asked Elder Yu about it, and Elder Yu also looked puzzled, saying that he had never seen anything like it before, and even the Monster Hunter literature had no records of it.


    A pale gold bloodstreak¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he decided to leave it be for now. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Regardless of whether the bloodstreak on the Monster Hunting Token was red or gold, it didn¡¯t matter much; there were no benefits presently, so he would figure it out when he had the time in the future.


    Mo Hua also put the Bronze Waist Token from the Taoist Court in his Storage Bag.


    According to Court Leader Zhou¡¯s words, he had applied to the higher-ups, allocating a lot of Merit Points, which were now inside this token.


    The Taoist Court in Tongxian City made a great contribution for slaying Feng Xi.


    Court Leader Zhou, in his later tenure, received an unexpected major merit and was overjoyed beyond measure.


    This merit was largely thanks to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had a somewhat special identity; a thirteen-year-old first-grade Formation Master would raise disbelief if reported, so Court Leader Zhou did not make it clear to the Taoist Court. Instead, he subtly granted Mo Hua some extra benefits.


    These benefits were the Merit Points inside the Bronze Waist Token.


    Should Mo Hua need it when he was away from home, he could exchange the merits from the Merit Points for Spirit Stones or Spiritual Objects in case of emergency.


    As for how much these Merit Points amounted to and what they could exchange for, he hadn¡¯t tried yet and was unaware, but he imagined they wouldn¡¯t be few.


    Mo Hua tapped the token and felt more at ease.


    Furthermore, the most important item was the ring of a first-grade Formation Master.


    The ring was made of white jade inlaid with gold, simple yet luxurious.


    Named the Heaven Shu Ring, it was crafted by the Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Taoist Court and given to those who passed the assessment as Formation Masters.


    Nine star patterns were engraved on the ring, with three stripes on each star, symbolizing the nine ranks of formations, each with three levels.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Heaven Shu Ring now illuminated only one star, signifying that he was recognized by the Heaven Shu Pavilion as a Formation Master of the first rank.


    The Heaven Shu Ring served as a proof of identity as a Formation Master and was also a small storage ring.


    Like a Storage Bag, it could hold items, but its space was smaller and reserved for storing confidential and valuable objects.


    Mo Hua placed the Jade Slip of the Heaven Yan Jue and some rare Formation Diagrams in the Heaven Shu Ring, tied it to a string, and also hung it around his neck.


    He originally wanted to wear it on his hand, but it was too big for his fingers and could only fit his thumb, like a ring guard.


    Mo Hua was always afraid that it might fall off, so he strung it with a string and hung it around his neck.


    Now he had three items hanging around his neck, but thankfully they weren¡¯t heavy and didn¡¯t tire him to wear.


    After checking his belongings, Mo Hua sat in meditation and then started Drawing Formations again.


    Dinner was at the inn; everyone ordered a few simple dishes, not particularly delicious but not bad either, certainly not as good as the ones Mo Hua prepared himself.


    After dinner, everyone rested in the inn for the night, and they were to set off again the next day.


    Before departure, Mo Hua affectionately hugged Big White¡¯s neck, patted its back, and said,


    ¡°We¡¯re going to trouble you again.¡±


    Big White grunted a few times and nuzzled Mo Hua¡¯s face with its head.


    Mo Hua smiled happily.


    The morning glow spilled across the sky, casting its light on the road.


    The group set out on their journey, left the city gates, and took to the main road.


    After traveling the main road for a while, they passed through a mountain trail lined by towering peaks, with few travelers in sight, only the recurring sound of the horse hooves.


    Having walked for the better part of the day, they came upon a small town.


    Mo Hua looked up and from a distance saw the town¡¯s signboard:


    Thousand Families Town.


    As far as the eye could see, the scenes of the small town were fully in view.


    There were quite a few people in Thousand Families Town, but it was clear that they were all Loose Cultivators, and their clothes were covered in mud stains.


    In the distance beyond the town, there was a large expanse of connected Spirit Fields.


    Many Cultivators were bent over, working in the Spirit Fields.


    Mo Hua had heard from his father, Mo Shan, that in the way of Tao Cultivation there was a category called ¡°Spiritual Plant Master,¡± which involved farming and nurturing various Taoist crops, or growing herbs for a living.


    Those who farmed were generally known as ¡°Spirit Farmers.¡±


    These Cultivators working in the Spirit Fields must be the ¡°Spirit Farmers¡± his father, Mo Shan, had mentioned.


    Old Kui stopped the carriage.


    Mr. Zhuang lifted the curtain, glanced at the town, and nodded, saying:


    ¡°We are going to stay here for a while.¡±


    The three companions, Mo Hua, exchanged glances, not understanding why they needed to stay here.


    Remembering the words that Mr. Zhuang had spoken to him, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he asked:


    ¡°Master, does this town have an Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua looked over the town again.


    The houses were low and the bricks and stones worn, with many places showing signs of decay from years of neglect, clearly indicating that most Cultivators were not living well.


    There was one mansion in the town that was obviously opulent, likely the residence of the most affluent clan in the area.


    This was similar to other small towns Mo Hua had encountered on his journey.


    Where there is poverty, there is wealth, and of course, with wealth comes poverty.


    The residences in the town all had Formations drawn on them, but most were very rudimentary, with only a few Formation Patterns.


    Even the Formation used by that most opulent mansion was something Mo Hua could see through at a glance.


    In such a small town, where could there be an Ultimate Formation?


    Unable to understand, Mo Hua asked Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°Master, how do you know that there¡¯s an Ultimate Formation here?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said inscrutably, ¡°I saw it.¡±


    Mo Hua continued to probe,


    ¡°How did you see it?¡±


    He was truly curious in his heart.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and gently said, ¡°Take a guess.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    Mr. Zhuang asked him to guess, not to simply suggest; that meant the method must be one he was aware of.


    Mo Hua cast another distant glance at the town.


    Since there were no obvious Formation Patterns, it meant Mr. Zhuang had not seen any specific Formation.


    Moreover, it was a stop made on the spur of the moment during their travels.


    This indicated that Mr. Zhuang hadn¡¯t known there was an Ultimate Formation here in advance.


    It was something he saw, or rather perceived, that made him decide to stay.


    What did he see, or perceive?


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, the world turned into a vast expanse of white, and then the multicolored Spiritual Power began to emerge one by one.


    After perceiving with his Divine Sense for a while, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up and he ventured,


    ¡°Was it calculated through Divine Sense?¡±


    Since the Formation Patterns could not be seen, it must be that he had deduced the Patterns through the spiritual force of the Formation and then determined the strength of the Divine Sense required for the Formation Patterns, thereby concluding that there is a lost Ultimate Formation here.


    Mo Hua faintly perceived some Formation energies, but they were too distant and obscure for him to calculate; he could only guess based on intuition.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Then Mr. Zhuang patiently explained,


    ¡°An Ultimate Formation is different from ordinary Formations; it is a more subtle, more fundamental, and more sophisticated use of Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°A Reversed Spirit Formation is to reverse engineer Spiritual Power, a Large Formation accumulates Spiritual Power, and other Ultimate Formations also have some extraordinary features.¡±


    ¡°The world changes, the sea turns to mulberry fields, and things appear in various forms, constantly transitioning.¡±


    ¡°Some Ultimate Formations are thus buried underground, or sealed within ancient relics, or painted in some unknown corner of a small town, operating silently, unknown to anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t find traces of the Formation by just looking with your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Eyes can deceive, but Divine Sense cannot, appearances can deceive, but the essence of Spiritual Power cannot.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, you must perceive with Divine Sense, calculate in the Sea of Consciousness, through an understanding of the Formation and the operation of Spiritual Power, to determine whether there is a lost Formation here¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly saw the light and nodded repeatedly.


    Perceiving with Divine Sense, calculating with Spiritual Power, deducing Formation Patterns, seeking Ultimate Formations¡­


    With a point from Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    However, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi exchanged confused glances.


    They had no idea what Mo Hua and Mr. Zhuang were talking about¡­

 Chapter 382: Sun Family

    As Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to probe, within the most luxurious residence in Thousand Families Town, a middle-aged cultivator with a harsh face and a lean figure suddenly opened his eyes, his expression slightly startled.He furrowed his brows and instructed:


    ¡°Call Zer here.¡±


    The servant complied and left. Shortly after, a frivolous-looking young man entered and casually said:


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s up?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator¡¯s name was Sun Yi, and he was the Sun Family head.


    This young man was named Sun Ze, the legitimate eldest son of the Sun Family. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Family head Sun Yi with a frown said, ¡°A cultivator is probing with Divine Sense.¡±


    Surprised, Sun Ze asked, ¡°A Foundation Establishment cultivator?¡±


    Sun Yi nodded, ¡°This Divine Sense is extremely subtle and profound. It simply swept by; had I not been engrossed in comprehending a Formation, focusing my Divine Sense, I might not have noticed it at all.¡±


    ¡°This person is undoubtedly a Foundation Establishment cultivator!¡± Sun Yi declared with certainty.


    Sun Ze also furrowed his brows:


    ¡°What would a Foundation Establishment cultivator be doing in Thousand Families Town?¡±


    Sun Yi pondered for a moment before speaking slowly:


    ¡°Whatever he¡¯s up to, we will treat him with hospitality. If we can avoid provoking him, we should. The sooner we send him on his way, the better.¡±


    Then he instructed, ¡°This Foundation Establishment cultivator, using Divine Sense to find the way, must be a cultivator from outside.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one road leading to Thousand Families Town from outside.¡±


    ¡°You take some people to greet him, invite them as guests, and make sure not to offend them.¡±


    Dissatisfied, Sun Ze said, ¡°Why go through such trouble? If he wants to come, let him come; if he wants to go, let him go. Why should we care about him?¡±


    Sun Yi chided, ¡°What do you know? Not all Foundation Establishment cultivators are equal. Our Sun Family lives in a remote location, it is natural for us to make connections with other cultivators. Even if we don¡¯t make connections, we need to understand what he came for and avoid offending him.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this Foundation Establishment cultivator might not be someone to be taken lightly.¡±


    This Divine Sense made him feel a deep sense of wariness.


    Chastised by Sun Yi, Sun Ze had no choice but to comply:


    ¡°Fine, dad, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    After Sun Ze left, Sun Yi still knitted his brows with a troubled mind, and his gaze gradually turned cold, ¡°I hope he¡¯s not here to cause trouble¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In Thousand Lamps Town.


    Old Kui was cracking pine nuts, driving a horse carriage.


    Big White was pulling the carriage, slowly moving along the streets of Thousand Lamps Town.


    Mo Hua leaned out, surveying the various Formations around him.


    However, the surrounding houses were low, and the Formations crude; there was not much to look at.


    After a while, several cultivators appeared ahead on the road.


    The one leading was a young cultivator dressed in brocade, with a frivolous face, but trying to look dignified.


    Old Kui stopped the carriage.


    The young cultivator smiled and greeted with clasped hands:


    ¡°We have not gone afar to welcome our distinguished guests.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s expression was wooden as he replied indifferently, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The voice was grating like dry wood, clearly a human voice yet not quite like one.


    A shiver ran through the hearts of the Sun Family members.


    Sun Ze hurriedly said, ¡°I am Sun Ze, the eldest son of the Sun Family from Thousand Families Town.¡±


    Old Kui asked again blandly, ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    The hoarse voice made Sun Ze somewhat uncomfortable and also slightly resentful.


    Usually, it was he who asked others questions, and he was rarely addressed with such a cool tone.


    But his father had already spoken, and he dared not contravene.


    Just an old carter appeared so enigmatic; the cultivator sitting in the carriage must be even more extraordinary.


    If there was really a Foundation Establishment cultivator, then he was someone Sun Ze could not afford to offend.


    Thus, Sun Ze said respectfully, ¡°Thousand Families Town is modest, and we fear we may offend our distinguished guests. If our guests do not mind, may they please step over to the Sun Family, so that we may offer the modest hospitality of the host.¡±


    Old Kui remained silent.


    Inside the carriage, Mo Hua¡¯s three disciples looked at each other before all turning to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Outside, Old Kui then nodded and said, ¡°That would be acceptable.¡±


    For some reason, Sun Ze felt relieved.


    This seemingly wooden carter consistently gave him a subtle sense of oppression.


    It also made him curious about who exactly was riding in the carriage.


    Leading the way, Sun Ze headed to the Sun Family¡¯s grand entrance with Old Kui driving the carriage, under the astonished eyes of the passerby, they slowly entered the Sun Family¡¯s magnificent gates.


    The carriage stopped.


    The Sun Family head, Sun Yi, personally welcomed them.


    But the cultivators that came out of the carriage surprised them all.


    First was a young boy with eyebrows like painted swords and stars for eyes, followed by a cute-faced young girl.


    Then came a little cultivator with clear eyes and well-defined features, who was helping a celestial-looking white-robed cultivator with no sense of energy on him, not even appearing like a cultivator.


    Sun Yi was momentarily at a loss.


    Among these people, who was the Foundation Establishment?


    Whose Divine Sense was that, probing in?


    Sun Yi frowned.


    Logically speaking, this white-robed cultivator looked most like a Foundation Establishment, but if he were in the Foundation Establishment stage, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to conceal his presence to the point of being undetectable.


    Unless he was above Foundation Establishment, a Great Cultivator of the Golden Core Realm.


    However, a cultivator of the Golden Core Realm wouldn¡¯t likely visit the remote and minor place of Second Grade state boundary.


    ¡°Could it be that I was mistaken?¡±


    Was there actually no Foundation Establishment cultivator spying?


    Sun Yi muttered to himself with some doubts.


    But now that the guests had been welcomed inside, it was impossible to turn them away, and it was also not appropriate to admit to his mistake.


    He could only pluck up the courage to say, ¡°May I inquire the esteemed name of this Taoist Friend¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°Surname Zhuang.¡±


    Sun Yi was taken aback. It was an unusual surname, sparing with words, and carried the demeanor of a noble expert.


    It just wasn¡¯t clear if it could be a fake.


    Still, there was no point in dwelling on these things now.


    Sun Yi bowed his hands and said, ¡°What brings our honored guest here?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone was still indifferent:


    ¡°Passing through your land, I will rest for a few days.¡±


    Sun Yi didn¡¯t quite believe it, but still smiled and said:


    ¡°Encounters are fate, and those who come from afar are guests. If you don¡¯t mind, please stay at my Sun Family residence for several days so that I may show a token of my hospitality.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang revealed a trace of a faint smile:


    ¡°Then I shall impose.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for courtesy,¡± Sun Yi said with a bow of his hands.


    Afterward, Sun Yi arranged for them to settle in and warmly said:


    ¡°If there is anything you need, just let the servants know. My Sun Family will do our best to fulfill it.¡±


    Once Mr. Zhuang and his party were settled, the smile on Sun Yi¡¯s face gradually faded once he returned to the living room.


    Sun Ze asked him, ¡°Dad, who is at the Foundation Establishment stage?¡±


    Sun Yi shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡±


    Sun Ze was not satisfied, ¡°If there is no one at the Foundation Establishment stage, then weren¡¯t we busy for nothing? And you were so humble and obliging, do they even deserve it?¡±


    ¡°Say less of such ignorant remarks!¡± Sun Yi rebuked with a frown, ¡°A true man can bend and stretch. What¡¯s wrong with being humble and obliging?¡±


    The Sun Family living room was decorated regally.


    Sun Yi sat down, a beautiful maid came forward to offer tea, and after he took a sip, he pondered for a moment before slowly saying:


    ¡°Among this group of cultivators, even if there is no one at the Foundation Establishment stage, their identities must not be ordinary¡­¡±


    Sun Ze¡¯s gaze, reluctantly moving away from the maid¡¯s waist, nodded in agreement and said:


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that old man driving the cart, the young lad with an impressive bearing, and that pretty young girl, they all have an extraordinary temperament¡­¡±


    ¡°And that Mr. Zhuang, either he is a true expert with an air of immortality, or he¡¯s a real big fraud¡­¡±


    Sun Ze counted them all, but only Mo Hua was left out.


    To Sun Ze, Mo Hua only looked a bit more clever, not worthy of his attention.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Sun Ze leaned in and whispered:


    ¡°What are we going to do next?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyebrows raised, he put down the tea cup and said in a calm voice:


    ¡°Observe for a few days. If they are beyond our reach, we treat them with courtesy¡­¡±


    ¡°What if they are within our reach?¡±


    Sun Yi looked at Sun Ze, his gaze somewhat secretive, ¡°¡­ then we must still treat them well.¡±


    Sun Ze also smiled.


    ¡­


    The Sun Family prepared two large guest rooms for Mo Hua and the others.


    One for Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui to stay in, and the other for the three children including Mo Hua.


    Although called large guest rooms, they were also exquisitely arranged with complete sets of porcelain, folding screens, and the burning of sandalwood, with smoke curling upwards.


    There were five or six beds placed side by side, each bed covered with soft blankets.


    Bai Zixi sat cross-legged, elegant and calm as she meditated.


    The two brothers of Mo Hua were lying on the beds, whispering to each other.


    ¡°That Sun surname doesn¡¯t look like a good guy.¡±


    ¡°Which Sun surname?¡±


    ¡°Is there any other Sun surname?¡±


    ¡°One father, one son¡­¡±


    ¡°Both don¡¯t look like good people.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, their smiles are too fake.¡±


    ¡°A smile that doesn¡¯t reach the eyes.¡±


    ¡°Too enthusiastic, they must be harboring ulterior motives.¡±


    ¡°No good deed goes unoffered without a hidden agenda¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As the two murmured among themselves, Bai Zixi found it impossible to continue her cultivation and could only open her eyes, wide as autumn waters, and look at them helplessly.

 Chapter 383: Plans

    Bai Zixi simply stopped cultivating, leaned comfortably against the edge of the bed on a padded blanket, and listened to her senior brother and junior brother talking.Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua were still muttering to each other.


    ¡°The Sun Family is too rich!¡± Mo Hua whispered.


    ¡°Rich? How so?¡± Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°This vast mansion, so many servants and maids, even the guest rooms are so well-furnished. Most things here are spiritual artifacts engraved with formations. Although the formations are somewhat crude, they are still very expensive¡­¡±


    Mo Hua mused.


    These items, if placed in a larger Immortal City, might be common, but here in the remote Thousand Families Town, they seemed out of place.


    In Tongxian City, even the Qian Family¡¯s mansion was not as luxurious as the Sun Family¡¯s.


    Bai Zisheng nodded, but he was always carefree and had little notion of the value of Spirit Stones.


    On the other hand, Bai Zixi seemed thoughtful.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°So what do we do next?¡±


    Lying on the soft blanket, Mo Hua thought for a moment before saying,


    ¡°I need to find the Ultimate Formation hidden in this town.¡±


    ¡°What kind of Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t say, and I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    ¡°Does Mr. Zhuang know where it is hidden?¡± Bai Zisheng asked curiously.


    Mo Hua lowered his voice and quietly said,


    ¡°I guess Mr. Zhuang definitely knows, but since he isn¡¯t telling, it must mean he wants me to find it myself.¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered, ¡°That¡¯s troublesome¡­¡±


    Then he asked again, ¡°Mo Hua, do you really need to study the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Ultimate Formations are very difficult to learn¡ªtime-consuming, effort-intensive, and taxing on the Divine Sense. Moreover, some Ultimate Formations have obscure effects and limited applicability.


    In the standards set by the Taoist Court for assessment, Ultimate Formations are not even included.


    A typical Formation Master wouldn¡¯t deliberately study them.


    Yet, Mo Hua nodded earnestly, ¡°I need to learn it.¡±


    He counted on his fingers:


    ¡°Learn an eleven-stripe Ultimate Formation first, refine the Divine Sense to twelve stripes, then look for a twelve-stripe Ultimate Formation to comprehend, refine the Divine Sense to thirteen stripes, and then seek a thirteen-stripe Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s scalp tingled at the thought.


    Bai Zixi also looked at Mo Hua in amazement, speechless.


    ¡°Can you really learn it?¡± Bai Zisheng asked with concern.


    Learning up to eleven stripes was preposterous enough; aiming for thirteen stripes seemed out of the question¡­


    ¡°Even if I can¡¯t learn it, I must learn it. As long as I study, there will be a day I can master it.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Besides, my Spiritual Root is inadequate, and I can¡¯t do Body Refinement. This is the only path I can take.¡±


    Bai Zisheng, feeling a headache at the thought and some sympathy for his junior brother, declared as a proper senior brother, ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you!¡±


    After speaking, he sneakily glanced at his sister Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi also nodded her head.


    Bai Zisheng then said, ¡°Zixi and I will help you together!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourselves,¡± Mo Hua declined.


    Bai Zisheng was slightly displeased:


    ¡°You¡¯re a junior brother, no need for formalities. Just tell us if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Since that was the case, Mo Hua stopped being polite.


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation is either hidden in the Sun Family or somewhere in Thousand Families Town. Let¡¯s split up and search; you and senior sister can inquire within the Sun Family, and I¡¯ll look around town for clues,¡± Mo Hua shared his plan.


    The Sun Family was very warm towards Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, but somewhat dismissive of him.


    They probably noticed the air of Disciples of the Worldly Family on this senior brother and sister, with their clearly exceptional talents, and thus wanted to curry favor.


    If they made requests or probed into the Sun Family¡¯s assets, it would likely be much easier for them.


    Being young, if he tried to inquire within the Sun Family, he would certainly be perfunctorily handled, perhaps even slighted, and might not be able to uncover anything.


    Bai Zisheng nodded, then asked with confusion,


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°I calculated it!¡±


    ¡°How did you calculate it¡­¡± Bai Zisheng was quite curious.


    ¡°By sensing the Spiritual Power of the formations, calculating the Formation Patterns through the Spiritual Power, and thereby deducing the location of the Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua explained it once.


    Bai Zisheng frowned, perceiving it as a highly complicated matter.


    ¡°Are you sure about your calculations?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat uneasy.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not sure that I need your help¡­ If I could be certain, I would already know where the formation is located¡ªI wouldn¡¯t need to go looking for it¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve only learned half of it¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s half-learned, it¡¯s still very hard!¡±


    Mo Hua defended stoutly.


    Bai Zisheng paused, then on further thought agreed; although Mo Hua was but half-trained, he himself was not trained at all.


    The skill of Divine Sense Calculation was completely foreign to him.


    Let alone knowing it, if it wasn¡¯t for Mo Hua and Mr. Zhuang mentioning it, and the Bai Family¡¯s fairly deep Formation roots, he wouldn¡¯t have even heard of it.


    Bai Zisheng felt somewhat deflated, then his eyes brightened a little, ¡°Can I learn this Calculation?¡±


    After thinking, Mo Hua said, ¡°You can only learn it after reaching Foundation Establishment with your Divine Sense. By then, Master will likely teach you as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Bai Zisheng sighed.


    He still had some time before Foundation Establishment.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua remembered another matter and asked Bai Zisheng,


    ¡°Did you take Mr. Zhuang as your master because you wanted to learn about Formations? Has the master taught you any?¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°He has.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°When did he teach you?¡±


    The three of them were almost always together, so how could Mr. Zhuang have taught them without his knowledge¡­


    Bai Zisheng hesitated for a moment but decided to tell the truth, S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It was when you went to pluck grass and feed Big White¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    In that short amount of time, Mr. Zhuang actually gave them ¡°special lessons¡±¡­


    However, upon reflection, Mo Hua realized Mr. Zhuang seemed to have given him ¡°special lessons¡± too, which somewhat balanced his feelings.


    Bai Zisheng spoke with a tinge of regret,


    ¡°The master said that you must not learn this Formation, so you must not see it¡­¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I learn it?¡± Mo Hua wondered.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°Master didn¡¯t say.¡±


    Frowning, Mo Hua¡¯s mind was busy with thoughts.


    Bai Zisheng thought he might hold a grudge and suggestively said, ¡°How about I secretly teach you?¡±


    After he spoke, he sneakily glanced at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi blinked, pretending to be unaware.


    Mo Hua was touched by the gesture, yet still shook his head,


    ¡°The master must have his reasons. If I could learn, he would certainly teach me. Since he doesn¡¯t, there must be a reason.¡±


    After all, Mr. Zhuang has taught me very advanced knowledge about various Formations, such as Reversed Spirit Formations, Divine Sense Calculation, and Formation Collapse.


    Not teaching this particular Formation now probably means he really has some concerns.


    Even if Mr. Zhuang truly refuses to teach, it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­


    Mr. Zhuang has already been very good to me, teaching me plenty, and I mustn¡¯t be greedy.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both looked at Mo Hua in surprise, then both breathed a sigh of relief.


    As fellow disciples seeking knowledge in the same school, they felt somewhat guilty about secretly learning things behind Mo Hua¡¯s back, but spelling things out now made them feel much more at ease.


    Bai Zisheng then vowed earnestly,


    ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll find the Ultimate Formation for you. It¡¯s just the Sun Family, right? I¡¯ll turn the Sun Family upside down tomorrow!¡±


    Bai Zixi sighed helplessly.


    Mo Hua gave him an annoyed glance, ¡°If we¡¯re to search for something, we need to be discreet and not let them notice¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Then the three little heads came together again, whispering and muttering a bunch of things.


    They spoke about how to probe, what excuses to find, what the Formation was, its effects, and where it might be hidden.


    Of course, most of the talking was between Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng, with Bai Zixi just silently listening¡­


    Meanwhile, in the next room, Mr. Zhuang slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with wistfulness and satisfaction.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Mo Hua and the others began to act separately.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi subtly revealed their identities as members of a great clan.


    Sun Ze, elated beyond measure, volunteered to show the two around the Sun Family estate. On the surface, he appeared to answer all questions and was exceedingly thorough, but whether there was truth or falsehood in his words remained unknown.


    Mo Hua claimed he wanted to go out for a walk to find some food for Big White¡¯s horse.


    The Sun Family offered their own forage, but Mo Hua deemed it not good enough.


    The Sun Family then suggested finding someone to accompany Mo Hua, but he refused, and all other reasons were also decisively rejected by Mo Hua, resulting in them reluctantly watching as Mo Hua slipped out of the Sun Family¡¯s gate alone.


    Sun Yi frowned slightly, saying to Mr. Zhuang,


    ¡°This young brother is young; going out alone, he might encounter danger.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang simply responded, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    In the entirety of Thousand Families Town, the only Foundation Building Cultivator was the Family Head of the Sun Family before them.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s current abilities, outside of the Sun Family, there likely wasn¡¯t any Cultivator who could trouble him.


    As soon as Mo Hua left the Sun Family, the scenery before him seemed to change abruptly.


    The Sun Family estate was luxurious and splendid.


    But outside, the streets were desolate, covered with a layer of weather-worn frost.


    It was as if they were in two different worlds.


    Mo Hua sighed softly.


    Afterward, he walked down the main street, touring the whole town.


    Thousand Families Town wasn¡¯t large; in less than half an hour, he had taken in all the Formations in town.


    These Formations were profoundly rudimentary, mostly just three or four Formation Patterns, belonging to the introductory level for apprentices.


    Beyond that, there were no other special Formation traces.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Mo Hua murmured to himself, pondering,


    ¡°Could it be that the Ultimate Formation is hidden within the Sun Family?¡±


    The Sun Family Head seemed to be a Formation Master, so having a collection of ancient and lost Formations would make sense.


    Moreover, the Sun Family was quite wealthy, so passing down an Ultimate Formation from ancestors could be plausible.


    Just as Mo Hua was about to head back, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the Spirit Fields.


    They were neatly arranged in blocks between two mountains.


    At this moment, the Spirit Fields were brimming with Spirit Rice.


    As the mountain breeze passed, it stirred the Spirit Fields, rippling the green expanse like a wrinkled lake surface.


    And above the Spirit Fields, lingered a faint Spiritual Energy.


    Mo Hua swept the fields with his Divine Sense, uttered a light ¡°hmm,¡± and strode toward the Spirit Fields that waved like the tide.

 Chapter 384: Spirit Field

    Tao Cultivation encompasses a hundred trades.In the vast Nine State, with its varied regional customs, Cultivators rely on the mountains and waters, adapting to local conditions to make a living through these trades.


    As Spirit Farmers who till and plant Spirit Rice crops, they indeed belong to one of the hundred trades of Tao Cultivation.


    Tongxian City, being mountainous and lacking arable land, sources its Spirit Paddy and Spirit Rice from an Immortal City to the west that lives off cultivating Spirit Fields.


    This was the first time Mo Hua had ever seen Spirit Fields as extensive as those stretching out before him.


    To the south of Thousand Families Town, the Spirit Fields stretched out in blocks, arranged like a grid and encompassing about a hundred acres.


    Amid the Spirit Fields were verdant rice seedlings, with misty water vapor enriching the space between them.


    The sky was high and distant, with clouds drifting lazily; the rice fields were lush and stretched out far and wide, like an emerald carpet unfurling towards the horizon.


    Where the distant blue sky met the Spirit Fields was a range of mountains shrouded in layer upon layer of clouds and mist.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath, the air crisp and refreshing. His spirits lifted, his eyes brightened, and he suddenly had an insight.


    All beings are born of nature, and the earth nourishes all.


    The heavens display the Great Dao, while the earth is an extension of it.


    And indeed, traces of Formation could be seen amongst these Spirit Fields.


    On the embankments of the Spirit Fields, there were hard soil and stones, upon which Formation Patterns were drawn.


    But these weren¡¯t Ultimate Formations; they were simple Cultivating Soil Formations, designed to nurture Spirit Rice and accumulate moisture.


    Mo Hua extended his Divine Sense and sensed only ordinary Cultivating Soil Formations. There was no special Formation aura, which was somewhat disappointing.


    Thinking it over, he decided to explore deeper into the fields.


    Near the Spirit Fields there were paths, and Mo Hua followed one for a while when he suddenly furrowed his brow.


    It was just morning time, the sun was bright and pleasant, and there were Spirit Farmers working the land.


    Most of these Spirit Farmers were older, their clothes tattered and stained with mud, their skin dark and lean, fingers rough and cracked. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bent at the waist, they seemed oppressed by something, struggling to breathe.


    In the bright morning sun, within the vibrant Spirit Fields,


    these stooped, expressionless Spirit Farmers looked terribly out of place.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    As he walked on, he encountered an elderly man by the side of a Spirit Field.


    The elder was probably also a Spirit Farmer, dried up and thin, his face as yellow as wax and carved wood, with a hint of despair upon it.


    A little grandson followed beside him, wiping his tears with dirty little hands.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart softened, so he asked,


    ¡°Old man, is something the matter?¡±


    The elderly man turned his head woodenly and, upon seeing a young, fair-looking Cultivator with clear eyes, he hesitated repeatedly before finally letting out a deep sigh,


    ¡°The field is ruined again¡­¡±


    His voice carried a thick bitterness and hardship.


    Mo Hua paused, concerned, and asked,


    ¡°How can the field be ruined?¡±


    The elder pointed to the embankment and said hoarsely,


    ¡°The Formation is broken. Without the Formation, the Spirit Field becomes barren, unable to retain water, causing the crops to wither. There¡¯ll be no harvest this year¡­¡±


    By the end of his sentence, the elder¡¯s voice was tinged with a slight choke.


    Turning his head, Mo Hua saw indeed that a Cultivating Soil Formation on the embankment had failed, its Patterns present but devoid of Spiritual Power flowing through them.


    Mo Hua exhaled in relief; he had thought it was something serious¡­


    It was only a simple six-Pattern Cultivating Soil Formation.


    ¡°This Formation is simple, I¡¯ll fix it for you,¡± Mo Hua offered.


    The elder was stunned, ¡°You¡­ you know Formations?¡±


    The child beside him looked at Mo Hua with eager eyes.


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


    ¡°But that Formation is quite difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°I just happen to have studied it.¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s young age yet composed demeanor, appearing confident, the elder believed him somewhat, but he was still conflicted,


    ¡°What if it¡¯s worse off¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s already broken,¡± Mo Hua pointed out.


    The elder was taken aback and thought it made sense. After all, it was already ruined, and they had no other options. Yet, since the Formation was crucial to their livelihood, he still couldn¡¯t let go of his worry.


    After hesitating and struggling with himself, the elder seemed to resign himself to his fate and said despondently,


    ¡°Young man, go ahead and draw¡­¡±


    He truly had no other solution.


    Mo Hua took out his Formation Pen and dipped it in ink.


    The elder¡¯s expression changed subtly. This young Cultivator seemed to know what he was doing¡­


    He couldn¡¯t help but look forward with anticipation.


    Then he saw Mo Hua approach the edge of the field, his small hand holding the pen. He casually drew a few strokes and then looked up, clearly saying to the elder,


    ¡°All done.¡±


    The elder hadn¡¯t even regained his senses, nor seen what Mo Hua had drawn, his expression one of disbelief,


    ¡°Is it¡­ is it really fixed?¡±


    Just a glance, a few strokes, and it was repaired?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s quite simple.¡±


    The elder walked over to the field, examined the Formation, and indeed saw a faint yellow light glowing. He felt as if he were still in a dream.


    The water vapor in the field was accumulating again.


    The Spirit Rice no longer looked wilted, and their color turned a shade greener.


    The old man couldn¡¯t help but smile. As he was smiling, he seemed to think that with a harvest secured, neither he nor his grandson would starve to death. Then he squatted by the field and began wiping his tears.


    Mo Hua felt an inexplicable heartache.


    Some cultivators in this world live such humble lives.


    Merely being able to survive had already driven them to tears of joy¡­


    ¡°Thank you, young brother¡­¡±


    The old man said earnestly, filled with gratitude. Having dealt with the fields all his life, he was at a loss for words and could only utter a ¡°thank you¡±.


    Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°Your Formation broke, haven¡¯t you asked someone to fix it?¡±


    The old man replied helplessly, ¡°We asked, ten Spirit Stones to fix it once, but once fixed it breaks again, and when it breaks we repair it¡­¡±


    ¡°For the sake of repairing this Formation, I¡¯ve poured in all the remaining Spirit Stones in my home, and now I¡¯m in debt to the Sun Family for dozens of Spirit Stones¡­ If we continue repairing, even if we give this year¡¯s entire harvest to the Sun Family, I still won¡¯t be able to pay off the debt.¡±


    ¡°The Sun Family?¡±


    The old man pointed towards Thousand Families Town, ¡°The wealthiest Sun Family in town.¡±


    ¡°This Formation is their ancestral skill. The Sun Family says only they can draw it and only they can fix it. So, whatever amount of Spirit Stones they ask for, that¡¯s what we have to give.¡±


    Mo Hua asked with confusion, ¡°Haven¡¯t you asked another Formation Master for help?¡±


    The old man¡¯s face grew troubled. ¡°In Thousand Families Town, there are no other Formation Masters¡­¡±


    ¡°Occasionally, if a Formation Master passes through, they also wouldn¡¯t help us to stay in the Sun Family¡¯s good graces.¡±


    ¡°The Sun Family is like a local bully; those people don¡¯t dare to offend them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s feelings were complex.


    He looked again at the Formation in the Spirit Field and noticed that there had indeed been attempts to repair it, but it was done with the cheapest ink, costing next to nothing, and the craftsmanship was extremely crude, showing only the most basic level of expertise.


    It was likely the work of an apprentice or an unskilled Formation Master.


    Or perhaps, the Sun Family had intentionally done a shoddy job.


    Fixing it well meant it would be less likely to break again, which would mean they couldn¡¯t exploit Spirit Stones from repairs as easily.


    Ten Spirit Stones to fix it, just once¡­


    Over time, it¡¯s clearly not something an ordinary Loose Cultivator could afford to do.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°What if you can¡¯t repay the Sun Family¡¯s debt?¡±


    The old man sighed, ¡°Then we sell our sons and daughters to them. The boys become servants, the girls become maids.¡±


    ¡°Once they enter the Sun Family as slaves, they have to change their names, and they can no longer recognize their own parents. They can only work for them like cattle and horses¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp.


    He finally understood where the numerous servants and maids serving the Sun Family had come from¡­


    As the old man spoke, he suddenly came to his senses and apologized:


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken up half the day with my complaints¡­¡±


    Then, as if recalling something, he showed a look of shame, ¡°For the spiritual stones to repair the Formation, I¡­¡±


    He wanted to offer them, but his home was so poor that he couldn¡¯t even produce a single Spirit Stone.


    Mo Hua waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It was nothing; don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    The old man still felt uneasy and said:


    ¡°Young gentleman, if you don¡¯t mind, please come to my home for a simple meal.¡±


    The look of guilt in the old man¡¯s expression was strong.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then agreed. He also had some questions he wished to ask.


    Along the way, the two of them chatted idle.


    Mo Hua learned that the old man¡¯s surname was Ding, and his family of four lived near Thousand Lamps Town in East Mountain Village, and was a lineage of Spirit Farmers.


    They could till Spirit Fields, but the income was meager, not enough to support a family.


    So his son and daughter-in-law had gone out to make a living, only returning about once every year or two.


    His grandson and he stayed home, subsisting on a few thin acres of land, enough to have a meal to eat.


    Old Ding brought Mo Hua home.


    As expected, Mo Hua saw that the home was indeed bare, very humble.


    Old Ding awkwardly said, ¡°This¡­ my home really¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, not minding it at all.


    Being a Loose Cultivator himself, he knew what poverty was like.


    Old Ding went to start a fire to cook.


    After a while, a bowl of porridge, a dish of salty vegetables, and one free-range chicken were placed on the table.


    The chicken was freshly killed.


    When Mo Hua entered the house, he had seen it clucking in the courtyard.


    Though this chicken was also raised by a cultivator and considered a Spirit Beast, it hardly contained any Spiritual Energy and wasn¡¯t worth much, which was why some Loose Cultivators would keep a few, just feeding them grass.


    But this was the only chicken Old Ding had.


    The pickled vegetables tasted bitter and salty.


    In the porridge bowl there were a few grains of rice, but this was only in Mo Hua¡¯s bowl.


    In Old Ding¡¯s and his grandson¡¯s bowls, the porridge was watery, without a single grain.


    People who tilled the land, yet had no rice to eat.


    Mo Hua fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City have a hard life, but the vast majority of Loose Cultivators in the Cultivation World probably have it even worse than in Tongxian City.¡±


    This was something Elder Yu had said to him, but it was the first time Mo Hua truly felt its weight.


    He thought of the banquet the Sun Family had that morning, covering an entire table, as well as the remaining rice and meat that was disposed of without a second thought¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Without toiling the fields, they dressed in finery and ate sumptuously, while the hardworking peasants couldn¡¯t even fill their stomachs.

 Chapter 385: Formation

    Old Ding¡¯s youngest grandson lay sprawled out on the table, sipping the clear porridge that was devoid of a single grain of rice, forcing himself not to look at the chicken on the table. Yet occasionally, he couldn¡¯t help but sneak a peek.The little grandson, around five or six years old, was named Ding Miao.


    His name was likely chosen in the hopes that he would grow up just as smoothly and healthily as the seedlings in the fields.


    The growth of the seedlings signified a year of abundant harvest.


    The growth of a child signified a life of peace and smooth sailing.


    Mo Hua finished the porridge in his bowl, ate a piece of chicken, then pushed the entire plate of meat towards Miao.


    ¡°I¡¯m full, let Miao have it.¡±


    Old Ding hurriedly said, ¡°How could we possibly accept this?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you some questions, and you answer them for me. That will serve as payment for the Formation Painting.¡±


    Old Ding said, ¡°Young master, ask whatever you need to, I¡¯ll speak without holding back. It¡¯s part of my duty, but this¡­¡±


    However, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t allow him to refuse. ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡±


    But Ding Miao shook his head, his childish voice speaking up:


    ¡°Big brother, eat.¡±


    Mo Hua patted his head, speaking gently, ¡°You eat it.¡±


    Ding Miao intended to refuse.


    His grandfather had taught him to always treat guests well.


    But he was truly hungry, and it had been so long since he knew the taste of meat.


    He couldn¡¯t resist and took a bite of the chicken.


    Then, lost in the savory aroma of the chicken, he began to eat one piece after another¡­


    Mo Hua patted his little head again.


    Ding Miao looked up, eating the meat, his eyes bright and shiny.


    Old Ding watched, his heart aching.


    This was his own grandson, who often didn¡¯t even have enough rice to feel full, let alone meat¡­


    On one side, Ding Miao was wholeheartedly devouring a plate of chicken.


    Mo Hua then asked Old Ding:


    ¡°Old Ding, were all the Formations in this field painted by the Sun Family?¡±


    Old Ding nodded, ¡°It¡¯s been modified and improved across hundreds of years since the Sun Family ancestors started with it.¡±


    ¡°The ancestors of the Sun Family?¡±


    With some emotion, Old Ding began to recount:


    ¡°The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, in particular, was a famously great Formation Master and a first-rate kind man.¡±


    ¡°He was originally a cultivator from elsewhere who ended up here by chance. Seeing the cultivators in Thousand Families Town struggle, he showed kindness by painting Formations in the Spirit Fields.¡±


    ¡°These Formations enriched the soil and water, ensuring a bountiful harvest of Spirit Rice, and kept us from worrying about food and clothes.¡±


    ¡°The cultivators of Thousand Families Town were extremely grateful and tried fervently to retain him, even building a mansion for him¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the very mansion belonging to the Sun Family now, though they¡¯ve renovated it several times at great expense, and it no longer retains its original appearance.¡±


    ¡°What happened afterward?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Later on¡­¡± Old Ding sighed, ¡°the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family died for unknown reasons. There are rumors that he died from overstudying Formation Patterns, which shattered his Sea of Consciousness, but this is just hearsay; the internal affairs are unclear to me¡­¡±


    ¡°After the death of the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, we remembered the kindness of the Sun Family and remained grateful to them. Every harvest, we would send some Spirit Paddy their way.¡±


    ¡°Gradually, the descendants of the Sun Family came to take this for granted. They felt we owed the Sun Family and ought to offer up ¡®tribute¡¯ to them.¡±


    ¡°In years of poor harvest, when we gave less, the Sun Family would curse us, calling us ungrateful wretches.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s worse is that they later harbored ill intentions, demanding not just the crop yield but also the village¡¯s young women to serve as maids for them¡­ How could we possibly agree to that?¡±


    ¡°Thus, a kindly gesture turned into enmity¡­¡±


    ¡°As time went on, our conflicts with the Sun Family deepened. The Sun Family, relying on these Formations, started making exorbitant demands, and we ended up having to give them most of our annual harvest.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t refuse. The land here is adjacent to the mountains and infertile; without the Formations, the Spirit Rice in the fields would soon wither away¡­¡±


    Old Ding heaved a deep sigh.


    Mo Hua listened, also feeling some emotion, and then asked:


    ¡°What about the Formations in the fields then? Are they the same as the ones painted by the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, unchanged?¡±


    Old Ding scratched his head, trying to remember. He said: sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It seems not¡­¡±


    ¡°According to the elders among the cultivators in the village, the Formations painted by the Old Ancestor had no trace and needed no repairs, lasting for many years.¡±


    ¡°Most of the Formations now were painted by the Sun Family¡¯s descendants, often break, and need frequent repairs.¡±


    But he was unclear on the specifics.


    The matters of the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family were somewhat ancient, and what he knew was hearsay, and as for the workings of the Formations, he was completely ignorant and couldn¡¯t provide an explanation.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    This was strange.


    If they were indeed Formations, how could there be no trace?


    The descendants of the Sun Family should know the Formations their ancestor painted, so why repaint them?


    Was it simply to extort and exploit the cultivators who farmed the land?


    Did the Sun Family know what the Formations their ancestor painted were like?


    Unable to figure it out, Mo Hua thought of another question:


    ¡°The Sun Family wants you to sell your sons and use your daughters as servants, but they didn¡¯t ask you to sell them the land?¡±


    Normally, Spirit Fields are the most valuable.


    The Sun Family not seizing this large opportunity must have had a reason.


    ¡°The Sun Family has a family precept¡­¡±


    ¡°A family precept?¡±


    Old Ding nodded and said, ¡°The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family stipulated a rule long ago: No member of the Sun Family shall ever seize an inch of land from Thousand Families Town, or they would be stripped of their surname, their name removed from the family records, and cast out of the family!¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised and exclaimed, ¡°That Old Ancestor of the Sun Family truly was a broad-minded and good Formation Master, a pity that¡­¡±


    A pity the descendants were unworthy.


    On the other side, Ding Miao had finally finished eating the chicken. He looked at Mo Hua, his face flushed with embarrassment.


    The chicken was originally for Old Ding to entertain Mo Hua with, but he had eaten it all.


    Mo Hua then smiled and said:


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take a look at the fields, could you take me there?¡±


    The now full Ding Miao nodded vigorously, ¡°Mhm!¡±


    Afterward, Old Ding and Miao led Mo Hua to tour the Spirit Fields.


    Mo Hua asked some questions, and Old Ding answered them all.


    But Mo Hua still couldn¡¯t find a clue about the Ultimate Formation.


    Looking around, there were only Cultivating Soil Formations with six Formation Patterns in the Spirit Field.


    As dusk approached, Mo Hua made his goodbyes and returned to the Sun Family.


    After greeting Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua went back to his room to exchange information with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zisheng said,


    ¡°The Family Head of the Sun Family, Sun Yi, is an idiot!¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Bai Zisheng looked around and whispered,


    ¡°He¡¯s been studying Formations for seventy or eighty years, he¡¯s even reached Foundation Establishment, but his Formation skills haven¡¯t reached First Grade, and his Divine Sense hasn¡¯t reached ten Patterns¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°Is he blockheaded?¡±


    Bai Zixi glanced silently at Mo Hua and said indifferently,


    ¡°Not everyone learns Formations that fast.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned and whispered, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that slow¡­ What does he do all day?¡±


    Bai Zisheng curled his lip, ¡°Eating, drinking tea, watching women dance, and he even invited me and Zixi to watch¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he study Formations?¡±


    ¡°He does,¡± said Bai Zisheng. ¡°He practices one Formation Painting every day¡­¡±


    Mo Hua fell silent.


    No wonder¡­


    Practicing just one Formation Painting a day is less than a fraction of a fraction of what¡¯s needed¡­


    In what year of the monkey or month of the horse would he become a First Grade Formation Master?


    It seemed not a lack of aptitude, but an indulgence in ease and lazy temperament.


    ¡°What about the Formation skills of the other people in the Sun Family?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was even more disdainful, ¡°A bunch of cowards and incompetents.¡±


    ¡°With the Family Head like this, don¡¯t even think about the others; his son, Sun Ze, can only draw four Formation Patterns to this day¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The ancestors of the Sun Family once had a true Second Grade Great Formation Master who could bring immense benefits to the Cultivators in the area.


    Moreover, this Second Grade Formation Master likely even comprehended an Ultimate Formation.


    Yet his descendants were bossing others around, indulging in pleasures.


    Even after reaching Foundation Establishment, they hadn¡¯t become First Grade Formation Masters.


    ¡°What about you, did you find anything out?¡± Bai Zisheng asked Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua reported what he had learned, including the matters of the Sun Family ancestors, the monopoly on Formation for profit, and the Spirit Farmers without rice to cook and so on.


    Listened and Bai Zisheng grew a bit angry, ¡°I didn¡¯t think he was not only an idiot but also a scoundrel.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the Taoist Court officials care about such things within the Sun Family?¡±


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t understand and looked toward Bai Zixi.


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Zixi said softly,


    ¡°Usually, they wouldn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court is established in the Immortal City and governs the territory of the Immortal City. The areas beyond the city are governed by the local Clans, Sects, or local Elders. They just have to pay some Spirit Stone taxes every year.¡±


    ¡°For small places like this, the Taoist Court has the right to intervene, but its reach is limited, and generally, they won¡¯t bother unless there¡¯s a serious issue.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The layers of the Taoist Court are strictly hierarchical, but there are many fragmented places below, where interests are intricately interwoven, and governance is relatively loose.


    As long as it doesn¡¯t affect the stability of the Taoist Court, many things are overlooked by those above.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but turn to Bai Zixi and praised,


    ¡°Senior Sister, you know so much.¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly, her expression calm, but her long eyelashes fluttered, revealing a hint of pride amidst her prettiness.


    ¡°So, you still haven¡¯t found any clues about the Ultimate Formation?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua shook his head regretfully.


    ¡°What do you plan to do next?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some free time to go check out East Mountain Village and the Spirit Paddy again. I¡¯ve done the Calculations, and there should be some clues in the Spirit Paddy.¡±


    Even though the hundred-acre Spirit Paddy might not have it now, it was likely that the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family once painted an Ultimate Formation there.


    It was the ¡°traceless and markless¡± Formation that Old Ding mentioned¡­


    In the following days, when Mo Hua found the time, he would still visit East Mountain Village.


    The people from the Sun Family reported his movements to Sun Ze.


    Sun Ze then reported them to his father, the Family Head of the Sun Family, Sun Yi.


    ¡°Dad, what exactly does this brat want to do?¡± Sun Ze said unhappily.


    Sun Yi frowned, saying nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent people to ask around. A few days ago, the kid went into the Spirit Field, fixed a Cultivating Soil Formation, had a meal at an old man¡¯s house, and then wandered around the Spirit Field a few more times.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been going there almost every day these past few days.¡±


    A flash of brilliance crossed Sun Yi¡¯s eyes, ¡°You said he fixed a Cultivating Soil Formation?¡±


    Sun Ze nodded.


    Sun Yi found it hard to believe, ¡°This little brat is actually able to fix a Cultivating Soil Formation with six Patterns?¡±


    He then looked at his son with a mixture of frustration and disappointment, saying,


    ¡°If you spent a fraction of your attention on important matters, you could go beyond just being able to draw four Patterns, and not bring shame to our Sun Family!¡±


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re not much better yourself, not even a First Grade Formation Master after reaching Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    Sun Ze muttered inwardly, but didn¡¯t dare to speak out or argue back. He then said,


    ¡°Dad, what exactly does this unassuming brat want to do?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s expression became more solemn, and then a glint of shrewdness burst in his eyes,


    ¡°Formations¡­ He couldn¡¯t be targeting the Sun Family¡¯s Formation heritage, could he¡­¡±


    Sun Ze was also taken aback, and then he frowned, a bit disheartened, saying,


    ¡°But, dad¡­ What heritage does our family have to pass on?¡±


    Aren¡¯t they all just common goods?


    Deceiving those who don¡¯t understand Formations and only know how to farm.


    To say that the Formations in the fields must be repaired by our Sun Family.


    But anyone with clear eyes knows that they are just ordinary Cultivating Soil Formations.


    ¡°Dad, you can fool others, but don¡¯t delude yourself¡­¡± said Sun Ze.


    Sun Yi rebuked, ¡°What do you know? Our Sun Family has a secret heritage that isn¡¯t passed to outsiders!¡±

 Chapter 386: Provocation

    Sun Ze exclaimed in shock, ¡°Our Sun Family actually has such a legacy?¡±Sun Yi glared at him, ¡°Otherwise, what do you think our Sun Family¡¯s fortune comes from?¡±


    ¡°Our ancestor was a distinguished Second Rank Formation Master, how could he only pass down such little?¡±


    Sun Ze frowned, ¡°But where is this legacy?¡±


    From childhood to adulthood, he had neither seen nor heard of such a top-secret Formation within the Sun Family.


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyelids twitched as he sighed,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    ¡°Our ancestor passed away mysteriously, without having the opportunity to make arrangements. Some of the Formation inheritances are also scattered and fragmentary.¡±


    ¡°Now, the foundation of our Sun Family is pieced together bit by bit from the scraps left in the old ancestor¡¯s manuscripts by your great-grandfather and grandfather.¡±


    ¡°There are a few Second-Grade Formations, but we can¡¯t learn them. Even among the First-grade Formations, they are all common Formations and nothing special¡­¡±


    Sun Ze couldn¡¯t help but sneer,


    ¡°Are we descendants really born from the old ancestor?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s face turned cold as he rebuked,


    ¡°If you utter such disrespectful words again, go kneel in the ancestral hall for three days!¡±


    Sun Ze mumbled a few words, but dared not say it out loud again.


    Sun Yi¡¯s gaze became sharp.


    This thought, he had indeed doubted himself as well.


    The old ancestor¡¯s death came suddenly.


    But even then, he should have made some early preparations, organized some Formation inheritances to leave behind for his descendants.


    It shouldn¡¯t be like now, where they can only pick up scraps from the legacy left by their ancestors.


    Although they live comfortably by relying on these Formations and exploiting the Spirit Farmers,


    the way of Formation is vast and profound.


    Who wouldn¡¯t want to advance further?


    Let alone becoming a Second Rank Formation Master, even just getting an assessment to become a First-grade Formation Master, his current status would¡¯ve been drastically different.


    In the nearby Shangtai City, a First-grade Formation Master, even if only at the Qi Refinement stage, holds a status not much different from his as a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    The old ancestor didn¡¯t leave any Formation inheritance for their descendants.


    Could it really be because the descendants of the Sun Family do not actually bear the surname ¡°Sun,¡± and the blood flowing in them is not that of the old ancestor¡¯s lineage?


    But these speculations, Sun Yi only dared to ponder secretly.


    The Sun Family standing in Thousand Families Town and invocating authority is firstly relying on the Formations, and secondly on the grace from the Sun family ancestors.


    The grace of the ancestors gives them legitimate righteousness, which even resentful Loose Cultivators have to endure.


    If not for this, should real trouble arise, drawing public fury, their Sun Family might not expect any good outcome.


    Sun Ze thought for a moment, then said,


    ¡°If that kid really has his sights on our Sun Family¡¯s Formation that is not passed on outside, not even inside, not even passed on to anyone, what should we do?¡±


    Sun Yi sneered,


    ¡°Such a legacy, is it something a little brat can covet?¡±


    ¡°The utmost secret inheritance of a Second Rank Formation Master, even if placed in front of him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Simply overestimating his own ability!¡±


    Sun Yi said disdainfully.


    He is a Formation Master; although not yet First-grade, he has deeply experienced the difficulty of learning Formations and the hardship of studying them.


    If he, a Foundation Building Cultivator, finds it so difficult to comprehend Formations, let alone that milk-fed little brat who is only at the Qi Refining Seventh Level.


    Sun Ze, who could only draw four Formation Patterns up until now, nodded his head in agreement.


    Indeed, it is difficult to learn Formation.


    Then he said, ¡°The kid might not understand, but what about his master?¡±


    Sun Yi was taken aback, thinking of the handsome and noble Mr. Zhuang. He furrowed his brows,


    ¡°His master¡­¡±


    He simply couldn¡¯t see through him.


    Whether that man had Blood Qi, any Cultivation, or even Divine Sense, he knew nothing.


    If it was all just an act of mystique, then he was nothing more than a swindler without much Cultivation.


    If he was one who had returned to simplicity by following the Great Dao, then he was an unfathomable master.


    Sun Yi was puzzled and asked,


    ¡°These past few days, following those siblings, what have you discovered?¡±


    Sun Ze said helplessly, ¡°Those two are exceptionally talented and knowledgeable with outstanding appearances, and both are very astute. No matter how indirectly I probe, I can¡¯t figure out their identities¡­¡±


    ¡°However, if they were truly Noble Family Descendants, in a Second-Grade Prefecture Border, there must be Foundation Building cultivators accompanying them.¡±


    ¡°If there are no Foundation Building cultivators with them, it means they are not Noble Family Descendants, and even if they are, they can only be destitute Noble Family Descendants¡­¡±


    ¡°A fallen phoenix is not a threat,¡± he continued.


    Sun Ze then asked, ¡°Father, have you figured out who among them is at Foundation Establishment? And whose was the Divine Sense you sensed that day?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s brows knitted even tighter.


    These past few days, despite careful observation, he still hadn¡¯t found the source of that Divine Sense.


    The Cultivator with the surname Zhuang had never used Divine Sense.


    The old servant named Old Kui seemed as insensible as wood.


    Those two Noble Family Descendants, full of Blood Qi and Spiritual Power, already at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, had strong Divine Sense, but not strong enough to rival Foundation Building.


    As for that kid who ran to the Spirit Field every day, he was so young that Sun Yi didn¡¯t even bother to give him a second glance¡­


    ¡°Could it be that I was mistaken?¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps, this Divine Sense came from another Cultivator, unrelated to this group?¡±


    Sun Yi was racking his brains.


    Sun Ze glanced at his father indifferently, criticizing him internally, but dared not voice anything. He then changed the subject with a slightly stirred gaze,


    ¡°So, what should we do next?¡±


    Sun Yi frowned, pondered for a long while, and then said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see, clarify the full picture before making a move¡­¡±


    ¡°If they really have substantial backing, we still should treat them courteously.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just mere pretense, without even a Foundation Building among them, then let¡¯s show them that our Sun Family¡¯s meal is not so easy to feast on.¡±


    Sun Yi spoke more quietly,


    ¡°After all, we¡¯re far from Shangtai City and unless anything major happens, the Taoist Court won¡¯t interfere.¡±


    ¡°By then I¡¯ll be the knife and they will be the fish on the cutting board.¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyes flashed with a chilling glint.


    ¡°And that kid?¡± Sun Ze asked again, ¡°He runs to the Spirit Fields for no reason and keeps Drawing Formations for those rustic peasants, causing a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Daring to cut off the Sun Family¡¯s fortune¡­¡±


    Sun Yi sneered coldly, ¡°Keep an eye on him, see if he understands how things work. If he¡¯s sensible, we won¡¯t make it hard for him, but if he¡¯s not¡­¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s gaze turned frosty, ¡°Then teach him to be sensible.¡±


    ¡°What about his master?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Sun Yi said indifferently, ¡°If he meddles in the affairs of our Sun Family, we are the ones in the right.¡±


    ¡°We can also take this opportunity to probe their depths.¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s expression was meaningful.


    Sun Ze let out a sinister smile, ¡°Father, I understand.¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua still went to the Spirit Fields whenever he had the chance.


    His feelings were becoming clearer and clearer.


    The Ultimate Formation was hidden within the Spirit Fields.


    But where exactly, he still had no clue.


    Even with Divine Sense Calculation, he couldn¡¯t pinpoint its exact location.


    Mo Hua sighed in his heart:


    ¡°It seems I still need to practice the Calculation Method more; if only I could calculate the location of the Formation just by thinking about it like Master, it wouldn¡¯t be this troublesome.¡±


    Ding Miao followed Mo Hua around like a little shadow.


    Mo Hua went down to the fields, he followed; Mo Hua observed the Spirit Rice, he widened his eyes and watched too; Mo Hua began Drawing Formation Patterns, he grabbed clumps of grass and tried to imitate by drawing on the ground.


    Of course, he was doodling ineffectively, unable to comprehend, often moving from trying to Draw Formations to drawing buffaloes and chickens.


    Mo Hua asked him some questions. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He would answer with his immature voice.


    He didn¡¯t understand complicated matters, nor was he aware of past events, but he was clear on some things he had witnessed in the fields.


    Mo Hua would also offer him pastries to eat.


    Ding Miao would symbolically refuse a few times but ultimately couldn¡¯t resist, crisply saying, ¡°Thank you, brother!¡±


    Then he politely accepted the pastry, clenched it in both hands, put it in his mouth, and ate slowly, his eyes beaming with delight.


    On this day, Mo Hua visited the Spirit Fields again, and just as usual, Ding Miao followed, hopping and skipping behind him.


    But what was different from usual was that many people were standing at the crossroads, seemingly waiting for him.


    These people were all Spirit Farmers from East Mountain Village.


    They were somewhat restrained, but still bowed to Mo Hua in unison.


    Then a burly man clasped his hands and said:


    ¡°Could I ask the young gentleman¡­ to Draw some Formations for us?¡±


    After speaking, the Spirit Farmers put the baskets and Storage Bags they had brought in front of Mo Hua.


    Some contained a few Spirit Stones, some offered bags of Spirit Paddy, some brought a chicken, while others had items like Jade Pendants¡­


    The burly man said, somewhat ashamed:


    ¡°The gifts are humble, I hope the young gentleman¡­ won¡¯t look down on them.¡±


    After saying that, the crowd bowed to Mo Hua again in unison.


    In this group of Cultivators, there were old and young, men and women.


    Some were in the twilight of their years, their hair white; some were in the prime of life, tall and strong; but without exception, all of them were bowing their heads to Mo Hua, pleading earnestly.


    And Mo Hua was just a thirteen-year-old little Cultivator.


    Life¡¯s pressures forced them to bow their heads to a much younger Cultivator.


    Or perhaps, they had to bow their heads to life itself.


    Mo Hua sighed silently in his heart and then nodded:


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll Draw them for you.¡±


    The burly man raised his head, seemingly not expecting Mo Hua to agree so quickly. His eyes first showed shock and then immense gratitude as he solemnly clasped his fists and said:


    ¡°Thank you, young gentleman!¡±


    The rest of the crowd also appeared overjoyed and thanked him in unison:


    ¡°Thank you, young gentleman!¡±


    ¡­


    Among them, some had offended the Sun Family and had the Formations in their Spirit Fields destroyed, yielding very little harvest of Spirit Rice;


    Some were too stubborn and would rather starve than ask for help from the Sun Family;


    The majority, like Old Ding, had repaired their Formations again and again, accruing debts to the Sun Family they could not repay¡­


    But without the Sun Family Drawing Formations, no one else would do it for them.


    Among the Spirit Farmers, there was simply no one who could draw Formations.


    Even if they wanted to learn, there was nowhere to go to learn.


    The burly man respectfully led the way in front.


    Following him, Mo Hua went to each family¡¯s Spirit Field, Drawing one Formation after another.


    These Formations that left them utterly helpless were but child¡¯s play for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small hand held the brush, almost effortlessly, with just a few strokes, he outlined the Formations with ease.


    A crowd of Spirit Farmers watched in amazement.


    This was the first time they had seen someone draw Formations like this.


    Moreover, the one Drawing the Formations was a boy in his early teens.


    Ding Miao also gazed at Mo Hua¡¯s figure, her large eyes filled with admiration.


    Mo Hua was focused on Drawing the Formation Patterns, and the previously incomplete Formations in the Spirit Fields were gradually made whole by him.


    As he was Drawing, a commotion arose in the distance.


    Mo Hua turned to look and saw a group of haughty Cultivators striding arrogantly his way.


    As they walked, they shoved aside the Spirit Farmers in their path, carelessly destroyed the ridges, and ruined the Formation Patterns Mo Hua had just finished drawing, one after another.


    The leader of the Cultivators, dressed in brocaded clothes, with a flippant look on his face, was none other than Sun Ze.


    He approached Mo Hua and sneered:


    ¡°You little brat, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you.¡±


    Mo Hua slowly stood up, his clear eyes shimmering with a hint of sharpness:


    ¡°The one who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him is you.¡±

 Chapter 387: Suppression

    Sun Ze chuckled dismissively, ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got quite the tough talk. I¡¯d advise you not to meddle in matters that don¡¯t concern you.¡±Mo Hua replied calmly,


    ¡°By Drawing Formation for these Loose Cultivators, am I interfering with the Sun Family¡¯s affairs?¡±


    Sun Ze sneered, looking up and proclaiming loudly,


    ¡°This Thousand Lamps Town belongs to my Sun Family. Without my family¡¯s permission, no one is allowed to Draw Formations for these Loose Cultivators!¡±


    His words seemed to be directed both at Mo Hua and at the Spirit Farmers of the surrounding Thousand Families Town.


    Sun Ze then glanced coldly at Mo Hua:


    ¡°Our Sun Family has treated you kindly, yet you show no appreciation, and instead, you overstep your bounds.¡±


    ¡°Drawing a single Formation for these people would be fine. We could turn a blind eye, pretend we do not see.¡±


    ¡°But I never expected you to overstep even further, meddling in our affairs.¡±


    ¡°A single Formation costs ten Spirit Stones. By Drawing so many Formations for them, our Sun Family has lost hundreds of Spirit Stones. How should this account be settled?¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the Formation Patterns on the field edges, ¡°To Draw a single Formation, the cost is less than one Spirit Stone. Your Sun Family actually charges ten?¡±


    ¡°What do you know? This is the work of a Formation Master!¡± Sun Ze said arrogantly.


    ¡°Do you know the status of a Formation Master? These people could not afford one in their wildest dreams!¡±


    ¡°Our Sun Family is willing to Draw Formations for these Spirit Farmers, and it is an honor for them. Charging only ten Spirit Stones, they should be grateful! What else could they possibly be dissatisfied with?¡±


    Mo Hua looked calmly at Sun Ze, and there was an underlying sense of superiority:


    ¡°Someone like you deems himself worthy of the title Formation Master?¡±


    Sun Ze paused, taken aback, then his expression turned sinister, his eyes filled with menace.


    Mo Hua¡¯s words had hit a sore spot.


    He could only Draw four Formation Patterns, and strictly speaking, he was not even a Formation Master.


    Although he was too lazy to learn and Draw Formations and was poor at it, he would not tolerate others ridiculing him for not being a Formation Master.


    Especially when the one mocking him was a mere teenage Cultivator.


    Sun Ze¡¯s expression shifted, and after a moment of resolve, he smirked maliciously,


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got some nerve. But you¡¯re young, inexperienced, and unaware of how treacherous the Cultivation World can be, how unpredictable the human heart is.¡±


    ¡°Today I¡¯m feeling particularly charitable, so I¡¯ll teach you a lesson on being sensible, as well as on how to conduct yourself!¡±


    Sun Ze¡¯s gaze turned icy as he signaled to several Cultivators at his side.


    Several tall and burly Cultivators of the Sun Family started to advance toward Mo Hua.


    Halfway there, however, they were stopped by a burly man.


    The burly man said, ¡°Sun Ze, if you have an issue, take it up with us, don¡¯t hassle the young Gentleman.¡±


    After saying this, he covertly signaled to Mo Hua, urging him to leave.


    But Mo Hua paid no heed.


    Sun Ze disdainfully said, ¡°Ding Da Chuan, don¡¯t stick your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong.¡±


    Ding Da Chuan replied, ¡°Sun Ze, don¡¯t think we¡¯re easy targets.¡±


    The other Spirit Farmers also gathered around, intending to block the Sun Family Cultivators.


    Sun Ze raised an eyebrow, ¡°Thinking of rebelling?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push us too far, Sun Family!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, picking on us is one thing, but the young Gentleman kindly helped us Draw Formations and you Sun Family even refuse that.¡±


    ¡°By acting this way, you¡¯re courting retribution.¡±


    ¡­


    The Spirit Farmers were abuzz with discussion.


    Sun Ze clicked his tongue in annoyance and cursed,


    ¡°A bunch of worthless bones that won¡¯t fall in line without a beating!¡±


    The tall, strong Cultivators of the Sun Family went straight to using force.


    Since Spirit Farmers only tended to the land and were not skilled in Taoist Skills, and given that most were elderly, they stood no chance against the Sun Family¡¯s Cultivators.


    Only Ding Da Chuan could hold them off for a while, but he too was soon beaten to the ground.


    Ding Da Chuan felt a bitter helplessness and urgently shouted,


    ¡°Young Gentleman, run!¡±


    It was a great favor already that Mo Hua was willing to Draw Formations for them, and naturally, they did not want their own conflict with the Sun Family to drag Mo Hua into trouble.


    However, Mo Hua stood still, his expression calm, merely watching Sun Ze thoughtfully.


    A few Cultivators from the Sun Family broke through the crowd and approached Mo Hua, closing to within a few yards.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened. Just as he was about to raise his hand, he suddenly paused.


    He noticed that Ding Miao, who was supposed to be behind him, had positioned himself in front of him, spreading his small arms as if to protect him.


    Whether it was because Mo Hua had Drawn a Formation for his grandfather, had given him chicken to eat, or had provided him with pastries,


    Despite shaking with fear, Ding Miao still tensed his little face and stood in front of Mo Hua.


    ¡°What a good child¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself with a slight smile.


    The leading burly man from the Sun Family, seeing the trembling yet defiant Ding Miao, sneered and reached out to grab him.


    But in the blink of an eye, he grabbed at air.


    Mo Hua had already pulled Miao back, gliding several steps away.


    The Sun Family¡¯s large man was taken aback.


    Mo Hua set Miao down, patted his head, and then looked over at the arrogantly strutting Cultivators of the Sun Family with a mild tone but eyes gleaming coldly,


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve taken action. My skills may be a little rusty, and I may not control my force very well. Please forgive me if I go too far.¡±


    Sun Ze laughed lightly and said,


    ¡°You little devil, spouting nonsense even as death approaches?¡±


    The burly man of the Sun Family also sneered and then forcefully stepped on the ground, borrowing the momentum to charge towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze remained calm as he gently raised his hand.


    In an instant, a deep red fireball condensed, even emitting a faint sound of scorching.


    With a slight movement of Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense, the fireball howled as it flew out, its speed extremely fast, tracing a dim line of fire in the air before forcefully striking the burly man¡¯s chest.


    Flames exploded, shredding the burly man¡¯s clothes and charring his flesh.


    The momentum of the burly man came to an abrupt halt.


    It was as if he had encountered a tremendous blow of spiritual power mid-charge, leaving him feeling a burning tightness in his chest.


    Amid the spreading glow of the fire, the burly man¡¯s eyes rolled back, and like a deflated ball, he slowly fell down.


    Suddenly, there was a dead silence all around.


    Sun Ze couldn¡¯t help but be utterly shaken.


    What the hell is this? Fireball Technique?!


    Several cultivators from the Sun Family sweated coldly on their backs, each turning their heads to glance at Sun Ze, asking with their eyes what to do next.


    In a moment of desperate ingenuity, Sun Ze quickly said,


    ¡°Fireball Technique! He is a Spiritual Cultivator!¡±


    ¡°Charge together and subdue him at close range, don¡¯t give him a chance to cast spells!¡±


    The cultivators of the Sun Family nodded and obeyed, splitting in five or six directions, from front and rear, simultaneously surrounding Mo Hua to kill him.


    Mo Hua still stood composedly, gently raising his hand, firing off Fireball Techniques one after another.


    The deep red fireballs, without exception, hit their mark.


    Each fireball inevitably struck a cultivator from the Sun Family and would surely cause serious injury.


    With divine sense at the Foundation Establishment level and the compressed, condensed Fireball Technique, even a Qi Refinement practitioner of the first rank was not to be underestimated.


    The fireballs howled; the flames exploded.


    Cultivators from the Sun Family dropped one after another.


    In the end, only two cultivators managed to reach Mo Hua.


    The two of them were overjoyed, but before they could make a move, the sight before their eyes blurred, and Mo Hua vanished.


    Looking again, Mo Hua was already five or six zhang away from them.


    What¡¯s this?


    A movement technique?


    The two of them stood there in a daze.


    But they didn¡¯t dare to keep charging forward.


    This distance of five or six zhang was enough for Mo Hua to cast five or six Fireball Techniques.


    Enough for them to fall five or six times over.


    They also didn¡¯t dare to flee, as that would leave their backs exposed to Mo Hua.


    So for a moment, the two of them were at a loss.


    Mo Hua, however, did not bother being polite with them, and with a little wave of his hand, whoosh, two Fireball Techniques took them down as well.


    Then Mo Hua felt it wasn¡¯t safe enough, and gave each person an additional shot for good measure.


    In the blink of an eye, only Sun Ze was left alone in the Spirit Field.


    Sun Ze stood pretty much by himself in the Spirit Field, surrounded by Sun Family cultivators lying scattered about.


    A sense of absurd fear bubbled up in his heart. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What¡¯s going on?


    How could a mere seventh layer Qi Refinement cultivator take down so many of the Sun Family¡¯s cultivators?


    And what exactly is this Fireball Technique?


    So fast, so accurate, and so powerfully explosive?


    Is this really a spell a person can use?


    Sun Ze felt it was utterly ridiculous.


    All of a sudden, Sun Ze snapped back to reality, realizing that Mo Hua was watching him, his eyes sparkling and clear, with an indescribable meaning.


    He once thought this gaze was childish, but now, he found it terrifying.


    Sun Ze turned and ran, but after only a few steps, he twisted his body, lunging towards Ding Miao, who had witnessed the Fireball Technique and had her mouth agape with shock.


    He had figured it out; he couldn¡¯t escape.


    At this moment, he might as well fight with all he had left.


    It seemed this little brat had some relationship with Mo Hua; he could take her hostage to use as leverage, and it could also help him make an escape.


    But every move he made, every glance, every intention, was clearly perceptible within Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense.


    Before he could reach Miao, Mo Hua simply grabbed out with an empty hand from afar.


    Pale blue water-shaped spiritual power appeared out of nowhere, instantly solidified into chains, and tightly bound Sun Ze.


    Sun Ze was like a fish caught in a net, struggling desperately.


    When he finally broke free from the Water Prison Technique, a fireball flew at him from the corner of his eye and arrived in front of his face in an instant.


    Sun Ze had just enough time to cross his arms in front of his face before he heard a loud bang, felt dizzy and faint, and then he too collapsed, unconscious.


    Before passing out, his hazy thoughts lingered on,


    ¡°So this is what it feels like to be hit by a Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn, it hurts¡­¡±


    ¡­


    When Sun Ze opened his eyes again, he saw a pale, delicate face, yet one that caused him deep trepidation.


    Mo Hua held the Thousand Jun Stick in her hand, standing before his head, and spoke with a clear voice,


    ¡°I heard, you were going to teach me a lesson?¡±

 Chapter 388: Clue

    Sun Ze tugged at the corner of his mouth, angrily said,¡°You little devil, my Sun Family won¡¯t let this go¡­¡±


    Mo Hua showed no mercy, striking his head with a stick.


    Sun Ze only felt a buzzing in his forehead.


    ¡°Think carefully before you speak,¡± Mo Hua reminded him.


    Clenching his teeth and hardening his heart, Sun Ze thought a wise man does not eat loss at hand and begged for mercy,


    ¡°Young brother, I was wrong, I was foolish, I don¡¯t dare tell you what to do, please be magnanimous and let me go.¡±


    Mo Hua naturally didn¡¯t believe his words, but he didn¡¯t care and instead said,


    ¡°I will ask you a few questions, if you can answer them, I¡¯ll let you go. Otherwise, just have your father birth another son¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was just intimidating Sun Ze.


    Sun Ze, however, broke out in a cold sweat, his father didn¡¯t need to have another, as he already had two more sons.


    Being the legitimate eldest son, if he died, the second son would just take his place as the Family Head in due order.


    And since the second brother¡¯s Formation skills were better than his, his father would certainly be happy to see it happen and would just shed some crocodile tears at most.


    Sun Ze hurriedly said, ¡°Young master, please ask, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Sun Ze suspiciously, thinking how could this man¡¯s spine be so soft?


    He hadn¡¯t even hit him with the Thousand Jun Stick a few times before he became so compliant.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you, does your Sun Family possess ancestral Formations?¡±


    A jolt went through Sun Ze¡¯s heart, this little devil was indeed after the Sun Family¡¯s ancestral Formation secrets.


    Sun Ze quickly nodded and said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Sun Ze shook his head again, ¡°No!¡±


    Mo Hua hit him once more, ¡°Which is it, do you have it or not?¡±


    Sun Ze, enduring the pain, said,


    ¡°According to my father, the Sun Family does have this heritage, but also according to my father, the Sun Family has no clues to the Formation, and we can¡¯t find it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, puzzled, said, ¡°Didn¡¯t your old ancestor pass it on to you?¡±


    Sun Ze didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Mo Hua then suddenly said, ¡°Oh, right, even if he passed it on to you, you wouldn¡¯t be worthy.¡±


    Monopolizing Formations, exploiting Spirit Farmers, and bullying others on the strength of their position.


    Moreover, with limited Formation skills, the Sun Family doesn¡¯t even have a first-class Formation Master. Even if they found the Ultimate Formation, they wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it; it would be just a waste of heaven¡¯s gifts.


    Sun Ze felt ashamed and annoyed in his heart, but he didn¡¯t dare to retort. His eyes shifted as he asked,


    ¡°Young master, what kind of Formation are you looking for?¡±


    Mo Hua stared at Sun Ze, seeing right through his thoughts, ¡°You think I would tell you if you tried to probe for clues? Do you think I would tell you?¡±


    Sun Ze laughed sheepishly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Yet in his heart, he cursed, this little devil was as cunning as a ghost¡­


    Before he could finish his curse, he received another blow to his head.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly as he said coldly,


    ¡°Are you cursing me in your head?¡±


    Sun Ze¡¯s head was in pain, his mouth twitched, and he hurriedly said,


    ¡°Not at all, I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±


    ¡°Then what else do you know about this Formation?¡± Mo Hua asked again, weighing the Thousand Jun Stick in his hand, threateningly saying,


    ¡°You¡¯d better be honest with your explanation. If I find out you¡¯re hiding anything, you¡¯ll suffer for it. If your answers satisfy me, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    Mo Hua exercised both the carrot and the stick, giving Sun Ze a glimmer of hope.


    This interrogation method was something Mo Hua had already practiced several times.


    He had extracted from Diao Laosi the whereabouts of the Concealment Technique and from Qian Xing the scheming of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    When to strike, what to ask at what time, and when to give a glimmer of hope¡ªMo Hua was already quite adept at managing the rhythm of these elements.


    Sun Ze heard that Mo Hua was going to let him go, he didn¡¯t quite believe it, but he didn¡¯t dare disbelieve either.


    If he didn¡¯t believe it, who knows, Mo Hua might decide to send him to heaven with the Fireball Technique.


    He still had to become the Family Head of the Sun Family in the future, and he had many blessings to enjoy. He had no wish to hand over all that wealth and status to his second brother.


    So Sun Ze spilled everything he knew about the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family and the traditions passed down to the younger generations like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.


    Sun Ze didn¡¯t know much, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t hear many additional clues, but at least it confirmed his suspicions.


    Old Ancestor of the Sun Family had indeed hidden the Ultimate Formation in the Spirit Field.


    And he hadn¡¯t left the Formation with the Sun Family or passed it on to the descendants of the Sun Family.


    The specifics of where exactly the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family hid the Ultimate Formation, how it was hidden, and which Formation methods were used, however, remained unknown¡­


    Mo Hua flipped through some items and interrogated Sun Ze several times over.


    Sun Ze, dizzy and perplexed, struggled to answer.


    Though some details were missing here and there, for the most part, there was no contradiction, suggesting that he was likely telling the truth.


    Mo Hua decided not to make it harder for him.


    Sun Ze was the legitimate eldest son of the Sun Family.


    Although ignorant and oppressive towards Spirit Farmers, it was not good to kill him now.


    Otherwise, the Sun Family would certainly become desperate.


    The Family Head of the Sun Family was a Foundation Building Cultivator, and since they were currently on the Sun Family¡¯s territory, it was better not to utterly sever relations.


    ¡°You may go,¡±


    Mo Hua kicked Sun Ze away.


    Sun Ze forgot his shame and anger, instead asking in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re really letting me go?¡±


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to leave?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows raised, ¡°Or would you like to stay and take another beating?¡±


    Startled, Sun Ze hastily replied,


    ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Without waiting for Mo Hua to say anything more, he scrambled up and limped away, running back the way he came.


    He didn¡¯t even glance at the other Sun Family cultivators.


    This aspect was very much like the profligate young master of the Qian Family, Qian Xing.


    A friend in the dao would rather die than let a fellow daoist face poverty alone.


    Even if that ¡°fellow daoist¡± was a cultivator from their own family.


    As Sun Ze ran, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the waters in the Spirit Field.


    In the water, his disheveled reflection could be seen.


    One part of his face was blackened and another charred, with both arms completely burned, looking utterly pitiful.


    Sun Ze could hardly believe it.


    What kind of Fireball Technique was this kid using?


    How could it be so incredibly powerful?


    What was more infuriating, this Fireball Technique had nearly exploded directly on his face, potentially ruining his visage.


    Sun Ze thought about cursing out Mo Hua in his heart, but felt a chill and forcefully suppressed the impulse to insult others, pushing it down deep.


    He mustn¡¯t curse!


    If he cursed and that brat perceived it, dealing with him straight away with a Fireball Technique, then he would truly be at a loss.


    Impatience could spoil great plans.


    He had to rush back and tell his father about the incident.


    His father was at the Foundation Establishment level.


    The kid was only a Qi Refinement cultivator, his Fireball Technique may be sharp, but he surely wasn¡¯t a match for a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    Having thought it through, Sun Ze ran even faster, wishing he could use his arms as extra legs.


    Mo Hua guessed that Sun Ze would definitely go looking for his father, Sun Yi.


    Sun Yi was a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    But Mo Hua had the Concealment Technique, even if he couldn¡¯t beat them, he could always escape.


    If the Sun Family truly went too far and angered him, he could just sneak into the Sun Family estate, secretly set up a Compound Formation, and use the Reversed Spirit Formation to collapse it, turning their Family Head to dust and ashes.


    But it hadn¡¯t come to that point yet.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows again.


    His master, Old Kui, and his Junior Brother and Sister were all at the Sun Family¡¯s place.


    If he broke off relations with the Sun Family now, he didn¡¯t know how his master would handle it.


    While Mo Hua was pondering, he saw a carriage slowly approaching from afar.


    Old Kui was driving the carriage, and Big White was pulling it.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    It seemed that nothing could be hidden from his master.


    Or perhaps, all of this was within his master¡¯s expectations.


    Seeing Mo Hua from a distance, Big White neighed.


    Mo Hua immediately went up to him and hugged Big White¡¯s neck. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, seeing Mr. Zhuang, he recounted how Sun Ze had come looking for trouble, and how he had beaten him up, as well as laid out seven or eight cultivators from the Sun Family.


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°A trivial matter, no harm done.¡±


    In a quiet voice, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Master, don¡¯t you think my actions were rash, and lacking forbearance?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°Showing forbearance when powerless is being cautious. Showing forbearance when capable is simply being cowardly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever teaching you not to fight back when attacked, or not to retort when insulted.¡±


    Mo Hua felt relieved and smiled.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang spoke in a gentle tone:


    ¡°I brought you all on this journey for experience, and generally, I will not interfere in affairs, you must rely on yourselves.¡±


    ¡°But if you are truly in danger, even if the sky falls, your master will cover for you. Rest easy and do what you think is right.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded with a smile.


    Bai Zisheng, standing by, looked at the Sun Family cultivators sprawled haphazardly across the Spirit Field, feeling both regret and a sense of loss.


    Regret that he, as a senior brother, had not been able to protect his Junior Brother in time.


    A sense of loss that such a good fight had come and gone, and he had arrived too late to participate.


    Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua several times, noting his considerable expenditure of spiritual power, but seeing no serious injuries and a good complexion, with rosy cheeks, she slightly nodded.


    ¡­


    At the Sun Family mansion.


    Mr. Zhuang had excused himself to Sun Yi ahead of time, claiming he wanted to visit Thousand Families Town, and Sun Yi had no suspicions.


    It wasn¡¯t until Mr. Zhuang left and Sun Ze returned with a face covered in dirt that Sun Yi realized why Mr. Zhuang had departed¡­


    Sun Ze didn¡¯t dare to hide anything, recounting everything that happened in detail.


    As soon as he finished, Sun Yi was shocked and angered.


    ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    He smashed the table to pieces, eyes bulging:


    ¡°Eight or nine Sun Family cultivators were beaten into submission by a wet-behind-the-ears kid?¡±

 Chapter 389: Mysterious

    Sun Ze scrambled to say, ¡°Yes¡­ ¡±Sun Yi was somewhat disoriented and murmured after a long while:


    ¡°I misjudged him¡­¡±


    He originally thought that the least conspicuous little cultivator was only good for serving tea and water, attending to his master as a junior disciple.


    But he had not expected that he not only knew about formations, but his spells were also so formidable.


    Moreover, his mind was nimble, facing many opponents alone with considerable experience in spell duels.


    Sun Ze said with hatred, ¡°Father, we must avenge this!¡±


    Sun Yi did not respond, but coldly looked at his son, ¡°Have you told him all about our Sun Family¡¯s secrets?¡±


    ¡°No! Father, you must believe me!¡± Sun Ze swore confidently.


    Sun Yi snorted coldly.


    He trusted this son too much; surely, he had told everything, both what should have been said and what should not.


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyes flickered, and after some contemplation, he slowly said:


    ¡°For now, we hold our forces.¡±


    ¡°But Father, I can¡¯t swallow this insult,¡± Sun Ze said with hatred.


    He had seen the Pill Master, who said that both his arms were severely burned by the fire, and he would not be able to use his spiritual power for a short period. Other parts of his body were also more or less injured.


    Especially his head, which had been hit several times by Mo Hua, was still buzzing.


    What was most important was that his appearance had been ruined.


    When the Fireball Technique hit his face, even though Sun Ze had covered his face, he was still injured by the flames, leaving several burn marks on his face.


    Sun Ze could not swallow this affront.


    ¡°You can¡¯t bear it, you have to,¡± Sun Yi snorted coldly.


    Sun Ze¡¯s anger had not subsided when he suddenly frowned.


    This was not like his father¡¯s usual way of doing things.


    In Thousand Families Town, the Sun Family always exacted revenge for the smallest grievances; when had they ever held back?


    ¡°Father, do you have some other plan?¡± Sun Ze asked.


    Sun Yi stroked his chin and counter-asked:


    ¡°Do you think that kid could really find the ancestral formation of our Sun Family?¡±


    Sun Ze immediately sneered, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Sun Yi gave him a cold look.


    Sun Ze settled down, used his head to think for a moment, and felt a thump in his heart:


    ¡°Seems like¡­ it¡¯s actually possible.¡±


    Sun Ze then pondered in detail:


    ¡°This kid¡¯s identity is not ordinary, his spells are not ordinary, and his mastery of formations seems to be also quite extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°I destroyed all the formations he had drawn. I didn¡¯t pay attention at that time, but now that I think about it, those formations were quite well drawn. And they were drawn both quickly and well, even better than you, Father¡­¡±


    Sun Ze stopped mid-sentence, not daring to continue.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Sun Yi snorted coldly.


    ¡°Better than you, Father¡­ they were drawn better¡­¡±


    Sun Yi was not angry; instead, his heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself that it was indeed so.


    This kid, with an innocent face, was actually a rare formation genius.


    Among this group, perhaps this kid was the real key figure.


    The key point was that he was still so young.


    ¡°There¡¯s always someone better,¡± Sun Yi sighed.


    ¡°So, Father¡­ are we just going to let this go?¡± Sun Ze ventured.


    ¡°Why let it go?¡±


    ¡°A formation genius¡­ Is it not wise for us to provoke him?¡±


    ¡°So what if he¡¯s a formation genius?¡± Sun Yi sneered, ¡°In this vast cultivation world with countless cultivators, there are innumerable geniuses. Even with great talent, if one cannot grow, they are no different from mediocrity.¡±


    Sun Ze was somewhat confused and questioned:


    ¡°Father, what exactly do you want to do?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°We wait.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Wait?¡±


    ¡°We wait for that kid to find the ancestral formation of our Sun Family, then catch them all in one fell swoop, to reap the fisherman¡¯s benefit.¡±


    Sun Yi sneered, ¡°At that time, the Sun Family¡¯s formation will return to its rightful owner, and that kid capable of drawing formations will also serve our Sun Family.¡±


    Sun Ze was a bit worried:


    ¡°But what if there are Foundation Building Cultivators among them?¡±


    Sun Yi said, ¡°I have planned these past few days. Among them, even if there¡¯s a Foundation Building, there¡¯s at most one¡­¡±


    ¡°Within our Sun Family, there¡¯s me, a Foundation Building Cultivator, and in addition, there are hundreds of Qi Refinement disciples.¡±


    ¡°When the time comes to take action, I¡¯ll hold off that Foundation Building Cultivator, while the hundreds of Sun Family disciples, can they not handle the remaining few Qi Refinement cultivators?¡±


    Sun Yi snorted again, ¡°Even if that kid¡¯s spells are formidable, he can beat eight or nine at most, which would be the limit. Dozens, or even hundreds, of cultivators could exhaust his spiritual power just by attrition.¡±


    ¡°Once his spiritual power is exhausted, he won¡¯t be able to escape even with wings.¡±


    Sun Ze still had some reservations, ¡°Even if we catch him, will he listen to our Sun Family?¡±


    Sun Yi smiled and then continued:


    ¡°We¡¯ll capture them all and use his master, or his senior and junior fellow disciples as threats; we won¡¯t have to worry about him disobeying.¡±


    ¡°When he grows up a bit, we¡¯ll pick a girl from the Sun Family and force a marriage. Once they have a child, he¡¯ll be bound to our Sun Family.¡±


    ¡°With children carrying the Sun Family bloodline, connected by kinship, he¡¯ll be considered half a Sun Family member and naturally devote himself wholeheartedly to serving our Sun Family¡­¡±


    Sun Ze was shocked, ¡°Father, you¡¯re really cunning¡­ astute.¡±


    Sun Yi smiled complacently. He turned his head to look at the distant Spirit Fields, his eyes filled with anticipation:


    ¡°Keep looking, find that lost formation for our Sun Family¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was indeed searching for formations, but after half a day, he still had no clue.


    So, he went to ask Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°Master, is the Formation in the Spirit Field?¡±


    Since the Sun Family could no longer be stayed with, Mr. Zhuang took up residence at Old Ding¡¯s house.


    Although Old Ding¡¯s house was poor, the courtyard was quite spacious.


    Mr. Zhuang then placed a set of bamboo chairs in the courtyard and sat leisurely on them when he had nothing to do, leisurely watching the green mountains and waters, the blue sky and white clouds.


    Upon hearing Mo Hua ask him, Mr. Zhuang smiled inscrutably, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I think it is.¡±


    ¡°Since you have a guess, then keep looking patiently.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke leisurely, not in a hurry at all.


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried.


    He had already been searching for many days, yet there were still no clues.


    In the Spirit Field, there were only the Cultivating Soil Formation with six Formation Patterns and some other water and soil-related Formations.


    There was not even a single first-level nine-pattern Formation, let alone an Ultimate Formation with more than nine patterns.


    Seeing Mo Hua frowning, Mr. Zhuang offered some guidance:


    ¡°What are the key elements of a Formation?¡±


    ¡°Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, Formation eye.¡±


    These were basic Formation questions, and Mo Hua naturally replied fluidly.


    ¡°Then you should continue to think from these perspectives, but don¡¯t limit yourself to the existing knowledge of Formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, and then he looked into the distance, his expression profound:


    ¡°Formation method is vast and profound; what you see and learn is still just the tip of the iceberg. There is much unknown mystery yet to be discovered.¡±


    ¡°You must learn to use existing knowledge to ponder, but you cannot be restricted by it.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang instructed.


    Mo Hua seemed to understand and slowly nodded.


    In the following days, Mo Hua still ran to the Spirit Field every day.


    Ding Miao followed behind him every day, running back and forth.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had nothing else to do and also followed Mo Hua, helping him search for the Formation.


    Bai Zisheng would still go out for a stroll nearby when he was free, to see if the Sun Family would come looking for trouble again.


    Aunt Xue was strict in her discipline; she generally did not allow him to fight with others.


    Otherwise, back when they were in Tongxian City, he had wanted to follow Mo Hua into Big Black Mountain for Monster Hunting, eager to show his prowess.


    Now that Aunt Xue was not by his side, Mr. Zhuang did not indulge him but neither did he restrain him, Bai Zisheng had long wanted to find someone to spar with, to test his skills.


    Especially since as the eldest disciple, helping his junior in a fight was only natural, and Mr. Zhuang would not blame him.


    So Bai Zisheng had the air of being eager to try and wandered around the Spirit Field every day, occasionally looking up to see if any sensible cultivators from the Sun Family would trouble them and give him a chance to prove his mettle.


    Unfortunately, the Sun Family did not take the chance, and they never came.


    Since the Sun Family didn¡¯t come, naturally no one disturbed Mo Hua.


    But after searching for several days with no progress, he sat cross-legged by the edge of the field, supporting his small chin, lost in thought.


    Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, Formation eye¡­


    If there truly were an Ultimate Formation within the Spirit Field, then the boundaries of the field should serve as the Formation media.


    Stones piled atop the field boundaries are hard and suitable for inscribing Formations.


    Formation Patterns should also be present on top of the field boundaries.


    But Mo Hua had almost searched the entire Spirit Field and still had not found any trace of an Ultimate Formation.


    Besides, there was the Formation Pivot.


    The Formation Pivot of an Ultimate Formation should be somewhat different from ordinary Formations.


    Mo Hua could not find anything in the Spirit Field that indicated the presence of any special Formation Pivot.


    Most crucially, there was no Formation eye.


    A Formation needed a Formation eye to provide Spiritual Power, yet there was nothing in this Spirit Field that could serve as the Formation eye for an Ultimate Formation to operate.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, unable to figure it out.


    Looking at the basic framework of a Formation, there should be no other Formations within this Spirit Field.


    Yet, given Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor, Mo Hua was convinced that there must be an Ultimate Formation hidden within this Spirit Field¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were a bit chaotic.


    A breeze blew by, waving the rice plants.


    The wind carried a hint of the fresh sweetness of the rice seedlings.


    Mo Hua calmed his heart and found a tree stick to start drawing something on the ground.


    He drew all the Formations involved in the Spirit Field, including the Cultivating Soil Formation, Water Storage Formation, Pest Extermination Formation, and so on, one by one.


    He wanted to find some connections among these Formations.


    But after looking them over again and again, these Formations were just as they were, with nothing special about them.


    Mo Hua sighed and looked up to see Ding Miao also sitting on the ground, clutching a stick and imitating Mo Hua, drawing something unknowable.


    However, what Miao drew seemed like a Formation and yet not like one.


    Mo Hua looked a few times, puzzled, and asked:


    ¡°Miao, what are you drawing?¡±


    Miao pointed forward with his small hand, ¡°Drawing the Spirit Field.¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua drawing Formations, he also followed along.


    But Formations are complex and Patterns are numerous; Miao couldn¡¯t draw them, so he just drew whatever else he could.


    He had drawn cows, chickens, and now it was the Spirit Field¡¯s turn.


    Miao was drawing the Spirit Field, but imitating Mo Hua¡¯s drawing style, what he created looked both like a Formation and not like one.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, then suddenly paused, a thought dawning on him.


    Formation¡­ Spirit Field¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, as if he was on the verge of grasping something.


    Just then, another breeze swept through the mountains, stirring the rice seedlings, creating waves of green that connected all the Spirit Fields into one, rippling off into the distance.


    All the Spirit Fields seemed as one, echoing each other.


    Mo Hua suddenly stood up, a tumult of realization rising in his heart.

 Chapter 390: Concealing Formations

    This hundred-acre Spirit Field, connected together, might itself be a Formation!Mo Hua suddenly saw the light.


    He had previously been preoccupied with the form of the Formation, limited to certain Formation Patterns, only seeing the surface patterns, hence was unable to see the forest for the trees.


    Whether it was the Cultivating Soil Formation or other Formations, they were all minor details, not the essence of the Ultimate Formation.


    The essence of this Ultimate Formation was the Spirit Field itself.


    Mo Hua then felt some doubts.


    If the Spirit Field is a Formation, then what are the corresponding Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, and Formation eye?


    Mo Hua sat back down on the ground, carefully pondering again.


    If the Spirit Field is the Formation, then the Formation media is not the stone embankments, but the soil where the Spirit Rice is planted.


    It is generally difficult for soil to serve as Formation media.


    Because of the texture being either loose or moist and because it is prone to erosion from dryness, it lacks a fixed shape and is not suited to carry Formation Patterns.


    ¡°Why would this Ultimate Formation use soil as its Formation media?¡±


    ¡°Or could this be the very mystery of the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while, found no clue, and decided to temporarily set this aside and continue pondering.


    If soil is the Formation media, then the Formation Patterns should be the embankments that crisscross and divide the Spirit Field.


    The Formation Pivot would be the layout of the entire Spirit Field.


    Then what is the Formation eye?


    How can the whole Formation be sustained in operation?


    Within the Spirit Field, there is no special area that might serve as the Formation eye.


    Mo Hua looked up at the sprawling Spirit Field with its crisscrossing embankments and was suddenly struck.


    This is not a Large Formation or Compound Formation, but a Single Formation instead.


    There are no special Spirit Gathering Arrays or Gathering Spirit Formations to provide Spiritual Power.


    The source of Spiritual Power for a Single Formation is the Formation Patterns themselves.


    The natural attraction of Spiritual Power by Formation Patterns provides the energy for the operation of a Single Formation.


    In other words, these intertwined embankments are both Formation Patterns and the Formation eye.


    So how is Spiritual Power supplied?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows in thought and soon understood.


    It¡¯s the Cultivating Soil Formation!


    The function of a Single Formation is relatively simple.


    Even if it¡¯s an Ultimate Formation with extremely strong effects, it cannot be all-encompassing.


    Hence, additional Formations are needed to enhance the effect.


    The Cultivating Soil Formation is such a supplementary Formation, used to assist the Ultimate Formation in nurturing the soil.


    However, if the Cultivating Soil Formation is integrated with the Ultimate Formation, it becomes a Compound Formation that includes the Ultimate Formation.


    Such Formation has high Divine Sense intensity and complex Formation Patterns; once damaged, besides the Old Ancestor of Sun Family himself, no one would be able to, or would even know how to, repair it.


    Hence, the Old Ancestor of Sun Family, with his independent Taoist Heart, separated the two types of Formations yet linked them together.


    The Cultivating Soil Formations and such were separately drawn and not connected to the Compound Formation, they¡¯re easy to draw and easy to repair.


    Even the half-baked Formation Masters of the later generations of Sun Family would be able to repair them.


    Nonetheless, it is related to the Ultimate Formation.


    Whenever the Spirit Farmer provides Spiritual Power to the Cultivating Soil Formation, a portion of it naturally overflows, in turn supplying the large Ultimate Formation.


    Therefore, this Cultivating Soil Formation is both a filler Formation and an alternative ¡°Ultimate Formation eye¡±.


    The Spiritual Power provided by the Cultivating Soil Formation is actually quite limited.


    But this Ultimate Formation is an Earth Series nourishing array; it doesn¡¯t prioritize slaughter or entrap powerful enemies.


    Thus, it requires a constant trickle of energy¡ªa small but long-term supply of Spiritual Power is sufficient.


    From another perspective, the Old Ancestor of Sun Family¡¯s purpose was also to save Spirit Stones for the Spirit Farmers.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but admire him.


    The Old Ancestor of Sun Family¡¯s deep understanding of Formations, cunning use, and his broad-minded character, were all exceptionally extraordinary.


    No wonder that for hundreds of years, the Loose Cultivators of Thousand Families Town have been grateful for his benefaction.


    Grasping the Heavenly Dao to benefit all living beings.


    Perhaps this is what truly defines a Formation Master¡­


    With mixed feelings, Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Seeing Mo Hua standing there in a daze for quite a long time without speaking, Ding Miao couldn¡¯t help but call out softly:


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    Mo Hua returned to his senses, smiled, and patted Miao¡¯s head, saying:


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Without Miao¡¯s simple drawing, he would not have discovered the clues.


    The greatness in someone lies in not losing the innocence of childhood.


    The more na?ve a child is, the more pure and natural is their gaze, devoid of color, better able to see the true nature of things.


    Miao tilted his head in confusion:


    ¡°Did I help?¡±


    Mo Hua praised, ¡°You¡¯ve been a great help.¡±


    Miao immediately became happy, even though he didn¡¯t know what help he had provided.


    Mo Hua gave him another pastry.


    Miao held it with both hands and began to eat it, feeling completely justified.


    ¡°Brother said I made a significant contribution, so this time I am not eating in vain,¡± Miao nodded to himself in his mind.


    ¡­


    Knowing the essence of the Formation, one must try to restore the Formation Diagram.


    Mo Hua told Miao not to wander off and went to a high peak to take in the full view of the Spirit Field.


    He then began to re-calculate the Spirit Field, structured like a Formation, back into its original Formation, using a Formation Master¡¯s mindset and Formation Patterns¡¯ penmanship.


    While calculating, Mo Hua stopped.


    Something was wrong.


    He couldn¡¯t figure it out anymore¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Many layouts of the Spirit Fields were too square and ordered, but they were not based on Formation principles.


    Therefore, the Formation that was calculated turned out to be intermittent and fragmented.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    One trouble followed another¡­


    He ran down to the bottom of the mountain again and asked Ding Miao:


    ¡°Miao¡¯er, who in your village has lived the longest and knows the most?¡±


    Miao¡¯er furrowed her little brow, and her eyes suddenly lit up:


    ¡°The Elder!¡±


    East Mountain Village indeed had an Elder, but he was old and did not manage affairs, and his cultivation was only in Qi Refinement, not Foundation Establishment.


    The people had elected him Elder because he was of old age, with seniority, and able to command respect.


    Calling him Elder, was actually more like the ¡°Village Chief¡±.


    Little Miao¡¯er led Mo Hua to the Elder.


    Mo Hua stated his purpose, saying he wanted to ask a few questions.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, the Elder showed a grateful expression and said:


    ¡°The young gentleman has been a benefactor to us, feel free to ask anything, this old man will leave no words unspoken.¡±


    ¡°The Elder is too kind.¡±


    Mo Hua exchanged pleasantries briefly and then asked respectfully:


    ¡°Elder, has the layout of the Spirit Fields changed over the past few hundred years?¡±


    The Elder pondered for a moment before slowly nodding:


    ¡°It has been changed.¡±


    ¡°What was it changed for?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The Elder said, ¡°The land passed down by our ancestors, we generally wouldn¡¯t change it. This layout of the Spirit Fields has also been maintained for over a hundred years¡­¡±


    ¡°But later, the Sun Family reorganized some of the fields to facilitate their Formation Painting, so they reorganized some of the fields.¡±


    ¡°Now many fields are in a checkerboard pattern, each one neat and orderly.¡±


    ¡°After the reorganization, was there any change in the Spirit Fields?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°No major changes, just that the land has become poorer year after year,¡±


    The Elder sighed, ¡°I am old and can still feel these things, but the children born in the village after me don¡¯t know anything at all.¡±


    ¡°I still remember, when I was young, my grandfather told me, he said the soil hundreds of years ago was much more fertile than it is now.¡±


    After speaking, the Elder¡¯s eyes showed longing, ¡°At that time, everyone just had to quietly farm the land, and they could all have had enough to eat¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt complicated and then his gaze grew heavy as he gradually figured it out.


    The purpose of this Ultimate Formation was supposed to make the soil fertile and the Spirit Fields abundant.


    The layout of the Spirit Fields itself was the Formation Pivot of the Formation.


    After the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family died, the incompetent descendants of the Sun Family, for the sake of convenience in their Formation Painting, reorganized the Spirit Fields, changing the layout of the fields.


    As a result, they affected the Formation Pivot, causing the Ultimate Formation to gradually fail.


    Latterly, the Sun Family descendants, in order to exploit the Spirit Farmers, drew some inferior Formations on the field ridges, which constantly broke and needed repairing.


    Because the Formations were constantly breaking and repairing, the Spiritual Power supplied by the Spirit Farmers for the Cultivating Soil Formation was intermittent.


    This led to the Spirit Power supply of the entire Ultimate Formation also being unsustainable.


    Decades, even a hundred years later, the Ultimate Formation was completely ineffective.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family had once established a family rule:


    Any descendant of the Sun Family must not encroach upon a single field in Thousand Families Town for their entire life. Otherwise, they will be stripped of their surname, eradicated from the family records, and expelled from the household!


    This rule was first to ensure that the Spirit Farmers had a means of livelihood.


    Secondly, it was to restrain the descendants from changing the layout of the Spirit Fields after encroaching upon them, which would consequently disrupt the Formation Pivot of the Formation.


    But he probably never imagined that the Sun Family descendants would be so incompetent.


    Out of greed, they did so many foolish things that they forfeited the benefits of the Formation and also cut off the transmission of the Formation.


    As the Spirit Fields changed, the Formation Pivot shifted position.


    Consequently, it was impossible to calculate a complete Formation Diagram anymore.


    Mo Hua frowned, but then his eyes flashed with inspiration, and he asked again:


    ¡°Elder, do you have the diagram of the Spirit Fields from hundreds of years ago?¡±


    The Elder hesitated for a moment, then nodded, ¡°There is, indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°May I see it?¡±


    The Elder found it difficult, as such documents are considered confidential and are generally not shown to outsiders.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°I want to find the Formation that the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family drew back then.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Elder was startled and exclaimed in a trembling voice:


    ¡°The Formation of the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The Elder quaveringly said, ¡°But the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, he was a Second Rank Formation Master¡­¡±


    He looked at Mo Hua, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    Could this young gentleman comprehend the Formation drawn by a Second Rank Formation Master?


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family was a Second Grade, but the Formation he left behind was actually First Grade, it¡¯s just a little difficult to paint, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The Elder did not understand, but was greatly shocked nonetheless.


    Just being able to comprehend such a Formation was already a remarkable feat.


    After thinking it over for a long time, the Elder said with determination, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you the diagram!¡±


    If this young gentleman could indeed find the Formation the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family had painted, it would be an immense blessing for them, the Spirit Farmers, and naturally, they would be immensely grateful.


    A few diagrams were not enough to fill their stomachs; they were barely surviving, so what was there to treasure?


    The Elder went into the inner room, opened the lowest box in the corner of the wall, and then drew a stack of yellowed parchment from the very bottom, handing it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua saw that each piece of parchment depicted segments of Spirit Fields in a scale-like pattern.


    The Spirit Fields were naturally distributed, with orderly intersecting ridges.


    In addition, the parchment also recorded the Taoist Calendar years.


    Details such as the Spirit Farmer household registers, the distribution of fields, the fertility of the Spirit Fields, etc., were also clearly documented.


    This information indeed belonged to confidential records.


    No wonder the Elder had been hesitant before.


    Mo Hua flipped through a few more pages, compared the diagrams with the former layout of the Spirit Fields, and after some consideration, his expression gradually brightened.


    He hadn¡¯t guessed wrong.


    The real Ultimate Formation was hidden within these, within the centuries-old Spirit Field diagrams!

 Chapter 391: Thick Earth

    In the following days, Mo Hua buried himself in studying the Formation Diagrams, examining the changes in the Spirit Fields, and then comparing them with the current situation of the Spirit Fields to infer the structure of the Formation.Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also helping.


    Each of them took a portion of the Formation Diagrams to restore on their own.


    After restoration, they would compare their findings together, and ultimately Mo Hua would perform the final verification through Calculation.


    By doing this, they saved a great deal of effort.


    In the spacious hall, the three of them set up a table, drawing and calculating side by side.


    After five or six days of hard work, they finally managed to sort out and infer the preliminary Formation Diagram of this Formation.


    And indeed, this Formation contained eleven Formation Patterns.


    It was a genuine, first-grade, eleven-pattern Ultimate Formation!


    The Formation Patterns were primarily of the Earth Series, and the stylus technique was different from the usual Formation Patterns, carrying an ancient and profound sense.


    The Formation Pivot structure was also much more complex than that of ordinary first-grade Formations.


    Bai Zisheng marveled as he examined it:


    ¡°So this is an Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi was also so absorbed that she traced a few patterns with her delicate fingers inadvertently. But as she continued, she felt dizzy and her brow furrowed slightly as her body slowly collapsed.


    Mo Hua quickly caught her and expressed concern:


    ¡°Senior Sister, are you alright?¡±


    Bai Zisheng also hurriedly asked:


    ¡°Zixi, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bai Zixi regained her composure, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said lightly:


    ¡°I used too much Divine Sense¡­¡±


    She had never seen an Ultimate Formation before, and Mr. Zhuang had not taught her either, so she was a bit curious and had tried to visualize it in her mind.


    But she had not expected that an Ultimate Formation would consume so much Divine Sense.


    She had only comprehended up to the ninth Formation Pattern, and after half of the next one, her Divine Sense was nearly depleted.


    Then Bai Zixi turned to look at Mo Hua with curiosity and asked: S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This Formation¡­ can you learn it?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°I can¡¯t learn it either¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi silently looked at Mo Hua, ¡°Tell the truth.¡±


    Mo Hua then admitted with slight embarrassment:


    ¡°Barely, I can learn a bit¡­¡±


    That means he can learn it¡­


    Bai Zixi sighed softly to herself.


    Her little junior brother¡¯s Divine Sense had become frighteningly profound.


    He also had a keen sense for Formations; he could infer such an Ultimate Formation from mere clues.


    No wonder their master valued him so much.


    Feeling the caring look from Mo Hua, warmth burgeoned in Bai Zixi¡¯s heart.


    Apart from her brother and Aunt Xue, this was the first time someone had looked at her with such clear and concerned eyes.


    Mo Hua was her only junior brother.


    He was also the first person to call her ¡°Senior Sister.¡±


    She felt she needed to live up to the responsibilities of a senior sister.


    Bai Zixi hesitated for a moment, then extended her fair little hand to pat Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, and spoke earnestly:


    ¡°You must study Formations well.¡±


    Mo Hua had joined their mentor together with her, learned things together, and they had spent quite a long time together.


    Bai Zixi was very familiar with Mo Hua.


    She knew that when it came to other areas of Tao Cultivation, even if her junior brother put in the effort and studied diligently, he would not make much progress.


    But Formations were different.


    Perhaps Mo Hua could truly rely on Formations to find his own place in the talent-filled Cultivation World.


    On his own, he could continue his Cultivation and seek the way to immortality.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s appearance had softened, and though she was not as stunningly beautiful as before, her eyes were just as lovely.


    In her otherworldly gaze, reflected was the image of Mo Hua, with a touch of concern and expectation.


    It was the look of a Senior Sister caring for her Junior Brother.


    Mo Hua was at a loss for words for a moment.


    Bai Zisheng also joined in the excitement, ¡°Listen to your Senior Sister, she¡¯s right!¡±


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.


    Bai Zisheng appeared unconcerned.


    He glanced at the Formation Diagram again, and just by looking at it, he felt a headache coming on.


    Eleven Formation Patterns, with Divine Sense strength reaching the level of a Second-Grade Formation, it was hard to see what good learning it would do.


    Bai Zisheng frowned and realized a problem, he asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°The Old Ancestor of Sun Family is a Second Rank Formation Master, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he draw a Second-Grade Formation in the Spirit Fields? The effects of a Second-Grade Formation should be stronger, right?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then explained:


    ¡°A Second-Grade Formation would indeed be more powerful, but it would also require more Spiritual Power to operate and consume more Spirit Stones, something that a Qi Cultivation Loose Practitioner simply can¡¯t afford.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the effect of this Formation is unique, and ordinary Second-Grade Formations don¡¯t have this sort of function.¡±


    ¡°Even if there were such a Formation, it would have to be a Second-Grade Ultimate Formation, and the difficulty of that would be even greater¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded as if he suddenly understood, ¡°Then you better hurry up and learn it, see if it¡¯s of any use.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In the following days, Mo Hua began to study this Ultimate Formation.


    However, this Formation seemed somewhat special.


    Mo Hua practiced several times during the day, with little progress.


    At night, meditating on the Taoist Stele allowed him to vaguely feel the flow of qi within the Formation, leading to a deeper understanding of it.


    After a few days, Mo Hua could perfectly outline the entire Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    But come daytime, when he tried to put pen to paper, the entire Formation seemed to lose its essence.


    Divine Sense indeed got consumed, and he drew all the Formation Patterns correctly.


    Yet the Formation on paper seemed to have only shape and no spirit; nor could he sense the flow of Spiritual Power.


    All three were puzzled.


    Bai Zisheng, resting his chin on his hand, said, ¡°Could it be that the calculated Formation is wrong?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°So, it was drawn incorrectly?¡± Bai Zisheng guessed, then denied his own guess, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that either.¡±


    The Formations drawn by Mo Hua were always accurate; they couldn¡¯t be wrong.


    Besides, all three of them had checked it over and found no issues.


    The trio looked at each other in confusion.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°It seems we can only go and ask Master.¡±


    ¡­


    Mr. Zhuang was in the yard, sitting on a bamboo chair, basking in the sun.


    This chair seemed to be the same one Mr. Zhuang often sat on back at Forgetful Residence, a place he was nostalgic about, so he had brought the chair with him.


    In the spacious courtyard, Mr. Zhuang was either resting with his eyes closed or possibly contemplating the Dao.


    Mo Hua did not disturb Mr. Zhuang and waited beside him for a while.


    In less than a moment, Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes and beckoned to Mo Hua with a slight gesture.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he stepped forward to hand the Ultimate Formation he had drawn to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang took it, glanced over it, and with a slightly puzzled look but a hint of approval, said:


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Master, is it this Formation?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s confirmation meant he hadn¡¯t miscalculated.


    ¡°But why does it seem ineffective when I clearly drew it out?¡± Mo Hua voiced his doubt.


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a slight smile, ¡°you don¡¯t know the name of this Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, ¡°Name?¡±


    The Sun Family¡¯s legacy did not mention it, or rather, the Sun Family simply did not have the transmission of this Ultimate Formation, so naturally, they did not know the name of this Formation.


    In Thousand Families Town, inside and out, there was not the slightest record of it.


    ¡°Master, what is the name of this Formation?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Mr. Zhuang did not play coy and slowly began to speak:


    ¡°This Formation is called¡­ the Thick Earth Formation.¡±


    ¡°Thick Earth?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua was somewhat confused, ¡°Why is it called that?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew serious, with profound meaning, ¡°The Formation contains the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.¡±


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s way is strong, constantly striving to become stronger; Earth¡¯s position is Kun, bearing all things with great virtue.¡±


    ¡°This Formation is named the Thick Earth Formation, and it is derived from the word ¡®thick¡¯ in ¡®bearing all things with great virtue.¡¯


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the distant, rolling Spirit Fields and the earing Spirit Rice, and said with emotion:


    ¡°Heaven creates all things, Earth nourishes all things.¡±


    ¡°Heaven is the Dao, and so is the Earth ¡±


    ¡°This Thick Earth Formation embodies ¡®Earth nourishes all things,¡¯ the Dao of the Earth, which can enrich the soil, nourishing everything within.¡±


    Understanding dawned on Mo Hua, but then he furrowed his brow again:


    ¡°But what does this have to do with the Formation being ineffective?¡±


    ¡°Think about it again,¡± Mr. Zhuang prompted but did not answer directly.


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua slowly said, ¡°Thick Earth Formation¡­ does that mean it has to use ¡®earth¡¯ as the Formation media?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly:


    ¡°More accurately, it¡¯s ¡®ground¡¯ as the Formation media.¡±


    ¡°In a Formation, the media is the most easily overlooked element, even by Formation Masters who often fail to pay enough attention to it, thinking it is just a carrier for the Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°But a Formation is whole, and the media is an integral part of it, containing its own Formation principle.¡±


    ¡°Especially when using ¡®ground¡¯ as the media, which is a type of comprehension of the Great Dao, not all Formation Masters can grasp it.¡±


    ¡°Heaven covers, Earth bears.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators are born into this world, each one with the heavens above their heads and standing upon the earth.¡±


    ¡°If you can learn the Thick Earth Formation and grasp the principle of ¡®bearing all things with great virtue,¡¯ knowing how to use ¡®ground¡¯ as the Formation media, then henceforth, whatever Formation you draw will have a bearing.¡±


    ¡°Then the media of the Formation will no longer limit you,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with an expectant look.


    Mo Hua had a sudden epiphany, deeply moved in his heart.


    He had thought that within the Spirit Fields, there was merely an Ultimate Formation for nurturing the land, but he had not expected the profound depth of Formation principle it contained.


    Within all things lies Formation, and within Formation, the Great Dao is concealed.


    Earth¡¯s position is Kun, bearing all things with great virtue.


    The Earth bears all things and can likewise bear Formations.


    By comprehending the Thick Earth Formation and understanding its principles, the boundless earth can serve as the media.


    Wherever the heavens stretch and the earth extends, Formation can be drawn!

 Chapter 392: Short Path

    Mo Hua had another doubt.¡°But, Master, isn¡¯t the earth unsuitable to be used as Formation media?¡±


    Generally, Formation Masters wouldn¡¯t use earth as the media for Formations.


    Because the earth¡¯s texture might be loose or moist, or it might erode and lose its shape due to dryness and weathering, making it difficult to maintain a fixed form over time and unsuitable to carry Formation Patterns.


    Mr. Zhuang corrected, ¡°It¡¯s not that it is unsuitable to be Formation media, but rather, most Formation Masters can¡¯t use it as such.¡±


    ¡°What they can¡¯t do, they fail to comprehend. Over time, most Formation Masters then come to believe that the earth is unsuitable to be Formation media.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and tentatively asked,


    ¡°Then how can the earth carry Formation Patterns?¡±


    He still didn¡¯t quite understand.


    ¡°What is the essence of the Formation Patterns in a Formation?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the physical manifestation of the trajectory of Spiritual Power flow.¡± Mo Hua answered.


    He had studied Divine Sense Calculation, had drawn a Large Formation, and had controlled the flow of Spiritual Power within the Formation Patterns through the Formation Pivot, so his comprehension was profound.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Do you remember what I told you? Some Formation Masters only know how to follow the clues from the Formation Diagram, tracing the Formation Patterns exactly as they are without daring to add or subtract a single stroke. Yet, their Formations still lack efficacy.¡±


    ¡°Because they have only the form without the internal flow of Spiritual Power, these Formations are nothing but empty shells.¡±


    ¡°Whereas some Formation Masters are not bound by form and draw as they please, and their Formations come out naturally perfect.¡±


    ¡°This is because these Formation Masters are using their Divine Sense to connect with the Great Dao and control the flow of Spiritual Power with Formation Patterns, not rigidly drawing the Patterns.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized and was a bit stunned.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and pondered before saying,


    ¡°Formation media need to carry Formation Patterns, but what¡¯s truly being carried is not the Patterns themselves but the Spiritual Power that the Patterns channel.¡±


    ¡°Abandoning the form, seeking the essence.¡±


    ¡°Patterns are merely the superficial aspect of a Formation. The internal flow of Spiritual Power is the essence of a Formation.¡±


    ¡°So by using ¡®earth¡¯ as Formation media, what the earth needs to carry is actually the internal Spiritual Power, not just the superficial Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°As long as the Spiritual Power of the Formation is in harmony with the earth, and the Formation Patterns become one with the earth, then even if the ground changes from dry to wet, the Formation will still exist.¡±


    The more Mo Hua spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, and his eyes shone brightly.


    Mr. Zhuang watched Mo Hua and thought silently,


    ¡°Understanding at first mention, this is his innate talent for Formations, and also¡­ an affinity with the Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°Master, is this correct?¡± Mo Hua asked intently.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled happily, but then he had another doubt, Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Many Formation Masters must understand this principle, so why haven¡¯t I seen others use the ¡®earth¡¯ as Formation media?¡± Mo Hua then added, ¡°¡­ aside from the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The principles are clear, but actually doing it is entirely another matter.¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Even if you understand these principles, what next? How do you make the earth carry Spiritual Power? How do you make Formation Patterns become one with the earth? And how do you go about drawing a Formation? Which Formation should you draw?¡±


    ¡°Principles are simple to speak of, but in practice, they are fraught with difficulties, to the point where one doesn¡¯t know where to begin.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, reflecting on the words, and after a moment, his eyes brightened again,


    ¡°So, the key is the Thick Earth Formation, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang raised his eyebrows slightly, signaling for Mo Hua to continue.


    Mo Hua went on thinking,


    ¡°Since the Thick Earth Formation is said to ¡®carry virtue,¡¯ it contains the Dao of the Earth and inherently uses ¡®earth¡¯ as Formation media.¡±


    ¡°Conversely, learning this Formation means learning to use ¡®earth¡¯ as Formation media and comprehending the Formation is to grasp the Dao of the Earth represented by ¡®carrying virtue.''¡±


    ¡°Once you have learned the Formation and grasped the Dao, you can naturally make the earth carry Spiritual Power and become one with the Formation Patterns.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with a slight smile, ¡°Well said.¡±


    Mo Hua gave a bashful smile, ¡°You teach well, Master!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a faint smile, shook his head, and then said slowly,


    ¡°In cultivating the Dao, emphasis is laid on enlightenment, which without substance can easily become ethereal and formless.¡±


    ¡°However, Formations are manifestations of the Heavenly Dao and serve as a bridge connecting Cultivators with the abstract Heavenly Dao.¡±


    ¡°By pondering Formations, applying them, combining the abstract with the tangible, only then can one truly understand the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°A Formation Master thoroughly studying Formations draws near to the Dao, and by attaining the Dao, one may achieve immortality¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with profound and expectant eyes.


    ¡°Thoroughly studying Formations, drawing near to the Dao¡­¡± Mo Hua repeated softly, his gaze becoming clear and his expression increasingly resolute.


    He nodded solemnly and said with respect,


    ¡°Master, your disciple remembers!¡±


    After Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, his once profound gaze turned lazy, and he waved his hand,


    ¡°Study the Thick Earth Formation more, see if you can comprehend any part of it, and come to me if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Mo Hua ran off to practice Formation again.


    In the courtyard, the mountain breeze blew.


    Old Kui silently appeared behind Mr. Zhuang and frowned, ¡°Should you be teaching him such profound matters?¡±


    ¡°If he can learn it, why not teach it?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Mr. Zhuang then sighed,


    ¡°Originally, I just wanted him to try searching for Formations, to exercise his Calculation spell point. I planned to reveal the truth to him when he truly couldn¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°But I did not expect him to find it on his own.¡±


    ¡°He even deduced the Formation Diagram¡­¡±


    ¡°These matters, although difficult, do not present a reason not to teach him if he can learn.¡±


    ¡°Time is short, and I wish to teach him more¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly, ¡°Have you calculated all of this?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°it was just a coincidence. Before coming here, I did not anticipate finding the Earth Sect¡¯s Ultimate Formation hidden in this place.¡±


    After finishing his thoughts, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s my good luck or Mo Hua¡¯s fortunate destiny.¡±


    The Ultimate Formation of the Earth Sect is no ordinary Formation.


    Old Kui was puzzled, ¡°Is there a branch of the Earth Sect bearing the Sun surname?¡±


    ¡°Surnames are just that, merely labels; they can¡¯t be taken as truth,¡± Mr. Zhuang said indifferently.


    Old Kui nodded, his eyes slightly lifting to gaze at the continuous Spirit Fields, quite moved,


    ¡°Though not encompassing the heavens, it can ¡®penetrate the earth.¡¯ With such Formation proficiency, even being Second Grade, he must be more than an ordinary individual.¡±


    ¡°Such a person, to have died with his Sea of Consciousness shattered¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze also became slightly focused, yet he said nothing.


    Old Kui glanced again at Mr. Zhuang, ¡°Learning this Ultimate Formation, Mo Hua won¡¯t get into any trouble, will he?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang dismissively replied, ¡°What trouble would there be?¡±


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation is the Earth Sect¡¯s secret transmission.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang snorted, ¡°If they can¡¯t learn it, can they prevent others from learning?¡±


    ¡°Besides, he didn¡¯t steal it or rob it; if meat falls into your lap, why not eat it? To not take what is given by heaven is to invite misfortune,¡± Mr. Zhuang spoke confidently.


    ¡°What if the Earth Sect causes trouble?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already thought of solutions,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Old Kui was somewhat skeptical, ¡°Are they legitimate solutions?¡±


    ¡°If it works, who cares about legitimacy?¡± Mr. Zhuang remained composed, ¡°Moreover, the Earth Sect is in Kun State, which is tens of thousands of miles away from here; it¡¯s uncertain whether they could even find this place.¡±


    Old Kui indifferently said, ¡°As long as you are certain in your own mind.¡±


    The yard became quiet for a while, with neither of them speaking.


    A moment later, Old Kui broke the silence,


    ¡°They are on their way here.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang wasn¡¯t surprised, ¡°With such a commotion in Tongxian City, if the Pavilion Elder couldn¡¯t calculate this, he might as well retire and go back home to spend his old age.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Old Kui inquired.


    Mr. Zhuang lay on a bamboo chair, watching the clouds shift, and said indifferently,


    ¡°Nothing in particular, we¡¯ll do what needs to be done as planned.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll catch up?¡±


    ¡°They can calculate, and so can I, every time I¡¯m one step ahead. It would take them at least a year or two to catch up to me.¡±


    ¡°What about Gui Tao¡¯s people? He won¡¯t let you off either,¡± Old Kui said.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, ¡°He never intended to let me go.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s craftier than you, plus he has succumbed to demons, sealed as a ¡®Taoist.¡¯ With his Taoist Heart planted with devils and having reached completion, his actions are even more unscrupulous,¡± Old Kui stated woodenly.


    ¡°After so many years, sector grudges must come to an end,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Old Kui sneered, ¡°How can you end it? If you meet him, you have no chance of survival¡­¡±


    Old Kui wanted to say more but was interrupted by Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gazed at the sky, his eyes distant and contemplative,


    ¡°I have everything planned out.¡±


    His expression was neither sad nor happy, his gaze steady, in a state beyond life and death.

 Chapter 393: Taoist Meaning (1)

    in the vast expanse of the spirit field, there was a secluded patch of land.mo hua sat on the ridge, beginning to practice the thick earth formation on a patch of bare earth in front of him.


    the principles of the thick earth formation itself, mo hua had already mastered with the help of the taoist stele.


    the only problem was that when drawn, the formation had no effect.


    thick earth espouses the virtue of vastness; it carries weight, cultivates, and nurtures all living things.


    this formation must use the land as the formation media to truly take effect.


    mo hua, holding his brush dipped in ink, began to draw the thick earth formation on the ground.


    after a while, a mysterious and ancient thick earth formation, containing eleven formation patterns, was completed.


    mo hua infused spiritual power, hoping to activate the formation.


    but the spiritual power entered the formation like water pouring into a bucket with a hole; it drained away in an instant.


    mo hua wiped the formation patterns with his hand, and they were easily erased.


    mo hua sighed.


    he had failed.


    mo hua was not willing to give up and started to draw again.


    as expected, the second drawing also failed.


    the third drawing did not succeed either¡­


    ...


    after his divine sense was exhausted, mo hua sat in meditation, waiting for it to fill up again before continuing to draw.


    but no matter how he drew, the patterns could not merge with the land, and the spiritual power could not circulate.


    mo hua furrowed his brows and thought:


    "it seems master was right, it sounds simple in theory, but in practice, it¡¯s totally different..."


    "no matter how i draw, the patterns cannot stay on the ground, and the spiritual power cannot resonate with the earth."


    "moreover, after drawing so many times, there¡¯s still no progress..."


    "should i ask master again?"


    mo hua hesitated, then shook his head.


    better to contemplate it again.


    if master had wanted to tell him, he would have done so already.


    master¡¯s silence must mean something else, that he wanted him to figure it out on his own.


    there¡¯s an old saying, "the master points the way, but the cultivation is up to the individual."


    it¡¯s better to learn and think on one¡¯s own; the understanding is deeper that way.


    mo hua nodded to himself, then pondered:


    "i must not have drawn enough."


    "draw a formation a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself."


    "let¡¯s draw a hundred times first, and if there¡¯s still no clue, then i¡¯ll ask master."


    mo hua nodded again, concentrated his breath, and resumed drawing the thick earth formation on the land.


    he drew from morning to afternoon, and from afternoon to evening.


    mo hua did not need to sleep at night.


    when his divine sense was exhausted, or he felt tired, he would sink his divine sense into the sea of consciousness.


    sitting quietly in front of the taoist stele for a while in meditation, his divine sense would be replenished, leaving him feeling refreshed.


    mo hua drew the formation day and night without rest.


    bai zixi, with a young child in tow, brought food to mo hua.


    but seeing that mo hua was absorbed in drawing the formation, she did not disturb him, simply leaving the food beside him quietly.


    when mo hua tired from drawing and took a break, he would casually eat a few bites upon seeing the meal box.


    after eating, he would continue drawing the formation.


    several days later, mo hua had drawn the thick earth formation eighty to ninety times, but the patterns still could not merge with the earth.


    mo hua began to doubt himself.


    was the method incorrect?


    is it that my own comprehension just isn¡¯t enough?


    can¡¯t really have to draw it a hundred times, right...


    but according to this pattern, even if i drew it a hundred times, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any progress.


    mo hua frowned, propped his chin and silently thought.


    had he overlooked something?


    the elements of the formation: formation media, formation patterns, formation pivot, formation eye.


    he should have considered all of these...


    besides these, there¡¯s the spiritual ink, spiritual power, divine sense...


    mo hua muttered each term, suddenly feeling a jolt in his heart.


    divine sense...


    cultivators must use their divine sense to comprehend formations.


    but he was also using his divine sense to comprehend formations, wasn¡¯t he?


    could it be that what he needed to comprehend wasn¡¯t just the formation?


    the formation is drawn upon the earth, with its profound ability to carry all things, the dao of the earth... so in addition to the formation, is there also the "earth" to comprehend?


    mo hua sat down cross-legged with a try-and-see attitude, took a deep breath, and concentrated, starting to communicate with the earth through his divine sense.


    an hour passed.


    nothing happened...


    mo hua felt a bit disheartened and puzzled.


    suddenly he clapped his forehead, recalling something.


    mr. zhuang had just told him:


    "for a cultivator to comprehend the dao, simply having perception is not enough, it¡¯s easy to become intangible and abstract, formalistic, lacking substance."


    "and a formation is the manifestation of the heavenly dao, the bridge that connects cultivators with the intangible heavenly dao."


    the formation is the bridge that connects cultivators with the dao of heaven and earth.


    it¡¯s not sitting and daydreaming, but rather, using the formation as a bridge, drawing the formation while comprehending the great dao.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes brightened, then he dipped his brush in ink again and began to draw the thick earth formation on the ground.


    only this time, as he drew, he also unfolded his divine sense, communicating with the earth.


    as his brush moved, mo hua faintly felt that his divine sense seemed to be stirred.


    it seemed that the vast earth exhaled almost imperceptible breaths, which, as he replicated the formation patterns, gradually surfaced. s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with each additional stroke of the pattern, the earth¡¯s breath grew thicker.


    the touch of mo hua¡¯s divine sense became clearer.


    once mo hua completed the formation, he was certain in his heart that he had indeed sensed something.


    it was a vast, profound, and compassionate breath.


    but this was still just a sensation.


    after the sensation, the earth remained silent, without a trace of breath.


    mo hua looked down at the formation he had drawn.


    parts of the formation patterns had already begun to fuse with the land, but only a shallow layer had merged, able to absorb only a faint spiritual power.


    despite this, mo hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    this meant his idea was correct.


    to comprehend the thick earth formation, one must not only understand the formation itself but also experience the great dao it contains.


    only by combining the formation with the dao and using the "earth" as the formation media can this ultimate formation be drawn.


    he had now experienced some of its profound mysteries, but having drawn too little, and reflected for too little time, the intensity was still inadequate.


    what he needed to do next was to simply keep drawing.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes shone like stars.


    he rallied his spirits and continued to practice the thick earth formation using the method he had just realized.


    the effect of this practice session was noticeably much better.


    with each additional formation drawn, the pattern became more integrated with the land.


    the perception of the earth¡¯s breath from his divine sense also gradually clarified.


    it was as if the boundless earth possessed its own will, ancient and unchangeable, silent and wordless, yet also broad-minded, nurturing all beings.


    mo hua communicated with this ancient will, gradually comprehending, his divine sense forming an affinity with it.


    hence, his understanding of the thick earth formation became increasingly profound.


    finally, after an indeterminate amount of time had passed, mo hua successfully completed the first thick earth formation upon the earth.


    the formation patterns merged with the ground as one.


    mo hua ignited the formation with his spiritual power.


    in the deep night, the thick earth formation emitted a warm and gentle luster.


    within the formation, the spiritual power also went through a special transformation.


    it seemed to gain its own life, evolving independently, transforming into more delicate, more gentle spiritual power.


    this spiritual power was like fine spring rain, merging into the land, nourishing life, proliferating endlessly.


    mo hua could even feel a strong sense of vitality rising from the soil.


    "the earth¡¯s potential is fertile, its generosity sustaining all; is this the essence of the thick earth formation..." he murmured, momentarily lost in thought.


    he finally understood why the ultimate formations were called as such.


    for the spiritual power circulation within ultimate formations had an essential difference compared to ordinary formations, bringing them closer to a deeper layer of the dao.


    mo hua now mastered two types of ultimate formations.


    one was the reversed spirit formation, the other was the thick earth formation.


    the reversed spirit formation caused spiritual power to unravel, while the thick earth formation allowed spiritual power to reproduce.


    the unraveling of the reversed spirit signified death and destruction.


    the nourishing of the thick earth signified endless life.


    both were transformations of spiritual power, distinct from each other, yet they both returned to the same origin, evolving within the dao.


    suddenly, mo hua had an epiphany. his mind became crystal clear, and his understanding of the great dao deepened.


    "to exhaust all formation studies is to approach the dao..."


    this saying of mr. zhuang was deeply etched into mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    it was now past 1 a.m., and the night sky was filled with dense stars.


    the moonlight, like a gauze, lay over the spirit fields and mountains.


    mo hua¡¯s mood lightened considerably, and he let out a long sigh of relief.


    after spending so much time, he had finally mastered the thick earth formation.


    mo hua wanted to rest for a while, but he felt lively and full of energy as if rest was unnecessary.


    he decided to further consolidate the thick earth formation.


    so, mo hua once again drew the thick earth formation on the ground.


    but this time, he felt something was amiss.


    although the formation patterns merged with the ground, there were occasional interruptions; the spiritual power flow was not particularly smooth either.


    after pondering, mo hua realized the issue.


    although he had sensed the breath of the earth, his understanding was still shallow.


    therefore, this perception was intermittent, and so was the formation itself, occurring in fits and starts.


    such a skill level could only be considered a forced learning, not mastery.


    at the very least, it was probably much inferior to the old ancestor of the sun family.


    thinking of how the old ancestor of the sun family reconstructed the spirit field with the pattern of the thick earth formation, mo hua was even further from achieving that.


    mo hua frowned.


    the root of the problem did not lie in the formation itself.


    having drawn it so many times, mo hua had become sufficiently proficient in the thick earth formation; he could complete it even with his eyes closed.


    the problem was the perception of the earth¡¯s breath.


    once divine sense lost this perception, the formation patterns could not harmonize with the earth.


    mo hua closed his eyes and once again sought to connect with that breath using his divine sense.


    this time it was much clearer, yet still faint and elusive, beyond his grasp to perceive any deeper.


    no matter how much more he tried, this was as far as he could go.


    resting his chin on his hand and furrowing his brows, mo hua¡¯s thoughts raced.


    he needed to find a way...


    if one cannot clearly perceive this breath of the dao, divine sense cannot communicate with the earth, and thus, one cannot draw the thick earth formation accurately and with complete certainty.


    nor is it possible to construct a spirit field.


    in that case, one cannot be said to have truly mastered the thick earth formation.


    "if my own divine sense is limited, what if i rely on the ¡¯taoist stele¡¯?"


    mo hua¡¯s thoughts shifted, and as his gaze flickered, his divine sense plunged into the sea of consciousness.


    within the sea of consciousness, the taoist stele emerged.


    mo hua, while drawing the thick earth formation on the taoist stele, used it to sense the breath of the earth.


    suddenly, mo hua felt a tremor within the taoist stele.


    it was as if divine thought from heaven and earth had descended, resonating with the taoist stele.


    in an instant, mo hua¡¯s mind and spirit were both shaken.


    it was as if his divine sense perceived an ancient and immortal colossal divine thought.


    this divine thought was compassionate and magnanimous, vast as the endless sea.


    and his own divine sense, faint and minuscule, was merely a grain within that sea.


    moreover, the breath of this divine thought seemed faintly familiar.


    in a flash of realization, mo hua understood.


    during his drawing of the thick earth formation, the breath he perceived originated from this divine thought.


    but his own divine sense was too weak, sensing only a trivial breath.


    now, with the assistance of the taoist stele, what he perceived was the magnificent divine thought!


    this was the divine thought of the vast earth!


    this divine thought contained neither good nor evil, neither joy nor anger, nor any of the selfish thoughts of the mortal world.


    just like the earth itself, bearing and nurturing all things, and yet allowing the cycle of life and death to unfold without interference.


    rather than calling it a divine thought, it was more akin to the "dao" of the earth itself.


    with luck on his side, mo hua started to draw the thick earth formation on the taoist stele.


    this time, the thick earth formation was incredibly profound.


    every stroke seemed to contain the power of the earth.


    upon completion of the thick earth formation, using the formation as a bridge, mo hua felt a faint connection with this divine thought.


    his divine sense and the earth¡¯s divine thought became increasingly harmonious.


    and through this divine thought, mo hua also personally grasped the "dao of the earth."


    a mere moment of comprehension, yet it was profoundly deep.


    heaven births all things; the earth nurtures them all.


    the withering of grass and trees, the falling of ripe fruit¡ªlife¡¯s continuous cycle, passed down through generations.


    upon the earth, the unfolding of countless lives was displayed.


    in a trance, mo hua felt a revelation.


    "heaven¡¯s law is learned from the earth; man¡¯s law from heaven."


    it was as if he truly stood upon the vast earth and glimpsed the "dao" of the earth.


    his divine sense was in harmony with the dao of the earth.


    mo hua faintly felt that one day, he truly would be able to use thought as his brush and "earth" as his paper.


    under heaven¡¯s expanse, within earth¡¯s reach, wherever divine sense travels, draw ground into formation!


    ¡­


    meanwhile, mr. zhuang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and saw old kui with a similarly shocked expression.


    that moment, they both sensed an unforeseen trepidation in the air.


    mr. zhuang whispered in disbelief:


    "who¡­ has touched upon taoist meaning?"


    then both were shocked and looked towards the southeast direction of the spirit field.


    there in the spirit field, his young disciple had been contemplating the formation all along.


    and at this very moment, within the spirit field, there arose a profound and indescribable breath, endlessly vigorous.


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze became increasingly incredulous¡­

 Chapter 394: Draw the Line (1)

    the connection with the earth divine thought lasted only for an instant,before it completely severed.


    in that mental image, the vast earth disappeared, the phenomenon of all things withering and flourishing, the blooming and falling of flowers, all receded.


    that understanding of the earth¡¯s "dao" was no more than a fleeting epiphany.


    mo hua himself benefited greatly, but when he looked back, he discovered the "taoist stele" had turned gray.


    mo hua was startled.


    done for, had it been overused?


    mo hua frowned in thought.


    he had borrowed the taoist stele to meditate on the earth divine thought.


    the one that directly endured the ancient and vast divine thought of the earth was the taoist stele.


    while the taoist stele was indeed peculiar, it was not to the extent that it could connect to earth divine thought and remain unscathed.


    of course, there was another possibility: that mo hua¡¯s own divine sense was too weak.


    therefore, as the mediating formation media, the taoist stele had to bear tremendous pressure.


    otherwise, he would not have been able, to successfully communicate with the dao of the earth and connect with it.


    "it could be that the load was too heavy, so it stopped working..."


    mo hua felt a twinge of distress.


    he touched the taoist stele, worriedly saying, "you¡¯d better not have any issues..."


    the taoist stele remained silent, unresponsive, with only the surface of the stele turning gray.


    mo hua tried to draw a formation pattern on the taoist stele.


    the patterns were intermittent, flickering on and off.


    mo hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    the taoist stele was still valid, it was just that the divine thought load was overdone, and so it was "temporarily out of contact," needing some time to rest.


    mo hua then sighed again, taking a lesson to heart.


    with his own realm too low, trying to communicate divine thoughts and meditate on the great dao was something he shouldn¡¯t do next time without certainty.


    even if he hadn¡¯t hurt himself, damaging the taoist stele was also bad.


    mo hua felt somewhat guilty and patted the taoist stele again, saying,


    "you¡¯ve worked hard, take a good rest."


    the taoist stele still had no reaction, seemingly uninterested in dealing with mo hua.


    ...


    exiting his sea of consciousness, mo hua was invigorated and began drawing the thick earth formation again.


    this time, his experience drawing the thick earth formation felt completely different.


    having meditated on earth divine thought and contemplated the dao of the earth, his perception of the earth¡¯s essence was now incredibly clear.


    even without the aid of the taoist stele and only relying on his own divine sense, he couldn¡¯t gain further insight.


    but with his clear perception, mo hua could easily draw the thick earth formation on the ground.


    and he did it with considerable ease and mastery.


    previously, even with the ability to use divine sense to connect to the earth¡¯s essence and draw the thick earth formation on the ground,


    the patterns he drew were like those in the mud.


    the patterns didn¡¯t fit well, and the flow of spiritual power was obstructed.


    but now, mo hua could truly treat the "earth" as "paper", with the patterns drawn clearly and steadily, becoming one with the earth.


    it seemed as if the patterns he drew were inherently part of the earth.


    where the brush fell, there was the land, the patterns were there, and the formation was there.


    that is the benefit of contemplating the great dao.


    but the consequence was that the taoist stele had "gone on strike."


    for the time being, it seemed that the taoist stele couldn¡¯t be used for further formation practice.


    "no other way..."


    mo hua felt a bit helpless.


    for now, he had no choice but to furtively slack off in a righteous manner.


    the next day, mo hua went to seek mr. zhuang again.


    he had mastered the thick earth formation, so he wanted to confirm with his mentor whether there was any problem with what he had drawn.


    but upon entering the courtyard, mo hua found that mr. zhuang was staring at him intently.


    not just mr. zhuang, old kui was also looking at him.


    they gazed at him as if he were some rare curiosity, with bright, piercing eyes.


    mo hua was a bit confused and asked softly,


    "master, what are you looking at?"


    "you..." mr. zhuang hesitated several times, searching for the right words, and asked, "did you sense something last night?"


    mo hua was somewhat surprised.


    indeed, nothing could be hidden from mr. zhuang.


    mo hua simply told of last night¡¯s event, but he omitted the part about the taoist stele.


    he mentioned only that while learning the thick earth formation, he had realized that one needed to use divine sense to connect to the earth¡¯s essence to draw formations on the earth. but after connecting, he had a fleeting perception of an ancient and tremendous divine thought, and couldn¡¯t sense anything afterward.


    mr. zhuang¡¯s eyelids twitched as he listened.


    connecting to the earth¡¯s essence and perceiving the earth divine thought were worlds apart.


    like climbing a mountain, one at the base, having taken just two steps, cannot see the mountain¡¯s entirety,


    while the other who has nearly reached halfway up the mountain has glimpsed the zenith.


    the perception of these two are entirely different.


    they sound similar, but there¡¯s a massive chasm between them, a huge rift.


    this chasm is the divine sense; this rift is the great dao.


    even old kui, with his wooden expression, showed a clear sign of shock.


    seeing their reactions, mo hua felt somewhat uneasy and asked,


    "is this a good or bad thing?"


    mr. zhuang sighed and said, "it¡¯s a good thing, but it could also be a trouble."


    "trouble?"


    mr. zhuang said with a half-smile,


    "at your young age, being able to contemplate the great dao, if others knew, they would surely want to catch you, dissect your sea of consciousness, and see what¡¯s inside..."


    mo hua was taken aback, subconsciously covering his little head.


    "so remember," mr. zhuang patiently cautioned, "mention this only here, this one time, and beyond this, tell no one!"


    "mm, mm!"


    mo hua nodded repeatedly.


    mr. zhuang quietly sighed to himself.


    his little disciple seemed to be accumulating more and more secrets that must not be disclosed.


    mo hua, however, expressed his confusion and asked:


    "master, what exactly is the divine thought that i sensed? is it the divine thought of the earth? why does the earth have a divine thought? is it alive too?"


    mr. zhuang¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as he explained to mo hua:


    "all things between heaven and earth possess thoughts, and where there¡¯s thought, there¡¯s consciousness."


    "humans have divine sense, monsters have monster sensing, and other beings, whether they are birds, beasts, insects, fish, or flowers, grass, and trees, also have something akin to ¡¯divine sense¡¯."


    "this kind of ¡¯thought¡¯ is primal and simple, less complex than a human¡¯s divine sense."


    "but once such ¡¯thought¡¯ becomes vast to a certain extent, due to its singularity and enduring nature, returning to simplicity and truth, it often comes closer to the dao than a cultivator¡¯s divine sense, which is filled with personal desires."


    "the earth¡¯s thought is exactly like this."


    "we usually refer to the immense divine thoughts in all things between heaven and earth that contain daoist meaning as ¡¯taoist meaning¡¯!"


    mr. zhuang said slowly and with emotion.


    "taoist meaning¡­"


    mo hua was deeply shaken in his heart.


    the divine sense he perceived with the help of the taoist stele, the great dao he contemplated, was... the earth dao meaning!


    mr. zhuang then silently watched mo hua, "remember what i just said."


    mo hua quickly nodded, "don¡¯t worry, master, i won¡¯t tell anyone!"


    only then did mr. zhuang nod his head.


    mo hua quietly asked, "master, does that mean that if one comprehends the earth dao meaning, one can draw the thick earth formation?"


    mr. zhuang shook his head.


    mo hua was startled, "no?"


    "no."


    mr. zhuang said, "as long as one can slightly sense the breath of the earth, one can draw the thick earth formation."


    "if it were necessary to comprehend the earth dao meaning, then hardly anyone would be able to draw this thick earth formation¡­"


    mo hua stroked his chin and pondered:


    "doesn¡¯t that mean my enlightenment was a bit of a waste?"


    mr. zhuang couldn¡¯t help but tap mo hua¡¯s head lightly.


    "don¡¯t pretend to be aggrieved when you have an advantage."


    "oh."


    mo hua rubbed his head and smiled sheepishly.


    mr. zhuang appeared somewhat helpless, but a slight smile also appeared on his lips, as he said:


    "to comprehend the daoist meaning is not just for drawing the thick earth formation on the ground, but to be able to draw any formation on the earth."


    "as long as the ground where you draw the formation exists, then the formation exists."


    "this is also an extremely profound technique of a formation master."


    mo hua was taken aback, and after pondering a bit, he gradually understood.


    "the soil falls under the daoist meaning, and initially it does not allow cultivators to draw formations.


    "because there is no recognition, the taoist meaning won¡¯t give you face."


    "now that i have ¡¯seen¡¯ it, as if to say hello, gotten a bit acquainted, everything becomes convenient. the taoist meaning then allows me to draw formations on its turf."


    "master, is that what you mean?"


    mr. zhuang was bewildered by mo hua¡¯s explanation. after a lengthy silence, he finally said quietly:


    "if that¡¯s how you want to understand it... well, sure."


    mo hua felt elated in his heart.


    to be able to draw any formation on the ground!


    that also means that anywhere in this world, as long as there is soil, there is formation media.


    and under the vast heavens, there is no shortage of thick earth.


    what¡¯s more important is,


    from now on, he would save money on paper when drawing formations!


    in other words, he could save quite a lot of spirit stones!


    mo hua thought to himself:


    "seems like sustaining a bit of damage to the taoist stele is worth it after all¡­"


    then mo hua quietly asked mr. zhuang, "master, this thick earth formation doesn¡¯t have a simple origin, does it?"


    it is an ultimate formation that connects with the breath of the earth, and through it, one might even contemplate the earth dao meaning.


    although contemplating the taoist meaning is mainly the contribution of the taoist stele,


    but to serve as a mediator between a cultivator and the taoist meaning, this thick earth formation is pretty extraordinary as well.


    mr. zhuang also whispered back:


    "it¡¯s the ultimate technique of the earth sect; don¡¯t spread this around."


    mo hua whispered,


    "what if someone discovers it?"


    "you learned it secretly; just don¡¯t worry about the origins."


    "is that really okay?"


    ...


    old kui watched the master and disciple duo whispering to each other with some speechlessness...


    mr. zhuang continued to speak to mo hua:


    "once you got here, you ¡¯accidentally¡¯ saw it, ¡¯unintentionally¡¯ learned it. it¡¯s neither stolen nor forcibly taken, completely legitimate; how could they fault you for that? even if they argue until the end of time, you are in the right."


    "besides¡­" mr. zhuang added, "if you don¡¯t say anything, they might not even know that what you drew is the thick earth formation."


    "how could they not know?" mo hua was puzzled.


    "because their own formation masters might not be able to learn it."


    mo hua was slightly surprised, "can they not learn their own things?"


    mr. zhuang corrected him: "it¡¯s not their own thing; it¡¯s merely handed down by their ancestors, and they are just basking in their ancestors¡¯ glory."


    "moreover, it¡¯s an ultimate formation, one of the ultimate techniques of formations. even though it is only a first-grade, it contains dao laws and is not something that ordinary formation masters can comprehend."


    "you say this formation is yours, can you draw one to show me?"


    "if you can¡¯t draw it, what gives you the right to claim it as yours?"


    "though the earth sect was founded on formations, the majority of its cultivators are not likely to know ultimate formations."


    "if they themselves can¡¯t do it, what right do they have to accuse you?"


    mo hua said timidly, "isn¡¯t this, maybe, a little... thick-skinned?"


    "no matter, at times, being thick-skinned is what solves problems."


    mr. zhuang had an unflappable demeanor, ready to face the collapse of mount tai without a change in expression or take scolding from ten thousand people indifferently.


    mo hua looked up at mr. zhuang, full of admiration, and then he couldn¡¯t help but touch his own cheek,


    "it seems i need to thicken my skin a bit more¡­" sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    old kui, standing to the side, couldn¡¯t help but sigh involuntarily.


    a perfectly good child, is about to be led astray again...

 Chapter 395: Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram (1)

    mo hua suddenly thought of another question:"master, is earth sect a very large sect?"


    "yes," mr. zhuang nodded.


    "how large is it?"


    mr. zhuang said, "earth sect is one of the largest sects in kun state, but as for how large it actually is, you don¡¯t need to worry about that now. it¡¯s not something you can come into contact with at your current level of cultivation. when you encounter it, you will naturally understand."


    mo hua nodded and then asked:


    "is the old ancestor of sun family also someone from earth sect?"


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze became slightly heavy as he pondered:


    "even if he is not a member of earth sect, he is related to it."


    "then how did earth sect comprehend the thick earth formation? also through divine sense, communicating with the essence of the earth?"


    mo hua voiced his doubt.


    he wanted to know if there were other methods to comprehend the taoist meaning.


    although one can comprehend taoist meaning for a short period using a taoist stele, it places a great burden on the stele.


    unless absolutely necessary, mo hua did not plan to do so in the future.


    and the cultivators of earth sect presumably all lack a taoist stele.


    without the assistance of a taoist stele, what methods do they use to contemplate the taoist meaning?


    after all, earth sect is named after "earth," so its core formation must be related to the earth; thus, it is also closely tied to the earth¡¯s taoist meaning.


    mr. zhuang did not explain in detail, simply hinting:


    "taoist meaning needs divine sense to ¡¯contemplate¡¯..."


    mo hua was startled and then understood, "a contemplation map?"


    mr. zhuang nodded, "earth sect possesses a contemplation map that has been passed down for ten thousand years, known as the ¡¯emperor heaven and earth diagram.¡¯"


    mo hua was inwardly shocked.


    emperor heaven and earth!


    just by hearing the name, he felt its vast and majestic presence.


    "do you remember what i told you about contemplation maps?" mr. zhuang asked. sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua nodded.


    he remembered mr. zhuang saying:


    contemplation maps reflect another¡¯s divine sense and their understanding of the heavenly dao; in other words, what is contemplated is someone else¡¯s "dao" or perhaps the "dao" of something non-human...


    after thinking for a while, mo hua then said:


    "then does this taoist meaning belong to ¡¯non-human¡¯s dao¡¯?"


    mr. zhuang nodded and said, "exactly, non-human¡¯s dao can be good or evil, righteous or nefarious. some may seem good, but in essence, they are evil; others may appear righteous, yet their true nature is nefarious..."


    "with your limited experience in tao cultivation, you might not be able to discern the right from the wrong. rushing into contemplation can easily lead you to be deceived by appearances and fall into dangerous territory."


    "that¡¯s why at the beginning, i told you not to touch or even think about contemplation maps."


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    just like the landscape taoist child painting he saw.


    on the surface, it was an innocent taoist child, but in reality, it was a green-faced fanged evil ghost.


    if it weren¡¯t for his ability to manifest divine sense and drawing formation, and the fact that his sea of consciousness contained a taoist stele, he might have been possessed by the evil ghost¡¯s malevolence, losing control of himself and no longer being the same person.


    mo hua then asked, "is the contemplation map of earth sect a map of righteous divine thought?"


    "it should be," mr. zhuang considered his words.


    mo hua was taken aback, "it should be?"


    explore new worlds at


    mr. zhuang nodded, "i haven¡¯t seen it, so i don¡¯t know the details, hence i say it should be."


    "but this diagram has been passed down by the ancestors of earth sect, and they have been contemplating it for many years without any issues. so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems."


    "even if there are problems, earth sect would not inform outsiders."


    "we are all cultivators, not having become immortals, so we are humans, not celestials. as humans, our divine sense is limited, and what we perceive as the true form may still only be an appearance."


    "the knowledge at the level of divine sense is the most elusive and difficult to grasp, especially for a contemplation map that has been passed down for over ten thousand years..."


    "thus, what the true nature of this map is, is difficult to say."


    mr. zhuang furrowed his brows, expressing his sentiment.


    mo hua understood somewhat, nodded slightly, and then quietly asked:


    "master, if one day i come across this contemplation map, may i take a look at it?"


    this question left mr. zhuang speechless.


    normally speaking, since mo hua could contemplate the earth dao meaning, taking a look at earth sect¡¯s contemplation map seemed harmless.


    but mo hua¡¯s divine sense was different from ordinary people¡¯s, and if he really looked at this contemplation map, it was uncertain what he might perceive.


    the most important thing was, mr. zhuang feared unexpected complications might arise.


    just like with the landscape taoist child painting, where the taoist child turned into a ghost taking residence in the sea of consciousness.


    the divine thought of the taoist child was not strong, so mo hua was unharmed and even managed to "devour" the evil ghost that the taoist child had become, refining its divine thought.


    but earth sect¡¯s "emperor heaven and earth diagram" was different.


    the divine thought inside there was terrifying to the extreme.


    when the time comes, it¡¯s hard to say who will "eat" whom...


    mr. zhuang then cautioned:


    "if you can avoid looking, it¡¯s best not to look, but if you do look, be careful not to look too long, just steal a glance or two."


    mo hua expressed his confusion, "isn¡¯t the emperor heaven and earth diagram sealed with the earth dao meaning of the great land?"


    since it is the earth dao meaning from heaven and earth, it should be the divine thought of the righteous dao...


    mr. zhuang corrected:


    "it¡¯s the dao meaning that¡¯s sealed, and the earth sect uses it to contemplate, to gain insight into formation..."


    "but whether the sealed content is truly the earth dao meaning, that¡¯s hard to tell, after all, outsiders have not seen it, and even if they have seen it, they might not be able to perceive the true nature..."


    mo hua felt a slight chill in his heart and nodded his head.


    "moreover, you won¡¯t be able to see the complete ¡¯emperor heaven and earth diagram,¡¯" mr. zhuang added with a sigh.


    mo hua was somewhat taken aback, "why not?"


    mr. zhuang explained, "the problem lies with the four characters ¡¯emperor heaven and earth¡¯."


    "you are from the earth sect, so the two characters ¡¯after earth¡¯ are suitable for use..."


    mr. zhuang pointed towards the sky, "but the two characters ¡¯emperor heaven,¡¯ can you afford to use them?"


    mo hua was startled.


    if the earth sect could not afford the "emperor heaven," then who could?


    mo hua was slightly shocked, "taoist court?"


    mr. zhuang nodded, "that ¡¯heaven¡¯ is not something they from the earth sect can contemplate, so the diagram was split in two by the taoist court, the earth diagram is kept in the earth sect, and the emperor heaven diagram is kept in the taoist court."


    "if you go to the earth sect, you can at most only see the ¡¯earth diagram,¡¯ you can¡¯t see the ¡¯emperor heaven diagram,¡¯ let alone the complete ¡¯emperor heaven and earth diagram.¡¯"


    mo hua opened his mouth, then softly said:


    "is the taoist court... robbing them?"


    mr. zhuang raised an eyebrow, appearing to smile but not smiling:


    "the matters of the taoist court, when described from above, are called ¡¯requisition,¡¯ and when described from below, they are called ¡¯tribute,¡¯ if it¡¯s a ¡¯mutual consent,¡¯ how can it be called robbing?"


    mo hua frowned, somewhat surprised:


    "the emperor heaven and earth diagram has been passed down for ten thousand years, the divine thought within must be terrifying, right? can it really be forcibly divided?"


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze grew sharp, and there was a hint of wariness in his expression:


    "the divine thought inside the emperor heaven and earth diagram is indeed terrifying, but within the taoist court, those who have lived for ten thousand years, whose cultivation reaches the heavens, those old demons are even more terrifying..."


    mo hua felt a chill in his heart and quietly asked:


    "those old demons... elders, what realm have they reached?"


    mr. zhuang merely rubbed mo hua¡¯s head and said gently:


    "don¡¯t aim too high and think about these matters; they are still too far from you."


    mo hua nodded his head, then thought it over and felt it made sense.


    he hadn¡¯t even reached foundation establishment yet and had only been cultivating for about a decade; to think about these things was indeed too premature.


    immediately he felt a bit of regret:


    "doesn¡¯t that mean i¡¯ll never get to see the full emperor heaven and earth diagram?"


    "that¡¯s not necessarily so," said mr. zhuang.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    mr. zhuang said with evident amusement:


    "if you can make the earth sect bow down and pay homage, stand shoulder to shoulder with the taoist court, and combine the emperor heaven diagram with the earth diagram into one, then naturally you will be able to contemplate the true emperor heaven and earth diagram."


    mo hua gave an embarrassed laugh.


    to be that powerful, one would surely have to become an immortal...


    mr. zhuang was right.


    one should not aim too high in the pursuit of tao cultivation.


    it¡¯s better to be down-to-earth and take things step by step, first figuring out a way to achieve foundation establishment.


    ...


    after saying goodbye to mr. zhuang, mo hua began to think about what to do next.


    he had already learned the thick earth formation with its eleven patterns, and after grasping the dao meaning, he could paint it on the ground, integrating the formation patterns with the earth and aligning the spiritual power with it.


    what mo hua wanted to do next was to use the thick earth formation to reconstruct the hundred acres of spirit field in thousand families town.


    firstly, he intended to use the thick earth formation to enrich the soil so that the loose cultivators of thousand families town could have enough to eat.


    secondly, it was to apply what he learned by constructing the formation within heaven and earth, to truly understand the mysteries of the thick earth formation¡¯s application.


    third, it was for the earth dao meaning.


    man imitates the earth.


    through the taoist stele, he had contemplated the earth dao meaning, becoming "acquainted" with it and having a bit of "rapport;" he could paint a formation on the earth and merge the patterns with it.


    in return, he would also have to reciprocate, bringing the formation comprehended from his own dao meaning to the earth, enriching it so that it would thrive and endure endlessly.

 Chapter 396: Self-Rescue (1)

    mo hua decided to reconstruct the spirit fields of thousand families town with the thick earth formation.but, he actually had no authority in this matter.


    the spirit fields weren¡¯t his, and he wasn¡¯t even from thousand families town.


    the elders of east mountain village, although not possessing high cultivation, were of advanced age with deep experience and considerable respect.


    their actual power might not be great, but generally, the elders had the final say in matters.


    so, mo hua went to ask one of them:


    "elder, would you like to have the spirit fields drawing formation re-done?"


    the east mountain village elder had anticipated this but still couldn¡¯t quite believe it and said quivering:


    "re... redo the drawing formation?"


    "yes," mo hua nodded. "the same kind that was drawn by the old ancestor of the sun family."


    the elder¡¯s pupils shook.


    the old ancestor of the sun family was a second rank formation master, held in high esteem in thousand families town, and always a mythical figure among cultivators.


    redrawing the old ancestor of the sun family¡¯s formation...


    the elder¡¯s tone became even more respectful:


    "the formation of the old ancestor of the sun family... young gentleman, have you learned it?"


    "i¡¯ve learned some, not daring to claim i have mastered it completely, but i have managed to grasp seventy to eighty percent," mo hua modestly stated.


    the elder was momentarily lost in thought, murmuring:


    "the old ancestor of the sun family was a second rank formation master..."


    mo hua explained: "he was a second rank formation master, but the formation he laid out was actually first-grade. otherwise, qi refinement cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to afford a second-grade formation with their spirit stones."


    the elder understood.


    mo hua further laid out the pros and cons for him:


    "drawing the formation will require reconstructing some of the spirit fields and redrawing the formations on the ridges of these fields."


    "i have inherited the techniques from the old ancestor of the sun family, so i can offer my services without charging for spirit stones in drawing the formation for you."


    "however, the formation itself also requires a considerable quantity of spiritual ink and quite a few spirit stones, along with certain manpower to re-cultivate and reorganize the spirit fields."


    "these manpower and resources will have to be provided by your village."


    the elder understood the implications and slowly nodded.


    in the end, mo hua said: "i can draw the formation, but whether or not to employ this formation is ultimately up to you to decide."


    after long contemplation, the elder finally saluted with his hands and said:


    "young gentleman, may i have some time to discuss this with everyone?"


    "yes," mo hua nodded.


    such a decision couldn¡¯t be made by the elder alone; it surely warranted a discussion with others.


    mo hua did not press the issue. experience more on


    if they were willing, he would draw the formation for them.


    he would also be able to apply what he had learned and deepen his understanding of the formation.


    it was for both his own sake and that of the cultivators of east mountain village, as well as for the land of thousand families town.


    if they disagreed, mo hua wouldn¡¯t force them.


    he would have to look for another opportunity to build the thick earth formation from scratch and deepen his understanding of formations...


    ...


    after mo hua left, the elder summoned the spirit farmers and cultivators of east mountain village.


    he conveyed mo hua¡¯s intentions to them.


    the people looked at each other, perplexed.


    most couldn¡¯t believe it:


    "has this young gentleman truly mastered the old ancestor of the sun family¡¯s formation?"


    "impossible..."


    "how old is he?"


    "at the qi refining seventh level, can someone really learn such a formation? i see other formation masters are all old with white beards."


    "what do you know? there is no order in learning; respect goes to the competent."


    "although this young gentleman is young, i think his skill in formations is much higher than the current family head of the sun family."


    "indeed, though i do not understand much, his formation drawing is both fast and good."


    "better than anyone from the sun family."


    "so why is he helping us?"


    "yes, what does he gain from it, and he isn¡¯t even taking our spirit stones..."


    "if he wanted spirit stones, could you afford it?"


    "we¡¯re so poor we can¡¯t even scrape the bottom of the pot..."


    "the old ancestor of the sun family¡¯s formation, could it be just an ordinary formation? how many spirit stones would it take to draw such a formation?"


    "even if we emptied out all the village¡¯s reserves, the gathered spirit stones might still be insufficient to pay the fee..."


    "i just find it odd, this young gentleman seems too kind-hearted."


    "isn¡¯t that just a cheap mentality? if this young gentleman were like the sun family, riding roughshod over us, would that be better?"


    "drawing this formation requires reconstructing the spirit fields, but these fields are ancestral, untouchable."


    "why are they untouchable?"


    "because they are ancestral; that makes them untouchable..."


    ...


    the crowd was buzzing with discussion, some agreeing, some disagreeing, and others anxious and uncertain.


    they were spirit farmers, relying on the spirit fields for their livelihood.


    anything concerning the spirit fields touched upon their lifeblood, so making a decision was complicated, fraught with concerns.


    the elder listened to their argument, and after a long contemplation, he finally said slowly:


    "we need to build this formation."


    the room fell silent for a moment.


    a spirit farmer frowned and said, "but elder, this matter is not without risk."


    the elder shook his head, "i don¡¯t want the descendants of east mountain village to suffer from hunger anymore." s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "indeed, there is risk involved, but what doesn¡¯t carry risk? can people like us, poor cultivators, ever encounter risk-free good fortune?"


    "if we don¡¯t take this risk, it will fall to our descendants to do so."


    "but our descendants may not get this opportunity."


    the elder¡¯s cloudy eyes shone with a glint of determination as he looked over everyone, his voice heavy with gravity:


    "although this young gentleman is of young age, he is an expert in the art of formations."


    "him willing to help us is our opportunity."


    "once he leaves, who else could understand such profound formations, and even if someone does, who would be willing to help us draw them?"


    "don¡¯t rely on luck, thinking the future will be better."


    "if we don¡¯t seize the present, the future will only get worse."


    "this is our only hope."


    "if we don¡¯t take this chance, our descendants will starve!"


    the elder¡¯s voice was hoarse and heavy, and upon finishing, an old ailment flared up, causing him to cough violently while frowning deeply.


    everyone fell silent.


    some still looked hesitant, but the eyes of many became resolute.


    ...


    the next day, the elder approached mo hua and relayed the villagers¡¯ decision.


    "everyone has agreed to contribute what they can, whether it be spirit stones or labor, to rebuild the formation in the spirit field."


    afterward, the elder gave mo hua a grave bow:


    "i implore you, young gentleman, save the cultivators of thousand families town from this famine!"


    mo hua could not accept such a grand gesture and hurriedly helped the elder to his feet.


    the elder looked at mo hua expectantly.


    but mo hua shook his head and said, "i can¡¯t save you."


    the elder looked astonished.


    mo hua sighed, "i can only help you draw the formation, but if a formation could really save you, the formation painted by the old ancestor of the sun family would have already done so."


    "but it hasn¡¯t..."


    "over the years, you still live day to day, half-starved."


    the elder was visibly shaken, then reflective, his emotions fluctuating momentarily.


    mo hua continued:


    "i can draw the formation well, make the soil fertile, and the spirit field bountiful, so everyone can have enough to eat."


    "but what then?"


    "the sun family is still there, still oppressing you."


    "the restored spirit field will still be destroyed."


    "the newly drawn formations will still be eradicated."


    "without knowing formations, you are still at the mercy of others, exploited by the sun family."


    "with well-drawn formations in the spirit field and fertile land, you might live better for a year or two, even five or six years, you¡¯ll have enough to eat."


    "but what about after ten years, decades, or even a century?"


    "will you not end up back where you started?"


    the expression in the elder¡¯s face turned bitterly sorrowful, eventually morphing into an indissoluble gloom.


    helplessly, he said, "but the sun family, they have a foundation building cultivator..."


    mo hua shook his head, "only at the initial stage of foundation establishment, and he¡¯s half a formation master; he seldom engages in combat, his taoist skills are rusty."


    "generally speaking, a dozen or so cultivators at the ninth level of qi refinement who are truly determined can make him wary."


    mo hua continued, "the sun family¡¯s tyranny relies on the weakness and complacency of the spirit farmers."


    "if you truly unite and stand together, they would not dare to be so reckless."


    the elder¡¯s face showed hesitation as he sighed:


    "but... this way, there might be bloodshed, lives lost..."


    mo hua¡¯s tone became somewhat solemn:


    "if you shed blood, your descendants can eat their fill, but if you starve, your descendants will also starve."


    upon hearing these words, the elder suddenly became distant.


    mo hua then reassured him, "actually, the sun family wouldn¡¯t dare go too far."


    after all, the taoist court of shangtai city exists.


    the local taoist court, although not directly intervening with matters outside the immortal city, must step in if conflicts escalate.


    the taoist court operates according to taoist law.


    at least, that¡¯s what it appears to be on the surface.


    with the constraints of taoist law, and it being the duty of the taoist court, the sun family also dares not be too presumptuous.


    after all, the sun family is not the same as the qian family or the patriarch of the qian family¡¯s black mountain stronghold.


    they are merely leeches that suck blood for pleasure rather than ruthless executioners who kill without batting an eye.


    "so i can only help you, not save you..."


    mo hua looked earnestly, his gaze clear as he spoke honestly, "only you can save yourselves."


    with furrowed brows the elder pondered for a long while, then slowly relaxed and bowed again to mo hua, speaking earnestly:


    "thank you, young gentleman, i understand now."

 Chapter 397: Thick Earth Formation (1)

    the elder had already decided to rebuild the spirit field.mo hua had also begun further planning of the formation diagram.


    in a typical formation, the formation patterns are drawn on the formation media, and while they fit together, they are independent of each other, with little connection.


    the formation media is just a medium.


    but now, in drawing the thick earth formation, the land itself is being reconstructed by the formation.


    with the natural landscape as a guide, complemented by the carving of formation patterns, the overall scheme of the formation will integrate with nature to become one.


    cultivators learn about formations from the myriad things in the world,


    and then they build those formations into all things.


    mo hua appeared thoughtful, inspired, he looked up at the sky again.


    the heavenly dao formation in the sky must also be based on this principle.


    by borrowing the heavens to comprehend formations, and then merging formations with the heavens, the heavens and the great formation become one.


    now, as he constructed the thick earth formation, he was also unifying the formation with nature.


    however, the formation was merely first grade, and the spirit field was only a hundred acres.


    a hundred acres of good land seemed vast, but when compared to the vast earth and the endless sky, it was insignificant.


    but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    the great formation that reaches the heavens is also made up of individual formation patterns.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze was resolute.


    bit by bit, he would comprehend, step by step, he would learn, grounded in reality, and one day, he would be able to glimpse the true essence of the heavenly dao formation above the nine heavens.


    he would also use his own power, with supreme divine sense, to merge formations with the heavens and the earth, to construct a great formation that connects heaven and earth.


    bai zisheng, who was nearby, saw mo hua looking at the sky, with an inexplicably determined look, and he couldn¡¯t help but look up at the blue sky too.


    but he couldn¡¯t see anything...


    bai zisheng stealthily asked mo hua, "what are you looking at?"


    "formation!"


    "where is there any formation?"


    "there is!"


    "really?"


    "yes," mo hua nodded, "master said so."


    and he had seen it too.


    bai zisheng, half believing and half doubting, said, "can you see it now?"


    mo hua replied, "not yet."


    "if you can¡¯t see it, why do you keep looking..."


    bai zisheng muttered, but a competitive spirit arose within him, and he also looked up, staring motionless at the sky.


    bai zixi passed by, equally puzzled, "what are you two looking at?"


    "looking at the formation!"


    mo hua and the others said in unison.


    bai zixi also looked up, saw nothing, but seeing mo hua and the others looked earnest, she too joined them in looking up.


    the sky was vast, with clouds changing forms.


    below, the green spirit rice swayed with the wind, turning into rolling waves.


    mo hua and the others stood on the ground, looking up at the sky.


    they were tiny in form, but their aspirations soared high.


    ...


    the rebuilding of the spirit field was proceeding methodically.


    it took mo hua two days to design the formation diagram for the spirit field.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi also helped.


    the newly constructed formation diagram made the spirit field no longer as neatly arranged as blocks of tofu, but shaped more naturally, flowing with the terrain.


    the ridges of the field intertwined to divide and yet connect the spirit field.


    near the ridges, the formations to be carved were also marked out.


    these formations were primarily cultivating soil formations, intended to aid the thick earth formation, nourishing the soil and water, while also providing spiritual power to the thick earth formation.


    the ridges became formation patterns, the layout became the formation pivot, and as a whole, it was a complete, first grade thick earth ultimate formation with eleven patterns.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi were both overwhelmingly amazed.


    mo hua then took the formation diagram to mr. zhuang for review.


    mr. zhuang nodded in approval.


    only then did mo hua find the elder of east mountain village to discuss how to construct this formation.


    in mo hua¡¯s hands were two diagrams.


    one was the thick earth formation diagram, the other was the current acreage diagram of the spirit field.


    what the cultivators of east mountain village had to do was to alter the acreage diagram of the spirit field so that its layout matched that of the thick earth formation diagram.


    this involved many issues.


    which spirit fields to keep untouched, which ones to change.


    while the spirit fields may shift, the total acreage for each household must remain the same, and so on...


    the elder consulted with others, made proper arrangements, and then instructed each spirit farmer to take care of their own part before carrying out a unified inspection.


    besides that, they had to purchase spiritual ink.


    spiritual ink required spirit stones.


    the spirit farmers of east mountain village each contributed a bit of spirit stones, pooling enough together.


    about ten robust spirit farmers, carrying the spirit stones, made a trip to shangtai city, bought the spiritual ink, and then delivered it back to the village. s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua went along on this trip too.


    one reason was that the spiritual ink was of the utmost importance, draining nearly half of east mountain village¡¯s resources, and thus there could be no mistakes,


    the second reason was that the quality of spiritual ink varied widely, with prices ranging accordingly.


    the spirit farmers didn¡¯t understand formations and could not distinguish between good and bad, so they were easily deceived into buying low-quality spiritual ink.


    the third reason was the sun family.


    the sun family would not let things rest.


    and just as mo hua had anticipated, on this trip, he indeed ran into cultivators from the sun family.


    more than a dozen spirit farmers had left east mountain village and had barely stepped out of thousand families town when they were shadowed by several sneaky sun family cultivators.


    they wore the clothes of spirit farmers, thinking their disguise was good.


    but they couldn¡¯t possibly fool mo hua.


    with his eleven-pattern divine sense, comparable to foundation establishment,


    these men attempting to tail mo hua was like trying to steal while carrying a lantern; mo hua would find it hard not to notice them.


    mo hua didn¡¯t bother to take action; he simply led the group down a few detours and shook off those sun family cultivators.


    on the return trip, the sun family sent even more cultivators to block the way,


    but mo hua led the group down a secluded mountain path, and they returned to the village safe and sound.


    this left the accompanying spirit farmers astonished.


    ding dachuan even stealthily asked:


    "little gentleman, could you possibly know fortune-telling..."


    the whereabouts of the sun family cultivators, he knew everything like the back of his hand.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry:


    "i just have a slightly stronger divine sense, that¡¯s why i discovered them in advance."


    ding dachuan nodded, but clearly didn¡¯t believe him.


    the little gentleman is but in the qi-refining realm, so even if his divine sense is strong, how strong could it be.


    he felt that the reason of knowing fortune-telling seemed more reliable...


    after that, they began formally constructing the formation.


    while the formation was being built, some spirit farmers patrolled nearby to prevent the sun family cultivators from causing trouble.


    among the most active was bai zisheng.


    originally, mo hua wanted him to help with drawing the formation.


    he indeed did help.


    but not long after he started drawing, upon hearing that people were needed to patrol to guard against the sun family in case they caused trouble, he looked at mo hua with eager eyes:


    "i want to go fight... no, patrol!"


    mo hua disagreed, "drawing the formation is the real business."


    bai zisheng then sighed.


    being the senior brother, if it were anything else, he wouldn¡¯t ask his junior brother mo hua, and would make decisions by himself.


    but now, as they were drawing the formation, even though he was the senior brother, he still had to listen to mo hua.


    bai zisheng continued drawing the formation, but his expression was listless, heaving sighs without spirit.


    seeing this, mo hua, feeling somewhat helpless, said:


    "go patrol then. the spirit farmers of east mountain village may not be a match for the sun family cultivators."


    bai zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, "really?"


    "really."


    bai zisheng felt a bit apologetic and hesitated:


    "you don¡¯t need me to help you draw the formation anymore?"


    mo hua gave him a look, "alright then, how about you stay and draw the formation?"


    bai zisheng immediately sprang up, "never mind, i don¡¯t draw as well as you. you paint the formation; i¡¯ll patrol and make sure those sun family villains don¡¯t disturb you!"


    having said this, his expression was one of excitement as he ran off proud and vigorous.


    mo hua smiled to himself.


    thereafter, bai zisheng patrolled around the spirit fields to see if any sun family cultivators came to make trouble.


    one evening, indeed, a few sun family cultivators sneaked over to scout around.


    without a second word, bai zisheng, his movement technique swift as the wind, directly charged at them.


    these cultivators were no match for bai zisheng; he took care of them quickly and efficiently, leaving them bruised and swollen, scurrying away with their tails between their legs.


    remembering mo hua¡¯s admonition¡ªhe could fight, but he should not strike fatally to avoid escalating the situation¡ª


    so bai zisheng simply made his point and spared their lives.


    the sun family cultivators who had been beaten black and blue by bai zisheng fled back to the sun family and met with family head sun yi.


    sun yi then asked, "did you find out anything?"


    but without waiting for his subordinates to answer, seeing their injuries, he had his answer.


    it was clear that they had found out nothing and had been given a thrashing.


    sun yi could only helplessly wave his hand and say:


    "go recover from your injuries."


    the sun family cultivators withdrew, and sun ze walked in, saying to sun yi:


    "father, could it be that they really found our sun family¡¯s ancestral formation?"


    sun yi looked solemn, "it¡¯s not impossible... that kid is not simple, and there¡¯s been such a big commotion at the spirit fields. i guess they really discovered something..."


    "what should we do? should we take action now?" sun ze asked, "our sun family¡¯s inheritance can¡¯t fall into outsiders¡¯ hands."


    sun yi did not respond.


    sun ze said, "father, you can¡¯t still be waiting, can you?"


    sun yi frowned, "i¡¯m not sure what they are doing right now."


    "could it be that the kid learned the old ancestor¡¯s formation and wants to redraw it?" sun ze speculated.


    sun yi looked coldly at sun ze, "what nonsense are you talking?"


    sun ze was puzzled, "isn¡¯t it..."


    sun yi scoffed, "you have no idea just how profound our old ancestor of sun family¡¯s formation is..."


    "the formation he left behind, is it something so easily learned?"


    "forget about that kid, who¡¯s barely in his teens. even if he¡¯s been studying formations for ten full years,"


    "even if he keeps studying for another few decades, the level of his formation skills couldn¡¯t possibly match one-tenth of the old ancestor of sun family¡¯s."


    sun ze said in shock:


    "was our old ancestor really that incredible?"


    sun yi looked down disdainfully at his son:


    "you fail to apply yourself, having barely skimmed the surface of formation knowledge. you have no clue about the depth of skill involved."


    "even among first grade formation masters, the discrepancy can be huge, let alone a second grade formation master."


    "whether it¡¯s divine sense, understanding of formations, or formation accomplishment, the differences are as vast as heaven and earth."


    sun ze couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    he had originally thought that the formation inheritance of the sun family had declined, and his ancestors couldn¡¯t be that great.


    yet he had overestimated others and underestimated the old ancestor of the sun family.


    "but what is that kid doing right now, and what kind of formation is he drawing?"


    sun yi thought for a moment, then shook his head:


    "i don¡¯t know. let¡¯s wait until they¡¯re finished."


    sun ze was a bit anxious, "are we really going to let this go unchecked?"


    "you don¡¯t understand."


    "don¡¯t understand what?"


    sun yi¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he said faintly:


    "no matter what they¡¯re doing, in the end, it will only benefit our sun family."


    sun ze paused, deep in thought.


    sun yi continued, "these people are after all foreign cultivators. no matter how much they do, they will eventually leave."


    "once they¡¯re gone, these spirit farmers will still be at our mercy."


    "whatever benefits they give to the spirit farmers will remain in their hands and will ultimately fall into our sun family¡¯s possession."


    "this thousand families town is our sun family¡¯s thousand families town, and everything in it is ours!"


    "moreover, the formation in the spirit fields, ultimately, enriches the land."


    experience new stories with


    sun yi let out a cold laugh, "we just have to be patient. in the end, not only can we retrieve the ancestral formation, but we can also rely on these fertile spirit fields to ensure that our sun family¡¯s descendants are provided for and carefree..."

 Chapter 398: Formation (1)

    bai zisheng led the spirit farmers on their daily patrols with great enthusiasm, while mo hua quietly sat on the ridge, diligently painting the cultivating soil formation.bai zixi was also helping mo hua with the formation painting.


    she crouched next to mo hua, her fair hand holding the brush, her posture elegant and her demeanor serene, the formation patterns she drew were graceful and beautiful.


    mo hua stole several glances, greatly astonished, and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim,


    "junior sister, the formation you paint is really beautiful!"


    "beautiful?"


    a hint of doubt flashed in bai zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    "yes," mo hua nodded.


    bai zixi glanced at the formation she had painted, then at the one mo hua had done, and curiously said,


    "isn¡¯t it almost the same?"


    the formations were the same, and the patterns in them looked quite similar at first glance.


    but mo hua shook his head, "it¡¯s different."


    his own formation painting, due to excessive familiarity, was orderly and done with a composed brushstroke.


    however, his junior sister¡¯s painting was delicate and elegant, and the ink was perfectly balanced between thick and thin.


    mo hua took another covert glance at bai zixi and thought to himself, the saying goes, "the style is the man," could it also be that a formation reflects the person?


    if a person is beautiful, does that mean the formation they paint is also beautiful?


    seeing mo hua¡¯s eyes blinking and unaware of his thoughts, bai zixi asked,


    "what are you thinking about?"


    "nothing..."


    bai zixi felt that mo hua was keeping something from her; her gaze flickered, and she said nothing.


    then she stared at mo hua for a few moments before suddenly pointing at her own pale cheek.


    mo hua was puzzled, not understanding her meaning.


    bai zixi said, "there¡¯s something dirty on your face."


    "dirty?" mo hua was slightly stunned, "is it ink?"


    he wiped his face a few times, looked at his palm, and said in confusion,


    "it¡¯s not dirty..."


    "it¡¯s dirty," bai zixi asserted.


    "it¡¯s okay, i¡¯ll wash it later," mo hua said.


    bai zixi shook her head, "i am your senior sister, let me help you clean it."


    after saying this, she reached out her small hand and wiped mo hua¡¯s cheek.


    her movements were a blend of pinching, wiping, and massaging...


    her fingers were icily cool and tenderly soft.


    after rubbing mo hua¡¯s right cheek, bai zixi started on the left cheek.


    mo hua was bewildered, "is the left cheek dirty too?"


    "it¡¯s dirty!" bai zixi nodded.


    mo hua, helpless, let her continue rubbing his face.


    after a while, bai zixi finished and nodded, "all clean now!"


    mo hua was skeptical, "really?"


    bai zixi pursed her lips, her gaze calm, and said,


    "i am your senior sister, i wouldn¡¯t lie to you."


    mo hua nodded, without any suspicion, and resumed painting the formation seriously.


    however, while he painted, he felt that his junior sister was occasionally glancing at him; although her expression was as usual, a hint of a smile sometimes peeked through her gaze.


    mo hua thought he must have been mistaken.


    his junior sister was usually calm, rarely showing her emotions.


    mo hua was puzzled for a moment, but since he had to focus on painting the formation, he quickly pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind.


    it wasn¡¯t until he returned home in the evening that mo hua sensed something was amiss.


    mr. zhuang saw him and couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    bai zisheng was even more exaggerated, holding his stomach and laughing non-stop, nearly tears of laughter streaming from his eyes.


    "what¡¯s wrong?" mo hua still didn¡¯t understand.


    still laughing, bai zisheng managed to say in between chuckles,


    "haha, big... big painted face!"


    mo hua found a mirror, took a look, and then was stupefied.


    both his left and right cheeks were covered in ink, making him look like a big spotted cat.


    mo hua was stunned.


    who did this?


    who could deceive his divine sense, and under his watch, paint his face?


    then, in a flash of insight, he turned his head and looked at bai zixi.


    his junior sister was the one who had rubbed his face!


    bai zixi pretended to be composed, but her lips were tightly pressed, obviously trying to hold back laughter.


    mo hua was shocked.


    he had never imagined that bai zixi, his junior sister, would be capable of such a prank!


    bai zixi was usually elegant and serene, with a calm demeanor, and he hadn¡¯t expected her to play such a mischievous trick.


    "junior sister!"


    mo hua was somewhat angry, his eyebrows shooting up, which, paired with his big painted face, made him resemble an angry kitty.


    finally, bai zixi could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing.


    this smile, was like the splendid blooming of a night-blooming cereus.


    even though his features had changed, there remained an ethereal beauty that was both clear and absolute.


    the eyes brimming with laughter were like hibiscus carrying the morning dew, and like the sparkling translucence of colored glaze, shimmering with flowing light.


    mr. zhuang showed a slight hint of surprise.


    mo hua was somewhat startled.


    this was the first time he¡¯d ever seen bai zixi smile like that.


    bai zisheng paused, then felt a wistful pain. his heart held a mix of comfort yet also a twinge of heartache.


    his sister, how long had it been since she had last smiled this way...


    after a bout of laughter, bai zixi personally helped mo hua to wash his face clean.


    mo hua, facing the mirror, checked over and over again until he finally nodded in confirmation.


    bai zixi whispered softly, "i¡¯m sorry..."


    but the corners of her mouth still carried a brimming smile.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh, feeling somewhat helpless in his heart.


    afterward, bai zixi kept smiling all day long, unable to hold back a purse-lipped smile every time she saw mo hua and thought of his cat-like painted face.


    another day passed before it got somewhat better, and her expression returned to normal.


    although her brows and eyes remained gently composed, they were much more open than before, and her gaze had softened a great deal.


    for some reason, mo hua also felt a sense of relief.


    ...


    the cultivating soil formation was simple, and mo hua was extremely quick at drawing it. with bai zixi¡¯s help, a few days later, he completed the formation for the entire spirit field.


    the layout of the overall spirit field, thanks to the relentless labor of the spirit farmers night and day, complemented the thick earth formation perfectly.


    after completing the cultivating soil formation, the next step was to outline the formation patterns of the thick earth formation.


    mo hua needed to use spiritual ink to connect all the field ridges, activating the formation patterns of the entire thick earth formation.


    a hundred acres of spirit field formed a colossal thick earth formation when connected.


    the formation pen required a large brush, consuming a great deal of spiritual ink. however, the consumption of divine sense was actually not much different from that of a small-scale thick earth formation. s§×ar?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the consumption of divine sense by a formation is related only to the formation¡¯s complexity¡ªthat is, the number of formation patterns.


    the overall scale of the formation has an effect on divine sense consumption, but the impact is not significant.


    therefore, the greatest challenge of truly connecting the formation patterns with spiritual ink to activate the thick earth formation on the spirit field was not divine sense for mo hua, but rather physical strength and spiritual power.


    a formation painting requires seamless execution, a continuous stream of divine thought.


    thus, when connecting the thick earth formation, mo hua also had to traverse all of the spirit field¡¯s ridges in one go, simultaneously infusing spiritual power into the spiritual ink and drawing it along the ridges to create the formation patterns in one continuous flow.


    looking at the vast expanse of the spirit field in front of him, mo hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    this method was rather crude.


    to paint in such a manner was too ungainly, completely lacking the grace of a formation master.


    but he had no other way.


    with his qi refinement realm cultivation and current abilities, he could only use this clumsy method to connect a large-scale single formation.


    "i wonder if after reaching a higher realm in qi refinement, there will be other, more convenient methods of drawing formations..."


    lost in thought, mo hua sighed again.


    later, with focused concentration, mo hua started to paint the thick earth formation in the spirit field according to plan.


    carrying a large pen soaked in spiritual ink, he traced along the field ridges, drawing the formation patterns of the thick earth formation from his sea of consciousness, connecting the whole spirit field.


    this process was rather lengthy and couldn¡¯t afford mistakes; otherwise, he would have to start all over again, which was time-consuming and laborious.


    luckily, mo hua had rehearsed beforehand.


    he had also repeatedly practiced the route.


    he had considered the potential problems in advance and thought of ways to solve them.


    so overall, it went smoothly.


    bai zisheng, bai zixi, miao¡¯er, and all the other spirit farmers from east mountain village gathered around the edge of the field, watching mo hua draw the formation painting.


    mo hua did not stop, walking from morning to night, then from night to morning again.


    with each step, he left behind a long, winding trace of clear ink marks on the ridges, filled with an enigmatic meaning and coursing with spiritual power.


    as mo hua traversed each ridge, he left stroke after stroke of formation patterns.


    with each ridge he covered, the number of formation patterns grew, linking more and more of the spirit field...


    by the time mo hua finally finished drawing, his physical strength and spiritual power were nearly depleted. he sat beside the field like a fish out of water, gasping for breath.


    at the same moment, a flash of light emerged from within the spirit field.


    a rich aura of vitality unfurled.


    the entire spirit field seemed unified, the formation patterns resonating from afar.


    from within the spirit field surged a continuous stream of the earth¡¯s essence, nurturing the land, nourishing the rice seedlings.


    all the spirit rice in the field, seemingly refreshed by the earth¡¯s essence, visibly started to thrive with vigor, their color turning a jade-like green.


    ...


    all the spirit farmers gathered around the field were stunned into silence.


    they knew the formation was not simple, but they had not envisioned it to be mystically effective to such an extent.


    was this the handiwork of the old ancestor of sun family from years past...


    the elder of east mountain village, feeling the aura of the spirit field and observing the rice seedlings, was momentarily dazed, then overwhelmed to tears.


    such a fertile spirit field, if preserved, could ensure their descendants would never starve again...


    meanwhile, at the sun family household.


    the family head of the sun family, who was browsing through formation books, also vaguely sensed a strong surge of vitality, quickly standing up and looking towards the distant spirit field, his eyes filled with shock.


    "is this... a formation?"


    "impossible..."

 Chapter 399: Capture the Formation (1)

    mo hua finished painting the thick earth formation. satisfied, he nodded in approval.it¡¯s only by applying what you learn that you can truly master it.


    mo hua stood amid the vibrant spirit fields.


    the mountain breeze caressed his cheeks, and the spirit rice gently brushed his palms.


    it was as if the land itself was expressing its gratitude to him.


    mo hua felt his connection to the breath of the earth, the earth dao meaning, becoming ever clearer.


    although he was completely exhausted, it was all worth it.


    mo hua smiled slightly, squinting his eyes.


    having completed the formation, mo hua was ready to leave.


    he had done what he came for, and now it was time to move on to the next place, to seek out other formations.


    they didn¡¯t have many belongings, and they packed up quickly.


    after resting for a night and organizing their things, they were set to depart in a carriage the next day.


    before leaving, the spirit farmers of east mountain village came to see mo hua off.


    they didn¡¯t have many spirit stones left, so they brought some local specialties instead, which included spirit paddy, vegetables and fruits, and even home-raised chickens and ducks.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t refuse and had to pack them in his storage bag and put them in the carriage. s§×ar?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with these ingredients, he could try to cook some dishes on the road to offer to mr. zhuang.


    ding miao clung to mo hua¡¯s sleeve, reluctant to part.


    mo hua then instructed him, "cultivate diligently and don¡¯t be lazy. and the things i gave you, make sure to study them well."


    "yes!" ding miao nodded solemnly, "brother, rest assured!"


    then he asked, a bit downcast,


    "will i be able to see brother again?"


    mo hua encouraged him with a promise,


    "as long as you cultivate well, you will definitely be able to see me in the future."


    ding miao¡¯s little face instantly filled with anticipation, his eyes sparkling.


    mo hua then waved goodbye to the villagers of east mountain village and got into the carriage.


    old kui drove the horses, with big white pulling the wagon. they set out on the road leisurely.


    they hadn¡¯t gone far before a group of cultivators blocked their way. explore more adventures at


    the leader was the family head of the sun family, sun yi.


    behind him stood hundreds of cultivators from the sun family.


    they spread out and surrounded the carriage, blocking the road completely.


    mo hua glanced at mr. zhuang.


    mr. zhuang was resting with his eyes closed, saying nothing as if he was unaware of anything.


    mo hua understood.


    the intent of his master was to let him handle the situation entirely.


    mo hua lifted the carriage curtain, stepped out, and stood atop the carriage, looking at sun yi calmly and contentedly from a distance.


    even faced with the blockade of a foundation establishment cultivator and hundreds of qi refinement cultivators, he was as confident as ever, with not a hint of panic.


    sun yi couldn¡¯t help but praise inwardly,


    "impressive composure!"


    at such a young age, he possessed such courage and calm, unflustered in the face of adversity.


    no wonder he had such prowess in formation.


    sun yi then looked at his own son, sun ze.


    the moment mo hua appeared, his son had actually shaken visibly. if it weren¡¯t for the crowd bolstering him, he would have been close to running away in shame.


    probably due to the trauma from the fireball technique.


    or maybe the thousand jun stick had knocked some sense out of him.


    now sun ze couldn¡¯t bring himself to look mo hua in the eye, his gaze evasive.


    sun yi felt his eyelids twitch with frustration.


    back home, sun ze was excited, loudly proclaiming his intention to seek revenge on this youngster, but now that they were face to face, he turned into a coward.


    and he was over twenty years older than this junior formation master.


    it¡¯s true what they say: comparisons are odious.


    sun yi looked at sun ze with disappointment.


    however, now was not the time for that.


    the most important thing at the moment was the ancestral formation of his sun family.


    after sensing the energy in the spirit fields the day before, he was too excited to sleep. he convened the sun family disciples overnight and blocked the major and minor roads of thousand families town.


    the purpose was to stop mo hua from leaving.


    and when he secretly visited the spirit fields, and felt the intense vitality of the land up close,


    his heart leaped with astonishment, followed by ecstasy.


    a spirit field like this could produce over fifty percent more spirit rice in a year. in other words, his sun family could gain fifty percent more spirit stones.


    a spirit field like this was a treasure!


    and what was more valuable than the spirit field was that formation.


    it enriched the soil and made the yields abundant.


    such a formation was truly a secret treasure, which was what the old ancestor of sun family should have passed down!


    at first, he was somewhat hesitant.


    the formation left by the old ancestor might be difficult for him to learn, even though he was a sun family member and had reached the foundation establishment stage.


    but now his thoughts had changed.


    if this qi refining seventh level youngster could learn it, why couldn¡¯t he, a foundation building cultivator, also learn it?


    therefore, he was determined to possess this formation!


    sun yi, accompanied by the sun family cultivators, surrounded mo hua¡¯s carriage.


    mo hua faced them without fear.


    he remembered mr. zhuang¡¯s teaching: even posturing was a skill in tao cultivation.


    so mo hua said nothing.


    because he intended to act like a high-level master.


    high-level masters never speak first. to do otherwise would be undignified; it¡¯s the underlings who start talking first.


    as expected, sun yi spoke up first:


    "young brother, hand over our sun family¡¯s formation."


    mo hua had anticipated this and was about to say something when he suddenly paused, looking behind him.


    but there was nothing behind him.


    sun yi raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering what sort of mystery this youngster was playing at. he followed mo hua¡¯s gaze, and after a short while, he too paused.


    because not long afterward, behind mo hua, a group of spirit farmers appeared.


    armed with knives and forks, and a few simple spiritual artifacts, they encircled the carriage, forming a protective ring around mo hua.


    the man leading them was ding dachuan.


    remembering the elder¡¯s instructions, despite feeling slightly intimidated facing the foundation establishment stage family head of the sun family, sun yi, he still stood, his expression resolute:


    "you sun family must not bully us too much!"


    "we won¡¯t let you harm our young gentleman!"


    "that¡¯s right!"


    "protect the young gentleman!"


    other spirit farmers also raised their spiritual artifacts of various descriptions in their hands and shouted loudly.


    sun yi sneered, "quite bold, daring to actually rebel?"


    he sneered calmly, but deep down he felt somewhat chilly.


    things were getting a bit bad...


    the reason he had not stopped mo hua and the others in east mountain village was precisely to avoid this situation.


    what he dreaded was not the spirit farmers.


    among the spirit farmers, there were no foundation building cultivators and possibly not many more qi refining ninth-level cultivators than the sun family had.


    if it really came to a fight, they were no match for his sun family.


    what he feared was that the sun family would incur the wrath of the masses.


    the sun family still counted on these spirit farmers to toil with their faces towards the soil, and their backs to the heavens, to support them.


    if the spirit farmers were provoked to rebel and stopped tilling the fields, the sun family would lose their source of spirit stones as well as their lifestyle of luxury and comfort.


    surely they couldn¡¯t expect the young of the sun family, exposed to wind and sun, to personally take to the fields.


    moreover, once the wrath of the masses was incurred, the taoist court would not indulge them.


    the taoist court sought stability, and as long as there was order, the cultivators in thousand families town could suffer and toil as much as they would; the officials would turn a blind eye.


    but should stability be threatened and large-scale unrest among cultivators occur without cause, then the taoist court wouldn¡¯t mind making an example of the sun family to deter others.


    if the taoist court were cold-hearted and merciless, uncaring of personal sentiment, they might even directly confiscate the sun family¡¯s property, earning a tidy profit while appearing generous to the spirit farmers, thereby demonstrating the court¡¯s fairness.


    this would be killing two birds with one stone.


    the taoist court was capable of doing such a thing.


    and the most frightening thing was the generational resentment that came with incurring mass outrage.


    now, with the sun family in power, they could still suppress the spirit farmers.


    but should one day come when the fortunes of the sun family declined, and no foundation building cultivator was there to hold sway, a bursting forth of pent-up resentment could potentially lead to the spirit farmers eradicating the sun family in a desperate act.


    such things had happened before.


    the spirit farmers were timid; they wouldn¡¯t fight desperately as long as they had enough to eat.


    thus, previously, even though he exploited the spirit farmers, he also left them enough to live on, not letting them starve.


    if the spirit farmers fell into debt, he just had them sell themselves to pay it off.


    this mo child had shown kindness to the spirit farmers.


    he wanted to capture this mo child but did not move against him directly in east mountain village. instead, he waited until they were about to reach thousand families town before stopping them.


    but he never expected that the usually meek spirit farmers would actually come out to protect the child.


    sun yi¡¯s expression turned solemn, and his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.


    unless it was absolutely necessary, he did not wish for swords to cross and a large-scale melee to break out.


    mo hua was also not keen on seeing this happen.


    coming together as one to face the external threat can sometimes be a deterrent.


    it¡¯s not always necessary to fight to the death.


    the spirit farmers had a hard life; even if they were to rebel, it should be for themselves, for their own homes and their families.


    they shouldn¡¯t die a bloody death just because of a momentary impulse.


    if they were to die, a family¡¯s mainstay might collapse.


    leaving behind wives and children would make life even harder.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then said, "sun yi, what do you want?"


    being called by his first name by a junior cultivator made sun yi lose face.


    but with mo hua standing amid a group of spirit farmers, who clearly also listened to him, even if his junior was young, he did have the qualification to negotiate with him.


    sun yi forced himself not to care about face and such trivial details.


    he said coldly, "my demand is simple, give me the sun family¡¯s ancestral formation and i will let you go, without making things difficult for anyone else."


    after saying this, sun yi waited for mo hua to haggle.


    unexpectedly, mo hua responded directly, "okay!"


    sun yi¡¯s train of thought was interrupted.


    he didn¡¯t know how to continue the negotiation.


    this boy, doesn¡¯t he haggle when doing business? why did he agree so quickly?


    sun yi was stunned for a long time before he managed to grumble out:


    "don¡¯t play any tricks."


    mo hua disdainfully said:


    "you¡¯re an adult, and your thoughts can be dirty. i¡¯m a child, and my actions are honest. i disdain to play those petty tricks."


    sun yi did not know what to say, frowning:


    "are you really going to hand over the formation to me?"


    "i mean what i say!"


    mo hua¡¯s voice was clear and resolute.


    sun yi still did not believe it, "why?"


    mo hua thought sun yi, being a family head, was nagging... but he still patiently explained with his little finger raised:


    "first, this formation originally belongs to your sun family. i learned it, and it¡¯s also considered a favor from the old ancestor of the sun family. giving it back to you is merely returning the object to its rightful owner;"


    "second, formations are not meant to be hoarded jealously but are to be used for the welfare of all beings. especially this kind of formation that nourishes the earth, it¡¯s better the more people know it;"


    "third, although i don¡¯t fear trouble, i also don¡¯t want to cause trouble. if we both give a little, leave room for later, it will be easier to meet in the future..."


    mo hua spoke eloquently and with clear logic.


    upon hearing this, sun yi sighed and glanced at his son who couldn¡¯t say a word beside him.


    thinking to himself that indeed, nothing shows up a bad product like a good one, his son really wasn¡¯t worth keeping.


    after saying this, mo hua asked:


    "how about it?"


    sun yi hesitated for a long time, still unsure of what to decide.


    with mo hua being so straightforward, he was at a loss for how to proceed, and after a while, he slowly said:


    "how do i know you¡¯re not deceiving me, planning to fob me off with a fake formation? show me the old ancestor¡¯s formation first."


    mo hua, unconcerned, nodded and replied, "okay."


    after saying this, he took out a booklet from his bosom and threw it to sun yi from a distance.


    sun yi was taken aback, somewhat in disbelief.


    he¡¯s really giving it to me?


    this boy seems clever, so why is it that everything he does lacks any guile?


    scanning the booklet with his divine sense and confirming there was nothing wrong with it, sun yi cautiously opened the booklet, glanced at it, and then became completely stunned.


    the booklet indeed recorded a formation.


    the formation patterns were complex and intertwined, the formation pivot¡¯s structure was extremely unfamiliar, the annotations for the formation eye were dizzying, and the entire formation included eleven patterns, quite unfathomable...


    the superficial sun yi felt a tingling on his scalp.


    what is this?


    he couldn¡¯t understand any of it...

 Chapter 400: Zhen’s Deterrence (1)

    he recognized the formation patterns, but when put together, he couldn¡¯t recognize them anymore.the formation pivot was very unfamiliar to him, beyond his understanding of formations and incomprehensible.


    how could this formation eye belong to any other formation?


    and this formation, clearly just a first-grade, how could it contain eleven pattern lines?


    sun yi, for a moment, felt a darkness before his eyes, completely baffled.


    then he thought to himself:


    "is this kid deceiving me?"


    "did he give me a fake formation?"


    sun yi speculated in his mind, and then he dismissed the thought himself.


    impossible...


    although he could not understand, he had a vague feeling that this was indeed a complete formation, and moreover, a very profound one.


    more likely, it was the formation left behind by the old ancestor of the sun family!


    in that case, it was normal for him not to understand.


    because it was a formation inherited from his revered ancestor.


    his own knowledge of formations was far inferior to that of the ancestor; it was normal for him not to learn it.


    but what he couldn¡¯t accept was this.


    he couldn¡¯t learn this formation, but how could this junior formation master with the surname mo learn it?


    he was a foundation building cultivator, whereas this kid was merely at the qi refinement stage.


    if he could draw the formation left by the old ancestor, doesn¡¯t it mean that this kid¡¯s mastery of formations had reached a level comparable to that of the sun family¡¯s old ancestor?


    great waves surged in sun yi¡¯s heart, and he murmured:


    "impossible..."


    sun ze, standing by his side, seeing his father become completely dumbfounded upon seeing the formation and his ever-changing expressions, softly called out:


    "dad..."


    sun yi came back to his senses, but he was still shaken.


    sun ze asked, "dad, is it this formation?"


    sun yi, frowning, nodded slowly, and then shook his head.


    "dad, what do you mean?" sun ze did not understand.


    sun yi did not speak.


    he couldn¡¯t possibly declare in front of all these people that he couldn¡¯t understand and couldn¡¯t learn it, thus was unsure...


    sun ze pondered for a moment, then tentatively suggested:


    "how about we detain this kid and interrogate him?"


    sun ze clenched his fist lightly, "no matter how tough his mouth is, it¡¯s not as tough as a fist. beat him up, and he¡¯ll confess everything."


    sun yi was indecisive.


    then mo hua¡¯s crisp voice came from the other side:


    "i¡¯ve given you the formation, now it¡¯s time to let us through, isn¡¯t it? people who break their word won¡¯t end well!"


    "dad..." sun ze urged as well.


    sun yi¡¯s brows were tightly knit, his face struggling.


    he didn¡¯t dare, but he also couldn¡¯t bear it.


    if this child truly had such mastered formations to such a high degree, then he wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move.


    but to let them go just like that, he was extremely reluctant.


    he had previously thought to deceive the formation out of mo hua¡¯s hands first, then capture him and force him to marry into the sun family and work for them.


    but back then, he thought mo hua had just a good talent, believing that mo¡¯s level of formation would not exceed his own.


    now that he saw this formation, he suddenly realized that he had underestimated this young cultivator.


    and vastly overestimated himself.


    he had previously scoffed, thinking this kid could never learn the formation of the sun family¡¯s old ancestor, but now it seemed, the one who truly couldn¡¯t learn was himself...


    yet with just the seventh level of qi refinement, could he really draw such a formation?


    sun yi still didn¡¯t believe it.


    could this kid be deceiving me?


    sun yi frowned and asked:


    "kid, have you learned this formation?"


    mo hua nodded, "sort of."


    sun yi¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    after pondering for a moment, his face darkened, and he said with a feigned smile:


    "this formation is a treasured family formation of the sun family and is not to be taught to outsiders. since you have learned it, you are a member of the sun family. you will need to join the sun family and work for us to pay back the grace you have received."


    paying back grace was a ruse, the truth was to keep the person.


    sun yi decided to take a gamble.


    he had come to understand something.


    the formation of the old ancestor was so profound and complex that he might never learn it for the rest of his life.


    he might not learn it, but this young man likely would.


    even if he didn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t matter.


    just with his talent in formation mastery, he wanted to make him marry into the sun family and father children with the blood of the sun family.


    a formation genius was not easy to come by.


    he wanted to retain this young man¡¯s talent in formation within the sun family and transmit it through generations with the blood of the sun clan.


    so regardless of whether this young formation master had learned the formation or not, he had to keep him today.


    by saying this, sun yi was ready to go back on his word and show his true colors.


    the cultivators of the sun family were getting restless.


    the spirit farmer gripped their polearm tightly, on alert.


    ding dachuan also cursed angrily, "the family head is such that his word means nothing, just like farting!"


    sun yi just sneered coldly and paid him no heed.


    he looked at mo hua and asked loudly, "young brother, what do you think? if you join the sun family, we will surely treat you well."


    however, mo hua shook his head and said, "your sun family is too small, i¡¯m afraid it can¡¯t accommodate me."


    sun yi was taken aback and said with a forced laugh,


    "our sun family is quite large, large enough for you to live in!"


    mo hua replied with restraint, "i am also someone with status."


    at such a young age, what status could he have?


    sun yi sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he replied with a feigned smile, "no matter the status, our sun family can accommodate it." find more to read at


    "really?"


    mo hua gave a faint smile, took out a ring, and put it on his delicate little hand.


    the ring, made of white jade inlaid with gold, was simple yet luxurious.


    nine star traces were engraved on it, symbolizing the nine grades of formation.


    a burst of starlight above the star traces signified the acknowledgement by the taoist court as a true one-rank formation master.


    sun yi¡¯s smile faded, and his pupils shook violently as he exclaimed,


    "heaven shu ring?!"


    sun ze, unaware of why his father was so shocked, asked in bewilderment,


    "what is the heaven shu ring?"


    sun yi said with a trembling voice, "the heaven shu ring... he... is a one-rank formation master..."


    as soon as these words were spoken, all the cultivators of the sun family took a sharp breath, displaying expressions of disbelief.


    the sun family had a legacy of formation knowledge, although not much, but it was present.


    in the clan, there were also many formation masters.


    they were well aware of the difficulty in achieving a formation master grading.


    in the remote state boundary, a formation master who had passed the assessment was as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn.


    even the family head, sun yi, with his cultivation at the foundation establishment, had not managed to achieve one-rank yet.


    but now this little cultivator in his teens was a one-rank formation master?!


    even if he started learning formation from the womb, it still wouldn¡¯t be possible...


    after all, he was a one-rank formation master.


    a formation master without an official grading was only considered "self-proclaimed."


    only those who had been assessed by the heaven shu pavilion of the taoist court and granted a ranking were considered real formation masters of esteemed status.


    in other words, once a formation master received their grading, they had the backing of one of the central tao court¡¯s seven main pavilions, the heaven shu pavilion.


    it was as if they had leapt over the dragon gate ¨C their status and identity were no longer the same as that of ordinary cultivators.


    "is that really the heaven shu ring?"


    "how would i know?"


    "if the family head says it is, then it probably is..."


    the sun family¡¯s cultivators whispered among themselves in hushed tones.


    most of the sun family¡¯s formation masters, let alone getting graded, didn¡¯t even have the qualifications to be assessed, and naturally, they had never seen the heaven shu ring before.


    sun ze also asked quietly, "dad, is that really the heaven shu ring?"


    sun yi still looked shocked, but he nodded slowly.


    armed with his status as a foundation building cultivator and a quasi-formation master, he had visited a few one-rank formation masters and seen these white jade inlaid golden rings, the distinguishing symbol of the heaven shu grading, on their hands.


    he felt both envious and covetous at that time, hence the memory was deeply imprinted in his mind.


    sun yi dreamt that one day he himself would pass the grading and possess a heaven shu ring of his own.


    but to his great astonishment, he had yet to achieve his grading, and here this young cultivator in his teens already possessed a heaven shu ring.


    "could it be stolen?" sun ze asked again.


    sun yi¡¯s brows furrowed once more.


    he thought it should be stolen, but something in his heart suggested it was impossible.


    formation masters regarded the heaven shu ring as their life; it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to steal.


    nor was it likely that someone dared to steal the heaven shu ring and brazenly flaunt it.


    sun yi looked towards mo hua again.


    mo hua¡¯s fair little hand, adorned with such a solemn and luxurious ring, appeared somewhat inconceivable. sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but the heaven shu ring, indeed, seemed to resonate with his aura.


    moreover, the demeanor and temperament he displayed while wearing the ring were, indeed, that of a one-rank formation master.


    sun ze¡¯s eyes gleamed with greed, a cold light flashed, and he whispered,


    "dad, let¡¯s snatch the ring away!"


    this time sun yi couldn¡¯t hold back and slapped him directly.


    "are you ****ing looking to die?!"


    sun ze was stupefied by the slap, his gaze dazed, not understanding what taboo he had violated.


    grinding his teeth, sun yi explained in a low voice,


    "you ****ing aren¡¯t a bandit or a highwayman, you¡¯re a clan cultivator!"


    "with a name, a family, and property, and such a large mansion established in thousand families town¡ªevery cultivator in our family is registered with the taoist court officials."


    "you must have eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard to even think of robbing a one-rank formation master¡¯s heaven shu ring?"


    "a one-rank formation master is certified by the heaven shu pavilion¡ªtheir support comes from the central taoist court!"


    "robbing the heaven shu ring means offending the heaven shu pavilion, defying the taoist court."


    "if there¡¯s an investigation from above, it¡¯s possible they could decimate our entire sun family!"


    ...


    as sun yi spoke, his anger grew, and he slapped sun ze again.


    sun ze was petrified and dared not speak.


    as sun yi¡¯s residual anger subsided, he sighed deeply, his expression wary,


    "this young cultivator... our sun family cannot afford to offend him..."

 Chapter 401: Legacy (1)

    sun yi felt a pang of dread.this junior cultivator was a first-grade formation master, and they, the sun family, could not afford to offend him.


    yet sun ze¡¯s gaze shifted, and he said,


    "but dad, we¡¯ve already offended him..."


    sun yi was taken aback.


    sun ze continued, "even if we let him go, he will hold a grudge against us..."


    sun yi¡¯s heart gradually grew colder.


    indeed.


    their sun family had already offended this junior formation master.


    at this point, hoping for peace was probably impossible...


    but to really take action and close the matter permanently?


    sun yi was not quite courageous enough to do that.


    after all, he was not from humble origins; he lacked the ruthlessness.


    mo hua sensed the struggle in the heart of the family head of the sun family and, with a slight move of his thoughts, released his divine sense to probe him.


    this act of probing was brazen and undisguised.


    sun yi, still tangled in his thoughts, suddenly sensed something, startled, and then his eyes widened dramatically.


    this divine sense?!


    he quickly turned towards mo hua, his voice trembling, "it¡¯s... it¡¯s you..."


    mo hua did not reply, only silently watched him.


    sun yi felt an icy chill in the pit of his stomach.


    it was over.


    they had encountered a little monster.


    could the divine sense of the foundation establishment stage he had initially felt actually belong to the junior formation master before him?


    at the qi-refining realm, yet with foundation establishment divine sense...


    the sun family had offended not just a first-grade formation master, but also a formation master with exceptionally strong divine sense, with an unknown future potential...


    sun yi¡¯s face turned ashen, and he stammered, "i... my sun family..."


    mo hua said nonchalantly, "i can overlook it."


    sun yi was shaken, "is this true?"


    "i am not lying to you."


    sun yi gritted his teeth, "alright!"


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    there are proper ways in the world.


    and those who transcend the ordinary paths of tao cultivation are either of extraordinary birth, gifted talent, or have a mindset and methods different from ordinary people.


    such cultivators could only be treated with respect and kept at a distance.


    otherwise, the sun family truly would face disaster.


    fortunately, this young gentleman said he would not take it to heart.


    whether he truly meant it or not, the sun family had to seize the chance to back down gracefully and send this deity away, to avoid escalating the situation further.


    and sun yi also remembered something even more terrifying.


    at the seventh level of qi refinement, with foundation establishment divine sense, and a first-grade formation master...


    that such a person was merely a junior brother.


    he had a senior sister, a senior brother, as well as a master who was not ostentatious, and a seemingly insignificant, wooden-like coachman.


    what could their identities be, what kind of cultivators were they, and how prominent could their backgrounds be?


    just thinking about it made sun yi¡¯s scalp tingle.


    he dared not even think about it any longer.


    sun yi immediately ordered loudly,


    "make way!"


    sun ze, understanding his father¡¯s intent, whispered,


    "dad, are you planning to pretend to let them go and then take them by surprise when they¡¯re off guard..."


    sun ze made a throat-slitting gesture.


    sun yi immediately grabbed sun ze¡¯s neck to silence him.


    at this moment, he truly wished he could strangle his own son.


    although sun ze had spoken softly, mo hua had heard him and gave sun ze a meaningful glance.


    sun yi hastily apologized,


    "my son is ignorant, speaks without thinking, and is unfit for great responsibilities. i ask for the junior master¡¯s understanding."


    ignorant, speaks without thinking, unfit for great responsibilities...


    that meant the next family head of the sun family would have nothing to do with sun ze.


    mo hua nodded his head.


    sun yi breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed deeply and said respectfully,


    "i respectfully see off the junior master, wishing the junior master a smooth journey!"


    the other sun family cultivators looked at one another, completely unaware of what had just happened.


    but they simply followed the family head¡¯s lead and likewise bowed respectfully, saying,


    "we respectfully see off the junior master!"


    the sun family cultivators made way and bowed.


    the surrounding spirit farmers also felt a bit confused, but seeing the sun family treat mo hua with such respect, they too were relieved.


    ding dachuan clasped his fist and said, "junior master, have a smooth journey!"


    mo hua waved his hand and smiled, "take care, everyone!"


    "junior master, take care!"


    "have a smooth journey!"


    "good people are rewarded with good fortune!"


    ...


    the other spirit farmers also said their farewells, sincerely sending their best wishes.


    likewise, under the respectful send-off of the sun family cultivators and the heartfelt farewells of the spirit farmers, mo hua left thousand families town, setting off on the road towards distant lands.


    it couldn¡¯t be considered startling or dangerous.


    but with the matter resolved, mo hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    sun yi might have been a bit slow when it came to formations, but he knew how to act appropriately.


    being able to leave without a fight and with no casualties among the spirit farmers couldn¡¯t be better.


    the thick earth formation had already been painted by mo hua.


    provided that the land is nourished by the thick earth formation to enrich the soil, thousand families town would no longer suffer from famine in the future.


    from now on, it was up to them.


    whether they could protect their spirit fields, safeguard the formations, resist the sun family, and ensure that their descendants had enough to eat...


    these were things mo hua could no longer manage.


    he was only a passing junior formation master and had done what he could.


    bai zisheng felt a hint of regret.


    "we didn¡¯t end up fighting... i wanted to test myself against someone at the foundation establishment stage."


    he had been standing behind mo hua the whole time, waiting for the sun family to make a move, so that he could then step forward and put on a magnificent display of his brotherly prowess in front of his junior brother. sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    unfortunately, the sun family did not give him that chance.


    bai zixi didn¡¯t say much.


    but mo hua saw that she seemed to have pulled out a golden sword and stood silently behind him.


    mo hua felt a warmth in his heart, silently cherishing the kindness of his junior brother and junior sister.


    when he had time, he would make something delicious for them to eat.


    the spirit farmer from east mountain village had sent plenty of ingredients, not precious, but all specialties, not easily found in other places.


    mo hua turned his head back to look at thousand families town once more, suddenly feeling a touch of emotion:


    "old ancestor of sun family was such a powerful person, yet it¡¯s a pity, the younger generations neither inherited his formation skills nor his way of being a person."


    mr. zhuang, who had been closing his eyes to rest, slowly opened his eyes, and softly sighed:


    "the grace of the ancestors declines in the third generation, and is severed in the fifth."


    mo hua asked in puzzlement, "master, must it always be the third generation?"


    "it¡¯s just a general rule, but most of the time, it is a declining process from generation to generation."


    bai zisheng muttered softly:


    "our bai family has been passed down for so many generations..."


    the bai family had been passed down for many generations, and it was still very prosperous, not having declined in the third generation, nor cut off in the fifth.


    but he felt that his words were like challenging his master, so he didn¡¯t dare to speak loudly.


    mr. zhuang responded with a gentle smile:


    "the bai family has been passed down through many generations but didn¡¯t sever because your bai family¡¯s ancestors from one or two generations back, may not necessarily be dead..."


    bai zixi was shocked to hear this, and both mo hua and bai zisheng¡¯s mouths fell open.


    if the first and second generations haven¡¯t died, how many years have they lived?


    bai zisheng exclaimed in disbelief,


    "tomb mounds have been built, the dead have been buried, spirit tablets have been erected, and offerings have been made, they can¡¯t possibly be still alive..."


    mr. zhuang said, teasing, "what, you really wish for your bai family¡¯s ancestors to be dead?"


    bai zisheng immediately covered his mouth.


    this was not to be spoken casually.


    it was alright to casually talk about other matters, but slandering the ancestors could get one a beating or confinement.


    still, he was very curious in his heart and secretly asked,


    "they can¡¯t really still be alive, can they...?"


    mr. zhuang just smiled enigmatically and did not answer.


    bai zisheng was filled with doubts in his heart.


    bai zixi thought for a moment and then asked mr. zhuang,


    "master, why is it that some small families, after more than ten generations, aren¡¯t considered prosperous but haven¡¯t declined either?"


    small families like bai family, with ancestors who weren¡¯t high in cultivation and didn¡¯t live long, must have passed away after so many generations, but they remained stable, so it shouldn¡¯t be considered "decline in the third and severance in the fifth."


    mr. zhuang sighed and said:


    "it¡¯s not about how many generations a family has been passed down, but about the ancestral teachings and the family¡¯s moral principles..."


    "if the forebears are selfless, establishing meritorious deeds, and the descendants adhere to the ancestral teachings and maintain the family¡¯s discipline, then it will naturally last for a long time."


    "the third and fifth generations are actually just like one generation."


    "if the descendants forget the ancestral teachings and the family¡¯s discipline deteriorates, then relying only on the previous generation¡¯s leftover benefits to bully and indulge in pleasures, the grace will fade after three generations, and after five, it will be severed."


    "take the sun family, for instance; their old ancestor was a benefactor to thousand families town."


    "but his descendants took advantage of these benefits to bully others and indulge themselves."


    "on the surface, the sun family still looks glorious, adorned in silks and feasting elegantly, but if they don¡¯t repent, the clan¡¯s downfall is only a matter of time."


    mr. zhuang seemed to recall something, feeling somewhat emotional as he said:


    "for a family, having little wealth or a shortage of cultivators in succession may not necessarily lead to a decline..."


    "it¡¯s the degradation of family discipline that truly marks the beginning of its downfall."


    bai zisheng and bai zixi, upon hearing this, became solemn and nodded in agreement.


    being from a noble family, they had seen many varying sizes of clans and had a deep understanding.


    mo hua, originating from a loose cultivator background, though not fully comprehending, still nodded along.


    ...


    the carriage traveled leisurely, gradually leaving thousand families town as mo hua looked back at the spirit field.


    the spirit field was fertile and brimming with life.


    the thick earth formation operated silently, gently nourishing the land.


    but who knew how long the formation could run and how long the spirit field could remain fertile.


    bai zixi followed mo hua¡¯s gaze and frowned slightly, "the sun family won¡¯t just let things be, will they?"


    such a fertile spirit field was like juicy meat by a wolf¡¯s mouth.


    even if the sun family had a moment of conscience, it wouldn¡¯t last long.


    eventually, they would not be able to resist salivating over it.


    the sun family would be wary of mo hua, a grade one formation master, but they wouldn¡¯t fear these ordinary spirit farmers.


    in the end, this formation might still fall into the hands of the sun family.


    however, mo hua looked at his junior sister with a smile and said,


    "don¡¯t worry."


    bai zixi was a bit puzzled.


    mo hua just smiled again without speaking.


    ...


    at this moment in east mountain village, ding dachuan went to the elder to recount what had happened.


    the elder relieved, exclaimed, "it¡¯s good that we could leave safely, we really owe it to that young gentleman."


    ding dachuan nodded in agreement.


    then he turned his head and suddenly noticed ding miao drawing something on the ground, he couldn¡¯t help but be startled and asked,


    "miao¡¯er, what are you drawing?"


    "formation!" miao¡¯er said in a tender voice.


    ding dachuan was taken aback, "where did you get a formation?"


    miao¡¯er took out a book from close to him, "this was given to me by my brother, he told me to draw according to it and to teach others after i finished."


    the high spirit in the elder¡¯s heart trembled, "which brother?"


    miao¡¯er pointed towards the spirit field, indicating the brother who had been drawing formations there.


    "can... i take a look at it?" asked the elder, his voice trembling.


    after pondering, miao¡¯er nodded.


    the brother had said they could show it to their own, and the elder was not an outsider.


    the elder took the formation book with trembling hands.


    the formation book was compiled in simple and understandable terms; although he didn¡¯t understand formations, he could still grasp the gist.


    it was an earth series formation book, containing various earth series formations used in the spirit field.


    the formations progressed from simple to complex.


    from simple patterns that didn¡¯t require much use of divine sense to the six-pattern cultivating soil formation, and finally a grade one eleven-pattern thick earth ultimate formation, everything was documented and detailed.


    what level could learn what formation, orderly and progressively deepening.


    from enlightenment to mastery.


    this was a complete book of formation legacy, closely related to the spirit farmers.


    with this formation book, even without relying on the sun family in the future, these spirit farmers might be able to draw their own formations.


    the elder suddenly understood the meaning behind mo hua¡¯s words, "one can only rely on oneself."


    for a moment, the elder¡¯s emotions surged, his cloudy eyes filling with tears.


    he was profoundly moved and filled with gratitude; despite his limited mobility, he solemnly turned towards the distant mountains and bowed deeply.


    around the distant mountains, mists twined.


    mo hua¡¯s carriage, growing more distant with each passing moment, disappeared amongst the layers of mountains.

 Chapter 402: Travel Holidays (1)

    ```on the mountain road, big white pulled the carriage at a steady pace toward the destination predetermined by mr. zhuang.


    according to mr. zhuang, the place he intended to visit was a sect with which he had old ties.


    mo hua asked what sect it was.


    mr. zhuang played coy and did not say, only mentioning that they would know upon arrival.


    mo hua did not ask any further.


    throughout the journey, mr. zhuang also instructed mo hua to pay close attention and use divine sense calculation to search for traces of formations.


    along the way, mo hua indeed sensed some formation auras and, utilizing divine sense calculation, deduced the formation patterns, presenting them to mr. zhuang for review.


    mr. zhuang often nodded.


    occasionally, he would point out some errors and advised mo hua to be mindful.


    some of these mistakes were due to mo hua¡¯s lack of experience with formations, incorrectly calculating the layout of the formation pivot;


    others were due to carelessness, missing a few pattern lines;


    and still, others were because the method of calculation was incorrect, leading the trajectory of the formation¡¯s spiritual power to deviate...


    mo hua took note of these issues one by one, repeatedly pondering them to ensure they would not be repeated next time.


    in this way, while traveling, sensing, calculating, and verifying,


    mo hua¡¯s divine sense calculation became increasingly proficient.


    regrettably, although some of the deduced formations were new to mo hua, most were not rare as they only consisted of seven to nine pattern lines.


    there were no second-grade formations.


    within a second-grade prefecture border, only first-grade formation methods were generally used.


    second-grade formations, which consume more spirit stones, were mostly unaffordable for clans and sects below second grade.


    and formation masters capable of creating second-grade formations mostly would not stay within the second-grade prefecture border.


    moreover, there was no sign of the ultimate formation that mo hua sought.


    at first, mo hua thought he might have missed something.


    but since mr. zhuang did not have them stop, it was likely there wasn¡¯t one.


    it would be impossible for mr. zhuang to miss it.


    upon reflection, mo hua felt this made sense.


    if ultimate formations were everywhere, they would be too common.


    how could such common formations be called "ultimate"?


    besides, mo hua had already learned the thick earth formation.


    the thick earth formation was an eleven-pattern ultimate formation.


    mo hua¡¯s current divine sense was also at eleven patterns, just enough to use the thick earth formation to refine it.


    whenever the carriage stopped for a break,


    mo hua would jump off, release his divine sense to find some fresh tender grass, and gather it to feed big white.


    then, while watching big white eat, he would practice the thick earth formation on the ground.


    that was the only way to practice the thick earth formation.


    using the taoist stele, mo hua contemplated the earth dao meaning, causing the stele to overload, which had not yet recovered.


    mo hua even thought it had broken.


    fortunately, after observing it for a few days, he noticed the stele just turned a bit grayer, its surface remained intangible, with no other abnormalities.


    the aura of the taoist stele was gradually recovering, and it seemed it would be fine after some time.


    this relieved mo hua. s~ea??h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but in the short term, he could not use the taoist stele to practice formation methods.


    and the thick earth formation could not be drawn on paper.


    so mo hua could only wait for breaks to find a patch of land and squat down to draw formations.


    while practicing formations to comprehend the taoist meaning, he also strengthened his divine sense.


    every time he drew a thick earth formation on the ground, mo hua felt his divine sense merge more with the earth, deepening his understanding of the earth dao meaning.


    with such marvelous comprehension, the growth of mo hua¡¯s divine sense was not slow.


    it was just that there was still some distance to a twelve-pattern divine sense.


    ...


    that day everyone was sitting in the carriage.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi were reviewing the formation that mr. zhuang had taught them.


    it was the formation that even mo hua could not learn.


    mo hua was somewhat curious, but he refrained from looking because of his curiosity.


    mr. zhuang had his reasons for everything he did; it might involve some causes and effects that mo hua should not touch.


    as for himself, mo hua looked at the formation books while practicing divine sense calculation.


    mr. zhuang was resting with his eyes closed.


    a moment later, mr. zhuang suddenly opened his eyes and said,


    "it¡¯s new year¡¯s eve."


    all three disciples were startled.


    mo hua counted the days, and indeed, it seemed today was new year¡¯s eve.


    in the past, in tongxian city, every festive season, the streets would hang red lanterns, the market town would display an array of goods, people bustled about, and every home wafted the scent of cooking...


    but now, there was neither a village ahead nor a shop behind.


    there was only a secluded mountain road, the cliffs on both sides, and the wild grass beside the road.


    thinking of tongxian city, mo hua sighed softly to himself.


    "i wonder how everyone in tongxian city is faring."


    "are they festively celebrating the new year again?"


    "and my parents, are they healthy and safe?"


    "i wonder if they missed me..."


    mo hua pondered to himself, feeling homesick, with a hint of melancholy in his expression.


    mr. zhuang, seeing mo hua¡¯s look, showed a trace of compassion and said,


    "when you¡¯re away from home, everything is simple. but since it¡¯s a holiday, we should still celebrate it in a simple manner."


    mo hua was somewhat surprised, "are we going to celebrate too?"


    "mhm," mr. zhuang nodded gently.


    "but... we don¡¯t have anything," mo hua murmured.


    "whatever you want, you can get from old kui," mr. zhuang said.


    mo hua was stunned for a moment and turned to look at old kui.


    old kui also nodded, "i have whatever you need."


    mo hua¡¯s spirits immediately lifted.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi were also excited.


    the eyes of all three children sparkled brightly.


    as if touched by the mood, the corners of mr. zhuang¡¯s mouth also curled into a smile.


    ...


    so, with mo hua mainly leading the preparations,


    he counted on his fingers, speaking to old kui:


    "grandpa gui, i want lanterns, firecrackers, ¡¯may there be surplus every year,¡¯ there must be fish, ¡¯may every step take you higher,¡¯ there must be cakes..."


    mo hua counted them one by one.


    old kui nodded and said, "wait here for a moment."


    then, right in front of mo hua, he disappeared.


    within half an hour, old kui reappeared as silently as he had left, throwing several storage bags onto the ground.


    mo hua looked and found that sure enough, everything he had mentioned was there.


    and many of them were new, seemingly just purchased from some festive immortal city.


    "thank you, grandpa gui!"


    mo hua said with a beaming smile.


    old kui nodded and then handed over another storage bag.


    mo hua was a bit startled but looked inside.


    the bag was full of nuts like pine nuts, hazelnuts, and torreya nuts, most of which were raw.


    "fry some for me, i¡¯ve finished all the ones from before," old kui whispered.


    old kui, who was always busy driving the cart and had nothing to do, liked to snack on pine nuts.


    so the pine nuts that mo hua had fried for him before were all gone.


    thinking that since it was new year¡¯s, he might as well treat himself.


    he had eaten plenty of pine nuts and wanted to try something new, so he bought a variety of them.


    these qi refinement foods were new to him, and he didn¡¯t know what they were, but since they were sold together, he guessed they were probably similar and bought them all.


    he just wondered if they would be crunchy when he cracked them.


    old kui looked at mo hua with some anticipation.


    mo hua smiled and nodded:


    "sure!"


    so that afternoon, they stopped traveling.


    the carriage was parked by the roadside.


    mo hua tied bright red lanterns on the carriage, pasted several "fu" characters, and even hung a big red flower around big white¡¯s neck.


    big white wasn¡¯t very willing, but couldn¡¯t resist mo hua¡¯s insistence.


    after all, "one who takes the gift cannot refuse the asker."


    it had eaten so much grass fed by mo hua.


    in addition, mo hua also prepared the firecrackers, set up the fireworks formation, and saved it for the evening display.


    next on the agenda was preparing the new year¡¯s eve dinner.


    mo hua first fried the pine nuts and hazelnuts for old kui.


    there were plain ones as well as ones flavored with various spices.


    old kui took out a portion, arranged them on the table for everyone, and sneakily stuffed the rest into his sleeves.


    then it was time to cook the dishes.


    some of the ingredients were bought by old kui, and some were gifts from the spirit farmers of thousand families town.


    bai zisheng watched eagerly on the side, occasionally suggesting:


    "mo hua, make this one, it¡¯s delicious."


    "this one should be fried, not boiled."


    "this one needs to be spicy to taste good, add more..."


    mr. zhuang wasn¡¯t so particular, he could eat anything, but he still requested a "steamed bass" to prevent bai zisheng from ordering all spicy dishes.


    lastly, it was time to steam the pastries.


    there were rice cakes, as well as various other pastries and sweets.


    bai zixi helped mo hua knead the dough, and as she did, she began to shape small pieces of it.


    her fair little hands worked the pale dough, though it was unclear what she was making.


    mo hua, curious, asked:


    "senior sister, what are you shaping?"


    bai zixi held an oddly shaped piece of dough in her palm and crisply said:


    "a rabbit!"


    mo hua was taken aback.


    bai zixi frowned. "does it not look like it?"


    "it does..." mo hua lied through his teeth.


    "it¡¯s just a bit... plump."


    the little rabbit had turned into a little pig.


    bai zixi looked again at the "little rabbit" in her hand, puzzled. "it¡¯s not fat..."


    she thought it was quite cute.


    mo hua was busy all afternoon and finally finished preparing the dishes.


    the twilight faded, and the night began to deepen.


    it was time for fireworks.


    before setting them off, mo hua was a bit worried, "won¡¯t it frighten the monster beasts in the mountains?"


    old kui glanced around and said lightly, "it won¡¯t."


    mo hua was then reassured.


    the fireworks formation was simple, as there was limited time, and mo hua hadn¡¯t made it too complex.


    moreover, this formation was drawn directly on the ground.


    this was the first time besides the thick earth formation that mo hua used the "earth" as a formation media for his formation painting.


    in the dark of the night, the fireworks were brilliant.


    and then it was time to eat.


    everyone sat down to dine on the ground.


    soft grass, covered with silk cloth, was laid out with a spread of food.


    with a variety of dishes and mo hua¡¯s improved culinary skills, the meal was delightful.


    mr. zhuang enjoyed it the most, bai zisheng ate with the greatest glee, bai zixi ate with utmost elegance, and old kui was the most focused, persistently cracking pine nuts and hazelnuts.


    under the cool moonlight, amidst the tranquil mountains, there was a lively atmosphere of fireworks, noisy yet warm.


    after a satisfying meal, mo hua no longer felt homesick.


    he lay on the grass, counting the stars above.


    for mo hua, it might not have been the most lively year, but it was the first time he spent new year¡¯s with his master, senior brother, senior sister, and grandpa gui.


    it was quite festive enough.


    for bai zisheng and bai zixi, from a big clan, the festival used to be glamorous yet personally cold.


    full of worldly concerns and strict rules.


    now, the simplicity and bustle were more appealing.


    bai zisheng also lay on the ground, chatting with mo hua off and on, occasionally tripping over his words.


    bai zixi looked serene and graceful, yet she doubted in her heart, whether what she shaped earlier was really a rabbit?


    why did it turn into a little pig after being steamed?


    mr. zhuang, surrounded by his three disciples, felt comfort in his heart, but there was a fleeting moment of melancholy.


    this was probably the most lively new year¡¯s he had celebrated in his few hundred years of solitary life.

 Chapter 403: Unexpected Guest (1)

    ```thousand families town, east mountain village.


    not long after mo hua had left, a group of uninvited visitors arrived outside the village.


    they stood on the mountain, gazing down at east mountain village, then took out a golden compass, as if searching for something.


    the needle on the compass wavered uncertainly, pointing in no clear direction.


    frowning, they detected nothing and eventually left as quietly as they had come.


    the cultivators came quickly and left just as fast, without disturbing the local cultivators.


    the spirit farmers of east mountain village had no idea that outsiders had been spying on them.


    they were still preoccupied with the spirit fields, concerned with the harvest and livelihood, and were thinking of ways to compete with the sun family.


    several days later, three more cultivators arrived.


    an emaciated old man, a middle-aged cultivator with a scholarly appearance holding a paper fan, and a young man in white with a clear and bright look.


    the emaciated elder flipped a copper coin into the air and caught it in his palm.


    he looked at the divination result of the copper coin and whispered something to himself, sighing after a long while,


    "it seems to be here, and yet the divination is not clear..."


    the middle-aged cultivator said, "pavilion elder has divined that the person is within this state boundary; it should just be a matter of time before we find him."


    the elder let out a sneer, "what are you thinking?"


    the middle-aged cultivator was taken aback.


    the elder sighed, "great sound is silent, great form is shapeless."


    "at his level, not to mention being in the same state, even if we were in the same little immortal city, if he concealed his movements, you would not detect him."


    "what has no sound cannot be heard, what has no form cannot be seen, what has no tao cannot be known."


    "if he hides his vital energy, we stand no chance."


    "heavenly secret calculation, is it something we cultivators can truly fathom?"


    the middle-aged cultivator furrowed his brow,


    "don¡¯t we have the three talents divination copper coins given by the pavilion elder?"


    the elder weighed the copper coin in his hand and sighed,


    "these three talents divination copper coins are valuable, but it also matters who uses them and on whom they are used."


    "my cultivation is not sufficient; i can use them to divine others, but using them to divine that person is just showing off in front of an expert..."


    the middle-aged cultivator did not understand. "wasn¡¯t it said that his sea of consciousness shattered, his dantian destroyed, and his vital energy all but gone? why is he still so difficult to deal with?"


    the elder glanced at him, "because he is a formation master, one whose natural talent is nearly monstrous, and whose understanding of formations is close to attaining the dao."


    in the middle-aged cultivator¡¯s eyes emerged a deep wariness, followed by a sigh,


    "then why has he fallen to such a state?"


    "you need not concern yourself with that, and you better not ask. such matters are beyond our purview," the elder stated indifferently.


    "we just need to do the task we¡¯ve been given."


    the middle-aged cultivator scoffed, "but if we go by what you say, if we can¡¯t divine his whereabouts, doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯ll never find him?"


    "even lions nap."


    "moreover, we¡¯re not the only ones after him."


    "if we just follow along and muddy the waters, it¡¯s fine not to find him, but we can¡¯t let anyone else find him."


    having said that, the elder turned back and instructed the young man in white,


    "young master, i didn¡¯t want to take you out originally, but your father wanted you to gain some experience and you wanted to see the world, so i reluctantly agreed to bring you along."


    "but unless absolutely necessary, do not take action."


    "you must be cautious in your actions. even though you carry a special eternal life rune, do not let your guard down."


    "things here are overly complicated, involving too many powers. i might not be able to protect you..."


    the elder spoke gravely, aiming to ensure the young master kept to himself, not trying to be clever or doing anything inappropriate.


    otherwise, he might not be able to cope.


    immediately after, he regretted his involvement.


    why did he have to deal with such a mess?


    the young master was only twenty-three, already a second rank formation master in the initial stage of foundation establishment, his prospects limitless.


    instead of treasuring him like a jewel at home, why send him out to gain experience?


    cultivating the tao is perilous; was it so easily gained through experience?


    for loose cultivators who are poor, it¡¯s one thing not to travel, endure hardship, and later struggle for food.


    you, however, a noble family descendant, need not worry about food or cultivation; wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay safe and comfortable in your wealthy home?


    yet you insist on wading into these muddy waters.


    and as for how deep these waters run, even he was unsure.


    if anything significant were to happen, the special eternal life rune might not even be enough to save his life.


    thinking of this, the elder wanted to smack himself.


    it was all because of his big mouth.


    after being plied with a few jars of fine wine by the young man¡¯s father, he got confused, and carelessly agreed to this task.


    he regretted it as soon as he sobered up.


    but by then it was too late...


    the young man in white, still unaware of the complexities, simply said earnestly,


    "rest assured, i have taken your words to heart."


    the elder, looking at the young man as naive as a blank sheet of paper, couldn¡¯t bear to say more and just sighed.


    the young man¡¯s resolve shone through.


    his reasons for coming were two-fold: he wanted to gain experience and see what the tao cultivation world beyond the noble clans was really like.


    the other reason was to meet that renowned mr. zhuang.


    in his family, he was recognized as a formation genius.


    at a young age, he had already become a second rank formation master.


    he once self-satisfyingly believed that formations were nothing much; that even if there were formation masters stronger than him, they could not be much stronger.


    high-grade formation masters were just older and had painted more formations than he had.


    in time, he was certain he would surpass them all.


    that was until he inadvertently saw the formation patterns created by mr. zhuang in his early years and learned of mr. zhuang¡¯s deeds, that he realized his own insignificance and ignorance.


    there are heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people.


    in this world, there exist profound formations he had never studied, and brilliant formation masters he had never encountered.


    the way of formation is vast and profound.


    what he had learned so far was but the tip of the iceberg.


    beneath the iceberg lay the true nature of formations, as well as the great dao contained within.


    with increased dedication to studying formations, the young man in white had become a second rank formation master at such a young age.


    ```


    he was the youngest second-rank formation master in the clan¡¯s eight hundred years.


    he was somewhat grateful to mr. zhuang and also full of longing, and his curiosity was growing.


    he wanted to know just what kind of bearing mr. zhuang had.


    was he, as the rumors said, supremely talented, peerless, proud, and arrogant, looking down upon all creation?


    he also wondered if he could ever have a conversation with mr. zhuang¡­


    the young man was thinking quietly to himself.


    the gaunt old man cast the copper coins a few more times.


    still, he couldn¡¯t figure out anything.


    he only vaguely knew that the person had been here.


    why he had come, what he had done, and when he had left, all were mysteries with no clues.


    with no leads at this location, the three were ready to leave.


    suddenly, the young man in white exclaimed with a "huh".


    the middle-aged cultivator asked:


    "what¡¯s wrong?"


    the young man in white pointed at a distant spirit field and said, "there is a formation there."


    the middle-aged cultivator frowned, "that¡¯s a spirit field, there are naturally formations inside¡­"


    the young man in white shook his head, "it¡¯s different."


    the middle-aged cultivator was slightly taken aback and released his divine sense. after perceiving for a moment, his brow gradually furrowed.


    indeed, it was somewhat different...


    just a first-grade spirit field, why would it have such a rich vitality?


    this didn¡¯t seem like a result that a first-grade formation could achieve...


    the gaunt old man also noticed the anomaly, but as he was not well-versed in formations, he asked:


    "what did you find?"


    this young master¡¯s talent for formations was extraordinary, and mr. zhuang was also a formation master. perhaps he really had discovered something.


    the young man in white frowned and shook his head:


    "i only know that the formation in this spirit field is out of the ordinary, but i can¡¯t see what¡¯s unusual about it. it will take some time to study it."


    the middle-aged cultivator asked the old man, "do we still have time?"


    the old man said, "whether we have time or not doesn¡¯t depend on us, but on his mood. if he wants to give us time, we have time; if not, then we don¡¯t."


    after pondering for a while, the old man continued:


    "since you want to study it, go ahead and study it. anyway, we¡¯re not in a rush these few days."


    the young man in white showed a look of joy, "thank you, senior."


    in the following days, the three of them stayed in thousand families town.


    when he had nothing else to do, the young man in white also went to the spirit field. he wanted to know what kind of formation was drawn there.


    but after a few days, there was still no progress.


    what was drawn in the field were clearly simple formations like the cultivating soil formation, yet the entire spirit field radiated distinct vitality.


    the young man was baffled.


    it wasn¡¯t until one day, when he climbed a mountain and looked far off, taking in the entire spirit field at a glance, that he suddenly had a revelation, an epiphany.


    the entire spirit field turned out to be one large formation!


    the young man in white told the old man and the middle-aged cultivator about this discovery.


    both were equally astonished.


    the gaunt old man nodded and said:


    "indeed, this kind of unimaginable formation is indeed like his handiwork."


    the middle-aged cultivator asked the young man, "do you know what kind of formation this is?"


    the young man shook his head.


    "isn¡¯t it a first-grade formation?" the middle-aged cultivator asked.


    "it¡¯s first-grade."


    the middle-aged cultivator was somewhat surprised, "you¡¯re a second-rank formation master, is there a first-grade formation you don¡¯t know?"


    the young man spoke awkwardly, "this should be a unique first-grade ultimate formation."


    "ultimate formation?" the middle-aged cultivator didn¡¯t understand, "even if it¡¯s ultimate, isn¡¯t it still just first-grade?"


    the young man in white shook his head, "it¡¯s different."


    but he didn¡¯t elaborate.


    explaining such esoteric matters about formations to cultivators who aren¡¯t formation masters is incomprehensible, no matter how you explain it.


    "what do we do now?" the middle-aged cultivator asked once more.


    the gaunt old man said, "this formation can prove that the person indeed came here. we just need to keep searching."


    then he muttered to himself:


    "being pursued by so many, yet still having the leisure to draw a formation? the actions of a true expert are indeed inscrutable..."


    the middle-aged cultivator felt slightly disheartened, "spent all this time searching, isn¡¯t it the same as not having searched at all? what does one formation prove?"


    the middle-aged cultivator brushed his sleeve and left.


    the old man said to the young man in white:


    "he¡¯s impatient, don¡¯t mind it. finding an ultimate formation is a great discovery in itself, and this is very likely a formation personally laid out by him, which is extraordinary..."


    "carefully copy down the formation patterns, make no mistakes, and then we can set off."


    "mhm." the young man in white nodded.


    afterward, he spent a day copying down all the formation patterns of the spirit field, then, out of curiosity, he attempted to study them himself.


    but he found he couldn¡¯t master it in a short time...


    "it seems this must be mr. zhuang¡¯s handiwork..."


    the young man in white sighed and put the matter aside for now.


    the next day, the three set out, leaving thousand families town and continued their search in the direction pointed by the compass and the three talents divination.


    the accuracy of the three talents divination copper coin might not be reliable, but it was their only clue.


    ...


    after the three had left, and some time had passed, a strange and oddly shaped person came walking up the mountain road to thousand families town.


    he wore a conical hat, covering his face.


    there wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of breath around him.


    as he walked, his footsteps were uneven, as if someone on stilts hadn¡¯t gotten used to the bamboo poles under their feet.


    passersby looked at him as if they saw nothing, as though he didn¡¯t exist at all. sear?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the person followed the mountain path, passed through thousand families town, passed east mountain village, and arrived in front of the spirit field. he took off his conical hat and stripped off his straw coat.


    he revealed a taoist¡¯s attire.


    at the same time, a strange breath emanated from him.

 Chapter 404: Taoist (1)

    this eerie taoist, standing motionless at the edge of the field like a scarecrow, did not move for a long time.several cultivators were approaching from afar, cursing something as they walked.


    "these spirit farmers really have some nerve..."


    "they¡¯re hard to deal with."


    "if this continues, our sun family is not going to have an easy time..."


    "what does the family head even have in mind?"


    "he seems quite wary of those few cultivators from outside..."


    ...


    the few cultivators from outside?


    upon hearing this, the taoist turned his head stiffly and gave them a glance.


    the cultivators of the sun family stopped in their tracks upon noticing him, seeing that the taoist had a weak aura, shabbily dressed in peculiar attire, they questioned:


    "who are you?"


    the taoist did not respond but let out a dull sound from his throat.


    it was like an aged drum leaking air, unable to produce a clear sound.


    "is he a mute?"


    "wearing a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat, could he be one of those spirit farmers from east mountain village?"


    "that can¡¯t be right; he¡¯s also wearing a taoist robe inside, looks like a taoist..."


    "some outsider?"


    the several sun family cultivators discussed among themselves.


    meanwhile, the taoist continued to watch them in silence.


    one of the taller, thinner cultivators with a quick temper cursed:


    "you poverty-stricken taoist, what the hell are you looking at? keep staring and i¡¯ll gouge your eyes out..."


    before his words were finished, the taoist suddenly pounced towards him.


    the tall, thin cultivator was startled and, in a rush, threw a punch, but just one punch knocked the taoist to the ground.


    he steadied his heart and then sneered:


    "and here i thought you had some skills, daring to lay hands on me with just that?"


    then he walked over and started beating and kicking the taoist, cursing while he hit:


    "what trash? hit me?"


    the taoist struggled a few times but could not fight back.


    the other sun family cultivators cheered from the side.


    they would usually flaunt the power of the sun family to bully others, beating up anyone who crossed them like this.


    it was both an outlet for their anger and a way to uphold the dignity of the sun family.


    after the tall, thin cultivator finished beating him, he sneered coldly, "that¡¯ll teach you to watch where you¡¯re looking!"


    having said that, he kicked the taoist and prepared to leave.


    however, the taoist stretched out his withered hand and grabbed his foot.


    the tall, thin cultivator struggled to break free several times without success, growing furious, he drew his knife.


    he chopped off the taoist¡¯s hand with one strike.


    but at the severed spot, only decayed flesh was present, with not a drop of blood.


    the tall, thin cultivator felt a bit disgusted and a bit chilly, and decided to take a closer look at who this taoist was, and why he was so strange.


    he took a careful look at the taoist¡¯s face.


    at this glance, he was startled.


    the taoist¡¯s face was ordinary, but those eyes, pitch-black and hollow, like the eyes of a dead person.


    just one look made his head swim.


    suddenly, his sea of consciousness churned, he felt a headache and an urge to vomit.


    at the same time, it was as if something invisible, sticky, and wet, climbed onto his head, then little by little, it burrowed into his divine chamber, drilling all the way into his sea of consciousness.


    from inside the sea of consciousness, there came a sucking sound.


    as if something was feeding...


    the tall, thin cultivator felt an even stronger sensation of nausea and dizziness.


    nevertheless, this discomfort was momentary.


    in the blink of an eye, he couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore.


    with lingering pain, the tall, thin cultivator¡¯s gaze filled with confusion.


    gradually, his pupils deepened slightly, and his eyes no longer held any doubt.


    and the taoist on the ground slowly collapsed, no longer clinging, no longer struggling, lifeless.


    the other sun family cultivators were taken aback at the sight:


    "sun ji, did you kill someone?"


    "if he¡¯s dead, he¡¯s dead; it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t killed before."


    the thin, tall cultivator named sun ji spoke indifferently, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible hoarseness.


    "then it¡¯s the usual drill."


    "alright."


    the group went to the roadside to keep watch, guard against any other cultivators passing by or having seen anything.


    sun ji dragged the taoist¡¯s body to a nearby cliff and threw it over.


    but before discarding the corpse, he tore off the taoist¡¯s robe and kept it for himself.


    the others exchanged glances.


    "you want the robe of a dead man?"


    "i¡¯m used to wearing it."


    the rest were taken aback and cursed:


    "what nonsense are you talking?"


    "used to wearing it?"


    "you¡¯re wearing a dead man¡¯s taoist robe?"


    "put it on for us to see then?"


    without waiting for a response, sun ji actually put on the taoist robe.


    his tall, lanky figure clad in the dirty and old robe, with limbs sticking out awkwardly, looked utterly ill-fitting and somewhat sinister.


    like a field scarecrow cloaked in human clothes.


    the other cultivators all showed signs of alarm.


    one of the sun family cultivators couldn¡¯t help but say:


    "you¡¯ve actually got the guts to wear it? damn, i really take my hat off to you."


    unperturbed, sun ji simply said:


    "it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s head back."


    the others glanced at the sky, the sun was still high, it didn¡¯t seem late at all.


    but, having killed someone, even though it was just a passing, nameless taoist, it was still better to go back to the clan to lay low.


    "alright."


    as the group headed back, sun ji suddenly said:


    "it seems like we took a wrong turn."


    "no, we didn¡¯t."


    sun ji pointed in another direction, "that way is the way back home."


    the others looked and had a moment of realization:


    "right."


    "must¡¯ve drunk too much."


    "indeed, they had taken the wrong path."


    then they walked down another road.


    they kept walking. s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but the end of this road...


    was a steep cliff.


    below the cliff lay an abyss thousands of feet deep.


    they continued as usual, talking and laughing on their way home, walking onto the cliff, then plummeting to their deaths, with not a single bone left intact.


    even as they fell, smiles remained on their faces.


    in the face of death, they remained oblivious.


    only sun ji stopped at the edge of the cliff.


    he looked indifferently at the abyss below, then turned his head to gaze at thousand families town and the prominent estate within it, before walking towards it with measured steps.


    sun ji wore an ill-fitting taoist robe that showed both hand and foot.


    his steps were natural at first but began to falter as he walked.


    the cultivators on the road found him odd, but none dared to ask.


    sun ji made his way to the estate of the sun family.


    and then to sun yi¡¯s study.


    inside the study, sun yi was still pondering over the thick earth formation, deeply troubled.


    he soon became frustrated.


    still at a loss.


    how does one learn a formation of the first grade with eleven patterns?


    how on earth did that kid manage to learn it?


    why, even though he had reached the foundation establishment stage, could he not grasp it after pondering for so long?


    sun yi was anxious.


    if he couldn¡¯t learn this formation, he would no longer be able to use it to threaten the spirit farmer.


    without the spirit farmer¡¯s support, the sun family would eventually run out of resources and decline.


    "what if i pull man, and destroy the spirit field directly?"


    a cold glint flickered in sun yi¡¯s eyes.


    destroying the spirit field would destroy the thick earth formation.


    without the thick earth formation, those spirit farmers who didn¡¯t know formations would still have to rely on the sun family.


    but the formation belonged to the old ancestor of the sun family.


    if he destroyed this formation, it would also be akin to defying the teachings of his forebear.


    it would be tantamount to forgetting his roots...


    sun yi was indecisive and his thoughts were in turmoil.


    just then, someone knocked on the door.


    sun yi was extremely irritated and ignored it.


    but the person kept knocking.


    knock... knock... knock...


    the sound was monotonous and numb.


    in thousand families town, in the sun family, who dared to knock on his door like this?


    pressing down his anger, sun yi said, "get in here!"


    the door slowly opened, and sun ji walked in wearing a dirty, old, and slightly too small taoist robe.


    sun yi was taken aback when he saw it and couldn¡¯t help but say,


    "what the hell is that you¡¯re wearing?"


    sun ji didn¡¯t speak.


    sun yi frowned, sensing something was off, "what are you here for?"


    sun ji still made no sound.


    sun yi was about to say something more when he saw sun ji suddenly make a move, pulling out a waist knife and slashing at him.


    but how could he, at the qi-refining realm, be a match for sun yi, who had reached the foundation establishment stage?


    sun yi caught the blade barehanded, channeling spiritual power, and with a twist, he warped the blade as if it were a sheet of iron, curling it up.


    then sun yi struck back with a palm, sending forth a surge of spiritual power that knocked sun ji away.


    sun ji¡¯s chest was shattered by the force of the foundation establishment spiritual power, and he slumped to the ground, spitting blood.


    sun yi snorted coldly, stepped forward, grabbed sun ji by the collar, lifting him up, and said coldly,


    "you ingrate, who sent you to kill me?"


    sun ji tried to say something, but instead coughed up a gush of blood from his throat.


    "who is it that gave you such a great offer to foolishly attempt to kill me?"


    sun yi stared into sun ji¡¯s eyes and said coldly, "speak!"


    sun ji couldn¡¯t speak, but the color of his eyes deepened.


    his pupils dilated, the whites shrank.


    little by little, his entire eyes turned pitch black and hollow.


    sun yi felt a violent, nauseating pain in his sea of consciousness, furrowing his brow tightly before it slowly eased.


    he tossed sun ji to the ground, oblivious, and then slowly returned to his seat.


    "sun yi" sat in the chair with a vacant look in his eyes.


    amidst the flickering candlelight, he began recalling some memories.


    and he seemed to be searching for something in those memories.


    "thick earth formation..."


    "ultimate formation of the earth sect, first grade with eleven patterns, such a fine piece to end up here..."


    "mr. zhuang..."


    "my... dear junior brother..."


    "barely breathing, looks like the wound won¡¯t heal..."


    "ah, old kui is also here..."


    "took a disciple? that doesn¡¯t seem like you."


    "bai... bai... my sister¡¯s child?"


    "still clinging to the past."


    "what are you doing here?"


    "to draw the thick earth formation?"


    "meddling in affairs that are none of your business..."


    "is that all?"


    "sun yi" muttered to himself as he pondered.


    suddenly, he paused, murmuring,


    "no, this isn¡¯t right, i¡¯ve forgotten something..."


    "it¡¯s not that i¡¯ve forgotten, it¡¯s that someone doesn¡¯t want me to know..."


    "what did i forget?"


    sun yi began scratching his head in torment, then suddenly remembered:


    "there was another disciple? another disciple?"


    "how could there be another disciple?"


    "who is it?"


    "why can¡¯t i remember?"

 Chapter 405: Eighth Level (1)

    "who is this person? what is his name?""i should remember..."


    "but why can¡¯t i recall?"


    "why can¡¯t i recall?!"


    "sun yi" muttered deliriously, tormented in thought.


    he clasped his forehead with both hands, grasping his scalp and scratching fiercely, until blood flowed from his head and his face was torn, yet he remained puzzled and distressed.


    a moment later, he slowly stopped. s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in his eyes, a glint of cold decisiveness flashed.


    with his finger dipped in his own blood, he shakily drew a formation pattern on his forehead.


    the formation pattern was sinister and bright red, not a standard formation, but a demon pattern from the demon sect.


    once the demon pattern was formed, it seemed to come alive, feeding on sun yi¡¯s blood qi and divine thought.


    sun yi gritted his teeth as his blood qi slowly weakened, but his thoughts became increasingly clear.


    the fog shrouding his memories also began to lift.


    he finally remembered something.


    "there was another... a little disciple..."


    "a little disciple..."


    "what was his name?"


    "sun yi" wore an expression of pain as if enduring great torture, and finally piece by piece, he remembered:


    "mo..."


    "mo... hua!"


    mo hua!


    "sun yi¡¯s" eyes first showed excitement, then confusion.


    "why?"


    "why was this name hidden so deep?"


    "who exactly is this child?"


    in sun yi¡¯s memories, the image of a smiling face surfaced.


    it was the smile of a little cultivator, about ten years old.


    innocent and naive, yet also warm and endearing.


    simultaneously, his awareness of mo hua began to clarify.


    "qi refinement, seventh level, a first-rank formation master, foundation establishment divine sense..."


    "sun yi" trembled inside.


    foundation establishment divine sense?


    so that¡¯s how it was...


    "with such terrifying talent, no wonder he needed to be hidden away..."


    "sun yi" sneered, but as he laughed, his smile gradually faded.


    "what was i just thinking about?"


    "who erased my memories?"


    "sun yi" slightly angered, once again endured the intense pain in his sea of consciousness and sought the truth he had just forgotten amidst the fog.


    he remembered the name mo hua once again.


    and once again, he saw mo hua¡¯s smiling face.


    his cognition of mo hua once again became clear.


    "qi refinement, seventh level, foundation establishment divine sense..."


    before he could react, his memory stuttered, and he lost it again.


    "sun yi¡¯s" gaze turned sharp.


    to have hidden this child so deeply...


    my fellow disciple, what exactly are you planning to do?


    he tried to think again, to remember.


    "qi refinement, seventh level, foundation establishment divine sense..."


    but unexpectedly, at this point, his memory was wiped clean.


    with every wipe, the memories dimmed; with each dim, more blurriness ensued.


    after countless times, all that remained were the vague concepts of "qi refinement, seventh level, foundation..."


    "qi refinement, seventh level, not yet foundation establishment..."


    "sun yi" nodded to himself.


    then it dawned on him; wasn¡¯t that stating the obvious?


    qi refinement, seventh level, naturally hadn¡¯t reached foundation establishment yet.


    but when he tried to ponder further, his thoughts grew hazy, unable to think of anything else.


    "is he just a filler disciple?"


    sun yi muttered to himself.


    he decided not to bother anymore, only remembering mr. zhuang, old kui, and the bai siblings, and then nodded to himself.


    sun yi took off his outer clothes and wiped away the blood on his face and body.


    then, he tore off the old and dirty taoist robe from the already-dead sun ji and put it on himself.


    "now it fits.")


    sun ji was tall and thin, while sun yi had an average build and was slightly plump.


    the taoist robe fit him just right.


    "sun yi" pushed open the door again, the sky was dimming, and he walked out alone.


    the disciples of the sun family were taken aback when they saw him.


    for he was wearing an old taoist robe, which looked very peculiar.


    some disciples greeted sun yi respectfully, but he ignored them as if he had neither seen nor heard them, continuing to walk out with uneven steps.


    sun yi left the sun family¡¯s gate.


    then he walked down the main road of thousand families town, not looking back as he headed into the distance, disappearing at the end of the vast mountains.


    this was the last time the disciples of the sun family saw their family head.


    the spirit farmers of east mountain village also gossiped that the family head of the sun family, sun yi, wearing the robe of a dead man, limping away as if his soul had been hooked by something.


    most people speculated that sun yi had violated the ancestral teachings, and the old ancestor of the sun family had taken him to the underworld for punishment.


    after that, sun yi never came back.


    nor was he seen again.


    ...


    while "sun yi" was deducing mo hua¡¯s identity, mr. zhuang in the carriage also opened his eyes.


    "master, would you like some tea?" mo hua asked with a crisp voice.


    mr. zhuang liked to nap, and after waking, he liked to drink some tea.


    the preferences of the master were well remembered by mo hua.


    mr. zhuang nodded slightly.


    mo hua then poured him a cup of tea.


    mr. zhuang seemed somewhat weary; after drinking the tea from mo hua, he felt a bit reinvigorated and then asked:


    "mo hua, how does a person die?"


    it wasn¡¯t just mo hua who was startled.


    even bai zisheng and bai zixi both looked puzzled.


    they didn¡¯t know why mr. zhuang would suddenly ask such a question.


    "uh... if you¡¯re killed, you die?"


    mo hua said quietly.


    "you can die from hunger, from old age as well..." bai zisheng also said.


    ```


    "what is the bottom line, then?"


    mo hua recalled what mr. zhuang had said about a cultivator¡¯s spiritual power, blood qi, and divine sense and tried to express:


    "a cultivator will die if the physical body exhausts, the qi sea shatters, or the divine sense perishes..."


    "so, a cultivator¡¯s death ultimately relates to these three aspects?"


    mr. zhuang nodded slightly.


    "if someone wants to kill you, they will target one of these three, either wrecking your physical body, shattering your qi sea, or destroying your divine sense."


    mo hua felt a chill in his heart, "master, is someone trying to kill me?"


    mr. zhuang shook his head, "it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry."


    "oh." mo hua nodded, pondered for a moment, then asked doubtfully:


    "master, i understand how one can kill through the physical body and qi sea, as ordinary tao cultivation martial arts and spells damage the physical body, corrode the meridians, and ruin the qi sea, but killing through divine sense... how does that work?"


    "there are many methods," mr. zhuang said.


    he looked at mo hua, then at bai zisheng and bai zixi, and patiently explained:


    "one type is divine sense spells, which form spells with divine sense, harming the divine sense of others."


    "such spells are exceedingly rare; do not learn or use them casually, as prolonged use can also damage your own divine sense."


    "moreover, these spells are ancient secrets, with requirements for innate talent, and are generally beyond reach."


    "the second type is divine sense parasitism, where one fragments their divine sense and inhabits the body of another cultivator."


    "this is a technique of the demon path; you should neither learn nor use it."


    "the third type is divine sense contamination, using ancient sinister divine thoughts, sealed since ancient times, to contaminate the divine sense of others, leading them to moral decay, derangement of divine sense, and even the collapse of the sea of consciousness, becoming something neither human nor ghost..."


    "this amounts to killing by proxy. but by contaminating others, you also taint yourself."


    "if others¡¯ divine sense is tainted, yours will not remain clean; you would just be unaware of it."


    "therefore, it¡¯s best not to use this method either."


    "there are other ways to kill with divine sense, but they are mostly sinister and unorthodox, and i do not know them in detail."


    after mr. zhuang finished speaking, he looked at the three disciples and cautioned:


    "i tell you this so that you may be on your guard."


    "the means to harm the physical body and spiritual power are mostly visible,"


    "but the dangers of divine sense are often invisible."


    "in this world, there exists many unseen and indescribable terrors, it¡¯s just that a cultivator¡¯s divine sense is too weak to perceive them."


    "hence, you must be extremely cautious with matters related to divine sense."


    "do not pry into people or things that should not be pried into."


    "when encountering someone strange, do not speak to them, do not entangle with them, and especially do not look into their eyes..."


    all three disciples looked serious and nodded.


    after a moment of thought, mo hua softly said:


    "master, if someone¡¯s divine sense has parasitized you, is there a way to kill the intruding divine sense?"


    mo hua thought back to the little demon in the contemplation map.


    it jumped into mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness, attempting to usurp his place and use mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness as its breeding ground.


    although mo hua suppressed the little demon with the taoist stele after much trouble and eventually "consumed" it,


    he was somewhat bewildered and ignorant of the ins and outs.


    the taoist stele was useful, but he couldn¡¯t rely on it too much.


    if the taoist stele were ever to malfunction, and he encountered another parasitic demon as before, it would be very dangerous.


    therefore, mo hua wanted to know if there were any other methods that could handle the parasitic divine thought without relying on the taoist stele.


    formation seemed possible, but drawing formation was relatively slow, and one could only stay inside the formation without stepping out, which was quite passive.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi both looked at mo hua with surprise and curiosity.


    their little junior brother really had... unusual thoughts.


    mr. zhuang, however, was not surprised and simply nodded: "yes."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes lit up, "then..."


    ```


    ```


    "i can¡¯t teach you now."


    mo hua sighed, a trace of disappointment in his voice, and then he looked forward with anticipation:


    "master, when can you teach me?"


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze held profound meaning:


    "wait until your divine sense is a bit stronger, and i will teach you."


    "stronger?"


    mr. zhuang nodded, "all measures to counter divine thought must be based on the strength of divine sense..."


    "as long as the divine sense is strong enough, the perils within it naturally cease to be dangerous."


    "with a powerful divine sense, a thousand evils cannot invade!"


    mr. zhuang declared in a solemn voice.


    with a powerful divine sense, a thousand evils cannot invade...


    mo hua murmured to himself, and then nodded full of hope:


    "alright, master!"


    ...


    from then on, mo hua practiced drawing formations with even more diligence.


    unable to use the taoist stele, he could only utilize every moment to practice the thick earth formation.


    every time the carriage stopped, he would draw formations on the ground.


    this entire journey, rocks and soil bore the formation patterns he left behind.


    he even brought some soil onto the carriage to practice his drawing.


    over and over, he practiced the level one eleventh pattern thick earth formation.


    through this, mo hua continually honed his divine sense.


    he subtly sensed a feeling of urgency.


    mr. zhuang never spoke without reason.


    the fact that he mentioned divine sense must mean he foresaw something.


    divine sense killing...


    that could mean someone might attempt to kill him using divine sense.


    and so, he had to take precautions before it was too late.


    with a powerful divine sense, a thousand evils cannot invade!


    every increase in strength of the divine sense made him that much safer...


    mo hua practiced tirelessly, leading to a noticeable increase in his divine sense, but he was always just a little short of the twelfth pattern...


    no matter how he practiced formation drawing, it seemed to yield little effect.


    mo hua felt somewhat helpless.


    early one morning, mo hua got up and started his routine cultivation to greet the dawn.


    suddenly, the qi sea inside him trembled slightly.


    mo hua was taken aback, and then he was overjoyed.


    he quickly took out a spirit stone, ceaselessly absorbed the spiritual energy, refined the spiritual power, circulated it through his meridians, and accumulated spiritual power in the qi sea.


    after an unknown amount of time, the spiritual power solidified, and his aura grew stronger.


    mo hua opened his eyes and could not help but smile brightly.


    he had reached the eighth level of qi refinement!


    and there was more.


    after a breakthrough in realm, divine sense also grows.


    although compared to his foundation establishment level divine sense, his realm was only at qi refinement, and the increase in divine sense from the breakthrough was not substantial.


    but these slight increases in divine sense bridged that small gap, pushing his divine sense over the threshold, successfully reaching the twelfth pattern!


    the morning glow splashed across the mountains, casting its light upon mo hua.


    at this moment, mo hua, at fourteen years old, was at the eighth level of qi refinement, with a foundation establishment level twelve pattern divine sense!


    ```

 Chapter 406: 403

    mo hua was already fourteen years old.cultivators have a long lifespan, even an ordinary qi-refining cultivator could live for approximately one to two hundred years.


    being in one¡¯s teens was not considered old for a cultivator.


    bai zisheng told mo hua that in some large noble clans, any cultivator under the age of eighteen was still considered a child.


    because members of noble clans generally had higher cultivation levels and longer lifespans, a decade or so was insignificant to them.


    however, in tongxian city or other lower-tier immortal cities, many loose cultivators might never progress beyond the qi-refining realm in their entire lives.


    therefore, anyone over fifteen was regarded as a young lad.


    if one did not have access to the right avenues in tao cultivation and couldn¡¯t advance one¡¯s cultivation level, one had to learn a tao cultivation skill to become self-reliant in the future.


    that¡¯s what da¡¯hu and dazhu had done.


    da¡¯hu and his two companions learned monster hunting, while dazhu learned artifact refining.


    the purpose was to ensure they had enough to eat.


    mo hua had become a first-grade formation master, capable of supporting himself, but he still didn¡¯t look very old.


    one reason was that he was inherently weak and grew slowly, making him shorter than his peers.


    another was that he had never practiced body refinement, which made him appear even thinner.


    people like da¡¯hu and dazhu were naturally big and tall and had practiced body refinement, so even though they were only three or four years older than mo hua, they were much taller than him.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    he too wished to be tall and strong.


    unfortunately, he spent every day drawing formations, exhausting his mind and energy. he did eat quite a bit, but he didn¡¯t grow much in height¡­


    now at fourteen, he was only a little taller than he had been at thirteen.


    his junior brother bai zisheng was a head taller than him, and his junior sister bai zixi, with her tall stature, was also half a head taller than him.


    furthermore, with mo hua¡¯s delicate features and fair complexion, he resembled a porcelain doll, making him appear even younger.


    "when will i grow taller?" mo hua pondered somewhat dejectedly.


    he glanced at bai zisheng sitting to his left and then at bai zixi to his right, silently thinking to himself:


    "i at least need to be taller than my junior sister..."


    bai zixi gave him a puzzled look, "what are you thinking about?"


    mo hua shook his head, "nothing at all!"


    ¡­


    besides that, mo hua¡¯s cultivation realm had reached the eighth layer of qi refinement.


    he was one step closer to foundation establishment.


    the advancement in his cultivation realm had made his body a bit stronger.


    but since he wasn¡¯t a body cultivator, this slight improvement was insignificant, like a mosquito¡¯s leg.


    his spiritual power had also increased.


    but his spiritual root was mediocre, and even though the cultivation technique he practiced was unique, its uniqueness lay in the use of divine sense rather than spiritual power. s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    so the spiritual power he cultivated was not abundant, just mediocre.


    just marginally inferior compared to the average cultivator.


    however, compared to his junior brother and sister or the descendants of other familial clans and sects, he was probably far behind.


    he remembered mr. zhuang saying that noble clans and sects relied on inheritance theories of spiritual roots, married generationally among each other, and thus birthed descendants with exceptional spiritual roots.


    the disciples from the large clans and great sects often had superior spiritual roots.


    in contrast, mo hua¡¯s mediocre spiritual root, which was on the lower end, truly wasn¡¯t impressive.


    but if it wasn¡¯t impressive, so be it.


    after all, he didn¡¯t rely on it to make a living.


    mo hua was a formation master, who should establish himself with formations as his foundation.


    mr. zhuang had also shown him a way, instructing him to "prove the dao with divine sense."


    moreover, as a cultivator¡¯s spiritual root was innate and unchangeable, there was no point in fretting over it.


    after reaching the eighth layer of qi refinement, mo hua¡¯s spells had also strengthened.


    firstly, his concealment technique.


    now, cultivators in the initial stage of foundation establishment could hardly see through mo hua¡¯s concealment technique.


    the effectiveness of the water prison technique had increased as well.


    it was cast faster, entrapped adversaries more accurately, and the duration of the constraint had been extended by a moment.


    although it was just a moment, in life-or-death struggles, this brief time could make the difference between survival and demise.


    the power of the fireball technique had also intensified.


    mo hua had specifically tested it a few times.


    the color of the fireball had deepened slightly, and amidst the dark red was a hint of dazzling beauty, teeming with explosive spiritual power.


    it was unassuming yet resplendent, with danger lurking within its brilliance.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    if he continued to cultivate the fireball technique to its pinnacle, what would the effect be, and how strong could the power become?


    mo hua tried to imagine, but he couldn¡¯t conceive of it.


    the effects of the spells beyond the foundation establishment realm were beyond his comprehension.


    when he had time, he would ask old kui.


    old kui should know.


    after all, his fireball technique was taught by old kui, as were the techniques for using spells.


    then came the matter of divine sense.


    the divine sense with twelve patterns in foundation establishment was indeed much stronger than before.


    his divine sense was more acute, his calculations faster, and his perception of the surrounding spiritual power more distinct.


    previously, drawing the thick earth formation with eleven patterns was adept yet somewhat strenuous.


    now, when drawing the same formation, it felt much easier.


    the fact that he now had a twelve-pattern divine sense...


    mo hua thought for a moment and then went to find mr. zhuang:


    "master, could you teach me how to use the slaying divine thought method?"


    he remembered mr. zhuang saying before that once his divine sense grew stronger, he would teach him how to deal with parasitic divine sense.


    how to oppose, or even destroy, divine sense or divine thoughts¡ªor malicious intentions from others, when they invaded the sea of consciousness, whether they came from humans or non-humans.


    now that his divine sense had reached twelve patterns, it should be considered strong.


    mr. zhuang calculated with his fingers and said:


    "there¡¯s still plenty of time, no rush, wait until your divine sense grows stronger."


    "it needs to be stronger..." mo hua muttered quietly.


    "haste makes waste," mr. zhuang spoke gently.


    "yes," mo hua nodded.


    he continued to ask:

 Chapter 407: Ultimate Formation

    "master, i''ve already reached twelve patterns, and i''m already tired of drawing the eleven-pattern thick earth formation. should i look for a twelve-pattern ultimate formation next?""yes," mr. zhuang nodded slightly, "your current divine sense is such that drawing ordinary formations can no longer refine it in the slightest..."


    qi refinement eighth level, foundation establishment twelve pattern divine sense.


    this level of divine sense, like the ultimate formation, was seriously "off the charts"...


    it was not something that could be improved by ordinary means.


    moreover, there were no cultivation techniques for cultivating divine sense in the cultivation world.


    divine sense was ethereal, intangible, and with each cultivator distinct, the differences were substantial.


    to enhance divine sense was extremely difficult to begin with.


    the contemplation map was a trick, more like borrowing someone else''s divine sense, and it was somewhat dangerous, so it was best not to use it.


    mo hua nodded, then remembered another question:


    "master, for a higher-level formation master learning these lower-level ultimate formations, would it be a bit simpler?"


    he had always been curious.


    the requirement of divine sense for ultimate formations was high.


    but this threshold was with respect to the same level of cultivation.


    if it were a higher-level formation master with strong enough divine sense, then learning some lower-level ultimate formations should be much easier.


    but why, according to mr. zhuang, were there so few masters who knew even a first-grade ultimate formation?


    mr. zhuang said, "it would be somewhat easier, but not by much."


    mo hua asked in confusion, "why is that?"


    a high-level formation master should have very strong divine sense...


    "divine sense is the foundation of a formation master, the very essence," mr. zhuang slowly explained, "but having divine sense doesn''t mean one can become a formation master, or that one can definitely learn formations."


    "having divine sense only gives you the qualification to learn formations. to master them, you need to study, to think, to practice, to understand."


    "it requires perseverance, lots of time, energy, and focus."


    "not all cultivators are willing to do this, and not all can manage to do it."


    "even if it''s just a small matter, maintaining it is very difficult."


    "let alone something as abstruse and obscure as formation principles; even many high-level formation masters struggle to persevere later on."


    "ultimate formations are as such, with special pattern techniques, hard to learn, hard to draw."


    "many formation masters have sufficient divine sense but might not be willing to practice, and naturally, they won''t be able to learn."


    mr. zhuang sighed faintly.


    "this is the first point: even with divine sense, without practice, naturally you can''t learn."


    "it''s like some people who, despite having the talent, are unwilling to make the effort and end up accomplishing nothing, squandering their potential."


    mr. zhuang paused a moment, then continued:


    "the second point is, even if you practice, you may still not learn it."


    "the way of formations is based on divine sense. only with divine sense can you practice, and only when sufficiently proficient can you start to understand."


    "ordinary formations, through diligent practice, you can learn the formation patterns, which don''t require much understanding."


    "but ultimate formations are different. any ultimate formation, exceeding the formation method classification, inevitably has its specialties and invariably contains unique formation principles..."


    mr. zhuang looked at mo hua, saying gently:


    "you should have some experience with this."


    mo hua nodded his head.


    the two ultimate formations he learned, one was the reversed spirit formation.


    a first-grade ten-pattern, containing the power of spirit energy inversion, required divine sense calculation to bring out its effects.


    the other was the thick earth formation.


    a first-grade eleven-pattern, embodying the power of spirit energy generation, required an understanding of earth dao meaning to truly master.


    both types of ultimate formations required more than just learning the patterns.


    they also necessitated a deeper recognition of spirit energy, a more profound use of divine sense, as well as a clearer understanding of taoist meaning.


    if mr. zhuang had not provided guidance,


    or if one didn''t have a taoist stele,


    it was doubtful that one could learn and truly apply them.


    mr. zhuang continued, "thus, many high-level formation masters, despite having enough divine sense and sufficient practice, because they lack that bit of understanding, often can''t find the way, fail to have that moment of sudden insight, and ultimately still can''t learn ultimate formations."


    "that bit of understanding is like the finishing touch."


    "without that bit of clarity, the whole formation is just a shell, without any charm or spirit."


    mo hua had a sudden realization, "just like when i draw the thick earth formation, if i can''t perceive the daoist meaning, simply drawing it over and over again is futile."


    mr. zhuang nodded, "exactly."


    mo hua was puzzled again, "but once they''re at a high level, and are high-level formation masters, could they really fail to comprehend?" s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "the two are related, but they''re actually two separate matters," mr. zhuang explained. "some cultivators have profound cultivation but have only mastered the use of powerful spiritual power, and their understanding of spirit energy and the great dao is actually very superficial."


    "they can wield spiritual power to cast devastating spells, dominating battles, but if you ask them to perceive the subtle changes in spirit energy to draw a first-grade ultimate formation, that would be difficult for them."


    "cultivators cultivate by absorbing spiritual energy and accumulating spiritual power, casting taoist skills, thereby wielding outward power."


    "for general cultivators, that is enough."


    "but for formation masters, they not only have to control external power but also understand the underlying principles. merely knowing how to manipulate spiritual power for combat is far from sufficient."


    to control the power, to understand the principles...


    mo hua seemed to grasp the concept and nodded earnestly.


    seeing that mo hua understood, mr. zhuang felt slightly relieved and then said:


    "these are the issues on the level of understanding formations. since ultimate formations contain special formation principles, even high-level formation masters might not necessarily learn low-level ultimate formations."


    "are there other reasons?" mo hua couldn''t help but ask.


    mr. zhuang nodded, "the other reasons are more complicated..."

 Chapter 408: Ultimate Formation

    mr. zhuang sighed softly:"first is the issue of time."


    "mastering ultimate formations requires time, and a formation master''s time is very precious."


    "if you spend your time mastering low-grade ultimate formations, how will you learn high-grade formations?"


    "formation study is vast and profound, no formation master can be so adept that they have fully grasped the formations of their current grade, and then go on to learn other things."


    "if there is one, that formation master must be substandard."


    "because the more ignorant one is, the more they think they know everything. the more you know, the more you realize how little you actually know."


    "the same goes for formations."


    "the deeper the understanding of a formation master, the more they know about the profundity of formations and the infiniteness of the great dao."


    "high-grade formations are difficult, and naturally, high-grade ultimate formations are even more difficult, while low-grade ultimate formations are also not simple..."


    "they don''t have the time to cover both."


    mo hua couldn''t help but nod his head.


    he then suddenly realized that he had a lot of time.


    because he practiced formations on the taoist stele at night, which was equivalent to not needing to sleep. s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    this gave him twice the time compared to other formation masters.


    and with divine sense on the taoist stele that could be rewound, his divine sense was always replenished.


    by this calculation, he actually had several times more time to learn formations than other formation masters.


    other formation masters had limited time and couldn''t manage both.


    then, did he not need to choose, could he have them all?


    mo hua blinked, feeling a tiny bit of guilty pleasure, and a little embarrassed.


    as if he was cheating.


    seeing mo hua''s eyes blinking, mr. zhuang knew he was having some crafty thoughts and couldn''t help but smile faintly, but he did not probe further and continued:


    "besides that, low-grade ultimate formations are somewhat superfluous for high-grade formation masters."


    "because of the lower grade, the effects of the formation are greatly diminished."


    "it''s time-consuming and labor-intensive to learn, and it''s not very useful."


    "and the most troublesome aspect is that some ultimate formations themselves are inherited in grades, following a continuous lineage."


    mr. zhuang said solemnly.


    "a continuous lineage?"


    mo hua frowned, "if the grades are broken, can''t they be learned?"


    mr. zhuang nodded and slowly explained:


    "ordinary formations don''t fuss over these things."


    "for example, if you don''t know a first grade melting fire formation, it doesn''t matter; you can start learning from second grade."


    "these formations are related, but they are also relatively independent of each other; there is no need to follow a fixed sequence."


    "but ultimate formations are different."


    "many ultimate formations are linked grade by grade in a continuous chain."


    "you must start from first grade and then learn second grade, followed by third grade, progressing from the simpler to the more complex."


    "and ultimate formations themselves are very rare, it''s difficult to have a complete succession."


    "it''s very possible that the succession of a full set of ultimate formations is scattered across the state boundaries of the nine state, in different forces in different places."


    "first grade in li state, second grade in kun state, third grade is missing, fourth grade in qian state, and for the grades above fifth, there are not even rumors..."


    "without the first grade, you can''t learn the second grade, and likewise, even if you have the formation diagrams for the subsequent third and fourth grade ultimate formations, if the grades are broken, you fundamentally can''t learn them..."


    mo hua''s mouth fell open.


    no wonder they are called "ultimate" formations...


    difficult to learn by their very nature, they require progressive grades, linked in succession; one mishap could result in the discontinuation of the lineage...


    mr. zhuang glanced at mo hua again and sighed:


    "that''s why during the qi refinement realm, you should learn as many ultimate formations as you can, as many as possible, because most ultimate formations are based on the first grade ultimate formations."


    "alright, master!"


    mo hua agreed and then expressed some concern, "but what about later on..."


    mr. zhuang stroked his head gently and said calmly:


    "later on, you will have to learn how to find them yourself."


    mo hua was taken aback, then somewhat understood.


    why mr. zhuang brought him out and let him find formations on his own.


    it was to guide him to become proficient in divine sense calculation.


    so that in the future, relying on his own abilities, he could also find the ultimate formations hidden in various places of the nine state.


    mr. zhuang sighed slightly, "for the reasons mentioned above, there are very few formation masters in this world who can truly master ultimate formations."


    "but you are different; your cultivation technique is special, you must master ultimate formations, and you must be exceptionally proficient."


    "the more ultimate formations you learn, the better; the harder they are, the better."


    "the more you learn, the deeper your understanding of formations, the stronger your divine sense becomes, and the further you''ll be able to travel on your future path..."


    mr. zhuang said to mo hua, his tone serious and his gaze full of expectations.


    mo hua nodded solemnly, committing his master''s words deeply to his heart.

 Chapter 409: Minor Hidden Spirit Sect (1)

    during the journey that followed, mo hua would occasionally stick his little head out the window to gaze at the scenery of heaven and earth.he looked amidst the mountains, at the immortal cities, and within the ruins of broken temples, searching for any shadows of formations.


    if there were any signs, he would release his divine sense to perceive them.


    he then immersed himself in calculation.


    if he deduced the trajectory of the spiritual power in the formation, he would halt the carriage and personally seek it out.


    he would inquire local cultivators, visit local formation masters, or ascend to solitary mountain tops to gaze upon an ancient stele towering above...


    in this way, with stops and starts, two months passed.


    mo hua indeed found some special formations, even two ultimate formations.


    but one was incomplete, and the other had only ten stripes, which were simple ones at that, containing rather elementary taoist meanings.


    even without the aid of the taoist stele, mo hua learned it in a few days.


    afterward, there was no shadow of any ultimate formations to be found.


    there were none with the first rank thirteen stripes, not to mention formations with the first rank eleven or twelve stripes.


    mo hua sighed.


    the taoist stele in his sea of consciousness had "gone on strike" and not yet recovered, and every day he practiced the formations far fewer times.


    he could only rely on drawing the thick earth formation to enhance his understanding of formations and hone his divine sense.


    but his divine sense was already at twelve stripes.


    the eleven-striped thick earth formation was too easy for him to draw; it no longer did much to hone his divine sense.


    these days, his divine sense had grown exceedingly slowly.


    he was far from reaching the thirteen-striped divine sense.


    by contrast, his cultivation progress was much faster.


    it was quite possible that by the time he reached the peak of the qi refining ninth level, his divine sense would still be stuck at twelve stripes, not reaching thirteen stripes, let alone the mid-phase of foundation establishment divine sense.


    establishing the foundation with a twelve-striped divine sense...


    mo hua sighed again, this was much worse than expected.


    it seemed he needed to think of a solution...


    after a brief contemplation, mo hua went to find mr. zhuang and asked,


    "master, are the twelve-striped formations really that scarce?"


    mr. zhuang leisurely sipped his tea and said,


    "every ultimate formation is rare. whether or not you encounter one depends partly on fate and partly on insight."


    "without the right fate, you won''t come across one; without the insight, even if you do, you won''t recognize it."


    "your encounter with the thick earth formation shows you are deeply fated. it''s not possible to find an ultimate formation in every place you visit."


    "seeking formations requires a long time and patience."


    mo hua nodded, then with a furrowed brow, he sighed and said,


    "but at this rate, by the time i establish my foundation, my divine sense will only be at twelve stripes..."


    mr. zhuang tapped mo hua''s forehead with a smile and said,


    "just speak directly, don''t beat around the bush with your master."


    mo hua chuckled, "i have heard of a twelve-striped formation before."


    mr. zhuang nodded slightly, "let''s hear it."


    "master, do you remember instructor yan?" mo hua said.


    mr. zhuang''s eyes flickered, "the spirit pivot formation chart?"


    mo hua was surprised, "master, you knew about it?"


    mr. zhuang, seeing mo hua''s shocked expression, revealed a hint of amusement in his eyes:


    "i have met instructor yan once. it was because of that formation that i saw him in a different light."


    mo hua pondered and gradually understood. s~ea??h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mr. zhuang, profound and unfathomable, lived reclusively in the mountains, concealing his traces. ordinary cultivators couldn''t possibly meet him.


    in tongxian city, aside from himself, no one had seen mr. zhuang.


    even mo hua''s parents, mo shan and liu ruhua, only knew mr. zhuang''s name but had never met him, much less knew what he looked like.


    but instructor yan was different.


    mo hua always thought that instructor yan''s mastery of formations was extraordinary.


    but that was because he was once a disciple of tongxian gate, had received guidance in formations from instructor yan and felt grateful in his heart.


    in truth, instructor yan was just a qi refining cultivator, not even a first rank formation master.


    such mastery of formations was considered profound in a small immortal city like tongxian city.


    but in mr. zhuang''s eyes, it was probably negligible.


    based solely on formation expertise, it was unlikely that instructor yan could have become acquainted with mr. zhuang.


    and it was even less likely that he recommended him as a named disciple to mr. zhuang.


    now, it seemed mr. zhuang knew about the ultimate formation causality that instructor yan carried, which was why he regarded him differently.


    and it was due to this fortunate coincidence that mo hua became a disciple of mr. zhuang.


    unable to help himself, mo hua asked, "master, is the spiritual pivot formation really that powerful?"


    mr. zhuang nodded,


    "every ultimate formation has its unique, extraordinary effects, inheriting some laws of spiritual power that are unusual and close to the tao."


    "the reversed spirit formation is like that, the thick earth formation is like that, the spiritual pivot formation is equally so."


    "the reversed spirit formation signifies annihilation, the thick earth formation signifies birth, whereas the focus of the spiritual pivot formation lies in the word ''pivot''."


    "those who understand the spiritual pivot are the central hub of spiritual power, involving the essential structure of spiritual power..."


    mr. zhuang wanted to say more but suddenly stopped.


    mo hua, still eager to hear more, promptly asked,


    "master, why have you stopped speaking?"


    mr. zhuang smiled, "the rest will be for you to comprehend on your own if you can obtain this formation diagram. if you can''t obtain it, then speaking would be in vain."


    mo hua grumbled inwardly, "master is being secretive again..."


    having finished speaking, he was startled, and upon looking up, he indeed saw mr. zhuang looking at him with a smile that wasn''t quite a smile.


    mo hua gave an awkward laugh.


    it was over, he had grumbled about his master, and again he had found out.


    mr. zhuang shook his head with an indulgent look but said nothing.


    mo hua then asked, "master, does this spiritual pivot formation chart have a history? and what is the heritage of instructor yan''s sect?"


    mr. zhuang pondered for a moment before slowly saying,


    "instructor yan''s sect is called the minor hidden spirit sect."


    "the origins of the minor hidden spirit sect lie with the formation sect that had declined a thousand years ago, the great hidden spirit sect."


    "a thousand years ago, the great hidden spirit sect was destroyed, and the sect disciples scattered, their teachings disseminated across the land."


    "they did not wish for the sect''s name to be lost, yet dared not arrogate the title ''great hidden spirit,'' thus they changed one word, calling it the ''minor hidden spirit sect.''"


    mr. zhuang looked at mo hua, then added,


    "apart from the ''minor hidden spirit sect,'' other sects that appear dilapidated with ''hidden spirit'' in their names, like little hidden spirit mountain, hidden spirit gate, hidden spirit valley, and so on, could all be associated with the ''great hidden spirit sect.''"


    "if by chance you encounter them, it might be worthwhile to pay a visit, to form ties, and see if there are any lingering teachings."


    mo hua nodded, committing the words ''hidden spirit'' to memory.


    mr. zhuang sighed softly before continuing,


    "the initial reason i was willing to meet instructor yan was actually to have a look at the hidden spirit sect''s spiritual pivot formation chart."


    "unfortunately, the minor hidden spirit sect fell into ruin, and the formation was stolen and lost."


    "although i did not see the formation chart, instructor yan is upright in nature, and in dissemination of teachings, he does not withhold secrets, very much in the spirit of the formation masters of the old great hidden spirit sect."


    "i took a liking to him, and that is why i agreed to allow him to visit should he need to..."


    after mr. zhuang finished speaking, he silently reflected while gazing at the clear-eyed mo hua:


    "who knew that upon his next visit, he would bring me a disciple with astonishing talent and cleverness..."


    mo hua, unaware of mr. zhuang''s thoughts, knitted his brows in thought before asking,


    "was there a specific incident that led to the downfall of the minor hidden spirit sect?"


    mr. zhuang said, "since you know of the spiritual pivot formation chart, you should have also heard about the destruction of the minor hidden spirit sect."


    "hmm," mo hua nodded, "it is said there was a traitor who killed his master and ancestors and stole the formation diagram."


    mo hua felt somewhat angry.


    instructor yan was kind, diligent in his duties, earnest in teaching, responsible, a good instructor.


    his master, therefore, must have also been a good formation master and a good master who valued the transmission of formations.


    that such people were killed by a disciple with the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog.


    and that disciple even stole the formation chart that protected the sect, causing a decent sect to fall apart and disperse...


    mr. zhuang lamented, "human nature is greedy, forgetting righteousness at the sight of benefit. this world has many cultivators like that..."


    "don''t assume that all cultivators are like those in tongxian city, where the customs are simple and loose cultivators help one another."


    "among cultivators, there are good people, bad people, and those who vacillate between kindness and malice when faced with choices of interest."


    "the path of tao cultivation is unpredictable, human hearts treacherous and inscrutable."


    "you must guard not only against wicked people, but also against good people who may turn wicked in the face of temptation..."


    mr. zhuang patiently continued his earnest instruction.


    mo hua nodded vigorously as he listened,


    "master, i understand. i will be good to those who are good to me; and i will not be good to those who are not good to me."


    hearing his somewhat childish words, mr. zhuang couldn''t help but laugh, then asked,


    "what if, those who are good to you are bad people, and those who are bad to you are good people?"


    "as long as i don''t do bad things, then those who are bad to me are naturally bad people, and those who are good to me are naturally good people."


    mo hua declared with a clear voice.


    mr. zhuang nodded with a smile,


    "indeed, that''s the principle."


    mo hua also smiled.


    mr. zhuang then continued, "since you''ve brought up this matter, do you have any leads on it?"


    mo hua nodded, "before departing, i went to find manager mo..."


    "he too is from the minor hidden spirit sect, considered a junior brother to instructor yan."


    "he told me, instructor yan has gone to the minor wilderness state boundary, south yue city, presumably to find that traitorous disciple of the sect."


    "and in the hands of that traitor supposedly lies the hidden spirit sect''s secret transmission, a first-grade twelve-patterned, spiritual pivot formation chart!"

 Chapter 410: Journey (1)

    minor wilderness state boundary, south yue city, instructor yan, traitor, spiritual pivot formation¡­mo hua briefly organized his thoughts and then glanced again at mr. zhuang, asking softly,


    "master, is south yue city on our way?"


    he had been wanting to ask this before.


    instructor yan had the kindness of enlightening him and providing him with opportunities.


    to repay kindness with great generosity is only proper.


    mo hua wanted to find instructor yan to see if there was anything he could help with.


    he also had a bit of a selfish motive, wanting to see what a first-grade twelve stripe spiritual pivot formation was really like.


    whether he was capable of learning it, whether he could master it, and ultimately, whether he could use it to refine his divine sense to reach the realm of thirteen stripes.


    but he didn''t know where the sect mr. zhuang intended to visit was located, and whether it was on the way.


    if it wasn''t on the way, he couldn''t just take the liberty to change mr. zhuang''s plans.


    mr. zhuang shook his head, "no, it''s not on our way."


    "i see¡­" mo hua felt a bit disappointed.


    "but we can take a detour," mr. zhuang added.


    mo hua was slightly stunned, "won''t that delay our journey?"


    "not at all," mr. zhuang said with a smile. "as long as you can learn the formation, it won''t be a waste of time."


    mo hua felt warm inside.


    after mr. zhuang had spoken, he sighed slightly,


    "moreover, i too want to see what is so special about the spiritual pivot formation passed down by the great hidden spirit sect from those days."


    "hmm," mo hua nodded.


    now he was reassured, but at the same time, he felt a bit puzzled.


    he always had the feeling that mr. zhuang''s journey out into the world seemed to be for the purpose of teaching him formation techniques¡­


    mo hua furrowed his brow.


    this doubt had plagued him for a while.


    along the way, mr. zhuang was unhurried, claiming to be heading to a certain sect, yet he didn''t seem particularly urgent about it.


    instead, he spent the journey teaching him how to perform calculation, how to derive, how to find ultimate formations, and how to comprehend them¡­


    moreover, even upon reaching the destinations, it was also for the purpose of having him learn formations.


    what about himself, then?


    what exactly did his master wish to do?


    mo hua stealthily sneaked a glance at mr. zhuang.


    mr. zhuang''s expression was serene and detached, inscrutably profound, revealing nothing.


    "who knows what master is thinking about¡­" mo hua muttered to himself.


    if his master had any wishes,


    maybe he could help fulfill them once his own cultivation was high enough.


    it''s just that he didn''t know when that day would come¡­


    after all, he was still but a small cultivator in the qi-refining realm.


    mo hua let out a slight sigh.


    at that moment, mr. zhuang was unaware of the little thoughts running through mo hua''s mind. instead, he spoke to old kui, who was driving the carriage,


    "take a detour, to south yue city."


    old kui pulled on the reins, and big white neighed, its hooves striking the ground as it turned its head, taking another path that led to the road towards the minor wilderness state boundary¡­


    the minor wilderness state boundary was also the second-grade prefecture border of li state.


    the heavenly dao formation beneath restricted the highest level of cultivation one could use to foundation establishment.


    li state was ruled by the element of fire, and was filled with intense fire energy.


    tongxian city to the north had a slightly better climate, with mountains and rivers, lush vegetation¡ªyet most of the year was quite hot, especially the spring and summer, which were particularly sweltering.


    however, the minor wilderness state boundary was located to the east of li state, in a southern position, and the climate was even drier.


    along the way, there were grass and trees, but less in number, mostly in shades of brown and not growing densely.


    cultivators live off the mountains and the waters.


    the few immortal cities en route mostly lived by monster hunting, and the next largest group was the mining cultivators.


    the so-called mining cultivators were those who mined for a living.


    locally, they had other names, such as "stone mason," "stone worker," "miner," and "mine laborer," among others.


    cultivators of different regions had different customs and expressions.


    among these mining cultivators, there were some who mined spiritual mines, but they were rare.


    the spiritual mines of the minor wilderness state boundary were either under the control of the taoist court or occupied by some large clans and sects.


    spiritual mines were extremely important, usually mined by practitioners from one''s own faction, rarely assigned to these external loose cultivators.


    what these mining cultivators extracted were mines containing copper and iron.


    copper and iron from the cultivation world were incredibly tough and required body refinement cultivators, expending great effort to excavate.


    the mined copper and iron were used for artifact refining, construction, alchemy, and other industries.


    even the formation pen used by formation masters and spiritual ink occasionally contained a bit of copper or iron powder.


    the minor wilderness state boundary wasn''t rich in other resources, but it had plenty of mines.


    therefore, local loose cultivators lived by selling their labor, excavating mines for sustenance.


    in the many trades of tao cultivation, though it was never explicitly stated, mining cultivators also belonged to the bottom "vile trades" and were taken up only by impoverished loose cultivators.


    mining was not simple; it had its own special techniques.


    mo hua, on the road, only glanced at them from afar, so he did not have a clear understanding.


    but in general, the minor wilderness state boundary was indeed as desolate as its name implied.


    due to the desolation, there were more bandits on the road.


    it wasn''t long after setting out that the carriage would be stopped by some bandits.


    these bandits didn''t spout nonsense like "this mountain was opened by me, and this tree was planted by me, to pass from here leave some toll money."


    the mountains were excavated by the mining cultivators, and the desolate mountains had no trees to plant.


    instead, they got straight to the point by saying things like,


    "hand over your spirit stones," "leave behind the carriage and horses," "and you can keep your lives," and such.


    in these situations, mo hua generally treated them differently.


    that''s because the composition of the bandits was also very complex.


    some were genuinely poor, their families couldn''t make ends meet, their wives and children were on the brink of starvation, and they had no choice but to cover their faces, arm themselves with knives, and rob passersby.


    mo hua thought that this wasn''t right, but given that they were driven by necessity, he wouldn''t blame them harshly.


    and these people knew how to behave themselves.


    although they talked tough, most could be dismissed with just a few spirit stones.


    often just a moment ago, they would be shouting, "hand over the spirit stones, and we''ll spare your lives!" or similar harsh threats.


    once mo hua gave them a few spirit stones, they would become extremely polite.


    some, probably desperate to their limits and having not earned spirit stones in a long time, would even kneel and kowtow non-stop, repeating:


    "thank you, thank you, young brother!"


    these cultivators didn''t ask for much, just a few spirit stones to buy some coarse grains and bran, enough to feed a family for half a month.


    they weren''t greedy; a few spirit stones relieved them of their burden, and they would leave.


    watching this, mo hua felt both amused and a bit sad.


    some cultivators were just lazy and fond of pleasure, intending to rob homes to make a fortune.


    after mo hua gave them a few spirit stones, they would still be unsatisfied.


    that''s when mo hua would stop being polite.


    with a fireball technique for each, he would knock them all down, letting them lie on the ground for a good "reflection."


    such laziness always accompanied the neglect of cultivation.


    therefore, these kinds of bandits generally didn''t have high cultivation.


    used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong, their martial arts and spells were both terribly lousy.


    none of them were a match for mo hua.


    of course, there were also some "tough cookies."


    these were considered local "habitual bandits," organized but not strong, having rules but not strict.


    they simply had many people, each with a vicious and greedy nature.


    they relied on their numbers and, seeing mo hua as a little cultivator, would demand an exorbitant ransom.


    after mo hua gave them spirit stones, they still thought it not enough.


    they wanted mo hua and his companions to leave behind their horses and carriages.


    the more outrageous thing was, they inadvertently caught sight of bai zixi and blurted out:


    "the little girl stays!"


    the other few bandits also looked on with drooling faces, "this little girl looks good, probably worth a lot of spirit stones if sold in the city."


    "at least a few hundred..."


    "worthless scum, she''s worth thousands!"


    mo hua got angry.


    how dare they target his little martial sister?


    bai zisheng got even angrier.


    he didn''t waste words, directly drawing his long spear, his pale golden spiritual power stirring as he moved like a phantom, easily penetrating the thighs of the bandits before him, forcing them to kneel.


    then he sheathed his spear and started beating them with his fists.


    from drawing his spear to throwing his punches, it all happened in the blink of an eye.


    the bandits were in an uproar, which then turned into rage:


    "what an arrogant brat!"


    "let''s get him together!"


    "take them down!"


    "sell them to the slavers!"


    ...


    the other bandits also rushed together.


    some circled bai zisheng, while others charged at mo hua.


    bai zisheng remained calm, his spiritual power surging, his fist strikes formidable, fighting in all directions.


    as a descendant of a noble clan, at the peak of the qi refining ninth level, with supreme martial arts and spells, and often sparring with mo hua, he had little trouble dealing with these ragtag bandits.


    though there were many bandits, they fought each individually, without coordination or strategy, and gradually, they were defeated one by one.


    some came at mo hua as well.


    mo hua, riding on big white, flicked his fingers, and fireball techniques flew out one after another, knocking down all the bandits who approached.


    there wasn''t any bandit that a single fireball technique couldn''t solve.


    if it didn''t work, then another was on its way!


    only one fish slipped through the net, managing to get within ten feet of mo hua in the gap between fireball techniques.


    but before he could act, big white kicked out and sent him flying. s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the bandit was kicked like a sandbag, smashing into the mountain wall, and then falling to the ground with his bones shattered to pieces.


    big white nuzzled mo hua with its head as if to take credit.


    mo hua embraced big white''s neck with a hand, smiling:


    "today we''ll grab some extra grass to treat you!"


    big white gave a contented "whinny" in response.


    in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the group of bandits had been utterly defeated, all lying on the ground moaning in pain.


    a few who tried to run were fixed in place by mo hua''s water prison technique, then caught up with by bai zisheng, who impaled each one with his spear.


    bai zisheng was still unsatisfied, "dare to covet my sister?"


    he then beat up several leaders of the bandits once more.


    mo hua thought about it and decided he should exercise his muscles as well, so he drew out the thousand jun stick and joined in on the beating.


    though they weren''t beaten to death, they were nearly there.


    after the beating, bai zisheng, seeing their pitiful state, wondered:


    "isn''t this a bit too excessive?"


    mo hua shook his head, "it''s not excessive for such scum."


    bai zisheng nodded, "true."


    mo hua raised his pinky finger, concluding:


    "speaking on a smaller scale, this is called ''punishing evil and promoting good, acting courageously for justice''; speaking on a larger scale, this is contributing to the stability of the minor wilderness state boundary..."


    bai zisheng exclaimed in shock,


    "mo hua, you sure can blather on. with your gift of gab, if you ever enter the taoist court, you''re sure to do well."


    he''d beaten a group of bandits out of personal grudge, yet could spin it so righteously.


    mo hua wasn''t pleased, "i''m being honest. i''ve always told the truth..."


    "we''re fellow sect members, who are you trying to fool?"


    ...


    bai zixi watched the two bickering with a gentle smile floating in her autumn-water-like eyes.

 Chapter 411: South Yue City (1)

    ```and so, we continued our journey, drawing formations as we went, beating up bandits, and feeding big white. along the way, we took in the local customs and practices.


    several months later, mo hua and his companions finally arrived at south yue city.


    south yue city was larger than tongxian city.


    standing on a mountain peak outside of south yue city, mo hua gazed into the distance and roughly estimated that south yue city was about twice the size of tongxian city.


    the city walls were taller but looked somewhat shabbier.


    the formations on them weren''t particularly sophisticated either.


    of course, that was from mo hua''s perspective.


    the city walls were old and weather-beaten, showing signs of cracking and discoloration.


    before entering the city, each person had to pay an entry fee of one spirit stone.


    not all immortal cities charged an entry fee.


    tongxian city didn''t.


    and almost half of the cities they passed through on their way didn''t either.


    even for those that did charge a fee, it wasn''t normally this much.


    one spirit stone was not a small sum for the average loose cultivator.


    not to mention, the minor wilderness state boundary seemed even poorer than other places.


    mr. zhuang, old kui, plus the three young disciples¡ªa total of five people in their group.


    mo hua paid five spirit stones.


    the gate guards accepted the spirit stones and allowed them to pass.


    they didn''t dare to trouble mo hua.


    that''s because he had the tall and imposing big white standing beside him.


    a cultivator who could afford to use such a spirit horse and ride in such a carriage was not someone they could afford to offend.


    mo hua and the others then passed through the city gates and entered south yue city.


    inside south yue city, the streets were even wider.


    but the stone bricks on the ground were pitted and eroded by the wind, and there was a lot of dust. the cultivators coming and going mostly wore simple clothing, and their faces showed signs of hardship.


    "master, where shall we go?"


    mo hua asked while sitting atop big white.


    "let''s find an inn to settle down first."


    "okay."


    mo hua asked a few cultivators for directions and then followed the streets, turning left and right until they arrived at a street corner.


    there was an inn at the corner. it had a weathered signboard hanging above, inscribed with the four characters "nanyue inn."


    nanyue was just one character different from the city''s name, south yue.


    this inn was neither luxurious nor crowded, but it looked neat and clean.


    mo hua and his group decided to stay at the nanyue inn.


    they checked in, and the attendant served them tea.


    mo hua then said to the attendant:


    "could you feed big white for me?"


    "sure thing!"


    the attendant called out and then asked, "young man, what kind of fodder would you like to use?"


    "is there a difference between the fodders?" mo hua asked.


    "yes, there''s ordinary, superior, and top-quality fodder. the prices and qualities differ, but they''re definitely worth the cost," explained the attendant with articulate clarity.


    after inquiring about the price and finding that even the top-quality fodder was affordable, mo hua generously said,


    "feed him the best one!"


    the minor wilderness state boundary was somewhat barren, and they hadn''t found much good fodder during the journey. big white hadn''t eaten well and had gotten thinner.


    although he still looked big and strong, mo hua knew that big white had definitely lost weight.


    "you got it!"


    the attendant cheerfully went to fetch the fodder.


    mo hua then went over to caress big white, "wait for the good food, make sure you eat plenty!"


    big white nodded his head and affectionately licked mo hua''s face with his tongue.


    mo hua smiled back.


    after making sure big white had something nice to eat, he also went for a meal.


    the inn provided food and drink.


    mr. zhuang and the others had already taken their seats.


    bai zisheng looked at mo hua with a mix of envy and curiosity, asking,


    "why is big white so affectionate with you?"


    mo hua said with conviction, "because i feed him!" sear?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    bai zisheng shook his head, "that''s not it."


    it wasn''t like big white was willing to eat from just anyone. at least, when he tried to feed him, big white seemed to despise it a bit.


    mo hua asked, "is it because the food you feed him is too bad, and that''s why big white despises you?"


    bai zisheng frowned, "isn''t it all just grass? what''s the difference?"


    "of course, there''s a difference. some grass tastes good, and some taste bad," replied mo hua.


    bai zisheng frowned, "i''m not a horse, how would i know which grass tastes good and which tastes bad?"


    he then looked at mo hua in shock, "you didn''t taste it yourself before feeding it to big white, did you?"


    mo hua looked at bai zisheng with a touch of disdain, "i''m not you, why would i be so silly?"


    "i''m your senior brother, and you''re calling me silly?"


    "who said a senior brother can''t be silly?"


    ...


    the two of them chatted back and forth, whispering and muttering.


    bai zisheng was still puzzled and couldn''t help but ask again:


    "how exactly do you know which grass tastes good and which tastes bad?"


    mo hua thought for a moment, then whispered:


    "i''m only telling you because you''re my senior brother¡­"


    ```


    "mmm!" bai zisheng nodded repeatedly.


    mo hua then offered some pointers:


    "there''s a knack to pulling up grass."


    "the grass on the ground, when you look at it with your eyes, mostly looks the same color..."


    "but when you use divine sense, the ''complexion'' of each blade of grass is different."


    "some grasses are pale blue, rich in spiritual energy; some are tender green, indicating they are fresh; some are dark green, signifying they are somewhat old; some are red, indicating they are somewhat evil; and yet others are purple or even black, which means they are poisonous..."


    "when feeding big white, you need to pull up the fresh grass. even the dark green ones can''t be too old, and of course, it would be best if you can pull up grasses containing spiritual energy..."


    following that, mo hua gave bai zisheng an indifferent glance:


    "the grass you pulled up may look the same, but the aura is red and green, some even poisonous. it''s a wonder big white doesn''t mind you..."


    bai zisheng''s eyes were opened to a whole new world.


    pulling grass can actually reveal so much knowledge.


    "how do you know all this?" bai zisheng couldn''t help asking.


    mo hua looked puzzled, "how else to know? just look with the eyes, sweep with divine sense, and you''ll know, right?"


    bai zisheng''s expression was complicated.


    okay then, his little junior brother had tricked him again...


    but then, his brows furrowed again.


    is it really so?


    he seemed to have also swept with divine sense and had never seen the colorful aura mo hua described...


    could it be that his divine sense was not strong enough?


    bai zisheng was grappling with the intricacies of pulling grass on one side.


    meanwhile, mo hua was blissfully enjoying his meal on the other side.


    after being busy for half the day, he was very hungry.


    as he ate, mo hua suddenly remembered something and asked mr. zhuang:


    "master, may i go look for instructor yan?"


    mr. zhuang took a sip of his wine, nodding, "you may."


    having said that, he instructed, "zisheng and zixi, accompany him."


    "mm," mo hua nodded.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi both nodded and said, "yes, master."


    after everyone finished eating, mr. zhuang rested at the inn while old kui attended to the carriage.


    mo hua, together with bai zisheng and bai zixi, took a stroll in south yue city to see if they could find instructor yan.


    mo hua started from the perspective of a formation master.


    instructor yan was a formation master, and if he had come to south yue city, he would likely have interactions with other formation masters.


    mo hua asked the inn''s servant and got directions to the residences of several famous formation masters in south yue city.


    some of them were first-grade formation masters who had passed the assessment.


    others were capable of drawing formation of a first grade nine pattern formation but had not crossed the threshold and had not been assessed, so they were considered "pseudo first-grade" formation masters.


    mo hua noted down the residences of these people and drew a line on the map of south yue city, planning to visit them one by one.


    the threshold to become a formation master is high.


    not just in terms of talent, but even the literal threshold in front of their residences is formidable.


    at least three junior cultivators like mo hua could not cross it.


    despite looking exceptional, he was indeed too young and appeared too tender.


    the doorkeepers stopped them from entering, but they were still polite, simply saying:


    "the gentleman is receiving important guests and cannot be disturbed at this time."


    mo hua then asked, "when will he be finished receiving guests?"


    "that, well, is hard to say¡­" the doorkeeper hesitated.


    after all, there were so many lining up to see their master, and it would take more than a month to get through them all.


    moreover, whether the master had the time to see these three junior cultivators was not certain.


    he thought that mo hua and the others had come to apply as disciples.


    this was a common occurrence.


    the doorkeeper then tactfully said, "three young friends, please return for now."


    having no other option, mo hua took out the heaven shu ring to declare his genuine identity as a "first-grade formation master."


    the moment mo hua produced the heaven shu ring, he could clearly feel the doorkeeper trembling all over, and even his voice shook:


    "you, you... this..."


    he was somewhat at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.


    how could there be a first-grade formation master who was only about ten years old?


    the doorkeeper thought it was fake, but he didn''t dare to bet on it.


    he too was a formation apprentice, someone learning about formations.


    if it were fake, stopping them would be fine.


    but if by chance it was real, he would have truly offended a first-grade formation master, and he really would have to pack up his belongings and leave...


    moreover, even if it was a counterfeit, to know to use a "heaven shu ring" as a fake meant the identity was not ordinary; at least they were "insiders."


    the doorkeeper then respectfully said:


    "young brother, please wait a moment, i will go and report this."


    it didn''t take the time of one cup of tea for a formation master, dressed lavishly with half-white hair and beard, looking like the owner of the residence, to come out, smiling and saying:


    "may i know which young friend here is a first-grade formation master?"


    mo hua showed him the heaven shu ring again.


    the formation master glanced at the diminutive mo hua, then at the heaven shu ring that was one size too large for his thumb, then again at mo hua, and once more at the heaven shu ring...


    he was clearly at a loss for a moment...


    after the doorkeeper told him there was a visiting first-grade formation master of minor age, he naturally didn''t believe it at first.


    now, even though he saw the heaven shu ring with his own eyes, he remained skeptical.


    it was only after he invited mo hua inside and personally saw mo hua effortlessly draw a first-grade formation, and after exchanging a few words about formation knowledge, that he was utterly convinced.


    his attitude towards mo hua then became exceedingly polite, even carrying a measure of respect.


    there is no seniority among scholars¡ªthe learned are accorded respect.


    this little gentleman truly possessed the knowledge of a first-grade formation master.

 Chapter 412: Old Friend (1)

    mo hua and several others were invited into the living room, where disciples served fresh fruit and tea enveloped in spiritual energy.the formation master introduced himself:


    "my surname is su, a first-rank formation master, and i have the honor to be an elder of south yue sect. may i ask the young master''s name...?"


    mo hua replied, "my surname is mo, also a first-rank formation master, but no one has invited me to become an elder yet..."


    the formation master smiled, "young master mo speaks with quite a sense of humor."


    with exceptional talents, mo hua was neither arrogant nor haughty. he spoke with an innocent tone and a charming, affectionate smile. the elder thus let down his guard, leisurely sipping his tea before inquiring:


    "may i ask what brings the young master here?"


    mo hua then said, "master su..."


    "please, no need for formalities, just call me elder su..."


    elder su hastily gestured with his hands.


    as a fellow first-rank formation master, he was too modest to let anyone address him as "master."


    mo hua nodded and asked:


    "elder su, do you know of a formation master surnamed yan with a half-step first rank cultivation or perhaps already at the first rank?"


    elder su was taken aback for a moment, stroking his beard as he murmured:


    "surname yan..."


    after pondering for a long time, he shook his head and finally said:


    "i truly do not know of anyone."


    "the city of south yue is both big and small, especially when it comes to the circle of formation masters. anyone with some level of skill is bound to have crossed paths with others, more or less."


    "a formation master surnamed yan... there are a few in south yue city, but half-step first rank or already at first rank... i have not heard of any such person."


    mo hua felt somewhat disappointed and added:


    "he is from outside."


    elder su pondered:


    "if he''s an external formation master who stayed here a while and interacted with others, then i should''ve heard of him."


    "if i haven''t heard of him, it''s possible he only stayed here briefly before leaving..."


    "of course, if this formation master secluded himself upon arriving here and did not mingle with other formation masters, then it''s normal that i haven''t heard of him..."


    mo hua slowly nodded his head.


    since instructor yan was on a quest to find a renegade from his sect, it was plausible for him to seclude himself and hide his traces after arriving here to avoid startling the quarry.


    elder su hesitated for a moment before asking:


    "may i ask what is the relation between you and mr. yan?"


    after asking, he added with an apologetic tone, "of course, if it''s inconvenient to disclose, please pretend i did not ask."


    "mr. yan is something of a predecessor and mentor to me. since i happened to be passing by, i thought to pay him a visit,"


    mo hua provided just a brief explanation.


    elder su understood.


    visiting one''s mentor was a natural human sentiment.


    he then expressed regret, "it''s a pity that i have never met this formation master and can''t be of help to you, young master."


    mo hua politely responded:


    "you are too kind, elder su. we apologize for the intrusion."


    since he couldn''t find out any news about instructor yan, mo hua stood up to take his leave, intending to inquire with other formation masters.


    elder su paused to think, then had a disciple fetch a name card, which he handed to mo hua, and said:


    "this is my name card..."


    "when visiting other formation masters, without showing the heaven shu ring, it may be difficult to gain entrance."


    "however, the heaven shu ring is valuable and not only draws attention but may also invite envy, so it''s best not to reveal it lightly."


    "having this name card will make it much more convenient."


    mo hua took the name card, noticing the elder su''s elegant and dignified signature, with golden specks on the ink and also bearing the emblem of south yue sect.


    it looked both precious and reputable.


    "thank you so much, elder su!" mo hua expressed his gratitude.


    elder su replied with a smile, "if young master has some free time while staying in south yue city, please feel free to visit my humble abode for tea and discussion on formation theory."


    mo hua thanked him again, yet hesitated, saying:


    "won''t i disturb your entertaining of guests?"


    elder su, being a formation master and an elder, would surely be busy with a host of guests.


    elder su shook his head, "not at all. whenever you come, young master, you will be an honored guest."


    mo hua then smiled, "thank you for your kind offer, elder su. i will definitely make time if i can."


    afterward, elder su personally escorted mo hua to the door.


    only after watching mo hua walk away did elder su stroke his beard and mutter to himself:


    "seen a ghost i have, where does this junior formation master hail from? so young, surely he couldn''t have been learning formation from the womb, and yet, that doesn''t seem right either..."


    the disciple who had been by elder su''s side asked softly:


    "master, could he be an imposter?"


    "impossible," elder su shook his head:


    "formation skill doesn''t lie. if it''s genuine, it''s genuine, if not, it''s not. the moment he began drawing formation, i knew for certain that he must be a first-rank formation master!"


    the disciple felt a twinge of jealousy, "even if he''s a first-rank formation master, he''s still young. weren''t you a bit too courteous to him?"


    "what do you know?"


    elder su glared at the disciple.


    the disciple didn''t dare say another word.


    elder su knitted his brows in thought for a while before slowly saying:


    "this young gentleman... i cannot see through him."


    "not only him, but i also cannot see through the two young cultivators accompanying him, distinguished in appearance and temperament..."


    "they seem like mere qi refinement cultivators, yet divine sense reveals nothing..."


    "i remain at foundation establishment, yet cannot see through qi refinement..."


    "this suggests that they must be wearing some kind of spiritual artifact to conceal their aura."


    "such spiritual artifacts cannot possibly be owned by cultivators of ordinary status and background."


    the disciple became solemn inwardly, "could these three young cultivators be of no small origin?"


    elder su nodded, then shook his head, and suddenly looking perturbed, said to the disciple:


    "why do you care so much? just focus on learning your formation!"


    "if you put even half that amount of attention into formation, you wouldn''t still be just an apprentice."


    "of all the disciples i''ve taken, you''re the most blockheaded."


    ```


    "if it weren''t for your mother''s face, i would have told you to get lost a long time ago."


    "look at others, already a top-grade formation master at barely over ten years old. now look at you, even if you live to be a hundred, you might still not amount to much..."


    ...


    elder su gave the disciple a severe scolding.


    the disciple left sullenly, quickly saying:


    "i know my mistake, i will go and work on drawing formations right away."


    then, he ran off hastily, though his expression did not show much panic.


    seeing this, elder su sighed helplessly:


    "back in my day, why couldn''t i control myself and avoid getting involved in such a romantic mess?"


    ...


    after leaving elder su''s residence, bai zisheng asked:


    "shall we visit the other formation masters as well?"


    "hmm," mo hua nodded, "though it''s highly likely we won''t find any clues, we should still make the trip, at least to become acquainted."


    being strangers in south yue city, it was good for them to get to know more cultivators.


    moreover, these cultivators were all formation masters.


    local formation masters generally held prestigious positions.


    building some rapport could be beneficial in the event of conflicts.


    without any connections, the likelihood of resorting to physical confrontations in disputes was high.


    with connections, even if it''s just a nodding acquaintance, negotiations tended to be easier.


    this was something he had learned from master luo.


    master luo was highly successful in tongxian city, navigating among the formation masters with ease. taking his advice was always the right decision.


    bai zisheng nodded.


    afterward, several of them, holding elder su''s name card, visited all the influential formation masters of south yue city one by one.


    they both inquired about instructor yan''s whereabouts and took the opportunity to socialize.


    elder su was a foundation building cultivator, a top-grade formation master, and an elder of south yue sect, apparently even from the inner gate.


    his name card proved to be extremely useful.


    mo hua easily visited the residences of all the formation masters in south yue city.


    everyone was mostly polite and amiable.


    with the name card, mo hua did not need to reveal his status as a top-grade formation master, as it wasn''t necessary.


    elder su''s status was more than sufficient.


    even if some formation masters were initially arrogant, after a few conversations and discussions about formations, they became amicable.


    when formation masters interact with each other, communication is easier.


    especially when discussing formations, it quickly becomes apparent who is knowledgeable based merely on a few comments. sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua''s youth and knowledge of formations impressed them.


    mo hua spent a whole day asking around and managed to make himself known.


    as the saying goes, a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake.


    initially a mere "crossing river dragon," mo hua, after mixing in the social circles, had practically become a "local snake" in the formation community of south yue city.


    walking the streets of south yue city, mo hua carried himself even more upright.


    bai zisheng didn''t quite understand.


    he had seen with his own eyes; all formation masters, no matter how arrogant at first, ended up treating mo hua cordially in the end.


    it seemed that they were quite willing to give face to mo hua.


    was this popularity simply too good to be true?


    or was it because mo hua was a formation master?


    but mo hua hadn''t said that he was a top-grade formation master. he had only mentioned he knew "a little" about formations...


    bai zisheng couldn''t grasp it.


    mo hua was unaware of what bai zisheng was thinking.


    he was still concerned about instructor yan''s whereabouts.


    as expected, none of the formation masters he inquired about knew where instructor yan was, some haven''t even heard of the man...


    mo hua couldn''t help frowning.


    where on earth had instructor yan gone?


    was he still in south yue city at all?


    ...


    upon returning, mo hua reported everything to mr. zhuang.


    mr. zhuang was not surprised, as if he had anticipated this, and simply nodded slightly.


    "master, shall we continue our search?" mo hua asked.


    he didn''t want to waste mr. zhuang''s time.


    "let''s continue searching," mr. zhuang said, "give it a few more days."


    "all right."


    ...


    in the following days, apart from his daily cultivation routine and working on formation painting, mo hua, along with bai zisheng and bai zixi, wandered the streets and alleys of south yue city, sightseeing while inquiring about instructor yan''s whereabouts.


    after five or six days, they still hadn''t turned up any leads.


    while they hadn''t found instructor yan, mo hua did bump into other acquaintances.


    one day, as mo hua was walking through the city, he saw a group of people in a dispute, among them a pretty female cultivator who looked somewhat familiar.


    mo hua couldn''t help but take a few extra glances.


    bai zixi curiously watched him.


    mo hua blinked his eyes and suddenly remembered, his eyes lighting up as he waved and called out:


    "sister situ!"


    the woman was situ fang.


    years ago, outside of tongxian city at big black mountain, she and zhang lan were apprehending evil cultivators when they came across mo hua.


    mo hua helped them find their way to the evil cultivators, and even modestly assisted them in subduing the evil cultivators, even going as far as to break one of their legs.


    mo hua remembered that situ fang had treated him well. afterwards, she and zhang lan had even treated him to a meal at the spiritual meal building.


    an entire table full of dishes!


    situ fang, dressed in a black taoist court uniform, was startled by the call, turned around and saw a young cultivator with rosy lips and white teeth waving at her, calling her "sister" with a ringing voice.


    situ fang was puzzled for a moment before recognition dawned, and her mouth fell open:


    "mo... mo hua?!"


    ```

 Chapter 413: Disappearance (1)

    situ fang saw mo hua and was full of surprise.after explaining a few words to the arguing cultivators, she managed to get away and led mo hua and the others to a quiet teahouse by the road. they ordered a few cups of green tea, some dried fruits, and pastries.


    curious, mo hua asked:


    "sister situ, are you the supervisor for south yue city?"


    situ fang being a supervisor wasn¡¯t surprising to mo hua.


    she wore the official robes of a supervisor and her cultivation was not weak. plus, coming from a clan background, it was natural for her to hold the position of supervisor at the local taoist court.


    what puzzled mo hua was why she would be the supervisor of south yue city.


    south yue city was quite far from tongxian city. if she was the supervisor of south yue city, why would she have gone all the way to tongxian city to capture evil cultivators?


    situ fang sighed and said, "clan training, we have to take turns serving everywhere."


    "oh," mo hua understood.


    the practices of the situ family seemed quite good, knowing to send disciples out to various places to serve and hone their skills.


    and it looked like this kind of training was rather exhausting.


    even the idle zhang lan ended up busy as can be with one incident after another, what with the black mountain stronghold and the big demon and all.


    "what about you?" situ fang also asked, "what brings you here?"


    she looked around and then asked, "did zhang lan come with you as well?"


    mo hua shook his head and laughed,


    "uncle zhang didn¡¯t come. i¡¯m traveling with my master, and we just happened to pass by here. i wanted to visit an elder, and it just so happened that i ran into you."


    "master, traveling?"


    situ fang was slightly startled.


    she remembered zhang lan briefly mentioning that mo hua was good at drawing formations and had a mysterious and profound master.


    she then glanced at bai zisheng and bai zixi.


    both had extraordinary appearances and an otherworldly aura; they clearly looked like disciples of a remarkable person.


    especially bai zixi, situ fang couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances, somewhat astounded by her beauty:


    "this is your junior sister, isn¡¯t it? she¡¯s truly beautiful..."


    "mhm!" mo hua nodded, but inwardly thought to himself: s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "you haven¡¯t even seen her at her prettiest..."


    bai zixi also smiled lightly and said, "sister also looks very beautiful..."


    beautiful in appearance, pleasant to listen to, nice to talk to.


    situ fang grinned from ear to ear.


    a moment later, she asked again:


    "what about zhang lan, is he still in tongxian city?"


    "he should have returned to his clan."


    "he reached the foundation establishment."


    "mhm."


    situ fang nodded and then suddenly asked:


    "i heard that you all in tongxian city killed a big demon, is that true?"


    mo hua quickly nodded, "yes!"


    "the large formation was drawn by me, and in the end, i also used the great formation dissolution to send that pig soaring to the heavens!"


    of course, mo hua did not say these words out loud; they were just thoughts in his heart.


    situ fang exclaimed in admiration, "truly... that is no small feat."


    such an achievement, where a local cultivator constructs a large formation to subdue a big demon, was extremely rare even in the history of the taoist court.


    she didn¡¯t ask for more details.


    this kind of matter, which was related to the life and death of all the cultivators in the city, probably had nothing to do with mo hua, a young cultivator of about ten years old.


    even if asked, he might not know.


    mo hua took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, feeling its bitterness and astringency, followed by a hint of sweetness.


    it was somewhat unpleasant yet slightly enjoyable, a strange sensation.


    he tasted each of the dried fruits and then the pastries, his eyes lighting up.


    they were delicious.


    he tasted a few more, silently guessing the methods used to make the dried fruits and pastries, wondering if he could replicate them.


    dried fruits for old kui, pastries for his junior sister.


    mo hua ate and drank while pondering, when suddenly something occurred to him. he asked situ fang:


    "sister situ, you were arguing with someone just now. what happened?"


    situ fang¡¯s previously relaxed mood instantly vanished, leaving her with a sense of resignation as she replied:


    "indeed."


    "can you tell me about it?"


    mo hua blinked, his eyes sparkling.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi also looked at situ fang, clearly curious as well.


    situ fang considered for a moment, then sighed and said:


    "there¡¯s no harm in telling you..."


    "i was transferred here as the supervisor for south yue city¡¯s taoist court six months ago."


    "around here in south yue city, the clans hold the mines while most loose cultivators earn their living by mining, what¡¯s commonly referred to as ¡¯mining cultivators¡¯."


    "mining cultivators need to enter the mines, dig tunnels, and mine¡ªwhich is quite tough and very dangerous."


    "inside the mines, there¡¯s not only centuries-old evil qi but also other odd and sinister spirits, as well as monster beasts that burrow through the mountains."


    "if the evil qi invades the body, it can cause severe injuries at best, and at worst, death."


    "the mine¡¯s monster beasts, too, are man-eaters."


    "additionally, if the mineshafts are poorly excavated or the formations are crudely drawn, it can easily lead to the collapse of the mines."


    "once a mineshaft collapses and rocks tumble down, cultivators in the qi refinement realm wouldn¡¯t be able to make it out alive."


    "that¡¯s why, every year in south yue city, quite a few cultivators die within the mines..."


    "so the cultivators just now, they were arguing with you because they had relatives who died in the mines?" mo hua asked.


    situ fang nodded, "yes, but it¡¯s not certain. they are just missing."


    she then sighed again, "based on past experiences, those who went missing in the mines are most likely dead."


    mo hua asked with confusion, "but what does this have to do with you?"


    situ fang helplessly said, "their family members went missing, and they cried to the taoist court to file a report. the taoist court accepted the case, but they don¡¯t seem very willing to handle it."


    "seeing their poverty and distress over their missing loved ones, who were washing their faces with tears day in and day out, i felt somewhat compassionate and took the initiative to take on the matter."


    "as a result, i didn¡¯t expect..."


    mo hua suddenly said, "you¡¯ve run into trouble, huh..."


    situ fang gave a bitter smile, "if the trouble was only from the taoist court¡¯s side, it would still be okay. but these victims, they are also a big headache."


    "at first, when i helped them, they were immensely grateful to me."


    "gradually, they started to complain, blaming the taoist court for being ineffective, wondering why it¡¯s taken so long to find anyone."


    "regarding compensation, they¡¯ve also made extravagant demands."


    "the court leader from that side also dislikes my meddling in affairs."


    "caught between both sides, i¡¯m helpless and in an awkward position..."


    deep helplessness showed on situ fang¡¯s face.


    mo hua nodded, "ungratefulness for kindness is often the case."


    "if you don¡¯t help them, they will beg you to help. once you actually help them, they will think your help is not enough and they will blame you."


    situ fang looked at mo hua in surprise, "then what do you think i should do?"


    mo hua thought for a moment and said:


    "if you really want to help, you should adopt an official and impartial attitude from the beginning."


    "unbiased, so they would plead for your help and naturally have a better attitude towards you."


    "otherwise, it will be troublesome."


    "if you get too close to them and show that you¡¯re considering their interests, they subconsciously think that, no matter what happens, you will side with them..."


    "consequently, they will take your kindness for granted, become even more demanding, and may even deceive you, treating you like a fool..."


    situ fang exclaimed in shock, "how do you know all this?"


    mo hua scratched his head, "uncle zhang lan told me..."


    situ fang was taken aback, "why would he tell you these things?"


    recalling the past, mo hua crisply said:


    "we had a drink together. of course, it was mainly him drinking and me eating meat, and i also had some fruit wine... he talked a lot when he was drunk and told me everything."


    "he said that in the past, even when doing good deeds, he ended up not pleasing anyone..."


    situ fang looked surprised upon hearing this.


    she was quite familiar with zhang lan.


    zhang lan seemed lethargic on the surface, but in fact, he was very astute and somewhat proud by nature, did not have many friends, and was also slightly at odds with his clan.


    she hadn¡¯t expected him to have such a good relationship with this child, mo hua, and to share everything with him...


    situ fang thought for a moment and then nodded.


    mo hua was right.


    she had been too soft-hearted, ending up with a mess on her hands. now, with no progress being made, she was caught in a quagmire, facing daily complaints.


    with this thought in mind, situ fang let out a deep sigh.


    "sister situ, how did these mining cultivators go missing exactly?"


    situ fang shook her head, "we haven¡¯t figured it out yet. there aren¡¯t any clues in that mine, and the families of these miners are being unreasonable, stirring up trouble for the sake of it, demanding an explanation and more compensation in spirit stones, but when asked about the specifics of the case, they¡¯re evasive, talking about their hardships..."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze became focused, "there¡¯s probably something wrong here."


    situ fang nodded, "i also feel something is amiss, but i can¡¯t find any leads for the time being. now, i¡¯m constantly being troubled by these miners¡¯ families, lost for what to do..."


    mo hua ventured, "why not lock them up?"


    situ fang was taken aback, "lock them up where?"


    "the taoist prison..."


    situ fang fell silent.


    even bai zisheng and bai zixi were silently looking at mo hua with gazes akin to looking at a bad person.


    "that doesn¡¯t seem right..." situ fang said delicately.


    "just to scare them a bit..."


    mo hua said, "they¡¯re taking advantage of your kindness, which is why they¡¯re overstepping their bounds. if this continues, you won¡¯t be able to find the missing people or solve the case, and you¡¯ll inevitably be in a difficult position."


    "it¡¯s not good for anyone this way..."


    "besides, they¡¯re definitely hiding something."


    "lock them up for a few days, let them cool down and feel afraid, then they¡¯ll know not to go too far. when you ask them anything again, they¡¯ll speak honestly."


    mo hua paused, then, remembering what zhang lan had said, nodded:


    "for those who are reasonable, you can be gentler, but for those who are unreasonable, you need to establish your authority appropriately; otherwise, you will be bullied."


    "being a goody-two-shoes doesn¡¯t solve problems."


    after pondering for a long time, situ fang finally said helplessly, "i¡¯ll give it a try."


    after a few more pleasantries about turning to her if there were any troubles, and settling the bill, situ fang left.


    after situ fang left, mo hua took a sip of tea and suddenly realized bai zisheng was staring intently at him.


    mo hua was taken aback, "what¡¯s the matter?"


    bai zisheng said, "we should also go to the taoist court official¡¯s case."


    mo hua pouted, "what for?"


    bai zisheng hesitated for a moment, not willing to admit he just wanted to join in on the excitement.


    after thinking for a bit, he said, "aren¡¯t you curious? why the mining cultivators disappeared, whether they are alive or dead?"


    "if alive, where are they trapped, and can they be rescued?"


    "if dead, how did they die? could they have been killed by other cultivators, and why would they be killed..."


    bai zisheng muttered on and on.


    upon hearing this, mo hua, who hadn¡¯t been very curious before, also became somewhat intrigued...


    mo hua then furrowed his eyebrows.


    he also had a vague sense that there was something strange about this matter, as if it were tied to complex causality.


    he couldn¡¯t clearly explain why he felt this way.


    but ever since he learned divine sense calculation, he would occasionally get these premonitions.


    perhaps divine sense calculation could sense the causality of certain things.


    "could it be that my master taught me calculation all along so that i could sense causality and seek good fortune while avoiding disaster?" mo hua wondered to himself.

 Chapter 414: Mine (1)

    the disappearance of the mining cultivators was something mo hua wanted to understand, but he had to wait until situ fang had gotten a clear answer.in the following three days, mo hua still sought instructor yan in south yue city every day, but still without a clue.


    instead, it was situ fang who came up with some news first.


    it was in that same small teahouse, situ fang invited mo hua for tea and then said to him,


    "i went to ask the families of the missing mining cultivators what exactly happened; they wouldn¡¯t speak and were being obstinate and unreasonable, claiming that the taoist court and the lu family were in cahoots, oppressing the good people¡­"


    "the lu family?"


    "the mine belongs to the lu family."


    "oh," mo hua nodded.


    situ fang continued, "so i detained them for a few days, and once they got scared, they finally told the truth."


    "what did they say?" mo hua asked curiously.


    situ fang sighed and said,


    "these missing mining cultivators disappeared while trying to steal from the mines¡­"


    "steal from the lu family¡¯s mine?"


    "yes," situ fang nodded. "they told their families before they disappeared that they were about to strike it rich and wouldn¡¯t have to live in hardship anymore."


    "then, under the cover of night, they left and never returned¡­"


    mo hua understood, "they were afraid that if the lu family found out, the lu family wouldn¡¯t compensate them with spirit stones, so they didn¡¯t dare speak up, right?"


    "yes."


    situ fang seemed somewhat helpless.


    it was likely that the lu family would not only refuse to compensate with spirit stones but would also demand compensation from the families of the missing mining cultivators.


    because stealing from the mine is a major taboo for mining cultivators.


    the ores they stole were nominally owned by the lu family.


    "no wonder¡­" mo hua nodded.


    so that¡¯s why they were being obstinate and not telling the truth.


    of course, part of the reason was that they saw situ fang had a soft heart, and they became pushy because of it.


    "sister situ, what do you plan to do?" mo hua inquired.


    situ fang pondered and said, "i can keep quiet about the theft, but right now the most important thing is to find these missing mining cultivators, dead or alive, we need an explanation."


    situ fang sighed, "and if these mining cultivators really are dead, we also need to figure out a way to get some compensation from the lu family, otherwise, these mining cultivators¡¯ families, without income, won¡¯t be able to survive."


    mo hua also felt some sorrow and couldn¡¯t help asking,


    "will the lu family compensate?"


    "i have asked them, and the lu family said that unless the bodies of these mining cultivators are found in the mine, they won¡¯t compensate."


    mo hua frowned, "has the lu family always done things this way before?"


    "yes," situ fang nodded. "no body, no compensation in spirit stones."


    she explained further,


    "the lu family¡¯s approach is certainly uncompassionate, but before, there indeed were mining cultivators who faked their deaths to claim compensation, so it¡¯s difficult to fault them too much."


    after thinking for a moment, mo hua asked, "then do these missing mining cultivators have any leads?"


    "hmm." situ fang took out a map and handed it to mo hua.


    "when these missing mining cultivators left and which hilltop they entered the mine from, i have marked on the map."


    situ fang sighed again,


    "these things, their families originally didn¡¯t want to speak of, now they¡¯re afraid, so they finally revealed it."


    "after all, once these things are said and the lu family knows about it, they will have leverage."


    "these missing mining cultivators, even if they are dead, will have died in vain, their families won¡¯t receive a penny of compensation."


    "then we¡¯ll investigate secretly, without letting the lu family know," mo hua whispered.


    situ fang nodded, but halfway through, she suddenly realized and corrected,


    "i will investigate, not we. what are you, a child, doing getting involved in this kind of thing?"


    mo hua¡¯s eyes flickered, and he smiled, saying,


    "sister situ, you¡¯ve been so kind to me; i want to help you too."


    situ fang felt a warmth in her heart but then sensed something amiss and looked at mo hua skeptically,


    "really?"


    "really!" mo hua nodded earnestly.


    still, situ fang refused,


    "no, this matter is a bit strange, i can¡¯t involve you."


    mo hua said, "it takes three stakes to fence in a hog, three helpers to make a hero great."


    "me, as well as my senior brother and sister, will all help you. besides, there are formations in the mine; you may not be able to find some places¡­"


    situ fang frowned, thinking to herself.


    indeed, formations were a problem¡­


    there were indeed many formations in the mine, and without knowledge of formations, it¡¯s very easy to miss some key places.


    she herself knew a little bit about formations, but not much, and likely she couldn¡¯t unravel their intricacies.


    asking another formation master didn¡¯t seem right either.


    in south yue city, the lu family had the greatest influence, and they were also on good terms with other formation masters; no formation master would help her if she went to the mines.


    and although she didn¡¯t know how good mo hua¡¯s skills in formations were, zhang lan had praised them.


    zhang lan, born to a noble clan, had good judgment. if he praised mo hua¡¯s drawing formation skills, then mo hua¡¯s abilities in formations must indeed be exceptional¡­


    situ fang hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind,


    "alright, but you must be careful, the mines are no trivial matter, and you must not be negligent at any cost."


    "don¡¯t worry, sister situ,"


    mo hua nodded.


    ...


    after discussing the plan, two days later.


    situ fang took mo hua, along with bai zisheng and bai zixi, to the lu family¡¯s mines.


    the mining cultivators had gone missing, and the taoist court was conducting an inspection, so the lu family had no grounds to refuse, nor did they dare to.


    but the overseer in charge of the mine did not wear a welcoming expression.


    thus, situ fang led the three of them, accompanied by a lu family cultivator, into the mine.


    this was mo hua¡¯s first time inside a mine.


    on the way there, he had only looked on from a distance, hearing the constant clang and clatter, a noisy and busy scene.


    only upon seeing it up close did he understand the hardship of the mining cultivators.


    in the minor wilderness state boundary, the weather was scorching hot, heating the rocks until they were searing.


    the miners, their skin darkened by the sun, were bare-armed, bent at the waist, their backs showing lash marks, as they mined the ore under the foreman¡¯s supervision, to the best of their abilities.


    the mine produced blue iron ore.


    this type of iron ore was cheap and hard, requiring a lot of effort to excavate.


    the mining cultivators had to toil for an entire day to earn just one spirit stone. sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    those who hadn¡¯t undergone body cultivation simply couldn¡¯t do this job.


    even for the physically strong body cultivators, many might not be able to endure it.


    and this was just the outer mountains¡ªif one went into the deeper mines, which were dark, damp, and full of filthy qi, not only was it more strenuous, but it was also more dangerous. a single misstep could cost them their lives.


    mo hua felt uncomfortable at the sight.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi frowned as they observed.


    bai zisheng couldn¡¯t help but say to mo hua, "these mining cultivators, they¡¯re really suffering..."


    the accompanying lu family cultivator snorted dismissively, "what suffering? people are born to different stations, high and low, noble and base. this is their fate, their lot in life."


    "on the contrary, they should be grateful to our lu family. without us, they couldn¡¯t earn even one spirit stone after a hard day¡¯s work."


    after saying this, the lu family cultivator then gave a veiled warning, "young brother, please mind your words within our lu family¡¯s mine."


    bai zisheng looked at him coldly, "i don¡¯t like the tone of your voice. speak to me like that again, and i¡¯ll twist your mouth sideway."


    the lu family cultivator grew angry.


    bai zisheng displayed the imposing aura of a peak ninth level qi refining cultivator.


    the lu family cultivator turned pale and begrudgingly shut his mouth.


    situ fang was also somewhat surprised.


    this junior brother of mo hua¡¯s appeared to be only a few years older than mo hua, yet his spiritual power was so profound¡­


    it seemed that mo hua¡¯s mentor was indeed extraordinary.


    therefore, his expertise in formations was likely to be high as well.


    "i hope he can notice something and find those missing mining cultivators¡­" situ fang thought silently to himself.


    the group wandered around the outer mountain for a while, asked a few mining cultivators, but found nothing, and so decided to look in the deeper mines.


    the lu family cultivator said with a forced smile, "you can go into the mine, but don¡¯t blame me for not warning you. it¡¯s very dangerous in there, not somewhere outsiders can simply..."


    bai zisheng sent a sharp, knife-like glare his way.


    the lu family cultivator stopped speaking abruptly, not daring to say more.


    afterward, everyone entered the mine.


    a mine is a general term for the internal tunnels, caves, and chambers within a mountain.


    the mine was cold, damp, and the air stifling.


    the stone walls were carved with formations which generally served to both reinforce the walls to prevent the mine from collapsing and provide functions like lighting, ventilation, and filth removal.


    mo hua glanced at the formations and shook his head.


    the formation patterns carved there were indeed very rough.


    they offered only minor reinforcement and dim lighting.


    as such, with external walls unstable and filthy qi accumulating inside, accidents were likely to happen easily.


    it seemed the lu family didn¡¯t hold the lives of these mining cultivators in high regard.


    "the lives of loose cultivators don¡¯t seem to count for much..." mo hua sighed silently in his heart.


    the group progressed step by step along the mine.


    as mo hua walked, he studied the formation patterns and reconstructed the layout of the mine in his mind.


    the formations were extremely rudimentary.


    mo hua could see through them at a glance; he didn¡¯t even need to use divine sense calculation. with just a few glances, he understood everything clearly.


    understanding the formations naturally meant grasping the layout of the mine.


    the paths might be misleading, but the formations were not.


    initially, the lu family cultivator led the way, but after a while, mo hua began leading instead.


    the lu family cultivator frowned.


    this young cultivator, clearly here for the first time, how could he be more familiar with this place than him?


    situ fang also watched with a puzzled gaze, somewhat astonished.


    mo hua led the group along the mine for half a day without any discoveries.


    the lu family cultivator started to get impatient, "that¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it? the mine is so vast, no matter how much you look..."


    before he could finish, mo hua stopped.


    he fixated on the wall in front of him, then took out his ink and brush, drawing several formation patterns.


    then, with a flash of light from the patterns, they dissipated into each other.


    the stone wall trembled and crumbled, revealing a pitch-black opening.


    situ fang was slightly taken aback.


    the lu family cultivator turned stark white.

 Chapter 415: Death Condition (1)

    "what is the meaning of this tunnel?" situ fang asked coldly.the lu family cultivator¡¯s face was pale, yet his mouth was firm, "it¡¯s a mine, isn¡¯t it normal to have caves inside?"


    but his tone quivered slightly.


    "let¡¯s go in and have a look," mo hua said indifferently, paying him no heed.


    the lu family cultivator¡¯s eyes flickered with panic, and he quickly stepped in front of the entrance, stretching out his arms to block everyone,


    "this mine shaft is a secret of the lu family¡¯s mining operation. outsiders are not allowed..."


    bai zisheng kicked him directly, sending him tumbling into the hole.


    mo hua nodded and said, "he is a lu family cultivator, and he took the lead in going in. we have no choice but to follow."


    situ fang stared at the two in stupor.


    she thought to herself, these two really are brothers from the same sect...


    birds of a feather flock together.


    mo hua boldly stepped into the mine.


    the others followed him in as well.


    after entering, situ fang silently followed beside mo hua.


    she knew that mo hua was innately weak and was not a body cultivator, and it would be dangerous if someone or something got close to him.


    by staying close, she could protect mo hua in case of any emergencies.


    after all, mo hua was risking his own safety to help her by entering the mine; she didn¡¯t want him to get hurt.


    the lu family cultivator who had been knocked to the ground also got up, saying angrily:


    "you... cough..."


    he spit out a mouthful of dirt with a "ptui" and continued, "that¡¯s too much! i will report this to the family head..."


    "stop talking nonsense!" bai zisheng kicked him again, "lead the way!"


    the lu family cultivator was indignant, "impossible! i can¡¯t lead the way!"


    because he actually didn¡¯t know the way either.


    mo hua looked around and then said, "follow me."


    he then took the lead deeper into the mine shaft.


    the others exchanged glances and also followed mo hua inside.


    the lu family cultivator¡¯s expression fluctuated uncertainly.


    is this little devil a traitor from their lu family?


    how could he be so familiar with this mine shaft?


    he wasn¡¯t sure what was inside the mine, and he dared not venture deeper.


    but he also couldn¡¯t let the supervisor from the taoist court records office inspect the mine at will.


    otherwise, if the clan held him accountable, he would be in deep trouble.


    the lu family cultivator hesitated for a long time, but eventually could only grit his teeth and follow them inside, hard-headed...


    ...


    the shaft was as damp and gloomy as the outside, filled with a filthy stench.


    but there was an added scent of decay, a hint of death, and a bone-chilling coldness permeating the air.


    and all around were formations.


    as mo hua walked, he used his divine sense to perceive the formations on the stone walls, feeling inwardly surprised.


    the formations within the mine were mostly first-grade ones.


    not only that, these first-grade formations were part of an entire set, complementing each other in a complex first-grade compound formation.


    this compound formation was intricately designed and executed with skilled strokes using high-quality spiritual ink, completely different from the crude formations outside.


    clearly, they came from the hand of an expert, possibly even a veteran first-grade formation master.


    it seemed that the lu family didn¡¯t lack formation masters or the means to hire them.


    this was very strange...


    mo hua slowed his pace and began to use divine sense calculation to decipher the formation patterns and determine the types of formations.


    after a moment, he had a rough understanding.


    the compound formation included an earth stone formation, an early warning formation, a sound isolation formation, and several other types that supported each other.


    the earth stone formation was for reinforcement, the early warning formation for precaution, and the sound isolation formation to keep out noise...


    mo hua frowned slightly.


    what was the lu family¡¯s purpose for setting up such complete formations in this mine shaft?


    mo hua extended his divine sense further.


    what he perceived were the complex auras within the mine.


    there was the essence of earth and stone, filth, and traces of formations.


    these auras were mixed together, forming a natural barrier that interfered with divine sense perception.


    everything and nothing... there were no other findings.


    mo hua could only continue to walk forward.


    as they walked, several branched tunnel entrances appeared ahead.


    at the same time, there came an acrid smell.


    it was like the musty odor of rotting flesh.


    all of them frowned and covered their noses with their sleeves.


    the lu family cultivator found it unbearable and immediately hunched over, leaning against the wall, and started vomiting.


    mo hua glanced at him with contempt and then swept his divine sense around, noting that the branches were not deep and seemed safe. he then said:


    "let¡¯s split up and search."


    situ fang and the others nodded and moved to check each tunnel entrance individually.


    the tunnels all appeared to have been freshly excavated.


    the formations on them were all newly drawn.


    ```


    mo hua strode through several tunnels, only to halt abruptly; his pupils constricted as his brows deeply furrowed.


    he had found those mining cultivators.


    indeed, they were dead, leaving behind only their corpses.


    but these could hardly even be called corpses...


    in the small space, the cave was littered with severed limbs, indistinguishable flesh and blood, and pools of blood everywhere.


    the blood had congealed and due to the dampness, had become half-sticky, half-thick, emanating a strong stench of decay that was nauseating.


    the mining cultivators had died a bloody and brutal death.


    as if something had gnawed on them...


    a chill seeped into mo hua¡¯s heart.


    after a while, situ fang also entered.


    upon witnessing this scene, her expression was one of shock.


    then came a bout of retching, as she covered her face with her sleeve, unable to help vomiting a few times.


    bai zisheng also entered.


    he tried to hold back but ultimately failed and vomited as well.


    bai zixi heard the commotion and started walking over.


    mo huna heard footsteps and, seeing bai zixi enter, quickly stretched out his little hand to cover her eyes.


    bai zixi was taken aback, her confusion evident as she asked:


    "what¡¯s wrong?"


    "you can¡¯t look," mo hua said.


    "why can¡¯t i look?"


    "if you do, you¡¯ll have nightmares..."


    "okay," bai zixi understood and nodded, staying quiet as mo hua covered her eyes.


    the last to arrive was the lu family cultivator.


    he had just vomited before, and upon seeing this scene, his face was fraught with horror; he crumpled against the rock wall, almost vomiting out his intestines¡­


    situ fang frowned and said, "let¡¯s talk somewhere else."


    mo hua nodded.


    thus, the group made their way back, with bai zisheng dragging the lu family cultivators by his collar.


    they didn¡¯t stop until they reached a slightly more open area.


    it was then that they finally took a breath of relief.


    even though the air here still reeked, compared to the fetid stench by the tunnels, it almost felt "refreshingly pleasant"¡­


    it took bai zisheng quite a while to recover, and seeing mo hua looking unaffected, he couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "didn¡¯t you throw up?"


    "i¡¯m okay..."


    mo hua nodded.


    not only was he a formation master, but he was also a monster hunter.


    though he was young, he had spent a long time around big black mountain, witnessed monster beasts kill humans, and seen the bloody scenes of monster beasts devouring their prey, so he could barely tolerate it.


    bai zisheng gave a wry smile, at a loss for words.


    situ fang also regained her composure and sighed: s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "those mining cultivators... they¡¯re still dead..."


    even though they had anticipated it, her heart couldn¡¯t help but feel heavy.


    "how did they die?" asked bai zisheng, puzzled. "were they eaten by the monster beasts in the cave?"


    mo hua furrowed his brow and shook his head, "it doesn¡¯t quite seem like it. monster beasts¡¯ teeth are typically long, and they mainly tear and bite when they eat humans, which is cleaner."


    "the way they are now... it¡¯s more like they¡¯ve been gnawed or hollowed out..."


    mo hua was precise with his words.


    bai zisheng glanced at mo hua with a complex look in his eyes.


    even situ fang looked at mo hua with some astonishment.


    you child, the things you understand... have you gone off the beaten path a bit?


    what normal cultivator would study these things?


    situ fang shook her head, resigned, "taoist court has coroners who can examine the bodies. have them come down later; they should be able to figure out what killed these mining cultivators."


    after saying that, she turned to mo hua with concern:


    "you should head back first. this place is dirty, no place for children like you to linger."


    "okay," mo hua nodded.


    now that the missing mining cultivators had been found, his task was essentially complete.


    however, there was one more thing to do before leaving.


    he pointed to the lu family cultivator and said:


    "interrogate him to see if he knows anything."


    the lu family cultivator was somewhat slippery.


    normally, he might not tell the truth.


    but now, having witnessed the state of the mining cultivators¡¯ deaths and shaken to his core, he was in a state of utter disarray and his mental defenses had been breached¡ªit was an ideal time to interrogate him.


    maybe they could ferret out something useful from him.


    mo hua wanted to know why the mining cultivators had died.


    he also wanted to know, what was the real purpose of this mining cave?


    moreover, there was an even more eerie point...


    mo hua furrowed his brow; in his eyes, a cold light condensed.


    he had sensed a whiff of the ultimate formation¡¯s aura on the bodies of the dead mining cultivators in the well¡­but this aura carried a certain malevolent taint.


    ```

 Chapter 416: Cause of Death (1)

    situ fang asked the lu family cultivator, "what exactly is this mining cave used for?"the lu family cultivator¡¯s face turned pale, and he clenched his teeth, refusing to speak.


    situ fang threatened,


    "someone died in here, if you don¡¯t talk, the taoist court will investigate thoroughly, and your lu family definitely won¡¯t be able to escape involvement."


    the lu family cultivator said, "a few mining cultivators died, so they died. my lu family will compensate with spirit stones."


    after he finished speaking, it seemed he figured it out and thus gained some confidence.


    "right, right! a few mining cultivators, my lu family will compensate with spirit stones¡­"


    he sneered, "this mining well is intricately connected, and some abandoned entrances are nothing out of the ordinary."


    "these mining cultivators didn¡¯t know what was good for them, dug their way in, and were... just eaten by monster beasts, what does that have to do with my lu family?"


    "just a few worthless lives, it serves them right to die!"


    situ fang, her anger surging, immediately wanted to beat him up.


    mo hua hurriedly stopped her, "sister situ, getting angry is useless."


    situ fang frowned, but still restrained herself.


    mo hua then turned his head and said to the lu family cultivator:


    "normally, the death of a mining cultivator is an accident; indeed, just compensating with some spirit stones would suffice, but this time it¡¯s different. this is murder, a violation of the taoist law¡­"


    the lu family scoffed, "then who killed them?"


    everyone fell silent for a moment.


    the scene was bloody and terrible; indeed, no one knew who had killed them, or even if they had been killed by a person.


    the lu family cultivator laughed, "without a murderer, how can you call it murder? to me, it looks like these mining cultivators, arrogantly assuming too much, entered this mining cave wanting to steal from my lu family¡¯s mines, only to end up trapped and then eaten by monster beasts¡­"


    the lu family cultivator became more and more assured as he spoke, his demeanor growing increasingly haughty.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes shifted, and with a suddenly bright smile, he falsely accused:


    "i understand now; you committed murder for wealth, killing these mining cultivators!"


    the lu family cultivator was taken aback, "you little ghost, what nonsense are you spouting? i don¡¯t even know them, plus they¡¯re just mining cultivators, all paupers; what wealth could they possess that would be worth my while to kill them for?"


    mo hua said, "the fact you don¡¯t know them makes it easier to act against them. besides, wealth isn¡¯t always visible. if you didn¡¯t kill them, without searching their storage bags, how could you know they carried no wealth?"


    the lu family cultivator, annoyed, said, "you¡¯re slandering me!"


    nonsense, do i even need to say it? mo hua silently thought.


    then he regretfully continued, "since you refuse to confess, we can only take you to the taoist court, lock you up in the taoist prison, and subject you to a severe interrogation¡­"


    the lu family cultivator sneered, "you wouldn¡¯t dare."


    "why wouldn¡¯t i?"


    "the court leader and my lu family¡­"


    he halted mid-sentence, his face changing color, not daring to continue.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze flickered as he understood.


    since the lu family was the largest clan in south yue city, possessing the most mines, they surely had dealings with the court leader.


    and judging by the looks of it, these "dealings" were out of the ordinary.


    on the surface, the taoist court and the lu family each did their own thing.


    if there was an incident, the taoist court would also investigate and hold the lu family accountable.


    but behind the scenes, there would likely be some transactions.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then sneered, "even if the court leader has a relationship with the lu family, that doesn¡¯t concern you¡­"


    "you¡¯re just a minor cultivator in the lu family. for the lives of five mining cultivators, do you think the lu family would protect you, or would the court leader step in for you?"


    "do you think you¡¯re worth it?"


    a chill ran through the lu family cultivator¡¯s heart, and the arrogance faded from his face.


    mo hua continued, "we¡¯ll take you back, lock you up in the taoist prison, and publicly announce that you killed five mining cultivators¡­"


    "what do you think the lu family will do? will they provoke a public outrage to protect you, or will they let you take the fall to appease the situation?"


    the lu family cultivator¡¯s gaze trembled.


    mo hua, watching his reaction, sighed and pretended to be someone who didn¡¯t want to get involved, to avoid trouble:


    "actually, we didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter¡­"


    "but those mining cultivators keep making trouble at the taoist court; the court had no other choice."


    "the higher-ups need an explanation, and sister situ has to provide an answer."


    "who killed those five mining cultivators, in reality, is irrelevant."


    "nobody cares about the actual truth."


    "all that¡¯s needed is someone who can take the blame, admit the guilt, and quell the situation¡­"


    mo hua patted the lu family cultivator¡¯s shoulder, "the decision from above is that this person is you¡­"


    the lu family cultivator jerked in reaction, "you¡¯re lying to me!"


    but his tone trembled, lacking conviction.


    he didn¡¯t know mo hua¡¯s identity, but he knew of situ fang¡¯s.


    situ fang was indeed a supervisor of the taoist court in south yue city.


    on the surface, she appeared to be seeking the truth for the mining cultivators.


    but the waters of the taoist court were murky, and its officials corrupt; showing one face while keeping another hidden.


    he couldn¡¯t be sure which side situ fang was really on.


    and of all the lu family disciples, why was it him they chose to lead the way?


    mo hua gave situ fang a signal with his eyes.


    situ fang then darkened her face, her smile sinister, "take him back. it¡¯ll give the court leader something to report; and as for the family head of the lu family¡­ they surely won¡¯t miss a mere qi refinement middle phase disciple." s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    bai zisheng reached out to grab him.


    struggling, the lu family cultivator shouted, "you have no evidence, you can¡¯t arrest me or convict me of any crime!"


    mo hua slapped his forehead, "right, we need to create some evidence."


    after saying that, mo hua pulled out more than a dozen spirit stones, crushed them, and stuffed them into the lu family cultivator¡¯s hands.


    the lu family cultivator was stunned, "what are you doing?"


    mo hua claimed brazenly, "these spirit stones are the evidence of your murderous greed!"


    the lu family cultivator found it absurd.


    was this little ghost no longer bothering to pretend?


    could he be so blatantly framing him?


    the lu family cultivator hastily threw all the spirit stones on the ground, "i didn¡¯t do it, it wasn¡¯t me..."


    mo hua sneered, "you refuse the toast only to drink a forfeit?"


    the lu family cultivator asked, "and what else can you do to me?"


    mo hua¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, and a faint sinister air appeared on his face, his voice low and tinged with eeriness:


    "locking you in this cave and sealing it with a formation, forcing you to stay with these five dead mining cultivators..."


    "a few days later, when we come to check, everyone will find you right at the crime scene, along with the deceased. you¡¯ll have no explanation then."


    the lu family cultivator said, "i will say... it was you who framed me!"


    mo hua instantly reverted to a face of innocent naivet¨¦, "who would believe that?"


    the lu family cultivator¡¯s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.


    "oh, right." mo hua had another thought, "you might not even live to see that day. who knows what¡¯s in this cave? it devoured mining cultivators, it¡¯ll probably eat you too..."


    "it¡¯s possible that you¡¯ll be devoured by it the day after you¡¯re locked in..."


    "but that also works perfectly, we can say you were killed while trying to rob and murder, resulting in mutual destruction."


    "anyway, whatever happens here, nobody else will ever know..."


    the lu family cultivator looked at mo hua in disbelief.


    what on earth was this young devil capable of? how could he scheme so expertly, one trick after another?


    left with no choice, the lu family cultivator nodded and said:


    "fine, i agree."


    before the words had fully left his mouth, he took advantage of mo hua¡¯s distraction to get up and run, but he didn¡¯t get far before feeling his body tighten, restrained by something.


    looking down, he found his body bound by faint blue water-shaped lock chains.


    the lu family cultivator was horrified.


    what kind of spell was this?


    mo hua, on the other hand, let out a cold laugh.


    bai zisheng quickly stepped forward and dragged the lu family cultivator back.


    pretending to lose patience, mo hua gestured to bai zisheng and said:


    "seal him inside. i¡¯ll draw the formation."


    situ fang hesitated for a moment but said nothing.


    bai zisheng arched an eyebrow and, gripping the collar of the lu family cultivator, dragged him towards the foul and decaying cave¡ªthe site of the mining cultivators¡¯ tragic demise.


    the lu family cultivator was terrified.


    only now did he realize that this little devil meant business!


    struggling, he pleaded hastily, "spare me! spare me! i¡¯ll tell you everything!"


    bai zisheng glanced at mo hua.


    mo hua nodded.


    bai zisheng then dragged the lu family cultivator back and dumped him in front of mo hua.


    mo hua looked at him and said, "i¡¯ll ask you a few questions. answer well, and i may spare you. if you hide anything, you¡¯ll join those mining cultivators..."


    the lu family cultivator¡¯s face turned ashen, and he nodded.


    "what¡¯s the purpose of this mine shaft?"


    the lu family cultivator shook his head.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze turned frosty, ready to throw him in.


    the lu family cultivator hastily said, "i, i... really don¡¯t know!"


    mo hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, "then what do you know?"


    "i... i only know..."


    the lu family cultivator hesitated, sighed, "i only know that the mine shafts were ordered to be built by the family head, and even the formations inside were personally arranged to be painted by him."


    "after these shafts were constructed, they were sealed off, and no one has ever entered them..."


    "i don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside."


    "the family head has strictly ordered that the matter of the mine shafts must not be known to any cultivator, nor is any cultivator allowed to enter..."


    the lu family head, huh...


    mo hua frowned, then asked further:


    "how did these mining cultivators die?"


    the lu family cultivator mumbled, "that i know even less... how would i know they would sneak into these mine shafts?"


    "you didn¡¯t notice?"


    "they came in the middle of the night when it¡¯s eerie and spooky¡ªwho would want to go into these mine pits?"


    mo hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, "eerie and spooky?"


    the lu family cultivator knew he had misspoken and remained silent.


    mo hua said, "this cave might be damp or dark, but it doesn¡¯t seem ¡¯eerie and spooky¡¯..."


    "this..." the lu family cultivator¡¯s gaze darted around.


    "don¡¯t want to talk?"


    the lu family cultivator nodded, then seeing mo hua¡¯s unfriendly expression, became alarmed and shook his head.


    "go on, why is it ¡¯eerie and spooky¡¯?"


    the lu family cultivator hesitated, swallowing hard before slowly saying:


    "it is said that at night, this mine is haunted by ghosts..."


    mo hua was startled, "ghosts?"


    the lu family cultivator nodded, "every night, waves of yin energy and creaking noises fill the mine, the entire shaft vibrating subtly, as if someone is chiseling away at something..."


    the lu family cultivator wiped the cold sweat from his forehead:


    "some say they are the spirits of those mining cultivators who died unjustly within these pits. when the yin energy is strong at night, they return to the mines as ghost cultivators and continue to dig as they did in life..."


    mo hua knitted his brows.


    it seemed that those mining cultivators had ventured into the mine to steal, and met some unknown ghostly specter at night, which led to their deaths.


    but even with this, there were still many unanswered questions.


    mo hua repeated his interrogation several times.


    the lu family cultivator stammered his answers, consistent every time, which made him seem truthful.


    as a mid-phase qi refinement disciple of the lu family, he likely didn¡¯t know more confidential matters.


    mo hua also casually gathered some information about the lu family before finally nodding and saying:


    "since you¡¯ve been so cooperative, i won¡¯t make things difficult for you."


    a huge weight lifted in the lu family cultivator¡¯s heart.


    mo hua then expressed his concern, "but if the lu family finds out that you¡¯ve told me all this..."


    the stone that had just lifted in the lu family cultivator¡¯s heart now sank back down, and he hastily said:


    "young friend, young master, dear ancestor... please don¡¯t tell anyone..."


    if word got out, the lu family certainly wouldn¡¯t let him off easily.


    mo hua grudgingly said, "fine..."


    then he sternly reminded, "but you must behave. if i have questions in the future, i¡¯ll come to you..."


    "by the way, what¡¯s your name?"


    the lu family cultivator, on the verge of tears, replied, "lu ming."

 Chapter 417: Cave Abode (1)

    lu ming was tormented by mo hua and became completely docile.situ fang was a bit startled, she kept sneaking glances at mo hua on the way back, filled with confusion.


    mo hua seemed so innocent and naive.


    how could he be so skilled at framing, threatening, interrogating, and coercing...


    who taught him all this?


    the group left the lu family¡¯s mine.


    the ensuing matters were to be handled by the taoist court.


    the cause of the mining cultivator¡¯s death, whether or not he was killed by a cultivator, the identity of the murderer, and the subsequent compensation, all were left to the taoist court to deal with.


    situ fang sighed with relief and said to mo hua,


    "thank you for this time, i¡¯ll treat you to something delicious when i¡¯m free!"


    "thank you, sister situ!"


    mo hua thought for a moment, then quietly said, "sister situ, if the taoist court finds any clues about the murderer, could you tell me?"


    situ fang slightly furrowed her brows.


    investigations by the taoist court were usually kept confidential.


    however, mo hua had been a great help in this case, and without him, they wouldn¡¯t have found even the body of the mining cultivator. telling him seemed harmless.


    with this thought, situ fang suddenly asked with some curiosity,


    "how did you find that mine tunnel?"


    she had wanted to ask when they were at the mine.


    why would there be a formation on an ordinary-looking rock wall?


    and how did mo hua know that behind the rock wall was a cave?


    mo hua modestly said, "i just have slightly stronger divine sense, and i know a little bit about formations, and i happened to discover it."


    situ fang¡¯s expression was complex, and for a moment, she couldn¡¯t tell whether mo hua was being truthful.


    but she didn¡¯t probe further, simply nodding and saying,


    "i understand. if there¡¯s a clue, i¡¯ll secretly tell you."


    mo hua smiled and said, "thank you, sister situ."


    afterward, everyone bid farewell.


    before leaving, mo hua gave lu ming a meaningful look, "you understand what should be said and what shouldn¡¯t, right?"


    lu ming shivered with fear, nodding repeatedly, "i understand, i understand!"


    mo hua nodded in satisfaction.


    after leaving the lu family¡¯s mine, mo hua and the others returned to the nanyue inn and reported the incident at the mine to mr. zhuang.


    mr. zhuang frowned and remained silent.


    in a low voice, mo hua said, "master, i suspect the murderer has clues to the ultimate formation on him."


    mr. zhuang smiled faintly and asked, "how did you come to that conclusion?"


    "the deceased mining cultivator seems to have a trace of the ultimate formation¡¯s aura..."


    bai zisheng and bai zixi looked at each other in bewilderment; they lacked divine sense calculation and hadn¡¯t noticed anything.


    "do you know what ultimate formation it is?" mr. zhuang asked again.


    mo hua shook his head, looking somewhat disappointed, and said, "the aura is too faint, and the traces of the formation are shallow, i can¡¯t calculate it..."


    "but..." mo hua recalled something, his expression becoming one of startled doubt, "this trace of the ultimate formation¡¯s aura is somewhat malevolent..."


    "malevolent..."


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze became inscrutable.


    "master, are there ultimate formations within evil formations as well?" mo hua asked.


    mr. zhuang nodded, "in this world, where there¡¯s righteousness, there¡¯s evil, and formations are no different."


    "how is a malevolent ultimate formation different from regular ultimate formations?"


    observing the curious mo hua, mr. zhuang suddenly said with a smile,


    "that kind of question, if you can figure it out yourself, then i won¡¯t tell you."


    "figure it out myself?"


    mo hua was taken aback and muttered quietly, "but i haven¡¯t figured it out..."


    mr. zhuang said with a laugh, "if you can find this ultimate formation, you¡¯ll naturally understand."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes lit up, "so, master, there really is an ultimate formation hidden in south yue city, isn¡¯t there?"


    mr. zhuang was taken aback, then replied with an ambiguous smile,


    "who knows? i haven¡¯t left the inn, how could i know..."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes flickered, staring at mr. zhuang, then gradually became certain in his heart.


    there must be one!


    whenever mr. zhuang showed this kind of teasing expression, it meant it was true.


    mr. zhuang shook his head slightly and patted mo hua¡¯s head, "we might have to stay here longer, find a cave dwelling to settle in. the inn is noisy and not very convenient."


    "a cave dwelling?" mo hua was somewhat astonished.


    he had never lived in a cave dwelling.


    cave dwellings in the cultivation world were generally very expensive.


    in tongxian city, only prominent or well-backed cultivators could afford the spirit stones to buy a cave dwelling.


    like master luo, a first-grade formation master, and the an family¡¯s patriarch, old master an.


    although mo hua himself was also a first-grade formation master, he wasn¡¯t as "corrupt" as master luo; when drawing formations for people, he charged very few spirit stones.


    if he was dealing with loose cultivators like those from east mountain village, he even did it for free as long as they provided their own spiritual ink.


    he just treated it as free practice for drawing formations.


    so although he was not lacking in spirit stones now, he was also far from being wealthy.


    "a cave mansion, that must be expensive..." mo hua said weakly.


    upon seeing mo hua¡¯s expression, mr. zhuang revealed a smile and kindly said,


    "as a first-grade formation master, it would actually be strange if you didn¡¯t live in a cave mansion."


    "but..."


    "don¡¯t worry about spirit stones," mr. zhuang said. "you can go and choose a cave mansion in the city with your senior brothers and sisters later."


    since mr. zhuang had spoken, mo hua could only nod and then asked,


    "what kind of cave mansion should we pick?"


    "look at the spiritual energy, the location, the formations, the five elements," mr. zhuang answered.


    mo hua was initially stunned, but then gradually grasped what his master was implying.


    the master was testing him.


    on the surface, it was about choosing a cave mansion, but in reality, it was a test of his understanding and comprehension of formations, spiritual energy, and various principles of tao cultivation.


    "understood, master."


    in the afternoon, when he had some free time, mo hua followed bai zisheng and bai zixi to the streets of south yue city, looking to rent a cave mansion.


    buying one would be too expensive, and since they were only staying temporarily, renting was sufficient.


    mo hua had never lived in a cave mansion, but he knew well how to find one and the intricacies involved.


    having grown up in tongxian city, he had always been popular among cultivators of the same age like da¡¯hu and dazhu.


    after becoming a formation master, he had built an extensive network among the adults as well.


    having been exposed to the ways of the lower-ranking cultivators, he was familiar with them.


    although south yue city was not tongxian city, the rules and customs of the loose cultivators at the bottom were much the same.


    generally speaking, renting or purchasing a cave mansion relied on the services of a housing agency.


    the intermediaries at a housing agency were generally called housing agency workers.


    mo hua arrived at a housing agency and found a shrewd worker, expressing his intention to rent a cave mansion.


    the worker was confused and somewhat indifferent when he saw the three children, mo hua included.


    he thought mo hua was joking with him.


    three kids, renting a cave mansion?


    mo hua handed over a spirit stone to him.


    the worker was surprised, weighed the spirit stone in his hand, and immediately plastered a smile on his face:


    "dear young friends, what kind of cave mansion would you like to see?" s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    whether these three kids rented or not, he had gotten his hands on the spirit stone.


    it didn¡¯t matter if they didn¡¯t buy.


    it was as if he had earned a spirit stone just for accompanying the children on a walk, and that wasn¡¯t a loss either.


    unsure of what kind of cave mansion he wanted, mo hua said, "just show us around."


    "alright!"


    the worker then enthusiastically led the way, taking them on a tour of the cave mansions listed in the housing agency¡¯s registry.


    as the worker led the way, he talked non-stop:


    "this cave mansion is great, spacious and roomy..."


    "this cave mansion is also good, compact and exquisite..."


    "this cave mansion is great, located high up, very majestic..."


    "this cave mansion is also good, located low, very low-key..."


    anyway, everything was good according to him; big meant "spacious," small meant "exquisite," high meant "majestic," and low meant "low-key." there was always something positive to say...


    mo hua silently took note, thinking that he should learn this way of talking.


    once learned, he could also praise others with such blatant flattery.


    at first, the worker retained some pretense, but then he realized that his clients were three children ¨C deceiving them felt pointless.


    furthermore, it wasn¡¯t certain if they would rent or not, so gradually he started to relax and speak some blunt truths...


    "this cave mansion is good, but it¡¯s just for show; it looks nice but is uncomfortable to live in..."


    "this one, forget it, it¡¯s shoddy workmanship..."


    "it¡¯s a pity about this cave mansion; the rockery and waters are fake, but the formations are complete. the only issue is that someone died here..."


    "how did they die?" mo hua¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    "not clear on that..." the worker shook his head and explained, "some say it was death from deviating during cultivation practice, their veins broken; some say it was an enemy seeking revenge, hacking them to death; others say they offended the lu family and were killed, then thrown into a mining pit..."


    "did the lu family really do that kind of thing?"


    "that is..." the worker hesitated before abruptly realizing his blunder, then awkwardly chuckled, "just rumors, nothing more than rumors..."


    moving on to the next cave mansion, he said:


    "this cave mansion is also nice, elegant and luxurious in layout, the garden is equipped with the flower wood formation; when activated by spirit stones, the garden blooms with clusters of flowers, fragrant and pleasing to the eye, a feast of beauty. but this one is better off not rented..."


    "why?"


    the worker spoke in a hushed tone, "this belongs to a court leader from the taoist court, used for keeping a mistress..."


    mo hua was shocked, "you know about this?"


    the worker curled his lip, "these kinds of rumors, outsiders may not know, but we insiders hear them all the time until our ears grow calluses."


    bai zisheng also asked, "and then what happened?"


    the worker appeared to revel in the misfortune, "the affair got exposed, didn¡¯t it? the court leader¡¯s wife caught the mistress in the act, tore up the mistress¡¯s face, and even applied poison to the wounds, ensuring that she would be disfigured for life."


    "the court leader tried to intervene but failed, and he too ended up with his body all torn up..."


    mo hua was stunned and after a while, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim,


    "the life of a cultivator in south yue city is quite colorful..."


    the worker hummed lightly, "to those who are well-fed and warm, thoughts turn to lust; these cultivators of such status are not worried about food and drink, people give them spirit stones, so naturally they seek ways to find enjoyment. there¡¯s plenty of such messy affairs around..."

 Chapter 418: Chop Once (1)

    the housing agency worker chatted about the idle gossip of south yue city while introducing the cave dwelling to mo hua.mo hua, while taking in the exterior layout of the dwelling, remembered what mr. zhuang had said.


    "look at the spiritual energy, look at the layout, look at the formations, look at the five elements..."


    since the taoist court unified all, the cultivation world had developed for over twenty thousand years, and billions of cultivators had been born, yet nature¡¯s spiritual energy had gradually become diluted.


    nowadays, the natural spiritual energy present between heaven and earth was no longer enough to support the cultivation of cultivators.


    but there was indeed still spiritual energy between heaven and earth.


    it¡¯s just that this spiritual energy was either too sparse, too mixed, or too tainted to be absorbed and refined by the cultivators.


    mo hua pondered silently in his heart:


    "master asked me to look at the spiritual energy, but what exactly am i supposed to look at?"


    "what¡¯s so special about spiritual energy?"


    mo hua released his divine sense and observed the lingering spiritual energy above the cave dwelling, after a while, he gradually understood and realized something in his heart.


    what mr. zhuang asked him to look at was not the spiritual energy itself, but the flow of spiritual energy.


    if the spiritual energy flows, then the qi channels are unobstructed, making the dwelling suitable for living.


    wind may not always be present, but the flow of spiritual power is constant.


    it¡¯s just that this kind of flow is very subtle and requires patience to sense and careful discernment to identify.


    the layout is also easy to understand.


    east, south, west, north, as well as the upper and lower directions.


    the location of the cave dwelling within the entire layout of the immortal city, as well as its orientation, are all carefully considered.


    there¡¯s no need to mention formations.


    as a first-grade formation master and a first-grade chief formation master who had constructed the five elements first-class demon slayer formation, had divine sense of twelve patterns, and had even learned the ultimate formation that surpassed first grade, mo hua found things related to formations the simplest.


    especially the formations at the qi refinement realm.


    this south yue city was but a second grade immortal city.


    the highest level of cultivation was only at foundation establishment, and the formation masters were at most first grade.


    the formations used in this dwelling were mainly first grade, with even the nine-patterned formations being rare¡ªmost were simple formations of six or seven patterns.


    these formations were so simple that mo hua didn¡¯t even need to calculate; he could see through them at a glance.


    to mo hua, six or seven patterned formations were practically no different from basic formation patterns.


    lastly, the five elements...


    mo hua still remembered the principles of the five elements generation and restraint he dealt with when constructing formation diagrams for the refinery shop.


    in tao cultivation architecture, different rooms and formations all involve the principles of the five elements generation and restraint.


    how to utilize metal to produce water and nurture water sources; use water to produce wood, to nourish flowers and plants; and use earth to produce metal, to strengthen buildings... sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua looked, calculated, and confidently muttered to himself.


    the housing agency worker couldn¡¯t help but look at mo hua with surprise.


    this young cultivator didn¡¯t seem like an amateur.


    and he was very familiar with the formations in the dwelling...


    it seemed he had some solid foundations in formations.


    could it be that he¡¯s an apprentice of some great formation master, picking out a dwelling for his master?


    the housing agency worker¡¯s spirits lifted, and the smile on his face became even more sincere.


    a formation master, after all...


    even if you couldn¡¯t curry favor with one, you must never offend one.


    ...


    the housing agency worker was very enthusiastic, leading mo hua and two companions to see all the cave dwellings the housing agency had.


    after mo hua looked around and reflected on them, he initially settled on three dwellings and asked bai zisheng and bai zixi:


    "what do you think?"


    bai zixi didn¡¯t say anything.


    however, bai zisheng was not quite satisfied.


    "it¡¯s not large enough, not grand enough, there are too few rooms, and the facilities for alchemy and artifact refining are very basic."


    mo hua glanced at him, "why don¡¯t you pick one then?"


    bai zisheng thought for a moment and then backed down:


    "never mind, master asked you to pick, so you should do it."


    all these matters of spiritual energy, layout, formations, and five elements just gave him a headache.


    if mo hua picked the wrong one, the master wouldn¡¯t punish him.


    but if he picked wrongly, it was another story; he might be punished to copy scriptures or draw formations hundreds of times...


    bai zisheng looked at mo hua again and mused in his heart:


    "could mo hua be a blood-related junior of master? otherwise, why would master treat him so well?"


    bai zisheng speculated, then immediately denied it in his mind:


    "impossible. the descendants of mr. zhuang couldn¡¯t possibly have such poor spiritual roots as mo hua!"


    mo hua furrowed his brow, "are you bad-mouthing me again?"


    "i haven¡¯t even said anything!"


    "you were saying it in your mind."


    bai zisheng¡¯s mouth fell open, "mo hua, have you become a spirit? can you know what other people are thinking?"


    mo hua snorted lightly and didn¡¯t speak.


    since his divine sense had grown stronger and he learned calculations, he had developed a vague sense of some things.


    of course, knowing what bai zisheng was thinking was mainly because he knew him too well.


    bai zisheng kept his guard up around strangers, but with acquaintances, especially his junior brother with whom he spent all his time, his thoughts were written all over his face.


    bai zisheng asked about the serious matter, "so, which cave dwelling do we choose?"


    mo hua said, "i picked according to the standards of spiritual energy, layout, formations, and the five elements that master mentioned. these three are all similar, so choose whichever one you like."


    bai zisheng scratched his head.


    he felt none were particularly good, but if he had to choose, they were all similar.


    mo hua glanced at bai zixi, "little senior sister, which one do you like?"


    bai zisheng also looked toward his sister.


    after considering for a moment, bai zixi lightly pointed her slender finger at a picture of a cave dwelling and said:


    "this one."


    mo hua glanced at it; there was nothing special about this dwelling except for a pond in the yard, a lawn beside the pond, and a big tree on the lawn.


    although the layout was different, it bore some resemblance to their mountain abode in south mountain of immortal city where they had studied with mr. zhuang, especially the big tree in the courtyard.


    mo hua then nodded, "then this one it is."


    mo hua showed the picture of the dwelling to mr. zhuang.


    mr. zhuang only glanced at it and nodded, "good."


    mo hua was delighted in his heart, it seemed that his earlier considerations were correct.


    now that mr. zhuang had agreed, the next step was to go to the housing agency worker to rent the cave dwelling.


    the housing agency worker was quite surprised upon hearing this.


    he hadn¡¯t expected that mo hua and the other two were actually serious about renting.


    "you really want to rent?" the housing agency worker confirmed again.


    mo hua nodded, but before he could speak, bai zixi¡¯s crisp voice rang out:


    "no, we¡¯re not renting."


    not only was the housing agency worker stunned, mo hua was too.


    bai zixi said indifferently:


    "we¡¯re buying."


    mo hua whispered, "sister apprentice, purchasing would require a lot of spirit stones..."


    bai zixi shook her head, "not a lot."


    she gently patted the storage bag with golden silk and phoenix patterns at her waist and softly said to mo hua:


    "before we left, aunt xue gave me all the spirit stones..."


    after saying this, fearing that mo hua would worry, she added:


    "a lot, a lot..."


    mo hua was somewhat shocked.


    his little sister apprentice was actually a little rich girl...


    immediately after, he felt a bit puzzled, "can this small storage bag hold that much?"


    bai zixi nodded, "it can hold it."


    mo hua understood.


    this storage bag must be an extraordinary spiritual artifact.


    the storage space in bags used by loose cultivators is limited, not able to contain too much.


    if one needs to transport large items, they would have to use storage boxes.


    but mo hua knew that some storage spiritual artifacts have very large inner spaces, which of course are also very expensive, at least too expensive for mo hua to afford.


    mo hua looked again at the gold-threaded phoenix storage bag, his curiosity piqued, really wanting to know how much it could hold inside.


    yet, he felt it inappropriate to rummage through his little sister apprentice¡¯s storage bag.


    on the other hand, the worker from the housing agency was overjoyed upon hearing this.


    what was originally a rental had turned into a purchase.


    a large deal had become an even bigger deal.


    the housing agency worker immediately smiled and said, "this cave dwelling¡¯s original price is forty thousand spirit stones. if you, young friends, wish to purchase, our agency can offer a discount price, thirty-eight thousand spirit stones!"


    just as bai zixi was about to nod, mo hua spoke up indignantly:


    "hold on!"


    thirty-eight thousand spirit stones?! scamming who?


    a loose cultivator at the foundation establishment generally spends only about ten thousand spirit stones.


    that ten thousand spirit stones would require a loose cultivator to save up for over thirty years without eating or drinking.


    moreover, how could a loose cultivator not eat or drink?


    and how can one¡¯s cultivation always go smoothly?


    if faced with an unexpected event requiring spirit stones, it¡¯s highly likely one would spend more than earn, never mind ten thousand spirit stones, they might not even save up a hundred.


    this cave dwelling costs thirty-five thousand spirit stones?


    save for a hundred years without eating or drinking?


    why would an ordinary cave dwelling be so expensive?


    mo hua furrowed his brows, feeling somewhat angry.


    the housing agency worker, feeling helpless, said, "the market price is what it is; we can¡¯t do anything about it..."


    then he said something more about the taoist court, clans, and land issues, implying that the cave dwelling was indeed expensive, but it wasn¡¯t their fault.


    "the market price has always been like this for the past few years..."


    seeing they really had difficulties, mo hua then said:


    "then give us a cheaper price."


    though he didn¡¯t need to pay the spirit stones himself, his little sister apprentice¡¯s spirit stones were still spirit stones.


    he also felt pained for her for the thirty thousand plus spirit stones.


    "we can¡¯t reduce it any further..." the housing agency worker said with a troubled face, "young brother, you have a good eye. this cave dwelling you¡¯ve chosen may look unremarkable, but it has a nice setup and is an excellent choice..."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, "the formation of this cave dwelling is flawed."


    the housing agency worker was taken aback, somewhat displeased:


    "the formation here can be flawed? let¡¯s not talk about other things, just this formation alone, it integrates the five elements, it¡¯s good for both offense and defense, not only can it prevent theft and repel enemies, but it can also ventilate and cultivate one¡¯s qi.


    moreover, the classification of this formation method is definitely first-grade, drawn by a great formation master himself, and it¡¯s almost brand new..."


    the housing agency worker was glib, praising to the skies.


    mo hua pointed to a spot on the ground and said: "the formation here is broken."


    the housing agency worker was startled, "broken... broken?"


    mo hua nodded, "the earth stone formation, the second formation pattern¡¯s media is broken..."


    mo hua walked a few steps forward, looked up, and then said:


    "the formation painting here is incorrect."


    "the bright lamp formation, the fourth pattern, the fifth stroke is wrong..."


    the housing agency worker¡¯s mouth hung open.


    mo hua turned his head to look at the courtyard, "originally there were four formations here, but they¡¯re no longer working and no one has repaired them, you probably didn¡¯t even know..."


    "also, the formation here is wrong too..."


    "the formation here isn¡¯t incorrect, but it used low-grade spiritual ink, it will fail in two months."


    "and here, the formations are conflicting with each other..."


    "what is this drawing here..."


    "here..."


    ...


    the housing agency worker was completely dumbfounded.


    who exactly was this young cultivator?


    he had never shown the formation diagrams of this cave dwelling to the young cultivator...


    formations are confidential, and the diagrams are always sealed. they can¡¯t be revealed until the transaction is completed.


    but how did this young cultivator, after just a few glances, list all the defects in the cave dwelling¡¯s formations as if he was reciting from a family treasure?


    whether a cave dwelling looks good or is comfortable to live in, and whether the layout is nice¡ª


    these are subjective issues.


    one person may have one opinion, which can¡¯t be taken for certain.


    but issues with formations are very real and can¡¯t fool anyone...


    and to have these issues pointed out so clearly and straightforwardly...


    the housing agency worker felt the soul knocked out of him, sweating profusely.


    after mo hua listed almost all the defects, his gaze flashed, and taking advantage of the worker¡¯s shock, he made a ruthless bid:


    "twenty thousand spirit stones!"


    he shot for a high price, determined to cut nearly half off.


    the housing agency worker trembled, nearly fainting...

 Chapter 419: Tangyuan (1)

    ```cut the price in half and then slowly negotiate.


    this was something mo hua had learned in the market town of tongxian city.


    the housing agency workers showed a bitter face, "it¡¯s just... nobody bargains like this..."


    "is there a problem with this formation?"


    "there is..." the housing agency worker said helplessly, then suddenly perked up, "no, i don¡¯t know..."


    "being stubborn is of no use!"


    mo hua appeared confident, "the words i just said, write them down and show them to other formation masters, and they will confirm they¡¯re not the slightest bit wrong."


    the housing agency worker was at a loss for words, "then..."


    "is there a problem with the formation?" mo hua asked again.


    "that¡¯s... yes, there is..."


    "is the problem with the formation a major one?"


    "it is... i suppose."


    "so since this cave mansion has a major issue, why are you selling it at such a high price?" mo hua demanded righteously.


    the housing agency worker said bitterly, "but it can¡¯t be that cheap?"


    "i didn¡¯t say we can¡¯t negotiate. how much will you lower the price?"


    bearing the pressure of mo hua¡¯s gaze, the housing agency worker tentatively said, "thirty-seven thousand?"


    mo hua shook his head, "twenty thousand and five hundred."


    "thirty-six thousand?"


    "twenty-one thousand..."


    ...


    after a back-and-forth of quoted prices, in the end, mo hua was only willing to pay twenty-nine thousand.


    the housing agency worker gritted his teeth, saying helplessly, "i need to ask the owner. please wait a moment."


    "go on, go ahead."


    mo hua waved him off.


    bai zisheng watched mo hua in wonder, "you¡¯re really good at bargaining..."


    "naturally."


    mo hua nodded.


    to a loose cultivator, every single spirit stone was valuable. naturally, one should never be courteous when it was time to bargain.


    having spirit stones was one thing,


    not spending them unwisely was another.


    after a little while, the housing agency worker came back, holding a spirit pact, and with an apologetic smile, said:


    "i reported back to the owner. the owner was also unaware of so many problems with the formation in the cave mansion and feels deeply sorry. therefore, he is willing to sell this cave mansion to the three young friends at a low price."


    with both hands, the housing agency worker offered the spirit pact to mo hua:


    "the price can be even more favorable, twenty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight, for good luck..."


    mo hua checked the spiritual energy. it was indeed twenty thousand, followed by a series of "eights."


    "your owner is so easy to talk to?"


    mo hua was somewhat skeptical.


    that¡¯s nearly ten thousand spirit stones cut...


    the housing agency worker laughed, "firstly, there are indeed issues with the cave mansion which you, young master, have noticed, and we have become a laughing stock; secondly, our owner also wants to make your acquaintance. you buying our cave mansion is also giving us face."


    mo hua said suspiciously, "does your owner know me?"


    "the owner has not yet had the pleasure of meeting you, sir."


    mo hua¡¯s sparkling eyes turned as he asked again, "is the backing of your housing agency the lu family or south yue sect?"


    the housing agency worker was stunned, then replied:


    "not hiding anything from you, young master, there¡¯s both the lu family and south yue sect..."


    mo hua was also somewhat surprised, "your housing agency¡¯s background is this significant?"


    the housing agency worker chuckled, "well, it¡¯s not all that... the lu family provides financial backing, and the owner who manages things is a direct disciple of the inner gate of south yue sect."


    "although there is backing from both sides, it¡¯s not as significant as being an elder or family head, so it is just a small housing agency..."


    the lu family, taoist court, south yue sect...


    it seems they are all wearing the same pants.


    mo hua sighed.


    however, since he was an outsider, he didn¡¯t ask too much for the time being and gave a fist salute, "please thank the owner for me."


    the housing agency worker gave a respectful fist salute, "i wouldn¡¯t dare."


    afterward came the exchange of spirit stones, signing of the spirit pact, and handing over some formation diagrams and the formation keys.


    when signing the spirit pact, bai zixi said to mo hua, "you sign."


    mo hua was taken aback, "why should i sign?"


    bai zixi said, "you picked it out."


    "but, the spirit stones were provided by junior sister..."


    bai zixi said, "i can¡¯t sign."


    bai zisheng also nodded on the side, "aunt xue doesn¡¯t allow us to sign spirit pacts with others."


    mo hua was taken aback for a moment, then understood.


    he guessed clan members of prominent families probably had some taboos - signing spirit pacts could lead to being cheated or targeted.


    "alright then."


    mo hua signed the spirit pact and, after signing, he gave the pact to bai zixi, "junior sister, you keep it."


    bai zixi intended to refuse, but after thinking it over, accepted it.


    after buying the cave mansion, it needed to be tidied up.


    especially the formation.


    the previous formation was too shabby for mo hua¡¯s taste.


    and since it was going to be his place of residence, he felt more at ease setting up the formation himself.


    mo hua spent some time restructuring the formation diagram of the cave mansion.


    this formation diagram now utilized mostly first-grade formations and even included the thick earth formation.


    together with his junior brother and junior sister, mo hua renovated the formation inside the cave mansion according to the formation diagram.


    afterward, they had the housing agency arrange for someone to come over and clean up.


    the cave mansion was tidy and clean, with doors, windows, corridors, flowers and courtyards, every nook and cranny adorned with formations. these formations were interconnected, forming a sophisticated and complex first-grade compound formation.


    only then was mo hua satisfied.


    after getting everything in order, mo hua and his companions returned to the inn, and brought mr. zhuang to the cave mansion.


    mr. zhuang, seeing the tranquil courtyard, the peaceful bamboo rooms, and the quiet pond,


    as well as the numerous, yet naturally integrated formations matching each courtyard, each room, and every step with grass, nodded in pleased content.


    dinner was enjoyed under the big tree in the courtyard.


    mo hua laid out a low table, with everyone sitting on the grass.


    the table was arrayed with various dishes.


    because they had been to the mines, smelled the odors in the mine shafts, and seen the dreadful state of the deceased mining cultivators, mo hua and his companions had not had much of an appetite these days.


    actually, mo hua was fine, since bai zixi had her eyes covered by mo hua and didn¡¯t see much.


    ```


    the main issue was with bai zisheng, who couldn¡¯t be exposed to the slightest smell of meat.


    so, mo hua made some lighter vegetarian dishes and desserts.


    that day¡¯s staple food was soup dumplings filled with sesame paste.


    a gentle breeze passed, causing the tree leaves to rustle.


    as mo hua ate the soup dumplings, he asked mr. zhuang, "master, is the flow of spiritual energy very important?"


    mo hua had been puzzled about this before.


    inside the cave dwelling, what could the flow of spiritual energy signify?


    he guessed it had something to do with the direction of the wind and the momentum, but these were only his speculations. he wasn¡¯t sure about the deeper reasons.


    mr. zhuang spoke succinctly,


    "the flow of spiritual energy is related to the spirit vein."


    "spirit vein?"


    mo hua was slightly taken aback.


    mr. zhuang nodded slightly, "the so-called spirit vein refers to the vast streams of spiritual energy that flow through nature, forming patterns of energy."


    "vast spiritual energy..." mo hua said, "so now, does that mean there are no spirit veins anymore?"


    because the spiritual energy in the world had already become extremely thin.


    "there still are," mr. zhuang said indifferently, "it¡¯s just that ordinary cultivators can¡¯t see them..."


    mr. zhuang paused, took a bite of the soup dumpling, nodded, and then continued,


    "the existing spirit veins are either in the taoist court or within some ancient noble clans or sects that have been passed down to this day and have not yet declined."


    "some mid-level powers, if they have far-reaching plans and want to sustain their legacy, will also try to use formation methods to artificially create spirit veins..."


    mo hua was surprised, "artificial spirit veins?"


    "indeed," mr. zhuang said reflectively, "it takes a large amount of spirit stones and special formation methods to construct a massive flow of spiritual power, thus forming an ever-flowing and everlasting spirit vein."


    "using the spiritual energy within the spirit vein to cultivate for future generations."


    "it¡¯s just that this is very difficult, and the cost is too great..."


    "and what the general cultivator sees as a spirit vein is actually another form."


    mr. zhuang looked at mo hua and slowly said, "you¡¯ve seen it too."


    mo hua furrowed his eyebrows and thought for a while, his eyes lighting up,


    "spiritual mines?"


    mr. zhuang nodded, "the spiritual energy in the spirit veins, due to the changes in the terrain and buried underground, merges with the mountains, stones, and vegetation. over the years, it forms spiritual mines."


    "so spiritual mines are actually a kind of ¡¯immobile spirit vein,¡¯ a ¡¯one-off spirit vein,¡¯ solidified ¡¯spirit veins¡¯..."


    mo hua nodded in understanding, thought for a moment, then jumped in his heart, and asked, s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "so, master, if i can discern the flow of spiritual energy between the mountains, determine the direction of ancient spirit veins, would it be possible to calculate... where there might be spiritual mines?"


    mr. zhuang smiled encouragingly,


    "the principle is that indeed..."


    "divine sense calculation, perception of spiritual power, formation energy trails, and the flow of nature¡¯s spiritual energy all have things in common and form a system."


    "but making it happen is very complicated in practice."


    "you should learn more and practice more, start from the flow of spiritual energy, from simple to complex, from shallow to deep. in the future, perhaps you could indeed deduce spirit veins from the flow of spiritual energy, and thus locate spiritual mines..."


    spiritual mines!


    mo hua nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining.


    if he really found a spiritual mine, wouldn¡¯t that mean striking it rich?


    he could dig up so many spirit stones!


    mo hua revealed a greedy little look.


    mr. zhuang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head.


    it wasn¡¯t that simple.


    after more than twenty thousand years of taoist court development, the spiritual mines in the cultivation world that hadn¡¯t been discovered were already few and far between.


    even if one was discovered, such a big prize attracted many would-be claimants, which often meant a storm of blood and violence...


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze flickered, and he sighed softly in his heart.


    turning to look at mo hua, mr. zhuang suddenly hesitated again, showing an amused expression.


    his disciple seemed obedient but was also whimsical and mischievous.


    he was able to help a loose cultivator brazenly snatch a spiritual mine from the qian family.


    if he really discovered a spiritual mine in the future, perhaps he could take a cunning opportunity and reap a juicy reward...


    afterward, there was no more talking, and mo hua concentrated on eating.


    his cheeks were stuffed full.


    the soup dumplings were fragrant and sweet.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but eat more, and turning his head, he saw bai zixi seated beside him staring blankly at the soup dumplings in her bowl.


    mo hua asked curiously, "don¡¯t they taste good?"


    he remembered that junior sister was supposed to love sweet things.


    bai zixi shook her head.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze held some confusion.


    bai zixi glanced at mo hua, then pointed at the soup dumplings in her bowl and said, "they kind of look like you."


    mo hua was stunned, then frowned.


    he looked at the soup dumplings in the bowl.


    white, round, and translucent.


    after thinking for a while, mo hua asked uncertainly, "junior sister, are you saying i look pale?"


    bai zixi shook her head again.


    mo hua was even more puzzled.


    bai zixi scooped up a snowy-white dumpling with her spoon, gently bit into it, and the black sesame filling oozed out...


    mo hua froze, and after a long while, he finally understood.


    junior sister was calling him scheming.


    a fair face on the outside, but with a little dark heart on the inside.


    mo hua muttered in dissatisfaction, "where am i scheming..."


    bai zixi nodded and said, "you are!"


    in the mines, there was threatening, framing, deceiving, and intimidating - his methods were quite skilled.


    bai zisheng also nodded on the side,


    "exactly, you seem harmless on the outside, but you have so many cunning ideas in your heart..."


    mo hua glared at bai zisheng, "being scheming is better than being a fool!"


    bai zisheng was indignant, "how dare you call your senior brother a fool!"


    "i didn¡¯t say that, you admitted it yourself..."


    ...


    under the big tree, mo hua and bai zisheng bickered endlessly in a lively manner.


    mr. zhuang looked on unperturbed, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.


    bai zixi then took another bite of her soup dumpling, squinting slightly, her gaze sparkling and clear.

 Chapter 420: Clue (1)

    after moving into the cave dwelling, mo hua had hoped for some peace, but within a few days, a stream of visitors began to arrive, presenting their calling cards.the first was from the owner of a housing agency, who was said to be a direct disciple of the south yue sect.


    mo hua received him with simple hospitality.


    this owner, surnamed zheng, wasn¡¯t very old, with a qi refining ninth level cultivation, dressed in brocade robes and a jade pendant, looking every bit the dandy.


    mr. zheng was very polite upon meeting mo hua, and after a brief conversation between them,


    mo hua understood the general situation.


    mr. zheng was a direct disciple of an elder lin of the south yue sect; his parents were in the alchemy business and were quite wealthy, which helped him enter the inner gate of the south yue sect.


    but inside the inner gate, fights among the direct disciples were common.


    worried about disadvantages befalling their son, his parents financed a housing agency for him, so he could be the owner and make some spirit stones, which he could use to maintain good relations with the sect and other local tao cultivation forces.


    however, without powerful backing, a housing agency is hard to establish.


    his dao companion came from the lu family, and a small part of this housing agency also served as her dowry.


    seeing mo hua¡¯s young age, yet remarkable understanding of formations, mr. zheng had the idea to build relations, and sold the cave dwelling to mo hua at a relatively low price.


    part of these matters mo hua learned from mr. zheng himself.


    the rest he found out by spending two spirit stones to gather information from housing agency workers.


    since mr. zheng didn¡¯t seem to have any ill intentions, mo hua treated him with likewise courtesy.


    mr. zheng had no further business, and after a few cups of tea, he took his leave, saying before he left,


    "i¡¯ll have my servant send over some fine tea to the young master later."


    he probably thought the tea mo hua offered was not to his liking, but it would be impolite to say it outright.


    the tea must have tasted bad indeed, as mo hua had bought it for only a fraction of a spirit stone.


    good tea is quite expensive.


    he usually just "scrounged" for tea, seldom buying it himself.


    only after purchasing the cave dwelling, for fear of visitors, did he reluctantly purchase some tea leaves to serve guests.


    whether it tasted good or bad, it was all the same to him; mo hua wasn¡¯t picky.


    but since mr. zheng intended to send tea, mo hua didn¡¯t want to be curt and thus replied with a smile and a cupped-hand salute,


    "then i must thank mr. zheng."


    mr. zheng, seeing mo hua accept his gesture graciously, seemed very pleased and left with a smile and a salute.


    afterward, there were some other visits from formation masters, a bit of tea drinking, and some talk of formation arts.


    and some neighbors stopped by to offer welcome gifts.


    two days later, even elder su came by.


    mo hua served the tea mr. zheng had sent to elder su.


    after taking a sip, elder su commented,


    "this is... our south yue sect¡¯s tea?"


    mo hua asked in surprise, "you could tell?"


    elder su chuckled, "i drink it every day; i know just by the smell."


    elder su pondered for a moment before asking again,


    "who gave this tea to the young gentleman?"


    mo hua replied, "a mr. zheng."


    elder su frowned, "mr. zheng?"


    "the one dressed extravagantly, wearing the jade pendant, and a tad chubby, who opened the housing agency..."


    "oh," recalled elder su, "zheng yu, right?"


    "he actually sent tea to the young gentleman?"


    elder su seemed surprised but soon noticed that within just a few days, mo hua had already made quite a few acquaintances among the cultivators in south yue city.


    when he entered, there were even many gifts piled up at the doorstep.


    "met them while buying the cave dwelling," mo hua said.


    elder su nodded.


    mo hua then inquired about instructor yan¡¯s matter.


    elder su shook his head, "i sent people to investigate further, but we still have no leads on this mr. yan."


    "i see..." mo hua nodded, "thank you for your effort, elder su."


    "it¡¯s a trifling matter, unworthy of mention," elder su replied politely.


    then, after pondering for a short while and hesitating, he still asked,


    "young gentleman, have you been to the lu family¡¯s mines?"


    mo hua was slightly astonished inwardly but maintained his composure, nodding as if nothing was amiss, "i have been there."


    elder su seemed about to say something but stopped.


    mo hua inquired, "is there something amiss?"


    elder su hesitated for a good while before finally saying,


    "the water in the lu family¡¯s mines is somewhat deep; it would be better for the young gentleman not to get involved."


    mo hua spoke in a lowered voice,


    "could it be that the lu family has some unspeakable secrets..."


    elder su waved his hands repeatedly, "no, no, young gentleman, don¡¯t get the wrong idea."


    elder su continued, "the mines of the lu family are legal and compliant, having passed the taoist court¡¯s inspection, and the mining cultivators are there voluntarily. they don¡¯t delay payments of spirit stones and compensate in the event of an incident; there¡¯s nothing unspeakable."


    mo hua put on a face of someone who, although not personally affected, was quite curious, and whispered,


    "i heard from a friend at the taoist court that five mining cultivators died horrifically inside the mine... their deaths were particularly gruesome..."


    elder su exclaimed in surprise, "you have friends in the taoist court?"


    "you could say that," mo hua nodded.


    after all, he called situ fang "sister" and had worked on assignments and dined together with her, which certainly qualified as friendship.


    elder su¡¯s expression was complex.


    this first-grade junior formation master, wasn¡¯t it his first time in south yue city? yet not only did he know zheng yu, but he also had friends in the taoist court.


    however, all that was of no consequence to him and didn¡¯t really concern him.


    elder su just sighed before saying,


    "people die in that mine every year; no death inside it is ever less than tragic."


    "every year there are deaths?"


    "yes."


    mo hua frowned, "how many die?"


    "that¡¯s hard to say," elder su pondered, "there are always a few hundred, but if a major accident occurs, the deaths could climb into the thousands..."


    "a major accident?"


    "mine collapses, monster beasts causing trouble, filthy qi leaks, and so on."


    mo hua felt a pang of compassion, "so many people die?"


    elder su sighed, "it can¡¯t be helped, we rely on what the land gives us; here in south yue city, there are only mines, and cultivators have to make a living from them..." sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "it¡¯s a bit better now; if people die, the lu family still compensates with spirit stones."


    "in the past, death meant dying for nothing..."


    mo hua was surprised, "they didn¡¯t compensate with spirit stones in the past?"


    elder su nodded, "for loose cultivators, who cares if a few die?"


    mo hua also sighed.


    elder su then realized that the topic had strayed a bit and said:


    "in short, the situation with the mines involves the livelihoods of mining cultivators, clan interests, as well as the authority of the taoist court, it¡¯s very complicated..."


    "as formation masters, we should stay above such mundane matters; there¡¯s no need to concern ourselves with these trifles."


    "especially since you¡¯re an outsider, young master, it¡¯s even less appropriate for you to get involved..."


    elder su¡¯s words were indeed heartfelt.


    mo hua nodded:


    "don¡¯t worry, elder su, i know my limits."


    elder su then breathed a sigh of relief.


    he did not know whether mo hua was truly listening or just pretending to listen, but having heard these words was reassuring enough.


    after chatting a bit more, elder su took his leave.


    mo hua, however, rested his chin in his hand, somewhat puzzled.


    how did elder su know that he had been to the mine?


    if he wanted to inquire, he could certainly find out.


    but he and mo hua were neither relatives nor close acquaintances, so why would he investigate mo hua¡¯s whereabouts?


    could this matter be related to the lu family?


    mo hua remembered that the south yue sect and the lu family were in close association¡­


    sure enough, the next day, mo hua received an invitation.


    the invitation was personally sent by the head of the lu family.


    the wording was brief and did not specify any reason, merely asking mo hua to visit the lu manor to discuss formation together.


    discuss formation...


    it seemed the lu family must have learned of his status as a first-grade formation master; otherwise, the family head of the lu family wouldn¡¯t have personally sent an invitation.


    in a second-grade prefecture border, the status of a first-grade formation master was still quite prestigious.


    and within south yue city, the cultivators who knew of mo hua¡¯s first-grade formation master status, as far as he could tell, included only elder su.


    it seemed elder su and the lu family had no shallow relationship.


    mo hua furrowed his brow.


    to go or not to go?


    could there be any danger?


    mo hua thought about it and decided to pay a visit.


    without any good reason, the lu family wouldn¡¯t dare and had no need to harm a first-grade formation master.


    if they wanted to act, it would be in secret, unseen and unheard.


    not by sending an invitation and openly welcoming him into the lu manor before making a move.


    moreover, mo hua was somewhat curious.


    he wanted to know what type of person the lu family head was.


    mo hua shared this matter with mr. zhuang.


    mr. zhuang merely nodded, not saying much.


    mo hua then felt at ease, mr. zhuang¡¯s lack of comment indicated there was no danger in this matter.


    bai zisheng wanted to go with him, but mr. zhuang kept him back.


    "practice the formation i taught you a hundred times first¡­" mr. zhuang said.


    bai zisheng made a bitter face, watching mo hua leave the house with ease.


    mo hua arrived at the lu family¡¯s estate.


    there were disciples of the lu family who respectfully received mo hua at the entrance and led the way.


    mo hua took this opportunity to take in the lu family¡¯s manor.


    the first impression was that the lu family was very wealthy!


    if the sun family was a small-time wealthy owner, then the lu family was a grand landlord.


    the scale of their estate and the grandeur of their architecture surpassed even the qian family of tongxian city in luxury.


    and it was the same with formations.


    the lu family likely had a complete transmission of formation knowledge, and there should also be a first-grade formation master in the family, plus an abundance of spirit stones.


    therefore, the entire estate¡¯s architectural formation was the best mo hua had seen so far, superior even to the formations he had designed for the refinery shop and the alchemist¡¯s business.


    of course, it still fell far short of a real large formation like the five elements slaughter demon great formation.


    the lu family disciple escorted mo hua to the lu family head¡¯s study.


    this was mo hua¡¯s first encounter with the lu family head.


    to his surprise, the lu family head was an extremely gentle and refined middle-aged cultivator, bringing warmth like a spring breeze, handsome in appearance, creating an easily favorable impression.


    in their conversation, mo hua discovered the lu family head had a profound understanding of formations; at the very least, he was a first-grade formation master.


    throughout the conversation, the lu family head showed great admiration for mo hua.


    the two talked for two hours, only discussing formations and some trivial matters, local customs of south yue city, and some experiences in tao cultivation.


    there was not a single mention of the mine.


    mo hua was shy and polite, while the lu family head was enthusiastic and attentive.


    an air of mutual enjoyment between host and guest.


    before departing, the lu family head gave mo hua a large and small bundle of gifts¡ªformation books, spiritual ink, formation pens, some spiritual meat snacks, and specialty products from south yue city.


    he then had mo hua escorted back to the entrance in the lu family¡¯s luxurious carriage.


    mo hua, riding back in the lu family¡¯s opulent and softly cushioned carriage, dumped the big and small storage bags in the courtyard of his home.


    bai zisheng gaped, "mo hua, did you go scamming?"


    mo hua shot him a glance, "i don¡¯t scam people."


    bai zisheng shook his head, "we¡¯re fellow disciples, there¡¯s no need to lie to me."


    he then asked, "all these, were they given to you by the lu family?"


    mo hua nodded.


    bai zisheng frowned, "why would they do that?"


    mo hua mused, "when someone is overly courteous without cause, there must be a problem."


    but as for what the problem was, mo hua couldn¡¯t guess yet; he could only keep this matter in his heart for now.


    mo hua furrowed his brow.


    the pressing issue was to find a way to locate instructor yan.


    instructor yan had been a mentor to him in the transmission of his cultivation.


    now, the situation in south yue city seemed quite complex.


    with forces intertwined, mining cultivators dying tragically, and the sinister ultimate formation...


    if instructor yan really had come here, he may have encountered some misfortune.


    mo hua wanted to find instructor yan quickly to check on his safety.


    but after much searching, he still had no clues, so he decided to ask situ fang for help.


    situ fang was a supervisor at the taoist court and he had more ways of finding people than mo hua himself did.


    situ fang agreed to help.


    a few days later, situ fang came with news of two matters.


    one was that a cultivator bearing the surname yan and resembling a gentleman did indeed arrive in south yue city a few years ago, and rented a room near the mines on the south side of the city.


    but the room had not been inhabited for a long time.


    according to nearby cultivators, this mr. yan left his house one evening, headed towards the direction of the mine, and never returned...


    the second matter was that there were new leads regarding the five miners who had died tragically¡­

 Chapter 421: Burying (1)

    "the coroner from the taoist court inspected the bodies in the mine shaft and concluded that these mining cultivators were killed by monster beasts, and then eaten by them...""people from the lu family said they would compensate with spirit stones."


    "once the family members of the mining cultivators received the spirit stones, they stopped causing trouble."


    "that¡¯s how things were left for the time being within the taoist court..."


    situ fang said helplessly.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze turned slightly somber, "it¡¯s not that simple, right..."


    without mentioning anything else, those mining cultivators were definitely not eaten by monster beasts.


    having dealt with monster beasts frequently at big black mountain, mo hua was certain of this.


    seeing there was no one else around, situ fang spoke in a lower voice:


    "right, that coroner told a lie."


    mo hua was somewhat puzzled, "how do you know he lied?"


    situ fang replied, "i gave him spirit stones, and he confessed to me himself."


    mo hua nodded.


    indeed, spirit stones could make people honest. sear?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after he had given two spirit stones to the housing agency workers who dealt with cave dwelling sales, they also spilled all the truth.


    situ fang continued:


    "the coroner told me that these mining cultivators were first killed by someone, and then eaten by something unidentifiable..."


    "the time of death was somewhat old, and the filthy qi inside the shaft was heavy, so the putrid and turbid scents blended together, making it difficult to distinguish what exactly ate the bodies..."


    mo hua felt a chill in his heart; he was also somewhat moved.


    to deduce the cause of death for those mining cultivators in such a state, that coroner certainly had some real skill.


    in tao cultivation, every profession, even those deemed unassuming or ¡¯lowly,¡¯ had its special intricacies that should not be underestimated.


    "then why didn¡¯t this coroner speak the truth?" mo hua asked again, "did someone prevent him from doing so?"


    "yes," situ fang nodded, "court leader zhao from the taoist court discretely briefed him."


    "court leader zhao?"


    situ fang spoke softly, "he¡¯s more senior than i am, serving as a supervisor in the taoist court of south yue city for sixty or seventy years, deeply trusted by the court leader."


    the court leader, huh...


    mo hua somewhat understood.


    that meant the court leader of south yue city had instructed to downplay the incident, finding a ¡¯suitable¡¯ reason to make a big issue small, a small issue gone.


    if a cultivator kills, it¡¯s murder.


    if monster beasts kill, it¡¯s an accident.


    since it¡¯s an accident, it¡¯s considered an inevitable risk.


    the taoist court wouldn¡¯t need to waste effort investigating, and the lu family wouldn¡¯t bear much responsibility, just needing to provide some spirit stone compensation.


    the family members of the mining cultivators would be compensated with spirit stones and would no longer continue to make a fuss.


    and so the matter was settled...


    at first glance, it indeed seemed ¡¯appropriate.¡¯


    mo hua glanced at situ fang¡¯s expression, seeing her take it to heart, and quietly asked:


    "sister situ, are you planning to keep investigating?"


    situ fang hesitated for a moment, then nodded:


    "you¡¯re right, this matter isn¡¯t so simple. we have to find out who killed these mining cultivators and what ate their bodies."


    situ fang sighed, "if we don¡¯t figure it out, i¡¯m afraid more mining cultivators will die such tragic deaths..."


    mo hua then said, "your court leader won¡¯t agree to your continued investigation, right?"


    situ fang carelessly replied:


    "i¡¯m on a rotating duty. with the backing of my clan, i just need to be polite to him outwardly, and i don¡¯t need to be overly concerned with him."


    mo hua nodded and praised, "sister situ, you have a kind heart!"


    then he thumped his chest and said, "i¡¯ll help you investigate!"


    situ fang looked at mo hua skeptically, "investigate what?"


    "the cause of death for the mining cultivators."


    situ fang, not understanding, said, "it¡¯s my duty to investigate, but why would you get involved in this mess?"


    after thinking for a moment, mo hua replied:


    "i want to find instructor yan; since he went missing in the mine as well, it might be related to the cause of death for the mining cultivators."


    "furthermore, i want to uncover the truth and not allow these mining cultivators to have died in vain."


    of course, there was also a key point: the ultimate formation.


    mo hua had sensed the malevolent presence of an ultimate formation emanating from the bodies of the dead mining cultivators.


    he wanted to know what this ultimate formation was and why it carried an evil aura.


    and who exactly was using this formation to harm people...


    however, he did not reveal the matter about the ultimate formation to situ fang.


    after pondering for a while, situ fang nodded, "alright."


    then she added a word of caution:


    "but you must be careful, this matter is probably more complex than it seems. if something goes wrong, you must run immediately."


    "their power is great, but only within south yue city."


    "once you leave south yue city, you¡¯ll be back in tongxian city, your own territory, and you won¡¯t have to fear anything."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze flickered, indicating that situ fang had also sensed something.


    mo hua nodded and said, "all right!"


    ...


    although determined to investigate, the clues were limited.


    mo hua wanted to first examine the bodies of the mining cultivators.


    he wanted to use his divine sense to feel the deathly filthy qi on the bodies and find out what it was and how it differed from the usual natural essences.


    he also wanted to perform further calculations, to see if he could obtain more clues about the ultimate formation.


    after the mine shaft was cleared, the bodies of the mining cultivators were sealed within the taoist court.


    mo hua followed situ fang to the taoist court, only to be informed that the bodies had already been cremated by the families.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze became slightly focused.


    situ fang also frowned deeply, "who permitted this?"


    "who else?" the coroner curled his lips and, seeing no one around, pointed upwards with his hand.


    upwards¡ªthat would be the court leader of south yue city.


    mo hua quietly made calculations in his heart.


    to hastily dispose of the corpses like this...


    the problem with this court leader seemed quite severe.


    it also indicated that indeed, these corpses harbored some unspeakable secrets.


    situ fang¡¯s eyes flickered, evidently sharing the same thought.


    they hadn¡¯t considered confronting the court leader either, because such an action would be meaningless.


    "let¡¯s go ask the families of the mining cultivators," suggested mo hua.


    situ fang nodded in agreement.


    these mining cultivators lived in residential houses near the mines.


    their houses were incredibly cramped, filthy, and in complete disarray, suffused with foul air.


    the mining cultivators living inside all had disheveled appearances and dirty faces.


    at this noontime, many were eating plain congee mixed with hard, black pickles.


    the congee was mixed with flour, and it contained but few grains of rice.


    children, equally grimy, ran back and forth through the narrow alleyways.


    situ fang showed a look of pity.


    even mo hua, accustomed to seeing loose cultivators in poverty, sighed lightly.


    even among loose cultivators, these mining cultivators were almost the poorest of the lot.


    mo hua had always thought that the loose cultivators of tongxian city had it tough.


    but the further one traveled and the more one saw, the more one encountered the depths of poverty.


    it appeared elder yu was right, "the loose cultivators of tongxian city suffer greatly, but beyond tongxian city, those who suffer more than tongxian¡¯s cultivators are even more numerous..."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze became inscrutable as he silently pondered something.


    situ fang led mo hua to the front of a dilapidated house.


    the door of the house was closed.


    situ fang inquired with the neighbors and found out that after the taoist court had cremated the bodies and returned them, the household went to bury the deceased mining cultivator.


    the burial place was a large wasteland to the south.


    it was a mass grave.


    when mo hua and situ fang arrived at the mass grave, they saw the desolate ground scattered with many messy tomb mounds.


    some had steles with the names of the deceased inscribed.


    some had only a wooden plaque, weathered and decayed by the wind and sun.


    most graves had no markers, leaving it unknown who was buried there or who had buried them.


    in the mass grave, there was a new tomb being buried.


    as mo hua and situ fang approached, they saw three or four households gathered together, dressed in white, burning paper money, and weeping softly.


    there was just one coffin.


    situ fang inquired and learned that the bodies of these five men had been mangled beyond recognition, making it impossible to distinguish their limbs.


    the taoist court had mixed them together and cremated them as one.


    the families of the mining cultivators could only inter the five men together in one coffin.


    situ fang said indignantly, "how could this be done?"


    a woman, haggard and of middle age, clutching a thin child, spoke helplessly:


    "even if separated, we couldn¡¯t afford coffins. this single coffin was pooled together by four of our households."


    "isn¡¯t it five households?"


    "one family¡ªthe wife has already remarried with her son and no one is there to bury him."


    situ fang was at a loss for words.


    the woman sighed and said:


    "we don¡¯t blame her. a widow with an orphan, if she didn¡¯t remarry, she couldn¡¯t survive."


    situ fang furrowed his brow, "didn¡¯t the lu family compensate with spirit stones?"


    "we got a hundred, but by the time it reached us, only twenty were left. these twenty spirit stones won¡¯t last long."


    situ fang¡¯s expression turned cold, "who skimmed off the top?"


    the woman hemmed and hawed, unable to speak, her face filled with sorrowful sighs.


    situ fang asked again, but the woman only shook her head, remaining silent.


    everyone fell somewhat silent.


    the desolate gravesite once again grew deathly quiet, with only the weak sounds of weeping intermittently rising and falling.


    after the graves were established, everyone offered incense.


    the incense smoke curled upwards, the graves lonely.


    the mining cultivators¡¯ family members had faces filled with sorrow.


    life as a mining cultivator was tough, and it was uncertain how long they could survive.


    who knows when an accident in the mine shaft might occur, adding another grave to this mass burial ground?


    and ultimately, these graves would remain nameless and unidentified amid the desolate hills.


    unasked-about, unvisited for offerings.


    just a collection of unknown mounds of earth and rocks.


    mo hua glanced around, feeling an inexplicable sense of desolation and melancholy.


    after a moment, mo hua was taken aback.


    he took another look at the families of the cultivators and slowly furrowed his brows.


    he remembered that when these families of the mining cultivators had made a fuss, demanding an explanation from the taoist court and arguing with situ fang, there were several strong men by their side.


    but now, looking at these few households, there were only women and children, or the elderly.


    there were a few young cultivators, but they were also frail and thin.


    where had those strong men gone?


    mo hua¡¯s gaze turned slight cold.

 Chapter 422: Ruffian (1)

    mo hua quietly shared her suspicions with situ fang.situ fang was slightly stunned, then her brows furrowed tightly. she realized something was not right and, recalling the situation at that time, she slowly said,


    "those burly men, dressed in the miners¡¯ clothes with rough hands and dark skin, i thought they were the family of these missing miners, or at least relatives or friends."


    "it was them who were causing trouble all along, demanding a huge compensation from the lu family."


    "but now that the matter has settled and the lu family has given the compensation, they have suddenly disappeared. they didn¡¯t even show up for something like the burial, which is very strange..."


    situ fang remarked after some thought, "i will ask the miners¡¯ families again."


    mo hua shook her head, "they may not dare to speak."


    seeing their demeanor just now, all meek and compliant, they must be afraid of retaliation and hence don¡¯t dare to say much.


    situ fang then said, "then i¡¯ll ask the local miners about their identities."


    "the miners might not tell the truth either," mo hua said.


    after all, they don¡¯t hold much affection for the taoist court either.


    "then..."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes flashed as she said, "let me handle this, sister situ. you draw the portraits of those few burly men¡­"


    "leave it to you?" situ fang was astonished.


    "yes," mo hua nodded, "i know who to find."


    situ fang hesitated, "you are here for the first time in south yue city, right? how do you know so many cultivators?"


    mo hua replied modestly, "i am quite well-received..."


    situ fang was at a loss for words for a moment.


    "alright then."


    situ fang sighed and, following her memory, drew the appearances of the few burly men, albeit a bit awkwardly with the brush.


    mo hua took the drawing, and following her instructions, added a few touches.


    situ fang¡¯s eyes brightened, "this is how they look; you are really good at this."


    mo hua smiled.


    as a formation master who deals with formation patterns every day, sketching portraits is quite simple.


    mo hua carefully stored the portraits and then sneakily slipped away to the lu family mines. hiding in plain sight, she sat on a boulder, waiting for the opportunity to arise.


    as evening approached, there was a shift change for the overseers.


    a lu family cultivator in the middle phase of qi refinement walked out of the mine, full of arrogance.


    mo hua called out, "lu ming."


    the cultivator named lu ming paused, looking around; no one was in sight, and his expression was one of confusion as he muttered,


    "weird, who¡¯s calling my name..."


    he continued walking.


    not far ahead, he heard his name being called again.


    it was a young, clear, child-like voice.


    lu ming was taken aback and looked around once more, but still, no one was there.


    the arrogance on his face slowly faded, replaced by extreme solemnity and tension.


    "damn it..."


    all the cultivators guarding the mine knew that the mine was dangerous and eerie at night.


    but now it was only evening, not yet dark...


    could it be...


    lu ming began to sweat with fear.


    he was so scared that he turned to run, but after staggering only a few steps, he found himself immobilized.


    blue watery spiritual power chains wrapped around him, leaving him unable to move.


    the feeling was familiar, and lu ming quickly realized what was happening.


    he turned his head and, sure enough, saw a young cultivator sitting leisurely on another big stone.


    the young cultivator was even waving his little hand at him.


    lu ming felt like crying without tears.


    he was only in the middle phase of qi refinement, while this young cultivator was already in the later phase.


    not only that, this little cultivator also knew formations, and his spells were very peculiar.


    knowing he couldn¡¯t escape, lu ming had no choice but to reluctantly approach mo hua. as he came face to face with mo hua, he forced a smile and said,


    "young... young master, how come you¡¯re here?"


    mo hua replied, "i¡¯ve come to find you."


    lu ming¡¯s eyelid twitched, "to find me... for what?"


    mo hua¡¯s smile held a hint of amusement as she said,


    "did you, perhaps, tell your family head about my affairs?"


    lu ming went pale, "no, i didn¡¯t!"


    "tell the truth."


    lu ming fell silent.


    "if you tell the truth, i won¡¯t trouble you," mo hua said.


    then she smiled with a hint of malice, "but if you lie, the things in this mine will have a good feast tonight..."


    remembering the death of the few miners, lu ming shivered and immediately confessed,


    "i didn¡¯t want to say anything, but when the family head asked me, i... i didn¡¯t dare not to speak..."


    "what did you say exactly?"


    lu ming replied weakly, "i just said you know formations, that you found the mining tunnel, and then you found the bodies of the miners inside. i didn¡¯t say anything else..."


    "i dare not say..."


    because the other matter is related to the lu family.


    these matters, it was he who had leaked them out.


    if the family head knew he¡¯d leaked the news, especially about the mine, he certainly wouldn¡¯t let him off.


    mo hua nodded.


    being skilled in formation, discovering the mine was something he couldn¡¯t hide. the lu family head knowing about it wasn¡¯t really a big deal.


    as long as he didn¡¯t know that mo hua was interested in the mine, that was fine.


    "alright, let¡¯s talk about the main issue."


    mo hua took out the portraits of those few men drawn by situ fang and asked:


    "do you recognize these men?"


    lu ming looked over the portraits one by one, shook his head, and said:


    "i don¡¯t recognize any of them."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze tightened.


    he picked out three portraits and said to lu ming:


    "you lied, you recognize these three portraits."


    lu ming¡¯s mouth gaped open, "this... this..."


    how did he see through him?


    could this junior cultivator actually read minds?


    mo hua couldn¡¯t read minds.


    it was just that when lu ming looked at those three portraits, although his expression remained unchanged, there were slight fluctuations in his divine sense.


    such minute fluctuations couldn¡¯t escape mo hua¡¯s perception.


    one¡¯s expression may deceive but divine sense would not.


    therefore, lu ming certainly knew these three men.


    mo hua¡¯s crisp voice carried a hint of chill as he warned:


    "i may be young, but i have a bad temper."


    "you¡¯ve lied to me once, i¡¯ll remember that, but if you lie to me again..."


    mo hua spread a bright smile, "i¡¯ll make sure you never have the chance to lie to anyone ever again!"


    in mo hua¡¯s innocent smile, there was a hint of maliciousness.


    he seemed like an immortal child from under the seat of an immortal, yet also like a little demon from the underworld beckoning souls...


    lu ming shuddered again, bitterness in his heart: s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    what exactly is this little ancestor¡¯s identity?


    mo hua patted the three portraits with his small hand, "tell me, who are these three?"


    lu ming sighed and said dispiritedly, "they¡¯re mining cultivators..."


    "mining cultivators?"


    "to say they¡¯re mining cultivators isn¡¯t exactly right either..."


    lu ming explained, "they are actually local ruffians from the city. usually, they loiter for descendants of the noble families, bullying people by flaunting power; or they extort small merchants, exploiting locals; or they rob on the outskirts of the city to scrape up some spirit stones..."


    "with spirit stones in hand, they squander in indulgences, gambling and visiting brothels."


    "only when they have no spirit stones left do they go to the mines to dig for a day or two..."


    "so although they are mining cultivators, they aren¡¯t really mining cultivators..."


    mo hua frowned, "do they also help wronged mining cultivators claim spirit stones?"


    lu ming was a bit surprised, "how did you know?"


    seeing mo hua ignoring him, lu ming had no choice but to explain,


    "if a mining cultivator encounters misfortune, they will inform the family of the mining cultivator and then take it upon themselves to claim the spirit stones for them."


    "the spirit stones they claim, they keep the lion¡¯s share, and only the rest gets to the hands of the mining cultivator¡¯s family."


    "doesn¡¯t anyone deal with them?" mo hua inquired.


    "it¡¯s useless," lu ming said, "they have quite a few people, and they are ruthless in their actions. once involved with them, they¡¯re like clingy dogs that you can¡¯t shake off..."


    "the higher-up cultivators don¡¯t bother with them and the lower-class mining cultivators dare not speak out against them."


    mo hua pondered for a moment and then asked:


    "how do you know them?"


    lu ming hesitated to speak.


    mo hua said, "tell the truth, i won¡¯t blame you."


    only then did lu ming sheepishly speak, "i¡¯ve accepted spirit stones from them, giving them some conveniences here at the mine..."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, "what conveniences?"


    lu ming hurriedly replied, "nothing much, just that they come and go as they please, and if there¡¯s an issue, i would just turn a blind eye..."


    mo hua¡¯s brows furrowed, a hint of doubt in his heart.


    these ruffians themselves hardly ever mined, so why bribe for such privileges?


    and what exactly were they doing that they needed the mine supervisor to "turn a blind eye"...


    mo hua had a vague guess in his heart, and his gaze became icy.


    although the loose cultivators of tongxian city were poor, the ones at the bottom supported each other.


    but in south yue city, some loose cultivators, despite being at the bottom and weak themselves, indulged in trampling over those even weaker.


    "what are the names of these three cultivators?" mo hua asked coldly.


    lu ming replied, "the tall one is named wang hu, the one with half his hair burned off is tang huzi..."


    "the one leading them, with the scar on his face, is named wang lai, but privately everyone calls him ¡¯cheeky wang¡¯..."

 Chapter 423: Tracking (1)

    mo hua relayed the information he had gathered to situ fang.situ fang, thinking of the destitute orphans and widows, furrowed her brows tightly in anger.


    "how outrageous!"


    this was exploiting the deceased¡¯s wealth, ruining complete households!


    the next day, situ fang, accompanied by cultivators from the taoist court, found wang lai and his cronies at the gambling den, arrested them, and took them in for interrogation at the taoist court.


    she incidentally confiscated the spirit stones they had extorted.


    situ fang returned those spirit stones to the families of the mining cultivators, but she had no way to deal with wang lai and the others.


    wang lai and his group had forcefully demanded compensation for the miners and appropriated most of the spirit stones for themselves, which was not considered a grave offense.


    the judgment from the taoist court couldn¡¯t be too severe.


    situ fang wanted to dig up their past misdeeds and convict them on multiple charges.


    these hoodlums had been a blight on the township and undoubtedly had a track record of bad behavior.


    however, with the miners being weak and fearing retribution, no one dared to testify against them.


    left with no choice, situ fang could only detain them for a month. she also resorted to corporal punishment; giving them thirty heavy strokes of the rod before releasing them.


    after being released from the taoist prison, the first thing wang lai and his thugs did was to band together with a bunch of other scoundrels, go to the deceased miner¡¯s house, and threaten and extort the family. they took back the spirit stones and even injured several people, brazenly declaring:


    "if you dare report us to the taoist court again, we¡¯ll ensure your entire family is wiped out!"


    this was what situ fang told mo hua.


    in the courtyard of her dwelling, situ fang was so angry that she gritted her teeth.


    "i was about to throw them back into the taoist prison when several older enforcement leaders stopped me..."


    "they told me it was pointless, that they had seen such things happen many times over the years."


    "unless we actually kill these thugs, they are like sticking plasters, impossible to get rid of."


    "arresting them only to release them again and again..."


    "indeed, as a supervisor of the taoist court, i¡¯m not afraid of them, but ultimately, it¡¯s the poor mining cultivators they bully who suffer..."


    situ fang¡¯s expression was laden with helplessness.


    after talking for a while, situ fang left with a face full of worry.


    mo hua sat in the courtyard, frowning in thought.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi finished learning about formation from mr. zhuang and, as they walked out, they passed by the courtyard and saw mo hua sitting under a large tree, deep in contemplation.


    bai zisheng ran up to mo hua and asked,


    "what¡¯s wrong?"


    after thinking for a moment, mo hua told him about wang lai and the others¡¯ case.


    hearing this, bai zisheng angrily said, "just slaughter them!"


    bai zixi¡¯s willow brows also knitted slightly.


    mo hua said, "actions need to follow the rules, we must adhere to the taoist law, if they haven¡¯t committed a crime deserving death, it¡¯s not right to kill people casually..."


    bai zisheng muttered, "i think they deserve to die already..."


    mo hua gave him a look.


    bai zisheng said no more.


    then he paused, looking at mo hua suspiciously, "are you scheming something bad?"


    not pleased, mo hua said, "why would you call it scheming something bad?"


    "you¡¯re definitely planning to trick people..." bai zisheng remarked.


    bai zixi also looked at mo hua with suspicion.


    "it¡¯s not exactly tricking people..." mo hua thought for a moment, then said, "i plan to secretly follow them and see what they usually do, to find if there¡¯s something incriminating."


    if these cultivators were guilty of repeated wrongdoings, they were bound to slip up somewhere.


    "follow them?" bai zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up.


    "you can¡¯t go," said mo hua.


    bai zisheng was hugely disappointed, "why not?"


    "you don¡¯t know a concealment technique." sear?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "it¡¯s not needed, right..."


    "of course, it is!" mo hua raised his fine eyebrows, "only by concealing yourself can you follow them. to tail them openly is to make fools of them, isn¡¯t it?"


    "alright then¡­"


    bai zisheng lost his enthusiasm.


    bai zixi coughed softly to remind bai zisheng and then glanced subtly at mo hua.


    realization dawned on bai zisheng, and he said to mo hua,


    "right, aren¡¯t you skilled in concealment formation?"


    "my concealment formation isn¡¯t very effective..." mo hua demurred.


    bai zixi shook her head, "your concealment formation works quite well, it¡¯s the taoist robe you use that isn¡¯t good."


    hearing this, bai zisheng also nodded vigorously:


    "exactly, exactly, you¡¯re my junior brother, how could your formation skills be bad, it must be the taoist robe you¡¯re using..."


    "i¡¯ll prepare a superior taoist robe for you, you draw up a concealment formation for us, and then we can go together to follow those bad guys."


    bai zisheng figured confidently, then assertively said,


    "as your senior brother, how can i let you venture alone? i would feel guilty."


    mo hua looked at him silently, "are you feeling ¡¯guilty¡¯ or is it your ¡¯desire to play¡¯ that can¡¯t take it..."


    bai zisheng, his intentions seen through by mo hua, sheepishly said,


    "both, both."


    he had been cooped up in the last few days by mr. zhuang, studying those complicated and profound formations until his head spun.


    naturally, he wanted to seize the chance to go out and have fun with mo hua.


    "what about your master? don¡¯t you need to keep learning formation?" mo hua asked in doubt.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi had been studying formation in the past few days.


    it was that kind of formation he couldn¡¯t learn.


    "it¡¯s fine, master hasn¡¯t taught new things in the past few days, i just need to review whenever there¡¯s time," said bai zixi.


    mo hua was still somewhat hesitant.


    bai zisheng looked at him eagerly.


    the eyes of bai zixi were also shining brightly.


    mo hua sighed, "alright, but you must be low-key and cautious..."


    "you must listen to me," mo hua emphasized again.


    when the younger disciple said this, the elder brother and sister both nodded obediently.


    after that, mo hua began to draw the concealment formation.


    the taoist robe was too cumbersome; they couldn¡¯t just wear another robe over their clothes. that would be fine when concealed, but too conspicuous when not.


    moreover, it would be inconvenient for movement.


    bai zixi picked out several garments for mo hua.


    mixing and matching with the formation, mo hua finally chose a cloak-style garment.


    this hooded type, worn over the outside, could keep one warm, block out the wind and dust, and when wearing the hood, could even hide one¡¯s face.


    in the minor wilderness state boundary, the weather was hot, so mo hua chose three lighter cloaks.


    these cloaks were made with special refining techniques and were all top-notch spiritual artifacts,


    mo hua drew the concealment formation on them.


    afterward, the three tried it out, to great effect.


    at least to the naked eye, it couldn¡¯t detect anything.


    of course, mo hua¡¯s divine sense was too strong; he could still detect his elder brother and sister, but bai zisheng could not detect mo hua.


    once they were prepared, the three began their surveillance.


    their target was wang lai.


    wang lai, also known as cheeky wang, was regarded as the leader of these ruffians.


    he wasn¡¯t tall, but his cultivation was not low¡ªqi refinement ninth layer peak, and amongst this group of rogue cultivators, he had the deepest cultivation level.


    an earth series spiritual root, he practiced the path of body refinement, using straightforward cultivation techniques. his specialty was wielding a ring-head blade called the mountain opening blade.


    on ordinary days, he was idle and caused trouble.


    whenever he had spirit stones, he would indulge in eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling, not short of anything.


    the street he often frequented was jinhua street, located to the north of south yue city and was the most bustling area of the entire city.


    naturally, it was also the most corrupt place.


    qin tower, chu pavilion, brothels, gambling houses, and all sorts of establishments were available.


    there were also some places that mo hua had never seen or even imagined...


    mo hua was a bit curious, but still refrained from going in to have a look.


    after all, they were definitely not good places.


    he might let it pass for himself, but with his elder brother and sister following, he couldn¡¯t lead them astray, otherwise his master would surely knock on his little head.


    although jinhua street was bustling, it also had its social stratifications.


    the places wang lai could afford were some secluded brothels, narrow gambling houses, and low-grade taverns.


    living a life of drunkenness and debauchery, squandering the money he swindled from dead miners, wang lai began to "make" spirit stones again.


    he had to "make" spirit stones, as he also owed money to the gambling houses.


    a horse does not get fat without night grazing, a person does not get rich without windfalls.


    just as mo hua expected, wang lai¡¯s methods for "making" spirit stones were all underhanded.


    there was stealing, cheating, tricking, and robbing.


    there was being a lackey for a noble clans disciple of south yue city, clearing the way for him to earn rewards; there was extorting protection money from small merchants;


    there was setting up cons in the gambling houses and tricking spirit stones from visiting cultivators; there were highway robberies and stolen goods;


    there was even finding a female cultivator from a brothel to perform petty tricks called "tricky" to swindle spirit stones...


    mo hua truly had his eyes opened.


    the way mining cultivators earned spirit stones was only one: through hard, sincere effort, yet both bitter and tiring.


    and yet wang lai, without doing any proper work, spent each day in dissipation...


    the harder one worked, the more toil they endured, the more miserable their life became.


    this world truly bullied the honest cultivators.


    mo hua felt some emotion and at the same time, some doubts arose in his mind.


    he remembered lu ming saying that when these ruffians like wang lai truly ran out of spirit stones, they would join the mines as mining cultivators for a few days, dig some ore, and earn a few spirit stones.


    but during these days, wang lai indeed experienced times when his pockets were dry, without a single spirit stone to his name.


    however, he hadn¡¯t entered the mines once, nor dug any ore.


    "something¡¯s not right..." mo hua furrowed his brows.


    this wang lai seemed to have nothing to do with the mines.


    this seemed highly unlikely.


    mo hua waited patiently, and after a few days, he found that wang lai was finally going to enter the mine.


    because he found an elderly mining cultivator to whisper:


    "there are top-grade ores hidden by the lu family in the mine, let¡¯s steal some, and we won¡¯t have to worry about food and drink for the rest of our lives..."


    stealing from the mine...


    mo hua¡¯s pupils contracted.


    the five missing miners seemed to have died in the mine because of an attempt to steal ore...


    and stealing ore was a great taboo for mining cultivators.


    why had those five unfortunate miners suddenly thought of stealing ore?


    mo hua looked at wang lai, his eyes brimming with a cold light.

 Chapter 424: Calculation (1)

    "old yu, what do you say?"wang lai spoke to the elderly, dark-skinned, and gaunt old cultivator.


    old yu was startled, waving his hands repeatedly:


    "no, no, i dare not steal from the lu family¡¯s mine..."


    wang lai let out a scoff, "what¡¯s there to be afraid of? the bold thrive, and the timid starve. the lu family rides on our backs, making us suffer and slave away for them. they, on the other hand, enjoy their riches and luxuries while we can¡¯t even afford to eat. what does it matter if we steal a little ore from them?"


    wang lai appeared to be considering old yu¡¯s interests.


    old yu¡¯s gaze turned wary, and he shook his head again.


    wang lai¡¯s eyes showed displeasure as he continued patiently, "don¡¯t worry, the lu family won¡¯t find out."


    "how do you know?" old yu cautiously asked.


    "we¡¯ll go at midnight, unseen and unheard," wang lai whispered. "and besides, i¡¯ve bribed the lu family¡¯s cultivators to turn a blind eye..."


    "but that¡¯s a secret mine, the lu family¡¯s treasure trove, who knows how many good things are there."


    "we won¡¯t take much, just one or two pieces. once sold, they could be exchanged for a large amount of spirit stones..."


    wang lai enticed him bit by bit.


    old yu was visibly tempted, but after glancing at wang lai, he still shook his head.


    he did not trust wang lai¡¯s character.


    as for who wang lai was, old yu was all too aware.


    wang lai tried to persuade him again, "aren¡¯t you lacking spirit stones?"


    old yu nodded, "in this mine, who isn¡¯t short on spirit stones?"


    "but you¡¯re different," wang lai said, "your grandson has an excellent spiritual root, but what a waste it is without spirit stones to cultivate..."


    "just think, if he succeeds in his cultivation, he could leave the mines behind for a promising future in tao cultivation."


    "but you¡¯re so poor that without spirit stones for cultivation, no matter how talented he is, he¡¯ll end up just like you, unable to leave the mines for life, forever buried in these rotten stones, living a bitter existence until one day, dying in the pits..."


    wang lai sighed, "if his spiritual root were poor, that¡¯d be another story. we¡¯d all share the same miserable fate, rotting in the mountains, left with nothing to say."


    "but your grandson is different, isn¡¯t it a waste of his talent if he doesn¡¯t cultivate and gamble on his future?"


    "spiritual roots are innate. your grandson being born with such a spiritual root is a rare blessing that comes once in a hundred years, not every family has the chance to have a child with such a good spiritual root..."


    wang lai¡¯s expression was sincere, and his tone was filled with regret.


    old yu listened, somewhat dazed.


    seeing his chance, wang lai¡¯s eyes flickered as he whispered temptingly:


    "don¡¯t you want to earn a batch of spirit stones, to give your grandson, to give your yu family a chance to rise above?"


    these words struck a chord in old yu¡¯s heart.


    he looked guilty, his heart ached, and his skinny old hands clenched tightly. his hunched body trembled slightly.


    he lived a hard life, but he didn¡¯t want his grandson to suffer the same fate.


    they, as mining cultivators, truly rotted away in the mountains, never lifting their heads for a lifetime. sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but as for stealing the ore, old yu had reservations and dared not agree too hastily.


    seeing this, wang lai wore a mocking smile:


    "the older you get, the less courage you have. half in the grave and still so timid."


    "forget it." wang lai sighed, "i only gave you this opportunity because your grandson is talented. if he becomes successful in cultivation one day, i could share in the glory too."


    "but with you being such a disappointment as a grandfather, it can¡¯t be helped."


    "wang er and tang wu will be enough."


    wang er and tang wu were other mining cultivators from nearby, with multiple siblings in their families. they didn¡¯t have proper names and were called by their birth order.


    old yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, "they¡¯re going too?"


    wang lai said, "of course, it¡¯s all been agreed upon. otherwise, relying just on an old man like you, how much could we possibly steal?"


    after finishing his piece, wang lai got up and said, "if you¡¯re not coming, then forget it. but don¡¯t speak of this to anyone, or there will be consequences."


    wang lai made a show of leaving.


    old yu panicked inside and quickly grabbed his sleeve, "i... i¡¯ll go!"


    wang lai looked none too pleased.


    old yu softened his tone, "master wang, you¡¯re giving me this opportunity. i¡¯m willing to accept fewer spirit stones. if my grandson makes something of his cultivation someday, he will surely remember your great kindness."


    only then did wang lai break into a smile:


    "that¡¯s the answer i was waiting for!"


    he patted old yu on the shoulder, "don¡¯t blame me for being opportunistic. in a world without true kinship, one certainly doesn¡¯t get up early without prospect of profit. i¡¯m also looking for a glimmer of hope..."


    old yu laughed and echoed him, "of course."


    wang lai nodded, whispered a few more instructions, then left old yu¡¯s house. turning the corner and seeing that no one was around, he spat scornfully:


    "old fool, still daydreaming, believing anything you tell him..."


    "success in cultivation? go dream on."


    "born in the mines, you¡¯re destined for a lowly life, no matter how good your spiritual root is, it¡¯s still a lowly life you lead!"


    ...


    wang lai snorted coldly and walked away.


    on a nearby rooftop, three little cultivators dressed in cloaks, their figures hidden, lay in secret, their little heads huddled together.


    "this guy is a bastard," bai zisheng declared.


    bai zixi nodded in agreement.


    mo hua also nodded.


    "should we take care of him first?" bai zisheng was eager to try.


    bai zixi looked at mo hua.


    mo hua shook his head, "not yet, let¡¯s see what they¡¯re up to."


    bai zisheng thought for a moment, then nodded, "alright, you¡¯re the junior brother, we¡¯ll follow your lead."


    the three of them moved stealthily, following wang lai.


    walking proudly on the main road, wang lai, oblivious to the events behind him, was unaware that every move he made was being watched by the three little cultivators.


    wang lai left old yu¡¯s house and met with a few other mining cultivators.


    that is, the ones he mentioned, wang er and tang wu.


    "old yu has agreed, will you go or not?"


    wang er frowned, "he actually agreed?"


    "fortune comes with danger, how could he not understand that?" wang lai snorted coldly, looking at wang er and the others with slight contempt.


    "an old man like him has more guts than you two, young and yet so timid?"


    tang wu was somewhat unconvinced and wanted to agree on the spot.


    but wang er pulled him and signaled him not to rush.


    wang lai¡¯s eyes darted around and he asked, "you haven¡¯t got yourself wives, have you?"


    the two men looked a bit bashful.


    wang lai lowered his voice, "the old lady li who sells pastries in the city, her family has two or three young daughters, young and with tender, dewy faces..."


    "come with me to steal from the mine, earn some spirit stones, and i¡¯ll be the matchmaker for you."


    wang er and the others were somewhat moved, their faces turning slightly red, "but..."


    "but what?" wang lai scorned, "how can you start a family and marry without earning some spirit stones while you¡¯re young? do you want to bring someone into suffering?"


    tang wu immediately said, "i¡¯ll go with you!"


    wang er was still hesitating, "you could steal by yourselves, why involve us?"


    wang lai sighed, "old yu is getting on in years and isn¡¯t strong enough, and my few men, although they have mined before, are inconsistent as they come. they¡¯re not familiar with the workings of a mine, hence i turned to you..."


    after finishing, wang lai turned serious and warned in a low voice:


    "you must not let this matter out, otherwise the lu family won¡¯t let us off..."


    wang er and tang wu both turned solemn and nodded:


    "brother wang, rest assured."


    wang lai nodded, "then it¡¯s settled..."


    "tomorrow at 1 p.m., at the eastern end of the mine near the half-cut willow tree, i¡¯ll wait for you there."


    after giving his instructions, wang lai left.


    after wang lai left, he didn¡¯t go out for his usual drinking and gambling but went straight home to sleep, seemingly to prepare and conserve his energy.


    mo hua and his two companions then returned to their cave dwelling.


    back in the dwelling, entering the courtyard, the three removed their cloaks, revealing their figures.


    bai zisheng, still excited, said, "eavesdropping is so much fun!"


    mo hua glanced at him, "this isn¡¯t for fun."


    "okay..." bai zisheng paused, then asked,


    "what exactly do you think that wang lai is planning to do?"


    "murder?" bai zixi said.


    mo hua nodded, "i guess he wants to deceive the mining cultivators into the mine, then kill them and go to the lu family for compensation..."


    "they deceive people, then kill them, and then profit from the dead..."


    mo hua¡¯s voice was chillingly cold.


    bai zisheng frowned, "that¡¯s evil!"


    he clenched his fists, "should we just take them out now? scum like them don¡¯t deserve to live."


    but mo hua appeared to be lost in thought.


    "what is it?" bai zixi asked.


    "something doesn¡¯t feel right."


    "what¡¯s not right?"


    after pondering for a moment, mo hua slowly said:


    "logically speaking, if they kill mining cultivators and fake their disappearance, then claim compensation from the lu family, they earn compensation in spirit stones..."


    "but the lu family also has a rule, without a corpse, there¡¯s no compensation in spirit stones."


    "so to say, just killing the mining cultivators wouldn¡¯t be enough to claim any compensation."


    "even if they could get some, it would be quite troublesome."


    "it¡¯s unlikely that wang lai would kill for such uncertain gains in spirit stones..."


    "there must be something more to this affair..."


    bai zisheng, propping his chin, stared at mo hua.


    mo hua blinked, "what is it?"


    "how come there are so many twists and turns in your little head?" bai zisheng said.


    bai zixi also nodded slightly.


    mo hua raised his little finger, declaring righteously:


    "master said, to plan ahead is the key to success, not to plan is to fail. think deeply about matters, and prepare in advance..."


    "alright, alright..." bai zisheng said somewhat helplessly, "i can¡¯t argue with you."


    "what do we do next?" bai zixi asked.


    mo hua shook his head, "i don¡¯t know yet, let¡¯s play it by ear tomorrow."


    ...


    the next day, at dusk.


    the sunset sank behind the mountains, and twilight thickened.


    dressed in their cloaks and hiding their figures, mo hua and his two companions arrived early near the mine. they found a little mound to lie on, peeking out, waiting for wang lai and the others to arrive.


    as night deepened, wang lai and his people were the first to arrive.


    there were four of them, all local ruffians from south yue city. after meeting, they nodded at each other, their mouths curving into ambiguous smiles, but they hardly spoke.


    approaching 1 p.m., old yu, wang er, and tang wu finally arrived together.


    in the desolate mine, beneath the sinister and twisted half-cut willow tree.


    the two groups of cultivators met.


    in the darkness, a cold light flickered in wang lai¡¯s eyes:


    "tonight, i¡¯ll lead you to fortune!"

 Chapter 425: Murder Plan (1)

    the night was pitch-black, the moonlight desolate.outside south yue city, a group of cultivators stealthily made their way toward the mine.


    and behind them, three little cultivators, also hidden, stealthily followed.


    they proceeded in silence, and before long, wang lai and his companions arrived at the outskirts of the mine.


    the mine did not operate at night, and its periphery was secured by several large iron gates.


    wang lai pressed against the iron gate, walked twenty steps to the right, crouched down, and searched with his hands in the veil of night, soon opening a low, concealed door.


    old yu and wang er exchanged glances, perplexed.


    they had mined for years and had no idea that such a secret entrance existed outside the mine.


    "let¡¯s go."


    wang lai whispered, then hunched over and led the way into the mine through the concealed door.


    old yu hesitated.


    a few rogues behind him gave old yu a push.


    fortune favors the bold.


    old yu gritted his teeth and, like wang lai, stooped low to crawl into the mine.


    once wang lai and his group had all entered the mine, the last rogue closed the concealed door.


    mo hua and his two companions arrived at the door, finding not only was it closed, but also wrapped with a chain which was secured with an iron lock.


    bai zisheng asked, "shall i split it open?"


    mo hua shook his head, "too noisy."


    "then how do we get in?"


    mo hua pointed to the lock, "there¡¯s a formation on this lock."


    "can you unlock it?" s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly:


    "for such a small lock, if i can¡¯t unlock it, i don¡¯t deserve to be a first-grade formation master..."


    bai zisheng muttered, "not every first-grade formation master knows how to break formations..."


    bai zixi raised her fair little finger and "shushed" them to silence, then said to mo hua:


    "hurry and unlock it."


    "mhm."


    mo hua nodded, took out his writing brush and ink, made a quick calculation in his mind, and then understood the formation on the lock.


    an iron lock formation of the first-grade, seven patterns.


    mo hua casually sketched a few formation patterns; a glint of light flashed over the iron lock then faded away, and with a "click," it opened.


    his expertise was such that it was as if he was using his own key to open his own lock with ease.


    bai zisheng was somewhat astonished.


    mo hua felt a slight sense of pride, but as he carefully tried to push open the concealed door, it didn¡¯t budge after several pushes...


    the door was heavy and difficult for someone not practicing body cultivation to open.


    mo hua glanced at bai zisheng.


    bai zisheng understood, lightly pushed with his hand, and the concealed door opened; he then gave mo hua a smug smile.


    mo hua shook his head and was about to enter when bai zisheng stopped him.


    "i¡¯ll go in first," bai zisheng said.


    mo hua wasn¡¯t a body cultivator, and if he went first and encountered danger, it could be troublesome.


    mo hua paused, understanding bai zisheng¡¯s intent, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, nodded.


    though he had already scanned the area beyond the door with his divine sense and found no danger, he still appreciated his junior brother¡¯s kindness.


    bai zisheng entered through the door first, and after a moment whispered:


    "no danger, everyone come in."


    so mo hua and bai zixi followed suit and entered the mine through the concealed door.


    beyond the door lay the mine.


    this was mo hua¡¯s second time in the mine.


    the first time was during the day when many mining cultivators were at work.


    the mine was hot and noisy.


    but now it was night, and the mine was completely deserted.


    the oppressive darkness enveloped the entire mine, rendering it eerie and deathly still.


    before them, only the jagged rocks and pitch-black mine shafts were visible.


    no sign of wang lai and his party could be seen.


    bai zisheng asked, "what should we do?"


    mo hua released his divine sense and then pointed down a path, "let¡¯s go this way."


    thus, the three of them, with the concealment formation activated to hide their tracks, quietly headed toward the mine shaft.


    inside the pitch-black mine shaft, wang lai led the way.


    old yu, wang er, and tang wu were in the middle.


    three rogues followed behind them.


    the mine shaft at night was damp and sinister; within the silent cavern, only the disordered footsteps of the few echoed, with occasional drips of water falling, near and far, unnerving those present.


    tang wu asked, "big brother wang, where is the ore?"


    wang lai replied, "just follow me."


    wang lai walked ahead, his tone neutral and echoing in the shaft, carrying an indescribable inscrutability.


    wang er, trailing behind, felt something was off and cautiously asked:


    "big brother wang, do you often come here to mine secretly?"


    "this is my first time."


    "but you seem so familiar with this route..."


    wang lai paused briefly, then slowly replied:


    "i scoped out the place in advance, bribed the lu family cultivators, and left the concealed door, so it¡¯s been smooth sailing..."


    wang er nodded, half-convinced.


    old yu walked in silence, not speaking much but feeling uneasy.


    he had started to sense that something was wrong.


    wang lai was too familiar with the mine, as if he had been there many times before.


    yet he claimed it was his first time stealing ore.


    that was clearly not possible.


    even if he had scoped out the place, he couldn¡¯t be this familiar with it.


    old yu kept his expression neutral, but inside he was beginning to regret his decision, and his steps slowed.


    wang lai noticed and turned around to give old yu a glance, "we¡¯re almost there, pick up the pace."


    but that one look made old yu¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    wang lai¡¯s glare was like that of a person looking at a dead man.


    what were they planning?


    cold sweat dripped down old yu¡¯s back.


    but he still had to follow wang lai and the rest.


    they walked deeper into the mine, the deeper they went, the more silent and desolate it became.


    after a few steps, wang er suddenly stumbled and fell, muttering under his breath:


    "why is the ground so slippery?"


    wang lai said displeasedly, "be careful."


    with an awkward smile, wang er said, "yes, big brother wang."


    his glance flickered slightly as he slowly stood up, deliberately lagging a few steps behind everyone else. when wang lai and the others weren¡¯t paying attention, wang er turned and ran, trying to escape to the entrance of the mine.


    hearing the hurried footsteps, wang lai turned around fiercely, his expression ferocious:


    "catch him!"


    a big man quickly stepped forward, catching up to wang er in just a few steps. he grabbed wang er¡¯s collar, pulling him down to the ground.


    wang lai said coldly, "wang er, what do you think you¡¯re doing?"


    wang er¡¯s face turned somewhat pale: "nothing... nothing at all..."


    "then why did you run?"


    "i wasn¡¯t running."


    wang lai¡¯s expression grew colder.


    grinding his teeth, wang er said, "you didn¡¯t bring us here to steal from the mine at all!"


    wang lai looked somewhat stunned before responding coldly,


    "how do you know that?"


    wang er pointed towards the deeper parts of the mine and said, "there is no ore here, nothing at all!"


    before he finished speaking, old yu¡¯s face drastically changed. he stepped back a few times, intending to flee.


    but it was already too late. wang lai had already drawn his knife and slashed at old yu.


    old yu, aged and frail, was no match for wang lai, especially not with the surprise attack.


    he was struck by wang lai¡¯s knife in the shoulder, and after a harsh kick, he collapsed on the ground, leaning against the cold stone wall, gasping for air.


    tang wu was still somewhat dazed. he didn¡¯t understand why wang er suddenly tried to run, nor why everyone suddenly started fighting...


    "big brother wang, what¡¯s going on here?"


    before he could finish, a thug nearby suddenly punched him in the stomach.


    tang wu was pained, clutching his stomach, and slowly knelt down.


    before he could react to what had happened, another thug struck him on the back of the head with a club.


    the blow, infused with spiritual power and full of strength, left the club bloodied. tang wu then collapsed to the ground.


    anxiously, wang er shouted,


    "tang wu!"


    although they didn¡¯t share the same surname, they had grown up together, mined together, and were close friends.


    wang er had only thought of escaping alone in a moment of fear, instinctively wanting to run. but he hadn¡¯t anticipated that wang lai and the others would truly harm tang wu.


    without any grievances, why deal such a deadly blow?


    wang er¡¯s eyes were split with rage as he yelled at wang lai:


    "cheeky wang, you motherf..."


    a thug punched him in the face, cutting off his words, and similarly, someone hit him on the head with a club.


    blood seeped from the top of wang er¡¯s head as it gradually drooped down.


    collapsed on the ground, old yu spoke bitterly,


    "wang lai, what exactly do you want?"


    wang lai shrugged, "you poor devils, it¡¯s just suffering being alive. better to die and suffer less. it also lets me make some money from spirit stones."


    old yu¡¯s complexion turned ashen.


    he should have known.


    wang lai was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, sharing meat with a wolf is like seeking skin from a tiger, simply impossible.


    he should not have been greedy and believed wang lai¡¯s words.


    frightened, old yu pleaded, "let us go, anything you want, i¡¯ll give it to you."


    wang lai let out a scornful laugh, "what could you possibly have? all your worldly possessions might not even be worth a single spirit stone, what¡¯s there to talk about?"


    "tang wu and the others are still young, don¡¯t..."


    "the strong and young fetch a better price."


    a thug said, "big brother, it¡¯s getting late, we can¡¯t stay here for long."


    wang lai nodded, "you¡¯re right."


    he turned his head, gave old yu a sardonic look, and said,


    "i told you, fortune comes with risk. without danger, how can there be fortune? it¡¯s just that the risk is yours, the fortune is mine."


    old yu¡¯s voice trembled, "what good does killing us do you?"


    wang lai smiled, "that¡¯s not for you to worry about."


    the thugs took out iron chains from their storage bags and locked up both wang er and tang wu.


    wang lai instructed, "slice open the heart vessels, kill them without damaging the limbs, don¡¯t spoil the skin."


    then he looked at old yu again, "i¡¯ll handle this old man."


    as a cultivator with high skill and ruthless methods, wang lai could easily kill old yu without exerting much effort.


    at death¡¯s door, old yu was filled with fear and regret.


    he shouldn¡¯t have been greedy, dealing with someone like wang lai.


    immediately, deep guilt filled his heart.


    life as a mining cultivator was miserable. his son had died young, and he depended solely on his grandson.


    once he died, leaving behind his grandson, alone and helpless, how would he survive...


    would his beloved grandson still have clothes to wear, food to eat, or would he be bullied, perhaps starve to death on the streets at night...


    old yu felt a bitter hatred in his heart.


    pained by his inability to care for his grandson and regretting his own greed.


    shedding tears, he pleaded bitterly,


    "wang lai, i beg you, spare my life, please... my little grandson..."


    wang lai was unmoved. his right hand gripped the knife, raised high, a numb and ruthless smirk on his lips.


    old yu felt like he was falling into an ice cellar, he could only watch wide-eyed as the knife came down towards his chest.


    his elderly tears turned ice cold, his gaze filled with despair.


    just then, a deep red flame flashed by in an instant, illuminating the pitch-black mine.


    the firelight was blinding, and the surging fire elemental spiritual power hit them head-on.


    old yu involuntarily closed his eyes, and after a moment, when he opened them, he found his chest intact, miraculously still alive.


    staring blankly, old yu looked up to see wang lai¡¯s entire arm consumed by ferocious flames.


    the deep red flames licked at wang lai¡¯s arm, charring his right arm black. the knife from his right hand had already fallen to the ground.


    wang lai, suffering the torment of the fierce fire, knelt on the ground, struggling to make a sound.


    as old yu¡¯s numb senses gradually returned,


    he wondered... was that the fireball technique?

 Chapter 426: Rescue (1)

    "who¡¯s there?!"the other ruffians, their eyes filled with terror, shouted loudly.


    before they could react, they realized a cultivator had already closed in on them.


    this person was not tall, but his speed was incredibly fast, and his fists, wrapped in golden light, knocked one of the thugs to the ground, making him vomit blood.


    another thug panicked, pulled out a knife, and slashed at the figure.


    but halfway through the swing, his forearm was caught.


    with a twist, the person broke the thug¡¯s forearm.


    the thug, in pain, cried out, but before he could scream much, he was kicked away, his chest roiling as if the river were overturned, spewing fresh blood.


    the last thug, with deeper cultivation, barely managed a few moves, but the more he fought, the more frightened he became.


    the identity of this cultivator was unknown; he was clearly practicing qi refinement, but his aura was incredibly dense, his movements fast and swift, his boxing method proficient, and it was evident that his rank was not low.


    with every exchange of blows, he felt his fists go numb from the vibration, as if the bones inside were about to shatter.


    under the opponent¡¯s fierce offensive, he could only passively take hits, completely unable to fight back.


    and he couldn¡¯t hold on for long; having managed a few moves was already his limit.


    as expected, after a few exchanges, his knuckles were shattered, the pain unbearable, his form faltered, exposing his weakness.


    the opponent flashed to his side, the punch going from below to above, golden light overflowing, and with one punch, his arm was broken.


    the big thug groaned in pain, turned to leave, but was approached by the ghost-like cultivator and kicked, breaking his leg.


    he collapsed to the ground with a thud and passed out from the pain.


    in the blink of an eye, only wang lai remained among the thugs.


    wang lai, who had just put out the flames on his arm, had his right arm charred and hanging limply, obviously severely injured and no longer able to wield a knife.


    wang lai, looking around with a fearful expression, quickly said:


    "which cultivator from where?"


    in the silent mine, there was no response.


    wang lai turned and ran, but only a few steps later, a golden sword light flared up and flew past, piercing his right leg.


    wang lai staggered a few steps, then fell to the ground, clutching his right leg and howling in pain.


    his right leg, penetrated by the sword light, had a wound from which snow-white, flame-like spiritual power was toasting it bit by bit, causing him unbearable pain.


    but in just a few moments, wang lai and the other fierce thugs were all laid low.


    old yu found it unbelievable.


    his eyes shocked, he fell to his knees with a thud, fearfully saying:


    "i don¡¯t know which expert it is, please..."


    before he could finish, he saw a fair-skinned little hand supporting his arm, helping him up.


    three small figures appeared before him.


    it was dark in the mine, and old yu could barely make out their faces, which left him even more astonished.


    the ones who easily subdued wang lai and the others turned out to be three young cultivators with clear brows and extraordinary appearances.


    "you, who are you¡­"


    mo hua raised a piece of bronze waist badge in his hand.


    "we are from the taoist court."


    this bronze badge was specially applied for him by zhang lan and court leader zhou when they were in tongxian city.


    after all, traveling abroad, having multiple identities provides multiple paths.


    in the current situation, the identity of the taoist court came in handy.


    old yu still couldn¡¯t quite believe it.


    could the taoist court really have such young cultivators?


    but the badge didn¡¯t look fake, and they had no need to deceive an old man like himself.


    old yu bowed his head in gratitude, "thank you, three young masters."


    mo hua didn¡¯t let him bow, but handed him a hemostatic pill, saying:


    "take this first, and rest for a while."


    then he ran over to wang er and tang wu, feeding a pill to each one.


    he had just used his divine sense to check; the two men had only fainted, their scalps broken, their sea of consciousness suffered some shock, but their lives were not in danger.


    mo hua then leisurely approached wang lai.


    wang lai¡¯s right arm was injured by mo hua¡¯s fireball technique, and his right leg by bai zixi¡¯s sword light, leaning against a corner, sweating profusely from the pain.


    he looked at mo hua, his eyes full of disbelief.


    he had never imagined that he would be brought down by a few children.


    who exactly were these kids? s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    how did they find him, and why were they in the mine?


    what exactly did they intend to do?


    "you...are with the taoist court?" wang lai asked through his pain.


    mo hua nodded.


    "then do you know... court leader zhao?" wang lai ventured.


    mo hua¡¯s eyebrows twitched, "are you familiar with court leader zhao?"


    wang lai managed a weak smile, "not very familiar, but we have some acquaintances."


    "oh," mo hua said with a meaningful expression.


    wang lai couldn¡¯t see through mo hua¡¯s background, nor could he guess mo hua¡¯s thoughts. his divine sense could not probe, as if mo hua¡¯s entire being was shrouded in mist.


    feeling uncertain, wang lai still asked:


    "young masters, may i know what brings you to this mine?"


    mo hua¡¯s smile was enigmatic, "what do you think?"


    wang lai awkwardly said, "please enlighten me, master."


    mo hua looked at him and said, "you were murdering!"


    wang lai¡¯s face changed, and he immediately exclaimed:


    "wrongfully accused, young masters, i¡¯m wrongfully accused!"


    holding up his uninjured left hand and pointing at old yu, he said:


    "it was they who were trying to steal from the lu family¡¯s mine. i discovered them, subdued them, and was going to deliver them to the taoist court for judgment..."


    "these mining cultivators may seem honest, but they are cunning at heart, greedy for petty gain, capable of anything."


    "don¡¯t be deceived by them..."


    mo hua was slightly taken aback.


    wang lai was truly resourceful.


    in just a moment, he had concocted a story that turned black into white and smeared others with false charges.

 Chapter 427: Saving People (2)

    no wonder he can get along so well in south yue city, and also no wonder that everyone calls him "cheeky wang."old yu listened and was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at wang lai:


    "you, you¡¯re shameless!"


    without any cause for grievance, it was clearly he who wanted to silence someone by killing them, yet was now trying to turn the tables.


    wang lai sneered without saying a word.


    mo hua smiled but then said, "cheeky wang."


    wang lai, upon hearing this, his expression suddenly changed, "you know me?"


    if one didn¡¯t know his background, they wouldn¡¯t know this nickname.


    wang lai thought it over carefully, a chill gradually growing in his heart as he narrowed his eyes and said:


    "so that means you know everything, you came for me from the start, and you¡¯ve seen everything that¡¯s happened here?"


    "sort of." mo hua said indifferently.


    wang lai asked: "just how much do you know?"


    mo hua counted on her fingers:


    "this month, you¡¯ve been to the red happy building seven times, you¡¯ve robbed people twice on the road, you¡¯ve beaten up people six times, swindled five meals, and the day before yesterday you gambled and lost a total of ten and three-tenths spirit stones..."


    wang lai was shocked and pale, "how is that possible? how could you possibly know!"


    mo hua curled her lip.


    i¡¯ve been watching you every day, of course, i know everything.


    it¡¯s just that you, a fool, have such low divine sense that you didn¡¯t notice.


    these words, of course, mo hua would not say out loud, but rather showed a profound and inscrutable smile, which made wang lai even more baffled.


    wang lai¡¯s heart trembled in fear, "what exactly do you want to do?"


    mo hua¡¯s voice was clear as she said:


    "i¡¯ll ask you a few questions, and you better answer honestly."


    wang lai¡¯s gaze hardened, "if i tell you, can you spare me?"


    "if you talk, i won¡¯t kill you, but instead take you to the taoist court where the taoist court can decide your fate. if you don¡¯t talk, i¡¯ll slaughter you right now!" mo hua threatened.


    wang lai sneered, "once i¡¯m at the taoist court, won¡¯t i still die?"


    mo hua said, "there¡¯s a difference between dying sooner and dying later, besides, don¡¯t you know court leader zhao? beg him for mercy, and perhaps he¡¯ll let you go."


    wang lai¡¯s gaze flickered as he sneered:


    "since you know me so well, then you should already know what you want to know. why bother asking me?"


    "if you¡¯re asking me now, then there must be some things you don¡¯t know."


    "if you don¡¯t know, and i do, then i still have value, so you won¡¯t kill me!" wang lai firmly said.


    bai zisheng said unhappily, "he¡¯s still talking tough."


    mo hua gave him one last chance, "are you really not going to talk?"


    wang lai snorted disdainfully, "even if you beat me to death, i won¡¯t tell."


    mo hua said, "good! i admire your backbone!"


    then mo hua drew out the thousand jun stick, glanced at bai zisheng, and said:


    "beat him up."


    bai zisheng was excited. he had wanted to give this bastard a thrashing for a long time, but he had held back because mo hua wanted to ask wang lai some questions.


    now, upon hearing this, bai zisheng was both happy and a little worried:


    "is this okay?"


    "what could go wrong?"


    "what if he¡¯s beaten to death?"


    "if he¡¯s beaten to death, so be it. he¡¯s not a good guy anyway."


    "no, i mean if he¡¯s beaten to death, won¡¯t you not be able to ask him anything?"


    "it¡¯s fine, let¡¯s leave it to fate. after all, there are still three more over there..."


    "that makes sense..."


    ¡­


    after mo hua and bai zisheng had finished speaking, with a friendly smile, they stepped towards wang lai.


    wang lai felt a chill in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but prop himself up with his hands against the cold stone wall, scooting back until there was no room left to retreat, then he trembled:


    "you... don¡¯t..."


    mo hua raised the thousand jun stick high, "let¡¯s see if your mouth is as tough as my iron stick!"


    then, she swung the stick down fiercely.


    bai zisheng was not courteous at all and proceeded to punch and kick.


    when bai zixi recalled what wang lai had done, she felt a bit angry and condensed her golden sword qi into the size of golden needles, pricking them into wang lai¡¯s body one by one.


    wang lai gritted his teeth, holding on for dear life, "you bunch of little bastards, i¡¯ll remember this¡­"


    "still daring to talk tough?"


    with a raise of her eyebrow, mo hua struck even harder.


    after beating him for a while, mo hua seemed to remember something, she took out a pill and fed it to wang lai.


    bai zisheng asked doubtfully, "what pill is that?"


    mo hua replied, "small rejuvenation pill, it¡¯s for hanging on to life, scared of beating him to death."


    bai zisheng couldn¡¯t help but say, "you¡¯re thinking quite¡­ thoroughly."


    mo hua nodded, "as i should."


    after the beating continued for a while, it seemed that wang lai was running out of breath, bai zisheng frowned and said,


    "this small rejuvenation pill of yours isn¡¯t working¡­"


    mo hua scratched her head, somewhat perplexed.


    this was given by old mr. feng to her; it should be a good thing. could it be she had been too rough?


    bai zisheng then took out a bottle of pills, "try this one, a secret recipe from the bai family, ten-complete great restoring pill. first, rejuvenate his blood, then keep on thrashing¡­"


    mo hua sniffed it by her nose and her eyes brightened, "this one¡¯s good."


    she took one out and administered it to the half-dead wang lai.


    wang lai¡¯s complexion quickly improved a lot, and his blood qi gradually grew more vigorous.


    bai zisheng rolled up his sleeves and declared, "continue!"


    mo hua, not a body cultivator, was already a bit tired, but after thinking it over, she gritted her teeth and said,


    "alright!"


    thus, they continued delivering a hefty beating to wang lai.


    even old yu, watching from the side, couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the sight.


    and wang lai, at last, could not hold out any longer.


    the punches were mighty, the iron staff was hard, and the golden needles were painful.


    the key was, these few brats truly did not care about his life or death.


    if it went on like this, he was really going to be beaten to death.


    wang lai lost all his toughness and begged intermittently for mercy,


    "i¡­ was wrong, please¡­ spare my life¡­"


    bai zisheng felt somewhat unsatisfied, and mo hua was also quite regretful, blurting out,


    "you only behave after taking a beating; instead of ¡¯cheeky wang,¡¯ we should call you ¡¯despicable wang"


    wang lai spat out a mouthful of old blood.


    ¡­


    after a beating, wang lai was no longer cheeky.


    he honestly answered whatever mo hua asked.


    wang lai was indeed a habitual offender.


    first, he¡¯d concoct an excuse to lure the mining cultivators to the mine, then he¡¯d kill them stealthily, later contacting the miners¡¯ families to claim compensation from the lu family.


    after committing a murder, he even profited from the deceased person¡¯s money.


    wang lai had done many such things, but because the mines were inherently dangerous and mining cultivators often went missing, the taoist court officials were negligent and too lazy to investigate, which is why he had been getting away with crimes.


    but there was a puzzling aspect to this matter.


    because the lu family stipulated that without a body, there would be no compensation in spirit stones.


    so, oftentimes, they wouldn¡¯t be able to claim any compensation.


    even though wang lai was greedy, it was unlikely he would risk killing someone for the chance of getting spirit stones that weren¡¯t guaranteed to be his.


    moreover, mo hua remembered wang lai saying earlier,


    "slice open the heart vein, kill them, don¡¯t damage the limbs or break the skin¡­" sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    what was the point of being so particular about the way of killing mining cultivators and disguising it as a disappearance?


    so there was definitely another issue at hand, and wang lai was surely hiding something.


    wang lai was unwilling to speak.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze grew cold as she pressed him repeatedly.


    wang lai realized that the questioning young cultivator was sharp as a tack, as cunning as a ghost.


    he couldn¡¯t tell a lie without being detected and could not deceive her at all. that¡¯s when he finally opened his mouth to reveal the truth,


    "some people pay spirit stones for the corpses of mining cultivators¡­"


    "we rely on killing and selling the dead¡­ to make spirit stones¡­"

 Chapter 428: Selling the Corpse (1)

    mo hua and his companions exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock.murder for corpse-trading?


    "who did you sell to?" mo hua asked.


    wang lai hedged, "a grey-clothed, masked cultivator... i don¡¯t know who it was..."


    "you didn¡¯t see his face?"


    "i only want the spirit stones; i don¡¯t care about his appearance..."


    "what else?" mo hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    wang lai looked somewhat bewildered, "what else is there?"


    mo hua said, "how did you meet him, how did you connect, how did you make the transaction, how did you murder, how did you sell the corpses¡ªtell me everything, without missing a detail."


    wang lai tugged at the corner of his mouth.


    mo hua kicked him, and said fiercely, s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "don¡¯t try to deceive me. your little tricks won¡¯t get past me. if i find out you¡¯ve lied to me, i¡¯ll make sure you regret it!"


    but his delicate, picturesque face didn¡¯t seem threatening when he tried to be fierce.


    yet, wang lai didn¡¯t dare not speak.


    this young demon might look adorable, but his actions were anything but.


    especially those eyes¡ªinnocent yet profound, as though they could see right through one¡¯s secrets...


    besides, there was no need for him to hide anything anymore at this point.


    if he was to speak, then there was nothing he couldn¡¯t say:


    "i met that grey-clothed cultivator in a brothel on jinhua street..."


    "he was average in height, lean, with his face covered, his features unclear, his divine sense impenetrable."


    "he always had a faint, odd smell about him¡ªi didn¡¯t realize at first, but after making a few deals, i understood. that scent, it was the smell of the dead, a cold, decaying odor."


    "the first ¡¯deal¡¯ happened because i ran out of spirit stones."


    "i gambled away everything the previous night, and my creditors were pressing me hard, threatening to chop off my hands if i didn¡¯t pay up."


    "desperate, he asked me, ¡¯do you want to make a deal?¡¯"


    "i scoffed. these days, with legitimate business, how can one earn spirit stones?"


    "he then said it wasn¡¯t legitimate."


    "that piqued my interest, so i asked him about the deal. he asked if i had killed before, and i said yes. he then told me it was similar to killing, except this time, i was to give the bodies to him afterward."


    "it felt ominous, but without any spirit stones, i was worse off than a stray dog¡ªhungry and unable to fend for myself."


    "poverty can be scarier than death."


    "besides, it was others who were dying, not me. so i agreed to it."


    "the first time i did this job for him, i killed a passerby cultivator. after killing him, i cut a few extra times before handing over the body. he frowned and said that except for the vital meridian, there couldn¡¯t be too many wounds, or i¡¯d have my payment deducted."


    "i was impatient¡ªit was just a killing, yet there were too many damn rules. but i needed the spirit stones, so i had no choice but to follow his rules."


    "he went on to explain the details to me..."


    "a young and fit cultivator¡¯s corpse, one hundred and fifty spirit stones;"


    "an aged cultivator¡¯s corpse, eighty spirit stones;"


    "gender doesn¡¯t matter."


    "apart from the vital meridian, the body mustn¡¯t have any wounds."


    "if there are wounds, depending on the severity, ten to fifty spirit stones would be deducted..."


    "..."


    "after a few sales, i realized this business wouldn¡¯t last long."


    "kill one or two, and the taoist court might not bother. but if you kill too many, even fools will track you down."


    "that¡¯s when the grey-clothed cultivator suggested i target mining cultivators."


    "i hesitated at first; after all, my father was a mining cultivator, and i¡¯m half a mining cultivator myself. even though i did no good, we would still see each other from time to time, and we weren¡¯t without rapport."


    "but he offered too much, i couldn¡¯t refuse..."


    "for cultivators, spirit stones are the only truth, while rapport is illusory."


    "killing a mining cultivator, i could make roughly a hundred spirit stones per hit."


    "with so many mining cultivators in south yue city, i couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how many spirit stones i could earn if this continued to the end..."


    "and more mining cultivators would be born, an endless cycle of potential targets..."


    "even if i didn¡¯t kill them, they would die of old age, exhaustion, mineral poison, oppression, or accidents in the mines..."


    "since they¡¯re bound to die anyway, why not let me make some spirit stones off it?"


    "besides, killing a mining cultivator could be very discreet."


    "their lives were so miserable, any pretext of earning spirit stones would lure them."


    "the mines at night were quiet and deserted, perfect for murder."


    "disguise it as a disappearance afterward, and no one could find out¡ªthe perfect crime."


    "still, we were somewhat worried about being discovered."


    "so we approached the families of the deceased mining cultivators, offering to help them claim compensation."


    "first, to divert suspicion and reduce doubt¡ªas we claimed compensation on behalf of mining cultivators, no one would suspect us of being the killers."


    "second, claiming the compensation allowed us to take a cut of the spirit stones."


    "one dead mining cultivator could earn two shares of spirit stones..."


    old yu listened with eyes blazing red, wishing he could devour wang lai alive.


    mo hua¡¯s expression was icy to the extreme, "the five mining cultivators who disappeared before¡ªthey were also your work?"


    wang lai hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze intensified, "then how did they end up dead in the mine?"


    wang lai¡¯s expression showed a trace of fear, "i... i don¡¯t know."


    "i just killed them. but after i killed them, it seemed like there was some activity in the mine..."


    "i thought of the rumors about the mineshaft and got scared, so i hid their bodies in a corner, covered them with rubble, and then planned to sneak the corpses out of the mineshaft when i had the chance."


    wang lai swallowed hard, "but... but when i went back the next day, i found that the bodies of these five people... were gone..."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes shone coldly, "you don¡¯t know about the lu family mine?"


    these five corpses, they seemed to have been dragged into the mineshaft by something and then... eaten...


    wang lai was perplexed, "what mineshaft?"


    mo hua released his divine sense, peeking at the fluctuations in wang lai¡¯s divine sense, and found that he was not lying.


    wang lai... really didn¡¯t know...


    "how many years have you been in this trade?" mo hua asked again.


    "thirty or forty years..."


    mo hua¡¯s face was expressionless, "so you¡¯ve been killing mining cultivators for thirty or forty years, and you¡¯ve been selling the remains of mining cultivators for that long?"


    wang lai gulped, "yes..."


    bai zisheng couldn¡¯t help but say, "how about we just kill him..."


    wang lai was horrified, "you promised to let me go."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze slowly turned cold, his expression inscrutable, his thoughts unknown.


    chills ran down wang lai¡¯s spine.


    at that moment, mo hua¡¯s expression suddenly showed shock as he looked towards the mineshaft behind him.


    from within the mineshaft, the pervasive aura of death abruptly intensified.


    it was as if something was gradually awakening.


    moisture condensed into droplets that fell with a rhythmic pitter-patter, the sound of water drops echoing eerily throughout the mineshaft.


    from the surrounding stone walls, minute and peculiar noises emerged.


    mo hua¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said:


    "run!"


    bai zixi and bai zisheng also sensed the danger and nodded to each other.


    mo hua glanced at wang er and tang wu, who were lying on the ground, and said to old yu, "wake them up."


    old yu looked panicked.


    he, too, felt the abnormalities in the mineshaft.


    it was the dead of night, the most dangerous time within the mineshaft.


    something unknown had come to life...


    old yu¡¯s legs went weak as he staggeringly stood up, walked over to wang er and tang wu, and slapped both of them, "get up quick!"


    the two were only knocked unconscious, and having consumed mo hua¡¯s pills, their injuries were healing. with old yu¡¯s slap and his cry, they gradually opened their eyes.


    the scene before them seemed alien.


    the thugs lay on the ground spitting blood, wang lai was miserably curled up in a corner.


    in front of wang lai, stood three young cultivators with an extraordinary bearing.


    the two were stunned at first, "old yu... what is this...?"


    old yu said, "don¡¯t ask, just run for your life!"


    wang er and tang wu then realized the urgency and scrambled to their feet.


    "let¡¯s go!" mo hua said decisively.


    just as they were about to run, wang lai pleaded:


    "save me! i don¡¯t want to die here!"


    mo hua¡¯s gaze flickered, then he said to bai zisheng, "take him with us."


    bai zisheng was somewhat reluctant.


    mo hua said, "he still has his uses."


    "alright then."


    bai zisheng nodded, secured wang lai with a chain, and dragged him as they ran outside.


    as for the remaining thugs, mo hua didn¡¯t care.


    if they could live through the anomaly in the mineshaft, that would be their good fortune. if they died, they deserved it, repaying the lives of the mining cultivators they had taken.


    and so, bai zisheng dragged wang lai, who was like a mangy dog, without slowing down, running out of the mineshaft.


    mo hua employed his movement technique and followed bai zisheng closely.


    bai zixi¡¯s steps were light as she followed beside mo hua.


    behind them, old yu, wang er, and tang wu ran for their lives with desperation, possibly spurred on by the crisis, they were running quite fast.


    the atmosphere inside the mineshaft grew increasingly sinister, the aura of death gradually filling every corner.


    but fortunately, mo hua had detected it early, and their withdrawal was timely enough.


    so by the time a muffled roar emerged from the mineshaft, sounding eerily non-human, mo hua and the others had already escaped from within.


    still, mo hua was not reassured, and led everyone through the secret passage away from the lu family mineshaft until they reached the edge of the mine. only then did they stop.


    wang lai was dragged so violently that he was covered in wounds and passed out.


    wang er and tang wu had only just calmed their frightened souls and were gasping for air.


    the expressions on bai zisheng¡¯s and bai zixi¡¯s faces were also filled with astonishment and uncertainty.


    mo hua turned to look at the mine, his pupils shaking.


    at that moment, the mine burst forth with a terrifying presence, composed of numerous sinister auras.


    from deep within the mineshaft, there came grating and heart-wrenching noises, like some spectral beings scraping at something with their hands.


    it also sounded as if deceased mining cultivators were still laboring in the mine.


    and amidst the decay and the aura of death, that malevolent presence from the ultimate formation that mo hua had sensed became even more intense.


    mo hua¡¯s brows furrowed even more tightly.


    who exactly set up this ultimate formation, and what was it? what exactly lay hidden in this gloomy mine...

 Chapter 429: Disappearance (1)

    the mine was showing abnormalities, we couldn¡¯t stay long.so mo hua and the others left the mine and reached south yue city, where they found a place to rest for a while.


    wang lai was covered in wounds, looking miserable, but he was still breathing.


    mo hua woke him up and took the chance to ask him some more questions.


    as dawn was breaking and no further information could be extracted, mo hua handed wang lai over to situ fang.


    at the same time, he recounted all the actions of wang lai and these ruffians.


    old yu and the other two stood by as witnesses.


    situ fang was both shocked and enraged upon hearing this.


    she had never imagined that wang lai and these scoundrels could do such heinous things.


    killing for spirit stones and then trying to swindle compensation.


    situ fang¡¯s brows furrowed with anger as she said:


    "leave the rest to me. i¡¯ll take wang lai to the taoist prison first, extract the names of his accomplices, and then round them all up!"


    "the taoist court... there won¡¯t be any problems, right?" mo hua asked.


    the taoist court in south yue city was different from the one in tongxian city; its workings were murky, and the court leader was not necessarily a good person either.


    situ fang frowned, pondered for a moment, and then sighed:


    "i¡¯ll just be careful. if i follow the procedures strictly, even the court leader shouldn¡¯t be able to object."


    mo hua nodded, "okay, then be careful, sister situ."


    "don¡¯t worry."


    situ fang nodded and then looked at mo hua and his companions with a sense of gratitude:


    "we really owe you big this time."


    mo hua waved his hand dismissively, "it was nothing, no trouble at all."


    situ fang gave his shoulder a pat, "i¡¯ll treat you to a meal someday."


    then she left with wang lai in custody.


    old yu and the other two expressed their heartfelt thanks to mo hua.


    "thank you, all three young masters, thank you!"


    "many thanks to our benefactor!"


    "there¡¯s no need for thanks. go home and take care of your injuries," mo hua said.


    after another round of deep bows, they finally left, feeling the fortune of surviving such an ordeal, their hearts unburdened.


    they had narrowly escaped death in the mine.


    and they had also narrowly avoided being eternally separated from their families...


    after the trio departed, bai zisheng asked mo hua:


    "what do we do now?"


    mo hua thought for a moment, "i need to go back to the mine."


    bai zisheng was startled, "have you lost your mind? are you going back to court death?"


    mo hua pointed towards the sky.


    the sun was hanging high in the sky.


    it was then that bai zisheng realized it was daylight.


    even if the mine was "haunted," that would be an issue during the middle of the night.


    "what are you going to do in the mine now?" bai zisheng inquired.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze grew deep, "i want to see... what has become of the corpses of those scoundrels..."


    bai zisheng¡¯s expression grew solemn, "then we should go together."


    mo hua shook his head, "no need, i can go alone. you don¡¯t know the concealment technique, and although our cloaks have the concealment formation, the formation isn¡¯t perfect. it¡¯s fine to use at night, but in daylight, there will still be faint traces, making it easy to be discovered."


    bai zisheng was somewhat indifferent, "so what if we¡¯re discovered? it¡¯s no big deal..."


    no one in this mine could stop him.


    but mo hua said, "this mine belongs to the lu family. there could be foundation building cultivators stationed here during the day. if we¡¯re discovered by them, even if we escape, we¡¯ll alarm others and expose our whereabouts..."


    "once the lu family becomes vigilant, anything else we need to investigate will become inconvenient."


    "but if you go alone and encounter a foundation building cultivator, won¡¯t you be in danger?" bai zisheng countered.


    mo hua shook his head, "the lu family¡¯s foundation building cultivators won¡¯t detect me."


    he knew the concealment technique and had the concealment formation, and with his divine sense of the foundation building twelve patterns, the lu family¡¯s foundation building cultivators couldn¡¯t find him.


    "oh, right." bai zisheng nodded but still looked worried.


    bai zixi then said, "you go in alone, and we¡¯ll cover you from the outside."


    mo hua wanted to protest, but bai zixi just looked at him calmly, her voice gentle but firm:


    "i am your senior sister."


    mo hua had no choice but to agree.


    so after a bit more rest, they set off again and returned to the lu family mine.


    by then, the sky was fully bright, with the morning glow filling the heavens.


    the mine had already started its operations.


    mining cultivators came to the mine one after another, enduring the heat, gripping their mining picks, and harvesting ore with each successive strike.


    the mine was once again a bustling and noisy place, devoid of the sinister quiet of night.


    mo hua, with his figure concealed, boldly walked into the mine.


    indeed, there was a lu family elder, a foundation building cultivator, sitting to one side in the shade drinking tea, watching the mining cultivators toil.


    next to him was an attractive servant girl fanning him.


    mo hua passed by him leisurely.


    the elder was completely unaware, his eyes darting lasciviously over the curves of the servant girl.


    mo hua shook his head at this disgraceful sight as he passed by.


    he moved through the crowd, entered the mine, and walked deep inside, arriving at the spot where wang lai¡¯s murder attempt had taken place the night before.


    the area was deserted, not a mining cultivator in sight.


    there was no sign of anyone¡¯s presence.


    the disturbances in the mine from the night before, along with the ruffians mo hua had left there, had all vanished without a trace.


    no mining cultivators were around because this was a deep, secluded and quiet part of the mine, with no ore to be mined, so cultivators seldom came this way.


    but what about those scoundrels?


    dead? no remains?


    they committed so many evils, their death is of no consequence, let alone the absence of their remains.


    but mo hua wanted to know, how exactly did they die...


    mo hua released his divine sense, in the void-like white vision, sensing everything around him.


    the stone walls were cold, showing a faint blackish-grey color.


    there was blood qi around, thin and weak, left from last night, and it had almost dissipated all but completely.


    amidst the various traces of blood qi, some mingled with pitch-black qi of death, meandering on the ground, extending along the stone walls into the distance.


    mo hua silently opened his eyes, his divine sense locked onto this trace of blood qi, following it along the stone wall, step by step.


    after walking the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the trail of blood qi ended.


    in front was a stone wall.


    a sweep of his divine sense and mo hua knew that there was a formation on the stone wall.


    and behind the stone wall, surely, were the mine tunnels dug by the lu family.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze became focused.


    "from the traces... these scoundrels were dragged by something, all the way into the mine tunnels..."


    what happened inside the mine tunnels, mo hua did not know.


    but with high probability, these scoundrels and those five missing mining cultivators were eaten by something...


    mo hua hesitated for a moment, wanting to unlock the formation and take another look inside the mine tunnels.


    but as soon as his brush touched, he stopped.


    his divine sense twitched slightly, he calculated for a moment, then slowly put away the brush.


    "they have actually... reinforced the formation..."


    the stone wall wasn¡¯t just sturdier, but there were also layers upon layers of early warning formations drawn inside it.


    mo hua could unlock these formations, but he wasn¡¯t sure if doing so would cause any disturbances, which might alert the lu family¡¯s cultivators.


    or perhaps, the lu family deliberately created formations with the intention of setting a trap?


    mo hua weighed his options and decided it was better not to take any risks.


    if he were caught by the lu family inside the mine, it would be quite problematic.


    mo hua sighed and turned to leave, yet his mind was shrouded with doubt.


    what exactly were the lu family using these mine tunnels for?


    and what secrets truly lay within those mine tunnels...


    frowning, mo hua couldn¡¯t help but eavesdrop on the conversation of nearby mining cultivators as he left. s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but he didn¡¯t hear anything useful.


    moreover, the mining cultivators nearby had not noticed those scoundrels either.


    those scoundrels had just vanished, just like those five mining cultivators, disappeared into the depths of the mine...


    ...


    after leaving the mine, mo hua met up with bai zisheng and bai zixi.


    "found anything?" bai zixi asked.


    mo hua spoke of the scoundrels¡¯ affair.


    bai zisheng snorted, "they got what they deserved!"


    then he also wondered, "is the lu family up to some shady business?"


    mo hua shook his head, "it¡¯s still unclear."


    "if not the lu family, then someone else?"


    "didn¡¯t that wang lai mention a grey-clothed cultivator?"


    mo hua nodded, "at this point, we can only start from that grey-clothed cultivator."


    the three of them then made their way back.


    on the way, mo hua¡¯s expression still seemed somewhat disheartened.


    bai zixi asked, "what¡¯s wrong?"


    mo hua sighed, "i¡¯m worried about instructor yan..."


    "sister situ said that after instructor yan entered the mine, he disappeared without a trace, and since then no one has seen him again..."


    "i¡¯m afraid he might have been harmed by wang lai and the others..."


    bai zisheng couldn¡¯t help but nod, "it¡¯s possible..."


    upon hearing this, mo hua¡¯s worry intensified, his brows furrowing even more deeply.


    bai zixi gave her brother a light glare and said softly to mo hua:


    "the righteous man will be protected by heaven, mr. yan may not have necessarily met with harm."


    bai zisheng, realizing his blunder, scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly:


    "i was just speaking off the cuff, don¡¯t take it to heart. mr. yan might have found other clues and left south yue city to investigate on his own."


    mo hua knew his siblings were trying to comfort him, and although he thought what they said didn¡¯t make much sense, he still felt a little better.


    "let¡¯s hope instructor yan is indeed blessed by heaven..."


    mo hua silently sighed.


    seeing that mo hua was still not cheerful, bai zisheng changed the subject:


    "that grey-clothed cultivator, shall we investigate him?"


    mo hua nodded, "we must."


    without trade, there would be no slaying.


    it was the grey-clothed cultivator who wanted to buy the bodies, thus he led wang lai and the others to kill the mining cultivators.


    the root of the problem lay with that grey-clothed cultivator.


    even if wang lai were taken out of the picture, there would be others¡ªzhao lai, qian lai, li lai...


    as long as the grey-clothed cultivator remained, other cultivators would, for the sake of spirit stones, murder mining cultivators and sell their bodies.


    to eradicate evil, one must go to the root.


    bai zisheng nodded vigorously in agreement.


    then he thought of another issue: "wang lai said, he met with the grey-clothed cultivator at a brothel, so..."


    bai zisheng asked seriously:


    "do we need to go to the brothel?"


    this question also stumped mo hua.

 Chapter 430: Displaying Dust (1)

    bai zixi directly said, "you¡¯re not allowed to go."mo hua muttered softly, "i didn¡¯t say i was going to..."


    bai zisheng frowned, "but if we don¡¯t go, how will we investigate that grey-clothed cultivator?"


    "that¡¯s true..."


    mo hua looked at bai zixi, and bai zisheng also looked at her.


    the autumn-water-like shine in bai zixi¡¯s eyes flickered, "it¡¯s fine to go, but i must go with you."


    bai zisheng quickly shook his head.


    mo hua also said, "junior sister, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to go."


    bai zixi said, "if you can go, i can go too. we¡¯ll just be invisible when we enter."


    "this..."


    mo hua hesitated, about to say something, but caught by bai zixi¡¯s crystal-clear gaze, she could only sigh.


    "alright..."


    so, it came to pass that night, at 22 p.m.


    as night fell and lanterns were hung, the bustling noise of carriages and horses filled jinhua street at its most lively.


    wrapped in cloaks, the three of them climbed to the opposite side of hundred flower tower.


    hundred flower tower was a brothel, also the place confessed by wang lai, where, after hiding the body of the killed person, a rendezvous with the grey-clothed cultivator took place.


    the hundred flower tower was extravagantly decorated.


    flower clusters bloomed brightly at its entrance, yet no one solicited customers outside.


    but those who came to this place knew exactly why they were there.


    bai zisheng quietly asked mo hua, "how are we going to get in?"


    mo hua released her divine sense, probed for a while, and frowned, "a brothel has actually set up an expose dust formation..."


    "expose shadow formation?" bai zisheng was slightly taken aback.


    "expose dust formation," mo hua corrected.


    bai zisheng puzzled, "is there a difference?"


    "the principle behind the formation is different."


    bai zisheng was somewhat bewildered.


    mo hua then explained, "the expose shadow formation reveals the true form of objects, rendering any concealment formation and concealment techniques within its range ineffective."


    "the expose shadow formation is more effective, but it¡¯s an upper-level nine-pattern formation from the first series. it requires high divine sense, is difficult to learn, uses peculiar ink, and is also very costly to set up."


    "the expose dust formation is an earth series formation, a seven-pattern from the first series, easy to set up, and relatively low-cost."


    "unlike the expose shadow formation, the expose dust formation does not render concealment ineffective. instead, it creates fine dust particles within the formation which adhere to any cultivator passing through it, thereby revealing their tracks."


    "the expose shadow formation negates concealment at a fundamental level;"


    "whereas the expose dust formation indirectly reveals the form of a cultivator through an external substance."


    bai zisheng appeared taken aback, "you¡¯ve researched this so thoroughly?"


    "mhm." mo hua nodded proudly, "the way of formations is vast and profound; naturally, one must study it in detail."


    bai zisheng opened his mouth, then asked, "but isn¡¯t it bad for the brothel welcoming guests to let guests be covered in dust by the expose dust formation?"


    "hmm..." mo hua observed the formation carefully again and said,


    "this dust is a kind of cheap fragrance. ordinary cultivators who do not understand formations would only think they have been dusted with rouge and powder, unaware that it¡¯s the effect of a formation."


    "moreover, the expose dust formation¡¯s potency is limited. this dust only lasts the length of a cup of tea before it gradually fades away..."


    "the duration of a cup of tea..." bai zisheng furrowed his brows, "so it¡¯s meant to prevent someone from invisibly entering the brothel to peek?"


    "it seems so..." mo hua then seemed puzzled, "who would bother peeking in a brothel for no reason..."


    bai zisheng glanced at mo hua, bai zixi, and then down at himself, saying weakly,


    "aren¡¯t the three of us trying to sneak in to peek, though..."


    mo hua was stunned for a moment, furrowing her brows in thought, then said earnestly,


    "we¡¯re looking for clues; it¡¯s legitimate business, not just peeking."


    bai zisheng nodded, "that makes sense!"


    bai zixi watched the two of them, her gaze tinged with helplessness.


    "since there¡¯s an expose dust formation, how are we going to get in?"


    bai zisheng asked again.


    mo hua was also a bit stumped, "i could solve the formation, but to do it without attracting attention, that¡¯s a bit more difficult..."


    "so what now, should we go back first?"


    after some thought, mo hua nodded,


    "let¡¯s go back first. there¡¯s a foundation establishment cultivator inside the brothel. if we linger here too long, we might be detected."


    that was not something mo hua feared.


    usually, a foundation establishment cultivator could not see through his concealment.


    but it was a different story for his junior brother and junior sister.


    the three of them then left stealthily.


    on the way back, bai zisheng grumbled, "a brothel with a foundation establishment cultivator stationed there..."


    if it weren¡¯t for the presence of a foundation establishment cultivator, their actions would have been much easier.


    ordinary qi refinement cultivators, he didn¡¯t even regard them.


    mo hua said, "this indicates that the brothel has many troubles and also earns a lot of spirit stones."


    bai zisheng thought about it and nodded.


    mo hua remembered the mining cultivators toiling away in the mines, earning a single spirit stone a day, and let out a light sigh.


    the more disreputable the business, the more spirit stones it earned...


    ...


    the grey-clothed cultivator frequented hundred flower tower.


    mo hua wanted to look inside the hundred flower tower, but with limited time, he couldn¡¯t come up with any good ideas on the spot.


    the brothel had too much foot traffic for them to slip in unnoticed.


    the biggest problem was the expose dust formation still.


    the expose dust formation was manageable, but not easy to handle without anyone noticing.


    and besides the formation at the entrance, there were probably some minor expose dust formations in the brothel¡¯s doors, windows, corridors, and above the beams in front of the rooms to prevent peeping.


    mo hua was somewhat disgruntled.


    it must be the work of some cultivators using concealment techniques for nefarious deeds.


    it had reached the point where an attempt to use concealment techniques for a legitimate cause, to capture a villain, was heavily guarded.


    guarding against the dishonest ends up implicating the honest...


    several days passed with no further progress.


    mo hua thought about indirectly probing for information, to see if he could gather some clues from other cultivators.


    the best candidate was elder su.


    he was a first-series formation master and a foundation establishment elder of the south yue sect, so he was sure to have a wide network and be well-informed.


    but mo hua wasn¡¯t sure if elder su had any involvement with the matter, so his questions were quite implicit, and the conversation was cautious.


    "elder su, is there anything interesting to do on jinhua street?"


    elder su wasn¡¯t surprised.


    although mo hua was a first-series formation master, he was still young, and it was normal for a youngster to feel a little playful when in a new place.


    so elder su began to describe in detail for mo hua,


    jinhua street was the most bustling place in all of south yue city.


    he mentioned the festivals, the scenic spots, and the best places to eat...


    which dish from which food building is prepared well, which tavern has the best liquor, which teahouse offers the richest tea...


    when the conversation strays, elder su can¡¯t help but digress.


    like which gambling house has the easiest winning table, and which brothel has the most...?


    elder su¡¯s words cut off there.


    "the most what?" mo hua asked.


    elder su, sweating profusely, awkwardly said, "not suitable for children, not suitable for children..."


    mo hua, with a suspicious tone, said, "elder su, you seem quite familiar with these things..."


    elder su was greatly alarmed, "no, it¡¯s not what you think, i never... don¡¯t smear my reputation!"


    "oh..." mo hua clearly didn¡¯t believe it. s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    elder su laughed awkwardly again.


    mo hua wanted to learn more but saw a servant approach and whisper something to elder su.


    elder su looked troubled.


    knowing when to take a hint, mo hua said, "elder su, you¡¯re busy. i¡¯ll take my leave now."


    elder su also hastily stood up to return the gesture, "a guest has arrived, truly sorry. another day i¡¯ll prepare a fine banquet and apologize to the young gentleman."


    mo hua waved his hand, "you¡¯re too kind, elder."


    in his heart, he was somewhat curious about what kind of banquet elder su could prepare, and if there would be any delicacies.


    elder su escorted mo hua out. just as they reached the courtyard, an exquisitely dressed cultivator appeared, of median age, handsome in appearance, gentle, and refined.


    mo hua was a bit surprised, "lu family head?"


    the person was indeed the lu family head who mo hua had previously met.


    and the guest that elder su was going to entertain must have been this lu family head.


    mo hua had learned from elder su that the name of lu family head was lu chengyun.


    when lu chengyun saw mo hua, he wasn¡¯t surprised, and he had a smile on his face as he said warmly,


    "little mister mo."


    they exchanged greetings and salutations.


    after exchanging a few polite words, mo hua was about to leave when lu chengyun stops him.


    "the young gentleman can join us for some tea."


    mo hua somewhat puzzledly asked, "aren¡¯t you here to discuss matters with elder su?"


    lu chengyun said, "it¡¯s not a matter of urgency, just exchanging some insights on formation. since the young gentleman is also a formation master with notable expertise, why not join in the conversation?"


    after thinking it over, mo hua agreed.


    clearly, there were issues with lu¡¯s mines.


    but he wasn¡¯t familiar with the lu family.


    interacting with the lu family head might reveal some clues.


    however, as the family head, lu chengyun naturally had his own deep stratagems. throughout the conversation with mo hua, he didn¡¯t mention anything about the mines or mining cultivators, and simply talked about formation.


    moreover, lu chengyun¡¯s formation expertise also surprised mo hua.


    it¡¯s not always possible for the head of a family involved in many affairs to find the time and thought to delve into formation, but lu chengyun¡¯s knowledge in the field seemed to be somewhat deeper than even elder su¡¯s.


    no wonder he and elder su were so close.


    after discussing more about formation, lu chengyun¡¯s attitude towards mo hua became even more amiable, and his eyes couldn¡¯t hide his admiration.


    lu chengyun paused, then suddenly asked:


    "young mister mo, have you ever been married?"


    mo hua, who was drinking tea, choked on his sip, "not yet... not yet..."


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyes brightened even more, "i wonder..."


    mo hua coughed and said with difficulty:


    "i¡¯m still young, not considering it yet."


    lu chengyun showed no displeasure, but rather a knowing look, and discreetly handed mo hua a booklet.


    "this is part of the lu family genealogy."


    lu chengyun didn¡¯t finish his sentence, just giving mo hua a meaningful look.


    mo hua opened the genealogy gently and found that it recorded the direct descendants of the lu family, all of whom were eligible-aged females.


    turning to the back, there were portraits of beautiful female cultivators.


    mo hua felt somewhat helpless.


    lu chengyun smiled nonchalantly, while elder su silently drank his tea, pretending to see nothing.


    after finishing the tea and discussing formation, lu chengyun stood up to leave.


    before leaving, lu chengyun patted mo hua and softly said:


    "no rush, take your time to look."


    mo hua didn¡¯t know what to say.


    as lu chengyun turned to leave, it seemed as if he suddenly remembered something and turned back to mo hua:


    "i have a question for the young gentleman, if i may ask?"


    mo hua was taken aback and nodded, "please ask."


    "it may be a bit presumptuous."


    "it¡¯s fine."


    lu chengyun nodded and asked:


    "young mister mo, you manage to keep your aura concealed, impervious to divine sense exploration. is it perhaps... a spiritual artifact that conceals your aura?"


    mo hua¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and then he earnestly said:


    "yes, you have keen eyesight, family head!"


    lu chengyun let out a sigh of relief, then bowed and said, "i take my leave, and another day when there¡¯s time, i¡¯d like to discuss formation again with the young gentleman."


    mo hua also bowed, "lu family head, take care."


    after lu chengyun left, elder su also slowly exhaled, and said to mo hua:


    "he is the family head, so it¡¯s within his duties, understandable, but..."


    elder su hesitated.


    "but what?" mo hua asked curiously.


    elder su thought for a moment, then sighed:


    "the lu family is rife with disputes. if you can avoid getting involved, it¡¯s better to stay out."


    mo hua nodded.


    elder su looked at mo hua, his gaze focusing slightly, his expression complex, and he slowly asked:


    "young mister mo, you¡¯ve come to me with a purpose, haven¡¯t you?"


    mo hua was taken aback, "how did you know?"


    elder su expressionlessly said:


    "in these few days coming to my place, beating around the bush, you likely wanted to ask something..."


    "but the matter is somewhat secretive, not something easily spoken about, so you didn¡¯t ask directly. instead, you sought some pretext, talking roundabout, trying to get some information out of me."


    mo hua fell silent.


    elder su¡¯s gaze turned chilly.


    he knew that this junior formation master must have had some agenda.


    elder su picked up the teacup, skimmed off the froth, and his gaze floated unpredictably like the tea water:


    "young mister mo, after all, what do you intend to do?"


    at this point, there was no need for mo hua to hide his intention.


    he said solemnly:


    "elder su, i want to go to a brothel!"


    elder su sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

 Chapter 431: Hundred Flower Tower (1)

    mo hua had made up his mind.since hundred flower tower was equipped with the expose dust formation, hiding oneself would reveal flaws, then why not just not hide at all and go in openly and aboveboard?


    only, given his young age, others might not let him enter.


    in that case, he needed to find a leader.


    in south yue city, the person he was most familiar with was situ fang.


    but he couldn¡¯t possibly go to sister situ and ask her to take him into a brothel.


    she would definitely refuse.


    moreover, she would probably think that he had been led astray, damaging his reputation.


    though he was young, he was already a first-grade formation master, considered to be a reputable cultivator, so the reputation was still very important.


    apart from that, the one who was most familiar with mo hua was elder su, whom he often drank tea with.


    also, whenever elder su talked about brothels, it was always in a jovial manner as if he was quite familiar with them; it was likely that he often visited them in private.


    asking him was definitely the right move.


    mo hua watched elder su with a bright and intent gaze.


    elder su stiffened.


    mo hua¡¯s simple and direct response allowed all of elder su¡¯s conjectures about secretive schemes to collapse.


    this wasn¡¯t what he had expected...


    he had thought that mo hua was calculating, aiming for something secretive, unwilling to be known by others, and unspeakable.


    yet, this matter turned out to be about going to a brothel¡ªhow should he approach this...


    it was actually reasonable...


    elder su was momentarily stunned and stroked his beard, then thought about it again.


    seemingly... there were no problems with it.


    it indeed was something secret, unwilling to be known by others, unspeakable, and required subtle inquiries...


    only, this...


    elder su looked at mo hua, whose eyes were clear and innocent, and said tactfully,


    "isn¡¯t this matter a bit too ¡¯early¡¯ for you...?"


    mo hua¡¯s face remained stern as he solemnly said,


    "i have serious business."


    elder su felt somewhat distressed.


    you say such a serious matter with such a serious face, it¡¯s hard for me to remain serious too...


    elder su thought for a moment then said, "why don¡¯t you look through the genealogy that lu family head gave you, see if there¡¯s any girl that catches your eye, secretly tell me, and i¡¯ll go speak with lu family head for you, to set an engagement early?"


    mo hua furrowed his brow, "i really have serious business!"


    elder su was taken aback, "really?"


    "yes," mo hua earnestly nodded.


    elder su felt a bit embarrassed and quietly asked,


    "can you tell me what the matter is? of course, this is a private matter, you don¡¯t have to say."


    mo hua thought for a moment and then said,


    "wasn¡¯t i asking you to help me find a gentleman with the last name ¡¯yan¡¯?"


    elder su was surprised, "is he into that sort of thing too?"


    mo hua silently looked at elder su.


    realizing his slip of the tongue, elder su became somewhat flustered and quickly corrected himself,


    "this mr. yan, is he also a fellow practitioner?"


    mo hua¡¯s gaze towards him grew even more complex.


    elder su lightly tapped his mouth, realizing the more he spoke, the more mistakes he made, so he simply stopped talking about it and instead asked,


    "is there really a clue about this mr. yan in the brothels on jinhua street?"


    mo hua wasn¡¯t too sure himself; there might be clues, but then again, there might not be.


    mr. yan had gone missing without a trace, and he didn¡¯t have any clues yet.


    mo hua¡¯s main purpose this time was to look for that gray-clothed cultivator who had hired someone to kill and buy corpses.


    mr. yan had disappeared in the mines, and those mines were connected to the gray-clothed cultivator.


    there could be a connection between the two.


    of course, these things were not appropriate to mention plainly.


    so mo hua simply said, "there should be."


    "i see..."


    elder su looked at mo hua and gradually felt relieved.


    so he was worried about his mentor and looking for clues.


    he really had misunderstood the kid before...


    then elder su said, "no problem, i¡¯ve got this covered. i¡¯ll take you there!"


    mo hua said, "and my elder martial brothers and sisters that you¡¯ve met."


    elder su hesitated for a moment but then also nodded,


    "no problem."


    "thank you, elder su!" mo hua said with a smile and then added with some concern, "we¡¯re young, so there¡¯s no problem with you taking us there, right?"


    elder su laughed and said, "it¡¯s alright, a brothel isn¡¯t only for romantic affairs, there are also performers; listening to songs and watching dances are quite enjoyable too."


    mo hua nodded his head in agreement, feeling grateful in his heart.


    elder su had really helped a lot this time.


    mo hua pondered for a moment, then decided to repay elder su¡¯s kindness, and whispered to him:


    "elder su, the formation you drew before had a slight issue, which i didn¡¯t mention to you, fearing you would feel embarrassed. however, acknowledging mistakes allows for improvement in formation, so i will now secretly tell you where you went wrong¡­"


    elder su was stunned, his emotions incredibly complex, uncertain of how to react.


    he listened with a mix of amusement and disbelief as mo hua pointed out the problems with his formation. s§×arch* the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    as he listened, elder su¡¯s expression grew serious.


    every word from mo hua was accurate; he had indeed made a mistake.


    elder su frowned slightly.


    but the issue was that the formation he drew seemed to have been given only a fleeting glance by mo hua, who had not looked at it in detail.


    just a glance, and the problem was found?


    elder su couldn¡¯t help feeling secretly alarmed.


    how profound must this young gentleman¡¯s mastery of formations be¡­


    ¡­


    after mo hua left, he shared about the favor elder su had promised to him with bai zisheng and bai zixi.


    "we¡¯ll dress up as scholar boys and accompany elder su to the hundred flower tower."


    "alright."


    bai zisheng and bai zixi nodded in agreement.


    three nights later, as the lanterns were first lit, jinhua street glowed brightly.


    mo hua and his companions followed elder su to the hundred flower tower.


    all three of them were dressed in the light cyan clothes of scholar boys.


    mo hua was delicately good-looking, bai zisheng tall and heroic, while bai zixi tied up her long hair, donning the guise of a young boy.


    her complexion was fair, and while her appearance was more subdued than before, it was still exquisite. with a cool temperament and slender eyes, there was a captivating beauty to her nobility.


    both mo hua and bai zisheng watched her with admiration.


    elder su was also momentarily taken aback, inwardly certain that mo hua¡¯s fellow disciples must have remarkable backgrounds.


    such appearance and poise could not be ordinary.


    elder su treated them with much more respect.


    jinhua street bustled with opulence and indulgence.


    the trio followed closely behind elder su along jinhua street towards the hundred flower tower.


    there was more than one brothel on jinhua street.


    whenever they passed other establishments like red happy courtyard, yicui tower, or similar places, there were always female cultivators smiling flirtatiously at elder su, exclaiming:


    "elder su, it has been so long since you¡¯ve graced this one with your presence."


    elder su felt excruciatingly embarrassed, wishing he could hide his face.


    it would have been one thing normally, but now he was in the company of these three youngsters; if he tainted his image in mo hua¡¯s eyes, it would be disastrous.


    all the way, elder su tried to appear composed, but his old face reddened with embarrassment.


    however, the lights of the street were also red, casting everyone¡¯s faces in a rosy glow, so elder su¡¯s discomfort went unnoticed.


    after a torturous walk, elder su finally brought mo hua and his companions to the grand entrance of the hundred flower tower.


    indeed, a thinly-clad woman came out to meet them, frowning woefully:


    "elder su, you haven¡¯t visited in so long..."


    elder su coughed, "today, i¡¯m just here to listen to music and watch the dance."


    upon hearing this, the woman quickly composed herself and greeted them with a pleasant smile:


    "very well, this way please, elder su."


    elder su handed over a pouch of spirit stones, "prepare a pot of the best state color fragrant wine, brew a furnace of fresh emergent-lotus tea, and a box of the finest assortment of pastries from hundred flowers¡­"


    the woman beamed with joy, "certainly."


    elder su glanced at mo hua.


    mo hua nodded in acknowledgment.


    elder su then led mo hua to a spacious and refined private seat in front of the flower hall, separated by a shuixian and hibiscus screen.


    once they were seated, mo hua couldn¡¯t help complimenting him:


    "elder su, you¡¯re quite adept at this."


    elder su smiled and was about to nod, but halfway through, he realized what he was doing and immediately shook his head:


    "i¡¯m not, really not, this is only my first¡­ second time coming here."


    he was too embarrassed to exaggerate too much.


    "oh."


    mo hua clearly didn¡¯t believe him.


    under mo hua¡¯s gaze, elder su felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles and tried to change the subject, saying:


    "young gentleman, weren¡¯t you looking for someone? you could ask the ladies here."


    mo hua nodded and questioned:


    "how should i go about it?"


    elder su coughed a few times, and a woman approached, smiling and bowing respectfully:


    "does the elder have any instructions?"


    "summon some ladies who are well-mannered, discreet, lightly made-up without excessive powder, not too flamboyant, and younger¡­"


    elder su ordered with practiced ease, and the woman went to carry out his command.


    composed and nodding, elder su turned to mo hua and saw a look of awe on his face, with those big eyes blinking admiringly.


    just as mo hua was about to speak, elder su hastily said:


    "i heard¡­ heard it from someone else, i¡¯m really not familiar, not at all¡­"

 Chapter 432: Female Cultivator (1)

    ```elder su had even become skilled at saying "i¡¯m not familiar."


    mo hua expressed understanding and nodded, saying,


    "don¡¯t worry, elder su, i understand."


    elder su sighed helplessly, feeling as if he had no way to defend himself.


    fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before a group of young female cultivators fluttered in like a flock of swallows.


    elder su breathed a sigh of relief.


    it was good to have young girls around.


    with young girls present, mo hua wouldn¡¯t keep staring at him.


    elder su then asked mo hua with a smile, "what do you think?"


    mo hua began to size up the group of female cultivators.


    indeed, as per elder su¡¯s instructions, they were all young, their makeup faint, with no pretense or coquettish gestures, standing in a row prim and proper.


    as mo hua sized them up, the group of young girls was also taking in mo hua and his companions.


    they were used to seeing elder su, nothing out of the ordinary there.


    what surprised them were the three little cultivators with mo hua.


    their eyes shimmered as they looked at mo hua and the others.


    mo hua¡¯s features were picturesque, bai zisheng had sharp brows and starry eyes, and bai zixi possessed stunningly beautiful phoenix eyebrows.


    the female cultivators¡¯ gaze towards mo hua was filled with affection; towards bai zisheng, it held admiration;


    but when they looked at bai zixi, their faces would blush, and they even lowered their eyes, not daring to look directly, only casting furtive, rippling glances at her.


    this baffled mo hua.


    mo hua also stole a glance at bai zixi.


    bai zixi sensed it and turned to look at mo hua, asking with confusion,


    "what¡¯s wrong?"


    mo hua frowned and muttered,


    "something¡¯s not right..."


    despite wearing men¡¯s clothes and possessing an androgynous allure, one could still tell she was a woman from her eyebrows and eyes.


    why were these female cultivators staring at their junior sister so intently?


    and even blushing at that.


    mo hua didn¡¯t understand.


    bai zixi saw mo hua frowning, thinking he felt unwell, so she moved closer. side by side, bai zixi reached out her delicate hand and touched mo hua¡¯s forehead. after a moment, she said with slight concern,


    "your forehead is a bit hot."


    upon looking down, she asked in confusion, "why is your face also red?"


    mo hua¡¯s fair cheeks were flushed.


    "it¡¯s... a bit stuffy," mo hua replied evasively.


    bai zixi glanced around at the lush surroundings, thinking mo hua was overwhelmed by the scent of rouge, and said,


    "we shouldn¡¯t come to such places next time."


    "mhm," mo hua nodded softly in response.


    the sight of mo hua¡¯s blushing face was witnessed by elder su.


    elder su was pleased to nod his head.


    that was more like it.


    that was the way a young boy should look.


    mo hua, this little gentleman, was usually too shrewd, his speech watertight, his eyes lively and profound, making him inscrutable.


    being stared at by him, even elder su felt a bit guilty.


    now this shy and blushing appearance was much more comfortable to look at.


    then again, elder su recalled that he, too, had been flustered and even redder than mo hua when he first came here.


    as elder su reminisced about the past and felt nostalgic, he remembered something and asked,


    "young master, didn¡¯t you want to ask about something?"


    mo hua then remembered, stealthily took a sip of tea to calm his nerves, and began to speak,


    "ladies, i¡¯m trying to inquire about someone."


    the female cultivators looked at each other.


    those who come here are guests, and according to the rules of the establishment, they couldn¡¯t reveal the identities of guests.


    elder su said, "if he asks, you just tell him, it won¡¯t cause any trouble."


    after speaking, elder su placed a jade bracelet on the table and said, "whoever answers correctly will get this bracelet."


    the bracelet was luxurious and exquisitely smooth, with the flow of spiritual energy around it, clearly a fine item.


    the eyes of the female cultivators lit up, and they all nodded their heads.


    "please ask, young master, if we know, we will surely tell you," they responded.


    mo hua then asked, "have you seen a gentleman who looks like a formation master among your patrons at the hundred flower tower before?"


    the female cultivators paused, then all silently turned their gaze towards elder su.


    elder su exclaimed angrily, "it wasn¡¯t me!"


    the female cultivators looked away bashfully.


    after reflecting quietly, a female cultivator in green spoke up,


    "although there are not many cultivators like that, there are still a considerable number. does the young master have any other clues?"


    mo hua gave a brief description of instructor yan¡¯s appearance and demeanor.


    "...his expression is serious, somewhat rigid, but conscientious and responsible."


    the female cultivators all shook their heads.


    mo hua frowned and glanced at elder su again, apologizing as he spoke,


    "elder su, may i ask them some questions alone?"


    elder su was slightly taken aback, realizing that there might be some secrets that required his absence, and nodded, saying,


    "all right, i¡¯ll go next door to listen to some music. take your time asking."


    mo hua smiled and said, "thank you, elder su."


    elder su got up and left.


    mo hua then wanted to inquire about the grey-robed cultivator, and began to say,


    "you... "


    ```


    halfway through his questioning, mo hua sensed something and suddenly stopped. he rose to his feet, ran over to the screen, poked his little head around it, and called out to the room next door:


    "elder su, no eavesdropping."


    elder su was shocked. "how did you know that?"


    he had been preparing to eavesdrop, but after having heard just two words, he was discovered by mo hua.


    he himself was a foundation building cultivator, with a divine sense adequate for foundation establishment. could it really be that even a brief instance of eavesdropping would be detected by mo hua?


    that divine sense of yours is somewhat outrageous, isn¡¯t it...


    or does mo hua have other methods?


    nonetheless, being caught eavesdropping was quite embarrassing.


    elder su¡¯s face turned red, and too embarrassed to deny it, he coughed and said sheepishly:


    "go ahead and ask, i¡¯m not listening anymore."


    mo hua nodded in satisfaction.


    after returning to his seat and confirming that elder su was no longer eavesdropping, and that no other cultivators were either, mo hua then asked:


    "have you seen any strange cultivators at the hundred flower tower?"


    the female cultivators were all somewhat startled.


    "what do you mean by strange?"


    the cultivators who frequented brothels varied widely, and although some might be considered strange compared to ordinary cultivators, within the brothel, such oddities were not particularly unusual.


    after all, this kind of place harbored all kinds of filth and degeneracy, so peculiar and bizarre cultivators were hardly a rare sight.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then said:


    "one with a strange scent." s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "what kind of strange scent?"


    mo hua¡¯s gaze tightened, "cold, faint, like rot, as if...the smell of a dead person."


    hearing this, the crowd of female cultivators jumped in alarm.


    they hadn¡¯t expected that mo hua, at such a young age, would ask such a strange and eerie question.


    but a cold scent of decay, the smell of death...


    what kind of cultivator was this?


    the female cultivators all furrowed their brows but shook their heads one after another.


    mo hua looked somewhat disappointed and said:


    "thank you, sisters. you can go now."


    afterward, he warned them, "but don¡¯t talk about our conversation with anyone else, okay? it would be very dangerous."


    the female cultivators¡¯ hearts chilled, and they all nodded their heads.


    mo hua then gave each of them a spirit stone.


    they couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly, thanking him in unison: "thank you, young master," and then filed out.


    as the female cultivators left, mo hua stopped the one dressed in green.


    "sister, could you brew a pot of tea for me?"


    mo hua asked with a smile.


    the woman in green was taken aback, but then she also smiled and said:


    "i dare not refuse a command from the young master."


    so the woman in green sat at the table, lit the fire, started the stove, poured the water, steeped the tea, and gently simmered it.


    mo hua then quietly asked her:


    "you know about that cultivator, don¡¯t you?"


    the woman¡¯s expression turned frantic, then she composed herself and said with a smile:


    "young master must be joking."


    mo hua whispered, "it¡¯s just us here, no one is eavesdropping, and your sisters don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve said. you can just tell me quietly."


    the woman in green hesitated.


    mo hua then stuffed elder su¡¯s jade bracelet into her hand, "this is for you."


    the woman in green was startled, her face lighting up with happiness, and then she struggled with her emotions. after a moment of hesitation and a determined look in her eyes, she nodded and said:


    "alright."


    "sister, what¡¯s your name?"


    "qinglan."


    mo hua asked, "sister qinglan, have you ever seen that cold, rot-smelling cultivator?"


    qinglan¡¯s expression became solemn, and she nodded.


    mo hua waited for her to continue.


    qinglan then said, "that person is a regular at the hundred flower tower, always dressed in grey, often with his face covered, his features unclear..."


    "he stays here often but vanishes like a ghost; i don¡¯t know when he comes in, nor when he leaves."


    "he carries an odd odor with him. at first, i only found it strange and couldn¡¯t identify it, but now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, young master, i realize that the scent does resemble...the smell of the dead..."


    qinglan¡¯s face showed both fear and panic.


    mo hua poured her a cup of hot tea.


    after drinking the tea, qinglan felt somewhat better.


    mo hua pressed on, "how did you come to know him?"


    qinglan stammered, "i¡¯m close to sister yulan, and he used to stay with her. i¡¯ve seen him several times."


    "but he¡¯s somewhat eerie, so i was afraid and didn¡¯t interact with him much."


    mo hua asked further, "does he always stay with sister yulan each time?"


    qinglan nodded, "he used to."


    "he used to?"


    qinglan lowered her head, gripping her clothes tightly, her fingers turning white, "yes."


    mo hua furrowed his brows, "did something happen?"


    qinglan pursed her lips, trying to hold back, but tears still ran down her cheeks, "sister yulan... she¡¯s dead..."


    mo hua was taken aback, "dead?"


    qinglan turned pale, "not just sister yulan. it¡¯s said that all the sisters who once served him died mysteriously in the end..."


    "sister yulan is dead..."


    "and next, it¡¯ll be my turn..."

 Chapter 433: Lonely (1)

    "why did it fall to you?"qinglan hesitated for a moment, then slowly said,


    "i went to see sister yulan, and he saw me. he stared at me for a long time, with eyes like a venomous snake, sticky and disgusting..."


    "i guess he harbors ill intentions."


    "and after sister yulan died, mother also told me..."


    "mother?" mo hua was slightly startled.


    qinglan looked around, and seeing no one else, she whispered, "it¡¯s the female brothel keeper."


    mo hua nodded.


    the female brothel keeper is the old matron of the brothel, whose girls she raises, referred to as "mother".


    qinglan continued, "mother also told me that there¡¯s a client who specifically asked for me... i inquired who this client was, and mother gave a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile and didn¡¯t clarify."


    "i asked her over and over, and mother got angry, hit me, scolded me, saying that i¡¯ve grown too bold to question her like this, and even said i was a financial loss, that it would serve me right even if i died..."


    mo hua frowned and said, "your mother is really mean."


    qinglan dared not speak ill of the female brothel keeper and just nodded slightly.


    "what happened next?" mo hua asked.


    qinglan said, "then, i guessed that he must want me to accompany that man in gray."


    "after sister yulan died, there have been some other sisters who didn¡¯t survive either."


    "i, i..."


    qinglan couldn¡¯t go on and silently wiped away her tears.


    mo hua poured her another cup of tea and comforted her softly,


    "don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen to you."


    with tears on her cheeks, qinglan clung to a lifeline, her eyes full of hope,


    "i won¡¯t die...?"


    "everyone has to die," mo hua said matter-of-factly.


    qinglan: "..."


    mo hua set her small face firmly, "but before he harms you, he will definitely die first!"


    although qinglan felt that the words were somewhat ambiguous, she still felt comforted and slowly let out a sigh of relief.


    she didn¡¯t know the origin of this young gentleman, but seeing his young age and how even elder su respected him greatly, she assumed his status was extraordinary and a hint of hope grew in her heart.


    "have you told these things to anyone else?" mo hua asked curiously.


    qinglan shook her head and said bitterly,


    "who would i tell? sister yulan is dead, the other sisters are living on borrowed time, and who knows when they¡¯ll displease a client and get beaten till they can¡¯t leave their bed, and mother is... not of a good temper..."


    mo hua listened with a frown, "is there no one in charge here?"


    qinglan gave a bitter smile, "we lowly people are only used for others¡¯ entertainment; who would care if we live or die?"


    mo hua felt uncomfortable hearing this, "what about your parents?"


    qinglan¡¯s eyes dimmed, "i was sold here by my parents."


    at this, mo hua was momentarily taken aback, and bai zisheng and bai zixi looked at her with sympathy.


    mo hua was silent for a while, then quietly asked,


    "do you hate your parents?"


    qinglan shook her head, "i don¡¯t. they¡¯re already dead."


    "dead?"


    "yes." qinglan nodded, "they died of starvation."


    with tears glistening in her eyes and a bit of a choke in her voice, qinglan said,


    "my parents... sold me to the brothel so that i wouldn¡¯t starve to death. even the spirit stone they got for selling me... they secretly gave it to me, so that i could survive..."


    hearing this, mo hua felt a pang of sorrow, "were they mining cultivators?"


    qinglan nodded, "yes. my father mined for the lu family, and when the mine collapsed, he broke a leg and was invaded by filthy qi into his heart meridians, unable to mine anymore..."


    "my mother struggled to support the family, toiled too hard, fell seriously ill. both of them knew they wouldn¡¯t live long, so they sold me to the brothel, as a last resort to keep me alive..."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze hardened, "is this brothel owned by the lu family?"


    "yes," qinglan said, "not just this brothel, but most of jinhua street, the business of food, drink, prostitution, gambling, mostly belongs to the lu family..."


    "then do you want to leave the brothel?"


    qinglan gave a sorrowful shake of her head, "there¡¯s no way out."


    mo hua frowned, deep in thought, murmuring to herself,


    "the lu family, huh..."


    bai zisheng whispered to mo hua, "this lu family doesn¡¯t seem like good news either."


    he pondered, "qian family, sun family, lu family... these families, none seem to be good..."


    bai zisheng suddenly startled, "our bai family wouldn¡¯t also be bad, would it..."


    bai zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes were sharp as she glanced at him.


    mo hua wasn¡¯t sure what to say to him.


    bai zisheng scratched his head, muttering, "that¡¯s really hard to say..."


    mo hua shook her head and then asked,


    "sister qinglan, do you know what level of cultivation that gray-clothed cultivator is?"


    qinglan furrowed her brow, "i¡¯m not entirely sure."


    "not being sure is also okay."


    after hesitating, qinglan then said, "i guess he might be a foundation building cultivator..."


    "that¡¯s what sister yulan told me. she said his cultivation was profound. sister yulan was in the later stages of qi refinement, so he must be at the foundation establishment level..."


    mo hua shook her head slightly.


    if he¡¯s at foundation building... that would be somewhat problematic.


    "when does he usually come to the brothel?"


    "he comes on the fourth and fourteenth of every month, then the duration of his stay varies."


    "i understand."


    mo hua nodded. she pointed to the jade bracelet in qinglan¡¯s hand, "keep this bracelet safe. don¡¯t let anyone see it. on the fourth, i¡¯ll come claiming you stole elder su¡¯s jade bracelet, and we¡¯ll come questioning you."


    "that way, whether we succeed or not, it won¡¯t implicate you."


    qinglan looked at mo hua and asked in a low voice,


    "what are you guys planning to do?"


    "you don¡¯t need to worry about that."


    qinglan nodded, looking at mo hua and the other two, her worries still evident,


    "you are young; don¡¯t get caught up in that gray-clothed man¡¯s schemes in an attempt to rescue me. he¡¯s somber and sinister, likely devious in his actions..."


    bai zisheng said, "don¡¯t worry."


    he pointed to mo hua, "you might not think much of him because of his age, but he¡¯s got no less cunning in his belly than anyone else¡­"


    mo hua was displeased, "who has a belly full of bad tricks?"


    bai zisheng looked skyward, pretending he hadn¡¯t said anything.


    mo hua muttered, "a belly full of bad tricks is still better than being a fool..."


    "oh, you¡¯re calling your senior brother a fool again?"


    "and you were saying your junior brother is full of mischief?"


    ...


    the two bickered in hushed tones.


    bai zixi, helpless, slapped each of them on the back.


    the slap on bai zisheng was harder, while that on mo hua was gentler due to his frailty.


    bai zisheng grimaced in pain and said:


    "zixi, you¡¯re biased!"


    bai zixi ignored him and simply said to mo hua, "let¡¯s focus on the matter at hand, head back earlier."


    "mm-hmm."


    mo hua acknowledged.


    afterward, mo hua inquired about some details, then instructed qinglan:


    "sister qinglan, you go back first, don¡¯t talk about this to anyone, and don¡¯t show any signs. we will come looking for you in a few days."


    qinglan pursed her lips, nodded solemnly, and then left.


    mo hua went to seek out elder su.


    elder su was leisurely drinking wine, listening to music, and watching the female cultivators dance gracefully on stage.


    upon seeing mo hua, elder su queried:


    "are you done asking?"


    mo hua nodded.


    "good." elder su didn¡¯t probe further, as these matters were considered the private affairs of cultivators, and inquiring rashly was impolite.


    "little gentleman, will you stay to play for a while, or..."


    "it¡¯s getting late, i should head home," mo hua said.


    this statement made perfect sense coming from mo hua, but hearing it in a brothel at that time felt rather odd.


    elder su expressed his regret, "alright then."


    mo hua saw the look of unfulfilled desire on his face and whispered:


    "how about this, we head back first, and elder su, you can stay a while longer?"


    elder su seemed tempted but hurriedly shook his head:


    "no, no, no, what kind of person do you take me for? i¡¯m not familiar with this place and there¡¯s nothing... no real fun to be had here..."


    elder su said insincerely.


    mo hua looked at elder su with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    feeling mo hua¡¯s gaze, elder su felt somewhat sheepish.


    soon, the group left hundred flower tower, with elder su looking a bit downcast along the way.


    this was his first experience of such "virtuous conduct," passing through fields of flowers untouched.


    to thank elder su, mo hua presented him with some rare formation diagrams.


    elder su was somewhat shocked, "is this for me?"


    mo hua nodded. "it¡¯s the least i can do."


    only then did elder su cheer up, forgetting all about the flirtatious beauties as he flipped through the formation diagrams, unable to put them down.


    as they walked, mo hua suddenly asked elder su:


    "elder, the girls in hundred flower tower, are they all pretty miserable?"


    elder su paused, and the smile on his face gradually faded.


    he sighed. "yes, they are."


    "most of them come from the mines, sold into the brothel, lives adrift like duckweed, rarely meeting a good end. even if one wanted to help, it¡¯s not feasible..."


    curious, mo hua asked, "have you thought about helping them?"


    elder su nodded and then looked rather embarrassed, "although i do have personal desires and occasionally linger here, it¡¯s always consensual, and i cannot bear to see them treated so poorly."


    "but i cannot help them."


    "even if i could, i might only help one or two. with so many brothels on jinhua street and so many female cultivators, i can¡¯t help everyone..."


    "besides, even if i could help them, it would be futile."


    elder su sighed again.


    "why is that?" mo hua queried.


    elder su pointed to the dark mines in the distance, his tone grave:


    "the root of these brothels is not on this street but in the mines."


    "as long as the mining cultivators in the mines remain impoverished, forced to sell their sons and daughters, these brothels will stand forever, never lacking female cultivators..."


    "of course, there are those who have fallen willingly, who do not cherish themselves, but they are a minority."


    "the majority of female cultivators abhor this life, not wishing to spend their days in such a quagmire..."


    elder su took a deep breath, sounding somewhat powerless:


    "but this isn¡¯t a problem foundation building cultivators can resolve."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze flickered as if contemplating something.


    then he praised, "elder su, you are a good man."


    elder su smiled and nodded, but after a moment, he paused, then quickly shook his head:


    "no, no, it¡¯s not that, it has nothing to do with me, all this is something i heard from a ¡¯taoist friend¡¯..."


    mo hua said, "this ¡¯taoist friend¡¯ you spoke of..."


    elder su waved his hand, "it¡¯s not me, not me..."


    ...


    the issue of the brothel couldn¡¯t be solved for now, and mo hua decided to focus on tracking down the grey-clothed cultivator.


    after parting with elder su, mo hua and the three gathered in their cave dwelling to discuss. sear?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "should we slaughter that grey-clothed cultivator?" bai zisheng asked.


    mo hua clenched his small hand, "capture first, interrogate next, then execute!"


    "it¡¯s difficult to capture a foundation establishment, isn¡¯t it?"


    mo hua nodded, "it¡¯s a bit tricky, just the three of us."


    "so what do you plan to do?" bai zisheng asked.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then whispered conspiratorially, "we report it to the taoist court official..."


    "report?"


    "yes." mo hua said assertively, "this man hires killers and traffics bodies, violating the taoist law, utterly sinful. it¡¯s natural to report it to the taoist court official. they¡¯ll capture him; why should we exert the effort?"


    bai zisheng said, "but if the taoist court official catches him, won¡¯t we be unable to find out the information?"


    "we won¡¯t," mo hua said mysteriously, "the taoist court has our people!"


    bai zixi was somewhat puzzled, "our people... do you mean sister situ? she can¡¯t really be considered ¡¯our people¡¯..."


    "whether she is or not doesn¡¯t matter; the result is the same."


    as long as the court officials can extract the information, by asking situ fang, he would surely know everything clearly.


    with their good relationship, situ fang would definitely not hide anything from him.


    so, ending up in the hands of the court is as good as being caught by them.


    bai zisheng then asked, "what if the taoist court official can¡¯t capture him?"


    mo hua said in a low voice, "then we¡¯ll just have to let the snipe and the clam fight, and reap the benefits like the fisherman..."

 Chapter 434: Taking Action (1)

    the next day, mo hua went to the taoist court to make an accusation.he found situ fang and recounted how the grey-clothed cultivator hired an assassin to commit murder, hid in the brothel, and even caused the death of a female cultivator from the brothel.


    situ fang stared at mo hua in shock, "how do you know so much?"


    the taoist court hadn¡¯t uncovered anything yet.


    mo hua said, "i went to the brothel, and by chance, i accidentally happened to overhear..."


    situ fang¡¯s eyes widened, "you went to the brothel?!"


    "just to listen to the music, watch the dancing. it got late, so i went home..." mo hua said, a bit guiltily.


    situ fang¡¯s gaze grew stern, "you can¡¯t go there again!"


    walking by the river often leads to wet shoes. situ fang feared mo hua would pick up bad habits.


    mo hua nodded repeatedly, "don¡¯t worry, i was there on serious business. who would go to the brothel for no reason? i am very busy."


    he had to cultivate, learn formations, cook for his master and fellow disciples, fry pine nuts for old kui, and indeed, he also had to feed grass to big white.


    he was indeed very busy.


    situ fang sighed, "fine, as long as you are aware of what you¡¯re doing."


    mo hua then asked, "have you thought about how to capture that grey-clothed cultivator?"


    situ fang frowned, "the taoist court will figure out a way to handle this, you don¡¯t need to..."


    "is the taoist court really up to the task?"


    mo hua¡¯s gaze was somewhat profound.


    situ fang paused, thought it over with patience, and seemed unsure.


    the grey-clothed cultivator had been hiring murderers and trafficking in bodies for decades. what was his identity, what background did he have, and what was his connection to the taoist court? she was not certain either.


    if there were any collusion with the internal members of the taoist court, reporting to the court leader would be like startling the snake in the grass. even if they acted meticulously, it would likely be a case of wasted effort, bringing no fruitful result.


    after pondering for a moment, situ fang said, "i will call over some people from my clan."


    "from the clan?"


    situ fang nodded, "the situ family has a foundation building cultivator in south yue city. i¡¯ll ask him to make a move, and then report to the taoist court afterwards, to take action first and report later."


    mo hua then felt at ease.


    he was a bit skeptical of the taoist court in south yue city, but he trusted situ fang.


    mo hua relayed all the information about qinglan to situ fang without missing a single detail and then discussed the timing, location, and method of the capture.


    after everything was agreed upon, situ fang thought for a moment and said to mo hua:


    "on the fourth day of the month, you¡¯d better not go."


    mo hua shook his head, "i need to be there, and besides, how would you contact sister qinglan without me?"


    situ fang hesitated, "but the other party is after all at foundation establishment..."


    "don¡¯t worry," said mo hua confidently, "even if he is at foundation establishment, he might not discover me. i could still escape if i wanted to, and besides, i have my fellow disciples."


    "your fellow disciples are also just qi refinement, aren¡¯t they..."


    "although they are at qi refinement, they are very powerful."


    thinking of the profound spiritual power within bai zisheng and bai zixi, situ fang let out a sigh and conceded:


    "alright then."


    when mo hua made up his mind, all she could do is offer advice.


    the child¡¯s capabilities now seemed to surpass her own, at least in terms of formations. sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    if he wanted to go, he must have a plan in mind.


    when the time came, she would just need to remind the elder of the situ family to keep an eye on mo hua and prevent him from getting hurt.


    even if there was a battle at foundation establishment, as long as mo hua kept his distance, he should be safe.


    and mo hua was very good at keeping out of harm¡¯s way.


    she had a profound memory of this from their time in big black mountain.


    ...


    after finalizing the plan, situ fang began to deploy her people and arranged some enforcement leaders to scout out the hundred flower tower in advance.


    these cultivators were all trusted by her, and some were even from the situ family.


    at the same time, she also paid a visit to south yue sect and called out the elder from the situ family who was a guest there.


    meanwhile, mo hua continued cultivating and practicing formations.


    and he specifically prepared a set of the unique compass parent-child formation.


    this formation would serve a great purpose for him.


    when the fourth day arrived and night fell, mo hua met with situ fang and they entered the hundred flower tower together.


    the enforcement leaders of the taoist court had already infiltrated the place.


    the elder from the situ family was already there, drinking wine inside the brothel.


    no sooner had situ fang entered than she was stopped.


    the one who stopped her was a middle-aged to elderly female cultivator, heavily made up, dressed in bold reds and greens, with a smiling face but sharp eyes, possibly over a hundred years old.


    this female cultivator was the female brothel keeper of the hundred flower tower.


    the brothel keeper detained situ fang with polite manners, yet there was a sarcastic tone in her voice:


    "oh, isn¡¯t this the supervisor from the taoist court, situ fang? what brings you to our hundred flower tower?"


    the brothel keeper then pretended to be surprised:


    "but... aren¡¯t you a maiden? oh, now i see, perhaps you are... that kind..."


    she drew out the last word, then covered her face with a lover¡¯s fan and let out a few unkind laughs.


    situ fang¡¯s expression was stern, "i am here on official business."


    the laughter from the brothel keeper ceased, and her gaze turned hostile as she said:


    "what official business?"


    situ fang glanced at mo hua.


    mo hua then stepped forward, acting arrogantly and imposingly, "someone from your hundred flower tower has stolen my belongings!"


    theft...


    the female brothel keeper breathed a slight sigh of relief and said with a forced smile:


    "our hundred flower tower conducts legitimate business, and the girls are all very proper. how could they steal anything? does the young master have any evidence for such an accusation?"


    situ fang, standing to one side, felt her eyebrows twitching with irritation.


    legitimate business? proper girls?


    she wanted to tear the female brothel keeper¡¯s nonsense-spouting mouth to shreds.


    mo hua let out a cold huff, "isn¡¯t there a girl named qinglan in your establishment?"


    the female brothel keeper was slightly taken aback but smiled:


    "yes, there is such a girl."


    "that¡¯s right," mo hua raised his eyebrows, "she stole my jade bracelet, which was a gift from elder su!"


    "elder su..."


    the female brothel keeper paused for a moment.


    she remembered that elder su from the south yue sect had indeed visited a few days ago, and this young master seemed to have been accompanying elder su at that time.


    and indeed, elder su had chosen qinglan.


    the female brothel keeper frowned slightly, beginning to believe the accusation to some extent.


    these girls, accustomed to poverty and unfit for the public eye, might indeed take things that weren¡¯t theirs when they saw something valuable.


    the female brothel keeper cursed inwardly: "this wretched girl has really caused me trouble!"


    however...


    the female brothel keeper was somewhat troubled, "qinglan is currently attending to a client and it is not convenient. i will interrogate her later; if she really took the young master¡¯s belongings, i will make sure she returns them..."


    "this little wretch, ignorant of her place, will be severely reprimanded and taught a lesson..."


    the female brothel keeper gritted her teeth, her expression turning rather ugly.


    mo hua listened with a chill in his gaze, but his tone only grew more unyielding:


    "that¡¯s unacceptable. how do i know you won¡¯t protect her? call her over right now for an on-the-spot confrontation."


    the female brothel keeper hesitated.


    mo hua sneered, "that jade bracelet is extremely valuable. if it goes missing, you won¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility!"


    having said that, mo hua added:


    "i have asked supervisor situ to come as a witness. if your hundred flower tower is protecting qinglan and has embezzled my jade bracelet, then i will have no choice but to report to the daoist court and seek justice."


    "this..."


    the female brothel keeper felt cornered.


    she did not wish to offend elder su, and with this young master¡¯s connection to elder su, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend him either.


    and the daoist court was something she wanted to provoke even less.


    though the hundred flower tower had been able to operate for so long by bribing the daoist court in south yue city.


    but the higher-ups in the daoist court were a pack of insatiable wolves.


    once alarmed, they would surely demand a hefty bribe. it would cost her not only spirit stones, but her girls would also be wearied for no gain.


    the female brothel keeper bit her lip, "fine, young master, wait a moment, and i will bring that wretched qinglan here to find out the truth!"


    the female brothel keeper stomped off, swaying with feigned indignation.


    a short while later, a trembling qinglan was brought before them.


    mo hua looked at qinglan and noticed she had been freshly groomed, with damp hair, a pale complexion, trembling fingers, and faint whip marks on her neck.


    mo hua let out a cold laugh, pointing at qinglan:


    "you, come here. i have a question for you."


    hope flickered in qinglan¡¯s pained eyes as she slowly made her way to mo hua.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he spoke gravely:


    "i ask you, is that ¡¯jade bracelet¡¯ with you?"


    qinglan pursed her pale lips and nodded earnestly:


    "it is!"


    mo hua breathed a small sigh of relief and glanced at situ fang.


    situ fang caught the signal and picked up a wine pot from the table, throwing it to the ground in anger:


    "this is outrageous!"


    the shattering of the wine pot echoed up to the floors above.


    the female brothel keeper frowned slightly, sensing something off in their conversation but, at that moment, couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was.


    while she was pondering, a powerful wave of spiritual power suddenly erupted from the back courtyard¡¯s upper floor.


    the female brothel keeper¡¯s face turned pale.


    guests all stirred, rising in alarm and confusion.


    "a foundation building cultivator?!"


    a foundation building cultivator was making a move in hundred flower tower!


    the hall instantly fell into a clamor and chaos.


    in the midst of the chaos, mo hua gently pulled the shivering qinglan behind him, while bai zisheng and bai zixi stood on either side to shield her.


    situ fang¡¯s eyes glinted coldly as she drew her sword and said:


    "someone dares to cause trouble in hundred flower tower? follow me to quell this disturbance!"


    hidden among the guests, the enforcement leaders of the daoist court stood up one after another, brandishing their gleaming blades and leaping toward the upstairs.


    the female brothel keeper¡¯s jaw dropped at the sight, a chill running through her.


    it was over; she had been outmaneuvered!

 Chapter 435: Corpse Blood Pill (1)

    situ fang led the enforcement leaders of the taoist court into the back courtyard of hundred flower tower.moments later, spiritual power overflowed, the sounds of battle, cries of alarm, shouts, and the crashing of buildings were all intermingled.


    mo hua was curious. after thinking for a moment, he said to qinglan:


    "find somewhere to hide and don¡¯t come out, no matter what."


    qinglan was a bit nervous, but still nodded her head.


    afterward, mo hua and two others also used their movement techniques to reach the second floor and looked out toward the back courtyard through a window.


    hundred flower tower had a front and a back building, with a courtyard in between.


    the front building was the main hall, used for hosting banquets and where female cultivators sang and danced, while the back building contained private rooms for the brothel¡¯s business.


    in the center of the back building was a courtyard with mountains and water, full of blooming flowers.


    the courtyard was spacious and the scenery pleasant.


    behind the courtyard was the back building. three-story buildings surrounded the courtyard on three sides.


    the upper levels were connected by corridors, with exquisite rooms, red lanterns hanging in the passageways, and pink curtains; the heavy scent of makeup was overpowering.


    various formations were laid out between the corridors: there were reinforcing ones, soundproofing ones, dust-exposing ones, and even illuminating ones.


    the light pink glow illuminated the entire back building, casting an enchanting and romantic atmosphere.


    this made mo hua quite unhappy.


    in the mines, mining cultivators faced grueling work, with life and death hanging in the balance, yet the formations painted there were exceedingly simple.


    yet, here in hundred flower tower, a place indulgent in pleasure, the formations were so well established.


    they even used formations to enhance the ambiance and romantic mood.


    it was indeed excessive.


    suddenly, a surge of spiritual power erupted, bricks shattered, and sawdust flew about.


    mo hua looked toward the source of the commotion.


    he saw that on a second-floor room far away, the doors and windows had been completely smashed, and the surrounding formations had also been utterly destroyed.


    on the corridor, two foundation establishment cultivators were engaged in combat.


    one wore black garments, the other gray.


    the black-clothed cultivator was a foundation establishment elder of the situ family, named situ jin.


    and that masked figure in gray, with an aura that was dark and gloomy, was likely the person behind the scenes buying corpses in the mine that mo hua was looking for.


    situ fang, with the enforcement leaders from the taoist court of south yue city, surrounded the area to prevent the gray-clothed cultivator from escaping.


    they were all qi refinement cultivators, unable to match the power of foundation establishment, but if they formed a battle array, they could trade a blow or two with a foundation establishment opponent and delay them briefly.


    the taoist court cultivators stood ready for combat.


    and on the corridor, situ jin exchanged a series of blows with the person in gray.


    after watching for a while, mo hua frowned.


    bai zisheng whispered:


    "this gray-clothed cultivator seems a bit weak..."


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but nod, "he is quite weak..."


    his moves were deceitful, and his spiritual power was also very soft, but his cultivation was truly weak, even among ordinary cultivators at the foundation establishment initial stage, he was at the bottom.


    of all the foundation establishment cultivators that mo hua had seen, this gray-clothed one was the weakest. s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    even in tongxian city, the aged court leader zhou and old master an, who was not skilled in taoist skills, were stronger when they made a move.


    the gray-clothed cultivator was a body cultivator, but his vital energy was not strong, and the martial skills he knew were also quite common.


    besides, he seemed to have learned a spell or two.


    it looked like the earth poison technique, but he clearly was not a spiritual cultivator, and while this spell could deal with qi refinement cultivators, it really wasn¡¯t enough against peers of the same stage.


    from head to toe, the gray-clothed cultivator exuded a half-baked air.


    mo hua¡¯s brows furrowed even tighter.


    how could he be so weak?


    even he could hardly bear to watch anymore.


    the situation on the field was the same, with situ jin¡¯s palm strikes like a wind, constantly overpowering the gray-clothed cultivator.


    the gray-clothed cultivator struggled to cope and barely managed to hold on.


    he wanted to escape, but the surrounding enforcement leaders were blocking him. every time he tried to break through, he was delayed and then entangled again by situ jin.


    after dozens more exchanges, the gray-clothed cultivator, seeing that he was about to be defeated, leaped from the upper floor into the garden below. a gray light flashed around his body, and he suddenly disappeared.


    situ jin landed afterward, looking around with furrowed brows.


    mo hua was also surprised and turned to ask:


    "what taoist skill is this?"


    bai zisheng hesitated and said, "is this... an escape technique?"


    bai zixi nodded, "it¡¯s the earth escape technique from the five elements escape techniques."


    "escape technique?" mo hua blinked.


    bai zixi explained:


    "an escape technique is actually a type of movement technique, but it¡¯s specifically for fleeing. when activated, spiritual power envelops the body and merges with the five elements of the world, thereby hiding their presence and escaping to safety."


    the gray-clothed cultivator left it until the last moment to use earth escape, just to avoid revealing his trump card.


    once an escape technique is known, it¡¯s much easier for others to be on their guard and counter it.


    mo hua understood and sincerely praised:


    "junior sister, you know so much!"


    "it¡¯s quite simple."


    bai zixi said indifferently, with her slender eyebrows slightly raised and a faint pride in her eyes.


    bai zisheng couldn¡¯t help but say:


    "mo hua, you¡¯re really good at flattery."


    mo hua said displeased:


    "telling the truth is not flattery. besides, why don¡¯t i flatter you? it¡¯s because you don¡¯t know, isn¡¯t it?"


    bai zisheng was at a loss for words.


    in terms of knowledge in tao cultivation, he indeed could not compare to his younger sister zixi.


    not just in the knowledge of tao cultivation, in fact, he couldn¡¯t compare to her in many aspects... stay updated through empire


    bai zisheng didn¡¯t argue with mo hua anymore but frowned and said, "now that he has used an escape technique, is that guy going to escape?"


    mo hua said with a grin, "he won¡¯t get away."


    the divine sense of the gray-clothed cultivator was only at ten patterns.


    but mo hua¡¯s divine sense was at twelve patterns!


    mo hua¡¯s expression became solemn, he closed his eyes, concentrated fully, and projected his divine sense to its utmost reach.


    in a vision of pure white divine sense, he searched for traces of the gray-clothed cultivator.


    after a moment, mo hua opened his eyes, and with a flick of his fingers, a ball of fire condensed at the tip.

 Chapter 436: Corpse Blood Pill (2)

    then, with a casual gesture, the fireball soared into the garden in an instant, exploding on a patch of grass and turning the vegetation to flying ash.as the grass turned to ash, a blackened face emerged from the scorched earth.


    the monk in grey robes looked confused.


    where did that fireball technique come from, and how did it hit him?


    this fireball technique also caught the attention of situ jin.


    with that, he also spotted the movements of the monk in grey robes.


    situ jin, who had been searching to no avail, was invigorated and summoned his spiritual power to strike at the monk with a palm.


    the monk in grey robes was too slow to dodge and was hit by the palm, revealing his tattered clothes and a face covered in black ash.


    although mo hua¡¯s fireball technique was quite powerful, it wasn¡¯t a significant threat to someone at the foundation establishment stage, it merely made his movements appear disheveled.


    the monk in grey robes cursed and retreated several steps, then dove into the ground, disappearing from sight.


    situ jin frowned deeply as he once again could not find his quarry.


    just then, another swift fireball flew through the air, landing in the garden and exploding a bush, forcing the monk in grey robes¡¯ movements to be revealed again.


    situ jin was stunned and looked up at mo hua, eyes filled with disbelief.


    how could this junior cultivator see through an earth escape technique?


    even as a cultivator at the foundation establishment stage, he couldn¡¯t detect the monk¡¯s whereabouts.


    how did he do it?


    but now was not the time for astonishment.


    situ jin once again employed his movement technique, leapt forward, and attacked the monk in grey robes.


    forced to show himself, the monk looked up and naturally saw mo hua standing on the building above.


    he was both shocked and enraged and exploded with a curse:


    "damn brat, spoiling my plans, i¡¯ll slaughter you..."


    but before he could finish, he was interrupted by situ jin.


    situ jin delivered a palm strike, saying coldly,


    "thief, meet your death!"


    the monk in grey robes resisted the blow but staggered backward, coughing up blood, and hastily took out a pill to swallow, stabilizing his breath before once again employing the escape technique to vanish into the ground.


    however, time after time, he was still hit by the fireball technique.


    learning from experience, situ jin decided not to search on his own and instead struck wherever the fireball technique indicated.


    the monk in grey robes, like a mole, had just burrowed down when he was mercilessly forced to come back up, filled with extreme frustration.


    he almost coughed up blood in his heart.


    what was with this kid?


    how could he see through his escape technique?


    after being hit by a few more fireball techniques, the monk in grey robes had a sudden realization. s~ea??h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    it was divine sense!


    had this little brat locked onto him using divine sense?!


    the monk in grey robes found the concept inconceivable.


    a cultivator at the foundation establishment stage was being tracked by a little brat in the qi refinement realm using divine sense?


    your next chapter awaits on empire


    he didn¡¯t have time to be astonished; just confused for a brief moment, he was distracted, and a fireball struck him in the face.


    the monk in grey robes felt intense pain all over his face and cursed in hatred.


    that damned brat was getting more accurate with every shot...


    if this continued, he would fall here.


    at the same time, situ jin attacked with another palm strike, this time hitting the monk¡¯s left shoulder, tearing through his clothes with the force of the wind while also ripping off the black cloth covering his face.


    below the black cloth was a chilling, pale face with no trace of color.


    furious, the monk roared with a hoarse voice:


    "you motherfuckers are asking for death!"


    he then took out a strange-looking bronze vial with blood patterns on it and fiercely poured the pills inside into his mouth.


    "not good!"


    as soon as he produced the vial, situ jin knew something was wrong and immediately acted, striking with a palm.


    although he didn¡¯t know what the pill was, he had to prevent the monk from swallowing it.


    his palm struck the monk¡¯s chest, spiritual power tearing through flesh and the force flinging him backward, but it failed to stop the monk from ingesting the blood-colored pills.


    the monk lay on the ground like a dead body, motionless for a long time.


    for a moment, the scene fell silent.


    situ jin¡¯s gaze grew solemn, and he dared not act rashly, his expression wary.


    after a short time, a sudden change occurred.


    the monk lying on the ground began to convulse irregularly, his limbs deforming and twisting, his body gradually swelling, veins bulging, and he finally stood up in an odd posture, straight as a rod.


    his skin turned an ashen blue, his body robust, eyes showing only whites, resembling a corpse as a deathly aura surrounded him.


    situ jin inhaled a breath of cold air.


    the surrounding enforcement leaders also turned pale with fright.


    just then, the grey-clothed cultivator, who resembled a corpse, took a step forward and was instantly before situ jin, throwing a punch at his chest.


    situ jin gathered all his strength and used palm-energy to catch the punch.


    the spiritual power of the foundation establishment stage oscillated, pulverizing the surrounding grass, trees, and rocks into dust.


    situ jin was no match for the grey-clothed cultivator, and the punch sent him staggering seven or eight steps backwards, until he finally had to half-kneel on the ground, spitting fresh blood.


    just as the grey-clothed cultivator wanted to press forward and pursue his victory, a fireball technique suddenly appeared and struck the back of his head.


    the spiritual power exploded, making him stagger.


    the power was not great, but the humiliation was profound.


    the grey-clothed cultivator slowly turned his head, his dead white gaze directed at the building above.


    upstairs, mo hua made a mocking face at him.


    this face almost blew up the grey-clothed cultivator, who had become like a corpse.


    in that instant, the grey-clothed cultivator had only one thought.


    he must kill this brat, no matter what!


    he left situ jin behind and strode towards mo hua.


    situ fang was shocked and tried to block him, but the grey-clothed cultivator knocked her flying with a punch.


    the other few qi refining enforcers were also no match for him.


    the grey-clothed cultivator arrived in front of mo hua.


    mo hua stood on the second floor, looking down at him from above.


    the grey-clothed cultivator, with a face as dark as iron, emitted a strange roar and then leaped up to the second floor.


    bai zisheng¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he stepped forward to meet him. his hands crossed and clenched together, and a silver-white spear appeared. his body moved like the wind, while the spear struck like a dragon, with a brilliant golden glow. he attacked the corpse-like grey-clothed cultivator.


    the skin of the grey-clothed cultivator was dark green and his veins bulged, nearly impenetrable as an iron corpse. he countered bai zisheng¡¯s spear with just his body.


    bai zisheng¡¯s spear could not penetrate his skin or flesh, and could not harm him.


    despite his fierce momentum, he was still at a disadvantage.


    after all, no matter how gifted he was, he was still only at the qi refinement level.


    at that moment, bai zixi¡¯s eyes, clear as crystal, sparkled, and her fingertips condensed a sword pattern, blazing with snow-white flames.


    her fair and slender hand pointed out, releasing several beams of sword light, each with a biting chill, breaking through the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s body. the snow-white flames also scorched his wounds.


    the grey-clothed cultivator, in pain, let out an inhuman, bizarre howl.


    but that was all.


    the flesh torn by the golden light slowly healed.


    the snow-white flames gradually died out, leaving only a few charred scars.


    the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s expression turned fierce again, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of fear in his heart.


    what were these two young cultivators capable of?


    he had taken a corpse blood pill, his cultivation greatly increased, making his body as tough as an iron corpse and impervious to blades or spears.


    yet, they were still within the qi-refining realm and could fight him alone.


    and they could break through his body with a spell?


    the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s heart chilled.


    he couldn¡¯t allow the battle to drag on, because once the power of the corpse blood pill was exhausted, and he suffered from its backlash, he would be in trouble.


    kill that brat to vent his anger, and then withdraw immediately!


    the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s mind was made up. he glanced around, and on that corpse-like, ferocious face, a sudden blankness appeared...


    where was that brat?


    how did he vanish?


    where had he gone?


    had he turned invisible?


    the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s dead white eyes widened; he couldn¡¯t see anyone.


    he released his divine sense but detected no trace...


    a surge of anger swelled in the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s chest.


    that brat...


    he had seen through his escape technique, been ambushed by him, humiliated by him, even mocked by his taunting face, and now, he couldn¡¯t even see a trace of him...


    not being able to see him, how was he supposed to kill him?


    it was like punching into cotton.


    and he hadn¡¯t even managed to hit the cotton.


    as time went by, the power of the pill was close to running out.


    the grey-clothed cultivator, filled with rage yet nowhere to vent it, shook all over with fury. gritting his teeth and with a hoarse voice, he roared to the sky:


    "come out!"


    "you come out right now!!"


    this impotent fury was filled with frustration.

 Chapter 437: Can’t Look (1)

    ``` explore stories on empirehe took drugs, he became stronger, but mo hua turned invisible.


    the gray-clothed cultivator didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    once the drug effects of the corpse blood pill faded, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.


    the gray-clothed cultivator howled ferociously a few times. despite his reluctance, he could no longer stay there.


    the humiliation and mockery from that brat could be avenged another day.


    he threw a punch to hold bai zisheng off, then quickly dashed toward the corridor, smashing through the walls and disappearing into the rooms at the back of the building.


    there was chaos in the room, with the sound of cultivators¡¯ screams piercing the air.


    using his concealment technique, mo hua had delayed the gray-clothed cultivator until the effects of the drugs had worn off, seizing the chance to escape, before he slowly reappeared.


    bai zisheng asked him, "should we pursue?"


    mo hua thought for a moment, then nodded, "chase him a bit, but don¡¯t be too hasty, lest he becomes cornered and lashes out."


    "okay."


    the three of them followed the path the gray-clothed cultivator had created by smashing through the walls.


    the gray-clothed cultivator fled towards the back building, frantically barging into rooms just like a headless fly, battering through the walls, leaving the entire back building riddled with holes.


    having ingested pills, his physical body was strong and his power much enhanced. the formation used by the hundred flower tower was only average, so it couldn¡¯t withstand his assaults.


    as mo hua and the others pursued, they found themselves facing a scene of ruined doors and windows as well as damaged walls.


    they had no idea where the gray-clothed cultivator had escaped to.


    mo hua released his divine sense, his brow slightly furrowed.


    even with his divine sense, he could not detect anything.


    could there be a hidden passage in this hundred flower tower?


    mo hua remembered what qinglan had said; she had mentioned that this gray-clothed cultivator "often stayed here, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, no one knew when he entered or left¡­"


    in that case, as his drug effects waned, he could only think of escaping.


    and escaping would surely mean a hidden passage.


    cultivators do have the ability to teleport, but such high-level techniques, involving spatial transitions, were clearly not within the power of qi-refining and foundation establishment cultivators.


    after contemplating for a short while, mo hua turned to bai zisheng and bai zixi and said:


    "let¡¯s split up and look, see if there¡¯s any mechanism or hidden passage."


    bai zisheng and bai zixi nodded.


    bai zixi said, "be careful."


    "mhmm."


    mo hua nodded and then, having used the concealment technique to hide his presence, he moved towards the center.


    bai zisheng went left, bai zixi went right.


    while mo hua searched for traces of the gray-clothed cultivator, he kept his divine sense alert to bai zisheng and bai zixi¡¯s movements, afraid they would encounter danger.


    as he walked, he noticed bai zixi had stopped in front of a room.


    mo hua was slightly startled.


    had the junior martial sister found something?


    he then turned back and headed towards where bai zixi was.


    as bai zixi looked at the scene before her, she frowned.


    there, a bed was forcibly broken through, revealing a dark hole beneath.


    this hole was probably the entrance to a secret passage.


    and under the bed lay a dead male cultivator, whose chest had a gaping bloody cavity, as if his chest had been pierced forcibly by an arm, destroying his heart and killing him.


    the handiwork was likely that of the gray-clothed cultivator.


    beside the man, there were a few female cultivators shivering naked, without a thread on their bodies.


    bai zixi was considering whether to check the secret passage, when she heard mo hua¡¯s footsteps.


    mo hua¡¯s steps were light and familiar.


    "junior martial sister?"


    mo hua called out and was about to step into the room.


    bai zixi glanced at the unclothed females in the room, suddenly realized something, and quickly walked to the door, stretching out her delicate hand to cover mo hua¡¯s eyes.


    "you can¡¯t look!"


    mo hua felt the soft and delicate hands covering his eyes, with the breath of his junior martial sister close in front, and his face turned slightly red.


    yet, he still asked in a low voice, puzzled,


    "why can¡¯t i look?"


    bai zixi crisply said, "just because you can¡¯t!"


    "alright then¡­"


    mo hua obediently let her cover his eyes.


    after a while, bai zisheng also arrived, about to say something.


    bai zixi gave him a gentle glare, "no looking allowed!"


    "oh¡­"


    bai zisheng silently covered his own eyes.


    the female cultivators in the room, having regained their composure, grabbed some silk and covered their bodies, then quickly threw on some clothes, albeit haphazardly.


    they were still a bit exposed, but at least presentable.


    only then did bai zixi let go of her hand.


    mo hua glanced at them and roughly understood, then asked,


    "was there a strange, corpse-like cultivator who came through here?"


    the female cultivators nodded, stammering,


    "we were just loosening our clothes, prepared to serve young master zhao..."


    "young master zhao?"


    one female cultivator pointed to the man lying on the ground with the chest wound and continued,


    "unexpectedly, that monster suddenly burst in¡­"


    "young master zhao lost his mood, spoke harshly in protest, and was then pierced through the chest by that monster with one claw."


    "after killing young master zhao, the monster punched through the bedboard and crawled into the hole beneath the bed, disappearing somewhere¡­"


    "whose room is this?" mo hua inquired.


    the female cultivators looked at each other, and finally one spoke up,


    "it¡¯s sister yulan¡¯s room."


    "this young master zhao, he was once a client of sister yulan, drank a bit of alcohol, who knows how, but he suddenly remembered sister yulan who had passed away, then stubbornly dragged us here¡­"


    they hesitated to continue in front of mo hua.


    mo hua nodded.


    he checked the hole under the bed, which was pitch black.


    after probing with his divine sense, mo hua shook his head.


    "what¡¯s wrong?" bai zisheng asked.


    mo hua replied, "it¡¯s been blocked."


    ```


    "can it be pierced through?"


    mo hua shook his head, "there¡¯s a mechanism inside. once activated, the formation will self-destruct and the earth and stones will completely block the passage. it seems to be designed for escaping and cutting off any pursuit."


    "then what should we do?"


    mo hua asked, "the needles i gave you, did you leave them in his body?"


    bai zisheng nodded, "three of them. one in his hair, one on his sleeve, and another one¡ªafter zixi¡¯s sword qi tore through his flesh, i took the opportunity to drive it into his wound, melding it into his flesh and blood. from the looks of it, he shouldn¡¯t be able to detect it for a short period of time."


    mo hua smiled, "that¡¯s good then."


    after a while, situ jin and situ fang came in with several enforcement leaders.


    they had all sustained injuries of varying degrees and had just taken their pills, after a brief period of recuperation.


    situ jin, with grateful eyes, said to mo hua:


    "thank you, young brother."


    if it wasn¡¯t for mo hua on the upper floor, attracting the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s attention with the fireball technique and delaying him with tactics, sapping both time and the strange power of his medicine,


    that would have allowed the gray-clothed cultivator to wreak havoc. the loss on this mission would have been disastrous.


    even he might have ended up severely injured.


    situ jin then looked at bai zisheng and bai zixi with admiration in his eyes, full of praise.


    these are the true scions of a great clan.


    with only qi-refining realm cultivation, they could confront foundation building cultivators head-on and even injure the gray-clothed cultivator who, after taking the medicine, had his strength vastly increased and was like a living corpse.


    what would happen once they established their foundation?


    "indeed, worthy of being the legitimate descendants of a noble clan..."


    situ jin silently reflected.


    the situ family¡¯s power wasn¡¯t small, but there was much surplus when comparing downward, yet far from sufficient when looking upward, especially when compared to the bai family, a great clan.


    this was reflected in the strength of the clan¡¯s disciples.


    mo hua and the others exchanged a few courteous words, saying things like "no need to be so polite" and "it¡¯s what we should do."


    of course, mo hua did most of the talking.


    bai zixi was cold by nature, and bai zisheng was slightly arrogant.


    such matters were better left to mo hua.


    mo hua also thanked situ jin and then asked:


    "elder situ, what will the taoist court do next?"


    situ jin glanced at situ fang, who thought for a moment and then said:


    "we now know what the grey-clothed cultivator looks like. next, we will report to the court, verify his portrait, and retrieve his native information to ascertain his identity."


    mo hua was somewhat surprised, "he¡¯s a bad guy though, can he still be found out?"


    situ fang said, "even bad guys aren¡¯t born bad."


    "many sin cultivators and heretical demons were serious cultivators at first, but due to personal desires or mistakes, they strayed from the right path."


    "as long as one is a serious cultivator, the taoist court will record their native information."


    mo hua asked, "do i have native information too?"


    situ fang said helplessly, "are you a serious cultivator?"


    mo hua nodded, "i¡¯m very serious."


    "then naturally, you do. however, the native information of a general cultivator is quite simple and usually, the taoist court can check it," said situ fang.


    "doesn¡¯t that mean one¡¯s background can easily be checked by others?"


    mo hua frowned.


    in his memory, the taoist court was very easy to bribe.


    once bribed, wouldn¡¯t anyone be able to check his background?


    "it¡¯s like that for general cultivators."


    situ fang said, and then she looked at mo hua with a smile and continued:


    "however, if your cultivation becomes high in the future, if you are successful with formations, and if your status becomes noteworthy, the central tao court will encrypt your native information, and the general taoist court will no longer have the authority to view it."


    "also, each cultivator who inquires about your native information will be required to state a reason and will be recorded."


    mo hua nodded and then asked:


    "after the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s identity is confirmed, how will the taoist court capture him?"


    situ fang sighed, "that¡¯s going to require some effort..."


    "generally, a wanted notice will be issued, a reward will be offered, and based on his identity, related cultivators will be sought out for investigation to unravel the truth layer by layer..." sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    situ fang continued, but suddenly paused and looked at mo hua skeptically:


    "why do you ask these things?"


    mo hua smiled shyly, "i¡¯m just learning."


    situ fang laughed at this and shook her head, "you can¡¯t learn everything¡­ leave the pursuit to the taoist court, and you all head back first."


    "alright," mo hua agreed, and then he seemed to remember something and asked:


    "what about sister qinglan?"


    "you mean that young girl?"


    mo hua nodded.


    he was worried that the brothel keeper would hold a grudge and take revenge on qinglan.


    women in the brothel often had lives as unstable as floating weeds.


    since qinglan had helped him, mo hua also wanted to consider her well-being and provide her with a way out.


    situ fang thought for a moment and then said:


    "leave it to me. i¡¯ll go to the brothel keeper, obtain her deed of sale, and take her away."


    "will the brothel keeper agree?"


    situ fang sneered, "she has to agree even if she doesn¡¯t want to. i¡¯ll just say that qinglan, this little girl, was colluding with the sin cultivator, and her hundred flower tower is also under suspicion."


    "in order to absolve herself of suspicion, the brothel keeper will definitely toss qinglan, this hot potato, over to me, and she wouldn¡¯t dare to keep the deed."


    mo hua smiled, "then thank you, sister situ."


    after that, the matters were concluded by situ fang and the taoist court.


    mo hua and the others then left the hundred flower tower.


    before their arrival tonight, the hundred flower tower was a world of lavish splendor but upon departure, it was left in a state of disarray.


    mo hua looked back at the hundred flower tower, and suddenly, a trace of doubt surfaced in his mind.


    he remembered that the hundred flower tower was guarded by a foundation building cultivator.


    with such commotion, the lu family¡¯s foundation establishment had never intervened.


    were they not aware, and thus did not get involved, or did they know everything but pretended to be unaware?


    mo hua¡¯s brow furrowed again.


    the mine, the ultimate formation, the deceased mining cultivators, the lu family, the hundred flower tower, the grey-clothed cultivator...


    and the missing instructor yan.


    could there be a connection among these...?


    mo hua¡¯s brows knitted tighter for a moment.

 Chapter 438: Zhang Quan (1)

    mo hua felt that this matter was shrouded in deep suspicion; despite much thought, he found no clue.if only he could catch the gray-robed cultivator.


    then everything could break through.


    after the battle at hundred flower tower, mo hua had almost figured out the gray-robed cultivator¡¯s trump cards.


    it would be a lot easier to trap him next time.


    on the way back, mo hua pondered over his worries, and then he sighed.


    these days, his routine cultivation had resulted in a steady increase in cultivation.


    but the enhancement of divine sense had halted at thirteen stripes, proving difficult to make any further progress.


    first, it was because there were no formations of thirteen stripes for him to learn, which slowed the growth of divine sense;


    second, it was because of the taoist stele.


    ever since mo hua used the taoist stele to comprehend the taoist meaning, the stele had overloaded, and it had not fully recovered even now.


    the amount of formation practice mo hua did every day was greatly reduced, and the growth of divine sense was also negligible.


    at this rate, it was possible that divine sense wouldn¡¯t break through thirteen stripes by the time of foundation establishment.


    the slow recovery of the taoist stele and the scarcity of first grade, thirteen stripes formations made them hard to find.


    mo hua had searched for so long yet had come up empty-handed.


    currently, his only lead was to find instructor yan.


    but where exactly was instructor yan?


    mo hua sighed again.


    bai zisheng appeared somewhat surprised and asked,


    "mo hua, are you troubled by something?"


    mo hua nodded, "the growth of divine sense is too slow..."


    without finding instructor yan, he couldn¡¯t find the ultimate formation; without the ultimate formation, he couldn¡¯t temper divine sense. and without tempering divine sense, he couldn¡¯t prove the dao with divine sense as mr. zhuang had said.


    to cultivate the ultimate divine sense, to exhaust the possibilities of formations, to aspire to dominate the great dao.


    mo hua¡¯s current divine sense was still far from the standard given by mr. zhuang.


    "how much is your divine sense now?"


    bai zisheng curiously asked.


    he only knew that mo hua¡¯s divine sense was strong, up to the standard of foundation establishment, but he had never asked how strong it was.


    the ultimate formations that mo hua studied were ones he had not studied, nor could he possibly learn or even hope to understand. s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua muttered, "just twelve stripes..."


    bai zisheng was taken aback, "how many?"


    "twelve..."


    bai zisheng fell silent.


    just twelve stripes...


    this was almost at the limit of divine sense for the early stage of foundation establishment.


    generally, with ten stripes of divine sense, formation masters at the realm of foundation establishment can attempt to learn second-grade formations.


    most second rank formation masters also start with divine sense around eleven or twelve stripes.


    this was the first time bai zisheng had heard of a qi refinement cultivator managing to possess twelve stripes of divine sense.


    and it seemed mo hua was quite displeased with it.


    he acted reluctantly and unsatisfied.


    lucky and still acting coy!


    bai zisheng felt so annoyed that he couldn¡¯t help but scratch mo hua¡¯s head.


    even bai zixi, standing by, couldn¡¯t restrain herself and joined bai zisheng in ruffling mo hua¡¯s hair.


    mo hua felt somewhat helpless.


    but after all, since he was the junior brother, he decided not to fuss over it with his junior brother and junior sister.


    after the group returned to the cave dwelling,


    mo hua took out a compass mother formation disk.


    this disk depicted a compass mother formation.


    and the corresponding compass child formations, mo hua had inscribed with a technique of fine carving on fine needles made of refined iron.


    mo hua had given these needles to bai zisheng in advance, instructing him to imperceptibly stick them into the gray-robed cultivator¡¯s clothing, or on his body, during their fight. explore more at empire


    in this way, by referencing the compass mother formation, he could determine the child formation¡¯s position, which would allow him to track down the gray-robed cultivator¡¯s whereabouts.


    this gray-robed cultivator, who had hired assassins to kill mining cultivators and then bought their corpses, was surely up to no good.


    the pill that he consumed today to transform and increase his strength, which was bloody and maleficent, was likely refined from those corpses.


    over these years, who knows how many mining cultivators have died because of this.


    not to mention how many mining cultivator families had been torn apart because of it.


    mining cultivators already lived a tough life, earning a living was not easy, and yet they fell victim to such twisted and evil schemes, dying without a whole corpse.


    mo hua¡¯s face went cold.


    so this gray-robed cultivator, he must be slaughtered!


    but before slaughtering him, mo hua wanted to ask if he knew about instructor yan¡¯s whereabouts.


    instructor yan had disappeared in the mines.


    the worst-case scenario was that he had been killed by people like wang lai, and his body sold to the gray-robed cultivator.


    there was also a possibility that instructor yan had discovered something, and by following the trail, had investigated further...


    if so, instructor yan likely had some interactions with the gray-robed cultivator.


    regardless of the circumstances, mo hua needed confirmation.


    however, on the compass mother formation disk, there was no light indicating the gray-robed cultivator¡¯s presence.


    "is it broken?"


    bai zisheng furrowed his brows.


    mo hua checked the formation and shook his head, "it¡¯s not broken."


    "so, that means... he discovered your compass child formation needles?"


    "even if he did discover them, if the needles were discarded or damaged, the compass would have shown some reaction."


    bai zixi thought for a moment and then slowly said,


    "because of the escape technique?"


    mo hua was startled and then understood.


    the gray-clothed cultivator knew the escape technique and could burrow into the ground, shielding the aura of the formation and affecting the connection between the compass mother and child formations.


    if nothing appeared on the mother formation, it meant he was either still in the tunnels and hadn¡¯t come out,


    or the gray-clothed cultivator had used the escape technique and was somewhere underground.


    mo hua thought for a while and then said,


    "let¡¯s wait."


    as a monster hunter, hunting prey required ample patience.


    this was something his father mo shan had taught him.


    two days later, situ fang came over and told mo hua that the taoist court had identified the gray-clothed cultivator¡¯s identity.


    "this man is named zhang quan, a cultivator from south yue city. his family has been in the longevity material business for generations..."


    "longevity material?" mo hua was slightly startled.


    "that¡¯s coffins."


    "oh," mo hua understood.


    being in the coffin business...


    it did match the image, temperament, and actions of the gray-clothed cultivator quite well.


    situ fang continued,


    "thirty years ago, zhang quan¡¯s parents died, and he took over the coffin shop alone..."


    "zhang quan¡¯s aura is somewhat gloomy; he does not converse with fellow cultivators, but since he¡¯s in the business of death, everyone has come to accept it as normal."


    "zhang quan occasionally gambles and frequents brothels..."


    "i asked a few female cultivators from the hundred flower tower, and from what they say, zhang quan often stays at brothels but rarely shows his true face."


    "cultivators who knew zhang quan also had no idea that he actually was a foundation building cultivator."


    mo hua asked, "have you been to zhang quan¡¯s residence?"


    situ fang nodded, "we have. the shop was closed. we broke in and found that all the coffins inside had been burned, and other objects had been destroyed as well."


    "it¡¯s uncertain whether he did it himself or if he has an accomplice helping him destroy evidence of his crimes."


    "the current question is, what exactly is he using the corpses he buys for?"


    "is the pill he took that day made from those corpses?"


    "if so, where did he refine it, where is the pill furnace, how did he get the pill recipe, through what channels did he purchase the herbs for refining evil pills?"


    "did he refine them himself, or is someone helping him do it?"


    "besides, does he have any other unspeakable purposes..."


    ...


    after situ fang finished explaining everything, she sighed,


    "the taoist court has issued a warrant. if we catch him, these things should come to light."


    then she looked at mo hua, still a bit worried,


    "be careful these days."


    "that day at the hundred flower tower, he tried everything he could to kill you. now that he has escaped to the shadows, he might make a move against you..."


    mo hua nodded, "mhm, i am aware."


    still, situ fang felt uneasy.


    mo hua then said, "don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m with my senior brother and sister; they¡¯ll protect me."


    relieved, situ fang chatted for a moment, drank a few cups of tea, and then left.


    but mo hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp.


    his own divine sense was strong, and he knew the concealment technique; it was impossible for zhang quan to find him.


    and now, it wasn¡¯t him looking for mo hua, but mo hua who was searching for him.


    young mo hua was the hunter, and this foundation establishment stage zhang quan was the prey.


    in the following days, whenever mo hua had time, he would take out the compass disk and check for any movements.


    three days later in the afternoon, lights finally appeared on the compass.


    two light points shone together, but another was somewhat dim.


    it seemed that zhang quan had found a needle, so he twisted it off and threw it away.


    the other two needles, he had not found, so they should still be on his person.


    mo hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    finally, he had made a mistake...


    mo hua then took out a map of south yue city and saw that the location of the lights was in a deserted mine outside the city.


    there were many mines outside south yue city.


    some belonged to the lu family, some to south yue sect, some to the taoist court, and others were occupied by deceased individuals or various other clans and sects.


    some mines were actively being extracted from; some had not been mined due to various reasons;


    and some mines were exhausted and abandoned.


    the place where zhang quan was hiding was one such abandoned mine.


    mo hua and his two companions, cloaked and concealed, left south yue city and headed to the mine where zhang quan was hiding.


    it was a small and unkempt mine.


    being abandoned, it lacked any sign of life.


    instead, the area was permeated with the stale stench of death.


    with a sweep of his divine sense, mo hua¡¯s gaze grew cold.


    inside the mine, there were several sinister auras.


    perhaps the corpses of the mining cultivators that zhang quan had purchased were hidden here.

 Chapter 439: Kidnapping (1)

    bai zisheng asked, "shall we just make a move?"mo hua thought for a moment, then shook his head and said,


    "although that zhang quan is injured and has suffered the backlash from pills, which greatly reduced his strength, this is his lair. we still need to make some preparations, to be as thorough as possible."


    after speaking, mo hua took out several array plates.


    on the array plates were the earth prison formations that mo hua had already drawn in advance.


    ever since witnessing zhang quan¡¯s earth escape technique, mo hua went back and pondered how to counter this kind of escape technique.


    his forte was formations, so naturally, he started from there.


    this earth prison formation was something he had learned in the past few days, and then he took the time to draw some on the array plates, specifically to break zhang quan¡¯s earth escape technique.


    zhang quan was a foundation building cultivator.


    the earth prison formation was only of the first grade, so the effect for trapping enemies would be greatly diminished.


    but in this kind of encirclement battle, if one can delay just for a few moments, it could be enough to tip the balance of the fight.


    though the mine was not large, to seal it with formations, the array plates were clearly not enough.


    mo hua then personally drew several earth prison formations on the ground.


    these formations had a special technique; spiritual ink seeped into the soil and rocks, and the formation patterns integrated with the earth, a method mo hua learned after contemplating the earth dao meaning using the thick earth formation.


    using the ground as the formation media, he drew the ground into formation.


    these several earth prison formations, being one with the earth, were more concealed and their effects were somewhat stronger.


    after the preparations were complete, mo hua discussed with bai zisheng and bai zixi the points of attention for dealing with zhang quan:


    "we can¡¯t let him consume pills."


    "the moment he takes out a pill, we must interrupt him immediately."


    "without consuming pills, zhang quan¡¯s physical body and spells are quite weak."


    "be wary of his earth escape."


    "if he burrows into the ground, try to corner him in the direction of the earth prison formation¡­"


    "the earth prison formation can trap him for a few moments; during this opportunity, beat him mercilessly!"


    "tao cultivation is treacherous; we can¡¯t be too reckless¡­"


    "if the situation turns bad, we¡¯ll run and plan again from there¡­"


    ¡­


    after discussing, mo hua said,


    "i¡¯ll go in first to have a look."


    his divine sense was strong, and so was his stealth; zhang quan wouldn¡¯t detect him.


    but for bai zisheng and bai zixi, although their divine sense was not weak, they were still within the qi refinement realm, and relying solely on the cloak¡¯s stealth, they could easily be discovered by zhang quan¡¯s divine sense.


    bai zisheng nodded.


    bai zixi whispered with caution, "be careful."


    "mm."


    mo hua then concealed himself, restrained his footsteps, and tiptoed into the abandoned mine.


    the outside of the mine was chaotic, but it was even more so on the inside.


    abandoned mining tunnels, scrap iron, rusty mine carts, and stones scattered all over the place.


    the smell of rust, mustiness, and filthy qi intertwined with the aura of death.


    mo hua frowned slightly.


    this place ¡ª zhang quan could actually bear to stay here¡­


    was it truly like being in an abalone shop, where one becomes accustomed to the stench over time?


    this mine was small, and the mine shafts were not deep.


    as mo hua walked a little while, he found at the end of the mine shaft, in a semi-sealed stone room, zhang quan ¡ª pale-faced, as if "adding frost to snow" ¡ª was cultivating to regulate his breath, seemingly severely injured.


    mo hua touched his chin thoughtfully.


    should he strike directly?


    but it¡¯s a bit risky inside the mine.


    and since this was where zhang quan had hidden, in the rush, mo hua had not thoroughly investigated and did not know what arrangements he had made.


    mo hua pondered for a moment, then quietly retreated a little.


    ```


    then he began setting up some earth fire formations around the stone walls of the mine.


    the earth fire formation was quite useful; ever since the monster hunting at big black mountain, mo hua had been using it regularly and had become quite adept.


    it was considered essential for home, travel, setting traps, ambushes, and designing enemy killings.


    whenever he had nothing else to do, he would prepare some and keep them in his storage bag.


    now, they just happened to come in handy.


    mo hua wanted to force zhang quan out.


    or perhaps, cause the mine to collapse and bury zhang quan directly?


    "a cultivator in the foundation establishment stage, no matter how weak, shouldn¡¯t be buried alive, right..."


    mo hua then thought about using zhang quan as a test.


    after he had set up the earth fire formation, he sneaked out of the mine and whispered to bai zisheng and bai zixi:


    "we should run far away."


    bai zisheng looked at him suspiciously, "what did you do?"


    mo hua chuckled slyly:


    "i¡¯ve prepared a welcoming gift for zhang quan!"


    the three of them ran far away and hid behind a large boulder.


    mo hua covered his ears, and bai zisheng and bai zixi, though puzzled, did the same.


    soon after, there was a thunderous explosion, and the mine collapsed.


    the noise was tremendous.


    but fortunately, this place was remote, and it was in a mining area where blasting was common, so it did not attract the attention of other cultivators.


    the collapse of the mine raised a thick cloud of dust.


    when the dust settled, the entrance was blocked by large stones.


    mo hua was somewhat surprised.


    possibly due to the uniqueness of the mine, with its mixed aura and dangers, the earth fire formation was more powerful than he had anticipated.


    bai zisheng said, "he hasn¡¯t been blasted to death, has he?"


    mo hua was not sure either, "he shouldn¡¯t have. it¡¯s just a first-grade earth fire formation, and the mine isn¡¯t that deep..."


    before he finished speaking, there was a disturbance at the mine entrance.


    the noise grew louder and soon, the rocks blocking the entrance were shattered, and a cultivator with a dirt-smudged face and rags hanging off his body emerged.


    he bellowed angrily:


    "who? who is it?"


    "who the fuck is it?"


    "who dares to plot against me?!"


    this person was indeed the foundation establishment stage zhang quan.


    the moment the earth fire formation exploded, he had realized it, and then he ran desperately to get out, but was still blocked by the huge rocks.


    the earth fire formation¡¯s power had greatly increased inside the mine tunnel. although not fatal, it had blasted him until his skin was charred, he felt a thud in his head and ringing in his ears, and he was in a sorry state.


    this mining area was his hiding place.


    under the rage of zhang quan, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone who could find him or who would dare to calculate against him like this.


    and moreover, using a formation!


    formations were not something ordinary cultivators could learn.


    just then, zhang quan was startled.


    out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a flash of golden light.


    this speck of golden light was all too familiar.


    zhang quan hastily turned around, only to see a young boy in white, and at the same time, his long spear, as well as the dazzling golden light at the tip of the spear.


    a golden streak arrived first, followed by the thrust of the spear like a dragon.


    bai zisheng¡¯s spear was fierce, aiming straight for zhang quan¡¯s throat.


    zhang quan was terrified.


    it was the young boy from the hundred flower tower!


    he panicked.


    back then in the hundred flower tower, he had taken a corpse blood pill, and his cultivation had increased, allowing him just barely to suppress this young cultivator in white.


    ```


    he was severely injured and suffering from the backlash of medicinal power, undoubtedly no match for this young boy.


    zhang quan used his arm to block the spear.


    a bloodstain was immediately drawn on his hand, leaving a trickle of blood.


    zhang quan gritted his teeth and used the earth escape technique, vanishing into the ground.


    just moments after his disappearance, a fireball, with the speed of lightning that one couldn¡¯t cover one¡¯s ears in time, struck a pile of rubble.


    bai zisheng and mo hua were fellow disciples, having spent a long time together; even though they occasionally quibbled, they were extremely in sync.


    the moment mo hua¡¯s fireball technique flew out, bai zisheng¡¯s gaze shifted.


    as the fireball technique hit the rubble, bai zisheng also made his move, thrusting his spear forward.


    blood seeped from the ground.


    then, a few mottled furrows appeared and spread outward, revealing zhang quan¡¯s disheveled figure.


    he covered his bleeding shoulder, his eyes red with rage.


    this fireball technique, he knew it all too well!


    that damned, sneaky little devil!


    zhang quan looked around and indeed saw mo hua sitting cross-legged on a large rock in the distance, watching him with a mocking expression on his face.


    "it¡¯s you!!"


    zhang quan¡¯s eyes were about to split with fury.


    mo hua nodded, "yes, it¡¯s me!"


    zhang quan clenched his teeth, but suddenly felt a tremor in his heart, and with a change of expression, asked:


    "that needle, was it your doing?"


    mo hua asked in confusion, "how did you figure that out?"


    zhang quan remained silent.


    he had discovered the needle on his clothes only after he had left the secret passage and changed his attire.


    he couldn¡¯t understand the purpose of this needle.


    but his years of experience in tao cultivation told him that such things must not be kept, so he destroyed the needle and discarded it.


    and now, he had hidden in this remote mine, so well-concealed, and yet he had been discovered.


    considering this, the needle must have been for tracking.


    those who tracked him down were these three young cultivators.


    so, this needle had to be the work of these three young cultivators.


    among these three, this youngest looking, seemingly innocent but most cunning little cultivator must be the instigator behind the needle.


    zhang quan ground his teeth in hatred.


    he wanted to rush over and slaughter mo hua right then and there.


    but then, he caught sight of bai zixi beside mo hua.


    that beautiful young girl with a cool demeanor, her sword emitting a brilliant glow and entwined with white flames.


    back at the hundred flower tower, that golden sword light had pierced his iron corpse shell.


    zhang quan, wary, couldn¡¯t help but curse:


    "shameless little devil, you bully others with your power! if you have the guts, come over and fight me head-on, instead of skulking around!"


    mo hua said, shocked:


    "you¡¯re such an old cultivator, how can you have no shame, asking me, a little cultivator barely in my teens, to duel you one-on-one..."


    "you think i¡¯m as foolish as you?"


    zhang quan angrily retorted, "sharp-tongued!"


    at that moment, bai zisheng stabbed with his spear again.


    zhang quan parried clumsily, and after a few exchanges, he began to struggle.


    with his injuries not yet healed, he would surely lose if this continued.


    exerting all his strength, zhang quan took a hit from bai zisheng, shook him off with a palm strike, and then fled into the earth, attempting to escape outside.


    but he hadn¡¯t gotten far when he realized that the soil beneath him had changed, forming bars and creating a prison that trapped him.


    zhang quan was shocked.


    what was this thing?


    the earth prison formation trapped zhang quan, who struggled fiercely. after a few moments, he broke the formation and escaped.


    but bai zisheng also rushed over, entangling him.


    zhang quan tried to flee, was trapped again, and was caught up with by bai zisheng.


    after several attempts, zhang quan understood.


    it was a formation!


    there were array plates laid on the ground around this area.


    they used the formation to counter his earth escape technique.


    indeed, it was a good strategy!


    zhang quan¡¯s heart felt a chill, but he was not particularly nervous.


    now that he knew it was a formation, there was a way to deal with it.


    though he did not understand formations, this did not mean he lacked experience in dealing with them.


    moreover, he often dealt with formation masters.


    the nearby earth series formations used the array plates as formation media, and the array plates on the ground were visible. as long as he avoided the array plates, he would avoid the formation.


    zhang quan burrowed into the ground, choosing a direction without array plates, and escaped.


    however, unexpectedly, he was trapped again.


    and this time, the earth series formation that trapped him was somewhat stronger, and it held him for even longer.


    this formation seemed to merge with the earth, its presence profound.


    it was as if the will of this expanse of land wanted to imprison him.


    zhang quan¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    what kind of tactics were these?


    how could such a formation be laid out?


    who laid out this formation, and how did they merge it with the earth? s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    zhang quan was completely baffled.


    while he was stunned, bai zisheng stabbed him in the back with a spear once again.


    zhang quan¡¯s heart turned cold, and he endured the pain, his embarrassment quickly turning into rage.


    he was a foundation establishment cultivator. when had he ever been so humiliated, chased by a few qi refinement realm juniors like a mangy dog, scurrying around in disgrace?


    zhang quan revealed his figure, bleeding profusely.


    his expression was full of gloom and ferocity.


    "i must kill you all!"


    zhang quan took out a blood-patterned bronze medicine bottle.


    even if he suffered from the backlash of the medicine or went mad from it, he wanted to kill these junior cultivators! your next journey awaits at empire


    but bai zisheng had been waiting for this moment. seeing him take out the medicine bottle, preparing to take pills, bai zisheng immediately made a move, his spear slicing zhang quan¡¯s palm open and knocking the medicine bottle away.


    zhang quan was both shocked and furious, disbelief written all over his face.


    you bastards, won¡¯t you give me even a slight chance?! escape techniques, corpse blood pills, every tactic i¡¯ve used has been thwarted!


    bai zisheng, clad in white, majestic and tall, pointed his spear at zhang quan and said loudly:


    "use whatever means you have left!"


    these words were mo hua¡¯s idea for him to say.


    he was also told to strike an imposing and arrogant pose while speaking, to appear handsome and dismissive.


    zhang quan¡¯s complexion turned even paler, but his eyes began to show a dense network of blood vessels.


    driven to desperation, he no longer needed to hide anything.


    "these things, i never wanted any living person to see..."


    zhang quan¡¯s voice was laced with bone-chilling venom.


    bai zisheng frowned slightly, and mo hua also had a concentrated look in her eyes.


    just then, in the dead silence of the mines, a horrifying bell sound suddenly rang out.


    with the ringing of the bell, a chill wind blew by.


    the surrounding rocks trembled and fell away, revealing dozens of black coffins hidden among the rubble.


    from within the coffins came the sound of nails scraping.


    it was as if something had awakened...

 Chapter 440: Capturing the Corpse (1)

    the pitch-black coffin was gradually pried open.the corpses inside crawled out one by one.


    with hollow, lifeless eyes and decaying, festering skin, they stood densely packed on the mining grounds¡ªdozens of them, an ominous presence.


    corpse refinement!


    mo hua¡¯s gaze grew cold as he looked at zhang quan and said icily,


    "have you turned to demon path?"


    corpse refinement is a truly demonic practice, unacceptable to the cultivation world and contrary to taoist law.


    cultivators who practiced corpse refinement would be executed by the taoist court.


    the sects or clans that practiced corpse refinement would also be obliterated by the taoist court.


    thinking of these walking corpses, most of which were mining cultivators from the mountain.


    after a lifetime of hardship, they had died in vain, only to have their corpses refined into zombies to be used for evil deeds.


    mo hua noted this in his mind about zhang quan.


    once this affair was settled, he was determined to find a way to ensure that zhang quan would meet a horrific end.


    zhang quan sneered, "so what if i have? i¡¯m a lone man with nobody to care for me. as long as i can achieve enlightenment, what does turning to demon path matter to me?"


    mo hua looked disdainful, "you¡¯ve turned to demon path and still dream of enlightenment? keep dreaming."


    "what would a brat like you know?"


    "you¡¯re being chased around by a brat like a rat scurrying for cover, and you think you understand better?"


    a surge of blood rushed to zhang quan¡¯s throat, which he forcefully suppressed to avoid spitting it out.


    he raged, "fine, fine, you have a glib tongue; i can¡¯t outtalk you. but once i¡¯ve killed you and torn your mouth apart to feed these walking corpses, let¡¯s see if you can still be so tough!"


    mo hua snorted,


    "forget it, you can¡¯t even catch me when you¡¯ve become a corpse yourself, and you¡¯re counting on these stupid walking corpses?" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after that, mo hua quietly asked bai zixi, "senior sister, what¡¯s a walking corpse?"


    bai zixi replied, "they are low-level zombies."


    "oh, oh."


    mo hua¡¯s heart settled, and he nodded repeatedly. then, he lifted his head with an air of disdain,


    "nothing but low-level zombies. all you, a foundation building cultivator, have are these petty tricks. you¡¯d better crawl back into the womb and avoid embarrassing yourself in the outside world..."


    mo hua shouted loudly.


    having come from a background of monster hunting, and having trained under elder yu, even if mo hua didn¡¯t know how to curse someone himself, he could recite the curses taught by elder yu.


    however, since his junior brother and sister were there, he felt embarrassed to utter the more vulgar insults.


    worried about spoiling his own image,


    he instead opted for some rather "friendly" terms to test zhang quan.


    but zhang quan was finding it somewhat intolerable.


    he would normally ignore any insults from brats, knowing he could cut them down with a backward swipe.


    but mo hua, he couldn¡¯t kill.


    no matter how mo hua insulted him, he had to tolerate it, completely powerless against him.


    and all his moves were flawlessly defended against, leaving him indeed with nothing but these walking corpses.


    zhang quan glared at mo hua intently.


    if stares could kill, mo hua would have died by his glance ten times over.


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    mo hua remained unabashed, hands on his hips, looking at zhang quan and saying,


    "what¡¯s with the evil eye, little man? you think glaring with those tiny eyes will make me afraid?"


    zhang quan¡¯s scalp tingled with anger.


    his right hand trembled as he shook the blood rope marked copper bell, shouting hoarsely,


    "i¡¯ll kill you!"


    the dozens of walking corpses, drawn by the bell, bared their fangs, claws like knives, and lunged madly towards mo hua and the others, emitting guttural breaths.


    bai zixi¡¯s delicate hands waved, and several streaks of sword qi flew out, severing the legs of a few walking corpses.


    yet more of the walking corpses continued to advance relentlessly.


    even those that had fallen, their legs chopped off, continued crawling towards mo hua, mindless of their condition.


    mo hua focused and conjured the fireball technique.


    one fireball technique after another flew out, burning the arms of a few walking corpses into charred stumps, turning them to ash.


    but as long as any limbs remained, the walking corpses would still struggle toward mo hua.


    mo hua furrowed his brows.


    a rank-one walking corpse only had the strength of the qi refinement realm, nothing to fear, but in large numbers, they were relentless and fearless of death¡ªfor they were already dead.


    as long as their limbs were intact, they would voraciously crave flesh and blood and kill on command.


    indeed, they were somewhat bothersome.


    soon the zombies were upon mo hua.


    zhang quan¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement.


    he wanted to see mo hua torn apart and devoured by the walking corpses.


    but with a few unhurried steps, mo hua evaded the zombies¡¯ claws and drifted back gracefully.


    a few more walking corpses appeared behind mo hua, snapping at him.


    but they too were narrowly dodged by mo hua.


    zhang quan¡¯s brows furrowed.


    he knows movement technique...


    this damn kid is so hard to kill!


    zhang quan smirked, "fine, keep dodging. i want to see how long you can last relying on that movement technique."


    the spiritual power of the qi refinement realm will eventually run out. just one slip or when the spiritual power is exhausted, he would become food for these walking corpses.


    zhang quan chuckled sinisterly, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a flash of golden light.


    startled, he hastily shook the copper bell.


    a few walking corpses positioned themselves in front of him, only to be pierced through by bai zisheng¡¯s spear.


    zhang quan quickly retreated.


    bai zisheng sent a few zombies flying with his spear and then stepped forward, thrusting his spear again.


    zhang quan had no choice but to retreat further, calling for the zombies to block the spears.


    bai zisheng fended off another attack, and launched his spear once more!


    after several exchanges, zhang quan was forced to continuously retreat, without a moment to ring his bell. the movements of the walking corpses also began to slow down.


    some even stood still in front of mo hua, motionless.


    the walking corpses were stationary, and so was mo hua, who curiously eyed the zombies in front of him.


    he wanted to discern exactly how these zombies were being controlled.


    pushed into a corner by bai zisheng¡¯s relentless assault, zhang quan had no choice but to muster all his spiritual power and use the earth escape technique to flee beneath a dilapidated shack in the mine.


    there was nothing under the shack.


    zhang quan stamped his foot, causing the rocks and stones to shift and dust to rise gradually.


    afterward, an iron coffin appeared before him.


    feeling that something was not right, mo hua shouted:


    "senior brother!"


    without needing a reminder from mo hua, bai zisheng harnessed his spiritual power and thrust his spear at zhang quan.


    just then, the lid of the iron coffin flipped open, and a stiff hand suddenly shot out, grasping the tip of bai zisheng¡¯s spear.


    bai zisheng raised an eyebrow, his spiritual power surged forth in a burst of golden light, grappling with the hand.


    the iron-blue palm, struck by the golden spiritual power, began to crack and its grip loosened slightly.


    bai zisheng¡¯s spear broke free as well.


    after freeing his spear, bai zisheng did not strike again, but instead his gaze sharpened, focusing on the iron coffin.


    a moment later, a zombie crawled out of the iron coffin.


    this zombie was different from the other walking corpses.


    its skin had not rotted away; instead, it was a blackish-green, seeming as hard as iron.


    its fangs were longer, its fingers sharper, and the aura around its body was all the more formidable.


    mo hua quickly whispered to bai zixi, "junior sister, what is this thing?"


    when you don¡¯t understand something, you ask.


    and asking your junior sister certainly isn¡¯t shameful.


    most of mo hua¡¯s knowledge in taoist cultivation was concentrated on formations; his understanding of other areas was far inferior to bai zixi¡¯s.


    even less than bai zisheng¡¯s.


    bai zixi said, "it¡¯s an iron corpse, one rank higher than a walking corpse."


    mo hua nodded vigorously, then lifted his head and said disdainfully to zhang quan:


    "just an iron corpse, do you have the ability to produce a copper corpse or a golden corpse?"


    after he finished talking, mo hua suddenly realized something and discreetly asked bai zixi:


    "junior sister, there are copper corpses and golden corpses, right..."


    the copper corpse and golden corpse were something he had just blurted out.


    he didn¡¯t even know if they existed.


    mo hua was worried he might have exposed his lack of knowledge and be looked down upon by zhang quan.


    bai zixi nodded, "they exist."


    mo hua relaxed.


    zhang quan, upon hearing this, was greatly shocked.


    this kid knew so much, he must be from a great clan, a great sect.


    and from the way he spoke, were copper corpses and golden corpses nothing remarkable to him?


    zhang quan had to know, the effort it had taken him to refine this half-step iron corpse, capable of matching a foundation building cultivator, was enormous.


    until now, those who had seen this iron corpse all changed color in fear.


    not many cultivators who had seen this iron corpse lived to tell the tale.


    zhang quan had not expected that not only was this kid not afraid, he actually looked down upon it.


    zhang quan was taken aback.


    meanwhile, bai zisheng, with great enthusiasm, was already locked in a tight battle with the iron corpse.


    this iron corpse was not yet fully refined, so it could only be considered a half-step iron corpse.


    its strength was a bit less than that of an average cultivator in the initial stage of foundation establishment, but its flesh was as tough as iron, and in a real fight, it was slightly stronger than an average foundation building cultivator.


    at least stronger than zhang quan, who didn¡¯t rely on drugs.


    bai zisheng was somewhat at a disadvantage but fought more vigorously as the battle went on.


    previously, aunt xue kept close watch, strictly prohibiting him from taking any action, so bai zisheng, despite being capable, had no opportunity to show his true abilities, only able to spar with mo hua.


    now, after having traveled outside and engaged in several battles, bai zisheng¡¯s taoist skills had become increasingly refined, and his experience in fighting to the death was also growing.


    but as the fight continued, bai zisheng was gradually becoming exhausted.


    because not only the iron corpse, but the other walking corpses as well, were desperately attacking him.


    even if the walking corpses were pierced by his spear or their limbs were cut off, they still disregarded everything, clinging onto bai zisheng.


    bai zisheng couldn¡¯t help mumbling:


    "so annoying."


    just then, as bai zisheng dodged a strike from the iron corpse and impaled another walking corpse through the chest, his eyes lit up and he yelled:


    "mo hua, the walking corpses have formation patterns on them!"


    mo hua was slightly stunned, then his palms moved in a gesture, casting the water prison technique to immobilize a walking corpse.


    bai zixi¡¯s sword qi swept through, shredding the clothes on the chest of the walking corpse.


    the chest of the walking corpse was rotten, with patches of decay, but there were no traces of formation patterns.


    mo hua said, "junior sister, peel off the skin!"


    bai zixi nodded, her slender hand moving, and sword qi swirling, slicing open the skin of the walking corpse.


    the flesh underneath the skin was stiffened, within which hidden blood patterns were visible, and the breath of a concealed formation rippled out.


    mo hua paused, then his expression became shocked, followed by great joy, his eyes sparkling as he said to bai zisheng:


    "senior brother, help me catch zombies!!"


    the blood-colored formation carved upon this zombie was an ultimate formation!


    and at the very least, it was an ultimate formation of the first rank with more than eleven patterns!


    catch zombies?


    upon hearing this, zhang quan at first was startled, then something dawned on him, and his face turned pale in horror.


    this little devil, was he a formation master?!


    had he seen through it?!

 Chapter 441: Corpse Formation (1)

    ```how is that possible?


    zhang quan¡¯s pupils constricted.


    how could this kid be a formation master as well?


    was it him who forced zhang quan to show himself by detonating the earth fire formation in the mines and then used an earth series formation to counter the escape technique, preventing zhang quan from running away?


    zhang quan looked at mo hua again.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes were clear yet profound, bright and yet elusive.


    at first, he only felt that this gaze was sinister and detestable.


    now, it seemed to indeed be a sign of exceptional intelligence and a powerful divine sense.


    zhang quan thought of someone.


    when that person got cunning and calculating, his eyes looked just like this.


    and that person was a formation master, too.


    this gaze did indeed resemble that of a formation master.


    a chill ran through zhang quan¡¯s heart.


    this is bad...


    if this kid is a formation master, he most likely has seen through the formations on these walking corpses.


    the problem now is, how much has he figured out?


    does he, after all, know what kind of formation this is?


    a cold light gradually appeared in zhang quan¡¯s eyes.


    the best approach now was to silence him by killing him.


    once a person died, they would forever keep their mouth shut, and whatever they knew would be buried in the ground, never to be known by anyone.


    but zhang quan knew all too well.


    under the current circumstances, he had no way to silence him by killing him.


    the young man in white had profound cultivation and was valiant in battle; zhang quan couldn¡¯t take him down.


    the beautiful girl¡¯s taoist skills were lethal and extremely dangerous; he didn¡¯t dare provoke her.


    on the surface, this kid was the weakest among them.


    but he was exceptionally cunning, full of schemes, and his methods were sinister and slippery, making him quite troublesome to deal with.


    what¡¯s more, zhang quan remembered that this kid could conceal himself.


    whether it was by spell or spiritual artifact, his means of concealment were extremely clever, and even zhang quan¡¯s foundation establishment divine sense couldn¡¯t detect it.


    that being the case, zhang quan couldn¡¯t catch him at all.


    at this thought, zhang quan became angrily frustrated.


    to be repeatedly humiliated by this kid despite being a mighty foundation establishment cultivator, yet unable to do anything about it, was infuriating!


    he couldn¡¯t kill any of the three of them.


    since he couldn¡¯t silence by killing, he had to "destroy the corpse and erase the traces."


    he couldn¡¯t allow the traces of the formation to remain!


    zhang quan¡¯s decision was firm, and his expression became grave.


    on the other side, bai zisheng had already started to help mo hua capture zombies.


    he dodged the iron corpse and instead attacked the ordinary walking corpses, flicking his long spear to send spiritual power surging, crippling the limbs of the walking corpses so they couldn¡¯t move.


    in a short while, four or five walking corpses were subdued by him.


    mo hua also began to take action, coordinating with bai zixi to capture zombies.


    using the water prison technique, mo hua immobilized the walking corpses, and then bai zixi would sever their limbs with her sword light.


    the trio acted quickly and accurately, and in an instant, quite a few zombies were subdued.


    zhang quan¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    he couldn¡¯t wait any longer!


    his gaze turned cold, and he shook the blood rope marked copper bell in his hand.


    the copper bell summoned corpses, and a chilly wind blew in gusts.


    the situation on the battlefield abruptly changed.


    these walking corpses, with ferocious expressions, stopped attacking mo hua and the others and began to fight and cannibalize each other instead, aiming to destroy the formation near their hearts.


    and that iron corpse began hunting the lower-level walking corpses, punching and clawing out their chests, leaving behind dark and black-blood oozing cavities.


    the zombies began self-destructing, obliterating any traces.


    seeing this, bai zisheng angrily said:


    "damn you, can¡¯t you play fair?"


    zhang quan sneered, disregarding him, and kept shaking the copper bell in his hand.


    mo hua watched the copper bell intently, then pointed with his small hand and loudly said:


    "there¡¯s a formation within the bell, brother, snatch his bell!"


    zhang quan was startled.


    bai zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, and without bothering about the walking corpses, he teleported with his movement technique and thrust out with his spear, trying to knock the copper bell from zhang quan¡¯s hand.


    zhang quan hastily retreated, avoiding bai zisheng¡¯s spear, and immediately put away the copper bell, cursing inwardly.


    this kid¡¯s eyes are really sharp!


    dammit!


    if this keeps up, he¡¯ll probably see right through to his underwear!


    he couldn¡¯t drag this out any longer.


    zhang quan dared not expose the copper bell anymore, but instead kept it hidden in his sleeve, quietly shaking it to activate the self-destroying formation of walking corpses and to drive the iron corpse to protect his escape.


    bai zisheng wanted to stop him, but with the iron corpse in the way, he couldn¡¯t.


    the scene became chaotic for a moment, and zhang quan finally managed to escape.


    before leaving, zhang quan looked back at mo hua, recording the new and old hatreds in his heart.


    he said with a dark tone:


    "little devil, i will remember you!"


    "one day, i will kill you, refine you into a zombie, and keep you by my side to serve me tea and water, toil like an ox or horse, and be enslaved by me for life!"


    after saying this, he ran off, not giving mo hua a chance to retort.


    he was afraid mo hua would say something else that he couldn¡¯t withstand. enjoy new chapters from empire


    in this regard of infuriating people, he admitted he couldn¡¯t compare to this kid.


    mo hua curled his lips and muttered:


    "runs after cursing, what a coward."


    he had already thought of what insults to hurl, but zhang quan ran too fast for him to get a word in.


    mo hua felt a bit of regret; it seemed he would have to wait for the next time.


    once zhang quan escaped, the battle stopped.


    after an intensive battle, the mine was left in a complete mess.


    rocks shattered, mine tunnels utterly destroyed.


    ```


    the ground was littered with the remains of walking corpses, some of which had their heart meridians gouged out and were twitching unconsciously on the ground.


    zhang quan took the iron corpse away, and most of the remaining walking corpses killed each other, their chests destroyed, with only a few corpses¡¯ chests intact.


    besides that, there were the coffins on the mine.


    these coffins should be used for corpse refinement and storage, totaling dozens of them.


    the iron corpse was hidden in an iron coffin, while most of the other walking corpses were in wooden coffins.


    after a fierce battle, bai zisheng was also very tired. he took a breath, recovered his spiritual power, and then asked:


    "should we continue the pursuit?"


    mo hua thought for a moment and shook his head:


    "not in a hurry, let¡¯s cast a long line to catch a big fish."


    bai zisheng was slightly taken aback, "are there still big fish? isn¡¯t zhang quan a big fish?"


    "there are."


    mo hua nodded, pointing to the coffins and walking corpses on the mine, "these are too few."


    bai zisheng opened his mouth, "are these considered few?"


    dozens of fearless walking corpses, in combination with the iron corpse, were likely more than a match for an average cultivator in the initial stage of foundation establishment.


    although bai zisheng¡¯s cultivation was profound, he too felt tired after fighting to this point, and the consumption of his spiritual power was also significant.


    if there were more walking corpses, other than fleeing, he would have been powerless.


    otherwise, he would eventually be worn down to death.


    mo hua frowned and said:


    "zhang quan has been hiring murderers for decades. in these decades, who knows how many mining cultivators have been killed, and then their bodies..."


    "he must be buying these corpses for corpse refinement."


    "so many bodies couldn¡¯t possibly add up to just these few dozen zombies."


    "elder yu once told me about the cunning of the rabbit that has three burrows."


    "zhang quan, doing such demon path deeds that the taoist court would not tolerate, must have left himself several escape routes."


    "so i guess, he definitely has other hiding places, many many coffins, and inside those coffins, many, many zombies..."


    bai zisheng opened his mouth wide, and then spoke indignantly:


    "this zhang quan, really deserves to die!"


    mo hua nodded in agreement.


    then he added, "actually, there¡¯s another problem."


    "the formation?" bai zisheng asked.


    "yes." mo hua nodded and said, "zhang quan, at first glance, doesn¡¯t know about formations, but the bell he uses for corpse control, the zombies he refined, including these coffins, they are all full of formations..."


    "this shows that there is someone helping him draw formations!"


    "this person must have high accomplishments in formation principles and might even have comprehended the ultimate formation..."


    "such an ultimate formation might not be a regular formation but one of the evil formations within the ultimate formations..."


    mo hua had a somewhat grave expression. s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "ultimate formation..."


    bai zisheng also felt a chill in his heart, and looking at the zombies lying on the ground, he asked mo hua:


    "are the formations on these walking corpses ultimate formations?"


    mo hua propped up his chin in thought and said:


    "possibly..."


    "possibly?"


    "yes." mo hua looked at the zombies on the ground and nodded, "right now, it¡¯s hard to say, i need to study it first..."


    ...


    in the wasteland on the other side of the mine.


    the ground bulged, rocks rolled, and zhang quan¡¯s figure surfaced as he gasped for air, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.


    he had finally escaped.


    he had never thought that in his lifetime, he would be chased by three young cultivators like a dog that had lost its home.


    the surroundings were desolate, no other cultivators or monster beasts in sight.


    zhang quan took a moment to catch his breath, a trace of doubt arising in his mind.


    why had he been found?


    he had clearly discarded that needle...


    zhang quan released his divine sense to scan his surroundings and suddenly, his gaze grew sharp as he fumbled through his messy hair, pulling out a fine needle after a long search.


    could there be another one?


    zhang quan took in a sharp breath, panic setting in his heart.


    he immediately snapped the fine needle and threw it away, then used earth escape again, fleeing to another hillside creek, letting the iron corpse stand guard, before he began to feel a little safer.


    after that, he changed his clothes, washed the blood stains, bandaged his wounds, and examined himself with his divine sense. finding nothing suspicious on the outside of his body, he finally completely relaxed.


    zhang quan was somewhat sentimental.


    just a few kids, yet so deep in thought and so covert in action, it was impossible to guard against.


    zhang quan was troubled.


    then he remembered something and became worried again.


    although he controlled the zombies with the blood rope marked copper bell and destroyed most of the formation, there were still a few walking corpses left behind.


    walking corpses left behind meant traces of the formation were left behind.


    zhang quan frowned, remembering that person¡¯s admonition:


    "this formation must not be discovered by anyone. once discovered, you must either kill the witness or destroy the corpses and the evidence!"


    that person¡¯s expression became terrifyingly stern when he said these words.


    zhang quan pondered for a moment, then chuckled lightly.


    he was worrying over nothing.


    "a few zombies, a few pieces of incomplete formation, probably won¡¯t reveal much..."


    learning formation was difficult.


    and this formation for corpse refinement was even more abstruse, unfathomable, and transcending ordinary formation principles.


    even a formation master would hardly be able to learn it.


    that young boy, still in the qi refinement stage, understanding it would be strange.


    zhang quan sneered, unconcerned.


    suddenly a mountain breeze blew, stirring the creek water, with the sunlight reflecting in the water shining brightly.


    the clear and profound gaze of mo hua flashed through zhang quan¡¯s mind.


    zhang quan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he muttered to himself:


    "he should... not understand it, right..."

 Chapter 442: Erase Tracks (1)

    the cleanup at the mine was taken over by the taoist court.cleaning up the mine, dealing with the walking corpses, confiscating the coffins, and subsequent investigations¡ªthese tasks were all entrusted to situ fang.


    observing the chaotic scene, situ fang was also secretly shocked.


    that so many zombies could be subdued and zhang quan driven into panicked flight...


    you have to understand, zhang quan was a foundation establishment cultivator.


    now it appeared that the matter of the corpse cultivator who had entered the demon path and refined an iron corpse was very dangerous and quite troublesome...


    yet he was still beaten to the point of revealing his trump cards and fleeing in disarray.


    the capabilities of these few young cultivators from mo hua were much greater than she had expected.


    then situ fang felt a bit helpless.


    they were the taoist court officials, yet when it came to the pursuit of zhang quan, mo hua and his people always took a step ahead, leaving them only to wrap things up.


    and now the cultivators of the taoist court were indeed wrapping things up.


    mo hua, on the other hand, strolled around with his hands behind his back, casually pointing here and there, seemingly like a little "supervisor" in action.


    watching this, situ fang couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration.


    after a while, when mo hua wandered over, situ fang was about to give him a piece of her mind.


    the taoist court of south yue city wasn¡¯t established just to clean up messes!


    but before she could voice her thought, mo hua, sensing that something was amiss, immediately called out sweetly, "sister situ," and then sincerely said,


    "thank goodness you were here to help out a lot!"


    after saying that, he patted his little chest, looking genuinely relieved.


    "so many zombies, they really scared me."


    situ fang¡¯s expression was complex, unable to say anything.


    which part of you looked scared? just now, when you were staring at the formations on the zombies¡¯ bodies, your face was more excited than anyone else¡¯s.


    so situ fang could only sigh helplessly again.


    seeing she wasn¡¯t angry, mo hua quickly changed the subject, asking,


    "sister situ, is this matter very serious?"


    situ fang was slightly startled, her expression becoming grave as she nodded and said,


    "very serious."


    then looking at the coffins and walking corpses all around, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh,


    "and it seems to be getting more serious..." sea??h th§× n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mining cultivators disappearing, hoodlums murdering, zhang quan buying corpses, and now brazenly engaging in demon path activities, extensively refining corpses...


    situ fang¡¯s face grew increasingly somber.


    she had begun to guess that what lay before her was likely just the tip of the iceberg.


    if just the tip of the iceberg had resulted in so many deaths and refined corpses,


    what about the entire iceberg?


    how many more would die, how many more corpses would be refined?


    just thinking about it made situ fang feel a chilling dread.


    this could potentially be south yue city¡¯s largest case in hundreds, or even a nearly a thousand, years.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze flickered as he asked,


    "has the court leader of south yue city said anything about this case?"


    situ fang paused, then shook her head with a complex expression,


    "the court leader hasn¡¯t said anything. i suppose he wants to keep things quiet. after all, if the situation gets blown up, he¡¯ll have to take responsibility. the best approach would be to play down major issues and dissolve the minor ones..."


    such a serious matter, and still it could be diminished and dissolved...


    mo hua clicked his tongue and whispered quietly,


    "has he been involved in corruption and embezzlement, i wonder..."


    situ fang gave mo hua a slight glare, "don¡¯t put it so bluntly."


    mo hua then softened his wording, "could it be that he¡¯s succumbed to ¡¯irresistible courtesies¡¯?"


    situ fang was taken aback for a moment, "who taught you to speak like that?"


    "uncle zhang..."


    situ fang was at a loss for words, "couldn¡¯t he teach you something more appropriate..."


    he had taught something good too.


    the water passing step movement technique that mo hua used was taught by zhang lan.


    but on that matter, zhang lan had told mo hua not to mention it, so mo hua had no choice but to nod and say,


    "he didn¡¯t teach me anything good!"


    situ fang silently took note, planning to go back and complain to a few uncles and elders of the zhang family.


    she would accuse zhang lan of speaking irresponsibly and leading children astray outside.


    unaware of situ fang¡¯s thoughts, mo hua asked again,


    "sister situ, what kind of person is the court leader of south yue city?"


    "what kind of person?" situ fang was briefly taken aback.


    "like..." mo hua thought for a moment and came up with several descriptors, "is he sly or cunning, greedy or not, deep or shallow, bad-natured or not..."


    "not a single good word in there..."


    "i don¡¯t think he¡¯s a good person, so i didn¡¯t use good words."


    situ fang felt helpless but thought it best to tell mo hua,


    "the court leader of south yue city, his surname is qian..."


    "qian?"


    "yes." situ fang nodded, "coincidentally, his surname is qian too, but he likely has no marital ties to the qian family of tongxian city."


    "the court leader, he..."


    situ fang hesitated before lowering her voice and saying,


    "it¡¯s not that he¡¯s outright bad, just greedy for wealth and pleasure-loving, coveting enjoyment, and not really concerned with the affairs of the taoist court..."


    mo hua roughly understood and said, "so he¡¯s incompetent."


    "you can¡¯t really say he¡¯s incompetent..."


    "so he only has the ability to amass wealth and enjoy himself?"


    situ fang nodded, "pretty much."


    mo hua thought for a moment, then added, "in that case, your court leader must have also accepted quite a few spirit stones from the lu family..."


    situ fang shook her head, "i have no evidence, i can¡¯t just say anything. but logically speaking, it¡¯s impossible that he hasn¡¯t received any."


    mo hua nodded, mulling over something in his mind.


    situ fang grew curious, "why do you ask this?"


    mo hua¡¯s eyes shifted, and he replied with a sly smile, "oh, it¡¯s nothing."


    situ fang couldn¡¯t figure out what mo hua was alluding to, and couldn¡¯t help but ruffle mo hua¡¯s hair in exasperation,


    "aren¡¯t you afraid of zombies? you should hurry back."


    "mm-hmm."


    mo hua bid farewell to situ fang with a smile and then departed.


    after mo hua left, he did not go back but went to the other end of the mine and sat on a large rock, seemingly waiting for something.


    a quarter of an hour later, bai zisheng came along with big white, dragging a horse cart with him.


    this horse cart was new, fairly simple, and was used by cultivators to transport goods and store cargo boxes.


    mo hua waved, the cart stopped, and bai zisheng asked,


    "you weren¡¯t discovered, right?"


    "yeah."


    mo hua nodded, then ran behind the big rock, deactivated the concealment formation, revealing two coffins concealed beneath the formation.


    each of these coffins contained several walking corpses.


    the formations on the chests of these corpses were relatively intact.


    mo hua wanted to take them back for thorough research.


    this matter had to be concealed not just from the taoist court but also from other cultivators, to prevent astute individuals from guessing their intentions.


    although it might be an unnecessary precaution, being careful and meticulous in their actions was always safe.


    bai zisheng lifted the coffins onto the cart.


    mo hua cast a concealment formation, and the coffins disappeared from sight, hidden from others.


    but big white was discontent.


    big white was very reluctant to pull the cart with zombie coffins, those defiled objects.


    after a long time coaxing and offering some spirit grass to big white, it finally relented for the sake of mo hua and the spirit grass.


    so bai zisheng drove the cart, with mo hua and bai zixi sitting inside, watching over the coffins.


    the three of them stealthily took away the coffins and zombies without anyone else knowing.


    when entering the city, they were interrogated by the enforcement leader.


    mo hua was acquainted with that enforcement leader, greeted him, and then handed him two spirit stones to get himself a drink.


    the enforcement leader glanced carelessly and then politely let them through.


    once the horse cart entered the dwelling, mo hua found a quiet, secluded, and cool side room. after drawing concealment, defence, and control formations around it, he finally placed the coffins inside.


    "should we tell master?" bai zisheng quietly asked.


    mo hua thought for a moment and nodded, "we should!"


    mr. zhuang was sure to know about their actions.


    but knowing was one thing; they also had to dutifully inform mr. zhuang.


    respecting the master and valuing the way was the disciples¡¯ duty.


    mo hua went to find mr. zhuang.


    before mo hua could speak, mr. zhuang waved his hand, "study it carefully, and make sure to handle the aftermath cleanly. such defiled objects should not be kept for long."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes brightened, "yes, master!"


    mr. zhuang indeed knew.


    but mo hua didn¡¯t rush to start his research; he wanted to make some preparations first, reinforce the formations further, to prevent any mistakes that might let the zombies escape, dirty the courtyard, and disturb mr. zhuang¡¯s peace.


    little did he know, before mo hua could get ready, situ fang came to him the next day, appearing guilt-stricken, as if she had something difficult to say.


    mo hua asked puzzled,


    "sister situ, what¡¯s happened?"


    situ fang looked somewhat remorseful, and after hesitating for a moment, she finally said,


    "they¡¯re all gone..."


    mo hua was surprised, "what¡¯s all gone?"


    "the zombies, the coffins, and all the evidence at the scene... everything¡¯s gone..."


    situ fang said through gritted teeth.


    mo hua frowned, "what happened?"


    situ fang¡¯s eyes held a cold spark, "the court leader... he claimed that the zombies were filthy and feared they might cause a corpse calamity, bringing disaster to all sides. thus, he burned all the zombies, the coffins were all destroyed, and all evidence was reduced to ashes..."


    "by the time i found out, it was too late... nothing was left."


    situ fang¡¯s voice was hoarse, filled with deep self-reproach.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze flickered.


    the court leader of the taoist court, huh...


    he patted situ fang¡¯s shoulder, sighed like an old soul, and comforted her earnestly,


    "life hardly ever goes as we wish, and some ups and downs are inevitable. we need to look ahead. those zombies and such, if they¡¯re gone, then they¡¯re gone..."


    after all, i have them all.

 Chapter 443: Corpse Refinement (1)

    situ fang couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry, "who taught you that line?""elder yu!"


    "the elder yu from tongxian city¡¯s monster hunting guild?"


    "mm." mo hua nodded.


    situ fang sighed and agreed.


    "elder yu isn¡¯t wrong in what he says, you should listen to elder yu more in the future and not to your uncle zhang."


    mo hua nodded on the outside but privately mocked in his heart:


    "that¡¯s because you¡¯ve never heard elder yu scold people, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t say that..."


    situ fang hadn¡¯t really interacted with elder yu, so she was unaware of what kind of elder he actually was.


    she probably thought that elder yu was the kind of elder who was respectable and notable, with a "gentle and approachable" way of speaking...


    mo hua shook his head inwardly and then said:


    "let the zombie be burnt. zhang quan did many evil deeds; there should be other clues. just keep looking."


    "however, this is not necessarily a bad thing," mo hua thought again and said:


    "at least now we know the court leader¡¯s true colors, so we can be more cautious next time."


    "mm."


    situ fang nodded, her mood slightly improved.


    she had been busy the whole day yesterday and was quite exhausted. she had just rested for two hours, let her guard down a little, and the court leader had sabotaged everything behind the scenes, making all her efforts go to waste....


    situ fang was anxious, self-blaming, and feeling guilty toward mo hua.


    but she didn¡¯t expect that mo hua didn¡¯t mind and was instead comforting her.


    such a good kid...


    situ fang said earnestly:


    "i was negligent this time, consider it a favor i owe you. if you need help with anything in the future, just ask."


    mo hua grinned and said, "okay!"


    after coaxing situ fang away, bai zisheng and bai zixi stuck their heads out ¨C they had been eavesdropping the whole time.


    bai zisheng asked:


    "we kept a few corpses; should we tell sister situ?"


    "let¡¯s not mention it for now."


    "why? she¡¯s on our side, right?" bai zisheng was puzzled.


    mo hua considered situ fang¡¯s situation and said:


    "it¡¯s enough to have sister situ help with the aftermath. after all, she is only at the qi refinement level, while zhang quan was at the foundation establishment level, and also a corpse cultivator. if they were to confront each other directly, sister situ would be in great danger."


    after considering this, bai zisheng said, "that¡¯s true."


    bai zixi also nodded in agreement.


    however, the three of them didn¡¯t realize that they were at the qi refinement level as well...


    the matter of the zombies was put on hold for the time being.


    the taoist court destroying the bodies and obliterating the evidence meant that there were no leads left, and the investigation could not proceed.


    while it seemed to be a significant issue, it had fizzled out on the surface.


    but no one knew that mo hua had secretly kept a few corpses, nor did anyone know what mo hua was planning to do with the zombies...


    in a small compartment.


    in front of mo hua were two coffins.


    inside the coffins were the zombies mo hua had stolen.


    he had drawn formations all around.


    there were formations like the sound isolation formation, energy sealing formation, solid earth formation, earth fire formation, earth prison formation, wood binding formation...


    bai zisheng glanced around and couldn¡¯t help asking:


    "aren¡¯t there a bit too many formations...?"


    with a serious expression, mo hua said, "even when hunting rabbits, the lion uses all its strength. we must be meticulous in our work and not afford any oversights..."


    bai zisheng looked at the formation patterns surrounding them again and was somewhat speechless.


    that¡¯s a little too "meticulous"...


    it¡¯s like a spider¡¯s web...


    mo hua, now with twelve divine sense patterns, had formation skills far beyond the first-grade.


    these casually drawn first-grade formations, laid out one after another at no cost, were piled up layer upon layer, quite a lot...


    bai zisheng felt that mo hua was just itching to draw formations for fun.


    mo hua still seemed unsatisfied.


    he checked the formations again and, finding a few empty spaces, added several more around the corners of the room until it was completely full.


    now it looked comfortable...


    mo hua nodded with satisfaction, then began the "coffin opening and corpse examination".


    bai zisheng opened the coffin, and the zombies lay there rigidly, motionless.


    as mo hua didn¡¯t fully understand the nature of zombies, he asked bai zixi:


    "junior sister, these zombies won¡¯t move, will they?"


    bai zixi explained, "there are many types of zombies. some are naturally formed from corpses, while others are intentionally refined..."


    "with the accumulation of resentment, the convergence of yin energy, the infusion of filthy qi into the body, over the years, they can turn into zombies naturally."


    "those naturally formed zombies are ferocious, greedy for flesh and blood, and they will keep killing, eating people, and even other living creatures."


    "the zombies refined by people will be weaker and need cultivators to control them with evil artifacts. if uncontrolled, they mostly sleep in their coffins, nurturing corpse qi, with only some instinctual minor movements..."


    "but if these intentionally refined zombies lose control, they become like naturally formed zombies, drawn to blood qi, killing and eating people..."


    "oh, i see." mo hua nodded again and again, then pointed to the coffins and asked:


    "so these haven¡¯t lost control, right?"


    "they have lost control." bai zixi said. sear?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua was startled, "they have?!"


    bai zixi nodded, "yes, they have, but these low-level walking corpses are too weak, and they¡¯ve exhausted their corpse qi. even if they¡¯re out of control, they can¡¯t move, unless..."


    "unless you feed them blood?" mo hua said.


    "mm, anything with blood qi will do."


    "and after feeding them?"


    bai zixi¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, "they will come back to life on their own, ceaselessly seeking flesh and blood to consume..."


    mo hua frowned, "that¡¯s still quite dangerous..."


    immediately after that, he weakly asked:


    "so, if you get bitten by a zombie, will you turn into one?"


    "it¡¯s possible."


    "why is it only possible?"


    bai zixi replied, "zombies carry corpse poison."


    mo hua frowned, "corpse poison?"


    bai zixi raised her tiny index finger and explained:


    "this so-called poison is essentially ¡¯corpse qi¡¯, similar to spiritual energy but innately sinister."


    bai zixi, looking at mo hua, added, "this kind of corpse qi turns into corpse poison, which can taint a cultivator¡¯s blood qi and cause them to turn into a zombie."


    "if there¡¯s little corpse poison, or it¡¯s weak, the transformation is only partial."


    "once the corpse poison is too strong or invades the heart meridian, then the cultivator will become a zombie."


    then she cautioned mo hua, "you mustn¡¯t get bitten by a zombie. you are frail, and your blood qi is weak, so if you¡¯re poisoned, your injuries will also be more severe."


    "mm-hm."


    mo hua nodded repeatedly.


    then he began to ponder, thinking he should come up with a way to restrain zombies, so he wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard and panic when faced with danger.


    but this was not an urgent matter.


    "then how are zombies artificially refined?" mo hua thought for a moment and asked.


    "it requires blood meals, filthy substances, some sinister herbs, and also a corpse refining coffin, or what might also be called a corpse raising coffin."


    "i don¡¯t know the specifics of how to refine them, as i¡¯ve never done it," bai zixi said with a clear voice.


    disciples of the worldly family aren¡¯t allowed to engage with the knowledge of evil arts and the demon path, to prevent the rise of sinister thoughts and corruption of character.


    only when they grow up and set out to travel or study are they carefully instructed by the elders at home, who inform them of the tactics of evil demons, allowing them to be vigilant and avoid falling into demonic traps, ending up with no place for their corpses.


    the bai family likely does not teach this knowledge either.


    bai zixi probably knows about it because she is a diligent student, with a rich knowledge of tao cultivation and wide-reaching interests.


    mo hua looked at bai zixi as if she were an elegant and exquisite "tao cultivation encyclopedia," and couldn¡¯t help but admire her, saying:


    "junior sister, you truly know a lot!"


    bai zixi¡¯s expression remained indifferent, but a pair of shining eyes revealed a hint of pride.


    bai zisheng curled his lips, "sycophant."


    "and you know?"


    "i... i don¡¯t know..."


    bai zisheng muttered.


    zixi had great talent, a good memory, was serious about her cultivation, and had a breadth of knowledge.


    in terms of scholarship in the path of cultivation, he indeed couldn¡¯t compare with zixi.


    mo hua patted bai zisheng on the shoulder and also nodded in praise:


    "it¡¯s valuable to have self-awareness..."


    it took bai zisheng quite a while to catch on and he couldn¡¯t help but scratch mo hua¡¯s little head in response.


    after understanding the principles of corpse refinement, mo hua started to research formations.


    first was the coffin.


    this kind of coffin is called a corpse refining coffin, or corpse raising coffin.


    combining refining, storing, and raising of corpses, it is a type of evil artifact in the realm of demonic arts.


    each zombie has its own coffin.


    the type varies with the level, and the quality of the coffins differs as well.


    zombies are categorized as walking corpse, iron corpse, copper corpse, golden corpse, etc., and the corresponding coffins are made of wood, iron, copper, and gold respectively.


    a corpse of a certain class should be placed in a coffin of the corresponding level.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but mock inwardly.


    in life, people are distinguished by rank and status, and even in death, as zombies, their coffins are segregated into gold, silver, copper, and iron.


    it¡¯s truly fussy even in death.


    zhang quan ran a coffin shop.


    he most likely crafted these coffins himself.


    however, the formations on the coffins were definitely not his own work.


    zhang quan was not a formation master and lacked the ability to do so.


    mo hua studied the formations on the coffins and frowned.


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    the formations on the coffins were not ultimate formations but rather common earth series evil formations.


    the core of the formation was an earth series formation, only twisted in form; the ink was human blood mixed with bone powder, among other unnamed filthy substances.


    the formation media were bone shards embedded in the coffin.


    the formation eye was a decaying heart, which seemed treated or cured in some way¡ªmixing blood qi, filthy qi, and spiritual energy to provide power for the corpse formation to operate.


    this formation, while gruesome and bloody, had a somewhat crude underlying logic.


    mo hua was not too impressed.


    what truly caught mo hua¡¯s attention was the formation at the heart meridian of the zombies.


    if his guess was correct, this formation was indeed an ultimate formation.


    mo hua called out, "junior brother."


    bai zisheng nodded, then, furrowing his brow and enduring the nausea, he took out a dagger and carefully sliced through the skin on the walking corpse¡¯s chest, revealing the formation integrated into the flesh.


    mo hua watched and took notes on paper.


    at the same time, he released his divine sense and engaged in calculation, deducing the formation patterns.


    this process was slow and prone to mistakes.


    if a mistake was made, he had to start over.


    mo hua spent a whole day studying several corpses, comparing them, and finally managed to piece together a complete formation.


    mo hua looked at the formation on the paper, a serious expression on his face.


    as expected, this formation contained twelve distinct patterns.


    it was a proper first-grade formation with twelve patterns, an ultimate formation!


    but he dared not study it because this twelve-pattern ultimate formation was very likely an evil formation used for demon path corpse refining...


    after all, he surely couldn¡¯t learn it to go and refine corpses...

 Chapter 444: Contempt

    ```when in doubt, it¡¯s better to refrain from overconfidence and ask mr. zhuang for advice.


    mo hua then ran to the bamboo house to see mr. zhuang.


    mr. zhuang sat in a bamboo chair, brewing tea, enjoying the breeze, and squinting comfortably.


    after waiting outside for a while, mo hua suddenly looked up and saw mr. zhuang looking at him. his eyes lit up, and he ran forward, presenting the formation he had restored, and asked:


    "master, can i learn this formation?"


    without even looking, mr. zhuang nodded and said:


    "you can."


    mo hua was slightly stunned, "isn¡¯t this an evil formation?"


    mr. zhuang¡¯s expression deepened as he asked:


    "do you know how an evil formation differs from a normal formation?"


    mo hua furrowed his brows in thought and shook his head honestly.


    he had never studied evil formations; he had only briefly glanced at a few evil formation patterns and was unclear about the differences between them.


    to know is to know, not to know is not to know.


    since he was unclear, he didn¡¯t feel comfortable making things up in front of mr. zhuang.


    "what about their commonalities?"


    mr. zhuang asked again.


    mo hua pondered for a moment and tried to say:


    "whether it¡¯s a proper formation or an evil formation, the basic framework of the formation is the same, consisting of formation media, formation eye, formation pivot, formation patterns..."


    "it¡¯s just that the specific composition of the formation is different, the evil formation is more bizarre, and the methods are more bloody and cruel."


    mr. zhuang nodded slightly, "not bad."


    he then picked up the ultimate formation with the twelve patterns that mo hua had restored, his eyes showing a hint of appreciation as he pointed out:


    "so this formation, apart from the white bone formation medium, human blood formation pattern, and human heart formation eye, the other parts of the formation principle are indeed manifestations of the heavenly dao and fall within the range of normal formations. in other words..."


    mr. zhuang looked at mo hua.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes gradually brightened as he continued:


    "in other words, is this actually a proper ultimate formation that someone used bizarre methods to draw?"


    mr. zhuang spoke with satisfaction, "exactly."


    mo hua frowned again, "if it¡¯s a proper ultimate formation, why not use it correctly? why resort to these heretical demons¡¯ methods?"


    mr. zhuang¡¯s expression grew obscure:


    "because he couldn¡¯t draw it the proper way..."


    mo hua was slightly taken aback.


    after a moment of silence, mr. zhuang sighed and said:


    "following the righteous dao is actually very difficult..."


    "among the so-called cultivators of the righteous dao, while there are those who seek fame and pretend to be virtuous, there are also truly determined and upright people."


    "such cultivators have temperaments, methods, and breadth of spirit far beyond ordinary people, and the effort they put in, the refinement they experience, the hardships they endure, and the criticism they face are equally extraordinary."


    "it is the same with formations."


    "the deeper one goes in the formations of the righteous dao, the harder they become. you might put in ten times the effort and see only a tenth of the result."


    "therefore, many cultivators start looking for shortcuts."


    "this shortcut is the evil formation."


    "if the divine sense is insufficient, they blindly visualize and borrow the divine thought of others and other objects without discernment and purification."


    "if the formation is not well-practiced, they draw on skin compatible with spiritual power to reduce the difficulty of the formation."


    "if the understanding of the formation pivot is shallow, they use human blood as ink and human hearts as eyes to forcibly promote the flow of the formation¡¯s power..."


    "the so-called evil formations, just like conventional formations, are based on the same formation principle."


    "however, some cultivators don¡¯t want to think, learn, practice, or comprehend. they take shortcuts by using human lives and flesh as the framework and pivot of the formation to draw formations they otherwise couldn¡¯t..."


    after finishing, mr. zhuang looked at mo hua and spoke meaningfully:


    "that¡¯s why i didn¡¯t teach you the principle of evil formations before, to let you learn the formations patiently, practice over and over, and not to be hasty or to think about taking shortcuts."


    "you have great talent and a high aptitude. if you think about taking shortcuts and learn evil formations, falling into the demon path, your level of formation mastery might skyrocket rapidly, advancing by leaps and bounds daily."


    "but by doing so, once you taste the sweetness of shortcuts, you will no longer practice formations diligently or be able to glimpse the true great dao."


    "learning evil formations is like trying to help the shoots grow by pulling them upward¡ªit won¡¯t last long."


    "in front of a true formation master who understands the heavenly dao, these so-called evil formation masters are just opportunistic small fry¡­"


    "the so-called evil formations are merely filthy with blood qi, superficial imitations, the righteous cannot be overwhelmed by the evil, they are vulnerable!"


    mr. zhuang¡¯s eyes sharpened, and his entire presence became like a sheathed immortal sword, emitting an astonishing aura.


    "you must remember, we cultivators do not follow the path of heretical demons, not because we cannot, but because we disdain it!"


    mo hua was deeply moved and full of admiration.


    not following the demon path is not because we can¡¯t, but because we disdain it!


    mr. zhuang¡¯s words were deeply engraved in his mind.


    it was as if someone had inscribed these words onto his taoist heart with a sword.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze grew steadier, and his expression became more resolute.


    as he looked at the evil formation in his hands, he felt a great peace of mind; even though it was a formation of heretical demons, filled with oddities and eeriness, he remained calm and untroubled.


    "master, your disciple remembers!"


    mo hua nodded earnestly with a serious face.


    in the following days, mo hua began to study this ultimate formation.


    to extract the essence of the formation principle and discard the dross.


    focusing only on the most fundamental principles of the formation itself while neglecting its opportunistic methods, like human skin patterns, flesh and blood pivots, and human heart eyes.


    thus, the difficulty of the formation increased exponentially.


    for a first-grade twelve-pattern formation, mo hua¡¯s divine sense strength had just reached the threshold.


    and divine sense was just the threshold.


    with this divine sense, one still needed to practice the formation¡¯s patterns, analyze the layout of the formation, and grasp the principles of the formation.


    this required a great deal of time and extensive practice.


    the process was tedious and dull.


    the divine sense would be exhausted over and over, then slowly recover, only to be exhausted again...


    with the taoist stele not yet restored, mo hua could only rely on his ability, taking more time and consuming more energy, to practice over and over, slowly comprehending.


    he kept mr. zhuang¡¯s teachings in mind, and though progress was slow, he was neither arrogant nor impatient.


    cultivation requires perseverance, as if dripping water penetrates stone.


    it¡¯s the same with practicing formations.


    each practice session is a drop of water, each contemplation is like raindrops falling on the stone.


    ```


    as long as one persists, even a dripping water drop will wear through a stone.


    the principles of formation too could be deciphered, thoroughly understood, and mastered.


    after such contemplation over a number of days, mo hua gradually grasped some essence. he had gained some understanding of the ostensibly "corpse refinement" evil formation.


    but this understanding wasn¡¯t profound; it was hazy, as though obscured by a layer of gauze, unclear.


    "it seems that my practice is not sufficient, my thoughts are not deep enough, and my realizations are not profound enough..."


    mo hua sighed inwardly.


    just when he thought he needed more time,


    a tremor suddenly echoed within the sea of consciousness, and the taoist stele began to slowly recover.


    mo hua was delighted and quickly sank his divine sense into the sea of consciousness.


    the grey on the taoist stele faded away gradually, and that ancient and profound aura began to fill the space with vigor once more.


    mo hua tried drawing a few formations and found that the taoist stele was usable, although its effects were not as strong as before.


    after drawing the formations and erasing them, he could only recover half of the divine sense he had used.


    mo hua felt somewhat regretful.


    it seems it hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet.


    nevertheless, it could still be barely used, which was, at least, better than having nothing.


    mo hua touched the taoist stele and said affectionately,


    "i won¡¯t put you through this again."


    the taoist stele remained as silent as ever, seemingly a bit petulant, not accepting mo hua¡¯s apology. find your next adventure on empire


    now that he had the taoist stele, although it was only a "incomplete" version, mo hua¡¯s practice of the ultimate formation saw a direct two or threefold increase.


    his comprehension of the ultimate formation sped up significantly as well.


    a few more days passed, and mo hua finally managed to draw the ultimate formation.


    within the formation, spiritual power transformed into fine threads, moving independently and yet complementing each other, converging...


    however, at the same time, mo hua furrowed his brows.


    something was off...


    "this ultimate formation¡­ is incomplete..."


    or rather, it was only a part of the entire ultimate formation.


    mo hua had drawn it, but still felt it was lacking something. the spiritual power could flow and undergo special changes, but it was quite disparate, as if it were an abandoned segment.


    "why is it incomplete?"


    mo hua didn¡¯t understand.


    the formation eye, formation pivot, and formation patterns were all intact.


    and what exactly was the effect of this ultimate formation?


    spiritual power in the formation was split into even finer filaments, like threads twisted together, each with a special flow.


    looking fascinating yet baffling...


    what¡¯s the purpose of drawing this formation on a zombie¡¯s circulatory paths?


    mo hua could not figure it out and, thinking that two heads are better than one, went to consult bai zisheng and bai zixi.


    bai zixi said with a slight frown,


    "perhaps, it¡¯s for corpse control..."


    "corpse control?"


    mo hua asked doubtfully, "don¡¯t corpse cultivators have their own methods to control zombies? why would they need to use an ultimate formation?"


    if one strictly needed an ultimate formation to control zombies, then there wouldn¡¯t be many corpse cultivators in the world, nor many cultivators capable of refining zombies. s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after all, only a handful of formation masters know the ultimate formations.


    yet, corpse refinement and corpse control are a relatively prominent school on the demon path.


    corpse cultivators engaged in corpse refinement are not rare in the demon path.


    bai zixi pondered and said, "controlling zombies is easy, but the quantity is an issue."


    "quantity?" mo hua was slightly startled.


    bai zisheng, however, remembered something and nodded,


    "right, an ordinary corpse cultivator can¡¯t control so many zombies."


    "a few dozen zombies, that zhang quan controls with ease, is indeed curious. moreover, he may have refined even more zombies. that¡¯s not right..."


    mo hua became enlightened.


    if a corpse cultivator could control so many zombies, then leveraging the tactic of a ¡¯zombie sea¡¯, no other cultivator of the same rank could possibly be his match.


    this was clearly too overpowering.


    bai zixi continued, "normally, a corpse cultivator controls a few to a dozen zombies, never dozens like that."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    that said, zhang quan could possibly control so many zombies thanks to the ultimate formation.


    where¡¯s the other part of the ultimate formation then?


    mo hua pondered briefly, then his eyes brightened:


    "that copper bell?"


    bai zixi and bai zisheng also nodded slightly.


    zhang quan uses a copper bell to control zombies. if the ultimate formation is incomplete, it¡¯s likely that the other part of the formation is inscribed on the copper bell.


    as for the principle behind this formation, one has to wait until mo hua can find the complete formation and study it to understand it.


    "it seems that i need to find zhang quan..."


    mo hua nodded and muttered to himself.


    at the same time, he had another doubt.


    the ultimate formation for controlling zombies, with a rank of one and twelve patterns, could it be... that ultimate formation of the minor hidden spirit sect?


    mo hua furrowed his brows, thinking carefully.


    a formation with one rank and twelve patterns, exceeding limits, is extremely rare.


    it seems very unlikely for the minor wilderness state boundary to coincidentally have two ultimate formations of one rank and twelve patterns.


    moreover, the spirit pivot formation, the spirit pivot, the spiritual power pivot point...


    it also sounds like the effect of controlling zombies.


    if this formation truly is the spirit pivot formation, then who drew it?


    who can master an ultimate formation and is willing to draw it for zhang quan for corpse control?


    could the one who drew the formation be the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect?


    or perhaps... instructor yan?


    mo hua¡¯s heart chilled, his expression turning complicated.

 Chapter 445: Hiding (1)

    the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect deceived his master and annihilated his ancestors, likely falling into the demon path and refining corpses for others.as for instructor yan... if his heart were set on revenge and he spared no means, it¡¯s also possible that he has gone astray.


    mo hua sighed, deeply worried about instructor yan.


    he hoped that instructor yan would be safe and sound, and also hoped that yan wouldn¡¯t be blinded by obsession and stray onto the wrong path, committing some sort of misdeed.


    instructor yan was undoubtedly upright, but even the most upright person could momentarily be driven to desperate measures in a surge of anger.


    bai zisheng asked, "should we go look for zhang quan?"


    mo hua nodded, "we must."


    now, all the clues lay with zhang quan.


    the death of the mining cultivator, the method of corpse refinement, the hiding place for the corpses, the complete formation diagram of the ultimate formation, and instructor yan¡¯s whereabouts.


    all these, it was estimated, were related to zhang quan.


    bai zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation, "then let¡¯s get going early, i want to slaughter him!"


    the thought of zhang quan¡¯s actions in refining corpses had been infuriating him these past few days.


    bai zisheng had deliberately learned a few taoist skills, planning to use zhang quan for practice.


    then he grew somewhat worried,


    "after so many days, can we still find him?"


    "it¡¯s hard to say, but there are still some clues."


    mo hua nodded and then took out the compass parent-child disk.


    on the disk, of the original three bright spots, only one remained.


    this meant that one of the compass child formations was still on zhang quan.


    it could be that the needle was hidden so well that zhang quan had not discovered it.


    alternatively, it could be that he did find it, but deliberately left it there as bait, luring mo hua to come over and walk into an ambush.


    regardless, mo hua was determined to take a look.


    he put the zombie back into the coffin and drew both golden lock formation and cold ice formation on it to lock the coffin and use the cold ice formation to store the walking corpse at a low temperature.


    it was precaution to prevent the walking corpse from escaping or decomposing.


    the next morning, as soon as dawn broke, mo hua called upon bai zisheng and bai zixi, and the three left tongxian city. in a secluded place, they concealed their presence, then hastened towards the wild mountains west of south yue city using movement techniques.


    mo hua had looked over the map of south yue city.


    the bright spot on the compass mother formation disk corresponded to the location of the wild mountains to the west of the city.


    these wild mountains, similar to mining mountains, bore no minerals to be excavated and had no other resources. therefore, cultivators seldom visited, leaving them desolate.


    the vegetation on the mountains was stunted, mostly pale green or gray-brown.


    the exposed mountain rocks were dry and white.


    weeds rooted in the crevices of the rocks.


    occasionally, unknown monster beasts would emit strange cries from who-knows-where, echoing through the empty mountains.


    mo hua crouched behind a large boulder, staring at the compass disk.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi leaned over to look as well.


    the moving point on the disk was extremely suspicious, constantly meandering through the mountains, unpredictably east and west, as if evading something or deliberately concealing itself, with no discernible pattern.


    what was this zhang quan up to?


    the three exchanged glances, all a bit puzzled.


    "could it be a trap?" bai zisheng said.


    "if it were a trap, he should have stopped to set up an ambush, right? what¡¯s the point of running around?"


    "true..." bai zisheng nodded, then speculated, "could it be that he discovered the needle, removed it, and then stuck it onto a mountain pig or some other monster beast?"


    mo hua stroked his chin, "that¡¯s possible..."


    bai zisheng suggested, "let¡¯s go take a look. if it¡¯s zhang quan, we¡¯ll capture him. if it¡¯s a mountain pig, we¡¯ll see whether it eats meat or grass..."


    mo hua was taken aback, "what difference does it make whether it eats meat or grass?"


    "if it eats meat, then we¡¯ll just slaughter it, no need to worry further; if it eats grass, after slaughtering it, we¡¯ll need to bring it back, i feel like eating pork..."


    bai zisheng looked at mo hua with anticipation.


    bai zixi sighed softly.


    mo hua¡¯s expression was complicated, "i¡¯m not going to cook it for you." s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    bai zisheng defended his position, "i don¡¯t really mind, it¡¯s mainly to show filial respect to instructor..."


    "i¡¯ll slaughter the pig, you¡¯ll cook it, and then we¡¯ll give instructor a taste. but obviously, instructor can¡¯t finish it by himself and as a disciple, naturally, i have to relieve instructor of his worries..."


    bai zisheng¡¯s calculation was making loud noises.


    mo hua asked, "can¡¯t you cook it yourself?"


    "if you cook, it¡¯s a show of respect to instructor. if i cook, it¡¯s like i¡¯m poisoning instructor..."


    bai zisheng was quite self-aware of his own cooking skills.


    "fine..."


    mo hua nodded his head.


    the food in south yue city was indeed mediocre, and mr. zhuang hadn¡¯t been eating much these days.


    bai zisheng was overjoyed and promptly said,


    "then, let¡¯s set off quickly."


    the three concealed their presence and, guided by the compass, searched for the location of the bright spot.


    soon, beneath a hillside covered in shrubs, they found the position of the bright spot.


    what was hidden in the shrubs was zhang quan, not a mountain pig.


    it seemed that the formation needle was still on zhang quan and not embedded in a pig.


    bai zisheng felt both relieved and somewhat disappointed.


    zhang quan was squatting in the shrubs, his gaze scanning around vigilantly as if he were on the lookout for something.


    mo hua and his companions stayed concealed, watching from a distance.


    after a while, zhang quan crept out of the shrubbery, made his way into the forest, changing directions several times, and vanished from sight.


    mo hua looked at the compass and pointed in a direction.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi followed him to another mountain peak. from there, they looked down and saw zhang quan emerge from a cave entrance, taking another wary glance around before leaving a formation in the spot.


    they were too far away for mo hua to make out the details of the formation.


    however, based on the spiritual power calculations of the formation, it seemed to be a type of trap formation, with patterns ranking at grades one and two. it¡¯s somewhat obscure, but not highly ranked.


    zhang quan set up the formation, then continued down the mountain path.


    after walking for a while, he turned onto a small path, burrowed into a forest, found a cave, and set up another formation...


    he repeated the cycle, tirelessly and seemingly without purpose.


    mo hua frowned, "what¡¯s he doing..."


    bai zisheng thought for a moment, "it seems he is guarding against something, probably afraid of being followed."


    "guarding against whom?"


    mo hua didn¡¯t understand.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi pondered briefly before both casting a silent glance at him.


    mo hua was startled, "me?"


    bai zixi said, "you can conceal yourself, he probably fears that you¡¯re invisibly following him."


    mo hua clicked his tongue, "such heavy caution."


    meanwhile, zhang quan was in a state of panic.


    "why, why is there nothing?"


    these days, he¡¯d had a nagging feeling that something was off.


    it seemed like he was being watched.


    every move he made, within someone else¡¯s grasp.


    but after searching himself thoroughly, he found nothing suspicious.


    zhang quan was utterly baffled.


    yet the intuition honed from years skulking in the shadows wouldn¡¯t deceive him.


    someone was definitely following him!


    but who could track him without his notice?


    after a moment, zhang quan had his answer:


    it was that brat!


    the one skilled in concealment, whose stealth even cultivators at foundation establishment couldn¡¯t detect!


    among the cultivators he knew, only that brat could employ such covert tactics, untraceably sticking to him like a relentless parasite.


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    "truly inexorable!"


    zhang quan cursed inwardly.


    he couldn¡¯t let that brat follow him!


    zhang quan released his divine sense, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t find any traces of other cultivators¡ªbecause initially, no one was indeed following him.


    but he still felt restless, so he resorted to various means, winding through caves and forests.


    he set down formations, testing to see if anyone was following him.


    but the formations were undisturbed, untouched.


    zhang quan was confused and at a loss.


    had he guessed wrong, or was that brat¡¯s tactics too cunning, eluding his detection?


    ...


    mo hua also furrowed his brow.


    bai zisheng asked, "are you thinking of some cunning scheme again?"


    "i¡¯m not thinking of any schemes!"


    bai zisheng humphed, "you can deceive others, but you would deceive your senior brother too?"


    ignoring him, mo hua expressed his doubt:


    "this zhang quan, he¡¯s a bit too vigilant."


    after pondering for a moment, bai zisheng spoke slowly:


    "having suffered so much and being in such a wretched state, it¡¯s not unreasonable for him to be extra cautious."


    "being cautious is fine, but his caution seems a bit excessive."


    bai zisheng observed zhang quan from a distance, unable to discern his expression but noticing his furtive actions, feeling they were overly suspicious.


    bai zixi¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, "is he afraid something will be discovered?"


    mo hua nodded slightly, then looked around.


    the surrounding barren mountains stretched on, with no end in sight.


    in such a place, despite the desolation, the mountains concealed more than they revealed.


    "afraid of what being found?"


    with furrowed brows, the three of them fell into thought, until suddenly, they all looked up, their eyes brightening, having understood.


    "it¡¯s the place where he refines and hides the corpses!"


    mo hua said, "we¡¯ll quietly follow, without startling the snake in the grass."


    bai zisheng and bai zixi both nodded in agreement.


    the three of them kept their eyes on zhang quan, intending to let zhang quan lead the way, hoping to trace back to his corpse lair.


    but zhang quan¡¯s patience turned out to be even more outrageous than they imagined.


    after another three or four days, he was still meandering in the mountains, darting about, ceaselessly testing with formations and trail markers.


    mo hua watched in irritation, while zhang quan continued painstakingly.


    "this zhang quan... he really knows how to play it safe..."


    bai zisheng complained.


    and it seemed like he could keep it up for a long time.


    but mo hua¡¯s gaze grew serious.


    the more cautious zhang quan was, the more it indicated that his corpse refining and hiding place contained a great secret that couldn¡¯t suffer the slightest oversight.


    that was why he didn¡¯t dare take any risk.


    every slight worry had to be thoroughly eliminated.


    mo hua pondered for a moment, then said:


    "don¡¯t follow!"


    bai zisheng was slightly surprised, "why stop following?"


    mo hua glanced at the distant desolate mountains, his brows slightly raised, and said:


    "we¡¯ve reached the doorstep. we can search on our own, no need for him to lead the way."

 Chapter 446: Corpse Walking Stronghold (1)

    mo hua took out the map of the wilderness surrounding south yue city.it was called a map, but it was crudely made, the lines were simple, and it only roughly outlined some mountain terrains; nothing else was included.


    this wilderness was rarely visited, so there was no detailed map available.


    the one mo hua held was previously obtained from situ fang. it was a map of the mountainous terrain recorded by the taoist court official of south yue city.


    mo hua recalled the trajectory of the light spots on the compass disk and traced zhang quan¡¯s path on the map.


    zhang quan¡¯s movements seemed chaotic, but all his routes were concentrated within the forest between two peaks to the east of the wilderness.


    he came here to return to his lair.


    therefore, the place where he refined and hid the corpses had to be nearby.


    and to avoid being tracked, he would certainly not linger near his lair.


    so the location of his lair was probably to the west of where he lingered.


    the two places were separated by a large mountain and faced each other from a distance.


    mo hua shared his deductions.


    bai zisheng asked doubtfully,


    "how do you know this?"


    mo hua said, "i am a monster hunter. i often track monster beasts in the mountains; this is the basics for a monster hunter."


    "but zhang quan is not a monster beast."


    "close enough. anyway, he can hardly be considered human anymore, i suspect his habits are very similar to those of monster beasts."


    bai zisheng nodded, then asked,


    "what if you guessed wrong?"


    "if i¡¯m wrong, then i¡¯m wrong. it doesn¡¯t really affect anything," mo hua said indifferently.


    bai zisheng sighed, "alright then..."


    after all, they needed to search, and having a direction was better than having none.


    putting aside zhang quan for the moment, mo hua and the other two crossed over a mountain range to the west of the wilderness to look for zhang quan¡¯s hiding place.


    mo hua was not worried about zhang quan.


    after all, with the compass disk, zhang quan couldn¡¯t escape from his grasp. he could be left to his own devices, letting him play a game of hide-and-seek with himself.


    and as long as they found zhang quan¡¯s hiding place, they could even turn the situation around and lie in wait to catch him.


    to the west of the south yue wilderness, there was nothing special.


    it was still the same withered grass, low trees, dry rocks, and steep mountains.


    the three searched together for a while, then split up to continue the search, but still came up empty-handed.


    at least on the surface, there was only barren grass and rocky hills.


    further out, there were more continuous wilderness hills, but the distance was much greater, and with such a wide range, it was not easy to search.


    bai zisheng questioned doubtfully, "there¡¯s nothing?"


    mo hua shook his head, "not necessarily, we¡¯ve only searched once."


    a monster hunter won¡¯t just search the mountains once.


    the first time is just to get a rough look at the terrain, to have an overall impression of the land in the sea of consciousness. then, by comparing it with the map, one would have a clearer sense of the paths.


    afterward, based on experience, one would choose a route and search carefully.


    mo hua recalled the terrain and speculated which places could be used for corpse refinement or as hiding spots, which locations had special terrain, and which places had a suspicious aura...


    he then took out a pen and marked a route on the map before continuing the search.


    this time, mo hua searched very meticulously.


    at every place, he would sit cross-legged, release his divine sense, and sense the sparse flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth, as well as the circulation of various auras in the mountains.


    at the same time, he had to calculate in his mind to see if there were any traces of a formation.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi protected him from any cultivator or monster beast that might attempt an ambush.


    after mo hua finished searching, he opened his eyes and got up to move to the next location, searching one place after another.


    this kind of search was rather tedious.


    what¡¯s more, calculation consumed a lot of divine sense.


    luckily, mo hua was patient enough, his divine sense was strong, and he had mastered the meditation technique, so his divine sense recovered quickly.


    stop and go, mo hua suddenly uttered a "huh" next to a cluster of bald rocks.


    bai zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, "did you find it?" sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua nodded slightly, "there¡¯s a formation."


    bai zisheng released his divine sense and swept around, then said helplessly, "where is it?"


    he didn¡¯t find anything.


    mo hua pointed to the group of bald rocks in front of them, "all these are part of a formation."


    bai zisheng looked at the rocks, which were shiny and bald, massive in size, and numerous. they were piled up together, completely blocking off one side of the mountain.


    "what kind of formation is this?"


    mo hua shook his head, "i don¡¯t know. it looks like... some kind of earth series illusion technique. just wait..."


    after saying that, mo hua sat down cross-legged on the ground again.


    he closed his eyes in contemplation, focused in thought, and found a tree branch to draw something on the ground.


    half an hour later, mo hua opened his eyes and pointed to the pattern on the ground, saying,


    "the formation patterns are like this."


    bai zisheng¡¯s mouth fell open, "you even figured out the formation patterns?"


    mo hua corrected him, "it¡¯s ¡¯calculation,¡¯ not ¡¯guess.¡¯"


    "calculation" made it seem professional, like something a proficient junior formation master should do.


    "guess" seemed too amateurish and hinted at a guesswork.


    bai zisheng clicked his tongue in wonder and asked,


    "did your master teach you the divine sense calculation?"


    mo hua nodded.


    bai zisheng couldn¡¯t help but feel envious.


    if one learned divine sense calculation, one could see through formations.


    the formation master in this wilderness had used formations to hide their tracks, but because they had set up formations, in mo hua¡¯s eyes, it was as clear as day.


    even through calculation, they could deduce the specific formation patterns.


    it was really shameless...


    bai zisheng sighed.


    what a pity, his divine sense was not sufficient, hence he couldn¡¯t learn it.


    of course, even if he could learn it, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to use it as well as mo hua did.


    in terms of formations, his junior disciple was always a "little freak" in his heart...


    suddenly, mo hua¡¯s divine sense stirred, and he looked at bai zisheng with an unfriendly gaze,


    "talking bad about me again?"


    bai zisheng felt completely helpless, "i was praising you in my heart..."


    mo hua snorted, "do you think i believe that?"


    bai zisheng let out a sigh and had no choice but to apologize politely, then quickly changed the subject:


    "how do we break this formation?"


    mo hua replied, "there¡¯s no need to break it, this is just a decoy."


    after releasing his divine sense and peeking through, he said:


    "follow me."


    bai zisheng and bai zixi nodded.


    mo hua walked straight up to a bare rock and then gently reached out, his fingers sinking into the stone.


    mo hua continued to walk forward, his entire body going directly into the rock.


    bai zisheng was startled, and bai zixi was also slightly taken aback.


    this bare rock was merely an illusion, not a real object.


    the two exchanged glances and followed mo hua inside.


    once inside the rock, all was pitch-black, but mo hua seemed to know everything like the back of his hand, leading the way with ease.


    after walking for a moment, light appeared before them, revealing a large stone gate.


    the gate was gloomy, entwined with a sense of death, and a faint putrid stench lingered at the entrance.


    and on the gate, three mottled, crude characters were inscribed:


    corpse walking stronghold.


    mo hua frowned, corpse walking stronghold?


    the trio didn¡¯t charge in directly but concealed their forms and found a large rock nearby to squat under, huddled together with their heads close.


    "another stronghold in the mountains..."


    "a stronghold in the mountains is naturally a mountain stronghold," bai zixi said.


    "corpse walking stronghold... could this stronghold be used for corpse refinement...?"


    "it¡¯s possible."


    "this is a bit troublesome..."


    "what¡¯s wrong?"


    mo hua thought for a moment and said, "since it¡¯s a stronghold, it means that there isn¡¯t just one cultivator inside, there should be many of them..."


    "zhang quan isn¡¯t a loner, he¡¯s likely a leader or at least a householder."


    bai zisheng asked, "so what do we do now, storm in and slaughter them all?"


    mo hua helplessly replied, "can you kill them all?"


    "how would we know without trying?"


    bai zisheng¡¯s eyes shone excitedly, eager to rush in immediately and eradicate the stronghold.


    bai zixi silently twisted his arm, which made him behave.


    mo hua said, "we must take precautions before it happens; we cannot act rashly. i¡¯ll go in first using concealment to check the situation."


    "you¡¯re going in alone?"


    "yes," mo hua nodded, "i¡¯m familiar with this."


    back then, he had infiltrated black mountain stronghold completely unnoticed, all by himself.


    at that time, sneaking into black mountain stronghold was somewhat dangerous.


    but now things were different.


    now his divine sense was deeper, his concealment technique stronger, and his knowledge of formations was far beyond that of an ordinary first-grade formation master. he did not fear even foundation establishment cultivators.


    although mo hua couldn¡¯t defeat a foundation establishment cultivator, he could hide from them thanks to his skill at concealment.


    bai zixi disagreed, "we should go together!"


    bai zisheng nodded in agreement as well.


    mo hua shook his head and said, "your ability to conceal isn¡¯t good enough; you would be detected by foundation establishment cultivators."


    bai zixi was still somewhat worried.


    so mo hua said, "i¡¯ll go in, and you two stay here as backup. if something goes wrong, i¡¯ll set off fireworks, and you come in to help me."


    although he said this, it was very unlikely that such a situation would occur.


    after some thought, bai zixi had no better solution and could only nod in agreement.


    bai zisheng was a little disappointed and quickly reminded him:


    "if there¡¯s trouble, don¡¯t be afraid. just set off the fireworks, and i, your senior brother, will charge in and slay them¡­ no, i mean protect you!"


    bai zisheng was still thinking about fighting.


    mo hua was somewhat exasperated.


    afterward, without saying anything more, mo hua concealed his form and quietly sneaked into corpse walking stronghold.


    before entering corpse walking stronghold, he released his divine sense to ascertain the positions of several cultivators at the gate, then quietly avoided them and slipped inside.


    then he found a hidden place and pushed his divine sense to the limit.


    each time he only released it briefly, then quickly withdrew it.


    like a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving no trace.


    after the time it took to brew a cup of tea, he released his divine sense again.


    after probing with his divine sense three or four times without noticing anything unusual, mo hua finally let out a slight sigh of relief.


    it seemed there were no foundation establishment cultivators in corpse walking stronghold.


    or even if there were, their divine sense was not strong enough to detect mo hua¡¯s surveillance.


    mo hua felt much more at ease.


    he began to scrutinize the layout of corpse walking stronghold and the cultivators within.


    the corpse walking stronghold was built against a mountain, its layout simple, with constructed wooden houses and carved out caves.


    what wasn¡¯t simple, was the dense corpse qi and the numerous deathly auras.


    with just a light scan, mo hua could detect many coffins.


    most of these coffins were wooden, but there were a few that had an even heavier presence of corpse qi, crafted from refined iron and preserved with evil formations ¨C iron coffins.


    the corpses harbored within were likely the stronger iron corpses.


    in the entire stronghold, there were more dead people than living ones.


    of the living cultivators, not all of them seemed to be corpse cultivators.


    those who could control corpses were few, donned in gray robes, with pallid skin.


    the rest looked more like bandits.


    mo hua was surprised by this discovery.


    beyond this, there were the formations.


    as expected, there were numerous formations laid out around corpse walking stronghold.


    the standards of these formations were mostly below the first grade, ranging from seven to eight patterns, with the most complex having up to nine patterns.


    after dismantling a few formations and examining them closely, mo hua suddenly paused in shock.


    he recognized the style of these formation patterns.


    neat and meticulous, yet somewhat rigid.


    when he was learning about formation patterns at tongxian gate, it was with such patterns as the template.


    these were...formation patterns drawn by instructor yan...

 Chapter 447: Instructor Yan (1)

    "instructor yan is... drawing formations for the corpse walking stronghold?"mo hua¡¯s little face became anxious.


    could instructor yan have gone bad?


    he wanted to find out, so he released his divine sense to see if anyone inside the corpse walking stronghold was drawing formations.


    as his majestic divine sense unfolded, the outline of the corpse walking stronghold dissolved.


    within this expanse of void, pale blue, pale white, and dark gray auras intertwined and flourished.


    this was the true form of spiritual energy beneath the surface appearances of the world.


    or perhaps, just a deeper layer of surface appearances.


    mo hua steadied his breath and concentrated, searching through each room, scrutinizing each cultivator.


    after the time it took to brew a cup of tea, he finally made a discovery.


    in a secluded and cramped room, a cultivator resided alone, at the qi refining ninth level, sitting at a desk, focused on drawing a formation.


    from the tip of his brush, neat formation patterns emerged one after another, and the formation beneath gradually took shape.


    it seemed to be a spirit gathering array.


    while mo hua was spying on him with his divine sense,


    the cultivator felt something, paused his brush, looked around, then revealed a puzzled expression.


    "someone?"


    "no, this is the corpse walking stronghold. there can¡¯t be outsiders..."


    "but..."


    he furrowed his brows.


    he had indeed sensed a faint breath just now.


    this breath was very familiar, like that of an old friend, but upon close inspection, it had vanished without a trace.


    "perhaps it¡¯s just my imagination..."


    he shook his head as if reminded of something, sighed softly, and then continued to draw the formation.


    mo hua opened his eyes.


    it was the aura of instructor yan!


    he pondered for a moment, then hid his figure, employed his movement technique, and stealthily hopped to the roof of a building. he lay prone and poked out his little head to look inside.


    the interior of the cramped room was simply furnished, equipped with only a bed, a desk, and a chair.


    apart from that were formation books and formation diagrams, as well as other miscellaneous items related to formation drawing.


    someone inside was drawing a formation, dressed plainly, with a straight posture.


    he looked serious and tired, but his eyes were determined.


    it was instructor yan, whom mo hua recognized so well!


    mo hua felt a slight excitement in his heart.


    ever since instructor yan left tongxian city, mo hua had not seen him.


    instructor yan had enlightened mo hua in formations, and occasionally, mo hua worried about him.


    he wondered how instructor yan was doing, whether his path in cultivation was going smoothly, whether his formation skills had improved, and whether he had found a tao companion...


    later, upon arriving in south yue city, when mo hua heard that instructor yan had gone missing in the mines, he had been somewhat anxious.


    now that he saw instructor yan safe and sound, mo hua was relieved.


    mo hua thought for a while, decided not to rush out to meet instructor yan suddenly, but instead to observe and see what exactly instructor yan was up to.


    as time passes, hearts can change.


    mo hua was not sure if the current instructor yan was still the same person he knew before.


    whether he had really helped the corpse walking stronghold do evil deeds.


    mo hua calmed down and watched attentively with a stern little face.


    instructor yan continued to draw the formation, with a meticulous and serious attitude, unaware that his former student was "peeping" at him.


    after finishing the formation, instructor yan then looked at some formation books, browsed through a few formation diagrams, and made some annotations.


    mo hua nodded slightly; this was how instructor yan had taught him in the past.


    to learn formations, one must be diligent.


    one should read a lot, learn a lot, think a lot, and also record a lot.


    after a while, instructor yan was interrupted by someone while reading his formation books.


    a corpse cultivator clad in gray with a deathly pale complexion knocked on instructor yan¡¯s door.


    "mr. yan."


    instructor yan frowned and showed displeasure; he did not like being disturbed while studying formations, but he still got up, opened the door, and said indifferently,


    "what¡¯s the matter?"


    the corpse cultivator said, "the formation on the west side of the stronghold is broken..."


    mo hua knew about this because he had deliberately caused the damage!


    instructor yan furrowed his brow, "broken?"


    the corpse cultivator bowed and said, "please ask mr. yan to have a look."


    though the corpse cultivator said "please," his expression was indifferent, without the attitude of a request and seemingly not giving instructor yan the option to refuse.


    instructor yan nodded, "wait a moment."


    then he went back inside, picked a few brushes, chose several bottles of ink, and found a formation diagram, putting them all into his storage bag, before saying to the corpse cultivator,


    "let¡¯s go."


    the corpse cultivator led instructor yan out of the room.


    before leaving, instructor yan locked the room and activated a formation.


    it seemed that he did not want others to enter this room.


    but no formation could prevent mo hua from entering.


    after instructor yan left, mo hua quietly disabled the room¡¯s formation and gently tiptoed down from the roof into the room.


    he did not touch anything, only scanning the room to judge what formations instructor yan had been drawing based on the aura and types of formation patterns.


    most of the formations in the room were five elements formations.


    mo hua was very familiar with the five elements formations, so he could recognize them at a glance. s~ea??h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they were standard and orthodox formations, not evil formations.


    besides, there were a few rare formations that were not difficult either.


    a few formation diagrams were on the table, showing signs of being looked through frequently.


    these formation diagrams were for the melting fire formation, earth stone formation, and other formations consistently used in the formation master grading assessments.


    it seemed that instructor yan was still working hard to become a first-grade formation master.


    after looking at a few formation diagrams drawn by instructor yan, mo hua nodded subtly, initially judging that instructor yan had reached the standard of a first-grade formation master.


    unfortunately, his exploration was not broad enough.


    if the formation used in the assessment were more obscure and tricky, the difficulty of grading would be quite high.


    it would then depend on a bit of luck, or rather, fate.


    besides, there were no ultimate formations, nor any evil formations.


    mo hua was both somewhat disappointed and very relieved.


    disappointed that there was no clue to the ultimate formation.


    relieved that instructor yan had not mastered the ultimate formation, nor had he become a confederate of evil by painting evil formations for the corpse cultivators in the corpse walking stronghold to help them with corpse refinement and corpse-raising.


    mo hua guessed that instructor yan had probably just been kidnapped.


    because of his identity as a formation master, he had preserved his life; yet due to that same identity, he was coerced by the corpse cultivators and had no choice but to join the corpse stronghold, painting various formations for their camp¡¯s construction.


    after all, no matter where, formation masters are rare talents in the world of tao cultivation.


    that was even more the case for someone like instructor yan, who had a level of competency near that of a first-grade formation master.


    but this was just his own speculation. to know for certain, he would have to ask.


    mo hua then found a stool, sat in a corner, concealed his presence, and quietly waited for instructor yan to return.


    an hour later, instructor yan came back.


    the corpse cultivator had escorted instructor yan all the way to the door, watched as instructor yan entered the house, and then turned to leave.


    after entering the house, instructor yan sighed and continued over to the table to read more formation books.


    while reading, instructor yan muttered to himself:


    "how could a formation just break?"


    suddenly, he had a startled expression, feeling that something was amiss.


    a formation could not just break for no reason.


    then instructor yan was shocked, his pupils contracted slightly.


    it seemed that someone had been in his room!


    he immediately stood up and swept the room with his divine sense, but found nothing.


    though the desk, chairs, and books seemed untouched, he had a strong intuition that someone had been in there, going through something.


    who could it be?!


    and for what reason?


    instructor yan¡¯s brows knit tightly, his expression grave.


    just then, a small hand gently patted instructor yan¡¯s shoulder.


    a chill ran down instructor yan¡¯s spine, his scalp tingling.


    was there someone in the room?


    and was that person standing right behind him at this very moment?!


    while instructor yan was in turmoil, a crisp voice asked by his ear:


    "instructor yan, why are you acting like a thief?"


    the voice was that of a child, crisp and pleasant to hear.


    moreover, it was extremely familiar¡­


    instructor yan whirled around, his mouth agape, and it took him a moment before he could speak:


    "mo¡­ mo hua?!"


    mo hua smiled brightly, "instructor yan, it¡¯s been a long time."


    instructor yan was completely stunned.


    he blinked, looking at mo hua.


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    mo hua still looked the way he remembered¡ªdelicate and cute, with clear eyes. he had just grown a few years older and a bit taller.


    beyond the sparkling eyes, there was something unfathomable, like a deep and lustrous jade stone.


    instructor yan blinked again and looked at mo hua, then said with sudden realization:


    "i must be dreaming¡­"


    old people often like to reminisce.


    it seems he had recalled the events in tongxian city, along with mo hua, the child¡­


    instructor yan relaxed somewhat, his expression somewhat wistful.


    mo hua was somewhat speechless, yet also somewhat helpless as he said:


    "instructor yan, it¡¯s me. i came to find you."


    instructor yan was momentarily stunned.


    as far as dreams go¡­


    that voice was strangely clear.


    the expression on mo hua¡¯s face was also too vivid.


    he focused his gaze, as though he could see mo hua¡¯s exquisite little face.


    instructor yan looked up again, saw the dim mountains, an overall chill, but there was indeed a sun hanging high in between the cliffs.


    in broad daylight, how could one have dreams?


    instructor yan was startled and then with trembling hands, gently touched mo hua¡¯s shoulder, incredulously asking:


    "is it¡­ really mo hua?"


    instructor yan¡¯s voice was trembling slightly, and the corners of his eyes were moist.


    he had not expected that in his lifetime, he would really be able to see mo hua, his student, once again¡­


    mo hua, somewhat moved, nodded and said:


    "it¡¯s me!"


    instructor yan suddenly became stern and he asked with concern:


    "but how did you¡­ how did you get here?"


    "i came to find you."


    instructor yan was taken aback, "to find me?"


    mo hua replied, "not just you, i¡¯m also looking for zhang quan, the zombies, and¡­ a formation."


    instructor yan listened, confused, and then remembering something, his gaze shook:


    "you¡¯re also searching for... the spiritual pivot formation?"


    mo hua nodded, confirming his thoughts.


    it appeared that the formation on the zombie was indeed the treasured spiritual pivot formation of the minor hidden spirit sect, inherited from the ultimate formation of the great hidden spirit sect over a thousand years ago:


    the spiritual pivot formation!

 Chapter 448: Spiritual Pivot Formation (1)

    "instructor yan, what exactly is the spirit pivot formation?"mo hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    just as instructor yan was about to answer, he suddenly paused, "how do you know about the spirit pivot formation?"


    instructor yan was somewhat surprised.


    the spirit pivot formation chart was supposed to be the ultimate technique of the minor hidden spirit sect. how did mo hua come to know of it?


    "manager mo told me!"


    mo hua immediately sold out manager mo.


    instructor yan¡¯s mouth twitched.


    he made a mental note of manager mo¡¯s indiscretion.


    this plump junior brother was so loose-lipped, he actually spilled such important information to mo hua.


    "instructor yan, can you tell me?"


    mo hua¡¯s face was filled with anticipation, her big eyes twinkling.


    instructor yan didn¡¯t want to speak, but looking into mo hua¡¯s eyes, he couldn¡¯t refuse. he hesitated for a moment and then heaved a deep sigh.


    the minor hidden spirit sect had already perished; keeping these things secret was meaningless now.


    "alright," instructor yan nodded as he looked at mo hua and began to speak about the origins of the spirit pivot formation:


    "when i was studying in the sect, i was highly regarded by my master. through casual conversations, i also heard some stories and secrets of the past..."


    "the legacy of the minor hidden spirit sect was inherited from the ancient great hidden spirit sect."


    "most of the legacies within the sect are incomplete remnants from the predecessors, so it¡¯s not rare to have only bits and pieces of them..."


    "only this spirit pivot formation, it¡¯s extremely profound and exceptionally difficult to grasp. it¡¯s truly a formation that could be used as a sect-protecting technique."


    "however, this spirit pivot formation is too mysterious, too difficult to comprehend. for hundreds of years, not a single cultivator of the minor hidden spirit sect has been able to penetrate the mysteries of this formation."


    instructor yan sighed, "first-grade formations end at nine patterns, but this spirit pivot formation actually has twelve..."


    "twelve patterns in divine sense, ah, only achievable by foundation establishment, and impossible without being a second rank formation master!"


    mo hua, who was at the eighth level of qi refinement with twelve patterns in her divine sense, silently didn¡¯t speak.


    after thinking for a while, mo hua asked again:


    "did the minor hidden spirit sect ever have a second rank formation master?"


    "yes," instructor yan nodded, "two hundred years ago, there was an ancestral master, at the mid foundation establishment stage, who had attained the proficiency of second grade initial stage in formation methods."


    "did he not learn the spirit pivot formation either?"


    instructor yan shook his head with regret: "no."


    mo hua frowned slightly, confused:


    "a mid foundation establishment cultivator should have around fourteen patterns in their divine sense, right? with that, he still wasn¡¯t able to learn the spirit pivot formation? is it so hard to learn?"


    "it¡¯s not that simple..."


    instructor yan organized his thoughts, explaining to mo hua:


    "for a formation master, divine sense is a threshold, a reliance, but that¡¯s all it is."


    "without enough divine sense, one cannot learn a formation."


    "with divine sense, you only have the qualification to learn a formation, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can certainly master it."


    "you have to study more, practice more, think more, and comprehend more..."


    "if you¡¯re not diligent, no matter how good your natural gift for divine sense, you¡¯ll just be squandering time, wasting your talent, unable to become an extraordinary formation master." s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua nodded.


    mr. zhuang had taught her the same.


    instructor yan¡¯s gaze became intense as he continued with a sigh:


    "and the spirit pivot formation is a type that, even if one¡¯s divine sense is sufficient, is extremely hard to comprehend..."


    mo hua said, "is it because it involves understanding the heavenly dao and the origin of spiritual power?"


    instructor yan looked surprised and nodded:


    "correct."


    then, he became reflective:


    "mr. zhuang truly is a remarkable man. mo hua, at such a young age, you already know about these deep levels of understanding in formation techniques."


    it seems that his choice back then was not wrong; otherwise, he would have really wasted such a talented formation sapling.


    mo hua then asked, "so that second rank ancestral master of the minor hidden spirit sect, did he fail to learn the spirit pivot formation because he couldn¡¯t grasp the great dao origin of the formation?"


    instructor yan nodded with a bitter expression:


    "yes, the ancestral master probably knew what the origin of the spirit pivot formation was, but he just couldn¡¯t comprehend it, much less draw out the formation..."


    "sometimes, even if he managed to draw it, it would be merely an empty shell without spirit; utterly ineffective."


    mo hua nodded in understanding.


    when she first learned the thick earth formation, she didn¡¯t know she needed to connect with the taoist meaning of the earth. the formation she drew only had the physical patterns but lacked the original effect of the formation technique.


    it was like a pattern that had lost its soul.


    "then what effect does this spirit pivot formation really have?" mo hua asked curiously.


    instructor yan said, "the specifics, since no one within the sect had mastered it, i¡¯m not quite clear on them..."


    "but according to the ancestral master¡¯s deductions of the sect, at the core of this formation method should be the word ¡¯control¡¯."


    "control?"


    instructor yan nodded, "control of spiritual power."


    mo hua thought of zhang quan, who controlled corpses.


    it seemed her guess was correct; zhang quan was first refining corpses, then using the spirit pivot formation to increase the number of corpses he could control.


    however...


    "this... doesn¡¯t seem that impressive," mo hua said weakly.


    it was merely the effect of controlling spiritual power.


    zhang quan used it to refine corpses, and although the numbers of zombies he could control were significant and dangerous, it still wasn¡¯t something particularly fearsome.


    if it really came to a fight, there were still many methods that could be used to counter it.


    "no," instructor yan said with a grave expression, "the spirit pivot formation is actually very powerful."


    mo hua was taken aback.


    instructor yan explained to mo hua:


    "controlling spiritual power is extremely important. controlling corpses is just a minor application."


    "in other aspects of taoist cultivation, from small wood and stone puppets to large mechanical beasts, and even giant taoist soldiers, formations like the spirit pivot formation are needed for central control."


    "ordinary formations do not have such a strong effect on controlling spiritual power."


    "for an individual cultivator, the effect may not be obvious, but the more cultivators there are, the larger the power, the deeper the schemes, and the more massive the mechanisms, artifacts, and cultivation engineering involved, the more crucial the spirit pivot formation becomes!"


    upon hearing this, mo hua was shocked.


    it seemed she had underestimated its importance.


    the cultivation world is vast with extensive territories; there are indeed many aspects of cultivation knowledge that she had not yet understood.


    the spirit pivot formation was actually so formidable...


    "instructor yan, do you know about zhang quan?" mo hua couldn¡¯t help asking.


    instructor yan¡¯s expression turned solemn, "you¡¯ve seen him?"


    "mhm." mo hua nodded.


    instructor yan frowned, "this person is treacherous and ruthless; it¡¯s best not to have conflicts with him."


    mo hua whispered:


    "it¡¯s too late for that; now he probably dreams of killing me..."


    instructor yan¡¯s mouth fell open, "you... what have you done to him?"


    mo hua thought for a moment and said, "it seems like not much, mainly because his mind is narrow, and he tends to hold grudges."


    all i wanted was to catch him, but i failed, to snatch his bell, but didn¡¯t get it, and in the end, i only snatched away a few zombies.


    and that was with the help of my senior brothers and sisters.


    who would have thought zhang quan would only target the weak and not hold a grudge against his senior brothers and sisters, focusing his resentment solely on me.


    mo hua muttered to himself.


    instructor yan didn¡¯t know what to say.


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    zhang quan was a foundation establishment cultivator, and a corpse cultivator to boot, having dealt with corpses all the time, his hands stained with countless lives.


    and now he bore a grudge against mo hua...


    instructor yan was filled with worry.


    mo hua then whispered, "instructor yan, is the spirit pivot formation stored on zhang quan¡¯s body?"


    instructor yan was slightly startled and slowly nodded, "i had assumed so as well¡­"


    mo hua nodded and seemed to remember something else. he asked, "instructor yan, how did you end up at the corpse walking stronghold?"


    instructor yan looked melancholic, pondered for a moment, and still spoke slowly,


    "two years ago, i went to south yue city, seeking that traitorous deserter who dishonored our sect..."


    "but there was no trace of that traitor in south yue city."


    "i concealed my identity, sought for a long time with no news; just when i was about to leave, i noticed something strange about the mine. thinking the traitor might be causing trouble, i rented a room near the mine, intending to investigate."


    "one night, i heard some noise, went out quietly, and after some trouble, discovered several cultivators transporting coffins near the mine..."


    "i was very cautious, but never expected there to be foundation building cultivators among them."


    "was it that zhang quan?" asked mo hua.


    "hmm," instructor yan nodded, then said with some embarrassment, "i focused solely on studying formations, so my taoist skills aren¡¯t polished. i was no match for them, had no hope of escape, and thus fell into their hands."


    "zhang quan searched through my storage bag, saw that i was a formation master, and made me work for them."


    "i didn¡¯t want to help a tyrant, but with deep hatred for my sect to avenge, i had no choice but to..."


    instructor yan¡¯s face showed shame, "... to compromise and survive, i joined this corpse stronghold and started drawing formations for them."


    mo hua asked, "then have you seen the spirit pivot formation chart on zhang quan¡¯s body?"


    instructor yan said helplessly, "i haven¡¯t seen it..."


    "i suspect that the zombies he refined were marked with spirit pivot formations, but zhang quan never let me draw formations for the zombies, nor allowed me to come into contact with those walking corpses..."


    mo hua said, "is he afraid of exposing some secret?"


    instructor yan nodded, "very likely."


    mo hua rested his little chin in his hand, contemplating for a while.


    this zhang quan harbored plenty of secrets; i must find a way to uncover them.


    the spirit pivot formation chart is crucial; i must find a way to obtain it.


    this corpse walking stronghold, with its killing and corpse refining, must also be dealt with.


    mo hua planned what he needs to do next, and then said,


    "instructor yan, stay a few more days. in a few days, i¡¯ll get you out of here."


    instructor yan was astonished, "how are you going to do that?"


    this place is the corpse walking stronghold, with bandits, corpse cultivators, walking corpses and iron corpses, and foundation establishment phase zhang quan may return at any moment.


    "don¡¯t worry," mo hua assured.


    he wanted to take instructor yan out of there right then.


    the corpse walking stronghold was, after all, no good place.


    but he had sneaked in while invisible, and didn¡¯t yet possess the strength to strike down all his enemies, even with the protection of his junior brothers and sisters. during a fight, he couldn¡¯t ensure instructor yan¡¯s safety.


    it was better to take the long view, to prepare thoroughly before acting.


    with the identity of a formation master, those corpse cultivators probably wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for instructor yan.


    having decided on his plan, mo hua remembered something else and said with earnest concern to instructor yan,


    "instructor, the minor hidden spirit sect is gone; you shouldn¡¯t be fixated on revenge. think more of yourself, live well, find a partner, and start a family..."


    "what you just said..." instructor yan frowned, "why does it sound so familiar to me?"


    mo hua said crisply, "manager mo asked me to tell you this."


    instructor yan¡¯s expression was complex as his mind added another tally against manager mo.


    it wasn¡¯t enough for him to nag; he had to get mo hua to do it too.


    later on, he would settle accounts with him slowly.


    after mo hua gave more instructions, he took his leave, "instructor yan, i¡¯m going back now. i¡¯ll come find you again in a few days."


    mo hua¡¯s tone was light and casual, leaving instructor yan feeling bewildered.


    it was as if this place wasn¡¯t the corpse walking stronghold, but an inn in south yue city, where mo hua would come visit again in a few days...


    and then, in front of instructor yan, mo hua disappeared from sight.


    instructor yan¡¯s pupils contracted.


    although he had anticipated it, knowing that mo hua had a way to stay hidden, he was still taken aback.


    mo hua had arrived without his notice, and left without a trace.


    this method of concealment was remarkably clever.


    who taught him?


    mr. zhuang perhaps...


    instructor yan stood quietly for a moment, then suddenly startled as he recalled a question:


    what did mo hua want with the spirit pivot formation chart?


    mo hua always had many questions, continuously asking them when at tongxian gate.


    as an instructor, instructor yan habitually answered them for mo hua.


    so whatever mo hua asked, he answered.


    but now, he suddenly realized.


    why had mo hua gone to such lengths to find this formation chart?


    an unbelievable thought suddenly crossed his mind.


    that child mo hua wasn¡¯t really planning to learn it, was he?


    impossible...


    a first-grade twelve-pattern, requiring divine sense...


    instructor yan froze.


    he realized that mo hua had entered the room completely undetected by his divine sense, and had left noiselessly.


    moreover, his presence was obscure and unfathomable.


    this was a sign of powerful divine sense.


    could it be...


    instructor yan looked at the empty room, towards the place where mo hua just disappeared, and felt a sudden tremor in his heart.


    "the spirit pivot formation..."


    instructor yan murmured, a flicker of hope glowing in his eyes.


    he, too, wanted to see if anyone could truly master this first-grade twelve-pattern spirit pivot formation method, the ultimate technique of the minor hidden spirit sect, that for hundreds of years, no one had managed to comprehend!

 Chapter 449: Behind the Scenes (1)

    mo hua followed the roof, avoiding the corpse cultivators, left the gate of the corpse walking stronghold, went under a large rock, and met up with bai zisheng and bai zixi.bai zisheng asked, "why did it take you so long?"


    mo hua chuckled and said, "i found instructor yan!"


    "instructor yan is alright, isn¡¯t he?" continue your adventure with empire


    "yes," mo hua nodded, "we¡¯ll rescue instructor yan in a few days."


    bai zisheng looked perplexed, "why wait a few days? just rescue now. i¡¯ll rush in and slaughter all those corpse cultivators!"


    mo hua was indifferent, "sure, then you go."


    bai zisheng paused, then scratched his head and said:


    "forget it. you¡¯re craftier. let¡¯s follow your plan."


    mo hua was displeased, "you¡¯re the one full of crafty ideas."


    bai zisheng muttered to himself:


    "i wish i could have more crafty ideas. sadly, my nature is too upright to think of such things."


    mo hua murmured softly, "i think you¡¯re just dull¡­"


    bai zisheng ruffled mo hua¡¯s hair, "you dare call your senior brother dull again?"


    ...


    the two bickered and argued incessantly.


    bai zixi picked up a stick and knocked each of their heads once, "focus on the matter at hand!"


    "oh."


    the two quickly complied.


    and so, the trio began to discuss what to do next.


    bai zisheng thought for a while and then said:


    "we set up an ambush on the inevitable path, then capture zhang quan. with no leader, the corpse walking stronghold will be in chaos, and we can take the opportunity to wipe it out¡­"


    just as mo hua was about to nod, something suddenly occurred to him, and he shook his head and said:


    "no, that won¡¯t work."


    "why not?" asked bai zisheng, puzzled.


    mo hua pondered, "behind zhang quan, there must be someone else."


    "who?"


    "the person drawing formations for him."


    mo hua¡¯s expression grew serious, "the formation diagrams instructor yan drew for the corpse walking stronghold were standard five elements formations, and they were all for architectural purposes."


    "but the ones used for corpse refinement are completely different evil formations."


    "zhang quan cannot draw such formations, and from what i¡¯ve seen, it seems that no one else in the stronghold can, either."


    "at least from the corpse cultivators i¡¯ve seen, none can produce such formations."


    "moreover, these are the spiritual pivot formations of the minor hidden spirit sect, which are not something ordinary formation masters can produce."


    "without figuring out who this person is, killing zhang quan and razing the black mountain stronghold won¡¯t solve anything."


    "formations are the key, as long as this person knows about formations, they will continue to kill people, buy corpses, refine corpses¡­"


    "and," mo hua paused, then sighed, adding:


    "this ultimate formation is an inheritance of instructor yan¡¯s sect, and i don¡¯t want any cultivator to use it for evil¡­"


    bai zisheng nodded and said, "alright, i¡¯ll listen to you."


    bai zixi also slightly nodded and asked mo hua:


    "have you figured out what to do?"


    "yes," mo hua nodded, then said:


    "we¡¯ll let zhang quan return to the corpse walking stronghold, then we¡¯ll spy on him to see who he meets with, who is helping him with formations¡­"


    "after clarifying these matters, we¡¯ll inform sister situ and join forces with the taoist court to take down the corpse walking stronghold."


    "then capture zhang quan, take his corpse controlling bell, and restore the spirit pivot formation chart."


    "and best of all, we¡¯ll drag out the cultivator behind him as well¡­"


    "eliminate the root to prevent future troubles¡­"


    ...


    mo hua explained everything systematically.


    bai zisheng nodded his agreement but still expressed his concern:


    "it probably won¡¯t go that smoothly¡­"


    "master always said to plan ahead and prepare for the unexpected, but plans can¡¯t keep up with changes. we¡¯ll have to adapt accordingly when the time comes," mo hua said.


    "alright!"


    after the discussion, the three of them began to act according to their plan.


    the first step was to wait for zhang quan to return to the stronghold.


    but this first step met with some unexpected trouble.


    zhang quan seemed overly cautious¡­


    he was still wandering around the desolate mountains, crawling into caves, hiding in the forest, setting traps, fighting a battle of wits with the air. he stubbornly refused to return to the stronghold.


    zhang quan thought he was being thorough, but he didn¡¯t know that all his actions were being observed by mo hua.


    mo hua was puzzled by his behavior.


    did he really need to be this cautious¡­


    and it seemed like he could keep this up indefinitely.


    mo hua was finding it exhausting just watching.


    even someone as patient as mo hua was starting to run out of patience.


    so the three of them agreed to split up and proceed separately.


    mo hua went back to the corpse walking stronghold first, to get a clear picture of the internal layout and map out the architectural formation, and also to chat with instructor yan to see if anything had been overlooked.


    bai zixi stayed outside the stronghold to back up mo hua.


    bai zisheng went to find situ fang to discuss manpower arrangements in advance, to prepare for the extermination of the corpse walking stronghold.


    it took a full five days before zhang quan returned to the stronghold.


    he looked haggard and worn out, but inside, he felt a great weight lifted.


    after an intellectual struggle with an invisible, and actually nonexistent, pursuer, zhang quan expended a lot of wit and tricks and finally confirmed that he had shaken off mo hua¡¯s tracking. only then did he dare to return confidently to his den of corpse refinement.


    occasionally, he still felt a subtle sensation.


    as if something, like a bone-clinging maggot, was sticking to him.


    but after spending so much time and employing so many measures, even if there was something following him, it should have been thrown off by now.


    zhang quan sneered to himself.


    having lived for so many years, his experience in tao cultivation far exceeded that of the greenhorn he was dealing with.


    that little ghost skilled in concealment would never be able to trace my steps again!


    zhang quan felt greatly relieved, filled with joy, and with big strides, he returned to his secret, unknown to others, and unspeakable corpse walking stronghold.


    at this time, mo hua had already been waiting for him at his old home for a long time.


    seeing zhang quan enter, mo hua felt even happier than zhang quan did.


    staying in the corpse walking stronghold these past few days, mo hua hid himself well, nearly having figured out everything about the stronghold, and he was starting to get bored, looking for things to do.


    he even counted how many coffins there were in the stronghold...


    zhang quan swaggered through the entrance of corpse walking stronghold.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes lit up as he executed the water passing step, lightly leaping across rooftops, and then entered the deepest room. he climbed up onto the beam, sat cross-legged, and waited patiently.


    this room was spacious, concealed, and the formations were complete, and it was filled with everything related to corpse refinement.


    he guessed this was zhang quan¡¯s secret chamber.


    as expected, after a while, zhang quan walked into the room, right beneath where mo hua was perched.


    mo hua hid himself, even drawing a concealment formation nearby in advance.


    zhang quan was completely unaware.


    the room was silent; on the surface, it seemed that only zhang quan was present.


    zhang quan let out a long sigh of relief, then burned incense and bathed, changed into a respectable set of clothes, sat in meditation to regulate his breathing for a while before corpse cultivators came one after another to report the situation of the stronghold to him.


    the corpse cultivators reported respectfully; zhang quan sat elevated, listening intently, while mo hua, sitting above his head, pricked up his ears to eavesdrop.


    most of the things reported by the corpse cultivators were minor affairs of the stronghold.


    that month, they robbed several traveling merchants, killed a few cultivators, bought a few corpses...


    they refined several walking corpses, succeeded with a few, failed with several;


    spent many spirit stones, consumed numerous materials;


    which corpse refinement materials were running low and needed restocking, which zombies had lost control and needed to be dealt with, and so on...


    these were all scattered details.


    listening from above, mo hua gradually understood the operation and procedures of corpse walking stronghold.


    the stronghold had bandits, had corpse cultivators.


    ordinary bandits that dared to kill people, were willing to kill people, and had killed before, could join corpse walking stronghold.


    but entering corpse walking stronghold did not guarantee being taught the ways of corpse refinement.


    one had to go through an assessment, endure some seniority, and gain zhang quan¡¯s trust, to become a legit corpse cultivator.


    corpse cultivators were those who refined corpses and controlled corpses, the corpse path demon cultivators.


    corpse cultivators refining corpses required cultivator corpses.


    the sources of corpses were several.


    one was through robbery and murder.


    the cultivators within the stronghold, before joining, were either sin cultivators or bandits, accustomed to robbing and murdering.


    but this "loot" included not just spirit stones and spiritual artifacts, but also the bodies of cultivators.


    the bandits of corpse walking stronghold would kill people, then bring the corpses back to be used for corpse refinement.


    the second was to buy.


    employing people like wang lai to kill mining cultivators, buying corpses.


    or to purchase them from tomb raiders who dug up graves. sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    of course, the main source was still the mining cultivators.


    after all, there were many mines in south yue city and numerous mining cultivators, and in their eyes, mining cultivators¡¯ lives were cheap, not worth much spirit stones.


    after buying the corpses, came corpse refinement.


    mo hua had taken a cursory look at this before.


    the means of corpse refinement, indeed as sister situ said, required herbs, corpse raising coffins, corpse controlling bells, etc.


    but the specific techniques became somewhat complicated.


    which herbs to use, in what proportions, to boil into a foul-smelling medicinal juice.


    then, to soak the corpse in the medicinal juice.


    after enough soaking time, place it into a corpse raising coffin for refinement.


    during corpse refinement, corpse cultivators would walk back and forth around the coffin every day, while walking, shaking the corpse controlling bronze bell.


    this process had numerous steps, but the division of labor was clear.


    just like the herbs in alchemy, the refined iron in artifact refining, the corpse cultivators of corpse walking stronghold saw corpses as a "material" for refining, not as people.


    their expressions were cold and numb, as if it were perfectly natural.


    mo hua frowned as he watched.


    he even thought of directly drawing some reversed spirit formations, to collapse the corpse walking stronghold altogether.


    but upon reflection, he held back.


    impatience could ruin grand plans; he could not act impulsively.


    the corps cultivators of corpse walking stronghold, continued to report the minor matters of the stronghold, but did not touch on the formations related to corpse refinement.


    mo hua listened for several days without any clue, until after three days, he overheard something.


    a corpse cultivator, in a low voice, asked zhang quan,


    "householder, shall we send the corpses?"


    hearing this, mo hua was intrigued.


    send corpses?


    what corpses? where to? why send them?


    could it be... for formation painting?


    mo hua remembered that in corpse walking stronghold, some of the newly refined walking corpses had no formations on the heart meridian.


    since there were none, then they must be painted.


    send corpses... that means it¡¯s not that he himself would paint them, nor that they would be painted within corpse walking stronghold, but instead they were sent out for someone else, for someone else to help him paint?


    mo hua strained his attention, very curious to know exactly where these corpses were being sent, to whom, and who would help zhang quan with the formation painting?


    but zhang quan just shook his head, "no."


    that corpse cultivator looked a bit startled before hesitatingly saying,


    "if we don¡¯t send them soon, it might be too late. those zombies... can¡¯t be controlled..."


    zhang quan¡¯s gaze turned cold, "if they can¡¯t be controlled, then dispose of them, feed them to other zombies. do i need to teach you this?"


    that corpse cultivator quickly bowed his head and said, "yes."


    after the corpse cultivator stepped down, zhang quan huffed coldly and began to meditate.


    mo hua, however, frowned slightly.


    this zhang quan, he seemed not very cooperative.

 Chapter 450: Discovery (1)

    zhang quan guessed that he had been targeted, so to be safe, he dared not rashly enter corpse stronghold, fearing that he might lead the wolf into his house.he dared not to "send corpses" either, fearing that it would reveal secrets.


    what he didn¡¯t know was the "wolf" had already entered the house and was watching him from his rooftop at this very moment.


    mo hua was crouching on the roof beam, frowning in thought, and still decided to give zhang quan another chance.


    if zhang quan were to send corpses during this time, he could live a bit longer.


    otherwise, mo hua would take action immediately.


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    report to the taoist court official, gather people, take down the corpse walking stronghold, capture zhang quan, send him to taoist prison, and interrogate him under torture, beat him severely, then kill him, to give an explanation to the mining cultivators who died at his hands, as well as the female cultivators from hundred flower tower!


    mo hua thought viciously.


    while zhang quan was talking to a corpse cultivator, he suddenly felt a chilling breeze behind him.


    he looked around, found nothing, and frowned.


    "householder, what¡¯s the matter?" asked that corpse cultivator.


    zhang quan was slightly distracted, shook his head, "it¡¯s nothing..."


    but in his heart, he remained extremely wary.


    it was as if a powerful divine sense was coldly staring at him.


    "it must be an illusion..."


    perhaps it was because he had been ducking and hiding lately, being jittery, that he was overly sensitive to such feelings.


    zhang quan consoled himself.


    seeing zhang quan¡¯s reaction, mo hua also felt a bit puzzled.


    he had only thought about killing zhang quan, and zhang quan had actually reacted?


    was zhang quan¡¯s mind too sharp, or could divine sense itself intimidate and instill fear in others?


    if divine sense became powerful enough, could it also directly condense into a force of slaughter?


    in mo hua¡¯s memory, he had never seen an example of cultivators killing with divine sense.


    the little green-faced ghost in the contemplation map could parasitize the sea of consciousness and consume the divine sense of others, which was akin to killing with divine sense.


    but that was because it was inherently a sinister and evil thought that could invade the sea of consciousness and harm another¡¯s divine sense.


    it seemed that ordinary cultivators could not employ this method...


    mo hua noted this doubt in his heart, planning to ask mr. zhuang when he had the time; for now, he still needed to keep an eye on zhang quan.


    however, in the following days, zhang quan was as cautious as ever, revealing not a single clue.


    mo hua was becoming impatient.


    just as he was considering whether to take action directly and take down the corpse walking stronghold or to wait and see if there were any other clues, zhang quan discovered the needle within his body.


    it was the compass child formation needle from the compass parent-child formation.


    mo hua had made it, inscribed the formation on it and given it to bai zisheng.


    bai zisheng, during his confrontation with zhang quan, had taken the opportunity to stab him with it.


    there were a total of three needles, one on clothes, one in hair, and one inside a wound.


    having found the first two, zhang quan had yet to discover the third.


    after consuming corpse blood pills and fighting repeatedly, escaping in tatters, zhang quan had suffered bruises all over.


    upon returning to the stronghold, preoccupied with many affairs, he could only rest briefly, slowing his recovery.


    one day, while cleaning his wounds, zhang quan suddenly sensed something was off. some meridians felt obstructed as if something was lodged in his flesh and blood.


    zhang quan took out his dagger, cut open the wound again, and from within the flesh, extracted a silver-white fine needle.


    watching him pluck out the needle, mo hua sighed silently.


    but zhang quan inhaled sharply in shock.


    how the fuck could there be another one??!


    when did this needle affair happen?


    zhang quan felt a chill in his heart, his expression astonished.


    "that little ghost, he wouldn¡¯t already know my location, would he?"


    or even worse, he hasn¡¯t already infiltrated corpse stronghold, has he?!


    zhang quan immediately stood up, his heart pounding with fear.


    the corpse stronghold had been discovered, and it was even possible that someone had covertly sneaked in!


    the little ghost had extremely clever methods of concealment.


    such unbelievable acts weren¡¯t impossible.


    zhang quan immediately shouted:


    "men!"


    a corpse cultivator strode in, bowing and said: "householder."


    zhang quan pointed at him, his voice trembling slightly:


    "martial law throughout the stronghold! then go search!"


    "every inch inside and out, i want you to search thoroughly, to see if anyone has sneaked in!"


    that corpse cultivator looked bewildered, "this..."


    zhang quan, anxious, kicked him, "get the fuck going!"


    only then did the corpse cultivator flusteredly respond: "yes." s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "wait."


    zhang quan called him back, then took out a wooden box, put the fine needle inside, handed the box to the corpse cultivator, and ordered:


    "find someone to get rid of this wooden box, cast it far away... no, throw it into the river, where the current is swift, let it be carried downstream..."


    "yes!" the corpse cultivator took the order and left.


    but in just a short while, the entire corpse walking stronghold erupted into noise.


    the corpse cultivator led the bandits to patrol and search.


    not a single room, coffin, or corner was overlooked.


    mo hua shook his head, feeling a bit of pity.


    he wasn¡¯t worried about zhang quan discovering him.


    not a single cultivator in the entire corpse stronghold could surpass mo hua in divine sense so naturally, they couldn¡¯t see through his stealth.


    moreover, corpse stronghold was a mountain stronghold with many buildings and formations within those buildings.


    in such a place with abundant formations, mo, who excelled at drawing and deciphering formations, thrived as easily as a fish swims in water, having an inherent advantage and not fearing their searches at all.


    mo hua was disappointed because, by startling the snake, zhang quan definitely wouldn¡¯t send corpses anymore.


    he would also be unable to find out who exactly was helping him with the corpse refinement drawing formation.


    additionally, with the stronghold on high alert and the corpse cultivators vigilant, taking down the stronghold would require more effort.


    mo hua frowned, calculating his next move.


    meanwhile, zhang quan was still fraught with paranoia.

 Chapter 451: Discovery 443 (2)

    even for a moment, he felt as if mo hua had not only infiltrated the corpse walking stronghold but even entered his secret chamber, currently hidden somewhere, silently observing him.zhang quan broke out in a cold sweat, shaking his head repeatedly.


    impossible!


    no matter how cunning that kid was, he couldn''t possibly be that outrageous.


    at most, he might have reached the outskirts of the stronghold¡­


    or perhaps, he only knew the general location and hadn''t had the time to follow...


    at this moment, zhang quan both hoped that the corpse cultivators would find traces of mo hua and hoped they wouldn''t.


    soon, a subordinate came to report, "householder, there are traces."


    zhang quan was startled, "what kind of traces?"


    "the formation seems to have been tampered with."


    "formation?!"


    zhang quan suddenly widened his eyes.


    that kid, indeed knew about formations!


    "quick, take me to see."


    zhang quan followed the corpse cultivator out the door.


    mo hua, hiding above a beam, touched his chin and pondered, "where have i left any traces?"


    mo hua remembered his actions had been quite clean this time.


    curious, he quietly followed to see for himself where he had slipped up so that he could pay attention to it next time, fix the oversight, and improve his technique.


    a noisy group from corpse walking stronghold was searching for mo hua.


    and mo hua was following not far behind zhang quan, stepping on the rooftops of corpse walking stronghold, all the way to a wall.


    there were indeed traces of alteration on the wall''s formation.


    mo hua looked at it and came to a realization.


    he had indeed solved the formation patterns here and had redrawn some, but he had been somewhat careless, omitting a few patterns. it wouldn''t be noticeable ordinarily, but upon closer inspection, it gave him away.


    mo hua took this to heart.


    formation work is precise; even the simplest formation must be done meticulously and cannot be treated carelessly.


    mo hua understood, but zhang quan did not.


    he frowned and said, "this¡­ what''s been tampered with?"


    the corpse cultivators looked at each other.


    how could they know?


    they were corpse cultivators, adepts in corpse refinement, not in formation painting¡­


    zhang quan cursed, "a bunch of good-for-nothings! call mr. yan to have a look."


    after a while, someone brought instructor yan over.


    instructor yan glanced at it and asked indifferently, "what''s wrong with this formation?"


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    zhang quan asked, "has someone tampered with it?"


    instructor yan nodded, "i saw that this formation was old, so i reinforced it."


    zhang quan frowned, "you drew it?"


    "yes," instructor yan nodded, then said, puzzled:


    "is there a problem with this formation?"


    this question stumped zhang quan.


    if he knew what was wrong with this formation, he wouldn''t have asked instructor yan.


    but his instincts still told him that there was something strange about this formation.


    at that moment, a corpse cultivator suddenly said, "if you claim it''s for reinforcement, why is this wall so easily damaged?"


    after speaking, he struck the wall with a slash, and an obvious cut appeared.


    this was because mo hua had solved the formation; the original formation was no longer effective, and the wall, without the formation''s reinforcement, was easily marked.


    instructor yan wasn''t flustered at all, but just glanced at the corpse cultivator lightly, "how can it take effect if i haven''t finished drawing?"


    the corpse cultivator was taken aback.


    instructor yan then pointed at the cut on the wall and said, "later, you fix this wall. make it look exactly how it was before the slash, otherwise, i won''t be able to draw the formation."


    the corpse cultivator, awkward and not knowing what to say.


    zhang quan glared fiercely at the corpse cultivator and said to instructor yan with a clasped fist:


    "my subordinate was rash, i apologize for the offense. please don''t take it to heart, mr. yan."


    instructor yan nodded slightly.


    zhang quan hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering slightly, before he asked:


    "mr. yan, do you think there could be someone sneaking into the stronghold?"


    instructor yan frowned, "how would they sneak in?"


    zhang quan was momentarily stunned, "this..."


    instructor yan said displeasedly: "both inside and outside the stronghold are covered by the formations i have laid. unless the formations are broken, not even a mosquito could fly in, let alone a cultivator."


    zhang quan said, "what if that person''s proficiency in formation is somewhat profound..."


    instructor yan''s expression turned solemn as he spoke coldly:


    "are you implying that i, yan, am not skilled enough? that my formations are inferior to someone else''s?"


    zhang quan gave an awkward smile, "why would you say that, sir..."


    instructor yan huffed disdainfully and said with arrogance:


    "not to boast, but although i am not yet recognized with an official assessment, my prowess is already that of a first-rank formation master. in south yue city, although there are cultivators with formation skills surpassing mine, it is utterly impossible for anyone to break my formations without making any noise!"


    after he finished speaking, he glanced at zhang quan, "householder, could it be that you look down upon me, yan?"


    the temperament of a formation master is indeed unbearably foul and rigid, and they are particularly difficult to offend.


    zhang quan grumbled to himself internally, but still politely said on the surface:


    "mr. yan is taking my words too seriously. i''m just preparing for every possibility."


    however, since instructor yan said as much, zhang quan also felt reassured.


    then he kicked the corpse cultivator with his foot, "apologize to mr. yan."


    the corpse cultivator could only bow and say, "please forgive me, mr. yan." sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    instructor yan''s countenance slightly cleared.


    seeing this, zhang quan then smiled and said, "sir, i would like to ask you a question."


    instructor yan nodded, "householder, please speak."


    zhang quan said, "suppose someone is adept at concealment and wants to infiltrate corpse walking stronghold, how should we defend against it?"


    instructor yan was inwardly startled, but his expression remained normal as he said casually:


    "such trivial concealing techniques are hardly worth mentioning."


    zhang quan''s face brightened, "please enlighten me, sir."


    instructor yan said, "the expose shadow formation would be best, for under it, no cultivator can hide, and all forms of concealment unravel themselves."


    "however, this expose shadow formation is quite challenging, and the stronghold doesn''t possess the necessary spiritual ink for it. moreover, it''s quite cumbersome to set up and hence not very feasible."


    "the best method would be to use the expose dust formation."


    "set it up at the stronghold''s main gate and around its periphery. any cultivator who sneaks in would reveal their tracks..."


    "excellent!" zhang quan praised, "you truly live up to your reputation, mr. yan."


    zhang quan had not heard of the expose shadow formation, but he was familiar with the expose dust formation.


    hundred flower tower had numerous expose dust formations deployed to prevent those with peculiar proclivities from spying on intimate affairs.


    zhang quan said, "may i ask if mr. yan could set up some expose dust formations around the stronghold?"


    instructor yan feigned ignorance:


    "set up expose dust formations to guard against whom?"


    zhang quan replied with a smile that wasn''t quite a smile, "that''s not something you need to worry about, sir."


    instructor yan showed slight displeasure, pondered for a moment, but made up his mind and slowly nodded:


    "since the householder has commanded, i shall naturally comply."


    zhang quan breathed a sigh of relief, showing a pleased expression:


    "then i''ll have to trouble you, mr. yan."


    instructor yan also gave a bow.


    having handled zhang quan, instructor yan also let out a slight sigh of relief.


    afterward, he looked at the formation on the wall, his expression becoming distant.


    this is... deciphering the formation, right?


    mo hua, this child, can even decipher formations?


    and looking at his technique, so effortless and obviously very proficient, he must have devoted great effort to this.


    instructor yan became somewhat dazed.


    the formation that he had painstakingly and sincerely painted was casually solved by this child...


    instructor yan shook his head, feeling both shocked and comforted, and couldn''t help murmuring to himself:


    "to what extent has mo hua''s skill in formations actually reached?"

 Chapter 452: Attack the Fort (1)

    instructor yan looked at mo hua''s formation with some shock in his heart.mo hua, on the other hand, was equally shocked as he looked at instructor yan.


    the forthright-faced instructor yan, when deceiving someone, didn''t even blink an eye. sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he not only lied and deceived zhang quan but also provided himself with cover, easing zhang quan''s concerns.


    indeed, one should never judge a book by its cover.


    mo hua realized he had underestimated instructor yan.


    but would instructor yan really help zhang quan set up the expose dust formation?


    mo hua was curious.


    inside the corpse walking stronghold, if the expose dust formation really were to be established, although he could still find a way to get in, it would become more troublesome.


    instructor yan left to prepare the "expose dust formation."


    mo hua followed him and realized everything with a glance.


    what instructor yan prepared was not the expose dust formation at all, but rather a relatively obscure, and also not very useful, earth series formation with five patterns.


    when this formation was activated, it would indeed raise some dust, but it had no effect on revealing or concealing anything.


    it looked similar but was actually nothing like it.


    it was because most cultivators in the corpse walking stronghold were "formation blind" that instructor yan dared to blatantly deceive them¡­


    mo hua''s young face turned serious, and he concluded in his mind:


    one must indeed read more, broaden one''s experiences, and learn more about tao cultivation knowledge.


    that way, one can blatantly deceive others, and they won''t even notice.


    otherwise, if one were to be fooled like an idiot, they wouldn''t even be aware of it.


    mo hua was a bit worried soon after.


    what instructor yan was doing was risky.


    if he was discovered and zhang quan became suspicious, or worse, held a grudge, instructor yan would have a hard time extricating himself and might even be in danger of losing his life.


    instructor yan was taking this risk to protect him¡­


    he needed to rescue instructor yan as soon as possible, then eliminate the corpse walking stronghold, capture zhang quan, and steal his bell.


    mo hua nodded his head, then again, without anyone noticing, he quietly left the corpse walking stronghold.


    after leaving the corpse walking stronghold, mo hua found bai zixi nearby.


    bai zixi was sitting under a stone, hugging her knees, her delicate hands fiddling with a twig, drawing something on the ground, and occasionally looking up in the direction of the corpse walking stronghold.


    when mo hua approached invisibly, bai zixi suddenly looked up toward the empty space and said with a melodious voice,


    "junior brother?"


    mo hua revealed himself, asking in confusion,


    "senior sister, you''ve seen through my concealment technique?"


    bai zixi shook her head, "i guessed."


    mo hua clearly didn''t believe her but didn''t inquire further. instead, his gaze shifted to the ground.


    he remembered that senior sister was just drawing something on the ground.


    the ground was covered with a layer of fine, soft soil.


    what bai zixi was drawing were a series of smiley faces, each one next to the other, some with eyes but no eyebrows, some with mouths but no noses.


    "senior sister, what are you drawing here?" mo hua asked out of curiosity.


    bai zixi pointed at mo hua, "you."


    mo hua was startled, "me?"


    "yes." bai zixi nodded slightly, "one face for every two hours, to see how long you would keep me waiting."


    mo hua was somewhat embarrassed. he had inadvertently spent a bit too much time inside listening and had forgotten that senior sister was waiting outside for him.


    immediately after, mo hua looked down at the little faces on the ground and muttered softly,


    "i''m not that ugly, am i...?"


    bai zixi''s eyebrows furrowed slightly with a hint of anger,


    "you think my drawing is ugly?"


    mo hua shook his head repeatedly, "no, not ugly, not ugly."


    bai zixi was then satisfied and nodded before asking,


    "have you found out everything?"


    mo hua thought for a moment and replied, "i''ve found out some things, but since we''ve been discovered, we''ll have to make the first move."


    "okay."


    bai zixi glanced at mo hua, wiped away the little faces on the ground, and then said, "let''s go."


    "okay."


    mo hua nodded his head and looked at the ground one more time before leaving.


    one more smiling face remained on the ground, its lines simple, the strokes natural, and the smile sketched at the corners of the mouth, innocent and pure.


    just looking at it made one''s heart overflow with joy.


    mo hua couldn''t help but wonder, what was senior sister thinking while drawing these little faces?


    what expression did she wear as she drew them?


    was it like these little faces, also with a smile at the corners of her mouth?


    what did senior sister look like when she smiled?


    mo hua was a bit distracted.


    "junior brother?"


    bai zixi turned her head and saw mo hua standing still, so she called out to him.


    "oh."


    mo hua came back to his senses, squinting his eyes as he smiled, and with a movement technique, quickly followed her.


    after leaving the corpse walking stronghold, mo hua found situ fang.


    bai zisheng had already informed situ fang of the situation.


    situ fang said, "i''ve written back to the clan and informed elder jin about this matter too. the clan has also agreed to the eradication of the corpse walking stronghold¡­"


    "this will be under the name of the taoist court, but in fact, the people we''ll use are from my situ family."


    mo hua nodded.


    the taoist court''s forces were unreliable, and to eradicate the corpse walking stronghold, the taoist court''s manpower would definitely be insufficient.


    but the situ family¡­


    mo hua then asked, "how many cultivators will the situ family deploy?"


    "over two hundred," situ fang replied.


    mo hua was surprised, "that many?"


    south yue city was only a little immortal city, and situ fang was there only for training, yet she was able to mobilize so many cultivators.


    and these were not ordinary cultivators, but those skilled in battle, ready for the eradication mission, proficient in taoist skills.


    situ fang explained, "i utilized my father''s connections."


    mo hua wondered, "isn''t this... a bit of an overkill?"


    "that''s over two hundred cultivators, not too bad, right..." situ fang said.


    "no," mo hua thought for a moment and then spoke more frankly:


    "this matter doesn''t actually benefit the situ family much, does it..."


    clans have vastly different family traditions.


    some clans are undoubtedly profit-driven, exploiting and bullying others with their power.


    but there are also families with upright traditions, whose members loathe evil¡ªshould any family member deviate from ancestral teachings and make a mistake, they would be severely punished.


    in more extreme cases, they would be expunged from the family records and expelled from the clan.


    even if the situ family is particularly upright in its conduct, it''s unlikely they would mobilize so many people for something as unrelated as the corpse walking stronghold in south yue city.


    situ fang hesitated briefly and decided there was no need to hide the truth, and thus she said to mo hua:


    "it''s not of much benefit to the situ family, but it''s beneficial to me."


    mo hua was somewhat puzzled.


    then situ fang explained:


    "the status of a clan''s disciples isn''t determined solely by their cultivation or talent."


    "cultivation through personal experiences is actually a form of assessment."


    "whoever performs well during these experiences, achieves great merit, and makes significant contributions is more valued, and their future status within the clan will also be higher,"


    "this time, it was my father thinking of my future, who used his connections to mobilize some clan manpower."


    "eliminating the corpse walking stronghold¡ªif i can earn merit in this, the situ family will bypass the taoist court''s officials in south yue city and report directly to the taoist court."


    of course, this is only part of the reason.


    situ fang glanced at mo hua and the other two.


    the willingness of her father to agree was, to a certain extent, influenced by mo hua''s three''s presence.


    a formation master with boundless prospects and two children from great clans¡ªeven if not consciously courting their favor, it was necessary to cultivate a good relationship with them.


    thinking of this, situ fang said with a bit of shame:


    "so, i do have a personal interest in this matter..."


    mo hua nodded in understanding, but did not mind. instead, she said confidently:


    "as long as we can eliminate the corpse walking stronghold, we are doing a good deed. it''s only right to benefit from a good deed."


    "uncle zhang lan once told me that in this world, some people do bad things and reap benefits, only to be admired; while some who do good, and receive some benefits in return, end up criticized..."


    "that''s definitely not right."


    "humans have selfish desires, so sister situ, you don''t need to take this matter to heart."


    situ fang was taken aback by the words and felt somewhat relieved; she then said in surprise:


    "zhang lan has said that to you?"


    mo hua nodded vigorously, trying to salvage zhang lan''s image:


    "uncle zhang isn''t always lazy and frivolous, sometimes he makes a lot of sense..."


    situ fang hesitated.


    are you actually praising him, or putting him down...


    afterward, situ fang thought of something and frowned:


    "it''s just that i don''t know how strong the corpse walking stronghold really is... whether these two hundred cultivators from the situ family can eradicate it or not."


    mo hua thought for a moment and said, "it''s a bit of a stretch."


    situ fang quickly asked, "how do you know?"


    "i went in and saw it for myself; i even counted how many coffins were inside," mo hua said matter-of-factly.


    situ fang was taken aback and then sighed helplessly after a long pause:


    "you''re really bold."


    and quite capable, too.


    being able to infiltrate a mountain stronghold of corpse cultivators and gather detailed intelligence.


    situ fang looked at the young mo hua with increasing disbelief.


    mo hua, unaware of situ fang''s thoughts, counted on her fingers as she listed the strength of the corpse walking stronghold:


    "i''ve got everything figured out..."


    "in corpse walking stronghold, there''s only one foundation establishment cultivator, zhang quan."


    "but there are four or five iron corpses."


    "these iron corpses are slightly less powerful than foundation establishment cultivators, but with skin as hard as iron, they won''t be at a disadvantage in a real fight."


    "besides, there are not too many living beings in the stronghold, just over two hundred."


    "some of these are bandits, who bully the weak and fear the strong, and are easy to deal with."


    "the rest are corpse cultivators..."


    "corpse cultivators who refine corpses are average in both their cultivation and taoist skills, just like zhang quan, but the tricky part is that they can control corpses..."


    "once corpse cultivators control the corpses, even if one person only controls two or three walking corpses, the stronghold''s power can double or even triple, which poses a significant problem."


    "in addition, there are formations in the stronghold¡ªalthough..."


    mo hua was about to say "not very clever," but then remembered that these formations were created by instructor yan.


    instructor yan had the capabilities of a first-grade formation master, and in a usual second-grade prefecture, such mastery of formations would be considered quite exceptional.


    so mo hua modified her statement, "although... the formations are quite troublesome. with the formations'' enhancement, the entire stronghold is easy to defend and difficult to attack. a direct assault will definitely lead to many casualties..."


    ...


    mo hua laid bare the entire foundations of the corpse walking stronghold.


    situ fang''s mouth hung open, unsure of what to say.


    if she didn''t know mo hua, she might have suspected that mo hua was the "camp leader" of the corpse walking stronghold.


    what has this child mo hua done?


    how could she have such clear intelligence on the corpse walking stronghold?


    but certainly, this must relate to mo hua''s cultivation technique or taoist skills, and situ fang felt it would be better not to inquire.


    for mo hua''s sake, it was safer the less people knew, including herself.


    immediately after, situ fang furrowed her brows again.


    calculating this way, to eradicate the corpse walking stronghold was not just "a bit of a stretch"¡ªthe chances of victory were very slim.


    even with the addition of the taoist court officials from south yue city, it still wouldn''t suffice.


    and even if they were to win, it would likely be a pyrrhic victory, with an unknown number of situ family cultivators dead or wounded.


    situ fang felt distressed.


    these cultivators had been mobilized through her father''s connections.


    even though they were all in the qi refinement realm, the life of a qi refinement cultivator is still a life.


    one day, they too might reach foundation establishment, or even cultivate into a golden core, and become a valuable asset to the clan.


    if they were all to be lost in the corpse walking stronghold...


    situ fang''s brow remained furrowed, but then, seeing the relaxed look on mo hua''s face, she asked with curiosity:


    "do you have another plan?"


    mo hua''s eyes brightened as she nodded with a radiant smile and said, "yes, i do!"

 Chapter 453: Engaging in Battle (1)

    "i''ll infiltrate first, rescue instructor yan, and then dismantle the formation at corpse walking stronghold. without its formations for defense, attacking the stronghold will be much easier,""for the regular corpse cultivators and walking corpses, although i can tamper with the formation, there are too many of them and too little time, so i''m not in a good position to make a move. that''ll have to be left to you,"


    "but as for those iron corpses, i''ll figure out a way to deal with them..."


    mo hua planned methodically.


    startled, situ fang asked:


    "how do you plan to deal with the iron corpses?"


    mo hua raised two fingers, "there are two methods..."


    "the best one would be to steal zhang quan''s corpse controlling bell. without the bell, zhang quan can''t manipulate the iron corpses, which is akin to cutting off his own arms,"


    "but since the corpse controlling bell is extremely important, zhang quan will undoubtedly carry it on his person, so it might not be possible to steal it."


    "if i can''t steal it, i''ll tamper with the formation on the iron corpses, making them go out of control. with such chaos inside the stronghold, everyone can then rush in and attack, ensuring the end of corpse walking stronghold,"


    mo hua''s planning was clear and straightforward.


    situ fang furrowed her brows.


    it sounded simple enough, but the actual execution was likely to be fraught with considerable risk.


    she couldn''t help but express her concern, "can it really be done?"


    mo hua calculated, "dismantling the formation is easy, i''m ninety percent confident..."


    mo hua actually wanted to say one hundred percent, because, for him now, solving a first-grade formation, or even those just below first-grade, was trivial.


    however, one should never be overly confident. it''s always good to leave some room for error, hence he claimed only ninety percent.


    "...stealing zhang quan''s corpse controlling bell has a very small chance, probably just ten to twenty percent confidence;"


    "tampering with the iron corpses has about a fifty to sixty percent chance, mainly because i''m not clear on the specific formations placed on the iron corpses, as i''ve never studied them, and, secondly, the iron corpses are closely guarded, so i might not have an opportunity to approach them..."


    mo hua''s voice was crisp and clear.


    situ fang felt somewhat embarrassed.


    this kid mo hua could gather intelligence, analyze it, and come up with strategies based on it.


    his thoughts were meticulous, and he conducted himself carefully and composedly.


    and he was a formation master...


    no wonder zhang lan said that yang jiyong was going to great lengths to recruit mo hua into the taoist soldiers court.


    situ fang nodded and said:


    "alright, let''s do as you say."


    afterward, situ fang invited two elders from the situ family.


    one was situ jin, and the other was a slender foundation building cultivator.


    they discussed the specifics, including the time of the attack, places to lie in wait, equipment of spiritual artifacts, purchase of pills, and coordination of the cultivators.


    once everything was agreed upon, two days later, more than two hundred cultivators from the situ family assembled and set off towards the desolate mountains near south yue city at night.


    the wild mountain was shrouded in darkness, the moon cold, the forest deep.


    dried grass and strange trees cast bizarre shadows.


    occasionally, monster beasts would lowly moan, as if weeping and complaining, adding to the quiet solitude.


    clothed in black, the group moved swiftly and silently, until around midnight, they arrived outside corpse walking stronghold under mo hua''s guidance.


    sparse stone forests stood before them.


    in a low voice, mo hua said, "i''ll go in first and take a look. wait for my message."


    no sooner had he finished speaking than he vanished without waiting for situ fang to respond.


    situ fang was taken aback.


    the two elders from the situ family behind her also startled, then their eyes showed shock.


    gone? just like that, with no trace of presence, he disappeared?


    they were foundation builders, yet they had no idea how mo hua disappeared. even with their divine sense, the area around them was utterly empty, without a single trace.


    could they really not detect the concealment technique of a qi refinement cultivator?


    what kind of concealment technique was this?


    while they were astonished, mo hua had already used the water passing step to sneak into corpse walking stronghold.


    in front of the gate of the corpse walking stronghold, compared to the previous days, there were four or five more people guarding.


    it seemed that zhang quan was still not entirely at ease.


    and around the gate, a counterfeit version of instructor yan''s "expose dust formation" had been laid out.


    mo hua, hidden from view, strolled past the "expose dust formation" and then, with light steps, leapt onto the roof and, knowing the way well, found instructor yan''s room.


    the sky had darkened, and instructor yan was still reading formation books.


    mo hua released his divine sense, saw that there were no people around, and then quietly entered, whispering to instructor yan:


    "instructor yan, i will help you escape tonight. you should start packing."


    instructor yan was intently reading his book when suddenly a whisper echoed from the dark corner, startling him.


    once he recognized whose voice it was, he was surprised but didn''t speak; instead, he remained calm and nodded.


    afterward, instructor yan began to get up and quietly gathered his formation books and formation diagrams.


    while mo hua took advantage of this time to dismantle the defensive formations of the corpse walking stronghold.


    mo hua dismantled them quickly.


    because he did not need to conceal traces nor worry about damage to the formations, mo hua''s strokes were assertive and rough.


    by dawn, when the great battle began, these formations would all be destroyed.


    thus, mo hua had no need to be polite.


    whatever was convenient to dismantle, he dismantled a bit.


    for the more complex ones, which he was too lazy to dismantle, he drew some reversed spirit formations.


    once these formations were activated, they would self-destruct due to the aberrant flow of spiritual power and chaotic formation patterns.


    however, this kind of destruction was minor and nowhere near the extent of formation collapse.


    mo hua''s intention was also just to destroy the formations,


    not to use them to injure the corpse cultivators of the corpse walking stronghold.


    he did not have the leisure for that now.


    in the vast corpse walking stronghold, mo hua, familiar with the paths, darted back and forth.


    climbing walls, scaling rooftops, balancing on rafters, or wriggling through caves¡­


    he either dismantled or destroyed each formation within the stronghold one by one.


    this route had also been planned by mo hua in advance, and he had simulated it several times in his mind.


    he aimed to invalidate as many formations as possible in the shortest amount of time.


    after two or three hours, the formations inside the corpse walking stronghold had been almost entirely sabotaged by mo hua.


    feeling a bit tired, mo hua rested for a while, thought it over, and made another trip to zhang quan''s secret chamber.


    zhang quan was resting in meditation.


    his corpse controlling bell was placed inside his storage bag, which was attached to his waist.


    mo hua had been observing him for many days; zhang quan never parted with his bell or his bag.


    the corpse controlling bell, he always carried with him in the storage bag and it had never been taken out.


    unless he was caught off guard, it was impossible to get the storage bag or steal the corpse controlling bell.


    and since mo hua only had qi refinement, facing off directly, he definitely was no match for zhang quan.


    he did not possess the innate talent or cultivation level of his junior brother and sister.


    even with a sneak attack, he would not be able to knock out zhang quan.


    mo hua felt somewhat regretful.


    it looked like his guess had been correct; under normal circumstances, stealing the corpse controlling bell was impossible.


    zhang quan was no fool; he wouldn''t give mo hua that chance.


    mo hua then made another trip to the corpse hiding cave.


    the corpse hiding cave was used by the corpse walking stronghold for refining and cultivating zombies.


    the coffins of several iron corpses were placed in the deepest part of the corpse hiding cave.


    mo hua glanced over and saw several corpse cultivators guarding overnight, and nearby were early warning formations, making it impossible to approach.


    these iron corpses were previously unguarded.


    it seemed that having suffered a loss, zhang quan had learned his lesson and did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.


    "now, this is troublesome..."


    mo hua frowned slightly.


    he couldn''t steal the bell, and he couldn''t lay a hand on the iron corpse.


    if they really started fighting, they would surely be at a disadvantage.


    after thinking for a moment, mo hua shook his head slightly.


    it seemed that for the time being, he couldn''t solve the problem on his own.


    so, mo hua stood up and left the corpse walking stronghold first.


    outside the stronghold, he met with situ fang and reported truthfully:


    "i''ve broken the formation, but i couldn''t steal the corpse controlling bell, nor could i get close to the iron corpse."


    situ fang was slightly startled.


    being able to break the formation was already beyond her expectations.


    as for the corpse controlling bell and the iron corpse, she had not dared to hope for them.


    "no matter, breaking the formation is already very good," said situ fang. "shall we proceed with the plan now?"


    "yes." mo hua nodded. "but we need not launch a strong assault; we''ll mainly harass them, causing chaos within the stronghold."


    "alright," said situ fang.


    mo hua then glanced at bai zisheng and bai zixi and said:


    "let''s take advantage of the chaos to rescue instructor yan first."


    "hmm," both bai zisheng and bai zixi nodded.


    so, taking advantage of the dawn not yet breaking and the weariness of the people,


    situ fang, along with two foundation building elders from the situ family, led more than two hundred cultivators of the situ family, all clad in black, and stealthily infiltrated the corpse walking stronghold.


    at the entrance of the stronghold, a few corpse cultivators were making a fire and drinking, muttering indistinctly among themselves.


    the foundation building elders took the lead, leveraging their swift movement techniques; in an instant, they were beside these few corpse cultivators, and then they struck with all their might, with the swiftness of thunder, wiping out all the corpse cultivators keeping watch!


    afterward, ensuring there was no one around, they signaled for the other situ family cultivators to follow.


    despite killing several groups this way, they were eventually discovered by the corpse cultivators.


    the alarm bells of the corpse walking stronghold rang loudly.


    in the pitch-black night, torches lit up one after another, illuminating the entire stronghold.


    the bandits drew their swords, and the corpse cultivators shook their corpse controlling bells.


    one coffin after another shook, their lids were flung open, and walking corpses crawled out from within¡­


    a cold light flashed in situ fang''s eyes as she said in a chilling voice: sear?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "kill!"


    the cultivators of the situ family no longer hid their presence, drawing their swords and activating their spiritual power. they shouted loudly:


    "kill!"


    the corpse walking stronghold, in an instant, was filled with a murderous aura.


    the clash of swords and the explosion of spiritual power resonated through the air.


    meanwhile, on another front, mo hua had already rescued instructor yan along with bai zisheng and bai zixi.


    mo hua said, "junior brother, junior sister, you two escort instructor yan out first."


    "what about you?" asked bai zisheng.


    "i have something else to do."


    bai zisheng shook his head and said, "no, it''s too dangerous here. you and zixi take mr. yan out, and i''ll stay behind to cover the retreat!"


    bai zisheng spoke with righteous indignation.


    however, mo hua saw through his intentions at a glance. "you just want to stay and fight, don''t you¡­"


    bai zisheng defended himself, "nonsense, am i that kind of person?"


    but as he said it, he still seemed somewhat guilty.


    mo hua then advised him, "i''m going to find zhang quan and keep an eye on him so he can''t escape¡­"


    "you get instructor yan to safety, then come back to find me. we''ll join forces and capture zhang quan."


    upon hearing this, bai zisheng''s eyes lit up. "okay!"


    bai zixi then gave mo hua a concerned look and softly admonished:


    "be careful."


    "yeah, yeah." mo hua nodded.


    instructor yan also looked at mo hua with a worried expression. he wanted to say something, but bai zisheng was already pulling him away.


    the sooner they left, the sooner they could return.


    he was eager to come back and take down that bastard zhang quan.


    after instructor yan had left, mo hua looked around for a moment, his thoughts stirring. he then reinforced some formations within the room.


    that way, even if the corpse cultivators noticed something amiss and tried to break in, they''d be in for a bit more trouble.


    after finishing with the formations, mo hua cast his concealment technique and slipped into zhang quan''s secret chamber.


    for mo hua, zhang quan''s secret chamber was as useless as a free inn¡ªcome and go as he pleased, easy access and exit.


    and zhang quan was still unaware of it.


    he was in deep concentration, discussing something with a few leading corpse cultivators in hushed tones:


    "¡­ how could there be enemies?"


    "¡­ how did they find our stronghold?"


    "how many people are there?"


    "it''s too dark to see clearly."


    "at least a hundred or two, perhaps as many as four or five hundred¡­"


    "which power are they from? the taoist court?"


    "it doesn''t look like it¡­ they''re dressed in black, their identities unclear."


    "probably some other force."


    "damn it, they''re attacking us for no good reason! this is too much!"


    "are there any foundation establishment cultivators?"


    "seems like there are one or two¡­"


    "householder, what shall we do?"


    ...


    after contemplating for a moment, zhang quan sneered coldly, "do they really think our corpse walking stronghold is such an easy target?"


    in his eyes flashed a hint of grim darkness:


    "send the order down, awaken all the walking corpses and iron corpses. since they''ve come, let''s not let them leave. it''s been a long time since our corpse walking stronghold had to ''stock up,'' and now''s the time to bring in a batch of ''goods.''


    one of the corpse cultivators hesitated:


    "householder, the few of us¡­ controlling the iron corpses may be somewhat strenuous. i''m afraid¡­"


    zhang quan fell silent, seemingly hesitating about something.


    after a moment, he gritted his teeth and said resolutely:


    "no matter, i will start the ritual now, burn incense, and pay respects to the ancestral master''s portrait, and perform the rites with the corpse-controlling blood bell!"


    "let these petty invaders become food in the bellies of the iron corpses!"


    the few corpse cultivators were overjoyed, their expressions invigorated as they exclaimed, "householder is wise!"


    but mo hua was taken aback by their words.


    start the ritual? pay respects to the ancestral master''s portrait?


    could it be that he was going to bring out the bell?


    if he brought it out, could that not be his chance to steal it?


    after all, in a direct confrontation with these corpse cultivators and the fearless zombies, their side would surely suffer heavy casualties.


    if he could snatch the bell, they could reduce many losses.


    there was also another point that concerned mo hua greatly.


    pay respects to the ancestral master''s portrait?


    who was this ancestral master?


    and what was this portrait?


    could it be¡­

 Chapter 454: Screen (1)

    mo hua''s heart stirred, his gaze sharp as he stared at zhang quan.he wanted to see how zhang quan would start the ritual, how he would offer the bell, and which ancestral master image he would be worshipping.


    moreover, where exactly was the altar that zhang quan intended to open?


    mo hua had scoured corpse walking stronghold without finding any trace of an altar.


    zhang quan instructed a corpse cultivator:


    "prepare the offering."


    the corpse cultivator took the order and left. in a short while, he brought in a bandit who was holding a pottery jar filled with blood-stained water.


    zhang quan nodded, then closed the door to the secret chamber.


    after checking around and confirming the absence of "outsiders," his expression turned solemn, and he walked over to a screen.


    the screen was old and placed against the wall, painted with withered landscapes in ink.


    zhang quan formed several hand gestures and muttered something.


    mists of ink gathered at the top of the screen, rippling wave after wave until they dissipated into nothingness, revealing a hole.


    mo hua was slightly astonished.


    there was another secret chamber within this secret room?


    and he had not discovered it himself.


    it seemed he had underestimated zhang quan.


    this zhang quan, the secrets he kept were indeed not few...


    mo hua thought to himself.


    there was yet another secret chamber behind the screen.


    from his position on the roof beam, mo hua had a poor vantage point and could only glimpse a corner of the room, unable to see its entirety.


    but even from this one corner, one could see the lavish decoration, the sinister candlelight, various bizarre furnishings, and a table draped with a golden cloth.


    mo hua switched to another roof beam, clinging to the timber, his small head dangling as he peeked inside.


    now he could see more clearly.


    there was indeed an altar inside.


    an image was enshrined on the altar.


    it was too far away to see clearly, and mo hua dared not focus his gaze on it. with just a hurried glance, he moved his eyes away.


    the offering was placed on the stage.


    but they were not proper offerings.


    three dishes, one holding hand bones, one foot bones, and the middle one containing a skull.


    it was uncertain whether these were the bones of an innocent cultivator or those of zhang quan''s ancestral master.


    candles were also lit on the altar.


    the candles were white, but the flame they produced was an eerie green, and as the candlewax dripped, it resembled human tears, hardening at the base of the table.


    mo hua guessed that this must be corpse oil.


    besides, there were various strangely shaped objects.


    mo hua was not a corpse cultivator and did not understand them.


    and below the altar, a coffin was displayed.


    this coffin was snow white in color.


    its material was neither wood nor stone, neither copper nor iron.


    mo hua observed for a long time before realizing that it must be a bone coffin.


    immediately, he felt a slight surprise.


    could this bone coffin also be used for corpse refinement?


    but what kind of corpse would a bone coffin refine?


    he had only heard of walking corpses, iron corpses, copper corpses, silver corpses, golden corpses; he had never heard of a... bone corpse.


    what use could there be for a zombie that was only bones?


    mo hua inwardly scoffed.


    it was at this moment that he saw zhang quan and several corpse cultivators prostrate before the altar, then chanting something:


    "with minor threats approaching, may the ancestral master demonstrate power..."


    "lend me your divine thought, to refine the copper bell..."


    "...the copper bell drinks blood, leaving no bones behind..."


    "use the white bones to worship the ancestral master, and offer human consciousness for the feast."


    "ancestors of the zhang family above, i, the junior disciple zhang quan, kowtow to you!"


    ...


    mo hua frowned upon hearing this.


    the ancestors of the zhang family?


    then this painting must be dedicated to the forebears of the zhang family.


    if they were forebears, they were also ancestral masters.


    that would mean, from their ancestors, the zhang family had possessed the corpse refinement method and established their coffin shop, passing it down through generations.


    following the "borrow divine thought, refine the copper bell, offer human consciousness for the feast."


    mo hua listened, feeling somewhat confused.


    at this moment, zhang quan opened the bone coffin, grabbed the blood-offering bandit with a pale hand, and threw him into the coffin.


    although the bandit struggled, he was no match for zhang quan, a foundation building cultivator. unable to break free, he was forcefully shut inside the bone coffin.


    inside the coffin, he pleaded, begging for mercy, his fingers tearing at the coffin walls, letting out a wretched cry.


    a moment later, the cries ceased, and there was no more movement inside the bone coffin.


    when zhang quan opened the coffin lid again, the bandit was bereft of life, his eyes wide open in terror, but motionless.


    his fingers, from scratching, were devoid of nails, covered in blood.


    yet, apart from that, there was not a single injury on his body.


    just like that, he became lifeless and still.


    as if someone had directly consumed his divine soul.


    a chill ran through mo hua''s heart, followed by a sudden realization.


    the so-called "borrow divine thought, refine the copper bell."


    it must refer to using the divine thought of the zhang family''s ancestral master to refine the copper bell and enhance its corpse control capabilities.


    among these corpse cultivators, zhang quan was a foundation building cultivator, who naturally found controlling an iron corpse to be a trivial matter.


    the other corpse cultivators, however, were only at the peak of the ninth level of qi refining.


    for them to control iron corpses, which were close to foundation establishment strength, was indeed somewhat forced.


    the only option was to employ this method to borrow divine sense, allowing the divine thought of the zhang family''s ancestors, through refinement, to attach to the copper bell and assist them in controlling corpses.


    "offer human consciousness for the feast."


    it meant to feed the zhang family''s ancestral master with human consciousness.


    on the surface, the high altar served as the sacrificial platform, with white bones as the offering.


    in reality, however, the bone coffin was the true platform, and the living person''s consciousness served as the true sacrifice.


    "so to speak, is this ancestral master picture of the zhang family in fact a... contemplation map?"


    mo hua''s thoughts flickered, and he blinked his eyes.


    the bandit was used as a sacrifice, his divine soul consumed, dying in horror.


    zhang quan pulled the bandit out of the bone coffin and tossed him aside, instructing:


    "take him later to feed the corpses."


    afterward, he mumbled something under his breath, and then from his storage bag, he took out a copper bell adorned with blood-colored, exotic patterns.


    it was the very corpse controlling bell that mo hua had been longing for!


    mo hua''s eyes shone brightly.


    if his guess was correct, inside the corpse controlling bell, there lay the spiritual pivot formation with a first-grade twelve-pattern design.


    i must think of a way to snatch that copper bell!


    and also that contemplation map¡ªi must find a way to snatch that too!


    but how to snatch them?


    it probably won''t be easy with zhang quan right underneath one''s eyelids.


    mo hua frowned and pondered.


    meanwhile, zhang quan continued to offer the bell in front of the altar.


    he took out three iron cups, placed them on the platform, then put the copper bell into one of the cups, and poured blood water into it.


    blood slowly seeped into the copper bell.


    it was as if the copper bell was drinking the blood.


    mo hua lay on the roof beam, his thoughts racing.


    "should i create some disturbance outside to lure zhang quan out..."


    "or should i call junior brother and junior sister to directly take it by force?" sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    before mo hua could decide, there was a commotion outside, and someone anxiously shouted:


    "householder!"


    zhang quan was somewhat impatient.


    the person outside then said loudly, "householder, something big has happened!"


    zhang quan was performing the ritual on the bell and cursed under his breath, instructing a nearby corpse cultivator:


    "go see what''s happened."


    the corpse cultivator followed the order and went out, returning with a look of panic:


    "householder, it''s terrible!"


    zhang quan frowned, "what''s wrong?"


    the corpse cultivator said tremulously, "the formations... they''re all broken!"


    zhang quan''s eyes bulged, "what the hell do you mean they''re all broken??"


    "it''s just... they''re all broken, and not a single one can be used..."


    zhang quan felt his blood rise and a piercing pain.


    he said in disbelief:


    "how can not a single one be operable?"


    "it seems... someone has sabotaged them..."


    a chill settled in zhang quan''s heart.


    he had originally thought that with the formations, the corpse walking stronghold would be easy to defend and hard to attack, strong enough to keep enemies at bay.


    after completing the bell ritual and reviving the iron corpse, he thought he could go out and slaughter his enemies.


    at worst, relying on the formations, it should be no problem to defend the stronghold.


    but he never imagined that the formations he had put so much effort into were all destroyed?


    without the formations, the corpse walking stronghold would be without its external barriers.


    it would be much easier for others to attack and break in.


    but how could this be possible?


    zhang quan suppressed the shock and anger in his heart and said, "i''ll go take a look."


    but after he took a few steps, he furrowed his brows again.


    the bell altar ritual still needed some time to complete.


    this altar needed supervision, but he did not trust anyone else to guard it.


    those who refine corpses are cold-hearted.


    not just him, all corpse cultivators are.


    he couldn''t trust anyone inside this stronghold.


    zhang quan''s gaze swept around the room and looked over the few corpse cultivators present, one by one.


    the other corpse cultivators, when they met his gaze, silently lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.


    zhang quan snorted coldly and said slowly:


    "you all follow me; let''s go out and have a look."


    one corpse cultivator''s eyes flickered slightly, and he asked in a low voice:


    "householder, shouldn''t someone stay to guard the altar..."


    zhang quan''s gaze turned cold, "do you want to stay behind?"


    the corpse cultivator immediately said in fright, "i dare not."


    zhang quan let out a sneer, "all of you go out. i''ll close the door and seal the formation. not even a mosquito will get in, so don''t worry."


    "yes."


    the corpse cultivator bowed and agreed with a somewhat disappointed look.


    several corpse cultivators took the body of the robber and left the secret room.


    zhang quan was the last one to leave.


    when he left, he sealed the screen.


    he performed a gesture and chanted a spell, and the brushed ink on the screen shifted and then transformed back into a dry ink landscape painting.


    zhang quan still felt uneasy. he checked the area several times before he was reassured and cautiously left the room.


    before he left, he also locked the main door.


    mo hua remained motionless on the roof beam.


    sure enough, after a while, zhang quan came back.


    he checked inside the room again and, finding no trace of any outsiders, finally relaxed, locked the main door again, and his footsteps faded away in the distance.


    mo hua sneered in his heart:


    "do you think these little tricks can fool me?"


    every move zhang quan made was within his divine sense.


    once mo hua was certain through his divine sense that zhang quan was indeed far away, he gracefully dropped down from the roof beam.


    the room was silent, and the screen bore no hint of any special aura.


    it appeared to be just a regular screen.


    mo hua examined the screen closely and had a sudden realization.


    this screen unexpectedly turned out to be a high-quality spiritual artifact, and its refinement method was very special, no wonder it had eluded his perception.


    it probably was worth quite a lot of spirit stones...


    "how did zhang quan get it?"


    mo hua was somewhat curious.


    was it stolen, robbed, gifted, or passed down from his ancestors?


    but now was not the time to dwell on this.


    he had to find a way to open the screen, enter the altar, and steal the copper bell.


    mo hua remembered that before zhang quan entered the screen, he chanted some spells and performed some gestures, and then the ink on the screen opened up, revealing an entrance.


    mo hua also tried to mimic the spell, performing gestures and stomping his feet, mumbling gibberish.


    he himself did not know what he was chanting, just taking a blind chance.


    but obviously, this was not a matter of luck.


    the screen didn''t budge.


    mo hua scratched his head.


    was that incorrect...


    but he couldn''t go and ask zhang quan to demonstrate the gestures and incantations again.


    mo hua pondered for a moment.


    he remembered mr. zhuang once mentioned that everything has its appearance and its essence.


    performing gestures and chanting spells was just the appearance.


    the essence was the circulation of internal spiritual power.


    so it seemed, the screen had its own essence of spiritual power circulation.


    and on a spiritual artifact, what controls the circulation of spiritual power is the formation...


    mo hua looked closely once more and finally found subtle formation patterns at the corners and edges of the screen.


    these patterns were very tiny and discreet.


    what made it more troublesome was that mo hua didn''t recognize them.


    even with divine sense, after deducing and calculating the complete patterns, mo hua still didn''t know what formation it was.


    he could only roughly guess based on his knowledge of formations.


    the screen''s formation seemed to be related to sound and visualization.


    chanting spells represented sound, while performing gestures symbolized visualization.


    only by getting both the spell and the gesture right, with correct sound and motion, could the formation be activated.


    but as for the specific principles of the formation used, whether it involved the five elements or other formation method rules, mo hua was unsure.


    "formations are profound and intricate; it seems there''s still much i need to learn..."


    mo hua took out paper and pen, noting down the patterns for later study and contemplation when he had time.

 Chapter 455: Robbed (1)

    the subsequent question was, how to break through this screen?mo hua silently pondered.


    generally speaking, the screen is a spiritual artifact, and there are formations on spiritual artifacts.


    if one could decipher the formation, they could neutralize the spiritual artifact, rendering this screen inoperative.


    however, mo hua had no idea what formation was depicted on this screen, nor did he know what the lifelike and inhibiting formation patterns were, so naturally, he had no means to break the formation.


    if it couldn''t be deciphered, should he just destroy it?


    using a reversed spirit formation to disrupt the formation''s structure, damage the formation eye, and cause the formation to self-destruct?


    mo hua contemplated this.


    at this point, he no longer needed to worry about being discovered. whether he kept the screen was moot, and it didn''t matter if his method was rough.


    once the formation self-destructed, the screen would be ruined.


    the opening in the screen might be revealed.


    it could also potentially seal the chamber permanently, barring anyone''s entry.


    the best outcome would be, after destroying the formation, that the bolstering effect of the formation was no more, deactivating the screen and opening the chamber.


    he would then be able to slip inside, and pack up everything to take away.


    the worst outcome would be the screen self-destructing, disallowing anyone''s entry.


    if he couldn''t get in, neither could zhang quan.


    that way, both the corpse controlling bell and the contemplation map would be sealed inside.


    it didn''t matter if he couldn''t enter.


    but if zhang quan couldn''t get in, without the corpse controlling bell, he wouldn''t be able to control the iron corpse, significantly reducing his strength.


    without the iron corpse, the corpse walking stronghold would have no foundation establishment combat power and would naturally crumble easily.


    however he considered it, there was no disadvantage for mo hua.


    decisive, mo hua ceased his hesitation and began to work on the formation on the screen.


    as the first reversed spirit formation was drawn, the formation on the screen flashed with blue light, spiritual power began to distort, emitting a piercing sound, and the formation soon ceased to function, causing the screen to dim slightly.


    mo hua''s eyes brightened, and he continued to draw reversed spirit formations.


    with each reversed spirit formation drawn, a formation was destroyed.


    the ink on the screen gradually faded.


    by the time mo hua had destroyed all the formations, all the ink on the entire screen had faded, leaving only a grey smudge.


    mo hua furrowed his brows.


    was it deciphered, or was it broken?


    mo hua swept his divine sense over it and found that the screen was indeed deactivated, and the barrier at the doorway had disappeared.


    it''s just that the obstructing ink was still there.


    mo hua decisively took out his thousand jun stick and started to wildly hammer the screen.


    he battered the already old screen to tatters.


    the screen made a ''creaking'' sound as if lamenting, then completely lost its form and substance, erasing the ink images and revealing the opening to the chamber, and the altar within.


    mo hua sighed in relief, his heart leaping with joy as he stepped inside.


    within the chamber, the atmosphere was even more sinister.


    the altar, laid out with golden silk, flickered with a green, grim candlelight.


    the blood bell, white bones, coffins, not one was missing.


    and on the altar, there was the worshiped ancestral master image of the zhang family.


    mo hua lowered his gaze, avoiding the ancestral master image. instead, he quickly picked the copper bells refined with fresh blood from within the iron cup one by one, tossing them into his storage bag.


    he then rummaged through the chamber once more.


    spirit stones, offerings, and things like spiritual artifacts, as long as they looked valuable, or were engraved with formations, or had some origins, or appeared odd or incomprehensible to him, all were swept away by mo hua like shearing a sheep.


    at last, it was time for the ancestral master image.


    mo hua squinted his eyes, trying his best not to look at it, intending to carefully take down the image and then throw it into his storage bag.


    however, at the moment his fingers touched the image,


    an icy divine thought abruptly invaded mo hua''s sea of consciousness.


    a seemingly old but resonant voice whispered in his ear,


    "young man... your bones are remarkably unique..."


    "you possess exceptional talent..."


    "i offer you an opportunity... to help you ascend to immortality..."


    "look here..."


    "you..."


    this voice, seemingly real and illusory, tempted mo hua to look at the image.


    at the same time, something or someone within the image seemed to undergo a change, the skin starting to decay, on the verge of breaking out of the picture.


    mo hua, sensing a slight stagnation in his divine sense, quickly entered a state of mental concentration, meditated with a tranquil heart, and within a mere moment, he discarded all distractions, his spirit clear and bright.


    regaining his senses, mo hua waved his left hand, toppling the altar.


    then, with a casual pull, he tore down zhang quan''s ancestral master image and threw it to the ground.


    afterward, he grabbed the incense burner, iron cup, candlestick, and a pile of other items, flinging them at the image. after smashing them, he even stepped on the image a couple of times.


    the image promptly became compliant...


    mo hua snorted coldly in his heart.


    "still trying to deceive me?"


    "i wouldn''t fall for the same trick twice!"


    seeing that the image was no longer stirring, mo hua folded it up, crumpled it haphazardly, and stuffed it into his storage bag.


    in just a dozen or so breaths, both the corpse controlling bell and the image were in his possession.


    mo hua''s storage bag was full to the brim.


    there was no time to lose, time to make a swift exit!


    without any hesitation, mo hua quickly left the altar, flipped up to the beam, dismantled the formation, and effortlessly escaped from zhang quan''s chamber...


    and at that moment, zhang quan was still utterly unaware.


    he stood atop the outer wall of the corpse walking stronghold, staring incredulously at the formation before his eyes.


    the formation is really completely destroyed!


    some have failed, some have been destroyed, and some have self-destructed due to a short circuit of spiritual power when the formation was activated.


    why? why did they break?


    they were all fine when he checked them two days ago.


    but in less than two days, all the formations in the corpse walking stronghold were destroyed, as if an entire layer of skin had been peeled off?


    who did this?


    who could have such great ability to destroy all the formations in his corpse walking stronghold in such a short time?


    a formation master?


    but in south yue city, which formation master could have such high-level skills?


    zhang quan was both shocked and furious as he said in a harsh voice:


    "go and call mr. yan over!"


    a corpse cultivator hesitantly said:


    "mr. yan... we can''t bring him over..."


    zhang quan glared fiercely, and said in a cold voice, "where is he?"


    "mr. yan''s room has been sealed off, we... we cannot open it..." the corpse cultivator stammered.


    zhang quan''s gaze turned cold, "take me there."


    soon, zhang quan arrived at instructor yan''s room.


    there were mottled marks all around the room, showing signs of being struck, but the door remained tightly closed.


    it seemed that someone had reinforced the formation from inside the room, making the walls sturdy and impervious to attack from the outside.


    zhang quan''s eyes turned cold as he struck out boldly, slamming his palm onto the door.


    the door cracked, but zhang quan''s palm also tingled from the impact.


    zhang quan''s expression became grave.


    who had set up this formation?


    a mere first-grade formation was so tough?


    zhang quan exhausted all his strength, channeling spiritual power, the wind from his palm fierce, and his strength continuous. it took him a good half cup of tea''s time to finally break the door.


    as the door shattered, zhang quan looked intently inside.


    there wasn''t a single person in the room.


    not only that, but all the belongings had also been tidied up and taken away.


    this mr. yan had actually run away?


    "no formation master is a good thing!"


    zhang quan was so angry that he gritted his teeth, feeling his thoughts in disarray and chaos.


    how exactly did this mr. yan escape?


    did he run away on his own, or did someone come to save him?


    and who would that be? how did they save him?


    were the formations at corpse walking stronghold tampered with by this mr. yan?


    did he collude with outsiders, intending to destroy the corpse walking stronghold?


    and now, fearing the consequences of his crimes, he had fled.


    or is it that someone in the shadows...


    zhang quan suddenly stopped in his thoughts.


    in the shadows...


    a concealment technique?


    to be able to sneak into the corpse walking stronghold undetected even by foundation establishment divine sense, as far as he knew, there was only one person capable of that.


    that kid who knew the concealment technique?!


    zhang quan''s brow furrowed tightly, but then he felt something wasn''t right.


    corpse walking stronghold was protected by the expose dust formation; that kid shouldn''t have been able to sneak in...


    "no," zhang quan suddenly shook his head, his thoughts racing:


    "if mr. yan had ulterior motives, the expose dust formation he set up definitely had issues, and it certainly wouldn''t keep that kid out!"


    it was even possible that those two were in cahoots!


    zhang quan was uncontrollably furious and then felt his heart lurch.


    concealment... concealment...


    his expression dramatically changed, "the altar!"


    zhang quan remembered that if mo hua had really sneaked in with concealment, then everything he did might have been seen clearly.


    even including, the ritual he had just conducted with the bell!


    zhang quan pushed his movement technique to the extreme, and in just a moment, he was back in his own room.


    the door lock was intact, and the formation was undamaged.


    zhang quan breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as he unlocked the door and entered the room, he saw the screen that had been smashed to tatters.


    zhang quan''s legs went weak, and he nearly failed to keep his balance.


    it was over!


    he stumbled into the secret chamber and looked intently, his scalp tingling.


    the secret chamber was in disarray.


    the altar was overturned, and incense ashes scattered all over the floor.


    the candles were extinguished, and the iron dishes upset.


    zhang quan trembled as he searched the ground frantically, but no matter how he searched, it was nowhere to be found.


    the copper bell he used for the ritual was gone...


    zhang quan looked up again.


    the ancestral master portrait was also gone...


    zhang quan was so furious that his blood rushed to his head, and he roared:


    "where''s my corpse controlling bell?" s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "where''s my ancestor?!!"

 Chapter 456: Fury (1) Prev

    zhang quan was so furious he spat blood.by then, mo hua had already pocketed his corpse controlling bell and his ancestors'' treasures and was far away.


    in the pitch-black night, amid the chaos of cultivators clashing.


    mo hua used his concealment technique to hide his figure and the water passing step to move fluidly like flowing water, shuttling through the corpse walking stronghold, avoiding all attacks and spells, moving unhurt through a thousand flowers.


    only upon reaching a rooftop did mo hua stop, release his divine sense, and locate situ fang.


    situ fang was engaging in combat with a few zombies controlled by corpse cultivators, alongside two elders from the situ family.


    after repelling the enemies, they took a moment to catch their breath, only to hear a crisp voice shout:


    "sister situ."


    situ fang looked towards the empty space, and not long after, mo hua revealed his shape, smiling as he said:


    "i''ve snatched the corpse bell."


    situ fang was stunned, "you really managed to snatch it?"


    mo hua shook his little hand, holding three copper bells in his grasp.


    these bells were even more exquisitely made, tied with blood ropes, with even more complex patterns on them, clearly indicating that the zombies they controlled were also more powerful.


    not only situ fang, but even situ jin and the other stern-faced elder situ were visibly shaken.


    they had snatched the enemy''s trump card in the midst of battle?


    initially shocked, situ fang then felt a surge of joy, her expression lifted as she said:


    "elders, let us make quick work of this fight and take down the corpse walking stronghold!"


    "good!"


    the two elders of the situ family nodded in agreement.


    without the iron corpse, their reservations vanished, and they attacked without restraint.


    with two foundation establishment cultivators taking the lead, the situ family''s cultivators were unstoppable, overpowering the enemy in an instant.


    there were corpse cultivators who had taken corpse blood pills to drastically increase their cultivation, transforming them into the dead.


    but these corpse cultivators originally had only qi refinement cultivation, and their cultivation techniques and taoist skills were mediocre; no matter how many pills they popped, they were no match for foundation establishment cultivators.


    they only lasted a little bit longer, that''s all.


    mo hua then found bai zisheng and bai zixi, "let''s capture zhang quan, don''t let him get away!"


    bai zisheng was overjoyed, "good!"


    zhang quan indeed wanted to run.


    corpse walking stronghold could not withstand anymore.


    the formation was broken, and without the corpse controlling bell to control the iron corpse, the fall of corpse walking stronghold was just a matter of time.


    if something is beyond one''s ability, there''s no point in forcing it.


    as long as the green mountains remain, there will always be wood to burn.


    zhang quan collected some key items, then changed into the clothes of an ordinary bandit, blending into the crowd, trying to slip away quietly.


    the corpse walking stronghold was in chaos, filled with cultivators chasing each other and others trying to escape.


    for the time being, no one noticed zhang quan.


    but while he could deceive others, he couldn''t deceive mo hua.


    when mo hua realized zhang quan was missing, he gently stepped forward, sticking to the wall, and ascended to a tall pavilion within the corpse walking stronghold, pushing his divine sense to the utmost.


    in the chaotic battle, the spiritual power of cultivators was distinctly visible.


    strong or weak, their colors, and their attributes were all crystal clear.


    mo hua looked around and spotted a rich aura of spiritual power in a corner.


    the aura was the color of muddy earth, gloomy with filthy qi, being severely suppressed as if fearful of being detected.


    with a flick of his little hand, mo hua pointed, "over there!"


    bai zisheng followed the direction of his pointing.


    indeed, in a corner against a stone wall, a cultivator dressed like a bandit was crouching, pretending to be scared while casting ominous glances around, looking for a chance to flee.


    "you son of a bitch, where do you think you''re running?"


    bai zisheng shouted, swinging his right hand to draw out a long spear, its might powerful as he lunged towards zhang quan like a dragon.


    at the same time, bai zixi flicked her hand to form an incantation, and three golden sword qi converged, shining with a white fire, streaking through the air towards zhang quan.


    zhang quan''s scalp tingled as he hastily got up to flee; but as he turned awkwardly, his right shoulder was still nicked by the tip of bai zisheng''s spear, leaving a bloody mark.


    at the same time, bai zixi''s sword qi arrived.


    zhang quan dodged two strikes but was pierced by the third through his shoulder. sword qi twisted in the wound, white spiritual fire searing, causing unbearable pain.


    "you motherfuckers!"


    zhang quan was furious but also utterly helpless.


    he could only run; now that all his moves had been seen through and his trump card stolen, he was no match for these two young cultivators, a boy and a girl.


    furthermore, with the enemy surrounding him, dragging this out meant certain death.


    zhang quan used his earth escape again.


    the corpse walking stronghold was built against a mountain. with abundant earth and rocks on the ground and many houses and caves, combined with the pitch-black night and the extremely chaotic battle situation,


    his earth escape was even more secretive and difficult to detect.


    but before he could get far, a howling sound came, and a fireball appeared in an instant, striking the ground.


    fire-series spiritual power passed through the ground to his body, causing a slight scorching sensation, but not very powerful.


    however, the fireball technique was merely a guide.


    following it came a sharp long spear and a golden sword qi.


    zhang quan was stabbed by the spear again, and his back was struck by sword qi.


    he hastily exited his earth escape technique, looked around, and, indeed, saw on a tall pavilion not too far away, a familiar, petite figure sitting cross-legged, condensing a fireball at the fingertips, smilingly watching him.


    upon seeing this smiling face, zhang quan''s head buzzed, and his scalp trembled.


    he felt all his blood qi rush to his head, so furious that he was lost for words.


    after a long while, he trembled as he pointed at mo hua, and angrily said:


    "my... my things... did you steal them?"


    mo hua wore an innocent face, "what things?"


    zhang quan angrily said, "my corpse controlling bell!"


    "oh," mo hua seemed to "recall" something, rummaging through his storage bag, and fished out several bells, confusedly saying:


    "these things are yours? i saw them lying there as if unwanted, so i just ''took care'' of them for a while."


    having said that, mo hua stuffed the bronze bell back into his storage bag.


    zhang quan watched with his own eyes as mo hua took out his corpse controlling bell, and with his own eyes, saw him put his corpse controlling bell into his own bag, his eyes becoming bloodshot in that instant.


    zhang quan gritted his teeth and said:


    "then my... ancestor..."


    "ancestor?"


    mo hua rummaged through his storage bag again and after a while, pulled out a big clump of something resembling crumpled paper:


    "is this your ancestor?"


    zhang quan spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "good! good! good!"


    he repeated three "goods," his eyes bloodshot and veiny, his voice hoarse as he spoke:


    "you''ve taken my corpse controlling bell, insulted zhang family''s ancestor; today, even if it kills me, i will pulverize you to ashes!"


    after finishing his words, he flipped his right hand, taking out a bright red pill.


    this pill was even redder than the corpse blood pill he had taken earlier, seemingly about to drip blood.


    the moment he took out the pill, bai zisheng sensed something, the spear in his hand moved to knock the pill away.


    bai zixi also condensed a sword qi, intent on slicing off his wrist to interrupt his pill consumption.


    zhang quan, clenching his teeth, used his left arm to block, taking the brunt of bai zisheng''s spear technique.


    then, slightly tilting his body, he also took the full force of bai zixi''s sword qi.


    after that, he was ready to risk his life to swallow the blood abnormality pill in his hand.


    but before he could consume it, a swift fireball roared towards him, hitting zhang quan''s right hand with precision, charring his palm and turning the pill in his hand to ashes.


    zhang quan was beside himself with rage, completely losing his senses.


    another fireball technique?! again, it''s this brat!


    zhang quan was almost numb with anger.


    yet, mo hua was still mocking him:


    "a small trick, and you dare to show off in my face?"


    "if all you have are these pathetic little schemes, then your corpse controlling bell is mine, and your esteemed ancestor... will be gone too..."


    esteemed ancestor, will be gone¡­


    upon hearing these words, zhang quan''s eyes nearly burst from their sockets, he wanted to say something more, but before he could speak, his eyes rolled back, blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, and he collapsed stiffly.


    bai zisheng walked forward, kicked zhang quan.


    zhang quan gave no response whatsoever.


    bai zisheng frowned and looked up, "mo hua, you''ve angered him to death."


    "no way..."


    mo hua was startled.


    he was, after all, a householder, a corpse cultivator at that; his temperament shouldn''t be so fragile.


    "aren''t those who refine corpses supposed to be cold-hearted? how could he die so easily of anger?" mo hua muttered to himself.


    "no matter how cold-hearted, he couldn''t stand you angering him like that¡­" bai zisheng said helplessly. s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua scratched his head, "i didn''t really anger him, did i? i was just speaking the truth..."


    was that your version of "speaking the truth"?


    bai zisheng was somewhat speechless.


    "wait a minute..."


    mo hua jumped down from the pavilion, extended his divine sense to check zhang quan''s spiritual power aura, and breathed a sigh of relief:


    "he just fainted from anger, he''s not dead."


    "find sister situ, have her seal his meridians with silver needles, then use the taoist court''s iron locks to lock him up," said mo hua after some thought.


    "also, feed him some pills to keep him barely alive; otherwise, he really might die from rage¡­"


    bai zisheng nodded, "alright."


    with zhang quan, barely alive and captured, the corpse walking stronghold was as good as conquered.


    what followed were the tasks of pursuing corpse cultivators, clearing the stragglers, tallying the loot, and dealing with the wounded and dead.


    these wrap-up tasks were mainly handled by situ fang and the cultivators from the situ family.


    bai zisheng volunteered to help, as he hadn''t had his fill of fighting yet.


    mo hua took advantage of this time, along with bai zixi, to turn corpse walking stronghold upside down again.


    previously unentered caves, unopened doors, and unturned coffins were all carefully searched through once more by mo hua.

 Chapter 457: Deep Water (1)

    mo hua thoroughly searched the corpse walking stronghold again, from top to bottom.all formations were dismantled, not one was left;


    all storerooms were opened, not one was missed;


    all secret chambers were exposed, not one was overlooked...


    mo hua turned up quite a few things.


    most of the spirit stones, spiritual artifacts, and pills, mo hua did not take.


    these were considered war spoils, to be distributed among everyone.


    moreover, some of the spiritual artifacts and pills were filled with a sinister energy, unclean; they were of no use to mo hua.


    the war spoils from the clearing of the corpse walking stronghold would be tallied by the situ family, then reported to the taoist court, and after that, the taoist court would distribute merit and rewards.


    in the end, there would certainly be a share that fell into mo hua''s hands.


    although there would be deductions at every level, the spirit stones he received wouldn''t be many, but at least it was an aboveboard transaction.


    moreover, it would also increase his merit points.


    merit points from the taoist court were more important than spirit stones.


    aside from spirit stones and pills, mo hua had no qualms about taking peculiar items, especially those related to formations.


    better to err on the side of caution, mo hua took everything.


    there were ultimate formations in the corpse walking stronghold.


    mo hua conjectured that the ultimate formation was inscribed on the corpse controlling bell.


    now that the corpse controlling bell was in hand, mo hua had not yet had the chance to examine it closely.


    it was uncertain whether the bell really contained the ultimate formation.


    but just in case, it was better to make extra preparations.


    the ultimate formation, if not in the bell, would still be in the corpse walking stronghold.


    mo hua collected all items inscribed with formations from the stronghold, to prevent any oversight when he came to calculate the ultimate formation later.


    besides that, there were other formations in the corpse walking stronghold.


    for example, that dry ink screen, on which was inscribed a formation that diverged from the five elements, delving into a field of formations unfamiliar to mo hua.


    such items like the screen were plentiful in the stronghold.


    the formations on these items also varied widely in style.


    clearly they were not drawn by instructor yan, but it was also unclear who they originated from.


    so, in order to broaden his horizons on formations, enhance his experience with them, and strengthen his knowledge, mo hua decided to take these items back to dismantle and study them carefully.


    mo hua continued to search and collect items.


    however, his storage bag was too small, and after a while, it could not fit anything more.


    mo hua was somewhat worried.


    bai zixi then produced a brand-new storage bag, embroidered with auspicious cloud and phoenix patterns, and crisply said,


    "this bag is big."


    mo hua''s eyes lit up, and he said with a smile,


    "thank you, junior sister!"


    thus, mo hua no longer had any worries and released his divine sense, continuing to search and select formation-embedded items within the stronghold.


    the items he picked were placed into bai zixi''s storage bag.


    in this manner, mo hua selected, while bai zixi packed with the bag.


    the two made a round, thoroughly scouring the corpse walking stronghold again.


    only when the sky began to brighten did the two return, fully laden, stuffing a top-grade storage bag full to the brim.


    meanwhile, situ fang led the cultivators of the situ family in nearly clearing out the corpse walking stronghold.


    the spirit stones and such, mo hua had left to them.


    this time, the situ family had mobilized on a large scale.


    mobilizing manpower required spending a considerable amount of spirit stones.


    although the battle went smoothly, there were inevitably some cultivator casualties, who would also need spirit stones as consolation.


    afterwards, everyone gathered together.


    situ fang, along with the two elders of the situ family, expressed their gratitude to mo hua and the other two.


    without the help of mo hua and his companions, the casualties in this battle would likely have been higher, and whether they could have successfully taken down the corpse walking stronghold was still uncertain.


    after all, the stronghold''s formations were strong, and the iron corpses were impervious to sword and spear, making a direct confrontation very difficult.


    mo hua waved his hand and said, "no need to be polite."


    then he asked, "what''s next?"


    situ jin stroked his beard, pondering for a moment, and did not hide anything from mo hua, instead speaking frankly,


    "after we tally up everything, we won''t go through the south yue city taoist court but will use the situ family''s connections and influence to report to the taoist court in the name of the neighboring south mountain city."


    "south mountain city''s taoist court?"


    situ jin nodded, "the court leader of south mountain city, his wife''s surname is situ."


    mo hua then understood.


    situ jin continued, "this merit will bypass the south yue city''s taoist court and be credited to miss fang."


    "of course," situ jin looked at mo hua and added, "gentleman, it will also be credited to you, including not only spirit stones but also merit points distributed by the court."


    "as to how many merit points, that depends on the operations on the court''s side."


    after all, where there are people, there are divisions of interest.


    in a place like the taoist court, even if clear water flows through, they scrape off three layers of oil.


    situ jin went on, "besides this, the situ family also has some modest gifts for the gentleman..."


    in the end, it was thanks to mo hua that they had this opportunity to earn this merit.


    merit, at times, is something that cannot even be bought with spirit stones.


    with this merit, miss fang will also be valued by her clan.


    in their branch, there are not many promising youngsters; situ fang is diligent in her cultivation and serious in her affairs, standing out among them.


    therefore, situ jin was truly grateful to mo hua.


    "where, where, elder is too courteous¡­"


    although mo hua modestly demurred with his words, he couldn''t resist asking curiously,


    "what kind of modest gift is it..."


    situ jin was caught off guard, and he couldn''t help but chuckle.


    this young gentleman was straightforward and truly candid.


    situ jin smiled and said, "spirit stones and such common things, the gentleman may not care for, so the situ family will prepare some of the family''s formation books to give to the gentleman, to build a good relationship..."


    mo hua wanted to say that he too was fond of mundane things like spirit stones.


    but saying that would seem like he was losing face.


    so mo hua felt too embarrassed to speak up.


    however, he was pleased with the prospect of studying formations.


    he wondered what sort of formation books the situ family would send him.


    mo hua expressed his thanks:


    "thank you, elder, and thank you, sister situ!"


    situ fang smiled upon seeing mo hua accept their situ family''s goodwill and nodded slightly.


    afterward, zhang quan was taken into custody by situ jin and sent to the taoist court.


    the zombies and coffins were all accounted for and handled by the taoist court.


    the corpse refining coffins, being artifacts of the demon path, were to be destroyed.


    zombies pose a great danger; if they lose control, they will rampage, wandering around and devouring the flesh and blood of the living.


    corpse poison can also easily cause cultivators to turn into zombies.


    so typically, zombies would be incinerated by the taoist court to prevent further calamity.


    but all of this had little to do with mo hua now.


    situ fang still had some loose ends to tie up, and she also had to wait for a handover of certain matters with the taoist court of south mountain city, so she was going to be quite busy.


    instructor yan had already been escorted back to south yue city ahead of time by the cultivators of the situ family.


    with matters at the corpse walking stronghold resolved, mo hua took his leave, returning with bai zisheng and bai zixi.


    by this time, the day had already brightened, and the morning glow filled the sky, spreading on the path.


    mo hua and his companions walked shoulder to shoulder on the mountain stones, draped in the glow of dawn, looking at the desolate yet somewhat wild scenery of the mountains, slowly making their way back.


    on the way, bai zisheng lamented,


    "we didn''t manage to slaughter zhang quan..."


    he had wanted to finish zhang quan off with a spear thrust while he was passed out from anger, but mo hua hadn''t allowed it.


    "zhang quan has someone backing him; we need to keep him alive to try to find out who that is," mo hua said.


    "zhang quan won''t talk, though."


    "it''s not up to him anymore."


    bai zisheng asked, "you''re not thinking of interrogating zhang quan yourself, are you?"


    mo hua nodded.


    bai zisheng hesitantly said, "you''d better not go... "


    mo hua was somewhat puzzled. "why not?"


    bai zisheng replied, "with how angry you made zhang quan, he''d rather die a thousand deaths than tell you anything."


    mo hua was stunned. "surely he''s not that narrow-minded."


    bai zisheng couldn''t help but feel speechless. "i say his tolerance is already quite great. if it were any less, you would have already angered him to death... "


    mo hua frowned and murmured in doubt,


    "am i really that infuriating?"


    he hadn''t noticed it himself.


    bai zisheng sighed, "it''s that innocent face you make when you anger people that''s the most infuriating."


    mo hua didn''t believe it and turned to ask bai zixi,


    "little senior sister, do i anger people?"


    bai zixi''s beautiful eyes shifted slightly as she spoke softly,


    "not really."


    mo hua nodded, feeling that his little senior sister was right.


    bai zisheng could only look at his sister and helplessly shake his head.


    ...


    after walking alongside each other for a while, bai zisheng suddenly remembered something and asked,


    "just how many zombies were there in the corpse walking stronghold?"


    mo hua replied without a second thought, "five iron corpses, six hundred and thirty-seven walking corpses."


    "did you actually count them?"


    "of course," mo hua nodded. in the corpse walking stronghold, he probably knew the number of zombies better than zhang quan, the householder.


    bai zisheng clicked his tongue, "that''s a lot..."


    but mo hua shook his head, "no, it''s not enough..."


    bai zisheng was taken aback, "still not enough?"


    mo hua affirmed, "not enough!"


    bai zisheng was puzzled.


    mo hua then explained, "zhang quan''s method of refining corpses is passed down from his ancestors. he''s been purchasing bodies and refining zombies for decades, if not over a hundred years. given all these years, the number of zombies he''s refined can''t just be this amount..."


    "and it''s not just him refining; he established the corpse walking stronghold, where bandits kill people and mining cultivators buy corpses. a couple of hundred corpse cultivators are also refining corpses. over time, the number of zombies they''ve refined is definitely not small."


    bai zisheng frowned, "does he have other places to hide the zombies?"


    "not hiding, perhaps selling."


    mo hua remembered zhang quan mentioning something about "sending corpses."


    he wouldn''t be refining corpses to "give" them to others; there must be some sort of transaction involved.


    it was still all a mystery for now, with no clear leads to follow.


    bai zisheng exclaimed, "the waters are deep indeed..."


    mo hua nodded and looked toward the other side. s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    by now, they had reached south yue city, and the opposite side of the road was a mine.


    it was late morning, and the dawn light had dissipated, leaving the sunlight searing.


    the mine was baking in the heat.


    the mining cultivators began their work under the scorching sun.


    their heads bared to the fierce sunshine, feet on sizzling stones, bodies marked with lashings turned dark, hands cracked, backs bent, they toiled in hardship and numbness under the overseers'' abuse.


    for them, every breath was an immense struggle.


    like a person drowning in deep waters, gasping for air but unable to breathe.


    mo hua''s gaze shifted slightly as he murmured,


    "the waters of south yue city are very deep..."


    "that''s why these mining cultivators live amidst such treacherous conditions..."

 Chapter 458: = 450 Opening the Coffin (1)

    ```bai zisheng and bai zixi listened to mo hua''s words and witnessed the arduous life of mining cultivators, both frowning in silence.


    the atmosphere became somewhat somber for a while.


    after some thought, mo hua suddenly pointed to the north and said,


    "let''s first take a trip to the forest over there."


    bai zisheng, puzzled, asked, "what are we doing in the forest?"


    mo hua replied, "you wanted to eat wild boar, didn''t you? there''s one there; we''ll catch it and i''ll cook it for you."


    bai zisheng was momentarily taken aback, then overjoyed, and couldn''t help but pat mo hua on the shoulder,


    "you truly are a good junior brother of mine!"


    bai zixi also smiled faintly.


    the three of them went into the forest and captured a wild boar.


    a late first grade wild boar stood no chance against the three of them.


    after capturing the boar, mo hua brought it back, and using the cooking method his mother had taught him, he removed the gamey taste, cleansed the bloodstains, added spicy seasoning, and began to stew it in the pot.


    the pork was tough and chewy, and it took a long time to stew.


    it took a full day for the aroma to finally waft through the air.


    after mo hua sliced it, he plated it and brought it as food to accompany the drinks for instructor yan and mr. zhuang.


    instructor yan was temporarily living in the cave dwelling as well.


    whenever he had time, he would visit mr. zhuang.


    the two sat in the courtyard, enjoying the breeze, drinking wine, eating meat, and chatting about the past of the minor hidden spirit sect as well as the rise and fall of the great hidden spirit sect.


    instructor yan couldn''t stop praising the wild boar meat.


    he never would have expected that mo hua, a student so proficient in formations, could also prepare meals that were quite up to standard.


    after mr. zhuang took a bite, he nodded slightly.


    although the taste was somewhat inferior to what he had eaten in tongxian city, eating it made his heart feel much warmer.


    after all, it was made by his own junior disciple.


    under the courtyard''s large tree, mo hua and the two others sat side by side.


    bai zisheng relished the meal, wishing he could eat up the entire pig.


    bai zixi, on the other hand, ate gracefully, her demeanor refined and her gestures delicate and elegant.


    after eating a few bites, mo hua also nodded in satisfaction.


    the weather was hot, but the shade under the tree was cool.


    a gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, casting mottled shadows.


    suddenly, mo hua felt that such days were quite nice...


    there was his master, senior brother, and senior sister.


    and old acquaintances like instructor yan would pay visits.


    he just didn''t know how long such days could last...


    ...


    after eating their fill, mo hua started to focus on the serious matters at hand.


    he needed to deduce the spirit pivot formation patterns, comprehend the spiritual pivot formation, and use the first grade twelve stripes formation to temper his divine sense, so as to advance it further and step into the realm of the thirteen stripes.


    the thirteen stripes represented the limit of a foundation establishment initial stage cultivator''s divine sense.


    mo hua would also be taking a crucial step towards foundation establishment.


    the spiritual pivot formation required deduction.


    the first thing to research was zhang quan''s corpse controlling bell.


    the corpse controlling bell was an evil artifact of the demon path, unassuming on the outside with the formation hidden inside.


    mo hua not being very knowledgeable about artifact refining, had no idea where to start or how to dismantle it.


    eventually, it was bai zixi who, after consulting a number of tao cultivation canons, figured out the method of disassembly.


    dismantling the corpse controlling bell was a troublesome process that required profound knowledge in artifact refining and some special refining methods.


    bai zixi patiently explained to mo hua who, however, was utterly confused.


    apart from formations, mo hua was not very skilled in other tao cultivation arts, surely not as accomplished as bai zixi.


    therefore, dismantling the corpse controlling bell could only be done by bai zixi.


    bai zixi retrieved a small and exquisitely styled artifact furnace from nowhere, crafted from expensive materials, with the furnace fire as concentrated as mercury.


    she then took out a series of artifact refining tools from her storage bag.


    there were golden scissors, silver tweezers, jade needles, and so on.


    mo hua had never seen these artifact refining tools before.


    he had only seen a big hammer...


    it was the large iron hammer that master chen swung when refining artifacts.


    bai zixi explained to mo hua,


    "different grades of spiritual artifacts require different refining tools. swords and halberds are usually forged with hammers; rings, bells, and pendants require more delicate tools."


    "mhm, mhm."


    mo hua looked on admiringly, nodding his head repeatedly.


    then bai zixi began to demonstrate to mo hua how to dismantle the corpse controlling bell.


    she first placed the bell in the furnace to heat it up to a certain point before taking it down, and with her fair hands, she alternated between golden scissors, silver tweezers, and jade needles, gradually separating the inner and outer layers of the bell.


    bai zixi worked with ease.


    mo hua watched, still somewhat puzzled.


    as he raised his head, about to ask a question, he saw bai zixi with her eyes as clear as autumn waters, focused intently, occasionally blinking, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.


    mo hua found himself mesmerized, forgetting what he was about to say.


    after a while, bai zixi managed to dismantle the corpse controlling bell and looked up at mo hua, asking in a melodious voice,


    "did you understand it clearly?"


    feeling a bit guilty, mo hua averted his gaze,


    "i understood..."


    bai zixi nodded in satisfaction.


    the corpse controlling bell was dismantled by bai zixi. s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua then composed himself, focused, and began studying the formation on the bell.


    but soon, mo hua furrowed his brow.


    the formation on the corpse controlling bell was not an ultimate formation...


    it was based on the five elements water series formation, transforming water into blood, and was a formation created from human blood that used a blood formation to control and manipulate an iron corpse.


    ```


    but it was not the soul pivot ultimate formation that emphasized the control of spiritual power, as mo hua had previously speculated.


    mo hua was very disappointed.


    "is it wrong?" bai zixi asked.


    "hmm." mo hua nodded.


    bai zixi suggested, "do you want to look at the other formations in the corpse walking stronghold?"


    "sure."


    thus, bai zixi opened the storage bag and, with bai zisheng''s help, laid out all the formation-related items of various sizes that they had previously scavenged from the corpse walking stronghold in the courtyard.


    mo hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    fortunately, he had prepared a strategy in advance.


    if the complete spiritual pivot ultimate formation was not in the corpse controlling bell, then it must be within the corpse walking stronghold.


    now that he had brought all the formation secrets of the corpse walking stronghold to himself, he refused to believe that he could not find it.


    so, mo hua started searching one by one.


    formation patterns that were obvious at a glance, he simply discarded back into the storage bag.


    for obscure formations, mo hua took note of the formation patterns.


    some items had formations deeply hidden and abstruse, so he marked them separately to dismantle and study in detail later.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi also helped.


    they lacked enough divine sense to learn the ultimate formation, but they could still discern.


    like this, they kept searching all day.


    still, they found nothing.


    mo hua obtained some rare and obscure formations, but these were not the ultimate formation.


    "very strange..."


    mo hua frowned.


    "could this formation not be in the corpse walking stronghold?" bai zisheng asked.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then shook his head, "it''s unlikely..."


    formations are always needed.


    the spiritual pivot formation on the corpses was fragmentary; it was not possible that there were formations on the corpses corresponding to the corpse control methods without being augmented by the same formations.


    "did we miss something?"


    mo hua muttered.


    "everything even slightly related to formations in the corpse walking stronghold has been taken by you, hasn''t it?" bai zisheng said doubtfully, "what could have been missed?"


    what could have been missed?


    mo hua replayed the encounter with zhang quan in his mind again.


    hundred flower tower, earth escape techniques, corpse blood pill, corpse raising coffin, walking corpse, iron corpse, corpse controlling bell, corpse walking stronghold, ancestral master of the zhang family...


    after thinking several times, mo hua suddenly realized:


    "the iron corpse!"


    bai zisheng asked, puzzled, "iron corpse?"


    "hmm." mo hua nodded and quickly said:


    "if there is a spiritual pivot formation on the walking corpses, then naturally, there should be one on the iron corpse as well..."


    "i previously thought the walking corpses and the iron corpse were both controlled by the corpse controlling bell."


    "then their body patterns should be the same, with perhaps only a bit of difference in the strength of the formations."


    "but now, since there''s no spiritual pivot formation on top of the corpse controlling bell, then the formation controlling the corpses is very likely inscribed on the iron corpse!"


    "zhang quan controls the iron corpse with the corpse controlling bell, and then through the spiritual pivot formation on the iron corpse''s body, he radiates control over more walking corpses!"


    bai zixi''s eyes showed surprise.


    bai zisheng''s mouth fell open in shock, "how did you think of that?"


    mo hua said, "the principle of formations is interconnected; once you learn many, it''s natural to make such deductions."


    bai zisheng pondered and said, "it''s very possible."


    "where is the iron corpse?" mo hua asked.


    "at the taoist court," bai zisheng replied.


    mo hua immediately got up and said, "there''s no time to delay, let''s go to sister situ and ask for an iron corpse."


    the three of them went to find situ fang.


    situ fang was surprised, "what do you need an iron corpse for?"


    mo hua said, "to study it."


    situ fang was a bit bewildered.


    was this something that could be studied...


    what was there to research?


    it''s not as if they planned to study corpse refinement.


    mo hua promptly said, "it''s related to formations."


    situ fang was slightly shocked, her mind cleared up a bit, but she still frowned and said, "it''s very dangerous."


    "it''s alright," mo hua assured, "i am a formation master, just draw a few more formations, and ensure that even if it loses control, it won''t cause a stir."


    after speaking, mo hua added, "once the study is done, i''ll return it."


    situ fang hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said:


    "alright, but you guys need to keep a low profile, don''t let anyone find out."


    mo hua smiled and said, "thank you, sister situ!"


    his smile was clear and sincere.


    situ fang couldn''t help but shake her head, she really had no way to deal with mo hua.


    there were a total of five iron corpses in the corpse walking stronghold.


    situ fang gave mo hua one.


    the iron corpse was hidden in a coffin, which needed a horse-drawn carriage to transport.


    mo hua spent a long time sweet-talking big white before they were able to secretly pull the coffin containing the iron corpse out from the taoist court and send it back to their dwelling.


    it was still in the same chamber.


    mo hua reinforced the formations once again.


    because they had to imprison an iron corpse, mo hua was even more cautious, using at least first-grade compound formations this time.


    the formations, like spiderwebs, spread to every corner of the room.


    once ready, mo hua moved to open the coffin.

 Chapter 459: Spirit Pivot (1)

    inside the iron coffin, an iron corpse was sealed.iron corpse was one level higher than walking corpses.


    walking corpses had pale and rotting flesh and contained corpse poison. although fierce and fearless of death, their strength was quite ordinary. they primarily relied on their numbers and corpse poison to gain an advantage.


    the skin of an iron corpse was an iron blue, much like cast iron, and their strength was greater, comparable to that of a cultivator in the initial stage of foundation establishment.


    crafting an iron corpse was more costly, and it took more time.


    similarly, controlling an iron corpse was also more difficult.


    only a foundation building cultivator, relying on the divine sense of foundation establishment and using the corpse controlling bell as a medium, could control an iron corpse with relative stability.


    for corpse cultivators in the qi refinement realm, whose divine sense was insufficient, controlling an iron corpse for an extended period could easily lead to its loss of control and result in a backlash.


    that''s why zhang quan intended to consecrate the bell, to enhance the stability of corpse control by borrowing divine thought.


    mo hua opened the iron coffin.


    an iron corpse with blackish-green skin and ferocious iron features lay inside with its eyes closed.


    there was a rich corpse qi emanating from it, and within its flesh flowed a greenish corpse poison.


    bai zisheng, gripping a long spear, placed the tip on the iron corpse''s forehead to prevent it from losing control and lashing out, potentially injuring mo hua.


    bai zixi was also holding a golden longsword, standing by mo hua''s side.


    using a dagger, mo hua cut open the iron corpse''s shirt to reveal its iron-blue, sinister chest.


    there was nothing on the surface of the chest.


    however, mo hua''s eyes lit up.


    he had indeed sensed the aura of the ultimate formation.


    with the dagger, mo hua made several cuts on the iron corpse''s chest, but the skin was so tough that not even a scratch was left.


    mo hua sighed and could only hand the dagger to bai zisheng, saying,


    "senior brother, it''s up to you now."


    bai zisheng took the dagger and said,


    "step back a bit."


    mo hua obediently retreated several feet.


    bai zisheng then activated his cultivation technique, wrapping the dagger in golden spiritual power, and carefully started cutting into the chest of the iron corpse, peeling off the skin.


    underneath the skin, the flesh was dark green, and the corpse poison was dense.


    and on top of the flesh was indeed a red formation, complex and profound!


    "mo hua, come take a look!"


    bai zisheng called out.


    mo hua hurried over and leaned in to take a closer look.


    after inspecting for a while, his eyes brightened.


    yes, it was indeed the spiritual pivot formation related to walking corpses, but the formation patterns were slightly different.


    he quickly took out paper and pen, and began to jot down the formation patterns.


    but as he recorded, mo hua''s expression turned a bit grim.


    he glanced at the iron corpse and said in a serious tone,


    "senior brother, this iron corpse, it''s about to lose control..."


    bai zisheng was taken aback, "how do you know?"


    mo hua''s gaze was profound, "the formation is operating, someone is controlling this iron corpse¡­ ''losing control''..."


    startled by the words, bai zisheng immediately took out his spear and pinned the iron corpse within the iron coffin.


    simultaneously, the iron corpse abruptly opened its eyes.


    their red eyes were brimming with bloodthirst and ferocity.


    its arms stretched forward, its iron claws sharp and long, tipped with corpse poison, as it rigidly tried to stand up.


    but its body was pinned down by bai zisheng''s spear, making it unable to break free for the moment.


    as it struggled, the blood formation on the iron corpse''s chest also became increasingly vivid.


    between the patterns, there seemed to be blood flowing, and as the blood moved, the sound grew louder, like a peculiar pulse.


    the redder the patterns, the heavier the iron corpse''s savage aura, and the stronger its struggle became.


    bai zisheng frowned and said,


    "step back, i can''t suppress it any longer!"


    bai zixi quickly moved back gracefully with light steps.


    mo hua also stepped back a few paces.


    in just a few moments, the iron corpse let out a roar, with corpse qi surging from its body. intense strength transmitted forth, shaking off bai zisheng and freeing itself from the spear''s restraints.


    the iron corpse, freed from its bonds, had a fierce expression. it let out a deep growl similar to monster beasts, but it wasn''t bloodthirsty or murderous.


    it seemed to know that it couldn''t kill any cultivator in this room.


    with a leap, the iron corpse attempted to burst through the door.


    once it escaped outside, entering south yue city, it could feast to its heart''s content, devouring flesh and blood to restore its blood qi.


    the iron corpse slammed against the door, intending to break out.


    but the formation patterns all around, dense as a spider web, lit up, and several spiritual power shackles appeared, directly binding the iron corpse and preventing it from escaping.


    enraged, the iron corpse tore with its iron claws, damaging several formations, attempting to break free.


    before it could escape, bai zisheng''s spear was already thrusting toward it.


    bai zixi''s sword qi, too, was ignited with pure white flames, aiming straight for the iron corpse''s head.


    and mo hua''s fireballs flew precisely towards the joints of the iron corpse''s legs.


    inside the room, the formation trembled, and spiritual power overflowed.


    despite the sound isolation formation being in place, such a commotion and the fluctuations of spiritual power still managed to seep out.


    in the courtyard, instructor yan was drinking tea with mr. zhuang.


    upon hearing the noise, instructor yan looked puzzled and said,


    "is something wrong?"


    mr. zhuang smiled indifferently and responded,


    "no harm done, just children playing."


    instructor yan looked doubtful but nodded, half believing, half unsure.


    inside the room, the disturbance continued for the duration of a cup of tea before gradually calming down.


    the formation inside the room was laid out too densely by mo hua, layer upon layer, like the silk cave, leaving no escape for the iron corpse.


    and the taoist skills of bai zisheng and bai zixi were extremely strong.


    plus, mo hua was darting in opportunistically to attack.


    thus, the iron corpse was quickly subdued.


    bai zisheng''s long spear had pierced through the iron corpse''s throat, pinning it to the ground.


    but the iron corpse''s limbs were still incessantly thrashing and clawing.


    bai zisheng asked, "junior brother, do you have a way to immobilize it?"


    mo hua stared at the formation on the iron corpse''s chest, thought for a moment, and said,


    "destroy this formation."


    bai zixi asked, "have you mastered it yet?"


    "not yet," mo hua shook his head, "but i''ve memorized the formation patterns. i''ll slowly comprehend it later."


    "good," bai zixi said crisply.


    then, with a deft twist of her hand, several strands of golden sword qi coalesced and flew out simultaneously, piercing through the chest of the iron corpse and destroying the blood formation on it.


    the iron corpse struggled with its limbs for a while before gradually ceasing to move.


    all three of them breathed a sigh of relief.


    "what should we do with this iron corpse?" bai zisheng asked.


    mo hua pondered and said, "for now, we should seal it inside an iron coffin. i''ll use a formation to suppress it to prevent any further mishaps from it escaping."


    "and the ultimate formation?"


    "i''ve noted it down."


    bai zisheng was somewhat incredulous, "you''ve remembered it in such a short time?"


    "mhm," mo hua nodded, his tone uncertain:


    "this ultimate formation doesn''t seem too hard..."


    "hard or not, who says ultimate formations are simple?" bai zisheng expressed concern, "don''t get it wrong and end up wasting our efforts."


    "it''s fine, even if i remembered it incorrectly, sister situ still has four more iron corpses."


    "okay then," bai zisheng said, then suddenly furrowed his brow:


    "the four iron corpses at sister situ''s place... could they have also lost control?"


    "they won''t," mo hua asserted, "sister situ and the others don''t understand formations. if they don''t meddle with the formations, the iron corpses won''t lose control..."


    "this iron corpse lost control because it was afraid something would be discovered."


    "someone doesn''t want me to see the formation on the heart meridian of the iron corpse..."


    mo hua said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.


    bai zisheng nodded and said, "then study it well. i can''t help with the formation, but if you need to fight, you must call on me."


    "right," mo hua agreed.


    in the following days, mo hua devoted his time to studying the formation patterns on the zombies'' bodies. s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the formation on the bodies of both the walking corpses and the iron corpse, combined, formed a rather complete and coherent system where spiritual power could circulate with a beginning and an end, and the formation patterns echoed each other ¨C a first-grade, twelve-patterned ultimate formation.


    this formation was the spiritual pivot formation.


    several days later, mo hua sat in the courtyard, staring at a formation in front of him, somewhat dazed.


    he had already mastered drawing this ultimate formation.


    this was far beyond mo hua''s expectations.


    mo hua originally thought that mastering the spiritual pivot formation would, at the very least, require time to understand the unique patterns of spiritual power circulation, not to mention any special taoist meanings.


    but the spiritual pivot formation came to him surprisingly quickly.


    after just a few days, he had mastered the formation.


    mo hua tried inscribing the spiritual pivot formation onto a toy wooden tiger. this tiger was a gift from old kui.


    once the tiger had the formation painted on it, mo hua inserted a spirit stone into it, activated it with spiritual power, and found that he could control the tiger''s movements with his divine sense.


    it could walk, sit, run, leap, crouch, and jump; it was as lifelike as could be.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi, upon seeing it, found it quite novel.


    typically, toys in the cultivation world could move on their own.


    in tongxian city, mo hua had bought many such toys ¨C if you inserted broken spirit stones into them, the dolls would clatter their way forward under the motivation of spiritual power.


    but their movements were mechanical and fixed.


    that was different from what mo hua had just created.


    this wooden tiger could perform many subtle movements under the control of divine sense.


    to an onlooker, the difference might not seem vast, but the involved formations were worlds apart.


    one required only a few formation patterns and was a simple formation.


    but the other needed a beyond-grade, first-grade, twelve-patterned ultimate formation.


    mo hua studied the principle of the spiritual pivot formation more closely.


    he discovered that instructor yan was right. at its core, the ultimate formation was indeed about "control."


    it transformed spiritual power into finer strands to perform detailed controls through these threads of power.


    but was that all there was to it?


    had he only grasped the surface of the formation?


    were there deeper elements to the formation that he had not yet understood?


    mo hua furrowed his brows.


    beyond understanding the rules of the spiritual pivot formation, he also realized there was an issue with this formation.


    it seemed like the formation was still not the complete spiritual pivot formation, even though it was already effective.


    why did it seem incomplete?


    mo hua thought for a long time but could not figure it out.


    not until he remembered the out-of-control iron corpse did he have a sudden epiphany.


    the iron corpse''s loss of control was a "loss of control" under the influence of the formation.


    in other words, the iron corpse controlled walking corpses while also being controlled by something else.


    the spiritual pivot formation on both iron corpses and walking corpses could essentially form a spiritual power cycle, achieving the effect of the spiritual pivot formation.


    however, atop the iron corpse, there was another tier of spiritual pivot formations.


    this tier of spiritual pivot formation was a higher component of the overall structure.


    in other words, what mo hua currently understood was merely the intermediate and lower levels of the spiritual pivot formation.


    this hierarchical structure of formations exceeded mo hua''s previous understanding.


    "formation mastery is indeed profound and vast," mo hua sighed once more.


    if his conjecture was correct, the so-called spiritual pivot formation was not simply a single formation.


    it was a special type of formation system that branched down from one formation into a hierarchical structure that spanned from top to bottom, from high level to low level.


    all spiritual pivot formations belonged to the same category, yet controlled with distributed authority at different tiers.


    the one on the walking corpses was the lowest level of spiritual pivot formation, with the least authority, capable only of being controlled by others.


    the one on the iron corpse was a level higher, with more authority able to control the walking corpses.


    considering this, there had to be something controlling the iron corpses!


    was it an evil artifact, a cultivator, or another zombie that controlled the iron corpse?


    and this unknown item, person, or corpse, within the hierarchy of the soul pivot ultimate formation, held the highest authority, capable of dominating all others, controlling every zombie that had the spiritual pivot formation on its heart meridian.


    it commanded all walking corpses and iron corpses!


    the mere thought sent a chill through mo hua.

 Chapter 460: Grudges and Resentments (1)

    "the waters of south yue city truly run deep..."mo hua sighed again.


    behind the corpse walking stronghold, what force was there, and behind zhang quan, who was there? mo hua had no clue yet.


    he could only wait and see if the taoist court could get anything out of zhang quan¡¯s mouth.


    mo hua didn¡¯t go to ask.


    because zhang quan certainly wouldn¡¯t tell him.


    zhang quan hated mo hua to death.


    and mo hua had almost angered him to death as well.


    if mo hua went to ask him, it would be good enough if he didn¡¯t anger zhang quan into a cerebral hemorrhage, let alone getting any information out of him.


    now all the clues about the spiritual pivot formation and corpse walking stronghold were with zhang quan.


    only by extracting some information from zhang quan¡¯s mouth could they continue the investigation.


    only by finding out which cultivator or power was behind zhang quan could they locate a higher tier of spirit pivot formation patterns.


    then mo hua could use this to restore the complete spiritual pivot formation.


    and truly master the twelve-pattern spiritual pivot formation.


    with the remaining time, mo hua still focused on comprehending the incomplete spiritual pivot formation.


    the spiritual pivot formation was the key to this matter.


    a cultivator who could command iron corpses with the spiritual pivot formation was definitely not to be underestimated.


    the conspiracy hidden within south yue city must also be extraordinary.


    prepare in advance, use formations to break formations.


    the more he understood about formations, the more solutions he would have when facing danger in the future.


    ¡­


    after drawing formations for the day, mo hua steamed some pastries and brought them to mr. zhuang to accompany his tea time, chatted for a bit, bid farewell, and then brought some to instructor yan.


    instructor yan was sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought, full of worries, his face showing signs of distress.


    mo hua placed the pastries on the table and poured a cup of tea for instructor yan, then couldn¡¯t help asking,


    "instructor, do you have something on your mind?"


    instructor yan hesitated, then shook his head, "it¡¯s nothing."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, "is it about the traitor from minor hidden spirit sect?"


    instructor yan stiffened, then responded bitterly,


    "you know about it?"


    "mm-hmm." mo hua nodded, "manager mo already told me."


    instructor yan, feeling helpless, sighed,


    "my junior brother, really can¡¯t keep his mouth shut..."


    mo hua asked, "is that traitor in south yue city now?"


    instructor yan didn¡¯t really want to say.


    mo hua then blinked his large eyes at him.


    instructor yan hesitated, then reluctantly said,


    "sect grudges, i don¡¯t want to drag you into it..."


    mo hua shook his head, "it¡¯s okay, maybe i¡¯m already involved."


    instructor yan was startled, then after some thought, he felt it was true.


    corpse walking stronghold was eradicated under mo hua¡¯s leadership; his involvement was probably not shallow.


    but instructor yan was still hesitant.


    mo hua then said in a low voice,


    "moreover, i¡¯m quite familiar with south yue city, the lu family, south yue sect, taoist court, mining cultivators, hundred flower tower, i have some connections with all of them. i can help you gather information."


    upon hearing the key point, instructor yan¡¯s eyes widened,


    "you¡¯re also familiar with hundred flower tower?"


    even though he had never been there, from its name, he knew it was a brothel.


    this kid, so young and not learning good things, why would he mingle in such places?


    mo hua hurriedly waved his hand,


    "i¡¯m not familiar, but i know an elder named su who is very familiar..."


    "elder su?"


    "an elder at the foundation establishment stage from south yue sect." mo hua said.


    instructor yan was slightly taken aback.


    having been in south yue city for a few years, he knew only a few cultivators.


    mo hua had been here for only a few months, how did he come to know so many cultivators...


    instructor yan also recalled that he had heard from an elder of the situ family that mo hua was now a first-grade formation master.


    a first-grade formation master...


    he had never imagined that in just two or three years, the student who once needed to consult him for three or four formation patterns had surpassed him and officially become a first-grade formation master...


    this talent was truly frightening...


    in his heart, instructor yan felt both exhilarated and wistful.


    then he also realized that the current mo hua, albeit young, should not be treated as just any ordinary child.


    during the incident with corpse walking stronghold, mo hua¡¯s actions were brave and strategic, moving like a ghost.


    all this was witnessed by instructor yan.


    even the corpse cultivators at the foundation establishment stage were played in the palms of mo hua¡¯s hands.


    and his own escape from corpse walking stronghold was also thanks to mo hua.


    with this in mind, instructor yan¡¯s attitude towards mo hua unconsciously became much more solemn.


    after a moment of contemplation and a soft sigh, he opened up to mo hua,


    "that traitor is indeed in south yue city..."


    "how do you know?"


    "i have seen the formations he drew in the city."


    instructor yan sighed again, then continued,


    "even though so many years have passed, his formation skills have improved, and his drawing style is completely different, but his subtle strokes, i recognized them at a glance!"


    "it¡¯s just that i¡¯ve been asking around everywhere, and no one knows who is behind these formations, or where they came from..."


    instructor yan¡¯s expression showed disappointment.


    "what¡¯s the name of that traitor?" mo hua asked.


    instructor yan seemed to recall painful memories, hesitated for a long time before slowly speaking,


    "his surname is shen, given name cai."


    "shen cai?"


    mo hua frowned, "i don¡¯t seem to know this person in south yue city..."


    a person skilled in formations, with a formation strength close to or even above a first grade, and entrenched in south yue city for a long time, must not be an obscure nobody.


    mo hua had seen or heard of nearly all the prominent formation masters in south yue city.


    but there was no one by the name of "shen cai."


    mo hua asked, "could he have changed his name and fled?"


    instructor yan nodded slightly, "it¡¯s not just a change of name; he has likely disguised himself too..."


    "disguised himself..."


    instructor yan said through clenched teeth,


    "he betrayed his master, destroyed his legacy; he¡¯ll be spat upon by everyone. that face of his, he probably doesn¡¯t dare to keep it either."


    "that complicates things..." muttered mo hua.


    with a changed name and face, and an unknown identity, knowing only similar formation diagram techniques, indeed, he¡¯s not easy to find.


    and if you inquire too much, you might startle the snake.


    the cultivation world is so vast¡ªif he got away, finding him again would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.


    "are you looking for him to seek revenge?"


    mo hua asked cautiously.


    pain flitted across instructor yan¡¯s eyes before it turned to deep bitterness:


    "after so many years, the desire for revenge has faded. i just want to find him and ask him personally. even if he stole the spirit pivot formation, why did he have to kill our master? our master treated him so well..."


    having said that, instructor yan sighed deeply:


    "there¡¯s one more thing¡ªthe spirit pivot formation chart."


    "i hope to retrieve this formation in my lifetime, to comfort the spirit of my master in heaven."


    "the minor hidden spirit sect is no more, but i hope that this formation can be passed down and not be lost to time..."


    spirit pivot formation chart...


    thinking for a moment, mo hua took out a formation chart and handed it to instructor yan:


    "instructor, is this the one?"


    instructor yan was startled, glancing at the formation in mo hua¡¯s hand; he became stupefied.


    his hands trembling, he took the chart from mo hua, his pupils shaking as he murmured:


    "yes... that¡¯s right..."


    instructor yan looked at mo hua in disbelief, "this... how did you obtain this?"


    mo hua simply explained:


    "it¡¯s reconstructed through divine sense calculation, based on the formation patterns on the bodies of walking corpses and iron corpses..."


    calculation... reconstruction...


    instructor yan was momentarily lost in thought.


    he didn¡¯t understand...


    gradually realizing, instructor yan recognized that even though he held mo hua in high regard, he might still have underestimated mo hua¡¯s knowledge of formation.


    divine sense calculation, this level of knowledge about formation, not even mentioned in a single word within the legacy of the minor hidden spirit sect...


    mo hua added, "however, it¡¯s a pity that this is only a part of the formation, not the complete one."


    upon hearing this, instructor yan looked down, noticing the incomplete formation, his expression slightly disappointed.


    then he seemed to think of something and, with a glimmer of hope, tentatively asked,


    "can you, learn it?"


    mo hua shook his head, "not yet, i¡¯ve only learned a little."


    instructor yan was taken aback, "a little?"


    "yes." mo hua nodded, then took out a wooden tiger from his storage bag and placed it on the table.


    instructor yan was somewhat baffled, "what is this...?"


    "inside this tiger, a part of the spirit pivot formation is drawn."


    then, with his divine sense, mo hua controlled the wooden tiger.


    the wooden tiger came to life on the table, running and pouncing, rolling over, then standing upright, holding a teacup in its hands and delivering it to instructor yan, subsequently giving a bow.


    instructor yan, with his mouth agape, was at a loss for words.


    as a formation master, he knew too well that the actions of the tiger under the influence of the formation contained extremely profound and complex formation principles.


    mo hua gifted the wooden tiger to instructor yan.


    even after mo hua had left, instructor yan still sat staring at the tiger, lost in a daze.


    after a long while, he finally came to his senses.


    it was the spirit pivot formation...


    and it didn¡¯t contain any evil abnormalities, no shortcuts or cheating methods.


    it was the first time in his life that he had seen someone use the spirit pivot formation to such an exquisite degree of spirit control.


    instructor yan was shocked in his heart.


    at the same time, he felt a sense of relief.


    it was as though the persistent, somber hardships of searching alone and holding onto vengeance for years had been alleviated.


    the grey, oppressive days now had a beam of light.


    he could finally see the path ahead, just a bit clearer.


    looking up at the sky, instructor yan¡¯s face was complex as he muttered to himself,


    "master, our minor hidden spirit sect¡¯s ultimate formation has finally been learned by someone..."


    "and it has been learned properly, legitimately..."


    ...


    after leaving, however, mo hua was thinking about what instructor yan had said.


    the traitor of the minor hidden spirit sect.


    the vengeance for betraying the master.


    instructor yan said that his heart for revenge had faded over the years, but his eyes still held deep dedication.


    the hatred wasn¡¯t intense, but the dedication was heavy.


    that meant he no longer hated, but the traitor had to die.


    from the tone instructor yan used at that moment, it seemed that even if it meant dying with the traitor, he would be willing.


    mo hua sighed.


    although he was reluctant to admit it, instructor yan¡¯s taoist skills were, in fact, quite weak.


    all his expertise was spent on formation.


    even if he were to confront his enemy, it would likely be difficult for him to bring about mutual destruction.


    if he truly went to take his revenge, in the end, the one in danger would still be instructor yan himself.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then nodded to himself. s~ea??h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    if instructor yan couldn¡¯t take his revenge, then mo hua would help him.


    repay kindness with kindness, repay enmity with vengeance.


    having received instructor yan¡¯s favor, helping him to take revenge was only right and proper.


    moreover, mo hua was also curious to know if the cultivator who drew the spirit pivot evil formation for zhang quan was indeed the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect.

 Chapter 461: Divine Thought Slaughter (1)

    zhang quan, the spiritual pivot formation, the traitor of the minor hidden spirit sect.there must be a connection between these three.


    however, there aren¡¯t many clues, and it¡¯s not easy to investigate.


    for now, the formation is what¡¯s important.


    in the courtyard where the gentle breeze blew, mo hua was still practicing the spirit pivot formation.


    but as he practiced, he suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something.


    what had he forgotten?


    mo hua paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered.


    zhang quan¡¯s ancestor was still tucked away in his storage bag...


    that ancestral master picture of the zhang family!


    the one depicted on the picture should be an ancestor of the zhang family.


    when zhang quan held a ceremony and burnt incense to worship the ancestral master picture, he could borrow the divine thought of his predecessors to refine and control the corpse controlling bell.


    the picture contains divine thought.


    this indicates that the ancestral master picture is very likely to be a contemplation map.


    and the offering for the ceremony is a person¡¯s divine sense.


    therefore, the beings residing inside this contemplation map, even if not ghosts like the little green-faced ghost, must be some foul and evil thoughts.


    zhang quan practiced corpse refinement.


    his method of corpse refinement was passed down from his own ancestors.


    then, his ancestor must also be no good.


    mo hua touched the storage bag, his expression somewhat hesitant.


    "should i take a look?"


    there would probably be risks involved in looking at it.


    just like in black mountain stronghold, there might be some evil spirits in this ancestral master picture waiting to invade his sea of consciousness.


    and the taoist stele has only recovered halfway.


    if the taoist stele can¡¯t suppress the evil spirit and he rashly allows it to invade, it would be like inviting a wolf into his house, which could lead to disaster.


    possibly even risk exposing the secret of the taoist stele, making it even more dangerous.


    but not looking at it wouldn¡¯t be good either.


    this picture can¡¯t be kept.


    if kept, once it falls into zhang quan¡¯s hands again, it would be helping the tyrant do evil.


    if it doesn¡¯t fall into zhang quan¡¯s hands and instead is obtained by other cultivators, it could also harm lives by providing divine sense for the evil spirit housed within the picture to consume.


    if he keeps it himself, the risk is quite high.


    who knows, at a critical moment of life and death, the evil thoughts within this picture might emerge and cause trouble.


    so it can¡¯t be kept.


    if not kept, then it can only be destroyed.


    a fire would burn zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master to ashes and scatter them to the winds.


    if zhang quan knew about this, he would probably be angered to death.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but sneer internally.


    but after some thought, mo hua felt somewhat reluctant. sea??h th§× n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after all, contemplation maps are quite rare.


    so far, mo hua had only come across two:


    one was the landscape taoist child painting from the black mountain stronghold.


    the other was this ancestral master picture of the zhang family.


    both paintings were extremely precious and deeply treasured, difficult for one to come by.


    to destroy it would be an awful waste.


    more importantly, if he could refine the divine thought within the contemplation map, it could enhance his divine sense.


    mo hua¡¯s strongest attribute was his divine sense, which was also what he lacked the most.


    his divine sense was far beyond that of a qi refinement cultivator and no inferior to that of an average cultivator in the initial stage of foundation establishment, even slightly more profound.


    but this divine sense was still far from enough.


    he must find a way to break through his divine sense to the middle stage of foundation establishment.


    that is, to the realm of fourteen patterns.


    then he would be able to establish his foundation and construct the taoist foundation of divine sense, and walk the path of proving the dao with divine sense.


    currently, he lacked difficult formations to refine his divine sense.


    the spiritual pivot formation was made of twelve patterns, but it wasn¡¯t complete.


    it would probably take some trouble to acquire the complete spiritual pivot formation chart.


    under these circumstances, if he could refine the contemplation map, his divine sense would progress much faster.


    and mo hua would be able to achieve foundation establishment sooner.


    after some thought, mo hua still went to ask mr. zhuang for advice.


    he placed the crumpled, incense-ash smudged, wrinkled ancestral master picture of the zhang family in front of mr. zhuang.


    mr. zhuang looked at this dirty lump of a thing with an expression that was somewhat at a loss for words.


    "how did it get crumpled like this?"


    mo hua, with a serious face, said:


    "i was afraid it would bewitch me!"


    mr. zhuang was silent for a moment, then asked, "did it bewitch you?"


    "mhm," mo hua nodded.


    "how did it bewitch you?"


    "it praised my talent, promised me opportunity, and even wanted me to look at it..." mo hua snorted, "it wishes!"


    "and then..."


    "then i taught it a lesson, and it quieted down," mo hua replied.


    mr. zhuang took another look at the painting.


    the painting was creased from being crumpled by mo hua¡¯s small hands; it was covered in ash and even had a few little footprints on it.


    it looked indeed as if it had been "taught a lesson"...


    mr. zhuang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    mo hua asked softly:


    "master, can i look at this painting?"


    mr. zhuang thought for a moment, then shook his head:


    "not yet."


    mo hua was a bit disappointed, then his eyes lit up, and he asked:


    "not yet... so, master, when can i?"


    mr. zhuang didn¡¯t answer but instead asked:


    "how have you progressed with the spiritual pivot formation?"


    "i¡¯ve learned a little..."


    mo hua conveyed his insights and understanding of the spirit pivot formation to mr. zhuang.


    after listening, mr. zhuang nodded slightly.


    unable to restrain himself, mo hua said,


    "master, isn¡¯t this spirit pivot formation a bit too simple..."


    mr. zhuang paused, and couldn¡¯t help but tap mo hua¡¯s forehead with his finger, "don¡¯t say that outside."


    otherwise, certainly, some formation masters would get annoyed and couldn¡¯t help wanting to beat you up.


    mo hua grinned sheepishly, but still puzzled, he said,


    "master, i thought the spirit pivot formation would be more difficult..."


    "like the first-grade, ten-pattern reversed spirit formation, or the eleven-pattern thick earth formation, which require the comprehension of something deeper to master the formation..."


    "but this spirit pivot formation doesn¡¯t seem to require much comprehension, and i just learned the basics..."


    mr. zhuang smiled somewhat meaningfully, "how do you know you haven¡¯t comprehended anything?"


    mo hua was startled, "what have i comprehended?"


    i don¡¯t even realize it myself...


    mr. zhuang asked, "what is the core of the spirit pivot formation?"


    "spiritual power control," mo hua blurted out.


    "how to control it?"


    "through the formation, decipher the essential structure of spiritual power, then parse the spiritual power, forming filaments. divine sense takes the formation as the pivot, controlling the spiritual power filaments to manipulate external objects."


    mr. zhuang said with a profound smile,


    "does that sound familiar?"


    mo hua furrowed his brow in thought.


    divine sense controlling spiritual power...


    after a moment, mo hua suddenly came to a realization.


    "heaven yan jue!"


    heaven yan jue is also a cultivation technique for cultivating divine sense manipulation.


    the more profound the practice of heaven yan jue, the sharper the control by divine sense.


    "correct!" mr. zhuang nodded, "the spirit pivot formation emphasizes spiritual power control. heaven yan jue is about divine sense manipulation. they are related by the same origin..."


    "when you studied the spirit pivot formation, it¡¯s not that you failed to comprehend."


    "rather, you have gradually comprehended these formation principles while practicing heaven yan jue over time."


    "therefore, comprehending the spirit pivot formation was actually not that difficult for you."


    "after comprehending the ultimate formation, it was just an everyday comprehension that deepened a bit, without the feeling of a sudden enlightenment..."


    mo hua nodded slowly, understanding in his heart.


    a moment later, he furrowed his brow again and asked,


    "but master, the control of spiritual power involved in the spirit pivot formation and heaven yan jue is still different, right?"


    there¡¯s still quite a disparity between the two.


    that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t think of this at the beginning.


    mr. zhuang looked at him approvingly and nodded,


    "they take similar paths but to different ends. their essence is similar, but their focuses are different..."


    "heaven yan jue emphasizes divine sense manipulation, focusing on the divine sense itself."


    "the spirit pivot formation emphasizes spiritual power control, focusing on divine sense manipulating objects, or rather, divine sense controlling spirit, meticulously controlling spiritual power with divine sense."


    "one is internal, the other external; they complement each other."


    "you¡¯ve practiced heaven yan jue, and your divine sense control is strong, so you find it easier to understand the principles of the spirit pivot formation and comprehend them more thoroughly."


    "divine sense manipulation..." suddenly, an idea struck mo hua, and he asked, "does this have anything to do with divine sense manipulation in the foundation establishment stage?"


    mr. zhuang explained,


    "the principle is the same; both are about manipulation, but the forms are different. divine sense manipulation is about strength, while controlling objects with divine sense is about finesse."


    mo hua said, "so can i do divine sense manipulation now?"


    "no," mr. zhuang said, "you can only learn it upon reaching foundation establishment. although your divine sense is sufficient, your cultivation is not."


    mo hua was a bit disappointed, but after some thought, it made sense.


    the techniques of foundation establishment are not so easily learned by those in qi refinement.


    after listening to mr. zhuang¡¯s explanation, mo hua understood a lot, but he also had many questions.


    "master, what do these have to do with the contemplation map?" mo hua asked.


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze grew concentrated as he said,


    "do you remember me saying i would teach you the spell point of divine thought slaughter?"


    mo hua¡¯s heart tightened, and he showed expectation, nodding again and again.


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze was profound as he spoke slowly,


    "divine thought slaughter is based on divine sense, manifesting form, and controlling objects with divine sense is the spell point."


    "divine sense as the base, manifesting form, and controlling objects with divine sense is the spell point..."


    mo hua quietly repeated these words.


    mr. zhuang asked, "do you understand now?"


    mo hua honestly shook his head.


    he understood the words "divine sense," "manifesting," and "controlling objects" when taken separately, but when mr. zhuang strung them together, he was somewhat confused.


    "no matter," mr. zhuang said with a smile, "let¡¯s take it step by step..."


    "divine thought slaughter is considered an extremely unorthodox method, and it is very difficult and extremely dangerous. normal cultivators don¡¯t learn it."


    "even among demon path cultivators, not many can do it."


    "i am teaching you because you aim to prove the dao with your divine sense, and you will inevitably face deadly threats at the level of divine sense."


    "in fact, you have already encountered it..."


    for example, the little green-faced ghost in the contemplation map of black mountain stronghold...


    mr. zhuang silently contemplated.


    he didn¡¯t know how mo hua had resolved it, and he didn¡¯t ask further.


    some secrets are meant to be kept.


    mr. zhuang gave mo hua a meaningful look and admonished,


    "possession counts for advantage, but absence serves as utility."


    "external objects can be relied on, but should not be depended upon."


    "you must continually strengthen your divine sense, mastering the spell point."


    "learn to rely on your own strength, to face the various dangers hidden within divine thoughts..."


    "it¡¯s you who aims to prove the dao with divine sense, not any external object."


    mo hua was stunned for a moment, then enlightened, his young face serious, as he earnestly nodded.


    seeing the clarity in mo hua¡¯s eyes, mr. zhuang felt reassured and nodded slightly.


    then he pointed to the table, at the bundle of wrinkled old ancestral pictures of the zhang family,


    "once you¡¯ve learned the spell point of divine thought slaughter, you can use this picture for practice..."

 Chapter 462: Manifestation (1)

    "practicing with the zhang family¡¯s ancestor as a sparring partner?"mo hua¡¯s interest suddenly piqued, and then he asked:


    "master, how exactly does one perform divine thought slaughter?"


    mr. zhuang gave a faint smile, took a sip of the tea brewed by mo hua, waited for the aftertaste to mellow, then sat up straight and began to speak slowly:


    "as i mentioned earlier, one¡¯s divine sense is the basis, its manifestation forms the figure, and controlling objects creates the technique..."


    "the so-called divine sense as the basis means that the strength of divine thought slaughter is fundamentally dependent on the strength of the divine sense itself."


    "even if a qi refinement cultivator has strong abilities and numerous spell points, they would still find it difficult to surpass the divine thoughts of a foundation building cultivator."


    "of course, this is based on the premise of divine sense manifestation."


    "inside the sea of consciousness, if the divine sense isn¡¯t manifested, no matter how strong, it is merely fish on the chopping block, unable to resist and can only be slaughtered at someone¡¯s will."


    mr. zhuang continued to give examples:


    "a first-grade demon thought of a qi refinement ghost, if it invades the sea of consciousness of a foundation building cultivator, uses the foundation building divine sense as a nurturing ground, consuming it daily to strengthen itself."


    "a foundation building cultivator, if unable to perform divine sense manifestation and knows no other exorcising techniques, can only let the little green-faced ghost devour the divine sense."


    "he wouldn¡¯t even know that his sea of consciousness had been invaded by external evil."


    "unknowingly, he becomes the nourishment for the ghostly being."


    "his divine sense is consumed bit by bit by the ghostly being."


    "as this continues, he will suffer from the draining of divine sense, mental fatigue, eventually harboring delusional thoughts, besieged by desires, which leads to a major change in temperament, becoming neither human nor ghost, culminating either in entering demonic insanity and dying, or perishing from depleted divine sense."


    "and after the ghostly being consumes his divine sense, strengthened by its malevolent thoughts, it can then continue to seek the next host to parasitize..."


    a chill rose in mo hua as he listened.


    if he hadn¡¯t forced back the little green-faced ghost in his sea of consciousness using formation.


    and suppressed it with the taoist stele, devouring it.


    the consequences would have been unthinkable.


    what if the little green-faced ghost had parasitized him, turning him into something neither human nor ghost without him being aware of it, it would have harmed not only himself but also his parents and friends around him.


    mo hua felt somewhat scared after the fact.


    divine thought indeed harbors extraordinarily dangerous risks, and moreover, is almost impossible to guard against.


    the techniques of divine thought slaughter must be thoroughly learned; anyone who dares to enter one¡¯s sea of consciousness without permission in the future shall be eliminated without exception!


    mo hua nodded repeatedly and eagerly asked:


    "master, then how does one manifest divine sense?"


    mr. zhuang said, "you can manifest your own form within your sea of consciousness, can¡¯t you?"


    "mhm." mo hua nodded.


    this was something he had been able to do naturally since birth.


    ever since he was born, there had always been a manifestation of his own divine sense in mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    he had previously thought all cultivators were like this.


    it was only after encountering the little green-faced ghost that he realized he was an exception.


    not all cultivators can manifest themselves in the sea of consciousness.


    whether it was due to a distinctive talent in his divine sense or the presence of the taoist stele in his sea of consciousness, mo hua was not quite sure.


    but since this belonged to innate divine sense manifestation.


    thus, mo hua was also unclear about how exactly this kind of manifestation came about.


    "those who know themselves are wise. a cultivator who contemplates their own form thoroughly enough can manifest it."


    mr. zhuang said and then glanced at mo hua, pondering before he continued:


    "you are able to manifest your divine sense because it is inherently strong, and you possess a pure heart with clear thoughts, which naturally led to the manifestation of your own form within the sea of consciousness."


    of course, there might be other factors too...


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze became slightly focused, but he did not delve further and instead resumed speaking:


    "divine thought slaughter, with manifestation of oneself, is only the foundation."


    "since one can manifest oneself, naturally, one¡¯s spells, martial arts, and spiritual artifacts can be manifested as well."


    "being able to manifest spells or martial arts gives you the means to carry out slaughter..."


    mo hua, finding all this a bit mysterious, then asked:


    "master, is this manifestation somewhat like ¡¯fantasy¡¯ or ¡¯delusion¡¯? like daydreaming, turning whatever one thinks of into reality?"


    if you think you understand this spell, then you have that spell;


    if you think you¡¯ve mastered this martial art, then you¡¯ve mastered that martial art;


    if you think you possess a certain spiritual artifact, then you have that spiritual artifact...


    so if you imagine a dragon in your sea of consciousness, does that mean you have a dragon?


    mr. zhuang chuckled and shook his head:


    "it¡¯s not that whatever you think of becomes reality. if it were so, divine sense manifestation would be far too simple."


    "divine sense manifestation is based on ¡¯reality¡¯ to manifest the illusory divine thoughts."


    "without an objectively real thing, you cannot manifest the illusion of it."


    "if you want to manifest a spell, you must actually know that spell."


    "if you want to manifest a spiritual artifact, you must truly possess that spiritual artifact..."


    "and even then, it¡¯s not as if you can manifest it just because you know it or have it."


    "you must understand the spell thoroughly, be extremely familiar with the object, and fully comprehend its essence to manifest it within the sea of consciousness."


    "things you have never seen, don¡¯t understand, haven¡¯t grasped, or are unfamiliar with cannot be manifested."


    "even if you did manifest them, they would only be unfounded and fragile illusions, unable to withstand a single blow."


    "divine thought manifestation, the more real it is, the more powerful it is..."


    mo hua had a moment of enlightenment, deep in thought.


    mr. zhuang paused for a moment before explaining further:


    "if you use your divine sense to manifest an almost real ¡¯fire,¡¯ then this ¡¯fire¡¯ can indeed burn another¡¯s divine thoughts..."


    "if you manifest a sword, that sword can also injure someone¡¯s divine thoughts..."


    mo hua suddenly understood clearly.


    mr. zhuang looked again at mo hua, his tone becoming slightly solemn as he said:


    "what you must learn is to first manifest spiritual power, then manifest spells, and ultimately... manifesting formations!"


    mo hua¡¯s heart gave a slight tremble.


    manifesting formations!


    but after pondering for a moment, he expressed his confusion:


    "master, it seems like... i can already draw formations in my sea of consciousness. does that count as manifestation?"


    initially, he had drawn a formation while the little ghost was transforming, and it was this very act that deterred that little green-faced ghost.


    "that¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg," mr. zhuang said.


    mo hua was surprised in his heart and didn¡¯t quite understand.


    mr. zhuang said with profound eyes:


    "such divine sense manifestation is somewhat superficial. what is manifested is merely the ethereal shadow of formation patterns formed by divine thought, not real enough, nor is its power strong enough..."


    "another problem is that it¡¯s too slow."


    "slow?" mo hua was a little taken aback.


    mr. zhuang nodded, "in the clash of divine thought, life and death are but an instant. there¡¯s not always an opportunity to draw formation, stroke by stroke, line by line..."


    "some malicious and brutal spirits won¡¯t wait for you to finish drawing the formation; they¡¯ll likely have devoured you by then."


    mo hua¡¯s heart went cold, and he frowned and said:


    "if a formation isn¡¯t drawn stroke by stroke, then how should it be drawn?"


    mr. zhuang¡¯s gaze shifted, and with a stern expression, he said:


    "manifest spiritual power, control it with divine sense, and bring it into being in one thought - drawing ground into formation."


    "this way, without the need for pen and ink, with a mere movement of divine sense, in a moment¡¯s effort, a formation can be constructed within the sea of consciousness..."


    mo hua gaped in astonishment, came back to his senses, and then furrowed his brows again, seemingly pondering something.


    mr. zhuang¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, and he gently inquired:


    "what are you thinking now?"


    mo hua spoke carefully:


    "master, have you calculated all of this?"


    "calculated what?"


    mo hua, with furrowed brows, counted on his fingers and said:


    "to learn formation visualization, one needs to know heaven yan jue, needs to know divine sense calculation, and also needs to master the spiritual pivot formation..."


    "learning heaven yan jue makes the divine sense sharp, forming a foundation for spiritual control;"


    "learning calculation is essential to deduce the trajectory of spiritual power within a formation, allowing control of spiritual power to construct the formation;"


    "and by learning spiritual pivot formation, one can understand the structure of spiritual power, discern the essence of spiritual power, thereby manifesting spiritual power, which also complements heaven yan jue, further strengthening the control over spiritual power by divine sense..."


    the core of spiritual pivot formation is control.


    but control is just the surface; only by understanding the structure of spiritual power and breaking it down into its strands can one achieve control.


    understanding the structure of spiritual power makes it easier to manifest it.


    spiritual pivot formation manifests spiritual power; heaven yan jue controls spiritual power; with calculation constructing the formation.


    all three are indispensable.


    if he lacked any one of them, he would probably be unable to do as mr. zhuang said - to draw a formation with divine thought in the sea of consciousness and manifest the formation. s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mr. zhuang, too, was surprised.


    he knew mo hua was clever, but he hadn¡¯t imagined his mind to be quite so keen.


    mr. zhuang felt reassured in his heart and smiled slightly as he said:


    "it¡¯s not that i had calculated; it¡¯s just that you had good fortune, choosing heaven yan jue as your cultivation technique, then you learned calculation, and happened to encounter the spiritual pivot formation. with everything in place, i simply continued to teach you accordingly..."


    mo hua nodded his head.


    his admiration for mr. zhuang intensified.


    tailoring teaching to the student¡¯s capabilities and also to the opportunity.


    how profound mr. zhuang¡¯s knowledge in tao cultivation and formation skills was, went beyond measure.


    mo hua¡¯s bright, admiring eyes were fixed upon him, as mr. zhuang felt quite pleased, though his outward appearance remained that of a detached sage.


    he retrieved a small booklet from his sleeve and handed it to mo hua.


    mo hua accepted it, noticing the title of six characters on the brochure:


    divine thought manifestation bullet points


    the booklet was compact and thin.


    mo hua was somewhat puzzled, "master, is this all?"


    divine thought manifestation should be very difficult.


    he had thought that such bullet points, if not voluminous, should at least fill a thick book.


    "this is enough," mr. zhuang said. "similar to meditation technique, divine sense manifestation is just a means, a form, and not an essence."


    "it¡¯s not what you manifest that¡¯s important, it¡¯s what you manage to manifest, how much understanding you gain, and how much ¡¯reality¡¯ you can achieve..."


    "divine thought manifestation is a tool, not the way."


    "manifesting is like a sword, but the power of the sword does not lie in the sword itself, but in the person who wields it."


    "if you have ten units of strength, then the power of the sword is tenfold..."


    "if you have a hundred units of strength, then the power of the sword is a hundredfold!"


    "how well you learn to manifest depends on your own visualization, practice, and comprehension."


    "the more you visualize, the deeper the comprehension, the truer the manifestation, the stronger the power of divine thought slaughter!"


    mr. zhuang looked at mo hua with a serious tone and expectant eyes.


    mo hua nodded repeatedly, his voice ringing clear:


    "disciple remembers, thank you for the teaching, master!"


    mo hua placed the thin divine thought manifestation bullet points carefully into his storage bag.


    divine thought slaughter was crucial.


    mo hua planned to study it well soon.


    he had already made his calculations.


    once he learned to manifest, and had a modicum of success with divine thought slaughter, he could attempt to practice on zhang quan¡¯s old forebear~

 Chapter 463: Opening Illustration (1)

    after mo hua left, in the quiet chamber, old kui slowly became visible again.he looked at mr. zhuang, whose expression was calm, and said discontentedly,


    "the things you teach him, why are they all so devious?"


    mr. zhuang raised an eyebrow, "devious is about right, better for oneself to be devious than for the enemy to be."


    old kui frowned, musing to himself,


    "if mo hua continues to learn like this, i¡¯m beginning to find it hard to understand..."


    super divine sense, divine thought slaughter, exceptional talent, formation visualization...


    just thinking about it feels incredibly tricky.


    and i wonder whether cultivating divine sense like this is ultimately good or bad...


    suddenly, old kui remembered something, and with a chilling tone, he said solemnly,


    "aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll follow in your senior brother¡¯s footsteps to become the second gui tao¡¯s person?"


    mr. zhuang fell silent, his gaze somewhat dim, and after a long time, he responded slowly, sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "who can be certain about the future?"


    "cultivators have long lifespans, and so do their lives."


    "in this life, one will meet many people, encounter many things, face many choices; whether or not one can adhere to their original intentions and stay resolute in their taoist heart is something he must manage on his own, i... can¡¯t accompany him for that long..."


    mr. zhuang¡¯s demeanor was one of melancholy as he sighed,


    "he is my little disciple."


    "all i hope for is that he can live well, keep cultivating, keep learning about formations, keep adhering to his own heart, and pursue the heavenly dao..."


    "to keep living is enough..."


    "even if he becomes the second ¡¯gui tao¡¯s person¡¯... it¡¯s still better than becoming a taoist who falls into gui tao¡¯s clutches..."


    to become the second gui tao¡¯s person, at least he would still be alive.


    but if he became a "taoist," that would mean falling prey to gui tao, his divine sense annihilated, reduced to a puppet.


    old kui understood, and he too fell silent.


    after a moment, he sighed and said no more, gradually disappearing from view.


    ...


    mo hua then went back to his room to start learning divine thought manifestation.


    his room was not big, but it was well-furnished, delicate and elegant, adjacent to his senior brother and sister¡¯s rooms, and with the same layout.


    mo hua sat cross-legged on the bed and first carefully read through the "divine thought manifestation bullet points" given to him by mr. zhuang, grasping the general idea.


    the key to manifestation was actually visualization.


    first, through visualization, one would discern external objects; then inside the sea of consciousness, divine sense would manifest their physical form.


    having grasped the basic spell point, mo hua began attempting to manifest.


    he first tried to manifest others and discovered that it didn¡¯t work.


    be it his parents, mr. zhuang, junior brother, junior sister, or elder yu of tongxian city, da¡¯hu, dazhu, none could be manifested.


    so people don¡¯t work...


    no, that¡¯s not right; it¡¯s more that people other than oneself don¡¯t work.


    at least not for now.


    if people can¡¯t be manifested, what about monster beasts?


    mo hua thought of the little demon cat he had captured, and the big tiger it had transformed into, only to find he still couldn¡¯t manifest them.


    mo hua thought about feng xi... better not...


    if the little demon cat doesn¡¯t work, then there¡¯s even less hope for a big demon.


    if monster beasts don¡¯t work, then what about spirit beasts?


    mo hua then thought of big white.


    he tried, and found he couldn¡¯t manifest big white either.


    mo hua sighed, realizing that for now he couldn¡¯t manifest any living things.


    so, he could only try to manifest inanimate objects.


    mo hua attempted to manifest objects in his room like stools, tables, screens, formation pens, formation paper, tea cups, and so on.


    but to no avail.


    probably because he wasn¡¯t familiar enough with them.


    mo hua thought it over and proceeded to try manifesting the thousand jun stick.


    he was very familiar with the thousand jun stick; he had watched master chen forge it and had drawn all the formations on it himself. mo hua had also used the thousand jun stick to land many a surprise blow.


    mo hua took out the thousand jun stick, stared at it intently for a while, and memorized its shape, structure, and formations completely in his mind.


    then he closed his eyes, sank into his sea of consciousness, and tried to manifest the thousand jun stick.


    after a while, a shadowy image of a stick appeared in mo hua¡¯s hands.


    mo hua was delighted.


    though it was only a shadow, it still marked significant progress.


    now, within the sea of consciousness, he could hit people with a surprise stick as well.


    mo hua swung it a few times, trying out the moves "sweeping thousands of armies" and "like a thousand pounds," feeling even more adept than when using it outside.


    after playing with it for quite a while, mo hua reluctantly put away the "thousand jun stick."


    he had spent the better half of the day experimenting, confirming that among all external objects and people, he could only initially manifest a nascent form of the "thousand jun stick."


    what he needed to attempt next was the manifestation of his own spiritual power and spells, as well as formations.


    mo hua first tried to manifest his own spiritual power.


    he visualized himself, simulating the circulation of spiritual power through his meridians, and soon felt a mysterious energy flowing around his body.


    mo hua was invigorated and concentrated further on visualizing and manifesting.


    several hours later, mo hua in the sea of consciousness opened his eyes to find that his body was wrapped in a faint spiritual power.


    this power wasn¡¯t actually spiritual power.


    it was produced by divine sense manifestation.


    on the surface, it appeared to be spiritual power, but its essence was still divine sense.


    although it was divine sense, its effects closely resembled those of spiritual power.


    it was as if it were both real and fake, both solid and void.


    there was a profound sense in which one might see a mountain as a mountain, then as not a mountain, yet in the end, the mountain is still a mountain.


    spiritual power is the foundation of spells.


    with spiritual power manifested, mo hua began trying to simulate spells with it.


    it seemed as if, within the virtual image of mo hua¡¯s divine sense, he could see the light blue spiritual power flowing along the meridians in the dantian and arms, converging at the fingertips, and eventually forming a spell.


    however, the spark from the fireball technique fizzled out after a few flashes.


    the first attempt had failed.


    despite this, mo hua was not discouraged.

 Chapter 464: Open Map (2)

    he tried several times, each time getting a little better.after countless repetitions, mo hua found his divine sense was exhausted.


    divine sense manifested spiritual power, without divine sense, there was no spiritual power, and thus, no ability to use spells.


    mo hua sat and meditated, and after recovering his divine sense, he continued practicing.


    after two days of relentless practice, foregoing sleep and food, mo hua finally succeeded in casting his first fireball technique.


    the power was not great; it was just an ordinary fireball technique.


    but the significance was different.


    he could finally use spells in his sea of consciousness!


    if any sneaky or evil thoughts invaded his sea of consciousness again, he now had a basic means of attack.


    mo hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    after that, he practiced the water prison technique, the water passing step, and the concealment technique.


    the water passing step was effective.


    but as for the concealment technique, it was hard to say since in his sea of consciousness he could not tell if he was concealed or not; he would have to find an opportunity to test it.


    after manifesting these spells, mo hua felt a great sense of security.


    now facing danger, he also had means to kill or slaughter.


    next, it was time to manifest formation.


    mo hua started with the relatively simple seven-pattern earth fire formation.


    he first consumed his divine sense to manifest spiritual power, then controlled the spiritual power, and little by little began drawing formation according to the shape of the earth fire formation patterns.


    the pale blue spiritual power flowed naturally, meandering and twisting on the ground of his sea of consciousness, forming the formation.


    but just after drawing three formation patterns, he made a mistake.


    mo hua¡¯s divine sense faltered, and he failed to control the trajectory of the spiritual power, rendering the formation useless.


    "controlling spiritual power with divine sense alone seems indeed to be challenging..." mo hua murmured, frowning.


    he knew how to draw formation, but his divine sense just couldn¡¯t control the spiritual power well enough to make it flow and condense into a formation according to his will.


    mo hua tried several more times, making little progress.


    and drawing formation like this was also very slow.


    mo hua frowned.


    this was not quite what mr. zhuang had said...


    had he missed something?


    mo hua then linked the key points together and reviewed them.


    heaven yan jue, spiritual pivot formation, divine sense calculation...


    could it be the spiritual pivot formation?


    mo hua recalled what mr. zhuang had said:


    "the core of the spiritual pivot formation is control, but control is just the surface; analyzing the structure of spiritual power is the essence of the spiritual pivot formation."


    controlling corpses and objects might just be superficial applications.


    its essence lies in understanding the structure of spiritual power.


    mo hua stopped trying to control spiritual power with his divine sense to draw formation.


    instead, he calmed his mind and contemplated the spiritual pivot formation, using his divine sense to penetrate the essence of spiritual power.


    after the time it took to finish a cup of tea, mo hua¡¯s mind trembled, and his thoughts became clear.


    he realized his spiritual power had changed.


    the spiritual power manifested by his divine sense had become more meticulous, as thin as threads.


    these spiritual threads were finer components under the structure of spiritual power.


    and these spiritual threads seemed to echo and integrate with his divine sense, becoming one.


    with the mind¡¯s intent, the spiritual power followed the divine sense, as naturally as moving one¡¯s arm, forming a flawless union.


    controlling the spiritual threads with divine sense was as natural as breathing.


    mo hua was astonished.


    he only now realized the fundamental principles of spiritual power contained within the spiritual pivot formation were so exquisite.


    he had learned the spiritual pivot formation before and even applied the formation but never deeply grasped the profundity within it.


    it was worthy of the minor hidden spirit sect...


    no, or perhaps it should be said, the secret heritage of the once great hidden spirit sect...


    to use such a formation merely for corpse control was a waste of its true potential.


    mo hua felt somewhat emotional.


    he then tried again, controlling spiritual power with divine sense, turning spiritual power into spiritual threads, and using the threads to draw formation.


    this time, the flow of spiritual power was much more flexible, precise, and swift.


    with just a thought from mo hua, the spiritual threads on the ground quickly coalesced to form a complete seven-pattern earth fire formation in just a few moments!


    without pen or ink, with a mere thought, formation patterns were created, forming a formation.


    it was fast and convenient.


    with this, his sea of consciousness seemed devoid of any formation, but with just a shift in divine thought, formations could be established everywhere!


    mo hua was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak.


    this was, perhaps, too powerful.


    though it was only a seven-pattern formation, the speed of his formation painting was truly unfathomable.


    mo hua then felt a sense of regret.


    this technique could only be used within his own sea of consciousness; it was not applicable outside.


    "i wonder if there will come a day when i, too, can form formations outside the sea of consciousness in an instant with strong divine sense..."


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but indulge in some wistful thinking.


    of course, for now, he could only think about it...


    having mastered the methods of spell manifestation and formation visualization, the next step was simply to keep practicing and improving.


    the power of the fireball technique was still insufficient; he needed to practice it more.


    and the formations¡ªwhile he could paint seven-pattern formations quickly, the more difficult eight or nine-pattern formations would slow him down considerably. s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua wanted to find some first-tier nine-pattern formations to practice within his sea of consciousness.


    so engrossed was he that he forgot to eat or sleep, and after one or two weeks of practice, mo hua¡¯s divine thought slaughter had finally seen some minor achievements.


    next, it was time to test his skills.


    mo hua took out the ancestral master picture of the zhang family.


    to be safe, mo hua also called over bai zisheng and bai zixi to protect him during his practice.


    "junior brother, junior sister, you must not look at this picture!"


    "no matter what sounds you hear, do not believe them!"


    mo hua began with these instructions, then continued:


    "later, i will sneak a peek at it and then close the picture..."


    "if everything seems normal, then you don¡¯t need to do anything."


    "but if i become entranced by the picture and fail to close it, help me to close it and then throw the picture on the ground and stomp on it hard a few times."


    "if my mind changes drastically while i am looking at the picture, knock me out and then go call master."


    "if the picture undergoes any strange changes, or something tries to come out of it, just burn it immediately! and scatter the ashes!"


    ¡­


    mo hua had considered all possible scenarios and made his instructions crystal clear.


    bai zisheng and bai zixi didn¡¯t quite understand, but they nodded anyway.


    with everything ready, mo hua unfolded the ancestral master picture of the zhang family.


    as the picture was revealed, mo hua¡¯s gaze skittered across it like a dragonfly skimming over water, glancing just once.


    with that single look, he saw the entirety of the picture.


    it was a group portrait, depicting the ancestral master teaching.


    the high halls were solemn, with smoke from incense curling in the air.


    in the center sat an elder with white hair and beard, radiating virtue and commanding respect, teaching and imparting wisdom.


    beneath him, rows and rows of disciples were seated.


    these disciples were positioned according to their seniority, ranked from highest to lowest, seated in turn.


    all wore white robes, their postures upright and respectful.


    it was a solemn and serious image of the ancestral master teaching.


    but with the same, single glance, the scene in the picture began to change abruptly.


    the people in the picture seemed to come subtly to life.


    mo hua then heard the enticements of an elder:


    "you are brilliantly gifted..."


    "you have extraordinary talent..."


    "join my sect... let me help you find the way..."


    "join my sect... let me help you become immortal..."


    "join my sect..."


    ¡­


    at the same time, the disciples seated below the elder suddenly turned their heads, as if by some unspoken agreement, looking directly at mo hua.


    they revealed faces that resembled those of zombies.


    mo hua was slightly alarmed in his heart.


    was this old ancestor of the zhang family preaching to zombies?


    or was it that the entire zhang family had turned into zombies?


    before he could sort out his thoughts, a zombie disciple seated furthest from the ancestral master suddenly showed a ferocious expression, leapt from his seat, and lunged directly at mo hua¡¯s heavenly court, burrowing into mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    for a moment, mo hua¡¯s gaze became vacant, but then it became bright again in an instant.


    while the other zombies were snarling and attempting to invade his sea of consciousness.


    mo hua reacted quickly, folding the picture shut.


    he trapped a group of zombies within the picture,


    and trapped a single zombie within his own sea of consciousness.

 Chapter 465: Eat and Be Eaten (1)

    the zhang family zombie disciple, as soon as it entered mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness, was shocked:"what profound divine sense!"


    "innate supplement!"


    its voice was hoarse and thick, with a bit of air leaking through.


    like a living person corrupted into a corpse.


    then, it couldn¡¯t wait any longer and opened its ghastly wide mouth to fiercely suck in a mouthful of the abundant divine sense in the sea of consciousness.


    as the divine sense entered, the zombie disciple¡¯s eyes shone with excitement.


    pure, rich, and delicious.


    this was the taste of top-quality divine sense!


    the zombie cackled madly.


    it couldn¡¯t help but indulge ravenously, suddenly consuming with vigor.


    as it devoured more divine sense, its body gradually became robust, and its stature grew taller by a few inches.


    as the zombie absorbed the divine sense, mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness also felt a faint pain.


    "is this what it feels like to have your divine sense eaten?"


    mo hua, concealed to the side, watching the zombie, silently said to himself.


    there was some pain, a bit of discomfort, but it was quite subtle.


    if you weren¡¯t paying attention, you indeed wouldn¡¯t notice.


    even if you weren¡¯t witnessing it firsthand, you most likely wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    one would only think they were mentally drained, lacking in energy, their spirit scattered, their mood depressed, with many troubles and evil desires lingering in their heart.


    one would never think that their divine sense was being nibbled away by an evil being.


    mo hua nodded to himself, remembering this feeling.


    "in the future, i must be careful to guard against this!"


    the human heart is immeasurable and deceptive, and i may not always be able to detect every change in the divine sense.


    therefore, i must step by step familiarize myself with the various signs of changes in the sea of consciousness, guard against the insignificant to prevent greater issues and eliminate unknown threats within the divine sense.


    so that in the future, no evil spirit can stealthily consume my divine sense without my knowledge.


    besides this, mo hua also verified something else.


    that is, the concealment technique can be effective within the sea of consciousness.


    at least this zombie didn¡¯t discover him.


    mo hua slightly furrowed his brows.


    but what exactly is this zombie? is it a person, or is it a zombie?


    after observing for a while, mo hua had a growing speculation.


    this zombie disciple must also be an ancestor of the zhang family.


    the zhang family had practiced corpse refinement for generations, their divine thoughts merging with the zombie; in their self-awareness, they were both human and corpse. hence, after death, when the divine thoughts were sealed in the painting, it manifested as a zombie.


    however, whether it¡¯s human or a corpse, mo hua had no intention of letting it go.


    mo hua, concealing his presence, held the thousand-jun stick in his hand and quietly approached the zombie disciple from behind.


    this zombie, mouth agape, was feasting merrily.


    it had no idea that every move it made was being watched by someone else.


    it was also completely oblivious to the impending danger.


    as mo hua approached the zombie from behind, he lifted the thousand-jun stick high, and with all his strength in both hands, he smashed down fiercely!


    "how dare you steal my divine sense!"


    this blow, immensely powerful, caused the zombie disciple¡¯s scalp to deform, and its form to become somewhat ethereal.


    the increase in height from consuming divine sense was reversed by the stick¡¯s blow, shrinking back.


    after the strike, mo hua was also somewhat surprised.


    he hadn¡¯t expected his blow with the thousand-jun stick to be so powerful.


    and the zombie disciple, with its scalp numbing and heart aching, took a while to recover. furious, it turned its head and saw behind it stood a small cultivator with handsome eyebrows and bright lips and white teeth.


    the zombie disciple was stunned.


    then, it widened its eyes as if seeing a "ghost."


    "no way! how can there be someone here?!"


    mo hua kept a straight face, his expression somewhat dangerous:


    "you sneak into my sea of consciousness to steal, and you ask how there can be someone? is my divine sense that delicious? i..."


    mo hua wanted to make a few more threats.


    but before he could finish, seeing the danger, the zombie disciple turned tail and ran.


    its ugly face was filled with panic.


    as soon as it saw mo hua, it knew it was no match.


    this small cultivator was young and petite, but his form was crystal clear, and his aura was deep and unfathomable.


    this was a sign of an incredibly powerful divine sense.


    moreover, it had just taken a hit from the thousand-jun stick.


    the power of that stick left it apprehensive.


    the more powerful the strike, the stronger the divine thought.


    the zombie disciple was filled with fear. sea??h th§× n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    if the divine sense had not manifested, it could continue to steal. but once manifested, with such a disparity in divine sense, it had to flee or perish right there.


    the zombie attempted to escape from mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    mo hua certainly wouldn¡¯t let it get away, he stretched out his small hand, and with a backhand gesture, the materialized spiritual power condensed into the water prison technique.


    divine thought shackles appeared out of nowhere, binding the zombie firmly in place.


    the zombie disciple struggled desperately to break free, but it simply couldn¡¯t.


    its face was full of terror as it said in disbelief,


    "a spell?"


    how could this be?


    divine thought can actually use spells?


    the old ancestor never mentioned this...


    mo hua leisurely walked up to it.


    the zombie knelt on the ground, pleading in panic, "junior, please spare my life!"


    mo hua said, "spare your life? so that you can go harm others again?"


    the zombie disciple swore, "junior can rest assured, from now on, i will stick to my duty and never harm anyone!"


    mo hua asked with doubt, "you are a zombie, right? isn¡¯t it your duty to harm people? if you stick to your duty, how could you possibly not harm people?"


    the zombie disciple was taken aback and, seeing the playful expression on mo hua¡¯s face, knew that this little cultivator would never believe its deceit, and said furiously,


    "the old ancestor won¡¯t let you off!"


    mo hua¡¯s eyes flickered, and with a smile that was not quite a smile, he said,


    "do you think... i will let your old ancestor go?"


    the zombie disciple was shocked and pale.


    this youngster, was actually, aiming at its esteemed ancestor?


    how dare he?


    and then, a chill went down the spine of the zombie disciple.


    this youngster¡¯s divine sense was domineering, full of tricks, unpredictable, and could even use spells; with a prepared mind against an unprepared one, the ancestor might be in danger...


    the zombie disciple felt both shock and rage.


    "no, i must inform the old ancestor, otherwise he will be in peril!"


    the face of the zombie disciple suddenly turned ferocious, it bit off one of its own fingers and swallowed it, and then its body began to swell, a malicious aura growing around it, and in a flash, it turned into a green-skinned corpse.


    just like zhang quan when he took the corpse blood pill.


    "i¡¯ll risk my old life to struggle against this little cultivator, then take the opportunity to escape and report to the ancestor. even if i¡¯m severely weakened and maimed afterward, the ancestor, appreciating my loyalty, will surely protect me."


    the zombie disciple thought to itself.


    then, it mustered all its strength to break free from the water prison technique and pounced fiercely towards mo hua.


    mo hua¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he lightly raised his hand, and a fireball technique began to form.


    the fireball was bright red and scorching hot, a false fire condensed by the divine sense, yet it looked incredibly real.


    at the thought of mo hua, the fireball suddenly shot out and struck the transformed zombie¡¯s chest.


    in a burst of fiery light, before the zombie disciple could reach mo hua or exchange even a single round, it was directly hit back into its original form by the fireball technique.


    it deflated like a punctured balloon, reverted from its transformation, its body caught flame, and it writhed on the ground in agonizing screams.


    it was as if real fire was burning on its body.


    spreading along with the pain was boundless despair.


    it never expected that this little cultivator¡¯s divine sense would be so powerful.


    the displayed fireball technique had such a terrifying potency...


    mo hua also furrowed his brow, wondering,


    "why am i so strong?"


    he pondered for a moment and gradually understood.


    in reality, he was in the qi refinement stage.


    but in the sea of consciousness, he was at the foundation establishment stage.


    this zombie disciple was just an ordinary walking corpse, which to him amounted to qi refinement level.


    he was now using foundation establishment level abilities to fight qi refinement.


    it was like "the big" bullying "the small".


    mo hua¡¯s back straightened up instantly.


    "no wonder, i thought to myself why i suddenly became so powerful!"


    for foundation establishment to win against qi refinement was only to be expected.


    mo hua was pleased for a while, but then felt somewhat unenthused.


    this zombie disciple was too weak, failing to bring out his full strength.


    it seemed that he would have to pick out some of zhang family¡¯s ancestors with stronger abilities to practice his skills.


    one step at a time, he would progressively advance.


    once he mastered his manifested techniques and fully grasped the zhang family zombies¡¯ methods, he would then make his move on zhang quan¡¯s old ancestor.


    in that way, it would be entirely foolproof.


    zhang quan¡¯s old ancestor had the highest cultivation and the strongest evil thoughts, certainly a formidable zombie.


    and having lived for so long, it surely had many plots up its sleeve.


    acting against it now still carried some risk.


    moreover, it had so many "disciples and grandchildren"; one could hardly fight off many with two fists, and if a group of zombies invaded the sea of consciousness, mo hua wouldn¡¯t be able to cope.


    one must eat one bite at a time.


    having made up his mind, mo hua decided to "eat" his first "bite".


    this zombie disciple was already useless.


    mo hua planned to make use of it to the fullest.


    he launched a few more fireball techniques and directly blasted the zombie into ash.


    the ash dispersed, the form and thoughts of the zombie extinguished, turning into gray strands of divine thought.


    mo hua opened his mouth slightly and swallowed them all.


    this zombie, which had wanted to devour mo hua¡¯s divine sense, ended up being "eaten" by mo hua instead.


    its malignant thoughts also bolstered mo hua¡¯s divine sense.

 Chapter 466: Eat More (1)

    mo hua eradicated the zombie disciple, "ate" its evil thoughts, and then began to sit in meditation to refine them.within the evil thoughts, there were some mottled memories.


    all were about corpse refinement, corpse raising, and corpse control.


    the zhang family¡¯s legacy throughout the generations was all about such sinister activities, ostensibly selling coffins but secretly practicing corpse refinement.


    this disciple was the same.


    he was also an ancestor of zhang quan.


    but his talent was mediocre; he was only in the qi refinement realm, and he hadn¡¯t been exposed to zombies for long before the corpse poison seized his heart and turned him into a walking corpse.


    fearing exposure, the zhangs killed him and sealed his divine thought in the ancestral master picture.


    just like many other ancestors of the zhang family.


    while it was alive, it became a zombie, and in death it remained a zombie; thus, the evil thoughts it manifested posthumously were also those of a zombie.


    the zhang family members themselves were half-human, half-zombie.


    as mo hua refined its evil thoughts, a cold, putrid, and deathly desire also tainted his divine sense.


    mo hua felt a bloodthirsty desire awaken in his heart.


    it was as if he had become a zombie himself, craving flesh and blood, with an urge to consume a living person.


    once the evil thoughts entered his heart, mo hua immediately entered a state of mental concentration, meditated in stillness, and discarded all worldly desires.


    mo hua was far from panicked.


    as mr. zhuang had said, every time evil thoughts intruded, it was a test of one¡¯s taoist heart.


    whether one can uphold their original intentions and maintain their taoist heart amid worldly desires and entanglements of evil thoughts is crucial for a cultivator.


    once the taoist heart is breached and the original intentions are extinguished, it¡¯s easy to stray and deviate from the heavenly dao.


    people aren¡¯t born resistant to all evils.


    the taoist heart also needs to be strengthened bit by bit.


    mo hua planned to start with the smaller evil thoughts, to cultivate his will, enlighten his mind gradually.


    bit by bit, to firm up his taoist heart.


    until one day, he would be impervious to all evils.


    even if an evil god invaded his brain or a heavenly demon disrupted his mind, he would remain clear and untainted, like a flawless mirror.


    the zombie disciple was quickly refined by mo hua.


    its minor evil thoughts were also discarded by mo hua.


    mo hua¡¯s divine sense had also noticeably increased.


    this was the most pronounced increase in mo hua¡¯s divine sense in the past few months.


    but it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    mo hua smacked his lips with a sense of incompleteness lingering.


    the zombie disciple was only in the qi refinement realm, and its divine thought wasn¡¯t strong; after refining out the evil thoughts, the divine sense obtained was minimal.


    that amount of divine sense was hardly enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.


    mo hua felt it was a pity, so he opened his eyes.


    bai zisheng was staring at him intently and promptly asked when mo hua opened his eyes,


    "how¡¯s it going?"


    mo hua replied, "it¡¯s fine."


    bai zisheng let out a sigh of relief and then asked,


    "what¡¯s next?"


    mo hua thought for a moment and said, "let me take another look, and you do what i told you earlier..."


    "mhm mhm." bai zisheng nodded and said, "knock you out, call for the master, burn the drawing, and scatter the ashes..."


    although it differed slightly from what mo hua had said, it was more or less the same.


    mo hua then reopened the contemplation map, which appeared to be the ancestral master picture on the surface, but was actually the zombie image.


    he looked at it again.


    the same figure in the picture looked back at him with a zombie¡¯s face.


    similarly, the zombies left their seats and leaped out of the painting, entering mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    this time mo hua released two zombies and then closed the drawing again.


    these two zombies were still only in the qi refinement realm; regarded as disciples of the zhang family in human terms and only as walking corpses in zombie terms.


    after leaping into mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness, the two zombie disciples looked at each other, both showing ecstatic expressions.


    this sea of consciousness was too vast.


    the divine sense inside was too rich.


    enough for them to feast on for a long time.


    they might even be able to evolve to foundation establishment directly by feeding here!


    who would have thought that the sea of consciousness of this young cultivator would be a paradise for feeding?


    but their joy didn¡¯t last long.


    a fireball technique came whizzing in, exploding in an instant.


    it blasted one walking corpse away, the bright flames burning its body, causing it to suffer and struggle on the ground.


    the other walking corpse froze.


    what was that just now?


    fireball technique?


    where did a fireball technique come from in the sea of consciousness?


    it quickly found out where the fireball technique came from.


    because not far away, a young cultivator with delicate features was staring with profound eyes, revealing neither joy nor anger, casually pointing at it. s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    before the walking corpse could react, a fireball condensed between the fingers of the young cultivator.


    the fireball was incredibly fast, accurate, and vicious.


    in an instant, it flew in front of the zombie.


    the undead white pupils of the walking corpse were filled with the red glow of fire, and then its entire body was also blown away by the fireball technique, landing on the ground, enduring the agony of being incinerated.


    this pain was very real.


    the walking corpse almost forgot that it was already dead, no longer possessing a physical body.


    it was terrified in its heart.


    who exactly was this young cultivator?


    but mo hua wasn¡¯t interested in wasting words.


    time was limited, so a quick resolution was needed.


    this time, he wouldn¡¯t play the cat-and-mouse game; walking corpses at the qi refinement realm wouldn¡¯t probe the depths of the zhang family¡¯s ancestral master.


    mo hua simply and brutally used the fireball technique to obliterate the two walking corpses.


    after their annihilation, he refined the evil thoughts and strengthened his divine sense.


    thereafter, mo hua replicated the process, opening the picture to release corpses, bombarding them with fireballs, and refining the evil thoughts.


    although the evil thoughts from the qi refinement realm were not strong, their cumulative effect meant that after "consuming" several walking corpses, mo hua felt his divine sense had significantly increased once more.


    but it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    this time, he set his sights on a few of the higher-ranking ancestors of the zhang family.


    those sitting in the front were also prominent, at least among the zhang family elders.


    the evil thoughts of elders should also be stronger.


    but how to lure them into his own sea of consciousness?


    mo hua thought for a moment, and his eyes sparkled slightly.

 Chapter 467: Eat More (2)

    he took out two pieces of paper, one to cover the portrait of the zhang family¡¯s ancestor, and the other to cover the least important disciples at the bottom.only the middle row was left, which seemed to comprise cultivators who looked like elders of the zhang family.


    mo hua randomly picked one, staring straight at him.


    within just a few breaths of time, that "person" also turned his head to look at mo hua.


    it was another zombie face.


    a hooked nose, drooping corners of the eyes, a fierce and sinister face, and an iron-blue complexion.


    it was an iron corpse!


    upon seeing mo hua, it showed a malicious expression, and then a greedy look flashed through its pale eyes. with a swift movement, it dove into mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    after entering mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness, the iron corpse was taken aback. s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    even though it was an elder and had seen much of the world, it was still shocked by mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    then it burst into a wild cackle.


    its laughter was hoarse, its throat damaged, grating and unpleasant to the ear.


    mo hua, who was hidden to the side, nodded to himself.


    it seemed that even the iron corpse elder couldn¡¯t discern his concealment...


    mo hua then tiptoed up behind the iron corpse with his stick in hand, raised the thousand jun stick high, and brought it down on the iron corpse¡¯s head with all his might.


    the thousand jun stick struck the back of the iron corpse¡¯s head.


    mo hua even heard a "clang" sound.


    it was like the noise of iron striking against iron.


    his palm, too, tingled slightly from the vibration.


    and that iron corpse elder, after being hit, stumbled, its face twisted in a ferocious and somewhat dazed expression, turning around to see mo hua, looking even more surprised.


    after a moment, it regained its composure, its eyes becoming even greedier.


    looking at mo hua was like eyeballing a millennium-old ginseng.


    mo hua felt somewhat regretful.


    it seemed that the iron corpse¡¯s strength was still considerable.


    the sneak attack hadn¡¯t done much damage.


    this iron corpse elder, with a solid silhouette, wasn¡¯t like the common walking corpses that would disperse with a single hit.


    even after getting hit by the stick, it only stumbled a few times, showed a pained expression, but sustained no real injuries.


    the two stood off against each other, neither making a move hastily.


    the iron corpse elder couldn¡¯t fathom the extent of mo hua¡¯s abilities, and despite its covetousness, it also had its reservations.


    it scrutinized mo hua carefully, glancing around, and suddenly realizing, said in a hoarse voice,


    "i was wondering why several disciples entered your sea of consciousness but couldn¡¯t leave, turns out they fell to your wicked hands!"


    divine thought manifestation, profound divine sense.


    not a bit inferior to this iron corpse elder itself.


    those disciples of the zhang family at the walking corpse realm were certainly no match for this young cultivator.


    dying by his hand was nothing to complain about.


    mo hua remained noncommittal.


    the iron corpse elder¡¯s expression turned fierce in a flash, "you killed the zhang family disciples, what should be your punishment?"


    mo hua muttered in his mind,


    "not only do i want to kill your zhang family disciples, but i also want to kill your zhang family ancestors..."


    however, outwardly, he simply said with indifference,


    "they wanted to eat me, and i killed them, it¡¯s their own fault."


    the iron corpse elder snorted coldly, "they just wanted to nibble on a bit of your divine sense, yet you killed them. for someone so young, your methods are rather cruel."


    mo hua was stunned, "have you become so rotten after turning into a zombie that you can even say such a thing?"


    the iron corpse elder harrumphed.


    in its mind, it was calculating mo hua¡¯s strength.


    this youngster¡¯s divine thought manifestation must be an innate talent.


    but a clash of divine thought isn¡¯t that simple.


    even with some talent, how could this youngster compare with the corpse path techniques inherited by the zhang family for hundreds of years?


    he might be able to take advantage of the weaker disciples.


    but now that it had entered the fray, this little cultivator would be a grand feast for all the disciples of the zhang family!


    the iron corpse elder looked at the fresh and lovely mo hua, unable to resist licking its lips.


    mo hua also understood its intentions and scoffed in his mind,


    "who will be whose feast is not yet certain."


    the iron corpse elder, unable to contain itself, watched mo hua.


    it suddenly opened its wide mouth, revealing rows of sharp, ferocious fangs, smeared with stinking corpse poison. its body turned into a streak of green light, lunging straight for mo hua with a bite.


    its attack appeared swift, but every move had long been anticipated by mo hua.


    mo hua performed the water passing step, nimbly dodging the iron corpse elder¡¯s onslaught.


    with a surge of effort, the iron corpse elder attacked relentlessly with various claw strikes from different angles, all of which mo hua dodged one after the other.


    mo hua even stepped on the iron corpse elder¡¯s head and smoothly retreated.


    the iron corpse elder was both agitated and furious.


    this young brat dare to humiliate it?


    it made as if to lunge again but realized that mo hua, who had put some distance between them, pointed a finger from afar, and a flash of fire appeared.


    a fireball whistled toward it.


    the iron corpse elder¡¯s pupils contracted, only having time to cross its arms over its face for protection.


    the fireball technique then exploded in front of it.


    the sleeves covering its arms were burned away, revealing the iron-blue, corpse-like limbs.


    on the burned arms, the flesh was singed black.


    and flames were still licking around its body.


    the iron corpse elder inhaled sharply.


    fireball technique?


    how was it possible?


    how could divine sense condense into a spell?


    it realized something was wrong...


    this youngster didn¡¯t just have good luck or a natural talent for divine thought manifestation.


    he must have inherited a spell point for divine thought!


    manifesting spells within the sea of consciousness.


    this technique was extremely clever; having parasitized the portrait for so long and having consumed so many cultivators¡¯ divine sense, it had never seen such a thing before, or even heard of it.


    even the ancestors probably didn¡¯t know of this method.


    the iron corpse elder felt fear creeping in.


    "we need to take a long-term approach..."


    facing this youngster alone would be unwise.


    they would need to gather the full strength of the zhang family, make other plans, kill this youngster, and then feast on his divine sense.


    if the opportunity arose, they could even seize his inheritance!


    the zhang family¡¯s power would surely grow immensely!

 Chapter 468: Eat More (3)

    the iron corpse elder had made up his mind and thus began to think of retreating.mo hua immediately saw through its intentions.


    since it wanted to run, then mo hua wouldn¡¯t be polite.


    he cast the water prison technique with a flick of his wrist to hold the iron corpse captive, then launched the fireball technique again and again. huge flames engulfed the iron corpse elder in no time.


    a moment later, the fire receded, and smoke billowed in all directions.


    with an angry roar, the iron corpse elder stepped out from the fire and smoke.


    its eyes were blood-red, its body huge, and its skin an iron-blue darkening to black, showing clear signs of further corpse transformation. its overall strength had climbed a notch.


    "brat, you¡¯ve angered me!"


    the iron corpse elder, having undergone corpse transformation, was enraged.


    but to mo hua, it hardly made a difference.


    he still used the water prison technique to control it, followed by bombarding it with the fireball technique.


    the iron corpse elder had no way to apply its strength, forced to be suppressed by mo hua. sensing the dire situation, it used all its power to resist the impacts of exploding fireballs and rushed towards mo hua.


    but upon looking up, there was no one there.


    mo hua had already used the water passing step to withdraw gracefully, regaining the distance, then he used the water prison technique to hold and the fireball technique to bomb again¡­


    amidst the flying sparks, the iron corpse elder¡¯s face was fierce, its figure in disarray, its heart filled with fear.


    after living for so many years, feasting on so many cultivators, was it truly no match for this young cultivator?


    was it so thoroughly suppressed by his spells that it couldn¡¯t retaliate?


    merely like a punching bag, held in place by spells, then hung up and beaten?


    the iron corpse elder found it hard to believe.


    mo hua was also frowning.


    it seemed¡­ impossible to kill.


    after the iron corpse¡¯s further transformation into a zombie, its flesh had become too tough.


    relying solely on the fireball technique, it could be suppressed, defeated, but killing it was difficult.


    if this stalemate continued, there was the possibility that his divine sense would be exhausted, the power of his spells would weaken, and it would find an opportunity to escape.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze turned cold, "need to find a way, to slaughter it."


    the iron corpse elder understood this as well.


    if it wasn¡¯t mo hua¡¯s match, it could only withstand his fireball technique, minimize the damage, and wait for mo hua¡¯s divine sense to be spent to have a chance to escape or even counterattack.


    controlling with spells like this would also consume a considerable amount of divine sense.


    this brat, can¡¯t last much longer...


    as expected, shortly after, the fireball technique stopped.


    the iron corpse elder¡¯s heart leapt with joy, but when it looked up, it saw mo hua with closed eyes, concentrating, apparently doing something.


    the iron corpse elder was taken aback.


    what did this brat mean by this?


    was he distracted? or had he given up?


    or perhaps, was there some issue with his divine sense?


    should i flee now, or just rush over and kill him?


    during its moment of hesitation, it suddenly sensed something was amiss.


    the atmosphere around seemed to have changed.


    the iron corpse elder suddenly looked down and saw that, at some point, many faint blue threads of spiritual power had appeared underfoot. these threads twisted and turned, moving on their own, connecting into mysterious patterns.


    the iron corpse elder¡¯s eyes widened.


    what was this?


    sensing danger, it tried to flee, but it was too late.


    mo hua had completed his first formation.


    this was a golden lock formation.


    the faint blue spiritual power formed patterns on the ground, which then emitted a golden light, solidifying into chains of spiritual power that tightly locked the iron corpse elder in place.


    after several attempts, the iron corpse elder couldn¡¯t break free.


    then, after a while, the second formation was also ready.


    this was a melting fire formation.


    the moment the formation patterns formed, the faint blue spiritual power emitted a blinding red light. the ground turned into a sea of fire, like a blazing furnace, trapping and roasting the iron corpse elder within it.


    fear filled the heart of the iron corpse elder.


    a formation?


    this brat was a formation master?


    but were formation masters meant to draw formations like this?


    without pen or ink, relying solely on divine thought, to form a formation so quickly?


    formations obey the heavenly dao, the obsession and killer intent towards divine sense is the greatest.


    moreover, it was such a vivid and powerful formation.


    the iron corpse elder¡¯s heart trembled.


    "it¡¯s over, capsized in the gutter."


    it was just starving for so long and wanted to come out for a bite to eat, only to be roasted by a formation set up by some unknown brat?


    the cultivation world is truly goddamn treacherous!


    such a vicious brat.


    facing death, the iron corpse elder wanted to struggle with all its might one last time.


    for a moment, it broke free from the golden lock formation, but was then immobilized by mo hua¡¯s water prison technique on the spot. moments later, the spiritual power of the golden lock formation restored itself, turning back into golden locks and securing it firmly once again.


    and the melting fire formation, like a furnace, ceaselessly scorched its body.


    a dull knife cutting through flesh will eventually finish.


    the iron corpse elder fell into despair.


    mo hua, on the other hand, was sizing up the iron corpse elder and suddenly asked with curiosity,


    "the technique of your corpse transformation, was it passed down from your ancestor?"


    through gritted teeth, the iron corpse elder replied,


    "what if it was?"


    "do you have any other techniques?" mo hua inquired.


    the iron corpse elder, seething, remained silent.


    "if you have no other techniques, you¡¯re going to die here today," mo hua "kindly" reminded.


    the iron corpse elder was so angry it couldn¡¯t speak. sear?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua stroked his chin, pondering.


    this iron corpse elder seemed to have really run out of tricks, no other techniques left.


    mo hua felt somewhat regretful and disappointed,


    "that¡¯s all your ancestor passed down to you?"


    the iron corpse elder sneered, "of course not. my ancestor¡¯s techniques are innumerable¨Chow could they be understood by a mere¡­ "


    while speaking, it suddenly stopped, followed by a sudden jolt of alarm.


    was this brat tricking him into talking?


    what did he mean?


    what did he want to know?


    ancestor¡­


    he wanted to understand the ancestor¡¯s techniques, could it be¡­ he was after the ancestor¡¯s legacy?


    the iron corpse elder was filled with fear.


    no, it¡¯s not possible.


    how could he, a mere brat, possibly¡­


    the iron corpse elder paused, his face showing horror.


    no, it was possible!


    given the brat¡¯s inconceivable abilities in the sea of consciousness, he really could plot against the ancestor!


    if he succeeded, and understood the ancestor¡¯s techniques, the ancestor, the ancestor...


    the ancestor would be in danger!


    the iron corpse elder¡¯s heart trembled.


    seeing his thoughts uncovered, mo hua lamented,


    "being an oblivious ghost would have been better for you."


    understanding everything meant he only had to slaughter you now.


    although mo hua didn¡¯t plan on sparing his life in the first place.


    mo hua no longer wasted words, focusing on driving the formation to refine the iron corpse elder, who was stricken with terror, and then swallowed it whole.


    the divine thought of an iron corpse would certainly be much stronger.


    after swallowing it, mo hua temporarily couldn¡¯t refine it completely and estimated that it would take several days to do so gradually.


    occasionally, evil thoughts would bubble up from the depths of his heart.


    mo hua could only calm those thoughts through still meditation from now on.


    after exiting the sea of consciousness, mo hua opened his eyes and glanced at the zhang family¡¯s ancestral master picture.


    the picture still contained many zombies, several iron corpses, and also zhang quan¡¯s ancestor.


    one by one, come then...


    none shall escape!


    it¡¯s just whether, after finishing them all in "one pot", his divine sense will directly reach thirteen stripes...


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    bai zisheng asked, noticing his state, "are you... all right?"


    mo hua came back to his senses and shook his head, "i¡¯m fine."


    yet bai zisheng frowned, sensing something amiss, "it seems somewhat off..."


    bai zixi¡¯s eyes, like water, also stared at mo hua for a while, then asked puzzled,


    "your face, why does it seem a bit wicked?"


    mo hua rubbed his cheek, "ate something not so good, need to digest it a bit."

 Chapter 469: Riot (1)

    after spending a few days, mo hua "digested" the iron corpse elder and purified its malicious thoughts, significantly increasing his divine sense."as expected of the iron corpse elder, the divine sense is comparable to foundation establishment..."


    mo hua felt great joy in his heart.


    with the enhancement of divine sense and the condensation of spells and formations during the manifestation of divine thought in battle, mo hua¡¯s control of spiritual power became even more precise, deepening his comprehension of the spiritual pivot formation.


    but that was as far as he could go.


    no matter how mo hua practiced thereafter, and no matter how much he reflected, he could no longer gain any new insights.


    his understanding of the spiritual pivot formation had reached a bottleneck.


    mo hua thought it over and felt that this shouldn¡¯t be his own issue.


    after all, studying the spiritual pivot formation, whether in terms of divine sense expenditure or understanding of the laws, had not reached a state of utter exhaustion and extreme difficulty.


    the current bottleneck likely lay with the formation itself.


    the spiritual pivot formation in his possession was incomplete.


    an incomplete formation could not fully grasp the fundamental principles of spiritual power.


    "it seems i need to find a way to obtain the complete spiritual pivot formation..."


    mo hua silently said to himself.


    in the time to come, he still had to deal with the zhang family¡¯s "zombie" situation.


    he planned to "eat" the zombies in the diagram, from the weakest to the strongest.


    with the strategy of nourishing warfare through warfare, devouring his disciples and grand-disciples to enhance his divine sense, he would eventually take on the zombies¡¯ ancestral master.


    that would be zhang quan¡¯s ancestor.


    however, according to what the iron corpse elder had said, this zombie ancestor had many tricks up its sleeve.


    knowing both your enemy and yourself, you will never be endangered in a hundred battles.


    he needed to find a way to fully understand its capabilities to develop a targeted strategy.


    moreover, as for divine thought manifestation, mo hua was still not very proficient with it.


    even though he had repeatedly engaged in battle, and the manifestations of spells and formations were quite substantial, mo hua was still not quite satisfied.


    the manifested spiritual power wasn¡¯t realistic enough;


    the power of the manifested spells was slightly inferior;


    and the speed of manifested formations was still a bit too slow...


    this level of skill was more than adequate to deal with lesser zombies.


    it was just sufficient to suppress the iron corpse elder.


    but when facing the zhang family¡¯s zombie ancestral master, mo hua lacked confidence.


    to the average cultivator, with the zhang family¡¯s evil thoughts and a whole family of zombies, having consumed who knows how many people, their strength was already extremely formidable.


    being able to suppress walking corpses and iron corpses was already an achievement.


    but mo hua believed that he was a disciple of mr. zhuang.


    if his master had taught him divine thought manifestation, then he must master it exceptionally well; otherwise, he would surely lose face for his master and let down his master¡¯s expectations.


    therefore, his divine sense had to be cultivated to the extreme.


    divine thought manifestation also had to be cultivated to the extreme!


    the manifestation of spells and formations required the manifestation of spiritual power as a foundation.


    manifesting spiritual power required an intrinsic understanding of the nature of spiritual power.


    the deeper the understanding, the more authentic the manifestation, and the stronger the power.


    and the understanding of the nature of spiritual power had to do with the spiritual pivot formation.


    thus, apart from "eating" zombies, mo hua had to start preparing to find the complete spiritual pivot formation.


    besides, the spiritual pivot formation was related to the traitor of the minor hidden spirit sect.


    instructor yan had devoted most of his life to settling this grudge with the sect.


    his lifelong obsession was to recover the spiritual pivot formation and take personal revenge on the traitor who had betrayed and dishonored their ancestors.


    instructor yan had shown him great kindness.


    a drop of water should be repaid with a spring.


    if the black hand behind the corpse cultivators in the mine turned out to be the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect, mo hua wouldn¡¯t mind letting the deserving die a fitting death.


    ...


    the clue to the spiritual pivot formation was hidden on zhang quan, who was detained at taoist court.


    during these days, mo hua¡¯s thoughts had all been focused on capturing zombies.


    but he had kept an eye on the news from the taoist court.


    when situ fang and situ jin came to present gifts, mo hua took the opportunity to subtly inquire about some information.


    the gifts from situ fang were formation diagrams and some formation books.


    this was previously agreed upon.


    it was both an expression of situ fang¡¯s gratitude and the situ family¡¯s goodwill.


    one can accept rewards for their services.


    he had indeed been a great help with the corpse walking stronghold.


    not to mention that the gifts were related to formations.


    mo hua thus accepted them with peace of mind. s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in addition, there were some brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, specialties of the situ clan¡¯s spirit fruits, as well as various types of spiritual meat.


    they weren¡¯t particularly valuable, but they were thoughtful.


    mo hua accepted those as well.


    the spirit fruits could be made into cakes for junior sister to eat.


    the spiritual meat could be stewed for master and junior brother to enjoy.


    there were also some odd fruits, with unknown flavors, but looking crunchy and crisp, which mo hua planned to fry and let old kui try...


    after receiving the gifts and offering tea, exchanging a few polite words, mo hua asked:


    "how are things with zhang quan?"


    situ jin hesitated somewhat.


    after a moment¡¯s hesitation, situ fang shook his head and said,


    "we haven¡¯t gotten anything out of him..."


    "have you used torture?"


    "we have," situ fang sighed, "we¡¯ve broken five or six sticks on him, but he just won¡¯t speak, not a single word."


    mo hua wondered, "doesn¡¯t he feel pain?"


    situ jin frowned and explained:


    "it looks like a special cultivation technique that can make the flesh as stiff as a zombie and the senses numb, impervious to pain,"


    "what about using other methods?" mo hua thought for a moment, then said:


    "i remember uncle zhang telling me that the punishments of the taoist court are plentiful, ranging from pinching fingers to cutting meridians to poisoning eyes..."


    "what on earth are you talking about that zhang lan told you..."


    instructor yan grumbled in her heart.


    she noted down what mo hua said.


    next time she visited the zhang family to complain, there would be another "crime" to add to zhang lan¡¯s list of offenses.


    after that, instructor yan said helplessly, "we tried, but none of them worked."


    "alright then..."


    mo hua felt somewhat regretful.


    "i will think of another way and ask about it. if zhang quan says anything, i will tell you," instructor yan said.


    "mhm, thank you, sister situ!"


    mo hua nodded and responded.


    after instructor yan and situ jin left, mo hua began to wonder:


    "how can we make zhang quan confess?"


    he wondered if formations could be used for torture...


    before mo hua could think of anything, chaos erupted in south yue city two nights later.


    the streets were bustling, sprinkled with light from fires.


    there were also noisy shouts from cultivators and dense fluctuations of spiritual power.


    mo hua heard the commotion, but he was busy catching zombies in his sea of consciousness and couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted, so he didn¡¯t pay it any mind.


    the next day, instructor yan arrived.


    she was injured and looked haggard.


    mo hua asked with concern, "sister situ, what happened?"


    instructor yan regretfully said, "zhang quan is dead."


    mo hua was startled, "dead?"


    instructor yan sighed, "last night at 1 a.m., some cultivators broke into the prison wearing black robes, moving stealthily. by the time the taoist court noticed, it was already too late..."


    the taoist court had indeed been negligent in its defense.


    but the main issue was that they never expected someone would dare to break into the taoist court¡¯s prison.


    this was defiance against the taoist court.


    if caught, there would be severe punishment and consequences for all involved!


    mo hua¡¯s expression also grew solemn as he asked:


    "did they break into the prison to rescue zhang quan?"


    instructor yan nodded.


    mo hua was puzzled, "if it was to save zhang quan, how come he is still dead?"


    instructor yan explained, "during the chaotic fight, someone stabbed zhang quan with a sword. then they set a fire that burned down half of the taoist prison along with zhang quan¡¯s body..."


    mo hua frowned, "someone stabbed zhang quan with a sword... that person must have been at the foundation establishment level."


    "yes," instructor yan also frowned deeply, "there were foundation establishment level individuals among the prison breakers, the taoist court, and other sects and clans that came to support when they heard of the chaos at the taoist court..."


    "in the midst of the chaos, no one knows who killed zhang quan or who set the fire."


    "this matter... is quite strange," mo hua mused.


    instructor yan nodded, "i suspect the prison break was a feint, and the real intent was to kill and silence him."


    "what happened to those cultivators who broke into the prison afterward?" mo hua asked.


    instructor yan replied with resignation, "they all died as well."


    mo hua opened his mouth in surprise, "all of them died?"


    "yes."


    "so... not a single survivor?"


    "that¡¯s right," instructor yan sighed helplessly, "and it¡¯s not even certain that those dead bandits were actual robbers."


    "their identities?"


    "still under investigation, but it¡¯s doubtful anything will come of it."


    mo hua murmured with furrowed brows, "so, they all died..."


    "then, the responsibility of the taoist court for this incident must be significant," mo hua asked again.


    such a prison break should surely lead to a thorough investigation.


    after contemplating, instructor yan shook her head:


    "it¡¯s hard to say..."


    indeed, two days later, the matter was brushed aside.


    instructor yan found mo hua, her expression a mixture of anger and helplessness.


    mo hua learned the outcome of the incident from instructor yan.


    in the report sent to the taoist court by court leader qian of south yue city, it was written:


    "taoist calendar year 20,025, beginning of the fourth month...


    unknown black-robed cultivators attempted a prison break, met with swift suppression from the taoist court, convict zhang quan died, and the bandits were all executed.


    half of the taoist prison was damaged, one enforcement leader killed and ten injured... a request for 2,836 spirit stones for compensation..."


    although there had been a prison break, all the bandits died, and so did the convict.


    the taoist court paid a price but preserved its dignity.


    on the balance, the positives and negatives canceled each other out.


    even if an investigation were pursued, there would be nowhere to go, as all were dead...


    at most, there would be some minor reprimands.


    mo hua was somewhat shocked.


    this was incredibly audacious and meticulous.


    they committed a brazen act like a prison break, but managed to resolve everything both above and below them.


    in the end, a big issue was played down, a small issue disappeared...


    mo hua¡¯s gaze turned speculative.


    the big fish behind the scenes had surfaced.


    but it had bitten the hook, taken the bait, snapped the line, and slipped away...

 Chapter 470: Chapter Corpse Mine (1)

    zhang quan died, leaving no proof behind.the iron corpse was stolen, and the clues stopped there.


    now, the only option was to start with the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then ran off to ask instructor yan:


    "instructor, do you think that traitor is still in south yue city?"


    instructor yan¡¯s gaze flickered, and he sighed:


    "i¡¯ve been searching for quite some time with no leads. perhaps he¡¯s no longer here..."


    mo hua shook his head, "instructor, you¡¯re lying."


    instructor yan was stunned for a moment.


    but mo hua appeared certain.


    unable to resist, instructor yan asked, "how do you know i¡¯m lying?"


    "i guessed!"


    mo hua¡¯s voice rang out clearly.


    he looked at instructor yan with eyes clear and unclouded, the pupils deep and pure, unsullied by even a speck of dust.


    being seen with such a gaze by mo hua, instructor yan felt he couldn¡¯t hide anything.


    even guilt arose in his heart.


    instructor yan was silent for a long while, his inner struggle evident. finally, he sighed and spoke up:


    "that person is indeed in south yue city..."


    "i didn¡¯t tell you before because, first, i didn¡¯t want to get you involved, and second, because this is just my speculation. i have no proof and can¡¯t be sure."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he quickly asked:


    "where in south yue city?"


    instructor yan frowned, "i suspect he¡¯s with the lu family."


    the lu family!


    mo hua¡¯s gaze shifted as he silently pondered.


    the traitor, shen cai, had changed both his name and his appearance, likely to hide within south yue city, and would probably seek the protection of a powerful force.


    being a loose cultivator was out of the question.


    firstly, the life of a loose cultivator was tough, and he betrayed his sect not to live a hard life.


    secondly, being a formation master with no kin, it would be even more conspicuous to mix among loose cultivators, making his identity more suspicious.


    if not a loose cultivator, then he must find a powerful force to depend on.


    if he were to rely on one, it had to be a significant force.


    it¡¯s easy to enjoy the shade under a big tree, and within the crowd and chaos, it¡¯s easier to blend in.


    the three major powers in south yue city: the first is the taoist court, the second is the south yue sect, and the third is the lu family.


    the taoist court values lineage, and without a clean¡ªat least apparently clean¡ªidentity, you can¡¯t get in;


    the south yue sect is a sect, the lu family is a clan.


    compared to each other, as long as you¡¯re capable, you could infiltrate either.


    to become an instructor, an elder of the outer gate or an offshoot, a guest elder, or to enter through marriage¡ªthere were many options, and the positions were quite high, with good treatment too.


    previously, mo hua also guessed if the traitor were to hide, he would be within the south yue sect or the lu family.


    but he was a bit uncertain.


    now, instructor yan had also guessed it was the lu family...


    mo hua asked, "why do you think he¡¯s with the lu family?"


    instructor yan replied, "you were right, i did lie to you before..."


    "when i was in south yue city, i saw the handwriting of the traitor¡¯s formations. at that time, i told you i couldn¡¯t find the origin of this formation; i was lying..."


    "i found out..."


    instructor yan looked grave, "this formation originated from the lu family."


    "and that mine, the aura of its formations, was familiar yet obscure, with a touch of something sinister..." s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i suspect the formations used in that mine are the spiritual pivot formation."


    "that mine also belongs to the lu family."


    "i rented a house near the mines because i suspected the lu family. i wanted to gather some information and find clues to that traitor..."


    instructor yan appeared somewhat helpless, "but i didn¡¯t expect to run into zhang quan, to be held hostage by him, trapped in the corpse walking stronghold..."


    "you know the rest..."


    instructor yan poured out everything.


    mo hua slowly nodded, "now that you mention it, the lu family does seem to be the most suspicious."


    instructor yan nodded slightly too, then his expression grew despondent:


    "the lu family¡¯s power is too great, owning several mines, with multiple foundation establishment cultivators stationed, engaging in mining, brothels, gambling dens, restaurants, occupying the majority of prosperous jinhua street. their relationships in south yue city are intertwined and complicated..."


    "i don¡¯t have the ability to investigate the lu family, and even if i did, i¡¯m afraid that..."


    instructor yan heaved a deep sigh.


    mo hua understood instructor yan¡¯s difficulties.


    with the lu family being such a large local force, instructor yan, a cultivator from outside, even as a formation master, had no way to investigate.


    and even if he found out anything, instructor yan, not being skilled in taoist skills, couldn¡¯t do much.


    if he went to report to the taoist court, claiming that someone from the lu family betrayed their master and destroyed their lineage,


    likely, the one being detained would be instructor yan himself.


    mo hua then comforted instructor yan:


    "instructor, in fact, manager mo is right¡ªyou should consider your own lifelong affairs. it¡¯s time to find a partner, settle down, and live happily."


    instructor yan stopped short, somewhat helplessly.


    mo hua continued, "what goes around comes around. maybe that person will meet his end on his own one day?"


    "these days, just stay here with peace of mind, drink tea with mr. zhuang, chat, and discuss formations..."


    "as for the rest, let nature take its course; don¡¯t take it too much to heart."


    although he said this, instructor yan¡¯s dilemma wasn¡¯t likely that easy to resolve.


    but having heard mo hua¡¯s words, some warmth stirred in instructor yan¡¯s heart.


    for many years, he¡¯d been somber, his temperament somewhat frosty.


    the care of others was something he seldom felt.


    but almost immediately, instructor yan realized something was off and looked at mo hua with suspicion, "are you... planning to do something?"


    mo hua smiled and shook his head:


    "nothing much."


    what he planned to do, he couldn¡¯t tell instructor yan just yet.


    later, he changed the topic and chatted with instructor yan for a bit before heading to the taoist court to seek out situ fang.


    it was inconvenient to talk at the taoist court, so the two found a secluded teahouse.


    mo hua whispered:


    "sister situ, has your court leader ever taken bribes from the south yue sect?"


    situ fang was taken aback, thought for a moment, and nodded.


    "then, has he ever taken bribes from the lu family?"


    situ fang nodded again.


    mo hua fell silent. he changed his approach and asked:


    "so, in south yue city, is there a sect or clan that hasn¡¯t bribed him?"


    situ fang hesitated and said,


    "there might be some, but such forces likely no longer exist..."


    mo hua found it hard to believe, "he¡¯s that greedy?"


    situ fang said diplomatically, "after all, he is my immediate court leader; i shouldn¡¯t really judge his right and wrong."


    mo hua understood.


    it meant he was so corrupt that even she had nothing to say.


    mo hua frowned, "he¡¯s so greedy, and nobody does anything about it?"


    situ fang coughed twice, then said in a lowered voice,


    "the taoist court has power, and where there is power, there is greed, it¡¯s only a matter of how much or how little."


    "there are those who aren¡¯t greedy, but they¡¯re rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns."


    "power and money beget each other."


    "as long as you have power, people will bring spirit stones to your door, you won¡¯t even need to lift a finger, and they¡¯ll put those stones in your pocket."


    "and as long as you have spirit stones, naturally, you can use them to exchange for power..."


    mo hua nodded, then suddenly found something odd,


    "sister situ, your tone, why does it sound so much like uncle zhang lan..."


    situ fang expressed disdain, "that¡¯s what he told me."


    mo hua was taken aback.


    situ fang sighed, "he was worried that i was too straightforward, too na?ve, so he told me these words when i first became a supervisor."


    at first, situ fang didn¡¯t believe it.


    but after becoming a supervisor and witnessing many things, she had no choice but to believe.


    mo hua pondered for a while, then asked,


    "which family has bribed court leader qian the most?"


    "that would definitely be the lu family."


    "is the lu family the richest?"


    "yes." situ fang nodded and sighed,


    "most of the mines in south yue city belong to the lu family, most of the mining cultivators in south yue city work for the lu family, how could they not be rich?"


    what she probably left unsaid:...and most of the taoist court has been bought by the lu family...


    mo hua muttered to herself internally.


    seeing mo hua¡¯s expression, situ fang frowned and then reminded,


    "don¡¯t oppose the lu family..."


    "powerful dragons do not suppress local snakes; the lu family has immense power, deep connections, and complex relationships. unless the taoist court intervenes, such local forces can do a lot of bad things and still cover everything up perfectly once they collude with the local taoist court officials."


    "it¡¯s like trying to remove grass without taking out the roots..."


    her own situ family, upon arriving in south yue city, also abided by the rules.


    there may have been conflicts of interest, but they would never tear each other apart.


    the problems in south yue city are deep-rooted.


    they were not something the situ family could just decide to resolve.


    moreover, situ fang was only a supervisor.


    situ fang deeply valued her friendship with mo hua and feared that he was unaware of the peril within, and that his passion might recklessly entangle him in matters from which he could not extricate himself.


    mo hua then nodded and said with a smile,


    "don¡¯t worry, i know what i¡¯m doing."


    after confirming the relationship between the lu family and the taoist court, mo hua took another trip to the lu family¡¯s mines.


    on the surface, the mines of the lu family were as noisy and busy as ever.


    but mo hua noticed that the surrounding formations had changed.


    the formations were more comprehensive and the guards more vigilant.


    around the perimeter of the mines, many expose dust formations had been set up, and at the gate, even an expose shadow formation had been laid...


    these formations seemed to be guarding against someone like herself...


    at the same time, the cultivators guarding the mines had been replaced.


    the cultivator from the lu family named lu ming had been transferred away.


    the number of lu family foundation establishment cultivators stationed at the mines had also doubled.


    they no longer had beautiful maids fanning them, nor fine food and drink, instead, they sat quietly with focused expressions, occasionally releasing divine sense to scan around, as if on guard against something.


    "there¡¯s a big problem..."


    mo hua muttered to herself.


    with foundation establishment cultivators, expose dust formations, and expose shadow formations, it was not going to be easy to slip in.


    mo hua planned to check it out at night.


    but come nighttime, those two foundation establishment cultivators were still there.


    with a sweep of divine sense, mo hua could even detect that many corners were stealthily filled with lu family cultivators.


    there was no mining at night, yet their vigilance had intensified.


    they didn¡¯t leave mo hua any chance.


    "the problem is huge..."


    deciding it was futile, mo hua simply waited outside until midnight.


    finally, at 1 a.m., some noises emanated from inside the mines.


    waves of sinister qi drifted over.


    however, unlike before, these sounds were very subtle.


    the qi inside was also weak and hard to detect.


    it was as if it had been deliberately repressed or obscured by formations or something similar.


    the intense and dreadful atmosphere that mo hua had sensed before, teeming with dark and eerie vibes that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine, was completely different now.


    the qi from the mines was faint now, and the noises were low.


    even an ordinary cultivator passing by might not notice anything unusual about the mines.


    mo hua¡¯s expression became serious.


    he sat down cross-legged, released his divine sense and concentrated on sensing the qi from the mines.


    a moment later, mo hua opened his eyes, certain in his heart.


    he wasn¡¯t wrong in his guess.


    the qi in these mines was that of zombies!


    previously, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    but after dealing with zhang quan, visiting corpse walking stronghold, stealing the corpse controlling bell, taking the "zombie image," and even consuming a few zombies,


    mo hua was now very familiar.


    that deathly qi was the corpse qi from zombies.


    that rotting stench was the putrid odor from walking corpses.


    the evil formations were exactly the spiritual pivot evil formations inscribed on zombies.


    formerly, the dense and chilling qi was because within this mine were countless zombies!


    this mine owned by the lu family was a corpse mine!

 Chapter 471: The Lu Family (1)

    the ore from the lu family was from a corpse mine, which concealed zombies.the five mining cultivators who had disappeared earlier had met with a gruesome death, eaten by the zombies in the mines.


    zhang quan killed people, bought corpses, refined zombies, and delivered the refined zombies to the lu family.


    and the lu family hid these zombies in the mines.


    they also laid down a tight formation, sealing the zombies away so that no one would notice them.


    mo hua frowned.


    what exactly did the lu family want to do?


    and what exactly was the identity of that traitor within the lu family?


    mo hua glanced at the tightly guarded mine.


    to mobilize so much manpower and resources, to set up a formation, to guard the mine, that traitor in the lu family must at least be a real power-holding elder, or perhaps a revered guest elder.


    as long as that traitor was pulled out, everything would be resolved easily.


    "but who could this traitor be..."


    mo hua had no leads for the moment and kept thinking about it after returning.


    even during meals, he was somewhat distracted, daydreaming while eating.


    bai zixi nudged him with her elbow and said softly,


    "eat your food properly."


    "oh," mo hua came back to his senses and nodded.


    bai zisheng then leaned in and asked quietly,


    "what are you thinking about?"


    mo hua looked up at mr. zhuang, saw that mr. zhuang was drinking on his own without bothering to listen to their whispers, and then also spoke softly,


    "i¡¯m thinking about the lu family¡¯s matter."


    "what matter?" bai zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up.


    mo hua hesitated for a moment, but feeling that there was no need to hide it, he told bai zisheng about the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect, the lu family¡¯s mines, and the cultivation of zombies.


    bai zisheng smacked his lips, "i told you, the lu family is no good."


    then his brows furrowed again, doubting himself,


    "our bai family wouldn¡¯t also... "


    bai zixi said helplessly, "the bai family was established on military achievements."


    bai zisheng was stunned, then heaved a sigh of relief.


    well, military achievements were still acceptable...


    that meant earning them through legitimate combat on the battlefield.


    bai zisheng then asked mo hua, "what do you plan to do?"


    "i want to find the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect hidden within the lu family."


    mo hua mused, "the complete spiritual pivot formation must be in his possession; the one who bought the zombies from zhang quan is probably him; the one directing the lu family to hoard zombies and establish the corpse mine should still be him..."


    "need help?"


    bai zisheng was eager to try.


    bai zixi also looked at mo hua, the implication clear.


    mo hua hesitated for a moment, then nodded,


    "okay."


    it takes a good fence to make good stakes, just like it takes good comrades to support a hero.


    he indeed couldn¡¯t handle this matter alone; with the help of his junior brother and junior sister, it should go much smoother.


    mr. zhuang, drinking his wine, glanced at his three little disciples huddled together, murmuring and discussing something, his expression somewhat gratified.


    then, a hint of nostalgia arose in his heart.


    for a moment, he even saw his three little disciples from years past, gathered together, cultivating and playing.


    but in the blink of an eye, all was gone, like smoke dissipated.


    time flies, things change, and people change.


    mr. zhuang looked melancholic and let out a slight sigh...


    ...


    after the meal, the three of mo hua set out separately to gather information about the lu family.


    mo hua first went to find the housing agency workers.


    that is, the articulate and seemingly clever housing agency worker who sold the cave dwelling to him.


    when that housing agency worker saw mo hua, his expression was respectful but tinged with a bit of fear.


    the housing agency worker was a bit troubled when mo hua mentioned his name,


    "young gentleman, how about you choose someone else?"


    mo hua wondered, "why?"


    the housing agency worker chuckled nervously.


    last time he took mo hua to see the cave dwelling, mo hua¡¯s keen eyes found more than a dozen flaws, declared the formation worthless, and cut the price almost in half.


    now, seeing mo hua¡¯s clear yet somewhat profound gaze, he felt a bit intimidated.


    although mr. zheng didn¡¯t blame him for this, it still made it impossible for him to lift his head in front of his colleagues.


    now they had given him the nickname "half-cutter."


    it meant that when negotiating with him, one should start by cutting the price in half.


    the housing agency worker thus declined politely, "my abilities are insufficient, i¡¯m not..."


    mo hua slipped two spirit stones into his hand and consoled,


    "i¡¯m just looking around, not buying."


    the two spirit stones warmed the housing agency worker¡¯s heart.


    the housing agency worker hesitated for a moment but then anticipated, "you¡¯re really just looking and not buying?"


    "mhm, mhm," mo hua answered sincerely, with an innocent look.


    the housing agency worker couldn¡¯t resist mo hua, and of course, he couldn¡¯t resist the spirit stones in his hand either.


    besides, mo hua had said he wasn¡¯t going to buy anything.


    not buying was good.


    if he wasn¡¯t buying, he wouldn¡¯t haggle the price...


    "alright."


    the housing agency worker agreed cheerfully.


    so, he took the lead, guiding mo hua through north street in south yue city, strolling among some houses.


    these houses were all part of the lu family¡¯s estate.


    mo hua also took the opportunity to inquire about some news concerning the lu family.


    as he was asking, the housing agency worker began to sense that something was wrong.


    but he didn¡¯t dare to ask directly, so he could only hint subtly,


    "young gentleman, are you, by any chance, holding a grudge against the lu family?"


    "there¡¯s no grudge..."


    mo hua pretended to be somewhat embarrassed, "it¡¯s just that... the lu family head wants me to marry a girl from the lu family, and i... i¡¯m unfamiliar with this place, so i just wanted to discreetly inquire about the lu family¡¯s situation..."


    marry a girl from the lu family?


    marry into the family?


    the housing agency worker¡¯s expression showed both admiration and pity.


    for the lu family head to personally speak out and propose a marriage, this young gentleman must really be something.


    but what a pity that it¡¯s just about marrying into the family.


    in this day and age, which competent cultivator would be willing to marry into a family?


    the housing agency worker actually held mo hua in some esteem.


    although mo hua had hurt him deeply when it came to bargaining.


    the housing agency worker wrestled with his thoughts for a moment before advising,


    "young gentleman, these words may not be pleasant to hear, but the lu family... is not exactly a good place. if you intend to join the lu family, it¡¯s better to be cautious..."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze flickered, then he sighed and said, "i don¡¯t really want to, but..."


    mo hua¡¯s face turned slightly red, "the young lady from the lu family is truly... quite beautiful."


    the housing agency worker was stunned, then he frowned and nodded.


    "indeed."


    being beautiful is unquestionably a solid reason.


    for the sake of a pretty girl he fancies, marry into the family then.


    mo hua appeared na?ve and innocent.


    the housing agency worker did not doubt his sincerity.


    he even became more enthusiastic; now, without mo hua asking, he spilled everything he knew about the lu family as if pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.


    "the most powerful person in the lu family is the family head. it is said he has already reached the qi foundation middle stage..."


    "below the family head, there are some elders with real power. one or two at the qi foundation middle stage, while the rest are mostly at the foundation establishment initial stage, all considered to be the family head¡¯s confidants and part of the main lu lineage..." sear?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "if you were to marry into the family, you should choose among these branches..."


    "it¡¯s best to pick one related to the lu family head. that way, you¡¯ll be favored by the family head, and your future will be brighter."


    "besides them, there are also some guest elders."


    "they hold an aloof status, with varying degrees of power, mostly tied by blood or marriage to other clans or sects."


    "of course, among these guest elders, there are some who keep a low profile and stay out of the public eye."


    "if you have a good eye and can form a marriage alliance with one of them, and marry under their name, you might find an unexpected fortune, inheriting some top-secret legacies."


    "below the powerful elders, there are some ordinary elders."


    "the regular, powerless elders; members of side branches with only a thin blood connection; fringe guest elders; supporters without much ability, and so on."


    "these are not worth attaching yourself to..."


    "especially for a young gentleman such as yourself, a formation master."


    "of course." the housing agency worker paused, then added, "unless it¡¯s their younger female cultivators of exceptional beauty, capable of toppling empires and cities; that¡¯s a different story."


    after pondering for a while, the housing agency worker advised,


    "even so, in my opinion, it¡¯s still better not to marry into any family."


    "beauty cannot fill the stomach, and you shouldn¡¯t lose your way over it..."


    "if you¡¯re to marry into a family, do it for power and benefits, and don¡¯t act impulsively based only on looks..."


    the housing agency worker spoke eloquently and sensibly.


    suddenly he looked at mo hua, feeling it was a shame, and asked:


    "young gentleman, have you considered your junior sister?"


    mo hua was taken aback, "consider what?"


    "marrying, of course."


    at this, mo hua¡¯s face truly reddened, his expression slightly irked, he said indignantly:


    "she is my junior sister!"


    the housing agency worker mumbled to himself, "what¡¯s wrong with a junior sister, isn¡¯t she the best match..."


    raised in the same sect, childhood sweethearts.


    and she is indeed very beautiful.


    both dignified and lovely.


    together, they looked like a match made in heaven, one with fine features and clear eyes, the other with bright eyes and white teeth, like a golden boy and a jade girl.


    but these words were only muttered internally.


    afterward, mo hua asked about some other things related to the lu family, and even jotted down the elders, guest elders, and supporters he had learned about on a piece of paper.


    he planned to go back and scrutinize who was most likely to be the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect.


    the housing agency worker thought mo hua was pondering the marriage proposal and was filled with regret.


    latter, mo hua went to the nanyue inn to find qinglan.


    after the incident at the hundred flower tower, situ fang asked the female brothel keeper for qinglan¡¯s deed of sale and took her out, settling her into the inn.


    qinglan helped with cleaning and cooking at the inn, becoming independent.


    she came from a poor miner cultivator background, down-to-earth and hard-working. having left the hundred flower tower and no longer having to ingratiate herself or serve others sexually, her spirit improved greatly.


    when she saw mo hua, qinglan was both grateful and happy.


    she personally brewed tea and served pastries for mo hua to enjoy.


    mo hua then asked, "sister qinglan, may i ask you some questions? about the lu family."


    qinglan was slightly taken aback, then nodded and replied:


    "sure, you can ask. i¡¯ll tell you everything i know."


    after thinking for a moment, mo hua started asking questions beginning with jinhua street.


    having spent a lot of time on jinhua street and having encountered many cultivators, qinglan must have heard plenty of news.


    qinglan pondered for a while, then slowly began to speak:


    "the matters of jinhua street have to start with the now deceased lu family old ancestor..."

 Chapter 472: Capitalist Lu (1)

    "the lu family old ancestor, who went by the nickname ¡¯capitalist lu¡¯...""capitalist lu?"


    mo hua was startled.


    qinglan nodded, "it means that he is greedy and selfish, extracting from mining cultivators ruthlessly as if he¡¯s peeling off their skin."


    qinglan sighed, "this is what my parents told me... when they were still alive..."


    "at that time, i was young and took it as nothing more than a story, not understanding the heartache behind it..."


    "it is said that several hundred years ago, the lu family was just an ordinary clan, owning a few mines, neither too powerful nor too weak, holding a position in south yue city. but there were several other families more influential than the lu family, so the lu family wasn¡¯t much..."


    "until the lu family old ancestor came into power."


    "after he came into power, he collaborated with several other mining families to formulate the spirit pact, advancing and retreating together, collectively suppressing the compensation of the mining cultivators."


    "it used to be one five-part spirit stone per day..."


    "the lu family established rules and nitpicked flaws, leading to the mining cultivators receiving fewer and fewer spirit stones, gradually depressing it to three parts, one part, and eventually only one spirit stone per day..."


    "the mining cultivators¡¯ lives became even harder..."


    "but the lu family earned more spirit stones." s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "having earned spirit stones, they then wanted to indulge in pleasure."


    "south yue city was desolate with few places for entertainment, so the lu family old ancestor thought of building his own..."


    "thus jinhua street came into being."


    "capitalist lu, also known as the lu family old ancestor, dabbled in eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, so the gambling dens and brothels in jinhua street had everything one could wish for."


    "this is how they squandered the spirit stones earned through the life-risking work of the mining cultivators in the gambling dens and brothels..."


    the thought of her parents working hard to their deaths from starvation brought qinglan to tears, her fingers turning white from clenching them so tightly.


    mo hua also frowned deeply as he listened.


    qinglan composed herself, eyes red, and continued:


    "opening jinhua street, getting food and drinks, setting up gambling dens were easy..."


    "but to open a brothel, they lacked girls."


    "the women of the families would never do such a thing; they wouldn¡¯t sell themselves in brothels, at least not openly."


    "so the lu family set their sights on the mining cultivators."


    "they mistreated the mining cultivators, didn¡¯t fix the formations, didn¡¯t cleanse the filthy qi, and the spiritual artifacts for mining were also old and worn, all for the sake of causing injuries to the mining cultivators, or even their deaths."


    "injuries need to be treated, and the dead need to be buried, all requiring spirit stones."


    "without spirit stones, they could only borrow."


    "the lu family then lent money at high interest rates, making the mining cultivators incur heavy debts of spirit stones."


    "when the mining cultivators couldn¡¯t repay their debts, they had no choice but to use their children to offset the debt, selling them to the lu family."


    "boys would be made servants or attendants."


    "girls were thrown into brothels, dressed up, and sent to... entertain clients..."


    qinglan found it difficult to continue, as tears welled up in her eyes again.


    mo hua felt a touch of heartache as well.


    he had not anticipated that the bustling prosperity of jinhua street was built on the suffering of the mining cultivators.


    the women of the brothels look joyous and smiling, yet beneath their fa?ades flow tears of blood.


    the harder the mining cultivators¡¯ lives, the more extravagant jinhua street became.


    mo hua asked again, "do the other families do these things too?"


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    qinglan nodded and then shook her head, "at first, the lu family and a few other families did it together..."


    "but the other families weren¡¯t as ruthless as the lu family, not as extreme in their methods, and gradually, they were either absorbed or had to sell their mines to the lu family and move to other cities..."


    "gradually, the lu family became the sole power in south yue city..."


    mo hua frowned and said, "such actions by the lu family, they must have violated the taoist laws, hasn¡¯t the taoist court ever intervened?"


    qinglan nodded, "they did, but to no avail."


    "the previous court leader, who hated evil as if it was his enemy, simply couldn¡¯t compete with the lu family."


    "the lu family bribed the right people, and had him transferred away."


    "the successors at first made a show of action, but after frequenting the lu family brothels for several days and receiving a few chests of spirit stones, they ended up in collusion with the lu family."


    mo hua understood.


    this court leader must be the current court leader qian.


    in league with the lu family.


    mo hua remembered something else and asked, "has the lu family old ancestor passed away?"


    qinglan nodded, her expression somewhat pleased, "dead!"


    "it is said that he committed too many evils and indulged in his pleasures without restraint, which bred wicked thoughts, leading to a mishap during his cultivation and he died after living more than two hundred years."


    "on the day he died, the mining cultivators took their money for food and bought fireworks instead, setting them off for the whole day..."


    "the lu family couldn¡¯t stop it."


    this old bastard had a fitting end, dying amidst such clamor...


    mo hua thought to himself.


    but having lived more than two hundred years before dying was already letting him off lightly.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then asked, "after the lu family old ancestor passed away, was it lu chengyun who became the next family head?"


    "yes," qinglan nodded.


    "is lu chengyun bad?" mo hua asked.


    qinglan furrowed her brows, pondered for a while, and then said:


    "so-so, i suppose. not particularly good, but compared to other members of the lu family, he could be considered a ¡¯good person¡¯."


    "he wasn¡¯t so harsh on the mining cultivators."


    "if a mining cultivator died, he would still have the lu family compensate with spirit stones."


    "many things weren¡¯t as excessive as the lu family old ancestor."


    "although life was still hard for the mining cultivators, since they had always been suffering, they were used to it, so not many people cursed him."


    "unlike the lu family old ancestor¡­"


    mo hua nodded slightly.


    this was almost identical to his impression.


    lu chengyun was gentle and refined, but his schemes ran deep, taking the lu family¡¯s interests as a guideline, acting stably without going too far, yet he would not forsake the benefits of the family mines to treat the mining cultivators kindly.


    mo hua asked further, "sister qinglan, have you ever seen the elders of the lu family in the hundred flower tower?"


    qinglan nodded, "i¡¯ve seen a few."


    "do you think among them, is there anyone particularly suspicious?"


    qinglan frowned slightly, "what kind of suspicious?"


    "i mean¡­" mo hua thought for a moment and said, "someone who understands formations but doesn¡¯t seem like a person from the lu family, or someone who sneaks around, with a different way of doing bad things than others¡­"


    after pondering for a while, qinglan shook her head:


    "i wouldn¡¯t know, i¡¯ve only looked from a distance and haven¡¯t really interacted with them."


    then she added, "but since you mentioned suspicious, that elder from the south yue sect who brought you here last time is actually quite suspicious¡­"


    mo hua was startled, "the south yue sect? elder su?"


    "mhm mhm." qinglan nodded, "his surname is su."


    mo hua asked curiously, "what¡¯s suspicious about him?"


    qinglan said with puzzlement, "he clearly is a regular, yet he insists on pretending to be unfamiliar, isn¡¯t that very suspicious?"


    mo hua¡¯s eyes shifted as he asked softly:


    "is elder su a regular of the hundred flower tower?"


    "yeah, he used to come often, almost treating the hundred flower tower as his own home¡­"


    mo hua was astonished.


    he guessed elder su was familiar, but he hadn¡¯t thought elder su would be that familiar¡­


    truly¡­ appearances can be deceiving.


    qinglan glanced at mo hua and seemed conflicted, hesitating for a moment before finally lowering her voice and saying:


    "i¡¯m telling you this, and you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else¡­"


    curious, mo hua quickly nodded.


    leaning closer, qinglan whispered:


    "that elder su, he once had a close relationship with sister shuixian in the building. he even wanted to buy her freedom at one point."


    "later i heard that sister shuixian¡­ was even pregnant with elder su¡¯s child¡­"


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide.


    he hadn¡¯t expected elder su to have such a "romantic affair".


    "what about the child?"


    qinglan shook her head, "i don¡¯t know."


    "what about shuixian?"


    qinglan sighed, "she died."


    mo hua furrowed his brows.


    qinglan felt regretful and a bit sad, "sister shuixian was a good person, beautiful, skilled with her hands, and treated people kindly¡­"


    "but somehow, she ended up dead."


    "it seemed elder su was heartbroken for a while, wanted to investigate something, but in the end, it led nowhere¡­"


    "it¡¯s likely that nothing was discovered."


    qinglan lowered her head, "people like us, our lives are cheap, dead is dead, the taoist court won¡¯t care, the lu family don¡¯t mind, and the brothel keepers will just regret losing a body that could earn spirit stones¡­"


    "whether we live or die, they don¡¯t take it to heart, and in this world, no one will take it to heart¡­"


    qinglan¡¯s voice got lower and lower, and her expression increasingly forlorn.


    mo hua felt a discomfort in his heart as well.


    qinglan kept her head down. after a long while, seeing that mo hua also seemed downcast, she was startled, wiped away her tears, and said with a smile:


    "young master, forgive me, i shouldn¡¯t have talked about these things."


    after saying that, she expressed her gratitude:


    "without the young master, i probably couldn¡¯t have escaped this abyss of misery¡­"


    "i might still be in the hundred flower tower, forcing a smile, serving men with my body, and then one day, dying without knowing it¡­"


    "now i need not care about other people¡¯s opinions, i can support myself, which is already better than anything else."


    qinglan¡¯s gaze was frank, her tone sincere.


    though her eyes were red, her gaze was very determined.


    mo hua felt somewhat relieved in his heart.


    after leaving the inn, mo hua walked on the street.


    looking south, there were the mines.


    looking north, there was the resplendent lu family residence, and come nightfall, jinhua street would light up, a world of glitz and debauchery.


    mining cultivators toiled for them, their children became slaves and courtesans for their pleasure, tools for earning spirit stones.


    they also became bargaining chips for bribing the taoist court officials and wooing other powers.


    a cold light flickered faintly in mo hua¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 473: Clues (1)

    mo hua finished gathering information and returned to the cave abode of the four disciples and their master.bai zisheng and bai zixi had also come back, and they shared the clues they had discovered with mo hua.


    bai zisheng had visited the bustling places like the market towns, teahouses, and restaurants, where he mostly heard about the lu family¡¯s misdeeds and scandals.


    bai zixi, on the other hand, had visited some female cultivators and cultivator¡¯s wives in south yue city, and she mostly learned about the lu family¡¯s gossip and rumors.


    mo hua began to summarize the information and then listed the suspects.


    and he calculated, within the lu family, who was most likely to be the traitor?


    but the lu family was large, and the clan relationships were complicated and intertwined, making them difficult to investigate in a short time.


    there were not only native elders of the clan but also guest elders from outside.


    some of the clan¡¯s native elders were not actually considered part of the clan, while some external guest elders might be distantly related by marriage...


    mo hua looked at the bewildering array of relationships and couldn¡¯t help saying,


    "this is so chaotic..."


    bai zisheng nodded and said, "that¡¯s how clans are, the larger the family, the more complex the bloodlines, interpersonal relationships, and affections..."


    "the lu family is still manageable, but if it were our bai family, it would be even more complicated."


    "even during festivals and holidays, the rituals and gift-giving involved a whole lot of etiquette."


    mo hua felt tired just listening and shook his head helplessly.


    bai zisheng glanced at the pile of lu family relationships in front of him and asked,


    "do you have the lu family¡¯s genealogy? if you have their genealogy, it would be clearer to understand. otherwise, it would be just a wild guess regarding who is related to whom, who was born to whom, and who shares the same father..."


    "the lu family genealogy... outsiders should not be able to get their hands on something like that..."


    mo hua frowned, then suddenly paused.


    he remembered that the family head of the lu family, lu chengyun, seemed to have given him a special "genealogy".


    it was a genealogy that lu chengyun had secretly given to mo hua in an attempt to lure him into marrying into the family.


    mo hua opened his storage bag and searched through a pile of formation books and formation diagrams before he found the "genealogy."


    bai zisheng exclaimed in surprise, "you actually have it?"


    "yes," mo hua nodded, "it¡¯s only a part of it, but it might help us sort things out."


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    mo hua spread out the genealogy.


    the three of them gathered close together and looked at it.


    as they examined it, bai zixi realized something was amiss and looked up at mo hua with puzzled eyes, saying,


    "why does this genealogy only list young girls?"


    bai zisheng also nodded in agreement, "and they all seem rather beautiful..."


    mo hua¡¯s face turned slightly red, "lu chengyun gave it to me; i didn¡¯t know."


    bai zixi¡¯s gaze became skeptical, "really didn¡¯t know?"


    "yes, yes," mo hua nodded repeatedly.


    bai zixi scanned mo hua¡¯s face, saw the honest look in his eyes as he met her gaze, and slightly nodded, not pursuing the matter further.


    for some reason, mo hua felt relieved.


    afterward, the three began sorting through the relationships within the lu family.


    this genealogy was quite simple, only introducing the main lineage, collateral branches, and other women related to the lu family, detailing their blood relations and degrees of closeness.


    it also included portraits of the women.


    at the same time, it briefly introduced their spiritual roots and talents.


    these details would likely be considered family secrets.


    had mo hua¡¯s talent for formations not been so exceptional, already achieving the rank of a first-grade formation master at a young age,


    lu chengyun would probably never have given him this genealogy.


    the genealogy was not complete; it only contained part of the lu family¡¯s clan relationships.


    but even this part was enough for the three of them to unravel the thread by thread, simplifying the clan¡¯s relationships among the cultivators.


    from it, mo hua eventually isolated five names:


    lu huaiyi, lu huaisheng, lu huaiyi, pei cai, and jiang long.


    the three with the surname lu were all men who had married into the family.


    moreover, each had at least a basic understanding of formations.


    they were quite valued within the lu family, wielded real power, and had all managed mines at some point, even occasionally overseeing them to this day.


    pei cai and jiang long, both with differing surnames,


    one a revered contributor and the other a guest elder,


    both held distinct positions within the lu family.


    one had married a woman from the lu family but was not considered to have married in,


    while the other taught formations within the family.


    all five appeared very much like the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect.


    mo hua said, "let¡¯s start by thoroughly investigating these five individuals."


    bai zisheng and bai zixi both nodded in agreement.


    thereafter, they spent a month shadowing, following, and inquiring with no significant results.


    lu huaiyi, lu huaisheng, and lu huaiyi, despite the fact they had married into the family, had clear and traceable backgrounds before their marriage.


    there hadn¡¯t been much change in them, either.


    they had been meek before marriage but became arrogant and domineering afterward.


    this type of change was consistent with human nature and was not considered abnormal.


    as for pei cai and jiang long,


    one practiced cultivation quietly, minding his own business without concerning himself with worldly affairs,


    while the other taught formations by day and enjoyed himself on jinhua street at night, corrupted by the lu family¡¯s decadence yet indulging willingly.


    these men did not seem like the type to have deep schemes.


    there were no strange or bloody signs to detect.


    mo hua grew puzzled, "could i have guessed wrong?"


    in the days that followed, there were no further developments.


    until this day, elder su sent another invitation, asking mo hua to have tea.


    mo hua thought for a moment, felt a slight stirring in his heart, and agreed.


    elder su was on good terms with the lu family and had a deep relationship with lu chengyun.


    before uncovering the traitor of the lu family, it was better to have fewer dealings.


    but with no progress at the moment, mo hua thought, why not go have tea with elder su and see if any clues might emerge.


    mo hua had an inexplicable intuition.


    he felt that elder su might be vaguely hiding some critical information.


    mo hua furrowed his brows.


    ever since he learned divine sense calculation and used it to deduce formation principles, occasionally he¡¯d get a premonition that something would emerge within the depths of his mind.


    there was also an indescribable intuition in his heart.


    this intuition was very clear.


    but when he pursued it in detail, there was no thread to follow¡­


    it felt similar to when mo hua grasped the taoist meaning within formations.


    it was like touching upon something faintly but separated by mountains and rivers, hazy and elusive, difficult to comprehend.


    mo hua remembered mr. zhuang once said that all things in heaven and earth converge with the tao.


    if formations conform to the tao, and all things conform to the tao, do cultivators¡¯ actions and deeds also conform to the tao?


    if so, by comprehending the heavenly dao, could one perhaps predict the future to a certain extent, attract fortune and avoid disaster?


    mo hua believed that mr. zhuang occasionally acted in a profoundly unfathomable manner.


    it seemed like a kind of premonition of the heavenly secret.


    but how could one achieve such a thing?


    keep studying formations, keep understanding formation principles, keep using calculation to penetrate the great dao?


    to discern the nature of things, predict fortune and misfortune, seek benefits and avoid harm¡­


    if he truly learned it, wouldn¡¯t he become a "little religious con man"?


    mo hua mulled over it continuously in his heart.


    it wasn¡¯t until he arrived at su mansion, took a seat in the pavilion, and sipped elder su¡¯s fine tea that he was still somewhat lost in thought and not entirely present.


    elder su poured tea thoughtfully and asked, "young gentleman, are you troubled by something?"


    mo hua snapped back to reality and nodded, "just a bit, thinking about something."


    elder su nodded in approval:


    "whether you walk, stand, sit, or lie down, whether you eat or drink, you never forget to ponder and meditate on formations¡­ it¡¯s no wonder you, at such a young age, possess such profound expertise in formations. truly admirable¡­"


    mo hua felt that elder su¡¯s praise was a bit awkward.


    and it wasn¡¯t quite right.


    but after all, he was praising him, and mo hua didn¡¯t want to say so outright.


    moreover, even if the praise was off, being complimented still made him very happy.


    so mo hua returned the compliment:


    "elder su¡¯s formation skills are also very impressive! and moreover¡­" sear?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua thought of a word, saying, "¡­very in tune with life."


    mo hua still remembered his dalliances at the brothel, treating hundred flower tower as if it were his home¡­


    but elder su, unaware of what mo hua was thinking, stroked his beard, exceedingly pleased, and kept insisting:


    "drink tea, drink tea! this tea is a treasure i¡¯ve kept hidden away for a long time, i wouldn¡¯t offer it to just any guest¡­"


    the tea indeed was excellent.


    the two drank for a while, and even when the tea was finished, they still felt a sense of longing.


    elder su then asked his disciple to brew another pot.


    the disciple who brewed the tea was the one who always followed elder su closely, a youth with a handsome appearance and a certain gentle elegance, though still carrying a touch of youthful stubbornness.


    having visited frequently, mo hua was quite familiar with him.


    but this time, mo hua felt he looked even more familiar.


    after the disciple prepared the tea, elder su nodded and instructed:


    "shuisheng, you may leave now."


    shuisheng?


    mo hua was startled.


    he scrutinized the disciple more closely.


    the disciple¡¯s talent for formation was actually mediocre, and he didn¡¯t show much respect to elder su, sometimes even being clumsy, so why did elder su always keep him by his side?


    mo hua looked at him a few times more.


    it was then he realized that the disciple bore some resemblance to elder su¡¯s features, and their spiritual power auras seemed to have some connection.


    shuisheng¡­


    as shuisheng walked away, mo hua continued to stare at his retreating figure.


    elder su noticed mo hua gazing at his disciple, his eyes growing brighter and brighter, and felt a bit jittery inside.


    "young gentleman, what¡­ are you looking at?"


    "i¡¯m looking at your young disciple."


    elder su laughed awkwardly:


    "just a young disciple, what¡¯s there to see¡­"


    mo hua silently gave elder su a glance, then quietly asked:


    "this young disciple, he wouldn¡¯t happen to be your illegitimate son, would he¡­"


    elder su choked on a mouthful of tea, coughed a few times, and hurriedly feigned composure with a self-deprecating smile: "you jest, young gentleman."


    mo hua whispered quietly:


    "shuixian..."


    elder su¡¯s hands trembled, knocking over his cup, and he looked incredulously at mo hua:


    "how¡­ how did you know?"


    mo hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slyly like a little foxs, thinking to himself that it was indeed so.

 Chapter 474: Shuisheng (1)

    elder su quickly looked around him.mo hua then said, "elder, rest assured, there¡¯s no one around, even shuisheng isn¡¯t here..."


    only then did elder su breathe a sigh of relief. he looked at mo hua, wanting to say something but hesitating. he couldn¡¯t understand how mo hua knew about shuixian¡¯s affair.


    mo hua didn¡¯t mention qinglan but vaguely said:


    "i heard it by chance at the hundred flower tower."


    elder su was startled and then nodded helplessly. afterward, he seemed somewhat lost in thought.


    the name shuixian, like a thorn piercing elder su¡¯s heart, rid him of his usual easygoing demeanor. he stared blankly, as if immersed in the past, overwhelmed with emotion, unable to extricate himself.


    "elder su?"


    mo hua called out to him.


    elder su didn¡¯t respond.


    "elder su!"


    mo hua raised his voice a notch, and elder su finally came back to his senses, his face showing apologetic, "sorry, i was lost in the past just now, somewhat entranced."


    mo hua hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively:


    "could you tell me about those past events?"


    elder su looked at mo hua with puzzlement, "why do you... want to hear about this?"


    mo hua replied, "i¡¯m curious."


    elder su immediately shook his head.


    how could he share his love life, especially one that is so painful to look back on, with a child...


    mo hua then said, "it has a use for me."


    "what use?"


    "i can¡¯t say just yet."


    elder su also gave a perfunctory response, "they are all trivial matters of the past, it¡¯s not convenient for me to speak of them."


    mo hua thought for a while, then said:


    "how about this, if you tell me, consider it a favor owed to you."


    elder su chuckled, "what use is a child¡¯s promise of a favor for me... it couldn¡¯t be..."


    elder su stopped mid-sentence, suddenly freezing.


    this favor could be of great use!


    a favor personally promised by a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old first grade formation master!


    moreover, mo hua was serious, there was no sign of jest.


    although everyone was a first grade formation master and mo hua was still in the qi refinement stage, while he himself had already achieved foundation establishment. s§×ar?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but precisely because he was in the qi refinement stage, this favor was even more precious.


    qi refinement first grade, after a decade or two, who¡¯s to say he wouldn¡¯t be second grade?


    second rank formation masters are rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in a second-grade prefecture border.


    even in a third-grade state boundary, they wouldn¡¯t be considered insignificant.


    elder su pondered for a moment, somewhat hesitant.


    mo hua then said, "it really is a favor, i mean what i say!"


    elder su was tempted and, after feigning indifference for a while, finally nodded and said:


    "alright."


    although it was a regrettable part of his past, and perhaps even a tale of amorous exploits, it wasn¡¯t an unspeakable secret.


    elder su took a sip of tea, then began to speak slowly, telling mo hua everything about shuixian. stay updated via empire


    he included how he met shuixian, how they fell in love, how he wanted to redeem her from the brothel, and how shuixian eventually died, leaving behind a child whom he took by his side and named "shuisheng"...


    of course, he omitted some content not suitable for children.


    after finishing his story, elder su felt thirsty and took another sip of tea.


    mo hua, upon hearing this, said in surprise:


    "were you and the lu family head visiting brothels together?"


    "shush!" elder su looked around again before whispering:


    "yes, but that¡¯s an old story. now he¡¯s the family head, and you mustn¡¯t talk recklessly about this matter, lest it ruins his reputation."


    "oh," mo hua nodded, thinking to himself:


    no wonder elder su and the lu family head have such a good relationship.


    it turns out they used to visit the brothel together when they were young.


    after a pause, mo hua then asked with some sympathy:


    "how did sister shuixian die?"


    elder su¡¯s expression turned melancholic, and he shook his head:


    "beauty is often ill-fated, i suppose. her health was never good, and after suffering at the hundred flower tower, she developed a chronic illness. later, when she was with me, i had a pill master treat her, but it was merely symptomatic treatment..."


    "during that time, it was also because of me..."


    "i would say that i wanted to redeem her, but i was also hesitant."


    "i... after all, am an elder of the south yue sect and a formation master. although not boasting of a lofty status, i am indeed a person of some influence in south yue city."


    "in south yue city, even clans and sects from other state boundaries have proposed marriage alliances."


    "those who sought my hand for their daughters were all talented and well-bred, with respectable origins and excellent spiritual roots, ensuring that our offspring would be gifted."


    "compared to them, shuixian was just..."


    elder su bittered a smile, "perhaps shuixian guessed what was on my mind and purposefully distanced herself from me, seemingly reluctant to trouble me."


    "but in her heart, she must have resented me. whether she hated me, i do not know..."


    elder su sighed deeply.


    "under the weight of her grievances, her old ailments resurfaced, and then she was gone..."


    "back then, i was angry, convinced that shuixian had been victimized, so i investigated for a long time but ended up finding nothing."


    after a pause, he added, "later i realized that shuixian... actually died at my own hands."


    "i was afraid of my own guilt, of regretting and feeling remorseful, so i shifted the blame."


    "i hoped someone had killed shuixian; then i could hate someone else, avenge her, and alleviate some of my guilt..."


    "but no one had..."


    "her life was like a duckweed, hoping for solace from me."


    "but i broke faith, and so, she drifted away with the wind..."


    elder su¡¯s face bore a thick bitterness.


    mo hua felt saddened as well and asked:


    "throughout these years, haven¡¯t you taken a dao companion?"


    every time he visited this cave dwelling, aside from one or two maids boiling water and making tea, he hadn¡¯t seen any other female cultivators.


    elder su shook his head, saying with resignation:

 Chapter 475: Shuisheng (2)

    "over these years, i¡¯ve also wanted to marry a dao companion and forget shuixian.""but people are just cheap..."


    "no matter what, i can¡¯t forget..."


    "thinking of a dao companion isn¡¯t so bad, but as soon as i do, my heart is filled with the shadow of shuixian."


    "later, i came to realize it didn¡¯t matter anymore. i had given all my affection to her in this lifetime. it was owed to her, and upon her death, that affection went with her..."


    mo hua had not expected elder su, who used to frequent brothels, to have such a painful and melancholic past.


    he had not expected elder su to be such a sentimental person.


    indeed... one can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.


    mo hua patted elder su on the shoulder but didn¡¯t say a word, offering silent comfort.


    with mo hua¡¯s pat on the shoulder, elder su suddenly shivered.


    that¡¯s not right!


    why had he revealed everything?


    although he planned to tell mo hua his past, he hadn¡¯t intended to divulge all these grievances and sorrows.


    he intended to rot these thoughts in his heart.


    elder su took another look at mo hua and felt a chill in his heart.


    this child was too deceptive in appearance.


    with an innocent face, friendly and lovable, one is unwittingly compelled to tell the truth.


    before he knew it, he had poured out his heart...


    but what¡¯s done is done, what could he do now?


    elder su could only thicken his face and act as if nothing had happened.


    seeing that elder su¡¯s mood had recovered, mo hua asked again:


    "so shuisheng is the child of you and shuixian?"


    elder su was taken aback for a moment, then nodded helplessly: "yes."


    "after shuixian¡¯s death, i kept the child by my side as my direct disciple, thinking that with my protection, the child could live safely, learn some formations, and, upon achieving success in his studies, his mother¡¯s spirit in heaven would be consoled..."


    "when his mother was still pregnant with him, she hoped that he could become a formation master like me, to stand out from the crowd..."


    elder su said this, and again, he became somewhat angry.


    "but this child, apart from resembling me a bit, is completely different in all other aspects. his talent for formations is lackluster, he refuses to work hard, is clumsy in his actions, and his temperament is not as gentle as his mother¡¯s..."


    elder su listed a slew of faults before suddenly falling silent again. after a long while, he said despondently:


    "but his brows and eyes, his expressions... they look very much like his mother..."


    mo hua also sighed upon hearing this.


    it¡¯s often after a loss that one learns to cherish.


    especially when it comes to emotions.


    for a time, both elder su and mo hua looked somewhat despondent.


    elder su¡¯s mood stemmed from memories of the past.


    mo hua, young and without any romantic history, was simply making groundless sighs...


    shuisheng walked in and saw the mood was a bit somber, suddenly unsure of what to say.


    after a moment, he finally spoke softly, "master, the lu family head has arrived."


    "the lu family head?"


    elder su was startled and quickly looked at mo hua, whispering:


    "the things i just told you, you mustn¡¯t speak of them to anyone."


    mo hua was momentarily puzzled, "what things?"


    "it¡¯s just..."


    elder su gestured to himself and then pointed outside, making a gesture towards the lu family head.


    mo hua understood that it was about their joint visits to the brothel.


    "don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t tell!" mo hua assured.


    only then did elder su feel relieved.


    before long, lu chengyun entered, paid his respects to elder su, and then greeted mo hua with a refined and genteel manner.


    lu chengyun¡¯s arrival did not surprise mo hua.


    when elder su invited him for tea, lu chengyun would occasionally come to visit.


    having seen each other a few times, they were not strangers.


    the group drank tea together, chatted about formations, and then talked about the affairs of the south yue sect and the lu family.


    drinking tea was fine, and so was discussing formations.


    but when it came to the internal affairs of the sect and the clan, mo hua found it inappropriate to listen in.


    although he was very interested in eavesdropping, as there might be clues regarding the traitor of the minor hidden spirit sect,


    there were certain basic courtesies to be observed.


    mo hua then stood up and said:


    "lu family head, elder su, please continue your conversation; i¡¯ll take a walk in the garden."


    elder su said, "young gentleman, please feel free."


    since mo hua often visited here, he was already quite familiar with the place and thus did not stand on ceremony.


    however, mo hua was not here just to stroll around for fun.


    seeing that elder su and the lu family head were engrossed in conversation, he stealthily made his way to elder su and shuixian¡¯s secret child, the disciple known as "shuisheng."


    shuisheng was reading a book at a small table by the garden bridge.


    shuisheng was somewhat older than mo hua and also taller.


    mo hua quietly approached him and asked,


    "what are you reading?"


    startled, shuisheng hurriedly put away the book and was about to get angry, but upon seeing it was mo hua, he respectfully bowed and said,


    "young gentleman."


    although mo hua was young, he was a guest of honor for elder su and was treated as an equal.


    naturally, shuisheng did not dare to offend him.


    mo hua sat next to him and patted the stool, saying,


    "sit."


    shuisheng did not dare to sit.


    mo hua glanced at him. enjoy more content from empire


    feeling awkward, shuisheng then sat down.


    as he did, mo hua caught a glimpse of the book in his hands.


    it was a text explaining the basics of the five elements formation patterns.


    mo hua was surprised; according to elder su, his disciple wasn¡¯t very diligent, and his skills at formations were not good.


    but now it seemed somewhat different.


    mo hua asked, "do you have any questions about this book?"


    shuisheng was taken aback for a moment, then stuttered,


    "i¡¯m not very good at drawing..."


    he opened the book and pointed at a few golden series formation patterns.


    mo hua glanced at them; they were very basic patterns.


    he then began to explain to him how to draw these patterns, how to use the brush, how to use the ink, what the layout should be, how to wield divine sense, and what to do when divine sense was insufficient...


    as shuisheng listened, he couldn¡¯t help but gape in awe, looking at mo hua with great admiration.


    these issues had troubled him for a long time; he could not figure them out no matter how he tried, but to his surprise, mo hua clarified them with just a few words, causing him to have a sudden realization.


    mo hua¡¯s inner world, however, remained undisturbed.


    this was, after all, the five elements basic formation.


    it was a very, very simple technique.


    mo hua was puzzled, "these things, you..." sear?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he was about to say "your dad," but at the last moment he changed his words:


    "...didn¡¯t your master explain them to you?"


    shuisheng shook his head, "master didn¡¯t explain. he thought these were all too simple, the kind of things one would understand with a thought. when i asked him, he would just look at me with disappointment, as if i had failed to meet his expectations..."


    "over time, i stopped asking him and tried to figure it out on my own, to learn as much as i could on my own, and to let go of what i could not grasp..."


    mo hua shook his head.


    how could one learn formations like this?


    elder su probably had too high expectations for his only son.


    once they were not met, disappointment would ensue in his heart.


    but people are different.


    anyone learning formations has different conditions; they must progress step by step, and cannot subject others to harsh criticism because of their own excessive expectations or disappointments.


    formations are inherently difficult; elder su¡¯s excessive expectations born out of his deep love for his son could, in fact, leave shuisheng feeling at a loss.


    mo hua sighed, thinking that since he had drunk elder su¡¯s tea and owed him a favor, he then continued to teach shuisheng for a while.


    a short while later, shuisheng looked at mo hua with even more respect and gratitude.


    young in age yet with high proficiency in formations, frank in interactions, lacking pretension, and willing to teach him.


    he seemed so much better than his own master...


    shuisheng thought to himself.


    the two of them thus became more familiar with each other.


    after thinking for a moment, mo hua suddenly asked:


    "shuisheng, do you know who your mother is?"


    shuisheng was taken aback, bowed his head, and nodded slightly.


    "then do you know who your father is?"


    shuisheng looked at mo hua with some surprise and then also slowly nodded.


    mo hua felt a stir in his heart.


    it seemed that the boy named shuisheng knew everything...

 Chapter 476: Secret (1)

    mo hua asked, "what kind of person was your mother?"shuisheng looked somewhat defensive, glanced at mo hua, saw his clear eyes and gentle demeanor, no ridicule, no mockery, then he slowly said:


    "my mother, she... she had a low status..."


    it was somewhat difficult for him to talk about his mother being a woman from the brothel.


    "i know that, born in poverty, she had no choice..." mo hua continued, "what else?"


    shuisheng was caught off guard, then he relaxed, and his face showed a smile mixed with yearning:


    "my mother treated me very well!"


    "she made hundred flower pastries and crystal pork hocks for me to eat."


    "she had a lovely smile, spoke very gently, liked to stroke my head..."


    ¡­


    shuisheng talked about many bits and pieces from life with his mother.


    this might have been his only warm memory from childhood.


    so when shuisheng spoke of his mother, his face was smiling, innocent and full of longing.


    "and your father?"


    the expression on shuisheng¡¯s face instantly fell, and there was a trace of disdain in his look.


    it was as if his father couldn¡¯t even be compared to his mother.


    "i... my master, he..."


    he didn¡¯t even want to call elder su "father."


    shuisheng said, "he was pretentious..."


    "he knew everything, but he never told me, thinking i didn¡¯t know."


    "i actually knew everything, but since he didn¡¯t say anything, i didn¡¯t say anything to him either..."


    mo hua thought to himself:


    these two really are father and son...


    both pretending to be confused when they understood everything, each knowing in their heart but refusing to speak.


    "master also wants me to learn formation..."


    shuisheng looked down and said, "but i... with my low status and no talent, formation isn¡¯t something people like me should learn..."


    "moreover, formation is very difficult, and i simply can¡¯t learn it well."


    "among master¡¯s disciples, i am the slowest learner, what they know, i don¡¯t; what they understand, i don¡¯t; the formations they can draw, i can¡¯t draw..."


    "master would scold me, the worse i learned, the angrier he became."


    "but he values me highly, always keeps me by his side, the worse i learn, the more effort he puts in."


    "the other disciples, when they look at me, there is envy and rejection in their eyes..."


    "i don¡¯t like staying here..."


    shuisheng¡¯s expression was somewhat downcast.


    mo hua nodded, showing understanding for shuisheng¡¯s difficulties, and asked:


    "do you want to learn formation?"


    shuisheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "i do."


    "it doesn¡¯t matter to me personally, but i want to make my mother happy. her wish was for me to become a dignified formation master like my... master."


    "that way, no matter my background, no one would look down on me."


    "my mother is gone, i can¡¯t see her anymore, but whenever i am learning formation, whenever i think of becoming a formation master, i feel like my mother¡¯s spirit in heaven is silently watching over me, being with me..."


    shuisheng choked up a bit, his eyes reddening.


    mo hua thought of his own mother as well.


    even though he was now drifting, unable to eat the meals made by his mother or stay by her side,


    his mother was still waiting for him.


    after his journey, after mastering formation, he could still go back and see his mother.


    but it was different for shuisheng; he would never see his mother again in this lifetime...


    mo hua felt a little emotional, then patted his shoulder, encouragingly saying:


    "don¡¯t worry, you can learn formation well."


    shuisheng was grateful and felt undeserving of such encouragement, stammering:


    "i, my talent is too poor..."


    "elder su¡¯s talent wasn¡¯t much better than yours," mo hua whispered.


    shuisheng¡¯s eyes widened, "no way... my master is a top-tier formation master."


    mo hua whispered, "you¡¯re father and son, how different could your talents be? if he can become a top-tier formation master, surely you can too."


    shuisheng wouldn¡¯t have believed this statement normally.


    even among fathers and sons, talents can differ greatly.


    but coming from mo hua, who became a top-tier formation master in his teens, the credibility suddenly shot up.


    shuisheng looked forward with some hope, mumbling:


    "i... can i really become a top-tier formation master?"


    mo hua nodded, "yes, but your foundations are weak, you need to work harder, take more time..."


    "if not in twenty years, then in thirty years; if thirty years are not enough, then fifty years; if not in fifty, then a hundred years..."


    "as long as you stay focused and keep going, you will definitely become a top-tier formation master, and your mother¡¯s spirit will be happy."


    "top-tier formation master..."


    shuisheng¡¯s eyes began to shine.


    "yes." shuisheng nodded earnestly.


    mo hua smiled with satisfaction.


    shuisheng¡¯s talents, compared to elder su, were indeed lacking somewhat.


    but not to the extent that he couldn¡¯t learn formation.


    moreover, he had a master and father who was a sect elder with foundation establishment cultivation and a top-tier formation master.


    with inheritance and guidance, as long as he put a lot of effort and hard work into it, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to become a top-tier formation master in the future.


    the problem with elder su was that he was too eager for his son¡¯s success, and therefore lost his equanimity, which inevitably led to some overly aggressive teaching methods and improper education.


    as for shuisheng, he was just a bit reclusive and stubborn.


    with a poor foundation and relentless rote learning without asking questions, it¡¯s natural that one would not learn well.


    this father and son have made simple matters complex, and that is why they are displeased with each other.


    elder su has a relatively clear mind, but when it comes to his only beloved child, it¡¯s inevitable to be trapped within the situation without realizing it.


    mo hua thought for a while and then instructed:


    "just remember, focus on learning the formation, and do not concern yourself with anything else."


    "whether your master praises you or scolds you, you don¡¯t need to mind either."


    "if there¡¯s something you don¡¯t understand, ask. if he¡¯s unwilling to explain, keep asking. don¡¯t feel embarrassed; keep asking until you understand."


    "if he nags, complains, or reproaches you, take it as the wind by your ear."


    "the most important thing is just one, and that is, you must learn to master the formation!"


    shuisheng suddenly saw the light and looked at mo hua, nodding solemnly.


    seeing that he had understood, mo hua also narrowed his eyes and smiled.


    a moment later, mo hua thought of something, reigned in his smile, and said slowly:


    "shuisheng, i want to ask you a question."


    shuisheng smiled and said, "gentleman mo, feel free to ask me anything you want to know."


    mo hua, with a hint of apology, asked:


    "how did your mother die?"


    shuisheng was stunned; his smile disappeared from his face, and his expression turned gradually to pain, then firmly said:


    "my mother was murdered!"


    mo hua frowned slightly, "have you told your master this?"


    shuisheng nodded, "i¡¯ve said it many times. i¡¯ve always told him that my mother was murdered."


    "at first, he believed it, but gradually, he stopped believing..."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, "do you know who killed her?"


    shuisheng shook his head, his expression one of disappointment, "i don¡¯t know..."


    then his gaze became hateful, "but i know it must be the lu family!"


    mo hua was slightly shocked, "the lu family?"


    "it¡¯s the lu family!"


    shuisheng said with a sad expression, "hundred flower tower is run by the lu family, not just my mother; many of the aunties and sisters there have sold themselves to the lu family."


    "the lu family would hit and scold them whenever they wanted."


    "even if someone was tortured to death, the taoist court wouldn¡¯t care." s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "my mother, like the other aunties and sisters, definitely died at the hands of the lu family!"


    shuisheng¡¯s eyes were red, his anger growing as he spoke.


    mo hua, feeling sympathy, then asked, "did you see it with your own eyes?"


    shuisheng shook his head.


    "then do you have any evidence?"


    shuisheng dropped his head, also shaking it silently, "i have no evidence, and i don¡¯t have the ability to look for any. the master also forbids me from looking..."


    elder su was probably afraid he would face danger.


    mo hua frowned in contemplation.


    the lu family built jinhua street, compelled the mining cultivators to sell their daughters, and established hundred flower tower, not only for their own pleasure and to earn spirit stones, but primarily to use sexual bribes to pull cultivators from various powers to their side.


    the powers they enticed included the taoist court, the south yue sect, and other clans and sects.


    in this way, they were all in the same boat.


    shuixian was just a bargaining chip.


    and elder su, being a sect elder with real power in the south yue sect, a foundation establishment cultivator, and a first-grade formation master, was naturally a target for their enticement.


    it¡¯s just that it was unexpected for elder su to be so deeply in love.


    and yet shuixian also met her fate due to her beauty.


    but is that really all there is to it?


    could it be that shuixian knew some secret of the lu family, which led to her death?


    mo hua thought for a while and then took out several portraits.


    these portraits were of the people mo hua suspected were the traitors from the minor hidden spirit sect.


    lu huaiyi, lu huaisheng, lu huaiyi, shen cai, and jiang long.


    "do you recognize these people?"


    shuisheng looked at them and frowned, "they seem vaguely familiar, but i don¡¯t know them..."


    "is there one that particularly stands out to you?"


    shuisheng looked again for a while, then shook his head, "no..."


    he asked in confusion:


    "gentleman mo, what¡¯s the issue with these individuals?"


    mo hua said, "someone committed a serious crime, and all of these men are suspects. i want to investigate further."


    shuisheng asked quietly, "what did they do wrong?"


    mo hua replied, "it¡¯s dangerous, something i can¡¯t discuss with you."


    "oh," shuisheng nodded.


    suddenly shuisheng looked puzzled again, "these people don¡¯t seem to be of the same sort, so why are they all suspects?"


    mo hua thought for a moment, then said:


    "basically, they all understand the formation, have married into power, hold positions within the lu family, and have overseen mining operations..."


    shuisheng nodded, muttering softly:


    "oh, just like the lu family head..."


    mo hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    just like the lu family head?


    he asked swiftly, "in what way are they similar?"


    "it¡¯s just that... they¡¯re almost all alike," said shuisheng, counting, "understanding the formation, marrying into power, holding status, controlling the mines..."


    mo hua drew in a sharp breath, his face filled with disbelief:


    the lu family head, married into the family?!

 Chapter 477: When the Map Ends, the Dagger Appears (1)

    how is that possible?how could such a large family as the lu family allow a son-in-law who joined through marriage to become the family head?


    and mo hua had never heard any rumors about this before.


    mo hua asked, "how do you know this?"


    shuisheng replied, "my mother told me."


    mo hua felt a slight shock in his heart.


    shuixian knew about this...


    "does anyone else know?" mo hua quickly asked again.


    after thinking for a while, shuisheng said, "in the hundred flower tower, aunt xuefang and sister danxiang seem to know as well."


    "then they..."


    shuisheng sighed, "they are all dead."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze slightly hardened, "have you told anyone else about this matter?"


    shuisheng shook his head, "no. i don¡¯t have many friends, and i¡¯m not on good terms with my fellow sect members. i haven¡¯t even mentioned it to my master..."


    mo hua relaxed slightly, but then his expression grew serious again as he cautioned:


    "don¡¯t ever talk about this matter with anyone else, it¡¯s best to forget it and never bring it up again."


    although mo hua was not very familiar with the clan, he knew that it is generally taboo for a family head to be someone who had joined the family through marriage.


    once this gets out, even shuisheng could be killed to silence him.


    shuisheng didn¡¯t understand, but seeing mo hua¡¯s serious expression, he nodded earnestly.


    suddenly, something occurred to him, and he asked with a frown:


    "is my mother¡¯s death... also because of this matter?"


    mo hua shook his head, "not necessarily..."


    though he said this, mo hua estimated in his heart that shuixian¡¯s death was very likely related to the lu family head as well.


    mo hua looked at shuisheng and gave further instructions:


    "during these days, stay at the mansion, follow your master, do not go out, do not speak indiscreetly, and concentrate on learning formation techniques."


    "mastering formation techniques is the most important thing; your mother would be pleased at that."


    shuisheng fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded his head.


    however, mo hua¡¯s gaze gradually turned colder, and his expression still showed some disbelief.


    the lu family head... lu chengyun.


    joining through marriage...


    if it was true that he had joined the family through marriage, then this lu chengyun was very likely the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect!


    but the question is, how is it possible?


    the lu family is so extensive, with numerous legitimate heirs, why would they do such a thing?


    let someone who joined by marriage become the family head?


    or perhaps...


    what did lu chengyun do to be able to go against all opposition and successfully become the head of the lu family?


    this matter is more complicated than previously thought.


    if the traitor from minor hidden spirit sect were merely an elder or a sponsored guest, once exposed by mo hua, he could even use lu chengyun¡¯s hand to eliminate him.


    but now, this traitor could very well be the lu family head himself.


    from what it looks like now, being enemies with lu chengyun is equivalent to being at odds with the entire lu family.


    being enemies with the lu family...


    should he take down the entire lu family?


    mo hua furrowed his brow, "this is a bit troublesome..."


    mo hua was lost in thought for a long time, then suddenly remembered that right now lu chengyun was at the su mansion, ahead, discussing affairs with elder su over tea.


    "i need to run first!"


    mo hua made a decisive decision in his mind.


    lu chengyun¡¯s cultivation was profound, barely short of the middle phase of the foundation establishment stage.


    not to mention he was the traitor from the minor hidden spirit sect, he also understood formation techniques, and was the lu family head. even if his cultivation technique and taoist skills weren¡¯t as sophisticated as those of his juniors born into noble clans, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be lacking.


    being alone, it is better not to take risks when unnecessary; the best thing to do is to make a clean getaway.


    but he must not appear too anxious, lest he raise suspicion from lu chengyun.


    after reminding shuisheng a few more times, mo hua got up and left, heading to the front courtyard, and took his leave from elder su with great composure:


    "thank you for your hospitality, elder su. i¡¯ve had my fill of tea and should return to study formation techniques, so i won¡¯t disturb you any longer."


    elder su stood up and said:


    "gentleman, you may come and go as you please, i won¡¯t see you out."


    mo hua bowed respectfully and said, "elder, you may stay."


    he then bowed to lu chengyun and said, "excuse me."


    lu chengyun also bowed with a smile, "gentleman, you¡¯re too courteous."


    so mo hua, pretending to understand nothing, left elder su¡¯s dwelling.


    watching mo hua¡¯s small figure leave, elder su couldn¡¯t help but smirk and shook his head in jest:


    "although he¡¯s already a first grade formation master, he¡¯s still a child at heart. he¡¯s probably tired of playing and thinking about going back..."


    lu chengyun smiled gently as well.


    but halfway through his smile, his expression suddenly stiffened, the smile lingering on his cheeks, while his eyes had lost all traces of mirth.


    once out of su mansion, mo hua began his trek back.


    although it looked slow, he was moving quickly.


    along the way, mo hua started planning his next steps.


    he needed to find a way to confirm whether lu chengyun really joined by marriage.


    if he did, then he was certainly the traitor from minor hidden spirit sect.


    then, he¡¯d have to think of a way to call forth people to take down the lu family.


    from his side, his master and old kui would probably not make a move.


    that left only him, his junior brother, and junior sister.


    at the taoist court, there was also situ fang.


    behind situ fang, stood the situ family.


    but to stand against a force as powerful and deeply-entrenched as the lu family, the situ family might not be willing.


    even if they were willing, it¡¯s unlikely they could mobilize enough cultivators at the foundation establishment stage within the second-grade minor wilderness state boundary.


    besides, the court leader in south yue city has been corrupted by the lu family, taking the same side as them.


    if he acted, he would definitely face their obstruction.


    appealing to the taoist court to call upon taoist soldiers would be a good method.


    but this was not tongxian city.


    the court leader wasn¡¯t on his side, so he expected difficulties.


    "if all else fails..."


    mo hua glanced at the lu family and silently thought:


    "should i use formation collapse to send the entire lu family to heaven?"


    but mo hua shook his head again, feeling that this was also not an ideal solution.


    once the formation collapsed and the spiritual power reversed, everything would be annihilated, and likely no one from the lu family would survive.


    such killing was too heavy a sin.


    the lu family deserved death, but not every clan member did.


    besides, his master had instructed him not to collapse formations unless absolutely necessary.


    even if he did use it, he should ensure no one saw.


    mo hua heaved a sigh.


    it seemed he could only go back and make new plans.


    find a way to investigate lu chengyun¡¯s background, figure out how he rose to power, why he wanted to buy zombies, store corpses in the mines, and what his schemes were.


    then find a way to plot his demise.


    take the spirit pivot formation chart from his hands!


    fetch revenge for instructor yan, settle the grudge with the minor hidden spirit sect, learn the complete spiritual pivot formation, and master the true first grade twelve pattern ultimate formation, comprehend the central structure of spiritual power, and further enhance the prowess of divine thought manifestation...


    mo hua was making meticulous calculations, walking and pondering at the same time.


    but as he walked, mo hua suddenly froze.


    he hesitated for a moment, then took a different path, making a big detour.


    after walking for a while, mo hua stopped short again.


    then he turned left and circled another big round.


    but after several detours, mo hua realized that no matter how much he circled, there was a foundation building cultivator waiting for him ahead.


    and unbeknownst to when, an expose shadow formation had been set up all around him.


    in the spots without the expose shadow formation, foundation builders blocked the way, holding a compass-like spiritual artifact.


    mo hua was not familiar with such a spiritual artifact.


    but he guessed it was probably used to detect hidden cultivators.


    eight foundation builders, more than ten expose shadow formations, six sets of detection spiritual artifacts...


    mo hua, reading the situation, refrained from using the concealment technique.


    the street remained lively, with the surrounding cultivators oblivious to everything.


    mo hua gritted his teeth and continued walking forward.


    after a while, he saw lu chengyun not far ahead, sitting at a roadside tea stall, dressed in fine clothes.


    lu chengyun was calmly drinking tea, with two elders standing behind him, both of whom were at the foundation establishment stage.


    mo hua brazenly pretended not to see him and walked forward on his own.


    even as he passed by lu chengyun, he didn¡¯t so much as glance at him.


    lu chengyun put down his tea cup and said somewhat helplessly, "young gentleman."


    mo hua continued to pretend he hadn¡¯t heard.


    lu chengyun had no choice but to shake his head, and the two foundation builders behind him blocked mo hua¡¯s path and politely said:


    "young gentleman, the family head requests your presence."


    mo hua was startled, "family head?"


    he turned around, pretending to have just noticed lu chengyun, and expressed surprise:


    "lu family head, what brings you here? weren¡¯t you having tea with elder su?"


    the acting was somewhat clumsy.


    lu chengyun didn¡¯t quite know what to say.


    mo hua must have noticed him a long time ago. that was why he had taken such long detours, forcing him to circle around several times and set up several expose shadow formations.


    lu chengyun didn¡¯t make an issue of it but instead chuckled:


    "young gentleman, you don¡¯t want to see me?"


    mo hua feigned confusion, "why would the lu family head think that?"


    "you¡¯re avoiding me."


    "how could that be? didn¡¯t we just meet?"


    "just now..."


    "oh, just now i suddenly remembered i had forgotten to buy some things, so i took a different route to go shopping."


    mo hua¡¯s hands were empty, but he lied without even blushing.


    lu chengyun gave up.


    this young gentleman was very shrewd and a bit of a cheeky rascal.


    continuing this back and forth with him here, he probably wouldn¡¯t get a single serious word until evening.


    lu chengyun decided to be straightforward:


    "i¡¯d like to ask the young gentleman to do me a favor."


    mo hua tactfully said, "the lu family is vast, and you, family head, have considerable cultivation. i¡¯m just a minor cultivator, i¡¯m afraid i can¡¯t be of much help to you."


    lu chengyun shook his head, "this favor cannot be done without the young gentleman¡¯s help."


    mo hua knew he couldn¡¯t dodge any longer, so he said:


    "alright, what favor would you like me to help with?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze turned cold as he calmly said:


    "i¡¯d like the young gentleman to help me with corpse refinement!"


    mo hua blinked, "refine stone?"


    he nodded immediately, "sure, what kind of stones are there on the mountain that you need my help with using a formation to refine?"


    lu chengyun was taken aback.


    he really hadn¡¯t expected that mo hua, despite his young age, could be so impudent.


    lu chengyun sighed, "not refine stone, refine corpses."


    "refine what?"


    "corpses."


    "corpses?" mo hua continued to feign ignorance, "what corpses? i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about."


    lu chengyun said, "you¡¯re being too modest, young gentleman. you stole an iron corpse, dismantled it to study the formation, how could you not know what a corpse is?"


    mo hua inwardly panicked, realizing lu chengyun knew everything.


    he likely couldn¡¯t bluster his way through anymore.


    mo hua could only say, "i only learn proper formations, i don¡¯t know how to refine corpses."


    "no matter," lu chengyun chuckled, "it¡¯s easy to learn. with the young gentleman¡¯s talent, you¡¯ll get it in no time."


    mo hua felt helpless.


    it seems having too much talent can be a nuisance too.


    no wonder they say a person dreads fame as a pig dreads fattening; once you¡¯re known, you become a target.


    mo hua pondered for a moment, then puzzled, "but if it¡¯s an iron corpse, you, family head, can refine it yourself. you shouldn¡¯t need my help."


    lu chengyun fell silent for a moment, his graceful demeanor suddenly twisted into a sinister smile, revealing a row of white teeth, his eyes gleamed with chilling ambition:


    "not an iron corpse..."


    "it¡¯s a corpse that stands above the iron corpse... a stronger zombie!" sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 478: Helping Zhou (1)

    mo hua¡¯s heart chilled, and he asked with a frown:"above the iron corpse... is it the copper corpse?"


    lu chengyun did not confirm or deny, but just smiled inscrutably and asked:


    "junior gentleman, what do you think?"


    mo hua did not answer but furrowed his brows in thought before asking in return:


    "lu family head, how did you know that i knew?"


    mo hua¡¯s words were somewhat convoluted, but lu chengyun still understood and chuckled lightly:


    "your eyes."


    mo hua was taken aback, "my eyes?"


    "indeed," lu chengyun said, "when you see me on regular days, although you are polite and courteous, there is much caution in your expression, and your gaze also carries some doubt..."


    "but today, it¡¯s different..."


    "before i came here, your attitude towards me was the same as usual."


    "when you left, however, your look at me was unusually composed."


    lu chengyun mocked himself, "ordinary people might not notice anything, but i am naturally suspicious, and i take any trace to heart."


    "the difference in your gaze before and after made me suspicious."


    "i thought about it and then i understood."


    "your composed gaze indicates you no longer suspect me."


    "not suspecting could mean you trust me, but it could also mean that you¡¯ve figured out my secrets, so there¡¯s no need for suspicion."


    lu chengyun looked at mo hua, his smile tinged with ambiguity, "i needed to confirm."


    "so i excused myself from elder su earlier and waited for you on your way back, as i wanted to have a private chat with you."


    "but you took a longer route, seemingly not wanting to meet me."


    lu chengyun sighed, "i¡¯m quite disappointed and then i understood."


    mo hua was speechless inside.


    this lu chengyun, indeed a son-in-law who had married into the family, had such a suspicious and sensitive mind to this extent.


    even a slight difference in his gaze could make lu chengyun suspicious.


    "then what if i had left elder su¡¯s residence without saying goodbye and sneaked away?" mo hua asked him.


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyebrows rose, "wouldn¡¯t that be even more suspicious?"


    "what if i didn¡¯t take the longer route?"


    "if you didn¡¯t take the longer route, wouldn¡¯t it be the same as now?" lu chengyun said with a light smile, "you and i would sit down for tea, and i would ask the junior gentleman to lend me a helping hand."


    meaning, there was no escape either way...


    mo hua sighed and said with an innocent face:


    "why must lu family head focus on someone like me, a young cultivator with low cultivation, weak strength, a basic understanding of formations, and no ill intentions, just thirteen years old?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    in that sentence, probably only "thirteen years old" was true.


    the rest were lies no one would believe.


    lu chengyun poured a cup of tea and took a sip, saying slowly:


    "junior gentleman, i knew of your arrival in south yue city the moment it happened."


    lu chengyun shook his head, quite nostalgic, "at such a young age, a first-grade formation master, even having lived so long, i¡¯ve never seen with my own eyes. you truly broadened my horizons."


    "there are always mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people..."


    "this cultivation world, indeed, has all kinds of talents."


    "a thirteen-year-old first-grade formation master, i knew your background must be no small matter, and you must have had a purpose in coming here."


    "you inquired everywhere for an instructor named yan."


    "to be frank, this instructor yan also has some acquaintance with me, and he has clues to an extremely secretive formation on him."


    "you, being a formation master, inquiring about his whereabouts, it must be for this formation."


    mo hua neither confirmed nor denied.


    lu chengyun smiled faintly again, "i didn¡¯t care much at first, but you kept digging deeper, learning more and more."


    "you investigated the mines, found zhang quan, even followed the trails to the corpse walking stronghold, and together with the situ family, you eradicated the stronghold..."


    "meanwhile, you also discovered the formation on the zombies, and boldly took one back to study..."


    "i could only activate the formation, letting the iron corpse go berserk, forcing you to destroy the formation..."


    "and now, you¡¯ve peeled away the layers and discovered the person behind zhang quan is me..."


    at this point, lu chengyun sighed, saying with resignation:


    "i¡¯ve lived so many years, but i¡¯ve never met a formation master as clever and troublesome as you." sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua¡¯s mind whirled quickly and he reviewed everything succinctly:


    in lu chengyun¡¯s mind, he was a formidable young formation master with a significant background, inquiring about instructor yan to find the spiritual pivot formation.


    investigating the mines, capturing zhang quan, destroying the corpse walking stronghold, and in the end finding out that the cultivator behind zhang quan was him, the lu family head.


    all of it for the sake of the formation.


    in other words, he didn¡¯t know about the relationship between himself and instructor yan, nor was he aware that he already knew about the past of the minor hidden spirit sect or that he was the son-in-law of the lu family...


    mo hua breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    it seemed that lu chengyun, who was merely astute, relied on the lu family¡¯s power to be fully aware of the movements in south yue city.


    but he didn¡¯t know everything.


    now there was a way to deal with this...


    seeing mo hua¡¯s eyes rolling around, lu chengyun wondered what he was thinking and asked:


    "junior gentleman, have you made your decision?"


    "what?"


    "are you willing to refine corpses for my lu family?"


    mo hua spoke righteously: "i am a serious cultivator; i don¡¯t engage in such crooked and evil deeds."


    lu chengyun replied with gentle and refined manners:


    "on the surface, i too am a serious cultivator."


    mo hua frowned slightly.


    lu chengyun continued: "it is only convenient to carry out crooked and evil deeds when one appears respectable on the surface."


    mo hua felt there was some truth to this.


    he then asked, "what if i still disagree?"


    the expression on lu chengyun¡¯s face gradually turned colder.


    mo hua asked: "does the lu family head want to kill me?"


    lu chengyun was momentarily stunned, then smiled warmly:


    "gentleman mo is too talented for me to bear killing."


    now truly curious, mo hua proceeded to ask:


    "then, if i really don¡¯t agree, what does the family head plan to do?"


    lu chengyun smiled and said:


    "the best outcome, of course, is for gentleman mo to lend me a helping hand. feel free to state any demands you might have."


    "if you desire a title, i am willing to make you the actual power-bearing elder of the lu family; you can act as you please, without restraint;"


    "if you desire profit, i will give you a share of the mine¡¯s output, handfuls upon handfuls of spirit stones, ensuring a carefree path onwards;"


    "if you desire combat power, you can command thousands of zombies; with a single command, enemies will be devoured to death, unmatched by anyone at the same level;"


    "if you have a tender heart, yearning for the love of women, the female cultivators on jinhua street await to share your bed; you can also choose a lady from the lu family that pleases your heart, to be united in marriage and spend your life with..."


    lu chengyun spoke fervently.


    mo hua felt himself swayed.


    with such a silver tongue, deceiving others would indeed be as easy as pie.


    lu chengyun then changed his tone and said:


    "if gentleman mo feels that our paths are different and cannot work together, then that¡¯s very unfortunate."


    "gentleman mo comes from no ordinary background, and i would not wish to make an enemy of you."


    "the best course of action would be to ask gentleman mo to leave and never set foot in south yue city again, not meddling with the affairs of south yue city."


    "what you know should rot in your heart, never to be revealed."


    "let us part on good terms, and my lu family will even present you with a modest parting gift as a token of our sentiment."


    "but if gentleman mo neither helps us nor leaves, then you are deliberately making things difficult for the lu family."


    "when it comes to clan interests, no matter how influential gentleman mo might be, my lu family would have no choice but to fight to the bitter end."


    lu chengyun sighed:


    "if it comes to life and death, we won¡¯t be able to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea together anymore..."


    there was regret and pity in lu chengyun¡¯s expression.


    but to mo hua, it seemed insincere.


    lu chengyun, a man who was outwardly gentle but inwardly profit-driven, surely wouldn¡¯t consider any emotional ties or feel any regret.


    mo hua furrowed his brows.


    at this point, he had to consider his options.


    falling out with the lu family was not a wise decision.


    leaving south yue city would mean losing access to the spiritual pivot formation.


    moreover, once he left, reentering would become troublesome.


    after leaving, countless mining cultivators might die within the mines, and more walking corpses would likely arise;


    on jinhua street, who knows how many tears would be shed amidst the paper-thin splendor...


    after a moment of contemplation, mo hua nodded and said:


    "i can agree to your request, but i have one condition."


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyes brightened as he hastily responded, "please speak, gentleman mo."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, revealing a fierce edge:


    "i want that formation! the one etched into the heart meridian of the iron corpse, the one that controls the walking corpses!"


    lu chengyun was momentarily taken aback, then his smile grew even broader:


    "fine!"


    looking at mo hua, lu chengyun¡¯s eyes showed even greater appreciation:


    "fame and worldly profits are but passing clouds, and beautiful women are merely skins;"


    "to a formation master, the formation is the foundation of their existence and the great dao to immortality!"


    "gentleman mo, capable of maintaining your taoist heart amidst worldly desires, it¡¯s no wonder you have achieved so much at such a young age..."


    lu chengyun was generous with his praise.


    mo hua pretended to be nonchalant.


    lu chengyun said with a bow, "please, gentleman mo!"


    mo hua returned the gesture, "after you, lu family head!"


    lu chengyun was very pleased and led the way.


    mo hua followed close behind him.


    one moment, mo hua was considering wiping out the lu family, and the next, he transformed into a junior formation master who was "helping the tyrant" and followed behind lu chengyun.

 Chapter 479: Bad Thing (1)

    mo hua followed lu chengyun to the lu family.on the surface, lu chengyun treated mo hua very well, considerate and meticulous, but he didn¡¯t allow mo hua to leave the lu family, and there were various other restrictions¡ªit was essentially "soft imprisonment."


    so mo hua found lu chengyun and said he wanted to return home for a bit:


    "i¡¯ll be right back, just to let my junior brother and junior sister know, so they won¡¯t worry."


    lu chengyun took out paper and pen, "no need for such trouble, little gentleman. write a letter, and i¡¯ll have someone send it over."


    mo hua repeatedly waved his hands, "a written letter might not convince my brother and sister, it would be better if i went back personally."


    lu chengyun shook his head:


    "little gentleman, you have many ideas, and i must be cautious. writing a letter is better."


    mo hua muttered, "is the lu family head being too cautious¡­"


    "it¡¯s good to be cautious." lu chengyun looked at mo hua and slowly smiled:


    "this time, it was i who set up the expose shadow formation and mobilized several foundation establishment elders, only then could we invite the little gentleman¡­"


    "if we let the little gentleman go back with preparations made, i really might not be able to find you again, much less invite you."


    mo hua helplessly said, "alright then, i¡¯ll write the letter."


    thus, mo hua picked up the pen and wrote a letter on the stationery provided by the lu family, addressed to bai zisheng and bai zixi.


    the letter didn¡¯t say much, only that he was invited by the lu family head to be a guest for some time and that they should not worry, to have meals on time, but they would have to cook for themselves.


    mo hua didn¡¯t mention mr. zhuang¡¯s matter.


    because he noticed that lu chengyun seemed unaware that the three of them were traveling with their master.


    mo hua even speculated that in lu chengyun¡¯s perception, there possibly wasn¡¯t even a person like mr. zhuang.


    such a thing was quite baffling, but it seemed his master could indeed do such a thing...


    after the letter was written, he handed it over to lu chengyun.


    lu chengyun didn¡¯t even look at it and promptly called over his servants, instructing them to deliver the letter to mo hua¡¯s cave dwelling.


    it seemed as long as they retained mo hua, it didn¡¯t matter what was written in his letters.


    afterward, mo hua stayed at the lu family for a few days.


    lu chengyun provided for mo hua with fine food and drinks.


    the ones serving him were all young and beautiful maidens.


    mo hua would also sit next to lu chengyun at some of the lu family¡¯s evening banquets.


    during the banquets, some of the lu family women, glamorous and painted, each outstanding in her own way, cast alluring glances at mo hua.


    mo hua openly returned their gazes.


    after looking around, mo hua silently compared them in his mind and felt that none were as good-looking as his junior sister; then he lost interest and started eating on his own.


    to be fair, the meals at the lu family were very good.


    only, the thought that all these delicacies were exchanged for the lives of mining cultivators for the lu family¡¯s enjoyment made the food lose its taste in his mouth.


    even while eating cooked meat, he felt there was a bloody smell.


    several days later, one evening, lu chengyun found mo hua, his figure concealed in the night, his expression indiscernible and his tone indifferent:


    "little gentleman, i¡¯m taking you to a place."


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "where to?"


    lu chengyun smiled faintly, yet it seemed he didn¡¯t smile at all, "a place you wish to go to."


    mo hua was puzzled but still followed lu chengyun out.


    lu chengyun led the way, with mo hua following him and two foundation establishment elders behind mo hua.


    mo hua still remembered these two foundation establishment elders.


    in their hands, they had compass spiritual artifacts used for reconnaissance and concealment.


    the group left the lu family, exited south yue city, and arrived at the lu family¡¯s mine.


    it was the same mine where the five mining cultivators had died tragically.


    it was also the mine where a dark and stormy incident occurred at night.


    it was also the mine so tightly guarded by the lu family that mo hua had previously tried to sneak in but failed.


    if mo hua¡¯s guess was right.


    within this mine, there were zombies hidden.


    all of lu chengyun¡¯s conspiracies and schemes were also hidden within this mine.


    of course, the complete spiritual pivot formation chart must also be inside this mine.


    the mine was still guarded by lu family cultivators.


    lu chengyun arrived at the mine¡¯s entrance but didn¡¯t go in; instead, he led mo hua around the perimeter of the mine and finally stopped at a desolate place by a giant rock.


    it was now deep into the night.


    the dark and eerie silence of the mountains and the chilling mountain breeze blew around them.


    the giant rock stood tall and imposing, emanating a cold corpse qi.


    mo hua was taken aback.


    could this giant rock be the door? sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua looked around and frowned. the giant rock appeared to be a natural formation without any marks of carving; it didn¡¯t seem like a door.


    he then released his divine sense to probe.


    there were no illusion arrays nearby.


    at that moment, lu chengyun took out a sinister-looking bell, pitch black in color, neither wood nor iron in appearance.


    he gently shook it, and its sound was deep, lacking the clarity of metal, but rather dull, like the heartbeat of the dead.


    as the bell rang, after a moment, the large rock trembled.


    mo hua watched in shock.


    this giant rock seemed to have been lifted by a tremendous force, revealing a gloomy passageway behind it.


    behind the passage, the corpse qi was even heavier, as thick as it could drip.


    lu chengyun glanced at the shocked mo hua, smiled slightly, and said kindly:


    "little gentleman, please."


    mo hua came back to his senses, nodded, and followed lu chengyun towards the dark depths.


    the stench of decay and the dizzying, suffocating corpse qi hit mo hua for a moment.


    after a short while, the intense smell dissipated, and the space in front of him suddenly opened up.


    mo hua fixed his eyes and was even more stunned.


    behind this giant rock was a mine shaft.

 Chapter 480: Bad Stuff (2)

    ```however, this mine shaft is a deadman¡¯s mine.


    within the mine shaft, coffins were everywhere, casting an aura of death and decay.


    mo hua then turned back to look at the entrance.


    this natural boulder acted as the gate, with thick chains fixed to it, wrapping around and extending to an iron turntable.


    by the iron turntable stood two tall iron corpses.


    it was these two iron corpses who, under the control of the black corpse controlling bell, pushed the turntable, pulling the chains and lifting the huge stone gate.


    mo hua frowned deeply.


    the boulder was massive and heavy; for the two tall iron corpses to push the turntable and lift the gate, their strength must be immense, and thus their lethal potential was also extremely high.


    yet such powerful iron corpses were used by lu chengyun simply to open the gate.


    was it because there were an extremely large number of iron corpses inside the corpse mine, rendering these two superfluous in battle strength? sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    or was it because the gate was of utmost importance?


    within lay forbidden territory, strictly off-limits to outsiders and impermissible for their discovery or unwarranted intrusion.


    after a few people entered the mine shaft, lu chengyun shook the bell again.


    the two iron corpses, at his bidding, began to reverse the turntable.


    behind mo hua, accompanied by the creaking of iron chains, the stone gate slowly descended, completely sealing off the inside from the outside.


    even the cold moonlight could not find this silent corpse mine.


    mo hua was also left within this closed and silent mine shaft.


    an elder of the lu family lit a lantern.


    in the pitch-black mine shaft, there was now a faint yellow light.


    the light of the lantern cast lu chengyun¡¯s face in a fluctuating, indistinct light.


    he looked at mo hua, his eyes faintly betraying a sinister ambition, his voice also suppressed with excitement:


    "little gentleman, this mine shaft is the heart¡¯s blood of i, and the great enterprise of the lu family!"


    mo hua was shocked, but still furrowed his brow and asked:


    "lu family head, what exactly do you want me to help you with?"


    "no rush," lu chengyun said with a faint smile, "before that, let¡¯s meet an old friend first."


    "an old friend?"


    the lu family elder, holding the lantern, led the way.


    mo hua followed lu chengyun through the pitch-black mine shaft, slowly moving forward.


    they walked until they reached a cavern.


    the cavern had a door, on which were carved layers of formation patterns that were unclear, but under the light of the lantern, they appeared faintly blood-colored.


    mo hua knew right away that this was an evil formation.


    lu chengyun took out a stone talisman, inserted it into the lock, and disengaged the formation.


    the lu family elder pushed open the stone door, and everyone entered the cavern.


    the cavern was much brighter inside, with many stone chambers, each adorned with the bright fire formation.


    inside the stone chambers, there were also some cultivators, all wearing gray robes, pale-faced, and carrying the scent of corpse qi. they all seemed to be corpse cultivators.


    these corpse cultivators, upon seeing lu chengyun, all bowed their heads in salute.


    lu chengyun nodded slightly, leading mo hua all the way to a large hall inside.


    in the center of the hall was a stone table, but it was carved much more exquisitely.


    the furnishings around were complete and carefully selected, with skulls, bones, coffin nails, all exuding a kind of somber and deadly beauty.


    the hall was eerie, with coffins around, and in the middle sat a cultivator, gaunt and covered with scars, clearly wounded and unhealed, his complexion pallid and sallow.


    it was zhang quan.


    indeed, he was an "old friend" of mo hua.


    mo hua thought to himself: "as expected."


    zhang quan wasn¡¯t dead!


    the centipede wriggles even in death.


    mo hua had felt that zhang quan wouldn¡¯t die so easily.


    moreover, the zhang family had a legacy, generations of expertise in corpse refining techniques, which to lu chengyun, was also a rare "talent."


    lu chengyun would not let him die so readily.


    upon seeing lu chengyun, zhang quan got up and bowed respectfully, his attitude reverent.


    after finishing his salute, just as zhang quan was about to say something,


    the fire in the hall flickered, and with a hurried glance, he suddenly saw the diminutive mo hua at lu chengyun¡¯s side.


    he thought he had seen wrongly.


    zhang quan blinked, and once he recognized mo hua¡¯s small face, his eyes bulged out in anger.


    he pointed at mo hua, trembling, "lu family head, this..."


    lu chengyun introduced him:


    "this little gentleman here is a remarkable formation master named mo hua."


    zhang quan needed no introduction.


    mo hua¡¯s eyebrows and every smile, like a branding iron, were seared into his sea of consciousness, the mere recollection of which stirred in him a tormenting blend of fury and pain.


    the sole wish of his earlier life was to refine an unrivaled zombie.


    for the latter half, it was to let this zombie devour mo hua.


    zhang quan, having hidden here for so long, thought daily of killing mo hua.


    never in his wildest dreams had he expected that he could personally lay eyes on the lively and bouncing mo hua here in the corpse mine.


    zhang quan, unable to hold back, glared with fury, ready to lash out and slay mo hua there and then.


    detecting zhang quan¡¯s murderous intent, mo hua immediately hid behind lu chengyun, poking his little head out, and sticking out his tongue at zhang quan.


    zhang quan nearly fainted from anger again.


    ```


    his mind slipped from his grasp, and he could bear it no longer, a palm striking toward mo hua.


    the force of the palm was solid, with spiritual power materialized, aiming to put mo hua to death.


    yet this palm, halfway through its course, was blocked by lu chengyun.


    "brother zhang, don¡¯t be impulsive,"


    lu chengyun¡¯s expression was mild, but his tone was ice cold.


    zhang quan, filled with dread, finally calmed down, but with lingering rage barely subsiding, he said fiercely:


    "family head, this brat... he... "


    lu chengyun said indifferently: "i know, you have grievances, but that¡¯s all in the past now..."


    zhang quan said in disbelief, "why?"


    lu chengyun slowly said:


    "because our grand endeavor requires the help of the little gentleman, the current mr. mo is our honored guest, and hence must not be offended."


    mo hua also nodded and added:


    "exactly! exactly!"


    zhang quan was infuriated, but helpless all the same.


    he glanced at lu chengyun, whose expression was cold and detached, his gaze filled with suppressed anger. after a while, his face flushed red and then turned pale, he gritted his teeth and said:


    "fine, i will let it go!"


    having said that, zhang quan, pointing at mo hua, said:


    "but he must return what he stole from me!"


    mo hua continued to feign ignorance, "i don¡¯t remember stealing anything from you."


    zhang quan, infuriated and itching to retaliate, said, "the altar¡¯s!"


    "oh," mo hua blinked, "those things were yours, huh? i saw no one wanted them, so i just took them. even if they are trash, they shouldn¡¯t be wasted, right?"


    zhang quan¡¯s breath got caught in his throat, unable to speak.


    lu chengyun, somewhat exasperated, said, "little gentleman, stop provoking him."


    so mo hua stopped talking.


    lu chengyun heaved a sigh and continued:


    "it appears to be a misunderstanding. why not return the items to their original owner and let bygones be bygones? little gentleman, what do you say?"


    mo hua hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said to zhang quan:


    "alright, i will do so in the face of the lu family head."


    mo hua began to look through his storage bag, finding the disassembled parts of the corpse controlling bell scattered in a corner of the bag.


    the corpse controlling bell, after being taken apart by his junior sister, was never put back together.


    since there were no good formation patterns inside, mo hua had forgotten about it.


    mo hua took these fragments of the corpse controlling bell and, with a rustling sound, presented them with both hands, scattering them on the table.


    zhang quan was dumbfounded at the sight.


    "this is... my corpse controlling bell?"


    the blood cord, exotic patterns, bell body, clapper... all disassembled, as if it had been "dismembered."


    zhang quan glared at mo hua and demanded:


    "why did you disassemble it?"


    mo hua thought to himself that it was not him but his junior sister who had taken it apart.


    but what his junior sister disassembled was almost the same as if he had done it himself.


    so mo hua said, "i found it amusing, just took it apart to study it a bit..."


    zhang quan felt numbness creeping up his scalp.


    after a long while, he regained his composure and said word by word:


    "and... my ancestral master picture!"


    upon hearing this, lu chengyun¡¯s expression also stiffened, and his gaze betrayed a hint of desire.


    mo hua was somewhat reluctant but knew that he could not afford to jeopardize the larger picture at this time, so with reluctance, he took out the wad of the ancestral master picture.


    zhang quan felt both guilty and ecstatic.


    guilty for having, in a moment of carelessness, lost his ancestor, dishonoring his forebears.


    ecstatic because now, having regained what was lost, he could finally appease the spirits of his ancestors in heaven.


    zhang quan immediately snatched the ancestral master picture, unfurled it for a look, and a broad smile spread across his face.


    there was no mistaking it, it was his ancestral master picture.


    but as he kept looking, the smile on his face froze.


    something was wrong...


    why did it seem like there were fewer people in the picture?


    where are they?


    where did they go?


    zhang quan looked at mo hua in disbelief, "where are my zhang family ancestors?"


    mo hua pointed at the picture in his hands, "aren¡¯t they sitting right there in the picture?"


    zhang quan angrily demanded, "why are there fewer figures?"


    mo hua shrugged, "how should i know?"


    zhang quan, filled with rage, pressed on, "the picture was in your hands, how could you not know?"


    mo hua pondered for a moment, then said, "perhaps they¡¯ve gone visiting..."


    zhang quan¡¯s mouth fell open, "visiting... visiting?"


    "mhmm," mo hua nodded, as if it were the most natural thing, "after staying put for so long, they¡¯d want to move around a bit, right?"


    "it¡¯s just that, the cultivation world is quite dangerous. if you go visiting, you might not come back. if you run into danger and get eaten by some ¡¯nasty thing,¡¯ that¡¯s also possible..."

 Chapter 481: Planning (1)

    eaten by "bad things"?zhang quan flew into a rage, "what nonsense are you spouting?"


    "if you don¡¯t believe it, then forget it."


    zhang quan suppressed his anger, "you¡¯d better tell the truth."


    "alright then," mo hua said with a serious little face, "i¡¯ll tell the truth. actually, it was me who ¡¯ate¡¯ your ancestor!"


    zhang quan was furious:


    "you damn brat, spouting nonsense and mocking me, treating me like a fool?!"


    mo hua was helpless.


    he didn¡¯t believe a lie, nor did he believe the truth, there was really nothing she could do.


    it¡¯s your own choice to be a fool.


    fearing zhang quan would get so angry that something bad might happen, lu chengyun said to mo hua:


    "gentleman, it¡¯s getting late, perhaps it¡¯s time for a short rest..."


    "i personally had a room prepared for the gentleman, and i hope he likes it."


    mo hua sneakily glanced at zhang quan, pretending to be "scared."


    lu chengyun sighed and said to zhang quan:


    "the gentleman is an honored guest, he must not be treated disrespectfully, disturbed, and certainly not with any other intentions..."


    his tone was not heavy, but his eyes were cold and left no room for refusal.


    zhang quan¡¯s mouth twitched, and he clenched his teeth and said:


    "fine, i¡¯ll remember that!"


    lu chengyun nodded slightly.


    mo hua also nodded proudly at zhang quan,


    "remember, i am an honored guest!"


    seeing that zhang quan was about to get angry again, lu chengyun quickly said:


    "someone, take the gentleman to his room."


    mo hua took the opportunity to slip away, bowing:


    "thank you, lu family head, for the hospitality."


    then he placed a small hand behind his back and strutted out of the hall, following a corpse cultivator.


    the more zhang quan looked, the angrier he became, with his fingers gripping into the stone table, gouging out five finger holes.


    lu chengyun shook his head, "it¡¯s just a child, brother zhang, there¡¯s no need to be so angry."


    just a child?


    zhang quan sneered in his heart.


    you have never been angered by him.


    if you had been angered by him, you might want to kill him more than i do and would stop uttering such cold, indifferent words like "just a child."


    zhang quan was about to say something.


    but lu chengyun shook his head at him slightly, "a little patience can upset great plans."


    zhang quan had no choice but to swallow his anger, but he still felt very unconvinced, and he said sinisterly:


    "brother lu, this kid, he must have ulterior motives!"


    lu chengyun didn¡¯t seem to care, looking at zhang quan with a half-smile, "brother zhang, don¡¯t you have ulterior motives as well?"


    zhang quan froze, his eyes flickered, and he said with a forced smile:


    "brother lu jests."


    lu chengyun, however, said indifferently:


    "in this world, only oneself has no ulterior motives towards oneself. besides that, between father and son, brothers, husband and wife, there are always ulterior motives, it¡¯s just a matter of degree."


    "you have ulterior motives, the gentleman has ulterior motives, the corpse cultivators in this cave, to some extent, all have other thoughts..."


    lu chengyun smiled slightly, "these are actually irrelevant."


    "as long as this gentleman can work for me, it doesn¡¯t matter if he has ulterior motives. to put it another way, it is normal for him to have ulterior motives."


    "if he doesn¡¯t have ulterior motives, that¡¯s when i¡¯d become suspicious."


    lu chengyun looked at zhang quan indifferently, "you are the same, brother zhang."


    zhang quan appeared calm, but cold sweat seeped out inside.


    zhang quan bowed, "family head, rest assured, i will serve you with the loyalty of a dog and horse."


    lu chengyun smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.


    his gaze became focused as he looked at zhang quan and instructed:


    "the gentleman will stay here for a while to help me. before the matter is settled, i hope there won¡¯t be any more unpleasantness between you, and i certainly don¡¯t want to see any accidents befall him."


    "do you understand, brother zhang?"


    zhang quan frowned, "as brother lu says, i will naturally comply, but that boy, he¡¯s just a little brat in his teens. no matter how talented he is, he doesn¡¯t seem worthy of such esteem from brother lu..."


    lu chengyun pondered:


    "this gentleman is extremely skilled in formation drawing."


    zhang quan obviously didn¡¯t believe it, "how good can he be?"


    "brother zhang doesn¡¯t understand formations, you wouldn¡¯t comprehend even if i told you..."


    zhang quan felt slighted, "that¡¯s..."


    lu chengyun looked at him, sighing slowly:


    "i can only say that the formation mastery of this little gentleman far surpasses brother zhang¡¯s understanding of formations, and in some areas, even i must admit inferiority¡­"


    zhang quan¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he had not expected lu chengyun to hold this kid in such high regard.


    lu chengyun appeared gentle but was always proud; his praise in normal days was nothing but courtesy and deceit.


    but this time was different, his expression and tone did not seem fake.


    could this kid truly be that skilled?


    zhang quan¡¯s brows furrowed even more tightly.


    able to hide, skilled in that strange fireball technique, protected by a pair of apprentices with no ordinary cultivation, profound in formation knowledge, and now even lu chengyun was elevating him this much¡­


    wouldn¡¯t killing him be even harder now?


    "playing me for a fool, destroying my family¡¯s business, insulting my ancestors, when will i ever be able to avenge these wrongs?"


    zhang quan¡¯s gaze grew dark as he silently said to himself:


    "if it¡¯s not feasible in the open, it seems i must make covert moves."


    however, he said aloud, "family head, rest assured, i understand the limits."


    lu chengyun gave zhang quan a glance, his gaze inscrutable, and said nothing.


    meanwhile, a corpse cultivator, leading mo hua, arrived at his own room.


    this room was a stone chamber.


    it was relatively hidden and safe but also easy to guard, even encircled with formations.


    this too was in keeping with lu chengyun¡¯s methods.


    drawing me closer while keeping his guard up.


    the interior of the stone chamber was exquisitely furnished, adorned with floral screens and jade ornaments; it had everything one could need and was even perfumed to mask any smell of decay.


    mo hua even had the illusion.


    as if at this moment, he wasn¡¯t in a corpse mine filled with coffins and a chilly stench of decay, but rather in a beautifully arranged guest room of the lu family.


    indeed, lu chengyun had been very attentive in this matter.


    but mo hua was far from moved.


    if lu chengyun treated him this well, he must be aiming for something even greater.


    such a person, pretentious and self-serving, treats you kindly and meticulously as long as you are of value.


    once that value is used up, you¡¯ll be kicked to the curb, and after kicking you, probably stab you in the back a few times to silence you for good.


    the very traitor of minor hidden spirit sect who could betray his master and steal the legacy.


    who could hide his name and face, assume a new identity, and enter the lu family as a son-in-law.


    who, as a son-in-law, could gain the approval of the lu family¡¯s old ancestor known as ¡¯capitalist lu,¡¯ successfully be elected as lu family head, and maintain the lu family¡¯s exploitation of mining cultivators, running the luxurious jinhua street.


    how could such a person be as amiable and cultured as he seemed.


    moreover, he was still cooperating with zhang quan in corpse refinement.


    establishing a corpse mine, drawing evil formations, hoarding zombies, refining iron corpses ¡ª what exactly was his scheme?


    what was the "stronger zombie that stands above the iron corpse" lu chengyun had mentioned?


    all this must be clarified.


    mo hua furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment, and sorted out the things he had to do next.


    first, ensure his own safety.


    then, figure out the layout of the corpse mine.


    find a way to convey a message to junior brother and sister, so they can provide support.


    afterward, help with lu chengyun¡¯s errands to see what exactly he wants from me.


    if it involves corpse refinement, what kind of corpse.


    and find an opportunity to acquire a complete copy of the spirit pivot formation chart.


    and then there was zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master picture.


    zhang quan harbored a deadly animosity towards him; he had to find a way to trap him to death and then steal back his "zombie image."


    his divine sense still hadn¡¯t had its fill.


    and not a single good thing came from the zhang family full of zombies.


    one must eradicate evil to prevent future troubles.


    mo hua intended to destroy the ancestor of zhang quan and cut off his family¡¯s legacy, to prevent anyone else from refining corpses and harming others.


    on top of that, he needed to find a way to deal with the lu family¡­


    ...


    as mo hua tallied his tasks, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh, "i¡¯m so busy¡­"


    there were so many things to do.


    he felt a bit tired, lay flat on the bed, and rested for a while before regaining his spirit.


    "one thing at a time..."


    first, he needed to understand the layout of the corpse mine.


    upon reaching unfamiliar territory, it was imperative first to familiarize oneself with the surroundings, thereby seeking advantages and avoiding harm, dodging unknown risks.


    this was a basic principle for monster hunters.


    and a lesson from his father, mo shan.


    mo hua took it to heart.

 Chapter 482: Peeking (1)

    i couldn¡¯t leave for the time being.not to mention lu chengyun and zhang quan, even the two iron corpses guarding the door were not opponents i could face head-on.


    moreover, when mo hua entered the room, he noticed that around the entrance, expose dust formations were laid out.


    in some special places, there were also expose shadow formations.


    the ink was fresh; it was clear they had been drawn not long before, specifically to guard against mo hua.


    "when your trump card is known, it will be targeted..."


    mo hua shook his head, somewhat helpless.


    but as long as it was about formations, it was no big deal.


    mo hua didn¡¯t take this matter to heart.


    it was already past 1 p.m.


    mo hua pretended to lie down and sleep, but his divine sense sank into the sea of consciousness, practicing an incomplete spiritual pivot formation on the taoist stele all night.


    the next day he awoke, he went through his routine qi refinement.


    "make the best of it," he thought, not at all affected by external affairs or objects.


    someone brought food to mo hua¡¯s door.


    mo hua ate when he should eat and drank when he should drink, not feeling constrained at all.


    a few days passed like this, lu chengyun never sought mo hua, but mo hua was already feeling bored, so he went to find lu chengyun and asked,


    "family head lu, is there anything you need me to do?"


    lu chengyun said with a smile,


    "there¡¯s no rush. we¡¯ll need a few more days to prepare. the gentleman can rest for now."


    speaking of rest, it was more like a "gentle imprisonment."


    now that his secret was known, it was necessary to confine me, presumably to prevent me from causing trouble.


    "all right," mo hua nodded.


    lu chengyun added, "if the gentleman finds it dull, you can wander around a bit."


    "really?"


    lu chengyun said with a smile, "of course."


    since lu chengyun said so, mo hua certainly didn¡¯t stand on ceremony.


    the next day, he left his room and casually beckoned to a passing corpse cultivator, "come here."


    the corpse cultivator came over and bowed, saying,


    "gentleman, what can i do for you?"


    "show me around."


    the corpse cultivator was taken aback but, remembering that mo hua was a respected guest of lu chengyun, didn¡¯t dare to neglect him.


    so, the corpse cultivator took mo hua around for a tour.


    after the tour, mo hua realized that the place he was in was a massive stone palace, hewn from within a mine.


    the numerous chambers were all part of this stone palace.


    the stone palace was majestic, eerie but also rudimentary.


    most furnishings were related to corpse refinement.


    at first, mo hua found it novel but after a few rounds, he found it dull.


    the stone palace was newly constructed; there wasn¡¯t much to see.


    everywhere were monotonous chambers.


    or dim, gloomy corpse cultivators, pitch-dark coffins, and sinister zombies. sea??h th§× n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    there were formations, but they were not particularly clever.


    in some areas, the stone doors were tightly sealed. it was clear they contained secrets, but they were off-limits and inquiring further was prohibited.


    mo hua inwardly scoffed.


    this lu chengyun put on a show of generosity but in fact kept a tight watch, afraid of leaking secrets.


    it¡¯s like inviting someone to dine, saying "help yourself," but only serving radishes and cabbages, without a drop of "oil."


    after spending a few days in the corpse mine, mo hua began to feel familiar with it.


    he even started to feel somewhat at ease.


    apart from not being able to probe secrets, everything else was not bad.


    the corpse cultivators dared not offend mo hua. they even tried to fulfill any of his requests, whether he wanted to eat, drink, study something, practice formations or if he needed any ink, paper, or writing brushes.


    in these past few days, mo hua hadn¡¯t seen zhang quan.


    he probably stayed away intentionally, fearing he¡¯d become enraged.


    if he lost his wits and attacked me out of anger, it would be tantamount to defying lu chengyun and he certainly wouldn¡¯t come out of it well.


    mo hua didn¡¯t seek out zhang quan.


    it was pointless to look for him now, as it wasn¡¯t the time to reclaim the "zombie image."


    wandering around like this wasn¡¯t the solution.


    on the surface, mo hua had familiarized himself with the basic layout of the stone palace, but that wasn¡¯t enough.


    he needed to find a way to inquire about some hidden places.


    mo hua wanted to try using the concealment technique.


    the expose dust formation and the expose shadow formation were formations not surpassing the first grade, and tinkering with them wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    the challenge lay in how not to get caught by lu chengyun.


    after some thought, mo hua suddenly realized that not being discovered by lu chengyun was impossible.


    it made more sense to be discovered by him.


    lu chengyun was suspicious by nature; if i was too honest, it would surely raise his doubts.


    it would be better to make some minor movements under his watch.


    i thought i hadn¡¯t been detected by him, but in reality, he did detect it, so in turn, he wouldn¡¯t be suspicious.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze flickered, and he had an idea.


    he first put on a cloak, activated the formation on it, and with the help of the formation, concealed his figure.


    then he went to the door and quietly disabled the expose dust formation.


    the moment the expose dust formation was disabled, it was indeed detected.


    a stream of divine sense descended and swept back and forth inside mo hua¡¯s room, searching for mo hua¡¯s figure.


    this divine sense belonged to lu chengyun.


    mo hua was familiar with it.


    in these past days, divine sense occasionally peered at mo hua.


    gentle, subtle, with a hint of coldness, it was hard to notice.


    but in mo hua¡¯s perception, it was clear as day.


    this wisp of divine sense was identical to lu chengyun¡¯s aura.


    from this, mo hua deduced that lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense was also around the level of twelve stripes, and certainly not at thirteen stripes.


    comparable to himself, but slightly weaker.


    although lu chengyun¡¯s cultivation was at the peak of the foundation establishment initial stage and he was also a formation master, it seemed that the strength of his divine sense was quite ordinary.


    compared to the average cultivator, of course, it wasn¡¯t weak.


    but compared to mo hua, it was somewhat inferior.


    previously, mo hua¡¯s divine sense was a solid twelve stripes.


    having refined several zombies from the zhang family ancestors, he was now nearing the peak of twelve stripes, but still hadn¡¯t reached thirteen.


    moreover, to break through to thirteen stripes, he estimated that he still had a distance to go.


    mo hua immediately had some doubts:


    "lu chengyun is at the peak of the foundation establishment initial stage and also studies formation every day, so why hasn¡¯t his divine sense reached thirteen stripes?"


    "could it be because he draws evil formations daily, seeking shortcuts and failing to properly temper his divine sense?"


    however, not having reached thirteen stripes was also good.


    in the corpse mine, lu chengyun had the highest cultivation and the strongest divine sense.


    his divine sense being weaker than thirteen stripes meant that, within the corpse mine, all the corpse cultivators, along with the lu family elders, would not have a stronger divine sense than him.


    moreover, he had always kept from revealing to lu chengyun that his divine sense had already reached foundation establishment.


    even elder su did not know.


    so, in lu chengyun¡¯s perception, his divine sense should conform to the limit of a qi refinement cultivator, between nine to ten stripes.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    with a weaker divine sense, and unaware of how strong his own was, that would be easy to handle.


    mo hua activated the concealment formation, then no longer restrained his divine sense but released a bit of presence instead.


    this bit of presence was enough for lu chengyun to perceive.


    indeed, after a short while, mo hua detected a faint divine sense resting upon him.


    this strand of divine sense was lu chengyun¡¯s.


    mo hua pretended not to notice and then sneaked out the door.


    the expose dust formation at the door was undone by mo hua, so it didn¡¯t reveal his figure.


    mo hua sneaked out of the door, looking around all the somewhat eerie chambers one by one.


    these chambers, though secretive, did not contain many secrets.


    even if he discovered them himself, it was unlikely that lu chengyun would care.


    indeed, after mo hua¡¯s lengthy investigation, lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense showed no fluctuations whatsoever.


    mo hua checked around, uncovered some superficial secrets, and then returned to the chamber, lying down on the bed again.


    a moment later, lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense withdrew.


    the next day, when lu chengyun saw mo hua, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    but mo hua acted as though he was feeling "guilty," his gaze somewhat evasive.


    lu chengyun appeared indifferent, and after mo hua left, the corner of his mouth revealed a smile as if everything was under control.


    "so it¡¯s a concealment formation..."


    lu chengyun shook his head slightly, "a mere trifle, how could it deceive the heavens and cross the sea..."


    indeed, mo hua¡¯s subsequent actions didn¡¯t escape lu chengyun¡¯s notice.


    after mo hua concealed his figure, wherever he went, lu chengyun knew every detail.


    after several days, lu chengyun also became a bit negligent.


    the places mo hua visited, the secrets he discovered, were utterly inconsequential.


    that night, mo hua invisibly went out as usual, strolling around, and upon return, found that lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense had already been withdrawn early.


    it seemed he had lost interest in mo hua.


    mo hua lay on the bed, not moving.


    sure enough, after a short while, lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense returned.


    mo hua continued to feign sleep honestly.


    this went on three or four times until after 1 a.m. when lu chengyun finally settled down.


    mo hua felt a bit worn out.


    this lu chengyun really was extremely suspicious...


    for a good long while, there was no divine sense probing.


    mo hua then quietly got up from the bed, donned a cloak of invisibility, used the concealment technique, and with a double concealment, further constricted his divine sense to the utmost, and quietly left the room.


    a wary rabbit has three burrows, as elder yu taught him.


    by day, he roamed the corpse mine openly and honorably;


    by night, he activated the concealment formation to probe some trivial secrets right under lu chengyun¡¯s nose;


    when lu chengyun relaxed his vigilance, he then employed full concealment, unbeknownst to gods and ghosts, to peek at the true secrets within the corpse mine...


    like, how many iron corpses are there in this corpse mine? how many walking corpses?


    what is the formation used for corpse refinement?


    where is the spiritual pivot formation?


    what exactly is the lu family¡¯s conspiracy?


    ...


    mo hua wanted to know a lot of things.


    first, he went to several sealed chambers and quietly made a small opening to peek inside and indeed found iron coffins concealed within.


    inside the iron coffins lay iron corpses.


    similar sealed chambers like these, mo hua counted during the day; there were over ten of them.


    that is to say, there might be more than ten iron corpses, and possibly even more...


    besides, there were also some secret rooms.


    inside these secret rooms, there were also altars with offerings on them.


    however, the offerings were no longer the likes of ancestral master pictures.


    instead, they were various bizarre items, such as monster sculptures and zombie limbs.


    mo hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    and there were some places, due to time constraints, that mo hua hadn¡¯t managed to visit.


    wandering around, mo hua arrived at the main entrance.


    this main entrance was the door to the stone palace.


    what separated here was the stone palace from the outside mine shafts.


    inside the stone palace, there were many chambers for the corpse cultivators to reside.


    the corpse cultivators lived, refined corpses, and controlled corpses all within the stone palace.


    outside the stone palace were the mine shafts.


    mo hua only glanced at it when he came in, a pitch-black expanse filled with coffins, very strange indeed.


    mo hua wanted to take a look at the mine shafts, but in front of him was the large door.


    above the door, formation was inscribed.


    after divine sense calculation, mo hua found that he could unravel this formation, but once he did, he would inevitably alarm lu chengyun, so he couldn¡¯t act yet.


    at that moment, mo hua heard the sound of bells coming from outside the door.


    after the ringing of bells, it seemed as if countless zombies were climbing out of their coffins, clinking and clanking, producing eerie noises, somehow busying themselves with something.


    these sounds, bit by bit, merged into a river.


    even through the sound isolation formation, it was jarringly loud and grating to the ear.


    it was as if in the dead silence of the netherworld, corpses worked as if they were alive; the discordance was unsettling.


    mo hua frowned.


    "what exactly is this lu chengyun doing, refining so many zombies?"


    "it can¡¯t be... he isn¡¯t mining with them, is he...?"

 Chapter 483: Little Tiger (1)

    ```"i should visit the mine when i get the chance..."


    mo hua thought to himself.


    he wanted to know what exactly these walking corpses were doing inside the mines.


    but for now, he couldn¡¯t leave.


    after leaving the entrance of the stone palace, mo hua took a brief look around and then went back to sleep honestly.


    in the following days, mo hua used the complete concealment technique, hiding from lu chengyun and familiarized himself with the interior of the stone palace.


    indeed, there were many zombies here, and their strength was formidable.


    it was even stronger than the lu family¡¯s apparent strength on the surface.


    if one day the lu family stopped allowing lu chengyun to be the family head...


    with just one order from lu chengyun to control the iron corpses and the walking corpses, he could truly annihilate the lu family...


    mo hua furrowed his eyebrows, pondering.


    could it be that the lu family old ancestor was apprehensive of this and that¡¯s why he let lu chengyun become the family head?


    but that didn¡¯t seem quite right either.


    constructing such a massive stone palace and refining so many zombies.


    it required many body cultivators, formation masters, corpse cultivators, as well as corpse refining herbs, coffins, corpse controlling bells, corpses...


    the cost in manpower and resources was no small sum.


    without the support of the lu family, lu chengyun could never have built this.


    there must be secrets between the lu family old ancestor and lu chengyun...


    however, with so few clues, mo hua couldn¡¯t guess for the time being.


    mo hua thought about it and felt it was time to contact his junior brother and sister.


    inside and outside collaboration would make things more convenient.


    in case of an accident, they could also help him.


    mo hua took out a map, which depicted the geographical layout of the lu family¡¯s mines.


    mo hua then took out another piece of paper and sketched out the entrance to the corpse mine and the approximate location of the stone palace from memory.


    comparing the two, he roughly inferred the location of the stone palace within the mine.


    then, based on the location, he speculated where the walls of the mine were thinnest, which would be the easiest for him to dig through.


    first off, his own room would not work.


    mo hua glanced at the map and realized that his room was situated deep within the stone palace, the distance to the outside rock face being the thickest. trying to dig out from here would take the most time.


    moreover, there were formations all around. digging would trigger these formations.


    these formations could not be set off.


    lu chengyun was also a formation master, and his accomplishments in formation were not shabby.


    it was fine as long as he didn¡¯t discover mo hua, who could make some alterations to the formation without lu chengyun realizing right away.


    but now, being right under his watch, it would be a rash move to tamper with the formation, and lu chengyun would definitely notice.


    mo hua also suspected that the formations inside the stone palace were integrated.


    lu chengyun would definitely use some method to monitor the entire stone palace¡¯s formations.


    otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for lu chengyun to detect him the moment he deactivated the expose dust formation.


    deactivating the expose dust formation was done intentionally to be discovered by lu chengyun.


    now, digging a tunnel had to be done without letting lu chengyun find out.


    at night, after deceiving lu chengyun, mo hua concealed himself and went to several unoccupied rooms on the right side of the stone palace.


    these rooms were empty and clearly freshly excavated. no one lived there, and there were no coffins placed inside.


    according to mo hua¡¯s estimates, the walls of these rooms were the thinnest, making it the easiest spot to dig through, and what was more, there were very few formations in this area.


    it was the weakest point in the entire stone palace¡¯s formations that mo hua had calculated.


    digging a small tunnel would be sufficient.


    mo hua took out a little tiger.


    this was a wooden puppet given to him by old kui, made of a material resembling wood but exceptionally sturdy.


    the little tiger had a spiritual pivot formation drawn on it by mo hua.


    the spiritual pivot formation was for control.


    apart from that, its limbs and teeth bore sharp gold formations drawn by mo hua, which could make the puppet¡¯s limbs sharp and capable of piercing through mountains as easy as turning the hand.


    mo hua wanted to use the little tiger to send a message.


    he himself couldn¡¯t leave just yet.


    so a small tunnel would do.


    mo hua found a secluded corner, placed the little tiger there, and then used his divine sense to control the spiritual pivot formation on the little tiger, which in turn prompted the puppet to dig through the rock.


    the formation on the little tiger slightly glowed and sprang to life, running several circles around mo hua before finding a spot at the corner of a wall. its tiny claws scratched away, and fine rock chips fell, quickly digging a fist-sized tunnel.


    the little tiger squeezed in and then continued to dig outward.


    within the tunnel, rock debris and dust kept falling.


    mo hua thought for a moment and drew another inconspicuous earth series formation to dissolve all the rock fragments to prevent detection.


    after that, mo hua returned to his room.


    whenever lu chengyun wasn¡¯t watching, day or night, mo hua controlled the little tiger from afar with his divine sense to dig the tunnel.


    in the deadly silent corpse mine, amongst the black-grey rocks...


    the little tiger kept digging, burrowing further and further away.


    a few days later, mo hua¡¯s divine sense suddenly felt lighter, realizing there was nothing left to dig around him.


    "i¡¯ve broken through!"


    mo hua rejoiced inwardly.


    afterward, mo hua let the little tiger lie in the underbrush, waiting to be discovered by either his junior brother or sister.


    ```


    they must know that i¡¯ve left tongxian city,


    if they were looking for me, they would likely search near the mines.


    and this little tiger, crafted by old kui, something i¡¯ve fiddled with many times, junior brother and sister are both very familiar with it¡ªjust a sweep of their divine sense, and they¡¯d discover it.


    the area around the mine is open and barren, making it less likely to be picked up by other cultivators.


    mo hua waited until dawn.


    after that, with just a slight stirring of his divine sense, he detected that little tiger had been picked up, and the aura of the person was very familiar.


    it was either junior brother or sister.


    after little tiger was picked up, something seemed to have been stuffed into it, and a moment later, it was thrown back onto the mountain path.


    mo hua then controlled little tiger to crawl back.


    little tiger got to the entrance of the cave and quietly waited.


    only after 1 p.m., when lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense departed, did mo hua conceal his figure and go to the entrance, picking up little tiger, covered in dust and looking quite dirty.


    there was a piece of paper stuffed in little tiger¡¯s belly.


    mo hua unfolded the paper; the handwriting was delicate and beautiful, bearing the message:


    "where have you gone?"


    there was a simple drawing at the end of the message.


    the drawing depicted a small face, with a stick on top of its head banging it.


    one glance and he knew it was junior sister¡¯s drawing¡ªthat small face was meant to be mo hua; he had seen her draw it before.


    the mo hua in the drawing was being hit on the head.


    it seemed junior sister was a bit angry¡­


    mo hua felt a bit helpless as he stuffed a piece of paper he had written in advance into little tiger¡¯s body; it explained the reasons for his actions along with information about the corpse mine and the stone palace.


    he also drew a small formation on the paper. if someone else got hold of it, mo hua would make the paper self-combust.


    mo hua then placed little tiger back at the cave entrance.


    little tiger began scrabbling its way up the path again.


    the next evening, little tiger came scrabbling back.


    mo hua went to pick up little tiger again and saw that there was a new note. it simply read:


    "understood."


    there was also a drawing of a small face that was expressionless, neither happy nor angry.


    but it seemed as if she was no longer angry¡­


    mo hua let out a slight sigh of relief and left little tiger in the mountain path to pass messages between him and junior sister.


    mo hua himself would not make any rash moves for now.


    meanwhile, junior brother and sister could be well-infor-med and make some preparations.


    two days later, lu chengyun finally found mo hua, greeted him with a cupped fist and politely said,


    "i have made the necessary preparations; please, gentleman, lend me a hand."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes glinted as he asked,


    "what do you need my help with, family head?"


    "please follow me," lu chengyun said, gesturing an invite with his hand.


    mo hua followed him out, walking through the corridors of the stone palace, turning several corners, and arriving at the previous hall.


    inside the hall, zhang quan was also present. he snorted coldly when he saw mo hua.


    but he said nothing, nor dared to strike at mo hua.


    mo hua also "hmmphed" in response, while calculating in his mind how to scheme against zhang quan and then steal his ancestor.


    seeing the tension between the two but also their restraint¡ªneither fighting nor exchanging words¡ªlu chengyun nodded slightly.


    "brother zhang, open the door," he said.


    zhang quan¡¯s eyes focused, he nodded and said, "alright."


    mo hua was taken aback, wondering to himself.


    "open the door? what door?"


    where was there any door in this place?


    mo hua frowned, then watched as zhang quan walked up to a huge mural on the wall.


    the mural was carved with zombies displaying ferocious and cruel expressions, cultivators with faces filled with horror, countless overturned coffins, and hands stretching out from within them.


    zhang quan began to chant and make hand seals in front of the painting.


    mo hua was slightly stunned.


    his actions looked so familiar.


    it was similar to what mo had done in front of the screen in the corpse walking stronghold, though more complicated, and the incantations were longer.


    so this mural, like the screen, was the entrance to a secret chamber?


    sure enough, moments later, the lines on the mural became chaotic and intermingled, turning into a puddle of ink. the ink gradually structured itself into clarity, forming a face that was half human, half zombie.


    this face was majestic yet harsh, with a gaze full of greed.


    and as part of a zombie, it bore ferocity and terror.


    after the half human, half zombie face materialized, it opened its mouth wide; the more it opened, the bigger it got, until the entire face became a gaping maw. sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the sharp fangs on either side of the mouth were as lethal as those of monster beasts.


    this mouth was the entrance.


    lu chengyun said, "gentleman, please!"


    after speaking, he walked towards the mural himself.


    mo hua hesitated for a moment before following him, entering the gaping maw of the zombie.

 Chapter 484: Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses (1)

    mo hua walked into the mural, into the mouth of the zombie, and into a secret passage.the passage was narrow and dark but not long.


    less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, after passing through the secret passage, the space before mo hua suddenly opened up.


    what came into view was a massive altar.


    the altar was exquisitely arranged, resplendent with gold and glittering with jewels.


    the sandalwood was precious, the candle stands were of jade, the candles were gilded, and a giant incense burner engraved with gold beast patterns, with incense smoldering inside, wafting curls of smoke.


    above the altar were placed five-color spirit flowers, as offerings alongside pigs, sheep, and spirit beasts.


    in front of the altar hung banners of golden yellow, with jiao dragon patterned lanterns suspended from them.


    in the middle of the altar stood an enshrined sculpture.


    it was covered with a yellow cloth, obscuring its appearance.


    but the material used for it was either gold or jade.


    the entire altar was both imposing and luxurious.


    mo hua clicked his tongue, silently murmuring to himself,


    "this thing... must¡¯ve cost a fortune in spirit stones..."


    as he looked down, his brow furrowed, his gaze becoming even more stunned.


    underneath the altar lay a gigantic bronze coffin.


    the coffin bore greenish patinas of bronze rust, suggesting it had endured many years of decay, exuding an ancient and rotten aura.


    around the huge bronze coffin were arranged numerous iron coffins.


    these iron coffins housed iron corpses and were slightly smaller in comparison to the bronze coffin, appearing blackish-green in color.


    beyond the iron coffins, as far as the eye could see, were densely packed dark wooden coffins.


    there were thousands of these wooden coffins, so many that in just a moment, mo hua couldn¡¯t count exactly how many there were.


    between the coffins, blood-red formation patterns connected them.


    first, they classified the wooden coffins, connecting them to above the iron coffins, and then through the iron coffins, with blood-red patterns, they led to the large bronze coffin in the center.


    on the ground among the multitude of coffins were drawn several sinister and strange formations.


    all of the evil formations were linked together.


    sinister yet magnificent.


    a shiver ran through mo hua¡¯s heart.


    is this... an evil path great formation?


    he suppressed the shock in his heart, focused his mind, and used his divine sense to deduce the formation pivot and number of formations, sighing with relief afterward.


    not a great formation...


    although they looked menacing, the number of single formations, the structure of the formation pivot, and the scale of the formations did not qualify as a great formation.


    at most, it could be considered a "quasi-great formation."


    in essence, it was still a compound formation, much less powerful than a great formation, yet much stronger than an average compound formation.


    this was the strongest compound formation mo hua had ever encountered.


    and it was also an evil path compound formation.


    seeing mo hua¡¯s shocked expression, lu chengyun felt quite pleased with himself, with a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, he asked,


    "young gentleman, what do you think?"


    mo hua had his own thoughts, pretending not to have seen through it, his expression changing uncertainly, until, utterly baffled, he said,


    "lu family head, you¡¯re actually constructing a great formation!"


    lu chengyun humbly said,


    "it¡¯s not quite a great formation, just a compound formation of a larger scale."


    but pride flashed in his eyes as he was clearly very proud of the formation he had laid out.


    mo hua then feigned as though he had seen very little of the world, saying in amazement,


    "such scale, and it¡¯s still not considered a great formation..."


    lu chengyun smiled and asked,


    "young gentleman, haven¡¯t you seen a great formation before?"


    mo hua blinked.


    in his heart he thought, i can¡¯t just tell you that i¡¯ve not only seen one but have also been the lead architect of a grade-one eleven-pattern five elements slaughter demon great formation, which i used to slay a big demon in the end...


    even if he said so, lu chengyun probably wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    hence, mo hua shook his head with a "sincere" face, and longingly said,


    "i have not seen one, i¡¯ve only heard my master mention it. a formation master capable of constructing a great formation must have extremely strong divine sense, wide knowledge of formations, profound expertise, and also manage the construction of the great formation, being a renowned figure of the region."


    mo hua had the nerve to lavish himself with praise.


    lu chengyun nodded and said feelingly, "indeed."


    becoming the lead architect and constructing a great formation was the lifelong pursuit of every formation master.


    lu chengyun was no exception.


    however, so far, he didn¡¯t possess the ability to construct a great formation, and this compound formation here was already his limit.


    even so, he was far ahead of other formation masters.


    once this formation was activated, the lu family could dominate the minor wilderness state boundary.


    whether it was personal power or formation accomplishment, he could take one step further.


    given time, he could undoubtedly construct a true great formation.


    ambition burned brightly in lu chengyun¡¯s eyes.


    the thirteen-year-old mo hua, who had already constructed a great formation, was standing quietly on the side, watching him.


    when lu chengyun came back to his senses, mo hua softly asked,


    "lu family head, what exactly is this formation?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyes became focused as he slowly said,


    "this formation is called... formation of ten thousand corpses."


    "formation of ten thousand corpses..."


    mo hua was slightly startled.


    "ten thousand corpses..."


    no, that¡¯s not right...


    this isn¡¯t the name of a single formation, nor is it likely to be the name of a compound formation.


    a mere compound formation could not possibly be named "ten thousand corpses."


    mo hua glanced at the countless coffins below, and at the dense collection of evil formations, his gaze flickering.


    this formation of ten thousand corpses must be a great formation!


    it should be called the great formation of ten thousand corpses!


    the current compound formation had been reduced from the original great formation.


    lu chengyun lacked the ability in formation arts, and the lu family couldn¡¯t possibly deplete their resources to construct a formation.


    so because lu chengyun couldn¡¯t build a great formation, he built this compound formation, reduced from the great formation of ten thousand corpses.


    but where did lu chengyun get the formation diagram?


    the inheritance of great formations was always a closely guarded secret.


    his five elements slaughter demon great formation was given to him by his master.


    so, who gave lu chengyun the great formation of ten thousand corpses?


    moreover, given that this was an evil path great formation, the ones capable of passing on such sinister formations must be either distinguished demon sects or powerful big demons from the demon path...


    a chill went through mo hua¡¯s heart, and his gaze grew colder.


    "lu family head, where exactly did this formation come from?" mo hua asked quietly again.


    lu chengyun seemed on the verge of speaking, then stopped, looking at mo hua, he said with a smile,


    "that... is something i fear i cannot disclose."


    mo hua also apologized with a smile,


    "family head, my apologies, i shouldn¡¯t have asked."


    immediately following that, his curiosity perked up as he asked,


    "family head, what did you want to see me for? i can¡¯t do a compound formation, let alone, this compound formation is an evil formation and i haven¡¯t learned it. my master wouldn¡¯t allow me to learn it either."


    lu chengyun gave a faint smile. "gentleman, rest assured, i will not make you do anything difficult."


    "gentleman, please follow me..."


    after speaking, lu chengyun walked straight ahead.


    following behind him, mo hua passed by numerous closely-packed coffins and layers upon layers of blood-red evil formations on the ground, arriving near the bronze coffin.


    near the bronze coffin, there were some places that were blank, void of any drawn formation patterns.


    lu chengyun then said,


    "i invited gentleman over here not to draw an evil formation, but to ask gentleman to help me build the formation eye of this compound formation."


    mo hua asked, "isn¡¯t the formation eye of an evil formation still an evil formation?"


    lu chengyun shook his head, "it is not constructed using the methods of the evil formation but by the handiwork of the righteous dao gathering spirit, to construct the formation eye."


    mo hua was puzzled.


    you are constructing an evil formation, so why switch to a righteous way for such a critical part?


    seeing the confusion in mo hua¡¯s expression, lu chengyun sighed and said,


    "the formation eye of the evil path compound formation would result in too many killings, something my lu family cannot bear to do..."


    mo hua inwardly cursed him for his pretense, but he praised him solemnly,


    "family head lu truly has a heart of compassion..."


    speaking nonsense with his eyes open, yet his face remained serious.


    lu chengyun was slightly startled; he wasn¡¯t sure if mo hua was praising him or mocking him...


    of course, he didn¡¯t care.


    "however..." mo hua showed some reluctance as he said, "i don¡¯t have a formation diagram."


    lu chengyun then handed mo hua the formation diagram of the formation.


    mo hua glanced at it and instantly had a rough idea.


    the formation diagram was incomplete.


    it only contained the relevant parts of the formation eye and the formation pivot.


    indeed, one could use this to construct the formation eye system of the formation, but it was impossible to know the full picture of how spiritual power operates.


    mo hua looked over the formation of ten thousand corpses diagram again and gradually understood.


    the evil path great formation required vast amounts of blood qi and evil power to operate the formation.


    in deriving from the formation of ten thousand corpses, the ten thousand corpses compound formation requires less blood qi and evil power, but the total amount is still massive.


    according to the formation diagram, to construct the formation eye of the formation of ten thousand corpses, it was initially necessary to use a blood refining formation and a blood spirit formation as part of a compound formation.


    first, killing people and refining the cultivators¡¯ blood qi using the blood refining formation, extracting the spiritual power from the cultivators.


    then, through the blood spirit formation, the cultivators¡¯ blood qi and spiritual power are fused to form evil power, which propels the operation of the great formation.


    by doing so, a multitude of cultivators would need to be killed.


    mo hua remembered what his junior female apprentice said.


    some demon path great formations even massacre all the cultivators in a city, to refine their blood spirit and inject it into the formation eye, driving the entire great formation.


    the ten thousand corpses compound formation does not need to kill that many cultivators at once.


    but over time, as long as the formation operates, people will need to be continuously killed, and spiritual power and blood qi must be constantly refined to sustain the formation.


    south yue city does not have so many cultivators to be killed so wantonly. sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    besides, the lu family also dare not kill like that.


    if they really did kill that many people, even a fool would notice something was wrong.


    it is also impossible for the taoist court to tolerate such acts.


    unless the lu family truly wishes to rebel against the taoist court and the entire clan fall into the demon path, swearing allegiance to the demon sect, would they dare to do such a thing.


    but such conduct is far too malicious in nature.


    once discovered by the taoist court, they would certainly be suppressed by taoist soldiers, and the whole clan slaughtered without leaving a single survivor.


    mo hua estimated that lu chengyun did not have the courage for this.


    even if he did, not all the many people in the lu family were willing to be so reckless with their lives.


    although it was an evil formation, the evil formation¡¯s eye could not be used.


    so they had no choice but to use the spiritual power formation eye.


    mo hua estimated that lu chengyun intended to use the gathering spirit array as the formation eye and spirit stones as material to refine spiritual power.


    once the spiritual power circulated, it would then be corrupted by the evil energies in the evil formation, turning the clean spiritual power into evil power, thus driving the entire ten thousand corpses compound formation.


    "master was right; the formations of the righteous dao are the foundation, and those of the demon path are just opportunistic shortcuts," mo hua silently thought to himself.


    but this lu chengyun, his understanding of formations was also quite profound.


    he could actually think of such a method that mixes the righteous and the evil.


    mo hua thought for a moment and then hesitantly refused,


    "family head lu, compound formations... i¡¯m not too familiar with them. i¡¯m afraid i may not be able to construct it..."


    yet lu chengyun said, "you can do it."


    mo hua was puzzled, "how do you know?"


    "i heard it from elder su," lu chengyun replied.


    "elder su?" mo hua frowned, "does this matter have something to do with elder su as well?"


    lu chengyun shook his head, "it has nothing to do with him."


    lu chengyun looked at mo hua and sighed,


    "when chatting leisurely with elder su, he mentioned your insights on constructing formation eyes were truly extraordinary. upon hearing it, lu chengyun was deeply impressed!"


    "with such insight, involving advanced compound formations and even the central structure of great formations, one could not have such an exceptional understanding without a profound inheritance of formation knowledge and guidance from formation experts."


    "therefore, i had the idea to ask gentleman to help me construct the formation eye of the ten thousand corpses compound formation."


    mo hua understood.


    it turned out to be elder su, who had slipped up.


    when mo hua taught him back then, he had instructed him not to tell others.


    perhaps elder su did not regard the family head as an outsider...


    or maybe, he wanted to brag about mo hua in front of the family head to give mo hua some credit but did not expect it to backfire.


    elder su probably did not anticipate that lu chengyun was not a good person.


    mo hua sighed inwardly.


    these insights regarding the formation eye stem from his enlightenment when he constructed the five elements slaughter demon great formation.


    the construction of the formation eye of a great formation, if used on a compound formation, would naturally be more than sufficient.


    lu chengyun¡¯s this sort of thinking was, in fact, normal.


    he tried to overestimate mo hua¡¯s level of proficiency in formations.


    however, his "overestimation" was still, in essence, an underestimation.


    mo hua thought for a while, then showed a difficult expression,


    "i¡¯ve only ever engaged in theoretical discussion; i might not actually be able to construct it..."


    lu chengyun appeared very forgiving,


    "no matter, gentleman, feel free to try. trial and error are part of formation construction. i believe with gentleman¡¯s intelligence, you will not disappoint lu chengyun..."


    implicitly suggesting, disappointing him would mean there would be consequences to face...


    mo hua understood lu chengyun¡¯s thoughts and sighed helplessly,


    "alright, i¡¯ll try."

 Chapter 485: Slacking Off (1)

    ```lu chengyun handed mo hua some more formation diagrams, formation patterns, and books on formation explanation.


    "these albums should be helpful for the gentleman in constructing the formation eye for the ten thousand corpses compound formation," he said.


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze showed neither joy nor anger, and then he said indifferently:


    "i will give the gentleman three days. within three days, draw a good design for the formation diagram of the formation eye. we¡¯ll discuss it, take the essence and discard the dregs, improve it several times, and we should be able to construct a complete spiritual power formation eye diagram."


    three days...


    mo hua breathed a sigh of relief but also felt some unease, and cupped his hands in thanks:


    "let¡¯s do as the lu family head said."


    mo hua then left with some formation diagrams and books that lu chengyun had given him, his heart filled with "worry and trepidation."


    not until mo hua had gone far did zhang quan speak in a gloomy tone:


    "brother lu, that kid, he looks completely unsure of himself."


    lu chengyun turned his head to look at him, "if he isn¡¯t confident, are you, brother zhang?"


    zhang quan twisted his mouth, "brother lu jests. i don¡¯t understand formations..."


    lu chengyun snorted lightly.


    zhang quan harbored doubts and with a provocative tone, he asked:


    "this kid... gentleman, can he really construct the formation eye?"


    lu chengyun pondered for a moment, then slowly said:


    "he has good talent, high comprehension, and surely has inherited knowledge from a prestigious master, with profound knowledge in formations..."


    "the only problem might be that he hasn¡¯t dabbled broadly in formations, lacks experience, hasn¡¯t built many formations practically, and is inexperienced..."


    lu chengyun then sighed and said, "however, it¡¯s not his fault. after all, he¡¯s still young. at the age of barely over ten, no matter how much he forsakes sleep and food, he can¡¯t have drawn too many formations..."


    "how can the experience of formation masters, who have studied for over a hundred years, compare with his?"


    "that¡¯s why i borrowed his extensive formation knowledge to design the formation eye, while i supervise and make corrections, to compensate for his lack of experience in formation crafting."


    zhang quan frowned, "even so, why don¡¯t you design it yourself, brother lu?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s expression turned slightly cold, and a trace of displeasure appeared in his eyes.


    he thought to himself:


    if i could design it myself, why would i entrust someone else?


    lu chengyun looked at the vast ten thousand corpses compound formation, feeling a slight tremor in his heart.


    this is a compound formation that almost approaches a large formation!


    the structure of the formation eye is almost that of a large formation.


    large formations and single formations represent entirely different systems of formation.


    my divine sense is sufficient, but my knowledge of formations is far too little.


    without a profound formation heritage and guidance from a master, an ordinary formation master trying to study a large formation has no way to even begin understanding it.


    relying solely on one¡¯s own research is like working blindly; it could take decades without necessarily figuring anything out.


    moreover, i simply don¡¯t have that time.


    by the time i figure it out on my own, draw the formation diagram, construct the formation eye, and form the formation, the zombies in this mine will probably all have spoiled.


    this zhang quan, after all, is not a formation master. talking to him is exhausting!


    although lu chengyun was resentful in his heart, he still found an excuse for himself on the surface:


    "i¡¯ve dabbled in the evil formation path. now trying to reconstruct the formation eye using a righteous dao method is a bit difficult."


    zhang quan was slightly astonished when he heard this and unconsciously nodded his head.


    he did not understand lu chengyun¡¯s problem with formation learning and thought lu chengyun was deceiving him, so he only half-believed.


    but what lu chengyun said now, he understood.


    having drawn evil formations, naturally, one can¡¯t draw a standard formation properly.


    the opposition between righteous and evil is simple and understandable.


    zhang quan pondered for a moment and then his confusion resurfaced:


    "but, is that young man¡¯s formation knowledge truly so extraordinary?"


    lu chengyun nodded, "naturally..."


    "if there wasn¡¯t an excellent legacy and guidance from a superior mentor, relying solely on himself, even if his talent were exceptional, how could he possibly become a first-class formation master at such a young age?"


    after lu chengyun finished speaking, his expression became emotional:


    "a first-class formation master appointed by the taoist court, ah, how many formation masters exhaust their entire lifetimes, studying with devoted concentration, to attain such an honor."


    "and he¡¯s already a first-class formation master at the age of thirteen..."


    envy flashed in lu chengyun¡¯s eyes.


    why couldn¡¯t i be that lucky, to meet such an excellent mentor? otherwise, my own level in formations wouldn¡¯t have been struggling for so many years, advancing slowly...


    a hint of wariness also appeared in zhang quan¡¯s eyes.


    "he¡¯s actually a first-class formation master..."


    he knew that mo hua was good at drawing formations, but he didn¡¯t realize how good.


    then a greedy thought arose in him.


    it seemed a waste to kill a first-class formation master.


    i wonder if there¡¯s a way to keep him by my side to draw formations for me...


    both harboring their own schemes, outwardly, they still appeared as if nothing was amiss.


    later on, lu chengyun brought up the topic of the formation of ten thousand corpses again.


    after some thought, his eyes brightened as he said:


    "once this formation is successfully established, we will begin corpse refinement. once the corpse is refined and can command the horde, both south yue city and the entire minor wilderness state boundary will be at our mercy."


    zhang quan¡¯s eyes also sparkled with excitement, and he said:


    "i will follow brother lu¡¯s lead!"


    the two exchanged glances, both brimming with ambition.


    ```


    ```


    "however, before that," after a moment, lu chengyun¡¯s tone shifted, his gaze deepening, and he said:


    "i would like to borrow brother zhang¡¯s ancestral master picture for a look."


    zhang quan was taken aback, his smile gradually fading, "didn¡¯t brother lu already see it before?"


    "the zhang family ancestor has unparalleled elegance, i wish to admire it once more," lu chengyun politely said. s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    zhang quan scoffed in his heart.


    admire?


    he¡¯s probably tasted the sweetness already.


    "this ancestral master picture, i¡¯ve just gotten it back..." zhang quan hesitated.


    "i¡¯ll only borrow it for half a month."


    "but..."


    lu chengyun said, "i will give brother zhang an additional tenth of the walking corpses and iron corpses in the formation of ten thousand corpses."


    zhang quan¡¯s eyes brightened, bargaining:


    "twenty percent!"


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze hardened, he fell silent for a moment, and slowly said, "alright!"


    the deal was settled.


    zhang quan took out the ancestral master picture, handing it over to lu chengyun with some reluctance, "this picture has been quite spoiled by that little devil, it¡¯s significantly weakened, it probably needs people to nurture it..."


    lu chengyun laughed, "brother zhang, rest assured, nurturing the picture is no big deal, i have plenty of offerings, and i certainly won¡¯t neglect the zhang family¡¯s ancestor."


    "moreover, i have prepared a very nourishing supplement..."


    lu chengyun revealed a smile with unclear implications.


    zhang quan didn¡¯t know what he intended to do and frowned...


    ...


    after returning to his room, mo hua spent about two hours, including time spent looking at the formation diagrams and formation books, to complete the spiritual power formation eye diagram for the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    once completed, mo hua thought for a moment, then burned it.


    afterwards, he drew another one with a similar underlying layout but with hundreds of mistakes in the details.


    this was even simpler.


    in the time it took to brew a pot of tea, mo hua finished the drawing.


    after finishing, mo hua began to slack off.


    seemingly deep in thought, in reality, he was just dawdling...


    he spent all day lying on the desk, poring over piles of formation diagrams, formation books, formation patterns, looking, flipping, doodling, and correcting while frowning deeply.


    his mind, however, was on other things: what to eat for lunch, whether little tiger had sent any news, whether his junior sister had replied.


    what the formation of ten thousand corpses was used for, what was inside the bronze coffin, and just where the spiritual pivot formation really was...


    all of this was observed by lu chengyun.


    unaware of mo hua¡¯s thoughts, he simply believed that mo hua was diligent and responsible.


    lu chengyun gave mo hua three days.


    mo hua slacked off for those three days.


    on the evening of the last day, mo hua, with some "nervousness," handed the flawed formation eye diagram to lu chengyun.


    lu chengyun glanced at it and was initially amazed.


    the overall layout of the formation eye was indeed correct.


    it really did have a shadow of a large formation.


    but upon closer inspection, he frowned.


    there were too many errors in the details.


    the specific arrangement of formation patterns, the construction of the nucleus, the conveyance of spiritual power¡ªall were crude and the conception was unfamiliar.


    "the experience with formations is indeed lacking..." lu chengyun silently sighed to himself.


    he pointed out a few errors to mo hua.


    mo hua acted as if he had an epiphany and exclaimed, "as expected of the lu family head!"


    then he seemed to be somewhat disheartened and said in a low voice:


    "i¡¯m afraid i can¡¯t draw this formation eye properly..."


    lu chengyun consoled him, "you are still young, and to achieve this much among formation masters is already quite rare."


    "constructing a compound formation eye is not easy."


    "you must not lose heart or become discouraged, improve it a few more times, and you will certainly be able to create a perfect and complete formation eye diagram."


    mo hua blinked, "really?"


    lu chengyun said kindly, "it is natural."


    mo hua seemed to regain confidence and nodded:


    "okay, i¡¯ll try harder, correct the mistakes, and strive to revise it again!"


    lu chengyun felt reassured.


    his judgment of mo hua was further solidified in his heart.


    clever, with high comprehension, serious about learning formations, but after all, a child¡¯s nature, easily trusting of others.


    the inheritance of the formation was extraordinary, and he had profound knowledge of formations, but he lacked practical experience, and his technique in constructing formations was raw.


    talented and knowledgeable, but lacking practice and refinement.


    in every sense, a promising young candidate.


    but also, just a candidate...


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze shifted subtly, and he put his mind at ease.


    ```

 Chapter 486: 473Chapter so difficult (1)

    ```in the exquisitely furnished stone chamber.


    mo hua sensed lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense spying on him, and he pretended to be contemplating the design of the formation eye.


    once lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense had left, mo hua tossed the formation diagram aside and began doodling little tigers on paper to amuse himself.


    as he drew, mo hua calculated in his mind.


    what exactly was this formation of ten thousand corpses for?


    corpse refinement?


    what kind of corpse then?


    considering the current state of the formation patterns and the flow of spiritual power, it appeared designed to utilize the formation to harness immense evil power, refining walking corpses and iron corpses on a large scale and in batches.


    from the zhang family to the lu family.


    from small workshop-style corpse refinement to large clan-scale, formation-intensive, systematic, industrialized corpse refinement.


    in this way, with the help of the formation of ten thousand corpses, a greater number of zombies could be refined in a short period of time.


    but was that really all there was to it?


    once the walking corpses and iron corpses were refined, how would they be controlled?


    and what use would a vast number of zombies be?


    it couldn¡¯t be possible that lu chengyun would abandon being the family head just to establish a corpse path demon sect and become its sect leader...


    or was it that, like the patriarch of the qian family, he intended to secretly use zombies for marauding, killing, and pillaging to eliminate rivals, thereby strengthening the lu family¡¯s power and territory?


    mo hua thought again of the massive bronze coffin within the ten thousand corpses compound formation.


    in the partial formation diagram given by lu chengyun, there was no mention of the function of that bronze coffin.


    the formation eye system designed by mo hua also didn¡¯t include that bronze coffin.


    mo hua frowned.


    "what exactly is that bronze coffin used for?"


    "and what exactly is inside it?"


    fearing he might have missed something crucial, mo hua reviewed every detail he could recall from his encounters with lu chengyun.


    as he pondered, mo hua¡¯s expression turned pensive.


    he remembered lu chengyun saying:


    "...please, gentleman, help me with corpse refinement..."


    "not an iron corpse..."


    "...but a stronger zombie that surpasses an iron corpse..."


    deducing from the principles of the spiritual pivot formation.


    lu chengyun controlled the walking corpses with an iron corpse, and then a stronger zombie to control the iron corpses.


    with successive control like this, even if he refined a multitude of zombies, he could dominate them all by himself.


    given that, the stronger zombie that would dominate the iron corpses and control the hordes must be the one refined by the ten thousand corpses compound formation.


    it was likely hidden in the bronze coffin at the center of the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    having thought it over again and again, mo hua felt he was more or less correct.


    there were many evil formations depicted within the ten thousand corpses compound formation.


    these evil formations, categorized and connected by bloody patterns, linked the wooden coffins of the walking corpses to the iron coffins of the iron corpses, and then the iron coffins to the central bronze coffin.


    this was consistent with the principles of the spiritual pivot formation¡¯s hierarchical progression and decentralized control.


    lu chengyun might deceive him, but the formation would not.


    no matter what lu chengyun said, the depicted formation was what it was, and could not fool him.


    the formation revealed the truth. s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua nodded.


    based on the principles and construction of the formation, he had roughly calculated lu chengyun¡¯s intentions with the formation.


    at the same time, mo hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    the zombie in the bronze coffin, controlling the iron corpses and then the walking corpses.


    the spiritual pivot formation within the bronze coffin would undoubtedly have the highest authority.


    if that were the case, the final spirit pivot formation chart must be hidden within the bronze coffin!


    "i must find a way to get my hands on the final formation diagram..." mo hua mumbled silently, his chin resting on his hand.


    ...


    mo hua had already designed the formation eye of the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    but he still slacked off a few times, making a slight alteration each time, consulting lu chengyun for "advice," and then making further improvements.


    when it came to large formation eye designs, lu chengyun was an amateur.


    so deceiving him was easy for mo hua.


    after altering it four or five times, mo hua finally presented the formation eye formation diagram that he had designed in two hours to lu chengyun.


    lu chengyun was ecstatic.


    no longer feigning a cultured demeanor, he laughed loudly. in the dim candlelight of the room, his gaze sparked with grim ambition.


    after a moment, he suppressed the excitement in his heart, put on a gentle demeanor again, and smiled as he praised mo hua:


    "little gentleman, you truly haven¡¯t disappointed me!"


    mo hua smiled bashfully, "it¡¯s all thanks to the ¡¯guidance¡¯ of the lu family head."


    lu chengyun sincerely said:


    "it¡¯s because the gentleman is so talented and deeply knowledgeable in formations that you could complete such a complex formation eye design in such a short time."


    now mo hua felt somewhat embarrassed.


    he had finished drawing it in two hours, slacked off for over ten days, and had kept dragging it out until now.


    yet lu chengyun was still overjoyed.


    mo hua thought for a moment, acting as if he was struggling to speak.


    with lu chengyun¡¯s perceptive mind, he naturally asked:


    "gentleman, is there something you wish to say?"


    mo hua hesitated for a while before he showed a troubled expression and said:


    "lu family head, would it be possible for me to draw the formation eye myself?"


    lu chengyun seemed surprised, his eyes narrowed, and he fell silent.


    assuming a passionate and studious demeanor, mo hua reflected aloud:


    "in recent days, i¡¯ve realized that my understanding of formations is still lacking, and my conception of formation is full of mistakes..."


    "because of this, i would like to draw the formation eye by hand, to apply what i¡¯ve learned and see if it can enhance my comprehension of formations..."


    mo hua quickly glanced at lu chengyun and hurried to add:


    "of course, since this formation is so important, if it¡¯s not convenient for the lu family head, then never mind."


    after a quick contemplation, lu chengyun smiled and nodded:


    "such a formation eye is complex in structure, not only difficult to conceive but also demanding in actual depiction."


    "having the gentleman help would be most welcome."


    mo hua also relaxed and laughed:


    "mo hua shall not fail the expectations of the family head!"


    ```


    lu chengyun smiled slightly and nodded.


    thus, the task of drawing the formation eye of the ten thousand corpses compound formation was personally undertaken by mo hua.


    while drawing, mo hua stealthily observed the nearby bronze coffin.


    it was precisely because of that bronze coffin that he had found an excuse to volunteer to draw the formation eye of the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered with such things.


    since the formation eye was located near the bronze coffin, by drawing it himself, he would have a way to approach the coffin and thus steal the ultimate spirit pivot formation chart.


    however, the opportunity was hard to come by.


    the bronze coffin was tightly sealed, never opened, revealing not the slightest trace of formation patterns.


    mo hua had no choice but to stall for time.


    with a serious face, yet careless in his strokes, he would deliberately make a few mistakes, erase them, and then redraw.


    after all, the spiritual ink being wasted belonged to the lu family.


    mo hua wasn¡¯t the least bit heartbroken about it.


    but no matter how he messed around, it would not be possible to make zero progress.


    reluctantly, mo hua had to draw slowly, making a bit more progress each day to give lu chengyun some hope.


    lu chengyun was somewhat anxious, but he didn¡¯t rush mo hua.


    after all, such formation eyes were indeed complex and difficult to draw.


    even if he were to draw it himself, it probably wouldn¡¯t be much better than mo hua¡¯s work¡­


    and so, days passed by.


    mo hua¡¯s formation eye was gradually being perfected, but there was still no opportunity to open the bronze coffin.


    the coffin remained sealed, exposing not even a wisp of aura.


    mo hua wanted to perform calculations on the formation patterns, but he had no way to proceed.


    during the day, lu chengyun was always watching, and by nightfall, the murals were sealed, and mo hua couldn¡¯t get in¡­


    the ultimate spiritual pivot formation was right in front of him, but he couldn¡¯t see it.


    mo hua felt somewhat helpless.


    just when he was at a loss, one morning, lu chengyun opened the bronze coffin in front of him, apparently to draw some sort of formation.


    the moment the coffin lid was opened, a complex aura of formation lingered in the air.


    mo hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    it was indeed the spiritual pivot formation!


    moreover, unlike the spirit pivot formations found on the iron corpses or the walking corpses, it had a stronger aura and a more complete energy flow.


    with just a trace of this aura, he could deduce that the formation patterns were more complex and involved a more profound structure of spiritual power.


    mo hua was itching with curiosity.


    he so wanted to take a closer look¡­


    on the other hand, lu chengyun had started drawing a formation.


    he was using a bone pen, the tip made from human hair and dipped in human blood, his eyes emitting a gloomy green light as he drew some formation within the bronze coffin.


    mo hua slightly frowned.


    were these the methods of drawing an evil formation?


    was lu chengyun using the methods of an evil formation to draw the grade one, twelve patterned spiritual pivot formation?


    zhang quan, who was standing to the side, saw mo hua in a daze and scolded coldly,


    "hurry up with the drawing. don¡¯t waste time!"


    a stubborn streak came over mo hua.


    you want me to draw? well, i just might not draw anymore!


    after thinking it over, mo hua casually tossed aside his pen and boldly ran behind lu chengyun, poking out his little head to watch lu chengyun drawing the formation.


    after all, what he was currently doing was "helping the tyrant," so he and lu chengyun could be considered to be on the same side.


    watching him draw the formation didn¡¯t seem too inappropriate.


    if he angered him, mo hua could always shrug it off, claiming his young age and ignorance as an excuse.


    it was true that he was indeed young.


    lu chengyun was focused on drawing the formation, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.


    mo hua took a quick glance and roughly saw the scene inside the bronze coffin.


    within the bronze coffin was a bronze sarcophagus.


    a big coffin enclosing a smaller one.


    the outer one was a bronze coffin, enclosing within it a bronze sarcophagus.


    the coffin was opened, but the sarcophagus remained sealed.


    contained within the sarcophagus must be the stronger zombie that lu chengyun spoke of, one that surpassed even the iron corpses!


    but mo hua couldn¡¯t see it.


    he could only see the formation patterns that lu chengyun was drawing on the inner surface of the coffin and the sarcophagus.


    the pattern of this formation was indeed the most important spiritual pivot formation!


    mo hua had already mastered the spirit pivot formation patterns on the lower-level walking corpses and iron corpses by heart, so he recognized them at a glance.


    meanwhile, noticing that lu chengyun was entirely absorbed in his work and unaware of his surroundings, afraid that the formation would be exposed, zhang quan called out,


    "brother lu!"


    this shout broke lu chengyun¡¯s state of complete concentration, rendering all the formation patterns he was drawing useless.


    lu chengyun snapped back to reality, shooting an angry look at zhang quan before noticing mo hua peeking from behind him.


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze darkened, but he did not get angry. instead, he asked with a smile,


    "little gentleman, do you want to see this formation?"


    mo hua nodded earnestly, "i do."


    if it weren¡¯t for this formation, he wouldn¡¯t have come to south yue city.


    lu chengyun pondered for a moment and then nodded, "alright!"


    mo hua expressed his surprise, "you¡¯ll really let me see it?"


    lu chengyun replied with a smile, "of course, it was agreed upon from the start. you help me with the formation painting, and i¡¯ll show you this top-secret formation chart."


    mo hua was overjoyed, "the lu family head is indeed a man of his word!"


    lu chengyun flipped his right hand, and a thin old album appeared in it. the album seemed quite old, full of creases, and covered with folds.


    with great care, lu chengyun spread out the album.


    recorded within this album was the complete, intricately complex and yet exquisite, top-ranking twelve patterned spiritual pivot formation chart!


    mo hua¡¯s little heart thumped wildly.


    lu chengyun looked at him with a meaningful gaze and asked,


    "little gentleman, what do you think?"


    mo hua paused, then came to a realization.


    at first, he was excited, his eyes showing an obsessive fascination, then upon scrutinizing the formation, he seemed incredulous, furrowing his brows in deep thought. after a long time, as if struck by a revelation, he hung his head dejectedly, sighing softly,


    "this formation¡­ it¡¯s so difficult, i can¡¯t understand it¡­"


    while claiming to be unable to understand, on the inside, he was rapidly memorizing the formation patterns as fast as lightning...

 Chapter 487: Obtained (1)

    mo hua frowned, pretending to be shocked.all the while, his thoughts flew rapidly, trying his best to memorize the entire spirit pivot formation chart in his mind.


    mo hua was completely absorbed in looking at it.


    lu chengyun felt something was amiss and was just about to say something when.


    mo hua suddenly clutched his small head, his expression pained as he muttered:


    "my divine sense... it¡¯s depleted..."


    lu chengyun was slightly startled and quickly put away the spirit pivot formation chart, asking,


    "little gentleman, are you alright?"


    mo hua¡¯s face was pale, and he weakly replied, "i¡¯m fine..."


    he glanced at the spirit pivot formation chart and shook his head in shock, saying,


    "i hadn¡¯t realized that such a formation requires such an immense amount of divine sense; i only looked at it for a while, and my divine sense is almost exhausted..."


    this was within lu chengyun¡¯s expectations.


    he nodded slightly and said, "this formation is called the spiritual pivot formation, and it is indeed the sect protecting faction formation of a hidden sect. the difficulty of this formation is truly beyond imagination."


    "it¡¯s really difficult..." mo hua looked dejected.


    lu chengyun¡¯s mouth curved into a smile, but his tone was comforting as he said,


    "this formation¡¯s consumption of divine sense is great, and it cannot be learned without foundation establishment."


    "little gentleman, you are but at the stage of qi refinement, lacking sufficient divine sense, so it is normal that you cannot learn it or draw it. there is no need to be discouraged."


    "the path of tao cultivation is long and the future is vast. as long as you continue to refine your formation skills and enhance your divine sense, one day you will be able to comprehend this formation."


    lu chengyun was encouraging mo hua.


    inspired, mo hua¡¯s expression brightened, and he nodded firmly:


    "okay!"


    lu chengyun then smiled and said, "it¡¯s getting late today, and the little gentleman¡¯s divine sense has been overly depleted, causing some discomfort. you can go back to rest for now. once you¡¯ve rested well, you can come back to continue working on the formation eye..."


    mo hua felt somewhat guilty, "i overestimated myself and delayed the lu family head¡¯s major plans..."


    "it doesn¡¯t matter," lu chengyun said, "the way of formations is long-standing and far-reaching; one cannot rush success in a moment. a century-long plan will not be affected by a single day¡¯s work."


    a century-long plan...


    this lu chengyun, is he plotting for a century...


    mo hua¡¯s thoughts shifted slightly, then he nodded, taking his leave,


    "then i will go back to rest for now."


    lu chengyun nodded, "good."


    mo hua then covered his small head, pretending to have a headache, and left the secret chamber. his steps were unsteady as he walked out of the hall and returned to his stone room, collapsing onto his bed.


    lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense followed mo hua.


    seeing that mo hua lay quietly and motionless, he withdrew his divine sense after a moment.


    once lu chengyun retracted his divine sense, mo hua immediately sat up, his small face flushed with excitement.


    he rushed to the desk, took out paper and brush, and attempted to fully recreate the spiritual pivot formation, from the formation patterns, formation pivot, to the formation eye, and other alike heavy-weight formations, just as he had memorized them...


    ...


    elsewhere, inside the mural of the formation of ten thousand corpses, zhang quan frowned at lu chengyun and said,


    "brother lu, wasn¡¯t that a bit abrupt?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, "what was abrupt?"


    "the matter of the spirit pivot formation..." zhang quan said, "did you let him know too soon..."


    zhang quan had always been wary of mo hua.


    of course, he also harbored thoughts of killing him.


    lu chengyun said indifferently, "he would have found out sooner or later."


    "but..." zhang quan was somewhat uneasy, "what if he learns it?"


    lu chengyun scoffed coldly, "it is a first-grade formation with twelve patterns."


    zhang quan was taken aback, "so what?"


    a hint of disdain flashed in lu chengyun¡¯s eyes.


    talking to zhang quan, who was "formation blind," was really like playing the lute to a cow.


    lu chengyun patiently explained, "first-grade with twelve patterns, ¡¯first-grade¡¯ is the formation grade, and ¡¯twelve patterns¡¯ refers to the divine sense requirement."


    "meaning, this first-grade formation requires the divine sense of twelve patterns to be learned."


    "above ten patterns is the divine sense foundation establishment."


    "and twelve patterns of divine sense is beyond the reach of many veteran cultivators at the initial stage of foundation establishment."


    zhang quan¡¯s expression changed upon hearing this, "a first-grade formation that can only be learned with foundation establishment divine sense, is it that outrageous?"


    "that¡¯s why i said, formations are profound and vast."


    lu chengyun glanced at zhang quan, "my divine sense, just reached twelve patterns, while your divine sense is merely ten patterns..."


    "so, what can this gentleman surnamed mo use to learn?"


    lu chengyun stated flatly.


    zhang quan fell silent, his mind reeling with the implications.


    formations indeed are complicated.


    first-grade with twelve patterns...


    that kid is only at the stage of qi refinement; he certainly can¡¯t learn it.


    but can he really not learn it?


    zhang quan frowned.


    the image of mo hua¡¯s young face surfaced in zhang quan¡¯s mind again.


    looking adorable yet detestable, and at the same time, enigmatic, he was hard to fathom.


    zhang quan had been duped by mo hua countless times already, so upon seeing mo hua, mixed feelings of anger and some palpitations arose.


    he always felt that this little devil mo hua was not so simple.


    moreover, he couldn¡¯t see through mo hua¡¯s concealment technique.


    the more zhang quan thought about it, the more uneasy he became, furrowing his brow and saying,


    "brother lu, what if his divine sense..."


    lu chengyun let out a cold chuckle, "are you trying to say what if his divine sense has reached foundation establishment?"


    zhang quan also felt somewhat unsure,


    "it¡¯s not that... it¡¯s impossible..."


    lu chengyun snorted coldly, showing some impatience,


    "the difference between divine sense reaching foundation establishment and divine sense at the twelve patterns is enormous."


    "moreover, even if his divine sense is sufficient, it¡¯s useless. do you expect him to learn such a difficult formation by just looking at it twice?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold, "a superior formation requires both practice and enlightenment." sea??h th§× novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "even i spent decades of arduous practice and research to attain a mere inkling of understanding," he added.


    "then i used the evil formation technique to lower the threshold..."


    "integrating evil thoughts to reduce the divine sense threshold; using human blood to draw the formation, lowering the control spirit threshold; using corpses as a medium, lowering the drawing formation threshold..."


    "only then could i master and apply this spiritual pivot formation within the ten thousand corpses compound formation."


    "without years of dedicated study and understanding of the evil formation, without merging evil thoughts into consciousness, without using bones as pens, without using blood as ink, and without using corpses as a medium, how could he possibly learn it?"


    "do you think that by memorizing the formation patterns and practicing blindly a few times, he could learn it?"


    "you¡¯re seriously underestimating formation techniques!" exclaims lu chengyun with an icy tone.


    it seemed he was reflecting on the years of painstaking effort it took to learn this formation.


    sneaking into the lu family, enduring humiliation, seizing an opportunity for promotion, killing and refining corpses, extracting bones to use as pens, mixing blood for ink - he resorted to extreme measures...


    his emotions surged for a moment.


    not wanting to upset lu chengyun, zhang quan took a step back and said,


    "zhang is shallow in insight and unaware of the difficulties. please forgive me, brother lu..."


    regaining composure and knowing that he had been slightly agitated, lu chengyun returned to his genteel demeanor and said indifferently,


    "brother zhang, you are too polite. it is always good to be considerate in everything."


    zhang quan breathed a sigh of relief, but the shadow mo hua left in his heart was not easily dispelled.


    after pondering, zhang quan still voiced his concerns in a low voice,


    "brother lu, even if that kid can¡¯t learn the formation, is it necessary to show it to him? it increases the risk unnecessarily..."


    "if i don¡¯t show it to him, how would he willingly stay?" lu chengyun said.


    zhang quan frowned.


    lu chengyun¡¯s smile was indifferent as he continued,


    "everyone has their desires..."


    "i crave power, and brother zhang craves beauty," he said.


    "but that young gentleman is different. he¡¯s not deeply involved and doesn¡¯t know how intoxicating the flavors of power, beauty, fame, and wealth in this world can be."


    "not knowing the taste, he naturally won¡¯t yearn for it."


    "spirit stones, female company, and influence might not necessarily move him..."


    "but formations are different!"


    "this young gentleman has an innate longing for formations."


    "that is the pursuit of a formation master!" lu chengyun remarked with a touch of emotion.


    "as long as it is for the sake of learning formations, to learn advanced, complex, mystical formations, he would be willing to do anything."


    "as long as i give him this hope, that in the future i would pass the spiritual pivot formation on to him, he will willingly work for me!"


    "this spiritual pivot formation is the bait."


    "and this young gentleman is the fish."


    "a first-grade formation master of such a young age, with astonishing talent, and who is wholeheartedly dedicated to working for me, is more precious than dozens of iron corpses," lu chengyun¡¯s eyes glinted with determination.


    envy, jealousy, and a touch of unwillingness flashed through zhang quan¡¯s eyes.


    since lu chengyun valued that kid so much, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for zhang quan to act against him.


    but until the end, nothing was certain...


    zhang quan composed himself and said with a respectful bow,


    "brother lu¡¯s strategic foresight is admirable!"


    lu chengyun looked at zhang quan with an indecipherable expression and finally replied with a sigh,


    "you¡¯re too modest, brother zhang."


    both harboring their own thoughts, their expressions somewhat elusive...


    ...


    meanwhile, in the stone room, mo hua was smiling beamingly.


    in front of him, a formation diagram was laid out.


    within the formation diagram, there were three types of formations that were of the same origin and essence, yet they differed in structure and had distinct levels of importance.


    the three types of formations resembled each other and were interconnected, yet their levels were clearly defined.


    it looked intricate and profound, yet was meticulously beautiful.


    it was the complete, first-grade twelve-pattern spiritual pivot formation chart that mo hua had restored!


    finally, the formation diagram was in his hands!

 Chapter 488: Great Achievement (1)

    lu chengyun could never have imagined that by just glancing at the spirit pivot formation chart a few times, mo hua would memorize it and reproduce it.first grade, twelve patterns, a legacy of the minor hidden spirit sect passed down from the great hidden spirit sect over a thousand years ago ¡ª the ultimate formation, the spiritual pivot formation!


    mo hua was overjoyed and, without delay, immediately began to comprehend it.


    the corpse mine was no place for a long stay.


    he needed to master the spiritual pivot formation as soon as possible so that he could figure out a way to free himself sooner.


    there were also lu chengyun and the lu family.


    once he mastered the spiritual pivot formation, he could free up his hands to deal with lu chengyun and the lu family.


    no matter what schemes lu chengyun had, mo hua couldn¡¯t let him succeed.


    the lu family had been domineering for so many years, and it was time they received their retribution.


    the formation of ten thousand corpses must be destroyed, the ancestral master picture must be seized; neither the corpse mine, the iron corpses, nor the walking corpses could remain, or else they would certainly be a source of endless calamity.


    and among these tasks, the spiritual pivot formation was the key.


    with his mind made up, mo hua began to focus on studying the formation.


    his progress in learning the spiritual pivot formation was rapid.


    previously, mo hua had already obtained parts of the spirit pivot formation chart from both the walking corpses and the iron corpses, and had roughly comprehended it.


    having grasped the formation principles of the spiritual pivot formation and having tried using it on little tiger, all he needed now was to fill in the gaps and deepen his understanding of the spiritual pivot formation with the complete chart.


    mo hua took some time to memorize the formation patterns, then practiced them on paper several times.


    that night, at 1 a.m., mo hua fell asleep, his divine sense sinking into the sea of consciousness, where he continued to practice on the taoist stele.


    the next day, feigning excessive consumption of divine sense and feeling unwell with a pale complexion, he did not go to draw the formation eyes for the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    instead, he hid in his room, and while lu chengyun wasn¡¯t paying attention, he secretly practiced the spiritual pivot formation.


    on the third day, he pretended to be better and went to the formation of ten thousand corpses to crouch among a group of coffins to draw the formation eyes.


    after finishing, he came back at night and continued to practice the spiritual pivot formation.


    however, after several days, mo hua sensed that something was not right.


    this spirit pivot formation chart seemed to have been tampered with...


    on the surface, this formation appeared to be complete.


    controlled by the main spiritual pivot formation of the highest weight, it would manage the subsidiary spiritual pivot formations of secondary weight, which in turn controlled the even more minor base spiritual pivot formations.


    but mo hua found that there were some omissions in the patterns of this main spiritual pivot formation.


    it was as if someone had left a "back door."


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    these few formation patterns were held in someone else¡¯s hands.


    unless these few formation patterns were completed, the main formation would have a back door.


    the main formation would then not be the main formation but only a secondary formation.


    others could use this "back door" to bypass mo hua¡¯s main spiritual pivot formation and then take control of all the subsidiary and base formations he had laid out.


    in such a case, mo hua¡¯s painstakingly arranged spiritual pivot formation might just become someone else¡¯s "wedding dress."


    "picking peaches!"


    "how cunning..."


    mo hua shook his head.


    this contingency was undeniably left by lu chengyun.


    but he estimated that lu chengyun didn¡¯t leave this back hand just to guard against him.


    it was to guard against all formation masters who saw the spirit pivot formation chart, learned the spiritual pivot formation, and attempted to construct a system of power for the spiritual pivot formation.


    whether it was corpse refinement, artifact refining, or even the making of puppets, tao cultivation instruments, anything that used his spiritual pivot formation, would ultimately be "usurped."


    because lu chengyun possessed the main spiritual pivot formation with the highest authority.


    "thank goodness i noticed, or else i really would have fallen into lu chengyun¡¯s trap..."


    mo hua felt a bit of aftershock, and then some confusion.


    what exactly were the missing formation patterns, and where might lu chengyun have hidden them?


    after pondering for a while, mo hua had no leads.


    as the family head of the lu family, with the vastness of the lu family and the corpse mine, hiding some formation techniques couldn¡¯t be easier.


    "go undercover to shadow him?"


    mo hua considered and shook his head again.


    with his current level of divine sense and stealth, following lu chengyun was still a bit of a stretch.


    a normal foundation establishment might suffice, but lu chengyun himself was a formation master, an evil formation master at that, and was very suspicious by nature; shadowing him discreetly would most certainly raise his suspicions.


    such affairs should wait until his divine sense was stronger.


    "but what should be done in the meantime?"


    the spiritual pivot formation lay right in front of him; it wasn¡¯t as though he could just not learn it.


    yet, once mastered and utilized, it would be akin to "working" for lu chengyun, a loss not worth the gain.


    even if one were to search, it would not be easy to find.


    who knew where lu chengyun would have hidden those formation patterns?


    mo hua stroked his chin, and then it dawned on him:


    "the bronze coffin!" s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lu chengyun might set traps for others, but surely he wouldn¡¯t do the same to himself.


    his own drawing of the spiritual pivot formation must be complete, without any flaws.


    the formation he drew inside the bronze coffin must be complete!


    mo hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    the next day, when lu chengyun was drawing the formation inside the bronze coffin, mo hua quietly peeked in.


    zhang quan noticed and gave mo hua a warning glare.


    mo hua glared back defiantly, then turned his head back to continue observing.


    the spiritual pivot formation drawn by lu chengyun was different from his own.


    his spiritual pivot formation used the techniques of an evil formation, using bone as the brush, blood as the ink, and corpses as the formation media.


    also, the manner in which he laid out the formation was distinct.


    he repeatedly dipped into blood, applying the spiritual pivot formation to the bronze funeral ark.


    the bloodstains would gradually fade, and the formation would gradually merge with the coffin.


    mo hua wasn¡¯t too sure about the specifics of this technique.


    fortunately, the underlying formation patterns and principles were the same.


    mo hua was still able to identify the intrinsic formation patterns of the spiritual pivot formation.


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyes faintly shone with a green light, fully concentrated, and he didn¡¯t notice mo hua. when he occasionally caught a glimpse, he didn¡¯t seem to care much and simply asked with a non-smiling smile:

 Chapter 489: Great Success (2)

    "little gentleman, how do you find it?"mo hua frowned and shook his head:


    "it¡¯s too difficult, i don¡¯t understand..."


    despite not understanding, he continued to look.


    that¡¯s how formation masters are, the less they understand, the more they want to; the more they can¡¯t comprehend, the more they strive to...


    lu chengyun knew this feeling, so he didn¡¯t think anything was amiss.


    it was all the more natural for mo hua to be observing.


    as he watched, he critiqued in his mind:


    "this lu chengyun draws way too slowly, i¡¯ve been waiting for ages, if it were me drawing, i would have finished long ago..."


    "that stroke is wrong, and he hasn¡¯t even noticed..."


    "bone pen, blood ink, and using corpses as mediums... making such a fuss..."


    "dawdling..."


    ...


    after muttering to himself for a while, lu chengyun suddenly flicked his wrist, and his pen moved swiftly, leaving behind several formation patterns.


    these patterns were quite unfamiliar to mo hua.


    he matched these patterns with the spiritual pivot formation and found that they fitted perfectly, closing off the "backdoor" in the formation that was missing.


    on the surface, mo hua seemed confused, but his mind was as clear as a mirror. with a thought, he memorized these few patterns.


    as soon as lu chengyun had put pen to paper, he subconsciously sensed something amiss, turned his head, and saw mo hua looking the same as ever, which put his mind at ease...


    the missing patterns were now in hand.


    back home, mo hua used these patterns to fill in the gaps in the spiritual pivot formation, sealing off the backdoor lu chengyun had left.


    after a few more days of contemplation and adjustments, mo hua finally mastered the spiritual pivot formation completely.


    at the same time, his understanding of the spiritual pivot formation deepened.


    the principle of the spiritual pivot formation was to clarify the structure of spiritual power and meticulously control it through the pivot of the formation.


    the key to this control was the spiritual thread.


    by breaking down spiritual power into even finer filaments and using these threads for more intricate manipulation.


    at the same time, similar spiritual pivot formations would resonate with each other.


    just like in the compass parent-child formation, where the parent formation resonates with the child formation, the spiritual power fluctuations detected by the child formation are reflected in the parent formation.


    similar spiritual pivot formations resonate and connect with each other.


    this connection is the control of spiritual power.


    the main formation controls the sub-formation, the sub-formation controls the base formation, allowing a small amount of divine sense to control a large number of walking corpses or puppets.


    this utility of the formation was something mo hua had not discovered within the five elements formation.


    "the ultimate formation indeed involves the essence of spiritual power, seizing the creation of heaven and earth..."


    mo hua was somewhat shocked and silently said to himself.


    after learning it, he tried using the complete spiritual pivot formation on little tiger.


    mo hua had a bunch of little tiger puppets on him.


    these were made by old kui, which mo hua asked for, intending to test the spiritual pivot formation.


    he picked one that was slightly larger, called it "big tiger," and then drew the main spiritual pivot formation on it.


    afterwards, he drew the sub-spiritual pivot formations on six or seven other little tigers.


    with divine sense, mo hua controlled the main spiritual pivot formation, which in turn controlled big tiger through the formation.


    then, using the main spiritual pivot formation as a reference, it spread to the sub-formations on the other little tigers, controlling them through these sub-formations.


    all levels of the spiritual pivot formation were displayed in mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    mo hua¡¯s divine sense shifted slightly.


    the big tiger clumsily started running on the table.


    simultaneously, the formation on its body turned spiritual power into threads, activating the other sub-formations, which in turn made the other little tigers begin to run as well.


    seven or eight tiger puppets came lively to life, chasing each other on the table in a merry pursuit...


    yet the divine sense expended to control these puppets was not substantial.


    this was only about controlling small puppets; if controlling zombies, with divided control through levels, it is conceivable that with one¡¯s divine sense alone, one could command thousands of walking corpses.


    one man, an army.


    that indeed was terrifying.


    mo hua clicked his tongue in wonder.


    mo hua thought for a while, then sank his divine sense into the sea of consciousness again.


    he wanted to see if there were any changes in the spiritual power manifested by divine thought.


    inside the sea of consciousness, mo hua appeared, then closed his eyes and concentrated, manifesting spiritual power.


    moments later, he found that the spiritual power he manifested became finer and finer, eventually taking the form of "spiritual threads," resembling faint blue cotton fluff, yet also like sticky lotus threads.


    spiritual power silkification!


    it was just like the refined spiritual threads within the spiritual pivot formation.


    "this is what master said, the deeper the comprehension, the more genuine the manifestation."


    as soon as mo hua¡¯s divine sense moved, almost effortlessly, these spiritual threads followed his will, flowing smoothly.


    mo hua brought his fingers together, and in an instant, a fireball technique condensed at his fingertips.


    this time, the fireball technique also carried some silkification within its flames. s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    it looked like a large mass of intertwined fiery red cotton.


    except this "cotton" was made of flame spiritual threads, accumulated, entwined, compressed.


    the spiritual power surged yet was orderly.


    mo hua was a bit stunned.


    the fireball technique in reality and the fireball technique manifested in the sea of consciousness seemed to be completely different.


    in reality, the fireball technique was dark red, condensed with spiritual power, quite powerful, already showing faint signs of solidification.


    the fireball technique in the sea of consciousness, however, was still bright red, but the spiritual power was divided into threads, even finer, seemingly even stronger in division.


    for a moment, mo hua didn¡¯t know whether this was good or bad.


    which one was more formidable?


    should he make the real fireball technique conform to the one manifested in the sea of consciousness?


    or should he manifest a more realistic fireball technique within the sea of consciousness?


    mo hua was uncertain.


    "i¡¯ll ask old kui about it when i get out..."


    besides the fireball technique, mo hua¡¯s water passing step had also become more exquisite.


    the water passing step relied on the control of spiritual power by divine sense.


    the stronger the control of divine sense, the more profound the steps.


    the water prison technique in the sea of consciousness was now cast faster, with stronger binding capabilities.


    previously it was spiritual power turned into locks, now it was spiritual power turned into threads, then into locks, enough to tightly entangle an enemy.


    most importantly, the formation.


    mo hua tried it out.


    with a thought of divine thought, the speed of drawing ground into formation doubled. discover hidden stories at empire


    in a few breaths¡¯ time, with mo hua standing still, relying only on divine sense, he could manifest a complete first grade nine pattern formation.


    mo hua thought of a combination for himself:


    he could first use the water prison technique to restrain the enemy. in a few breaths¡¯ time, manifest control formations like the golden lock formation, inundating water formation, wood prison formation, quicksand formation, and bind the enemy.


    once bound, the enemy would be a sitting duck.


    he could bombard them with the fireball technique.


    he could bomb with the earth fire formation.


    he could even refine them with the melting fire formation.


    this combination was tightly controlled and the form of the attack could be adapted to the "enemy," with many variations.


    as long as it was a divine thought body of the foundation establishment stage with divine sense not exceeding twelve patterns, one set of these moves would suffice to leave the enemy at their last gasp even if they didn¡¯t perish completely.


    mo hua nodded, very satisfied with himself.


    use the sea of consciousness as a prison, divine thought as a weapon.


    capable of trapping and killing.


    the self within the sea of consciousness was much stronger than in reality.


    mo hua snorted lightly: "let¡¯s see who dares to trespass my sea of consciousness now. bring them on, one by one, i¡¯ll slaughter them!"


    but for now, the surroundings of the sea of consciousness were empty, devoid of evil spirits and ghosts, not one in sight.


    mo hua felt a bit like a hero with no place to use his prowess.


    mo hua felt an itch to fight, and as his eyes darted around, he thought:


    "i need to find something to test my skills..."

 Chapter 490: 476

    ```the best practice subjects are, of course, still zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master picture, which represents the legion of zombie ancestors of the zhang family.


    mo hua has now greatly mastered the art of divine thought slaughter.


    apart from that hypocritical ancestor of the zhang family, the other "people" in the picture, whether they are the disciples underneath or the elders above, are no match for him.


    zhang quan¡¯s ancestor should not be a rival either.


    but according to the iron corpse elder who was "eaten" by mo hua, the zhang family¡¯s ancestor has lived a long time, is cunning, and has many tricks up his sleeve, so mo hua dares not to be too arrogant. therefore, he must find a method to deal with him gradually and can¡¯t rush matters.


    the problem now is, where is the picture?


    mo hua rested his chin on his hand and pondered.


    at that time, he had returned the picture to zhang quan.


    so, it should be on zhang quan?


    where would zhang quan keep it? carry it with him always? or set it up on a new altar for worship?


    or perhaps... he gave it to lu chengyun?


    mo hua remembered that when he took out the ancestral master picture, zhang quan looked excited, and in lu chengyun¡¯s eyes, there was also a hint of covetousness.


    the ancestral master picture is a contemplation map.


    a formation master¡¯s lifeblood is his divine sense, and a contemplation map can enhance that divine sense.


    every contemplation map, no matter what is inside, whether it is righteous or evil, good or bad, poses a great temptation to a formation master.


    lu chengyun couldn¡¯t possibly resist the temptation.


    moreover, having colluded with zhang quan for so long, it¡¯s possible he has seen this contemplation map before.


    it¡¯s just that the map is still considered zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master picture, so lu chengyun wouldn¡¯t forcibly take it away.


    after thinking it over, mo hua felt that the only solution now was to track zhang quan.


    see if the picture is still with him.


    if it is, where has he hidden it?


    if not, to whom has he given it?


    mo hua has learned the spirit pivot formation with its twelve formation patterns, and his divine sense has reached the peak of twelve patterns, just one step away from the thirteen stripes.


    but this step is the threshold before the door.


    crossing it would still take some time, or perhaps some kind of opportunity.


    the peak of the twelve patterns means his divine sense is already very strong.


    and it¡¯s even less likely to be detected when hiding.


    if he were tracking lu chengyun, he¡¯d have to be a bit more cautious.


    tracking zhang quan should be almost effortless.


    however, he needs to pick the right time, avoid lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense, and be a little careful to avoid the expose dust formation and expose shadow formation inside the stone palace.


    the expose dust formation and expose shadow formation are manageable, but the problem is lu chengyun.


    lu chengyun has a strong divine sense, understands formations, and is highly suspicious.


    however, since mo hua built the formation eye for the formation of ten thousand corpses, lu chengyun has grown a bit more trusting of mo hua.


    and since mo hua saw the spirit pivot formation chart, showed an expression of "shock," said "how difficult," "i can¡¯t understand," "i can¡¯t learn" and so on, lu chengyun¡¯s guard against mo hua has greatly reduced.


    nor does he probe with his divine sense to guard against mo hua from time to time.


    thus, mo hua¡¯s time to "move freely" has increased.


    in the following four or five days, whenever mo hua had the chance, he would invisibly monitor zhang quan, gradually figuring out his routine.


    zhang quan¡¯s routine was very regular, and his actions were very transparent.


    most of his days were spent building the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    the formation of ten thousand corpses requires a large number of corpse refining coffins, all of which are refined by zhang quan himself. he then lets some evil formation masters or lu chengyun inscribe them with evil formations before placing them in the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    low-end formations are inscribed by other evil formation masters.


    for higher-end ones, like the iron corpse for the iron coffins, lu chengyun personally handles the inscribing.


    and zhang quan is solely responsible for all the coffins.


    having come from a coffin shop background, the tasks of making coffins, refining corpses, and nurturing coffins are considered his traditional trade.


    zhang quan also inspected the stone palace regularly.


    he checked whether there were any issues with the wood and iron coffins used for corpse refinement in the palace, whether the zombies were showing signs of corpse transformation, whether there was any loss of control, any deficiency in corpse qi, or any other abnormalities, and so on.


    basically, he spent his days dealing with corpses, and his work revolved entirely around zombies.


    zhang quan also had a stone chamber.


    this chamber was roomier, but it was furnished and decorated much less extravagantly than mo hua¡¯s chamber.


    surrounding the chamber were all kinds of objects for corpse refinement.


    the smell inside even carried a hint of the rotten stench of dead bodies.


    zhang quan, who dealt with refining corpses all day, no longer noticed the stench and thus did not care.


    inside his own stone chamber, zhang quan either slept, meditated or occasionally behaved as if he were in a craze, showing worrying signs of mental instability, it was completely unclear what was going through his mind.


    sometimes he murmured to himself, showed sudden fits of temper, and then shouted uncontrollably.


    he seemed to display symptoms of mental derangement.


    mo hua found this very puzzling.


    "could it be that dealing with zombies all day has made his brain be eaten by zombies..." mo hua silently criticized in his heart.


    but thinking about it, he felt it wasn¡¯t that simple.


    this seemed more like signs of gradual loss of humanity after demonic possession...


    unaware of one¡¯s own humanity, not knowing what one is doing, with only evil thoughts flourishing within, a mind full of filth.


    zhang quan would alternate between these episodes of madness and lucidity, and after several cycles, he would calm down again, only his eyes appeared more vicious.


    occasionally, zhang quan would also take out a chart to look at.


    at first, mo hua was excited.


    he thought that zhang quan had brought out the ancestral master picture.


    but he quickly realized that it was not the case.


    it wasn¡¯t just one chart; it was an album.


    on the album, there were pictures of men and women, naked, wrestling in various positions.


    the key issue was not just looking at it once, but that zhang quan would look at it whenever he had free time.


    mo hua felt a profound disappointment, and even a sense of exasperation.


    where is your contemplation map?


    ```


    where is your ancestor now?


    spend all day looking at such things; you have no regard for your ancestors.


    if i were zhang quan¡¯s ancestor, i would definitely curse him as an unfilial son and hang him up to beat him.


    after finishing these not-suitable-for-children albums, zhang quan would occasionally become furious, tear up the albums, and curse as if possessed: s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "this damned place doesn¡¯t have a single woman."


    "can¡¯t even get out..."


    "damn it..."


    his eyes were bloodshot and red, his expression as ferocious as a zombie¡¯s.


    mo hua frowned slightly but soon understood.


    those who cultivate demons, their humanity gradually fades away.


    zhang quan cultivates the corpse path, constantly dealing with corpse cultivators, the dead, and zombies, which twisted his nature and bred evil thoughts; he longed for human warmth, for an outlet for his vile desires.


    on regular days, it was still manageable, but once he was alone, the evil desires would spread.


    that¡¯s why he often lingered at brothels.


    it was not only because he was a lecher.


    it was more so because his demon-possessed nature made him act this way.


    and naturally, the female cultivators of the hundred flower tower fell victim to his cruel hands.


    according to qinglan, many female cultivators had been tortured to death by zhang quan.


    the hundred flower tower was owned by the lu family, and zhang quan worked for lu chengyun, so the tragic deaths of these female cultivators naturally led nowhere.


    born into poverty, fallen into a life of debauchery, dying humiliated without even a place to be buried...


    mo hua glanced at zhang quan indifferently and sneered inwardly:


    "i¡¯ll slaughter you sooner or later!"


    zhang quan in the stone chamber suddenly felt a chill in his heart.


    he immediately stood up and looked around.


    "who?"


    "who is it?"


    zhang quan released his divine sense, but the surroundings were empty with no sign of anyone.


    however, he was all too familiar with that feeling of coldness and the sensation of being watched.


    "is it that brat?"


    zhang quan, at the foundation establishment stage, looked a bit panicked.


    he had been "haunted" by mo hua.


    once targeted by that brat, he was like an inescapable maggot at his feet.


    he looked around again, checked the formations, and found that neither the expose shadow formation nor the expose dust formation had been triggered, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "i must be overthinking..."


    "this is the corpse mine, with lu chengyun here, even that brat shouldn¡¯t be able to stir up trouble."


    "no matter how capable he is, he can¡¯t treat this corpse mine as his own backyard, going wherever he pleases."


    "the formations of the corpse mine were personally laid by lu chengyun, not like the corpse walking stronghold..."


    every time he thought of the corpse walking stronghold, zhang quan experienced heart-wrenching pain.


    that was his foundation, built over decades with considerable influence, only to be inexplicably wiped out in one fell swoop.


    later, zhang quan faked his death, was rescued by lu chengyun, and even sneaked back once.


    he saw that in the corpse walking stronghold, all the secret chambers, mechanisms, hidden doors, and secret paths had been discovered, and the insides had been thoroughly looted.


    picked clean!


    not even leaving him a single coffin board, as if locusts had ravaged it through.


    the person who could do this, he knew without thinking, was who.


    the smiling face of mo hua emerged again in his mind.


    zhang quan suddenly felt his blood rush to his head and quickly reminded himself:


    "can¡¯t think about it, can¡¯t think..."


    thinking too much will eventually lead to his death from rage.


    zhang quan calmed his emotions and regained a bit of reason.


    but with concerns in mind, he did not dare do anything else and just sat on the bed to meditate and regulate his breath.


    mo hua watched a while longer, then shook his head.


    discover stories at empire


    although zhang quan had a "chart," it was not the "formation chart" he was looking for.


    and most likely, the ancestral master picture wasn¡¯t in zhang quan¡¯s hands.


    if it really were, he would at least find a place to enshrine it, offering incense in his spare time, to show some filial piety.


    not like now, watching the undressed fighting pictures whenever he pleased.


    where exactly is the ancestral master picture then?


    in lu chengyun¡¯s hands?


    or is it still in zhang quan¡¯s possession, just that he enshrined it somewhere unknown to himself?


    suddenly, mo hua thought of the altar above the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    something unknown was enshrined on it.


    covered with yellow cloth, its details obscured.


    could it be that zhang quan had placed the chart on that dazzlingly luxurious and extravagantly wasteful altar?


    "i need to take a look..."


    mo hua pondered.


    whether the ancestral master picture was on that altar or not, he had to find a way to enter the formation of ten thousand corpses when no one was around and take a closer look.


    during the daytime, with lu chengyun watching, it was not convenient to make any small moves.


    when there were no people around, it was easier to explore the truth and falsity.


    examine the formations, deduce the complete formation patterns of the formation of ten thousand corpses, check the corners for any hidden objects, and see what exactly was enshrined on the altar...


    "but how to get in?"


    mo hua frowned slightly, and after pondering for a while, his eyes lit up.


    the spiritual pivot formation...

 Chapter 491: Little Zombie (1)

    491 chapter 477 little zombie_1mo hua intended to deceive lu chengyun and zhang quan, sneaking into the sacrificial altar of the corpse formation. he had to get through two doors.


    one was the door to the hall.


    the other was that mural within the hall.


    the hall''s door was manageable, but the mural posed a significant challenge.


    first of all, he didn''t know what exactly were the hand seals and the incantations that zhang quan had used.


    and zhang quan wouldn''t disclose them.


    even if zhang quan were to tell him, mo hua wasn''t certain that by simply imitating the process, the mural would actually open for him.


    that zombie mural, like the dry ink screen of the corpse walking stronghold, must be some sort of door lock type of spiritual artifact.


    if it was a spiritual artifact, then there must be a formation inside.


    this sort of formation wasn''t a five elements formation and didn''t fall within the scope of formations that mo hua was proficient in.


    even if mo hua wanted to solve it, there was nowhere to start.


    even if he could figure it out, lu chengyun would certainly know about it.


    just by solving the expose dust formation at the entrance, lu chengyun was able to detect it, let alone the secretive door-locking formation above the zombie mural at the entrance to the altar outside the corpse formation.


    forcefully breaking the formation was out of the question.


    the screen within the corpse walking stronghold was smashed by mo hua using the thousand jun stick.


    but this place was different from the corpse walking stronghold, such a hit-and-run tactic after taking something wouldn''t work here.


    moreover, with the corpse mine sealed, he couldn''t escape.


    if he smashed the mural and barged into the altar, even if lu chengyun were a pig, he would know that mo hua harbored ulterior motives and had deceitful plans.


    "what should i do?"


    mo hua found himself in a dilemma.


    how could he bypass the mural and enter the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar?


    whenever he had the chance, he pondered this question.


    but after a long time, he couldn''t think of any good methods, until one day, when he was behind the mural, he saw zhang quan activate a mechanism to close the door of the mural.


    mo hua was startled.


    a mechanism?


    this mural has a mechanism?


    he previously hadn''t even noticed.


    mo hua took another few glances and discovered that the mechanism was a simple stone sluice gate, unremarkable and overlooked when not in use by zhang quan.


    mo hua furrowed his brows.


    it meant entering from the outside was very difficult.


    you need to know the method, form the hand seals, recite the incantations, and open the mural to reveal the gaping mouths of zombies.


    but exiting from the inside was very simple, just pull down the sluice gate.


    it guarded against outsiders but not from within¡­


    mo hua thought about it and felt it made sense.


    those who could enter were either lu chengyun or zhang quan.


    even for mo hua, who was somewhat of an outsider, he was under their surveillance, leaving them with nothing to worry about.


    thus, they only needed to guard against people coming in from outside, not those already inside.


    setting a barrier outside was reasonable.


    setting one inside would be superfluous.


    mo hua, being a formation master, had always focused on complex formations, neglecting the possibility of such straightforward mechanisms.


    this was a case of not seeing what was right under one''s nose.


    mo hua nodded to himself, silently reminding himself.


    he shouldn''t, just because he is a formation master, be biased and only focus on formations.


    complicated problems sometimes have simple solutions.


    to get into the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar, someone just had to pull down the sluice gate¡­


    but mo hua paused again.


    this problem seemed simple, but¡­


    how would he pull the sluice gate?


    who would pull it for him?


    he certainly couldn''t expect lu chengyun to pull the gate open for him.


    mo hua thought it over and realized that as a formation master, in most cases, he could still only use formations¡­


    this seemingly simple problem seemed like it could only be solved with a complex formation.


    ¡­


    over the next several days, mo hua continuously looked for opportunities.


    finally, on this day, lu chengyun had to step out halfway through drawing his formation due to some urgent matters.


    mo hua immediately stood up, keeping a considerable distance from zhang quan.


    zhang quan frowned and asked, "what are you doing?"


    "keeping away from you," mo hua said.


    zhang quan''s eyes darkened, "what do you mean by that?"


    "i''m afraid you''ll harm me," mo hua declared righteously.


    zhang quan''s resentment toward him was no secret, evident even to a blind man.


    zhang quan snorted coldly, "i''m not that petty."


    "well, that''s debatable. though one may know a person''s face, one cannot know their heart. you look deceitful, and i''m sure you''re even more so on the inside."


    zhang quan''s gaze turned icy, "little devil, you better not provoke me."


    "so what if i do?"


    mo hua scoffed and then performed the concealment technique right before zhang quan, gradually disappearing from sight.


    zhang quan was taken aback, then filled with surprise.


    what on earth was the boy trying to do?


    he looked around several times, but mo hua was nowhere to be seen.


    even a sweep with his divine sense revealed no trace of mo hua.


    after a long wait, there was no movement at all.


    it seemed that he indeed turned invisible just to avoid him and not to be detected.


    zhang quan cursed inside:


    "this brat is damn cautious, not giving me a chance!"


    zhang quan gritted his teeth and called out to the surroundings:


    "where are you?"


    "come out!"


    "i''ll heed brother lu''s words, i won''t make things difficult for you, you can rest assured¡­"


    "come out now¡­"


    ¡­


    naturally, mo hua paid him no attention.


    at this moment within the corpse formation, in a secluded corner, the invisible mo hua silently opened a coffin.


    the corpse formation, although only a compound formation, originated from the large formation of ten thousand corpses and was vast in scale. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    within the formation, many coffins were placed.


    above the formation was a lavish sacrificial altar.


    mo hua was young and small in stature. by concealing his figure and masking his breath, he could hide behind the coffins and the sacrificial altar without zhang quan noticing.


    within one of the coffins, there was a small zombie, which mo hua had observed for several days and specifically chosen.


    ```


    this walking corpse wasn''t too old; it was probably only about seventeen or eighteen years old and had just been refined by zhang quan a few days before. the spiritual pivot formation on its chest was still quite new, its formation patterns freshly painted.


    a seventeen or eighteen-year-old cultivator...


    who knows whether he died a natural death, was killed by a corpse cultivator, or was murdered by the lu family.


    after death, to be turned into a zombie and be used for evil deeds, a puppet to a tiger''s will.


    mo hua sighed softly in his heart.


    with limited time, mo hua stopped dwelling on the matter and began to calm his mind, making some secretive modifications to the spiritual pivot formation located at the heart meridian of the young cadaver.


    within the spiritual pivot formation, there were some unique formation patterns.


    this was something mo hua hadn''t noticed before.


    since the spiritual pivot formations he used to draw were generally of one type.


    it wasn''t until he saw a complete spirit pivot formation chart that he realized, after secret observations of lu chengyun painting formation and several comparisons, that there had been some oversights in his earlier understanding of the spiritual pivot formation.


    he hadn''t been aware of some detailed aspects.


    this detail was the formation patterns.


    different types of spiritual pivot formations, or even within the same type, have a unique formation pattern that sets them apart.


    mo hua had noticed it before but didn''t think deeply about it.


    because this formation pattern seemed to have no special meaning.


    no matter how it was drawn, it didn''t seem to affect the operation of the spiritual pivot formation.


    but after some research over these days and comparisons with most of the spiritual pivot formations in the formation of ten thousand corpses, mo hua gradually understood.


    this formation pattern was extremely important; it was the sequential formation pattern used for identifying the identity of the spiritual pivot formation.


    similar to a kind of formation "code".


    the same spiritual pivot formation had the same type of sequential formation pattern, that is, a formation "code".


    the same type of sequential formation pattern had a similar main body, with only slight differences in the details, such as the addition or reduction of strokes or the changes in orientation, to differentiate the sequence.


    only when the formation "codes" matched, could the spiritual pivot formation control based on hierarchy.


    walking corpses, iron corpses, and the zombies in the bronze corpse coffins all used the same type of "coding" formation pattern, with a layered hierarchy defining their weights, which is why they could be controlled systematically.


    the little tigers that mo hua drew were different, though.


    indeed, mo hua had originally copied the formation from the bodies of walking corpses and iron corpses.


    however, lu chengyun was using evil formation techniques, whereas mo hua, on the other hand, used orthodox formation methods.


    therefore, their sequential formation patterns were different in an intangible way.


    lu chengyun could control zombies but not mo hua''s little tigers.


    while mo hua could control the little tigers, he also couldn''t control the zombies in the corpse mine.


    unless... he changed the sequential formation pattern on the zombies.


    changing the sequential formation pattern was like changing the code, essentially changing the authority.


    what mo hua wanted to change now was the special sequential formation pattern on the young zombie, which was used to differentiate authority and identity.


    mo hua had only chosen one small walking corpse.


    the walking corpse was not an iron corpse.


    within the corpse mine, there were numerous walking corpses, and there were also many base-level sequential formation patterns in their spiritual pivot formations.


    whether there was one more or one fewer, lu chengyun would never notice.


    the main reason, of course, was that lu chengyun never imagined that there would be another cultivator capable of learning the spiritual pivot formation.


    let alone make secret modifications to his formation "code" right under his nose and among the hordes in the corpse mine.


    easy for those who know how, impossible for those who don''t.


    for mo hua, altering a basic spiritual pivot formation pattern was as easy as flipping his hand.


    with a flick of his small hand, a few strokes, mo hua had changed the formation pattern.


    removing this small zombie from the spiritual pivot sequence of the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    then he added another formation pattern.


    this formation pattern was the one he used on the little tigers himself.


    ```


    having altered this formation pattern, the little zombie now is like a little tiger, controlled by the spiritual pivot formation on the big tiger that mo hua manipulated.


    on the surface, it still looks like a zombie.


    but within the sequence of the spiritual pivot formation, it''s no longer a "little zombie" but rather a "little tiger."


    after finishing the adjustments to the formation pattern, mo hua returned to his original spot as if nothing had happened, picked up the pen, and continued to draw the formation eye of the ten thousand corpses compound formation.


    he was dragging his feet while drawing this formation eye, delaying it for quite some time.


    finally, it was also close to completion.


    zhang quan was still calling for mo hua to "come out," but in the blink of an eye, mo hua was already back in his place, fully focused on drawing the formation.


    zhang quan''s expression tightened, "you''re not running anymore?"


    mo hua disdainfully said, "why would i run? you wouldn''t dare lay a hand on me anyway."


    zhang quan, annoyed, "then what were you doing just now..."


    mo hua said with a smile, "i was a bit bored, just teasing you for fun."


    then he curled his lip, "who knew you''d be so dull, like an idiot, completely unable to find me, it''s really no fun."


    zhang quan was about to fly into a rage.


    lu chengyun had already appeared at the doorway.


    zhang quan had to suppress his anger, just about to badmouth mo hua to lu chengyun, but then he thought, any words he said against mo hua, lu chengyun certainly would not believe.


    and indeed, it seemed mo hua hadn''t really done anything...


    invisible and toying with himself?


    zhang quan himself found it too embarrassing to say such a thing.


    zhang quan could only sullenly shut his mouth.


    lu chengyun, noticing the conflicting expressions of the two, wasn''t surprised, and acted as if nothing had happened.


    yet, within the immense formation of ten thousand corpses, in a secluded corner, a common coffin contained a small walking corpse whose sequential formation pattern had been tampered with.


    this was something lu chengyun could not possibly know.


    that evening, once mo hua shook off lu chengyun''s divine sense surveillance, he concealed his form and quietly went to the hall.


    the door to the hall was locked.


    mo hua released his divine sense, and seeing no one around, controlled the big tiger with his divine sense in secrecy.


    the big tiger had been left in the corner of the hall by him during the day.


    now, under the guiding of mo hua''s divine sense, the big tiger leaped to the door, pushed open the bolt, and unlocked the door for mo hua.


    the doors of the hall were quite simple.


    opening them from the inside would not trigger the formation.


    mo hua walked through the doorway, then approached the mural.


    next, he controlled the big tiger using divine sense, and through the spiritual pivot formation on the big tiger, activated the spiritual pivot formation on the little zombie.


    the sequential formation patterns matched, their "codes" similar.


    the big tiger could control the little zombie.


    this indirect control was even more covert, less likely to be detected by lu chengyun.


    after a moment, mo hua''s divine sense stirred.


    he could sense the connection with the little zombie''s formation.


    mo hua then controlled the little zombie, which pushed the lid off the coffin, slowly climbed out, and walked to the entrance, pulling on a gate switch on the wall.


    at the same time, on the mural above, the ink merged chaotically, the layers becoming defined and materializing into a half-human, half-corpse face.


    this face appeared majestic yet mean, with a greedy gaze, exuding ferocity and horror.


    its wide-open mouth formed the entrance to the mural.


    mo hua stared at this face for a moment, silently memorizing it, then his eyes brightened, and he stepped into the midst of the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar.


    inside there was the ten thousand corpses compound formation, the golden sacrificial altar, the bronze corpse coffin...


    during the day, with people watching, he was restrained.


    but coming in at this time of night, unnoticed by gods or ghosts, he could do whatever he wanted.

 Chapter 492: Daoist Name (1)

    492 chapter 478: daoist name_1in the midst of the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar, blood patterns covered the ground, thousands of coffins were aligned, the candlelight was dim, and the atmosphere was eerily silent.


    there was not a single person.


    except for mo hua.


    after mo hua had the small zombie close the gate, the mural behind him twisted and sealed off the way they had come from.


    mo hua nodded.


    this spiritual pivot formation, truly worthy of being an ultimate formation, was much more practical than he had initially thought.


    he then began to scrutinize the altar.


    during the day, with lu chengyun and zhang quan around, mo hua hadn''t felt anything peculiar.


    but now, at night, on his own, he felt the altar, despite its glittering gold, was much more sinister and odd, not to mention the coffins and zombies within them.


    mo hua couldn''t help feeling a bit nervous.


    he calmed his mind and started to do things one by one as he''d planned.


    first, he studied the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    although mo hua had designed the formation eye, it only connected with the formation pivot to facilitate the flow of spiritual power.


    he was not clear about the complete picture of the whole formation.


    the formation of ten thousand corpses was the culmination of many years of lu chengyun''s efforts.


    he hadn''t had the opportunity to look closely during the day to avoid offending lu chengyun''s taboos.


    moreover, according to mo hua''s understanding of formation principles, this formation of ten thousand corpses was likely not just a compound formation, but an evil path great formation!


    mo hua executed the water passing step, gathering spiritual power under his feet, and walked along the walls to the ceiling, dangling his head down to get a better look.


    from his elevated position, he could see the entire formation at a glance.


    taking the formation eye as the heart vein, the formation pivot as the skeleton, and the formation patterns as the flesh.


    everything was in correspondence, the beginning and the end interconnected.


    indeed, it was a complete, large-scale formation.


    mo hua memorized the overall layout of the formation in his mind, then walked down to start examining the formation patterns in detail.


    the surface of these formation patterns appeared to be evil patterns.


    but at their core, they were still an application of formation principles of the five elements such as earth and water.


    earth series formations integrated with the flesh of corpses;


    water series formations mixed with blood and water.


    further, by incorporating venomous juices of plants into the construction of wood series formations, they harmonize flesh and blood to create the patterns of the evil formation.


    human flesh and blood naturally resonate with spiritual power.


    therefore, evil formations often use human blood as ink and human flesh as a medium to enhance the effect of the formation, as well as to lower the difficulty of the formation.


    while this lowers the threshold, the included understanding of the dao laws is much shallower.


    mo hua shook his head.


    such shortcuts, forsaking the fundamental for the trivial, would not lead to mastery of the dao of formation.


    nevertheless, to know his enemy as well as himself, mo hua still reviewed and sorted through the formation patterns, from start to finish.


    after sorting them out, combining them with the formation pivot, and the formation eye he had constructed, he made some calculations to clear the logic of the operation of spiritual power and evil power within the formation.


    a complete formation diagram of ten thousand corpses now emerged in mo hua''s sea of consciousness.


    mo hua transferred the formation diagram from his sea of consciousness onto paper and then looked down at it intently, falling silent in thought.


    a moment later, he sighed,


    "it truly is the embryonic form of a large formation..."


    and it was not that simplistic kind of large formation just cobbled together for numbers.


    it was a kind of evil path great formation that had been perfected over several generations, with complete formation patterns, a concise formation pivot, a robust power from the formation eye, and an obvious mark of inheritance.


    "evil path great formation of ten thousand corpses..."


    mo hua frowned.


    "where on earth did lu chengyun get this formation diagram from?"


    "could it be that the lu family, or within this corpse mine, there are demon cultivators who are well-versed in demon path formations, with genuine demon sect heritage?"


    but in his time at the corpse mine, he had become quite familiar with the place.


    he had never seen such cultivators, nor had he detected any trace of them.


    "could it be a chance encounter with some demon path rogue, who then gave it to lu chengyun?"


    demon path rogues...


    mo hua then recalled the mysterious taoist that mr. zhuang had mentioned, who should not be seen, spoken of, and ideally not even thought about.


    "it can''t be such a coincidence..."


    mo hua muttered.


    if that were the case...


    the taoist who passed the evil pill recipe for lifespan conversion to the patriarch of the qian family, and the evil path great formation diagram of ten thousand corpses to lu chengyun, probably also passed some spell points of forbidden demon path to some cultivators with ill intentions...


    what was his aim?


    to create taoist demons?


    are such natural disasters of heaven and earth really something that can be "mass-produced" by human means?


    or does this taoist have some other, deeper scheme?


    mo hua frowned in deep thought.


    as he pondered, he became somewhat entranced.


    all of a sudden, an extremely cold and terrifying sense of dread surged up within him.


    a silhouette of a taoist emerged in mo hua''s heart.


    the silhouette of the taoist was like black ink.


    all around were withered black lines.


    however, these lines began to coalesce and take shape.


    the face of the taoist became clearer, and a pair of eyes slowly opened, deep and hollow, inching their gaze towards mo hua.


    mo hua did not know who he was, but in an instant, he knew the taoist''s name:


    "gui tao!"


    the seeker of the dao who was half-ghost and half-mysterious.


    mo hua was shocked and quickly calmed his mind to meditate, dismissing all thoughts.


    but the more he tried not to think about it, the more involuntarily he did, and the words "gui tao" almost slipped from his lips.


    mo hua had a feeling that once he uttered the words "gui tao," he would be immediately discovered by this taoist.


    "don''t recite it, don''t recite it!"


    mo hua kept admonishing himself.


    but while he was strongly inhibiting his mind, his mouth suddenly moved on its own and he recited the first character "gui"...


    the taoist''s hollow gaze suddenly sparkled with life, silently turning his head, ready to focus his attention directly on mo hua.


    a chill went down mo hua''s spine, and in his desperation, he quickly pinched his own cheek.


    the fair little face was marked with two finger imprints by his own pinching.


    mo hua winced in pain, hissing softly, and managed not to recite the full name "gui tao''s people."


    since the name wasn''t recited, mo hua had a moment to catch his breath.


    what to do?


    in a stroke of inspiration, mo hua quickly took out his spiritual ink, dipped his finger in the ink, and using his divine sense to connect with the earth dao meaning, he began to draw the thick earth formation on the ground.


    once he began drawing formation, his divine sense became focused, no longer wandering aimlessly.


    he wouldn''t even think about reciting any names.


    and the earth dao meaning he was connecting with also occupied mo hua''s mind. sea??h th§× n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a hint of ancient meaning began to diffuse, gradually overshadowing the aura of gui tao''s people...


    ...


    meanwhile, in a hillside overgrown with withered trees.


    the sitting "sun yi" opened his eyes.


    his body was filthy, clad in a dirty taoist robe that the deceased had worn, his eyes black and vacant, his voice hoarse and sticky:


    "who..."


    "...desires to recite my name?"


    "so familiar..."


    he closed his eyes to sense, then suddenly opened them again, his usually empty gaze carrying a hint of confusion:


    "earth dao meaning?"


    "disciple of earth sect?"


    "how could it be..."


    in the minor wilderness state boundary, where did a disciple of the earth sect come from, and why would he be reciting my name?


    "something''s not right..."


    "sun yi" stretched out his right hand, with several fingers broken and twisted together in a strange shape as if calculating something.


    some causes and effects began to connect:


    "earth dao meaning..."


    "thick earth formation..."


    "there is a cultivator..."


    "a formation master..."


    "short in stature... no... very young?"


    and with that, the trail of cause and effect ended.


    it remained unclear and undefined.


    "sun yi''s" eyes began shedding tears of blood, his sparse hair gradually turned white, his sea of consciousness trembled, and his remaining divine sense tried its best at calculation:


    "without the cover of dao meaning, within three breaths, this person would surely recite my name..."


    "then let''s remove the cover of the dao meaning..."


    the eyes of "sun yi" bled profusely, as his gray hair fell out one by one, his countenance visibly aging as if his life force was compensating for the insufficiency of his calculation after his divine sense was exhausted.


    he counted to himself:


    "one..."


    "two..."


    "three..."


    three breaths passed, and in the future he had calculated, indeed someone had uncontrollably recited his name:


    "gui tao!"


    the voice that recited his name was clear and pleasant.


    "sun yi" was slightly stunned, his expression surprised, "it''s a child?"


    why would a child recite my name?


    who exactly is it?


    and what connection do i have with them?


    sun yi listened more intently, only to find that the voice had changed.


    from a child''s voice, it gradually became clearer, turning into a young man''s voice, then gradually grew deeper, turning into a middle-aged man''s voice.


    finally, it became a voice he was all too familiar with and longed for.


    the voice was crisp and scholarly.


    the words "gui tao" turned into two:


    "senior brother."


    sun yi opened his eyes, and in a daze, he saw a handsome, distinguished cultivator looking at him.


    his gaze was crisp, gentle, and his mouth held a smile that was elusive.


    it was indeed mr. zhuang.


    moments later, everything faded away as if it were smoke.


    "sun yi" could no longer remember who had recited his name.


    he only remembered that one call of "senior brother."


    he tried to calculate once more, only to find that the sea of consciousness of this body had cracked, his divine sense was utterly depleted, and not a single hair remained on his head¡­


    there was nothing left to calculate...


    "sun yi" sat still for a long time, his expression peculiar, mumbling to himself:


    "my good junior brother... what exactly are you hiding?"


    "having fallen to such a state, what is still worth hiding?"


    the mountain forest was silent, no one answered.


    "enough..."


    "sun yi" shakily got to his feet, wrapped in the taoist robe of the dead, walking lopsidedly towards the edge of the woods...


    "once i find you, i will know everything..."

 Chapter 493: Coveting (1)

    493 chapter 479 coveting_1in the serene bamboo chamber of south yue city,


    mr. zhuang opened his eyes; they had paled slightly and with a hint of helplessness, he said,


    "having a disciple too clever can also be a troublesome matter..."


    "once clever, they think too much, and without caution, they stumble upon matters they shouldn''t have..."


    old kui, who was carving a little tiger out of wood for mo hua, paused and frowned at these words:


    "calculated against again?"


    mr. zhuang shook his head, "almost." he sighed softly, "fortunately, the child is clever..."


    he knew how to use the earth dao meaning to mask his own aura; otherwise, if that person really saw his face, it would''ve required more effort.


    lost in thought for a moment, old kui said quietly:


    "it''s been a long time since mo hua came back..."


    mr. zhuang''s face was slightly pale, but upon hearing these words, his eyebrows lifted slightly, and he smiled faintly:


    "what, do you miss him?"


    old kui ignored him, silently continuing to carve the little tiger in his hands.


    previously, mo hua had come to him, saying he might need a lot of little tigers and asked him to help carve some.


    now he had carved quite a few little tigers, but mo hua had not come home.


    a moment later, old kui sighed, expressing his frustration:


    "i''ve run out of pine nuts, and there''s no one to roast them for me."


    mr. zhuang suggested:


    "why not let zisheng roast them for you? he''s my disciple and, by extension, your junior; it''s only right for him to render such a service."


    old kui was somewhat disdainful, "disciples of the bai family are only good for waving around blades and spears, nothing else."


    "you sure are picky..." mr. zhuang shook his head.


    old kui paid him no mind, only thinking about when mo hua would return.


    but he couldn''t figure it out, so he asked mr. zhuang:


    "how much longer?"


    mr. zhuang pinched his fingers and cast his gaze toward the distant mines, his eyes flickering as he slowly said:


    "soon, i think..."


    mr. zhuang''s expression was profound.


    "he has mastered the formation."


    "that item is almost refined."


    "corpse qi is spreading, heavenly secrets are sullied."


    "this calamity facing south yue city is not minor; it remains to be seen how the child will handle it..."


    old kui nodded.


    mr. zhuang looked again towards the mines outside the city.


    above the mines were the mining cultivators, toiling in their wretched fate.


    they knew nothing and still toiled diligently every day.


    mr. zhuang lamented, "whenever a great calamity befalls the heavens and the earth, it''s always the cultivators at the very bottom who suffer the most..."


    "you''re being sentimental again."


    old kui''s voice sounded wooden.


    mr. zhuang laughed at himself:


    "no helping it, i''m getting old."


    old kui looked at mr. zhuang, his eyes revealing deep regret and melancholy.


    he said nothing and continued to lower his head, carving the little tiger.


    stroke after stroke, his technique was skilled, and the wood shavings fell as the little tiger''s form became naturally defined.


    then, the bamboo chamber became suddenly quiet.


    after a while, old kui suddenly said, "i''ll kill your senior brother."


    mr. zhuang was taken aback.


    "kill him, and you could live a few more years," old kui''s voice was cold and sharp.


    warmth surged in mr. zhuang''s heart; a serene smile appeared on his refined face.


    "thank you."


    then, with a hint of apology, he said:


    "you''ve helped me so much, and my days are numbered; i''m afraid i won''t be of help to you..."


    old kui shook his head, "even if you disregard the feelings of the sect, i could use heavenly puppetry to kill him, and if you live a few more decades, you might still be able to help me."


    mr. zhuang was silent for a short while, then shook his head and sighed:


    "he can''t be killed anymore..."


    old kui frowned, "is planting devil in taoist heart truly that troublesome?"


    mr. zhuang stated calmly, "he entered the demon palace, became a taoist, and took the taoist name ''gui''. the divine thought legacy he received, if cultivated deeply, is nearly on par with a heavenly demon."


    "he was cautious in the past, even the pavilion elders couldn''t do anything against him."


    "now, with his planting devil in taoist heart nearing completion and his divine thought taking the ''gui'' path, it is full of trickery and ever-changing; he can''t simply be killed with cultivation or taoist skills..."


    old kui also fell silent, his aged eyes hiding indeterminate emotions.


    "without trying, how would you know?"


    mr. zhuang sighed, "you could try, and he might die, but it''s uncertain who would die in the end, and whether he truly died would be unknown to anyone..."


    old kui''s brows furrowed tightly, "planting devil in taoist heart isn''t considered the ultimate legacy of the demon sect, is it?"


    why was it so terrifying?


    mr. zhuang''s face showed a complex expression, "planting devil in taoist heart isn''t, but my senior brother, he''s a cultivator of the utmost divine thought..."


    "in this world, who knows who could kill him..."


    mr. zhuang looked helpless as he slowly closed his eyes.


    suddenly, the innocent and cheerful face of mo hua appeared in his mind.


    mr. zhuang was slightly startled, then his gaze became elusive; after a long contemplation, he muttered:


    "it''s still early..."


    "just don''t get killed, surviving is enough..." s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    in the lu family''s corpse mine, within the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar.


    not until the thick earth formation was complete, his divine sense clear, and the eerie aura had dissipated without a trace, did mo hua finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    at the same time, his heart was filled with lingering fear, and cold sweat had seeped out on his back.


    "how strange..."


    he hadn''t spoken his name, nor mentioned his taoist title, but just by thinking more profoundly, he was sensed by that taoist, and even the image of him arose in his mind.


    his body also felt slightly beyond his control.


    to litigate his taoist title, to convert to his taoism.


    exactly what kind of method was this? could it be some form of divine thought technique?


    mo hua dared not think further.


    he buried the words "gui tao''s people" deep in his heart, trying as much as possible not to touch upon or think deeply about them.


    meanwhile, mo hua also felt somewhat dejected.


    he had previously believed that with his divine thought technique fully accomplished, he could dominate in conflicts at the level of divine sense.


    yet, he hadn''t expected to be detected simply by exercising his thoughts.


    in the face of gui tao''s elusive shadow, he felt utterly at a loss, incapable of resistance.


    mo hua exhaled:


    "the path of tao cultivation still requires caution, one must not be arrogant or complacent."


    "there are mountains beyond mountains and heavens beyond heavens."


    "the methods of high-realm great cultivators penetrate the heavens and the earth, beyond the wildest imagination, completely unfathomable to someone who is merely a small qi refinement cultivator like me."


    "one must never become cocky!"


    mo hua silently reminded himself several times, then nodded.


    then another thought occurred to him:


    if such a shadow is a technique of divine thought,


    could he learn it in the future?


    to refine the ultimate in divine thought, to prove the dao with supreme divine sense.


    could he then, like this taoist, employ inscrutable methods that leave others unable to guard against?


    right now, he was only in the qi refinement stage, with merely twelve patterns in his divine sense.


    but if one day his divine sense became strong enough, and he mastered numerous divine thought techniques, could he directly confront this "elusive shadow"?


    if possible, would silently reciting "gui tao''s people" and baiting his "elusive shadow" to come mean that...


    he could directly "consume" it?


    eating its elusive shadow, could that enhance his divine sense as well?


    after refining it, might he even comprehend some divine thought techniques?


    ...


    mo hua had only entertained the thought briefly when his sea of consciousness suddenly trembled, and a desiccated shadow of the taoist appeared.


    mo hua jumped, quickly collecting his thoughts.


    in his mind, he silently chanted, "i''m not thinking anything, i''m not thinking anything..."


    it was unknown how much time passed before his divine sense became clear and the shadow dissipated.


    only then did mo hua finally breathe easy.


    he dared not indulge in such wild fantasies anymore but instead earnestly forgot all those recent thoughts, continuing to investigate the formation and sacrificial altar before him...


    ...


    meanwhile, in a remote desolate forest.


    sun yi suddenly sensed something, pausing abruptly.


    he then sneered, "you dare to come again?"


    "you think i wouldn''t know if you''re thinking of my name in your heart?"


    he sat down cross-legged, took a blood pill, and recovered his aura. just as he was preparing to perform his calculation, his heart suddenly quivered.


    he felt a palpitation.


    this palpitation came out of nowhere, vanished quickly, and seemed as if the heavenly secret was stirring, birthing some malevolent divine thought.


    it had fixed its gaze on him with ill intent, and it appeared to include a shade of "covetousness"...


    what did it mean?


    who could, or who would dare, covet him?


    sun yi felt a twinge of anger.


    he wanted to trace it back.


    but this divine thought was as faint as a notion, extremely subtle.


    like a fishhook thrown onto the water surface, barely stirring a ripple before sinking into the quiet depths, lurking in silence.


    the surface of the water returned to calm, leaving no trace.


    as if someone had buried that thought deep inside their heart.


    and the heavens had their cycles, with all cause and effect already silently, secretly turning...


    sun yi''s gaze grew profound, empty, but no longer indifferent; it now bore a layer of frost:


    "who is it..."


    the deep mountain was silent, with the eerie cries of a strange beast in the distance.


    long afterwards, sun yi turned and continued on, limping along his preset path, his voice croaky with a hint of hatred and terror:


    "don''t let me find you..."


    "otherwise..."


    his words were unfinished when they were swallowed by the deep, mysterious silence of the mountains.

 Chapter 494: Planning (1)

    494 chapter 480: planning_1mo hua was still studying the ten thousand corpses compound formation.


    the formation eye of the ten thousand corpses compound formation was designed by him personally. mo hua had mastered it, so he spent most of his time on the formation pivot and formation patterns.


    after some research, mo hua more or less understood the function of the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    the ten thousand corpses compound formation, as well as the unaltered large formation of ten thousand corpses, served similar purposes but varied in scale.


    this formation primarily had two uses:


    the first was for large-scale corpse refinement.


    within the formation, numerous coffins were embedded as formation media, maintained by formation patterns, coordinated by the formation pivot, and powered by the formation eye, thus enabling "mass production" of zombies.


    the second was to enhance corpse control.


    with the spirit pivot formation at its core, a whole set was constructed, centered around the bronze corpse, with the iron corpse as the pivot and the walking corpse as the foundation, establishing the spirit pivot sequence formation method.


    layer upon layer of cohesive control.


    this required quite a solid foundation in formation knowledge.


    though lu chengyun''s schemes were not righteous, he had genuine talent and skill in formation.


    it''s just that he didn''t apply his thoughts to the righteous dao.


    mo hua shook his head.


    he had almost finished his research on the formation of ten thousand corpses, and next in line was the altar.


    the golden altar shone brightly.


    the beast gold incense burner emitted curling smoke.


    the emerald candle holder was exquisite and luxurious, and the candlelight flickered.


    however, this candlelight was somewhat eerie, and the wax on the candles, which resembled corpse fat, seemed to have been made from who knows how many people''s deaths.


    on the altar were placed five-color spiritual flowers, gold-bordered banners, and jiao dragon patterned lanterns.


    in front of the altar was presented the spiritual meat of pigs and sheep.


    this spiritual meat was quite precious.


    the mining cultivators outside fighting tooth and nail might not taste such luxury even once in their lifetimes.


    mo hua sighed softly.


    the items displayed on the altar, covered by a yellow cloth, were strangely shaped, resembling sculptures, monster beasts, or even desiccated corpses.


    even divine sense couldn''t probe them.


    it was impossible to distinguish exactly what they were.


    "should i lift it and take a look?"


    mo hua''s hand reached halfway, then stopped.


    he hesitated within his heart.


    if he were to lift it, could there be any danger?


    and would lu chengyun discover it?


    what if what was presented was a dangerous entity such as a zombie or monster beast, where unveiling would mean unsealing?


    although he could potentially escape using the water passing step or concealment technique, suppressing it using his cultivation would probably be impossible.


    if this dangerous entity made a commotion, it would certainly alarm lu chengyun.


    and if inside was not some dangerous entity but something like the "contemplation map" with evil thoughts and ghosts attached to wooden sculptures or stone carvings, then he would still be in danger.


    ever since encountering gui tao''s people and their "gui shadow," mo hua had become much more humble.


    he no longer felt his divine thought manifestation could kill with abandon.


    it was better to be cautious when dealing with matters.


    especially with unknown dangers, it was best not to act rashly without deep knowledge.


    mo hua was somewhat itching with curiosity,


    he really wanted to know what exactly lay under the yellow cloth on the altar.


    but he didn''t dare to rashly uncover it.


    mo hua was conflicted for a moment and finally had to let it go.


    better to be safe than sorry.


    inside the corpse mine, it wasn''t like south yue city; there was no master to bail him out, no fellow disciples to help him.


    it was better to be "cowardly" if possible.


    reluctantly, mo hua shifted his gaze from the altar and turned it back to the center of the ten thousand corpses compound formation, to the bronze coffin above the formation eye.


    this bronze coffin''s spiritual pivot formation contained the ultimate sequential formation pattern.


    if the formation assumed its designated importance, the zombie within the coffin would possess the highest authority upon its refinement, capable of commanding iron corpses of the foundation establishment stage and thereby wielding control over all the walking corpses in the entire corpse mine.


    lu chengyun, through the spiritual pivot formation, would achieve grand mastery in corpse control.


    he would not only be the family head of the lu family but also the zombie supreme in the minor wilderness state boundary.


    mo hua propped his chin, scheming thoughts bubbling within:


    "what if i were to destroy this bronze coffin?"


    "or what if i collapsed the entire ten thousand corpses compound formation?"


    "just be done with it once and for all..."


    "cut off lu chengyun''s ambitions directly."


    "let his century''s worth of efforts go down the drain, his hard work turned to ash..."


    mo hua thought it over and then shook his head slightly.


    calculations would take time.


    laying out a reversed spirit formation also required time.


    lu chengyun, wary as he was, might not provide him such an opportunity.


    no...


    mo hua furrowed his brow and thought again.


    there was still a chance, as long as he was patient, an opening would eventually present itself.


    lu chengyun, as family head, had numerous affairs to attend to and could not possibly watch this place all the time.


    a moment''s negligence would give mo hua the opportunity to trigger the reversed spirit formation collapse¡ªthen with a "boom," lu chengyun''s century-long foundation would be destroyed...


    "but what if the collapse were to happen..." mo hua continued to ponder.


    "would the corpse mine collapse as well?"


    would he still be able to escape?


    so, should he set up the reversed spirit formation first, find a way to flee, and then use puppets to induce the formation collapse?


    but this was deep inside the mine.


    if a collapse occurred, it could potentially result in an unpredictable explosion and cave-in, possibly leading to a chain reaction. not just the corpse mine, but the entire mountain might be annihilated.


    by that time, not only will the ten thousand corpses compound formation collapse, but also the corpse mine will cave in, the corpse cultivators will die, and even the poor mining cultivators within nearby mines will lose their lives due to spiritual power shocks and mine collapses.


    evacuate the mining cultivators in advance?


    mo hua pondered for a moment and felt that it still wouldn''t work.


    the mines belonged to the lu family. evacuating the mining cultivators inside would certainly alarm the lu family.


    once the lu family became suspicious, action would not be so convenient.


    moreover, the power of the great formation''s dissolution was immense.


    but this was a compound formation, perhaps its power wasn''t as exaggerated as he thought.


    at most, it would collapse the formation of ten thousand corpses and destroy the bronze coffin.


    but once the bronze coffin was destroyed...


    the highest sequential formation pattern of the spiritual pivot formation would cease to function.


    would the other zombies lose control as a result?


    once the zombies lost control, they would instinctively crave flesh and blood, choosing people to devour. with their large numbers, they would cause a corpse tide, spread corpse poison, and all of south yue city would face catastrophe.


    mo hua himself could escape.


    even if he were infected with corpse poison, he had ways to deal with it.


    but what about those poor loose cultivators?


    if they couldn''t escape, they would become food for the zombies.


    even if they were just bitten and had no pills to cure them, the spread of the corpse poison and its erosion into their veins would cause them to undergo corpse transformation, becoming walking dead...


    mo hua tried to consider every aspect.


    it seemed that no matter what he thought or did, there would always be some oversight, making it very difficult to cover all bases. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    things were getting problematic...


    mo hua sighed.


    "what about tampering directly with the formation on the bronze coffin?"


    mo hua looked at the bronze coffin before him.


    he often observed this coffin during the day, and even when lu chengyun was drawing the spirit pivot evil formation, he would peek from the side.


    an outer coffin and an inner casket.


    lu chengyun''s formation was drawn on the inner bronze casket within the coffin.


    it wasn''t drawn directly on the bodies of the zombies.


    but what exactly was inside the bronze casket, and whether there were any zombies at all?


    if so, what level of zombie were they?


    walking corpses, iron corpses...


    logically, what should follow would be copper corpses, silver corpses, and golden corpses...


    bronze coffin... could it be a copper corpse inside?


    but judging from lu chengyun''s tone, it didn''t quite seem the case.


    if it were a copper corpse, it should be quite powerful, perhaps with the cultivation of foundation establishment late stage.


    could lu chengyun, who was only at the foundation establishment initial stage, suppress a refined copper corpse?


    if he couldn''t suppress it and still attempted refining, wouldn''t that be seeking death?


    those who are backfired by corpse refinement would definitely be devoured completely by the zombies, leaving no bones behind.


    lu chengyun was shrewd; he surely wouldn''t make such a foolish mistake...


    but if it wasn''t a copper corpse, then what type of corpse was it?


    after much deliberation, mo hua suddenly realized a fundamental question:


    he didn''t even know the differences between walking corpses, iron corpses, copper corpses, silver corpses, and golden corpses...


    aside from hearing these names from his elder martial sister, he had absolutely no understanding of corpse refinement!


    he was a complete layman.


    just like a cultivator who doesn''t understand formations pondering issues of formation based on experience.


    he was also just speculating on the categories of corpse refinement based on imagination.


    it''s very easy to assume things when a layman tries to consider an expert''s problems.


    is there a distinction in quality among refined corpses?


    are gold, silver, copper, and iron grades, or types?


    what are the effects and taboos of different corpses?


    he understood all of this vaguely...


    dealing with ordinary walking corpses and iron corpses, his superficial knowledge might suffice.


    but lu chengyun was clearly using a more "high-end" method of corpse refinement, and half-baked experience might not reveal anything...


    and so mo hua was concerned again.


    practice brings true knowledge.


    but he certainly couldn''t just learn corpse refinement and then refine corpses himself just to understand these things¡­


    mo hua thought about it and felt that it was impossible for him to actually refine corpses.


    but it might be necessary to steal some books on corpse refinement from corpse cultivators and read them when he had the time, to understand both himself and the enemy.


    the cultivation world is perilous.


    cultivators need to possess various kinds of knowledge to survive in the cultivation world.


    some things can be left undone, but not unknown.


    otherwise, once you face a "knowledge barrier," no matter how intelligent you are, it''s useless, and you might even outwit yourself, sealing your own fate, dying without knowing how you died.


    mo hua nodded slightly, then attempted to open the bronze coffin.


    the bronze coffin was divided into an outer coffin and an inner casket; inside the casket was corpse refinement.


    he would only open the coffin and not the casket; like lu chengyun, the risk should be minimal.


    but mo hua had not anticipated that he wouldn''t even be able to open the outer coffin.


    the entire bronze coffin seemed to be sealed shut.


    after several attempts, mo hua failed to open it and couldn''t tell whether the bronze coffin was sealed by a formation or locking mechanism.


    mo hua sighed.


    this trip yielded some gains, but they were less than he had hoped for.


    he had thoroughly studied the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    but as for what was offered on the altar or what was sealed in the bronze coffin, it was still unclear.


    "it seems... i need to think of another way..."


    mo hua''s gaze shifted slightly as he silently mused.

 Chapter 495: Corpse Studies (1)

    495 chapter 481 corpse studies_1mo hua stealthily slipped out of the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar.


    before leaving, he painstakingly checked over everything again to confirm he hadn''t left any traces that would be discovered by lu chengyun or zhang quan¡­


    the little zombie lay nicely in the coffin.


    big tiger remained well hidden within the hall.


    the formation of ten thousand corpses, the golden altar, the bronze coffin, there were no evident traces.


    mo hua relaxed his mind, then concealed his form and quietly departed.


    the next day, mo hua returned to following lu chengyun as if nothing had happened, entering the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar to finalize the formation eye of the ten thousand corpses compound formation.


    after entering the altar, mo hua observed closely and noticed that lu chengyun was as usual, seemingly unaware of anything, which secretly relieved him.


    lu chengyun was the family head, entangled in mundane affairs and beset with numerous issues.


    he had to secretly construct the formation of ten thousand corpses, control the progress of the formation''s setup, coordinate with corpse cultivators, and personally draw the corpse gate evil formation.


    indeed, he was very busy.


    and these days, being occupied with his own matters, he hardly paid any attention to mo hua anymore.


    it seemed as though mo hua had vanished from his view.


    sometimes when mo hua spoke to him, he would be lost in thought, paying little to no attention.


    mo hua appeared somewhat unhappy on the surface, feeling slighted, but inside he was overjoyed.


    he wished for nothing more than for lu chengyun to disregard him¡­


    besides lu chengyun, there was zhang quan.


    zhang quan hated him.


    but he was formation blind, not understanding formations, and his divine sense wasn''t strong.


    he was very easy to deceive.


    mo hua could be invisible right beside him, and he wouldn''t notice.


    as for formations, it went without saying¡ªmo hua could make mistakes right in front of him, mess them up, draw them in complete disarray and error-filled¡­


    he could even sketch a completely different formation, and with zhang quan''s knowledge of formations, he might not be able to detect any problems.


    mo hua shook his head slightly.


    really, one must read more books, learn more about tao cultivation knowledge.


    otherwise, you could be played for a fool without ever realizing...


    having gone unnoticed, mo hua felt at ease.


    in the days that followed, mo hua turned his attention to the corpse cultivators in the corpse mine.


    he wanted to know exactly what kind of corpse was sealed within the bronze coffin.


    but being an amateur with insufficient knowledge of corpse refinement, he found it difficult to determine.


    he could only start with those who were "experts" on the subject.


    these corpse cultivators were clearly the "experts."


    mo hua used a small trick and stole some books on corpse refinement from several corpse cultivators.


    for example: "basic necromancy method", "corpse blood cultivation method", "detailed explanation of corpse refinement", "general discussion on corpse refinement", "heavenly craft of necromancy", "origin and flow of the corpse gate", "corpse classification theory"¡­


    the categories were diverse, including cultivation techniques, general discussions, miscellaneous essays, historical records, anecdotes¡­


    mo hua''s eyes were opened wide.


    to think that these corpse cultivators could research so many aspects out of merely refining corpses.


    the cultivation world was truly vast and complex.


    mo hua took the time to start reading these corpse path books.


    but after just a few days, he felt uncomfortable in body and mind.


    the books were filled with bloody and strange content; the accompanying illustrations were cruel and ugly, nauseating to behold.


    mo hua felt somewhat helpless.


    "corpse refinement is really not something for normal people to study..."


    "which normal cultivator would be interested in corpse refinement?" sea??h th§× nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua couldn''t help shaking his head.


    but he still had to endure the disgust and continue reading.


    however, after reading quite a bit, he was still only halfway enlightened, with many parts being confusing and unclear to him.


    "it seems i lack talent in the art of corpse refinement..."


    mo hua accepted this fact with some resignation and a trace of relief.


    he skimmed over these books for an overview and no longer forced himself to study further. instead, he wrote down some of his questions, preparing to "consult" a corpse cultivator.


    this corpse cultivator needed to be honest, obedient, and somewhat dim-witted.


    otherwise, it wouldn''t be easy to get information out of him.


    mo hua "scouted" among the corpse cultivators in the corpse mine for several days and suddenly recognized a familiar face.


    a young member of the lu family with a somewhat harsh face, lu ming.


    mo hua''s expression shifted slightly.


    lu ming¡­


    he was the one who, when the disappearance of the five mining cultivators was first investigated, accompanied mo hua to the lu family mine to show the way, encountered horrific corpses, vomited until he was dizzy, and under mo hua''s "intimidation", divulged some of the lu family''s secrets¡ªthat lu family cultivator¡ªlu ming.


    lu ming had lost the arrogant demeanor he once had.


    his complexion, like other corpse cultivators'', was pale as paper, his expression lifeless and hollow with not a hint of vitality. he didn''t talk much, blindly following orders given by others and acting like a living walking corpse.


    mo hua observed lu ming for a few days.


    it seemed he''d only recently arrived and was a newcomer here, one of the lower-level corpse cultivators.


    he spent his days learning to refine corpses and performing menial tasks, obeying orders from others.


    at night, he would "lie down like a corpse" on his bed, his expression dull, not knowing what he was thinking about.


    lu ming was still quite approachable for questioning.


    mo hua had asked him several questions before.


    after nightfall, mo hua stealthily left his room and went to lu ming''s stone chamber, silently watching him.


    the stone chamber was quiet, with no one else around.


    lu ming lay on the bed with a numb expression that suddenly twisted into one of pain. he clasped his head with both hands, coiled up on the bed, and muttered to himself:


    "...why am i so unlucky?"


    "to think it''s corpse refinement¡­ i''m done for..."


    "i''ll never get married in this lifetime..."


    ¡­


    after wallowing in misery for a while, he then fiercely pounded the wall, complaining:


    "it''s all because of that brat!"


    "all his fault!"


    "his fault..."


    "what are you blaming me for?" mo hua asked aloud.


    in the silent stone chamber, a voice suddenly emerged, eerie and childlike.


    lu ming was scared out of his wits.


    he flurried about in a panic and sat up, only to see on the chair by the wall, a small figure gradually becoming visible.

 Chapter 496: Necroscience (2)

    496 chapter 481 necroscience_2"ah¡ª"


    lu ming''s shout was abruptly cut off as he quickly covered his mouth with both hands.


    the cry came to an abrupt halt and was not discovered by other corpse cultivators.


    mo hua picked up the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup of tea, sniffed it, found that it was of poor quality but devoid of blood or fishy smell, just regular tea, so she took a sip, smacked her lips, and then asked lu ming,


    "what are you blaming me for?"


    the voice was crisp and familiar.


    lu ming, with his nerves somewhat settled, looked closely and recognized that it was mo hua, then slowly relaxed.


    it was a person, a "familiar face", not a ghost, nor a corpse.


    lu ming leaned back against the wall, gasping for breath.


    seeing mo hua, lu ming was somewhat surprised, but not entirely unexpected.


    he had seen mo hua before in the corpse mine.


    any formation master who had real talent and skill would be wooed by the lu family.


    mo hua was no exception.


    but he still hadn''t anticipated that mo hua''s status could be so high, to the point of being able to enter the corpse mine, not be required to engage in corpse refinement, be treated extremely well, and even be able to chat and laugh freely with the lu family head.


    even many elders of the lu family did not enjoy such treatment.


    what he didn''t understand was why mo hua would sneak into his room unnoticed.


    lu ming wanted to ask, but didn''t dare.


    a cultivator who was favored and well-treated by the family head, no matter how young, was not someone he, once a mere disciple of the lu family and now a small corpse cultivator in the corpse mine, could question.


    he also didn''t dare not to answer the questions mo hua asked him.


    lu ming hesitated, then murmured,


    "if it weren''t for you... i wouldn''t have been... sent in here..."


    mo hua took another sip of tea, nodded, and understood.


    back in the mines, lu ming had told her some affairs of the lu family.


    even though he later reported this matter to the lu family head, his actions were still considered loose-lipped.


    thus, he was punished and sent to the corpse mine to become a corpse cultivator.


    lu ming wasn''t too bad as a person, but not too good either.


    he probably couldn''t accept something like corpse refinement, but he had no choice but to accept it due to his circumstances.


    so, he went about his days with a numb expression, like a walking corpse, only daring to vent some of his emotions when alone at night.


    mo hua thought for a moment, then suddenly asked,


    "how is your corpse refinement coming along?"


    lu ming was taken aback, not knowing why mo hua would ask such a question, but still reluctantly answered,


    "average..."


    "have you refined a corpse yet?"


    "not yet... i''ve only followed other corpse cultivators, learning some of the knowledge of corpse refinement..."


    mo hua''s eyes lit up slightly, "how well have you learned?"


    "alright..."


    lu ming said evasively.


    mo hua took out a small piece of paper, coughed, and said seriously,


    "then i shall test you."


    lu ming was startled, "why?"


    mo hua frowned, "i''m testing you to see if you have the desire to improve. if you learn well, i will speak well of you to the family head, and maybe get you promoted in the future."


    mo hua bluffed casually.


    lu ming was somewhat baffled by the trickery, but still asked,


    "why?"


    mo hua clicked her tongue, "we have met once before, and it''s because of me that you entered the mine and became a corpse cultivator..."


    "i wouldn''t care if i didn''t know, but now that i do, i naturally want to find a way to give you some benefits, to compensate you."


    "oh..."


    lu ming found it logical, yet it also seemed... illogical.


    a fleeting acquaintance, speaking well of him for no reason?


    lu ming was still somewhat puzzled. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he wanted to ask "why" again, but before he could, mo hua interrupted him.


    mo hua, with a stern face, said imperiously,


    "you answer when i ask, no need for so much idle talk!"


    lu ming, intimidated by mo hua''s demeanor, felt a bit guilty and slowly nodded.


    mo hua then began reading from the small piece of paper.


    the paper listed some corpse refinement "knowledge" he hadn''t understood, such as:


    "how are the grades of zombies classified?"


    "what is the relationship between grade and rank?"


    "what types of zombies are there, and what abilities do they possess?"


    and so on...


    lu ming, not understanding why, answered honestly,


    "the grade of zombies is divided into both grade and rank."


    "''grade'' refers to first, second, third, fourth grade, equivalent to cultivators at the levels of qi refinement, foundation establishment, golden core..."


    "''rank'' is the hierarchy of zombies, which is divided into ''golden'', ''silver'', ''bronze'', ''iron'', and the lowest, the walking corpse..."


    "there is a distinction between the grade and rank of zombies, they are related, yet independent of each other."


    "like with monster beasts and other categories, a zombie''s strength is based on its ''grade''."


    "first grade walking corpse, second grade walking corpse, third grade walking corpse... each possesses strength corresponding to the initial stages of major boundaries."


    "above the walking corpse is the iron corpse, and with each rank ascended, there is a qualitative change in the zombie''s abilities."


    "their flesh becomes harder, their corpse poison more potent, and they even possess some special corpse path abilities..."


    mo hua was still somewhat confused and didn''t understand very well, so he asked seriously,


    "give me an example to simply explain the relationship between a zombie''s grade and rank."


    lu ming felt as if he was being quizzed by an instructor. his heart tightened, and after pondering for a long time, he finally spoke,


    "a zombie''s hierarchy is based on ''grade'' as the foundation and ''rank'' as the level..."


    "a first grade zombie generally only has two ranks, walking corpse and iron corpse..."


    "a first grade walking corpse is just a basic qi refining zombie."


    "a first grade iron corpse, in terms of cultivation, should be comparable to the peak of the ninth level of qi refining, but with its copper head and iron arms, it can match some cultivators at the initial stage of foundation establishment."


    "second grade zombies start at least as walking corpses, typically are refined into iron corpses, but at most can become copper corpses..."


    "a second grade walking corpse has strength comparable to a first grade iron corpse. however, due to their rotting flesh, they are at a disadvantage in actual combat."


    "a second grade iron corpse is quite powerful, equivalent to the middle phase of foundation establishment, and can easily defeat first grade iron corpses from the initial phase of foundation establishment."


    "and a second grade copper corpse, with its thick corpse qi and body as sturdy as bronze and iron, is equivalent to the late stage of foundation establishment and is very strong."


    mo hua suddenly understood.


    he had previously thought that all iron corpses were the same, all possessing foundation establishment strength.


    but iron corpses are also divided by grade.


    a first grade iron corpse is only comparable to foundation establishment.


    a second grade iron corpse is at the middle stage of foundation establishment, stronger than the strength of cultivators at the initial stage of foundation establishment.


    seen this way, the iron corpses in the corpse mine cannot be generalized.


    the two tall iron corpses guarding the door must be second grade iron corpses.


    the rest of the iron corpses are a mix of first and second grade.


    the overall strength of the zombies under lu chengyun''s command is much stronger than mo hua had imagined...


    mo hua frowned.


    he glanced at lu ming, then said, "continue."


    lu ming nodded, "furthermore, there''s third grade, but we haven''t been able to refine them, so the records aren''t very detailed..."


    "third grade zombies start at walking corpse at a minimum, but at most can be refined into golden corpses."


    "above fourth grade, the minimum is still walking corpse, and it''s said it might even be possible to refine a real celestial god zombie..."


    ...


    lu ming explained in detail to mo hua.


    mo hua roughly understood.


    all zombies are based on ''grade''."


    the zombies that are refined all start at walking corpse, but their limits differ.


    the higher the ''grade,'' the higher the ''rank'' limit becomes."


    for first grade, the limit is iron corpse, second grade limit is copper corpse, and third grade limit is golden corpse...


    the corpse refinement methods in the corpse mine, derived from the zhang family and passed down for hundreds of years, should be more or less accurate even if there were some discrepancies.


    so, what kind of corpse lies within that bronze coffin?


    a copper corpse, comparable to the late stage of foundation establishment?


    foundation establishment middle phase is one thing, but a zombie of the late foundation establishment phase, even if refined, couldn''t be controlled by lu chengyun.


    this does not quite fit with mo hua''s previous speculation.


    "are there any special kinds of zombies?" mo hua asked again.


    mo hua remembered that both "origin and flow of the corpse gate" and "corpse classification theory" mentioned some specially functioning zombies, which although categorized by ''grade,'' do not fall within the usual ''rank'' categories.


    "there are."


    lu ming nodded seriously,


    "there are some special zombies with unique functions, their use is specific, and their strength is not ranked by ''gold, silver, bronze, iron''."


    "for example, a puppet corpse is essentially a flesh and blood puppet, not human, not considered a corpse, but a puppet made of materials similar to wood or stone."


    "there are also companion corpses..."


    "turning people into human puppets, retaining the appearance, skin, and figure, soaked in the spirit water of flowers and plants, with no foul smell, skin cold yet tender as if alive."


    "many cultivators would pay a high price for them."


    "and there are also burial figurine corpses..."


    "killing a person and refining them into a burial figurine zombie."


    "these types of zombies are typically used for accompanying burials."


    "not only the demon path, but in the past the righteous dao also made use of them."


    "thousands of years ago, some sect leaders or supreme elders from the great sects or clans would ''grant death'' to some close cultivators upon their own death, refining them into burial figurine corpses for the purpose of accompaniment."


    "however, such acts are not very humane and have been gradually phased out by the taoist court over the past thousands of years..."


    ...


    mo hua listened with a frown.


    human puppet-like companion corpses?


    burial figurine corpses used for accompanying burials?


    when cultivators become twisted, they truly become horrifying...

 Chapter 497: Corpse King (1)

    the intricacies of corpse refinement are so plentiful...it seems that outsiders see the excitement, while insiders know the manifold ways.


    mo hua''s thoughts stirred slightly, and he spoke again in a deep voice,


    "then let me test you once more, suppose... i refined a corpse that can be used to command a multitude of zombies, what should this type of ''corpse'' be called?"


    "to command a multitude of zombies..."


    lu ming furrowed his brows, thought for a while, and then said with some uncertainty, "i can''t quite remember..."


    mo hua said, "it''s an open book exam; you can consult the texts."


    lu ming was somewhat bewildered, "open book?"


    "mhm." mo hua nodded, with a demeanor that showed he was lenient, not wanting to trouble you if you couldn''t answer, and would even let you look it up in a book.


    lu ming felt a little touched.


    he immediately took out several books on corpse refinement from his storage bag, searched through them a few times, and then hesitantly said,


    "there are... a few kinds..."


    "there is one called ''corpse bell'', which involves embedding a corpse controlling bell within the zombie''s body to control other zombies..."


    "there''s one called ''lantern corpse'', where the corpse is used as a lantern, burning ointment to lead the way..."


    "and there is one, called ''corpse king''..." s§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "corpse king?"


    mo hua''s expression showed a trace of surprise.


    lu ming, somewhat unsure of himself, asked, "is there something wrong?"


    "right," mo hua nodded, "it is the corpse king, you''ve answered correctly."


    if it can command thousands of zombies, then what lu chengyun refined must be none other than a corpse king...


    corpse king...


    mo hua pondered for a moment, then asked,


    "let me test you once more, how is this corpse king refined, and what effects does it have once created?"


    lu ming flipped through the books and then said,


    "it seems to be more complicated than the normal corpse refinement..."


    "the corpse selected for refining a corpse king has to be particular; ordinary ones won''t do."


    "the multitude of zombies it commands should ideally have subjugated to it in life, under its control..."


    "this way, after death, when turned into zombies, the residual instinct to submit makes them easier to control by the ''corpse king''..."


    "the chances of controlled zombies going rogue or rebelling are thus much reduced."


    after pondering, lu ming gave an example,


    "in the past, a powerful corpse cultivator obliterated a sect, refined the sect leader into a corpse king, then turned the sect disciples into zombies."


    "as a result, these ''disciple'' zombies were naturally under the control of the ''sect leader'' corpse king..."


    "there are also records stating that small nations in the southern barbarian land were slaughtered by demon cultivators..."


    "the monarch was killed and turned into a ''corpse king'', and the people of the nation were massacred and then transformed into zombies, thus turning the entire nation into a corpse kingdom..."


    mo hua''s face remained unchanged, but inwardly he couldn''t help but sigh.


    an entire sect, even a whole nation of cultivators...


    all had parents and kin, yet met with a terrible fate, not even finding peace in death.


    demon practitioners indeed wrought much slaughter.


    in their selfish and unscrupulous practice of cultivation, nothing was off-limits...


    lu ming continued,


    "this type of monarch has the right qualifications to become a ''corpse king'', an excellent corpse prototype for refining a corpse king."


    "but such means are the methods of powerful practitioners of the demon path; ordinary corpse cultivators with their crude methods of corpse refinement couldn''t possibly do it..."


    ...


    mo hua asked some more details, and lu ming answered them one by one.


    pleased, mo hua nodded approvingly and praised,


    "you have studied diligently; this puts my mind at ease. tomorrow, in front of lu family head, i will speak well of you, promote you, so that your corpse path prospers and you stand out from the crowd..."


    "don''t disappoint my expectations..."


    as mo hua thought about instructor yan''s manner, he put on a look of ''earnest instruction'' on his face.


    but lu ming wore a troubled look, hesitating to speak.


    mo hua spoke displeasedly, "what? you''re still not satisfied?"


    "i... i..." lu ming stammered, not daring to say it.


    after an internal struggle, he finally pleaded earnestly, "gentleman, could you perhaps... speak to lu family head and let me out?"


    "what do you mean?" mo hua asked in a grave voice.


    "i..." lu ming replied with a bitter smile, "i don''t want to become a corpse cultivator..."


    mo hua deliberately frowned, "how can you be so ungrateful?"


    lu ming grew anxious and quickly waved his hands,


    "i wouldn''t dare..."


    mo hua ''hmphed'', "lu family head treats you so well, providing you with opportunities to become a corpse cultivator, to learn corpse refinement. this is your blessing, as well as your chance as a disciple of the lu family to contribute your efforts to the family. yet you don''t know how to cherish it?"


    lu ming felt like crying without tears:


    "once i become a corpse cultivator and enter the demon path, my whole life is over..."


    he wouldn''t be able to find a partner, fulfill filial duties.


    no matter how high his cultivation, he could only hide in the shadows, deal with corpses all day, and would be hunted by the taoist court, shunned by society, and who knows, one day he might be exposed and then "eliminated in the name of justice."


    thinking of this, lu ming regretted so much that his gut turned green.


    mo hua nodded slightly.


    this lu ming, although a bit slow, still had some sense.


    pretending to be hesitant, after much contemplation, mo hua slowly exhaled a sigh,


    "alright, meeting you is also a kind of fate. if you''re unwilling to be a corpse cultivator, i won''t make it difficult for you."


    "but it''s probably impossible to persuade the family head to let you leave..."


    "once you''re out, you''ll surely leak the secrets of this corpse mine."


    "just stay here peacefully..."


    lu ming''s face was ashen.


    without escaping, sooner or later, he would end up refining corpses.


    if he succeeded, he would be inseparable from the zombies.


    should he fail, the zombies might lose control and devour him¡ªit was entirely possible.


    it was over...


    a chilling sense of dread filled lu ming''s heart.


    suddenly, he glanced at mo hua, who appeared calm and collected despite his young age. even amidst the dread of the corpse mines, he seemed utterly composed, stirring a glimmer of hope in lu ming''s otherwise bleak heart.


    he quickly got up and kowtowed to mo hua, saying,


    "i beg young master to save me!"


    mo hua was slightly taken aback, then asked in confusion,


    "why should i save you?"


    mo hua leisurely took a sip of tea before continuing,


    "promoting you is but a trivial matter, a mere word for me. i could mention it offhand and owe a favor, which is no big deal."


    "but saving you is much more troublesome, and i might even offend the lu family head."


    "what''s in it for me?"


    mo hua''s words left lu ming speechless.


    lu ming was somewhat dazed.


    indeed, with no blood or affection between them and a rather shallow relationship, why would this young gentleman save him?


    what did he have?


    he didn''t have many spirit stones, he wasn''t a young maiden in her twenties, his cultivation wasn''t high, his talent wasn''t great, and even if killed for corpse refinement, he wouldn''t make for a high-quality zombie...


    a chill went down lu ming''s spine, and he didn''t even realize it.


    on ordinary days, he might occasionally bully others on account of his position, feeling good about himself, but he hadn''t expected that when a real problem arose, he would turn out to be so worthless...


    without any means, without any capability at all.


    mo hua added, "if you can offer something beneficial, i''ll consider, just consider, whether to save you or not."


    a bitterness enveloped lu ming''s heart.


    what could he offer?


    this young gentleman was of no ordinary status, with unfathomable means.


    what benefit could catch such a young master''s eye?


    but with his life at stake, he was unwilling to give up and, holding onto a thread of hope, said,


    "i am willing to pledge my life in service of young master, to climb mountains of swords and descend into seas of flames if that''s what it takes!"


    mo hua''s eyes brightened.


    he had been waiting for those words.


    first, mo hua expressed his disdain, "you, with your low cultivation and status, who is neither proficient in taoist skill nor corpse refinement, a mere disciple of the lu family, would be of little use to me, even if you served me."


    these words struck lu ming with such embarrassment he couldn''t lift his head.


    mo hua feigned contemplation, then sighed,


    "however, who can blame me for being young with a kind heart? i''ll test you. do a small favor for me, and if you succeed, i''ll save you once."


    as if revived from a dead end, lu ming''s expression lit up with immense joy, and he hastily said,


    "please, young master, give your commands!"


    "help me inquire about the lu family old ancestor and the affairs of the lu family head..."


    lu ming was taken aback, "what about them?"


    mo hua''s large eyes shifted, and he whispered,


    "help me inquire about the lu family old ancestor and the affairs of the lu family head..."


    lu ming was taken aback, "what about them?"


    "anything will do," mo hua said. "gossip, anecdotes, rumors... whether substantiated or hearsay, gather them stealthily and report them back to me..."


    lu ming felt doubtful and a bit frightened as he quietly asked,


    "why, why do you want to know these things?"


    mo hua''s face stiffened, solemnly responding,


    "i want to confirm whether the lu family head is a bad person or not..."


    lu ming gaped, "bad... a bad person?"


    "yes!" proclaimed mo hua, "in this world, the worse a person is, the more they can achieve."


    "now that i''m working for him, naturally the worse he is, the better."


    "the more wicked he is, the more he disregards kinship, shameless, thick-skinned, and unscrupulous; the greater his chances of success..."


    lu ming was bewildered.


    for a moment, he wasn''t sure whether the young gentleman was praising or cursing the family head...


    "do you understand?" mo hua asked lu ming.


    lu ming feigned understanding and nodded.


    "good, go ahead and do it," mo hua nodded, "but be discreet, do not get exposed, and remember, this matter has nothing to do with me. i am just a kind-hearted, innocent person who wants to help you escape suffering."


    lu ming nodded, "yes, young master!"


    afterward, he went to gather information.


    when mo hua had time, he would also release his divine sense to keep an eye on what lu ming was doing.


    lu ming wasn''t very bright, and mo hua feared he might botch the task.


    fortunately, although he was inquiring, he wasn''t overly deliberate.


    sometimes he just needed to start a conversation, letting other corpse cultivators chat among themselves while he eavesdropped.


    being of low status himself, a recognized lu family disciple, no one suspected him; in fact, nobody even cared about him.


    a few days later, lu ming reported back to mo hua with the information he had gathered.


    he had news about the lu family, the lu family old ancestor, and also about lu chengyun...


    the matters involving the lu family old ancestor were more or less the same as those mo hua had heard from qinglan.


    harsh, greedy, extravagant, and unpredictably temperamental.


    not only did he exploit the mining cultivators harshly, but he was also especially cruel to his own disciples, frequently resorting to beating and berating them while living lavishly and treating others stingily.


    aptly resembling his nickname "capitalist lu."


    indeed, there are only mistaken names, not mistaken nicknames.


    and from lu ming''s words, mo hua learned some rumors concerning the relationship between lu chengyun and the lu family old ancestor...

 Chapter 498: Beast (1)

    lu ming began by talking about the lu family old ancestor.though he was a disciple of the lu family, he was quite peripheral, young, and inexperienced. these deep secrets he neither inquired about nor knew of, and as he spoke about them now, he found it somewhat difficult to begin:


    "to say this is a bit disrespectful, but... the old ancestor¡¯s behavior was extravagant and, well, somewhat... lecherous..."


    mo hua was aware of this.


    many brothels on jinhua street were built by "capitalist lu" purely for his indulgence and pleasure.


    but there were things even mo hua didn¡¯t know...


    lu ming whispered, "it¡¯s said... the old ancestor... he didn¡¯t even spare the women of his own family..."


    mo hua was taken aback, "women of the family? the lu family?"


    lu ming nodded somewhat ashamedly.


    "and then?"


    lu ming found it hard to continue and hesitated for a while before he lowered his voice and said:


    "it¡¯s rumored that in the lu family, any female disciple who was beautiful, whether from the main line or a side branch, married or not, would be... tainted by the old ancestor..."


    mo hua¡¯s eyelids twitched in reaction.


    how could someone do such things?


    he shouldn¡¯t be called "capitalist lu," but rather "beast lu"...


    "of course, these are just rumors... not necessarily the truth."


    lu ming tried to defend his old ancestor¡¯s reputation, though he didn¡¯t sound very confident:


    "the old ancestor was a harsh man, others held grudges against him, and might spread false, unspeakable rumors out of resentment..."


    yet mo hua felt that there was a high likelihood these rumors were true.


    there is no smoke without fire.


    flies don¡¯t land on an egg without cracks.


    clearly, the lu family old ancestor was that cracked, smelly egg that the flies were attracted to.


    "and then?"


    mo hua asked again.


    he wanted to know what exactly was the relationship between the lu family old ancestor and lu chengyun that would make him go against all objections and promote lu chengyun, a son-in-law who had married into the family, to the position of family head.


    lu ming said, "this matter has to start with miss zhu."


    "miss zhu?"


    "lu zhu, she is the old ancestor¡¯s great-granddaughter from the main line," explained lu ming, "the old ancestor dotes on this great-granddaughter immensely."


    lu ming then whispered:


    "it¡¯s said that miss zhu isn¡¯t actually the old ancestor¡¯s great-granddaughter, but his biological daughter..."


    mo hua¡¯s face crumpled with an expression of "this is too disgusting to see."


    this was simply too beastly...


    lu ming too felt embarrassed and retorted weakly:


    "of course, this is also just a rumor..." s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "what happened after that?" mo hua asked, suddenly wondering, "this miss zhu, she isn¡¯t lu chengyun¡¯s partner in tao cultivation, is she..."


    lu ming nodded, "yes, she is."


    "not only that," lu ming said in a shocked tone, "the family head... is actually a son-in-law who married into the family."


    it was incredible that their prestigious lu family, with such a strong hold over south yue city, had a son-in-law as the family head.


    lu ming still found it hard to believe to this day.


    if he hadn¡¯t been in the corpse mine, associating with shady people and hearing about things that were not to be seen in the light of day, he would still be unaware.


    mo hua nodded slightly, his expression not showing any surprise.


    lu ming exclaimed in astonishment, "gentleman, did you already know this?"


    mo hua remained indifferent and noncommittal, simply saying:


    "go on."


    lu ming looked at mo hua, whose unfathomable depths seemed even more profound.


    he knew about such secret affairs...


    lu ming paused, then resumed his "it is said" tone:


    "it¡¯s said... miss zhu happened to meet the family head outside of south yue city one day and fell for him at first sight."


    "traveling together, chatting joyfully and agreeing on so much, miss zhu then did everything she could to make the family head marry into the family and become her husband..."


    mo hua shook his head.


    this story was both melodramatic and clich¨¦.


    he¡¯d heard it countless times when listening to storytellers in tongxian city.


    rapists often used this trick to deceive women.


    and profligate playboys who lured respectable women also used this method.


    yet, it was a highly effective tactic, almost always successful in ensnaring its target.


    lu chengyun, with his seemingly gentle and carefree demeanor, turned out to be a "pretty boy" who rose to power by latching onto a woman.


    he must have spent a lot of effort in seducing miss lu.


    the timing, location, the words spoken, even every gesture, were probably meticulously planned out and rehearsed by him...


    lu chengyun¡¯s image plummeted in mo hua¡¯s mind.


    lu ming continued, "miss zhu conveyed her feelings to the old ancestor."


    "the old ancestor didn¡¯t agree, feeling that though the family head was handsome, he had unsavory intentions and wasn¡¯t a suitable husband."


    "spoiled by the old ancestor¡¯s indulgence, miss zhu had a willful personality; she had to obtain whatever she wanted and thus relentlessly pressured the old ancestor until he consented to have the family head marry in."


    "refusing to eat, taking poison pills, cutting off her own meridians... she used all sorts of unbearable methods..."


    "left with no choice, the old ancestor had to agree, unable to withstand miss zhu¡¯s persistence."


    "after the family head married in, he took the surname lu, and the old ancestor even gave him a name, calling him lu chengyun."


    lu chengyun...


    mo hua stroked his chin thoughtfully.


    was the lu family old ancestor mocking him?


    this name seemed to have positive connotations: riding the clouds to ascend, gracefully reaching the realm of immortals, the pursuit and hope of one on the path of tao cultivation.


    but given lu chengyun¡¯s circumstances, it took on a different nuance.


    lu chengyun, being a son-in-law, did the term "riding clouds" imply that he had climbed up in life by clinging onto the lu family?


    in his bones, the lu family old ancestor probably still despised lu chengyun, using this name to remind him to never forget the fact that he became a son-in-law, dependent on the lu family...


    one harboring ill intentions, and the other being sarcastic.


    these two truly were cut from the same cloth.


    mo hua asked further, "how many people in the lu family know about this?"


    lu ming shook his head, "very few. i had been in the lu family for so long before i entered the corpse mine, and i had never heard even a whisper of it..."

 Chapter 499: Beast (2)

    mo hua mused, "it seems they found a way to silence the matter...""yes," lu ming nodded. "it was miss zhu..."


    "miss zhu doesn¡¯t allow anyone to mention the matter of the family head marrying into the clan."


    "those in the know have all been silenced, forbidden to speak of it to outsiders. the personal maids and attendants have all been replaced as well."


    "to outsiders, they only say that the family head is from a collateral branch of the lu family, whose parents died early, but who has great talent, which is why the old ancestor had him marry miss zhu."


    mo hua expressed his doubts: "is it permissible to marry within the clan if they share the same surname?"


    lu ming nodded, "within the same clan but different branches, beyond three generations, the blood relation is diluted. after verifying the family tree, marriage is possible."


    mo hua slowly nodded, then asked:


    "how did lu chengyun, a man who married into the family, become the family head?"


    "because of the mines."


    mo hua¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, "the mines..."


    lu ming said, "miss zhu is wholeheartedly devoted to the family head. with her support, the family head quickly gained some actual power and began to manage some mines..."


    "at first, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference, but after a while, the profit from the mines managed by the family head was nearly one-tenth more than the other mines of the lu family..."


    one-tenth more...


    mo hua¡¯s gaze turned icy.


    for no reason at all, how could someone make one-tenth more than the others?


    mo hua thought of the zombies in the mines.


    initially, he only suspected, but now he was almost certain.


    lu chengyun practiced corpse refinement indeed for mining!


    it¡¯s likely that from the moment he was in charge of the mines, lu chengyun secretly refined zombies and used them to mine...


    others used the living for mining.


    lu chengyun would use the living to mine by day and the "dead" by night, which naturally yielded higher profits for the mines.


    he also used this to gradually gain actual power within the clan.


    to the clan, profit was the most tangible thing.


    if lu chengyun could use zombies for mining and double the mine¡¯s profits, even the lu family old ancestor must have looked at him with new respect.


    as for the means used by lu chengyun.


    given the character of the lu family old ancestor, even if he knew, he may not care.


    "so, lu chengyun became the family head because of the high profit from the mines?"


    lu ming nodded slightly, "it seems so."


    "it seems so?"


    mo hua¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, noticing that lu ming hesitated to continue, and said:


    "is there something else you want to say?"


    lu ming hesitated somewhat, his brow furrowed, and he slowly said:


    "i also heard a rumor..."


    mo hua nodded, signaling him to go on.


    lu ming said, "it is said that the old ancestor¡­ indulged in excesses, depleted his vitality, damaged his foundation, and then was mortally wounded by a sneak attack from an enemy."


    "before his death, the old ancestor wanted to decide on the next family head."


    "at first, the clan proposed, and the family head decided by the old ancestor was actually not lu¡­"


    lu ming felt it disrespectful to directly call the family head by name, but seeing that mo hua showed little reverence for lu chengyun, he braced himself and continued:


    "¡­it was not lu chengyun, but rather... elder an from within the clan."


    "elder an was in the initial stage of foundation establishment, not yet 150 years old, young and strong, with sufficient experience, acted in a steady manner, and held high prestige. everyone unanimously thought that elder an would become the family head."


    "but unexpectedly, something happened, and right before his death, the old ancestor suddenly changed his mind."


    "he stubbornly insisted on making lu chengyun the family head, and no one¡¯s opposition mattered."


    mo hua frowned.


    did lu ming strike some deal with the lu family old ancestor?


    what kind of deal could there be right before death?


    given capitalist lu¡¯s selfish and profit-driven nature, this deal should not involve the interests of the lu family but be concerned only with his own benefits.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze turned cold.


    he thought of the bizarre thing on the golden altar, covered with yellow cloth and offered spiritual meat by an incense burner, which looked like a mix of human, demon, and zombie...


    a chill began to creep into mo hua¡¯s heart.


    "what about that elder an?" mo hua asked again.


    "gone missing..."


    "dead, or just missing?"


    lu ming shook his head, "i¡¯ve only heard that he went missing. it¡¯s said that after lu chengyun became the family head, elder an, feeling marginalized and dissatisfied, never returned from an errand he went out on."


    "some also speculate that the family head killed elder an."


    "but with no evidence, the matter just faded away¡­"


    mo hua nodded.


    so, this elder an must have died.


    lu chengyun, seemingly gentle, was actually vengeful, and would undoubtedly eliminate any threat, killing elder an.


    he would likely not just kill him but also use his body for corpse refinement.


    within those iron coffins of the formation of ten thousand corpses, the remains of elder an are probably placed.


    that was it.


    that was all the information lu ming had gathered.


    the rest were just minor, insignificant details, unrelated to the whole situation.


    mo hua took out a blanket and handed it to lu ming:


    "i¡¯m honoring our agreement, i¡¯m saving your life."


    "but don¡¯t even think about escaping anytime soon. you won¡¯t get far, and you¡¯d better stay put for a while."


    "this blanket has a formation on it that can conceal your presence."


    "should anything unexpected happen within these corpse mines, find a corner, cover yourself with this blanket, and stay put."


    "after the storm passes, look for your chance to slip away."


    "survival will be up to your own fortune."


    "this is as much as i can help you with."


    lu ming clutched the blanket, feeling nervous, and couldn¡¯t help asking, "what... what kind of unexpected event?"


    "don¡¯t ask; knowing too much could cost you your life."


    lu ming shuddered with fear and expressed his concern:


    "but is this blanket truly useful?"


    "the formation on it is my work; of course, it¡¯s useful."


    mo hua responded confidently.


    looking at mo hua¡¯s small face, lu ming felt inexplicably reassured.


    mo hua reminded him again:


    "forget about learning corpse refinement, and don¡¯t go refining any either. if you happen to kill someone and refine a zombie and fall into demonhood, i won¡¯t be able to save you. it¡¯s possible that one day, out of necessity, i might even have to slaughter you¡­"


    lu ming nodded repeatedly.


    after leaving lu ming, mo hua made another trip to the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar.


    it was deep into the night now, and no one was at the altar.


    mo hua still controlled big tiger, opened the doors of the hall, and used the small zombie to open the door of the mural, arriving before the golden sacrificial altar.


    this altar was glittering with gold, extravagantly luxurious.


    mo hua had not paid attention before.


    now that he thought about it, all these things were very much in line with the tastes of the lu family old ancestor.


    could it be that¡­the one enshrined upon this altar was none other than the lu family old ancestor?


    and the cruel and ferocious half-human, half-corpse face on the mural, could it also be him, "capitalist lu"? s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    it¡¯s a good thing i didn¡¯t lift the yellow cloth.


    otherwise, there might indeed be danger.


    but without lifting it, how can i confirm my guess?


    mo hua was in a quandary.


    at that moment, there was a disturbance at the mural by the entrance.


    mo hua¡¯s heart tightened, "someone¡¯s coming?"


    who would visit the altar at this time?


    zhang quan or lu chengyun?


    mo hua made the small zombie lie honestly in the coffin, then, with divine sense scanning the surroundings, finding no trace of anyone, he concealed his form and reduced his breath to the bare minimum, stealthily hiding behind the altar.


    soon, the ink on the mural began to ripple, forming an entrance.


    a cultivator clad in brocade robes, with a gentle face, walked in.


    it was indeed lu chengyun.

 Chapter 500: The Ungrateful Wolf (1)

    lu chengyun walked into the altar and opened the bronze coffin to start drawing the formation.as the family head, lu chengyun was busy on normal days. if something came up during the day and he got delayed, he would return to the altar at night to draw the spirit pivot blood formation.


    mo hua, seeing that he hadn¡¯t been discovered, let out a slight sigh of relief.


    it seemed that lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense was indeed weaker than his own. without vigilance, he easily failed to see through his concealment.


    however, he couldn¡¯t afford to be careless and give himself away.


    otherwise, should lu chengyun discover him sneaking into the altar in the dead of night, no amount of explanations would make him trust him again.


    he would likely kill him and refine him into a small zombie.


    mo hua conscientiously hid behind the altar.


    lu chengyun was still drawing the formation.


    he couldn¡¯t possibly imagine that at this moment, another person was in the altar.


    in the silent altar, there was only the extremely faint sound of the brush wet with ink and the rustling of strokes.


    once lu chengyun began drawing formation, he would be completely engrossed.


    mo hua used his peripheral vision to sneak a peek at him.


    lu chengyun didn¡¯t notice.


    mo hua nodded slightly.


    the spiritual pivot formation was very difficult to draw.


    drawing the spiritual pivot formation required intense concentration, a large consumption of divine sense, and all thoughts to be focused on the formation patterns, so he wouldn¡¯t get distracted by anything else.


    but mo hua didn¡¯t dare to be too brazen. he simply gathered his spirit and focused his mind without any emotion, devoid of murderous intent or any miscellaneous thoughts, using a vacant and tranquil gaze to secretly watch lu chengyun drawing the formation.


    with divine sense that was empty and clear, he was less likely to be detected.


    the formation lu chengyun was drawing, although also an evil formation of the spiritual pivot, differed from his daytime techniques.


    lu chengyun was suspicious by nature.


    despite thinking mo hua couldn¡¯t understand or learn it, when drawing the spiritual pivot formation in front of mo hua, he still held back.


    he included some unnecessary formation patterns and altered the structure of the formation pivot.


    certain sinister techniques also had differences in the details.


    mo hua suddenly understood.


    previously, when he watched lu chengyun drawing the formation and noticed oddities in the patterns, he thought lu chengyun had made a mistake, or that the methods of the evil formation were different from the standard ones.


    only now did he realize.


    lu chengyun had been misleading him all along.


    "truly cunning..."


    what lu chengyun didn¡¯t know was that mo hua had already learned most of the spiritual pivot formation beforehand.


    later, when lu chengyun demonstrated the spirit pivot formation chart in front of mo hua, in just those few moments, mo hua had memorized the remaining parts of the spiritual pivot formation.


    he didn¡¯t need to watch him draw, because mo hua had already learned it.


    mo hua watching him draw the formation was purely to learn and improve, to check for any oversights and see if he left any back doors, not because he actually wanted to learn from him.


    lu chengyun¡¯s petty tricks were like casting flirtatious glances at the blind¡ªa completely futile effort.


    mo hua furrowed his brows again.


    lu chengyun¡¯s carefulness was a wake-up call for him.


    the soul pivot ultimate formation was lu chengyun¡¯s core secret.


    he planned to use the spiritual pivot formation to control the corpse king and command the horde of zombies.


    the spiritual pivot formation was his lifeline.


    he would never teach it to anyone, including mo hua.


    promises of teaching him the spiritual pivot formation were nothing but empty words.


    mo hua felt a chill in his heart. s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    up to now, lu chengyun probably believed that in the entire minor wilderness state boundary, he was the only one who knew the spiritual pivot formation.


    the complete set of spiritual pivot sequences could also only be understood by him alone.


    he was the king among kings, controlling the corpse king.


    therefore, the fact that mo hua had learned the spiritual pivot formation could absolutely not be known by lu chengyun.


    once he found out that mo hua had mastered the spiritual pivot formation and could destabilize his control over the iron corpses and walking corpses by altering the sequential formation pattern,


    he would definitely kill him!


    under no circumstances would he spare his life.


    no matter how talented he was or how useful to him¡ªnone of it would matter.


    "even if i were his father, i guess it wouldn¡¯t matter¡ªhe would still find a way to kill me..."


    mo hua silently mused.


    someone who could kill his master and ancestors and refine corpses certainly couldn¡¯t be expected to have any conscience...


    mo hua took the opportunity to observe lu chengyun¡¯s technique in drawing the formation again.


    at this moment, there were no outsiders in the altar, and lu chengyun no longer kept secrets; he devoted himself fully to drawing the evil formation of the spiritual pivot.


    he was still using a bone pen, dipped in human blood, to draw on the bronze sarcophagus.


    his eyes shone with a green light, as if he was using some sinister type of divine sense.


    thanks to this, lu chengyun was drawing skillfully, and the speed was not slow either.


    mo hua was somewhat surprised.


    indeed, the techniques of the evil formation were useful.


    a formation master who couldn¡¯t realize it fully on his own, unable to complete the formation patterns, would use some unconventional means to help himself draw the formation.


    human skin, human blood, human bones, and so on.


    cultivators are naturally attuned to spiritual power.


    using human materials for drawing, serving as a medium for the formation, could reduce the difficulty of drawing the formation and increase its power.


    but these were merely methods to lower the threshold.


    simply put, it was cheating.


    mo hua nodded to himself.


    this lu chengyun, in terms of formation skills, was still not as good as himself.


    after all, he, mo hua, had drawn the spirit pivot formation earnestly without cheating!


    "it seems that i am still very impressive..."


    mo hua felt a smidgen of self-satisfaction in his heart.


    lu chengyun was still working on the drawing formation.


    from the corner of his eye, mo hua continued to stealthily watch him.


    as he watched, mo hua began to ponder another question with a hint of confusion:


    how exactly did lu chengyun refine the corpse king?


    if the offering on the altar was the corpse of the lu family old ancestor, "capitalist lu," then what was sealed within this bronze sarcophagus?


    lu chengyun was drawing the spiritual pivot evil formation on the bronze sarcophagus.


    over and over again.


    it must be that during the corpse refinement, he was deepening the formation continuously.


    but with the corpse laid on top, where was the formation he was intensifying on the coffin applied?


    or could it be that the corpse king was somewhat special?


    was this a unique method of corpse refinement?


    as mo hua was contemplating, lu chengyun had finished a formation, his divine sense exhausted, and he took a break.


    in the empty altar space, lu chengyun meditated to recover, and after just a short while, he suddenly furrowed his brows, abruptly opening his eyes with a piercing look, and coldly said:


    "are you watching me again?"


    mo hua jumped in fright.


    "was i discovered?"


    lu chengyun abruptly turned his head, his gaze icy cold, locking onto the altar.


    mo hua curled up his small body, calming his mind, concealing his breath, and remained silent.


    at the same time, lu chengyun slowly got up, walked to the altar, and with a sneer said:


    "you just won¡¯t rest in peace, will you?"


    mo hua was momentarily stunned.


    won¡¯t rest in peace? he¡¯s not talking about me?


    that is to say, lu chengyun hadn¡¯t discovered him¡­


    mo hua slowly exhaled in relief.


    "watching me again¡­ won¡¯t rest in peace¡­ the altar¡­"


    mo hua instantly understood.


    lu chengyun thought the lu family old ancestor was watching him!


    the one offered upon the altar was indeed the lu family old ancestor, and this old ancestor, having been duped by lu chengyun, indeed died with his eyes unshut.


    "old undying thing!"


    in the midst of the altar, where there was no one else, lu chengyun ripped away his cultured and genteel facade and suddenly became fierce and hysterical.


    "greedy fool!"


    "old beast!"


    "you looked down on me because of my marital entry into the family?"


    "you belittled me!"


    "in front of all the elders, you cursed me as a dog raised by the lu family, an ungrateful cur¡­"


    lu chengyun¡¯s face revealed a sneer, "but the spirit stones i mined with corpse refinement, you still took them, didn¡¯t you?"


    "the ¡¯dead meat¡¯ fetched by this hound of yours, you old beast, you still ate it, didn¡¯t you?"


    "never content in your greed¡­"


    "even as your death approached, when i deceived you, saying you could attain transcendence through corpse transformation, living a thousand years, you actually believed it?"


    "the heavenly dao is constant, there are limits to life and death, how could they be so easily deceived?"


    "thinking you could become immortal as a zombie? dream on!"


    after cursing a good deal and venting his emotions, lu chengyun then laughed coldly and darkly.


    "come to think of it, i should thank you."


    "thank you for incestuously birthing that bad and stupid daughter."


    "thank you for your greed, which allowed me to become the family head of the lu family."


    "otherwise, even if i had learned the spirit pivot formation, i couldn¡¯t have built the corpse mine, couldn¡¯t have constructed the formation of ten thousand corpses, couldn¡¯t have refined the corpse king¡­"


    "this corpse mine was built with the manpower of your lu family, this formation of ten thousand corpses was also made with your family¡¯s wealth."


    "now, it all serves as a bridal gown for me!"


    lu chengyun couldn¡¯t help but let out a gloomy laugh.


    "you never imagined, did you¡­"


    "in life, you wielded great power, i listened to you, labored for the lu family, submitting to your word as law."


    "but in death, refined into a zombie by me, you have to listen to me, becoming my servant, under my command, forever without the chance of revolt."


    "the lu family still bears the name lu, but it¡¯s no longer the ¡¯lu¡¯ of lu tianliang, it¡¯s the ¡¯lu¡¯ of me, lu chengyun!"


    having finished speaking, a slight tremble passed over the altar.


    below the yellow cloth, the corpse qi was intense.


    it seemed as if a violent energy surged within it.


    the lu family old ancestor was dead, this violence merely the remnants of primal consciousness, the residue of divine thought.


    lu chengyun was not only unafraid but was also overjoyed and laughed:


    "good!"


    "the angrier you are, the more intense the corpse qi, the more the refined corpse aligns with my desires!"


    the corpse qi surged, then seemed to contain a reluctance that gradually subsided.


    lu chengyun sneered softly:


    "your time is up, once refined into a corpse, controlled by the spiritual pivot formation, you can only be my servant, forever at my mercy."


    after that, lu chengyun "hmphed," brushed his sleeves, and left the altar to return to the bronze sarcophagus to meditate and recover his divine sense.


    his words, without omission, were all overheard by mo hua, who was hidden behind the altar.


    mo hua sighed inwardly and couldn¡¯t help but admire:


    lu chengyun was indeed a "talent."


    the lu family old ancestor truly picked up a "gem."


    lu chengyun and the lu family, such a perfect match, a white-eyed wolf entering a den of wolves, truly a match made by heaven.

 Chapter 501: Stealing

    "capitalist lu" was filled with vile deeds, chose a fine son-in-law, appointed a good family head, and even after his own death, he couldn¡¯t rest in peace and was turned into a zombie.it could be said that he reaped what he sowed, thoroughly deserving it...


    mo hua thought to himself in silence.


    after lu chengyun finished cursing the lu family old ancestor, he sat aside to meditate and regulate his breath.


    with no way to sneak out unnoticed, mo hua had no choice but to hide behind the altar, waiting patiently for lu chengyun to leave so he could seize the opportunity to slip away secretly.


    however, lu chengyun meditated for quite a long time, and his divine sense still had not fully recovered...


    mo hua was getting anxious on his behalf.


    "is divine sense recovery really that slow?"


    a brief period of meditation would suffice for me, yet this lu chengyun, like a turtle in meditation, has been sitting for half an eternity and his divine sense has hardly recovered at all¡ªthis is excessively slow...


    could it be an issue with the meditation technique?


    mo hua frowned and pondered further.


    i learned the meditation technique from mr. zhuang; meditating in a serene state, hence my divine sense recovers quickly.


    lu chengyun does not practice meditation, harbors too many schemes, and even has a filthy mind, so is that why his divine sense recovers so slowly?


    is it just lu chengyun that is this slow, or is it that all formation masters take this long to recover their divine sense?


    this was a question mo hua had not really compared the answers to before.


    "it seems the meditation technique taught by my master is indeed a fine thing..."


    gratitude towards mr. zhuang arose in mo hua¡¯s heart once more.


    after a while more of breath regulation, lu chengyun finally opened his eyes, appearing somewhat restless and agitated.


    yet, his divine sense had only recovered by a small fraction.


    mo hua was puzzled.


    "what is lu chengyun trying to do?"


    how could he work on formation painting with his divine sense not fully recovered?


    to mo hua¡¯s surprise, lu chengyun did not proceed with formation painting but rather took out a scroll from his storage bag.


    the scroll was somewhat wrinkled, bore creases, and carried footprints that had not been fully wiped away.


    mo hua recognized it instantly.


    because the footprints on it were from his own stepping.


    it was zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master picture!


    it was a depiction of a zombie image, and also a contemplation map!


    the scroll was indeed in the hands of lu chengyun!


    zhang quan, that unfilial wretch who "forgot his ancestry," actually gave away his ancestral portrait, causing me all this trouble in search.


    mo hua inwardly criticized, then stealthily speculated.


    zhang quan treasured this ancestral master picture like a precious gem and was probably reluctant to part with it, agreeing only to lend it.


    there must be some sort of deal between him and lu chengyun.


    and in this deal, zhang quan definitely profited handsomely, otherwise, he certainly would not have lent out the painting.


    this is a contemplation map, which can strengthen divine sense.


    zhang quan may not be aware of its use, but lu chengyun most definitely is.


    mo hua then grew stunned.


    the purpose of a contemplation map is to strengthen divine sense...


    but how does it strengthen one¡¯s divine sense?


    i "ate" it directly because if i didn¡¯t "eat," i would be "eaten"...


    but other cultivators, lacking a taoist stele in their sea of consciousness and not versed in divine thought slaughter, should be incapable of "eating" it.


    if they can¡¯t "eat," then what should they do?


    would they not be "eaten"?


    or perhaps, what is the orthodox method of using a contemplation map?


    how do other cultivators use the contemplation map to augment their divine sense?


    ...


    mo hua was filled with confusion for a moment, and then he cautiously peeked out his head to observe lu chengyun, wanting to see exactly how he would proceed, to learn from it.


    outside the altar, within the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    lu chengyun first took out an incense burner and placed three sticks of incense on it.


    afterward, with all due respect, he opened up the zhang family¡¯s ancestral master picture, clasped his hands in prayer, bowed, then suspended the painting. amid the drifting incense smoke, he sat cross-legged, maintaining a proper posture, gazed at the image, let his soul wander into nothingness, and quietly contemplated.


    the aura of the man and the painting gradually merged into one.


    lu chengyun seemed to have fallen into a profound, indescribable state of gradual enlightenment.


    his divine sense, too, was gradually nourished, slowly restored, and subtly increased.


    "strange..."


    mo hua furrowed his brows.


    this painting seemed genuinely capable of contemplation, and indeed, after contemplation, it truly nourished divine sense.


    this was different from my experience...


    mo hua recalled.


    the first time i saw the landscape taoist child painting, the taoist child turned into a little demon, burrowed into my sea of consciousness, wanting to devour me.


    the second time, upon seeing the zhang family ancestral master picture, the ancestral master turned into a zombie, lunged into my heavenly court, again with the intention to devour me...


    there was no chance for me to contemplate and comprehend...


    why is that?


    why can lu chengyun respectfully burn incense, utilize the contemplation map, and enhance his divine sense properly?


    yet my only choices are to "eat" or be "eaten"?


    there¡¯s another question:


    this lu chengyun, when he contemplated the contemplation map, did he not realize that these seemingly virtuous ancestors of the zhang family were actually zombies?


    he saw it, but he didn¡¯t care.


    or is it because he simply didn¡¯t see through them, so he didn¡¯t know at all?


    in his eyes, is this just a dignified and solemn picture of the ancestral master teaching his disciples?


    something is quite odd... s§×ar?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua pondered carefully:


    the evil thoughts in the contemplation map, wanting to "eat" oneself but not lu chengyun...


    is it because i saw through their true nature?


    or is it because my innate divine sense is powerful, a great supplement for them?


    or is it simply because they bully the weak and fear the strong, seeing that i am young and wanting to "eat" me?


    mo hua furrowed his brow, feeling that all three reasons might be possible...


    seeing through their true nature, being a great supplement for divine sense, and being easy to bully.


    if i were those malevolent spirits, i would also choose a child like myself to "eat"...


    the good are bullied by "ghosts".


    mo hua sighed helplessly.


    ...


    meanwhile, lu chengyun, absorbed in contemplation of the contemplation map, seemed oblivious to the outside world.


    mo hua was then considering whether to slip away now or later.


    but as he thought about it, he hesitated again.


    why run when the contemplation map is right in front of him?


    lu chengyun keeps it close to his body.


    if i don¡¯t try to snatch it now, who knows how long i¡¯ll have to wait for another chance?


    but how to snatch it?


    force won¡¯t work.


    i¡¯m no match for lu chengyun.


    stealing¡­ probably won¡¯t succeed either.


    lu chengyun is neither a fool nor a piece of wood.


    my concealment technique may fool him, but to steal something up close would be to not see him as a person.


    "what to do?"


    mo hua thought hard but couldn¡¯t come up with a good plan, ultimately giving up in resignation.


    suddenly, an idea sparked in mo hua.


    can¡¯t snatch, can¡¯t steal... but can "steal" a taste!


    the map is in lu chengyun¡¯s hands and i can¡¯t take it back for the time being, but skimming off some interest, catching a few zombies for a feast, should be no problem.


    mo hua peeked out his head stealthily again.


    where he was, blocked by lu chengyun, he couldn¡¯t see the whole of the contemplation map, only a part of it.


    but mo hua was very familiar with the map.


    even with just this part, he could roughly infer the scene depicted in the contemplation map.


    lofty halls, dignified and solemn.


    the ancestral master¡¯s teachings resonating, with an aura of immortality pervading.


    the disciples following his teachings, passing them on, mouth to mouth.


    meanwhile, lu chengyun was focused, as if he had comprehended the profoundness from these teachings and felt the great dao, subtly and intuitively enhancing his divine sense.


    but mo hua knew better.


    this was not any "resonating teachings", but rather some hollow nonsense.


    casual words like "dao," "fate," "truth"...


    seemingly mystical, but actually empty and meaningless, absolutely nothing at all.


    lu chengyun was merely indulging in self-intoxication.


    however, mo hua couldn¡¯t care less about him. the more lu chengyun was immersed in it, the better. hopefully he would be brainwashed by the zombie ancestors of the zhang family and never come out¡ªthat would be for the best.


    mo hua busied himself with his own matters.


    his gaze swept quickly over the contemplation map, deciding whom to choose, and finally set his eyes on an elder of the zhang family.


    this elder, sitting in a corner, while the rest were reverently echoing the teachings of the ancestral master, was somewhat distracted, mumbling something inattentively, just going through the motions.


    even without it, no one would notice.


    "it¡¯s you!"


    mo hua stared intently at it.


    the elder, mumbling a scripture, suddenly paused, as if sensing something, and turned its head slowly. in its murky eyes, it saw mo hua.


    as mo hua had predicted, changes began to unfold.


    under mo hua¡¯s gaze, the elder started to reveal its true form.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes, clear and bright like daylight, scorched the elder¡¯s visage, causing its skin to peel off gradually, revealing the true face of a zombie.


    the zombie elder was both angry and pleased.


    angry that an impudent brat dared to pry into its true appearance.


    pleased that this brat¡¯s divine sense was profound, surely a delicious treat!


    a qi refinement child with a youthful face, was it not at its mercy to slaughter?


    with drooling anticipation and an insatiable hunger, the zombie elder leapt up, jumping out from the picture and into mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    it rejoiced, thinking a banquet of divine sense awaited.


    but little did it know that it was leaping into an abyss from which there was no return...

 Chapter 502: Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire (1)

    in mo hua¡¯s pale and void sea of consciousness.the face of the iron corpse elder, ghastly and zombified, was filled with disbelief.


    how could a qi refinement cultivator possess such abundant divine sense?


    without a word, it took a fierce inhalation.


    sweet, pure, crystal-clear, with an endless aftertaste, and even carrying a thread of profound and mysterious taoist meaning.


    the zombie elder immediately widened its eyes.


    premium divine sense!


    it had never tasted such delicious divine sense in its life.


    and here, the divine sense was so plentiful, enough for it to feast on for a long time.


    if it could consume all of this youngster¡¯s divine sense and digest it, its divine thought would surely become more condensed, and its strength would skyrocket.


    even the ancestral master would hold it in higher regard¡­


    with an ugly face and brimming with excitement, the zombie elder was about to take another bite when it was unaware of mo hua, who was watching it coldly from hiding.


    "you¡¯ve eaten my divine sense, now vomit it all out!"


    mo hua brought his fingers together and launched a fireball technique, which flew swiftly and reached its target in an instant.


    the fireball technique surged with spiritual power.


    manifested from divine thought, the bright red fire spiritual power entwined like threads, twisting together, carrying terrifying burning force.


    the fireball technique exploded instantly upon the zombie elder¡¯s body.


    the flames charred its clothes manifested from divine thought, eroding its true form.


    the thread-like fire spiritual power seeped into every pore, like a red-hot blade slicing through its flesh.


    the zombie elder¡¯s expression drastically changed.


    "what is this thing?"


    a spell?


    it suddenly underwent corpse transformation, growing in size, its veins bulging, cold corpse qi spreading around it, dispelling the scorching flames on its body.


    but even so, it was severely wounded.


    "who?"


    the zombie elder shouted angrily.


    yet within that anger was a hint of panic.


    mo hua gradually revealed his shape on the side, small and delicate, with a cold little face, yet his aura seemed unfathomable.


    seeing mo hua, the zombie elder was shocked.


    in this sea of consciousness, with thick and heavy aura capable of manifesting one¡¯s self and casting spells ¨C this wasn¡¯t an ordinary brat¡­


    it had made a miscalculation.


    the boy¡¯s youthful appearance was deceptive; in reality, he was a tough nut to crack¡­


    the zombie elder respectfully said,


    "young friend, my sudden intrusion was impolite."


    mo hua kept a straight face, ignoring him.


    the zombie elder¡¯s gloomy gaze flickered as it negotiated,


    "however, there is a reason for my action¡­"


    "to be frank with you, young friend, i¡¯ve been starving for over a month, without a single drop to drink. might you, as the host, extend your hospitality and show some kindness to this elder by letting me consume a bit of divine sense to stave off my hunger, after which i will leave."


    its ugly face pleaded, eyes devious.


    mo hua said nothing.


    a zombie indeed, with such thick skin.


    mo hua didn¡¯t want to waste any more words.


    he was sneaking a bite, time was limited, and he needed a decisive victory using a lightning-fast approach to avoid being discovered by lu chengyun and complicating things.


    mo hua raised his hand and cast another fireball technique. sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    seeing that mo hua was implacable, the zombie elder couldn¡¯t help but fly into a rage,


    "shameless lad, abusing your power to bully others too much!"


    it wanted to dodge, but the fireball technique was both fast and accurate, and in the moment, it couldn¡¯t evade, so it had to endure the attack.


    the fireball technique exploded, and flames enveloped the zombie elder¡¯s body, charring its skin and causing its figure to fade slightly.


    meanwhile, mo hua clenched his small hand.


    the water prison technique¡¯s thread-like energy directly transformed into hundreds of threads, tightly binding the zombie elder, and then the threads condensed into a barred cage, securing it firmly.


    the zombie elder¡¯s expression changed dramatically as it frantically struggled to break free.


    but before it could escape,


    mo hua pointed his finger and moved his divine thought, beginning to manifest the golden lock formation below its feet.


    starting from the formation eye, golden patterns spread outward like a peony blooming, covering the ground, and within a few breaths, they solidified into a shining golden formation.


    above the formation, the light was brilliant.


    spiritual power formed chains locking the zombie elder in place.


    the zombie elder was greatly frightened.


    what kind of technique was this?


    a formation?


    was this really happening inside the sea of consciousness?


    wasn¡¯t combat in the sea of consciousness all about clashing of divine thought? how could someone use a formation?


    but it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    mo hua clasped his hands together, closed his eyes to focus, and stimulated his divine sense to the extreme.


    outside the golden lock formation, a sudden burst of red light and fire spiritual power slithered about like divine brushstrokes, at the same time forming three earth fire formations.


    the intersection of the three earth fire formations was right where the golden lock formation bound the zombie elder!


    this was a compound formation designed by mo hua himself.


    named the golden lock three lotus earthfire compound formation.


    it was a small-scale compound killing formation constructed based on the understanding of trapping and killing techniques within the five elements slaughter demon great formation.


    it trapped the enemy with the golden lock formation.


    outside the golden lock formation were three earth fire formations, resembling three fiery lotuses. upon explosion, the power of the three earth fire formations overlapped at the site of the golden lock formation, to injure ghosts and evil spirits.


    once the formation was complete, the zombie elder¡¯s eyes revealed terror.


    "plea..."


    it wanted to beg for mercy, but mo hua didn¡¯t bother wasting words with it.


    "explode!"


    mo hua ordered crisply.


    the three-tier earth fire formation exploded instantaneously.


    three fiery lotuses bloomed, and scorching spiritual power spread.


    the roaring flames engulfed the zombie elder.


    after a short while, the flames dissipated. the zombie elder¡¯s hands and feet were burnt to a crisp, leaving no "human" shape, its figure extremely dim, evidently heavily wounded.


    a combination of spells and formation in a single move had directly smashed the zombie elder to pieces.


    mo hua nodded to himself.


    the power of the golden lock three lotus earthfire compound formation also left him rather satisfied.


    what was important was that it integrated trapping and killing the enemy into one.


    trap first, then kill.


    as long as he was capable of killing the enemy, they would certainly be killed; there was no escape.


    the zombie elder was barely clinging to life. although it wasn¡¯t killed, it couldn¡¯t escape either.


    it cast a glance of disbelief at mo hua.


    just who was this little devil to be so terrifying?


    with spells and formations emerging in quick succession, in just a few exchanges, an iron corpse elder of the foundation establishment level, was bewilderingly subdued and didn¡¯t have the strength to fight back!


    was it truly going to be wiped from existence today?!


    filled with fear and reluctance, it mustered the last bit of its energy and said in a hoarse voice:


    "you... dare to kill an elder of the zhang family, our... ancestors won¡¯t let you go..."


    mo hua smiled broadly, his grin innocent and pure:


    "coincidentally, i also have no intention of letting your ancestors go."


    the zombie elder¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, "you..."


    before it could finish speaking, mo hua sent it to its death with a few fireball techniques.


    the ferocious zombie elder was blasted into green smoke by mo hua.


    using formations, mo hua trapped the green smoke, to refine it when he had the time.


    the timing wasn¡¯t right now, with lu chengyun still outside.


    mo hua exited his sea of consciousness, opening his eyes, his mind clear.


    lu chengyun was still there, contemplating the contemplation map, completely unaware of everything that had happened.


    there wasn¡¯t much change on the contemplation map, except that in one corner of the seating area, one of the zhang family ancestors was missing.


    mo hua tried to summarize the battle.


    it turned out there wasn¡¯t much to summarize.


    it was simple¡ªhis divine thought manifested spells and formations, trapped an iron corpse elder of foundation establishment rank, and then slew it.


    a combination of spells and formations, seamless and smooth like drifting clouds and flowing water.


    the strong overpowering the weak.


    it looked like the weak bullying the strong, but in reality, it was the "strong" bullying the "weak".


    everything went according to plan without any twists.


    yet, mo hua felt a small sense of satisfaction in his heart.


    without a doubt, his ability for divine thought slaughter was very strong.


    the affair with gui tao¡¯s people was purely an accident.


    gui tao was unfathomable, with unknown realm and means, not someone who could be judged by common sense.


    apart from him, normal ghosts and ghouls shouldn¡¯t be a match for him in the sea of consciousness.


    he just had to be more careful, that¡¯s all.


    silence reigned within the altar.


    having secretly "consumed" an iron corpse elder, mo hua was content and didn¡¯t plan on making another move just yet. he quietly hid his presence, lurking behind the altar, waiting for lu chengyun to leave.


    an hour later, lu chengyun finished his contemplation, feeling his divine sense replenished, his face full of joy.


    the contemplation map was indeed a treasure for formation masters.


    after contemplation, it could nourish the sea of consciousness, enhance divine sense, and also improve understanding of the great dao.


    lu chengyun caressed the ancestral master picture, unable to part with it.


    he carefully stowed the ancestral master picture, but upon doing so, he suddenly paused.


    this picture... why does it look so correct...


    he inspected it carefully again, furrowing his brows.


    it seemed like someone was missing from the picture?


    "where did he go?"


    lu chengyun felt puzzled.


    he continued to stare at the picture for a while, still unable to resolve his confusion.


    did he see wrong?


    or could it be that because he had contemplated it multiple times, it was too often, causing damage to the picture, which is why it wasn¡¯t displaying completely?


    lu chengyun nodded to himself, thinking that must be the case.


    this picture was in his possession, only to be seen and contemplated by him.


    if there was an issue, it certainly had to be his own.


    lu chengyun felt a bit of heartache, and then his gaze slightly darkened, a shadow of a sly smile crossing his face, he murmured:


    "looks like i need to find a way to feed someone to this picture..."

 Chapter 503: Zombie Mining (1)

    lu chengyun¡¯s voice was very soft, but mo hua still heard it.looking for someone to feed the contemplation map wasn¡¯t an uncommon thing; zhang quan had done it before when they were at the corpse walking stronghold.


    but lu chengyun¡¯s smile was too gloomy, which aroused mo hua¡¯s suspicions.


    if it was just a matter of killing someone to feed the contemplation map, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal for lu chengyun. his expression should have been indifferent so as not to reveal the look he had now.


    mo hua touched his small chin.


    looking for someone to feed the map?


    whom would he want to find?


    "mining cultivator? corpse cultivator?"


    "zhang quan, and... me?"


    mo hua jolted with fright.


    thinking about it, it seemed to make sense.


    each evil spirit that jumped into his sea of consciousness said that his divine sense was a great tonic, so using it to feed the contemplation map was naturally the perfect fit.


    could it be that lu chengyun had ill intentions right from the start?


    mo hua pondered to himself.


    although it was just his speculation, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down...


    after his divine sense had recovered, lu chengyun drew the spirit pivot evil formation again, and at 6 a.m., he sealed the bronze coffin and rose to leave.


    after lu chengyun left, mo hua waited for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, making sure lu chengyun was far away and wouldn¡¯t come back anytime soon, before he quietly left the sacrificial altar and approached the bronze coffin.


    the bronze coffin was sealed again.


    mo hua walked around the coffin, tapping and knocking, but still couldn¡¯t figure out how to open the coffin or how it had been sealed.


    he felt a bit of regret.


    he had not paid attention to how lu chengyun opened the coffin when he came.


    nor did he remember to see how he sealed the coffin when he left.


    now unable to open the bronze coffin, he had no way to find out the secrets inside.


    "next time then..."


    mo hua muttered to himself and then also quietly left the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar.


    after returning to his room, mo hua immediately hopped onto the bed, crossed his legs in meditation, and his divine sense dived into his sea of consciousness.


    inside the sea of consciousness, there was a vast whiteness.


    within this vast white space, there was a golden lock formation, locking a wisp of blue smoke.


    it was the thought body left behind after the iron corpse elder had been blasted to death.


    mo hua seized the time, manifested the melting fire formation, and roasted the wisp of blue smoke bit by bit, burning it until it was purified into pure divine thought, which he inhaled.


    like this, he "roasted" and ate.


    until he roasted the entire wisp of blue smoke and swallowed it whole.


    bloodthirsty, greedy, and evil thoughts emerged in mo hua¡¯s heart.


    mo hua, well-accustomed to this, meditated in tranquility, his mind clear as a mirror, unstained, discarding and plucking out these miscellaneous and evil desires one by one.


    the evil thoughts gone, a pure stream of divine thought surged into mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    mo hua¡¯s divine sense grew a bit stronger.


    this slight enhancement moved mo hua¡¯s divine sense further up from the peak of the twelve stripes, infinitely close to the thirteen stripes, yet still falling just short...


    mo hua opened his eyes and sighed.


    it was so hard to increase divine sense.


    he had "eaten" the divine sense of a foundation establishment, yet he still couldn¡¯t enhance his divine sense to thirteen stripes.


    could it be that this foundation establishment¡¯s divine sense was too weak?


    after refining it again, the divine sense left was reduced further, so it simply wasn¡¯t enough to "satisfy" him?


    mo hua blinked.


    could it be that he would need to "consume" zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master to make his divine sense reach thirteen stripes?


    but how to consume it?


    mo hua¡¯s eyes turned slyly, and he began to hatch a plot...


    zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master picture, preciously held close and treasured by lu chengyun, wasn¡¯t going to be easily obtained...


    so he would need to find a way.


    it¡¯s possible that he wants to use me to feed the map...


    lying on the bed, mo hua kicked his legs back and forth while carefully scheming...


    as he thought, he suddenly remembered that it had been quite a while since he last communicated with his junior sister.


    some matters needed to be discussed with junior sister and junior brother beforehand.


    mo hua hurriedly got out of bed, took out a piece of paper, and spread it on the table.


    then he began to record some key clues.


    like the relationship between lu chengyun and the lu family.


    the deal between lu chengyun and the lu family old ancestor.


    the lu family old ancestor being refined into a zombie.


    some details about the formation of ten thousand corpses... and so on.


    ...


    mo hua carefully put away the note; at night, he stealthily located little tiger and stuffed the note into its mouth, instructing it to crawl outside and deliver the message to junior sister.


    the next day, little tiger crawled back, holding another note in its mouth.


    this paper was smooth and fine, with a faint gold pattern, commonly used by junior sister, which mo hua recognized at a glance.


    the return of the note meant that little tiger¡¯s message had been delivered.


    mo hua nodded and opened the note, eager to see what junior sister had written.


    however, upon unfolding the note, he saw that it contained only four simple words:


    "not coming back yet?"


    and there was a small face drawn at the end, with eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    mo hua was taken aback.


    only then did he realize that without knowing it, he had already spent a considerable amount of time in the corpse mine.


    junior sister and junior brother must be worried about him, hence their impatience.


    as for his master and old kui... they probably weren¡¯t in a hurry.


    after all, his master¡¯s foresight was unquestionable; he probably knew everything he was doing.


    he just wondered how they were getting on with their meals.


    was there anyone brewing tea for his master, anyone frying pine nuts for old kui...


    and big white, he wondered if junior brother had been feeding it good fodder. s~ea??h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    and instructor yan...


    ...


    mo hua contemplated for a moment and then suddenly felt a longing for his master and the others; he also thought it was about time to figure out a way to leave the corpse mine sooner.


    moreover, although lu chengyun was outwardly cultured and genteel, inwardly he was double-dealing. although he was polite to him, he probably harbored bad intentions.


    it would be good to extricate himself earlier and stop playing his game.


    mo hua then replied with a note, which read:

 Chapter 504: Zombie Mining (2)

    "it¡¯s soon, very soon!"behind him, there¡¯s a little tiger¡¯s head drawn, looking very much like a tiger.


    mo hua used his divine sense to lead and let little tiger deliver the message."


    then he began to consider what he should do before returning.


    the formation of ten thousand corpses, the bronze coffin, the corpse mine...


    all of these must be destroyed, otherwise they will surely leave an endless curse. continue reading at empire


    the corpse cultivators in the corpse mine, who kill and refine corpses, also need to be completely eradicated.


    the zombies inside must be properly dealt with as well, best if they can all be burned to prevent them from consuming flesh and blood and allowing the corpse poison to spread, poisoning south yue city...


    "but just how many zombies are there in this corpse mine?"


    mo hua knew there were many, but he couldn¡¯t count exactly how many.


    the ones in the stone palace and those within the formation of ten thousand corpses should only be a part of them.


    the corpse mine is bigger than the corpse walking stronghold, and the formations inside are more complex. with lu chengyun watching over, he was hindered, so there were many places he couldn¡¯t explore.


    and outside the corpse mine, there are more mineshafts, and the number of zombies inside them might be even greater...


    know yourself, know your enemy.


    without finding out how many zombies there are, it is impossible to make a move.


    even a foundation building cultivator, if surrounded by hundreds or thousands of walking corpses and unable to escape, would undoubtedly die.


    not to mention, there are numerous iron corpses inside the corpse mine.


    even if the taoist court were to deploy taoist soldiers to suppress the corpse mine, without knowing the internal situation, it would be difficult to conduct operations.


    after thinking it over, mo hua decided to first take a look at the mineshafts outside.


    outside the stone palace, there is a mineshaft, separated by a large gate.


    on this gate, there is a bloody evil formation.


    and at the same time, there is a key.


    this key is something mo hua discovered later on.


    the key, made of bones, was placed on one of the corpse cultivators guarding the gate.


    as for the formation, mo hua couldn¡¯t touch it for the time being ¨C afraid to startle lu chengyun ¨C but the key could be stolen.


    mo hua seized the opportunity when the gate-guarding corpse cultivator was preoccupied with refining corpses and unable to be distracted, manipulating little tiger to steal his key, and then stealthily used the key to unlock the great door of the stone palace.


    outside the great door lies the mineshaft.


    dark, damp, gloomy, the air is heavy with corpse qi, yet it¡¯s also extremely noisy.


    mo hua stepped out of the stone palace and walked along the mineshaft for a while, and then came upon a massive mining pit.


    it was just as mo hua had guessed, and yet also different.


    walking corpses were indeed mining, but there were far too many...


    the pit is extremely vast, and within it, densely packed, were all walking corpses.


    they are dressed in tattered clothes, their skin putrefied, each one holding a mining pick, mining in there!


    they are dead, yet they are doing the work of the living.


    most of them were miners in life, after death refined into corpses, they are still miners, even busier and more tireless than when they were alive.


    countless zombies mining...


    this noisy spectacle seemed like something from the world of the living, yet also from the netherworld.


    the cultivators in the mines, while alive, are driven by life to numbness as if they¡¯re zombies.


    the walking corpses in the mine, clearly dead, but slaving away for the lu family as if they were still alive.


    for a moment, the daytime scene of mining cultivators laboring and the nighttime zombies mining overlapping in mo hua¡¯s mind, confusing, seeming both real and unreal.


    he suddenly couldn¡¯t distinguish what was the true reality.


    mo hua was utterly shocked and stood still for a long while.


    in that instant, he seemed to have a vague enlightenment about life and death in this world, as well as the underlying ¡¯path¡¯ of people at the most basic level.


    at the same time, another troublesome fact lay before mo hua.


    there were far too many zombies in this corpse mine!


    within this enormous pit alone, there appeared to be tens of thousands of walking corpses.


    and according to the formations around," he estimated that the mineshaft was even larger than he had imagined, which meant that there were several mining pits within the mountain.


    each mining pit was filled with countless walking corpses... sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    just thinking about it made mo hua¡¯s scalp tingle.


    these walking corpses, if they were to break out of the corpse mine and form a corpse tide, using corpse poison to infect further, i¡¯m afraid not just south yue city would be annihilated, but even the whole of the minor wilderness state boundary might suffer the doom of all living beings.


    the minor wilderness state boundary would become minor wilderness "corpse" boundary.


    mo hua stopped reading.


    there was not much time left, and he again quietly slipped back.


    the gate leading outside was a natural boulder guarded by two second-grade iron corpses, surrounded by thick mountain walls.


    in a short time, he could not free himself; he could only go back first and plan ahead for the long term.


    when mo hua returned, that corpse cultivator guarding the gate had yet to finish refining the corpse.


    mo hua again controlled little tiger to return the key and then went back to his room, frowning in contemplation.


    this corpse mine was larger than he had thought.


    there were also more walking corpses in the mine than he had expected.


    with so many walking corpses, how about iron corpses?


    how many iron corpses were there?


    within the formation of ten thousand corpses, mo hua had counted there were roughly twenty-four iron coffins.


    this meant there were twenty-four iron corpses.


    inside the stone palace, in some of the secret chambers, there were also traces of iron corpses¡¯ presence; mo hua roughly estimated there to be seven or eight.


    there were also some iron corpses in the outer mines.


    so, by this count, were there at least forty-plus iron corpses throughout the corpse mine?


    among the iron corpses, mixed first and second grade, the first grade was slightly weaker, equivalent to weak foundation establishment, while the second grade was significantly stronger and could be considered at the foundation establishment middle stage.


    all together, were there nearly forty-plus foundation building cultivators?


    a chill ran down mo hua¡¯s spine.


    forty-plus foundation builders was an immense force, not only for south yue city but even when considering the whole minor wilderness state boundary, it was a leading power...


    this strength was sufficient to look down upon the entire second-grade prefecture border...


    suddenly, mo hua felt a little shocked and confused.


    where did lu chengyun get so many corpses to refine this many iron corpses?


    to refine an iron corpse, one needed at least the peak of the qi refining ninth level and the corpse of a foundation establishment stage cultivator.


    taking into account the success rate of corpse refinement, even more corpses would be needed to refine iron corpses.


    it¡¯s one thing to find those at the peak of qi refinement, but where did he get the corpses of foundation building cultivators?


    even if he killed for them, he couldn¡¯t have killed so many...


    where did he get so many foundation establishment corpses?


    mo hua suddenly thought of the lu family old ancestor.


    in the spirit pivot sequence of the formation of ten thousand corpses, the lu family old ancestor was the "corpse king," with the highest sequence position.


    the corpse king needed to command hordes of corpses.


    thus, the corpse used to refine the corpse king was very particular; it had to be either a sect leader, a family head, or a ruler...


    those under its command were either sect disciples, clan disciples, or citizens of a country.


    the lu family old ancestor was the "corpse king."


    according to the principles of corpse refinement, those who are submissive to it should be...lu family cultivators?


    it¡¯s unlikely to be mining cultivators...


    among the mining cultivators, there were almost no foundation building cultivators.


    moreover, although the mining cultivators were exploited by the lu family old ancestor, most harbored resentment; their grudges did not dissipate after death, and if refined into zombies that submitted to the lu family old ancestor, they could easily lose control.


    it could only be the lu family...


    were most of these iron corpses refined from the corpses of lu family cultivators, or rather, the corpses of lu family elders?


    but lu chengyun was the family head, and although he could kill one or two elders, killing so many would definitely cause problems and arouse suspicion from the lu family.


    he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, cutting off his own roots.


    so where did these corpses come from?


    elder corpses...


    mo hua¡¯s brow furrowed tightly.


    suddenly he realized something, and a great alarm struck his heart:


    "this lu chengyun, he couldn¡¯t have dug up the lu family¡¯s ancestral graves..."

 Chapter 505: Ambition (1)

    after the clan cultivators die, they are buried in the ancestral tombs.within these tombs lie the graves of generations of family heads, elders, and cultivators with profound cultivation.


    the lu family is no exception.


    within the tombs of the lu family, there inevitably lie the corpses of foundation building cultivators.


    could it be that lu chengyun truly desecrated the lu family ancestral tomb and used the bodies of past family heads and elders to refine iron corpses?


    mo hua couldn¡¯t help but take in a cold breath.


    this lu chengyun really dared to think and act...


    for the sake of corpse refinement, he even dug up the lu family¡¯s ancestral tomb.


    if the lu family old ancestor hadn¡¯t already died, he would probably be angered to death by this...


    mo hua frowned once more.


    but now this was going to be troublesome.


    over forty iron corpses, tens of thousands of walking corpses.


    if they directly confronted lu chengyun, there would be no chance of victory.


    if they called for help with "shaking people"...


    the situ family had a strong foundation, but they definitely couldn¡¯t mobilize enough cultivators to match these zombies.


    the taoist court in south yue city was in cahoots with the lu family.


    if they didn¡¯t make a mess of things, that would be a stroke of luck.


    the largest sect in south yue city, south yue sect, also had an intimate association with the lu family.


    even if the south yue sect wasn¡¯t colluding with the lu family and was willing to oppose them, they would definitely not be a match for these zombies.


    apart from that, they could only hope for the taoist court to dispatch the taoist soldiers to suppress the corpse mine...


    but the mobilization of taoist soldiers wasn¡¯t that simple.


    there were too many procedures, applying is difficult, and the military expedition of the taoist soldiers was also quite costly.


    moreover, having too few soldiers would be useless, and the military force and financial resources needed to suppress the corpse mine would certainly not be a small number.


    the taoist court had the strength, but whether they were willing to pay the price was another matter.


    for a second-grade prefecture border, a poor and remote little immortal city, spending a lot of spirit stones and mobilizing numerous taoist soldiers ¡ª the military expenses were certain to exceed the input...


    and their opponents would be zombies.


    iron corpses with bronze heads and iron limbs, walking corpses fierce and unafraid of death, consuming flesh and blood incessantly, along with contagious corpse poison...


    if an all-out war truly broke out, the casualties of the taoist soldiers would inevitably be extremely heavy.


    the taoist soldiers court might not be willing to take the risk.


    and if they were defeated, not only would the taoist soldiers suffer heavy casualties, but south yue city would also be instantly engulfed by the corpse tide and become a city of death...


    engulfed by a corpse tide...


    imagining that scene, mo hua sighed.


    life as a mining cultivator is already hard. if they were to become walking corpses, with parents and children, flesh and blood tearing at each other, life would be worse than death, death without closure... it would be too tragic...


    was there anything he could do?


    mo hua pondered in silence.


    formation collapse...


    he had considered it before, but it was not very appropriate.


    it could easily detonate the mines and affect the mining cultivators.


    if the "corpse king" was destroyed and the horde lost control, the danger could be even greater.


    at the same time, his master had also told him, unless absolutely necessary, not to collapse a formation, and even if he did, to ensure no one saw.


    collapsing the corpse mine would create too much commotion and would definitely expose his own secrets, and it would also bring trouble to his master.


    mo hua shifted his thoughts and contemplated:


    "if collapse isn¡¯t an option, then targeting the ¡¯corpse king¡¯ is the only way."


    capture the ringleader first in order to capture all his followers.


    lu chengyun could control the corpse king using the spiritual pivot formation.


    since he could control it with the spiritual pivot formation, so could i.


    if i could truly control the "corpse king," i could settle the crisis at the corpse mine without bloodshed, and even use the "zombies" to kill others, cutting down lu chengyun.


    "but how to control the corpse king?"


    mo hua thought deeply:


    to control the corpse king, one needs to draw a formation, and to draw a formation, the bronze coffin has to be opened...


    but even if a formation is drawn, how can it be kept hidden from lu chengyun?


    lu chengyun is not zhang quan.


    zhang quan has no understanding of formations, but lu chengyun is well-versed.


    he is a genuine foundation establishment cultivator, a true first-grade formation master, and his formation strength far exceeds that of an ordinary first-grade.


    only slightly less than my own.


    i should be able to outmatch him in formations.


    but to deceive him completely and meddle with the formation he¡¯s actively drawing right under his nose, that would be a fool¡¯s dream.


    unless he¡¯s not only blind but also an idiot.


    lu chengyun is clearly neither.


    a blind idiot could not possibly marry into the lu family, become its family head, and even dig up the family¡¯s ancestral tomb...


    after pondering for a long time, mo hua couldn¡¯t think of a good solution and felt helpless.


    "forget it, let¡¯s first figure out a way to open the bronze coffin..."


    let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside the bronze coffin first.


    however, he needs to pay attention to both ends of the matter.


    while he was busy, preparations had to be made outside as well. explore stories at empire


    mo hua wrote a letter first, handing it to little tiger to pass on to his junior sister.


    the letter detailed the specifics of the corpse mine, including a map of the mine, the structure of the stone palace, the cultivation methods of corpse cultivators, and the astonishing numbers of at least forty iron corpses and tens of thousands of walking corpses.


    and it urged them to make preparations early.


    it would be best if they could gather a group of cultivators and, before the corpse king¡¯s refinement was complete, root out the corpse mine to prevent future troubles.


    although mo hua felt this was unlikely, he had to mention it beforehand.


    as for whether so many cultivators could be assembled, that was beyond his control.


    what followed was the opening of the bronze coffin.


    the secret to opening it lay with lu chengyun.


    whenever mo hua had the time, he still sneaked into the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar, waiting inside for lu chengyun, wanting to see just how he would open the coffin.


    but lu chengyun was very cautious and his actions were concealed.


    mo hua watched several times yet still could not see clearly.


    he could only roughly guess that to open this bronze coffin, one needed a key and a formation, both were necessary.


    but he could not steal the key nor see the formation.


    just as mo hua was at a loss, unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, zhang quan and lu chengyun showed up at the altar together.


    the two were also whispering to each other.


    mo hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and he listened intently.


    "...the formation of ten thousand corpses will soon be completed..."


    "the formation eye is ready..."


    "refining spirit stones to form spiritual power, then contaminating it with the evil blood qi to transform into evil power... that¡¯s what will activate the formation..."


    "how long will it take?"


    "soon, just a matter of days." s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "lu family head is justly renowned for his strategies," zhang quan complimented with a laugh.


    lu chengyun chuckled, "brother zhang gives too much credit. without the coffin you refined and the ancestral corpse refinement technique, how could i possibly construct this formation of ten thousand corpses?"


    they were discussing the formation of ten thousand corpses?


    mo hua mused to himself and scrutinized them covertly.


    lu chengyun then glanced at the formation of ten thousand corpses, speaking with some emotion:


    "i also must thank that young gentleman..."


    "using the righteous dao formation to construct the eye, and the evil dao formation to transform the energy, i only had such a thought initially, but i didn¡¯t expect it would really be feasible..."


    "and this formation eye is vast and complex in structure. i didn¡¯t expect that young gentleman would actually manage to build it despite stumbling along; his talent is indeed exceptional..."


    "this formation eye is quite difficult..." lu chengyun exclaimed with a sigh.


    but mo hua listened with some confusion.


    difficult?


    he just held back his skill, intentionally drawing it slowly, but he didn¡¯t expect that lu chengyun would actually find this formation eye difficult...


    what was difficult about it?


    he found it rather simple...


    mo hua shook his head.


    although lu chengyun was praising his own work, mo hua felt no sense of accomplishment from such praise for the formation eye of a mere compound formation...


    zhang quan, who felt somewhat resentful, said sarcastically:


    "the talent is decent, but he¡¯s quite sneaky..."


    knowing that zhang quan held grudges, lu chengyun shook his head slightly and did not respond but turned his gaze back to the eye of the ten thousand corpses compound formation with complex emotions.


    this formation eye was almost taking the shape of a large formation eye...


    the embryonic form of a large formation...


    such talent, it¡¯s truly terrifying.


    lu chengyun silently exclaimed in his heart, then his gaze turned solemn, and with a slight smile on his lips, he murmured softly:


    "it¡¯s a pity..."


    on the other side, zhang quan was looking towards the bronze coffin, eyes filled with longing, and couldn¡¯t help asking:


    "lu brother, how much longer until the ¡¯corpse king¡¯ emerges?"


    lu chengyun came back to his senses, also with a gleam in his eye, "soon..."


    "once the formation of ten thousand corpses is complete, the torrent of evil power will surge, nourishing the bronze coffin. in less than a month, this ¡¯corpse king¡¯ will be refined and the coffin can be opened..."


    zhang quan was so excited that he trembled, and he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim:


    "excellent! excellent!"


    he walked a circuit around the bronze coffin, and said with excitement:


    "without the corpse king to command, we corpse cultivators can only control one or two walking corpses at a time, even with the refinement of the corpse controlling bell, at most three."


    "but once the corpse king is refined, it can command all the iron corpses!"


    "releasing ten of them, or even dozens of iron corpses, coupled with tens of thousands of walking corpses, we will be able to move unobstructed across the minor wilderness state boundary, wreaking havoc in all directions!"


    "beneath the level of golden core, there will be no rivals."


    "we could cover the sky with one hand, no, we, will be the sky of this minor wilderness state boundary!" zhang quan declared, ambition aflame, his voice trembling with excitement.


    lu chengyun, on the other hand, was much calmer. he shook his head and said indifferently:


    "brother zhang, your words are mistaken. this corpse king will only stay in the corpse mine and will not venture out unless absolutely necessary, let alone wreaking havoc..."


    zhang quan frowned, "stay here for what purpose?"


    lu chengyun stated flatly, "this is a mine, it will naturally stay here to mine."


    zhang quan found it somewhat unfathomable, "to mine?"


    lu chengyun nodded slightly.


    zhang quan was incredulous, bursting out in frustration:


    "after all the painstaking efforts, after pouring our hearts and blood into this, after scheming for a century, killing so many and refining so many corpses, are we just to have them mine here?"

 Chapter 506: Covering the Sky with One Hand (1)

    "indeed!" lu chengyun nodded.zhang quan¡¯s face was full of anger.


    lu chengyun glanced at zhang quan indifferently, "what do you want to do?"


    zhang quan suppressed his anger, his eyes brimming with ambition, as he said coldly:


    "what else can we do?"


    "with the corpse king lying dormant, and the walking corpses mining, isn¡¯t it just like letting a fierce sword gather dust?"


    "once the corpse king emerges, it should naturally command the horde, be invincible, and dominate the state boundary!"


    "with the corpse king, with so many iron corpses, and with so many walking corpses."


    "the entire minor wilderness state boundary, no, perhaps even several neighboring state boundaries, which power could be our opponent?"


    "wherever the zombie army goes, corpses will float everywhere."


    "those who resist, annihilate them utterly!"


    "without any effort, we¡¯ll first occupy south yue city, then step by step dominate the minor wilderness state boundary, and gradually nibble away at the neighboring second-grade prefecture border..."


    "we refine corpses and kill, then kill and refine more corpses!"


    "round and round it goes, we will endlessly expand our strength!"


    "we could use this to establish a powerful demon corpse sect, glorifying our ancestors, unequaled in one realm."


    "by then, you and i will be the ancestral masters who established the sect, so what¡¯s the position of a mere family head to us?"


    ...


    as if envisioning this scene, zhang quan¡¯s face turned crimson, his eyes red with blood vessels, his expression excited.


    however, lu chengyun remained unmoved, instead letting out a cold laugh and scoffing:


    "naive!"


    zhang quan¡¯s face darkened as he looked at lu chengyun with hostility.


    lu chengyun didn¡¯t care, instead he spoke indifferently:


    "your zhang family, although it has inherited the corpse path for generations, with some renown, is in the end a small clan, passing down from one generation to the next, a few people at best, which is why your vision is limited, and your pattern is small..."


    "dominate the state boundary, establish a sect, build a demon sect?" lu chengyun showed a mocking expression, "you think this is child¡¯s play?"


    "a single second-grade corpse king and a few dozen iron corpses, what dominance can they claim?"


    "do you think the taoist court is a vegetarian?"


    "the taoist court unifies the nine states, some demon path giants that have existed for ten thousand years still choose to hide and secretly plan, not daring to come forward. with our family¡¯s humble base, and these first and second grade zombies, what state can we take, what dominance can we claim?"


    "are we worthy?"


    zhang quan¡¯s face turned blue, then red.


    lu chengyun shook his head and sighed:


    "you only know about corpse refinement, knowing so little about the cultivation world, not understanding the strength of the taoist court."


    "if we act in secret, establish a corpse mine, raise some walking corpses, without showing off or leaking our presence, the taoist court might not bother with us."


    "even if they want to intervene, they might not be willing to pay the price, to clash with us to the point where both fish and net are destroyed."


    "but if you make a big show of it, waving the banner of inheriting the corpse path, of establishing a demon sect, then you would have crossed the taoist court¡¯s red line!"


    "the taoist court would stop at nothing to annihilate us!"


    "once word gets out, not three days would pass before hundreds of foundation cultivation taoist soldiers would arrive, bearing silver spears, clad in golden armor, in vast formation, coming to our doorstep to kill."


    "they would utterly destroy you and me, along with all the walking corpses and iron corpses in this mine, reducing them to ashes!"


    "forget one corpse king; even ten would be useless!"


    "a corpse king is just that, not a big demon, great ghost, or some grand calamity that comes once in a millennium. with what right and boldness could we provoke the taoist court and cross their taboo?"


    "are you stupid, or do you think you have too long a life?"


    lu chengyun spoke without a hint of politeness.


    zhang quan was unable to utter a word, feeling a surge of anger bottled up inside him, he indignantly said,


    "but we can¡¯t just¡­ only do mining..."


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze darkened. "that¡¯s why i say your vision is too limited."


    zhang quan was taken aback.


    lu chengyun let out a cold laugh, "what¡¯s wrong with mining?"


    "what do you exchange from mining?"


    "you exchange for spirit stones!"


    "in this world, who doesn¡¯t need spirit stones? who would think they have too many spirit stones? without spirit stones, how can you cultivate immortality, how can you seek the way?"


    zhang quan frowned, deep in thought.


    lu chengyun said indifferently,


    "the cultivators of south yue city, alive, they mine for my lu family, and even in death, turned into zombies, they still have to mine for my lu family!"


    "in life or in death, they are all slaves to my lu family!"


    "by day the living mine, by night the dead mine."


    "this mine will keep producing, and my lu family will have an endless supply of spirit stones!"


    "spirit stones are the foundation!"


    "with these spirit stones, bribe the taoist court officials, bribe all sides of power, raise them like ¡¯pigs,¡¯ make them greedy, make them foolish, make them insatiable, make them only able to rely on us, the lu family, to survive. only then can we truly have unbridled power within this minor wilderness state boundary!"


    "what¡¯s the use of being dominant?"


    "becoming a demon? what good will that do?"


    "under the unification of the taoist court, demon cultivators who dare to stand out have long since died without a place to be buried!"


    "the true demon path is learning how to cling to the taoist court, monopolize industries, earn spirit stones, suck the blood of the cultivators in the state, enslave them with power and status, oppress them with identity, and extort them with spirit stones..."


    "without relying on murder, without relying on corpse poison, without relying on demon skills..."


    "openly and honorably eat their flesh, drink their blood, and strengthen oneself!"


    "even if the taoist court were to investigate, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find a thing."


    "the local taoist court officials are our people; the local sects are of the same alliance as us; the local clans look up to our breath;"


    "those miners below us, insignificant and weak, are trampled under our feet. they dare not speak, and even if they did, no one would believe them..."


    "this is the way to use spirit stones!"


    "this is the real hand that covers the sky!"


    lu chengyun spoke resolutely, his gaze profound. continue reading stories on empire


    zhang quan¡¯s expression flickered uncertainly.


    mo hua, hidden behind the altar, listened with his heart pounding.


    within the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar, there was silence.


    after a moment, lu chengyun said indifferently:


    "brother zhang, do you understand now?"


    zhang quan came back to his senses, his eyelids twitching, he nodded, seeming to understand but not quite understanding.


    lu chengyun nodded slightly, then said with a deep meaning:


    "with these zombies, if you command them to kill, the taoist court will kill us."


    "but if you command them to mine, earn spirit stones, give them to the taoist court, even to the taoist court..."


    "not only will they not kill us, but they will also wish for us to kill more people, refine more corpses, mine more, and deliver more spirit stones..."


    "times have changed, even cultivating in the demon path isn¡¯t all about fighting and killing..."


    "brother zhang, think about it well..."


    after lu chengyun finished speaking, he patted zhang quan on the shoulder and turned to leave.


    in the center of the sacrificial altar, only zhang quan remained.


    of course, there was also mo hua.


    mo hua hid behind the altar, profoundly shocked, his back soaked with cold sweat.


    this lu chengyun was even more sinister than he had thought.


    and his schemes were even more terrifying.


    if he truly succeeded, he would play both sides of good and evil, bribing everyone.


    then this corpse mine could truly become like an ancient tree that has spread its roots far and wide, deeply entrenched in this mine, with interests as its roots, connecting top to bottom, firmly rooted and difficult to eradicate...


    mo hua inhaled a cold breath, but just then, he heard a voice.


    "nonsense!"


    mo hua started.


    it was zhang quan¡¯s voice.


    after lu chengyun had walked off into the distance, zhang quan then angrily said:


    "utter nonsense!"


    "to abandon the role of a great demon sect ancestor and instead submit to the taoist court, fawning over the court official, flattering all sorts of powers, becoming their dog, it¡¯s really nonsensical!"


    "letting zombies mine continuously?"


    "can they even be called zombies if they don¡¯t eat people or drink blood?"


    "it¡¯s simply a disgrace to our corpse path ancestral masters!"


    "what¡¯s even more infuriating is that the spirit stones earned from mining are to be sent out?"


    "really, once a dog, always a dog!"


    "and to think he said i had a small vision? i see that you, as the family head for too long, have been blinded by wealth and luxury, narrow-sighted, timid and skittish!"


    "to scurry like a rat and live like a dog for hundreds of years, how can that compare to the grandeur of the demon path?"


    "to establish the demon gate, to promote the corpse path, to honor our ancestors, to leave a legacy of infamy in the annals of the state boundary, to be renowned among fellow corpse cultivators, even if it is but a transient splendor, and in the end to be suppressed by the taoist court so that not even my bones remain, would still suffice!"


    zhang quan¡¯s expression was passionate, his gaze resolute.


    ...


    mo hua fell silent.


    this zhang quan had his own ideas...


    and also... a belief and pursuit for the corpse path?


    mo hua found it hard to judge at that moment.


    after zhang quan cursed lu chengyun for a while and calmed his emotions, a moment later, he smirked coldly and whispered low:


    "lu chengyun..."


    "corpse refinement is not for you alone to dictate... "


    "...once the corpse king has been refined, you will no longer have a say..."


    "i am not as timid and hesitant as you are."


    "i will certainly bring forth the corpse king, let iron corpses massacre the city, turn south yue city into a field of walking corpses, plunge the minor wilderness state boundary into purgatory, make all cultivators of this world lose their courage at the mere mention, let them know what true corpse cultivation is!"


    zhang quan¡¯s voice was icy, and after he finished, he snorted coldly and then left.


    a glint flashed in mo hua¡¯s eyes, chilly and sharp.


    zhang quan, lu chengyun...


    though their methods differed drastically, neither was a good sort.


    whichever of them took control of the corpse king, the outcome would not be good.


    one would create a land strewn with floating corpses; the other¡¯s poison would reach far and wide.


    mo hua then thought of zhang quan¡¯s angered expression and his recent words, spawning a thought.


    did zhang quan not get along with lu chengyun, and, judging by his intentions, did he also aspire to control the corpse king?


    to control the corpse king would surely require opening the bronze coffin.


    in that case, would this not present an opportunity for him?


    mo hua¡¯s eyes flickered.


    he spent all his free time thereafter tracking zhang quan.


    when zhang quan was alone, he was indeed sneaky, even setting up a formation to watch with divine sense, clearly preparing for something.


    mo hua, cautious not to startle the snake, did not dare to spy too closely.


    but he knew that zhang quan was sure to be up to something.


    he was acting just like mo hua himself did when planning mischief.


    indeed, a few days later, one night, while lu chengyun was busy with clan affairs and had left the corpse mine, zhang quan snuck out as well. sear?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua quickly made himself invisible, left his own room, and went straight to the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar to wait for him.


    in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, zhang quan entered the altar.


    mo hua still hid behind the altar, secretly watching him.


    seeing no one around, zhang quan, sneaky and a little on edge, removed a bronze coffin nail from his storage bag.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately understood.


    "so it¡¯s the coffin nail!"


    this coffin nail was both a key and contained a pattern.


    normal coffin nails are for sealing coffins, but this one was for opening them.


    zhang quan took out the nail, measured along the coffin lid, found a spot three inches from the edge, and nailed it into the bronze coffin.


    then, a flicker of aura appeared on the bronze coffin.


    it seemed that something had been unlocked.


    zhang quan was overjoyed and instantly lifted the lid, revealing the inside of the coffin, which was adorned with a blood formation.


    zhang quan then took out a dagger, sliced open his palm, and allowed his blood to flow into the grooves of the coffin.


    once the grooves were filled with blood, zhang quan took out a corpse controlling bell.


    this corpse bell, neither stone nor wood, nor bronze nor iron, was pitch-black, with pattern lines as sinister as those on the bronze coffin inside.


    zhang quan rang the corpse bell.


    the sound was muffled and strange, like a zombie whispering.


    after ringing the bell for a while, zhang quan continued with the blood feeding ritual, then rang the corpse bell again, taking bizarre steps around the bronze coffin in reverse.


    feeding blood, ringing the bell, walking in reverse.


    he chanted under his breath.


    though mo hua didn¡¯t quite understand, based on his prior research and what he had learned from lu ming about corpse refining, he guessed this to be a special corpse control method within the corpse refinement arts.


    indeed, after seven rounds of blood feeding, seven rings of the bell, and seven reverse circuits,


    the sound of a heartbeat emerged from the bronze coffin.


    this was the heartbeat of the dead.


    distinguishable from the heartbeat of the living, it was sinister and eerie.


    just listening to it made mo hua feel uncomfortable, his own heart feeling slightly suffocated.


    fortunately, this heart only throbbed faintly for a moment and then stopped.


    zhang quan, however, was thrilled.


    he resealed the coffin, retrieved the coffin nail, looked around to be sure no one was there and that he hadn¡¯t left any other traces, then snorted coldly and left the vast, empty altar.


    behind the altar, however, mo hua peeked out his head.

 Chapter 507: Coffin Nail (1)

    "coffin nail..."mo hua ran to the front of the bronze coffin, remembering the position measured by zhang quan, and indeed found a small groove at the edge of the coffin lid.


    the groove was closed.


    one must insert a bronze coffin nail to open the bronze coffin.


    inside the groove, formation patterns were carved, but since it was closed, the patterns were hidden, so mo hua hadn¡¯t noticed them at first.


    how to open it?


    ordinary coffin nails are used to seal wooden coffins.


    but this bronze coffin, contrary to typical practice, uses coffin nails to open the coffin.


    this coffin nail is the key.


    lu chengyun should have one in his possession.


    and it seems that zhang quan also has one.


    mo hua furrowed his brow.


    lu chengyun was suspicious by nature; he would definitely not keep two keys for something as important as the corpse king¡¯s coffin.


    the key in zhang quan¡¯s hands must have been kept secretly by him.


    mo hua surveyed the bronze coffin once more.


    this bronze coffin, with its archaic style and verdigris patina, looked very old; it was probably used for refining ancient corpses, and if he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, it should have been handed down from the ancestors of the zhang family.


    zhang quan gave this bronze coffin to lu chengyun to use but also kept back a trick by retaining a key, which is that bronze nail.


    it seems both men were harboring their own devious plans, each wary of the other.


    the coffin nail is the key to the bronze coffin...


    the problem now was, how could he acquire the coffin nail?


    mo hua delved into deep contemplation, frowning.


    there was no way he could get the one from lu chengyun.


    there was a slight chance to get zhang quan¡¯s, but the risk was great...


    zhang quan despised him to the bone, and especially after the incident at corpse walking stronghold, when the corpse controlling bell and the ancestral portrait were stolen, he would certainly carry important items with him to avoid another opportunity slipping by.


    mo hua sighed.


    being concealed had its disadvantages.


    when others were unguarded, his abilities worked without fail.


    but once they were on the alert, he faced obstacles everywhere.


    unable to think of a good idea for the time being, mo hua could only go back for now and then repeatedly ponder the situation.


    but he really couldn¡¯t think of any methods.


    neither lu chengyun nor zhang quan provided him with any opportunities.


    with no progress, mo hua was somewhat at a loss for a moment, casually thinking that maybe he should just return for now and make long-term plans?


    after thinking it over, he went to find lu chengyun and said,


    "family head lu, i¡¯ve completed the formation eye of the formation of ten thousand corpses. i have stayed in this mine for quite some time, and it is both boring and dull; may i return first?"


    as expected, lu chengyun did not agree, but instead replied with a gentle smile,


    "junior gentleman, please be patient. although the formation eye of the formation of ten thousand corpses has been constructed, the formation has not begun operating, and i don¡¯t know if there are any flaws. i request that junior gentleman stay for a few more days."


    "but... i¡¯m worried that junior brother and junior sister might be concerned," mo hua expressed, hesitating.


    lu chengyun chuckled,


    "in just another half month, once the formation is operating, i will send junior gentleman back."


    "alright, family head, you¡¯d better not break your promise..."


    mo hua said helplessly.


    lu chengyun nodded, "definitely."


    mo hua then walked away somewhat dejectedly.


    lu chengyun, watching mo hua¡¯s back, completely let down his guard.


    he¡¯s really just a child...


    one who is heavily influenced by childish nature, can¡¯t stand loneliness, and is somewhat playful.


    moods of happiness and anger are all visible in their expressions.


    whether happy or unhappy, it¡¯s easy to tell.


    "so young and inexperienced, with little depth in scheming..."


    "probably not fit to be a great vessel..."


    lu chengyun shook his head.


    in this tao cultivation world, it isn¡¯t just having talent that smooths the path, nor is it a little bit of cleverness that transforms misfortune into fortune.


    one must endure hardships to be tempered.


    one must take a few tumbles to grow.


    it¡¯s just that if one falls here with me, there will be no opportunity for growth ever again...


    a subtle sneer appeared at the corner of lu chengyun¡¯s mouth.


    afterward, lu chengyun became even more indulgent towards mo hua, even somewhat overindulgent.


    no matter what mo hua did, he would not get angry.


    he also seldom used his divine sense to keep an eye on mo hua.


    a trace of foreboding arose in mo hua¡¯s heart. experience tales at empire


    this kind of indulgence was a bit like the indulgence given to a dead man.


    it was like the "last meal" of a condemned prisoner, which was always more lavish than usual.


    lu chengyun harbored murderous intentions and regarded him as a dead man, so it didn¡¯t matter what he did.


    mo hua shook his head, inwardly mocking,


    "this lu chengyun, appearing so magnanimous, yet who would have thought he could be so narrow-minded."


    "even to me, a thirteen-year-old formation prodigy who is as harmless as an animal, how could he bear to strike..."


    "or is it because my talent is too good that jealousy arises in his heart?"


    "really, only mediocrity escapes jealousy..."


    mo hua sighed internally and thought a bit conceitedly.


    since lu chengyun would not let him leave, mo hua simply couldn¡¯t go for the time being and decided to stay, continuing to plot against the bronze coffin.


    "if you won¡¯t let me leave, then i will overturn your coffin!"


    mo hua thought fiercely to himself.


    in the following days, mo hua would squat at the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar every night, secretly watching lu chengyun and zhang quan.


    the two of them, as if by agreement, alternated with one visiting one day and the other the next.


    lu chengyun would open the coffin to draw the spirit pivot evil formation.


    zhang quan would open the coffin, performing blood oaths and ringing bells to control zombies.


    each had their own method of trying to control the corpse king.


    it made mo hua quite curious as to whom the corpse king would listen to once it was refined.


    besides, mo hua¡¯s attention was mainly focused on that bronze coffin nail.


    he carefully memorized the size, length, material, and formation patterns on the nail.


    whenever zhang quan opened the coffin, exposing the inside pattern, mo hua would start his calculations: first, to deduce what kind of pattern it was that sealed the bronze coffin.


    second, he deduced what kind of formation was carved on the coffin nail?


    after several days of stealthy observation and secretive calculation by mo hua, he finally understood, but it also greatly disappointed him.


    he had thought that since the bronze coffin was sealed so tightly, the formation inside it must be some high-end formation.


    to his surprise, it turned out to be just two simple bronze lock formations, one positive, one negative, neither higher than first grade, with seven patterns.


    mo hua suddenly realized that he had overlooked something.


    this bronze coffin was passed down by the zhang family.


    the zhang family had inherited the corpse path, but they had no foundation in formations.


    in other words, the entire family was "formation blind."


    what kind of high-end formation could possibly be in something left behind by their ancestors?


    he had overestimated them...


    mo hua shook his head, deeply disappointed in the zhang family.


    now that he knew the sealing formation of the coffin and the construction for unlocking on the coffin nails, things would be much simpler.


    mo hua thought for a moment and mused to himself:


    "since i can¡¯t steal the key, i might as well make one."


    after all, the core was the formation; as long as he understood formations, everything else would naturally fall into place.


    the only question was whether the material of the coffin nails also mattered, whether they also needed to be cast from bronze...


    if that were the case, then there was no suitable formation media at hand.


    mo hua decided to first try with something else.


    the coffin nails were, strictly speaking, a type of evil artifact.


    mo hua did not understand artifact refining, much less refining evil artifacts, so making a coffin nail by himself was definitely impossible.


    his only option was to "borrow."


    in the midst of the stone palace, with so many coffins and coffin nails, it should be alright to borrow from any old coffin.


    but there was a knack to "borrowing."


    he couldn¡¯t borrow from an iron corpse¡¯s coffin.


    iron corpses were sealed in iron coffins, which were rare. borrowing a nail from an iron coffin meant it was easy to get caught and risk initiating a corpse transformation.


    therefore, he had no other choice but to borrow from an ordinary wooden coffin first.


    among the vast array of coffins within the formation of ten thousand corpses, mo hua chose one that was ancient and worn.


    there were seven coffin nails hammered into the wooden coffin.


    inside the coffin lay a walking corpse.


    using a formation, mo hua first drained away the evil power of the walking corpse and dispelled its corpse qi. then he drew a wooden prison formation to temporarily seal its corpse so it wouldn¡¯t lose control if it transformed.


    then came the task of removing the nails.


    the nails on an ordinary wooden coffin were iron and firmly hammered into the coffin lid. sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua selected one that wasn¡¯t much different in size and tried to pull it out with his hands but couldn¡¯t budge it.


    that¡¯s when he remembered he was a spiritual cultivator, not a body cultivator; his strength was very weak.


    helplessly, mo hua had no choice but to call over the little zombie.


    the little zombie pushed off the coffin lid, hopped and bounced over to mo hua, and effortlessly pulled out the iron nail from the wooden coffin according to mo hua¡¯s wishes.


    mo hua nodded, dipped a brush lightly in ink, and drew the unlocking bronze lock formation on the coffin nail.


    then he inserted the coffin nail into the hidden recess on the bronze coffin.


    the coffin lid fluttered slightly but did not open.


    mo hua observed for a moment.


    he discovered the size of the iron nail wasn¡¯t entirely fit; a little bit protruded on the outside, but it seemed to work. however, because of the size mismatch, the formation patterns of the bronze lock formation didn¡¯t align, so the coffin couldn¡¯t be opened.


    mo hua removed the coffin nail, wiped off the formation patterns, adjusted slightly, and then redrew them.


    this time, it indeed worked.


    the bronze coffin gave a faint "creak" as though an internal lock had fallen off, initiating some mechanism. simultaneously, the formations under the coffin lid also matched and unsealed.


    mo hua pushed the coffin lid and found it was still quite difficult, and somewhat exasperated, he had to call the little zombie over again for help.


    the little zombie hopped over again and helped mo hua lift the coffin lid.


    underneath the lid was a bronze outer coffin.


    it was the same scene mo hua had witnessed when he sneaked a peek at lu chengyun drawing the spirit pivot evil formation.


    what was different this time were the formations inside; they were darker in blood color and the lines were deeper.


    mo hua studied the bronze outer coffin carefully.


    he deduced each formation on it, cogitated meticulously, and combined this with the corpse refinement techniques he had previously learned, forming a rough understanding in his mind.


    the method to refine a "corpse king" was indeed special.


    the heart and corpse were separate.


    inside the bronze coffin was the heart of the lu family old ancestor.


    while covered with a yellow cloth on the sacrificial altar was the corpse of the lu family old ancestor with the heart removed.


    these two required different techniques.


    one was refining, the other was a ritual.


    the ritual needed an altar.


    refining, on the other hand, required a coffin, human blood, and a formation.


    once the "ritual" and "refining" were complete, the corpse king would be truly refined.


    what lu chengyun did was inscribe the spirit pivot evil formation on the zombie¡¯s heart vessels.


    he deepened the formation repeatedly.


    to deeply imprint this formation into the heart vessels of the lu family old ancestor.


    to have complete control over it.


    mo hua stroked his chin, pondering:


    "if lu chengyun can inscribe it, doesn¡¯t that mean i can too?"


    "but if i do so, he will surely discover it..."


    "then should i overwrite his formation?"


    "draw the same formation patterns that he did, except he uses human blood and drives them with evil power, and i¡¯ll use ink and drive them with spiritual power."


    "then cover his formation, overwrite his formation patterns..."


    however, doing so, even though the formation patterns remained the same, the essence of them would change.


    it would shift from evil power to spiritual energy, which would be more subtle, but lu chengyun might still notice it if he was careful and vigilant...


    mo hua frowned slightly.


    once lu chengyun discovered that someone had tampered with the bronze coffin, things would become complicated...


    suddenly, mo hua paused in thought.


    he intended to fiddle with the inside of the bronze coffin.


    but zhang quan had already tampered inside it.


    his divine sense was strong, his concealment was powerful, he knew the spiritual pivot formation, and he had a little zombie to open doors, all of which lu chengyun was completely unaware of.


    if lu chengyun was to be suspicious, he would probably suspect zhang quan.


    after pondering for a while, mo hua came up with a plan:


    first, overwrite it and see how lu chengyun would react.


    if he became suspicious, then stop.


    if he wasn¡¯t suspicious, then continue...


    to also add a layer of my control to the corpse king!


    lu chengyun¡¯s spirit pivot evil formation, my own soul pivot ultimate formation, and zhang quan¡¯s corpse controlling ancient bell.


    tripartite control over the corpse.


    even if ultimately the control wasn¡¯t in my hands, it wouldn¡¯t fall entirely into lu chengyun¡¯s either.


    as long as he couldn¡¯t completely control the corpse king, couldn¡¯t mobilize all the iron corpses at the same time, the overall strength of corpse cultivation would be significantly diminished.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes glinted as he started to write, surreptitiously overwriting lu chengyun¡¯s formation patterns...

 Chapter 508: Little Yellow Sparrow (1)

    the next day, at the hour of 2 a.m., lu chengyun returned to the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar, filled with coffins, to perform the drawing formation again.mo hua, however, hid behind the altar, secretly watching him.


    lu chengyun, as ever, opened a coffin, took up a bone pen, poured out blood ink, and began painting the formation with blood. but as soon as the brush touched the surface, his brow furrowed.


    he stared at the formation for a long time, his frown deepening, and finally murmured,


    "no ¡­"


    "no ¡­"


    "this formation ¡­ there¡¯s a problem ¡­"


    a chill went down mo hua¡¯s spine.


    he had indeed been discovered.


    lu chengyun continued, still puzzled,


    "who altered my formation?"


    "who has the ability to change the formation i¡¯ve drawn?"


    "and who could slip into the corpse mine under my watch, sneak into the sacrificial altar, open the bronze coffin, and alter the spiritual pivot evil formation i drew, the first-class, twelve-pattern?"


    doubt flickered in lu chengyun¡¯s eyes.


    suddenly, he jolted with realization,


    "could there be someone in this altar?"


    he quickly released his divine sense, scanning the surroundings.


    mo hua shrank his little head, earnestly concealing his presence.


    lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense swept over the formation, the coffins, the altar, and even over him, finding nothing.


    after scanning several times, lu chengyun finally began to relax.


    "am i being overly suspicious ¡­"


    lu chengyun murmured with a frown.


    such a thing seemed almost inconceivable ¡­


    if someone really could accomplish it, that person¡¯s cultivation would surely be profound and their methods unfathomable.


    such a senior cultivator wouldn¡¯t need to resort to such underhanded tactics to deal with him; if they confronted him openly, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance ¡­


    "the formation ¡­ mo hua?"


    lu chengyun suddenly thought of mo hua.


    in the entire corpse mine, only mo hua possessed skills in formation next to his own.


    could it be mo hua who altered his spiritual pivot evil formation?


    "no, he doesn¡¯t have the power,"


    lu chengyun declared decisively.


    the spiritual pivot formation of the first class with twelve patterns requires a twelve-pattern foundation establishment divine sense.


    mo hua, this small cultivator, though strong in divine sense, is after all still in qi refinement, at most with ten patterns, perhaps not even that much.


    divine sense is the foundation of a formation master.


    without twelve patterns in divine sense and without using evil methods or borrowing another¡¯s divine sense, he surely would not be able to draw out the spiritual pivot formation.


    and this little cultivator, with an aura pure and flawless like uncarved jade, must not have cultivated evil skills nor ever drawn an evil formation.


    besides, it was impossible for him to have learned the spiritual pivot formation.


    this was the ultimate formation of the first class with twelve patterns, transcending rank. lu himself had researched it for nearly a hundred years, and even with the help of demon gate techniques to lower the difficulty, he had only just managed to complete the formation. your journey continues on empire


    this little brat didn¡¯t even have a formation diagram. how could he learn it, how could he draw it?


    as for the formation patterns, he had indeed seen them ¡­


    but that was only a fleeting glance at the formation diagram, and occasionally seeing lu chengyun painting the formation a few times when nothing else demanded his attention.


    if he could learn it that way, it would be an utter fantasy.


    no matter how high his talent, it can¡¯t be this effortless ¡­


    if he could learn just by looking a few times, then what was the point of his many years of study in formations?


    lu chengyun shook his head.


    "it can¡¯t be him ¡­"


    if not mo hua, then only one man was left ¡­


    "zhang quan!"


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze became gradually sharper.


    he looked again at the formation on the bronze coffin, his thoughts stirring subtly.


    the energy in the formation had changed, the evil aura had faded.


    but the patterns remained unchanged.


    this indicated that it was very likely not the formation that had been altered, but rather someone had used other means to diminish his control over the corpse king, thereby weakening the formation¡¯s efficacy and diluting the evil power ¡­


    this was corpse refinement technique!


    among all the corpse cultivators in the corpse mine, it was naturally zhang quan who was most skilled in corpse refinement.


    even this bronze coffin had been handed down from the ancestors of the zhang family.


    zhang quan knew it better than him, and it would make sense for him to fiddle behind lu¡¯s back, appearing to be quite reasonable.


    "zhang quan ¡­"


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze turned cold as he silently said the name.


    he was aware that zhang quan had ulterior motives.


    moreover, the two had very different ideas on how to use the corpse king.


    zhang quan had a narrow vision and limited understanding, just like other ordinary corpse cultivators, only knowing to refine corpses and kill, kill and refine corpses, fixated on establishing a demon gate to "bring glory to the ancestors", blind to the true nature of this world.


    originally, lu chengyun hadn¡¯t bothered about it.


    after all, the corpse refinement skills of the zhang family were still of great use to him.


    but if zhang quan dared overstep the bounds and covet the corpse king, messing up his grand scheme, then no one could blame him for the consequences ¡­


    lu chengyun¡¯s smile turned sinister.


    behind the altar, mo hua heard lu chengyun say he "lacked the strength" and then listened to him speak zhang quan¡¯s name; a fox-like grin appeared on his face.


    but lu chengyun was clearly still uneasy ¡­


    the next day, he asked mo hua to adjust the formation eye of the formation of ten thousand corpses, and at the same time, he opened the bronze coffin and started painting the formation.


    mo hua, as usual, peeked stealthily into the bronze coffin.


    his gaze was full of curiosity and confusion.


    there was nothing else unusual.


    lu chengyun frowned, then asked, "little gentleman, what do you think of this formation?"


    mo hua nodded, "it¡¯s very profound!"


    "can you understand it?"


    mo hua mumbled, "i can understand... a bit."


    however, when saying this, he clearly seemed somewhat guilty.


    he probably didn¡¯t understand anything but wanted to save face, so he pretended to know a little.


    lu chengyun thought to himself.


    then mo hua appeared to remember something, innocently saying:


    "right, lu family head, you said that once the formation eye is painted, you would teach me this formation. can you teach me now?"


    mo hua looked at lu chengyun with clear eyes.


    lu chengyun¡¯s expression was slightly startled.


    the look in mo hua¡¯s eyes was too pure...


    so pure that even suspecting him made one feel guilty.


    "this naive child really believes that i would teach him the formation?"


    lu chengyun sighed to himself before saying gently:


    "you can¡¯t learn it now. wait until your divine sense becomes stronger..."


    "oh."


    mo hua felt somewhat disappointed and left, but he would occasionally look back, his gaze lingering reluctantly.


    seeing this, lu chengyun¡¯s suspicions were dispelled, and he firmly thought to himself:


    "it must be zhang quan!"


    the person who tampered with the bronze coffin had to be zhang quan!


    mo hua, this little cultivator, may be a bit clever, but his gaze is clear, and he¡¯s not scheming enough to play too many tricks.


    the only person who could pull off such maneuvers under his watch was zhang quan!


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyes were sharp, his mind inscrutable.


    in a place he was not aware of, mo hua had his back to him, his silhouette seemingly disheartened, but the little face was secretly smiling...


    ...


    in the following days, lu chengyun kept his composure, but his gaze towards zhang quan was tinged with a hidden chill.


    zhang quan, feeling guilty, noticed none of it.


    but all this was seen by the seemingly innocent mo hua.


    ...


    one night, at the hour of 2 a.m.


    in the desolate and silent ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar.


    the mural rippled open, revealing a door, and zhang quan tiptoed inside.


    he looked around to ensure there was nobody in the altar before opening up the bronze coffin, cutting his hand with a knife, feeding the corpse with blood, walking backwards, chanting spells, and ringing the bell to summon the corpses...


    this series of corpse controlling spells, he had been casting for several days now.


    inside the bronze coffin, the corpse king¡¯s heartbeat grew more vigorous and powerful, filled with a might that struck fear and submissiveness in the other corpses.


    after finishing the ritual, zhang quan¡¯s face was pale, his forehead starting to sweat.


    this set of spells required more blood as it progressed, and the refining process became increasingly strenuous.


    but if he could control the corpse king, it would all be worth it.


    zhang quan closed the coffin lid, sneered, and left the altar...


    the eerie altar returned to dead silence.


    a moment later, a figure slowly emerged from behind the altar, dressed in ornate clothes, his face gloomy.


    it was lu chengyun.


    he glanced at the mural before walking over to the bronze coffin, unsealing the lid, and inspecting the formation on the bronze casket.


    the strength of the formation had indeed weakened. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    at the same time, the heartbeat of the zombie grew slightly stronger.


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyes were cold as he silently took out a bone pen, dipped it in human blood, and reinforced the formation to suppress the power of the corpse controlling bell.


    after finishing, he sealed the coffin again.


    lu chengyun sneered as well, then left the altar.


    the altar became silent once more.


    not long after lu chengyun left, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a small head peeked out from above the altar.


    the praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.


    mo hua was the little oriole.


    as lu chengyun hid behind the altar, watching zhang quan, he hid on the stone beam above lu chengyun¡¯s head, watching them both.


    now that both zhang quan and lu chengyun had left.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze brightened slightly. he leaped down nimbly from the altar, then came before the bronze coffin and used his homemade coffin nail to unseal the formation, opening the bronze coffin and then summoning a small zombie to help him push the lid off.


    underneath the coffin lid was the casket.


    atop the casket was the formation lu chengyun had just reinforced.


    mo hua then took out his ink and brush, overlaying his own formation onto lu chengyun¡¯s spiritual pivot evil formation...


    zhang quan was refining a corpse.


    lu chengyun was drawing formation.


    mo hua was overlaying a formation.


    this scene played out in turns in the altar.


    until more than half a month later, when the corpse king was about to be refined and emerge from the coffin...


    and after receiving a message from mo hua, the undercurrents in south yue city had been turbulent for more than half a month, with a sense of trepidation and gravity as if a mountain storm were about to break...


    within the minor wilderness state boundary.


    it appeared to be clear skies and sunlight, but in an instant, a storm was about to hit.

 Chapter 509: Undercurrent (1)

    south yue city, deep into the night.in the residence of the situ family, there appeared an elderly man with white hair.


    he sat at the table, his expression solemn; the tea on the table had cooled, yet he hadn¡¯t had the chance to take a single sip.


    situ fang, with her eyebrows slightly furrowed, asked,


    "elder wang, what did the clan say?"


    the old man, known as situ wang, frowned and sighed,


    "the clan can¡¯t spare any manpower..."


    situ fang furrowed her brows and said, "our situ family is, after all, a third-rank clan; it¡¯s impossible that they can¡¯t even spare over ten foundation establishment cultivators. could it be that the clan doesn¡¯t believe it?"


    elder situ wang nodded his head, "that¡¯s part of the reason."


    he let out a sigh, "eighty iron corpses, tens of thousands of walking corpses, this... it¡¯s preposterous..."


    the entire second-grade prefecture boundary might not be able to muster the strength to combat such a force.


    situ fang let out a small sigh.


    she didn¡¯t quite believe it either, or rather, she didn¡¯t dare to.


    but this news had been scouted by mo hua and was delivered by the siblings of the bai family; even if she didn¡¯t dare believe it, she also knew it was highly unlikely to be false.


    mo hua¡¯s actions were always unexpected.


    though young, he was sometimes audaciously bold.


    yet, his actions were often well-calculated and thought-out.


    since knowing mo hua, the words he spoke and the actions he took were always reliable, and they shouldn¡¯t be false.


    it¡¯s just that others might not believe...


    situ wang said, "i heard that this news was scouted by a young cultivator?"


    situ fang nodded her head.


    "how old is he?"


    there was a pause from situ fang before she responded in a low voice, "thirteen..."


    situ wang looked somewhat at a loss, helplessly saying, "thirteen years old... even if i believed it, the clan wouldn¡¯t... thirteen years old..."


    situ wang shook his head.


    cultivators have long lifespans.


    cultivators from clans are even more so wealthy in reserves and advantageous in conditions.


    generally, cultivators under the age of twenty all look quite young and are still considered children.


    a thirteen-year-old child uncovering such a major incident, even situ wang was uncertain.


    however, he and situ fang shared the same lineage, and he had watched her grow up since she was a child; knowing her character, he had made this trip personally to assess the situation.


    situ fang had no choice but to say,


    "mo hua is a first-grade formation master."


    situ wang was startled, "who?"


    "the young cultivator you mentioned."


    situ wang¡¯s palm trembled, "thirteen years old? a first-grade formation master?"


    situ fang nodded.


    situ wang, having lost his elder¡¯s composure, couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice, "is that true?"


    situ fang helplessly replied, "would i really lie to you? if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask elder jin."


    mo hua was young, and his talents were too high, which easily attracted envy and hatred.


    situ fang chose not to spread word about it widely; within the situ family, only situ fang and two elders who had seen mo hua were aware of this.


    situ wang appeared somewhat lost in thought, then muttered to himself,


    "thirteen years old, a first-grade formation master... how on earth is that young cultivator¡¯s mind constructed..."


    situ fang said,


    "now, his words should carry some weight, right..."


    situ wang, with furrowed brows, pondered for a moment before he slightly nodded,


    "if that is indeed the case, then we cannot regard him as any ordinary young cultivator. a first-grade formation master, even in the second-grade prefecture boundary, is still a person of stature and wouldn¡¯t joke about such matters..."


    situ fang¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, "then elder..."


    but situ wang shook his head, "i can only do my best to argue for it, but whether the clan agrees or not, it¡¯s not for me to decide." s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "is it because of the undead calamity?" situ fang frowned and asked. explore new worlds at empire


    "correct..." situ wang sighed, "this matter is too dangerous..."


    "iron corpses so strong, and that many walking corpses, if they are manipulated to form a corpse tide, it would be extremely terrifying."


    "zombies are unlike ordinary cultivators..."


    "facing cultivators in battle, being injured is usually not a big concern; find some way to treat it and usually, it¡¯s okay."


    "but fighting against zombies, once injured and bleeding, contaminated by corpse qi and the heart attacked by corpse poison, if it spreads, the consequences become completely uncontrollable..."


    there was a deep horror in situ wang¡¯s eyes.


    situ fang fell silent too.


    "moreover, there¡¯s another most important issue..."


    situ wang looked at situ fang, hesitant to speak, but after some thought, he still spoke bluntly,


    "this matter, for our situ family, holds no benefits."


    situ fang¡¯s expression turned stagnant upon hearing this.


    situ wang said in silence, "the situ family, generation after generation has been in charge, with ancestors starting from the demon suppressing court of the taoist court, firm and upright in conduct, incorruptible..."


    "but no matter what, a clan is still a clan, and its interest must come first..."


    "this matter has few benefits."


    situ wang paused, then added,


    "at least, in the face of risk, this benefit is not significant..."


    truly exterminating the corpse mine and suppressing the thousands of zombies does indeed confer great merit.


    but the cost and risk involved are manifold.


    in the corpse tide commanded by the corpse king and the iron corpses, the cultivators sent by the situ family could completely perish¡ªit¡¯s a possibility.


    the situ family cannot afford this risk.


    "then the taoist court..." situ fang frowned.


    "the taoist court is the same," situ wang said, "even if the taoist court is aware and believes it, after weighing the pros and cons, they also might not take significant action."


    situ wang spoke gravely, "the taoist court is more complicated than our situ family, with the distribution of power, entanglement of interests, too convoluted to sort out..."


    seeing that situ fang didn¡¯t quite understand, situ wang clarified,


    "in terms of principle, according to the taoist law, annihilating zombies and eliminating demons is obligatory."


    "but practically speaking, this matter is fraught with difficulties."

 Chapter 510: Undercurrents (2)

    "to eradicate the corpse mine, we¡¯ll need the deployment of taoist soldiers and spirit stones.""who will send the taoist soldiers? who will provide the spirit stones?"


    "if taoist soldiers set out, they¡¯ll require logistics; should they die or get injured, compensations must be provided. and all the mobilization of manpower and resources before and after can¡¯t be done without spirit stones."


    "should there be heavy casualties, a huge responsibility must be assumed."


    "once the matter is successful, and credit is earned, suddenly many people will appear to share in the credit, even those unrelated will reach out, wanting a piece of the pie..."


    "taking huge risks, bearing great responsibility, paying a steep price to eradicate the corpse mine, and in the end, it¡¯s very likely the credit will go to someone else..."


    "who would be willing to do such a thing?"


    situ wang sighed and said,


    "unless the lu family really committed a tabboo, openly walking the path of heretical demons, enraging the taoist court enough to issue a decree for suppression, otherwise these court officials, both high and low, who are overstaffed and underworked, would never pick up this hot potato..."


    situ fang sighed in disappointment.


    situ wang looked at situ fang with a hint of pity.


    though situ fang¡¯s talent was not outstanding, she was the most righteous, most eager to learn, and had the strongest sense of responsibility among their disciples of this lineage.


    such a disciple was more worthwhile to nurture than those who had high talent but flawed characters.


    moreover, as they came from the same lineage and she being an elder, situ wang was not very keen on letting her take risks.


    "the waters of south yue city are too muddy; even if we could wade through them, there¡¯s no need to soil ourselves..."


    situ wang pondered for a moment, then diplomatically said,


    "fang girl, if i were to have my way, you should take this opportunity to leave as well..."


    his brows were deeply furrowed:


    "should the situation really deteriorate and turn urgent, this whole south yue city could turn into a living hell. by then, no one can guarantee your safety..."


    "you should also cherish your path of tao cultivation..."


    situ fang was momentarily stunned, then gratefully said, "thank you, uncle wang!"


    but after thinking it over, she shook her head:


    "i am a supervisor of south yue city. although my cultivation isn¡¯t high, i have duties to perform, and i must do what¡¯s expected of me."


    situ wang frowned, "but some tasks are impossible to carry out..."


    "if it¡¯s truly impossible," said situ fang, "then i¡¯ll consider leaving."


    situ wang fell silent for a while, then sighed,


    "it must be so, then."


    he took out a jade slip, feeling helpless,


    "i¡¯ll write another letter back to our clan, to urge them to consider the bigger picture and send some more people here if they can, and to make some moves on the part of taoist soldiers court too..."


    "but how much help there will be, that can only be left to fate..."


    situ fang was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed, "thank you, uncle!"


    seeing situ fang like this, situ wang felt both relieved and emotional, but upon thinking of the corpse mine, his gaze filled with concern, and his expression was far from optimistic.


    eighty iron corpses, tens of thousands of walking corpses, ah...


    a single misstep could turn into a catastrophe for the entire state boundary...


    situ wang shook his head and sighed, "difficult, indeed..."


    ...


    in south yue city, south yue sect, within an incense-filled tea room,


    the sect leader of south yue sect was in confidential conversation with elder su.


    the sect leader of south yue sect, named zhao, was in the mid-stage of foundation establishment, over two hundred eighty years old, having reigned over the south yue sect for one hundred and ten years, and he held considerable prestige within the sect.


    "have you heard about the lu family¡¯s matter?"


    after they finished their tea, sect master zhao came straight to the point.


    elder su frowned, "which matter is the sect leader referring to?"


    "the matter of the mine." sect master zhao said.


    elder su pondered for a moment, then slowly said,


    "i¡¯ve only heard some rumors..."


    sect master zhao drank his tea, staying silent.


    seeing that he could not discern anything from sect master zhao¡¯s face, elder su weighed his words and asked,


    "does the lu family... really have problems?"


    sect master zhao glanced at him and spoke indifferently,


    "does the lu family have no issues, being able to occupy so many mines, manage to open up jinhua street, earn so many spirit stones, and live a life of luxury and indulgence?"


    "without engaging in production but making a huge profit, it¡¯s likely there are issues in nine out of ten cases."


    elder su¡¯s expression grew solemn, "what issues could the lu family have?"


    sect master zhao shook his head slightly, "it¡¯s just some idle rumors without any solid information, i shouldn¡¯t speak carelessly."


    he looked at elder su and continued,


    "i know you have quite a relationship with lu chengyun, and i called you here to entrust you with some matters."


    elder su said respectfully,


    "please, sect master, give me your instruction!"


    sect master zhao nodded slightly, then lowered his voice and said,


    "our south yue sect, from top to bottom, has good relations with the lu family, is related by interests, and has received no small amount of spirit stones from them..."


    elder su frowned and asked,


    "does the sect master mean that, because we¡¯ve received spirit stones from the lu family, we should form an alliance with them?"


    sect master zhao shook his head, his voice carrying significant meaning,


    "what i mean is, even though we have accepted the lu family¡¯s spirit stones, we must not be single-minded and stand on the same boat with the lu family..."


    elder su was taken aback, "isn¡¯t that somewhat... dishonorable?" continue reading at empire


    sect master zhao shook his head, "sect interests come before honor."


    "but aren¡¯t the spirit stones from the lu family also interests?"


    sect master zhao explained,


    "spirit stones are indeed interests, but they are only short-term profits. the survival and continuation of the sect are the fundamental interests."


    "the abundance of spirit stones can indeed bring temporary prosperity."


    "but if we compromise our moral and ethical stances on good and evil for spirit stones and it affects the life and death of our sect, we must decisively forgo the lesser profits for the greater good!" s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    elder su pondered deeply, struck by the realization.


    sect master zhao sighed,


    "many cultivators don¡¯t understand this principle."


    "that¡¯s why in south yue city, sects and families rise and fall, but only our south yue city has survived for hundreds of years."


    "the lu family won¡¯t last as long as we have."


    sect master zhao looked at elder su and reminded him,


    "speak of interests when it¡¯s time to discuss interests, and uphold principles when it¡¯s time to talk about principles."


    "do not sacrifice principles for profits, or it will lead to great disaster!"


    elder su nodded solemnly, "sect master, i have taken it to heart."


    sect master zhao breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed with satisfaction,


    "i¡¯m past my prime, and the position of sect master will have to be passed on sooner or later. you might not be as cunning as others, but you are loyal and proficient in formations. with some honing, perhaps the position of sect master of our south yue sect will be yours one day..."


    elder su never expected to hear such words, and couldn¡¯t help asking,


    "sect master, are you... just leading me on?"


    sect master zhao glared at him, "do you think i make such gestures to just anyone? i have high hopes for you!"


    elder su quickly bowed and said,


    "yes, yes!"


    afterward, sect master zhao gave him a few more instructions.


    before leaving, elder su was still somewhat puzzled,


    "sect master, regarding the matter with the lu family, what exactly should our south yue sect do?"


    falling out with the lu family would be unwise.


    acting in complete collusion with the lu family was not very secure either.


    sect master zhao then gave specific advice,


    "if the lu family doesn¡¯t cause a stir, we¡¯ll pretend as if nothing happened, continue to take the spirit stones, doing business as usual when it¡¯s time to discuss interests."


    "but if the lu family does stir trouble, we must distinguish ourselves clearly from them, and even be prepared to suppress them at all costs. this is adhering to principles when it¡¯s time to talk about principles..."


    elder su finally understood.


    he was truly worthy of being the sect master; he was very flexible in handling interests and principles.

 Chapter 511: Calculated (1)

    "i have already issued an order that, within one month, disciples and elders of our sect are forbidden to have dealings with the lu family. as for what to do afterward, we¡¯ll base our decision on how the situation develops..."sect master zhao¡¯s expression was somber, and then he glanced at elder su:


    "you also shouldn¡¯t interact too much with lu chengyun. he¡¯s too cunning for you to handle..."


    after sect master zhao finished speaking, he promptly offered tea to see the guest off.


    elder su left the tea room with a slight sigh.


    in the past, he had had a favorable impression of lu chengyun. both being formation masters, they got along well, often drinking tea together, discussing the tao, and even enjoying pleasure quarters together.


    however, he never imagined that beneath lu chengyun¡¯s genteel appearance lay such a heart of darkness...


    indeed, it is true that one can know someone¡¯s face but not their heart.


    feeling a pang of regret, elder su thought of mo hua, and a sense of regret washed over him.


    if he had known this would happen, he would not have told lu chengyun all of mo hua¡¯s information and gotten himself into lu chengyun¡¯s schemes...


    the more elder su thought about it, the more regretful he became, causing him to look up towards the mines with a worried expression, muttering to himself:


    "i wonder if mr. little mo will be alright..."


    "and whether we¡¯ll ever be able to have tea together again..."


    elder su sighed.


    ...


    "little junior brother won¡¯t be in trouble, will he..."


    bai zisheng sat under the big tree in the courtyard, frowning, filled with concern.


    "he hasn¡¯t been back for a long time. i¡¯ve been so worried recently that i¡¯ve lost my appetite."


    bai zixi looked at him helplessly:


    "you just find the meals unpalatable and want him to come back to cook, don¡¯t you..."


    bai zisheng responded with a guilty conscience, "i¡¯m worried about his safety. the cooking is secondary!"


    bai zixi glanced at him indifferently and ignored him.


    after a moment¡¯s thought, bai zisheng added:


    "why don¡¯t we just barge in and rescue little junior brother?"


    "we don¡¯t have enough manpower," bai zixi shook her head.


    "how many people do we have now?" bai zisheng asked curiously.


    bai zixi pondered for a moment, her beautiful eyes slightly blinking, and then replied:


    "not counting the situ family and the taoist court, we only have five at the foundation establishment level and sixty in qi refinement."


    bai zisheng was somewhat disappointed, "that¡¯s all... are they people from our bai family?"


    "no, they were hired by aunt xue with flower spirit stones," bai zixi said.


    "what about the people from our bai family?"


    bai zixi looked at him with irritation, "where would we find people from the bai family? we¡¯re in li state, and the bai family is so far away. given the short time, how could they possibly make it here?"


    bai zisheng frowned, "but with so few people, we¡¯re no match for the lu family. how are we going to rescue mo hua?"


    her gaze cool and contemplative, bai zixi said after some thought:


    "we don¡¯t need to rescue him directly. as long as we make a move, little junior brother should be able to find a chance to escape on his own."


    bai zisheng thought about it and nodded, "that¡¯s true."


    his little junior brother was very clever and full of tricks. although lacking somewhat in cultivation, he had many bizarre methods at his disposal.


    he could use the concealment technique and the water passing step.


    with a strong divine sense and expertise in formations.


    ordinary cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to detect him, and ordinary formations couldn¡¯t hold him.


    as long as there was an opportunity, he would definitely be able to slip away...


    bai zisheng breathed a little easier, muttering to himself:


    "he should be fine..."


    bai zixi nodded slightly, her brow furrowed.


    the smiling face of mo hua emerged in her mind.


    she suddenly felt uneasy, her delicate and fair hand unconsciously fiddling with the little tiger in her hand.


    ...


    inside the bamboo room, old kui spoke in a wooden voice:


    "there aren¡¯t enough people, right?"


    mr. zhuang nodded, "not enough."


    curious, old kui inquired, "aren¡¯t you worried?"


    "worried about what?"


    with a dry voice, old kui said:


    "with insufficient manpower, how will you deal with the lu family, how will you resist the corpse tide? you don¡¯t really expect the kid mo hua to solve all of this on his own, do you?"


    "that¡¯s not possible," mr. zhuang said.


    mr. zhuang looked into the distance, slowly adding:


    "sometimes human efforts reach their limits; great undertakings in this world are not the work of one person alone. many things also cannot be resolved by a single individual..."


    "behind every hero stand many unsung individuals."


    mr. zhuang¡¯s expression was reflective.


    old kui furrowed his brow, "say something useful."


    with a click of his tongue, mr. zhuang was somewhat speechless:


    "can¡¯t you let me finish my reflections?"


    old kui said, "you¡¯ve repeated them too many times; my ears have calluses."


    disappointed, mr. zhuang "criticized":


    "can¡¯t you learn from mo? he listens very carefully when i speak these words to him!"


    old kui said in silence: "he is your disciple and needs to show you respect. i don¡¯t."


    "fine," mr. zhuang said helplessly, sighing.


    old kui, wooden in expression, asked, "so, what exactly do you plan to do?"


    this time mr. zhuang spoke candidly:


    "if we don¡¯t have enough people, i¡¯ll call for some help."


    old kui showed a surprised look, "you will call?"


    mr. zhuang nodded.


    with a complex expression, old kui said quietly, "a loner like you still has people willing to help you?"


    mr. zhuang, displeased, retorted, "why am i a loner? i have disciples now, and not just one but three!"


    old kui acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard, his brow furrowed as he said:


    "who are you asking for help?"


    mr. zhuang gave a mysterious smile.


    he took out an ancient copper coin and tossed it gently into the air. the coin tumbled, stirring the qi, and finally descended slowly, returning to the palm of his fair, slender hand.


    the copper coin reversed, and the heavenly secret shifted.


    a trace of qi, almost imperceptible, tugged at causality, rippling outwards.


    old kui was stunned, then his gaze gradually cleared...


    ...


    meanwhile, to the west of minor wilderness state boundary.


    in a remote immortal city, three cultivators were resting in an inn.


    an emaciated elder, a middle-aged cultivator, and a young man in white.


    in front of them lay a simple spread of food and drink.


    but none of the three had much appetite.


    the young man in white silently ate the unappetizing meal, the middle-aged cultivator drank to satisfy his hunger, and the emaciated elder rested with his eyes closed.


    after three rounds of drinks, the emaciated elder suddenly opened his eyes.


    feeling a tremor in his heart, he quickly took out the three talents divination copper coin, shook it for a divination, and after calculating once, his eyes revealed shock.


    the young man in white looked puzzled by this.


    the middle-aged cultivator asked, "what¡¯s wrong?"


    the emaciated elder seemed dazed as he murmured, "i¡¯ve actually... pinpointed that person¡¯s location..."


    the middle-aged cultivator became excited, crushed the wine cup in his hand, and stared as he asked:


    "really?"


    the emaciated elder still found it hard to believe but nodded and said:


    "yes! with the three talents divination copper coin... the divination sign is clear, there¡¯s no mistake."


    "but..." the emaciated elder was still somewhat puzzled, muttering to himself:


    "how did i manage to calculate it? how could i calculate it? how did i come to calculate it... i... i don¡¯t have such ability..."


    the middle-aged cultivator took it for granted as he said:


    "even the wisest can overlook something. we¡¯ve been thieves for a thousand days, and that person has been guarding against thieves for a thousand days; no matter how meticulous, there¡¯s always a moment of negligence, exposing a flaw for you to calculate once, that¡¯s normal..."


    a gleam of astuteness flashed in the middle-aged cultivator¡¯s eyes, "we must seize this opportunity!"


    he threw two spirit stones onto the table, then immediately stood up, "there¡¯s no time to lose, let¡¯s set out now."


    the emaciated elder nodded, but was still somewhat doubtful of himself.


    the young man in white, however, was invigorated, with longing in his eyes as he thought of the person he might soon meet.


    the three set off immediately, following the lead of the divination signs, heading eastward from the minor wilderness state boundary.


    in just a few days, the trio arrived at the outskirts of south yue city.


    the middle-aged cultivator asked, "is this the place?"


    the emaciated elder nodded, "according to the divination signs, yes."


    the middle-aged cultivator fell silent for a moment, then asked, "what do you think?"


    the emaciated elder pondered for a moment, then said, "let¡¯s enter the city first to see what¡¯s going on."


    "won¡¯t this alarm our quarry?" the middle-aged cultivator was somewhat concerned.


    the emaciated elder sneered, "what are you thinking? by the time you thought of coming here, that person might have already known. our being here is just to try our luck, to see if there are any clues, to see if that person wants to meet us..."


    the middle-aged cultivator looked astonished and couldn¡¯t help muttering:


    "is it really that mystical?"


    the emaciated elder shook his head with a look that said "you cannot discuss the ice with a summer insect," and then he looked at the young man in white and warned:


    "young master, remember what i told you: you can look, but speak little and do less. the causality here is too great, and we cannot afford to provoke it."


    the young man in white¡¯s expression turned solemn, and he nodded his head.


    the three entered south yue city, settled down in an inn, and did some inquiring.


    after their inquiries, the trio gathered again, all wearing puzzled expressions.


    "why are there so many familiar faces?"


    "xie family from kun state, tu family from li state, yuan family from qian state..."


    "hidden taoist sect, return sword sect, ten thousand formation mountain..."


    "did they all calculate it?" the middle-aged cultivator frowned.


    the emaciated elder thought for a moment, then suddenly realized:


    "it turns out it¡¯s not just me who calculated it, but everyone did, or rather, that person let us all calculate it..."


    the emaciated elder suddenly felt a lot more at ease.


    in matters of heavenly secret calculation, it¡¯s not bad to be mediocre; it¡¯s unexpected complications that are feared.


    being mediocre at most means failing to calculate anything, and that¡¯s no big deal.


    what¡¯s really feared is an accident:


    if you suddenly can¡¯t calculate something you normally could, or if you suddenly manage to calculate something you normally couldn¡¯t.


    that¡¯s when trouble might become serious...


    if someone interferes with the heavenly secret or there¡¯s a shocking change.


    knowing his own limits, the emaciated elder now saw that everyone was present and had also calculated, showing that his skill level had not changed, was just as before, comfortably "mediocre."


    the heavy weight on the emaciated elder¡¯s heart was finally lifted.


    then he began to wonder again:


    "that person, elusive as a dragon, why would suddenly reveal this bit of trace and entice everyone here? what¡¯s the purpose?"


    not only was the emaciated elder curious, but all the cultivators who had converged on south yue city shared this doubt.


    but despite their long search, they still found nothing.


    not understanding, the emaciated elder relaxed his divine sense, scanning south yue city.


    there was nothing unusual about south yue city. s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he looked again at the mines outside the city.


    still, he found nothing.


    "impossible..."


    not giving up, the emaciated elder set up the three talents divination copper coin and cast a divination. this time, he indeed sensed something fishy.


    the elder pondered for a moment, then cast a spell, blue light gathering in his eyes as he stripped away the outer appearance and glanced once more toward the mine outside the city.


    this look turned his face pale, his heart filled with dread, as he cried out:


    "a sky-high surge of corpse qi!"


    "damn, how many zombies must there be?!"

 Chapter 512: Birthing Evil (1)

    in south yue city, various clans and sect cultivators related to the heaven shu pavilion gathered, each with their means and powers.it wasn¡¯t only the gaunt old man who could see this.


    above the mine, corpse qi pervaded the air.


    within it, countless types of corpses were bred.


    although those present were from prominent powers and had seen much of the world, they all inhaled sharply in the face of the soaring corpse qi.


    with the taoist court united, the demon path gradually declined.


    where today could one find such intense corpse qi, let alone so many zombies?


    for a time, everyone was frightened and appalled.


    "audacious to the extreme!"


    "who is refining corpses?"


    "¡­ how many people have been killed?"


    "defying the taoist court, disregarding taoist law, this is outrageous!"


    "¡­ which demon sect¡¯s handiwork is this?"


    ¡­


    the crowd was abuzz with discussion, and eventually, someone asked:


    "what should we do?"


    at this question, everyone fell somewhat silent.


    a cultivator said, "with an evil demon present, we cannot sit idly by. we must annihilate it!"


    "there are too many¡­"


    "we can¡¯t handle this¡­"


    "don¡¯t forget our main task. we came here not to meddle in unnecessary matters."


    "how can this be called meddling in unnecessary matters?"


    "exterminating demons and protecting the way is just and righteous!"


    "hmph, putting on a righteous appearance, who are you trying to impress¡­"


    "you motherfucker¡­"


    voices of argument rose within the inn.


    but it remained within the inn only.


    the entire nanyue inn had been booked by these cultivators, who set up measures to conceal sight and sound, keeping outsiders away. if one wasn¡¯t of their ilk, they couldn¡¯t enter this inn.


    after a long dispute, the gaunt old man, who practiced three talents divination with copper coins, suddenly frowned and slowly asked:


    "do you know where that person is?"


    there was a moment of silence among the crowd, and then they all shook their heads.


    the gaunt old man continued:


    "he let us calculate his location, drawing us here, but once here, his trace is nowhere found. instead, we encounter a mountain permeated with corpse qi. do you think this is a coincidence?"


    "what are you implying?"


    the gaunt old man said, "perhaps it is because of this corpse mountain that he led us here."


    everyone exchanged glances, and someone else spoke:


    "and then what?"


    "did he have a moment of compassion, hoping we would lend a hand?"


    "no, he¡¯s dragging us here to do the heavy lifting¡­"


    "or perhaps, is it a test for us? whoever can solve this problem, he¡¯ll meet with them?"


    "what are you thinking?"


    "our intentions aren¡¯t pure¡­ he is not some benevolent old man bestowing opportunities upon others."


    "indeed¡­ that person is arrogant, a genius with exceptional talents, thinking of no one as his equal. why would he play such a boring game with us?"


    "then what do you suggest we do?"


    the crowd looked at each other, each with their own ulterior motives, and remained silent.


    they eventually dispersed unhappily, leaving the matter unresolved.


    after the gaunt old man and two others returned to their room, they set up a sound isolation formation and began a secret discussion.


    the middle-aged cultivator said, "the corpse qi is too intense, and in a short while, it is likely to evolve into a corpse tide. this south yue city is no place to linger."


    the gaunt old man asked, "what do you mean?"


    "what else could i mean? let¡¯s hurry and leave. if we don¡¯t go now and get caught in the corpse tide, we might not be able to get out."


    the middle-aged cultivator¡¯s tone was slightly heavy, "even without the corpse tide, anyone who can deceive the heavens and refine so many zombies with these methods is not someone easy to contend with."


    "what good does this thankless task bring us? why should we wade into these muddy waters?"


    the gaunt old man was silent.


    the middle-aged cultivator asked in surprise, "you don¡¯t plan to stay, do you?"


    the gaunt old man¡¯s brows were tightly knit, and he nodded slightly.


    the middle-aged cultivator clicked his tongue and turned to ask the white-clothed youth, "what about you, young master?"


    the white-clothed youth nodded and said:


    "with the corpse tide wreaking havoc and the lives of sentient beings at stake, i also wish to stay and offer whatever help i can."


    such youthful idealism and fiery words gave him a bit of a headache.


    but if he were to leave alone¡­ without the old man¡¯s three talents divination with copper coins, he would be like a headless fly, bumping around aimlessly.


    the middle-aged cultivator, somewhat unwillingly, asked the old man:


    "do you really want to stay?"


    the gaunt old man nodded, as if pondering something serious, and after a moment, he slowly said:


    "i¡­ have a premonition¡­"


    the middle-aged cultivator was taken aback, "what premonition?"


    the gaunt old man took a deep breath, his gaze uncertain:


    "these days, i occasionally feel a sense of dread."


    "it seems that there is a great terror ahead, extremely dangerous, with life and death uncertain."


    "yet, if we can suppress the corpse mine and save this city, or even the cultivators in this prefecture border, perhaps we can establish a good karmic connection. in a future encounter with life-and-death adversity, there might be a glimmer of hope for survival¡­"


    the middle-aged cultivator furrowed his brows.


    he felt nothing, and naturally, he believed in nothing.


    but he also knew the saying: heed others¡¯ advice, and you¡¯ll have enough to eat.


    in the cultivation world, cultivators who live to an old age must trust even the most ethereal of premonitions.


    "fine, i¡¯ll stay too, but let me make it clear: the moment things look bad, i¡¯m out of here."


    the middle-aged cultivator said resignedly.


    the gaunt old man nodded, the white-clothed youth breathed a sigh of relief and smiled faintly.


    the next day, there were fewer people in the inn.


    some had left south yue city, unable to find any clues about mr. zhuang, and went elsewhere to search.


    some, concerned about the outbreak of the corpse tide and unable to fend for themselves, left without a word.


    but there were also those who stayed.


    some, like the gaunt old man, had a vague premonition of a thread of karma and mystery emanating from the corpse mine.


    there were also those who had no premonitions but were simply of upright character and wished to eliminate the zombies, hoping to do something for the local cultivators.


    the crowd discussed how to suppress the corpse mine.


    however, with countless zombies inside the mine, dealing with it was extremely tricky.


    "with just us cultivators, i¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t do."


    "we need to write a letter, to call for reinforcements from our clan or sect."


    "it will take some time..."


    "but there¡¯s no other way, we can¡¯t just rush in unprepared like a brash young man and seek death..."


    "we know nothing about the situation inside the corpse mine."


    "how many iron corpses, how many walking corpses, are there any other special zombies, and who is refining them? are the local tao cultivation forces involved?"


    "don¡¯t even think about it, there must be local forces involved. the construction of a corpse mine requires a lot of manpower and material resources. without the support of local forces, it can¡¯t be built."


    "the lu family, perhaps..."


    "i think so too."


    "any evidence?"


    "just a hunch, you can tell at a glance..."


    "when the mighty dragon doesn¡¯t suppress the local snake, then we¡¯re in trouble."


    a young cultivator said proudly:


    "it¡¯s a pity that this place is only a second-grade prefecture border. the heavenly dao limits us; golden cores cannot act. otherwise, i would have my father come over and flatten this mountain with one sword!"


    "alright, alright, we know your father is a golden core..."


    "even a golden core coming over wouldn¡¯t be able to flatten it with one sword..."


    "even if it were flattened, these zombies wouldn¡¯t be exterminated in a short time. once the zombies go out of control and invade south yue city, then all the cultivators in the city would turn into zombies, resulting in an even bigger problem..."


    "young man, don¡¯t be too hot-tempered."


    "to solve problems, we can¡¯t do without military force, but relying solely on military force won¡¯t do either..."


    the young cultivator sat down sullenly.


    "so what do we do?" someone else asked.


    after a moment of contemplation, someone slowly said, "taoist court?"


    "to request the mobilization of taoist soldiers?"


    "that might be a solution..."


    "who has connections to the taoist soldiers court?"


    "there are a few uncles in my family who hold positions within the taoist soldiers court..."


    an elder shook his head, "forget it, the taoist court won¡¯t send taoist soldiers. even if they do, how many can they send?"


    "the risk is too high, the cost too great."


    "why would that be? eliminating demons and purging evil is the fundamental principle of the taoist law, as well as the responsibility of the taoist court!"


    "that¡¯s what is said..."


    "don¡¯t oversimplify the matter."


    "so much manpower and material resources can¡¯t just be mobilized at will."


    "exactly, if you count everything from top to bottom, with all that gets skimmed off each layer, the actual cost could be even greater."


    "you shouldn¡¯t say such things..."


    "the taoist court has its own difficulties..."


    "what difficulties? the kind that come from demanding bribes and kickbacks?"


    "don¡¯t be snide..."


    "your mother¡¯s..."


    as the people talked, the conversation turned heated.


    "alright, alright," an elder with a white beard and high seniority slowly said, "let¡¯s talk about the important matters."


    the argument subsided.


    after a moment of silence in the room, someone else said:


    "why don¡¯t our families jointly submit a petition to the taoist court, clearly stating the pros and cons, bringing the matter into the open, so that the taoist court cannot ignore it..."


    the crowd nodded slightly in agreement.


    at that moment, the gaunt old man from the group suddenly stood up, his hands clutching a copper coin for divination, his face pale.


    the cultivators looked at each other, some puzzled.


    the white-bearded elder frowned and asked, "brother wen, what has happened?"


    the gaunt old man¡¯s expression was panicky, his voice trembling as he said:


    "just now, i had a moment of inspiration and cast a divination with the copper coin..."


    "the divination revealed..."


    "it revealed... the future scene of the mine."


    thinking of that vision, the gaunt old man was still somewhat shaken:


    "the living mixed with the dead, the boundaries between life and death indistinguishable, the living like corpses, corpses like the living, and reigning above them, a corpse king with dark gold blood in its eyes, not subject to the control of any man or corpse..."


    upon hearing this, the white-bearded elder¡¯s face turned pale.


    the other cultivators, however, were somewhat at a loss, "what of it?"


    "it means," the gaunt old man said with a look of fear, slowly:


    "that within this corpse mine, a corpse king has been refined. if not suppressed and left unchecked, it will turn into a disaster within a hundred years. this corpse king will become... a corpse sin!" s§×ar?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "which is to say, this corpse mine is actually nurturing a taoist demon!"


    at these words, all the cultivators were stricken with fear.


    "taoist demon!"


    this was a term only seen in the tao cultivation canon, signifying a disaster that human power could hardly resist.


    even the clans or sects with a thousand years of heritage had records of being destroyed by a taoist demon...


    nurturing a taoist demon?


    the voice of the white-bearded elder trembled involuntarily, "is this... true?"


    the gaunt old man¡¯s heart throbbed, "the divination is so..."


    after a pause, he added, "i couldn¡¯t have calculated such a thing with my own abilities..."


    the implication was that someone else had made him calculate it or, rather, had conveyed it through his divination to everyone...


    who that person was, everyone had a clear idea.


    the white-bearded elder fell silent for a moment, his face stern as he said:


    "report this matter to the heaven shu pavilion, request the pavilion elders to calculate."


    "at the same time, also petition the taoist court, to request support from the taoist soldiers..."


    "if it¡¯s true as said, that within the corpse mine, a taoist demon is being nurtured, then we must mobilize all the cultivators we can, at all costs, to suppress the corpse mine, slay the corpse king, and eradicate this taoist demon from its inception, leaving no future troubles!"

 Chapter 513: Refining (1)

    time was of the essence. without delay, everyone sent out messages to report the matter of the "taoist demon".the news set off a thousand ripples. not only were various clans and sects shocked, but the taoist court was also shaken.


    within the heaven shu pavilion.


    the pavilion elder watched the celestial observatory, deducing in his mind, before slowly nodding and saying,


    "it¡¯s a sign of the taoist demon..."


    he took out a jade slip, inscribed a few patterns, and then instructed a disciple, "give this to the taoist soldiers court."


    the disciple respectfully took it, sealed it in a secret box, and without delay, promptly delivered it to the taoist soldiers court.


    the taoist soldiers court urgently deliberated and then issued a mobilization order:


    from li state, the boundary of minor wilderness state, as well as the nearby black mountain state boundary, li mountain state boundary, and great wilderness state boundary, to the borderlands of the barbaric territory, summon ten foundation establishment leaders and two thousand first-assessment taoist soldiers.


    they were to march day and night to south yue city in the boundary of minor wilderness state to suppress the corpse mine and quell the undead menace. any who obstructed their path were to be executed without mercy!


    meanwhile, the central tao court also sent out a summons:


    within a five-hundred-mile radius of minor wilderness state boundary, any power acknowledged and assessed by the taoist court was to deploy at least one foundation building cultivator to south yue city to aid in the fight, to flatten the corpse mine, and to exterminate the corpse king.


    after the matter was settled, rewards would be distributed according to merit.


    should anyone disobey the command, their clan or sect would be demoted in rank, and they would be ineligible for promotion for a hundred years...


    with the order released, various powers were stirred, and cultivators moved about in alarm.


    the momentum of an impending torrential downpour was gathering over south yue city...


    at the high pavilions of the heaven shu pavilion,


    the pavilion elder stood alone, his gaze deep as he looked up at the sky. after a long while, he murmured softly,


    "gui tao¡¯s people, huh..."


    in his eyes, there was a hint of surprise.


    "to actually rear a taoist demon... within a hundred years... another great demon will arise..."


    "but... is the taoist demon so easy to rear?"


    "is it the problem of gui tao¡¯s people or has the heavenly dao... developed a problem...?"


    the pavilion elder silently gazed at the sky.


    yet in the sky, where winds surged and clouds roiled, and within the daylight, no one could discern the mysteries secreted away; under the blazing sun, not a single sign could be seen.


    the frown on the pavilion elder¡¯s brow only grew deeper.


    ...


    outside, the situation was rapidly changing, with undercurrents flowing in secret among various powers.


    within the corpse mine, however, it was business as usual.


    each evening, zhang quan would still ring his bell for corpse refinement, lu chengyun continued his formation painting, and mo hua shared the same routine, tracing over lu chengyun¡¯s formation patterns.


    within the bronze coffin, the corpse qi grew denser, its presence more imposing.


    but within it, the triple layers of control slowly intensified...


    until three days later, the corpse king was about to be refined to completion.


    within the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar, zhang quan could hardly contain his glee, and he burst into wild laughter, saying,


    "soon after the corpse king awakens and comes under my control! the entire minor wilderness state boundary will be littered with floating corpses, becoming a true minor ¡¯corpse¡¯ wilderness; and i, zhang quan, will become the old ancestor of the corpse path of this state boundary!"


    "lu brother, lu chengyun!"


    "i will make you realize who the real short-sighted one is¡ªit¡¯s you!"


    after laughing, zhang quan left.


    once zhang quan had gone, lu chengyun made his appearance.


    with a calm expression, he reinforced the spiritual pivot evil formation and, looking in the direction zhang quan had left, sneered,


    "playing tricks under my nose? courting death!"


    after sneering, lu chengyun, too, departed.


    the last to show himself was mo hua, with his big eyes twinkling.


    he smoothly opened the coffin, drew the formation, used the genuine spiritual pivot formation to suppress lu chengyun¡¯s evil formation and increase his own control over the corpse king.


    after finishing his work, mo hua¡¯s young face broke into a mischievous grin as he exclaimed playfully,


    "let¡¯s see who this big dumpling will listen to once it¡¯s refined!"


    mo hua earnestly completed the formation drawing, meticulously sealed the coffin, and tiptoed away from the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar.


    after leaving the altar, mo hua pondered for a moment and then, using little tiger, sent a note to his junior brother and sisters.


    the note read:


    "in three days, on the fifteenth of july, the corpse king will be refined, and the formation of ten thousand corpses will commence."


    mo hua placed the note on little tiger.


    obeying the command, little tiger "huffed and puffed" as it climbed upward.


    in his heart, mo hua harbored some worries.


    with so many zombies within the corpse mine, he didn¡¯t know how many people his junior brother, sisters, and sister situ had mobilized.


    if there weren¡¯t enough people, trouble was sure to follow.


    they wouldn¡¯t be able to control lu chengyun, subdue the zombies or suppress the corpse mine, and if an uprising occurred, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    but after considering every angle, mo hua also felt certain there wouldn¡¯t be enough people.


    their current strength was no match for lu chengyun.


    he couldn¡¯t think of any other place to summon more cultivators from...


    "forget it, it¡¯s out of my hands now..."


    mo hua sighed inwardly.


    he had done all that he could.


    what remained were matters that he, a mere qi refinement cultivator, had no power to change.


    all he could do was to make the best effort possible and leave the rest to fate.


    the most important thing now was to find a way to escape.


    mo hua had already planned ahead:


    "as soon as someone attacks the corpse mine and the two sides clash, causing chaos, i¡¯ll find a way to slip away!"


    at that time, lu chengyun was too preoccupied with the formidable enemy at hand to care about me.


    hiding myself and dismantling his formation, i¡¯d be able to escape smoothly.


    as for the contemplation map...


    i¡¯ll see if there¡¯s a chance, but if not, so be it.


    the contemplation map is truly a valuable item, and i¡¯ve always been thinking about zhang quan¡¯s ancestor depicted in it.


    but life is more important; i can¡¯t risk it all for a mere contemplation map anymore.


    in this mine, with so many zombies and the formation of ten thousand corpses harboring dozens of iron corpses, zhang quan glaring at me like a tiger stalking its prey, and lu chengyun harboring ill intentions...


    it¡¯s better to be a coward when faced with danger at every turn.


    mo hua nodded to himself.


    after escaping, i¡¯ll make a long-term plan...


    i¡¯ll slip out first, then find someone to help, and with backup, i¡¯ll sneak back in. secretly controlling the corpse king, maybe i can "ambush" lu chengyun.


    thinking it through and finding no flaws, he finally felt at ease.


    but what mo hua didn¡¯t anticipate was that things would still go awry.


    and this surprise came unexpectedly...


    the next day, he was still hiding behind the sacrificial altar.


    zhang quan was still ringing his bell to control corpses.


    however, after ringing the bell, zhang quan spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his pale face turning instantly ghastly white, yet he kept laughing as he chanted:


    "success! success!"


    mo hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    "what¡¯s successful? why is zhang quan so ecstatic?"


    next, zhang quan walked straight to the front of the altar and suddenly pulled off the yellow cloth!


    mo hua was startled; he focused his gaze and saw that under the cloth was indeed a corpse.


    the corpse was ferocious and sinister, its face bearing a resemblance to that in the mural.


    it was indeed the lu family old ancestor, "capitalist lu."


    his eyes bulged with bloody streaks, ugly beyond compare, and his chest had been flayed open, forming a large hole with no heart inside.


    a shiver ran through mo hua¡¯s heart.


    he had guessed correctly.


    they were indeed refining the lu family old ancestor into the corpse king!


    the bronze coffin was used for corpse refinement, refining the heart, while the golden altar was for the sacrificial ceremony of the corpse.


    zhang quan bowed and said:


    "elder lu, that deceiving lu chengyun has tricked you and harmed you, making zombies work the mines, making you oversee such laborious work."


    "this is an insult to you!"


    "i, on the other hand, will make you the leader of ten thousand zombies, the corpse king of the minor wilderness state boundary, striking fear into the cultivators of this state, ensuring your name is revered for a hundred years!"


    ...


    zhang quan passionately delivered his ambitious speech.


    mo hua frowned. "what¡¯s going on?"


    wasn¡¯t it said that the corpse king would be refined in three days?


    what did zhang quan mean now?


    he was opening the coffin early?


    mo hua sneakily glanced at lu chengyun, who was hiding behind the altar, and saw that his expression was also a bit excited, but not surprised.


    it seemed he too knew that today was the day the corpse king would be refined.


    mo hua was dumbfounded.


    so, only i was unaware?


    on the fifteenth of july, the corpse king will emerge from the coffin.


    this had been the unified story shared by zhang quan and lu chengyun.


    both had conspired and said as much. s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua, eavesdropping, had heard the same.


    yet, he never expected that zhang quan was deceiving lu chengyun, who, fully aware, did not expose him; therefore, in the end, the only one deceived was the eavesdropping mo hua himself.


    mo hua was somewhat speechless and helpless:


    who made me an amateur in corpse refinement? amateurs are always easily deceived by the experts.


    meanwhile, zhang quan had already opened the coffin and the bronze casket, lifting a dark green, sinewy heart enveloped in formation patterns, solemnly and respectfully, and shoved it into the chest cavity of the lu family old ancestor¡¯s heartless corpse on the altar.


    the eerie heart gave a bizarre twitch.


    a muffled sound echoed.


    then, blood streaks formed, resembling threads, weaving on their own, fusing tightly with the corpse.


    the beating of the heart grew louder.


    though the sound was not loud, it made mo hua feel an oppressive suffocation.


    mo hua hastily covered his ears.


    but the sound seemed to arise within his heart, filled with a frightening majesty, capable of commanding the dead.


    at the same time, zhang quan bowed down and murmured incantations.


    these were corpse path incantations.


    dull and sinister, unlike any human voice.


    mo hua couldn¡¯t understand at all, but the chanting made him feel nauseous.


    mo hua struggled to endure. after an unknown period, the incantation and heartbeat sounds ceased simultaneously, and deathly silence fell over the altar.


    zhang quan suddenly looked frenzied.


    and atop the altar, the lu family old ancestor abruptly opened his eyes!


    lu chengyun, hidden in the shadows, grinned sinisterly, his eyes gleaming coldly.

 Chapter 514: 496

    in the center of the altar, terrifying corpse qi pervaded.the original lu family old ancestor had now been refined into a "corpse king."


    its eyes were pitch black, and within its pupils, a hint of blood red flared, and within that blood red, a streak of dark gold shone, making it look utterly different from the other zombies.


    the corpse king¡¯s body was enwreathed with an almost tangible density of corpse qi, resembling gray-black blood that twined around it.


    it suddenly swelled in size; its originally withered corpse flesh, as the blood vessels coagulated, gradually became burly, towering over nine feet tall.


    the corpse king¡¯s body surged with evil power, and its aura was cold and dreadful, with an underlying brutality and a fearsome majesty which made people quake in fear.


    zhang quan looked on, eyes filled with obsession, muttering:


    "good! good!"


    "worthy of being the corpse king!"


    "worthy of commanding tens of thousands of zombies¡ªthe corpse king has such an aura of corpse qi, such an imposing presence, truly extraordinary!"


    "i, zhang quan, have not let down the expectations of my ancestors, nor have i failed the bloodline of the zhang family. i have finally refined the ultimate corpse king of the zhang family¡¯s corpse path!"


    zhang quan fell to his knees with a thud and made several loud kowtows facing the empty ground on the other side.


    "ancestors above, your descendant zhang quan has brought glory to our lineage!"


    after bowing his head, zhang quan stood up, took a deep breath, and then took out the pitch-black corpse controlling bell that was neither stone nor wood, neither bronze nor iron and shook the bell to command the corpse king.


    at the sound of the bell, the corpse king¡¯s gaze shifted, as if it had "come to life."


    simultaneously, the iron coffins of the formation of ten thousand corpses began to stir.


    the coffin lids were thrown open, and one after another, dark cyan hands reached out from the coffins. iron corpses, obeying the orders of the corpse king, climbed out of the iron coffins, bowing before the corpse king and then turning to kowtow toward zhang quan.


    zhang quan was overjoyed!


    he could feel that through commanding the corpse king, he could control these more than twenty iron corpses simultaneously!


    more than twenty iron corpses!


    that meant more than twenty foundation building combat forces under his command.


    and this was just the beginning, and there would be more in the future!


    as long as he controlled the iron corpses to group attack and kill foundation building cultivators, and then refined their dead bodies into iron corpses, and used the iron corpses to kill more foundation builders...


    this cycle repeated itself, and he would have more and more iron corpses under his command.


    without the corpse king, he could only control one or two iron corpses at most at the same time.


    but with the corpse king, even if there were hundreds of iron corpses, he could control them all at once.


    in this way, he would have an army of demonic "corpse soldiers" under his sole command, comparable to second grade taoist soldiers!


    in the second-grade prefecture border, this corpse army could sweep away all before it, invincible!


    for a moment, zhang quan¡¯s heart blossomed with joy.


    but just as zhang quan was lost in his fantasies, he was completely oblivious to the fact that an iron corpse behind him had its stiff eyes rotate, its gaze slightly turning green as it slowly turned its head towards him.


    the iron corpse opened its mouth, displaying its dark cyan fangs.


    it silently moved behind zhang quan, opening its gaping maw, its fangs sharp and foul-smelling, coated with a yin-green corpse poison as it viciously bit down on zhang quan¡¯s neck!


    cold, dangerous winds blew in waves!


    zhang quan jolted alert, feeling an icy chill on his back, as if something were standing behind him, its rotten breath spraying on the back of his neck, making his hairs stand on end.


    in the corner of his eye, he saw an ugly dark cyan corpse face and a pair of venomous fangs!


    zhang quan was horrified and quickly twisted his body to the side.


    but the reaction time was too short, and although he managed to avoid a fatal attack, his right shoulder was still grazed by the fangs of the iron corpse, leaving two bloody marks, tearing his clothing and soaking it with blood.


    the cold and strange corpse poison, following the wound, mixed into the bloodstream, spreading throughout his body.


    zhang quan felt that a bloodthirsty, non-human consciousness was gradually taking over his own.


    iron corpse corpse poison!


    zhang quan¡¯s heart trembled with fear, and he hastily retreated several yards, taking out a bottle of pills and swallowing them to temporarily suppress the corpse poison in his body.


    having suppressed the corpse poison, zhang quan breathed a sigh of relief. his gaze then turned cold as he looked towards the iron corpse.


    this iron corpse wanted to kill him?!


    but to his surprise, after biting him once, the iron corpse no longer moved and stopped in its tracks.


    zhang quan frowned, "what¡¯s happening?"


    he remained cautious, inching closer to take a look.


    he found that aside from his own blood on the fangs of this iron corpse, there was nothing else unusual about it.


    zhang quan tried to control it.


    this iron corpse¡¯s movements and retreats were completely under his command, without a hint of loss of control.


    zhang quan furrowed his brow.


    just as he was puzzled and unable to understand, without any warning, another iron corpse¡¯s eyes moved, its pupils changed slightly, and it opened its ferocious fangs, lunging at zhang quan to attack.


    this time zhang quan was somewhat prepared, and he quickly rolled back to dodge, barely avoiding it.


    and this iron corpse, just like the other one, stopped after a single attack, its pupils turning dull and lifeless once again.


    zhang quan¡¯s face grew stern as his mind raced.


    "what¡¯s going on?"


    intermittent loss of control?


    was the corpse king not well refined, or was there a problem with his corpse control?


    could it be that because there were too many iron corpses, he couldn¡¯t control them momentarily, leading to this feign-death situation?


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    zhang quan was uncertain and apprehensive.


    but before he could think further, more iron corpses suddenly attacked, lunging from behind.


    this time it wasn¡¯t just one, but two, each attacking once before stopping, and after a brief moment, the number of ambushing zombies gradually increased to three...


    zhang quan was hard-pressed to defend himself, and the bite marks from the zombies on his body grew more numerous... s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but he was still clueless, utterly unaware of what was happening.


    meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, lu chengyun who was controlling the iron corpses, smiled malevolently.


    and mo hua, who had been watching everything, cursed zhang quan in his heart for being a fool.


    "lu chengyun is playing you, how can your brain fail to figure out such a simple thing?"


    when zhang quan was played by lu chengyun to the point of being covered in wounds, he finally realized it.


    someone was controlling these iron corpses!


    the iron corpses were under the control of the corpse king.


    and in this corpse mine, who else could control the corpse king?


    zhang quan clenched his teeth and shouted, "lu chengyun!"


    "you motherfucker..."


    "hiding your head while showing your tail, come out to me!"


    by now, lu chengyun no longer hid, but slowly came out from behind the altar.


    zhang quan was taken aback, then said with hatred, "it really is you!"


    lu chengyun replied calmly, "brother zhang, i¡¯ve been sincere with you, yet i never thought you¡¯d attempt to steal my corpse king and ruin my grand plan behind my back?"


    zhang quan looked surprised and confused, frowning as he asked, "when exactly did you find out?"


    lu chengyun smiled without giving an answer, instead said lightly, "does it even matter at this point?"


    zhang quan¡¯s eyes twitched.


    indeed, at this point, everything was out in the open, with both parties having torn their facades, engaged in a life-and-death struggle. knowing these details was meaningless.


    zhang quan sneered, "since when did the corpse king become yours? it was refined using my zhang family¡¯s bronze coffin and my zhang family¡¯s methods of corpse refinement. it should belong to the zhang family!"


    lu chengyun shook his head, "brother zhang, you are mistaken. this corpse king was made using the body of the lu family old ancestor."


    zhang quan scoffed, "what do you mean ¡¯your lu family¡¯? you¡¯re just a son-in-law who climbed up by clinging to a woman and opportunistically sycophanting. what does the lu family have to do with you?"


    those words seemed to strike a nerve in lu chengyun.


    his eyelids twitched, and his smile became colder. after a moment of silence, he sighed, "brother zhang, i¡¯ve long known about your duplicity..."


    "i¡¯ve told you before, everyone has their own ambitions, i don¡¯t blame you."


    "but you should never have meddled with the corpse king."


    "the corpse king is not something someone of your caliber can control!"


    zhang quan burst into mocking laughter, "you are fit to control it? you, who seek after fame and fortune, conduct yourself in sneaky ways, have a spine of jelly, and go around bribing people with spirit stones... what caliber do you speak of?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s face twisted as he drew a slender sword. with a flash of the blade, he went straight for zhang quan¡¯s face.


    zhang quan spat out a curse and swallowed a corpse blood pill. he underwent corpse transformation suddenly, his flesh turned iron-blue and his eyes crimson, and he clashed with lu chengyun.


    for a time, the sword light was overflowing and the corpse qi was rampant.


    the surrounding coffins were also shattered into fine dust by the sword qi and the punch winds.


    mo hua looked into the distance and saw that the coffin of the little zombie under his control was far enough not to be affected by the battle. he breathed a sigh of relief and then continued to watch.


    the two had harbored grudges against each other for a long time, but each had been biding their time. now that the old resentment had erupted, they spared no effort.


    however, zhang quan, who had taken pills, was clearly no match for lu chengyun, especially since he had previous wounds from being ambushed by lu chengyun with the controlled iron corpses. at the moment, he was barely holding on.


    after fighting for a while, zhang quan repelled lu chengyun with a punch and thought about controlling the corpse king to kill lu chengyun.


    the corpse king, under his control, constricted its pupils, and its blood color intensified.


    but at the same time, lu chengyun also moved his divine thought, using the spiritual pivot evil formation to control the corpse king.


    both were trying to control the corpse king.


    the corpse king¡¯s pupils flickered between brightness and darkness, its blood color deepened and lightened by turns, its killing intent waxing and waning. after a while, it became as motionless as wood or stone, silent and still.


    mo hua¡¯s thoughts stirred slightly.


    it seemed that when the control from both sides clashed, and neither could overpower the other, the corpse king would not help either side.


    unable to control the corpse king, lu chengyun and zhang quan began trying to control the iron corpses through the corpse king.


    zhang quan rang a bell, and lu chengyun controlled the formation.


    after a standoff, they each controlled a portion of the iron corpses.


    zhang quan managed to control eleven, while lu chengyun, being stronger than zhang quan, controlled thirteen iron corpses.


    zhang quan and lu chengyun went back to fighting each other.


    and the iron corpses they controlled started fighting to the death as well, making the scene even more chaotic.


    mo hua climbed further up the altar to keep away from the fray.


    from atop the altar, mo hua peered down to find the situation becoming increasingly clear.


    zhang quan, already weaker than lu chengyun and with two fewer iron corpses under his control, naturally fell at a disadvantage.


    after a fierce battle, lu chengyun¡¯s clothes were torn, but his demeanor was collected, and his breath steady.


    meanwhile, zhang quan was in dire straits, covered in wounds, panting heavily.


    mo hua shook his head, thinking that if this continued, zhang quan would be finished.


    once zhang quan was done for, lu chengyun would be unchallenged, making it less convenient for himself to fish in troubled waters.


    perhaps he should help zhang quan?


    mo hua blinked, contemplating.


    sneakily, he made some small moves...


    it was also a good opportunity to test whether the spiritual pivot formation he had laid was effective.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes brightened, then he crossed his legs and sat down, holding his breath and concentrating, quietly sensing.


    thus, amidst zhang quan¡¯s and lu chengyun¡¯s tumultuous fight, no one noticed an obscure divine sense silently connecting with the formation on the corpse king¡¯s chest, stealthily controlling the corpse king, and using it to control a portion of the iron corpses...

 Chapter 515: Ancestors (1)

    mo hua communicated with the spiritual pivot formation using divine sense, manipulating the corpse king, and he instantly felt three forces of domination, co-existing yet disparate, within the body of the corpse king.one was the corpse control method commonly used by corpse cultivators, mediated by the corpse controlling bell.


    another was the corpse control method of the evil formation, with the spirit pivot as its core.


    the last one was the orthodox soul pivot ultimate formation spirit controlling method, which mo hua himself had set up, of the first rank and twelve patterns.


    these three forces, forming a mutually restraining triangle, opposed each other, and in a short time, none could fully control the corpse king.


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    mo hua felt a bit disappointed.


    he had wanted to fully control the corpse king, manipulate all the iron corpses, join forces with zhang quan to slaughter lu chengyun, then turn around and kill zhang quan as well.


    to use a borrowed knife to kill someone, "one corpse, two lives".


    but now with the power divided, mo hua was uncertain if he could overcome the corpse controlling bell and the spirit pivot evil formation, to completely dominate the corpse king within a short period.


    however, this was also within his expectations.


    mo hua did not forcefully activate the formation to dominate the corpse king.


    this way, if his strike didn¡¯t succeed, he could avoid startling the prey and revealing his own methods left on the corpse king.


    the corpse king could not be controlled, but the iron corpses could.


    like lu chengyun, he began to control the iron corpses indirectly through the corpse king.


    within the altar, there were a total of twenty-four iron corpses.


    zhang quan controlled eleven, and lu chengyun controlled thirteen.


    mo hua, by taking advantage of the spiritual pivot formation on the corpse king¡¯s heart pulse, surreptitiously transformed a portion of the iron corpses that zhang quan and lu chengyun controlled into his own forces.


    mo hua was subtle in his methods.


    lu chengyun and zhang quan were engaged in a fierce battle and thus completely unaware that some of their iron corpses had already "defected".


    below the altar, within the formation of ten thousand corpses.


    lu chengyun had the upper hand, pushing zhang quan back step by step. sea??h th§× nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    zhang quan struggled desperately, his injuries growing more severe, and his controlled iron corpses also began to falter.


    lu chengyun let out a cold sneer and began to manipulate the iron corpses, together with himself, surrounding zhang quan, determined to kill zhang quan to eliminate future troubles!


    zhang quan must die!


    in this world, the only one who could control the corpse king was himself!


    in lu chengyun¡¯s eyes, a cold light surged, and the power of his sword qi soared.


    zhang quan, after undergoing corpse transformation, had a body hard as bronze and iron and managed to block several blows, but he was still pierced through the left shoulder by a sword. in pain, he exposed a weakness and was then sent flying by a punch from an iron corpse, crashing to the ground.


    with a distant gesture, lu chengyun manipulated the iron corpses to converge on zhang quan.


    zhang quan struggled to rise, but it was too late, and he could only weakly ring the bell, calling a few iron corpses to protect himself.


    but with his blood qi depleted and his injuries severe, he only summoned four iron corpses, completely unable to block the onslaught from lu chengyun¡¯s more than ten iron corpses.


    in lu chengyun¡¯s calm eyes, a murderous intent was brewing.


    his iron corpses, driven by bloodlust, charged straight for zhang quan.


    some were intercepted by zhang quan¡¯s iron corpses and tangled up in a struggle, but the rest reached zhang quan, their faces ferocious, opening their bloodied maws towards him.


    "i¡¯m going to die!"


    zhang quan was terrified.


    as death loomed, he used all his strength to push away one iron corpse and then kicked another flying.


    but the other iron corpses had already pounced close, seizing his limbs with their long sharp claws embedded deep into his flesh, holding him tightly in place.


    another iron corpse, its claws swelling, radiated sinister corpse poison, aiming straight for zhang quan¡¯s heart.


    if this claw struck, his heart would be pierced, and certain death was guaranteed!


    zhang quan¡¯s eyes bulged with rage, yet no matter how he struggled, it was to no avail.


    just as he was engulfed by terror, the lethal claws of the iron corpse about to take his life suddenly stopped.


    the sharp tips of the claws were merely a hair¡¯s breadth from his chest.


    he could even feel the sharp, cold, ancient intent to kill.


    zhang quan was stunned.


    lu chengyun was also taken aback.


    what happened?


    was there a loss of control?


    zhang quan, narrowly escaping death, heaved a sigh of relief and then noticed that not only the iron corpse in front of him but also several nearby iron corpses had stopped moving.


    though unsure why, zhang quan still felt a tremendous sense of relief. he immediately stood up, retreated several strides, and left the encirclement of iron corpses.


    lu chengyun frowned.


    his divine thought moved, and he began to control the iron corpses again.


    this time the iron corpses still moved according to his will, showing no abnormalities.


    "what¡¯s going on..."


    was it a control conflict, or was there a flaw in the formation?


    lu chengyun couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he suppressed the doubts in his heart. the priority was to kill zhang quan first.


    lu chengyun once again manipulated the iron corpses, resuming the attack on zhang quan.


    but the subsequent events still defied his expectations.


    every time an iron corpse was about to claim zhang quan¡¯s life, there would be a slight delay, allowing zhang quan to escape.


    after several instances, zhang quan realized what was happening.


    these iron corpses were showing mercy!


    why?


    why was it that whenever he was on the verge of death, they would spare his life?


    zhang quan furrowed his brow in thought, then suddenly it dawned on him.


    he understood!


    the reason the iron corpses spared his life at the critical moment was for only one reason:


    it¡¯s the ancestors!


    in the depths of the unseen, the ancestors are aiding me!


    zhang quan¡¯s thoughts raced urgently.


    this corpse king was cultivated from the bronze coffin of the zhang family and the ancestral corpse refinement technique, nurtured day and night.


    now, this lu chengyun intends to use the corpse of the zhang family to kill him, the heir of the zhang family.


    the spirit of the ancestor in heaven couldn¡¯t bear to watch this, thus lending a helping hand in his most perilous moment, leaving behind a glimmer of hope for the zhang family.


    zhang quan was extremely grateful and immediately knelt down to the sky, knocking his head several times, and loudly said,


    "disciple zhang quan thanks the ancestors!"


    this kneeling stunned mo hua as well.


    after pondering for a moment and getting over the shock, he couldn¡¯t help but snidely think to himself,


    you shouldn¡¯t thank your ancestors; you should be thanking your "junior" ancestor.


    witnessing this, lu chengyun also showed a wary look, his heart slightly chilled:


    the zhang family truly is a family of corpse refiners with unthinkable methods, to be able to borrow the power of an ancestor to control an iron corpse.


    he had never heard of such a thing!


    since that¡¯s the case, zhang quan must not be left alive!


    lu chengyun raised the thin sword in his hand, the sword light shimmering like water, sweeping across like a curtain, filled with relentless spiritual power, striking towards zhang quan once again.


    zhang quan, though still being forced back repeatedly, was now greatly invigorated.


    "the ancestors are aiding me! i will not die!"


    indeed, the spirit of his "ancestors" in heaven was protecting him.


    whenever his life hung by a thread, the iron corpse attempting to kill him would "fall ill," stuttering in place for a while.


    zhang quan¡¯s face showed even greater joy.


    yet, lu chengyun grew more anxious and was even more wary of zhang quan¡¯s "ancestors."


    he decided not to rely on the iron corpse but to use his own taoist skill and the superior sword weapon in his hand to slowly wear down zhang quan, intent on slaying him!


    but he was so focused on killing zhang quan that he unwittingly revealed a large vulnerable spot on his back.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    now is the time!


    with a move of his divine sense, he pulled the formation pivot. at the same time, one of the iron corpses controlled by lu chengyun suddenly "defected," its pupils contracting, emitting a blue light, and its claws, swift as the wind, fiercely struck towards lu chengyun¡¯s back.


    this attack was swift, accurate, ruthless, and extremely sinister.


    the timing of the opportunity was also just perfect.


    caught completely off guard, lu chengyun had no way to defend himself in time!


    the iron corpse¡¯s claw pierced straight through his back, thrusting violently, and after one swift motion, tore his robe to shreds.


    mo hua¡¯s plot was successful, and he smiled slyly, but halfway through his laugh, he heaved a sigh and was filled with disappointment.


    lu chengyun, ambushed by the iron corpse, coughed up fresh blood from his mouth, but there were no injuries on his body.


    his robe in tatters, he revealed the silver chainmail underneath.


    this chainmail was clearly also a superior spiritual artifact.


    the iron corpse¡¯s claws could not penetrate the chainmail, thus failing to injure lu chengyun¡¯s vitals; they only managed to shake him violently.


    lu chengyun, being at the foundation establishment stage, considered such an injury trivial, not to speak of a fatal blow.


    mo hua felt it was a pity.


    lu chengyun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his heart still trembling with fear.


    he almost capsized in the gutter! without the silver chainmail on his body, the iron corpse¡¯s claw would have penetrated his back, the corpse poison invading his body, then facing the combined assault from zhang quan and the iron corpse, his odds today would have been slim!


    an eye for an eye, a vile and lethal attack!


    this zhang family ancestor was either a person, a corpse, or a ghost, but he certainly was a vicious character!


    or could it be that the zhang family¡¯s corpse control technique possesses some strange and unpredictable magical power?


    lu chengyun felt an icy chill in his heart.


    he must fight quickly and decisively to avoid further complications!


    lu chengyun¡¯s expression turned serious, putting his all into the fight, his sword light abruptly changed, the spiritual power darkening to a shade of light black-gray.


    zhang quan heard this and paled, "the lu family¡¯s opening the mountain sword method! you¡¯ve actually cultivated it to such an extent?"


    lu chengyun gave a faint smile, "you recognize this swordsmanship?"


    zhang quan¡¯s expression was grave.


    lu chengyun spoke indifferently,


    "opening the mountain sword method... i found this superior taoist skill in a jade slip buried with one of the lu family elders when i dug up the lu family ancestral tomb. i have diligently practiced it for decades..."


    lu chengyun raised the long sword in his hand, the sword qi dividing, sweeping outward to both sides, imposing as if splitting mountains and levelling plains.


    lu chengyun said coldly, "i never use this swordsmanship on ordinary days to prevent others from noticing. today, being able to die by this swordsmanship is a favor i bestow upon you."


    zhang quan¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he gritted his teeth,


    "fine, let¡¯s see today whether your swordsmanship is stronger or my corpse technique is mightier!"


    the enmity between the two was like fire and water, deciding both their fates and the outcome of their battle.


    but mo hua couldn¡¯t stand listening any longer, cursing zhang quan in his heart:


    "idiot, his swordsmanship is obviously stronger. your corpse technique is shit in comparison; you can¡¯t even beat my junior brother..."


    "facing death and you still don¡¯t think of running, insisting on fighting to the death here."


    "he¡¯s using his trump card, and you still have no clue, still wanting to compare strengths, you¡¯re really beyond help!"


    "when he was gathering strength for his attack, you should have run already, what are you putting on airs for?"


    "spending all day refining corpses, you must have refined your brain into stiffness too..."


    mo hua, this "junior ancestor," detested zhang quan¡¯s lack of competitiveness and internally showered him with scorn.

 Chapter 516: Who to Feed (1)

    as mo hua expected, zhang quan was completely and utterly no match for lu chengyun.lu chengyun¡¯s swordsmanship was profound and his moves were well-practiced.


    zhang quan still used the same old tactics, relying on his own corpse transformation and exchanging moves with lu chengyun in a straightforward manner, only to be pierced into a honeycomb by sword qi, blood pouring out of him as he fell to the ground.


    this lack of strategy and simplicity in tactics left mo hua sighing in amazement.


    mo hua had thought that if zhang quan dared to confront lu chengyun head-on, he must have had some sort of trump card, but it turned out he was only driven by a spirit of rage and fearlessness.


    and then he was really going to die...


    mo hua watched, shaking his head.


    if he were truly his ancestor, he would be so enraged that he¡¯d flip the lid of his coffin.


    having secretly controlled the iron corpse to help him so much, yet this zhang quan still managed to disappoint completely!


    without zhang quan as a pawn, he would have no way to kill lu chengyun...


    mo hua felt somewhat helpless.


    in the center of the sacrificial altar, zhang quan lay dying.


    his face was pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. knowing he was going to die, he didn¡¯t beg for mercy from lu chengyun but instead used all his remaining strength to say, falteringly:


    "my... my... scroll?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s eyebrows lifted, "are you talking about your ancestral master picture?"


    zhang quan coughed up a mouthful of blood and said weakly:


    "exactly..."


    lu chengyun shook his head, "it belongs to me now."


    zhang quan showed anger on his face, coughed up a few more mouthfuls of blood, and slowly said:


    "okay... i concede, but... brother lu, considering the many years i¡¯ve served you, before i die, let me take one more look... at the zhang family ancestors..."


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze sharpened, showing no emotion, and he simply asked:


    "and what will that change?"


    zhang quan¡¯s expression was ferocious as he rasped:


    "i, zhang quan, have failed to continue the bloodline of the zhang family, causing the lineage of the corpse path to be severed. i want to kowtow... to apologize to the ancestors!"


    lu chengyun seemed slightly moved and nodded, "alright!" s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he took out a scroll from his storage bag.


    the scroll was rolled up, the paper aged, with faint traces of dirt and footprints on it¡ªthe marks left by mo hua...


    indeed, it was the zhang family¡¯s ancestral master picture.


    zhang quan¡¯s gaze was filled with eagerness.


    lu chengyun slowly unfurled the scroll.


    zhang quan¡¯s gaze was firmly fixed on the picture in lu chengyun¡¯s hands.


    when lu chengyun had unrolled half of it, his gaze turned icy. seizing the moment when zhang quan was distracted, he suddenly thrust his sword through zhang quan¡¯s chest, killing him instantly!


    zhang quan looked at the sword in his chest, then lifted his eyes to lu chengyun, his face filled with disbelief as he angrily spouted:


    "lu you traitor, you..."


    before he could finish, zhang quan¡¯s breath ceased, and he slowly fell to the ground.


    even in death, zhang quan¡¯s eyes were fixed on lu chengyun without closing.


    lu chengyun, looking at the already dead zhang quan, remained impassive. after confirming his death a moment later, he spoke in a gentle tone:


    "brother zhang, i¡¯m sorry, but i feared you had some tricks up your sleeve. to be on the safe side, i had to let you die first..."


    "you don¡¯t need to worry about your family¡¯s affairs."


    "i will properly enshrine this ancestral master picture."


    "one day, i¡¯ll take an adopted son and have him carry the ¡¯zhang¡¯ surname, to continue your family¡¯s legacy."


    "your zhang family¡¯s corpse path will also flourish under my control..."


    ...


    having finished speaking, lu chengyun wiped zhang quan¡¯s blood from his sword using zhang quan¡¯s corpse, then sheathed his blade, walked to the front of the altar.


    in front of the altar stood the nine-foot-tall, imposing corpse king, standing tall like an abyss.


    once lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense stirred, he could feel that this corpse king was completely under his control, and the more than twenty iron corpses around were all at his command.


    lu chengyun¡¯s heart was no longer calm, and he finally couldn¡¯t help but burst into uproarious laughter:


    "from now on, this corpse king, commanding the undead, will obey only my orders!"


    "the cultivators of south yue city, from birth till death, will mine for my lu family!"


    "the whole of south yue city will be under my dominance!"


    "the skies of this minor wilderness state boundary are about to change!"


    enjoy new adventures from empire


    as lu chengyun laughed, he suddenly stopped; he remembered mo hua.


    now that zhang quan was dead, the only other person who knew about the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar was mo hua.


    mo hua had established the formation eye of the ten thousand corpses compound formation and also seen the formation he had drawn on the bronze coffin.


    in the entire corpse mine, aside from himself, mo hua knew the most secrets about the formation...


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze fluctuated, and his divine sense expanded, his expression subtly changing:


    "where has that gentleman gone?"


    mo hua was startled and quickly held his breath, concentrating and suppressing his aura.


    lu chengyun¡¯s divine sense swept across the corpse mine, suddenly realized something, and began to scan the altar again, but after a long while, he found nothing...


    frowning with confusion, he mused:


    "where could he have gone?"


    at this moment, mo hua, who had been hiding behind lu chengyun and spying on him all night, dared not even breathe too loudly.


    lu chengyun pondered for a while but found no clues, becoming somewhat irritable. he again scanned the altar in detail with his divine sense.


    however, the altar was too large, and he had just been through a fierce battle, so after not searching for long, he began to feel his divine sense waning.


    lu chengyun stopped searching.


    continuing the search might exhaust his divine sense, leaving him unable to control the corpse king, which could lead to disaster if the corpse king lost control...


    lu chengyun put away the contemplation map, ordered the corpse king back into the bronze coffin, commanded the iron corpses back into their coffins, then dragged zhang quan¡¯s corpse and tossed it into an empty nearby coffin.


    though zhang quan was dead, his corpse could still be used for corpse refinement to serve him.


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze turned cold, then he looked around, wondering about something before dusting off his sleeves and leaving the altar.


    mo hua let out a slight sigh of relief.


    he waited until lu chengyun was far away and showed no signs of returning.

 Chapter 517: Feeding Whom (2)

    mo hua stealthily left the altar and quietly returned to his own room, diving into his bedding to feign sleep. continue reading on empireif lu chengyun came to inspect the room, he would claim he had been there all along, never having stepped out, pretending to know nothing.


    lu chengyun knew he was skilled in the concealment technique.


    seeing through the concealment technique required divine sense.


    and after the fierce battle between lu chengyun and zhang quan, the former¡¯s divine sense was greatly depleted. he¡¯d likely think it was his own exhaustion that had prevented him from discovering him...


    mo hua thought about it, then suddenly shook his head.


    no, this excuse might work, but it still carried considerable risk.


    and the situation now was different from before...


    now that lu chengyun had killed zhang quan and no longer had zhang quan as a shield, his attention would turn to him.


    mo hua¡¯s thoughts raced.


    he needed to flee!


    he couldn¡¯t escape head-on; natural boulders served as doors, and two second grade iron corpses stood watch.


    these two iron corpses were under control, and he, being physically weak, didn¡¯t dare to go close and alter the sequence on their spiritual pivot formation.


    waiting for other cultivators to attack the corpse mine and then escaping in the chaos might be too late.


    the corpse king was refined ahead of schedule, lu chengyun made his move early; the crisis had come sooner as well. there was no time left to wait.


    then the only option was to blow it up!


    "how do i blow it up?"


    mo hua pondered.


    he couldn¡¯t use the reversed spirit formation; with its formation collapse being extremely powerful but also too specialized, it was easy to reveal his cards and attract lu chengyun¡¯s attention.


    the earthfire compound formation should be sufficient.


    he would set up the earthfire compound formation at the mouth of the small tunnel dug by little tiger, where the rock wall was thin; it should be able to blow up a part of the corpse mine and give him a chance to escape...


    with his mind made up, mo hua decided to try it, but before he could start drawing formation, he was suddenly taken aback.


    his divine sense detected lu chengyun coming his way.


    mo hua quickly climbed back into bed, covered himself with the blanket, and pretended to be asleep.


    soon after, footsteps sounded outside the stone chamber.


    the sound was very subtle, but mo hua could not be fooled.


    lu chengyun paced outside the room, hesitating as if uncertain about something before finally speaking up with a gentle voice:


    "gentleman..."


    mo hua ignored him.


    lu chengyun called out several more times with the same gentle and polite tone as a good old friend.


    mo hua sensed his divine thought was somewhat sinister as if harboring some wicked scheme, but there was no direct intent to kill. stirring slightly, mo hua got out of bed and opened the door.


    before opening the door, mo hua tousled his hair, then opened the door sleepily and upon seeing lu chengyun, feigned surprise saying:


    "lu family head, what brings you here?"


    after speaking, mo hua rubbed his eyes, his face full of confusion, acting as if he was still groggy from sleep.


    lu chengyun was slightly taken aback and asked:


    "gentleman, have you been in the room all this time?"


    mo hua asked with confusion: "it¡¯s the middle of the night; if not in the room, where else could i be?"


    then he showed a hint of displeasure, muttering under his breath, "there¡¯s nothing fun around here anyway..."


    lu chengyun hesitated.


    for a moment, he wasn¡¯t sure whether mo hua was acting or not.


    could someone so young possess such depth and sophistication, and yet such pure and impeccable acting skills?


    lu chengyun furrowed his brows and fell silent.


    mo hua probed again:


    "family head, it¡¯s so late, what do you need me for?"


    snapping back to reality, lu chengyun suddenly smiled and said:


    "i came to fulfill a promise to the gentleman."


    "a promise?"


    lu chengyun nodded, "didn¡¯t i tell you before? if you helped me construct the formation eye, i would teach you... that formation..."


    mo hua¡¯s sleepiness vanished, his eyes lighting up:


    "really?"


    lu chengyun said with a smile: "as the head of a family, naturally, i won¡¯t go back on my word."


    not go back on his word...


    the scene where lu chengyun promised zhang quan to see the ancestral master picture, and then without unveiling the picture, cut down zhang quan with a sword, flashed across mo hua¡¯s mind.


    mo hua internally scorned: i trust you for nothing!


    but on the surface, he still acted as if he knew nothing, "can i learn it now?"


    lu chengyun shook his head, "some preparations are needed."


    mo hua asked in confusion, "preparations?"


    lu chengyun sighed: "this formation is extremely difficult; i too spent decades studying it to achieve a little success."


    "what makes this formation most challenging is divine sense."


    "the threshold for divine sense is too high..."


    "gentleman, your talent is extraordinary, but after all, you are still young. with your current divine sense, you probably won¡¯t be able to learn it, so before you study this formation, we need to find a way to enhance your divine sense."


    mo hua was taken aback, then pretended to be shocked: "enhance divine sense? could it be that..."


    "exactly!" lu chengyun nodded, "gentleman is perceptive and should know... the contemplation map!"


    mo hua gasped in disbelief:


    "you actually have a contemplation map, family head?!"


    lu chengyun nodded with a meaningful expression:


    "this contemplation map is, in fact, one that the gentleman has also seen before..."


    "i¡¯ve seen it?" mo hua looked puzzled.


    lu chengyun said: "it¡¯s zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master picture!" s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua¡¯s mouth dropped open, feigning astonishment.


    although his reaction was a bit exaggerated, lu chengyun was in the process of luring mo hua into a trap, so he didn¡¯t doubt him for the moment.


    after some thought, mo hua blinked and said:


    "but when i saw that picture, my divine sense did not enhance..."


    lu chengyun revealed a mysteriously wise smile, "that¡¯s because gentleman, you used the wrong method."


    "there is another method?"


    lu chengyun nodded affirmatively, speaking gently:


    "gentleman, follow me..."


    mo hua looked puzzled but obediently followed lu chengyun.


    lu chengyun led mo hua to a secret chamber, which also contained an altar.

 Chapter 518: Feeding Whom (3)

    this altar was more simply furnished.three dishes were offered on the podium.


    one held hand bones, another foot bones, and the middle one cradled a skull.


    candles were also lit on the altar.


    the candles were white, but the flame cast a sinister green light, and the wax flowed like tears, solidifying at the base of the podium after dripping. s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    besides these, there were some strangely shaped utensils and a white coffin.


    these arrangements looked very familiar to mo hua; they were almost identical to the altar in corpse walking stronghold where zhang quan used people¡¯s divine sense as offerings to the ancestral master picture.


    showing a "frightened" expression, mo hua asked,


    "family head, this is...?"


    "this is an altar," lu chengyun said.


    seeing mo hua¡¯s uneasy look, he smiled faintly and said,


    "this ancestral master picture is a bit special. it needs incense offerings to be made before opening the heavenly eye to view its true form and comprehend the dao laws within to enhance one¡¯s divine sense."


    lu chengyun pointed to the white coffin at the side and said,


    "i¡¯ve prepared the incense and the offerings..."


    "next, i will place the contemplation map."


    "before that, little gentleman only needs to lie in that coffin, let go of all burdens, disregard life and death, and then you will be able to contemplate the true essence of this map and improve your divine sense..."


    lu chengyun spoke gently, his face wearing a soft smile, yet his gaze reflected the chilling green candlelight.


    mo hua felt scared. "is that... really true?"


    lu chengyun¡¯s voice deepened, "of course it¡¯s true..."


    "but..." mo hua glanced at the coffin.


    this coffin, similar in design to those in corpse stronghold, was crafted more delicately and was smaller.


    it seemed to have been tailor-made for himself...


    mo hua timidly said, "i, i don¡¯t want to go in there..."


    lu chengyun¡¯s expression turned grim, his demeanor turning fierce as he commanded sternly:


    "go!"


    mo hua jumped in fright.


    lu chengyun¡¯s smile was dark, "little gentleman, don¡¯t let my kindness go to waste!"


    mo hua¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tightly, and after much hesitation, she finally lay down slowly into the small coffin under lu chengyun¡¯s indifferent gaze.


    lu chengyun laughed coldly, took out coffin nails, sealed the coffin, and then solemnly retrieved zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master picture to respectfully offer it.


    incense smoke curled and candlelight flickered.


    lu chengyun bowed and chanted:


    "on this day we unveil the picture, offer incense with reverence..."


    "...let white bones be the offering to the forefathers, and human consciousness the feast."


    "zhang family ancestral master above, your junior lu chengyun pays homage!"


    mo hua, lying in the coffin, immediately let out a cry of pain upon hearing this.


    he remembered when zhang quan offered human sacrifices to the picture; the noises from within the coffin were just like this.


    not to mention the scratching at the coffin with fingernails, creating a harrowingly painful, desperately struggling sound of despair and torment.


    but mo hua was afraid of pain...


    and his little hands probably wouldn¡¯t make much noise anyway.


    after thinking it over, mo hua let out little tiger, asking it to scratch the coffin lid in his place.


    with little tiger¡¯s paws fluttering about, the coffin indeed began to produce a heart-wrenching "squeak squeak yaya" sound.


    mo hua also shouted to go along with it:


    "it hurts so much!"


    "ah!"


    "such pain! let me out!"


    ...


    lu chengyun was unperturbed.


    after a while of shouting, the coffin became quiet, without any further sound.


    lu chengyun stood for a long time, then sighed with regret, saying,


    "such great talent, truly a pity. the cultivation world is perilous, and even prodigies can perish young..."


    lu chengyun shook his head and left the altar. continue your adventure at empire


    mo hua lay quietly in the little coffin, and seeing lu chengyun leave, he patted his chest softly, slightly relieved.


    then he thought about the ancestral master picture being presented on the altar above him at that moment, and couldn¡¯t help licking his lips, murmuring to himself,


    "is he using me to feed the picture, or is he using the picture to feed me?"

 Chapter 519: Sacrifice (1)

    "are they using me to feed the picture, or using the picture to feed me?"mo hua licked his lips, and under the flickering candlelight, the contemplation map seemed to shiver.


    the coffin was icy cold, yet lying in it was quite comfortable.


    mo hua waited and waited inside...


    but after a long time, there was still no movement.


    mo hua frowned.


    what¡¯s the matter?


    we had an agreement that i¡¯d be the sacrifice, so why has no one come to "eat" me?


    waiting a bit more, there was still no response from the coffin.


    "is the coffin broken?"


    "or did lu chengyun chant the wrong spell?"


    "or perhaps, this contemplation map is picky, only accepting feedings from the zhang family¡¯s disciples?"


    that¡¯s not right either...


    a bunch of zombies, given something to eat, who would care who fed it to them?


    "so... could it be my problem?"


    mo hua was startled and then focused his senses, indeed noticing something unusual within the coffin.


    there was a voice inside the coffin.


    the voice was faint, drifting and ethereal, fluctuating between distant and near...


    concentrating hard, mo hua made out that an old man was speaking, his voice intermittent, filled with allure:


    "you... have an exceptional skeleton..."


    "... a unique physique, your meridians conceal a top-grade spiritual root..."


    "we share a destiny, i will impart to you the great dao... and assist you in becoming an immortal..."


    ...


    mo hua sneered.


    if one could truly become an immortal, why wouldn¡¯t you do it yourself instead of passing it to others?


    this voice was clearly that of zhang quan, the old ancestor of the zhang family.


    mo hua had heard it many times before.


    he thought it over carefully and suddenly felt a light shock.


    could this voice be the key to the sacrifice?


    you have to believe his words to be included in the sacrifice?


    because my divine sense is profound, my taoist heart steadfast, and i don¡¯t believe in its nonsense, it can¡¯t get into the coffin to "eat" me?


    mo hua thought it might be possible...


    so he convinced himself to pretend to "believe" the old man¡¯s nonsense.


    sure enough, shortly after, the voice became clearer and seemed to resonate directly within mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    "we are fated, i will help you become an immortal..."


    "help you become an immortal..."


    the voice was ancient, kind, compassionate.


    at the same time, mo hua¡¯s vision blurred, and an image faintly appeared.


    it was the ancestral master picture of the zhang family, a masterpiece mo hua had coveted for a long time!


    unlike the real one, the ancestral master picture at this moment was wreathed in clouds and mist, with curling incense smoke, and amidst the fleeting lights and shadows, golden radiance could be seen, with all the figures edged with gold.


    the historical forebears of the zhang family stood like immortals amidst the clouds, each exceptional and removed from mortal concerns, their immortal aura billowing.


    seeing this, mo hua¡¯s face lit up with longing, but inwardly he scoffed:


    "you can fool others, but in front of your zhang family¡¯s ¡¯little ancestor,¡¯ drop the act..."


    "i¡¯m not ignorant that you all are just a bunch of ¡¯never-say-die¡¯ old zombies..."


    as mo hua inwardly sneered, looking at the ancestral master picture of the zhang family, he suddenly froze.


    among these "people," he spotted a familiar face.


    this familiar person was none other than zhang quan!


    standing at the end, his expression respectful, he looked towards mo hua with a mix of surprise, resentment, and greed.


    mo hua was somewhat taken aback.


    was zhang quan not dead?


    no, or rather...


    his physical body was dead, but his divine thought was still alive, just like the ancestral spirits of the zhang family, his divine thought turned into an evil spirit, inhabiting the contemplation map...


    mo hua gradually came to understand. discover hidden content at empire


    no wonder zhang quan wanted to see the ancestral master picture of his family before he died.


    it was not as he claimed, feeling guilty for failing his ancestors and wanting to kowtow for forgiveness.


    instead, he wished for his divine thought to enter the picture after death, to live on as a ghostly retainer in the contemplation map.


    whether or not lu chengyun activated the picture didn¡¯t really matter, as long as he took the contemplation map out of the storage bag, it already gave zhang quan a chance.


    mo hua had to admit.


    he really underestimated zhang quan. s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    zhang quan wasn¡¯t as dumb as he thought.


    and obviously, lu chengyun had not anticipated that zhang quan could be so cunning, nor that the zhang family could possess such mysterious and unfathomable methods.


    mo hua frowned again.


    "however... surely not every cultivator who dies can receive this kind of ¡¯treatment¡¯..."


    the terror of a dead body and lost path is immense.


    many cultivators on the brink of death, in their desperation to survive, will resort to any means necessary.


    the old ancestor of the qian family refining human life pills, the old ancestor of the lu family turning himself into a corpse, all out of the fear of death, the desire to continue living.


    if this picture can truly harbor evil spirits...


    even without a physical body, old scoundrels like the elder of the qian family and the lu family old ancestor, who have done many evil deeds, would certainly be willing to turn into wraiths and possess the picture...


    mo hua didn¡¯t have much knowledge about the cultivation of dao related to paintings, but it surely wasn¡¯t this simple...


    "is it the special bloodline of the zhang family, or is this contemplation map itself somewhat special?"


    mo hua mused silently to himself.


    after pondering for a moment, he remembered now was not the time to consider these matters, for he still had to prepare a "hongmen banquet" to entertain his "guests."


    and at this very moment, members of the zhang family had already entered mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    five people in total.


    two elders and three disciples, among whom was zhang quan.


    zhang quan was the most junior in the hierarchy but possessed considerable cultivation, already at the foundation establishment realm, making him the most prestigious among the disciples.


    however, facing his own ancestors, he kept a very low profile and spoke with great respect.


    after entering mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness, zhang quan cautiously asked:


    "elder song, elder si, should we enter first? shouldn¡¯t our ancestral master have the honor first?"


    "it matters not."


    the iron corpse elder known as "elder song" calmly said, "the ancestral master relies on the divine thought offerings connected by our bloodline. the stronger we descendants are, the stronger the ancestral master becomes. he doesn¡¯t need to personally involve himself in such acts of feeding and enhancing..."


    zhang quan expressed his admiration, "such is the glory of our ancestral master!"


    elder song nodded and said, "the methods of the ancestral master are not something we later generations can fathom."


    he looked at zhang quan and praised him, "to cultivate to foundation establishment and advance the corpse path is a great achievement indeed... even if you die in the process, your contribution is significant..."


    "talent, temperament, methods; in our zhang family disciples, you can certainly rank among the top."


    "most importantly, your profound filial piety to the ancestral master is admirable."


    "the ancestral master holds you in high regard."


    "so, this offering is for you to consume first."


    "after you devour the divine sense and heal your injuries, gaining strength by leaps and bounds, you must serve the ancestral master and the zhang family even better!"


    with excited expression, zhang quan clasped his hands and said:


    "disciple zhang quan will certainly not fail the expectations of the elders and our ancestral master!"


    elder song nodded in satisfaction.


    zhang quan looked up, his face now that of a zombie.


    glancing at mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness, with saliva on his sharp teeth, he greedily murmured:


    "kid, i never thought you¡¯d have your day..."


    the usually silent elder si asked upon hearing this:


    "do you know this offering?"


    zhang quan nodded with resentment and said:


    "truth be told, i have suffered countless losses at the hands of this brat! i¡¯ve always wanted to kill him quickly, but couldn¡¯t!"


    elder si frowned, "just a little cultivator and you can¡¯t kill him?"


    zhang quan immediately explained:


    "his cultivation isn¡¯t high, his strength is mediocre, in a direct confrontation i could crush him to death with one hand!"


    "but this brat has a deep understanding of formations, a devious heart, is full of cunning schemes, and excels at hiding; moreover, he has supporters from all sides, making it impossible for me to lay hands on him..."


    zhang quan ground his teeth in anger.


    elder song frowned, trying to imagine what kind of brat could be so skilled in formations, so adept at hiding, with such a scheming heart and full of cunning tricks...


    was this a person or an evil monster?


    but he didn¡¯t care, for to them, whatever he was, he was merely meat on the chopping board.


    elder song reassured zhang quan:


    "now you needn¡¯t worry. you¡¯ve entered his sea of consciousness, he can¡¯t escape even with wings. he can only be slaughtered by you. in the sea of consciousness, we always call the shots. no matter how capable he is, he won¡¯t stir up any trouble..."


    zhang quan felt reassured and laughed:


    "what elder says is very true."


    he paused, as if remembering something, then with a sigh, he added:


    "but no matter how cunning this brat is, in the end, he was still sacrificed by lu chengyun like grinding an old ox¡ªfalling to his death, his path extinguished..."


    zhang quan spoke with fear:


    "lu chengyun is truly frightful in both cunning and methods!"


    elder song sneered in disdain:


    "there¡¯s no need to boost the morale of others and diminish our zhang family¡¯s prestige!"


    "in the eyes of the ancestral master, all this counts for nothing."


    "this lu chengyun is but a pawn of the ancestral master."


    "when he makes offerings to the ancestral master, contemplating the dao of our ancestral master, drawing on his divine sense to enhance his own divine sense, one day he will become a puppet of the zhang family¡¯s corpse path."


    "neither alive nor dead..."


    "being external to our family, once his body undergoes corpse transformation and his divine sense can¡¯t enter this picture, he will either lose all awareness or become mere fodder."


    elder song looked at zhang quan and said indifferently:


    "you may have died, but you are still alive."


    "though he lives, he can¡¯t avoid his death!"


    "descendants of the zhang family must not suffer indignities from outsiders. we, your ancestors and elders, will seek justice for you!"


    zhang quan, elated, hurriedly bowed and thanked:


    "thank you, elder, thank you, ancestral master!"


    elder song helped him up, speaking softly:


    "you are a descendant of our zhang family, favored by the ancestral master; there¡¯s no need for such formalities. the urgent matter at hand is to replenish yourself and recover from your injuries..."


    elder song looked around, then at all the "people," his gaze hungry:


    "it¡¯s time... to dine..."


    mo hua, concealed on the side and having listened to their conversation for quite a while, also nodded.


    he thought so too!

 Chapter 520: Very Strong (1)

    the opponent has five people; it¡¯ll be somewhat tricky to fight, so we need to find the right opportunity to strike first...find a way to take down a few of them first!


    mo hua thought to himself.


    meanwhile, zhang quan and the elders of the zhang family had already begun to draw upon the divine sense within mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    elder song had only taken one breath when his eyes widened, and he exclaimed,


    "this is the purest, most abundant, and profound divine sense i have tasted in hundreds of years..."


    zhang quan was also extremely shocked,


    "this divine sense, i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s reached foundation establishment..."


    elder song slowly nodded, "that¡¯s right."


    zhang quan¡¯s heart trembled.


    qi refinement realm with foundation establishment divine sense!


    no wonder...


    no wonder this kid is so troublesome, no wonder he learned formations so well, and no wonder i couldn¡¯t see through his concealment technique...


    divine sense breaking through realms, surpassing levels, what kind of strange creature is this...


    elder song frowned and asked,


    "with such strong divine sense... what exactly is this kid¡¯s identity?"


    zhang quan shook his head, "i only know that this kid is a formation master, and his mentorship seems not bad, but as for his exact identity, the disciple does not know..."


    elder song pondered for a moment and then shook his head,


    "no matter, what his identity is, it doesn¡¯t matter. no matter how good his talent or how strong his divine sense, he is but meat on the chopping block for our zhang family."


    "the stronger the divine sense, the more succulent it is, for us, it¡¯s a blessing from heaven!"


    zhang quan also agreed, "the elder speaks the truth."


    after saying this, he was a bit puzzled and asked,


    "elder song, in the ancestral master picture, some of our ancestors seem to have disappeared; where did they go?"


    elder song was slightly startled, his brow furrowing even more, "this... i don¡¯t know either..."


    zhang quan was somewhat surprised.


    elder song said gravely,


    "the ancestor calculated but could not determine any traces; they might be trapped by something, unable to break free temporarily, or they could have been slain, their form and spirit both extinguished..."


    zhang quan felt a chill in his heart, "slain?"


    he found it hard to believe.


    among those missing ancestors were several elders of the iron corpse realm...


    what thing is capable of slaying an iron corpse elder without leaving a trace?


    as zhang quan was in shock, he suddenly gave a start.


    he realized something was amiss...


    without knowing when, many complex and mysterious patterns had suddenly appeared around them; these patterns subtly conformed to the great dao, intricate and beautiful, with a terrifying aura flowing within them.


    zhang quan quickly came to his senses and was immediately alarmed,


    "not good!"


    both elders also noticed and their expressions changed drastically as they tried to leave.


    but it was already too late!


    the first golden lock formation was completed.


    golden spiritual power manifested spiritual locks, trapping all of them.


    then, in just a few moments, three fire formations materialized on their own around them, like three bright red lotuses ready to burst into bloom, surrounding the group.


    the golden lock three lotus earthfire formation was established.


    in the corner, mo hua silently chanted in his mind,


    "explode!"


    the golden lock three lotus earthfire compound formation suddenly exploded!


    three lotuses bloomed, burst brightly and blinked out; as thin as threads, they surged and intertwined, enveloping zhang quan and the others.


    a moment later, the firelight dissipated.


    within the formation, the figures of zhang quan and the others were revealed.


    their bodies grew taller, their clothes ragged, their skin an ashen blue, their pupils turned white, and their mouths sported hideous sharp teeth; they had completely transformed into "corpses."


    at the moment of the compound formation¡¯s explosion, they were bound by the golden lock formation, with no means of escape; they could only forcibly undergo corpse transformation, relying on an iron-like body to withstand the damage.


    even so, two normal disciples were still killed instantly, turning into two wisps of blue smoke.


    elder si had the worst luck, positioned at the center of the formation¡¯s explosion, and sustained the most severe injuries, collapsing unconscious to the ground.


    zhang quan was a bit luckier but also covered in burn marks, with serious injuries.


    elder song was slightly dimmer in form, also heavily injured.


    the compound formation¡¯s explosion took out three "people," leaving only zhang quan and elder song.


    "who?!"


    elder song looked shocked.


    how could there be a formation inside the sea of consciousness? and when was this formation laid out?


    and how could anyone paint a formation within the sea of consciousness?


    elder song didn¡¯t understand.


    this was completely beyond his understanding of tao cultivation...


    in the corner, a small figure gradually became visible.


    it was a small cultivator, with a fair and lovely appearance.


    zhang quan¡¯s eyes immediately became bloodshot as if he saw his father¡¯s murderer, "is it you??"


    mo hua disdainfully said,


    "isn¡¯t this obvious, if not me, then who?"


    zhang quan was so frustrated he itched to bite, "how can you be in the sea of consciousness?"


    mo hua couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer him.


    elder song¡¯s heart tightened, and his eyes narrowed,


    "divine sense manifestation..."


    this little cultivator, either had innate talents or had cultivated a divine thought spell.


    the former would be okay, but if it¡¯s the latter, that would be troublesome.


    he thought back to the complex formation patterns and the terrifying explosive power of the formation¡¯s detonation, and a sense of foreboding came over him.


    this little cultivator is definitely not a kind soul!


    this time, in their attempt to feast, they may have bitten off more than they can chew...


    elder song¡¯s thoughts shifted slightly as he said loudly, "little taoist friend, let¡¯s talk this over."


    mo hua¡¯s eyebrows raised, "what do you want to say?"


    "you killed two of my zhang family disciples and severely injured elder si, but it¡¯s okay, we can let bygones be bygones..."


    "elder!" zhang quan said urgently.


    elder song gave him a look, signaling him to be quiet, and then continued:


    "let¡¯s live and let live, pretending nothing ever happened. little taoist friend, just let us leave and that will be fine..."


    mo hua¡¯s smile was ambiguous, "let you go so you can call more people to come and devour me, is that it?"


    elder song¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his heart skipped a beat.


    "this kid is indeed as zhang quan said ¡ª astute and crafty, not easy to deceive..."


    elder song responded, "i swear, after leaving here, i will not trouble the little taoist friend anymore."


    mo hua snorted internally.


    these days, not even human words can be trusted, much less the words of a "ghost".


    mo hua frowned slightly, feigning hesitation, and asked doubtfully:


    "are you serious?"


    elder song felt a glimmer of hope and hurriedly nodded, "my word is as good as gold, of course i¡¯m serious!"


    "good!" mo hua nodded.


    elder song was delighted, but in an instant of carelessness, he realized that fiery-red formation patterns had suddenly appeared under his feet.


    elder song was taken aback in shock and hastily retreated, but he still got caught by the blast of the earth fire formation, the fire¡¯s spiritual power invading his body and aggravating his injuries.


    he couldn¡¯t help cursing loudly:


    "you little devil, you¡¯re dishonest!"


    mo hua looked innocent, "how have i been dishonest?"


    "you said you¡¯d let us out!"


    mo hua replied, "you said your word is as good as gold and that you were serious. i just said ¡¯good,¡¯ but i never said i¡¯d let you go..."


    after speaking, mo hua muttered again:


    "could it be that living so long has made you hard of hearing? you can¡¯t even understand what is said..."


    elder song was enraged, "you..."


    zhang quan hurriedly stopped elder song, suggesting from experience, "elder, don¡¯t talk to him!"


    otherwise, he¡¯ll make you so angry you¡¯ll die, don¡¯t ask me how i know...


    zhang quan silently thought to himself.


    elder song was still seething with anger, yet he heeded the advice and did not foolishly engage mo hua in argument any further. s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    zhang quan, on the other hand, glared at mo hua and said to elder song in a low voice:


    "elder, this little devil is cunning and sly; we can¡¯t deceive him, we must kill him, otherwise, keeping him will surely be a disaster!"


    elder song pondered for a moment before responding with hatred in his voice:


    "fine, we¡¯ll join forces to kill him! to flay him alive and consume him!"


    zhang quan was overjoyed, "good!"


    he had long wanted to kill mo hua, and now, in the sea of consciousness, with the experienced and profound divine sense of the iron corpse elder to aid him, the timing couldn¡¯t be better.


    zhang quan charged at mo hua with all his might.


    in his mind, with his charge and elder song backing him up, the two of them together would surely be able to take down mo hua.


    little mo hua, who only knows underhanded tactics like the formation¡¯s concealment technique, would surely crumble in direct combat.


    however, reality turned out to be somewhat different from what he expected...


    mo hua raised his hand, and first came a fireball technique, fast and accurate, unavoidable, and exploding directly on zhang quan¡¯s face.


    zhang quan¡¯s figure staggered, his body igniting with intense flames, causing excruciating pain.


    enduring the pain, he continued to charge forward, but within a few steps, he was immobilized by the water prison technique.


    then came another fireball.


    and again the water prison technique, followed by another fireball technique...


    ...


    the water prison technique controlled him, the fireball technique was fierce.


    without even reaching mo hua, his divine sense was overwhelmed, and he knelt to the ground.


    from beginning to end, mo hua stood in his place without moving a step, just extending his little hand and casting a few spells, and zhang quan was brought to his knees.


    zhang quan felt a chill in his heart.


    what¡¯s going on?


    why is this little devil so terrifying in the sea of consciousness?


    even more horrifying than the impression given by lu chengyun.


    could it be, he felt... despair?


    how could there be such a huge gap between his divine sense and this little devil¡¯s?


    zhang quan was utterly baffled.


    just then, another thought struck him:


    where¡¯s elder song?


    barely managing to look back, he only saw the frantic silhouette of elder song making his escape...


    he¡¯s running away?!


    zhang quan spewed out a mouthful of blood.


    we had agreed to join forces and kill this little devil, but while i charged in, elder song ran off!!


    why?


    you, a dignified elder, are you really that cowardly?

 Chapter 521: Helpless (1)

    elder song was certainly afraid.zhang quan didn¡¯t understand, but he did.


    this kid looked young and still had an air of immaturity on his face, but his divine thought was solid, his aura was profound, and he could manifest spells and manifesting formations...


    this was clearly a legacy of divine thought from some great clan or noble clan.


    moreover, he had lain in ambush beforehand, using formation for surprise attacks, spells that could both trap and kill opponents.


    obviously seasoned in countless battles, and rich in experience.


    not to mention that they had been ambushed, two had died, one was crippled, and the remainder, including himself and zhang quan, were heavily injured and greatly weakened.


    even if they had all been unscathed, with their full strength, facing this young cultivator, it was more likely they would lose than win.


    he didn¡¯t know until now what other cards this kid had up his sleeve.


    elder song was anxious in his heart:


    run!


    we must run!


    not running would be a complete "send-off."


    as for zhang quan, he was a junior. it was only right for him to be the vanguard for his elders, even to the point of sacrificing himself. this was also a manifestation of his "filial piety."


    under zhang quan¡¯s incredulous gaze, elder song¡¯s figure hunched and fled in panic, completely lacking the dignity of a prior generation elder.


    just as elder song reached the edge of mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness, about to escape...


    mo hua pointed with her finger, executing the water prison technique.


    the blue filaments, like flowing water, formed into a prison, binding elder song in place.


    elder song¡¯s eyes widened.


    such a fast spell!


    his turbid eyes shifted, his stature shrank, shedding skin and bones like a bamboo shoot peeling off its outer layers, slipping out of the binds of the water prison technique.


    mo hua showed a slight look of surprise.


    indeed, as a renowned elder of the zhang family, he had some skills.


    mo hua pointed again, and the water prison technique surged to life, entangling elder song once more.


    elder song was trapped yet again and cursed inwardly:


    "what the hell is this spell?"


    "the spell doesn¡¯t focus on killing but on control."


    "how could there be a cultivator in this world who specializes in such disgusting spells?"


    elder song shed his skin and bones again, becoming even shorter, and escaped once more.


    mo hua¡¯s little hand still pointed unremarkably forward, once again forming the water prison technique, trapping the now smaller elder song.


    at the same time, beneath elder song¡¯s feet, golden formation patterns began to appear.


    in a few moments, they solidified into a golden lock formation, the golden light flared intensely, with chains upon chains of the golden lock binding elder song tight.


    the path to freedom was right before his eyes.


    just a few more steps, and he would have been able to escape.


    then, he could report back to the ancestor, gather the zhang family¡¯s past elders, storm in together, slaughter this kid, and tear him apart!


    but it was these few steps that elder song found he couldn¡¯t take.


    it seemed no matter how hard he struggled, no matter how much force he exerted, he could not escape the control of this child¡¯s fingers.


    elder song was furious to the extreme and stopped trying to flee. his body swelled, his face turned ghastly with fangs, and his white eyes reddened and filled with blood.


    "good! kid, you¡¯ve gone too far! today, it¡¯s either you or me!"


    elder song¡¯s aura surged.


    mo hua also became serious seeing this.


    this elder song must be someone of high standing in the zhang family, with old credentials. mo hua wanted to see what kind of moves elder song still had up his sleeve...


    the battle was about to erupt...


    after the time it would take to drink a cup of tea.


    mo hua looked at elder song lying on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, his breath faint, and was speechless...


    you didn¡¯t have much of a trick up your sleeve, did you?


    from beginning to end, she had overwhelmed elder song with spells and formation, hammering him between attacks, and further controlling him with the water prison technique and golden lock formation.


    elder song took a few steps, got trapped, then mo hua targeted him for the attack.


    after a few more steps, he was imprisoned again and continued to be bombarded by spells.


    he didn¡¯t even make it close to mo hua before being beaten down to lie on the ground, gasping for breath...


    and to think that he had earlier shown such a determined "fight to the death" attitude.


    mo hua, in disbelief, couldn¡¯t help but say to elder song lying on the ground:


    "i had too high an opinion of you; you¡¯re so weak..."


    the elder song lying on the ground spewed out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    he felt extremely frustrated.


    it wasn¡¯t that he was weak, but that he simply had no opportunity to use his strength.


    controlled the whole way, unable to get close, without even a chance to strike, unable to use even a tenth of his strength¡ªanyone in his place would be decimated.


    five "zombies" from the zhang family had come in.


    two had vanished into smoke, one was maimed, and now both zhang quan and elder song were lying on the ground...


    zhang quan saw elder song, a previous generation elder of the zhang family, being tied up and beaten without the power to resist, and his face turned utterly pale.


    only then did he truly grasp the disparity between himself and mo hua.


    on the outside, mo hua was merely cunning and difficult.


    but inside the sea of consciousness, mo hua was downright terrifying!


    how had their zhang family antagonized this "little ancestor"?


    after being bombarded by earth fire formation and fireball technique, elder song was terribly battered and also felt his taoist foundation¡¯s energy slipping away, both desperately and angrily he said:


    "taoist friend, what exactly do you intend to do?" s§×arch* the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua hummed with a slight smile, "what you intend to do, i intend to do."


    elder song blanched, then his face changed drastically:


    this little devil, does it intend to devour him?!


    elder song¡¯s mind raced, he hastily said:


    "taoist friend, you cultivate a righteous dao technique, follow the genuine path. we, on the other hand, are evildoers, ghostly thoughts. listen to this old man¡¯s advice, if you ¡¯consume¡¯ us, it will taint your taoist heart, it will ruin your taoist foundation, it could greatly disturb your nature¡ªyou mustn¡¯t eat us!"


    "no, i won¡¯t..." mo hua laughed.


    in that smile, there was innocence laced with a hint of malevolence.


    no? why not?


    zhang quan thought harder, and a chill ran through him. he exclaimed in horror:


    "the missing ancestors of the zhang family, were they all...¡¯consumed¡¯ by you?!"

 Chapter 522: Involuntary (2)

    the remnants of the zhang family ancestors¡¯ souls dwelt within the ancestral master picture, and they would rarely venture out unless they were seeking sustenance. sea??h th§× n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.the ancestral master picture was last in my hands, completely intact.


    after it was stolen by mo hua and later retrieved, several of the zhang family ancestors had already disappeared...


    they must have sought sustenance in this kid¡¯s sea of consciousness and then been "eaten" by him...


    just like what they¡¯re doing now...


    zhang quan¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    elder song also showed a look of horror.


    after all this trouble, this kid isn¡¯t the feast.


    they are!!


    mo hua was momentarily startled, then smiled, revealing gleaming white teeth, "you¡¯ve guessed it..."


    zhang quan and elder song shuddered. enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    elder song said harshly, "offending our zhang family won¡¯t do you any good!"


    yet there was a hint of bluster in his tone.


    zhang quan also spat out hatefully, "the ancestors won¡¯t let you off!"


    mo hua remained unfazed.


    moreover, he even licked his lips, his gaze somewhat intriguing.


    zhang quan was taken aback, followed by a horrified look in his eyes.


    no... it can¡¯t be...


    this kid... he wouldn¡¯t even think of "eating" the zhang family¡¯s ancestor, would he?!


    elder song realized it too.


    in an instant, a great fear rose in their hearts.


    that was their zhang family¡¯s ancestral master!


    somebody actually had the audacity, the sheer gall, to contemplate their ancestral master.


    what frightened them even more was that.


    this young cultivator, with profound divine sense, was unfathomable.


    and with deep strategies, his methods were terrifying.


    facing the calculated without being aware, it was truly possible to endanger their zhang family¡¯s ancestral master!


    seeing the expressions on their faces, mo hua sighed:


    "you know too much..."


    then, under the terrified gazes of zhang quan and elder song, he flicked his finger, and a fireball burst into existence, spiritual power surging, blasting the two of them until only their specters remained, on the brink of dissolution...


    the sea of consciousness cleared up significantly in an instant.


    mo hua exhaled in relief, sat down cross-legged, and began to ponder a question:


    "should i ¡¯eat¡¯ them or not?"


    havi? them, his divine sense would strengthen, but it likely wouldn¡¯t reach thirteen stripes.


    from twelve to thirteen, a bottleneck exists in divine sense, not so easy to break through.


    besides, after "eating" them, it would take time to assimilate.


    he didn¡¯t have this time now.


    in the ancestral master picture, there were still many zhang family ancestors, and if they broke in while he was assimilating, it would be bad news.


    he was alone, while the entire lineage of the zhang family was in that picture.


    it meant he was facing the collective might of the zhang family¡¯s ancestral zombies.


    mo hua shook his head.


    one or two, or even three or four, he was not afraid, but once the numbers increased, it would become harder to manage, with no room for error.


    if he showed a weakness and got injured, and was then besieged, the trouble would be immense.


    this was happening in the corpse mine, not in his master and fellow disciples¡¯ cave residence, without his master¡¯s watchful eye, nor the help of junior brothers and sisters, having no one to back him up in case of danger.


    so he needed to be cautious, ever more cautious.


    especially since, on the other side, there was the old ancestral master.


    mo hua didn¡¯t know what trump cards this ancestor zhang quan held, nor had he ever fought him.


    but it goes without saying, having lived so long and eaten so many cultivators, this ancestral master¡¯s divine thought was surely strong, his scheming undoubtedly profound, his methods numerous.


    going on like this, not only was he outnumbered, but he was also beset by formidable opponents.


    adding difficulty upon difficulty.


    and the danger was substantial...


    "what should i do?"


    mo hua rested his chin on his hand, pondering for a moment, then his eyes suddenly brightened.


    zombies!


    corpse control!


    the zhang family ancestors across generations were zombies.


    and since they were zombies, they could be controlled!


    in his possession, he had a highly advanced, top-secret corpse control technique¡ªthe soul pivot ultimate formation!


    mo hua thought to himself:


    "using the soul pivot ultimate formation, take control of the zhang family¡¯s zombie elders and zombie disciples, making them attack the zhang family¡¯s ancestral zombie..."


    "i¡¯ll sit back and watch the drama, pick up the pieces, and deliver the final blow..."


    "it poses little risk and saves effort."


    "in this scenario, the outnumbered one would be the zhang family¡¯s ancestor, the one surrounded by formidable opponents, still him..."


    the tables turned, and with that, the dynamics of offense and defense changed!


    mo hua¡¯s eyes gleamed with light, and he nodded in approval.


    he then began his preparations.


    first, he needed to test whether the spirit pivot truly worked within the sea of consciousness.


    mo hua glanced around, seeing three figures.


    elder song, elder si, and zhang quan.


    they were all thought bodies, zombie-like, trapped by mo hua¡¯s formation and spell, their divine thought grievously injured, their forms dim, collapsed and unable to arise.


    mo hua pondered for a moment, picked zhang quan and elder song, and with his divine thought, manifested formation patterns, drawing a spiritual pivot formation on the core meridian of each.


    the spiritual pivot formation, once completed, flashed a bright blue and submerged into their bodies.


    after that, the formation patterns turned into filament-like strands, like blood vessels, tendrils, or threads, wandering, stitching, and merging within them, gaining full control.


    mo hua suddenly realized.


    so this is how the spiritual pivot formation takes effect...


    he had only used the spiritual pivot formation on a wooden puppet, little tiger.


    being an inanimate object with a simple structure, the puppet was simpler to control.


    he had also used it on zombies, one being a lesser zombie, the other the corpse king, but neither was complete.


    on the lesser zombie, he had merely tampered with the sequential formation patterns, not fully crafting the spirit pivot formation anew.


    on the corpse king, he had merely overlaid it, covering up lu chengyun¡¯s evil spiritual pivot formation, stealing his control, without really constructing it from scratch.


    now, within the sea of consciousness, manifesting formation patterns with divine thought, taking control of an iron corpse¡¯s evil thoughts, thread by thread, his divine thought was vividly displayed.


    only now could mo hua thoroughly observe the effects and construction of the spiritual pivot formation and deeply understand the formation principles of the spiritual pivot formation.

 Chapter 523: Involuntary (3)

    mo hua finally understood that his previous understanding of the spiritual pivot formation had been somewhat crude and superficial.only by applying his knowledge and materializing the formation patterns to control the iron corpse could he delve deeper and gain a more thorough understanding.


    this was a great opportunity to deepen his comprehension of the spiritual pivot formation!


    mo hua¡¯s spirits were greatly lifted, and he focused his attention thereafter, materializing formation patterns, observing the movement of spiritual threads, contemplating the structure of spiritual power, and training in the methods to control the pivot points of spiritual power...


    his mastery and understanding of the spiritual pivot formation deepened bit by bit...


    meanwhile, the heart vessels of the two zombies, zhang quan and elder song, were also marked by mo hua with the spiritual pivot formation. spiritual threads spread throughout their limbs, taking complete control of them.


    with a thought from mo hua¡¯s divine sense, he controlled the two to stand up.


    as per mo hua¡¯s intent, the two stood up straight.


    however, both kept their eyes closed, bereft of consciousness, like true puppets.


    mo hua controlled zhang quan to raise his hand and slap elder song. then he made elder song slap zhang quan in return.


    he had them repeatedly slap each other.


    neither of them resisted.


    mo hua then made them spar with each other.


    they did as commanded.


    their movements were clumsy and lacked power because they were both seriously injured and under mo hua¡¯s control.


    mo hua was somewhat disappointed.


    too weak...


    this level posed no threat to the ancient ancestor of the zhang family.


    "should i wake them up?"


    mo hua decided to give it a try.


    he refined the zhang family¡¯s two disciples and the seriously injured elder si with the melting fire formation, then fed them to zhang quan and elder song.


    sure enough, their injuries healed, and their aura slowly increased in strength.


    a moment later, both zhang quan and elder song opened their eyes.


    they unexpectedly found that their injuries had healed, and they had recovered seventy to eighty percent of their strength.


    then, to their surprise, they discovered that their "bodies" were no longer their own.


    no matter what they wanted to do, their bodies wouldn¡¯t move an inch.


    on the side, mo hua looked at them with a smiling gaze.


    coldness crept into their hearts.


    what mischief is this little devil concocting now?


    "you are now ¡¯my people,¡¯ and you must follow my orders!" mo hua instructed.


    zhang quan felt this was absurd inside.


    what is this brat saying?


    how could i possibly be your "person," how could i obey your orders?


    i¡¯d rather kill you and end this quickly!


    mo hua commanded, "zhang quan, slap elder song."


    zhang quan sneered inwardly, "you expect me to slap him just because you say so? how could i possibly commit such an act of disrespect..."


    before he could finish his thought, he found his hand slapping across elder song¡¯s face...


    zhang quan was shocked. read new chapters at empire


    elder song was even more shocked.


    zhang quan, a junior, actually followed this little devil¡¯s command and slapped his elder?


    mo hua was very pleased and then said to elder song:


    "now slap him back."


    and elder song indeed slapped zhang quan.


    by then, both zhang quan and elder song realized something was amiss.


    zhang quan angrily said, "you brat, what did you do to us?"


    elder song also exclaimed in fright and fury, "what exactly do you want to do?"


    mo hua answered speechlessly, "how could i possibly tell you? do you think i¡¯m stupid?"


    he then muttered to himself, "i can¡¯t let them speak, or they¡¯ll expose my plan..."


    can i make them shut up?


    with a thought from mo hua, a blue light shone faintly at the heart vessel of the two, revealing formation patterns which sprouted spiritual threads that climbed upwards and, like threads and needles, sewed the mouths of zhang quan and elder song shut.


    zhang quan and elder song¡¯s eyes widened in horror, but they could not utter a sound.


    mo hua narrowed his eyes and smiled.


    that was correct.


    zombies should look the part, no need for chatter!


    afterward, he concealed himself, sat down cross-legged, and prepared to wait for other zombies from the zhang family to come, so that he could test the control effects of the spiritual pivot formation.


    after a while, another zombie elder indeed came with two zombie disciples into mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    as soon as the zombie elder entered the sea of consciousness, without even having time to marvel at the depth and purity of mo hua¡¯s divine sense, he noticed zhang quan and elder song standing stiffly like wooden stakes.


    their appearance was very strange.


    their clothes were ragged, scorched, as if they had gone through a fierce battle. s~ea??h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    yet their aura was steady and even quite balanced and harmonious, not at all reflective of having fought...


    "elder song?"


    that zombie elder asked with a frown.


    elder song remained motionless, his eyes wide open but with no response at all.


    muttering to himself, the zombie elder called out again, "elder song?"


    "what has happened?"


    "where is elder si? and those two disciples?"


    "how come you look like this?"


    after asking for a long time with no response from elder song, the zombie elder frowned more deeply.


    just then, elder song suddenly lashed out. his fingers, sharp as talons, were swift as the wind as he targeted the zombie elder¡¯s heart vessel.


    the zombie elder was startled and quickly dodged, but a gash was still torn across his chest, spilling black blood.


    enraged, the zombie elder bellowed, "elder song, what do you mean by this?"


    elder song¡¯s attacks became more frenzied, each move lethal, as if he had no regard for his own life.


    while the zombie elder struggled to cope, he gritted his teeth and said:


    "zhang song, what are you trying to do?"


    "are you aiming to betray us?"


    "to kill your own elder?"


    "how will you explain this to the ancient ancestor?"


    "are you planning a rebellion?!"


    elder song¡¯s expressionless face masked inner turmoil:


    i don¡¯t want to be involved in fratricide either, i¡¯m not in control of myself...


    don¡¯t blame me...


    blame that vicious, hateful, despicable, devious, shameless little devil!


    it¡¯s him, preventing me from controlling myself!

 Chapter 524: (1)

    mo hua hid on the side, manipulating elder song and engaging in combat with this newly-arrived elder of the zombies.elder song should have been stronger, but controlled by the spiritual pivot formation cast by mo hua, he could not act as he wished and seemed only able to exert seventy to eighty percent of his strength, which is why after dozens of exchanges he gradually began to be overpowered.


    if one wasn¡¯t enough, then use two.


    mo hua had no honor in combat, as he took control of zhang quan as well, the two launching a pincer attack.


    with this, the newly-arrived elder of the zombies found himself in a difficult position.


    mo hua then observed its techniques.


    the elders of zombies from the zhang family passed down their methods through generations, all knowing only how to transform using divine thought into a corpse, engaging in close combat.


    if they couldn¡¯t win that way, they would transform again with divine thought into a corpse, their stature swelling, their skin turning to bronze and bone to iron, their faces ghoulish with lashing fangs.


    during such times, their speed increased, their strength amplified, and their fangs even more lethal.


    but this was hardly interesting.


    the first time mo hua saw it, he found it novel, but after watching it repeatedly, it became tedious.


    apart from elder song, who knew how to shrink his skin and bones to escape, the other zombies were all quite similar.


    mo hua wondered if it was because they were uneducated and incompetent, or if their ancestors had been secretive and hadn¡¯t taught them other skills.


    this elder of the zombies had no new tricks either.


    mo hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    with limited time, he wasted no more, exerting full control over zhang quan and elder song, the two launching a joint assault that caused the elder of the zombies to retreat in defeat.


    the elder of the zombies became enraged, fighting with all his might, yet unable to prevail.


    even after transforming into a stronger form, he still couldn¡¯t win.


    furthermore, his injuries worsened bit by bit; continuing like this, his death was certain.


    the elder of the zombies¡¯ gaze flash darkly as he swallowed a mouthful of blood, his aura surging as he punched, driving zhang quan back, then repelled elder song, attempting to escape.


    but mo hua would not let him get away.


    with a light tap of mo hua¡¯s finger, water prison swiftly formed.


    the elder of the zombies, just as he thought to flee, was instantaneously shackled by spiritual chains, bound where he stood.


    the elder of the zombies was shocked.


    from a corner, mo hua¡¯s figure also gradually became visible.


    though young, his divine thought was focused, his aura robust, and his depths unfathomable.


    the elder of the zombies glared with wide eyes, filled with terror as he asked:


    "who are you?"


    mo hua, feeling it beneath him to waste words with such an ordinary elder, directly greeted him with a fireball technique.


    a fireball technique whistled out, smashing onto his face.


    the elder of the zombies fell at the sound.


    mo hua, still not reassured, cast several more fireball techniques, booming loud, blasting the elder of the zombies into a state of near-collapse, lying on the ground, unable to move.


    zhang quan and elder song, looking on, had their eyelids twitching.


    before they could pity each other, an even more startling scene took place.


    in front of zhang quan and the other man, mo hua began to deploy the spiritual pivot formation.


    with a discard of concentration, he pointed his finger at the heart meridian of the zombie elder, whose consciousness was nearing collapse, his body immobilized.


    using the heart meridian as the formation eye, pale blue formation patterns unfolded, blossoming like a rare and beautiful orchid on the chest of the elder of the zombies, then spreading outward, rooting and proliferating throughout the flesh, layer upon layer, until there was a perfect integration...


    this elder at the iron corpse realm had thus become a living puppet.


    zhang quan and elder song watched with eyes wide with fright.


    what kind of formation was this?


    could this little devil be controlling the bodies through such a formation?


    had they too been implanted with such a formation?


    what exactly was this formation?


    this formation was sophisticated, its technique so close to the way, and that way bordered on the sinister.


    it was beyond their comprehension, utterly bizarre.


    zhang quan was suddenly struck by a thought.


    this formation, it somewhat resembled the corpse control formation that lu chengyun treasured as though it was a priceless treasure...


    except it wasn¡¯t as malevolent, and it appeared more complex, more mystical, and more profound.


    but wasn¡¯t that formation said to be extremely difficult by lu chengyun? didn¡¯t he say it had a high threshold? wasn¡¯t the formation principle incredibly intricate?


    zhang quan still remembered lu chengyun¡¯s words:


    "...without intense and solitary dedication, decades of study, no understanding of evil formation, no merging the sinister intention into consciousness, no using bone as the brush, no using blood as ink, no using corpses as a medium, how could he possibly learn it?"


    so when did this youngster learn it?


    zhang quan wanted to ask, but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth at all.


    he was already a divine thought puppet manipulated by others, without the autonomy of his own body...


    after mo hua had drawn the spiritual pivot formation on the elder of the zombies, he refined the two zombie disciples he had just killed into blue smoke, and then fed it to the elder to restore some of his strength.


    moments later, the once vague form of the elder of the zombies gradually stabilized and he slowly opened his eyes.


    his gaze was lost, confused.


    what lingered in his memory was the fierce fireball technique from mo hua.


    it soon realized that its body was no longer under its control.


    it was manipulated by mo hua, standing together with zhang quan and elder song. its mouth was also sewn shut with threads of spiritual power, so it could not speak but only exchange a simple glance with elder song.


    the emotions conveyed in that glance were extremely complex.


    it had finally understood elder song¡¯s dilemma.


    their fate was no longer in their own hands.


    instead, it lay in the hands of the cute-looking yet terrifying young monk beside them...


    with three iron corpses in hand, mo hua continued to lie in wait.


    he remembered elder song saying that the zhang family¡¯s ancestral zombie was sustained by the divine thoughts and bloodlines of its descendants and would not consume them directly.


    although mo hua was unclear about the specifics of this sustenance, logically, the zhang family¡¯s ancestor should not enter his sea of consciousness.


    unless he captured all the zhang family elders in one swoop...


    before long, two more iron corpse elders from the zhang family entered mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    mo hua followed suit.


    this time it was three against two, a chaotic melee.


    once they had exhausted their tricks and the fight was nearly over, mo hua would make his move. using the fireball technique, water prison technique, and earth fire formation concurrently, he would quickly resolve the two elders.


    then he would repeat the old trick.


    laying out the spiritual pivot formation, he took control over the zhang family elders.


    as a result, the zhang family lost two more elders, while mo hua¡¯s hands were graced with two more iron corpses.


    mo hua fished as if he were angling.


    one by one.


    each time he caught one, his basket held one more fish, and the river one less.


    in the ancestral master picture of the zhang family, all elders at the iron corpse realm were mo hua¡¯s fish...


    ...


    meanwhile, as mo hua "fished," there was also an undercurrent flowing through south yue city. sea??h th§× n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    all kinds of cultivating forces were converging in the city.


    the streets were filled with many new faces.


    unaware qi refinement cultivators still toiled for their daily bread, exhausting themselves for mere spirit stones.


    those cultivators in the thick of things, however, bore a grave expression.


    a storm was brewing, and the tension was palpable.


    yet, they only sensed the wind, the exact nature of the impending storm unknown to them.


    situ family.


    they gathered in a room that was modestly decorated, refined yet concealed. find exclusive stories on empire


    powers from various factions came together.


    these included the taoist soldiers¡¯ leaders mobilized by the taoist court, the foundation establishment elders from the nearby tao cultivating powers under the court¡¯s command, and the clans and sects associated with heaven shu pavilion that followed mr. zhuang, including a gaunt old man, a youth in white, and a middle-aged cultivator.


    ...


    these clan forces arrived in secret, and the taoist soldiers were stationed in an abandoned mine outside the city to stay unseen, to deceive the lu family.


    at the same time, they also circumvented south yue city¡¯s taoist court.


    the only supervisor from south yue city¡¯s taoist court present was situ fang.


    but she was there due to her status as a disciple of the situ family and her knowledge of many secrets, which allowed her to partake in this meeting.


    the leader of this gathering was a taoist soldiers¡¯ leader with the surname yang, at the qi foundation middle stage, a man with a square face, stern brows and eyes, and a steady demeanor.


    leader yang spoke directly,


    "i am yang jishan, serving as a second grade leader of the taoist soldiers," he said.


    "by the taoist court¡¯s decree, our mission is to suppress the corpse mine, arrest lu chengyun, seal the corpse king, and destroy the mass of corpses. we must prevent a corpse tide, avoid a catastrophe of zombies, and not let south yue city¡¯s inhabitants suffer a dire fate..."


    leader yang¡¯s gaze was severe as he looked around and said sternly,


    "in south yue city, the lu family holds great influence, and there are many zombies in the corpse mine."


    "therefore, our actions must be cautious, or we¡¯ll surely invite disaster!"


    "i ask all of you to follow commands. should there be any lapses leading to misfortune, and the taoist court lays blame, none of us can bear the responsibility."


    after leader yang finished speaking and saw no dissatisfaction, he nodded and continued,


    "for this operation, we will divide into two groups:"


    "one group will suppress the lu family;"


    "seal the lu estate, capture the foundation building cultivators of the lu family, restrain their cultivation with second grade spiritual locks; confine and watch over common qi refinement disciples until the dust settles on the corpse mine affair, at which point their fate will be determined."


    "innocents must not be killed indiscriminately."


    "however, should any descendant of the lu family resist, show no mercy!"


    "the other group, the cultivators will assemble and, in conjunction with the taoist soldiers outside the city, launch a surprise attack on the corpse mine."


    "move covertly, strive for a swift resolution, suppress the corpse mine, capture lu chengyun, and nip the zombie menace in the bud..."


    "next are the specific tactical arrangements..."

 Chapter 525: Prep for War (1)

    leader yang hung up several maps.among these maps were terrain diagrams of the mines, the entrance to the lu family corpse mine, structural drawings of the stone palaces within the mine, as well as simple tunnel route maps.


    many small characters were marked on the maps.


    the small characters explained matters that needed attention, including the iron corpses on guard, the locations of mechanisms, corpse poison traps, secret passages, secret rooms, and hidden doors, and so on.


    they even included formation diagrams:


    defensive formation, early warning formation, expose shadow formation, trap formation, killing formation, and confinement formation... and the like, all marked very clearly.


    the detailed nature of these maps surprised everyone.


    leader yang arranged tactics in accordance with the maps.


    first was the division of teams, based on cultivation techniques and expertise in taoist skills, the foundation building cultivators were divided into teams.


    each team of cultivators had different offensive and defensive capabilities, complementing each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses.


    those skilled in combat, sharp in taoist skills, would take the lead in attack; those physically strong and robust in blood qi, would take the lead in defense.


    there were also some cultivators with unusual taoist skills that produced rare effects, serving as surprise troops to catch the enemy unawares.


    after dividing the teams, leader yang continued:


    "the taoist court has allocated a batch of pills. i will distribute them later..."


    "these pills include poison avoidance pills, spirit revitalizing pills, blood replenishing pills, serum pills, and so forth..."


    "the rest are commonly used pills. you may take them as needed without me saying more."


    "but these serum pills are different; they are specifically to counteract corpse poison, hard to come by, and must be used with caution. however, in a critical moment, make sure not to hesitate."


    "once injured, bleeding, tainted by corpse poison, especially second grade iron corpse poison, it must be taken immediately, else once the corpse poison reaches the heart, and live ones transform into zombies, i can only bring myself to strike you down..."


    the expressions of the cultivators present all grew serious.


    leader yang¡¯s expression turned solemn as he continued:


    "of course, if i am unfortunate enough to transform into a zombie, becoming the corpse king¡¯s living puppet, you must not hesitate to slay me, to burn my corpse, leaving no remains behind!"


    "my members of the yang family might die in battle, but we must not become zombies after death, aiding the tyrant..."


    leader yang finished speaking and then asked:


    "among us, is there any gentleman who knows formations?"


    the crowd looked at each other, and then a few cultivators stood up, their hair either graying or white, all of them quite aged.


    leader yang nodded.


    a young man dressed in white hesitated for a moment before standing up as well.


    the middle-aged cultivator beside him tried to pull him back but didn¡¯t catch him, muttering discontentedly:


    "what¡¯s the point of pushing into the limelight unnecessarily..."


    a gaunt old man beside them sighed and shook his head.


    yet the young man in white remained resolute.


    leader yang saw his youth and was slightly surprised as he asked:


    "this young friend... are you a formation master?"


    the young man in white nodded: "i am a second rank formation master."


    a second rank formation master!


    as soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was shocked.


    "a second rank formation master, so young?"


    "impossible, right..."


    "who would lie at a time like this?"


    "what¡¯s his background?"


    "must be from a noble family descendant..."


    "how did a member of a noble family end up here?"


    "who knows..."


    "he looks only about twenty or thirty years old. such talent is truly terrifying..."


    "i¡¯m over a hundred and eighty and only a first rank formation master, sigh, truly shameful..."


    ...


    the crowd whispered among themselves, abuzz with speculation.


    leader yang was also quite shocked, then seriously asked:


    "what is the gentleman¡¯s esteemed surname?"


    the young man in white saluted with his hands: "leader yang is too courteous, just call me young master yun."


    "yun¡­ the young master of the yun family?"


    leader yang was inwardly moved and nodded:


    "good, in this operation, i hope young master yun will lend us a strong hand."


    the young master yun in white nodded, "to rid the world of demons and protect the taoist way is my unshirkable duty."


    the youthful spirit of the young man gave the middle-aged cultivator beside him a headache.


    however, leader yang looked on with admiration and then commanded the deputy commander beside him:


    "after the battle begins, you will follow young master yun and protect him closely, ensuring his safety without fail."


    "yes!"


    the deputy commander acknowledged the order.


    leader yang displayed the mine¡¯s formation charts, pointing out several formations that were designed as gate locks at checkpoints.


    leader yang asked:


    "young master yun, please look these over, how should these formations be broken?"


    young master yun shook his head: "i haven¡¯t learned how to break them yet, i can only teach you how to destroy them..."


    leader yang was taken aback.


    to break the formations, isn¡¯t there any difference between "breaking" and "solving"?


    usually, when they, the taoist soldiers, speak of breaking and solving formations, they mean the same thing...


    yet he didn¡¯t feel it was appropriate to ask in detail, to avoid seeming unprofessional, so he vaguely replied:


    "either is fine."


    young master yun examined the formation diagram, pondered for a moment, and then began to indicate the weaknesses of the formations, telling them where the formation eye was, how the formation pivot operated, where the critical formation patterns were, and which was the weakest formation media...


    as long as they forcefully destroyed these points with spiritual power or physical force, the formation could be broken.


    leader yang was delighted, noting everything down and then instructed a few taoist soldier leaders:


    "remember what young master yun said; at that time, make sure there is no deviation, and all these formations must be broken!"


    "yes, leader!"


    leader yang then discussed with everyone, looking for omissions and drawing from collective wisdom, refining the plan to suppress the corpse mine bit by bit...


    once the discussion was over, someone suddenly asked:


    "leader, this intelligence is so detailed. where did it come from?"


    upon hearing this, everyone was startled and turned their gaze toward leader yang.


    leader yang couldn¡¯t help but look toward situ fang.


    situ fang then rose to speak: "it was two children of noble families who told me."


    "noble family children?"


    "which noble family?"


    "how did they come by this information? can we trust it?"


    ...


    situ fang frowned and declared in a loud voice: "our situ family can vouch for it."


    someone sneered, "what use is the guarantee of the situ family?"


    "it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust you, but this matter is of great importance and must be handled with extreme caution..."


    situ fang¡¯s brows furrowed tightly.


    after pondering for a moment, leader yang said, "how about this, please invite these two disciples over, and we can confirm their identities..."


    "this..." situ fang hesitated.


    leader yang asked, "is there any inconvenience?"


    "i can only ask for them, but whether they come or not, i can¡¯t guarantee..." situ fang said.


    "no matter," leader yang said, "situ supervisor can go and invite them."


    "alright."


    situ fang nodded, clasped his hands in salute, and then took his leave.


    leader yang stared at the map, his brow furrowed in deep thought.


    it¡¯s indeed too comprehensive...


    just like the intelligence leaked by an "insider" within the corpse mine...


    no, even an "insider" would not necessarily know the details this intimately.


    the topographical map and the layout of the stone palace are still okay, but this formation diagram, it¡¯s an absolute secret, not something an ordinary cultivator could get their hands on.


    i reckon that in the entire corpse mine, only lu chengyun would have it...


    is this a conspiracy by lu chengyun, luring us into a trap?


    or is it that the cultivator who gathered the intelligence is familiar with the inner formations and is a "trusted aide" of lu chengyun?


    leader yang¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion, he turned his head and saw young master yun also staring intently at the formation diagram, and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "young master yun, what do you think?"


    young master yun was slightly startled, thought seriously for a moment, and then said:


    "i¡¯m not clear about other things, but at least this formation diagram, with its intricate principles and logical consistency, and matching with the topographical layout, it can¡¯t be fake."


    leader yang nodded, feeling slightly relieved in his heart.


    as long as the formation diagram is real, that¡¯s good.


    the formation diagram is crucial.


    even if lu chengyun intends to lure us into a trap, he wouldn¡¯t be so irrational as to expose such confidential information...


    as long as the formation diagram is accurate, even if there are some inaccuracies in other pieces of intelligence, they can adapt accordingly, and there shouldn¡¯t be major problems.


    leader yang soon became curious again.


    who exactly are the two descendants of noble clans that situ fang mentioned?


    and what is the identity of the cultivator who obtained the intelligence?


    an hour later, situ fang led two cultivators in.


    it was bai zisheng and bai zixi.


    as soon as the two entered the hall, everyone present felt as if a light had shone before their eyes.


    bai zisheng had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, an imposing demeanor, and though only in the qi-refining realm, his spiritual power was profound, clearly indicating a deeply solid foundation. s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    bai zixi was disguised, with merely a beautiful and delicate appearance, but her aura was crisp and clear, and her eyes were like shining ripples, dazzling like glittering glass, unforgettable to anyone who saw them.


    the spiritual power around her was surging, and compared to bai zisheng, she was certainly not inferior.


    at a glance, one would know they were from prominent families, with extraordinary and sublime spiritual roots, but at the same time, their aura was somewhat obscure, making it difficult for others to discern their true abilities.


    some cultivators secretly tried to probe with their divine sense.


    but as soon as their divine sense extended, they felt it being absorbed by something and dragged into an abyss, disappearing without a trace.


    the cultivator who attempted to spy turned pale, a chill settling in their hearts.


    these two individuals¡¯ identities were clearly not to be trifled with by them.


    leader yang was taken aback for a long while before he finally opened his mouth to ask:


    "may i know where the two young friends come from?"


    bai zisheng said, "our surname is bai."


    surname bai?


    leader yang¡¯s heart gave a shiver, which bai?


    in the cultivation world of the nine states, there are several significant clans with the surname bai...


    but looking at their eminent identities, he did not delve further and turned to the main topic:


    "i wonder where did you get the news about this corpse mine from?"


    bai zisheng said, "it was gathered by my junior brother."


    "junior brother?"


    "yes," bai zisheng said, "my junior brother is an expert in formations, and was used by lu chengyun, who captured and trapped him in the corpse mine."


    "then this intelligence..."


    bai zisheng nodded and said, "it¡¯s all information he gathered from inside."


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    leader yang frowned.


    an expert in formations? how expert could he be?


    this intelligence included a formation diagram, could that really be gathered as well...


    leader yang was half-convinced.


    he looked again at bai zisheng and bai zixi, and his hesitations gradually eased as he thought to himself:


    "if this junior brother is indeed the disciple of these two young bai family cultivators, he must have some exceptional abilities, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for him to accomplish things that ordinary people couldn¡¯t..."


    meanwhile, the silent bai zixi secretly tugged at bai zisheng¡¯s sleeve.


    only then did bai zisheng, somewhat reluctantly, say:


    "i have one more thing... i would like to ask everyone here, to help rescue my junior brother..."


    bai zisheng was usually not one to ask for help; if not for mo hua, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to ask these people for assistance.


    but there were too many zombies in the corpse mine, and it wasn¡¯t easy for him to break in forcefully, and mo hua hadn¡¯t returned for a long time...


    leader yang said, "of course."


    this junior disciple was the younger brother of these two bai family members, and also hijacked by lu chengyun for his use; he was clearly not an ordinary person in terms of both identity and strength.


    furthermore, he had passed on such critical intelligence, helping them immensely, so they were definitely going to rescue him regardless.


    leader yang then asked:


    "what does this young junior brother of yours look like? what are his features, and what is his name?"


    bai zisheng replied, "he¡¯s thirteen years old, knowledgeable in formations, with a countenance like a painting, his name is mo hua."


    thirteen years old?


    so young?


    all those present were somewhat astonished.


    leader yang was also taken aback.


    mo hua?


    this name, why does it sound so familiar, as if i¡¯ve heard it somewhere...


    it seemed like someone had mentioned it to him before?


    leader yang couldn¡¯t recall at the moment, so he temporarily set it aside and solemnly said:


    "everyone, when we attack the corpse mine, if we encounter this young cultivator named ¡¯mo hua¡¯, we must assist him and ensure his rescue!"


    all the cultivators present nodded their heads.


    they all remembered the name "mo hua."


    however, they had no idea what this name really signified...

 Chapter 526: Zhang Family Ancestral Master (1)

    all plans being in place, yang jishan said in a deep voice,"troops will be mobilized tomorrow; cultivators will be gathered. the day after at 6 a.m., we begin the suppression of the lu family and the eradication of the corpse mine!"


    everyone¡¯s expressions were serious.


    the day the battle starts is when the torrential rain abruptly arrives.


    inside south yue city, the wind and rain are unsteady.


    what they are about to face is the deeply-rooted lu family and the vastness of the corpse mountain and corpse sea...


    as well as that body, with the potential of a taoist demon¡ªthe corpse king!


    the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned somber...


    ...


    in the corpse mine, however, lu chengyun suddenly furrowed his brows.


    his heart felt a bit uneasy at that moment.


    it seemed as if something extremely dangerous had occurred, but he was completely unaware.


    what could possibly be so dangerous?


    lu chengyun calmed his mind and began to ponder slowly.


    zhang quan was already dead, and with him, the control over the corpse king had vanished.


    in this world, the only person left who could dominate the corpse king was himself...


    he had also used mo hua as a sacrificial offering to feed the contemplation map.


    once his divine sense was consumed, leaving only an empty shell behind, he would refine him into a small zombie to stay by his side and serve him.


    after all, he was quite fond of the clever and adorable child.


    the only problem was his proficiency in formations, knowing too much.


    the matter of the corpse mine was of utmost importance, related to the fate of the lu family and his own future path to the great dao. he had no choice but to eliminate all potential risks and nip them in the bud.


    a child too intelligent could not be left alive.


    a zhang quan, a mo hua.


    both were discarded by him, once they had served their purpose across the river, like breaking up the bridge after crossing it, killing the donkey after grinding the wheat¡ªdealt with.


    besides these two, who else could threaten him? who else could make him feel so uneasy?


    lu chengyun¡¯s fingers tapped the tabletop woodenly, his expression cold.


    a moment later, he opened some incoming reports.


    these reports, gathered by the lu family cultivators, were about recent occurrences in south yue city and the corpse mine.


    lu chengyun relied on these reports to observe the movements within south yue city.


    "the number of passing cultivators has increased..."


    "their faces unfamiliar, unable to discern their aura..."


    "the south yue sect grew distant from our lu family, declined the delivery of spirit stones..."


    "the taoist court, on the other hand, did not err in collecting spirit stones, and the brothel is still frequented."


    "the court leader indulges himself in pleasures within the brothel and has once again humiliated a female cultivator to death..."


    ...


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened as he contemplated in silence. s~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "nothing seems unusual..."


    "am i being overanxious?"


    "more passing cultivators are a good thing. within hundreds of miles, only our lu family¡¯s jinhua street is most luxurious, indulging in pleasure to the extreme. as they toy with the bodies of female cultivators, they are actually providing my lu family with spirit stones..."


    "there¡¯s nothing unusual on the taoist court¡¯s end."


    "if there was really something afoot, the local taoist court couldn¡¯t possibly be in the dark."


    "otherwise, they would have shown at least some restraint, even if they didn¡¯t tip us off."


    "is the south yue sect putting on an act, desiring more spirit stones?"


    lu chengyun snorted coldly, "it seems this sect leader is tired of his position!"


    lu chengyun reviewed the reports once more; in spite of everything, he still felt something was off, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint where...


    "could it be that the corpse mine¡¯s conspiracy has been leaked?"


    lu chengyun considered for a moment, then shook his head, "impossible..."


    the only ones who knew the ins and outs were zhang quan and mo hua.


    zhang quan was already dead, and mo hua had been fed to the map by him.


    beyond that, what those corpse cultivators knew was merely superficial; they were clueless about the core aspects like the formation of ten thousand corpses, the spiritual pivot formation, and the corpse king within the altar.


    even if they betrayed him, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    finding a scapegoat would suffice; the taoist court wouldn¡¯t make a big fuss...


    lu chengyun, feeling heavily suspicious, was still somewhat uneasy.


    "should i personally take a look in the city?"


    he pondered for a while then shook his head again.


    the matter of the formation of ten thousand corpses still required his attention.


    this kind of complex compound formation, requiring constant operation, wasn¡¯t just set and done; it demanded inspection, maintenance, examination, ensuring that the formation eye was intact, the formation pivot smooth, and the formation patterns error-free.


    moreover, the formation eye of the formation of ten thousand corpses was constructed by mo hua.


    some ideas were ingenious, the circulation of spiritual power unique, not as simple as he had initially thought.


    maintaining it was somewhat difficult for lu chengyun. inspecting, identifying errors, and repairing were all time-consuming tasks.


    not to mention other formation masters in the corpse mine¡ªwho would be fortunate if they could even understand it.


    lu chengyun sighed, somewhat regretting:


    "it was too early to kill this gentleman..."


    he had no choice but to manage these tasks himself now, too busy to worry about anything else. nevertheless, he was still not entirely reassured, so he ordered:


    "in these days, strengthen the defense, patrol day and night. if there¡¯s any abnormality, report it immediately."


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    the corpse cultivators acknowledged the command and passed along the orders.


    for a while, the entire corpse mine went into high alert...


    the taoist court was fully prepared, and the situation within the corpse mine extremely tense.


    the great battle was on the brink of breaking out...


    and within the sea of consciousness inside mo hua¡¯s white coffin, the ultimate enemy was about to arrive:


    the ancestor founder of corpse path from the zhang family!


    during this time, mo hua had been fishing non-stop.


    until now, he had drawn all of the zhang family¡¯s ancestors and elders, along with the disciples, into his own sea of consciousness.


    mo hua waited at his leisure, first commanding the iron corpses to gang up on them. as they fought each other fiercely, exhausted their tricks, and suffered severe injuries, he would step in to finish them off.


    the elders were retained, controlled by the spiritual pivot formation.


    the disciples were refined to restore the elders¡¯ power.


    among them, the strongest was the chief elder of the zhang family.


    with much effort and at the cost of losing two iron corpse elders, mo hua finally subdued him.

 Chapter 527: Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family (2)

    the control of iron corpse had reached its limit.mo hua then imitated lu chengyun, painting on the chief elder¡¯s body the same spiritual pivot formation as the corpse king, and endowed it with a high-permission sequential formation pattern. on the other iron corpse elders, he painted subordinate sequence formation patterns.


    by controlling the chief elder, he thus commanded the ordinary elders.


    sure enough, he felt much lighter with his divine sense, and his control over the iron corpses became even more precise.


    with this, mo hua now had a total of eleven iron corpses in his hands!


    this was the entire number of living elders of the zhang family.


    originally, they were all elders of the zhang family, obeying the orders of the zombie ancestor, but now they had become divine consciousness puppets of mo hua and were under his control.


    the situation had changed from being outnumbered to outnumbering the enemy.


    using the enemies¡¯ tactics against them.


    using the zhang family¡¯s elders to fight the ancient ancestor of the zhang family!


    mo hua nodded with a smile, expressing satisfaction with his own cunning,


    "i am truly remarkable!"


    next, mo hua arranged the eleven iron corpses of the zhang family in a line, ready for battle, waiting for the arrival of the zhang family ancestor.


    as for himself, he hid on the side, lying in wait, ready to watch the ancestors of the zhang family fight among themselves, reaping the benefits for himself...


    zhang quan, who saw all this, regretted it to his core.


    it was a big mistake; he should never have provoked this little ancestral master!


    actually, had he been angered to death sooner, it would have been better.


    if he had been angered to death earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have been used to threaten the ancestors of his zhang family.


    now, they had also fallen to the point of "assisting a tyrant in his oppression".


    mo hua was that little tyrant.


    not only did he consume them, but he also turned them into wraiths to further harm the forefathers of his zhang family.


    now, the elders of the zhang family had all become the "wraiths" of this "little tyrant" and were about to harm their old ancestor!


    the old ancestor was in real danger!


    this little devil, mo hua, was far more fearsome than lu chengyun!


    zhang quan was both anxious and frightened.


    but now he was just a puppet, dominated by mo hua, obeying mo hua¡¯s commands, and completely powerless...


    ...


    after some time, mo hua, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.


    he felt the divine thought walls shake, as if something powerful was approaching...


    moments later, mist swirled.


    an elder with an air of immortality descended on a cloud.


    this man, with white hair and beard, looked otherworldly and dignified; it was zhang quan¡¯s great ancestor, the zombie ancestor from the ancestral master picture.


    mo hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and a mischievous smile formed on his lips...


    ...


    the zhang family ancestor had arrived.


    he had no choice but to come.


    because no one in the zhang family was left.


    one by one, they had all disappeared without return.


    in just half a day, his disciples and grand-disciples had vanished.


    the once full ancestral master picture now had only him left, the sole surviving ancestor.


    if he didn¡¯t show up, the corpse-path heritage of the zhang family would truly be at an end.


    there must be someone scheming a trap.


    this was about the bloodline and the heritage of the corpse path.


    he wanted to see who or what dared to plot against his zhang family?


    when the ancestors of the zhang family arrived, he was first taken aback.


    such a profound divine sense!


    like the legendary lands of dense spiritual energy, the divine sense here was terrifyingly pure.


    could it be that his disciples were voraciously indulging, so content that they didn¡¯t want to return?


    the zhang family ancestor frowned, looking around in astonishment.


    there were no outsiders, no other evil spirits, or divine consciousness entities.


    only about a dozen of his zhang family elders were lined up, standing like wooden stakes.


    the zhang family ancestor with a frown said,


    "what is the meaning of this?"


    the group of elders had obscure auras and dull eyes, and remained silent.


    the zhang family ancestor sensed something was wrong.


    just as he was about to step forward for a closer look, a sudden chill wind arose.


    the zhang family chief elder took the lead to strike, claws swelling with corpse poison, attacking the back of the zhang family ancestor.


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    the face of the zhang family ancestor changed drastically as he grabbed the wrist of the chief elder, blocking his assault.


    at the same time, the other elders also made their moves, aiming for vital spots: the heart, the eyes, the crown of the head, the groin, the joints...


    each move was lethal, intending to kill their old ancestor!


    the zhang family ancestor was furious.


    he could never have imagined that in such a short period of time, his disciples and grand-disciples not only vanished but also betrayed him, and were even plotting patricide, attempting to take the life of their old ancestor!


    "a bunch of scourges!"


    the zhang family ancestor defended himself, parrying a few moves, but was overwhelmed by the numbers. his taoist robe was torn, his arms were cut, and several strands of his white beard were pulled out...


    the zhang family ancestor¡¯s gaze grew stern.


    during the combat, he noticed something unusual about these elders.


    "were they controlled?"


    the zhang family ancestor¡¯s thoughts raced.


    controlled by what?


    a spell?


    an illusion technique?


    were they bewitched or brainwashed?


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    the zhang family ancestor¡¯s mind stirred, and he immediately chanted loudly, subsequently barking:


    "the ancestral master is here, why haven¡¯t you converted yet?"


    "convert to my school, and seek eternal life..."


    "convert to my school..."


    "seek eternal life..."


    these words, both loud and distant, resonated in the ears and hearts of those present, possessing the power to enchant and compel conversion.


    mo hua¡¯s divine sense also wavered momentarily.


    but after a brief moment, his mind cleared like a stream, and he was instantly awake.


    on the other hand, the iron corpses revealed looks of longing and desire.


    but they were controlled by the spiritual pivot formation, their actions governed by spiritual threads, mere puppets, so what they thought didn¡¯t really matter.

 Chapter 528

    even if the zhang family ancestral master had bewitched their minds, their bodies remained honest, only obeying mo hua.their onslaught continued unabated.


    these iron corpses had looks of longing, clearly shaken in spirit.


    but their attacks were still mercilessly fierce, not holding back in the slightest.


    the zhang family ancestral master felt a chill in his heart.


    what kind of control technique was this? he had never seen it before.


    the zhang family ancestral master called out loudly,


    "who is the expert that set up this situation?"


    being able to simultaneously control eleven iron corpses without being affected by his own taoist sounds, such a skill could only belong to a true master.


    but mo hua didn¡¯t make a sound, nor did he have any intention of revealing himself.


    the most ideal outcome was to avoid getting involved personally.


    to let these zombies slaughter each other within their clan.


    wait until both sides were weakened, then go out and pick up the pieces.


    depending on the superiority of numbers, to let this zhang family ancestral master be worn down by his own disciples and grandchildren, best if he didn¡¯t even know how he died, making the perfect confused ghost.


    this would save a lot of trouble. s§×arch* the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    and the risk was lower, too.


    even if he had to step in at the end, he wanted to force out all the ancestral master¡¯s techniques, making him reveal his hand, so that he would have something to guard against and could be more targeted in his approach...


    mo hua¡¯s mind stirred, and he intensified the attack of the iron corpses.


    the zhang family ancestral master was extremely frustrated.


    being attacked by his own disciples and grandchildren, he didn¡¯t even know who the hidden enemy was.


    at first, he refrained from being ruthless out of concern for the connection between ancestors and disciples, but as his injuries multiplied, he realized this couldn¡¯t continue.


    if it did, he would only die here!


    the expression of the zhang family ancestral master darkened, and his aura suddenly changed.


    the aura of his transcendent nature disappeared, and in its stead rose a dense corpse qi.


    his pupils turned vertical, changing from pitch black to a rusted copper color, his gaze cold and indifferent.


    his taoist robe burst from his body, revealing skin of an ancient copper hue, with green veins twisting grotesquely over it, tough beyond compare.


    his stature also shot up suddenly, bulking up like copper and iron.


    sharp claws elongated like fine swords, their tips glowing with a copper-red sheen.


    he looked terrifying, his aura violent and ferocious.


    mo hua involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air:


    a copper corpse!


    despite some anticipation, he was still shocked.


    he hadn¡¯t expected that the divine thought manifested by the zhang family ancestral master would truly be a copper corpse!


    only a second grade zombie could refine a copper corpse.


    the strength of a copper corpse was at least a middle-phase foundation establishment; with deeper cultivation, it could reach the late phase.


    in the case of the zhang family ancestral master, mo hua estimated that he was just a hair away from the later phase of foundation establishment.


    but because he was an ancestral master, influenced by the family¡¯s offerings and the faith of the zhang family disciples, his strength was also impacted.


    now that the disciples of the zhang family had been either slaughtered or refined by mo hua for consumption, and the rest had become mo hua¡¯s puppets, they were in the midst of "betraying and exterminating their ancestor."


    therefore, the ancestral master¡¯s strength was greatly diminished, and it seemed likely that he was at an intermediate level of the middle phase of foundation establishment.


    but even so, he was still very strong.


    mo hua estimated in his mind and felt that in a head-on clash, he would probably, most likely, not necessarily, be a match for the zhang family ancestral master.


    it was a fifty-fifty proposition.


    his chances of winning, he guessed, were probably even slimmer.


    a copper corpse, ah...


    such a sturdy, thick-skinned creature with fast movements and deep corpse qi, how could it be defeated?


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    even if he could win, it would likely be a pyrrhic victory.


    mo hua sighed in his heart, then felt a bit relieved, murmuring softly,


    "luckily, i don¡¯t have to do the fighting myself..."


    mo hua controlled the zhang family¡¯s iron corpses as they began a righteous siege...


    in his heart, he encouraged them:


    "go!"


    "annihilate your old ancestor!"


    "defeat him, and you¡¯ll become the ancestor!"


    ...


    eleven iron corpses clashed head-on with a single copper corpse, locked in a desperate brawl.


    fist to flesh, claw drawing blood.


    the fight was incredibly intense for a moment.

 Chapter 529: Fierce Battle (1)

    transformed into a copper corpse, the zhang family ancestral master fought a fierce battle with the iron corpse elder, who was being controlled by mo hua. corpse qi churned around them, strength overflowing in every direction.it looked like a clash of body cultivators engaging in physical combat.


    but because they were both zombies, when engaging in close combat, they also used claws and teeth, their movements even more savage, and their techniques even more vicious.


    mo hua¡¯s blood boiled with excitement.


    it felt like controlling a high-level monster, fighting against a major villain.


    mo hua had been enjoying the spectacle for a while when he suddenly realized he had pressing matters to attend to.


    so he gathered his thoughts, calmed his mind, and started observing the copper corpse ancestral master¡¯s attacking techniques.


    checking whether the copper corpse favored punches, claws, or kicks.


    making note of its combat habits.


    such as following a right punch with a sweep kick, after a horizontal claw slash, there would be an upward rip, and after a "black tiger steals heart" move, it would turn and connect with an elbow strike...


    ...


    mo hua silently observed, committing the ancestral master¡¯s combat habits to memory, one by one.


    just like he used to study the movements of monster beasts and cultivators to refine his water passing step technique.


    know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.


    different enemies, different techniques, different combat habits.


    beasts are not like humans, and humans are not like zombies.


    therefore, one must become very familiar, anticipate in advance. in doing so, one can predict moves in a fight, avoiding being caught off guard.


    against an ordinary opponent, it might not matter, but one must be more careful with a formidable foe like the copper corpse ancestral master.


    the more you know about your enemy, the better your chances of winning.


    this is a skill of a monster hunter.


    it was what his father, mo shan, taught him back on big black mountain.


    the physical body of a monster hunter was far inferior to a monster beast¡¯s, but they still had to fight them in close combat, so they had to be extremely familiar with the beasts¡¯ movements and habits.


    now, mo hua was doing the same against the copper corpse ancestral master.


    while observing, mo hua also simulated the copper corpse¡¯s combo attacks in his mind, trying to figure out how to counter them.


    indeed, the copper corpse was formidable, facing eleven iron corpses and still gaining the upper hand.


    each move was ruthlessly efficient, executed with heavy force.


    in a head-on confrontation, a single iron corpse was no match. only the combined might of eleven iron corpses, coordinated by mo hua, attacking in succession and retreating after each hit as in a relay, could exhaust the copper corpse and put up a fight.


    for a moment, the battle was at a stalemate...


    the strength of the copper corpse lay in its power.


    while the iron corpses¡¯ strength lay in their fearlessness of death.


    trading blow for blow, ready to perish together, they fought a desperate battle against the zhang family ancestral master.


    using the zhang family¡¯s elders against the zhang family¡¯s ancestral master.


    mo hua felt no pity.


    even if they all perished, it didn¡¯t matter...


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    but the zhang family ancestral master did care!


    these were his descendants, the illustrious elders of his zhang family clan, and as the senior ancestral master of the zhang family, if they all perished together, the zhang family would be finished.


    "we can¡¯t keep dragging this out..."


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s gaze turned icy, his aura surged, and with a sweeping right fist, he pushed back several iron corpses and retreated a few steps to start forming hand seals.


    as the iron corpses closed in again,


    a sinister green corpse qi suddenly surged around the zhang family ancestral master.


    iron corpses enveloped by this corpse qi became sluggish in just moments, their footsteps slowed, and their vitality began to weaken.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    corpse poison?


    no, it looked more like some kind of spell.


    corpse poison technique!


    by bursting out with corpse qi, one affected by this poison would become slow moving and continuously suffer from the toxic damage.


    the corpse poison of the copper corpse was indeed tricky...


    mo hua noted this internally and thought about being extra cautious.


    with the zhang family ancestral master using the corpse poison technique, the situation changed.


    affected by the corpse poison, the iron corpses slowed down dramatically. their attacks lagged, their movements constrained, they couldn¡¯t get anywhere near the ancestral master, losing the ability to restrain him...


    "it seems i have to make a move myself..."


    mo hua¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly as he nodded. sea??h th§× n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    hiding in the shadows, he waited for the perfect moment and pointed his finger, casting the water prison technique.


    the zhang family ancestral master, who had been dodging iron corpses¡¯ attacks, suddenly felt his surrounding energy shift. a pale blue spiritual thread appeared, turning into chains that bound him in place.


    at the same time, an attack he should have dodged did not miss its mark.


    an iron corpse¡¯s claw stabbed directly into the left chest of the zhang family ancestral master, not piercing deeply due to the copper-like skin of the corpse, but still inflicting a noticeable wound.


    the zhang family ancestral master punched the iron corpse away and then, with a cold gaze, scanned his surroundings, shouting loudly:


    "who is it?"


    "who dares to ambush me?"


    playing the part of the hidden master, mo hua said nothing.


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s face darkened.


    his suspicions were indeed correct.


    someone had set an ambush, betraying a group of zhang family elders by brainwashing them, manipulating them to target him.


    and the mastermind behind the scenes was now hiding nearby, waiting to strike, wishing to take his life!


    their intentions were extremely malicious!


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s expression turned frosty, "i want to see which despicable vermin is skulking in the shadows with evil intentions!"


    he grasped with his right hand, his divine thought condensing.


    in just a short time, he manifested a glowing white white bone staff.


    mo hua¡¯s eyelids twitched again.


    manifest spirit artifact!


    this zhang family ancestral master was far more skilled at manifesting artifacts than he was.


    he could only manifest the thousand jun stick.


    but that thousand jun stick would still show some phantoms and was not as solid, nowhere near as lifelike as this white bone staff.


    however, it probably shouldn¡¯t be called manifesting a spiritual artifact.


    rather, it was probably manifesting an evil artifact!


    this white bone staff was clearly an artifact refined through some demonic means with a white bone as the medium and an evil artifact furnace.


    the zhang family ancestral master chanted, and the skull at the tip of the white bone staff suddenly emitted a red glow.

 Chapter 530: Fierce Battle (2)

    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s presence suddenly turned ominous.the corpse poison condensed, transforming into myriad serpentine dragons, hissing with flickering tongues, and slithering in all directions.


    mo hua¡¯s scalp tingled slightly.


    this ancestor of the zhang family, his devious methods were far too numerous.


    practicing both corpse body and spell casting.


    was he a body cultivator, or a spiritual cultivator?


    or could it be that the evil demon¡¯s methods were unique, transcending both blood qi and spiritual power?


    as mo hua pondered, the serpentine dragons had already reached his feet, prompting mo hua to immediately perform the water passing step, retreating swiftly.


    this slight movement sent a ripple through his divine thought, and though it was minute, it was still detected by the ever-vigilant zhang family ancestral master.


    the bronze vertical pupils of the zhang family ancestral master narrowed, and he pointed his white bone staff at mo hua.


    the surrounding serpentine dragons swarmed together like a tidal wave, carrying a chilling poisonous aura as they swept towards mo hua.


    with no other choice, mo hua revealed his form, retreating with light steps while quickly tapping his fingers together.


    one after another, the fireball technique materialized from his fingertips, whistling through the air.


    the bright red fireballs collided with the corpse poison serpents, exploding on impact.


    the flames of the fire-series spiritual power detonated, the fire¡¯s spiritual threads shredding through them. experience new tales on empire


    hordes of the poison snakes were obliterated by the fireballs, reduced to ash, the corpse poison incinerated, and within the crimson flames, even a hint of ghastly green could be seen.


    in less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, mo hua had burnt all of the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s corpse poison serpents to death using the fireball technique.


    the zhang family ancestral master appeared nonchalant.


    the corpse poison technique was broken, but he had flushed out the "hidden observer."


    only, this "hidden observer" made him feel both surprised and suspicious.


    it was just a kid...


    had the mastermind been an exceptionally talented young cultivator, a scheming middle-aged cultivator, or even a grave and solemn old cultivator, he would not have been surprised.


    but this kid with an innocent face, an unblemished demeanor, and yet profound eyes, gave him a shiver.


    something abnormal must be a demon at work.


    the zhang family ancestral master frowned.


    this kid, with divine sense both pure and profound, was capable of manifesting his form as well as spells.


    an appearance of naivety, but methods full of cunning.


    lurking unseen, watching in secret.


    manipulating the zhang family¡¯s elders like puppets.


    even had it not been for his manifestation of the white bone staff and the strengthening of his corpse poison technique, he would have been unable to coerce the kid out.


    the mastery he had over his own divine thoughts had taken hundreds of years to achieve, through the consumption of human divine senses, painstaking exploration, and integrating corpse path inheritance from his past life into his cultivation.


    this kid, with his childlike air, having hardly eaten enough rice for a few years, where did he acquire such deep cunning and such bizarre methods?


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s gaze grew heavy as he asked:


    "kid, what exactly is your background?"


    mo hua replied with a beaming smile, "you guess."


    the zhang family ancestral master did not show anger and asked again:


    "how exactly did you take control of my zhang family¡¯s elders?"


    telling blatant lies, mo hua replied:


    "i didn¡¯t control them, they did it all by themselves. after committing countless wrongs, they even thought of coming into my sea of consciousness to devour my divine sense. i kindly gave them some advice, and with sudden enlightenment, they cleaned up their act..."


    "oh, right," mo hua continued, "they also said they wanted to atone for their sins by getting rid of you, the old ancestor."


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s eyes grew cold.


    this kid was full of nonsense, and it was unclear which words were true...


    certainly not any sort of good nature.


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s thoughts flickered, and he came up with a plan, saying:


    "we have no grudges or resentments, can we call it quits here?"


    mo hua breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, "sure, i don¡¯t want to fight with you. i can¡¯t beat you."


    once finished speaking, mo hua waved his hand at the zhang family ancestral master, "you¡¯re free to go, i won¡¯t keep you around..."


    the zhang family ancestral master was momentarily stunned, then his expression shifted ambiguously, as he said faintly:


    "then, about these elders of my zhang family... "


    mo hua waved his hand again, "i told you, they¡¯ve had a change of heart, they¡¯ve mended their ways. they¡¯re not following you anymore, they¡¯re mine now, obeying my commands..."


    the zhang family ancestral master sneered, "we agreed to stop this, young man, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re being very sincere?"


    "sincere about what?"


    the zhang family ancestral master said:


    "you release the controls on them, i¡¯ll take them away. after that, we keep to our own paths, and my zhang family will no longer disrespect you. i also ask you to show some courtesy to my zhang family. what do you say?"


    mo hua pretended to be contemplative, frowning slightly:


    "but... i can¡¯t beat you anyway, and if i allow these iron corpses to turn against me, what if you don¡¯t keep your word? wouldn¡¯t i be in a very dangerous situation?"


    the zhang family ancestral master cursed inwardly.


    such a suspicious kid!


    "what do you propose?"


    mo hua¡¯s eyes spun craftily, "how about this? i¡¯ll remove the control over these iron corpses, and you cripple your divine sense. you don¡¯t need to destroy too much, just about seventy or eighty percent will do. that way, without the iron corpses, and with you having less divine sense, we¡¯ll be even."


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s gaze turned icy, "kid, are you making fun of me?"


    mo hua was about to continue bantering when suddenly his expression drastically changed, revealing shock.


    he discovered that behind the zhang family ancestral master, a massive bronze coffin had emerged at some unknown time.


    this immense coffin, apparently also manifested, exuded an aura of olden times, covered in verdigris, its presence deep and profound, nearly identical to the one used for refining a corpse king.


    the bronze coffin was huge, clearly out of the ordinary.


    such a manifestation also must have cost a significant amount of time.


    the words of the zhang family ancestral master just moments ago, about "calling it quits" and "keeping to our own paths," were all lies.


    he was merely biding time.


    so that he could finish manifesting this massive bronze coffin! sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua exclaimed angrily, "you old bastard, how devious, tricking me into chatting while secretly casting a spell!"

 Chapter 531: Fierce Battle (3)

    the zhang family ancestral master sneered, "little devil, you¡¯re still too green to fight me."then he brought his palms together, his voice hoarse and fierce:


    "great coffin sealing skill, activate!"


    the bronze giant coffin¡¯s lid flung open, revealing nothing but darkness inside. yet, from that darkness emerged chains of corroded bronze.


    the chains extended in all directions, trapping the surrounding iron corpses and pulling them towards the coffin.


    the zhang family ancestral master said with a cold expression:


    "i didn¡¯t want to use this move unless absolutely necessary..."


    "the great coffin sealing skill, manifesting the bronze giant coffin, will transform all the elders back into iron corpses. their divine thoughts will be erased, their bodies reshaped, and all methods of control washed away."


    "however, once they lose consciousness, they¡¯ll no longer be elders of my zhang family but merely iron corpses under my command."


    "they are elders of the zhang family, my descendants. refined by the bronze coffin, their consciousness erased, they really are just iron corpse puppets..."


    "even though they can still serve my zhang family, they will no longer address me as ¡¯ancestor¡¯..."


    the zhang family ancestral master felt a deep sadness, which soon turned to indignation as he glared at mo hua with rage.


    "little devil, this is all thanks to you!" continue reading at empire


    "once i regain control over the iron corpses, i¡¯ll make sure they surround and slaughter you, devouring you bit by bit, until nothing is left!"


    "to avenge my zhang family and quell the hatred in my heart!"


    hate blazed in the eyes of the zhang family ancestral master.


    this little devil had placed him in deep crisis.


    if this standoff continued for too long, it would not be to his advantage.


    better to use his trump card, pay the price, and extinguish this little devil once and for all to eliminate future troubles!


    without control over the iron corpses, this little devil is no match for him.


    by using the great coffin sealing skill, he could refine eleven iron corpses anew.


    one copper corpse and eleven iron corpses are sure to slaughter this little devil.


    this is his sea of consciousness; there is no escape!


    mo hua¡¯s face showed fear.


    delight filled the heart of the zhang family ancestral master.


    but soon, he sensed something was amiss.


    the little devil¡¯s gaze was calm and composed, without a hint of worry.


    the "fear" on his face seemed to be feigned?


    the zhang family ancestral master realized something was wrong and abruptly looked down to discover formation patterns spreading from beneath his feet all the way to the bronze giant coffin.


    they were intricate and overlapping.


    when the bronze giant coffin was opened, these formation patterns, like creeping vines, crawled up through the edges and directly inside the coffin.


    the zhang family ancestral master instantly understood and angrily exclaimed:


    "you little wretch, you¡¯re plotting against me?!"


    he had been deliberately talking nonsense to the little devil while secretly executing the great coffin sealing skill.


    meanwhile, this little devil took advantage of his inattention during the spellcasting to lay down these formation patterns under the cover of the bronze coffin!


    mo hua snorted, "as the saying goes, one good turn deserves another!"


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s complexion changed drastically, and he immediately attempted to close the coffin.


    but mo hua was one step ahead, and with a movement of his divine thought, he crisply commanded:


    "burst!"


    an array of dense earthfire compound formations exploded!


    from within the bronze giant coffin, the formation patterns lit up one by one, extending layer by layer outward, with waves of surging spiritual power spreading out wave after wave.


    the bronze coffin turned into a flame coffin.


    the spiritual power manifested by divine thought exploded and surged within.


    the timely activation of the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s coffin caused the earth fire formation patterns to extend inside the bronze coffin, thus magnifying its destructive power.


    the flames raged and, in a moment, the bronze coffin trembled and fissured, fading into a faint illusion before vanishing completely.


    simultaneously, the iron corpses sucked into the coffin were affected by the force of the formation, their forms dimming and rendered immobile.


    within the sea of consciousness, spells manifested by divine thoughts are the divine thoughts themselves.


    with the destruction of the bronze coffin, the zhang family ancestral master also suffered a grave injury. his face pale, he vomited fresh blood, his divine thoughts significantly depleted, and his form shrunken by a few inches.


    grinding his teeth in anger, the zhang family ancestral master said:


    "formation?!"


    this little devil, how is he a formation master?


    and his method of setting up formations, without pen or ink, what served as the medium, and how did he draw the formation?


    the zhang family ancestral master¡¯s gaze shook.


    having lived for hundreds of years, he had never seen a cultivator who could draw formation patterns in the sea of consciousness.


    even less conceivable was such an unexpected, pen-and-inkless method of manifesting formations directly with divine thought, which was beyond belief.


    this child must either have a profound inheritance from his family¡¯s teachings or else he has had an extraordinary encounter and acquired an astonishing legacy!


    mo hua¡¯s face had also turned rather pale.


    in a single effort, he had manifested too many formations, consuming a great deal of his divine sense, and he was now somewhat struggling to maintain his divine thoughts.


    this ancestor from the zhang family was even more troublesome than he had imagined.


    copper corpse, corpse poison technique, white bone staff, great coffin sealing skill.


    had he not taken control of the iron corpses, outnumbering the ancestor in battle, the outcome of a head-on confrontation would have been uncertain.


    thankfully, he played it a bit cowardly... sear?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but at this point, with the zhang family ancestral master severely injured, there was no way mo hua could allow him to escape!


    strike him while he¡¯s down!


    of the eleven iron corpses affected by the earth fire formation, six were on the brink of death, leaving only five still functional.


    mo hua then commanded these iron corpses to continue the assault.


    at the same time, he kept employing the water prison technique to control and fireball technique to wear down the enemy.


    "this isn¡¯t good!"


    with the great coffin sealing skill thwarted, divine thoughts backlashing, and strength greatly reduced, the zhang family ancestral master felt a deep chill in his heart.


    this was a great calamity!


    even him, ancestor founder of corpse path, the copper corpse incarnate, who had lived for hundreds of years, had never anticipated capsizing in this "gutter" within mo hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    he had never imagined that after the zhang family inherited the corpse path and controlled corpses for centuries, their elders would end up being controlled as zombies by someone else.


    what¡¯s even worse, that someone else also controlled them to betray and annihilate their ancestor!

 Chapter 532: Fierce Battle (4)

    yet, with a calculating mind preying upon an unguarded one, all his tactics had been countered.completely outsmarted by this brat!


    the ancestral master of the zhang family, unable to contain his fury, with a twisted expression on his face, disregarded the iron corpses that were trying to kill him, and moved like the wind, heading straight for mo hua.


    now that his own divine thought had been greatly damaged, killing this brat and devouring his divine sense was the only way he might survive.


    even if it meant dying in the end, he would drag this brat to mutual destruction.


    judging by the techniques the brat was currently using, he excelled in casting spells and was adept in formation, but not skilled in close combat, which was why he kept his distance, using some treacherous tactics. your next read is at empire


    as long as he got close to him, everything would be easily resolved.


    the eyes of the old ancestor of the zhang family turned ferocious, filled with bloodshot veins, and his corpse qi surged dramatically.


    this was his last chance for survival, and he had to go all out!


    mo hua sensed the intentions of the ancestral master of the zhang family and felt a chill in his heart. while retreating, he continued to use the water prison technique to restrict the ancestral master¡¯s movements.


    but as he had transformed into a copper corpse, the ancestral master moved quickly and with great force.


    under the surge of rage, the water prison technique could only trap him for a breath or two before he broke free.


    after a moment of chase, mo hua was caught up by the ancestral master of the zhang family.


    the ancestral master was overjoyed, a fierce look flashing across his face. his fingertips grew sharp, cutting through the air with a chilling wind, aiming straight for mo hua¡¯s heart.


    mo hua, composed and unruffled, used the water passing step, as gentle as flowing water, agilely bending his body to dodge the deadly claw.


    the ancestral master of the zhang family paused briefly in shock before continuing his attacks.


    his ghastly and ugly left hand, full of spines, smashed down furiously, aiming straight for mo hua¡¯s head.


    like a drifting leaf, mo hua rose and fell inconsistently, seeming to leverage the void, gliding naturally like the ripples on water...


    the color drained from the ancestral master¡¯s face.


    what kind of movement technique was this? he could not trace its path at all. s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he continued to fight several more rounds, growing more and more alarmed with each exchange.


    he couldn¡¯t touch him!


    not even a corner of his robe, let alone kill the brat.


    what was even more unbelievable to him was that the brat seemed to have anticipated all of his moves.


    every punch and claw, advance and retreat, the brat seemed to have mastered all the nuances of his close combat skills!


    in this situation, even getting close was useless!


    why?


    why was the brat so familiar with his techniques?


    could it be that from the very beginning, when he was fighting the iron corpses, every move he made was etched into the brat¡¯s memory?


    for the first time, the ancestral master of the zhang family felt despair.


    he attempted to use corpse poison technique, but mo hua was prepared.


    as soon as he raised his hand, mo hua quickly retreated, then maintained distance and suppressed him with the fireball technique, aided by formation to trap and kill...


    despite the prolonged struggle, mo hua¡¯s divine sense was also significantly drained, and both the fireball technique and the formation had weakened.


    but the ancestral master of the zhang family was at the end of his strength.


    he simply could not withstand being worn down by mo hua like this.


    moreover, while mo hua was consuming his divine sense to form attacks that genuinely hit him, his own various techniques couldn¡¯t even touch mo hua¡¯s shadow.


    meanwhile, the five iron corpses watched them eagerly from the side.


    whenever there was an opening, they would trade injury for injury, life for life, entangling the ancestral master and never letting him escape...


    the ancestral master of the zhang family was extremely frustrated but powerless to change anything.


    torn by iron corpses, bombarded with spells, ripped apart by formation explosions, covered in wounds, and confined by water prison technique, he wanted to kill mo hua but couldn¡¯t, wanted to flee but couldn¡¯t escape; he could only be worn down like this...


    and just like that, after countless rounds, the ancestral master of the zhang family, the ancestor founder of corpse path, was truly worn to death...


    he knelt on the ground, half falling, with not a breath left in him.


    even so, mo hua dared not approach.


    he first kept his distance, allowing the remaining two iron corpses to shield him, then he sat down for meditation to recover his divine sense.


    after restoring some of his divine sense, mo hua targeted the corpse of the ancestral master with the fireball technique.


    after blasting, he would go back to meditating to recover his divine sense.


    then attack with the fireball technique again.


    meditate again, and attack again...


    repeating this process over and over, he blasted the ancestral master of the zhang family beyond recognition, into a dense, black-tinged smoke. only then did mo hua finally feel at ease...


    he let out a long sigh of relief, lying on the ground, panting heavily.


    the overall process went smoothly, but mo hua was not entirely satisfied.


    he realized that although the version of himself within the sea of consciousness was strong, it was just ordinarily strong.


    weaker enemies could be easily killed with magic and formation.


    but against stronger ones, like the ancestral master of the zhang family, with his current methods, he couldn¡¯t decisively end the fight with a single blow.


    he could only first find a way to deceive them, uncover their trump cards, and then unravel them one by one.


    then, relying on his movement technique, spells, and formation, slowly wear them down...


    this was very tiring...


    and it took a long time.


    with time, complications are bound to arise, and with complications come risks.


    "it seems i need to think of new ways, learn some more powerful techniques..." mo hua thought to himself.


    afterwards, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.


    no matter what, he had finally dealt with the zombie ancestor of the zhang family!


    his eyes brightened as he looked at the thick, black-tinged smoke filled with intense divine sense. he couldn¡¯t help but feel expectant:


    "i wonder how much my divine sense will increase after ¡¯eating¡¯ this ancestor of the zhang family..."

 Chapter 533: Corpse Soldiers (1)

    "the ancestral master of the zhang family had such a powerful divine thought. devouring it and then refining it away should certainly allow one to cross the bottleneck and reach the divine sense of thirteen stripes..."mo hua muttered to herself.


    divine sense with thirteen stripes...


    for cultivators at the initial stage of foundation establishment, the limit of their divine sense is that of thirteen stripes.


    once one possesses a divine sense of thirteen stripes, they are only one step away from the requirement of divine sense foundation establishment mentioned by master...


    mo hua felt some anticipation in her heart.


    then she hesitated a bit.


    "should i devour it now?"


    the remnants of the ancestral master of the zhang family¡¯s divine soul were too strong; if swallowed whole, the process would likely be quite filling and take a long time to "digest"...


    and currently, mo hua was still unclear about the situation outside.


    she did send out the news about the corpse mine.


    however, inside south yue city, none seemed to be able to contend against the lu family.


    now, with zhang quan dead and lu chengyun in sole control of the corpse king, running the ten thousand corpses compound formation, refining corpses on the one hand and controlling them on the other, his power would continue to grow unchallenged within the borders of the second-grade prefecture... s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "this is troublesome..."


    after some thought, mo hua decided to refine away the zhang family ancestral master first.


    one must eat the meat that¡¯s already in their mouth as soon as possible.


    devouring the ancestral master of the zhang family would also strengthen her own powers, and even if something unexpected happened, she would feel more confident.


    besides, the ancestral master¡¯s techniques were extraordinary.


    though she blew him into a wisp of blue smoke, there was no guarantee that he didn¡¯t have some technique to revive from the dead and restore his divine thought.


    such old scoundrels were very sly.


    one must act prudently and eliminate all potential threats thoroughly!


    consume completely without leaving any leftovers!


    mo hua immediately took action, transforming her divine thought into a formation, preparing to refine the remaining divine thought of the ancestral master¡¯s copper corpse.


    to be on the safe side, she first used the golden lock formation to lock up the blue smoke created from the ancestral master and then manifested the melting fire formation, slowly roasting it with bright red flames. stay connected via empire


    after roasting for a while, mo hua suddenly remembered.


    the zhang family had not only the ancestral master but also those iron corpse elders.


    the eleven iron corpses initially, now six were near death, leaving only shadowy figures.


    the remaining five iron corpses were crippled by the ancestral master in the final battle of attrition, with only one left, the chief elder of the zhang family, and even he was left gasping for life...


    mo hua felt fortunate.


    the ancestral master of the zhang family had a strong divine thought and many techniques.


    thankfully, she had been...no, had been careful!


    by using these iron corpses, she pressured the ancestral master into revealing his moves, depleted his strength, and withstood his ruthless attacks...


    then she ambushed the old zombie herself.


    and finally, ground him down to death through sheer perseverance.


    otherwise, the outcome of the battle would have been uncertain...


    controlling the iron corpses, turning them for her use, with his own spear against his own shield.


    "the spiritual pivot formation is really useful!"


    mo hua praised in her heart.


    the iron corpses shouldn¡¯t be wasted either...


    mo hua gathered these iron corpses as well, tossing them into the melting fire formation alongside the ancestral master.


    the zhang family, from disciples to old ancestors, including generations of forefathers, were all stewed in one pot by mo hua...


    not until the blue smoke "stewed" into white smoke did mo hua inhale it in one gulp and then slowly started the refining process...


    this took quite some time.


    from defeating and controlling zhang quan and elders "song" and "si," to setting an ambush and hunting other iron corpse elders of the zhang family, to finally dominating the iron corpses and hunting down the ancestral master, and successfully subduing him...


    five to six days had passed.


    mo hua, hidden inside the sealed white coffin, was unaware of anything.


    but outside, a massive battle had already erupted...


    foundation building cultivators clashed with iron corpses, crushing mountains and splitting the earth.


    the mines were ravaged by spells and physical strength, with rocks shattered and pathways cratered.


    below foundation building, there were taoist soldiers forming long formations, fighting to the death against the corpse tide.


    the taoist soldiers¡¯ formations were meticulous, their orders strict, their killing decisive; walking corpses covered the mountainsides, fierce and hideous, fearlessly ferocious.


    the two forces fought, a battle both spectacular and tragic.


    in the territory of south yue city, corpses were everywhere, with thousands of zombies besieging the city.


    the city gates of south yue city were tightly shut; mining cultivators gathered at the city wall, fending off the invading walking corpses and those cultivators who had been bitten by iron corpses and walking corpses, struck by corpse poison at heart, turned into mindless flesh puppets.


    the clouds above the city were dense and grim, the atmosphere one of cold lethality.


    all were anxious and uneasy, uncertain whether tomorrow would bring sunshine or a deluge over the city.


    if the taoist court emerges victorious in the future, suppressing the corpse mine, exterminating the zombies, everything would be great.


    if, however, taoist court was defeated, the surging corpse tide would instantaneously overwhelm south yue city.


    in that event, every cultivator within the city would become food for the zombies.


    some clan and sect cultivators within the city, unwilling to share fate with the city, secretly fled, but most were intercepted by the scattered walking corpses along the way.


    in the midst of battle, once blood was shed, the scent of blood dispersed.


    soon, large masses of walking corpses would swarm towards the smell.


    it may even attract iron corpses.


    once an iron corpse appeared, the fleeing cultivators had almost no chance of survival.


    even a foundation building cultivator might perish in the vast numbers of first grade walking corpses out in the open fields.


    a few days ago, during the chaos, one of the foundation cultivation taoist soldiers¡¯ commanders was struck by an iron corpse, broke away from the array of his soldiers, and was submerged by the tide-like rush of walking corpses.


    no matter how many walking corpses he killed, more would pile onto him, like a person drowning in water, overwhelmed by the corpse tide; no matter how much he struggled, he could not reach the shore and was ultimately torn apart by the walking corpses, alive...


    yang jishan¡¯s heart was tormented as if cut by knives.


    these taoist soldiers were his brothers, who had shared life and death with him, but he never expected they would die before his eyes, in such a manner.


    and he was powerless to help.


    the zombies were too numerous, too powerful.


    yang jishan never anticipated that, despite all the careful preparations, they would still suffer such losses.

 Chapter 534: Corpse Soldiers (2)

    everything was going smoothly...three days ago, they took action at 6 a.m., striking the lu family with lightning-fast measures.


    the lu family was suppressed.


    even though some elders and disciples fought desperately, fleeing the city to seek refuge with lu chengyun,


    most of the lu family¡¯s descendants were too afraid of the taoist court to resist.


    the lu family elders had their cultivation sealed, the disciples were put under house arrest, and a formation was set up at the door barring exit, leaving them to be dealt with later.


    later, when the zombies besieged the city, some lu family disciples harbored other intentions, wanting to open the city gates secretly to let the zombies in, so they could defect to lu chengyun as well.


    but once the zombies entered the city, they did not recognize anyone; the first to be devoured were these very disciples of the lu family who opened the gates.


    afterwards, the taoist soldiers and the mining cultivators, along with the cultivators from the local south yue sect, paid a considerable price to resist the walking corpses and reseal the gate.


    yang jishan, in a furious rage, selected a few lu family disciples and elders who had caused trouble and, before all the lu family cultivators, beheaded them all, thereby deterring everyone else.


    after that, the main lu family settled down quite a bit.


    the problem arose with the corpse mine...


    the battle at the corpse mine was more difficult than they had imagined.


    at that time, they split their forces in two, one suppressing the lu family, the other set out to eradicate the corpse mine.


    the intelligence was accurate, and the formation diagram posed no issue; knowing the layout of the formation, breaking through it was convenient.


    more than twenty foundation building cultivators, along with the taoist soldiers, acted together, shattering the nearby stone walls of the corpse mine gate, breaking the formation patterns, and causing the natural boulder gate to topple and misalign, revealing a gap.


    the two iron corpses at the gate, though powerful, were clearly no match for the crowd.


    after that, they pushed through all the way to the entrance of the stone palace.


    yang jishan, however, found that the corpse cultivators were fully prepared and waiting in strict formation.


    not only that, in the pitch-black mine, the corpse qi was pervasive, and countless red dots flickered on and off.


    these were the bloodthirsty eyes of zombies.


    this was within yang jishan¡¯s expectations. sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    though it was a surprise attack, direct confrontation was inevitable.


    born in the yang family and leader of the taoist soldiers, yang jishan was a veteran of countless battles and naturally did not shy away from the fight.


    the foundation building leader charged at the front, the taoist soldiers formed up in battle formation behind him, the other clan and sect foundation building cultivators flanked from the sides, while the regular qi refinement cultivators followed up with the assault.


    the corpse cultivation techniques were sinister, but in a direct group battle, under the ferocity of the charge, they were a disorganized rabble, no match for the attackers.


    the zombies they summoned mostly fought individually, unable to contend with the taoist soldiers, unable to stop their charge.


    and once a corpse cultivator died, their zombies would lose control, turn frenzied, and attack any cultivator indiscriminately, including other corpse cultivators.


    the taoist soldiers were unstoppable for a time.


    that was until lu chengyun stepped forward.


    behind him followed a huge zombie, with long fangs and blood-red eyes with a hint of dark gold.


    "corpse king!"


    those who had heard the rumors of taoist demons felt a chill at the sight.


    they had either calculated it, heard about it, or had been secretly warned by cultivators of their sect or clan.


    this corpse king was the embryo of a taoist demon!


    with his heart racing, a flash of cold light shone in yang jishan¡¯s eyes.


    the embryo of a taoist demon must be strangled in its cradle!


    "kill!"


    with a wave of his hand, yang jishan ordered the taoist soldiers, clad in armor and armed to the teeth, to charge with shared hatred, their armor¡¯s formation patterns connecting breaths, resonating with one another, coalescing into the phantom of a fierce tiger.


    lu chengyun remained composed, spreading his arms wide.


    the corpse king¡¯s chest pattern lit up, it roared towards the sky, the sound reverberating through the mountains.


    nearby, twenty iron coffins trembled, the lids flung open, and iron corpses leaped out stiffly.


    and from the mine, tens of thousands of walking corpses howled in unison, akin to a procession of myriad demons swarming forth, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine.


    a fierce battle erupted suddenly.


    cultivators versus zombies, blood qi against corpse qi, spells against corpse manipulation, a fight to the death, resistance, and entanglement...


    this was the largest scale battle of cultivators in the minor wilderness state boundary in nearly eight hundred years.


    after the intense battle, the taoist soldiers failed to capture the corpse mine, suffering numerous casualties instead.


    lu chengyun still controlled the corpse mine, commanded the corpse king, and had dozens of iron corpses and tens of thousands of walking corpses under him; despite the ferocity of the taoist soldiers¡¯ attacks, they remained unmoved.


    after long being unable to take the mine and with his forces increasingly damaged,


    yang jishan had no choice but to order a retreat.


    lu chengyun, with mostly zombies under his command, did not fear attrition.


    but yang jishan could not afford to lose more living people.


    not to mention, those cultivators who died would only strengthen lu chengyun¡¯s forces.


    yang jishan could only give the order to retreat, but after withdrawing, he commanded the taoist soldiers to encamp outside the mine, intending to besiege and starve out lu chengyun.


    in retaliation, lu chengyun released thousands of walking corpses to attack south yue city, a tactic akin to besieging wei to rescue zhao.


    these thousands of walking corpses formed a corpse tide.


    every living cultivator they came across on their way either became blood nourishment or was converted into a walking corpse, becoming a part of the corpse tide.


    yang jishan, left with no better option, had to divide his forces to defend the city.


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    he also commanded that all mining cultivators, loose cultivators, and cultivators from the clans and sects must stay and defend south yue city, not allowed to leave.


    the matter of exterminating the corpse mine would have to be a long-term consideration.


    the first to be shaken were the taoist soldiers and the various forces of the taoist court, who encamped outside the mine, taking pills to heal and recuperate.


    in the cave where matters were discussed, everyone¡¯s expressions were grave.


    someone, dissatisfied, cursed aloud:


    "that beast, lu chengyun!"


    "he¡¯s refined so many zombies and now allows the walking corpses to attack the city."


    "for his own selfish gains, he¡¯s caused so much slaughter. he truly deserves to die!"

 Chapter 535: 506

    "it¡¯s only normal for the demon path to act this way; you all are just not used to it...""so because it¡¯s the demon path, it¡¯s normal to do evil deeds? so, they shouldn¡¯t be cursed?" s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "why are you getting angry with me..."


    "with your temperament, sooner or later you will also fall into the ways of the demon path..."


    "don¡¯t spout nonsense!"


    "all right, all right, stop arguing..."


    "alas, i have lived for so long, yet this is the first time i have witnessed such utterly conscienceless tactics, and also the first time i have seen someone able to refine so many zombies..."


    "with the taoist court united, in this day and age, it¡¯s rare for demon cultivators to dare to act like this..."


    "that¡¯s because demon cultivators often operate in secret; you just don¡¯t see them."


    "how is that possible?"


    someone snickered, "those who are bright and righteous in appearance, who seem virtuous¡ªis it not possible that they are cultivating the demon path behind their backs?"


    "just like the case with lu chengyun, if it hadn¡¯t been exposed, who would have known?"


    "that¡¯s accusing someone without proof!"


    "hmph, it¡¯s because you can¡¯t see clearly..."


    ...


    the vast cave was filled with a cacophony of voices for a time.


    yang jishan called for everyone to be quiet, speaking gravely:


    "we¡¯ll discuss other matters later; the urgent task at hand is to pool our wisdom and find a way to take down the corpse mine!"


    "the longer this drags on, the greater the disaster will be!"


    yang jishan¡¯s gaze was serious.


    after all, this corpse king might be related to the most terrifying taoist demons...


    the crowd fell somewhat silent; many felt disheartened.


    among those present, a portion were from small clans and sects, unfamiliar and anxious about being involved in such large-scale warfare, hesitant to say anything at the moment.


    another portion did indeed come from great sects and noble clans.


    but clearly this was the first time they were facing such a large-scale battle.


    they too were at a loss.


    moreover, their opponent was an innumerable horde of zombies.


    it was only when they truly crossed swords that they realized in the midst of such a large-scale melee, relying solely on individual cultivation, there was very little they could do.


    a cultivator asked, "leader yang, there is something i don¡¯t understand..."


    yang jishan nodded to indicate him to continue speaking.


    the cultivator said, "logically speaking, we have no small number of people. with taoist soldiers leading the charge in the offensive, even if we can¡¯t take down the corpse mine, we should at least be able to inflict heavy damage on these corpse cultivators..."


    "in group battles among cultivators, taoist soldiers are generally unbeatable."


    "but why is it that we have not only failed to achieve any exploits, but also ended up at a disadvantage?"


    the cultivators present also revealed looks of confusion.


    in the chaos of battle, with their blood boiling, they followed the fight, using whatever spiritual artifacts, martial arts, or spells came to mind.


    they followed leader yang¡¯s orders and advanced or retreated together.


    if they could beat the enemy, they fought; if not, they retreated.


    they paid little attention to other matters and didn¡¯t think much about them.


    why they had the advantage, and why they couldn¡¯t win, were mysteries to them as well.


    yang jishan sighed and said with a furrowed brow:


    "if i¡¯m not mistaken, this corpse king can control dozens of iron corpses and nearly ten thousand walking corpses at the same time."


    the crowd looked at each other, "so what?"


    wasn¡¯t that known from the start...


    "it¡¯s different," yang jishan shook his head, "this is not ordinary corpse control."


    he knew the taoist court forbade the heritage of the demon path and normal cultivators did not engage with demon cultivators.


    even those from powerful forces with heritage, their understanding of demon cultivators was just superficial.


    the deeper aspects, they simply did not comprehend.


    yang jishan then continued to explain:


    "ordinary corpse control is very crude and can only issue simple commands like ¡¯kill¡¯, ¡¯eat¡¯, ¡¯attack¡¯, or ¡¯defend¡¯."


    "moreover, once they control more zombies, even though these zombies might have the same target, they still fight individually, just like headless flies."


    yang jishan¡¯s expression was solemn, "but the zombies this time are entirely different..."


    "zombies are still zombies, but the method of corpse control is very special, intricately detailed."


    "all of the zombies move uniformly, their offense and defense, their advances and retreats, are all coordinated, like they¡¯re following a set pattern; this is inconceivable..."


    "even if the zombies are still the same, the individual strength hasn¡¯t changed, but once they have a pattern and discipline, and move in unison, their collective strength is incomparable to before."


    yang jishan sighed, "these creatures are similar to taoist soldiers, what we usually call ¡¯corpse soldiers¡¯ of the demon path..."


    corpse soldiers...


    the crowd¡¯s expressions changed upon hearing this.


    ...


    on the other side, as lu chengyun looked at the corpse king before him, he nodded slightly.


    zhang quan was right, with the corpse king, these zombies can indeed form ¡¯corpse soldiers¡¯.


    in today¡¯s battle, the zombies became soldiers, and when contending with the taoist court¡¯s taoist soldiers, they were not at a disadvantage.


    and perhaps even stronger than taoist soldiers, since they do not fear pain or death.


    lu chengyun sneered.


    despite not knowing why the taoist court caught wind of his actions and sent taoist soldiers to subdue him,


    this was within the second-grade prefecture border, with a second-grade corpse king commanding iron corpses and walking corpses. for a time, they would have no hopes of overcoming the corpse mine.


    even if the corpse mine were to be captured eventually, he had plenty of ways to escape.


    by then, just finding a scapegoat would do.


    he could rid himself of the eyesore that was the identity of lu chengyun, start anew, and rise again from the ashes...


    as long as he still had the corpse king in his grasp.


    as long as he still controlled the spiritual pivot formation...


    after all, formations are the foundation of a formation master.


    lu chengyun gave a mild smile, his eyes revealing a glint of cold light.


    suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he remembered mo hua...


    mo hua was used as a sacrifice by him, fed to zhang quan¡¯s ancestral master picture.


    he wondered if after all this time, mo hua had been completely consumed...


    lu chengyun had planned to check earlier, but the corpse mine was under siege, and he was delayed, unable to leave for the moment.


    lu chengyun thought to himself:


    "in a while, once he is completely devoured, i¡¯ll go take a look. i might as well refine that little cultivator¡¯s corpse into a small zombie to be at my service..."


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze turned somber. enjoy exclusive content from empire


    what he didn¡¯t know was that mo hua wasn¡¯t consumed; instead, he was nearly about to "devour" the entire zhang family...

 Chapter 536: Thirteen Stripes (1)

    mo hua felt "stuffed" from gorging.the ancestral master of the zhang family, manifesting copper corpses, even without descendants to offer tribute, still possessed the divine sense of a cultivator at the qi foundation middle stage.


    the generations of elders of the zhang family, manifesting iron corpses, also possessed the strength of divine sense at the foundation establishment initial stage.


    despite going through a great battle, with the zhang family infighting under mo hua¡¯s control, descendants and the old ancestor slaughtering each other, both sides being injured, a lot of divine sense was depleted.


    but the remaining divine sense was still too much...


    mo hua "stewed" everything in one pot, gulping it down, feeling stuffed...


    the sea of consciousness was brimming with the miscellaneous divine sense.


    these divine senses were initially refined after feasting on the nefarious thoughts of the copper and iron corpses.


    originating from different divine souls, tainted with an evil aura, be it chilly, fierce, demonic, or sly...


    mo hua felt somewhat helpless.


    gorging oneself recklessly, feasting on these "nasty things," was going to ruin one¡¯s mind...


    the wicked thoughts surged like tidal waves.


    mo hua¡¯s taoist heart was like a small boat ferrying through the waves, wobbling and drifting uncertainly.


    as if in the next instant, it would be submerged by the wicked thoughts.


    once the taoist heart is extinguished, becoming tainted, the entire person would also undergo a drastic change in nature and degenerate into a monster with a corpse¡¯s heart in human flesh.


    fortunately, mo hua had "eaten" plenty of demons, and gradually became accustomed to these wicked thoughts.


    he calmed his mind in meditation, restraining and guarding his heart.


    preserving that initial sincere thought.


    letting the evil thoughts churn, the demons confuse, and the wicked desires grow, his heart remained clear as a mirror, unstained by any dust.


    and so he waited, kept waiting until 1 p.m., until suddenly, within the sea of consciousness, an ancient and obscure yet majestic and profound aura began to rise.


    mo hua opened his eyes and saw the ethereal taoist stele floating within the sea of consciousness, his eyes lighting up.


    with a touch of his fingers, using divine thought manifestation, he began drawing formation on the taoist stele.


    this formation was the first grade spirit pivot formation with twelve stripes!


    this ultimate formation demanded extremely high divine sense. sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mo hua would also practice regularly, but the speed of practice was slow because of the limited divine sense, often needing to rest after drawing one or two formations.


    but now his sea of consciousness was filled with an abundance of luxurious divine sense.


    with no concerns, mo hua¡¯s fingers moved swiftly, divine thoughts poured forth, creating formation patterns one after another, assembling the spiritual pivot formation...


    meanwhile, the aura of the taoist stele grew even more profound.


    the residual souls and wicked thoughts that mo hua had hastily consumed were settled through meditation, cleansed by the taoist stele, refined through the formation, gradually becoming purified, and ultimately were thoroughly refined by mo hua and slowly absorbed...


    draw the formation a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself.


    mo hua focused single-mindedly on practicing the spiritual pivot formation.


    with each iteration, his understanding of the spiritual pivot formation deepened little by little.


    meanwhile, his originally profound divine sense was also gradually growing...


    ...


    at this very moment, outside the corpse mine, the battle was still unceasing.


    the various powers of the taoist court had organized several attacks, but all were repelled by the iron corpses and walking corpses formed into "corpse soldiers" by lu chengyun, preventing the capture of the corpse mine.


    seeing that direct assault was ineffective, yang jishan ordered squads of elite cultivators, complemented by taoist soldiers, to carry out surprise attacks and harassment, exerting pressure on lu chengyun.


    after many days of skirmishes, yang jishan had also come to understand lu chengyun¡¯s method of corpse control:


    "it¡¯s a formation!"


    "the corpse soldiers maintain unity through the formation, their offense and defense as one, their advances and retreats in unison."


    but what kind of formation it was, yang jishan did not know.


    he could only recognize some basic, commonly used formations employed by taoist soldiers in battle, but he was completely clueless about the corpse controlling formations.


    so yang jiyong went to find young master yun.


    young master yun, being a second rank formation master and born into a formation method aristocrat family, should know some details.


    young master yun frowned in thought for a moment before asking:


    "leader yang, is it possible to capture a few zombies for examination?"


    "iron corpse?" explore more at empire


    "iron corpse would be best, but walking corpse will do."


    leader yang nodded, "okay."


    half an hour later, leader yang ordered the taoist soldiers to capture several zombies, among which was an iron corpse with an arm severed, along with several others that were mere walking corpses.


    these zombies were chained, struggling and emitting unintelligible low growls.


    zombies are both bloody and hideous.


    young master yun found the sight somewhat unsettling, but still bit the bullet and examined every part of the zombies, their skin and limbs.


    however, he found nothing unusual.


    young master yun¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, muttering, "that¡¯s not right..."


    yang jishan asked, "what¡¯s wrong?"


    young master yun explained, "these zombies should have formations on them, but i haven¡¯t found anything..."


    yang jishan¡¯s gaze sharpened, "could it be within their bodies? since it¡¯s corpse refinement, the methods must be more concealed and not easily noticed."


    young master yun nodded, "possible."


    after a moment¡¯s contemplation, yang jishan recalled the zombies he had seen in battle over the past few days, and suddenly said:


    "there were zombies whose chests were smashed during the battle, and it seemed as though there were some blood-colored patterns blending with the flesh..."


    young master yun also said, "indeed, the heart vessels can serve as formation media for evil formations."


    yang jishan drew a blade and began cutting open the surface of the heart vessels of several walking corpses, finding that indeed, a few of them had blood-colored patterns resembling formation patterns.


    these formation patterns, with their malevolent aura blending with the flesh, were not easy to detect.


    yang jishan could not help but sigh:


    "this lu chengyun, truly has some skill!"


    young master yun had never seen the use of evil formations like this before, his expression became rather solemn.


    yang jishan, looking at the bloodied chests of the walking corpses, studied for a while but could not discern any particulars, and couldn¡¯t help asking:


    "young master yun, what kind of formation is this?"


    young master yun shook his head, "the formation patterns are not clear, i can¡¯t make it out yet."


    "what about on the iron corpse¡¯s body?"


    "yes."


    yang jishan then went on to open the chest of the iron corpse.


    with skin as tough as iron, the process was quite difficult, and it took half an hour of effort before yang jishan managed to slice open the surface with a second grade dagger, revealing the formation beneath the skin.

 Chapter 537: Thirteen Stripes (2)

    the walking corpse¡¯s flesh rotted and fell apart, the formation patterns not clear.the iron corpse¡¯s flesh was hard, making the formation much clearer.


    comparing the two, young master yun preliminarily restored a portion of the formation.


    this formation was incomplete, with many formation patterns incorrect, and the formation pivot layout also had errors; it only had a rough outline.


    even so, young master yun¡¯s eyes shimmered as he murmured,


    "ultimate formation..."


    yang jishan frowned, "ultimate formation?"


    young master yun explained, "it¡¯s a formation that requires divine sense beyond one¡¯s grade, quantity of formation patterns beyond one¡¯s rank, and understanding of the formation beyond the norm. although it¡¯s a first grade, it¡¯s not just a first grade, it¡¯s an ultimate technique of formation."


    yang jishan was still baffled.


    young master yun tried to simplify further,


    "it¡¯s the most difficult type of formation within the first-grade formations..."


    with that explanation, yang jishan understood.


    but he had another question, "how difficult can it be?"


    young master yun then said, "this completely exceptional formation isn¡¯t part of the assessment for a first rank formation master and moreover, many second rank formation masters cannot learn it..."


    yang jishan exclaimed in surprise, "young master yun, you can¡¯t learn it either?"


    young master yun hesitated.


    out in the world, he didn¡¯t want to lose face for the yun family, but he hadn¡¯t studied it and truly didn¡¯t know whether he could learn it.


    after a moment of hesitation, young master yun honestly said,


    "the ultimate formation involves profound insights into formation principles. i haven¡¯t studied it and don¡¯t know if i can learn it..."


    yang jishan nodded.


    if even a second rank formation master couldn¡¯t learn it, then the formation must indeed be extraordinary.


    "then do you know what kind of formation this is?"


    yang jishan asked again.


    young master yun gazed at the restored formation again and regretfully said,


    "the patterns are missing; it¡¯s indistinguishable..."


    "only by restoring the formation patterns, then through the patterns, infer the complete formation diagram, can we discern what kind of formation it is..."


    yang jishan said, "then why not infer it?"


    young master yun wryly smiled, "inferring formation diagrams involves formation calculation, which is an extremely sophisticated part of formation knowledge. in our yun family, only the old ancestor knows it..."


    the old ancestor knows it?


    yang jishan¡¯s head began to ache with the information.


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    formations were really troublesome.


    there was the ultimate formation, surpassing grades, inferring and calculating...


    he decided to cut to the chase and asked,


    "is there a way to break this corpse control formation?"


    young master yun pondered long and slowly said,


    "to break it directly... not knowing the patterns, one cannot grasp the formation, so it probably can¡¯t be broken..."


    "only indirect methods can be used to interfere with the connections within the formation, thereby influencing its control over the zombies..."


    "as for how exactly to do it, i need to study it a bit..."


    yang jishan was anxious, but he also knew that haste wouldn¡¯t help, so he cupped his hands and said,


    "then i¡¯ll have to trouble young master yun..."


    after not too long, young master yun found yang jishan:


    "i¡¯ve figured it out..."


    "zombies are driven by corpse qi."


    "this ultimate formation, drawn within the meridians, is used to control corpse qi, precisely directing the corpse qi¡¯s flow to manipulate iron corpses and walking corpses, to kill or to consume..."


    "currently, only lu chengyun knows this formation and he alone has control over it; there¡¯s no solution for the moment, we can only try to destroy it."


    "after destroying the formation, zombies will lose control due to the dispersal of corpse qi, and then we can decapitate them or sever their limbs; once their corpse qi dissipates, they will cease movement..."


    yang jishan nodded, "so, we must first target their meridians, destroy their formation, then sever their limbs and heads, and release their corpse qi..."


    "yes," young master yun added,


    "the corpse qi of the zombies is controlled by the ultimate formation, so we must destroy the formation before severing the limbs."


    "severing the limbs first is useless since the corpse qi would still be influenced by the ultimate formation, festering instead of dispersing..."


    yang jishan thought about it from a practical viewpoint and mused,


    "that being the case, the walking corpses are easy to handle, but what about the iron corpses?"


    "the iron corpses have skin and bones like refined iron, their meridians are not easy to destroy, their heads not easy to chop, limbs not easy to sever..."


    young master yun also found it problematic, "i... i¡¯ll go think on it some more..."


    after half a day pondering, young master yun came back to yang jishan and said, sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i¡¯ve thought it over and consulted a few senior formation masters, and i have devised a method..."


    "using the chaos spirit formation, interfere with the fluctuations of spiritual power, thus affecting the ultimate formation¡¯s control over the zombies."


    "chaos spirit formation..."


    yang jishan contemplated, "interfering with the fluctuations of spiritual power... but don¡¯t zombies move due to an evil power like corpse qi? will that work?"


    "it will work," young master yun nodded, "the effect will be weaker, but it will work. whether it¡¯s spiritual power or evil power, they are both forms of the energy of the heavens and the earth, as well as the power of tao cultivation, similar in essence despite their differences."


    yang jishan nodded, somewhat understanding.


    the yang family was a clan of taoist soldiers, only concerned with battle.


    in terms of cultivation, they each practiced whatever made them strong, whatever taoist skill was powerful.


    they didn¡¯t bother to delve into such nuanced knowledge.


    young master yun continued, "draw the chaos spirit formation on a sharp spirit sword, and then stab it into the iron corpse¡¯s meridian. even if it doesn¡¯t destroy the formation, it will interfere with the flow of evil power, affecting the zombie¡¯s control."


    "however, this chaos spirit formation must be second grade..."


    "if i draw it alone, it will take longer..."


    yang jishan asked, "will first grade not suffice?"


    "it won¡¯t do," young master yun shook his head, "a first-grade ultimate formation, surpassing first-grade formations, is comparable to a second-grade formation. a first-grade chaos spirit formation will have a minimal impact on such an ultimate formation."


    "only a second-grade chaos spirit formation can affect a first-grade ultimate formation."

 Chapter 538: Thirteen Stripes (3)

    yang jishan heaved a sigh.given the current situation, the corpse mine couldn¡¯t be taken down in a short period of time.


    "it can¡¯t be helped then, slow it down a bit..."


    afterward, without changing his expression, yang jishan continued to apply pressure on lu chengyun as always.


    the two sides had many encounters, each sustaining injuries, maintaining a delicate balance.


    it wasn¡¯t until yang jishan had crafted dozens of spirit swords, inscribed with chaos spirit formation patterns.


    and other taoist soldiers followed his instructions when engaging with the walking corpses.


    first, shatter their heart meridians, destroy their formations, then sever their limbs and heads, dissipate the corpse qi, and they could be successfully subdued.


    when dealing with iron corpses, use the spirit sword to pierce their heart meridians.


    the effect of the chaos spirit formation could only disrupt the flow of evil power and not completely isolate it, so lu chengyun was still able to control the iron corpses, but with a delay.


    often when he ordered the iron corpses to kill,


    his thought would transmit, and after a few breaths¡¯ delay caused by the chaos spirit formation, the iron corpses would then react.


    albeit only for those few breaths.


    but on a battlefield where every split second counts, that was enough to be fatal.


    if the deployment of corpse soldiers was delayed by these few breaths, the attack of the taoist soldiers would become faster by that much. as a result of this give-and-take, vulnerabilities could be exploited.


    with the corpse formation destroyed and the control over the iron corpses obstructed,


    the situation quickly turned grim.


    in short order, the corpse soldiers suffered heavy casualties.


    lu chengyun urgently gave the order to retreat, pulling back to fortify the corpse mine.


    the outcome of the battle was clear; however, yang jishan refrained from mounting a strong attack, so as not to give lu chengyun an opportunity. instead, he stationed his forces nearby, contemplating another method of assault.


    but the next day, new iron corpses and walking corpses emerged among the corpse soldiers.


    yang jishan furrowed his brow, saying:


    "how can there be more?"


    an experienced old formation master, eyeing the stone palace with a solemn look, slowly said, "it¡¯s...the formation of ten thousand corpses has begun its operation..."


    "the formation of ten thousand corpses?"


    the old formation master said, "the young friend from before reported this formation in the information he sent."


    "though it¡¯s just a compound formation, it already shows the rudiments of a large formation."


    "powered by evil power, using the corpse refining coffin as the formation media, it¡¯s a demonic formation that integrates corpse raising, corpse refinement, and corpse control."


    "once the formation is activated, it has a significant cost."


    "but once it starts, zombies can be refined rapidly, on a large scale, in a production-like manner."


    "if this continues, our men will keep dying, while they¡¯ll keep refining more corpses..."


    unable to help himself, yang jishan cursed aloud:


    "formations again! where on earth does he get all these troublesome formations from?"


    the old formation master was momentarily taken aback, then a sharp light appeared in his murky eyes as he said coldly:


    "the great formation of ten thousand corpses... is not an ordinary inheritance."


    "it¡¯s likely that someone intentionally gave it to him, with the purpose of him raising a...¡¯taoist demon¡¯..."


    the words "taoist demon" were spoken lightly by the old formation master.


    yet when they fell on everyone¡¯s ears, they weighed heavy as lead.


    a chill crept up within yang jishan¡¯s heart.


    he glanced again at the dark corpse mine and the eerie stone palace within.


    in the stone palace, there was the corpse king, a host of zombies, the ultimate formation, and the embryonic form of the demon path great formation¡ªthe formation of ten thousand corpses...


    all of these might just be the pieces and game arranged by someone manipulating from behind the scenes.


    that person wants to use the state boundary as a chessboard, using formations as pathways, human corpses as pawns, to raise a dragon named "taoist demon"!


    and within this state boundary, the people who are pawns, from their life to death, might know nothing at all.


    even lu chengyun himself may not be clear on it.


    yang jishan¡¯s expression turned solemn, his heart clouded with brooding thoughts.


    how this game would end, whether in victory or defeat, whether in life or death, and what, in the end, would be raised, no one knew...


    ...


    in the stone palace, atop the ten thousand corpses sacrificial altar.


    lu chengyun¡¯s gaze was faintly icy as he surveyed his surroundings.


    the corpse king stood behind him, guarded by iron corpses on his left and right.


    and beneath lu chengyun¡¯s feet, the ten thousand corpses compound formation was running at full capacity.


    tremendous spiritual power surged from the formation eye, corrupted by blood qi and yin qi to form evil power, which circulated through the formation pivot and flowed onto the formation patterns.


    the patterns glowed an eerie red, feeding evil power into the coffins and nourishing the innumerable zombies inside.


    "truly worthy of the formation of ten thousand corpses!"


    lu chengyun was full of ambition.


    he still remembered the words spoken by the person who had given him the formation of ten thousand corpses:


    "killing is a sin; refining people into corpses. sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    through sin one attains the path; from corpses one crowns a king."


    he didn¡¯t dwell on the temporary defeat. discover stories at empire


    as long as he had the corpse king, the loss of some iron corpses and walking corpses mattered little.


    and with the formation of ten thousand corpses at his disposal, he could keep refining corpses and raising more indefinitely, securing an invincible position!


    the more corpses he refined, the stronger the corpse king would become.


    and as he controlled the corpse king, commanding the submission of ten thousand corpses, he would naturally become stronger as well.


    lu chengyun¡¯s laughter gradually sounded out, his voice shedding its gentle disguise to become cold and eerie, like a night owl in the deep mountains, chilling to the bone...


    at this very moment, in a secret chamber within the stone palace, there was another altar.


    atop the altar was placed an "empty" contemplation map.


    below the altar, a small white coffin was set.


    inside the coffin lay a young cultivator.


    this young cultivator slowly opened his eyes.


    for a moment, his pupils were alight with brilliant starlight, awe-inspiring and dazzling. moments later, this radiance gradually receded and hid deep within his eyes.


    his pupils became even darker, deeper.


    amid the depth, there was a restrained brilliance.


    this was an indication of an extremely profound divine sense.


    mo hua had now completely assimilated the massive evil thoughts from the zhang family¡¯s zombies.


    his divine sense had successfully broken through its bottleneck, advancing further, reaching the peak of a cultivator at the initial stage of foundation establishment:


    thirteen stripes at their pinnacle!

 Chapter 539: Escape (1)

    thirteen stripes, pinnacle of divine sense!enough to utterly crush most cultivators at the initial stage of foundation establishment. sear?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    on the level of divine thought, he could be considered on par with the very top cultivators among those at foundation establishment initial stage.


    compared to before, mo hua¡¯s divine sense was more profound, and the control over it, more sensitive.


    mo hua¡¯s gaze was profound as he released his divine sense, and the virtual-white field of vision of his divine sense kept expanding¡­


    the range of his perception became wider, and the number of things he could perceive increased.


    every tree and stone, every flower and bush, the living cultivators, and the dead walking corpses, iron corpses, through their exterior material shell, the essence could be glimpsed.


    the world¡¯s myriad things, the intrinsic spiritual energy, corpse qi, and various other natural energies, their trajectories also became clearer by a margin.


    what the naked eye sees is the surface.


    only within the field of vision of the divine sense can the intrinsic nature of all things be discerned.


    with every increase in strength of the divine sense, the essence perceived went deeper¡­


    furthermore, mo hua¡¯s understanding of the spiritual pivot formation had also become more thorough.


    in the sea of consciousness, borrowing the divine thought of the zhang family¡¯s zombies, mo hua practised the spiritual pivot formation on the taoist stele hundreds upon thousands of times in one go¡­


    the originally complex formation patterns had long been committed to memory.


    closing his eyes, all he could see was the image of the spiritual pivot formation.


    mastering the spiritual pivot formation, dividing spiritual power, forming spiritual threads, and controlling mediums became effortless.


    in addition, his other techniques also improved by leaps and bounds.


    mo hua¡¯s abilities, whether it be formations or spells, were all closely related to his divine sense.


    now that divine sense had been enhanced, his mastery over formations naturally advanced as well.


    all sorts of spells, whether it be the water passing step, fireball technique, water prison technique, or concealment technique, their effects would be superior by a margin.


    it was just that he was trapped in a coffin and momentarily unable to leave, so there was no opportunity to try them out.


    mo hua was extremely joyful and couldn¡¯t help but squint his eyes and smile.


    as he smiled, his smile suddenly faded.


    he¡¯d realized something quite awkward.


    his divine sense was very strong, exceedingly strong, comparable to the pinnacle of the initial stage of foundation establishment.


    but his physical body was still weak, and his cultivation hadn¡¯t increased.


    at the eighth layer of qi refinement, his physique was frail.


    there was no way to get out of this small coffin¡­


    this small coffin, made of neither stone nor iron, had a tough texture and had been nailed shut from the outside, hence the impossibility of escape¡­


    to forcibly break free with a spell would also harm himself.


    mo hua sighed, somewhat helpless.


    this issue needed to be taken seriously.


    although he was inherently weak and couldn¡¯t practice body refinement, he still had to figure out some way to make up for some body refinement techniques¡­


    however, this was a problem to be considered later.


    the urgent task at hand was to figure out a way to escape.


    mo hua released his divine sense again, observing the movements outside, and suddenly felt something strange.


    inside the corpse mine, it seemed to be under martial law, yet there was some chaos.


    and in the distance, the dense, disorderly breaths of energy, jumbled together, tangled, clashed, flickering on and off.


    it was as if many cultivators were in a melee¡­


    "what exactly is happening outside?" mo hua wondered.


    someone had attacked into the corpse mine.


    but who could it be?


    there shouldn¡¯t be any power within south yue city capable of contending with the many iron corpses and walking corpses inside the corpse mine¡­


    mo hua frowned.


    if a melee erupted, the stone palace would become rather dangerous.


    he needed to think of a way out sooner¡­


    and there was lu chengyun, who still hadn¡¯t come over; he wondered if he¡¯d been delayed by the battle and had forgotten for the moment.


    if he happened to remember and came to check, it would be quite unfortunate.


    hiding in the coffin, he might be able to deceive lu chengyun, but given lu chengyun¡¯s cautious temperament, the likelihood was not great, better not to take this risk.


    so mo hua began to ponder how he could escape.


    but after a long time, he couldn¡¯t come up with any good method.


    the little zombie was in the formation of ten thousand corpses, too far away to control it to come and open the coffin for him.


    and little tiger hadn¡¯t been left outside either.


    mo hua sighed again. experience exclusive tales on empire


    the preparations had not been sufficient, and there were oversights.


    it seemed he could only wait patiently and see if there was an opportunity.


    over the next few days, mo hua would often release his divine sense to sense the activity outside, looking for a chance to escape.


    the melee outside the stone palace was still ongoing, with no clear opportunity presenting itself¡­


    until three days later, mo hua suddenly sensed two familiar auras, discretely hovering around.


    it seemed they were concealing themselves, avoiding others in the chaos, and quietly searching for something inside the stone palace¡­


    mo hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    it was junior brother and junior sister!


    were they looking for him?


    mo hua exerted his divine sense to its limits, perceiving these two figures, and at the same time, faintly overheard them speaking in hushed voices:


    "¡­been searching for so many days¡­ no trace of him¡­"


    "do you think¡­ where could junior brother be?"


    the voices were intermittent, along with bai zisheng¡¯s sighs.


    "let¡¯s search a little longer¡­"


    the voice was clear and pleasant¡ªjunior sister¡¯s.


    bai zisheng looked dejected, "zixi, do you think our junior brother¡­ he hasn¡¯t had an accident, has he¡­"


    bai zixi remained silent.


    mo hua¡¯s heart warmed.


    it seemed that while he had been locked in this coffin, junior brother and junior sister had been anxiously searching for him.


    mo hua released his divine sense openly, spying on the two.


    bai zisheng and his companion sensed it and both felt a chill in their hearts.


    had they been discovered?


    then they both felt a surge of joy.


    this aura, it was junior brother!


    bai zisheng¡¯s face showed joy for a moment, then he frowned and said:


    "that¡¯s not right, junior brother¡¯s divine sense isn¡¯t this profound¡­"


    "the aura seems correct."


    "indeed, this aura, it shouldn¡¯t be fake¡­"


    "has he ¡¯eaten¡¯ something again¡­"


    "that can¡¯t be, how could he ¡¯eat¡¯ every day? isn¡¯t he afraid of ¡¯eating¡¯ his little brain to pieces?"

 Chapter 540: Escape (2)

    "...his little head was always a bit naughty...""let¡¯s have a look..."


    "yeah."


    mo hua¡¯s divine sense was unceasing.


    bai zisheng and another were perceptive of mo hua¡¯s divine sense. cloaked with a concealing cape and with their figures hidden, they found the secret chamber amidst the chaos of the stone palace.


    the secret chamber was cramped but exquisitely crafted, with a sinister sacrificial altar situated above.


    atop the altar lay bones, burning white candles dripped with corpse oil, casting a ghostly light.


    below the altar was a white coffin.


    the divine sense of mo hua emanated from within the coffin.


    when bai zisheng saw the white coffin, his expression was one of astonishment. then, with a pained look, he cried out:


    "little junior brother, he¡¯s dead!"


    bai zixi shot him a glance, "how could his divine sense emit from him were he dead?"


    bai zisheng paused, his pained expression faded as he scratched his head and begrudgingly said:


    "oh, right..."


    in a clear voice, bai zixi said:


    "open the coffin."


    bai zisheng nodded. after inspecting the coffin for a moment and understanding its structure, he pulled out the nails from the four corners with brute strength. then he broke the fastenings of the lid and slowly lifted it.


    inside the coffin lay a familiar figure.


    it was indeed their junior brother, mo hua!


    mo hua¡¯s complexion was somewhat pale, his eyes deeper than before, and there seemed to be a lustrous light within them, both familiar and somewhat strange.


    bai zisheng¡¯s face first showed joy, then became stern:


    "how can you prove you¡¯re my junior brother?"


    mo hua gave him a look, "idiot!"


    bai zisheng heaved a sigh of relief and calmed down.


    that demeanor and the familiar tone were indeed those of his little junior brother...


    in a soft voice, bai zixi said, "are you alright...?"


    her expression was calm, but her eyes shone like a brook under the autumn sun, warm and radiant.


    mo hua was momentarily lost in thought, then replied with a bright smile:


    "i¡¯m fine."


    bai zixi blinked and nodded her head.


    curious, bai zisheng asked, "how did you end up locked in there?"


    "lu chengyun wanted to dispose of me once i¡¯ve served my purpose," mo hua said.


    bai zisheng became furious, "that¡¯s outrageous! bullying my junior brother is bullying me, trying to kill my junior brother is akin to trying to kill me!"


    he pounded his chest and assured mo hua:


    "don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll slaughter him for you!"


    "he¡¯s at foundation establishment..."


    "foundation establishment, still slaughter!"


    "alright then..."


    mo hua wasn¡¯t sure if he was bluffing, but he still felt grateful at heart.


    "but what does ¡¯dispose of me once i¡¯ve served my purpose¡¯ entail?" bai zisheng asked, curious again.


    "it means using me as a sacrifice, feeding his contemplation map with my divine sense," mo hua explained succinctly.


    "where is that map?"


    "i ¡¯ate¡¯ it..."


    "how did you ¡¯eat¡¯ again..."


    bai zisheng uttered with a mix of frustration and resignation, then muttered, "i can¡¯t decide if you¡¯re the offering, or if the map is your offering..."


    "so has your divine sense grown stronger again?" bai zisheng asked.


    "yeah." mo hua nodded modestly:


    "got a bit stronger, thirteen stripes..."


    even bai zixi was taken aback by this revelation.


    bai zisheng opened his mouth wide in astonishment and said helplessly:


    "if this keeps up, you¡¯ll truly become a little monster..."


    qi refinement at the eighth level, foundation establishment with thirteen stripes divine sense...


    even among the bai family¡¯s ancestors, he had never come across such a record.


    bai zixi¡¯s eyes flickered as she cautioned, "don¡¯t tell anyone..."


    bai zisheng also came to his senses, nodding as he said:


    "right, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone. otherwise, there are those who¡¯d want to crack open your head to see what¡¯s inside... people can be very malevolent."


    mo hua was shocked and nodded repeatedly, "yeah, yeah!"


    bai zisheng had more to say, but bai zixi spoke up, "let¡¯s leave this place first."


    the corpse mine was no place to linger in.


    she and her brother had come here to find mo hua, and now that they had found him, naturally, they wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    "alright!"


    within the corpse mine, cultivators and zombies battled fiercely.


    swords were blind, spells were aplenty, the ground was rife with corpse poison... there were even foundation establishment cultivators fighting hand-to-hand with iron corpses.


    getting caught in the crossfire was still very dangerous.


    the three of them cloaked themselves with invisibility and left the secret chamber.


    before leaving, mo hua thought for a moment and set up an earth fire formation around the secret chamber, blowing it up, destroying the entire altar and the coffin with it.


    although he hadn¡¯t died, he still needed to destroy the "corpse" and erase the traces.


    or rather, because he hadn¡¯t died and wanted to be cautious, it was necessary to "destroy the corpse and erase the traces."


    at the same time, he also took the blank contemplation map with him.


    all the ancestors of the zhang family that had been within the contemplation map were ¡¯eaten¡¯ clean by mo hua.


    the map was now blank. stay updated via empire


    but mo hua felt that the map was very peculiar, capable of containing the spirits of the zhang family¡¯s deceased, who, after death, became evil spirits manifesting in bodily form and living within the map.


    clearly, this was not a feat that ordinary tao cultivation items could achieve.


    mo hua kept the blank contemplation map with him.


    he would study it himself later or ask his master for advice.


    ...


    the taoist court was still attacking the stone palace, with the taoist soldiers leading the charge and the other cultivators providing cover. sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with a way to restrain the corpse soldiers, the threat was reduced.


    lu chengyun then used the formation of ten thousand corpses for corpse raising and corpse refinement, constantly replenishing his forces, engaging in a war of attrition against the taoist soldiers.


    both sides were in a stalemate, with the situation inside the stone palace chaotic.


    foundation building cultivators, qi refining taoist soldiers, iron corpses, and walking corpses fought to the death...


    such a situation was momentarily beyond the resolution of the three qi refinement cultivators.


    the immediate priority was to escape the corpse mine, and plan for the long term thereafter.


    the three of them, invisible, circled around the edge of the battlefield and retreated towards the outside of the corpse mine.


    despite their caution, the corpse mine was too chaotic. there were many cultivators, even more zombies, and in a moment of inattention, they inadvertently revealed themselves and were discovered by a corpse cultivator.

 Chapter 541: Escape (3)

    Several corpse cultivators commanded an iron corpse and about ten walking corpses, besieging them from all directions.Bai Zisheng guarded the rear, swinging his long spear, fending off the zombies.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zixi, each using spells and sword qi to restrain, the three of them did not fancy the fight, retreating while battling.


    Later, other cultivators came to aid them, and after fighting a chaotic battle for two hours, they finally escaped from the corpse mine and withdrew to a cave where they had set up camp.


    Inside the cave, Yang Jiashan, Young Master Yun, a withered old man, a middle-aged cultivator, and the other cultivators were all inside, discussing the eradication of the corpse mine.


    On the way there, Mo Hua had already asked and understood the situation.


    He learned that it was the Taoist Court that had ordered the suppression of the corpse mine and the eradication of the Corpse King, which was why so many cultivators had gathered.


    Therefore, seeing so many people didn¡¯t surprise him.


    A Taoist Soldier took Mo Hua and the other two to Yang Jiashan.


    Yang Jiashan, upon seeing Mo Hua and learning of his identity, was clearly surprised.


    He had heard from Bai Zisheng that it was his "Junior Disciple" who had obtained the information on the corpse mine and relayed it out.


    Since he was a Junior Disciple, he was naturally expected to be young.


    But he never could have imagined he would be this young.


    Mo Hua¡¯s tender face still held traces of childishness.


    He looked not much older than those newly initiated disciples in his Clan¡¯s cultivation enlightenment.


    Could such a child have been used by Lu Chengyun? Could he have been confined to the corpse mine?


    And was he able to gather intelligence while inside and then send it out from the heavily guarded corpse mine?


    How did he achieve this?


    Yang Jiashan¡¯s eyebrows knitted into the character "´¨".


    The other cultivators, upon seeing Mo Hua, also had complex expressions, unsure of what to say.


    The cave became momentarily silent...


    However, Mo Hua was looking at Yang Jiashan, looking here and there, finding him somewhat familiar, and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "Commander, do you know an uncle named Yang Jiyong?"


    Yang Jiashan was taken aback, "You know my fifth brother?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "A little acquainted. Uncle Yang even told me to visit the Yang Family when I have time..." Discover more stories at empire


    Yang Jiashan frowned, muttering "Mo Hua" twice, then suddenly his eyes brightened as he said:


    "Mo Hua! I knew this name sounded familiar. Before the year¡¯s end, my fifth brother mentioned meeting a very talented Junior Formation Master..."


    Very talented...


    Yang Jiashan thought again.


    Back then, his fifth brother had said something different. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a serious face and taking the matter seriously, he said that he had met a Junior Formation Master with "terrifying talent"...


    When he asked how the talent was terrifying, he didn¡¯t elaborate, only saying that he had to keep it confidential.


    Yang Jiashan didn¡¯t take it to heart then.


    Yang Jiyong and he were equally matched in Formation knowledge; what distinction could he make about whose talents were superior? So at the time, he only listened casually to Yang Jiyong¡¯s words and didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    Upon arriving in South Yue City, hearing the name Mo Hua struck him as familiar.


    Now that Mo Hua mentioned Yang Jiyong, he suddenly remembered.


    Yang Jiashan¡¯s attitude immediately warmed.


    Although he couldn¡¯t discern the degree of talent in Formation, he remembered his fifth brother also saying that upon meeting this Junior Formation Master, he should say thanks on his behalf and treat him well, and it would be best if he could persuade him to join the Yang Family.


    His fifth brother had a somewhat foul temper and a bit of pride, but he was generous in spirit and valued loyalty. It wasn¡¯t often he praised someone so highly.


    If this young cultivator was held in high esteem by his fifth brother, regardless of anything else, at least his character must be excellent.


    Moreover, being so young and already a Formation Master.


    Even if his talent wasn¡¯t considered "terrifying", it was certainly quite remarkable.


    On top of that, he risked his life to gather information about the corpse mine, which was a great help.


    Yang Jiashan immediately said amicably:


    "I¡¯m sorry for the fright you¡¯ve experienced, young friend. I will have someone prepare some drinks and Spiritual Meat. Eat your fill and have a good rest."


    Mo Hua smiled, "Thank you, Commander!"


    Yang Jiashan waved his hand, "No need for such formalities. You¡¯re familiar with my fifth brother, just call me Uncle Yang."


    Following his cues, Mo Hua cheerfully called out:


    "Uncle Yang!"


    Yang Jiashan nodded with a smile.


    The others looked on, somewhat stupefied.


    How had they established a relationship so quickly without many words spoken...?


    He entered as "Leader Yang," and in less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, he became "Uncle Yang"...


    The normally right-angled and stern-faced Yang Jiashan was now all smiles, as if basking in the spring breeze.


    The incongruence was as stark as could be.


    Just who was this young cultivator?


    The others whispered to each other.


    Then Yang Jiashan said to Mo Hua: "You go rest with your older brother and sister first; we still have matters to discuss here..."


    Mo Hua nodded, "All right, then I won¡¯t disturb you any further, Uncle Yang."


    Yang Jiashan gave a slight nod.


    Mo Hua bowed and took his leave.


    Yang Jiashan watched Mo Hua leave with a kind expression, then turned back, his face becoming serious again as he said to the people:


    "Let¡¯s continue..."


    A deputy commander-like Taoist Soldier continued the earlier discussion:


    "...The zombies are being refined in greater numbers, and we are understaffed. We can¡¯t sustain this attrition, we need to find a way to break the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses..."


    "Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?"


    Just as he reached the doorway, Mo Hua¡¯s ears perked up, hearing these words and momentarily froze.


    The deputy commander had lowered his voice, but due to Mo Hua¡¯s peak Thirteen Stripes Divine Sense, even though the voice wasn¡¯t loud, he still overheard it.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then turned back and asked:


    "Uncle Yang, are you discussing the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?"


    Yang Jiashan¡¯s expression was one of astonishment as he asked:


    "Young friend, do you know about the ¡¯Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡¯?"


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Yang Jiashan was taken aback, then he remembered that Mo Hua was the one who sent out the intelligence, so it wasn¡¯t odd that he knew about the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    "So, are you familiar with this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?"


    Yang Jiashan asked with a glint of hope in his eyes, anticipating an affirmative answer.


    Mo Hua hesitated slightly, then slowly said:


    "I¡¯m fairly... familiar with it."


    How could he say that the central Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses was crafted by him...

 Chapter 542: Breaking the Formation (1)

    "Am I familiar with it?"Yang Jishan couldn¡¯t understand what level of ¡¯familiar¡¯ was being implied. He probed further, asking:


    "Then, young brother, do you know how to break the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?"


    All the cultivators present turned their gaze towards Mo Hua.


    After pondering for a moment and sizing up everyone, especially the strengths of the cultivators from the Taoist Court, Mo Hua nodded:


    "There is one way."


    Yang Jishan was overjoyed, "What method?"


    Mo Hua asked, "Do you still have the map of the Stone Palace?"


    "Yes!"


    Yang Jishan immediately ordered someone to spread the map on the stone table in the hall.


    Mo Hua marked several spots on the map. These spots were located deep within the Stone Palace in areas that were slightly secluded and unremarkable, and the stone walls were solid with no special features.


    A puzzled look crossed Yang Jishan¡¯s face.


    Mo Hua then explained:


    "These places are sealed vaults, which contain many Spirit Stones..."


    "Spirit Stones?" Yang Jishan frowned.


    "Yes." Mo Hua nodded.


    "The Spirit Stones that Lu Chengyun made the zombies mine as slaves, a large portion of them, are hidden in these sealed vaults within the Corpse Mine."


    He had found this out the previous night after sneaking around invisibly and eavesdropping here and there.


    "What then?" Yang Jishan asked once more.


    "Destroy these Spirit Stones, and you can break the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses," Mo Hua replied.


    Yang Jishan fell silent.


    The expressions of the others were also somewhat complicated.


    Some even showed disappointment.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand why.


    On the contrary, a senior Formation Master, intending to be helpful, reminded:


    "Young brother, you¡¯re young and probably aren¡¯t aware that Evil Formations differ from normal formations..."


    "Normal formations refine Spirit Stones to convert Spiritual Power and drive the formation..."


    "But Evil Formations, they¡¯re powered by Blood Qi, flesh and bones, Divine Souls and lifeforce, resentment from living beings, and Filthy Qi from nature and other types of Evil Power."


    "That makes the formation strange and its power greatly enhanced. It also pollutes the flesh and Spiritual Power of cultivators to an even greater degree..."


    "Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses is the same."


    "This formation isn¡¯t driven by Spiritual Power, so even if you destroy the vault and the Spirit Stones, it won¡¯t help. At most, it will only result in Lu Chengyun losing some of his Spirit Stone assets..."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "It¡¯s not like that."


    The senior Formation Master was momentarily taken aback.


    The other Formation Masters were also a bit astonished.


    Mo Hua explained further:


    "Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses evolved from the Large Formation of Corpses. It has the structure of a Large Formation but not its scale; thus it is a Compound Formation..."


    "Even so, the required Evil Power is vast."


    "He couldn¡¯t carry out a massacre in the city, and without being able to refine Evil Power from blood, resentment, and hatred, he resorted to a compromise."


    "He constructed the Compound Formation eye to refine Spirit Stones, using Spiritual Power to drive the formation, then polluted the Spiritual Power with Blood Qi, creating Evil Power to drive the entire Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses."


    The senior Formation Master¡¯s expression was shaken, and the other Formation Masters looked at each other with surprise and uncertainty.


    "So..." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua continued:


    "By destroying the vault and the Spirit Stones, you¡¯re essentially cutting off the supply for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, rendering its Formation eye useless, and naturally breaking the formation."


    "And since the Formation eye has already been constructed, it cannot be modified in a short time."


    "Once the Spirit Stones are gone, even if Lu Chengyun wanted to resort to killing and plundering a city to use the blood and flesh for Evil Power to drive the formation, it would be impossible."


    After Mo Hua finished, everyone¡¯s expressions changed, but they remained silent.


    Ordinary cultivators, either not understanding formations or only having a rudimentary grasp, couldn¡¯t fully comprehend.


    The few Formation Masters who did understand, after Mo Hua¡¯s explanation, felt that he made a lot of sense. Still, they were somewhat uncertain...


    This matter concerned the orders of the Taoist Court, the suppressing of the Corpse Mine, the extermination of the Corpse King, and the eradication of the Taoist Demon.


    Such matters were no trifling affair.


    They dared not be careless.


    The senior Formation Master carefully asked:


    "Young brother... Gentleman, how do you know this?"


    Because I drew the Formation eye...


    Explore stories at empire


    Of course, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t say that out loud.


    Instead, he vaguely responded, "I was detained by Lu Chengyun in the Corpse Mine. By chance, I happened to see the Formation Diagram for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses..."


    Formation Diagram for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?


    The senior Formation Master trembled inwardly, "Really?"


    Knowing the Formation Diagram would change everything.


    Mo Hua considered briefly, then nodded, "How about I draw it for you to see..."


    The senior Formation Master was startled, "Draw..."


    You mean, after seeing it, you can replicate it?


    Yang Jishan immediately commanded, "Bring paper and ink."


    The senior Formation Master promptly said:


    "I have it, I have it!"


    After saying that, he personally took out paper and ink. Other Formation Masters helped, laying out the Formation Paper and mixing the Spiritual Ink on the table.


    Everything was ready, and all eyes were eagerly on Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable but still took the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to draw Formation Patterns on the paper.


    His brushwork was refined and measured, each stroke and pattern drawn freely yet with an inherent order.


    The Formation Masters seated there were taken aback, exchanging looks and whispering praises among themselves:


    "Despite his young age, he already exudes the demeanor of a great master!"


    "Without years of meticulous practice, one couldn¡¯t possess such expert brush skills..."


    "Most impressive, most impressive..."


    Even Young Master Yun, observing Mo Hua, had a continuous glimmer of admiration in his clear eyes.


    Of course, Mo Hua didn¡¯t draw the entire Formation Diagram of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    He merely outlined the movements of the Formation Pivot to make it easier for everyone to understand the flow of Spiritual Power.


    He also sketched the core of the Formation eye so that everyone could see how Spiritual Power passed through the Formation eye, connected with the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, and then mixed with Blood Qi and Filthy Qi to form Evil Power...


    Before he finished, Mo Hua stopped drawing.


    The group of Formation Masters, left wanting more, saw Mo Hua put down his brush and urged:


    "Continue drawing, why have you stopped?"

 Chapter 543: Break the Array (2)

    Mo Hua scratched his head, feeling guilty:"That¡¯s all I remember¡­"


    He couldn¡¯t keep painting, for if he went on, he would reveal the entire formation eye...


    Everyone looked left and right, scrutinizing Mo Hua¡¯s sketch of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, and they all frowned.


    A Formation Master sighed:


    "Lu Chengyun, indeed, is quite talented¡­"


    Someone snorted coldly, "So what if he has talent? Isn¡¯t he still a heartless scoundrel?"


    "I wasn¡¯t saying he wasn¡¯t¡­"


    "Without talent and virtue, one is merely mediocre, but with talent and no virtue, that¡¯s often the greater disaster."


    "As long as one¡¯s character is corrupt, no matter how talented, they should be condemned!"


    "It¡¯s a pity that Lu Chengyun, with all his talent, hasn¡¯t used it on the right path, this formation eye is extremely exquisite..."


    The old Formation Master shook his head, "This formation eye might not have been constructed by Lu Chengyun¡­"


    "Not by Lu Chengyun?" The crowd was astonished.


    The old Formation Master nodded and said:


    "Although this is a First Grade formation eye, it uses the framework of a Large Formation, and its underlying pattern employs the Five Elements in an orderly fashion; this is indeed a method deeply rooted in the authentic and righteous Dao of formations¡­"


    "With such an understanding of formations, one would disdain to learn Evil Formations and sully themselves with the likes of Lu Chengyun."


    "Therefore, this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses might have been built by Lu Chengyun, but this formation eye may have been made by someone else¡­"


    Mo Hua listened with a hint of surprise in his heart.


    This old gentleman with a beard, though also just a First Grade Formation Master, had such a sharp eye.


    He could actually discern this...


    Hearing this, the other Formation Masters also nodded their heads.


    Then someone asked, "Who, then, drew this formation eye? Could it be that Lu Chengyun has a high-level formation expert behind him?"


    "Is this formation expert also a First Grade Formation Master?"


    "No, this formation eye is Large Formation craftsmanship, probably Second Grade¡­"


    With this statement, everyone¡¯s expressions turned somber.


    The Ultimate Formation and the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses were already problematic enough.


    If there was also a high-level formation expert standing behind Lu Chengyun, the situation would become even more severe.


    Suddenly, the old Formation Master asked Mo Hua:


    "Young gentleman, do you know who created this formation eye? Or perhaps, do you know who this expert is?"


    Mo Hua kept a serious face and shook his head, "I don¡¯t know."


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    I couldn¡¯t possibly admit it was me...


    You probably wouldn¡¯t believe me if I did.


    Seeing that everyone was still mired in this issue, with gloomy and troubled expressions, Mo Hua had no choice but to say:


    "I didn¡¯t see any other Formation Masters in the Corpse Mine¡­"


    "Perhaps this Formation Master was threatened by Lu Chengyun, forced to complete the formation, and then ¡¯disposed of after use¡¯."


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both silently glanced at Mo Hua.


    The old Formation Master was taken aback, then nodded in agreement.


    Lu Chengyun was highly suspicious; such a thing wasn¡¯t beyond possibility.


    He sighed, "If that¡¯s true, it would be such a pity¡­"


    Seeing that they had been discussing for so long and still seemed confused, Yang Jishan decisively asked,


    "Gentlemen, can this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses be broken?"


    The old Formation Master hesitated for a moment, then slowly said,


    "If the formation eye is indeed as such, then this strategy might indeed be viable."


    "Is this formation eye genuine?" Yang Jishan asked further.


    The old Formation Master remained silent and hesitant.


    The other Formation Masters also frowned, saying nothing.


    They believed it to be genuine, but the formation knowledge involved exceeded their mastery; they dared not make a definitive judgment.


    If the reality proved different, they could not bear the responsibility.


    Yang Jishan then turned to look at Young Master Yun.


    Young Master Yun was hesitant; after pondering for a while, he slowly nodded:


    "It should be correct."


    He thought for a moment, then added:


    "This formation corresponds with what we currently know about the Corpse Mine, and the level of formation knowledge is very high; beyond what Lu Chengyun could fabricate."


    Yang Jishan breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    He patted Mo Hua on the shoulder and smiled, "Young brother, you¡¯ve been a great help again!"


    Mo Hua also smiled happily.


    "Since the formation is real, then that¡¯s good. Let¡¯s discuss how to destroy these Spirit Stones and cut off the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡¯ supply¡­"


    Afterwards, Yang Jishan and the others discussed the specific methods.


    How to deploy Cultivators, when and where, who would lead the assault, who would provide cover, how to destroy these Spirit Stone storerooms...


    These Spirit Stones couldn¡¯t be moved.


    They had to find a way to destroy them.


    To allow them to turn into Spiritual Energy, to scatter back into the heavens and earth, so they would not be used for evil by Lu Chengyun.


    After the discussion was over, Mo Hua left.


    Young Master Yun stared at the departing figure of Mo Hua for a long time, lost in thought. After a while, his eyes brightened slightly.


    ...


    Mo Hua was placed in a quiet stone room.


    The room had simple furnishings: only a stone table, stone chairs, stone bed, clearly a makeshift setup without much consideration for comfort.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind; what he cared about was the table full of food.


    There were Spirit Fruits, and chicken and duck Spiritual Meat.


    He had been locked in a coffin, starved for many days, and now, ravenous, it was a feast fit for a king, a fruit in one hand, a chicken leg in the other, eating with delight.


    Cultivators can go without food for a long time, but they still feel hungry and deplete their Blood Qi. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Going without food for too long can still lead to starvation and death.


    Bai Zisheng sat aside, legs crossed, shaking his head and tapping his foot, seemingly pondering something.


    Bai Zixi was quietly reading a book, occasionally lifting her eyes. Seeing Mo Hua eating with gusto, her long lashes fluttered, her gaze becoming serene.


    Mo Hua looked up and asked, "Aren¡¯t you going to eat?"


    "You go ahead."


    "Okay."


    Mo Hua made no fuss and, after eating his fill, lay comfortably on the bed, patting his full belly contentedly.

 Chapter 544: Break the Array (3)

    Bai Zisheng said, "You should take a walk after eating to aid digestion, don¡¯t just lie down.""Oh."


    Mo Hua responded with a somewhat lazy tone, but still remained lying down without moving.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head. After a moment, he seemed to remember something and asked,


    "Are you going to see your master again?"


    Mo Hua blinked and replied, "After sorting out the matters here, then I¡¯ll go back to see Master!"


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes brightened, "Are you going to take out Lu Chengyun?"


    He couldn¡¯t stand those who were sanctimonious, bullied with their power, practiced Demon Skills, murdered, and bullied his sister and little junior brother.


    And Lu Chengyun had nearly all these traits.


    "Hmm." Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng thought for a while, then frowned slightly, "It¡¯s not easy to make a move, is it? There are so many Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, and the Corpse King¡­"


    Mo Hua sat up and said in a low voice,


    "Step by step. First, we will weaken Lu Chengyun¡¯s power, push him into a tight spot, and then get close to that Corpse King¡­ and he will be doomed!"


    "Corpse King?" Bai Zisheng was taken aback, "Did you do something to his Corpse King?"


    Mo Hua shook her finger, corrected him, "It¡¯s not ¡¯his¡¯ Corpse King¡­"


    "What do you mean?" Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t understand.


    Mo Hua played coy, whispering,


    "It¡¯s top secret. You¡¯ll find out when the time comes."


    Bai Zisheng was not very happy.


    After contemplating for a moment, Mo Hua relented slightly and said, "When the time comes, I guarantee you¡¯ll get the chance to take down Lu Chengyun."


    "Really?"


    Bai Zisheng was skeptical.


    "Hmm," Mo Hua nodded, "You are my senior brother, I wouldn¡¯t lie to you!"


    Bai Zisheng immediately became happy again.


    Bai Zixi glanced at her older brother, shaking her head slightly with a hint of helplessness.


    ...


    The next day at 6 A.M., the Taoist Soldiers began their assault on the Stone Palace.


    Yang Jishan led the charge from the front, tying up most of the Iron Corpses, but this was merely a feint.


    The other two elite teams of cultivators, following Mo Hua¡¯s guidance, took a detour to sneak in and broke through the defensive formation of the storeroom, penetrating the stone walls. As expected, they found a storeroom filled with blindingly brilliant Spirit Stones.


    Under military orders, they did not hesitate. Using Spiritual Artifacts, Runes, and Taoist Skills, they destroyed the large store of Spirit Stones within the storeroom.


    The destroyed Spirit Stones turned into a vast surge of Spiritual Energy that spilled out from the Corpse Mine, pervading the surroundings before returning to nature.


    Even outside the Corpse Mine, Mo Hua could sense this thick presence of spiritual power.


    "So this is Spiritual Energy¡­"


    Mo Hua murmured pensively, her mind slightly stirred.


    It¡¯s said that over twenty thousand years ago, nature was teeming with dense Spiritual Energy.


    However, once the Taoist Court united the Cultivation World, the rapid development led to the reckless extraction of Spiritual Energy, which gradually depleted its presence in nature.


    Only Spirit Stones mined from the spiritual mines below ground remained.


    Cultivators relied on Spirit Stones to practice cultivation.


    Places with remnants of nature¡¯s spiritual energy, like secret mountain sanctuaries, were rare, the stuff of legends. They were occupied by the Cultivation World¡¯s powerful forces.


    It was the same situation with Spirit Stones.


    Over the twenty thousand plus years of the Taoist Calendar, nearly all of the Cultivation World¡¯s spiritual mines had been carved up and seized by the Taoist Court, the Noble Clans, and the Great Sects.


    The vast majority of Spirit Stones also ended up in their hands.


    The majority of the lower-class cultivators actually had access to very few Spirit Stones.


    Let alone breathing in the real nature¡¯s spiritual energy¡­


    Now the Spiritual Energy that overflowed from the Corpse Mine, although dense, was ephemeral, dissipating in mere moments.


    Although it was Spiritual Energy, it was not quite the real thing.


    After it dissipated, the world was still left dry and barren of Spiritual Energy.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat moved.


    She looked up at the sky, silently pondering,


    "I wonder if there will ever be a day when this world sees the revival of Spiritual Energy¡­"


    ...


    As the storeroom was blasted open, the Spirit Stones destroyed, and the Spiritual Energy diffused into the world, Lu Chengyun felt it too.


    His heart ached sharply as if pricked by needles.


    These were Spirit Stones! Collected through hard labor, enslaving Mining Cultivators, controlling zombies, mining, and his accumulated wealth!


    With these Spirit Stones, he could bribe officials of the Taoist Court, buy support from various powers, strengthen the Lu Family, obtain various Cultivation World resources, and elevate his own cultivation level!


    Yet now, they were all destroyed!


    What was even harder for him to accept was the situation with the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses!


    With the Spirit Stones destroyed, the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses would be cut off from its supply.


    Although it could still barely operate on the remaining Evil Power, within ten days, as the Evil Power was exhausted, the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses would halt.


    Without the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses running to continuously refine zombies, how could he contend with the Taoist Soldiers?


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze turned icy. "It looks like I need to find another solution¡­"


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    But then he was puzzled.


    How did the Taoist Court figure out that he powered his Evil Formation with Spiritual Power?


    And how did they learn that his Spirit Stones were hidden in the secret storeroom?


    Was there a traitor within the Corpse Mine who leaked all its secrets?


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    Lu Chengyun shook his head.


    Those in the know had either been killed by him or sacrificed by him.


    The rest were just Corpse Cultivators.


    These Corpse Cultivators had been with him for a long time, killing and refining corpses, with blood-stained hands.


    As long as they practiced Corpse Path cultivation techniques, they would have fallen into the Demon Path, and it was impossible for them to switch allegiance to the Taoist Court.


    Even if they did switch sides, it would be a death sentence.


    They couldn¡¯t have leaked secrets¡­


    "So, someone at the Taoist Court saw through the bluff of the Corpse Mine and also through the Formation I laid out?"


    A cultivator with such capabilities and Formation attainments must be a remarkable person.


    But who could this person be?


    When did they set their sights on him?


    Lu Chengyun furrowed his brow.


    A sudden premonition came over him.


    It was as if someone had long ago spun a web around him, tightly ensnaring him, and was now watching him eagerly, closing in step by step¡­


    Who was this person?


    And what exactly was this web?


    Lu Chengyun was confused.


    Behind him, the fierce and majestic Corpse King remained silently loyal.

 Chapter 545: Pursuit (1)

    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Spirit Stone warehouse was destroyed, severing the supply of Spirit Stones, causing the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses to operate sluggishly, and the speed of Corpse Refinement also became slower and slower.Yang Jishan was overjoyed.


    The other Cultivators all breathed a sigh of relief.


    In the battle, what Lu Chengyun was losing were Zombies.


    What they were losing, however, were living human lives.


    Now that the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses had been reduced and gradually stopped, getting rid of this endless loss was good news for their side.


    Taoist Soldiers and Cultivators from all sides couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful to Mo Hua.


    Next, it would be a head-on battle.


    The leaders of the Taoist Soldiers, along with the various squads and Cultivators, engaged in a fight to the death with Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses.


    Yang Jishan issued orders and coordinated the strategy, while Mo Hua followed by his side, watching the battle.


    Inside the Corpse Mine, the battle was fierce.


    The Cultivators¡¯ swords clashed with the Zombies¡¯ claws, and Spiritual Power intertwined with Corpse Qi. Corpse Poison spread, Spells flew across, one after another Cultivators fell, and corps after corps of Zombies were slaughtered.


    It was both tragic and magnificent.


    Mo Hua watched, shocked.


    Although he had previously seen Cultivators fighting Zombies sporadically, and had fought Zombies himself when escaping, standing at the peak and overseeing the entire battlefield, he still found the scene of the fight to the death before him extremely brutal and shocking.


    Soon after, Mo Hua also felt a pang of pity.


    These Taoist Soldiers were also people.


    Even though their Cultivation was low and they could only serve as insignificant soldiers in this war,


    They had parents and possibly wives and children.


    Dying here, there would be those who grieved deeply for them.


    And these Zombies, who were humans in life, were likely suffering Miners in their past.


    Oppressed by the Lu Family during their lives, they were conscripted as cannon fodder even after death, helping the tyrant.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    This could not go on.


    If the battle continued like this, who knew how many more Cultivators would be injured or even lose their lives...


    South Yue City might also face a catastrophe.


    Mo Hua observed the situation and frowned in contemplation, using Divine Sense Calculation to determine the main and secondary Sequence controlled by the Spirit Pivots among the horde, and then said to Yang Jishan:


    "Uncle Yang, that tall Iron Corpse, that one-armed Iron Corpse, and that fat Iron Corpse, we need to kill them first."


    Yang Jishan was momentarily stunned, "Why?"


    He didn¡¯t quite understand why, amidst the dozens of Iron Corpses on the battlefield, Mo Hua insisted on killing those particular few first.


    These Iron Corpses didn¡¯t appear to be the strongest either.


    Mo Hua explained:


    "The Zombies on the field can be divided into two types."


    "One type is controlled by the Corpse Cultivators, using the Corpse Controlling Bells."


    "The other type is controlled through Formation, by Iron Corpses."


    "Zombies controlled by Corpse Cultivators are few and fight individually, posing little threat; but those controlled by Formation are different..."


    "These three Iron Corpses, the Formations on their bodies, control the most Walking Corpses. Kill them, and nearly half of the Walking Corpses will become a disorderly mob, driven only by instinct, without coordination, not forming Corpse Soldiers, making them easy to deal with."


    Yang Jishan was taken aback, "How do you know this?"


    Young Master Yun was also somewhat surprised.


    They knew that these Zombies were controlled through Formations.


    But as for how the control was managed, and what the principles behind it were, they were unclear.


    Mo Hua vaguely replied, "I have seen the Formations Lu Chengyun designed, so I was able to calculate it."


    Yang Jishan nodded with an understanding that was not quite understanding.


    However, Young Master Yun was stunned.


    Calculate?


    "Could it be..."


    He had some guesses, but he found it hard to believe for the moment.


    Yang Jishan then called someone over and instructed: sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Pass down the command, gather three squads of Taoist Soldiers, ignore the other Zombies, and only kill those three Iron Corpses!"


    "Yes!"


    The Taoist Soldier took the command and passed the order.


    In a moment, three Foundation Establishment leaders, each leading a squad of Taoist Soldiers, suddenly charged out and headed straight for the three Iron Corpses on the battlefield.


    It was the prepared against the unprepared.


    In less than half an hour, the three Iron Corpses were slayed, and their heart meridians shattered.


    With the death of the three Iron Corpses, the majority of Corpse Soldiers on the field suddenly rioted, buzzing around like headless flies, dashing left and right, seeking to devour people.


    This was a sign of them acting on instinct after losing control, drawn by Corpse Qi.


    To ordinary Cultivators, out-of-control Zombies were quite tricky.


    But in such a battle among Cultivators, Zombies losing control was like loose sand. Even if they were violent and bloodthirsty, their threat was greatly diminished in the face of well-coordinated Taoist Soldiers.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s spirit was lifted.


    "It¡¯s really effective!"


    He immediately waved the command banner and ordered the Taoist Soldiers to form an array, grinding away as they slaughted the disordered horde of Zombies.


    Once the Walking Corpses were slain, the remaining Iron Corpses posed no threat in the face of the team of Taoist Soldiers.


    A general without his soldiers was no longer a general.


    And an Iron Corpse without Corpse Soldiers was just a common Iron Corpse.


    The Taoist Soldiers were like mowing scythes, charging through the battlefield, reaping Walking Corpses one after another.


    The situation soon became clear.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s advantage became increasingly apparent, while the loss of Corpse Soldiers grew heavier.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Lu Chengyun to order the mass of Zombies to retreat.


    The siege on the Corpse Mine was protracted.


    This was merely one of many battles over the days, and also one clear victory among the many outcomes.


    But this victory was the most definitive of them all.


    Yang Jishan heaved a long sigh of relief.


    In the subsequent battles, Yang Jishan always took Mo Hua with him.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, scanned the battlefield, and after a moment¡¯s Calculation, told Yang Jishan which Walking Corpses were controlled by which Iron Corpses, and killing which Iron Corpse would cause which Zombies to disperse. Continue your saga on empire


    Not just that.


    Some troublesome Corpse Cultivators, what techniques they were using.


    Some intense Corpse Poisons, how to counteract them.


    Some nefarious Formations, how to break them.


    ...


    Mo Hua recited them as if they were common knowledge, explaining them one by one.

 Chapter 546: Pursuit (2)

    Anything related to Formation, he could see through at a glance;As for the Corpse Mine, it was during his concealment, eavesdropped secretly;


    And regarding Corpse Refinement, some knowledge was gained from books on corpse refinement, while others, were summarized through combat with the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, along with the successive Elders...


    The more Yang Jishan listened, the more shocked he became.


    He almost suspected that Mo Hua had built the Corpse Mine himself, that the Formations were drawn by him, that he had recruited these corpse cultivators, and that these zombies were refined by him and under his control...


    Even Mo Hua himself was like a little Demon Head of Corpse Path...


    Otherwise how could he be so familiar?


    Of course, Yang Jishan was just pondering, he knew it was impossible.


    "Probably figured it out while in the Corpse Mine..."


    Yang Jishan marveled inwardly.


    Now he finally understood why his fifth brother Yang Jiyong held this little brother in such high esteem.


    Proficient in Formations, brave and resourceful, with a pure Taoist Heart. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And he could gather such detailed intelligence without anyone knowing¡­


    Wasn¡¯t that precisely the talent that the Taoist Soldiers Court needed most?


    Yang Jishan looked at Mo Hua with eyes full of vitality, wishing he could snatch Mo Hua back to the Yang Family...


    ...


    On the other hand, Lu Chengyun¡¯s face was overcast with clouds.


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    He had never imagined that the situation would take such a sharp downturn in just a few days.


    It seemed as if all his secrets had been laid bare.


    The layout of the Stone Palace, the arrangement of Corpse Soldiers, the operation of the Formations...


    The enemy was also seizing flaws, nibbling away at him bit by bit.


    Lu Chengyun felt the pressure, even a trace of suffocation.


    It was as if the net he had woven early on was gradually tightening, becoming tighter and tighter. Once it closed completely and trapped him, he would end up on the chopping block, left to be slaughtered at will.


    "The Corpse Mine can¡¯t last much longer..."


    To persist would be pointless.


    He who hesitates is lost.


    Lu Chengyun harbored thoughts of retreat:


    "Need to find a way to slip away unnoticed and look for another way out."


    "As long as I escape, there¡¯s still a chance."


    "To flee, change my name, and then find a new Clan or Sect to rely on..."


    "Although I¡¯m not young, this face shows no signs of aging, still looks gentle and refined..."


    "With my abilities, if I can marry into one family, I can do it a second time."


    "Worst comes to worst, I¡¯ll marry someone older..."


    "With so many foolish women in this world who judge by appearances, I can surely deceive another."


    "If the Corpse soldiers are reduced, I can refine more."


    "If the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses is gone, I can rebuild it."


    "As long as the Corpse King is still under my command, I can always make a comeback with a new identity!"


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression darkened, his eyes gleamed with a cold light.


    After that, the offensive by the Corpse troops intensified.


    They pushed back desperately, seemingly determined to go down together.


    Yang Jishan furrowed his brows and said, "Lu Chengyun, is he fighting to the death?"


    Mo Hua, however, shook his head, "No, he¡¯s trying to escape."


    He understood Lu Chengyun well.


    Such a self-serving person would definitely prioritize his own life; how could he choose to die with the Corpse Mine?


    The Minor Hidden Spirit Sect of the past, the Lu Family now, he never took them to heart.


    Even if the Lu Family were annihilated and the Corpse Mine destroyed, Lu Chengyun would still slip away unnoticed and find another power to leech onto.


    And sure enough, a few days later during a chaotic battle,


    Mo Hua suddenly sensed a familiar presence among the corpse cultivators.


    The presence was very subtle, but it didn¡¯t escape the peak Divine Sense of Mo Hua¡¯s Thirteen Stripes.


    There were Mid Foundation Establishment Cultivators present whose Divine Sense was stronger than Mo Hua¡¯s, but they were not familiar with Lu Chengyun, so they did not notice.


    Mo Hua followed this presence and saw,


    Indeed, a corpse cultivator with a covered face, looking familiar yet acting sneakily.


    With one glance, Mo Hua knew it was Lu Chengyun.


    Mo Hua pointed his little hand and quickly shouted:


    "Uncle Yang, that person is Lu Chengyun, he¡¯s trying to run!"


    Yang Jishan was stunned, then his expression changed. With a wave of the command flag, pointing at Lu Chengyun, he shouted harshly:


    "Catch him!"


    Several squads of Taoist Soldiers formed a line and charged towards Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun was startled, cursing under his breath.


    But he was also secretly shocked. Having concealed his cultivation, he appeared to only be at the Qi Refining Ninth Level on the surface. How had he been recognized?


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t understand, but now that he had been discovered, he couldn¡¯t escape, so he had to withdraw back into the Stone Palace.


    The battle subsided, and Lu Chengyun did not escape.


    "Fleeing at this time?"


    Mo Hua found the timing curious and his Divine Sense swept over the Stone Palace, noticing a change in the formation¡¯s aura within.


    Mo Hua calculated in his mind and realized what was going on.


    In the Stone Palace, Lu Chengyun had set many Earth Splitting Formations.


    If he were to escape, he would activate the Earth Splitting Formations, destroy the Stone Palace, collapse the Corpse Mine, and bury all the corpse cultivators and Cultivators from the Taoist Court together.


    Even if the Foundation Building Cultivators could escape,


    The multitude of Qi Refining Cultivators would die within the Corpse Mine.


    And all these Cultivators who died in the Corpse Mine, including the Taoist Soldiers, corpse cultivators, and the Clan and Sect Cultivators, would become his material for Corpse Refinement.


    In the future, he would turn these deceased cultivators into Corpse Soldiers.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze grew cold.


    "Lu Chengyun, this person, is truly vicious!"


    Mo Hua also felt a chill.


    Afterward, wary of the Earth Splitting Formations, they dared not press too hard.


    Mo Hua also spent some time deducing the position of the Earth Crack Formations, marking them one by one and passing the information to Yang Jishan.


    Whenever the Taoist Soldiers gained the upper hand and repelled the Corpse Soldiers, someone was sent to destroy part of the Earth Splitting Formations.


    The Earth Splitting Formations were slowly reduced in number.


    Frustrated, Lu Chengyun launched the remaining Earth Splitting Formations one night when the Taoist Soldiers had withdrawn, causing the Corpse Mine to tremble.

 Chapter 547: Pursuit (3)

    The Earth Crack Formation had its limitations; it wasn¡¯t very powerful but it did trigger chaos.Then, with the Corpse King and the Iron Corpse as his escorts, Lu Chengyun fought his way out of the Corpse Mine. Find more chapters on empire


    Groups of Walking Corpses, recklessly fearless of death, formed a Corpse Tide to cover the retreat of Lu Chengyun.


    Yang Jishan, leading his Taoist Soldiers and cultivators from various factions, pursued them relentlessly.


    The battle moved from below the Corpse Mine to above the Corpse Mountain.


    Across the mountains and fields, cultivators and zombies engaged in a fight to the death.


    Many zombies, having lost control, became Walking Corpses, wandering throughout the mountains¡­


    The battle continued for an entire day, until at last Lu Chengyun fled to a desolate and gloomy mountaintop a hundred miles away from South Yue City.


    The mountaintop was desolate and vast, devoid of human life.


    All that could be seen were rugged rocks and withered black grasses.


    Yang Jishan flipped through the Map and found the name of this place marked upon it:


    Graveyard Mountain.


    His expression instantly turned grave.


    Other cultivators also had a sense of foreboding.


    This place was obviously not a good omen.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze became sharp.


    Whether they could capture Lu Chengyun, slaughter the Corpse King, and exterminate the hordes of corpses all depended on this single battle.


    He ordered, "Proceed with caution, into the mountain!"


    The Taoist Soldiers divided into teams and marched toward Graveyard Mountain.


    But as soon as they entered the mountainous area, the ground pulsed, rocks shook, and zombies began crawling out from the earth.


    These zombies, more ancient, bore stronger Corpse Poison.


    Among them were several Iron Corpses as well.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face was as still as water.


    More?


    Just how many years had this Lu Chengyun been refining corpses, and how many had he made?


    Could it be that Graveyard Mountain, like the Corpse Mine, was another of his Corpse Refinement facilities?


    Yang Jishan frowned deeply.


    The Taoist Soldiers had been chasing for a long time and were growing weary. Just as they were about to catch up with Lu Chengyun, new zombies emerged.


    It seemed never-ending¡­


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s scheming was indeed profound.


    Yang Jishan had no choice but to station the group outside Graveyard Mountain to keep a constant watch on the movements inside, to prevent his escape.


    The group discussed what to do next.


    "The problem now is, how many zombies are there exactly inside Graveyard Mountain?"


    One middle-aged cultivator sighed.


    "If there are too many, we will undoubtedly be no match for them."


    "Not knowing their number, we will surely fall into an ambush¡­"


    "We don¡¯t have enough hands¡­"


    Yang Jishan furrowed his brow, his expression stern.


    They had already lost many soldiers in battle.


    Most of the remaining cultivators were injured, and some had to use Serum Pills to suppress the Corpse Poison, rendering them incapable of fighting.


    The strength that remained was now less than one-third of its original.


    And it was still unknown how many zombies Lu Chengyun had at his disposal.


    If Lu Chengyun was only feigning defeat to lure them into a deep chase for an ambush, they would surely suffer a significant loss.


    But Graveyard Mountain was lonely and eerie, with a toxic miasma permeating the air.


    How could they find out exactly how many zombies were inside?


    After some thought, Mo Hua said, "Capture a Walking Corpse, then capture an Iron Corpse."


    Yang Jishan looked slightly startled.


    Mo Hua continued, "Let me take a look at the Formation Patterns on their bodies, and I can estimate roughly how many Zombies Lu Chengyun still controls."


    Yang Jishan was somewhat stunned.


    The other Formation Masters were also exchanging glances.


    Yet Young Master Yun¡¯s gaze became focused, as if deep in thought.


    "You can estimate that?" Yang Jishan asked uncertainly.


    "Mhm," Mo Hua nodded.


    Yang Jishan didn¡¯t quite understand, but considering there were no better options, he pondered for a moment and nodded, saying,


    "Alright."


    He took action personally, along with a few leaders of the Taoist Soldiers, capturing three Walking Corpses and one Iron Corpse and restraining them with iron chains.


    The Zombies were howling and struggling.


    Corpse Poison, like blood, flowed from the Zombies, soaking into the iron chains and emitting a pungent, rotten smell.


    These Zombies were noticeably more violent and toxic.


    Bai Zisheng stood in front of Mo Hua to prevent the Zombies from getting out of control and hurting Mo Hua.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, was behind Mo Hua, her fair fingertips condensing Sword Qi, quietly on alert. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua said, "Uncle Yang, cut open the chest."


    Yang Jishan nodded.


    This was something he had done once before, so he went about it quite efficiently.


    Shortly after, the outer layer of the Zombie¡¯s cardiac vessels was cut open, revealing the Formation patterns connected to the flesh and blood within.


    Mo Hua took out paper and pen, traced the Formation, and after briefly differentiating, identified a few special Sequential Formation Patterns.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation uses Sequential Formation Patterns to "code" the Zombies.


    By deducing the Sequential Formation Patterns, one can reverse-engineer the "coding" to find the total number of sequences in the entire Spiritual Pivot Formation system, in other words, the total number of Zombies.


    Mo Hua had not been able to do this before.


    Because such a Calculation was rather complex, it not only consumed Divine Sense but also tested one¡¯s understanding of Formation technique.


    But ever since assimilating the Contemplation Map and reaching the peak of Thirteen Stripes with his Divine Sense, and after drawing the Spiritual Pivot Formation hundreds of times, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had grown powerful, and his understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation was crystal clear. Thus, he could attempt such a Calculation.


    Mo Hua looked at the Sequential Formation Patterns with furrowed brows, deeply engrossed in the Calculation.


    Yang Jishan and the others, watching Mo Hua fully concentrated, couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious, not even daring to let out a breath.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Mo Hua finally came back to his senses, taking a long breath and looking slightly pale.


    Yang Jishan asked anxiously, "How is it?"


    Mo Hua pondered before saying,


    "I can only roughly estimate, it¡¯s not particularly precise..."


    "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine," Yang Jishan said.


    Mo Hua then continued, "¡­Based on the Sequential Formation Patterns, there are roughly over forty Iron Corpses and five thousand Walking Corpses inside this graveyard, under the control of the Corpse King."


    Yang Jishan nodded and furrowed his brows.


    The situation was quite severe.


    The Walking Corpses were manageable, but the over forty Iron Corpses were indeed beyond his expectation and not easy to handle.


    However, Yang Jishan was more curious about another matter:


    "How¡­ exactly did you calculate this?"


    Mo Hua scratched his head and, pointing to a Pattern, said,


    "These Patterns are interconnected and have an intrinsic sequence. With a bit of Divine Sense, you can calculate it out..."


    Yang Jishan didn¡¯t understand.


    He turned his head to look at the other Formation Masters and realized they were just as confused.


    Only Young Master Yun stood there in a daze, murmuring to himself,


    "Calculation..."


    Was this... a Divine Sense Calculation technique that only the ancient forebear of the Yun Family¡¯s Formation Masters knew?


    So young, and he¡¯s already capable of Calculation?


    Was this something a person of his age should be able to learn?


    Watching Mo Hua, with his childlike face, Young Master Yun¡¯s thoughts were turbulent.

 Chapter 548: Signs of What’s to Come (1)

    Yang Jishan pondered for a moment, sighed, and said, "If there really are more than forty Iron Corpses and five thousand Walking Corpses, this must be Lu Chengyun¡¯s final reserve..."Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze swept across those present as he said in a deep voice:


    "This is the final battle. Whether we can kill Lu Chengyun and eradicate the Corpse King depends on this battle. I plead with all of you, don¡¯t hold back any longer."


    Hold back?


    Mo Hua was startled upon hearing this.


    The expressions of the others also varied.


    Someone discontentedly said, "Leader Yang, why make such a statement? We have put our full effort into this battle and suffered many casualties. How can you say we are holding back?"


    "Indeed!"


    "Leader Yang¡¯s words chill our hearts..."


    Yet Yang Jishan¡¯s expression remained resolute as he said:


    "Among us here, many are from big families or major Sects of the Taoist State, Qian State, Kun State, etc., or they are affiliated with the Taoist Court¡¯s Seven Stars Pavilion. With deep ancestral heritage and traditions, naturally, everyone has some trump cards at the bottom of the box..."


    "These methods, derived from either family heritage or personal opportunities, are not to be used unless absolutely necessary."


    With those words, nobody spoke.


    It¡¯s undeniable that every Cultivator has their opportunities and trump cards.


    Yang Jishan continued:


    "Now, killing the Corpse King has reached a critical juncture."


    "If we win this battle, we will all rejoice."


    "But if we lose, letting Lu Chengyun escape and the Corpse King survive, and the Taoist Court holds us accountable, I, Yang, will naturally be the first to bear the brunt and face the Taoist Court Officials¡¯ punishment. But everyone present here..."


    Yang Jishan looked around, "I¡¯m afraid will not escape responsibility either!"


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze darkened, "...if the Taoist Court assigns blame, the Noble Clans and Sects, their advancement in ranks for the next century, will be significantly delayed."


    "And among you, some who hail from the Taoist State and have connections to the Heaven Shu Pavilion should know what it truly means if the Corpse King survives."


    "If the situation fails, the responsibility will be great. The families of all present will be pursued by the Taoist Court!"


    "Would your clan vent their anger on you, remove you as Elders, reduce your treatment, and strip your rights?"


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze turned solemn, his tone icy, "And that¡¯s not even the worst-case scenario..."


    "The worst-case scenario is that Lu Chengyun, driven mad, lets the Corpse King run wild, triggering a real, large-scale Corpse Tide that wipes out South Yue City and even the entire state boundary."


    "By that time, should the state boundary become a domain of corpses, all living creatures would perish..."


    "And within the Corpse Tide, if several Iron Corpses coincidentally transform into Copper Corpses, I¡¯m afraid not many among us could leave the Minor Wilderness State Boundary alive!"


    Yang Jishan said coldly, "At that time, your trump cards will only serve to press down the bottom of your coffins..."


    "And you might not even have coffins, either devoured alive, leaving no bones behind, or reduced to Walking Corpses, which would be worse than having no remains..."


    Yang Jishan¡¯s speech turned everyone¡¯s faces pale.


    Although his words were somewhat alarmist.


    Yet looking at the current situation, these things were not impossible...


    "Leader Yang, what do you intend to do?" an old Cultivator among them asked.


    He was very old, with white hair, but he was not concerned for himself, but for the younger generations of his clan.


    If they won this battle, his merits would pave the way for the clan¡¯s advancement within a century. Your journey continues at empire


    This group of Disciples would certainly be valued.


    But if they lost and the Taoist Court sought accountability, causing a decline in their ranking, the efforts of three generations of Cultivators over several hundred years would have been in vain.


    And the future prospects of the younger Disciples of this group would no longer be valued by the clan.


    So even if he died, this battle had to be won! S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jishan said with firm conviction:


    "Relying on the resources of Noble Clans, no longer hiding our cards, bringing out all our trumps, we will directly kill Lu Chengyun, eradicate the Corpse King, and quell the corpse menace!"


    As he finished speaking, he took out a long spear from his storage bag.


    This spear was golden and shimmering, with gold-patterned grooves; Spiritual Power condensed around it, faintly emitting an imposing aura.


    As soon as the spear appeared, Cultivators in the know changed their expressions.


    Yang Jishan said, "This is my Yang Family¡¯s Second Grade superior Spiritual Artifact, the Sunset Spear!"


    "This spear is precious, made through a special forging process, and extremely powerful. Used in conjunction with Yang Family Spear Technique, a single strike holds the power of the peak of Foundation Establishment, but it is easily worn out and can only be used three times."


    Yang Jishan looked at the golden spear, seemingly reluctant, but still said solemnly:


    "This Sunset Spear was bestowed by my grandfather for the purpose of saving my life, not to be used unless in a life-and-death situation."


    "But in this battle where victory and defeat decide life and death, I will use this spear to execute Lu Chengyun and kill the Corpse King!"


    The crowd was somewhat moved.


    Mo Hua was also surprised; though he didn¡¯t know the backstory of the Sunset Spear, seeing the expressions of the others, he understood the spear was no small matter.


    It was very likely that even if they won this battle, the merits gained might not be worth as much as the spear.


    Yang Jishan set an example, and other Cultivators also fell into thought.


    Yang Jishan, coming from the Yang Family and leading the Taoist Soldiers, was proficient in warfare and knew well how Cultivators fought.


    If he had to use his trump card, it meant that unless they took swift and decisive action, they would face tremendous peril!


    When it was not the time to economize, one must not skimp at all.


    Otherwise, one might even economize one¡¯s life away...


    After some Cultivators reflected, one spoke up:


    "Since Leader Yang has put it this way, I will not hide my cards either..."


    With a flip of his hand, he took out a black jade box, proudly saying:


    "I come from the Tang Family, possessing a set of Second Grade Spiritual Artifacts known as the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles. The box hides the needles, which, once released, rain down with Spiritual Power like showers, piercing like pear blossoms. It may be somewhat lacking against strong enemies, but thrown into a horde of corpses, its lethal force is immense..."

 Chapter 549: Omen (2)

    Once someone started, the rest of the cultivators all went with the flow.Even those who initially claimed they had no secrets revealed their trump cards.


    "I hail from the Han Family and possess a Spirit Enhancement Pill. After consumption, my cultivation will increase to the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea..."


    "Zhang Family, Zhang Zifan, my ancestor gave me a Fiery Flame Burning Sky Formation..."


    "Dou Family, Dou Changbao, I have a Second-Grade Spirit Binding Net that can hold four Iron Corpses at the same time..."


    "I come from a humble clan, merely chanced upon a High-Grade Second Rank Spirit Explosion Jade Rune by coincidence, which possesses the power of a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator¡¯s spell..."


    ...


    "I have a Clear Wind Screen that can purge... the Corpse Poison of Iron Corpses of Second Grade and above..."


    Someone finally couldn¡¯t help cursing, "Why the hell didn¡¯t you bring it out sooner?"


    "This is for saving my own life, how could I bear to part with it?"


    "You¡¯re really damn stingy!"


    "I¡¯m not giving it to you now..."


    "No... brother, big brother, I was wrong, just pretend I was farting..."


    ...


    Amidst the noisy quarreling...


    Essentially all the cultivators present, from different state boundaries, noble clans, and sects, displayed one or two trump cards.


    Yang Jishan silently took notes and nodded his head.


    He knew everyone must still be holding back, but that¡¯s only human nature. In managing a coordinated effort, it¡¯s inevitable that each person harbors their own intentions.


    The trump cards currently revealed were already sufficient.


    Mo Hua likewise widened his eyes in amazement.


    During the previous battles led by the Taoist Soldiers, these clan and sect cultivators performed modestly while providing cover.


    He had thought these clan cultivators, if not totally inept, were at least somewhat mediocre.


    Only now did he understand why:


    First, battles involving groups of cultivators are indeed different from solo combat, and many techniques are hard to utilize.


    Second, they all had their own little calculations, and they didn¡¯t plan on using their good items for the extermination of the Corpse Mine.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    This was like reaping wool, as long as you were willing to reap, there would always be rewards.


    These matters, if not mentioned by Leader Yang, he himself would have no knowledge of them.


    Mo Hua felt as if his knowledge had grown... S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    The cultivators present had various trump cards.


    There were Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, Runes, Formations, Spells, and more.


    Yang Jishan categorized them and coordinated arrangements.


    He was determined to employ these methods precisely, to swiftly eradicate the horde of the undead and suppress the Corpse King!


    Once everything was settled, Yang Jishan¡¯s next task was to understand the topography of the Graveyard Mountain.


    Several cultivators from the Taoist Court with powerful Divine Senses began to scan the mountain with their Divine Senses.


    However, after scanning for a long time, they still couldn¡¯t uncover much.


    Just like the mines, the Graveyard Mountain was heavy with Filthy Qi, which hindered the Divine Sense.


    Furthermore, there were Formations everywhere.


    The auras of these Formations were obscure and intertwined with the Filthy Qi of the mountains, making them difficult to distinguish.


    Thus, the map that was drawn was quite rudimentary.


    It could only roughly outline the topography, indicate where the Corpse Qi was dense, where there might be Formations, and the likely type of Formation, etc...


    These vague details weren¡¯t very helpful.


    Yang Jishan furrowed his brows and suddenly thought of Mo Hua. He approached Mo Hua with the map and asked:


    "Little brother, can you discern what kinds of Formations are present within this Graveyard Mountain?"


    "Let me see..."


    Mo Hua took the map, then looked towards the distant, gloomy and dark Graveyard Mountain, his Divine Sense stirring slightly as he began to calculate.


    As he calculated, he muttered to himself and then commenced drawing on a piece of paper, altering and correcting his work.


    He drew things that Yang Jishan couldn¡¯t understand.


    Yang Jishan didn¡¯t dare interrupt Mo Hua, so he silently watched from the side.


    After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze brightened as he started to make marks on the map.


    His markings noted the names of Formations, as well as the Formation Method Classification, Formation Patterns, and the important details about the Formation eye, Formation Pivot, and Formation media used.


    He even roughly indicated the numbers of Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses in areas with dense Corpse Qi.


    The entire Graveyard Mountain was clear at a glance.


    Yang Jishan was stunned.


    He really wanted to ask Mo Hua how he managed to figure it out, but on second thought, asking such questions made him, the leader, seem rather inept.


    And even if Mo Hua explained, would he understand it?


    At least he hadn¡¯t understood a thing Mo Hua said before...


    Let it be, distrust those you do not employ, and trust those you do.


    Yang Jishan sighed, feeling a sense of relief.


    It was fortunate that on this journey, they had this young cultivator; otherwise, the eradication of the Corpse Mine might not have gone so smoothly.


    After Yang Jishan left, Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    There was something that puzzled him.


    With the Graveyard Mountain full of Zombies, setting aside the Walking Corpses, how did those Iron Corpses come to be?


    Several neighboring state boundaries were all Second Grade. Stay tuned for updates on empire


    In a Second-Grade Prefecture, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage were the limit.


    From where did Lu Chengyun obtain these dozens of Foundation Building bodies to refine into Iron Corpses?


    Furthermore, these Iron Corpses were clearly refined a long time ago.


    The older the year, the more potent the Corpse Poison.


    Mo Hua frowned and pondered, suddenly a thought struck him.


    Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    He remembered Instructor Yan mentioning that the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect was once a quite powerful Formation Sect in the region, having produced many Foundation Building Cultivators, but gradually fell into decline.


    Until later, when Lu Chengyun betrayed the Sect, murdered his master, and stole the Formation, causing the Sect to disband.


    But even after disbanding, the Sect¡¯s graveyard remained.


    Within it lay the bodies of generations of Foundation Building Cultivators from the Sect.


    Thinking this, Mo Hua felt a chill.


    During his observations of the past few days, he noticed that besides the intense Corpse Qi, the physical bodies of the Iron Corpses in the Graveyard Mountain were not particularly strong. Moreover, their arms were symmetrical, and their fingers slender.


    Apparently, most of them had been Formation Masters in life...


    It could be that Lu Chengyun¡¯s act of killing his master was not an impulsive one but had been premeditated for a long time.

 Chapter 550: Omen (3)

    This scheme included not only the Spiritual Pivot Formation but also involved the fall of the Sect and the dispersion of its disciples. It even called for the use of the Sect Leader¡¯s and Elders¡¯ corpses, left un-worshipped in their graves, from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.To slay the master and extinguish the ancestors, to bring the Sect to ruin, and to refine corpses from the Sect¡¯s predecessors...


    In Mo Hua¡¯s deep gaze, a cold light slowly began to gather:


    "Lu Chengyun... courting death!"


    ...


    Yang Jishan had acquired the detailed Cemetery Map and the Formation Diagram, so he began to make comprehensive plans, hoping to accomplish his task in one fell swoop by eradicating the Corpse King and putting an end to the zombie menace.


    Everything was ready, and suddenly Mo Hua sought out Yang Jishan and said:


    "Uncle Yang, let me come along too."


    Yang Jishan was somewhat astonished, "What would you do there?"


    "I want to help out," said Mo Hua.


    Yang Jishan was slightly taken aback, then felt warmth in his heart.


    Such a good child, with great capabilities and a kind heart, no wonder my fifth brother speaks so highly of him.


    But Yang Jishan still shook his head:


    "I would like you to come, but this battle is a matter of life and death. We¡¯ll be facing the Corpse King, and there are so many Iron Corpses, it¡¯s too dangerous. Even I might be more likely to face misfortune than luck, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety..."


    Mo Hua said, "Uncle Yang, don¡¯t worry, my Junior Brother and Junior Sister will protect me."


    Yang Jishan hesitated, "Your Junior Brother, Junior Sister, they are only Qi Refiners, aren¡¯t they...?"


    "Although they are Qi Refiners, their cultivation is very strong," Mo Hua declared proudly.


    Still, Yang Jishan disagreed, "This is a fight to the death, a messy battle against zombies, it¡¯s different..."


    Mo Hua replied, "If it really doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll use my Concealment Technique to escape..."


    Concealment...


    Yang Jishan was startled by these words.


    No wonder!


    No wonder he was able to fish in troubled waters within the Corpse Mine, gathering intelligence. So he had a method of concealment.


    This was something Mo Hua had not mentioned before, so Yang Jishan was unaware.


    Yang Jishan looked at Mo Hua with shining eyes.


    Concealment... what a skill... truly wonderful...


    Then he was struck by a question, "You¡¯re only at the level of Qi Refinement, how did you manage to conceal yourself from Lu Chengyun?"


    Mo Hua smiled with narrowed eyes but did not respond.


    Yang Jishan then realized his impropriety.


    Such sensitive details about a cultivator¡¯s abilities should not be discussed carelessly.


    Yang Jishan promptly said, "Sorry, it was impertinent of me to ask."


    And so Mo Hua asked, "So, can I go?"


    "This..." Yang Jishan was still reluctant; he suddenly paused, then asked with suspicion:


    "Your visit to the cemetery, does it have another purpose?"


    Mo Hua did not hide it and nodded, asserting directly:


    "I have a personal grudge with Lu Chengyun, I want to see him die!"


    Yang Jishan was stunned.


    A personal grudge?


    Was it a grudge formed when he was locked up in the Corpse Mine, or was there another reason?


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze became somber.


    Regardless of the reason, he was reluctant to let Mo Hua, a young cultivator of such an age, risk his life.


    In fact, he was considering whether to have someone take Mo Hua out of South Yue City first, so that if the battle failed and South Yue City fell, Mo Hua would not be in danger.


    Eradicating Corpse Sin was a decree from the Taoist Court and the duty of Taoist Soldiers, and it had nothing to do with Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was knowledgeable in formations and had a good nature; he was a promising young cultivator who should not be exposed to such risks!


    Yang Jishan nodded to himself.


    But just as Yang Jishan was resolute in his decision and about to voice his refusal, a sudden premonition shook his heart.


    In his Sea of Consciousness, an image emerged out of nowhere:


    The sky in the image was dyed red with blood.


    Lu Chengyun was dead.


    But all the cultivators present were also dead.


    And he himself had lost an arm, pinned beneath the foot of a zombie with eyes full of despair.


    This zombie was huge, with blood-colored pupils that faintly glimmered dark gold, and its aura was terrifying.


    It raised its arm and let out a roaring howl.


    All around the mountains and fields, countless zombies bowed in submission...


    ...


    In an instant, everything disappeared.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s back was soaked with cold sweat, and he was filled with immense terror:


    "Just now... what was that?"


    Was it the intuition honed from many years on the battlefield?


    A sign from the unseen world?


    Or had someone allowed me to see this scene...


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face was pale, his eyes full of fear and uncertainty.


    "Uncle Yang?"


    A young voice brought Yang Jishan back to his senses.


    Yang Jishan looked up to find Mo Hua¡¯s concerned face.


    "Uncle Yang, what¡¯s wrong?" Mo Hua asked with worry.


    After a moment of contemplation, Yang Jishan forced a smile, "Nothing, I¡¯m just a bit tired..."


    Feeling apologetic, Mo Hua then said:


    "Then you should rest well, Uncle Yang, I won¡¯t bother you any longer."


    Yang Jishan nodded slightly, and just as Mo Hua was about to leave, he suddenly called Mo Hua back.


    "Mo Hua."


    Mo Hua turned back with a puzzled look. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze was firm as he said, "You can go."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then overjoyed, "Really?"


    Yang Jishan nodded, "But be careful, stay close to me, don¡¯t wander off, and don¡¯t be impulsive even if you see Lu Chengyun."


    "Yes, yes," Mo Hua nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "Thank you, Uncle Yang!"


    Mo Hua left happily.


    And ever since Yang Jishan had agreed and allowed Mo Hua to accompany them,


    The bloody, terrifying, and desperate image in his Sea of Consciousness had disappeared...


    The terror in Yang Jishan¡¯s heart gradually subsided, and he no longer felt the icy chill in his limbs.


    It was as if some terrifying cause and effect had been severed.


    Still, Yang Jishan was unsettled for a long time.


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure, his eyes flickered with astonishment as he wondered to himself:


    "Mo Hua... What exactly is the identity of this young cultivator?"

 Chapter 551: Rebellion (1)

    Two days later, at 6 A.M., as day and night converged, the dawn cracked with morning light.The light of dawn, piercing through the poison and Corpse Qi, spilled onto the graves but took on a dim, ashy luster, gloomy and deathly still.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s side, all out on strike, began the final battle of suppression.


    Everything was ready.


    First, dozens of Second Grade Runes with immense destructive power were activated.


    The surging Spiritual Power coalesced into massive killing force, forming blade Formations, gathering into fireballs, or turning into water arrows, sweeping towards the top of the grave mounds.


    The Zombies on the grave mounds were directly obliterated by the spiritual might of the Runes.


    Batches of Zombies were sliced by blades, scorched by fire, soaked by water, and ultimately annihilated by the power of the Runes.


    Then, a large wave of Walking Corpses surged forward.


    Yang Jishan waved his hand, and a line of Cultivators stepped out, conjuring various Spiritual Artifacts.


    These Spiritual Artifacts transformed into hundreds of flying swords, condensed into thousands of silver needles, or stirred up a sky full of flames, slaying towards the tidal wave of Walking Corpses.


    One by one, the Walking Corpses fell, pierced by Spiritual Artifacts, or turned into ash.


    Yet more came, like a tide.


    After that, the Taoist Court¡¯s side again used Runes and Spiritual Artifacts together.


    Batch after batch of Walking Corpses were eradicated...


    The side of the Taoist Court, mostly from Clans or Sects with long traditions and profound backgrounds, were far from being comparable to Lu Chengyun, who relied on marrying into power and clinging onto others.


    Their true cards in play were not something these Zombies could withstand.


    Under the cover fire of Spiritual Artifacts and Runes, packs of Walking Corpses could only be wiped out.


    Even the few Iron Corpses could not escape being slain.


    However, these ultimate reserves were extremely precious and limited in number; they would eventually run out.


    An hour later, a portion of Zombies were exterminated, and the enemy¡¯s strength was weakened, it was time for a frontal assault.


    Yang Jishan glanced at Mo Hua beside him, his look somewhat worried.


    Mo Hua nodded at him, indicating there was no need to worry.


    Following the mixed crowd and being taken care of by senior brother and sister, being careful wouldn¡¯t pose a danger.


    Yang Jishan sighed and then looked forward, his expression stern, and said solemnly,


    "Kill!"


    The Taoist Soldiers behind him also raised their swords and shouted,


    "Kill!"


    The Formations on the Taoist Soldiers¡¯ armor were activated, the Spiritual Power surged, and responded with each other in clusters.


    Their voices thundered over mountains and forests, and morale soared to the skies.


    Taoist Soldiers charged in Formation, clashing intensely with batches upon batches of Zombies.


    Like cold water into boiling oil.


    The top of the grave mounds boiled tumultuously for a moment...


    Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi, who were following Yang Jishan, focused mainly on self-preservation and did not attack recklessly to avoid being swept into the Corpse Tide and unable to free themselves.


    Only at critical moments did they cast some spells to relieve the pressure on the surrounding battles.


    This fierce battle lasted an entire day...


    Cultivators were constantly wounded or killed, or attacked by Corpse Poison, falling into becoming Walking Corpses.


    Similarly, large numbers of Zombies also fell, including a few Iron Corpses and a multitude of Walking Corpses.


    But the number of Zombies was still substantial.


    And Lu Chengyun was still nowhere to be seen.


    Yang Jishan then took the lead, charging into the depths of the grave mounds, where Lu Chengyun hid.


    The other Foundation Building Cultivators also followed Yang Jishan into the battle.


    The deeper into the grave mounds, the more desolate and eerie it got.


    The denser the group of corpses.


    There were more Iron Corpses, and the Corpse Poison was heavier.


    But with everyone¡¯s methods in full force, the hordes of corpses couldn¡¯t stand against them.


    By evening, forces from all sides broke into the depths of the grave mounds at a chaotic burial ground, where they saw Lu Chengyun and the Corpse King behind him.


    Dozens of Iron Corpses were guarding him in the vicinity.


    And outside, thousands of Walking Corpses still poured in, seemingly protecting their "king."


    Taoist Soldiers raised their shields, forming human walls, resisting the peripheral Walking Corpses.


    Yang Jishan and others began to confront Lu Chengyun face-to-face, preparing for the final encirclement and suppression.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s face was slightly pale, but his expression remained calm.


    He glanced at Yang Jishan with a cold gaze and scanned the crowd, sighing,


    "Not bad for soldiers under the Taoist Court, so many Zombies, yet they can¡¯t stop you..."


    Yang Jishan said in a deep voice, S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Lu Chengyun, you are at the end of your rope. Surrender the Corpse King and surrender now."


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, "With the Corpse King, I still have a way out. If I surrender the Corpse King, death is certain for me."


    Yang Jishan sneered, "You¡¯re determined to fight to the death?"


    "If I don¡¯t fight to the death, where¡¯s my way to live? The Taoist Court won¡¯t let me go, neither will you."


    Lu Chengyun raised his eyebrows and suddenly said oddly,


    "But before the final battle, there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand."


    His gaze cooled as he scrutinized everyone,


    "I really want to know, among all those present, who exactly uncovered the secret of the Corpse Mine and saw through the Formation I laid out? Who could push me to this state?"


    The Cultivators looked at each other and remained silent.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze darkened slightly, and he was also somewhat startled inside.


    Mo Hua¡¯s actions, Lu Chengyun knew nothing about?


    Yang Jishan looked around, seeing Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi by his side, while Mo Hua had disappeared without a trace.


    Was he hiding?


    "Can this concealment even hide from me?"


    Yang Jishan was secretly astonished.


    Seeing no one confess, Lu Chengyun scoffed,


    "I thought it was a mastermind without fail, but it turns out to be a coward who shows his face and hides his tail!"


    Hidden in the crowd, Mo felt disdainful when he heard this.


    Such an aggressive method was too childish and couldn¡¯t ruffle a feather in his heart.


    The things he said to insult people were definitely more infuriating.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he said coldly,


    "Lu Chengyun, you¡¯re no match for us, content to have a moment of verbal satisfaction. That¡¯s all you¡¯re capable of."

 Chapter 552: Mutiny (2)

    Lu Chengyun released his Divine Sense, scanning the crowd once again, but still found nothing.Among the cultivators present, there were those with profound cultivation, those with exceptional Divine Sense, and a few who were clearly masters of Formation.


    But not a single cultivator gave off that eerie and pressing feeling.


    None resembled the cultivator who had woven the snare and was steadily closing in on him.


    Lu Chengyun shook his head.


    It¡¯s no use, the matter has reached this point, knowing or not knowing doesn¡¯t matter anymore.


    A true battle of life and death calls for real strength; minor tricks are inconsequential.


    Lu Chengyun looked at Yang Jishan, his eyes revealing a chilling light, and said,


    "You underestimate this Corpse King..."


    "This Corpse King is mine; no one can take it away!"


    "Today, all of you will be buried here!"


    "Your flesh and blood will become sacrificial offerings for the Corpse King."


    "To let this Corpse King complete its true metamorphosis, becoming the true Lord of Evil, the King of Corpses!"


    Lu Chengyun appeared invigorated, with a touch of madness in his eyes.


    Yang Jishan frowned, feeling a sense of foreboding.


    Just then, the Corpse King behind Lu Chengyun suddenly changed its aura, turning bloodthirsty and furious. Its exposed skin shifted from an iron blue to a gradually lightening hue, transforming into a deep bronze color...


    Copper Corpse!


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart trembled.


    Lu Chengyun intended to refine the Corpse King into a Copper Corpse!


    Copper Corpse denotes the rank, while Corpse King indicates the status.


    Once the Corpse King fully transformed into a Copper Corpse, its power would surge dramatically, and it would be able to command an army of the dead. The people here would have no means of dealing with it.


    With a Copper Corpse King at his protection, they would also be unable to kill Lu Chengyun!


    Yang Jishan drew out his Sunset Spear and yelled,


    "Go all out! Slay all the zombies, including Lu Chengyun!"


    The others, recognizing the seriousness of the situation, no longer held back and attacked Lu Chengyun together.


    Foundation Establishment cultivators clashed with Iron Corpses. Their Spiritual Power was formidable, and the Corpse Qi intense. Even the mere aftermath was enough to shake the mountains and crack the stone.


    As Yang Jishan advanced on Lu Chengyun, the half-transformed Copper Corpse King blocked his path.


    Its eyes were crimson, with bronze skin and iron bones, elongated fangs, and fingertips oozing with a thick, dark green Corpse Poison.


    Each move carried a gust of foul wind.


    Yang Jishan, even when fighting with all his might, was still suppressed by the Corpse King.


    Several nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators rushed to assist seeing the situation.


    Among them was a gaunt old man with a solemn expression and a middle-aged cultivator who appeared reluctant.


    It took several Foundation Establishment cultivators working together to just barely match the half-transformed Copper Corpse King in combat.


    For a moment, everyone was somewhat taken aback.


    If they allowed the Corpse King to complete its transformation into a Copper Corpse, they might all perish here.


    After dozens more exchanges, Yang Jishan felt a chill in his heart and knew they couldn¡¯t continue this way, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Kill Lu Chengyun first!"


    Lu Chengyun sneered upon hearing this.


    The Qi Refining Taoist Soldiers had the Walking Corpses to restrain them, Foundation Establishment cultivators had the Iron Corpses, and Yang Jishan¡¯s few high-combat Foundation Establishment were suppressed by the Corpse King.


    How could they kill him?


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze turned icier as a red glow flashed in his hand. The Sunset Spear erupted in flames, its power astounding.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    "Hold it off!" shouted Yang Jishan.


    He then retreated a few steps, leaving the attack range of the Corpse King and reaching a safe position. His Qi Sea surged as he stimulated all his Spiritual Power, integrating it into the Sunset Spear.


    The Sunset Spear was enveloped in flames, burning fiercely.


    And behind Yang Jishan, the flames condensed as if congealing into a miniature sun.


    Lu Chengyun was startled and immediately commanded the Iron Corpses to move towards Yang Jishan,


    "Stop him!"


    The surrounding Iron Corpses, baring their fangs and claws, advanced on Lu Chengyun.


    The Corpse King also roared and charged towards Yang Jishan.


    The gaunt old man shouted, "Protect Leader Yang!"


    He then took out several Copper Coins, wedged them between his fingers with Spiritual Power, and flung them all out, hitting the Corpse King¡¯s joints.


    The Copper Coins turned into ropes, binding the Corpse King.


    The middle-aged cultivator sighed, reluctantly producing a jade-inlaid and gold-trimmed folding fan. He stimulated it with Spiritual Power, waved it a few times, and a wall of wind formed, guarding Yang Jishan¡¯s side.


    With each wave, one spine of the fan broke off.


    The charging Iron Corpses were blocked by the wind wall and couldn¡¯t get close.


    Meanwhile, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators also made their moves. Some repelled Iron Corpses with Spiritual Artifacts, while others used spells to restrain the Corpse King.


    A few moments later, the Sunset Spear trembled.


    All the surrounding flames were suddenly pulled in, compressing into the spear.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face turned pale, but his eyes shone brightly.


    The gaunt old man quickly said,


    "Subdue the Corpse King, everyone else back off!"


    The cultivators near the Corpse King immediately withdrew.


    The other Foundation Establishment cultivators each used Spiritual Artifacts like Golden Locks, Wooden Prisons, and Water Nets to immobilize the Corpse King, while several Spiritual Cultivators suppressed it with spells, preventing it from moving.


    Yang Jishan raised his spear horizontally, then, with man and spear united as one, his energy piercing the heavens, he thrust forward with tremendous force towards the Corpse King¡¯s chest.


    Upon touching the Corpse King, the surging flame of Spiritual Power exploded.


    A thunderous roar sounded as the ground was blasted into a deep pit.


    Cracks in the rocks spread far and wide.


    The shockwave of the burst of power repelled all nearby cultivators and Iron Corpses.


    Fire and dust filled the air.


    As the smoke cleared, those who looked were shocked.


    The Corpse King was still not dead.


    At the critical moment, it had used its arm to block the spear.


    The Sunset Spear had pierced through its arm, the tip grazing its chest but clearly lacking the force to puncture its chest, not even breaking the skin.


    The Corpse King¡¯s body was charred, heavily damaged. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Its aura weakened considerably, but in the blink of an eye, the Corpse Qi began to recover...

 Chapter 553: Rebellion (3)

    Everyone was alarmed.Such a powerful Corpse King!


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart also trembled, and immediately he exclaimed,


    "Quick, take this chance to kill Lu Chengyun!"


    The Corpse King was injured and temporarily immobile; this was the time to hurry and kill Lu Chengyun!


    Otherwise, once the Corpse King recovered, they would be stuck in a deadlock again.


    All the cultivators also came back to their senses, throwing caution to the wind, with swords and spells all launching towards Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun was greatly startled.


    What kind of spear was this?


    Could it really suppress the Corpse King?


    As he saw people coming to kill him, Lu Chengyun tried to run, but without the Corpse King, his power greatly diminished, and he hadn¡¯t gone far when he was immobilized by the copper coins of a gaunt old man and entangled by several nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Yang Jishan wanted to pull out the Sunset Spear, but its tip was firmly stuck in the Corpse King¡¯s arm and couldn¡¯t be pulled out right away.


    He gritted his teeth, painfully abandoning the Sunset Spear, and took out an ordinary long spear to go after Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Opening The Mountain Sword Method, although powerful,


    Seemed somewhat inferior in front of so many Taoist Court cultivators.


    Even with the help of the Iron Corpse, he could barely hold on.


    It was then that Yang Jishan made his move.


    Using the Sunset Spear was extremely draining.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face was pale, his breath somewhat weaker, but still he clenched his teeth and waved the long spear, seizing Lu Chengyun¡¯s lapse and breaking his swordsmanship, kicking him to the ground with one foot.


    Then, raising the long spear high, he aimed it at Lu Chengyun¡¯s heart and stabbed down fiercely.


    Yang Jishan wanted to end Lu Chengyun with a single thrust of his spear!


    But that thrust did not land.


    Midway, it was deflected by a few copper coins, the spear¡¯s direction slightly altered, only grazing Lu Chengyun¡¯s ribs and scratching through a layer of skin.


    Lu Chengyun took the opportunity to break free and was once again protected by the Iron Corpse.


    Yang Jishan was furious, his gaze sharp as a sword, as he turned to question the gaunt old man,


    "Old Wen, what do you mean by this?"


    Without those copper coins, he would have stabbed Lu Chengyun to death just now!


    The gaunt old man, however, looked terrified, "We can¡¯t kill him!"


    Yang Jishan frowned and asked coldly, "Why not?"


    The gaunt old man pointed towards the big pit with the Corpse King, pierced through the arm by the Sunset Spear, unmoving, and said with a trembling voice, "Its blood, it has already turned pale gold..."


    Yang Jishan was shocked and looked hurriedly.


    Only then did he notice that from the Corpse King¡¯s arm pierced by the spear, blood was flowing, seeping along the spear and dropping onto the ground.


    The blood was originally a dark green color.


    Now, however, it was tinged with a faint and eerie gold.


    Yang Jishan felt a sudden chill in his heart.


    "A demonic mutation?"


    "How can it be so rapid?"


    The gaunt old man¡¯s voice was filled with terror,


    "It has already developed its own consciousness, killing Lu Chengyun would be like removing its shackles, and that would be the most terrifying thing..."


    The preceding scene of total annihilation, with the Corpse King¡¯s bloodcurdling scream, once again flashed in his mind.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face turned ghostly pale, his teeth clenched, a cold sensation repeatedly rising in his heart:


    "It¡¯s all been calculated!"


    "If the affair of the Corpse Mine isn¡¯t leaked, Lu Chengyun will continue his corpse refinement, the sins piling up, and after decades, or even a century, the Corpse King will transform into a Taoist Demon..."


    "If the affair of the Corpse Mine is leaked, Lu Chengyun will be besieged by the Taoist Court."


    "A large-scale battle between cultivators and zombies, cultivators dying, zombies consuming humans, amidst life and death, Blood Qi and Corpse Qi converging, will similarly expedite the Corpse King¡¯s transformation..."


    "The death of Lu Chengyun is the final key!"


    "It¡¯s the key to unlocking the shackles, transforming the Corpse King into a Taoist Demon!"


    "Once Lu Chengyun is killed, the Corpse King will break free from its shackles, instantly becoming the true ¡¯king¡¯ of corpses, commanding thousands of zombies and transforming into a real Taoist Demon!"


    "What a venomous scheme, what profound plotting!"


    "The key is, there are no traces of these events, everything is happening naturally..."


    And Lu Chengyun, including those present, were all pawns...


    This was a checkmate!


    The gaunt old man had also realized this, which is why he looked so terrified.


    Among the other cultivators, some had also understood, and in their eyes, there was an involuntary flash of despair.


    Yang Jishan felt both nervous and afraid, his mind in turmoil.


    However, he was the leader of the Taoist Soldiers, battle-hardened, and more importantly, he had to take responsibility for the lives and deaths of his brothers fighting alongside him.


    The more dangerous the situation, the calmer one must be. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jishan forced himself to calm down, and after a moment of contemplation, gritted his teeth and said:


    "At this point, we can only capture Lu Chengyun alive."


    "Capture Lu Chengyun and use him to control the Corpse King, then we can make long-term plans!"


    That was the only way left.


    The gaunt old man knew it too.


    But killing Lu Chengyun was one thing, capturing him alive was another entirely...


    Just then, suddenly, a vicious low growl was heard.


    All eyes followed the sound, only to see the Corpse King¡¯s aura reviving, as it slowly stood up again.


    The air of the tomb hill was filled with Blood Qi, Corpse Qi, Filthy Qi, and the Qi of death.


    Its injuries were healing remarkably quickly.


    The Corpse King¡¯s gaze was ice-cold as it pulled out the Sunset Spear from its arm, tossed it aside, and with a few flashes, stood behind Lu Chengyun once more.


    For a moment, the cultivators felt bitter, the look of despair on their faces deepening.


    Feeling the devoted Corpse King silently standing behind him again, Lu Chengyun was much relieved.


    And having witnessed what had just unfolded, Lu Chengyun had also come to understand.


    He looked at Yang Jishan, and with a smug smile he said:


    "You don¡¯t dare to kill me!"


    "That¡¯s right, you don¡¯t dare to kill me!!"


    "If you kill me, the Corpse King will be out of control."


    "If the Corpse King is out of control, it means that all the Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses in South Yue City will also lose control."


    "The Corpse King will become a Copper Corpse, commanding the Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses, forming a terrifying Corpse Tide that will slaughter the city, kill people, eat people, and turn the dead into zombies!"


    "This Corpse Tide will gradually grow stronger, sweeping across the entire Minor Wilderness State Boundary and spreading to the surrounding Second Grade state boundaries..."


    "This is a catastrophe!"


    "The reason this hasn¡¯t happened is because of what?"


    Lu Chengyun pointed to his chest,"Because I¡¯m still alive!"


    "Because I¡¯m alive, the Corpse King obeys my command, and that¡¯s why it hasn¡¯t committed so many killings!"


    "The cultivators of South Yue City have been able to cling to life!"


    "The entire Minor Wilderness State Boundary has been spared from a living hell!"


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes gleamed with madness, his tone impassioned as he said:


    "All of this is because, I am still alive!"


    "I am still alive!"


    "But once I am dead..."


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s words came to a sudden halt, and the smile on his face gradually faded as he looked down to see sharp fingertips piercing through his chest.


    On the fingertips, there was fresh blood and dark green Corpse Poison.


    Yang Jishan, the gaunt old man, and all the other cultivators stared in shock.


    They saw a zombie take advantage of Lu Chengyun¡¯s carelessness and claw right through his chest.


    And the silent assassin, who had just launched the surprise attack from behind, was none other than the "loyal" Corpse King himself!


    Had the Corpse King actually "betrayed"?!

 Chapter 554: Kneel Down (1)

    The Corpse King "betrayed" and stealthily attacked; everyone was shocked.More shocked than Yang Jishan and the others, was Lu Chengyun himself.


    His chest had already been pierced by the zombie¡¯s sharp claws, with blood gushing out. Corpse Poison merged with the blood, flowing into his meridians, attacking towards his internal organs and heart.


    His hands and limbs were gradually becoming unresponsive. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His consciousness was also somewhat blurred, and a craving for blood was slowly clouding his judgment.


    The Copper Corpse¡¯s Corpse Poison was fierce and took effect very quickly.


    Lu Chengyun endured the intense pain, and with a backhanded palm strike, repelled the Corpse King.


    The claws of the Corpse King, pulled from Lu Chengyun¡¯s back, left several trails of blood that sprayed out, falling to the ground and gradually turning green.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s hands trembled as he took out various bottles and jars from his Storage Bag; those for stopping bleeding, treating Corpse Poison, revitalizing Spiritual Energy... He stuffed any and all pills into his mouth without discrimination.


    Those who refine corpses, surrounded by zombies, would often be contaminated with Corpse Poison and must guard against the zombies¡¯ transformation, so they always carried many pills with them.


    Lu Chengyun was no exception.


    After taking the pills, he temporarily suppressed the Corpse Poison, and his pale complexion also improved slightly.


    Meanwhile, the Corpse King stayed three zhang away, silent and motionless, still appearing "utterly loyal."


    It seemed that it was not the one that had just launched the stealthy attack.


    Lu Chengyun tried to control the Corpse King, but found that it was still under his command, with no abnormalities at all.


    But having nearly died at the hands of the Corpse King a moment ago, if he still thought there was no problem with it, then he must be out of his mind.


    Frightened and enraged, Lu Chengyun looked around and roared,


    "Who has taken control of my Corpse King?!"


    Yang Jishan and the others all changed their expressions.


    Someone else could control the Corpse King?!


    This person could control the Corpse King and assault Lu Chengyun in secret?


    Who was this person?


    Could it be the Black Hand behind the scenes, nurturing the Taoist Demon?


    All of the cultivators gripped their weapons tightly, activated their Spiritual Artifacts, formed spells, and looked around with vigilant expressions. Yet, cold sweat couldn¡¯t help but seep down their backs.


    But the surroundings were desolate.


    No one answered.


    There were only the suppressed breaths of the cultivators and the low growling of the zombies.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s anger intensified, but a deeper chill settled in his heart.


    "The Corpse King is mine!"


    "Only I, and only I alone, can control it!"


    "The only person in this world who can command it, can only be me!"


    But why?


    Why would the Corpse King act on its own and attack him?


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes showed fear as he frowned deeply.


    Apart from himself, who else could command the Corpse King?


    The only person who had tampered with the Corpse King was Zhang Quan.


    But Zhang Quan had been killed by him, and his body had been refined into a zombie. In the previous fight, it had fought for him and had been slain by the Taoist Soldiers, leaving no remains.


    Apart from Zhang Quan, who else could there be?


    And by what means had they taken control of the Corpse King?


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s thoughts churned, but he couldn¡¯t figure out who could, right under his nose and unbeknownst to him and Zhang Quan, override his Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation and Zhang Quan¡¯s Corpse control techniques to secretly command the Corpse King?


    Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation...


    Lu Chengyun felt a jolt in his heart and quickly looked at the Corpse King¡¯s chest.


    But he saw that around the blood-colored Evil Formation on the Corpse King¡¯s chest, there were faint blue patterns emerging.


    These patterns were all too familiar to Lu Chengyun, similar to the Evil Patterns yet distinctly different in essence.


    Righteous, mysterious, profound...


    Lu Chengyun took in a sharp breath.


    "Spiritual Pivot Formation?!"


    Spiritual power as the pivot, with a clear and pure origin.


    This was indeed the true Spiritual Pivot Ultimate Formation, conceived from a deep understanding of Formation mysteries, drawn with spiritual power and utmost sincerity!


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes widened with panic.


    Could there really be someone in this world capable of laying down a true Spiritual Pivot Ultimate Formation?


    And moreover, to use such an authentic Spiritual Pivot Ultimate Formation to overwrite his own Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation?!


    "No, it¡¯s impossible..."


    Lu Chengyun looked lost and muttered under his breath.


    Suddenly, a shocking speculation rose in his mind:


    The Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    It was the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    "I betrayed my master and ancestors, causing my Sect to decline, severed the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s lineage, and even desecrated the Sect¡¯s tomb by stealing the corpses of past Sect Leaders and Elders to refine zombies..."


    "It must be them, the ancestors must be aware and demanding I pay my blood debt with blood!"


    "Yes, the Spiritual Pivot Formation, the Ultimate Technique of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, can only be learned by the ancestors of my Sect, it must be so, it has to be so..."


    Lu Chengyun looked around in panic, swearing to the heavens,


    "Honored predecessors, in consideration of my past status as a disciple of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, spare me this one life!"


    "I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I was compelled..."


    "My master, who was so honorable in appearance, always talked about passing on the Formation, but he only taught us the superficial stuff, making us waste our time learning and practicing..."


    "He selfishly kept the Spiritual Pivot Formation to himself because of his greed."


    "I pleaded with him for a long time, but he wouldn¡¯t teach me, so I had no choice but to kill him and find a way to obtain this Formation..."


    "My intentions were sincere; I did it for the legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!"


    "This Formation, in the hands of my master, was a pearl cast before swine, a waste of heaven¡¯s gifts. Only I could learn it and make the best use of it, for the benefit of the world!"


    "Only then could the world appreciate the exquisite art of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Formations!"


    ...


    It was only then that Yang Jishan and the others came to know the hidden story, their gaze toward Lu Chengyun filled with contempt.


    Betraying one¡¯s master and ancestors, stealing inheritance, desecrating the Sect¡¯s tomb, showing disrespect to the Ancestral Master¡ªall were major taboos in the Cultivation World.


    Lu Chengyun, a man like this, did not deserve anything but death!


    The Corpse King remained motionless.


    But just at that moment, two Iron Corpses beside Lu Chengyun suddenly launched an attack.


    Their claws sharp as swords, one slashing from left to right towards Lu Chengyun¡¯s head, the other from right to left aiming straight for Lu Chengyun¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 555: Kneel Down (2)

    The maneuvers were cruel and the timing was precise.At this moment, Lu Chengyun¡¯s entire attention was focused on the Spirit Pivot Formation on the chest of the Corpse King. Guilt-ridden and fearful, he was repenting to the heavens, so he was somewhat caught off guard.


    However, the strength of the Iron Corpse was, after all, inferior to that of the Corpse King, which had undergone Half-Bronze Corpse Transformation. Its movements were also a bit slower, giving Lu Chengyun a chance to escape.


    Feeling the danger, he immediately moved to the side, dodging a claw aimed at his heart meridian, and then ducked his head to avoid a slice aimed at his neck.


    Even so, his hair bun was still sliced off.


    Lu Chengyun, with his hair disheveled, was in a pitiful state.


    He looked at the two Iron Corpses with a face full of terror, retreating continuously as he pleaded,


    "Elders, spare my life!"


    These two Iron Corpses were indeed the Elders of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect in their previous lives.


    After death, Lu Chengyun had dug up their graves and turned them into zombies.


    Thinking that it was the ancestors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect coming for his life, Lu Chengyun was scared out of his wits.


    But then, a thought struck him, and he realized something was amiss.


    Somewhere in the darkness, he could sense a Divine Sense, using the Corpse King as the hub, pulling at the two Iron Corpses!


    This Divine Sense was profound, elusive, and carried a hint of familiarity.


    "Someone is up to mischief, trying to take the opportunity to kill me!"


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes turned cold. He traced this Divine Sense and then, with a fierce look, suddenly released a burst of Sword Qi, aimed straight at the open space beside Yang Jishan.


    The Sword Qi was about to strike the ground.


    Suddenly, a young man in white holding a long spear appeared. He stood with his spear horizontal, his aura surging forth to block the attack and dissipate the Sword Qi.


    This young man in white was none other than Bai Zisheng.


    Lu Chengyun was inwardly alarmed. Read new chapters at empire


    A mere Qi Refinement Cultivator had blocked his sword strike, a strike from a Foundation Building Cultivator!


    When Bai Zisheng stepped back, a small figure also became visible behind him.


    With features as refined as a painting and eyes as bright as starlight.


    It was Mo Hua.


    Lu Chengyun was stunned and then his expression changed dramatically,


    "You¡¯re not dead?!"


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes and smiled, not responding.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes flickered, and then his expression shook, as he exclaimed in disbelief,


    "Could it be you?"


    "You¡¯ve taken control of my Corpse King?"


    Upon hearing this, everyone, including Yang Jishan, was shocked, their eyes filled with disbelief as they looked at Mo Hua.


    But Mo Hua shook his head and corrected him, "Not ¡¯your¡¯ Corpse King."


    Then with a grasp of his hand, the Formation Patterns on the chest of the Corpse King suddenly brightened, extending pale blue Spiritual Threads that gradually spread over the entire body of the Corpse King.


    "It is now my Corpse King!"


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s face turned pale with fear, "No!"


    He immediately concentrated all his efforts, desperate to regain control over the Corpse King by activating the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation with all his might.


    Bloody Formation Patterns emerged on the chest of the Corpse King.


    Red Evil Power, like blood threads, began to spread outwards as well, entangling with the pale blue Spiritual Threads, battling and extinguishing each other continuously.


    The Corpse King, caught between the red and blue strands, struggled back and forth, roaring hideously.


    On its chest, the two opposing colors of Formation Patterns, good and evil, light and dark, alternated.


    In just a moment, the blood threads were suppressed by the Spiritual Threads, crumbling away step by step.


    The Evil Formation on the chest of the Corpse King gradually dimmed as well.


    Lu Chengyun broke out in cold sweat, feeling his Divine Sense weakening. The Evil Power blood threads born from the activation of the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation also weakened.


    Meanwhile, the Spiritual Power threads continued to flow unceasingly, filled with abundant Divine Sense Power!


    Lu Chengyun felt it was inconceivable.


    He realized a terrifying truth:


    Mo Hua, the little devil, was not only proficient in the Spirit Pivot Formation, but his mastery of the Formation far exceeded his own, and even his Divine Sense was overwhelmingly more powerful!


    How could this be possible?!


    He was just at the eighth level of Qi Refinement!!


    Watching his Corpse King gradually slipping from his grasp,


    Lu Chengyun felt both heartache and terror, glaring at Mo Hua and asking through clenched teeth,


    "When exactly did you learn the Spirit Pivot Formation?"


    Mo Hua, while still controlling the Corpse King, replied with a puzzled expression, "Didn¡¯t you teach me?"


    Lu Chengyun was taken aback.


    Mo Hua, looking innocent, said,


    "Have you forgotten? The Spirit Pivot Formation Chart was shown to me by you. You even drew it several times in front of me, and I just... learnt it by watching..."


    Lu Chengyun roared in disbelief, "Impossible!!"


    "Impossible!"


    His expression was verging on madness.


    "This is the Spirit Pivot Formation, one of the top twelve-pattern Ultimate Formations!"


    "I spent nearly a hundred years, day and night, immersed in its study, enduring endless hardship, and I had to use methods of the Evil Dao, drawing with human bones, dipped in human blood, on human skin, to learn this formation..."


    "And you learnt it just by looking a few times??"


    "That¡¯s impossible!"


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, and his mind was in disarray. Even his Taoist Heart showed signs of cracking.


    Mo Hua immediately gave Bai Zisheng a look. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng understood instantly, and with a flicker of movement, his spear shot forward like a gust of wind, aiming straight for Lu Chengyun¡¯s chest.


    Because the Corpse King was under control, the surrounding Iron Corpses were motionless.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Taoist Heart was disturbed, his emotions out of control; he was completely unaware of Bai Zisheng¡¯s ambush and was struck in the chest by the spear.


    But Bai Zisheng, after all, was but at the level of Qi Refinement, while Lu Chengyun possessed the level of Foundation Establishment.


    The spear strike was swift, yet it only broke the surface of Lu Chengyun¡¯s skin and did not penetrate, let alone manage to kill him.


    Lu Chengyun spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, stumbling backward but quickly regained his senses.


    He must escape!


    His once-reliable Corpse King was about to belong to someone else.


    If he didn¡¯t flee now, he might really die here.


    Lu Chengyun used his movement technique, dodging Bai Zisheng¡¯s spearmanship while retreating.


    Though Bai Zisheng was only at the level of Qi Refinement, his cultivation was profound and his Taoist skill sharp.


    With Lu Chengyun seriously injured and surrounded by formidable enemies, and the Corpse King on the verge of "betrayal," he could only be chased by Bai Zisheng, desperately fleeing among the motionless Iron Corpses like a wooden stake.

 Chapter 556: Kneel Down (3)

    The surrounding cultivators were unclear about the situation and momentarily unsure of what to do.Yang Jishan¡¯s expression also darkened slightly.


    He too began to feel puzzled.


    The person secretly controlling the Corpse King turned out to be Mo Hua??


    This young cultivator, the black hand behind the scenes?


    The one who arranged the ritual to create the Taoist Demon?


    How is that possible?


    But if not him, how did he manage to override Lu Chengyun and cause the Corpse King¡¯s "betrayal"?


    Just what is his identity?


    A disciple of a righteous Dao¡¯s eminent figure, or... a Demon Path¡¯s Saint Heir?


    In Yang Jishan¡¯s heart, a chill gradually set in, his expression becoming more hesitant.


    Meanwhile, Lu Chengyun was still fleeing. His movement technique wasn¡¯t bad, and for a short time, Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t do anything to him.


    For a moment, the situation became a stalemate.


    Just then, an intense Yin energy surged behind Lu Chengyun.


    The Corpse King, whose chest had fully transformed into the shape of pale blue Spirit Pivot Formation Patterns, suddenly appeared behind him, its claws like the wind, grasping the back of Lu Chengyun¡¯s neck.


    Its sharp nails firmly clutched Lu Chengyun.


    The look on Lu Chengyun¡¯s face was one of panic as he struggled, unable to break free.


    The Corpse King had completely lost control.


    No, it was he who had lost control over the Corpse King.


    The Corpse King was fully under Mo Hua¡¯s control!


    After Mo Hua commanded the Corpse King to seize Lu Chengyun, he immediately said:


    "Senior brother, kill him!"


    Just as Bai Zisheng was about to act, Yang Jishan came to his senses, his expression one of shock as he hastily said:


    "No!"


    The emaciated old man also urgently said, "Don¡¯t kill!"


    Bai Zisheng hesitated for a moment, looking toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned icy, and he said in a deep voice:


    "Kill!"


    Caught between the Taoist Court cultivators and Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng would, of course, listen to his own junior brother.


    With Lu Chengyun locked down by the Corpse King and the opportunity rare, he would naturally go all out, piercing through the renegade Lu Chengyun with a spear!


    Bai Zisheng charged his spear, his aura ascending.


    "Stop him!" S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    Yang Jishan said, before leading the charge to intercept Bai Zisheng.


    The situation wasn¡¯t clear yet, and Lu Chengyun couldn¡¯t die.


    If he died now and the Corpse King lost control, resurrecting the Taoist Demon, everything would be over.


    The emaciated old man took out a Copper Coin, but before he could make his move, his expression changed dramatically.


    Yang Jishan, who was beside him, also stopped in his tracks, his eyes becoming sluggish.


    In front of them, Bai Zisheng¡¯s aura continued to escalate, spiritual power howling around him, with hints of dragon roars.


    On his long spear, an awe-inspiring and majestic Azure Dragon phantom had also formed!


    Dragon!


    The emaciated old man said with a trembling voice, "Returning Dragon Spear technique?!"


    Everyone heard and their faces changed.


    "The technique of the Dragon... from Qian State¡¯s... that millennial great clan, the Bai Family?!"


    The might of the Azure Dragon phantom and the influence of the Bai Family from Qian State caused those Foundation Building cultivators to feel a creeping dread, becoming utterly disoriented.


    Mo Hua, too, opened his mouth in astonishment.


    Bai Zisheng, dressed in white, with a gaze sharp as a sword, with the Azure Dragon phantom moving around him, appeared majestic and valiant.


    He hadn¡¯t expected his junior brother to look so... handsome.


    And when the Returning Dragon Spear¡¯s force was fully accumulated, Bai Zisheng¡¯s spiritual power surged around him.


    Then, truly merging man with spear, the spear strike was like a dragon, and with a piercing dragon roar, he turned into a dragon shadow, surging forward.


    This spear strike, nearly exhausting all of Bai Zisheng¡¯s spiritual power, was terrifyingly powerful.


    In Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes, filled with extreme terror, the spear pierced through his chest.


    The spiritual power that contained the might of the dragon vibrated his meridians and organs, squeezing out Lu Chengyun¡¯s life force, bit by bit, until it was utterly extinguished!


    The traitor of Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    The Family Head of the Lu Family from South Yue City.


    The mastermind behind the murders, setting arrays for corpse refinement, and building the Corpse Mine, thus met his end!


    The entire graveyard fell quiet.


    Dozens of Iron Corpses, thousands of Walking Corpses, their energies dwindled, motionless.


    After dozens of breaths and no anomalies, Yang Jishan finally took a breath of relief.


    Since Mo Hua appeared, there had been continuous shocking developments.


    His heart had been tossed up and down several times in less than two hours.


    With Lu Chengyun dead and the zombies motionless.


    This was good news...


    Having exerted all his strength to activate the Returning Dragon Spear and killed Lu Chengyun, Bai Zisheng also seemed a bit drained, his face pale, but he looked very excited and somewhat proud.


    Bai Zixi, a little helpless, shook his head and took out a pill from the Phoenix Pattern Storage Bag, handed it to Bai Zisheng, and instructed him to take it and rest.


    Mo Hua, standing by, had a calm expression but suddenly furrowed his brows.


    Yang Jishan appeared hesitant and was just about to say something to Mo Hua when his expression suddenly changed as well.


    In the silent graveyard, a sound of gnawing suddenly arose.


    This noise was strange and sinister.


    The group followed the sound and witnessed a chilling sight:


    Lu Chengyun, who had been killed by Bai Zisheng, was being devoured by the Corpse King!


    Seemingly afraid of being discovered, the Corpse King ate quickly, taking large bites and savoring them. In a short time, it had swallowed Lu Chengyun whole!


    Its mouth and chest were covered in dripping blood and flesh.


    The red in its eyes became more intense, and within the red, the dark gold became more prominent.


    The emaciated old man turned pale and said in a trembling voice:


    "The Corpse King... devouring its master, is this the awakening of the Taoist Demon?"


    Everyone was startled, a great fear rising in their hearts.


    At the same time, the aura of the Corpse King suddenly turned terrifying, and within it was a hint, faint and twisting, of Taoist Meaning.


    Yang Jishan shouted sharply:


    "Everyone, attack with all your might, kill it before it fully awakens!"


    A surge of Foundation Building cultivators¡¯ spiritual power rose.


    Whether it was spells, spiritual artifacts, or runes, every method was used to the fullest, in a desperate attempt to nip the Corpse Sin in the bud!


    Above the graveyard, various colors of Foundation Building spiritual power intertwined, creating a massive atmosphere.


    But as these attacks were about to strike the Corpse King, they were all blocked by the Iron Corpses.

 Chapter 557: Kneel Down (4)

    These Iron Corpses, relentless and unafraid of death, were guarding the Corpse King.The previously quiet horde of zombies had once again erupted into chaos, their eyes red with rage, they roared and charged towards the cultivators recklessly, as if not allowing anyone to offend their "King".


    In an instant, the hill of tombs had descended into a fiercer battle of life and death.


    Bai Zisheng, clutching his long spear, was ready to fight again, but was restrained by Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi brought Bai Zisheng to Mo Hua¡¯s side, stood in front of both, and with her delicate fingers formed a sword technique, creating streams of sword light with radiant white flames, protecting the three of them.


    Zombies that came into contact with the sword light were burned by the white flames.


    Mo Hua watched the Corpse King from afar.


    The aura of the Corpse King grew stronger bit by bit, and the twisted Taoist Meaning on its body also deepened gradually.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened and then proceeded to draw a Thick Earth Formation beneath his feet and began to meditate, communing with something through his Divine Sense.


    Batches of Foundation Building Cultivators charged towards the Corpse King.


    Yet time and time again, they were blocked by the Iron Corpses.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face was pale, his heart burning with anxiety.


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    The Corpse King was slowly awakening, turning into a Taoist Demon.


    If the Corpse King was not slain, everyone would perish!


    Even the Minor Wilderness State Boundary would suffer calamity.


    Yang Jishan picked up the Sunset Spear, consumed a Spirit Revitalizing Pill, and then took a Big Restoring Pill, exhausting the last of his Spiritual Power to reactivate the Sunset Spear.


    This spear thrust was equally awe-inspiring.


    The firelight condensed, and the spear blazed like the sun.


    Yang Jishan, unable to reach the Corpse King, exerted all his strength and threw the long spear, transforming it into a fiery comet, striking towards the Corpse King.


    But this spear was also blocked by the corporeal sacrifice of an Iron Corpse, and although it reached the Corpse King, it was caught in one hand by the King.


    The Corpse King twisted, snapping the Sunset Spear, its flesh instantly morphing into a bronze color.


    Then, the Corpse King let out a roar towards the sky.


    The Corpse Qi soared, obscuring sun and sky.


    The horizon faintly glowed blood red.


    This roar was akin to a command.


    At this moment, not only the entirety of the graveyard, but also the mine, and even the entire boundary of South Yue City, all zombies ¡ª as if hearing the order ¡ª converged towards the Corpse King, seemingly to worship their "Monarch".


    Yang Jishan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.


    All the cultivators had their scalps tingle with dread.


    Many faces showed despair.


    The gaunt old man said, "Leader Yang, first think of a way to break through. Save as many as we can!"


    Yang Jishan clenched his teeth tightly and said helplessly, "Alright!"


    But he also knew, under the Corpse King¡¯s command of the Corpse Tide, even if they fled, they couldn¡¯t escape.


    This was but a slim chance of survival.


    But without trying to flee, there was no chance at all.


    The cultivators retreated under cover of the Taoist Soldiers, while Mo Hua still remained in place.


    Seeing this, Yang Jishan immediately shouted, "Junior Brother!"


    He wanted to tell Mo Hua to flee, but in this brief moment, Mo Hua had already been surrounded by Iron Corpses.


    Yang Jishan could not save him even if he tried.


    Yang Jishan was in a great hurry, but what followed made him stunned.


    He noticed that the Iron Corpses had only encircled Mo Hua, but dared not approach him.


    Bai Zixi stood in front of Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng, her expression calm, though her eyes still carried some seriousness.


    At that moment, Mo Hua opened his eyes and took a step forward, shielding his junior brother and sister behind him.


    As Mo Hua stepped forward, the Iron Corpses showed signs of terror and retreated en masse.


    In their instincts, there was fear, the fear of being dominated.


    The Corpse King was their "Monarch".


    And now that Lu Chengyun was dead.


    Mo Hua was the only one who could control the Corpse King, their monarch¡¯s monarch!


    The horde of corpses became somewhat calmer.


    The cultivators had a moment to catch their breath.


    Yet across the sea of corpses, the Corpse King¡¯s regal and ferocious gaze was fixed on Mo Hua.


    It hadn¡¯t turned into a Taoist Demon yet.


    Because it hadn¡¯t truly "devoured its master".


    Lu Chengyun was the master, but he was never truly the master.


    Its true master was this junior cultivator!


    A master of a master is not a true master.


    A king of a king is not a true king.


    By devouring this junior cultivator, it would truly devour its master, break free from its chains, escape the shackles of the Heavenly Dao, and become the unparalleled "Corpse King", the Taoist Demon that would devour heaven and earth!


    It would turn this realm into a Blood Flesh Purgatory!


    In the Corpse King¡¯s eyes, a sudden surge of blood transformed into a crimson beam, shooting directly at Mo Hua.


    Everyone was shocked, and Yang Jishan¡¯s expression drastically changed, "Not good!"


    However, Mo Hua remained calm, her gaze sharp like a sword, as she pointed forward with her small hand.


    The Corpse King¡¯s lunging form came to an abrupt halt!


    Its chest suddenly burst forth with innumerable Spiritual Threads, fine like silk, weaving outward, suppressing the Corpse Qi and tugging at the Corpse King¡¯s body.


    In the eyes of the Corpse King, there was no longer any dignity, only brutality and unwillingness.


    It struggled mightily, its Blood Qi even stronger.


    The Corpse Qi grew wilder, the grayish-white filled with streaks of blood, billowing in layers.


    At the same time, a twisted, aberrant Taoist Meaning spread.


    Feeling this aura, all cultivators felt their hearts tremble, as if a cold Divine Sense was watching them, erasing their intent, making them submit.


    This distorted Taoist Meaning also enveloped Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart stirred slightly.


    This aura was very familiar.


    The Big Demon of Tongxian City also had a similar aura.


    Only at that time, she had no understanding of Taoist Meaning and couldn¡¯t discern the details of this aura.


    But now she understood.


    This was the aura of a Taoist Demon, the twisted, aberrant Taoist Meaning.


    Because it contained the aberrant Taoist Meaning, that is why these calamities were called Taoist Demons.


    Mo Hua understood in her heart and then began to utilize the Thick Earth Formation, connecting with the Earth Dao Meaning.


    Those who do not rest in soil are the undead.


    The aura of the undead originated from the earth, yet was full of bloodiness, hatred, and resentment.


    Mo Hua intended to use the Earth Dao Meaning to suppress the aura of the Corpse King.


    The Earth character is Kun, known for its great virtue and capacity to carry all things.


    Perhaps even the meaning of the earth did not wish to see the birth of a Taoist Demon.


    The Earth Dao Meaning Mo Hua communicated with this time was intensely strong. Although it still couldn¡¯t compare to when she meditated on the Taoist Stele, it was sufficient to suppress the half-step Taoist Demon Corpse King.


    The aura of the Taoist Demon was neutralized.


    Mo Hua concentrated with all her being.


    Her Divine Sense at the peak of Thirteen Stripes operated to its limit.


    Above the Spiritual Pivot Formation, a myriad of Spiritual Threads bloomed, like night-blooming cereuses in full splendor, dense and intricate, completely strangling and suppressing the Corpse Qi, permeating, refining, stitching, and little by little taking control¡­


    The Corpse King resisted fiercely, its gaze cruel, its flesh pulled apart by the Spiritual Threads and yet regenerating...


    The standoff continued for who knows how long.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes suddenly changed, her pupils burned with bright light, and her voice, crisp yet filled with authority, commanded:


    "Fiendish beast!"


    "Kneel!!"


    The Corpse King, full of reluctance, roared with all its might.


    But its body, nonetheless, was being pulled by the myriad of Spiritual Threads, shakily kneeling down.


    With each inch it knelt, the ground cracked further!


    The entire burial mountain trembled!


    Tens of thousands of zombies, with red eyes reflecting their unwillingness, roared together. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The whole of South Yue City, over every hill and mountain, was filled with the roar of the undead, as if plunged into hell, where a hundred ghosts wail in sorrow.


    The mass of undead surged, the Corpse Qi tumultuous.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze remained steadfast, her small figure unyielding.


    She continued to control the Corpse King bit by bit with the power of Divine Sense, activating the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    The Corpse King was entangled by countless Spiritual Threads, suppressed by the mighty Earth Dao Meaning.


    In the midst of struggle and defiance, the Corpse King¡¯s knee finally hit the ground!


    The fierce and terrifying clamor between heaven and earth stopped abruptly.


    The horde of corpses grew silent.


    The trembling crowd looked up.


    They saw, atop the burial hill, beneath the sky-covering blood-colored Corpse Qi,


    The imposing Corpse King, half-kneeling in front of the tiny Mo Hua.


    And with the Corpse King¡¯s kneeling,


    The violent aura of the horde of corpses also began to recede.


    Dozens of Iron Corpses, their bloody gaze fading, revealed a look of awe, slowly kneeling before Mo Hua.


    And after that, all the Walking Corpses in South Yue City, across hills and valleys, swept away by the wind, also knelt before Mo Hua one after another.


    With the Corpse King¡¯s kneeling, the Iron Corpses submitted, and a myriad of zombies bowed in worship!


    All cultivators were speechless with horror.


    The gaunt old man who was versed in the Heavenly Secret Calculation was even more shaken to the core.


    He witnessed a scene he never imagined in his life, nor dare to imagine:


    A Taoist Demon calamity was kneeling... before a child¡­

 Chapter 558: Benefiting (1)

    In South Yue City.Mr. Zhuang shook his head with a sense of helplessness and said, "Every time he stirs up such a commotion, this child really doesn¡¯t give people peace of mind..."


    Old Kui glanced at him, "You seem quite pleased..."


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but smile a little, "Quite alright."


    After all, he is my disciple!


    Old Kui was speechless, then frowned and said, "Kneeling down as a Taoist Demon... This involvement in karma is going to be massive..."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head and corrected him, "First, this is not yet a Taoist Demon..."


    "My brother set up a scheme to turn the Corpse King into a Taoist Demon under two conditions."


    "One is that South Yue City continues to refine zombies for another hundred years, gradually accumulating killing karma, and in the mix of Corpse Qi, Filthy Qi, and the resentment of death Qi, let the Corpse King slowly awaken."


    "The second is that once the matter is exposed, forcing the Corpse King to devour its master, it can then immediately transform into a Taoist Demon."


    "But evil cannot prevail over good, the Soul Pivot Evil Formation cannot overpower the Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation."


    "Therefore, Lu Chengyun was never fully the master of the Corpse King from beginning to end. The true master of the Corpse King has always been Mo Hua, this child."


    "If it can¡¯t devour Mo Hua, it can¡¯t devour its master."


    "So, this Corpse King can only be considered a half-step Taoist Demon or, rather, a Taoist Demon¡¯s troubled fetus, which hasn¡¯t transformed into a Taoist Demon¡¯s body."


    Mr. Zhuang then looked at Old Kui again and continued, "Secondly, even if it were a Taoist Demon, it wouldn¡¯t matter much."


    "Mo Hua, this child, made it kneel down by his own ability."


    "Since it has knelt, it means submission. This mark will be engraved within the karma and Taoist Meaning, unchangeable." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "For Mo Hua, this is actually an opportunity..."


    "As for how to use such defy-the-heavens karma, he¡¯ll have to learn that later."


    After finishing his words, Mr. Zhuang also felt somewhat emotional,


    "However, although it¡¯s a bit of fortuity and coincidence, the ability to make a Taoist Demon kneel down is still... a bit too preposterous..."


    Old Kui said quietly, "You didn¡¯t figure it out?"


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with displeasure, "I¡¯m not one of those religious con men who can figure out anything and everything..."


    Old Kui silently looked at him, contemplating something.


    A moment later, Old Kui¡¯s gaze sharpened as he said solemnly, "This child¡¯s Divine Sense has already reached the peak with Thirteen Stripes."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in agreement, both gratified and somewhat surprised,


    "Yes, it¡¯s a lot faster than I expected..."


    "What do you plan to do next?"


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, then raised his head, his gaze crossing mountains and rivers, looking into the distance, and calmly said,


    "Go to the place where I should go..."


    Old Kui¡¯s brow furrowed deeply, "Really going?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Past grudges and kindness must be settled."


    Afterward, he looked again at the courtyard.


    In the courtyard, the grass and trees were lush, the pond water clear.


    The large tree blocking the wind and rain swayed with the breeze, with leaves fluttering down.


    Under the big tree, Mo Hua and his Junior Brothers and Sisters would often gather together to cultivate, meditate, learn Formations, or simply chat and play about. These scenes emerged one by one...


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression carried a touch of reluctance and melancholy.


    "This journey, too, has come to an end..."


    ...


    Atop the burial mound.


    Mo Hua stood with his hands behind his back, beginning to direct the zombies to temporarily return to the mines and sleep deep within them.


    The Corpse King bowed its head, following behind Mo Hua.


    The Iron Corpse, like a guard, protected in front of Mo Hua.


    And the tens of thousands of Walking Corpses orderly marched and made their way deep into the mine...


    As if miners busy all day were returning home at sunset.


    Amidst the bloodshed and brutality, there lay a semblance of tranquility and peace.


    Zombies returned to their mountain, and the order was maintained throughout the entire night.


    Until dawn broke and the morning sun rose, with the rosy clouds sprawling across the sky, casting a radiant glow upon the peaks surrounding South Yue City.


    The cultivators all seemed to snap out of a trance.


    It was as if they had all had a nightmare.


    In the dream were a terrifying Corpse King, a ferocious Corpse Tide, and struggles and bitter fights between life and death.


    Now that they had awoken from the dream, the sun rose as usual, and everything had vanished.


    But they knew, it was not a dream.


    They still vividly remembered the blood-soaked night, the sky shrouded with Corpse Qi, the Corpse King¡¯s horrifying roar, and the twisted, terrifying presence of the Taoist Demon.


    They also remembered...


    Such a terrifying Corpse King was eventually subdued, forced to kneel halfway, submitting to a junior cultivator.


    Mo Hua is the master of the Corpse King.


    At the same time, he is like a mysterious and unfathomable little Demon Head.


    The Corpse King kneeling, the group of corpses paying their respects.


    This incredible scene was shockingly vivid, imprinted in their Sea of Consciousness, unforgettable even if they wished to forget.


    They looked at Mo Hua, still unnerved,


    Grateful for Mo Hua¡¯s life-saving grace, but also wary of the horror of Mo Hua commanding a horde of corpses.


    Now, the fate of all zombies in South Yue City depends on his Divine Thought.


    Life, death, fortune, and disaster all rest upon his will.


    Everyone tensed up their minds.


    But to Mo Hua, it was as if nothing had happened.


    All his aura was withdrawn, making him appear just like an ordinary, adorable junior cultivator.


    As if everything that had occurred had nothing to do with him, even to the point where he still asked Yang Jishan:


    "Uncle Yang, do you have any food? I¡¯m hungry..."


    His control of the zombies returning to their nests had greatly exhausted his Divine Thought, and now that he had calmed down, he realized he was hungry.


    He had some jerky in his Storage Bag.


    But that was made by his mother, and he typically could not bear to eat it, always saving it.


    Yang Jishan was caught off guard upon hearing this. Your next journey awaits at empire


    The crowd at that moment didn¡¯t know what kind of expression to make...


    ...


    It took a whole night.


    Under Mo Hua¡¯s control, all zombies, including the Corpse King and Iron Corpse, had temporarily returned to the mines and settled deep within the shafts.

 Chapter 559: Benefit (2)

    Mo Hua quickly set up a Formation.Yang Jishan also issued a strict order that, without permission, no Cultivator was allowed to enter the mine.


    This mine was a veritable Corpse Mountain.


    Moreover, in the mountain, the Corpse King still lay dormant.


    After placing the horde of zombies, some Taoist Soldiers were left to guard, and the other Cultivators returned to the city to rest for a while.


    Mo Hua returned to the cave dwelling with his fellow senior brothers and sisters.


    Having controlled the undead for an entire evening, the strain on his Divine Thought was considerable, and he was quite exhausted. Now that the issue had been resolved, he slept soundly.


    It was only upon awakening that Mo Hua realized Uncle Yang had been waiting for him outside for a long time.


    Unlike Mo Hua, Uncle Yang hadn¡¯t dared to sleep at all.


    Every time he lay down, he would recall the terrifying Taoist Demons, the powerful Corpse King, the ferocious horde of zombies, the broken Sunset Spear, and the Taoist Soldiers and Cultivators who had met their end in the zombies¡¯ jaws.


    He thought of the Black Hand nurturing the Taoist Demon.


    He thought of the seemingly innocent, yet utterly inscrutable Mo Hua.


    He remembered the shocking moment on the grave-mound, when the Corpse King knelt down.


    He thought again of the thousands of zombies now controlled by Mo Hua...


    His head throbbed intensely.


    His mind was in complete chaos.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s complexion was pale, his breathing weak, and there were dark circles under his eyes.


    In contrast, Mo Hua had just the opposite appearance: after sleeping, he looked energetic, his eyes shone brightly, and even his cheeks were full and round.


    "Uncle Yang, is there something wrong?" Mo Hua asked curiously upon seeing Yang Jishan.


    How could there not be something wrong!


    Yang Jishan felt a bitterness inside, but for a moment he didn¡¯t know how to start.


    "Is it about those zombies?" Mo Hua asked again.


    Yang Jishan nodded, and finally, with some nervousness, he asked, "What do you plan to do with them?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but said nothing.


    Yang Jishan tried to appear calm, but his heart was in his throat.


    A Corpse King, dozens of Iron Corpses, tens of thousands of Walking Corpses.


    To form Corpse soldiers, what a formidable force that would be!


    He was afraid that Mo Hua would make some excessive demands.


    Or perhaps he would simply, with his "corpses," gain independence, take the wrong path, and become a thorough little Demon Head.


    Yang Jishan was fraught with uneasy thoughts.


    It was at this time that Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Yang, how does the Taoist Court normally handle such a Corpse Tide?"


    Yang Jishan was startled, pondering for a moment before slowly answering:


    "When dealing with a Corpse Tide, the Taoist Court usually hunts down the primary culprits."


    "Corpse Cultivators who practice Corpse refinement and create zombies are the first to be apprehended and questioned. If they resist, they are executed without discussion."


    "If captured alive, they are all thrown into the Taoist Prison, and their sentences are determined by the severity of their crimes. The lightest sentence is exile to the Southern Wilderness, to be used as cannon fodder in wars, while most are sentenced to death. The only difference is the method of their execution."


    "The heavier the crime, the slower and more painful the death."


    "Besides Corpse Cultivators, all zombies will be burned to ash."


    "Because zombies do not die and carry Corpse Poison, once they come into contact with blood, the Corpse Qi changes and they will rise again to kill and devour humans, and the spread of Corpse Poison is also a great harm..."


    "Moreover, all Evil Artifacts and Evil Formations used for Corpse Refinement must be utterly destroyed."


    "Those who shelter Corpse Cultivators, condone Corpse refinement, or assist in the practice are considered accomplices and share the same guilt..."


    ...


    Yang Jishan told Mo Hua all this in great detail.


    After listening, Mo Hua pondered and said, "So, these zombies, they all need to be burned, right?"


    Yang Jishan, somewhat anxiously, nodded faintly:


    "Yes..."


    "I understand," Mo Hua nodded, "then let¡¯s do it that way."


    Yang Jishan was taken aback, "Burn them?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes."


    Yang Jishan found it hard to believe. "The Iron Corpses and the Corpse King too?"


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, "Otherwise?"


    With shock in his heart, Yang Jishan still could not help but ask in a low voice:


    "Don¡¯t you want to keep them?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "They are harmful things, what use do I have for them? Besides, keeping them poses a great risk. The Corpse King is especially prone to losing control. Naturally, it¡¯s better to burn them, to completely eradicate evil, to bring this to a close..."


    Yang Jishan¡¯s mouth opened slightly, his heart so touched he nearly cried.


    What a deeply principled child!


    He had previously thought Mo Hua might have ulterior motives. Hence, he was uneasy. It turned out he had thought too small.


    "However..." Mo Hua then said.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Usually, after "however", there¡¯s rarely good news...


    His anxiety returned.


    "I have some tasks for these zombies," Mo Hua said.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart sank slightly, but he still asked solemnly:


    "What tasks?"


    Mo Hua answered, "I want to command these zombies to build a mine."


    "A mine?" Yang Jishan furrowed his brow.


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "to build a mine..."


    "The ones who suffered the most from this Corpse Tide are actually the Mining Cultivators of South Yue City."


    "They already have a hard life, the Spirit Stones are scarce, and living day-to-day is tough. After death, they are refined into zombies and forced to do evil, dying with their eyes wide open."


    "In life, they are exploited by others; in death, they are still enslaved..."


    "After this Corpse Tide, the mine has largely collapsed, the mines inside are damaged, the Formation is broken, the Corpse Qi is dense, and evil and filth abound. It can no longer be used."


    "Without the ability to mine, the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City lose their livelihood."


    "If we were to leave things as they are, they wouldn¡¯t be able to survive."


    "So I thought, what if we constructed a bigger mine, connecting several mountains, established a more comprehensive Formation, reinforced the mountain body, cleared the Corpse Qi, purified the evil, and found ways to increase the mine¡¯s output..."


    "To give the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City a safe place to make a living, so they don¡¯t have to risk their lives and live in constant fear, and won¡¯t be buried in a mine by accident, leaving orphans and widows alone and helpless..."

 Chapter 560: Benefiting (3)

    "However, this would require a great deal of material and manpower.""I have a way with materials, but manpower is somewhat limited."


    "Building new mines and connecting the mountains inevitably leads to encounters with the monster beasts of the deep mountains, or inhaling the pollution and filthy qi from the depths of the mines, which is very dangerous."


    "These tasks are impossible for Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm to accomplish without risking their lives."


    "But zombies can."


    "Most of these zombies were mining cultivators from South Yue City in life..."


    "In the city, they may still have parents, relatives, or friends they knew well."


    "I want them to do one last good deed for their living relatives and friends, for their descendants, before their true death..."


    Yang Jishan was deeply shaken.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look at Mo Hua, seeing his gaze as clear and sparkling as water.


    The golden sunlight filtered through the trees, spilling over his body.


    Yang Jishan took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and bowed solemnly to Mo Hua.


    ...


    The following developments proceeded according to Mo Hua¡¯s plans. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The zombies were to be destroyed.


    The Corpse King, being a calamitous spawn of a Taoist Demon with three masters and a history of turning on them, Moore, was not planning on keeping it, despite the fact that he was ultimately the last master."


    Otherwise, it would have been a disaster sooner or later."


    The other Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses naturally had to be destroyed as well."


    To destroy zombies, a Corpse Burning Formation was needed."


    This Formation, it is said, was crafted by a great Formation master of the Taoist Court, specifically designed to eradicate the threat posed by zombies."


    It could incinerate both the corpses and the corpse poison, leaving no trace."


    Mo Hua studied the Formation, which truly was ingeniously constructed, using both fire and earth Pattern elements of the Five Elements Formation to conceal with earth and purge with fire, and it was indeed very practical."


    Mo Hua took a second look and secretly learned it¡­"


    However, the number of zombies in South Yue City was too high."


    This was a large-scale zombie disaster, and correspondingly, the scale and number of Corpse Burning Formations needed were considerable."


    But all this was the responsibility of the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t need to worry about it."


    His only task was to figure out how to construct large mines."


    This measure had also been agreed upon by Yang Jishan and supported by the presence of numerous Cultivators from the Taoist Court."


    Among them, some genuinely sympathized with the plight of the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City and wished to do something good."


    Others were simply looking to curry favor with Mo Hua.


    There were also those who were reluctant in their hearts, but could not forget the scene where Mo Hua made the Corpse King kneel and feared him, daring not to oppose him."


    The last group, seeing that everyone else had agreed, did not want to stand out and thus went along with the agreement..."


    Despite the variety of motives and the complex situation, they eventually came to a consensus."


    Yang Jishan had connections with the Taoist Soldiers Court, and the other Cultivators were descendants of Cultivators from Sects and Noble Clans from the states of Taoist, Qian, and Kun."


    With their endorsement, the implementation of this task became much easier."


    Constructing large mines required manpower and materials.


    The manpower had been resolved."


    The zombies were their "manpower."


    This might be the most meaningful thing they had done since becoming zombies."


    Besides that, there was the issue of materials."


    The resources for building the mines partly came from the Taoist Court in South Yue City."


    The Taoist Court of South Yue City, from the top down, was extremely corrupt."


    Especially the Court Leader of South Yue City had taken who knows how many bribes from the Lu Family."


    Confiscating it all back, it was estimated to be a large sum of Spirit Stones."


    Of course, the Court Leader of South Yue City had already been dismissed from his post and thrown into prison; after the measure of his crimes, he was certain not to survive."


    It was just a question of how he would die."


    Beyond that, there was the Lu Family."


    The Lu Family had been raided."


    The confiscated wealth was all utilized for building the mines."


    These Spirit Stones and assets were originally extracted layer by layer from the mining cultivators, and now they were simply returning to their rightful owners, to be reinvested in the miners."


    Take from the people, use for the people."


    Mo Hua had considered all these matters before, but the actual raiding and confiscation still depended on Yang Jishan and the soldiers under his command."


    Yang Jishan was not polite."


    The Taoist Soldiers were well-versed in raiding."


    The collected Spirit Stones were incredibly numerous, amounting to several million, which even shocked Yang Jishan of the great Clan background, who couldn¡¯t help but exclaim:


    "This Lu Chengyun, no, this Lu Family, is actually this wealthy?"


    "And this Court Leader actually embezzled nearly a million..."


    However, Yang Jishan was also clear in his mind."


    In this world, wealth does not come without a cause."


    The wool surely comes off the sheep¡¯s back."


    The poorer the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City became, the richer they grew."


    The richer they became, the poorer the Loose Cultivators grew."


    Their immense wealth indicated just how impoverished the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City had been over the years..."


    This amount of Spirit Stones was too large to be kept."


    The Taoist Court would find a way to confiscate it, then layers of officials would skim off the top, enriching each handler."


    But this matter was too massive."


    It involved Taoist demons and implicated many powerful families; no one dared to siphon off wealth under such intense scrutiny."


    So, to quell the disaster and with Yang Jishan¡¯s approval,


    This batch of Spirit Stones ultimately stayed in South Yue City."


    Now with both manpower and materials ready, Mo Hua began the formal construction of new, large mines that connect several mountains."

 Chapter 561: Cow and Horse (1)

    First came the design of the mine.This large mine had to penetrate the mountain range, connecting the mountains, while also establishing a structurally rigorous and functionally complete Formation System.


    Which mountains to mine, and how to connect them.


    Which Formations to construct, and how to layout them.


    All these were considerations.


    Mo Hua first studied the structure of the various mines around South Yue City according to maps from past generations.


    Then, he sought the opinions of a few Noble Clans and Sect Elders.


    These Elders¡¯ clans or sects also had mining industries.


    They had managed Tao Cultivation-related businesses, defended mines, or participated in mine construction.


    When Mo Hua asked them, they did not hold back any secrets.


    Not only did they want to plan welfare for the impoverished Mining Cultivators, but they were also grateful to Mo Hua for suppressing the Corpse King and quelling the Corpse Menace.


    Once Mo Hua became familiar with the mine structure, he spent several days drafting a large Formation Diagram.


    There was no need for a Large Formation within the mine, nor was it feasible to use one.


    Large Formations are grand and uniform.


    Whereas the Formations in a mine are fragmented.


    They need to fulfill various functions and must be as simple, solid, and durable as possible. Even if damaged, they must be easy to repair.


    If a Large Formation were used and it broke, hardly anyone could fix it after Mo Hua left.


    Therefore, the Formations within the mine were just a cluster of Compound Formations that included some basic-use Single Formations.


    Simple, fundamental, yet practical.


    Yet the workload was not small.


    Additionally, Mo Hua integrated the underlying structure of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, using the principle of Five Elements Generation and Restraint to streamline and optimize these disparate Formations.


    He made the Formations clearer and more concise, while also removing some redundant Formations, lowering some of the costs.


    Despite the large number of Formations used in the mine, their complexity was not high.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even need to show his work to Mr. Zhuang; he just presented it to Bai Zixi. The two of them got together, reviewed the Formation Patterns, sorted out the Formation Pivots, and after patching up any omissions, the design was perfected.


    He then presented it to Formation Masters of the Taoist Court to consult, and after some discussion, it was finalized.


    Although there were many Formations, Mo Hua, despite his speed at Drawing Formations, was still just one person and couldn¡¯t draw them all, so he needed the help of these Formation Masters from the Taoist Court.


    They all agreed to help.


    After Mo Hua left, an older Formation Master sighed in admiration, "This Formation is well-constructed..."


    A younger Formation Master expressed doubt, "But it¡¯s all commonplace Formations, just average, right?"


    The old Formation Master glared at him, "What do you know? The trickiest part is making good use of common Formations."


    He pointed at the Formation Diagram on the table, "These Formations seem simple, but the layout is concise and efficient, and they complement each other well. One more would be too many, one less would be insufficient. To achieve this balance, one must have a deep foundation and robust basics..."


    The old Formation Master continued to praise Mo Hua.


    The young Formation Master nodded, although he still seemed somewhat unconvinced.


    Simple Formations, after all, were just that¡ªsimple. Even if used to their fullest, they seemed rather plain.


    The old Formation Master couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.


    Young Master Yun, looking at the Formations before him, fell silent, his brow furrowed in thought.


    As a Second Rank Formation Master with deep family knowledge, he saw things more profoundly.


    The disposition of these Formations appeared simple yet grand and imposing, as if derived from... a Large Formation?


    Large Formations make the complex out of the simple, integrating various parts seamlessly, while these Formations exemplified the essence of simplification.


    The design was indeed exquisite, but...


    Young Master Yun was somewhat puzzled.


    Why use only the most basic and simple Formations?


    Why not use some with stronger effects, First Grade or even higher than First Grade?


    Young Master Yun thought over it, confused. When, days later, Mo Hua began to draw the Formations, Yun approached Mo Hua somewhat sheepishly and rather apologetically.


    Mo Hua was intently Drawing Formations when he saw Young Master Yun and asked curiously,


    "Young Master Yun, is there something you need?"


    Mo Hua naturally recognized him as the sole Second Grade Formation Master among the various powers of South Yue City¡ªespecially one so young¡ªeven though they hadn¡¯t really chatted before and weren¡¯t familiar with each other, mainly because the urgency of the Corpse Tide left no time for such interactions.


    Being looked at by Mo Hua¡¯s innocent, wide eyes, Young Master Yun felt somewhat out of his element but still managed to compose himself and voiced his queries,


    "These Formations... there are better choices, right? So why choose the most basic ones?"


    Mo Hua replied, "Because these Formations are meant to be used."


    "Used?" Young Master Yun was slightly startled.


    Mo Hua nodded, "My master taught me that Formations must be learned for practical application..."


    "The Formations in this world, when drawn on paper, are one thing, but when actually put to use, the situation is varied."


    Young Master Yun looked thoughtful.


    Mo Hua let out a small sigh, then continued,


    "This is a mine, and inside are Formations for Mining Cultivators to use."


    "Mining Cultivators are very poor."


    "Using fancier Formations might yield better results, but once they break, no one will be there to fix them for them."


    "Even if they could repair them, they couldn¡¯t afford it."


    "Therefore, simple, durable, sturdy, easy-to-repair Formations are what¡¯s best for them." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Young Master Yun was taken aback.


    No one had ever put it to him that way before.


    Every Formation Master was studying more advanced Formations, mastering more difficult ones, to elevate their own level of Formation knowledge and to seek a grander daoist future.


    Nearly no one had thought to make these most basic Formations widely accessible to the most common Cultivators...


    He hadn¡¯t realized this either.

 Chapter 562: Cattle and Horses (2)

    Young Master Yun¡¯s face suddenly flushed a shade of red, his expression somewhat abashed.Mo Hua looked at him in surprise as well.


    He had assumed that someone as young as Young Master Yun who had already become a Second Rank Formation Master would surely be haughty and arrogant. However, he did not expect him to be so shy, with even thinner skin than himself.


    He guessed that Young Master Yun had probably always stayed within his clan and hardly ever went outside, lacking worldly experience.


    It seemed as though Young Master Yun remembered something and hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.


    But it was almost as if his thoughts were written all over his face.


    Seeing it clearly, Mo Hua asked:


    "What else do you want to ask?"


    Young Master Yun hesitated for a moment, then said with an apologetic tone:


    "Perhaps, this might be a bit presumptuous..."


    "Hmm," Mo Hua said, "Ask away."


    Young Master Yun made up his mind and slowly asked:


    "The Formation on the Corpse King, was it drawn by you? Is it... an Ultimate Formation?"


    Mo Hua nodded his head, admitting frankly:


    "Yes!"


    Even though Young Master Yun had already guessed as much, his expression still changed dramatically at the confirmation.


    Other cultivators, even some other Formation Masters, probably did not understand what the Ultimate Formation truly meant.


    Qi Refinement at the eighth level.


    Mastery over a First-grade Formation with twelve patterns.


    This kind of thing defied the common knowledge he had as a Formation Master.


    Young Master Yun felt a sense of defeat.


    In the Yun Family, and even throughout the entire state boundary they resided in, he was recognized as a Formation Genius.


    But only now did he understand.


    There are differences between geniuses, and those differences can be as vast as the heavens and the earth.


    Some people are so extraordinarily gifted they seem like evil monsters.


    He looked again at Mo Hua, whose face still held traces of youthful innocence, and heaved a sigh internally.


    This was a little evil monster indeed.


    Mo Hua, seeing that Young Master Yun¡¯s expression was somewhat defeated, did not know what he was thinking.


    Suddenly Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he spoke softly:


    "Young Master Yun, do you know what this Formation is called?"


    Young Master Yun shook his head honestly, asking with curiosity:


    "What Formation?"


    "The Spiritual Pivot Formation," Mo Hua replied.


    "The Spiritual Pivot Formation..."


    Repeating the name a few times, Young Master Yun nodded and praised, "Indeed an Ultimate Formation, just the name itself is extraordinary..."


    "So..." Mo Hua blinked, tempting him, "do you want to learn it?"


    Young Master Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his mouth fell open.


    He thought Mo Hua was teasing him, but upon looking up and seeing the clear and sincere look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes without any hint of mockery, he suppressed the excitement in his heart and slowly nodded:


    "I do..."


    No Formation Master could resist the temptation of a Formation.


    Mo Hua smiled and said, "Then I¡¯ll teach you."


    Young Master Yun was even more surprised, "You¡¯re willing to teach me?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Formations need to be passed down to endure and flourish. If one hoards their knowledge, no matter how precious the Formation is, it will eventually be lost."


    "Once lost, no matter how precious the Formation is, it is useless."


    "Since you wish to learn, I will teach you, but you must promise me not to use it for evil deeds."


    Young Master Yun couldn¡¯t help but nod repeatedly, "Okay, I promise you!"


    "There¡¯s one more thing..." Mo Hua continued, "After you¡¯ve learnt it, you¡¯ll have to help me with something."


    "Help you?" Young Master Yun was taken aback.


    "Yes!"


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed, "I need to construct some things that will be controlled by the Spiritual Pivot Formation. I can¡¯t manage it alone and need your assistance."


    This had been his plan all along. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There are limits to manpower.


    Although he was proficient in Formation Study, there were many things that he could not accomplish alone, and it would take up a lot of time.


    Having help would make a difference.


    Moreover, the project would involve the use of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    The Ultimate Formation with twelve Pattern Patterns was complex, and the demands on Divine Sense were high, almost no one in South Yue City could learn it.


    But Young Master Yun should be able to.


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    As a Second Rank Formation Master and a Formation Genius, his Divine Sense and comprehension ought to be sufficient.


    Mo Hua had been coveting his abilities for a long time.


    Now that he had "offered himself," it was the perfect opportunity for Mo Hua to take advantage and ask for his help.


    "Well, I could..." Young Master Yun thought for a moment and asked curiously, "But what exactly do you need help with?"


    "Help me with drawing Formations."


    "The Formations in the mine?"


    "Among others, you¡¯ll find out in due time..."


    Mo Hua left him hanging with that cryptic hint.


    Thus, it only seemed natural that Young Master Yun would become Mo Hua¡¯s "menial worker."


    The mine required the layout of some preliminary Formations to construct the Formation framework and to pre-fill some foundational Formations.


    Afterward, zombies would begin mining.


    Once mining was complete and the mine shaft was excavated, the subsequent Formations would be filled in.


    These Formations were quite complex.


    They included a defensive formation, Solid Earth Formation, Illumination Formation, Ventilation Formation, Filth Removal Formation, and some that were to be used for dealing with Monster Beasts on the spot, like the Gold Blade Formation and Earth Prison Formation, among others.


    Mo Hua taught him the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    While Young Master Yun was learning, he would occasionally help Mo Hua draw Formations when he had free time.


    Being a Second Rank Formation Master, Young Master Yun was very quick at drawing First-grade Formations.


    But what he found unbelievable was that Mo Hua was even faster!


    While drawing Formations, he had to refer to the Formation Diagram to confirm the Formation Patterns.


    Yet Mo Hua did not even need to look; he simply relied on memory, his fair wrist twisting and turning, his brush strokes vigorous and fluid. One Formation Pattern after another appeared under his pen.


    Though it seemed casual, the Formations he drew were neat, precise, and impeccably accurate, even carrying a special charm.


    How many times had he drawn these to reach such proficiency...


    Young Master Yun was secretly amazed, and at the same time, he felt somewhat relieved.


    Even though talent was important, this kind of painstaking effort was something not every Formation Master could achieve.


    Days passed by.


    Young Master Yun was not quick at learning the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    The main issue was the limitation of his Divine Sense; he could not practice it many times a day, so inevitably the Formation Patterns were unfamiliar to him, and his comprehension was much slower.


    What took him a week to cover, Mo Hua could finish in just one or two days.


    That his progress was slower was only to be expected.

 Chapter 563: Cow and Horse (3)

    When Mo Hua had some free time, he would also ask Young Master Yun for some knowledge about Second-Grade Formations.His current level of Formation expertise had already far surpassed that of a First-grade Formation Master.


    But Ultimate Formations seemed to be completely different from Second-Grade Formations.


    Mo Hua wanted to know what exactly the threshold was for a Second-grade Formation Master as well as for Second-Grade Formations.


    Young Master Yun, repaying favor with favor, answered diligently:


    "Upon reaching the Second Grade, both Formation Masters and Formations are divided into three stages¡ªthe initial, middle, and high stages, corresponding to the realms of the Foundation Establishment Initial, Middle, and Late Stages."


    "My current level of Cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, so my level as a Formation Master is also just at the Second Grade Initial Stage."


    "Second-grade Formations are just as difficult to learn and require a great deal of time and effort."


    "Generally, the level of a Formation Master falls behind their own cultivation realm."


    "For example, at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, one is only a First-grade Formation Master; at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, one qualifies as a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master; by the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, one becomes a Second Grade Middle Stage..."


    "For someone like me, achieving Second Grade Initial Stage as a Formation Master while only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage is already considered..."


    Young Master Yun intended to say "a genius," but upon glancing at Mo Hua, he said instead: "...quite good..."


    Mo Hua curiously asked, "Can a Qi Refinement Cultivator become a Second-grade Formation Master?"


    Young Master Yun shook his head, "It¡¯s not possible."


    "Because of insufficient Divine Sense?"


    "Typically it¡¯s due to insufficient Divine Sense, but there¡¯s another reason, which is Spiritual Power."


    "Spiritual Power?"


    "Yes," Young Master Yun explained, "between Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment, there is a difference in the ¡¯quantity¡¯ of Divine Sense, but there is a ¡¯quality¡¯ difference in Spiritual Power. Likewise, the Formation principle involved in First-grade and Second-Grade Formations, as well as the Spiritual Power driven by the Formations, also differ in ¡¯quality¡¯."


    "So, Qi Refinement Cultivators cannot learn Second-Grade Formations."


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    He had thought that if perhaps his Divine Sense were strong enough, he might try learning Second-Grade Formations.


    It appeared that the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao categories were indeed very strict.


    Within the same grade, one could step beyond others and learn faster.


    But no matter how one exceeds the grade, they cannot surpass the category...


    The Reversed Spirit Formation, the Thick Earth Formation, and the Spiritual Pivot Formation, these Ultimate Formations, although surpassing the grade, are still within the First Grade category; they are First-grade Formations, not Second-Grade Formations.


    Essentially speaking, they shouldn¡¯t be considered truly "beyond category" but rather, significantly beyond the stage...


    Mo Hua nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of the concept of grades.


    Afterward, he asked some other questions.


    Young Master Yun answered each one.


    Mo Hua was forthright with people, and Young Master Yun, not being very worldly or cunning, and both being Formation Masters, found a lot to talk about as they became more familiar with each other, their conversation flowing effortlessly.


    Mo Hua taught Young Master Yun the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Young Master Yun was extremely grateful. Thinking that he had no way to repay, he secretly taught Mo Hua some of the Yun Family¡¯s inherited Formations.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable, "Is this alright?"


    Young Master Yun blinked, "Just don¡¯t say I taught you."


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned.


    These words sounded somewhat familiar, similar to Uncle Zhang Lan.


    When he learned the Water Passing Step from the Zhang Family, it seemed that Zhang Lan had instructed him the same way...


    Some time passed, and the initial Formations had been drawn in the mines. Young Master Yun¡¯s Spiritual Pivot Formation was also roughly understood.


    Mo Hua then awakened the Corpse King and commanded it to lead the Iron Corpse and tens of thousands of Walking Corpses out of the Corpse Mine and into each of the mines.


    The sight of zombies filing into the mines en masse, obeying Mo Hua¡¯s commands in an orderly fashion, was both bizarre and harmonious.


    To avoid any unexpected changes with the zombies, all Mining Cultivators remained inside Tongxian City.


    Taoist Soldiers were stationed all around.


    Yang Jishan and a few other Cultivators with profound Cultivation levels were on alert, watching the Corpse King, fearing it might rebel and turn into a Taoist Demon.


    The mine once again became a busy place.


    However, this time the workers were not Mining Cultivators, but zombies.


    Their movements were mechanical and repetitive, pickaxing away at the mines, little by little.


    For the wellbeing of their descendants, they chiseled out a home where they could be well-fed, clothed, and live in peace...


    Under Mo Hua¡¯s control, the Corpse King did not transform, the Iron Corpse heeded each command, and all Walking Corpses took it upon themselves diligently.


    Everything was carried out in an orderly fashion.


    Over a month later, the excavation of the mine was completed.


    The mine was connected to several mountains; it was of immense scale, with broad corridors and sturdy walls, free of filthy Qi, making it both safe and somewhat comfortable.


    Mo Hua then ordered the zombies to return to the Corpse Mine to rest.


    The Formation Masters from the Taoist Court, as per Mo Hua¡¯s Formation Diagrams, completed the subsequent Formations within the mine.


    These Formations were simple; it made no difference whether Mo Hua drew them or not. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua needed to draw something else.


    He called over Young Master Yun and went to a workshop in the city.


    In the spacious courtyard were arrayed several wooden puppets resembling bulls and horses, made of hardwood.


    Young Master Yun was a bit astonished, "These are..."


    "Puppets," Mo Hua said. "With the Spiritual Pivot Formation drawn on them, they can be controlled by Divine Sense to move and transport ore, reducing the labor of Mining Cultivators and improving mining efficiency..."


    Young Master Yun snapped back to reality, "The help you need from me, is it related to this?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded. "Many Spiritual Pivot Formations need to be painted, and I can¡¯t manage them all alone, so I need your help to paint them."


    Young Master Yun nodded slightly, his heart stirring with emotion.


    This was the true essence of understanding Formations and applying knowledge to practical use.


    Having learned Formations, they were being used to their fullest, to benefit more Cultivators...


    Before this, he seemed to have never done such a thing.


    "Alright!" Young Master Yun said, readily agreeing.


    Then he hesitated, a bit puzzled, "Do these puppets have names?"


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    "They do!" Mo Hua smiled brightly, "You can call them ¡¯Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses¡¯!"

 Chapter 564: Little Zombie (1)

    These Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses are just simple puppets.Their structure is very basic, capable of only mechanical forward movement, backward movement, and turning.


    Even the Little Tiger designed by Mo Hua is more complex than these, but for the purpose of transporting ore, they¡¯re sufficient.


    Due to their simplicity, only the most basic Spiritual Pivot Formation is needed.


    Unlike the Corpse King, there¡¯s no need to draw complex Sequential Formation Patterns, and build hundreds or thousands of Spirit Pivot tiers for layered control.


    Therefore, even Young Master Yun, who was just beginning to learn the Spiritual Pivot Formation, could draw it.


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    And with Young Master Yun¡¯s help, the progress was much faster.


    But after the drawing was completed, things weren¡¯t that simple.


    These Spiritual Pivot Formations and Ox and Horse Puppets still had to be used in practice and adjusted accordingly.


    Mo Hua took some time to test them in the mines, to see if these Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses could function normally.


    Adjusting was not difficult, but it was tedious.


    During the test mining and ore transport, manpower was needed to assist.


    Adjusting the Formation, modifying the Formation, as well as repairing these Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse puppets also required "people" to lend a hand.


    Mo Hua decided to use zombies for this labor.


    Mo Hua then drew a group of zombies from the Corpse Mine, had them mine the ore, loaded it on the carts, and then pulled it out with the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses.


    Among these zombies was a small one.


    It was not tall and had a pale face. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the small zombie that Mo Hua had first modified with Sequential Formation Patterns in the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the one that secretly opened the door for Mo Hua every night.


    Part of the Corpse Mine had collapsed, and the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses had been destroyed.


    While clearing the zombies and coffins from the Formation, Mo Hua found that this small zombie was still there.


    Because it was so small and weak,


    Lu Chengyun had not sent it out to fight with the Taoist Soldiers.


    So, in the midst of the surging Corpse Tide and the fierce battle on both sides, it had quietly remained in its own coffin all along.


    This small zombie was probably about ten years old, which should be older than Mo Hua, but it probably also came from a poor background, given its skinny build. It didn¡¯t look much bigger than Mo Hua.


    It¡¯s just unknown how it died at such a young age, and how it ended up in the hands of Lu Chengyun, to be refined into a zombie.


    At the age of ten, its life had just begun.


    If its family was poor, it might not have even enjoyed much happiness in life.


    Mo Hua felt some sympathy and regret for it.


    During the adjustment of the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses, Mo Hua specifically kept it by his side.


    The other zombies mined, dug and transported the ore.


    This small one, on the other hand, followed Mo Hua around, moving things, sweeping the mine tunnels, and exploring the mountain paths.


    Or, when a Wooden Ox or Flowing Horse malfunctioned, it listened to Mo Hua¡¯s commands, took the puppet apart for Mo Hua to inspect, or handed Mo Hua brushes and ink to repair the Formations¡­.


    All these lighter labor tasks were done by the small zombie.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also saw this small zombie and were somewhat surprised.


    Bai Zisheng was mainly angry:


    "Lu Chengyun, that bastard, didn¡¯t even spare such a young Cultivator. I should have stabbed him a few more times!"


    Bai Zixi, looking at the small zombie, furrowed her brow.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, "Sister, is there something wrong?"


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and slowly said,


    "This small zombie has only Corpse Qi on its body, no Blood Qi."


    No Blood Qi?


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback but soon understood.


    Only having Corpse Qi, without Blood Qi, meant that it had died and was turned into a zombie, but it hadn¡¯t had the chance to eat human flesh or drink blood yet.


    That wasn¡¯t much of a surprise.


    This small zombie was somewhat weak; it probably couldn¡¯t kill a person.


    Even if it had the opportunity to eat flesh and drink blood, it wouldn¡¯t be able to compete with other zombies.


    It could only rely on the nefarious Qi in the Corpse Raising Coffin to nourish its Corpse Qi.


    Bai Zisheng glanced at Mo Hua, puzzled, "You¡¯re not planning to keep it by your side forever, are you..."


    Mo Hua sighed and shook his head,


    "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; since it has become a zombie, it has its own destiny."


    Bai Zisheng curled his lip and muttered,


    "Such a young age, yet speaking so morbidly."


    Mo Hua snorted, "You won¡¯t get any beef tonight!"


    Bai Zisheng immediately softened, "Junior Brother, I was wrong, what you just said was not wrong at all, very right, it makes a lot of sense!"


    Bai Zixi let out a slight sigh and looked at Bai Zisheng with some disdain.


    After a while, Bai Zisheng asked,


    "So what are you planning to do with this small zombie? Burn it? The Corpse Burning Formation of the Taoist Court is almost ready..."


    Mo Hua was somewhat conflicted and after pondering for a moment, he sighed,


    "I¡¯ve drawn Formation Patterns on it, and it has helped me. We¡¯re connected by fate. Once everything is over, I¡¯ll let it be laid to rest..."


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded in agreement.


    ...


    Over ten days later, the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses were properly adjusted.


    All of the Ox and Horse Puppets had been marked with the Spiritual Pivot Formations.


    As Mo Hua had predicted, the Spirit Stones were not greatly depleted, the controls were simple, the wood was durable, and they had enough strength; transporting ore was more than manageable.


    The only issue was, once damaged, there was no one to repair them.


    To fix these puppets, mastery of the Spiritual Pivot Formation was required.


    When both Mo Hua and Young Master Yun leave, no one in South Yue City would know the Spiritual Pivot Formation, so naturally no one would be able to repair these Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses.


    Therefore, they must be well-maintained during regular use.


    With proper use, the natural wear and tear, these Ox and Horse Puppets would have a long lifespan.


    Mo Hua entrusted this matter to the new Court Leader in South Yue City.


    The Taoist Court Officials in South Yue City were almost completely replaced, from top to bottom.


    The new Court Leader, a member of the Situ Family named Situ Shen, who seemed to be of the same branch as the former Elder Situ Jin, were particularly courteous to Mo Hua and even showed some respect.

 Chapter 565: Little Zombie (2)

    His attitude was very solemn.In South Yue City, he found an opportunity for himself, as well as for the Situ Family.


    The Corpse Mine incident was of significant importance.


    If he failed to handle it properly, it would be the Situ Family¡¯s reputation at stake.


    Likewise, if he managed to settle the aftermath properly, it would be a great accomplishment, earning him a good reputation within the clan and accumulating substantial Merit Points for a promotion within the Taoist Court.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was a Formation Master and also the "Master" of the Corpse King.


    Dealing with the Corpse King and its horde required Mo Hua¡¯s consent.


    Constructing new mine shafts and improving the lives of South Yue City¡¯s Cultivators also depended on Mo Hua¡¯s support.


    Therefore, to Mo Hua, he was almost beseeching and demanding.


    Whatever Mo Hua said, he would agree without hesitation and spare no effort in executing.


    Mo Hua felt reflective in his heart.


    It seemed that the competition within the family was indeed fierce, and the pressure was substantial.


    Eating from the same pot, if one did not make an effort or think things through, one might not even get to sip the broth.


    ...


    The Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses were built, and so were the mine shafts.


    Then, it was time to start work.


    Situ Shen organized the Mining Cultivators to resume work.


    The Mining Cultivators were hesitant and uneasy.


    They were still scared from the previous Corpse Tide that had besieged the city.


    Although the Corpse Tide had receded, there could still be remnants left behind, especially within the mine shafts¡ªdark and polluted, the perfect hiding places for Zombies.


    They dared not start work.


    They were scared of poverty, suffering, and encountering Zombies, risking their lives.


    But they dared not refuse to work either.


    Because they were truly poor, without Spirit Stones even food was unaffordable.


    If they started working and encountered Zombies in the mine, at most one of them would die.


    But if they did not work, their whole family would starve to death.


    Their hearts were filled with trepidation and insecurity.


    Yet, it wasn¡¯t until they entered the mine that they realized everything had changed.


    The mine shafts were larger, more spacious, brighter, and there was even a breeze¡ªneither cold nor hot, just pleasantly cool.


    Gone was the eerie atmosphere, gone was the sense of oppression.


    The Filthy Qi was also much less intense.


    Staying inside felt much more comfortable.


    It was not as grueling as before.


    And there were Formations everywhere, some even specifically designed to prevent Monster Beasts, which were very reassuring to see...


    "Is this really the mine of South Yue City..."


    The Mining Cultivators found it hard to believe.


    Afterward, they gathered together, thanking the Court Leader profusely.


    Since the founding of South Yue City, these Mining Cultivators, along with their ancestors, had never worked in such safe mine shafts.


    In the mine, the Formations that had been set up for the protection of these Mining Cultivators over hundreds and thousands of years, if all combined together, would not amount to the number of Formations now present in this single mine shaft.


    They were immensely grateful.


    The Court Leader told everyone to stand up and said,


    "There¡¯s no need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Little Mo Gentleman. It was he who quelled the Zombie plague and built these mine shafts for everyone."


    The Mining Cultivators then thanked him in unison,


    "Thank you, Little Mo Gentleman!"


    But they did not know who this Little Mo Gentleman really was...


    Afterward, Situ Shen set some new regulations.


    For instance, Mining Cultivators could not work in the mines for more than four hours a day.


    Their daily wages could not be less than one Spirit Stone.


    No Clan or power in the locality could withhold Spirit Stones from the Mining Cultivators for any reason...


    Moreover, Jinhua Street was also shut down.


    All establishments related to eating, drinking, prostitution, and gambling were closed.


    The female Cultivators from the Brothels had their contracts revoked and were allowed to start fresh.


    Those who coerced Cultivators into selling themselves, causing them to lose their dignity and lives, were dealt with severely.


    Situ Shen and Mo Hua stood on the city wall, watching Jinhua Street being demolished.


    Some managers, gamblers, crooks, female brothel keepers, and thugs who had the Lu Family¡¯s backing and were notorious for their misdeeds, were escorted to the Taoist Prison by the Enforcement Leader of the Taoist Court, along the way facing public scorn, being pelted with stones and rotten vegetables.


    Some broke free from misery and wept bitterly with their loved ones.


    There were also those who were lonely and secretly heartbroken.


    Most people, however, were righteously indignant, clapping their hands in approval.


    For decades, the glamourous Jinhua Street, established by Capitalist Lu, glossy on the surface but concealing tears and blood, was now being torn down in broad daylight.


    Situ Shen reflected,


    "Under the bright sun, the filth and darkness have nowhere to hide."


    Mo Hua, however, discerned the implications in his words, "Are places untouched by sunlight still the same?"


    Situ Shen was somewhat surprised.


    He had not expected Mo Hua to be so perceptive.


    The subtle thoughts that he had harbored were captured by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was profound, his thoughts penetrating, and he had even shown kindness to Situ Shen and the Situ Family. Thus, Situ Shen decided to be candid and share some heartfelt words.


    "Mr. Little Mo," sighed Situ Shen, his voice growing somber,


    "Since I was thirty years old, I have been serving in the Taoist Court, starting from a lowly Enforcement Leader to becoming a Supervisor, Deputy Court Leader, and I have also served as the Court Leader in several Little Immortal Cities..."


    "This kind of thing... I¡¯ve seen it quite a lot..."


    "Or to say, across the entire Cultivation World, such things are all too common."


    "This issue could be resolved, simply because it was brought into the open."


    "Matters exposed to the public are always carried out with propriety and grandiosity, but if they are not brought to light, the scene is completely different." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "To put it in hurtful terms..."


    Situ Shen looked at Mo Hua and said in a low voice,


    "Today, as the Court Leader of South Yue City, I can act uprightly and advocate for these unfortunate Cultivators, sweep away these Brothels and gambling dens, appearing righteous and dignified."


    "But if I had come to be the Court Leader of South Yue City before this..."


    "It¡¯s very likely that I would have done the same things as the previous Court Leader."


    "Frequenting Brothels, squandering thousands of gold, using the bodies of these unfortunate women for pleasure, and indulging in a life of luxury and debauchery."

 Chapter 566: Little Zombie (3)

    "Together with the Lu Family, oppressing, squeezing, and playing with these cultivators..."Situ Shen¡¯s gaze was murky as he shifted the topic and said:


    "Of course, I¡¯m just saying..."


    "The Situ Family has its family disciplines, at most I¡¯ll keep to my own sense of integrity, I won¡¯t really sink into the mire with them."


    "But most people, even if they talk the talk of righteousness, when they actually get to that position, they act no different than Court Leader Qian..."


    "And if this incident hadn¡¯t blown up, with local Taoist Court Officials covering for each other, the matters involving the Lu Family would most likely have been quietly dropped."


    "In this world, light and dark alternate, and human hearts are complex..."


    "Those who stand in the light often shine bright, but once they step into the dark, who knows what they turn into..."


    "It is not always light everywhere, and you too might inevitably find yourself walking in darkness..."


    Looking at Mo Hua, Situ Shen spoke earnestly:


    "Mr. Mo, you must be careful in the future." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Be wary of others, but also of yourself...


    These were things Situ Shen could see and understand clearly, but he couldn¡¯t resolve them.


    He didn¡¯t want Mo Hua¡¯s pure Taoist Heart, to get entangled in the mire of fickle human hearts, lost in the sinister currents of worldly desires, and thereafter suffer in confusion.


    Mo Hua seemed pensive and then nodded solemnly.


    "Thank you, Court Leader Situ!"


    Situ Shen had spoken these heartfelt words out of real concern for him.


    Mo Hua was well aware of this in his heart.


    Situ Shen smiled and nodded slightly.


    He turned his head, looking down at the demolished Jinhua Street, and sighed softly.


    This bustling marketplace, bright as pouring gold under the night lights, now revealed its true form under the daylight, showing a sordid mess.


    In the Cultivation World, despite many places still being dark and unjust,


    There was ultimately a beam of light that shone upon this place...


    With the destruction of Jinhua Street, many cultivators regained their freedom.


    Qinglan made a special visit to thank Mo Hua, bringing along Hundred Flower cakes she made herself.


    In South Yue City, she no longer had any family.


    Qinglan was alone and, although capable of supporting herself, life was still somewhat difficult.


    Situ Fang decided to take her under her wing; she could teach Qinglan cultivation, and in turn, Qinglan could prepare her meals and take care of her daily needs.


    As a Supervisor, Situ Fang was quite busy on a regular basis and had no time to care for herself.


    And behind Situ Fang stood the support of her clan.


    With her, Qinglan would be more stable, not adrift like duckweed with the current.


    Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi sat in the courtyard, eating Hundred Flower cakes and chatting with Qinglan for a while.


    Bai Zixi gifted her a cultivation technique.


    It was not rare in the Bai Family, but very precious to Qinglan.


    Before departing, Qinglan bowed deeply in gratitude, saying:


    "If there¡¯s ever a way for Qinglan to be of help to the Young Master and Miss Bai, I will not hesitate even at the cost of my life!"


    Mo Hua waved his hand, "Sister Qinglan, you speak too seriously."


    ...


    After seeing Qinglan off, Elder Su paid a visit the next day.


    Elder Su brought some fine tea for Mo Hua to taste.


    The two sat in the courtyard, sipping tea with a gentle breeze coming through, the air moist and fragrant with tea.


    Elder Su apologized, saying:


    "Young Gentleman, I¡¯m sorry, I had no idea that the Lu Family Head... Lu Chengyun, had such ruthless ambition, a loose tongue, and that¡¯s what got you, Young Gentleman, caught in his scheming..."


    "It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright." Mo Hua did not mind.


    If Lu Chengyun did not act on his own ideas, then he, too, would not yet learn about the Spiritual Pivot Formation, could not exhaust the Contemplation Map, and would not be able to thoroughly solve South Yue City¡¯s zombie plague, nor help them rebuild the mines.


    The Loose Cultivators of South Yue City, they suffered, too.


    Mo Hua was also a Loose Cultivator by origin, and he still remembered his mother¡¯s words.


    If you come across a Loose Cultivator struggling to get by, help them out within your capabilities if you can.


    Elder Su sighed and said, "Young Gentleman, you truly have a broad heart..."


    Although Elder Su¡¯s flattery always seemed a bit awkward, Mo Hua still felt quite pleased when he heard it.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was smiling, but he humbly said:


    "Not at all, not at all."


    Seeing that Mo Hua held no grudges against him, Elder Su¡¯s heart settled down.


    The atmosphere became much warmer as a result.


    The two of them chatted about Formation Arrays as usual and talked about mundane matters.


    As they talked, the conversation turned to Jinhua Street and the Hundred Flower Tower...


    Elder Su expressed his gratitude:


    "I have to thank you for what happened at Jinhua Street."


    Mo Hua nodded his head but then seemed puzzled, "Jinhua Street has been demolished, Elder, so you can¡¯t go to the Hundred Flower Tower to listen to music anymore, right? You¡¯re thanking me for this?"


    Elder Su¡¯s face turned red, "No, it¡¯s not like that, I¡¯m really not familiar..."


    Mo Hua obviously did not believe him.


    Seeing the keen look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, Elder Su knew that he knew everything and no longer hid anything, but his expression turned wistful:


    "The music is soothing to the ears, and the ladies are pleasing to the eye."


    "Not being able to hear or see it is indeed a regret."


    "But these are just minor personal desires, they don¡¯t count for much."


    "What I hope for more is that no one in this world will have to live a life adrift in the dust, and no young woman will have to suffer misfortune like Shuixian..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then lifted his teacup and crisply said:


    "I shall drink this tea in place of wine to honor the Elder."


    Elder Su, caught between laughter and tears, still raised his cup and drank tea with Mo Hua...


    ...


    The affairs of South Yue City had essentially come to a close.


    The mines were built, and the Formation Arrays perfected.


    The Mining Cultivators of South Yue City could now earn Spirit Stones through their own efforts, make a living, and live a steady and secure life.


    Apart from that, the countless zombies also had to be burned.


    The Corpse Burning Formation of the Taoist Court had been built.


    The Corpse Burning Formation was a Compound Formation, constructed atop the cemetery hill, made up of many Fire-series Single Formations, covering a vast area. When activated, the flames surged upwards, turning the entire cemetery hill a crimson red as if it had become a Flaming Mountain.


    All the zombies of South Yue City queued up to be cremated.


    Mo Hua controlled the Walking Corpses, leading them into the Corpse Burning Formation in batches, burning away their bodies, dissipating the Corpse Qi, and eliminating the Corpse Poison.


    All the zombies had to be cremated.


    This process took a long time.


    And the only one not cremated was that little zombie.


    It had not touched any bloodshed, had committed no evil acts, and had even helped Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, with a sense of compassion, laid down a Formation Array, vented its Corpse Qi, and buried it on a secluded but serene little hill in the cemetery.


    The hill was desolate, yet tranquil, undisturbed by anyone.


    When evening came, and the sun set in the west, the afterglow would scatter over the hill and over the little grave that Mo Hua had erected for the tiny creature...

 Chapter 567: Go Die (1)

    Atop the burial mound, the flames of the Corpse Burning Formation blazed fiercely.Apart from the tiny zombies, all Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, including the Corpse King, had to be thoroughly purified within the Corpse Burning Formation, eradicating the evil that had been wrought.


    There were too many Walking Corpses; thus, after cremation, their ashes were mostly buried together.


    The Lu Family was raided and fell into disarray.


    Among the Iron Corpses, the elders of the Lu Family were ignored; after being burned, they were buried haphazardly, with a simple mound erected. No one paid respects, and some even looked down upon them. Every time Cultivators from South Yue City passed by, they would spit upon the graves.


    Some Foundation Building Cultivators from other families or Sects would be claimed after cremation and buried in their ancestral graves.


    Mo Hua also solemnly collected the bone ashes of past Elders of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect; these would later be handed over to Instructor Yan for a proper burial.


    Having learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation, I received a favor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Therefore, I also wanted to show some heartfelt gratitude.


    The Corpse Burning Formation continued for more than ten days, incinerating all walking and iron corpses until only the Corpse King remained.


    But the Corpse King could not be incinerated.


    Even though the fire in the Compound Formation used to purify the Corpse King was of a Second-Grade Formation, with flames so intense they resembled molten iron, it still could do no harm to the Corpse King.


    The Corpse King kept its eyes closed, hands crossed over its chest, situated amidst the surging flames, letting the fierce fire burn. Its coppery-red body showed no signs of incineration.


    Several days passed, and the body of the Corpse King remained unaffected by the fierce fire.


    Yang Jishan frowned.


    The crowd¡¯s expressions were grave.


    Cultivators in-the-know were even more startled.


    The Corpse King was a Taoist Demon¡¯s disaster; it had the potential to evolve into a Taoist Demon and was extremely vexing.


    Now that it had submitted to Mo Hua, losing the possibility to become a Taoist Demon and temporarily in slumber, yet if it wasn¡¯t killed, no one could say if it might undergo a perverse transformation later on.


    Yang Jishan and the others tried various methods.


    Spiritual Artifacts, Spells, Runes, and even other more powerful Second-Grade Formations, but at most, they only harmed the Corpse King¡¯s flesh, unable to completely incinerate it.


    Out of options, Yang Jishan had no choice but to seek Mo Hua, hoping Mo Hua might have a solution.


    The Corpse Burning event was managed by the Taoist Court, and Mo Hua did not interfere much.


    He merely controlled the Corpse King to enter the Corpse Burning Formation, leaving the rest unattended.


    Now that Yang Jishan asked him, Mo Hua made a special trip to check on the situation.


    Atop the burial mound, the flames were like a sea of fire.


    And the Corpse King was immersed in this sea of fire, body unharmed by the intense flames.


    Mo Hua also furrowed his brows, puzzled.


    Logically speaking, with the power of a Second-Grade Formation, after refining for so long, even if the Corpse King was a Copper Corpse, it should have melted into a pool of "copper water."


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to sense more carefully; after a moment, he noticed a faint Taoist Meaning entwined around the Corpse King.


    A Copper Corpse couldn¡¯t resist the incineration of the Corpse Burning Formation.


    But this Corpse King wasn¡¯t just a Copper Corpse; it was also a Corpse King.


    This strand of Taoist Meaning shared similarities with the Great Dao¡¯s Taoist Meaning that Mo Hua had sensed before from the earth.


    However, it was malformed, mutated, vicious, and a perversion. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was the twisted "Taoist Meaning" of a Taoist Demon.


    It was the source of the Taoist Demon.


    This twisted Taoist Meaning prevented the Corpse King¡¯s body from being purified and was also fostering the emergence of the Corpse King¡¯s autonomous consciousness.


    As Mo Hua clearly perceived this strand of Taoist Meaning, the Corpse King suddenly opened its eyes.


    Its eyes were pitch-black and empty, gazing coldly at Mo Hua.


    At the same time, a fierce phantom appeared in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    This phantom was both the Corpse King and yet not entirely the Corpse King.


    Wrapped around it was a faint, mysterious, and terrifying air, filled with profound hatred and indignation, watching Mo Hua with enmity.


    This was the air of a Taoist Demon.


    It seemed to harbor venomous resentment towards Mo Hua for thwarting its destiny.


    Mo Hua remained unruffled, looking back at it calmly.


    When the "Corpse King" met Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, it suddenly appeared internally fearful despite its ferocious front. Beneath its venomous demeanor, there was deep-seated fear.


    It was as though a fierce servant longed to devour its master, but the malicious intent it harbored was discovered by the master.


    Therefore, underneath its fierce exterior, there was hidden cowardice.


    Mo Hua understood in his heart.


    The Corpse King had submitted to him, and naturally, the Taoist Meaning within it also feared him.


    It wanted to devour the master.


    Only by devouring the master, could the Taoist Meaning grow, and the Corpse King evolve into a Taoist Demon.


    But as long as it couldn¡¯t devour the master, it had to follow his commands to the letter!


    Since it had to obey him, that made things easier.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes turned cold as he commanded in an uncompromising, icy voice:


    "Wicked beast, die."


    Yang Jishan and the others trembled at the words.


    And within the eyes of the Corpse King, terror emerged.


    When the master orders death, his servant must die!


    As Mo Hua issued the command, the Taoist Meaning within the Corpse King transformed into a fierce corpse shadow, with red eyes and a ferocious face. It twisted, howled, and screamed.


    But no matter how unwilling or how much it struggled, it had to obey Mo Hua¡¯s command to die as per the laws of the Great Dao.


    Its figure gradually faded, and the atmosphere of the Taoist Demon dissipated.


    Simultaneously, the Corpse King let out a roar. The flames of the Corpse Burning Formation shot up to the sky and, under the astonished gaze of onlookers, the flesh withered, the face collapsed, and the ferocious fire gradually reduced it to ashes...


    The Corpse King truly died...


    The Cultivators looked at Mo Hua with a hint of fear in their eyes.


    The Lord of Ten Thousand Corpses, a manifestation of a Taoist Demon, actually died just because of Mo Hua¡¯s single command...


    But as to how this had happened, the crowd knew nothing.


    They wanted to ask, but were at the moment restrained by Mo Hua¡¯s commanding presence as he ordered the Corpse King to its death, and they didn¡¯t dare to inquire.


    Only the gaunt elder had a solemn expression, showing a thoughtful look.

 Chapter 568: Go Die (2)

    But no matter what, with the Corpse King dead, the troubles with the corpses had truly come to an end.This matter could finally be considered closed.


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief.


    Through twists and turns over these days, continuous life-and-death battles, and multiple unexpected changes, they had hovered on the brink of death and witnessed scenes both bone-chilling and inconceivable. Now, they could finally ease their burdens and relax.


    Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    He turned and left with light steps.


    But, just as he turned around, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.


    Within the darkness, he had a premonition.


    It seemed as though something fierce had taken residence within him.


    This thing was malformed and cruel, like the Taoist Meaning, but extremely twisted, akin to the Corpse King¡¯s vile thoughts, brimming with loathing and glaring at him menacingly.


    Yet, as soon as he attempted to perceive it, it would, as though startled, vanish without a trace, its hiding place unknown¡­


    This sensation was exactly the same as the mutated Taoist Meaning on the Corpse King.


    "But hasn¡¯t it dissipated already?"


    Mo Hua wondered, baffled.


    Concerned about the Taoist Demon, Mo Hua had to be more cautious.


    Upon returning, he sought the advice of Mr. Zhuang.


    "Master, the Taoist Demon that died seems to have latched onto me¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat surprised, yet not taken aback; reclining in his bamboo chair, he said leisurely,


    "You ruined its chance of becoming a Taoist Demon, so of course it hates you, and thus its Taoist Meaning has fused into your cause and effect."


    "Fused into cause and effect?"


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Mr. Zhuang then explained,


    "Everything in the world has its cause and effect, from the grass and the trees to every drink and peck, none can escape the realm of causality."


    Mo Hua felt like he understood Mr. Zhuang¡¯s explanation, but upon closer thought, he was still confused.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "Don¡¯t think too hard; cause and effect is just a form of the Great Dao¡¯s rule. Everything operates according to its own rules; this is causality."


    "It¡¯s the same with people."


    "A person¡¯s past actions, thoughts, and desires are all formed by the cycles of causality."


    "And all of a person¡¯s past forms the cause, and everything that happens later forms the effect based on those past causes."


    "Therefore, cause and effect also make up a person¡¯s fate."


    "The fate of the past is set, unchangeable, but the fate of the future, based on your previous life, is subject to myriad changes¡­"


    Mo Hua seemed to have an epiphany and nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, hope shining in his eyes, "As for matters of causality, it¡¯s good that you understand them now; thinking too much is pointless¡­"


    "When your Divine Sense grows stronger, your experiences more diverse, and your understanding of the Great Dao, Formation, and all things more profound, then you can study further¡­"


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking, "Master, is this ¡¯cause and effect¡¯ thing really useful?"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "It might be useless, but it could also be extremely useful; it all depends on how deeply you understand it."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered as he asked,


    "Master, so the Taoist Demon infusing into my cause and effect, is it a good thing or a bad thing?"


    "It¡¯s not a good thing," Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    "But it¡¯s also not necessarily a bad thing," Mr. Zhuang added.


    Mo Hua, with his mouth agape, couldn¡¯t help but mutter,


    "Master, what you¡¯ve said is... as good as saying nothing..."


    Mr. Zhuang gently tapped Mo Hua¡¯s head and chuckled,


    "In this world, everything has its pros and cons, misfortune and fortune go hand in hand; there¡¯s no such thing as absolute good or bad."


    "So what should I do?" Mo Hua asked. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, "Just keep a normal heart, uphold your Taoist Heart, and there¡¯s no need to worry or fear. Don¡¯t even think about it; once your Divine Sense is powerful, everything will be easily solved..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, recalling Mr. Zhuang¡¯s previous words,


    "If the Taoist Heart is clear and the Divine Thought is strong, then all evil will not invade... Is that right, Master?" Explore more stories at empire


    Mr. Zhuang nodded with approval.


    Mo Hua thus let go of his concerns.


    However, he didn¡¯t notice the solemn weight in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s lowered gaze.


    As Mo Hua stood to take his leave, Mr. Zhuang suddenly said,


    "Mo Hua."


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang with some confusion.


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment before asking,


    "How did this mutated Taoist Meaning fuse into your causality?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then replied truthfully,


    "It seems that... I ordered it to die, and it tried to, but didn¡¯t fully succeed, and then it hated me..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze froze, his fingers hidden in his sleeves quivering, and his heart couldn¡¯t help but flutter.


    "You... ordered it to die?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded and asked worriedly, "Master, is there any trouble?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes became inscrutable as he smiled faintly,


    "It doesn¡¯t matter, just remember what I¡¯ve just told you."


    "Alright, Master!"


    If the Master said it didn¡¯t matter, then there probably wasn¡¯t anything wrong.


    Mo Hua left cheerfully and at ease.


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang sighed deeply and frowned.


    Old Kui¡¯s figure appeared, and he said in a soft sigh,


    "Too bold..."


    Uncharacteristically, Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t retort but instead nodded in agreement,


    "Yes, too bold..."


    To actually order a Taoist Demon to die...


    Fearless due to ignorance.


    And the troubling part is that the Taoist Demon really followed his command to die...


    Mr. Zhuang said helplessly,


    "The Corpse King wasn¡¯t quite a Taoist Demon. Making the Corpse King kneel was just touching upon a great causality, but now that he directly ordered a Taoist Demon to die, it¡¯s like he swallowed this great causality whole. Truly... recklessly audacious..."


    Old Kui glanced at Mr. Zhuang contemptuously, "Weren¡¯t you quite proud before? Feeling remorse now? What do we do?"

 Chapter 569: Go to Die (3)

    Mr. Zhuang sighed.He had calculated that everything would end once the Corpse King was subdued.


    Yet unexpectedly, complications had arisen at the last minute.


    If he had known, he would have swallowed his pride and not put on airs, issuing more warnings to Mo Hua, telling him to stay out of idle affairs.


    Let the people from the Taoist Court worry about the cremation of the Corpse King. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Kui frowned and said:


    "However, even if the Taoist Demon is integrated into cause and effect, it doesn¡¯t really matter, does it? It¡¯s not a true Taoist Demon, just a strand of twisted Taoist Meaning."


    "The problem lies exactly here..."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "Mo Hua is embarking on the ¡¯Divine Sense Proving the Dao¡¯ path. Once his Divine Sense becomes strong enough and his comprehension of the universe deepens, he will inevitably nourish his own Taoist Meaning."


    "But with the presence of the Taoist Demon¡¯s aura entangled in cause and effect."


    "What he might cultivate could no longer be Taoist Meaning, but rather... his own flesh and blood nourishing the ¡¯Taoist Demon¡¯ within him..."


    Upon hearing this, Old Kui¡¯s face turned somewhat pale.


    Becoming the embodiment of a Taoist Demon!


    Then he would indeed become a Demon Head, more terrifying than Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Old Kui frowned and said, "This child, Mo Hua, possesses a nature of purity and clarity. It shouldn¡¯t come to that, should it?"


    "It seems so now..." Mr. Zhuang lay down slowly, his eyes uncertain, "but as for the future, who can be sure?"


    "Especially now... while he is still young and can maintain a mind free of distractions."


    "But as he grows up and experiences more, it¡¯s inevitable his mind will become cluttered with various thoughts. If his feelings change because of emotions, and one thought turns demonic, then..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s voice gradually faded to inaudibility.


    Old Kui raised his eyebrow, "Are you referring to the Bai Family?"


    Mr. Zhuang arched an eyebrow but didn¡¯t elaborate.


    Both of them, however, understood very well.


    The shared daily life between the two children might have fostered naive and indiscernible affections, but these two elders saw everything clearly.


    "The Bai Family..."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head with a hint of disdain, yet his eyes betrayed a deep wariness.


    Old Kui¡¯s expression was as cold and severe as if it were carved from stone.


    The Bai Family¡¯s depths were truly unfathomable...


    Looking into the distance, Mr. Zhuang sighed, "This child, Mo Hua, is a person of utmost sincerity and emotion. The more so, the easier he is wounded. Even without that young girl, an accident involving his parents or friends might equally provoke a change in his nature..."


    Old Kui knitted his brow and glanced at Mr. Zhuang before shaking his head:


    "I disagree, the child¡¯s nature may be upright, but he¡¯s not rigid. He¡¯s clever, occasionally crafty, his thoughts thorough, and he knows how to adapt. He should not reach such a state."


    "Let¡¯s hope so..." Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    "Won¡¯t you make this clear to him?" Old Kui asked.


    "Even if I explained, it would be futile..." Mr. Zhuang shook his head.


    "Speaking plainly about matters like the Taoist Demon and Taoist Meaning might just disrupt his thoughts and ruin his state of mind."


    "It¡¯s better to let him believe that with a clear Taoist Heart, he will be invulnerable to all evil. Focused solely on cultivating his Divine Thought, he might indeed become immune to all evil..."


    "After all, what he needs to do remains the same, to cultivate his Divine Sense to perfection, unencumbered, more readily forging ahead."


    Old Kui nodded slightly.


    Mr. Zhuang closed his eyes in thought and, after a moment, as if struck by a revelation, opened them and added:


    "Also, this might not necessarily be a bad thing..."


    Old Kui, resonating with his thoughts, slowly said:


    "You mean, Gui Tao¡¯s people?"


    Demon Sect Cultivators who practice Gui Tao.


    You must not think of them, not speculate, and even less speak their taboo names.


    Yet, Old Kui showed no concern as he directly called out the name of ¡¯Gui Tao¡¯s people,¡¯ with not a single anomaly around him.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, his gaze profound:


    "The Taoist Demon has form, has spirit."


    "The Corpse King was the embryo of a Taoist Demon, and after its form perished and its spirit died, the resentful remnant of the Taoist Demon¡¯s aura merged with cause and effect."


    "The Taoist Demon at the level of cause and effect is nearly indestructible and exceedingly difficult to deal with."


    "Even for my senior brother, it¡¯s the same."


    "But for Mo Hua, it¡¯s a bit different."


    "Although partly a twist of fate, he subdued the Taoist Demon on his own, commanding it to die."


    "Mo Hua is the Master of the Taoist Demon."


    "The Taoist Demon hides within Mo Hua¡¯s cause and effect, certainly harboring a vengeful spirit, desperately seeking to devour its master. But as long as it cannot consume its master, it must protect him!"


    "Thus, it is a double-edged sword."


    "Turned inward, it may corrupt Mo Hua¡¯s Taoist Meaning, but turned outward, it truly might make him invulnerable within cause and effect!"


    "For in his fate, lurks a most vile and sinister Taoist Demon!"


    "As the Taoist Demon is the ultimate evil, so he becomes invulnerable to all evil!"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was sharp.


    Old Kui was inwardly shocked.


    If such were truly the case, then Mo Hua, this seemingly inconspicuous little cultivator, might actually be a grand terror within the Heavenly Secret Calculation.


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    His fate masked with Taoist Demon, an unfathomable, inestimable, and inviolable abyss!

 Chapter 570: Farewell (1)

    The matters of causality and fate were completely unknown to Mo Hua.He only remembered one phrase:


    "With a steadfast Taoist heart, no evil shall invade."


    As long as he concentrated on learning Formations, comprehended the Great Dao, and remained resilient in his Taoist heart, continuously refining his Divine Sense to its ultimate strength, with thoughts profound and insights penetrating the principles of all things, then all malevolent spirits would pose no threat.


    Mo Hua continued to cultivate and learn Formations just as before.


    But the Taoist Demon clearly refused to give up.


    The shadow of the Corpse King occasionally appeared inexplicably within his Sea of Consciousness, its gaze blood-red, looking at Mo Hua with a cruel expression.


    This kind of existence was completely different from that of the Little Green-faced Ghost and the Divine Thought Body of the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family.


    It seemed existent yet nonexistent.


    Palpably real yet illusory.


    It didn¡¯t seem like a real Divine Thought, and as Mr. Zhuang had said, it was more like a lingering thought of karma, residing in the past.


    The shadow of the Corpse King appeared repeatedly.


    At first, Mo Hua was somewhat surprised and worried, but then he recalled Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words:


    "Just maintain your equanimity, hold fast to your Taoist heart, you need not worry or be afraid, you don¡¯t even have to think about it..."


    And so, Mo Hua became nonchalant about it.


    In his Sea of Consciousness, the Corpse King was just a Copper Corpse.


    He had killed Copper Corpses before.


    The Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family was consumed by him, though it was a situation of many against few and somewhat dishonorable, but now it was different.


    Now, he was at the peak of the Thirteen Stripes of Divine Sense, far from what he used to be.


    Even in a fair fight, one-on-one, he could subdue the Copper Corpse incarnate of the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master.


    And this Corpse King, he had controlled it once with the Spirit Pivot Formation.


    "In life," it was under his command.


    "In death," it couldn¡¯t escape the palm of his hand.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know much about the matters of causality.


    Fearing nothing from ignorance.


    Because of "ignorance," there was "no fear."


    And because of fearlessness, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was unyielding, his aura strong, not giving any regard to this Corpse King tinged with the breath of a Taoist Demon.


    The Corpse King let out a roar.


    Mo Hua frowned and said, "Don¡¯t bother me!"


    Scolded by Mo Hua, the Corpse King instinctively trembled, then became infuriated, its gaze fierce, but it truly couldn¡¯t do anything and could only growl lowly again, retreating unwillingly...


    Every now and then, the Corpse King would surface in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    But Mo Hua paid it no heed, often full of disdain, occasionally even telling it to get lost.


    The Corpse King could only glare violently and lurk in the shadows.


    After that, the appearances of the Corpse King became less frequent...


    Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness also became much clearer.


    But what he didn¡¯t know was that his own causality and fate had thereby become much more dangerous...


    ...


    After the events of South Yue City, the Corpse King was subdued, Lu Chengyun died, and the Spirit Pivot Formation was learned. It was also time to leave.


    Before leaving, Mo Hua entombed the ashes of the past Elders of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect in the Gold Inlaid Black Jade Urn and handed it to Instructor Yan.


    Grasping the ashes, Instructor Yan looked moved.


    Then with a mixture of sighs and feelings of guilt, "I, as a disciple, failed to protect our Sect¡¯s Elders from this disaster..."


    Instructor Yan¡¯s eyes reddened, tears welled up, and his emotions took a long time to calm down.


    The anger, confusion, hardship, loneliness, and despair he had felt over the years surged in his chest.


    Bringing the traitor to justice, reclaiming the legacy Formation of the Sect.


    These were things he thought about day and night for so many years.


    But he had never imagined the day when his dreams would indeed come true.


    Instructor Yan turned to look at Mo Hua, filled with gratitude and self-reproach, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh:


    "I owe it all to you for this matter..."


    Investigating the traitor, discovering his identity, disrupting his schemes, making him pay with his blood, comforting the spirit of his master and the ancestors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect in heaven...


    These were things that he was supposed to do himself.


    But it was all thanks to Mo Hua that this grudge was settled.


    This matter also involved the Lu Family, the Corpse Mine, the Corpse King, and even lead to the Taoist Court, forcing them to dispatch Taoist Soldiers for suppression.


    How much danger was involved, Mo Hua didn¡¯t say, but he could guess.


    These dangers were originally his to bear...


    Yet they all fell upon the young Mo Hua.


    He himself had hardly done anything.


    Overwhelmed with shame, Instructor Yan lamented, "As an Instructor, I truly am ashamed to show my face..."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Instructor, you¡¯ve done a lot already."


    Instructor Yan was taken aback, then spoke with a wry smile:


    "You don¡¯t have to comfort me..."


    Yet Mo Hua shook his head and said, "It¡¯s not comfort, the master told me before, everything in this world has its causality, every drink and every peck has its rule."


    "The subjugation of Lu Chengyun and the quelling of the corpse calamity result from the seeds of virtue you planted, which brought about this virtuous outcome." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had just learned the basics of causality from Mr. Zhuang and was now using it to console Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan frowned, "What does this have to do with me?"


    "Of course, it does!"


    Mo Hua explained confidently:


    "Without your initial teaching, I might not have chosen the path of Formation; without your introduction, I could not have taken Mr. Zhuang as my teacher; without taking Mr. Zhuang as my teacher, I wouldn¡¯t have been so proficient in Formations, nor would I travel everywhere in search of them."


    "And going to South Yue City was to seek Formations, but also to find you."


    "Had you not been in South Yue City, I would not have come." Explore more at empire


    "It was your clues that allowed me to unravel the mystery step by step, find out about Zhang Quan, Corpse Walking Stronghold, Corpse Mine, along with Lu Chengyun and the Corpse King¡¯s schemes..."


    "Finally, I was able to kill Lu Chengyun, subdue the Corpse King, allay the corpse disaster, and reclaim the stolen legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect."


    "And with the Corpse King killed by the Spirit Pivot Formation, Lu Chengyun can be said to have died under the legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect."

 Chapter 571: Farewell (2)

    "Every event, every instance, is part of the cycle of cause and effect,""Without your initial adherence to principles, the transmission of Formation knowledge, and planting good causes, none of this would have happened. The Corpse Mine incident wouldn¡¯t have the outcome it has today..."


    Instructor Yan looked somewhat dazed, lost in contemplation for a long time.


    Good causes, good effects...


    After a while, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh and say,


    "You, child, have always had a way with words."


    And the thing was, his words made sense, leaving him unable to refute.


    When he thought about it, it was indeed because he had valued Mo Hua as a child, taught him about Formations, and given him an opportunity that Mo was able to help him so much today, settling the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s longstanding grievances.


    Thinking about it that way, did he not also accomplish something worthwhile? S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Instructor Yan felt a sense of poignancy, his eyes filled with satisfaction as he looked at the earnest Mo Hua.


    Perhaps not letting Mo Hua¡¯s talents go to waste was the most correct thing he had done in his life...


    Instructor Yan felt the knot in his heart slowly start to unravel.


    His brow unfurled.


    But what followed was an empty sense of loss.


    Lu Chengyun was dead, the vendetta was avenged, and his wishes fulfilled.


    Suddenly, he didn¡¯t know what to do anymore.


    Revenge had been his obsession, the driving force behind his will to live all these years, and with the great vendetta settled, he suddenly felt adrift.


    Mo Hua seemed to understand, his eyes shimmering slightly, he asked in a low voice,


    "Instructor, how would you like to handle the ashes of the predecessors from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?"


    Instructor Yan was taken aback, then after a moment of contemplation, he sighed,


    "The Minor Hidden Spirit Sect is no more, and the gates have been sold off; we can¡¯t go back... I plan to find a place to build a mausoleum, to lay the predecessors to rest properly, and sweep their graves during festivals..."


    And for himself, to live out the rest of his life in peace and quiet.


    Mo Hua then asked,


    "Where will the burial be?"


    "That..."


    Instructor Yan hesitated, not having decided on a specific location for the burial.


    These days, finding a good piece of land wasn¡¯t easy, and it would cost quite a few Spirit Stones.


    "Why not bury them in Tongxian City?" Mo Hua suggested.


    "Tongxian City?" Instructor Yan was a bit astonished.


    "Yes." Mo Hua nodded, patted his chest confidently, and said,


    "I¡¯m very familiar with Tongxian City. Court Leader Zhou, Elder Yu, Old Master An, and Master Luo¡­ I have some connection with all the notable Cultivators there..."


    "I¡¯ll write a letter for you to bring back. Explain the situation, and they will help you."


    "When the time comes, you can bury the predecessors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect wherever you wish."


    Instructor Yan was stunned.


    A single letter could help him?


    Your connections aren¡¯t just ¡¯some¡¯, they¡¯re ironclad¡­but that¡¯s not right.


    If he remembered correctly, Cultivators like Court Leader Zhou, Elder Yu, and Old Master An weren¡¯t just Foundation Building Cultivators, they also held high statuses in Tongxian City.


    And Master Luo was an even more senior first-grade Formation Master...


    How did Mo Hua get so close to them?


    Even if he was a young and promising first-grade Formation Master, his network shouldn¡¯t be this extensive...


    Instructor Yan was somewhat dazed.


    What exactly had happened in Tongxian City during the two or three years he was gone?


    Had Mo Hua¡¯s influence grown so powerful?


    "Instructor?" Mo Hua called out.


    Instructor Yan snapped back to the present.


    "What do you think?" Mo Hua asked.


    Instructor Yan hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Tongxian City¡¯s mountaintops aren¡¯t that affluent, this¡­"


    Mo Hua played coy,


    "Don¡¯t worry, Tongxian City has changed a lot since then, you¡¯ll see when you get back."


    Instructor Yan was puzzled, but didn¡¯t press for details.


    Under the current circumstances, burying the predecessors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect in Tongxian City was the best option.


    "Alright," Instructor Yan nodded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened, then he continued to ask, "Instructor, do you want to rebuild the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?"


    Rebuild¡­ the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?


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    Instructor Yan¡¯s heart quivered; he turned, looking incredulously at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua said, "Of course, this isn¡¯t something that can be rushed, but can be done step by step¡­"


    "You can start by teaching Loose Cultivator about Formations in Tongxian City, and when there are more Disciples learning Formations, then gradually start rebuilding the Sect..."


    "Elder Yu would definitely be willing to help you with this."


    "Taoist Court will be no problem either."


    "As for Formation Masters, Master Luo and Elder Qian will also support you..."


    "It will take time, of course - rebuilding a Sect is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires long-term perseverance, perhaps even the effort of several generations..."


    "..."


    Mo Hua laid it all out plainly.


    For a while, Instructor Yan felt a wave of emotion, yet he was still somewhat indecisive, clearly burdened with many concerns and uncertain about his decision.


    Mo Hua spoke earnestly,


    "By rebuilding the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect and carrying forward the legacy of Formation knowledge, more and more disciples will come to pay homage to these predecessors from the Sect..."


    Carrying forward the legacy of Formation knowledge and having more disciples pay homage...


    Instructor Yan¡¯s heart throbbed intensely.


    In his eyes, the uncertainty dissipated, giving way to hope and yearning.


    Mo Hua said no more.


    He knew that Instructor Yan had made his decision; there was nothing more for him to say.


    Instructor Yan, who held teacher-disciple relationships and the transmission of Formation knowledge in high regard, had never given up pursuing the traitor Lu Chengyun for all these years. Now that the chance to revive the Sect and pass on the Formation knowledge lay before him, he wouldn¡¯t let it slip by.


    No matter how difficult the endeavour might be, he would find a way to overcome it.

 Chapter 572: Farewell (3)

    Several days later, Instructor Yan embarked on his journey.He was returning to Tongxian City to find a picturesque spot to bury the ancestors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    At the same time, the idea of rebuilding the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect and passing on its Formation legacy was also taking root in his heart.


    Mo Hua had given him many Formation Books and some personal insights into Formations.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation diagrams had been meticulously deconstructed by Mo Hua from the simplest to the most complex, with clear and detailed annotations.


    They were convenient for both learning and teaching.


    This set of Formation Diagrams was also entrusted to Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan received them solemnly, his hands trembling slightly.


    In addition, Mo Hua had given him some local specialties from South Yue City, as well as travel rations, and some Pills for emergency, such as Poison Repelling Pills, Miasma Repelling Pills, and Demon-Expelling Pills.


    Mo Hua saw Instructor Yan off all the way to the outskirts of the city.


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    Along the way, Mo Hua chattered nonstop, incessantly relaying advice:


    "You should go for an assessment first..."


    "After the assessment, things will be much more convenient."


    "Tongxian City has many connections, so the assessment will go smoothly, and the Taoist Court even provides a dedicated car service..."


    "Once you¡¯ve gone through the assessment, try to establish your Foundation no matter what, even if you have to borrow some Spirit Stones... You can seek out... no, not Elder Yu, he¡¯s rather poor. Look for Old Master An, the An Family is very wealthy, and their young master is even called An Xiaofu; I know him pretty well..."


    "Once you become a Foundation Building Cultivator and your Divine Sense reaches twelve Patterns, you can start learning the Spiritual Pivot Formation."


    "Learn it bit by bit, don¡¯t rush, start with the simplest and progress step by step..."


    ...


    Instructor Yan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, yet he felt a warm affection.


    The words of Mo Hua were highly beneficial to him.


    As an instructor, he was now about to learn Formations from his own disciple...


    Instructor Yan was filled with both reflection and satisfaction.


    After finishing the discussion on Formations, Mo Hua began to talk about other matters:


    "When you get back, please send my regards to my parents..."


    "Tell them I¡¯m perfectly safe, eating well, drinking well, sleeping well, and that I¡¯m well-nourished, chunky and white, that I¡¯ve learned Formations well, and haven¡¯t encountered any danger, so they don¡¯t need to worry..."


    "And Elder Yu, Grandpa Feng, Master Chen, all the uncles and brothers from the Monster Hunters..." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And Da¡¯hu, Dazhu, and the rest..."


    "Please send them my regards too..."


    Mo Hua mentioned a whole slew of names in one breath.


    "Okay, okay, slow down..."


    Instructor Yan¡¯s mind was almost overwhelmed; he sighed internally, this child, is she really so well-liked...


    Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the city gate.


    Parting ways after accompanying a traveler for a thousand miles, Mo Hua had to say goodbye to Instructor Yan.


    When the time came to really say goodbye, she found herself at a loss for words, and the atmosphere turned a bit silent for a moment.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered with reluctance.


    Instructor Yan looked deeply at Mo Hua, as if trying to imprint her image in his heart.


    After a moment, he patted Mo Hua on the shoulder and said with expectation:


    "Study hard!"


    "Mhm!" Mo Hua nodded.


    Instructor Yan then waved his hand and said warmly:


    "Alright, go back now, I¡¯m leaving."


    He shouldered his bag and walked up the mountain path, leaving South Yue City, occasionally looking back to see Mo Hua still standing at the city gate, then waving his hand, signaling her to return; he walked a few steps, looked back again, and waved...


    The wilderness was vast and endless.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s figure grew smaller and smaller, disappearing into the rugged mountains.


    Mo Hua watched seriously, bowing deeply to the distant mountains, just as she had done years ago when she parted with Instructor Yan at the foot of Tongxian City.


    ...


    Instructor Yan said goodbye to Mo Hua and left South Yue City, walking alone along the mountain path towards the northwest. He passed by several peaks and eventually came upon a series of connected mines.


    In the mines, there was a vast mining shaft.


    At the moment, the Mining Cultivators were mining with loud and bustling noises in the background which contained a sense of liveliness.


    Despite their hard work, the faces of the Mining Cultivators in the shaft bore no signs of discomfort, oppression, or pain.


    Instead, there was a touch of hope.


    The hope that by working hard, one could live a little better.


    This was a completely different scene from what he had witnessed upon his arrival.


    Instructor Yan was reminded again of Mo Hua¡¯s words: "Sow the seeds of goodness, and reap the fruits of goodness."


    Could the mine be considered one of these fruits of goodness?


    If he hadn¡¯t sown seeds of goodness in his youth, would the mine still be as it had been before, with people living like zombies during the day and the zombies themselves toiling away at night, just as human beings do?


    Perhaps then, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to witness the scene before him...


    Instructor Yan felt somewhat relieved.


    "Yes, I haven¡¯t achieved nothing after all..."


    His abilities were indeed limited; he couldn¡¯t help many people.


    Without understanding Taoist Skill, he couldn¡¯t kill the wicked.


    His formation ability was average, not knowing any profound formations, nor could he construct large-scale ones.


    All he could do was to pass down the legacy of formations.


    He allowed those with a natural talent for formations not to waste their time.


    He allowed those capable of benefiting others not to be buried in obscurity.


    As long as one could sow more seeds of goodness, naturally, more fruits of goodness would grow...


    With this thought, Instructor Yan¡¯s gaze became bright and clear.


    His lifespan was limited, but there was still so much he could do!


    He looked back once more toward the direction of South Yue City.


    The mountains concealed his view; he could no longer see Mo Hua in front of the city gates.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s figure was still etched in his mind.


    This was the first, and only, cultivator who had managed to learn the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Sect Protecting Grade-One Twelve-Pattern Spiritual Pivot Formation in the Qi-refining Realm.


    He wondered what accomplishments this child would achieve in the future...


    Instructor Yan¡¯s eyes were full of hope.


    ...


    Several days later, in South Yue City.


    Instructor Yan had left, and now it was time for Mo Hua to depart as well.


    He had already bid farewell to Elder Su, Situ Fang, Qinglan, and Yang Jishan, among others.


    Elder Su was quite reluctant to let him go.


    He really liked Mo Hua, and so he gave him a bunch of fine tea.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, "Are you giving me so much?"


    "Yes," replied Elder Su with a wistful expression: "Take it all. After you leave, it¡¯s no fun for me to drink alone. These fine teas will lose their taste without company."


    Mo Hua nodded and said, "Drinking less tea is also good. You should spend more time thinking about your son."


    Elder Su¡¯s face turned red, "What son?"


    Mo Hua silently looked at him.


    Elder Su then chuckled awkwardly and sighed:


    "The past is unbearable to look back on; it¡¯s all about debts that come due."


    Yet, his eyes still revealed a hint of affection.


    Situ Fang and Qinglan also gave Mo Hua some gifts and invited him:


    "Make sure to visit the Situ Family when you have the time, so I can show you some hospitality as the host."


    Mo Hua responded, "Definitely, definitely."


    Yang Jishan looked on with regret.


    Such a fine talent.


    How wonderful it would be if he could join the Taoist Soldiers Court!


    The people of the Yang Family all had similar thoughts and mindsets.


    He even said something very similar to what Yang Jiyong had said:


    "If you ever want to join the Taoist Soldiers Court, just mention the Yang Family¡¯s name; we¡¯ve got you covered!"


    Mo Hua smiled and thanked him, "Thank you, Uncle Yang!"


    Everything was ready, and Mo Hua, along with his junior brother and sister, Old Kui, and Mr. Zhuang, sat in the cart pulled by Big White, embarking on a new journey with the steady sound of horse hooves tapping away.


    The road was rugged, yet the interior of the cart was steady and secure.


    Mo Hua asked, "Master, where are we headed next?"


    "Keep heading south."


    "South?"


    "Yes," Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, "It¡¯s about time."


    He looked at Mo Hua, his eyes distant:


    "You are ready for Foundation Establishment..."

 Chapter 573: Cannot figure out (1)

    "Foundation Establishment!"Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    He had waited for this day, waited for so long!


    Just the thought of being close to Foundation Establishment made Mo Hua smile with his eyes squinted, his little face showing a simple and honest expression, like a carefree cat basking in the sun.


    Watching him, Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze was gentle, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.


    Bai Zisheng then curled his lips and said,


    "How unambitious, getting so excited over mere Foundation Establishment..."


    "As my junior brother, you should set your sights farther, aiming for at least the Golden Core, or even Feather Transformation..."


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered with him.


    He was in a good mood now, so he decided not to quibble with his junior brother.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua warmly, his smile gentle, then he slowly said,


    "Don¡¯t get too excited too soon; your Foundation Establishment is not like others¡¯, and it probably won¡¯t be that easy..."


    Mo Hua was startled and whispered,


    "Is it because of the bottleneck in my Divine Sense?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua frowned and pondered deeply.


    According to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s previous explanation, his path of cultivation should start with advancing his Divine Sense to around fourteen Formation Patterns of the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    Then he should use the breakthrough in his cultivation to double his Divine Sense, leaping a major phase in one fell swoop to drastically increase it to the realm of Foundation Establishment Late Stage.


    Whether it would be Seventeen Patterns, Eighteen Patterns, or Nineteen Patterns was uncertain.


    However, even Seventeen Patterns would be quite astonishing.


    To have Late Stage Foundation Establishment Divine Sense in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    This meant that, right upon entering the Second Grade of the Formation path, Mo Hua would have sufficient Divine Sense to study High-Grade Second Rank Formations!


    And Mo Hua¡¯s abilities relied on his Divine Sense.


    With a strong Divine Sense, not only Formations but also movement techniques and spells would benefit.


    But this was only Mo Hua¡¯s speculation.


    Whether this was truly the case was yet to be seen.


    As Mr. Zhuang said, there are few cultivators who Prove the Dao with Divine Sense, lacking sufficient precedents to reference, making it unclear what changes and challenges lie ahead on this path.


    Moreover, the bottleneck from Thirteen Stripes to Fourteen Patterns was much more difficult than Mo Hua had anticipated.


    The gap from Thirteen to Fourteen Patterns seems minimal.


    But it is the bottleneck from the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage to the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    And Mo Hua was still at the stage of Qi Refinement.


    Now he was practicing Formation Patterns daily, and his Divine Sense was gradually strengthening, but no matter what, it remained at the pinnacle of Thirteen Stripes.


    The divide from Thirteen to Fourteen Patterns seemed as vast as the heavens.


    No matter how much the Divine Sense strengthened, it seemed like a drop in the bucket.


    He couldn¡¯t break through the bottleneck to reach the realm of Fourteen Patterns.


    Mo Hua wondered how long he would have to paint before he could advance to Fourteen Patterns, and even though he had learned the Ultimate Formation of Thirteen Stripes, the progress was expected to be very slow...


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang looked at him with a gentle smile and serenely said,


    "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."


    "Don¡¯t let the rough and distant road ahead make you waver."


    "If this is the path you choose, there¡¯s no need to hesitate. What you need to do is focus solely on taking each step, moving forward one step at a time..."


    "Many things will become clear to you as you go along."


    "And many opportunities and turning points can only be discovered on the journey."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, and he nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang then turned to look at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, his voice warm as he said,


    "The situation with the Bai Family is complicated, and I shouldn¡¯t say too much, but these words apply to you both just the same."


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both bowed and said, "Yes, Master."


    But while Bai Zixi seemed thoughtful, Bai Zisheng still seemed somewhat puzzled.


    ...


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua continued Drawing Formations.


    Tedious, mechanical, repetitive.


    It seemed monotonous.


    But with every iteration, his understanding of the Formation Patterns improved, growing more familiar and more profound.


    Opportunities come naturally and shouldn¡¯t be forced.


    But practicing Formations was within his control.


    Mo Hua gradually settled his mind.


    All the days and nights before, he had spent painting this way.


    For the long time ahead, Mo Hua would continue to paint in the same way...


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words.


    Your journey continues on empire


    The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    He just needed to focus and keep walking step by step, keep painting time after time...


    ...


    After Mo Hua left, South Yue City gradually calmed down.


    The assorted cultivators from the Taoist Court who had been ordered to suppress the Corpse Mine had also gradually dispersed.


    Only a group of cultivators, including a gaunt old man, a middle-aged cultivator, and Young Master Yun, remained gathered.


    They were not there for the Corpse Mine in the first place.


    The gaunt old man sighed and said,


    "Now it can be confirmed that we did not calculate his whereabouts, but that person intentionally revealed his causality, luring us here."


    "To say he lured us, it¡¯s more like he summoned us..."


    One of the cultivators said discontentedly, "Does he think we are spirit pets to be summoned at will?"


    "I¡¯m stating the truth."


    "What truth? I think it¡¯s nonsense."


    "The key issue is, he summoned us and it turned out to be a wild goose chase..."


    "How can you call it a wild goose chase? The Corpse King, the Taoist Demon, how great was that causality? If not resolved, how much disaster would it have brought?"


    "Indeed, I see it as a good thing..."


    "That¡¯s easy for you to say, but are you really content being played like this?"


    "What else can you do? What¡¯s your plan?"


    ... S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Amidst the noise in the hall, the venerable elder with white hair signaled for everyone to calm down, then spoke in his hoarse voice,


    "Regardless, that person brought us here to suppress the Corpse Mine and resolve the chaos caused by the Taoist Demon, preventing disaster to the living beings across the state boundary, thereby following the will of heaven and practicing virtue."


    "In this battle, everyone contributed."


    "As for that individual, even if he appears superior and arrogant, looking down on other beings, he still seems to be a person with a sense of justice."

 Chapter 574: Can’t Figure it Out (2)

    Among the crowd, some agreed and others were scornful.It was Young Master Yun who earnestly nodded in agreement.


    The white-haired elder continued, "The real question now is, where on earth did that person go?"


    Everyone looked at each other, their brows furrowed in deep thought.


    Someone asked, "Is there any trace of that person in South Yue City?"


    "No... at least, I haven¡¯t found anything."


    "We haven¡¯t found any clues either..."


    "Not a single trace..."


    "It¡¯s as if no cultivator in the entire South Yue City has ever seen that person¡¯s face or knows his whereabouts..."


    "So, has he really been here or not?"


    "It seems like he hasn¡¯t."


    "If he hasn¡¯t come, how did he know about the Corpse Mine?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t think that he can only know about these things by coming here in person, by seeing with his own eyes, do you? You¡¯re seriously underestimating him..."


    Quite a few cultivators nodded silently.


    A cultivator said, "I¡¯m just wondering, could all this be within that person¡¯s calculations?"


    "Including the mutation of the Corpse King, the battle to suppress the Corpse Mine, Lu Chengyun¡¯s scheme, and that Junior Formation Master who made the Corpse King submit; could his every move be within that person¡¯s calculations?"


    "If that¡¯s really the case, it¡¯s terrifying..."


    "If so, we might never see that person in our entire lives."


    "Be content, even Heaven Shu Pavilion has been searching for hundreds of years without finding a trace of that person. Now that we¡¯re gathered here, experiencing all of this, it¡¯s already the closest we¡¯ve ever been to him."


    "His schemes are too deep..."


    "Indeed..."


    "Speaking of which, that Junior Formation Master is no ordinary person either."


    "Yes..."


    "Such a powerful Junior Formation Master, I wonder where he comes from..."


    The crowd marveled in amazement.


    "Speaking of the Junior Formation Master..." someone pondered with a frown, "... isn¡¯t there also a Junior Formation Master in Tongxian City who set up a Large Formation and executed the Big Demon Feng Xi?"


    The crowd fell silent for a while.


    Someone said seriously, "Would you rather believe that story instead of believing that I am the reincarnation of a Taoist master?"


    "Reincarnate my ass, do you think you¡¯re worthy?"


    "You dare curse me?"


    "So, about the Junior Formation Master setting up a Large Formation, what do you think a Large Formation is?"


    "Indeed, a Large Formation is no trifling matter."


    A cultivator frowned and said, "But... I¡¯ve heard an elder from Heaven Shu Pavilion say that in Tongxian City, within the domain of Black Mountain State at Second Grade, indeed a Big Demon emerged, and indeed someone set up a Large Formation, which subdued the Big Demon..."


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? The cause and effect of that person surfaced in Tongxian City. So, it¡¯s not just about a Junior Formation Master setting up a Large Formation to kill the Big Demon, it¡¯s that person working behind the scenes..."


    He suddenly stopped talking midway.


    Everyone present also realized something was off; after pondering for a moment, their faces turned pale.


    In Tongxian City, that person was behind everything...


    The happenings in South Yue City were also instigated by that person...


    There is a Junior Formation Master in Tongxian City, as well as in South Yue City...


    An astonishing suspicion emerged in everyone¡¯s mind:


    Could this Junior Formation Master be... that Junior Formation Master...


    If that¡¯s the case, then the person behind this Junior Formation Master... could it be the person they were looking for?!


    What is their relationship?


    A middle-aged cultivator swallowed hard and said tentatively:


    "Could it be... that this Junior Formation Master has a teacher?"


    Everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat.


    A teacher?!


    Is this Junior Formation Master, the disciple of that person?!


    What do you mean no clues?


    What do you mean no traces?


    That person¡¯s disciple brazenly appeared in front of them all, joined them in suppressing the Corpse King, quelled the corpse calamity, and even chatted and dined with them.


    Before leaving, they even bid him farewell??


    The cultivators on site struggled to accept this reality.


    After a while, someone finally said:


    "Could it be that Mr. Zhuang has been in the city all the time?"


    "You should call him ¡¯that person,¡¯ not Mr. Zhuang, otherwise he¡¯ll know."


    "By calling him that way, he won¡¯t know?"


    The crowd fell silent, and then they all sighed.


    Let it be, Mr. Zhuang it is.


    Them calling "that person" is just like deceiving themselves by covering their ears while stealing bells...


    "Do you remember when the young gentleman left South Yue City in a carriage pulled by that big white horse, was Mr. Zhuang... could he have been in the carriage..."


    These words were better left unsaid.


    Once spoken, everyone¡¯s hearts were filled with bitterness and profound regret. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Your journey continues with empire


    The person they were looking for was right before their eyes, who left in front of them in a carriage.


    And they bid him farewell without knowing anything.


    One cultivator was incredulous, "Impossible, it can¡¯t be such a coincidence."


    Yet the gaunt elder shook his head, "With Qi Refinement cultivation, able to draw a First Grade Ultimate Formation, aside from Mr. Zhuang, no one else can teach such a disciple."


    Young Master Yun¡¯s expression also carried a touch of emotion.


    "Besides," the gaunt elder continued, "this young gentleman also has a pair of siblings with the surname Bai as fellow disciples."


    "These two young cultivators have astonishing talent, yet they are inscrutable."


    "The girl is fierce and dignified, unassuming, but certainly not simple. As for the young boy..."


    The gaunt elder¡¯s gaze filled with deep wariness, "The Taoist Skill he uses is the Returning Dragon Spear!"


    "The method of the dragon, the Bai Family from Qian State, I suppose I don¡¯t need to say much, you all should understand what that implies..."


    The hearts of everyone present trembled.


    The Bai Family from Qian State, that¡¯s truly a behemoth...


    "But what does the Bai Family have to do with that person?" a cultivator asked.


    The gaunt elder sighed, "Indeed, there are some connections between the Bai Family and Mr. Zhuang, but we¡¯d best not inquire about it. The Bai Family is not something we can afford to provoke."

 Chapter 575: Can’t Figure It Out (3)

    "So you¡¯re saying that this young gentleman is indeed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple?"The emaciated elder was somewhat shocked and had some difficulty believing it, sighing as he said:


    "It must be so..."


    The atmosphere turned even more silent for a moment.


    They had a mission to find Mr. Zhuang and somehow uncover the secrets he possessed.


    But after what they had experienced in the Corpse Mine, deep down, they did not wish to be enemies with this young gentleman.


    Suddenly someone asked:


    "What exactly is the background of this young gentleman? Where does he come from? Does he have a family or a Sect? Why did Mr. Zhuang take him as a disciple? If I remember correctly, Mr.


    Zhuang hasn¡¯t taken any disciples for a long time, right...?"


    Everyone frowned.


    "This young gentleman..."


    Someone had just begun to speak when they suddenly paused, "...what is this young gentleman¡¯s name again?"


    "Have you gone mad? This young gentleman¡¯s surname is..."


    Another person also suddenly got stuck.


    What was his surname again?


    "Bai?"


    "That¡¯s the surname of his senior brothers and sisters."


    "Strange, I remember his senior brothers and sisters, so why can¡¯t I remember him?"


    "I can¡¯t recall his name, and his appearance is also unclear to me..."


    Someone suddenly looked stunned, "What exactly did this young gentleman do?"


    This question completely baffled everyone.


    An image emerged in their Sea of Consciousness:


    Under a sky dyed with blood, hordes of corpses danced chaotically, and the Corpse King confronted this young gentleman.


    They still remembered the feelings of heart palpitations, shock, and disbelief, but as for what this young gentleman had actually done, and what happened afterward, everything had become hazy. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The white-haired elder thought for a moment and sighed:


    "Mr. Zhuang has woven a mist into the fabric of cause and effect, and our Divine Senses are insufficient to pierce through it..."


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expression turned to one of great alarm.


    "There is such a method?"


    "Does this mean we have no clues at all?"


    "Senior, is there no way?"


    The white-haired elder, with a thoughtful frown, then said slowly: "Heavenly Secret Calculation might be possible, to glimpse a leopard through a tube, to see one spot..."


    "Could you possibly..."


    The white-haired elder shook his head, looking helpless:


    "I am old, my Divine Sense has declined, I can¡¯t do the calculations..."


    People exchanged glances.


    Someone looked at the emaciated elder, "Senior Wen, perhaps you could try a calculation?"


    The emaciated elder was startled, "Me, calculate?"


    That person nodded, "Currently, you are the one most proficient in Calculation here."


    "But..." The emaciated elder looked troubled.


    That person continued, "You also have the Three Talents Divination Copper Coins to aid you, it might be impossible to calculate Mr. Zhuang, but calculating his young disciple shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?"


    Others also chimed in, "Senior Wen, we¡¯d be indebted to you."


    The emaciated elder internally lamented.


    The harborer of a complaint should be the first to voice it.


    How did this unfortunate task fall upon him?


    The emaciated elder wanted to decline, but with so many Cultivators present, all with respectable status, hailing from Noble Clans or Sects, to offend them could invite petty grudges.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll do the calculation."


    Moreover, he himself wanted to know the origins of this young gentleman.


    Who could have impressed the exceedingly selective Mr. Zhuang to take as a disciple?


    And to make Mr. Zhuang cast a mist to hide his causality.


    The emaciated elder took out a Copper Coin and poured out his Divine Sense, chanting firmly as he flipped the coin randomly until it finally came to a stop.


    The emaciated elder held the Copper Coin to his forehead and closed his eyes to sense it.


    However, in the realm of his Divine Sense, there was only a fog.


    After a long while, he still knew nothing.


    The emaciated elder opened his eyes, sighed, and said helplessly, "The Heavenly secrets have indeed been obscured, concealed by a fog, I can¡¯t calculate anything, it must be Mr. Zhuang¡¯s handiwork..."


    Hearing this, everyone felt a tinge of disappointment.


    This young gentleman might be harboring a clue to Mr. Zhuang.


    And it could be crucial.


    But if it was impossible to calculate, then there was nothing to be done.


    A middle-aged Cultivator frowned, "I can understand not being able to calculate Mr. Zhuang, but why couldn¡¯t even his disciple be the least bit discernible..."


    "Senior Wen, could you try calculating from a different angle?"


    "Right, not him, but try to calculate his parents, friends, and others close to him, or else his past, where he lived, where he has been?"


    "Any trace would do."


    The emaciated elder cursed them all in his heart.


    He was being made to take on all this unpleasant work alone.


    He was not without temper.


    The emaciated elder spoke up: "My abilities are limited, if you want me to continue calculating, I will need to borrow your Heavenly Circulation spiritual artifacts."


    At this request, some began to hesitate.


    Spiritual Artifacts that held the principles of the Circulation and could aid in Calculation were valuable, and not things one would easily lend to others.


    Seeing their expressions, the emaciated elder scoffed inwardly.


    It was easy to ask for help from others, but they were unwilling to pay a price.


    Just then, the white-haired elder spoke:


    "I am willing to lend my Zen Dhyana Mat to Brother Wen..."


    The emaciated elder was surprised.


    The white-haired elder then addressed the others: "The secrets on Mr. Zhuang are tremendous and of great importance; surely none of you would be so stingy with a mere object and neglect the bigger picture."


    Everyone fell silent and, after pondering for a moment, made up their minds as one by one they began to offer:


    "I have a Second Grade Heavenly secret disk..."


    "I can contribute a stick of Nourishing Spirit Incense..."


    "This hairpin is a Dry Wood Hairpin, it can accelerate mental calculations..."


    ...


    Soon, a collection of Spiritual Artifacts had piled up in front of the emaciated elder.


    The emaciated elder looked at these Spiritual Artifacts with some surprise but then also a bit of excitement.


    These were all fine Spiritual Artifacts used for calculations. Your next chapter is on empire


    Many of them were secret artifacts of Noble Clans or Sects, not usually given to outsiders.

 Chapter 576: Can’t Figure It Out (4)

    The gaunt elder suddenly became spirited.In his life, he had never undertaken such a "wealthy" Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    With the aid of these calculating tools, he might indeed stand a slight chance against Mr. Zhuang.


    To part the fog laid out by Mr. Zhuang and glimpse that trace of the hidden Heavenly Secret.


    The gaunt elder¡¯s spirit was boosted.


    After resting for a moment and waiting for his Divine Sense to replenish, he solemnly lit the Nourishing Spirit Incense, donned the Dry Wood Hairpin, seated himself on the Zen Viewing Mat, and on the heavenly secret disk, he arranged the Copper Coins of the Three Talents Divination¡­


    With the support of so many Spiritual Artifacts, his Divine Sense was exceptionally full, his train of thought extraordinarily clear, his eyes as if glowing, seemed to peer through the past and infer the future.


    The gaunt elder sat up straight and began the Calculation.


    Despite being "fully equipped," he still took no chances.


    He wasn¡¯t greedy, not trying to calculate too much at once, only a little bit at a time, wishing to see the past of that Junior Formation Master shrouded in fog¡ªto look at some momentary experiences, to find some clues, and to peer into the causes and consequences.


    Even if the fog laid by Mr. Zhuang was profound, it still wouldn¡¯t be without blind spots.


    The gaunt elder sat patiently and calculated meticulously.


    After an unknown period, he finally penetrated a layer of mist from within a sea of confusion and the unknown!


    The gaunt elder was overjoyed and just as he was about to look, a sudden intense thump in his heart, a warning emerged.


    As if beneath the fog lay something extremely horrifying.


    Merely touching it made his heart pound with fright, cold sweat drenched him.


    Even within the fog, there was a thread carrying a bloodlike, ferocious, chilling aura.


    This aura, though obscure, exuded a hair-raising presence of death.


    Like a bucket of cold water, poured over his head.


    The gaunt elder snapped to a realization:


    What am I doing?


    Who gave me the courage to peer into the fog laid by Mr. Zhuang?


    Am I worthy?


    What is my ability?


    And what level is Mr. Zhuang at?


    Find your adventure at empire


    The gaunt elder¡¯s hands shook, and his heart trembled.


    "Damn that was close!"


    "I almost let these Spiritual Artifacts deceive me, became overconfident, overestimated myself, and lost sight of my place."


    One must know one¡¯s place as a person, and also in Calculation.


    To calculate as much cause and effect as one¡¯s abilities allow.


    If you cannot calculate it, it simply means your abilities are not yet sufficient.


    If you are not skilled enough and forcibly calculate, you will face retribution from causes and consequences beyond your abilities, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if even death or obliteration ensued.


    The gaunt elder took a deep breath.


    However, his heart still fluttered wildly, seemingly not yet recovered from the shock of the warning.


    The gaunt elder was filled with retrospective fear and a sense of relief as if he had narrowly escaped disaster.


    Thankfully he knew his limitations, understood how "inexperienced" he was; otherwise, he would have almost brought about a catastrophe.


    Upon seeing a look of enlightenment on the gaunt elder¡¯s face, other Cultivators approached and asked:


    "Senior Wen, how did it go?"


    "Did you figure it out?" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I figured out your mother¡¯s big ghost head!!


    The gaunt elder cursed inwardly.


    Figured out nothing; I almost lost my life in the process.


    But he couldn¡¯t say that outright, as it would not only offend everyone, but also make him lose face.


    So the gaunt elder sighed and said, "Indeed, Mr. Zhuang is a prodigy; his methods... are beyond my comprehension..."


    The crowd sighed in disappointment.


    The lead had gone cold again.


    Some questioned, "With so many calculating tools to aid you, it¡¯s impossible that you couldn¡¯t figure it out, Senior Wen. You aren¡¯t trying to keep this secret to yourself, are you?"


    The gaunt elder looked coldly at him, "How about I give you all the calculating tools, and you try?"


    The man quieted down and shut his mouth.


    It was just talk; if he were actually put to the test, he wouldn¡¯t know how to do anything.


    The gaunt elder returned the calculating tools, expressing his gratitude:


    "I am insufficient in my abilities and have let down everyone¡¯s kindness."


    An elder with white hair knew the difficulty and danger of the task and showed understanding, saying:


    "Brother Wen has worked hard."


    The other Cultivators nearby also showed pity and said:


    "We are grateful for Senior Wen¡¯s effort."


    "Senior Wen, you¡¯ve worked hard."


    ...


    They, too, were just trying their luck; if they couldn¡¯t figure it out, it was expected, for there were few Cultivators in this world more skilled in Heavenly Secret Calculation than Mr. Zhuang.


    This matter would need further long-term consideration.


    Everyone went back to rest.


    The gaunt elder also put away his Three Talents Divination Copper Coins.


    But as he picked up the coins, he discovered that the edge of one Copper Coin... now had a tiny crack.


    The gaunt elder was startled, then reflected quietly.


    Suddenly, he was engulfed by immense fear.


    He now realized, it wasn¡¯t that he had the sense of his own limits.


    It was the Copper Coin that had, at a critical moment, blocked a deadly threat, saving his life!


    That¡¯s why the warning arose!


    That¡¯s why he thought to retreat, that¡¯s how he escaped the calamity!


    His had truly been a close call!


    The gaunt elder felt weak in his limbs, slumped onto the chair, his heart, which had just calmed down, was again pounding with terror, and his back soaked with cold sweat.


    Fear lingered in his eyes.


    What exactly lay beneath the fog?


    How terrifying was this junior gentleman¡¯s fate?


    He had only tried to see a corner, no, not even managed to take a look, and was nearly obliterated?!


    What exactly resides within his life¡¯s destiny¡­

 Chapter 577: I love you

    "Do not pry, the unpryable."The emaciated elder recalled what his master had said to him years ago.


    Find adventures on empire


    The unpryable...


    He thought of Mr. Zhuang again, thought of that layer of fog.


    The fog laid down by Mr. Zhuang was perhaps not just about keeping a secret but also about protecting all those who rashly sought the cause and effect of the young gentleman. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For hidden within that cause and effect lay great peril.


    But no matter how he struggled to comprehend, he could not understand why such a young Junior Formation Master would be tainted with such grave and ferocious karma.


    What on earth had happened?


    The emaciated elder furrowed his brow, deep in perplexed thought.


    "Enough, enough, ignorance is bliss... Knowing such dangerous matters is not a good thing..."


    The emaciated elder sighed with lingering fear in his heart.


    All things related to Mo Hua were becoming vague in his mind.


    He only remembered, beneath the blood-red sky and amidst the Corpse Tide, a small, unyielding figure standing faintly in the distance.


    Young Master Yun couldn¡¯t remember clearly either.


    He remembered the Spiritual Pivot Formation, remembered that he had made friends with a Junior Formation Master.


    But who this person was, he had only a hazy recollection, and no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn¡¯t remember.


    Only a clear, smiling face remained in his memory...


    ...


    Elsewhere, the leader of the Taoist Soldiers, Yang Jishan, was writing a report to the Taoist Court.


    He wanted to commend Mo Hua for his service.


    In the battle of the Corpse Mine, suppressing the Corpse Tide, subduing the Corpse King, executing Lu Chengyun, quelling the undead menace, and improving the lives of the cultivators and citizens of South Yue City, this young gentleman, Mo Hua, contributed immensely.


    But as he wrote, everything suddenly became hazy again.


    Yang Jishan tried to write the two characters "Mo Hua," but as soon as he started, he froze.


    The name Mo Hua was obscured by fog.


    He could not remember the young gentleman¡¯s family or given name.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    Yang Jishan was deeply shocked.


    How could I have forgotten his name?


    Soon he realized, it was not just the name, even the face, and voice of the young gentleman were becoming indistinct and unreal.


    The matters of the Corpse Mine were also discontinuous and incomplete.


    Within the Corpse Mine, atop the graves, what exactly had happened?


    Yang Jishan frowned.


    His mind only remembered two images:


    One was the Corpse King howling towards the heavens under a blood-red sky, with thousands of corpses bowing in worship.


    The other was the Corpse King roaring unwillingly amidst blazing flames, turning to ashes.


    What actually happened in the end?


    Yang Jishan had completely forgotten.


    How was such a powerful and fierce Corpse King subdued and turned to ash?


    Yang Jishan could not recall at all.


    In his Sea of Consciousness, he only vaguely remembered a small figure that changed the heavens and earth, commanding the submission of thousands of corpses...


    "Who was that little cultivator?"


    Yang Jishan frowned, murmuring to himself.


    ...


    As things settled down,


    All the cause and effect gradually wrapped themselves in fog.


    The various factions of cultivators from South Yue City also gradually dispersed.


    But half a month later, another group of uninvited guests arrived.


    They were four odd-looking cultivators.


    A young man, exquisitely handsome, but with a pale complexion as if wearing a deathly, finely crafted, flawless mask.


    An old man carrying a Sword Box, expressionless, with only the whites of his eyes showing.


    A big man, burly in stature, with sharp fingertips and bloodshot eyes.


    And an old crone, antiquated and babbling.


    They stood on a desolate hilltop, gazing distantly at South Yue City and the surrounding mines.


    The Sword Box Elder spoke in a hoarse voice,


    "Such a great gesture, what a pity!"


    The pale youth sneered, "Nothing more than raising a first-grade Taoist Demon, and not even successfully at that..."


    The big man with fangs bared a savage smile, his face resembling that of a fierce wolf, "Your father has always wanted to do it, yet he hasn¡¯t raised even one in half his lifetime."


    The pale youth arrogantly said,


    "Either raise something above third or fourth grade, a real Big Demon, Big Undead or Big Sin. Raising first or second-grade Taoist Demons is meaningless."


    The hoarse and indifferent voice of the Sword Box Elder sounded like slowly flowing sand,


    "With such words, you truly don¡¯t understand what a Taoist Demon is... A Taoist Demon is an anomaly, not measured by grade."


    The pale youth scoffed, clearly dismissive.


    The fanged big man looked around once more, sniffed the stench in the air, and said with emotion,


    "Too bad we¡¯re late, otherwise we could have feasted."


    He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, which unsettlingly had barbs on them.


    The Sword Box Elder nodded, "Yes, it¡¯s a pity, had this Taoist Demon not met an early demise, the entire state boundary could have become a breeding ground for the Demon Path."


    "Whose doing was it?" the fanged big man asked.


    "Who else could it be?" the Sword Box Elder retorted.


    A hint of wariness flashed in the eyes of the fanged big man.


    Clearly, even they were reluctant to mention that Taoist¡¯s name.


    The pale youth laughed sardonically, "I wonder who it was that spoiled Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s good fortune..."


    Disdain flickered across his bloodless face.


    The Sword Box Elder said sternly,


    "You best show some respect. Don¡¯t think that just because you have your father backing you, that Taoist won¡¯t dare to touch you."


    The pale youth¡¯s gaze sharpened, "My father¡¯s cultivation is higher than his."


    The Sword Box Elder shook his head, "You still don¡¯t understand what the title ¡¯Taoist¡¯ implies..."


    The pale youth remained somewhat unconvinced.


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s eyes, filled only with whites, coldly gazed at the youth, his voice chill,


    "If that Taoist wanted you dead, not even your father could save you."


    "Whether you live or die is trivial, but don¡¯t drag us down with you. If you do, we won¡¯t let you off either..."


    The pale youth was indignant but did not speak out in rebuttal.

 Chapter 578: I Love You

    His teeth bit through his lips, but it seemed as though they had merely pierced a layer of skin, and not a single drop of blood flowed out.The other three present paid him no heed.


    The man with wolf-like teeth, like some wild beast, sniffed the air of the mountains once more, his gaze sinking slightly as he spoke,


    "Many zombies, many cultivators, the scent of Taoist Demons is heavy, it was on the verge of completion, but then there was an unexpected turn¡­"


    "It must have been that person who acted, right?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Sword Box Elder nodded, "Except for that one, nobody could have spoiled the Taoist¡¯s plan."


    The man with wolf-like teeth frowned,


    "What exactly is that person hiding? The Taoist Court, Heaven Shu Pavilion, all the Noble Clans, Sects, and even us from the Evil Sects and scattered cultivators, Demon Gate, Taoists, everyone is looking for him?"


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s smile hinted at mockery, "Now that you know, what next?"


    The man with wolf-like teeth was taken aback.


    The Sword Box Elder said, "Without a Golden Core, without Feather Transformation, even if given this opportunity, what can you do with it?"


    "Can you withstand the repression of the Taoist Court or the pursuit of the Demon Sect?"


    "If you¡¯re a pawn, then do what a pawn must do."


    "With our level of cultivation, we¡¯re far from considering whether to control the black or white pieces¡­"


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s words were cutting.


    The man with wolf-like teeth was not offended; instead, he extended his blood-red tongue, licked his upper lip, and sneered,


    "I cultivate the demonic arts; if I see flesh, wanting a couple of bites is only natural, isn¡¯t it?"


    The Sword Box Elder looked distant, his voice insinuating,


    "The flesh of immortality, once eaten, there goes your life."


    The flesh of immortality¡­


    A glint passed in the eyes of the man with wolf-like teeth.


    The pale-faced youth also showed an abnormal flush.


    At that moment, all three harbored their own devious thoughts.


    The old crone, who had been silent all along, suddenly opened her eyes wide, her gaze manic as she screamed,


    "My child, my child!" Continue your journey on empire


    The man with wolf-like teeth frowned, "What madness is she spouting now?"


    The old crone, ignoring everything else, laughed strangely,


    "I have found it¡­ my own flesh and blood, my child is not dead¡­"


    With a flicker, she swiftly moved toward a mountain peak to the south.


    The group of three, including the Sword Box Elder, had no choice but to follow her.


    The four eventually stopped atop a small hill.


    The hill, secluded and desolate, was nevertheless serene, and as the sunset descended, it bathed the area in a glow of twilight.


    Atop the hill, there was a small grave mound.


    The old crone, focused, dug through the soil and stone with hands like iron, uncovering a coffin buried within the grave.


    With a gentle scratch of her fingers, she broke off a corner of the coffin and then forcefully lifted the lid, which instantly shattered into pieces.


    Inside the coffin lay a small zombie.


    The old crone, trembling, cradled the small zombie into her arms as if comforting her own child.


    "My child, my child¡­"


    The pale-faced youth frowned, "Is this a zombie? Weren¡¯t all the zombies nearby burned by the Corpse Burning Formation? How could there be one that escaped?"


    The man with wolf-like teeth looked around and raised an eyebrow, "It seems someone intentionally left this zombie behind, burying it here¡­"


    "Was it the zombie¡¯s kin?"


    "Why bury it here, and for what purpose?"


    "Who knows¡­"


    "It can¡¯t be for the purpose of Corpse Refinement, can it?"


    "This zombie is too small, with weak strength; what use would refining it have? To serve tea and water?"


    ¡­


    However, the Sword Box Elder looked grave, "This small zombie is a good specimen for Corpse Refinement. It has only Corpse Qi, no Blood Qi, clean and untainted."


    "What makes it a good specimen?"


    "A Jade Corpse¡­"


    "What?"


    The Sword Box Elder did not continue, "You don¡¯t refine corpses; even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t understand."


    The pale-faced youth looked displeased.


    But the man with wolf-like teeth had some realization, "Now that you mention it, could this old crone be a Corpse Cultivator?"


    Amongst them, he knew the origins of the Sword Box Elder and the pale-faced youth, but he was not familiar with this old crone.


    The Sword Box Elder nodded slightly, "Her son died early. To resurrect her son, she learned Corpse Refinement and turned her own son into a zombie."


    "But she refined it wrongly, creating a special kind of Blood Zombie."


    "It needed to eat human flesh and drink human blood every day."


    "She killed people to feed her son. Eventually, the Taoist Court discovered this, and they executed her Blood Zombie son before her eyes. She completely lost her mind and fell into the darkness of Corpse Cultivation."


    "For years, she specially hunts men who have been unfaithful, as well as cultivators from the Taoist Court."


    "At the same time, she is also keen on turning children into zombies."


    "All the zombies she refined are her children¡­"


    "However¡­"


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s gaze became more focused, "This small zombie might be quite special..."


    The old crone also held the small zombie dearly in her arms, as if coaxing her own flesh and bone.


    The pale-faced youth clicked his tongue and suddenly made a surprised noise, "It seems like there is a Formation on this small zombie¡¯s chest?"


    "A Formation?" the man with wolf-like teeth was slightly startled.


    The pale-faced youth curiously said, "It¡¯s not just any ordinary Formation¡­"


    He called out loudly, "Old crone, let me have a look at that small zombie."


    The old crone acted as if she heard nothing.


    The pale-faced youth repeated his request.


    Still, the old crone remained indifferent.


    The pale-faced youth grew angry, "Old hag, ungrateful for the kindness shown¡­"


    He reached out to grab the small zombie from the old crone, but this action seemed to have touched a raw nerve in her.


    The old crone¡¯s presence abruptly intensified, her features twisting ferociously, her pupils becoming vertical slits. Her withered yellow skin turned a bronze color as she underwent Corpse Transformation into a Copper Corpse.


    Her right hand tore through the air, and with an eerie gust, she ripped open the pale-faced youth¡¯s arm.


    Bright red blood flowed.


    A sinister Corpse Poison seeped in.


    The pale-faced youth¡¯s complexion became even paler, but due to shame and anger, his cheeks bore an eerie crimson hue.

 Chapter 579: Immortal Child (3)

    "Old thing, you¡¯re looking for death!"The old woman clutched the zombie child tightly, shrieking at the pale youth, her long fangs bared.


    The pale youth¡¯s expression darkened, and he was about to make a move, but the Sword Box Elder stopped him.


    "Don¡¯t provoke her."


    The pale youth seemed to have a tinge of wariness toward the Sword Box Elder, and with a cold snort, he reined in his aura.


    The old crone shed her corpse transformation, returning to a normal old woman, holding the child in her bosom, her expression serene and calm.


    The Sword Box Elder looked up at the sky and then said,


    "It¡¯s getting late, it¡¯s time to set out."


    He turned his head, looked at the other few people, his expression indifferent, but his tone was solemn as he said,


    "We do what we must, mind not the rest."


    The elder adjusted the sword box on his back.


    The sword box trembled slightly, emitting a bloodthirsty yearning.


    "Don¡¯t be hasty..."


    The elder thought silently to himself.


    "Once we find that person, the real storm will come..."


    And it would be a terrifying one, a bloody tempest...


    ...


    The four of them gradually departed.


    The old crone also took the zombie child away.


    In the following days, many Cultivators with gloomy auras, wearing strange attire, and acting unpredictably arrived at South Yue City,


    They all came from the Demon Gate, shocked by the human-fueled Taoist Demon, and lamenting its untimely demise.


    But they did not enter the city, nor did they kill or eat anyone, nor did they do anything out of the ordinary.


    South Yue City had already entered the cycle of cause and effect.


    If they got involved, there was a very good chance their secrets could be exposed, putting themselves at risk.


    Undercurrents surged in secret.


    Yet these dangerous currents all went around South Yue City, flowing into the distance.


    The Cultivators of South Yue City, after several twists and turns, also welcomed a long-missed peace...


    The Cultivators lived their day-to-day lives.


    Find adventures at empire


    In Elder Su¡¯s cave.


    Shuisheng was sprawled over a small stone table Drawing Formation; Elder Su beside him was nattering on as he taught him:


    "Why do you use the brush like this? It¡¯s too wasteful of Divine Sense..."


    "This Formation Pattern, taught so many times, yet you still don¡¯t get it..."


    "Ah, don¡¯t draw it like that..."


    ...


    Shuisheng paid no heed to him, absorbed in his own Drawing Formation.


    If there was something he didn¡¯t understand, he would ask, and after receiving an answer, he let Elder Su¡¯s remaining chatter enter one ear and out the other, completely ignored.


    All of his focus was on the Formation. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if he learned slowly, even if his drawing wasn¡¯t good, he kept on trying.


    If one attempt failed, he would try twice.


    If two attempts failed, he would try three times.


    As he kept on drawing, slowly, he started to get it...


    This was what that little Gentleman had taught him.


    Shuisheng remembered it well.


    Elder Su continued to grumble on the side but suddenly stopped speaking.


    Shuisheng¡¯s appearance resembled Shuixian very much, and his present concentrated demeanor was very similar to his own in bygone years...


    Elder Su fell silent for a moment, but then his expression became relieved and he smiled contentedly; looking at Shuisheng, his eyes brimmed with tenderness.


    "I owe that little Gentleman a huge favor..."


    Elder Su mused in his heart.


    ...


    The life of the Mining Cultivator had also improved a lot.


    They could feed themselves, support their families, and gradually, even have some Spirit Stones to spare for their own cultivation or their children¡¯s.


    The Lu Family, which used to loom over them, had already crumbled and was no longer a threat.


    They had also heard some rumors about the Corpse Mine.


    "It¡¯s said that that bastard, Lu Chengyun, killed people and then used their bodies for Corpse Refinement, forcing them to mine for him. In the end, he got his comeuppance, eaten alive by the very zombie he created."


    "And that zombie wasn¡¯t just any ordinary zombie¡ªit was the old ancestor of the Lu Family, Capitalist Lu!"


    "That goddamned Capitalist Lu, never letting go even in death, turning into a zombie just to bring disaster upon South Yue City..."


    "So many zombies, it was horrifying."


    "Even now, thinking about it makes my scalp tingle."


    "On the day the zombies surrounded the city, I stood on the city wall and looked down to see a horde of zombies, snarling and swarming..."


    Someone jumped with fear, "You don¡¯t think there are still zombies in the mine, do you...?"


    "Maybe, with so many zombies, how could they have been completely wiped out all at once?"


    "What do we do then?"


    "I haven¡¯t even got married. What if I get bitten by a zombie? Wouldn¡¯t that be the end for me?"


    "I have elderly and children depending on me..."


    Some of the people became anxious.


    "Why don¡¯t we," a cultivator suggested, "make an offering to that little Immortal child in the Corpse Mine..."


    Someone didn¡¯t understand, "Little Immortal child? Who¡¯s that?"


    "A reincarnation of a disciple of an Immortal."


    "Who?"


    "The one who suppressed the Corpse Tide, subdued the Corpse King, and helped us by drawing Formation Paintings and constructing the mine¡ªthat little Immortal child."


    "Really?"


    "True, I¡¯ve seen it."


    "You¡¯ve seen it?"


    "Mhm." The Mining Cultivator nodded, "This little Immortal child, with three heads and six arms, impervious to blades and spears, knocked down the Corpse King with a single punch..."


    "What are you blabbering about?"


    "Right, who ever looks like that?"


    "Exactly, that little Immortal child was really good-looking, so fair and tender, with sparkling eyes and such an adorable smile..."


    "You¡¯re talking nonsense too. How could such a young cultivator defeat the Corpse King?"


    "Did you see it?"


    "Of course, I saw that day on the city wall, amidst the Corpse Tide, this little Immortal child was nine feet tall, broad-shouldered and wide-waisted, with boundless strength. His punches created a gust of wind. Tens of thousands of zombies couldn¡¯t get close to him!"


    "You¡¯re talking about a ¡¯strongman¡¯, not an ¡¯Immortal child¡¯!"


    "Exactly, make your tall tales believable at least."


    ...


    The discussions were varied, but in the end, there was no consensus.


    Finally, an older Mining Cultivator declared:


    "Since it¡¯s an Immortal child, he can¡¯t be very old. Since we don¡¯t know what he looks like, we won¡¯t attempt a detailed representation. Let¡¯s just use ink to paint a silhouette."


    "Since he suppressed the Corpse Tide, it shows the zombies must fear him. By hanging this portrait of the little Immortal child in the mine, we can suppress evil spirits. The zombies should not dare to cause trouble anymore..."


    He sighed before finishing, "This little gentleman has given us immense help. To us Mining Cultivators, he has been a savior. Even if he can¡¯t suppress the zombies, we should bow to him and wish him smooth sailing on his path of Tao Cultivation, a successful cultivation journey, to live as long as the heavens and the earth, and to benefit all living beings!"


    "That¡¯s right!"


    The Mining Cultivators nodded in agreement.


    They commissioned someone to paint several ink paintings of the Immortal child, and hung them around the mines.


    From then on, before entering the mine in South Yue City, the Mining Cultivators would bow to the painting of the Immortal child.


    On the painting, there was a small ink silhouette.


    With clear black and white contrast, the aura was mysterious and profound.


    Worshiping the painting of the Immortal child could ward off evil spirits and settle the zombie troubles.


    They prayed for their own safety and, in their hearts, they wished for Mo Hua¡¯s safety as well.


    At a place that bred such Taoist demons, the cultivators offered incense, and their wishes, blending mysteriously into the karma of Mo Hua¡¯s fate, formed a counterbalance.


    But Mo Hua knew nothing of this.


    Several hundred miles away, on a mountain path.


    Mo Hua rode on Big White, admiring the mountain landscape enveloped in misty clouds, embarking on the road to Foundation Establishment...

 Chapter 580: Si Water (1)

    South of South Yue City, at the Second Grade Si Water state boundary.Si Water stretches from beginning to end, connecting the land¡¯s boundaries.


    The winding river flows along its course, babbling towards the distance.


    Mo Hua, tired from drawing Formation Paintings, flipped open the curtain and peered outside at the green mountains and clear waters, a vast and hazy vista stretching before him, feeling refreshed and elated.


    After watching for a while, he retracted his gaze and settled back into the carriage.


    Outside the carriage, Old Kui cracked pine nuts, listening to their crunch as he drove the carriage.


    Inside, Bai Zisheng was meditating and cultivating, Bai Zixi was quietly reading.


    Mr. Zhuang, leaning against a blanket, rested with eyes closed, bearing an elegant and leisurely posture.


    However, his breath had grown even weaker.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, filled with worry.


    Ever since leaving South Yue City, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s health seemed to decline day by day. Although his gaze remained as gentle and carefree as ever, his complexion had visibly worsened, and the time he spent resting each day had increased.


    Mo Hua had asked Mr. Zhuang if there was anything wrong.


    Mr. Zhuang simply patted Mo Hua¡¯s head and, smiling, said he was fine and that there was no need to worry.


    But his breath didn¡¯t seem fine at all.


    Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly.


    It was the hour of the sheep; noon had passed, and the bright sunlight induced a certain lethargy.


    Mo Hua brewed a pot of tea.


    The tea leaves were a gift from Elder Su, the brew fresh and tender with a rich taste. Mo Hua added some Spirit Grass, ginseng, and jade dates, which could regulate a cultivator¡¯s Blood Qi and nourish the meridians.


    Though it might not greatly benefit Mr. Zhuang, it was a kind gesture.


    Once the tea was ready, steam curled up and the fragrance filled the air.


    Mo Hua first poured a cup for Mr. Zhuang, then for Junior Brother and Junior Sister each.


    Only then did he pour himself a cup, sipping it bit by bit.


    Bai Zisheng, feeling drowsy and thirsty after midday, downed his cup in one gulp, as if devouring a peony.


    Bai Zixi, like Mo Hua, had a graceful demeanor, slightly parting her red lips, taking delicate sips and savoring the tea slowly.


    Mr. Zhuang, lured by the scent of the tea, also slowly opened his eyes. With a gentle smile, he took the cup and drank it, his eyes brightening as he seemed to perk up a bit.


    Mo Hua poured another cup for Mr. Zhuang, then turned to gaze at the scenery outside, and suddenly asked,


    "Master, where exactly are we headed?"


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, upon hearing this, paused their drinking and turned to look at Mr. Zhuang.


    Seeing the three pairs of bright eyes, Mr. Zhuang felt at ease, took a moment to think, and then replied,


    "Southward, to the Dali Mountain State boundary."


    "Dali Mountain?"


    Mo Hua murmured to himself, before asking further,


    "If we go there, will I be able to achieve Foundation Establishment?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, "Once your Cultivation reaches the Nine layer perfection of Qi Refinement and your Divine Sense has Fourteen Stripes, you can undertake Foundation Establishment."


    "Cultivation is like water flowing into a channel; proceed methodically, no need to rush excessively."


    "But to get Divine Sense to Fourteen Stripes, that¡¯s not easy¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly in his heart.


    It is not just difficult...


    For a Qi Refining cultivator, it¡¯s agonizingly difficult.


    Even the records of prodigious cultivators in the Tao Cultivation Canons hardly ever mention a Divine Sense of Fourteen Stripes during Qi Refining... sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his thoughts churning.


    Still preoccupied with Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua asked,


    "Then, Master, if we reach the Dali Mountain State Boundary, will my Divine Sense break through to Fourteen Stripes?"


    "One can only say, there is that opportunity."


    Mr. Zhuang was not very specific.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, "So, does the Dali Mountain State Boundary have an Ultimate Formation of Second Grade Thirteen Stripes?"


    According to what Mr. Zhuang had said before, one could strengthen Divine Sense by studying Ultimate Formations and practicing them.


    The more complex the Formation, the stronger the Divine Sense required, and the deeper the training of the Sea of Consciousness, the faster the growth of the Divine Sense.


    Now Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had reached a peak of Thirteen Stripes. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Although he practiced the Thick Earth Formation and Spiritual Pivot Formation daily, as he became more proficient in these Formations, his Divine Sense grew increasingly slower...


    It was time to find Thirteen Stripe Formations to study.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Correct."


    It seemed the master had plans all along.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright with curiosity as he asked,


    "Master, what kind of Ultimate Formation is it there at Dali Mountain?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Not just one¡­"


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment, a faint smile playing on his lips, "It¡¯s five of them."


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, exclaiming,


    "Five of them!"


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in surprise, then looked at Mr. Zhuang, puzzled,


    "Five of them¡­ doesn¡¯t that make them common as cabbages?"


    Being Ultimate Formations, they should be rare.


    How could there be five of them all of a sudden?


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, "Why don¡¯t you guess why?"


    Mo Hua blinked, propped his chin in his hand, and after a moment of thought hesitantly said,


    "Five¡­ does it have something to do with the Five Elements?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly, "Exactly!"


    His tone was a bit wistful, "This is a set of Five Element Ultimate Formations, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth; one for each Element, but the fundamental principles are the same. Therefore, all five are considered a single set."


    Mo Hua listened, feeling an itch of curiosity like a kitten¡¯s scratch.


    He was eager to know what these Formations were like, how their Formation Patterns looked, what the Formation Pivot¡¯s structure was, and the effects they would have once mastered.


    But he still had one major doubt.


    "Master¡­"


    Mo Hua hesitated and asked, "Even if I master a Second Grade Thirteen Stripe Formation and practice every day, my Divine Sense might not break through the bottleneck to reach Fourteen Stripes and achieve the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, right?"


    He had only recently realized this.


    The further one progresses, the slower and harder the Divine Sense grows.


    He was now at the peak of Thirteen Stripes, but the gap to Fourteen seemed just a sliver away.

 Chapter 581: Si Water (2)

    Continue reading at My Virtual Library EmpireBut this threshold seemed like a chasm in the heavens.


    Relying on Drawing Formation to cultivate Divine Sense every day was like a cup of water.


    This cup of water, upon entering the chasm, would instantly disappear without a trace.


    To fill up this heavenly chasm and break through the bottleneck, who knew how many years and months it would take...


    The Ultimate Formation with twelve stripes offered only limited enhancement of Divine Sense.


    Even if one learned the Formation with thirteen stripes, it probably wouldn¡¯t be much better.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became focused as he spoke slowly,


    "The enhancement of Divine Sense is just one aspect..."


    "Even if your Divine Sense cannot be enhanced to fourteen stripes, building your Foundation Establishment with the thirteen stripes Divine Sense, this set of Formation, is something you must learn!"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone was solemn, his expression serious.


    Mo Hua felt a slight chill in his heart, "Master, is there something special about this set of Formation?"


    Mr. Zhuang did not answer directly but instead asked,


    "Mo Hua, what do you think sets you apart from Zisheng and Zixi?"


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were both somewhat astonished, then looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    The differences between him and his Junior Brother and Junior Sister were too many to count.


    The only similarity might be that they were all Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples.


    "Junior Brother and Junior Sister come from Noble Clans, with good talent, good Spiritual Roots, and good inheritance?"


    Mo Hua said meekly.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and sighed,


    "You might not feel it deeply now, but when you venture into the broader Cultivation World, you will understand that family background, Spiritual Roots, and inheritance are all cold and cruel barriers that separate the upper Noble Clans from the lower Loose Cultivators."


    "There are some things Noble Family Descendants can do, but Loose Cultivators cannot."


    "Paths they can walk are inaccessible to you."


    "They are born with good Spiritual Roots, without worries for food and clothing, abundant Spirit Stones, rich in Spiritual Objects, only needing to cultivate, with others handling any troubles that arise, and someone to plan their Tao Cultivation path."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his gaze warm but tinged with pity,


    "But you can¡¯t, you must walk your future path on your own; earn your Spirit Stones on your own; if you offend others, there¡¯s no one to back you up; if you encounter trouble, you have to resolve it by yourself..."


    "However, your talent in Formation is extremely good, and your comprehension is also very high. In the future, you will inevitably intersect with the many Proud Sons of Heaven from the Great Clans, Great Sects, and even the Central Tao Court, and perhaps even have a decisive contest."


    "When the Proud Sons of Heaven contend, not having a Clan or a Sect is your greatest disadvantage."


    "And you can¡¯t even do body refinement, the dangers you will encounter in the future are immense..."


    ...


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew solemn.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua, worry in their eyes.


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment, made a silent resolution, and said,


    "Master, don¡¯t worry, as the Junior Brother, I will definitely protect our Junior Brother! He is my disciple brother and is also considered a member of our Bai Family; I won¡¯t let anyone bully him!"


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly startled, looking at Bai Zisheng with both surprise and relief.


    The Bai Family... could actually raise such a child...


    It is indeed rare.


    Mr. Zhuang patted Bai Zisheng¡¯s shoulder, "It¡¯s good that you have this intention..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words were implicit, as there were some things he did not say outright.


    Because the Noble Clans have always been devoid of warmth.


    And the Bai Family was no exception.


    In the future, it¡¯s possible that both children, Zisheng and Zixi, may struggle for self-preservation...


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was complex, his heart sighing.


    But these worries, of course, lay with the children¡¯s mother to be concerned about; he couldn¡¯t manage so much.


    Mr. Zhuang then turned his gaze back to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, his clear, large eyes blinking, then suddenly brightened as he looked at Mr. Zhuang and asked,


    "Master, are you saying all this because it¡¯s related to the Formation I¡¯m going to learn next?"


    Mr. Zhuang felt a pang of emotion.


    What a bright child, he grasped it instantly.


    He nodded, "Correct."


    Outside the window, the Si Water roared incessantly, meandering off into the distance.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "The Proud Sons of Heaven of the Cultivation World¡¯s Nine States are as numerous as fish crossing a river..."


    "Without exception, they all cultivate their own techniques, study their own Taoist Skills, all their abilities geared towards enhancing their own prowess in combat."


    "They contend with each other, each wanting to rely on their own strength, to surpass the many geniuses, to be unrivaled."


    "This is extremely difficult."


    "It requires exceptional Spiritual Roots, a profound family background, unique opportunities, to cultivate a deep foundation, strong Taoist Skills, and superior Spiritual Artifacts, to outshine fellow cultivators and become a Proud Son of Heaven..."


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment and glanced at Mo Hua,


    "But you can¡¯t do this."


    Mr. Zhuang enumerated Mo Hua¡¯s shortcomings once again,


    "Your Spiritual Roots are lacking, your background inadequate, natural frailty, simple Spiritual Artifacts; although your Cultivation Technique is special, it doesn¡¯t enhance Spiritual Power, only your Formation is stronger than theirs."


    "You have no advantage in direct contention."


    "And some extremely rare Cultivation resources can only be obtained through direct contention."


    "Therefore, you can¡¯t follow the same path as them, when contesting for opportunities, you can¡¯t rely on your own combat abilities like they do."


    "You need methods of combat, but you can¡¯t focus mainly on offense." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You can¡¯t rely on your own strength to overpower the Proud Sons of Heaven."


    "So you must take a different path, not focusing on offense but assisting it..."


    "Assisting offense?"


    Mo Hua was stunned, not quite understanding.


    Mr. Zhuang explained, "To put it simply, it means enhancing the power of others¡¯ Taoist Skills."


    Mo Hua started to understand, but was still not entirely clear.


    Main offense, assisting offense, what¡¯s the difference?

 Chapter 582: Chapter Si Water (3)

    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, his words carrying profound meaning:"If you mainly cultivate in slaughter, you are competing with the Proud Sons of Heaven. You become their enemy, and they won¡¯t treat you kindly."


    "But if you assist in slaughter, you can help them compete with other Proud Sons of Heaven, and then they will have to regard your opinion."


    "The stronger your methods in assisting slaughter, the more they will hesitate to offend you."


    "In this way, even though you lack a Noble Clan for support, any Noble Clan can become your assistance; and without a Sect for backing, any Sect can become your background."


    "Among the utilitarian and power-driven forces of Tao Cultivation, and amidst the many exceptional cultivators with outstanding Spiritual Roots, Cultivation Techniques, and Taoist Skills, you too will have a place!"


    Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    "The first beam exposed to the weather rots first."


    "You can¡¯t stand out, nor do you need to."


    "Learn to hide in the shadows, learn to ride the currents of power. Only by navigating smoothly through the forces of Cultivation, where barriers are strict, interests clash, and competition is fierce, can you truly go far, progressively refining your Cultivation, mastering Formations, and seeking the true Great Dao..."


    Having finished, Mr. Zhuang looked somewhat emotional.


    When he was young, he simply hadn¡¯t grasped this concept.


    Always striving to suppress his peers, arrogant and disdainful of the world, he was too rigid and eventually suffered a great loss...


    Mo Hua suddenly saw the light.


    Assisting in slaughter, avoiding the limelight, hiding in the shadows, learning to leverage.


    Only by doing so could one secure a foothold in the closely guarded, interest-conflicted, fiercely competitive world of Cultivation forces.


    His master had truly considered his future so far ahead...


    Moved in his heart, Mo Hua was extremely grateful.


    But all these seemed premature for him.


    He hadn¡¯t even begun to establish his Foundation, let alone compete with the Proud Sons of Heaven.


    Mulling things over, Mo Hua asked:


    "Master, is the Five Element Ultimate Formation at the Li Mountain State Boundary an auxiliary formation for slaughter?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "At its core, the Five Element Ultimate Formation is a means to intensify the Five Elements Spiritual Power."


    Five Elements Spiritual Power Intensification!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, eager to ask more specifics, but Mr. Zhuang just smiled faintly, playing coy:


    "You¡¯ll know when the time comes."


    Mo Hua pouted.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to reproach Mr. Zhuang in his heart.


    If he did, Mr. Zhuang would know for certain and would knock on his little head.


    Mo Hua could only ask other things:


    "Master, what grade is the Dali Mountain State Boundary?"


    "Third-Grade."


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    Mo Hua was astonished, it was actually Third-Grade!


    "Doesn¡¯t that mean there will be Golden Core Cultivators?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "There are some, but not many. Dali Mountain is a rather remote area within the Third-Grade State Boundaries. The resources for Tao Cultivation are not abundant, and although it is ranked as Third-Grade, it cannot sustain many Golden Cores..."


    "Only some larger Clans and Sects have Golden Core Cultivators at their helm."


    "For ordinary cultivators, Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement are still the main focus."


    "Oh," Mo Hua nodded in understanding.


    He wanted to ask more about the Five Element Ultimate Formation and the Dali Mountain State Boundary, but noticed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s weary expression, seemingly tired, so he said with concern:


    "Master, you should rest for a while."


    Looking outside, Mr. Zhuang appeared reflective:


    "It¡¯s alright, maybe later, there¡¯s a Dragon Spring Waterfall up ahead that I want to see."


    "Master, have you been here before?" Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, his expression turning somewhat wistful and nostalgic: "I have, but it was... a very long time ago..."


    A very long time...


    Just how long ago was that?


    His master didn¡¯t seem that old...


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Looking up again, he saw Mr. Zhuang appeared fatigued, his gaze somewhat forlorn, lost in thought.


    "Master, how much longer until we reach the Dragon Spring Waterfall?"


    Mo Hua asked softly.


    Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses and contemplated:


    "I estimate, another two hours or so..."


    After considering for a moment, Mo Hua suggested: "Then Master, you should sleep for a bit. When it¡¯s time, I¡¯ll wake you." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang looked surprised, then his expression softened with reassurance, and he acquiesced:


    "Alright."


    Mr. Zhuang closed his eyes peacefully and fell into a steady sleep.


    Mo Hua sat upright, calculating the time while looking out the window.


    He too wanted to see what Mr. Zhuang¡¯s described Dragon Spring Waterfall was like.


    The carriage was quiet inside, while outside the Si Water was bustling.


    The horse-drawn carriage followed the rushing water, heading south along the road, moving ever forward¡­

 Chapter 583: Nine Layers (1)

    Two hours later, Mo Hua caught sight of the Dragon Spring Waterfall.Si Water cleaves the landscape, with green mountains and black cliffs.


    The turbulent river water, like white silk ribbons, cascades and hangs inverted, forming the waterfall, which is then torn by rocks, spilling down like scattered silk.


    Exquisitely spectacular.


    Mo Hua and his two companions stared in amazement, their eyes shining brightly.


    Tongxian City is relatively dry, with more mountains and fewer rivers.


    Mo Hua had never seen such a large waterfall before.


    Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi came from noble clans, they were raised within their families as children, and when they went out, they took main roads and traveled quickly, so they rarely saw such natural wonders.


    Water droplets splashed on the rocks from the waterfall, round and smooth like jade.


    The clouds between the mountains and the mist from the waterfall blurred into one, interweaving the sunlight into a gorgeous spectrum of colors.


    Mo Hua was mesmerized, but soon a question arose:


    "Master, why is this waterfall called the Dragon Spring Waterfall?"


    It was just a waterfall, with neither dragons nor springs to be seen.


    And it didn¡¯t look like a dragon, either.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze skimmed across the waterfall, looking towards the colorful mists, his expression somewhat wistful:


    "There was once a sword hidden here, named Dragon Spring, so the waterfall was called after it." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Dragon Spring Sword..."


    Mo Hua quietly repeated the name to himself and then asked, "Is it a good sword?"


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    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily startled, his gaze inscrutable as he murmured:


    "It is a good sword, well suited to its master..."


    It seemed he was recalling some past events, his gaze filled with both distant longing and unspeakable regret.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, instantly understanding.


    There must be a story here!


    But he didn¡¯t ask; even if he did, his master certainly wouldn¡¯t tell.


    "The Dragon Spring Sword..."


    Mo Hua silently noted down the name of the sword.


    ...


    After passing Dragon Spring Waterfall, the group continued southward.


    The Dali Mountain State boundary was still far away.


    The Cultivation World was vast, divided into the Nine States.


    Each of the Nine States was expansive, stretching as far as the eye could see.


    Within the Nine States, boundaries were also delineated according to ranks.


    Each state boundary had different mountains and rivers, and cultivators built cities according to the terrain, their diets and customs varying, each with its own characteristics.


    As Mo Hua traveled, he broadened his horizons and increased his knowledge.


    When encountering some special ingredients, Mo Hua would buy them, ask the local cultivators how to prepare them, and then try cooking some dishes for Mr. Zhuang and his senior fellow disciples to taste.


    Though not all were delicious, they certainly had distinct flavors and were quite special to eat.


    Old Kui didn¡¯t like these meals.


    He only enjoyed nuts like pine nuts and hazelnuts.


    Sometimes, when Mo Hua found them, he would buy some and roast them for Old Kui.


    Or, if Mo encountered unknown pine nuts, seeds, or fruits on some ancient trees in the mountains that weren¡¯t poisonous, he would pick some and roast them for Old Kui to taste.


    In return, Old Kui often gave Mo Hua pointers on his spells:


    "Your Fireball Technique is well-learned, and you use it well, but it¡¯s a bit impure."


    Mo Hua also had this question.


    The Fireball Technique he used in the real world was dark red, showing signs of becoming denser.


    But the Fireball Technique he visualized in his Sea of Consciousness was bright red, with the Spiritual Power like threads, layered upon each other, forming a flame tangle intertwined with Spiritual Threads.


    After explaining this to Old Kui, Mo Hua asked:


    "Grandpa Gui, which direction should I choose for my cultivation?"


    Whether to deepen his Spiritual Power or pursue Spiritual Power Silkification.


    Old Kui shook his head:


    "When two choices are presented before you, don¡¯t rush to pick one. Instead, consider if you can choose both."


    "If you can choose both, then do so."


    "If you can¡¯t, then make a choice."


    "Cultivators who think about choosing one or the other from the start are blockheads."


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in surprise.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Old Kui, who was usually so serious, to say something like that.


    "What if I can¡¯t choose either?" Mo Hua asked quietly.


    "Then there¡¯s no use in dwelling on it. Things that can¡¯t be chosen, even if you consider them, are meaningless and just waste time," Old Kui replied.


    Mo Hua nodded, finding these words to be very true.


    He then remembered something else and frowned:


    "Grandpa Gui, what if someone forces me to make a difficult choice?"


    Old Kui replied straightforwardly: "Then you just kill that person!"


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Old Kui continued: "Kill that person, and no one will force you to choose, and then you can have it all."


    "What if I can¡¯t beat him, what if I can¡¯t kill him?"


    "Then you can only blame your own incompetence," Old Kui said hoarsely, "In such a situation, being forced into it, it really doesn¡¯t matter how you choose."


    Mo Hua nodded, "So you really need to be strong, that way you can choose what you want in the future..."


    After pondering deeply for a moment, Mo Hua suddenly realized he had strayed off-topic and brought the conversation back to the matter of spells:


    "Grandpa Gui, can I choose both forms of the Fireball Technique?"


    Old Kui nodded, "A deep red fireball represents the state of Spiritual Power, and a thread-like fireball represents the form of Spiritual Power. They are not in conflict and can both be chosen, but..."


    Old Kui glanced at Mo Hua, "it¡¯s difficult."


    Mo Hua asked, "What should I do?"


    Old Kui was hesitant; he didn¡¯t want to say much initially, but considering the empty pine nut shells he had cracked, he felt a bit obliged and said:


    "It¡¯s a bit early for you to learn this, but you can start getting an idea."


    Mo Hua immediately sat up straight, listening attentively.


    But instead of speaking, Old Kui took out a tuft of cotton from nowhere.


    This tuft of cotton was just ordinary cotton.


    With a clench of Old Kui¡¯s palm, the cotton was pressured, compressing and twisting on its own into a cotton thread.

 Chapter 584: Nine Layers (2)

    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, as if in deep thought.After creating the wad of cotton, Old Kui took out another bunch of cotton and processed it the same way, compressing it before twisting it into another cotton thread¡­


    Until he had formed more than a dozen threads.


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze turned cold, and his Divine Sense made a move.


    The dozen or so cotton threads twisted and tangled instantly, seemingly chaotic yet rhythmically coming together, weaving into a ball of thread.


    This ball of thread was the same size as the previous wad of cotton.


    But the inner structure was completely different.


    Old Kui looked at Mo Hua and asked, "Do you understand now?"


    Mo Hua frowned and honestly said:


    "I understand... a little bit..."


    "No matter, remember what you¡¯ve seen," he responded.


    Old Kui raised his hand, and the freshly twisted ball of thread instantly vanished into ash, leaving no trace in his palm.


    "The principles of complex spells often hide in the simplest, most mundane things."


    "Like this ball of thread."


    "And like every mountain and river, every cloud and rain, every grass and tree in this world¡­"


    Mo Hua nodded and said frankly:


    "Grandpa Gui, I¡¯ll remember it, but I don¡¯t quite understand it yet..."


    Old Kui¡¯s mouth curled slightly into a smile that didn¡¯t quite look like a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, observe more, learn more, think more, and the day you understand will come."


    "Yes!" Mo Hua nodded seriously.


    Old Kui thought for a moment and then said:


    "I¡¯ll demonstrate this spell technique just once, watch carefully."


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    Old Kui spread his palm open, and a fireball appeared, gaseous and pale red in color. Then, as Old Kui guided with his Divine Sense, the Spiritual Power compressed inward, solidifying into a strand of deep red fire.


    The fire strand, containing astonishing Spiritual Power, hovered in midair.


    Then another fireball formed in Old Kui¡¯s palm.


    And again, the fireball solidified into a fire strand.


    After more than ten rounds, Old Kui¡¯s palm no longer held fireballs but instead bore over a dozen deep red, fiercely hot fire strands.


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze deepened, and his Divine Thought took action.


    The fire strands entwined together, condensing into a small fireball.


    This Fireball Technique, woven with fire strands, looked less like a fireball and more like a Spiritual Power ball woven from flames.


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    Multiple compressions, reconstruction of Spiritual Power.


    It seemed like a simple Fireball Technique, yet it emanated an astonishing aura.


    With a casual flick, Old Kui sent the fireball flying swiftly into the raging river nearby.


    An ear-piercing noise erupted.


    Like cold water poured into hot oil, the surface of the river boiled over immediately.


    Mo Hua looked in the direction of the sound, his mouth agape. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A large river, the vast surface of the water, was evaporated by the tiny Fireball Technique, creating a huge cavity.


    Mists formed around it from the evaporated water, and steam billowed.


    After a short while, the river water rushed back in.


    The sound of surging tides broke out.


    The river poured into the void, and a massive whirlpool formed on the previously calm surface.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood, like the river water, couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time.


    The Spiritual Power Old Kui had just used was merely Qi Refinement, and the Spell he wielded was only a first-grade Fireball Technique.


    But could a Fireball Technique really produce such immense destructive power?


    Mo Hua looked at Old Kui, his expression full of shock and admiration.


    Old Kui appeared comfortable, but his expression remained indifferent.


    He patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, "Remember this, practice and learn more."


    Mo Hua nodded somewhat dazedly.


    Old Kui left contentedly.


    Aside, Mr. Zhuang complained to him, "Why teach him such a thing?"


    "If he can learn, why shouldn¡¯t I teach him?"


    "You¡¯re teaching him even though he doesn¡¯t know what this is?"


    Old Kui didn¡¯t speak for a while but finally said quietly:


    "I¡¯m afraid if I don¡¯t teach him now, I won¡¯t have the chance later..."


    Old Kui turned his head to look at Mr. Zhuang again, "Don¡¯t you think the same?"


    Mr. Zhuang paused at these words, staying silent for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh.


    ...


    Yet Mo Hua¡¯s expression was exhilarated.


    Such a powerful Fireball Technique!


    This power completely exceeded his understanding.


    Eager to try it himself, Mo Hua immediately attempted to reproduce it but found that he couldn¡¯t do it at all.


    The principle seemed simple: Spiritual Power was like cotton, first condensing Spiritual Power into fine threads, then weaving those threads into a ball...


    But in reality, it was not the case.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was already very strong, at the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment with Thirteen Stripes, having cultivated the Heaven Yan Jue and learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation; even his control over Spiritual Power was not weak.


    However, even with such strong Divine Sense and such intricate control, he couldn¡¯t even turn Spiritual Power into a thin thread.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, somewhat disappointed.


    But after thinking about it, he felt it was normal.


    If a spell of such great power could be learned so easily, that would truly be daydreaming.


    Mo Hua imprinted every detail of Old Kui¡¯s spellcasting completely in his mind.


    Whenever he had free time, he pondered over it, hoping that one day he too could wield a Fireball Technique with such terrifying power...


    Mo Hua looked forward with expectation.


    Whether it was Formation or Spell.


    There was still so much he had to learn.


    As long as he continued to study, one day he would be able to integrate everything, master profound Formations, and control powerful Spells.


    ...


    The rest of the journey passed mostly without incident.


    Even though they traveled day and night, enduring wind and dew, it was not too harsh.


    Mo Hua used what was available locally, making a variety of meals; his culinary skills improved daily, and the food he made became more and more delicious.


    The carriage moved leisurely along.


    Mr. Zhuang rested on the carriage, while Mo Hua and the other three gathered around a small table, either Drawing Formation, reading books, or doing various Tao Cultivation exercises.


    Occasionally, during a rest, when they had ample time, Mo Hua would play a few games of chess with Old Kui.

 Chapter 585: 522

    They still played the simple game of Five Elements Chess.The two played joyfully.


    Although Mr. Zhuang had seen it all before, he was still somewhat surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua could really engage in a game of chess with Old Kui.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, however, were somewhat confused.


    Sometimes, when Mo Hua went shopping for vegetables, walked Big White, or was looking for Formation materials, they too played several games with Old Kui.


    But without exception, they were all scorned by Old Kui.


    Old Kui found Bai Zixi too clever. When playing Five Elements Chess, she was also extremely cunning, never giving up a single piece.


    He found fault with Bai Zisheng for being too rash.


    It was fine that he ate every day, but when it came to playing Five Elements Chess, he only knew how to "capture" without any true skill.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, was different.


    When he played chess, it was a natural process.


    He neither deliberately overthought each move, nor was he recklessly greedy.


    Of course, the main reason was that both their skills in chess were "evenly matched," without the desire for profit or victory, playing purely for fun.


    Mo Hua played chess with Old Kui.


    And Old Kui would carve some puppets for Mo Hua.


    At first, it was just small and large tigers, but as Old Kui¡¯s cough got worse, he began to accept Mo Hua¡¯s various requests.


    All sorts of strange and unusual Monster Beasts¡ªwolves, insects, tigers, leopards.


    Whenever Mo Hua saw one, he would pester Old Kui to carve one for him.


    After the carving was done, Mo Hua would then draw the Spiritual Pivot Formation on them.


    Then he could control a bunch of Monster Beast puppets, chasing, frolicking, and play-fighting on the grass, both novel and lively.


    Since Old Kui had carved for Mo Hua, he felt it wouldn¡¯t be right to favor one over another.


    He also carved some puppets for Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    For Bai Zisheng, it was an Azure Dragon; magnificent, yet unable to fly. Even with the Spiritual Pivot Formation, it could only crawl on the ground.


    For Bai Zixi, it was a colorful phoenix.


    Besides the Spiritual Pivot Formation, the phoenix¡¯s wings were also adorned with the Five-Color Formation by Mo Hua.


    Once the feathers were spread out, it resembled a peacock¡¯s splendid tail¡ªvibrant and glittering with spiritual light, and very gorgeous¡­


    Afterward, whenever they were idle, Bai Zisheng would frolic on the grass with Mo Hua, controlling his Azure Dragon, engaging in a fierce battle with Mo Hua¡¯s control of small and large tigers and numerous Monster Beasts.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, would hold the beautiful phoenix to the side, watching Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng play happily, her eyes clear like autumn water, cupping a shallow smile¡­


    ¡­


    And so, the group continued on their way.


    They crossed mountains, forded streams, witnessed the sunrise and sunset, and watched the clouds roll by.


    Along the way, they also encountered many people and events.


    Some were shortsighted Bandit Cultivators, vicious Sin Cultivators, and those who did not follow the Righteous Dao, the Evil Cultivators.


    But most of them were not highly Cultivated, nor were their Taoist Skills strong.


    Bai Zisheng, alone with his spear, could hold them off.


    Mo Hua watched from the sidelines, occasionally controlling the scene with the Water Prison Technique or supplementing with the Fireball Technique, easily defeating them.


    Mostly, though, were the poor and distressed Loose Cultivators.


    Just like in Tongxian City, South Yue City, and the other ordinary Little Immortal Cities.


    The life of a Loose Cultivator was often not easy.


    Those standing at the top only see beautiful and splendid views.


    Only those who truly set foot on the ground know how fickle the world can be and how much suffering the people endure.


    A Formation Master should comprehend the Heavenly Dao and benefit all beings.


    Mo Hua kept these words in mind, and when he encountered people in poverty and suffering, he did what he could, drawing Formations to help them.


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    Through the long journey, with the steady pace of horse hooves.


    Half a year later, Mo Hua finally arrived at the Dali Mountain State Boundary of the Third Grade.


    By this time, Mo Hua was fourteen years old, and his Cultivation, through cumulative practice, had reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    He was only a step away from Foundation Establishment.

 Chapter 586: Li Mountain City (1)

    At fourteen, Qi Refinement Ninth Level, Divine Sense with Thirteen Stripes.From Qi Refining Eighth Level to Ninth Level, although his realm broke through and his Divine Sense also grew a bit,


    This kind of growth, after all, was only within the Qi-refining Realm. In front of a Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, it seemed rather unimpressive.


    It was tasteless, but too precious to discard.


    It was also insufficient to break through the bottleneck and reach the Fourteen Stripes of Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense still peaked at Thirteen Stripes.


    It wasn¡¯t even much stronger than the previous peak at Thirteen Stripes.


    Inside the carriage, Mo Hua sighed.


    It seemed this bottleneck was yet another tough threshold.


    Similar to the threshold from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, from Thirteen to Fourteen Stripes was the barrier from the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment to the Middle Stage. It appeared to be a difference of only one Stripe, but the gap between them was unfathomably deep.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t see the bottom.


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    Mo Hua poked his head out and glanced at the sky.


    The territory he was currently in was the Third-Grade Dali Mountain State Boundary.


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    In the Third-Grade State Boundary, the upper limit of Cultivation that a cultivator could utilize was the Golden Core Realm!


    "The Third-Grade State Boundary, huh..."


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    This was the first time he had come to a state boundary above Second Grade.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath and felt that the atmosphere around him was different ¡ª the earth was more expansive, and the sky seemed higher.


    Of course, it could be that the Third-Grade State Boundary was indeed larger.


    Or it might just be his own illusion¡­


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky again.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see it now, there was a Large Formation in the heavens.


    When he obliterated Feng Xi, he had seen it with his own eyes: blood-red lightning descended, frighteningly enigmatic, roaming above his head, and then gradually dissipated.


    As the lightning faded, within the clouds, there were inconceivable Formation Patterns.


    One of these Patterns he had memorized onto a Taoist Stele.


    This Pattern was an Immortal Pattern.


    Far beyond what Mo Hua¡¯s current realm could comprehend.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t even dared to look at it, fearful that a single glance would drain his Divine Sense, crack his Sea of Consciousness, and bring endless trouble.


    Furthermore, this was an Immortal Pattern from the lightning tribulation, containing the Laws of annihilation.


    Laws are unreasonable.


    If he looked too much and triggered the Immortal Pattern, getting annihilated on the spot, even his master, no matter how powerful, would probably be unable to save him¡­


    He would leave it for later, when his realm was higher and his Divine Sense stronger, to cautiously comprehend.


    Mo Hua looked down at his little hand again.


    Now, flowing within his body was the Spiritual Power of Qi Refinement Ninth Level!


    At Qi Refinement Ninth Level, the Spiritual Power had deepened a bit.


    At the same time, his Spell¡¯s power had also grown stronger.


    Even relying solely on "Divine Sense compression", with the "Only speed is unbeatable" Fireball Technique, he could generally defeat other cultivators at the Qi Refinement Ninth Level.


    Of course, that excluded his Junior Brother and Junior Sister.


    They could hold their own against those in Foundation Establishment.


    Currently, Mo Hua was no match for Foundation Building Cultivators.


    Unless he utilized the Formation Collapse¡­


    Otherwise, it¡¯d be a fifty-fifty chance.


    And it¡¯s the kind of fifty-fifty where "one stands on invincible ground".


    He couldn¡¯t kill them, they couldn¡¯t chase, catch, or even see him¡­


    "Just not sure if after my Foundation Establishment, when my Divine Sense improves further and my spells become stronger, can I face off against other Foundation Building Cultivators directly¡­"


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


    His facial expression changed by the moment¡ªsometimes happy, sometimes expectant, sometimes worried, and sometimes frowning in deep thought¡­


    Mr. Zhuang watched with interest and smiled gently,


    "Thinking about Foundation Establishment again?"


    Mo Hua came back to his senses and nodded with a smile.


    "There¡¯s no need to rush," Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, "Cultivate a bit deeper, reach Nine-layer perfection, and then you can attempt Foundation Establishment. As for the Divine Sense, don¡¯t force it ¡ª let it be¡­"


    Looking at it now, a Qi-refining Cultivator reaching Fourteen Stripes of Divine Sense was indeed too difficult.


    Even Mo Hua might find it somewhat impossible¡­


    After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhuang continued, "If it really doesn¡¯t work out, peak Thirteen Stripes at Foundation Establishment is also acceptable."


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful and worried,


    "Won¡¯t that be less powerful?"


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment, looking at Mo Hua with a complex gaze,


    "You¡¯re currently at Qi Refinement Ninth Level with peak Thirteen Stripes of Divine Sense, which is very¡­ impressive already¡­"


    Which family¡¯s Qi-refining Cultivator could have the Divine Sense of the peak of the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment?


    It¡¯s Divine Sense, after all, which is elusive and difficult to cultivate, strengthen, and enhance¡­


    Not simply nurtured by Spirit Stones like Spiritual Power.


    To have Divine Sense advance by a whole realm is already inconceivable.


    "Oh." Mo Hua scratched his head.


    If master says it¡¯s impressive, then it should be okay.


    Then, he thought of another question,


    "Master, shouldn¡¯t I polish my realm?"


    Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, "Like my Junior Brother and Junior Sister..."


    He had heard from Zhang Lan that descendants of Noble Clans need to lay a solid foundation before Foundation Establishment so that their Cultivation is stable and they can go further in the future.


    Zhang Lan himself had taken a long time to refine his foundation in the Qi-refining Realm.


    Despite being from a noble clan, he was of such age and still only at Qi Refinement Ninth Level; only later, for the sake of battling the Big Demon and being safe, did he break through to Foundation Establishment.


    Of course, Mo Hua figured that he probably had a falling out with his clan and was a bit rebellious, hence he deliberately stagnated, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have waited so long to establish his Foundation.


    But for his Junior Brother and Junior Sister, it was a different story.


    The three of them spent their days together.


    Mo Hua watched them cultivate every day; each time they practiced, their Spiritual Power became more condensed, their Cultivation deeper, their auras stronger.


    Accumulating day by day, though their realms hadn¡¯t increased, their Cultivation was exceptionally solid.


    It was even comparable to Foundation Establishment¡­


    Mo Hua reminisced for a moment.

 Chapter 587: Li Mountain City 2

    When we first met, I was only at the Qi Refinement third level, while they were already in the later stages. Now I¡¯ve reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level, and they are still at the same level."The talent of my fellow disciples is so strong, yet they have suppressed their realm for such a long time."


    "With my poor Spiritual Root, not suppressing at all... is that not quite right...?"


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang somewhat puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression then became subtle.


    After some thought, he decided to tell the truth:


    "This... you don¡¯t need to suppress..."


    "Your senior brothers and sisters, they have Heavenly... top-grade Spiritual Roots, the Cultivation Techniques they practice are high-grade ones that cycle perfectly through the meridians, and the Taoist Skills they learn are the ultimate techniques passed down by their Noble Clan¡¯s Sect Protecting Faction...


    "For a Noble Clan like the Bai Family, there¡¯s not much difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining..."


    "The Clan¡¯s expectations of them are not merely to reach Foundation Establishment, but to ensure a solid foundation to break through to higher levels of Cultivation."


    "The Clan¡¯s heritage is enough to support their Cultivation."


    "Once they reach the perfection in Qi Refinement and have built a solid foundation, the quality transformation of their fully cycled Spiritual Power will lay the foundation for the Great Dao."


    "In the future, they¡¯ll have sufficient Spiritual Power to wield powerful high-grade Taoist Skills and enough foundation to seek higher realms..."


    "That is the path of the Noble Clans¡¯ Proud Sons of Heaven; they have to refine their realm..."


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, "For you, it doesn¡¯t matter..."


    Trying to be tactful, Mr. Zhuang still said somewhat painfully:


    "Your Spiritual Root is somewhat poor, your physique rather weak, and you can¡¯t compare to them in terms of inheritance, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that. Whether or not you refine your realm, it doesn¡¯t really make a difference... "


    "Just keep cultivating, and break through when you can. Even though you have less Spiritual Power and weaker Blood Qi, at least your Divine Sense is strong..."


    "A single excellence can cover many faults..."


    "As long as your Divine Sense is strong, everything else can be managed..."


    ...


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complex.


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t know if his master was praising him or belittling him...


    Mo Hua sighed and then thought that maybe this was for the best. There was no need to painstakingly refine his cultivation level, which would save him worry, effort, and Spirit Stones.


    After all, his Spiritual Root was what it was, and the situation was just so; it couldn¡¯t be changed. So, make do with what he had, and being able to achieve Foundation Establishment would be good enough...


    Mo Hua leveled his frame of mind.


    No matter how good others were, that was their fortune.


    It had nothing to do with oneself.


    Just cultivate your own Tao.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became serene, and he nodded slightly.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, Mr. Zhuang was slightly taken aback, then nodded gently, and thought to himself:


    "This child, his temperament is truly good..."


    ... S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The carriage traveled on, journeying over ten more days. They finally passed through the mountain roads of the Dali Mountain State Boundary and arrived at Li Mountain City.


    Li Mountain City, a Third Grade Immortal City, was picturesque, with its city walls grand and awe-inspiring. The city¡¯s caves and buildings glowed with gold, displaying a kind of air.


    Most Cultivators in the city were of the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment stages, with some at the Golden Core, though not many.


    The destination of this trip was the largest and the only Third Grade Sect in the entire Li Mountain City:


    The Five Elements Sect.


    Before heading to the Five Elements Sect, Mo Hua and his companions checked into an inn for a brief rest.


    Mo Hua first made sure Big White was settled, instructing the innkeeper to feed it top-grade fodder. Watching it eat contentedly, he patted Big White¡¯s mane before leaving.


    He then ordered some dried fruits, refreshments, and tea, bringing them to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s room.


    Old Kui was nowhere to be found.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi sat respectfully, listening to Mr. Zhuang speak of something.


    Mo Hua placed the meals on the table.


    These dishes were all personally selected by Mo Hua.


    The way they were prepared and the flavors were all based on Mo Hua¡¯s instructions.


    Food that the Master, fellow disciples, and Old Kui all enjoyed.


    Famished from a day¡¯s travel, Bai Zisheng smelled the fragrance of the dishes and couldn¡¯t help but take a glance, then quickly composed himself again and listened attentively to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly, and then said:


    "Let¡¯s eat first."


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, his respect mixed with excitement as he said:


    "Yes, Master!"


    While eating, Mo Hua chatted with his fellow disciples about their observations in the city.


    They talked about the various distinctive Cultivators they had seen, the different local customs, and the Market Town where all sorts of eye-catching Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, and Formation Books were displayed.


    Mo Hua marveled inwardly.


    Sure enough, a Third Grade Immortal City was different.


    On the streets, he saw many Foundation Building Cultivators.


    The Spiritual Artifacts and Pills displayed in the Market Town included not a few of Second Grade quality, and Mo Hua even saw a Second Grade Formation Book.


    He wanted to flip through it, but the stall owner wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    The owner even said things like, "What¡¯s a child doing looking at Formation Books? These books aren¡¯t for you to read, don¡¯t exhaust your Divine Sense..."


    Mo Hua harbored no ill will, letting the matter go.


    He was indeed not at the level to learn Second Grade Formations, perusing would be futile. Enjoy new tales from


    What¡¯s more, these Second Grade Formation Books were quite expensive, and the formations recorded inside, just by their names, were all rather common and not worth the waste of Spirit Stones.


    He was nearing Foundation Establishment, and needed to conserve his Spirit Stones...


    However, Mo Hua also noticed something odd.


    It seemed like most of Li Mountain City was occupied by Cultivators running stores, Market Towns, and market stalls selling various items for Tao Cultivation.


    Most Loose Cultivators were also traders.


    There weren¡¯t those Loose Cultivators engaged in labor, earning Spirit Stones as Spirit Farmers, Mining Cultivators, Monster Hunters, or Craftsmen.


    Mo Hua found it somewhat puzzling and asked Mr. Zhuang about it.


    Mr. Zhuang said: "That¡¯s the nature of a Formation Sect..."


    "The Five Elements Sect?"


    "Correct," Mr. Zhuang nodded, "The Five Elements Sect is an orthodox Sect founded on Formations. Most Cultivators within the Sect are Formation Masters."

 Chapter 588: Li Mountain City (3)

    "The Cultivation World esteemed Formations.""While Cultivation emphasizes slaughter, only empowering oneself, Formations, on the other hand, can influence thousands of Cultivators."


    "This is even more so for those Cultivation clans with significant strength and a multitude of Cultivators."


    "Five Elements Sect, skilled in Formations, settled here, drawing numerous Cultivators, clans, and Sects to seek Formations, with some Cultivators even choosing to reside here permanently."


    "Some Cultivation powers, in order to curry favor with Five Elements Sect, would station an Elder here, presenting gifts and paying visits during holidays and festivals."


    "As interactions increased, the price of the residences here soared."


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with some emotion, "Don¡¯t be fooled by its remoteness; the caves in this city are really beyond what ordinary Cultivators can afford."


    "The high cost of caves leads to soaring prices for everything else."


    "The Loose Cultivators of Li Mountain City rely on the blessings of their ancestors, barely scraping by in shelters, barely getting by; otherwise, they would not survive."


    "In the long run, the number of Cultivators in the whole Li Mountain City has dwindled¡­"


    Mo Hua expressed his doubts, "I see the streets bustling though."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Cultivators live long lives, so one shouldn¡¯t just look at the present but must take a longer view."


    "Hundreds of years ago, I came here, and there were many more Cultivators than now."


    "These days, the number of Cultivators is fewer¡­"


    "The bustling pavilions and towers are only surface-level prosperity; without people, they are ultimately just as fleeting as the moon reflected in water or flowers in a mirror."


    Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully. Explore more stories with


    Then he asked, "But all this has nothing to do with Five Elements Sect, right? They can¡¯t control others buying caves at high prices¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Five Elements Sect has been fanning the flames..."


    "Fanning the flames?" Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Mr. Zhuang explained, "Hundreds of years ago, Five Elements Sect had fallen into decline. It was the founder of Five Elements Sect who, wanting to revitalize the Sect, moved the Sect to the remote Li Mountain City."


    "Li Mountain City is remote and free from disturbances."


    "The founder of Five Elements Sect wanted the disciples to focus on their studies of Formations without distraction and also attract other Formation Masters to exchange and study Formation knowledge, making Li Mountain City a place for Formation Masters to pursue their studies, truly a city of Formation Study."


    "Indeed, this move had a significant effect."


    "Five Elements Sect steadily grew stronger, the atmosphere of Formation Study intensified, and Li Mountain City flourished, becoming a favored place among Formation Masters."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, "But later on, it was no longer so..."


    "As Formation Masters gathered, the value of residences skyrocketed, and Li Mountain City became worth its weight in gold."


    "Their founder¡¯s painstaking efforts ultimately proved of less importance than real Spirit Stones..."


    "The later generations of Five Elements Sect disciples began to have other ideas; they tore down buildings that were once for the use of Formation Masters to study and exchange ideas, and built luxurious caves instead, which they sold and rented out at high prices to make enormous sums of Spirit Stones."


    "They didn¡¯t have to do anything, Spirit Stones simply rolled into their accounts."


    "This abundance of easily acquired Spirit Stones led the Sect¡¯s disciples to become indolent and indulgent, no longer devoted to studying Formations or seeking the truths of the Heavenly Dao."


    "However, while Five Elements Sect seemed to profit immensely from this, that wealth was bought with the hardships of their ancestors and their prospects for the future."


    "The lifework of their ancestors was also lost in the process."


    "Caves became too expensive, ordinary Cultivators couldn¡¯t afford them, and gradually left."


    "And the talented Formation Masters from modest backgrounds who couldn¡¯t afford such expensive residences had no choice but to leave as well."


    "The disciples of Five Elements Sect, being all too rich in Spirit Stones and indulging in luxury, also stopped bothering to learn Formations."


    "The Formation atmosphere in the entirety of Li Mountain City thinned as well."


    "The standard of Formations at Five Elements Sect declined time and again, and some Formations were lost..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression turned grave as he remarked:


    "Whether it¡¯s Formation Masters or Formation Sects, in the end, they must root themselves in Formations and not be short-sighted in the pursuit of profit; otherwise, once prosperity fades, what remains is desolation."


    Mo Hua also felt a chill in his heart.


    A place where Formation Masters converged to study¡­ What kind of scene that must have been... S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua both longed for and regretted it, prompting him to ask:


    "Teacher, didn¡¯t Five Elements Sect think about changing?"


    A Sect that large, with so many Formation Masters¡ªyou¡¯d think that while some may be profit-driven, there would still be those who could see the bigger picture.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed:


    "It¡¯s too late to turn back now..."


    "The entire Sect, accustomed to making Spirit Stones with ease, from top to bottom, is entrenched in their interests; whoever thinks about change, faces the opposition of the whole Sect."


    "They lack both the courage and the ability to do so."


    "Even if there is someone with the ability to change, they might not wish to, because those with the power to make a change are likely those who have profited the most..."


    Changing longstanding habits is a painful process that starts with oneself.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The affairs of this world are indeed complex.


    Still, one matter weighed on his mind.


    Mo Hua inquired, "Teacher, you mentioned that Five Elements Sect was in decline, and it was the old founder who moved the Sect to Li Mountain City..."


    "What was Five Elements Sect like before its decline?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor became solemn as he reflected:


    "That was thousands of years ago..."


    "Back then, even if Five Elements Sect wasn¡¯t considered the top Sect, it was still one of the paramount Formation Sects in the entire Cultivation World."


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth hung open in surprise.


    He had never imagined that the ancestry of Five Elements Sect was so illustrious!


    A premier Formation Sect in the entire Cultivation World.


    That level of prestige...


    "Was their inheritance that formidable?" Mo Hua asked in amazement.


    "Indeed," Mr. Zhuang nodded:


    "What Five Elements Sect was best known for, and what they relied upon, was a complete set of Formations ranging from low to high grade, capable of amplifying the Spiritual Power of the Five Elements!"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a grave expression:


    "And it is precisely the set of first-grade Thirteen Patterns Five Element Ultimate Formation that you must go learn and master."

 Chapter 589: Five Elements Sect (1)

    "Teacher, with this Five Element Ultimate Formation being so important, will they really let me learn it?"Mo Hua asked with worry.


    Mr. Zhuang calmly said, "They wouldn¡¯t dare not to let you learn!"


    Mo Hua was startled and couldn¡¯t help asking,


    "Teacher, do you have some kind of connection with the Five Elements Sect?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze seemed distant, "Let¡¯s say there is..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was filled with curiosity.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also looking at Mr. Zhuang. Experience tales at


    After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, "There¡¯s no harm in telling you..."


    "Precisely speaking, it¡¯s not just me who has a connection with them, but our entire sect has some connections with the Five Elements Sect..."


    "Our sect?"


    Mo Hua was somewhat astonished, then asked softly, "Teacher, do we still have a sect?"


    "Yes."


    "What is it?" Mo Hua was very curious.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment, speaking with a cryptic look, "It¡¯s declined, better left unsaid."


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes hid different emotions as he continued,


    "The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect had a deep connection with our lineage."


    "Our sect¡¯s Ancestral Master once saved the Five Elements Sect from a desperate situation."


    "Out of gratitude for this debt, they imparted the Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect to us." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Since then, each generation of disciples from our sect has been able to study the Five Element Ultimate Formation at the Five Elements Sect, but the time was limited to only seven days."


    "Moreover, this formation is the foundation of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s creation; the Ancestral Master also didn¡¯t wish to take advantage of them and thus decreed that only Qi Refinement disciples could comprehend this formation..."


    Listening, Mo Hua nodded again and again, "Our Ancestral Master and the elders of the Five Elements Sect were both righteous, making concessions and not taking undue advantage."


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, "That¡¯s only the surface."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "The surface?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "This story, I heard it from my master. At first, I had no doubts, but after coming into contact with the Five Elements Sect, I realized that things weren¡¯t as they seemed."


    "In fact, this was a transaction."


    "A transaction..."


    Mo Hua opened his mouth slightly, thought for a moment, and then realized, expressing disbelief, "Could it be that our Ancestral Master wanted the Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect and used this as leverage to save them?" ????B¨§?


    "And the Five Elements Sect, for the survival of their sect, had no choice but to agree?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Indeed, it was a transaction, the Five Elements Sect¡¯s exchange of the Ultimate Formation for survival."


    Mr. Zhuang then cautioned Mo Hua,


    "The affairs of the world are hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and one shouldn¡¯t completely believe the words of one side, even if the speaker is the Ancestral Master of our Sect."


    "The Ancestral Master also had personal desires and would speak favorably for themselves."


    "This matter, in the Five Elements Sect, is told in another way."


    "In the eyes of the Five Elements Sect, it was our Ancestral Master who took advantage of their plight to make an excessive demand, and only then did they have to hand over their Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation."


    "The Five Elements Sect was dissatisfied with this."


    "Therefore, the Five Elements Sect also made a condition..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone slightly, "Is it that one can only learn it during the Qi Refinement state?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Yes."


    "At the Qi-refining Realm, one can at most become a first-grade Formation Master; even if one learns it, they can only reach first-grade. If a first-grade Ultimate Formation were leaked, it would have some impact but not be too serious."


    "Without this restriction, any number of high-grade Formation Masters from the ancestors of our Sect could easily unveil the entire foundation of the Five Elements Sect."


    "Moreover, this Five Elements Formation, with its Thirteen Stripes at first-grade, is extremely difficult to learn."


    "Foundation Establishment might still have a chance to master it, but at the Qi Refinement level, it is almost impossible."


    "With these conditions, the Five Elements Sect would reluctantly agree to the Ancestral Master¡¯s demands."


    "The Ancestral Master didn¡¯t think too much about it."


    "Being able to learn the Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation was good enough; the Five Elements Sect having these conditions was reasonable, so he didn¡¯t haggle."


    "In the Ancestral Master¡¯s estimation, our faction, priding itself on Formations, had innumerable geniuses. To find a disciple in the Qi-refining Realm who could master the Five Element Ultimate Formation shouldn¡¯t be too easy, but neither should it be too hard..."


    "But..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression became subtle.


    "The Ancestral Master was mistaken."


    "This was no ordinary first-grade Ultimate Formation."


    "Thirteen Stripes at first-grade far exceed the nine Divine Sense patterns typical of the Qi-refining Realm."


    "In reality, when one goes to study, the Five Elements Sect would also create all sorts of obstacles."


    "Thus, to this day, none of the Proud Sons of Heaven from our lineage have managed to learn this Five Element Ultimate Formation from the Five Elements Sect..."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, "So, this burden has fallen on your shoulders."


    Mo Hua instantly felt the weight on his slight shoulders.


    He said weakly, "Teacher, what if I also fail to learn it?"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "This formation is crucial to you, and of course, you must learn it if you can."


    "However, if you really can¡¯t learn it, there¡¯s nothing to be done."


    Mr. Zhuang consoled, "Do your best, and if you can¡¯t learn it, don¡¯t worry¡ªthere will always be a way..."


    "Hmm..." Mo Hua nodded.


    Having said this, Mo Hua frowned and lowered his head, lost in thought.


    Mr. Zhuang asked, "What are you thinking about now?"


    Mo Hua carefully thought about his wording,


    "Was our Ancestral Master, in doing so, taking advantage of a disaster? Surely the Five Elements Sect held some grudges..."


    Coveting their Ultimate Formation, seizing the opportunity during the Five Elements Sect¡¯s crisis to make demands, thus forcing the Five Elements Sect to agree to the transaction, using the Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation to negotiate for a chance at survival.

 Chapter 590: Five Elements Sect (2)

    Even so, there was a possibility:The crisis the Five Elements Sect faced back then, could it have been instigated by the Ancestral Master behind the scenes¡­


    Even if not actively manipulating, could he at least have turned a blind eye?


    Mr. Zhuang gently touched Mo Hua¡¯s head and said kindly,


    "These are the grudges of our predecessors, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with them."


    "The matters of the past are so distant; it¡¯s hard to clarify righteousness and grudges."


    "Even if the Ancestral Master had his biases, the fact that he saved the Five Elements Sect stands true."


    "The safety of the Sect and the importance of inheritance, weighing which is more significant, the Five Elements Sect has already made its choice and struck a deal."


    "You don¡¯t need to have any concerns."


    "And because of these grudges, the Five Elements Sect won¡¯t be friendly towards us, so you don¡¯t need to be polite either. Go ahead and learn boldly and confidently."


    "If you truly manage to learn all of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s secrets, that would be a testament to your skills, and they wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything..."


    Mo Hua whispered, "They have Golden Core cultivators in their Sect, don¡¯t they¡­"


    "If I really do learn, they surely won¡¯t become anxious and prevent me from leaving, will they¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang looked down and said, "They wouldn¡¯t dare."


    Mo Hua was startled and felt much more at ease.


    "By the way, Master, what is the name of this Formation?" Mo Hua asked again.


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment, then slowly said,


    "Five Elements Spirit Formation."


    "Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­" Mo Hua repeated, mumbling, "The name sounds a bit common¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head and said,


    "You don¡¯t understand the principle behind it, which is why you find it common¡­"


    "A Spirit Formation, containing the word ¡¯spirit¡¯, signifies that such Formation is related to the essence or the characteristics of Spiritual Power."


    "The Gathering Spirit Formation, although simple, is an essential part of the Formation eye, the driving force of a Formation."


    "The Inverse Spirit Formation is an Ultimate Formation, involving the reversal and collapse of Spiritual Power; the Spirit Axis Formation is also an Ultimate Formation, dealing with the central control of Spiritual Power."


    "The Five Elements Spirit Formation is no different." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What it involves is the amplification of the Five Elements Spiritual Power."


    "A set of five parts, encompassing the Five Elements, includes the Gold Spirit Formation, Wood Spirit Formation, Water Spirit Formation, Fire Spirit Formation, and Earth Spirit Formation. It¡¯s catered to amplify and strengthen the power of corresponding elemental Spiritual Power¡­"


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listened intently, thoroughly engrossed.


    However, Mr. Zhuang suddenly stopped.


    Mo Hua said, "Master, please continue."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "I can¡¯t say any more; you need to figure out the rest on your own¡­"


    If he had continued, there would be no challenge left.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed, but could only say,


    "Alright, Master."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and then added,


    "This set of Five Elements Spirit Formation of the Five Elements Sect is arranged from low to high grade, a complete set of Five Element Ultimate Formations." ?a??????????????


    "But the higher-grade portions have most likely been lost. What remains in the Five Elements Sect nowadays is probably only Second or Third Grade Formations¡­"


    "Nonetheless, having Second or Third Grade is sufficient."


    "An Ultimate Formation like this must be learned from the basics, starting with the lower grades."


    "One leads to two, and two leads to three¡­"


    "Master the First Grade, establish a solid foundation, and then you can progressively understand the subsequent Formations step by step¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words faltered, silently adding, Read new adventures at


    "However, the subsequent Formations, you¡¯ll have to find on your own¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his gaze filled with a touch of melancholy and reluctance, but these emotions quickly disappeared.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze returned to being gentle as water.


    Mo Hua frowned, still contemplating the Ultimate Formation, and for the moment didn¡¯t notice this slight change.


    ¡­


    After a night¡¯s rest, Mr. Zhuang imparted some words of advice.


    The next day, the group set out, officially heading towards the Five Elements Sect.


    In half an hour, the carriage reached the entrance of the Five Elements Sect.


    The Five Elements Sect had towering pavilions that were splendid and magnificent. Aside from the Formation Pavilion, there were the Alchemy Room, Artifact Refining Room, Cultivation Hall, Tao Discussion Room, and Spirit Steaming Tower¡ª they had built quite a lot of everything.


    There was an abundance of construction, suggesting no shortage of Spirit Stones.


    The entrance to the Five Elements Sect was forbiddingly high, with tall, long steps.


    At the gate were several disciples wearing the Taoist Robes of the Five Elements Sect.


    The carriage was stopped by these gatekeeper disciples.


    They were cold and arrogant, saying without courtesy,


    "Which Cultivator is this? Don¡¯t you know that carriages are not allowed inside the Five Elements Sect?"


    Mo Hua lifted the carriage curtain, hopped down, and in the astonished gaze of the gatekeeper disciples, presented a Jade Slip.


    One of the disciples frowned, "Who are you? And what is this Jade Slip?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was also cold.


    He had a temper too.


    He would be polite only if others were polite to him.


    These gatekeeper disciples, all snooty, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered with them and simply lifted his head high, instructing,


    "Give it to your Sect Leader, he¡¯ll know what it is when he sees it."


    The gatekeeper disciples all wore unpleasant expressions.


    In Li Mountain City, few Cultivators dared to be so disrespectful at the entrance of the Five Elements Sect, and even in their tone, there was no reverence for their Sect Leader.


    Especially when the person was just a green young kid.


    One of the disciples sneered,


    "Kid, open your eyes and look around, where do you think you are?"


    "This is the Third Grade Sect, the Five Elements Sect!"


    "Our Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect is not someone you can meet whenever you wish!"


    Mo Hua did not reply, but merely extended his right hand and flipped his thumb up.


    On the thumb, there was a large-sized ring made of jade, with a nine-star radiance engraved on it, exquisite and luxurious.


    In a Sect that established itself with Formation knowledge and had many Formation Masters, even if these disciples were not the sharpest, they could recognize that this was a symbol of a Formation Master¡¯s status, the rare First Grade Heaven Shu Ring.

 Chapter 591: Five Elements Sect (3)

    Cultivators who possessed the Heaven Shu Ring were truly accredited by the Taoist Court, formally assessed and recognized as Formation Masters.To be certified, even as a Third Grade, one¡¯s attainment in Formation should not be underestimated.


    But the problem is, this ring was worn on the hand of a little cultivator who was just about ten years old.


    This seemed, somewhat ridiculous...


    However, the disciple guarding the gate, though arrogant, was not completely without brains.


    They were accustomed to fawning over the strong and trampling over the weak, but a Third Grade Formation Master was certainly not someone they could afford to look down upon.


    Even if this Third Grade Formation Master could possibly be a fake.


    A gatekeeper disciple frowned and said, "Little..."


    The words "little brat" were swallowed back down.


    His tone also took on a bit of seriousness, "...young brother, are you truly a Third Grade Formation Master?"


    Mo Hua lifted his head and puffed out his chest, "Indeed!"


    This gatekeeping disciple, still found it somewhat unbelievable.


    Mo Hua cast a cold glance at him, "Are you not going yet?"


    Due to Mo Hua¡¯s poor attitude, these few gatekeeping disciples, on the contrary, did not dare to neglect him any longer.


    This little cultivator must truly have some confidence to act so boldly if not genuine courage.


    Moreover, he had come in a carriage.


    Outside the carriage, there was an old man driving, who seemed perfectly ordinary, yet inscrutable.


    And as for who was inside the carriage, and what their status was, they did not yet know.


    But, to make a Third Grade Formation Master come down to clear the way, the cultivator inside the carriage must be even more extraordinary.


    The leading gatekeeping disciple bowed with his hands folded in front and said:


    "Young brother, please wait a moment. I will report to the Sect Leader immediately."


    Whether true or false, it would be for the Sect Leader to decide.


    If this little cultivator was truly a Third Grade Formation Master, then they should treat him with due respect.


    If not...


    If anyone dared to bluff their way in front of the Five Elements Sect, they would certainly not enjoy the consequences!


    The demeanor of the gatekeeping disciple turned cold, and he went to make his report.


    Mo Hua flipped onto Big White and waited, absentmindedly scratching the beast to pass the time.


    In less than the time it takes for a pot of tea to brew, there was a stir within the Five Elements Sect.


    Bursts of presence suddenly arose.


    The noise also gradually grew louder. Stay connected through


    After a while, these presences all converged towards the gate.


    Sitting on Big White, Mo Hua looked up and saw that, unbeknownst to when, the long steps in front of the gate were already filled with many cultivators. ???????B??


    Each one of them was deeply profound in presence, their faces as still as water, staring intently at the carriage, looking as if they were facing a great enemy.


    Soon after, the crowd parted.


    Out came a figure wearing a golden crown, clad in an even more exquisite Taoist robe embroidered with Five Elements patterns, his face exuding more authority. He appeared to be the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect.


    With a serious face yet a hint of anticipation, he walked up to the carriage and bowed, saying:


    "I am the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect. I extend a warm welcome to Mr. Zhuang."


    Upon these words, those within the Five Elements Sect who were in the know revealed a cold glint in their eyes.


    Those who were unaware showed shock and astonishment.


    Just who exactly was in the carriage that could make the esteemed Third Grade Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect bend down to pay respects, addressing them as "senior"?


    From inside the carriage, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s indifferent voice emerged:


    "How many generations have passed?"


    The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect folded his hands and replied, "Not to conceal from the senior, it has been three generations since then."


    Mr. Zhuang made a sound of acknowledgment.


    The Sect Leader¡¯s eyes flickered, and then he stepped aside, saying, "Please, senior, come inside."


    Old Kui turned his head and glanced at Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang, through the curtains, looked at the threshold of the Five Elements Sect, then looked up slightly to take in the entire Sect at a glance, silently contemplating and making calculations, remaining silent.


    After a long time, it seemed he had finally made up his mind.


    The path one ought to walk must eventually be tread.


    That day would always come...


    "Let¡¯s go."


    In Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone hid a trace of complex and indiscernible resoluteness.


    Old Kui nodded, glanced at Mo Hua, and then Mo Hua patted Big White.


    At the command, Big White began to pull the carriage into the Sect.


    After walking a few steps, it encountered the towering threshold.


    The high threshold barred the carriage from entering.


    The cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, from the highest to the lowest, watched with cold eyes, some sneering as if they intended to intimidate Mr. Zhuang into submission.


    Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and patted Big White again.


    Big White instantly understood, raising its head to neigh and lifting its front hooves high, fiercely stomping down, shattering the threshold of the Five Elements Sect. Afterwards, the creature affectionately nuzzled Mo Hua¡¯s hand with its big head.


    Mo Hua smiled radiantly, praised Big White, and smoothed its mane.


    With its head held high and chest puffed out, Big White calmly led the carriage into the Five Elements Sect. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Faces of the entire Five Elements Sect were filled with anger, yet they also dared not voice their outrage.


    Only the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s gaze shimmered with a subtle and inscrutable gleam.

 Chapter 592: Chief Elder (1)

    Mo Hua and his companions had settled down temporarily in the Five Elements Sect.The place they stayed in was the most honorable guestroom in the entire sect, with an elegant style and luxurious furnishings.


    The standard of food and accommodations was the highest.


    Spiritual meals, delicacies, century-old wines, cloud-mist teas, various flower cakes, everything was available...


    The Five Elements Sect provided a very thoughtful reception, but their attitude was not friendly, just superficially polite with insincere smiles and cold gazes, keeping a distant demeanor.


    Although the food was good and the drinks plentiful, Mo Hua was not there for leisure, he was there to learn about Formation.


    He was concerned about the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    However, the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect kept making excuses:


    "It goes without saying, since it¡¯s a promise made by our ancestors, we naturally have no reason to break it..."


    "But after all, it has been hundreds of years..."


    The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect showed a troubled expression, "Some of the senior elders in the sect have passed away, and we, the younger generation, are not clear about the specifics of the old promise, so we need to discuss and deliberate on the matters."


    "We ask for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s understanding."


    "During this time, please rest for a bit at the Five Elements Sect and experience our sect¡¯s heritage and the great scenery..."


    "We will discuss the matter of learning Formation as soon as possible."


    The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, surnamed Liao, wore a golden crown and jade robe, had a fair face without any beard, and an elegant appearance that befitted the leader of a sect.


    His words were just as such.


    It was as though he hadn¡¯t said anything at all.


    Mo Hua pursed his lips, about to say something, when Mr. Zhuang said:


    "Then we¡¯ll have to trouble Sect Leader Liao."


    Sect Leader Liao appeared flattered and hastily replied:


    "Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s the least we juniors can do."


    After some more polite small talk, Sect Leader Liao stood up to take his leave.


    After Sect Leader Liao left, Mo Hua voiced his doubts:


    "Master, are they playing tricks on us?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "The Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation would not be easily taught to others. Delaying is quite normal..."


    "They won¡¯t go back on their word, will they?"


    "They won¡¯t, and they wouldn¡¯t dare."


    Mo Hua asked, "So should we wait?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Let¡¯s wait."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, who was frowning, smiled gently and said: S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The journey has been tiring, it¡¯s a good opportunity to rest. You can also take this time to enjoy yourselves in the Five Elements Sect..."


    "Enjoy ourselves?" Mo Hua was somewhat confused.


    "Yes," Mr. Zhuang said, "The scenery of the Five Elements Sect is pretty good. You can take this chance to look around. There is no need to rush about the Formation." ?????????s?


    Mr. Zhuang appeared to have his own plans.


    Mo Hua, unable to guess what they were, could only say, "Okay then..."


    He decided to follow his master¡¯s advice and enjoy himself for a while...


    ...


    After leaving the guest room, Sect Leader Liao walked along the spacious corridors, past the ornate carved beams and painted rafters but somewhat deserted pavilions and towers, through the lavish but insubstantial variety of palatial rooms, to a quiet mountain peak.


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    On the mountain peak, there was a cave abode.


    The cave abode was somewhat ancient, obviously built earlier, but the materials used for the details were equally expensive, only more understated in appearance.


    Sect Leader Liao, with a respectful expression, rang the carved jade bell at the entrance of the abode.


    The crisp and pleasant sound of the jade bell rang out, penetrating into the cave.


    Sect Leader Liao stood solemnly and waited.


    After an indefinite amount of time, a flash of light appeared before the cave, the Formation was lifted, and the door opened wide, an old voice came from inside:


    "Come in."


    Sect Leader Liao, invigorated, straightened his Taoist robe, and walked into the cave.


    Inside the cave, everything was also refined and luxurious.


    In the main hall, there sat an old man with snow-white hair, exuding a formidable presence and great authority.


    This person was none other than the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect.


    And the only remaining Golden Core Realm Great Cultivator in the Five Elements Sect.


    Sect Leader Liao bowed in greeting, "I apologize for disturbing the Chief Elder in his seclusion."


    The Chief Elder opened his eyes, his gaze was sharp, "Has that person arrived?"


    Sect Leader Liao bowed, "Yes."


    The Chief Elder furrowed his brows, his expression somber, silent, seemingly pondering something.


    Sect Leader Liao spoke softly:


    "The Formation... Should we pass it on?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze turned icy, "We cannot pass it on!"


    Sect Leader Liao hesitated, "This is a promise made by our ancestors, wouldn¡¯t it be... difficult to explain if we don¡¯t fulfill it..."


    "You don¡¯t understand," the Chief Elder said gravely, "The Five Elements Sect is not what it used to be. It¡¯s not the time to be rigidly adhering to the decrees of our ancestors."


    Sect Leader Liao was puzzled, but he didn¡¯t dare to contradict the Chief Elder and could only bow in agreement.


    The Chief Elder looked at Sect Leader Liao and sighed inwardly.


    The Five Elements Sect had truly declined.


    There used to be a time when the sect was filled with powerful cultivators. How could someone at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage possess the merit to lead the Five Elements Sect?


    Even I, a Golden Core, was only an Elder back then...


    But things have changed, it¡¯s no use complaining.


    This is already the most talented disciple among the younger generation of the Five Elements Sect.


    There are some things that still need to be made clear to him.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze darkened and he began to explain:


    "Our Sect¡¯s prosperity, the building of our cave abodes, and the good fortune we brought to the Sect, all of this was possible because of our Formation knowledge."


    "It is only with the Formations that our Five Elements Sect was able to establish itself."


    "Due to the Formations, cultivators seeking knowledge gathered here, making Li Mountain City flourish, and making our Sect¡¯s land exponentially valuable."


    "Even if we disciples of later generations do nothing, we still earn Spirit Stones."


    The Chief Elder frowned:


    "The current issue is that the Five Elements Sect¡¯s knowledge of Formations is deteriorating..."


    "Earning Spirit Stones has been too easy, the profits too large, we¡¯ve had our fill, top to bottom, everyone has stopped striving for progress, neglected cultivation, and no longer studies Formations..."


    "As long as those cave abodes out there exist, the Five Elements Sect will have a never-ending inflow of Spirit Stones."


    "Without the need to strive, we can still earn Spirit Stones."


    "Who would bother putting in the effort then?"

 Chapter 593: Chief Elder (2)

    "Our Five Elements Sect has stopped establishing our reputation with Formations, instead, we are now known for Earth and Wood.""But by doing so, the mastery over Formations within the entire Five Elements Sect has plummeted dramatically!"


    "Now, let¡¯s not even talk about a Second Grade Formation Master, being able to have a few First Grade Formation Masters is already quite an achievement¡­"


    Sect Leader Liao said solemnly:


    "The juniors also deeply agree with this concern and have already thought of ways to solve it."


    "The Sect has decided to rectify the atmosphere, reform the cultivation industry, encourage disciples to delve into Formation Study, cultivate Formation Masters, and ensure that the Five Elements Sect once again becomes a great sect of Formations¡­"


    Sect Leader Liao spoke sincerely.


    However, the Chief Elder¡¯s face remained calm, even somewhat indifferent.


    These platitudes had been spoken for over a hundred years.


    Interests are deeply entrenched, and touching one thing affects the whole Sect; no one dares to take action.


    The Sect¡¯s disciples have scattered Taoist Hearts; expecting them to go through hardship and relearn Formations is like daydreaming.


    The reality of self-interest is not easily changed.


    The atmosphere surrounding Formations, being related to the Taoist Heart, once corrupted, is extremely difficult to rectify.


    And in all these years, besides myself, the Chief Elder, the one who has benefited the most from this, is none other than the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect.


    The knife to kill the pig is held by the pig itself.


    How could this flesh possibly be sliced away.


    The Chief Elder said indifferently:


    "This isn¡¯t something that can be resolved overnight¡­"


    "The immediate priority is to find a way to protect the inheritance of our Five Elements Sect."


    "Especially the core of our Sect¡¯s establishment, the Five Elements Spirit Formation, must not be passed on to outsiders!"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze turned icy:


    "This Ultimate Formation must be firmly held in our hands, monopolized by our Five Elements Sect."


    "It doesn¡¯t matter if we cannot learn it, but outside of the Five Elements Sect, there cannot be anyone who learns it, even if it were to decay, it could only decay within our Five Elements Sect!" ?¦¡£Î????B§¦????


    "Even if it is lost, it must not fall into the hands of others." Experience new tales on


    "Otherwise, it would surely undermine the very foundation of our Five Elements Sect!"


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s eyes lit up, "The Chief Elder is far-sighted and has considered well!"


    This flattery was neither painful nor itchy.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s expression was noncommittal.


    Sect Leader Liao pondered for a moment before saying:


    "However, this Formation is extremely difficult in itself; over the years, only a few people in our Five Elements Sect have managed to learn it, most of whom were the former Elders."


    "Since the former Sect Leader passed away, no disciple among the later generations has truly mastered this Five Elements Spirit Formation."


    "If our disciples from the Five Elements Sect struggle with it, can these outsiders really learn it?"


    A flicker of apprehension crossed the Chief Elder¡¯s gaze.


    "They can!"


    Sect Leader Liao showed a hint of surprise.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyebrows twitched, "You don¡¯t know, that man surnamed Zhuang nearly succeeded in learning the Five Elements Spirit Formation!"


    Sect Leader Liao looked shocked, "How could that be possible?"


    The Chief Elder, recalling the past, was still shaken:


    "Back then, I was just an ordinary disciple, witnessing that man¡¯s exceptional talent and extraordinary brilliance. In front of the Sect Leader and all the Elders of the Five Elements Sect, he started to piece together the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation, discerning its Formation Pivot, gradually penetrating the Formations of the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­"


    "He was just a bit short of truly mastering it; if not for¡­"


    If not for¡­


    The Sect Leader and Elders of that time had interfered; otherwise, he really would have mastered it¡­


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze became intense as he swallowed the rest of his sentence.


    Sect Leader Liao still found it hard to believe, "Qi Refinement?"


    "Qi Refinement!"


    Sect Leader Liao frowned, "The Five Elements Spirit Formation, First Grade with Thirteen Stripes, could he really have the Divine Sense of Thirteen Stripes at the Qi Refinement Realm? That¡¯s impossible¡­"


    The Chief Elder sighed, "His Divine Sense wasn¡¯t at Thirteen Stripes, but he almost learned it¡­"


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    "With insufficient Divine Sense, he could learn this Formation?"


    The Chief Elder said solemnly:


    "Their lineage possesses a heritage that allows them to comprehend the Formation Method Origin Stream. Mastering one thing is mastering everything; even if his Divine Sense is insufficient, he can still comprehend some Formations that they would not usually grasp!"


    Sect Leader Liao was dumbstruck, "Such a heritage exists?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s expression was one of reverence:


    "This is among the very top tier of legacies within the Formations, requiring exceedingly high comprehension and supreme spiritual roots. It¡¯s not something ordinary cultivators can learn, let alone master."


    "And he was the best among all the disciples of his generation."


    "That¡¯s why, being only at the Qi-refining Realm, he could break the norm to comprehend, and he almost grasped the Five Elements Spirit Formation that is First Grade with Thirteen Stripes!"


    The Chief Elder lamented:


    "Although our Five Elements Spirit Formation is extremely rare in our Five Elements Sect, when compared to such truly secret and unimparted knowledge, it still falls short¡­"


    Sect Leader Liao lowered his head, with greed and desire in his eyes.


    But he couldn¡¯t hide his little ambition from the Chief Elder.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s face darkened as he said icily:


    "Do not harbor ill intentions, their lineage, no matter how down and out, is not something we can afford to provoke!"


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s heart chilled as he bowed in agreement.


    Yet there was still some skepticism in his gaze.


    Sect Leader Liao thought for a moment and then said:


    "Chief Elder, but this time, it isn¡¯t him learning it¡­ He came here probably to have his disciples learn. Do we need to be so cautious?"


    The Chief Elder said lightly: "Better safe than sorry."


    Sect Leader Liao nodded, "What the Chief Elder says is true¡­"


    He recalled the scene at the mountain gate and remarked:


    "Among his disciples, that Junior Formation Master, who looks to be only about a dozen years old, is already a First Grade Formation Master with confirmed assessment, truly gifted..."


    "Who knows where he found such a promising disciple¡­"


    Why can¡¯t our Five Elements Sect have one?

 Chapter 594: Chief Elder (3)

    Sect Leader Liao harbored some resentments."A First Grade Formation Master at just over ten years of age..."


    The Chief Elder frowned and shook his head, "Such talent is quite good for an ordinary cultivator, but within their faction, it¡¯s just common."


    "Especially compared to that Mr. Zhuang of the past, it¡¯s not even worth mentioning."


    Sect Leader Liao was slightly startled, feeling that the Chief Elder was really pompous!


    A First Grade Formation Master, yet not worth mentioning...


    But he didn¡¯t dare to contradict him.


    He was only at Foundation Establishment, indeed not as world-wise as the Golden Core Stage Chief Elder.


    After pondering for a moment, the Chief Elder suddenly advised:


    "More than this Junior Formation Master, what you should be cautious of are his senior brother and sister."


    "Senior brother and sister?"


    Sect Leader Liao thought of the other two disciples around Mr. Zhuang. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, the other as fresh as a hibiscus emerging from water.


    They looked like a brother and sister, although separated by a Spiritual Artifact that hindered Divine Sense from probing, but their demeanor of a Great Clan, the robustness of their cultivation, and their distinguished aura...


    They were flawless!


    Exemplary seeds for Tao Cultivation!


    And at a glance, it was clear that they were not the kind of disciples that the Five Elements Sect deserved to have.


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s expression also became solemn:


    "Chief Elder, do you mean that they are the true inheritors of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Formation knowledge?"


    The Chief Elder nodded affirmatively, "Correct."


    The Chief Elder thought for another moment, his eyes lighting up as if he had seen through Mr. Zhuang¡¯s intentions:


    "That Junior Formation Master is just leading the way."


    "Just over ten, at the Qi Refinement Ninth Level, a First Grade Formation Master, he aims to give us a warning."


    "But this Junior Formation Master probably isn¡¯t that important."


    "If he were really important, he wouldn¡¯t personally debase himself to clear the path."


    "Clearly, the truly troublesome ones are this little Formation Master¡¯s senior brother and sister."


    "His senior brother and sister, hailing from Noble Clans with deeper cultivations, naturally possess even more profound knowledge of formations!"


    "Moreover, there are two of them."


    "If they really were to learn, there¡¯s a good chance that they might completely master our Five Elements Sect¡¯s Ultimate Formation!"


    ...


    The Chief Elder wore a serious gaze, and Sect Leader Liao also appeared worried.


    "Then, Chief Elder, what should we do? It can¡¯t be possible to actually stop them from learning formations, can it?"


    Acting on this would equate to breaking off relations.


    The outcome would be unpredictable.


    The Chief Elder thickened his face, "Delay them first, drag it out as long as possible until they lose patience."


    "And if we can¡¯t hold them off?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply, "If we can¡¯t hold them off, then we¡¯ll use other methods..."


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s expression flickered, and he nodded slightly.


    ...


    The Five Elements Sect began to stall for time.


    Mr. Zhuang, however, appeared nonchalant and not in a rush at all.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to follow his master¡¯s orders and, along with his junior brother and sister, started to "play" within the Five Elements Sect.


    The Five Elements Sect was vast, with many cave abodes; there were even more abodes than disciples...


    It seemed that there was a time when they were very wealthy, with Spirit Stones so abundant they couldn¡¯t use them all up, which is why they were so extravagant, building cave abodes everywhere. ?????¦­?????¦¥?


    Apart from the cave abodes, other Tao Cultivation structures like practice rooms, meditation chambers, Alchemy Rooms, Artifact Refining Rooms, Formation Pavilion, etc., were all readily available.


    Some buildings, which were entirely unused, were also built in great numbers.


    These buildings, neither occupied by cultivators nor used by them, and even without any function, had their doors closed - empty and desolate, it was unclear what they were built for...


    Like most other sects, the Five Elements Sect was divided into Inner Gate and Outer Gate.


    The Inner Gate is the essence of the Sect.


    Inner Sect Disciples are one with the Sect, sharing in its glory and misfortunes.


    They learn the orthodox heritage of the Five Elements Sect, follow the master-disciple hierarchy of the Sect, and are bound to the Sect, with shared interests.


    The Sect¡¯s assets are also managed by Inner Sect Disciples.


    The Sect¡¯s core positions are also held by Inner Sect Disciples.


    Generally speaking, Inner Sect Disciples are not allowed to leave the Sect.


    The Outer Gate Disciples, on the other hand, are less formal.


    They are mostly freelancers who study formations.


    Their relationship with the Sect includes a lineage but is not stringent; they have grace, but it is not close-knit.


    As long as they pay Spirit Stones, they can learn if they want to, and if they decide not to, they can also leave; the Sect does not bind them.


    The Outer Gate is more like an industry of the Sect.


    The Sect shares part of its heritage with the outside world, teaching it to expand its influence and earn cultivators and Spirit Stones.


    As a Third Grade Sect, the Five Elements Sect has a great reputation, and the tuition is very expensive¡ªat least for Mo Hua, who could not afford it.


    Mo Hua and the two walked together, strolling leisurely within the Five Elements Sect.


    Most of the people they saw were Elders and Disciples of the Inner Gate.


    The Elders within the gate ignored them.


    On the contrary, some Disciples, although cautioned by their Instructors, didn¡¯t know the full story and would point and discuss them behind their backs, buzzing with talk.


    Mo Hua had strong Divine Sense, so he clearly heard what they said behind his back.


    What surprised Mo Hua was that the male disciples harbored animosity towards them, while the female disciples were relatively fine with them.


    The male disciples generally spoke discontentedly:


    "That¡¯s the brat who rode in on a big horse, crushed the doorstep, and swaggered into the mountain gate, leaving all the Elders inside without face!"


    "Too arrogant!"


    "Relying on his status as a First Grade Formation Master, he¡¯s so conceited!" Your adventure continues at


    "His senior brother, that one in white clothes, is even more conceited than him!"


    "I heard that several brothers in the Sect wanted to challenge him, but he ignored them completely."


    "No, I heard that some brothers who tried to spar with him were thoroughly beaten by him!"


    "That¡¯s because he concealed his true strength; it was not a fair fight!"


    "Although he is in the Qi Refinement stage, he has the strength of Foundation Establishment, yet he deliberately didn¡¯t reveal it!"


    "Truly despicable!"


    ...


    The male disciples were indignantly furious.


    The female disciples, on the other hand, said something else:


    "That white-robed youth is so handsome!"


    "I heard he¡¯s from a Noble Clan too..."


    "No wonder, his demeanor is different at just one glance."


    "I wonder which Noble Clan he comes from, whether it¡¯s far away, and if I marry there, will I be able to come back to visit..."


    "And that little Formation Master, so fair and delicate, he¡¯s quite adorable too!"


    "I heard he¡¯s a First Grade Formation Master."


    "So impressive!"


    ...


    The male disciples also heard these comments.


    As a result, Mo Hua and his companions were even more scorned by the male disciples...


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.

 Chapter 595: Confidential (1)

    Although it is a Sect, and a Sect that established itself through the use of Formation Arts, the disciples have a poor attitude towards learning.These Five Elements Sect disciples, instead of studying Formation Arts day by day, are all about gossiping.


    No wonder the Formation Arts of the Five Elements Sect have declined...


    However, what puzzled Mo Hua was that, although these female disciples were praising themselves and the Junior Brother, their eyes, glistening like autumn waters, were all fixed on their Junior Sister.


    Mo Hua turned his head and glanced at the Junior Sister.


    Bai Zixi, for the sake of convenience in her activities, dressed as a man, her hair tied into a ponytail. She had a valiant and spirited appearance, with clear eyes and long eyelashes, and a cold kind of beauty.


    But she didn¡¯t deliberately disguise herself as a man.


    Even though she was in men¡¯s clothes, at first glance, she still appeared to be a woman.


    "But why are the female cultivators of the Five Elements Sect staring at their own Junior Sister?"


    Previously on Jinhua Street in South Yue City, even the female cultivators in the Hundred Flower Tower seemed to exhibit this behavior.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, thoroughly puzzled.


    At first, he thought it was just his imagination.


    In the following days, Mo Hua secretly observed and indeed found this to be true.


    These female cultivators, daring to look openly at the Junior Brother, would blush and have a love-stricken look in their eyes as soon as they turned to the Junior Sister.


    When the Junior Brother looked at them, they smiled cunningly and enchantingly.


    But when the Junior Sister glanced at them, they hurriedly averted their eyes, tidied their hairpins, and lowered their gaze in shyness.


    After that, there were female cultivators who secretly sent invitation cards, fresh flowers, pastries, jade hairpins, or sent paintings to the Junior Sister.


    This time, Mo Hua was truly confused.


    Was it because he was too young and naive, or was it that he was inexperienced and ignorant...


    What exactly were these female cultivators thinking?


    Unable to figure it out, Mo Hua finally decided to ask the Junior Sister.


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    When the surroundings were empty, Bai Zixi sat in the pavilion, watching the fish in the pond, lost in thought, and Mo Hua asked softly.


    Bai Zixi turned her head and looked at Mo Hua, her voice soft:


    "What is it?"


    Mo Hua considered his words: "Why do those female cultivators only give gifts to you?"


    Bai Zixi appeared somewhat astonished, her expression becoming slightly complex.


    "Is it inconvenient to say?" Mo Hua asked softly.


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    Bai Zixi was silent for a moment, her eyes shining as if she had made up her mind, and slowly said:


    "This matter, I haven¡¯t told anyone else..."


    Mo Hua was about to say, if it¡¯s inconvenient to mention it, then let it be.


    But Bai Zixi had already spoken: "It¡¯s about the bloodline..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Bloodline?"


    "Mm." Bai Zixi nodded gently, "My bloodline... is somewhat special..."


    Special?


    Attractive to other women?


    What use could such a bloodline have?


    Mo Hua was somewhat bewildered.


    "The specifics, I can¡¯t tell you..."


    Bai Zixi¡¯s lips curved slightly, sharing a faint smile, her voice quiet:


    "The matter of the bloodline, my mother instructed me not to tell anyone, so..."


    Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, "You must keep it a secret for me."


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly:


    "Senior Sister, don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t divulge it even under pain of death!"


    In that moment, Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes radiated the charm and brilliance of the spring sun.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart involuntarily skipped a beat.


    At the same time, his emotions were mixed.


    His Senior Sister had confided her secret to him, so in the spirit of reciprocity, he should reveal some secrets too, right? Wouldn¡¯t it be somewhat... improper not to? ?????????????¦Â?s?


    Secrets are to be exchanged!


    But what secrets did he have?


    He definitely couldn¡¯t mention the Taoist Stele...


    But apart from the Taoist Stele, it seemed he had nothing else...


    Bloodline...


    He didn¡¯t have any special lineage... his parents were just ordinary Loose Cultivators.


    Innate weakness... was not a special bloodline.


    After pondering for a while, Mo Hua brightened up and said softly:


    "Senior Sister, I¡¯ll also tell you a secret that I haven¡¯t shared with anyone else."


    Bai Zixi smiled gently, leaning closer to Mo Hua, curious about what secret he could possibly have.


    Mo Hua pointed up at the sky, his face serious as he said:


    "Senior Sister, there are really Formations in the sky."


    Bai Zixi was momentarily taken aback, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Didn¡¯t you mention that before?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "It¡¯s different..."


    "When I told you before, it was because our Master said so."


    "But now, I¡¯m telling you because I¡¯ve really seen it!"


    Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in surprise, and after a moment of thought, she realized:


    "You saw it during the thunder tribulation?"


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    His Senior Sister was just too clever...


    Mo Hua nodded: "Yes, when the tribulation thunder descended, then receded, I saw the Formation Patterns through the clouds!"


    Bai Zixi was indeed surprised.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that there really were Formations above the nine heavens, and that Mo Hua had actually seen them with his own eyes...


    The Heavenly Dao Formation...


    Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua, her lips pursed with a shallow smile:


    "Alright, I¡¯ll keep your secret too."


    "Yeah!" Mo Hua nodded.


    Now, with one secret each, they were even.


    Thinking of Mo Hua¡¯s words, Bai Zixi couldn¡¯t help but raise her head to look at the sky.


    The sky above the Five Elements Sect was clear and as blue as a wash, with no sign of any Formation, but Bai Zixi still gazed upward.


    Mo Hua also habitually raised his head to look.


    When he had nothing else to do, he would also look up at the sky.


    Wondering when he would be able to comprehend the true Heavenly Dao Formation.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see any Formations at the moment, just looking at the vast sky would make him feel the infinite nature of the Heavenly Dao and the profound mysteries of the Great Dao.


    It also made him feel at ease.


    Any gains or losses, any trials and tribulations, would not linger in his heart.


    In the small pavilion.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zixi sat side by side, looking up at the clear blue sky together.

 Chapter 596: Keep a Secret (2)

    After a while, Bai Zisheng came running over, full of excitement.He had just gone to spar with a disciple from the Five Elements Sect and returned triumphantly, ready to show off to Mo Hua. However, he saw Mo Hua sitting at the railing, gazing into the distance with a far-off look in his eyes.


    Zixi was doing the same.


    So Bai Zisheng sat down too, following their lead, and looked up at the sky.


    After a while, there was still nothing in the sky.


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Junior Brother, what are you looking at?"


    Mo Hua replied lazily, "Looking at the sky."


    "The sky?"


    "There¡¯s nothing there, so what are you looking at?"


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t quite understand, but he couldn¡¯t help joining his sister and his junior brother in sitting and staring at the clear sky for a long time...


    ¡­


    After sitting for a long time, Bai Zisheng eventually couldn¡¯t stand the boredom and said,


    "Junior Brother, let me teach you a Taoist skill!"


    Mo Hua was startled, "A Taoist skill?"


    "Yes." Bai Zisheng nodded proudly, "I created it myself, a Tao Cultivation martial art!"


    "I¡¯m not learning it." Mo Hua declined decisively.


    Bai Zisheng was stunned, "Why won¡¯t you learn it?"


    Mo Hua sighed, "One, I don¡¯t practice body refinement; two, I don¡¯t study martial arts; three, if you created it, it certainly won¡¯t work."


    Bai Zisheng said with displeasure, "How can it not work just because I created it?"


    "You¡¯re only in the Qi Refinement Realm, what kind of impressive Taoist skill could you create?"


    "Let me show you!"


    Bai Zisheng grasped his spear, ready to demonstrate to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua quickly gestured with his hands, "Forget it, take a break..."


    "Not happening!"


    Mo Hua sighed in resignation, "Fine then, demonstrate and let¡¯s see."


    The three found an empty space, surrounded by artificial mountains and green waters, the scenery tranquil.


    Bai Zisheng was serious, holding the spear with both hands, gathering momentum as the wind howled and the vegetation trembled.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also became more serious.


    "This is a spear technique that descends from the heavens!" Bai Zisheng declared.


    After gathering his spiritual power, he suddenly leaped into the air, assuming a very imposing pose and shouted:


    "Dragon Soaring in the Sky!"


    Then, like a rainbow, the spear plunged downward, fiercely stabbing into the ground and kicking up a bit of dust...


    Mo Hua was stunned for a long time, feeling uncomfortable with the awkwardness.


    It felt as if ants were crawling over his body.


    Bai Zixi also covered her mouth, struggling to suppress her laughter.


    After the demonstration, Bai Zisheng, having lost his earlier pride, said with some embarrassment, "Isn¡¯t it good?"


    Mo Hua said helplessly,


    "The charge-up time is too long, there are too many openings in the movements, it consumes too much spiritual power, and the power it unleashes is too weak..." ??????????B¨§?


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    "If you¡¯re fighting a spiritual cultivator, jumping into the air makes you an easy target."


    "Against a body cultivator, your long charge-up would have gotten you slashed already."


    "And this name..."


    Dragon Soaring in the Sky...


    A Qi Refinement Realm technique with such a name made Mo Hua so embarrassed he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    But Bai Zisheng insisted, "The name is the essence, you can criticize everything else, but not this name!"


    Mo Hua asked skeptically, "You didn¡¯t create this fancy but impractical technique just for the name, right..."


    Bai Zisheng, feeling guilty, "Of course not!"


    Indeed, he had impulsively created this technique because he thought the name sounded cool.


    Bai Zisheng then said, "It can¡¯t be that bad... I¡¯ve used this technique against those Inner Sect Disciples of the Five Elements Sect, hit every single one accurately, hardly finding an equal in a match!"


    Mo Hua replied helplessly, "That¡¯s because your cultivation level is too high. Even without using any Taoist skills, they would find it hard to resist you..."


    Although Bai Zisheng was only in Qi Refinement, he was already capable of facing a Foundation Establishment head-on.


    The Qi Refinement disciples of the Five Elements Sect naturally stood no chance against him.


    Furthermore, the Five Elements Sect was rich in Spirit Stones, too comfortable, with disciples¡¯ Taoist Hearts scattered and their strength itself quite ordinary.


    That¡¯s why Bai Zisheng was able to triumph using this merely "flashy" Taoist skill... sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng felt unhappy after being criticized by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua paused, then comforted him, "It¡¯s not good now, but if you refine it more, who knows, it might really become a Taoist skill that will shake the world and be passed down for generations!"


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up and he immediately said,


    "Then I¡¯ll teach you!"


    Mo Hua waved his hands, "I don¡¯t need to learn it, I¡¯m a Spiritual Cultivator, I need to use spells..."


    "The more skills, the better!" Bai Zisheng insisted.


    "I already know enough, can¡¯t afford to dabble in too many..."


    Bai Zisheng said, "Learning this technique will be beneficial."


    "What benefit?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    Bai Zisheng with a serious face, "It¡¯s very impressive!"


    Mo Hua: "..."


    "I¡¯m thinking of your future," Bai Zisheng said earnestly,


    "You¡¯ll definitely want to find a Taoist companion in the future. Although you are quite good-looking, clean and fair, you are nonetheless not from Noble Clans. Actually finding a good Taoist companion will be difficult."


    "You don¡¯t know that the women from noble families are mostly very materialistic; they look at lineage, at Spiritual Roots, at the wealth of Spirit Stones, at whether you have a cave dwelling or not..."


    "You¡¯d be at quite a disadvantage there."


    "Also, the Taoist skills you¡¯ve learned are mostly just Concealment Techniques, Water Prison Techniques, the more sinister kind."


    "In a battle, you¡¯d sneak around, hide far away and throw fireballs, not standing out in the fight."


    "Though this way of fighting is very effective, not standing out puts you at a disadvantage."


    "Not standing out means you are not impressive, and if you¡¯re not impressive, it¡¯s hard to attract women¡¯s interest."


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s gaze was intense, "That¡¯s why I¡¯m teaching you this technique!"


    "When it comes time to play the hero and save the beauty, first use the Fireball Technique to cripple the other guy, so he can¡¯t resist, and then finish off your opponent with Dragon Soaring in the Sky, looking fierce and imposing!"

 Chapter 597: Confidential (3)

    "In this way, you¡¯ll not only look impressive but also dashing.""Who knows, you might even find yourself a dao companion."


    Bai Zisheng had planned thoroughly.


    Mo Hua was speechless, "Why are you always thinking about such things..."


    "I don¡¯t need these thoughts..."


    Bai Zisheng patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, "This is your elder brother¡¯s painstaking efforts, planning for your future!"


    Mo Hua still didn¡¯t want to learn.


    Bai Zisheng was unhappy, "You¡¯re my disciple, so I teach you. Others wish to learn, but I won¡¯t teach them..."


    Mo Hua remained adamant about not learning, so Bai Zisheng nagged and cajoled.


    Ultimately, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t stand up to Bai Zisheng and reluctantly agreed to learn.


    The move was called Dragon Soaring in the Sky.


    But in fact, it had nothing to do with dragons and wasn¡¯t very powerful; aside from jumping up into the sky and being an "eye-catching target," it had no other significance¡­


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t a body cultivator, so the power of this technique was mediocre when used by him.


    However, he didn¡¯t want to ignore his elder brother¡¯s kindness and studied seriously, not as a Tao cultivation martial art, but purely to refine his movement technique.


    Executing the Water Passing Step, he leaped into the air, then descended holding the spear. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, when Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng used it, it looked completely different.


    Bai Zisheng was imposing and heroic, with broad and sweeping movements, like an Azure Dragon raising its head.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, moved with a light and graceful body technique, as elegant as a startled swan and as nimble as a swimming dragon.


    On the beautifully scenic grassland.


    Bai Zixi took out a book and read quietly, occasionally lifting her head to watch the two of them, imprinting the twin figures in her eyes¡­


    ¡­


    Time, like a breeze through the mountains, neither fast nor slow, gently flowed by.


    Several days later, Mo Hua had visited all the accessible places within the Five Elements Sect.


    The remaining places were either the residences of the Inner Sect Disciples, the elders¡¯ caves, the Book Pavilion, the Pill Pavilion, the Formation Pavilion¡ªthese places not open to the public. ????¨¢¦­¨®?§§?


    Or they were the sect¡¯s critical forbidden areas, locked and heavily guarded by cultivators.


    Other than these, there were the formations of the Five Elements Sect.


    If Mo Hua wasn¡¯t mistaken, within the Five Elements Sect lay a Large Formation!


    Moreover, this Large Formation was ancient, with a profound aura and meticulously arranged Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua had tried to perform calculations, but he couldn¡¯t deduce anything at all.


    Mo Hua then went to inquire with Mr. Zhuang:


    "Master, is there a Large Formation within the Five Elements Sect?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "There is." Continue your adventure at


    "Isn¡¯t it First-grade?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, "It¡¯s Second-grade."


    Second-Grade Large Formation!


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    Up until now, he had rarely seen Second-Grade formations, and here he encountered a Second-Grade Large Formation!


    The ability to construct a Second-Grade Large Formation showed the profound legacy and deep knowledge of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s ancestors in formation study.


    "Master, what¡¯s the name of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Large Formation?"


    Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became more serious, "Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation."


    "Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation¡­"


    Five Elements¡­


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, "Master, is this formation related to the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation?"


    Mr. Zhuang was surprised at first, then chuckled, "To say they are related wouldn¡¯t be wrong¡­"


    "The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation is focused on offense, while the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation is focused on defense. Both formations rely on the Five Elements, and both have some origins with the Five Elements Sect¡­"


    "The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect also once laid out the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, completely exterminating a Demon Path¡¯s Monster Gate, and vanquishing the monster cultivators within."


    "However, the current Five Elements Sect might not have this capability."


    "When a sect is flourishing, it can focus on offense, but when it¡¯s in decline, it can only maintain defense¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, "This Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation is also a legacy left by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect¡­"


    "In a Third-Grade state boundary, constructing this Second-Grade Large Formation, basically, it can ensure that the Five Elements Sect remains unassailable amid the turbulent winds of the cultivation world."


    Of course, that is generally the case.


    No matter how impregnable the Large Formation is to outsiders, if it rots from the inside, then there¡¯s nothing that can be done¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts stirred, and his gaze became profound.


    Mo Hua also reflected on this.


    "Mo Hua, I¡¯ll test you," Mr. Zhuang suddenly said.


    Mo Hua nodded, "Master, please say."


    "Spend some time, try to deduce the structure of the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation..."


    Mo Hua was startled, "Master, this is a Second-Grade Formation, isn¡¯t it?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, "You can start trying to work with Second-Grade Formations."


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Contact with Second-Grade Formations¡­starting with a Second-Grade Large Formation?


    Is it like trying to fly before learning how to walk?


    Does Master¡­think too highly of me¡­


    Mr. Zhuang saw Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts and smiled gently, "Second-Grade Formations, compared to First-grade Formations, will have fundamental changes in Patterns, but their Formation Pivot structures do share similarities."


    "You don¡¯t need to deduce the Patterns, just observe the structure and grasp the overall context."


    Mo Hua had an epiphany, "Alright, Master!"


    After Mr. Zhuang finished instructing, Mo Hua excitedly ran off, dragging his elder brother and sister to study the Second-Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation of the Five Elements Sect.


    The house was quiet for a moment.


    Old Kui appeared, frowning, "You really are in no hurry."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes were clear, looking at the distant undulating mountains, the towering caves, and the Large Formation hidden within, and he spoke calmly,


    "Wait for it, I¡¯ll wait until the preparations I need to make are all in place¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang then glanced at Mo Hua, who was walking away, and fell silent in his heart.


    "Let me spend a little more time with these children..."

 Chapter 598: Life-gate (1)

    Mo Hua began to study the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array.But this Large Formation, after all, was a Second-Grade Formation, and Mo Hua, having no foundation whatsoever, found the study extremely challenging.


    However, after pondering it for a long time, Mo Hua did discern some insights.


    Second-Grade Formations differ from First-grade Formations.


    Their Formation Patterns are more complex and profound, the Spiritual Power required to activate the Formation is stronger, and the nature of the Spiritual Power circulating within the Formation also fundamentally differs from that in a First-grade Formation.


    This difference is somewhat similar to the disparity between the Spiritual Power of Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment.


    The Spiritual Power of Qi Refinement is still vaporous.


    While the Spiritual Power of Foundation Establishment is like mercury.


    Spiritual Power like mercury, as if condensed into a liquid like quicksilver.


    The Spiritual Power within a Second-Grade Large Formation is precisely such.


    Divine Sense Calculation isn¡¯t effective either.


    Although Mo Hua possesses a peak Thirteen Stripes Divine Sense, reaching the limit of the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, due to the qualitative difference in Formation Patterns between the Second-Grade Formation and the First-grade Formation.


    Therefore, after Calculation, the Formation Patterns that emerged in his Sea of Consciousness were a mass of profound, complex, and dense patterns, utterly indecipherable.


    Fortunately, while the Formation Patterns were difficult to understand, the structure of the Formation Pivot was generally consistent.


    Mo Hua was unable to deduce specific Formation Patterns, but by comparing them to the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation and drawing on his experience, he could still deduce the basic layout of the Second-Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    After several days, Mo Hua had a superficial understanding of the skeleton of the Mountain Protection Array.


    But as for the more specific and profound details of the Formation, Mo Hua was none the wiser.


    Nevertheless, this was enough. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At least Mo Hua had a preliminary grasp and understanding of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    As its name implies, the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, is primarily defensive.


    The multitude of Single Formations connected within it are, most of them, of the Earth and Wood of the Five Elements, and also include the Golden Series Second-Grade Formations.


    The purpose is to fortify the Sect, shelter disciples, and defend against external enemies.


    As Mr. Zhuang had said, by establishing such a Second-Grade Large Formation within a Third-Grade State Boundary, no matter what kind of power invaded, as long as the Large Formation was activated, one could basically be invincible.


    There are cultivation restrictions of the Heavenly Dao Formation.


    Within the Third-Grade State Boundary, with Mo Hua¡¯s limited experience in Tao Cultivation, he could not conceive of any method that could break through this Mountain Protection Array.


    Beyond that, Mo Hua discovered another issue.


    This Large Formation seemed to have been renovated.


    Five Elements Sect¡¯s construction of caves and palaces, which involved the Sect¡¯s foundations, naturally affected the Large Formation.


    Now, this Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation appeared to have been modified in many places.


    Mo Hua went to ask Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and sighed:


    "Indeed, they don¡¯t appreciate the Formation left by their ancestors..."


    Mo Hua glanced back at Mo Hua and asked:


    "How is your study coming along?"


    Mo Hua then told Mr. Zhuang about the Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, and some Formation structures he had deduced.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded his head in approval and praised:


    "You¡¯ve made good observations."


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    Mr. Zhuang then asked, "Do you still remember the Life-gate?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying that within the Formation Principle, where there is life, there is death, and within death, there is also life.


    Via the Reversed Spirit Formation, when causing Formation Collapse, it is the "death" within the Formation principle, yet within the deathly state of the Formation¡¯s collapse, there exists a sliver of life, which is the "Life-gate" within the Formation. ??????????


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua startled and whispered:


    "Master, you¡¯re not planning to bring down the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formation, are you..."


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh:


    "Where did your mind wander off to... Causing a Formation Collapse has significant destructive power and is harmful to the heavenly harmony; we can¡¯t just use it casually."


    Mr. Zhuang drew a mountain diagram on paper, traced several lines along the mountain¡¯s contours, and instructed:


    "These are the main veins of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation¡¯s Pivot Structure that I¡¯ve outlined, memorize them."


    "When the Formation is in motion, there will be a Life-gate above the Formation Pivot."


    "Although this small section is a Second-Grade Formation Pivot, it is similar to the layout of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, and with your Divine Sense being sufficient, you should be able to calculate the Life-gate yourself..."


    "All right, Master." Mo Hua nodded.


    But he was somewhat puzzled.


    Why was his master asking him to calculate the "Life-gate"?


    Mo Hua thought about it and expressed some concern:


    "Master, could it be that the Five Elements Sect is planning to use the Formation against us?"


    Mr. Zhuang appeared slightly startled, then tousled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just being prepared for any eventuality."


    Seeing that Mo Hua was still somewhat anxious, Mr. Zhuang explained:


    "A Second-Grade Large Formation isn¡¯t available everywhere; this is a rare opportunity. I¡¯m just taking this chance to teach you some key points about Second-Grade Large Formations..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he gratefully said:


    "Thank you, Master!"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, nodded, and then imparted some key points about Second-Grade Large Formations.


    There were no specific drawing methods, only some concepts about Formation Pivots, Formation eyes, and some overarching strategic ideas.


    Mo Hua listened with keen interest.


    He had already constructed a First-grade Large Formation.


    Regarding Second-Grade Large Formations, without delving into specific Formations, just from the perspective of Formation principle, he could understand the concepts.


    It¡¯s just uncertain whether he would ever have the chance to truly construct a Second-Grade Large Formation.


    After Mr. Zhuang had finished teaching, he instructed: Enjoy more content from


    "Remember these words well, think about them when you have time, and go see the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Large Formation again to verify them for yourself."


    "Also, the section of the Formation Pivot that I have outlined, make sure to repeatedly calculate it and find the Life-gate."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression became somewhat stern.


    Mo Hua did not understand the reason, but he still nodded earnestly.


    In the following days, Mo Hua, following Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings, began to observe the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Second-Grade Large Formation.

 Chapter 599: Life-gate (2)

    Meanwhile, whenever there was a chance, Mo Hua began the calculations for the section of the Large Formation¡¯s Formation Pivot that Mr. Zhuang had pointed out on the mountainside.Searching within the ever-rotating Formation Pivot for that constantly shifting Life-gate...


    By the time Mo Hua had observed enough and honed his calculation skills thoroughly,


    Mr. Zhuang called over Sect Leader Liao and instructed,


    "We are well-rested now, you can fulfill the agreement."


    Sect Leader Liao was taken aback.


    The agreement...


    Naturally, it referred to the arrangement of allowing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple to learn the Five Element Ultimate Formation.


    Sect Leader Liao said with a smile, "There is still time, Elder could rest a few more days while I consult with the Inner Gate Elders again..."


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently,


    "What I have just said was a notification, not a discussion."


    Sect Leader Liao, thick-faced, still wanted to make excuses, but suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his heart. Looking up, he saw Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze withdrawn, his entire presence like an unparalleled sharp sword, his aura majestic and peerless.


    There was no fluctuation of Spiritual Power, no trace of Spell use.


    But there was an extremely strong oppressive feeling.


    Rendering him utterly unable to harbor any thoughts of resistance.


    In Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes seemed to lurk thousands of sword glints, as if capable of directly piercing through Sect Leader Liao¡¯s veil of secrets, causing his heart to tremble and making him lower his head, unable to look him in the eye.


    A moment later, everything dissipated like smoke and clouds.


    No might, no pressure.


    The breeze blew gently as if nothing had ever happened.


    But Sect Leader Liao was drenched in cold sweat, his voice trembling,


    "Elder, please calm your anger, I will... report back to the Chief Elder right away..."


    ...


    Sect Leader Liao left in a state of panic and soon reported the matter to the Chief Elder in the cave dwelling behind the mountain.


    The Chief Elder slammed the table in anger, "This is outrageous!"


    "The pressure of Divine Sense!"


    "Do they really think the Five Elements Sect is without capable people?!"


    Sect Leader Liao thought to himself, isn¡¯t our Five Elements Sect exactly without capable people... but he harbored not a hint of resentment.


    He just didn¡¯t understand.


    How could a person without Spiritual Power and a shattered Sea of Consciousness exert such a terrifying Divine Sense pressure?


    It seemed that without lifting a finger, just one look was enough to shatter his courage and kill him!


    Sect Leader Liao was deeply frightened.


    This was when that person was down and out, with only a tenth of his Cultivation and power. If he were in his prime, what an overpowering presence he must have had... ???????B¦¥?


    No wonder so many people, in their efforts to deal with him, had to be extremely careful and use all their wits...


    This person was truly fearsome!


    Sect Leader Liao calmed his mind and asked about the crux of the matter,


    "Chief Elder, what should we do now?"


    The Chief Elder glanced at Sect Leader Liao with an emotionless face, but felt irritated inside:


    "The moment something happens, you ask what to do. Do you look anything like a Sect Leader at all?"


    "How can you shoulder great responsibilities and revitalize the Five Elements Sect in this manner?"


    The Chief Elder said, "Postpone..."


    Before he could finish, Sect Leader Liao interjected with a wry smile, "We can¡¯t postpone any longer..."


    Just one look from that person is enough to make me tremble in fear.


    If we keep delaying and he looks at me a few more times, my courage might not shatter, but my Taoist Heart might.


    How can we dare to delay further?


    The Chief Elder frowned.


    Sect Leader Liao stood to the side, holding his breath, and after a long moment said slowly,


    "Why not just let them learn?"


    "No way!"


    The Chief Elder firmly replied.


    He looked at Sect Leader Liao with an icy gaze, "We must never allow them to learn!"


    "As I¡¯ve said before, this Formation, even if it becomes obsolete, must only perish within our Five Elements Sect!"


    "Even if no one can master it, even if it¡¯s lost forever, it must not fall into the hands of outsiders!"


    Sect Leader Liao was somewhat troubled, "Then..."


    We cannot allow them to learn, but we also dare not refuse them outright.


    We in the Five Elements Sect cannot afford to offend that person... sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Chief Elder also understood the dilemma, and with a flicker in his murky eyes, said, "We shall set some trials."


    Trials?


    Sect Leader Liao hesitated, "There doesn¡¯t seem to be such a rule within the Sect..."


    "There is one starting now," said the Chief Elder casually.


    Enjoy exclusive content from


    As expected of the Chief Elder, he has lived long and has a thick skin.


    Sect Leader Liao muttered to himself and then asked,


    "But these trials... How shall we conduct them? Who should be tested? Mr. Zhuang, or his disciple?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyes turned cold, "Would you stop and think? Mr. Zhuang... who can test him? Who is qualified to test him?"


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s eyes grew cold, but he didn¡¯t become angry. He just nodded slightly.


    That meant his disciple would be the one to be tested.


    "Chief Elder, what exactly do you plan to test him with?"


    The Chief Elder spoke gravely, "Host a Tao Discussion Meeting."


    "A Tao Discussion Meeting... to compare formations?"


    The Chief Elder nodded.


    Sect Leader Liao was hesitant, "But who will compete?"


    The Chief Elder frowned and said,


    "The Elders and Instructors within the Sect obviously won¡¯t do, for that would clearly be bullying the weak, and Mr. Zhuang would definitely not agree. Therefore... it must be a comparison of formations amongst disciples..."


    "The Inner Sect Disciples will compete..."


    "His disciple must win over all our Five Elements Sect¡¯s Inner Sect Disciples in formation arrays, in order to learn our Sect Protecting Five Elements Spirit Formation!"


    Sect Leader Liao said quietly, "Chief Elder, are you serious?"


    The Chief Elder looked displeased.


    Sect Leader Liao reminded him, "Apart from everything else, his young disciple is already a First-Rate Formation Master..."


    A genuine, value-for-money First-Rate Formation Master at that...


    At present, none of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Inner Sect Disciples could reach such position during the stage of Qi Refinement.


    How could they possibly compete?


    Do you intend to let him publicly embarrass our Five Elements Sect?


    And are we voluntarily presenting our face for him to slap...


    Sect Leader Liao was somewhat speechless.


    But the Chief Elder shook his head, "Not at all!"


    Sect Leader Liao didn¡¯t understand.


    The Chief Elder retorted, "Amongst the Inner Sect, aren¡¯t there some disciples who are of First-Rate standard but have repeatedly failed their assessments?"


    Sect Leader Liao nodded, "There are."


    The Chief Elder sighed in relief, "Then that will do."

 Chapter 600: Life-gate (3)

    Sect Leader Liao asked, "You mean to say..."The Chief Elder mused, "The Taoist Court¡¯s assessment has a limited number of quotas, and the waters can run deep or shallow."


    "In some remote areas, where Formation Masters are scarce, the assessment standards are looser, and the quality of Formation Masters might be lacking."


    "And then there are the sons and daughters of certain clans, young cultivators, who for the sake of being known as a genius, pull strings using their connections, and even if their standards fall short, they are guaranteed a First Grade."


    "Such First Graders often contain even more watered-down ability."


    Sect Leader Liao frowned, "Are you saying that Junior Formation Master surnamed Mo is one of these First Grade Formation Masters?"


    The Chief Elder nodded slowly, "Even if he didn¡¯t take any shortcuts, he was most likely given a First Grade in some backwater small place."


    The Chief Elder continued, "It¡¯s different for our Five Elements Sect."


    "Within the Dali Mountain State Boundary, there are many sects that are established based on the Formation, and this place was once a stronghold for Formations. Even though times have changed, the foundation still exists, and there are many Formation Masters."


    "To be assessed in this state boundary is extremely difficult!"


    "Even achieving a First Grade feels as arduous as ascending to heaven."


    "Because for assessment, you don¡¯t compete with cultivators of your age, but with all Qi Refinement, and even some Foundation Establishment Formation Masters; it¡¯s merit-based."


    "Others have been cultivating for longer than you, their Divine Sense is stronger, having immersed themselves in Formation for many years, drawing more Formations than you, how can these ordinary disciples compare?"


    "So it¡¯s normal that they are not assessed."


    "At the same time, don¡¯t think that just because they are not assessed, their Formation skills are insufficient."


    "Placed in some Little Immortal City or Second-Grade Prefecture Border, they would already be genuine First Grade Formation Masters."


    "Therefore, some disciples within our sect who haven¡¯t been assessed might not necessarily be weaker in Formation strength than that little disciple of Mr. Zhuang who has already achieved a First Grade!"


    Chief Elder¡¯s words were well-founded, making Sect Leader Liao see the light.


    Sect Leader Liao praised, "Worthy of our Chief Elder, so thorough in your considerations!"


    "With this understanding, that First Grade Junior Formation Master isn¡¯t necessarily as brilliant, Maybe he was just lucky to be assessed..."


    Sect Leader Liao pondered again, "Indeed, although talent is important for a Formation Master, proficiency comes with practice, and diligence can compensate for lack of skill. That Junior Formation Master is just around a teenager; even if he started drawing Formations from the womb and did so every day without rest, how many Formations could he possibly have drawn?"


    "With so few Formation drawings, his comprehension would naturally be shallow."


    "No matter how high his talent is, without rigorous practice, it is ultimately as untenable as a castle in the sky."


    This struck a chord with the Chief Elder.


    The Chief Elder nodded in agreement but also cautioned, "However, we shouldn¡¯t be careless. Even when catching rabbits, a lion uses all its strength. We mustn¡¯t underestimate him..."


    Sect Leader Liao bowed and said, "The Chief Elder is absolutely right."


    Following that, he frowned, "The Junior Formation Master is easy to deal with, but his senior brothers and sisters..."


    Thinking of the pair of siblings with profound cultivation and unmatched Spiritual Roots, appearing almost celestial in their bearing, the Chief Elder¡¯s expression also turned gravely serious. ??????¨¯??????


    After a moment, the Chief Elder sighed and said slowly, "In that case, we will have to seek assistance..."


    "Assistance?"


    The Chief Elder nodded, "In the Dali Mountain State Boundary, many Formation Sects and clans have close relations with our Five Elements Sect. Among them, there are quite a few talented individuals with an exceptional aptitude for Formations. We can borrow their support to bolster our presence and take the wind out of that person¡¯s sails!"


    "Can they win against that pair of siblings?"


    "By gathering the entire Dali Mountain State Boundary¡¯s Formation Genius, there should be no problem..."


    Sect Leader Liao nodded but couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously:


    "But can they win against Mr. Zhuang from back then?"


    The Chief Elder snorted coldly, "Don¡¯t even think about it; no matter how talented they are, they can¡¯t hope to beat that man..."


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze filled with fear as he was forced to admit,


    "How many like Mr. Zhuang exist in this world?"


    Sect Leader Liao still hesitated, "Won¡¯t it be obvious?" Enjoy exclusive content from


    The Chief Elder shook his head, "They are guests from afar, not members of the Five Elements Sect. How could anyone discern whether they are our disciples?"


    "Then, can we really persuade these talents?"


    "Just offer them benefits."


    "The cost won¡¯t be small..." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If a problem can be solved with Spirit Stones, it¡¯s not a problem."


    Sect Leader Liao winced at the cost but still nodded.


    With the planning completed, the Chief Elder also breathed a sigh of relief and said coldly,


    "At the Tao Discussion Meeting, when it comes to comparing Formations, if those disciples under that man cannot surpass our cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, with his arrogant nature, he probably won¡¯t have the effrontery to request learning our Ultimate Formation..."


    Sect Leader Liao was still not entirely reassured:


    "Such an obvious scheme, will that man agree?"


    The Chief Elder sneered, "If he wants his disciples to learn the Formations of our Five Elements Sect, he will have to agree!"


    "We haven¡¯t refused; we¡¯ve just made a fair and reasonable request."


    "If they can¡¯t win against the disciples of the Five Elements Sect, what right do they have to learn the Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect?"


    "In other words, if they can¡¯t win against the disciples of the Five Elements Sect, even if they went to learn the Ultimate Formation, they would certainly be unable to master it!"


    "By saying this, I¡¯m saving both our times; it¡¯s for the good of the Five Elements Sect as well as his..."


    ...


    The Chief Elder put on a righteous fa?ade.


    But in his heart, Sect Leader Liao sneered.


    The older they get, the thicker their skins become.


    It¡¯s only because the Five Elements Sect has these old, scheming parasites that it has been gradually declining.


    However, he had no other options in this matter.


    Just he didn¡¯t know whether Mr. Zhuang would agree...


    Feeling uneasy, Sect Leader Liao went to see Mr. Zhuang to explain the situation.


    Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhuang was not surprised, nor did he show anger; he remained indifferent and nodded,


    "Good!"


    Sect Leader Liao felt relieved.


    Agreement boded well.


    At least he had an explanation to provide.


    But the more he observed Mr. Zhuang, the more inscrutable and mysterious he seemed to be.


    He simply could not fathom what Mr. Zhuang was truly thinking or planning...


    ...


    After Sect Leader Liao took his leave, Mr. Zhuang called over Mo Hua and the others.


    "In a few days, you will be comparing Formation skills with the disciples of the Five Elements Sect..."


    "No, not you..." Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and smiled faintly, "Mo Hua, you alone will suffice."


    Mr. Zhuang wore an expression of looking forward to a good show,


    "You take the lead, and at the same time, support your senior brother and sister..."


    "And also make your master proud..."

 Chapter 601: 528

    Taking the lead? Holding up the show? Saving face?Mo Hua was stunned.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also looked at each other in dismay.


    Mo Hua asked, "Master, what should I do?"


    "It¡¯s simple," Mr. Zhuang said with a light smile, "you just go and compete with them. If you win, you¡¯ll get to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation."


    "Compete in First-grade Formation Methods?"


    "First-grade."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    When it came to First-grade Formation Methods, he feared no one, of course, besides Mr. Zhuang.


    But he would not be careless.


    Mo Hua frowned and said, "Master, what if the Five Elements Sect plays dirty and I lose?"


    It actually didn¡¯t matter much if he lost himself.


    Personal victory or defeat was trivial.


    The Five Element Ultimate Formation, though important, was something he would learn sooner or later.


    The key issue was, if he lost, he would lose face for his master.


    His master¡¯s prestige was the big deal!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became somewhat serious.


    Mr. Zhuang felt a hint of warmth in his heart, then raised an eyebrow and said:


    "Don¡¯t worry. As my disciple, what do they have to win against you?"


    This statement was somewhat subtle, but Mo Hua actually felt it made a lot of sense, and he couldn¡¯t help but nod his head. Still, he looked somewhat apprehensive.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze shifted, and he continued:


    "Do you still remember the words I told you at the beginning?"


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, unsure which words Mr. Zhuang was referring to.


    Mr. Zhuang feigned regret as he sighed:


    "Back then, when I went to the Five Elements Sect, I wanted to learn that Ultimate Formation, but for various reasons, I didn¡¯t manage to learn it, and accordingly, they looked down on me and I lost a lot of face..." ??¦­?£Â¨¨s


    "This old score, I can no longer settle."


    "Now, I¡¯m counting on you to reclaim this stage for your master..."


    Looked down upon, lost face?


    Mo Hua¡¯s little face tensed up, and she immediately bristled with fighting spirit, saying:


    "Master, rest assured! I will certainly reclaim this stage for you and crush them into utter defeat!"


    "And then I¡¯ll learn their Sect-Protecting Ultimate Technique and drive them crazy with grief!" S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly, "Good, leave them in utter defeat, and drive them crazy with grief!"


    Old Kui, outside the door, shook his head upon hearing this.


    Despite his age, he¡¯s still as puerile and competitive as a child.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "Master, should I show them any mercy?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Not only should you not, but you should also be more arrogant."


    "Arrogant?"


    "Right," Mr. Zhuang said, "use that set of pretentious skills I taught you."


    "Pretentious?"


    Mo Hua had somewhat forgotten.


    Mr. Zhuang demonstrated for Mo Hua once more.


    He let go of his gentle demeanor, his brows and eyes becoming sharp, his expression turning indifferent, proudly holding his head high, like an ancient sword sealed and undisturbed, with an air of grandeur, as if he were an Azure Dragon looking down upon the world.


    His grace and demeanor made others dare not look directly at him.


    Mr. Zhuang quickly concealed his demeanor again, his expression becoming gentle once more, "Remember now?"


    "Uh-huh."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone, and then he too imitated the posture.


    He held his head high, hands on his hips, with a nobody-in-my-eyes look on his tender little face.


    Except he didn¡¯t resemble a dragon, but rather a fierce Little Tiger.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but pet Mo Hua¡¯s head and said:


    "It lacks a bit of style, but it¡¯s passable for now. You¡¯ll need to practice more in the future."


    "Yes, Master!" Mo Hua obediently responded.


    Old Kui looked at this mentor-disciple pair, his expression even more speechless...


    Mr. Zhuang then instructed Mo Hua:


    Your next read awaits at


    "In a few days, you will take the lead and also stand in for your senior brothers and sisters. Only those who win against you will qualify to compete in Formation Methods with your senior brothers and sisters."


    With Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words, Mo Hua understood:


    "I am the threshold!"


    Whoever wanted to compete with his senior brothers and sisters had to cross his threshold first.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly.


    This child was indeed clever.


    Bai Zisheng felt a bit guilty on the side, "Master, my Formation skills are not as good as my junior brother¡¯s..."


    Bai Zisheng was quite self-aware. Although he was a senior brother, his level in Formation skills was far from Mo Hua¡¯s.


    If someone did manage to win against Mo Hua, he most certainly wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Bai Zixi was better off, her Formation skills, albeit not as strong as Mo Hua¡¯s, were still quite high.


    But his own flaws would be exposed.


    Mr. Zhuang said with a light smile, "That¡¯s alright. This threshold your junior brother presents, it is quite a high one..."


    And moreover, it was an insurmountably "high" one.


    Mr. Zhuang thought of Mo Hua¡¯s level in Formation methods as a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm, still somewhat astonished in his heart.


    Mo Hua, praised by Mr. Zhuang, had a smiley face again.


    ...


    In the ensuing days, the Five Elements Sect appeared calm on the surface, but there was a buzz of activity behind the scenes: dispatching messengers, sending letters, bargaining...


    Sect Leader Liao was busy with receptions and farewells.


    The Elders moved about frequently.


    Some unfamiliar disciples also appeared silently within the Five Elements Sect...


    Mr. Zhuang sat by the window, watching all this unfold, unflustered and unshowy.


    A few days later, Sect Leader Liao came to invite Mr. Zhuang, respectfully saying:


    "The Tao Discussion Meeting is about to begin. Mr. Zhuang and several esteemed disciples, please proceed to the Formation Pavilion."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and stood up, turning towards Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi, and said:


    "Let¡¯s go."


    ...


    The Tao Discussion Meeting.


    It was a grand assembly for cultivators to discuss the Tao.


    It was also a general term for various kinds of meetings among cultivators.


    Cultivators gathered to discuss cultivation, scholarly matters, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Formations, and even about rearing Spirit Beasts, keeping cats and dogs.


    The Tao Discussion Meeting of the Five Elements Sect was mainly for verifying Formations.


    The Formation Pavilion was the place within the Sect for storing Formation knowledge and artifacts.


    Stored within were Formation Books, Formation Diagrams, precious inks, ancient brushes, valuable Formation Papers, and a series of Tao cultivation items related to Formation methods.


    The Formation Pavilion was a place of secrecy and also one of the important venues for Tao discussion meetings within the Sect.

 Chapter 602: Formation Pavilion (2)

    The Five Elements Sect once established itself with Formation methods, but now it prospers with Earth and Wood, hence the Formation Pavilion is quite expansive and luxurious.The Formation Pavilion has four floors.


    The venue for the Tao Discussion Meeting is on the widest floor, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, glittering with gold and jade.


    At this moment, ink, brushes, desks, and documents are all prepared, and the disciples of the Five Elements Sect have taken their seats.


    The chief seats are occupied by the Chief Elder and Sect Leader Liao of the Five Elements Sect, along with various Elders and Guest Elders.


    The Chief Elder, who had been in seclusion for a long time, has emerged from his retreat.


    By the Chief Elder¡¯s side are two elders dressed in brocade clothes and adorned with golden crowns and jade ornaments, their presence profound and unmistakably that of two Great Cultivators of the Golden Core Realm.


    At this moment, the Chief Elder was discussing in a low voice with these two elders:


    "...The gentleman¡¯s surname is Zhuang, and he comes from an imposing background, not suitable to be detailed..."


    "It¡¯s an agreement made by our ancestors, we have no choice but to abide..."


    "But the Sect is in decline, not as it used to be...being bullied to this extent..."


    "...coveting our Five Elements Sect¡¯s ancestral Ultimate Formation..."


    "I ask you two old friends, you must! Lend the Five Elements Sect a helping hand!"


    The Chief Elder feigned distress, his words earnest and sincere.


    The other two elders both replied with "Certainly, certainly!" but their expressions were dull and they seemed somewhat indifferent.


    The Chief Elder cursed them in his heart.


    Truly, the older they get, the more cunning they become!


    The older they get, the more worldly-wise.


    No one would wake up early without benefit, as stingy as two iron roosters.


    The Chief Elder bowed with his hands clasped, "Sect Leader Chu, Brother Shen...once this matter succeeds, a generous reward will be offered..."


    The hands of the Chief Elder, hidden in his sleeves, secretly gestured a number of Spirit Stones for the two elders to see.


    Both of their eyes lit up.


    The elder surnamed Shen was the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family from the nearby Si Water City, an aristocrat of Formation Method, in the early stages of the Golden Core Realm. ?????????¨¯?§§?


    His originally indifferent face immediately blossomed into a smile, and his tone became much friendlier:


    "The Chief Elder is too kind, it would be disrespectful to refuse, truly disrespectful..."


    Afterwards, the Old Ancestor of Shen Family said solemnly:


    "With the Taoist Court unifying all, cultivators must act according to the law, no matter how prominent the background, one must still abide by the rules. As the saying goes, ¡¯even a mighty dragon cannot crush a local serpent.¡¯ Chief Elder, rest assured, I will uphold justice for you!"


    He is the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family.


    The Shen Family is vast and wealthy, with many disciples and a great consumption of Spirit Stones; they could never have too many.


    The Chief Elder internally cursed, "Money-grubbing old fool," while outwardly smiling and clapping his hands, he praised:


    "Brother Shen¡¯s heart is as warm as the ancient roads, I admire you!"


    On the other hand, Sect Leader Chu, dressed impeccably, pondered for a moment before saying:


    "Brother, I do not want these Spirit Stones."


    Not wanting Spirit Stones... S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Chief Elder wasn¡¯t happy about this, rather he was on alert.


    Not wanting Spirit Stones doesn¡¯t mean he truly doesn¡¯t want anything.


    It¡¯s very likely that Spirit Stones simply aren¡¯t to his taste.


    This Sect Leader Chu was the Supreme Sect Leader of the Formation Mysterious Sect, venerable in years, and had already abdicated his position, holding a nominal title. Yet in the Sect, he was still deeply respected, his word carrying great weight.


    The Formation Mysterious Sect, being adept in Formation methods, did not place much importance on Spirit Stones.


    As expected, Sect Leader Chu continued:


    "Your Five Elements Sect doesn¡¯t easily earn Spirit Stones, how could I have the heart to kick you when you¡¯re down..."


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family beside him felt displeased within.


    What does he mean? Wanting Spirit Stones is kicking them when they¡¯re down?


    But he had lived long enough to possess the skill of containing his emotions.


    His wrinkled old face gave nothing away, showing neither joy nor anger.


    The Chief Elder frowned, "Then, Brother Chu..."


    Sect Leader Chu continued, "All I ask for is to take a look at the Formation Diagram of your Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation..."


    The Chief Elder¡¯s color changed abruptly and he quickly interjected:


    "No, absolutely not!"


    The Formation Diagram of the Mountain Guarding Formation?


    What are you thinking!


    To look at the Formation Diagram of the Large Formation, isn¡¯t that like revealing your entire foundations?


    This old coot!


    The Chief Elder internally cursed.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family, in a sarcastic tone, added:


    Read exclusive adventures at


    "Spirit Stones are external possessions, but Formation methods are the foundation of one¡¯s existence. Getting some Spirit Stones is good enough; coveting someone else¡¯s foundations is rather shameless..."


    Sect Leader Chu did not get angry, instead he negotiated:


    "I would be satisfied with just seeing a First Grade Formation."


    "Even a First Grade is not permissible."


    "I would just look at the simplified diagrams, not the actual Formation Patterns."


    "Brother Chu, please do not make this difficult for me..."


    Sect Leader Chu¡¯s face became stern, "Brother, do you not trust me?"


    "This is not a question of trust..."


    Sect Leader Chu knew the Chief Elder¡¯s concerns and said:


    "There is a vast difference between a First Grade Large Formation and a Second Grade Large Formation, the Formation Patterns are as different as heaven is from earth. Even if the Formation Pivots bear some resemblance, their essence is entirely different..."


    "What the Five Elements Sect has laid is a Second Grade Large Formation."


    "Seeing only a First Grade Formation Diagram would actually have no real effect on your Five Elements Sect."


    The Chief Elder hesitated, "This..."


    Sighing, Sect Leader Chu expressed:


    "In this life, Chu has no other desires than to expand his knowledge of Formation Diagrams."


    "Now that your Five Elements Sect faces peril, I step forward to vent this frustration for you, if for nothing else, for the sake of the old times between our two Sects..."


    "Now, with such a minor request, you hesitate and evade me, Brother, it really chills my heart..."


    Sect Leader Chu looked disappointed.


    But the Chief Elder knew that this was him using reverse psychology, leveraging the situation to pressure him.


    If he did not show the Formation Diagram, he would stand by and not help the Five Elements Sect.


    The key issue was that the Formation Mysterious Sect, grounded in Formation methods, was very powerful.


    While the Five Elements Sect was on the decline, the Formation Mysterious Sect was striving vigorously, with numerous Formation geniuses among its disciples.


    If this Chu did not help, the outcome of the contest was indeed uncertain.


    Depending solely on the disciples of the Five Elements Sect and the talents from the Shen Family and a few other Noble Clans, it was really uncertain whether they could outperform Mr. Zhuang and his pair of high-level siblings.

 Chapter 603: 528

    The Chief Elder pondered for a moment, then said through gritted teeth,"Fine! In consideration of the centuries of friendship between our two sects, I agree to your terms!"


    Sect Leader Chu¡¯s expression brightened.


    The Chief Elder added, "However, you can only look at this Formation Diagram here in the Formation Pavilion, and you can only look for one day. You may not take it away."


    Sect Leader Chu frowned, "What can one discern in just one day?"


    Though it was only First Grade, it was still a Large Formation after all...


    The Formation Patterns were complex, the Formation Pivot profound, and the Single Formations numerous.


    Even though he was of the Golden Core Realm, he was merely a High-Grade Second Rank Formation Master and did not have much confidence that he could master the intricacies of a First Grade Large Formation within a single day.


    After thinking it over, Sect Leader Chu felt not that he didn¡¯t have much confidence, but rather, he had no confidence at all...


    "Three days!"


    Sect Leader Chu said, "Give me three days just to look at this Large Formation Diagram!"


    The Chief Elder cursed inwardly.


    Three days?


    Was that what one called a glance?


    That seemed an extraordinarily long time for just ¡¯a look¡¯.


    "Two days!" the Chief Elder said.


    Sect Leader Chu immediately tried to push his luck further. "Two and a half days!"


    The Chief Elder firmly replied, "Two days is it! If that doesn¡¯t work for you, then forget it. I will find someone else..."


    "Fine!" Sect Leader Chu readily agreed, "Two days! Just two days!"


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family could not stand it any longer, speaking in a tone that was neither salty nor light,


    "We are Golden Core Cultivators and leaders of our sects, not peddlers in a market town haggling over every trifle, squabbling over petty profits..."


    Though his voice carried a strange tone, in his heart, he regretted immensely.


    If only he had known, he would have bargained as well!


    All under heaven are bustling for profit.


    All hustle and bustle draw them to gain.


    For the sake of Spirit Stones, it¡¯s not demeaning.


    To take this opportunity and use some glib words to gain more benefits was better than anything else.


    How regrettable, it was too late...


    He couldn¡¯t very well go back and renegotiate the terms after agreeing to them.


    One might shamelessly break one¡¯s word, but there are limits to such shamelessness...


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family sighed.


    He was also somewhat curious; Sect Leader Chu, in exchange for a sizable amount of Spirit Stones, went for two days of looking at a First Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation. What was he really up to? §²¦ÁN????????¨¨£Ó


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family looked at Sect Leader Chu with an inscrutable gaze but did not pursue the matter further.


    Now that the matters of interest were settled, the Chief Elder began discussing the next arrangements,


    "That person has a total of three disciples."


    "Among them, the youngest disciple is already a First Grade Formation Master at a tender age."


    "The other two are siblings with astonishing talent; their depths are unfathomable, and their level of skill in formations is unknown, but since they are the senior disciples, they are undoubtedly even more mysterious than the little student."


    "At the very least, they are also First Grade!"


    "And they must be seasoned First Grade Formation Masters!"


    The Chief Elder was somewhat reluctant to admit it, but still said,


    "Now, that Junior Formation Master, with the strength of our Five Elements Sect, we can still manage."


    "But those two, with their shockingly brilliant abilities, we are out of our depth..." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Chief Elder saluted Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family with a cupped fist gesture and said,


    "I must request assistance from the Formation Mysterious Sect and the esteemed Proud Sons of Heaven from the Shen Family to take action and help us win the formation matchup, ensuring the inheritance of our Five Elements Sect!"


    Sect Leader Chu nodded and said, "Of course."


    He too wanted to use this opportunity to showcase the Formation Mysterious Sect¡¯s prowess in formations.


    Let everyone know that the Five Elements Sect had not fallen behind, but it was their Formation Mysterious Sect that truly stood at the pinnacle of Formations.


    The Five Elements Sect sets the stage, and they would perform the play.


    It couldn¡¯t be more perfect.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family, remembering the large sum of Spirit Stones and the First Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation Diagram, yet somewhat puzzled, asked the Chief Elder with a frown,


    "Are that person¡¯s disciples really so formidable as to warrant such a significant expense on your part?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    If this had been in the past, with the Five Elements Sect¡¯s abundance of talent, they naturally wouldn¡¯t fear a comparison with Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples¡ªunless these few disciples really possessed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s unparalleled perceptiveness and talent...


    The Chief Elder sighed in his heart.


    Objectively speaking, they couldn¡¯t compare with Mr. Zhuang.


    But that being said, there has only been one Mr. Zhuang for so many years.


    The disciples of Mr. Zhuang, after all, aren¡¯t Mr. Zhuang. Even if they are formidable, there will always be a limit.


    It was then that the Chief Elder took up the idea of organizing a debate conference to compare Formations.


    Although the Five Elements Sect was not up to par, the Chief Elder wasn¡¯t willing to admit it, which would hurt his own face and dampen his dignity. So he said:


    "Their talents are exceptionally good, and how their Formation skill truly measures up can only be known after they compete..."


    "It¡¯s possible that they might not even be a match for the disciples of our Five Elements Sect..."


    The Chief Elder began to pat himself on the back, and then he said diplomatically:


    "However, this matter relates to the Sect¡¯s lineage inheritance, which is of great concern. I must act cautiously and meticulously to prevent any accidents that could cause our Sect¡¯s lineage to fall into the hands of others."


    "Even if it means paying a certain price, it is worth it!"


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family both nodded in agreement.


    Even if they looked down on the Formation skill level of the Five Elements Sect now, the Chief Elder¡¯s considerations were faultless.


    When it concerned the Sect¡¯s top-secret inheritance, being as cautious as possible was the correct approach.


    Sect Leader Chu then said, "Chief Elder, rest assured, the Five Elements Sect, known for the Five Elements Spirit Formation, will ensure that this Ultimate Formation will remain within the Five Elements Sect, and no one will be able to learn it!"


    The Chief Elder was overjoyed, "Thank you, Sect Leader Chu!"


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family frowned and said, "However, those who dare covet the Ultimate Formation must be disciples of no ordinary talent."


    Sect Leader Chu calmly said, "No matter."


    He gave a cold laugh, "The study of Formations is profound and limitless, requiring both talent and hard study. Even with talent, it¡¯s impossible to be proficient in everything."


    "Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, Formation eye, Formation principle, as well as some advanced Formation Taoist Skills, they can¡¯t be proficient in every aspect."


    "Every ruler has its strengths, and every inch has its weaknesses."


    "It¡¯s the same for even the most gifted Formation Masters."


    "If these disciples of Mr. Zhuang are of mediocre strength, we shall win over them with dignity, teaching them a lesson to appreciate the vastness and depth of Formations, the profound and unpredictable nature of Formation principles."


    "We¡¯ll make them understand that there are always higher skies and other people beyond themselves."


    "However, if they indeed have extraordinary talent and outstanding Formation skill..."


    "Then we will use our strengths to target their weaknesses!"


    "With so many disciples, each with their own specialties, we will certainly have areas where we are stronger than them. In such a comparison, we can also overcome them."


    "While it may seem somewhat unsporting, the matter of the Sect¡¯s inherited legacy is of great importance, and we need not fuss over these details."


    "Winning is winning, losing is losing." Your journey continues at


    "Since they dare to come and learn Formations, they should be prepared for this. If their skills are inferior, they have no grounds to argue!"


    ...


    The Chief Elder nodded in approval, "Good!"


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family also stroked his beard and praised, "Well said."


    After discussing their plans, they sat upright and waited for Mr. Zhuang and his party.


    The bustling disciples of the Formation Pavilion gradually quieted down...


    Half an hour later, Mr. Zhuang, accompanied by Mo Hua and two others, entered the Formation Pavilion in front of everyone.


    The Formation Pavilion instantly became even more silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.


    The three Golden Core Elders who were meditating with their eyes closed all opened their eyes. Their aged gaze, filled with a glint of sharpness, fell upon the newcomers.


    So this is Mr. Zhuang!


    Truly a figure of immortal grace and unparalleled presence.


    The man and woman following behind¡ªare they the siblings?


    Indeed, they possess a regal bearing and flawless charisma.


    And the one at the back...


    All three were taken aback.


    Doesn¡¯t he seem rather young?


    Although they had all been previously notified of a youngster in his teens¡ªan established First Grade Junior Formation Master¡ªseeing it firsthand was still inconceivable.


    He¡¯s so young...


    Is this truly a First Grade Formation Master?


    Are you kidding me...


    They had earnestly discussed strategies for so long, and this is what they faced¡ªa mere child.


    To compete against him, wouldn¡¯t it be bullying?

 Chapter 604: Competition (1)

    Mo Hua followed Mr. Zhuang into the Formation Pavilion.Upon entering, they saw the grand and splendid Formation Pavilion, filled with cultivators.


    On the platform, three old men with white hair exuded a strong sense of spiritual power that brought an overwhelming sense of pressure.


    Golden Core!


    It was Mo Hua¡¯s first time seeing Golden Core cultivators, which made him somewhat nervous.


    However, he then thought of himself as a disciple of Mr. Zhuang and didn¡¯t want to let his master¡¯s momentum falter, so he straightened his little head and acted arrogantly, just like Mr. Zhuang.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, on the other hand, were completely calm.


    For the Bai Family, a powerhouse in its own right, a few Golden Core cultivators were not enough to cause any disturbance.


    The Chief Elder raised his hand to signal for silence, then stood up and greeted from a distance, "Mr. Zhuang."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly in response.


    The Chief Elder said, "Please!"


    Mr. Zhuang then sat down on the opposite high platform, facing the three Golden Core Masters directly.


    Mo Hua and the other two stood respectfully behind Mr. Zhuang.


    After seating himself, the Chief Elder got straight to the point:


    "Mr. Zhuang, may we begin the Tao Discussion Meeting?"


    Mr. Zhuang replied indifferently, "We may."


    "Quite the attitude..." The Chief Elder felt displeased in his heart but kept his expression serene. Turning to the disciples, he proclaimed loudly:


    "Our Five Elements Sect is founded upon Formation methods."


    "Today we have esteemed guests who have come from afar. To sit and discuss the Tao by exchanging knowledge on formations is indeed a fortunate event..."


    "Since we are discussing the Tao through formations, we have rules that follow ancient traditions."


    "First to compare Formation principles, second Formation patterns, and third Formation study. Formation principles encompass all things, Formation patterns hold the universe, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivots, Formation eyes, all complementing each other, Formation study..."


    This introductory speech by the Chief Elder was dry and lengthy.


    Mr. Zhuang became somewhat weary and simply said, "There¡¯s no need."


    The Chief Elder paused, and the other cultivators also showed signs of surprise. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It¡¯s too troublesome," Mr. Zhuang shook his head and suggested, "Let¡¯s keep it simple..."


    His gaze sharpened as he looked around, and even though his tone was calm, it contained a hint of disdain:


    "Let all the Qi Refinement disciples present, everyone, whether from the Five Elements Sect or not, come forth..."


    "Whatever the challenge, if any of you can surpass my disciple in even one aspect, we will no longer study this Five Elements Spirit Formation."


    The Formation Pavilion fell into utter silence.


    Then there was an uproar from the entire hall.


    Arrogant!


    It was truly too arrogant!


    The Chief Elder¡¯s face turned red with anger.


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family also revealed cold lights in their eyes.


    All the Formation Masters in the seats were filled with righteous indignation.


    This simply disregarded the Five Elements Sect... no, all the Formation Masters in the entire state boundary of Dali Mountain!


    Mo Hua, standing behind Mr. Zhuang, couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth in shock.


    So this was what his master was like...


    Such arrogance...


    He had been with Mr. Zhuang day and night and thought that his master had always been gentle, elegant, amiable, and approachable...


    In contrast, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were not surprised at all.


    "Good!"


    The Chief Elder was seething with rage and gritted his teeth.


    You¡¯re seeking your own death!


    Don¡¯t blame us for bullying then!


    The assembly was a gathering of hundreds of disciples and Proud Sons of Heaven from all over the state boundary of Dali Mountain, representing clans and sects, and nearly all the Formation talents. ???¨°¦Â§§?


    You think your mere three disciples can win against so many?


    Foolish dreams!


    "Who will come first?" the Chief Elder asked coldly.


    A disciple in a blue robe stood up and said, "I am but a novice, and I wish to exchange knowledge on formations with the distinguished guest."


    This had already been arranged beforehand.


    This disciple was nearly at the strength of a First-grade Formation Master and ranked within the top five among the Five Elements Sect¡¯s younger generation of Formation Masters.


    The Chief Elder nodded slightly and looked to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly and patted Mo Hua on the shoulder.


    Mo Hua stepped forward and said in a crisp voice, "I will compete!"


    Although expected, the Chief Elder still asked, "What about your senior brother and sister? Aren¡¯t they competing?"


    In front of the Golden Core Masters, Mo Hua still felt a bit nervous.


    "Can¡¯t lose face for Master..."


    "Can¡¯t lose face for Master..."


    Mo Hua repeated this to himself twice, then, imitating Mr. Zhuang¡¯s manner, he held his head high and feigned "arrogance" as he said:


    "You are not yet worthy to compete with my senior brother and sister!"


    "Get through me first, then we¡¯ll talk!"


    A little kid, with such big words!


    The disciples from all sects and clans in the seats grew even angrier.


    The three Golden Core Master cultivators, however, remained composed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s words might have been arrogant, but he was clearly nervous and lacked confidence.


    After all, he was young and inexperienced. Facing these old foxes, he showed a hint of fear.


    For this reason, the three Golden Core Elders looked down on Mo Hua a little bit more.


    The Chief Elder turned to Mr. Zhuang to inquire:


    "Mr. Zhuang, what shall we compare?"


    Mr. Zhuang articulated nonchalantly, "Anything will do."


    The Chief Elder sneered internally, "All right, then we will follow the rules of the Five Elements Sect!"


    "Let¡¯s start with a First-grade Formation Method!"


    Skipping the verbal debate over Formation principles, they would get straight to the point with Drawing Formation, where the true quality would be revealed in the strokes. The first challenge would be a First-grade Formation Method to test the waters and see just how much ability this little Formation Master had.


    "A First-grade Heavy Water Formation, time limit of two hours, to see who can draw it better."


    After the Chief Elder finished speaking, he looked at Mo Hua and asked, "What do you think, young brother?"


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment.


    Heavy Water Formation?


    What kind of formation is that?


    He was quite sure he had never learned it...


    But as long as it was a First-grade Formation, it should be fine...


    Mo Hua nodded, "Okay."


    The Chief Elder nodded slightly in return.


    Even though this was merely a test, there was a method to it.


    This Heavy Water Formation was a treasured First-grade Formation held by the Five Elements Sect, with a rare function, not widely known or learned because of its difficulty.


    Apart from the disciples of the Five Elements Sect, other Formation Masters would generally not know it.

 Chapter 605: Competition (2)

    He had deliberately chosen this to be the exam question.If Mr. Zhuang¡¯s young disciple had learned it, then there was nothing to be done, it would simply mean his Formation experience was indeed vast.


    Everyone competed using Formations, to decide victory or defeat.


    But if he did not know it, then he was almost certain to lose without a doubt.


    Two hours, including both learning and Drawing Formation, was simply not enough time.


    The Chief Elder snorted coldly.


    Originally, choosing this Formation as the test was somewhat "winning without honor."


    But now that Mr. Zhuang was so arrogant, making such bold statements, it was no longer unfair for him to take advantage of this unconventional question, given the circumstances.


    Mo Hua and the blue-robed Sect Disciple from the Five Elements Sect went to the center of the field, each sitting at a desk, several yards apart, shielded by a Formation. They could neither see each other clearly nor spy with their Divine Sense.


    Of course, with three Golden Core Cultivators and around ten at the Foundation Establishment level present, there was no chance for any foul play.


    After a while, the Formation Diagrams were distributed.


    Upon receiving the Formation Diagram, Mo Hua frowned.


    Heavy Water Formation...


    He truly had never learned it.


    The Formation Patterns were somewhat rare; the Formation Pivot was rather simple; the demand for Divine Sense was a bit higher than usual, with more than nine Patterns but less than ten.


    The overall difficulty was about the same as the first rank Melting Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua assessed it for a moment and then felt a surge of relief¡ªand a bit of excitement.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to learn a new Formation during a competition...


    What a gain!


    Mo Hua then started to concentrate intensely, staring at the Heavy Water Formation Diagram, memorizing the Formation Pivot and Patterns, while calculating the trajectory of the Spiritual Power in his mind.


    Meanwhile, the blue-robed disciple had already started drawing.


    The Heavy Water Formation was one of the treasured Formations of the Five Elements Sect. He had learned it long ago, and these past few days, under the Chief Elder¡¯s mentoring, he had practiced it over and over, knowing it like the back of his hand.


    It was as if the examiner had leaked the questions before the test and allowed him to memorize the answers more than ten times.


    So right now, he drew the Heavy Water Formation with ease and skill.


    Mo Hua was examining the Formation Diagram while the blue-robed disciple was Drawing Formation.


    The Chief Elder could see everything clearly from above and nodded slightly.


    He was now sure that this young Formation Master had never learned the Heavy Water Formation!


    Good!


    The Chief Elder was inwardly thrilled.


    A swift and first victory.


    This first match, they should have won.


    Once this young Formation Master lost, it would be his Senior Brothers¡¯ and Senior Sisters¡¯ turn.


    He was curious to see just how skilled Mr. Zhuang¡¯s prized disciples truly were in Formations.


    ...


    Time trickled by, second after second...


    An hour later.


    The blue-robed disciple had already completed the majority of the Formation.


    Mo Hua had at last finished looking over the Heavy Water Formation.


    And after studying, he began to draw.


    The moment Mo Hua made his move, the Chief Elder noticed and mused to himself,


    "Does he know he doesn¡¯t have enough time and has to bite the bullet and draw it?"


    The Chief Elder understood all too well.


    When he had taken his Formation Master Grading and encountered unknown Formations, he had acted the same way.


    As the time was nearly up, he couldn¡¯t leave a blank paper.


    He had to draw as much as he could.


    Perhaps he could even guess a few Formation Patterns correctly...


    The experienced Chief Elder felt he understood thoroughly.


    But as he watched, a flicker of surprise crossed his mind:


    "This young Formation Master... Not to mention anything else, at least the way he moves his pen and the momentum of his Formation Painting are quite professional..." ????§Ñ?¦Ï????§¦?


    Another half-hour passed.


    The blue-robed disciple had finished and carefully checked his work once more, nodding in satisfaction.


    The Formation was complete, the Patterns smooth.


    Everything that should be there was there.


    Though there were minor imperfections, they were like trivial flaws on white jade, not significant.


    He had outperformed himself, living up to the Chief Elder¡¯s expectations!


    The blue-robed disciple was filled with pride. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the other side, Mo Hua had also finished drawing, and after inspecting it once, he shook his head slightly.


    It was his first time drawing it, and while his pen technique wasn¡¯t skilled enough, he drew strictly according to the Formation Diagram, with excessive precision but lacking in artistic spirit; it was missing something.


    But it was passable.


    He might as well submit it and see.


    The two of them sealed their Formations and handed in their papers.


    The two sealed Formations were then placed in front of the three Elders, including the Chief Elder.


    The Chief Elder glanced at Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "Please have a look."


    The Chief Elder nodded and first examined the Formation submitted by his Sect¡¯s Disciple.


    After just a glance, he was reassured.


    Well drawn!


    Even better than when he was teaching it.


    He had indeed put in a lot of effort.


    Then he eagerly opened Mo Hua¡¯s Formation.


    But after a glance, he frowned.


    Where was the Formation?


    Why was there only the Formation Diagram?


    He flipped through it and was taken aback again.


    Two identical Formation Diagrams?


    Upon careful examination, the Chief Elder realized that one of them was freshly inked, the ink was different, and while the penmanship was extremely meticulous, the Patterns were exactly the same without a hair¡¯s breadth of difference, as if carved from the same mold. At first glance, it looked like there were just two Formation Diagrams.


    A tremor went through the Chief Elder¡¯s heart.


    Could the young Formation Master have painted a Formation exactly identical to the sample Formation Diagram?


    Cheating?


    But how could he cheat in the presence of three Golden Core Cultivators?


    The Chief Elder looked carefully again and, after a thorough confirmation, had to admit that these precise and meticulous Patterns were indeed hand-drawn by the young Cultivator...


    The Chief Elder took a deep breath and looked at Mo Hua with a more solemn gaze.


    To draw to this extent, he must have practiced this Formation countless times.


    And to be able to master such an obscure Formation to this level of proficiency...


    He was truly worthy of being Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple; he had some real skills.


    But then he thought of what had happened earlier and felt displeased.


    "This cunning kid, staring at the Formation Diagram earlier, pretending not to know it all this time¡ªwas he playing me?"


    "Mocking me?"


    Such a nasty character!


    Though talented, he lacks virtue!


    The Chief Elder internally assessed.

 Chapter 606: Competition (3)

    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family, upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s Formation, were also secretly astonished."Though meticulously executed with surplus neatness, it lacks in charm, having a bit too much of a craftsman¡¯s air. But for someone of such a young age to be able to draw to this extent, with such precision, is already very commendable."


    At the very least, it¡¯s better than those drawn by the disciples of the Five Elements Sect.


    The Chief Elder then compared it to the Heavy Water Formation drawn earlier by the disciple in the blue robe and let out a slight sigh.


    Although their disciple drew well, it was merely drawing.


    There were quite a few flaws in his brushwork.


    It didn¡¯t seem too bad until the comparison was made.


    But once compared, it just didn¡¯t hold up.


    When it comes to Formations, good is good, bad is bad.


    In front of so many Formation Masters, and especially in front of Mr. Zhuang, the Chief Elder could only concede:


    "This round..."


    The Chief Elder paused for a moment, thought hard, and then finally remembered the name of the young Formation Master.


    It seemed like this name was very easy to overlook and hard to remember.


    "...Mo Hua, is slightly superior."


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened.


    The disciple in the blue robe, however, had a defeated look on his face, unable to comprehend how he lost, and where exactly he fell short.


    After drawing the Formation and warming up, Mo Hua was no longer nervous.


    The first victory was a success, earning face for his master.


    Moreover, he had learned a new Formation - the Heavy Water Formation was a free lesson provided by the Five Elements Sect.


    Mo Hua was very pleased in his heart and looked forward with even greater anticipation to the upcoming competitions.


    In the glittering Immortal City filled with cultivators.


    Mo Hua leaned on a tall desk, swinging his legs and asked with shining eyes:


    "What¡¯s next?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s brow twitched, feeling a faint pressure emanating from the innocent and lively Mo Hua.


    His gaze hardened slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, he said solemnly:


    "Speed of drawing!" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then understood.


    It¡¯s about who can draw faster.


    The speed of a Formation Master¡¯s drawing is important.


    The faster the Formation is drawn, the more Formations there will be. This speed matters in the construction of large-scale Tao Cultivation projects, production, Taoist Soldiers expeditions, fights to the death between Cultivators... ?????§§?


    In any situation involving the application of Formations.


    Being one minute faster in drawing a Formation could mean having an advantage.


    Especially when Formation Masters are in confrontation, if your opponent has finished setting up their Formation while you¡¯re still huffing and puffing drawing Formation Patterns, then the Formation you haven¡¯t finished can only be drawn in your next life...


    But speaking of speed of drawing, this is also Mo Hua¡¯s strength.


    Heaven Yan Jue enhances Divine Sense control.


    Back in Tongxian City, constructing the Artifact Refining Workshop and Pill Refining Workshop, as well as later building the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, all those Formations were done almost single-handedly by him.


    Not to mention now, he has also comprehended the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    "Come on!"


    Mo Hua said expectantly.


    He wanted to know if the Five Elements Sect would let him learn any Formation for free this time.


    The Chief Elder frowned, sensing something amiss, but still clenched his teeth and waved his hand.


    A disciple in a gold robe stepped out from the crowd and sat opposite Mo Hua.


    Lean and tall, with an upward tilt at the corners of his eyebrows, he seemed quite arrogant.


    The Formation Diagrams were distributed.


    Mo Hua took a glance and felt a bit disappointed.


    It was a Sharp Gold Formation.


    He had already studied this Formation.


    He didn¡¯t manage to freeload a new Formation...


    Mo Hua was somewhat regretful.


    Since he had learned it already, there was no time to waste; best to make it quick...


    After the Chief Elder said "begin," Mo Hua and the disciple in the gold robe both started drawing at the same time.


    The disciple in the gold robe was very fast.


    His Spiritual Root was special, affined to gold Spiritual Power, and so he was extremely adept at drawing any Gold-series Formation Method, twice as fast as anyone else.


    In the entire Five Elements Sect, no disciple could draw the Gold-series Formation Method faster than him.


    He was therefore highly regarded by the Chief Elder.


    The disciple in the gold robe, full of confidence, wrote with vigor...


    But before he had drawn many Patterns, he heard a crisp and slightly immature voice say:


    "I¡¯m done!"


    The hand of the disciple in the gold robe shook, pressing down a brushstroke that smeared a wide swath of gold ink on the paper.


    But he couldn¡¯t afford to attend to that.


    He stiffly turned his neck to see Mo Hua sitting on the chair, gently swaying, eagerly waiting to hand in his work.


    The disciple in the gold robe could hardly believe it.


    How long had it been?


    And he was finished already?


    When Mo Hua¡¯s completed Formation was laid out in front of everyone, the Chief Elder¡¯s expression became even more somber.


    Down to the last detail, it was indeed the Sharp Gold Formation.


    The Chief Elder was incredulous.


    And even Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family beside him couldn¡¯t snap back to reality.


    It was too fast.


    All they saw was Mo Hua pick up the brush, dip in the ink, make the stroke, and then with a swishing sound, as though playing around, he finished drawing the Sharp Gold Formation in just a few motions...


    This was a First-grade Formation Method.


    Could a First-grade Formation Master draw a First-grade Formation Method so quickly?


    Is this really the skill level a First-grade Formation Master should have?


    The three Golden Core Elders fell into a prolonged silence, unable to utter a single word.


    Mo Hua, however, was getting a bit bored waiting and asked:


    "What¡¯s next?"


    Once the competition was over, he could help his master regain his pride, and then he would be able to learn the Ultimate Formation with Thirteen Stripes.


    What else is there to compare?


    In Mo Hua¡¯s crisp voice, there was an air of ease.


    This time, not only the Chief Elder, but also Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family felt the pressure emanating from the young Qi Refinement cultivator in the room...

 Chapter 607: Who Else (1)

    "What should we do?"The Chief Elder and two others began to communicate with Divine Sense.


    "Our Five Elements Sect has already fought the opening battles and lost two in a row, it¡¯s not suitable to continue fighting. Next up should be the Formation Mysterious Sect and the Proud Son of Heaven from the Shen Family to show their skills..."


    The Chief Elder spoke with subtlety.


    Sect Leader Chu and the Elder of the Shen Family were well aware of what he implied.


    The Five Elements Sect was out of options.


    Among the Qi Refinement Disciples, those two who fought earlier were already the best they could offer, yet they were effortlessly defeated by the Junior Formation Master.


    Unless they allowed a Foundation Establishment First or Second Grade Disciple to step forward.


    Otherwise, sending any more of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s inferior disciples would only result in further embarrassment.


    But asking a Foundation Establishment disciple to fight would be completely bullying the weak, shameless. Such an act would be even more embarrassing to make public.


    "Chief Elder, rest assured, I always do as I promise," Sect Leader Chu said with an air of ease.


    "Next, let one of my Formation Mysterious Sect¡¯s disciples meet this Junior Formation Master."


    The Formation Mysterious Sect was unlike the Five Elements Sect.


    While the Five Elements Sect had been declining, the Formation Mysterious Sect was gradually flourishing.


    Several geniuses in the sect possessed talents that were even superior to what I had in my youth.


    Sect Leader Chu glanced at Mo Hua, who was sitting leisurely in the great hall, and slowly said:


    "Young brother, let¡¯s compete with a First-grade Formation Method."


    "A First-grade Formation Method?" Mo Hua was puzzled, "Didn¡¯t we already compete with that?"


    "This time it¡¯s not about who draws better or faster; it¡¯s about who draws the more difficult one..."


    Sect Leader Chu¡¯s eyes flashed with a sharp light. "I will send out a disciple from Formation Mysterious Sect. Each of you will draw a Formation. Whoever¡¯s Formation is more difficult, requires stronger Divine Sense, contains more Formation Patterns, will be the victor."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Who will it be?"


    Amidst the crowd, a Formation Mysterious Sect Disciple clad in a Five Elements Sect Taoist robe stepped forward.


    Their previous conspiracy was to let the talented Formation geniuses pretend to be Five Elements Sect Disciples for the competition.


    But now that Mr. Zhuang has exposed them and everyone present had sharp eyes, continuing the charade would only be self-deceptive and ridiculous.


    This Disciple, full of talent, cupped his fists and said:


    "I am Chu Xuan, a Direct Disciple of the Formation Mysterious Sect."


    Mo Hua also cupped his tiny hands and said, "Mo Hua."


    Then, feeling he missed a bit of grandeur without adding a title, he continued, "¡­ a Direct Disciple of my master!"


    He thought this statement was imposing enough.


    Yet Chu Xuan found him somewhat childish and couldn¡¯t help shaking his head.


    Afterward, the two started Drawing Formations.


    Chu Xuan showed confidence in his strokes, as if inspired by the divine.


    But Mo Hua was entangled in thoughts.


    Competing on difficulty?


    What level of difficulty should he choose for his Formation then?


    Should it be the nine-patterned Reversed Spirit Formation, the eleven-patterned Thick Earth Formation, or the twelve-patterned Spiritual Pivot Formation? ???§°????¨¨?


    If it¡¯s moderately difficult, he might not win.


    If it¡¯s too difficult, though, it might be too ostentatious.


    It¡¯s better to keep some of the real strength hidden¡­


    Mo Hua discretely measured up Chu Xuan, calculating that he only needed to draw a slightly more difficult Formation to win. This Chu Xuan seemed quite polite, with proper speech and demeanor.


    A little more difficult, win by a bit, leave him some face.


    If it¡¯s significantly more difficult, it would show too much of a gap between them, which could be seen as impolite.


    Mo Hua was thoughtful and considerate in his deliberation.


    But how to know the difficulty of the Formation he could draw?


    After some thought, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened a bit.


    He could calculate it.


    After all, each was drawing their own, so sneaking a few glances wouldn¡¯t count as cheating.


    Mo Hua took a look at Chu Xuan, slightly activated his Divine Sense, made a few calculations, and then he understood.


    Although he didn¡¯t know which Formation Chu Xuan was drawing, he deduced from the trajectory of the Spiritual Power that it was likely above nine patterns and very close to ten patterns, but not quite there yet.


    It had a hint of the flavor of an Ultimate Formation.


    But just a hint. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, who drew Ultimate Formations daily, was very sensitive to their essence.


    This Disciple named Chu Xuan was drawing a Formation very close to an Ultimate Formation, but not exactly one.


    However, it was still very impressive.


    This was one of the most gifted First-grade Formation Masters Mo Hua had ever seen.


    Such a Formation Master should be well encouraged, not too harshly criticized.


    The young Mo Hua felt a sense of appreciation for talent and nodded slightly, beginning to draw his own Formation.


    ...


    Atop the grand hall, the Chief Elder looked at Chu Xuan with some surprise.


    "Is this... the Dry Wood Reviving Spring Formation?"


    Sect Leader Chu nodded, "Indeed."


    "The Dry Wood Reviving Spring Formation, is it not the hereditary ten-patterned Ultimate Formation of your Formation Mysterious Sect?" the Old Ancestor of Shen Family also frowned slightly.


    Sect Leader Chu sighed, "The hereditary one is an Ultimate Formation, but this child Chu Xuan¡¯s drawing doesn¡¯t count as one."


    He paused, then calmly explained:


    "A ten-patterned Formation requires Foundation Establishment Divine Sense to learn."


    Experience tales at


    "But a Qi Refinement Disciple doesn¡¯t have Foundation Establishment Divine Sense and hence absolutely cannot learn it."


    "Therefore, generation after generation of our Sect¡¯s Elders have been dedicatedly researching how to simplify this Ultimate Formation so that Qi Refinement Disciples can also learn it."


    "After the painstaking efforts of four generations of Sect Leaders, my generation has finally seen some results."


    Sect Leader Chu spoke modestly, but his face couldn¡¯t hide the pride, clearly very pleased with himself.


    "Now, although this Formation¡¯s effectiveness has been reduced a bit, it is infinitely close to an Ultimate Formation."


    "What¡¯s more important is that Qi Refinement Disciples can truly learn it."


    "It¡¯s just that the Divine Sense required is extremely high, far surpassing the demands of the average ten-patterned Formation, and the difficulty is also exceedingly high..."


    Sect Leader Chu stroked his beard in contemplation.


    Though he spoke humbly, everyone could see he was boasting.


    But there was nothing they could do about it, even though it was obvious.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family shook his head.


    The Chief Elder was envious, jealous, and a little disheartened.

 Chapter 608: 530

    The standard of formations at Formation Mysterious Sect was rising by the day.However, the Five Elements Sect was in decline, generation after generation... Neglecting formations, building the sect on mere earth and wood, its prosperity waning, it would sooner or later fade away.


    At the same time, he felt somewhat relieved.


    A Qi-refining cultivator, an intricate formation very close to an Ultimate Formation, a first-grade formation with nine peaks of patterns, and the limit of Divine Sense for someone at the realm of Qi Refinement... The odds of winning this competition were very high.


    The inheritance of the Five Elements Sect might be preserved after all.


    The three Golden Core Elders sitting at the top all had their own thoughts.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s attitude was calm, without the slightest ripple.


    In the center of the grand hall, Mo Hua and another person were each painting their formations.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed, both finished their formation paintings almost simultaneously, sealed them, and handed them in.


    The Chief Elder first looked at the "Dry Wood Reviving Spring Formation" drawn by Chu Xuan, his expression one of sentiment and amazement.


    This was a "Pseudo-Ultimate Formation".


    An intricate formation almost at the level of an Ultimate Formation.


    It was a ladder for a Qi-refining cultivator to touch upon the echelons beyond grade, reaching for the Ultimate Formation.


    Naturally, the cultivator who drew this formation was extraordinarily talented.


    But to be able to simplify this formation for use was the true reflection of a sect¡¯s foundational strength in formations.


    However, these had nothing to do with the current Five Elements Sect anymore...


    The Chief Elder sighed, then immediately flipped to the formation drawn by Mo Hua. After one glance, his hands involuntarily trembled...


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family noticed the Chief Elder¡¯s unusual behavior and also looked over, their gazes moving from his astonished expression to the formation in his hands, causing both their hearts to shake and their brows to furiously twitch.


    Ten patterns!


    An Ultimate Formation?


    Could this young lad truly draw an Ultimate Formation?!


    And it was not a simplified Ultimate Formation.


    It was the real deal, not a single line amiss, an Ultimate Formation containing ten Formation Patterns!


    All three of their expressions grew solemn.


    "Is this... an Ultimate Formation?"


    "First-grade with ten patterns, undoubtedly an Ultimate Formation."


    "What kind of Ultimate Formation?"


    Sect Leader Chu frowned, "Our Formation Mysterious Sect doesn¡¯t have this kind of inheritance; I can¡¯t recognize it..."


    The Chief Elder and Old Ancestor of the Shen Family were also puzzled.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family transmitted with Divine Sense, his voice trembling: S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "To be able to draw a first-grade formation with ten patterns, doesn¡¯t that mean that this youngster, despite having only Qi-refining cultivation, possesses Foundation Establishment Divine Sense?" ????????¨º????


    Sect Leader Chu was extremely startled.


    There are great limits in the cultivation path.


    A Qi-refining cultivator refines Qi for Spiritual Power, solidifies Qi for Divine Sense; these are the shackles of the Heavenly Dao.


    In his whole life, he had never seen a Qi-refining cultivator possess Divine Sense at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    At most, he had only heard of it.


    And it was the kind of hearsay that bordered on legend.


    After a moment of contemplation, the Chief Elder shook his head, "Not necessarily..."


    "How so?" Sect Leader Chu asked.


    The Chief Elder frowned and pondered, "The realm of Qi Refinement, Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment, how could that be so easily achieved? Even Mr. Zhuang of years past, with his exceptional talent, never broke through in Divine Sense..."


    "I guess, this young cultivator can draw a first-grade formation with ten patterns because, like Mr. Zhuang, he has learned that inheritance!"


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What inheritance?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze turned serious, "The supreme inheritance of the Innate Formations that can integrate all the origins of formations, to understand one is to understand them all!"


    Both Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family gasped.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart also sank.


    He had misjudged!


    Continue reading on


    He had previously thought this Junior Formation Master was merely someone Mr. Zhuang had used to set the stage, and even as a first-grade Formation Master, his strength was just somewhat strong and might not even be highly regarded by Mr. Zhuang.


    Now it seemed, he was greatly mistaken!


    This Junior Formation Master had a profound mastery of formations, an immense strength in formation arts!


    Even, he might have been taught that orthodox and supreme inheritance of Innate Formations by Mr. Zhuang!


    It showed that this Junior Formation Master was highly favored by Mr. Zhuang.


    And this Junior Formation Master was merely the junior-most disciple; above him, there was a pair of senior brother and sister.


    If he could draw a first-grade formation with ten patterns, what about his senior brother and sister?


    Could they draw eleven patterns, or even... twelve patterns?


    The Chief Elder broke into a cold sweat.


    No wonder that Mr. Zhuang was so arrogant!


    He truly had the capital to be arrogant.


    Sitting down below, Mo Hua, seeing their hesitance, then inquired, "How is it?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, a bitter tone in his voice:


    "Chu Xuan¡¯s drawn formation, the Dry Wood Reviving Spring Formation, a peak of a first-grade with nine patterns..."


    "Mo Hua¡¯s drawn formation, a first-grade with ten patterns..."


    "Mo Hua... wins."


    First-grade with ten patterns?!


    Chu Xuan, who had thought the victory was in his grasp, immediately stood up, looking at Mo Hua in disbelief.


    The other disciples were also abuzz with discussion:


    "Isn¡¯t a first-grade just nine patterns, how can there be a formation with ten?"


    "You don¡¯t even know this?"


    "You must be from the Five Elements Sect..."


    "Forget learning formations..."


    "A first-grade with ten patterns is an Ultimate Formation, an extraordinary formation that is generally unattainable."


    "But isn¡¯t he just Qi-refined, how can he learn a ten-pattern formation?"


    "How would I know?"


    "Why don¡¯t you go ask?"


    A disciple whispered, "Didn¡¯t you see the Chief Elder¡¯s face? It looked like a pig¡¯s kidney, he¡¯s obviously not happy. Who would dare ask at this time and risk stirring him up?"


    "You¡¯re dead meat now, the Chief Elder is a Golden Core, he must have heard what you said..."


    The disciple¡¯s face turned white, covering his face with a sleeve, hoping the Chief Elder wouldn¡¯t see him.


    ...


    Chu Xuan was overwhelmed with emotions, his face showing defeat and reluctance, but at last, he let out a sigh, shed off the pride he had on his face, and respectfully gave Mo Hua a bow.


    Mo Hua returned the gesture, nodding silently in his heart.


    This Chu Xuan, he had a good temperament, indeed had the potential to be crafted.


    Amidst some noise in the Formation Pavilion, and after a while when things settled down a bit, Mo Hua began to soul-searchingly inquire:


    "What¡¯s next?"

 Chapter 609: 530

    No one dared to answer.The disciples in the hall all looked towards the three Golden Core Elders sitting above them.


    The expressions of the three Golden Core Elders were gloomy.


    They had clearly underestimated this Junior Formation Master.


    Their initial plan had been to use the disciples of the Five Elements Sect to deal with this Junior Formation Master, as a test.


    Then, the Formation Mysterious Sect and the Shen Family would send out their talented disciples to handle the brother and sister who were like dazzling dragons and radiant phoenixes.


    But now, they were close to being defeated by this "test water" Junior Formation Master...


    Whether it was due to naturally strong Divine Sense or a heritage in the art of Formations, this Junior Formation Master was a tough nut to crack.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family transmitted a message, "What should we do?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze shifted as he said in a deep voice,


    "At this point, this competition is no longer just about the loss or gain of a single sect; it¡¯s about the honor and disgrace of an entire state boundary. In our Dali Mountain State boundary, Formation geniuses are plentiful. If we even fail to defeat this Junior Formation Master, wouldn¡¯t that be a huge embarrassment?"


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family frowned.


    What the Chief Elder said was deliberately alarmist to drag them into this.


    But they couldn¡¯t deny it either.


    That was indeed the fact.


    However, Sect Leader Chu had reservations, "Even if we win against this Junior Formation Master, there are still his senior brothers and sisters..."


    "Otherwise," the Chief Elder¡¯s eyes flashed with a thought, "I suspect that this Mr. Zhuang might be bluffing..."


    "This young Cultivator already has an astonishing talent."


    "Such talented Formation Masters are not cabbages; they can¡¯t be found just anywhere."


    "Even if his senior brothers and sisters are stronger than him, I estimate they can¡¯t be that much stronger..."


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family both nodded.


    When put that way, it really did make some sense.


    Once the bow has been drawn, there¡¯s no turning back. At this point, they had to bite the bullet and press on.


    "Being capable of a First-grade Ultimate Formation means the foundation within the realm of first-grade Formations must be extremely deep. Any further tests on our part are unlikely to give us any chance of winning." ???¨®£Â??


    "Many of our earlier arrangements are now redundant."


    "We can only test with some more unconventional methods..."


    ...


    After discussing through Divine Sense transmission, the Chief Elder then addressed Mo Hua:


    "Junior Gentleman..."


    His form of address also became a few degrees more respectful.


    Being able to draw a First-grade Ultimate Formation in the Qi-refining Realm, he was as deserving of the title "Gentleman" as Mr. Zhuang.


    "Do you understand how to decipher Formations?" asked the Chief Elder.


    Mo Hua nodded, "Somewhat."


    Sect Leader Chu nodded.


    Then, another disciple stepped forward from the crowd and with a cupped fist salute said,


    "Junior Chu He, with only average accomplishments in Formation arts but a fondness for ¡¯Formation Explanation¡¯. I have a bit of insight, although my skills are not refined. I would like to ask for guidance from this Junior Formation Master."


    Indeed, Formation Explanation is a niche art within Formations.


    Apart from descendants of Noble Clans or Sect disciples who have inherited Formation methods, few Formation Masters spend time studying Formation Explanation.


    Most Cultivators focus on breaking Formations rather than explaining them.


    Breaking a Formation is noisy but straightforward, whereas explaining a Formation is discreet but complex and profound.


    Although Mo Hua was very adept at Formation Explanation and used it quite often, having mastered it thoroughly,


    He also remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said. Mr. Zhuang had stated that Formation Explanation was a way for Formation Masters to "augment intelligence" and "recreate," difficult and niche, with few learners.


    Now, Mo Hua knew that what Mr. Zhuang called "augment intelligence" and "recreation" was definitely not the same as what ordinary people would consider.


    In truth, Formation Masters proficient in Formation Explanation are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.


    The Examination posed by the Chief Elder was also extremely straightforward.


    Explain a Compound Formation.


    See who gets it right and who does it faster.


    Mo Hua felt rather unenthusiastic upon seeing the Compound Formation.


    It was indeed too simple.


    It was just a Compound Formation consisting of three Single Formations, with only one of them being a nine-pattern Formation, while the others were a seven-pattern and an eight-pattern Formation.


    This didn¡¯t even qualify as an appetizer.


    Mo Hua looked up.


    The Formation Pavilion was bustling with many more disciples.


    Continuing this competition, who knew when it would end.


    It needed to be "quickly resolved" once again.


    So, while that disciple named Chu He was still explaining the first Formation, Mo Hua had already swiftly and effortlessly completed his explanation. Then he casually said,


    "I¡¯m done."


    The Chief Elder and the others were startled once more, their hearts becoming somewhat numb by now. Explore more at


    Mo Hua had undeniably won the Formation Explanation.


    Mo Hua said bluntly, "Just come at me, and make it quick. I¡¯m short on time..."


    He was eager to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation and then focus on Foundation Establishment.


    His words came across as rather arrogant.


    Everyone present was angry.


    Soon, disciples who were not satisfied stood up to challenge Mo Hua in Formations.


    Yet no matter what they tried, they were quickly defeated. When it came to Formations alone, none of the First-grade Formation Masters present were a match for him.


    Gradually, everyone present lost their anger, replaced only with gravity.


    A tinge of panic began to surface in their hearts.


    He was skilled at drawing Formations, quick at it, knew Ultimate Formations of the First-grade, and was an expert at Formation Explanation.


    He could even be considered impeccable...


    In the Dali Mountain State boundary, disciples of Formation Masters gathered from all around, but surely not one of them could defeat this young cultivator...


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family no longer kept his own counsel and instructed,


    "Shen Wen."


    A disciple stood out, his eyes blazing, as if he had been holding back for a long time.


    "I¡¯ll compete with you in Calculation!"


    The Chief Elder was greatly surprised, and Sect Leader Chu was also shaken.


    Even Mr. Zhuang appeared slightly astonished.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family sighed deeply.


    This was his trump card, something he had hoped to keep hidden.


    Originally, he did not want to reveal it.


    Shen Wen was his great-grandson, born with keen Divine Sense and meticulous thoughts. By chance, he had been taken in by a Great Formation Master and taught the Divine Sense Calculation Method.


    The Great Formation Master had instructed him that Formation Calculation was a matter of secrecy, not to be disclosed, and he should be careful not to let any information leak out.


    Thus, he had always kept his lips sealed.


    But now, at the critical moment, he had no choice but to reveal it.


    Calculation, huh...


    This Golden Core Cultivator, a High-Grade Second Rank Formation Master himself, did not know this Formation knowledge. Perhaps this Junior Formation Master would at last...


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family¡¯s thoughts were interrupted halfway when he heard Mo Hua casually say,


    "Okay."


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family¡¯s recently eased heart was clenched with tension again.


    No way...


    You, this child, know Divine Sense Calculation too?


    Thus, the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family quickly found out that not only did Mo Hua know it, but he also performed the calculations quickly and accurately, with a relaxed and effortless demeanor.


    The two were simultaneously calculating the Spiritual Power trajectories of a Formation.


    Just as Shen began his calculations, Mo Hua had already finished.


    Shen was defeated quickly and thoroughly, his face a complete loss of soul.


    Similarly, Mo Hua started asking again,


    "Anything else to compete in?"


    The entire place fell deathly silent.


    Seeing no one speaking, Mo Hua changed his question, "Anyone else?"


    All the disciples were pale-faced.


    Even the three Golden Core Elders were too shocked to speak.


    They had never imagined that what was supposed to be a grand event would conclude so swiftly.


    This Junior Formation Master, merely sitting quietly at the desk, became an impregnable gate, against whom none could prevail, truly defeating all the genius Formation Masters of the entire state boundary...


    Just like Mr. Zhuang years ago... S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No, there were some differences.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s painful memories surfaced one after another.


    Mr. Zhuang in those days was like a sharp sword bared for all to see, one they couldn¡¯t look at directly.


    But this Junior Formation Master surnamed Mo, he had a reserved edge, a congenial temperament, like a naturally formed uncut jade.


    He was simply an evil monster!


    ...


    The Formation Pavilion was silent for a long time, and an eerie stillness fell among the disciples.


    The three Golden Core Elders were also at a loss.


    After what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Zhuang slowly stood up and said indifferently, "Are we done competing?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart quivered, but he couldn¡¯t find the words to reply.


    Mr. Zhuang gave him a look, and with an unquestionable tone, said,


    "The winner has been decided. Tomorrow, we shall come to the Formation Pavilion to learn the Five Element Ultimate Formation!"

 Chapter 610: Immortal Sky Formation Flow (1)

    The Tao Discussion Meeting had ended.Mo Hua had dominated all four corners.


    The Five Elements Sect was utterly defeated.


    Mr. Zhuang left the Formation Pavilion with his usual composed demeanor, shrouded in a solitary pride with a hint of calm nonchalance.


    It seemed that such a minor scene was not worth his emotional investment.


    But Mo Hua knew Mr. Zhuang well and was aware that although his expression appeared calm, he was certainly very pleased inside.


    With Mr. Zhuang happy, Mo Hua also felt the trip had not been in vain, and he couldn¡¯t help but stand tall and proud, following behind Mr. Zhuang.


    Seeing his junior fellow disciple gaining the limelight, Bai Zisheng nodded slightly, his face expressing a reflected glory.


    Bai Zixi also glanced at Mo Hua, her eyes like rippling water, her lips holding a faint smile.


    ...


    The master and disciples left the Formation Pavilion and returned to their lodgings.


    Mr. Zhuang then praised Mo Hua, saying:


    "Well done!"


    Mo Hua grinned and said, "It¡¯s all thanks to Master¡¯s excellent teaching!"


    Mr. Zhuang felt very gratified.


    Having an obedient disciple really made a difference.


    Mr. Zhuang added:


    "Rest for today, and tomorrow you¡¯ll start learning the Five Elements Spirit Formation."


    "Yes!"


    Mo Hua nodded fiercely, full of anticipation.


    Then he suddenly remembered something and seemed a bit worried, "Master, will the Five Elements Sect allow me to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation?" Experience new stories with


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became slightly stern, "Considering the legacy of the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, I have already given them enough respect..."


    "The rules were set by them, the examination questions were devised by them, and they were even allowed to seek outside help, yet they lost fair and square..."


    "If they still prevaricate and do not honor the promises of the past, then they cannot blame me for disregarding past affection..."


    Mo Hua felt reassured, but still harbored some concerns:


    "Even if they let me learn, they will probably create obstacles, right?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "That is to be expected, but such sneaky tactics are tolerable as long as they are not too excessive; otherwise, I won¡¯t bother myself with it." ??¦­??¨¨????


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and gently patted his shoulder: S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You will encounter such petty schemes often in the future, learn to deal with them on your own."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Yes, Master."


    Mr. Zhuang looked a bit tired and closed his eyes to rest for a while before opening them again and continuing:


    "Tomorrow, you and your fellow brothers and sisters go to the Formation Pavilion together and see if you can grasp the Five Elements Spirit Formation."


    After Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, he also addressed Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi:


    "Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense is sufficient to learn the Formation with Thirteen Stripes."


    "As for you two, since your Divine Senses are not enough, try using the method I taught you..."


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi respectfully nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression shifted subtly, hesitating to speak, but in the end, he remained silent.


    However, Mr. Zhuang noticed his expression.


    After advising his disciples, Mr. Zhuang paused, then called back Mo Hua as they were about to leave.


    "Mo Hua."


    Mo Hua, who had reached the threshold, turned back with a puzzled look, "Yes, Master?"


    Mr. Zhuang gestured him closer.


    Mo Hua walked up to Mr. Zhuang.


    After a moment of silence, Mr. Zhuang asked:


    "You... Do you want to ask something?"


    Mo Hua hesitated, then shook his head.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze softened, seemingly penetrating Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, and he gently said:


    "If you want to ask something, go ahead."


    Knowing he could not hide from Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua no longer concealed his curiosity and quietly asked:


    "Master, what exactly did you teach my elder brothers and sister?"


    "Do you want to know?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua nodded.


    He was indeed very curious.


    Mr. Zhuang looked thoughtful and instead of answering, he posed a question:


    "You... Why didn¡¯t you ask me before?"


    Mo Hua honestly replied, "Master is far-sighted and strategic, and naturally you have your own plans. If something is meant to be shared, you would surely tell me. If you do not speak of it, it¡¯s obviously better that I remain unaware..."


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily taken aback, then warmth surfaced in his heart, like a spring stream warmed by sunlight, gently flowing through his thoughts.


    His gaze was tender as he softly asked Mo Hua:


    "Don¡¯t you feel that I favor your brothers and sister over you?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Master has already been very good to me!"


    Everything that should have been taught, could have been taught, and even some material that was beyond the syllabus and shouldn¡¯t have been taught had been imparted to him.


    He often asked the most questions.


    And Master never grew tired, always answering with the utmost detail.


    Normally, his brothers and sister held more reverence towards Master.


    While Master treated him with more closeness.


    Upon reflection, Mo Hua felt that Master still favored him a bit more.


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang, his gaze clear and untainted, filled with the crystal-like trust and reliance of amber.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes were moist, and the feelings in his heart were hard to articulate.


    He took a deep breath, his expression earnest as he said:


    "Mo Hua, you must remember the next words very carefully, but do not mention them to anyone else."


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tensed, and he nodded seriously.


    Mr. Zhuang gestured with his hands and lightly swept them aside.


    There was no visible change around them.


    But Mo Hua faintly felt that within the confines of this dwelling, an area of several feet seemed to have been isolated.


    Isolated from sound as well as from cause and effect.


    Mr. Zhuang said solemnly:


    "Gui Tao¡¯s people..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed and his pupils contracted.


    Nothing happened around them.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mr. Zhuang knew that Mo Hua had understood and continued:


    "I¡¯ve told you before, our lineage has a sect."


    "Gui Tao¡¯s people, Zixi and Zisheng¡¯s mother, and I, all come from the same sect, we are fellow Taoist brothers and sisters."


    "Now, you, Zisheng, and Zixi are also disciples of this sect."


    "This sect has an ancient heritage."


    "I am the forty-ninth Sect Leader of this sect."


    "But I can¡¯t tell you the name of this sect, nor must you know it."


    "The teachings of this sect are numerous, and among them, the most important and orthodox, which is reserved only for the direct line of the Sect Leader, is a type of Formation Flow. It is the same legacy that I have taught your elder brothers and sister..."

 Chapter 611: Immortal Sky Formation Flow (2)

    "This legacy is known as¡ª"Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was solemn as he articulated each word, "Immortal Sky Formation Flow!"


    Mo Hua was startled, "Innate Formation Flow?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Not Innate..."


    He took out a brush and wrote a character on paper, "It¡¯s Immortal Sky."


    Immortal Sky...


    Mo Hua was somewhat incredulous, "Immortal as in becoming an Immortal?"


    Mr. Zhuang slightly nodded, "This legacy is highly confidential. Outsiders have only heard about it but have never seen its script, so they have always assumed that this set of inheritances was called ¡¯Innate Formation Flow.¡¯ However, its real name is ¡¯Immortal Sky Formation Flow¡¯!"


    "Immortal Sky Formation Flow, that¡¯s the Immortal Sky Formation Origin Flow."


    "Since the creation of heaven and earth, when Immortals attained the Dao, they engraved Taoist meanings, resulting in the formations of the heavens. Hence, all formations in the world derive from the Dao and ultimately return to the Dao, all sharing a unified origin stream."


    "The Innate Formation Flow represents the origin stream that encompasses all formations in the world."


    "Master one, understand all, unite a myriad of formations into one."


    "After learning the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, one will be able to comprehend the origin flow of the majority of the world¡¯s formations. When studying other formations thereafter, progress would be greatly accelerated, and one might even surpass the barriers of Divine Sense to comprehend certain formations that are extremely difficult and require exceptional Divine Sense..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open.


    This wasn¡¯t just an inheritance; it was like a cheating device gifted by the Heavenly Dao.


    "Of course," Mr. Zhuang continued, "the Innate Formation Flow is capable of interacting with creation, and its functions are exceedingly powerful, but it is also extremely difficult to learn, demanding high comprehension and an excellent Spiritual Root."


    "Your fellow disciples can learn this legacy, but, you cannot."


    "Is it because of my inferior Spiritual Root?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    "Yes, but not entirely," Mr. Zhuang replied, "An inferior Spiritual Root would, at most, make it difficult to excel in learning it, but it shouldn¡¯t be entirely prohibitive. However, you, you simply cannot learn it!"


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes held an obscure light as he warned, "Remember, you must never learn it!"


    "This legacy is entangled with tremendous karma that you must not touch¡ªat least not with your current level of Cultivation. Even if one day you reach the stages of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, you still must not meddle with this karma!"


    Not even with a Golden Core...


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone with determination as he nodded solemnly:


    "Master, I have remembered!"


    Mr. Zhuang inspected Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, ensuring that he truly took the words to heart and committed them to memory, before he finally relaxed slightly.


    "There¡¯s another reason..." Mr. Zhuang continued, "You don¡¯t need to, or rather, you should not learn the Immortal Sky Formation Flow."


    Now Mo Hua was genuinely confused.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed:


    "Immortal Sky Formation Origin Flow, unifying myriad formations into one, master one and understand all, able to comprehend the origin flow of all formations and methods in the world..." ???????¦Â??


    "These words have also been passed down by the ancient ancestors of our Sect..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, understanding: "The ancient ancestors wouldn¡¯t lie!"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he nodded:


    "This saying has been passed down through generations by our Sect¡¯s ancient ancestors, but whether it¡¯s true or false, and to what extent, is not clear."


    "So far, it seems true that the Immortal Sky Formation Flow can enhance one¡¯s comprehension of formations, as the ancestors described."


    "But what about later on? When one advances further and comprehends higher aspects, that remains unknown." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Moreover, even if the Immortal Sky Formation Flow includes the origin stream of all formations under heaven, at the end of the day, it is still the ¡¯Dao¡¯ summarized by someone else."


    "It¡¯s just that this ¡¯person¡¯ might possibly be an ¡¯Immortal.¡¯" Find your next read on


    "Even whether they are an Immortal, and what kind of Immortal, is hard to say..."


    Mr. Zhuang gazed expectantly at Mo Hua:


    "Zisheng and Zixi wish to learn the Immortal Sky Formation Flow to comprehend formations because their Spiritual Roots are exceptional but their Divine Sense is lacking, so they must rely on such methods to study advanced formations."


    "But you are different..."


    "Your Divine Sense is stronger than anyone¡¯s."


    "You can rely solely on your Divine Sense to learn, to practice, and to comprehend on your own. Though it may be harder, more fraught with hardship, and require more time and effort, what you gain will be uniquely yours, and your understanding will be deeper."


    "Don¡¯t prejudge and learn the Immortal Sky Formation Flow impulsively."


    "Don¡¯t rashly attempt to comprehend the origin streams of the myriad formations of this world without mastering the formations of the heavens."


    "Otherwise, any comprehension of formations will be nothing but castles in the air, and what you believe to be the origin stream may not be the true origin stream at all."


    "You have to learn your own formations, walk your own path..."


    Walk your own path...


    Struck by enlightenment, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    He said nothing but solemnly bowed to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes shone with gratification, filled with a touch of sentiment.


    He had found himself a worthy disciple in this lifetime...


    Despite a life of trials and an uncertain future, heaven had been kind to him...


    Memories surfaced in his mind.


    A tumult of emotions swirled.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, looking at Mo Hua as his thoughts gradually soothed.


    ...


    The next day, Mr. Zhuang took Mo Hua and the other two disciples to the Formation Pavilion.


    At that time, the Formation Pavilion was much less crowded.


    The vast Formation Pavilion was quiet and solemn.


    Between the carved beams and painted rafters lay countless books and charts of formations, showcasing rigor and ornate beauty.


    Greeting Mo Hua and his fellow disciples were only the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect and Sect Leader Liao.


    The Chief Elder looked slightly unwell.


    It seemed the events of the previous day were still fresh in his mind.


    He could even hear Mo Hua¡¯s questions in his dreams: "What else is there to compare?", "Anyone else?"...


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

 Chapter 612: Immortal Sky Formation Flow (3)

    This junior formation master, despite appearing innocent, is actually a genuine formation monster!He is like a "miniature" Mr. Zhuang. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even more detestable than Mr. Zhuang.


    The chief elder was in great distress.


    The Five Elements Sect had lost, and today, its core inheritance was to be shared with others for learning.


    Although the First-grade Thirteen Stripes Five Elements Spirit Formation is very difficult to learn.


    But facing Mr. Zhuang, and Mo Hua, this inscrutable junior formation master, the chief elder felt uncertain, which showed in his pale face tinged with slight anxiety.


    Meanwhile, Sect Leader Liao seemed unbothered, as if it were no big deal to him whether the Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect would be learned by others or not.


    As soon as everyone was present, the chief elder, with a stern face, reluctantly said to Mr. Zhuang,


    "Please."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly with indifference.


    The group proceeded along the stairwell up to the Formation Pavilion.


    The Formation Pavilion of the Five Elements Sect had four floors.


    The first floor was spacious with a great hall, desks, bookshelves, and it mainly housed First-grade Formation Methods for disciples to borrow, study, and ponder over Formation Books and Formation Diagrams, as well as for gatherings and discussions.


    The second floor was smaller and, though not luxurious, was more quaint, primarily storing Second-Grade Formation Diagrams and was generally not open to the public.


    The third floor was even smaller, meant for the storage of Third Grade Formation Methods.


    The settings were somewhat antique, even slightly shabby, yet the atmosphere was ancient and profound, commanding more reverence than the flashy but insubstantial great hall on the first floor.


    Third Grade Formation Methods!


    Mo Hua smacked his lips.


    The heritage of the Five Elements Sect was indeed profound.


    Now, he hadn¡¯t seen many Second-grade Formations, let alone Third-grade ones.


    He was eager to look through the Third-grade Formation Diagrams to see what a Third-Grade Formation looked like.


    How many Patterns there were, how the Formation Pivots circulated, how the Formation eyes were constructed, how to learn them, and what effects they produced... ????????§§?


    Alas, Mo Hua knew that the chief elder of the Five Elements Sect was as frugal as they come.


    With his stingy nature, he would certainly be reluctant to let him browse the Third-Grade Formations within the Formation Pavilion.


    And true to form, not only was he not allowed to browse, he wasn¡¯t even allowed to linger.


    The chief elder led Mo Hua and a few others up the stairs, crowded with Formation Patterns, unlocking them with an elder¡¯s talisman, and went straight up, bypassing the second and third floors to the fourth.


    First floor for First-grade, second floor for Second-grade, third floor for Third-grade.


    Since the Five Elements Sect apparently had no Fourth-grade inheritance, the fourth floor must be housing the Sect¡¯s ultimate array, the set of five Ultimate Formations¡ª the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua, following behind Mr. Zhuang, stealthily poked his head out, glancing left and right.


    The fourth floor of the Five Elements Sect was even narrower.


    The surrounding furnishings were simpler, with wooden beams and windows all around.


    In the center was a Shrine.


    Underneath the Shrine, there were five meditation cushions.


    The walls and floor were marked with a Formation, but this Formation had its Patterns concealed, and its aura was profound and obscure, at least Second-grade, or possibly even Third-grade...


    Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t even doubt if it were Fourth-grade.


    Mo Hua began to regard the Five Elements Sect with a hint of reverence.


    Although the current Five Elements Sect, once stripped of its glorious facade, was nothing but a hopeless mess.


    But its ancestors had an extremely profound legacy.


    This fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion, even if it only used ordinary wood as Formation media, the array set up still commanded respect and was not to be underestimated.


    The chief elder also felt somewhat nostalgic, but after a moment, he composed himself and said to Mo Hua and the others,


    "The Five Elements Spirit Formation is hidden within this Shrine."


    "Sitting on these meditation cushions and Pondering the Shrine, if one has sufficient comprehension, the Formation Diagram of the Five Elements Spirit Formation will be revealed."


    Pondering?


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then turned to look at the Shrine.


    So this Shrine was a kind of alternative Contemplation Map?


    By pondering it with enough understanding, one would be able to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation?


    It couldn¡¯t be that simple, could it...


    Mo Hua sneaked a glance at the chief elder and, as expected, saw a hint of mockery and cunning flash through the depths of the elder¡¯s eyes. Continue your journey with


    Not just a miser,


    But an old fox as well...


    Mo Hua mumbled to himself.

 Chapter 613: Shrine (1)

    "My Five Elements Sect always keeps its word, willing to accept a loss if the bet is lost."The Chief Elder cast a wary glance at Mo Hua, then continued, "Several young friends, you may study here, the Five Elements Sect¡¯s highest inheritance¡ªthe Five Elements Spirit Formation."


    "The Five Elements Spirit Formation, with its Thirteen Stripes, is a top-notch Ultimate Formation."


    "The value of this Formation need not be overstated."


    "However, there are some rules to learning this Formation that must be followed¡­"


    "First, you may only study for five days, four hours each day. If you can learn it, the Five Elements Sect has no objections, but if not, please be aware of the consequences..."


    "Second, during the study period, you must not damage any bricks or wood within this room, and none of the furnishings may be moved;"


    "Third, you must show respect to the Shrine and not disgrace the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect;"


    "Fourth, whether you master the Formation or not, no matter how much you learn, you must not divulge it to outsiders!"


    "Fifth..."


    The Chief Elder then rambled on, spouting a bunch of nonsense and laying out a litany of rules.


    Mo Hua found it tedious, but for the sake of the Five Elements Spirit Formation, he endured.


    After finishing, the Chief Elder cast another look at Mr. Zhuang, suggesting politely,


    "The third floor is prepared with the exquisite Li Mountain Mist Tea, please, Gentleman, move there to rest and sample it."


    This was clearly a dismissal.


    No outsiders were allowed in front of the Shrine during the study of the Formation.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, his gaze sweeping across the faces of Mo Hua and the others as he instructed, "Study well." He then flicked his sleeve and went downstairs for tea.


    The Chief Elder also followed Mr. Zhuang out.


    As the Chief Elder left, he lit the Incense Burner and gave Mo Hua and the others a meaningful look, then locked the door before leaving.


    In front of the quiet and solemn Shrine, only Mo Hua and the others remained.


    They had only five days, with four hours a day, to comprehend the Thirteen Stripes Five Elements Spirit Formation of the Five Elements Sect.


    They had to make the most of their time.


    In front of the Shrine, there were five cushions.


    "Sit on the cushions, ponder the Shrine, and comprehend the Formation,"


    That was what the Chief Elder had said.


    Moreover, he also specifically mentioned that the "sitting" on the cushions was "kneeling and sitting."


    But kneeling was out of the question.


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect meant nothing to Mo Hua, and he was not about to kneel before them.


    Mo Hua thus sat cross-legged on top of a cushion.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi exchanged a glance with Mo Hua and did the same, sitting cross-legged on their cushions.


    Mo Hua sat in the middle, with Zixi on his left and Zisheng on his right.


    The three of them began to concentrate and ponder the Shrine.


    The Shrine was made of dark wood and gold lacquer, magnificent and yet simple and solemn.


    It featured gilded relief sculptures depicting ancestral figures, Spirit Beasts drawing chariots, precious flowers and herbs, carved beams and painted rafters, various Magical Treasures... ?????¦¥????


    Mo Hua was dazzled by the sight but did not quite understand the purpose of these engravings...


    Only the center of the Shrine seemed to house a Taoist Field.


    In the center of the Taoist Field, a giant Array Plate was displayed.


    Around it, Formation Masters gathered, their expressions deferential.


    Above the field, an elder stood, solemn, pointing to the heavens as if imparting teachings and spreading the Great Dao.


    The Shrine preached the Dao.


    The Taoist Field Array Plate.


    This was, on the whole Shrine, the place most closely connected to the Formation.


    "Could it be that the Five Elements Spirit Formation is engraved on the Array Plate in the center of the Shrine?" Mo Hua guessed and then quieted his heart and Divine Sense, focusing on the Array Plate at the center.


    Indeed, after a short while, the sound of a chanting bell seemed to arise.


    In front of the Shrine, the smoke from the Incense Burner twirled, floating before Mo Hua, and then, strand by strand, enveloped the front of the Shrine, condensing into Patterns that manifested on the Array Plate.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Indeed it is so!"


    Just as he was about to concentrate on the Formation Patterns, an ancient voice echoed in his ear:


    "I shall impart unto you the Formation..."


    This sensation was all too familiar.


    Previously in South Yue City, when Mo Hua had stolen the Ancestral Master Picture from Zhang Quan, these ethereal, ancient voices incessantly murmured in his ear with phrases like, "I impart unto you the Great Dao," "Help you ascend to immortality," "Long life and enduring vision"¡­


    Instinctively, Mo Hua felt a revulsion.


    Another charlatan!


    His gaze sharpened, Divine Sense stirred, he cleansed his mind, discarding the illusions.


    A moment later, everything vanished like smoke.


    Above the Incense Burner, the smoke wafted.


    But now, it was just ordinary smoke, no longer forming Patterns, no extraordinary phenomenon.


    The ancient voice in his ear also disappeared.


    The Shrine remained as it was.


    And the Array Plate, empty.


    It seemed everything, due to Mo Hua¡¯s rejection, had dissipated into nothing...


    When Mo Hua looked again, the Shrine was still just a Shrine.


    No Formation, nothing left...


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He pondered the Shrine for a long while, but still, no changes occurred.


    Mo Hua muttered to himself:


    "Could it be that I outsmarted myself..."


    "Was that voice indeed trying to transmit a Formation to me?"


    "In the Incense Burner, the smoke swirled, and what it condensed into was indeed the sophisticated Five Elements Formation Patterns..."


    "Yet by seeing through the illusion, did I offend the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, making them unwilling to teach me?"


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    "It can¡¯t be..."


    Mo Hua tried several more times, but it was all in vain.


    It seemed as though the Shrine truly didn¡¯t wish to teach him the Formation anymore.


    The smoke was just smoke, no longer condensing into Formation Patterns...


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    Was he to blame for having too keen a Divine Sense, too steadfast a Taoist Heart, for being too sensitive to the shifts of Divine Thought?


    Mo Hua turned to look at his Junior Brother and Junior Sister.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both sat cross-legged, their postures upright, their gazes intense, fixed on pondering the Array Plate in the center of the Shrine.


    In their eyes, the light of Formation Patterns flickered, seemingly engrossed in comprehension.

 Chapter 614: Shrine (2)

    The two seemed to be studying the Five Elements Spirit Formation...Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to bother them.


    Mo Hua tilted his head to the right and glanced at Bai Zisheng.


    Then he tilted his head to the left, staring at Bai Zixi for a while, and couldn¡¯t help but feel:


    The little martial sister is really beautiful!


    With her fair skin, delicate brows and eyes, her eyes were like the stars in the sky, serene and sparkling.


    This was even after she had changed her appearance, hiding her true face.


    If it were her original appearance, she would be even more beautiful...


    Mo Hua watched for a while longer, then snapped back to reality:


    "I almost forgot, the important thing is the Five Elements Spirit Formation..."


    Mo Hua began to concentrate again, pondering the Shrine.


    But no matter how he contemplated, the Shrine didn¡¯t show the slightest change.


    Even when he tried to "play dumb" by sealing his Divine Sense and silently chanting, "Come and bewitch me, I won¡¯t see through you," it was useless.


    The Shrine still ignored him.


    Mo Hua sighed. He looked at the Shrine for a while longer and a doubt inevitably arose: Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Is there any connection between this Shrine and the Contemplation Map?


    Within a Contemplation Map, some Divine Thoughts reside.


    These Divine Thoughts come in all varieties.


    They contain both the understanding of the Great Dao, the perception of the Heavenly Dao, and also some cultivators¡¯ Divine Sense remnants after death, as well as the evil thoughts of ghosts, zombies, etc.


    Till now, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t seen a proper Contemplation Map.


    The ones he¡¯d seen were all improper ones.


    And those maps were all inhabited by dirty and unclean spirits.


    So, could this Shrine be a proper "Contemplation Map"?


    Mo Hua also remembered his master mentioned that the so-called Contemplation Map is just a general term. Not all objects of contemplation are "maps." Every grass and tree, every brick and tile, Spiritual Artifacts, Magical Treasures, all may contain the Great Dao, or house Divine Thoughts, or be parasitized by evil spirits.


    "So does this mean, this Shrine is an alternative type of ¡¯Contemplation Map¡¯"?


    "Only, while other Contemplation Maps are ¡¯maps,¡¯ this one is a ¡¯shrine¡¯"?


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    "Could it be that there is something residing within this Shrine?"


    "Is it some kind of Divine Thought? Or is it the spell point of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?"


    "Whatever it is, it¡¯s a good thing..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, followed by some disappointment.


    "It¡¯s just a pity that it¡¯s too big to move..."


    "And the Five Elements Sect certainly won¡¯t let me move it."


    Mo Hua murmured to himself:


    "If I could move the Shrine, everything would be solved. I could study it every day, contemplate day and night, and I would definitely learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation..." ?§Ñ¦­?¦Â?????


    Alas, that was just wishful thinking.


    To move the Shrine of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s ancestors would indeed be going too far...


    But the current problem is, how can I learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation...


    Mo Hua was a bit troubled, staring blankly at the Shrine.


    Inside the Incense Burner, the smoke gradually dissipated.


    Time also passed little by little...


    Unconsciously, the hour had arrived.


    The incense in the burner was also slowly burning out.


    It was only then that Mo Hua realized that four hours had passed, and he hadn¡¯t learned a single Formation Pattern...


    It was like being in an exam, with time running out to hand in the paper, but he hadn¡¯t written a single word...


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    He then realized that this trial lasted five days, and if he hadn¡¯t learned it today, there were still four days left. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.


    The incense had burned out.


    All of the misty scent had dissipated.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi came back to their senses, blinked, their eyes slightly bright, as they emerged from the state of contemplation.


    They simultaneously glanced at Mo Hua and found that he looked like he had sat through a class and learned nothing, and then simply gave up, which startled them for a moment.


    At that moment, the Chief Elder opened the door.


    His gaze swept over the faces of the three Mo Hua, asked nothing, but simply said:


    "The time for today has come. Come back tomorrow."


    Mo Hua and the others respectfully bowed and followed Mr. Zhuang out.


    Back in the room, Mo Hua said with some guilt:


    "Master, I didn¡¯t learn anything..."


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat surprised and curious, and said with interest:


    "What did you see?"


    Mo Hua replied truthfully: "I saw the Formation Patterns on the Array Plate, and I heard an old man speaking. Then habitually, I brushed aside all distractions, and after that... I couldn¡¯t see anything..."


    Apart from spending a little time sneakily watching the little martial sister, the rest of the time was spent contemplating the Contemplation Map and daydreaming...


    "Why is that, master?" asked Mo Hua.


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, then sighed: "Perhaps your Divine Sense is too strong..."


    A Divine Sense too strong sees through the essence.


    A Taoist Heart clear and undisturbed, immune to bewitchment.


    But as a result, he couldn¡¯t see the illusion of the Shrine, nor could he see the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect.


    Mo Hua muttered: "The Five Elements Sect is too outrageous, how could they use such a strange way to pass down the Ultimate Formation..."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua in silence, thinking it wasn¡¯t the Five Elements Sect that was outrageous, but his Divine Sense.


    In the Qi-refining Realm, to have Thirteen Stripes of Divine Sense.


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect probably had never anticipated this...


    Mr. Zhuang then asked Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, "How about you two?"


    Both nodded their heads.


    Bai Zisheng said: "We¡¯ve both learned. Sitting on the meditation cushion, pondering the Shrine, Formation Patterns would appear on the Array Plate at the center of the Shrine Taoist Field..."


    "There was also an elder speaking about the key points of learning the Five Elements Spirit Formation..."


    Mr. Zhuang said, "Draw it for me to see."


    Bai Zisheng hesitated, "I didn¡¯t learn it all..."


    "No matter," Mr. Zhuang said, "Draw as much as you can."


    "Alright."


    Bai Zisheng nodded, then took out paper and ink and started to draw the Five Elements Formation that he had learned from the Shrine.


    Bai Zixi, with a graceful posture, held the brush and followed suit in drawing.


    After finishing, they handed their drawings to Mr. Zhuang.

 Chapter 615: Shrine (3)

    Mr. Zhuang glanced at it and nodded, "Indeed, it¡¯s a first-rate, thirteen-stripe Five Elements Spirit Formation."Mo Hua also leaned in to take a look.


    The Formation that Bai Zisheng drew was an incomplete Fire-series Ultimate Formation, but it should be the Fire Spirit Formation within the Five Elements Spirit Formation series.


    The Formation drawn by Bai Zixi was a Wood-series Ultimate Formation, with thirteen complete patterns, not one less, a complete Wood Spirit Formation.


    Clearly, Bai Zixi¡¯s talent for Formations was quite a bit better than Bai Zisheng¡¯s.


    A complete first-rate thirteen-stripe Wood Spirit Formation, ah...


    Although she used the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, within four hours, she memorized it in its entirety.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but praise, "Junior Sister, you are amazing!"


    Bai Zixi nodded her head, accepting Mo Hua¡¯s compliment, her eyes sparkling.


    Bai Zisheng curled his lips, not satisfied with Mo Hua¡¯s "sweet talk," but still expressed concern,


    "Junior Brother, if you can¡¯t see the Taoist Field Formation Diagram, doesn¡¯t that mean you can¡¯t learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation?"


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was actually just icing on the cake for him and Zixi.


    They didn¡¯t rely on Formations.


    But it was different for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had to follow the path of Formations, had to continuously learn Formations, and had to constantly strengthen his Divine Sense.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was crucial for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    He didn¡¯t have any good solutions.


    If the Formation Diagrams never appeared within the Shrine Taoist Field, then there was indeed nothing he could do.


    He couldn¡¯t just smash the Shrine...


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment, her beautiful eyes lighting up, "Brother and I will teach you!"


    Bai Zisheng was startled at first but then understood,


    "Right, Zixi and I will go learn it, and after mastering it, we¡¯ll teach you."


    Mo Hua was slightly shocked and then pondered for a moment, his eyes brightening up.


    It seemed... not impossible.


    To learn is to learn, no matter from where.


    His Junior Brother and Sister teaching him Formations was rightfully so.


    "But wouldn¡¯t that be considered imparting it to outsiders?"


    According to the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect, one could only learn and practice by oneself.


    Bai Zixi shook her head, "It¡¯s not considered imparting it to outsiders."


    Mo Hua thought about it, nodded, feeling she was right. Since they were all from the same Sect and all qualified to learn Ultimate Formations, exchanging knowledge naturally didn¡¯t count as imparting to outsiders. ??????¨¯?????? S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng began to teach Mo Hua the Wood Spirit Formation and Fire Spirit Formation.


    Bai Zixi was calm.


    Bai Zisheng, on the other hand, was full of excitement; it was rare for him to have the opportunity to teach Mo Hua Formations.


    As they taught the Formation Patterns, they also conveyed the key points and insights they had heard from the Elder to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua concentrated on learning, noting down the patterns while listening to the explanations, raising questions whenever he had any.


    By evening, Mo Hua had finally roughly mastered the patterns of both Wood Spirit Formation and Fire Spirit Formation.


    However, even though Mo Hua could draw these patterns, they had no effect.


    Like other Ultimate Formations, they seemed to lack some important elements, possessing only the form of the patterns but not the essence of the Formation Method.


    This was within Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    But what concerned him was another issue:


    "Why are there only Wood Spirit Formation and Fire Spirit Formation?"


    Where were the other three series of Five Elements Spirit Formations?


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at each other and both shook their heads. Discover exclusive content at


    "What I saw was only this Spirit Formation..."


    "Do you have to learn one Formation at a time, and only after mastering one, can you learn the others?"


    "If it¡¯s step by step, then why is the sequence different? There¡¯s Wood, there¡¯s Fire, how is this order determined?"


    The three could not understand.


    Mo Hua sighed, "We can only check again tomorrow..."


    Bai Zisheng also said, "That¡¯s the only way."


    Bai Zixi also frowned, her eyes showing confusion.


    Mr. Zhuang watched the three of them, smiling slightly, without saying a word.


    ...


    At this moment, in front of the solemn shrine on the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion,


    The Chief Elder lit three sticks of incense and placed them in the incense burner.


    Incense smoke curled up gently.


    After a while, one incense stick burned shorter than the other two.


    The one on the left side burned the most, leaving the shortest length, but there was still a long piece left.


    The incense on the right burned some, but not too much.


    The incense stick in the middle remained untouched.


    The Chief Elder was pleased in his heart and nodded,


    "Not mastered, good..."


    It was not just unmastered; it was completely unmastered!


    The Chief Elder felt somewhat relieved and also a bit emotional.


    There was talent, a solid foundation in Formation arts, and he had learned the correct things, but after all, he was too young. Studying too much leads to confusion, and his understanding was somewhat lacking...


    He didn¡¯t grasp any part of the Ultimate Five Elements Formation.


    It seemed his guess was correct.


    His Junior Brothers and Sisters were indeed stronger than him.


    But even if they were stronger and more talented, truly comprehending the Five Elements Spirit Formation was still far off...


    Except for the middle one, the other two sticks of sandalwood incense in the burner were still far from being completely burned through...


    The Chief Elder let out a sigh of relief.


    He bowed to the shrine and devoutly said,


    "...bless our Five Elements Sect, may the inheritance not be lost, and let the Way of Formations flourish!"


    There was no response from within the shrine.


    But the wooden carving of the Elder in the Taoist Field opened its eyes.

 Chapter 616: 533

    On the second day, the Chief Elder opened the door and burned incense.Above the shrine, the smoke wafted.


    Mo Hua, just like the previous day, sat upright on the meditation cushion, his mind focused and serene, pondering the shrine.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi quickly attained mental concentration and continued to visualize the Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua was still unable to visualize anything, just like the day before.


    To him, the shrine was just a shrine.


    Above the Taoist Field, Formation Masters gathered, all like wooden statues or clay figures, utterly lifeless.


    Above the Array Plate, the air was thick with smoke, but not a single Formation Pattern was to be seen.


    Mo Hua sighed, lay on the ground, and watched his Junior Brother and Junior Sister ponder the Shrine.


    After half an hour, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi opened their eyes, exchanged a glance, then turned to look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shimmered with anticipation, "How did it go?"


    Bai Zixi said, "It¡¯s the same as yesterday. What I saw was still the Wood Spirit Formation Diagram. Even after learning it, what emerges in the Taoist Field is still only the Wood Spirit Formation; there are no other Five Elements Formation Diagrams."


    Bai Zisheng nodded and added, "I only saw the Fire Spirit Formation as well, but I didn¡¯t learn it completely yesterday. Today I finally mastered it..."


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation comprised five Ultimate Formations of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    Now that they had the Wood and Fire Spirit Formations, where were the others hidden?


    Mo Hua scanned the entire fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion once more, his gaze finally resting on the meditation cushions on the ground.


    Five meditation cushions... Five Elements Spirit Formation...


    Bai Zixi also noticed and asked, "Could it be related to the meditation cushions?"


    Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully,


    "That stingy old man... the Chief Elder, warned us before coming in, saying we must not damage anything in this room, not a brick nor a piece of wood, and we must not move any object..."


    "Not move any object..."


    "Could he have been referring to these meditation cushions?"


    "There is certainly something strange about these meditation cushions..."


    Mo Hua peered at the cushions again, his eyes beginning to brighten, "Learning different Formations because of... sitting on different meditation cushions..." ?????£Î????????§§?


    "Sitting on different meditation cushions reveals different Five Elements Spirit Formations..."


    "Five meditation cushions, perfectly corresponding to five Formations!"


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes also lit up, "Let¡¯s give it a try!"


    Bai Zixi took a seat on the cushion furthest to the left, and Bai Zisheng sat on the one furthest to the right.


    Both continued to settle their minds and observed the Shrine, visualizing the Formation Diagrams.


    Two hours later, Bai Zisheng was still visualizing.


    Bai Zixi finished visualizing and emerged from her state of mental concentration, turning to Mo Hua and saying,


    "It¡¯s the Gold Spirit Formation."


    Mo Hua instantly understood.


    It seemed his guess was correct. The Five Elements Spirit Formation corresponded to five meditation cushions. One had to sit on different cushions to visualize the various Five Elements Spirit Formations.


    Still, Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    "Junior Sister, have you mastered the Gold Spirit Formation?"


    To have learned it after just two hours of visualization?


    Bai Zixi nodded, "One stream leads to another; mastering one teaches you about many."


    Mo Hua suddenly realized.


    This must be what Master referred to as the supreme heritage of Formations¡ªthe Immortal Sky Formation Origin Flow.


    With the help of the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, one could comprehend some very profound Formations.


    And with Junior Sister¡¯s Flawless Constitution combined with the Supreme Immortal Sky Formation Flow, the effect was even more pronounced, mutually enhancing.


    That¡¯s why she was able to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation quickly.


    Bai Zixi then said to Mo Hua, "Make way, please."


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    Mo Hua was startled.


    Bai Zixi pointed to the cushion he was sitting on.


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that one cushion corresponded to one Formation, and the only one left that they had not learned from was the one he was seated on.


    Mo Hua stood up and stepped aside.


    Bai Zixi walked in front of Mo Hua and sat down lightly and elegantly.


    As Junior Sister sat quite close, Mo Hua could even smell a faint fragrance, a fresh and exquisite scent lingering in the nose and twining around the heart.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face blushed slightly, suddenly feeling somewhat at a loss.


    Bai Zixi looked at him with puzzled eyes, "What¡¯s wrong, are you uncomfortable?"


    Mo Hua shook his head and made up an excuse, saying earnestly,


    "I¡¯m just embarrassed that I can¡¯t learn the Formation..."


    Bai Zixi was silent for a moment, hesitated for a long time, and then made up her mind, slowly reaching out and patting Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder with the composure of an elder sister:


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll learn it for you!"


    Mo Hua felt warmth in his heart and smiled brightly, "Thank you, Senior Sister."


    Bai Zixi, looking at Mo Hua¡¯s clear, beaming smile, felt strange emotions welling up within her, and couldn¡¯t help but compose herself with a solemn expression:


    "I¡¯m about to learn the Formation. Don¡¯t disturb me."


    "Yeah, yeah."


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, then sat cross-legged behind Bai Zixi, sitting upright and keeping watch for his Junior Sister.


    Bai Zixi knew Mo Hua was watching her, which made her a bit unsettled.


    In a trance, she felt as if Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was like the winter sun, shining upon her, clear and warm, comforting, yet also discomfiting for someone unused to such warmth.


    She closed her eyes, taking quite some time to calm her mood, and then opened them, her eyes calm as still water, focusing her mind to ponder the Shrine and grasp the last of the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡ªWater Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua just silently sat there, watching his focused Junior Sister without feeling bored.


    The shrine was tranquil, and time quietly slipped away...


    Four hours later, the incense burned out once again.


    With no more sound in the shrine, the Chief Elder opened the door again and simply stated,


    "The hour has come." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three from the Formation Pavilion returned to their guest rooms, flopped down at the table, and gathered together to discuss and summarize:


    "I¡¯ve mastered the Earth Spirit Formation!"


    "I¡¯ve mastered the Gold Spirit Formation. I¡¯ve learned more than half of the Water Spirit Formation. I remember the Formation Diagram, but I¡¯m still somewhat puzzled by the essence of the Formation..."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Earth Spirit Formation, Gold Spirit Formation, Water Spirit Formation...

 Chapter 617: Zafu (2)

    With the addition of the previously learned Wood Spirit Formation and Fire Spirit Formation,The Five Elements Spirit Formation was nearly complete.


    "But... can it be this simple?"


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    A Second Grade Thirteen Stripes Ultimate Formation couldn¡¯t possibly be mastered so easily...


    "Shall we try out its effects?" Bai Zisheng suggested.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded.


    Formation Study emphasizes the application of what is learned.


    If drawing a formation yields actual use, it means one has truly grasped the essence of the formation.


    If the formation is useless or fails, then it means they haven¡¯t truly learned the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation can strengthen the properties of the Five Elements, amplify Spiritual Power of the Five Elements, and thereby enhance the power of Five Elements type Spiritual Artifacts, machinery, Taoist Skills, and spells.


    Bai Zixi took out a spirit sword blank.


    This was a blank spirit sword, freshly forged with no formations on it, which she used to practice Artifact Refining¡ªjust for fun.


    On the sword blank, Bai Zixi drew a Gold Spirit Formation, then, using Spiritual Power, she activated the formation before executing swordsmanship.


    Golden sword light condensed at the tip of the sword, slashing towards the ground.


    When the sword light met the ground, the formation was damaged, bricks shattered, and a sword mark carved into the ground with remnants of radiant gold Spiritual Power lingering.


    "How is it?" Mo Hua asked.


    Bai Zixi shook her head, "It has enhanced a bit, but only slightly."


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    "Try something else," Bai Zixi said.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    After that, besides the Gold Spirit Formation, they tried the Wood Spirit Formation, Fire Spirit Formation, Water Spirit Formation, and Earth Spirit Formation¡ªall of them. ????????§¦?


    Those who knew the corresponding Five Elements Spell used it for testing.


    But there were some they didn¡¯t know.


    For example, Wood Spirit Formation and Earth Spirit Formation.


    Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had good Spiritual Roots, limited by their attributes, they didn¡¯t know the related spells, and in these cases, Mo Hua promptly learned two Five Elements Spells, "Quicksand Skill" and "Wood Poison Art."


    He possessed the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root and could learn all Five Elements Spells.


    However, since he learned them on the spot, his usage wasn¡¯t proficient, the power was lesser, useless in real combat, but sufficient for testing the formation.


    All three tried, and in the end, they were quite disappointed.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation seemed to be effective, but its utility was negligible.


    Mo Hua sighed lightly.


    Though disappointed, this was within expectations.


    The reason why an Ultimate Formation is considered ultimate lies not only in its complex patterns and high Divine Sense requirements but also in certain changes to the nature of Spiritual Power or special formation inheritances.


    Only by grasping certain principles can one comprehend an Ultimate Formation.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation requires Calculation.


    The Thick Earth Formation needs perception of the Earth Dao Meaning.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation requires a profound understanding of the central structure of Spiritual Power, transforming spirit into threads, to intricately and minutely control Spiritual Power.


    So, what does the Five Elements Spirit Formation require?


    How to discern the essence of Spiritual Power in the Five Elements Spirit Formation and truly master this Ultimate Formation?


    All three were confused and puzzled.


    At 1 a.m.


    Mo Hua lay in bed, his Divine Sense submerged in the Sea of Consciousness.


    The Taoist Stele appeared before Mo Hua.


    On the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua practiced the Five Elements Spirit Formation over and over again.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was Thirteen Stripes.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was also a Thirteen Stripes threshold.


    Furthermore, although the Five Elements Spirit Formation was an Ultimate Formation, its origin lay in the Five Elements. Having drawn the Large Five Elements Formation, Mo Hua had a profound understanding of the Five Elements Formation structure, so learning it wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    After practicing more than a dozen times, Mo Hua could draw the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    But that was all he could do.


    He simply drew the pattern, cleared the Formation Pivot, and constructed the Formation eye.


    He had drawn the frame without grasping the essence.


    He couldn¡¯t truly be said to have mastered it.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation surely had deeper secrets.


    "Where is this secret hidden?"


    Mo Hua folded his arms under his head, lying on the ground in the white expanse of his Sea of Consciousness, and began pondering over the people and events of the Five Elements Sect from the beginning...


    The Chief Elder staunchly adhering to the tradition, the detached Sect Leader Liao, a bunch of Elders with no presence, hard to distinguish who was who, along with the disciples for whom Formation Study had fallen into decline...


    Formation as the basis for establishing the Sect, grand construction in Earth and Wood...


    Second Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation...


    Thinking this way, Mo Hua¡¯s train of thought began to wander.


    He always felt there was some indescribable disharmony within the Five Elements Sect.


    But as to where exactly the disconnect lay, he still couldn¡¯t see through it...


    Mo Hua shook his head, refocusing his attention on the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was the most important matter.


    According to his master¡¯s words, mastering the Five Elements Spirit Formation was crucial to establish a foundation for oneself before proceeding to the Foundation Establishment.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was kept in the Formation Pavilion.


    In the Formation Pavilion, there was a Shrine.


    In front of the Shrine, there were five cushions.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s intention was not to let himself, along with his older martial brother and sisters or even his master¡¯s lineage, learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    He didn¡¯t want the Five Elements Spirit Formation to be disseminated outside.


    Thinking the reverse...


    It implied that within this Shrine, indeed, there lies the inheritance of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    If the Chief Elder did not obstruct it, it¡¯s really possible that someone could learn it and leave with the knowledge.


    Mo Hua then considered from the perspective of his Sect¡¯s ancestors:


    If I were the venerable ancestor of the Five Elements Sect...


    The first order of business wouldn¡¯t be worrying about the inheritance being learned by others, but to find a way to allow my disciples to truly comprehend the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect.


    If I can¡¯t learn it, the Sect will eventually perish.


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    As long as I master it well, even if others learn just a little, it does no significant harm.


    So, saying that...


    The Shrine must be the handiwork of the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect.


    The inheritance of the Five Elements Sect is sealed within the Shrine.


    The younger disciples of the Five Elements Sect, by pondering the Shrine, could comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    If that¡¯s the case, then this inheritance encompasses not just the Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation but also the true mystery that lies within. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 618: Meditation Cushion (3)

    This mystery might be a kind of Taoist Meaning, perhaps a type of Divine Sense spell method, or perhaps an insight into the rules of a Formation Method.The Formation Diagram of the Five Elements Spirit Formation is merely the frame.


    This mystery is the essence of the heritage.


    And this mystery must lie within the Shrine.


    Otherwise, no one in the Five Elements Sect would be able to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    ¡ªAlthough now, no one in the Five Elements Sect can learn it anymore...


    Mo Hua pondered again and nodded his head.


    It must be so!


    It wasn¡¯t that he was arrogant.


    In terms of studying and comprehending an Ultimate Formation of the first grade, there were probably few others whose experience was as rich as his, nor were there many first-grade Formation Masters whose Divine Sense was stronger than his.


    Now even he could not learn it.


    Let alone the younger disciples of the Five Elements Sect.


    Therefore, within the Shrine, there must still be something hidden...


    ...


    On the third day. Discover exclusive tales on


    The Chief Elder, as always, burned incense, offered worship, and then closed the door.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi took turns sitting on the meditation cushions, pondering the Shrine Taoist Field.


    It was to consolidate the Formation Patterns they had learned before, to check for leaks and fill in gaps, and also to see if they had missed any details.


    Mo Hua, as always, neither meditated nor engaged in contemplation.


    Because he couldn¡¯t contemplate anything.


    It seemed that the Shrine didn¡¯t want to show him anything.


    Mo Hua was doing something else.


    He was examining the layout, formations, and the specific construction and purpose of the Shrine on the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion.


    While examining, Mo Hua thought to himself:


    If he were the founding ancestor of the Five Elements Sect, how would he arrange the formations, how would he construct the Shrine, and how would he design the form of inheritance in such a way as to allow his disciples to learn the true teachings of the Five Elements Sect? ???????¦Â§§?


    And at the same time, prevent disciples from other Sects with ill intentions¡ªlike himself¡ªfrom stealing these teachings?


    The first would be the formations.


    Defensive, sound-isolating, and consciousness-obstructing formations would certainly be indispensable.


    Mo Hua looked around at his surroundings.


    There were some extremely abstruse, profound, and powerful sensations of formation energy around, which should be the measures laid down by the ancestral founders of the Five Elements Sect.


    Mo Hua¡¯s experience was limited, but he blindly guessed that these formations were at least of the Third Grade.


    Third Grade formations were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s comprehension.


    Mo Hua could only choose to ignore them for now.


    Next, the Shrine.


    Mo Hua stared at the Shrine for a long time, combining his musings from the day before, and gradually began to understand some issues:


    The Shrine built by the Five Elements Sect might not necessarily worship ancestors.


    A family¡¯s Shrine worships ancestors, revering the bloodline.


    A Sect venerates the transmission of teachings, so what it should worship is the heritage itself.


    Therefore, within this Shrine, although there are the names of ancestors and the Formation Master Wooden Carving,


    The core is the Taoist Field.


    The implication of the Taoist Field is the transmission of teachings.


    Its purpose is to allow all disciples of the Five Elements Sect, when facing the Shrine, to feel as if they are present in the Taoist Field, hearing the teachings of the ancestors, listening to the true explanations of formations, and understanding the mysteries of the Great Dao.


    But how to listen?


    Mo Hua looked again at his Junior Brother and Junior Sister.


    They just sat upright on the meditation cushions, looking at the Shrine, contemplating the Formation Diagrams that emerged within the Taoist Field.


    The meditation cushions...


    Mo Hua then examined the meditation cushions further.


    This meditation cushion was just an ordinary one.


    Although the material was special and Mo Hua could not understand it, its interior had no formations, and Divine Sense scanning revealed no anomalies, meaning the meditation cushion itself was not key.


    "But when contemplating, one must indeed sit on the meditation cushion..."


    Mo Hua then recalled what the Chief Elder said: sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "All furnishings must not be moved..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart shivered.


    Not to be moved implies that the meditation cushions shouldn¡¯t change position, which in other words, suggests that the most critical aspect of the meditation cushion lies in its position...


    His master once said that all things in the world have a surface and an inside, both emptiness and solidity.


    The appearance of the meditation cushion is solid; the reality is empty;


    The emptiness of position is solid.


    It¡¯s not by sitting on the meditation cushion that one can contemplate the Shrine and comprehend the Ultimate Formation.


    It is by sitting in the position of the meditation cushion that one can see the essence of the Shrine.


    The Five Elements position...


    These five positions are used to learn the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Could it be that there are other positions?


    By sitting at these positions and contemplating the Shrine, could one see the true mystery of the Shrine and comprehend the real Taoist Meaning hidden within the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?


    Inspired, Mo Hua began to take out pen and paper to mark out all the positional layouts on the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion.


    That included the Shrine and the five meditation cushions corresponding to the Five Elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    Mo Hua looked at the diagram, his gaze sharpening.


    The meditation cushions correspond to the Five Elements.


    Each meditation cushion corresponds to a set of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    These Five Elements Spirit Formations seem to share a special formation relationship with the Shrine.


    This relationship, imbued with formation principle, seems like something that can be derived from Divine Sense Calculation...

 Chapter 619: Astral Projection (1)

    But this kind of Calculation, involving the Ultimate Formation, is not particularly difficult, but very time-consuming.By the time four hours had passed, Mo Hua still hadn¡¯t figured out any clues.


    The three of them left the Shrine and returned to the guest rooms at the Five Elements Sect.


    Mo Hua sat down for a simple meditation, resting for a moment, waiting for his Divine Sense to replenish before continuing to calculate the relationship between the Five Elements Spirit Formation and the Shrine.


    On the Formation Diagram of the Shrine, Mo Hua drew five separate Five Elements Spirit Formations according to their positions.


    Then, based on the results of the Calculations, he continued to sketch between the Formations.


    Line after line, crisscrossing, connecting, interweaving...


    Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were versed in the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, they lacked the skills of Calculation and could only watch as Mo Hua calculated and sketched on his own.


    Mr. Zhuang was also silently watching, offering no hints or conversation.


    Clearly, he wanted to let Mo Hua independently rely on his own abilities to solve the puzzle, break the enigma, and comprehend the Formation.


    Because he knew that he couldn¡¯t help Mo Hua for the rest of his life.


    Even, he might not be able to help him for much longer...


    Mo Hua worked tirelessly, calculating the Formation, and at night his Divine Sense plunged into the Sea of Consciousness, continuing the calculations on the Taoist Stele.


    Within the Taoist Stele, Divine Sense could be traced back.


    The efficiency of the Calculation was thus higher.


    Finally, by the next morning, Mo Hua had calculated the relational map of formations in the Five Elements Formation Diagram of the Shrine.


    In the structural diagram of the Shrine, with the Shrine as the core and the Five Elements Spirit Formations as its wings, the Formation Patterns were precise, spiritual power trajectories intricately woven, forming a complex and profound Spirit Path map.


    These spiritual power trajectories had a total of six convergence points.


    Five of which were the locations of those five meditation cushions, and one more was a hidden position.


    This position, on the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion, was hidden with no meditation cushion nor any other markers.


    Even Mo Hua suspected that this location might not even be known to the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect...


    Because calculating it was too complex.


    Moreover, it had to be extremely accurate; not even the slightest error was permissible.


    The Method of Divine Sense Calculation for calculating the pathways in the Ultimate Formation might not have been anything special to the Five Elements Sect of the past. ????????¨º?


    But times have changed, and for the current Five Elements Sect, it might really be as incomprehensible as a "heavenly script."


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.


    Regardless, having calculated this position, he had taken one step closer to the essence of the Five Elements Spirit Formation...


    ...


    On the fourth day.


    After the Chief Elder had finished burning incense and left, the apparently meditating Mo Hua immediately stood up, took out the calculated Shrine¡¯s Five Elements Diagram, and then, following the calculated Spirit Path, looked for the correct position.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also helping to search.


    The entire floor of the fourth level of the Formation Pavilion was covered in a single, complete stone tile.


    The stone tile was smooth, without patterns or any reference points, so determining the position took some time.


    After a cup of tea had passed, Mo Hua dropped a dot of ink on a spot that looked very ordinary.


    This dot of ink was the convergence point of the Five Elements Spirit Path.


    It was also the sixth "meditation cushion" for Ponder the Shrine.


    Mo Hua sighed, "The forebears of the Five Elements Sect really were quite cunning."


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua and said nothing, but they both muttered in their minds:


    "Cunning as they were, they weren¡¯t as crafty as you..."


    All the forebears¡¯ elaborate tricks and deeply hidden secrets were still unearthed by you...


    "Try pondering."


    Urged Bai Zixi.


    There wasn¡¯t much time left, it was already the fourth day, and the deadline of five days was approaching. They couldn¡¯t afford to waste a single moment.


    "Mm."


    Mo Hua nodded, then sat cross-legged, positioned at the convergence point of the Five Elements, "sitting" on the sixth imaginary meditation cushion to Ponder the Shrine.


    This time, what he saw was no longer the Taoist Field.


    It was a gate.


    The gate of the Shrine!


    The gate was profound and simple, with five types of complex Patterns engraved on it.


    These Patterns were very familiar to Mo Hua, precisely the Thirteen Stripes of the first-grade Five Elements Spirit Formation¡¯s Patterns.


    But... the gate was closed tight...


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He finally understood how the Five Elements Spirit Formation of the Five Elements Sect got lost.


    This gate was designed to block both villains and the virtuous.


    It guarded against outsiders and insiders alike...


    The Patterns on it were clear, obviously a Mystery Formation.


    The pathway of the Formation had been tampered with, as if "encrypted."


    One needed proper Calculation to solve the Formation and open the gate.


    How could an average Formation Master possibly do that?


    Maybe the Five Elements Spirit Formation wasn¡¯t even meant to be learned by first-grade Formation Masters?


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect must have had some quirks in their thinking...


    They wrapped their own legacy tightly, like a zongzi, completely secure.


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless.


    But it was clearly not the time to be critical.


    He immediately spread out the paper, took out the ink and brush, and seriously, stroke by stroke, copied the entire Five Elements Mystery Formation from the gate into a Diagram.


    After the copying was done, almost four hours had passed.


    Mo Hua then wiped away the ink mark he had made.


    Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before the Chief Elder arrived.


    "Time is up, please leave now."


    The Chief Elder¡¯s tone was polite, but within his gaze was a hint of a mocking smile.


    Mo Hua and the others could only go back.


    Mo Hua could calculate and solve the Five Elements Mystery Formation on the Shrine gate on his own, but it would take some time.


    But before that, he still went to consult Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua showed the copied Formation Diagram to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang appeared surprised, but not shocked.


    Mo Hua had his guess confirmed: S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My teacher must have encountered this Mystery Formation before, perhaps even solved it himself and entered the Shrine."

 Chapter 620: Out-of-Body (2)

    But the master certainly wouldn¡¯t give any pointers to himself.Mo Hua then asked something else:


    "Master, were these methods laid down by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect?"


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat emotional, "Suppose so..."


    "Why go to such lengths?"


    Mr. Zhuang said with interest, "To guard against thieves."


    "Guard against thieves?" Mo Hua was taken aback before saying, "To guard against me¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, "Yes, you count as well."


    "But¡­ even to guard against thieves, isn¡¯t this too troublesome, isn¡¯t it making a mountain out of a molehill?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "No, what they are guarding against is the disciples of our Sect from generations past, not making a mountain out of a molehill! Our¡­ the cultivators of this Sect, from ancient times to the present, all have exceptional spiritual roots and are brilliant talents¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and paused for a moment.


    Mo Hua had quite a bit of self-awareness, "Master, apart from me¡­ all have exceptional spiritual roots and are brilliant talents..."


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment before saying tactfully:


    "Your spiritual root is a bit inferior, but in formations, you are still¡­ a brilliant talent..."


    "Mhm, mhm," Mo Hua nodded, "Master, please continue."


    Mr. Zhuang recalled where he had stopped and then continued:


    "The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, if they didn¡¯t set the threshold high enough, didn¡¯t make the puzzles hard enough, it would be too easy to see through..."


    "It¡¯s actually reasonable that they use it to guard against us..."


    "However, as a result, the later generations of the Five Elements Sect suffer."


    "Once the Sect declines, if the later generation of disciples are not outstanding, hardly any of them can unravel the mystery barriers and learn the inheritance."


    "These formations could only be lost..."


    At this point, Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said earnestly:


    "In the Cultivation World, Sects and Noble Clans that rely on formations as their foundation, they all hide their inheritances very deeply."


    "The way the Five Elements Sect hides formations is quite unique."


    "It seems simple but is yet obscure."


    "Although obscure, all of them conform to the principles of formations."


    "You should pay more attention and learn more. After breaking through, you will be enlightened by analogy. When you encounter similar formation inheritances in the future, with the reference of the Five Elements Sect, you can decipher and comprehend them on your own." ?????§§????


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone became slightly solemn, "In the Cultivation World for tens of thousands of years, Noble Clans have risen and fallen, Sects have fluctuated..." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Some powers may seem insignificant, but their ancestors¡¯ inheritances should not be underestimated."


    "These inheritances are often hidden in inconspicuous things."


    "Tao Cultivation values opportunity. For some people, opportunity comes from luck."


    "And for others, opportunity comes from insight..."


    "Luck is innate and unpredictable, but insight is acquired and can be learned, observed, and pondered upon..."


    "The Great Dao favors the persistent. In the future, you must be more observant..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze, implicit and restrained, was filled with profound emotion.


    "Mhm!" Mo Hua nodded solemnly.


    He understood that his master was teaching him a method through the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect.


    Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching a man to fish.


    The master hoped that he could find his own opportunities in the future through his own horizons, knowledge, and insight, to seek out formations, to explore the Great Dao¡­


    Mo Hua looked at the frail Mr. Zhuang, feeling a mix of melancholy and complexity.


    ...


    That night, Mo Hua still went on calculating Formation Patterns and deciphering the Five Elements Mystery Formation without rest.


    Thanks to the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua¡¯s calculations were getting faster and faster...


    And at this moment, in the Formation Pavilion,


    The Chief Elder once again lit three sticks of incense before the Shrine.


    One stick of incense burned one-third, another a quarter, the one in the middle didn¡¯t catch fire, remaining motionless.


    The Chief Elder felt reassured but also somewhat surprised.


    Reassured because the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect had been preserved!


    Only one day, four hours left.


    They could never comprehend the Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect¡ªthe Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    The surprise was that the Junior Formation Master had indeed not gleaned even the slightest hint of the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡¯s methods from the Shrine...


    The Chief Elder sneered scornfully.


    Youth may be impressive, but greatness does not always follow.


    For all the brilliance in his youth, what else is there to talk about when one¡¯s potential is exhausted?


    "That Junior Formation Master, I guess I overestimated him..."


    The Chief Elder turned and left.


    He didn¡¯t notice that the wooden elder in the Shrine Taoist Field also smirked enigmatically...


    ...


    The Mystery Formation on the great doors, although complex, shared the same principle with the Five Elements convergence Formation Patterns before the Shrine; one was converging, the other was diverging.


    Mo Hua, familiar with the path, spent the night deriving the Spirit path of the formation.


    On the fifth day, the last day allocated by the Five Elements Sect to comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Formation, Mo Hua entered the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion somewhat nervously, along with his Junior Brother and Sister as always.


    The Chief Elder lit incense and closed the door before going to the third floor to drink tea with Mr. Zhuang.


    It was quiet in front of the Shrine.


    Mo Hua reconfirmed the direction, and then started to Ponder the Shrine.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were guarding on his left and right.


    The instant Mo Hua Pondered the Shrine, the door drenched in Formation Patterns reappeared.


    Mo Hua, with his Divine Sense, activated the formation according to the Spirit path diagram he had derived the day before, bit by bit restoring the Formation Patterns to their original state, redistributing the converging Spirit paths back to their rightful positions.


    Before long, the elaborate Formation Diagrams on the Shrine door became clear and understandable.


    These were distinctly five sets of Five Elements Formation Diagrams.


    In the center of the Formation Diagrams, there was a Tai Chi-shaped lock.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought stirred, and the Tai Chi slowly rotated, the Shrine door turned accordingly, the Five Elements circulated, forming a vortex.

 Chapter 621: Out of Body (3)

    Within the vortex, it was pitch black. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled slightly.


    Before he had time to ponder, he felt a suction force emerging from the void, tugging at his Sea of Consciousness, seemingly pulling his Divine Sense out of his body.


    Mo Hua immediately stilled his mind, focusing his spirit, manifesting his true self.


    As soon as he manifested himself, his Divine Thought form was sucked through the gate, leaving the Sea of Consciousness, pulled into the gate, and entered the Shrine.


    The moment his Divine Sense left his body, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lost their luster, slowly closing, and his body limply collapsed.


    Bai Zixi saw this and immediately wrapped his arms around Mo Hua, then with a frown, tried Mo Hua¡¯s breathing, his brow furrowing even more.


    Bai Zisheng was startled and quickly asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, "It looks like¡­ Divine Sense Out-of-Body?"


    Bai Zisheng was shocked, "But he¡¯s only at the Qi Refinement stage... Divine Sense out of the body can be deadly!"


    Bai Zixi immediately said, "Soul-Peacing Pill and Qi-guarding Pill!"


    "Oh, right!" Bai Zisheng frantically rummaged through his storage bag, and after a moment, took out two bottles of Pills, picked one from each, and handed them to Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi, with his fair fingers, picked up the Pills and fed them to Mo Hua¡¯s mouth.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face, which had been growing pale, regained its rosy complexion.


    There was also gradually a steady breath from his nose and mouth.


    Bai Zixi breathed a sigh of relief.


    Bai Zisheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and couldn¡¯t help muttering, "How could it be Divine Sense Out-of-Body?" He looked at Bai Zixi again and asked,


    "What do we do now?"


    Bai Zixi glanced at the Shrine and said indifferently,


    "Wait and see..."


    Bai Zisheng had no other choice but to sigh, "That¡¯s all we can do..."


    Bai Zixi laid Mo Hua flat on the ground, placed a soft blanket under his head, then sat down beside him, hugging his knees, silently watching over Mo Hua. R¦¡?§°??????


    ...


    Mo Hua only felt a pain in his Sea of Consciousness and a lightness in his Divine Sense.


    When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a vast square surrounded by predecessors and ancestors, all in the form of wooden carvings and clay molds.


    Beyond that, Spirit Beasts competed in splendor, flowers bloomed in profusion, carriages flowed like water, and palanquins floated like clouds.


    There were also treasure vases and flowers, painted beams, and carved rafters.


    Each step revealed a different scene, too beautiful for words. Find exclusive stories on


    All these scenes, Mo Hua had seen them all above the Shrine.


    This square was the Taoist Field within the Shrine.


    However, from the outside, each scene, each pavilion, each person, and each object was a relief or wooden carving.


    But now as he looked, they were lifelike, almost deceptively real.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, looking around, then furrowed his brows.


    No, that¡¯s not right!


    Everything here was fake, but there was one thing that was not!


    He turned his gaze to the space above the Taoist Field.


    Above the Taoist Field stood an elder.


    The elder was a wooden carving, his features rigid, draped in wood clothing, his beard and hair were all etched with wooden patterns.


    But in the instant that Mo Hua looked at him, he changed.


    His wooden clothes took on color, his stiff face came to life, his beard and hair turned white, and his eyes deepened, gazing down from the Taoist Field towards Mo Hua.


    After a moment, a hoarse voice emanated from the Taoist Field,


    "There are actually people... who can come in..."


    Mo Hua did not know his identity, but seeing his venerable age and the respect he commanded, he greeted him with great politeness, bowing his hands and saying,


    "Junior Mo Hua, pays respect to the senior. May I ask who the senior is..."


    The elder slowly stood up, his expression becoming more animated, his Taoist Robe taking on brilliant colors, ultimately forming a pattern of the Five Elements, similar to a Five Elements Taoist Robe.


    His voice was authoritative and heavy, resounding with gravity,


    "I... am the Tao Teaching Elder of the Five Elements Sect, the twenty-third generation!"

 Chapter 622: Preaching (1)

    The Tao Teaching Elder of the Five Elements Sect?!Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    The Tao Teaching Elder was responsible for imparting knowledge. Within the Sect, their status was unique. Although they might not hold the greatest power, they inevitably possessed the most detached status and were the most familiar and profoundly understanding individuals of the Sect¡¯s legacy.


    So this wooden-carved elder was the Tao Teaching Elder of the Five Elements Sect¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced.


    The Tao Teaching Elder looked at Mo Hua, and his gaze suddenly became intense, "You are not a disciple of my Five Elements Sect!"


    Mo Hua was somewhat curious, "How did you tell?"


    The Tao Teaching Elder spoke with a profound look, "Divine Sense is powerful, Divine Thought manifests¡­"


    "My Five Elements Sect is no longer what it used to be. Our legacy has declined, and we cannot teach a disciple like you anymore¡­"


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking the reason was quite sensible, and then he inquired:


    "You are the Tao Teaching Elder. Is the ¡¯Tao¡¯ you transmit the Five Elements Spirit Formation?"


    The Tao Teaching Elder did not hide it, "Indeed¡­"


    He looked off into the distance towards the Array Plate in the center of the Taoist Field, "Though my body is dead, my spirit survives, stationed at the Shrine. Should there be a disciple who receives the consent of the Five Elements Sect, sits on the meditation cushion, and ponders the Shrine, I will manifest in the center of the Taoist Field and reveal the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    I will impart the Formation Patterns and the key points of the Formation¡­"


    Mo Hua nodded upon hearing this and asked, "Then have you seen me before?"


    The Tao Teaching Elder slowly nodded, "I have, five days ago when you first came, I saw you."


    Mo Hua continued to inquire, "Why didn¡¯t you teach me when I pondered the Shrine that day?"


    Upon hearing this, the Tao Teaching Elder¡¯s expression turned cold, and he said irritably:


    "Don¡¯t you know why?"


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    The Tao Teaching Elder¡¯s eyelids twitched, "Your Divine Sense was too strong, you saw through the Array Plate, how could I teach you then?"


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    "Oh."


    Mo Hua scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    The Tao Teaching Elder then grew somewhat sentimental, "Over these many years I have been guarding the Taoist Field, you are the first cultivator to see through the Array Plate of the Taoist Field, making me want to teach, yet unable to teach¡­" ?????N?????§§?


    "I¡¯m not a disciple of the Five Elements Sect. Would you still like to teach me?" Mo Hua asked.


    The Tao Teaching Elder said with a sigh:


    "Those who come before this Shrine to ponder the Taoist Field are either disciples of the Five Elements Sect, have a deep connection with the Five Elements Sect, or perhaps, there is a fateful opportunity bestowed by the heavens."


    "In any case, it¡¯s all due to a fortuitous meeting."


    "I am the Tao Teaching Elder, so naturally I teach without discrimination."


    "As long as the ¡¯Tao¡¯ of my Five Elements Sect can be passed down, that is enough¡­"


    Mo Hua felt a surge of solemn respect and asked directly:


    "Then can you teach me the Five Elements Spirit Formation?"


    The Tao Teaching Elder pondered for a moment, then conceded, "Well¡­"


    "Over these hundreds of years, not to mention entering the Shrine, even the number of disciples who qualify to enter the Formation Pavilion to ponder and comprehend before the Shrine has dwindled¡­"


    "There¡¯s no Tao to pass on¡­"


    "If this continues, I, the Tao Teaching Elder, will truly become just a wooden or clay statue, withering here, never to see the light of day."


    The Tao Teaching Elder then looked at Mo Hua again and gave a nod of approval:


    "You have good talent, strong Divine Sense, and a clear Taoist Heart. The inheritance of the Five Elements Sect would not be disgraced in your hands."


    "However, there is one thing¡­"


    The Tao Teaching Elder said seriously, "If you learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation and if the opportunity arises, you must work to make the Formation flourish."


    "If the Five Elements Sect ever faces difficulties, please offer your help to repay this karmic debt."


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was solemn as he earnestly said, "Definitely!"


    "Good!" The Tao Teaching Elder felt reassured, then asked, "Have you learned the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?"


    "I have," Mo Hua nodded.


    The Tao Teaching Elder was surprised, and with a wave of his sleeve, writing brushes and ink materialized on the Taoist Field.


    "Draw them for me to see."


    "Sure."


    Mo Hua dipped the brush in ink and drew separate depictions for gold, wood, water, fire, and earth¡ªeach a representation of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    The Tao Teaching Elder¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, but he still suppressed the shock in his heart, and praised with a nod:


    "Very good, not bad at all. To have learned the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Ultimate Formation so well and accurately in such a short period is truly remarkable¡­"


    "However¡­"


    The Tao Teaching Elder then said seriously, "¡­but you should also know, the Ultimate Formation is not about the category or form¡­"


    "Learning the Formation Patterns does not mean you¡¯ve mastered the Ultimate Formation."


    "To truly understand the Five Elements Spirit Formation, just knowing how to draw the Formation Patterns is far from enough¡­"


    Mo Hua humbly said, "Junior understands, please enlighten me, Senior."


    The Tao Teaching Elder nodded with satisfaction, stroked his beard, "You are teachable, so I will instruct you on how to truly grasp the Five Elements Spirit Formation. Listen well¡­"


    Mo Hua nodded and listened intently.


    The Tao Teaching Elder spoke earnestly, slowly saying:


    "The Five Elements Spirit Formation is a top-notch Formation of the Five Elements class!"


    "The difficulty, depth, and breadth of Formation principles it involves can even compare with that of a Large Formation!"


    "The Five Elements Formation has its magnificence, while the Five Elements Spirit Formation has its profundity."


    "Back in the day, our Five Elements Sect rose to prominence precisely because of this Five Elements Spirit Formation. It strengthened the Five Elements to aid in slaughter, increased the efficiency of Spiritual Artifacts, and amplified the power of Spells, thus achieving the status of a top-tier Formation Sect¡­"


    "The amplification of Spiritual Power in the Five Elements Spirit Formation hinges on understanding the nature of the Five Elements Spiritual Power."


    "The essence of this nature lies in the word ¡¯strength¡¯."


    "The same Five Elements Spiritual Power, when enhanced through the Formation, can be amplified by ten to twenty percent, and so the might of your Spiritual Artifact, Tao Cultivation Martial Arts, or Spells will be ten to twenty percent greater¡­"


    Mo Hua frowned, "But how exactly should I comprehend this?"


    The Tao Teaching Elder said, "It¡¯s simple to say, but hard to do. I can only tell you the principle of the Formation; ultimately, you need to comprehend it yourself." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 623: Preaching (2)

    Stay updated with Mo Hua nodded.


    The Tao Teaching Elder said, "The enhancement of the Five Elements essentially lies in the variation of Spiritual Power¡­"


    "It requires the use of Formation Patterns to decompose Spiritual Power, then reconstruct it, generate life from it, and afterwards amplify it using the principle of the Five Elements generating each other."


    "In this way, Spiritual Power itself will be strengthened."


    "By divine transformation¡­"


    "One begets two, two begets three¡­ endlessly deriving."


    "This contains the Formation principle of ¡¯birth"


    "With ¡¯birth¡¯, one naturally grows unceasingly¡­"


    ...


    The words of the Tao Teaching Elder were profound and meaningful.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow even tighter, clearly unable to understand for the moment.


    The Tao Teaching Elder nodded slightly, "Remember these words, ponder over them, and comprehend them carefully. If you understand, then try drawing the Five Elements Spirit Formation. If you integrate the Formation principle with the Formation Patterns, you will gradually understand the mysteries within¡­"


    "Think about it well."


    After the Tao Teaching Elder finished speaking, he began to meditate with closed eyes.


    Mo Hua frowned in deep thought, pondering for a long time before suddenly looking up at the Tao Teaching Elder, his gaze somewhat meaningful.


    The Tao Teaching Elder sat upright and dignified, emanating an aura of a sage.


    Mo Hua sneakily stretched out his little hand, casting a Fireball Technique that struck the Tao Teaching Elder.


    The meditating Tao Teaching Elder, caught off guard, was directly toppled over by Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique.


    The Tao Teaching Elder stood up in a rage, "What are you doing?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was even more determined, heedless of consequences, his fingers rapidly tapping, unleashing the Fireball Technique again and again.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!


    One fireball after another barraged the Tao Teaching Elder.


    "Stop¡­ stop it!"


    "Ignorant child¡­" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Tao Teaching Elder was infuriated and embarrassed.


    "Arrogant!"


    "Dare to¡­"


    "Showing no respect for your teacher or the Tao, this is the utmost disrespect¡­ I will see to it that you¡­ die without a place to be buried!"


    The Tao Teaching Elder threatened angrily.


    Mo Hua was not only fearless, but he also snorted coldly, contemptuously saying:


    "What kind of trash, daring to deceive me?"


    "Spouting nonsense right to my face?"


    "I¡¯ve seen plenty of such tricks, minor skills of carving insects, yet you have the audacity to show off?!"


    The Tao Teaching Elder wanted to say something, but Mo Hua¡¯s quick and fierce Fireball Techniques kept suppressing him, leaving him unable to catch his breath. ????¦¢??


    Soon, he was riddled with holes from the fireballs.


    His face was mutilated, his body was mutilated, his Taoist Robe was mutilated.


    But after a moment, his entire being melted into a puddle of golden liquid, eventually re-solidifying into shape, revealing his true form.


    It was not the Tao Teaching Elder.


    It was a weird-looking little ghost.


    The only thing that remained the same was the five-colored Taoist Robe they both wore.


    The five-colored Taoist Robe symbolized the Five Elements.


    This was a Little Five Elements Ghost.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost revealed its true form and glared at Mo Hua with disbelief, saying:


    "How did you see through me?"


    In the Taoist Field, it had a natural advantage, blending its aura with the entire field¡¯s atmosphere. Other "people," or ghosts, Evil Gods, and even all Thought Bodies, should not have been able to see through its disguise.


    Its energy field had been responding for hundreds of years.


    It was both the Little Five Elements Ghost and the Tao Teaching Elder.


    Mo Hua snorted, "Because you were talking nonsense, you don¡¯t understand the Five Element Ultimate Formation at all. If you don¡¯t understand the Five Element Ultimate Formation, how could you possibly be the Tao Teaching Elder?"


    The Little Five Elements Ghost sneered, "I don¡¯t understand, but you do? If you understand, then why come here to learn?"


    Mo Hua spoke calmly, "I may not understand the Five Elements Spirit Formation, but I do have some knowledge of the Ultimate Formation¡­"


    He began to criticize line by line:


    "Within the Ultimate Formation, the decomposition of Spiritual Power is not called decomposition, but accurately speaking, it is called reverse decomposition."


    "Ordinary decomposition does not constitute an Ultimate Formation."


    "But reverse decomposition signifies a completely different Ultimate Formation."


    "Spiritual Power reconstruction involves the Spirit Pivot, a type of Spiritual Power Control Formation, rather than a Five Elements attribute Formation."


    "The generation from Spiritual Power is only one of the Five Elements, the Earth Series Ultimate Formation, but it is entirely different from the Five Elements Spirit Formation. What it generates is not one¡¯s own Spiritual Power. This type of Ultimate Formation is not for strengthening Spiritual Power, but for nourishing all things¡­"


    "Within Formation principle, ¡¯strength¡¯ and ¡¯birth¡¯ are different concepts. They are related, but should not be confused."


    "The Five Elements Formation is about ¡¯strength¡¯, not ¡¯birth¡¯."


    "Furthermore, Spiritual Power will not increase by itself."


    "Your understanding of ¡¯one begets two, two begets three¡¯ is also wrong."


    "The form of Spiritual Power can change, but its essence is conserved."


    "The enhancement of the Five Elements does not magically produce more Spiritual Power¡­"


    "Even if the Five Elements Spirit Formation amplifies, it is not about becoming more or stronger by itself, but about using some external force to fortify oneself."


    ...


    Mo Hua articulated eloquently, speaking incessantly.


    But the Little Five Elements Ghost was completely baffled.


    What was this little ghost talking about?


    What was reverse decomposition? What was the Spirit Pivot? What was generation?


    "Strength" and "birth", how are they different again?


    The conservation of Spiritual Power, conserving what exactly?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost pondered thoroughly, then his heart sank with a "thump".


    It was out of its depth; it had encountered an expert¡­


    The knowledge of Ultimate Formations was indeed profound and this little ghost truly understood it!


    The Little Five Elements Ghost found it hard to believe.


    This concocted story of the lineage of the Five Elements Spirit Formation was a patchwork of things it had heard and gathered haphazardly.


    It had used this story to deceive people for many years, tricking both humans and spirits without any issue.


    Because no one truly understood the Ultimate Formation.


    Others at most did not believe or could not comprehend but dared not question it.


    But it never imagined that it would capsize its ship today.


    Just who was this Junior Formation Master, to have such a deep understanding of Ultimate Formations?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost looked at Mo Hua, shaken to the core.


    Mo Hua, however, was unwilling to waste time, and pointed towards the Little Five Elements Ghost, locking it with his Divine Sense. His fingertips blazed with bright red flames as he spoke coldly:

 Chapter 624: Preaching (3)

    "Where is the inheritance of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?"The Little Five Elements Ghost sneered, "Arrogant! Do you think I would be afraid of you?"


    With a flick of Mo Hua¡¯s fingertip, a bright red fireball whooshed out.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost tried to dodge, but found itself firmly locked in by the Junior Formation Master¡¯s Divine Sense, and unless he could run faster than the Fireball Technique, there was no escaping it.


    It was hit by the Fireball Technique again.


    The Divine Sense Manifestation fireball exploded on its body, the flames scorching its flesh. Though the fire was a manifestation of Divine Thought and void of substance, the searing pain felt vivid and real.


    Time was of the essence, so Mo Hua showed no mercy.


    One Fireball Technique after another, bombarding the Little Five Elements Ghost without giving it a chance to fight back.


    It wanted to rush toward Mo Hua, but that meant facing a barrage of fireballs.


    On the rare occasions it broke free from the suppression of the fireballs, it would be bound by the Water Prison Technique.


    If it didn¡¯t close in on Mo Hua, it could only be worn down by Mo Hua¡¯s long-range fireball attacks.


    And the problem was that this Fireball Technique was wickedly effective ¨C fast, accurate, and with formidable power.


    After about a dozen exchanges, the Little Five Elements Ghost felt utterly disheartened.


    It realized that it was no match at all.


    It was just a little ghost.


    While the one it faced was a "monster."


    Everyone has their limits, and ghosts were no exception.


    Only the wise can recognize the situation and act accordingly, and that includes becoming a "sage among ghosts."


    Thus, the Little Five Elements Ghost, formerly masquerading as the Tao Teaching Elder, fell to its knees with a plop and called out:


    "Young friend, spare my life!"


    Seeing that its voice was loud and clear, signaling it still had plenty of energy, Mo Hua didn¡¯t stop the assault, thinking to further deplete its strength.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost became anxious and hastily elevated Mo Hua in status:


    "Young man, young master, little ancestor!"


    "No more beating, please spare my life!" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Mo Hua heard "little ancestor" come out of its mouth, he grudgingly ceased the attack and then repeated:


    "Where is the inheritance of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?"


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated unwillingly to speak.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t indulge it and sent another fireball hurtling over.


    Only then did the Little Five Elements Ghost get honest, looking uneasily at Mo Hua¡¯s expression and said:


    "I...I really don¡¯t know..."


    Mo Hua showed displeasure, a trace of cold light flickering in his eyes.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hastily said:


    "Little ancestor, truly! I don¡¯t know!"


    "You¡¯ve been in this Taoist Field for so long, masquerading as the ¡¯Tao Teaching Elder,¡¯ and you don¡¯t know anything?"


    Mo Hua clearly didn¡¯t believe it.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost said, "I was just an ordinary ghost, living inside a broken painting, drifting all over the place. Later, I was captured by the old Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, who suppressed my malicious spirit and threw me into this shrine to impersonate the ¡¯Tao Teaching Elder¡¯ and deceive cultivators who wanted to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation..." ??¦­???S?


    "Although I¡¯ve stayed in this Taoist Field for a long time, I know very little about formations."


    "As for the Five Elements Spirit Formation, such a profound Ultimate Formation, I am completely ignorant."


    "Little ancestor, you must believe me!"


    ...


    Stay updated with


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost spoke flippantly about being a common ghost residing in a broken painting, drifting around...


    The truth was certainly not that simple.


    Mo Hua still remembered the first Contemplation Map he saw with the Little Green-faced Ghost in it.


    That ghost¡¯s lingering memories included transforming from a person to a ghost, then going around misleading cultivators and devouring their Divine Sense.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost was probably not much different.


    It definitely hadn¡¯t been short on bad deeds!


    But the immediate priority was the Five Elements Spirit Formation. Other matters could be settled later.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew serious.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s demeanor became even more cringing.


    It didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    And what it said made sense.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation, a top-tier Ultimate Formation with Thirteen Stripes, would be inscrutable without the right methods. Even if this little ghost spent centuries pondering the formation, it would still be clueless...


    But if it didn¡¯t know, then where was the inheritance of the Five Elements Spirit Formation hidden?


    Mo Hua looked around, his gaze shifting, then suddenly asked:


    "Was this Taoist Field like this when you came here?"


    The Little Five Elements Ghost nodded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, "Were there also Tao Teaching Elders?"


    The Little Five Elements Ghost shook his head, "No, there weren¡¯t."


    "So, when you impersonated a Tao Teaching Elder, the spot you took, there was originally no one there?"


    The Little Five Elements Ghost felt a tremor in his heart and nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua then slowly walked to the center of the Taoist Field and discovered a meditation mat on the ground, and the Little Five Elements Ghost had impersonated a Tao Teaching Elder, sitting right there on that "meditation mat."


    Another meditation mat!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted as he slowly approached, examining it for a moment, he found this meditation mat was almost identical to the one outside the shrine.


    The Tao Teaching meditation mat!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone with a hint of brightness as he sat down on the meditation mat, and then he looked straight ahead, feeling a sudden clarity before him.


    Everything within the entire shrine came clearly into view.


    He could even see his Junior Brother and Junior Sister outside the shrine.


    The Junior Brother appeared bored and slightly worried.


    The Junior Sister was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees, silently staring at the "herself" whose Divine Thought had exited the body, leaving only her physical form lying flat on the ground.


    Beyond that, Mo Hua could also see the meditation mat outside the shrine.


    No, to be precise, the location of the meditation mat.


    Between reality and illusion, each position of the meditation mat was inscribed with a Formation.


    This was the Five Elements Spirit Formation, more complete and meticulous in Formation Patterns.


    Some differed from the Formation Patterns he had already obtained.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then understood.


    It seemed that this impostor "Tao Teaching Elder" had also tampered with the Formation Patterns, the ones learned from observing the shrine, compared to the true Five Elements Formation Patterns, were erroneous.


    The purpose was still to prevent others from learning the true Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua immediately compared the Formation Patterns in his mind with those he saw now, then, applying a slight Calculation with his Divine Sense, arrived at the true Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    But that still wasn¡¯t enough...


    The Formation Patterns were still just a form.


    To paint the dragon, the eyes must be dotted.


    Mo Hua lacked just that final brushstroke to truly comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    But what was that brushstroke, exactly?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Tao Teaching... meditation mat...


    Manifesting Formation...


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed, and he immediately manifested a complete Five Elements Spirit Formation on the Array Plate in the center of the Taoist Field.


    He wanted to discern some clues from it.


    As he finished manifesting the true Five Elements Spirit Formation¡¯s Formation Patterns, the meditation mat on which he sat suddenly emitted a faint Divine Thought.


    This Divine Thought was without master or awareness, like a blank, pure Thought Body.


    This Divine Thought slowly flowed into the Array Plate, merging with the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Above the Five Elements Spirit Formation, five-colored lights suddenly burst forth, dazzlingly bright.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    What did this mean?


    Was this Divine Thought telling him something?


    Or maybe, was it demonstrating something to him?


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua suddenly looked up at the Little Five Elements Ghost and asked urgently:


    "Where did you hear those words about the Ultimate Formation?"


    Seeing Mo Hua deep in thought, the Little Five Elements Ghost tried to slip away, but then Mo Hua asked him this question.


    Not daring to show any peculiarity, it replied:


    "From many people..."


    "Who all?"


    "The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, Elders, some Disciples chatting idly, and other, qualified Cultivators and Formation Masters who came to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation..."


    The Little Five Elements Ghost counted them off one by one.


    Mo Hua said, "Was there any phrase that came from the mouth of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s past Sect Leader or an Elder?"


    The Little Five Elements Ghost frowned in thought for a while, then suddenly said, "Yes!"


    "Which one?"


    The Little Five Elements Ghost paused, his expression became sober, and he slowly said:


    "This phrase came from the lips of an Elder of the Five Elements Sect, the oldest and most obscure one..."


    "He, when alone facing the shrine, once said these words slowly:"


    "Divine Sense... becomes the Tao!"

 Chapter 625: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao (1)

    Chapter 625: Chapter 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_1Divine Sense Becomes the Dao?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled as he asked, ¡°Divine Sense Becomes the Dao, what does that mean?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost pulled at the corner of his mouth, offering a bitter smile, ¡°How would I know that?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned unfriendly.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost quickly explained, ¡°I really don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not a Tao Teaching Elder, and I don¡¯t understand Formations. Asking me about this, aren¡¯t you just making it difficult for me


    "Moreover, these words¡­I¡¯ve only heard them mentioned


    Mo Hua inquired, ¡°Which Elder spoke these words?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. He¡¯s very old, his face all wrinkles, his Blood Qi constantly in decline, hardly able to open his eyes. I¡¯ve never seen him on normal days.¡±


    "But the old Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, as well as a crowd of Elders, treat him with great respect, obviously due to his seniority.¡±


    Obviously due to his seniority¡­


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    Someone with such seniority might know the mystery of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua turned his head again to look at the Taoist Field.


    In the center of the Taoist Field, the Five Elements Spirit Formation shone brilliantly.


    The scene from just moments before came back to Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    He had manifested the Five Elements Spirit Formation, but the Formation Patterns were dim.


    The formless, unintentional Divine Sense, flowing from atop the meditation cushion into the Five Elements Spirit Formation in the Taoist Field, caused the Five Elements Spirit Formation to light up¡­ ?a?¨°?§¦?


    A manifested Formation lighting up signifies the Formation taking effect.


    This was identical to what was inside the Taoist Stele.


    On the Taoist Stele, when the Formation Patterns light up, it signifies the successful activation of the Formation.


    Mo Hua propped his chin up, quietly pondering¡­


    Divine Sense infused into the Five Elements Spirit Formation, the Patterns lit up¡­


    This appeared to be a demonstration.


    It was also the last link in the inheritance.


    The five meditation cushions outside the Shrine taught the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    The sixth ¡°cushion,¡± which only had a position, opened the door to the Shrine.


    Inside the Shrine, atop the Taoist Field, this meditation cushion¡ªthe seventh cushion¡ªrevealed the mystery of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Divine Sense Becomes the Dao¡­


    Conservation of Spiritual Power¡­


    From one, two arises; from two, three springs forth¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, and he suddenly enlightened. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Spiritual Power is conserved; the amount of Circulation Spiritual Power condenses an equal amount of Spells.


    And the power of the Five Elements can amplify the might of Spells.


    Spiritual Power itself does not increase or grow stronger. From where then does this amplified portion of Spell might come?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    It was Divine Sense.


    The old Elders of the Five Elements Sect had mentioned about Divine Sense Becomes the Dao, meaning to integrate Divine Sense into Taoist Skill, merging it with Spiritual Power.


    Only by doing this could one enhance the power of the Five Elements without changing the amount of Spiritual Power.


    But Drawing Formation requires the expenditure of Divine Sense¡­


    What was the difference between the two?


    Mo Hua recalled once again the image of Divine Thoughts merging into the Spirit Formation from atop the cushion, and his understanding gradually deepened.


    Typically, when Drawing Formation, the Divine Sense consumed isn¡¯t used within the Formation itself, but rather seems to be¡­


    Required to comprehend the Great Dao, to connect with the obscure Taoist Meaning of the cosmos, expending mental effort just to draw out the Patterns.


    This type of Divine Sense is the depletion of contemplation.


    But the Five Elements Spirit Formation is different.


    Apart from the Divine Sense consumed by the Formation itself, one must also infuse an additional part of Divine Sense into the Formation, merging it with Spiritual Power.


    In such a situation, the power of Divine Thoughts and Spiritual Power converge toward the same path, both considered a form of Tao Cultivation power.


    Divine Sense Becomes the Dao.


    Only by uniting Divine Sense with Spiritual Power can one draw out the true Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    But precisely because of this, the Ultimate Formation required significantly more Divine Sense than just the Thirteen Stripes.


    The Thirteen Stripes worth of Divine Sense represented merely the threshold for understanding the Patterns.


    But while Drawing the Patterns, one must also divide some Divine Sense and merge it into the Formation, amplifying the Spiritual Power, activating the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    As a result, this intensified the consumption of Divine Sense.


    On the surface, the Five Elements Spirit Formation may seem like a Thirteen Stripes Ultimate Formation, but it demands substantially more Divine Sense than the average Thirteen Stripes Formation.


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless.


    No wonder, this Ultimate Formation was almost lost to time.


    Not only is it difficult, but the inheritance process is so troublesome.


    Even more outrageous is that for a first-grade Thirteen Stripes, this level of Divine Sense requirement, high enough as it was, turned out to be effectively ¡°undervalued.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    At this juncture, there was no point in fretting over these.


    The current question was, how exactly to merge Divine Sense with Spiritual Power?


    It was not enough to merely think for oneself; Mo Hua decided to try it out following the demonstration taught by the meditation cushion.


    He sat on the cushion and tried again to draw the Gold Spirit Formation on the Array Plate in the Taoist Field.


    As he drew, he also separated a part of his Divine Sense to merge with the Patterns.


    He had only drawn a few strokes before he failed.


    Divine Sense had to comprehend the Formation while merging into the Patterns, a task of divided focus that proved quite difficult.


    Mo Hua tried a few more times.


    After several attempts, Mo Hua gradually understood the knack.


    He realized that this was also a method of Divine Sense application:


    "Dual-minded, Diverting Divine Sense.¡±


    One had to be distracted yet merged at the same time, a high demand for Divine Sense.


    However, with the cultivation technique of Heaven Yan Jue as his foundation and having comprehended the Spiritual Pivot Formation, both complementing each other, Mo Hua¡¯s control over Divine Sense and his manipulation of Spiritual Power had reached a highly nuanced level.


    Managing Divine Sense was not an issue.


    Knowing the method, after several more tries, it wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    As Mo Hua continued drawing, he couldn¡¯t help but frown:


    To learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation, one needs a strong Divine Sense, must perform Divine Sense Calculation, learn Heaven Yan Jue, comprehend Spiritual Pivot Formation, and also clearly grasp the Formation principle of the Ultimate Formation¡­


    All of these, he coincidentally knew.


    Was it a coincidence, or was it a deliberate arrangement by his master?


    Mo Hua became increasingly grateful for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s painstaking care and silently declared in his heart:


    "Since it¡¯s like this, I must learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation thoroughly and not let my master down!¡±


    Mo Hua focused his spirit and whole-heartedly drew the Gold Spirit Formation.


    The drawing was somewhat strenuous.


    The consumption of Divine Sense also gradually intensified.

 Chapter 626: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao (2)

    Chapter 626: Chapter 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_2But his Divine Sense was at the peak of Thirteen Stripes.


    Though not quite reaching Fourteen Stripes, it was still a lot stronger than Thirteen Stripes.


    If his deduction was correct, with his Divine Sense, he should be able to draw a single Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time passed, and finally, when his Divine Sense was about to run out, Mo Hua stopped his brush and took a long sigh of relief.


    In front of him was a complete Gold Spirit Formation.


    And above the Formation, the golden light shone brilliantly!


    The ethereal Divine Sense fused with the manifested Spiritual Power, flowing like liquid gold between the Formation Patterns.


    This was the enhanced Golden Series Spiritual Power.


    It was the true Enhanced Power of Five Elements.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, a clear smile brimming on his face.


    Standing beside him, the Little Five Elements Ghost showed an astonished look, which quickly turned into pupil-shaking shock.


    What is this?


    A Golden Spirit Ultimate Formation?!


    How did this junior cultivator manage to draw it out?


    When did he become capable of doing this?


    When he just came in, wasn¡¯t he still completely clueless?


    After sitting for a while on the cushion and studying the Array Plate, he learned the Ultimate Formation in the time it took to drink a cup of tea?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost found this unbelievable.


    After all, it had sat on this cushion for hundreds of years and stared at this Array Plate for equally long without learning a thing¡­


    And this junior cultivator learned it just by sitting down?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost stared blankly, lost in thought, thinking to itself:


    "I¡¯ve been pretending to be a Tao Teaching Elder for so long, I¡¯ve seen so many Formation Masters, but I¡¯ve never seen such an evil monster with a monstrous aptitude ???????¦¢??


    "Is this junior cultivator really human?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was shocked inside, and suddenly a sense of alarm surged.


    It raised its head and saw that Mo Hua was watching it, and his gaze carried clear malice¡­


    Like¡­ looking at five-colored pastries?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost couldn¡¯t help but shiver, its voice trembling:


    "What¡­ what are you going to do?!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was somewhat cold, as he pondered how to deal with this Little Five Elements Ghost¡­


    Logically, it should be killed.


    These ghostly and monstrous thoughts, although seemingly harmless on the surface, belong to a sly and different kind, with inherently other intentions.


    His Divine Thought was strong and adept at slaughter, which was why this Little Five Elements Ghost appeared so cowering.


    If his Divine Thought had been weak, at best it would have deceived him under the guise of a Tao Teaching Elder, playing tricks and toying with him, or at worst, it would have revealed its true form and swallowed him whole.


    Moreover, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was still not strong enough.


    Such evil Thought Bodies, he should ¡°eat¡± as many as he could¡­


    Looking at the Little Five Elements Ghost, Mo Hua was like a cat eyeing a mouse, his gaze growing brighter¡­


    A shadow loomed over the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s heart.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost barked fiercely, ¡°You can¡¯t kill me!¡±


    "Why not?¡±


    "I¡¯ve helped you!¡±


    "What have you helped me with?¡±


    "I The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s mind raced, and it quickly said, ¡°I taught you the Five Elements Spirit Formation!¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t understand Formations and couldn¡¯t do the Five Elements Spirit Formation? If you can¡¯t do it yourself, how can you teach me?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was at a loss for words, but then quickly retorted:


    "Without me, you wouldn¡¯t have known about ¡®Divine Sense Becomes the Dao¡¯ and wouldn¡¯t have been able to comprehend the Five Element Ultimate Formation


    Mo Hua paused, thought for a moment, and felt that made some sense.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost had indirectly helped him¡­


    He was about to say something else.


    But the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s expression suddenly turned fierce, its mouth revealing sharp fangs as it pounced toward Mo Hua, aiming to bite his neck.


    Its movement technique was very fast, getting close to Mo Hua in an instant. Then, with great joy and greed in its eyes, it opened its mouth wide to bite fiercely.


    In matters of life and death, it couldn¡¯t care less about words.


    It couldn¡¯t leave its life and death to the mercy of others.


    So it struck first.


    From the previous combat, it felt it had seen through Mo Hua¡¯s moves¡ªmanifestation of Divine Thought, mastery of spells, and throughout the fight, always keeping the distance.


    If so, he must be skilled in long-range spells but weaker in close-quarter combat.


    As long as it got the chance to get in close and land a bite, just one bite, the poison of the Five Elements would enter the body, and this junior would have no place to be buried!


    The Little Five Elements Ghost got its wish, getting close to Mo Hua, beneath its sinister fangs lay Mo Hua¡¯s tender neck.


    It bit down ferociously!


    The very next instant, it instead felt a painful clack as its upper and lower teeth snapped together.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s jaw numbed, a chill rising from within.


    It bit the air¡­


    And when it looked up,


    Somehow, Mo Hua had already drifted away like a fish, serenely resting afar, his expression composed and calm, yet with a hint of regret,


    "I just found some excuses to spare your life, yet you sought your own death


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s eyes revealed fear and confusion.


    What happened?


    How did this junior escape?


    It didn¡¯t have time to ponder and lunged at Mo Hua once more.


    But with a hollow grip of his left hand, Mo Hua formed the Water Prison Technique, and with a point of his right, the Fireball Technique materialized.


    In an instant, the Little Five Elements Ghost was frozen in place by the Water Prison Technique, subject to a relentless bombardment of fireballs¡­


    Its body burningly painful, its heart bitter.


    Why was it so unlucky to have encountered this little disaster star!


    Watching its form begin to fade, it quickly pled for mercy again:


    "Little ancestor, I was wrong!¡±


    Mo Hua ignored it, gave no ear to explanations, and continued the indiscriminate barrage of fireballs.


    Seeing that it was getting desperate, the Little Five Elements Ghost gritted its teeth and said:


    "Don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll tell you a secret!¡±


    Mo Hua stopped attacking, unable to resist asking, ¡°A real secret or a fake one?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost clutched at this lifeline and quickly replied:


    "A real one!¡±


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it first.¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated, its eyelids twitching, then said:


    "If I tell you, will you let me go?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression cooled, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost sneered, just about to speak in scorn when it saw Mo Hua¡¯s imposing stance¡ªthe gesture of condensing spells suggested that if it didn¡¯t reveal the secret, he would show no hesitation in dispatching it to the heavens.

 Chapter 627: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao (3)

    Chapter 627: Chapter 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_3The Little Five Elements Ghost was startled and quickly said, ¡°I dare not, I dare not!¡±


    It grumbled in its heart.


    This little ancestor, how could he neither be soft nor hard, and not make any sense?


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression cleared slightly and said,


    "You speak first, I will listen and then consider whether to let you go.¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Under the eaves, people must bow their heads.¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated, sighed, and had no choice but to say,


    "This secret, I discovered it by myself, over the centuries, in secret


    It glanced at Mo Hua, pointed to the surroundings where Formation Master Wooden Carvings were gathered, Formation Patterns were everywhere, and the Array Plate was expansive, a strict Taoist Field, and said solemnly,


    "This Taoist Field, it¡¯s actually a fake Taoist Field


    "Hidden within the Shrine, there¡¯s another¡­ a real Taoist Field!¡±


    A real Taoist Field?


    Mo Hua clearly didn¡¯t believe it and was about to continue to torment the little ghost with charcoal.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost immediately swore and promised,


    "Really, if I speak untruths, may my soul vanish, my spirit disperse, and may I die without a burial place!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    To make such a harsh vow?


    He thought for a moment and nodded slightly, ¡°Tell me carefully.¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost breathed a sigh of relief and then said,


    "This Shrine might seem simple, but it is actually a dwelling of the divine, a repository for Divine Thought, only accessible by Great cultivators with high realms and profound Divine Sense ?????????????


    "How could such a refined Shrine simply be used to teach an Ultimate Formation?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost whispered,


    "For the years I¡¯ve been trapped in the Shrine, guarding the Taoist Field, I¡¯ve seen many Five Elements Sect¡¯s cultivators, heard many secrets of the Five Elements Sect, and alone in the Shrine, I¡¯ve managed to find that there are two different Taoist Fields within the Shrine


    The Little Five Elements Ghost pointed to the ground, ¡°This Taoist Field we see now is a ¡®Skill Transmission¡¯ Taoist Field, which transmits the Five Elements Ultimate Formation


    "There¡¯s another Taoist Field


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°The real ¡®Heritage¡¯ Taoist Field.¡±


    "Within the Heritage Taoist Field, there lies the Five Elements Sect¡¯s real inheritance, never shown to others!¡±


    Having said that, the Little Five Elements Ghost sneakily glanced at Mo Hua.


    It thought that after saying this, Mo Hua would be overjoyed, excited, greedy, or at least curious¡­


    But Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained calm as water.


    He countered, ¡°What is the Five Elements Sect¡¯s real inheritance?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated and shook its head.


    "Have you been to the real Heritage Taoist Field?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost shook its head again.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°You say this inheritance has never been shown to ¡®people¡¯, so how do you know about it?¡±


    "Because you¡¯re a ¡®ghost¡¯?¡±


    That joke was cold.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost couldn¡¯t laugh and simply shook its head.


    "Good!¡± Mo Hua nodded, his gaze turning dangerous, ¡°To save your life, you weave tales, stall for time, and you want to keep deceiving me!¡±


    The Five Elements Sect having the Five Elements Spirit Formation was already quite impressive.


    Beyond that, what could there be of this so-called ¡°real inheritance¡±?


    Not even his master had ever mentioned it.


    How would this little ghost know about it?


    Even if, in a remote chance, there was such an inheritance, this Five Elements little ghost, who knows nothing of formations, would not be able to distinguish it.


    It has been sitting on this Taoist Field¡¯s meditation cushion for centuries.


    It has seen the ¡°Divine Sense Becomes the Dao¡± demonstration in the Five Elements Spirit Formation countless times, and still, it¡¯s blind to the process, knowing nothing.


    With such a standard, how could it be aware of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s ¡°real inheritance¡±?


    I¡¯m afraid that even if the inheritance were placed right in front of it, it would be as blind as a bat, as if reading a heavenly script, knowing nothing.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost, all mouth, and no truth, is useless to keep around.


    Murderous intent appeared in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    Seeing the look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, the Little Five Elements Ghost was greatly alarmed and finally revealed its trump card:


    "It¡¯s true, I know the entrance!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°The entrance to the real Heritage Taoist Field?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hurriedly nodded.


    Mo Hua was non-committal, simply saying,


    "Show it to me.¡±


    After a lot of hesitation, the Little Five Elements Ghost finally said helplessly,


    "Fine


    It walked into the Taoist Field, to the area above the Field, approached the meditation cushion, and then with a slight sigh, picked up the cushion, flipped it over, and laid it back in its place.


    "Flip over the meditation cushion and sit on it again, and you¡¯ll see the real Heritage Taoist Field!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost might be telling the truth¡­


    Transmission through the meditation cushion, one side for teaching, one for inheriting.


    One for Skill Transmission, one for Heritage.


    On the surface, it was just an ordinary Shrine, simply another Taoist Field, but within the meditation cushion, it contained its own universe.


    Such ingenious planning, truly exquisite and unparalleled¡­


    Mo Hua glanced again at the Little Five Elements Ghost, still keeping his guard up.


    The Taoist Field might be real, but he still couldn¡¯t be at ease about this little ghost.


    But time was running out¡­


    Although Mo Hua had not calculated exactly, he knew that it had been almost four hours since he entered the Shrine Taoist Field.


    Once the time was up, he would have to leave.


    Once he left, he feared he would never be able to enter the Formation Pavilion of the Five Elements Sect again.


    Mo Hua really wanted to know whether the Five Elements Sect actually had this Heritage Taoist Field¡­


    "Perhaps¡­ just take a look?¡±


    Mo Hua stepped forward, drawing closer to the meditation cushion, but still hesitating.


    Just at that moment, a sudden change occurred.


    A staggering aura erupted around him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened, and from the corner of his eye, he saw the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s expression change, no longer timid but cold and ferocious.


    Its body burst with brilliant five-colored light.


    At the same time, its sharp claws lunged straight for Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Had this Little Five Elements Ghost been hiding its true strength?


    Mo Hua frowned, but remained fearless in the face of danger, executing the Water Passing Step. In a critically close moment, he dodged the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s lethal claw.


    But as he retreated and dodged, one foot could not help but step onto the meditation cushion.


    The cushion suddenly exerted a strong suction force, dragging at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt as if the world was turning upside down, the scenery blurred and shifting, and then he fell into a void¡­


    His figure also completely vanished from the Skill Transmission Taoist Field.


    The Taoist Field was empty and silent.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost laughed triumphantly:


    "Good!¡±


    "Good!¡±


    "All my acting and enduring in silence has not been in vain!¡±


    It glanced at the spot on the cushion where Mo Hua had just disappeared, sneering:


    "No matter how clever and crafty you are, you will be trapped to death in this Shrine Taoist Field, never able to free yourself!¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost then rejoiced wildly:


    "After centuries, I¡¯m finally going to escape to freedom!¡±


    At that moment, the incense had burned down.


    The four hours were up.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated no longer, turning into an escape light, fleeing from the Shrine¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at this very moment, Mr. Zhuang, who was sitting on the third floor drinking tea for rejuvenation, suddenly opened his eyes.


    The Chief Elder rose to his feet, smiling composedly:


    "The hour has come; it¡¯s time for me to invite the senior¡¯s disciples out. I wonder how well they have learned


    But Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡±


    The smile on the Chief Elder¡¯s face gradually faded. ¡°Senior, what do you mean by that?¡±


    "Nothing much,¡± Mr. Zhuang replied indifferently. ¡°This tea is quite delightful. Join me for a little while longer.¡±


    The Chief Elder, slightly angry yet hiding it with a smile, said:


    "Senior, you¡¯ve already been drinking for four hours. Even if the tea is excellent, surely you¡¯ve had enough?¡±


    "I¡¯ve had enough, but I have a Taoist friend who hasn¡¯t,¡± said Mr. Zhuang with a slight smile.


    "A Taoist friend?¡±


    The Chief Elder was taken aback. Then, shifting his gaze, he noticed that the seat to his right, which had been empty, was now occupied by a dour and wooden-looking old man.


    This person was Old Kui.


    The Chief Elder exclaimed indignantly, ¡°Mr. Zhuang


    But before he could finish, he saw Old Kui lift his head and give him a glance.


    That look pierced through to his soul, sending a shiver down his spine, as if he¡¯d been cast into an icy pit.


    The Chief Elder staggered a few steps before steadying himself and quickly changed his tone to a polite and mild manner:


    "Mr. Zhuang, please, as you wish, there¡¯s no rush, no rush at all


    After speaking, the Chief Elder wiped the cold sweat from his brow, still feeling alarm.


    He wanted to take another look at Old Kui but didn¡¯t dare; fear swelled within him.


    What level of Cultivation did this old man possess¡­


    The Chief Elder was terrified internally but dared not say anything else.


    But fortunately, the incense had already burned out, the Shrine was closed, and the Dao could not be manifested.


    Those little ghosts, although they stayed inside, wouldn¡¯t be able to learn much.


    It didn¡¯t matter much if they stayed a bit longer¡­


    The Chief Elder breathed a sigh of relief, consoling himself.


    Mr. Zhuang remained calm on the surface, but his heart stirred, and he began forming gestures beneath his sleeve. After a moment, his eyes widened in surprise.


    His young disciple seemed to have discovered something extraordinary¡­


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, his expression growing serious.


    What secrets did the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect still hold back¡­

 Chapter 628: Formation Flow (1)

    Chapter 628: Chapter 537 Formation Flow_1¡°`


    Formation Pavilion, before the Shrine.


    The incense had burnt out, leaving only ashes behind.


    Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng stood guard over Mo Hua¡¯s body during ¡°Divine Thought¡¯s departure,¡± their faces filled with worry.


    "Time¡¯s up, why hasn¡¯t Mo Hua awakened?¡± Bai Zisheng expressed his concern.


    Bai Zixi frowned as well.


    Just then, ¡°Mo Hua¡± murmured something and opened his eyes.


    Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng¡¯s expressions brightened with joy.


    Bai Zixi softly asked, ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡±


    The gaze of ¡°Mo Hua¡± held a moment of confusion, then slowly cleared up as he sat up and nodded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    At the sight of ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s¡± smile, Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze turned cold, and instantly she brought her hand down like a knife on the back of ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s¡± head, knocking him unconscious.


    Bai Zisheng was shocked. ¡°Zixi! Why did you strike Mo Hua?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°Something¡¯s off about him.¡±


    "Off?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback, then looked closely at Mo Hua, his brow furrowing as he too noticed something amiss.


    "Mo Hua¡¯s¡± aura had changed¡­


    His face no longer looked as adorable as before.


    The smile just now felt somewhat out of place.


    This wasn¡¯t his junior brother.


    Bai Zisheng then remembered something Mo Hua had instructed long ago:


    "If you find anything wrong with me, knock me out immediately!¡±


    Bai Zisheng slightly nodded, puzzled, ¡°An evil spirit has invaded his Sea of Consciousness?¡±


    "It¡¯s possible


    "But that can¡¯t be right¡­ how could there be an evil spirit inside the Shrine?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know


    "What about Mo Hua then?¡±


    Bai Zixi turned her head, staring at the Shrine, her eyes like glimmering glass, deep and inscrutable.


    Bai Zisheng opened his mouth, ¡°He can¡¯t still be inside, can he¡­?¡±


    He was getting anxious, ¡°The incense is gone, the Shrine is sealed, how will our junior brother¡­ get out?¡±


    "Perhaps Bai Zisheng pondered with a furrowed brow, ¡°we should find the Chief Elder, have him light another stick of incense, open the Shrine, and let junior brother out?¡± ????¦Á????????


    Bai Zixi slowly shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    The Shrine was connected to the core heritage of the Five Elements Sect, the Chief Elder definitely wouldn¡¯t agree.


    Junior brother must have discovered some secret of the Shrine¡­


    Otherwise, with his cleverness, he shouldn¡¯t be unable to come out.


    "Let¡¯s wait a little longer,¡± Bai Zixi said calmly.


    Bai Zisheng was still worried, ¡°But the time is already up


    Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed, her thoughts racing, ¡°The time is up, but the Chief Elder hasn¡¯t come, which must mean Master has foreseen some complication and kept the Chief Elder detained.¡±


    "Master is buying time for junior brother.¡±


    "We¡¯ll wait here, make sure junior brother is safe until he comes out


    Bai Zixi¡¯s voice was clear yet cold.


    Bai Zisheng, who always listened to his sister and knew she was smarter than him, readily nodded in agreement.


    ¡­


    Inside Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was jumping up and down in fury. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What¡¯s happening?¡±


    "How was I detected?¡±


    But having only said two words and smiled, it was seen through and promptly knocked unconscious¡­


    Why?


    Why did the girl recognize at a glance that he was an imposter?


    Even as fellow Sect disciples, living side by side, it shouldn¡¯t have been possible to notice at first sight¡­


    Something was fishy¡­


    The Little Five Elements Ghost felt apprehensive.


    This Sect, from top to bottom, from junior brother to senior sister, was indeed extraordinary; not only were they talented and quick-witted, but their minds were sharp and clear as well.


    If this continued, it would be unable to escape¡­


    It hadn¡¯t planned on occupying Mo Hua¡¯s body forever, for that was simply impossible.


    The junior brother¡¯s master was a fearsome entity.


    Its own guise would be instantly seen through.


    It only wanted to borrow Mo Hua¡¯s body to escape from the Shrine and the Formation Pavilion.


    But it never expected to be exposed not by the junior brother¡¯s master but by his junior sister instead.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was confused.


    It had impersonated a Tao Teaching Elder, yet this junior cultivator saw through it.


    It had impersonated the junior cultivator, yet his senior sister saw through it.


    Was its acting really that bad?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost furrowed its brows, anxiety filling its heart.


    Now it was in a difficult position.


    Trapped inside Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Unable to leave if it wanted to, and certainly unable to stay.


    It didn¡¯t believe it could truly deceive everyone.


    It still needed to find a way to leave¡­


    The Little Five Elements Ghost sat cross-legged, surveying its surroundings again, and couldn¡¯t help but marvel:


    "This junior brother¡¯s Sea of Consciousness is truly a blessed paradise ¨C vast, resilient, with a pure and profound aura. Even though Divine Sense has departed, the remnant Divine Sense is exceptionally pure and profound


    "This is not a Qi Refinement cultivator¡¯s Sea of Consciousness¡­ It¡¯s comparable to, no, even surpasses an ordinary Foundation Establishment


    "He really is an evil monster


    The Little Five Elements Ghost shook its head.


    Suddenly its expression changed.


    No, something¡¯s not right!


    This Sea of Consciousness feels off!


    It sniffed the air, its pupils dilating in shock.


    The aura of the Great Dao!


    This was¡­ an aura closer to the source than the Five Elements Qi!


    There was something ancient and terrifying hidden within this junior brother¡¯s Sea of Consciousness!


    Greed flashed across the eyes of the Little Ghost, but that was soon replaced by deep fear.


    It had lived in the Shrine for hundreds of years, witnessed the evolutions of formations countless times, and had a faint premonition about the Heavenly secret.


    The current premonition made it inexplicably tremble with fear.


    As if staying any longer, by midnight when something ¡°awakens,¡± that ancient and powerful aura of the Great Dao would grind it down, bit by bit, into dust, erasing it completely, never to transcend to the afterlife!


    The Little Five Elements Ghost quivered, its limbs going weak.


    "I¡¯m done for, I¡¯m going to die!¡±


    "I need to think of a way to escape quickly!¡±

 Chapter 629: Formation Flow (2)

    Chapter 629: Chapter 537 Formation Flow_2¡°`


    "If I don¡¯t run¡­ it¡¯s over


    Though this was an opportunity, it was clearly not meant for me.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost forced itself to calm down.


    It¡¯s all right¡­


    There¡¯s still time¡­


    Later on, as I control the little cultivator¡¯s body, as long as I can move, I¡¯ll immediately run out. Running out of the Formation Pavilion, I¡¯ll find any cultivator from the Five Elements Sect to possess, completely breaking free from this terrifying Sea of Consciousness.


    Once I¡¯m out, the sky is the limit.


    Not confined to the shrine and able to feed on the Divine Thoughts of cultivators, I¡¯ll live a free and easy life.


    And as long as I feed enough, my Divine Thoughts strong and capable of digesting the Five Elements Qi, one day I will also achieve enlightenment.


    I might even ascend to the station of a Heavenly Demon, the stage of an Evil God¡­


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s mood stabilized, its eyes brimming with ambition.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at this very moment, inside the Shrine, within the true Taoist Field.


    The world upside down, with everything in reverse.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and recovered his Divine Sense.


    The Taoist Field before him was the same, yet everything was different.


    The surrounding wood carving Formation Masters, seemingly like living people, were mechanically, meticulously following some rules, constantly Drawing Formations and Formation Patterns.


    All the decorations within the Shrine¡ªSpirit Beasts, chariots, precious Flowers and Herbs, carved beams and painted rafters, all kinds of Magical Treasures¡­


    All had shed their outer forms, revealing the Formations within.


    The appearance of all things concealed Formations within.


    Everything was false, only the Formation was true.


    Mo Hua felt both shocked and perplexed:


    "Is this the Heritage Taoist Field of the Five Elements Sect?¡±


    Was that Little Five Elements Ghost deceiving me?


    There is indeed a Taoist Field, but does it truly contain the real heritage of the Five Elements Sect?


    What is the true heritage of the Five Elements Sect?


    A Formation even rarer than the Five Elements Ultimate Formation?


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat baffled.


    And that Little Five Elements Ghost, it tricked me into coming here, trapped me in this place, did it want to escape the Shrine?


    How can I get out?


    It seems there¡¯s no exit around the Taoist Field.


    Four hours should be up by now, I wonder what¡¯s happening outside the Shrine¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were abundant, but after a moment, he shook his head and calmed his mind.


    Worrying about these things is useless now.


    Since I¡¯m here, I might as well make the best of it.


    I need to figure out the true situation of this Taoist Field first.


    Mo Hua began to extend his Divine Sense, carefully observing the Taoist Field, trying to see if this was truly a ¡°Heritage¡± Taoist Field and if it really contained the true heritage of the Five Elements Sect¡­ ??¦­¦¯??????


    After some investigation, Mo Hua pondered:


    First, there was not a single person within this Heritage Taoist Field.


    Or rather, not a single ¡°living¡± Divine Thought, Divine Sense, or even a shadowy ghost.


    The surrounding wood carving Formation Masters, although like living people, were incessantly Drawing Formations. Yet they were still just wood carvings, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, they were more like puppets.


    The Formations they Drew were diverse, but they were all Five-elements Formation Methods.


    The Drawn Formation Patterns were rigid and meticulous.


    Mo Hua stared at them for a moment, his eyes filled with confusion:


    "Rather than saying they¡¯re Drawing Formations


    "It¡¯s better to say they¡¯re recording Formations


    "Painstakingly recording the process of Forming Formations


    Mo Hua looked again at the Formation Patterns they Draw, his expression even more puzzled.


    These Formation Patterns, though they fell under the category of Five Elements, were different from the standard Patterns and seemed to have been specially processed, gradually evolving until they were summarized and concluded¡­


    Aside from the Formations Drawn by the wood carving Formation Masters, everything in the entire Taoist Field, including the large Array Plate in the center, encompassed this kind of special Formation.


    It was this ¡°summarizing¡± type of Formation Pattern.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    What kind of Formation was this?


    Or, perhaps the Formation itself was not the key point, and the method of ¡°summarizing¡± was the essence?


    Mo Hua scrutinized it again in great detail, one by one.


    When he did, he was taken aback.


    He found many Formations here that he couldn¡¯t understand at all.


    Because these Formations were not First-grade Formations!


    They were Second Grade, Third Grade, and even above Third Grade!


    These Formations contained Patterns that were more complex, with more robust strokes and more obscure techniques, and the number of Patterns was much greater than in the First-grade Formations.


    Following along with just a few glances and a bit of contemplation, Mo Hua felt as if his Divine Sense was pouring out like water.


    Mo Hua internally braced himself, swiftly safeguarding his mind, reminding himself:


    "Do not reach beyond your grasp, do not reach beyond your grasp


    Once his thoughts settled and his Divine Sense replenished, Mo Hua continued his observation, but this time with self-awareness, focusing solely on the First-grade Formations.


    Mo Hua was thoroughly familiar with the First-grade Five Elements Formations.


    His understanding of the principles of Five Elements Formation was also profound.


    Therefore, it was not difficult for him to observe.


    Mo Hua compared the Five Elements Formations he had mastered, his own understandings of the Five Elements Formation principles, with the special, variant Five Elements Formations within the Taoist Field, scrutinizing them closely.


    Again and again, he observed the techniques used by the wood carving Formation Masters in Drawing Formations¡­


    Delving into the extensions of the same Formations and the evolution of the Patterns¡­


    After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua suddenly started, then had an epiphany, and exclaimed:


    "Could this possibly be¡­ Calculation?!¡±


    Unlike the Divine Sense Calculation taught by his master, this was a completely different method!


    His master taught him to use Formation Patterns to calculate Spirit Traces, deducing the more fundamental trajectories of Spiritual Power when the Formation operated. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Conversely, it was also possible to use the Formation¡¯s Spirit Traces to calculate the specific Patterns.


    The former goes from the surface to the core to deepen one¡¯s understanding of the Formation;


    The latter goes from the core to the surface to perceive the real Patterns.


    But the Calculation Method within the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Heritage Taoist Field was entirely different.


    It seemed to be calculating not the relationship between the Patterns and the Spirit Traces.

 Chapter 630: Formation Flow (3)

    Chapter 630: Chapter 537 Formation Flow_3It was purely an induction and calculation of the changes in Formation Patterns and the transformations of Formations.


    From the complex to the simple, from two to one, deepening the understanding of the common characteristics between different Formations and Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua suddenly had a moment of clarity.


    Could this method of calculation be the true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect?


    Although Mo Hua only understood a fraction of it, he felt it was profound and extraordinary.


    This was Calculation¡­


    He had to learn it!


    As the saying goes, it¡¯s better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.


    Formations are the ¡°fish,¡± Calculation is the ¡°fishing.¡±


    By learning Calculation, one could better learn and comprehend Formations.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    A special Calculation Method!


    It¡¯s indeed a tradition from a once long-standing and first-rate Formation Sect!


    Mo Hua was excited.


    But then, he encountered some difficulty, how should he learn this Calculation Method?


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense again, searching every corner of the Taoist Field.


    Within the Taoist Field, there were only Formations, with no other methods of inheritance such as Secret Manuals, canons, written words, or insights.


    Mo Hua then rested his chin in his hands, pondering:


    Judging from previous events, the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect were somewhat traditional, stubborn, and obscure in their practices.


    When teaching, they didn¡¯t like to do so directly; they preferred to simplify complexity.


    They didn¡¯t like verbal or written instructions; they preferred to demonstrate directly.


    "Demonstrate


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone as he realized something while watching the wood-carving Formation Master that never stopped carving Formations. They were demonstrating.


    What they were demonstrating was exactly how to do this kind of Calculation.


    Step by step, from simple to complex, from basic Formation Patterns changing and alternating, gradually evolving, transforming, and merging¡­


    It meant¡­


    Watch and learn by oneself.


    What you can learn is what you get.


    What you understand is what you¡¯ve truly comprehended. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What others say is not yours; what you realize on your own is much more profound.


    Mo Hua sighed with realization.


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect indeed had the style of true masters!


    Without delay, Mo Hua watched the wood carvings Drawing Formations, personally inducing and learning this special Calculation Method from the Five Elements Sect. ?????¦­?????¨º?


    The Formation Paintings by the wood carvings were more than just first-grade.


    But Mo Hua could only learn first-grade.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t greedy, aware that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; he¡¯d first master the first-grade, and save the advanced ones for later.


    Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day, what you can eat is what you have¡­


    Within the Taoist Field, time passed bit by bit.


    Mo Hua concentrated deeply, immersing himself, learning the Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect bit by bit with the mechanical movements of the wood carvings.


    Formation Patterns were calculated and transformed in his mind¡­


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Mo Hua finally grasped the essence of it.


    Mo Hua also tried to calculate a few Formation Patterns himself and compared them with those in the Taoist Field, finding no errors before nodding in satisfaction.


    He had strong Divine Sense and, with the Calculation Method taught by Mr. Zhuang as a foundation, he had been calculating for fun, calculating Formations, Large Formations, and Ultimate Formations, becoming extremely proficient in Calculation¡­


    The Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect, although special, was not exceptionally difficult.


    Mo Hua learned quickly.


    Just speaking of the first-grade Formation Method Calculation, he had already learned the bulk of it; any flaws could be slowly refined and comprehended over time.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    A special Calculation Method!


    Although that Little Five Elements Ghost had tricked him, he had not lied; this Taoist Field indeed contained a higher level of Formation inheritance!


    By mastering this type of Calculation, his visit was worthwhile.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Then, he became curious:


    What exactly is this Calculation for?


    What use are these varied Formation Patterns?


    Learn to apply¡­ If it¡¯s not applicable, what is the point of learning it?


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, falling into deep thought:


    "Could it be that I¡¯m missing something?¡±


    Mo Hua then revisited this type of Calculation, meticulously revising his thoughts from beginning to end:


    Divine Sense Calculation, Formation transformations¡­


    Turning the complex and diverse Five Elements Formations and various Formation Patterns into a unified, comprehensive Pattern¡­


    Simplifying complexity, uniting the many into one¡­


    And then what?


    Uniting the many into one¡­ does one lead to understanding all?


    Mo Hua was stunned, then as if struck by lightning, he was profoundly shaken.


    One leads to all¡­ Is that not Immortal Sky Formation Flow?


    No, it should be called Five Elements Formation Flow?


    Five Elements Formation Flow?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils shook.


    Does that mean that the Calculation I just learned is the method to induce the Formation Method Origin Stream?


    The results of the Calculation, are they Formation Flow?


    The true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect is a Formation Flow?!


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in shock, overwhelmed with astonishment.


    He had never imagined!


    The ambition of the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect was so immense!


    They established this Taoist Field, intending to conduct Calculations akin to the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, aiming to personally induce and pass down through the generations¡­ the Formation Method Origin Stream of the Five Elements Formation?!

 Chapter 631:

    Chapter 631: Chapter 538 ¡°Pastry¡±_1Mo Hua then realized that his vision had been too narrow¡­


    The inheritance of the Five Elements Sect far exceeded his expectations!


    But the confusion in his heart only grew:


    What was the difference between the Five Elements Formation Flow and the Immortal Sky Formation Flow?


    If the Immortal Sky Formation Flow governed all the formations under the heavens and aligned with the Dao of Formation, did it include the Five Elements Formation Flow?


    Did the Five Elements Formation Flow contain some Formation principles that the Immortal Sky Formation Flow had never touched upon?


    Or were they completely different inheritances?


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Besides that, there was an even more important question:


    The Five Elements Sect built a Shrine, established a Taoist Field, calculated Formations, simplified complexity, and united the multitude into one, in an attempt to deduce the deepest and most abstruse Formation Flow within the inheritance of formations.


    Had they, in the end, calculated it?


    If they had, where was this Five Elements Formation Flow?


    Or rather, what exactly was the Five Elements Formation Flow, and in what form did it exist?


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment.


    It was then that he realized he truly had no idea what a Formation Flow actually was.


    He had never studied the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, not even seen it, only grasping a vague concept, understanding only half of it.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, contemplating with doubt in his heart:


    "What exactly is the so-called ¡®Formation Flow¡¯ as an inheritance?¡±


    "Is it a Cultivation Technique? A Taoist Skill? A formation arrangement? A string of thoughts? An insight? A Divine Thought?¡±


    "Or is it like the Five Elements Spirit Formation, a display of some Formation principle?¡±


    Mo Hua searched the Taoist Field once again with great detail but still found nothing¡ªthe only anomaly, the Formation Patterns in the central Taoist Field. ?¨¤¦­§à????§§????


    He hadn¡¯t noticed them before, but now that he had learned the Five Elements Calculation Method and applied it to deduce, he discovered many of the Patterns in the center of the field were actually incomplete.


    It was as if they had premises but no conclusions.


    There were Calculations but no Formation Flow.


    Mo Hua sighed with a hint of regret.


    It seemed that they hadn¡¯t figured it out¡­


    But after thinking it over, this seemed normal.


    If the Five Elements Sect truly had calculated the Five Elements Formation Flow and used it as their inheritance, they would have greatly flourished in the way of Formations, ascending to the ranks of a top Formation Sect, and their descendants wouldn¡¯t have fallen into decline like this.


    It appeared that a Formation Flow was exceedingly difficult to calculate.


    Probably, the Five Elements Sect had wanted to accomplish everything in one stroke, expending massive human and material resources, as well as the mental power of Formation Masters, only to fail in the end, unable to calculate the Formation Flow, leading the Sect to waste its time, deplete its foundation, and suffer greatly, gradually leading to its decline¡­


    They gambled on their fortune but lost¡­


    Such a pity¡­


    Mo Hua felt a touch of regret.


    He genuinely wanted to experience for himself what the true Five Elements Formation Flow was like.


    But on second thought, being able to learn the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation Method was already quite an accomplishment.


    One must not be too greedy.


    Moreover, having learned this Calculation, did it mean¡­


    When his Divine Sense was strong enough and his study of Formations was deep enough in the future, he could try to calculate the Formation Flow himself? Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To deduce my own Formation Flow?


    A spark of excitement leaped in Mo Hua¡¯s heart, his eyes shone brightly, filled with anticipation.


    Mo Hua gazed at the Taoist Field once more.


    This Taoist Field, which recorded the method of Formation Flow deduction, was the true Heritage Taoist Field of the Five Elements Sect.


    But this was as far as he could learn.


    After all, the Shrine belonged to the Five Elements Sect, not to him; he could not continue studying there indefinitely.


    He needed to find a way to leave.


    Mo Hua circled around once more and found that the key to leaving was still the meditation mat.


    When he came in, Mo Hua had noticed that there were Formation Patterns on the meditation mat within the Heritage Taoist Field, but these Patterns were Variant Formation Patterns.


    At first, he didn¡¯t understand them.


    Now that he had understood the unique Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect, he got it.


    The Calculation Method, itself, was the method of opening the way.


    He flipped over the meditation mat, then started to calculate and deduce, summarizing the Formation on the mat into a single Pattern, and drew that Pattern at the center of the mat.


    The scenery around him twisted and merged, inside and out, upside down.


    Mo Hua felt dizzy and his head swelled. After a moment, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself out of the Heritage Taoist Field.


    Now, he was in the Skill Transmission Taoist Field.


    The surroundings were adorned with wooden carvings and clay sculptures, figures of chariots and Spirit Beasts, and decorative motifs of treasure vases and flowers, no longer the Taoist Field¡¯s original array of Patterns.


    All was empty around him.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was nowhere to be seen.


    "Ran away, huh


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became sharp and focused.


    To trap him in the Taoist Field and then look for a way to escape and survive?


    He took note of this debt!


    Mo Hua looked around once again.


    Now, the Skill Transmission Taoist Field was silent as the grave.


    Four hours had passed, the incense had burned out, the Shrine was sealed, no entry from the outside, no exit to the inside, and he could no longer see the scenery outside.


    Mo Hua made his way along the exterior of the Taoist Field to the Shrine¡¯s door.


    He had entered through this door before.


    Now, the door was tightly shut, surrounded by a dense array of Formations, like layers of chains, completely locking the door and isolating the inside of the Shrine from the outside.


    But Mo Hua let out a breath of relief.


    For him, a problem with Formations wasn¡¯t really a problem.


    To try to confine him with Formations was impossible.


    Mo Hua frowned in thought.


    "Which method should I use to open the door?¡±


    To break the Formation?


    That seemed too much effort.


    To decipher the Formation?


    The Formations on this door were crafted by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, probably for the sake of inheritance. Therefore, they were only of first grade, but the methods were very special and ancient.


    It would be quite time-consuming to actually go through and decipher each Formation.


    With little time to spare, better to try a different solution¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Formation Collapse!


    Ever since he had annihilated Feng Xi using Great Formation Dissolution, it had been a long time since Mo Hua had attempted a Formation Collapse.


    His master had cautioned him not to use collapse lightly and never to let others discover it.


    But now he was inside the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Shrine, where there was no one else, not even a ¡°ghost¡± to be found, so a secret ¡°collapse¡± should go unnoticed.

 Chapter 632:

    Chapter 632: Chapter 538 ¡°Pastries¡± _2Of course, it wasn¡¯t necessary to use it.


    It was just that his hands were a bit itchy.


    If he didn¡¯t make too much noise and did it stealthily, breaking a door should have no impact¡­


    Moreover, Mo Hua also wanted to see what a Formation that had Divine Sense Manifestation would look like after it collapsed.


    Mo Hua confidently completed the Formation Calculation on the Shrine¡¯s door and then, according to the Formation Pivot and the Spirit Traces, set up a Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Immediately after, he hid far away and cast the Fireball Technique at the door.


    The fireball spell struck the Shrine¡¯s door, causing the Formation to activate on its own.


    The Formation on the Shrine was manifested by Divine Thought and was also driven by Divine Thought.


    The power of Divine Sense flowed along the Patterns, passing through the Reversed Spirit Formation, triggering a collapse. Then, one by one, the Patterns dissolved, little by little the Divine Sense gradually inverted, shattered, and was extinguished into nothingness.


    The scale of the collapse was not large, but the power of the inversion after the collapse was silently terrifying, which was startling.


    The Shrine¡¯s door seemed to have been bitten by an annihilating Monster Beast, leaving behind a pitch-black gaping hole.


    Divine Sense Collapse!


    Mo Hua was startled in his heart.


    This was the true power of ¡°God Destroying Path Obliteration.¡±


    Spiritual Power could collapse; Divine Sense could as well¡­


    Spiritual Power and Divine Sense were different, yet seemingly, they also had something in common.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation required the integration of Divine Sense into Spiritual Power;


    To cause Formation Collapse, both Spiritual Power and Divine Sense could serve as the medium¡­


    Mo Hua then recalled the four words spoken by the very old Elder of the Five Elements Sect:


    Divine Sense Becomes the Dao.


    These four words seemed to have a deeper meaning, but with his current Cultivation and understanding, he couldn¡¯t grasp it¡­


    "Forget it, I¡¯ll think about it slowly in the future.¡±


    Now that the Shrine¡¯s door had been broken open, he could leave.


    He needed to settle accounts with that little ghost.


    Mo Hua licked his lips.


    Plus, he was getting hungry¡­


    ¡­


    On the third floor of the Formation Pavilion.


    Mr. Zhuang, Old Kui, and the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect were still having tea.


    Suddenly, the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect felt a twinge of unease.


    He had the feeling that something extremely precious had just vanished¡­


    "The Shrine¡­ it couldn¡¯t possibly have a problem, could it?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart tightened, and then he secretly let out a sigh of relief.


    "Impossible, how could there be a problem with the Shrine?¡±


    "That was something built by our ancestors, with densely laid Patterns and profound mysteries


    "Besides, there is that thing inside guarding it


    "There can¡¯t be a problem


    The Chief Elder gradually calmed down, and sneakily glancing up, he looked at Mr. Zhuang with dissatisfaction, then at Old Kui.


    But he dared not overstep, inwardly sneering:


    "If you can¡¯t learn, you just can¡¯t learn!¡±


    "The Ultimate Formation is not something one can comprehend without accumulated effort and deep contemplative study. How could you possibly understand it just by stalling for a little while?¡± ?????¦­§°?¨§s


    "You¡¯re taking the inheritance of my Five Elements Sect too lightly


    Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui sat drinking their tea unperturbed by the Chief Elder¡¯s behavior.


    But the tea had become somewhat tasteless.


    Old Kui then asked, ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    He asked very casually, without avoiding the Chief Elder, but the Chief Elder beside him was like a fool, hearing nothing, seeing nothing.


    Mr. Zhuang made a Calculation with his fingers, and his eyes briefly sparkled: ¡°Not bad.¡±


    "Did you learn it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew intense, ¡°What was supposed to be learned has been learned, and what was not supposed to be learned¡­ is almost learned


    Old Kui was taken aback and curiously asked, ¡°Does Five Elements Sect really have other inheritances? What are they?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, saying helplessly:


    "I really don¡¯t know about that


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts stirred, and suddenly his brow furrowed.


    The real inheritance¡­


    Perhaps back in those days, the ancestor of his sect sought this inheritance, ¡°took advantage of a crisis,¡± and out of gratitude and scheming, came to this arrangement with the Five Elements Sect?


    Mr. Zhuang fell into deep thought¡­


    Old Kui raised his eyebrows and glanced at Mr. Zhuang, asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice back then?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated, ¡°This¡­ everyone makes mistakes, it¡¯s unavoidable,¡±


    Old Kui looked on with some disdain.


    Mr. Zhuang coughed, ¡°Also, the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect were too crafty. I was young at the time; not noticing is excusable


    "Mo Hua did notice.¡± Old Kui stated flatly.


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback again, then quickly adjusted his thoughts, and affirmed with conviction:


    "Mo Hua is my direct disciple. If he noticed, it¡¯s as good as if I had noticed!¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Kui¡¯s tone was indifferent, ¡°You¡¯ve got a thick skin.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang remained unfazed, sipping his tea and appearing nonchalant.


    But as he drank, Old Kui¡¯s words still seeded a trace of doubt in him.


    Mo Hua had noticed¡­


    Was it really because the boy was exceptionally talented, had a good nature, and fortunate opportunities¡­


    Or was it because there was a destiny predetermined by the heavens?


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, his gaze uncertain.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua, after breaking the Shrine¡¯s door, left the Shrine in the blink of an eye and returned to his own Sea of Consciousness.


    As expected, at this moment, the Little Five Elements Ghost was occupying his Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua did not startle the snake in the grass but instead, concealed his presence and stealthily approached behind it to see what it was actually doing.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost squatted on the ground, drawing some complex patterns while its expression changed unpredictably, at times happy, at times furious, constantly muttering:


    Sometimes complaining, sometimes cursing, sometimes scheming¡­


    Why hasn¡¯t he awakened yet?¡±


    "It can¡¯t be by 1 p.m.; I need to escape sooner


    "I¡¯ve been trapped for hundreds of years; I don¡¯t want to go back to that godforsaken Taoist Field ever again in my life

 Chapter 633:

    "I¡¯m not at a loss either.""I¡¯m going out to eat and kill to my heart¡¯s content... to make up for all the losses of these past centuries..."


    "Sooner or later, once I¡¯ve comprehended the Five Elements..."


    The Little Five Elements Ghost gave a dark chuckle but didn¡¯t continue.


    Filled with curiosity, Mo Hua asked,


    "Comprehend the Five Elements, then what?"


    In the silent Sea of Consciousness, a voice appeared out of nowhere. The Little Five Elements Ghost was so scared that it jumped up and frantically looked around, bellowing,


    "Who is it?!"


    Mo Hua did not hide his presence and slowly appeared.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s eyes widened in shock, "You?! How did you... how did you get out?"


    It shook its head, muttering to itself,


    "No, that¡¯s impossible! The incense has burned out, the Shrine is sealed, and you were trapped in the Taoist Field... how could you possibly get out?"


    With a serene expression, Mo Hua said, "I¡¯m a Formation Master; don¡¯t think you can trap a Formation Master with a formation."


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s eyelids twitched, angrily retorting,


    "Nonsense!"


    What¡¯s that got to do with being a Formation Master?


    Even if you are a Formation Master, being locked in the Shrine and trapped in the Taoist Field means you definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.


    Clearly, there is something off about you, little cultivator!


    In its long life, it had never seen such an absurd Junior Formation Master.


    To have solved the mystery of the Taoist Field and broken the locks of the Shrine, and to have escaped from the Shrine after the incense had burned out...


    Are the ways of formation that deep?


    Could a first-grade Formation Master know so much?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s heart sank. Without dwelling on those thoughts, it countered,


    "What do you intend to do?"


    "What do you think?"


    Mo Hua smiled amiably, yet his eyes gleamed fiercely.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was alarmed and quickly said, "Let¡¯s talk this out; I won¡¯t linger here. Just let me go, and we can talk about everything..." ??¦­?¦¢¦¥?


    Mo Hua gave no clear response.


    Pleading for mercy, the Little Five Elements Ghost said,


    "I had no choice but to do this, trapped in the Shrine for hundreds of years, dutifully guarding the Taoist Field, enduring the tedium... the misery is beyond words..."


    "I just wanted to escape, to see the vast world, and incidentally..."


    "Incidentally ¡¯eat¡¯ a few people, right?" Mo Hua said nonchalantly.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was startled, then its expression grew colder, "You heard all that?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Stop pretending. Deceitful and demonic creatures lack humanity. I could tell at a glance what you are made of."


    The Little Five Elements Ghost withdrew its cowardice and pleading demeanor, baring its fangs with a sinister smile,


    "You¡¯re forcing my hand."


    "I intended to save this move for after leaving the Five Elements Sect..."


    Before the words were finished, the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s aura suddenly intensified.


    Explore more at


    Its body grew larger, and its flesh became as hard as iron, with bulging veins.


    At the same time, formation patterns began to emerge on its body!


    And they were none other than the Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation strengthened the Five Elements and amplified Spiritual Power, also greatly enhancing the Evil Power within the Little Five Elements Ghost.


    The Five Elements fostered growth, and the evil spirit became powerful.


    Its claws were made of metal, its bones of wood, its blood of water, its breath of fire, and its flesh of earth.


    Boosted by the Five Elements Spirit Formation, the Little Five Elements Ghost transformed into a huge, fierce Five Elements Fierce Ghost with an overwhelming aura of malevolence!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost roared at Mo Hua.


    However, it didn¡¯t know that no matter how ferocious it was, it was still just a small fry.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained unchanged, not the least bit afraid.


    Not only was he unafraid, but his gaze also held a hint of deep interest.


    Watching the transformation of the Little Five Elements Ghost into the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, he nodded and said,


    "You¡¯re not right!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was taken aback.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and slowly said,


    "You don¡¯t know Formations!"


    "But now, you have manifested a Formation..."


    "To manifest a Formation, one needs a profound understanding of Formation principles. You, a ghost who knows nothing of Formations, are not familiar with the Patterns, and don¡¯t comprehend the principles. How could you possibly manifest a Formation?"


    "Moreover, it¡¯s not just any Formation, but the Five Element Ultimate Formation..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze darkened as he declared,


    "There¡¯s a big problem with you!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost felt somewhat guilty, with cold sweat beading.


    Mo Hua thought again, then continued, "That¡¯s not all..."


    "Trapped in the Shrine for centuries, you couldn¡¯t possibly be ignorant of everything..."


    "That Heritage Taoist Field..."


    "You must have entered it at some point!"


    "Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have plotted to deceive me into entering and getting trapped inside..."


    Mo Hua frowned.


    "But after you went in, how did you manage to get out?"


    "You don¡¯t understand Formations, let alone Calculation. There¡¯s no way you could have gotten out..."


    "But you did... so you must have taken something that allowed you to escape from the Heritage Taoist Field."


    Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost was a thief!


    "You..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was sharp as a blade, "What did you steal from the Taoist Field?" S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was horrified and hurriedly said,


    "Nothing, I didn¡¯t steal anything!"


    But its defense was feeble and unconvincing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was clear and piercing as he watched it.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost felt extremely uncomfortable under Mo Hua¡¯s scrutiny.


    It felt that this gaze, bright and penetrating like the Demon Revealing Mirror, laid bare its true form, leaving it nowhere to hide and no secrets to keep.


    Profound in Formation knowledge, intelligence bordering on the demonic.


    What on earth was this little creature?


    Why was it so troublesome?


    Just then, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze suddenly paused as if he remembered something, murmuring to himself,


    "No, that¡¯s still not right."


    "Nothing could allow a ghost who doesn¡¯t understand Formations to suddenly comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Formation..."


    "Unless that thing is..."


    The Five Elements Formation Method Origin Stream!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    So that was it...


    He had underestimated not only the scope of the Five Elements Sect ancestors¡¯ vision but also far underestimated their Formation accomplishments!


    The Five Elements Sect had actually figured it out!


    By dedicating the power of an entire sect, with the Divine Sense Calculative abilities of all its Formation Masters, they truly derived the Five Elements Formation Method Origin Stream!


    And this Five Elements Formation Flow, although its form was unknown, could very well have been stolen by this Little Five Elements Ghost from the Taoist Field and is now on its person.


    And now, this Little Five Elements Ghost, along with the Five Elements Formation Flow, were inside his own Sea of Consciousness...


    The eyes of Mo Hua lit up like stars, growing brighter and brighter.


    He looked at the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, unable to help himself, and licked his lips again.


    He had not expected...


    What he thought was just an ordinary pastry,


    Turned out to be filled!


    And filled with five-colored assorted fresh meat at that!

 Chapter 634: Source Pattern (1)

    Chapter 634: Chapter 539 Source Pattern_1The Little Five Elements Ghost felt a great shock inside.


    This Junior Formation Master¡­ saw through it?


    He discovered that I was peeping at the ancient legacy of the Five Elements Sect?


    A fierce glint flashed through the Little Five Elements Ghost.


    He had to kill him!


    At any cost, he had to kill him!


    This matter must not be leaked, the Five Elements Sect must not find out, otherwise, my opportunity will be lost!


    Insights into the Five Elements Dao, ascending to the position of the Heavenly Demon, the stage of the Evil God, will all become delusions!


    The Little Five Elements Ghost used all his strength to stimulate the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    His body shone with five-colored radiance, dazzling and brilliant, entirely formed by the surging power of the Five Elements, emitting an astonishing might.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became focused.


    Is this the effect of the ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow¡±?


    Being proficient in the Dao of the Five Elements, amplifying the power of the Five Elements, using the Formation Flow to master the Five Elements, and enhance oneself¡­


    The Little Five Elements Ghost, boosted by the Five Elements Spirit Formation, transformed into a fierce ghost, ghoulish in appearance, and pounced fiercely toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua remained calm and unhurried, executing the Water Passing Step as he retreated. At the same time, he tried to constrain it with the Water Prison Technique and attack the Five Elements Fierce Ghost with the Fireball Technique.


    But his spells, upon hitting the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, suddenly became ineffective.


    The Water Prison Technique couldn¡¯t hold it for long.


    The power of the Fireball Technique was also drastically reduced.


    Fireball after fireball burst upon the fierce ghost¡¯s body, blocked by the Formation Patterns that manifested on it. The attacks could only stagger it, impeding its offensive, but they couldn¡¯t cause much damage. ?????N????


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed slightly.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost, however, was overjoyed. It knew full well what was happening, and while intensifying its assault, it cackled:


    "Formations are profound, containing an essential understanding of the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    "Formations manifested by Divine Thought are even more powerful.¡±


    "At such a young age, you can manifest spells, which is indeed impressive, but in the face of Formation Visualization, you are ultimately inconsequential


    "Today, you are undoubtedly going to die!¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The countenance of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost turned ferocious.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze remained peaceful, and suddenly, he pointed his finger rapidly, ¡°swoosh swoosh swoosh¡± unleashing a barrage of Fireball Techniques, suppressing the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, and then he retreated to gain distance, closing his eyes to concentrate.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost crossed its arms in front of it to block the Fireball Techniques, also manifesting Formation Patterns to resist the shockwave of the explosions, but its figure was still slightly disheveled.


    When it raised its head, it saw Mo Hua with his eyes closed, unaware of what he was up to.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost snorted coldly, ¡°Bluffing!¡±


    Then it suddenly accelerated, fiercely lunging at Mo Hua to attack.


    A chilling wind whipped up!


    Just as the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was about to pounce in front of Mo Hua, Mo Hua suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze slightly cold, and he crisply said:


    "Lock!¡±


    The forward charge of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was abruptly seized by some force.


    It looked down and its pupils quivered.


    There was a formation on the ground!


    A golden formation had locked it in place!


    Simultaneously, at the instant when the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was locked, golden and red Formation Patterns on the ground began to flow like water, winding and rapidly shifting, forming Patterns to piece together four formations.


    One of them was the Golden Lock Formation, with golden Formation Patterns turning into chains to firmly entrap the fierce ghost.


    The three surrounding it were Earth Fire Formations, intense like blazing flames, highly lethal in nature.


    This was a set known as the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost inhaled sharply.


    Damn it!


    I¡¯ve been tricked by this brat again!


    He can also manifest formations?!


    Is this kid really only in his teens? How could he possibly possess such a profound understanding of Formations?


    Manifesting formations with Divine Sense alone in the Sea of Consciousness!


    Aren¡¯t these techniques only used by those old undying Sect Leaders and Elders of Formation Sects?


    How does he know these techniques?


    Without time for further thought, the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation was complete.


    A formation that upholds the Heavenly Dao also has the strongest killing power against Divine Thought.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost cried out in alarm, ¡°Don¡¯t


    But Mo Hua decisively said, ¡°Explode!¡±


    The Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation exploded instantly!


    The Golden Lock Formation trapped the enemy while the Earth Fire Formation killed the enemy.


    The triple Earth Fire Formation, like three fiery lotuses blooming together, ignited a fierce blaze that completely enveloped the Five Elements Fierce Ghost.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost struggled in agony within the flames.


    After a torrent of raging fire, it began to die down gradually.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression, however, was far from relaxed.


    Indeed, moments later, as the fire and smoke cleared, the figure of a ¡°ghostthe Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡ªemerged.


    Its figure was disheveled, but the injuries weren¡¯t severe, and its shadow hardly dimmed, indicating that the consumption of Divine Thought wasn¡¯t significant.


    The horror-stricken Five Elements Fierce Ghost then burst into ecstatic laughter.


    It almost forgot that it was no ordinary ghost.


    It had comprehended the Five Elements Formation Origin of the Five Elements Sect and had extremely high resistance to the Five Elements; ordinary Five Elements Formations would have their lethality greatly reduced against it.


    This Gold Fire Compound Formation, although powerful, didn¡¯t depart from the scope of the Five Elements, so it couldn¡¯t erase it.


    It couldn¡¯t even cause it any serious harm!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost laughed loudly and then looked at Mo Hua with a menacing gaze, ¡°Little brat, you¡¯ve used up all your tricks, haven¡¯t you? Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re going to do now!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression condensed.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost sneered and lunged forward, continuing its pursuit to kill Mo Hua.


    With a sigh, Mo Hua continued to use the Water Passing Step, dodging by a hair¡¯s breadth the ghost¡¯s claws as he fought desperately to survive.


    They were locked in a chase with no end in sight.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost wasn¡¯t angered but rather showed a mocking smile, as if it were a cat toying with a mouse:


    "Just keep running.¡±


    "If you make a single mistake, you¡¯ll fall into my hands!¡±


    "I want you to kneel down and beg for mercy!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost laughed wildly.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained calm, eyeing the chasing Five Elements Fierce Ghost with a trace of amusement suddenly appearing in his look.

 Chapter 635: Source Pattern (2)

    After dozens more rounds, Mo Hua seized the opportunity and repeated his old trick.He started with the Fireball Technique to suppress the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, hampering its movements and buying himself a little time. Then he closed his eyes to concentrate, manifesting the Formation.


    "Again?"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost sneered.


    But this time, it strode forward without fear.


    Soon, the Golden Lock Formation materialized under its feet. The Formation Patterns spread and transformed into chains, locking the ghost in place.


    This was within its expectations.


    However, the Formation that manifested next wasn¡¯t the Earth Fire Formation.


    It was still the Golden Lock Formation.


    A second Golden Lock Formation added another layer of constraint.


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    Then came the third, and the fourth...


    Five layers of the Golden Lock Formation tightly bound the Five Elements Fierce Ghost.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua continued to concentrate, forcefully manifesting something...


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost paused.


    What does this mean?


    Just trapping without killing?


    Is this kid stupid?


    Or does he intend to trap me here and then take the opportunity to escape and seek reinforcements?


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s expression was contemptuous as it snorted coldly. Then, the Five-colour Spirit Formation on its body burst forth with a dazzling light.


    The power of the Five Elements was further strengthened.


    The ghost¡¯s body grew larger, and its strength became greater.


    With a sudden effort, it broke several of the chains and shattered a few Formation Patterns. Then, with a ferocious roar, it continued to exert force.


    One by one, the five layers of the Golden Locks broke.


    The dense golden Formation Patterns also dimmed one by one.


    Finally, as the Five Elements Fierce Ghost howled to the sky, it completely broke free from the constraints of the five layers of Golden Lock.


    "Little demon, if you kneel and beg for mercy now, I might let you die a quick death!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost laughed viciously, its tongue blood-red and fangs ominous.


    Yet Mo Hua¡¯s calm face suddenly broke into a radiant smile, pointing at the Five Elements Fierce Ghost and crisply commanding:


    "Kneel!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was taken aback, then laughed instead of getting angry, "Kid, have you lost your mind, you..."


    Before it could finish, the smile on its face froze.


    It had discovered a terrifying fact:


    Its body was involuntarily, slowly, bit by bit, bending its knee to this little demon?!


    I can¡¯t control myself?!


    I¡¯m kneeling?!


    The ghost¡¯s face was filled with fear, "What¡¯s going on?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In a frantic look down, it saw at its chest, a complex blue Formation had appeared at its heart meridian out of nowhere.


    This Formation was profound and complex, and it didn¡¯t belong to the Five Elements¡ªit was unlike anything the ghost had ever seen.


    What was more terrifying was that this Formation had twelve Patterns!


    A first-class Formation with twelve Patterns!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost cried out in disbelief, "An Ultimate Formation?!"


    It looked at Mo Hua with incredulity, "You can use other Ultimate Formations?!"


    Moreover, a non-Five Elements Ultimate Formation!


    It had gained some comprehension of the Five Elements¡¯ origin and could resist Formations of the Five Elements, but not those that weren¡¯t of the Five Elements, let alone an Ultimate Formation! ????§Ñ¦­§°§£¨¨s


    The Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    Mo Hua smiled composedly.


    He had first used the five layers of the Golden Lock Formation to bind the Five Elements Fierce Ghost. Then, while it was solely focused on breaking free, without any distractions, he secretly inscribed the Spiritual Pivot Formation on its chest!


    And now, the Spiritual Thread from the Spiritual Pivot Formation was gradually spreading, eroding and slowly taking control of the ghost¡¯s body until having it completely under his control!


    "No!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost exclaimed in horror.


    Although it didn¡¯t know the specific purpose of the Spiritual Pivot Formation, it vaguely sensed that it was increasingly becoming "not its own master."


    This was a control-type Formation.


    Once fully controlled by it, it would become this little demon¡¯s plaything!


    It would be like a fish on a chopping board, to be slaughtered at will!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost struggled desperately, resisting with all its might.


    It must not kneel!


    It must not submit!


    But such matters weren¡¯t up to it to decide.


    If even the Half-step Taoist Demon Corpse King had to kneel, what was it, just a mere ghost?


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost clenched its teeth, its expression ferocious. Despite its strong resistance, it was still pulled by the pale blue Spiritual Threads, trembling all over and slowly inching towards a kneel before Mo Hua.


    Finally, it knelt completely before Mo Hua!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s face turned ashen.


    Mo Hua smiled slightly, touching a point with his finger.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation on the ghost¡¯s chest instantly bloomed with thousands of Spiritual Threads, weaving through its body, and turned it into a puppet, completely dominated!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost exclaimed in shock:


    "You, what are you going to do?"


    Mo Hua smirked cunningly and commanded again:


    "Now, kill yourself!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s eyes widened in horror as it looked at Mo Hua.


    It suddenly realized something.


    It was not actually a fierce ghost; It was the adorable smiling little demon in front of it who was the true Evil Ghost!


    So treacherous and utterly despicable!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost wanted to refuse Mo Hua¡¯s command, but it was futile; it could no longer control itself.


    Under the control of the Spiritual Threads, the Five Elements Fierce Ghost involuntarily raised its claws and stabbed itself, repeatedly and relentlessly maiming its own body...


    Mo Hua smiled contentedly and remarked:


    "The Spiritual Pivot Formation is really useful..."


    Then he lay down on the ground, cross-legged, resting and rejuvenating while leisurely watching the Five Elements Fierce Ghost harm itself...


    Much later, when the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was covered in wounds, its form pitiful, and its Divine Thought dim, Mo Hua finally let it stop.


    As soon as the Five Elements Fierce Ghost stopped, it was gasping for breath but still glaring furiously at Mo Hua, "You damn brat..."


    Mo Hua curled his lips, "Kneel down!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost "thudded" to its knees once more.


    "Slap your face!"


    Mo Hua ordered.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost, with its fan-like palm, slapped itself across the face.


    It slapped itself more than twenty times.


    Mo Hua said, "Stop."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost halted.

 Chapter 636: Source Pattern (3)

    Mo Hua looked at it and spoke calmly, "Are you being honest now?"The Five Elements Fierce Ghost nodded angrily but honestly.


    Only then did Mo Hua feel satisfied and then asked the important question:


    "What exactly did you steal from the Heritage Taoist Field?"


    The color of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s face changed, "If I tell you, will you let me go?"


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, "If I say I will, would you believe me?"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    I believe you my ass!


    "Sooner or later I will die, why should I tell you?" the Five Elements Fierce Ghost said gravely.


    Without further ado, Mo Hua pointed a finger, and the Spiritual Thread spread out, once again controlling the Five Elements Fierce Ghost to kill itself.


    Stabbing oneself with one¡¯s own claws really hurts.


    If this continues, I will truly die!


    Explore more at


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost, in a panic, immediately said:


    "I¡¯ll tell you!"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Go on."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost helplessly said, "From the Taoist Field, what I stole was... a Formation Pattern."


    Mo Hua frowned, "A Formation Pattern?"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost nodded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew intense, "You¡¯re lying to me again? How could it be just a Formation Pattern?"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost cursed internally.


    This damn brat, he¡¯s so suspicious.


    But at this point, it dared not tell another lie.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost sighed helplessly and said:


    "This isn¡¯t an ordinary Formation Pattern, it¡¯s called a ¡¯Source Pattern.¡¯ It¡¯s formed by five colors representing the Five Elements, and five strokes of brushwork, all condensed into this one Pattern."


    "The five colors correspond to the Five Elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Each stroke contains a stream of the Five Elements."


    "This ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯ symbolizes the origin of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formations, condensing the blood, sweat, and tears of the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect. It is the inheritance of the complete Five Elements Formation Compendium!" ????????£Î????


    Mo Hua was startled and after a moment of thought, he asked the question he was most concerned about:


    "So where is this Formation Pattern now?"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost mumbled, "I... damaged it..."


    "Damaged it?"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost said, "At first, I was just in the Skill Transmission Taoist Field, pretending to be the Tao Teaching Elder, deceiving others... Later, by chance, I mistakenly entered the Heritage Taoist Field and saw that Pattern in the center of the Taoist Field..."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s eyes shone with yearning, "That Pattern, with the five colors swirling, was glittering and dazzling..."


    "I have no knowledge of Formations, but just one look, just one glance, and I felt like I had grasped most of the Five Elements Formations in this world..."


    "I knew then that this was the top inheritance of the Five Elements Sect."


    "It is a secret of the Five Elements Sect that must not be divulged!"


    "It is a secret inheritance that even the current Five Elements Sect doesn¡¯t know of!"


    "The Pattern was too beautiful..."


    "So, I sat on the cushion, just looking and looking. Although I still did not understand Formation principles and could not construct Formations, it seemed that I could instinctively manifest various Five Elements Formations..."


    "Including the Five Elements Spirit Formation!"


    "But as I watched, greed grew within me."


    "I felt that such a treasure should not be hidden away."


    "If I could take it out, ponder it every day, comprehend it daily, and meanwhile, consume some humans to replenish my Divine Sense, then one day when my Divine Thought becomes strong, wouldn¡¯t I be able to grasp and manifest all the Five Elements Formations in this world?!"


    "This Pattern is mine! I wanted to take it out of the Taoist Field!" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But this Source Pattern was embedded within densely woven Formation Patterns, as if it had originated from them, echoing each other, connected together, and could not be taken out alone..."


    "I have no knowledge of Formations, do not understand Calculation, and did not know what to do. In the end, I simply forced my way through the Formation, destroying all the surrounding Patterns..."


    "But when I destroyed the Patterns, the ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯ seemed to dim as well, and the power of the Five Elements dispersed gradually until it was extinguished..."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was filled with regret and heartache.


    "With the Source Pattern extinguished, I only grasped a small portion of the Five Elements Formations. Fearing discovery by the Five Elements Sect, I could only sneak away from the Taoist Field and then figure out how to escape alive and leave the Shrine..."


    "If I had the ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯ in hand, I..."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost stole a glance at Mo Hua.


    Though it didn¡¯t speak plainly, the look in its eyes was clear.


    The implication was that if it had the Source Pattern in its possession, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against it.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, somewhat puzzled.


    He felt that there were many questionable points in what the Five Elements Fierce Ghost had said, but its gaze and expression seemed to indicate that it wasn¡¯t lying.


    This was quite peculiar...


    Mo Hua reflected again on the situation in the Taoist Field, and the abrupt, incomplete Formation Patterns in the center, which seemed to indeed have been forcefully destroyed, leading to their absence...


    If what the Five Elements Fierce Ghost had said was true, then the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect had truly been extinguished...


    Source Pattern...


    Mo Hua stared at the Five Elements Fierce Ghost a few more times, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly started, a shock going through his heart as he said in a deep voice:


    "You¡¯re deceiving me!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost hurriedly said:


    "I¡¯m not deceiving you."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "No, not that you¡¯re deceiving me, you¡¯ve been deceived as well..."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was startled, "Deceived by whom?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned solemn, "Deceived by the Formation Patterns!"


    "No, how can that be possible?" The Five Elements Fierce Ghost shook its head, "What are you talking about exactly?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice grew colder, "How did you come to know about ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯?"


    "Source Pattern..."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost paused, mulling it over carefully, and then its eyes showed a look of horror.


    Right, how did I know about it?


    Who told me?


    Where did I hear it from?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he continued:


    "I¡¯ve never heard the term ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯, and my master has never mentioned it...""It must be an extremely obscure and ancient inheritance.""Since it is a lost ancient inheritance of the Five Elements Sect, then it¡¯s almost impossible for anyone in the current Five Elements Sect, including that of a few hundred years ago, to know of it...""If no one knows, no one would talk about it...""You are a little ghost who knows nothing of Formations; with no one telling you, how could you possibly know?""No one told you, unless..."Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened slightly as he slowly said, "The ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯ told you!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s pupils constricted.


    "Or rather..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone became severe:


    "You¡¯ve been parasitized by that ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯!"


    "The you now is actually a puppet of that ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯!"


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was stunned and confused, then broke into a hollow laugh, murmuring:


    "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    "How could I be parasitized without knowing it myself..."


    "How could this..."


    It didn¡¯t finish speaking when suddenly it became still, then its body began to shake uncontrollably, and it started to twist irregularly.


    A five-colored pattern suddenly lit up on its forehead at the location of the Heavenly Gate.


    This pattern was ancient and profound.


    It contained five strokes, corresponding to the Five Elements, divided into five colors; splurgingly vivid, strikingly bright, with shapes both ancient and strange, resembling the eyes of five different mythical beasts.


    Within those eyes lay the cruelty and indifference of the Heavenly Dao.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze shook.


    This was the "Five Elements Source Pattern" that the Five Elements Sect had struggled to calculate thousands of years ago!

 Chapter 637: Digging Away (1)

    The Five Elements Source Pattern resembled five elongated pupils of five different colors gathered together like the petals of a flower.Within each pupil, ancient and profound patterns were visible--beautiful yet ominous. They even blinked occasionally, as if they possessed their own life.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost, not understanding why, widened its pupils in surprise and fear.


    "What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s wrong with me?"


    "Where am I?"


    "Who am I?"


    "My forehead, what is that on it?"


    "I..."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost didn¡¯t finish speaking before a sudden change occurred.


    The weird, pupil-like "Source Patterns" abruptly widened as if the "pupils" themselves, with their stark and dazzling patterns.


    One by one, the dense Formation Patterns, like colorful ants, emerged from the Source Patterns. They crawled down from the forehead of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, across its shoulders to the limbs, and even to the heart meridians, gradually covering the entire body of the fierce ghost.


    The body of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was completely "crawled over" by Formation Patterns.


    From the inside out, densely covered in Formation Patterns.


    Its consciousness, too, was completely devoured by the "Source Patterns," becoming a true "Five Elements Puppet."


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost had turned into a puppet.


    Its eyes became pitch-black and hollow, while the five pupils on its forehead grew increasingly bright. Finally, they trembled slightly as if the patterns, like pupils, were unanimously "looking" at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed abruptly.


    He stepped back instantly, withdrawing at once.


    At the same time, the spot where he had just been standing was now covered with Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    This "Source Pattern," like a plague, spread Formation Patterns as its toxins. Once it encountered a divine sense Thought Body, it would parasitize and devour it, eventually gaining control... ??¦­?????¨º?


    Just like the Five Elements Fierce Ghost.


    Now the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was entirely dominated by the "Source Patterns," and had become a kind of "toxin source" itself.


    Even more troublesome was that this "plague" was now within his own Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became serious.


    He manifested a Formation under his feet to protect himself and then tried to activate the Spiritual Pivot Formation in the chest of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation dealt with the essence of spiritual power.


    It was not a Five Elements Formation and was an Ultimate Formation of superlative grade; although it was suppressed by the Formation Patterns derived from the Five Elements Source Pattern, it was not extinguished.


    With a thought from Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, the Spiritual Pivot Formation suddenly lit up.


    The chest of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost shone with a pale blue light.


    Threads of Spiritual Thread spread from its chest, like silk strands, weaving into a cocoon, trying to trap the fierce ghost and seal the Five Elements Source Pattern within the body of the ghost.


    Yet, these Spiritual Threads, though they restrained the fierce ghost, couldn¡¯t suppress the Formation Patterns.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was constrained by the Spiritual Threads, unable to move.


    But the pattern on its forehead, resembling "five-colored eyes," kept multiplying and leaking out more Formation Patterns, eroding the ghost, corroding the Spiritual Threads and gradually spreading throughout Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    "What should I do?"


    Mo Hua looked grave.


    If he allowed these Formation Patterns to proliferate endlessly until they filled his Sea of Consciousness, would he too become a puppet, lifelessly possessed by the "Source Pattern," just like the Five Elements Fierce Ghost?


    His master was right.


    Indeed, the Sea of Consciousness harbored great dangers!


    And most of these dangers were unforeseeable, unpredictable, and elusive.


    While Mo Hua controlled the Spiritual Pivot Formation to contend with the Five Elements Source Pattern, he forced himself to stay calm, his mind racing as he pondered a solution...


    This Source Pattern must be the result of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation of the Formation Flow.


    The question was whether they had calculated correctly or not.


    What exactly was this thing they had calculated?


    How could a Formation inheritance possess its own will?


    How could it even parasitize?


    Had the once first-grade Formation Sect, the Five Elements Sect, gradually declined because it calculated this thing out?


    A multitude of doubts arose in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Such ancient secrets were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s limited understanding at present, so he temporarily set them aside and continued his contemplation:


    The Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation of Formation Flow used a special Calculation Method.


    All the Five Elements Formation Patterns were jointly calculated, induced into variations, and amalgamated from many into one, condensing to form this "Source Pattern."


    Amalgamating the many into one...


    Although there was only one Pattern, it encapsulated and contained nearly all of the Five Elements Formations passed down by the Five Elements Sect.


    These Patterns followed its will.


    And now, it was releasing these Patterns...


    If the Source Pattern is the toxin source, are the toxins the "compiled" Formation Patterns within it? S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Find more to read at


    Then to stop the spread of the "Source Pattern," would he have to do the opposite and recalculate these Patterns, "compiling" them back into the Source Pattern?


    Is this calculation the special Calculation Method unique to the Five Elements Sect?


    Is it the method recorded in the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Heritage Taoist Field for inducing Formation Flow?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    He was unsure, but lacking other options, he had to give it a try.


    The "eye" of the Source Pattern was still spinning, and the Formation Patterns were seeping out from this pupil, flowing into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    All these Formation Patterns were First Grade.


    Within the "Source Pattern," it included Five Elements Formations, and certainly not just First Grade ones. But it seemed the spread of the Source Pattern happened in an orderly progression.


    Without releasing the First Grade completely, the Second Grade could not surface...


    However, that was a relief. If Second Grade Patterns were present, Mo Hua would have been utterly helpless.


    Without delay, Mo Hua focused his mind and began to calculate these Formation Patterns, which moved like water snakes through his various thoughts.


    Mo Hua concentrated fully, calculating quickly.

 Chapter 638: Digging Away (2)

    In just a moment, Mo Hua had calculated a small segment of Five Elements Formation Patterns.Having done the calculations, then what?


    Mo Hua frowned slightly and released his Divine Sense to sense these Formation Patterns.


    These Formation Patterns were not static.


    Neither were they fixed.


    The lines of these Formation Patterns, resembling ink marks, seemed to be alive.


    The Divine Sense could control and change their patterns.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment before controlling a small part of the Formation Patterns with his Divine Sense, altering their shapes and twisting the Formation¡¯s setup.


    He made the Formation¡¯s setup comply with the Calculation Method he had deduced.


    The instant the Formation setup changed, the Formation Patterns transformed.


    They stopped spreading.


    Not only that, they began to shrink and condense.


    As if time were reversing, the Formation Patterns retraced their spread the way they had extended before.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    This method was feasible!


    To untie the bell, the person who tied it must be the one to untie it.


    The "Source Pattern" of the Five Elements Sect still required the "Calculation" of the Five Elements Sect to contain it.


    Without delay, Mo Hua immediately pushed his Divine Sense to the limit, and like the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect who deduced the Formation Flow, he also gradually incorporated these Formation Patterns into one, calculating it into "Source."


    It was only a small step, but it was the first step in calculating the Great Dao.


    The Formation Patterns gradually shrank...


    The Source Pattern suddenly trembled incessantly, its five-colored eyes and fierce patterns revealing anger.


    Could there still be someone?


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect were all dead.


    It had not expected that, thousands of years later, there would still be someone who mastered the Calculation Method that could suppress its Formation Patterns! ?aN????


    The Source Pattern "stared" fixedly at Mo Hua.


    From within its eyes flowed more and more dense Formation Patterns.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s calculations became more and more adept.


    His understanding of the Five Elements Formation was unlike that of ordinary cultivators. Within the scope of the First-grade Formation Method, even if he was not comparable to the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, he would not be far behind.


    Furthermore, he now had the peak Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Thirteen Stripes.


    With the aid of Heaven Yan Jue, Mo Hua¡¯s calculation speed was extremely fast.


    Within his Sea of Consciousness, Formation Patterns spread and gathered simultaneously, with two opposing forces deadlocked.


    Mo Hua calculated faster and faster, and during this time, his understanding of the secret Calculation Methods of the Five Elements Sect deepened, becoming increasingly proficient in its application.


    Finally, the spreading speed of the Source Pattern could not keep up with Mo Hua¡¯s calculation speed.


    The spreading Formation Patterns began to retrace.


    Mo Hua calculated bit by bit, gradually incorporating them.


    Like a small fisherman, pulling in the net, scooping up all the fish that leaped out of the pond...


    The Formation Patterns gradually contracted and eventually gathered together, transforming into one and recondensing, sealed within the Source Pattern.


    The Five Elements Source Pattern¡¯s eyes dimmed, its luster retracted.


    The puppet-like Five Elements Fierce Ghost also became motionless.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, all became much quieter suddenly.


    Mo Hua sat down on the ground and took a long breath.


    In a short time, he had calculated a great number of Five Elements Formation Patterns, which was utterly exhausting.


    But fortunately, he had curbed the proliferation of the Five Elements Source Pattern.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to rest when he suddenly felt a sinking feeling. Looking up, he saw the Five Elements Fierce Ghost cracking inch by inch, seemingly unable to withstand the immense burden with this shell of Divine Thought.


    At the same time, a layer of blackness covered the five-colored eyes of the Five Elements Source Pattern.


    The five Source Patterns slowly protruded.


    It seemed as if something was about to break free from its shackles, emerging from within the eyes...


    Mo Hua felt a terrifying presence.


    This was an extremely strong and evil Divine Thought.


    It even somewhat resembled a high-grade Taoist Demon...


    This Divine Thought was immensely powerful.


    And it held deep malice towards Mo Hua.


    Just revealing a hint of its presence caused Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought to waver, his emotions to become unstable, and even caused his Sea of Consciousness to ache sharply, with a vague sense of shattering...


    "This Source Pattern wants to shatter my Sea of Consciousness?" Mo Hua was shocked.


    At that moment, an ancient and profound aura suddenly emerged.


    This ancient aura filled Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness and also enwrapped his Divine Thought, seeming to protect him, not allowing outer evil to harm him.


    In the center of the Sea of Consciousness, the Taoist Stele stood tall and imposing, profound as an abyss and vast as the cosmos, suppressing all evil spirits!


    The strange and terrifying presence vanished in an instant!


    The moment the Taoist Stele appeared, the Five Elements Source Pattern, seeing the "ghost," shook violently, its Formation Patterns trembling like pupils.


    It immediately recoiled, concealing all its presence and generating some Formation Patterns to restore the hands and feet of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, then tried to flee!


    Mo Hua was furious.


    "Trying to run?!"


    Bearing the pain, he scrunched up his little face and, using the Water Passing Step, approached the Five Elements Fierce Ghost in a few rapid movements, reaching out to grab at its five eyes! Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His body was imbued with the aura of the Taoist Stele.


    The Source Pattern was startled and immediately "closed its eyes," contracting into the Fierce Ghost¡¯s forehead.


    But it was still a step too late.


    Mo Hua was quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbing it directly.


    The Source Pattern was furious and about to resist.


    But with the protection of the Taoist Stele on Mo Hua, the aura was frightening, and as soon as the Source Pattern "opened its eyes," it immediately shrank back in fear, closing them tightly again.


    Mo Hua scornfully said, "Cowardly bone!"


    The Source Pattern trembled, angry but not daring to open its eyes.


    After suppressing the "Source Pattern," the Taoist Stele slowly disappeared into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness again.


    It seemed the minor scuffle was not something the Taoist Stele wanted to bother with; Mo Hua himself was to resolve it.


    But the Source Pattern tried to bully the "small" with its "size," and that it would not allow.


    With the backing of the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua straightened his back.


    He held the palm-sized Five Elements Source Pattern in his hand, rubbing, pinching, and tugging at it, fiercely venting his anger.


    Experience tales at

 Chapter 639: Digging Away (3)

    Seeing no reaction from it, Mo Hua began to scrutinize it carefully.The closed Five Elements Source Pattern was like a jade pendant, feeling neither soft nor hard, neither cold nor warm in his hand, and it was both illusory and real.


    It was a condensation of Divine Thought.


    It was a crystallization of the Divine Sense computational power of the Five Elements Sect.


    Although the typical Divine Thought Body appeared lifelike, it was still slightly hazy, like a gaseous illusion; even Mo Hua¡¯s form, though solid, still had some of that hazy quality.


    It felt like a real person, but wasn¡¯t one.


    But this Source Pattern was nearly a real object.


    "The more ¡¯illusory¡¯ it goes, the more ¡¯real¡¯ it becomes..." Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    From illusory to real, could this be the path to powerful Divine Thought? Was it also the path he must take to Prove the Dao with his Divine Sense?


    Mo Hua shook his head and decided to go back and ask his master.


    The current issue was how to deal with this Source Pattern.


    This Source Pattern seemed to hide many secrets. Read the latest on


    It was not only a Formation Flow but also a top-tier Formation inheritance, invaluable in itself.


    At the same time, it surely held the truth behind the decline of the Five Elements Sect.


    Most importantly, within the Source Pattern lay a strong and strange aura.


    What exactly was this aura?


    Furthermore, why would this inheritance "come to life," spawn Formation Patterns, cling to Divine Thought, and command zombies?


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua was still confused; he couldn¡¯t help sighing,


    "I really need to read more books."


    "Tao Cultivation knowledge is also a part of a cultivator¡¯s strength."


    He looked again at the Five Elements Source Pattern in his hand, which resembled a jade pendant, with some difficulty,


    "Where should I put this Source Pattern?"


    It was definitely not feasible to place it within his Sea of Consciousness.


    This Source Pattern was like a plague, capable of self-propagation, parasitic feeding, and harbored unknown malevolent thoughts. Even with the Taoist Stele suppressing it, it was still too dangerous. ????????¦¥?


    A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.


    He couldn¡¯t plant a mine in his own Sea of Consciousness.


    If it couldn¡¯t be stored in the Sea of Consciousness, then it had to be placed outside.


    A object for storing Divine Thought? A shrine could work.


    But the shrine belonged to the Five Elements Sect, and since he couldn¡¯t take it with him, storing the Source Pattern inside would leave him empty-handed.


    Moreover, with the Source Pattern now having its own will and having entered his Sea of Consciousness and seen the Taoist Stele, he couldn¡¯t let it run free.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t "kill" it or "consume" it, he must keep it in his own hands.


    For storage...


    Mo Hua supported his chin in thought when suddenly his eyes lit up.


    The Contemplation Map!


    Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture could store Divine Thought.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s family of zombies, from the elders to the disciples, had been "devoured" completely by Mo Hua, leaving behind an Ancestral Master Picture without the Ancestral Master¡¯s image.


    This blank Ancestral Master Picture seemed like it could be used to store the Five Elements Source Pattern.


    "But how do I put it in there?"


    Lacking experience, Mo Hua thought of trying first.


    His Divine Sense withdrew from the Sea of Consciousness as his consciousness gradually awakened.


    Mo Hua in front of the shrine slowly opened his eyes.


    Bai Zixi was at first elated, then her pretty face grew serious, her white hands forming a knife-like gesture behind Mo Hua¡¯s head, as if she was ready to knock him down again without further ado.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s expression was also solemn.


    As Mo Hua opened his eyes, sensing the odd atmosphere, he asked in a low voice,


    "Junior Sister, what¡¯s wrong..."


    Bai Zixi looked intently into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes and, seeing his clear and water-like gaze reflecting her form, nodded and said softly,


    "It¡¯s Junior Brother."


    Bai Zisheng exhaled a long breath of relief, then remembering something, hastily asked,


    "The Five Elements Spirit Formation, have you learned it?"


    Mo Hua nodded with a smile.


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed, then puzzled,


    "What exactly did you encounter inside that took so long? And just now..."


    Bai Zixi, however, said with a deep gaze, "Let¡¯s talk outside."


    Bai Zisheng immediately nodded, "Yes, let¡¯s go outside first."


    "Wait," Mo Hua said, "I have something else to do..." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He opened his Storage Bag and, after rummaging around, finally found that crumpled, incense ash-sprinkled Ancestral Master Picture in a corner.


    As Mo Hua unfolded the Ancestral Master Picture and was about to consider how to store the Five Elements Source Pattern inside it, he felt a pain in his Sea of Consciousness.


    The Five Elements Source Pattern, not waiting any longer, hurried out of his Sea of Consciousness and dove into the blank picture.


    It seemed it could not stand to be in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness for another moment...


    The Five Elements Source Pattern entered the Contemplation Map.


    On the blank picture, a burst of five-colored brilliance appeared and clearly revealed five-colored lines. These five lines encompassed the Five Elements Formation, containing the essence of the Five Elements.


    This Contemplation Map had thus become an embodiment of the legacy of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formations through the generations¡ªthe Five Elements Formation Flow Chart!


    In an instant, the entire picture¡¯s aura transformed.


    A deeply concealed, profound, and robust Five Elements Qi emanated from the picture, spreading out from the Formation Pavilion at the center in all directions.


    The ordinary disciples of the Five Elements Sect felt nothing.


    But the various Sect Leaders and Elders were alarmed.


    "What is this?!"


    "Such thick Five Elements Qi!"


    "Profound, primal, and extraordinary!"


    "Does our Five Elements Sect still have such a legacy?"


    "What legacy is this?"


    ...


    The Chief Elder, sipping tea on the third floor, was especially shocked.


    Being closer, he sensed it more clearly.


    The shrine?! What¡¯s going on?


    What has happened?


    The Chief Elder felt a tremor in his heart and suddenly stood up, wanting to go to the fourth floor to see what had happened...


    Mr. Zhuang beside him also showed a subtle change in expression, appearing stunned and lost in thought, murmuring to himself,


    "The essence of the Five Elements..."


    "What exactly has this child Mo Hua found...


    "He couldn¡¯t have unearthed the entire foundational legacy of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formations accumulated over thousands of years, could he..."

 Chapter 640: Depths (1)

    The Chief Elder had already risen hastily, with a solemn expression, and hurriedly made his way to the fourth floor.Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze turned slightly heavy, and within his pupils, patterns began to spread, mysterious and unfathomable. At the same time, he twirled a Daoist hand seal, flicked his sleeve, and seemed to erase something out of thin air...


    Once the Heavenly secret was severed, the cause and effect were erased.


    The Sect Leaders and Elders of the Five Elements Sect suddenly froze.


    The Chief Elder also abruptly stopped in his tracks, dumbfounded and lost in thought. After a moment, he muttered confusedly:


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    "I feel like I just... forgot something?"


    "What did I forget..."


    Continue your journey at


    The Chief Elder¡¯s mind went blank; he furrowed his brow and pondered hard but couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    It was as if something astonishing had just happened.


    But then again... was it all just his imagination?


    Like a brief nap in the afternoon, waking up at 1 p.m., everything seemed to be no more than a lingering dream upon waking.


    After the rain, no trace remained, hazy and imperceptible.


    The Chief Elder looked at Mr. Zhuang with suspicion.


    Mr. Zhuang was still drinking tea, relaxed and composed, exuding an air of casual elegance, appearing as if nothing had happened.


    Noticing the Chief Elder¡¯s gaze, Mr. Zhuang looked up and asked as if nothing was amiss:


    "What is it?"


    The Chief Elder hesitated, beginning to doubt himself. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Did Mr. Zhuang do something?


    But it didn¡¯t seem like it...


    What could he have done?


    The Chief Elder looked around again; everything in the surroundings, the furnishings, tables, chairs, cups, screen, and Formation Pavilion looked exactly as he remembered, without any change.


    There were no traces of external influence.


    The Chief Elder shook his head slightly.


    "It must have been an illusion..."


    In recent days, dealing with Mr. Zhuang had been like haggling with a tiger, so the Chief Elder was on guard. He was also worried that the heritage of the Five Elements Sect might have been stealthily learned by someone. ????¦¡??????¨¨?


    His concern was excessive, hence the illusion.


    That their heritage had been learned by someone else...


    At this thought, the Chief Elder¡¯s heart trembled.


    He wanted to check the Shrine, but as he took a step, he stopped himself abruptly.


    The Chief Elder turned and looked at Mr. Zhuang with displeasure, "Mr. Zhuang, it has been over an hour since the due time, isn¡¯t it about time?"


    Mr. Zhuang feigned difficulty.


    The Chief Elder glanced warily at Old Kui but dared only to take a quick look before turning his attention back to Mr. Zhuang and insisted:


    "More than an hour has passed, and my Five Elements Sect has already made concessions. I would ask that you, Sir, know when to stop..."


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment and sighed:


    "Well, whether they understand it or not, it¡¯s all up to those children¡¯s own fortune, and one cannot force it."


    The Chief Elder clasped his hands and said, "Mr. Zhuang deeply understands the greater good..." He then extended his hand and made a "please" gesture:


    "Mr. Zhuang, please come with me to have a look."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Alright."


    Leading the way, the Chief Elder took Mr. Zhuang to the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion, opening the big door with some apprehension, and looked inside.


    The meditation cushion hadn¡¯t been moved, and the Shrine appeared normal at first glance.


    The incense in the incense burner had long since burned out, leaving only the cold ash behind.


    The three Junior Formation Masters from Mo Hua were all inside.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were fine, but Mo Hua was holding his little head with a pained expression, furrowing his brows as if...


    He had overextended his Divine Sense?


    "He didn¡¯t learn it?"


    The Chief Elder felt a twinge of anticipation.


    Mo Hua looked up, saw Mr. Zhuang, and hesitated, not sure what to say.


    Immediately, Mr. Zhuang sighed:


    "Well, if he didn¡¯t learn it, then he didn¡¯t learn it..."


    Mo Hua was startled and then displayed a "disappointed" look, hanging his head, "Master, I... I have let you down..."


    Mr. Zhuang looked regretful, but remained silent.


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression, the Chief Elder was taken aback, then heaved a long sigh of relief.


    He then felt a sense of vindication, his old face blooming like a chrysanthemum, barely able to suppress his smile.


    He "hehe" chuckled twice and pretended to console:


    "The Five Elements Spirit Formation is the Sect Protecting Formation of my Five Elements Sect, a first-class Formation with Thirteen Stripes, incorporating the essence of creation. It¡¯s as hard to comprehend as ascending to the heavens..."


    "Although your distinguished disciples are exceptionally talented and quick-witted, they are still young and learning the profound formations of my Five Elements Sect. It¡¯s normal not to grasp it; don¡¯t take it too much to heart."


    "The journey of Tao Cultivation is long, and they have a long road ahead..."


    "Experiencing setbacks can better temper their nature."


    The Chief Elder stroked his beard.


    Mo Hua, mimicking Mr. Zhuang, sighed and said, "Chief Elder speaks very truly."


    The Chief Elder raised his eyebrows and glanced at Mo Hua.


    This genius, arrogant and defiant, had put Junior Formation Masters of the entire Dali Mountain State boundary to shame. Yet now, facing the heritage of the Five Elements Sect, he seemed crestfallen due to defeat.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart was as sweet as honey.


    He had rarely been this delighted in his life.


    The Chief Elder even said:


    "If Mr. Zhuang does not mind, you could stay longer in my Five Elements Sect, allowing us to extend our hospitality a bit more..."


    Mr. Zhuang seemed somewhat disinterested, "We¡¯ll see."


    He waved his sleeve and left.


    The three from Mo Hua exchanged simple salutations with the Chief Elder, offered a bow, and followed Mr. Zhuang out.


    The Chief Elder watched their departing figures, the smile fading from his face, as he snorted to himself and scoffed:


    "Tasted bitter fruit, have you?"


    "The heritage of my Five Elements Sect isn¡¯t something just anyone can learn."


    ...


    On the way back, there were no members of the Five Elements Sect around.


    Mo Hua¡¯s dejected expression changed, and he couldn¡¯t help but beam with joy.


    Smiling, Mo Hua then frowned again, rubbing the back of his head, and wondered aloud:

 Chapter 641: Foundation (2)

    "My head, why does it feel a bit sore?"Bai Zixi paused, her cheeks blushed slightly as she said:


    "It was me who hit you..." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah..."


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Bai Zixi, with a hint of apology, said softly, "You woke up earlier, but something seemed off, so I knocked you out..."


    Mo Hua thought about it and understood.


    He had been trapped in the Shrine Taoist Field before, and the Little Five Elements Ghost had escaped to his Sea of Consciousness, intending to take over and seize the chance to break free.


    Luckily his little junior sister was smart and knocked him out...


    Mo Hua nodded and said, "It¡¯s okay."


    But he couldn¡¯t help but rub his head, muttering to himself:


    Little junior sister¡¯s punch hurts...


    Has she been practicing Body Refinement along with her spells...


    Noticing Mo Hua rubbing the back of his head nonstop, Bai Zixi realized she might have hit him too hard and said with a touch of concern:


    "Does it still hurt?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Not so much anymore..."


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and then said softly, "Let me help you rub it."


    Mo Hua¡¯s face reddened slightly, "No need..."


    But before he could finish speaking, he felt his junior sister¡¯s fingers rubbing his forehead, cool and soft, soothing the pain away in an instant.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but flutter, and his face became even redder.


    After a moment, Mo Hua realized there was another hand on his head. He turned his head to see that Bai Zisheng was also rubbing it.


    Mo Hua was startled, "What are you doing?"


    Bai Zisheng said, "I¡¯m helping you rub it."


    Mo Hua refused, "No need!"


    Bai Zisheng, fidgety and careless, messed up his hair.


    Bai Zisheng said discontentedly, "This is an elder brother¡¯s affection for his younger brother!"


    "No need..."


    "To not know the blessings you live in! You¡¯re actually complaining?"


    "..."


    The two of them bickered and teased.


    Mr. Zhuang walked behind them, watching his three disciples with a gentle gaze, his lips slightly upturned.


    A breeze blew by, and Mr. Zhuang looked up slightly at the Mountain Protection Array of the Five Elements Sect; the smile in his eyes gradually faded.


    After a moment, his gaze became gentle again.


    But within that gentleness, there was both regret and wistfulness.


    ...


    After the group returned to the guest rooms and rested briefly, Mr. Zhuang asked Mo Hua:


    "Have you learned the Five Elements Spirit Formation?"


    "Mm!"


    With the Chief Elder not there, Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide anything and nodded with a smile. Experience more on


    "Not only that, I also saw something else in the Shrine..."


    Mo Hua recounted everything he experienced in the Shrine to Mr. Zhuang, sparing no detail.


    Mr. Zhuang was quite surprised:


    "Source Pattern?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua nodded, then asked:


    "Master, is this Source Pattern the Five Elements Formation Flow? Does every Formation Flow have a ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯?"


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and sighed softly:


    "In principle, I shouldn¡¯t tell you about Formation Flows at this time..."


    "But since you¡¯ve seen it and learned the Calculation Method, I¡¯ll briefly explain..."


    Mo Hua sat up straight, listening attentively.


    Mr. Zhuang said, "The so-called Formation Flow, its full name is ¡¯Formation Method Origin Stream,¡¯ which seeks the commonality and essence of a certain type of Formations." ?????????¦¯§£¨§?


    "The form of a Formation Flow is diverse."


    "Some are a versatile set of Formation Formations, which act like a skeleton. Once mastered, it makes drawing similar Formations much more efficient;"


    "Some are a kind of Taoist Meaning. After grasping this Taoist Meaning, similar Formations can be easily understood by analogy;"


    "Others are embodied in physical objects: there are swords, diagrams, sculptures, and even mountains and rivers..."


    "Of course, there are also what you mentioned, a Formation Pattern."


    "Simplify the complex, unify the many, condense thousands of Formations into a single ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯."


    "Such Formation Flow inheritances are more difficult and more complex, and the Divine Sense consumed in Calculation is also the most."


    Mr. Zhuang said this, shook his head, and his expression turned contemplative:


    "I never imagined that the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect would have such great ambition, to expend the power of an entire Sect in Calculation of the ¡¯Source Pattern,¡¯ to create a Formation Flow, with the desire to make the Sect¡¯s Formations flourish and become a giant in the Formations field..."


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking:


    "Master, how is the Five Elements Formation Flow different from the Immortal Sky Formation Flow?"


    "Does our Sect¡¯s Immortal Sky Formation Flow contain the Five Elements Formation Flow?"


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment before slowly speaking and explaining:


    "Formation Flow signifies the Formation Method Origin Stream."


    "But this so-called ¡¯Origin Stream¡¯ might not necessarily be the true ¡¯Origin Stream.¡¯"


    Mo Hua was puzzled, frowning, then his eyes brightened:


    "The Origin Stream is comprehended by people, and even if it approaches the Great Dao, it might not be the true Great Dao?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes brightened with approval as he nodded:


    "That¡¯s right, so the so-called Formation Method Origin Stream might not necessarily be the true origin, but rather the Formation Master¡¯s comprehension and summary of the ¡¯Origin Stream¡¯ for a Formation Flow."


    "As such with the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, so with the Five Elements Formation Flow. The same principle applies."


    "In other words, the Formation Flow formed by the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation of the Five Elements Formations is called ¡¯Five Elements Formation Flow.¡¯


    "Other Sects that comprehend the origin of the Five Elements Formations can also call it ¡¯Five Elements Formation Flow.¡¯


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua again with a profound meaning:


    "Someday, if you comprehend the essence of the Five Elements and create your own Formation Flow, it can also be called ¡¯Five Elements Formation Flow.¡¯"


    Mo Hua had an epiphany:


    "So, the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, encompassing the Formation Method Origin Streams of all heavens, even if it includes the Five Elements Formations, may differ from the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Five Elements Formation Flow, and might even be completely different?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said:

 Chapter 642: Foundation (3)

    "Formation Flows each have their strengths and weaknesses, but they all share common drawbacks.""The Immortal Sky Formation Flow contains an extremely profound understanding of formation arts, so much so that it could be held as a standard by any Formation Master."


    "But no matter how profound, it is still just one perspective."


    "Blind faith is worse than no faith at all."


    "That¡¯s why I urged you not to rush into learning Formation Flows, but to step by step comprehend and learn the world¡¯s formations, to apply what you learn, and to integrate and understand them. Eventually, you will form your own Formation Flow and use it to seek the true Great Dao."


    Mr. Zhuang said with profound meaning:


    "Using the law to attain the Dao."


    "All laws are but rafts."


    "Formation Flows are ¡¯laws¡¯, they are ¡¯rafts¡¯, not the ¡¯Dao¡¯."


    Mo Hua felt he understood some but not all, so he carefully remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words. When he had an epiphany in the future, he would verify and slowly comprehend them.


    But after hearing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words, Mo Hua also roughly understood the concept of "Formation Flows."


    Formation Flows are the summary and understanding of the origin stream of formations.


    All the Formation Flows in the world, including the Immortal Sky Formation Flow and the Five Elements Formation Flow, touch on the source of formation arts. On one hand, they are extremely profound and mystical; on the other hand, they each have their own strengths, and it is difficult to distinguish the true from the false.


    One must learn and use them on their own.


    Unity of knowledge and action, to apply what you learn, to discern and adopt in practice.


    Blindly venerating "Formation Flows" will make one a puppet of the Flow, mistaking the ¡¯raft¡¯ for the ¡¯Dao¡¯, and enduring a self-imposed confinement with no hope of seeking the Dao.


    The gleam in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes grew brighter.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua had some clarity, then he frowned and asked about another matter:


    "Master, do ¡¯Source Patterns¡¯ have their own will?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze sharpened, his tone grew heavier, "Their own will?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "They evolve on their own, spread on their own, can parasitize and dominate. Though they cannot speak, the Formation Patterns are like eyes, possessing human-like emotions..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression became solemn, "Are you speaking of that ¡¯Five Elements Source Pattern¡¯?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face was grave, his fingers tapping on the table, his thoughts turbulent. After a long while, he finally spoke:


    "Generally, Source Patterns don¡¯t have that..."


    "Legacy is simply legacy, which is the understanding and perception of Cultivators. It is a spell point, it has no will."


    "The ones with will are the people who control the legacy."


    "An ¡¯aberration¡¯ in the Source Pattern..."


    Mr. Zhuang frowned and pondered aloud:


    "Did something go wrong with the Five Elements Sect back then, a miscalculation that caused the Source Pattern to mutate?"


    "Or did they face a catastrophe, with evil spirits invading?"


    "Or perhaps, were they schemed against, nurturing something..."


    "The decline of the Five Elements Sect, could it be because of this ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯..."


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    He thought the same.


    He was truly his master¡¯s disciple, thinking alongside him!


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze turned sharp and he asked Mo Hua, "Where is that Source Pattern now?"


    "I¡¯ve hidden it inside a painting."


    "A painting?"


    Mo Hua took out the Contemplation Map.


    Previously, this Contemplation Map was the Zhang Family¡¯s Zombie Ancestor Picture. Now, without the zombie but possessing the Source Pattern, imprinted with the legacy of formation, it had become the "Five Elements Formation Flow Map." ?????¦­?B¨§s


    Mr. Zhuang took out a few Copper Coins, arranged them on the table in a formation pattern that Mo Hua could not understand, and then placed the map within the formation, slowly unfolding it.


    On the map, there was a Five-Colored Formation Pattern.


    The Formation Pattern was sealed, its luster subdued, but its aura was ancient.


    "Be careful, Master, it will open its eyes."


    Mo Hua whispered a reminder.


    Open its eyes?


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly stunned, looking at the Five Elements Formation Flow Chart, but noticed that the Formation Patterns were completely still, showing no signs of "opening their eyes," very calm, even one could say...


    Obedient?


    Mr. Zhuang asked in confusion, "What¡¯s wrong with it?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It probably moved home from the shrine and hurt its vitality, so it doesn¡¯t dare to surface."


    Stay updated via


    How its vitality was hurt, it concerned the Taoist Stele, and Mo Hua did not elaborate.


    Mr. Zhuang also had a rough understanding and did not delve deeper but still glanced at Mo Hua silently, thinking to himself that his little disciple, though seemingly harmless to humans and animals, did not seem to go easy on "people" when bullying them...


    That put his mind at ease.


    Mr. Zhuang took another look at the "Five Elements Formation Flow Chart," his thoughts stirring, he performed some calculations, and the more he calculated, the more surprised he became, finding it somewhat incredible:


    "Is this really... the bedrock of the Five Elements Sect..."


    "The bedrock?" Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was complex as he looked at Mo Hua, saying helplessly:


    "The foundation of thousands of years... isn¡¯t that the ¡¯bedrock¡¯..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth opened slightly, in disbelief.


    The foundation of thousands of years...


    He pointed at the Five Elements Source Pattern, struggling to understand:


    "Just this thing?"


    The Five Elements Source Pattern quivered with indignation, but ultimately it still didn¡¯t dare to "open its eyes."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Turning the many into one, with the Calculation Method of the Source Pattern, the Five Elements Sect compiled the Formation of the entire sect into this Source Pattern theory..."


    "In other words, this Source Pattern contains all the Formation heritage of the Five Elements Sect over thousands of years..."


    Mo Hua was flabbergasted.


    He knew that this Source Pattern was a product of Formation Flow evolution and should be extraordinary, but he never imagined it would be extraordinary to this extent!


    "But..." Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, "How is this ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯ used?"


    He really didn¡¯t understand Formation Flow.


    What the purpose of this Source Pattern was, he also wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    It couldn¡¯t possibly be used as a "pathogen" to infect someone else¡¯s Sea of Consciousness...


    Mr. Zhuang said, "There are two possibilities..."


    "First, if you can¡¯t suppress the will of the ¡¯Source Pattern,¡¯ don¡¯t look at it, don¡¯t study it, because once the ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯ settles in, changing the master of the Sea of Consciousness, the consequences would be unimaginable..."


    "The second..."


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, "If you have a way to suppress this ¡¯Source Pattern,¡¯ then you can try to reverse calculate and disassemble the ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯..."


    "Reverse Calculation, disassemble the Source Pattern?"


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang gave a nod, continuing:


    "You¡¯ve learned the Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect, which can deduce Formation Patterns, reduce complexity to simplicity; conversely, it can also turn simplicity to complexity, and disassemble the deduced Formation Patterns back out..."


    Mr. Zhuang remarked with a sigh:


    "Within this Source Pattern lies all the Five Elements Formation heritage of the Five Elements Sect, by disassembling it, you would obtain the Formation Diagrams of these Formation methods..."


    The entire Formation heritage of the Five Elements Sect...


    Mo Hua nodded, then as if remembering something, his heart suddenly trembled, "Doesn¡¯t that mean..."


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, giving an affirmative nod:


    "Indeed, this includes the heritage of the Five Elements Spirit Formation!"


    "And it¡¯s not just any heritage..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone revealed his amazement:


    "It¡¯s very likely a complete set of precious, nearly lost, ancient Ultimate Formation heritage from First Grade to Second Grade, and even Third Grade and above!"


    "This is the true foundation of the Five Elements Sect accumulated over thousands of years!"

 Chapter 643: Zhen Deterrence (1)

    Including a complete set of inheritance for the Five Element Ultimate Formation, from the first rank and above!And it was the ancient heritage of the once first-rate Formation Sect, the Five Elements Sect!


    Mo Hua was beside himself with excitement.


    After Mo Hua finished celebrating, Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly:


    "Of course, it¡¯s not that simple..."


    "I knew it..." Mo Hua muttered to himself, pondered briefly, and then asked Mr. Zhuang: sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Master, this foundation must be hidden very deeply, right?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, saying in a grave tone:


    "Getting the foundational inheritance of the Five Elements Sect is not that easy..."


    "Firstly, as I just said, one must have a way to suppress the ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯. If one cannot suppress it and rashly attempts to calculate the Source Pattern, they will inevitably be parasitized by the ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯, leading to death and the dissipation of one¡¯s spirit..."


    "Even if one can suppress it, they must still be extremely careful."


    "This Source Pattern is too ancient and contains endless and inscrutable computing power of Divine Sense; it is unknown exactly what anomalies have occurred."


    "The Five Elements Sect of those days, with such great power, so many Formation Masters, and such profound knowledge of formation study, still could not deal with it in the end."


    "Therefore, if you truly wish to comprehend and calculate the ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯, you must be extremely cautious and fully confident!"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was solemn.


    Mo Hua nodded gravely, "Master, I will be careful. I will ¡¯play it safe¡¯ when necessary!"


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but smile, then continued:


    "The second requirement is Divine Sense."


    "The Source Pattern involves calculation, which consumes a great deal of Divine Sense."


    "Moreover, it is reverse calculation, and what you are calculating is a ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯ that has condensed countless amounts of computational power, so the requirements for Divine Sense are extremely high."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the Five Elements Formation Flow Chart again, fixing his gaze on the five closed-eyed, multicolored ¡¯Source Patterns¡¯, and said slowly with profound eyes:


    "This ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯ contains all the Five Elements Formation methods treasured by the Five Elements Sect, including the Five Elements Spirit Formation, akin to a Formation ¡¯Taoist Repository¡¯."


    "But most of the formations inside are ¡¯encrypted¡¯ through variations of Formation Patterns."


    "Without sufficient Divine Sense, they cannot be calculated."


    "With your current Divine Sense, even if you attempt to calculate, you¡¯d only see the tip of the iceberg..."


    "The rest of the ¡¯Taoist Repository¡¯ is inexhaustible, and you must wait until the future, when your cultivation improves, and your Divine Sense becomes stronger before you can uncover and comprehend it."


    Mr. Zhuang closed the Formation Flow Chart and handed it to Mo Hua.


    "This Source Pattern encompasses the myriad phenomena of the Five Elements..."


    "It is the core formation inheritance of the entire Five Elements Sect, and looking across the Cultivation World, it can be said to be as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, invaluable beyond measure..." ????????¦­??¦¥????


    "You must keep it safe, and remember, you must not reveal it, else it will surely attract covetous eyes!"


    Mo Hua felt the chart in his hands as heavy as a thousand catties and nodded solemnly.


    Mr. Zhuang patted Mo Hua¡¯s head, letting out a slight breath of relief.


    "There¡¯s one more thing..." Mr. Zhuang added, "The Five Elements Spirit Formation needs a new name."


    "A new name?" Mo Hua was startled. "Does it not sound good?"


    Although he felt that the name Five Elements Spirit Formation lacked dominance and sophistication, seeming like a common and somewhat rustic formation, he didn¡¯t think it was necessary to change the name...


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head with a smile, "The name of a formation is related to its principles and generally isn¡¯t chosen haphazardly."


    "The Five Elements Spirit Formation, with the word ¡¯Spirit¡¯, may sound ordinary, but to the knowledgeable Formation Master, it signifies that this formation involves the essence of the Five Elements¡¯ Spiritual Power, markedly different from ordinary formations."


    "I suggest you change the name because I want to avoid drawing connections, not wishing to link you with the Five Elements Sect."


    "Five Elements Spirit Formation is closely related to the Five Elements Sect, and your mastery of it inevitably implies that you have ties to the Five Elements Sect."


    "Possessing treasure incurs guilt."


    "In the eyes of those with intentions, you are like someone holding a treasure, flaunting your name and parading in the streets."


    Realizing the point, Mo Hua nodded repeatedly:


    "Master is right!"


    "Keeping a low profile while making a fortune is the best way!"


    "Though we study openly and honestly, being too showy can easily attract jealousy and trouble."


    "Besides, that Chief Elder is old and narrow-minded. If he knew I had learned their Sect Protecting Formation, it would probably infuriate him to death. To avoid giving him a coronary, I¡¯ll just keep it from him!"


    Mo Hua said thoughtfully.


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, then after a moment of reflection, he instructed:


    "The causality of the Cultivation World is determined by destiny. This Source Pattern, though obtained by your own ability, is after all a favor from the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect."


    "If there is a chance in the future, you can repay this causality and do some good deeds for the Five Elements Sect lineage, but not now..."


    "Hmm." Mo Hua nodded. "I¡¯ll remember."


    Then he asked, "Master, the Five Elements Spirit Formation... If I were to change its name, what should I rename it to?"


    Mr. Zhuang replied gently: "Think about that yourself. There are very few Formation Masters who know this method¡ªwhat others lack, you possess, which shall become your foundation. Even if the name is unattractive, it¡¯s yours to use."


    Mo Hua frowned pensively.


    This indeed was a serious consideration that required thoughtful deliberation and could not be rushed.


    But there was no urgency at the moment.


    The pressing matter at hand was to see whether he could, as he initially hoped, suppress the Source Pattern and invert-calculate all the Five Elements Formations, including the Five Elements Spirit Formation, from it.


    After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua returned to his room, wanting to start contemplating the ¡¯Source Pattern¡¯.


    But upon reflection, he still felt it was unwise.


    He had promised his master to ¡¯play it safe¡¯ a bit more.

 Chapter 644: Zhen Deterrence (2)

    Mo Hua then set up a Formation around, with some that isolated their aura to prevent detection, and created control-type Formations to prevent himself from running amok if he were to be "parasitized."The Formations within the room were dense and intricate like a spider web.


    Mo Hua patted his hands together, feeling considerably more at ease.


    But he still wasn¡¯t completely reassured, so he ran next door and knocked.


    Bai Zixi opened the door, looking at Mo Hua with confusion.


    Mo Hua said, "Senior Sister, if I act abnormally later, stop me and then call for Master."


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes lit up, "Should I knock you out too?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s head started to throb subtly, but he still clenched his teeth and said, "Knock me out!" Then he added:


    "But, could you... go a bit easier?"


    Bai Zixi nodded, "I¡¯ll be gentler."


    After entrusting her with the task, Mo Hua returned to his room and placed the "Five Elements Formation Flow Map," which held the Five-elements Variant Source Pattern, in front of him.


    Just as Mo Hua was about to open it, he hesitated once more, feeling that he could still be a bit more "cowardly"...


    Mo Hua checked the sky, it was already 22 p.m, and before long, it would be 1 p.m.


    At 1 p.m, within his Sea of Consciousness, a Taoist Stele appeared.


    With the Taoist Stele as his support, he would proceed to comprehend the Map.


    "A delayed sharpening doesn¡¯t slow the chopping of wood, just wait a bit more..."


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged, calming his mind and spirit.


    As 1 p.m. struck, Mo Hua suddenly opened his eyes, then opened the Map, calmly visualizing and focusing intently on the Calculation.


    The Source Pattern closed its eyes, with no anomalies, it was just the usual Formation Flow.


    It was the Formation Method Origin Stream formed by summarizing various Formations.


    Following the Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect, Mo Hua began to calculate in reverse.


    Indeed, at the edge of the Source Pattern within his Sea of Consciousness, tiny bits of the Formation Patterns slowly separated, evolved, and eventually formed various complete Formations.


    Mo Hua was very familiar with these Formations.


    They were all commonly used Five Elements Formations within the realm of the First-grade, and while the methods were a bit different due to their ancient heritage, the Formation Patterns had some alterations, they were largely the same. R?????¦­?¦¢¨¨S?


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirit was lifted.


    Master was right; reverse Calculation was feasible.


    This Source Pattern was a Taoist Repository, a treasure of Formations that contained countless Five Elements Formations.


    Once one learned to perform Calculations, it would be possible to reverse engineer and obtain various Five Elements Formation Diagrams.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he continued his Calculations.


    The Sea of Consciousness was silent, Mo Hua¡¯s mind was undistracted.


    After spending most of the night on it, Mo Hua had finally understood another point.


    The reverse computations were related to the strength of the Divine Sense.


    The stronger the Divine Sense, the higher the grade of the Five Elements Formations he could calculate.


    With his Divine Sense at the peak of Thirteen Stripes, the Formation Patterns he derived were also below Thirteen Stripes.


    Formations above Thirteen Stripes were beyond his ability to "decode."


    As for which specific Formations he could derive, it was up to fate.


    So far, the Formations that Mo Hua had derived from the "Source Pattern" were varied, although all categorized under Five Elements, encompassing complete representations of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, ranging from Formations with three or four patterns to First-grade Formations with nine.


    It was like drawing lots; whatever you drew was what you got, without any particular pattern.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    According to his deduction, the process of Calculating the Source Pattern and deriving the Formation Flow was complex. Such a large "Tao Cultivation project" must certainly follow specific protocols and rules.


    These Formation Patterns must also be arranged in a given order and framework, coming together to form the Source Pattern, and could not possibly be in a state of chaos.


    However, Mo Hua was not yet clear on this and would have to continue his comprehension in the future...


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but admire the situation again.


    Thousands of years of heritage...


    How many Formations could be contained within this Source Pattern?


    What would it look like if it was completely Calculated and fully "decoded"?


    What if he could learn all the Formations contained herein? S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Being knowledgeable in both Formations and Calculation,


    Wouldn¡¯t he become like a "Human-shaped Source Pattern"?


    Mo Hua entertained these thoughts wildly, filled with anticipation in his heart.


    As his mind wandered, he suddenly felt sleepy, as though the prolonged Calculation had made him weary, and his Divine Sense was also significantly depleted.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids were fighting each other, and he was vaguely dozing off, his little head nodding repeatedly...


    Maybe a little sleep...


    That was what Mo Hua thought, but suddenly, he was jolted awake.


    Sleep? What sleep?


    This was in his own Sea of Consciousness, in front of the Taoist Stele; he never felt sleepy!


    "Something¡¯s off!"


    When Mo Hua opened his eyes, he saw that the "Source Pattern" on the Five Elements Formation Flow Map had somehow opened its eyes!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he braced himself entirely, examining his own Divine Sense.


    Sure enough!


    Inside his Sea of Consciousness, there was an intricate array of Formation Patterns.


    This "Source Pattern" was restless again, harboring ill intentions, taking advantage of his focused Calculations and his exhausted Divine Sense to create an Earth Series Sleeping Formation, intending to make him drowsy and fall asleep.


    Meanwhile, its Formation Patterns, like ants or tentacles, were secretly infiltrating his Sea of Consciousness!


    "It still wants to parasite itself on me?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Not right!


    Following the Formation Patterns, Mo Hua realized with a start:


    "The Source Pattern¡¯s target is the Taoist Stele?"


    "Does it have the audacity to parasite onto the Taoist Stele?"


    Mo Hua frowned, his mind racing, and he soon grew solemn:


    "No, it wants to... assimilate with the Taoist Stele?"


    Mo Hua was suddenly enlightened.


    The Taoist Stele, formless and in line with the Great Dao, carried the essence of the Great Dao on itself.


    Did this "Source Pattern" want to assimilate with the Great Dao and merge with the Taoist Stele?!


    "This Source Pattern wants to be a ¡¯concubine,¡¯ cleaving to the Taoist Stele?!"


    Does it even qualify?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrow twitched, intending to use the Calculation to reorganize the Formation Patterns and force the Source Pattern back into the Five Elements Formation Flow Map.


    However, his Calculation was still a bit too slow. Several five-colored Formation Patterns had already spread through Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, latching onto the central Taoist Stele.

 Chapter 645: Zhen’s Deterrence (3)

    The Five-Colored Formation Pattern imprinted itself upon the ethereal surface of the Taoist Stele.The "eyes" of the Source Pattern suddenly widened.


    The ancient aura of the Great Dao made it tremble, yet it seemed to excite it immensely.


    It was being eroded by the Great Dao bit by bit, but at the same time, it was approaching the essence of the Great Dao, undergoing a transformation...


    Mo Hua tried to use the Calculation Method to suppress the Formation Patterns, but his Divine Sense was limited, and inevitably, his speed was still too slow...


    A sense of heaviness crept into Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    It was at that moment a silent and annihilating aura suddenly emerged from atop the Taoist Stele.


    This aura, equally ancient, was more domineering, filled with a cold and dead silence that seemed capable of erasing everything.


    Above the Taoist Stele, crimson Formation Patterns lit up!


    It was the Immortal Pattern containing the power of tribulation lightning that Mo Hua had glimpsed and memorized through the cracks of the Heavenly Dao when he broke the Large Formation, executed Feng Xi, and triggered the Heavenly Dao Formation to bring down heavenly retribution.


    With the presence of the Immortal Pattern, a scarlet hue of tribulation lightning appeared atop the Taoist Stele.


    In a flicker of lightning, all the spreading Formation Patterns from the "Five Elements Source Pattern" were erased!


    The vitality of the Source Pattern was greatly damaged, its "eyes" trembling with inexplicable terror.


    Immortal Pattern?


    Tribulation lightning?


    If the Taoist Stele signified the Great Dao that encompasses everything,


    Then that tribulation lightning symbolized the pure "Killing Path" that annihilates all things.


    The Source Pattern would have never imagined that within Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, there was an Immortal Pattern inscribed, a tribulation lightning engraved, hiding a shocking lethal tribulation!


    The Source Pattern, with the speed of lightning that leaves no time to cover one¡¯s ears, shrank back into the "Five Elements Formation Flow Map."


    Now its "eyes" closed even tighter, shaking tremulously like a thin line, daring not to open even a slit for fear of "seeing" something terrifying again.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat speechless.


    "Aren¡¯t you just being masochistic? Without a beating, you never learn..."


    Now the "Source Pattern" did not even dare to get angry, it could only hide in the chart, silently playing dead.


    Mo Hua shook his head, but also breathed a sigh of relief.


    With the Taoist Stele¡¯s suppression and the Immortal Pattern¡¯s deterrence,


    The Five Elements "Source Pattern" should now be thoroughly honest and dare not harbor any more cunning thoughts.


    It would also be much safer for him to deduce Five Elements Formation Patterns in the future.


    But at the same time, Mo Hua developed a new curiosity:


    What is the relationship between the Immortal Pattern and the Source Pattern?


    Could it be that the Immortal Pattern itself is a kind of higher-end "Source Pattern"?


    If that were the case...


    By deducing the "Source Pattern," one could gain the compiled Five Elements Formation from within the Source Pattern...


    Then, if one day, my Divine Sense grew powerful enough to deduce the "Immortal Pattern," what would be derived from the "Immortal Pattern"?


    Heavenly tribulation?


    Thunder Formation?


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart raced with excitement.


    However, these matters were mere conjecture, and he was not yet certain of them.


    He must wait until his cultivation was higher, his Divine Sense stronger, and his mastery of formations deeper, to validate these ideas...


    Mo Hua sighed.


    His cultivation was not yet high enough, his Divine Sense not yet strong enough...


    It seemed he needed to expedite his cultivation and achieve Foundation Establishment sooner.


    There were so many more powerful formations waiting for him to learn!


    His spirits lifted, Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    ... S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the other hand, in front of the shrine, the Chief Elder was frowning.


    Mo Hua and his two companions "frustrated," Mr. Zhuang "defeated," the Chief Elder had indeed exhaled in contentment for a few days.


    But a few days later, the more he thought about it, the more it felt off.


    Mr. Zhuang... renowned for his meticulous schemes, did not seem to be the type to fail so simply...


    Regarding his three disciples:


    As for the siblings, he didn¡¯t know much about them, so he would not comment.


    But speaking only of the Junior Formation Master named Mo, whose talent was astonishing and whose flair for formations was indeed extraordinary, the biggest problem was his lack of virtue! ??N¨®??????


    His schemes were too wily!


    Would such a scheming Junior Formation Master really be so dejected simply because he couldn¡¯t learn a formation?


    Or rather, it would be normal for him not to learn it easily, but with his talent, to not learn anything at all was abnormal...


    The Chief Elder felt that he might have been played by Mr. Zhuang and his disciple!


    What was worse, he had taken it all for true!


    The Chief Elder felt his blood boil with anger.


    He offered incense before the shrine once more.


    This time, the incense burned without any anomaly, finishing steadily.


    Yet, the Chief Elder¡¯s brows knitted even tighter.


    No anomaly meant no sign.


    Where was the sign?


    What happened to the little demon housed in this shrine? Where had it gone?


    After examining the shrine for a while, the Chief Elder suddenly froze.


    The shrine seemed normal, but below it was a dark spot where... a door seemed to be missing?


    Who had broken the great door of the shrine?


    No way...


    Inside the shrine lay the heritage of the Five Elements Sect.


    The great door of the shrine was broken, and the little demon inside was gone.


    The Chief Elder felt a tremor in his heart, an unbelievable thought surfacing:


    "Could it be that the hidden heritage of my Five Elements Sect has been completely plundered..."


    "No way..."

 Chapter 646: Bottleneck (1)

    The Chief Elder called for Sect Leader Liao.


    Sect Leader Liao stared at the Shrine for a long time before expressing his confusion,


    "It seems... indeed, a door is missing..."


    Both furrowed their brows, quite perplexed.


    This Shrine, handed down from the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, was a Divine Thought Taoist Field containing the transmission of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Born from the hands of the Sect¡¯s forefathers, the Shrine was profound and unfathomable.


    Who on earth had the ability to forcibly break open the doors of the Shrine?


    And how did they do it?


    Were the ones who broke the door Mr. Zhuang¡¯s three disciples, or that little ghost inside?


    Sect Leader Liao knew about the matter of the little ghost.


    It was a secret of the Five Elements Sect.


    To prevent the loss of the Formation¡¯s knowledge, hundreds of years ago, an old Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect had specifically captured a little ghost and placed it within the Shrine to nurture, letting it create illusions to bewilder outsiders and prevent the core heritage of the Five Elements Sect from leaking out...


    But now, with the Shrine¡¯s doors broken and the little ghost missing...


    Sect Leader Liao exclaimed with concern, "The transmission of the Five Elements Spirit Formation..."


    The Chief Elder shook his head and sighed,


    "I do not know..."


    He then raised his eyes to take another look at the Shrine and said with a frown,


    "Over these hundreds of years, I¡¯ve always felt that within this Shrine, there is a special significance... as if it¡¯s also hiding some particularly special heritage..."


    "But now, with a door of the Shrine missing, this significance has suddenly disappeared..."


    "It¡¯s as if the contents have been emptied by someone unknown..."


    The Shrine now stood as an empty shell, like a deserted pavilion, empty and cold.


    Sect Leader Liao asked in astonishment, "Chief Elder, what other heritage does our Five Elements Sect have?"


    The Chief Elder remained silent.


    Because he did not know either.


    Sect Leader Liao shook his head and sneered inwardly.


    To embellish one¡¯s own face with gold, besides the Five Elements Spirit Formation, what other heritage could the Five Elements Sect have?


    Even the Five Elements Spirit Formation was in name only, with nobody able to learn it, and utterly unattainable...


    However, these were thoughts that he naturally wouldn¡¯t express aloud.


    A glint of light flashed in Sect Leader Liao¡¯s eyes as he said in a low voice,


    "Chief Elder, could it be that Mr. Zhuang and his disciples have stolen our Five Elements Sect¡¯s heritage?"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart trembled, his brow even more furrowed.


    This was precisely his worry...


    With Mr. Zhuang being inscrutable, and his disciples possessing exceptional talent, if the master and apprentices had orchestrated a scheme and stolen the heritage of his Five Elements Sect, it would be endless trouble. ?????????¨®??????


    The key question was, what exactly was this heritage?


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation?


    If it was the Five Elements Spirit Formation, they had no grounds to object, as it was something they were supposed to learn, and they had rightfully mastered it.


    But what if it wasn¡¯t just the Five Elements Spirit Formation?


    Not just the Five Elements Spirit Formation...


    What else could it be?


    What else had the old ancestors of the Five Elements Sect left behind for them?


    The Chief Elder was completely bewildered.


    Sect Leader Liao had other ideas and so he asked, "What do you plan to do?"


    "What to do?" The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze darkened, "What do you mean by that..."


    "If there is indeed other heritage within the Shrine, it must be extraordinary, and we must investigate!"


    "Investigate..."


    Sect Leader Liao raised an eyebrow, "You know what I mean."


    The Chief Elder hesitated.


    Sect Leader Liao continued, "With the Shrine damaged and the heritage lost, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples are the prime suspects, so..."


    Sect Leader Liao moved closer to the Chief Elder and spoke in a lowered voice,


    "We must find a way to keep them here!"


    "Keep them here..."


    The Chief Elder mused thoughtfully.


    Sect Leader Liao nodded and suggested,


    "We start with an investigation within the Five Elements Sect, then look into that missing little ghost, and then Mr. Zhuang and his disciples...


    "Before the investigation is clear, we must make sure to detain them!"


    "If the heritage is in their hands, we must find a way to take it back; if not, we apologize, make amends, and let it pass..."


    Upon hearing this, the Chief Elder sneered, "As if it would be that easy to let it pass..."


    Who do you think you¡¯re keeping?


    Mr. Zhuang is not so easy to deal with.


    Moreover, that wooden-like elder beside him, his Cultivation is even more unfathomable. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sect Leader Liao knew what the Chief Elder was worried about and said persuasively,


    "We proceed with courtesy before force, first inviting them to stay with our Five Elements Sect for a little while longer, to linger a few more days."


    "Since there¡¯s an ancestral connection, visiting as guests and exchanging knowledge about Formations is a reasonable and appropriate request..."


    "They might just decide to stay."


    "This is the ¡¯courtesy¡¯ part. If they do not agree, then we resort to ¡¯force¡¯..."


    "Mr. Zhuang and the elder may possess extraordinary Cultivation, but his disciples are only at the Qi Refinement level. Throughout these days, they have crossed hands with our Five Elements Sect disciples.


    Though stronger than Qi Refinement, perhaps even comparable to Foundation Establishment, they are still only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, and cannot turn the tables on our Five Elements Sect..." Experience tales with


    "Mr. Zhuang seems indifferent, but he obviously cares quite a bit about those disciples, especially that one named Mo, who he dotes on greatly."


    "We just need to control that little disciple, no, even any single disciple, and use that to threaten Mr. Zhuang, and he will have no choice but to submit."


    "If that still doesn¡¯t work..."


    Sect Leader Liao pointed skywards and spoke with a solemn voice, "We still have... the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation!"


    The Chief Elder was shocked, "To activate the Large Formation?!"


    Sect Leader Liao nodded, "Once the Large Formation is activated, we won¡¯t worry about keeping them!"


    "Even if their Cultivation is strong, they wouldn¡¯t dare to Transcend the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao, and they would inevitably be trapped within the Large Formation!"


    The Chief Elder frowned in thought. He felt that Sect Leader Liao might have a point, but he still lacked confidence in his heart.

 Chapter 647: Bottleneck (2)

    He still didn¡¯t dare to make an enemy of Mr. Zhuang.


    Especially within the gates of the Five Elements Sect, within the Mountain Protection Array, to confront Mr. Zhuang head-on.


    "To tear off the face like this... isn¡¯t that a bit too harsh?"


    The Chief Elder expressed his concern.


    Sect Leader Liao took a step back and said softly,


    "Chief Elder, it¡¯s not that we must tear off our face with Mr. Zhuang..."


    "If we treat him with great kindness and he decides to stay, wouldn¡¯t that be even better?"


    "Even if we must activate the Large Formation and come to arms, we don¡¯t need to fight to the death. We just need him to hand over our Five Elements Sect¡¯s inheritance; even if it¡¯s only half, it¡¯s better than losing it all to outsiders..."


    "We would also have something to report back to our ancestors in the sect..."


    "Chief Elder..."


    Sect Leader Liao looked at the Chief Elder, his tone earnest as he said, "The inheritance is of great importance!"


    The inheritance is of great importance!


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart trembled.


    "Indeed, all this is for the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect!" S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if there were risks, they had to be taken.


    The Chief Elder took another look at Sect Leader Liao and nodded inwardly.


    This Sect Leader, although his realm and vision were somewhat limited, still had some measure and could come up with some tactics when it mattered.


    "Alright!" the Chief Elder nodded, "Then go ahead and prepare. We must keep them in the Five Elements Sect!"


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s face lit up with joy as he clasped his hands in agreement.


    Once the two had finished discussing, the Chief Elder still stayed in front of the Shrine, contemplating and full of anxious worries.


    Sect Leader Liao left the Formation Pavilion alone.


    Night had fallen, and outside the Formation Pavilion, there was a sight of carved beams and painted rafters, glittering gold and resplendent.


    As Sect Leader Liao stepped out of the Formation Pavilion, he looked back at it and couldn¡¯t help but sneer.


    "The inheritance is of great importance?"


    "Inheritance my ass!"


    Your journey continues with


    "What inheritance does the Five Elements Sect have at this point?"


    The study of Formations had declined, and Formation Masters had been lost.


    The Five Elements Sect now, built on Earth and Wood, was merely superficial, just like that Shrine, nothing more than an empty shell that shone from the outside. ??£Î????


    Without people, without Formations, what use was just an empty shell?


    The revival of the sect was a joke.


    Sect Leader Liao sneered with disdain, then twirled the jade ring on his finger.


    But it was not all loss...


    Over the years, he had reaped many benefits from it, squeezing every last bit of value from this decaying wood and beams, making a fortune. Now, the time had come to flee...


    The mess was someone else¡¯s problem.


    Spirit Stones were his own!


    As for the Five Elements Sect...


    Sect Leader Liao snorted coldly.


    Although he was indeed a man of the Five Elements Sect, it was just a title after all. Changing alliances was not a big deal.


    But before he left, the Five Elements Sect still had one last use...


    Sect Leader Liao took in the entire mountain gate of the Five Elements Sect, his mouth curling into a trace of cold intent.


    ...


    Two days later, Sect Leader Liao visited Mr. Zhuang.


    He still had a frank look, without any hint of scheming, earnestly saying,


    "I have long admired Senior Zhuang, and I apologize for the difficulties and accusations made earlier. Please forgive me..."


    Mr. Zhuang did not express agreement or disagreement.


    Sect Leader Liao continued,


    "...Now that the inheritance matters are settled, and the timing is right, I humbly ask that you spend some more time as a guest in the Five Elements Sect, allowing me, as the host, to show a bit of hospitality."


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s words seemed sincere, but he was very nervous inside.


    He couldn¡¯t fathom Mr. Zhuang¡¯s intentions, couldn¡¯t penetrate Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts, and felt like he was on pins and needles under Mr. Zhuang¡¯s deep gaze, sweating profusely.


    Sect Leader Liao anxiously awaited Mr. Zhuang¡¯s response.


    After pondering for a moment, Mr. Zhuang suddenly said, "Alright."


    This one word "alright" relieved Sect Leader Liao immensely.


    He felt lighter by quite a bit and couldn¡¯t help but smile, saying,


    "I am deeply grateful for Senior¡¯s favor."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and said nothing more, taking up his teacup to drink.


    Sect Leader Liao knew to take a hint, so he clasped his hands and said,


    "Then I won¡¯t disturb Senior¡¯s cultivation any longer, I take my leave."


    After Sect Leader Liao left, Mr. Zhuang called Mo Hua over, thought for a moment, and then instructed,


    "During this time, practice diligently. You¡¯ll establish your foundation here in the Five Elements Sect."


    Mo Hua was startled, "Here?"


    The Five Elements Sect was not exactly a safe haven.


    From the top down, there was both jealousy and hatred toward him; if not outright hostility, at least the attitude was unfriendly.


    But Mr. Zhuang affirmed confidently, "No matter, establish your foundation here!"


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, "Isn¡¯t that a bit too soon..."


    Since reaching the Qi Refining Ninth Level, it had only been a few months, and his Qi Sea was not yet stable, his foundations were not solid, and his Cultivation was not firm...


    Establishing his foundation now felt too premature.


    Mr. Zhuang said gently, "Your Spiritual Root... is not that great, and no matter how you refine your Spiritual Power, that¡¯s pretty much it, so you don¡¯t need so many requirements. Don¡¯t bother polishing your realm, it doesn¡¯t matter if the foundation is not solid; as long as you can break through, that¡¯s good enough..."


    Although he spoke softly, his words still stung.


    "Alright..."


    Mo Hua nodded and then asked, "Master, what about my Divine Sense? Is that sufficient too?"


    "Does drawing the Five Elements Spirit Formation enhance your Divine Sense?" Mr. Zhuang asked.


    "It does, but not much..." Mo Hua replied truthfully.


    "Can you break through to the Thirteen Stripes?"


    Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head, "It feels very difficult..."


    He had been drawing the Five Elements Spirit Formation whenever he had the chance.


    Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth ¨C he drew the Spirit Formations of the five elements again and again.


    Drawing by day, and even at night on the Taoist Stele.


    His Divine Sense was indeed growing slowly, and at a considerable rate, stronger than when he was drawing the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Although the requirement for the Five Elements Spirit Formation was Thirteen Stripes, since "Divine Sense Becomes the Dao," part of the Divine Sense needed to be separated and merged with the Formation, becoming one with the Spiritual Power.

 Chapter 648: Bottleneck (3)

    Find adventures on


    So the Divine Sense actually consumed was a bit more than that of thirteen stripes.


    And the Spiritual Pivot Formation only had twelve patterns.


    If the Divine Sense strengthened by the Spiritual Pivot Formation were a small stream, S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then the Divine Sense strengthened by the Five Elements Spirit Formation would be a small river.


    But be it a small stream or a small river, in front of the threshold from thirteen to fourteen stripes, both seem somewhat insignificant.


    It¡¯s like channeling water into a ravine; the water is not a little, but the ravine is unfathomably deep and can never be filled...


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment and said, "Then forget it, just build the foundation with the peak Divine Sense of thirteen stripes..."


    "You don¡¯t need to reach fourteen stripes?" Mo Hua asked weakly.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head and sighed,


    "No more forcing it. Although fourteen stripes are good, they are indeed too difficult..."


    And plans cannot keep up with changes; there¡¯s not much time left...


    There was a fleeting look of melancholy in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze before he then instructed,


    "You just build your foundation with the peak Divine Sense of thirteen stripes. Although it isn¡¯t extremely supreme, it is already very good..."


    Mr. Zhuang originally wanted to say "very strong," but he hesitated for a moment and still didn¡¯t want Mo Hua to become arrogant.


    However, in all fairness, having the Divine Sense at the peak of thirteen stripes in Qi Refinement is extremely rare in his recognition, even considered to be at the limit...


    Going beyond that is truly too difficult.


    Mr. Zhuang said gravely, "If you build your foundation with the peak Divine Sense of thirteen stripes, theoretically, you should overcome the obstacles, and your Divine Sense should increase manifold, reaching the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, between fourteen and sixteen stripes."


    "As for the exact amount, it will depend on the Taoist Skill..."


    Mo Hua asked curiously, "Master, if the Divine Sense multiplies, why isn¡¯t it twenty-six stripes?"


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback and lightly tapped Mo Hua¡¯s forehead,


    "What are you thinking? The increase of Divine Sense isn¡¯t simply arithmetic."


    "The number of patterns is just a scale."


    "Between two scales, the amount of Divine Sense can differ as much as heaven is from earth."


    "Nine stripes in Qi Refinement, and ten stripes in Foundation Establishment, are already a substantial difference, a full double."


    "Twenty-six stripes, that¡¯s already the Golden Core..."


    "Such good fortune doesn¡¯t just happen..."


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly, then curiously asked again,


    "Master, is the disparity in Divine Sense also a full double between the initial and middle stages of Foundation Establishment?"


    Mr. Zhuang replied, "Not necessarily. The Divine Sense disparity between the early and middle phases of Foundation Establishment is significant, but it won¡¯t be as much as a full double." ?§¡¦­??¨§?


    Mo Hua, with his keen mind, immediately found another question,


    "Then why can my Divine Sense only reach the middle stage of Foundation Establishment after it increases upon my breakthrough?"


    Mr. Zhuang took a sip of tea and continued to explain to Mo Hua,


    "Because the further you go with Divine Sense, the slower and more difficult its growth becomes."


    "Moreover, your situation is quite special; your current Divine Sense is already very strong, so your realm breakthrough will lead to a great increase in Divine Sense, but it may not necessarily double."


    "Heavenly Dao maintains balance, always with limits and often with many restrictions..."


    If it weren¡¯t limited, your Divine Sense would truly become ¡¯unruly and untamed¡¯...


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and silently sighed to himself.


    Mo Hua nodded as if he understood.


    "Alright, focus on your cultivation..."


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua again and said with a gentle smile,


    "I estimate that in less than a month, your Cultivation will be nearly adequate. Try to break through the realm and see what the bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue is, then we can find a way to break through the bottleneck and build the Taoist Foundation!"


    "Yes!"


    Mo Hua nodded, his eyes sparkling.


    Though he couldn¡¯t reach fourteen stripes, and that was a pity, he was still very happy to be on the verge of Foundation Establishment.


    Without the fourteen stripes, so be it...


    Man follows the earth, the earth follows the heavens, the heavens follow the Tao, and the Tao follows nature.


    Tao Cultivation is about following the natural course of things, without forcing anything.


    You should not bite off more than you can chew.


    For the next month, Mo Hua focused entirely on his cultivation, tirelessly absorbing Spirit Stones.


    Even when studying Formation, he only did it at the Taoist Stele at 1 p.m., and during the daylight hours, he mostly used his time to meditate and assimilate Spirit Stones.


    Normal cultivation requires a steady pace, like the constant dripping that wears away a stone.


    Persistence every day, with practice making perfect.


    But now, on the verge of Foundation Establishment, it is necessary to spend more time and more Spirit Stones, to use both time and Spirit Stones on the "cutting edge."


    Mo Hua cultivated with single-minded devotion, preparing for Foundation Establishment.


    Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng, knowing that Mo Hua was about to build his foundation, did not disturb him, and silently protected their junior brother to prevent any mishaps in his cultivation or disturbances from others.


    And Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation was progressing smoothly.


    Spirit Stones were consumed one after another, and Spiritual Power was increasing bit by bit.


    Finally, after a month.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Cultivation reached the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    At the same time, he also touched upon the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment...

 Chapter 649: Mystery Sky (1)

    That day, Mo Hua was cultivating as usual when suddenly his Qi Sea trembled and filled up on its own.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened with joy.


    The ninth layer had reached perfection, and spiritual power overflowed.


    He had touched the threshold of Foundation Establishment!


    The abundant spiritual power began to condense within the Qi Sea and circulate, gradually solidifying like a layer of mist, damp and moist.


    This was a precursor to spiritual power becoming as quicksilver, as well as a prerequisite for Foundation Establishment.


    Spiritual power like quicksilver, ascending to Foundation Establishment.


    But before spiritual power could be refined to that quicksilver state, a bottleneck had to be overcome. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This bottleneck varied from person to person, mainly depending on the cultivation technique and the cultivator¡¯s spiritual root.


    Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation technique was the Tianyan Jue.


    So, according to the Tianyan Jue, the bottleneck for Foundation Establishment resided within the Sea of Consciousness.


    Sure enough, moments later, that overflowing spiritual power turned into gossamer threads of spiritual silk, flowing out from the Qi Sea, following the meridians to converge at Baihui, then seeping inward at the Heavenly Gate, entering Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The spiritual power entering the Sea of Consciousness transformed into filaments and began to weave into Formation Patterns.


    This scene was not unfamiliar to Mo Hua.


    He had experienced this when breaking through from the early phase to the middle phase of Qi Refinement, and again, from the middle phase to the late phase of Qi Refinement.


    This time was no different.


    The spiritual threads outlined patterns and drew Mystery Formations, covering the Sea of Consciousness.


    The one thing Mo Hua worried about was whether this Mystery Formation would exceed a first-grade nine-patterned, turning into a ten-patterned or even higher pattern that Mo Hua had never seen or learned before¡ªthe Ultimate Formation.


    Overcoming this bottleneck by solving the formation would then be extremely difficult.


    His attempt at Foundation Establishment would also become much more challenging.


    Mo Hua watched the spiritual threads somewhat nervously, observing as they wove Mystery Formations like weaving flowers. After a short while, he let out a sigh of relief...


    It was only a Compound Formation, and they were all fairly simple.


    With his current level of Formation mastery, breaking the Compound Formation was still well within his capabilities.


    He was also fortunate that his master had taught him many advanced Formation theories and instructed him to establish himself with Formations, and to Prove the Dao with Divine Sense. His knowledge of Formations far surpassed that of an average first-grade Formation Master.


    Otherwise, even just breaking a Compound Formation would be quite troublesome.


    Now, to establish his Foundation smoothly, it seemed he would face many more difficulties.


    Hard work always yields rewards.


    Mo Hua celebrated in his heart.


    However, after a while, his expression froze, and his face grew more and more solemn.


    Something was wrong...


    The Mystery Formations continued to appear...


    And there was no sign of stopping.


    One Compound Formation after another slowly came into existence and connected together.


    As more Mystery Formations accumulated, like snowflakes in the depths of winter, layer upon layer, they covered the entire Sea of Consciousness.


    When the creation of the Mystery Formations was complete.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth dropped open, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    What was...this?


    The spiritual power, dense like silk threads, wove an entire world of Formations, like an enormous cocoon that completely and thoroughly enshrouded his Sea of Consciousness. ??????o?????¨§????


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    This was...a Large Formation composed of Mystery Formations?!


    Mo Hua was profoundly shaken.


    A Large Formation like a cocoon, concealing the Sea of Consciousness.


    Would he end up trapped, or would he break free like a butterfly from its cocoon?


    Mo Hua fell silent for a long time and was at a loss for words.


    This was...too outrageous...


    How could there be such a bottleneck for Foundation Establishment?


    Mo Hua glanced over the enormous Mystery Formation again, his Divine Sense sweeping across it, roughly counting the formations, his gaze shaking.


    The entire Large Formation contained tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Mystery Formations!


    Was he supposed to solve each and every one of them?


    Would that take until the end of time?


    Mo Hua frowned and tried to solve a few Mystery Formations.


    The Mystery Formations were not difficult to solve.


    It was just the sheer number of them that was overwhelming!


    Mo Hua made an estimate.


    Solving ten formations a day, it would take about ten to twenty years to completely dismantle this Mystery Formation that had entrapped him like a cocoon.


    After solving a few more Mystery Formations and looking up again, Mo Hua sighed deeply, overcome with a sense of powerlessness.


    Before him was an endlessly vast sea of formations.


    And the few Mystery Formations he had just solved were nothing but a drop in the ocean.


    Just thinking about all the Mystery Formations left to solve made Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingle.


    And this wasn¡¯t even the most troublesome part.


    If these Mystery Formations made up a Large Formation, then the most difficult aspect would lie in its Formation Pivot.


    What structure could the Formation Pivot of a Mystery Formation have?


    And how should it be solved?


    Mo Hua was completely clueless.


    This was not a problem one person could solve on their own.


    Constructing a Large Formation required an immense amount of manpower, and solving it would demand an even greater amount of Divine Sense computation¡ªbreaking a Formation was much more troublesome than constructing one...


    What should he do?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    Aside from solving, the only other method he could think of was "disintegration."


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation had been completely disintegrated by his use of the Reversed Spirit Formation, leaving nothing behind.


    But the problem was that this was happening in his own Sea of Consciousness.


    If he disintegrated the Large Formation, he would likely be destroyed along with it.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    "I can only ask my master for guidance..."


    ...


    The next day, Mo Hua hurried to find Mr. Zhuang without delay.


    Mr. Zhuang was drinking tea when he heard the news, his action paused, and he slowly looked up, "A Large Formation?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded and said, "Many, many of them, all covering my Sea of Consciousness, with intricate patterns and densely woven spiritual silk, like a pale blue cocoon..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s pupils constricted, "A cocoon..."


    "Yes." Mo Hua nodded again, then asked with concern:


    "Master, will I still be able to establish my Foundation?"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became focused, and then he smiled faintly, saying warmly:


    "When was Foundation Establishment ever easy?"


    "Bottlenecks are bottlenecks because they are hindered by the Great Dao and are difficult to surpass; otherwise, everyone in this world would face no impediments in Tao Cultivation."


    "Since you are a cultivator, aspiring to seek the Heavenly Dao, whether it is difficult or not, it should not hinder your Taoist Heart."

 Chapter 650: Mystery of the Heavens (2)

    "You will be establishing your foundation tomorrow, and you must still continue your cultivation and decode formations, even if it takes ten or twenty years to establish your foundation, the same tasks await: cultivation and formation decoding¡­"


    "As cultivators, we seek the Great Dao without concern for success or failure."


    "The tasks at hand remain the same; do not let fear of gain or loss make you timid."


    Mo Hua¡¯s state of mind suddenly became clear, and all his doubts dissipated.


    Right, worrying is pointless¡­


    If this bottleneck really takes one or two decades to break through, then so be it. Could it be that I would give up on decoding formations and breaking through, to remain a mere Qi Refinement cultivator for a lifetime?


    Once a matter is determined, looking to the past and future is meaningless.


    After all, the things that must be done are always the same.


    I am a Formation Master; all I need is to focus solely on learning and decoding Formation Methods.


    My Taoist Heart must not be disturbed by the difficulty, success, or failure of my tasks.


    Mo Hua¡¯s initially anxious heart gradually calmed down; his breath steadied, and his gaze became resolute.


    Mr. Zhuang felt reassured within and nodded gently, saying with a smile,


    "Good, it¡¯s good that you understand. But there¡¯s no need to rush; it won¡¯t take that long to fully decode the Mystery Formation..."


    "Yes, Master!"


    After their conversation, Mo Hua stood up to bid farewell, ready to return and ponder over the Mystery Formation some more, but Mr. Zhuang suddenly called out to Mo Hua, pausing briefly before speaking:


    "Mo Hua, show me part of the Mystery Formation you¡¯ve worked on."


    Mo Hua, puzzled but obedient, took out paper and brush, and drew a part of the Mystery Formation and its Formation Pivot.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Good."


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang looked at the section of the Mystery Formation that Mo Hua had drawn, and his expression became increasingly grave.


    Old Kui appeared, took a glance at the Mystery Formation, and furrowed his brows as well.


    "What is this thing?"


    "You don¡¯t know, do you¡­" said Mr. Zhuang, somewhat distracted.


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze darkened, shaking his head, "I have never seen this before."


    It was plainly a First-grade Formation Method and also a Mystery Formation, but in his many years of Tao Cultivation experience, there was not a trace of recollection. ?¨¢?????????¨ºs?


    "Yes¡­" Mr. Zhuang murmured, "I thought I would never see this kind of formation again in my lifetime¡­"


    Old Kui¡¯s expression turned solemn, "What exactly is this formation?"


    "This formation is called..."


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a long while, his eyes showing struggle, before finally speaking:


    "Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!"


    Old Kui¡¯s eyes widened with shock, "Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?!"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded with a bitter smile.


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    Old Kui¡¯s expression shifted, hesitating several times as if wanting to speak, but in the end, he swallowed his words and just stared blankly, saying:


    "How could it be..."


    How could it be the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation...


    Old Kui¡¯s brows were tightly knitted, he didn¡¯t delve deeper but instead asked:


    "What¡¯s the difference between this Mysterious Heaven Great Formation and a regular Mystery Formation?"


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "It¡¯s different¡­"


    "A Mystery Formation can constitute a Large Formation, but such a Large Formation is merely a collection of simple mystery arrays. It has the scale of a Large Formation but lacks the essence; strictly speaking, it isn¡¯t considered a true Large Formation¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang took another look at the Formation Method drawn by Mo Hua earlier and sighed:


    "The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation is different¡­"


    "It is an extremely special Large Formation¡­"


    "So unique that it¡¯s utterly unclear what the essence of this formation truly is."


    "The existing Mysterious Heaven Great Formations are used to seal away secrets that are unknowable¡­"


    "The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation holds mysteries as vast as the sky¡­"


    "The principles of the formations involved are also bizarre and extraordinary¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang stared at Old Kui, as if asking for his opinion or perhaps questioning himself:


    "A Mystery Formation is just a trick for decoding, so how can it constitute a Great Formation?"


    "And how can it even become a Great Formation?"


    "All Great Formations coordinate myriad formation methods, emphasizing a unison of origin, whether it be to kill, trap, or defend."


    "So, what does a Mystery Formation coordinate? What is its common origin, what is the source, and what does it advocate for? Is it simply the concept of a ¡¯mystery¡¯?"


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    "And who is capable, bold enough, and possesses strong enough Divine Sense Calculation to build a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?"


    "Moreover, what is the purpose of constructing a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?"


    ...


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a long time, then came to a sudden realization, murmuring to himself, "I was wrong; from the very start, I was mistaken¡­"


    "There is a major problem with the Tianyan Jue Cultivation Technique!" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Constructing the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation within the Sea of Consciousness¡­"


    "This technique is very likely not intended for ¡¯humans¡¯ to practice at all¡­"


    "Perhaps, it was genuinely meant for some kind of ¡¯evil monster,¡¯ as the literal interpretation suggests¡­"


    "Who exactly created this technique?"


    "Or should I say, is this truly a technique that ¡¯humans¡¯ could have created?"


    "Can ¡¯humans,¡¯ relying on a cultivation technique, construct a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation within the Sea of Consciousness of a cultivator..."


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s brow furrowed further.


    Ancient Cultivation Technique¡­


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    Tianyan¡­


    "The Great Dao has fifty paths, Tianyan has forty-nine, and humans evade one..."


    He felt as if he had glimpsed something significant amid the haziness as if he were caught in the "Mysterious Heaven Great Formation" itself.


    "Enough..."


    Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    I no longer have much time to consider these problems.


    Now, the issue is this child, Mo Hua...


    "Can the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation be decoded?" Old Kui asked.


    "Even though it¡¯s the ¡¯Mysterious Heaven,¡¯ it¡¯s still a Mystery Formation, and it¡¯s only first-grade. With that child Mo Hua¡¯s proficiency in formation methods, it can be decoded. It¡¯s just that..."


    It¡¯s just that it really might take about a decade.


    And that¡¯s if everything goes smoothly.

 Chapter 651: Mystery of the Sky (3)

    If the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation were to undergo some unfathomable changes, resulting in unknown accidents, then achieving Foundation Establishment would truly be as difficult as reaching the heavens...


    It is quite possible to waste decades of effort...


    "I need to think of a method..."


    Mr. Zhuang said silently, his eyes flickering with calculating patterns, as the Heavenly secret ebbed and flowed within them. After a long while, he seemed to find a trace of opportunity.


    This opportunity was extremely subtle and incredibly dangerous.


    But it was indeed graspable.


    Mr. Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at the sky, and showed a bitter smile.


    Man¡¯s plans are inferior to those of Heaven.


    Everything was calculated well, but an accident occurred nonetheless...


    Now it will require more effort.


    "I originally thought I could see Mo Hua establish his Foundation and fulfill a wish, but now it seems, I won¡¯t have enough time..."


    My journey ends here...


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was full of sentiment, which then turned into acceptance.


    What is destined to come, will always come...


    Old Kui watched him silently, his gaze inscrutable before gradually disappearing into the dark.


    ...


    After returning, Mo Hua would immerse himself in the Sea of Consciousness whenever he found the time, unlocking the Mystery Formations one by one.


    Although there were many Mystery Formations, he was neither arrogant nor impatient.


    But as he solved them, he noticed that these Mystery Formations seemed different from those he had encountered before.


    The previous Mystery Formations were "dead," rigid, and would disappear once solved.


    Whereas this current Large Formation had Flowing Formation Patterns, it seemed "alive."


    Furthermore, vast areas of Compound Formations interconnected with each other, echoed each other, and coexisted in symbiosis.


    One had to tackle the Compound Formation to solve a large area at once.


    Otherwise, after solving a Single Formation, more Single Formations would continue to be produced.


    Mo Hua could only seek further instruction from Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang seemed to have been prepared for a long time, handing over a stack of thick Formation Books and Formation Diagrams to Mo Hua, saying directly: ???¦ÏB¨¨?


    "The Large Formation in your Sea of Consciousness is named ¡¯Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡¯."


    "Remember this name, but don¡¯t speak of it to others."


    "These are some records about the ¡¯Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡¯ and the insights I¡¯ve compiled. Take good care of them, study them thoroughly, and they should help you with solving the Formation..."


    Mo Hua felt grateful in his heart, yet he sensed something incongruous.


    It seemed as though his master was in a rush to make arrangements for something...


    "Master..." Mo Hua said softly.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, not allowing him to continue, and whispered:


    "Go on, study hard."


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, murmured an acknowledgment, and respectfully left. Yet on his young face hung an indelible worry.


    There were certain things he knew.


    He knew his master was avoiding someone.


    He also knew that his master said that this travel¡¯s destination was the Five Elements Sect.


    So, after arriving at the Five Elements Sect and learning about the Five Elements Spirit Formation, what then?


    His master had not said.


    Mo Hua had speculated about some matters long ago, but not until now did he realize with a shock that even though he was reluctant, what was destined to come would still arrive...


    The unease in Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew heavier.


    Meanwhile, the Five Elements Sect on the surface seemed tranquil as ever.


    That is until Mo Hua met a familiar face.


    One day, while Mo Hua was studying Formation techniques with Junior Brother and Junior Sister, leaning over a table, he suddenly heard the faint sound of footsteps. Looking up, he saw at the doorway a gracefully standing woman wrapped in a veil, her demeanor cool and distant.


    Mo Hua was startled, then delighted, "Aunt Xue!"


    Aunt Xue, upon seeing Mo Hua, smiled pleasantly. Her gentle eyes took him in for a moment before she nodded and said:


    "It¡¯s been a while, and you¡¯ve grown taller."


    Mo Hua¡¯s face beamed with joy.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also very pleased.


    After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Mo Hua asked in puzzlement, "Aunt Xue, what brings you here?"


    "Indeed." Bai Zisheng said, "Didn¡¯t Master say you shouldn¡¯t come along?"


    "It was Mr. Zhuang who summoned me here," Aunt Xue replied.


    "Master?"


    The three of them looked at each other with confusion.


    Aunt Xue nodded, "Mr. Zhuang did not allow me to join you, but I couldn¡¯t help worrying about your safety and followed from a distance. Mr. Zhuang knew about it and did not blame me, which was tacit approval." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯ve been outside Li Mountain City these days. A few days ago, I wanted to write a letter to Madame, and I saw the ink move without a brush, soaking into the paper, forming a ¡¯come¡¯ character."


    "I knew then, that it was Mr. Zhuang¡¯s intention, he wanted me to come..."


    "But why did Master summon you here?" Mo Hua was still puzzled.


    Aunt Xue shook her head, unclear about the reason herself.


    "Has Mr. Zhuang rested?" Aunt Xue asked.


    Mo Hua replied, "Master has rested, he¡¯s now having tea."


    Aunt Xue nodded and stood up to visit Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua and the other two followed.


    In the ancient and aromatic dwelling, filled with the fragrance of tea, Mr. Zhuang sat with an elegant and straight posture, sipping the tea Mo Hua had brewed for him.


    Upon seeing Aunt Xue, Mr. Zhuang showed no surprise.


    Aunt Xue bowed respectfully to Mr. Zhuang, who nodded as a sign of acknowledgment.


    Then, Aunt Xue asked softly, "May I know why Gentleman summoned me here, is there an order?"


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment, his gaze deep, taking in the sight of Mo Hua and the others before he slowly said:


    "Take these three children away..."


    "Leave the Five Elements Sect, leave Li Mountain City, and do not come back..." Your next chapter awaits on

 Chapter 652: Deadly Game (1)

    "Master!"


    Mo Hua and the other two were startled.


    Aunt Xue¡¯s expression also changed, she said hurriedly, "Mr. Zhuang..."


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "I have taught you everything I should, this place is a land of disputes, you can no longer stay."


    "But..."


    Mr. Zhuang had a cold expression and a decisive look in his eyes.


    This was the look of a mind made up.


    Everyone knew that Mr. Zhuang was unfathomable, and he had his own judgment in his actions; there was nothing they could do to interfere.


    Aunt Xue, feeling helpless, sighed and asked:


    "Gentleman, when should I take them to leave?"


    Mr. Zhuang had anticipated this, "Tomorrow, I¡¯d say."


    Aunt Xue bowed and agreed.


    Mo Hua had eyes full of reluctance, she wanted to say more, but seeing Mr. Zhuang shake his head, he spoke softly:


    "I¡¯m a bit tired and would like to rest for a while. You and your senior brother and sister should start packing, and leave tomorrow."


    Mo Hua felt somewhat heartbroken, but still sensibly nodded, "Yes, Master."


    The three returned to their room, each with a somewhat dejected expression.


    Bai Zisheng said in confusion, "Why is Master suddenly sending us away?"


    "It¡¯s not sudden..." Mo Hua said with a dejected look, shaking her head, "Master must have been planning this for a long time."


    The Five Elements Sect was the final destination of their wandering journey this time.


    Bai Zixi also lowered her gaze, her stunningly beautiful eyes flashed a hint of dejection; then she lifted her head to look at Aunt Xue and asked:


    "Aunt Xue, did mother send you?"


    Aunt Xue was momentarily taken aback.


    Bai Zisheng said, "Zixi, Aunt Xue is here following mother¡¯s orders to protect us, isn¡¯t she?"


    Bai Zixi shook her head, "It¡¯s different. I mean... is mother also coming? Are you following Master¡¯s orders on behalf of mother, leading the way for her?" ?????§¦????


    Aunt Xue looked into Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes and realized something for a moment.


    Miss Zixi... bears such a resemblance to the lady...


    Equally beautiful, equally intelligent, and also, equally sharp-minded and decisive.


    Perhaps even more so.


    Aunt Xue did not want to hide it and nodded, "Yes, the lady will come."


    Bai Zixi¡¯s expression paled slightly.


    Bai Zisheng still did not understand, "So what if mother comes?"


    Bai Zixi pursed her lips tightly, her gaze darkening, "Master and mother are disciples of the same sect, close as siblings; but for so many years, Master has been unwilling to see mother."


    "Why?" Bai Zisheng asked, puzzled.


    "Because..." Bai Zixi paused for a moment, then said gravely, "Mother... is plotting against Master."


    "Plotting?"


    Bai Zisheng jumped in shock.


    The siblings were close, and Bai Zisheng, being open-minded, had not noticed certain things, but the delicate-minded Bai Zixi was fully aware.


    "Previously, mother couldn¡¯t plot against him, so she dared not meet Master, but now that she¡¯s coming, it means that Master can¡¯t leave..."


    Bai Zisheng said, "Even if mother comes, it doesn¡¯t matter, right? Is she really going to harm Master?"


    "Master has many enemies..." Bai Zixi looked down and sighed, "If mother can foresee it, so can his enemies. If Master can¡¯t leave, that naturally means he¡¯ll have to face many adversaries..."


    Mo Hua frowned, "Does Master have that many enemies?"


    "Yes," Bai Zixi nodded, looking at Mo Hua, "Quite a lot. Some have old grievances, while others simply covet what they shouldn¡¯t..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Does Master have something on him that others covet?"


    Bai Zixi frowned and looked at Aunt Xue.


    Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, then sighed:


    "Mr. Zhuang bears a great secret. The Taoist Court¡¯s great cultivators know it, the ancestors of the Demon Gate know it..."


    Aunt Xue gave a wry laugh, "But it isn¡¯t something that I am privy to."


    These cultivators and powers were too far out of Mo Hua¡¯s league. As a Qi-refining loose cultivator, Mo Hua had little concept of such conflicts; he was only concerned for Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua asked, "Aunt Xue, can¡¯t Master free himself?"


    Aunt Xue looked into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, feeling a bit too sympathetic to be blunt, yet she had to say:


    "If it wasn¡¯t for a dire situation, Mr. Zhuang probably wouldn¡¯t ask me to take you all away..."


    The three of them lowered their heads in disappointment.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind raced, but no matter how he thought about it, he realized that he was utterly powerless.


    He was only in the Qi Refinement stage.


    Merely a first-grade Formation Master.


    Even if he could set up an Ultimate Formation, it was only a first-grade one.


    His Divine Sense might be at the Foundation Establishment level, but it was just that, Foundation Establishment.


    He knew Calculation, but he couldn¡¯t see through the causal chains or calculate the Heavenly Secrets like his Master.


    He could set up Large Formations, but he couldn¡¯t rely on his own strength to construct them to turn the tide...


    He could neither help nor protect his master...


    Mo Hua let out a disheartened sigh.


    As he furrowed his brow, racking his brain but still at a loss, he suddenly looked up, his expression abruptly changing.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s unusual reaction, Aunt Xue couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What¡¯s the matter?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua frowned without responding and ran out of the room to the corridor, looking up at the sky.


    Aunt Xue, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi exchanged glances and followed Mo Hua outside, raising their eyes towards the sky from between the eaves and painted rafters.


    But the sky was clear blue, and there was nothing abnormal to see.


    Bai Zisheng asked, "Mo Hua, what happened?"


    Mo Hua gazed up at the sky, his expression serious, "The sky... it¡¯s been ¡¯covered¡¯ by something..."


    Aunt Xue¡¯s face changed color and she looked up again; after a moment, her eyebrows furrowed tightly.


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    She still couldn¡¯t see anything...


    The sky was bright and clear.


    Not a cloud in sight.


    But she knew that although Mo Hua had a mediocre Spiritual Root, he was gifted with an exceptional Divine Sense and expertise in Formations. Being favored by Mr. Zhuang, he must have truly noticed something abnormal.

 Chapter 653: Deadly Trap (2)

    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became solemn.


    Ever since he had seen the heavenly thunder and the Immortal Patterns, he would often gaze at the sky.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see anything, he could faintly sense a subtle breath from the heavens, just like the Taoist Meaning of the earth.


    Every time he looked up at the sky, he could feel the Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength, constantly thriving and never ceasing.


    But now, he could no longer sense this implication.


    It was as if something was blocking it.


    Mo Hua looked up, his gaze intently fixed on the sky, and after a moment, his pupils shuddered as he murmured,


    "They are coming..."


    Aunt Xue suddenly felt a palpitation and abruptly looked up, only to see the originally clear blue sky suddenly surged with a tide of blood from the horizon!


    A blood-red Soul Banner, like a tide, blocked the sun, slowly drawing together from the horizon, spreading, and covering over...


    It seemed to envelop the entire Five Elements Sect, no, the entire Li Mountain City within it!


    Aunt Xue¡¯s pupils contracted as she exclaimed,


    "A Demon Path treasure, the Soul Refining Banner?!"


    ...


    Sudden anomalies appeared, and the sky turned blood-red.


    The whole Five Elements Sect instantly fell into chaos.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    "Where did this bloody sea in the sky come from?"


    "Such strong Demonic Qi!"


    "Is this¡­ a Golden Core Stage Demon Cultivator?!"


    The Elders were both shocked and enraged:


    "Under the broad daylight and clear skies, they dare to offend our Sect with Demon Path atrocities, it¡¯s utterly contemptible!"


    "The comers mean no good..."


    "Not just no good, they are a great calamity!"


    "Do they think the Five Elements Sect is without protectors?!"


    "Chief Elder..."


    The Chief Elder¡¯s expression was grave.


    At that moment, within the sea of blood in the sky, a giant Demon Sword emerged, its blade bearing a vast blood-covered vertical pupil.


    Within the pupil, myriad faces could be seen.


    They were wailing, in agony, struggling...


    As if they were resentful spirits and fierce ghosts, unable to find peace after being devoured by the Demon Sword.


    With the sword¡¯s appearance, the bloody Qi of the sky condensed into Sword Qi, tangible and imbued with a terrifying force of slaughter!


    "Another Demon Path Golden Core treasure?!"


    The Soul Banner traps; the Demon Sword kills!


    Every member of the Five Elements Sect was terrified and trembling.


    The Chief Elder shouted loudly, "Quick! Activate the Large Formation!"


    "Activate the Large Formation!"


    "Activate the Large Formation!"


    The Elders, heeding the command, hurriedly passed down the orders.


    After a while, the Five Elements Sect¡¯s mountain trembled, Spiritual Power surged, and above the vast Sect, numerous Formation Patterns lit up one by one, accompanied by astonishing spiritual pressure, forming one gigantic Array. ???o?????¨¨?


    Five-colored lights soared into the sky.


    The Second Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation was fully activated!


    After more than six hundred years, the Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array finally saw daylight once more.


    A vast amount of Spirit Stones were instantly consumed, and like water, Spiritual Power flowed through the Formation Pivot, surging powerfully.


    Mo Hua was within the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, his heart inexplicably shaken.


    This was¡­ the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation!


    It was a Second Grade Formation!


    The Patterns were more complex, the Pivot more profound, the five colors dazzling and blinding, and Spiritual Power circulated like rivers...


    Both beautiful and grand.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled with emotion, and he suddenly started in alarm.


    "Master!"


    The Soul Banner and Demon Sword were treasures of Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    The Demon Cultivators defied the Taoist Court and made a sudden move; their target would naturally not be the Five Elements Sect but rather his master, who was currently within the Sect!


    Mo Hua had just turned around when he realized that Mr. Zhuang was already standing behind him.


    "Master..." Mo Hua looked worried.


    Mr. Zhuang affectionately patted his head, smiled slightly, then looked up at the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation and remarked,


    "This Formation is a good thing, what a pity..."


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    Mo Hua also looked up, only to see the terrifying Demon Sword had materialized thousands of bloody Sword Qi streaks, attacking the Large Formation like a sudden, ferocious storm.


    The Demonic Qi, along with the Sword Qi, surged forward, one after another, striking the Spirit Screen of the Large Formation.


    The entire Formation emitted an intense humming sound.


    The whole Five Elements Sect shook, stones trembled, and the Sect quivered.


    Caves collapsed, wood and stone all cracked.


    The Spiritual Power of the Formation was rapidly depleting, but at the same time, more Spirit Stones were being refined by the Spirit Gathering Array, flowing into the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation like river water, stabilizing the Formation base and aiding the Formation.


    The assault of the Demon Sword ceased.


    Although the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation suffered substantial damage, it still held.


    All the Cultivators of the Five Elements Sect heaved a sigh of relief.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s suspended heart also settled down.


    "We held on¡­ holding on is good¡­"


    As long as they held on, there was a chance for reversal.


    Within this world under the heavens, all is the "Dao" land.


    This world belonged to the Taoist Court. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though these Demon Path evildoers unexpectedly dared to provoke the Five Elements Sect with such audacity, as long as they held on, the Taoist Court or other Righteous Dao reinforcements would arrive, and they could thwart this great disaster.


    The Chief Elder glanced again at the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation outside the Sect¡¯s gates, his heart filled with sighs.


    "The Large Formation truly is the foundation of the Sect!"


    "In the face of life and death, this is indeed a life-saving treasure¡­"


    If not for the Large Formation, the Golden Core Sword Qi released by the Demon Sword would have been enough to slaughter half of the Cultivators of the Five Elements Sect.


    As the only remaining Golden Core in the Five Elements Sect, old and weakened, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand it.


    "But how could these Demon Path evil monsters dare to so openly attack my Five Elements Sect?"


    The Chief Elder frowned in confusion.


    "Could it be that their target is¡­"


    The Chief Elder pondered and before he could think deeper, his expression changed drastically, and he looked toward the Large Formation, his heart filled with alarm:


    "Wrong!"


    "Something¡¯s wrong with this Mountain Protection Array!"


    The Chief Elder suddenly stood up, looked around, and shouted loudly, "Where is Liao Tiande?"

 Chapter 654: 545

    Sect Leader Liao was the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect.


    The Elders and Disciples of the Five Elements Sect looked at each other in confusion, only now realizing that a great disaster was upon the Sect, but no one had seen any sign of the Sect Leader.


    Where had Sect Leader Liao gone?


    The Chief Elder felt a chill in his heart as he looked up at the Large Formation with eyes wide in horror.


    For the originally five-colored Spiritual Power circulating Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation had gradually begun to turn blood red!


    This blood red was the color of blood.


    Atop the Formation, an evil and ominous aura surged forth.


    This wasn¡¯t the Mountain Protection Array of the Five Elements Sect!


    It was an Evil Path Great Formation!


    Why?


    When had the Large Formation been tampered with?


    The Chief Elder¡¯s expression changed as his thoughts raced, slowly coming to an understanding.


    A great effort was put into construction!


    The Five Elements Sect had been busy with massive construction efforts for their cave dwellings, which would inevitably lead to changes in the layout of the Sect and alterations to the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation. Amongst these changes, someone had covertly tampered with the Formation Pivot and had secretly changed the Large Formation.


    Someone had turned the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array into an Evil Path Great Formation!


    Those who could tamper with it had to be from the upper echelons of the Five Elements Sect.


    The one with the greatest suspicion was none other than the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect¡ªLiao Tiande!


    His authority within the Sect was second only to his own.


    When he was in seclusion, all matters of the Sect were managed by him, and he benefited the most from the grand construction and the establishment of the cave dwellings!


    Now that disaster had struck, he had run away!


    "Liao! Tian! De!"


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyes nearly burst with rage as he clenched his teeth in hatred.


    This ungrateful beast had long since abandoned the Sect!


    While he was angry, he was also baffled and confused.


    How could this Liao Tiande have the capability to tamper with the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array?


    The Second Grade Five Elements Formation, let alone the mere Foundation Establishment Realm Liao Tiande, even he, as the Golden Core Stage Chief Elder, lacked the Formation expertise to alter it. ????§£¨¨????


    After contemplating thoroughly, the Chief Elder¡¯s heart suddenly grew cold.


    There had to be an expert from the Demon Path!


    This person must have had profound knowledge of Formations.


    He was the one secretly instructing Liao Tiande to change the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation. While construction was underway, he had embedded Evil Path Patterns atop the Formation base of the Five Elements Sect.


    On the surface, the Sect¡¯s Large Formation still appeared to be the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    But as soon as the Formation was activated and the Spiritual Power loss intensified due to the infiltration of Demonic Qi, the dormant Evil Path Patterns would be triggered, gradually stripping away the Spiritual Power and transforming into a Demon Path Great Formation!


    The intricacies involved in this formation were profound.


    The Chief Elder didn¡¯t understand it at all, but he knew that to covertly change a Large Formation with such a maneuver, it had to be the work of an expert from the Demon Path! S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And it was very likely that this person¡¯s Cultivation was not limited to the Golden Core!


    The Chief Elder felt as if he was plunged into an ice cellar.


    Only now did he realize that this was all a scheme!


    The Five Elements Sect was the chessboard, and Liao Tiande was but a chess piece.


    The Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation was a big dragon.


    Someone had schemed for hundreds of years, covertly placed their pieces, and plotted this killing formation.


    The target was not the Five Elements Sect, but could only be...


    The Chief Elder turned his head to gaze into the distance, looking towards Mr. Zhuang, who was in the ornate corridor.


    It was him!


    The Demon Sect had set a trap to kill Mr. Zhuang!


    Meanwhile, the Spiritual Power above the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation had been completely polluted, turning a crimson blood color.


    All within the Formation, enveloped in the bloody light, felt dizzy and disoriented as their Blood Qi seemed to be slowly draining away. Explore more stories at


    This drained Blood Qi slowly rose, merging into the Formation, gradually empowering it.


    The Chief Elder felt the despair in his heart:


    "Is this... the Five Elements Blood Killing Formation?"


    This was a Second Grade Demon Path Trapping and Killing Formation!


    The Cultivators trapped within this Formation were unable to escape and could only be refined to death by the gradual extraction of their Blood Qi!


    These Golden Core Demons from the Demon Path intended to use this Formation to trap Mr. Zhuang!


    Just then, from a distance within the boundless blood sea surrounding the Five Elements Sect, there came a deep and indifferent voice:


    "Demon Path, Feather Transformation Realm, Xuan Sanren."


    "Requesting an audience with Mr. Zhuang."


    ...


    "Feather Transformation Realm? Xuan Sanren?"


    The Chief Elder, struck by the words "Feather Transformation," eventually regained his senses, muttering the name "Xuan Sanren," and suddenly felt an utter sense of terror:


    "Xuan Sanren... Could he be the Mystery Demon Ancestor from back then?"


    Could it be his doing?


    The Chief Elder felt his strength leave him, his heart turning to ash:


    Today, my Five Elements Sect may face eradication!


    Flags of blood covered the skies, and the sea of blood was boundless.


    From within it once again came the voice of Xuan Sanren:


    "Demon Path, Feather Transformation Realm, Xuan Sanren."


    "Requesting an audience with Mr. Zhuang..."


    Inside the Five Elements Sect.


    Mr. Zhuang snorted coldly upon hearing this, "Not seeing you, begone!"


    His voice was not loud, but it echoed through heaven and earth.


    The world fell silent.


    Xuan Sanren remained silent for a long while. His cold speech carried undertones of anger:


    "Under my Five Elements Blood Sha Great Formation, it is not up to you!"


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled coldly:


    "How presumptuous!"


    He then gently flicked his sleeve, with no signs of Spiritual Power or Divine Sense fluctuations, yet the world suddenly changed.


    In the midst of the blood-red sea above, the Patterns of the Evil Path Great Formation one by one changed and dissolved.


    The Large Formation, once steeped in Blood Qi, was gradually cleansed with Spiritual Power.


    The Patterns transformed, and the Formation Pivot reversed.


    It was as if causality was suspended, and time rewound.


    The five-colored lights shone again, brighter than before.


    The Five Elements Blood Killing Formation, having its Formations reversed, had once again become, the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, safeguarding all the Cultivators of the Five Elements Sect within!


    What kind of mastery was this?


    The Entire Five Elements Sect watched in stunned silence.


    Outside the Five Elements Sect, below the sea of blood.


    A black-robed Cultivator with white hair like a child¡¯s, deep and sinister eyes, suddenly had his pupils contract.


    "Immortal Heaven Reversal... truly as legendary..."

 Chapter 655: Entrusting (1)

    The black-robed devil cultivator, with hair as white as a crane¡¯s and a youth¡¯s complexion, was none other than Xuan Sanren, the venerable ancestor of the Demon Path in the Feather Transformation Realm.


    And standing behind him were several Golden Core Stage devil cultivators:


    A youngster, extremely attractive but pale-faced as though veiled by a meticulously sculpted, flawless mask of a dead person¡¯s skin.


    An old man with a sword box, his expression wooden, his eyes devoid of all but the whites.


    A brawny monster cultivator, his fingertips sharp, with threads of blood in the depths of his eyes.


    These three were precisely the trio of devil cultivators who had appeared outside South Yue City.


    The only one missing was that decrepit old crone, babbling on and on.


    "This Mr. Zhuang really has some ability,"


    The pale-faced youth said with a cold sneer.


    The monster cultivator scoffed, "Without understanding Formations, do not speak recklessly. What do you mean ¡¯ability?¡¯ This is one of the most profound Formation techniques in the Cultivation World. No one in your Blood Refinement Gate could possibly understand it."


    The pale-faced youth was slightly angered, yet the Sword Box Elder spoke:


    "Be discreet with your words, Mr. Zhuang is not someone we can criticize."


    The pale-faced youth was displeased but said no more.


    Under the vast Soul Refining Blood Banner, amidst a sea of blood.


    The Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, its radiance swirling, spiritual power surging, resisted the omnipresent killing intent and the overwhelming Demonic Qi, standing its ground.


    The Sword Box Elder licked his lips, a hint of bloodthirsty intent showing in his eyes as he said to Xuan Sanren:


    "Venerable, the Demon Sword requires more killing of living beings, to absorb sufficient human blood before it can break through this Large Formation."


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze was somber. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly shook his head and said:


    "No hurry; even if we broke the Formation, we couldn¡¯t do anything to him at the moment. It¡¯s better to just trap him for now."


    He then gave a soft, sinister laugh, "I¡¯ve been planning for hundreds of years, altering the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation with the Blood Sha Formation Flow, yet I never expected that he would undo it with a flip of his hand..."


    "Indeed... it is Mr. Zhuang, who has the potential of a half-step Celestial Being..."


    "But all the machinations come to an end here."


    "This place has already been sealed by the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal which blocks the heavenly secrets. For a short time, the Taoist Court cultivators will not be able to detect anything..."


    "Within three days, once the Soul Refining Banner Blood Sea covers the sky and completely seals Li Mountain City, with the Demon Sword suspended in the heavens, devouring flesh and blood, the entire Li Mountain City will become a purgatory, with no living being able to escape."


    "Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal, Soul Refining Banner, Chaotic Demon Sword, these three sacred treasures of the Demon Path are enough to trap any cultivator to death."


    "Even Mr. Zhuang is no exception!"


    "Moreover, times have changed. He is no longer the domineering Mr. Zhuang of the past..."


    The Sword Box Elder and the others cupped their fists in assent, "Venerable is wise."


    Xuan Sanren closed his eyes to rest, as if calculating something.


    The Sword Box Elder and the others did not dare to disturb him and, after bowing, retreated.


    Once they had moved aside, the monster cultivator¡¯s eyes shone with excitement as he asked the Sword Box Elder in a low voice:


    "Do you think we will catch him this time?"


    The Sword Box Elder replied gravely, "We are simply following orders; we need not concern ourselves with success or failure."


    The monster cultivator felt snubbed and snorted, "Putting on airs, I don¡¯t believe you wouldn¡¯t be tempted by a chance to ascend to immortality laid right before your eyes." ???????£Â§¦?


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s eyes twitched slightly, "Such an opportunity is not for you and I to covet."


    He lowered his voice again and said, "Our task here is to act as pawns under the command of the Demon Sect¡¯s Nether Ancestor..."


    "Taking the opportunity to kill some people to feed the Demon Sword, just carry out your duties, accumulate some Merit Points, and in the future, you may progress beyond your position as the Ten-Thousand Demons Elder..."


    "This is what is truly practical."


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    "The matter of ¡¯immortality is for the Nether Ancestor to contemplate, it¡¯s not something for those of our realm to even fantasize about."


    "Above the character ¡¯immortal¡¯, one shares longevity with the heavens and the earth; below it, lies an abyss."


    "One false step, and we could end up with no place to bury our bodies..."


    The monster cultivator replied perfunctorily, "Alright, alright, I get it."


    But in his heart, he scorned, "With the chance for immortality before your eyes, I don¡¯t believe you wouldn¡¯t be tempted..."


    A gleam flashed through the brawny man¡¯s eyes.


    The pale-faced youth nearby also showed a covetous look, his ambition growing.


    Even the solemn Sword Box Elder, beneath his grave demeanor, felt an emotional tumult...


    Immortality...


    The three men each harbored different thoughts, and for a moment, it grew quiet.


    After a while, the monster cultivator suddenly asked with curiosity, "What about that old crone? Why isn¡¯t she here?"


    The Sword Box Elder paused, then frowned, "She¡¯s likely gone to refine corpses."


    The monster cultivator was puzzled, "Is corpse refinement more important than what¡¯s going on here?" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You don¡¯t understand what kind of corpse she¡¯s refining..."


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s eyes sharpened, "Given time, if that corpse is refined, it truly... would be extraordinary..."


    "Just a zombie..." the brawny man shook his head.


    The pale-faced youth also showed disdain.


    ¡­


    Within the Five Elements Sect, underneath the Mountain Protection Array.


    The Chief Elder, upon seeing Mr. Zhuang, had a conflicted expression and hesitated for a long while before bending his waist to bow and say:


    "Five Elements Sect thanks Mr. Zhuang for the life-saving grace!"


    He was very reluctant in his heart.


    The disaster of the Five Elements Sect was a consequence of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s involvement.


    But at its core, it was because of the traitor Liao Tiande.


    Liao Tiande was the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect.


    The Sect Leader colluded with the Demon Sect, altered the Formation, and plotted against Mr. Zhuang. From this perspective, the Five Elements Sect was also to blame.


    The Five Elements Blood Killing Formation was a second-grade formation of the Evil Path that could refine all the cultivators¡¯ flesh and blood within it.


    This Golden Core Cultivator couldn¡¯t resist it, let alone the other disciples of the Five Elements Sect.


    If not for Mr. Zhuang, today the Five Elements Sect would have faced annihilation.


    The disciples would have been almost completely killed or injured, becoming nourishment for the Evil Formation, dying under the very Large Formation that their founding ancestors had left to protect their sect¡¯s disciples.

 Chapter 656: Entrustment (2)

    Therefore, although the Chief Elder was reluctant, he still had to bow his head and express his gratitude to Mr. Zhuang.


    There was another reason: he wanted to preserve the foundation of the Five Elements Sect.


    Outside the Five Elements Sect.


    Blood banners obscured the sky, and a sea of blood was pervasive.


    The demon sword was suspended high, with a murderous aura running rampant.


    Moreover, there was a Mystery Demon Ancestor of the Feather Transformation Realm.


    This was a dead end!


    Despair filled the Chief Elder¡¯s heart.


    He racked his brains in meditation, yet could find no way to break the deadlock. He could only pin his hopes on the unfathomable Mr. Zhuang.


    He hoped Mr. Zhuang could show them a way to survival, a way for the disciples of the Five Elements Sect to live on.


    However, after the numerous difficulties he had caused earlier, he was now too ashamed to speak.


    It seemed Mr. Zhuang had seen through the Chief Elder¡¯s thoughts and said indifferently:


    "I can save you."


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart trembled, and his eyes showed hope, but he was also puzzled, "You¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang said, "My disciple has inherited your legacy, which is a favor from your sect. The cycle of cause and effect, one act of kindness deserves another. I save you once, show you a way to live. It¡¯s both settling karma and giving an account to the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect."


    The Chief Elder was overjoyed but felt an inner conflict, struggling to speak.


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    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression remained indifferent, and he said nothing more.


    After a long hesitation, the Chief Elder, unable to let go, asked the question that had been plaguing him for a long time:


    "Mr. Zhuang¡­ exactly what inheritance from my Five Elements Sect has your disciple acquired?"


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, "What do you think?"


    The Chief Elder furrowed his brows, pondering:


    "The Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­ I fear it¡¯s not just that¡­"


    "Even if you knew, what could you do?"


    The Chief Elder was taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "The Five Element Ultimate Formation, none of you could learn it. The other inheritances, even if attained, what use would they be to you?" ??????????¦Â??


    These words struck deep into the Chief Elder¡¯s heart.


    But he had no power to refute them.


    Over the years, the younger disciples, indulging in comfort and not striving for progress, it had been a long time since anyone could learn the Five Element Ultimate Formation.


    The pearl was covered in dust ¨C it was their own fault.


    The Chief Elder sighed deeply.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became intense as he added, "Should my disciple, if proficient in Formations someday, wish to pass down this legacy, it could be given back to your Five Elements Sect!"


    The Chief Elder was startled and asked earnestly:


    "Gentleman, is that really your wish?"


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, "But there is one condition you must agree to."


    The Chief Elder¡¯s brow furrowed. He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch but since it concerned their legacy, he still said:


    "Please speak, sir."


    Mr. Zhuang said in a serious tone, "You must not mention my disciples¡¯ affairs to anyone, especially¡­ my youngest disciple."


    "Keep silent about the business of the Five Elements Sect, the legacy, and even the fact that he visited and you met him¡­ Never speak of these again¡­"


    The Chief Elder was stunned, "This¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang had a profound look in his eyes, his demeanor serious.


    A chill went through the Chief Elder¡¯s heart, and he quickly understood that this seemingly trivial matter could be very significant.


    "Agreed!"


    The Chief Elder nodded solemnly.


    Mr. Zhuang looked penetratingly at the Chief Elder, nodded slightly, and instructed:


    "The Soul Refining Banner will be completed in two days, at which point a sea of blood will engulf heaven and earth, sealing off the whole of Li Mountain City."


    Mr. Zhuang opened up a map of Li Mountain City and lightly traced a line with his finger:


    "Tomorrow at noon, all the elders and disciples of your Five Elements Sect should leave from the southwest corner along this line, and do not come back¡­"


    The Chief Elder was slightly astonished, "The Demon Sect would probably not let us off so easily¡­"


    "That is not your concern."


    The Chief Elder nodded obediently but then expressed his reluctance, "Then what about the foundation of my Five Elements Sect¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s look turned colder:


    "If the Formation is standing and the people live, the Sect remains; if the Formation is lost and the people perish, the Sect perishes. These ruins are not the foundation. The true key is the people, the Formation is the foundation."


    The Chief Elder had a sudden revelation and said with a look of shame:


    "Thank you for your guidance, sir."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, his words coming to an end.


    The Chief Elder then respectfully stood up, gave a deep bow to Mr. Zhuang, and left. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang then summoned Aunt Xue and three Disciples, saying:


    "The Five Elements Sect will leave tomorrow. You should leave with them, but before you go, there are some matters I need to instruct."


    Mr. Zhuang left Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi behind, handing them two Jade Slips:


    "These contain the complete Formation Diagrams of the Immortal Sky Formation Flow. Keep them safe, comprehend them well, and don¡¯t fail this legacy."


    "This is also something your mother kept in mind..."


    "She was unable to learn it, so she yearned for it, hoping you two could master this supreme Formation Method Origin Stream¡­"


    "As for other matters... you have your Clan and your mother¡¯s arrangements, so I suppose I need not worry too much."


    The two accepted the Jade Slips, both falling silent for a moment.


    Bai Zisheng lowered his head, feeling somewhat ashamed.


    After a brief hesitation, Bai Zixi spoke softly, "Master, I¡¯m sorry, mother, she¡­"


    Mr. Zhuang just smiled faintly, "That was the affair of the previous generation, it has nothing to do with you¡­"


    He looked at the two children kindly, reassuringly:


    "Your characters and talents are both quite good. The Immortal Sky Formation Flow was taught to you according to my own intentions, not merely because of your mother¡­"


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, with tears in their eyes, respectfully kowtowed three times to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang graciously accepted their gesture, and then sighed softly:


    "In the future, take good care of yourselves."


    "And¡­"


    "Take good care of your youngest disciple¡­"


    "We will!" Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded solemnly.


    Afterward, they left reluctantly.

 Chapter 657: Entrustment (3)

    Mr. Zhuang called Mo Hua in alone.


    "Master..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes grew sore.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled gently, waved his hand, beckoned Mo Hua to his side, and handed him a ring.


    This ring was simple, yet it exuded an ancient and grand aura.


    "Your senior brother and sister have clans, backgrounds, and even an extraordinary cultivator as a mother - they lack for nothing. Therefore, as your master, I¡¯ll favor you a little by leaving this with you..."


    "This is a Storage Ring."


    "Like a storage bag, it can hold things, but it¡¯s more concealed than a storage bag."


    "Although you come from the life of a Loose Cultivator without many treasures, you do possess some secret items, especially the Jade Slip of ¡¯Tianyan Jue¡¯ and that ¡¯Five Elements Formation Flow Chart¡¯... You must keep these safe, and they absolutely must not be lost."


    Mr. Zhuang personally placed the Storage Ring, with great care, onto Mo Hua¡¯s hand.


    The Storage Ring was of a normal size, but Mo Hua¡¯s hand was small, so it could only fit on his thumb.


    "This ring must be ¡¯bound by blood¡¯ to its owner."


    Mr. Zhuang said, and then with a flick of his finger, a cut appeared on Mo Hua¡¯s left thumb, and fresh blood flowed into the Storage Ring.


    The Storage Ring seemed to come alive, greedily absorbing Mo Hua¡¯s fresh blood.


    The wound was very painful, but Mo Hua pursed his lips and endured without making a sound.


    After a moment, the pain subsided, and Mo Hua looked down to see that the Storage Ring on his thumb seemed to have disappeared, but within his Divine Sense, a faint connection was formed.


    It was as if the ring still existed on his thumb.


    Only now, no one else could see it.


    Seeing that the ring did not reject him, Mr. Zhuang completely relaxed. He looked at Mo Hua again and asked gently:


    "Have you remembered everything I taught you?"


    "Mhm," Mo Hua nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang began to quiz him one by one.


    From Divine Sense Calculation to the various Formation principles, from the Reversed Spirit Formation and the Thick Earth Formation, to the large formations and the intricacies of the Formation Pivot... Mr. Zhuang tirelessly went over them all again. ?§¡?????????§§?


    It seemed like this was the last time he would be teaching his young disciple.


    So he patiently and gently repeated everything, big or small. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Listening, Mo Hua felt his nose prickle and his vision blur.


    After finishing, Mr. Zhuang patted Mo Hua¡¯s head and then asked:


    "You know about Gui Tao¡¯s people, right?"


    Mo Hua was startled and nodded slightly.


    "Gui Tao¡¯s people..."


    "He was my senior brother, and could be considered... your Uncle."


    "He has fallen to demonhood, and what he cultivates is one of Gui Tao¡¯s spell points..."


    "His heart is cold, his methods are extremely strong, and he¡¯s also extremely arrogant, but he¡¯s a master of the Divine Thought Technique, and his use of Divine Sense has reached the pinnacle..."


    "If you ever meet him, you must be very careful..."


    "Yes, Master."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were moist as he nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and, after a moment of thought, his expression apologetic but frank:


    "As your master... I have fateful opportunities and astoning secrets... but these, I cannot pass on to you, nor can I even tell you about them."


    "To pass them on to you would bring you great disaster."


    "Even knowing about them would taint you with karma."


    "So you should know nothing, and you should not want to know anything..."


    "The Immortal Sky Formation Flow is a unique inheritance, which I cannot teach you..."


    "What I can teach you are only some obscure and complex Divine Thought Techniques, along with the principles of formations."


    "In the future, you will have to learn each formation one by one, and understand each point bit by bit, all on your own¡­"


    "Even if it¡¯s difficult, even if there are a hundred setbacks, you must follow your own path, establish your own Formation Flow, cultivate supreme Divine Sense, and verify your own Tao!"


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was serious as he nodded, "I¡¯ll remember that, Master..."


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, looking at Mo Hua, feeling as if he had a thousand words to say, but found himself unable to utter a single one, ultimately all that remained was a long, lingering sigh.


    Mo Hua¡¯s head drooped as well.


    After a moment, Mr. Zhuang seemed to make up his mind, a slight smile appeared on his face as he said to Mo Hua:


    "Tired, aren¡¯t you? Rest for a while."


    Mo Hua shook his head, about to say "I¡¯m not tired," wanting to spend more time with his master, but as he began to speak, his words trailed off, heavy with drowsiness¡ªindeed, he was too tired, having not closed his eyes for several days, thoroughly exhausted.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids fought each other, and unknowingly, he fell asleep.


    His breathing was even, his small face as peaceful as a painting, innocent and charming, yet his little brows were tightly furrowed, as if worrying about something.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua reluctantly, as if he wanted to engrave his image into his heart forever.


    He reached out and gently stroked Mo Hua¡¯s forehead, smoothing out the furrowed brows as he murmured softly.


    It seemed these words could only be spoken while Mo Hua was asleep:


    "In my life, the thing I¡¯m most gratified by is taking you as my disciple..."


    "It¡¯s just a pity that I won¡¯t be able to see the day your mastery over formations is achieved..."


    "This is the last gift I¡¯m giving you..."


    "You must live well..."


    ...


    When Mo Hua awoke, it was still dark, and his master was still beside him, only his breathing had become fainter still.


    "Master..."


    Mo Hua said, concerned.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled gently.


    "I... fell asleep..."


    Mo Hua felt somewhat ashamed.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Go get ready. After dawn, leave with your Junior Brother and Junior Sisters."


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, unable to let go, he asked:


    "Master, can¡¯t you come with us?"


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t answer, simply stroked Mo Hua¡¯s head and said softly:


    "Go on..."


    Mo Hua could only leave with reluctance.


    After the sky brightened, Mo Hua left Li Mountain City with Aunt Xue, his Junior Brother, Junior Sister, and all the cultivators of the Five Elements Sect.


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    Before leaving, he and his fellow disciples visited Mr. Zhuang again.


    However, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s door was tightly closed; it seemed he would no longer see them.


    Mo Hua knocked, but there was no response.


    When the hour came, he had no choice but to leave.


    Mo Hua followed the group of cultivators leaving the Five Elements Sect, looking back every few steps, hoping to see his master, to have one more glimpse of him.


    But even as they left the Five Elements Sect, he still couldn¡¯t catch a glimpse of his master.


    "I won¡¯t see Master again..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s tears flowed uncontrollably.


    Meanwhile, atop a tall building in the Five Elements Sect, unseen,


    Mr. Zhuang watched Mo Hua leave the entire time.


    He watched the little figure of Mo Hua constantly turning back, wiping away tears, getting farther and farther away until finally disappearing among the pavilions and towers.


    In his gentle, warm gaze, endless expectations were revealed:


    "I entrust the past of the Sect to your Junior Brother and Junior Sisters..."


    "But the future of the Sect, I entrust to you..."

 Chapter 658: Leaving the City (1)

    The Soul-refining Blood Banner sealed the city as the overwhelming Demon Sword swept through.


    Li Mountain City had become ruins.


    The intricate carvings and paintings of yesterday were now reduced to rubble and broken walls, and the once splendid opulence was left in disarray.


    Big White was pulling the cart, walking ahead.


    Mo Hua and Junior Brother, Junior Sister, and Aunt Xue followed behind, accompanying the large group of cultivators from the Five Elements Sect as they left the sect¡¯s territory, exited the Mountain Protection Array, and entered the desolate Li Mountain City.


    Seeing the surroundings, Mo Hua realized that Li Mountain City had long been an empty shell, with many of its resident merchants actually being concealed Demon Cultivators.


    True cultivators were few and far between.


    And when disaster struck, most of these cultivators either died, got injured, or fled.


    The merchant cultivators were not locals. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They came for profit, and left when there was none.


    Continue your saga on


    No one wished to share the fate of Li Mountain City, and no one cared about the survival of Li Mountain City.


    A flower without soil blooms resplendently, but withers in an instant.


    The once precious and prosperous Li Mountain City revealed its desolate true nature of earth and mud sculptures, as its prosperity waned.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t care about these things.


    He walked on the road, occasionally looking back, hoping that one of these glances would allow him to see his master again.


    But in the end, he saw nothing.


    Mo Hua lowered his head in sadness.


    Bai Zisheng was also very upset and patted Mo Hua on the shoulder.


    Bai Zixi held Mo Hua¡¯s hand.


    Aunt Xue had a look of surprise, but her expression was complex, and she sighed softly without saying anything.


    The group continued toward the outskirts of Li Mountain City.


    The Chief Elder and the elders of the Five Elements Sect took the lead in showing the way.


    Although the sky was covered with a sea of blood and filled with Sword Qi.


    Inside Li Mountain City, everything was blood-red with Demonic Qi overflowing.


    Yet the journey was without wind or waves.


    There were no Demon Cultivators, no murderous intentions, no dangers.


    Just as Mr. Zhuang had said, it was indeed a path to life.


    The Chief Elder found it somewhat unbelievable but also felt a great sense of relief, sighing inwardly,


    "Mr. Zhuang truly is a lofty figure, he has shown great kindness to my Five Elements Sect..."


    As the group walked, it was only a moment before they reached the great gate of Li Mountain City.


    To exit through this gate was to leave Li Mountain City.


    It was also to leave this place of disputes and purgatorial suffering.


    The Chief Elder breathed a sigh of relief.


    But when he looked up, the breath he had just exhaled tightened back up.


    A chill went down his spine.


    Before them, the city gate was suddenly enveloped by the sea of blood, sealing off their way forward.


    And atop the city gate, at this very moment, stood a group of strangely-shaped cultivators.


    In the middle, a figure in a black robe, with white hair and a youthful face, had a deep, gloomy gaze.


    It was the Mystery Demon Ancestor!


    By his sides stood an ashen-faced old man holding a strange sword box, a young man without a beard wearing a mask that resembled the delicate face of a dead man, and another man with sharp fangs and blood-red eyes. ??¦­§à£Â??


    Behind these few were a group of Demon Cultivators with at least Foundation Establishment cultivation, all exuding a sinister aura.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyes showed horror, and he was scared out of his wits.


    The cultivators of the Five Elements Sect also turned pale.


    Xuan Sanren smiled gloomily, "Under the Blood Banner, the spirits and ghosts cannot be reborn; not a single remnant soul will be left. How could I possibly let you go?"


    "The Taoist Court is strict; I haven¡¯t slaughtered a city in hundreds of years..."


    "Today presents a rare opportunity; allow me to indulge..."


    ...


    The Chief Elder felt desolate.


    An Old Demon from the Feather Transformation Realm!


    The Five Elements Sect was doomed!


    With a sorrowful face, the Chief Elder was about to say something when he saw Xuan Sanren¡¯s gloomy smile fade, as if he had seen something that made him turn stern.


    Following Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze, the Chief Elder saw an elder sitting on a rooftop not far to the west, his face weathered, his body like dead wood.


    It was the unfathomable elder known as "Old Kui" who was with Mr. Zhuang.


    A glimmer of hope rose in the Chief Elder¡¯s heart.


    Xuan Sanren, facing Old Kui with a grim expression, clasped his hands and said,


    "Who is this distinguished person?"


    Old Kui glanced at him indifferently, "You¡¯re not qualified to know. I¡¯ll spare your life; now begone."


    Xuan Sanren, furious, gave a cold laugh, ready to take action. He suddenly hesitated, as if remembering something, his face changed drastically, and he blurted out in shock,


    "You are..."


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze was icy.


    Xuan Sanren quickly shut his mouth, trembling and not daring to speak.


    Suppressing the terror in his heart, his face twitching, he bowed to Old Kui, and his figure gradually faded from above the city gate, then disappeared.


    The group of Demon Cultivators behind Xuan Sanren was also stunned and shocked,


    "What is the identity of this elder?"


    "Even Xuan Sanren shows him such respect?"


    But they didn¡¯t dare to voice their questions.


    Fearing to speak disrespectfully and offend the mysterious elder, and also fearing to incur Xuan Sanren¡¯s wrath with improper remarks.


    If Xuan Sanren did not dare to stop them, they dared even less, so the group of Demon Cultivators had no choice but to retreat.


    The Demon Cultivators dispersed.


    The Chief Elder sighed with relief and, looking at Old Kui from a distance, bowed respectfully.


    All the cultivators of the Five Elements Sect also looked solemn and bowed to Old Kui.


    Old Kui flicked his finger, and a pitch-black fireball flew out.


    The great gate of Li Mountain City shattered, the Demonic Qi was burnt to nothingness, and the Blood Banner burned with a gaping hole, while the sea of blood seemed to have been torn apart, revealing a passage.


    "Go."


    Old Kui said just one word and then continued to rest with his eyes closed.


    Filled with gratitude, the Chief Elder bowed deeply once more, then looked back and gestured. Leading the cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, they followed the path opened by Old Kui out of Li Mountain City...


    Mo Hua also glanced at Old Kui and couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself,


    "Grandpa Gui..."


    Old Kui seemed to hear Mo Hua¡¯s voice, slowly opened his eyes, and, glancing at Mo Hua, his lips curled up, revealing a slight smile.

 Chapter 659: Leaving the City (2)

    This was the first time Mo Hua had seen Old Kui laugh.


    It was the smile of a marionette.


    Although it was stiff and slightly unnerving, it was very gentle.


    Old Kui¡¯s hoarse and kindly voice also rang in Mo Hua¡¯s ears:


    "I¡¯ll see you off..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s nose felt sour as he waved his hand vigorously, saying goodbye to Old Kui.


    Old Kui "smiled" again, then said softly, "Go now..."


    "Hmm!"


    Mo Hua nodded, took another look at Old Kui, and then reluctantly shifted his gaze away, walking toward the city gates.


    Old Kui watched Mo Hua¡¯s small figure with some regret.


    What a pity... I won¡¯t get to eat the pine nuts fried by this child for me again... Nor will I have the chance to instruct him in spells or play chess together...


    Then he mocked himself:


    "Even my Taoist heart has wavered..."


    Old Kui shook his head and closed his eyes again, resuming his withered sitting posture.


    ...


    And Mo Hua just kept walking, through the city gate, leaving Li Mountain City, leaving behind the city shrouded in blood, filled with Demonic Qi, dangers, and the intent to kill.


    He also left behind the Li Mountain City where his master resided...


    When Mo Hua looked back.


    The Soul-refining Blood Banner had been fully activated, completely shrouding the entire Li Mountain City.


    Before his eyes were the surging sea of blood, the fierce Demon Sword, and the sky filled with bloody Sword Qi.


    Mo Hua etched all this in his heart, with a slightly chilly look in his eyes.


    "Dare to scheme against my master..."


    One day, I will slaughter all you Evil Demons and monsters, tear this Soul Banner to shreds, smash this Demon Sword to pieces, and crush all the Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect of the Demon Path...


    Whatever Mystery Demon Ancestor, whatever Golden Core Demon Cultivator, whatever treasures of the Demon Path... S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You all just wait for me...


    ...


    At that moment in Li Mountain City, Xuan Sanren, who had just recovered from Old Kui¡¯s intimidating presence, suddenly felt his heart quake again.


    He quickly pulled a bone Compass from his bosom.


    In the Compass was sealed a lock, soaked with black blood, engraved with ancient Formation Patterns; in its center was embedded a demonic eye that looked vicious and blinked continuously. ?£Á??¦Â??


    This was the treasured Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect of the Demon Path: Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal.


    Xuan Sanren frowned:


    "Just now, this Heavenly Mechanism Seal... trembled?"


    "What does that mean?"


    "What is it afraid of?"


    "What¡¯s there to fear?"


    Xuan Sanren bit his finger, smeared it across his forehead, leaving a trail of blood that began to wriggle on its own, his Divine Sense becoming increasingly sharp.


    He formed a gesture with his hand, meticulously conjecturing, but after a while, he was still baffled.


    I can¡¯t figure anything out...


    It¡¯s all a mystery.


    Yet there seemed to be a vague hint of an ominous sign.


    It was as if, by a fluke, he had released a batch of fry into the river.


    But among these fry, there seemed to be a tiny and ferocious "crocodile."


    Looking closer, however, the river stretched boundlessly, waves rippling, a sea of vagueness, and nothing could be seen.


    Xuan Sanren blanked out for a moment, then shook his head, "It¡¯s just an illusion..."


    It couldn¡¯t be such a coincidence...


    ...


    About dozens of miles outside Li Mountain City, there was a fork in the road. Stay tuned for updates on


    Mo Hua and people from the Five Elements Sect were about to part ways here.


    The Chief Elder glanced at Mo Hua, his expression complex.


    The true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect lay with this child.


    The future fortunes of the Five Elements Sect might also reside with him.


    Although he didn¡¯t know what the true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect was, nor what its future fortunes could be, this was what Mr. Zhuang had told him, and he could only believe it.


    But...


    Whether the Five Elements Sect could have that fortune in the future was another matter...


    The Sect was in tribulation; the hearts of its people scattered.


    From now on, they would have to lead a life under others, which would not be easy.


    These disciples would probably leave one after another.


    How many could stay in the end was hard to say.


    As long as he was alive, perhaps it might be better, after all, he was also a Golden Core Cultivator, but what about a hundred years, two hundred years later? If he were to die, and the Five Elements Sect had no successor, would it then be erased from the history of the Cultivation World...


    The Chief Elder sighed, his heart full of worry.


    He looked at Mo Hua and bid farewell with clasped hands: "Young Gentleman, take care!"


    Mo Hua also paid his respects: "Chief Elder, please take care!"


    "Hopefully there will be a day when we meet again..."


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart was filled with melancholy, then he saluted Mo Hua once more, leading the people of the Five Elements Sect mightily onto the road of uncertainty...


    ...


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, took another path.


    This was a broad mountain road.


    Big White, pulling a cart, saw that Mo Hua seemed to be in a bad mood, affectionately nuzzled Mo Hua with its head, as if trying to comfort him.


    Mo Hua hugged Big White too, but his expression was still a bit downcast.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also felt somewhat sad.


    As they walked, Bai Zisheng suddenly asked Aunt Xue, "Aunt Xue, can you find my mother and get her to save Master?"


    Aunt Xue replied bitterly, "People at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s level are involved in matters we simply can¡¯t intervene with..."


    "Even if it were Madam, there¡¯s little she can do to change many things."


    Moreover, the Madam... was also making her own calculations against Mr. Zhuang...


    Aunt Xue didn¡¯t articulate this last thought.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat discontented.


    Bai Zixi then asked, "Aunt Xue, where are we heading now?"


    Aunt Xue mused: "First, let¡¯s see the Madam; she¡¯s also concerned for your safety. Afterward, we should probably head back to the Bai Family..."


    "Back to the Bai Family..." murmured Bai Zixi, involuntarily glancing at Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng, suddenly remembering something, his desolation abating somewhat, looked at Mo Hua and asked, "Apprentice brother, will you come back with us to the Bai Family?"


    "The Bai Family?" Mo Hua was taken aback.


    "Yes." Bai Zisheng nodded, "Come with me to the Bai Family. I¡¯ll take care of you, and you won¡¯t have to worry about cultivation, inheritances, Formations, we¡¯ll have it all..."

 Chapter 660: Leaving the City (3)

    "Although far from comparable to Master, it¡¯s still quite good," Bai Zisheng said.


    Mo Hua remained silent.


    He turned his head again and glanced at Li Mountain City.


    He still wanted to see his Master.


    But he couldn¡¯t...


    Golden Core, Feather Transformation...


    Such levels of cultivation were simply beyond his reach.


    He was just in the Qi Refinement stage...


    Mo Hua sighed dejectedly, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I want to go back to Tongxian City to see my parents..."


    He had been away from home for a long time and wanted to go back to see how things were.


    "No problem," Bai Zisheng nodded, "I too want to go back and see Uncle Mo and Aunt Liu, and afterward, you can come with me to the Bai Family..."


    "With such high comprehension and skill in Formation, even in the Bai Family, no one would dare to look down upon you..."


    Mo Hua hesitated, "But, isn¡¯t that inappropriate..."


    He wasn¡¯t a member of the Bai Family...


    Bai Zisheng sternly said, "What¡¯s wrong with that? You are my Junior Brother, which makes us family. As your Senior Brother, it¡¯s natural that I should look after you!" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Once we¡¯re at the Bai Family, if anyone looks down on you, they¡¯re looking down on me! If anyone bullies you, they¡¯re bullying me! I¡¯ll knock their teeth out!"


    Mo Hua was touched but still shook his head.


    Bai Zisheng said, "No rush, take your time to think about it."


    Bai Zixi also glanced at Mo Hua, her voice clear but resolute, "At the Bai Family, no one will dare to bully you!"


    Mo Hua was slightly startled, then smiled, "Thank you, Senior Sister..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s smile was like a clear spring, pure and transparent, flowing warmly from the heart.


    Bai Zixi subtly averted her gaze.


    Aunt Xue saw everything, her eyes filled with both relief and tenderness, and yet a hint of reluctance.


    Some things are simple and pure.


    But the Cultivation World is cold and cruel...


    Mo Hua still shook his head, "I¡¯ll go back to see my parents first, and... we¡¯ll see about the rest later."


    He hadn¡¯t made up his mind about the rest.


    He had to achieve Foundation Establishment and uncover the secrets of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    The Formation was difficult to unravel.


    It might take one or two years, or perhaps, ten to twenty years...


    But no matter what, he had to unlock the Formation, and then step by step, as his Master had instructed, he had to cultivate his Divine Sense to the extreme, to achieve the Supreme Divine Sense and Achieve the Great Dao! ??¦­????


    The process would definitely be difficult and most certainly arduous.


    He had many secrets...


    Although he was reluctant to leave his Junior Brother and Junior Sister, the Bai Family... might not be such a good place to go...


    The Dali Mountain State boundary is vast.


    Once they left Li Mountain City, the continuous undulating Dali Mountain range unfolded, with layers of mountains and winding paths.


    Mo Hua and his companions walked along the mountain paths, getting farther and farther from Li Mountain City.


    The mountains were like jade, the clouds like steamed and colorful clouds.


    The magnificent scenery diluted their melancholy, yet left them with endless wistfulness.


    In the hearts of Mo Hua and the others, there existed an emptiness. Enjoy exclusive adventures from


    After walking for several days, Aunt Xue¡¯s eyebrows knitted together.


    Bai Zisheng asked, "Aunt Xue, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Aunt Xue pondered for a moment and shook her head, "Nothing."


    After another five or six days, Aunt Xue¡¯s expression became more and more serious.


    The others then realized that something was amiss.


    Bai Zixi said, "Aunt Xue, what happened?"


    Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment and then told the truth,


    "Ten days ago, I sent a message to the Madame through the Jade Slip, explaining the situation, but all this time the message hasn¡¯t gotten out. It seems that it¡¯s not just Li Mountain City; the entire Dali Mountain appears to be locked down, hiding the heavenly secrets and cutting off communication..."


    All of them looked solemn.


    Mo Hua looked up and indeed felt that the sky was hazy. He could see the sky, but also "saw" that it wasn¡¯t quite the same as before.


    It was as if something was blocking it.


    "Aunt Xue, what¡¯s covering the sky?" Mo Hua asked.


    Aunt Xue frowned, "It might be the... Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal..."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Seal?"


    "Yes," Aunt Xue nodded, "The Heavenly Mechanism Seal is a type of magical treasure that can conceal heavenly secrets, lock cause and effect, and even isolate messages, preventing other cultivators from seeing, detecting, or divining anything..."


    "Both the Righteous Dao and the Demon Path have such treasures."


    "However, to block heavenly secrets on such a large scale and isolate the entire Dali Mountain, such a treasure must be extraordinary. It¡¯s very possible that it¡¯s one of the Demon Path¡¯s supreme treasures, the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal..."


    "Demon Path¡¯s supreme treasure, Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal..." Mo Hua nodded, committing the name to memory.


    "What do we do now?" Bai Zisheng asked.


    "Let¡¯s head out first, leave Dali Mountain..." Aunt Xue said with a frown, but her expression remained grave.


    After several more days, just as they were about to leave Dali Mountain, a group of cultivators suddenly appeared before them.


    These cultivators came without warning but seemed as if they had been waiting there for a long time.


    Some wore black robes, others wore bloodied garments; their appearances were diverse.


    There was a gaunt Taoist with burn scars covering half his face, a fat Buddha with eyes that could barely open from smiling, a glamorous female cultivator with blood-red lips and protruding fangs, and a corpse driver with a corpse on his back...


    These dozen or so people exuded a sinister and profound aura, yet it was restrained.


    They were all, without exception, Golden Core stage Demon Cultivators!


    Among the crowd, the only person Mo Hua recognized was a cultivator in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, wearing a five-colored Taoist robe and a golden crown¡ªLiao Tiande from the Five Elements Sect, the former Sect Leader.


    The once Sect Leader was now bending the knee and obsequiously smiling.


    Liao Tiande pointed at Mo Hua and the others, addressing a young man wearing extravagant blood-colored clothing, extremely handsome, with a sinister blood mark on his brow,


    "Saint Heir, these are Mr. Zhuang¡¯s direct disciples..."

 Chapter 661: Eternal Life Rune (1)

    Aunt Xue¡¯s face changed immediately.


    Saint Heir??!


    She looked at the handsome youth, incredulous:


    "You... are the Demon Path¡¯s Saint Heir?!"


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both had serious expressions on their faces.


    Read exclusive adventures at  S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only Mo Hua looked confused.


    What on earth is a Saint Heir?


    Bai Zixi knew he didn¡¯t understand, so she quietly explained:


    "The master of the Demon Sect, self-proclaimed Demon Monarch, refers to the ones who are eligible to succeed as the Demon Monarch as Saint Heirs..."


    "The Saint Heirs compete against each other, and the final victor will become the next Demon Monarch."


    "Most Saint Heirs have extraordinary bloodlines and talents, and they cultivate the most orthodox Demon Sect Cultivation Techniques. Despite their young age, their statuses in the Demon Sect are extremely high."


    Mo Hua took another look at the "Saint Heir" in front of him.


    He really wasn¡¯t old, probably around twenty or so, and his Cultivation was already very high, at least Foundation Establishment, and possibly even Golden Core.


    He was dressed in crimson finery, his skin was pale, and his appearance handsome yet demonic. His pupils were cold and arrogant, with an archaic blood stain between his brows.


    In this group, only this youth had a blood stain between his eyebrows.


    Could this be the mark of a "Saint Heir"?


    As Mo Hua sized up the Saint Heir, the Saint Heir was also looking at him.


    Liao Tiande whispered something in his ear, and the Saint Heir smiled faintly, pointing at Mo Hua and said:


    "This kid, leave him behind for me!"


    Bai Zisheng and the others were somewhat taken aback.


    Mo Hua was even more puzzled, why did this effeminate demon single him out, wanting him to stay behind?


    Aunt Xue pulled Mo Hua behind her and said firmly:


    "We are from the Bai Family..."


    "I know you¡¯re from the Bai Family..."


    The Saint Heir sneered, "You¡¯re from the Bai Family, and the siblings next to you are from the Bai Family¡¯s core lineage, so I gave you some face."


    "You may leave, but that kid..."


    The Saint Heir sneered, "He must stay behind!"


    Aunt Xue frowned, "You want Mo Hua to stay behind, what for?"


    "Nothing much..." The Saint Heir¡¯s eyes, full of ambition, "I want to meet Mr. Zhuang, but I need some leverage in hand, and his little disciple here is just right." ?????¦­??¨ºS


    Mo Hua finally understood, they wanted to capture him to use as leverage against his master!


    Bai Zisheng understood as well and angrily said, "Demon, don¡¯t you dare!"


    The Saint Heir¡¯s face trembled slightly, revealing anger and ferocity in his eyes.


    No one had ever dared to insult him to his face as he¡¯d grown up.


    He looked at Bai Zisheng with a venomous gaze.


    Bai Zisheng met his gaze resolutely and unafraid.


    The Saint Heir was somewhat surprised and nodded, "Worthy of being a disciple of the Bai Family, you do have some backbone..."


    However, as he said this, he couldn¡¯t hide the murderous intent in his eyes.


    The Golden Core Stage Fat Buddha saw this and ingratiatingly said, "Saint Heir, let me kill this brat for you."


    The Saint Heir neither agreed nor disagreed, remaining silent.


    On the other side, a gaunt Taoist with half his face burnt scathingly said:


    "Buddha of Ghosts, if you¡¯re going to suck up, use your brain. The core descendants of the Bai Family have their special Eternal Life Rune. Do you dare to attack them and seek death?"


    Fat Buddha¡¯s face trembled with rage, yet shock was evident on his features.


    "A special Eternal Life Rune?"


    Mo Hua was somewhat bewildered.


    What was this rune? He had never heard of it...


    The half-faced, burnt Taoist continued to mock the Buddha of Ghosts:


    "The special Eternal Life Rune, created by Heaven Void Ancestors and above using their personal true essence, is imprinted within the vital energy of the direct descendants. When they face mortal danger, it activates automatically, killing all external enemies and ensuring the survival of the descendants."


    "It¡¯s their ¡¯Death Exemption Token,¡¯ a one-time ¡¯lifesaver¡¯..."


    "It¡¯s the additional ¡¯life¡¯ for these noble clan¡¯s direct descendants!"


    "Otherwise, why would the clan elders dare to let their extraordinarily talented and exceptional descendants go out and temper themselves?"


    The skinny Taoist looked at the Buddha of Ghosts with scorn, "I¡¯ve lived so long and have never seen what this ¡¯special Eternal Life Rune¡¯ looks like. Why don¡¯t you make a move and force these two young cultivators to reveal their runes, so I can also have a glimpse?"


    Buddha of Ghosts¡¯s face turned alternatively green and white.


    Make a move?


    Make your mother¡¯s move?


    If it involved the means of the Heaven Void Ancestor, "able to kill all external enemies," wouldn¡¯t my action be courting certain death?


    Dammit!


    The Buddha of Ghosts seethed internally.


    He had joined the path halfway through, had fed on humans to become a demon, and his lineage was not pure, which is why he was utterly ignorant of these high-level Cultivation knowledge.


    The special Eternal Life Rune, the Heaven Void Ancestors... these were things he¡¯d never heard of before.


    Now he¡¯d made a fool of himself right as he tried to gain attention.


    And in front of the Saint Heir...


    The enraged Buddha shot the Taoist a venomous look.


    The Taoist kept sneering proudly.


    Both of them were Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators, and if they hadn¡¯t come together, they would be considered "Ancestors" in their own right, with immense authority; naturally, neither would want to submit to the other.


    The eyes of the Saint Heir were cold and detached as his thoughts whirled.


    The Taoist was not wrong...


    On one hand, he was wary of the Bai Family, so he dared not make a move against the siblings.


    The Bai Family was an enormous entity.


    These two young cultivators were from the Bai Family¡¯s direct core lineage, and attacking them would provoke the Bai Family directly.


    Even though he was a Demon Path Saint Heir, without a huge benefit, he saw no need to make such a formidable enemy.


    On the other hand, he did indeed fear the special Eternal Life Rune.


    With that rune in place, he couldn¡¯t do anything to the siblings.


    Therefore, the only one he could truly target and the only one he could use to gain leverage was the one without any power, background, support, with a bad Spiritual Root, weak Cultivation, without the special Eternal Life Rune to protect him, who also happened to be the direct disciple of Mr. Zhuang ¡ª Mo Hua!


    The Saint Heir glanced at Bai Zisheng and his companion, "I won¡¯t trouble you..." Then he turned his gaze back to Mo Hua, "But this kid is mine!"

 Chapter 662: Eternal Life Rune (2)

    Mo Hua snorted coldly, "Don¡¯t even think about it!"


    Aunt Xue also said in a deep voice, "The elders of the Bai Family are nearby, so please, Saint Heir, do as you see fit."


    The Saint Heir smiled slyly, "Don¡¯t act as if I don¡¯t know, the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal obscures the heavenly secret and locks cause and effect, isolating this place from the external world for a short duration."


    "Your Bai Family doesn¡¯t know, and those fools from the Taoist Court are even more clueless."


    Aunt Xue felt a chill in her heart, her face as still as water.


    As expected, everything had been calculated perfectly.


    The Saint Heir did not wish to waste any more words either, and with a casual wave of his hand, a few Golden Core Demon Cultivators behind him dashed out like ghosts, moving towards Mo Hua to capture him.


    The one in front was a seductively charming female cultivator with sharp fangs and a bewitching and elusive movement technique. In just a few breaths, she closed in on Mo Hua and the others. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She emanated a strong and pungent scent of rouge and powder.


    Aunt Xue tensed up, gritting her teeth and focusing her gaze.


    Her eyes shimmered with a dance of seven-colored rays.


    The Demon Path female cultivator locked eyes with Aunt Xue and froze for a moment, then, with the operation of her evil power, she grinned, her eyes turning red, showing sinuous blood vessels.


    The radiance in Aunt Xue¡¯s eyes faded, and she stumbled back several steps, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    The Demon Path female cultivator chuckled and said, "You dare use an illusion technique at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage against a Golden Core? Aren¡¯t you afraid of backlash?"


    Aunt Xue¡¯s face turned deathly pale, but she also looked desperate.


    Between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core lies a vast difference in realms; even if her illusion technique was exquisite, it would not make her a match.


    The remaining Golden Core Demon Cultivators charged at Mo Hua but were blocked by Bai Zisheng who brandished a long spear.


    Yet Bai Zisheng, still only at Qi Refinement, held the imposing spear which was effortlessly pinched by two fingers of a Demon Cultivator.


    Then, with a light flick, the spear was sent flying.


    Undeterred, Bai Zisheng charged forward with empty hands, determined not to let them capture Mo Hua.


    The few Golden Core Demon Cultivators looked disdainful, but they didn¡¯t dare to strike Bai Zisheng for fear of triggering the special Eternal Life Rune, so they could only humor him in this charade.


    The charming female cultivator took the opportunity to approach, extending a pale hand with five crimson, elongated nails, reaching for Mo Hua.


    The charming female cultivator was at Golden Core, while Mo Hua was only at Qi Refinement.


    No matter how exquisite his Water Passing Step, he couldn¡¯t dodge it.


    Just then, Bai Zixi flashed in front of Mo Hua, blocking him.


    The female cultivator¡¯s expression condensed, and with a "tsk," she forcibly halted her assault, her crimson nails stopping short in front of Bai Zixi.


    "Sister..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, his feelings complex as he muttered.


    Bai Zixi simply said, "I am your sister! I promised Master I would take good care of you!"


    The charming female cultivator scoffed contemptuously.


    The Saint Heir showed a look of surprise.


    The scene unfolding before him greatly exceeded his expectations.


    In his original plan, as the Saint Heir accompanied by more than a dozen Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators, even if the Bai siblings would not flee in trepidation, at least they would be wary enough to hand over their junior brother... £Ò?????????


    These two hailed from a Great Clan.


    And this ¡¯Mo¡¯ kid, inconspicuous and likely of humble origin, perhaps just a Loose Cultivator picked up by Mr. Zhuang from some remote corner.


    The Bai siblings would surely not risk much to protect this kid.


    But now, he realized he was wrong...


    To stand against him, the Saint Heir, and face off against more than a dozen Golden Core Demon Cultivators in direct confrontation, were they indeed willing to defend this "junior brother"?


    Why?


    Was this kid really that important?


    The Saint Heir became interested, chuckling, "Just don¡¯t kill them. If they don¡¯t sustain fatal injuries, it won¡¯t trigger the ¡¯Eternal Life Rune.¡¯


    "Subdue them and bring that kid over to me!"


    "I want to see just what is so extraordinary about this kid."


    A few more Golden Core Demon Cultivators from the Saint Heir¡¯s side took action, closing in on Mo Hua.


    The charming female cultivator also cracked a gruesome smile, reaching for Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze intensified, and she drew a golden long sword from her hand. With each swing, the sword¡¯s light was clear and bright, mingled with snow-white flames.


    The charming female cultivator¡¯s eyelid twitched, and she thought in shock, "This swordsmanship..."


    But after observing for a while, she calmed down, "Good, it¡¯s only Qi Refinement..."


    She focused, blood Qi emanating from her claws, dissolving Bai Zixi¡¯s golden and white fiery swordsmanship, and then, bypassing Bai Zixi, she reached towards Mo Hua right behind her.


    At that moment, Bai Zixi clenched her teeth, inverted the sword tip to point at her own heart meridian.


    This was the posture of someone intending to commit suicide.


    The charming female cultivator paused, halting her motion.


    The distant Saint Heir was taken aback, then chuckled, "Have you gone mad, girl?" Discover hidden tales at


    But gradually, as he came to understand, he couldn¡¯t help but stop laughing.


    Not just the Saint Heir, the other Golden Core Demon Cultivators also came to a realization, faces revealing shock.


    The smile on the Saint Heir¡¯s face faded, his expression turned serious, saying:


    "You wouldn¡¯t..."


    You wouldn¡¯t... be thinking of triggering the "Eternal Life Rune" yourself, would you?


    Standing before Mo Hua, Bai Zixi¡¯s cold gaze conveyed, "Whoever touches him will have to die!"


    The Saint Heir stood shocked for a long time, before he finally slowly shook his head and laughed in disbelief, "I don¡¯t believe it..."


    "How precious is the Eternal Life Rune, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d be willing to trigger it yourself..."


    "As a disciple from a Noble Clan, what does it mean to lose your Eternal Life Rune? I think you know better than I do..."


    "Trigger the Eternal Life Rune yourself?"


    "I don¡¯t believe it..."


    The Saint Heir¡¯s gaze turned icy as he commanded, "Capture that kid!"


    A few Golden Core Demon Cultivators hesitated for a moment but still continued to reach for Mo Hua.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s luminous gaze revealed a hint of determination and resoluteness.


    Seeing this look, the Saint Heir instantly understood and was instantly filled with an unbelievable shock and fear:

 Chapter 663: Eternal Life Rune (3)

    "Impossible..."


    Bai Zixi clenched her sword in her delicate hands and plunged it forcefully toward her heart.


    This strike, a sword Qi sweeping across, was one made with the resolve to die, yet it halted a hair¡¯s breadth from her chest.


    A layer of golden light suddenly appeared on Bai Zixi¡¯s body.


    Between her eyebrows, a bright and sacred "Rune" took shape.


    This Rune, crafted by the Heaven Void Ancestor himself, was the Heaven-reaching Rune, the special Eternal Life Rune, explicitly created to ensure that a noble clan¡¯s direct descendants would not meet death¡ª


    The personal Eternal Life Rune!


    All the Demon Cultivators in attendance wore expressions of utter shock.


    They were as pale as death, struggling to flee for their lives, yet behind Bai Zixi, a colossal Golden Body Dharma Phase had already manifested.


    It was an elder with an unclear face.


    But the spiritual power emanating from him flowed like a vast ocean, his golden luminance obscuring the sun and blanketing the sky!


    Refining God and Returning to the Void, Heaven Void Dharma Phase!


    Between heaven and earth, as if the solemn sounds of the Great Dao were resonating, a commanding and trembling voice belted out:


    "Who dares to bully my descendant?"


    The Dharma Phase protected Bai Zixi, following her intentions.


    The light in Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes shifted, and with a delicate finger-pointing forward, she spoke in a crisp voice:


    "Kill!"


    In that moment, more than ten Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators, all of whom were once dominant in their own right, now trembled all over, terrified as if they were mere ants.


    The Taoist with half his face scorched wished more than anything to tear his own mouth to pieces.


    "Prophetic words!"


    "I had just finished speaking, and damn it, I really have witnessed the Eternal Life Rune!"


    "Why the hell is my mouth so cheap?!"


    In a life and death crisis, hanging by a thread.


    The assembly of Golden Core Demon Cultivators scattered like birds and beasts, desperately running for their lives, but they could not escape the grasp of the Dharma Phase. ??£Î£Ï????§§?


    With Bai Zixi¡¯s clear and piercing command "Kill!", the Dharma Phase, majestic and aloof, pointed a finger.


    A Golden Core Demon Cultivator, without any warning, instantly exploded to death!


    The other Demon Cultivators were even more terrified, their souls nearly scattering!


    Then the Dharma Phase pointed again, another Demon Cultivator exploded and died, and with another pointed finger, yet another Cultivator met their end, turning into pools of blood mist.


    In a brief moment, five consecutive Golden Core Demon Cultivators had been violently killed, and then dark clouds gathered on the horizon, a terrifying fluctuation approaching.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes held a hint of regret.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    Was this... the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment?


    Dark clouds coalesced, and a crimson thunderbolt descended from the sky, arriving in an instant, erasing the Golden Body Dharma Phase without leaving a trace.


    The Dharma Phase of the Heaven Void Realm had already exceeded the domain limitations of the Third-Grade State Boundary of the Heavenly Dao.


    Naturally, it could not escape the fate of being eradicated by the thunder punishment.


    All this happened in a flash, in the blink of an eye.


    The Dharma Phase appeared, and within a few moments, it had slain five Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators!


    And in just a short span of time, it was wiped out by the thunder punishment.


    Mo Hua only saw the appearance of the Dharma Phase, the Demon Cultivators exploding, the thunder punishment descending, and then disappearing.


    But this time, the thunder punishment did not strike him.


    So in the blink of an eye, he had no time to observe closely, nor did he see any Formation Patterns, only shaken by that familiar and terrifying Power of Silence Annihilation of the Grand Dao.


    It truly seemed capable of eradicating everything...


    Even the Dharma Phase was no exception.


    At this moment, the mountains were deathly quiet.


    Nobody had expected that Bai Zixi would actually be able, and indeed dare, to trigger her personal Eternal Life Rune on her own!


    That was the Eternal Life Rune, wasn¡¯t it?!


    The Saint Heir was far enough away to be unaffected, but his heart was a mix of shock and anger.


    This girl, how dare she?!


    Five Golden Core Demon Cultivators, instantly killed! How was he supposed to explain this upon his return?


    The Saint Heir¡¯s expression was furious as he looked towards Bai Zixi, but as he did, he suddenly froze.


    Triggered by her personal Eternal Life Rune, Bai Zixi¡¯s Yi Rong had faded away, revealing her true appearance.


    Skin like creamy jade, eyes like shining stars.


    Despite her young age, her face was devastatingly beautiful and flawless, with skin like frost and bones made of jade, her gaze as cold and clear as ice and snow, possessing an extraordinary grace and splendor.


    Everyone present was left breathless, not daring to breathe.


    They even felt a sense of shame in comparison. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Demon Path¡¯s Saint Heir was left speechless.


    He was himself a handsome man and had seen many beautiful women.


    But in his life, he had never before seen someone so unbelievably beautiful, so breathtaking.


    And it wasn¡¯t just her beauty.


    That chilling demeanor, the courage to disregard life and death, the resolute determination, combined with her stunning beauty and the cold clearness of her icy gaze, all melded together...


    The Saint Heir felt his heart tremble and couldn¡¯t help but shudder.


    But soon after, his expression turned icy cold again.


    He saw Mo Hua, whom Bai Zixi was protecting behind her, the remnants of the golden light of the Eternal Life Rune draped over both of them, their eyes conveying mutual understanding, like a perfect pair of golden boy and jade girl.


    For some reason, a bitter jealousy welled up in his heart.


    "That brat, he must be captured, and then, he must die!"


    Jealousy brought the Saint Heir back to his senses.


    Of the ten-plus Golden Core Demon Cultivators, now five were dead, leaving eight remaining.


    Though the losses were heavy, it was enough!


    They now had no power to resist, and as long as that brat was captured, not only would he have a bargaining chip against Mr. Zhuang, but even...


    That young girl...


    The Saint Heir¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but race.


    But then, just a moment later, he suddenly sensed something amiss, feeling another presence near him.


    The Saint Heir turned his head and saw a young man in white with starry eyes and eyebrows shaped like swords standing beside him.


    It was Bai Zisheng.


    Explore stories on


    Somehow, Bai Zisheng had taken advantage of his moment of distraction and approached unnoticed.


    He held a dagger, without any hesitation, aimed at his own heart, and venomously said:


    "Die, useless Saint Heir!"


    The Saint Heir¡¯s calculations came to an abrupt halt, and immense terror surfaced in his eyes once again.


    The dagger stopped in front of Bai Zisheng¡¯s chest as the golden light flared brightly.


    Another Eternal Life Rune appeared.


    Another vast surge of golden spiritual power unfolded from Dali Mountain, piercing the heavens and shaking the earth.


    Another Golden Body Dharma Phase materialized between heaven and earth.

 Chapter 664: Arrival (1)

    Chapter 664: Chapter 549 Arrival_1


    As the Golden Body Dharma Phase appeared, spiritual power surged, its aura peerless. With an expression of neither sorrow nor joy, the golden figure pointed a finger towards the terrified Saint Heir.


    Under that one finger, its power was astounding.


    The Saint Heir¡¯s face distorted under the force, his limbs gradually snapping, his flesh and blood slowly blurring.


    But in just an instant, he returned to his original state, unharmed.


    At his brow, a blood mark shone brightly, emitting a deep and pitch-black luster.


    Simultaneously, behind the Saint Heir, a massive bloody silhouette emerged.


    This figure, like a bloodied person soaked in tainted blood, had surging vital energies, soul-snatching, its oppressive might terrifying.


    This was a Bloody Dharma Phase!


    It was the Heaven Void blood shadow of an ancestor from the Demon Path.


    It was also a rune!


    A powerful life-saving talisman, similar to the special Eternal Life Rune!


    Bai Zisheng took advantage of the Saint Heir¡¯s distraction, approached stealthily, then self-destructed his special Eternal Life Rune, triggering the Golden Body Dharma Phase, wishing to utterly annihilate this Demon Path Saint Heir!


    And with one point of the Dharma Phase, the Saint Heir was on the brink of death.


    The life-saving rune on the Saint Heir¡¯s forehead was also forcibly activated, contending with the Golden Body Dharma Phase and saving his life.


    One ¡°life¡± for another ¡°life¡±.


    One rune for another rune.


    In the Dali Mountain.


    The Righteous Dao¡¯s Golden Body Dharma Phase clashed with the Demon Path¡¯s Bloody Dharma Phase, fingertip to palm, shattering the heavens and splitting the earth.


    Golden and bloody spiritual powers swept across the land.


    Mountain peaks crumbled, vegetation uprooted, earth and stones turned into dust, and the Monster Beasts suffered the aftermath, crushed into ash.


    Bai Zixi still stood in front of Mo Hua.


    The lingering power of the Eternal Life Rune followed Bai Zixi¡¯s intent, protecting both Mo Hua and Aunt Xue nearby.


    Mo Hua was unaffected.


    He stood there, dumbstruck, watching the two Dharma Phases clash, his heart filled with inexplicable shock.


    "This is¡­ the power of a true Cultivator


    "To move mountains and seas, to destroy the sky and obliterate the earth S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is the true cultivation that reaches through the heavens and the earth


    "Heaven Void Realm


    In Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, there was both shock and longing, and he couldn¡¯t help tightening his small hands.


    One day, he too would hold the power to reverse the heavens and the earth.


    With a flip of his hand to cover the sky, with a turn of his hand to level the ground!


    Then, no one would dare to scheme against his master, no one would dare to bully his Junior Brother and Junior Sister! No one would dare to harm the people he cherished! ????????¨§?


    ¡­


    The clash between Dharma Phases was momentary, yet shook the heavens and the earth.


    Shortly after, thunderclouds returned to the sky.


    The celestial tribulation descended a second time.


    Scarlet tribulation lightning fell from the sky with a cold fury, aiming to annihilate both the Righteous Dao Golden Body Dharma Phase and the Demon Path Bloody Dharma Phase!


    Everything returned to calm once more¡­


    ¡­


    But before that, when the first Eternal Life Rune shattered.


    The heavenly secrets here had already been disturbed.


    The seal of the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal was obliterated by the tribulation lightning, and the heavenly secrets leaked out, revealing cause and effect.


    The tremendous fluctuation in spiritual power generated by the Golden Body Dharma Phase also spread from Dali Mountain, stirring up Cultivators far and wide.


    A thousand miles away, in Liyuan City.


    A middle-aged white-robed Cultivator sensed the breaking of the first special Eternal Life Rune and also felt the Dharma Phase fluctuations of the Heaven Void Realm, his heart trembling. Momentarily careless, he crushed the teacup in his hand to powder.


    "The special¡­ Eternal Life Rune?¡±


    "Shattered¡­ Shattered?!¡±


    Even though he was a late Jindan stage Cultivator and had held a high position for two hundred years, his sophisticated demeanor couldn¡¯t prevent his face from turning instantly pale.


    He was the Court Leader of Liyuan City¡¯s Taoist Court.


    Liyuan City is the largest Immortal City in the entire Dali Mountain State boundary.


    And the Taoist Court of Liyuan City is the largest in scale, with the most Cultivators, and the highest authority in the entire Dali Mountain State boundary.


    As the Court Leader, he was responsible for the safety and security of the entire Dali Mountain State boundary.


    The greater the power, the greater the responsibility.


    But now, at this very moment, while he was merely drinking tea, without any warning, he had sensed the fluctuations of the Heaven Void Dharma Phase.


    And that a special Eternal Life Rune had shattered¡­


    The white-robed Cultivator felt a chill in his heart and a bitterness in his mouth.


    "Which noble Clan¡¯s prized heir came to Dali Mountain to play and accidentally shattered their own Eternal Life Rune


    A special Eternal Life Rune¡­ Is that an ordinary talisman?


    Those who plant a special Eternal Life Rune¡­ Could they be from an ordinary family?


    And someone who is allowed to receive a special Eternal Life Rune¡­ Could they be an ordinary disciple?


    Without a life-and-death crisis, could a special Eternal Life Rune shatter?


    What does this imply?


    It implies that there are serious security issues within the Dali Mountain State boundary!


    If any issue arises, he, as the Court Official responsible for the entire state boundary, would surely be held accountable!


    A black-iron lump weighed on his head¡ªnot a pot but still something ending up as his responsibility!


    The noble Clans wouldn¡¯t listen to explanations; a pot needed to be carried, and someone always had to bear their wrath.


    This was merely an Eternal Life Rune shattering.


    If the prized heir who received the Eternal Life Rune met with an accident¡­


    The white-robed Cultivator¡¯s face turned ashen as he immediately stood up, barking out an order:


    "Someone come!¡±


    An Enforcement Leader entered, bowing and asking, ¡°What instructions does Court Leader have?¡±


    The white-robed Cultivator glanced in the direction of the spiritual power fluctuations, considered the structure of the Dali Mountain State boundary, and after contemplating for a while, he vaguely recalled a location:


    Li Mountain City¡­


    "Send a message to Li Mountain City¡¯s Taoist Court, ask what happened over there.¡±


    "Yes.¡±


    The Enforcement Leader left to deliver the order and came back after a short while, his expression grave, ¡°Court Leader, there¡¯s no reply from Li Mountain City


    The white-robed Cultivator frowned, ¡°No reply?¡±


    Anger rose in him as he cursed, ¡°Negligence of duty? Such laxness and neglect to the point that


    The white-robed Cultivator suddenly paused, a chill creeping into his heart.


    No reply¡­


    Was it a lack of response, or¡­ could no one respond anymore?


    Could something have happened to Li Mountain City¡¯s Taoist Court¡­?


    Under the Taoist Court, a clear and bright world¡ªit couldn¡¯t be possible, right?


    Who would dare to be so audacious?

 Chapter 665: Coming (2)

    Chapter 665: Chapter 549: Coming_2


    The white-robed cultivator¡¯s face was as still as water before he gave the command:


    "Send the orders down: within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, all Deputy Court Leaders and Enforcement Leaders within Liyuan City at the Golden Core Stage must come to see me!¡±


    "Everyone! No one is to have any excuses!¡±


    "One incense stick¡¯s time, whoever dares not come, get the hell out of the Taoist Court immediately!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Enforcement Leader was greatly shocked and knew that this matter must be of great importance.


    This was the first time he had seen the normally unflappable Court Leader show such a stern expression.


    The Enforcement Leader immediately passed on the orders.


    By the time the incense had burned down, all the Golden Core Cultivators from the entire Liyuan City Taoist Court had gathered in front of the white-robed cultivator.


    Their expressions were grave, with a mix of confusion.


    "Court Leader, what exactly has happened?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator waved his hand, ¡°Immediately set out with me, to Li Mountain City!¡±


    "All of us?¡± A Deputy Court Leader was taken aback.


    After thinking for a moment, the white-robed cultivator casually pointed to one of the Golden Core Cultivators, ¡°You stay behind to hold the fort; the rest will all go.¡±


    The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment.


    Still, the Deputy Court Leader couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Court Leader, what exactly happened?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator was annoyed, yet seeing everyone¡¯s puzzled faces, he still put it succinctly:


    "A special Eternal Life Rune has broken; we¡¯re going to take a look.¡±


    "A special Eternal Life Rune?!¡±


    The crowd was shocked, murmuring amongst themselves:


    "What is that?¡±


    "Runes?¡±


    "Is it that important?¡±


    "Worthy of such a grand mobilization?¡±


    ¡­


    The white-robed cultivator paused, speechless.


    After all, Liyuan City was quite remote, and these Golden Core Cultivators, though of decent births, mostly came from less significant Noble Clans and Sects, knowing little of such grand legacies. ???????§£§¦????


    "Court Leader, isn¡¯t this¡­ making a big fuss over a small issue?¡± someone tentatively said.


    A single rune, such a big deal it had made, mobilizing all of the top Golden Core Cultivators from the biggest Taoist Court within the Dali Mountain State boundary?


    The Deputy Court Leader also voiced his confusion:


    "Court Leader, is this Eternal Life Rune really that urgent?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator could hardly suppress his anger and could only grit his teeth and say:


    "You all know shit!¡±


    "I can only tell you, one special Eternal Life Rune is worth more than my damn life! Way! More! Precious! Heavy!!¡±


    At these words, everyone¡¯s faces changed.


    Only then did they realize that the matter might be far more grave than they had thought.


    "Quit the nonsense!¡± the white-robed cultivator shouted, ¡°Dress in your Taoist Robes, bring your Magical Treasures, prepare your Pills, and set off now!¡±


    "Yes!¡±


    The crowd responded solemnly and with a heavy tone.


    The white-robed cultivator nodded, about to say something but suddenly sensed something, his heart skipped a beat, and he looked skywards with eyes wide in alarm.


    The Deputy Court Leader was hesitant, pointing to the distance and fumbling, ¡°Court Leader, when the Eternal Life Rune breaks, does it¡­ look like that¡­?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator whirled around, took one look, and his legs nearly gave out beneath him.


    In the distance, the sky was flooded with golden light, and the presence was terrifying.


    "Another one¡­ has broken?¡±


    No, not just one¡­


    The white-robed cultivator stared intently.


    In the far horizon, a beam of golden light and a beam of red light stood in opposition.


    Although far away and not quite clear, the profound aura was unmistakably¡­ two Dharma manifestations?


    And among them, that blood shadow¡­ was it from the Demon Path¡¯s Heaven Void?!


    From the Demon Path¡­


    An Undying Rune?!


    In just a short span of time, two special Eternal Life Runes, and a Demon Path¡¯s Undying Rune had broken?


    "What¡­ exactly has happened?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator¡¯s gaze was filled with horror.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, far away, in the Taoist State, the Central Tao Court.


    The Heaven Shu Pavilion.


    A Pavilion Elder was playing chess with a Supervisor.


    The Pavilion Elder had completely white hair, an old face, but his eyes were profound; the Supervisor had half-white hair, a face like jade, and a humble look in his eyes.


    The two alternated moves in chess.


    After a moment, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.


    A disciple of the Heaven Shu Pavilion rushed to the door, then stopped abruptly, suppressing the urgency in his heart, and respectfully knocked on the door.


    The Pavilion Elder ignored the knocking, continuing the game as if nothing had happened.


    The disciple outside was burning with impatience but could only wait respectfully.


    Seeing that the Pavilion Elder did not respond, the Supervisor finally whispered, ¡°Pavilion Elder¡­ ¡±


    It was only then that the Pavilion Elder came back to his senses, sighed softly, and shifted his gaze from the chessboard, speaking slowly, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The disciple, as if hearing sacred sounds, although eager, still entered the room with light steps, making no noise at all.


    Bent over, he presented a Jade Slip to the Pavilion Elder, saying respectfully:


    "Pavilion Elder, the calculation is done. In the Third Grade Dali Mountain State boundary, Li Mountain City¡­ ¡±


    "Hmm.¡±


    The Pavilion Elder nodded slightly but gave no further instruction.


    The disciple was at a loss for a moment.


    Seeing no alternative, the Supervisor shook his head, took the Jade Slip, and said to the disciple:


    "The Pavilion Elder is informed; you relay the message. This matter has been a long time in the making and is well organized. Do what needs to be done as planned¡­ ¡±


    The disciple breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully took his leave.


    After hesitating for a moment and looking at the content of the Jade Slip in his hand, the Supervisor was somewhat moved, murmuring, ¡°Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal¡­ ¡±


    "Blood flags sealing the city, a Demon sword hanging over lives?¡±


    "A special Eternal Life Rune¡­ has shattered¡­ ¡±


    "Undying Rune¡­ Demon path¡¯s Saint Heir?¡±


    ¡­


    Muttering to himself, with varying expressions, the Supervisor could not help but call out, ¡°Pavilion Elder¡­ ¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm.¡± The Pavilion Elder replied indifferently.


    The Supervisor looked at the Pavilion Elder with a look of astonishment, ¡°Did you know all along?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder was fixated on the chessboard, not taking his eyes off it, and did not answer.


    With care, the Supervisor said:


    "The Shangguan Family, the Yun Family, the Taoist Mysterious Gate¡­ they asked you for calculations a while ago, and you said you couldn¡¯t calculate it, were you putting them off?¡±


    "Did you¡­ already know about what¡¯s happening in Li Mountain City?¡±


    "You

 Chapter 666: Coming (3)

    Chapter 666: Chapter 549 Coming_3 S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Pavilion Elder lifted his head, displeased, ¡°How can you not focus when playing chess?¡±


    The Supervisor was taken aback, and couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile.


    The winds rose, and clouds surged, with the mystery of the immortals ebbing and flowing.


    Is now really the time to be playing chess¡­


    The Pavilion Elder shook his head, sighing, ¡°This won¡¯t do. Your mind is restless and impatient, lacking steadiness. With such a disposition, you¡¯ll never make progress in chess in your lifetime


    The Supervisor silently glanced at the chessboard.


    On the board, most of the Pavilion Elder¡¯s pieces had already been ¡°captured¡± by him.


    That was because he had considered the Pavilion Elder¡¯s dignity and couldn¡¯t bear to make a move, allowing the Pavilion Elder many pieces out of pity.


    Though to say so might seem disrespectful.


    But as everyone knows, the Pavilion Elder of Heaven Shu Pavilion is famously a ¡°lousy chess player¡± far and wide.


    Now the Pavilion Elder is saying that he ¡°will never make progress in chess in his lifetime,¡± and really, he didn¡¯t quite know what to say¡­


    The Supervisor felt somewhat tired at heart, but still asked helplessly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡±


    "Worried about what?¡± the Pavilion Elder said with an air of indifference.


    "About¡­ the Taoist Mysterious Gate and them


    A chill suddenly flashed through the aged eyes of the Pavilion Elder.


    "Are you eager for them to rush to their deaths?¡±


    The Supervisor was startled, his expression becoming more solemn, ¡°Have you calculated something?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder completely lost interest in chess, placed a piece, effectively ¡°sacrificing¡± a large group of his pieces, and said coldly:


    "Not calculating would be for their own good.¡±


    "Without calculations, they wouldn¡¯t rush to their deaths.¡±


    "Calculating slower, they¡¯ll die slower.¡±


    The words of the Pavilion Elder were laden with deep meaning.


    The Supervisor¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°Is it really that dangerous?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder neither affirmed nor denied.


    The Supervisor asked in confusion, ¡°Have you told the Shangguan Family and people from the Taoist Mysterious Gate all of this?¡±


    "It¡¯s not worth it


    The Pavilion Elder shook his head, aimlessly fiddling with the chess pieces on the board, ¡°Even if told, they wouldn¡¯t believe it. They might think I¡¯m exaggerating to scare them, suspecting I have ulterior motives, and would end up blaming me instead.¡± ?????¦­??§¦?


    "So if I can delay it, I will


    The Pavilion Elder sighed, ¡°I¡¯m getting old, senile; how can I still calculate so quickly, so accurately?¡±


    "Then them


    "Life and death are predestined, let nature take its course,¡± said the Pavilion Elder indifferently, then looked at the Supervisor and slowly continued, ¡°Before a moth flies to the flame, it never thinks it will die.¡±


    "Can you stop a moth from flying into the fire?¡±


    The Supervisor frowned, ¡°Is this matter truly so perilous?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder silently gathered the chess pieces and put the board in place, ¡°Not everyone is capable of playing chess, and not everyone can play in this game


    The Supervisor acknowledged with a solemn nod.


    The Pavilion Elder meant that this matter involved the Heavenly secret and was of great significance; one should not lightly wade into these muddy waters.


    But the Supervisor also faintly felt that the Pavilion Elder¡¯s words had a double meaning, and they contained a message for himself as well.


    Implying that he wasn¡¯t qualified to play chess with him.


    Even though, dear Pavilion Elder, your own chess skills are terribly lacking¡­


    The Supervisor shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then said: ¡°The Taoist Court is full of capable people, geniuses are everywhere, surely it couldn¡¯t be that


    "Geniuses?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder¡¯s gaze grew slightly cold, ¡°What is a genius?¡±


    That question left the Supervisor speechless.


    He intended to say, ¡°One with an excellent Spiritual Root, exceptionally intelligent, extraordinarily talented, with stunning brilliance,¡± but the words felt too superficial as they reached his lips.


    That obviously wasn¡¯t the meaning hidden in the Pavilion Elder¡¯s words.


    It seemed the Pavilion Elder didn¡¯t really expect an answer from the Supervisor, but just gazed into the distance and sighed softly:


    "Grasping the world¡¯s benefits for one¡¯s own selfish desires, no matter how genius, what use are they?¡±


    "The more ¡®geniuses¡¯ there are, the more corrupt the Taoist Court becomes, the more the Cultivation World deteriorates


    The Supervisor was puzzled, but the Pavilion Elder said no more.


    A silence settled atop the pavilion.


    After some thought, the Supervisor still asked: ¡°Pavilion Elder, I still don¡¯t understand. If we really wade into these troubled waters, where lies the danger?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder, with an inscrutable gaze, countered with a question, ¡°Who are we plotting against?¡±


    The Supervisor hesitated, ¡°Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    "Do you think that young man surnamed Zhuang is so easy to plot against?¡±


    The Supervisor was taken aback and then frowned again, ¡°Even if he was extraordinary back then, after so many years, with his Taoist Foundation shattered, could he still be so troublesome?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder scoffed, ¡°He is at the end of his life, his Heavenly secret calculations exhausted, powerless to overturn fate, otherwise he would not be in such dire straits, and furthermore


    A serious look flickered in the Pavilion Elder¡¯s eyes.


    "The most terrifying thing is not actually him, but his senior brother


    A chill ran down the Supervisor¡¯s spine, ¡°You mean, the Tricky


    The Supervisor held back, refraining from uttering the full name, then shook his head again, ¡°The Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, it¡¯s not considered as one of the top Demon Path inheritances, is it


    The Pavilion Elder glared at him, ¡°When you stop talking big, I¡¯ll worry less.¡±


    The Supervisor was somewhat chagrined.


    The Pavilion Elder sighed as if reminiscing, the depths of his eyes harboring a hint of trepidation:


    "Their entire sect is filled with Evil Monsters.¡±


    "That young man surnamed Zhuang is one, and his senior brother, naturally, is as well.¡±


    "One Thought, Two Methods, Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation


    "Compared to ¡®calculating,¡¯ none of you can out-calculate that young man named Zhuang; and if it¡¯s about ¡®playing,¡¯ you¡¯re even less of a match for his senior brother.¡±


    "When you plot against that young man named Zhuang, he considers sentiment and won¡¯t strike fatally


    "But that senior brother of his is a different story


    "Should you really encounter him, nine times out of ten, you will all be played to death


    The Pavilion Elder looked solemn.


    The Supervisor¡¯s expression gradually grew serious¡­


    ¡­


    In Dali Mountain.


    After the heavenly tribulation, the golden and crimson lights dissipated together.


    The Saint Heir was in utter disbelief:


    "My Undying Rune¡­ shattered?!¡±


    That brat surnamed Bai, trading ¡°life¡± for ¡°life,¡± has actually eroded my natal Undying Rune?!

 Chapter 667: Came (4)

    Chapter 667: Chapter 549 Came_4


    "What the hell, who are all these people?¡±


    "Is this how you use a special Eternal Life Rune, you motherfucker?¡±


    "This is an Eternal Life Rune!¡±


    "It¡¯s a life!¡±


    Wrath seized the Saint Heir, a mouthful of blood stuck in his throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it.


    The forest had been overturned, leaving devastation all around.


    Bai Zisheng, seeing that the Saint Heir hadn¡¯t been killed, felt quite disappointed.


    Only then did he realize that this damned Saint Heir also had something like an ¡°Eternal Life Rune¡± to save his life.


    But it was the same for everyone, no loss, no gain.


    Bai Zisheng retreated back to Mo Hua and Bai Zixi¡¯s side.


    The Saint Heir glared at the three of them with venomous eyes, fury welling up, ¡°Damn you! You destroyed my ¡®Undying Rune¡¯, I will not let you off the hook!¡±


    Bai Zisheng snorted coldly, ¡°Your lackeys are all dead, what can you do to us?¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s Eternal Life Rune shattered, her Golden Body Dharma Phase killing five Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    Bai Zisheng, upon activating the Eternal Life Rune, didn¡¯t intentionally kill anyone, but the Spiritual Power of the Dharma Phase was so strong that the Golden Core Demon Cultivators caught in it were either dead or crippled.


    A few remaining Demon Cultivators lost their lives due to the ripple effects of the Saint Heir¡¯s own ¡°Undying Rune.¡±


    The dozen or so Golden Core Demon Cultivators had almost been entirely wiped out.


    The two or three left were lying on the ground, their fates unknown.


    When Bai Zisheng approached the Saint Heir, he discovered that the spiritual power emanating from him was only at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, not yet reaching Golden Core. £Ò????¦­?????¨§?


    Without his Demon Path lackeys, what could one solitary Saint Heir do?


    Therefore, Bai Zisheng was calmly unafraid, even contemplating hurling a few more insults at the Saint Heir.


    However, Mo Hua immediately said, ¡°We must leave, quickly!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was startled but then understood; now was indeed not the time for verbal sparring.


    Bai Zixi nodded in agreement.


    The three of them exchanged glances, and just as they were about to make their move, they heard the Saint Heir laugh coldly:


    "Trying to leave? Do you think you can?¡±


    Before the Saint Heir¡¯s voice had fallen, the atmosphere in the woods changed abruptly.


    Powerful surges of Demonic Qi suddenly descended, landing around the Saint Heir.


    As the Demonic Qi dissipated, it revealed various sinister-looking Demon Cultivators.


    Moreover, they were all Golden Core Demon Cultivators!


    They wore identical blood-colored Taoist robes, seeming to be from the same Demon Gate.


    The one leading them was an Old Demon in the Late Jindan Stage, his face creased with wrinkles, hunched over as he bowed to the Saint Heir:


    "This slave arrived late to rescue the master, please forgive me, Saint Heir!¡±


    Dali Mountain was sealed off by Demon Cultivators.


    The huge commotion caused by the earlier Dharma Phases also attracted reinforcements from the Demon Cultivators.


    More than twenty Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators stood behind the Saint Heir, all deferential to him.


    The Saint Heir let out a fierce laugh, then with a cold expression, he turned his gaze towards Mo Hua and the others:


    "Today, none of you will leave!¡±


    "You shattered my Undying Rune; you must pay the price!¡±


    The Saint Heir glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, sneering, ¡°Previously, I gave face to your Bai Family and let you go, but you insisted on overestimating yourselves and opposing me


    "Now, your Eternal Life Runes are also shattered, without the power to protect yourselves, you are merely fish on the chopping board to me!¡±


    "Let¡¯s see how you escape now!¡±


    In his gaze, there was anger, jealousy, and a subtle trace of greed.


    The crowd of Demon Heads looked on fiercely, their eyes filled with bloodthirst.


    Aunt Xue bit her lip, shielding the three children behind her.


    But her silhouette was exceptionally frail, her beautiful eyes unable to conceal the despair.


    In the face of Golden Core Demon Cultivators, Mo Hua also pursed his lips, feeling helpless.


    The disparity in cultivation was too great!


    His brows tightly furrowed, he was deep in thought when suddenly, his face froze with shock as he slowly turned his head towards the western entrance, his eyes trembling, goosebumps all over his body.


    Noticing Mo Hua¡¯s reaction, Bai Zixi turned to look as well, but the entrance was empty and desolate, with nothing there.


    Seeing this, the Saint Heir let out a scoff, about to say something when the blood-robed Old Demon behind him, with a grave expression, interrupted:


    "Saint Heir, someone is coming


    The Saint Heir¡¯s demeanor turned serious, his gaze darkening.


    All around, silence reigned.


    A few moments passed, and only then did the other Golden Core Demon Cultivators sense the anomaly, turning their heads to look towards the western entrance.


    The entrance was devoid of anyone. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sometime later, the sound of footsteps approached, heavy and light, seemingly uneven.


    A figure appeared at the entrance, disheveled and covered in mud, dirty and with a stiff expression, wearing a Taoist Robe that looked as if it were stripped from a corpse, ill-fitting!

 Chapter 668: Who is the Taoist (1)

    Chapter 668: Chapter 550 Who is the Taoist_1


    The sky was dimming, bathed in the afterglow of sunset.


    A trace of the dying day¡¯s light shone upon the eerie Taoist, casting a cadaverous sallow over him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s breath hitched, his heart pounding wildly.


    Even though he had never seen this Taoist before, the aura was eerily familiar.


    The Big Demon Feng Xi of Tongxian City who had been resurrected from death.


    The half-step Taoist Demon of South Yue City, king of ten thousand corpses.


    And that shadowy, deathly still figure that arose in his Sea of Consciousness whenever he silently recited the Taoist¡¯s name¡­


    All had an aura identical to this man¡¯s.


    A tremor ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    This was the person, the Demon Sect Cultivator whom his master had forbidden him to think about, let alone mention¡ªthe one of extreme cruelty and ferocity¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people!!


    Elsewhere, the Golden Core Demon Cultivators beheld the Taoist with expressions ranging from solemn, to puzzled, to disdainful.


    Not all among them knew of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    But the old demon in the blood robe did.


    He was the servant of the Saint Heir, at the Late Jindan Stage, with old seniority and broad knowledge¡ªeven if he had not seen him with his own eyes, he was deeply knowledgeable about some of the Demon Sect¡¯s taboos.


    Gui Tao¡­


    The honorific title of ¡°Taoist¡± is no small matter, not simply granted for high cultivation or heinous killings.


    To say nothing of his title bearing the word ¡°Gui.¡±


    The old demon in the blood robe became grave.


    He didn¡¯t know what Gui Tao intended, making a sudden appearance at this moment, but he greeted with a clasped-fist salute,


    "Predecessor


    Gui Tao acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard, his footsteps not halting, still lurching unevenly toward the crowd.


    The old demon¡¯s face was stony.


    One Demon Cultivator sneered, ¡°Is this man Gui Tao?¡±


    "Why does he look so disheveled?¡±


    "Like a beggar


    "Judging by his cultivation, he seems no more than at the Foundation Establishment?¡±


    "Could he be a walking corpse?¡±


    "Pretentious nonsense


    The group of Demon Cultivators wore looks of scorn.


    The Dali Mountain State boundary was a Third-Grade State Boundary, where Heavenly Dao imposed limits, with Golden Core as the upper limit.


    This group of Heretical Demons, with more than twenty practitioners at the Golden Core Realm, roamed recklessly in this state boundary.


    Unless they possessed transcendent objects like special Eternal Life Runes, they were without concerns.


    But two Eternal Life Runes were already shattered.


    The Golden Body Dharma Phase had been erased by the Heavenly Dao.


    Such treasures were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and it was improbable for there to be several.


    Therefore, these Demon Cultivators did not fear Gui Tao.


    Even their words were disrespectful, assuming that the Taoist could do nothing to them.


    But this Taoist, like a dead man, seemed oblivious to everything and simply kept walking forward.


    His step was shaky, his Blood Qi depleted.


    The old demon frowned, his own doubts creeping in.


    "Is this person really Gui Tao?¡±


    He scrutinized this ¡°person¡± for a long time, even sweeping over him with Divine Sense, but detected nothing unusual.


    Weak Divine Thought, frail cultivation, and a broken body.


    Nothing at all like the revered figure of a Demon Sect ¡°Taoist.¡±


    "Could we be mistaken


    The old demon frowned.


    The Saint Heir was also hesitant and directly asked,


    "Are you Gui Tao?¡±


    The Taoist still did not reply, continuing on his way alone.


    An irate Demon Cultivator with a red face couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. He barked, ¡°Hey you, Taoist! How dare you ignore the Saint Heir¡¯s question?¡±


    There was still no response.


    Unable to hold back, the red-faced Demon Cultivator marched forward and with a mere kick, sent the Taoist tumbling to the ground.


    Although his kick was not forceful, it still broke the bones of the Taoist¡¯s body.


    Struggling on the ground, the Taoist attempted to rise, his limbs uncoordinated as if he were a praying mantis with its body twisted¡ªif not for the context, his figure would be comical and laughable. ????????¦­?B¨º????


    The group of Demon Cultivators burst into uproarious laughter.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi frowned, puzzled. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t find it within himself to laugh; on the contrary, his gaze deepened, and his expression became more serious.


    The Taoist continued to struggle, his form wretched and grotesque.


    The old demon¡¯s expression was cold and indifferent.


    The Saint Heir smirked with disdain at the sight.


    Feeling emboldened, the red-faced Demon Cultivator strode forward and repeatedly stomped on the Taoist¡¯s limbs, breaking them. Then, as if still not satisfied, he pulled out a Ghost blade and hacked the Taoist until he was a mangled mess of flesh and blood.


    A Demon Cultivator complained, ¡°Why make such a bloody mess?¡±


    "You really have too much time on your hands


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator sneered, ¡°What do you know? This is ¡®Gui Tao,¡¯ the Taoist of rumors. Shouldn¡¯t he at least die with some dignity?¡±


    "The one I killed is Gui Tao!¡±


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator laughed savagely, ¡°Killing Gui Tao will surely bring glory and fame, echoing through the Demon Path. The next Taoist will undoubtedly be me!¡±


    "Cut the bullshit! What nonsense are you spouting?¡± another Demon Cultivator with slanted eyes cursed.


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator¡¯s pupils darkened, ¡°You questioning me?¡±


    "What¡¯s there to question? You think you¡¯re worthy?¡± the slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator sneered.


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator glanced hollowly at him, ¡°You aspire to be a Taoist too?¡±


    "What Taoist


    The slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator didn¡¯t finish his thought when he suddenly stiffened, his expression vicious, ¡°Nonsense, who doesn¡¯t want to be a Taoist?!¡±


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator¡¯s voice was hoarse, ¡°Delusions of grandeur, there can only be one Taoist!¡±


    The slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator¡¯s face twisted strangely as he sneered, ¡°That¡¯s right, and that person can only be me


    Enraged, the red-faced Demon Cultivator cleaved with his Ghost blade, Demonic Qi surging, and immediately slashed at the slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator, ¡°You goddamned worthy?!¡±


    The slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator parried with his Yin Ghost swords, his body swirling with an aura of gloom, and charged at the red-faced Demon Cultivator, ¡°If I am unworthy, what makes you, this pathetic wretch, worthy?¡±


    Both brimming with ferocity, their weapons clashed, and they began to Fight to the Death as if no one else was present¡­


    The Saint Heir was utterly baffled.


    What imbeciles, fighting over what?


    Fighting over the title of Taoist at this moment?


    Have their brains been devoured by pigs?


    "Stop!¡± the Saint Heir said impatiently.


    But not only did the two not cease their fighting, they became even more furious and brutal, each blow lethal as if intent on sending the other to their death.

 Chapter 669: Who is the Taoist (2)

    Chapter 669: Chapter 550 Who is the Taoist_2


    The other Demon Cultivators watched the fight with cold sneers.


    Demon Cultivators were inherently unruly, and even though they were from the same sect, they connived and competed against each other, fighting openly and covertly. Now seeing two of their own in a life-and-death struggle, the others remained indifferent.


    But as the two red-faced Demon Cultivators fought with all their might, the Demonic Qi of the Golden Core Realm roiled around them, inevitably affecting bystanders.


    A Monster Cultivator with a face full of horizontal scars and a massive body was careless for a moment and had his Taoist Robe cut by the bloody blade Qi of the red-faced Demon Cultivator.


    Enraged, the Monster Cultivator bellowed, ¡°Son of a bitch, are you seeking death?!¡±


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator, whose eyes had turned entirely black, glanced at the Monster Cultivator with a hoarse and cold voice, seemingly devoid of human emotion:


    "Do you also wish to become a Taoist?¡±


    "Become your mother¡¯s Taoist!¡±


    The multiple horizontal scars on the Monster Cultivator¡¯s face trembled wildly, clearly furious. His body suddenly swelled larger, his muscles became knotted and as hard as fine iron, and with surging Monster Qi, he aimed a punch straight at the red-faced Demon Cultivator.


    But at that moment, his expression changed, and so did his words:


    "Who the hell doesn¡¯t want to be a Taoist?¡±


    The Monster Cultivator, overflowing with Monster Qi, also joined the fray.


    The Saint Heir frowned and shouted harshly, ¡°Stop!¡±


    But the few locked in combat did not heed his words.


    Not only that, but more and more Golden Core Demon Cultivators, affected by the battle, were inevitably dragged into this absurd and bizarre slaughter¡­


    Only then did the Saint Heir realize something was amiss, and a chill crept into his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but glance at the Blood Refining Old Demon.


    The Blood Refining Old Demon¡¯s eyelids twitched as he guarded the Saint Heir and slowly stepped back a few paces.


    And yet, this bloody battle grew more and more uncontrollable¡­


    "I am a Taoist!¡±


    "No, you¡¯re not worthy, I am!¡±


    "Kill you all, and I¡¯ll be the Taoist!¡±


    ¡­


    The words ¡°Taoist¡± seemed to possess a magic that took root in the deepest desires, gradually drawing all the Golden Core Demon Cultivators:


    "I practice the Mysterious Yin Demon Skill, refine the Yin Banner, I should be the Taoist!¡±


    "Mysterious Yin Demon Skill is worthless!¡±


    "I cultivate the Monster Path, eat human flesh, drink human blood, I am the Taoist!¡±


    "Whoever lives is the Taoist!¡±


    "Whoever dies is but an ant!¡±


    "Kill!¡±


    "Kill!¡±


    "Kill!!¡±


    ¡­


    All the Golden Core Demon Cultivators seemed to have lost their minds, falling into an endless, unfathomable madness of self-murder¡­


    Demonic Qi swept across the land, blood spattered everywhere.


    The sunset at the horizon seemed to be dyed red by blood.


    The flesh contended with Evil Techniques.


    Blood Qi solidified into blades, Monster Qi turned into swords.


    The Demon treasures flew: skulls, blood banners, ghost blades, nether swords, soul-coffins, corpse-suppressing towers¡­ each displaying the divine powers of the Demon Path. ?????¦­??????s?


    In their quest to become a ¡°Taoist¡±, the Demon Cultivators seemed to unleash their most primal ¡°Demon Thoughts¡±, filled with immense malice, resenting and despising each other, hurling insults and rebukes¡­


    Even biting and tearing at each other, refusing to cease until death¡­


    They fought fiercely, screamed at the top of their lungs, and laughed hideously.


    The whole of Dali Mountain looked like a living demon prison¡­


    The Blood Refining Old Demon, being far away and still in possession of his sanity, was shocked by the scene before him, and despite his extensive experience, he trembled with fear and disbelief:


    "Taoist Heart¡­ Planting Devil?¡±


    The Saint Heir also had an expression of terror.


    "Taoist Heart Planting Devil


    "Is this¡­ Taoist Heart Planting Devil?¡±


    No, this wasn¡¯t right.


    What he understood about Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart was nothing like this¡­


    It was nowhere near as powerful or terrifying¡­ S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Twenty Golden Core Demon Cultivators, without any warning and unbeknownst to themselves, were infused with Demon Thoughts, slaughtering each other endlessly¡­


    Like pigs and sheep in a slaughterhouse, manipulated by others¡­


    Not even knowing how they died.


    Is this the doing of Gui Tao¡¯s people?


    ¡­


    The slaughter among the Golden Core Demon Cultivators, from the absurd to the intense, from the fierce to the cruel, and finally to a standstill¡­


    The forest was left in chaos, like hell.


    The contest for the title of ¡°Taoist¡± had also come to an end.


    Of the twenty Golden Core Demon Cultivators, almost all were dead or injured.


    Only one was left, a tall and thin Golden Core Demon Cultivator, with an average appearance.


    He walked to the ¡°Taoist¡± who had been slain earlier by the red-faced Demon Cultivator, and peeled off the bloodstained, dead man¡¯s Taoist Robe, draping it over himself.


    An eerie smile of victory spread across his face.


    "I am a Taoist!¡±


    As soon as he uttered these words, an inexplicable chill surged in everyone¡¯s heart.


    The Taoist moved his limbs awkwardly, like a puppet, making the ill-fitting Taoist Robe look even more incongruous and sinister.


    Then, just as before, he walked towards the Saint Heir.


    As if to finish the path that had been left incomplete before.


    But this time, his footsteps were much lighter.


    The Blood Refining Old Demon gritted his teeth and stepped in front of the Saint Heir, his voice grave:


    "Elder, please show mercy!¡±


    Seeing that the Taoist was unmoved, the Blood Refining Old Demon continued with a trembling voice:


    "Elder, he is the Saint Heir!¡±


    "You and I are both from the Demon Path, you should know the Saint Heir¡¯s esteemed status!¡±


    "The Saint Heir has noble bloodline¡­ having the qualifications to compete for the Taoist title, to succeed as the Demon Monarch. It is very likely that he will be the future Demon Monarch of the Demon Path, he cannot be subjected to any mishaps!¡±


    "The Saint Heir


    ¡­


    But no matter what he said, the Taoist kept on walking.


    As if he was moved by his own thoughts alone, and everything and everyone else was of no concern to him.


    Seeing that there was no turning back, the Blood Refining Old Demon¡¯s gaze turned cold.


    "Very well, since you fail to appreciate kindness, don¡¯t blame this old man for being rude!¡±


    He summoned an ancient bronze Soul Protecting Bell to guard his spirit and then chanted a curse. The Blood Refining Robe around him seemed to come to life, turning into a pool of flowing blood to protect his flesh.


    A pitch-black Demon sword hovered in front of him.


    This was his own Magical Treasure, as well as the most powerful, most evil, most rank among the standard weapons for Golden Core Stage Cultivators in the Demon Path:


    The Black Demon Sword.


    The Soul Protecting Bell guarded his heart, the Blood Refining Robe protected his body, and the Black Demon Sword was used for killing.

 Chapter 670: Who is the Taoist (3)

    Chapter 670: Chapter 550 Who is the Taoist_3


    Within the Dali Mountain State boundary, bound by the constraints of Heavenly Dao.


    The late-stage Golden Core Old Demon in a blood robe, wielding these three Demon Path treasures, approached the pinnacle of a Cultivator¡¯s combat power under the restrictions of Heavenly Dao!


    The Old Demon in the blood robe gazed at the Taoist with an authoritative voice:


    "He who offends the Saint Heir shall be killed without mercy!¡±


    Such might seemed to subdue the Taoist. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Taoist stopped in his tracks, dark eyes shifting from the Old Demon in the blood robe to the Saint Heir, uttering a cold and indifferent sentence:


    "Are you protecting him?¡±


    His voice was hoarse, like dry wood, as if leaking air through his throat, sounding somewhat distorted.


    "Naturally said the Old Demon in the blood robe.


    "Why?¡±


    "Is he worthy?¡±


    Emotions flickered across the Taoist¡¯s face as he began to speak more¡­


    Though coming from a single individual, the voices seemed different, as if multiple people, with distinct tones, spoke through one mouth in unison.


    The intonation was nonchalant, yet intermixed with the world¡¯s spectrum of sorrow and rage.


    Anger, resentment, hatred, ridicule, contempt¡ªsuch intense emotions, thick as liquor, dense as ink, all fermenting together:


    "You are a Golden Core, a grand Demon Cultivator!¡±


    "Why would you risk your life to protect this junior?¡±


    "Just because he¡¯s the Saint Heir?¡±


    "He¡¯s the Saint Heir?¡±


    "What makes him the Saint Heir?¡±


    "What gives him the right to order you around, to make you bend the knee, to make you grovel and call him master?¡±


    "Just because of his Saint Heir bloodline?¡±


    "What¡¯s so special about bloodline?¡±


    "After death, isn¡¯t it just a pool of blood, a heap of decomposing flesh, what¡¯s so special about bloodline?¡±


    "Why, some people are born as Saint Heirs?¡±


    "And others born to be slaves and servants?¡±


    "Just because of that decayed skin, that dried-up pool of blood?¡±


    "Why is that?¡±


    All the voices from the Taoist coalesced, cacophonous and piercing, and yet they seeped into the heart to question:


    "Why can¡¯t the Saint Heir be you?¡±


    "Why can¡¯t the Demon Monarch be you?¡±


    "Does the Demon Monarch Holy Master have true nobility?¡±


    "Nothing but a pool of flesh and blood


    "Living is the same, and so is dying


    ¡­


    As the enchanting voice of the Taoist entered his ears, the Old Demon in the blood robe trembled, shuddering all over, desperately trying to steady his mind: ???????§£§¦S?


    "No, it¡¯s not right, he¡¯s the Saint Heir, he has the Saint Heir¡¯s bloodline


    The voice of the Taoist slowed again, but maintained an otherworldly coldness and endless seduction:


    "Then eat him


    "Eat his flesh, drink his blood!¡±


    "Devour his bloodline!¡±


    "You will become the Holy Master!¡±


    The Old Demon in the blood robe¡¯s legs went weak; he could not help but stagger backward, his eyes wild, his conviction wavering.


    No!


    That¡¯s not right!


    This Taoist is deceiving me!


    Yet¡­


    He clearly knew, the Taoist was deceiving him!


    But in his heart, a boundless desire and impulse still surged forth.


    Yes, the Taoist was deceiving him¡­


    But¡­ was he really deceiving him?


    Was he wrong in what he said?


    Why?


    Why must I, a grand Golden Core Demon Cultivator, be a lowly old servant, bend the knee, grovel for mercy?


    Aren¡¯t practitioners of the Demon Path supposed to be lawless and act as they please?


    What¡¯s the big deal about eating a person?


    Eating a Saint Heir¡­ what¡¯s the big deal about that?!


    With a ¡°clang,¡± the Soul Protecting Bell shattered.


    The Old Demon in the blood robe had lost his soul¡¯s defense¡­


    Fear flashed in his eyes.


    He felt his Divine Sense split in two, one part ¡°sanity¡± remained, knowing what he must not do, the other part filled with terrible instincts and desires.


    This instinct drove him, eyes greedy, step by step towards the Saint Heir, as if he really wanted to¡­


    Devour the Saint Heir alive!


    "No!¡±


    The Old Demon in the blood robe struggled with his rationality.


    He must not harm the Saint Heir!


    The Old Demon in the blood robe¡¯s expression twisted from the struggle, his face reflecting great fissures of pain, but eventually, sanity returned slightly, and he began to control his body again.


    But it was only partial control.


    He controlled his left leg while his right leg still moved toward the Saint Heir, he fell to the ground, controlling his left arm, but his right arm scraped the earth, crawling toward the Saint Heir.


    No matter how grotesquely the Old Demon in the blood robe struggled, he could not control himself, step by step, he closed in on the Saint Heir.


    And the closer he got to the Saint Heir, the stronger the murderous intent in his heart, the deeper the hunger.


    And the Saint Heir had been scared into foolishness, standing there motionless.


    "I must not harm the Saint Heir!¡±


    "The Saint Heir is noble and must not suffer harm!¡±


    With a hardened heart, the Old Demon in the blood robe angrily severed his meridians, crippling his hands and feet.


    But as a Golden Core, even with severed meridians, and crippled limbs, he still had Blood Qi, Demonic Qi, his own Magical Treasure¡­


    As long as he lived, the Saint Heir would surely die.


    Despair appeared on the face of the Old Demon in the blood robe.


    "Is this¡­ the work of Gui Tao¡¯s people


    He glanced at the Saint Heir, let out a mournful smile, and then with a fierce look, he formed claws with his fingers, severed his heart meridian, while reversing his Spiritual Power, destroying his Golden Core!


    The Golden Core exploded with great force.


    In a flash, Demonic Qi surged and a blood fog filled the sky.


    The Old Demon in the blood robe contained the force of self-destruction within his own flesh, all to avoid harming the Saint Heir. Thus, the blood fog was thick and the momentum enormous, but the unleashed force was not strong.


    The Old Demon in the blood robe passed away.


    All present were utterly shocked.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people remained unaffected, showing disdain for the death of the Old Demon in the blood robe:


    "Brave enough to die, but not to rebel, enslaved by nature


    Having said that, he walked towards the Saint Heir, his gaze indifferent, as if looking at dregs.


    As if someone as exalted as the Saint Heir were nothing more than a pile of decayed bones and rotten flesh.


    The terrified Saint Heir finally came to his senses, stumbled to the ground, and began to scramble backward.


    More than twenty Golden Core Demon Cultivators, all dead at the hands of Gui Tao¡¯s people!

 Chapter 671: Who is the Taoist (4)

    Chapter 671: Chapter 550 Who is the Taoist_4


    And the deaths were strange, cruel, without warning, utterly unpredictable.


    On the Saint Heir¡¯s face, there was no longer any arrogance or indifference, only endless fear.


    "I¡­ I am the Saint Heir¡­ you can¡¯t kill me!¡±


    "Please, not Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!¡±


    "Don¡¯t plant the devil!¡±


    "I don¡¯t want to become something neither human nor ghost!¡±


    But Gui Tao¡¯s people simply didn¡¯t listen. Within a few steps, they had approached the Saint Heir, and a pair of slender, pale hands smeared with blood slowly stretched towards him.


    The Saint Heir felt as if his liver and gallbladder were splitting. He racked his brains, desperately begging for his life:


    "Please, don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    "I am the Saint Heir, I might become the Demon Monarch in the future!¡±


    "My father is the master of the Ghost King Sect, my mother is the Blood Jade Rakshasa


    ¡­


    But these words couldn¡¯t stop Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Just then, the Saint Heir yelled, ¡°I have the bloodline of the Blood Taoist, I am a descendant of the Blood Taoist


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s hands stopped.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp at this moment.


    He heard another Taoist¡¯s name:


    "Blood¡± Taoist.


    Perhaps because of the Blood Taoist, Gui Tao¡¯s people lowered their hand and spared the Saint Heir.


    After the ordeal, the Saint Heir gasped for air, only then realizing that his whole body was soaked in cold sweat.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people had brought him an unprecedented sense of oppression and fear.


    And now, these crises had passed.


    The Saint Heir also deeply understood the weight of the two words ¡°Taoist¡±.


    He secretly glanced up, looking at Gui Tao¡¯s people with fear. Although his voice was still shaky, he respectfully said:


    "The Blood Taoist is my ancestor, an ancient grand Demon Cultivator, and you also bear the Taoist title. Therefore, should I respectfully call you ¡®Ancestor Uncle¡¯?¡± §²??????????¨¨????


    Gui Tao¡¯s people completely ignored him.


    They turned their head, looking towards Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi. In their pitch-black pupils, a flicker of unusual emotion appeared.


    Then, they took step by step, walking towards Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Their voice, although somewhat intermittent and stiff, had lost its strangeness and had become normal:


    "Are you the disciples of my junior brother?¡±


    "Or¡­ the children of my junior sister


    "I need you to lead the way, take me to see¡­ my junior brother.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi turned pale.


    Aunt Xue was even more terrified.


    She knew that this was by no means as simple as ¡°leading the way¡±.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were after Zisheng and Zixi, to use them as bargaining chips!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s actions were unpredictable and ruthlessly brutal.


    They would not care even for a shred of past affection.


    Once taken by Gui Tao¡¯s people, one¡¯s fate would be uncertain, fortune or disaster would be hard to guess, and more likely than not, they would never return¡­


    Even if they did, they would probably have been subjected to Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, dominated, and life would be worse than death¡­


    Aunt Xue felt agony in her heart and was extremely anxious, ¡°Elder


    But quickly, she found she could no longer speak, she couldn¡¯t even move a finger.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, too, were unable to move.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people steadily approached them, their expression indifferent, reaching out their long and bloody palms, attempting to grasp the two of them in their hands¡­


    In her extreme anxiety, Aunt Xue couldn¡¯t help but spit out blood.


    The surroundings were as silent as death.


    Just then, a crisp, albeit abrupt voice rang out:


    "Uncle


    This voice broke the deadly silence.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people turned around, only to discover that not far away stood a young Cultivator, his demeanor tranquil, his gaze clear, with a hint of depth.


    "I¡¯ll take you,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua, their gaze cold, and uninterested.


    Suddenly, they felt a jolt in their heart.


    Uninterested¡­


    How could I¡­ not care?


    How could I¡­ just¡­ overlook this little one?


    Watching Mo Hua closely, after calculating, the fog seemed to clear, the chaos of cause and effect sorted, and a small figure gradually emerged in their mind.


    "This is¡­ someone my junior brother has hidden


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s pitch-black eyes trembled slightly.


    "Good A lively yet strange expression appeared on Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s face, ¡°Come with me


    Having you is enough¡­


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "Junior brother!¡± Bai Zisheng exclaimed in urgency.


    Bai Zixi also shook with emotion, calling out urgently, ¡°Mo Hua!¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aunt Xue bit her lip, powerless.


    Mo Hua smiled gently at them, waving his hand and said:


    "Junior brother, junior sister, you go back first. I will go with Uncle to see Master


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua with a surprised gaze, then turned around and began to walk forward, swaying from side to side.


    Mo Hua followed behind.


    The sun had set.


    Two figures, one large, one small, one eerie, one innocent, step by step, walking back the way they had come¡­

 Chapter 672: - Peer (1)

    Chapter 672: 551 ¨C Peer_1


    Dawn had broken.


    Amidst the verdant mountains and rivers.


    The sky was azure and vast, the forests lush like a screen.


    A brook babbled along.


    Two figures, one leading the other, walked onward.


    The person in front, tall and thin, wore an ill-fitting Taoist robe stained with blood, moving stiffly and oddly like a marionette pulled by strings.


    The one behind, petite with picturesque eyebrows and eyes, stepped lightly.


    These two were none other than Gui Tao¡¯s people and Mo Hua.


    They had been walking all night and now into the morning.


    Gui Tao walked slowly, seemingly in no hurry.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to follow at his pace, calmly and steadily.


    He was following Gui Tao¡­


    Gui Tao was cruel and unpredictable.


    Deeply scheming, adept at beguiling the hearts of men. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Big Demon, Feng Xi from Tongxian City, and the Corpse King, the Taoist Demon from South Yue City, both stemmed from Gui Tao¡¯s plotting.


    Just now, twenty Golden Core Demon Cultivators had also fallen to his ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡± slaughtered to the last man.


    Mo Hua followed behind him, initially tense and uneasy at heart.


    But after half a day and a night of walking, he had grown numb, found relief, and gradually adapted.


    He thought about it and felt that he should be safe, at least for the moment.


    Although uncertain of Gui Tao¡¯s intentions, as long as he intended to bring him to his master, it was inevitable that he wouldn¡¯t kill him before they met.


    Moreover, it seemed unlikely that he would be subject to ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    If he were, his master would surely detect it, knowing he was no longer his little disciple, leaving Gui Tao without leverage.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    At least before he saw his master, he should remain ¡°unharmed.¡±


    As for what might happen after that¡­ well, that was yet to be seen¡­


    But first, he must meet his master.


    Mo Hua heaved a long sigh.


    He wished to see his master one more time; otherwise, he feared he might never see him in this lifetime¡­


    But he didn¡¯t know what secret burdened his master, how many people, how many powers, were plotting against him.


    Now the Demon Sect had laid out a killing scheme.


    An old ancestor from the Feather Transformation Realm had taken action.


    The Golden Cores, once thought unattainable, now cropped up everywhere like leeks.


    His ¡°Uncle,¡± Gui Tao, had reaped over twenty with ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    In such a situation, those at Foundation Establishment were mere ants.


    Let alone him, a mere Qi Refinement cultivator.


    With Demon Sect cultivators everywhere in Dali Mountain, he, on his own, couldn¡¯t go back to Li Mountain City, break the Soul Refining Banner, enter the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, and see his master. ???????B??


    Only by following Gui Tao could he sneak in.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    Gui Tao wanted him to lead the way and find his master.


    He, too, wished to have this ¡°Uncle¡± ¡°protect¡± him as he went back to see his master once more.


    Although his Uncle might also kill him,


    As it stood, as long as he stayed by his side, no one else could harm him.


    After all, he was a ¡°Taoist¡± of the Demon Sect who could nurture a Taoist Demon¡­


    The thought of seeing his master again


    Made Mo Hua¡¯s steps considerably lighter.


    The Gui Tao walking ahead, however, narrowed his eyes slightly.


    He didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua was thinking.


    Initially, there had been a trace of insecurity in Mo Hua¡¯s expression.


    But after walking a while, he seemed to come to some realization, easing into a relaxed demeanor, swaggering behind him.


    As if¡­ he was on his way to make a casual visit?


    This youngster¡­ quite bold¡­


    Didn¡¯t he know who he was dealing with?


    Gui Tao remained silent, continuing to lead the way.


    Mo Hua, with hands clasped behind his back, followed.


    Walking along, Mo Hua began to feel bored.


    His ¡°Uncle¡± was limping, walking too slowly¡­


    At this rate, getting to Li Mountain City would take forever.


    Mo Hua wanted to ask but didn¡¯t quite dare; he feared provoking his Uncle¡¯s ire.


    Yet, after some time, he could no longer restrain himself and moved closer, whispering:


    "Uncle, aren¡¯t you in a hurry?¡±


    "Aren¡¯t you walking, just a bit too slow¡­?¡±


    "At this rate, my master will end up caught by those Demon Heads


    "Won¡¯t you walk a bit faster?¡±


    ¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s pace faltered, but he did not respond, simply continuing forward.


    Seeing no reaction but no anger either, Mo Hua felt reassured and grew bolder.


    "Probably I haven¡¯t struck the right chord, so my Uncle couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer


    Mo Hua then picked some other topics to inquire about:


    "Uncle, what do you want to do when you find my master?¡±


    "Uncle, are you on bad terms with my master?¡±


    "Uncle, are Taoists really powerful?¡±


    "Uncle, does everyone who undergoes ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯ surely die?¡±


    "Uncle


    ¡­


    Chattering non-stop like a little chatterbox, Mo Hua talked incessantly.


    At last, Gui Tao couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and looked at Mo Hua with his pitch-black pupils.


    Mo Hua immediately fell silent.


    Afterward, the remainder of the journey was silent; they passed through a small mountain village.


    The village was sparsely populated, usually inhabited by poor Loose Cultivators living off Spirit Plants, secluded and undisturbed.


    On the right-hand side of the road, there was a small noodle shop.


    Amidst the green mountains and rivers, the aroma of noodles wafted out.


    Mo Hua halted.


    Gui Tao walked on, then noticing Mo Hua had stopped, turned back with a vacant and cold gaze.


    "I¡¯m hungry, I can¡¯t go any further Mo Hua stated truthfully.


    He had been walking for a day and a night now.


    He was not a Body Cultivator, and with little strength, he had sustained himself on the tension of the journey and hadn¡¯t felt fatigued.


    But now that he had relaxed and smelled the enticing fragrance, he felt ravenously hungry and couldn¡¯t walk another step.


    Gui Tao looked at Mo Hua, his expression becoming complex.

 Chapter 673: Chapter Peer (2)

    Chapter 673: 551 Chapter Peer_2


    Kill¡­ but cannot kill¡­


    To plant the devil in the Taoist heart¡­ also cannot do¡­


    If he doesn¡¯t eat his fill, he won¡¯t be able to move on¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person stood desolate for a long while. There wasn¡¯t any facial expression or movement, but it seemed as if he indeed sighed. Then he turned around and began to walk towards the small noodle shop.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately followed with a beaming smile.


    The small noodle shop was run by a couple who were Qi Cultivation Loose Practitioners.


    With their low cultivation, they ran a noodle shop by the road to make a living for themselves.


    Mo Hua had previously swept the place with his Divine Sense, confirming that it was simply an ordinary noodle shop, and the couple were merely ordinary cultivators.


    There were a few patrons, mostly Loose Cultivators from nearby, nothing unusual.


    Mo Hua and his companion entered.


    The store owner, plain-looking and dressed in coarse clothing, came up to greet them enthusiastically and asked,


    "What would the two honored guests like to eat?¡±


    After he finished speaking, just about to glance at Gui Tao¡¯s person, S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua quickly stepped forward, waved his small hand to draw his attention, preventing him from looking at Gui Tao¡¯s person. Then he took out two Spirit Stones and said with a clear voice,


    "Two bowls of noodles, and quick, please!¡±


    Mo Hua had thought it through.


    The Spirit Stones for the noodles had to be paid by himself.


    With Uncle in this state, it was unlikely he would offer to pay¡­


    He also dared not let Uncle pay¡­


    Uncle¡¯s moods were unpredictable.


    If he accidentally angered him and he gave in to planting devil in the Taoist Heart, killing everyone in the small shop, then it would be his own fault.


    Seeing the Spirit Stones, the shopkeeper¡¯s eyes brightened, but he also looked a bit troubled:


    "Young brother, two Spirit Stones are a bit much, two bowls of noodles don¡¯t cost that much


    "It¡¯s fine Mo Hua waved his hand. ¡°Just add some extra toppings.¡±


    With that, the store owner happily accepted with a thousand thanks.


    Watching the shopkeeper¡¯s expression, Mo Hua felt inexplicably emotional.


    To him now, two Spirit Stones really weren¡¯t much, but for these low-level Loose Cultivators, it might represent a whole day¡¯s earnings¡­


    In this world, some people are so rich in Spirit Stones that they squander without a second thought.


    Others pinch and scrape, carefully living day by day¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s expression shifted slightly, casting a surprised look at Mo Hua.


    Afterward, the two of them took their seats.


    A few more patrons were scattered inside the shop.


    Mo Hua deliberately chose a secluded corner and even used his small body to block Gui Tao¡¯s person so that he wouldn¡¯t watch others and they couldn¡¯t see him. R???????¨¨????


    Gui Tao¡¯s person appeared indifferent, seemingly unconcerned.


    These Loose Cultivators were like ants, not worth his attention.


    Soon, the shopkeeper brought their noodles over.


    The portion of noodles was hearty, and the toppings plentiful¡ªwith even two slices of meat.


    It looked like Monster Beast meat rather than Spiritual Meat, slightly gamey but not overpowering, not too tender but edible.


    Of course, it couldn¡¯t compare with what mother used to make.


    But the flavor was good, the noodles aromatic, the soup robust.


    Mo Hua was never picky, and famished, he held the bowl and slurped the steaming hot noodles.


    After eating for a while, Mo Hua looked up to find that Gui Tao¡¯s person hadn¡¯t touched his chopsticks.


    Mo Hua continued to eat the noodles while pondering¡­


    This ¡°Uncle¡± of his, who planted devil in the Taoist Heart and is using someone else¡¯s body, should be considered a ¡°dead man.¡±


    Of course, a dead man doesn¡¯t need to eat.


    Mo Hua frowned, his mind turning to other questions¡­


    Uncle¡­ where was he residing before?


    Was he following the traces of my master?


    When did he start tracking the master¡¯s location and begin to plan?


    And¡­


    His appearance on Dali Mountain was just too coincidental¡­


    When did he pin down the whereabouts of Junior Brother and Sister?


    After a few bites, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help it and stealthily glanced at Gui Tao¡¯s person, whispering:


    "Uncle


    "Back on Dali Mountain, were you already nearby?¡±


    "Then watched as that Saint Heir surrounded us?¡±


    "Waiting until Junior Sister and Junior Brother shattered their special Eternal Life Runes, losing their means of protection, before you acted


    "Is it that, even you couldn¡¯t do anything about the Eternal Life Runes?¡±


    ¡­


    As Mo Hua spoke, he nodded, feeling his conjectures were fairly reasonable.


    Finally, Gui Tao¡¯s person couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. His pitch-black eyes gazed at Mo Hua and uttered his first words of the journey:


    "Eat your noodles


    His voice was flat and indifferent, seemingly a bit displeased¡­


    "Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua obediently lowered his head and continued eating his bowl of noodles.


    Until all the noodles in his bowl were finished, Mo Hua did not speak again.


    Then he looked up at Gui Tao¡¯s person, and involuntarily glanced at the untouched bowl of noodles in front of him, licking his lips.


    Every grain and drop should be appreciated for its hard-won journey.


    It must not be wasted.


    Mo Hua silently reached out with his small hand, shifted Gui Tao¡¯s noodles to his side, and then buried his head and huff, huff, huffed them down¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s usually expressionless face stiffened for a moment.


    His pitch-black eyes watched Mo Hua, somewhat in disbelief¡­


    ¡­


    After finishing two bowls of noodles, the two set off again.


    Mo Hua felt slightly stuffed, his belly round and full, so he walked ahead, strolling to aid digestion.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person followed behind, looking puzzled at Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure.


    This little thing¡­ is quite strange¡­


    He found it somewhat inscrutable.


    It seemed as though his junior brother had laid some trick, hidden some secret, obscured some cause and effect¡­


    What exactly had his junior brother hidden in this child?


    What consequence had he obscured?


    And why had he hidden the child so preciously, covered him up so thoroughly, keeping it all from him¡­

 Chapter 674: Peers (3)

    Chapter 674: Chapter 551 Peers_3


    If it had not been for him stepping forward, I wouldn¡¯t have even realized that my junior brother had actually taken in such a young disciple¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people took another look at Mo Hua and couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    Spiritual Root very poor, physical body extremely poor.


    No special bloodline either.


    Divine Sense¡­ though obscured by something, hazy and not clear, but barely passable.


    Beyond that, there is a certain cleverness, and indeed the actions are somewhat¡­


    Unexpected¡­


    With such aptitude, what exactly did junior brother see in him?


    Moreover, the most peculiar thing is¡­


    I always feel the aura on this child is both foreign and familiar¡­


    It seems that this should be the first time we¡¯ve met, but it also feels like I¡¯ve dealt with him many times before, as if there are many ties of karma¡­


    A hint of confusion flashed through Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s hollow eyes.


    What dealings could I possibly have had with a mere Qi-refining junior cultivator?


    What ties of karma?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua, their pupils darkening a few shades.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter anymore


    "Once I see junior brother, everything will become clear


    ¡­


    On the road outside Li Mountain City, the two of them were still walking.


    They walked slowly, but step by step, they were getting closer to Li Mountain City.


    The closer they got to Li Mountain City, the thicker the Demonic Qi became. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Outside Li Mountain City, there were hardly any local cultivators left.


    Most of them were Demon Cultivators.


    Besides them, there were some very unfamiliar faces, dressed in fine clothes with unique Spiritual Artifacts, diverse Cultivation Techniques, and rare and superior Taoist Skills, all coming from Taoist Court¡¯s Noble Clans and Sects. ?§Ñ????????????§¦????


    These cultivators were definitely from out of town.


    Possibly, they came directly from the central Taoist State where the Taoist Court headquarters is located.


    There were many of them, and their realms were high.


    If they were not at Foundation Establishment, they were at Golden Core, with not a single Qi Refinement practitioner among them.


    The whole Dali Mountain, seemed to have turned into a chess game, and all the cultivators still here were like pieces on the board.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    "Is the secret on master¡¯s person really that momentous?¡±


    What exactly do they want to get from my master?


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    All of this, he knew nothing about.


    He also remembered what his master had admonished:


    "I have a great fortune, and a shocking secret¡­ but these, I cannot pass on to you, nor can I tell you.¡±


    "Passing them on to you would bring you a calamity of epic proportions.¡±


    "Even knowing them would entangle you in karma.¡±


    "So you shouldn¡¯t know anything, and you don¡¯t need to know anything


    Not knowing, then, is just fine.


    Seeing master again will be enough¡­


    Mo Hua silently told himself.


    But as they approached Li Mountain City, the journey started to get treacherous.


    The outer cultivators were still restraining themselves.


    However, the closer we got, the heavier the killing intent.


    Mo Hua, following Gui Tao, saw nothing but bloodshed and chaos, countless cultivators engaged in deadly battles.


    On the surface, it was mostly Taoist Court cultivators slaughtering Demon Sect cultivators.


    In secret, there were also Demon Cultivators brutally killing each other.


    And among those from the Taoist Court, some, because of benefits or past grudges, took the opportunity to plot against each other.


    After killing, they would fabricate the scene, pinning the blame on Demon Cultivators.


    This was a scene he had never witnessed before.


    The Righteous Dao is upright, and the Demon Path is demonic, but at this moment, there seems to be little difference between righteousness and demonism¡­


    Mo Hua watched and shook his head.


    The human heart is indeed very complex¡­


    And his own situation was also becoming delicate.


    Because he was following Gui Tao.


    Gui Tao¡¯s aura was gloomy and strange, and without looking, it was clear that he was a Demon Cultivator.


    Mo Hua was a child, innocent and na?ve in appearance, but in this place of blood and gore, following a bizarre-looking Taoist around, it was plainly abnormal.


    Virtually no one among the present righteous and demonic forces recognized Mo Hua.


    He was just a minor Qi Refinement cultivator after all.


    No one cared about his allegiance, no one cared about his stance, and certainly, no one cared about whether he lived or died.


    So along the way, every now and then, someone would try to kill Mo Hua.


    The Righteous Dao was better, after all, they followed some rules and wouldn¡¯t easily commit murder.


    But the Demon Path was different.


    There were those who saw Mo Hua¡¯s tender skin and wanted to devour him;


    Those who saw something off about Mo Hua and wanted to eliminate him swiftly;


    Those who saw Mo Hua as a child and wanted to use him for Alchemy;


    Even shameless female Demon Cultivators, finding Mo Hua handsome and cute, wishing to replenish from him¡­


    At such times, Mo Hua would immediately hide behind Gui Tao, seeking protection from Uncle.


    And Gui Tao refused no one.


    Any cultivator who dared stand before him, righteous or demonic, was subjected to Planting Devil in Taoist Heart by him, leading to mental collapse, either committing suicide or turning on each other¡­


    Mo Hua just hid behind and watched.


    These scenes might have been bloody, might have been cruel.


    But as a Monster Hunter by origin, he had seen many a gruesome hunt, so he was not afraid.


    Mo Hua then watched Gui Tao, standing against the wind, with eyes dark and cold, not lifting a finger, yet playing those ferocious and overbearing Demon Cultivators to their deaths, utter slaughter¡­


    No matter how many times he saw it, Mo Hua found it tremendously shocking.


    But as he watched, he couldn¡¯t help but ask himself a question:


    "This Planting Devil in Taoist Heart is so powerful


    "Can I learn it?¡±

 Chapter 675: Planting Devil in Taoist Heart (1)

    Chapter 675: Chapter 552 Planting Devil in Taoist Heart_1


    Can I learn it?


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and shook his head.


    No, it¡¯s probably not possible¡­


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart It sounds like a technique from the Demon Path.


    I am a Serious Cultivator, I cannot stray into crooked and evil ways, learning unethical Demon Sect Taoist Skills.


    What if I master it, lose myself, fall into the Demon Path, and become a little Demon Head¡­ What then?


    "However, just because I can¡¯t learn it, does that mean I can¡¯t study it?¡±


    At this thought, Mo Hua reconsidered. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He also remembered his master¡¯s warning about ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡± on the night they parted:


    "He has already become a demon, and what he cultivates is the Technique of ¡®Gui Tao


    "His nature is indifferent, his methods are extremely strong, and he is an extremely arrogant person; but he is proficient in Divine Thought Technique, and his use of Divine Sense has reached the pinnacle


    "If you encounter him in the future, you must be very careful


    ¡­


    Be very careful if I encounter him in the future¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    Did his master¡¯s words carry another, deeper meaning?


    Did his master anticipate, or perhaps foresee, that I would encounter Gui Tao¡¯s people, and that¡¯s why he told me to be careful?


    But how should I guard against him?


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then uncertainly said to himself:


    "Know yourself and know your enemy?¡±


    Only by understanding ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± can I guard against ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    If I know nothing of ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡± I might be ensnared by the ¡°Uncle¡¯s¡± scheme in the future and become his puppet, out of control and oblivious to it. §²??£Ï£Â¨º?


    Moreover, my master said that Gui Tao¡¯s people had ¡°reached the pinnacle in the use of Divine Sense¡­.¡±


    If even my master said ¡°reaching the pinnacle,¡± then Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Divine Sense technique must be extremely refined and frighteningly powerful.


    I need to at least take a good look and learn what I can from it.


    As for the Righteous Dao and Demon Path¡­


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, deeply contemplating.


    The so-called Righteous and the so-called Demon are both manifestations of the ¡°Dao,¡± expressions of the Great Dao.


    Like with Formation.


    Evil Formation and Righteous Dao formations appear to be distinctly different, but they both conform to the fundamental principles and framework of Formation.


    However, Righteous Dao formations aim to comprehend the Heavenly Dao, to grasp the essence of the operation of Spiritual Power.


    Demon Formations seek quick success and pursue potency, hence they are quickly established by using human blood as ink, human bones as pivots, skin and flesh as media, and oceans of Blood Qi and Qi Sea as focal points.


    Existence and nonexistence generate each other, difficulty and ease complete each other, and righteousness and evil are contrary yet also validating each other.


    Could it be the same with ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡±?


    Learn its techniques, understand its principles, discern its path.


    Even if I cannot use the technique of ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡± by analogy, I can understand the principles of using Divine Sense and learn the methods of its application.


    At the very least, I can also know myself and the enemy, in order to guard against the ¡°Uncle¡± harming me in the future.


    However, I must maintain my Taoist Heart, not lose my true nature.


    It¡¯s easy to go from the Righteous to the Demon, but to change from Demon to Righteous is difficult¡­


    Mo Hua nodded reflexively.


    I must not be beguiled by ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    I cannot become a little Demon Head!


    Determined, Mo Hua began to follow Gui Tao¡¯s people, peeping out with his little head, spying on how Gui Tao¡¯s people used ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± to manipulate people and slaughter Cultivators¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people acted without restraint, killing widely, and frequently used ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    Having seen it many times, Mo Hua, with his understanding of Divine Sense and experience in Divine Thought Slaughter, also gained a rough grasp of ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    This was a technique that sounded ordinary, looked peculiar, seemed horrifying upon reflection, and was executed with a cold and cruel efficiency that made it nearly unsolvable¡ªit was a Demon Path Divine Thought technique.


    Blood Qi harms the flesh.


    Spiritual Power harms the meridians.


    But ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± damages the Divine Sense itself.


    It is about turning one¡¯s own Divine Sense into Demon Thought, and after differentiation, spreading like an epidemic, residing in other people¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    It is similar to the hauntings in the Contemplation Map, but far more powerful.


    The hauntings parasitize, slowly consuming the Sea of Consciousness with many limitations and taking effect slowly.


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡± however, takes effect rapidly, and Cultivators ¡°seeded¡± with Devil by Gui Tao¡¯s people can hardly extricate themselves after a few moments, as the Demon Thought is deeply implanted.


    The hauntings are an external evil invasion.


    But ¡°seeded Devil¡± is more like an internal contamination, directly causing the Cultivator¡¯s Taoist Heart to deteriorate and demonize.


    It is not that Gui Tao¡¯s people control them.


    It¡¯s more like they themselves can¡¯t control their own Demon Thoughts.


    Even though they are being controlled by someone else, it¡¯s as if they are acting according to their own wishes and desires.


    Planting Demon Thought within the Taoist Heart¡­


    From this perspective, what ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± erodes and damages is actually the Taoist Heart!


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, but then a suspicion surfaced as he observed Gui Tao¡¯s people:


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, Demonic Thought Differentiation¡­ But where is the true ¡®Gui Tao¡¯s people,¡¯ or rather, the original Demon Thought of Gui Tao¡¯s people?¡±


    "If that Demon Thought is not killed, does that mean Gui Tao¡¯s people will not die?¡±


    "Is it even possible that, unless all the Demon Thoughts are erased, even if the original Demon Thought is killed, ¡®Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯ might not die?¡±


    "Doesn¡¯t that mean they would be truly¡­ immortal?!¡±


    Mo Hua was deeply shaken.


    This ¡°Uncle¡± of mine seems to be far more terrifying than I thought¡­


    Upon this thought, Mo Hua considered further:


    "With such a terrifying Uncle, such a powerful ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡¯ I must study it closely


    Compelled by his thoughts, Mo Hua involuntarily nodded his little head and then continued to stealthily observe Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Only this time, he watched even more carefully, discovering even more¡­


    Firstly, ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± requires a medium.


    Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind¡ªall can be mediums.


    Form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena¡ªall are the pathways.


    Some Cultivators were ¡°seeded¡± just by giving Gui Tao¡¯s people a glance; others by hearing them speak;


    Some by smelling the blood scent emanating from Gui Tao¡¯s people; others by tasting their blood;

 Chapter 676: Planting Demon in Taoist Heart (2)

    Chapter 676: Chapter 552 Planting Demon in Taoist Heart_2


    Some had fought Gui Tao¡¯s people and came into contact with their deathly pale, slightly decomposing flesh, which caused their Taoist Heart to collapse, turning them into puppets.


    Therefore, one must not look, listen, smell, touch, or even think.


    Otherwise, it would create a medium for planting the devil, and unconsciously, the Sea of Consciousness would be impregnated with the embryo of Demon Thought, becoming the soil for its proliferation, thus dying under the ¡°Planting devil in the Taoist Heart


    And those cultivators who died under the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart each met different fates.


    For cultivators with low realms, just one glance could taint their Taoist Heart, leading them to slaughter each other.


    The insignificant demon cultivators along the way were all killed by Uncle this way;


    Those of higher realms would have the Demon Thought parasitize through close contact.


    Like those more than twenty Golden Cores that were killed earlier,


    They were impregnated with Demon Thought, desiring to become ¡°Taoists,¡± and died slaughtering each other;


    For even higher realms, like the old man beside the Saint Heir, who manifested a bell, wore a blood robe, and held a black demon sword, his nature was firm, and his cultivation was high, making him not easy to deal with.


    Uncle had no choice but to speak.


    With words, he disturbed his mind, broke his defenses, destroyed his Taoist Heart, and unleashed his demonic desires.


    Unable to bear it, the old man brought about his own demise¡­


    But what if there are those with even higher cultivation?


    With the Demon Thought Uncle now harbors, is there really nothing he can do?


    Mo Hua thought about it but couldn¡¯t understand.


    The blood-robed old man in the Late Jindan Stage was the highest realm cultivator Mo Hua had seen die under the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart.


    He had not yet seen Uncle take action against cultivators of higher realms.


    With no reference, he could not analyze further.


    However, this was too far removed from him, so Mo Hua didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    The pressing matter was to start from the basics and examples, and analyze the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart little by little.


    Having seen much, Mo Hua gradually became more acquainted with the methods of using the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart.


    Although its outward appearance was complicated and unpredictable,


    Its essence was still the manipulation of Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua experienced a moment of clarity but still felt vaguely that he had not crossed that threshold, not having fully grasped the concept of Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart. ???????????¨§?


    He needed to observe more, learn more, think more¡­


    Every time Gui Tao¡¯s people killed someone with the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart, Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of it deepened.


    Initially, Gui Tao¡¯s people were completely unaware.


    Only later, after using the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart to kill a few demon cultivators and noticing Mo Hua¡¯s unusual silence, did they turn around to find Mo Hua, with his wide eyes staring intently at them.


    Seemingly taking notes, calculating, learning, and summarizing something¡­


    At first thoughtful, then gradually enlightened, his eyes becoming brighter and brighter¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s pitch-black pupils trembled, thoroughly shocked.


    What on earth was this little creature stealthily learning??!


    Stealth learning the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart?


    Where on earth did his junior find such a crazily vicious little disciple?!


    The expression on Gui Tao¡¯s wooden face changed, but eventually, it calmed down again.


    He said nothing, but from then on, he became much more restrained in his actions.


    No longer killing recklessly.


    The Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart was also used very sparingly.


    Even when used, only the simplest and most rudimentary methods were employed.


    Mo Hua noticed this and tentatively asked,


    "Uncle, these demon cultivators are after the Master, aren¡¯t you going to kill them?¡±


    But Gui Tao¡¯s people were indifferent, completely ignoring him.


    Mo Hua sighed, understanding that Gui Tao¡¯s people were guarding against him.


    Hiding it away, not letting him see!


    Mo Hua felt a little put out and grumbled to himself, ¡°Uncle is really stingy


    How could they not let him see?


    He hadn¡¯t fully understood yet¡­


    But there was nothing Mo Hua could do.


    "If they won¡¯t let me see, then they won¡¯t


    He could only commit to memory the scenes of the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart he had witnessed, and when he had nothing else to do, he would turn them over and over in his mind, meticulously speculating, trying to discern some Divine Sense manipulation spell points from the ¡°Reaching the Pinnacle¡± methods of their Uncle, learning just the rudiments¡­


    ¡­


    The two were still on the road to Li Mountain City.


    A few days later, one evening.


    Mo Hua followed Gui Tao¡¯s people to an old temple.


    No one knew whom this temple was dedicated to; it was long neglected and in ruins, with broken doors and windows.


    And for some reason, Gui Tao¡¯s people were insistent on staying in this dilapidated temple for the night.


    As the evening approached, the moonlight was cool and clear.


    When the mountain breeze passed, it carried a chilling coolness.


    Mo Hua drew a Warm Fire Formation on the ground to bake a fire for warmth and also to roast wild sweet potatoes, wild yams, and a few fish he had caught along the way on it.


    While roasting, he heard several footsteps.


    Apparently, a few people were approaching the temple.


    At the same time, there were some indistinct voices:


    might as well go back


    are you willing?¡±


    "No choice


    "Near Dali Mountain, the situation is chaotic. It¡¯s no longer a place we can stay, and besides, Young Master Yun can¡¯t afford any mishaps


    Young Master Yun? S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    The voices of those people got closer.


    Mo Hua recognized them somewhat, one elderly, one middle-aged, and one youthful.


    It seemed to be the same three people he had encountered in South Yue City, accompanying Young Master Yun.


    "Senior, you don¡¯t have to worry about me, I


    "What are you talking about? Your father entrusted you to my care. How will I explain to him if you lose your life


    "In my opinion, if we act cautiously, we might still have an opportunity


    That was the middle-aged cultivator¡¯s voice.


    "Can¡¯t you just calculate our way out of danger?¡±


    "If I wasn¡¯t capable of calculation, I wouldn¡¯t want to stay here.¡±

 Chapter 677: Planting Devil in Taoist Heart (3)

    Chapter 677: Chapter 552: Planting Devil in Taoist Heart_3


    "These days, I¡¯ve been feeling nervous and jittery, as if a great disaster is about to occur. I¡¯ve been unable to sleep at night, which is why I wanted to leave


    "After departing, we would lose the opportunity


    "Don¡¯t indulge in wishful thinking, here in Dali Mountain, the real Demon Head hasn¡¯t arrived yet


    "Isn¡¯t it that our Taoist Court has no Great cultivators?¡±


    "It¡¯s not the same, you


    While they were talking, they walked into the dilapidated temple, and just as they looked up, they were startled to see Mo Hua and another person.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sat in the shadows, indistinct and unclear.


    Mo Hua was drawing a Warm Fire Formation, roasting by the fire, his small face lit by the firelight, flushed red, with sweet potatoes stuffed in his mouth and his cheeks puffed.


    The gaunt old man, Mo Hua remembered, seemed to be surnamed Wen. Upon seeing Mo Hua and his companion, he clasped his hands in greeting after his moment of surprise:


    "We were passing through and hoped to stay for the night. We apologize for the intrusion!¡±


    After speaking, the gaunt old man glanced at Mo Hua, somewhat puzzled.


    He couldn¡¯t help feeling¡ªthe night was dark and windy, the lamp dim, the temple broken. Mo Hua, this child, seemed eerie roasting his food, eating nonchalantly.


    Yet at the same time, he felt that Mo Hua looked somewhat familiar.


    It seemed he had seen him somewhere before, and the impression should have been very deep.


    But he couldn¡¯t recall where.


    Mo Hua was also a bit astonished.


    These three didn¡¯t recognize him.


    But it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Under the circumstances, pretending not to recognize each other was better.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t speak; he just nodded slightly.


    The gaunt old man clasped his hands in thanks again, while the middle-aged cultivator haughtily seated himself.


    As for Young Master Yun, he too looked confusedly at Mo Hua, but after a brief gaze, still not recognizing him, he ended up giving a polite bow as a way of expressing his thanks.


    Mo Hua remembered Young Master Yun quite clearly.


    A Second Grade Formation Master, thin-skinned and somewhat shy, but kindhearted and enthusiastic, open about his formation skills.


    They had a good relationship.


    Mo Hua turned his head and stole a glance at Gui Tao¡¯s people, feeling a bit worried.


    "Could my ¡®uncle¡¯ intend to kill these people?¡±


    He held the sweet potato, not eating it, instead carefully observing Gui Tao¡¯s people, checking if his aura was stable, managing his presence and senses in a subdued state, showing no signs of initiating Planting Devil in Taoist Heart. He finally relaxed a bit. ????????????? S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, seizing the moment, finished his sweet potato and then dimmed the light of the Warm Fire Formation slightly.


    The darkness deepened, shrouding Gui Tao¡¯s figure even more obscurely.


    Mo Hua nodded subtly.


    Now, Young Master Yun and the others couldn¡¯t see ¡°uncle¡¯s¡± figure.


    On the other side, Young Master Yun and the others found a clean spot, sat down, and began talking softly.


    It seemed they were wary of Mo Hua overhearing, so they kept their voices low, and their words were veiled.


    With his superior Divine Sense, Mo Hua managed to catch a bit of the conversation, though it was quite muffled.


    It seemed the gaunt old man wanted to leave, the middle-aged cultivator disagreed, and Young Master Yun wavered, wanting to leave yet hesitating over something, seeming reluctant.


    The middle-aged cultivator then mocked the gaunt old man, ¡°The older one gets, the more cowardly.¡±


    The gaunt old man retorted, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of being cautious that I¡¯ve lived so long.¡±


    He glanced at the middle-aged cultivator and scoffed, ¡°You may not live to my age


    The two argued briefly, then shifted to discussing the matters of the Taoist Court and the Demon Sect, saying a great deal which seemed critical, but Mo Hua, with limited knowledge, didn¡¯t recognize the titles.


    Something about a Venerable, some Fairy, some Rakshasa, some Valley Master, some old ancestors¡­


    Who these people were, what their statuses were, and what grievances they had.


    They chattered on for quite a while.


    To Mo Hua, unaware of these people and hearing such talk¡ªmostly about family marriages, clan promotions, ancestor commemorations, burials¡ªit all seemed so mundane, and he began to doze off.


    Half-asleep, Mo Hua suddenly heard them mention:


    "That person¡­ What does he really have on him?¡±


    Mo Hua snapped to awareness in a jolt.


    That person¡­


    Were they talking about¡­ Master?


    Mo Hua looked up covertly.


    The gaunt old man¡¯s expression was grave, his words hesitant.


    The middle-aged cultivator¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°You actually know?¡±


    The gaunt old man remained silent.


    The middle-aged cultivator became impatient, ¡°It¡¯s come to this, just speak up


    Young Master Yun also seemed curious.


    After struggling internally for a long time, the gaunt old man finally sighed, ¡°I¡­ also heard it. You all know it now, but do not mention it to outsiders


    The middle-aged cultivator assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The gaunt old man sighed, then continued:


    "Our sect¡¯s former leader, an expert in Calculation, highly experienced, sadly suffered from mental decline before his death, hence sometimes his words were¡­unconsidered


    He didn¡¯t want to disrespect his predecessor, so he spoke very euphemistically.


    "One day, he inadvertently revealed something, which I happened to overhear


    "He said, the secret that person carries¡­ involves the¡­ Back Ruins Heaven Burial


    Back Ruins Heaven Burial?


    What did that mean?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Suddenly the atmosphere around changed; Mo Hua startled, turned towards Gui Tao¡¯s people, and his expression was one of shock.


    Under the darkness of the night, Gui Tao¡¯s people had opened their eyes, their pupils were deeper than the darkness itself, fluctuations in their aura, and a mutation had occurred in the Six Dusts.


    He¡­ harbored a killing intent!

 Chapter 678: Ten Thousand Demons (1)

    Chapter 678: Chapter 553 Ten Thousand Demons_1


    The gaunt old man suddenly felt a pang of inexplicable panic.


    But soon after, the panic dissipated without a trace, as if it were just a momentary illusion on his part.


    The old man set his heart at ease, feeling a sudden onset of fatigue, and considering that dusk had fallen and the morrow would undoubtedly require an exhausting round of intense thought and complication, he decided to squint his eyes and nap for a while.


    However, as he drifted between wakefulness and sleep, just as he was about to doze off, he suddenly felt hungry and couldn¡¯t help but take out several Fasting Pills from his storage bag and chew them¡­


    But Mo Hua, watching from the side, grew increasingly shocked.


    Because he could see clearly that what the gaunt old man was chewing on was not Fasting Pills, but his own fingers!


    He was chewing on his fingers, putting them into his own mouth!


    Blood was already dripping from the corners of his mouth.


    The bones were showing through on his chewed fingers.


    Meanwhile, the middle-aged cultivator was distracted, drawing a knife and placing it against his own neck.


    Young Master Yun took out his sword to stab at his own chest.


    It was the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    "Uncle wants to kill these three!¡±


    In his hurry, Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced as he recalled everything he had learned about ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± these past few days, and with a grave look, he swiftly made a few strokes, altering the Formation Patterns of the Warm Fire Formation on the ground.


    Once the Warm Fire Formation Pattern was altered, it immediately conflicted and self-destructed in an instant.


    With a ¡°boom,¡± the formation exploded, emitting a piercing sound.


    At the same time, flames soared, spreading a bright crimson glow in the darkness of the night, strikingly glaring and obstructing Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s line of sight, distracting him.


    It also broke his Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.


    Startled by the commotion, the three gaunt old men came to their senses, all appearing somewhat dazed.


    The gaunt old man felt a sharp pain in his hand and, upon glancing down, saw his fingers bloody and mangled, with stark white bones showing, causing a surge of panic in his heart.


    "What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡±


    He looked around, just in time to see the child across from him looking at them with slight urgency, his little mouth opening and closing, apparently saying something without making a sound, as if wary of something. ?????¦­§à?????????


    Despite the pain, the gaunt old man concentrated, furrowing his brow as he watched for a while, and then made out from the child¡¯s lip movements what he was saying.


    He was saying two words:


    "Leave quickly!¡±


    "Leave quickly!¡±


    Leave quickly?


    The gaunt old man was initially startled, then his eyes widened.


    He recognized him! S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This child was the Junior Formation Master from South Yue City!


    That is, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s little disciple!


    Now with an urgent look, he was silently signaling them¡­ to leave quickly?!


    A shiver ran through the gaunt old man¡¯s heart, and a chill surged up like a tide. He immediately thought of the Taoist hidden in the shadows upon entering the door.


    He wanted to turn his head to look, but forcibly restrained himself.


    A cultivated intuition from years of Calculation whispered that this person was insidious and must not be looked at!


    Instinctively, the gaunt old man reached for the Three Talents Divination Copper Coins in his storage bag, but upon touching them, he felt them scattered and fragmented, and upon closer examination, his pupils dilated in shock.


    Broken?!


    The Three Talents Divination Copper Coins¡­ completely shattered?!


    Had this life-and-death crisis been so severe that even the Three Talents Divination Copper Coins could not withstand it?


    "Leave quickly!¡±


    The gaunt old man, with trembling hands, firmly grabbed the middle-aged cultivator and Young Master Yun, still with undeclared terror in his eyes.


    Young Master Yun and the middle-aged cultivator, not understanding what was happening, just when they were about to ask, the gaunt old man shook his head at them.


    Startled, they realized that their behavior had been abnormal and that there was danger and eeriness in this dilapidated temple; thus, they solemnly nodded in agreement.


    Without delay, the three of them restrained their energy and hurriedly got up. Without making a sound, they discreetly left.


    Gui Tao¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but even after the three had left, no more peculiarities occurred; he merely glanced meaningfully at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua scratched his head and gave a sheepish smile, ¡°Uncle, I didn¡¯t master the formation well, it was a slip of the hand


    Gui Tao¡¯s face was indifferent, clearly not believing Mo Hua¡¯s nonsense.


    But he didn¡¯t say anything else and closed his eyes to continue his meditation.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately, Uncle was wary of him, using only the simplest and most superficial ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡±. The effect on Young Master Yun and the others was not deep.


    If he had used a more profound ¡°Devil Planting¡± technique, that would have been troublesome.


    Even if he wanted to save them, it would have been beyond his ability.


    Seeing that the three of them had walked far away, Mo Hua also felt relieved, but then he remembered what the old man had said¡­


    "Back Ruins Heaven Burial


    What place is Back Ruins?


    What does Heaven Burial mean?


    Does it relate to an enormous opportunity, some ancient secret, a legacy, a Cultivation Technique, or perhaps¡­


    A Formation?


    Mo Hua shook his head, puzzled.


    "Forget it, it¡¯s best not to aim too high


    His master had said that such opportunities involved vast karma, and a moment¡¯s carelessness could lead to fatal trouble; it was better for him not to know for now.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    He then looked down at the remains of the Warm Fire Formation with regret.


    The self-destruction of the formation had also meant the burning of his roasted sweet potatoes, potatoes, wild fruit, and even a big fish, all turned to charcoal¡­


    The big fish was almost ready, and he could already smell its fragrance. After cooking for so long, he didn¡¯t get a single bite¡­


    "My fish


    Mo Hua felt a little heartbroken and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    He then drew a new Warm Fire Formation and took out the remaining sweet potatoes from his storage bag, unbothered, and continued to roast them¡­


    ¡­


    The trio of gaunt old men left the broken temple in a hurry, disregarding the darkness of the night, and walked for two hours, stopping only when they were sufficiently far away.

 Chapter 679: Demon Among Thousands (2)

    Chapter 679: Chapter 553 Demon Among Thousands_2


    The emaciated elder¡¯s back was soaked in cold sweat.


    The middle-aged cultivator took a breath and asked, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Blood was still dripping from the elder¡¯s hand.


    He took out some medicinal powder, sprinkled it on his hand, and swallowed some pills. Only then did his complexion improve a bit.


    Recalling the events at the dilapidated temple still sent shivers down his spine. He turned to look at the two men and said in a trembling voice,


    "The Three Talents Divination Copper Coin shattered


    "The three of us¡­ nearly died


    Young Master Yun was startled.


    The middle-aged cultivator furrowed his brows and said, ¡°It can¡¯t be that sinister


    "Do you remember the child warming himself by the fire in the broken temple?¡±


    "The child warming himself by the fire?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator paused, his brows knitting together as he thought, then his expression changed as he remembered:


    "He¡­ He¡¯s the Junior Formation Master?!¡±


    Young Master Yun also remembered, his eyes lighting up, ¡°That¡¯s Brother Little Mo!¡±


    Then he muttered to himself, ¡°Strange¡­ why couldn¡¯t I remember before?¡±


    The emaciated elder sighed:


    "This child is very likely to be his disciple. Despite his young age, he is certainly extraordinary


    "In the broken temple, we were unwittingly afflicted by a heart demon


    "It was this child who made an unusual noise, waking us up.¡±


    "Later, it was also him who reminded us to ¡®run fast


    "Otherwise, this time, it would probably have been¡­ more bad luck than good


    ¡­


    The middle-aged cultivator was somewhat skeptical, ¡°What kind of danger was there in that broken temple?¡±


    The emaciated elder was also full of doubts.


    What was the danger?


    Why were they afflicted with a heart demon? sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Was it a trap set by that Taoist?


    Why were they completely unaware?


    The elder racked his brain and suddenly felt a jolt, recalling the Taoist sitting in the corner of the temple, hidden in the shadow, not clearly visible. £Ò?¦­????????¨§?


    A taboo title emerged in his mind.


    The emaciated elder trembled like a sieve.


    "It¡¯s


    "What is it?¡± the middle-aged cultivator asked curiously.


    The elder swallowed the words ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡± in his throat, only saying, ¡°That person¡­ is a Taoist


    "A Taoist?!¡±


    The Demon Sect¡¯s ¡°Taoist¡± is no ordinary individual.


    Every single one of them is indeed a truly vicious Demon Head!


    The middle-aged cultivator looked solemn, but inwardly he was still very curious, ¡°Exactly which Taoist is it?¡±


    The emaciated elder glanced at him coldly, ¡°If I speak his name, all three of us will die, and the death will surely be very ugly!¡±


    The scenes in the broken temple once again floated in his mind.


    The middle-aged cultivator attempted to commit suicide with his sword, Young Master Yun tried to kill himself with a sword, and the emaciated elder bit his own flesh¡­


    Just the thought of it made all three a bit pale.


    The middle-aged cultivator dared not ask any further.


    The emaciated elder frowned in thought, then suddenly as if struck by a revelation, he exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was taken aback, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The elder¡¯s emotions fluctuated as he quickly said, ¡°Do you remember, when we entered South Yue City and sensed the Corpse Qi over the hills, after my divination, what I said?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator thought for a while and then shook his head:


    "You rambled on and on, talking about gods and ghosts, you said so much, how could I remember which words you¡¯re referring to?¡±


    However, Young Master Yun seemed thoughtful, ¡°Senior Wen, are you talking about¡­ a good deed?¡±


    He vaguely remembered the elder¡¯s words:


    "These days, I occasionally feel a terrifying premonition


    "It seems like there is great terror ahead, extremely dangerous, with unpredictable life and death.¡±


    "Yet, if we can suppress the Corpse Mine, save the city of South Yue City, even the cultivators across the state boundary, perhaps we can accumulate a good deed. That might give us a glimmer of hope when facing a life or death situation


    The elder¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°Now it seems, this cause and effect, has manifested through this child!¡±


    "Had we not offered our help in South Yue City, calmed the chaos, and earned this good deed, not known this child


    "Then today, without this child¡¯s rescue


    "We would have died without a place to bury our bodies!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator and Young Master Yun were greatly shaken.


    The elder felt somewhat emotional, ¡°The workings of cause and effect, and good and evil, are like eating and drinking. Mr. Zhuang gave us a chance to choose then, and it was also a lifeline for us


    Mr. Zhuang¡­


    All three felt both wonder and complexity in their hearts.


    A moment later, Young Master Yun remembered something and suddenly said urgently,


    "If that Taoist is a Demon Head, then Brother Little Mo


    The elder shook his head and said with a bitter smile, ¡°Forget it, we can hardly protect ourselves, let alone think about saving that child


    Young Master Yun showed a look of shame.


    Then the elder comforted him:


    "Don¡¯t worry, he is Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple, he should be fine


    In the broken temple, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright and shiny, his little face flushed as he roasted fish and sweet potatoes, that scene reemerged in their minds.


    The elder sighed in his heart.


    He is indeed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple, with such a strong nature¡­


    To be traveling with a Demon Head like that Taoist and still have the leisure to roast things to eat¡­


    And even though they had offended that ¡°Taoist,¡± saving themselves, that ¡°Taoist¡± didn¡¯t get angry and even let them go¡­


    The elder found it somewhat incredulous.


    Their lineage, proficient in the divination of heavenly secrets, had long heard of that Taoist¡¯s notorious cruelty.


    That Taoist was never easy to deal with.


    He had never seen him be so ¡°tolerant,¡± or so ¡°indulgent¡± to anyone¡­


    The elder sighed, ¡°The righteous may have the protection of the heavens. We should¡­ just return from here.¡±

 Chapter 680: Ten Thousand Demons (3)

    Chapter 680: Chapter 553 Ten Thousand Demons_3


    Young Master Yun was still burdened with heavy worries.


    The middle-aged cultivator was startled, ¡°Go back? Back where?¡±


    The skinny elder said annoyedly, ¡°Go back the way we came!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was anxious, ¡°What about the opportunity? You don¡¯t want it anymore? After all the trouble we¡¯ve gone through


    The skinny elder sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? This matter is no longer within our reach


    "Or rather, it was never within our reach in the first place!¡±


    "We were just pawns sent to gather information, and now that the news has been sent back, naturally, those above us will plan the next move.¡±


    "The territory of Dali Mountain will sooner or later turn into a slaughterhouse.¡±


    "If we stay any longer, we really won¡¯t have a single path to life left!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator frowned, ¡°Because of Mystery Demon Ancestor?¡±


    The skinny elder sighed, ¡°Not only that


    He turned to glance at the dilapidated temple, his gaze covered with a layer of gloom and fear.


    "The presence of Taoists means that the real Demon Heads of the Demon Path are also coming


    Although the Demon Sect was suppressed by the Taoist Court and lay dormant for many years, its power was profound; it certainly wasn¡¯t limited to just one Feather Transformation Realm old demon like Mystery Demon Ancestor.


    All three of them understood this.


    Yet, faced with the opportunity, the middle-aged cultivator was still somewhat hesitant.


    The skinny elder snorted coldly, ¡°Whether you leave or not, I don¡¯t care, but I am leaving.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was taken aback, then frowned, ¡°How can you leave? We had an agreement, and I gave you a lot of Spirit Stones


    "I¡¯ll give the Spirit Stones back to you.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator wore a conflicted expression, struggling inwardly for a long time, before he finally sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m reluctant to part with the Spirit Stones ????£Â??


    "Forget it, let¡¯s go.¡±


    He knew that with the elder¡¯s divination, they had been able to turn danger into safety along the way.


    Without the elder, he wasn¡¯t sure he could make it out of Dali Mountain alive on his own.


    He didn¡¯t want the Spirit Stones either; he thought of it as establishing good karma.


    The middle-aged cultivator was somewhat dejected, ¡°I originally thought I could get an opportunity to change my fate, but now¡­ sigh, I might as well return to Qian State and be my disciplined Instructor


    He then followed behind the elder, heading back.


    After a few steps, the skinny elder suddenly stopped, turned to look at the dilapidated temple, and bowed deeply with a solemn expression, sincerely praying in his heart,


    "May the young friend turn danger into safety, and have an immeasurable path!¡±


    "If there is a chance one day, I must repay this life-saving grace!¡±


    Young Master Yun also bowed sincerely.


    The middle-aged cultivator sighed and, although somewhat reluctant, still reverently performed a bow.


    Afterward, the three of them gradually moved further away, leaving Dali Mountain and the place of controversy¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was just the opposite.


    He not only couldn¡¯t leave but had to follow Gui Tao¡¯s people step by step towards Li Mountain City, entering deeper into the bloody storm.


    After leaving the broken temple, it took another dozen of days before Mo Hua finally arrived in front of Li Mountain City.


    He was still tens of miles away from the city, and from a distance, he could see the sky-obscuring blood flags and the towering sea of blood.


    Just like the scene he had seen when he left Li Mountain City that day.


    "Master


    Mo Hua felt worried and turned to ask Gui Tao, ¡°Uncle, are we going to enter the city now?¡±


    Gui Tao looked impassive.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t surprised; he had grown accustomed to his Uncle¡¯s reticence, especially when it came to talking to him.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind.


    When you can¡¯t change another person, you have to learn to adapt to them.


    He had learned to somewhat understand what his Uncle wanted to say from his hollow and indifferent expression, and those pitch-dark eyes.


    Like now, Uncle¡¯s face was dark, and he looked displeased, which meant,


    "Not entering the city.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Not entering the city? Where are we going then?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s pitch-black eyes glanced at Mo Hua.


    "Into the mountains?¡± Mo Hua guessed.


    Gui Tao¡¯s expression paused.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°What are we doing in the mountains?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s pupils darkened, and his expression grew even darker.


    Mo Hua understood.


    Uncle wanted him to be silent.


    Mo Hua nodded obediently and quietly followed behind him without saying anything more.


    Indeed, Gui Tao led him into the mountains, to a cliff.


    This cliff was outside of Li Mountain City.


    The surrounding rocks were rugged, and the vegetation was withered.


    Mo Hua reviewed the Map and discovered that according to the markings on it, this place was called ¡°Dry Wood Cliff.¡±


    Although the surroundings were lush with green mountains and grass, this particular spot was barren of vegetation.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to investigate the surroundings and found that the energy here was isolated, as though it hid a sinister force, which was why the rocks were bare and devoid of life.


    "Why has Uncle brought me here?¡±


    Mo Hua turned to look at Gui Tao.


    Gui Tao paid him no mind but walked straight to the edge of the cliff.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Does Uncle intend to jump off the cliff?¡±


    He then saw Gui Tao step forward, the world turned upside down, and the mountains and rivers flipped.


    What was originally the ground beneath his feet suddenly twisted and floated in the sky, forming a massive Stone Palace with stern buildings and looming demon shadows. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was shocked, ¡°Is this an Illusion Array?¡±


    And it was almost indistinguishable from reality, surely a Second Grade, or perhaps a Third Grade Formation.


    Was this Illusion Array concealing a Demon Palace?


    Was this a lair for Demon Cultivators?


    Moreover, it seemed that the Demon Palace had been there for quite some time; it appeared that someone had established this Demon¡¯s Cave on Dry Wood Cliff outside the Five Elements Sect long ago.


    Gui Tao glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua realized that Uncle meant ¡°Follow me


    Mo Hua nodded obediently and followed Gui Tao up the stone steps and into the Demon Palace.

 Chapter 681: Endless Demons (4)

    Chapter 681: Chapter 553 Endless Demons_4


    Upon entering the Demon Palace, the stench of blood and an eerie gloom prevailed.


    Moreover, gusts of chilling air swept through repeatedly.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable, but what astonished him even more was the multitude of Demon Cultivators inside.


    These Demon Cultivators, with their hideous and malevolent appearance, were not only numerous but also possessed extremely high cultivation levels. Demonic Qi wrapped around them, clearly indicating that they practiced superior Demon Path Skills.


    The knowledge of these Demon Cultivators also seemed to be significantly higher.


    Some of the Demon Cultivators on the periphery, upon seeing Gui Tao¡¯s people, mostly showed disdain and even glared maliciously, taking the initiative to attack.


    However, the Demon Cultivators within the Demon Palace, when encountering Gui Tao¡¯s people, mostly appeared solemn and demonstrated fear, as if they could discern the identities of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people wore indifferent expressions, disregarding their gazes.


    Their gazes, whether filled with suspicion, probing, or indifference, all landed on Mo Hua¡­


    It seemed rather strange to them that Gui Tao would be accompanied by such a child with a low realm of cultivation, who did not practice Demon Skills, had an upright aura, and still wore an innocent face.


    Feeling the stares of numerous Demon Heads, Mo Hua felt a bit guilty.


    However, after thinking it over, he decided he couldn¡¯t lose face for his master and his ¡°Uncle,¡± so he forced himself to appear calm, raising his head and puffing out his chest, although he couldn¡¯t help but inch closer to Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    He felt that by Gui Tao¡¯s side, he might be safer.


    Gui Tao faced the gazes of the crowd and walked straight to the center of the great hall, finding a place to sit. Mo Hua stood by his side and asked in a low voice,


    "Uncle, what have we come here to do?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s expression was cold.


    Mo Hua stealthily stared at his face, observing for a long while, but could not decipher what he really wanted to say.


    He guessed that it was a long story and not easily explained in a moment, so perhaps Uncle preferred not to speak of it.


    However, Gui Tao¡¯s silence didn¡¯t stop other Demon Cultivators from whispering among themselves.


    Listening in secret, Mo Hua after a while finally grasped some key terms:


    Terms like Nether Ancestor, Demon Monarch, as well as Venerable, Ancestral Master, and then there was¡­


    The Ten Thousand Demons Gathering!


    "The Ten Thousand Demons Gathering?¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A shiver ran down Mo Hua¡¯s spine.


    A gathering of the old demons from the Demon Sect?


    Has Uncle come to the Demon Palace of Dry Wood Cliff to participate in the ¡°Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡±?


    With his mind stirring slightly and a trace of fear, Mo Hua said in a soft voice,


    "Uncle, is it really appropriate for me to join this ¡®Ten Thousand Demons Gathering?¡±


    I am a Serious Cultivator.


    Not a little demon.


    And only at the Qi Refinement stage.


    Participating in such a gathering, that doesn¡¯t suit my age, my realm, my identity as a great Demon Head, would it not be a bit impolite?


    Gui Tao¡¯s pupils darkened.


    Mo Hua immediately fell silent.


    Yet in his heart, he couldn¡¯t stop pondering:


    "This Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡­ what is its purpose?¡±


    "Could it be targeting my master?¡±


    "Who among the Demon Cultivators will attend? At least those with a Golden Core? Will Xuan Sanren, who¡¯s at the Feather Transformation Realm, also come?¡± ??????????????§§????


    "Could there be even more formidable Demon Heads?¡±


    "Gui Tao¡­ ¡®Uncle,¡¯ what is his intention in joining this Ten Thousand Demons Gathering?¡±


    "Does he plan to use the ¡®Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡¯ to join forces with some scattered cultivators, some Venerables, or perhaps some old Demon Ancestors, in order to confront the Taoist Court, plot against my master, and seize that supposed ¡®tremendous fortune¡¯?¡±


    "Could he possibly¡­ kill my master?¡±


    As these thoughts troubled Mo Hua, he felt increasingly worried¡­


    Inside the Demon Palace, the atmosphere was heavy, bloddied, and oppressive.


    Bones served as rafters, and human skin as paintings.


    As time passed, more and more Demon Heads entered the Demon Palace, and the air within became ever more solemn¡­


    Mo Hua gradually shifted from being tense and apprehensive to numb and lethargic.


    Finally, he leaned against Gui Tao¡¯s stone chair, standing and dozing off.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, a chilling wind blew by, causing Mo Hua to shudder awake, his sleepiness vanishing in an instant.


    At this very moment, within the Demon Palace, many ¡°people¡± were already seated.


    To call them ¡°people,¡± yet not quite resembling humans.


    Some were half-corpse, half-demon, some like beasts, like monsters.


    Even those who looked human, upon closer inspection seemed not human at all.


    Some had pallid complexions, like the dead; some had beautiful features with bright red lips and teeth; some were fat with snakes entwined around them; others were emaciated with demonic patterns inscribed on their backs¡­


    The entire Demon Palace was gloomy and solemn; so quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    Deadly silent.


    "Has the Ten Thousand Demons Gathering begun?¡±


    A chill grew in Mo Hua¡¯s heart as he saw that several figures had slowly emerged upon the towering white bone seats that held terrifying energy.


    These several figures emitted an extremely fearsome aura.


    Deep as abysses, vast as seas.


    Merely a fraction of their aura released was suffocating for Mo Hua, making it difficult for him to breathe.


    Among these figures, Mo Hua recognized one very well¡ªit was none other than Xuan Sanren, who wielded the Blood Cloth Banner and the Hanging Demon Sword, sealed off Li Mountain City with a vast sea of blood, and trapped his master in the Five Elements Sect¡ªthe Mystery Demon Ancestor!


    A coldness emerged in Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and his gaze intensified.


    Could it be that those few seated on the bone thrones, capable of sitting on an equal footing with Xuan Sanren, were all Demon Ancestors at the Feather Transformation Realm?!

 Chapter 682: Begin Killing (1)

    Chapter 682: Chapter 554: Begin Killing_1


    Feather Transformation Realm¡­


    Mo Hua silently counted on his fingers:


    Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Feather Transformation¡­


    He himself was a full three major realms away from the Feather Transformation Realm, and these three realms were like a chasm¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    In what year and month could he possibly cultivate to such a realm?


    And with his Spiritual Root, could he really cultivate to Feather Transformation¡­


    Mo Hua sighed again, feeling somewhat powerless.


    At this moment, atop the bone-white throne with fang-like protrusions, several figures had fully revealed themselves.


    One was a black-robed individual with white hair but a youthful face, with an ominous appearance¡ªa Demon Cultivator, known as Xuan Sanren, the ¡°Mystery Demon Ancestor.¡±


    Besides him, there were three Featherization Old Demons.


    An old man with purple-green lips known as ¡°Poison Venerable¡±;


    A tall and dark Monster Cultivator as burly as a black bear, called the ¡°Black Arhat¡±;


    And a heavily made-up woman who, despite her beauty, had layered on too much makeup, greasy and slick, named ¡°Madam Miao.¡±


    Poison Venerable, Black Arhat, Madam Miao¡­


    Mo Hua had overheard these names before.


    Initially, he didn¡¯t know who they were, guessing they might be monikers of some great Demon Cultivators. But now, seeing these three Feather Transformation Realm Demon Heads and their appearances, he matched the names to their faces.


    Including Xuan Sanren, that made four great Feather Transformation Realm beings.


    On top of that, within this entire Demon Palace, there were hundreds of Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled slightly.


    Such power of the Demon Path could destroy an entire state boundary¡­


    Not to mention the Third-Grade Dali Mountain State Boundary, even a Fourth-Grade state boundary, if attacked by these Demon Cultivators, would likely face a calamity.


    And these Demon Heads, gathering here for the ¡°Ten Thousand Demons Gathering,¡± their objective was¡­ his master?


    Mo Hua felt a surge of nervousness, and he clenched his fists tightly.


    Above the bone-white throne, Xuan Sanren got straight to the point,


    "I have locked the Heavenly Secrets of this place with the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal, but the cause and effect have still leaked out. Now, all factions from the Taoist Court have gathered around Dali Mountain. A major battle is about to erupt at any moment, which is why I called the ¡®Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡¯, to invite fellow cultivators to convene at Dry Wood Cliff, to discuss this matter ?¨¤?????????¨º?


    "Black Arhat¡± sneered, ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss? Kill them one by one as they come


    He licked his lips, his tongue bright red, with barbs like those of Monster Beasts, his gaze fierce and greedy.


    "It¡¯s been hundreds of years since I¡¯ve had my fill of eating humans


    Poison Venerable mockingly said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat everything, watch out you don¡¯t break your teeth.¡±


    Black Arhat grinned, showing his ghastly fangs, ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ve been eating humans for six hundred years, and these two teeth have never once been damaged.¡±


    Poison Venerable¡¯s expression was indifferent, betraying neither joy nor anger:


    "From the Taoist Court¡¯s side, there are Feather Transformation Realm Cultivators coming this time.¡±


    "Did you get the news?¡±


    Poison Venerable remained silent.


    Black Arhat thus understood.


    The Poison Venerable, no, the Myriad Poison Gate must have spies within the Taoist Court.


    Such inside information was surely not to be disclosed openly.


    Black Arhat then asked, ¡°The Feathered Immortals from the Taoist Court? Who are they?¡±


    Poison Venerable was somewhat displeased, but he did not conceal it, ¡°Not to mention the others, at least that woman from the Bai Family is sure to come


    "That woman from the Bai Family?¡±


    "Bai Qiancheng?¡±


    Madam Miao was startled upon hearing this, her heavily made-up face betraying both envy and hate.


    Black Arhat¡¯s eyes gleamed ferociously, ¡°It is said the Feathered Immortal from the Bai Family lives up to her name with skin like jade and a beauty that can topple kingdoms and cities. I wonder if it¡¯s true?¡±


    Mo Hua was also taken aback upon hearing this.


    Bai Family¡¯s Bai Qiancheng? A beauty that can topple kingdoms and cities?


    Feathered Immortal?


    Does she have any relation to his junior sister?


    Poison Venerable sneered, ¡°Put away those crooked thoughts. Unless you want to die, don¡¯t even think of touching her.¡±


    Black Arhat said, ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    "She¡¯s a Bai


    Black Arhat scoffed, ¡°So she¡¯s a Bai, what of it? How could the Noble Clans of the Taoist Court interfere with the actions of our Demon Path?¡±


    Poison Venerable glanced at him indifferently, ¡°Your life is your own. I just wanted to remind you. If you¡¯re not afraid of the Bai Family, feel free to make your move.¡±


    Black Arhat retracted his ferocious look, chuckling sinisterly, ¡°The greater good is more important; naturally, I wouldn¡¯t make trouble at this time.¡±


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but drool inwardly.


    He wondered, would the flesh of such a beautiful woman taste more tender¡­


    Madam Miao¡¯s expression changed as she asked Xuan Sanren: S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How do you know for sure that she will come?¡±


    Xuan Sanren said, ¡°That Mr. Zhuang bears the Heavenly Secret, finding himself in dire straits, and as they come from the same sect, whether for emotional reasons or self-interest, she will certainly come.¡±


    "The same sect


    Mo Hua glanced covertly at Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    If they were from the same sect, that would be his master¡¯s junior sister and Gui Tao¡¯s person, which meant his own uncle¡­


    So it turned out that not only did he have a Demon Head as an uncle, but he also had a Feather Transformation Realm uncle?


    If his uncle was in the Feather Transformation Realm, then as his master, Gui Tao should be at least at the Feather Transformation Realm, right?


    So, what realm would his own master be in then¡­


    Mo Hua pondered silently, somewhat shocked.


    While Gui Tao continued to rest with eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to his own ¡°junior sister.¡±


    After Madam Miao heard Xuan Sanren¡¯s words, she seemed both secretly pleased and resentful, her gaze harboring a hint of venomous spite.


    She seemed tormented by some deep grudge.


    Poison Venerable¡¯s gaze sharpened as he brought up a serious matter, ¡°The Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation hasn¡¯t been broken yet?¡±


    Xuan Sanren shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    Black Arhat was astonished, ¡°Just a Second-Grade Formation, and it¡¯s this difficult to breach?¡±

 Chapter 683: Start Killing (2)

    Chapter 683: Chapter 554 Start Killing_2


    Xuan Sanren, who was proficient in arrays, and Poison Venerable, who had a slight understanding of arrays, both looked at the Black Bear Demon Cultivator with disdain.


    "This is a Second Grade Large Formation


    Xuan Sanren said impatiently, ¡°A Large Formation is fundamentally different from ordinary formations. Moreover, this is the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, originating from the forebears of the Five Elements Sect


    "What¡¯s more important is that, at this moment, the person presiding over the formation is surnamed Zhuang!¡±


    With a solemn expression, Xuan Sanren continued, ¡°In the entire Cultivation World, there are few who have the confidence to break his formations in his presence


    Black Arhat was stunned; as a demon cultivator, he usually only cared about ¡°killing¡± and ¡°eating,¡± understanding nothing about arrays, but at that moment, ridiculed by Xuan Sanren, he didn¡¯t want to lose face and thus spoke in a cold voice,


    "No matter how powerful, it is still just Second Grade


    Poison Venerable laughed out loud, his voice harsh, like a night owl.


    He pointed at the sky, ¡°This is a Third-Grade State Boundary. The limits of Heavenly Dao are strict. Even if it¡¯s a Golden Core, a Second Grade Large Formation is indestructible. A Golden Core Cultivator alone would find it hard to break through unless


    Looking at Black Arhat with a mocking tone, Poison Venerable said, ¡°You¡¯re willing to trade one for one with the formation, using the power of Feather Transformation to break the formation and then be annihilated by the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    "To sacrifice oneself for the Dao, to show loyalty to the Demon Monarch, would also be a death well met


    Black Arhat¡¯s face darkened further, and he snorted coldly without speaking.


    He was not a fool to risk his life for a Second Grade Large Formation.


    But he still had doubts, frowning as he spoke,


    "The thing about being annihilated by Heavenly Dao, is it true or false?¡±


    Clearly skeptical, Black Arhat queried, ¡°If I use the Cultivation of the Feather Transformation Realm, will there really be a Heavenly Dao to annihilate me?¡±


    Poison Venerable looked at him with disdain and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and see?¡±


    Anger surged in Black Arhat.


    Xuan Sanren merely sneered coldly.


    On the contrary, Madam Miao frowned, ¡°Annihilation by Heavenly Dao has only been seen in Taoist records and spoken of by cultivators. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone experiencing it personally


    Xuan Sanren responded somewhat speechlessly, ¡°Is there a possibility that those who have experienced it in person have all been annihilated Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Below them, Mo Hua slightly shook his head.


    "Not all


    "I wasn¡¯t annihilated!¡±


    It was just that, in his case, it was a twist of fate. The Great Formation Dissolution had triggered the restrictions of Heavenly Dao, but with his low Cultivation, the tribulation thunder merely ¡°hesitated¡± for a moment, not truly attempting to kill him, thus leaving him with his ¡°little life ?????????£Ï¦Â??


    Mo Hua reflected in his heart:


    Annihilation by Heavenly Dao has always been taboo.


    Most cultivators follow this rule, but might not truly understand the terrifying nature of it.


    Just like the foolish Black Arhat and the delicate-looking Madam Miao, who after hearing Xuan Sanren¡¯s words, were still somewhat dubious.


    It seemed they did not truly believe in the existence of the so-called Heavenly Dao¡­


    However, they didn¡¯t seem to dwell on this matter.


    After a moment, they went back to the matter at hand, discussing the affairs of the Taoist Court¡­


    "What about the cultivators of the Taoist Court?¡± Xuan Sanren asked.


    "What else can be done?¡± Black Arhat scoffed coldly, ¡°The Demon Sect¡¯s actions have always been straightforward, it¡¯s all about one word: ¡®kill¡¯!¡±


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze grew colder, ¡°What I meant was, how exactly do we kill?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Poison Venerable said, ¡°Let them into the Soul Refining Banner, seal the Heavenly secret, set up the Blood Sha Great Formation, open the Demon Sword Evil Eye, and then we can all join forces, wiping them out completely!¡±


    "Aren¡¯t they too stupid to do that?¡±


    "Stupid or not depends on whether the stake is high enough.¡±


    "As long as the benefit is large enough, even the shrewdest of people will be foolish.¡±


    "With Mr. Zhuang inside the Large Formation, as long as you dare to unfurl the banner, they will inevitably dare to rush in at all costs.¡±


    "Compared to the chance for immortality, what¡¯s a few people¡¯s death¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡­


    "What about the Feathered Immortals of the Taoist Court?¡± Xuan Sanren pursued.


    Poison Venerable replied, ¡°Due to the limits of Heavenly Dao, the Feathered Immortals from the Taoist Court, like you and me, dare not use their full power. Thus, the main force of this battle will still be the Golden Cores


    "Feathered Immortals, who don¡¯t use the power of Feather Transformation, are only a bit stronger than Golden Cores


    His eyes swept across the room, and a cold smile emerged on his lips, ¡°This Demon Palace is gathered with hundreds of Golden Core Demon Cultivators, practicing orthodox demon skills, refining top-notch evil techniques. With Evil Treasures in hand, they all have blood on their hands, killing like it¡¯s nothing. They are far from comparable to those pampered cultivators from the Taoist Court who live in high positions of comfort.¡±


    "Golden Core Demon Cultivators, formed into Demon Soldiers, will surely wreak havoc in all directions! Making the Taoist Court greatly weakened!¡±


    "We will surely, for the Demon Monarch, seize that transcendent fate buried in the Back Ruins!¡±


    All four Feather Transformation Demon Heads had fanatical looks in their eyes.


    But within those gazes, personal greed began to surge.


    "When will the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation be broken?¡± Poison Venerable asked.


    Xuan Sanren shook his head, ¡°It can¡¯t be broken, we can only wear it down.¡±


    "Wear down?¡±


    Xuan Sanren nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes, that man¡¯s mastery of array is exceptional. With him at the helm of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, it can¡¯t be broken. We can only think of ways to exhaust it


    "Deplete the Spirit Stones, wear away his life force.¡±


    "His oil spent and his lamp extinguished, his days numbered, keep wearing him down, and the Five Elements Formation will inevitably falter


    "Once the Large Formation is broken, with demons surrounding the mountain, no matter how extraordinary and unrivaled he may be, he will ultimately fall into our hands.¡±


    Poison Venerable nodded slightly.


    "That¡¯s indeed an approach


    Everyone fell silent for a moment, when the Black Arhat mockingly said, ¡°That being said, this man really is abandoned by all; the Demon Sect wants to kill him, and the Taoist Court won¡¯t let him off either


    "It seems that in this world, not a single person wants to save him.¡±


    Poison Venerable sneered, ¡°He was too prominent back in the day, offended too many people, and now bears such great fortune that everyone is envious. Now that he¡¯s cornered, who would think of saving him?¡±

 Chapter 684: Start Killing (3)

    Chapter 684: Chapter 554 Start Killing_3


    Mo Hua was quite displeased to hear that.


    After Poison Venerable spoke, he suddenly seemed to recall something, with an insinuating tone, said:


    "It is said that this person also has a senior brother, who not only broke with him but also betrayed their Sect, surrendered to the Demon Path, and was even titled as, ¡®Taoist¡¯ by our Demon Sect


    "Becoming the only ¡®Demon Cultivator¡¯ in our Demon Sect, who was titled ¡®Taoist¡¯ without reaching Heaven Void!¡±


    Poison Venerable¡¯s cold gaze swept towards his subordinates, landing on Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    This look was filled with disdain.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze, following Poison Venerable¡¯s, turned to Gui Tao¡¯s people, and onto the small figure of Mo Hua behind them.


    Watched by four Feather Transformation ancestors and a host of Golden Core Demon Cultivators, eyes brimming with predation.


    The pressure was too great for Mo Hua, who couldn¡¯t help but hide a bit more behind his ¡°Uncle.¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people, with pupils dark as pitch and an indifferent demeanor, acted as if no one else was present. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The four Feather Transformation beings¡¯ gazes were icy cold.


    The Taoist title contained the character ¡°Dao¡± and was, apart from the ruler beneath the Demon Ancestor and outside the Demon Monarch, the most supreme and transcendent title in the Demon Sect.


    Ordinary Demon Cultivators only knew of it but did not understand why.


    They couldn¡¯t comprehend the weight behind the two characters ¡°Taoist.¡±


    But these four, having reached the Feather Transformation Realm, were all too clear.


    These two characters were something they could aspire to but never attain.


    Yet now, a mere Righteous Dao cultivator, one who betrayed his Sect, forgot his roots, deviated to the Demon Path halfway, and whose realm was barely at the Feather Transformation stage, could be titled ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s person?!¡±


    They had long harbored dissatisfaction in their hearts.


    Black Arhat scoffed, ¡°So it seems that person was at least once your junior brother. Do you truly, not spare a little sentiment?¡±


    Madam Miao covered her mouth, giggling, ¡°So ruthless, no wonder the Righteous Dao couldn¡¯t bear you and you had to become a Demon Head.¡±


    Her eyes shifted slightly and spotted Mo Hua hiding behind Gui Tao¡¯s people. Her eyes brightened, and she quietly praised in her heart:


    "This youngster does look quite handsome¡±


    "Most importantly, his eyes are clear and his demeanor is gentle, a raw jade, not even trained in Demon Skills and untainted by the slightest filth. Raising him by my side until he¡¯s older and then Replenishing from him would surely be a unique delight ?§Ñ?¦Ï????§¦?


    Madam Miao¡¯s heart stirred with desire, but her expression remained cold as she scornfully said:


    "This is the ¡®Ten Thousand Demons Gathering.¡¯ Those present are either Demon Ancestors or great Demon Cultivators who strike fear in all directions. Although you hold the title ¡®Taoist,¡¯ bringing with you such a little cultivator, untrained in Demon Skills, to attend this Ten Thousand Demons Gathering, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re taking us too lightly?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person remained stiffly seated, not uttering a word.


    Even Xuan Sanren now frowned and sneered, ¡°Just a Demon Seed avatar, but quite pompous


    If Gui Tao himself were present, Xuan Sanren might have shown some respect.


    He might have even treated him as a distinguished guest, sitting side by side with the Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors at the Bone Throne, above all others in the Demon Sect.


    But now, he was just a puppet parasitized by a Demon Seed!


    And still so dismissive?


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s gaze remained empty, devoid of any emotion.


    Mo Hua wanted to speak for him, ¡°Uncle means he doesn¡¯t want to bother with you


    But he felt it was inappropriate to speak out of turn in such a situation, so he silently swallowed his words.


    The atmosphere at the scene became somewhat tense.


    Just when Mo Hua was worried about whether they would actually make a move against ¡°Uncle,¡± the elder Poison Venerable with greenish lips stepped in to smooth things over:


    "Enough. Since we¡¯ve joined the Demon Gate, we¡¯re all part of the same alliance


    "Our current enemy is the Taoist Court, our goal is that Mr. Zhuang; it¡¯s not suitable to fall out at this time


    The atmosphere in the hall finally eased slightly.


    Mo Hua secretly curled his lip.


    This old man must be a crafty fox.


    He was the one who started the provocation, and he also became the peacemaker in the end.


    Being elderly and of high status, Poison Venerable¡¯s words seemed to carry weight. The surrounding Demon Cultivators withdrew their attention from Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Yet the mood remained somewhat delicate.


    Black Arhat¡¯s eyes bore ill intent towards Gui Tao¡¯s people, Xuan Sanren looked displeased, and although Madam Miao wasn¡¯t looking at Gui Tao¡¯s people, her gaze lingered on Mo Hua¡ªwith greed and pity intermingling, her mind evidently scheming¡­


    With everything that needed to be said already spoken and the plans arranged,


    Poison Venerable said:


    "This Ten Thousand Demons Gathering is hereby concluded. I hope everyone will work together with one heart, loyal to the Demon Ancestor, faithful to our Demon Monarch, for the prosperity of our Demon Path, to strive until the end!¡±


    "For the prosperity of our Demon Path!¡±


    "To strive until the end!¡±


    The Demon Cultivators present shouted in unison, and then they all stood up to pay their respects.


    Their salute was strange, seemingly forming a spell of the Demon Path with their hands, the meaning of which was unclear.


    Mo Hua neither could learn it nor bothered to.


    Having saluted, the crowd prepared to disperse.


    But just as someone approached the door, their expression changed. Gradually more and more Golden Core Demon Cultivators showed signs of shock and began whispering.


    Poison Venerable frowned, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Xuan Sanren released his Divine Sense to investigate for a moment, then looked startled. ¡°The Ten Thousand Demons Hall has been sealed by a Formation?!¡±


    A Formation sealing the exit? Are we trapped?


    The Demon Cultivators in attendance all changed color.


    At that moment, a Monster cultivator went mad all of a sudden, unsheathing his blade to split a Demon Cultivator elder beside him in two, then, beyond all reason, started to slash with bloodthirsty ferocity¡­


    An unexpected change occurred, sending the assembly into an uproar, not knowing what had happened.


    The four Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors looked at each other, then after a moment as if coming to a realization, frowned and turned their gaze towards Gui Tao¡¯s person.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person still sat rigidly.


    But his pupils were pitch black!


    Standing behind him, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth in disbelief:


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart


    "Is Uncle¡­ starting a massacre behind closed doors?¡±

 Chapter 685: Are You Worthy? (1)

    Chapter 685: Chapter 555 Are You Worthy?_1


    It wasn¡¯t just about killing¡­


    It was about striking with ferocity, sealing the hall with a Formation, committing a massacre!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart was shaken.


    Worthy of being my Uncle.


    Then his eyes brightened, and his heart swelled with joy.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    Uncle had once again, right before his very eyes, executed the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    And this time, it was the real thing¡ªa large-scale, merciless, and unrestrained Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    Mo Hua watched the Golden Core Demon Cultivators who were planted with Demon Thought descend into madness, losing control over themselves, while observing the techniques of Gui Tao¡¯s people executing the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, he couldn¡¯t help but praise with satisfaction:


    "Uncle is truly generous!¡±


    On the other hand, the four Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors of the scattered cultivators, Xuan Sanren, all had expressions of angry indignation.


    "Such audacity!¡±


    "To commit such blatant slaughter of our kin!¡±


    "Arrogance!¡±


    But that¡¯s all they said¡ªdespite their words, there was a bit of dread in their hearts regarding the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, and they didn¡¯t act rashly.


    The chaos underneath them was still escalating.


    Golden Core Demon Cultivators inexplicably fell into a frenzy of battle¡ªsome were furiously angry, some terrified, and some revealed blood-thirsty smiles. ?????N¨°B§¦?


    The demonic nature of everyone was being stirred up.


    For the moment, it was impossible to tell who had been planted with a Demon, and who had not.


    Demon Path Magical Treasures soared through the air, Blood Qi and Demonic Qi intertwined, and the skull spirits howled hideously in agony.


    Inside the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, a true pandemonium began.


    Some Demon Cultivators with a shred of sanity left attempted to flee. They exerted all their strength, employing their Magical Treasures, attacking the gates, the surrounding stone walls, trying to break an opening to escape out of there.


    But as soon as Magical Treasures and Demonic Qi came into contact with the Stone Palace, they disappeared as if sinking into a deep sea, dissipated one after another.


    When they dissipated, pitch-black and eerie Formation Patterns became visible.


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze trembled as he exclaimed:


    "Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation?!¡±


    The Poison Venerable¡¯s complexion didn¡¯t look too good, and even Black Arhat and Madam Miao beside him had grave expressions on their faces.


    "When exactly did he set it up?¡±


    "And we were completely oblivious


    Poison Venerable asked, ¡°Can this Formation be broken?¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xuan Sanren shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to break.¡±


    He glanced up at the surroundings of the Demon Palace and said gravely: ¡°Don¡¯t forget, he is Mr. Zhuang¡¯s older fellow disciple


    "Both take one positive and one weird approach and are among the few Great Formation Masters in the Cultivation World.¡±


    "Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Formation skills are shocking and extraordinary.¡±


    "As Gui Tao¡¯s older fellow disciple, even if not as outstanding as Mr. Zhuang, the difference is not much, and in some aspects, he might even be stronger


    "It¡¯s just that


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze became slightly more concentrated, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that just a mere Demon Seed incarnation could set up such a Formation without making a whisper or shadow


    Xuan Sanren thought to himself in silence.


    Black Arhat let out a sinister laugh, ¡°If the Formation isn¡¯t easy to break, then kill the person who set it up


    Before the sound of his voice faded, Black Arhat suddenly struck, blood flowing from his palm congealing into a massive Black Blood Skeleton, drenched with the stench of blood and foulness.


    With a wave of his hand, the Black Blood Skeleton opened its terrifying maw and viciously attempted to devour Gui Tao.


    This blood shadow of a skeleton was incredibly fast.


    Gui Tao seemed oblivious, sitting emaciated in his original spot, allowing the skeleton to engulf him.


    Mo Hua was also swallowed by the great maw of the skeleton in the process.


    After a moment, the blood shadow of the skeleton dissipated.


    Mo Hua was left unharmed.


    He blinked, slightly stunned.


    He had been observing his Uncle¡¯s technique of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, not knowing what happened when suddenly, a skeleton swooped towards him. Before he could even fear, the skeleton vanished, and it seemed some Formation Patterns protected him, thus he was unscathed.


    Mo Hua looked at the dark and complex Patterns around him that were in harmony with Gui Tao, his heart shaken.


    "This is¡­ Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation


    "It¡¯s Uncle¡¯s Formation


    Different from the Five Elements Formation and other Spiritual Power-type Formations.


    Mo Hua pondered in his heart, then suddenly startled as he realized he couldn¡¯t move.


    The Gui Tao Patterns protected him, but at the same time, trapped him.


    Though he was inside the Formation, he felt as if he was isolated outside of it.


    Unless the Formation was broken, he couldn¡¯t leave.


    Yet, so long as the Formation wasn¡¯t broken, he wouldn¡¯t be harmed.


    "Is this¡­ Uncle¡¯s doing?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but look at Gui Tao again, only to discover that all that remained in Gui Tao¡¯s seat was a skeleton.


    As if it had been stripped of flesh and blood by that skeleton blood shadow.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    "Is Uncle dead?¡±


    He then silently shook his head.


    Having traveled together with his Uncle, he was very familiar with his Uncle¡¯s aura.


    Uncle¡¯s flesh was gone, but that peculiar aura remained, and moreover¡­ it was slowly spreading, gradually intensifying, and filling every corner of the Demon Palace¡­


    As for Black Arhat, upon seeing ¡°Gui Tao¡± turned into a skeleton by his own attack, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a cold laugh. However, he barely laughed twice before he couldn¡¯t laugh anymore.


    He too, realized that Gui Tao was dead, yet not dead.


    He had killed that physical body, eliminated the flesh and blood, turning it into a skeleton.


    But that action seemed to have released something from the flesh, spreading bit by bit throughout the Demon Palace.


    It was like a plague of Divine Thought.


    This pathogen had originally been contained within that Taoist flesh.


    Now that the flesh had been destroyed by him, the plague began to spread¡­


    Black Arhat muttered to himself in shock:


    "What the hell is this Gui Tao?!¡±


    The expressions of the four venerable Feather Transformation ancestors also grew more and more solemn.


    Because inside the Demon Palace, the bizarre and frenzied aura intensified violently following Gui Tao¡¯s ¡°death


    All Golden Core Demon Cultivators were plunged into an endless slaughterfest against each other.

 Chapter 686: Worthy? (2)

    Chapter 686: Chapter 555: Worthy?_2


    The Demon Palace was like purgatory.


    The Demon Cultivators were like evil ghosts.


    Human faces were like drawing paper, on which ferocity, terror, cruelty, bloodthirst, greed¡­ all sorts of expressions, like thick and splattered ink, painted a ghostly scroll of purgatory.


    In the midst of cruelty, there was a kind of special, Gui Tao¡¯s flavor.


    It sent a shiver down one¡¯s spine.


    This strange madness, along with the demonic slaughter, left the four Feather Transformation Ancestors at a loss for how to intervene¡­


    And when the clamor ended, and the dust settled,


    This depiction of a demonic purgatory was finally completed.


    All dead!


    Hundreds of Golden Core Demon Cultivators, without a single survivor, all died tragically!


    Anger was written on the faces of the four Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors.


    Poison Venerable said with a quivering voice, ¡°Good! Very good!¡±


    He sneered harshly, ¡°True to the name of the newly advanced ¡®Taoist,¡¯ you kill your own kind without cause, with such sinister and ruthless methods! It really proves the saying, ¡®Those not of my way are surely of different minds!


    "I¡¯d like to see how he explains himself to the Demon Monarch!¡±


    But Xuan Sanren frowned, ¡°Could this person from Gui Tao really have gone mad, killing so many Golden Cores? What exactly for?¡±


    A fierce light flashed in Black Arhat¡¯s eyes, ¡°Does he intend¡­ to monopolize that opportunity?!¡±


    Madam Miao sneered, ¡°Quite an appetite


    As the four spoke, they suddenly paused.


    They noticed that the atmosphere inside the Demon Palace had suddenly become even colder. The Golden Core Cultivators were all dead, but that pervasive, eerie feeling had grown even stronger.


    The four wore solemn expressions and remained silent.


    Moments later, in the silent Demon Palace, rustling sounds emerged.


    A cold wind blew suddenly.


    One after another, these slain Golden Cores twisted and slowly stood up.


    They were mutilated and drenched in blood, but without exception, their pupils had turned pitch-black and hollow.


    One ¡°person from Gui Tao¡± was dead.


    But hundreds of people from Gui Tao stood up¡­


    The Golden Core Demon Cultivators in this Demon Palace, dead and then ¡°reborn,¡± had all become people from Gui Tao!


    They gazed at the Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors atop the bone thrones with dark and ghastly eyes.


    All four Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors felt a chill.


    An unbelievable suspicion arose in their minds¡­


    This person from Gui Tao, not satisfied with killing hundreds of Golden Cores, couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­ planning to kill even the four of them, the Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors, right?! ????a?¦¯?¨§????


    This¡­ was no longer described as presumptuous.


    It was simply¡­ audacious to the extreme!


    Black Arhat laughed in extreme anger, ¡°You want to kill me? Fine! Then let me see just how you, this person from Gui Tao hiding your head and showing your tail, a parasite, plan to kill me?¡±


    But Poison Venerable¡¯s gaze was elusive, his heart chilled.


    No, it¡¯s possible¡­


    Being of Feather Transformation was revered, with few precedents of dying at the hands of Golden Cores. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because there weren¡¯t that many Golden Cores.


    Nor did they have the guts.


    But in reality, once there were enough Golden Cores, and they were willing to sacrifice their lives, even Feather Transformation Cultivators, when besieged, could be in danger of falling.


    What¡¯s more, this was within the Third-Grade State Boundary.


    They, as Feather Transformation Cultivators, were not allowed to use the power of Feather Transformation.


    To manipulate Golden Cores, to besiege Feather Transformation!


    This seemed impossible, but was indeed, a set-up for slaughter.


    Only they had never imagined¡­


    They had believed the enemy to be the Taoist Court, to be Mr. Zhuang, but they had never expected that the real threat would come from this person from Gui Tao!


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation blocked the escape route.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart controlled the Golden Cores.


    Using Golden Cores, to besiege Feather Transformation!


    Herding wolves, to devour a fierce tiger!


    The more Poison Venerable thought about it, the colder his heart felt.


    They were calculated against!


    Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to gather so many Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    Nor would the four great Feather Transformation Ancestors normally come together.


    Yet at this very moment, all the conditions were met.


    So while this seemed audacious, in reality, it was extremely meticulous and sinister, catching them completely off guard!


    "As expected of¡­ a person from Gui Tao


    Poison Venerable internally reflected.


    Xuan Sanren asked, ¡°Venerable, what should we do now?¡±


    Poison Venerable glanced at the surrounding Golden Core Demon Cultivators, controlled by Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, eager to devour someone, and sighed, ¡°We are all from the Demon Path, part of the same alliance. I am reluctant to strike them down; the best course of action is to try and forcibly break through Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, to escape the Demon Palace. We can plan our next steps afterwards


    Xuan Sanren agreed, ¡°The Venerable speaks sense.¡±


    Thereafter, the four executed their various methods, intending to forcibly break through Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation.


    Black Arhat still used black blood, condensing into skeletons;


    Madam Miao¡¯s tool was a delicately flesh-colored and exquisite Beauty Fan;


    Xuan Sanren wielded a Demon Sword;


    And Poison Venerable utilized a dark earthen jar-shaped Snake Gu, from which Evil Power in the form of venomous snakes spread out, gnawing at the Formation.


    The large Demon Palace, with mottled and neglected stone walls, was instantly riddled with holes.


    Exposed beneath were numerous, eerily black-gray Formation Patterns.


    These Patterns, like living creatures, would regenerate and differentiate themselves after destruction, naturally evolving to maintain the operation of the Formation¡­


    "Impossible¡­ it can¡¯t be broken through?¡±


    The four Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors furrowed their brows.


    Only then did they realize how tricky the Formation of the person from Gui Tao was¡­


    But Mo Hua¡¯s heart was greatly shaken.


    This Formation!


    It was not an ordinary Formation!


    Other Cultivators might not understand, and even high-grade Formation Masters, limited by their knowledge, might not grasp its intricacies.


    But Mo Hua was different.


    He was a disciple of Mr. Zhuang, and also a disciple-in-law of the person from Gui Tao.


    His understanding of Formations had been taught by Mr. Zhuang.


    He had studied the Calculation Method, and had even received the teaching of the Calculation Method from the legacy of the Five Elements Sect, so he was well-versed in it.


    He could tell that this Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation was no ordinary Formation!

 Chapter 687: Also Worthy? (3)

    Chapter 687: Chapter 555 Also Worthy?_3


    It was based on a special type of Formation, founded upon the ¡°Calculation¡± spell point!


    That¡¯s why the Formation Patterns could differentiate themselves and evolve autonomously! S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That¡¯s why this Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation was invincible!


    Calculation!


    Mo Hua was both greatly startled and overjoyed.


    He had not expected that his uncle possessed so many treasures!


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, as well as this special Calculation¡­


    Could it be that they were all part of what master referred to as ¡°Reaching the Pinnacle¡± in the use of Divine Sense?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly, and his heart thumped excitedly.


    He had an innocent look on his small face, but his Divine Sense inside that little head kept churning.


    Taking advantage of the chaos in the Demon Palace, unnoticed by others, Mo Hua sneakily observed the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, all the while dissecting the Calculation Method within the Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, busy and overjoyed¡­


    Meanwhile, the chaos in the Demon Palace continued¡­


    Unable to break Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, the four Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors could not avoid a great battle.


    Hundreds of Golden Core, with deep black pupils, marched forth in succession to attack the Feather Transformation elders they once could only bow down to.


    The Black Arhat punched through a Golden Core Demon Cultivator with one blow.


    Madam Miao fanned her enchanting fan, emitting a pink radiance that dissolved Golden Core cultivators into white bones.


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s Demonic Qi surged, his Sword Qi overflowing, slicing into pieces the Demon Cultivators who had been affected by the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.


    And the Poison Venerable no longer spoke of ¡°belonging to the same Demon Path, being of the same alliance, reluctant to harm each other.¡± When it came to personal safety, he attacked with more ferocity than anyone else.


    Out from the Snake Gu, numerous venomous snakes wriggled out, hissing.


    The snakes burrowed into the bodies of the Golden Cores, tearing their flesh and sucking away their Evil Yuan.


    The four Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors clearly had the upper hand.


    However, the multitude of Golden Core Demon Cultivators fought fearlessly to their deaths. Even with severed limbs and split open chests, turning into mere skeletons, they still charged at the Feather Transformation cultivators, biting off flesh, inflicting one injury after another¡­


    At this moment, the four of them also realized that Gui Tao¡¯s people aimed to wear them down to death!


    Although they were Feather Transformation cultivators, they dared not use the power of Feather Transformation due to the constraints of Heavenly Dao.


    The pack of wolves ran amok.


    The mighty tiger, however, had to restrain its own claws and teeth.


    Fear and anger rose in their hearts.


    Unable to break through the Heaven Sealing Formation, unable to eliminate all of Gui Tao¡¯s Golden Cores¡­


    At this rate, could it be that they, the lofty Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors, would really be nibbled to death by a group of Demon Path Golden Cores alive?! ??N?????§§?


    This manner of death was something they had never considered in their lifetimes.


    But it was indeed approaching them, bit by bit¡­


    While the Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors were slaughtering the Golden Cores, these Golden Cores didn¡¯t care at all about ¡°death,¡± because they were already ¡°dead.¡±


    The Golden Cores were now merely toys of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    And the four Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors kept killing, kept killing, until their hands grew weak¡­


    No one knew how long they had been fighting when a sudden change occurred.


    A Feather Transformation Realm Devil Ancestor died.


    The one who died was the Black Bear Demon Cultivator¡ªthe Black Arhat.


    He was killed by heavenly punishment.


    The Black Arhat had been restraining his own Feather Transformation Realm¡¯s cultivation, also having to keep slaughtering endlessly, and accidentally used the power of Feather Transformation¡­


    His Blood Qi crystalized, both sinister and beautiful.


    Within the Blood Qi floated tiny, sparkling flecks of Spiritual Power like feathers.


    This was Spiritual Power Feather Transformation.


    Every Golden Core Demon Cultivator that encountered this Feather Transformation power was shredded to pieces, reduced to ash.


    The Golden Core Demon Cultivators still marched forth relentlessly, unaffected by fear.


    The one who truly feared was the Black Arhat!


    He suddenly realized he had touched upon the Heavenly Dao¡¯s taboos!


    At the same time, an immense terror enveloped him from above.


    He looked up to see a crimson thunderbolt, carrying a dreadful silence, suddenly descending to completely obliterate him!


    The Black Arhat didn¡¯t even have time to react before he was utterly annihilated, body and soul!


    His last thought was only:


    "So, there really is¡­ heavenly punishment for violating the Heavenly Dao


    The heavenly punishment came quickly and left just as fast.


    It arrived with inexplicable terror and left without a trace.


    And the remaining three Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors felt, firsthand, the true terror from Heavenly Dao!


    This fear, the deeper the cultivation, the more profound the sensation.


    Madam Miao lost all color in her face, murmuring, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ really true


    The Poison Venerable¡¯s expression shifted, his aged eyes filled with unsettled dread.


    Xuan Sanren seemed to be in a daze.


    At this moment, all three of them realized.


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing was the first step;


    The Golden Core Siege Killing was the second step;


    And the annihilation by Heavenly Dao was Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s final, deadliest move in their calculations!


    Forced into a corner with no way out, they had to either be worn down to death or, amidst endless exhaustion, use the power of Feather Transformation and be completely eradicated by the heavenly punishment!


    But the Heavenly Dao is supreme above all.


    In the face of the Heavenly Dao, even as Feather Transformation cultivators, they were helpless!


    The siege by the Golden Core Demon Cultivators continued¡­


    The second one to die was Madam Miao.


    She had to restrain her own cultivation level while enduring endless death battles and exhaustion, completely worn out.


    The Poison Venerable then angrily said, ¡°A fight to the death might still offer a chance of survival! As mighty Feather Transformation beings, even if we fall, it¡¯s better than dying in such a disgraceful manner!¡±


    Madam Miao gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Fine!¡±


    The Poison Venerable said, ¡°Let¡¯s use our Feather Transformation power together, just for an instant. We can break open Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation and escape!¡±


    "Once we escape, we can all use our own lifesaving techniques. Whether we live or die, let fate decide!¡±


    By now, there were no other options.


    Even facing the threat of heavenly tribulation, they had to make a desperate move.


    Madam Miao and the Poison Venerable¡¯s aura began to rise together, slowly mobilizing the power of Feather Transformation, preparing to invoke Feather Transformation Realm¡¯s Taoist Skill, apparently planning to break the Formation together.


    But as both their auras climbed to a certain height, nearing the edge of the Feather Transformation Realm, they both stopped simultaneously.

 Chapter 688: Also worthy? (4)

    Chapter 688: Chapter 555 Also worthy? _4


    The two exchanged a glance and cursed each other:


    "Bitch, you deceived me!¡±


    "Old ghost, you tricked me!¡±


    Both wanted to trick the other into using the power of Feather Transformation to break the Formation, endure the heavenly lightning, and then flee.


    Madam Miao wanted to curse some more, but unexpectedly, Poison Venerable made the first move, striking her with a fierce palm.


    This palm, though not as powerful as Feather Transformation, was still the force of a Golden Core at its peak.


    Madam Miao, caught off guard, hastily took the blow, but in her carelessness did not contain her cultivation. A pink aura enveloped her, showing the signs of Feather Transformation.


    Madam Miao, in shock and dismay, turned around, intending to drag Poison Venerable to death with her.


    But before she could act, storm clouds gathered, and heavenly punishment descended. A crimson lightning bolt flashed, and Madam Miao¡¯s life dissipated.


    With the death of Madam Miao, Poison Venerable looked up, overjoyed.


    "Just as I expected! The arrival of heavenly punishment breaks open Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation Pattern, revealing a gap in the Formation, which is my chance to escape!¡±


    Poison Venerable leaped towards the gap, attempting to escape both the Demon Palace and the enclosure of Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation.


    But suddenly a hand reached out, grabbing him.


    Poison Venerable¡¯s movement halted as he fought to break free, but the person holding him was highly cultivated. He struggled several times before breaking free and continued to escape.


    However, during this delay, Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation regenerated and closed completely on its own.


    Poison Venerable, enraged, turned back and shouted:


    "Xuan Sanren, what do you mean by this?¡±


    The person who suddenly grabbed him was indeed Xuan Sanren.


    Xuan Sanren remained silent.


    Poison Venerable looked closely and was horrified.


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s eyes had turned black!


    "You Poison Venerable exclaimed in shock, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Xuan Sanren smiled slightly, his pupils pitch black, his face showing a vivid and eerie smile.


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart


    Poison Venerable looked incredulous:


    "No¡­ impossible, you are in the Feather Transformation Realm. How could Planting Devil in Taoist Heart affect you? Separated by a whole realm, he, being a Golden Core Demon Seed, could not possibly erode your Taoist Heart §²??????§£§¦s


    "Unless


    Poison Venerable remembered something, suddenly widened his eyes, ¡°Mystery Demon Foetus?!¡±


    At that, Xuan Sanren had already donned a Taoist Robe.


    This Taoist Robe, as if peeled off a dead person, was stained with mud and dirt ¨C exactly what Gui Tao¡¯s people wore.


    Poison Venerable was both shocked and enraged. He couldn¡¯t help but curse furiously:


    "Xuan Sanren, you cowardly beast, how dare you use a Mystery Demon Foetus to take your place?!¡±


    The transformation of the Mystery Demon Foetus is a supreme Demon Skill.


    One body, two foetuses, real and fake indistinguishable.


    Poison Venerable never imagined that for such a significant event as sealing Mr. Zhuang and seizing the secrets of the Back Ruins Heaven Burial, Xuan Sanren, fearful of death and greedy for life, would let his real self come in the guise of a Mystery Demon Foetus, indecipherable in truth and falsehood!


    If it hadn¡¯t been for this, he could have already escaped to the heavens by now!


    The Mystery Demon Foetus might have two lives in one body, but its own Taoist Heart is divided.


    It has the cultivation of Feather Transformation Realm, but not a complete Taoist Heart of that realm.


    This gap was exactly what Gui Tao¡¯s people took advantage of!


    Thus, the Devil in the Taoist Heart was planted, and they completely stole the demon foetus of a Venerable in Feather Transformation Realm!


    Now, Gui Tao¡¯s person was in the Feather Transformation Realm!


    A thread of terror spread through Poison Venerable¡¯s heart.


    This Gui Tao¡¯s person¡­ could it be that he long noticed that Xuan Sanren¡¯s real body was merely a Mystery Demon Foetus?


    So, this too was in his calculations?


    Donning the ¡°Taoist Robe,¡± Xuan Sanren had turned into ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s person.¡±


    With childlike features and white hair, handsome in appearance, his dark and profound gaze was now lively and no longer as stiff as before, perhaps because of the Feather Transformation Realm body.


    Poison Venerable¡¯s expression was grave, ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡±


    "Gui Tao¡¯s person¡± smiled indifferently, ¡°When the Demon Path acts, naturally there¡¯s only one word ¨C ¡®kill¡¯.¡±


    Poison Venerable coldly said, ¡°You want to kill me?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person remained noncommittal.


    Poison Venerable sneered, ¡°Fine! I would like to see how you plan to kill me today. After the fierce battle just now, hundreds of Golden Core Demon Seeds have been reduced by eighty percent, with only the remnants remaining.¡±


    "Or do you plan to take action yourself?¡±


    "We are now both in Feather Transformation.¡±


    "Do you really wish to use this Feather Transformation Demon Seed to perish together with me?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person struck with a palm, and Poison Venerable, startled, snorted coldly, striking with his own palm to neutralize Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s palm force, even forcing Gui Tao¡¯s person back several steps.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person coughed up a mouthful of black blood.


    "Is that all?¡±


    Poison Venerable showed a trace of disdain.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but the way he looked at Poison Venerable was like looking at a dead man.


    Poison Venerable suddenly realized something was amiss.


    He felt an extremely terrifying presence gathering above his head.


    "Heavenly punishment?¡±


    Poison Venerable¡¯s voice trembled.


    "No, it can¡¯t be!¡± Poison Venerable cried out in horror, ¡°I clearly did not use the power of Feather Transformation!¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The corners of Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s mouth revealed a mocking smile, ¡°In front of me, what makes you think, what you think is real?¡±


    Poison Venerable turned deathly pale.


    "I¡­ have also been planted with Devil in Taoist Heart?!¡±


    He scrutinized himself and discovered a speck of darkness in his Taoist Heart.


    It was only a small planting¡­


    But this tiny bit of Demon Thought threatened to defy the taboos of the Great Dao!


    He would be eradicated by the Heavenly Dao!


    "No, I don¡¯t want to die yet, I should not die, I still have great plans for the Demon Gate, thousands of disciples, I


    Poison Venerable¡¯s expression twisted fiercely.


    But before he could finish, the scarlet heavenly punishment descended.


    The horrific heavenly punishment, imbued with the ruthlessness of the Great Dao, obliterated Poison Venerable completely!


    With the dispersal of the lightning punishment, dust settled on everything.


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing, no escape to be found, dead silence within the Ten Thousand Demons Hall.


    The Golden Core Demon Cultivators died, leaving no intact corpses.


    The Feather Transformation Demon Ancestor, annihilated in body and spirit!


    Gui Tao¡¯s person stood atop the Corpse Mountain and the sea of blood, clad in black, with white hair draped over his shoulders, his pupils dark and profound, his voice lofty and icy cold:


    "What kind of trash are you, to covet¡­ my junior brother?!¡±

 Chapter 689: Understood (1)

    Chapter 689: Chapter 556: Understood_1


    In the Demon Palace, silence enveloped ten thousand demons.


    Mo Hua was shocked to his core.


    So this was his ¡°Uncle


    So powerful¡­


    He had actually slaughtered all the demon cultivators in the palace to the last one!


    Using Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation to seal the Demon Palace, and with Planting Devil in Taoist Heart to slaughter Golden Cores, then manipulating the Golden Cores to besiege the Feather Transformation, forcing it to die under the heavenly tribulation!


    These changes were tumultuous and so rapid they were difficult to follow.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s heart, they left a profound impression.


    "This is ¡®Gui Tao¡¯s people


    "Carefully calculated and unpredictable, not a single word wasted, trapping when it¡¯s time to trap, killing when it¡¯s time to kill!¡±


    "All the heavens are the Tao.¡±


    "The heavenly tribulation is also a murder weapon!¡±


    All this greatly broadened Mo Hua¡¯s horizons and was immensely beneficial to him.


    It was the first time he realized that actions could be taken in such a way, that killing could be done¡­ like this.


    What surprised him even more was the Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation.


    This formation was entirely different from any he had learned before.


    It didn¡¯t belong to the Five-element Formation System and wasn¡¯t part of the Eryi, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Seven Stars, or Eight Trigrams formation systems either.


    Even the basic elements of formations: formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, and formation eye were very obscure and difficult to understand.


    What was the formation media? Was it the Demon Palace itself?


    But it seemed not to be just that¡­


    Beyond that, Mo Hua could see the Formation Patterns but also couldn¡¯t understand them.


    These Patterns were constantly evolving, continuously deriving, and the formation principles contained within were extremely complex.


    There seemed to be no Formation Pivot, and the formation eye, Mo Hua also couldn¡¯t penetrate.


    Mo Hua had previously calculated that Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation was based on a special ¡°Calculation Method.¡±


    But now, thinking about it, something seemed wrong.


    Calculation was about understanding, dissecting, contemplating, and comprehending a formation.


    But this formation seemed more like it was constructed relying on ¡°Calculation


    This Calculation seemed to help the Formation Patterns to differentiate themselves, to engage in autonomous derivation, constantly generating, which was extremely special and a bit eerie. ????????¨º?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    His master taught him a Calculation Method called Divine Sense Calculation.


    But that was the most basic one.


    Through Mo Hua¡¯s observation, he found that by mastering this Calculation Method to a deep extent, one could, like his master, calculate Heavenly secrets and infer causality.


    Then this kind of Calculation would be more aptly called ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation.¡±


    It¡¯s just that, currently, his own skills were limited, unable to calculate Heavenly secrets, that¡¯s all.


    Additionally, by a fortunate coincidence, Mo Hua had learned another kind of Divine Sense calculation method.


    It was the Five Elements Sect¡¯s method of summarizing Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation Method was called, but if he were to name it himself, it should be called the ¡°Source Calculation Method,¡± which seemed more appropriate.


    It summarized Formation Patterns, regulating their original streams.


    It was a kind of Divine Sense calculation method that summarized Source Patterns.


    Then, what should his Uncle¡¯s type of ¡°Calculation¡± be called?


    How was this Calculation different? What was its essence? What were its principles?


    Mo Hua tilted his little head back, his eyes bright and sparkling, as he stared at the Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation overhead, completely lost in thought.


    The transformations of all the Formation Patterns manifested one by one in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Formation Patterns were broken by demon cultivators, and yet they repaired themselves;


    Formation Patterns were erased by the lightning of tribulation, and yet they derived again;


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, layer upon layer, Pattern upon Pattern, blossoming like flowers of the King of Hell, one after another, both ghostly and magnificent, eerie and profound¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know how long he had been watching when suddenly his eyes widened, the reflections of the myriad changes of the Formation Patterns shimmering within his pupils, as he came to a sudden realization in his heart.


    "I understand now!¡±


    "It¡¯s Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!¡±


    This Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation was the same as Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart sows the Demon Seed, and the Demon Thought will spread and parasitize on its own. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing lays down Formation Patterns, and the Formation Patterns will also evolve and proliferate autonomously.


    The so-called Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, in essence, was a large-scale, formation-style ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    Planting the Demon Seed within the Formation Pivot of the formation, the Demon Seed generates Formation Patterns, allowing the entire formation to grow complex Patterns interdependently, constantly in flow and difficult to break.


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart within a formation


    Mo Hua pondered this, then furrowed his brows again.


    "That¡¯s still not right


    The scenes within the Demon Palace replayed over and over again in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people exerted their full strength to employ Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, contaminating all the Golden Core Demon Cultivators, inducing madness, thus gaining complete control¡­


    This entire process included¡­


    Dividing the Demon Seed¡­


    Parasitizing the Taoist Heart¡­


    And¡­ the derivation of the Demon Seed, contamination, domination¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart raced with a sudden epiphany.


    He had gotten it backward!


    It wasn¡¯t that in Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was being used.


    Instead, the technique employed by Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was the core Divine Sense Calculation of Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation!


    Both stemmed from the same origin, both based on this special, eerie Divine Sense Calculation.


    They were both applications of Divine Thought that were exquisitely sophisticated and had reached the pinnacle!


    Mo Hua then remembered the Saint Heir, who upon seeing Gui Tao¡¯s people employ Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, wore an expression of disbelief.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was not what he recognized as Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    This method of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was completely different from ordinary methods of implanting Demon Seed.


    Because his Uncle¡¯s Planting Devil in Taoist Heart relied on that eerie, special Divine Sense calculation method.


    To put it another way, his Uncle¡¯s ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart


    Contained the supreme method of Divine Thought Calculation!


    Mo Hua thought, his shock deepening.


    The more he reflected, the clearer it became.


    His gaze grew increasingly bright, like the stars in the sky, shining splendidly and dazzlingly.


    Mo Hua still looked up, staring at the Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation overhead, but as he watched, something felt amiss, as if a presence had appeared beside him without him knowing.


    Mo Hua looked down, only to find his Uncle standing right beside him.

 Chapter 690: 556

    Chapter 690: 556


    He looked up, staring at the Formation, while his Uncle invisibly fixed his gaze on him.


    At this moment, the Gui Tao¡¯s people had already used the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart to take residence inside Xuan Sanren.


    Crane-haired yet with a youthful face, his eyebrows and eyes strikingly handsome, his expression cold and detached.


    Caught ¡°stealing a lesson,¡± and now under his Uncle¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, Mo Hua felt a bit guilty and said with an obedient smile:


    "Uncle, you¡¯ve become even more handsome!¡±


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people stretched out a slender finger, flicked it gently, and touched Mo Hua¡¯s forehead.


    Mo Hua collapsed softly and fainted, lying on the ground.


    His little face was pale, lashes dark, breathing fine and evenly spaced.


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua, their eyes shifting in thought, emotions turbulent.


    Disciple¡­ what exactly did you teach this little thing?


    How did you manage to teach such a¡­ perplexing disciple?


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people thought back to the gaze of Mo Hua just a moment ago.


    Clear, transparent, bright, and also faintly revealing a trace of enlightenment towards the Great Dao¡­


    What exactly did this little thing see in Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation?


    What did he come to understand?


    Could it be¡­


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people furrowed their brows, their gaze indifferent, pondering for a moment before slowly shaking their heads.


    Impossible.


    I¡¯ve seen before that although this little thing¡¯s skill in Formations is passable, he has not learned the Immortal Sky Formation Flow.


    The Immortal Sky Formation Flow is the most orthodox inheritance of our sect.


    If my Disciple did not teach him, it shows that he is not the most orthodox core disciple.


    And since he hasn¡¯t learned the Immortal Sky Formation Flow and lacks the Formation Method Origin Stream as a foundation, to understand one and know all, and to study the Formations extensively, it naturally becomes impossible for him to learn the Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    If he can¡¯t perform the Calculation, what could he possibly understand?


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze flickered slightly.


    However, no matter what this little thing has understood.


    We can¡¯t let him look any further.


    Who knows what this strange and unusual little thing could figure out¡­


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze became focused, they reached out to pick up Mo Hua, and slowly walked out of the Ten Thousand Demons Hall.


    Upon exiting the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, the Gui Tao¡¯s people waved backhandedly.


    The Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation reversed, the Formation Patterns became deceptive, swallowing the entire Demon Palace, along with the demon cultivators buried within the hall, slowly fading into obscurity¡­ ????¦Â§§s


    Then, without a backward glance, the Gui Tao¡¯s people stepped towards Li Mountain City, towards the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, and also towards the Disciple who had been separated for hundreds of years within the Large Formation¡­


    "The grudges of hundreds of years¡­ it¡¯s time to end them S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    Outside Dali Mountain.


    A white-robed Cultivator in the Late Golden Core Stage, along with a dozen or so Deputy Court Leaders and Enforcement Leaders at the Golden Core Stage, was escorting Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi to the nearby Azure Mountain City.


    The white-robed Cultivator was the Court Leader from Liyuan City.


    He was also the highest-ranking, most powerful Court Leader across the Dali Mountain State boundary.


    Upon entering Azure Mountain City, Aunt Xue gave her thanks with a bow:


    "Thank you, Court Leader Shangguan, for guarding us along the way; otherwise, with demon cultivators running rampant, the journey would have been incredibly difficult.¡±


    "It¡¯s nothing


    The white-robed Cultivator, surnamed Shangguan, with a kind-looking face, also gave a cupped fist salute: ¡°It¡¯s a relief that Young Master Bai and Miss Bai are safe


    Court Leader Shangguan let out a long sigh of relief inwardly.


    Thank goodness¡­


    Thank goodness these two VIPs are unharmed.


    Although their special Eternal Life Runes are shattered, they are unharmed, and the demon cultivators encountered along the way have all been dealt with.


    Now that they are safely escorted to Azure Mountain City, and with the Bai Family cultivators coming to receive them, there should be no further worries.


    "The Bai Family


    Court Leader Shangguan¡¯s heart sank slightly, ¡°To think that they are¡­ children of the Bai Family


    The Bai Family is a colossal entity within the Cultivation World.


    While the Shangguan Family also holds a not-so-low status, they ultimately cannot be compared with the Bai Family.


    Court Leader Shangguan was somewhat apprehensive.


    "I hope the Bai Family doesn¡¯t hold a grudge against me


    After all, those were two special Eternal Life Runes!


    Only ancestors of Noble Clans who have little life left, no hope in furthering their Cultivation, and who will have no more advancements in their lifetime, would spend their own Cultivation to refine such Runes.


    The ancestors of Noble Families capable of planting such Runes are few and far between.


    And the Noble Family Descendants privileged enough to receive such Runes are even rarer.


    Once a personal Eternal Life Rune is shattered, finding an elder to plant a new one is as difficult as scaling the heavens¡­


    And if left unseeded, these Proud Sons of Heaven will face great danger upon stepping into the Cultivation World.


    The trouble to come will be substantial¡­


    Court Leader Shangguan frowned, deep in thought for a long time before he realized he was not in a position to worry about these matters¡­


    He shook his head and settled Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and Aunt Xue in the largest inn in Azure Mountain City.


    Only waiting for the Bai Family to come to safely take these two VIPs away, he would be at ease.


    As for himself¡­ he may not have merit, but he has suffered hardship.


    Even forgetting about merit, as long as he is not to blame, it¡¯s enough¡­


    But the incident happened suddenly; the Bai Family will likely not be unreasonable and overly blame him.


    After several days at the inn, people from the Bai Family arrived.


    A white-clothed, masked female Cultivator, accompanied by a group of Bai Family Cultivators, entered the inn.


    Their figures seemed both real and illusionary, both solid and ethereal.


    Although the people around clearly looked at them, it seemed as if they saw nothing at all¡­


    Court Leader Shangguan was originally puzzled as to who would come from the Bai Family, but when he lifted his head and saw the figure of the female Cultivator, his heart trembled, and he immediately bowed his head, respectfully saying:


    "I am Shangguan Jing, serving as the Court Leader of Li Mountain City, I greet the True Man!¡±


    This woman¡¯s face was masked, so her features were unclear, but her demeanor was coldly aristocratic with a peerlessly graceful presence.


    More importantly, her breath was elusive and profound, unfathomable.


    Feather Transformation Realm!


    This woman was a True Man of the Feather Transformation Realm!


    Court Leader Shangguan bowed his head even lower, fearing the slightest offense might displease the True Man.

 Chapter 691: Understood (3)

    Chapter 691: Chapter 556: Understood_3


    The young woman nodded slightly, her voice pleasant yet commanding:


    "Thank you for your efforts, Court Leader Shangguan.¡±


    Court Leader Shangguan let out a sigh of relief.


    Standing to the side, Aunt Xue bowed and said respectfully, ¡°Madam.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also showed looks of affectionate longing and called out together, ¡°Mother


    This woman was indeed the mother of Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    She was also the Feather Transformation Realm True Woman of the Bai Family¡ªBai Qiancheng.


    At the sound of ¡°Mother,¡± Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart trembled slightly, but she still managed to maintain her composure and nodded indifferently.


    Court Leader Shangguan was also taken aback.


    These two children actually had a mother in the Feather Transformation Realm.


    No wonder they were imbued with the special Eternal Life Rune¡­


    "Now that the young masters and miss are safe and sound, I am relieved and will not disturb you further,¡± said Court Leader Shangguan with tact.


    Bai Qiancheng nodded slightly.


    Court Leader Shangguan then took his leave.


    The room was left with only Bai Qiancheng, Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and Aunt Xue.


    Bai Qiancheng waved her hand gracefully, dispelling the veil covering her face, revealing a beauty that could overturn states and cities.


    Similar to Bai Zixi, with skin like ice and bones like jade, a flawless appearance, and a beauty that was heart-stoppingly stunning. She only lacked a bit of Bai Zixi¡¯s youthful naivety and had more mature, poised beauty to her, along with the dignity of the Feather Transformation Realm. ??¦­¨®¦Â??


    Aunt Xue¡¯s face showed a look of shame. ¡°Madam, I am incompetent, the Eternal Life Rune


    Bai Qiancheng shook her head. ¡°This is not your fault


    A dozen or so Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    The Demon Path Saint Heir.


    And¡­ the calculations of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    In such a situation, no one could have protected those two Eternal Life Runes.


    Bai Qiancheng looked again at her twin children, her icy gaze softening slightly, and asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    "Yes.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded, but they both seemed a bit restrained.


    After hesitating for a moment, Bai Zisheng began, ¡°Mother


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat hesitant. He had always been somewhat afraid of his cold mother and didn¡¯t know how to start¡­


    However, Bai Zixi spoke up. ¡°Mother, please save Mo Hua.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    Aunt Xue then said, ¡°Yes¡­ the junior disciple taken in by Mr. Zhuang, and also the juniors¡¯ Big Junior Brother


    A flash of astonishment passed across Bai Qiancheng¡¯s stunning face.


    A junior disciple?


    My Senior Brother actually took on a disciple?


    Impossible¡­


    How could he possibly take on another disciple?


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze turned cold as she looked at Aunt Xue.


    Aunt Xue was shocked and quickly lowered her head, saying, ¡°Mr. Zhuang, he didn¡¯t want me to tell you


    Bai Qiancheng paused, then her expression cleared slightly.


    Her Senior Brother indeed always disliked others prying into his affairs.


    Whether he took on a disciple or not, he naturally wouldn¡¯t want her to know¡­


    Bai Qiancheng felt somewhat conflicted. After a moment, she asked, ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    Bai Zixi answered, ¡°He was¡­ captured by Gui Tao¡¯s people


    Bai Zisheng nodded on the side. ¡°He was taken because of me and Zixi. The ones they really wanted to capture were the two of us


    Having said that, Bai Zisheng hung his head in guilt.


    It seemed that he felt some self-reproach for not being able to protect his junior disciple well.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people!


    So that was it¡­


    She had been wondering, with the abilities of Gui Tao¡¯s people, that is, her ¡°Big Senior Brother,¡± Zisheng and Zixi¡¯s shattered special Eternal Life Rune would surely end up in his hands.


    She had been deeply worried about this before.


    But she never imagined that Big Senior Brother would actually let Zisheng and Zixi go¡­


    Bai Qiancheng would never understand before, but now she knew that Big Senior Brother had found a ¡°substitute.¡±


    That is, the ¡°Mo Hua¡± little disciple taken in by Senior Brother Zhuang¡­ sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But why?


    Why was this little disciple so important?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people, would they actually let Zisheng and Zixi go just because of this?


    Senior Brother Zhuang¡¯s actions were always well thought out, deeply and far-sightedly calculated.


    On this little disciple, could there be hidden some unspeakable secret?


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze became a bit more concentrated.


    "Mother Bai Zixi said softly.


    Bai Qiancheng came back to her senses, turned her head to look at Bai Zixi, and upon meeting her gaze, her heart suddenly trembled with complicated and indescribable thoughts.


    But her expression was still cold as she simply nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Bai Zisheng wanted to say something more but was quietly pulled back by Aunt Xue.


    She knew that enough had been said at this point, with the lady¡¯s temperament, further words might backfire.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi glanced at Bai Qiancheng and swallowed their words.


    Afterwards, Aunt Xue detailed the whole journey to Bai Qiancheng.


    Bai Qiancheng listened and nodded, her voice pleasant but somewhat icy as she said:


    "Rest here for tonight and follow me when we leave tomorrow


    Her words were light, but obviously not open to refusal.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi somewhat disappointedly withdrew.


    ¡­


    As the evening arrived, the moonlight was stunningly beautiful.


    Bai Qiancheng sat in the room with a Heavenly secret Compass before her, on which the entanglements of cause and effect, the rise, and fall of destiny played out.


    Bai Qiancheng frowned, and after a long while, she sighed.


    "Heavenly secret Calculation¡­ I still can¡¯t surpass my senior brothers


    No matter how she calculated this Heavenly secret, she couldn¡¯t understand it.


    What then would be the fate of the senior brothers¡­


    Bai Qiancheng shook her head, and suddenly the name ¡°Mo Hua¡± surfaced in her mind again.


    She thought back to the day when Zisheng and Zixi, the two children, pleaded with her, her feelings complicated.


    Zisheng was somewhat brusque and rash, but also very proud.


    He always looked down on his fellow Proud Sons of Heaven in the clan and it was rare to see him so concerned about someone else.


    And Zixi¡­


    The way she called her ¡°Mother,¡± the expression when she asked her to save her little junior brother, returned to her thoughts.


    Those eyes, usually so cold, detached, and as pure and elegant as a snow lotus, actually showed a hint of¡­ pleading?


    How could she, as a mother, fail to understand the affection brewing in that glimpse of a glance?


    But how could this be possible?


    She had always understood her daughter¡¯s temperament¡­


    Yet for that very reason, her heart felt all the more shocked.


    "Mo Hua


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze intensified slightly as she silently noted the name.

 Chapter 692: Opening (1)

    Chapter 692: Chapter 557 Opening_1


    The next day, Bai Qiancheng sent Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi to Anshan City, located hundreds of miles north of Azure Mountain City.


    In Anshan City, there was a mansion temporarily purchased by the Bai Family.


    This place was far from the mountain city, away from disputes and strife, and with several Golden Core cultivators from the Bai Family for protection, it was very safe.


    "Stay here for now. Once I¡¯ve taken care of things, we¡¯ll return to the Bai Family together. You¡¯ve been away from home for so long, the old ancestor misses you too


    After Bai Qiancheng finished speaking, she turned and left.


    "Mother


    Bai Qiancheng turned back and saw two pairs of eyes filled with longing and desire, and her heart felt sour.


    Zisheng and Zixi, these two children, had never shown such obvious concern and care for anyone before¡­


    Even including her, their mother¡­


    "I understand.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng said faintly.


    After that, she no longer looked at her two children, turned around, and left, while her heart was full of worries.


    Li Mountain City, that¡¯s where the real storm of blood and carnage was about to begin.


    Even if she wanted to, she might not be able to save the child known as ¡°Mo Hua¡±.


    Besides, he was in the hands of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    Taking food from the jaws of a tiger, was never easy¡­


    Two days later, Bai Qiancheng arrived at a newly established Tao Cultivation camp outside Li Mountain City.


    On the outside, the camp was encircled by Second and even Third Grade Formations.


    Inside, there were Taoist Soldiers stationed from the Taoist Court.


    At the same time, various powers from Taoist State also dispatched high-ranking cultivators with real authority from their clans, gathering here.


    In the camp, inside a large hall marked with Sound Isolation Formation and other formations preventing others from sensing what was inside.


    Nine cultivators with profound auras sat together, whispering and discussing spiritedly.


    As Bai Qiancheng entered, everyone briefly fell silent, nodded at her, and then continued the discussion they had been having¡­


    A few days ago, Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment appeared in the direction of Dali Mountain


    "After that, the auras of several Demon Cultivators in the Feather Transformation Realm disappeared


    "Not just that, the presence of numerous Golden Core Demon Cultivators has also not been detected again


    "Could it be¡­ that the Heavenly Dao has opened its eyes and directly annihilated these Demon Cultivators?¡±


    "What are you thinking? There must be some hidden circumstances behind this


    "Internal strife within the Demon Path? Killing each other?¡±


    "At this time?¡±


    Has Senior Situ calculated anything?¡±


    "A fog of mystery, the Heavenly secret is puzzling; the Calculation isn¡¯t clear


    "Does this mean you haven¡¯t calculated it?¡±


    "No, it means I have calculated it


    "What do you mean S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Heavenly secret is puzzling


    "It¡¯s¡­ Gui Tao¡¯s person


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, and then someone said:


    "Did this Gui Tao¡¯s person make a mistake? At this critical point, to kill his own Daoist comrades?¡±


    "Who can understand the intentions of Gui Tao¡¯s person?¡±


    Some looked solemn while others furrowed their brows and said:


    Switching back, aren¡¯t you curious how Gui Tao¡¯s person managed it?¡±


    "What exactly did he do to slaughter four Demon Cultivators in the Feather Transformation Realm and hundreds of Golden Cores?¡±


    "That was within the Third-Grade State Boundary


    "The appearance of Thunder Punishment, was it¡­ using Heavenly Punishment?¡±


    "How to use it? Those Demon Cultivators aren¡¯t idiots, wouldn¡¯t they run? Suppressing Cultivation, unable to undergo Feather Transformation, they should know about these taboos ??????§°§£??


    "How would I know? I¡¯m not Gui Tao¡¯s person.¡±


    "Probably, they were driven to desperation by Gui Tao¡¯s person, and in that inevitable situation, they used the power of Feather Transformation, and therefore, under the Heavenly Punishment Thunder, they were turned to ash


    "On what basis does Gui Tao¡¯s person do this?¡±


    "On the strength of his own power¡­ how is that possible?¡±


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?¡±


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart comes from the Illusory Demon Sect¡¯s Sect Protecting Demon Technique, but I¡¯ve experienced this Demon Skill, it¡¯s merely somewhat troublesome and difficult to deal with, but not really that powerful


    "Some heart-clearing tranquility Cultivation Techniques, Magical Treasures, Spiritual Artifacts, all can suppress the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart


    "If only it were that simple


    If it were that simple, he wouldn¡¯t have been sealed by the Demon Sect as ¡®Taoist


    "What¡¯s so different about his Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?¡±


    Everyone was puzzled, but their expressions became more solemn by several degrees.


    "Regardless, cultivators in the Feather Transformation Realm should not act rashly


    "If we can¡¯t act, what are we, Feather Transformation cultivators, even here for?¡±


    "What use is it if you do act?¡±


    "In the Third-Grade State Boundary, even if you are a True Man, you¡¯re just a slightly stronger Golden Core!¡±


    "Without Feather Transformation, unable to ascend to the heavens, if you can¡¯t exhibit even a tenth of your full strength and constantly face the risk of being eradicated by Heavenly Punishment


    "Those four old Demon Heads from the Demon Sect, with origins in the Demon Path, vicious and extremely evil, living for so many years, didn¡¯t they fall prey to Gui Tao¡¯s person, wiped out by Heavenly Punishment?¡±


    "Those were four big Demon Heads in the Feather Transformation Realm!¡±


    At this point, everyone felt a shudder in their hearts.


    Heaven Void does not emerge in the world.


    The highest realms that major Tao Cultivation forces possess, when walking on the outside, are generally those of the Feather Transformation Realm.


    But cultivators of the Feather Transformation Realm generally wouldn¡¯t come to state boundaries below Third Grade.


    Because the risk is too high.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that this incident was of great importance, linked to Mr. Zhuang who calculated the Heavenly secrets, there wouldn¡¯t be as many as ten Feathered Immortals from the Taoist Court gathered outside Li Mountain City!


    But now because of Gui Tao¡¯s person, the situation has become delicate.


    They, as Feather Transformation cultivators with powerful Cultivation, dare not make a move.


    Heavenly Dao eradication.


    These four words, like a bloody guillotine, were always hanging over their heads, waiting for any misstep, and they would ferociously chop down, claiming their lives.


    "Damn it!¡±


    A Feathered Immortal, feeling extremely frustrated, slammed the table in anger.

 Chapter 693: Opening Move (2)

    Chapter 693: Chapter 557 Opening Move_2


    "You are a true supernatural being, a True Man. Please mind your image, consider your speech


    "I damn well please, what the hell do you care?¡±


    "Your damn self-cultivation is so poor


    "You, what the fuck, aren¡¯t you also cursing?¡±


    "What comes around goes around, now I¡¯m damn cursing you!¡±


    ¡­


    The two lost their composure and started arguing noisily.


    Someone couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, ¡°In front of so many people, can you both fucking mind your manners and stop cursing?!¡±


    "You¡¯re fucking cursing too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡­


    Someone coughed, ¡°True Man Bai is here


    "What the fuck Bai


    The person stopped mid-sentence, suddenly cutting off to look up at the high seat¡ªBai Qiancheng, clothed in white, supremely beautiful with a clear and cold temperament¡ªhis old face flushed, and he swallowed back his words.


    The crowd also quieted down, coughing a few times, clearing their throats, sitting up straight, and paying attention to their own image.


    Bai Qiancheng acted as if she had heard nothing, her gaze unwavering.


    The oldest person sitting at the highest seat shook his head helplessly.


    His face was lined with age, wearing black robes; he had the family name Situ, a master calculator, and the Chief Elder of Mystery Valley, known as True Man Situ.


    He was the person with the highest cultivation, oldest age, and longest experience sitting there, a Real Being who had undergone Feather Transformation.


    True Man Situ looked around and slowly opened his mouth:


    "No matter what, those of you who have undergone Feather Transformation and become true supernaturals, do not fight hastily again!¡±


    "Feather transform sky-flying, difficult to achieve


    "True supernatural beings, if anything goes wrong, it will be a loss for our Taoist Court and a disaster that could annihilate the sects you belong to!¡±


    "Everyone, please cherish yourselves!¡±


    True Man Situ spoke with deep sincerity.


    Everybody clasped their hands and said, ¡°Senior Situ, your words are very true.¡±


    Some questioned though, ¡°Senior Situ, logically, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial is of great importance, but why


    "Why did those top noble clans and sects in Taoist State not send any high-level cultivators this time, only sending some Golden Core cultivators to make up the numbers?¡± ?????N??¨º?


    As soon as these words came out, people exchanged looks.


    "Indeed


    "The Heaven Void Ancestor does not emerge in the world; it¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t come


    Even if he had come, he would be nothing but an oversized ¡°Golden Core¡±, also facing the risk of falling¡ªit would not be worth the loss.


    But why didn¡¯t even cultivators at the Feather Transformation Realm come?¡±


    "This really doesn¡¯t make sense


    ¡­


    The gathered cultivators who had undergone Feather Transformation whispered among themselves and then silently turned their eyes towards Bai Qiancheng, who was seated higher up.


    Among the many powers present, only the Bai Family was a true behemoth.


    Although not located in Taoist State, but dominating their own territory, they were strong enough to compete with the ancient noble clans of Taoist State.


    Among the True Men who had undergone Feather Transformation present, only Bai Qiancheng was from the biggest clan and had the deepest background.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression remained cool and indifferent, and she didn¡¯t say a word.


    The others, feeling helpless, wanted to ask but did not dare to.


    True Man Situ then said, ¡°Each noble clan has its own arrangements, and the elders of each family have their overall strategies. We should focus on our own tasks, and other matters are not for us to inquire into.¡±


    Everyone frowned, but since True Man Situ had spoken, they did not pursue the matter further.


    After the group of cultivators who had undergone Feather Transformation dispersed, Bai Qiancheng also got up to leave but was stopped by True Man Situ.


    "True Man Bai


    Although True Man Situ was a respected elder, his tone was extremely polite towards Bai Qiancheng.


    Not just because of her family, but also because of her extraordinary talent; she broke the barrier to Feather Transformation at a few hundred years old, becoming a True Man who could fly through the heavens¡­


    More importantly, it was because of the various causes and effects she was involved with.


    Mr. Zhuang, Gui Tao¡¯s people, and her two children with Heavenly Spirit Roots¡­


    Some matters, others did not know.


    But True Man Situ, skilled in the algorithms of the Great Dao and having controlled Mystery Valley for many years, naturally knew more about some inner details than others.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression was cold and slightly proud, but she was still very respectful towards True Man Situ and nodded, saying:


    "Senior Situ.¡±


    True Man Situ hesitated for a moment before finally speaking:


    "Before True Man Bai came here, did the ancestor of the Bai Family give any instructions?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, ¡°Senior Situ, what do you want to ask?¡±


    True Man Situ didn¡¯t want to inquire too deeply, but sighed and said:


    "At my age, I fear death, so, I just ask about good or bad fortune.¡±


    It was about the Heavenly secret and the chance of the Great Dao.


    No matter what, he had to come this time.


    But at this moment, he found that the opportunity was very peculiar; no matter how he calculated or deduced, the path ahead was a blur.


    Having lived for so many years and becoming crafty with age, he wanted to leave a contingency plan to protect his foundation at this time.


    The estate of Mystery Valley was large, and the younger generation¡¯s learning of calculations was not refined; they still relied on him to support everything. He could not afford to give up his life here¡­ sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Qiancheng was somewhat surprised; she didn¡¯t expect True Man Situ, as a senior, to be so candid.


    After thinking, she said, ¡°The ancestors didn¡¯t want me to come


    "But because of some reasons¡­ I had to come


    "Before I left, the ancestor only gave me one instruction, telling me to


    Bai Qiancheng paused, then slowly revealed four words: ¡°Stand by and watch


    "Stand by and watch?¡±


    True Man Situ was momentarily stunned, shocked in his heart.


    Why would it be¡­ stand by and watch?


    They didn¡¯t care anymore, didn¡¯t ask, didn¡¯t seek, no longer pursuing that¡­


    True Man Situ¡¯s face showed varying expressions, overcome with emotion.


    Having said as much as she wished, Bai Qiancheng clasped her hands and said, ¡°Junior takes her leave.¡±


    Until Bai Qiancheng had walked far away, True Man Situ remained motionless, standing in place, his brow deeply furrowed, murmuring to himself:


    "Impossible

 Chapter 694: Starting Move (3)

    Chapter 694: Chapter 557 Starting Move_3


    "How could they possibly be so unhurried?¡±


    "At this final moment, when placing the last piece determines the winner in this grand chess match, how could they suddenly become timid turtles, withdrawing and pulling out?¡±


    "Those old immortals who are nearing their end must certainly be more anxious than I am


    "No, this isn¡¯t right!¡±


    "Unless¡­ they¡¯ve calculated something, or perhaps, are they wary of something?¡±


    "Or maybe, this chess game isn¡¯t quite what I thought it was


    Doubts surfaced in True Man Situ¡¯s mind as he stroked his beard and paced back and forth in the hall, losing count of how many circles he had walked when he suddenly stopped, his heart quivering:


    "Could it be that there¡¯s been a change in this game?¡±


    "The current state of the game¡­ is not the end but merely the beginning?¡±


    "Beginning with Mr. Zhuang¡¯s death?¡±


    "Taking the appearance of Back Ruins Heaven Burial as the first move in a grand strategy that spans heaven and earth?¡±


    Throughout the two thousand years since the establishment of the Taoist Court, fragments of deeds and rumors surfaced in his mind, linking together¡­


    True Man Situ found it somewhat unbelievable.


    "Impossible, right?¡±


    "Who could have, such a grand scheme?¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, as if a boundless abyss had opened a giant maw, emitting an alarming breath.


    True Man Situ¡¯s body couldn¡¯t stop trembling.


    What exactly was hidden inside?


    Or was he just overthinking it?


    True Man Situ slumped into the chair, silent for a long time, before he finally sighed deeply:


    "Forget it, I should just focus on staying alive for now


    Even if there were some conspiracy, it was still far from him. If not a millennia, then at least a thousand years, and perhaps by then, he might already be dead and gone¡­


    True Man Situ suddenly felt relieved.


    For now, he still had to consider the matters at hand.


    The Old Ancestor of the Bai Family telling Bai Qiancheng to ¡°stand aside and watch¡± must have his reasons.


    That suggests that all of these people, once involved, would face a life-or-death crisis.


    Where would they die? S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without thinking, he knew it would definitely be Gui Tao¡¯s people, inevitably related to ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart


    The title of Taoist was not simple.


    True Man Situ frowned and pondered for a moment before summoning a disciple and instructing:


    "Send down the order to set up the Clear Heart Formation, Solidifying Spirit Formation, and Dustless Formation around the camp


    "Strengthen the guard on all sides, and if anyone looking like a ¡®Taoist,¡¯ or any oddly shaped cultivator approaches, let me know immediately


    "Tell all cultivators in the Feather Transformation Realm not to go out indiscriminately


    ¡­


    True Man Situ reeled off a lot in one breath. After he finished giving instructions, he finally took a breath of relief, then began to doubt himself again: ?§Ñ??¦Â¨§????


    "Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?¡±


    "No matter how strong Gui Tao¡¯s people are, they can¡¯t possibly kill all ten of us in the Feather Transformation Realm, can they


    No sooner had True Man Situ finished speaking than he immediately caught himself, lightly smacking his own mouth.


    He mustn¡¯t jinx it!


    He studied causality, he should not speak such ill-fated words!


    After True Man Situ¡¯s arrangements were put in place, it wasn¡¯t long before other Feathered Immortals heard about it and came to see him, starting with:


    "Senior Situ, aren¡¯t we overreacting a bit?¡±


    "No matter how strong Gui Tao¡¯s people are, they surely can¡¯t


    The razor-sharp gaze of True Man Situ immediately silenced him.


    "Better safe than sorry!¡±


    "Don¡¯t underestimate Gui Tao¡¯s people!¡±


    True Man Situ spoke with a heavy tone.


    Seeing the solemn expression on True Man Situ¡¯s face, everyone else figured the matter was serious and said no more.


    ¡­


    And a few days later, a disciple reported.


    "Ancestor, a ¡®Taoist has come


    True Man Situ felt a chill in his heart and immediately got up to take a look outside.


    But the surroundings were empty with formations densely arrayed, and mountains looming; there was no sign of the ¡®Taoist.¡¯


    True Man Situ frowned.


    "Strange, I¡¯m certain I saw a ¡®Taoist


    The reporting disciple mumbled quizzically.


    "Where did the ¡®Taoist¡¯ go?¡±


    "Could he be hiding?¡±


    "Or could it be that


    A moment of silence followed, and then the disciple¡¯s voice became hoarse and wooden:


    I am the Taoist?¡±


    True Man Situ heard this and was startled, breaking out in a cold sweat.


    As he turned his head to look, he saw the disciple¡¯s pupil turn pitch black.

 Chapter 695: Meeting (1)

    Chapter 695: Chapter 558 Meeting_1


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?!¡±


    True Man Situ was shocked and immediately acted, confining the disciple with jet-black pupils with a magical artifact resembling a golden bell, isolating the disciple¡¯s aura.


    He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he turned his head and saw that around the camp, many cultivators suddenly started behaving abnormally, like puppets on strings, trembling and contorting as they slowly turned their heads, their pupils all pitch-black!


    True Man Situ gasped in cold air.


    Anomalies in Taoist Heart, the Demon Seed spreads.


    "When exactly did Gui Tao¡¯s people make their move?!¡±


    Other Feather Transformation True Men sensed the abnormality in the aura and also flashed out one after another. Seeing that the surrounding cultivators and Taoist Soldiers had lost their senses, their pupils pitch-black, they too were shocked.


    True Man Situ said sternly, ¡°Release your magical artifacts and guard your Divine Thoughts!¡±


    Those still retaining their senses were shaken and quickly summoned their magical artifacts to guard their Sea of Consciousness.


    True Man Situ sighed and flipped his right hand, taking out a glittering and translucent glass lamp.


    This lamp, named Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, was the Sect Protecting Treasure of Mystery Valley, combining Divine Sense extensions and concentration to drive away evil.


    True Man Situ sacrificed the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, and its clear light swept across, scattering the gloom. The strange aura of Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies filling the air was also gradually dispelled.


    The brilliant lamp light, like a screen, protected everyone.


    It also isolated those cultivators who had been ¡°Planted with Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    Within the light of the Clear Light Lamp, some cultivators unknowingly had Demon Thought implanted in them.


    But as soon as their Demon Thought grew, it would be ¡°scorched¡± by the clear light, causing black-grey energy to fill the air.


    True Man Situ would then drive these cultivators out, to prevent them from infecting more cultivators.


    Inside the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, with clear light overflowing, the cultivators all sat tensely in meditation, guarding their spiritual arteries.


    But outside the Clear Light Lamp, it was like hell.


    Cultivators fought each other, kin slaying kin.


    Family cultivators, fellow disciples, and familiar Taoist Friends, their Taoist Hearts collapsed, their expressions hideous, engaged in mutual slaughter.


    Some Feather Transformation True Men could not bear it and wanted to take action, only to be stopped by True Man Situ:


    "If you don¡¯t go over, they will die. If you do go over, they will still die ¨C and perhaps¡­ even more will die!¡±


    After all, if a Feather Transformation cultivator was Planted with Devil in Taoist Heart, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    That Feather Transformation True Man was filled with hate, yet he was powerless to do anything but sit back down, close his eyes in pain, and not look at the tragic scene outside¡­ ?????????£Ó


    The expressions of everyone were solemn.


    True Man Situ also knitted his brows.


    Time passed, unknown how long, when suddenly his spirit quivered and he looked up.


    He saw a Daoist not far away, holding a small cultivator and slowly approaching.


    The Daoist had a youthful face with white hair, eyes cold and sinister. It was Xuan Sanren, but at this moment, his expression was indifferent, surrounded by Gui Qi, obviously no longer Xuan Sanren, but instead should be¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people!


    True Man Situ was on high alert.


    The other cultivators were also terrified.


    Yet Gui Tao¡¯s person seemed to pay them no heed, nor did he spare them a glance.


    It seemed that Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was just a matter of convenience for him.


    If he could kill them, then he would. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Thus Gui Tao¡¯s person, clad in black, carried Mo Hua and walked past thousands of Taoist Soldiers, hundreds of Golden Cores, and ten Feather Transformations as he boldly and nonchalantly passed in front of everyone.


    He was heading to Li Mountain City.


    The cultivators around fought each other, like haunting specters.


    And he was the ¡°specter¡± itself.


    The Taoist Court side didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    All around was deathly silence.


    Some Feather Transformation cultivators, filled with indignation, wanted to act but were stopped by True Man Situ.


    True Man Situ shook his head slightly, his eyes stern.


    He sensed that aura imbued with a Tricky Calculation Divine Thought.


    He knew that anyone present who made a move would surely die!


    No matter who it was.


    They were powerless.


    Even though they were Feather Transformation True Men from various powerful factions of the Taoist Court, they could only watch as Gui Tao¡¯s person walked past them.


    They watched as the black silhouette of Gui Tao¡¯s person grew more distant, disappearing in the direction of Li Mountain City, into the surging sea of blood¡­


    All the Feather Transformation cultivators present gnashed their teeth in fury.


    Only Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze was slightly concentrated.


    She saw the child that Gui Tao¡¯s person was holding.


    If she guessed correctly, that should be the ¡°junior brother¡± that Zisheng and Zixi spoke of¡­


    And as Gui Tao¡¯s person entered the sea of blood, it also meant that this calculation against the brother was about to fully unfold¡­


    Bai Qiancheng frowned and then rose, giving a simple bow to True Man Situ before summoning her Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella and stepping out of the Clear Light Lamp.


    The cultivators affected by the Demon Seed rushed at Bai Qiancheng to attack, but were each repelled by the umbrella.


    Bai Qiancheng followed the path taken by Gui Tao¡¯s person, heading toward Li Mountain City, entering the vast sea of blood.


    True Man Situ sighed helplessly.


    Inside the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, three Feather Transformation cultivators developed mutinous thoughts. They exchanged glances, each summoned their magical artifacts, and then without a word, they left the Clear Light Lamp and chased after Gui Tao¡¯s person.


    The remaining Feather Transformations were somewhat tempted, and looked to True Man Situ, ¡°Senior Situ, this


    True Man Situ¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold as he sat unmoved, only saying sternly:


    "Everyone has their destiny, and it cannot be forced.¡±


    But in his heart, he silently thought, ¡°If you want to die, go die on your own


    These Feather Transformation True Men, knowing the profundity of Mystery Valley¡¯s Mystery Calculation Method, also understood the saying ¡°Ignorance of the elder¡¯s advice leads to trouble ahead,¡± and so they all reined in their restlessness and sat down to meditate steadily.


    Yet True Man Situ continued to look in the direction where Gui Tao¡¯s person had left, his brows tightly locked.


    In his eyes, there was deep concern.


    This was Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­

 Chapter 696: Meeting (2)

    Chapter 696: Chapter 558 Meeting_2


    No, is this the Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    The path of Divine Sense, pushing boundaries and evolving, one thought embodies two methods, Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation.


    He had never imagined that Gui Tao¡¯s people would cultivate the Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation to such a degree; even in his Sect, which was known for producing evil monsters, this was unprecedented¡­


    Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, cultivated to perfection.


    Divine Thought transformed monstrously, undying and indestructible¡­


    Without gathering the forces of the Righteous Dao for a thorough extermination of Gui Tao¡¯s people, if left uncheck, he would inevitably become a Great Demon Head that pierces the heavens and earth.


    But¡­


    How to kill him?


    Mr. Zhuang is at his last gasp, and the Heavenly Secret Calculation has been lost¡­


    Who in this world can still see through the heavenly secrets and contend with Gui Tao¡¯s people?


    The undying and indestructible Divine Thought of Gui Tao¡­


    Who truly has the power to kill him?


    True Man Situ, with a cold expression, couldn¡¯t help but heave a deep sigh¡­


    ¡­


    Inside Li Mountain City.


    The broken walls were dyed thoroughly red by a sea of blood.


    The remaining Demon Cultivators also instantly turned on each other, slaughtering one another under the influence of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, dying clean.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person walked straight up to the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    He reached out to touch the formation, but his fingertip was immediately dissipated into a plume of blood mist by the overwhelming power of the Large Formation.


    However, within a blink of an eye, the blood mist reversed its flow, and flesh and blood reformed.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s hand was as good as new.


    With a tap of his finger, strange, dark grey Formation Patterns began to crawl over the Large Formation, eroding it from the outside in.


    But the faster the erosion, the quicker the Large Formation repaired itself.


    Unable to break through the Large Formation¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person, with an indifferent look, then lifted the unconscious Mo Hua, shaking her in front of the Large Formation.


    From within the Large Formation, there seemed to come a sigh of resignation.


    Shortly after, there was a flash of light.


    The five-colored light curtain of the Large Formation opened by itself, revealing an entrance.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person sneered, hauling Mo Hua, and walked into the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    ¡­


    Not long after, Bai Qiancheng also arrived outside the Large Formation and saw the open entrance to the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    The entrance had not yet closed.


    After hesitating for a moment, she too entered the Large Formation.


    After Bai Qiancheng stepped into the Large Formation, the light curtain flickered, the Formation Patterns writhed, and the entrance gradually closed.


    Just as it was about to close, three Feathered Immortals from the Taoist Court also arrived at the scene.


    Seeing the entrance closing, the three hurriedly made their move. Blades and swords flashed, impeding the closure of the Large Formation.


    Then, they too entered the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation through the narrow entrance.


    Afterward, the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation closed completely.


    Outside was the Soul Banner Blood Sea, inside, the Mountain Protection Array.


    Outsiders could not tell what exactly was happening inside the Large Formation, within the old site of the Five Elements Sect¡­


    And after an unknown amount of time, the unconscious Mo Hua slowly came to¡­


    His forehead felt heavy and foggy.


    He could vaguely feel tremendous Spiritual Power fluctuations around him.


    Such Spiritual Power was vast like rivers and seas.


    And he himself, like a tiny boat engulfed by a tempestuous wave, felt insignificant and powerless.


    His surroundings were blurry, and there were people talking.


    These voices¡­ they were all familiar¡­


    Mo Hua squinted his eyes and it took him a long time to come to his senses, before he realized that he was already within the Five Elements Sect, standing in front of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formation Pavilion. ?????¦­?£Â¨§????


    All around him was a scene of devastation. Once beautifully sculpted beams and painted rafters were now broken stones and rubble; everywhere he looked, he saw ruin, with remnants of astonishing magical aura suggesting a great battle had taken place.


    Nearby were three people who had been corroded into white skeletons.


    Clearly, they were dead.


    And their bones were crystal clear, delicately etched with crystalline traces of Feather Transformation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart jolted.


    "Yet another three Feathered Cultivators¡­dead?¡±


    He looked up and saw Old Kui.


    Old Kui was wrapped in a blood garment, his body disintegrating, but as the flesh dissolved, no blood or muscle were beneath the skin, only brown, mottled wood patterns.


    "Blood of Destruction Path


    "Good, you actually colluded with that undying Blood Taoist


    Old Kui coughed, colluded with that undying old Blood Taoist


    The indifferent-looking Gui Tao¡¯s person bowed to Old Kui, ¡°Senior, please forgive me, I could not deal with the senior otherwise S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Kui glared like a sword, his voice sharp, ¡°Then who told you how to find my life gate?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person remained silent.


    Old Kui laughed out of extreme anger, ¡°Very well, blurring lines between righteous and demonic, what Dao are these Tao Cultivators really following?!¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person spoke gravely, ¡°Senior, may you find peace.¡±


    As soon as the words fell, the blood garment exuded an even darker and death-like blood light.


    Slowly, bit by bit, it wrapped around Old Kui, eroding him¡­


    And step by step, it devoured Old Kui¡¯s vitality.


    Old Kui, gazing at Gui Tao¡¯s person, coldly said,


    "Don¡¯t let me see you again, otherwise, I¡¯ll surely kill you!¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person bowed slightly, ¡°Junior will bear it in mind.¡±


    "Grandpa Gui


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart ached as he muttered under his breath.


    Hearing this, Old Kui, being eroded by the blood garment, gave Mo Hua one final look, his gaze growing gentle.


    It softened, carrying hints of apology and regret.


    In the end, he turned entirely into what seemed like a wooden sculpture, mottled and lifeless.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person glanced sideways at Mo Hua, furrowing his brow.


    Grandpa Gui¡­


    Old Kui actually allowed this child to call him ¡°Grandpa Gui


    Gui Tao¡¯s person only pondered with a frown for a moment before stepping forward, heading inside the Formation Pavilion.


    Heavenly secret calculated to the utmost, Demon Cultivators punished, the Taoist Court shaken, and even Old Kui had been dissolved by Blood Taoist¡¯s Undying Blood¡­


    All obstacles before him were now entirely eliminated.


    Ahead was only his junior brother whom he had not seen for hundreds of years¡­

 Chapter 697: Meeting (3)

    Chapter 697: Chapter 558 Meeting_3


    Just then, an icy yet clear voice rang out:


    "Big Senior Brother


    Gui Tao¡¯s people turned their heads and saw Bai Qiancheng standing to the side.


    Bai Qiancheng had been standing aside all along, witnessing with her own eyes as three Feathered Immortals of the Taoist Court were killed by Gui Tao¡¯s people, and then watched as Gui Tao¡¯s people used the Undying Blood to melt Old Kui.


    She could only stand by idly.


    No one could stop what her Big Senior Brother wanted to do.


    Whoever tried would die, including herself.


    However, she still remembered the request of her twin children, so in the end, she wanted to save Mo Hua from Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s hands.


    No matter what, the child was innocent after all.


    Moreover, he was indeed a disciple accepted by Senior Brother Zhuang, and shouldn¡¯t be involved in this right and wrong, to lose his life because of it¡­


    "Big Senior Brother¡­ give me that child


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked up, glanced at the Formation Pavilion, apparently thinking of something, and casually tossed Mo Hua to Bai Qiancheng.


    Bai Qiancheng instantly caught him, involuntarily examining Mo Hua, and silently said in her heart:


    "Is this¡­ the little disciple Zixi is concerned about


    The Spiritual Root is very poor¡­


    Compared to Zixi, it¡¯s really like heaven and earth¡­


    She then looked at his appearance.


    He does look quite good¡­


    His features are picturesque, he¡¯s lovable, with a pure and ethereal temperament, invoking an instinctive fondness when seen.


    And his eyes are clear, revealing at a glance that his nature is also good¡­


    It¡¯s just¡­ the Spiritual Root is poor, and the bloodline is even worse¡­


    Bai Qiancheng frowned.


    "Why did Senior Brother Zhuang accept such a young disciple?¡±


    Furthermore, what surprised her the most was Big Senior Brother¡­


    Big Senior Brother was once gentle and elegant, kind and tender to people, but since he turned into Gui Tao¡¯s people, he became sinister, terrifying, cold, and heartless.


    This was the first time she saw Big Senior Brother carrying a small child, not letting go the entire way.


    And in her view, the two seemed to get along very casually, even a bit ¡°close¡±?


    Bai Qiancheng furrowed her brows in confusion.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua looked up and also saw Bai Qiancheng.


    With just one glance, he was amazed.


    So beautiful¡­


    After a second glance, he felt that the woman¡¯s eyes and brows resembled those of his little sister-disciple¡­ S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you the mother of my little sister-disciple?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Bai Qiancheng was slightly taken aback, then involuntarily nodded.


    Mo Hua silently calculated, ¡°The mother of my little sister-disciple is also Uncle¡¯s sister-disciple, and also my master¡¯s sister-disciple¡­ So I should address you as¡­ ¡®Aunt¡¯?¡± ????a£Î?£Â¨¨?


    Bai Qiancheng was startled.


    This child is so smart and seems a bit¡­ overly familiar?


    "Correct.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng nodded again.


    "Disciple Mo Hua, greetings to Aunt,¡± Mo Hua said politely.


    A warmth blossomed in Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart.


    She looked at Mo Hua once more and noticed that Mo Hua had no injuries, wasn¡¯t ¡°Planted with Devil in the Taoist Heart,¡± his eyes were clear and upright, without any abnormalities, and she breathed a sigh of relief.


    After hesitating for a moment, Bai Qiancheng then said to Mo Hua:


    "Good child, stay here and don¡¯t run around. I¡¯m going to check on your master


    Mo Hua immediately said, ¡°Aunt, may I go in as well?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng was taken aback.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°I also want to see my master


    Bai Qiancheng felt a bitter tug in her heart but still declined, ¡°It will be very dangerous for you to go in


    "Oh


    Mo Hua nodded, disappointed yet understanding.


    Bai Qiancheng left Mo Hua behind and walked towards the Formation Pavilion. After taking a few steps, she looked back and saw Mo Hua standing there, all alone, feeling a touch of heartache and worry.


    If Gui Tao¡¯s people came out, this child might still be in danger¡­


    But now she couldn¡¯t manage that much anymore.


    Her Senior Brother¡¯s life was hanging by a thread.


    The opportunity related to the Back Ruins Heaven Burial, although the old ancestor told her to ¡°stand idly by,¡± when the time actually came, she couldn¡¯t possibly just sit back and do nothing.


    "Well, let fate take its course


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression was solemn; he clenched his teeth and also entered the Formation Pavilion¡­


    And Mo Hua, he just stood there alone.


    He wanted to go in, but he couldn¡¯t.


    It seemed that there was some kind of barrier in the Formation Pavilion. Uncle and Senior Uncle had high cultivation and deep mastery in formation, hence they could disregard the barrier and enter the Formation Pavilion.


    But he couldn¡¯t get in¡­


    Yet, staying here didn¡¯t seem safe either.


    Once everything settled down and Uncle came out, he would probably kill him too.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    It was at this moment that a buzzing sound came from the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation around him.


    Mo Hua was startled and looked up.


    He saw that within the Large Formation, one of the main Formation Pivots was operating on its own, dazzlingly bright.


    "Is this¡­ the Formation Pivot?¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered what his master had said to him when he first arrived at the Five Elements Sect.


    He remembered that at that time, he and his master had talked about the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    His master then drew a mountain map on a piece of paper, outlined several lines along the mountain¡¯s profile, and instructed him, saying:


    This is the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, the main formation pivot¡¯s meridians; you remember this.¡±


    "When the formation circulates, there will be a life-gate on the formation pivot.¡±


    "Although this small section is a second-grade Formation Pivot, it is similar in pattern to the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, and with your Divine Sense being sufficient, you should be able to calculate the life-gate on your own


    Mo Hua was racked with agonizing thoughts.


    "Calculating the life-gate


    Did his master have arrangements in place all along¡­


    Did he anticipate that I would be captured by Uncle and brought back to the Five Elements Sect, so he told me the life-gate of this section of the formation in advance?


    Did he want me to calculate the life-gate of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, and then leave on my own, staying away from this place of imminent danger¡­


    "Master


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes welled up with tears.


    He didn¡¯t want to go; he wanted to see his master one more time.


    But¡­


    Even if he saw his master, what could he do?


    What could he do himself?


    With such low cultivation, not strong enough Divine Sense, and formation skills not yet mastered, in such a perilous place, he could hardly keep himself safe¡­


    The Large Formation buzzed again.


    It was as if the master was urging him to leave¡­


    Mo Hua felt desolate, wiped away his tears, and then sat down on the ground. Using the Calculation Method taught by his master, he step by step calculated the entire Formation Pivot of the Large Formation, found the position and determined the life-gate.


    After determining the life-gate, Mo Hua looked up at the Formation Pavilion.


    It was as if his master was inside, silently watching him.


    It seemed to say, ¡°Go on


    Mo Hua hung his head, his figure full of desolation, and walked silently to the section of the mountain range marked by Mr. Zhuang and to the formation in front of the mountain range.


    Following the life-gate he had set, Mo Hua stepped forward and walked into the middle of the Large Formation.


    The Large Formation turned into a Spirit Screen, with Spiritual Power flowing like blades, airtight.


    However, the life-gate was where the Formation Pivot¡¯s key lay, also the space reserved for life.


    Mo Hua stepped into the life-gate as the surging Spiritual Power rapidly circled around him, like a boundless river or a galloping herd of thousands of horses, yet it did not harm him.


    On the contrary, this Spiritual Power was protecting Mo Hua.


    It shielded Mo Hua all the way, allowing him to leave the Mountain Protection Array unharmed¡­


    ¡­


    Fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion.


    Mr. Zhuang just sat there silently, watching Mo Hua walk out of the Large Formation all alone.


    A moment later, the Formation Pavilion shook.


    The Five Elements Formation on the fourth floor was eroded by pitch-black Formation Patterns, torn open, and a figure walked in.


    With white hair cascading down his shoulders and an indifferent expression.


    It was Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s breath was weak, his face pale as paper, but his expression was tranquil, as if confronting his destiny, revealing a composed smile.


    "Long time no see


    "Senior Brother.¡±

 Chapter 700: Sect (3)

    Chapter 700: Chapter 559 Sect_3


    He had killed his junior brother with his own hands¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s breath was already faint, but he still held onto a last gasp of air, as if he still had some concerns.


    The Blood of the Heavenly Man, the Innate Taoist Bone, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial ¨C these, he didn¡¯t care too much about¡­


    "Big Senior Brother


    Mr. Zhuang murmured softly, ¡°For the sake of our brotherhood, please don¡¯t trouble¡­ my few young disciples


    Gui Tao¡¯s people stared in shock, then turned cold again, about to utter a mockery.


    Just then, several golden chains suddenly appeared in the sky.


    These chains, adorned with majestic and rough Great Dao Formation Patterns, appeared and formed into a cage, seemingly intended to lock Gui Tao¡¯s people inside.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, ¡°Old fool, coveting a windfall!¡±


    His gaze hardened as he swallowed the Innate Taoist Bone and then his body was covered in black-gray Formation Patterns. These patterns, from the outside in, devoured his flesh, dissolving it¡­


    And the figure of Gui Tao¡¯s people also gradually faded, gradually scattered¡­


    In the void, an old and vigorous voice rang out:


    "Heavenly secret Tricky Escape¡­ thinking of fleeing?¡±


    The golden light in the sky grew stronger as the chains layered.


    But it seemed that nothing could stop the escaping method of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    His body faded bit by bit, vanishing from sight, but as he was leaving, he gave Mr. Zhuang one last look.


    That look was extremely complex, with a trace of pain, and finally, only determination remained.


    After that, Gui Tao¡¯s people disappeared.


    A cold snort sounded in the sky, followed by the dissipation of golden light, also vanishing without a trace, as if some unknown powerful being had followed the thread of Tricky Calculation in pursuit of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    In the Formation Pavilion, only Mr. Zhuang was left.


    Having lost the Back Ruins Heaven Burial map, the dying Mr. Zhuang was no longer cared for by anyone¡­


    Nobody cared about his life or death.


    Bai Qiancheng stepped forward, lifted Mr. Zhuang up, but found Mr. Zhuang¡¯s body lighter than willow fluff, thinner than paper, and couldn¡¯t help but shudder in his heart. ???????


    "Big Senior Brother


    Mr. Zhuang slowly opened his eyes, took a look at Bai Qiancheng, his gaze gentle, a faint smile on his face, but he did not speak.


    It seemed he no longer had the strength to talk.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression grew tense, ¡°Big Senior Brother, you can¡¯t die!¡±


    After a while, Mr. Zhuang finally spoke, his voice light and weary:


    "I have calculated all my life, I¡¯m tired, I want to sleep for a while


    Pain wracked Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart, ¡°Big Senior Brother, you can¡¯t die! Isn¡¯t there anything in this world you still want to do, anyone you still want to see?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment but still shook his head, murmuring:


    "No more, there¡¯s no one left in this world I want to see


    After he spoke, Mr. Zhuang slowly closed his eyes, no matter how Bai Qiancheng called out to him, there was no response.


    The last trace of color faded from his face.


    The faint spark of life, like a spring seeping into the desert, gradually dried up¡­


    Bai Qiancheng watched Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression, his face filled with bewilderment.


    He had never imagined he would witness this scene. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing his own Big Senior Brother die in front of him.


    That was Senior Brother Zhuang¡­


    Such a prodigious talent, so magnificent and peerless, so invincible.


    Whatever happened, he had a plan for everything; no matter what mistakes he made, he would be forgiving; whatever he wanted, Senior Brother would figure it out for him.


    The Big Senior Brother was right.


    He was also scheming against his Big Senior Brother.


    But¡­


    He always thought that no matter how much he schemed, Big Senior Brother would still be Big Senior Brother, the one adept at Heavenly secret Calculation, confident in everything.


    And not like this, pale-faced, devoid of life¡­


    "Big Senior Brother¡­ going to die?¡±


    A great terror spread throughout his body.


    Bai Qiancheng trembled all over.


    Everybody dies eventually.


    But having lived for hundreds of years, he had never realized, never thought, that one day, his Big Senior Brother, who treated him like a younger sister, always indulgent and caring for him, would¡­ die?


    He felt as if his chest was constricted, his heart torn by a knife.


    Tears flowed silently down his face.


    Bai Qiancheng wiped his cheeks, looking at the teardrops on his fingertips, murmuring: ¡°So it turns out, I can still cry


    Death¡­


    Bai Qiancheng was suddenly shocked.


    "No, you can¡¯t die!¡±


    "Big Senior Brother¡­ he cannot die!¡±


    Master had died¡­


    Big Senior Brother had turned into a demon¡­


    If Big Senior Brother were to die too, then all those who had ever cherished him in this world would be gone¡­


    "Big Senior Brother can¡¯t die!¡±


    "But¡­ how to save him, what do I have to save him with?!¡±


    With the Qi Sea shattered, the Sea of Consciousness exhausted, the Taoist Bone stripped, and life fading away¡­ in such a state, no Pills would be of use¡­


    Bai Qiancheng felt suffocated, involuntarily clutching his chest, enduring the agony, his mind racing.


    Moments later, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly said:


    "True Man Situ¡­ the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp

 Chapter 701: Eternal Mysterious Flame (1)

    Chapter 701: Chapter 560: Eternal Mysterious Flame_1


    Outside Li Mountain City, the Tao Cultivation camp.


    The clamor had subsided.


    Cultivators were dead or wounded all over.


    These cultivators had all been influenced by Gui Tao¡¯s people with a Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, and had killed each other.


    True Man Situ, using his fingers for Calculation and with the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, illuminated every corner of the camp to ensure there were no more Demon Seeds, nor the eerie presence of Gui Tao¡¯s people. Only then did his expression slightly relax.


    Afterwards, the dead cultivators were encoffined.


    The other cultivators were still in shock, each tending to their recuperation.


    In the room, True Man Situ was restless, his brows furrowed in thought.


    A moment later, there was a flash of a figure, and Bai Qiancheng, dressed in white, burst through the door and immediately said,


    "Senior Situ, I have a matter for which I need your assistance.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression was urgent.


    True Man Situ was taken aback, then furrowed his brows, sensing that this was no small matter.


    Moments later, he followed Bai Qiancheng into a secret chamber within the camp, where he saw Mr. Zhuang lying inside, his vital energy nearly dissipated. His heart skipped a beat.


    "This


    True Man Situ pointed at Mr. Zhuang, his fingers trembling.


    "The Back Ruins Picture has been taken by Gui Tao¡¯s people, my senior brother¡¯s lifeforce is slipping away, he is on the brink of death. Please, Senior, save my teacher¡¯s life!¡± pleaded Bai Qiancheng earnestly. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    True Man Situ gave a wry smile.


    Was this really a matter of whether to save or not to save¡­


    "True Man Bai, I¡¯m not a Pill Master


    "Pill Masters can¡¯t save him.¡±


    "Then


    Bai Qiancheng said, ¡°I wish to ask Senior, to use the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, to sustain my teacher¡¯s life!¡±


    True Man Situ¡¯s heart leaped, and he immediately refused, saying, ¡°No, no!¡±


    Then, seeing Bai Qiancheng¡¯s frosty expression, he explained,


    "It¡¯s not that I am miserly, but the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp is not the Seven Stars Everlasting Lamp, it¡­ it can¡¯t sustain life!¡±


    "It can!¡±


    Bai Qiancheng stated decisively.


    "No


    True Man Situ was halfway through his objection when Bai Qiancheng interrupted him:


    "My ancestor once mentioned to me that the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, in times of crisis, could temporarily sustain life


    True Man Situ¡¯s face darkened.


    He had forgotten that detail¡­ This young lady was from the Bai Family, with a profound family knowledge and knew the secret of this treasured artifact; he couldn¡¯t deceive her¡­ ??????????


    Still unwilling to agree, True Man Situ then asked,


    "Do you know how to use it?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but you certainly do!¡±


    True Man Situ was taken aback.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze sharpened as she continued,


    "You are the Chief Elder of Mystery Valley, respected and revered, with great mastery over Calculation. You definitely know how to sustain my teacher¡¯s life!¡±


    "I have not mastered the art


    But Bai Qiancheng had a firm look in her eyes, not listening to his objections.


    Helpless, True Man Situ decided to tell the truth,


    "It¡¯s not that I disagree, but the price is too high


    "This Qiankun Clear Light Lamp contains the Heavenly secret, expels evil and wards off disasters, it¡¯s Mystery Valley¡¯s most precious treasure, passed down through over a dozen generations


    "This treasured artifact is not like the Seven Stars Everlasting Lamp; it¡¯s not meant for sustaining life.¡±


    "If you use it as an Everlasting Lamp, it will wear out quickly, and before it saves someone¡¯s life for long, this Lamp may well expire


    "I do not consider myself a selfish man, but no matter what, I could not destroy the Sect¡¯s treasure just to save the life of someone unrelated


    True Man Situ shook his head repeatedly.


    Bai Qiancheng bit her lip and said, ¡°I will find a Heavenly secret treasure to present to Mystery Valley in exchange for the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp.¡±


    "A Heavenly secret treasure¡­ Where could you easily find such a thing


    True Man Situ disagreed.


    "Then consider it a great favor owed by the Bai Family,¡± said Bai Qiancheng.


    "Is it the Bai Family that owes the favor, or do you, True Man Bai, owe it?¡± asked True Man Situ.


    If it was a favor owed by the Bai Family, he might consider it.


    But if it was just a favor from a Feather Transformation True Man¡­


    Although a favor from a Feather Transformation True Man was valuable, it was certainly not so valuable as to exchange the treasure of Mystery Valley for it¡­


    True Man Situ could not agree in any case.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze became a bit hostile.


    True Man Situ was startled, his heart skipped a beat, wondering if she meant to forcibly take it¡­


    He had heard that the Bai Family¡¯s young miss was arrogant and willful, acting capriciously, but that was all over a hundred years ago¡­


    By now, having become a True Person and with a pair of children, she should have become more stable.


    But if she really resorted to force¡­


    Not even force would make him give it up!


    The Qiankun Clear Light Lamp certainly could not be lent out!


    Just as True Man Situ was about to reject her firmly, he paused.


    The scenes of the Daoist Court being Planting Devil in Taoist Heart floated before his eyes¡­


    The pitch-black pupils of that disciple.


    The cultivators from Daoist Court, influenced by Demon Thought, killing each other.


    The Taoists from Gui Tao casually walking past them.


    And that overwhelming presence of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    True Man Situ felt a chill in his heart.


    If Mr. Zhuang truly died, who else could contain Gui Tao¡¯s people?


    Without the Heavenly secret Calculation, how would they contend with Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?


    The art of Heavenly secret Calculation is different from cultivation.


    No matter how powerful one¡¯s cultivation, without knowledge of the Heavenly secret, one can still be schemed to death.


    Although the Divine Sense Calculation of Mystery Valley was indeed profound, no matter what, it could not compare to One Thought, Two Methods, Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    And if one day, Gui Tao¡¯s people truly became the Great Demon Head, founded on Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, using Planting Devil in Taoist Heart as a technique, slaughtered Mystery Valley, exterminated the Calculation of Mystery Valley, what would he do?


    How to defend?


    How could they possibly defend?


    True Man Situ became more frightened the more he thought.


    This thread of thought was not unfounded.


    Those who see the Heavenly secret and are skilled in Calculation, the myriad thoughts in their Sea of Consciousness, fleeting glimpses of light¡ªthese are all omens.

 Chapter 702: The Everlasting Mysterious Flame (2)

    Chapter 702: Chapter 560: The Everlasting Mysterious Flame_2


    These were all the fragments of possible futures in the causality, like illusions conjured by mirrors and water.


    In a hazy vision, he seemed to witness the scene of Gui Tao¡¯s people slaughtering those in Mystery Valley.


    The mountain gate was gloomy; a strange Qi Qi lingered all around.


    The disciples of the sect, with pitch-black eyes, had become walking corpses who killed each other¡­


    Annihilation of the entire sect!


    True Man Situ shuddered with fear.


    Facing such overwhelming tricky calculations, where the life force was utterly extinguished, it wasn¡¯t a matter of whether one Qiankun Clear Light Lamp would help¡ª even ten would be of no use¡­


    True Man Situ took another look at Mr. Zhuang, whose breath was feeble and life force was fleeing, and he sighed deeply. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If anyone in this world could contend with Gui Tao¡¯s people, it was only the equally exceptional and similarly taught Mr. Zhuang¡­


    "Let¡¯s take a gamble


    Although he might not live to see that day, he still had to seek wellbeing and forge a good karma for the future disciples of Mystery Valley¡­


    "Alright!¡± True Man Situ nodded and said, ¡°I agree to your request.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng was startled; she had been prepared to take it by force, but did not expect True Man Situ to suddenly change his mind.


    "However, I have a few conditions True Man Situ spoke again.


    Bai Qiancheng nodded, ¡°Senior, please speak.¡±


    True Man Situ said with a sigh, ¡°This will be considered a favor the Bai Family, or at least True Man Bai, owes to our Mystery Valley


    "Should our Mystery Valley face peril in the future, I hope True Man Bai will lend a hand!¡±


    Bai Qiancheng agreed, ¡°Of course.¡±


    True Man Situ continued, ¡°In lieu of the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, should True Man Bai come across another treasure of the Heavenly Secret in the future, please present it to this old man as compensation for the loss to Mystery Valley ?????¨§?


    Bai Qiancheng said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    "One more thing True Man Situ looked serious, ¡°Do not mention to anyone that I have intervened to help


    Mr. Zhuang had too many enemies, and the causality was too great.


    True Man Situ feared he could not bear the consequences.


    Bai Qiancheng nodded solemnly.


    True Man Situ breathed a sigh of relief. Although reluctant, he took out the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp and said to Bai Qiancheng:


    "As you and Mr. Zhuang come from the same lineage, you should know that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Qi Sea is exhausted, his Sea of Consciousness shattered, beyond the healing of pills and beyond the help of mortals


    "I can only use the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp as the Formation eye, consuming the lifespan of this lamp to set up the Mysterious Fire Everlasting Formation and lock Mr. Zhuang¡¯s causality.¡±


    "Without the cause of ¡®death,¡¯ the effect of ¡®death¡¯ will not come.¡±


    "By locking the causality, Mr. Zhuang is, for the moment, not considered ¡®dead.


    "But you must know, this is just an extension of life by bending fate; it does not save a life and cannot.¡±


    "Once the lamp extinguishes and the Formation breaks, the causality will resume its place, and Mr. Zhuang will still die


    Bai Qiancheng painfully acknowledged, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Even if it was just locking the causality, not being counted as dead, at least it was a sliver of hope¡­


    Better some hope than none¡­


    True Man Situ sighed and began to light the Clear Light Lamp, setting up the Mysterious Fire Formation, igniting the eternal flame, and temporarily locking the causality, sealing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s ¡°death.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng sighed in relief. After guarding Mr. Zhuang for several days, she suddenly remembered she had forgotten about Mo Hua.


    With her Divine Sense, she scanned Dali Mountain and spotted Mo Hua wandering along a mountain road outside Dali Mountain, lost and unsure of direction.


    Bai Qiancheng felt a pang of heartache and brought Mo Hua before Mr. Zhuang.


    Upon seeing her master who had patiently taught her, smiled at her, stroked her head, and cared for her deeply, lying there cold, unconscious, and unaware of life or death, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.


    In the following days, Mo Hua neither ate nor drank, remaining by Mr. Zhuang¡¯s side.


    ¡­


    In the Qiankun Lamp, light radiated in all directions.


    Within the Mysterious Fire Everlasting Formation, the Patterns were profound.


    Mr. Zhuang lay within the Formation, his breath as faint as mist, elusive and intangible, seemingly alive and dead, with only the thinnest thread of life lingering.


    He had thought he was already dead, doomed to eternal sleep.


    But in a hazy state, he still perceived a familiar, worrisome presence.


    Mr. Zhuang finally opened his eyes and took one last look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was guarding in front of him, her head drooping, her figure desolate, her eyes red and swollen, incessantly wiping away tears with her sleeve.


    Mr. Zhuang felt both pained and relieved.


    There were still people who truly cared for him¡­


    He imprinted Mo Hua¡¯s figure in his mind and silently thought:


    "Live well


    "Cultivate diligently, learn Formation Patterns well


    "Study well


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts stalled, and he felt his life force faltering; this thought seemed to be just a fleeting resurgence, a lingering notion as he clung to life¡­


    But that was enough¡­


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and closed his eyes contentedly.


    Mo Hua suddenly started and looked up only to find that Mr. Zhuang had already closed his eyes.


    Mo Hua rubbed her eyes, but they were sore, and she couldn¡¯t see clearly whether her master had awakened, whether he had glanced at her.


    "Master


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart ached, and tears flowed once more.


    ¡­


    Three days later, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also arrived.


    Their expressions were dejected. Seeing Mr. Zhuang, their hearts grew even heavier, their eyes red with grief.


    Only after seeing that Mo Hua was unharmed did they feel somewhat better.


    They sat beside Mo Hua, steadfastly guarding Mr. Zhuang, refusing to leave no matter what.


    Bai Qiancheng felt helpless but could do nothing about it.


    She had not realized that her children, along with Mo Hua, their little Disciple, had such depth of feeling for their senior brother¡­


    All she could do was to instruct Aunt Xue to prepare some food or Pills that could replenish Blood Qi, making sure these three children ate a bit every day, preventing them from diminishing their Blood Qi.

 Chapter 703: Mysterious Eternal Flame (3)

    Chapter 703: Chapter 560 Mysterious Eternal Flame_3


    Apart from that, Bai Qiancheng¡¯s biggest concern was still Gui Tao¡¯s people. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This matter seemed to have settled, but she always felt a lingering fear, as if Gui Tao¡¯s people still had some schemes up their sleeves.


    She went to ask True Man Situ, and True Man Situ also frowned without understanding.


    The actions of Gui Tao¡¯s people were mysterious and inscrutable.


    Yet it seemed, now that they had the Back Ruins Heaven Burial map in their possession, Gui Tao¡¯s people had achieved their goal and probably had no other intentions.


    Moreover, he had already made inquiries before.


    It seemed that the Pavilion Elders of the Taoist Court Seven Pavilions, using the Golden Light Heavenly Instrument, had locked onto the aura of Gui Tao¡¯s people and had been hunting them down continuously.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were too busy fending for themselves and would likely not risk doing evil again.


    Bai Qiancheng breathed a sigh of relief.


    After that, Bai Qiancheng planned to leave.


    She needed to ensure Mr. Zhuang was settled properly, not to let the Everlasting Lantern extinguish, and also to send Zixi and Zisheng back to their clan.


    At the same time, Mo Hua, this child, she also needed to find a way to send him back home.


    The Taoist Court and various Cultivators stationed outside Li Mountain City were also going to leave.


    But the night before their departure, a change occurred.


    As they were about to part ways, True Man Situ simply arranged a banquet as a farewell gesture.


    However, after just three rounds of drinking, a disturbance erupted in the camp, accompanied by cries of terror, hideous laughter, frantic shouts, and the sounds of combat¡­


    True Man Situ¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°Is this, Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?!¡±


    Everyone else¡¯s expression changed dramatically.


    They rushed out immediately and saw several Taoist Soldiers indeed enveloped in Demonic Qi, having lost their senses, with ferocious expressions as if choosing people to devour¡­ ?¦Á????????


    It was exactly like the signs of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart they had witnessed previously.


    True Man Situ, as if facing a great enemy, quickly subdued those possessed disciples, then turned to alert everyone, but upon looking up, he furrowed his brow.


    There was no aura of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    This meant that Gui Tao¡¯s people were not present¡­


    True Man Situ was somewhat surprised.


    Were these Taoist Soldiers just previously tainted with the Demon Seed, erupting only now?


    This type of Demon Seed was extremely weak and not contagious, posing very little threat.


    True Man Situ released his Divine Sense, scanned the area, and found no anomalies, finally heaving a sigh of relief.


    "I was overly concerned


    The others also breathed a sigh of relief.


    They had thought Gui Tao¡¯s people had come back for revenge¡­


    The crowd then thought of returning to continue drinking, to calm their nerves, but halfway there, Bai Qiancheng suddenly paused, halting in her steps.


    True Man Situ was puzzled, ¡°True Man Bai?¡±


    "Something¡¯s not right Bai Qiancheng frowned, murmuring.


    True Man Situ was a bit taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng said, ¡°Master¡­ every move Gui Tao¡¯s people make is calculated, they would never, without reason, scatter these few sporadic Demon Seeds here, they must have another motive for doing so


    As she spoke, Bai Qiancheng suddenly turned pale, ¡°Zisheng, Zixi!¡±


    Her body light as a falling feather, her feet swift as the wind, after a few flashes, she arrived in front of the secret chamber.


    Zisheng and Zixi were both holding bowls, looked after by Aunt Xue, drinking nourishing medicinal soup.


    Seeing Bai Qiancheng rushing over hurriedly, both were somewhat puzzled, ¡°Mother


    Bai Qiancheng pulled them in front of her, gave the children a thorough examination, probed the aura of both with her Divine Sense, and checked their eyes, only then did the stone in her heart fall.


    "Mother, has something happened?¡±


    Bai Zixi asked.


    Bai Qiancheng shook her head, about to say something, when suddenly her expression changed, ¡°Where¡¯s Mo Hua?¡±


    Bai Zixi replied, ¡°Mo Hua was too exhausted and fainted, so Aunt Xue took him back to the room to rest for a while


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    Bai Zixi also sensed something was amiss, her voice trembling, ¡°Mother


    "Wait here for me


    Bai Qiancheng instructed, and then her figure flashed, graceful as a startled swan, and in an instant, she arrived at Mo Hua¡¯s room.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small body lay on the bed, resting quietly on his side.


    Bai Qiancheng let out a sigh of relief but remained somewhat uneasy, so she gently called out, ¡°Mo Hua


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t seem to be asleep, and upon hearing movement, he straightened himself, then slowly sat up.


    "It¡¯s nothing, you go back to sleep for a while


    Bai Qiancheng had not finished speaking when she suddenly stopped short.


    At that moment, Mo Hua had already turned his head around.


    His face was innocent, but his pupils were pitch black.

 Chapter 704: Stealing Learning (1)

    Chapter 704: Chapter 561 Stealing Learning_1


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?!


    "Big Senior Brother, is this to¡­ completely eradicate the roots?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng felt a shiver in her heart.


    Such a ruthless intention!


    At this moment, several other Feathered Immortals also hurried over.


    Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had been told not to move, they couldn¡¯t help but follow over due to their concerns.


    They all saw Mo Hua.


    They saw Mo Hua¡¯s unusual expression, pitch-black and hollow pupils, a youthful face, and an aura of Gui Qi.


    True Man Situ¡¯s eyes flashed:


    "The Demon Thought is deeply planted!¡±


    How long had this young cultivator been in contact with Gui Tao¡¯s people?


    Why had such a deep Demon Thought been planted in him?


    And this strand of Demon Thought¡­


    It actually carries a whiff of the Original Demon Seed¡¯s aura¡­


    True Man Situ was greatly alarmed.


    What deep karma did Gui Tao¡¯s people have with this young cultivator to plant such a profound Demon Thought and completely obliterate him?!


    The other Feathered Immortals also looked gravely concerned.


    "Senior Situ, what should we do?¡±


    "This young cultivator is carrying a Demon Seed


    "To prevent spreading and endless disasters, should we¡­ eliminate him first?¡±


    There was a hint of murderous intent in his gaze.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes turned cold, and she said crisply:


    "Who dares?!¡±


    All the Feathered Immortals were startled, overawed by Bai Zixi¡¯s imposing manner; they felt a moment of unease followed by indignation.


    Being highly cultivated elders, revered in their sects, when had they ever been so rudely disrespected by a Qi-refining Realm young girl?


    The group looked at Bai Zixi with displeasure.


    Bai Zisheng stood firmly in front of Bai Zixi, and said fiercely, ¡°Who dares to bully my sister? Who would harm my junior brother?¡±


    "Impudent boy! You


    A Feathered Immortal was furious and about to scold him, but was pulled by someone next to him.


    Turning his head, he then saw Bai Qiancheng with an expression as cold as frost and eyes sharp as swords, quietly swallowing his words¡­


    He dared not offend the Bai Family, and especially not True Man Bai.


    Furthermore, these two children were the legendary Heavenly Spirit Roots.


    Don¡¯t bully the young when they¡¯re poor¡­


    One couldn¡¯t let momentary emotion cause trouble with an incautious remark.


    But this young cultivator needed to be dealt with¡­


    "Senior Situ, what do you think


    He passed the problem on to True Man Situ.


    Bai Qiancheng also looked at True Man Situ, her gaze suggestive, but clearly asking if there was any way to save Mo Hua¡­


    True Man Situ felt caught between a rock and a hard place.


    Save¡­ how could he possibly save him?


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart by Gui Tao¡¯s people destroys the Taoist Heart and damages Divine Sense, incurable by medicine, unsalvageable by anyone¡­


    The best solution, of course, was to end the pain quickly, kill him soon to prevent the spread of Demon Thought¡­


    But¡­


    True Man Situ stroked his beard.


    Killing a young cultivator ¨C he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    Not killing, yet, could lead to endless troubles.


    And even if one had to kill, who would do it?


    Although the child seemed to have no particular status or background, he was Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple¡­


    Seemingly with a lowly Spiritual Root and average talent, likely a disciple in name only, but anything related to Mr. Zhuang carried significant karma. ????????????s


    He didn¡¯t dare to truly strike at the child¡­


    Moreover, if the child were so simple, Gui Tao¡¯s people wouldn¡¯t have made special efforts to implant the Demon Seed in his Taoist Heart, creating distractions and killing a child in his early teens¡­


    True Man Bai was right; Gui Tao¡¯s actions always had intent.


    There must be some mystery involved.


    True Man Situ furrowed his brows, glanced at Mo Hua again, and sighed helplessly:


    "This child has a deeply planted Demon Thought, but from the looks of it, he hasn¡¯t gone mad, nor has he completely lost his mind. And being at Qi Refinement, his cultivation is limited; even if he goes mad, he can¡¯t kill anyone


    "In my opinion, we should confine the child for now and observe the situation


    If it really came down to it, the Demon Thought would have to be nipped in the bud¡­


    True Man Situ didn¡¯t say this outright, but everyone understood what he implied.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze hardened slightly as she said, ¡°Then let¡¯s follow Senior Situ¡¯s advice.¡±


    She indeed had no solution for Planting Devil in Taoist Heart and could only think of dragging things out for now. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hopefully, Mo Hua, being a fortunate child, would turn the bad into good¡­


    Since True Man Situ¡¯s Qiankun Clear Light Lamp was now being used as a lamp, Bai Qiancheng summoned the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, enveloping Mo Hua inside to isolate his aura.


    It was to prevent Mo Hua from going mad and his Demon Thought from spilling out.


    It was also to protect Mo Hua.


    Around Mo Hua, True Man Situ drew the Mystery God-Deifying Formation from Mystery Valley, trapping Mo Hua and Gui Tao¡¯s Demon Seed firmly within, to prevent any untoward incident.


    "Zisheng, Zixi, you go back first Bai Qiancheng said softly.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both shook their heads.


    They wanted to stay here, guarding their junior brother!


    They had promised their mentor to take good care of him!


    Bai Qiancheng had no choice but to remain with the two children, standing guard in front of Mo Hua.


    "Junior brother


    Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua¡¯s pitch-black pupils, felt a pang in her heart, tightly pursed her lips, and her face turned pale.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was confined under the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, quiet and still, not making any trouble.


    Surrounded by the Mystery God-Deifying Formation, his Qi was cut off. His pupils were pitch-black, his expression slightly vacant, seemingly oblivious to everything.


    Yet inside his Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    He sensed a tremendous terror.


    A powerful, pitch-black, bizarre, grey shadow, like swirling ink, suddenly appeared within his Sea of Consciousness.


    Soon after, a void and distorted figure gradually emerged.


    His features were unfamiliar, hazy, carrying vague afterimages.


    But his aura was unmistakably familiar.


    Mo Hua knew without looking.

 Chapter 705: - Learning Stealthily (2)

    Chapter 705: Chapter 561 ¨C Learning Stealthily_2


    This person was his Uncle.


    And the real¡­ Gui Tao¡¯s people!


    Or rather, a strand of thought close to the source of Gui Tao!


    Mo Hua was somewhat nervous, but not panicked.


    Because, at this moment, Gui Tao¡¯s people were still outside the boundary of his Sea of Consciousness.


    Between him and Gui Tao¡¯s people lay the grand scale, layer upon layer, intricate and ever-changing, as intricate as a cocoon¡­


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    The bottleneck of Heaven Yan Jue was the obstacle of Foundation Establishment, but now it had become the natural barrier of Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, keeping Gui Tao¡¯s people ¡°out of the gate.¡±


    Gui Qi lingered, and Gui Tao¡¯s people transitioned from illusion to reality, gradually manifesting.


    As soon as he condensed, he looked up and saw tens of thousands of Formations, lying between him and Mo Hua, and couldn¡¯t help but be stunned and lost in thought. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?¡±


    "How could it be¡­ Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?¡±


    How could a Cultivator¡¯s Sea of Consciousness form the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    This was fundamentally beyond his expectations.


    Through the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, Gui Tao¡¯s people, with profound gaze, looked towards Mo Hua, his expression cold with a hint of confusion.


    This Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­ who laid it out?


    Who has the ability, within a Cultivator¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, to lay out the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    And for what purpose?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people took a glance at Mo Hua, frowning in thought.


    At such a young age, to be able to manifest Divine Thought¡­


    The Sea of Consciousness is resilient, Divine Sense powerful¡­


    To be taken as a Disciple by my junior brother, he must have outstanding qualities.


    Within his Sea of Consciousness, there must be a tremendous secret¡­


    Junior brother¡­


    In order to conceal this secret, to protect his young Disciple, to prevent me from spying on the truth, he went to great lengths to lay out the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­ R???????§£??


    He wanted to use the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation to safeguard his little disciple¡¯s secret¡­


    "So that¡¯s it


    "His Heavenly secret Calculation, actually used here


    "To¡­ construct the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!¡±


    The larger the Formation, the greater the secret it hides¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s pitch-black pupils slightly trembled, and his expression also quite excited.


    Mo Hua had no idea what he had thought of, but also knew himself that he was no match for this Uncle of Gui Tao with immeasurable abilities, so he said:


    "Uncle, as you can see, there¡¯s a Large Formation between us. I can¡¯t get out, you can¡¯t come in.¡±


    "I won¡¯t entertain you, so please come and go early


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, ¡°Just a mere first-grade Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, and you think it can stop me? Junior brother, oh junior brother, you underestimate me too much!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Did Uncle mean he could break the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    But¡­ this is the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    To break the Formation, even if it¡¯s Uncle, wouldn¡¯t it take at least ten or eight years, how could it be done in just one or two years¡­


    Does Uncle intend to squat in his own Sea of Consciousness and not leave?


    He knew he couldn¡¯t afford to entertain him¡­


    Just at this time, Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed, and he looked intently, his heart greatly shaken.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s features gradually blurred, twisted, and turned into a mass of Gui Qi, which then split into multiple aberrant, vaporous human forms.


    These Gui shadows spread out in all directions and then began¡­


    To erode the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    What was this?


    Was this¡­ Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?


    No, that wasn¡¯t right¡­


    According to Mo Hua¡¯s previous observations and understanding, the so-called Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was essentially a special spell point based on the use of Divine Thought.


    Mo Hua looked more carefully.


    Now, within his Sea of Consciousness, there were no external forms, everything manifested in its truest Divine Thought state, so, Mo Hua could see clearly.


    These divided Gui shadows were based on the derivative of Divine Sense Calculation¡­


    "From Tao comes One, One gives rise to Two, Two gives rise to Three, Three generates all things


    And the divided Gui shadows were not ¡°eroding¡± the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation. Essentially, they were using the symbiosis and rivalry of Formation Patterns, their strengths and weaknesses, mutual neutralization, and devouring¡­


    So, their essence was to¡­


    Crack the Formation!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were resolving the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation right in front of him!


    And the foundation for cracking the formation was that special kind of Gui Tao calculation¡­


    Mo Hua overheard Uncle Bai and that old Mr. Situ talking about Uncle¡¯s Divine Sense Calculation, which came from the same origin as the Master¡¯s, but each was different.


    This Divine Sense Calculation was also¡­


    Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation!


    That is to say¡­ Uncle was using Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to solve the bottleneck of his Heaven Yan Jue¡ªMysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart was greatly shaken, and then a thought crossed his mind.


    This¡­


    Could it also be his Master¡¯s arrangement¡­


    Perhaps the Master disapproved of his slow progress in resolving formations, so he had Uncle come and help him crack the Formation, help him break through¡­ the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment!


    He wished for him to establish his foundation a bit sooner¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart turned sour, and his eyes grew moist.


    "Master


    Mo Hua murmured.


    Then a thought struck him, and he was startled again.


    No, it wasn¡¯t that simple¡­


    The Master¡¯s purpose was maybe¡­ not just to have Uncle help him break the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation and overcome the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment. He might also want him¡­


    To learn Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, and then it began to beat thumpingly fast.


    To learn Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, to know oneself and the enemy, so that in the future when he encountered Uncle, he wouldn¡¯t be completely baffled, at someone else¡¯s mercy, led by the nose¡­


    Moreover, Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation could crack the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    Then he could use Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to break the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation himself in the future!


    Mo Hua was somewhat dazed.


    The Master¡­ was he thinking so far ahead for him¡­


    Mo Hua felt a pang of sadness, and then his expression brightened.


    He must not let his Master¡¯s expectations down!


    He would follow Master¡¯s instructions and study well!


    To learn all of Uncle¡¯s skills without missing a thing!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes also gradually brightened, shining like stars.

 Chapter 706: Sneaky Learning (3)

    Chapter 706: Chapter 561: Sneaky Learning_3


    This is the best time to learn ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡±!


    Inside his own Sea of Consciousness, Uncle spared no effort in splitting his Divine Thought without any concealment, right before his own eyes, to solve the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation contains tens of thousands of Formation Formations.


    To unravel each one means to solve tens of thousands of times¡­


    Every time the people of Gui Tao unraveled a Formation, it was equivalent to providing a practical demonstration of how to master and apply the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to break through all the Formations under the heavens!


    Tens of thousands of times!


    Even if Mo Hua were a fool, he would be able to grasp the general idea.


    But he is not a fool.


    He has exceptional Divine Sense, is a Direct Disciple of Mr. Zhuang, skilled in Calculation, profound in Formation knowledge, transparent in understanding the Formation principle, and has even comprehended the Taoist Meaning and grasped the Ultimate Formation.


    Previously traveling with the people of Gui Tao, he had seen Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, Gui Tao sealing the heavens, which was like ¡°pre-studying,¡± laying a foundation for understanding the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    Now to study again, it¡¯s twice the result with half the effort.


    The people of Gui Tao decipher the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation right before his eyes.


    It¡¯s like bringing the meal right in front of Mo Hua¡­


    Or even, feeding it directly into Mo Hua¡¯s mouth.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits were greatly lifted, and thereafter, he stared intently as one Divine Thought after another ¡°eroded¡± and solved one Formation after another.


    He imprinted each of these scenes firmly in his mind, constantly remembering, comprehending, calculating, replicating¡­


    Until he finally integrated and understood everything.


    Mo Hua studied eagerly, with undivided attention.


    Like a big tiger-cat that had fallen into a fish hold, feasting to his heart¡¯s content, wishing he could fill his belly¡­


    ¡­


    The intricacies of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, with its vast array of patterns, were not simple to unravel.


    Even for the people of Gui Tao, he had to concentrate fully when using the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to split Divine Thoughts and erode the Formation. ?????¦­??¦¥?


    Occasionally he raised his head and saw Mo Hua, furrowing his brows.


    This little thing¡­ looks very strange¡­


    With a tense little face, concentrating hard, not knowing what he¡¯s looking at or pondering, only the glint in his eyes suggested he was ¡°calculating¡± something¡­


    But on closer inspection, he found Mo Hua was tense, as if ¡°afraid.¡±


    The person of Gui Tao hesitated.


    An illusion¡­?


    How could a little Cultivator in his teens know how to calculate?


    And how could he possibly learn the techniques of Divine Sense?


    Even his own prodigiously talented disciple needed the Blood of the Heavenly Man and the Innate Taoist Bone to achieve that¡­


    What could this little thing possibly rely on?


    The gaze of the person of Gui Tao turned slightly cold.


    "No matter what, as long as I break through the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation and take a look inside this kid¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, I¡¯ll know everything


    "I¡¯ll also understand why my disciple hid this little apprentice so deeply


    The Divine Sense of the person of Gui Tao stirred, the Gui Qi churning.


    Many Divine Thoughts accelerated the ¡°erosion¡± of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, which resembled a cocoon made of Spiritual Threads¡­


    One Pattern after another, one Formation after another, all dissolved under the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    And the more the person of Gui Tao solved, the more Mo Hua watched, the more he learned, the more he understood, and the deeper his comprehension became¡­


    Every form of Gui Dao, with its myriad transformations, was caught in his sight.


    The tricks of Heavenly secret, the ups and downs of the Great Dao, were all absorbed into his Divine Sense.


    Time trickled away bit by bit¡­


    Outside the Sea of Consciousness, Bai Qiancheng, Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and a host of others undergoing Feather Transformation were all waiting anxiously¡­


    Mo Hua remained quiet and still, his pupils pitch black.


    The situation had not worsened, but there was also no sign of improvement.


    Meanwhile, inside the Sea of Consciousness, the person of Gui Tao was solving the Formation, and Mo Hua was learning¡­


    It is unknown how much time had passed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness trembled, his Divine Sense became clear and bright.


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, with its thousands of Formations and spells, was swept away in one fell swoop, and those intricate threads that were like silkworm cocoons also dissolved completely.


    Mo Hua distinctly felt the bottleneck to his Foundation Establishment¡­ had disappeared!


    And the omnipresent Gui Qi once again condensed into a human figure.


    The person of Gui Tao stepped forward and entered Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, standing in front of Mo Hua.


    Before he could feel any joy, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, and a chill went through his heart.


    This is Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    This is the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    The complex and extensive Mysterious Heaven Great Formation was unraveled just like that¡­


    The Large Formation that would take oneself years or even decades to solve was simply unknotted by ¡°Uncle


    Gui Tao¡¯s person had an indifferent expression, his right hand lifted lightly, and materialized an ancient bronze-colored long sword.


    It was precisely the sword that had pierced through Mr. Zhuang¡¯s chest and extracted the Innate Taoist Bone, the Sumeru Sword.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    Uncle¡­ truly wanted to kill him!


    Once Divine Sense dies, Divine Consciousness disappears, and even if the body remains, it¡¯s just an empty shell!


    Gui Tao¡¯s person revealed a murderous intent.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t waste words, raised his hand and cast Fireball Technique, blasting it directly at Gui Tao¡¯s person.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person swept his Sumeru Sword across, the sword light split the fireball in two, dissolving the spell, but his expression revealed a hint of surprise.


    Spell Manifestation¡­


    Moreover, the power of the spell was quite remarkable, indicating that this youngster¡¯s Divine Thought Power and his application method were far stronger than those of an average Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Next, Mo Hua¡¯s offensive moves continued nonstop, focusing with one finger, fiery red Formation Patterns appeared, then they exploded.


    The Earth Fire Formation exploded, flames erupted, engulfing Gui Tao¡¯s person in an instant, yet likewise, they couldn¡¯t harm him in the slightest.


    Yet Gui Tao¡¯s person couldn¡¯t help but be startled.


    Formation Visualization¡­


    He glanced at Mo Hua, furrowing his brows.


    Who taught him all these things?


    He¡¯s so young, yet he already knows how to use these Divine Sense techniques?


    No wonder my junior brother valued him so highly¡­


    I seem to have, underestimated this youngster¡­


    "However, the tricks are still too immature


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s expression remained cold.


    His Demon Seed, merely at the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    That was to deceive and elude those Feather Transformation and Golden Core Cultivators.


    It was also to avoid, a Demon Seed above Golden Core being too strong. Once planted, upon entering the Sea of Consciousness, it would likely shatter Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness instantly.


    If the Sea of Consciousness shatters, Mo Hua would die, and I would no longer be able to probe to the bottom of it.


    If this brat dies, it would not matter, but if the Sea of Consciousness is destroyed, I wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out what secrets my junior brother has hidden within this little Disciple of his.


    This Demon Seed of the Foundation Establishment Peak included a thread of my innate Gui Tao essence.


    To deal with this youngster, it¡¯s overkill, more than sufficient!


    "Manifesting Formation is all, just child¡¯s play


    Gui Tao¡¯s person pointed the tip of his sword, Gui Qi filled the air, dark gray Gui Tao Formation Patterns suddenly appeared, locking down Mo Hua, and bit by bit, started to erode his Divine Thought!


    This Gui Tao Formation was very strong, endlessly generating, impossible to break free from.


    Divine Thought was also being ¡°eroded¡± little by little¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew cold, he caught a glimpse of the Formation Patterns from the corner of his eye. In a flash of inspiration, he immediately put to use what he had just learned, using his own Divine Sense to manifest Formation Patterns, dissolving Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s Formation Patterns one by one, and then he found an opening, making his escape promptly¡­


    After breaking away, Mo Hua took a deep breath of relief.


    However, Gui Tao¡¯s person was left standing there, incredulously frozen on the spot.


    "Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?!!¡±


    He looked at Mo Hua, his pitch-black pupils shaking as if he encountered something utterly baffling, ¡°How can you¡­ Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?!¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit guilty and then said, ¡°My teacher taught me!¡±


    "Nonsense!¡± Gui Tao¡¯s person gritted his teeth, ¡°Your teacher doesn¡¯t know it!¡±


    This Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was a supreme Divine Sense technique, an esoteric and untransmittable art, known only by him in the entire world.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s eyes were fierce, he wanted to say something more, but the events that had just unfolded replayed before his eyes.


    Mo Hua¡¯s focused little face, his bright and spirited eyes, that thoughtful expression¡­


    And the bits and pieces of their journey together¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s pupils shockingly dilated, his thoughts bordering on disbelief:


    "You actually¡­ stole the knowledge of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?!¡±


    "It¡¯s not ¡®stolen¡¯!¡±


    Mo Hua boldly corrected.


    He had learned it in broad daylight, openly and honestly, right in front of Uncle¡¯s face!


    How could you call something so upright and outright ¡®stealing¡¯? sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 707: Don’t Look (1)

    Chapter 707: Chapter 562 Don¡¯t Look_1


    As expected!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people felt somewhat absent-minded, subsequently still finding it hard to believe.


    Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, could it be so easily stolen and learned?


    Watching how after only having used it a few times, this little thing had actually managed to learn and apply it so skillfully?


    What¡¯s more, in front of oneself, having planted a devil in one¡¯s Taoist Heart, hanging by a thread, he still had the audacity to steal one¡¯s Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    What exactly had his junior brother taught¡­


    At a glance, he appeared harmless to humans and animals, but was actually quite strange¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze turned ice-cold.


    No matter what, having learned the Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation meant certain death!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also grew solemn.


    He too sensed the intense intent to kill in Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s eyes.


    However, the current situation was a life-or-death struggle, to begin with.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, corroding the Sea of Consciousness.


    Looking at Uncle¡¯s appearance, he hadn¡¯t planned on sparing him either.


    He must find every possible way to survive his encounter with Uncle¡­


    In the Sea of Consciousness, silence prevailed, only the intent to kill solidified.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expression remained cold and detached as he held the Sumeru Sword horizontally, the eerie Sword Qi coalescing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright and piercing, as he focused and conjured spells.


    The two engaged in a real contest of Divine Thought within Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people, this incarnation of Demon Thought, were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, with powerful Divine Thought and profound methods.


    While Mo Hua, although his Divine Sense only had Thirteen Stripes, had condensed Divine Sense and several Divine Sense techniques; having survived numerous perilous Divine Thought Slaughters, he could barely be considered battle-hardened.


    Divine Thought Slaughter was imminent.


    Black Sword Qi swept through, with bright red fireballs flying about.


    After several exchanges, Mo Hua realized a terrifying truth:


    Doomed¡­


    He was simply no match for his Uncle¡­


    His Uncle was just too strong!


    His presence was as deep as an abyss, surrounded by swirling Gui Qi, his methods unfathomably deep.


    His own Fireball Technique and Manifesting Formation couldn¡¯t harm a hair on Uncle¡¯s head; all attack methods had barely approached him before being dissolved by a couple of his sword moves. ?a????¨°?¨ºs?


    And his Sword Qi was extremely powerful, wounding upon contact.


    Mo Hua dared not take it head-on.


    He could only try to contain, to delay, and then find a way to survive¡­


    The two kept clashing.


    After dozens of rounds, Mo Hua had always been at a disadvantage, his form disheveled, chased about haphazardly by the Sword Qi, but, to his surprise¡­ S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had actually held out under his Uncle¡¯s hand¡­


    Though still in a sorry state, he barely managed to ¡°cling¡± on to life.


    Not struck dead by Uncle¡¯s sword¡­


    "Am I that amazing?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, his thoughts stirring, as he came to a realization.


    His speed was faster than Uncle¡¯s!


    He found that the speed at which he manifested spells and Formations seemed to be a bit faster than Uncle¡¯s¡­


    Uncle was fast in his moves because he was extremely powerful.


    And his own speed was fast because of the boost to Divine Sense from the Heaven Yan Jue, because of the use of Divine Sense in the Spiritual Pivot Formation, because he practiced Drawing Formation every day, honing Divine Sense over time.


    His moves were slightly faster than Uncle¡¯s.


    It was precisely this slight advantage that allowed him to barely hang on under his Uncle¡¯s hand.


    In the world of spells, only speed is unbeatable!


    "Grandpa Gui was right all along!¡±


    Mo Hua steadied his heart and started to focus, grappling with Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people maintained a consistently cold demeanor but felt a hint of surprise in his heart.


    "This little thing¡­ how can his moves be so rapid? Could it be Old Kui


    This set of techniques closely followed the lineage of Old Kui.


    The art of applying myriad methods lies entirely in one¡¯s mind.


    Once mastered deeply, they are both fast and difficult to handle¡­


    Just like this little fellow¡­


    The Fireball Technique was fast and fierce;


    The Water Prison Technique was fast and precise;


    The Water Passing Step was fast and unpredictable¡­


    How much more did he know?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Originally, these techniques could all be resolved by employing his Tricky Calculation to seal the heavens.


    But he never expected that he would be seen through by this little nephew, having his Planting Devil in Taoist Heart exposed and his Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation stolen.


    Now if he tried to seal him with a Formation, he could just counter it with Tricky Calculation.


    Truly elusive¡­


    "Could it be that I can only keep this up?¡±


    The moment this thought surfaced, Gui Tao¡¯s people were startled, and then anger arose.


    He, contending with a junior nephew in the Qi Refinement Realm, incapable of overwhelming with force, had to rely on ¡°exhaustion¡±?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people found it utterly ridiculous!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expression turned chilling, but he suddenly sensed something amiss. His anger dissipated, giving way to furrowed brows.


    This little nephew was outrageous¡­


    In the clash of Divine Thought, he seemed entirely at ease. Although his methods still seemed immature, they were extremely practiced as if he had experienced numerous Divine Thought Slaughters.


    But how could this be possible¡­


    He was still so young.


    Incarnation of Divine Sense, Manifesting Spells, Manifesting Formation¡­


    If he put himself in his place, if it were not for his own incarnation of Demon Thought, based on Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, the Demon Thought of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­


    Any usual Foundation Establishment Thought Body would hardly be his match¡­


    Such Divine Thought, did it really need the protection of Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, was it to protect this little fellow¡¯s Divine Thought from being slain, or to protect others¡¯ Divine Thought from entering and being slain by him?


    Guard against Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?


    That¡¯s not right¡­


    If it was to counter Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, his junior brother could have taken other measures to guard against him, not having to go to the trouble of setting up the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    Moreover¡­


    Did his junior brother truly have the ability to set up the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    In Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s mind, the image of his junior brother, pale as paper, breath feeble, utterly lifeless surfaced¡­


    Burnt out, even if he exhausted every bit of Heavenly Secret Calculation, he might not be able to set up such a Formation, even a first-grade one, but one of immense scale like the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!

 Chapter 708: Don’t Look (2)

    Chapter 708: Chapter 562 Don¡¯t Look_2


    Gui Tao¡¯s people felt a tremor in their hearts.


    "Did I¡­ guess wrong?¡±


    This Mysterious Heaven Great Formation wasn¡¯t set up by my junior brother to protect his little disciple¡­


    Instead, it¡¯s something that was originally in this little thing¡¯s Sea of Consciousness!


    As Gui Tao¡¯s people realized this, a slight shock crossed their mind.


    "In the Sea of Consciousness¡­ originally there?¡±


    That¡¯s even more impossible¡­


    Who has a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation in their Sea of Consciousness?


    What is this Great Formation used for?


    Countless experiences in Tao Cultivation, Tao Cultivation Canons, flipped through their minds one by one¡­ S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua, piecing together his Cultivation, and suddenly had an epiphany:


    Qi Refining Ninth Level, breaking through to Foundation Establishment¡­


    If there really is a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation in the Sea of Consciousness, then most likely, it¡¯s the bottleneck for Foundation Establishment!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were shaken.


    Did my junior brother want me to help his little disciple break through the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment?!


    For a moment, they didn¡¯t know whether to be angry or to laugh.


    But then again, their heart turned solemn.


    Cultivation Technique¡­


    What kind of Cultivation Technique uses ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡± as the bottleneck for Foundation Establishment?


    A Cultivation Technique with the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation as the bottleneck, is that intended for people to learn?


    What kind of person can actually learn this Cultivation Technique¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people watched the young Mo Hua, who was only in his teens, seriously executing the Water Passing Step, forming the Fireball Technique, and manifesting the Earth Fire Formation to try and constrain them. Despite appearing clumsy under their Sword Qi, he remained calm and composed, with measured advance and retreat. Muttering to themselves, Gui Tao¡¯s people said: ?????????????????¦¥?


    "This little thing¡­ is actually¡­ a little monster


    And it¡¯s not just that¡­


    The Cultivation Technique he¡¯s learning is definitely not simple¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze grew heavy.


    "Then¡­ he can¡¯t simply be killed


    "He must be caught, and interrogated thoroughly.¡±


    "The details of this Cultivation Technique must be completely clarified!¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people suddenly stopped their attack, retracting the ancient bronze-colored Sumi Longsword in their hands.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then his expression grew even more serious.


    Indeed, after only a moment, Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s aura underwent a drastic change.


    A thick black Qi, mixed with dense Formation Patterns and containing powerful and strange forces, began to rise from around them.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    "Not good, Uncle is angry!¡±


    He immediately executed the Water Passing Step, tapping the ground with the tip of his toes, and swiftly moved far away.


    Then Mo Hua fixed his gaze and saw the black Qi first rise, then contract, and condense around Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people donned a strange, pitch-black Taoist Robe.


    This robe looked completely different from their previous one.


    The robe was like woven from black mist, with numerous suffering, struggling faces on it, bizarre and terrifying.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense fluttered slightly, and he was shocked in his heart.


    This robe contained an even more profound ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation,¡± Soul-devouring and Spirit-possession, going against the heavens.


    But this Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was too profound.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand it at all¡­


    He just knew that his Uncle was truly enraged and was probably going to stop at nothing to kill him!


    "What should I do?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were heavy when he suddenly jolted.


    He sensed a familiar aura¡­


    At the same time, Gui Tao¡¯s people, draped in the remnants of soul faces and the pitch-black Taoist Robe, with a terrible aura about to act against Mo Hua, were also startled.


    An imposing aura spread throughout Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people trembled all over, filled with excitement, anticipation, and fear.


    Could it be¡­


    Is it¡­


    The Aura of the Original Source of the Dao?!


    How is that possible?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people turned hastily, and in the center of the Sea of Consciousness, they saw a Taoist Stele appear out of nowhere.


    The Taoist Stele was ethereal, a vast expanse of Chaos.


    Broad and unpretentious, oddly-shaped and incomplete, as if there were profound and obscure auras fluctuating, in the trance it seemed as desolate as empty space, utterly void¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s pupils violently shook.


    So that¡¯s how it is¡­


    The real secret of this little thing is this¡­


    Is this fragmented stele that contains the Aura of the Original Source of the Dao!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression drastically changed, turning pale.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, abandoning Mo Hua, and walked towards the Taoist Stele.


    The Taoist Stele trembled as an ancient, mysterious, and primal aura instantly spread out all around.


    This aura was pressing down, erasing Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s existence.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expression grew solemn; their black Taoist Robe billowed in the wind, black and gray Formation Patterns covered the strange faces. They interlaced into Dao Patterns and Demon Thoughts, seemingly using the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to give life to incomplete souls, transform into human thoughts to obscure the source and conceal the Heavenly secret, in an attempt to avoid being eroded by the aura of the Dao.


    Their Taoist Robe began to wear down bit by bit.


    The Gui Tao black Qi around them dissipated little by little.


    One by one, the faces turned to ash under the power of the Dao¡­


    But Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s figure was persistently approaching the Taoist Stele step by step¡­


    They wanted to see what secrets lay upon the fragmented stele within this little thing¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Why did this fragmented stele have the Aura of the Original Source of the Dao?!


    Mo Hua was utterly terrified and hastily said:


    "Uncle, don¡¯t look!¡±


    But Gui Tao¡¯s people paid him no heed, their figure flickering in and out of view, steadily advancing toward the Taoist Stele¡­


    Mo Hua hardened his resolve and with rapid movements of his fingers, he directed fireballs that howled towards Gui Tao¡¯s people to drive them back.


    But no matter how many Fireball Techniques he used, upon encountering Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s black soul Taoist Robe, they were all extinguished, vanishing without a trace.


    Mo Hua then cast the Water Prison Technique.


    The Water Prison Technique, too, only managed to delay Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s steps, having a minimal effect.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp, and he began forming a Formation.


    Shortly after, he pointed towards Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Golden red Formation Patterns writhed and conjoined at Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s feet, harmonizing with each other, solidifying into the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation.


    The Golden Lock Formation trapped Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    The Triple Lotus Earth Fire Formation, responding to one another like three fiery lotuses, suddenly unfurled, accompanied by roaring flames that engulfed Gui Tao¡¯s people.

 Chapter 709: Don’t Look (3)

    Chapter 709: Chapter 562 Don¡¯t Look_3


    This Compound Formation Mo Hua had been suppressed by Gui Tao¡¯s people before, he never had a chance to use it.


    Now that Gui Tao¡¯s people were coveting the Taoist Stele and not paying attention to Mo Hua, Mo Hua finally found the opportunity to fully manifest the Manifestation Killing Compound Formation.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were not afraid of the power of such a Formation, but now all his mind and all his Tricky Calculations were used to resist the aura of the Taoist Stele.


    Caught off guard and with no way to avoid it, he was still injured by the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation.


    The Taoist Robe trembled, and the Gui Qi flickered on and off.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people took a few steps back and were then pushed back by the overpowering Great Dao aura emanating from the Taoist Stele, forcing him to retreat another dozen steps or so. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked up, their faces showing dark Qi, but their eyes were somewhat astonished.


    Manifesting the Killing Compound Formation¡­


    This little thing¡¯s Formation craftsmanship is indeed somewhat unexpected.


    Being able to draw a Compound Formation and being able to manifest one are worlds apart, and the understanding of Formations that they imply are as different as clouds are from mud.


    This little devil¡¯s standard in Formation far exceeds his age.


    Could it be¡­ all because of this broken stele?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked up at the Taoist Stele.


    Yet Mo Hua was standing in front of the Taoist Stele at some point, arms outstretched and a tense expression on his face, as if he wanted to block the Taoist Stele to prevent Gui Tao¡¯s people from seeing it.


    But his small body couldn¡¯t possibly cover the Taoist Stele.


    "Uncle, you can¡¯t look!¡±


    Mo Hua said seriously with a small face.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, but in their hearts, they were certain.


    This stele must have great secrets, and surely it must be related to Formations!


    This is also likely why his fellow disciple used Heavenly secret Calculation to cover up and prevent this little disciple from being discovered by himself¡­


    "If that¡¯s the case, then I must take a closer look!¡±


    The pupils of Gui Tao¡¯s people were pitch black as their hold on the situation grew stronger.


    Mo Hua gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and concentrated, putting his Divine Sense to the utmost and started to manifest the Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation.


    This set of Formations originated from the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    However, it¡¯s only Second Grade.


    Moreover, it¡¯s just a part of the Mountain Protection Array, something Mo Hua simplified himself while studying the Second Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    But this was already the strongest defensive Compound Formation he had mastered.


    While manifesting it, Mo Hua subconsciously used the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation technique, so this set of Compound Formation was manifested very quickly. ???§à??????


    Five-Colored Formation Patterns overlapped in layers, forming a Spirit Screen, protecting the Taoist Stele in the middle.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people revealed a fierce look.


    Just a mere Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation wants to stop me?


    He took a step as usual, and at the same time, black Taoist Robe turned into ghost faces that scattered and started ¡°gnawing¡± at Mo Hua¡¯s Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation.


    It looked like ¡°eating,¡± but in essence, it was ¡°resolving.¡±


    The Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation was being eroded bit by bit¡­


    Despite this, Mo Hua looked steady and continued to manifest the Formation, seemingly wanting to compete with ¡°Uncle¡± on the strength of Formations¡­


    One after another, Five Elements Formations were created.


    And one after another, they were devoured by the corrupted souls of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people in their black soul-filled Taoist Robe, against the eroding Great Dao, broke through Mo Hua¡¯s Formations, step by step, closing in on the Taoist Stele.


    The Formation Patterns that Mo Hua had just manifested were broken, and the Formation kept losing ground.


    With the strength of his Divine Sense, skill in Divine Thought spell points, and knowledge in Formations, competing head-on with Gui Tao¡¯s people, even if it was just one of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Foundation Establishment Demon Thought, was extremely difficult.


    Mo Hua frowned deeply, his face white as paper.


    And who knows how long the stalemate lasted.


    The Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation finally disintegrated completely¡­


    The Taoist Stele was then fully exposed in front of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Mo Hua still tried to condense a Spell, but Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expression turned cold, and with a sweep of their Taoist Robe, corrupted ghost souls with ferocious faces tore towards Mo Hua.


    The corrupted souls were fierce, and the Gui Qi was chilling.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to perform the Water Passing Step to avoid the corrupted souls of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    But the relentless corrupted souls still pounced on Mo Hua, forcing him to retreat several feet¡­


    Mo Hua was driven away, and at this moment, Gui Tao¡¯s people were but a stone¡¯s throw away from the Taoist Stele.


    "Uncle


    Mo Hua¡¯s face showed ¡°despair.¡±


    Faced with Mo Hua¡¯s repeated obstructions, Gui Tao¡¯s people, seeing the ¡°despair¡± on Mo Hua¡¯s little face, completely let down their guard, no longer suspicious and looked at the Taoist Stele without any defense¡­


    Upon the Taoist Stele, the aura was both bright and dim, illusory and real, appearing to embrace everything while at the same time all was void.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were first startled, then upon a careful look, their expression turned to one of shock instantaneously.


    Because on the void and chaotic surface of the stele, there was suddenly an alarming, scarlet, terrifying Formation Pattern!


    This Pattern radiated a breath that could annihilate all, a breath of sheer extinction!


    Threads of fresh red, devastating Thunder Patterns, shocking to the eye, moved vaguely upon it, containing the supreme Law of eradication from the Great Dao¡­


    This is a¡­


    A Pattern that erases everything¡­ Immortal Heavenly Thunder Pattern?!!

 Chapter 710: Half Positive and Half Weird (1)

    Chapter 710: Chapter 563 Half Positive and Half Weird_1


    Immortal Heavenly Thunder Pattern, erase everything!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people only took one glance, and they felt their whole body tremble, terrified and panic-stricken.


    This was fear coming from the Great Dao.


    At the same time, the black soul Taoist robe he wore, which spells couldn¡¯t break, Divine Thought couldn¡¯t invade, and Formations couldn¡¯t destroy¡ªthe dark Taoist robe, woven with Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and the remnants of fierce souls, was instantly torn apart by the tribulation lightning, turning into ash!


    "Uncle, I told you not to look


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone was one of sighs, but his face was all smiles, like a sly little fox.


    looking will turn you into ashes!¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people couldn¡¯t believe it.


    This innocent, harmless little thing, he¡­


    He turned out to be a little swindler!


    Not just him¡­


    There was also his junior brother¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people only then understood.


    His junior brother pretended to be despondent, disillusioned, with no desire to live, resigned to death¡­


    But he had already calculated everything very clearly!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were stunned as his junior brother¡¯s last words before his death re-emerged in his mind:


    "Senior brother¡­ for the sake of our brotherhood, please don¡¯t make it hard¡­ for my few disciples


    At first, he only felt disdain for his once high-minded junior brother.


    His life hanging by a thread, he lacked ambition and wanted to entrust his disciples¡¯ lives to the mercy of others.


    Now that he¡¯s turned demonic, indifferent and heartless, he would surely kill if he must, pleadings were useless.


    But now it seems that his junior brother must have been well aware of this.


    Pleading was utterly useless¡­


    So his words¡­ they weren¡¯t a plea to me.


    He was¡­ baiting me? sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He deliberately mentioned ¡°my disciples¡± to make me not harm them, in fact reminding me:


    He cared greatly for his disciples, for they harbored secrets¡­


    He naturally led me to act, to let me Plant Devil in my Taoist Heart and enter this little thing¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    And then, quite naturally, help his disciple solve the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, breaking through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck.


    Even this Divine Sense¡¯s deadly tribulation, he had calculated!


    He may not have known what this deadly tribulation was, may not have known about this broken stele, may not have known about this tribulation thunder, but he must have known that once I entered¡­ I would die here in his disciple¡¯s Sea of Consciousness! ?????????????


    Knowing that death was certain, he set up a trap from the very beginning¡­


    Seemingly having calculated everything with the Heavenly secret, but it was all strategic deception.


    "Heavenly secret Calculation, it was used here


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s eyes were dark and cold, with an angry look, still retaining a hint of terror, but the corners of his mouth slightly curled upwards¡­


    "Dead, yet still scheming against me


    Gui Tao¡¯s people muttered to himself and then turned his gaze back to Mo Hua.


    All sorts of recollections about Mo Hua surfaced before his eyes.


    Immense Divine Sense, exquisite control, refined spells, Manifesting Formation, diligent learning and deep reflection, astonishing understanding, full of tricks and deceit¡­


    The junior brother was no more, but there was still this little thing¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Taoist robe shattered, his body inch by inch was annihilated.


    HIs last look was towards Mo Hua, his expression bizarrely content as he smiled faintly, his voice ethereal and breaking:


    "Little nephew, we will


    "Meet again


    Before he could finish, Gui Tao¡¯s people were completely erased by the tribulation lightning, his Demon Thought dissipated!


    Mo Hua frowned, released his Divine Sense, and sensed his own Sea of Consciousness.


    Not until he confirmed that the Devil Planting of the Taoist Heart¡¯s Demon Thought by ¡°Uncle¡± was smashed by the tribulation lightning, scattered to bits, completely vanished, did he finally sit down on the ground and took a long breath.


    Uncle¡¯s Demon Thought was too strong.


    This was the most powerful Divine Sense entity Mo Hua had encountered so far, and probably would for a very long time¡­


    Merely at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, yet the oppression was pervasive.


    In a head-on fight, he stood no chance.


    Mo Hua could only act, tricking Uncle into taking a look at the Heavenly Dao Thunder Pattern.


    This was also what he had learned from ¡°Uncle.¡±


    On Dali Mountain, at Dry Wood Cliff, inside the Ten Thousand Demons Hall.


    In his presence, Uncle used tribulation lightning to execute a cultivator on the Demon Path who was undergoing Feather Transformation.


    Mo Hua had an extremely profound impression of this.


    "Heavenly tribulation can also be a weapon!¡±


    At this moment, he had just made use of it, utilizing a stroke of Immortal Pattern containing tribulation lightning to trap and kill Uncle¡¯s Demon Thought.


    "There¡¯s still so much to learn from Uncle!¡±


    Whether it¡¯s Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart or Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation,


    Or the approach of using Heavenly Dao rules to suppress a formidable enemy, they had profoundly benefited Mo Hua¡­


    He must remember the teaching ¡°by example¡± of Uncle!


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Then he blinked and looked at the elegant, abundant Divine Sense floating in his Sea of Consciousness, licking his lips involuntarily.


    As the tribulation lightning eradicated the Demon Planting of the Taoist Heart¡¯s Demon Thought, shattering its intent, there were remnants left behind. Not pure, but thick and immensely powerful Gui Tao Divine Sense.


    This Gui Tao Divine Sense was a dark gray color.


    Ground down by the Great Dao and erased by the tribulation lightning, it contained changes of Gui Tao and powerful masterless Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    "This is what Uncle ¡®gave¡¯ to me, so naturally, it counts as mine!¡±


    "Uncle is really a good person!¡±


    Mo Hua gratefully thought to himself, and then his eyes sparkled.


    If he could refine this powerful Gui Tao Divine Sense, could his own Divine Sense break through the long-standing bottleneck¡­


    Mo Hua felt a warmth in his heart and immediately sat down to meditate.


    He began to devour these Demon Thoughts bit by bit.


    As the Taoist Stele had ground down for him, and the tribulation thunder had erased for him, these Demon Thoughts should be safe, no need for him to Manifest Formation again, to burn them afresh¡­


    The thick Divine Sense like the sea filled the air all around.


    Mo Hua concentrated, holding his breath, opening his mouth slightly.


    Strands of dark gray Divine Sense, along with some bizarre aura, were inhaled into Mo Hua¡¯s belly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind was shaken and he couldn¡¯t help but open his eyes.


    Something¡­ was not quite right with these Divine Senses.


    They seemed to contain some of the variations of the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and insights into the Divine Sense of Gui Tao¡­


    These insights seemed to be Uncle¡¯s¡­


    Although Mo Hua did not know what use such enlightenment had, after thinking about it, he was sure that since Uncle was so formidable, this sort of enlightenment must also be extraordinary.


    Even if it couldn¡¯t immediately lead to a great awakening, it would certainly deepen his understanding of the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart rejoiced, and he started to calm his mind, absorbing, exhaling, refining, and assimilating, while experiencing and comprehending the understanding.


    He slowly settled all the subtle and indescribable, yet ever-changing enlightenment in his heart, solidifying above the Taoist Heart¡­


    Time trickled by.


    The remnants of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Divine Thought were also gradually being devoured by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, too, was growing stronger bit by bit.


    His understanding of the Gui Tao was deepening, little by little¡­


    Mo Hua felt his Sea of Consciousness was ¡°bulging,¡± as if he had ¡°eaten¡± too much, but he still bore it, quietly refining.


    This was an opportunity that came once in a thousand years.


    Uncle wouldn¡¯t be giving him ¡°gifts¡± every day.


    The next time Uncle might ¡°give¡± something, he might not dare to accept it.


    This time was a combination of the right time, place, and people. Without Uncle¡¯s defense, he managed to upset the boat in the small ditch.


    He would not have such good luck next time¡­


    So when it was time to eat his fill, he definitely couldn¡¯t be polite!


    Mo Hua, ¡°ravenous and thirsty,¡± did not stop refining the Divine Thought, strengthening his own Divine Sense.


    Endless Divine Thought, bit by bit, poured into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, filling in the chasm between Thirteen Stripes and Fourteen Stripes.


    Who knows how long it had been.


    Who knows how long it took to fill¡­


    Finally, the gap between the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage and the Qi Foundation Middle Stage was completely leveled!


    The impassable gap vanished, and Divine Thought ascended a level!


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness trembled, and he felt his Divine Sense suddenly expand, spreading outward, his Divine Thought becoming more profound.


    His Divine Sense finally crossed the threshold, reaching the Qi Foundation Middle Stage¡ª


    Fourteen Stripes Divine Sense!


    ¡­


    Simultaneously, outside the Sea of Consciousness.


    At the moment of breakthrough, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought suddenly overflowed, the Fourteen Stripes Foundation Establishment Divine Sense caused violent fluctuations, spreading out in all directions.


    All the Feathered Immortals present were startled.


    "What was that just now


    "Foundation Establishment Divine Sense?¡±


    "Foundation¡­ Middle Phase?¡±


    They turned to look at Mo Hua, shielded beneath the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella.


    The fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment stage Divine Sense were indeed not strong for them, the Feathered Immortals; in fact, it could be said to be¡­ insignificant¡­


    But it also depended on who was emitting this Divine Sense¡­


    "The Divine Sense fluctuation just now, was it¡­ from this little cultivator?¡±


    A Feathered Immortal murmured in question.


    "Seems like it


    The others were somewhat uncertain.


    If it wasn¡¯t, with so many Feathered Immortals watching, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be a mistake.


    But if it was¡­


    The Divine Sense of the Qi Foundation Middle Phase¡­


    They looked at Mo Hua again.


    Was this the strength of Divine Sense that someone his age, in his realm, at his level should have?


    Even Bai Qiancheng showed surprise, his expression becoming dazed for a moment.


    True Man Situ¡¯s face, however, was somber.


    That moment¡¯s Divine Sense fluctuation was indeed the Foundation Establishment Divine Sense.


    But when the Divine Sense fluctuation dissipated and True Man Situ used his senses to probe again, he found an enshrouding fog around Mo Hua, all chaos and mystery, unable to perceive anything at all.


    This was clearly the work of someone, or something, concealing the qi movement and even the causality.


    If it were Mr. Zhuang, it might be alright, but if it were¡­ Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    True Man Situ¡¯s expression became solemn, his gaze intensifying.


    Divine Sense fluctuations did not occur without reason.


    Unless something unusual had happened within this child¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Now that he was afflicted with Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, that one anomaly could very likely be¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people swallowing this child¡¯s Divine Sense?!


    True Man Situ¡¯s heart chilled, knowing that something was amiss.


    At that moment, Mo Hua suddenly moved.


    He held his head, showing signs of pain, discomfort, and confusion¡­


    All were shocked, their expressions changing, and they became as if facing a formidable enemy!


    Had Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­ awakened?


    Some drew their knives, others drew their swords, and some conjured Magical Treasures¡­


    But for the moment, out of respect for Gui Tao¡¯s dignity and the fear of the complexities of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, no one dared to act rashly.


    The room was silent; you could hear a pin drop.


    Beneath the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, Mo Hua¡¯s pupils remained pitch black.


    Before everyone¡¯s eyes, he shook his head, and after his Divine Sense partially recovered, he raised his little hand, rubbing his eyes.


    When he opened them again.


    The blackness in his eyes gradually receded, and his eyes became clear once more.


    Everyone stood frozen in place.


    "What¡¯s going on


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was a sure death sentence, at best leading to insanity, at worst, to both physical and mental destruction, with no place for burial!


    How could he be unharmed?


    True Man Situ stared at Mo Hua¡¯s eyes for a moment, noticing the distinct black and white, clean and clear, vivid and spirited, he couldn¡¯t help but draw a breath of cold air.


    "How is this possible


    "Can Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­ actually self-heal?¡±


    It was unheard of!


    True Man Situ was shaken inside.


    Just who was this little cultivator?


    His gaze flickered with unease, then looking back at Mo Hua, his expression paused, and in a daze, he noticed that Mo Hua seemed somewhat different than before.


    His face was still innocent and childlike.


    But his gaze was profound, half clear, half mysterious, the two intertwined.


    Half positive and half weird, naturally as one¡­

 Chapter 711: Departure (1)

    Chapter 711: Chapter 564 Departure_1


    Half positive and half weird?


    True Man Situ thought he had read it wrong, so he couldn¡¯t help but blink. When he looked again, Mo Hua appeared as usual¡ªobedient and adorable¡ªwith a hint of confusion, showing no other abnormalities.


    "What¡­ exactly is going on here?¡±


    True Man Situ was puzzled, murmuring to himself.


    On the other side, Bai Qiancheng also found it unbelievable.


    The Planting Devil in Taoist Heart resolved¡­


    Did Big Senior Brother show mercy?


    This is impossible¡­


    Bai Qiancheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mo Hua¡­ are you, alright now?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Uncle, I am fine.¡±


    The crowd looked at each other, then a Feathered Immortal probed, ¡°Young friend, have you seen a Taoist with an odd aura?¡±


    "I have,¡± Mo Hua replied truthfully.


    The crowd¡¯s hearts turned cold, then someone else asked, ¡°Where is that Taoist now?¡±


    "He left,¡± Mo Hua said.


    The crowd was stunned, ¡°He left?¡±


    "Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Master taught me the Meditation Technique. When evil thoughts invade the body, meditating calmly can conquer oneself and guard the heart, suppressing the evil thoughts


    "I meditated for a while, and that Taoist


    Mo Hua nearly let slip ¡°Uncle¡± but held back, correcting himself, that Taoist¡­ seeing that my Taoist Heart was firm and impregnable, left


    The group of Feathered Cultivators listened as if hearing a fantastical tale.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­ is this how it is resolved?


    Yet the young Cultivator before them had a clear gaze and coherent thoughts, clearly free from the control of Demon Thought.


    "The Meditation Technique, huh


    The Feathered Immortals became curious. Could this also be a spell point of Mr. Zhuang?


    They wanted to ask, but it was somewhat inappropriate to inquire about such matters.


    However, True Man Situ was frowning.


    Bai Qiancheng was even more startled.


    Others might not know, but she, having come from the same Sect as Mr. Zhuang, was well aware of what the Meditation Technique was used for. It was meant for calming the mind, disciplining the heart, and discarding scattered thoughts. ????????¦¥????


    It could also restore Divine Sense.


    But to say it could conquer oneself and guard the heart, dispelling the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, was clearly nonsense¡­


    Bai Qiancheng glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small face was serious, earnestly ¡°honest,¡± with a hint of bewilderment that did not seem deceitful at all.


    This made Bai Qiancheng doubt herself.


    Perhaps she hadn¡¯t learned well, or hadn¡¯t learned the right thing?


    Was there deeper knowledge in the Meditation Technique?


    Bai Qiancheng was puzzled.


    But no matter what, the fact that Mo Hua was safe and sound was a good thing.


    Everyone also heaved a sigh of relief.


    If they really had no choice, they would not want to harm a young Cultivator in his teens.


    Moreover, this young Cultivator had a somewhat special status.


    Still, they remained somewhat worried, fearing that the Demon Thought in Mo Hua had not been extinguished and the Demon Seed was lying dormant, suddenly corrupting his mind, and if he went mad, they would have to confine him to a room and observe him for a time.


    After several days, Mo Hua was normal and showed no strange Demonic Qi.


    Only then did everyone truly relax and let Mo Hua out.


    Only True Man Situ occasionally looked at Mo Hua thoughtfully, his gaze carrying a trace of worry.


    He couldn¡¯t forget the look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes that he had glimpsed that day.


    The eyes that were half clear and half strange, yet oddly natural, were somewhat unfathomable.


    The clarity was still acceptable¡­


    But this strangeness¡­ the more he observed, the more it resembled Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    He always feared that one day Mo Hua might suddenly undergo a change in Divine Sense, his pupils darken, turning into a mini version of ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people


    Fortunately, thereafter, Mo Hua appeared as usual, showing no abnormalities.


    And so, True Man Situ finally found peace of mind.


    And with this, the matter of Gui Tao¡¯s people came to a close, concluding that chapter.


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation had been unraveled, and the bottleneck in Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation of the Heaven Yan Jue was broken; he could now consider embarking upon his Foundation Establishment.


    But before establishing his foundation, there were still some preparations to be made.


    He needed to nurture his meridians and Qi Sea for a while, purchase some Pills for later use, get ready Spirit Stones, and most importantly, completely refine any remaining Gui Tao thoughts, ensuring heart and body were as one, flawless, otherwise he would not feel at ease.


    However, other Cultivators would be leaving first.


    The crowd of Feathered individuals, the Taoist Court¡¯s various Clan powers, as well as Bai Qiancheng.


    For Mo Hua, Foundation Establishment was a major event.


    But for the other Cultivators, especially those Feathered Immortals, it was a trivial matter of no consequence.


    They would not change their scheduled journey.


    No one cared whether a minor Qi Refinement Cultivator like Mo Hua established his foundation or not¡­


    In the following days, the Feathered Immortals departed one after another.


    Three days later, Mr. Zhuang was to be sent to the Bai Family.


    Mo Hua then temporarily put aside his Foundation Establishment.


    He feared that he might never see his master again, so he stayed by Mr. Zhuang¡¯s side every day these past few days.


    The once spring-breeze-like, tender master now lay there cold and still. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart ached.


    How much he wished his master could open his eyes and look at him one more time, speak to him, but all these wishes were in vain.


    Sometimes when Mo Hua was tired, he would lie down and sleep beside him.


    The dim light from the ever-burning lamp, its warm glow draped over him, seemed like someone comforting him, but Mo Hua was unaware.


    That day, as Mo Hua slept, he heard voices in his hazy state.


    It was True Man Situ and Uncle Bai.


    Perhaps thinking Mo Hua was asleep, they did not avoid him.


    Can he be saved?¡±


    "It¡¯s difficult


    Hearing this elderly voice, Mo Hua knew it was True Man Situ.


    Aside from the severed Heavenly secrets, his very flesh¡­sigh, with the Qi Sea shattered, the Sea of Consciousness depleted, the Taoist bones extracted, and the lifeblood burned by the Sword Qi, there¡¯s no way to compensate


    "Even if, in the future, there exists some against-the-heavens treasures that can repair this body, that¡¯s only the first step

 Chapter 712: Li Departure (2)

    Chapter 712: Chapter 564 Li Departure_2


    "Divine Sense is the most troublesome


    "This involves Heavenly secrets and karma


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s face was pale, ¡°Is there really not the slightest chance¡­?¡±


    True Man Situ shook his head, ¡°These matters, just like becoming immortal


    "Is there a chance to become immortal? Certainly, but in the vast Nine States, amidst the myriad of living beings, for tens of thousands of years, not one has attained immortality


    "There is a chance, but it is so remote that it¡¯s almost the same as having none S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Qiancheng sighed.


    True Man Situ hesitated for a moment before offering some advice, ¡°What I am about to say, True Man Bai¡­ you might not like to hear


    Bai Qiancheng was startled, ¡°Please speak, senior


    True Man Situ measured his words, ¡°Now, Mr. Zhuang has just ¡®died


    True Man Situ paused here, feeling that it wasn¡¯t quite right.


    To say ¡°dead,¡± but in fact there was still a glimmer of life, yet to say ¡°not dead,¡± was in reality almost the same as being dead¡­


    "Mr. Zhuang¡¯s life is hanging by a thread


    True Man Situ changed his expression and then continued, ¡°You have lost your senior brother, and your heart is in mourning, but this grief is only temporary.¡±


    "You wish to save Mr. Zhuang, but this sentiment¡­ it is also just for a moment¡­ as time goes by, the emotions will fade


    True Man Situ sighed deeply like one who had been through it all:


    "Cultivators live long lives, and the fleeting time is enough to erase all regrets and pain; people go on living until they become numb, and there is nothing they can¡¯t let go of R???¦¯?????s?


    "So True Man Situ sighed, ¡°True Man Bai, you should still cultivate yourself, take care of your own affairs, and do not forcefully pursue the rest


    Bai Qiancheng was somewhat silent.


    She knew that True Man Situ was right.


    In her life, she had also felt regret and pain, and thought life was not worth clinging to, but as long as she persevered through the years and crossed that threshold¡­


    As time passed, the once sharp pain and setbacks faded, like healed scars, unsightly but no longer painful.


    Just like her senior brother¡­


    Her heart ached now, but over time, perhaps she too would become numb and forget¡­


    Bai Qiancheng pursed her lips, ¡°What if I insist on saving him?¡±


    True Man Situ frowned, ¡°It will be very difficult then


    "Mr. Zhuang¡¯s karma is huge, he has too many enemies, and there are intertwined interests


    "In this world, how many people want Mr. Zhuang dead? Neither the Taoist Court nor the Demon Sect would probably want to save him.¡±


    "If you try to save him, you will encounter endless obstacles.¡±


    "To ¡®resurrect the dead It¡¯s very difficult, you need a vast number of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Objects, and more importantly, persistent, unwavering determination. Along the way, you will be tormented and in pain, accompanied by unceasing hope and despair. It¡¯s very hard to endure


    "It requires an extremely tenacious Taoist Heart to remain true to your original intent and persevere


    "And even that¡­ is not enough.¡±


    "Even if the body is revived, if the Heavenly secret is dead, he still cannot live


    "One must have a Formation imbued with the Great Dao of life and death to possibly mend the lost Heavenly secret of Mr. Zhuang and exchange it for a glimmer of life


    "To covertly alter Yin and Yang, to seize creation, to reverse life and death


    "Such Formation Diagrams are extremely profound, extremely powerful, and extremely ancient, mostly obliterated in Ancient Daoist sites or the forbidden realms of extinct cultivators. Where will you find a Formation Diagram?¡±


    "Even if you have a Formation Diagram, who can learn it?¡±


    "Not learnable


    "Even if it¡¯s learned, who has the ability to truly construct it?¡±


    True Man Situ¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed as he lamented sincerely:


    "Common folk often say ¡®Formation is vast and profound,¡¯ but only those of us who truly delve deep into our study of Formation truly understand just how vast and profound it is!¡±


    "There are mountains beyond mountains, skies beyond skies.¡±


    "But beyond those skies, there are still unreachable heavens


    "Some Formations in this world are so complex and harsh to the extreme that they are simply not intended for ¡®humans¡¯ to learn


    A look of despair even surfaced on True Man Situ¡¯s aged face.


    ¡­


    Bai Qiancheng also looked terrified, but after a moment of silence, she still clenched her teeth and obstinately said:


    "I will not give up!¡±


    True Man Situ sighed and nodded his head.


    Whether she truly wouldn¡¯t give up or not, he had said all he needed to say and would not speak further.


    Mo Hua, who had been lying on the side, had heard everything.


    "To covertly alter Yin and Yang, to seize creation, to reverse life and death


    He memorized this phrase in his heart.


    As the sky gradually lightened, True Man Situ and the uncle master finished discussing matters and left.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and slowly sat up.


    He looked once more at Mr. Zhuang, memorized the appearance of his master, and made a secret decision.


    "If others can¡¯t save my master, I will save him!¡±


    "If others can¡¯t learn the Formation, I will learn it!¡±


    "Even if everyone in this world wants my master dead, I will ensure that my master is revived and continues to live well!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s youthful face was serious, his gaze resolute, as he engraved this vow deep within his Taoist Heart.


    The rising sun cast its light on the master and disciple.


    Mo Hua murmured:


    "Master, you just sleep for a while


    "When the time comes, I¡¯ll call you


    ¡­


    Three days later, Bai Qiancheng was about to leave.


    She was to take away Mr. Zhuang, locked in the thin line between karma and life or death, and also to bring Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi back to the Bai Family.


    Bai Zixi then approached Bai Qiancheng, with a resolute gaze:


    "Mother, I want to take little junior brother back to the Bai Family


    Bai Zisheng also nodded, ¡°Mother, please take Mo Hua back with you


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression was somewhat indifferent, ¡°Why?¡±

 Chapter 713: Parting (3)

    Chapter 713: Chapter 564 Parting_3


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze was complex, and her heart was heavy with emotions she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I¡¯ve promised Master to take good care of Junior Brother


    "Mmm.¡± Bai Zisheng nodded as well.


    They invoked Master¡¯s name, hoping that their mother would listen to reason.


    But Bai Qiancheng shook her head, ¡°How exactly will you take care of him?¡±


    Both of them were taken aback.


    Bai Qiancheng continued, ¡°Once in the Bai Family, if he encounters any danger, who will be there to protect him?¡±


    "You?¡±


    "With just Qi Refinement, what can you do? Even if you reached Foundation Establishment, then what?¡±


    "In the Second Grade Cultivation World, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can command the winds and summon the rain, but in the Bai Family, a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator, who can you really protect?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng looked at the two children, her heart aching for them, yet she didn¡¯t sugarcoat her words:


    "Moreover, you are descendants of the Bai Family, you rely on the Bai Family, not on yourselves. You want to protect him, but what if one day


    "The Bai Family wants to harm him?¡±


    "What will you do? What can you do?¡±


    "Can you defy the clan?¡±


    "With your Cultivation, how can you stand against the Bai Family, an ancient lineage of ten thousand years?¡±


    "If you can¡¯t defy them, are you prepared to watch¡­ your little Junior Brother die before your eyes?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s words were icy cold and realistic.


    Bai Zixi and the other¡¯s faces turned pale, they hung their heads low, clenching their fists tightly, but they couldn¡¯t find any words to say.


    They couldn¡¯t protect anything¡­


    Neither Master nor their little Junior Brother¡­


    Bai Qiancheng looked at the two children, her gaze softened slightly, and her tone was a bit more gentle:


    "Cultivators, ultimately, must rely on their own Cultivation


    "I know you have deep feelings for each other as fellow disciples, but bringing that child, Mo Hua, back to the Bai Family is not helping him, it¡¯s harming him ?????????????


    "The Bai Family is too vast, its karma too profound, it¡¯s also too complicated


    Bai Zixi said with a trembling voice, ¡°Mother, then


    Bai Qiancheng hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended her hand and touched Bai Zixi¡¯s head, sighing, ¡°Go


    "To forget your little Junior Brother is the best protection you can give him


    ¡­


    The little Senior Brother and Senior Sister were leaving.


    They were going to Liyuan City, where they would take the Flying Cloud Ferry and leave the Dali Mountain State boundary.


    Mo Hua came to see them off. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was his first time visiting Liyuan City and encountering the Cloud Ferry.


    The Cloud Ferry was huge, extravagantly ornate, docked at the ferry port like a colossal kun fish with wings in the sky. It was said that once it took flight, it was like a great ship in the sea of clouds, with incredible speed, capable of crossing state boundaries.


    The principle of the Cloud Ferry seemed to be based on harnessing the flow of Spiritual Energy and rising among the clouds.


    Mo Hua was very curious, but because of the imminent departure, his mood was somewhat downcast, and he wasn¡¯t in the mood to study the Cloud Ferry¡­


    Bai Zisheng was worried that Mo Hua was unhappy, and babbled on and on.


    He spoke of the famous attractions of Qian State, like some sky-touching Taoist constructions, ancient, atmospheric temples and monasteries, the hanging Sword Qi Waterfall, the Bai Family¡¯s ancient pavilions, Three Clear Spirit Mountain¡­ and many others.


    Mo Hua listened with great interest.


    Bai Zisheng also told Mo Hua to be sure to visit the Bai Family someday.


    But he warned him to improve his Cultivation before going.


    There were many villains in the Bai Family, who might harm him¡­


    Mo Hua gave Bai Zisheng a gift, a great dragon controlled by a Spirit Pivot Formation, no longer a crawling reptile compared to before.


    Mo Hua added two wings to it, and flapping them, it could lift off the ground. Although it couldn¡¯t ¡°fly¡± high, it was much better than crawling on the ground.


    But adding wings made it look a bit ugly.


    Mo Hua also promised, ¡°When I¡¯ve learned more about Formations, I¡¯ll craft one for you, a dragon that can fly without wings!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed and then asked Mo Hua:


    "That technique I taught you, have you been practicing it?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Which technique?¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked unhappy and enunciated every word, ¡°Flying! Dragon! In! The! Sky!¡±


    Mo Hua remembered the move Bai Zisheng had created himself, leaping into the sky, striking a pose, then wielding a long spear and descending from the heavens with that spear technique¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed, ¡°That¡­ Can I not learn it¡­?¡±


    Purely a showy sequence of movements, completely useless.


    "No way!¡± Bai Zisheng insisted, ¡°This is a move I created myself, and I¡¯m only teaching you. In the whole world, only the two of us brothers will know it! You must learn it well!¡±


    Mo Hua said helplessly, ¡°Alright then


    Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua agree and nodded in satisfaction, then he seemed to remember something and became a bit downcast.


    "I originally wanted to go back to Tongxian City to see Uncle Mo and Aunt Liu, but now I can¡¯t go there. Qian State is so far away, I don¡¯t know if there¡¯ll be another chance


    The food Aunt Liu makes is so delicious.


    Bai Zisheng missed the carefree and well-fed days in Tongxian City terribly.


    Mo Hua consoled him, ¡°There will be a chance.¡±


    Bai Zisheng perked up a bit and nodded.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua asked, ¡°What about junior sister


    All this way, he hadn¡¯t seen the junior sister¡­


    Bai Zisheng paused, sighed, and said, ¡°She originally wanted you to go to the Bai family too, but now that you can¡¯t, she might feel a bit embarrassed to face you


    What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about¡­


    Mo Hua said in a low voice, ¡°Is junior sister throwing a tantrum?¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°I guess so


    But he knew that it probably wasn¡¯t the case.


    Ever since she heard Mother¡¯s words, Zixi had locked herself in her room, seeing no one, as if afraid that encountering Mo Hua again would make her heart ache.


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t quite understand and shook his head.


    Feeling sad after parting is normal.


    That¡¯s exactly why we should see each other more¡­


    Thus, Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but chat with Mo Hua for a long time, until someone urged them, saying the Cloud Ferry was about to depart. Only then did he bid Mo Hua farewell, looking back three steps at a time as he boarded the ferry.


    "We¡¯re really¡­ parting now


    Just before entering the Cloud Ferry, Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes suddenly felt a bit sore.


    The moments they spent together day and night, the three fellow disciples, laughing and playing, bickering and making noise, all rushed to his heart¡­


    Bai Zisheng tried hard to hold back his tears, took a final look at Mo Hua, and committed his junior brother¡¯s image to memory. Then, he stepped into the vast expanse of the Cloud Ferry.


    Mo Hua stood at the ferry port, feeling reluctant to let go, but still silently watched his senior brother and the unseen junior sister depart.


    Inside the Cloud Ferry.


    Bai Zisheng knocked on Bai Zixi¡¯s door, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see junior brother?¡±


    There was silence inside the room.


    "If you don¡¯t see him, you might¡­ never see him again


    Despite his words, there was still no response from behind the door.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head helplessly, clutching the large dragon his junior brother had given him as a parting gift, and turned to leave.


    In the room, Bai Zixi sat silently, her dark eyelashes quivering, her beautiful eyes revealing a trace of melancholy.


    The clear sunlight poured in, her cheeks slightly pale, which added a mournful beauty to her originally cold and flawless visage.


    There she sat quietly, her thoughts unknown, her emotions complex and unsettled.


    Moments later, the Cloud Ferry¡¯s massive humming sound began.


    Bai Zixi suddenly felt alarmed, and Bai Zisheng¡¯s words echoed in her mind:


    "You might¡­ never see him again


    Her heart trembled, and she quickly got up, left her room, and walked onto the deck of the Cloud Ferry.


    But by then, the Cloud Ferry had already set sail.


    The sky was clear, and the Cloud Ferry, grand and splendid, lifted off among the clouds, rolling up layers of cloud waves.


    When Bai Zixi looked out again, the sea of clouds stretched out endlessly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small figure had been obscured by the vast clouds, completely vanishing from her sight¡­


    Never¡­ to be seen again¡­


    A sharp pain struck Bai Zixi¡¯s heart, as if carved with a knife, and a single tear, clear as ice and snow, slowly slid down her pallid cheek¡­


    The white clouds surged like great waves, and the flowing clouds like the sea carried the Cloud Ferry, sailing into the wind, farther and farther into the endless sea of clouds¡­


    The Great Dao is boundless, seas of clouds lie between.


    This parting, who knows when we will meet again.

 Chapter 714: Foundation Establishment (1)

    Chapter 714: Chapter 565 Foundation Establishment_1


    Junior Brother and Junior Sister have both left.


    Mo Hua was left alone.


    Without Master, without Grandpa Gui, without Junior Brother, and without Junior Sister, the road ahead had to be traveled alone¡­


    After feeling lost for a while, Mo Hua began to rally his spirits.


    He had to start preparing for Foundation Establishment.


    Having lived through these successive upheavals, Mo Hua had gained a deep understanding that cultivation was the foundation of a cultivator. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To learn the Formation of ¡°Stealing Yin and Yang, Seizing Creation, Reversing Life and Death,¡± he must have sufficiently high cultivation.


    Only with cultivation as the foundation could he seek the Great Dao, learn about Formation, and thereby seek a sliver of life in the dead end of heavenly secrets, altering Master¡¯s fate, reversing death into life¡­


    And Foundation Establishment was the first step in establishing the Great Dao.


    Before Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua thought things over carefully, even making a list to make sure he had considered everything and was fully prepared¡­


    First was the need for an ample supply of Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua already had quite a few Spirit Stones in hand.


    There were tens of thousands of these Spirit Stones, accumulated by his parents over the years for him, earned from his Drawing Formation, and secretly given to him by his Junior Brother and Sister.


    The better the Spiritual Root and the higher the grade of the Cultivation Technique, the more Spirit Stones are needed for Foundation Establishment.


    And since Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Root was not excellent, he would need fewer Spirit Stones, so these tens of thousands were more than enough.


    Moreover, Mo Hua had also bought some Pills and Spiritual Objects in Liyuan City in case of unexpected needs.


    These were not for breaking through bottlenecks but rather for emergency situations during the breakthrough, if any mishaps should injure his foundation. They were for replenishing blood and Spiritual Power, nurturing the meridians, and sustaining his life force.


    It all seemed like an excess of caution.


    But he had only one life, and he couldn¡¯t afford to be negligent.


    Next, he needed to find a safe, serene, and undisturbed place for Foundation Establishment.


    After completing Foundation Establishment, he would return to Tongxian City to surprise his parents.


    But before that, there was one thing that Mo Hua was particularly concerned about¡­


    Mo Hua turned his head to look at the content old man drinking tea beside him, and asked with a skeptical expression:


    "Senior Situ, why are you still here? Aren¡¯t you going back to Mystery Valley?¡±


    True Man Situ leisurely sipped his tea and sighed deeply:


    "Not in a hurry, it¡¯s rare that I get to come out, so I¡¯ll relax my mind before returning. The valley is quite dull, with too many annoying matters, I¡¯m not in a rush to go back ?§¡???§§?


    It¡¯d been decades since he¡¯d been out.


    Of course, he wanted to rest and enjoy the scenery.


    Of course, the most important thing was that he had used the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp from Mystery Valley as a long-burning lamp to extend Mr. Zhuang¡¯s life¡­


    It was likely that in a few decades, or maybe a hundred years, it would be rendered useless.


    Such a treasure of the Mystery Valley¡­


    He needed to come up with an excuse first to save face and then think about returning.


    There was no rush for the moment.


    "Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    True Man Situ glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s list, meticulously detailed with various Pills and Spiritual Objects, and asked:


    "You¡¯re preparing for Foundation Establishment?¡±


    "Yes,¡± Mo Hua looked at True Man Situ, who seemed to have all the time in the world and appeared quite idle. He asked softly:


    "Senior Situ, are you busy right now?¡±


    "Somewhat, is there something you need?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he pulled out the list, offering it respectfully as he said very politely:


    "This is the preparation for Foundation Establishment. Could you take a look for me? See if there¡¯s anything I¡¯ve overlooked or need to add?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright and earnest, and every word he spoke was imbued with courtesy.


    True Man Situ nodded slightly, not opposed to the notion.


    The child Mo Hua had left a deep impression on him.


    Honestly, he was quite fond of the kid¡­


    Although his Spiritual Root was somewhat lacking, he was cute, very polite, a pleasant speaker, clever, and he respected his elders and the teachings, truly a good child.


    Otherwise, the Bai Family¡¯s two haughty children wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to protect their little Junior Brother¡­


    He was free anyway.


    "Let¡¯s see


    True Man Situ took the paper from Mo Hua and glanced over it, quickly grasping the essentials. With a casual flick of his finger, he added a few Spiritual Objects and a couple of Pills without using ink to the back of the paper.


    "These are for clearing the meridians, invigorating the body, as well as calming the mind and spirit. Though auxiliary in nature, they are greatly beneficial for Foundation Establishment, and also not expensive


    Mo Hua looked at the additions and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Situ!¡±


    True Man Situ hesitated but said, ¡°Just ¡®Senior¡¯ is fine, drop the ¡®Elder


    As one gets older, being called ¡°old¡± can be a bit sensitive¡­


    "Oh, oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, though in his mind he complained that Senior Situ was odd, not pleased when given the respect due to an elder¡­


    True Man Situ took another sip of tea, finding it tasteless, after all it was only Third-Grade Spiritual Tea from the Third-Grade State Boundary, feeling somewhat flat in the mouth¡­


    Suddenly, he looked puzzled as he gazed at Mo Hua and asked, ¡°The Pills and Spiritual Objects you¡¯ve prepared don¡¯t include anything to break through bottlenecks, right?¡±


    "Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    His bottleneck had already been broken.


    It was Uncle who had broken it for him¡­


    He didn¡¯t spell it out but vaguely mentioned, ¡°My Spiritual Root isn¡¯t good, and my Cultivation Technique is average. Although I cultivate less Spiritual Power, the bottlenecks are straightforward and can be broken through quite easily


    True Man Situ nodded, not prying further, but he pondered internally¡­


    That¡¯s not very likely!


    This young fellow must be deceiving me¡­


    He is Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple, and even if his Spiritual Root was poor, with Mr. Zhuang¡¯s character of preferring deficiency over excess, he wouldn¡¯t let him choose a Cultivation Technique with ¡°simple bottlenecks¡± that could be easily overcome.

 Chapter 715: Foundation Establishment (2)

    Chapter 715: Chapter 565 Foundation Establishment_2


    This is too casual, not something Mr. Zhuang would do.


    Unless¡­ this cultivation technique doesn¡¯t require spiritual objects and pills when breaking through a bottleneck¡­


    Not needing spiritual objects and pills means the bottleneck is likely not in the Qi Sea or meridians¡­


    Not in the Qi Sea or meridians?


    Where else could it be?


    It surely can¡¯t be in the Divine Sense¡­


    True Man Situ suddenly had a moment of realization.


    He was a cultivator of the Feather Transformation Realm, and also the Chief Elder of Mystery Valley, skilled in calculation, having lived for many years and experienced much, a very unfamiliar and somewhat obscure but preposterous term surfaced in his mind¡­


    "Divine Sense Proving the Dao


    Divine Sense¡­ Prove the Dao?!!


    True Man Situ was shocked and suddenly widened his eyes.


    No way?


    Could there really be someone with such grand ambition, to use the Divine Sense that cannot be enhanced by cultivation techniques, to Prove the Dao?!


    True Man Situ glanced at Mo Hua.


    Poor Spiritual Root, weak Blood Qi¡­


    Why did Mr. Zhuang take on such a disciple?


    With Mr. Zhuang¡¯s talent to shape heaven and earth, what kind of Dao path is he planning for this disciple?


    There is only one answer¡­


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao!


    True Man Situ also recalled the intense Divine Sense that he had felt from Mo Hua that day, not belonging to someone of his age or realm¡­


    The more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed.


    "Divine Sense Proving the Dao, huh


    True Man Situ was astounded in his heart.


    Seeing True Man Situ with eyes wide and stunned for a long while without reacting, Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled and expressed concern:


    "Senior, what¡¯s the matter? Did the hot tea choke you?¡±


    True Man Situ came back to his senses, looked at Mo Hua, and silently thought to himself:


    "I wasn¡¯t choked by the hot tea, I was shocked by you


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao¡­


    It¡¯s one who dares to teach and one who dares to learn¡­


    This is no ordinary feat.


    This child, he wouldn¡¯t really cultivate into a second ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s person¡±, right¡­?


    True Man Situ felt a slight trepidation in his heart, but after some thought, he shook his head.


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao and Demon Thought Gui Tao are still very different¡­


    And if this child really had flaws in his nature, Mr. Zhuang, with his temperament, would certainly not teach him Divine Sense Proving the Dao.


    "Let nature take its course, and observe the changes


    True Man Situ silently thought to himself.


    Suddenly he clicked his tongue and became curious again.


    "Can this child really achieve Divine Sense Proving the Dao?¡±


    He was eager to see it¡­


    Having lived for so long, he had never seen a cultivator who could Prove the Dao with Divine Sense and make a name for themselves¡­


    True Man Situ¡¯s enthusiasm was suddenly kindled, and he said to Mo Hua:


    "If you have any doubts beyond Foundation Establishment, feel free to ask me.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, but still politely asked, ¡°Won¡¯t that be a disturbance to you?¡±


    True Man Situ waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I have nothing else to do.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked without reservation all the details about Foundation Establishment, including the areas he was worried about.


    True Man Situ, being a Feathered Immortal and an elder, had a thorough understanding of Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua, lacking inheritance, asked mostly elementary questions, but True Man Situ still patiently and wholeheartedly answered Mo Hua¡¯s inquiries¡­


    He also said to Mo Hua:


    "Foundation Establishment is about both effort and destiny


    "Though it is so, the more you perfect every detail, the higher the probability of successful Foundation Establishment.¡±


    "Therefore, this ¡®destiny¡¯, as long as you understand it well enough, can also be altered by human effort


    ¡­


    Mo Hua benefited greatly.


    He remembered what he had overheard True Man Situ and the Uncle-Master saying: the tool that had helped the Master lock in causality and extend his life was Mystery Valley¡¯s Qiankun Clear Light Lamp. ????????????????


    The Mysterious Fire Everlasting Formation was also personally set up by True Man Situ.


    Without True Man Situ, the Master might not have had even a sliver of a chance¡­


    Mo Hua felt deeply grateful and bowed seriously:


    "Senior, I will remember your great kindness and grace in my heart!¡±


    True Man Situ saw the young Mo Hua with a serious little face, speaking earnestly, and could not help but smile a little.


    A Qi-refining Realm child like you, what use is your gratitude to me¡­


    But he did not voice this thought, and suddenly felt a ¡°thud¡± in his heart. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Mo Hua bowed.


    True Man Situ¡¯s heart trembled, he felt as if some causality had begun to shift in the unseen world¡­


    "Divine Sense Proving the Dao


    "It can¡¯t be, really this mysterious, can it


    True Man Situ opened his mouth but immediately changed what he was about to say:


    "Good! Very good! Remembering kindness and seeking to repay it, that¡¯s a good child!¡±


    He seemed nonchalant on the surface but emphasized the words ¡°remembering kindness and seeking to repay it¡± heavily, afraid that Mo Hua did not hear it clearly and would forget about him¡­


    Afterward, whenever Mo Hua had a doubt, he would go ask True Man Situ.


    True Man Situ provided answers to each one.


    When all the doubts were cleared and all the necessary spiritual objects and pills were prepared, Mo Hua began to officially initiate Foundation Establishment in a rented cave dwelling in Liyuan City.


    The cave dwelling was large, quiet, and luxurious.


    It was one that Mo Hua could not afford to rent.


    The cave dwelling was specially rented by True Man Situ for Mo Hua¡¯s use in Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua was somewhat embarrassed.


    True Man Situ put on a stern face, ¡°I am your senior, a lofty Feathered Immortal, the Chief Elder of Mystery Valley, this little thing is the least of my efforts, why are you being polite with me?¡±


    "Thank you, Senior!¡±


    Mo Hua said with a smile, quietly noting True Man Situ¡¯s kindness in his heart.


    True Man Situ nodded in satisfaction, then gave some advice:


    "As for Foundation Establishment, there¡¯s not much to say, just be prepared. If all goes well, everything will naturally fall into place; if not, don¡¯t be discouraged, you can always try again.¡±


    "For the Disciples of the Worldly Family, Foundation Establishment is not difficult; the challenge is building a good Taoist Foundation.¡±

 Chapter 716: Foundation Establishment (3)

    Chapter 716: Chapter 565: Foundation Establishment_3


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°When one builds a good Taoist foundation, will there be any extraordinary phenomena?¡±


    The concept of the Foundation Building Phenomenon was something Mo Hua had heard from others.


    They said that noble clans and sects spoke of once-in-a-millennium geniuses, who, during their foundation establishment, would be accompanied by phenomena between heaven and earth, with auspicious radiance filling the sky and the ringing of dragons and phoenixes that serve as proof of the Great Dao¡­


    "It¡¯s not that exaggerated True Man Situ said helplessly, ¡°These statements are concocted by noble clans to pretentiously inflate their value with grandiose fabrications, mostly to elevate the status of their own disciples¡ªit¡¯s all a lot of opaque mystification


    "The Foundation Building Phenomenon isn¡¯t that obvious, but it does indeed exist.¡±


    "Generally speaking, as long as the foundation is solid and the Taoist foundation is complete, there will indeed be some special phenomena


    "You just focus on building your foundation properly, don¡¯t worry about these unnecessary distractions


    True Man Situ instructed.


    "Hmm, I understand,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Afterward, Mo Hua began to sit in meditation for foundation building in his cave dwelling.


    He leveled his mind, collected his energy, followed the procedures methodically, step by step¡­


    First, he took some pills to nourish and limber up his meridians and loosen his skeleton. Then he burned incense, calmed his mind, and, when his body and heart were unified and his thoughts undispersed, he began to refine spirit stones.


    The Foundation building began, and the Qi Sea surged wildly, like a gaping mouth incessantly devouring spiritual energy.


    One spirit stone after another was quickly refined.


    Streams of spiritual energy flowed into the Dantian Qi Sea.


    Tens of thousands of spiritual stones were consumed like water.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual power also grew stronger with each circulation, and the Qi Sea gradually became more substantial¡­


    Thanks to True Man Situ¡¯s guidance and Mo Hua¡¯s detailed preparations, this process went quite smoothly.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the Qi Sea finally became stable and the spiritual power thickened and congealed like flowing mercury.


    Condensing spiritual energy, spiritual power like mercury!


    This is the Foundation Building spiritual power!


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and felt the spiritual power in his Qi Sea, cloudy like fog, circulating like water, thick like mercury, and he could not have been more delighted. ????§Ñ??????¦¥s?


    He had finally built his foundation!


    He was now a Foundation Building Cultivator!


    But Mo Hua knew that this was not enough.


    For him, the real Foundation Building was just beginning¡­


    His path was that of ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao,¡± and the enhancement of Divine Sense was the key.


    According to his master, when cultivators build their foundation, spiritual power undergoes a qualitative change, and Divine Sense doubles.


    His spiritual power had now changed qualitatively.


    Next, it was time for his Divine Sense to double!


    A Divine Sense at the Fourteen-Pattern Qi Foundation Middle Stage, after doubling, might break through the limit and advance by leaps and bounds to the Seventeen-Pattern Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage!


    This was the Taoist Foundation that Mo Hua truly aimed to build!


    Mo Hua felt anxious, but even more so, he was filled with anticipation.


    A moment later, the Sea of Consciousness trembled, and then Mo Hua felt his Fourteen-Pattern Divine Sense grow at a rapid pace!


    It was as if from the boundless Great Dao, endless Divine Sense was born, and as realizations dawned in Mo Hua¡¯s mind, Divine Thoughts like springs flowed continuously into the Sea of Consciousness, augmenting Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense!


    The Sea of Consciousness of Mo Hua also expanded little by little.


    Enhanced Divine Sense inevitably resulted in the expansion of the Sea of Consciousness.


    A vast Sea of Consciousness is necessary to accommodate more Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua had not deeply experienced this before because the enhancement of his Divine Sense had mostly been gradual and accumulative over days and months.


    But now, breaking through to Foundation Building and experiencing the doubling of Divine Sense, Mo Hua could clearly sense his Sea of Consciousness expanding rapidly¡­


    At the same time, more Divine Sense flowed into the Sea of Consciousness.


    Rivers flowing into the ocean¡­


    The realm of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense also climbed step by step¡­


    From Fourteen Patterns, it reached Fifteen.


    Then it reached Sixteen Patterns.


    Sixteen Patterns is the peak of Divine Sense in the Foundation Establishment Middle Phase¡­


    After this point, any further increase of Divine Sense would hit the bottleneck of the late phase of Foundation Establishment.


    This bottleneck was also deep like a chasm and not to be transgressed.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, with a very strong foundation, kept flowing into that chasm like a river after doubling, continuously pouring into and striking against the bottleneck.


    The Sea of Consciousness of Mo Hua also began to ache slightly.


    But he bore the pain, calmed his mind for meditation, discarded irrelevant thoughts, and steadfastly maintained his Taoist heart.


    He sought to Prove the Dao with his Divine Sense!


    Finally, after an indeterminable amount of time, Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness suddenly opened up.


    The bottleneck shattered, and the chasm was filled.


    The surging Divine Sense flowed into the Sea of Consciousness, and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense reached¡­ Seventeen Patterns!


    Seventeen Patterns represent Divine Sense at the late phase of Foundation Establishment.


    And it did not stop there.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense continued to grow, climbing upward unceasingly, bit by bit, strand by strand, merging into rivers, gathering grains to build a high tower¡­ Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, it settled at Eighteen Patterns!


    Eighteen Patterns of Divine Sense at the late phase of Foundation Establishment!


    Mo Hua was shocked in his heart, then overjoyed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.


    His master was right.


    He could indeed¡­ Prove the Dao with his Divine Sense¡­


    He had just entered Foundation Building and already had a full Eighteen Patterns of Divine Sense, just one step away from the complete Nineteen Patterns of Divine Sense of a perfect foundation!


    "I have finally lived up to my master¡¯s expectations


    Mo Hua felt both joy and a tinge of melancholy.


    Eighteen Patterns were already very powerful!


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, and just as he was about to stop meditating and end the foundation building, his expression suddenly changed.


    He sensed that something was off.


    There was a dignified aura of the Great Dao spreading in his Sea of Consciousness, as if he had made some mistake, touched upon a ¡°taboo¡± of the Great Dao¡­


    Back when he had broken the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation and executed Feng Xi, with the tribulation lightning overhead, he had felt this same sensation.


    What taboo?


    Was his Divine Sense too strong?


    Mo Hua was stunned and before he had the chance to think it through, he felt his Divine Sense touch some kind of barrier, like¡­ the limits of the Heavenly Dao.


    The Great Dao seemed¡­ to forbid him from having such strong Divine Sense¡­

 Chapter 717: Foundation Establishment (4)

    Chapter 717: Chapter 565: Foundation Establishment_4


    Soon, the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao descended, and Mo Hua¡¯s originally expanding Sea of Consciousness was as if squeezed by something, suddenly contracting.


    Mo Hua¡¯s head ached unbearably, but what was even more unbelievable to him was that his realm of Divine Sense was rapidly falling.


    From Eighteen Patterns, he dropped to Seventeen Patterns¡­


    Then from Seventeen Patterns, he fell to Sixteen Patterns¡­


    And yet, it didn¡¯t stop there¡­


    Sixteen Patterns, Fifteen Patterns¡­ all the way down to the initial Fourteen Patterns!


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    But it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    Following the fall of his realm, what came next was an even more severe cracking of his Sea of Consciousness, the agony of his shattered Divine Sense!


    Mo Hua suddenly realized that although his Sea of Consciousness had contracted and his realm of Divine Sense had fallen, the Divine Sense that had been strengthened before was still there!


    This Divine Sense was being infinitely squeezed due to the contraction of the Sea of Consciousness.


    As a result, the Sea of Consciousness was being squeezed by the Divine Sense, gradually cracking, while the Divine Sense was being oppressed by the Sea of Consciousness, gradually shattering¡­


    What to do?!


    In desperation, Mo Hua could only endure the severe pain, on one hand, meditating to stabilize his mind, casting aside the agony, while on the other hand maintaining his damaged Divine Sense with Heavenly secret Calculation and accelerating the consumption of Divine Sense with Tricky Calculation.


    But this was not a solution¡­


    Sooner or later, his Sea of Consciousness would be completely destroyed, and his Divine Sense would vanish like smoke!


    At the critical moment, in Mo Hu¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, there suddenly emerged a vast and endless, densely packed, layered Formation Patterns.


    These Formation Patterns were flickering on and off, appearing and disappearing, forming into a whole piece that seemed to be branded in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, profound and mysterious.


    Is this¡­ the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?!


    Is this the bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue?


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    The moment the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation emerged, those Divine Senses that were restricted by the Heavenly Dao and pressed by the Sea of Consciousness, with nowhere to hide, began to cluster along the Formation Patterns one strand at a time.


    One by one, one formation after another, in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, with Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, retraced and were woven into a¡ª


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation! S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was incredible shocked, and gradually a realization dawned in his heart.


    "This is¡­ the mystery of the Heaven Yan Jue


    "This is the true meaning of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, which is the bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue?¡±


    "Divine Consciousness Reconstruction?¡±


    "Reconstructing Divine Sense with the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?!¡±


    What kind of ¡°Divine Craftsmanship¡± was this?


    Mo Hua had never heard of this before, and even his wildest dreams had not conjured such a possibility¡­


    The restrictions of the Heavenly Dao, the contraction of the Sea of Consciousness, the oppression of Divine Sense, torn and shattered, and then automatically permeated into the Formation Patterns of the previously manifested Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, solidifying into a Formation, reconstructing Divine Sense¡­ §²¨¢¦­£Ï???


    This was a spontaneously generated process.


    The only problem was, the reconstruction of Divine Sense was too painful¡­


    And the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation was so large that forming bit by bit was so slow¡­


    Mo Hua clenched his teeth and persevered, but he was still young and feared he might not be able to hold out.


    "I have to think of a solution


    Enduring the pain, Mo Hua¡¯s mind raced.


    If generation by itself was too slow, then¡­ why not actively form the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    This Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, his uncle had deciphered with Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, so now should he do the opposite and reconstruct with Tricky Calculation?


    The Large Formation was vast, consuming huge amounts of Divine Sense.


    But now in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, there was an abundance of Divine Sense between Fourteen and Eighteen Patterns, which was ample to the point of seeming inexhaustible, with no worry of running out.


    And during the process of forming, he could simultaneously use Heavenly secret Calculation to gain insight into the true essence of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    This was as if he was ¡°applying his study,¡± learning anew, the versatile and immensely profound ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡±?!


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    A jump went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and then his eyes shone brightly.


    Without delay, he immediately set to work. With a somewhat unfamiliar and clumsy method, he attempted to use Tricky Calculation to divide his Divine Sense, multitasking to expedite the formation of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, and in doing so, accelerated his own Divine Consciousness Reconstruction!


    Meanwhile, he learned as he drew.


    With Heavenly secret Calculation, he gradually deduced, comprehended, and discerned the essential nature of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, the Divine Thought solidified, grand and ancient, abstruse and profound Mysterious Heaven Great Formation was being generated on its own, while also being actively formed by Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was being consumed rapidly like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea.


    The pain in the Sea of Consciousness was also gradually relieved, as if by a spring breeze and a gentle rain.


    Yet Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was undergoing unbelievable changes, step by step¡­


    After an unknown length of time, the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation was fully formed, then gradually dissolved, merging into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, and vanished without a trace.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes.


    He discovered that his Sea of Consciousness was still that of the Fourteen Patterns realm.


    But within the Sea of Consciousness, there was a hazy mist, swirling clouds and fog.


    Mo Hua activated his Divine Sense and found that his Divine Sense had become incredibly concentrated, like water vapor, as if it had been compressed by the Sea of Consciousness, and reconstituted by the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, undergoing a¡­


    Transformation?


    Divine Consciousness Transformation?!


    Mo Hua was inexplicably shocked. After a brief contemplation, he suddenly had an epiphany.


    The truly powerful aspect of the Heaven Yan Jue cultivation technique lied in¡­ causing the Divine Sense to undergo a transformation?!


    With a transformed Divine Thought, the foundation was solid, and manipulation became exceedingly keen.


    The manipulation of Divine Sense was just an additional benefit.


    And the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, while seemingly a bottleneck, was in essence the key to reconstructing Divine Sense and achieving a transformation!


    Divine Consciousness Transformation¡­


    Mo Hua looked at his own small hand.


    Divine Thought was ethereal, no matter how solidified it seemed, the essence remained an illusory phantom.


    But now, the hand manifesting from his Divine Thought, though hazy, was veiled with mist, as if a slight condensation of¡­ blood¡­


    "This is¡­ Divine Consciousness Transformation


    Mo Hua was lost in a trance.


    His Divine Sense was henceforth entirely different.


    And thereby, he had established the foundation for the Supreme Divine Sense!

 Chapter 718: Foundation Establishment (5)

    Chapter 718: Chapter 565: Foundation Establishment_5


    ¡­


    Outside the cave dwelling for Foundation Establishment of Mo Hua, True Man Situ was somewhat puzzled.


    "What¡¯s wrong


    He had just felt a surge, insignificant to him, but exceedingly abundant in terms of Divine Sense fluctuations for a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    This also confirmed his guess about ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao.¡±


    Yet, for some reason, that surge quickly converged, vanished, and left no trace¡­


    The aura of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought hadn¡¯t seemed to increase.


    "Did it fail?¡±


    True Man Situ frowned.


    He then waited outside¡­


    After a long time, Mo Hua emerged, his steps light, even somewhat¡­ springy?


    He was clearly in a good mood¡­


    True Man Situ could not help but ask, ¡°Did you establish your foundation?¡±


    "Yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded and smiled.


    True Man Situ gave Mo Hua a discerning look.


    His aura had indeed become much more solid¡­


    But as for Spiritual Power, it was quite average, and his Blood Qi, pitifully weak¡­


    His Divine Sense, he couldn¡¯t ascertain clearly, but it felt similar to the Divine Sense Realm before his own Foundation Establishment¡­


    This¡­ that¡¯s all for Foundation Establishment?


    And¡­


    "Why wasn¡¯t there any phenomenon at all


    True Man Situ was somewhat puzzled.


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao, no matter what, there should have been a slight sign, even the smallest hint would have given him some clue.


    But it seemed, there really wasn¡¯t any.


    True Man Situ shook his head, somewhat unable to understand.


    But Mo Hua was ready to bid True Man Situ farewell:


    "Thank you for your guidance during these days, senior. I have been away from home for a long time, and I will return tomorrow


    True Man Situ nodded, ¡°It was but a trifle, do not mind it.¡±


    But he still advised, ¡°The path of Dao Cultivation is long, if you pass by Mystery Valley in the future, remember to drop a greeting card; I will treat you, show you around, and let you experience the heritage of my Mystery Valley ?¦¡£Îo??????s?


    Mo Hua smiled broadly, ¡°Definitely!¡±


    The two chatted a lot more.


    The next day, Mo Hua set out on his journey, a small figure walking on the Great Dao, waving at True Man Situ from a distance.


    True Man Situ watched the figure of Mo Hua and suddenly felt somewhat reluctant, pausing longer than intended, watching Mo Hua disappear into the distance.


    Mo Hua, alone on the Great Dao, though small in figure, had a steadfast Taoist Heart, fearless, and pressing forward.


    True Man Situ thought to himself:


    "I hope you, child, have a boundless Dao journey!¡±


    "Maybe if fate allows, we will meet again


    ¡­


    Having seen off Mo Hua, True Man Situ should also return to Mystery Valley.


    Yet, before leaving, his mind was still concerned.


    "How could there be¡­ no phenomenon at all?¡±


    "Was I mistaken?¡±


    He hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked into the cave dwelling where Mo Hua had established his foundation.


    The interior of the cave dwelling was luxuriously decorated.


    Luxury wooden furniture, auspicious cloud screens, Spirit-embroidered porcelain¡­ all present, but just as always, no different from before.


    "Something¡¯s not right


    True Man Situ scanned with his Divine Sense, then suddenly paused.


    He reached out and gently touched the porcelain that was ¡®turning green with spirit stone,¡¯ and ¡®turning red with copper,¡¯ beautifully adorned with green and red colors.


    As soon as he touched it, the porcelain instantly shattered.


    Simultaneously, the surrounding masonry settings all cracked, their interiors already turning into fine powder!


    No scent of Blood Qi.


    No external force.


    No remnants of Spiritual Power. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Could it be¡­ Divine Sense?


    Were these bricks, mortar, and porcelains, inadvertently smashed by the overflowing Divine Sense?


    True Man Situ gasped sharply.


    Divine Sense¡­ shattered¡­


    What exactly did this small cultivator establish?


    ¡­


    At this moment, in an unknown void.


    Yin souls wailed harshly, Gui Qi pervading.


    With remnants of souls everywhere, weaving a terrifyingly enormous web.


    This web, covering heaven and shielding the earth, seemed like a vast shadowy Large Formation, containing endless Gui Tao trickeries and the deadly aura of extinction.


    At this moment, a dreadful shadow opened its eyes.


    Within his eyes, pitch-blackness.


    As if countless Deceit Patterns were condensed within.


    "Back Ruins Heaven Burial is now in my hands


    "But my Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­ is missing¡­ a trace of its origin


    "Was it¡­ erased


    "Or was it¡­ consumed


    He hadn¡¯t spoken aloud, but numerous yin souls seemed to do it on his behalf.


    Clustered voices, intermingling, indistinguishable in their sharp and piercing nature, potentially harmful to Divine Thought.


    "Evil God, or Heavenly Demon¡­ dare to consume¡­ my Demon Thought?¡±


    The shadow calculated with his fingers, a Dao robe of Void appearing on him, densely flowing with Deceit Patterns.


    A name emerged¡­


    "Mo¡­ Hua


    Who is it?¡±


    The shadow¡¯s dark gaze condensed, trying to calculate again, only to find the Heavenly secret obscured, clouded, indistinct.


    "Is it¡­ my junior brother


    "But you¡­ are already dead¡­ can¡¯t hide it anymore


    The shadow¡¯s gaze became fierce. Amidst fear and struggle, the numerous yin souls were devoured by the Dao robe of Void, turning to ash, while his Tricky Calculation of Heavenly secret advanced further.


    In the vague mist, he almost saw a small human face¡­


    Just then, a Corpse King with a warped and twisted aura due to karmic mutation leapt out from the obscure causality, its eyes blood-red, its face fierce, biting fiercely into the shadow.


    This bite swallowed countless yin souls and also severed the causality.


    The shadow startled, slightly incredulous.


    "This is¡­ my nurtured Taoist Demon?¡±


    "It¡­ is biting me?¡±


    This Corpse King, hidden in the obscure causation, seemed to be ¡°protecting its master¡± as well as ¡°protecting its food.¡±


    Not allowing others to covet its ¡°master,¡± nor allowing others to covet its ¡°food.¡±


    A trace of vindictive spirit appeared in the shadow¡¯s eyes, then gradually calmed down.


    A Taoist Demon, a being of Great Dao¡¯s karmic mutation.


    Conforming to the Dao yet defying it.


    Hidden in causality, perilously unpredictable, and elusive.


    This Taoist Demon he had nurtured, he could not kill it now¡­


    The shadow fell silent, an all-encompassing deathly stillness, then his Deceit Pattern faded, retracting his Dao robe, returning to normal.


    "We will meet again


    His pitch-black pupils, irregular Deceit Patterns flickering between light and shadow.


    In the land of void, thousands of yin souls, fiercely wailing, simultaneously shouting the name that knows neither cause nor effect:


    "Mo Hua.¡±


    (End of the Wandering Volume)

 Chapter 719: Returning Home (1)

    Chapter 719: Chapter 566 Returning Home_1


    A hundred miles outside Tongxian City, the mountain forests were lush, and streams babbled. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the mountain path, a caravan of more than ten people, pulling several storage carts, moved slowly forward.


    Mo Hua sat on one of the caravan¡¯s carts, swinging his legs leisurely while looking at the nearby familiar yet slightly unfamiliar mountain scenery. He thought of his parents, the acquaintances, and childhood friends back in Tongxian City, feeling excited yet suddenly seized by a nervous trepidation as he neared his hometown.


    From the Third Grade Dali Mountain State boundary to Tongxian City.


    The journey had been long and arduous. Mo Hua stopped along the way, visiting Formation Masters, seeking out Formations, taking nearly half a year.


    Now he was fifteen years old.


    A First Grade Formation Master, at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, with fourteen patterns in his Divine Sense, his Divine Thought had undergone a qualitative change, becoming as concentrated as mercury.


    Compared to when he left home, Mo Hua had grown a bit taller.


    His eyebrows and eyes had also broadened, carrying a trace of heroic spirit between them.


    However, at the tender age of early teens, he was still too young for a Cultivator.


    Mo Hua had achieved Foundation Establishment early. Even though he had gone through many experiences, he still appeared as an uncut jade, naive and carefree.


    "Mo lad, your parents really trust you to travel alone


    An elder from the caravan couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    On this trip, he must have asked this question at least seven or eight times.


    The elder was the boss of the caravan, who had traveled far and wide, trading Spirit Stones and Pills to make a living.


    His surname was Zheng, with a sharp look in his eyes, everyone else called him Old Zheng.


    Tongxian City was growing more prosperous, and the number of Cultivators and traders coming and going had increased. Old Zheng¡¯s caravan was specifically there to sell some Tao Cultivation merchandise. ??N?????¨º?


    Only, the caravan had been attacked by Monster Beasts on the way, and the Formation on the cart was damaged.


    Mo Hua came across them and helped fix the Formation. They were very simple Formations, around First Grade four or five patterns; it barely counted as lifting a finger.


    But Old Zheng was amazed.


    This young Cultivator was so young, yet he could already repair a Formation with five Formation Patterns¡­


    His future was bound to be immeasurable!


    In gratitude to Mo Hua, Old Zheng treated him well with food and drink. Learning that Mo Hua¡¯s destination was also Tongxian City, he offered Mo Hua a lift along the way.


    Mo Hua, tired from the journey, conveniently took the opportunity to hitch a ride.


    Along the way, there was food, drink, and company for conversation, so it was not dull.


    Anyway, they were already very close to Tongxian City, and it would only cause a few days¡¯ delay.


    But every time Old Zheng looked at Mo Hua, his expression was one of incredulity.


    Just a kid, yet with such talent in Formations, did his parents really feel reassured, letting him travel alone?


    If it were him, he wouldn¡¯t bear to let go.


    Mo Hua spoke softly, ¡°When I traveled, there were others with me. Now on my return, I¡¯m by myself


    As he said this, a hint of melancholy was hidden in the depths of Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    Old Zheng nodded and did not ask further.


    Among the steep mountains and ridges, the caravan followed the winding mountain roads step by step, heading for Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua looked up and saw the rolling Big Black Mountain range in front of him, and the outline of Tongxian City, partly hidden by the mountains and mists, emerging faintly in the distance. He silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    "No matter what, I¡¯m nearly home


    Since he left home, only a few years had passed.


    A Cultivator¡¯s lifespan is long, and a few years do not count for much, but to Mo Hua, it felt like a very long time had gone by¡­


    At last, he was finally returning home.


    A slight sourness welled up in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Several more days passed, and after traveling tens of miles, Mo Hua saw acquaintances.


    They were several uncles who were Monster Hunters.


    Dressed in iron armor and wielding Pu Blades, their faces stern, they were all fully alert, tracking Monster Beasts, and happened to come across the caravan Mo Hua was with.


    They were midst pursuing a Monster Beast, their armor and blades covered in blood, their faces bearing an aura ready for a fight to the death.


    Seeing this, the other Cultivators of the caravan also became alert, their expressions tense.


    Old Zheng felt a chill in his heart.


    It was their first time trading in Tongxian City, and in this desolate Black Mountain region, encountering Monster Hunters with bloody blades and stern expressions, they couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.


    Fearing that a misunderstanding might lead these Monster Hunters to rob and kill them¡­


    Such incidents, they had encountered and heard of plenty during their travels.


    What was more troublesome was that these Monster Hunters were clearly very powerful.


    The caravan had hired guards, but these guards were merely at the latter stages of Qi Refinement, not exceeding the ninth level.


    They could handle ordinary Mole Gangs, but compared to these Monster Hunters with profound cultivation, exquisite Spiritual Artifacts, and rich experience in combat, and moreover, those covered in blood, they were clearly outmatched.


    Although nervous, Old Zheng tried his best to smile apologetically:


    "Fellow Taoist friends, my name is Zheng, and I am on my way to Tongxian City to do some modest trade. I hope you would be lenient


    He started to calculate in his mind how much ¡°toll¡± he would have to pay to pass safely and minimize his losses.


    The Monster Hunters remained silent.


    They were on the hunt for Monster Beasts, and speaking little was a rule among Monster Hunters.


    Seeing that they did not respond, Old Zheng¡¯s forced smile grew ever more stiff.


    Just then, one of the Monster Hunters, by chance, glanced at the carriage and saw a child with fine features, looking at him kindly with a smiling face.


    He was shocked, widening his eyes in disbelief, and exclaimed:


    "Mo¡­ Mo Hua?!!¡±


    The other Monster Hunters glared at him angrily.


    "What are you doing? Yelling and startling everyone like that?¡±


    "Your voice is so loud; what if it alerts the Wind Listening Wolf?¡±


    "Being a veteran Monster Hunter, don¡¯t you know the rules?¡±


    "It¡¯s not¡­ It¡¯s Mo Hua!¡±


    "What Mo Hua? Even if it¡¯s Mo Hua, you can¡¯t


    This Monster Hunter was interrupted halfway through his sentence, then he too froze, ¡°Mo Hua?!¡±

 Chapter 720: Homecoming (2)

    Chapter 720: Chapter 566: Homecoming_2


    "You must be out of your mind, Mo Hua is not


    Then he turned his head and saw, from within the caravan, that same beaming, innocent-looking Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua waved at them, smiling, ¡°Uncle Zhao, Uncle Sun, Uncle Zhou¡­ I¡¯m back!¡±


    Everyone was taken aback, before their faces turned to rapture.


    "It¡¯s not a mistake!¡±


    "It really is Mo Hua!¡±


    "Mo Hua!!¡±


    "Keep it down, don¡¯t scare the wolf off


    "Who cares about that darn wolf, let it be


    Mo Hua was a bit bemused.


    "Mo Hua, wait for us. We¡¯ll finish up here and escort you back to Tongxian City the Monster Hunters said enthusiastically.


    Mo Hua looked at them, noticing the blood on their swords and armor. Though they had steely eyes and weathered faces, clearly having pursued the Monster Beasts for quite some time, it seemed they were nearly done with the hunt. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua shook her head and said:


    "Uncles, go on with your Monster Hunting, no need to bother. I¡¯ll be fine returning with the caravan.¡±


    "Drop by our place later; I¡¯ll treat you to a drink!¡± Mo Hua added, patting her little chest.


    The group of Monster Hunters chuckled, but they weren¡¯t prissy about it.


    Indeed, with Mo Hua¡¯s abilities, they really didn¡¯t need to escort her.


    "Alright, we¡¯ll slaughter this wolf and head back. We¡¯ve got some fresh Monster meat, all freshly killed, to let you try,¡± said one of the Monster Hunters, smiling.


    "Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Afterward, the group parted ways.


    Mo Hua waved her little arms, bidding farewell to her Monster Hunter uncles and grand-uncles.


    Old Zheng, who had narrowly escaped danger, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead; his look towards Mo Hua was a mix of gratitude and astonishment.


    "Young man, you know these Monster Hunters?¡± he asked.


    "Yes,¡± replied Mo Hua, nodding. ¡°They are all my uncles and grand-uncles. They used to take care of me when I entered Big Black Mountain. We¡¯re quite familiar ?§¡?????????¦¥S?


    You entered Big Black Mountain?


    Old Zheng looked at Mo Hua¡¯s small arms and legs, not sure what to say.


    But it¡¯s good¡­ to know people.


    Connections make things easier.


    Old Zheng felt fortunate in his heart.


    Lucky indeed, to have bumped into this young man. Otherwise, without knowing any Cultivators out here in the wilderness, meeting a troop of Monster Hunters, with blood on their blades, anything could happen¡­


    Old Zheng¡¯s manners toward Mo Hua became even more courteous.


    But as they continued marching forward, he noticed something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    The closer they got to Tongxian City, the more Monster Hunters they encountered.


    And each and every one of these Monster Hunters, upon seeing Mo Hua, first showed shock then joyous faces.


    One moment solemn and murderous, the next that of joy as if it was New Year¡¯s¡­


    Old Zheng gazed at Mo Hua, his mouth agape, and said in a daze:


    "These Monster Hunters¡­ you know them all?¡±


    How do you know all the Monster Hunters in these mountains?


    Mo Hua nodded.


    But you seem¡­ to know them too well¡­


    Old Zheng still found it hard to believe.


    Mo Hua grinned, ¡°I¡¯m just well-liked!¡±


    Old Zheng was skeptical but continued to speculate silently.


    This young Cultivator must have an unusual identity, perhaps a child of a high-ranking Elder in the Monster Hunting Guild.


    Or maybe, the young master of a big family in Immortal City?


    Old Zheng kept guessing as they went on.


    The sky began to darken as they continued their journey.


    The day neared dusk, the evening sky dyed with the glow of sunset.


    Old Zheng flipped through the Map, estimating the distance, and furrowed his brow, ¡°It¡¯s getting a bit late. If we don¡¯t hurry, it seems we¡¯ll end up spending the night in the mountains


    Spending the night in the mountains would be dangerous¡­


    A newly constructed mountain road now stretches from the Inner Mountain through the deep woods of Big Black Mountain, straight to Tongxian City.


    The Monster Beasts in Inner Mountain are fierce.


    Those in the deep mountains are even more bloodthirsty, and occasionally, Second Grade Monster Beasts appear.


    It¡¯s fine during the day, but once night falls, staying in the deep woods, encountering Monster Beasts in the pitch-black night and treacherous terrain, it¡¯s feared that everyone might become a feast for the beasts.


    "Shall we take a shortcut while it¡¯s not yet dark?¡±


    At least to get out of the deep woods.


    Someone suggested.


    Old Zheng pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement, ¡°We need to move fast to reach Tongxian City sooner. Better not to have long nights full of dreams.¡±


    Mo Hua looked up, scanning the surroundings. They were located deep within the mountains of Big Black Mountain. The mountain path had been refurbished, and the terrain had altered slightly, which was unfamiliar to her.


    Changes in the mountain¡¯s shape¡­


    Apparently, the change was due to the sheer power when she dissolved the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, which had nearly leveled half of the deep mountain, altering the whole landscape.


    The mountain was the same, but it had changed shape; the roads were no longer the same.


    For a moment, Mo Hua was unable to discern the exact location.


    One of the traders in the party then said:


    "I¡¯ve been to Tongxian City a few times and know a shortcut, but it¡¯s a bit late, and we might encounter Monster Beasts


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Old Zheng replied with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s better than spending the night in the deep woods. You lead the way, and everyone, stay alert.¡±


    "Sure thing, Old Zheng.¡±


    So the trader took the lead and the caravan turned onto a narrow path.


    It was an old mountain trail.


    Mo Hua vaguely remembered it, seemingly an old road leading from the outside of Big Black Mountain to Tongxian City.


    It became less traveled and gradually fell into disuse.


    The journey was indeed full of twists and turns.


    Some rocks had collapsed a few years earlier due to the Great Formation Dissolution; while people could pass, the vehicles and goods had some difficulties.


    And then there were the Monster Beasts


    However, most of them were just middle to late First Grade.


    The guards in the caravan could handle them, so Mo Hua just gave them early warnings and did not take action herself.


    With everyone¡¯s cooperation, they slew a Kui Wood Wolf and a Red-eyed Demon Sheep. The rest of the journey became much smoother.


    Just as they were about to leave the deep woods, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred, her brows furrowed, and she spoke up:


    "Stop.¡±


    Old Zheng was taken aback, and the other Cultivators in the caravan were somewhat puzzled.

 Chapter 721: Returning Home (3)

    Chapter 721: Chapter 566: Returning Home_3


    The sky was gradually darkening, and they could already vaguely see Tongxian City in the distance; stopping now would surely delay their journey.


    Though Mo Hua¡¯s voice sounded tender, there was a hidden aura of unyielding authority that demanded attention.


    Especially since throughout the trip, all the Monster Hunters had treated Mo Hua warmly and kindly. Such ¡°popularity¡± shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    "Little brother Old Zheng hesitated.


    Mo Hua raised his finger to his lips and ¡°shushed¡± him, signaling him to be silent.


    Old Zheng was puzzled.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to scout the surroundings for a moment. His expression gradually turned solemn as he muttered, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a Second Grade Monster Beast


    Upon hearing this, Old Zheng¡¯s legs went soft, and he said with a trembling voice,


    "Se¡­ Second Grade?¡±


    The other trader Cultivators also had a horrified look in their eyes, then one by one, they began to discuss:


    "Impossible


    "Second Grade Monster Beasts, with their strong Blood Qi, can be seen from afar


    "We didn¡¯t notice anything


    ¡­


    Before they had finished speaking, a suppressed and terrifying growl emerged from the gloomy forests on the right.


    This low growl contained Evil Qi and a blood-chilling Blood Qi.


    Their faces instantly turned deathly pale.


    It was a Second Grade Monster Beast!


    A Monster Beast stronger than Foundation Establishment!


    Such a beast could feast on all of them!


    With the speed of a Second Grade Monster Beast, there was no escaping!


    Everyone drew their weapons, but the hands clutching the hilts couldn¡¯t stop shaking, and their faces were filled with despair.


    It was then that Mo Hua cautioned,


    "Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Old Zheng also snapped back to reality and hurriedly spoke in a low voice, ¡°Put away your swords, don¡¯t show any killing intent, don¡¯t look into the Monster Beast¡¯s eyes.¡± ?¨¢????¦¯?§§?


    At this point, all he could do was pray that the Monster Beast was full and would overlook them.


    If they didn¡¯t provoke the Monster Beast, they might have a slim chance of survival.


    Otherwise, it seemed likely that today would be their memorial day.


    As everyone was on tenterhooks, the dark shadows of the trees stirred.


    From the woods emerged a Monster Beast as tall as a man, with deep brown pupils and an intricate mix of dark and white patterns on its body, and a regal ¡°king¡± Character on its head.


    "A Second Grade Tiger Demon


    Old Zheng felt bitter inside.


    This was the end¡­


    Unfortunately, it was one of the bloodthirsty and savage Tiger Demons, known for their formidable strength among Monster Beasts¡­


    And Tiger Demons had large appetites.


    The faces of everyone present were as white as paper.


    But Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Big Tiger?


    Why does it look so familiar¡­


    Mo Hua looked intently for a few moments and suddenly realized something, with a flash of understanding.


    Was this¡­ the Big Tiger raised in the Black Mountain Stronghold for bloodsucking? The one he once fed dried fish to, the Little Demon Cat?


    It was an old acquaintance!


    No, an old ¡°demon¡±!


    The Big Tiger¡¯s gaze wandered through the crowd, then settled on Mo Hua. There was a moment of bewilderment, followed by confusion, and then it seemed to recognize Mo Hua. Its big eyes blinked, and the ferocity in its eyes faded away.


    It seemed not to be looking for food, but had come over simply because it sensed a familiar presence.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he quickly said,


    "Old Zheng, give me that Monster meat.¡±


    Old Zheng was flabbergasted, ¡°Monster meat?¡±


    "The two we killed earlier


    They had killed two Monster Beasts on the road, a Kui Wood Wolf and a Red-eyed Demon Sheep. Some of the materials were harvested, and some of the meat was also kept.


    "Oh, oh¡­ Okay!¡±


    Old Zheng nodded repeatedly.


    Mo Hua took the Monster meat and said, ¡°You all go ahead, I¡¯ll feed it.¡±


    Old Zheng looked stunned, ¡°Feed


    "Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯m familiar with this Monster Beast


    Old Zheng opened his mouth wide and looked from Mo Hua to the fearsome Second Grade King-Character Tiger Monster before him, incredulous:


    You say you¡¯re good with people, but this¡­ surely can¡¯t be called ¡®people¡¯ connections, right¡­?


    A Second Grade Tiger Demon¡­


    This is¡­


    Old Zheng¡¯s emotions were complex, difficult to express in words at the moment.


    Mo Hua waved his little hand at him, ¡°Hurry up and go, otherwise it will get dark


    Old Zheng couldn¡¯t wait to leave, but he looked at Mo Hua and hesitated, ¡°Then little brother, you


    "Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua said.


    This Big Black Mountain was like his own backyard.


    It was only that the yard had been renovated, and due to his unfamiliarity, he felt a little estranged for the moment. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Zheng looked at the sky and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Little brother, for this great kindness, I shall be in your debt!¡±


    "In our group, we¡¯ll be staying at the Orchid Inn, right opposite the Fulu Building


    "If you come into the city, you must come find me there!¡±


    Orchid Inn?


    Was it newly opened?


    He didn¡¯t recall such an inn in Tongxian City before¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    Old Zheng bowed to Mo Hua, and the other Cultivators also showed their gratitude with a salute before carefully making their way towards Tongxian City.


    The Second Grade Tiger Demon indeed ignored them entirely and allowed them to leave.


    Such a thing was unimaginable with a Second Grade Monster Beast¡­


    Old Zheng found it hard to believe.


    He couldn¡¯t help but glance back at Mo Hua, thinking in shock:


    "Who on earth is this young Cultivator


    ¡­


    As the trading caravan departed, there was no one around except for Mo Hua. The Big Tiger was no longer menacing but instead circled around Mo Hua twice, making a ¡°roar¡± sound at him.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand, but he could roughly get its meaning.


    It seemed to be saying, ¡°Follow me


    Having reached Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had undergone a qualitative change, making him even more sensitive to killing intent. Sensing no ill will from the Big Tiger, he decided it wasn¡¯t dangerous and followed the Big Tiger using his movement technique, walking through the dim forest.


    The Big Tiger would take a few steps, look back at Mo Hua to make sure he was following, and then continue forward.

 Chapter 722: Return Home (4)

    Chapter 722: Chapter 566: Return Home_4


    Just like that, he brought Mo Hua all the way to a cave.


    The cave was spacious and somewhat damp, and it didn¡¯t seem like a permanent dwelling for the tiger, but more like a temporary shelter.


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A Big Tiger also practices ¡°having more than one lair.¡±


    It couldn¡¯t really have become a spirit, could it¡­


    The Big Tiger glanced at Mo Hua, motioned for him to wait there and then burrowed deeper into the cave. Soon after, it returned with about ten storage bags in its mouth.


    These storage bags, both new and old, varied in design¡ªsome were even very exquisite.


    It was unclear whether the bags were collected or taken from slain victims.


    The tiger placed the storage bags in front of Mo Hua.


    After a long moment of stunned silence, Mo Hua slowly began to understand.


    This Big Tiger¡­ was it repaying a kindness?


    He had saved it twice, and it had kept that in mind, gathering these storage bags to offer as gifts when they met again?


    Mo Hua felt unexpectedly moved for a moment.


    He looked at the storage bags again, most of which were not ordinary, and their designs differed from those of Monster Hunters, so Mo Hua felt relieved.


    Mo Hua took out some Kui Wood Wolf monster meat and tossed it to the Big Tiger.


    The Big Tiger sniffed it, found it sufficiently fresh, and began eating with relish, seated with the meat held in its two front paws.


    Mo Hua watched the Big Tiger for a long time, finding the sight quite novel.


    It had patterns of white and mystical, with a ¡°king¡± character on its forehead.


    He had asked his father Mo Shan, Elder Yu, and some other veteran Monster Hunters, but never heard of a tiger-shaped monster beast like this.


    Mo Hua also asked Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes sharpened, clearly knowing something but never said it outright¡ªonly commenting that ¡°it¡¯s somewhat rare, indeed unusual.¡±


    To this day, Mo Hua still didn¡¯t know exactly what kind of monster beast this was.


    Moreover, it seemed that it truly didn¡¯t eat humans¡­


    And it was very clever¡­


    Mo Hua watched the Big Tiger for a while longer, then shook his head, clueless.


    He looked outside at the darkening sky and said to the Big Tiger,


    "I have to go. In a few days, I¡¯ll come to see you again and bring you some dried small fish


    The Big Tiger clearly looked disdainful, as if it felt that its dignity as a Second Grade Big Tiger was being underestimated by Mo Hua.


    Nevertheless, it did not refuse.


    Mo Hua collected the storage bags and tucked them away.


    After all, it was a kind gesture from the Big Tiger, it would be disrespectful to decline.


    Plus, Mo Hua was quite curious about what the storage bags contained and to whom they belonged.


    Afterward, Mo Hua waved goodbye to the Big Tiger and then began his journey alone, walking along the mountain path toward Tongxian City.


    As he left the deep mountains and reached the Inner Mountain, the scenery became very familiar to him.


    Memories from the past all surfaced.


    Spiritual mines, the Qian Family, Big Demons¡­ and the days when he followed his father to run up and down the mountains, getting to know Big Black Mountain, drawing maps, and setting up Formations¡­ ??N??¨º?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help feeling sentimental.


    It felt like a long time had passed, yet it seemed like just yesterday.


    The sky had completely darkened, so Mo Hua quickened his pace. Relying on his mastery of the Water Passing Step, he took shortcuts, quickly passing through the Inner Mountain, and arrived at the Outer Mountain.


    Along the way, he avoided monster beasts, miasma, and poison marshes.


    Then he trekked for several more hours.


    By the time he reached Tongxian City, the night was deep.


    The sky was dotted with stars, and the lights of Tongxian City were faint.


    Mo Hua slowed his steps and as he approached the city gate, he suddenly stood still, as he saw a familiar figure waiting there.


    Graceful and gentle.


    It seemed that ever since she had news from the Monster Hunter, she had been standing there at the city gate, eagerly watching the distant mountain road, expecting the small form she longed for day and night to appear.


    Even as the sun set and the night draped over her, she continued her silent vigil.


    Waiting for her child to come home.


    Mo Hua saw her, but she hadn¡¯t noticed him; her face was full of expectation mixed with anxious longing as she stared into the distance.


    A tremor went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and his eyes became misty.


    He ran toward the city gate like the wind.


    "Mother!¡±


    Liu Ruhua, hearing this voice, trembled, turned around, and gazed fixedly at Mo Hua running towards her, feeling as if she were in a dream.


    When Mo Hua reached her, she saw his face, which although slightly unfamiliar, was the face that haunted her dreams. His countenance was smiling, but tears could not help streaming down.


    Liu Ruhua held Mo Hua tightly in her embrace, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.


    "Safe, you¡¯ve returned


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s voice trembled slightly, but it was soft, like a warm breeze.


    "Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were glossy with tears, and he nestled in his mother¡¯s embrace, nodding.


    "Mother, I¡¯m home.¡±

 Chapter 723: First Intentions (1)

    Chapter 723: Chapter 567: First Intentions_1


    Mo Hua returned home and has also completed his Foundation Establishment.


    This news quickly spread throughout Tongxian City.


    All Cultivators in Tongxian City, whether they heard the rumors early or learned of them later, were both shocked and overjoyed.


    They had not expected that Mo Hua, after a few short years of travel, would have already established his foundation.


    And since Mo Hua excelled so much in his studies of the Formation, given time, perhaps he could even become a Second Grade Formation Master.


    A Second Grade Formation Master, ah, such a figure might not appear in Tongxian City even once in hundreds of years. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu was so delighted, he couldn¡¯t close his mouth.


    He had known early on that the child Mo Hua was highly talented and kind-hearted, and he was sure to have boundless prospects, but he didn¡¯t expect this ¡°future¡± to come so soon.


    A few years felt like closing and opening his eyes, and just like that, Mo Hua had established his foundation.


    Now that Mo Hua had returned home, the usually somewhat stingy Elder Yu specially took out the Spirit Stones he had saved for a long time to hold a ¡°welcome back feast¡± for Mo Hua.


    Mo Shan knew that although Elder Yu was a Foundation Building Elder, he had taken care of most of the Loose Cultivators over the years and ended up with little savings, having not accumulated many Spirit Stones.


    However, Tongxian City was no longer the same as before; the Loose Cultivators were now living more comfortably, and naturally, they could not allow him to spend his own money.


    So Mo Shan said, this should be considered Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°Foundation Establishment Banquet,¡± and there was no need for Elder Yu to provide the Spirit Stones.


    In Tongxian City, a Foundation Establishment Banquet is basically the most grandiose feast.


    For Loose Cultivators, establishing a foundation is fraught with difficulties.


    Success in Foundation Establishment is the greatest celebration, and it usually involves hosting a grand banquet and inviting a wide array of guests.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua had also fantasized in the past about one day holding a ¡°Foundation Establishment Banquet¡± for their son, Mo Hua.


    But until then, it was just wishful thinking.


    It¡¯s not easy for Loose Cultivators to establish their foundation¡­


    Mo Hua was born frail, his Spiritual Root neither good nor bad, and his path to cultivation was sure to be filled with hardships.


    Even if Mo Hua truly had the day when he established his foundation, they might not live long enough to see it for themselves, to witness Mo Hua in the act of Foundation Establishment¡­ R?????£Î???????


    But what they never expected was that their fifteen-year-old Mo Hua had already succeeded in Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Shan and his wife were surprised and overjoyed, and to this day, they still find it somewhat unbelievable.


    Even when Mo Hua, who had already established his foundation, stood before them, it still felt like a dream¡­


    Then came the preparations for the ¡°Foundation Establishment Banquet.¡±


    Liu Ruhua took out a considerable number of Spirit Stones and held a banquet at the Fulu Building.


    These Spirit Stones were saved over the years for Mo Hua, originally intended to be used for when he would take a wife in the future.


    But now that Mo Hua had established his foundation, Liu Ruhua was so happy that she decided to spend some to celebrate.


    After all, Mo Hua was still young, and it was too early for him to marry. She could always save up more later on.


    Besides, half of the Fulu Building belonged to Mo Hua.


    With Mo Hua away, that half was all Liu Ruhua¡¯s.


    The ¡°manager¡± of the Fulu Building, An Xiaofu, even called Liu Ruhua ¡°master.¡±


    An Xiaofu was also very close to Mo Hua.


    So holding it at the Fulu Building was almost like holding it at their own home, and it wouldn¡¯t cost too many Spirit Stones.


    On the day of the Foundation Establishment Banquet, the place was bustling, with nearly every Loose Cultivator in the city in attendance.


    These Loose Cultivators either watched Mo Hua grow up from a young age, had a particularly close relationship with Mo Shan, or had benefited from Mo Hua¡¯s kindness¡­


    Some of the prominent Cultivators in the city were also present, including members from the An Family, Master Luo, Master Qian, and some smaller Clans¡­


    There were too many people, and the Fulu Building couldn¡¯t accommodate everyone.


    An Xiaofu then rented out the entire street¡¯s storefronts temporarily.


    Everyone feasted and drank merrily.


    The whole Tongxian City was as if celebrating the New Year.


    Cultivators who were traveling merchants from other regions, unaware of the occasion, thought Tongxian City was celebrating some festival.


    Once they learned it was a ¡°Foundation Establishment Banquet,¡± and that the Cultivator who had established the foundation was a First Grade Formation Master as recognized by the Taoist Court, they were all astounded.


    A Foundation Building Cultivator, a First Grade Formation Master.


    In a Second Grade Immortal City like Tongxian City, this truly signifies a person of immense influence and renown.


    These merchants also understood the principle of paying respects when arriving in a new place.


    They prepared some ¡°modest gifts,¡± delivered them personally, to share a drink and bask in the joy, hoping to become acquainted as well.


    Some merchants even spent a bit to personally offer toasts and congratulations to Mo Hua.


    Since this was already a joyous occasion, they didn¡¯t mind these little considerations.


    Old Zheng, using some connections, held a cup of wine, nervous about his encounter, and raised a toast to Mo Hua.


    But when he looked up, he found that the ¡°First Grade Formation Master,¡± the ¡°Foundation Building Dignitary,¡± was actually the young Cultivator who had traveled with him, chatting away the entire journey. His mouth opened so wide, it could fit a duck egg¡­


    During the Foundation Establishment Banquet, the toasts and drinks flowed endlessly.


    Elder Yu was very happy, his face full of smiles, but in his eyes, there seemed to be a trace of melancholy.


    Time urges one to age.


    In the past, Tongxian City had only him as a Foundation Building Cultivator. He had to bear the pressure and stand against the powerful Qian Clan; Elder Yu could not afford to fall no matter what.


    That¡¯s why he was tough, harsh in scolding, and ruthless in his methods.


    But now, with the living standards of Loose Cultivators improving, Elder Yu breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly felt somewhat old.


    That spirit, no matter what, couldn¡¯t rise up as before.


    Now watching Mo Hua, who had established his foundation at just fifteen, Elder Yu felt gratified, and somewhat startled, though he remained composed on the surface.


    Mo Hua, now with strong Divine Sense and sharper observational skills, noticed Elder Yu¡¯s concerns.


    He then went to have a drink with Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua drank fruit wine, personally brewed by his mother, which was warm and sweet to the taste, had a hint of alcohol, but was not harsh.

 Chapter 724: Initial Intention (2)

    Chapter 724: Chapter 567: Initial Intention_2


    Elder Yu was still drinking strong liquor.


    After drinking for a while, Mo Hua whispered,


    "Elder, why are you still at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage


    Elder Yu was startled and couldn¡¯t help but glare at Mo Hua, ¡°The Foundation Establishment Realm is like climbing a mountain step by step. How could it be easy to cultivate?¡±


    "Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Yu suddenly sighed and said with a bitter smile, ¡°I¡¯m old, I can¡¯t cultivate anymore


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°How can you call yourself old? Think about it, if you break through to the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, you can live another hundred years, and if you break through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, another hundred years¡­ If you keep breaking through, won¡¯t you never grow old¡­?¡±


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you think


    "Then what is easy?¡± Mo Hua asked, ¡°Opposing the Qian Family is not easy, and neither is making a living as a Loose Cultivator. Even if it¡¯s difficult, you still have to do it.¡±


    "If something needs to be done, then do it.¡±


    "It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s easy or hard, successful or not


    Elder Yu became reflective, and after a moment, asked confusedly, ¡°Who told you all this?¡±


    Mo Hua patted his chest, ¡°Myself!¡±


    Elder Yu clearly didn¡¯t believe it.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°Elder, I¡¯ve already traveled outside. I am a Foundation Building Cultivator who has ¡®seen the world¡¯.¡±


    Elder Yu saw that although Mo Hua had reached Foundation Establishment, his expression and manner were still the same as always¡ªsomewhat reasonable yet adorable. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a smile.


    Then he thought to himself, ¡°What does it matter if I¡¯m old


    "I was too tired to cultivate before, but now that I can catch my breath and have some free time, isn¡¯t it the perfect opportunity to focus on pursuing higher realms and advancing my cultivation?¡±


    "Cultivators, Cultivators, cultivate oneself and establish one¡¯s purpose.¡±


    "Without cultivating and tempering oneself, how can one even be called a Cultivator?¡±


    "So what if I¡¯m old?¡±


    "So what if I¡¯m of great age?¡±


    "In a human lifetime, as long as one does not die, one should steadfastly pursue the Taoist Heart, single-mindedly seeking the Tao


    Elder Yu suddenly had a realization, and his eyes gradually became sharp again, filled with a hint of fierceness and a trace of stubbornness.


    Mo Hua ¡®reassuredly¡¯ nodded, then said, ¡°Elder, this time you scrounged a meal from me, next time it¡¯ll be my turn to scrounge from you.¡±


    "Scrounge a meal?¡±


    Elder Yu was taken aback, then realized that Mo Hua was talking about the ¡°Foundation Establishment Feast.¡±


    "What meal do you want to scrounge from me?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face became solemn, ¡°I want to scrounge the ¡®Golden Core Feast¡¯!¡±


    Elder Yu spat out a mouthful of old wine.


    I¡¯m this old and only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, and you¡¯re already thinking of scrounging my ¡°Golden Core Feast¡±?


    Boy, you really dare to dream bigger than I do.


    But after a pause, he thought, why can¡¯t one dare to dream? By what right should one not dare to dream?


    If one doesn¡¯t even have this aspiration, what is the point of cultivating the Tao?


    Elder Yu gritted his teeth and cursed,


    "Fine! To hell with it, the Golden Core it is!¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s voice was a bit loud, with a ¡°to hell with it¡± that everyone around him could hear, causing them to look over in astonishment. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then did Elder Yu realize he had spoken out of turn.


    But he had a thick skin and pretended as if he had said nothing, clinking glasses with Mo Hua and drinking.


    The others also tactfully turned their heads away, pretending nothing had happened.


    But not far away, Yu Chengyi was a bit lost in thought.


    His father¡­ hadn¡¯t cursed at anyone for a long time¡­


    Ever since their days in Tongxian City became better, his father¡¯s temper had become much ¡°milder,¡± and he hardly ever cursed like before anymore.


    He was so mild that it even made Yu Chengyi feel a bit estranged.


    But now, Yu Chengyi heard his father cursing again¡­


    Though blunt and simple, with just a raw ¡°to hell with it¡± that was all emotion and no finesse,


    He felt inexplicably more at ease in his heart.


    Indeed, this was the father he was familiar with¡­


    Yu Chengyi silently thought.


    Mo Hua actually wanted to curse along, but the words were already on the tip of his tongue when he looked up and saw his mother, Liu Ruhua, looking at him, so he swallowed his words back down. ???????????¦¥S


    I am a good child, I don¡¯t curse¡­


    Mo Hua silently told himself.


    ¡­


    After the Foundation Establishment Feast, Mo Hua got busy for a while.


    Mainly because he was too well-known in Tongxian City, with too many acquaintances, and just wandering around took up several days unconsciously.


    He met with Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan was busy with Manager Mo, working on rebuilding the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Starting from scratch, building a sect from the ground up is difficult, but Instructor Yan¡¯s will was firm, and he would not give up.


    The bodies of the ancestors and sect leaders of past generations of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect had been turned into Iron Corpses by the traitor Lu Chengyun, helping the tyrant oppress others.


    After the issue with the corpses was settled, these bodies that had undergone Corpse Transformation were cremated, and Instructor Yan brought them back to be buried on a hill near Tongxian City.


    Lush green mountains and clear waters became the resting place for the ancestors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Mo Hua went to offer incense and paid his respects.


    Having learned the Spirit Pivot Ultimate Formation from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect and benefitted from their heritage, of course, he had to pay his respects to show his gratitude.


    Instructor Yan, looking at the now-grown Mo Hua, felt gratified, but being a man of few words, didn¡¯t say much.


    After they chatted over tea for a while about the formation aspects, Manager Mo quietly pulled Mo Hua aside.


    Manager Mo took out a stack of drawings and handed them to Mo Hua, saying with a worried expression,


    "I¡¯ve been stressed to death over this for days, help me think this through


    As soon as Mo Hua looked at the drawings, he realized they were all portraits of female cultivators.


    Mo Hua felt both familiar and unfamiliar with them.


    Familiar because he had often received such ¡°beauty portraits¡± sent to him privately by sects and clans, trying to entice him to marry into their families.

 Chapter 725: Original Intention (3)

    Chapter 725: Chapter 567: Original Intention_3


    At that time in South Yue City, Lu Chengyun had done such a thing.


    What he wasn¡¯t familiar with was the portrait of the woman, which was obviously more ¡°mature¡±, and didn¡¯t match his age at all.


    "This is


    Manager Mo, acting like a thief, whispered, ¡°Helping my senior brother find a Dao Companion


    Mo Hua thought to himself, as expected, and whispered back:


    "Such a thing¡­ shouldn¡¯t you let the Instructor pick for himself?¡±


    Manager Mo curled his lips, ¡°Dense as wood, an iron tree that won¡¯t bloom, asking him is pointless


    He flipped through several portraits, laying them out before Mo Hua, ¡°Help me take a look too


    "How about this one? A woman of a certain age, yet still charming, enticing in appearance, and reportedly living alone with plenty of Spirit Stones


    Mo Hua spotted a blind spot:


    "These Spirit Stones of hers¡­ how did she come by them?¡±


    Manager Mo was stunned, then slapped his own head, ¡°Right, right, this won¡¯t do


    "That was close, almost misled by appearances.¡±


    "If I had shown this to my senior brother, he would have been furious


    Manager Mo then pointed to another one, ¡°This girl isn¡¯t as beautiful, but she comes from a good family background ¨C the daughter of the Song family from a hundred miles away¡­ it¡¯s just, reportedly, she has a terrible temper, which is why she hasn¡¯t married for a hundred years


    "A bad temper wouldn¡¯t suit the Instructor, right


    Manager Mo nodded, ¡°Right, if my senior brother really married her, a mismatched personality would probably cause even more trouble


    He shook his head and continued to mutter:


    "This is the daughter of a Sect Elder, could probably help my senior brother if he wants to rebuild the sect S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This one¡­ no, too worldly


    "This one¡­ the portrait is too fake, the artist was probably given a lot of Spirit Stones as a ¡®tip


    "This one, makeup too heavy, a face painted deathly pale


    ¡­


    Manager Mo ruled out several, finding none suitable, then suddenly his eyes lit up:


    "This one¡¯s good! Although she looks ordinary, she has great temperament, and she¡¯s passionate about Formation. She hasn¡¯t married for over a hundred years, quite similar to my senior brother


    Mo Hua leaned in to take a glance, saw a woman with her hair tied up and plain-faced, without any makeup, not particularly attractive, but her temperament was intelligent ¨C indeed, she seemed to be a good match for the Instructor.


    Manager Mo also felt more and more that she was suitable, but after a while, he murmured:


    "It¡¯s just that with my senior brother¡¯s stubbornness, her blockheadedness, others might not take to him


    "What¡¯s wrong with my blockheadedness?¡±


    A cold voice suddenly rang out.


    Manager Mo looked up and found Instructor Yan looking at him with an indifferent face.


    Finished¡­


    A chill ran down Manager Mo¡¯s spine.


    Only then did he realize that while he and Mo Hua had been sneaking around to pick a ¡°Dao Companion¡± for Instructor Yan, Instructor Yan had been standing right behind them, silently watching¡­ ?£Á???¨ºs


    The criticisms he had spoken were most certainly overheard¡­


    Mo Hua surreptitiously observed the situation, keeping silent.


    His Divine Sense was strong, and he actually knew early on that Instructor Yan was coming, but seeing Manager Mo getting too absorbed in the task, with undivided attention, he didn¡¯t have the heart to interrupt¡­


    Instructor Yan¡¯s face looked quite unpleasant.


    Noticing the unfavorable situation, Manager Mo stammered:


    "I just remembered¡­ I¡­ I still have some matters at the Formation Pavilion, I should head back


    After saying that, he swiftly fled like the wind.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even know that the plump Manager Mo had such impressive movement technique¡­


    With Manager Mo gone, Mo Hua also felt it inappropriate to stay, so he got up and bowed respectfully:


    "Instructor, I¡¯ll be heading back, I¡¯ll come to visit you another time.¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, looking at Mo Hua expectantly, but also admonished, ¡°Don¡¯t pick up that fatty¡¯s bad habits


    The ¡°fatty¡± Instructor Yan referred to was naturally Manager Mo.


    "Yes, Instructor!¡±


    Mo Hua agreed with a mouthful of assurances and then made his escape as well.


    After Mo Hua had left, Instructor Yan sighed helplessly and bent down to pick up the scattered portrait papers, collecting them one by one.


    But when picking up one of them, Instructor Yan suddenly paused.


    The portrait was of a woman, her hair tied up with a plain face, no makeup applied, her gaze focused, immersed in her own world, a female Formation Master concentrating on researching Formation, capable of drawing a nine-Pattern Formation¡­


    Instructor Yan was momentarily lost in thought¡­


    ¡­


    After bidding farewell to Instructor Yan, Mo Hua went to visit Old Mr. Feng.


    Old Mr. Feng had done Mo Hua a great favor.


    As a child, Mo Hua had been weak and deficient in Blood Qi; it was Old Mr. Feng who had cared for him with Pills.


    Later, when his mother fell severely ill, it was through the good fortune of relying on Old Mr. Feng that she had no serious trouble.


    Old Mr. Feng had not attended the Foundation Establishment feast.


    Old Mr. Feng was a Pill Master, holding a position at the Apricot Forest Hall, treating and saving people, constantly busy, and moreover, he preferred quiet over noise due to his old age.


    Liu Ruhua prepared some delicate and light dishes for Mo Hua to take to Old Mr. Feng to taste.


    Mo Hua also gave Old Mr. Feng some pill books and Pill Recipes he had collected on his travels, as a gift for their reunion.


    Old Mr. Feng was overjoyed, stroking his beard and nodding incessantly.


    He then looked at Mo Hua and could not help but feel a flood of emotions.


    Mo Hua had truly grown up under his watchful eyes, from a tiny child, slowly growing up, and now although he was only fifteen years old, still not very old, he had become a famous first-grade Formation Master and a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­


    And he had also used Formation to help so many Cultivators in Tongxian City.


    "Good child Old Mr. Feng¡¯s eyes were filled with satisfaction.


    Apricot Forest Hall was bustling with activity, and Old Mr. Feng was quite busy.


    Mo Hua did not wish to bother any further, and after a short chat, and confirming that Old Mr. Feng was well, got up to take his leave.


    Just before he left, Old Mr. Feng seemed to remember something, hesitated a moment, then spoke earnestly:


    "Mo Hua


    "At such a young age, to have such cultivation and mastery of Formation is truly rare, and your future is boundless


    "But even if, in the future, your cultivation reaches such heights that all the countless Cultivators and all the living beings in this world are but lowly ants, mere dust beneath your feet


    "You must never forget your original aspirations, never become aloof and indifferent.¡±


    "Do not forget, the most humble of people are still people, alive with joys and sorrows


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then with eyes shimmering with understanding and a pure smile, he reassuringly said:


    "Alright, Grandpa Feng, I¡¯ll keep that in my heart!¡±

 Chapter 726: Scarcity (1)

    Chapter 726: Chapter 568 Scarcity_1


    Afterward, Mo Hua paid a visit to Court Leader Zhou.


    Court Leader Zhou was very enthusiastic and grateful.


    He was of advanced age, and had served in his position for many years. Though diligent, his accomplishments had been modest, and he had been considering retirement to enjoy his remaining years in peace.


    Yet, to his surprise, in just the last few years, Tongxian City had undergone remarkable changes.


    With the opening of Refinery Shops, the establishment of Alchemist¡¯s Businesses, the construction of Large Formations, the slaying of Big Demons, and the safeguarding of the region, his achievements as Court Leader could truly be described as ¡°remarkable.¡±


    Even with his busy schedule, Court Leader Zhou still found time to take out his treasured tea, brew and taste it with Mo Hua, chatting for a while.


    They mostly talked about the various big and small stories of Tongxian City during Mo Hua¡¯s travels over the past few years.


    Mo Hua chatted casually with Court Leader Zhou and after a while, he couldn¡¯t help but ask about Zhang Lan.


    He was quite concerned about Zhang Lan, the ¡°passing, unnamed, kindly¡± uncle.


    Court Leader Zhou, somewhat comforted, told Mo Hua everything there was to know about Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan had returned to his clan.


    The Zhang Family was far from Tongxian City.


    Zhang Lan had chosen to settle in the remote Little Immortal City of Tongxian to avoid his clan¡¯s complicated affairs.


    Now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, there was no avoiding it; he had to return.


    As for what happened after his return, Court Leader Zhou didn¡¯t know the details of the Zhang Family¡¯s internal affairs.


    Mo Hua felt regretful.


    He really wanted to see Uncle Zhang Lan again and ¡°by the way,¡± show off that he had achieved Foundation Establishment too¡­


    But now that he had returned to his clan, there¡¯s no telling when they could meet again.


    He wondered whether, by the time they met again, Zhang Lan would have found a Dao companion¡­


    Hopefully, he hadn¡¯t been forced into marriage by his family, only to marry a woman he didn¡¯t love and then fall for another woman he couldn¡¯t have on the outside¡­


    As Mo Hua chatted with Court Leader Zhou, his little head began to work, recalling clich¨¦ romance stories he had read and vividly imagining a dramatic love and hate saga for Zhang Lan¡­


    After a while, when the tea was finished, Mo Hua rose to take his leave.


    With Court Leader Zhou busy with his duties, Mo Hua did not want to impose any longer.


    Court Leader Zhou personally saw Mo Hua to the door and went back to his official duties. Moments later, he thought of Mo Hua and shook his head with a mix of regret and concern. ????????????S


    "Boundless prospects


    "It¡¯s just¡­ Tongxian City¡¯s waters are too shallow to nurture a great dragon sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    After parting with Court Leader Zhou, Mo Hua made time to visit some childhood friends who had grown up with him.


    Most of them had become Monster Hunters and were gradually maturing and taking on responsibilities.


    Dazhu was still apprenticing under Master Chen in Artifact Refining, becoming increasingly skilled, to Master Chen¡¯s great satisfaction.


    Da¡¯hu and the others were no longer in Tongxian City, though.


    Upon asking Dazhu, Mo Hua learned the reason why.


    As Tongxian City grew more prosperous and more Cultivators passed through, a Sect Elder saw the trio, noticed their aptitude for Body Refinement, and took all three as Disciples to the Sect for cultivation.


    The name of the Sect, it was said, was the Great Wilderness Sect, located south of Li State, bordering the barbaric lands, and so far away they could only return once every few years or even a decade.


    "Great Wilderness Sect


    Mo Hua silently noted the name, unsure if he would ever have the chance to go there and meet Da¡¯hu and the others again¡­


    ¡­


    After wandering for several days and meeting everyone he intended to, with nothing particular to do, Mo Hua thought of the Big Tiger.


    He had his mother prepare a heap of ¡°big¡± dried fish.


    The Little Demon Cat had transformed into a Big Tiger, a Second Grade Monster Beast, and small dried fish were hardly enough for it to munch on, so they had to make large ones.


    Tongxian City was rich in mountains, but scarce in water; they couldn¡¯t produce big fish.


    The fish, brought in from outside, varied in size, with the largest being taller than Mo Hua and the smallest at least a foot or two in length.


    The fish had thick scales, looked peculiar, and had a strong fishy smell.


    Cultivators seldom ate them, so they were plentiful and cheap.


    Based on his experience as a Monster Hunter, Mo Hua guessed that the big feline-like tiger would like them.


    Living creatures couldn¡¯t be put into Storage Bags.


    Dead fish could.


    Mo Hua used several large Storage Bags to pack several large bundles and, taking advantage of the early morning light, with the sunrise on his back and the dried fish slung over his shoulder, he entered Big Black Mountain.


    After searching the deep mountain for a while, Mo Hua found the tiger in a cave, gnawing on the bones of some unknown Monster Beast.


    Sensing the presence of an outsider, the Big Tiger instantly became alert, its gaze fierce.


    When it saw it was Mo Hua, the Big Tiger hesitated for a moment before returning to its bone.


    Mo Hua offered it the dried fish. The Big Tiger sniffed it, wrinkled its brow, and even let out a ¡°roar,¡± seeming somewhat repelled.


    It was a Big Tiger, not a big house cat.


    Big Tigers have their pride.


    "Doesn¡¯t suit your taste¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled.


    He remembered that when the Big Tiger was younger, it quite liked eating small dried fish.


    But the Big Tiger didn¡¯t want to bother with him, continuing to lick the bones.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t insist and, with nothing better to do, just sat at the entrance of the cave, observing the mountain scenery.


    As the Big Tiger licked the bone, unable to find any meat on it, it eyed the fish in front of it, hesitated for a long time, then smelled Mo Hua not looking its way and stealthily grabbed a fish, gulping it down¡­


    It swallowed too quickly to taste anything, glanced at Mo Hua, then tried another fish¡­


    Then, unable to resist, it tried yet another one¡­


    Munching along, the Big Tiger looked up to find Mo Hua staring at it, smiling broadly.


    The Big Tiger¡¯s gaze flitted about, and it quietly covered the fish by its mouth with its paws, hiding them from Mo Hua¡¯s view¡­


    Mo Hua threw the rest of the fish to it, saying with a smile:


    "Eat it slowly. Next time I have the chance, I¡¯ll bring you some more

 Chapter 727: Scarcity (2)

    Chapter 727: Chapter 568 Scarcity_2


    Big Tiger was no longer reserved, chewing on the dried fish with big bites, its eyes squinting into slits, even rubbing its fluffy big head against Mo Hua¡­


    ¡­


    In this way, the days of Mo Hua in Tongxian City gradually settled down.


    Daily cultivation, learning formations, spending time with his parents, meeting friends for tea, occasionally going into the mountains to relax, and feeding Big Tiger some dried fish.


    But sometimes when he was alone, there would still be a hint of desolation in his eyes.


    This hint of desolation could be hidden from others, but not from Liu Ruhua.


    After pondering, Liu Ruhua asked softly,


    "Huar, you came back alone, what about Zisheng and Zixi?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, his gaze downcast, ¡°Elder martial brother and elder martial sister, they went home, to the Bai Family, very far away


    Liu Ruhua was somewhat regretful and asked again,


    "Then¡­ what about Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, not knowing how to start, and only after a long time did he speak in a low voice,


    "Master he¡­ has also gone to a very distant place, it¡¯s very likely that he¡¯ll never come back


    In Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes, a trace of tenderness appeared.


    She gently embraced Mo Hua and comforted him,


    "You are still young, and you have a long path ahead of you. If it¡¯s meant to be, you will meet again


    "Mhm.¡±


    Mo Hua agreed softly.


    The loss in his heart was slightly eased.


    ¡­


    The next day, he went to South Mountain outside of Tongxian City.


    South Mountain was secluded with beautiful scenery.


    Atop South Mountain, there was the ¡°Forgetful Residence.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang used to live in seclusion there, and Mo Hua and his martial siblings had also come here to study.


    But now, everything was gone.


    The path leading to the former abode was empty and desolate.


    Without the mountain residence, without the large locust tree, without the bamboo forest, without the pond, and without the fish in it.


    On the path up and down the mountain, he could no longer bump into his elder martial brother and sister.


    Nobody else would be resting in the Bamboo Residence on the mountain anymore, waiting for the breeze to blow over and wake them from their slumber, to teach him formations or to answer his many questions¡­ ??¦­o??¨§?


    Beneath the locust tree, he and his elder martial brother would spar and frolic, with his elder martial sister reading on the side¡­


    The master would be taking a nap, Old Kui playing chess¡­


    These scenes gradually became blurry.


    As if they were all just a dream, shrouded in a layer of fog that seemed both real and illusory.


    The events of the past were all but forgotten¡­


    With complex feelings in his heart, Mo Hua¡¯s clear eyes were tinged with a layer of faint melancholy, which then dissolved in a moment,


    Like the morning mist driven away by the rising glow of the dawn.


    "We will meet again


    Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    There was still so much he had to do¡­


    The road was long, the Great Dao was vast, and what he needed to consider now was the path after Foundation Establishment¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua sat quietly on the mountaintop, after calming his emotions, he fell into deep thought.


    He had now established his foundation¡­


    His Divine Sense had only fourteen patterns, mid-stage Foundation Establishment, but due to the qualitative change in his Divine Sense, refined like mercury, his Divine Sense was different in ¡°quality¡± compared to that of other cultivators.


    As for the use of this difference, Mo Hua had not yet studied it in detail.


    But at least, it laid the foundation for his ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao.¡±


    And it was completely different from other methods of Proving the Dao with Divine Sense.


    Beyond Divine Sense, however, Mo Hua found that his Foundation Establishment was basically ¡°a complete mess.¡±


    His Spiritual Power was very weak.


    His Spiritual Root was not strong, and his cultivation technique did not focus on Spiritual Power.


    Therefore, although he had established his foundation, compared to cultivators of the same realm, his Spiritual Power was much weaker.


    Not to mention comparing with naturally gifted individuals like his martial brother and sister¡­


    Weak Spiritual Power, even weaker physical body.


    This did not come as a surprise to Mo Hua.


    Born with a weak constitution, now after Foundation Establishment, his Blood Qi had strengthened, but it was only a slight improvement compared to Qi Refinement. Among Foundation Establishment cultivators, he was basically at the bottom.


    Besides, the spells of Foundation Establishment were also troublesome.


    Mo Hua followed the path of a Spiritual Cultivator, who relied on ¡°Spells¡± to survive.


    Being a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he naturally had to learn Second Grade spells.


    But he had nowhere to learn Second Grade spells¡­


    So far, the only Second Grade spell he had learned was the Fireball Technique¡­


    Because the Fireball Technique was a basic spell, ubiquitous and the least scarce among all grades of spells. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In any state boundary, as long as there are certain grades, there will inevitably be corresponding grades of Fireball Technique.


    When Mo Hua returned from the Dali Mountain State Boundary, he collected some Fireball Technique Secret Manuals along the way, cross-referenced them, comprehended on his own, and learned the Second Grade Fireball Technique.


    Although it had not reached the level of perfection like his First Grade Fireball Technique, its power had increased, and it was barely usable.


    He would study it further later and refine it.


    Other than the Fireball Technique, none of the spells Mo Hua was adept at could be upgraded.


    The Water Passing Step was the ultimate technique of the Zhang Family.


    When Zhang Lan taught him, he only taught the First Grade, without considering the Second Grade.


    At that time, Zhang Lan was only at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, and he did not expect that Mo Hua would advance to Foundation Establishment so quickly.


    The Water Prison Technique was very obscure.


    Mo Hua did not have a Second Grade Water Prison Technique Secret Manual.


    The Concealment Technique was even more obscure.


    Mo Hua also did not have a Second Grade Concealment Technique Secret Manual.


    The strength of a cultivator is generally based on their realm.


    First Grade spells, although usable, would greatly reduce both power and effectiveness when compared to Second Grade spells.


    A First Grade Water Passing Step, no matter how exquisite, when executed, could at most rival the lowest of the Second Grade low-tier movement techniques.


    A First Grade Water Prison Technique could trap a Qi Refinement cultivator and bind them for a few moments.


    But against a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would last only a moment, serving only as a disruption, unable to bind or limit their movements.

 Chapter 728: Scarcity (3)

    Chapter 728: Chapter 568: Scarcity_3


    The First-Grade Concealment Technique is actually decent enough.


    Because the core of the Concealment Technique relies on the Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense is extremely strong, so the effect of the Concealment Technique is also strong and not easily detected by others.


    But with Mo Hua¡¯s current perspective at the Foundation Establishment level, he could see that his Concealment Technique still had many flaws.


    It was usable, but only just passable.


    If there¡¯s a chance, he still needs to find a way to learn the Second-Grade Concealment Technique.


    Second-Grade Water Prison Technique, Second-Grade Concealment Technique, Second-Grade Water Passing Step¡­


    These spells are either obscure or Ultimate Techniques; Mo Hua wants to learn them, but there¡¯s no way he could.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He once again deeply realized the importance of ¡°inheritance¡± for a Cultivator.


    A typical Clan or a Sect and other Tao Cultivation forces would have ¡°Scripture Pavilions¡±, ¡°Book Pavilions¡±, ¡°Formation Pavilions¡±, and other Tao Cultivation buildings to extensively collect and treasure Cultivation canons ranging from low to high grades, all-encompassing, rare, ancient, or obscure from their Taoist Repositories.


    Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Formation Methods, Pill Recipes, Artifice Manuals, and everything else you could think of¡­ S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The larger the force, the wider the collection, the more complete the trove, the deeper the inheritance¡¯s foundation.


    Clan or Sect Disciples could then cultivate with a single-minded focus, not needing to seek high and low, painstakingly searching for these rare Tao Cultivation tomes.


    But a Loose Cultivator could not.


    They had to find all the canons for Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Formation Methods, and everything else on their own and learn them by themselves.


    Even if some were found, wanting to learn them often came with a considerable cost.


    Noble Clans monopolized these inheritances to profit, while also cutting off the paths of most Loose Cultivators in the world from seeking immortality and asking about the Tao, thereby consolidating their own power above the Loose Cultivators, remaining undecayed through thousands of years. ???????¦Â¨ºs?


    Without inheritance, progress is difficult.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Although he knew about these things before, he hadn¡¯t taken them to heart. Now, as his Cultivation improved and he became exposed to more of the world, he felt this even more deeply.


    Apart from spells, the situation with Formation Methods is similar, yet somewhat unique.


    Mo Hua does inherit extremely profound knowledge of Formation Methods.


    Heavenly Secret Calculation, Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, Half positive and half weird, exhausting all of the Heavenly Secrets, are not just applications of Divine Sense, but also the supreme spell point for insight and control over Formation Methods.


    This is a method that can be used at any grade.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s realm is low and his experience shallow, and he hasn¡¯t attained high proficiency in Formation Methods to use them to their extremes,


    Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and Heavenly Secret Calculation surely have even more profound knowledge.


    Yet being able to study both Heavenly Secret Calculation and Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation is already considered incredibly outlandish.


    Not to mention Heavenly Secret Calculation for now.


    Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation is the basis of Gui Tao¡¯s people, which is to say the foundation of Gui Tao¡¯s cultivation belonging to Mo Hua¡¯s Uncle.


    Demon Sect¡¯s Gui Tao¡¯s people are proficient in Gui Tao, with extraordinary Formation Methods, capable of planting devils in the Taoist hearts of Taoist Court Cultivators, making them lose their nerve at the mere mention.


    Even having learned just a little has brought significant benefits.


    Not to mention, Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation could never be considered ¡°just a little


    Beyond the applications of Divine Sense, Mo Hua also possesses the Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡­


    Stored within are the ¡°Five Elements Source Patterns¡± deduced by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect through the Back Origin Calculation method.


    The Source Patterns contain a vast Formation System that encompasses the Five Elements.


    All of these elements are, without exception, among the most top-notch Formation inheritances.


    But the problem is, they are too top-notch.


    What Mo Hua now lacks is the most basic and simple type of inheritance, which is¡­


    Introduction to Second-Grade Formation Methods¡­


    He needs to understand what exactly a Second-Grade Formation Method is.


    How to draw Formation Patterns, how to arrange the Formation Pivot, how to construct the Formation Eye.


    What is the essential difference between a Second-Grade Formation and a First-Grade Formation?


    Although he has some understanding of these matters, his grasp is not deep.


    Now that it has come to this point, Mo Hua has realized he still has many gaps and deficiencies.


    And he, too, must find a way to become a Second Rank Formation Master, to draw out a truly Second-Grade Formation¡­

 Chapter 729: Second Grade (1)

    Chapter 729: Chapter 569 Second Grade_1


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao, using Divine Sense as the foundation and establishing oneself with Formations.


    To learn Second-Grade Formation and become a Second Rank Formation Master was the only capital to establish oneself in the vast Cultivation World, across the Vast Nine Continents.


    But Mo Hua lacked the basic inheritance of Second-Grade Formation.


    After some thought, he decided to visit Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan hailed from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Although the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect had declined, it had still produced Second Rank Formation Masters before, so it should have passed down some Formation Diagrams and Formation Books of Second-Grade Formations.


    However, Mo Hua came up empty¡­


    Instructor Yan was not home, and only Manager Mo was leisurely drinking tea alone.


    "Where¡¯s the Instructor?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Manager Mo shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, these past few days, the Instructor seemed preoccupied, muttering to himself, and he¡¯s been leaving early and returning late. I have no idea what he¡¯s busy with


    "Then when will the Instructor be back?¡±


    "Later Manager Mo said, and then looked at Mo Hua with curiosity, ¡°Do you need the Instructor for something?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I wanted to ask about some things regarding Second-Grade Formation


    "Second-Grade Formation, huh


    Manager Mo was a bit surprised and somewhat envious.


    When he first met Mo Hua, Mo Hua could only draw a Bright Fire Formation with three Formation Patterns, coming to his Formation Pavilion to draw some Formations and earn some hard-earned money.


    He even lied about his age and fabricated a non-existent older brother due to his youth.


    Little did he expect, in just a few years, Mo Hua was already about to learn Second-Grade Formation¡­


    In those same years, his own understanding of Formations hadn¡¯t even improved by a single Pattern.


    Yet Mo Hua had made leaps and bounds, skipping over an entire major grade¡­


    Indeed, comparison is the thief of joy¡­


    Manager Mo grumbled to himself.


    "Manager Mo, do you know how to draw Second-Grade Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Manager Mo was Instructor Yan¡¯s junior brother and also a disciple of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, and by rights, he should also be considered a proper Formation Master with a sect background. ????§¡??¦¢¨º????


    Manager Mo hurriedly shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me, I struggle even with drawing Formations that have seven or eight Patterns


    He was a normal Cultivator, also a normal Formation Master. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn¡¯t compare himself to the likes of ¡°little monsters¡± like Mo Hua¡­


    "However


    Manager Mo stroked his chin, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned Second-Grade Formation, I do remember a Formation Master who was not very skilled, spoiled nine out of ten Formation Diagrams, couldn¡¯t afford to compensate with Spirit Stones, and ended up giving me an ancestral Second-Order Formation Pattern Atlas as compensation


    "Second-Order Formation Pattern Atlas?¡±


    "Yes,¡± Manager Mo nodded, ¡°It contains some basic Second-Grade Formation Patterns and variants related to these Patterns.¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t that quite precious?¡±


    Manager Mo shook his head, ¡°Not really, this kind of material is something any family with a Formation inheritance would have; it¡¯s considered a kind of¡­ more niche Formation knowledge.¡±


    "May I take a look?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    "Just wait here


    Manager Mo put down his teacup, heaved his plump belly, and got up, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for it. It¡¯s been a while, and I don¡¯t remember where I kept it


    Manager Mo hurried back, and only after about two hours did he return with an ancient book in hand.


    "Take a look


    Manager Mo handed the book over to Mo Hua.


    "Thank you, Manager!¡± Mo Hua said happily.


    The cover of the book had ¡°Second-Order Formation Pattern Catalog¡± neatly handwritten on it.


    Mo Hua opened the book and skimmed through it quickly.


    Indeed, it contained several Second-Grade Formation Patterns, mainly focused on Five Elements Patterns and interspersed with other systems of Patterns that Mo Hua had never come across before.


    Besides, it detailed the differences between First-Grade and Second-Grade Formation Patterns and the variations that evolve from First-Grade to Second-Grade Patterns.


    With illustrations and text, while not profound, it was very detailed.


    The owner of the catalog must have been a very conscientious and meticulous Second Rank Formation Master.


    However, the legacy of their ancestors was probably thin.


    So, any bit of Formation knowledge was meticulously recorded and treasured.


    It ranged from simple to complex, rich and detailed.


    This was a great help to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua thanked Manager Mo again.


    Manager Mo waved it off quickly, ¡°No problem, it¡¯s nothing!¡±


    But being able to help Mo Hua also made Manager Mo very happy.


    Afterward, Manager Mo drank tea while Mo Hua read the book.


    After a while, Instructor Yan came back, bustling about. Seeing Mo Hua, he looked somewhat surprised.


    Mo Hua explained his purpose.


    Instructor Yan considered for a moment, then nodded, ¡°I do have them, just wait


    He went back to his room and after searching for the time it took to burn a stick of incense, he found two Formation Books.


    One was ¡°Introduction to Second-Order Formation¡±, and the other was ¡°Illustration of Second-Order Formation¡±.


    "The ¡®Introduction¡¯ talks about the basic knowledge of Second-Grade Formations, it¡¯s about the Formation principle; the ¡®Illustration¡¯ is about explaining through practical Formation Diagrams on how to draw Formation Patterns and form Second-Grade Formations


    "These are the legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, orthodox Formations techniques. Though perhaps a bit lean compared to those of the great clans and Great Sects, but they won¡¯t have any errors


    "It¡¯s just a pity


    Instructor Yan sighed, ¡°After all these years, no one in the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect has been able to use them


    Including himself.


    Instructor Yan handed over the two Formation Books to Mo Hua reverently, reminding him:


    "Read them well and learn well


    Passing on these legacies to Mo Hua was sort of repaying Mo Hua for helping the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect remove a traitor and retrieve the bones of their ancestors.


    Instructor Yan silently thought to himself.


    "Yes!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    With the Formation Pattern Catalog and the ¡°Introduction¡± and ¡°Illustration¡± of Second-Grade Formations, he should be able to get an initial understanding of how exactly Second-Grade Formations were drawn.


    However, before that, there was one thing that Mo Hua was quite curious about¡­

 Chapter 730: Second Grade (2)

    Chapter 730 -569 Second Grade_2


    "Instructor, where did you just¡­ go?¡± Mo Hua asked in a hushed voice.


    The normally stern and rigid Instructor Yan showed a moment of guilt in his expression.


    Looking into Mo Hua¡¯s bright, curious eyes, Instructor Yan coughed and averted his gaze, mumbling ambiguously,


    "Nothing¡­ just needed to clear my mind.¡± S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh


    Mo Hua looked puzzled, but he did not press further.


    ...


    ¡­


    After returning, Mo Hua began to study the method of drawing Second-Grade Formations by consulting three Formation Books.


    Second-Grade Formations are composed of more than ten Second-Grade Formation Patterns.


    Second-Grade Formation Patterns are somewhat similar to First-Grade Formation Patterns but are different.


    By perusing the Second-Order Formation Pattern Catalog, Mo Hua found that Second-Grade Formation Patterns are more like the fusion of two First-Grade Formation Patterns into one, through a peculiar form, similar to Daoist Skill.


    The Second-Grade Formation Patterns are more complex, more profound, with more lines and strokes, encompassing more variability and stricter requirements on directionality than the First-Grade Formation Patterns.


    Drawing Second-Grade Formation Patterns also consumes twice the Divine Sense as ordinary First-Grade Formation Patterns.


    "So that¡¯s how it is Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    After Foundation Establishment, the Divine Sense doubles.


    In Formation arts, going from nine patterns of the First Grade to ten patterns of the Second Grade, the required amount of Divine Sense also doubles, as does the power and effect of the Formation.


    Under the standard Formation Method Classification, a ten-pattern Formation is by default considered a Second-Grade Formation.


    A First-Grade Formation Pattern cannot form a Formation with more than ten patterns due to its simpler structure.


    Only Second-Grade Formation Patterns, with more sophisticated Divine Sense requirements, stronger structures, and more complicated pathways, can serve as the foundation for a Formation containing more than ten patterns.


    Ultimate Formations are an exception¡­ They contain Dao Laws and transcend category limitations, differing from ordinary Formations¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    By this logic, a First-Grade Ultimate Formation and a Second-Grade Formation might have the same number of patterns, but the grades of the patterns are vastly different. R???O???S?


    For example, a First-Grade Ultimate Formation with ten patterns like the Reversed Spirit Ultimate Formation and a Second-Grade Formation with ten patterns are both ten-pattern Formations, but one is composed of First-Grade Formation Patterns while the other is built with Second-Grade Formation Patterns.


    Clearly, Second-Grade Formation Patterns require twice the Divine Sense as the First-Grade Formation Patterns.


    However, for these two ten-pattern Formations, the required Divine Sense seems not to differ much.


    After pondering for a while with no conclusion, Mo Hua decided to set the issue aside for now.


    He thought that once he truly learned the Second-Grade Formations, he would carefully compare the differences at the level of Divine Sense between the First-Grade Ultimate Formations and the Second-Grade Formations.


    Next came the actual learning of the Second-Grade Formations.


    To learn Formations, one must first learn the patterns.


    Mo Hua first went through the Second-Order Formation Pattern Catalog several times, memorizing several basic Second-Grade Five Elements Formation Patterns in his heart and making simple sketches of them on paper.


    Then he began to attempt to draw the first Second-Grade Formation based on the Illustration of Second-Order Formation:


    The Second-Order Bright Fire Formation.


    The Bright Fire Formation, a Fire-series Formation, is used for heating and lighting and is essentially one of the most basic of all ranked Formation Formation.


    The first formal Formation that Mo Hua ever drew was also a Bright Fire Formation.


    But that Bright Fire Formation, with its three Formation Patterns, did not qualify for ranking.


    Now, the Bright Fire Formation was a Second-Grade Formation with no fewer than ten Formation Patterns.


    Of course, for Mo Hua, now with a Divine Sense quality change at fourteen patterns, ten Formation Patterns were not particularly difficult.


    The challenge lay in his still rudimentary understanding and mastery of the Second-Grade Formation system.


    Mo Hua focused and memorized the Formation Diagram of the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation.


    At ten minutes past 1 p.m., he practiced the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness.


    Alone, with a stele, with a Formation.


    As it had been when he first learned to draw Formations.


    Mo Hua felt a momentary trance.


    It was as if he had learned many, many Formations, yet it seemed as though he had not learned many at all.


    The more he learned, the more he realized how little he knew.


    Now that his Formation skills were nearing the Second Grade, everything was starting anew.


    He had to learn entirely new Formation Patterns, understand deeper Formation principles, and delve into the more ancient aspects of the Great Dao¡­


    Mo Hua took a deep breath, calming his emotions, maintaining a humble and tranquil state of mind, and with his original aspiration intact, he started drawing his very first Second-Grade Formation on the Taoist Stele:


    The Bright Fire Formation.


    Second-Grade Formation Patterns are more intricate, require more precision in drawing, and consume more Divine Sense.


    The structure of the Formation also involves many more variations.


    Starting off unfamiliar, Mo Hua made errors multiple times.


    Either a stroke of the pattern was off, the Formation Pivot conflicted, or the layout was not controlled well¡­


    Mo Hua had no choice but to erase the Formation Patterns, retract his Divine Sense, and continue drawing.


    Again and again.


    Tedious and mechanical.


    But Mo Hua was long accustomed to it.


    His drawing became increasingly skilled, his understanding of the Formation Pivots deepened, and his grasp of the composition of Second-Grade Formations progressively became clearer¡­


    If he did not know, he would learn; if he was not skilled, he would practice.


    Draw the ¡®Formation¡¯ a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself.


    Mo Hua continued drawing, over and over, until he had drawn the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation dozens of times, having stumbled into every possible pitfall, before feeling a sense of Sudden Enlightenment.


    Pattern and Pivot merged seamlessly.


    The details of his strokes became clear in his chest¡­


    His pen moved more confidently, with purpose and measure.


    Finally, after who knows how long, Mo Hua made the last stroke, and the Formation was complete.


    On the Taoist Stele, the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation¡¯s Patterns glowed, shining brilliantly, flickering with bright light.


    This light was more refined, dazzling.


    Just as before, it lit up the first step of the path for Mo Hua, the Second Rank Formation Master¡­


    Mo Hua sighed in relief, a smile spreading across his face.


    Second-Grade Formation!


    He had finally drawn one!


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit of pride as he admired the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation he had drawn on the Taoist Stele, before reluctantly erasing it, awaiting the retraction of his Divine Sense, and continuing to draw.

 Chapter 731: Second Grade (3)

    Chapter 731 -569 Second Grade_3


    Once a stranger, twice familiar.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first attempt at drawing, and it was quite clumsy with many mistakes.


    Because the Second-Grade Formation differed significantly in its Formation Patterns from the First-Grade, it took quite an effort to master.


    But after completing the first drawing, with his strength in Divine Sense and aptitude for Formation Methods, his speed increased considerably on subsequent attempts.


    Subsequent drawings of the Bright Fire Formation came naturally to Mo Hua, as he drew with ease and proficiency.


    There is a cognitive barrier to Second-Grade Formation Methods.


    ...


    Mo Hua¡¯s own understanding of Second-Grade Formations was also lacking.


    Otherwise, drawing the ¡°Ten Patterns of the Second Grade¡± Bright Fire Formation would actually be simpler than drawing the ¡°Ten Patterns of the First Grade¡± Reversed Spirit Ultimate Formation.


    Mo Hua continued to draw, over and over, until the Bright Fire Formation was ingrained in his heart, only then did he emerge from his Sea of Consciousness.


    By this time, dawn had broken, and the sky was filled with the glow of sunrise, painting Mo Hua¡¯s cheeks a rosy hue.


    Mo Hua was in high spirits, his face beaming with a smile.


    Having successfully drawn the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation, he crossed over a minor threshold.


    Next, he needed to actually draw the Bright Fire Formation into existence.


    Creating it upon the Taoist Stele, using hands as the pen, Divine Sense as the ink, and the Stele as the media, did not truly count as ¡°drawing¡± it.


    Nor could it be considered truly ¡°mastering¡± it.


    Mo Hua got out of bed, laid out the paper on the table, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and prepared to try drawing the Second-Grade Bright Fire Formation.


    But as soon as he moved the pen, Mo Hua paused, dumbstruck.


    He suddenly realized a serious problem:


    The Bright Fire Formation was a Second-Grade Formation¡­


    But he had no Second-Grade Spiritual Ink! Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was not only Spiritual Ink; he lacked a Second-Grade Formation Pen, Formation Paper, or other formation media as well!


    Without the necessary materials, how could one cook a meal?


    With neither pen, ink, nor paper, how could he draw a Formation Method¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He had miscalculated¡­


    He had not worried about ink, paper, and other such matters for a long time, so it didn¡¯t occur to him until now.


    "But¡­ where can one find Second-Grade Spiritual Ink?¡±


    "Stores?¡±


    Mo Hua specifically visited various stores in Tongxian City and strolled through the market town, but to no avail.


    There were no Second Rank Formation Masters in Tongxian City, so naturally, nobody would draw Second-Grade Formations, hence no Second-Grade Spiritual Ink! ????B§§?


    Even if some clans or stores had some in stock, it had been stored for too long and the Spiritual Ink had lost its efficacy, rendering it useless for drawing Formations.


    Helpless, Mo Hua thought for a moment and then decided to seek out Master Luo.


    Master Luo had been a First Rank Formation Master for a long time, with significant experience and numerous connections. Having studied Formation Methods for many years and aspired to become a Second Rank Formation Master, he would surely have some Second-Grade Spiritual Ink prepared.


    When Mo Hua arrived at the Luo Mansion, he learned that Master Luo was not there.


    He had gone to have tea with Master Qian¡­


    Mo Hua had no choice but to head to the Qian Mansion instead.


    The once-great Qian Family had long since fallen into decline, and the family members had gone their separate ways.


    The vast Qian Mansion had been divided into multiple independent courtyards.


    The courtyard where Master Qian now lived was located in the southwest corner of Qian Mansion, covering the largest area and offering the most spacious surroundings; however, the signboard at the door had changed to ¡°Qian Family¡¯s School.¡±


    This served not only as Master Qian¡¯s residence but also as an academy he had established to teach Formation Methods.


    Master Qian still remembered his agreement with Mo Hua, committed to studying Formation Methods deeply, and started teaching Formation Patterns to the Loose Cultivator children of Tongxian City.


    Whenever Master Luo had spare time, he would come here for a visit.


    Sharing tea and discussing Formation Methods with Master Qian, he would occasionally offer guidance to other disciples as well.


    When Mo Hua entered, both Master Luo and Master Qian were enjoying tea in the tranquil and pleasant courtyard. Surprised and delighted to see him, they both stood to greet him warmly:


    "Gentleman Mo, what a rare guest


    Even though Mo Hua¡¯s mastery of Formation Methods had already surpassed theirs, and now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, his status was even higher. They did not dare neglect him.


    Mo Hua greeted them with a smile as well.


    "Master Luo, Master Qian, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Master Luo looked Mo Hua over and saw that despite having achieved Foundation Establishment, with his profound gaze and stronger Divine Sense, and his deeper understanding of Formation Methods, he was still kind and genuine, seemingly unchanged from before, which inspired admiration.


    Master Luo said with embarrassment, ¡°Gentleman, I dare not accept the title of ¡®master¡¯ in your presence.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t seem to mind it much.


    After they were seated, Master Qian poured tea for Mo Hua and asked, ¡°Youthful Gentleman, do you have any important matters for coming here?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Masters, do you have any Second-Grade Spiritual Ink?¡±


    "Second-Grade Spiritual Ink!¡±


    Master Luo and his companion exchanged glances, both somewhat surprised, ¡°Youthful Gentleman, you can do Second-Grade Formations now?¡±


    Though Mo Hua felt he was very familiar with the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation, he had never actually drawn it, so he did not want to boast and modestly said:


    "A little, I want to try my hand at drawing.¡±


    When Mo Hua said he knew a little, naturally Master Luo did not think it was just a ¡°little.¡±


    A bitter smile crossed Master Luo¡¯s face, and he didn¡¯t quite know what to say for a moment.


    He was now over a hundred years old and still only a First-Grade Formation Master, but Mo Hua, so young, was already going to learn Second-Grade Formation Methods¡­


    Although Mo Hua becoming a second-grade formation artist was good news for him, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a sourness in his heart.


    "Spiritual Ink, eh


    Master Luo pondered for a moment and nodded, ¡°I do have some Second-Grade Spiritual Ink, but not much, only two bottles


    Master Qian also said, ¡°I also have some, from the Qian Family¡¯s old reserves, but only five bottles. If the Youthful Gentleman does not mind, please feel free to take them for your use.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Master Luo, thank you, Master Qian!¡±


    "The Youthful Gentleman is too polite


    Master Luo and Master Qian took out the Spiritual Ink and handed it to Mo Hua.


    This Spiritual Ink, also comprised of the Five Elements, was contained in jade bottles, with a stirring aura, containing astonishing Five Elements Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°This Spiritual Ink, it¡¯s quite expensive, isn¡¯t it


    Master Qian nodded, ¡°Ordinary First-Grade Spiritual Ink, around ten Spirit Stones per bottle, depending on its quality or scarcity, there may be some variation, the cheaper ones, about two or three Spirit Stones per bottle, and the more expensive ones, dozens of Spirit Stones per bottle


    "Second-Grade Spiritual Ink typically, even for the cheaper ones, would be about a hundred Spirit Stones per bottle.¡±


    "And for the more expensive ones, several hundred to a thousand


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°That expensive?!¡±


    A hundred Spirit Stones per bottle¡­


    In his hands, these small five bottles were worth at least five hundred Spirit Stones¡­


    Master Qian sighed, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why learning formations is not easy, and the higher you go, the more so


    "With this small bottle of Spiritual Ink, a hundred Spirit Stones, even if you successfully draw a formation with absolute certainty and no mishaps, you can only draw two sets of Second-Grade Initial Stage formations


    "And to truly master a formation, at the least it takes dozens of attempts, and at most hundreds of attempts


    "To learn a single Second-Grade Formation, just the consumption of pen and ink Spirit Stones is not a small amount


    "For the Great Clans and Great Sects, it doesn¡¯t matter, this amount of Spirit Stones is a drop in the bucket, what they eat for three meals a day is more than this


    "For the mid-level Family Sects and Clans, it¡¯s not a big deal either.¡±


    "But for small families and minor sects, it will be much harder to support a Second-Rank Formation Master


    "As for the Loose Cultivators


    Master Qian gave a bitter smile.


    Loose Cultivators could hardly support themselves, let alone afford a Formation Master of the Second Grade or higher.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, and he looked again at the few bottles of Spiritual Ink in his hands, frowning and asking:


    "Isn¡¯t this Spiritual Ink just mixed with Monster Blood? Why is it so expensive?¡±


    Master Luo was silent for a moment and then said slowly:


    "It¡¯s difficult to hunt Second-Grade Monster Beasts, and Blood Drawing is also hard.¡±


    "Of course, that¡¯s not the main reason


    Master Luo¡¯s voice dropped a few notches.


    "Even though Second-Grade Monster Beasts are hard to kill, for making Spiritual Ink, only the blood is used, not the scarce items like the inner core, heart, or Monster Marrow


    "In theory, it should not be so costly.¡±


    "But, the formulas for making Spiritual Ink, the techniques, along with some rare Spirit Grass, are all in the hands of the Great Clans and Great Sects.¡±


    Master Luo pointed upwards, ¡°Since they have the monopoly, they naturally get to dictate the terms.¡±


    "Whether it¡¯s ten Spirit Stones, a hundred, or a thousand, or ten thousand¡­ it¡¯s not something we can decide.¡±


    "Those who actually hunt monsters, draw the blood, and mix the ink, they actually don¡¯t earn Spirit Stones at all; most of the profits are skimmed off by the noble clans and families


    "With their actions, one reason is to make a profit, and another is


    Master Luo paused for a moment but then decided to clarify a bit more, considering Mo Hua¡¯s background as a Loose Cultivator.


    to prevent too many Formation Masters from rising from the lower ranks, thereby shaking their¡­ foundations.¡±

 Chapter 732:

    Chapter 732 -570 ¡°Windfall¡±_1


    Master Luo said no more, having reached the extent of his advice.


    "As the saying goes, ¡®Only through enduring the most bitter hardships can one become the best amongst men.¡¯


    If Mo Hua were to join the Family Sects and Clans in the future, becoming ¡®the best amongst men,¡¯ then these words would be of no use.¡±


    If Mo Hua upholds his Taoist Heart and remains true to his original aspirations, with his intelligence, he ought to know what to say, and naturally, he will have a measure in his heart.¡±


    Master Luo looked at Mo Hua and saw his furrowed brows, a reflective look upon his face.


    Knowing that he understood his meaning, he nodded slightly and said nothing more.


    ...


    The discussion among the few then returned to Formation Mastery.


    Master Luo said:


    "Second-Grade Formations are categorized by the Divine Sense of a Cultivator during the initial, middle, and late stages of Foundation Establishment into initial, intermediate, and high stages.¡±


    "Upon entering Foundation Establishment, a ten-pattern is the entrance-level Second-Grade Formation


    "Entrance-level Formations are relatively simple, and though they are Second Grade, they are not considered within a stage


    "In the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, from eleven to thirteen patterns are considered Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations;¡±


    "In the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, from fourteen to sixteen patterns are considered Intermediate-level Second-Grade Formations;¡±


    "In the late phase of Foundation Establishment, from seventeen to nineteen patterns are considered High-Grade Second-Grade Formations


    "Formation Masters are categorized the same way, into initial, intermediate, and high stages.¡±


    "The threshold for a First-Grade Formation Master is very high, focusing only on the rank and not on the stages, but in truth, all First-Grade Formation Masters should be considered ¡®High Stage First-Grade Formation Masters,¡¯ it¡¯s just that these detailed divisions have been eliminated by the Taoist Court


    "The categorization becomes more detailed and stringent at the Second-Grade Formation level.¡±


    "It¡¯s not easy to become a Second-Grade Formation Master, and advancing from there is even harder, involving an assessment with each advancement


    Master Luo frowned, sighing deeply.


    Master Qian felt equally helpless.


    If passing the First Grade assessment is already difficult, what more for the Second Grade¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°So, to become a Second-Grade Junior Formation Master, is it enough just to know how to arrange the Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations?¡± ????????£Î?????§¦?


    Master Luo shook his head and said with a wry smile:


    "It¡¯s not that simple. The Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations encompass those with eleven to thirteen stripes, and the difficulty varies greatly within them


    "With each additional pattern, the Formation¡¯s difficulty increases significantly.¡±


    "One must master the most difficult Thirteen Pattern Formation at the initial stage, and not just one or two sets.¡±


    "According to the Taoist Court rules, one must learn at least four or five sets of the Thirteen Pattern Formations before they can apply for assessment and be promoted to a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master


    "The same applies to the subsequent stages.¡±


    "Mastering the Sixteen-Pattern Formation advances one to Middle Stage Second Grade; mastering the Nineteen-Pattern Formation advances one to High Stage Second Grade


    "Therefore, any Formation Master who truly passes step-by-step assessments and advances to a High-Stage Second-Grade Master is incredibly rare and exceptionally proficient in Second-Grade Formations


    Mo Hua nodded, then said, ¡°So basically, at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, one can become a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master?¡±


    His statement was somewhat conservative.


    Because his Divine Sense had already reached thirteen patterns, if judged by Formation standards, learning a Fourteen-Pattern Second-Grade Formation would bring him to the threshold of a Middle Stage Second-Grade Formation Master¡­


    Master Luo, however, shook his head and said:


    "That¡¯s not the case


    "Generally speaking, it¡¯s only possible to become a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master during the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, a Middle Stage Second Grade in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, and as for a High Stage Second Grade Formation Master


    Master Luo paused and sighed:


    either one has already broken through to the Golden Core stage or one¡¯s cultivation has stagnated for too long in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, unable to make further progress, and thus, spends a hundred or two hundred years painstakingly learning Formations to be promoted to a High-Stage Second Grade Formation Master


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in surprise, ¡°Is it that difficult


    "Difficult indeed


    Master Luo¡¯s eyebrows knitted together in a shape. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though he considered Mo Hua exceptional, not bound to common convention, some fundamental ¡°common sense¡± of Tao Cultivation still needed to be understood by him.


    He is who he is, and others are who they are.


    Not everyone is a little monster like him.


    "Even if one¡¯s Formation skill is only a small realm behind one¡¯s cultivation level, such a Cultivator can still be considered a highly talented Formation Master. Ordinary Cultivators start learning First-grade Formations at Foundation Establishment and only go on to Second-Grade Formations at the late stage of Foundation Establishment or even the Golden Core stage. That¡¯s also normal


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is it because their Divine Sense isn¡¯t strong enough?¡±


    Master Luo nodded, saying weakly, ¡°Yes, the Divine Sense isn¡¯t enough


    "Blood Qi and Spiritual Power can be enhanced through Cultivation Techniques, but not Divine Sense.¡±


    "Most Cultivators cannot train Divine Sense; aside from those born with an extraordinary Divine Sense, generally, they possess a Divine Sense matching their stage of cultivation, and rarely more than that


    "At the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, one can have at most a Divine Sense of thirteen patterns. To become an initial stage Formation Master, one must learn a Thirteen Pattern Formation


    "Learning this way can be very strenuous.¡±


    "The consumption of Divine Sense is immense, and recovery is extremely slow. Moreover, learning Formations this way is like groping one¡¯s way across a river by feeling the stones, careful and cautious, with no room for error. One wrong step could even lead to the hazard of Divine Sense depletion.¡±


    "Even so, after completely exhausting Divine Sense for a whole day, one might only be able to practice it two or three times


    "The Second Grade Thirteen Pattern Formations are complex and profound. Practicing only two or three times a day¡ªhow could that be enough?¡±


    "By the time one truly comprehends it, how long will it take


    Master Luo said bitterly.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    He had the Taoist Stele, allowing him to practice Formations far more often, sometimes even twenty or thirty times in a single night.


    Two or three times a day was indeed too little, hardly enough to even fill the gaps between his teeth¡­


    With such a low frequency of practice, it would indeed be difficult to grasp the essence of Formations.


    Moreover, Cultivators needed to cultivate and earn Spirit Stones.


    Even for Cultivators of noble clans and sects, it¡¯s unlikely they would have the leisure to focus solely on Formations every day, as they would be preoccupied with various tasks within their Clan or Sect.

 Chapter 733:

    Chapter 733: Chapter 570 ¡°Windfall¡±_2


    "So


    Master Luo continued, ¡°Sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of firewood. First, elevate your realm and strengthen your Divine Sense, then go back to learning formation methods. With a full Divine Sense, learning will become easier.¡±


    "I see


    Mo Hua nodded his little head and then his eyes shone brightly:


    "That means, if I reach the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment and become a Second Grade Junior Formation Master, that would be¡­ pretty impressive, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    "Foundation Establishment Initial Stage¡­ Second Grade Initial Stage


    ...


    Master Luo was taken aback, somewhat not wanting to converse with Mo Hua.


    But then he thought about it and realized that such a possibility wasn¡¯t entirely out of the question for Mo Hua¡­


    A sense of anticipation grew in Master Luo.


    If Mo Hua, at such a young age, reached the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment and became a Second Grade Junior Formation Master, perhaps he could achieve even greater feats in the future¡­


    Master Qian also praised, ¡°If the little gentleman becomes a Second Grade Junior Formation Master at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, even among the Noble Clans, he would be considered a rare formation genius


    "Only


    Master Qian sighed, a tinge of regret in his voice:


    "In Tongxian City, the heritage and resources for Second-Grade formations are far too scarce


    Formations were rare, and the costs of brush, ink, and paper were exorbitant.


    Considering Mo Hua¡¯s family background, if he really wanted to continue learning, the difficulties would be immense.


    Master Luo also felt a sense of regret for Mo Hua.


    After discussing formations, everyone had more tea.


    As noon approached, the disciples from the school began to leave class and respectfully said their farewells to Master Qian before heading home for a meal.


    Suddenly, a five- or six-year-old child in the crowd caught sight of Mo Hua and brightened up, dashing into Mo Hua¡¯s embrace and calling out in a babyish voice:


    "Brother Mo!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and then realized that the child was actually Zhouer.


    Zhouer, with the surname Chu, was the child of Uncle Chu, a Monster Hunter skilled in using traps who had taught these trapping techniques to Mo Hua.


    Zhouer¡¯s mother, Aunt Jiang, had been helping in Mo Hua¡¯s family restaurant.


    Years ago, Uncle Chu suffered grievous injuries and was unable to continue Monster Hunting. He had asked Mo Hua to teach his son some formation methods so that in the future, he could earn a living without risking his life in battle. ?¦¡??B§§?


    Later, when Mo Hua went on a journey, he entrusted Zhouer to Master Qian.


    Seeing Zhouer behave this way, Master Qian helplessly said:


    "No manners, not proper at all.¡±


    Zhouer then hid behind Mo Hua, only his little head peeking out.


    Master Qian was strict in tone, but his expression was devoid of blame, showing that he was quite fond of this little disciple.


    Mo Hua patted Zhouer¡¯s head and asked Master Qian:


    "Master Qian, how is Zhouer¡¯s formation studies coming along?¡±


    Master Qian responded, ¡°He is young and just started. He should first memorize some text to understand the principles of formations. Learning one or two Formation Patterns will suffice for now


    Mo Hua nodded in acknowledgment.


    As it was nearing noon, having asked all he wanted, Mo Hua stood up and took his leave.


    Zhouer clung to Mo Hua, so Mo Hua took him home, picked out some tasty and easily digestible food from the restaurant, and fed Zhouer until he was full before letting Aunt Jiang take him back home.


    ¡­


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua began to practice Second-Grade formations with undivided attention.


    Every time night fell, he would sit upright on his bed, his Divine Sense delving into his Sea of Consciousness, ceaselessly practicing formations atop the Taoist Stele.


    During these days, the formation he practiced was the ¡°Second-order Thorn Formation.¡±


    The Thorns Formation is part of the Wood series.


    Once activated, it produces vines and thorns, trapping enemies; it is one kind of the Five Elements Trapping Formation.


    The Thorns Formation includes eleven Formation Patterns, making it one of the simpler Second Grade Initial Stage formations.


    This formation was one that Mo Hua had deciphered and created by reversing the source from the ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow Map.¡±


    This was the only Second-Grade formation suitable for Mo Hua that he had decoded in reverse from the source so far¡­


    The ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡± originates all of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Five Elements Formations from a single, eccentric ¡°Five Elements Source Pattern.¡±


    However, these formations have solidified into one ¡°Source Pattern.¡±


    This Source Pattern is very bizarre and dangerous. But since it has been suppressed by the Taoist Stele, it has become much more subdued¡­


    Nonetheless, for Mo Hua to ¡°decode¡± the Five Elements Sect¡¯s formation legacy from this Source Pattern is still very challenging.


    Firstly, this kind of reverse sourcing is very consuming of one¡¯s Divine Sense.


    As Mo Hua still needed to study formations and his Divine Sense was powerful but finite, he could only partake in this process in his spare time, or when he was bored with his pattern drawing.


    Secondly, the formations ¡°decoded¡± from the Source Pattern are random¡­


    Mo Hua did not know the principles or laws by which the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect had managed to distill the Five Elements Formations into this Source Pattern.


    So the formations he derived in reverse were disordered, chaotic.


    It was like a ¡°lottery draw S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Five Elements were varied, with First and Second Grades mixed in.


    Mo Hua had no idea what formation he would ¡°decode¡± next, what properties of the Five Elements it would be, if it would be First Grade or Second Grade, or how many Formation Patterns it would contain¡­


    Mo Hua could only guess.


    The only thing he could deduce was that the ¡°Decoded¡± formation¡¯s upper limit was related to the strength of his Divine Sense.


    The number of patterns in Divine Sense corresponds to the maximum number of patterns he could ¡°decode.¡±


    With a fourteen-pattern Divine Sense, in theory, Mo Hua should be able to ¡°decode¡± up to a fourteen-pattern Five Elements Formation.


    But theory is just theory, and reality is reality.


    So far, the best formation Mo Hua had deciphered was the ten-plus-pattern Thorns Formation he was practicing.


    This was still acceptable, but what truly baffled Mo Hua was that this ¡°Source Pattern¡± guaranteed nothing!


    Its lower limit was even alarmingly low!


    Most of what he had deciphered so far were First-Grade formations, including a great number of formations without grading and even one, with just three patterns, the most basic Bright Fire Formation!

 Chapter 734: Chapter

    Chapter 734: 570 Chapter ¡°Windfall¡±_3


    Although the Five Elements Source Pattern encompassed various Five Elements Formations, it was normal for these lower-tier formations to be included as well.


    However, Mo Hua still felt that some of the formations were just filler added by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, meant to ¡°contaminate¡± the Source Pattern¡­


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat helpless.


    His only option was to continue practicing formations while hoping that one day he would have a stroke of great luck and be able to draw¡­


    No, it was to ¡°decipher¡± a Fourteen Pattern Second Grade Five Elements Formation!


    ...


    Until then, he could only hone his skills with these Ten Pattern and Eleven Pattern formations¡­


    Mo Hua collected his thoughts, then spent the entire night practicing formations on the Taoist Stele.


    When he awoke in the morning, he still felt unfulfilled.


    Unfortunately, the few bottles of Second Grade Spiritual Ink given to him by Master Luo and Master Qian were used up, preventing him from actually drawing formations anymore.


    Seven bottles of Spiritual Ink were not enough; it was nowhere near sufficient for Mo Hua¡¯s use, and even with the utmost frugality, they wouldn¡¯t last long.


    "Learn to put into practice


    Mo Hua firmly remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teaching.


    Having the Taoist Stele, ¡°learning¡± was not a problem.


    With his Divine Sense submerged in the Sea of Consciousness, practicing on the Taoist Stele did not require pen or ink, nor paper, and his Divine Sense could even backtrack, allowing for training that was ten to dozens of times more than others.


    Upon reflecting on this, Mo Hua felt somewhat fortunate.


    "Thank goodness I have the Taoist Stele Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not only could he practice formations, but he could also temper his Divine Sense.


    As long as he relentlessly persisted in practicing, he would learn more and more formations, his Divine Sense would grow stronger, and then he could go on to learn even more formations¡­ ????a?????¦Â¨º?


    This cycle would continue, like a ¡°snowball¡± effect, constantly enlarging his Divine Sense as well as his expertise in formations.


    However, he was now able to ¡°learn,¡± but unable to ¡°use.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the Spiritual Ink; the pens and paper were also a big issue.


    Mo Hua had bartered for a few Second Grade ¡°Formation Papers¡± from Old Master An, but they were barely a stopgap and quickly ran out.


    Such Second Grade Formation Papers were expensive.


    They were difficult to acquire, yet all too easy to use up¡­


    Even so, Formation Paper was the cheapest of the formation media.


    Other formation media, such as Spiritual Artifacts, Array Plates, and Formation Flags, were even more expensive, far beyond what Mo Hua could afford.


    Besides Formation Paper, there was also the Formation Pen.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t expected Formation Pens to be more expensive than Formation Paper, and furthermore, Second Grade Formation Pens wore out more easily than First Grade ones.


    The Spiritual Ink of the Second Grade contained a stronger concentration of Spiritual Power and Blood Qi from Monster Beasts.


    A Formation Pen soaked in Spiritual Ink would wear down faster.


    Inferior Formation Pens, often used until they went ¡°bald,


    Whereas those long-lasting, top-quality Formation Pens were made of lavish materials and had a prohibitive cost¡ªselling himself wouldn¡¯t cover their price.


    "Is there any way to draw formations without using paper or pens?¡±


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering briefly.


    He had some vague ideas but needed more time to research them.


    But even if he didn¡¯t use paper or pens, ink was essential¡­


    "Second Grade Spiritual Ink is made with Second Grade Monster Blood


    Mo Hua thought of the Big Tiger.


    Drawing blood from the Big Tiger¡­ definitely not an option; he had a pretty good relationship with the Big Tiger and couldn¡¯t entertain such thoughts.


    Then, perhaps¡­


    Find a way to work with the Big Tiger to hunt other Second Grade Monster Beasts in the Big Black Mountain?


    It would eat the meat, while I drew the blood?


    Mo Hua nodded silently, feeling that this plan was feasible.


    Then Mo Hua was suddenly struck by a realization.


    The Big Tiger¡­


    Only then did he remember that the Big Tiger had also given him some ¡°gifts,¡± those unclaimed Storage Bags.


    After returning home, Mo Hua had so many people to greet that he had temporarily forgotten about them.


    "I wonder what exactly is inside these storage bags


    Mo Hua, feeling curious, pulled out the storage bags from under the bed and opened them one by one.


    Some of these bags were still stained with blood, some were gorgeously exquisite, and others were grey, dirty, and somewhat eerie.


    After laying out all the storage bags and carefully going through them, Mo Hua finally understood.


    Some of the bags had belonged to serious cultivators, and others to demon cultivators.


    In addition to the standard spirit stones, spiritual artifacts, and pills, there were also some demon path skills for blood-sucking, spirit-draining, and replenishing from others, as well as spells for soul capturing and corpse refinement¡­


    These demon path skills and spells were deeply harmful and definitely couldn¡¯t be kept. Mo Hua planned to burn them together later to prevent them from harming others.


    There were also some righteous dao cultivation techniques and spells¡­


    As for cultivation techniques, Mo Hua had already learned the Heaven Yan Jue, which he didn¡¯t need¡­


    Most of the spells were for body refinement within Tao cultivation martial arts, and a few were second-grade spells, but they all seemed to be common techniques.


    However, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t picky and thought he might study them when he had some free time¡­


    There were plenty of spirit stones, totaling up to tens of thousands!


    If not for the limited capacity and inconvenient transport of these storage bags, there might have been even more.


    There was also a rich variety of pills, those that revitalized the spirit, replenished blood, resisted poison, dispelled miasma, and even second-grade Small Rejuvenation Pills that could save one¡¯s life¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    All these added up to a hefty ¡°windfall¡±!


    Mo Hua was both shocked and delighted, but also somewhat puzzled.


    Who were the owners of these storage bags, and how did they end up in Tongxian City? How did they die? And how did Big Tiger come to pick up these bags?


    Mo Hua searched through the storage bags to find some clues.


    After searching for a long time, he found a few scrolls with phrases like ¡°personally initiated by the family head¡± and ¡°seen and reported to the sect master¡± written on them. After reading them, he finally realized.


    "These cultivators came to Tongxian City for their master


    Some were from the Taoist State clans or their affiliated smaller families, sent by their family heads or sects to Tongxian City to investigate their master¡¯s whereabouts¡­


    Some were people from the Demon Sect.


    But they were probably not from any great sects, just smaller forces.


    Once they arrived at Tongxian City, they fought each other at Big Black Mountain.


    Then, in the fierce battle, either they perished outright or, grievously wounded, they fell victim to Big Tiger¡¯s opportunism.


    A few of the storage bags were torn, bearing the traces of tiger teeth.


    Presumably, Big Tiger had torn open the bags and consumed whatever spiritual objects were inside. After assimilating them, it broke through a realm and became a second-grade monster beast.


    The rest of the storage bags, in recognition of some indebtedness, were left for itself.


    After thinking it through, Mo Hua felt that this was probably the truth of the matter. Even if there were some deviations, they likely weren¡¯t significant.


    "Since they harbored ill intentions towards the master, their deaths are of little consequence


    Mo Hua felt justified in taking the ¡°windfall¡± for himself.


    Later, he sorted through the items in the storage bags, categorizing them, but then he inadvertently noticed a map.


    The map was extensive, encompassing the Nine State.


    In the Cultivation World¡¯s Nine State, ¡°Taoist State¡± is the core, situated in the center, also the location of the Central Tao Court.


    Beyond the Taoist State, the other eight states are named after the ¡°Qian,¡± ¡°Kun,¡± ¡°Kan,¡± ¡°Li,¡± ¡°Gen,¡± ¡°Zhen,¡± ¡°Xun,¡± ¡°Dui¡± Bagua positions, arranged according to the Bagua to suppress the earth and heavens and to protect the central Taoist State.


    "A map of the Nine State?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and examined it closely.


    Although the map captured all of the Nine State, the other states were only marked with main mountain ranges, and the specific state boundaries were vague.


    Only ¡°Qian State¡± had clearly defined borders and detailed mountains and rivers.


    Within Qian State, one boundary was circled in red ink, with a small note saying:


    Qian State, Dragon Path Mountains, Fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary.


    A coveted destination for the cultivators of Nine State seeking knowledge.


    Many sects flourished here, gathering the proud sons of heaven.


    A pinnacle of inheritance for formations, pill, artifact, rune, skills, martial arts, and spells.


    It is the foremost state boundary within the Cultivation World, unparalleled and the premier place for pursuing the way and seeking knowledge!

 Chapter 735: Storage Ring (1)

    Chapter 735: Chapter 571: Storage Ring_1


    Dragon Path Mountains¡­ fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary¡­


    "A place of seeking knowledge


    Mo Hua looked slightly dazed.


    With Sects emerging one after another, and Proud Sons of Heaven gathering, could the gathering of the great achievements of Formations mean having a complete foundation of Tao Cultivation and inheritance of all categories of Formations?


    Mo Hua had only learned the Five Elements Formation so far.


    But besides the Five Elements, there are many other categories of Formations, each with their own systems.


    ...


    Such as Eryi, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams, and others.


    Mo Hua had only seen a few brief mentions of these Formation systems in Formation Books; the descriptions vague, not to mention a true and specific inheritance.


    Mo Hua pondered deeply.


    The Formations of categories like Eryi, Four Symbols, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams¡ªhis master must also know them, but he did not teach them to Mo Hua, teaching only Five-elements Formation Methods instead.


    Presumably because the Five Elements Formation is the most basic and also the most widely applicable Formation.


    Biting off more than one can chew is never good; mastering the Five Elements Formation and laying a solid foundation first, then learning other systems of Formations for easier cross-referencing seemed wiser.


    But the biggest reason, he guessed, was¡­


    His master¡­ knew that he didn¡¯t have much time left, and there were many things he wanted to teach, but he no longer had the time¡­


    "Master


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew somewhat dim.


    After a moment, he finally rallied his spirits and continued his examination of the map of Qian State.


    The map marked a large number of Sects.


    And in the Qianxue State Boundary, there were mostly ¡°Tao Cultivation Sects¡±.


    The so-called ¡°Tao Cultivation¡± Sects are different from Industry Sects, Hidden Sects, and Spiritual Merchant Sects.


    Hidden Sects keep to themselves, avoid worldly affairs, and are relatively secluded.


    Industry Sects and Spiritual Merchant Sects prioritize profit, earning Spirit Stones and profits by managing Tao Cultivation industries or operating various stores selling Formations, Pills, Artifacts, Runes.


    They also accept disciples, but that is not their main activity.


    However, Tao Cultivation Sects are founded on principles of teaching Taoist Skill, with their primary operation being to ¡°instruct Cultivators in Cultivation, imparting Taoist methods,¡± mainly benefiting from the Spirit Stone donations of their disciples.


    Tao Cultivation Sects have some industry, but not much.


    These things, Mo Hua learned while traveling, heard from the mouths of others.


    Mo Hua also realized that there are quite a few differences between Sects.


    Some impart knowledge and instruction, while others are purely profit-driven.


    Tao Cultivation Sects¡­


    "Teaching Cultivation, imparting methods


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Can I go there?¡±


    He thought for a moment, then shook his head.


    The Qianxue State Boundary is a fifth-class state boundary; the Tao Cultivation Sects inside should be quite expensive to join, right¡­


    That ¡°windfall¡± I came across, I wonder if it¡¯s enough to make a donation.


    Even if I can afford the donation, would they accept someone like me?


    Proud Sons of Heaven gathering¡­


    These Sects should have strict criteria for accepting disciples, right?


    Mo Hua flipped through the map and found that it contained sparse text, no other markings, and nothing more detailed.


    "Should I ask someone about it?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, pondering for a long time before feeling that the most suitable person to ask was Court Leader Zhou.


    Zhang Lan should know, but he had already returned home.


    Court Leader Zhou also came from a Clan, though not a large one, but he must have experience and insight; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to serve as a Court Official of the Taoist Court. R§Ñ??§£¨¨?


    Mo Hua went back to the Taoist Court and handed the map over to Court Leader Zhou to see.


    "Qianxue State?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou was somewhat surprised to hear this.


    "Hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Court Leader Zhou thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Wait for a moment


    He then rummaged through his Storage Bag and pulled out several booklets. Mo Hua glanced at them and saw titles like ¡°History of Tao Cultivation¡±, ¡°Overview of Nine States¡± on the cover pages.


    "Qian State is too vast and too far from here; I don¡¯t remember some things very clearly


    After looking carefully through the books, Court Leader Zhou finally nodded, saying:


    "Ah, that¡¯s right


    "The Qianxue State Boundary is indeed the premier place for Tao Cultivation learning in all of Nine State, with numerous Sects, and a thriving academic atmosphere


    "Across the lands of Nine State, most talented Cultivators who have reached Foundation Establishment before the age of twenty will go to the Qianxue State Boundary and choose to enter a Sect, where they can find great teachers, befriend Proud Sons of Heaven from the various states, while studying Taoism and laying a foundation for their future path


    "Why do they all go to the Qianxue State Boundary?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, ¡°Because it¡¯s a fifth-class state boundary?¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not entirely,¡± Court Leader Zhou looked at Mo Hua and explained patiently, ¡°Although Cultivation is classified into nine grades, this is an ancient classification, with nine being the ultimate number of heaven and earth, belonging to Immortal Grade.¡±


    "Ever since the Taoist Court, nature¡¯s spiritual energy has been gradually depleting, and it¡¯s been a long time since anyone has become immortal.¡±


    "Not to mention the ninth grade, even the seventh and eighth grades are unattainable for Cultivators.¡±


    "A fifth-class state boundary, for ordinary Cultivators, is already out of reach


    "However, the reason why Qianxue State Boundary is the premier learning destination isn¡¯t just because it¡¯s a fifth-class


    Court Leader Zhou paused, then continued:


    "In Tao Cultivation, one speaks of ¡®Wealth, Skill, Companionship, and Place


    "Wealth refers to Tao Cultivation resources like Spirit Stones, Spiritual Objects, and other assets;¡±


    "Skill refers to Tao Cultivation methods: Cultivation Techniques, Spells, Tao Cultivation Martial Arts, as well as all kinds of secret techniques not passed to outsiders, including Formations, Pills, Artifacts, Runes, and such methods related to the hundred trades of Tao Cultivation;¡±


    "Companionship refers to Taoist Friends with shared paths and interests, with firm Taoist Hearts, who engage in exchanges and mutual feedback, reflecting and progressing together in their Cultivation;¡±


    "Place refers to renowned mountains and rivers, the foundation of Taoist Sects


    "With a confluence of Wealth, Skill, Companionship, and Place, Qianxue State Boundary has it all, and with nearly ten thousand years of Taoist learning history, numerous Sects stand to teach the Tao, hosting complete arrays of heritage; that¡¯s why it is the foremost Tao Cultivation State Boundary of the Nine States!¡±


    As Mo Hua listened, he felt yearning and involuntarily asked:

 Chapter 736: Storage Ring (2)

    Chapter 736: Chapter 571 Storage Ring_2


    "Court Leader, are the requirements for apprenticing at the Qianxue State Sects very strict?¡±


    "Naturally Court Leader Zhou nodded, ¡°Before one turns twenty, one must achieve Foundation Establishment, which is only the basic requirement


    "Beyond that, it also depends on what kind of Taoist Foundation you have established.¡±


    "Noble Clans and Sect Disciples grind their realms, consolidate their cultivation, circulate their Spiritual Power to the utmost limit, and then they establish foundation at the age of seventeen or eighteen.¡±


    "That kind of Foundation Establishment is what truly counts as Foundation Establishment.¡±


    "Ordinarily, cultivators from smaller powers are greedy for quick success and are rash, with uncondensed Blood Qi and thin Spiritual Power, hastily establishing foundation at the age of fifteen or sixteen. That kind of Foundation Establishment naturally doesn¡¯t count


    ...


    Court Leader Zhou finished speaking and fell into a momentary stupor, casting a glance at Mo Hua, who was fifteen and had both scant Blood Qi and Spiritual Power, he said somewhat guiltily:


    "I didn¡¯t mean you


    "It¡¯s okay, no worries.¡±


    Mo Hua was very generous and didn¡¯t take offense.


    His weak Blood Qi and low Spiritual Power were facts obvious at a glance, there was no need to be reticent.


    Moreover, he was proving the Dao with Divine Sense and had forged a Divine Sense Taoist Foundation, so Blood Qi and Spiritual Power didn¡¯t really matter to him.


    Seeing that Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind, Court Leader Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued:


    "And that¡¯s just for Foundation Establishment, other requirements are also exceedingly strict


    "First is the Spiritual Root, in the Qian Xue State, the general sects only accept those with top-grade Spiritual Roots


    "Some sects with great power, long inheritance, ranking within the top ten, even only accept disciples with superior top-grade Spiritual Roots


    Mo Hua opened his mouth, ¡°Not accepting anyone without a superior top-grade¡­ Are the requirements really so harsh?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou nodded, also feeling helpless, ¡°Spiritual Roots are the foundation of a cultivator, the better the Spiritual Root, the higher grade of Cultivation Techniques one can practice, and the deeper the Spiritual Power one can cultivate. It becomes easier to break through realms in the future, and one can journey further on the path of Tao Cultivation


    "However, that said, they are all top-grade Spiritual Roots, and the difference between superior top-grade and top medium-grade is just a sliver, so the disparity isn¡¯t that huge.¡± ??¦­?????¨º????


    "Those sects, the reason they only accept superior top-grade, is simply because there are too many prodigies, and the competition is too fierce.¡±


    "This threshold has been raised time and again


    "Thousands of years ago, some with a middle-grade Spiritual Root, as long as they possessed a firm Taoist Heart and had some specialty, could also be apprenticed in those sects, and might even become an Instructor or even an Elder.¡±


    "But now


    Court Leader Zhou sighed, ¡°There are no people from high-class sects who come from humble families, let alone Loose Cultivators. With poor Spiritual Roots, you can¡¯t even enter the gate


    "That¡¯s why cultivators often say, in this world, once you¡¯re born and your Spiritual Root is determined, your fate is also determined


    "And that¡¯s just talking about Spiritual Roots


    Court Leader Zhou continued, ¡°There are also considerations of family background, lineage, inheritance, and so on.¡±


    "Without a notable birth or a distinguished family, entering such sect is even more difficult.¡±


    "Furthermore, some sects even investigate the parents of those seeking to enter, what kind of Spiritual Roots they have, what their level of cultivation is, and who they are


    Mo Hua found it extreme to the utmost and couldn¡¯t help sighing, feeling somewhat disheartened.


    It seemed that there was no chance for him in the Qianxue State.


    Not to mention anything else, just the condition of middle to lower Five Elements Spiritual Root blocked him firmly from entering any doors. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became a bit downcast.


    Court Leader Zhou looked at Mo Hua, and with a sense of pity, said:


    "There are also some smaller sects that don¡¯t require one to have an exceptionally high-grade Spiritual Root, but


    But their inheritance was doubtlessly shallow.


    Even if you entered their ranks, you might not be able to learn anything valuable.


    Court Leader Zhou sighed softly.


    Loose Cultivators had indeed too fragile a foundation, with Foundation Establishment being the ceiling for them.


    He still hoped that Mo Hua could apprentice at the Qianxue State Sects, systematically learn Tao Cultivation knowledge, increase his experience, and fill in his shortcomings so that he could go further in the future¡­


    But he also knew that in such places, where Noble Clans gathered and prodigies clustered, the barriers between formal sects were extremely deep.


    Even just stepping over the threshold was exceedingly difficult.


    Especially for a Loose Cultivator like Mo Hua¡­


    Court Leader Zhou said no more, only offering a few words of comfort to Mo Hua, speaking some pleasantries. Beyond that, there really wasn¡¯t much else he could help with¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed, but after giving it some thought, he didn¡¯t take it too much to heart.


    Having the chance to go to the Qianxue State to seek apprenticeship was, of course, good.


    But even without such an opportunity, it didn¡¯t matter.


    One shouldn¡¯t force what¡¯s not meant to be in this world.


    Mo Hua returned home, as usual, read for a while, studied Formation for a period, and when his Divine Sense was exhausted, he felt a bit weary, so he spread the map of the Qian Xue State and looked at it again.


    After perusing it a few times, Mo Hua put it away.


    Since his Spiritual Root wasn¡¯t sufficient and he couldn¡¯t even secure entry, it was pointless to look any further; thus, Mo Hua placed the map into his storage pouch.


    Then after a moment¡¯s thought, considering the map of the Nine States to be somewhat valuable and perhaps useful in the future, he decided to take it out of the storage pouch and once more put it into his Storage Ring.


    The Storage Ring was small, but Mo Hua¡¯s hands were smaller, and he could only wear it on the thumb of his left hand.


    This ring was a gift from his master, and Mo Hua had performed a blood recognition ritual on it. Its design was simple and unremarkable.


    Mo Hua could see it, but others could not.


    This Storage Ring was a concealed storage bag.


    However, Mo Hua also felt that this ring could hide his aura, preventing others from seeing through his true strength.


    It was very similar to the Spiritual Artifacts on his junior brothers and sisters that ¡°obstructed the probing of Divine Sense¡±.


    Beyond that, it served no other purpose.


    But because it was a gift from his master, Mo Hua treasured it.


    After placing the Qian State map into the Storage Ring, Mo Hua checked the other items inside the ring, then he suddenly froze.


    Within the Storage Ring, there was an extra Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua had no recollection of this Jade Slip.


    He had never seen this Jade Slip before when he put things into the Storage Ring.


    "Why would there be an extra Jade Slip?¡±

 Chapter 737: Storage Ring (3)

    Chapter 737: Chapter 571: Storage Ring_3


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled as he took out the jade slip which was grey and dull, its appearance ancient, as if it had existed for many years.


    With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua saw that on the jade slip, three big characters were engraved:


    "Qian Taoist Sect.¡±


    There was also a line of smaller characters beneath it:


    "Those holding this order to enter the sect shall not refuse.¡±


    ...


    The tone used was that of an ¡°imperial command


    Did it mean that anyone who held this token and sought to join the sect could not refuse?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    "Qian Taoist Sect


    This name seemed somewhat familiar¡­


    Mo Hua once again took out the map of Qian State from the Storage Ring and upon scanning it briefly, he found that in the Qianxue State Boundary, there indeed was a sect named ¡°Qian Taoist Sect¡±.


    Moreover, it was one of the Four Great Sects within the Qianxue State Boundary!


    Mo Hua was startled.


    This was¡­


    The Sect-Entering Order of the Qian Taoist Sect?!


    "How did this jade token end up in the Storage Ring¡­ is this what Master left for me?¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat dazed.


    The Storage Ring was given to him by his master, and only he knew about it.


    No one else could open it.


    If there was something inside, it could only have been left by his master¡­


    "The Sect-Entering Order of the Qian Taoist Sect


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then understood his master¡¯s intention.


    His master had given him this token, and on the token was the name of a sect.


    If he had the chance and knew what this sect was and where it was located, then he could rely on the token to join the sect himself.


    But if he was clueless about it all, then it meant he had no such fate.


    With or without this jade token, it would be the same.


    "This is¡­ a path out that Master left for me


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Although he had learned the Heavenly secret Calculation and had stealthily studied the Tricky Calculation, possessed the Five Elements Formation Flow Chart, his foundation was weak, his Formation techniques unorthodox, only versed in the Five Elements. ??????????


    He needed to join a sect to learn more comprehensive Tao Cultivation knowledge.


    To understand the formations beyond the Five Elements, other systems of formations.


    To pursue higher realms of cultivation¡­


    All these¡­ Master had anticipated¡­


    Mo Hua felt a sourness in the corners of his eyes.


    He opened the map of Qian State again and located the destination indicated by the Sect-Entering Order.


    "Fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary, Qian Taoist Sect, huh


    Mo Hua was very clear in his heart.


    By only cultivating behind closed doors, his progress in Cultivation and his mastery over formations would inevitably be slow.


    After Foundation Establishment, exactly how to cultivate, how to stabilize the Taoist Foundation, enhance one¡¯s Cultivation, breakthrough to Golden Core, and beyond Golden Core, how to undergo Feather Transformation¡­


    He was completely ignorant about these profound realms of Cultivation.


    Cultivation is the foundation of a Cultivator.


    Without sufficient Cultivation, he would forever remain a Foundation Building Cultivator, forever just a first or at most a Second Grade Formation Master.


    He would also never learn the extremely profound formations that snatch the creation of heaven and earth, reverse the causality of life and death¡­


    And thus, he would never¡­ be able to save his master¡­


    Or repay the kindness his master had shown him.


    But Mo Hua felt conflicted within his heart.


    He knew that sooner or later, he would have to leave Tongxian City.


    "But, what about father and mother


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and sighed deeply.


    What would happen to his parents if he left?


    In the following days, Mo Hua was somewhat listless.


    Liu Ruhua noticed Mo Hua¡¯s expression and one day, after finishing dinner and tidying up, she asked him:


    "Huar, do you have some worries on your mind?¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, hesitated, but in the end, he shook his head.


    "Mother, it¡¯s nothing


    Liu Ruhua shook her head and looked at Mo Hua gently.


    No one knows a child better than their mother.


    Mo Hua was her child, and even though he was clever and skilled at painting formations, there were some things he couldn¡¯t hide from his mother.


    Mo Hua, hesitation in his eyes, finally talked about the Qian Taoist Sect.


    "Qian State


    Liu Ruhua murmured, ¡°Are Zisheng and Zixi also in Qian State?¡±


    "Yeah,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°But Qian State is very large, and they¡¯re far apart. It¡¯s not certain that we¡¯ll meet.¡±


    "Is that so


    Liu Ruhua sounded slightly regretful, then after a moment of thought, her gaze became resolute, ¡°Then go.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°But, mother


    Liu Ruhua shook her head, ¡°The love of parents for their children means planning for their long-term future


    "You have already completed your Foundation Establishment. Staying in Tongxian City, although I would be happy, I also know that this would be your future.¡±


    "If you were a hundred years old, two hundred years old, I wouldn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    "But you¡¯re only fifteen now¡­ You can¡¯t be trapped here for a lifetime


    "Although I¡¯m reluctant, I also don¡¯t want to see you waste your talent.¡±


    "Moreover, there¡¯s Mr. Zhuang


    Liu Ruhua sighed, ¡°You haven¡¯t made it clear, but I know that Mr. Zhuang must have encountered some calamity, and he might be in a life or death situation, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have returned alone


    "Mr. Zhuang has shown great kindness to you, no, to our entire family.¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A favor as small as a drop of water should be returned with a spring.¡±


    "I don¡¯t know what cultivation level Mr. Zhuang has, but I imagine it¡¯s not low. With your current realm, you certainly can¡¯t help.¡±


    "But you must remember this favor.¡±


    "Even if you can¡¯t help now, you must keep it in your heart, and repay Mr. Zhuang¡¯s kindness when your cultivation is higher. Even if it¡¯s beyond your capability, you must do your best!¡±


    The gentle look on Liu Ruhua¡¯s face was filled with determination.


    "Alright, mother!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly.


    "But what about father


    Mo Hua still had some concerns.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about your father at all


    Liu Ruhua stroked Mo Hua¡¯s head, her voice gentle:


    "Your father is a Monster Hunter. Hunting monsters is his livelihood. When you were young, he would spend years in the mountains, fighting Monster Beasts, accumulating scars after scars, earning Spirit Stones to raise you.¡±


    "He silently bore the burden of this family from a very early time


    "Though he is only at the Qi Refinement stage, it¡¯s not yet time for you to worry about him.¡±


    "What he regrets the most is that he can¡¯t give you the best, neither in cultivation techniques nor formations, he can¡¯t help you.¡±


    "If you truly have the ambition to seek and learn the Dao, he won¡¯t say much, but he will surely be happy for you in his heart


    Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Hua and smiled slightly:


    "Although you¡¯ve completed your Foundation Establishment, you¡¯re only fifteen years old. It¡¯s not time for you to worry about your parents.¡±


    "You just do what you want to do.¡±


    "Don¡¯t hesitate, just go forward


    "But there¡¯s one thing


    Liu Ruhua cautioned, ¡°Huar, you must remember, to your parents, your life is the most precious.¡±


    "No matter what, take good care of yourself.¡±


    "Yes!¡± Mo Hua, moved, nodded and said, ¡°Mother, rest assured, no one can kill me!¡±


    His eyes suddenly flashed, innocence and cunning merged together, one eye foresaw the Heavenly secret, the other was filled with oddity, and within his fate lurked the terrifying blood-red Corpse King.


    In the far-off South Yue City, Mining Cultivators burned incense, beseeching strength, and Karmic Protection.


    Liu Ruhua was taken aback.


    She always felt that Mo Hua was somewhat different just now, but on closer inspection, he seemed the same.


    Still the child who was her heart and soul.


    Liu Ruhua chuckled softly and pinched Mo Hua¡¯s tender cheek.


    "There you go, talking big again


    Mo Hua squinted his eyes, smiling happily.


    With both parents¡¯ approval, he didn¡¯t need to hesitate anymore.


    He had made up his mind. He would go to the Fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary, join a Sect, cultivate in the search for the Dao, and learn all the formations in the world!


    He would forge a Golden Core, achieve Feather Transformation.


    Step by step in the future, He would aim for the pinnacle of the Great Dao.


    He would learn formations that others couldn¡¯t learn, and save a master that others couldn¡¯t save!


    But one must prepare for a rainy day.


    Before going to Qian State, he would take some time to plan carefully, prepare thoroughly, and make sure all was in order¡­

 Chapter 738: Drawing Ground into Formation (1)

    Chapter 738: Chapter 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_1


    Mo Hua knew clearly in his heart that he only possessed a lower-middle-grade Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, and although he had a Sect-Entering Order for his journey to the Qian Learning State Boundary to seek knowledge, it was not guaranteed to be smooth sailing. There would inevitably be some bumps and obstacles.


    Nevertheless, it was imperative to go to Qian State.


    The path of Tao Cultivation was never easy.


    Meet the soldier head-on when he comes, cover with soil when water flows, do not fear setbacks, and advance valiantly. If one hesitates out of fear, they will surely lose their Taoist Heart and no longer make progress.


    And since he was going to the Qian Learning State Boundary, he must be well-prepared.


    In the Qian Learning State Boundary, Sects abound, and it is a gathering place for the Proud Sons of Heaven.


    ...


    Mo Hua was a Loose Cultivator without a notable origin or background, and his Spiritual Root wasn¡¯t exceptional. If he really wanted to join a Sect in Qian State, he would inevitably face cold looks, be underestimated, and be ostracized.


    With an inherently frail body unable to undergo Body Refinement and a lower-middle-grade Spiritual Root with weak Spiritual Power, a head-on confrontation would be extremely disadvantageous.


    Therefore, he needed to take a different approach¡­


    Mo Hua remembered his master¡¯s admonitions:


    "In the Cultivation World of the Nine States, geniuses emerge in great numbers


    "You specialize in offensive cultivation, making you an enemy to these geniuses; they will not show you any kindness.¡±


    "But by assisting in offensive strategies, you can help them compete with other geniuses, and they will instead have to take your feelings into account.¡±


    "The stronger your means of assisting them, the less they dare to offend you.¡±


    "This way, even without a Noble Clan, any clan can become a force that helps you


    "Without a Sect, any Sect can become your background.¡±


    "Among the profit-minded and opportunistic forces of Tao Cultivation, amidst the numerous geniuses with exceptional Spiritual Roots and proficient in Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills, you too will have a place and not be looked down upon!¡±


    Mo Hua touched his chin thoughtfully:


    "Assisting in offense¡­ means amplifying Spiritual Power, also known as the Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    The Five Element Ultimate Formation obtained from the Five Elements Sect is the basis for his stance among the numerous genius-filled Cultivation Sects of Qian State¡­ ??????¨°????¨§????


    He doesn¡¯t need to compete with the geniuses to be supreme.


    His Spiritual Root aptitude does not allow him to engage in such attention-grabbing behavior.


    As long as he can establish himself in the Academic World of Qian State, avoid being bullied, cultivate properly, and learn Formation thoroughly to compensate for his weaknesses; laying a solid foundation for forming his Golden Core and the subsequent Feather Transformation is good enough.


    Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    Spiritual Power amplification, assistance in offense!


    As long as he possesses the Five Element Ultimate Formation with the ability to assist in offense, even if he is not a Proud Son of Heaven himself, other geniuses will have to consider his opinion.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    However, the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­


    Needs a new name.


    This was also instructed by his master previously.


    In the Qian Learning State Boundary with its profound heritage, and being a Second-Grade state boundary, naturally, it is not lacking in Great Cultivators with high cultivation levels, extensive experience, and broad knowledge.


    The name Five Elements Spirit Formation would reveal its origins to them immediately upon hearing it.


    The fact that he had inherited the tradition of the Five Elements Sect would likely also be unable to escape their notice.


    And his master¡¯s ultimate entrapment took place in the Five Elements Sect. The inquisitive could probably trace the connection between him and his master.


    This would be troublesome.


    Therefore, the name had to be changed.


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua decided to rename the Five Elements Spirit Formation as the Five Elements ¡°Source¡± Formation.


    If anyone asked about its origins, he would claim as his own discovery. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If anyone asked how he learned it, he would say he learned it in a confused state.


    If anyone didn¡¯t believe it and persisted in inquiring, he would have to reluctantly admit that he was a Formation Genius that appeared only once in a hundred years¡­


    After all, Qian State should be no stranger to geniuses¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Five Elements Source Formation.


    Born from the Five Elements Source Pattern, it involves the essence of the Five Elements and amplifies the Five Elements¡¯ Spiritual Power.


    After learning the Second-Grade Formation, Mo Hua had made comparisons. All First-Grade Ultimate Formations were effective for Foundation Building Cultivators, and the Formation effects didn¡¯t diminish significantly compared to Second-Grade Formations.


    The First-Grade Five Elements Source Formation was no exception.


    Mo Hua contemplated and speculated that the reason might be related to the number of Formation Patterns.


    While the Ultimate Formation is classified as First-Grade, the number of Formation Patterns is within the scope of Second-Grade Formations.


    Therefore, the Ultimate Formation is applicable in the Foundation Establishment Realm as well.


    But this presented another issue.


    Second-Grade Formation Patterns, derived from the fusion and transformation of two First-Grade Patterns, require twice the Divine Sense of First-Grade Patterns.


    If so, the Divine Sense required for the same number of Patterns in a First-Grade Ultimate Formation should only be half that of a Second-Grade Formation.


    Because the First-Grade Ultimate Formation uses First-Grade Patterns.


    And Second-Grade Formations use Second-Grade Patterns.


    But in practice, Mo Hua found that the Divine Sense consumed by a First-Grade Ultimate Formation was not less than that of a Second-Grade Formation with the same number of Patterns.


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Why?


    Where was the extra Divine Sense consumed by the Ultimate Formation being ¡°wasted¡±?


    With Mr. Zhuang not around, Mo Hua encountered problems that he had to solve on his own.


    After long contemplation, Mo Hua had some clues.


    If his conjecture was correct, the additional Divine Sense consumed by the Ultimate Formation was used to comprehend, visualize, or connect with a certain type of Great Dao Law, or a powerful Taoist Meaning.


    Half of the Divine Sense spent on drawing an Ultimate Formation was dedicated to the Patterns, the other half to the Laws.


    That¡¯s why Ultimate Formations were unique and so difficult to execute¡­


    That¡¯s why a First-Grade Ultimate Formation could almost compare with a Second-Grade Formation, and its effect did not wane¡­


    "The Great Dao is truly relatively fair; although Ultimate Formations are difficult, they hold their value for the challenge


    Mo Hua silently reflected.


    With the Five Elements Source Formation amplifying the power of Spells, Mo Hua had also tried it.


    The only offensive Spell Mo Hua knew was the Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball Technique is a Fire-type Spell that needs the Fire Origin Formation for amplification.

 Chapter 739: Drawing Ground into Formation (2)

    Chapter 739: Chapter 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_2


    And the Second-Grade Fireball Technique, with the amplification of Spiritual Power from the Fire Origin Formation, saw its power increase by nearly twenty percent.


    The power of a spell is difficult to enhance, and the methods to do so are often harsh.


    An increase of twenty percent was already quite terrifying.


    It was roughly equivalent to raising the Fireball Technique¡¯s spell tier by one level, giving a lower-tier spell the power close to that of a mid-tier spell.


    "It¡¯s indeed worthy of the Thirteen Stripes Ultimate Formation and the Five Elements Sect, which has relied on this sect-protecting formation for thousands of years


    For a cultivator in single combat, such an increase in power was already very strong.


    ...


    And the more cultivators there are, the more apparent this increase becomes. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In a war of Tao cultivation, with the exchange of Taoist Soldiers, if blessed by the Five Elements Source Formation.


    Then a disadvantage could turn into even odds.


    Even odds could turn into an advantage, even a complete, crushing victory¡­


    No wonder the Five Elements Sect held such an extraordinary status back then.


    Under such circumstances, even though Mo Hua had only just entered the Foundation Establishment phase and was not yet proficient in the Second-Grade Fireball Technique, with the amplification from the Fire Origin Formation, its power was still considerable.


    Mo Hua had tested it on late-First-Grade Monster Beasts in Big Black Mountain.


    Basically, a Fireball Technique amplified by the Fire Origin Formation could slay a late-First-Grade Monster Beast, and for those with tougher hides, if not killed, they would be severely injured by the Fireball Technique, on the verge of death.


    As for Second-Grade Monster Beasts¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique was still somewhat lacking; he was not yet willing to take on a Second-Grade Monster Beast alone.


    The problem with the Five Elements Source Formation had been resolved.


    What came next was the issue of the pen, ink, and paper.


    Without ink, a pen, or paper, even if Mo Hua practiced diligently at the Taoist Stele, mastering the Second-Grade Formation perfectly, it would be meaningless if he couldn¡¯t put it into practice. ??????????§£¦¥s?


    It¡¯s best to be prepared for unforeseen events.


    If he waited until reaching the Qian Learning State Boundary to consider this issue, it would be somewhat late.


    Moreover, the Qian Learning State Boundary is fifth-grade, so the cost of living would undoubtedly be higher, and Mo Hua definitely couldn¡¯t afford the expenses for pen, ink, and paper there.


    "Ink is indispensable


    "In that case, it¡¯s necessary to consider a method of Drawing Formation that doesn¡¯t use a pen or paper and could save a substantial amount of Spirit Stones


    Mo Hua pondered.


    "Just like in the Sea of Consciousness


    "Without a pen, then use Divine Sense as the pen; without paper, then take the earth as the medium


    This was a method of Drawing Formation that Mo Hua had been envisioning from an early stage.


    He had now reached Foundation Establishment.


    Foundation Building Cultivators have their Divine Sense greatly increased, their Divine Thought strong enough for Object Manipulation.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had not doubled, the Divine Sense of a Middle Phase Foundation Building Cultivator with fourteen stripes was already strong enough.


    Above that, thanks to the Heaven Yan Jue and the restructuring of Divine Thought by the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, his Divine Sense had undergone a qualitative change.


    Therefore, ¡°Divine Sense Manipulation¡± was not a difficult task for Mo Hua.


    What Mo Hua needed to do now was not just ¡°Divine Sense Manipulation¡± but the more advanced ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink.¡±


    Foundation Building Cultivators manipulate with Divine Sense, typically using hard and sharp objects for moving and slaying.


    Like Sword Control.


    Qi Refinement Sword Cultivators are generally modest in strength.


    But Foundation Building Sword Cultivators, with Divine Sense Sword Control, undergo a transformation in combat power.


    Even without controlling swords, wielding flying knives or needles as Spiritual Artifacts is also quite powerful.


    But Sword Weapons are also expensive, so Mo Hua wasn¡¯t considering them for the time being.


    What he wanted to do was to replace the Formation Pen with Divine Sense and directly manipulate the Spiritual Ink to solidify into formations.


    Spiritual Ink is as fluid as water, ever-changing in form.


    Generally, Foundation Building Cultivators can manipulate swords and blades with Divine Sense, but they absolutely cannot control water or ink.


    But Mo Hua was different.


    With strong Divine Sense and transformed Divine Thought, he could manipulate with precision in myriad changes.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense could control the formless flow of Spiritual Ink like water.


    It was still very difficult, though.


    And in actual manipulation, the Divine Sense was somewhat stiff, requiring much practice.


    Besides that, there was the matter of using the earth as the medium.


    Mo Hua had practiced the Thick Earth Formation, which connects with the Earth Dao Meaning when drawn on the earth¡¯s surface.


    Previously, Mo Hua practiced the Thick Earth Formation every day.


    His perception of the Earth Dao Meaning became increasingly clear, and his integration with the Dao Meaning deepened.


    He had now reached the point where he could draw other Five-elements Formation Methods on the ground.


    But this method of drawing also required much practice.


    Using thought as the pen, the earth as the paper.


    Covered by the heavens, extending across the earth.


    With Divine Consciousness Control Ink, Drawing Ground into Formation!


    After reaching Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua could finally start experimenting with his initial idea of Drawing Formation, unbound by external objects, which came after learning the Thick Earth Formation.


    While the idea was good, it still required execution.


    What followed was the need for extensive practice¡­


    Practicing ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink, Drawing Ground into Formation¡± definitely couldn¡¯t be done at home, and it wasn¡¯t quite appropriate in Tongxian City either.


    It was best to find a secluded place, free from other people.


    Mo Hua then went deep into Big Black Mountain and, using several bags of dried fish, ¡°bribed¡± Big Tiger, and near its cave, he found an open space to practice the formation.


    Big Black Mountain was peaceful, especially serene in its deep reaches.


    Since Big Tiger was a Second-Grade Monster Beast with formidable strength, there were neither other Monster Beasts nor Cultivators around, avoiding disturbances and making it suitable for testing formations.


    The first step was Divine Consciousness Control Ink.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t have Second-Grade Spiritual Ink, so he had to practice with First-Grade Spiritual Ink.


    It didn¡¯t go smoothly at first.


    Controlling ink with Divine Sense, its fluid form without support or anchor, was very easy to lose control of, spilling the Spiritual Ink on the ground.


    After several attempts by Mo Hua, the results were not good.


    He thought for a while and, like ¡°Divine Thought Manifestation,¡± began to imagine his Divine Sense as a paintbrush.


    The end of the Divine Thought transformed into fine brush hairs, merging, absorbing, and guiding the Spiritual Ink, drawing it through the air in sinuous flows at his will.


    Although it was still clumsy and occasionally failed, it indeed got better with each attempt.

 Chapter 740: Drawing Ground into Formation (3)

    Chapter 740: Chapter 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_3


    After learning the Heaven Yan Jue, Mo Hua mastered the Spirit Pivot Formation.


    This kind of meticulous control was something Mo Hua had a good understanding of.


    And after the transformation of Divine Consciousness, this intricate manipulation also underwent a qualitative change.


    Mo Hua practiced for a day or two and gradually figured out the principles. After that, practice after practice, Divine Consciousness and Spiritual Ink became more and more in sync. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Divine Thought became the brush, merging with the Spiritual Ink, and then controlling it.


    The Spiritual Ink seemed to become an extension of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consciousness, floating in the air according to his will, condensing into various free-floating lines and complex patterns.


    ...


    After practicing for several more days and mastering ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink,¡± Mo Hua began ¡°Drawing Ground into Formation.¡±


    His pale little hand pointed vaguely, toward the ground.


    Influenced by his Divine Consciousness, the Spiritual Ink solidified into thin threads, automatically spilling out of the bottle, following the tips of Mo Hua¡¯s fingers, seeping into the ground bit by bit.


    Then, as Mo Hua moved his fingers, the ink gradually wriggled, flowed, moved, and condensed into Formation Patterns, finally forming a formation based on the Formation Pivot layout!


    Without pen or paper, a complete formation was thus drawn on the ground.


    A flash of light, and the formation was activated!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, thrilled with joy.


    He had succeeded!


    He then suppressed his excitement, maintaining a humble and steadfast attitude.


    "It¡¯s still just a simple First-grade Melting Fire Formation


    He needed to continue practicing¡­


    Starting with the ordinary First-grade Formations, he would progress from the simple to the complex, step by step, formation after formation, mastering Divine Consciousness Control Ink, using the ground as the medium to draw the Ultimate Formation, and then moving on to Second-Grade Formations!


    In this way, not needing a pen or paper, he would be able to save a great deal of Spirit Stones in the future!


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    This method of Formation Painting had relatively few restrictions.


    It was faster, more convenient, and more covert.


    Even in the midst of battle, if there was a spare moment, one could imperceptibly use thought as the brush, the ground as the paper, and lay down a formation!


    Of course, Mo Hua¡¯s current abilities were still far from sufficient.


    He needed to practice more, to achieve the realm where the ink would follow his heart¡¯s desire, handling it with ease.


    In time, he would be able to do as he wished, Pointing to the Ground to Form a Formation!


    Mo Hua thought about how one day, like the Divine Sense Incarnation in his Sea of Consciousness, he could do as he pleased, form a formation with just a point of his finger, and he was overjoyed at the thought. ?¦¡??£Â¨§s?


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was all smiles; then he gathered his thoughts and began to focus, continuing his practice.


    He wanted to master this technique as soon as possible, to reach perfection!


    Mo Hua squatted on the ground, Drawing Formation.


    Big Tiger lay by the side, leisurely chewing on a large dried fish; occasionally stealing glances at Mo Hua, seeing him concentrating on something, becoming curious, it quietly brought its head over to see what Mo Hua was up to.


    On the ground, Formation Patterns wriggled, forming a complex array.


    Big Tiger watched for a while but couldn¡¯t understand, all confusion in its big eyes, so it lay back down and continued to nibble on the dried fish with a shake of its head¡­


    In the secluded mountains, a person and a tiger lived together, peacefully and harmoniously.


    ¡­


    More than half a month later, after relentless practice, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consciousness Control Ink had become quite proficient, and Drawing Ground into Formation was done with ease.


    The formations he drew weren¡¯t limited to First-grade Formations; they now also included the Thirteen Stripes Five Elements Source Formation.


    This was also the most profound formation Mo Hua had mastered so far.


    However, using Divine Consciousness Control Ink to draw the Five Elements Source Formation consumed a lot of Divine Consciousness.


    And the speed of drawing the formation was relatively slow.


    It was far from the effect Mo Hua had anticipated.


    The consumption of Divine Sense is large but still manageable, as Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense is inherently profound and powerful, so he doesn¡¯t mind using a bit more.


    But the slow speed, that¡¯s more troublesome.


    At least in real combat, there isn¡¯t time to draw it out.


    Unless one is well-hidden enough and has plenty of time to prepare.


    "How can I draw a bit faster?¡±


    With his thoughts slightly stirred, Mo Hua began to ponder once more.


    After thinking for a long time, the only method he could think of was the ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.¡±


    But as for how to achieve it, and use the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation like Uncle to transform Divine Thoughts and utilize the techniques of Gui Tao¡¯s Divine Thought, Mo Hua was still very confused.


    After all, he had only stealth-learned it, imitating without truly understanding.


    He didn¡¯t have the inheritance, and figuring it out by himself was extremely difficult.


    After a long time, Mo Hua had no clue and could only put this problem aside for the moment.


    Since he already knew the basics of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, he would slowly ponder the various changes in the future. One day, he would understand it.


    The duck in his pot was bound to get cooked eventually, and it couldn¡¯t fly away!


    Next, what turned out to be more troublesome were the Second-Grade Formations.


    He needed to find several more Second-Grade Formations, learn them, and keep them as a reserve.


    Inside Tongxian City, there were hardly any Second-Grade Formation Diagrams.


    The Second-Grade Formations that Mo Hua currently mastered were only the Ten Stripes Second-order Bright Fire Formation and the Eleven Stripes Second-order Thorn Formation.


    He had drawn these two Formations to the point of perfection.


    It would be ideal if he could find a more challenging Second-Grade Formation. After learning it, he could try to get some Second-Grade Spiritual Ink and test ¡°Drawing Ground into Formation¡± with the technique of ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink.¡±


    He wanted to see what his current limit was.


    Through this technique of Divine Consciousness Control Ink, what rank of Formation could he draw¡­


    The only way for Mo Hua to get a Second-Grade Formation, as it seemed now, was from the Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡¯s Five Elements Source Pattern¡­


    This Source Pattern, Mo Hua would decipher whenever he had the chance, but up until now, the best Formation he had obtained was the Second-Grade Eleven Patterns Five Elements Formation.


    His Divine Sense had undergone a ¡°Transformation¡± to Fourteen Patterns.


    In other words, his limit should be Fourteen Patterns!


    Mo Hua felt a bit dissatisfied.


    No matter how bad his luck was or how down on his luck he might be, after all this time, he should have been able to reverse-engineer a decent Second-Grade Formation¡­


    Not many, just a Twelve Strip one would be enough¡­


    Mo Hua decided to have another try.


    Before deciphering, to show his sincerity, Mo Hua burned incense and even washed his hands, silently chanting in his mind:


    "Second-Grade Formation, Second-Grade Formation, Second-Grade Formation


    "Twelve Stripes, Twelve Stripes, Twelve Stripes


    After the chanting, Mo Hua began the Calculation.


    Above the Source Pattern, mystical transformations took place.


    One by one, the Patterns were decrypted, and one after another, the Formations were logically deduced¡­


    After what seemed like an eternity, finally, a flash of light appeared before Mo Hua¡¯s eyes!


    A Formation Diagram, clearly different from the others, shining with a red glow and more eye-catching, emerged from the Source Pattern.


    Mo Hua¡¯s breath hitched, and he looked closely.


    It was a Formation with which he was extremely familiar, yet it was mysteriously complex and somewhat unfamiliar.


    "Earth Fire Formation


    Second Grade¡­ Thirteen Patterns!

 Chapter 741: Killing Formation (1)

    Chapter 741: Chapter 573 Killing Formation_1


    Second-grade Earth Fire Formation!


    And it exceeded expectations, with Thirteen Stripes in the Formation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Indeed, fortune is conserved; no matter how unlucky one might be, there will always come a time when the tide turns.


    Although it wasn¡¯t Fourteen Stripes, Mo Hua was already very satisfied.


    ...


    Moreover, the Earth Fire Formation was related to the earth and was also a Killing Formation Method!


    This also fit Mo Hua¡¯s current Formation needs.


    Without delay, Mo Hua immediately took an imprint of the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation Diagram, carefully observed it, thoughtfully calculated, and intently comprehended.


    The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, with its basic framework, was similar to the First-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    The Formation Patterns were Second-grade Fire-series Formation Patterns.


    The Formation Pivot structure was optimized and expanded on the basis of the First-grade Earth Fire Formation, to accommodate more complex and powerful Formation Patterns with stronger effects.


    Mo Hua had thoroughly mastered the First-grade Earth Fire Formation, so now studying the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation amounted to achieving twice the results with half the effort.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Mo Hua to commit the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation Diagram to memory.


    At night, on the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua began formal practice.


    Everything is difficult at the beginning.


    The Formation advanced from First-grade to Second-grade, and there was a lot more to learn from scratch, so it would be slower.


    But Mo Hua had already mastered two Second-grade Formations and had ¡°entered the door,¡± gradually becoming familiar with the Second-grade Formation system.


    What¡¯s more, the Earth Fire Formation was a Five Elements Formation, which Mo Hua had derived in reverse from the ¡°Five Elements Source Pattern.¡±


    And what Mo Hua was most proficient in was the Five Elements Formation.


    Therefore, studying it now was much easier than before.


    After practicing it only four or five times, Mo Hua drew the Thirteen Stripes Second-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    Once activated, a red light flashed, and the Earth Fire Formation¡¯s flames flowed, seemingly containing a formidable Formation power.


    This was a Second-grade Formation!


    And not just any Second-grade Formation.


    Thirteen Stripes Second-grade, which was almost the most powerful and challenging Formation that a Second-grade Junior Formation Master could master.


    And after mastering a few more Thirteen Stripes Second-grade Formations, Mo Hua could even proceed to assessment and become a Second-grade Junior Formation Master. ????£Â¦¥?


    "I just don¡¯t know if, here in Tongxian City, one can be assessed for Second-grade Formation Masters


    Mo Hua practiced the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation over a dozen times on the Taoist Stele, ensuring that every stroke, every line was clear in his heart, every Pattern and Pivot thoroughly understood, before he finally put down his pen.


    Mo Hua rested for a moment, then pondered:


    "The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, I¡¯ve learned it, but without Spiritual Ink, I can¡¯t draw it out, and I don¡¯t know its power


    As a Cultivator, one must have a clear understanding of the power of their spells and Formations.


    That way, one won¡¯t misjudge the situation.


    When the time comes to kill, and one is capable, one will not hesitate due to overestimating the enemy¡¯s strength, letting the opponent flee to the mountains.


    Neither will they rashly engage when they are less powerful than the opponent, thinking ¡°the advantage is mine,¡± only to lose their life.


    Neither of these scenarios is acceptable.


    Precise judgment, decisive action.


    This is also fundamental for a Monster Hunter.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Before going into the mountains, Mo Shan, his father, had repeatedly advised him on this.


    If you have the advantage, kill without mercy.


    If you¡¯re no match, then run without hesitation.


    Therefore, I need to draw out the Earth Fire Formation and test its power. That way, I¡¯ll have a better idea of its strength, and when I encounter an enemy, I¡¯ll be able to make decisive choices about whether to fight or flee.


    "Spiritual Ink Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside Tongxian City, Second-grade Spiritual Ink had been almost completely gathered by Mo Hua.


    Even if there were ways to purchase it, buying it once or twice would be fine, but doing so frequently would surely be more than Mo Hua could afford.


    With the rate at which Mo Hua studied and drew Formations, Spiritual Ink was used up as fast as water¡­


    This was a bottomless pit, no amount of Spirit Stones would be enough.


    If buying was not viable, then the only option was to mix it himself.


    To mix it, Second-grade Monster Blood was needed¡­


    After giving it some thought, Mo Hua had an idea and asked his mother to prepare a few bags of dried fish, even making them into spicy, flavorful, and fresh varieties.


    Early in the morning, Mo Hua, carrying the dried fish, headed to Big Black Mountain and found Big Tiger.


    Big Tiger¡¯s eyes lit up as it caught the scent of fish but then tried to appear restrained with a ¡°roar,¡± indicating it was a tiger, not really fond of fish.


    "Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°I understand.¡±


    He then stealthily handed the dried fish to Big Tiger.


    Big Tiger was satisfied.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Big Tiger, do you have ¡®enemies¡¯ in these deep mountains?¡±


    "Oh, not ¡®enemies,¡¯ perhaps¡­ ¡®monster enemies¡¯?¡±


    Although Big Tiger couldn¡¯t speak, it was cunning enough to understand the gist of Mo Hua¡¯s words.


    Upon hearing ¡°enemies,¡± Big Tiger nodded its head, then looked at Mo Hua with confusion.


    Mo Hua slapped his chest, ¡°I¡¯ll take revenge for you!¡±


    Big Tiger was stunned and then looked at Mo Hua, who was just a ¡°little one¡± compared to itself, visibly doubtful.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very strong


    Big Tiger laid down to sleep, ignoring Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua cajoled and bribed with ¡°dried fish,¡± finally convincing Big Tiger.


    A Second-grade Monster Beast in Big Black Mountain had virtually no natural enemies.


    And the only ones who could deal with Second-grade Monster Beasts were other Second-grade Monster Beasts.


    Mo Hua decided to join forces with Big Tiger, to hunt down Second-grade Monster Beasts; then Big Tiger would eat the meat, and he himself would extract the blood to use for Drawing Formation.


    So, a little Cultivator and a Big Tiger started to ¡°join forces


    Big Tiger¡¯s ¡°enemy¡± was a Second-grade Kui Wood Wolf.


    Big Tiger led Mo Hua near the den of the Kui Wood Wolf, crouching in the bushes, glaring with anger in its eyes.


    The den was spacious and damp but not very deep.

 Chapter 742: Killing Formation (2)

    Chapter 742 -573 Killing Formation_2


    Inside, there were various limbs of monster beasts, even bones of cultivators.


    The Kui Wood Wolf was in the lair, feasting on some unknown flesh and blood.


    This second-grade Kui Wood Wolf had thick demonic power and a massive body.


    Its fur was black-green in color, its claws and teeth were sharp, and they carried a pale green hue of demonic power.


    The demonic power of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon belonged to the Wood element, was poisonous, and once someone was wounded by it, the invasive demonic power would spread and breed its poison, making it very difficult to eradicate.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know, what kind of grudge Big Tiger and this Kui Wood Wolf had¡­


    ... S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perhaps it was bullied when it was young?


    Generally, the strength of a Tiger Demon was supposed to be stronger than that of a Wolf Demon.


    But this second-grade Kui Wood Wolf had obviously lived longer, and although it was only in the early stage of the second grade, its aura was more terrifying, its gaze more sly, and its fur, deeper in color.


    The most critical was its teeth.


    Soaked in human blood, they were so red they appeared black, clearly having fed on many people, and its saliva reeked of the stench of rotten flesh.


    After some thought, Mo Hua felt that he had just entered Foundation Establishment, his formations were not perfect, his combat was also not systematic, lacking in many tactics.


    So, he could only resort to a ¡°hard-on-hard¡± approach.


    Of course, the main reliance was on Big Tiger.


    He could only resort to some small tricks and take the opportunity to deal the finishing blow.


    Mo Hua was a Monster Hunter, very familiar with the habits of monster beasts, and the Kui Wood Wolf was no exception.


    He spent some time observing nearby fur and bloodstains, gaining a rough understanding of the Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s movement patterns and daily habits.


    On the path the Kui Wood Wolf was bound to take, Mo Hua spread out herbal powder to mask the scent and set up a Concealment Formation, letting Big Tiger lie in ambush within it. ????????N???????


    As for himself, he ran far away and found a small pit with a large rock as cover to settle in, there, he guided ink with Divine Consciousness, first establishing a Concealment Formation, and then, he drew a First Grade Thirteen Stripe Fire Origin Ultimate Formation on the ground.


    After that, both man and tiger waited patiently.


    Two hours later, the Kui Wood Wolf, having eaten its fill, started to come out of its lair as if going for a walk to digest its meal.


    This was its territory.


    All living beings, whether monsters or humans, were its food.


    As usual, it walked along the deathly silent mountain path, with not a single movement around, nor the slightest sign of anything abnormal.


    It was just then that the wind suddenly picked up.


    From an empty space by the roadside, where there was nothing, a Big Tiger suddenly sprang out!


    Big Tiger opened its huge mouth, both sinister and swift, with a difficult angle, biting at the throat of the Kui Wood Wolf.


    The Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s vertical pupils showed both shock and ferocity as it quickly tried to dodge, but it was too slow, and Big Tiger managed to bite into its forearm, tearing off a large, bloody wound.


    The eyes of the Kui Wood Wolf turned blood-red, its body¡¯s fur bristled, and it bared its crimson fangs, but there was also a hint of doubt in its gaze.


    It couldn¡¯t understand how this second-grade Tiger Demon had suddenly appeared beside it.


    But Big Tiger, taking advantage of its weakness, went for its life, eyes gleaming with ferocity, and with a roar, it lunged at the Kui Wood Wolf again.


    The two second-grade monster beasts fought to the death, with an earth-shaking commotion.


    As demonic power surged, their roars shook the mountains and their terrifying presence spread far and wide.


    The nearby birds and beasts trembled with fear and scattered in all directions.


    Monster Hunters in the distance turned pale and sent messages far away, reporting that two second-grade monster beasts were fighting to the death, advising everyone to quickly withdraw.


    In the midst of the fierce battle, it became clear that Big Tiger was at a disadvantage.


    Even though it got the first move and injured the Kui Wood Wolf, it was still inexperienced and no match for such an old Wolf Demon.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua, hiding at a distance, finally found his chance.


    First, he closed his eyes and with the strength of Fourteen Stripes, he firmly locked onto the second-grade Kui Wood Wolf.


    Then he opened his eyes, concentrated his Qi, pointed with his finger, and cast the second-grade Fireball Technique, while at the same time activating the Fire Origin Ultimate Formation beneath his feet.


    Above the Fire Origin Ultimate Formation, flames flowed.


    Mysterious aura gathered from above the formation, then flowed into Mo Hua, stimulating his meridians and making his spiritual power surge and amplify.


    Five Elements Amplification, spiritual power boiling!


    With a flick of Mo Hua¡¯s finger, the second-grade fireball condensed, spiritual power materialized, showing some liquidity like mercury made of flames.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, the Fireball Technique whistled out, flying towards the Kui Wood Wolf Demon that his divine consciousness was locked onto!


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon was in the thick of battle with Big Tiger.


    Suddenly, a surge of firelight flashed, and a fast and fierce fireball struck its waist.


    Powered by the Fire Origin Ultimate Formation, the second-grade Fireball Technique had considerable force.


    Flames burst open, the Kui Wood Wolf Demon instantly suffered a deep charred wound, causing not a small injury.


    The Kui Wood Wolf howled in rage.


    Even Big Tiger was taken aback, seemingly not expecting that this small fireball could pack such a punch.


    Throughout the entire Immortal City of the second grade, including the whole of Big Black Mountain, it was rare for any cultivator to cast such a powerful spell.


    After all, there weren¡¯t many cultivators in Tongxian City who had achieved Foundation Establishment, and spiritual cultivators were even rarer.


    Big Tiger only hesitated for a moment before snapping back to reality, excitedly licking its lips, and pounced again on the Kui Wood Wolf Demon.


    Big Tiger engaged in the frontal fight, acting as a distraction.


    And Mo Hua, at a distance, attacked one fireball after another, wearing down, inflicting damage.


    With divine consciousness to lock on, and the Fire Origin Formation to amplify, Mo Hua¡¯s fireballs were both accurate and vicious.


    Being far away, with the large rock as cover and using Concealment Technique to stay hidden, he did not fear the Kui Wood Wolf Demon discovering or pursuing him.


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon was extremely angry.


    Besieged by attacks from near and far, the injuries on its body grew ever more severe.


    It wanted to kill Big Tiger, but repeatedly, the Fireball Technique hindered it, it wanted to break free and leave, but Big Tiger restrained it.


    Until now, it had no idea what it was, whether a cultivator or a monster beast, casting such a fireball technique that even monster beasts found disgusting¡­

 Chapter 743: Killing Formation (3)

    Chapter 743 -573 Killing Formation_3


    As time passed, the Kui Wood Wolf Demon finally suffered heavy injuries, fighting like a trapped beast.


    Big Tiger no longer pressed closely but instead focused on containment, occasionally trading wound for wound, to prevent the Kui Wood Wolf Demon from escaping.


    And Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique became even swifter, more precise, and was handled with even greater ease¡­


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon tried to flee but couldn¡¯t.


    It tried to feign death, but in the face of the astute Big Tiger and the crafty Mo Hua, such tricks were obviously ineffective.


    Thus, the Second-grade Kui Wood Wolf Demon was slowly worn down by the coordinated efforts of a man and a tiger¡ªone from a distance and the other up close¡ªlike a slow knife cutting through flesh, until it was finally killed¡­


    ...


    And Mo Hua for the first time, had killed a Second-grade Monster Beast!


    Although he mainly relied on Big Tiger taking the brunt of the attack, his contribution was nevertheless indispensable!


    After the death of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon, man and tiger began to ¡°divide the spoils.¡±


    Mo Hua started by using the Blood Drawing Art to extract the Monster Blood of the Second-grade Kui Wood Wolf Demon.


    After reaching Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua who could now perform Divine Sense Manipulation, used the Blood Drawing Art to extract the blood of the Monster Beast much faster.


    The reddish Monster Blood of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon, tinged with a faint green, was drawn by Mo Hua using Divine Sense, flowing into the jade bottles he had prepared in advance.


    He drew a total of twenty bottles!


    Afterward, the blood of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon gradually became dull, congealed, and its potency greatly decreased, making the extraction more difficult.


    Mo Hua carefully stored the twenty bottles of Second-grade Monster Blood into his Storage Bag, unable to help but smile happily.


    Twenty bottles!


    That would yield even more when made into Spiritual Ink, enough for his own use for a while. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was thoroughly satisfied.


    Then it was Big Tiger¡¯s turn to feast.


    Big Tiger dragged the corpse of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon into its cave to savor slowly.


    Seeing Big Tiger covered with wounds, Mo Hua took out some Pills, ground them into powder, and treated its injuries.


    Big Tiger lay on the ground eating meat.


    As Mo Hua lay on its back, he sprinkled the cooling medicine powder on its wounds to help detoxify and stop the bleeding.


    The demonic power of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon was poisonous, which wasn¡¯t a big deal for Big Tiger, another Second-grade Monster Beast, but if left inside the body, it could still cause some complications.


    While eating wolf meat, Big Tiger felt a cooling sensation on its body, and its wounds began to improve, prompting it to narrow its eyes and shake its big head contentedly.


    After finishing with the medicine, Mo Hua turned his head to see that Big Tiger was eating something strange in its mouth.


    It was a ball, crimson with streaks of green, round and heart-like in shape, that still twitched slightly.


    "Is this¡­ a Monster Beast Inner Core?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    This was his first time seeing a Monster Beast Inner Core.


    Monster Beasts with rare bloodlines are born with an inner core, but such Monster Beasts are extremely rare.


    Typically, Monster Beasts cultivate blood at the First Grade, form the rudiments of an inner core at Second Grade, and at Third Grade, they form a true inner core. ????????§§?


    The inner core is like a Cultivator¡¯s Qi Sea, the repository of a Monster Beast¡¯s demonic power.


    This inner core belonged to the Second-grade Kui Wood Wolf Demon. It had the shape of an inner core but had not yet formed into a true core; it could only be regarded as an inner core embryo¡­


    Mo Hua watched with curiosity.


    Yet Big Tiger gulped down the inner core in one bite.


    Then, the aura on Big Tiger¡¯s body suddenly deepened, its demonic power growing more intense, and its fur even seemed to darken a few shades¡­


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    Was Big Tiger cultivating by swallowing an inner core?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, somewhat confused.


    As far as he knew, Monster Beasts would consume other Monster Beasts¡¯ inner cores, but it was simply a form of ¡°eating,¡± not something that should have such a significant effect.


    Then Mo Hua recalled the time at Black Mountain Stronghold, when the second Householder wanted to consume human blood and, in the absence of human blood, would drink from Big Tiger, claiming it was because it had a ¡°special bloodline with extraordinary talent


    Swallowing inner cores, increasing demonic power¡­


    No wonder its cultivation had grown so rapidly, and no wonder, in a short period of time, it went from Little Demon Cat to a fully grown Big Tiger¡­


    Mo Hua silently took note.


    When he gains more experience, he must figure out what kind of Monster Beast Big Tiger really is.


    Swallowing inner cores, getting stronger with each one consumed¡­


    If it kept on eating, what might happen?


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Setting aside the matter with Big Tiger for now, he had to start preparing the Spiritual Ink and learn to paint the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation with Divine Consciousness Control Ink.


    If the Earth Fire Formation was powerful enough and he could draw it quickly enough, it would become a powerful move during his initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Later, when he went to kill Second-grade Monster Beasts and extracted their blood, it would be much easier.


    He wouldn¡¯t have to rely on Big Tiger¡¯s trading blows to contain the enemy and use his Fireball Technique to whittle it down, in a painstakingly slow and laborious battle that took half a day¡­


    Mo Hua first tried blending the Spiritual Ink.


    He didn¡¯t have a formula for Second-grade Spiritual Ink.


    He could only adjust and roughly modify the formula for First-grade Spiritual Ink that his Junior Sister had given him to make do.


    The formula was different, but the pharmacological principles were the same.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t aiming for perfection; he just wanted something functional.


    There was another problem.


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon was a Second-grade Wood series Monster Beast, and its blood carried some wood properties, which weren¡¯t quite suitable for painting the Earth Fire Formation.


    Blood from Fire-series Monster Beasts would have been ideal.


    But fortunately, within the principle of the Five Elements Generation and Restraint, wood generates fire, so it wasn¡¯t too conflicting.


    Faced with limited conditions, Mo Hua didn¡¯t seek perfection; something adequate would suffice.


    So Mo Hua managed with what he had, taking two days to finally blend a few bottles of Second-grade Spiritual Ink.


    He first used this ink to paint a Second-order Thorn Formation and discovered it worked, and the effect wasn¡¯t bad, only slightly less than expected, which was quite satisfactory.


    Afterward, Mo Hua began formally painting the Earth Fire Formation.


    He chose a spot deep in the mountains, near Big Tiger¡¯s cave, just a little farther away.

 Chapter 744: Killing Formation (4)

    Chapter 744 -573 Killing Formation _4


    Afterward, Mo Hua held his breath and concentrated his spirit, beginning to draw this attack-oriented Second-grade Formation with his thoughts as the brush and the ground as the paper.


    Given that it was a Second-grade Formation and not yet mastered, Mo Hua drew it rather slowly and with some difficulty.


    Moreover, during the process, he failed several times and wasted a bottle or two of Spiritual Ink.


    Heartache filled Mo Hua, so he could only sit in meditation. After calming his mind, he began to draw again.


    The interwoven green and red Spiritual Ink followed the movement of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought, floating in the air before merging into the ground and solidifying into the Formation¡­


    Big Tiger watched Mo Hua with a stern expression on his little face. After mulling it over for a long while but seeing no movement, Big Tiger couldn¡¯t help but grow curious and stared at him with wide eyes.


    ...


    After an indeterminable amount of time and several failures, Mo Hua finally managed to complete the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    His Divine Sense had been greatly depleted, leaving his complexion somewhat pale, yet his eyes still shone with excitement.


    Once the drawing was completed, it was time to activate the Formation and test its power. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Earth Fire Formation was rather dangerous.


    Mo Hua immediately ran far away, taking shelter beside Big Tiger, then watched expectantly as he slightly stirred his Divine Thought, lighting up the Formation Patterns and activating the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation with Thirteen Stripes.


    Three breaths later, all was calm.


    Nothing happened.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Did I draw it wrong?¡±


    Impossible, how could his own Formation be incorrect?


    He had checked it several times before.


    If it had been wrong, he would have definitely noticed¡­


    "Could it be¡­ a problem with the Spiritual Ink?¡±


    "After all, it¡¯s not Fire-series Spiritual Ink, and the materials used were cheap and the methods crude, so perhaps there was some¡­ poor contact with the Spiritual Power?¡±


    Just as Mo Hua was uncertain in his speculations, suddenly his Divine Sense stirred, and his expression changed.


    His Divine Sense detected that nearly a hundred Spirit Stones used to stimulate the Formation eye on the Earth Fire Formation had instantly evaporated, vanishing without a trace. ?????¦­????¦Â¨¨s?


    After that, on the Earth Fire Formation, the fire¡¯s brilliance was vividly red and piercing.


    The flow of Spiritual Power resembled molten red bronze.


    In less than an instant, an astonishing explosion sounded.


    An extremely violent, even scorching Spiritual Power suddenly ignited, sending heatwaves sweeping outwards in all directions.


    The nearby vegetation turned to ash, and the rocks melted.


    In the center of the Earth Fire Formation¡¯s explosion, the Spiritual Power churned and roiled like the magma in the earth¡¯s veins, containing fearsome might¡­


    The explosion startled Big Tiger, who leaped up and quickly backed away. After landing, he dug his claws into the ground and his fur stood on end.


    Even after the Earth Fire Formation had finished exploding and the Spiritual Power had dissipated, leaving the surroundings charred and in a mess, Big Tiger still felt the aftermath of the shock.


    In silence, it turned its head to look at the small figure of Mo Hua, its large eyes filled with astonishment.


    It couldn¡¯t fathom how such a small Cultivator could cause such a terrifying commotion¡­


    Mo Hua was equally shocked, murmuring absent-mindedly:


    "So this is¡­ the power of the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation with Thirteen Stripes


    Formations contain the principles of the Great Dao.


    The higher the grade, the stronger the power.


    The power of a Second-grade Killing Formation far exceeded Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    At this rate, the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation with Thirteen Stripes could severely injure any cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage!


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and pondered once more.


    Drawing the ground into a Formation seemed to be more effective than he had thought¡­


    Especially when drawing a Killing Formation!


    The power of the Formation was great, but setting it up was cumbersome.


    If he could draw Formations unrestrictedly, with a single thought bringing the Earth Fire into being¡­


    Then, in the real world, it would be the same as within the Sea of Consciousness.


    Laying down Formations would be as simple as casting Spells¡­


    Even if his own Spiritual Power was not strong, but relying on his Divine Sense to lay down Formations, he would possess sufficient power to protect himself, to intimidate, and to inflict heavy casualties in actual combat¡­


    The condition was that he could draw quickly enough¡­


    The faster he drew, the stronger it would become, and he might even catch the enemy off guard and bury them in the blaze of the Earth Fire¡­

 Chapter 745: The Trickster’s Robe (1)

    But the problem is, I still can''t draw fast enough...


    Divine Consciousness Control Ink consumes a lot of Divine Sense, and Drawing Ground into Formation is difficult, so it''s hard to draw quickly. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    For now, it seems that I can only prepare in advance, to strategically ambush with a prepared mind against an unprepared one, unable to deploy on the fly like a "spell".


    Unless the opponent is an idiot.


    Another problem is that it''s too expensive...


    To activate the Formation eye of a Second-Grade Formation, at least seventy to eighty Spirit Stones are required.


    For an Earth Fire Formation like this, with Second-grade Thirteen Stripes, an advanced beginner-level formation, at least a hundred Spirit Stones are needed.


    That''s no small sum.


    Every time a Earth Fire Formation is detonated, it means a hundred Spirit Stones are burned away...


    For a Sect Disciple from Noble Clans and Family Sects, these Spirit Stones might not amount to much.


    But for Mo Hua, it feels very "extravagant".


    Besides Spirit Stones, there''s also Spiritual Ink.


    A Second-grade Earth Fire Formation requires the use of Second-grade Spiritual Ink.


    Converted into Spirit Stones, it''s also quite expensive.


    Mo Hua is currently using his own mix of cheap, inferior-quality Spiritual Ink for Drawing the Earth Fire Formation.


    If I used higher-quality Spiritual Ink, the power of the Earth Fire Formation would likely be stronger, but at the same time, the cost would be much higher...


    For a Cultivator practicing Tao Cultivation, "Dharma, Wealth, Companion, and Land" are indeed essential.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    "Forget it, take it one step at a time..."


    I''ll think of ways to earn more Spirit Stones later.


    The urgent task at hand is to put the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation into practice.


    The power of the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was far beyond Mo Hua''s expectations, which delighted him.


    Similarly, his subsequent plans are likely to go more smoothly.


    "Using the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, I can trap and kill the Second-grade Monster Beasts from Big Black Mountain, then extract their Monster Blood to mix with the Spiritual Ink, and use the Ink to layout the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, kill more Second-grade Monster Beasts, draw more blood, and mix more ink..."


    This way, a virtuous cycle is formed.


    The output of Spiritual Ink, its use, and its production increase, and the more Ink I have, the more accumulates.


    Practice with formations, their application, and more practice make the usage of formations more proficient.


    The only cost is the hundred Spirit Stones consumed to power the Formation eye.


    Detonating an Earth Fire Formation burns nearly a hundred Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua felt some heartache.


    However, Tao Cultivation always involves some sacrifice.


    Compared to his proficiency with Spiritual Ink and formations, those costs don''t amount to much.


    In the following days, like when he first entered Big Black Mountain, Mo Hua began to hunt Monster Beasts using the Earth Fire Formation.


    After some thought, Mo Hua decided not to call for Elder Yu and the others.


    Hunting Second-grade Monster Beasts is still very dangerous.


    Even if Elder Yu is at the Foundation Establishment level, facing a Second-grade Monster Beast head-on can easily lead to mishaps.


    Big Tiger is different, though.


    It is a Second-grade Monster Beast, and as a tiger, its flesh is incredibly tough, capable of both taking and dealing hits.


    Mo Hua would first sweep the mountain with his strong Divine Sense to spot Second-grade Monster Beasts, then observe their habits, and choose a suitable ambush site on their inevitable path. ???§°¦¢¨¨s


    Then, with Divine Consciousness Control Ink, he would draw a Second-grade Earth Fire Formation on the ground.


    Next, Mo Hua and Big Tiger would find a place to hide covertly, sticking out their heads, one large and one small, focusing on the trap on the ground and attentive to the surroundings.


    Outside the Earth Fire Formation, Mo Hua also set up a Second-order Thorn Formation.


    Once a Second-grade Monster Beast entered, it would be ensnared by the Thorns Formation, and after a few moments, swallowed by the Earth Fire Formation.


    The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was very powerful.


    Once triggered, explosive noises would erupt, and flames would billow.


    Within the Earth Fire Formation, the flames of Spiritual Power surged like waves, bright red as magma.


    Upon seeing this, Big Tiger would still get a bit startled, but after seeing it many times, it gradually got used to it.


    After the explosion of the Earth Fire Formation, the Second-grade Monster Beast inside would generally be injured.


    The physical bodies of Monster Beasts are much stronger than those of Cultivators, so even if they are engulfed by the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, they wouldn''t be killed outright but would suffer varying degrees of injury.


    The severity of these injuries depends on the type of Monster Beast.


    If it excels in defense, like those of the Earth Series or Golden Series, the injuries are usually minor to moderate.


    For Monster Beasts with average defense, the injuries are usually moderate.


    Only those with weak physical bodies would be critically injured.


    Being able to inflict such injuries on Second-grade Monster Beasts was already quite formidable.


    After that, it was Big Tiger''s turn to take action.


    In battles between Monster Beasts, one who has fallen into ambush and is already injured versus one who is fully rested and full of Blood Qi¡ªthere is not much suspense in the outcome.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was there to deplete the enemy''s strength and deliver the final blow with the Fireball Technique.


    A man and a tiger, well-coordinated.


    Usually, the battle would come to an end in less than an hour.


    Then Mo Hua would collect the blood, and Big Tiger would feast on the flesh.


    After resting and preparing for a few days, they would repeat the process.


    No matter how strong the Second-grade Monster Beasts were, they couldn''t withstand the killing set-up combining both Cultivator and Monster Beast, formations and spells, traps, and ambushes.


    Mo Hua''s Spiritual Ink, bottle after bottle, kept accumulating more and more...


    Big Tiger consumed one inner core after another, amassing more and more...


    Mo Hua''s Earth Fire Formation became increasingly proficient, and Big Tiger''s strength also clearly grew.


    But Mo Hua''s Spirit Stones were also being consumed rapidly.


    Mo Hua began to worry.


    "I need to find a way to earn some Spirit Stones..."


    The Spiritual Ink I''ve mixed is a bit crude; it''s alright for my own use, but if I were to sell it, I probably wouldn''t get much for it.


    Moreover, in places like Tongxian City, no, perhaps not just in Tongxian City but throughout the whole Big Black Mountain State Boundary, there might not be any Second Rank Formation Masters.


    I doubt anyone would buy it.


    Furthermore, I''m using ink like water, and this Spiritual Ink, while seeming plentiful now, may not withstand my own consumption...


    Drawing Formations for others to earn Spirit Stones...


    I''m very busy right now and don''t have the time for that.


    Unless absolutely necessary, I''d rather not ask my parents for Spirit Stones.

 Chapter 746:

    He also wanted his parents to keep more Spirit Stones, so that they, too, could successfully reach Foundation Establishment...


    Mo Hua frowned in contemplation, then suddenly paused, glancing toward Big Tiger''s cave and the scattered Monster Beast bones within...


    Big Tiger had swallowed the inner core and eaten the monster meat, but the bones of these Second Grade Monster Beasts remained.


    Not just bones, but also some claws and fur.


    Pointing at these Monster Beast materials, Mo Hua asked Big Tiger, "Do you still want these?"


    Having filled its belly, Big Tiger lay lazily on the ground, its round belly facing the sky, completely content.


    Hearing Mo Hua speak, Big Tiger lifted its head, glanced at Mo Hua, then at the leftover bones, and got up to pick up a large bone with its mouth, placing it in Mo Hua''s arms.


    It seemed to mean, "I don''t want it anymore, it''s all yours."


    Overjoyed, Mo Hua then took out several Storage Bags and began packing away the various bits and pieces, the Second Grade Monster Beast materials like broken bones and claws, into them.


    Still, he left a few large bones for Big Tiger to gnaw on.


    Afterward, Mo Hua, with bags great and small slung across his shoulder, headed home.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Big Black Mountain, the Monster Hunters were feeling uneasy.


    It wasn''t just the Monster Hunters; travelling merchants and wandering Cultivators also felt unsettled.


    Recently, within the deep mountains, strange disturbances had been occurring frequently.


    There were startling explosions and powerful, scorching waves of Spiritual Power constantly being emitted.


    The roars of Second Grade Monster Beasts shook the forest.


    Occasionally, overpowering demonic power and surging Blood Qi would whirl and thrash about before finally settling down after a long time...


    It was as if Second Grade Monster Beasts were engaged in a fight to the death.


    And not just once...


    Inside Tongxian City, Elder Yu''s expression was grave.


    Yu Chengyi, Yu Chengyong, and Mo Shan, among others, also furrowed their brows.


    "Second Grade Monster Beasts fighting to the death?"


    "The surge of demonic power is terrifying..."


    "Could it be that a rare treasure has appeared?"


    "What kind of rare treasure could there be in the poor and treacherous Big Black Mountain?"


    "...Why has this sudden change happened?"


    "Everything was fine before..."


    Yu Chengyi pondered, "It''s not just the Monster Beasts, there has also been an extremely strong wave of Spiritual Power. Could it be... other high-level Foundation Establishment experts have come to Big Black Mountain to hunt for Second Grade Monster Beasts?" ?????????????


    "To hunt Second Grade Monster Beasts, you''d need at least seven or eight Foundation Establishers, right...?"


    Elder Yu shook his head, "With so many Foundations, and such a large formation, it''s impossible for us not to know..."


    Mo Shan also nodded, "That''s right, and lately, there haven''t been any foreign Foundation Builders in Tongxian City..."


    "Foreign Foundation Builders..."


    Yu Chengyong thought for a moment, "If we really had to say, there was one..."


    Mo Shan blinked, frowning, "Who?"


    Everyone paused, then silently looked at Mo Shan:


    "Your son..."


    Mo Shan looked bewildered.


    Oh right, Huar has reached Foundation Establishment...


    This was something he had been happy about for quite a while.


    But since Mo Hua had reached Foundation Establishment and yet seemed no different from before, still like a child, enjoying good food every day, studying formations daily, he subconsciously overlooked it...


    He had forgotten that his son was now a "Foundation Building" Cultivator.


    And indeed, Mo Hua had just recently returned from outside...


    "Mo Hua... what has he been doing lately?" Elder Yu asked tentatively.


    Mo Shan shook his head.


    He really didn''t know.


    His only hope was for Mo Hua to do what he wanted, whether it was Cultivation or Drawing Formations. As long as it wasn''t against the Righteous Dao and Mo Hua liked it, he would not interfere.


    All he wanted was for him to be safe and happy.


    And Mo Hua was a First Grade Formation Master...


    He didn''t understand formations at all, so even if he asked, he''d be lost.


    Moreover, with his own Foundation Establishment imminent and his work at the Monster Hunting Guild keeping him quite busy, he really was quite occupied.


    After pondering for a moment, Elder Yu still felt it unlikely but decided to ask:


    "Did Mo Hua... go into the deep mountains during this time?"


    Mo Shan thought for a moment and nodded, "Occasionally, he would, bringing a bunch of dried fish, saying he was going to feed a cat..."


    "Feed a cat..."


    Everyone was somewhat stunned.


    What cat is there to feed?


    What kind of cat could you feed in the deep mountains?


    The atmosphere became slightly awkward.


    "The disturbances in the deep mountains, they couldn''t have been caused by that kid Mo Hua..." someone timidly suggested.


    Mo Shan chuckled, "How could that be..." but then he paused, and his smile faded.


    The other Monster Hunters fell silent.


    It seemed impossible...


    But when it came to Mo Hua, somehow, nothing seemed impossible...


    After all, Mo Hua had once exploded a Large Formation in the depths of Big Black Mountain, altering the entire landscape...


    But this was not a matter to be concluded lightly, so Elder Yu simply asked Mo Shan to go back and ask Mo Hua, and everyone dispersed.


    Mo Shan returned home, filled with doubts. Liu Ruhua was cooking.


    Mo Hua was following his mother around, saying, "Mom, I want this..." "Beef is delicious..." "Make this one a bit spicier..."


    Then, like a little glutton, he took a bite here and a taste there.


    It was impossible to tell that he was a Foundation Building Cultivator...


    Mo Shan looked at him with affection yet felt helpless, unsure of how to start the conversation.


    At dinner, there was a table full of delicious dishes.


    Mo Hua ate with great delight.


    Suddenly he remembered something, pulled out a Storage Bag, and asked, "Dad, do you think I could sell these for Spirit Stones?"


    Mo Shan was taken aback, thinking it was a formation and was about to say he couldn''t understand it, but when he took it and looked inside, he realized it was Monster Beast materials.


    Monster Beast materials were something he was very familiar with.


    Mo Shan reached in, took out a few Monster bones, and after examining them, his brow furrowed.


    "I''ve never seen these before..."


    There were Monster Beast materials in Big Black Mountain that he had never seen? S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 747: The Mysterious Robe (3)

    Chapter 747 -574: The Mysterious Robe_3


    Mo Shan examined it closely for a moment, then suddenly his eyes widened, his mouth agape in disbelief.


    "Is this¡­ the bone of a Second Grade Monster Beast?¡±


    "Hmm.¡± Mo Hua, nibbling on a chicken leg, nodded and said, ¡°Dad, you really do have good eyesight!¡±


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Was it really a matter of good eyesight¡­


    Remembering the strange events in the deep mountains, he asked:


    ...


    "How¡­ where did you get this from?¡±


    After some thought, Mo Hua decided not to hide the truth, ¡°I needed Spiritual Ink for my Formation Painting, so I bribed a Big Tiger with some dried fish. Then we teamed up to kill a Second Grade Monster Beast; it ate the meat, and I collected the blood


    "These bones, these teeth, were all left over after the Big Tiger had its fill


    "I thought they might sell for Spirit Stones, so I brought them back


    What Mo Shan heard sounded like a fantasy.


    Bribing a tiger with dried fish?


    Hunting a Second Grade Monster Beast?


    Source: , updated on .co


    This tale sounded like something a child would concoct; who would believe it if he told others¡­


    But Mo Shan couldn¡¯t help but believe it¡­


    Mo Shan fell silent for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°How many¡­ how many Second Grade Monster Beasts have you killed?¡±


    Worried that his parents would be anxious, Mo Hua said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who killed them, it was the Big Tiger. I just helped out a tiny bit


    "I didn¡¯t keep count of how many were killed


    "It seems there were at least eight or nine


    "And there are a lot more bones that I¡¯ve left in the yard


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua looked at each other, momentarily lost for words¡­


    Second Grade Monster Beasts¡­


    Once upon a time, Second Grade Monster Beasts roamed unchecked in Big Black Mountain.


    It was possible that not one would die over the course of a hundred or two hundred years¡­


    Yet since Mo Hua¡¯s return, in just a short span of one or two months, eight or nine had died¡­ sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Shan sighed and looked at Mo Hua helplessly.


    Well, it might be for the best to go to Qian State for study¡­


    He was only fifteen after all; if he grew up a bit more, and his knowledge of formations improved even further, Tongxian City, the entirety of Big Black Mountain, even the entire Big Black Mountain State boundary might not be able to withstand his antics¡­ R¨¤??B??


    ¡­


    Later, Mo Shan helped Mo Hua sell the materials from these Second Grade Monster Beasts.


    The fur was damaged by the Big Tiger¡¯s claws, the bones had all been gnawed on, and the claws and teeth had some damage from the combat, all considered ¡°substandard goods.¡±


    But as they were indeed materials from Second Grade Monster Beasts, the price was still quite good.


    In Big Black Mountain State boundary, there were no Second Grade Formation Masters.


    But there were a few Second Grade Artifact Refiners.


    These materials could be used to craft Second Grade Spiritual Artifacts.


    Having estimated their value, Mo Shan figured that selling all of them would bring in approximately five to six thousand Spirit Stones, though they had to be sold in batches since other stores or passing merchants couldn¡¯t take in so much at once.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    This way, the problem of the Spirit Stones needed for the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was also solved.


    Learning formations, painting formations, using formations¡­


    Not only would he not be at a loss, but he would also earn some Spirit Stones, as well as accumulate a large amount of Spiritual Ink.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s happiness didn¡¯t last long before he noticed something was amiss¡­


    The Second Grade Monster Beasts in the deep mountains had suddenly become much scarcer, as if they were all hiding, afraid to show their faces¡­


    In the past, Second Grade Monster Beasts would stroll through the deep mountains, swaggering fearlessly.


    But now, when they saw the Big Tiger or Mo Hua, they would flee as if they¡¯d seen a ghost, early on¡­


    Even their movements became cautious; they were afraid of stepping into an Earth Fire Formation.


    During their hunting, they also preferred to make it quick, a hit-and-run.


    After being seven or eight parts full, they would immediately return to their dens to hunker down, hiding deep within, terrified of being detected by Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat helpless and a little angry.


    "To think that Second Grade Monster Beasts have no backbone at all!¡±


    But with things as they were, he had no choice but to carefully store the already prepared Spiritual Ink and use it sparingly.


    The timidity of the Second Grade Monster Beasts was also a good thing, in its way.


    At least from now on, the Monster Hunters heading into the mountains would have a much safer time.


    When Elder Yu learned about Mo Hua¡¯s deep mountain hunts of Second Grade Monster Beasts, he was both shocked and, after thinking about it, not so surprised.


    Hunting Second Grade Monster Beasts¡­


    Such a thing, he himself wouldn¡¯t have dared to even contemplate before.


    But over these four or five years, all the things he hadn¡¯t dared to dream of had come true one by one¡­


    Elder Yu felt a touch sentimental, then regained a determined look.


    "The pursuit of Tao Cultivation is endless. I¡¯m not old yet and must continue to cultivate. The Golden Core may be far, but there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t dare to dream of


    The deep mountains became quiet.


    The Monster Hunter of Big Black Mountain, too, returned to his routine days.


    Mo Hua squatted in the deep mountains for several days, but since he hadn¡¯t seen any traces of Second Grade Monster Beasts, he had to give up temporarily and turn to studying the Earth Fire Formation again¡­


    He was about to leave Tongxian City, yet the speed at which he laid out Formations with his Divine Sense was still not fast enough¡­


    He wanted to paint faster.


    "But how can I paint any faster?¡±


    Mo Hua had already tried his best.


    His Divine Sense had fourteen patterns, which were already incredibly profound, and after being restructured by the Heaven Yan Jue, it was as condensed as mercury. His control over it was already very strong.


    He had learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation, and his control over Spiritual Power with Divine Sense was also meticulous.


    Heavenly secret Calculation deepened his understanding of formations.


    At his level, it was not possible for anyone to paint faster than him¡­


    But it was still not enough¡­


    Grandpa Gui once said, ¡°In all spells, only speed is unbeatable.¡±


    The same principle applies to laying out Formations with Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua furrowed his handsome brows, his eyes reflecting deep thought.


    He had tried every method he could think of, except for¡­


    "Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation


    Mo Hua had never seen his master paint Formations; to date, the fastest person he had seen lay out a Formation was his own master¡¯s senior, Gui Tao¡¯s person.


    And the formations of Gui Tao¡¯s people were based on ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡±.


    If he learned it, could he lay out the Earth Fire Formation faster with Divine Consciousness Control Ink?


    Mo Hua always felt that his understanding of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was not profound enough.


    The Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation he had mastered was still very far from his master¡¯s senior¡­


    "Learn from Master¡¯s senior?¡±


    A thought flickered through Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    In the Sea of Consciousness, the scene where Gui Tao¡¯s person sealed the Ten Thousand Demons Hall with ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation¡± and massacred the Feather Transformation and Golden Core Demon Cultivators reemerged.


    The scene where Gui Tao¡¯s person broke the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation in a short time with ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡± also replayed over and over.


    "Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation


    Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, Demonic Thought Differentiation, can quickly solve formations.


    Naturally, it can also quickly lay down Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation¡­


    After thinking for a moment and finding no clue, Mo Hua suddenly had a burst of inspiration.


    Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and Planting Devil in Taoist Heart are opposites of each other.


    If his understanding of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was insufficient, should he reflect on the principle of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart in reverse to contemplate that of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?


    "Planting Devil in Taoist Heart


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, based on Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, transformed one¡¯s body into a demon, differentiating one¡¯s Demon Thought, forming a Demon Seed, and planting it in someone else¡¯s Taoist Heart.


    Being a Serious Cultivator, he couldn¡¯t perform ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± or differentiate Demon Thought¡­


    So, if one does not differentiate Demon Thought but instead one¡¯s Divine Thought, could that also work?


    The method should be the same.


    Not turning to demon, it naturally wouldn¡¯t count as ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart


    "Differentiating Divine Sense


    "Let¡¯s give it a try


    Mo Hua started to close his eyes, imitating Gui Tao¡¯s person, using the method of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, based on the logic of Gui Tao, to differentiate a portion of his own Divine Thought.


    This differentiation, rooted in Tricky Calculation, was intricate and mystical.


    Mo Hua could only ¡°draw a gourd based on the scoop¡±, recalling over and over his master¡¯s senior¡¯s scenes of laying out and solving formations.


    After an unknown period, Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    As Gui Tao¡¯s ways opened up to him, his Divine Thought began to differentiate¡­


    Within the Sea of Consciousness, on the Incarnation of Divine Sense of Mo Hua, suddenly there appeared fine, pitch-black patterns.


    These patterns seemed like Divine Thought peeling off Mo Hua himself, and yet, they also resembled the extension of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought based on certain Dao Laws.


    The Gui Tao differentiation of Divine Sense¡­


    It was similar to the previous reconstruction of Divine Sense, yet different.


    This differentiation seemed like recompiling and evolving one¡¯s Divine Sense through Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    Mo Hua felt both pain and wonder.


    In a state of confusion, he seemed to feel his Divine Thought fitting with Gui Tao¡¯s ways bit by bit¡­


    Only after a long time had passed did the process of Demon Thought Differentiation come to an end.


    When Mo Hua opened his eyes, he found that his body was shrouded in a misty layer of Gui-colored ink shadows, producing afterimages with every movement.


    This layer of ink shadow, draped over his body, seemed like an illusion.


    And also like a piece of¡­


    Pure, pitch-black, Ink Taoist Robe!

 Chapter 748: Departure (1)

    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 S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 749: Departure (2)

    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 Chapter 750: Departure (3)

    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6SNUneIz0LSxyqDyxH7QSsN/YRjxP6ulA5oe2Ak7a/68m15nB03Xzl4zFXJPFDJP+iba6qUGeTjG3n3hNICgUmmGtxr2RRVT2jpaMaY6gzmVDonbQQrs2Jo+nqJ4p0iiulBatQzbwqAMPJgHcQOm63ZBsfaO0RAI4Dpj8enVUhEEKNUVCF5FFuQV8EpFSSQj5JyL7hZrDZdzyP67BCmlpEJkQi52AfjJRUGwtCN2pH58+d/RKSU/Psf5U53r95TSydI+So5nut0hd9R4B80ZVJLlPWmgGe7ndGAJV0WS5cXl1M/LaANByaO6OcFCyKvEqslAdZqOfBtGDUEsdNDoNQhTm1m4EE7dkl6navVw59/T/LYJ3KOV+k+/GHDh/f+tMZF4NaV0LDmw0OSVOJnJQ2i35joXV8AOUvLdItuMMao31wEwh8Zy/zaP1lEoLCt+kcPtVgOFnqAlBSw/XJ0lwei5GgXCs2UVwyoIeSpv6x6BHiXUfFpOoydQmnA9SPX5x8NvbMdsHZuS1tZM/rFGkbOGlq36FAaSGDlQxt9ZEDGO04TUqIybIWu7MzcngnyczgcJm3jt/myoVy/TzMKSfLq/hMipbDOM0zVDGU3yicvU4BW49W2xCP6R66O6ybXwPzmmzYiv8tQ2oQnPOa/MT5++uFBnGlbzXH3pqmTWgxzfPD0q+qWVmwqUKbFXwB3+MwvQRpJWodadQelXMqMFlrwVCNvOOes86L67ohDbil1hS/MqvcXsXvgilzF8v+nT61RQtghFnPC9gu6QEcC5kMns0+AEG1tIPkoDtwytMXd7cwWYJGMzhZ8/5QPH44c/Cvn8o8N94+sM+YnW89jVgEic+IOyX3UDMEIdH3quP1nd9INite/8gzCCRt8v5O88MqjvO6omEhhdakFzYwImd4JEIxytscP2BAA9UWNDq43hSbPcGGoKDnX4fsldW9caOB2qZYOwAet2GAzatXHnF802opw3I7tFTuLEsytFdWpPTWvfakI5kFSnuKKFpfju1WJA1/rZTBMQr/x/R6q/moZv5l16i3wSv9JfPbY101uwTwpJbgL867s7RJ/ez0XuuhoLrMg2u3hWrWXJS+jg5AOkkGp9CjMhGZWzwVJ1la1JFinjael6WmSOyhcvLMxFRYctN5akr3E2ydD49tXqOGZvD0+p35qYToNkrMn/s9Jd+YKtT7HM3H9FFN3VQLXKmV2b+qXrXqeq0vsUHp0Ilk2+B0eO8WRZo1qNoLXxEwRuZnZYPU5x14ejszL3OPVstB+rpX8PClyOQ17ibbc+T/BcVRGCGpdje70MDjwa0uNa5cBoTDIZXGHrsdzwTvYvByY5eIMB+LOgg74niBbQtru6VN2j2QGd0ExKjRu6doNAqpKc7gENx8pkwjinR3ZWahXwanrlI4BbdlgT5X2FBEbp4IxDPuzl1VknMie2uhs4qMwQODobkYWmvfWrfLESiLMfkGtuV93OeBYe/tKVVd4aLr5ZPHicqblti3MrAyHWywCLi34XsnfnX0FFEGORyZEnDlfyXxF4Zlr6Tm/KnGggtlW1aquLJ64Husm6s5nP0yGq3qNiL6LMUHs+PflwF+1qHrTFZHt4ldUWOb7RCNQE9EGT7t1tZPKPC3ML/h1ctDynrE9yxS9b9TpgN/iRHboOEnPWlKEt9h7m62HpT7qOKce1NqjxC0Xlk72fnABzPRYj9bq0PPhuuwoaw1V0/zx34cSLVtfa7GC/EhKXXk9uXWGQyBgQE5R56YU+S/AnD9Wv8e+tB3nB5h3XVaW6/RiIte6k38f6s1b9nYBQ5/cVm/SVya4GEtchQ6z0SkRU760KHaLNXCRrXkqffZiET+OxkwoW3XHISN4Hd60VbeclXl9b97Ob0q6hhSuBZNHMJ0mOtNEBZNKJ6RkLf4pmePj8AHAxFKmqORt5Vkv5FxAB1p0TkKh+jHOva82PyA/DwZ5dS9lDtW88X4MuhT8aE1+ZOLsuhWzFPCiRN0Rur7/OZ9lykYkaG051X/iuKYuFmqj6fri8VJfC4hbPt1JYmdkJQ9Xb79urpIq/mW/rFqtIu/9qY9bszQU8w5qUmkiuMD8eHHq7lCp8wE6G/zuWA08wKdVvrC9abEwqW66YyOFdRJwjzEDeaFovmCqkgCi3qteAAYrVkRM6dDPc6nKoI0df5U+5VMOZsdNs5fSK+ZMNew6ogLuvj3mtqef/Wf7flNOvRnAf2qS1FW9tIbHQkOXOpnf/PXq0KIqPXlEBp4lvaE+/Ma8yERwn3UiDW1Nno5YHiYqaMD0Bxd7QQVCFOKXYFh9nIjn91qfRMpfdEB7iCa3hkEe6+K7bZmG0nkJzT1VQac+8kWHHvQb5ouQ+TC7j84BXAHaR0kRvuXwFq0xfaoXgDBtgZ8GbSMU0B0W7mabFTvpEC4anGa7OnqT3J/KOu/hlwevpvXPoXSU9m16rL2PlaXvMnAB+Iq7XTzlstholXxLWY217KriRLXsamA8yIwEQDhxwJLcGDhdVcCBMEhlzfm5XwQFtf05fRyA0wqGX1BkPnNshRZicIhUpN+M/lXU9YAwWrlqKaoQXEjXY9x21PV4lnpHINLJvU8etfmfBQE4IyPcoJ2Wb/7311aAb8CYWZk8/lRYD5NZp7b3EY3+4qmuLgvgDXIuZ5dsUa0LFGOKJM7qF/Xq2O0DZXngynWyI39Om9fXWjqwJvPr2I+qPJUUvJfQCUv/TGAR/tDx91sgs9yiDhQizrKkmlmc60t49sf9undv2fNQWx/TjVeTLDrWObfFWn7t2pHAhCmcf9a06KbOAJNJ6tj88sSGss/BVJmvvoYoCUKIJdIPzoyv57PVSVM7EcPd8XYKSTLDUtMaxZ5jVSeKpQl3tkkqSq22eGgZx8IpRMcX118gDH5IFcLTdYSf2/XJs8DM6IqgchOyTuu/eMec0Lt4pVfiHvhgNnYBxvzof4ouo+6o9hBjRK2zGhpvxJ2gv/7EtMZWjgLm6RblS1PCSqWr+ugv+d4fBJxh61AUg/OD13mAbjVga4vC7Ilyz1zAz/yLV/TCyIbt9hrkCyeV5xK+XxjkifTxI2WVjCKKV/0p0dEC+K1jqKZy64P8cSr4G1aMEJSmdx8VUp3SKI/zFRXC8fktLDA0ScYFdeRypV7JQJlrR9500b4oM6X7cBOpGaTJ1iZeq48oRtEL6pj602+NK8t/ERHR4ezGpjMSxBxLzIwFIGrFhT48zabaMS64yczpCkrvjxFonli1ON7KpYoxD8+SQss/tCOJmJ/yNBplJTTSPIrR7RyTDNGT3QmCnfzGp/xesWl84NFb8dtH1d8B51eu2iHoOtxzuiwLpnLCG2sLGK0rH+7DoeoV2Ip4UXU5GXOOTWx1zOKnxTaEe+2G4k6TOsGG/MANngtoIgm5BDcyJde4cIHguMeP08M2rly9N0HLGUYwNBpF/DPKowbLtixQG8lYg/c8dcWMLJSM1X5DQqh3G9gntM9DLi6kOYVfgnoIF5eRViGHDXdYVcpg1+TpSv53yu+eU3bjDR0Nb7h6YkPHYKlH2PmXlfb4p4/uO30v5C2ftBMx/KdYpkkgaJjxYNAiz8XqzglmELiMFhBnd8DRU95b3ZcUaycmY0GqNRArkKsQmwk9nFpG3hQxEGmm+S7fop5UrxcibUTjD/UyoVki7iLAz8EHjpAtJ8Ybxhb/P+IH3JB9Q6BeDosDRYmeLGHhs25YSX5b71Wnmrv9voySpmmRCEUxydAYgnWlDgND+G6jEsmV4G3BElMo1VEm0PbcqwpfZnI4CqsjDfy109YSQQVA4yyPk1+T3qT5dHNjd+4/RFbFblv8/zBwal7BtnO8j5X4DV2odAz9uH47pKTLwZ68ZHQFd0U8J5dt1p859hcOBOFhRN6q5vdp39+J2EQiZnqu9wbgxNgrL1k7S6ygJK3PbfwGjDqVf5CaJm8t/LcW6YEPmKqvpMIZSS9us1Xg1XYj2abrsyKfSOls+DfkymQyDgXi4Rh50CKwvR4yLwN+6OClFY6zoPDdS1ZZNXIUN1OK4mh3Fzge+g5qNeAOQ5GwdU9laUorr1+5EA0aZDvKvrbQTLKm7c4CYl5dirJzGlyBC+5WmcAtJYAWuqwR1wocURwjreigPqsP1OJ954+hLRIP4ZkLHM+rj4132X7CEtMVobIu453LPuyFQVdb3hCeHJNyC14evp1RK36I3djUD18iaiUdHR+IJqJUS3UGamglb7lOcmxP/E95KK5ofHe2To7seDtLZAdd62hLbBk7Ssuwgr3/7kjlmEyHbEinlC7OQhs9iuFGiO79Bv+h1X0MZ9m+FDDzANPhDQhU+Daki1n/gUTwLVdJnElvGP5977HUXNOcpYtwRGFhabT/8FApJhIdaFKPPr48wY1CBUEoClC1SMhg5gvYfLfJCpUIQe8diknF5O0VMR6l9l7+ZevDhJmykEtHEgtelW+VQSPOIn/OSedaano5g3ZzU7YQMvo8CiNzWIa0rnWnpbcWVYdORSH0= 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 Chapter 751: Departure (4)

    "This lady¡¯s surname is Shen, given name Ru, a woman from the Shen family near the state boundary."


    "It was my senior brother, he personally visited to pay his respects and said he wanted to meet the lady face to face to discuss their understanding of formations..."


    "Then, they talked and enjoyed each other¡¯s company, and after some time, they arrived at the point of discussing marriage..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    Visiting personally...


    Was this the Instructor Yan he knew, obsessed with formations, serious and rigid?


    Manager Mo clicked his tongue in wonder, "One shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover... I never would have imagined my senior brother doing such a thing, admirable, admirable..."


    Mo Hua was also shocked but deep down, he was happy for Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan, for the sake of the grudges and disagreements within the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, to pursue the traitors of the Sect, to reclaim the Sect¡¯s heritage, had led a life full of hardship and bitterness.


    Now that he was able to find a beloved partner and join in matrimony for a lifetime of happiness, it was naturally the best possible outcome.


    Plus, there would be a wedding feast to enjoy.


    Mo Hua was already calculating in his heart what delicious foods there would be at the wedding feast...


    Instructor Yan was quick to set his engagement and even quicker to get married. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Half a month later, he got married in Tongxian City and held a wedding banquet.


    Mo Hua joined in the excitement, basked in the joyous occasion, and ate his fill.


    At the wedding, Mo Hua also met Shen Ru, Instructor Yan¡¯s wife.


    Shen Ru, dressed in red, kept a simple and dignified air even at her wedding, without too heavy a makeup.


    Mo Hua went up to offer his congratulations.


    Shen Ru saw Mo Hua¡¯s face was as lovely as a painting, her smile pure and lively, warm and adorable, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling delighted.


    And when she heard from Instructor Yan that Mo Hua also studied formations, she esteemed him even more, deliberately sealing a large red envelope for Mo Hua and praised him, saying:


    "This child is clever and quick-witted; study well, and you will certainly become a first-rank Formation Master!"


    Instructor Yan, with an embarrassed expression, whispered:


    "He... is already a first-rank Formation Master..."


    Shen Ru was stunned, turned her head, looked at Instructor Yan in disbelief, her face filled with wonder, and it took her a long time to recover...


    The wedding was boisterous and joyful.


    After the wedding, Manager Mo also had a satisfied look on his face, as if he had resolved a concern.


    "True to my senior brother..."


    Manager Mo sighed.


    When he really set his mind to do something, he was decisive and efficient, without any dawdling.


    Manager Mo felt moved and said to Mo Hua:


    "You should also learn from this in the future, let go of what should be let go of, not clinging to it, and utterly don¡¯t let go of what should be grasped!"


    Mo Hua was startled, "Grasp what?"


    Manager Mo had the look of someone who had been there before:


    "You¡¯ll understand when you grow up..."


    Mo Hua blinked, somewhat puzzled.


    ...


    In the days that followed, life was as peaceful and harmonious as flowing water, but like water, it slipped away bit by bit...


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    Mo Hua didn¡¯t feel much time had passed, but before he knew it, the day of departure had arrived.


    Mo Hua was somewhat reluctant, but still packed his bags and set off on his journey.


    Before leaving, Mo Hua earnestly instructed Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua:


    "Dad, Mom, you must cultivate properly!"


    "No slacking off!"


    "The road ahead is still long, you must not be negligent..."


    "Cultivate to Foundation Establishment, then cultivate to Golden Core..."


    "Then live a long and safe life, happy and fulfilled..."


    "Wait for me to master formations in Qian State and then I will come back to see you..."


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.


    Weren¡¯t these the words they, as parents, should be saying to their child?


    But the sadness of parting was somewhat alleviated because of it.


    Later, Mo Hua rode a carriage, about to leave Tongxian City for Cloud Crossing City.


    The carriage stopped outside the city.


    Like when he left before, many cultivators from Tongxian City came to see off Mo Hua, their gazes full of hope and wishes.


    Mo Hua also smiled and waved to them.


    In this world, everyone has their own story and their own life to live.


    Mo Hua hoped that everyone in Tongxian City would have peaceful and happy lives and that their life stories would be fulfilling and colorful.


    As for himself, he was about to embark on a journey, stepping onto an unknown path in search of his own way...


    The carriage gradually moved further away, leaving Tongxian City, and entered Big Black Mountain.


    While passing through the deep mountains, Mo Hua suddenly paused, walked outside of the carriage, and waved towards the distant forest.


    In the forest, there was a Big Tiger.


    The Big Tiger had come to see him off, too.


    A few days earlier, Mo Hua had already bid farewell to Big Tiger.


    His journey to Qian State would involve riding the Cloud Ferry, crossing the Nine State, and Big Tiger, being a Monster Beast living in the deep mountains, couldn¡¯t possibly accompany him.


    Mo Hua was worried that Big Tiger would not have enough to eat, so he asked his father, Mo Shan, when entering the deep mountains, to bring some big dried fish, and if he encountered a big tiger with black and white patterns, to feed it on his behalf.


    With this farewell, he didn¡¯t know when he would see Big Tiger again.


    Mo Hua stood on the carriage, waving to Big Tiger from afar.


    The Big Tiger silently watched Mo Hua, its gaze somewhat empty, until Mo Hua¡¯s small figure disappeared into the distance, and only then did the Big Tiger, with a drooping head, turn and walk into the forest, its silhouette somewhat lonely.

 Chapter 752: Journey (1)

    A few days later, Mo Hua boarded the Cloud Ferry.


    This Cloud Ferry was smaller and more austere than the one Mo Hua had seen before, which his Junior Brother and Junior Sister had taken.


    However, it still carried an impressive aura. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the Cloud Ferry took off, it stirred layers of clouds into a magnificent spectacle.


    In about three months, the Cloud Ferry would enter Qian State.


    Mo Hua also needed to arrive at Qian Taoist Sect, located within the fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary of Qian State more than five months later, or before September, to try to gain entry into the sect.


    The Cloud Ferry floated in the sky, flying amidst the clouds.


    Although it is referred to as "flying," it wasn¡¯t really "flying," at least not in the same way that cultivators fly through the skies.


    Above in the sky, there are oceans of clouds, within which flow veins of clouds, and within these veins, there are currents. These currents form fierce winds that surge tumultuously among the clouds of Nine State before all converging in Xun State.


    The Cloud Ferry utilizes these air currents within the cloud veins to travel between state boundaries.


    At first, Mo Hua found this all very novel, but after a few days, once the novelty wore off, he started to feel bored.


    Aboard the Cloud Ferry, each cultivator had their own guest room.


    The guest room was small, meant for cultivators to practice and rest.


    Mo Hua spent most of his time in his own small guest room, quietly cultivating and studying formations.


    Being alone, to avoid trouble, he seldom went out.


    He only ventured out when it was time to eat.


    The Cloud Ferry had a large cabin, where various items were for sale.


    There were all kinds of meals, but they were expensive. Although Mo Hua could afford them, he wouldn¡¯t eat there often, only occasionally indulging a craving.


    He wasn¡¯t short of Spirit Stones, but he understood that when traveling, it was best to economize.


    After all, there would be plenty of places to spend Spirit Stones once he reached Qian State.


    Within the large cabin, cultivators could also rent stalls to sell local specialties and various types of Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, Formations, and so on.


    Mo Hua occasionally browsed around, broadening his horizons.


    It was his first time seeing various kinds of Spiritual Artifacts.


    There were Mother-Child Blades, long spears, long halberds, flying needles, Pear Blossom Needles, Red Silk, iron chains, and so forth...


    Among these, the most expensive were swords.


    The sword was known as the king of a hundred Taoist tools.


    Practices involving Sword Weapons, Taoist Skills, and Artifact Refining were numerous and profound. Even Sword Cultivators were distinguished from Spiritual Cultivators and Body Cultivation practitioners and were specifically referred to as "Sword Cultivators."


    Many cultivators had a passion for practicing swordsmanship.


    However, Sword Cultivators value both their cultivation techniques and swordsmanship. The method of refining Sword Weapons is a closely guarded secret, heavily relying on inheritance and deep foundations.


    Therefore, around Big Black Mountain, there were hardly any cultivators who used swords.


    The cultivators near Big Black Mountain mostly used blades.


    Even those who did use swords, in fact, treated "swords" as "blades."


    They used swords as typical Spiritual Artifacts for slashing, and could not be considered true "Sword Cultivators."


    The only Sword Cultivator Mo Hua had ever seen should be Zhang Lan.


    His extremely heavy ancient sword had a simple pine pattern, and just by holding it, Mo Hua could tell it was cumbersome, indicating it was very valuable.


    Furthermore, there were said to be different types of Sword Cultivators.


    Some Body Cultivators used swords for close combat, where the Sword Qi blended with their Strength and could split mountains and seas.


    There were also Spiritual Cultivators who wielded swords from a distance, controlling them with Divine Sense to kill enemies from a thousand miles away...


    But Mo Hua had never seen any of this with his own eyes, so he wasn¡¯t sure if it was true.


    "Sword Cultivator..."


    Mo Hua had also thought before that with his strong Divine Sense, if he were to practice the "Sword Control Technique," he could command thousands of flying swords with a mere thought, forming a rain of swords. Wouldn¡¯t that be both cool and powerful?


    But after seeing the prices of Sword Weapons at the Cloud Ferry stalls, he silently dismissed this unrealistic idea.


    Spirit Swords were too expensive!


    Even a random Spirit Sword would cost seven or eight thousand Spirit Stones.


    Slightly better ones would cost tens of thousands.


    These Sword Weapons were prone to wear and tear.


    If they broke, he would have to buy new ones all over again.


    Not like those from noble clans and major sects, where top-quality Spirit Swords were ancestral, made from precious materials, durable, constantly maintained, one with the wielder, and astonishingly powerful when used.


    Mo Hua sighed. Experience more tales on


    Forget it, he might as well stick to studying his own formations...


    Swordsmanship was something he needn¡¯t bother learning.


    It was beyond his reach...


    In the large cabin of the Cloud Ferry, aside from food and Spiritual Artifacts, there were also various Pills and Formations.


    As for Pills, Mo Hua didn¡¯t pay them much attention.


    Old Mr. Feng, fearing Mo Hua would have some mishaps, had prepared quite a few for him, including both first-grade and second-grade Pills.


    These second-grade Pills were made by a second-grade senior Alchemist at the request of Old Mr. Feng.


    They included Spirit Revitalizing, Detoxification, and Avoiding Epidemic.


    What interested Mo Hua the most were the Formations.


    But this turned out to be greatly disappointing.


    Most of the stall owners were first-grade Formation Masters, with very few second-grades.


    Even when occasionally a cultivator was selling a second-grade Formation Diagram, the price was exorbitantly high and not considered rare. It was not a good deal.


    Rather than spending Spirit Stones on these Formation Diagrams, it was better to try his luck at pondering the Five Elements Formation Flow Map, deciphering the Five Elements Source Patterns, or randomly drawing a Five Elements Formation...


    Moreover, Mo Hua saw cultivators of various kinds.


    The Cloud Ferry passed through Li State, Kun State, Dui State, Qian State, and finally arrived at Kan State.


    Cultivators from these states would appear on the Cloud Ferry, bustling about, with their diverse clothing and dissimilar Cultivation Techniques and Spiritual Roots.


    These wandering cultivators had different customs, appearances, and behavioral habits.


    There were even some with Spiritual Root attributes Mo Hua had never seen before.


    Although he was curious, he did not converse with anyone.


    He feared there were bad people who might harbor ill intentions towards him.


    After all, you can¡¯t judge a person¡¯s heart by their appearance. As a lone, minor cultivator out in the world, it was wiser to be cautious.


    Along the way, some cultivators noticed Mo Hua was young and approached him with a false smile:


    "What a cute little brother..."


    "Little brother, are you traveling alone?"


    Afterward, they would either say, "I have an opportunity..."

 Chapter 753: Journey (2)

    "Or maybe they¡¯d say, ¡¯Sister has a nice surprise for you...¡¯"


    Mo Hua was young, but he had traveled enough to barely qualify as an "old hand" in the Martial World. How could he not see through their insidious intentions?


    In such situations, Mo Hua would pretend not to notice and simply ignore them. Read the latest on


    After all, with a Great cultivator stationed in Cloud Ferry, these people wouldn¡¯t dare cause trouble or create a disturbance.


    Usually, when Mo Hua paid them no attention, they got the hint and, feeling snubbed, stopped bothering him.


    That¡¯s how Mo Hua spent his days, secluding himself in a small room, practicing his cultivation routine every day, persisting in learning about Formations, and at night, continuing to practice Second-Grade Formations on the Taoist Stele to further enhance his fourteen Pattern Divine Sense.


    When he had some free time, he would delve into the Five Elements Formation Flow Map, deciphering some of the Five Elements Formations.


    If he felt cooped up, he would go out on deck to gaze at the vast sea of clouds.


    The days passed by, stable and peaceful.


    Eventually, even this lifestyle became somewhat monotonous.


    And so, with caution and carefulness, the three months slowly passed, and Cloud Ferry finally arrived in Qian State.


    When Cloud Ferry docked, Mo Hua packed up his belongings and disembarked alone.


    However, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit nervous and apprehensive.


    Just off Cloud Ferry, Mo Hua was suddenly struck with awe as he looked up, his gaze filled with amazement.


    In the Nine State world, though the sky was one vast expanse,


    The sky above each state boundary was different for the cultivators there.


    This difference was something most cultivators couldn¡¯t see, but Mo Hua knew about the Heavenly Dao Formation in the sky from personal experience, so he had a vague sense of it...


    The Large Formation in the sky above Qian State was strikingly different from that over Li State.


    This meant that this part of the Heavenly Dao Formation had different Formation Patterns and structures.


    As to the specifics of these differences, Mo Hua¡¯s realm was too low to make out the details.


    Mo Hua looked up again at the sky.


    Qian State.


    Qian, which means Heaven.


    The laws of Heaven stress strength, inspiring gentlemen to relentlessly improve themselves.


    No matter where you go, the sky above and the earth below are constant; with the permanence of the Heavenly Dao Formation above and the substantial Earth Dao Meaning below.


    He should likewise grasp Formation knowledge, pursue the Heavenly Dao, and continuously strengthen himself...


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    The strangeness of being in a foreign land, along with the unease and nervousness, also began to recede.


    With his Storage Bag slung over his shoulder, he walked off the deck with his head held high, stepping onto the land of Qian State against the vast expanse of the sky.


    ...


    Qian State was vast, with many state boundaries.


    The boundaries varied in size and grade, from low to high, among which one of the most famous was the fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary, known for its abundance of Sects and a flourishing academic atmosphere.


    Where Cloud Ferry landed, Cangdu City lay within the Third-Grade Cangdu State Boundary.


    Cangdu State Boundary was a considerable distance from Qianxue State Boundary.


    Cangdu City blossomed into an Immortal City due to the prosperity brought by Cloud Ferry, with convenient transportation and frequent comings and goings of cultivators.


    In the city, one could also see many young men and women who seemed to be cultivators from various states, taking Cloud Ferry to Qian State to seek knowledge.


    However, they were all escorted by their Clan¡¯s Elders or Elders.


    Only Mo Hua was alone.


    After resting for a night in Cangdu City, Mo Hua set off the next day, leaving Cangdu City alone to head for Qianxue State Boundary.


    Other cultivators seeking knowledge either rode horses, took carriages, or traveled by cloud chariots.


    To save Spirit Stones, Mo Hua could only go by foot.


    He planned a route for himself.


    This route took him from Cangdu City, trekking mountains and rivers, passing through two Second-Grade state boundaries before reaching the Fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary.


    Though it was a roundabout way, as the state boundaries were all Second-Grade, it was safer.


    When traveling in foreign lands, it¡¯s better to be cautious.


    In Second-Grade state boundaries, where the limit was on Foundation Establishment cultivators, Mo Hua, with his initial-stage Foundation Establishment strength, could thrive with his mastery over Formations and Spells.


    If he encountered anyone he couldn¡¯t defeat, he could always rely on his Concealment Technique and Water Passing Step to make his escape.


    But venturing into a Third-Grade State Boundary, if luck turned against him and he ran into some unrighteous Golden Core cultivator wanting his life, it would spell doom.


    Against a Golden Core cultivator, he, a mere cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, had no chance.


    Just a single flying sword could spell his end.


    So, it¡¯s better to be a bit more timid when necessary.


    As long as he could reach Qianxue State Boundary and join the Qian Taoist Sect within a month and a half, that would suffice.


    Mo Hua estimated the pace and distance, and time should be more than enough.


    Moreover, he could use the journey to practice his Second-Grade Water Passing Step.


    In Tongxian City, he had only managed a rough grasp and lacked depth in his study, not to mention opportunities to use it.


    This journey provided the perfect chance to use practice as a substitute for learning, increasing his proficiency with the life-saving Second-Grade Water Passing Step.


    This movement technique was crucial for survival, so he needed to practice it until he couldn¡¯t possibly know it better.


    A moment¡¯s negligence might cost a life in a time of crisis.


    Having settled on a plan, Mo Hua packed up and, following the main road, set out alone on his way to the Academic World of Qian State.


    Along the way, he braved the elements and slept under the stars.


    When alone, Mo Hua hastened his travel using the Water Passing Step, moving as effortlessly as a stream, creating a breeze with each step.


    When tired, he would take a rest.


    Occasionally, he¡¯d come across some caravans that appeared legitimate, with the cultivators¡¯ aura and faces showing proper dignity and their Divine Thought free of malice; it was then that Mo Hua would draw near.


    Sometimes, he would freeload meals or rides. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Such breaks were also a chance for him to recharge.


    These cultivators were often very hospitable. Seeing that Mo Hua was young, traveling alone, they were surprised and would offer him food and drinks to show their hospitality.


    One should not take rewards without merit.


    Mo Hua would glance a few times and point out any issues with the Formation the caravan was using, offering to fix it for them.


    This amazed them even more.


    Often, when parting, they would give Mo Hua some gifts; though not valuable, they were heartfelt tokens, which pleased him greatly.

 Chapter 754: Journey (3)

    Danger would occasionally arise.


    Such as monster beasts in the forests, lone fugitive cultivators, or groups that could deceive others but not Mo Hua, who could recognize a party of evil cultivators with a single glance.


    Mo Hua had seen many demon cultivators.


    In the beginning, following Uncle, they traveled together, encountering living demon cultivators, dead demon cultivators, or those who went from living to dead upon meeting Uncle¡ªMo Hua saw a heap of them.


    The aura of demon cultivators was dark, and within their divine sense, there was a sense of putrid filth.


    With his sharp divine sense, Mo Hua could easily differentiate them.


    But there wasn¡¯t much he could do except to keep his distance.


    As a lowly cultivator, unfamiliar with the land, such disputes were not something he could afford to entangle himself in.


    Quietly, discreetly, traveling alone to the Qian Xue State Boundary, his utmost priority was to join a sect early and earnestly pursue cultivation.


    On this journey, he would occasionally pass through Immortal Cities or small towns.


    Mo Hua would usually stay for a short while, resting his feet, asking for directions, and checking if there would be dangers on the road ahead.


    The cultivators in Immortal Cities, most were rather cold.


    On the contrary, in some small towns, the customs were pure and simple, and the cultivators were both warm-hearted and talkative.


    "Go forward, climb over the mountain, pass the halfway slope, follow the mountain path, walk a few hundred miles, pass a few Little Immortal Cities, and you¡¯ll be close to the Qian Xue State Boundary¡­"


    "There are monster beasts in the mountains, you being just a kid, should be cautious¡­"


    "If it¡¯s too dark, the road becomes hard to navigate, you can stay overnight in that dilapidated temple in the mountains."


    "That decrepit temple was once a shrine to the Mountain God, but after the Mountain God became a malevolent spirit, it was slain by several elders from the Qian Xue State Boundary¡­"


    "Now the temple is empty, and any cultivators delayed in leaving the mountains would stay there temporarily¡­"


    The one who spoke these words was a hunched old man.


    The old man ran a noodle shop in the town, and Mo Hua, being hungry, had ordered a large bowl of noodles, chatting leisurely with the old man as he ate.


    Mo Hua politely thanked the old man.


    Stroking his beard, the old man nodded slightly, then asked curiously, "Are you a child from another land? Why are you alone?"


    "I¡¯m out for some experience¡­" Mo Hua said.


    The old man shook his head, "A kid like you, what¡¯s there to experience?"


    "I¡¯m fifteen years old, not young anymore!"


    The old man huffed, "Fifteen years old? How big is that? Here, if you¡¯re not yet twenty, you¡¯re still just a little child¡­"


    It was after asking in detail that Mo Hua understood.


    Qian State was vast, the climate was pleasant, and on the whole, it was much wealthier than Li State, even the life of a loose cultivator was somewhat better there than in Li State.


    Moreover, the cultivators in Qian State usually practiced for a longer duration.


    Cultivators with a bit of family wealth, or those from families or sects, even more so.


    They didn¡¯t need to rush into body refinement to strengthen their bodies and make a living like ordinary loose cultivators; instead, they could continue cultivating well into their twenties.


    Nurturing their bodies carefully and securing a firm foundation before breaking through to Foundation Establishment.


    If all else failed, they would be assigned to the family enterprise to gradually gain experience.


    Therefore, before the age of twenty, they still belonged to the carefree period of steady cultivation and enlightenment in the Tao.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless.


    He thought that at fifteen, he was already a young man.


    But in these larger states, he was still considered nothing more than a child¡­


    After sizing up Mo Hua carefully, the old man asked another question, "Have you reached Foundation Establishment?"


    "Mm," Mo Hua nodded.


    The old man looked slightly regretful, "Too hasty. With your spiritual power, your blood qi, why establish a foundation without properly consolidating it first?"


    "Were you thinking, reach Foundation Establishment by twenty and then join a sect?"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The elderly man sighed and said, "It¡¯s not that simple. With your current Foundation Establishment so fragile, even if you establish your foundation before the age of twenty, nobody would accept you..."


    "Moreover, I see that your Spiritual Root doesn¡¯t seem too good either?"


    Mo Hua did not hide the truth and said honestly,


    "It¡¯s only of mediocre to inferior quality..."


    The elderly man was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "That¡¯s tough..."


    Mo Hua initially wanted to ask, "Even with a Sect-Entering Order, it wouldn¡¯t work?" but after thinking it over, he decided not to ask.


    When out and about, one should not flaunt their "wealth."


    Nearby Qian State, there were many disciples seeking education, and something like a "Sect-Entering Order" was surely very precious. One should not casually inform others, to avoid attracting covetousness.


    Mo Hua asked again, "Do you know of the Qian Taoist Sect?"


    "Who doesn¡¯t know of the Qian Taoist Sect..." the elderly man said, startled, "You¡¯re not thinking of seeking entry into the Qian Taoist Sect, are you..."


    Mo Hua nodded. "I¡¯ll try my luck."


    The elderly man quickly shook his head, "That¡¯s even more impossible. The Qian Taoist Sect is one of the four major sects within the Qian Learning State Boundary, a top-ranking large sect. In the historical Qian Xue debates of Tao Cultivation, they¡¯ve always ranked within the top three..."


    "With your talent and Taoist Foundation, it¡¯s impossible for you to be accepted."


    "Is there no exception..." Mo Hua asked. Continue reading at


    "Exception..." The elderly man was briefly puzzled. "I, as an elder, do not know of any, but what kind of exception could there be? Even if you are the Sect Leader¡¯s illegitimate child..."


    The elderly man furrowed his brows, "I doubt that would be enough... You don¡¯t understand how high the threshold for these sects is. They place extreme importance on the Spiritual Root..."


    Mo Hua also furrowed his brows.


    Placing such importance on the Spiritual Root...


    It seemed he had underestimated the difficultly of gaining entry into a sect.


    And it was uncertain whether the "Sect-Entering Order" would be recognized by the Qian Taoist Sect...


    If it wasn¡¯t, he feared he would need to start making plans early.


    After finishing his meal, Mo Hua chatted with the elderly man for a while, then paid with Spirit Stones, and resumed his journey, heading towards the distant mountains.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡ªa young child¡ªsetting out alone, the elderly man frowned with worry and couldn¡¯t help but caution him:


    "Young lad, be careful. Try not to travel at night as much as possible. If it can¡¯t be helped, seek shelter in the Mountain God Temple."


    "Thank you, Grandpa, I will!" replied Mo Hua.


    "And be wary of some human traffickers..." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was startled, "Human traffickers?"


    "Yes," the elderly man nodded, speaking in a low voice, "This is Qian State. Although the sects wield great power and the Taoist Court enforces strict regulations, ensuring good public order, still..."


    "Some people would do anything for Spirit Stones..."


    Mo Hua asked, "Human traffickers... Who do they abduct?"


    The elderly man pointed at Mo Hua, "Mainly those like you..."


    Mo Hua was momentarily puzzled, but then understood.


    Qian State First Realm is a place where cultivators seek to study and cultivate.


    Among the various powers, talented young cultivators often come here to learn.


    Therefore, kidnapping cultivators in pursuit of their studies, to ransom them back to their families for a huge amount of Spirit Stones, is a dangerous, yet highly lucrative trade.


    Even if there is no demand for a ransom.


    These talented cultivators, with top-notch Spiritual Roots and excellent qualifications, could also be sold for a substantial amount of Spirit Stones.


    "Kidnapping cultivators..."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Alright, I¡¯ll remember that!"


    The elderly man didn¡¯t know whether Mo Hua truly remembered or was just saying so but didn¡¯t say anything more, only looking at Mo Hua with deep concern.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to the elderly man then turned around, briskly walking along the mountain path toward the deep mountain in the distance...

 Chapter 755: Shocking Night (1)

    The rugged mountains were treacherous, and the scenery was eerily beautiful.


    Fallen leaves had accumulated in thick layers, becoming soft and spongy as they rotted and merged with the soil.


    A pale yellow miasma floated between the mountains.


    Milky white mist shrouded the forest.


    The babbling streams, originating from nowhere in particular, moistened the rugged rocks and disappeared without a trace.


    Mo Hua had taken a Miasma Repelling Pill, dispelling the miasma within his body, released his Divine Sense, and, while guarding against the Monster Beasts in the forest, carefully walked northward along the rough mountain path.


    After walking for the better part of the day, until the sun had set and twilight enveloped the mountains and the forest grew darker and deeper.


    Mo Hua looked up and saw that the night was deep and foggy, the miasma thick, obstructing his Divine Sense.


    The range of his Divine Sense was less than half of what it was during the day.


    The Monster Qi in the mountains also thickened gradually.


    Some Monster Beasts, which were "lively at night and sleepy during the day," seemed to be waking up, emitting strange, indescribable growls within the desolate night, resonating deeply through the mountains.


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    It seemed he could no longer travel by night...


    He remembered the old temple mentioned by the elder, so he released his Divine Sense, chose a direction, and headed towards a hidden mountain path.


    After passing through a stretch of woods and climbing over a giant boulder, another half an hour brought him to an old temple halfway up the mountain.


    The temple was dilapidated but showed signs that people sometimes passed by, perhaps Cultivators resting there.


    The Monster Qi and miasma nearby were also lighter.


    In front of the decaying temple, there was a flight of stone steps, rough and steep.


    Mo Hua ascended the steps with agility, as fluid as water, and in no time reached the gate of the old temple.


    One of the temple doors was missing, and the other, weathered by sun and rain, was mottled and in terrible shape.


    Upon entering, the walls let in the wind, and the place was dirty and messy.


    Melancholic moonlight shone through the roof, casting onto a clay statue at the center that reflected a ghastly light.


    The face of the mud statue was long and narrow with human features, yet none at all.


    The eyes, illuminated by the moonlight, revealed a sinister gleam that pierced the dark night, staring at Mo Hua in a human yet Non-Human manner.


    Mo Hua was unafraid, staring back at the mud statue with wide open eyes.


    After locking gazes for a while, perhaps due to the shifting moonlight, the statue¡¯s gaze seemed to silently wander away...


    Mo Hua, however, did not look away and continued to approach the statue, eyes intense as he gazed at it.


    The mud statue promptly remained still and well-behaved.


    Mo Hua stepped onto the offering stage and examined the statue closely, muttering,


    "That¡¯s not right, why is there nothing?"


    "There should be something..."


    "I couldn¡¯t have seen it wrong..."


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    The light had gone out from the statue¡¯s eyes, which now seemed eager to close.


    Mo Hua licked his lips, "Such a shame..."


    He then jumped off the offering stage, cleared a spot on the ground, and using Divine Consciousness Control Ink, drew a Warm Fire Formation.


    As the Warm Fire Formation lit up, an orange flame arose, dispelling the night within the temple and the chill of the mountains outside.


    Wrapped in a small blanket and seated by the fire, Mo Hua felt very warm.


    As the warmth rose, Mo Hua suddenly felt hungry, so he took out some mountain yams and dried meat from his Storage Bag and roasted them over the Warm Fire Formation.


    Sitting by the fire, eating the fragrant and sticky mountain yams, chewing on spicy beef jerky, and drinking the sweet fruit wine brewed by his mother,


    Mo Hua shook his head and swayed, completely content.


    After eating his fill, Mo Hua extinguished the Warm Fire Formation, wrapped himself up tightly in the blanket, and, taking advantage of the residual warmth on the ground, drifted into sleep.


    All was quiet again within the old temple.


    The cold moonlight shone down once more, illuminating the eyes of the clay statue on the offering stage.


    The statue¡¯s icy gaze slowly lowered to rest upon Mo Hua, who, wrapped up like a "little dumpling" and fast asleep, oblivious to the world.


    The statue¡¯s gaze flickered, as if it were pondering something.


    For the duration of brewing a pot of tea, a faint white glow emerged from the statue.


    This glow, seemingly real and yet illusory, was indistinct and obscure.


    It could be sensed by the Divine Sense but was invisible to the eye.


    The white light slowly stretched out and gradually condensed into a narrow human figure.


    Your adventure continues at


    It emerged from the mud statue, shedding its shell, body like a human, face like a monster, with long whiskers, narrow eyes, and yellow fur.


    This Yaoying moved stealthily, and with each gust of chilly wind, it approached Mo Hua, extending long claws, and said in a sinister voice,


    "Young friend..."


    "Turn around and look..."


    "See for yourself who I am..." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It intended to convey this sinister whisper into the Cultivator¡¯s dreams.


    To startle him awake from his dreams.


    But before it had finished speaking, the one who seemed to be "deeply asleep" suddenly turned his little head. His large eyes stared straight at it, and he asked,


    "Who are you?"


    The wickedly-faced Yaoying was startled.


    "You weren¡¯t sleeping?"


    Immediately after, it was shocked again, "You can see me?"


    "Didn¡¯t you ask me to look at you?" Mo Hua said, puzzled.


    "No, no..."


    The Yaoying shook its head repeatedly; the "seeing" it referred to was in dreams, casting itself as a frightening nightmare.


    Not to be actually seen with eyes in reality.


    The Yaoying became somewhat panicked, "What¡¯s going on with this boy..."


    How could he see it?


    Could it be... his Divine Sense was too strong?


    That¡¯s impossible, how powerful could the Divine Sense of a little child be?


    "Who are you?" Mo Hua asked again.


    Regaining its composure and about to show its anger, the Yaoying saw Mo Hua¡¯s eyes clear and piercing, even carrying... a hint of strangeness, as if to see right through it.


    The Yaoying¡¯s heart skipped a beat, only to hear Mo Hua say crisply,


    "Were you the thing inside the mud statue just now?"


    "The clay statue of the Mountain God Temple..."


    "Are you the Mountain God?"


    "No, that can¡¯t be right. The old man at the foot of the mountain told me that the Mountain God had turned evil and has already been slain."

 Chapter 756: Chapter Surprising Night (2)

    "So, you¡¯re an impostor?"


    "A human body with a demon-like face, hosting in a clay sculpture, you¡¯re neither human nor demon, but a spiritual entity. Either you¡¯re a naturally malevolent spirit, or a ghost transformed by a person..."


    Yaoying felt a sinking feeling in its heart.


    How does this kid know so much?


    How old is he? He speaks as if he deals with these demons and evil spirits every day...


    Revealing a ferocious expression, Yaoying said, "Scared now, huh? Since you know, why not hurry and..."


    It didn¡¯t finish its words before a fireball whooshed towards it.


    This fireball was fast and accurate, with flames swirling around it, heading straight for Yaoying¡¯s face.


    But the fireball didn¡¯t hit its mark; instead, it passed through Yaoying¡¯s face and flew out the door. Following an explosion, flames spread and burned several rocks.


    Yaoying was stunned, then became furious.


    Fireball technique on the face!


    This foreign Cultivator is so rude!


    Without any provocation, he throws a fireball?


    Luckily, I am a Divine Consciousness Entity. Spells made of Spiritual Power can¡¯t injure a Thought Body, otherwise, wouldn¡¯t my face be wrecked by that attack?!


    "What audacity!"


    Yaoying¡¯s face was full of rage. It wanted to teach this young Cultivator a lesson, to show him the proper way of being a Cultivator!


    But Mo Hua paid no attention...


    "Fireball Technique is useless, huh..."


    "Because it¡¯s an attack on the level of Spiritual Power, huh..."


    "Evil thought... Divine Sense..."


    Mo Hua pondered while muttering to himself.


    His previous Divine Thought clashes were inside the Sea of Consciousness, where one spell after another was a Divine Thought Manifestation, capable of injuring evil thoughts.


    But now, outside the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua lacked experience and didn¡¯t know which tactics would be effective.


    Mo Hua continued to ponder by himself.


    Yaoying was even more incensed.


    A mere child, so disrespectful!


    After all, I was once revered as a Mountain God, worshipped by people. Even though I¡¯ve fallen, I shouldn¡¯t be humiliated by a kid to this extent!


    In my own temple, with the empowerment of my Divine Effigy, my thought power is stable.


    I am also a Divine Consciousness Entity, immune to Blood Qi or Spiritual Power attacks¡ªbasically invincible.


    I was originally planning to frighten this young boy away, given his age.


    But since he¡¯s so ungrateful, I have no choice but to take severe measures, to teach him the harsh realities of Tao Cultivation...


    Yaoying¡¯s eyes turned crimson, its aura violently increasing in strength. Its once gaunt form began to bulk up, and its limbs grew fur, transforming into a huge "Yellow Skin"...


    Seeing this, Mo Hua was not only unafraid but also quite intrigued.


    I¡¯ve seen transformations into "Evil Ghosts" and "Zombies", but this is my first time seeing one turn into a "weasel"...


    The Yellow Skin Yaoying glared menacingly at Mo Hua, looking like it was about to attack.


    Mo Hua, after a moment of contemplation, decided to strike first. With a flick of his hand, he laid out a Formation with Spiritual Ink at the feet of the Yellow Skin, drawing the Golden Lock Formation.


    The First-grade Golden Lock Formation was simple, so he completed it rapidly.


    Once the Golden Lock Formation was complete, chains materialized, binding the Yellow Skin Yaoying.


    Straining against the Golden Lock Formation, the Yellow Skin managed to break the chains and free itself, but it was deeply shocked.


    "A Formation?"


    "Without a brush or paper, how did this kid set it up?"


    Mo Hua, however, nodded secretly.


    I was right in my thoughts.


    The power of a Spell is determined by Spiritual Power.


    Whereas the harm caused by a Formation, though made of Spiritual Power, also contains the Law of the Great Dao and a great deal of Divine Sense.


    Using Divine Sense to restrain Divine Thought.


    That¡¯s why Spells can¡¯t hurt it.


    But a Formation can affect this "Yellow Skin" Yaoying, which has no blood, no Qi, is not harmed by physical attacks or affected by Spiritual Power.


    Although, compared to the purely Divine Sense-based Formations in the Sea of Consciousness, its power is lesser.


    But it¡¯s useful, and that¡¯s what matters... S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Plus, I¡¯m currently only using a First-grade Formation Method.


    Mo Hua took out several bottles of Spiritual Ink and set to work with concentrated effort, using Divine Consciousness Control Ink to create an even more complex Formation...


    The Yellow Skin, watching Mo Hua¡¯s calm demeanor, began to panic...


    It felt that things were getting out of control...


    This kid isn¡¯t flustered. He counters move by move with solid confidence; I can¡¯t quite see through him.


    Give up?


    But as a proud Mountain God, if I lose to a kid, wouldn¡¯t that be a big joke?


    The Yellow Skin hardened its heart and tried to charge at Mo Hua.


    Yet, before it could reach him, golden patterns emerged under its feet, solidifying into a three-fold Golden Lock Compound Formation, trapping it securely.


    The Yellow Skin used claws and teeth in frantic effort to escape.


    Though now in decline, its strength was not what it once was; still, it could handle a First-grade Golden Lock Formation.


    But before it could fully escape, it looked down and saw even more Golden Lock Formations appearing under its feet.


    The Yellow Skin was both shocked and scared.


    "What¡¯s with this kid...?"


    "What kind of teaching has he received? How can he draw Formations like this?!"


    With this method of Drawing Formations, I can¡¯t win...


    The thought of retreating crossed the Yellow Skin¡¯s mind. Your adventure continues at


    "Should I ask for mercy?"


    This thought just surfaced when the Yellow Skin immediately dismissed it.


    A Mountain God such as myself can¡¯t beg a kid for mercy; wouldn¡¯t I be laughed out of existence?


    I¡¯ll just hold out for now...


    A mere young Cultivator, even if his Divine Sense is strong and his Formation knowledge slightly better, how long can he last?


    When we¡¯re both at our limits, I¡¯ll just pretend and agree to a "draw", and we can stop without losing too much face...


    But before it could finish its thoughts, its eyelids began to twitch uncontrollably.


    It noticed suddenly that fiery red patterns had appeared around it without its knowledge. Surging Spiritual Power flowed through them, while imposing Divine Thoughts surged within them...

 Chapter 757: A Night of Shock (3)

    Second-Grade Formation!


    And not just any ordinary Second-Grade Formation, but at least a Second Grade Initial Stage Twelve, perhaps even Thirteen Stripes, Killing Formation!


    Yellow Skin trembled in his heart, widened his eyes, and immediately threw away the dignity of a Mountain God, shouting out,


    "Young friend! Young friend!"


    "Let¡¯s talk it over!"


    Mo Hua ignored him and continued with the formation...


    Yellow Skin grit his teeth and yelled, "Young master, my little ancestor!"


    "I¡¯m begging you, stop drawing, if you draw any more, it¡¯s going to cost me my life!"


    It had not been easy for it to condense this damaged body, and if it were to be blown up again, it really might be scattered to the winds, never to recover...


    Mo Hua stopped.


    It wasn¡¯t that he really wanted to stop, but that he couldn¡¯t continue drawing.


    His Divine Sense was strong, but using such a difficult method of Divine Sense to lay out formations, drawing a Second Grade Thirteen Stripes Earth Fire Formation, was already somewhat strenuous.


    Setting up the Golden Lock Formation before had consumed a lot of Divine Sense.


    Now this Second-Grade Earth Fire Formation probably couldn¡¯t be completed, and even if he managed to finish it, his Divine Sense would be close to exhaustion.


    Moreover, since Yellow Skin was being so reasonable, even calling him "my little ancestor," Mo Hua decided to be magnanimous and let it off for now.


    Mo Hua walked up to Yellow Skin and asked,


    "You wanted to harm me?"


    Yellow Skin replied helplessly, "I just wanted to scare you..."


    Mo Hua, puzzled, "For no reason, why would you scare me?"


    Yellow Skin gave a bitter smile, "Your Divine Sense is somewhat peculiar, as soon as you entered, you started staring at the Mountain God effigy, as if you saw something..."


    "I was afraid that you would find out my secrets and bring disaster upon me, so I wanted to scare you into leaving early. I had no other ill intentions..."


    "Oh..." Mo Hua nodded with half-belief and then asked, "Who are you?"


    Yellow Skin said, "I am the Mountain God of this place..."


    Mo Hua raised his eyebrow, "Nonsense, the Mountain God here was slain!"


    Find more to read at


    Yellow Skin hastily said, "I dare not deceive you, young friend. I truly am the Mountain God, named Lord Yellow Mountain. I am covered with yellow demon skin, my surname is Yellow, and I am a Mountain God, thus called ¡¯Mountain Lord¡¯..."


    "Originally, when I was cultivating the Tao, something went wrong, and evil thoughts arose, which is why I was cut down by a cultivator of the Righteous Dao..."


    "But because my roots were profound, I still had a glimmer of life left."


    "These years, I presided over this broken temple, dispelling miasma and repelling demons, providing a place for traveling cultivators to rest, thus creating a bit of good karma."


    "Plus, with the Mountain God effigy being worshipped, I received a bit of incense offerings."


    "That¡¯s how I managed to condense this damaged body, but my strength is much less than before, just barely clinging to life..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain sighed.


    Seeing his expression did not seem fake, Mo Hua reluctantly believed him a little but still crisply threatened,


    "You¡¯d better not be deceiving me, otherwise, I will eat you!"


    Lord Yellow Mountain was startled and couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Thought to himself that after all, it¡¯s just a child, not knowing how to threaten someone.


    He himself was a Divine Consciousness Entity, how could he...


    Suddenly, Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s heart chilled. As soon as the word "eat" came to mind, he felt a pull on karma and couldn¡¯t help but feel terror.


    "This..."


    Could this young cultivator really consume him?


    No... Perhaps he had already consumed quite a few...


    Lord Yellow Mountain opened his mouth, eyes filled with horror.


    "What on earth is this young cultivator, and why is he more frightening than I am?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain wished he could slap himself.


    How could he be so unlucky to have provoked this little calamity?! When this little ancestor entered the door, why didn¡¯t he just hide inside the clay effigy and play dead?


    Why did he have to be cheap and take a glance at him?


    With that one glance, he almost lost his old life...


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt bitter in his heart.


    But Mo Hua, examining Lord Yellow Mountain, suddenly asked,


    "I¡¯ll ask you a few questions."


    Lord Yellow Mountain immediately retracted his demon form, revealing his original appearance with a human body and demon face, and said respectfully,


    "Gentleman, please ask!"


    Mo Hua asked, "Your essence is Divine Thought, but in the end, are you human, or are you a monster? And as for the Mountain God... what exactly is it?"


    "How does one qualify as a ¡¯god¡¯?"


    Mo Hua asked several questions in quick succession.


    Lord Yellow Mountain was somewhat surprised.


    He had thought this young cultivator, with such formidable abilities and profound knowledge of Divine Thought Slaughter, must have an extremely profound family heritage. Yet, the questions asked were somewhat inconsistent in depth.


    Things he shouldn¡¯t have known, he knew, and not just knew, but to a frighteningly profound extent.


    But things he should have known seemed to be rather limited in his knowledge...


    "Is it an incomplete inheritance, or did the master only teach him half..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain speculated in his heart but didn¡¯t dare to withhold information.


    He was afraid this young cultivator was "deceiving" him, pretending not to understand what he actually did, and then seizing on his own words to "devour" him.


    One¡¯s path in Tao Cultivation is fraught with peril, and it wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility...


    Lord Yellow Mountain said:


    "All entities of Divine Consciousness in the world, just like cultivators¡¯ Divine Sense, malicious spirits¡¯ ghost thoughts, and evil spirits¡¯ evil thoughts, are all illusory and not real ¡¯Thought Bodies¡¯."


    "Ghosts are Thought Bodies."


    "When a cultivator reaches their limit, and their body dies and their Tao fades, the transformed Divine Thought usually becomes a ghost."


    "These ghosts and evil spirits, having scattered and mutated consciousness, consume human divine sense to sustain their own ghost thoughts, especially the divine sense of their close relatives, which to ghosts is an especially nourishing substance."


    "¡¯God¡¯ is also a type of Thought Body."


    "But becoming a god is very demanding and relates to the Great Dao, cause and effect, offerings, incense worship, and the like."


    "I¡¯m just a minor Mountain God, given some incense offerings, worshipped by believers, and by chance acquired the Mountain God Position, but more profound matters... I don¡¯t understand..."


    "Especially..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain showed a look of fear, "In this world, it is said that there are ancient, supreme beings like Monster Gods, Evil Gods, and Demon Gods..."


    "These beings are unseen, unknown, and almost ¡¯Dao,¡¯ almost ¡¯Immortal¡¯..."


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    This world of cultivation was seemingly bigger, deeper, more terrifying, and more complex than he had imagined...


    Mo Hua took another look at Lord Yellow Mountain and asked doubtfully: Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mountain God, you cultivate the Righteous Dao, so that¡¯s good, right?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain smiled awkwardly, "That is generally the case... At least the divine sense is clear, desiring incense worship, wanting to form good connections, reaping good fruits..."


    "Then why did you become bad before, and even got chopped?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Lord Yellow Mountain, as if stabbed in the heart, hesitated for a moment before saying helplessly,


    "That... alas, it¡¯s hard to avoid missteps in cultivation..."


    "I was too complacent as a Mountain God, and my Divine Thought hadn¡¯t grown for a long time, so I took to perverse ideas and ate... ate a few people..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned cold.


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt a chill over his entire body and immediately said, "Not ¡¯me,¡¯ but the previous ¡¯me¡¯..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s face stiffened, "The you from before isn¡¯t you anymore?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain wished he could cry but helplessly replied, "Evil thoughts grew, one body, two thoughts; I had no control..."


    "Then what?"


    "After that... after eating a few people, my Divine Thought might have been tainted, but it definitely grew stronger. Just when ¡¯Ino, the previous me¡ªwas complacently satisfied with myself, I was figured out by a cultivator from a nearby Righteous Dao Sect..."


    "There was a White-Robed Sword Cultivator, with a profound level of cultivation, who chopped me down with a single sword..."


    "After getting chopped, due to the good karma I had accumulated earlier, I was left with the faintest breath..."


    "That Sword Cultivator said things like ¡¯Heaven values all life,¡¯ ¡¯one death, one life, should not be cut off,¡¯ and ¡¯to leave a line of survival,¡¯ and let me go."


    "But he also warned me that if I committed evil again, he would utterly exterminate me."


    "So, young Gentleman, I really don¡¯t dare to harm you..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain wished he could open his heart for Mo Hua to see.


    "Mhm mhm." Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly remembered another question and asked:


    "You are a Mountain God, a Divine Consciousness Entity, so how did that Sword Cultivator, with a sword, chop you?"


    "It was..."


    Seemingly recalling that moment, Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s eyes still held immense terror.


    "Divine Thought into sword..."


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then his eyes lit up.


    Divine Thought...


    Into sword!!

 Chapter 758: Human Trafficker (1)

    Mo Hua said excitedly, "Divine Thought into sword? How does one do that? What does the sword look like that¡¯s created? How do you drive it with Divine Thought?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain had a complex expression, "How would I know..."


    I was the one who was slain by the ¡¯Divine Thought into sword¡¯, not the one who uses ¡¯Divine Thought into sword¡¯ to slay others...


    Mo Hua then asked, "Is that Divine Thought into sword very powerful?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain nodded, "You see how pitiful I look after being slain, then you will know..."


    Mo Hua glanced at Lord Yellow Mountain and questioned with a bit of doubt, "You¡¯re not powerful though..."


    How does that prove the ¡¯Divine Thought into sword¡¯ is powerful?


    Lord Yellow Mountain, ashamed and annoyed, said, "Times have changed!"


    "Back in the day! I was the Mountain Lord! I was the one who called the shots over this entire mountain!"


    "It was just that I made a mistake, harbored evil spirits, and just like that my cultivation was destroyed in an instant. That¡¯s what led to my current state, defeated by you, fallen from my high state to be..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed, and his gaze became dangerous.


    Lord Yellow Mountain immediately swallowed the words "to be bullied by a ¡¯dog¡¯."


    It couldn¡¯t be said that "a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by a ¡¯dog¡¯..."


    This little Cultivator isn¡¯t ordinary, to say the least. He¡¯s also a "Little Tiger," even a "Little Malevolent Tiger"...


    A "man-eating" Little Malevolent Tiger...


    If possible, it¡¯s better not to provoke... Your next chapter awaits on


    Mo Hua was still somewhat incredulous, "Were you really powerful before?"


    "Of course I was..."


    Mo Hua pondered, "This place is the Second-rank small state boundary of Qian State. Even if you were powerful, you were at most a Second-rank Mountain God. How powerful could you have been?"


    "You don¡¯t understand... I used to..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain, with a narrow face and full of self-pride, began to speak, but stopped halfway, trying to laugh it off with some embarrassment:


    "...Indeed, I was just a Second-rank Minor Mountain God..."


    Mo Hua looked at him with suspicion.


    Under Mo Hua¡¯s intent gaze, Lord Yellow Mountain felt guilty, looking up at the sky as if nothing had happened.


    Mo Hua felt there was a big problem, but now that he had softened, it wasn¡¯t good to be too harsh, and after all, he was a Mountain God, so he shouldn¡¯t be too disrespectful.


    Mo Hua was still more concerned about the matters of ¡¯Divine Thought into sword¡¯...


    "What does a Sword Cultivator who can wield ¡¯Divine Thought into sword¡¯ look like? What is his birth name? Do you know?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain shook his head, "I don¡¯t know. I only remember he was clad in white, ethereal like an immortal, and then there was that terrifying sword intent. As for what he looks like, I didn¡¯t dare to look closely, much less inquire his name..."


    "Which Sect does he belong to?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain still shook his head.


    Mo Hua, frustrated, gave Lord Yellow Mountain a disdainful glance, "How do you know nothing?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt quite helpless.


    What can I do?


    I was slain by a single sword stroke. I was too panicked to even think about asking questions about that man.


    "A white-robed Sword Cultivator, slaying an evil Mountain God..."


    Mo Hua could only note this clue down, planning to find out more after joining a Sect.


    To find out about the person with ¡¯Divine Thought into sword¡¯, learn the method of ¡¯Divine Thought into sword¡¯, master externalizing Divine Sense, and materializing it into a sword...


    That way, upon encountering evil spirits or a Divine Sense like Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s outside the Sea of Consciousness, he could also turn Divine Sense into a sword and slice them down...


    Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    Lord Yellow Mountain immediately shivered.


    It didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua was plotting in that little head of his, but without needing to think, it knew for sure it was nothing good, possibly even something very frightening...


    Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t feel its neck getting cold... sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Young Mister..." Lord Yellow Mountain showed an extremely amiable smile, even a bit fawning, "The mountain breeze is chilly. You should rest early. Tomorrow morning, we still have to hurry on our journey..."


    It wanted to send this little ancestor off as soon as possible...


    "I¡¯m not tired!" Mo Hua said.


    With the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness, he wouldn¡¯t feel tired even if he didn¡¯t sleep.


    Lord Yellow Mountain inwardly sighed.


    Little ancestor, oh how I wish you¡¯d feel sleepy.


    If you¡¯re not sleepy, this lengthy night will be hard to endure...


    Mo Hua had many more questions.


    For example, how one becomes a Mountain God, what is virtuous affinity? If a Mountain God harbors evil, do they become an Evil God? Why consume incense offerings? Why accept worship?


    And so on and so forth...


    It was still far from dawn, and Mo Hua wanted to seize the opportunity to ask Lord Yellow Mountain all these questions. Just as he was about to speak up, he suddenly paused, turning his gaze towards the door.


    Seeing the change in Mo Hua, Lord Yellow Mountain was somewhat surprised.


    A moment later, he too was startled.


    "Someone¡¯s coming outside..."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Lord Yellow Mountain looked astonished.


    Now it understood that this little Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense was extraordinary.


    Within its own mountain realm, this Cultivator could sense movements even before it could.


    "We should hide a bit..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain looked weakly at Mo Hua, seeking his approval.


    Mo Hua nodded, and only then did Lord Yellow Mountain heave a sigh of relief. It turned into a wisp of white smoke and subtly merged with the Divine Effigy of the Mountain God.


    Mo Hua erased the Warm Fire Formation on the ground and, using the Water Passing Step, walked vertically up the wall to perch on the beams, hiding behind a massive but broken beam. He then cast the Concealment Technique to hide himself well.


    Soon, faint footsteps could be heard outside the temple.


    Even though they kept their footsteps low, in the quiet mountain night, and especially to Mo Hua¡¯s senses, they were still distinctly audible.


    Two unfamiliar Cultivators hid outside the temple door, looking into the temple and cautiously releasing their Divine Sense to scan around. Only after ensuring there was no one did they relax their guard and spoke to someone behind:


    "Big brother, there¡¯s no one in the temple..."


    Voices followed one after another.


    "It¡¯s too late, and the road here is terribly difficult to navigate..."


    "We¡¯ve been tired for days..."


    "Let¡¯s rest in the temple for a while..."


    "May the Mountain God bless us..."


    "Our heads are on our own shoulders, our lives are in our own hands. What blessing can a Mountain God give!"

 Chapter 759: Human Trafficker (2)

    ...


    A group of people chattered as they walked into the ruined temple.


    Mo Hua, hidden in the crevices of the beams and borrowing the moonlight, watched secretly and saw that the ruined temple bustled with activity as more than ten people joined in. Find more chapters on  S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Most of them were Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    Some carried knives, some were equipped with swords, and a few pushed carts on which storage boxes sat, containing unknown contents.


    The frontmost Cultivator, dressed in green robes and armed with a sword, appeared middle-aged and had an air of gentle refinement.


    He seemed to be the leader of the group.


    Though his Cultivation was also at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, it was clearly deeper than the rest, and his footsteps were methodical.


    Mo Hua heard others call him "Boss Jiang."


    Boss Jiang entered the temple, looked around, and nodded:


    "We¡¯ve been travelling day and night, and brothers are tired. Let¡¯s rest in the temple, and continue on our journey at dawn. Delivering the goods will earn us some Spirit Stones to live with ease..."


    His voice was warm and cultured.


    The other Cultivators nodded in agreement, placed their luggage down, and found a clean spot to sit cross-legged.


    Some took out dry food to eat, some drank wine to relieve fatigue, and some, perhaps exceedingly tired, lay down and slept immediately.


    A few people spoke in hushed tones, to which Mo Hua pricked up his ears to listen.


    "Boss, how much longer..."


    "Three to four days¡¯ journey..."


    "How much can we make?"


    "Don¡¯t think too much. Let¡¯s see when we get it..."


    "The others..."


    "It¡¯s just us..."


    ...


    The few chatted for quite a while.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, not understanding their conversation, and just as he tried to listen more closely, suddenly Boss Jiang¡¯s expression changed.


    "Something¡¯s not right!"


    The other Cultivators, taken aback, showed looks of astonishment.


    "Boss, what¡¯s the matter?"


    "What¡¯s happened?"


    Boss Jiang stood up and slowly looked around, his gaze turning sharp, "There¡¯s someone here!"


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    The people in the ruined temple were shocked, stood up, and with their Divine Senses colliding, swept the area carefully, only to become collectively frowning.


    "Boss, there¡¯s no one..."


    Boss Jiang wiped the ground with his hand, his eyes alert, "The ground is still warm, indicating that a Cultivator warmed himself here not long ago..."


    He looked around and found the skin of the sweet potato Mo Hua had partially eaten.


    Holding the skin, his face showed confusion.


    Suddenly someone exclaimed, "Boss, look!"


    Boss Jiang, alerted, walked over and followed the direction pointed to by that person, and saw patterns crisscrossed on the ground as if newly smeared...


    Boss Jiang felt a shudder in his heart, "Is this... Formation?!"


    His usually gentle eyes suddenly became sharp, and he commanded authoritatively, "Everyone on guard!"


    All the Cultivators present, their weariness dispelled, drew their swords or brandished their knives, channelling their Spiritual Power, their expressions extremely grave.


    Yet, after a moment, the ruined temple remained completely silent.


    Whether by the naked eye or the perception of Divine Sense, they found not a single trace.


    Someone hesitated, "Boss, could we have been mistaken..."


    Boss Jiang frowned, pondered for a moment, and shook his head:


    "No, the Formation has just been erased, there is residual warmth. Someone was here in this ruined temple very recently..."


    "In these desolate mountains with paths scarce and far between, only this ruined temple stands; that person would not have gone far, likely hiding from us due to our numbers..."


    "Or perhaps... laying an ambush for us..."


    The faces of the other Cultivators tensed.


    "Boss, what should we do?"


    After pondering for a moment, Boss Jiang looked at the ruined temple and spoke loudly, "Whichever Taoist Friend is present, why not show yourself?"


    "Meeting by chance is fate..."


    "We have no quarrel with you, and we will not harm you. A random meeting in the wilds can lead to friendship..."


    ...


    Boss Jiang spoke politely, but Mo Hua remained unmoved.


    One cannot see the heart through the belly. How could he know whether this group was good or bad?


    Boss Jiang had exhausted his words, and seeing that there was still no response from the surroundings, his eyes grew cold, and he said sternly:


    "If this Taoist Friend won¡¯t show common decency, don¡¯t blame me for being discourteous..."


    "Once I tear down this ruined temple and smash this divine statue, leveling this place to the ground, let¡¯s see where you can hide..."


    Tear down the temple?


    Mo Hua was taken aback, and glancing down, he saw Lord Yellow Mountain, the spirit residing in the divine statue, looking indignant yet helpless.


    The Mountain God was now in shambles and stood no chance against this band of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    If his dwelling ¨C the clay statue ¨C was destroyed, he truly might lose his foundation.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t particularly care.


    The mountain was vast, the night was deep, and even if the temple was torn down, he could still flee, but Lord Yellow Mountain couldn¡¯t run from the mountain god¡¯s temple...


    He still had a host of questions to ask this destitute Mountain God.


    After some thought, Mo Hua dispelled his Concealment Technique and called out crisply:


    "I¡¯m coming out!"


    Boss Jiang was startled by the sound. He had thought that anyone daring to stop here in the dark of the night must be a seasoned traveler, experienced in the ways of the wild.


    But why did the voice sound so young?


    Before he could gather his thoughts, he saw a young Cultivator jump down from the rafters, petite in stature with a handsome face and innocent expression.


    Boss Jiang was stunned, and then felt a chill in his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "Are you human, or a ghost?"


    Mo Hua glanced at him disdainfully, "Are you the ghost?"


    Boss Jiang saw that Mo Hua¡¯s voice and appearance were vibrant and lively, indeed not like a spirit but a real, live, young Cultivator, and he relaxed slightly.


    But then he furrowed his brows again, "Are you alone?"


    Naturally, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t going to say he was alone, and simply replied:


    "I got separated from my master and fellow senior and junior disciples. I was resting in this ruined temple temporarily and will look for them tomorrow."


    With a Sect...


    Boss Jiang¡¯s brow furrowed slightly but did not take it to heart.

 Chapter 760: Human Traffickers (3)

    But there was one thing he couldn¡¯t understand, and he asked with a deep voice,


    "Why couldn¡¯t we detect you when we entered?"


    Mo Hua replied righteously,


    "How should I know?"


    "If you can¡¯t find me, shouldn¡¯t you look for reasons within yourselves?"


    "Could it be that your Cultivation is insufficient, or your Divine Sense is weak, or your vigilance is lacking?"


    "What does that have to do with me, a child?"


    One by one, their faces turned red with shame and anger at Mo Hua¡¯s words, but they seemed unable to refute them.


    It appeared that... they could only blame their own incompetence...


    They surely couldn¡¯t blame the child for hiding well, could they...


    Seeing that they had such "self-awareness," Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    A burly man approached Boss Jiang and murmured in an extremely low voice,


    "What should we do?"


    "Should we..."


    The man¡¯s eyes turned cold, and he gestured with his hand as if it were a knife.


    His movements were slight, his voice soft, but Mo Hua, with his powerful Divine Sense, still heard them. Nonetheless, he pretended not to.


    Boss Jiang said in a low voice,


    "Don¡¯t rush; let¡¯s see how things go..."


    He was a bit puzzled about the background of this little cultivator and couldn¡¯t figure out the identity of this little demon.


    As Boss Jiang furrowed his brows in thought, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he asked,


    "Young brother, did you draw the formation in this temple?"


    The Warm Fire Formation, huh...


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua nodded and said, "Yes, I drew it!"


    Boss Jiang was surprised but more so delighted.


    "You actually know how to draw formations?!"


    "Hmm..."


    Boss Jiang¡¯s expression immediately softened, and he even showed a kindly smile.


    A young cultivator... S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Who can paint formations...


    The price for that is not ordinary...


    "Put away your swords and knives; don¡¯t startle the young brother..." Boss Jiang ordered. Then, looking at Mo Hua, he spoke softly and gently, as if the spring breeze were nourishing the rain.


    "We are legitimate merchants, just passing through. Fearing being robbed and losing both our lives and wealth, we became a bit too vigilant. Young brother, please don¡¯t take offense..."


    Mo Hua nodded, indicating that he didn¡¯t mind.


    But inside, he sneered to himself.


    Legitimate merchants? I¡¯ve seen my fair share; who are they trying to fool...


    Boss Jiang asked Mo Hua to sit down and even brought out some dry food and wild fruits for Mo Hua to eat.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t eat.


    Boss Jiang didn¡¯t mind and asked warmly, "Young brother, to be able to draw such a standard of formation at your young age is truly impressive!"


    This standard? The standard of the Warm Fire Formation?


    His flattery didn¡¯t reach Mo Hua¡¯s heart; Mo Hua responded indifferently,


    "Just average..."


    Boss Jiang then probed, "Then, young brother, can you draw a first-grade formation?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Sort of..."


    Boss Jiang, delighted by the response, said, "Young brother, you surely have a boundless future!"


    He then raised his cup sincerely and said, "I¡¯ll drink this cup as a self-punishment for being abrupt and rude earlier, and to apologize to you, young brother!"


    Boss Jiang drained the cup of wine in one gulp.


    Mo Hua graciously replied, "Don¡¯t worry about it, I don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Boss Jiang continued with more flattery, his eyes glinting, and he asked quietly, "May I ask, young brother, who is your master..."


    "My master doesn¡¯t allow me to say..." said Mo Hua, "But my master is very powerful, he can casually draw third-grade formations..."


    "My uncle is even more incredible, but I¡¯m not at liberty to tell you about him..."


    Boss Jiang chuckled to himself, thinking hard.


    A mentor at the Golden Core Stage, huh...


    Low, but with a talent for formation, a below-average mentorship... difficult to blackmail, so it¡¯s time to find another way to trade...


    Having made up his mind, Boss Jiang suddenly slapped his forehead and said in astonishment,


    "Your master... on the way here, I seemed to have encountered a high-level practitioner looking for his disciple. He said his disciple was extremely gifted, proficient in formations. Looking at it now, that sounds a lot like you, young brother... "


    "This high-level practitioner might just be your master!"


    Mo Hua silently watched his performance, emotionless, and replied,


    "Are my elder brothers and sisters with him?"


    Boss Jiang said, "Yes, that high-level practitioner was accompanied by a male and a female disciple, both outstanding and extraordinary, truly dragons among men..."


    Mo Hua feigned "surprise" with a flat tone,


    "Ah, that¡¯s great. They are indeed my master, my elder sister, and my elder brother!"


    Even though Boss Jiang felt something off about Mo Hua¡¯s tone, his guilty conscience prevented him from noticing, and he sighed,


    "It¡¯s just a pity they took the wrong path..."


    "They went the wrong way?" Mo Hua asked with "surprise."


    "Yes," Boss Jiang said with regret, "they headed towards Qingzhou City, taking a detour. You, waiting here in the mountains, will probably miss them."


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression showed disappointment.


    Boss Jiang, judging by Mo Hua¡¯s reaction, affirmed his guess.


    This kid looked clever and was certainly cautious, but after all, he was just a child, inexperienced, especially when it came to his master, emotionally invested and confused.


    Deceiving him with a lie wouldn¡¯t be difficult...


    Boss Jiang suggested, "Your master is a great person, and we would like to establish a good relationship. How about this, we take you to find your master? It just so happens we¡¯re passing through Qingzhou City..."


    "Really?" Mo Hua said, full of anticipation.


    "Of course," Boss Jiang replied with a smile, looking amiable and friendly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes revealed an excited gleam, "That would be wonderful, thank you, big brothers!"


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was pure and clear, and his demeanor was as brisk as a young deer¡¯s.


    Relieved, Boss Jiang then said,


    "It¡¯s getting late; let¡¯s rest for a while. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll take you to find your master."


    "Okay!"


    Mo Hua nodded eagerly with anticipation.


    Everyone then rested in the dilapidated temple.


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    Mo Hua slept quietly, his eyelashes black, breathing steady, just like any ordinary child.


    Boss Jiang stood at the entrance of the temple, far away from him, speaking in a low voice with several cultivators.

 Chapter 761: Human Trafficker (4)

    "Boss, why bring this kid along?"


    "He knows Formation, and the price is good..." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A cultivator said, "His Spiritual Root is too poor, a bit useless..."


    Boss Jiang said, "What do you know? A single talent can cover a hundred flaws. Knowing Formation is enough; we¡¯re not picking and choosing for a Sect..."


    "Before coming, the Gentlemen calculated, not allowing us to add any unnecessary complications..."


    Someone expressed their concern.


    "Just this one deal won¡¯t hurt. Selling one is selling, two is the same..." Boss Jiang said in a low voice, "After this transaction, it won¡¯t be easy to do business in the future, so grab as much profit as possible..."


    "Moreover, Qian State is so vast, with complex and intertwined powers."


    "Mentors at the Golden Core Stage aren¡¯t considered much..."


    "Once a person is lost, it¡¯s like they¡¯ve sunk to the bottom of the sea, never to be found for a lifetime..."


    ...


    Boss Jiang and his men were speaking in hushed tones.


    The "sleeping" Mo Hua silently opened one eye and grasped the situation.


    These cultivators were "human traffickers"!


    They were engaged in the business of kidnapping cultivators.


    They looked kind-faced, but their consciences were thoroughly rotten!


    In learning states like Qian State, crowded with Sects, most of those kidnapped were young cultivators about his age.


    Some were held for ransom, others sold.


    Young cultivators with good Spiritual Roots and talents, whether for ransom or for sale, could fetch a large amount of Spirit Stones.


    There were some cultivators, who turned to the Demon Path, using the flesh, Qi Sea, and Spiritual Roots of cultivators as guiding pills for Alchemy.


    The Qian Family¡¯s ancestor used human lives to refine the Lifespan Transformation Elixir.


    And talented young cultivators with pure bloodlines were undoubtedly the best "guiding pills."


    Selling to Demon Cultivators could naturally earn a large amount.


    After pondering, Mo Hua slowly closed his eyes again, continuing to feign sleep.


    The desolate mountain was deep in the night, silent and serene.


    Until dawn.


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    "Little brother, little brother..."


    Someone woke Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua groggily "woke up," rubbing his eyes with a small hand.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s face wore a smile, and he said kindly, "It¡¯s dawn, time to hit the road. We will take you to find your master..."


    To find the master...


    Mo Hua had a moment of clarity, complex emotions surfacing, but he still smiled and said, "Okay!"


    The group packed their bags, ready to leave.


    At that moment, a low whisper came from the clay statue:


    "Little Gentlemen, be careful, none of them are good people..."


    It was a Divine Thought, and only Mo Hua could hear it.


    "I know..." Mo Hua nodded and then waved to the clay statue on the main hall of the dilapidated temple, "I¡¯m leaving now. When I¡¯m free in the future, I¡¯ll come back to see you..."


    The other cultivators, seeing this, were somewhat puzzled.


    But thinking that Mo Hua was just a child, and some children have such temperaments, they didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    On top of the clay statue, white smoke formed the visage of Lord Yellow Mountain.


    He gave Mo Hua a sheepish smile.


    But he couldn¡¯t express the sadness in his heart:


    "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t come back to see me; I don¡¯t want to see you again..."


    Everything packed, Mo Hua followed Boss Jiang and his group out of the dilapidated temple, walking towards Qingzhou City in the glow of the dawn.


    This was also the necessary route to the Qian Learning State Boundary, and Mo Hua happened to be headed that way as well.


    Lord Yellow Mountain watched them leave, filled with worry.


    "These more than ten cultivators, bearing evil karma, are no good sort..."


    "That little cultivator, I hope he¡¯ll be all right..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain furrowed his brow, then abruptly his expression changed.


    The cultivators might be no good, but this little cultivator seemed... even less so?


    What kind of cultivator thinks of "eating" a Mountain God?!


    Lord Yellow Mountain watched silently, his stone face reflecting the complexity of emotions as Mo Hua confidently walked among the "kidnappers," leaving him unsure who he should really be worried about...

 Chapter 762: Sending Big Brother On His Way (1)

    Having crossed the deep mountains, there were still hundreds of miles to go before reaching Qingzhou City.


    Arriving at Qingzhou City was tantamount to stepping halfway into the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    The Qian Xue State Boundary boasted a vibrant scholastic atmosphere and was relatively safer.


    After that, he would follow the Map to find the Qian Taoist Sect and, with the Sect-Entering Order, he could formally join the Sect. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Joining the Sect..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was filled with anticipation.


    On this journey, his spirits were lifted, his step light, as he followed Boss Jiang and the others without any guard up.


    He freeloaded meals and drinks along the way.


    At night, they would stay in dilapidated temples or abandoned houses in the wilderness; Mo Hua would wrap himself in his small blanket after a full meal and sleep soundly.


    Boss Jiang and his men were gathered around a fire.


    One of them cast a glance at Mo Hua and scoffed, "This kid¡¯s such a dreamer, dumb as a doorknob, clueless about everything..."


    Boss Jiang gave him a stern look, "Watch your mouth!"


    The man was reprimanded and lowered his head, but he still muttered, "The dumb kid can¡¯t hear us anyway..."


    Another shook his head, "This child seems clever enough, but he lacks street smarts..."


    "What street smarts? Even at your age, you¡¯re probably no better than him..."


    "If he was really wily, wouldn¡¯t that spell trouble for us?"


    "Enough!" Boss Jiang frowned.


    The others fell silent.


    All around, there was stillness, only the crackling of the campfire breaking the silence.


    As the night grew colder with the mountain wind, the men huddled around the fire to drink and keep warm.


    Someone stood guard at the perimeter, their Divine Sense sweeping the area from time to time, wary of any disturbances.


    As midnight approached, the quiet deepened.


    Mo Hua slept even more soundly, occasionally smacking his lips, as if savoring something delicious in his dreams.


    A burly man glanced at Mo Hua and said to Boss Jiang:


    "It¡¯s good that this kid is a bit simple. Having him with us makes us less suspicious on the road."


    Boss Jiang nodded slightly.


    After some thought, the man¡¯s face showed a trace of doubt, "Boss, do you think we can pull it off without a hitch?"


    Boss Jiang¡¯s brow furrowed, and he lowered his voice, "We¡¯re all that¡¯s left; we have to make it work..."


    The man pressed on, "But with our current state..."


    Boss Jiang glanced at Mo Hua out of the corner of his eye and saw that he was sleeping soundly. Only then did he say:


    "The darkest place is right under the lamp..."


    "This time, several groups of us, including the strongest team with eight cultivators at the latter stage of Foundation Establishment wielding Evil Artifacts and practicing Demon Path Skills, were sniffed out by the Taoist Court Officials and got slaughtered without a survivor."


    "The remaining groups either got caught by the Gu Family or have been put on the wanted list by the Taoist Court Officials..."


    "Now, the Taoist Court Officials are on our heels, and if we¡¯re not careful, we could all end up dead..."


    The man exploded in anger, "Damn Taoist Court Officials!"


    Then, puzzled, he asked, "Those Taoist Court Officials, with their bloated ranks and idleness, why have they become such a thorn in our side this time?"


    Boss Jiang gave him a look, "Anyone who rises to the Taoist Court Officials isn¡¯t a true ¡¯good-for-nothing.¡¯ It¡¯s just that without benefits, they¡¯re unwilling to take action..."


    "Once their own interests are at stake, if there¡¯s profit to be made, they become the real ¡¯Hawk Dogs¡¯..."


    "The stakes for this deal are high. Since the Taoist Court Officials are involved and there¡¯s plenty to gain, they naturally put in all their effort..."


    The man spoke quietly, "Our group is only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. We¡¯re no match for the Taoist Court Officials or the Gu Family..."


    Boss Jiang looked at him coldly, "Even if you were at the initial stage of Golden Core, you still wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against them."


    The man was at a loss for words.


    Boss Jiang sighed, "That¡¯s why we picked the Second Grade state boundary and traveled this difficult path..."


    "Thank goodness, we¡¯re merely at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. If our cultivation were any higher, it would attract attention, and we might get exposed and slaughtered by the Taoist Court Officials or the Gu Family halfway through our journey..."


    The man shuddered at the thought.


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    The path of cultivation truly depended on fate.


    Sometimes, higher cultivation isn¡¯t better. The higher your cultivation, the quicker you might die...


    "Boss, can we really make it on this trip?"


    Boss Jiang spoke gravely, "Mr. Tu has calculated everything. As long as we follow his instructions, this journey will be startling but not dangerous..."


    The name "Mr. Tu" seemed to carry significant weight.


    The man was somewhat reassured.


    Boss Jiang continued, "After this deal is closed, we will earn a large sum of Spirit Stones. Then, the brothers can buy some Pills and Spiritual Objects to cultivate in seclusion. At the very least, they could increase their realm by one or two levels."


    "Once the heat dies down, we can resume our old business..."


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention, but he grinned sheepishly, "With so many Spirit Stones, cultivating in seclusion seems painfully tedious..."


    Boss Jiang saw through his thoughts and kicked him, scolding, "Spend less time in the brothels, you worthless lot..."


    The man grinned sheepishly, somewhat unconvinced, then glanced at Mo Hua and asked:


    "So what about this kid? Are we selling him too?"


    Boss Jiang nodded, "I¡¯ve got it figured out. There are a few rendezvous points outside Qingzhou City. We¡¯ll sell him there along with the others. We¡¯ll take whatever we can get..."


    ...


    The two talked until the deep of the night beckoned them with fatigue, and they both closed their eyes to rest.


    Within the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua, who was practicing the Formation while secretly eavesdropping on the "story," furrowed his brow.


    "Several groups..."


    "Mr. Tu..."


    "The deal..."


    It seemed these human traffickers were not just from one group but perhaps part of a larger gang.


    And there were even Demon Cultivators involved...


    He just didn¡¯t know if the groups of Demon Cultivators he had encountered on his journey were also engaged in "abducting Cultivators."


    And this "Mr. Tu"...


    Who was this person?


    "Calculated" a journey that¡¯s startling but not dangerous?


    How did he calculate it?


    Did he also know the Calculation Method akin to the Heavenly Secret, or did he possess treasures like the Heavenly Secret Lock?


    Mo Hua was troubled:


    "What should I do now?"


    "Shall I bust this ring of human traffickers who ¡¯trade Cultivators¡¯ in one fell swoop?"

 Chapter 763: Sending Big Brother Off (2)

    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Being only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, he didn¡¯t have such capability...


    Moreover, this was Qian State, not the Second Grade Big Black Mountain State Boundary where high-ranking cultivators were as common as clouds.


    Without any power, background, or acquaintances, no one would cover for him.


    He had no right to meddle in these affairs.


    "Forget it, better ensure my own safety first..."


    When near Qingzhou City, he would find a chance to slip away secretly.


    The urgent matter at hand was to join a sect.


    This was the priority, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time on other things.


    At most, after arriving in Qingzhou City, he could report to the Taoist Court and let the Taoist Court Officials worry about the rest. As a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator, he couldn¡¯t manage that much...


    But that calculative "Mr. Tu," he might need to keep an eye on him...


    Mo Hua remembered the name "Mr. Tu," then continued practicing formations on the Taoist Stele.


    The next day, after waking up, Mo Hua continued on the road with everyone.


    After traveling for several days, Qingzhou City was less than a hundred miles away.


    Mo Hua felt it was time to make his move; it was time for him to slip away.


    The vast world was his to explore, but entering a sect was paramount.


    He no longer had time to play with them.


    However, when they arrived at a mountain forest to take a short rest, Boss Jiang suddenly pulled out an iron bracelet and handed it to Mo Hua, saying coldly:


    "Put it on."


    Mo Hua was stunned, "What is this?"


    "Don¡¯t ask, just put it on."


    Boss Jiang¡¯s tone was indifferent.


    The other cultivators also looked towards Mo Hua, their smiles sinister.


    Mo Hua said "fearfully," "I... I won¡¯t put it on..."


    A burly man sneered, "That¡¯s not up to you..."


    "Aren¡¯t you... supposed to be taking me to find my master?"


    Mo Hua stammered, while quietly releasing his Divine Sense, preparing to find a corner to escape unnoticed by utilizing the Water Passing Step and then conceal himself in the underbrush with the Concealment Technique.


    The First Grade Concealment Technique had slightly poorer effects.


    But he was small in stature, and with the help of the underbrush to blur the line of sight, it would be enough to shake off these people.


    The slave traders were unaware of Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts.


    Boss Jiang smiled faintly, yet it seemed fake, as if he was grinning without really smiling:


    "If you wear this bracelet, we will take you to find your master..."


    "Really?"


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    Mo Hua¡¯s face showed naivety, but he had already secretly begun to channel his energy, with the heels of his feet slightly lifting off the ground.


    Boss Jiang was about to say something when suddenly, a big man in the crowd scoffed:


    "Find your master?"


    "You naive fool!"


    "Who would be so bored as to actually take you to find your master who¡¯s whereabouts are unknown..."


    The surroundings fell silent for a moment.


    The expression on Mo Hua¡¯s face gradually faded, and his eyes turned cold, with a trace of pitch-black shadow surfacing in their depths.


    However, these changes were fleeting, gone in an instant, and went unnoticed by anyone.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze was sharp like a sword as he suddenly looked towards the big man.


    The big man closed his mouth in discontent.


    Boss Jiang turned to Mo Hua, saying gently:


    "Young brother, don¡¯t mind their words..."


    "We do intend to take you to your master."


    "This bracelet is a Spiritual Artifact; it is both to protect you and to prevent you from getting lost, making it impossible for us to find you. You should wear it... it¡¯s for your own good..."


    Boss Jiang¡¯s tone was gentle, but his gaze was cold and uncompromising.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay!"


    Mo Hua took the bracelet and wore it on his delicate wrist.


    Boss Jiang felt relieved, looking at Mo Hua as one would look at a lamb.


    "Let¡¯s go..."


    Boss Jiang took the lead, and with a sinister chuckle, the rest followed.


    Mo Hua walked behind, silently observing them, as though he were looking at a bunch of dead men.


    ...


    Afterward, Mo Hua behaved perfectly well along the way.


    Boss Jiang found it odd, but considering that the iron bracelet was put on, he figured this small cultivator couldn¡¯t cause any trouble and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    After traveling another hundred miles or so, they arrived at an eatery as dusk fell.


    This place was only a few dozen miles from Qingzhou City.


    The eatery, with its thatched roof and wooden eaves, was quite spacious, yet there were no diners. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The eatery had a chubby proprietor and a thin waiter, who, upon seeing Boss Jiang and his group, focused their gaze and asked with a smile:


    "Gentlemen, what would you like to eat?"


    Boss Jiang spoke in a deep voice, "Nothing."


    The proprietor asked, "Then how about lodging?"


    Boss Jiang replied, "Can people even stay here?"


    The proprietor breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and said:


    "Important people can¡¯t, but minor ones can."


    Boss Jiang nodded, "Then we won¡¯t stay, just serve some wine and meat."


    The proprietor responded, "Alright!"


    The exchange between the two was somewhat strange.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and realized these people were part of the same group.


    The proprietor was also a human trafficker, disguised and lying in wait here to liaise with cultivators like Boss Jiang, selling small cultivators like himself.


    The group took their seats at the eatery.


    The proprietor served them wine and dishes, and then, toasting to Boss Jiang, asked in a low voice:


    "Did you succeed?"


    Boss Jiang nodded.


    The proprietor glanced at Mo Hua, frowning, "Is that him? He doesn¡¯t seem to be the right age..."


    Boss Jiang shook his head, "No, that¡¯s just an extra catch we found along the way. The important ¡¯merchandise¡¯ wouldn¡¯t possibly be brought here with us..."


    "...rest assured, everything is in order..."


    The proprietor then felt relieved, "That¡¯s good..."


    Boss Jiang then asked, "When will the people arrive?"


    "In two hours..."


    "And the people from the Gu Family?"


    "They¡¯ve left the city..."


    "The Taoist Court Officials..."


    "Someone¡¯s keeping an eye out; within a ten to twenty miles radius, there are none of those dogs..."


    Boss Jiang sighed in relief and nodded, "Good!"


    The others also relaxed considerably.


    After a journey of eating in the wind and sleeping outdoors, always fearful and anxious, this business deal was finally about to be concluded. They would earn plenty of Spirit Stones and live a good life for a few years, or maybe even more than a decade.

 Chapter 764: Sending Big Brother on His Way (3)

    The shopkeeper served wine and meat.


    After having been hungry for the entire journey, everyone ate heartily, but they exercised more restraint with the wine.


    At this critical juncture, they clearly didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble.


    Mo Hua received a small bowl of Spiritual Meat, nibbling on it while deep in thought.


    "Two hours..."


    "Who¡¯s coming?"


    "If it¡¯s a Golden Core, I guess I won¡¯t be able to get away; if it¡¯s Foundation Establishment, it¡¯ll also be quite troublesome once their numbers increase..."


    "It seems I need to start planning ahead..."


    Mo Hua took a bite of the meat, then slammed the bowl down and frowned, "This tastes terrible..."


    The other Cultivators all turned to look, their gazes unfriendly.


    "Kid, what are you making a fuss about?"


    Mo Hua said, "The meat tastes terrible, it¡¯s poorly made, not even as good as what I can make..."


    The stout shopkeeper was furious, "Nonsense, this is a skill passed down from my ancestors!"


    Mo Hua replied disdainfully, "Then your ancestors weren¡¯t very impressive..."


    "You..."


    The stout shopkeeper¡¯s face reddened with anger, but Boss Jiang held him back, signaling him to keep calm, "What¡¯s the point of fussing with a child..."


    At times like this, it¡¯s better to avoid trouble than to create it.


    Boss Jiang looked at Mo Hua, "If it doesn¡¯t suit your taste, go and cook for yourself."


    After all, it was going to be their last meal, so letting the kid do as he wished and enjoy something tasty didn¡¯t seem like a big deal.


    Boss Jiang silently thought to himself.


    Mo Hua eagerly said, "Okay!" and then he got up and headed to the kitchen.


    Boss Jiang silently watched Mo Hua go.


    The kitchen was enclosed within the eatery, and with Mo Hua still wearing iron shackles, it was impossible for him to escape, especially with more than ten people watching. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, to prevent any mishaps, Boss Jiang continued to eat and drink, all while extending a sliver of his Divine Sense to keep an eye on any movements in the kitchen.


    Mo Hua was truly stewing the meat.


    The ingredients in this eatery were all Spiritual Meat; although there were fewer varieties, the quality of the meat was good.


    It seemed that this group was engaged in unscrupulous deeds but living an indulgent life.


    Spiritual Meat was expensive, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t eat it often, nor did he want to indulge too freely, but now there was no need for politeness...


    Mo Hua picked some of the best pieces of meat, placed them in the pot to cook, and then, following the recipes his mother taught him, he controlled the heat, added spices, and brought out the flavor of the meat, blending it with the aroma of the spices...


    Boss Jiang¡¯s scrutiny with his Divine Sense did not go unnoticed by Mo Hua.


    But with his level of Divine Sense, it would be strange if he could keep tabs on Mo Hua.


    After adjusting the seasoning, Mo Hua turned down the heat to let the meat simmer slowly.


    He then took out several vials of Spiritual Ink from his Storage Ring.


    His Storage Bag had been "confiscated" by Boss Jiang, who claimed to be holding onto it for him temporarily.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t care.


    The key items were all stored in the Storage Ring given to him by his master, which others couldn¡¯t see, making it very secure.


    His first task now was to remove the iron bracelet from his wrist.


    Mo Hua took out the Spiritual Ink, and with a touch of his finger, he used Divine Consciousness Control Ink to solidify Formation Patterns on the bracelet, releasing the iron bracelet that was locked on his wrist.


    This bracelet had the effects of suppressing spiritual power and tracking.


    The Taoist Court also had similar Spiritual Artifacts for imprisoning Sin Cultivators.


    The trouble with this bracelet was that it had Formation Patterns inscribed on it.


    But to Mo Hua, as long as it involved Formation Patterns, it wasn¡¯t a problem.


    That¡¯s why he willingly put on the bracelet in the first place.


    "Thinking that such a Formation could trap me is rather akin to ¡¯bringing an axe to the hall of Lu Ban¡¯..."


    Mo Hua hummed softly in his heart.


    Once the Formation on the iron bracelet was unlocked, it ceased to have any effect.


    What followed was the real business...


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes glimmered faintly, shimmering with phantoms, the pupils pitch black. Atop the Divine Sense Incarnation within his Sea of Consciousness, an eerie "Taoist Robe" also draped itself.


    His Divine Sense poured out like the tide.


    And the Spiritual Ink rose from the bottle, condensing into lines that fell to the ground, merged with the earth, and like thin threads or blood serpents, they secretly, snakily, spread out layer upon layer...


    The sky grew dim, and dusk enveloped everything.


    The people were unaware that something terrifying was creeping on the ground, weaving together like a spider spins its web, interlinking layer upon layer, gradually taking form...


    ...


    The Spiritual Meat was tender, requiring little time to cook.


    Soon, Mo Hua had finished boiling the meat.


    He served it in a bowl as big as his face, bringing it outside to eat alone, savoring both the meat and the soup with evident delight.


    The others watched him silently.


    They were surprised that this youngster truly could cook, and they were also somewhat astonished that the dishes he made smelled quite appetizing.


    But they all refrained from disturbing Mo Hua.


    As if no matter how well Mo Hua ate, his meal was still a "last supper."


    The sold children, unaware of who the buyers were or what they were bought for...


    Whether to be raised, enslaved, or used for Alchemy, Refining Rune, or Artifact Refining...


    Whether they lived or died was another matter.


    So to call it a "last supper" was not inappropriate.


    Mo Hua finished the entire bowl of meat, his belly round and full. After drinking the soup, he felt warm and content. Stay updated through


    He then poured himself a cup of wine from the table, held it with both hands, and walked over to Boss Jiang, offering him a toast.


    Boss Jiang was somewhat surprised.


    Mo Hua, holding the wine bowl, said earnestly:


    "Thank you, big brothers, for looking after me along the way. I toast to you all, to send the big brothers on your journey!"


    Mo Hua lifted his bowl and drank it down in one gulp.


    Boss Jiang couldn¡¯t help but to smile, though internally he sneered. Still, he lifted his bowl of wine. But halfway through his drink, he suddenly realized that something was off with Mo Hua¡¯s words...


    Send the big brothers on their journey?


    On what journey?


    Boss Jiang was taken aback.


    And while Mo Hua took advantage of the moment while he was toasting to attract everyone¡¯s attention, he quietly shattered a Storage Bag of Spirit Stones, and with his Divine Thought, activated the Formation.


    Ripples of Spiritual Power spread out.


    Boss Jiang knew something was wrong. His expression turned fierce as he sharply turned to Mo Hua.


    He reached out to grab Mo Hua, but suddenly Mo Hua was enveloped in a mist of water, formless and elusive, drifting uncertainly.


    When Boss Jiang tried to grasp him, it was as if he tried to catch a handful of mist, palpable yet containing nothing.


    When he looked again, Mo Hua had already floated away, now standing in a corner.


    Graceful as a startled swan, fleeting as a passing river, simultaneously real and illusionary.


    "What kind of movement technique is this?!"


    Boss Jiang was shocked and wanted to pursue. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a sight that made his temples twitch.


    Without them knowing when, the ground had suddenly sprouted an intricate web of vivid red Patterns. Against the twilight, they were strikingly bright. Spiritual Power flowed within them like streams of lava, encircling each and every one of them!


    "A Killing Formation?!!"


    Boss Jiang¡¯s heart shook violently, and he looked on in horror.

 Chapter 765: Sword Control (1)

    Second-grade Thirteen Stripes Earth Fire Formation!


    The Formation Patterns were burning, red as fresh blood and hot as magma!


    In the blink of an eye, they suddenly exploded.


    The boiling Fire Elemental Spiritual Power surged wildly, intertwining recklessly like Fire Pythons, thoroughly engulfing a group of cultivators.


    As the Spiritual Power dissipated, the area was left in complete disarray.


    When the dust settled, it revealed Boss Jiang¡¯s disheveled figure.


    In front of him was a Golden Bell Spiritual Artifact, which he had activated with all his might, enveloping his body. However, it failed to protect his entire body...


    His left arm and leg were charred black by the Earth Fire Formation, and even the bloodstains were burnt crisp.


    The right side of his body, although protected by the Spiritual Artifact, still endured the impact of the explosion, causing his internal organs to ache and blood to spurt from his mouth.


    The Golden Bell Spiritual Artifact was also covered in cracks, clearly rendered useless.


    As the leader, Boss Jiang was experienced in the business of trafficking cultivators and often walked by the river, his head tied to his belt, both suspicious and shrewd by nature.


    Therefore, the moment he sensed something amiss in Mo Hua¡¯s words, he became wary.


    At a critical juncture, he drew out his life-saving Spiritual Artifact, and this is how he survived, though grievously wounded.


    But his subordinates, the other eleven "traffickers," were not so lucky.


    For cultivators in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, a Second-grade Formation with Thirteen Stripes was akin to a "heavy killing weapon."


    They had never imagined that someone would silently lay such a Killing Formation on the ground.


    Caught completely off guard, they were directly consumed by the flames of the Earth Fire Formation and blasted by Fire-series Spiritual Power, suffering severe damage to their meridians, and one by one, they fell to the ground.


    Some died instantly, and those who were still alive were left with just a breath.


    Without taking some pills to hang onto life, they probably wouldn¡¯t survive.


    Heart bleeding, Boss Jiang couldn¡¯t bear it.


    These were his brothers!


    Surviving in the Cultivation World relied not just on one¡¯s own strength, but also on brotherly support.


    These brothers were the backbone he had painstakingly built over the years, living through burning, killing, kidnapping, and shared meals of meat and drinks.


    Now, with this one explosion, he wasn¡¯t sure how many would survive.


    Ignoring his injuries, Boss Jiang turned his head in great anger, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.


    He saw that damned brat, calmly "finishing off" those who were not yet dead!?!!


    Just like a little Yama, whomever he saw still breathing, he stepped forward and delivered a Fireball Technique to end it.


    This Fireball Technique was no small force.


    Those who had but a breath left, once struck by the Fireball Technique, also breathed their last.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he shouted angrily, Read new chapters at


    "You brat, what are you doing?!"


    Mo Hua turned around and sighed,


    "I saw they were suffering too much, lingering on without dying peacefully, so I helped them find release..."


    Before he could finish, he pointed his finger, and another Fireball Technique claimed the life of another struggling "trafficker."


    Boss Jiang felt rage surge up, a mouthful of blood stuck in his chest which he spat out with a "puhh" sound. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, however, didn¡¯t bother with him, continuing his "finishing moves" on his own.


    They had more numbers, and he couldn¡¯t beat them on his own.


    He had to strike first, with lightning-fast moves, setting up the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation and killing whoever he could.


    Afterward, those who were severely injured couldn¡¯t be spared either.


    Even those who seemed to have breathed their last had to be hit again with a Fireball Technique, to make their death "solid" and "thorough," preventing any surprise attacks or unforeseen complications that could turn the situation on its head.


    As for the remaining Boss Jiang, he was still breathing heavily, showing strong resilience. Mo Hua would take his time to "play" with him.


    In just over a few breaths¡¯ time, Mo Hua had finished off more than a dozen traffickers.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s anger had now turned into a chill.


    He knew he had fallen into a trap.


    Appearances can be deceiving.


    He should not have underestimated this young cultivator for his youthful appearance, innocent face, and occasional naivety.


    This was not a simpleton but a little Evil Ghost!


    It took just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea for him, with his sole strength, a mere Formation, and a few Fireballs, to kill all the brothers he had accumulated over the years...


    And now, his own situation looked rather grim...


    Secretly taking a pill, Boss Jiang began healing while simmering with questions, he asked,


    "You little demon, when exactly did you set up the Formation?"


    Mo Hua smiled without answering.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze darkened as he continued to ask,


    "Why were you also in the midst of the Formation, but after it exploded, you were unharmed?"


    Mo Hua smiled again, keeping silent.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid.


    Explaining how he "Drawing Ground into Formation" and calculated the "Life-gate" was pointless; he didn¡¯t bother telling Boss Jiang, who wouldn¡¯t understand his knowledge of Formations anyway.


    It would be like playing the lute to a cow.


    Mo Hua checked the surroundings once more and nodded.


    Now that all the traffickers had been "taken care of" by him, only Boss Jiang, the leader, remained.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was smiling, but his heart had already begun to calculate how to slaughter Boss Jiang...


    For human trafficking...


    This dark business surely had deep roots and intertwined interests. If it had lasted this long, the forces behind it were probably not small.


    Offending Boss Jiang would guarantee a grudge.


    Indeed, there could be retaliation from his backing forces.


    Therefore, he had to ensure complete eradication!


    Otherwise, as a frail cultivator in the initial stages of Foundation Establishment, his future would be in great danger...


    Watching Mo Hua, Boss Jiang¡¯s mind shifted, and he suddenly said in a deep voice,


    "Young brother, you might not believe me, but this is all a misunderstanding. I trafficked you, but you also killed my eleven brothers ¡ª we¡¯re even now..."


    "Let me leave, and I won¡¯t seek revenge on you..."


    "From now on, we won¡¯t interfere with each other¡¯s affairs. What do you think?"


    Mo Hua knew Boss Jiang was talking nonsense, but when it came to talking nonsense, he was no less skilled than anyone else.

 Chapter 766: Sword Control (2)

    Mo Hua nodded and said:


    "Alright, I¡¯ve only killed eleven of your brothers, but now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, enemies should reconcile rather than fall out. I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones..."


    Boss Jiang was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help but become angry, spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    He had never imagined that this kid could be so shameless, with such thick skin that he could say such things without blushing.


    But... killed your eleven brothers...


    But!!


    Boss Jiang inwardly seethed.


    This kid might look simple and naive on the surface, but his scheming was vicious and his actions despicable to the extreme!!


    Boss Jiang¡¯s face twitched with anger.


    But it didn¡¯t matter anymore...


    This was a fight to the death from the start.


    And he was determined to kill this kid, to avenge his brothers...


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze turned cold and his expression fierce.


    His pale complexion slowly regained its color, the scars on his body formed scabs, and his energy gradually recovered.


    Boss Jiang cast a side glance at Mo Hua, let out a cold laugh and said, "I¡¯ve been talking nonsense with you to buy time and wait for my injuries to heal. What are you waiting for? Waiting to die?"


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, "I¡¯m waiting for the Formation!"


    Boss Jiang was startled and suddenly felt a sense of alarm. He hurriedly looked down and saw that the ground was unknowingly covered with several golden Formation Patterns.


    These Patterns, layered upon each other, intertwined to form what looked like double lotuses.


    A First-Grade Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation!


    Once the Formation was complete, it materialized golden light and formed golden locks that restrained Boss Jiang.


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he pointed forward, forcefully urging his Spiritual Power. The Second-grade Fireball Technique fired rapidly, one after another, fiercely shooting towards Boss Jiang.


    Boss Jiang was caught off guard, trapped by the golden locks of the Compound Formation, and couldn¡¯t dodge in time, taking six or seven Fireball Techniques directly.


    The Blood Qi that had just recovered was now entirely depleted, and his injuries turned even worse.


    Moreover, Mo Hua specialized in hitting the face when beating someone, and the Fireball Technique was aimed at Boss Jiang¡¯s face, so he looked even more pitiful than before.


    Boss Jiang, summoning all his strength, finally broke free from the Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful seeing this.


    The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was too draining to use for now.


    The Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation, although a Compound Formation, was only First-Grade and couldn¡¯t trap Boss Jiang for long.


    If it were a Second-Grade Trapping Formation, he could have locked Boss Jiang down, turning him into a "live target" and worn him out with the Fireball Technique.


    However, the Second-order Thorn Formation wasn¡¯t very handy.


    He didn¡¯t know any other Second-Grade Trapping Formations, and his Divine Sense was also not quite sufficient for now...


    "It seems my Divine Sense and Formation skills are still not strong enough..."


    "I need to get started and learn more about Second-Grade Formations as soon as possible..." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    After Boss Jiang broke free from the Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation, he hastily swallowed a Pill, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at Mo Hua, his expression one of disbelief.


    How did this kid lay the Formation just now?!


    Without using a brush, drawing the ground into a Formation?


    Which Sect or Clan¡¯s heritage did this come from?


    He had once studied in the Qian Learning State Boundary and, though not proficient in Formations, had seen many talented Formation Masters. He had never seen a Formation Master who could lay a Formation without a brush or paper during battle.


    Boss Jiang said with a serious expression:


    "What exactly is your identity? And who is your master?"


    Mo Hua laughed and replied, "I¡¯ll tell you after you die. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll tell someone else."


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    Hatred rose in Boss Jiang¡¯s heart.


    This kid, just like an old hand who was impervious to oil and salt...


    All nonsense from his mouth, not giving away any hints.


    But now in a fight to the death situation, he had no other choice but to fight with everything he had.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze turned frosty, his mind made up.


    This kid was skilled in spells, extremely good at Formations, and his techniques for laying Formations were concealed, tricky, and swift.


    In that case, he could only suppress him at close range, not giving him time to cast spells or set up Formations, or he would surely be "played" to death by him...


    "Young brother, I admit defeat. Let¡¯s talk this over..."


    Boss Jiang suddenly softened.


    "You..."


    Just as Mo Hua began to speak, he suddenly paused, only to see Boss Jiang, like a vicious wolf, charging at him, his long sword swinging in a bright arc, aiming for his heart.


    Mo Hua spoke angrily, "Shameless!"


    Then he took a step back, surrounded by a light blue current of water, which gently carried his body, flowing effortlessly backwards.


    When executing the Second-Grade Water Passing Step, the movements weren¡¯t the same as First Grade¡ªthe actions were all encircled by water currents, allowing for more composed advances and retreats.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s thrust missed, and he turned around for another downward slash, seemingly intent on cleaving Mo Hua in half.


    Mo Hua floated in the air, his body flipping lightly, like water returning to a river, surging and turning, again easily avoiding the strike.


    Boss Jiang frowned, his attacks became more aggressive, Sword Qi swirling around, one slash after another, aimed at Mo Hua, leaving no chance for Mo Hua to cast any Spell or concentrate on a Formation.


    Mo Hua indeed felt pressure, able only to maneuver with his movement technique and not able to counterattack for the time being.


    But Boss Jiang became more and more fearful as the battle progressed.


    He had felt that this movement technique, seemingly as erratic as flowing water, was very strange.


    Now facing it at close range and after a brief struggle, he hadn¡¯t even managed to touch the hem of Mo Hua¡¯s clothing, and this made him realize:


    "An Ultimate Technique Body Skill?!"


    This must be an Ultimate Technique Body Skill from one of the Great Sects or powerful Clans!


    Otherwise, it would be impossible for a Spiritual Cultivator, relying on a movement technique alone, to contend with him for so long...


    This is bad...


    Boss Jiang was already injured and putting up a strong front to suppress closely, wishing for a quick resolution, but he didn¡¯t expect close range combat to be so ineffective.


    If this struggle continued, the situation would become dire.


    Or rather, it was already dire...


    Boss Jiang could feel his Spiritual Power weakening, and the speed of his sword strikes becoming slower and slower with each attack.

 Chapter 767: Sword Control (3)

    Yet, this bit of change did not escape the keen perception of the little devil.


    He could even see a glimmer light up in the little devil¡¯s eyes, a smile hung on his lips that was both adorable and extremely annoying.


    Next, he tasted the magic of the Fireball Technique again.


    He had slowed down, but the little devil had not.


    The gaps he left were sufficient for the little devil to dodge with ease, then bring his fingers together, gather energy, and form the Fireball Technique.


    It was exceedingly fast.


    In almost an instant, it was conjured, and in a flash, it came whistling toward him.


    Boss Jiang had never seen such a fast Fireball Technique in his life.


    It was, again, aimed at his face.


    Boss Jiang shielded his face with his arms, blocking the fireball, but his arms were scaldingly hot, a wave of intense pain surged, and his figure staggered a few steps.


    When he looked up again, he saw Mo Hua had already pulled away and was once more bringing his fingers together to form the Fireball Technique...


    A hint of despair arose in Boss Jiang¡¯s heart.


    It was an utterly ordinary Fireball Technique, but combined with a movement technique and swift casting speed, it seemed it had not a single flaw.


    He couldn¡¯t find any opportunity...


    He suddenly realized that even if he hadn¡¯t been wounded by the Earth Fire Formation, he might not be able to defeat this little devil purely with his Taoist Skill...


    Boss Jiang was stunned.


    "I actually... can¡¯t defeat this little devil?"


    As this thought emerged, he felt both shame and anger.


    As a Foundation Building Cultivator and a minor faction leader who had roamed the Tao Cultivation World of Qian State for over a hundred years, having survived countless covert and overt battles, he actually...


    Couldn¡¯t handle a child in his teens?!


    A crack appeared in Boss Jiang¡¯s Taoist Heart, he took a deep breath, stared at Mo Hua with a chilling hatred in his eyes.


    Then he withdrew, increasing the distance between himself and Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, who was in the middle of forming a fireball, was somewhat astonished.


    What does this mean?


    He¡¯s given up?


    If he increases the distance, wouldn¡¯t he just be a sitting duck for the Fireball Technique?


    "Could it be that hitting him in the face with the fireball accidentally damaged his brain?"


    Mo Hua murmured to himself. Your adventure continues at


    Suddenly, he too was startled, his gaze turned stern as he looked at Boss Jiang.


    Out of nowhere, Boss Jiang had pulled out a Jade Talisman, activated it, and a layer of golden light enveloped his body, as if he had been "plated" in gold.


    Then, from his storage, he retrieved another sword.


    This sword, the length of a forearm, etched with golden patterns, was extremely lavish and its Sword Qi was formidable.


    Mo Hua came to a realization with a bit of shock.


    This Boss Jiang was actually a true Sword Cultivator!


    Previously, when he was in close combat, using the sword to attack, all his moves were martial arts based, and Mo Hua thought he was just a "Body Cultivator" pretending to wield a sword.


    But now, Mo Hua realized that this Boss Jiang indeed seemed to be a Sword Cultivator who knew the Sword Control Technique!


    Boss Jiang let out a cold laugh, then channeling his Spiritual Power, he activated the Sever Gold Sword.


    The Sever Gold Sword shone brightly with golden light, accumulating astonishing Sword Qi.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze turned fierce.


    This was his trump card technique.


    It was also the sword technique he never revealed to others!


    Once the sword moved, he must kill all witnesses, leaving no survivors!


    Otherwise, his identity would be exposed.


    He was once a disciple of the Sever Gold Sect at the Qian Learning State boundary, and what he learned was the sect¡¯s Sect Protecting Sword technique, the Sever Gold Sword Control Jue!


    This Sword technique was purloined by him.


    If the sect ever found out that he had learned the Sect Protecting Sword technique and used it for the business of "trading Cultivators", he would become a disgrace to the sect, shaming it.


    He would sure be pursued relentlessly by the Sever Gold Sect!


    He could not withstand the wrath of the Sever Gold Sect.


    That¡¯s why over the years, he seldom used his sword.


    Once he did, he had to be thorough in his killing, leaving no survivors!


    But at this life-and-death moment, he must employ all his trump cards to kill the boy before him, otherwise his chances were grim!


    Boss Jiang stepped forward, chanted the incantations, and gathered the Sword Qi, its formidable presence showing the enormity of the sword¡¯s power.


    But great power meant a longer time to accumulate energy.


    Mo Hua would not give him this opportunity.


    With a light tap of his fingers, a Fireball Technique flew out in an instant, hitting Boss Jiang squarely in the chest.


    However, a flash of golden light on Boss Jiang¡¯s body seemed to have absorbed some of the power of the Fireball Technique.


    Although Boss Jiang was slightly injured, his Sword Qi continued to accumulate.


    Mo Hua frowned and then cast another Water Prison Technique.


    The First-Grade Water Prison Technique could only bind a Foundation Building Cultivator for a moment, interrupting their spellcasting.


    But this Water Prison Technique was mitigated by that golden light as well.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s sword controlling was not interrupted.


    Mo Hua was a bit perplexed; he then remembered that Boss Jiang had activated a Jade Talisman earlier, plating his body with a golden light.


    This golden light fortified him with a "metal body".


    It seemed to buffer part of the force of the spells and also immunize against some controls so that spells wouldn¡¯t interrupt his techniques...


    This allowed him to focus on charging his energy, unleashing this remarkably powerful Sword Control Technique.


    Mo Hua was amazed in his heart.


    You can play like this?


    Having come from the Second-Grade Prefecture Border, Mo Hua was seeing such a spell and Jade Talisman effect for the first time...


    This Boss Jiang was a master!


    "What should we do?"


    "Should we run?"


    "Drag out the time on this ¡¯Golden Body¡¯ and then come back to kill him?"


    Mo Hua pondered in his heart.


    But... could he escape?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He didn¡¯t know just how fast this Sword Control Technique was...


    If the speed of the Sword Qi was faster than his Water Passing Step, he reckoned he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge it...


    Just then, Mo Hua felt a Divine Sense sticking to him, as if it was trying to "lock" him in place...


    Divine Sense Lock?


    Mo Hua was startled, his expression turning subtle...


    On the other side, within just a few breaths, Boss Jiang had finished accumulating the Sword Qi of the "Sever Gold Sword Control Jue".


    The Sever Gold Sword shone with dazzling golden light, its power terrifying.


    Once this sword was unsheathed, anyone at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage was doomed!


    That brat was no exception!


    As long as he used his Divine Sense to lock onto that brat, the Sever Gold Sword would automatically seek the enemy. The sword light would hunt for souls, chasing a thousand zhang to completely obliterate that despicable, detestable little brat!


    As long as he used his Divine Sense to lock on...


    Lock with Divine Sense...


    Lock...


    Boss Jiang "locked on" for quite a while, then suddenly looked stunned, his eyes widening in shock.


    Couldn¡¯t... lock on???


    A sense of ludicrous absurdity washed over him, leaving Boss Jiang in utter shock.


    Divine Sense... can¡¯t lock on?!


    What the hell... is this a joke?!


    He looked intently and there stood little Mo Hua, just ten zhang away in front of him, motionless.


    But in his Divine Sense, there was nothing.


    Not a trace of the little cultivator could be found!


    "Why?"


    Boss Jiang briefly pondered, his pupils contracting.


    His Divine Sense... had it been crushed?!


    By this brat... crushed?!


    Boss Jiang¡¯s face filled with horror.


    Utter nonsense! How could the Divine Sense of this whelp, a greenhorn cultivator, overpower his own, a cultivator who had been cultivating for over a hundred years within the Foundation Establishment Realm?!


    On what basis?


    Beyond belief, Boss Jiang then remembered another, more severe issue:


    What to do with his "Sever Gold Sword Control Jue" that was fully charged with Spiritual Power?


    Not striking would lead to backlash.


    But... how to strike?


    How could he make a move if the Divine Sense couldn¡¯t lock onto the target?


    Then... aim with eyes?


    Boss Jiang found the idea preposterous.


    Since when did Sword Cultivators need to rely on their eyes to strike down an enemy with their swords?


    There are myriad phenomena in the world, bizarre and varied, and Spells are even more numerous and changeable. The least reliable thing for a cultivator is their own eyes.


    Control the sword with Divine Sense, seek the enemy with gaze, wouldn¡¯t that be the height of folly?


    But if he couldn¡¯t trust his eyes, what could he trust...


    Trust Divine Sense?


    There was nothing in his own Divine Sense... what to trust then?


    Boss Jiang looked around with Sword Control, feeling listless in his heart.


    Mo Hua watched Boss Jiang with "sympathy".


    When Boss Jiang met Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, he grew even more furious.


    However, as the Sword Qi had been building up for too long, his meridians began to ache slightly, and if he didn¡¯t act soon, the Sword Qi would backfire, and he would undoubtedly die!


    Boss Jiang gritted his teeth.


    Forget it, life and death are determined by fate, the killing and sparing by heaven!


    If not by Divine Sense, then by eyes!


    "The arrow is on the string; it must be sent."


    If Divine Sense couldn¡¯t lock on, then he¡¯d use his eyes to see and bet it all on this one sword strike!


    Boss Jiang¡¯s spirits lifted as he gathered all his strength to wield the Sever Gold Sword, sending a torrent of Sword Qi toward Mo Hua¡¯s current position with a fierce thrust!


    But the very moment he made his move... S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had already initiated the Water Passing Step, slipping away without a trace...


    Boss Jiang stood dumbfounded, only to watch helplessly as his powerful Sword Control attack, "locked" by gaze, unable to change direction or turn, struck a deserted eatery, splitting it in two...


    ...


    The Sever Gold Sword Control Jue chopped down an empty hut...


    Boss Jiang¡¯s face turned ashen, utterly hopeless.


    The moment he took action, he knew... he was already a dead man...


    Only then did he understand what Mr. Tu meant by "not to complicate matters"...


    Not to complicate matters, so as not to encounter troubles.


    And so as not to run into such a scheming, malevolent little monster with astonishing Formation skills, whose Divine Sense was even too terrifying to lock onto...

 Chapter 768: Unboxing (1)

    Having exhausted all his strength in his sword technique, Boss Jiang knew he was out of spiritual power and death was certain.


    And Mo Hua, true to form, didn¡¯t give him the slightest chance, nor showed any mercy, casting the Fireball Technique frequently until the weakly Boss Jiang was finished.


    With this, the entire group of human traffickers was annihilated.


    The surroundings were a complete mess, charred and blackened, the thatched cottage destroyed by sword control, and grass clippings scattered everywhere.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, deciding it was time to slip away.


    Based on the conversation between Boss Jiang and the chubby shopkeeper, other accomplices were expected to arrive in an hour.


    If he were to bump into them, things could get dicey.


    However, there was still a bit of time, and Mo Hua had some "cleaning up" to do.


    First, he needed to partially erase the traces of the formation, and even though he couldn¡¯t completely eliminate them, he had to confuse the evidence, obscuring the techniques of "Divine Consciousness Control Ink" and "Drawing Ground into Formation". S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not all Formation Masters could use the ground as a medium to lay out a formation.


    Such clues must not be left behind.


    The traces of the spells... didn¡¯t really matter.


    The Second Grade Fireball Technique was a common skill; as long as one had a Fire-series Spiritual Root, anyone could learn it and use it.


    No one would be too suspicious.


    Of course, the main reason was that the traces of the fireball were too obvious.


    The ten or so traffickers either had been finished off by Mo Hua¡¯s fireball or had been bombarded by it until they were riddled with wounds.


    Even if Mo Hua wanted to cover it up, it was impossible to hide.


    After checking everything else, Mo Hua made sure no other traces were left.


    Then, he began to rummage through their storage bags.


    A horse cannot get fat without being fed at night, and a person does not become wealthy without coming across unexpected wealth.


    It¡¯s wrong to casually go through someone else¡¯s storage bag.


    Mo Hua was a proper little cultivator and didn¡¯t want to engage in "robbery and murder", but these traffickers were not good people, and they were fat sheep that had delivered themselves to his door. It would be embarrassing not to take something substantial.


    Moreover, to kill them, he had wasted Second Grade Spiritual Ink and also used up over a hundred Spirit Stones. These costs had to be recuperated from their pockets.


    As a minor cultivator, earning Spirit Stones wasn¡¯t easy.


    "It¡¯s not about getting rich; it¡¯s just about breaking even!"


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, and then started eagerly searching through the traffickers¡¯ storage bags.


    Inside these bags, there was everything, from Spiritual Artifacts used for killing, sinister Runes, and some common pills, as well as some indecent pills whose intended use was unknown.


    Mo Hua originally wanted to take everything.


    But after thinking it over, he hesitated.


    "Most of these are probably stolen goods, and even if they aren¡¯t, they¡¯re mostly unclean¡­"


    If he were to take them, could he possibly leave a trail¡­


    Could others "use the map to find the clues" to track, investigate, or even hunt him down¡­


    And besides, if they were indeed stolen goods, what use would they be to him?


    Most of the stolen items were secondhand and would be hard to offload once he reached the Qian Learning State Boundary.


    If he were in Tongxian City, with the backing of Court Leader Zhou and Elder Yu¡¯s support, even if not sold, Monster Hunters could circulate them within their own ranks.


    However, in the Qian State, where he was unfamiliar, it was a different story¡­


    Greedy for small advantages might lead to greater losses.


    "As a mature cultivator, I must learn to restrain my desires¡­"


    Mo Hua thought to himself and decided to leave the Spiritual Artifacts, pills, and Runes in their storage bags, not pocketing them.


    But Spirit Stones were different.


    Spirit Stones were clean.


    It¡¯s the cultivators who are dirty.


    He would need a lot of Spirit Stones for the upcoming school term...


    Mo Hua put the traffickers¡¯ Spirit Stones into his own storage bag, but then he hesitated. Your journey continues at


    That still wasn¡¯t prudent...


    Leaving behind the Spiritual Artifacts, Runes, and pills, but taking all the Spirit Stones, that looked suspicious.


    Could this indicate that the cultivator who killed these traffickers was a "little money-grubber"?


    "There¡¯s still a bit of risk¡­"


    He couldn¡¯t leave them untouched, but he also couldn¡¯t take everything...


    Mo Hua frowned, thought for a moment, and in the end, with a heavy heart, left half of the Spirit Stones.


    Taking only half of the Spirit Stones was the most cautious approach.


    But since these traffickers were all Foundation Building Cultivators, engaged in a life-and-death trade, they carried quite a lot of Spirit Stones. Even taking only half, Mo Hua managed to amass nearly five thousand Spirit Stones.


    Five thousand Spirit Stones was not a small amount.


    Mo Hua felt a bit better.


    Finally, it was time to check Boss Jiang¡¯s storage bag.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He turned Boss Jiang¡¯s storage bag inside out, finding three Spirit Swords, five bottles of pills, several Secret Manuals, and two Jade Slips.


    Spirit Swords...


    Even though Mo Hua was greedy for them, he couldn¡¯t keep them. Holding on to them would be a disaster.


    He also had no use for the pills.


    Regarding the Secret Manuals...


    Mo Hua flipped through them and found they were Body Refinement and Taoist Skills, which he also couldn¡¯t use and likewise couldn¡¯t take with him.


    Mo Hua felt a bit of regret but also wondered.


    What about the Sword Controlling Technique?


    The one Boss Jiang used, whose name was unknown, but when used, it was mighty and gleaming with golden light, splitting the thatched cottage in two - where was that Sword Controlling Technique?


    He didn¡¯t truly want to learn it...


    Some sword techniques required matching specific Cultivation Techniques, as well as profound Swordsmanship, and expensive Spirit Swords, consuming a large amount of Spiritual Power, to wield their full destructive power.


    Even if Mo Hua got the technique, he might not be able to learn it, let alone afford a Spirit Sword.


    But not studying it didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t research it.


    Knowing oneself and the enemy, studying the principles and the spell point of "Sword Control" could be beneficial.


    If he encountered another Sword Cultivator in the future, he would be prepared.


    Mo Hua searched again and finally focused on the two Jade Slips.


    Both Jade Slips were sealed, impervious to Divine Sense, obviously indicating the content inside was extremely precious.


    "I wonder if inside, there lies the Sword Controlling Technique..."

 Chapter 769: Unboxing (2)

    "To take or not to take..."


    Mo Hua was somewhat conflicted.


    After pondering for a while, he decided to secretly "pocket" the two Jade Slips.


    Such objects, unlike Spiritual Artifacts and Pills, were commonplace and usually involved secrets and spell points that no one would investigate.


    It was normal for a Cultivator¡¯s Storage Bag to contain Jade Slips, and not strange for it to lack them.


    If he took them without showing them to others, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Hiding the two Jade Slips in the "Storage Ring" his master gave him, which could also isolate their aura, was very safe.


    Besides, Mo Hua really wanted to know if the sword control spell named "Golden Flash" was hidden within these two Jade Slips.


    With his mind made up, Mo Hua moved his hand slightly, and the two Jade Slips were collected into the Storage Ring.


    Then he tidied up various miscellaneous items, returned them to Boss Jiang¡¯s Storage Bag, and, restoring everything to its original place, he stuffed the Storage Bag back into Boss Jiang¡¯s embrace.


    Mo Hua even applied a Fireball Technique to make the Storage Bag look like a "battle-damaged" version.


    After completing all these actions, Mo Hua clapped his hands, nodded his head, and felt thoroughly satisfied.


    The bad man was killed.


    The Spirit Stones were earned.


    And he also acquired two Jade Slips, contents unknown.


    Time to slip away...


    Mo Hua performed another check, ensuring there were no oversights, then released his Divine Sense, examining the scene from the perspective of a bystander.


    He confirmed that none of the deaths of these ten plus people had anything to do with him.


    Nor could it lead anyone to associate them with him.


    Only then did Mo Hua feel at ease, and a feeling of gratitude emerged.


    "Thanks to Uncle Zhang Lan..."


    "It was the Taoist Court Official, Uncle Zhang Lan, who taught me not... No, he taught me how to conceal my tracks!"


    I didn¡¯t let Uncle Zhang Lan¡¯s teachings go to waste!


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    He then withdrew his Divine Sense and turned to leave, but as soon as he did, he suddenly hesitated.


    He felt as though he had overlooked something...


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and carefully recollected the journey¡¯s every little detail, growing more perplexed, and he suddenly recalled that this group of Cultivators had been pushing a cart with several storage chests on it...


    Where were those storage chests?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became focused, and with a sweep of his Divine Sense, he let out a surprised sound.


    His Divine Sense... couldn¡¯t detect them?


    "No, it¡¯s not that my Divine Sense can¡¯t detect them, but the aura of these chests has been concealed, making them very hard to be sensed by Divine Sense..."


    "There¡¯s a problem..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gradually lit up.


    He extended his Divine Sense to its limit, even employing the Calculation Method his master taught to detect traces of Spiritual Power.


    Finally, after a short while, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense flickered, and he located the storage chests.


    The storage chests were still inside the eatery.


    Boss Jiang had placed them in a corner, so they were not affected when the Earth Fire Formation exploded, and afterwards, when the eatery was split by Sword Qi, the thatch and beams scattered, covering up these few storage chests.


    Mo Hua had failed to notice them at first.


    From a corner of the eatery, Mo Hua flipped out the storage chests somewhat laboriously.


    These chests, carried by Boss Jiang all the way and even concealed through special means, had almost eluded Mo Hua¡¯s notice.


    There definitely was a major issue...


    "What exactly is inside the chests?"


    Could it be Boss Jiang and his group¡¯s real family fortune?


    Mo Hua perked up.


    The chests were locked and engraved with Formations, but they weren¡¯t difficult, especially not for Mo Hua.


    Releasing his Divine Sense, Mo Hua confirmed there were no traps like hidden weapons in the storage chest before carefully breaking the Formation Patterns and opening the chest.


    As the storage chest opened, Mo Hua looked inside and suddenly froze.


    "Empty?"


    There was nothing inside...


    What¡¯s going on?


    Mo Hua frowned; his fingertip touched a spot, revealing a Pattern as he opened another storage chest.


    But it was also empty inside...


    Mo Hua then directed his gaze to the third storage chest.


    But just as he was about to break the Formation Patterns, Mo Hua hesitated, his expression somewhat astonished.


    "This... isn¡¯t a storage chest..."


    Although it looked exactly the same, the material and structure were completely different.


    This was a seemingly ordinary chest secluded by a Formation...


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes slightly shimmered.


    Storage chests, like Storage Bags, contain Void Power that is profound in principle but applied in a very rudimentary way, capable of holding numerous times more than its own space.


    But this kind of space is repelled by a "Living Soul."


    Storage chests cannot contain people or any other living things.


    All the strange remarks made by Boss Jiang along the way resurfaced in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    "Complications..."


    "Whether it¡¯s one or two, they¡¯re both for sale..."


    "Sell off that brat along with them..."


    Initially, Mo Hua thought they had already trafficked other Cultivators and were merely taking him along opportunely.


    But there was no sign of trafficked Cultivators along the way.


    And their luggage was storage chests, which cannot hold living people.


    So Mo Hua was not suspicious.


    He had even assumed that Boss Jiang¡¯s group was responsible for "receiving the goods."


    Other Cultivators did the trafficking; they handled the "transportation" and "transfer."


    They hadn¡¯t yet received the "goods" for their journey... S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now, their "luggage" included a chest that wasn¡¯t a "storage chest."


    And it was specially blended to deceive and distract others.


    Could it be that what this chest contained was...


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped.


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    He examined the chest more closely and found that it was engraved with Second-Grade Formations, and not just one set.


    There were defensive formations to prevent the chest from being damaged;


    Concealment formations to prevent peeping;


    And lock-type formations to seal the chest, keeping it from being opened...

 Chapter 770: Unboxing (3)

    ...


    Too "professional"...


    This "box," could it be specifically customized for the kidnapping of Cultivators?


    With such elaborate efforts, who exactly are they abducting?


    Mo Hua frowned and sighed.


    What a nuisance...


    What should I do now?


    Inside the box, there might be a living Cultivator who has been kidnapped.


    On the box, a Formation is sealed.


    These Formations are Second-Grade, and while they seem solvable, I estimate it will take some time. I wonder if there¡¯s enough...


    If I don¡¯t solve it...


    The kidnapped Cultivator will remain locked inside the box.


    The box is heavy and conspicuous; I can¡¯t take it with me.


    If ignored, in less than an hour, another group of traffickers will come and take the box away...


    If they are only seeking ransom, that wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Paying off the debt could avert disaster.


    But if sold to some Evil Cultivators or Demon Cultivators, turned into a pill, used as medicine, for practicing Evil Skills or refining Evil Artifacts...


    The child¡¯s parents and relatives will never see their child again, not even knowing if their child lives or dies, left with dim hope, in pain and despair...


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart softened.


    "Forget it, let¡¯s give it a try..."


    Within two, no, three quarters of an hour, if I can solve it, I¡¯ll rescue this child. If not, there¡¯s nothing I can do...


    Mo Hua began by sitting in meditation to recover some of his Divine Sense, then focused on unravelling the Formations on the box.


    There were four sets of Formations on the box.


    Out of these, three sets were the Five Elements Formation that Mo Hua was familiar with.


    However, the ones he knew were First-Grade, while those on the box were Second-Grade.


    But they were all under thirteen Patterns, which was still relatively simple.


    By guessing, deducing, and calculating, Mo Hua managed to solve these three sets of Formations in just a quarter of an hour.


    Mo Hua admitted there was an element of luck involved.


    But luck is also part of a Formation Master¡¯s strength.


    Now, only the last Formation remained...


    After examining the Formation, Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    This is... a type of Formation he had never seen before...


    He could only guess, based on the direction of the Pattern and the pivot of the Formation, that it was a special type of "locking" Formation.


    But as for what kind of Formation it was, or under which system it fell, Mo Hua had no clue whatsoever.


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    "What to do..."


    Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook a meal.


    With no understanding of this type of Formation, not knowing the Patterns, the pivot, or the principles, how was he to solve it?


    Mo Hua grew anxious, but he tried his best to calm down and began to think step by step...


    To be able to solve a Formation, one must first know how to draw a Formation...


    To draw a Formation, one must first have the Formation Diagram...


    Formation Diagram...


    Calculation...


    Mo Hua was stunned; deducing the specific Patterns from the Spirit Traces of a Formation was the Divine Sense Calculation Method that his master had taught him, which was also...


    The basis of the Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    Now, as for the Spirit Traces of the "locking" Formation, his Divine Sense could perceive them, so next...


    Should I first deduce the Patterns of this Formation?


    Learn the Patterns now, solve the Formation now?


    Mo Hua hesitated, "Is that even possible...?"


    He looked again at the box in front of him, thinking of the little Cultivator inside with an unknown fate, his parents frantically worried...


    Mo Hua felt helpless.


    "Let¡¯s give it a shot..."


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged, concentrated his mind, and started to use the Calculation Method of Heavenly Secret Calculation to deduce the Patterns of the "locking" Formation based on its Spirit Traces...


    It was somewhat clumsy at first.


    Because all the deduced Patterns were unfamiliar.


    Mo Hua tried his best to ignore the external form of the Patterns and delve into the underlying rules of Spiritual Power. Gradually, the Patterns began to appear familiar and vivid in his eyes.


    These lines seemed no longer to be strange markings, but the remnants of the movement of the Great Dao...


    This was true for the Five-elements Formation Methods...


    True for the Ultimate Formation...


    And possibly true for all categories of Formations...


    Mo Hua had a revelation, but his Divine Sense kept working faster and faster, and the Patterns materialized little by little in his Sea of Consciousness.


    But still, it wasn¡¯t fast enough...


    I need to calculate faster...


    Mo Hua frowned, and then suddenly had an epiphany. If he employed "Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation" to enhance the "Heavenly secret Calculation," splitting his Divine Sense to calculate simultaneously, would it be faster...


    Mo Hua pondered for a while, but given the urgency of the situation, he didn¡¯t have time to hesitate.


    He would just have to try it...


    Using his Uncle¡¯s Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to strengthen his master¡¯s Heavenly secret Calculation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils darkened, his Divine Sense shadowed, draped in a "Taoist Robe." Under the influence of Gui Tao, he used the spell point of Heavenly secret Calculation to deduce the Formation Patterns of the unknown lock Formation.


    But as soon as he began the Calculation, his Sea of Consciousness throbbed painfully. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was as if the two methods repelled each other, creating serrated edges, sawing back and forth, slicing and tearing apart his Divine Sense bit by bit.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consciousness had undergone a Transformation, condensed like mercury. Despite the repulsion of the two Calculation methods and the fragmentation of his Divine Thought, his spirit remained intact, and his core was not injured.


    This kind of intense pain was something Mo Hua could still endure.


    Compared to this, the speed at which the Formation Patterns were being deduced had greatly accelerated, much faster than before.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed and gradually the pain in his Divine Sense began to fade.


    An hour later, Mo Hua had finally deduced the entire Formation Patterns of this unfamiliar Formation.


    But his Divine Sense was almost completely exhausted.


    Pain still lingered in his Sea of Consciousness.


    While the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was useful, the consumption of Divine Sense it required was still too great...


    At this moment, Mo Hua could not afford to reflect on this.


    He had to hurry and break the Formation.


    Mo Hua canceled the "Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation." The tricky shadows at the bottom of his eyes gradually receded, and the Taoist Robe on his Divine Sense also faded away.


    But as the "Taoist Robe" dissipated, ephemeral splits emerged on its ghostly afterimage...


    Like the Dao Laws had been torn apart...


    However, Mo Hua, who was deep in thought, did not notice these splits...


    All his attention was focused on the Formation before him.


    Before him was a Second-grade Thirteen Stripes, an unknown category of Formation.


    It was like a brand new door to Formation methods.


    "The Formation is indeed profound and intricate..."


    Mo Hua sighed and then put aside his thoughts.


    Now, he had a Formation to break.


    But in reality, he couldn¡¯t "break" it either.


    Even if he knew the Formation Patterns, he couldn¡¯t learn them in a short time, let alone talk about breaking them.


    What he had to do was still a "guess."


    Mo Hua had rich experience in "breaking Formations," and based on past experiences, not all breaking of Formations required an extremely profound knowledge of the Formation methods.


    Sometimes "guessing" could work.


    But it had to be an educated guess.


    Based on the Formation principle.


    Not a wild guess.


    Mo Hua took the complete lock Formation, broke it down, and viewed the Formation Patterns separately, using his experience and intuition to categorize the repelling Formation Patterns.


    Then he drew a few rough sketches on the ground and tested them.


    Some guesses were right, some were wrong.


    He retained the correct guesses and retried the wrong ones.


    After several attempts, he discerned several sets of Formation Patterns with constructive and destructive relationships.


    There were also a few Formation Patterns for which Mo Hua could not find the constructive and destructive relationship.


    It was very likely that their corresponding "constructive and destructive Formation Patterns" were not included in this Formation itself.


    But this was enough.


    Mo Hua gauged the time and estimated there was just over a quarter of an hour left, with no time for him to study it thoroughly and perfectly.


    Mo Hua first broke the Formation Patterns.


    He unraveled all the Formation Patterns that had a constructive and destructive relationship.


    The lock Formation dimmed a bit, but did not disable.


    Mo Hua then looked at the Formation Pivot and, guided by intuition, adjusted it slightly; based on the Formation eye, he reversed some of the Spiritual Power circulation; then he turned back to tinker with the Formation Patterns...


    After doing this several times, Mo Hua, relying on his exceptional intuition for Formation methods, managed to accidentally and somewhat "clumsily" damage the special "lock" Formation.


    The Formation on the box completely dimmed.


    The box was no longer "locked."


    Mo Hua immediately opened the box.


    Inside the box was indeed a small figure.


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    Much smaller than Mo Hua.


    A little boy, probably only four or five years old, clean and neat, with delicate features, dressed in understated but luxurious brocade clothes.


    Perhaps it was the noise of opening the box or the sounds of the earlier battle that awoke him.


    The child, with watery eyes, looked at Mo Hua somewhat fearfully.

 Chapter 771: Conspiracy (1)

    Mo Hua looked at the little child even smaller than himself, sighed, and then felt somewhat angry.


    Such a young cultivator being trafficked...


    Boss Jiang and his gang really deserved to die.


    He should have fed them a few more Fireball Techniques...


    The eatery was in ruins, charred marks everywhere.


    The child looked around and grew more frightened, his little face deathly pale, tears glistening in his eyes, but he still tried his best not to cry.


    Mo Hua asked softly, "Are you alright..."


    The child sneaked a glance at Mo Hua and slowly nodded.


    Mo Hua asked, "What¡¯s your name?"


    The child was about to speak but opened his mouth, seemed to remember something, then shook his head and didn¡¯t say it.


    Mo Hua paused, then understood.


    This child probably didn¡¯t dare to reveal his surname.


    By revealing his surname, others would know his identity; he might even be exploited by those with ulterior motives to extort his parents.


    For such a young child, it was good to be cautious. Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind.


    He then asked, "What shall I call you then?"


    The child thought for a moment, saw Mo Hua¡¯s clear gaze, his eyebrows and eyes friendly. Although he was older than the child, he wasn¡¯t much older.


    Better than those fierce and scary bad people...


    Only then did he timidly say, "Daddy and Mommy call me ¡¯Yu Er¡¯..."


    "Yu Er?"


    Like fine jade.


    Choosing this name was probably in the hopes that their child would grow up to be as gentle as jade.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Where are your daddy and mommy?"


    Yu Er looked dejected and shook his head.


    A trafficked child not knowing where his parents were was not unusual...


    This child¡¯s complexion was pale, clearly having been scared out of his wits in recent days.


    Mo Hua felt compassion, thought for a moment, then said, "I will take you to find your daddy and mommy then..."


    The sorrow in Yu Er¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened, carrying a slightly humble hope as he stared at Mo Hua:


    "Really..." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He seemed afraid that Mo Hua would deceive him, and in his gaze hid a fragile yearning.


    Probably having been hurt by the malice of others after being trafficked, he no longer dared to trust anyone...


    "Hmm, if they can¡¯t find you, your daddy and mommy will definitely be heartbroken..."


    Mo Hua said warmly.


    Yu Er¡¯s tears then fell like pearls, "I... I miss Mommy..."


    "Let¡¯s go," Mo Hua said.


    "Hmm." Yu Er wiped his tears and nodded.


    Mo Hua lifted him out of the box.


    Yu Er saw the surroundings clearly, seeing a group of cultivators dead in tragic states, his little face grew even paler as he looked at Mo Hua:


    "These bad people... were...?"


    Mo Hua said gravely, "I don¡¯t know who killed them..."


    Yu Er was stunned.


    Mo Hua pondered a little then began to bluster with all seriousness, "I was passing through to Qian State to study, and when I wanted to find an eatery to fill my stomach, I encountered this scene..."


    Stay updated with


    "Someone had killed this group of cultivators, so clean and so thoroughly..."


    "I noticed there was something strange about the box and that¡¯s how I opened it and rescued you..."


    ...


    Mo Hua made it sound as if it had nothing to do with him.


    He was just a passing, unknown, kind-hearted brother.


    But Yu Er looked at Mo Hua suspiciously:


    "Really?"


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Yu Er glanced at Mo Hua, then again at the corpses strewn on the ground, and everything seemed strange to him.


    This child was quite shrewd...


    Mo Hua then said, "Let¡¯s hurry up and go, otherwise your daddy and mommy will definitely be worried about you..."


    This diverted Yu Er¡¯s attention back.


    "Hmm, hmm." Yu Er nodded repeatedly.


    Mo Hua took out a cloak from his storage bag and draped it over Yu Er.


    It was a cloak used for concealment, which he and his senior brother and sister had used for covert surveillance in South Yue City.


    It had a Concealment Formation drawn by Mo Hua himself.


    Although it was only first-grade, with the sky slowly darkening, it was sufficient for hiding from view.


    Considering more of those traffickers might arrive, being cautious was always better.


    "This is..."


    Yu Er, covered by the cloak, was puzzled.


    "Don¡¯t ask for now, just wear it," Mo Hua instructed.


    "Oh."


    Yu Er obediently nodded and clumsily wrapped the too-large cloak around himself.


    Suddenly, he looked around with a sorrowful expression, as if he couldn¡¯t bear it.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Yu Er glanced at the corpses that littered the ground and said softly, "These people, they had parents too, right? Now that they are dead, won¡¯t their parents... never see them again..."


    "Won¡¯t they... be very heartbroken too..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    He hadn¡¯t expected this child to be so pure-hearted and kind...


    Even though Boss Jiang and the others had trafficked him...


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and felt that being ignorant of the evil in human hearts and being too good-natured might not be a good thing, yet being pure-hearted at such a young age of four or five was better.


    If the world can harbor so many evil people, and so many selfish individuals,


    Why couldn¡¯t it make room for one kind-hearted child?


    So Mo Hua "kindly" said, "Don¡¯t worry, these people had no fathers or mothers."


    Yu Er was stunned, then shocked:


    "Can people really have no fathers or mothers?"


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    Mo Hua said, "Most people do, but some people are different, they have no fathers or mothers."


    This turned Yu Er¡¯s understanding upside down; he didn¡¯t come back to his senses for a long time, but after thinking it over, the passing, kind-hearted brother who had saved him didn¡¯t seem to have a reason to lie to him.


    Yu Er felt a bit better.


    If they had no fathers or mothers, then no one would be heartbroken over their deaths...

 Chapter 772: Conspiracy (2)

    This could be considered a good thing...


    Yu Er nodded her head, silently thinking to herself:


    "It¡¯s really great that these bad people don¡¯t have parents!"


    After reassuring Yu Er, Mo Hua took another look around, erased all the Formation Patterns he had just deduced, inferred, and listed, as well as the traces of breaking the Formation.


    The boxes...


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, disassembled the boxes into planks, and placed them into his Storage Bag.


    Those planks had remnants of unknown Formations on them.


    He needed to keep them for a thorough study when he had the time.


    Then, Mo Hua pointed with his finger, casting the Fireball Technique, completely destroying the remaining two storage boxes, burning all the scattered wood chips into charred remains and mixing them together.


    Continue your adventure at


    Mo Hua¡¯s movements were clean and brisk, and he took no more than about ten breaths¡¯ time in total.


    Yu Er blinked and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "Brother, how come you are so skilled at this..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment but then, without changing his expression, taught him:


    "I also learned it from a kind-hearted uncle. This is the experience of being out in the world..."


    "So, children must study hard, otherwise, they will suffer great losses when they travel in the Cultivation World!"


    Yu Er was somewhat puzzled but still nodded earnestly.


    Everything was packed up, and all traces were covered.


    Time to slip away.


    Mo Hua took Yu Er by the hand, hiding their figures, and left the eatery.


    A young Cultivator in his tens and an even younger Cultivator walked hand in hand towards Qingzhou City in the distance...


    Just that the sky was gloomy, and their figures were hidden; no one saw them...


    ...


    After Mo Hua left, within the time it took to brew a pot of tea, four or five Black-Clothed Cultivators arrived at the eatery.


    Their faces were covered with black cloth, vague and indistinct, only the eyes that were exposed conveyed a hint of indifference and grimness.


    However, this indifference and grimness turned into astonishment and shock upon seeing the current state of the eatery.


    "Where are the people?"


    "All dead?!"


    The Black-Clothed Cultivators each inhaled a breath of cold air.


    "Who did this?"


    "I don¡¯t know..."


    "The ¡¯goods¡¯?"


    The Black-Clothed Cultivators released their Divine Senses, probing the surroundings. Moments later, they found the debris of the storage boxes in the corner of the eatery.


    "Were they... extorted?"


    Everyone found it somewhat unbelievable.


    "No...," one of the Black-Clothed Cultivators frowned, "there¡¯s no remnant of flesh and blood..."


    "The boxes are wrong too..."


    "Where is Mr. Tu¡¯s box?"


    "Was it dismantled by someone? Or destroyed?"


    "The box had Mr. Tu¡¯s Formation on it; who could dismantle it? If the box is intact, the person is alive; if the box is destroyed, the person is dead..."


    "Not necessarily. Qian State has no shortage of capable people; nothing¡¯s impossible..."


    The men argued among themselves.


    Suddenly, someone asked, "Boss, what do we do?"


    The cultivator addressed as "Boss" was also dressed in black. From his attire, there was nothing special, but his eyes held a sharp gleam¡ªlooking around, he had the demeanor of an eagle or a wolf.


    The Black-Clothed "Boss" surveyed the surroundings and said hoarsely:


    "Looks like Boss Jiang and the others... were ambushed and wiped out cleanly..."


    "This time our ¡¯goods¡¯, along with the people, have all been robbed..."


    "An inside job?" someone asked doubtfully.


    Others said angrily, "We gave notice beforehand, who on the streets has the guts to steal our ¡¯goods¡¯?"


    "People die for wealth, and birds die for food; this ¡¯goods¡¯ was too lucrative, there¡¯s nothing they wouldn¡¯t dare do..."


    "Even if it¡¯s an inside job, who is capable of pulling it off?"


    The Black-Clothed Boss¡¯s gaze grew heavy, moving across the faces of those present as he pondered:


    "The ground is still warm and charred black; these are the traces of a Formation..."


    "Formations are powerful but complex to set up..."


    "This means that someone had advance knowledge of the situation and set up a Formation here beforehand, then used the power of the Formation to ambush and kill everyone including Boss Jiang, a total of twelve people!"


    "And snatch our ¡¯goods¡¯ out from under our noses!"


    "Mr. Tu has made his calculations; there should be no error unless..." his gaze sharply intensified, "... there¡¯s a traitor among us, leaking the information!"


    Upon these words being spoken, the colors drained from their faces.


    "Boss, you know my loyalty..."


    "Boss, I am wholeheartedly loyal to you!"


    "Boss, my life was given by you; I have even betrayed my ancestral teachings..."


    "Boss..."


    One by one, they passionately spoke to prove their loyalty.


    The Black-Clothed Boss saw their sincere expressions, frowned slightly, withdrew his gaze, and said coldly:


    "We¡¯ll discuss this matter later, the priority now is to get the ¡¯goods¡¯ back..."


    "The Formation still has residual warmth, and Sword Qi hasn¡¯t completely dissipated, indicating the battle ended not long ago; they might not have gone far..."


    The Black-Clothed Leader thought deeply for a moment, furrowing his brow:


    "On the way here, did you see any suspicious people? Or a child?"


    The others looked at each other in confusion.


    To avoid detection, they had disguised themselves, coming from different directions, converging nearby only after each journeyed separately.


    On the way, they were too focused on hurrying to their destination to spare attention for suspicious people...


    The Black-Clothed Boss cursed softly, "A bunch of useless!"


    His eyes were as fierce as an eagle¡¯s or a wolf¡¯s as he imprinted the surrounding scenes in his memory, nearly grinding his teeth in frustration.


    So close!!


    Just a bit more and that Young Master with the special bloodline would have been in their grasp!


    Once delivered to Mr. Tu, and used as a Blood Sacrifice for the Divine Lord, he would have secured great merit, and even a change of fate wouldn¡¯t be impossible!


    Snatching victory from the jaws of a dragon, and smuggling goods in plain sight.


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    Mr. Tu had calculated everything!


    He had arranged everything!


    Just fuckin¡¯ that close!


    The eyes of the Black-Clothed Boss gradually turned blood red, with veins like fractures, terrifyingly sinister, and his voice was so hoarse it barely sounded human: S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 773: Conspiracy (3)

    "Let me find out who ruined my plans, and I shall devour your flesh alive, drink your blood..." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Curse you, and may you die a horrible death, I will devour all your relatives and friends clean!"


    The Black-Clothed Leader¡¯s voice was suppressed and husky, as if he couldn¡¯t contain the brutal killing intent in his chest.


    The other Black-Clothed Cultivators all bowed their heads with pale faces, trembling and daring not to speak.


    A deadly silence thickened in the air, even exuding a strong scent of blood.


    The Black-Clothed Leader¡¯s face contorted, his hands trembling as he took out a wine gourd, took a big gulp, wiped the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, and then he felt somewhat calmer.


    "Chase!"


    The Black-Clothed Leader ordered.


    Everyone sighed in relief, hurriedly bowing as they said, "Yes!"


    The crowd chased outside.


    One of the Black-Clothed Cultivators stepped out, but as he reached the doorway, the wind suddenly picked up, sharp as a knife, slicing him into pieces, with blood spilling everywhere.


    A suave young master, his hand holding a folding fan, with a face as cold as frost, appeared inside the tavern.


    "Where¡¯s the child?"


    His gaze was cold as a knife.


    The Black-Clothed Leader looked at him and sneered, muttering:


    "Young Master Gu..."


    At the same time, dozens of cultivators dressed in Taoist robes appeared, surrounding the entire decrepit tavern.


    The Black-Clothed Leader looked around with disdain in his eyes, "Taoist Court¡¯s Hawk Dogs..."


    Young Master Gu looked at the Black-Clothed Leader and, smelling the blood on him, said coldly:


    "You demon-tainted abomination, whose skin are you really wearing?"


    The Black-Clothed Leader looked at Young Master Gu and laughed:


    "People of this world wear the skin of hypocrisy, harboring evil thoughts in their hearts. Aren¡¯t you the same? I am merely wearing a skin of hypocrisy that is a bit more than yours and hiding an evil that is a bit more real..."


    Young Master Gu, not wishing to argue, demanded:


    "Where is the child?"


    The Black-Clothed Leader pointed towards the tavern, "You saw for yourself. When I arrived, it was already like this. The child you want to save... someone else took him away..."


    "It¡¯s even possible..."


    The Black-Clothed Leader smiled ominously, "that he¡¯s already been torn apart..."


    Young Master Gu angrily said, "Fine, fine, then leave your life here to accompany the child in death!"


    The Black-Clothed Leader sneered, "With your Gu Family, and these running dogs of the Taoist Court, you still cannot hurt me..."


    With no agreement between the two sides, a big battle was on the verge of breaking out.


    Young Master Gu wielded the folding fan in his hand, sending out Wind Blades with each flick¡ªsharp, dense, and deadly.


    The Black-Clothed Leader, seeming unwilling to reveal his trump card, relied only on his flesh and the filthy Blood Qi around him to engage with Young Master Gu¡¯s Wind Blades and the many cultivators from the Taoist Court.


    As they fought, they intentionally avoided the tavern, as if neither wanted to destroy the clues within it.


    It was a fierce battle, and neither side showed any mercy.


    However, because this was only a Second-Grade Prefecture Border, Young Master Gu and the Black-Clothed Leader couldn¡¯t go all out, making it difficult to fight to the death.


    The fierce battle lasted for half an hour.


    In the end, the Black-Clothed Leader, severely injured, escaped.


    Young Master Gu¡¯s breath was weak; he too had suffered serious injuries.


    The rest of the Black-Clothed Cultivators, however, all died.


    Young Master Gu instructed, "Record the appearances of these people; I will settle accounts later."


    An Enforcement Leader went to do so, but after a moment, he reported back:


    "Young Master, it¡¯s not clear..."


    Young Master Gu went forward to look, and that¡¯s when he discovered that these Black-Clothed Cultivators had been poisoned with demonic toxin; after death, the Demonic Qi destroyed their flesh, contaminated their meridians, and Spiritual Roots, leaving only black, stinking piles of flesh and blood that made it impossible to distinguish their identities.


    Young Master Gu cursed, "A bunch of cowards, scum!"


    "Shrinking back at every turn!" Stay tuned to


    "Dare to turn to demons, but don¡¯t dare to leave their faces behind!"


    This way, they could only investigate under the pretense of "missing cultivators" at various Great Sects and Clans.


    But that was virtually impossible to track.


    Cultivators go missing for many reasons.


    Some are delayed too long on a mission;


    Some are assassinated by cultivators with nefarious intentions;


    Some become trapped in secret realms while out adventuring;


    And others simply grow rebellious at heart, dissatisfied with their clan arrangements and run away from home...


    The causes are numerous and far too complex.


    It is impossible to conclude that a cultivator has gone rogue just because they have disappeared.


    And whether it¡¯s a Sect or a family, for the sake of Taoist cultivation interests, along with the reputation of both the Sect and the family, admitting such a thing is out of the question, let alone conducting an investigation.


    Young Master Gu became more infuriated as he thought about it, and with a casual wave of his hand, he obliterated a black-clothed cultivator.


    But anger did him no good; at the moment, the whereabouts of the young master were of utmost importance.


    He had also examined the scene and the conclusions he reached were not much different from those of the group of black-clothed cultivators.


    Boss Jiang and others were either killed or seriously injured by the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    This was most certainly a premeditated, well-designed and pre-arranged ambush.


    It was impossible for someone to spontaneously decide and set up such a formation to kill these traffickers...


    If a cultivator was truly capable, they wouldn¡¯t use such a complicated method; they could probably wipe out all these cultivators with a flick of their finger.


    Moreover, most of the traffickers died from the minor Second-grade Fireball Technique.


    This was surely to divert attention, to not reveal one¡¯s own Taoist skills, using such a common Fireball Technique to commit murder...


    No cultivator would truly spend so much effort perfecting such a trifling technique.


    And then, the young master was gone...


    It seemed that the group of black-clothed cultivators didn¡¯t lie.


    They were beaten to the punch by someone unknown...


    Young Master Gu furrowed his brows.


    "A turf war?"


    "Or is there some other scheme..."


    "The young master is the union of two Great Clans; just which power, which cultivator, has the audacity to target him..."


    "And who would dare to snatch him away midway, ¡¯kidnapping¡¯ the young master?"


    "And not fear the consequences, triggering the Heavenly secret?"


    The hardest part of this case was that the Heavenly secret was obscured, hiding the cause and effect, impeding foresight...


    Who could have done this?


    Young Master Gu was in utter turmoil.


    A moment later, he thought of his cousin, how distraught and anguished she looked after the child¡¯s disappearance, and it pained him even more.


    Young Master Gu¡¯s eyes grew colder, and despite his injuries, he ordered, "Those with severe injuries may rest; those with light injuries, continue the pursuit with me."


    "The Spiritual Power in the area hasn¡¯t dissipated for long; we should still be able to track them..."


    A Supervisor hesitantly said, "Young Master, shall we continue the pursuit..."


    They had been chasing for several days without food or drink, utterly exhausted and having just weathered a fierce battle, which overwhelmed them, typically lax and prone to taking the easy way out.


    They were from the Taoist Court, and even if the Gu family had great sway, they couldn¡¯t simply be commanded at will.


    Young Master Gu¡¯s gaze became sharp, and he said with a cold laugh, "Don¡¯t blame me for not warning you¡ªif anything happens to that young master, you and all your brothers will be flayed alive!"


    The Supervisor¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Only then did he realize that the rumors he had heard before were incorrect.


    That young master wasn¡¯t the Gu family¡¯s young master!


    If he wasn¡¯t the Gu family¡¯s young master, then he was...


    The Supervisor felt as if he had been doused with cold water, and couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    "Rest assured, Young Master Gu, we will make every effort to find the young master!"


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    He then scanned the group, "Quickly consume the Pills; as soon as your injuries improve a bit, we depart at once!"


    Though the people were dissatisfied and somewhat confused, they understood the gravity of the situation and did not dare delay, hastily taking time to heal their wounds...


    But Young Master Gu¡¯s gaze was fixed on the distance, his expression shadowed by a veil of gloom.


    "This child Yu Er... whose hands has he fallen into..."

 Chapter 774: Nightmare (1)

    "Falling" into Mo Hua¡¯s hands, Yu Er was following this kind passerby brother, step by step towards Qingzhou City.


    The sky had darkened, and the surroundings were desolate.


    The night shrouded the mountains and forests.


    But after a while, the noise picked up again, as if there were always cultivators crisscrossing in the shadows.


    Mo Hua could sense the traces of these people with his Divine Sense, clear and distinct, but since he did not know the identities or origins of these cultivators, he did not reveal any reaction.


    These cultivators were leaving, and the closer they got to Qingzhou City, the quieter it became.


    Approaching midnight, they were still twenty miles from Qingzhou City.


    Yu Er had walked for several hours, his complexion slightly pale, worn out, his little legs heavy as if filled with lead, finding it hard to take another step. But it seemed he feared being kidnapped again, or perhaps he wished to see his parents sooner, to ease their worries, so he kept on enduring the pain.


    Mo Hua expanded his Divine Sense to survey their surroundings, then touched Yu Er¡¯s small head:


    "Let¡¯s rest here for the night, and enter the city early tomorrow¡­"


    Yu Er said softly, "Yu Er is not tired¡­"


    Mo Hua said, "It¡¯s too late, the city gate may not be open. Get a good night¡¯s sleep first, save your energy."


    In the Cultivation World, there are many Immortal Cities.


    Different state boundaries, different Immortal Cities, have different curfews.


    From Mo Hua¡¯s past experiences traveling abroad, he knew that some Immortal Cities had night curfews.


    Some didn¡¯t, but in the event of major incidents, they would close the city gates at night and seal them with a Formation, forbidding cultivators from entering or leaving.


    If Qingzhou City had a night curfew, then the two of them would have to spend the night outside the city gate.


    Outside the city gate there would be many cultivators, stopping for the night, waiting to enter the city come morning.


    With many people outside the city, the place was bustling with noise. Among the cultivators spending the night, there was a mix of good and bad, hard to distinguish. For safety¡¯s sake, it was better to steer clear.


    For Mo Hua, it didn¡¯t matter much, but Yu Er was different.


    He was a child who had been "sold". S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, Yu Er was just a child, unable to endure much longer. He obediently nodded his head.


    Outside Qingzhou City lay vast mountains and forests.


    Mo Hua found a secluded and safe corner nearby, sheltered by encircling rocks and covered by trees. He pointed his finger down at the ground and drew a Warm Fire Formation.


    Find adventures at


    A warm yellow light spread out, dispelling the oppressiveness of the nighttime and the chill of the mountain wind. It also made Yu Er¡¯s little face blush.


    Yu Er¡¯s eyes sparkled, seemingly forgetting his exhaustion, looking at Mo Hua, he opened his mouth wide:


    "Brother, you can draw a Formation like that!"


    Not using a brush, not using paper, just a touch of the finger, and a Formation was drawn on the ground...


    So composed, so cool.


    The image of an expert!


    He had never seen anyone draw a Formation this way before.


    Yu Er was full of admiration.


    Mo Hua felt a tad smug and said, "When you¡¯re older, I¡¯ll teach you to draw like this!"


    "Mhm! Mhm!"


    Yu Er nodded again and again, full of anticipation.


    The night air was slightly cold, the mountain wind howling.


    Mo Hua took out a small blanket and draped it over Yu Er.


    Yu Er wrapped his entire body in the blanket, his small form warmed significantly, but then he furrowed his brow and sneaked a glance at Mo Hua, yet pursed his lips and said nothing.


    However, Mo Hua saw through his thoughts and smiled, "Are you hungry?"


    Yu Er¡¯s little face turned slightly red as he whispered:


    "Yes¡­"


    After being kidnapped, he had hardly eaten anything. Having been rescued by Mo Hua, they were then rushing on their way. Now, having rested for a moment and warmed up, he felt his stomach rumble with hunger.


    Mo Hua laughed softly and effortlessly took out some jerked meat, mountain yams, and a variety of wild fruits and nuts, roasting them over the Warm Fire Formation.


    The heat from the fire penetrated the food.


    The fragrance spread along with the warmth.


    Yu Er resembled a kitten eyeing dried fish, unable to look away.


    The two roasted food by the fire, eating the grilled meat, mountain yams, and various wild-flavored dried fruits and nuts.


    Yu Er was overjoyed as he ate.


    After eating, Mo Hua took out some fruit brew for Yu Er to drink.


    The fruit brew was sweet and mellow with a lingering richness, carrying a slight hint of alcohol, it drove away the weariness and hardships of the road.


    "Delicious!"


    After finishing, Yu Er, copying Mo Hua, licked his lips.


    Having eaten their fill, they wrapped up in blankets around the Warm Fire Formation and went to sleep.


    Though Mo Hua lay down as if to "sleep," he was actually painting Formations in his Sea of Consciousness, while keeping his Divine Sense alert, guarding against any Monster Beasts or other cultivators with malicious intentions.


    After a while, Mo Hua suddenly tensed.


    He noticed Yu Er¡¯s small body curled up.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes to see Yu Er with his eyes tightly closed, his little face pale as if he was encountering something terrifying in his dream, both frightened and scared, tears streaking down his cheeks, helpless and trembling involuntarily.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    "Yu Er¡­"


    Mo Hua quietly called out, infusing his voice with Divine Sense Power, reaching Yu Er¡¯s ears.


    Yu Er slowly opened his eyes, bleary with tears.


    Mo Hua gestured to him and said warmly, "Cold, aren¡¯t you? Come here."


    Yu Er hesitated for a while, wiped his tears, and wrapped in his small blanket, ran to Mo Hua¡¯s side.


    Mo Hua shared part of his own blanket to wrap Yu Er in it as well and then stroked his head, "Don¡¯t think too much, when it¡¯s light you¡¯ll see your parents¡­"


    "Hmm." Yu Er nodded his small head.


    "Sleep now¡­"


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was soft but also warm and firm.


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    Yu Er felt the fear that had been troubling him gradually settle down, his body no longer shivering with fright.


    The inside of the blanket was much warmer too.


    Yu Er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    He sneakily looked up at Mo Hua, and seeing that Mo Hua had his eyes closed in meditation and didn¡¯t notice him, he stealthily moved closer to Mo Hua¡¯s side.

 Chapter 775: Nightmare (2)

    Mo Hua¡¯s presence exuded a clear and tranquil aura.


    With satisfaction, Yu Er gradually closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    This time he slept soundly.


    In his dreams, there were no memories of fear from being trafficked.


    No greedy, unsightly faces of adults.


    No heart stung by the malice of the world.


    No terror or despair.


    And none of...


    Those nightmares that had occasionally surfaced in his dreams since his earliest memories...


    In the Barbaric Mountains, where living people were sacrificed, flesh and blood were fodder, and countless lives mere chattel, filled with pure malice, bloodthirsty and cruel, bizarre and varied, nourishing the evil spirits of the world...


    ...


    The night was still.


    Yu Er slept undisturbed.


    At dawn the next day, Mo Hua took Yu Er and arrived at Qingzhou City.


    Outside Qingzhou City, an Enforcement Leader from the Taoist Court was on patrol.


    Mo Hua wanted to enter the city but was stopped.


    Mainly because he was too young, and it was very peculiar for someone his size to be leading a child even younger among a group of cultivators.


    The Enforcement Leader couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "How... old are you?"


    "Fifteen..."


    "What are you doing entering the city..."


    "Going to the Qian Learning State Boundary to study..."


    "Just you?"


    "I have my younger brother too!" Mo Hua patted Yu Er.


    Yu Er immediately stood up straight, puffed out his chest, nodded continuously, showing the Enforcement Leader that what his brother Mo Hua said was correct.


    The Enforcement Leader was somewhat troubled. Discover stories with


    The command he had received was, "Any cultivator leading young cultivators and appearing suspicious must be thoroughly investigated."


    But could a young cultivator leading another young cultivator be considered suspicious?


    He had heard rumors that a young master from the Gu Family had been kidnapped by child traffickers.


    But curiously, the portrait of this young master could not be disclosed.


    They could only search by age...


    The Enforcement Leader glanced at Yu Er, "This little boy does look like a young master."


    He then looked at Mo Hua and started to wonder.


    Child traffickers... surely wouldn¡¯t be so young, right?


    Moreover, if he were a trafficker, he would be trying to leave the city, not making such a grand entrance...


    "It seems I was too concerned..."


    Seeing the Enforcement Leader muttering to himself, Mo Hua asked, "Is there... something going on?"


    "Mm, the Gu Family..."


    The Enforcement Leader nodded, started to say something, then realized he had slipped up and promptly set his face in a stern expression:


    "Child, don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t!"


    "Oh..."


    "Go on in!"


    "Oh!"


    And so, Mo Hua pulled Yu Er through the city gate and into Qingzhou City with dignity.


    Qingzhou City was full of life.


    Reaching Qingzhou City was akin to having one foot already in the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    He could find a way to visit the Qian Taoist Sect and pay his respects.


    But before that, he needed to safely place Yu Er, this "little burden," into his parents¡¯ hands, or he wouldn¡¯t be at ease.


    Qingzhou City was rather bustling.


    The streets were noisy, with people coming and going, and stalls on both sides offered medicine, talismans, equipment, and an array of goods, dazzling to the eyes.


    Mo Hua and Yu Er walked and browsed at the same time.


    Yu Er looked around curiously.


    But Mo Hua was pondering:


    "How to find Yu Er¡¯s parents?"


    "The Gu Family..."


    Mo Hua had heard several people mention the "Gu Family" along the way...


    The traffickers, including Boss Jiang, had mentioned it, and the Enforcement Leader before entering the city, too...


    Could Yu Er be the young master of the Gu Family?


    Mo Hua asked Yu Er, "Yu Er, is your last name Gu?"


    Yu Er¡¯s gaze drifted from the string of candied hawthorns on the side of the road, and after some thought, he replied after a pause:


    "I¡¯m not surnamed Gu."


    "Then is your mother surnamed Gu?"


    Yu Er shook his head.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    If he¡¯s not surnamed Gu, then there is no connection with the Gu Family...


    Seeing Mo Hua, Yu Er said with a look of remorse, "Brother, I¡¯m sorry, my mother told me not to disclose our last name..."


    "It¡¯s alright." Mo Hua reassured him with a smile, "When you are out and about, you must be vigilant, even with me."


    Yu Er still felt guilty.


    Mo Hua then bought Yu Er a string of candied hawthorns.


    Yu Er immediately cheered up, biting and chewing, his little mouth turned red.


    "First time eating it?"


    "Mhm." Yu Er nodded, "Mother won¡¯t let me eat it."


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He was getting confused.


    Who exactly were Yu Er¡¯s parents?


    Not allowing him to eat candied hawthorns...


    Was it because the family was too poor to afford it, or too rich and worried about him getting sick from it?


    "Yu Er, is your house big?"


    "Mhm!" Yu Er stretched out his tiny arms, making a big circle, "Very big, very big!"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Then he must be a child from a large noble clan..."


    But that didn¡¯t seem certain either...


    A child¡¯s perception of big is different from an adult¡¯s. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When he was little, he thought Tongxian City was very large, and the road from the south to the north of the city seemed long...


    But now that "very long" road, he could finish walking in half an hour...


    "Do you have any recollection of Qingzhou City?"


    Mo Hua asked again.


    Yu Er, licking his candied hawthorn, tried hard to recall and then shook his head, "I don¡¯t know, I think they¡¯re all pretty much the same..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then nodded.


    That indeed was true.


    After seeing many large and small Immortal Cities, they did seem all quite similar.


    But this made things difficult...


    Without any clues, it was hard to search...


    Yu Er thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up, "Brother! I remember now! I have relatives in Qingzhou City, my mother said she brought me here to look for relatives!"


    "What sort of relatives?"


    Yu Er shook his head.


    "What¡¯s their last name?"


    Yu Er still shook his head.


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    Mo Hua sighed.


    Well, at least it was a clue.


    Afterwards, Mo Hua inquired further and soon found a noodle shop at the entrance of Qingzhou City to sit down.


    He had asked around, and the Gu Family was the most powerful clan in Qingzhou City, no, and even in several other cities around the Qian Xue State Boundary.

 Chapter 776: Nightmare (3)

    It¡¯s a fifth-rank noble family!


    According to rumors swirling around the city, a young master from the Gu Family, of which branch remains unknown, was abducted by human traffickers and his whereabouts are still unknown to this day.


    As for the young master¡¯s full name and appearance, the Gu Family has not disclosed any information to the public.


    Perhaps it¡¯s because of his special status and certain taboos.


    The Gu Family only announced that any information regarding missing cultivator children under ten years of age can be reported to them, and if the information is verified to be true, the Gu Family will offer a generous reward.


    They could even provide a spot at the Qian Learning State Boundary...


    A spot at the learning institution...


    Mo Hua already had a Sect-Entering Order, so he had no need for such.


    And as for that young master from the Gu Family, he had no idea where he might be.


    What he needed to do now was to make sure Yu Er, the young master, was well taken care of and to find his family.


    "Go directly to the Taoist Court?"


    Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head.


    He wasn¡¯t familiar with the Taoist Court in Qingzhou City.


    Moreover, given the current uproar surrounding the Gu Family¡¯s situation, the majority of the Enforcement Leaders and Supervisors at the Taoist Court were preoccupied with searching for the missing Gu young master¡ªit was unlikely that they would prioritize Yu Er¡¯s case.


    But that wasn¡¯t the main issue.


    Mo Hua suspected that within the Taoist Court, there likely were some cultivators who were colluding with the human traffickers...


    This was something Uncle Zhang Lan had cautioned him about.


    The Taoist Court wasn¡¯t so clean; the web of interests within the various regional Taoist Courts was incredibly complex.


    One can never peer into another¡¯s heart; it was not the myriad possibilities he feared, but the one-in-ten-thousand chance.


    All outsiders were deemed unreliable.


    It would be best to hand over Yu Er to his biological parents.


    "I have relatives in Qingzhou City..."


    "Should I go door-to-door asking?"


    Mo Hua shook his head again.


    That wouldn¡¯t work either.


    Those who have established themselves in Qian State come from significant backgrounds and standing; he might not even be granted entry.


    And it would be a great waste of time.


    Similarly, if someone claimed to be Yu Er¡¯s "relative" and acted affectionately, with Yu Er being so young, it would be very unlikely for him to discern whether they were true kin or harbor ulterior motives...


    Deep down, Mo Hua felt that both methods were flawed.


    Any involvement from strangers could lead to mishaps.


    Ever since he learned the Heavenly Secret Calculation, fleeting warnings would sometimes emerge in his mind¡ªthough still faint and not always clear, they proved to be surprisingly effective as reference points when making decisions.


    After much thought, Mo Hua finally decided to use the simplest, most foolish, but also the most direct method:


    Stake out the main gate!


    Entering and exiting Qingzhou City, the main gate was an inevitable passage.


    Qingzhou City was the hub connecting Qian State to the Academic World.


    Yu Er¡¯s parents, should they wish to find him, would sooner or later pass through Qingzhou City and show up at the city gates.


    As Mo Hua contemplated this approach, his heart suddenly leaped as if the cause-and-effect he anticipated in his mind would follow a certain divine pattern, becoming reality in the foreseeable future...


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    Was this...


    The actual Heavenly Secret Calculation?


    No, or rather, was it the rudiment of the true Heavenly Secret Calculation...


    In Mo Hua¡¯s mind, the figure of Mr. Zhuang surfaced; he imitated his master, twirling his fingers in spell points, closing his eyes in meditation, engaging his Divine Sense...


    A moment later...


    Nothing happened...


    Mo Hua touched his chin.


    He started to suspect that his master¡¯s hand-twirling spell points during calculations were just for show, giving the impression of a "transcendent Taoist aura," but in reality, they were of no use. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, trying to imitate his master, his mind was blank and he couldn¡¯t calculate anything.


    Or perhaps, it was because what he had learned was only "Divine Sense Calculation," which was far from reaching the level of "Heavenly Secret Calculation."


    It was just that with more Calculations, a tiny inkling of divine premonitions occasionally arose in his Sea of Consciousness.


    After all, his master had never taught him how to "Calculate the Heavenly Secret"...


    Mo Hua sighed.


    What exactly was the Heavenly Secret, he was still not sure.


    How to calculate it, he was completely clueless.


    "Heavenly Secret Calculation..."


    "If we encounter any other Heavenly secret spell points in the future, try to get them for study. See if we can draw parallels to gain an understanding of the real ¡¯Heavenly secret Calculation¡¯..."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    You cannot only be calculated by others.


    Sometimes, you also need to make calculations about others...


    Mo Hua turned his head and glanced at Yu Er before instructing,


    "We¡¯ll wait here. Keep an eye on the main gate. If you see anyone you know: your parents, relatives, teachers, or your family¡¯s carriages¡ªlet me know..."


    "Mm!" Yu Er nodded.


    Then the owner served up two bowls of noodles, one large and one small.


    As Mo Hua ate, he pondered the matter of "Heavenly secret Calculation" in his heart.


    Yu Er, imitating Mo Hua, "huffed" as she ate her noodles. Occasionally, she would lift her head, see Mo Hua by her side, feel a bit more at ease, and then continue to eat her noodles.


    It seemed that as long as she was with Mo Hua, those bloody, cruel, and nightmarish demons would gradually fade away...


    Thus, the two of them continued to squat at the main gate.


    Qingzhou City¡¯s gate was bustling, filled with a stream of carriages and horses and all kinds of cultivators coming and going.


    But after crouching there for several days and having eaten noodles for five or six days, there was still not a single clue.


    Mo Hua even started to doubt whether he had made a wrong guess...


    "It shouldn¡¯t be wrong..."


    Mo Hua frowned, concentrating on his thoughts. In his mind¡¯s eye, a carriage and a face started taking shape, leaving faint traces...


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Qingzhou City, the Gu Family.


    Inside a quiet yet lavish hall,


    A regally attired woman with striking features swept her hand, and the richly furnished tables, chairs, porcelain, and screens in the room shattered to pieces. Even the Formation-reinforced walls began to show fine cracks.


    The maids outside the room turned pale, lowered their heads, and quietly retreated.


    Across from the woman sat a very handsome man in luxurious clothing, smiling bitterly.


    "Wan¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry..."


    Her beautiful eyes reddening with anger, the woman retorted, "How can I not be angry? The great Shangguan Family... A direct descendant has been kidnapped? Do you take me for a fool?"


    The man tried to soothe her, "Wan¡¯er, no one wanted..."


    "Shangguan Yi!" the woman said with hatred, "Yu Er is my child, and even if you don¡¯t cherish him, I do. He¡¯s so young and well-behaved... he¡¯s my life!"


    Sorrow entered the handsome man¡¯s eyes, "Yu Er is also my flesh and blood; how could I not care..."


    "Then what has the Shangguan Family done?" the woman asked sharply.


    The man responded bitterly, "Wan¡¯er, you are now part of the Shangguan Family, don¡¯t speak like that. If father finds out..."


    "So what if he finds out? He never approved of our marriage in the first place, and he has always looked down on me..."


    The woman¡¯s eyes, which once held affection for the man, had turned icy and filled with deep hatred.


    "He doesn¡¯t like me; therefore, he doesn¡¯t like his grandson Yu Er either."


    "Let me tell you, if something happens to Yu Er, I will hate the Shangguan Family for the rest of my life!"


    Her voice trembling slightly, she displayed both determination and the pain of severing ties with a loved one:


    "Including you... Shangguan Yi!"


    The man felt an ache in his heart, "Wan¡¯er..."


    The woman demanded sharply, "Tell me the truth now. Who kidnapped Yu Er? What have you found out? Where is Yu Er?"


    The man sighed, his face filled with worry.


    He knew his wife was passionate and loved their son dearly. He hadn¡¯t dared tell her the truth previously, fearing it would break her heart, so he concealed everything from her, claiming they knew the whereabouts of Yu Er and would find him soon.


    But now he couldn¡¯t hide it anymore and had to tell the truth:


    "On the surface, this matter seems... merely a coincidence..."


    "Yu Er went out to see the lanterns; there were so many people watching him, but in the blink of an eye, Yu Er was gone..."


    "We investigated, but the Heavenly secret is like water, leaving no traces..."


    "We have no idea who kidnapped Yu Er, or why. However, we were able to vaguely ascertain that after Yu Er was abducted, someone was transporting him out..."


    "It was a gang of kidnappers..."


    "They split into several groups and left Qingzhou City, seemingly to take Yu Er outside of Qian State to an unknown destination..."


    "During these days, the Shangguan Family, the Gu Family, and the Taoist Court have mobilized many cultivators to carry out searches."


    "The Shangguan Family worked in the shadows, while the Gu Family and the Taoist Court worked openly. We would find a group and eliminate them, then another, and another... No matter how many we killed, some insignificant ones would always slip through, somehow managing to transport Yu Er out bit by bit..." Enjoy new stories from


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    "It¡¯s as if... everything has been calculated with precision..."


    "So, the Elders speculate..." A chill surged through the man, and he said painfully, "That there¡¯s an entity with complete insight into the Heavenly secret, cunning and inscrutable, secretly orchestrating a grand scheme to..."


    He paused, taking a deep breath, his voice shaking.


    "Kidnap Yu Er, the child born from the first direct union in a thousand years between the Shangguan and Wenren Noble Clans..."

 Chapter 777: Calculating Accurately (1)

    The Shangguan Family and the Wenren Family, for a thousand years, the first direct descendants to unite in marriage...


    My own child, clearly backed by the two great noble clans of Qian State, yet still subjected to schemes, has to endure such immense peril.


    A trace of desolation flitted through the eyes of the woman in palace attire, as if overwhelmed by sorrow, her meridian breath somewhat disordered.


    The man¡¯s heart ached, he reached out to support her but was pushed away by her.


    "And then?" the woman in palace attire asked coldly, "What else have you found?"


    The man withdrew his arm helplessly and sighed:


    "It was Gu... Changhuai who found a clue to Yu Er. Following the clue, they went dozens of miles outside of the city to dine at a restaurant; there, they found a group of human traffickers with only Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivation..."


    "But..."


    The man shook his head, his voice bitter, "Yu Er was kidnapped again..."


    The woman in palace attire was shocked, "Again?"


    The man said hoarsely, "By another group of people..."


    "Ambushed with Formation, murdered with spells...


    "The Formation was secretive, its power great yet unexpected, and the spells used were the most common Fireball Technique¡ªexecuted cleanly and neatly, leaving no trace to follow...


    "And among the traffickers, one of them knew Sever Gold Sword Jue..."


    "Sever Gold Sect..." the woman bit out. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man gave a wry smile, "It¡¯s got nothing to do with Sever Gold Sect, likely a renegade disciple. Sever Gold Sect wouldn¡¯t have the guts, nor be so foolish, to use such an obvious, sect-protecting sword move...


    "I don¡¯t care!" the woman said angrily, "If we don¡¯t find Yu Er, Sever Gold Sect will still pay the price!"


    "All right..." It was all the man could agree to, knowing that reason was of no use at that moment.


    The man in fancy robes exhaled deeply and continued:


    "Sever Gold Sword Jue is a Golden Series Sword Controlling Method, focusing on offensive and killing power, immensely powerful... Obviously, the traffickers met a formidable enemy. In a life or death situation, they desperately revealed this sword technique...


    "But..."


    The man in fancy robes¡¯ pupils shrank slightly, "This extremely powerful sword technique from the Foundation Establishment Realm didn¡¯t injure the enemy in the slightest...


    "Not a trace of Blood Qi was found on the sword; the opponent didn¡¯t even suffer a scratch on their skin...


    "This suggests that the enemy¡¯s cultivation is much higher than these traffickers...


    "Golden Core, or perhaps even... Feather Transformation..."


    The woman scoffed coldly, "Nice, there are indeed many who covet Yu Er, but he¡¯s just a four- or five-year-old child. What virtues and abilities does he possess to be the target of so many people¡¯s attention...


    "Earlier, it was the great figures who grasp the Heavenly Secret making their plans, and what about this time? Could it still be some expert knowledgeable in heavenly calculations intercepting halfway?


    The woman in palace attire asked her husband with a hint of mockery.


    The man was questioned by his wife, bowed his head, and said helplessly, "This time... it seems so."


    The woman was stunned, then furiously said, "Shangguan Yi, do you think I¡¯m a foolish woman who knows nothing?"


    "Heavenly secret Calculation, when did it become so cheap?"


    "This one¡¯s a powerful figure; that one¡¯s an expert. Can there be that many experts?"


    Stay tuned to


    "How many cultivators in this world truly master the Heavenly Secret Calculation? Have they nothing better to do than to scheme against my Yu Er?!"


    The man gave a bitter smile, "Wan¡¯er, I¡¯m not lying to you, I asked Elder Mei of Mystery Valley, who is skilled in calculations...


    The woman in palace attire asked coldly, "And what did he calculate?"


    "He..." the man said hesitantly, "...he went mad..."


    The woman was taken aback.


    The man lamented, "Elder Mei... went to calculate the person who ¡¯kidnapped¡¯ Yu Er. At first, he couldn¡¯t calculate anything, claimed the heavenly secret was hidden, completely in the dark, without a trace to follow...


    "After my repeated pleas..."


    "Elder Mei couldn¡¯t refuse and spent his vital energy, using the Mystery Calculation passed down in Mystery Valley to deduce a little further..."


    "At first, he indeed parted the fog and saw a blurry figure, misty like water...


    "But when he tried to look again, he just..."


    The man paused for a moment.


    The woman angrily demanded, "Then what happened?"


    The man sighed, "He just... wore a horrified expression, vomited fresh blood, ice cold all over, his mind began acting abnormally, and he suddenly went mad...


    "He kept muttering to himself, speaking of the terrifying karma, Corpse Mountain Sin, and said he was bitten by ¡¯Corpse Sin,¡¯ that he was about to turn into a zombie himself, shivering non-stop..."


    The woman¡¯s expression shifted. After pondering for a while, she grew angry again:


    "What is all this nonsensical talk¡ªCorpse Mountain, Corpse Sin? Can you believe such absurd and ridiculous words?"


    "What does this have to do with Yu Er?"


    The man found himself at a loss for words.


    He didn¡¯t understand how Yu Er could be entangled with such karma, but the matter of Elder Mei was undeniably true.


    He was indeed mad...


    "Was that Elder Mei really from Mystery Valley?" the woman questioned again.


    "Yes."


    "Where is he now?"


    "Elder Mei... his mind has gone mad, seems to have damaged his Sea of Consciousness. He¡¯s been sent back to Mystery Valley for treatment..."


    The woman¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed tightly, and she said coldly:


    "So, with no solid evidence, nor witnesses, you are deceiving me with this groundless Elder Mei!"


    The man said softly, "Wan¡¯er, when have I ever lied to you..."


    His words carried a hint of entreaty.


    "Fine, then I¡¯ll find Yu Er myself!"


    The woman in palace attire declared decisively, turning to leave.


    The man panicked inside, immediately grabbing her, "You can¡¯t leave Qingzhou City!"


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    The woman took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and asked, "Why?"


    "I¡¯m worried about you..."


    "Worried about what?"


    The man¡¯s voice grew cold, "Marrying you as my wife, I broke some of the rules of the noble clans, went against the ancestral teachings of the Shangguan family, many people are watching us..."

 Chapter 778: Accurate Calculation (2)

    "They might target Yu Er, and it¡¯s also possible that they could harm you..."


    "Now that Yu Er has disappeared, I fear losing you too..."


    The woman said coldly, "Is staying in Qingzhou City really safe?"


    The man insisted, "Qingzhou City is within the Qian Xue State Boundary, our ancestors have set up Formations here. The Heavenly Secret is clear and bright, but once you leave Qingzhou City, the Heavenly Secret becomes a piece of Chaos, and anything could happen..."


    The man¡¯s expression was extremely grave.


    There are great horrors in the Cultivation World.


    Some truly fearsome Cultivators comprehend the Great Dao, possessing many unpredictable, heaven-defying methods.


    There are even those who would set up intricate schemes to cultivate Taoist Demons.


    The closer one gets to the pinnacle of Tao Cultivation, the more one understands the reality of this world, the more terrifying they find the nature of humanity.


    "So what?" The woman replied indifferently, "You want me to hide in this city, to forget about my child..."


    "Wan¡¯er, do not interfere..." The man spoke gently and nearly begged, "This matter... the cause and effect are too significant..."


    And too terrifying... sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The one who arranged Yu Er¡¯s abduction was proficient in the mysteries of Heavenly Secrets, leaving no traces...


    The person who kidnapped Yu Er was enshrouded with an immense murderous intent in the web of cause and effect.


    This was not something an ordinary Cultivator could do.


    The Dao of Formation, Divine Sense Calculation, Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect... all of these are exceedingly profound and complex matters.


    Though Wan¡¯er had studied Formations, she had only learned them to an average extent.


    Deemed a proud daughter of heaven, she received accolades and admiration; this was merely the "good" of the mundane world...


    It was the "good" within man-made norms.


    She had no idea how truly profound the world¡¯s real intricate Formations were, what profound Divine Sense was like at all.


    Those Formations that surpassed the understanding of ordinary Cultivators, the unpredictable laws of heaven that broke through ranks, the Great Dao unrestrained by human norms, just how deep and horrifying they could be...


    The woman in imperial garments didn¡¯t understand these things. She just looked at her husband, her eyes shifting from anger to a deep sense of desolation.


    "Did you... already make preparations?"


    The man remained silent.


    "If..." The woman paused, holding back pain and enunciating each word, "Yu Er can¡¯t be found, what do you plan to do?"


    The man dared not meet the woman¡¯s eyes, looking away as he spoke softly,


    "Father¡¯s idea is that we... have another one..."


    The woman¡¯s complexion turned pale, her body shaking, her eyes filled with endless grief and hatred.


    She hated her husband, and she hated herself.


    "Shangguan Yi, your heart is truly ruthless!"


    The woman said with tears, "Fine! If you want another child, find some other woman to bear it!"


    "I, Wenren Wan, will only have Yu Er as my child in this life!"


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    "Yu Er, he... was so good-natured, so kind, how could he possibly..."


    Yu Er¡¯s smiling face emerged in the woman¡¯s mind, her heart ached as if pricked by needles; suddenly, she shivered, as if deep within, she could feel that Yu Er was somewhere waiting for her...


    Her own child, waiting for her...


    The woman felt unbearable pain, she disregarded everything, turned, and left.


    "Wan¡¯er, it¡¯s too dangerous..." The man still wanted to stop her.


    The woman¡¯s eyes were icy, "If you won¡¯t go look for him, I will. If I can¡¯t find him, I¡¯ll search for a lifetime!"


    "Even if it means death, I want to be with Yu Er."


    "You just wait to be the Shangguan Family Head, find any woman... to bear you another child."


    After the woman spoke, her eyes filled with tears, she swept away, leaving the room.


    The man wanted to hold her back, but when he extended his hand, he grasped nothing.


    His complexion was pale, and he sighed.


    After a moment, a servant entered the room, saying respectfully, "Young Master, the Family Head requests your presence..."


    The man was distracted for a long while before responding weakly, "I understand..."


    He was the Shangguan Family¡¯s Young Master, the next in line to be the Family Head.


    But he felt less like a "Master" and more like a "servant" trapped within difficult choices, unsure in the immense Noble Clan who exactly he was the "servant" of.


    Shangguan Yi deeply sighed and went to a study in the Gu Family residence. He stood respectfully for a while before he heard a deep voice from inside.


    "Come in."


    Shangguan Yi entered the room and greeted, "Father."


    The study was elegant and luxurious.


    Sitting in the center was a Cultivator with a profound presence and imposing dignity. His appearance was august, with slight graying at the temples and faint crow¡¯s feet at the corners of his eyes but one could see he had been exceptionally handsome in his youth.


    This man was Shangguan Yi¡¯s father and the true Family Head of the Shangguan Family¡ªShang Che.


    "In a few days, I shall be leaving. The matters here will be your responsibility," Shang Che said as he wrote something, his tone low and mild.


    "Yes," Shangguan Yi responded respectfully.


    Shang Che looked up at his son and said calmly, "You should not have married Wenren Wan."


    "She is too impulsive, acts rashly without thinking things through."


    "She¡¯s a legitimate daughter after all; I don¡¯t know what the Wenren Family taught her¡­"


    "Noble Clan daughters can be somewhat capricious before marriage, but once married, they represent the face of the Clan and must look after the Clan¡¯s interests. They should actappropriately. Even if it¡¯s hard, they must endure..."


    "Father..."


    Shangguan Yi raised his voice slightly, interrupting Shang Che.


    "Wan¡¯er is... a good wife. Yu Er¡¯s disappearance has left her extremely distraught. Her rudeness is understandable..."


    Shang Che looked at his son, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and after a pause slowly said:


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    "How¡¯s Yu Er doing?"


    "We are still searching."


    Shang Che sighed, "Yu Er... he has a pure heart, he is a good child, but, he¡¯s not cut out to be a good Family Head..."


    Shangguan Yi interjected, "Father, I only have Yu Er as my son."

 Chapter 779: Accurate Calculations (3)

    Shang Che¡¯s gaze was slightly cold, "I¡¯ve told you before, if..."


    Shangguan Yi said, "Then the next Family Head will inevitably be my child with Wan¡¯er..."


    Shang Che sneered, "She might not be willing..."


    "I will wait until she changes her mind..."


    Shangguan Yi, with his head lowered and body bowed, spoke with a resolute tone that brooked no doubt.


    Shang Che¡¯s brow twitched slightly, but in the end, he said nothing, only speaking indifferently, "I understand..."


    The atmosphere in the study was somewhat stiff.


    Shangguan Yi did not wish to stay long, so he stood up to leave.


    "Yi¡¯er..."


    Shang Che called out to Shangguan Yi, hesitated for a moment, and his tone softened a little.


    "You must understand, it¡¯s not easy being the Family Head..."


    "In a Tao Cultivation Noble Clan, one bases on the clan, must understand pros and cons, calculating losses and gains. Being indecisive and overly sentimental will not do."


    "A Cultivator¡¯s life is very long, no matter how deep the fondness, over time, love will fade, and people¡¯s hearts will change..."


    "As the Family Head, you must know what is the most enduring, what is the most advantageous."


    "You must also be resolute, make tough decisions, only then can I convince the ancestors to entrust the millennia-old Shangguan aristocratic family into your hands..."


    Shangguan Yi said silently, "Father, I understand."


    Shang Che glanced once and knew his son didn¡¯t understand it at all.


    He felt somewhat irritable, but, deeply cunning as he was, he only suppressed his feelings, sighing:


    "Think about it more. Yu Er is your child, a legitimate descendant, but he is also just one among the many disciples of the Shangguan Family. You need to weigh what is more important."


    Shangguan Yi¡¯s face showed pain, but he said nothing, performed a respectful salute, and withdrew respectfully.


    Shang Che looked down at the Jade Slip and after a long time, raised his head, gazing at the spot where Shangguan Yi had stood, reflecting on his troubled expression, feeling a mix of anger and frustration at his lack of competitive spirit:


    "All my life I¡¯ve been a ladies¡¯ man, passing through a sea of flowers without a single leaf touching my heart, yet the son I produced... how could he be... such a lovesick fool..."


    "He looks like a talent, but he¡¯s so lacking in ambition, thinking only of his wife and child every day..."


    Shang Che¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed, filled with dissatisfaction.


    After a long time, he sighed and spread out a Map.


    On the Map was the entire Qian State.


    Now a series of routes had been outlined, after Calculation with the Compass, they turned into profound Heavenly secret Patterns, yet they had no beginning or end, unknowable where they started or where they led to.


    Only a trace of savage, ancient aura remained.


    This was the handiwork of those who had taken Yu Er away.


    Shang Che¡¯s gaze turned solemn, his expression as still as water, muttering to himself:


    "From arranged marriage, birth, to death... all calculated, eh..."


    "Who has such a grand strategy?"


    "To deceive our ancestors, to use the only legitimate heirs of the two great Noble Clans, Shangguan and Wenren, as a sacrifice..."


    "What... do they want to offer sacrifice to, what life and death do they want to defy?"


    Shang Che felt a chill deep in his bones...


    ...


    In the Gu Family compound.


    Dressed in palace attire, Wenren Wan was preoccupied with thoughts of Yu Er, but once she stepped out of the door, she was again lost.


    "Search... how to search, where to search?"


    Yu Er had been abducted, and it was very likely that he was no longer in this state boundary, perhaps not even in Qian State...


    Hopelessness grasped her heart, along with profound powerlessness.


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    The Cultivation World is vast and boundless.


    She didn¡¯t know how to perform Calculations, nor understood the Heavenly Secrets. Finding Yu Er was like looking for a needle in the ocean.


    She also deeply despised herself, regretting why she hadn¡¯t pleaded with the old ancestors to learn the complex and abstruse spell points of Tao Cultivation.


    If that were the case, she might now be able to calculate Yu Er¡¯s fate on her own... S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if her Divine Sense exhausted, even if her Sea of Consciousness ran dry, even if...


    Wenren Wan stood silently for a long while before coming back to her senses. She looked around disconsolately, pondered for a moment, then called the Wenren Family¡¯s guards and asked them to drive a carriage and take her out of the city.


    No matter what, she would talk after leaving Qingzhou City...


    Outside the city, she might be able to find some traces of Yu Er...


    Wenren Wan silently made up her mind.


    If she couldn¡¯t find him in a month, she would search for a month.


    If not in a year, then for a year.


    If a year wasn¡¯t enough, she would search for ten years, a hundred years, until her lifespan was exhausted.


    "I must find Yu Er, alive and well..."


    The last four words she dared not even consider, she was afraid of seeing Yu Er¡¯s cold, lifeless little face, afraid to know that the child she cherished was no more...


    This was even more unbearable than suffering death herself as a mother.


    Wenren Wan only felt a piercing pain in her chest.


    The carriage left the Gu Family, passed through the main streets, went by the market town, and after two hours, it neared the city gate.


    Wenren Wan was so intent on heading out of the city that she didn¡¯t notice, by the city gate, at a noodle stall, two little Cultivators were slurping noodles with gusto.


    And Mo Hua and Yu Er, who had waited for several days, hungry and tired, busy eating their noodles, also didn¡¯t notice that a low-key yet luxurious carriage was silently making its way towards the city gate...


    Noise at the city gate was ceaseless, with an endless stream of carriages and horses.


    As they crossed paths and each went their separate ways, Wenren Wan suddenly felt a jolt.


    For an instant, as if connected by mother and child, she felt that her son was near, even very close to her...


    But she knew that Yu Er was no longer by her side...


    Her sensible, well-behaved son, now in the hands of who knew whom, his fate between life and death unknown, and it was uncertain whether he suffered mistreatment and torment.


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart ached even more.


    The carriage continued towards the outskirts of the city.


    But as the carriage moved further away, Wenren Wan¡¯s heart grew increasingly uneasy, and at times, she had a premonition.


    It was as if with every passing moment she was getting further away from Yu Er, and once she passed through this city gate...


    She would be eternally separated from her son.


    She might never see him again in this lifetime!


    A Cultivator¡¯s premonitions do not arise without reason.


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart was seized with panic.


    She immediately said, "Stop the carriage!"


    The carriage halted, and she quickly got out, looking around in confusion. After a long while, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a noodle stall in the distance...


    Wenren Wan felt as if she had been struck by lightning.


    At the noodle stall, there were two little Cultivators.


    One was a bit older, with eyebrows like paintings, his demeanor pure and gentle.


    The other was very young, about four or five years old, bearing a strong resemblance to her own Yu Er...


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart trembled, and she almost couldn¡¯t catch her breath.


    She wanted to speak, but she was so overwhelmed with emotion that she could not find her voice...


    Mo Hua, who was eating noodles, suddenly felt a shift in his Divine Sense and realized he was being watched. He looked up and saw a beautiful and elegant woman in the distance, her face streaked with tears, looking at him incredulously.


    This woman was both strange and somehow familiar to him.


    Mo Hua had never met her but had some vague impressions in the recesses of karma.


    Mo Hua had a sudden realization, then patted Yu Er, who sat beside him.


    Yu Er, mimicking Mo Hua, was burying his head in noodles when Mo Hua¡¯s gesture caught his attention. Looking into the distance, his little face froze, and his chopsticks clattered to the ground.


    Yu Er¡¯s eyes also filled with tears in an instant.


    "Mother..."


    The surroundings were noisy, but that call of "Mother" was clearly heard by Wenren Wan.


    The immense joy of regaining what was lost made it hard for her to breathe.


    Her tears blurred her vision, preventing her from seeing Yu Er clearly, but she still ran towards Yu Er without a second thought.


    She seemed to forget she was a Golden Core Realm Cultivator, that she possessed cultivation. She only remembered that she was the mother of a child.


    Yu Er, with tears streaming down his face, moved his short legs towards her...


    The two embraced each other.


    Even though her eyes were filled with tears and she couldn¡¯t see Yu Er¡¯s face clearly, Wenren Wan still held Yu Er tightly in her arms without reservation.


    She was afraid to let go.


    She feared that once she let go, her child would vanish again.


    Even in a dream, she wished it could last longer so that her child could stay in her embrace a little more...


    ...


    Yu Er and his mother embraced each other, both crying.


    Mo Hua nodded contentedly.


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    Although it was a combination of luck and calculated guesses, it seems his "calculations" were quite accurate.


    Now that Yu Er had found his mother, he should be safe.


    Mo Hua felt at ease.


    Next, he could head to the Qian Learning State Boundary to pay his respects at the Qian Taoist Sect!

 Chapter 780: Mr. Tu (1)

    Qian State, a certain forbidden land.


    Underground chamber, dark and ominous.


    Within the chamber, an altar was set, on which rested a vast white skull with a human face and ram horns, ferocious fangs, and bloodstains all over. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Tu knelt before the skull.


    His complexion was pale, tinged with a greenish hue; his fingers were slender, as if soaked too long in blood, cracking with blood seeping in.


    Mr. Tu¡¯s pupils were hollow, as if something had parasitized him. He hoarsely muttered words, as if speaking to someone or perhaps to himself:


    "That person is dead, his Taoist bones stripped, the gates of Back Ruins will open sooner or later¡­"


    "The living shall die, and the dead shall live¡­"


    "The thousand-year plan is about to make its move¡­"


    "Everything was calculated perfectly¡­"


    "That child¡­ must be taken into our hands. Goodness is the breeding ground for evil; his blood, his flesh, his Sea of Consciousness, are the finest offerings; his Divine Sense, is the best ¡¯Divine Fetus¡¯..."


    "But¡­ he was ¡¯snatched¡¯ away¡­"


    Mr. Tu¡¯s numb expression suddenly twisted into pain and anger, and blood seeped through his eyes.


    As if he had received rebuke, his heart was in a state of terrified guilt and hatred.


    "It¡¯s not my fault, not my fault¡­"


    He trembled and said, taking a long time to settle, before he continued:


    "That child is gone, vanished to who knows where. To search again would be like divining the heavenly secrets and searching for a needle in the ocean¡­"


    "But the child, he still has a mother, and a father¡­"


    "They can breed again¡­"


    "With the Four Symbols Demon Formation, Feather Transformation Demon Embryo, Karmic Impurity, as soon as his mother leaves Qingzhou City, we can obscure the heavenly secrets and capture her¡­"


    "This action will infuriate the Taoist Court, offend the Shangguan Family and the Wenren Family, destroying the millennia of strategic planning, leaving the Demon Children of Qian State dead or severely injured¡­"


    "But¡­"


    "To die for the Divine Lord is their honor."


    "Capturing the child¡¯s mother is worth everything..."


    "With her, we can control Shangguan Yi..."


    Mr. Tu let out a cold scoff.


    "Shangguan Che is deep and dispassionate, yet his son, deeply emotional, has obvious weaknesses, easily manipulated¡­"


    "¡­forcing them to bring another child into this world."


    "This child, bearing the legitimate bloodlines of both Shangguan and Wenren, will be in our grasp from birth, the perfect substitute."


    "But¡­"


    Mr. Tu coughed out a mouthful of blood, "¡­another miscalculation¡­"


    "Someone has disrupted our cause and effect!"


    Mr. Tu said angrily.


    His eyes suddenly turned blood-red and his voice became shrill and crazed, no longer human: "Who? Who is it?!"


    The inhuman voice echoed in the chamber.


    Long after, Mr. Tu coughed several times and regained his calm:


    "I don¡¯t know¡­"


    "I can¡¯t calculate it¡­"


    "No," Mr. Tu said through clenched teeth, "I dare not calculate¡­"


    "I see endless fog concealing the heavenly secrets, a mountain of corpses, a sea of dead bodies, a pair of bloody, merciless eyes, the abyss of exploitation, the anomaly of the Great Dao..."


    "This is the breath of a Taoist Demon¡­"


    "I..."


    Mr. Tu¡¯s eyes showed terror, his teeth chattering, "I¡­ dare not calculate¡­"


    "I would be contaminated¡­"


    "I dare not¡­"


    Mr. Tu shuddered intensely, pounding his head to the ground, bloodying his forehead, constantly muttering "I dare not"...


    But just then, fresh blood oozed from atop the human-faced ram-horned skull.


    An evil thought invaded Mr. Tu¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mr. Tu came to his senses abruptly, his gaze gradually calming.


    "Yes¡­ that¡¯s right."


    "It¡¯s impossible¡­"


    Mr. Tu murmured to himself: "This¡­ can¡¯t be real¡­ Taoist Demons are but illusions, a means to deceive the heavenly secrets."


    "If the person truly reared a Taoist Demon¡­ I would be a dead man by now¡­"


    "This person is a deceit¡­"


    "He has deceived me."


    "Who on earth is he?"


    Mr. Tu frowned, questioning and answering in his own mind:


    "I disguised myself in ¡¯human skin¡¯ and personally visited that restaurant¡­ My Formation was broken, leaving traces behind, but the method used to break it was clumsy, unpolished¡­"


    "It must have been deliberate¡­"


    "He¡¯s mocking me, deceiving me!" Continue reading at


    "The clumsy method would normally not be able to break the Formation. Someone capable of breaking it wouldn¡¯t be this unrefined¡­"


    "This person¡­ has deep cunningness, craftiness¡­"


    "An extremely adept Formation Master¡­"


    "Certainly an old monster too¡­"


    "I wonder what he looks like¡­"


    Mr. Tu began to construct an image of this person in his mind¡­


    Above middle-age, or perhaps an old man, centuries-old cultivation, a hooked nose, defined wrinkles, a shrewd and reclusive gaze, possibly outwardly gentle, but with a smile that is sinister and vicious¡­


    Mr. Tu felt this wasn¡¯t far off.


    He took a deep breath, his gaze full of malice.


    "Disrupting the Divine Lord¡¯s grand plan¡­"


    "Someday, I will pull this person out..."


    "Feed his flesh and blood as sacrifice, nurture Demon Monsters; offer up his Living Soul as tribute, worship the Divine Lord¡­"


    "Let him sink into the Desolate Mountain of Purgatory, forever unable to transcend¡­"


    "Let him know, the majesty of the Divine Lord cannot be violated, the ruler of the Great Wilderness, immortal and undying!"


    Mr. Tu¡¯s expression was fervent, fearless¡­


    ¡­


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    Meanwhile, "man-eating" Mo Hua, unaware that someone also wanted to "consume" him as an offering.


    He was presently eating.


    And what he was eating were genuine "delicacies of mountains and seas."


    As a token of gratitude to Mo Hua, Wenren Wan treated him to an extravagant meal at the largest and most expensive Food Building in Qingzhou City!

 Chapter 781: Mr. Tu (2)

    Mo Hua saw such extravagantly luxurious meals for the first time, not understanding the fuss but seeing they looked very expensive.


    The table was full of dishes, none of which he recognized.


    Because they were so pricey, the feeling in his mouth as he ate was very subtle.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know if the food was actually tasty or not.


    He only felt like he was chewing on "Spirit Stones" instead of food¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, luckily he wasn¡¯t picky and ate very happily.


    Yu Er sat beside Mo Hua, not feeling hungry, but seeing Mo Hua eating happily, he followed suit like a clever little student, eating whatever Mo Hua ate.


    Wenren Wan watched Yu Er intently, afraid that if she blinked, her child would disappear again.


    She still felt like she was dreaming.


    Initially, in despair, she had held onto a sliver of hope. Yet she hadn¡¯t expected that by simply stepping out the door, she would indeed find the child she had thought about day and night.


    Wenren Wan found it somewhat inconceivable.


    Shangguan Yi was even more incredulous.


    Upon hearing that Yu Er had been found, he rushed over. Upon truly seeing Yu Er, he was delighted and shocked but also very puzzled, murmuring to himself,


    "This can¡¯t be possible¡­"


    This went against the heavenly secret, against cause and effect, things simply shouldn¡¯t, and couldn¡¯t, be this way¡­


    Wenren Wan did not give him a warm welcome.


    Shangguan Yi knew to withdraw tactfully, and he did not stay long.


    With his son and wife safe, the weight in his heart lifted. As for his relationship with his wife, he would mend it slowly over time.


    Shangguan Yi thanked Mo Hua and said, "Young friend, if you ever need anything in the future, just say the word. The Shangguan Family¡­"


    "I¡¯m not interested," Wenren Wan coldly cut him off. "Leave quickly, your presence spoils my appetite."


    Shangguan Yi gave a wry smile, helpless, and took his leave, but just before leaving, he cast a thoughtful glance at Mo Hua, wondering something to himself.


    Aside from Shangguan Yi, Mo Hua also met a gentleman from the Gu family.


    Exceptionally handsome, he carried a paper fan and exuded a certain grace, though he seemed a bit too proud.


    Wenren Wan said, "This is my cousin, Gu by surname, Changhuai by name."


    Mo Hua politely said, "Hello, Uncle Gu."


    Gu Changhuai was greatly surprised, yet all he offered were words of gratitude. Beyond that, he asked nothing. After staying a while, he bid farewell.


    When he left, he also glanced at Mo Hua.


    In his haughty gaze was deep skepticism.


    Mo Hua quietly asked Wenren Wan, "Aunt Wan, is this Uncle Gu someone who isn¡¯t well-liked? His way of looking at people is a bit odd¡­"


    Wenren Wan was startled and then couldn¡¯t help but laugh, saying,


    "Don¡¯t mind him, Changhuai is kind-hearted. He¡¯s just youthful and arrogant."


    "And since it¡¯s his first time meeting you, he might have been a bit uncomfortable, thus seeming distant. Don¡¯t take it to heart."


    "Okay," Mo Hua nodded.


    "By the way," Mo Hua asked again, "that uncle who looked handsome and seemed mild-mannered, is he Yu Er¡¯s father?"


    Wenren Wan spoke with slight disdain, "Yes¡­"


    She briefly explained Yu Er¡¯s identity to Mo Hua.


    Yu Er was a child of a union between the Shangguan and Wenren Noble Clans, possessing the purest lineage of both families, which is why his full name was "Shang Guanyu."


    Mo Hua continued eating what seemed like a chicken leg, but he didn¡¯t know from which Spirit Beast or bird it came. He looked calm, even somewhat clueless.


    "Do you know about the Wenren Family?" Wenren Wan asked out of the blue.


    Stay tuned to


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    "How about the Shangguan Family?"


    Mo Hua still shook his head.


    Being from a small place like Tongxian City, he was almost completely ignorant about the matters of the noble families in Qian State.


    The map he had of Qian State, though it marked some noble clans, hadn¡¯t caught his interest that much...


    His attention was focused on the major Sects of the Qian Learning State Boundary.


    And these noble clans were a confusing mess.


    Everyone talked about their depth of history and lineage, the vastness of their power, some lasting thousands or even tens of thousands of years...


    Mo Hua simply couldn¡¯t distinguish who was who¡­


    Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised; she hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to truly know nothing.


    "You... aren¡¯t a Cultivator from Qian State, are you..." Wenren Wan asked tactfully.


    "Yeah," Mo Hua nodded, "I¡¯m a Loose Cultivator; my family resides in Li State. We¡¯re from a Second Grade Little Immortal City, and my parents are both in the Qi Refinement stage¡­"


    Wenren Wan¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock, "Then how... did you come to Qian State?"


    "I came here to learn!"


    "By yourself?"


    "Yes, my parents are very busy. And since they are just at the Qi Refinement stage, the journey would be too dangerous. I didn¡¯t feel comfortable with them coming, so I came alone¡­"


    Wenren Wan didn¡¯t know what to say, feeling that the roles of the child and the parents seemed reversed...


    She then sighed silently, reflecting deeply.


    No wonder they say the child of a poor family must become a householder early on.


    From Li State to Qian State, the road was so long, traveling alone over mountains and rivers, exposed to the elements, not to mention Monster Beasts and various treacherous Cultivators...


    It was not just a matter of Cultivation, but also of rich experience, exceptional ingenuity, steadfast determination, and an unyielding will...


    And Mo Hua looked merely like a child of about ten.


    At his age, the children of Noble Clans were usually carefree in their cultivation, unaware of life¡¯s hardships, and oblivious to the malice in people¡¯s hearts...


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    Wenren Wan looked at Mo Hua and felt an inexplicable sense of compassion.


    She instructed Yu Er, "You must learn more from your brother Mo in the future..."


    "Okay!" Yu Er nodded repeatedly.


    Wenren Wan affectionately rubbed Yu Er¡¯s head then, struck by a puzzling thought as she gazed at Mo Hua, hesitated for a moment before asking:

 Chapter 782: Mr. Tu (3)

    "Then... how did you manage to rescue Yu Er?"


    Mo Hua was Yu Er¡¯s savior, and out of courtesy, Wenren Wan refrained from scrutinizing him too closely with her Divine Sense.


    But from what could be observed on the surface, Mo Hua¡¯s Cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment level.


    His Blood Qi was very weak, his Spiritual Power not particularly strong, and, being a Loose Cultivator, he seemingly came from an impoverished background and likely didn¡¯t possess any remarkable Spiritual Artifacts.


    Even if he had a superior Spiritual Artifact, with his level of Spiritual Power, he probably couldn¡¯t unleash its full potential.


    How did such a junior cultivator manage to rescue his own Yu Er?


    It couldn¡¯t be that he alone defeated more than a dozen traffickers, could it...


    Mo Hua said with a bashful tone, "I was just lucky, happened to be passing by, and for some reason, all those traffickers were dead, and Yu Er was locked in a box, so I ¡¯picked¡¯ him up and took him to Qingzhou City..."


    Mo Hua stuck with the same story as before.


    He was just a passerby, a kind young man.


    Just a bit lucky.


    The death of the traffickers had nothing to do with him.


    Upon hearing this, Wenren Wan was somewhat astonished, but she couldn¡¯t help harboring doubts.


    Everything seemed too coincidental...


    How could the traffickers just die out of the blue?


    And how could he have just happened to find Yu Er?


    There was something fishy...


    Seeing that Wenren Wan didn¡¯t quite believe him, Mo Hua thought for a moment then sighed, revealing an expression of "after-fear":


    "To speak truthfully, it¡¯s also because of Yu Er¡¯s great luck and strong fate."


    "If my luck had been just a bit worse and I hadn¡¯t come across him, and he really had been picked up by someone else, that would have been troublesome..."


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart jolted.


    Indeed!


    If Yu Er had been "picked up" by another cultivator with ulterior motives, or one who schemed with great deliberation, then Yu Er would have been in danger!


    She thought it through carefully once more and the more she thought about it, the more reasonable Mo Hua¡¯s words seemed.


    Shangguan Yi had told her before that Yu Er had been ensnared in a scheme by a powerhouse, manipulated behind the scenes, and taken from place to place, with little chance for escape...


    But man¡¯s calculations are no match for those of heaven.


    By a stroke of fate and opportunity, Yu Er was instead rescued by this child, Mo Hua.


    Isn¡¯t this evidence that Yu Er¡¯s fortunate destiny and good opportunities?


    As a mother, who wouldn¡¯t wish for their child to have a profound fate?


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart felt comforted.


    Of course, this child, Mo Hua, had "good luck" as well.


    Shouldn¡¯t she feel relieved that Mo Hua was lucky?


    If he hadn¡¯t been lucky, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to rescue Yu Er, and she might never have seen Yu Er again...


    The more Wenren Wan thought, the more convinced she became, and she found herself nodding in agreement.


    Mo Hua was right! Discover stories with


    Yu Er was truly fortunate!


    If Yu Er could have such good fortune, why couldn¡¯t Mo Hua be lucky too?


    A lucky child saving a child with good fate, what could be wrong with that?


    Realizing this, Wenren Wan felt assured, believed him to a great extent, and the more she looked at Mo Hua, the more she took a liking to him; her heart filled with gratitude, she sincerely said:


    "Mo Hua, you have done a great service for both the Shangguan and the Wenren families. What do you wish for?"


    Mo Hua was taken aback and felt somewhat embarrassed.


    Saving Yu Er had been a convenient act for him, and asking for a reward now seemed a bit like... trading favor for gain?


    And he had grown quite fond of Yu Er.


    Aunt Wan, from the Wenren Family, had also been kind to him, even treating him to good food.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Mo Hua decided to forego a reward, just asking them for a little help would suffice.


    "Aunt Wan, can you send me to the Qian Taoist Sect?" S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although they were in the Qian Xue State Boundary, they were on the edge of the state boundary, and Qian Xue State was a fifth-grade state boundary with vast territories; it would take some time for him to get there.


    If there was a delay and he was late, missing the chance to join the sect, that would be a problem.


    Wenren Wan, however, misunderstood, feeling somewhat ashamed and distressed as she replied:


    "The Qian Taoist Sect is one of the ¡¯Four Great Sects¡¯; its threshold is extremely high, and relying on the Wenren Family¡¯s influence might be a bit difficult..."


    Mo Hua was startled, then shook his head and said, "Aunt Wan, you just need to take me there..."


    Wenren Wan was puzzled, "Take you there?"


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    "Yes."


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua felt that since Yu Er was kindhearted and Aunt Wan was very good, and because the Wenren Family was also a great noble clan, there seemed to be no need to keep secrets. So he continued:


    "I have a Sect-Entering Order..."


    Wenren Wan gasped, her voice trembling, "You have a Sect-Entering Order from... the Qian Taoist Sect?!"

 Chapter 783: Qian Taoist Sect (1)

    Mo Hua was also taken aback.


    The reaction of Wenren Wan was somewhat unexpected to him.


    "Is the Sect-Entering Order from Qian Taoist Sect really... that valuable?"


    Yu Er, who was eating beside them, looked confusedly at her mother.


    Wenren Wan sighed and said, "The Sect-Entering Order signifies ¡¯exemption from entrance exams.¡¯ In the Qian Learning State Boundary, from the largest to the smallest, any sect¡¯s Sect-Entering Order is very valuable, especially one from a top-tier sect like the Qian Taoist Sect."


    "Top-tier?" Mo Hua was slightly startled, then remembered Wenren Wan¡¯s earlier comment, "The Four Great Sects?"


    "Yes," Wenren Wan nodded slightly, "In Qian Learning State Boundary, a fifth-rank region with numerous Taoist orders, the sects¡ªwhether big or small¡ªnumber in the thousands if not tens of thousands."


    "Among them, the esteemed upper-echelon sects include ¡¯The Four Great Sects¡¯, ¡¯Eight Great Gates¡¯, ¡¯Twelve Streams¡¯..."


    "Besides these are sects that aren¡¯t weak but slightly lack depth, and all these sects are collectively known as the ¡¯Qian Learning Hundred Gates¡¯..."


    "The Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, Twelve Streams, Qian Learning Hundred Gates..." Mo Hua silently repeated them, committing them to memory.


    Wenren Wan continued:


    "Among all the sects in Qian Learning State Boundary, if we talk about traditional lineage, the Four Great Sects are the strongest, with the Eight Great Gates next in line..."


    "The Twelve Streams can compare with the Eight Great Gates, but each specializes in a particular field, somewhat skewed. For example, Sever Gold Sect practices Sword Control, Myriad Magic Gate studies spells, and others specialize in Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, beast control, Martial Way, and so on..."


    "And among them, Qian Taoist Sect is one of the top most sects in the Qian Learning State Boundary¡¯s Four Great Sects."


    "One of the top most..." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was somewhat doubtful, "So, is it the first, or the second then?"


    Wenren Wan¡¯s expression became somewhat complicated, and she whispered:


    "That..."


    "Each of the Four Great Sects claims to be the first and refuses to be second. So, all of the Four Great Sects are among the top most, but it¡¯s not clear-cut who exactly ranks first or second..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open.


    So there could be such "scheming"...


    "Therefore," Wenren Wan said earnestly, "as one of the top-tier ¡¯Four Great Sects¡¯ in the fifth-rank Qian Xue State, the requirements for entry are extremely stringent. Naturally, a Sect-Entering Order granting exemption from the entrance exams is extremely precious..."


    "Even for noble clans like the Shangguan and Wenren, it¡¯s exceedingly rare."


    Wenren Wan sighed.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disheartened.


    He had not expected that what his master had left him was such a valuable item.


    After Wenren Wan finished speaking, she suddenly remembered something and cautioned:


    "Keep this Sect-Entering Order safe and don¡¯t tell anyone about it."


    "Yes!" Mo Hua nodded.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s composed demeanor and the treasured token in his possession without panic, Wenren Wan secretly nodded in approval, but she was immediately struck by curiosity:


    "Where did you get this token from?"


    "I found it!" Mo Hua said.


    Wenren Wan was taken aback, "Found... found it?"


    A Sect-Entering Order from the Qian Taoist Sect... could be found just like that?


    This was an excuse Mo Hua had practically blurted out without thinking:


    "Back when I was in the Li State, in a mountain while monster hunting, by a fluke, I found a storage bag. In the bag, there was a token with the words ¡¯Qian Taoist Sect¡¯ on it."


    "I made some inquiries and found out that this was a Sect-Entering Order for the Qian Learning State Boundary."


    "Qian Learning State Boundary is very far from Li State, but I thought since I found it, it was a stroke of destiny that shouldn¡¯t be wasted. So, I crossed mountains and rivers to come to Qian State, hoping to be admitted into a sect and learn Tao cultivation..."


    This was a simple, unadorned tale of seeking the Tao.


    Half-true, half-false.


    It sounded rough-hewn, yet without any flaws.


    Wenren Wan was somewhat skeptical but after thinking it over, she realized some people are born with good fortune¡ªthat wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary.


    Moreover, the person saying this was Mo Hua, who had just saved her child.


    Wenren Wan chose to believe it for the time being.


    However, Mo Hua had some concerns: "Aunt Wan, with this Sect-Entering Order, can I really be exempt from the entrance exams?"


    "Of course..." Discover more content at


    Wenren Wan started to answer but suddenly stopped, furrowing her brows with some hesitation.


    Normally, holding the token meant you could join the sect, and there was no issue with that.


    The issuance of Sect-Entering Orders was highly strict, not something just anyone could issue or receive.


    When entering the sect, the sect would make a Calculation of cause and effect.


    Any person holding a Sect-Entering Order, as long as their origins were proper, without bad causes, without bad effects, not obtained by "killing and robbing," stealing opportunities, or harboring ill intentions, would face no issues.


    Even those who "found" the token were considered to have received a fateful opportunity from the Heavenly Dao; the sect would not refuse them.


    But...


    Mo Hua¡¯s case was a bit special.


    The Qian Taoist Sect was too vast, with each spot extremely precious.


    And Mo Hua was a Loose Cultivator, with no background, what¡¯s more critical was his Spiritual Root...


    Wenren Wan whispered, "Mo Hua, your Spiritual Root..."


    "A mid to lower-tier Small Five Elements Spiritual Root," Mo Hua replied.


    Just as expected...


    Wenren Wan sighed.


    This Spiritual Root was far too inferior, barely reaching the threshold for entry...


    But Wenren Wan didn¡¯t want to dishearten Mo Hua, so she said, "Qian Taoist Sect is a Great Sect that values its word, and should accept you."


    Mo Hua knew Wenren Wan was trying to comfort him, and smiled, "Thank you, Aunt Wan!"


    But he also had some expectations.


    The Qian Taoist Sect was even larger than he had imagined, and the threshold even higher.


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    He reckoned that gaining entry to the Qian Taoist Sect might not be that easy...


    However, there¡¯s always a solution to a problem; he would still have to try his luck.


    Wenren Wan also said, "Finish your meal, rest for the night, and tomorrow I will have the Wenren Family¡¯s carriage safely take you to the Qian Taoist Sect..."


    Mo Hua thanked her with a smile, then thinking of something else, whispered:

 Chapter 784: Qian Taoist Sect (2)

    "Aunt Wan, there¡¯s one more thing..." Find your next read at


    Wenren Wan said, "Just speak your mind!"


    Mo Hua whispered, "Is it possible not to tell anyone else about me saving Yu Er?"


    Wenren Wan was startled, but then she understood.


    To calculate against the Shangguan Family and the legitimate descendants of the Wenren Family, as well as to obscure the heavenly secrets so that the two great Noble Clans could not divine cause and effect,


    The power behind this act must be immensely formidable.


    Their scheming must also be profound.


    Mo Hua was just lucky, saving Yu Er by chance.


    But if those people knew that it was Mo Hua, this child, who spoiled their plans, then this good fortune would turn into calamity.


    Mo Hua was still only a child, moreover, a Loose Cultivator with weak cultivation, powerless and without influence, lacking any background; he would probably...


    Have nowhere to lay his corpse upon his death!


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart trembled, feeling a sourness within.


    She knew the pain of losing a child.


    Mo Hua had parents too. If Mo Hua were to lose his life because he saved Yu Er, how heartbroken his parents would be.


    She would also feel guilty for the rest of her life...


    Wenren Wan said earnestly, "Don¡¯t worry, I will ensure that everyone who knows about this keeps it to themselves, not leaking a whisper of it!"


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, "Thank you, Aunt Wan!"


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s clear and pure smile, Wenren Wan felt somewhat reassured.


    Afterward, Mo Hua rested in Qingzhou City for a night, played with Yu Er for a while, and the next day rode in the Wenren Family¡¯s carriage, heading north beyond the Qian Xue State boundary...


    The Qian Xue State boundary, a prosperous land for seeking knowledge.


    Countless Sects lined the journey.


    Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, Taoist temples stood tall, their majestic air presenting a spectacular sight.


    Radiant light bathed the mountains, and Spirit Beasts chirped clearly, creating a scene akin to paradise.


    Cultivators wearing various Sect Taoist robes came and went, their escape lights crisscrossing.


    Mo Hua was deeply moved.


    "This is... the Qian Xue State boundary..."


    "This is... the largest place in Qian State for questioning the Dao and pursuing studies..."


    All along the way, numerous beautiful scenes unfolded so rapidly Mo Hua hardly had time to gaze at them all; sticking his little head out the carriage window, he watched the whole way, full of emotion.


    The steady sound of horse hooves.


    The mountain road shrouded in mist.


    The journey was like riding on clouds.


    Two days later, the carriage arrived at the Qian Taoist Sect.


    From a distance, a massive mountain peak could be seen standing tall against the sky, with palaces arrayed among the mountains, observatories like stars scattered in the vastness, majestic and lofty. The clouds and mists gave it an ethereal feel, as if it were the White Jade Capital in the heavens.


    "The Qian Taoist Sect..."


    Mo Hua felt a bit nervous but also excited, and his heart couldn¡¯t help fluttering.


    The carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain.


    A guard from the Wenren Family apologized with a fist salute, "Young Master Mo, the rules of the Qian Taoist Sect are strict, they do not allow carriages up the mountain. I¡¯m terribly sorry; this is as far as we can take you."


    "It¡¯s okay."


    Mo Hua waved his hand, thanked the guard, and then walked directly up the tall steps toward the mountain gate of the Qian Taoist Sect.


    Up close, it was even more magnificent, as if it were steeped in immortal aura.


    Along the way, other students also dismounted from their carriages and walked up the mountain; they seemed to want to join the Qian Taoist Sect as well.


    However, they were dressed in finer robes, their demeanor more arrogant, surrounded by family elders¡¯ protection and escorts from their guards.


    In contrast, Mo Hua was dressed modestly, all alone.


    Fortunately, he was accustomed to it.


    Walking alone, Mo Hua soon reached the gate of the Qian Taoist Sect.


    In front of the gate, there was a towering threshold, almost taller than Mo Hua himself, separating those going up the mountain and also separating Mo Hua.


    A few disciples of the Qian Taoist Sect were guarding the gate. When they saw Mo Hua, they stopped him and asked his purpose.


    Their tone was polite, but underneath, there was a hint of contempt and arrogance.


    "I have a Sect-Entering Order, and I wish to join the sect..."


    Mo Hua presented his Sect-Entering Order.


    The disciples appeared astonished and exchanged glances. One disciple said,


    "Please wait here for a moment, I need to report this and consult an Elder for a decision."


    Then he added, "Please fill out the record of your Cultivator¡¯s background and history..."


    Mo Hua looked at the so-called "record of background and history," which was a form to state one¡¯s place of origin, family background, and the nature of one¡¯s Spiritual Root.


    Mo Hua filled it out truthfully.


    The disciple took the entered information and produced a sealed box to store the Sect-Entering Order. Then he entered the mountain gate and walked along the broad jade road for the time it takes to brew tea. When he reached a hall,


    Several Elders of the Qian Taoist Sect were in the midst of discussion.


    The disciple presented the sealed box and explained the situation.


    The Elders all showed surprise. "A Sect-Entering Order?"


    They looked to the presiding Elder and asked, "Elder Shen, how do you see this?"


    The one seated in the highest seat, Elder Shen, had deep wrinkles and his Taoist robe was adorned with four golden Patterns, clearly of high status.


    On hearing the report, Elder Shen took the Sect-Entering Order and, upon seeing the inscription, he furrowed his brows.


    "Elder Shen, is there something amiss?" asked an Elder observing his reaction.


    Elder Shen shook his head and handed the order to the others, "Take a look for yourselves..."


    Other Elders accepted it with some confusion and after reading it, they too paused in surprise.


    An Elder slowly read, "The bearer of this order may not be refused entry..."


    "This character... is it not right..."


    "Shouldn¡¯t it read ¡¯He who bears this order should be respectfully admitted¡¯?"


    "Yes, why does it have the tone of an imperial edict?"


    "Is this Sect-Entering Order counterfeit?"


    Elder Shen shook his head, "It¡¯s real, just, ¡¯old¡¯..."


    "Old?"


    The Elders were taken aback.


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    Elder Shen nodded, "This is an edict from the old rules of our Sect..."


    With a hint of emotion, Elder Shen added: sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is from a batch of ¡¯Sect-Entering Orders¡¯ that¡¯s quite ancient. At that time, the Qian Taoist Sect was in decline, with insufficient strength. We had to act subserviently to others, which is why the Sect-Entering Orders from that period have the tone of an edict..."


    "Not to be refused, meaning our Qian Taoist Sect could not resist..."

 Chapter 785: Qian Taoist Sect (3)

    "But!"


    Elder Shen¡¯s gaze was piercing, his voice lifted: "Following the footsteps of the past Sect Leaders of our Qian Taoist Sect, who governed with vigor and diligence, over generations our cultivators have aspired to grow stronger. United in spirit, we toiled tirelessly, expanding our might to this day..."


    "Our Qian Taoist Sect is now beyond compare with its former self!"


    "All our disciples are prodigies, with top-grade talents!"


    Discover more stories at


    "Today, we stand at the forefront of the four major sects! We are the greatest sect within the Qian Xue State boundary!"


    "Therefore, this Sect-Entering Order has been changed in both format and wording."


    "No longer does it read ¡¯not to be refused,¡¯ but ¡¯earnestly hoped to be accepted!¡¯"


    "It is others who beg us to ¡¯accept¡¯ them into our sect, not us being ¡¯commanded¡¯ to take in disciples!"


    Elder Shen¡¯s words resounded with authority.


    The other elders felt their spirits rise, sharing in the glory.


    An elder spoke up: "Then this Sect-Entering Order, being an old matter and somewhat dishonorable, shall we... refuse it?"


    Elder Shen pondered for a moment before shaking his head:


    "No need to be so hasty, one must consider all things carefully..."


    "These past events, though not glorious, are unchangeable facts."


    "We cultivators must remember past humiliations, engrain them into our hearts so that we might carry the weight of our resolve and continue to grow stronger, ensuring our Qian Taoist Sect stands tall for thousands of years!"


    The others flattered him:


    "Worthy of being Elder Shen!"


    "Far-sighted and visionary!"


    "Grand in scope and extraordinary in tolerance!"


    ...


    Elder Shen gestured modestly, a thought occurring to him, and he asked:


    "This disciple seeking admission, what is the nature of his talent?"


    Someone passed up a record of "native place."


    With just a glance, Elder Shen¡¯s brows knotted.


    "A Loose Cultivator..."


    "And from the remote areas of Li State at that..."


    "A middling to low-grade Small Five Elements Spiritual Root..."


    Elder Shen found it barely worth a glance.


    The other elders also looked over the record, and one couldn¡¯t help but chuckle: "In the special skills section, it says... Formation?"


    The rest were taken aback and then burst into laughter.


    "He really dares to claim that..."


    "Probably has nothing else to write..."


    "Formation..." an elder shook his head, "My own five-times-great-grandson has an exceptional talent for formations, and I dare not let him pursue that path nor claim to be proficient..."


    "Truly... ignorance is bliss..."


    "After all, cultivators from small places might feel grand after learning a few formations, not knowing the vastness of the world, that there are skies beyond skies..."


    An elder joked: "Why not ask him just how many formations he knows?"


    "You really have too much free time..."


    "What¡¯s the use of asking? Could he possibly create a Second Grade formation?"


    "Do not underestimate the cultivators of the world..."


    "That may be so, but this is Qian State, the Qian Xue State boundary, where the geniuses of the Cultivation World converge. We lack not for a ¡¯formation genius¡¯..."


    ...


    After discussing for a while, someone curiously asked:


    "How did he come by this Sect-Entering Order?"


    "Well, about that..."


    "An ancient ¡¯Sect-Entering Ordercould he have picked it up?"


    "Where is it that easy to pick up? Couldn¡¯t it be that he... resorted to killing and robbing for it?"


    "Or perhaps, he¡¯s someone¡¯s chess piece?"


    Elder Shen shook his head, "Just now I made some quick calculations and while it¡¯s a bit unclear, presumably clean and without issues, no signs of ¡¯Evil Cause and Evil Effect.¡¯ Most likely he indeed found it by chance..."


    An elder clicked his tongue in admiration: "What luck..."


    "Indeed, even a Sect-Entering Order could be found..."


    Elder Shen nodded: "Some people in this world do indeed encounter extraordinary fortunes..." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Since this boy has such fortune, then..." an elder probed Elder Shen¡¯s intention.


    Elder Shen mused for a moment and slowly said: "Having fortune is one thing, but..."


    Elder Shen¡¯s expression became slightly haughty as he reflected:


    "Our Qian Taoist Sect offers such a grand opportunity; he simply cannot bear it!"


    The elders were startled, and they exclaimed in admiration:


    "Elder Shen speaks wisely!"


    "A fortune too great can also be a misfortune..."


    "A person of light fortune cannot withstand such overwhelming wealth..."


    "This is also for his own good..."


    ...


    "But..." some elders were concerned, "if we refuse, will that not damage the prestige of our Qian Taoist Sect?"


    After all, those holding the Sect-Entering Order were generally not refused.


    If they were refused, they might be labeled as "untrustworthy," and that would sound bad if it got out...


    Elder Shen frowned, pondering before he spoke with weighty consideration:


    "It¡¯s not ¡¯refusal,¡¯ it¡¯s ¡¯under deliberation¡¯..."


    The crowd was taken aback.


    "Under deliberation?"


    Elder Shen nodded, "It¡¯s not rejection, merely that this matter is special and requires thorough discussion..."


    Thorough discussion.


    As for how long they will deliberate, be it a month, a year, or more than a decade, whether or not a decision is reached, and what that might be...


    That was the concern of the Qian Taoist Sect and no one else¡¯s business.


    Elder Shen did not articulate this, but everyone understood.


    The others nodded:


    "This is for the best..."


    "Such a significant matter indeed requires thorough discussion..."


    "Indeed, Elder Shen handles matters fittingly, measuring every action with perfect discretion..."


    ...


    "So how shall we deal with this Sect-Entering Order?" someone else asked.


    Elder Shen said indifferently:


    "Just enter it into the record of cultivators."


    The Sect-Entering Order was precious, one per person. Once entered into the records, if returned, it could not be used by others again.


    And once "under deliberation," the matter of the order-holder¡¯s admission into the sect was effectively stalled.


    Thus, the matter was properly dealt with.


    Elder Shen nodded slightly.


    The light of the Sect-Entering Order flashed momentarily as it was recorded.


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    Elder Shen annotated "under deliberation" on the record, then tossed it aside, burying it under a pile of documents where it began to gather dust in silence.


    As he discarded it, his glance fell once more on the name atop the record.


    "Mo Hua..."


    The name was swiftly forgotten by Elder Shen, who didn¡¯t deem it to be of any significance...

 Chapter 786: Genius (1)

    Afterward, Elder Shen began to discuss other matters.


    The Sect-Entering Order, which was recorded in the annals and set aside as "to be discussed", effectively becoming "voided", was returned.


    The disciple handed the Sect-Entering Order to Mo Hua.


    "As for the matter of joining the Sect, further discussion is needed..."


    "How long will the discussion take?" Mo Hua asked.


    The disciple, polite yet with a touch of indifference, said, "The Elders¡¯ deliberation is not something we disciples can inquire about. I do not know either. Just let it be..."


    Mo Hua understood the situation in his heart.


    To accept is to accept, to reject is to reject.


    Even with a Sect-Entering Order in hand, they still prevaricated with discussions.


    It was probably a polite refusal...


    He didn¡¯t think that, as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was worth the Qian Taoist Sect, a fifth-rank Sect, to deliberate over for ten days and a half a month.


    Most likely, it would come to nothing.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that after traversing mountains and rivers to get here, he wouldn¡¯t even enter the gates of the Qian Taoist Sect...


    Looking at the threshold in front of the Sect¡¯s entrance, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly:


    "The threshold of the Qian Taoist Sect is indeed high..."


    Mo Hua put away the Sect-Entering Order.


    Although the order was now useless, it was, after all, something his master had left him and could be kept as a keepsake.


    If you¡¯re not family, you don¡¯t enter the family¡¯s door.


    A Sect so grand and luxurious, with a high threshold, accepting only "geniuses" was indeed not suitable for him...


    The Qian Xue State Boundary was so vast; he could simply look for another Sect!


    "If this place won¡¯t keep me, there will be another that will!"


    Mo Hua invigorated his spirit. The slight disappointment in his heart instantly vanished as he looked up and puffed out his chest, leaving the gates of the Qian Taoist Sect with a proud and defiant air.


    However, as he descended the mountain, he brushed past a cultivator donning the Taoist robe of a Qian Taoist Sect Elder, with half-white hair and a stern face and eyes.


    One ascending the mountain, the other descending.


    The two passed by each other without taking notice.


    This stern-faced Elder of the Qian Taoist Sect had four golden patterns on his robe.


    Wearing an aura of authority, he strode directly into the Sect¡¯s entrance.


    Along the way, disciples greeted him with clasped hands, and he responded with a slight nod before entering the hall where the Sect deliberated, only then frowning slightly.


    Elder Shen looked up and saw him, saying indifferently:


    "Elder Zheng, you are late." Discover more content at


    Elder Zheng took his seat as if it were a matter of course, snorted and said, "It¡¯s all the same whether I¡¯m early or late."


    The atmosphere grew somewhat stiff.


    Elder Shen chuckled, unperturbed, and said:


    "Let¡¯s continue discussing... the recent approach of disciple admission brings many tasks. They should be dealt with promptly to avoid delay. Finishing the discussions earlier will make it easier for everyone..." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The others echoed in agreement.


    The atmosphere returned to normal.


    One by one, the various affairs were brought up, involving matters from disciple enrollment to improvements in Sect governance, rewards and punishments for instructors, and matters related to the Elders¡¯ treatment...


    The gathering of Elders put forth their suggestions, then looked for Elder Shen¡¯s reaction, and ultimately reached a consensus.


    Only Elder Zheng, either silent or, when he spoke, with sharp words, added some tension to the atmosphere.


    But he was only one man with one vote, and he couldn¡¯t change much.


    In most cases, he could only turn a blind eye and reluctantly "agree".


    However, an hour later, when a certain matter was discussed, Elder Zheng¡¯s attitude became stubborn, even angry.


    "Only the highest-grade Spiritual Roots are allowed to enroll?"


    Elder Zheng banged the table furiously, "What kind of nonsense is that?!"


    Elder Shen¡¯s composure twitched slightly, but he still managed to contain his anger and said indifferently:


    "Elder Zheng, as an instructor, you should not speak foul language and forget your manners..."


    Elder Zheng retorted angrily, "Enough with the pretense, what manners? You¡¯re ready to lose your own face, so what manners do I need to uphold?"


    Elder Shen, growing angry, said, "Elder Zheng!"


    He took a deep breath, "Only the highest-grade Spiritual Roots are allowed to enroll; this is what all the Elders agreed upon after discussion..."


    Elder Zheng scoffed, "Agreed upon? Isn¡¯t it all about following your lead?"


    This statement made the other Elders at the scene uncomfortable.


    Elder Shen said coldly, "Are you implying that I, Shen, run a one-man show?"


    "It¡¯s not you, Shen, it¡¯s your Shen Family!" Elder Zheng sneered and spoke bluntly:


    "What are you counting for? Just a Feather Transformation. Why should others give you face?"


    "The respect is for your Shen Family at your back, a colossal entity, a noble clan established for ten thousand years, deeply rooted! You¡¯re nothing more than a human ¡¯messenger talisman¡¯ for your Shen Family..."


    Elder Shen flew into a rage, "Presumptuous!"


    The other Elders in the hall were also somewhat taken aback.


    Elder Zheng sneered without a word.


    Elder Shen continued coldly, "Elder Zheng, your unfounded accusations are not only disparaging me but the Shen Family as well!"


    "Whether it¡¯s slander or not, you know it in your heart. What is the ethos of this Qian Taoist Sect? Needless for me to elaborate?"


    Elder Zheng sneered again, "I heard that even Great cultivators of the Heaven Void Realm wishing to take a post in the Qian Taoist Sect have to bend down and toast you, Elder Shen?"


    Elder Shen still only said, "Nonsensical talk!"


    Elder Zheng proceeded to air his own grievances, "How many spots have you covertly skimmed off over the years? Who exactly have those spots gone to?"


    "To the Shen Family?"


    "Or sold at a high price to noble clans in cahoots with the Shen Family?"


    "Do you want the Qian Taoist Sect to change its allegiance and surname?!"


    ...


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    This statement was extremely grave, causing all the Elders present to change their expressions.


    Elder Shen settled down instead, waved his hand to the others, "Everyone, please disperse. We will discuss this matter later. Elder Zheng... he has encountered some deviations in his cultivation and injured his Sea of Consciousness, occasionally speaking nonsense. Please be understanding..."


    The gathered Elders, as if pardoned, clasped their hands and dispersed.


    In the now empty hall, only Elder Zheng and Elder Shen were left.

 Chapter 787: Genius (2)

    Elder Shen remained silent, his expression solemn as he spoke indifferently:


    "Our Qian Taoist Sect has developed from a minor sect into what it is today by virtue of our sect¡¯s Taoist lineage and many disciples of extraordinary talent."


    "Spiritual Roots determine the talent of a disciple, the upper limit of their Tao cultivation..."


    "A fine horse deserves a fine saddle, a precious sword belongs to the hero."


    "As Qian Taoist Sect is a top-tier sect, naturally, we also need disciples of top-tier talent."


    "Only the prodigies with superior grade Spiritual Roots are worthy of Qian Taoist Sect."


    "I do not understand what impropriety there is in this action that has caused Elder Zheng such distress, to utter such ¡¯heretical and perverse¡¯ words?"


    Elder Zheng sneered and retorted, "How many of our Qian Taoist Sect¡¯s ancestors possessed superior grade Spiritual Roots?"


    "Upper-middle, lower-upper, and even lower-middle grade ones existed..."


    "By that logic, do our Qian Taoist Sect¡¯s ancestors also not qualify to be disciples of our sect?"


    Elder Shen frowned, "You¡¯re twisting the facts to suit your argument!"


    He paced back and forth in anger before he finally said:


    "Times were different then, the Great Dao evolves, what was cannot be compared to what is now, nowadays, cultivators with upper-grade Spiritual Roots are commonplace, so why can¡¯t we..."


    Elder Zheng questioned, "Commonplace? Who is commonplace?"


    Elder Shen was taken aback.


    Elder Zheng¡¯s gaze was sharp, "Upper-grade Spiritual Roots are commonplace among Noble Clans, among ancestral families! Not among all cultivators of the world!"


    Elder Zheng uttered word by word, "Not among all cultivators of the world!"


    "You¡¯ve forgotten your roots!"


    Elder Shen¡¯s gaze flickered, and he remained silent.


    Elder Zheng, though agitated, gradually calmed himself and slowly began:


    "Our Qian Taoist Sect¡¯s ancestors, when they established our sect amidst hardships, was it just for its expansion?"


    "Yes!"


    "But after its expansion, for what purpose?"


    "To make us seek fame and profit, to rest on our laurels?"


    "No!"


    "It was to establish our sect and spread Taoist teachings, to disseminate Taoist skills across the world ¡ª this is the ¡¯Qian Dao¡¯!"


    Elder Zheng¡¯s voice trembled, "The foundation of our Qian Taoist Sect is ¡¯to establish the sect and spread the teachings¡¯ ah..."


    "To whom do we spread the teachings? To all cultivators of the world!"


    "Only when we disseminate our teachings to all can Qian Taoist Sect have a foundation and a future; otherwise, merely expanding and pursuing private interests, no matter how wealthy and powerful our Qian Taoist Sect becomes, it will just be a tree without roots, a castle in the sky!"


    Elder Shen was impassive, "Elder Zheng, what you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t contradict what I am doing..."


    Elder Zheng looked at him, his gaze filled with extreme disappointment.


    Elder Shen continued, "The crux of the matter is, our Qian Taoist Sect can only teach a portion of cultivators, it¡¯s not truly possible to spread the teachings to all cultivators of the world..."


    "Since that¡¯s the case, we should first teach the geniuses, then expand outward, seeking the welfare of the world."


    "Superior grade Spiritual Roots, that¡¯s what constitutes a genius..."


    Elder Zheng¡¯s gaze was penetrating, "What is a genius?"


    Elder Shen was again startled.


    Elder Zheng scoffed, "Superior grade Spiritual Roots make a genius? What utter nonsense!"


    "The truly talented are those who harbor aspirations for the world!"


    "What kind of people is our Qian Taoist Sect fostering?"


    "Geniuses who are cold and arrogant, seeking benefits only for themselves?"


    "Kindered spirit with the world? Do they understand that; do they even know what the world is? Do they know the life cultivators of the world lead?"


    "Their eyes only look to the skies, only caring for themselves; will they notice the dust at their feet?"


    Elder Shen frowned, "This has nothing to do with Spiritual Roots..."


    Elder Zheng nodded, "Indeed, originally this has nothing to do with Spiritual Roots, but..."


    He pointed at Elder Shen and said, "Are you not clear on what the Noble Clans have been doing?"


    Elder Shen¡¯s face twitched, a hint of ferocity showing through.


    Yet Elder Zheng continued:


    "What a scheme of Spiritual Root inheritance..."


    "Noble Clans intermarry, their Spiritual Roots improving generation by generation."


    "Those of the lower echelons, to merely find sustenance and survive is already difficult, let alone Spiritual Roots?"


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    "Give it a few hundred or a thousand years, the descendants of Noble Clans will all have upper or even superior grade Spiritual Roots."


    "The lower cultivators will only be fit to have middle-grade, or even inferior grade Spiritual Roots."


    "Quite the tactic..."


    Elder Zheng¡¯s voice carried a bone-chilling coldness, "Then, we sects, with our Spiritual Root gatekeeping, all future admissions will be upper-grade Spiritual Root holders, all will be descendants of Noble Clans!" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Those lower-class cultivators, born in poverty, they do not deserve to study, do not deserve inheritance!"


    "In this world where cultivation is pursued for eternal life, they are only fit to toil away their hundred years of life!"


    Elder Shen was furious, "Nonsense!"


    His gaze grew sharp, his tone cold, "Are you implying, Elder Zheng, that those of Noble Clan descent are all selfish and self-serving, lacking in a sense of duty toward the world?"


    "As I recall, you yourself, Elder Zheng, are also of Noble Clan descent, aren¡¯t you?"


    Elder Zheng replied, "Human nature is independent of one¡¯s background..."


    "Of Noble Clan descent, naturally, there are those who bear aspirations for the world;"


    "Of lower-class background, there are also those who are opportunistic and sycophantic;"


    "But this nature of good and evil is disconnected from the cold reality of social stratification. While there may be some variations, the fundamentals do not change."


    "Those of Noble Clan descent naturally protect the interests of their clans;"


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    "Only those from the lower echelons, who have tasted hardship and witnessed the suffering of Loose Cultivators, might possibly think of protecting the interests of the world, of those without influence among the Loose Cultivators."


    "Today, our grand Qian Taoist Sect, a convergence of the world¡¯s Taoist heritage, seeks private interests for Noble Clans and families, monopolizing Taoist knowledge, betraying the founding principles of the sect, failing the teachings of our ancestors!"


    Elder Shen was unmoved, deflecting the issue, "Elder Zheng, you are causing unnecessary alarm; the growth of Qian Taoist Sect until now shows that our dissemination of teachings is effective..."


    "Effective?" Elder Zheng¡¯s face showed anger, "Our Qian Taoist Sect, no, the whole Qian Xue State Boundary, what are we teaching now?"

 Chapter 788: Genius (3)

    "Our predecessors established the discussions and sword trials to unite disciples, to consolidate their hearts and strength, and to improve their cultivation and Taoist skills!"


    "But now, what has it become?"


    "What discussions, what sword trials? They¡¯ve degenerated into a means of comparisons and profiteering!"


    "Noble Clans, to make noise for their so-called ¡¯Pride of Heaven¡¯, engage in deceit, empty displays, and grand posturing..."


    "Even Sects add fuel to the flames, allowing the effort of one to be touted as the achievement of all!"


    "If this continues, the disciples taught will all be selfish, arrogant, and look down on others!"


    "They may have cultivation, but they lack the Taoist Heart!"


    "And the Cultivators from other, less prominent Noble Clans? They will become nothing more than the Noble Clans¡¯ Hawk Dogs, the claws and teeth of the powerful!"


    "Is this considered proper transmission of the Taoist Way?"


    "Is this the kind of disciple we produce in the Qian Taoist Sect?"


    "These disciples, selfish and profit-driven, may have high cultivation, but they are heavy with personal desires. With their prominent positions, they scheme for their own interests and those of their Clans, holding themselves aloof, sucking the blood of Cultivators across the Nine State. If this continues, what will become of the multitudes within the Cultivation World?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Shen¡¯s expression changed, his tone sarcastic, "Elder Zheng is overreacting. Isn¡¯t Qian State still thriving as such?"


    Elder Zheng¡¯s gaze was sharp as a sword, "Qian State is thriving, but it¡¯s the Noble Clans that are thriving."


    "The Noble Clans are splendid and colorful, but have you not seen? The entire Nine State is riddled with wounds..."


    "The Qian Taoist Sect is ¡¯Helping the tyrant,¡¯ assisting the Noble Clans in monopolizing power, ruling supreme over all, seizing the profits of the world for themselves. This is the injustice of the Great Dao..."


    Elder Shen was indifferent, as if he had heard nothing.


    Elder Zheng became furiously indignant, then after a moment, spoke lightly:


    "The Heavenly Dao takes from the excess to supplement the insufficient..."


    "When the ways of man are unjust, the Heavenly Dao will... forcefully transform..."


    Elder Shen felt a chill rushing to his crown, shivering uncontrollably, and with his eyes wide open, he screamed, "How daring!"


    "You..."


    Pointing at Elder Zheng with trembling fingers, he thundered, "Arrogance!"


    "Ignorance!"


    "Absurdity!"


    "Your words... are worthy of death!"


    Elder Zheng was expressionless.


    Elder Shen calmed his rage and shock, looking coldly at Elder Zheng, "Elder Zheng, please watch your words. Continue with such nonsense, and our Qian Taoist Sect may not tolerate such an extreme Elder like you..."


    Elder Zheng snorted coldly, his bearing stern and unmoved.


    ...


    Outside the Qian Taoist Sect.


    Mo Hua began his own plan to seek learning.


    Since the Qian Taoist Sect would not accept him, he would have to find a way to be accepted by another Sect.


    Mo Hua specifically bought a clearer Map.


    The boundary of Qian Xue State was vast; there were many Sects, and around those Sects, there were quite a few small and large Immortal Cities dependent on them.


    These Immortal Cities, adjacent to the Sects, rose by depending on them.


    The cities were well-equipped, catering to Cultivators for buying and selling, dining, accommodation, and some Cultivators lived there too.


    These Immortal Cities appeared similar to the Li State City outside the Five Elements Sect but were much more formal. They prohibited extensive Earth and Wood construction to avoid complicating interests and disturbing the peace of the Sects.


    To reach various Sects, one necessarily had to pass through the Immortal Cities outside them.


    Within the cities, there were also some large carriages that followed set routes, passing by the Immortal Cities on the outskirts of each Sect.


    The carriage fees were somewhat expensive but within Mo Hua¡¯s means.


    Mo Hua began carefully planning his route.


    After planning, he proceeded systematically, applying to all of the "Four Great Sects" except for the Qian Taoist Sect, submitting his place of origin and resume.


    Though the prospects were dim, one must always try.


    Starting with the best, Mo Hua planned to send applications one after another.


    It was just a matter of whether he could luck into an opportunity.


    But his resume, without exception, was rejected by all.


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    This was within Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    He was slightly disheartened for a moment, starting to target the "Eight Great Gates" that came after the "Four Great Sects".


    The Eight Great Gates were indeed many, totaling eight.


    And they were somewhat far apart; unable to cover them all in one route, Mo Hua could only choose a few to tentatively submit applications to, just to test the waters.


    And as expected, they were also all rejected.


    The reasons, without exception, were the same¡ª"Unfit Spiritual Root"...


    The Four Great Sects and the Eight Great Gates all required at least a Superior Spiritual Root.


    A few of the Four Great Sects were already asking for "Superior to Middle Grade" Spiritual Roots.


    "In a few years, they probably won¡¯t accept anything less than the ¡¯Superior Superior Grade¡¯..." Mo Hua muttered resentfully to himself.


    The "Eight Great Gates" were a bit more lenient but still demanded at least both superior and inferior Spiritual Roots, which were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s reach.


    If the "Eight Great Gates" weren¡¯t an option, then it had to be the "Twelve Streams"...


    Mo Hua thought silently to himself.


    Among the Twelve Streams, there had to be a few Sects that specialized in Formation, right?


    With his level of expertise in Formation, he should have some hope.


    What Mo Hua didn¡¯t expect, however, was that he was still being refused...


    "Young Master, your Spiritual Root... is still lacking..."


    An Instructor in charge of welcoming new members at the Ten Thousand Formations Sect told Mo Hua with a tinge of regret.


    He felt such a pity deep down.


    Just now, he had asked Mo Hua several questions about Formation, and Mo Hua had answered them all smoothly. Not only that but some of his insights were astonishing.


    He then had Mo Hua draw a few Formation Patterns.


    Those masterful Formation Patterns, his effortless arrangement, the composure of his strokes, and that air, vaguely reminiscent of a Formation Master Elder, almost made him doubt his eyes.


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    Such an air could only be possessed by a Formation Master Elder within the Sect.


    Yet Mo Hua looked youthful, his demeanor genuine, appearing to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old.


    The Instructor found it highly improbable yet extremely regretful.


    "Our Ten Thousand Formations Sect also requires a Superior Spiritual Root for admission. If one is a first-grade Formation Master, we could relax the requirements to a Superior to Middle Grade Spiritual Root..."

 Chapter 789: Genius (4)

    "But..."


    The Instructor sighed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s talents were only mediocre to inferior, far from the intermediate and superior level.


    "There are no exceptions?" Mo Hua asked in confusion.


    The Instructor regretfully said, "None..."


    The rules were set by the Sect Leader and the Elders; they were rigid, and he, a mere Instructor, had no authority to change them.


    Without rules, there can be no standards.


    For years, the Ten Thousand Formations Sect had not made any exceptions to the entry requirements. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only those with sufficiently powerful backgrounds could take shortcuts.


    But in such cases, entry requirements didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    Mo Hua then asked in confusion, "Is Spiritual Root so important to a Formation Sect, too?"


    Since the Instructor rather liked Mo Hua, he patiently explained, "Spiritual Root determines your Cultivation Technique, which in turn determines your Cultivation; naturally, it¡¯s important."


    "The higher your Cultivation, the stronger your Divine Sense will be, allowing you to become a higher-ranked Formation Master..."


    "Otherwise, no matter how well you learn Formation, if your Cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishment, at most you¡¯ll become a Second Grade Formation Master. And you¡¯ll never be able to learn the techniques above Second Grade for your entire life..."


    "That being said, Spiritual Root isn¡¯t as crucial for Formation as it might seem..."


    "The reason the requirements are getting stricter..."


    The Instructor pointed upwards as he explained, "is because the Four Great Sects are doing the same. They set the precedent, and the Eight Great Gates, Twelve Streams, and even the Qian Learning Hundred Gates have no choice but to follow suit."


    "After all, if others have disciples of superior and high-intermediate grade, and your own Sect has only high-inferior and a few mediocre ones, it¡¯s embarrassing..."


    "Moreover, there are too many Cultivators nowadays, especially those with Superior Spiritual Roots. There¡¯s simply no shortage of them..."


    "So, the threshold has been raised step by step..."


    The Instructor shook his head, somewhat helpless.


    He truly wanted to accept Mo Hua, but it was impossible; being insignificant, his words carried little weight.


    He also didn¡¯t dare to ask the Elders for advice.


    Because on several occasions before, when he encountered disciples with decent Formation talents but inferior Spiritual Roots whom he wished to take under his wing, he asked the Elders, only to be rejected every time.


    In the words of the Elder, "We of the Ten Thousand Formations Sect are a Formation Sect. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged Formation Masters? Aren¡¯t they plentiful?"


    "Rules are rules. Having one or two more Second Grade Formation Masters makes no difference; it¡¯s not worth breaking the rules for."


    Mo Hua sighed, resigning himself to abandon the idea.


    He had to face reality and once again lower his standards, looking among the "Qian State Hundred Doors."


    The entry standards of the Qian State Hundred Doors mostly required a "Superior" Spiritual Root, but some special demands, like talents in Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Refining Rune, or Drawing Formation, could lead to a relaxation of requirements.


    They didn¡¯t compare with the Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, or Twelve Streams, and they knew their place, so they were not as strict.


    And indeed, there were Sects within the Qian State Hundred Doors willing to accept Mo Hua.


    They were willing to lower the Spiritual Root standard for entry to "mediocre to inferior."


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t go there.


    Because...


    It was too expensive...


    The Spirit Stone Donation, the entry fee for the Qian State Hundred Doors, was several times more expensive than that of the Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, or Twelve Streams!


    Although they lowered the Spiritual Root standards, they did not lower the cost of the Donation.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t afford the Donation, so he still couldn¡¯t gain entry...


    The worse the Sect, the more expensive the Donation absurdly was!


    Mo Hua sighed deeply, feeling somewhat helpless.


    Qian State was not as it seemed on the surface.


    And it was completely different from what he had imagined before.


    It seemed that this was not a place merely for the "pursuit of learning"...


    "What to do now?"


    Mo Hua thought hard, but couldn¡¯t come up with any good solutions. In the end, he decided to find a place to mix in and see how things would turn out.


    If all else failed, he would just study Formation on his own, try to pass the test for a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master, then in the various Immortal Cities within the Qian Xue State Boundary, he would draw Formations to earn Spirit Stones, and look for other opportunities...


    ...


    A few days later, Wenren Wan learned of Mo Hua¡¯s situation as well.


    She was busy taking care of Yu Er and had the Pill Master of the Wenren Family check whether Yu Er was injured, had hidden sicknesses, or was possessed by evil spirits.


    Shangguan Yi also hired someone to calculate the consequences for Yu Er, to see if there were any signs of misfortune.


    A few days later, Yu Er was safe and sound.


    Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief and naturally thought of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had made it clear that he wanted no repayment, but Wenren Wan felt somewhat guilty, so she had someone secretly protect Mo Hua and see what he was up to.


    When she heard that Qian Taoist Sect had not accepted Mo Hua, Wenren Wan angrily said,


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    "He is Yu Er¡¯s savior; by what right do they refuse him?!"


    Upon hearing that Mo Hua had applied to many places but had been rejected every time, Wenren Wan became even angrier:


    "Blind as bats!"


    "Such a good child like Mo Hua, and they refuse to accept him!"


    Shangguan Yi, standing nearby, didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.


    What does one have to do with the other...


    Sects select disciples based on Spiritual Root, lineage, and background. What does that have to do with whether or not he saved Yu Er or if he¡¯s a good kid...


    Isn¡¯t this making a fuss over nothing...


    But Shangguan Yi dared not voice the words "making a fuss over nothing." Once spoken, he would be done for, doomed to sleep in the study for months to come...


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    All Shangguan Yi could do was nod and say, "Indeed, indeed..."


    Shangguan Yi knew his wife¡¯s temperament, her sense of loyalty and righteousness. Usually, she was very clever, but when it concerned people she cared about, she could be a little impulsive and protective.


    He himself had once been the person she cared about the most. But ever since they had a son, he had been pushed to the sidelines...


    Shangguan Yi felt somewhat helpless.

 Chapter 790: Sect (1)

    "The Qian Taoist Sect must think Mo Hua, being a Loose Cultivator with no status, no backing, and no one to support him, is easy to bully. It¡¯s just too much!"


    Wenren Wan said furiously, "I will support him!"


    Shangguan Yi gave a wry smile, "He¡¯s neither from the Wenren Family nor the Shangguan Family, how can you support him?"


    "He saved Yu Er, he has done a favor for both of our families!"


    Wenren Wan insisted.


    Shangguan Yi said helplessly, "Didn¡¯t you say that this matter shouldn¡¯t be publicized, that we shouldn¡¯t tell outsiders? Then how would others know that he has done our families a favor?"


    "If you go to the Qian Taoist Sect without any reason, seeking justice for him, won¡¯t others see it as deliberately picking a fight and making an enemy of the Qian Taoist Sect?"


    "The Qian Taoist Sect is a top-tier sect..."


    "Even our Shangguan Family cannot afford to offend them lightly."


    Shangguan Yi advised earnestly.


    Wenren Wan furrowed her brows and asked Shangguan Yi, "Then what do we do?"


    Shangguan Yi felt a slight joy in his heart, but on the surface, he still pretended to be troubled. He pondered for a moment before saying:


    "What if... we pull some strings and find a sect for Mo Hua among the Qian State Hundred Doors? That could be considered repaying the debt to Yu Er."


    "No way!"


    Wenren Wan immediately shook her head, questioning, "Is Yu Er¡¯s life worth only a spot in the Qian State Hundred Doors? You agree, but I don¡¯t!"


    Shangguan Yi was taken aback, he sighed, "The four great sects, although we can get a spot, the barrier of the Spiritual Root is insurmountable..."


    "Then the Eight Great Gates!" Wenren Wan said, "It can¡¯t be any lower!"


    "The Twelve Streams..."


    Shangguan Yi hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he was interrupted by Wenren Wan:


    "No, the cultivation of the Twelve Streams is too biased. Even if one specializes in one path, one must be aware of the other categories, or else if your experience is limited, your vision narrow, you may stumble over something trivial later on."


    "My father said, this is the scholastic barrier in Tao Cultivation."


    "Some things might be superficial, but knowing is knowing, and not knowing is not knowing."


    "These superficial things may seem like common sense, and once you know them, they seem trivial..."


    "But if you don¡¯t know them, no matter how talented you are or how good your understanding is, you could spend your whole life racking your brain and still not figure it out."


    "Mo Hua is a Loose Cultivator with a weak foundation; he must not join these ¡¯Twelve Streams¡¯ sects, or he will face insurmountable barriers on his path."


    "He must enter a Taoist Sect with a long heritage and a full spectrum of categories!"


    "If the four great sects are truly too difficult to enter, then so be it. At the very least, the Eight Great Gates!"


    Wenren Wan stated decisively.


    Shangguan Yi was surprised; he had not expected his wife to have such insight, nor that she would think so far ahead for Mo Hua.


    People who are sincere and emotional might act recklessly, but they are genuinely caring and considerate towards others...


    Shangguan Yi sighed, "But entering the Eight Great Gates... is also not easy..."


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    The quality of his Spiritual Root was too inferior.


    Not to mention, coming from a Loose Cultivator background, poor inheritance, and the shallow foundation of Blood Qi, Spiritual Power, and the Taoist Foundation he had built.


    Wenren Wan insisted:


    "If not by the Shangguan Family, then the Wenren Family; if not by the Wenren Family, then both the Shangguan Family and the Wenren Family combined should have enough influence..."


    Shangguan Yi said quietly, "Isn¡¯t that making too much of a fuss..."


    Wenren Wan only said, "Just tell me if you will help or not!"


    Shangguan Yi hesitated, unable to speak.


    To help would involve owing too great a debt of gratitude.


    Not to help would be unacceptable to his wife. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And the matter of Yu Er truly was a significant favor owed...


    Shangguan Yi was in a dilemma, but seeing his wife¡¯s beautiful face and her deep, affectionate eyes, he finally sighed and said:


    "I¡¯ll try..."


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart leapt with joy, and her face began to smile, but halfway through she remembered she was still angry with her husband, so she restrained herself and said:


    "Then I¡¯ll talk to my father."


    "Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea..."


    "What¡¯s wrong with that? Even if I¡¯m married, am I not still his daughter?"


    Wenren Wan thought for a moment, then patted Shangguan Yi on the shoulder, "I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news..."


    After saying this, she gracefully left.


    Shangguan Yi sighed again.


    This was no small matter...


    To insert a minor cultivator with a mediocre Spiritual Root, no background, and a hasty Foundation Establishment into one of the superior Eight Great Gates within the Qian Xue State Boundary would come at no small cost.


    But, having promised his wife, he could not go back on his word.


    And moreover...


    The vague and elusive figure of Mo Hua once again floated in his mind.


    Obviously, just a minor cultivator...


    Why did he have the feeling that Mo Hua was not entirely see-through?


    Shangguan Yi was somewhat preoccupied and sought out Gu Changhuai, asking:


    "When Yu Er was ¡¯abducted,¡¯ no, when she was rescued, were there any other suspicious traces in that restaurant?"


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "What do you mean?"


    Shangguan Yi thought for a moment, then spoke the truth:


    "I suspect that this child, Mo Hua, may not be as simple as he seems; there may be some special fate about him..."


    Gu Changhuai was slightly stunned, "Fate?"


    Shangguan Yi considered, then said:


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    "The fact that he rescued Yu Er might not be a coincidence."


    "In this world, there¡¯s a reason for everything, this might be an opportunity given to him by somebody else..."


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze became focused, "You¡¯re suggesting..."


    Shangguan Yi weighed his words, "My guess... is that there is a cultivator well-versed in the Heavenly Secret Calculation with a profound and unpredictable prowess. He rescued Yu Er and then passed this opportunity to this child named ¡¯Mo Hua¡¯..."

 Chapter 791: Sect (2)

    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brow, "Why?"


    Shangguan Yi shook his head, "I haven¡¯t figured it out yet."


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold as he nodded his head.


    But in his heart, he knew it was probably not that simple.


    He had always felt that there was something fishy about the deaths of those dozen or so traffickers in the restaurant.


    And that child Mo Hua, whom he had met once¡ªeven though he looked innocent, his eyes were extremely profound.


    He was both innocent and a bit... eerie.


    One must not judge a book by its cover, even if it¡¯s just a child...


    Gu Changhuai had his suspicions, and also some wariness.


    Yet, as he always found this cousin-in-law unpleasant, he kept these thoughts to himself and didn¡¯t voice them...


    ...


    In the following days, Wenren Wan busied herself securing a school spot for Mo Hua, with Shangguan Yi also helping.


    Both of them not only pulled many strings within the Noble Clans but also poured in a great amount of Spirit Stones and owed significant favors.


    These actions caused some dissatisfaction in both the Shangguan Family and the Wenren Family. Explore more at


    For the Wenren Family, Wenren Wan was a daughter who had married out.


    A married daughter is like spilled water.


    Yet now, not only was she not helping much, but she was also pulling the wool from her own family¡¯s lamb. This was truly difficult to justify...


    And for the Shangguan Family, it was an outrage for them to help an unknown little cultivator, impacting the interests of quite a number of people.


    Many disciples from the Shangguan Family¡¯s own lineage didn¡¯t have entrance spots to the Eight Great Gates.


    And now, out of nowhere, they were supposed to give one to an outsider.


    They were, of course, unhappy about it.


    The quota for entering each Noble Clan is also tied to the prestige of the clan, involving some interests.


    If the person who enters causes trouble or turns out to do next to nothing, it reflects badly on the Shangguan Family.


    Of course, if he achieves something, it could also bring some benefits to the Shangguan Family that recommended him.


    But this is Qian State. What can an average outsider accomplish after entering the storied Eight Great Gates, where prodigies abound?


    They didn¡¯t believe for a second that he could.


    Therefore, many elders of the Shangguan Family criticized Shangguan Yi¡¯s actions to the Family Head, Shang Che.


    Shang Che called Shangguan Yi in public to reprimand:


    "Wan¡¯er¡¯s handling of this matter has been excessive..."


    "Since she has joined the Shangguan Family, she should prioritize the interests of the Shangguan Family first."


    "You must understand the bigger picture in your actions and not let her drag you into doing something unseemly..."


    Shangguan Yi didn¡¯t argue but just bowed his head to admit fault, taking all the blame upon himself and said:


    "My child will definitely pay attention next time."


    Fault can be admitted, but he had no intention of changing.


    "Next time for sure," meant that he would persist with this matter to the end, and he would be more careful next time...


    Shang Che sighed.


    His son had a shrewd mind and was eloquent in speech.


    He was doing fine.


    Since they had already started this, they naturally had to follow through to the end.


    Giving in to pressure and changing course would make one appear weak and indecisive.


    All they were doing was giving a small cultivator a chance. Giving or not giving it couldn¡¯t be considered a major fault.


    But he was too sentimental.


    And ultimately, it was up to him, as the father, to clean up the mess.


    Shang Che waved his hand, "You may go."


    Shangguan Yi bowed and took his leave.


    However, Shang Che frowned.


    Because of this matter, he still had to apologize to the ancestors.


    The ancestors, with their overwhelming cultivation, lay dormant and did not emerge.


    They were the true masters of the Shangguan Family.


    They strategized behind the curtains, calculating the Shangguan Family¡¯s Heavenly secret and the great causality.


    The fates of the Shangguan Family, or rather all the Noble Clans of Qian State regarded as "massive entities," were in the hands of these ancestors.


    Under no circumstances must he offend the ancestors.


    Shang Che heaved a sigh and furrowed his brow.


    But what exactly were the ancestors plotting?


    And what, after all, was the fate of the Shangguan Family?


    Even though his own cultivation was not weak, he could not perform Calculation, didn¡¯t understand Heavenly secret, so he knew nothing about these matters... S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shang Che looked up at the sky to see the inscrutable Heavenly Dao, as perplexed as his own expression.


    After a moment, he sighed inwardly:


    "What, after all, is the Heavenly secret?"


    "Why can¡¯t I calculate it?"


    "If one does not comprehend the Heavenly secret or calculate the causality, no matter how advanced one¡¯s cultivation may be, they are just playthings in the hands of others, the ancestors, those old monsters, and even the Heavenly Dao itself..."


    Shang Che¡¯s brows grew more and more furrowed.


    ...


    Shangguan Yi was reprimanded, but the matter of joining the sect was now out in the open.


    Having already begun, the "sunk cost" meant it was unlikely to be stopped mid-way.


    The other branches of the Shangguan Family only wanted Shangguan Yi to be reprimanded; they didn¡¯t care about what he was actually doing.


    Hence, Shangguan Yi hurriedly started to exploit his connections and pull strings legitimately, along with Wenren Wan, to secure an entrance spot for Mo Hua.


    Days later, Wenren Wan found Mo Hua and laid out three gold-embossed invitation cards in front of him.


    They bore the names of three sects:


    Tai¡¯a Sect, Rushing Void Sect, and Taixu Gate.


    Mo Hua was astonished, "Aunt Wan, this is..."


    "They are invitations for joining the sects. Take a look and decide which one you wish to enter; I¡¯ll submit the invitation on your behalf. These three sects are all among the ¡¯Eight Great Gates.¡¯ Though they don¡¯t compare with the ¡¯Four Great Sects,¡¯ they are still quite good..."


    Wenren Wan spoke casually, but her eyes couldn¡¯t hide a slight sense of pride.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth widely, surprised.


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    "Eight Great Gates... to choose from..."


    After a pause, he whispered, "Aunt Wan, these... they must be very valuable, right?"


    "Just average, not worth much..."


    Wenren Wan said nonchalantly, seemingly not wanting to burden Mo Hua with worry.

 Chapter 792: Sect (3)

    Mo Hua was moved in his heart.


    Since his arrival in Qian State, Aunt Wan had been the kindest to him, although it was because he had saved Yu Er, but the effort she spared in gratitude was extraordinarily commendable.


    "Aunt Wan, this..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complex.


    "Don¡¯t take it to heart..." said Wenren Wan, "this is all you deserve..."


    "But..."


    Wenren Wan immediately furrowed her brows and said, "I went through a lot of trouble to get these for you, don¡¯t say you don¡¯t want them!"


    Her gaze was sincere and earnest, and her tone left no room for doubt.


    Mo Hua felt a warmth in his heart, looking at the several letters of introduction, and pondered silently.


    He did indeed want to join a sect.


    Though relying on himself, painting formations for others, earning Spirit Stones, he could get by in the Qian Learning State Boundary, and then look for an opportunity.


    But that would waste too much time, and he may not necessarily come across any opportunity.


    If it dragged on for too long, his own cultivation would be delayed.


    The advancement in formation skills would also slow down.


    He did not know when he would be able to rescue his master...


    Mo Hua glanced at Wenren Wan, seeing a trace of concern in her eyes, clearly she had put a lot of thought into this, it was truly for his own good...


    Mo Hua felt relieved, nodded, and decided not to be overly modest.


    Even heroes have their difficult times, let alone a child like himself.


    There¡¯s no need to put on a tough front when it isn¡¯t necessary.


    When others treat you well, accepting their kindness graciously is the way to go.


    If there¡¯s an opportunity in the future, he would repay this kindness!


    "Thank you, Aunt Wan!"


    Mo Hua said with a smile, quietly noting this kindness in his heart.


    Wenren Wan also sighed a breath of relief, then cheerfully said, "Hurry up and choose. Which one do you like?"


    "Can I really choose?"


    "Mhm."


    Mo Hua looked at the three letters of introduction, then spoke with a hint of doubt:


    "Tai¡¯a, Chongxu, Taixu... these three names, why do they feel somewhat similar..." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They come from the same lineage..." Wenren Wan explained, "These three sects have some ancestral origins, saying they are ¡¯of the same alliance¡¯ isn¡¯t an exaggeration..."


    "But times have changed since then, now they are completely three independent sects, the names are just somewhat alike."


    Wenren Wan continued, "All three of these sects have good relations with the Wenren Family, and they also have some connection with the Shangguan Family, though not very deep. Now, I¡¯ve used favors from both the Wenren and Shangguan families, hence I managed to exchange for these three letters of introduction, but you can only choose one."


    "Okay," Mo Hua nodded.


    He frowned as he focused on the three sects.


    These three sects were completely outside of his expectations.


    Tai¡¯a, Chongxu, Taixu...


    He hadn¡¯t paid much attention to them before, even when he was sending out resumes to test the waters, he hadn¡¯t really cared about them, always feeling that these names were somehow not quite right for him...


    "Joining a sect is a big deal, make sure to choose carefully..."


    Wenren Wan¡¯s tone became more serious.


    She thought it over and still felt it was necessary to clarify things.


    "These three sects all have considerable ties with the Wenren Family; normally, I shouldn¡¯t really say this, but..."


    Wenren Wan leaned closer to Mo Hua and whispered, "Although all are among the ¡¯Eight Great Gates,¡¯ there are distinctions of high and low..."


    "Among these three sects, the best one is ¡¯Tai¡¯a Sect,¡¯ ranking at the top of the Eight Great Gates..."


    "The next is ¡¯Chongxu Sect,¡¯ only around the middle..."


    "¡¯Taixu Gate¡¯ is somewhat inferior, considered the lowest..."


    "Their heritage and lineage, being from the same origin and stream, are not too different due to the different branches, it¡¯s just that over the years, the difference between the disciples taught by sect elders has grown somewhat..."


    "Of course, there are also differences in the sect¡¯s status and that of cultivation resources..."


    Wenren Wan explained in detail to Mo Hua once more, then said:


    "Think it over carefully..."


    Mo Hua stared at the three sects, pondered deeply, and after a long deliberation, he decided:


    "Aunt Wan, I¡¯ll choose ¡¯Taixu Gate¡¯..."


    Wenren Wan was taken aback, "Why would you choose Taixu Gate?"


    Mo Hua had his own considerations.


    The Tai¡¯a Sect and the Rushing Void Sect belonged to the upper-middle tier, which also meant that their Sect thresholds were higher, and the cost of entry was greater. The favor owed by Aunt Wan¡¯s side would be even larger.


    Therefore, choosing the less prominent "Taixu Gate" would be better.


    Moreover, Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to compete with the Proud Sons of Heaven.


    He just wanted to cultivate diligently and learn Formation Painting quietly.


    As one of the Eight Great Gates, the Taixu Gate had enough inheritance and Tao Cultivation resources for his own use.


    Of course, there was another reason.


    Mo Hua said with a serious face, "Taixu Gate sounds cooler..."


    Striving for the utmost of Heavenly Dao, wandering in Taixu!


    Taixu Gate!


    Wenren Wan was startled, her thoughts momentarily scrambled, and she couldn¡¯t help but think to herself:


    This child Mo Hua indeed thinks somewhat... differently from ordinary people...


    "Have you... really made up your mind?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded solemnly.


    Wenren Wan said tactfully:


    "The Tai¡¯a Sect and the Rushing Void Sect would be somewhat better, their Sect strength is also stronger..."


    Mo Hua said firmly with a small face, "The strength of a Sect is only temporary, but whether you are cool or not, that¡¯s for a lifetime!"


    Wenren Wan opened her mouth, at a loss for words. In the end, she could only sigh and say:


    "Alright then..."


    "Oh, right," Wenren Wan continued, "do you have any specialties... so I can write it in the invitation letter, it will also give me an excuse, no, a reason to recommend you to others..."


    Mo Hua said, "I¡¯m quite good with Formation..."


    "Formation?" Wenren Wan hesitated for a moment, too embarrassed to speak frankly, she tactfully said, "Anything else...?"


    She felt that Mo Hua, coming from Little Immortal City, might not be very clear about it.


    Qian State was a land of cultivation excellence.


    Formation was broad and profound.


    In a place like Qian State, it was very easy to be mocked for rashly claiming to be "good at Formation"... Explore new worlds at


    Mo Hua said, "My Formation skills are truly not bad..."


    He took out the first-grade Heaven Shu Ring and showed it to Wenren Wan.


    Although he knew how to paint Second Grade formations, he had not yet received an official assessment and was not considered a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master, so he did not want to boast too much.


    Being modest was still better as a person.


    "You¡¯re actually a First Grade Formation Master?"


    Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised.


    Even in Qian State, it was rare for someone as young as Mo Hua to become a First Grade Formation Master, even among the progeny of Noble Families.


    Even though Tongxian City, being a smaller Immortal City, had more lenient assessments and somewhat lagging Formation levels.


    Their First Grade, compared to Qian State¡¯s First Grade, might be "worlds apart," but it was still quite an achievement.


    To say he was "good at Formation," at least, it was just barely plausible...


    At least on the surface, having a "specialty" was also acceptable to put forward.


    Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.


    The matter was thus decided.


    And so, Mo Hua planned to head to the Taixu Gate.


    However, there was still the most important reason for choosing the Taixu Gate that he hadn¡¯t told Wenren Wan.


    Wandering in Taixu...


    The moment he saw the words "Taixu Gate," his Divine Sense stirred. After silently performing Calculation, he discovered a trace of obscure cause and effect in the dark.


    This strand of cause and effect, though difficult to discern, was clearer than it had been during previous Calculations.


    Within the cause and effect.


    In the ruined temple on the desolate mountain, the image of Lord Yellow Mountain, who had been slain for his malicious thoughts, surfaced again in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Only a few fleeting images.


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    But the Yellow Mountain Lord Mo Hua had encountered was different.


    It had an extremely powerful aura, an enormous body, eyes soaked in blood, boundless ferocity and evil thoughts swirling around it.


    Simultaneously emerging was a name with Sword Qi reaching the heavens, filled with an icy killing intent:


    Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Jue!

 Chapter 793: Introduction (1)

    "Taixu Divine Thought into Sword True Jue..."


    Mo Hua slightly frowned.


    At the moment, he only knew this very long and impressive-sounding name.


    But beyond that, he was completely in the dark.


    What type of swordsmanship was this?


    Was it a form of Body Cultivation swordsmanship?


    Was it a Sword technique that cultivated to the extreme, killing with Sword Qi?


    Or was it a purely Divine Thought sword technique...


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Although he had calculated a trace of cause and effect, there were too few clues, his Divine Sense was limited, and his Calculation Method inadequate, so he couldn¡¯t just make a few calculations to understand everything.


    It seemed that to learn about the origins and intricacies of this Sword technique, he would need to join Taixu Gate.


    Could it truly live up to its name, transforming Divine Thought into Sword Qi, roaming Taixu, and slaying Evil Spirits...


    This he definitely needed to clear up!


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Ordinary swordsmanship could be ignored, but this might be Divine Thought into sword!


    Since he was establishing his foundation with Divine Sense and was on the path of Divine Sense Proving the Dao, it would indeed be remiss not to learn Divine Thought into sword...


    Although he had said before that mere swordsmanship need not be learned...


    But there was no helping it...


    Sword Control was indeed very cool!


    If he could really learn it, then he would act as if he¡¯d never said anything before.


    "Sword Control, ah..."


    Mo Hua then recalled Boss Jiang from before, who charged his golden body and condensed Sword Qi, a dazzling spectacle.


    Although in the end, he chopped the thatched cottage like a fool, the brilliant Sword Light he conjured truly made Mo Hua envious.


    It was much more imposing than his little fireball and extremely powerful as well.


    He wanted to learn it!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    However, if there really was such a formidable Sword technique, it would at least be a spell point protected by the Sect, and Taixu Gate might not be willing to teach him...


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then relaxed.


    There¡¯s always a way around the mountain.


    Take his Uncle for example, he hadn¡¯t planned to teach him, but he had still "stolen"... no, rightfully learned the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation...


    The Sect Leader of Taixu Gate couldn¡¯t possibly be stingier than his Uncle, right...


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind shifted subtly, his calculations set.


    Next, he just had to get into Taixu Gate.


    Once inside Taixu Gate, he could find a way to learn the "Taixu Divine Thought into Sword True Jue"!


    Even if he ultimately didn¡¯t learn it, there was no need for discouragement.


    Learning additional Tao Cultivation, Formation knowledge, and other Tao Cultivation knowledge to cover his deficiencies was also a no-lose proposition.


    However...


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows again, recalling another matter.


    "Lord Yellow Mountain..."


    In his Heavenly secret Calculation, amid fleeting glimpses, he saw another unfamiliar figure of "Lord Yellow Mountain."


    Red eyes, sharp claws, a massive body, fierce and demonic.


    Its aura was extraordinarily profound and extremely powerful...


    This was definitely not a mere Second Grade Mountain God, not even an entranced Second Grade Evil God who could possess such a demeanor...


    There was a problem...


    This Lord Yellow Mountain, there was definitely something wrong...


    Mo Hua¡¯s expressive eyes narrowed slightly.


    "This Yellow Skin, it definitely lied, deliberately hiding some key things..." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although it was now down on its luck with meager strength, it must have ¡¯boomed¡¯ before.


    And it looked like a real big deal, certainly very grand...


    The white-robed Sword Cultivator who had once killed it must be much, much stronger than it claimed.


    This Divine Thought into sword was definitely extraordinary...


    It seemed he had to find that broken Mountain God again to get some questions answered...


    "Daring to deceive me..."


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, his gaze carrying a trace of danger...


    ...


    In a remote and dilapidated temple on a barren mountain.


    Eating lopsided fruits, enjoying humble offerings, basking in the brilliant sunshine leaking through the temple¡¯s broken roof.


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s long face was the picture of leisure.


    Suddenly, a chill swept over...


    Lord Yellow Mountain shivered involuntarily.


    The warm sunshine instantly felt a few degrees colder.


    "What evil thing has its sights on me?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s face changed; frowning, he racked his brains in deep thought, but try as he may, he could not figure it out.


    For years he had kept a low profile, shrunk back at the slightest conflict, nodded and bowed at anyone he met, occasionally admitting guilt and playing the victim; he hadn¡¯t offended any major Cultivators or Wild Ghost Evil Gods...


    Life had been "poor," but peaceful.


    Lord Yellow Mountain thought hard, but he was still somewhat baffled.


    Suddenly, the image of an innocent yet fierce little face drifted into his mind.


    Lord Yellow Mountain froze, grinning sheepishly.


    "No way..."


    "That little rascal..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt bitter in his heart, and the fruit in his mouth lost its sweetness...


    ...


    Mo Hua did intend to seek out Lord Yellow Mountain for a clear answer, but he currently couldn¡¯t find the time.


    Moreover, considering Lord Yellow Mountain had once been so "grand," he would surely have formidable methods, perhaps even some ace up his sleeve. Going to him would require careful plotting and thorough preparation.


    The main priority at the moment was to join the Sect.


    Dealing with Lord Yellow Mountain could wait until later when he was free.


    After all, the Mountain God may flee, but the temple won¡¯t...


    If the temple doesn¡¯t flee, he won¡¯t be able to escape...


    ...


    Wenren Wan sent an invitation to Taixu Gate.


    It contained Mo Hua¡¯s origins, along with his expertise in "mastering Formations."


    Since the relations were all well-managed, it was merely a formality; the Elder who handled it stamped it with the Sect¡¯s seal, signifying his agreement.


    In the end, this record of origin was presented before the Sect Leader of Taixu Gate.


    The Sect Leader had veto power on his own.


    Of course, in such cases, he would normally turn a blind eye, considering it as unseen.


    Unless there was total opposition, conflicting interests, and sharp disputes, he would not incite "public anger" by contradicting the Elders and Noble Clans and rejecting the application.

 Chapter 794: Entering the Door (2)

    After all, it was just a spot.


    Even if he was dissatisfied, it wasn¡¯t necessary to fall out with the Elders over such a trivial matter, affecting the dignity of Taixu Gate.


    But deep down, he was indeed dissatisfied.


    The leader of Taixu Gate, over three hundred years old, bore the appearance of middle age, with thick, jet-black hair. He emphasized "nurturing life", had calm brows and eyes, and exuded a touch of indolence.


    He felt somewhat annoyed and somewhat helpless.


    "Even if there are ties of friendship, one should not heed the words of the Noble Clans in every matter..."


    "A Sect must maintain its own backbone..." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, that said, he still unfolded the "resume" in his hand. But he was slightly taken aback after only a glance.


    The Taixu Sect Leader looked up at the Elder who had handed over the resume. "Are you certain there¡¯s no mistake?"


    This Elder was of tall and thin stature, a fellow Sect member from the same lineage. Three hundred years ago, both were Taixu Gate Disciples, in fact, this Elder was his junior brother.


    They both had entered the Inner Gate from the Outer Gate.


    Now he presided as the Sect Leader, while his junior brother had become an Elder, deemed one of the most trustworthy Elders in Taixu Gate.


    The Elder offered a wry smile. "How can I make a joke of such a matter?"


    The Taixu Sect Leader shook his head, finding it quite puzzling.


    "What¡¯s the meaning behind this from the Shangguan and Wenren Families? Two great Noble Clans, recommending a Loose Cultivator? Quite strange indeed..."


    "According to rumors, some favors are involved..." the Elder said.


    "What kind of favors?"


    The Elder shook his head. "How would I know that?"


    After pondering for a moment, the Taixu Sect Leader nodded. "Acknowledging a favor with gratitude does create a good karmic bond. Let¡¯s accept him then."


    "Aren¡¯t you going to make an issue of it?" the Elder asked.


    That had become customary.


    The so-called "making an issue" meant putting the matter aside for a bit to express dissatisfaction and then garner some support for certain affairs from the Elders of one¡¯s own Sect.


    Some matters that Sect Leaders wished to advance, typically fraught with difficulty and hindered by various sides, now offered an opportunity for the Sect Leader to exchange "favors" and garner more support from the Elders.


    His initiatives would then proceed more smoothly.


    Or he could extract another favor from the Shangguan or the Wenren Family.


    Or perhaps, add a little something to the Initiation Fee of the Disciple...


    Because exceptional admissions were essentially exchanges of interest.


    Where there are people, interests become entangled, so these practices were inevitable.


    Compared to other Sects, the internal strife within Taixu Gate was considerably minor...


    The Taixu Sect Leader shook his head. "There¡¯s no need..."


    He flipped through the resume again, sighing lightly. "It¡¯s rare for these Noble Clans to not abuse their power for personal gain but to actually fulfill a debt of gratitude. That in itself is quite admirable..."


    "And this child is a Loose Cultivator, after all. It¡¯s not easy being a Loose Cultivator. There¡¯s no need to add an Initiation Fee... Let¡¯s treat him the same as the other Disciples. Whatever applies to them applies to him..."


    The Elder nodded. "Alright."


    As the Taixu Sect Leader continued to leaf through the documents, his eyes suddenly fell upon the "Special Skills" section where the words "Talented in Formations" were written. He was startled and found himself at a loss for words.


    After a long while, he finally exclaimed.


    "This is truly... the fearlessness of youth, worthy of praise..."


    Let alone a Loose Cultivator.


    Even among the Shangguan Family, the Wenren Family¡¯s rightful heirs, and even among all of Taixu Gate¡¯s Direct Disciples, very few dared to claim they were "Talented in Formations..."


    With a touch of amusement, the Elder said, "The child is naively fearless. It¡¯s not really something to criticize. Once he joins us, he¡¯ll realize that the way of the Formations is not that simple..."


    The Taixu Sect Leader nodded slightly, then said, "Let¡¯s leave it at that. Have him come for initiation in three days."


    He took one last glance at the resume.


    It bore the name "Mo Hua".


    "Mo Hua..."


    The Taixu Sect Leader murmured the name, nodding to himself as he inwardly noted it.


    "Quite a pleasant-sounding name..."


    ...


    The subsequent initiation process proceeded as usual.


    Wenren Wan was also taken aback.


    She had assumed that Taixu Gate would haggle over the terms, but everything that followed went unexpectedly smooth.


    In three days, Mo Hua would be able to join Taixu Gate.


    Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief; finally, the matter was settled.


    And Mo Hua was very happy as well.


    Despite some twists and turns, he was finally about to be initiated.


    Wenren Wan had arranged the initiation affairs for Mo Hua, procuring some items, and three days later, took him to the base of Taixu Mountain where Taixu Gate was located.


    Before they parted, Wenren Wan once again instructed him about the precautions of the Sect and what to be mindful of after entering.


    "Some Disciples are arrogant and unruly; try to avoid them as much as possible."


    "If you run into trouble, don¡¯t be afraid. Tell the Elders, and have them seek me out at the Shangguan Family..."


    "If you experience bullying, don¡¯t resort to fighting ¡ª you¡¯re small and can¡¯t defeat others. Go to the Elders, and if they don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll have your back..."


    "You must learn to protect yourself..."


    ...


    Wenren Wan was concerned about Mo Hua¡¯s tender age. With his innocent and kind nature, she feared that upon entering the Sect, he might be deceived, ostracized, scorned, bullied, unable to voice his suffering or find someone to stand up for him in times of trouble...


    So her heart ached for him.


    Although Mo Hua felt that he probably wouldn¡¯t be bullied, Wenren Wan¡¯s concern still filled him with gratitude.


    Mo Hua nodded vigorously, asserting confidently,


    "Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Wan. I¡¯ll be careful and won¡¯t let others bully me!"


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confident posture, as if he had never been bullied, Wenren Wan couldn¡¯t help but smile and tenderly touched Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    Yu Er also came to see Mo Hua off, her little face filled with reluctance as she whispered,


    "Brother, when you¡¯re free, can I come to visit you?"


    Mo Hua looked toward Wenren Wan.


    Wenren Wan nodded with a smile.


    Then Mo Hua said, "When you have time, come to find me. I¡¯ll make you a fierce and majestic Big Tiger!"

 Chapter 795: Introduction (3)

    Yu Er¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded eagerly like a pecking chick:


    "Mhm mhm mhm!"


    Afterward, a senior brother from Taixu Gate came down to receive Mo Hua.


    "This is your Senior Brother Xu, who is also a disciple of the Shangguan Family, but he joined two terms before you. After you join the Sect, you can ask him if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand," Wenren Wan introduced Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua looked at this senior brother, saw that he was dressed in a deep black and white interwoven Taoist robe, adorned with Taixu patterns, genteel and amiable in manner, looking quite approachable, so she clasped her hands and said:


    "Senior Brother Xu."


    Shangguan Xu also returned the gesture cordially.


    After Wenren Wan left with Yu Er¡¯s small hand in hers.


    Yu Er walked away while turning back, waving her hand in heartfelt farewell to Mo Hua.


    After Wenren Wan and Yu Er had left, Mo Hua followed the senior brother named Shangguan Xu up the mountain, one in front of the other.


    Taixu Mountain was very high.


    And the gate of Taixu Gate was midway up the mountain.


    Therefore, there was quite a distance to cover from the foot of the mountain to the gate of the Sect.


    Shangguan Xu had profound cultivation and a steady gait, while Mo Hua possessed exquisite movement techniques, treading lightly. After walking together for a while, Mo Hua found it a bit boring and started chatting with Shangguan Xu.


    At first, Shangguan Xu was somewhat reserved; however, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s innocence and sincerity, he also grew fond of her.


    After all, she would soon be his junior sister within the Sect.


    Even though she would be a junior sister from the Outer Gate, they still shared camaraderie as fellow sect members.


    Therefore, Shangguan Xu was willing to answer all her questions without reserve.


    Once they became more acquainted, Mo Hua chattered non-stop along the way: Explore stories on


    "Senior Brother Xu, is the Sect¡¯s discipline strict?"


    "If I violate the Sect rules, will I be expelled from the Sect?"


    "If I¡¯m not expelled from the Sect, will I be put in solitary confinement, or will I be punished to watch the gate or sweep the grounds?"


    "Senior Brother Xu, by chance, inadvertently, just coincidentally, through a stroke of luck...if I learned something on the sly, would that violate the Sect rules?"


    "...Of course, I don¡¯t mean to learn secretly, I¡¯m just asking..."


    "Also, what does the Sect Leader look like, and are the Elders temperamental?"


    ...


    Hearing these questions, Shangguan Xu found it both amusing and exasperating, but he still answered them one by one:


    "Don¡¯t worry, the rules of Taixu Gate are, relatively speaking, not so strict..."


    "Unlike the Four Great Sects..."


    "Within the Four Great Sects, the disciples¡¯ every movement and gesture has strict standards; they must observe propriety. They can¡¯t delay waking up or going to bed;"


    "When Instructors teach something, you must learn it. If you don¡¯t learn it well, you¡¯ll be reprimanded, and they might even have you apply to leave the Sect;"


    "The Four Great Sects have many assessments..."


    "Do well in the assessments and be treated well; do poorly and face disdain."


    "Cultivation, Formation, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Refining Rune...and so on, all these are rigorously tested, not tolerating any sloppiness, the rules are extremely strict..."


    "There¡¯s a minor test every ten days, a major test every month, and they rank disciples into different levels based on these assessments..."


    "So, the disciples of the Four Great Sects must be ¡¯ambitious¡¯..."


    ...


    Mo Hua listened until her scalp tingled, "Is it really that extreme?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shangguan Xu nodded, "Yes, that¡¯s why they are the ¡¯Four Great Sects.¡¯ They aim to be better than others in everything. The disciples they cultivate are truly exceptional talents..."


    Shangguan Xu sighed, feeling a mixture of admiration and envy, and then his tone relaxed a bit.


    "Of course, our Taixu Gate is much more lenient..."


    "There are many inheritances within the Sect. You can learn whatever you wish. Even if you don¡¯t learn it well, you won¡¯t be too harshly criticized, even if you end up with the lowest rank..."


    "Certainly, if you can get through the Instructors¡¯ lessons or the Elders¡¯ tests. Otherwise, if you truly anger them, it won¡¯t be good..."


    "Learning spell points..."


    "Apart from the true Sect Protecting spell points, most spell points can be learned at the Outer Gate as well, since after all, it is a Sect that passes on teachings and duties. Prejudice between different levels within the Sect isn¡¯t that deep..."


    "If you manage to learn them, that¡¯s a credit to your own skill."


    "Of course, that¡¯s excluding the Sect Protecting Ultimate Techniques..."


    "There aren¡¯t too many rules during everyday life, just make sure to attend classes on time, complete your assignments punctually, and the rest of the time is quite ample. The Sect won¡¯t restrain you too much..."


    ...


    You¡¯re free to learn what you want, and it¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t excel...


    It means you can "get by"!


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    He realized that he had made the right choice in coming to Taixu Gate!


    Shangguan Xu went on to say, "You will see the Sect Leader during the induction ceremony a few days later. Anyway... he looks quite approachable."


    "The Sect Leader is pretty easy-going and places importance on health cultivation..."


    "As for the Elders, it¡¯s hard to say. They come in all varieties..."


    "Some are easy to communicate with, while others have quite the temper..."


    "This batch of you all, let me think..."


    Shangguan Xu frowned in thought and then said:


    "There¡¯s an old Elder who teaches Formation techniques, with a really old and venerable tenure. He hasn¡¯t retired and stays to teach Formation at the Sect. He¡¯s quite eccentric and extremely strict, intolerant of even a speck of dust in his eye and he doesn¡¯t allow disciples to be careless in the slightest..."


    Shangguan Xu looked at Mo Hua and sighed, "You are a bit unlucky, be careful..."


    "Oh..."


    Mo Hua nodded but was also somewhat curious about who this "old Elder" really was...


    Shangguan Xu wanted to say more, but when he looked up, he realized that in the midst of their conversation, they had unknowingly reached the halfway up the mountain, at the mountain gate of Taixu Gate.


    Mo Hua also looked up and saw an ancient and mysterious mountain gate.


    The threshold of the gate wasn¡¯t high.


    A stele was suspended above the gate, bearing three words etched in bold, ancient strokes brimming with Taoist Meaning:


    Taixu Gate.


    These three words, sharp like a knife or a sword, were integrated with the stele, unassuming yet staunch. However, upon beholding them, one could sense the underlying sharp Sword Qi within them.


    It seemed to be the handiwork of some great Sword Cultivator who had returned to the state of uncarved simplicity.


    Mo Hua glanced at it only once and became somewhat entranced.


    He didn¡¯t understand Swordsmanship and didn¡¯t cultivate Sword Qi, but his Divine Sense could vaguely perceive the vast and ethereal Sword Intent, as if soaring through Taixu.


    "Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Jue..."


    Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    "Junior Brother?"


    Seeing Mo Hua in a daze, Shangguan Xu showed a puzzled look.


    Mo Hua came back to his senses and asked, "Senior Brother Xu, these three words..."


    Shangguan Xu looked up at them, "Oh, those three words have been there since the establishment of Taixu Gate. Probably the handwriting of some old ancestor of our Sect, they¡¯ve been around for quite a long time..."


    He glanced at the sky and said to Mo Hua, "It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s enter the Sect for now. You¡¯ve just joined, and there are many trivial matters to take care of."


    "Right."


    Mo Hua nodded and stepped over the threshold, following Shangguan Xu into Taixu Gate.


    As Mo Hua crossed the threshold, walking past the mountain gate, he failed to notice that the words "Taixu Gate" above the gate trembled slightly and emitted a flicker of Sword Intent.


    Afterward, the nearby mist condensed on the mountain gate, refined by the Sword Intent, turned into a pure stream of vapor, and rose, curling towards the sky.


    This strand of Sword Intent was extremely condensed and yet very subtle.


    The refined mist carried a pristine hue of fire, yet it merged indistinguishably with the surrounding clouds.


    Most disciples and Elders of Taixu Gate felt nothing, but the Taixu Sect Master, who was sitting in meditation, cultivating his health within a room, suddenly opened his eyes.


    His figure flashed as he stepped outside, peering through the majestic mountains and Taixu¡¯s Daoist Courtyard towards the mountain gate, where he saw the curling vapor rising above.


    The Taixu Sect Master stared in disbelief for a long moment, finding it somewhat inconceivable as he said:


    "My Taixu Gate¡¯s mountain gate is actually... emitting blue smoke?!"

 Chapter 796: Taixu Gate (1)

    In the Taixu Gate, everything was ancient and magnificent.


    The clouds and mist were resplendent, brimming with immortal presence.


    A wide and long jade stone path stretched up the mountain, like a stairway to heaven, leading directly to the summit.


    The path served as a hub, flanked by numerous cultivation structures: pavilions, terraces, towers, palaces, and courtyards, all steeped in an antique charm, shrouded in misty white fog, seemingly saturated with the passage of time, adding to their substantiality.


    As Mo Hua walked among them, he felt purified of worldly dust, his mood became serene, and his Divine Sense was much more at peace.


    Shangguan Xu led Mo Hua to several lofts on the right side, greeted a few cultivators who might be either Instructors or Elders, exchanged a few words, and went through some procedures.


    Afterward, Mo Hua had to be examined by several Elders.


    This included his Blood Qi, meridians, Cultivation Technique, Divine Sense, and more.


    This kind of inspection utilized a spiritual artifact resembling a glaze mirror, instead of having the Elders look with their Divine Sense.


    Disciples from the noble clans, with their familial Daoist Skills and Cultivation Techniques that often descend from their ancestors, naturally wouldn¡¯t allow others to probe into their secrets, especially those high-reaching Elders.


    Otherwise, the inheritance could easily be leaked.


    The purpose of the Sect is to convey the teachings and instruct disciples, not to steal inheritances. Elders rashly probing the foundations of disciples would commit a great taboo within the Sect.


    In the Qian Xue State boundary, where noble clans were numerous and their inheritances strictly guarded, this was particularly emphasized.


    Thus, such inspections could only be conducted with standardized spiritual artifacts.


    During the check, they also stopped at the slightest indication.


    The sole purpose was to see whether the disciples had impure Blood Qi or chaotic meridians, whether their techniques aligned with the Righteous Dao, or if their Divine Sense harbored any evil spirits...


    This was only to prevent disciples from straying into the Demon Path or becoming possessed by madness¡ªnothing more.


    When Mo Hua was illuminated by the glaze mirror, the Elders looked and nodded in approval.


    A clean Taoist Heart, pure breath.


    A good-hearted little cultivator, sincerely devoted to the Dao.


    It was just that... his aptitude was indeed a bit poor...


    Also, the images in the mirror were a bit blurred, as if disturbed, some details hard to discern.


    But as long as he was a sincere little cultivator, that was enough.


    Having been admitted into the Sect, things like aptitude were beyond their purview, and they could not be bothered to care.


    "That will do," said an Elder.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Next, Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag was also inspected.


    This was mainly to ensure that disciples entering the Sect did not bring any improper items up the mountain.


    Such as dangerous Runes, prohibited Pills, and irregular Formations...


    Especially any Evil Artifacts associated with the Demon Path.


    The Taoist Court had established clear laws, with a definitive line between Righteous and Demon Paths.


    Manufacturing, privately possessing, or even using an Evil Artifact was a grave offense.


    If a disciple was discovered to have hidden an Evil Artifact, their admission to the Sect could be revoked, or they might even be taken to the Taoist Court to be dealt with as Demon Cultivators.


    Their families would also be implicated.


    Therefore, everything related to Demon Path Skills, Daoist Skills, and spiritual artifacts were not condoned by the Taoist Court, nor by the Sects of the Righteous Dao.


    Your adventure continues at


    Beyond these items, there were also some contraband...


    Some disciples would secretly keep certain age-inappropriate paintings and Jade Slips that could muddle the Taoist Heart...


    This wasn¡¯t considered a serious mistake, as they would simply receive a mild reprimand from the Elders.


    However, these paintings and Jade Slips would definitely be confiscated and not returned. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, to Mo Hua¡¯s surprise, Spirit Stones were a concern.


    There was a limit to how many Spirit Stones one could bring into the Sect¡ªjust enough to cover daily cultivation expenses.


    This was to prevent rich noble clans from indulging their disciples by bringing large quantities of Spirit Stones into the Sect, potentially leading to favor-currying, bribery of instructors, extravagant competition, and creating a corrupt atmosphere within the Sect, which would severely damage the spirit of pursuing the Dao.


    Therefore, most Sects would limit the amount of Spirit Stones a disciple could bring into the Sect.


    Mo Hua had never heard of this limitation on Spirit Stones.


    He worried that the "fortune" of tens of thousands of Spirit Stones he had saved and acquired from killing bandits might be too much and not allowed through the Sect gates.


    Then he realized that his concerns were misplaced...


    After all, bringing only "so many" Spirit Stones already qualified him as being very "frugal and simple"...


    Mo Hua was stunned; it dawned on him that even the smallest hair from a noble clan was thicker than his entire being...


    "The wealth disparities in cultivation are just too great...", Mo Hua lamented.


    The contents of Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag were all very ordinary, clean items.


    The truly important things, such as the Heaven Yan Jue technique and the Five Elements Formation Flow Map with its peculiar Source Patterns, were all kept in his Storage Ring.


    The Storage Ring was a gift from his master and invisible to others.


    After the Elders finished their inspection, they returned his Storage Bag to Mo Hua.


    However, perhaps pitying the meagerness of Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag, with so few Spirit Stones, and him being a Loose Cultivator, one Elder felt a touch of sympathy and offered a few words of comfort:


    "Being a bit short on Spirit Stones doesn¡¯t matter."


    "Once you¡¯re in the Sect, as long as you work hard, you can stand on your own two feet, earn some Spirit Stones, enough for your cultivation needs..."


    Earning Spirit Stones by standing on his own...


    Mo Hua paused for a moment.


    Did that mean... he could still "shear the Sect¡¯s wool"?!


    If he worked diligently, shearing more, did that imply that his entry into Taixu Gate would not only cost nothing but also potentially turn a neat profit?


    Taixu Gate truly was a great place!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he said with a beaming smile, "Thank you, Elder!"


    The Elder nodded slightly, inwardly praising him.


    Poor but steadfast, not losing the aspiration to reach the clouds, an optimistic and uplifting Loose Cultivator, a promising young man...


    Afterward, the procedures were completed.


    Mo Hua received a new Storage Bag.


    This Storage Bag was much better than what he had used before, larger in space and more robust and stylish, marked by the distinctive emblem of the Taixu Gate.


    It was a pattern with black and white swirling in an Eryi design.


    Eryi mixes with Chaos to give rise to Taixu.


    The more Mo Hua looked at it, the more he liked it.


    Inside the Storage Bag were a set of Taixu Gate disciple¡¯s Taoist Robe, some Pills, a few Tao Cultivation Canons, and a Taixu Token.

 Chapter 797: Taixu Gate (2)

    This token is a Disciple Token.


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from


    It is also the most basic token of Taixu Gate, made of jade, warm to the touch, with a grand design, though somewhat plain. There is only a single sword scratch on it.


    This means that Mo Hua is a new disciple of the Outer Gate of Taixu Gate, in the initial stages of Foundation Establishment.


    Shangguan Xu said, "This Taixu Token is very important; you must take good care of it..."


    "In Taixu Gate, whatever you do that involves Sect privileges, you will rely on this token."


    "Whether you are entering the Disciple¡¯s Residence, the Tao Teaching Pavilion, Taoist Fields, the Alchemy Room, Artifact Refining Room, Book Pavilion, and so on, you must show this Taixu Token."


    "If you have Merit Points within the Sect and need to exchange them for Tao Cultivation items, you will also need this..."


    "Also, look at the back..."


    Startled, Mo Hua flipped the Taixu Token over and saw that the back of the token was luminous, with fine patterns that transformed into floating characters.


    Shangguan Xu said, "This Taixu Token also acts as a messaging jade slip..."


    "It will have some internal Sect information, like orders from the Sect Leader, commands from Elders, including messages between disciples... And most importantly, the study schedule for Tao Cultivation."


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Tao Cultivation... study schedule?"


    "Yes," Shangguan Xu nodded, "It will tell you, at what hour, and in what place, you should attend which Tao Cultivation class..."


    "The Sect has many classes, encompassing Cultivation, Formations, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Runes, Taoist Skills, and so forth. The arrangement of the classes, the times and places for the classes, are all quite complicated. Occasionally, the Elders or Instructors who teach may have personal matters to attend to and might reschedule or postpone classes..."


    "So, the arrangement and scheduling of the Tao Cultivation classes for the disciples within the Sect largely rely on this Taixu Gate Disciple Token..."


    "At what hour, which class, the Taixu Token will remind you; if you arrive on time, it will register you; if you skip class, it will also record it..."


    "These may seem simple, but contained within are extremely complex Formation logics..."


    "Formation logic?!"


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Shangguan Xu was stunned, not knowing why Mo Hua suddenly seemed so happy. After thinking for a moment, he slowly nodded, "Yes..."


    "Senior Brother Xu, what is the Formation logic? What is the name of the Formation? Is it a Five Elements Formation or some other type of Formation?" Mo Hua asked eagerly.


    Shangguan Xu gave a wry smile, "I don¡¯t know... I just heard from the Instructor that such a Formation, the Sect will not teach us. Otherwise, surely there would be disciples trying to find ways to tamper with the Taixu Token to cheat..."


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    He really wanted to know what this Formation was...


    Purely for the sake of studying the Formation!


    He was a serious Cultivator who would not cheat!


    But since Senior Brother Shangguan Xu did not know, Mo Hua was even less likely to find out...


    "But, what kind of Formation could it be..."


    Mo Hua frowned and began to ponder.


    Taixu Token...


    If every disciple has one, then that means that this Formation, similar to the "Spiritual Pivot Formation", is constructed in a "master-slave" control mode.


    There must be a place that holds the Formation eye, over which the Formation Pivot is constructed.


    Through the Formation Pivot, all the disciples¡¯ Taixu Tokens are connected, building a whole set...


    Mo Hua frowned, "...a whole set of Messaging Formations?"


    "Or maybe, there are other functions as well?"


    Mo Hua walked and pondered, frowning along the way, muttering to himself...


    Looking at his demeanor, Shangguan Xu could not help but laugh and shake his head, not knowing what his junior was mulling over...


    After pondering for a while longer, although Mo Hua was proficient in the Five Elements Formation and even some Ultimate Formations, his overall knowledge of Formations was limited, and he could not figure out much more.


    He also tried to perform Calculations, or to sense the Taixu Token.


    Inside the Taixu Token, it seemed like some Formation was indeed depicted, but it was completely sealed within the token without revealing the slightest clue.


    "Can¡¯t calculate anything..."


    Mo Hua felt a bit of regret.


    It seemed he could only wait until after enrollment, enhance his insight into Formations, consult relevant books, and improve his mastery of Formations before he could study the Formation inside the Taixu Token...


    As the two walked, they arrived between a hall and pavilion.


    "This is the Disciple¡¯s Residence, where disciples live and practice daily Tao Cultivation..."


    "To the left past the Taoist Field are the Tao Teaching Pavilion, as well as the Artifact Refining Room, Alchemy Room, and other buildings that teach the various arts of Tao Cultivation."


    "The Disciple¡¯s Residence is one room per person, also very quiet, suitable for self-study or Cultivation without disturbances."


    "With the Taixu Token, you can enter the Disciple¡¯s Residence and find your own living space..."


    Shangguan Xu advised patiently.


    Mo Hua looked at the Taixu Token, noticing that there really was "Taiyi" engraved on it, followed by the number "fifty."


    "Taiyi?" Mo Hua was a bit puzzled. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh," Shangguan Xu seemed to have just remembered, "I forgot to tell you, Taixu Gate accepts disciples every three years, roughly a thousand people per cohort..."


    "Within three years, those who advance to Foundation Establishment Middle Phase can move up a grade, if not, they will retain a grade."


    "These nearly thousand people will be divided in the Disciple¡¯s Residence, which is essentially class division."


    "Since it¡¯s Taixu Gate, ¡¯Tai¡¯ is the prefix for each residence, followed by the Earthly Branches in order, starting from ¡¯Taijia¡¯, ¡¯Taiyi¡¯, ¡¯Taibing¡¯, and continuing all the way to ¡¯Tairen¡¯ and ¡¯Taigui¡¯... making up ten residences, or ten classes..."


    "Disciples of the same class will live in a single building."


    "You are in Taiyi, so you reside in the Taiyi Residence; the number fifty indicates the fiftieth room."


    Mo Hua whispered, "Is this division based on Cultivation or talent?"

 Chapter 798: Taixu Gate (3)

    Shangguan Xu shook his head, "No, it¡¯s random. The Elders draw lots, so it¡¯s about luck and your own opportunity."


    "Oh."


    Mo Hua nodded, understanding in his heart.


    He thought to himself, with his own aptitude, how could he possibly be assigned to "Taiyi"? Turns out his "luck" was good...


    Shangguan Xu smiled and said, "The four major sects arrange disciples strictly according to lineage, identity, and background, so every time they assign Disciple¡¯s Residences, they have to consider for a long time, involving many interests..."


    "Where you live also determines the treatment and status of the disciple..."


    "Moreover, once it¡¯s decided, in order to motivate the disciples to advance, they adjust the rankings anytime based on their academic grades and achievements. If you lag in cultivation, or learn poorly, you will gradually be demoted to the last place..."


    "Our Taixu Gate¡¯s Sect Leader and Elders are much lazier, they just draw lots. Whatever you get is what you get, and it saves a lot of trouble..."


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue in amazement.


    The four major sects are really intimidating...


    The disciples they teach are likely to know only how to compete and vie for superiority.


    But that¡¯s probably the intention of the noble clans, or the sects above them, nurturing them like raising gu worms, so that only the truly outstanding geniuses can stand out...


    But all these have nothing to do with him.


    With his aptitude, except for knowledge of the Formation, he can¡¯t even count as bottom-tier in other aspects; he can only muddle through his days...


    Shangguan Xu thought for a moment, and then, pointing to some buildings far across, he quietly reminded Mo Hua:


    "The Disciple¡¯s Residences over there are where the female disciples live, separated by quite a distance. If you have no reason to go, you mustn¡¯t, otherwise, you¡¯ll be considered a ¡¯little pervert¡¯..."


    "Little pervert?"


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    "Yes," Shangguan Xu said with lingering fear, "I remember before, a few of our male disciples wanted to go over to... ahem, look for something. They were discovered by a group of senior sisters and junior sisters and were beaten half to death..."


    "Their injuries were severe. Not accepting their fate, they went to the Elders to complain. But when the Elders found out, they flew into a rage and beat them up again..."


    "It was quite pitiful..."


    Mo Hua opened his mouth, but after a moment¡¯s thought, he quietly said, "Isn¡¯t that what they get..."


    Harboring improper thoughts was one thing.


    Being beaten up and not learning their lesson, and then going to the Elders to lodge a complaint, was like walking into a trap...


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Indeed, lust leads to muddled thinking...


    Cultivators must keep a firm Taoist Heart and be wary of the seduction of women!


    "I¡¯m just reminding you. Don¡¯t go around talking about it, okay..." Shangguan Xu said.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Senior Brother Xu, I won¡¯t say a word!" Mo Hua promised solemnly.


    Shangguan Xu nodded, "Go on in then. I¡¯m two terms your senior and live behind that mountain peak. If you have any issues later on, come and ask me..."


    "Yes, yes!" Mo Hua nodded, "Thank you, Senior Brother Xu!"


    Shangguan Xu waved his hand and left.


    Mo Hua, holding the Disciple Token, entered the Disciple¡¯s Residence and found room number "fifty". He presented the Taixu Token in front of the door, and then, with a flash of light, the Formation was unlocked and the door opened. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua walked in and looked around, quite astonished.


    The chamber was spacious, with tables, chairs, screens, blankets, and beds¡ªeverything was complete, simple yet elegant.


    But it was very fitting for a person cultivating the Tao, embodying the style of purity and simplicity.


    Mo Hua was satisfied.


    This room would henceforth be his "home" at the Taixu Gate.


    And so Mo Hua settled down.


    Three days later, the Taixu Gate held its opening ceremony.


    The opening ceremony, held once every three years, was a major event hosted by the Sect Leader and all the Elders to welcome the new disciples.


    Although called a "ceremony", it was actually quite simple.


    The ceremony took place in the massive Taoist Field in the center of Taixu Gate.


    Over a thousand disciples bustled about.


    The Sect Leader spoke first, then several respected Elders took turns speaking, and their speeches were more or less the same.


    They recounted the long history of the Taixu Gate, its profound heritage, ancient lineage, and shining achievements.


    Then they encouraged the disciples to diligently pursue cultivation.


    And to bring glory to the Taixu Gate once their cultivation had reached a certain level. Read latest stories on


    They also emphasized the need to maintain their Taoist Heart, adhere to the Righteous Dao, not to make mistakes, stray down wrong paths, or fall into the Demon Path... and so on.


    It was also the first time Mo Hua saw the Taixu Sect Master.


    He seemed... just like any other Sect Leader, with a gentle face, splendid dress, profound energy, but nothing else stood out.


    Only the hair, pitch-black and thick, just as Shangguan Xu had said, he was extremely good at "nourishing life".


    The Taixu Sect Master also silently observed the vast array of disciples in the Taoist Field, outwardly without expression, yet inwardly he murmured:


    "Looking at it... they seem to be just ordinary disciples, conforming to the norm, not too bad, but not particularly outstanding either..."


    "Why on earth would there suddenly be blue smoke on the sect¡¯s entrance?"


    The Taixu Sect Master was puzzled.


    After the ceremony, everyone dispersed, and classes for cultivation would officially start the next day.


    Having attended the entrance ceremony also meant that Mo Hua was now officially initiated. He was now a disciple of Taixu Gate.


    Afterward, he could dedicate himself to cultivation, and learn the Formation in peace.


    The Heavenly secret was chaotic, the causes and effects obscure. There were many profound and complicated affairs in the world, and Mo Hua knew little of them and was powerless to do much.


    He was just a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    All he could do was take care of what he was supposed to do.


    Steadfastly follow his path of cultivation, gradually learn the Formation, and step by step, climb the Great Dao, to save his master¡­


    And his next goal was the Golden Core!


    To comprehend his life¡¯s Tao and transform it into the Golden Core!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was resolute and sparkling with radiance.


    He aimed to craft a Divine Thought with over twenty patterns, with an indestructible golden body, to Prove the Dao with Divine Sense, and become a Great cultivator in the Golden Core Realm!

 Chapter 799: Elder Master Xun (1)

    Although that was the case, he is now still just an ordinary Taixu disciple, and it would be best for him to diligently cultivate in silence.


    But this is for the best.


    His master had taught him that humans fear fame as pigs fear fattening.


    The protruding beam rots first.


    It¡¯s best to make a fortune in silence and cultivate discreetly, focusing on improving oneself.


    The next day, after Mo Hua had practiced Formation at the Taoist Stele all night, he rose early, full of energy, and went to class.


    On the Taixu Token, it showed that his first lesson was a cultivation class.


    The class on Tao cultivation was taught by an Inner Sect Elder, adorned in a splendid Taoist robe, respected and esteemed.


    But since it was only the first lesson, he didn¡¯t say much¡ªonly a few brief words about the content of the cultivation class.


    "Cultivation is the foundation of a cultivator."


    "All Taoist skills are based on cultivation; Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune all take cultivation as the foundation for assessment."


    "Only when your cultivation breaks through and your realm improves can you transcend the categories of Tao cultivation, advancing step by step."


    "Therefore, cultivation is the stairway to seeking immortality and questioning the Dao."


    "For descendants of Noble Clans, Qi Refinement is but enlightenment; Foundation Establishment is the true beginning. Only with a solid foundation and robust Spiritual Power can one form a high-quality Golden Core..."


    "With a high-quality Golden Core, can one ascend to higher levels of the Great Dao..."


    "Step by step, the more solidly one¡¯s foundation is built, the farther one will go in the future..."


    "The matter of Core Formation is still far off for you. Knowing a little is enough for now. You are currently at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage¡ªyour immediate priority is to walk the path of Foundation Establishment steadily and solidly..."


    "There are various paths to the Great Dao, but they all lead to the same destination. Most of you are Noble Family Descendants, coming from different backgrounds and practicing different Cultivation Techniques, but there are some common spell points that you must learn wholeheartedly."


    "How to purify Spiritual Power, how to make your Circulation flawless, how to stabilize your Taoist Foundation..."


    "How to avoid mishaps in the course of Foundation Establishment, not to harm your energy channels, not to damage your Qi Sea..."


    "How to both steadily and swiftly elevate your cultivation..."


    "How to discard bad habits in cultivation, how to avoid arrogance and impatience, to calm your Taoist Heart, and what to do if there are signs of deviating into devilry?"


    ...


    "These are the invaluable insights and experiences accumulated over thousands of years by countless predecessors of Taixu Gate, who have dedicated their efforts and studied diligently."


    "In the upcoming lessons, I will teach you these gradually..."


    "No matter what your previous background is, or what legacy you have, after learning these cultivation lessons, you will broaden your horizons in Tao cultivation, and have a clearer understanding of the future path of Tao cultivation..."


    Your next read is at


    "Next, I will briefly discuss how to practice Foundation Establishment..."


    "Qi Refinement cultivators treat Spiritual Power as a refined gaseous state. At the Foundation Establishment Realm, Spiritual Power undergoes a qualitative change, condensing like mercury..."


    "Spiritual Power that¡¯s like mercury needs further refinement, distillation, condensation until it forms crystals, and eventually turns into your personal Golden Core..."


    "This cannot be achieved overnight; it requires years of persistent cultivation and consistent effort..."


    "In addition, Foundation Establishment Spiritual Power also needs to cleanse Blood Qi, strengthen channels, and expand the Qi Sea..."


    "In the past, this was referred to as ¡¯Marrow Cleansing¡¯, but with the evolution of Cultivation Techniques, the effects are no longer so pronounced..."


    "Nowadays, Cultivation Techniques, improved over generations, emphasize gentle nurturing, gradual progress, and also reducing the risk of mistakes in cultivation and deviation into devilry..." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    The Inner Sect Elder, with his profound knowledge, spoke in a calm tone, explaining comprehensively.


    Mo Hua listened attentively and benefited greatly.


    Ever since his Foundation Establishment, he had been following the Heaven Yan Jue, groping his way through cultivation on his own¡ªafter all, as long as he absorbed Spirit Stones and his Spiritual Power was growing, that was enough.


    He had never realized there were so many details to be mindful of in cultivation.


    For Core Formation and even higher realms beyond, one must look to the future, plan every step, and cultivate methodically...


    Although the Elder didn¡¯t say much, Mo Hua was still profoundly moved after listening.


    This is the legacy of a Great Sect!


    This is the crystalization of experience from thousands of years, from countless generations of Taixu Gate predecessors!


    However, Mo Hua felt somewhat perplexed.


    The Elder¡¯s teachings seemed to be about how cultivators who build their foundations on "Spiritual Power" and "Blood Qi" can refine their Blood Qi, refine their Spiritual Power, perfect their Taoist Foundation and move further.


    But as for himself, he was proving the Dao through Divine Sense...


    The Elder didn¡¯t mention anything about Divine Sense...


    And with his meager Spiritual Power and weak Blood Qi, not having polished his realm or solidified his foundation, he had essentially bluffed his way up...


    His way of cultivating was far from what the Elder described.


    Mo Hua sighed silently in his heart.


    It seems that he would have to start by learning this way, and study it in detail later when he had free time...


    After all, he had just begun and had plenty of time.


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua cultivated, drew Formations, and attended classes...


    But a few days later, Mo Hua suddenly realized a problem:


    He was still very unfamiliar with Taixu Gate and did not know much about it.


    This wasn¡¯t good...


    In the next few years, or even decades, he was going to mingle in Taixu Gate, so he had to become familiar with the environment of Taixu Gate.


    This was basic for a Monster Hunter.


    Upon arriving in an unfamiliar place, one must get to know the environment first.


    When he had first entered Big Black Mountain, his father, Mo Shan, had taken him around the Outer Mountain and Inner Mountain, making him familiar with the topography, traces of Monster Beasts, and locations of herbs and minerals...


    That¡¯s how he managed to thrive in Big Black Mountain.


    Though Taixu Gate was not Big Black Mountain, and the instructors and elders were not Monster Beasts, the principle was the same.


    Sharpening the axe will not hinder the cutting of firewood.


    Mo Hua decided to do some research and get his bearings, to understand Taixu Gate clearly first.

 Chapter 800: Elder Master Xun (2)

    "This way, I¡¯ll be able to "get by" in the future..."


    Having just joined the sect, Mo Hua had few academic tasks and plenty of free time, so he began to wander around Taixu Gate with his hands clasped behind his back...


    Then he inquired about some things with Shangguan Xu and some other senior brothers and sisters.


    Because he was cute and spoke in a way people enjoyed listening to, and he asked about things that new disciples wouldn¡¯t know but would indeed be curious about, he was usually able to get answers to most of his questions.


    After spending a month, Mo Hua had gained a general understanding of Taixu Gate.


    First was the environment.


    Taixu Gate was located on the majestic and quaint Taixu Mountain.


    A long jade staircase connected the Inner Mountain and the Outer Mountain.


    The front of the mountain was the Outer Mountain, and the back was the Inner Mountain.


    The Outer Mountain of Taixu Gate provided a place for Outer Gate disciples, external instructors, and Guest Elders to live and practice cultivation.


    In addition, there was a large Taoist Field in the middle.


    To the right of the Taoist Field were the Disciple¡¯s Residences.


    To the left were the Tao Teaching Pavilion for classes and other buildings dedicated to the practice of Taoist skills and the various aspects of Tao Cultivation, like the Artifact Refining Pavilion, Refining Pill Pavilion, Refining Rune Pavilion, and Taoist Skill Pavilion.


    And the Book Pavilion stocked with Tao Cultivation Canons, especially those on various Formations, which Mo Hua eyed greedily but couldn¡¯t enter due to access restrictions.


    Behind the Outer Mountain was the Inner Mountain.


    There resided the Sect Leader, Elders, Inner Sect Disciples, and some preaching buildings.


    Further back was the Rear Mountain.


    The Rear Mountain was forbidden territory, and no one knew what was hidden within.


    Mo Hua, an Outer Sect Disciple, couldn¡¯t even go to the Inner Mountain, let alone the Rear Mountain, which he guessed to be the hiding place of either monsters or ancestors, so he didn¡¯t inquire much about it.


    Taixu Gate also had a famous Large Formation:


    "The Taixu Chaos yuan Mountain Protection Formation"!


    To Mo Hua¡¯s surprise, this Formation was a Fifth Rank Large Formation!


    A Fifth Rank state boundary, constructed into a Fifth Rank Large Formation¡­


    Mo Hua, who had personally constructed a Large Formation before, was shocked and even found it somewhat inconceivable.


    What level of Formation Master would it take to accomplish such a feat...


    He wanted to learn more, but heard that this Large Formation hadn¡¯t been activated for over ten thousand years; no one knew if it still worked, or even if it truly was a Fifth Rank, so most disciples had nearly forgotten about it...


    There were even rumors claiming Taixu Gate¡¯s Fifth Rank Large Formation was fake, a product of misinformation, and it was in reality only Third or Fourth Rank...


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t believe it. He wanted to verify it for himself, so he tried to dig into the sect¡¯s boundaries. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t dig through, and his Divine Sense Calculation revealed no traces...


    This level of Large Formation, from the Formation base materials to the construction of Formation Patterns, was completely beyond Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation level and understanding of Formations.


    He could neither dislodge it nor calculate its secrets.


    But Mo Hua was not discouraged.


    "Once my cultivation is higher, I¡¯ll definitely return to the sect to pry at its foundation and see if there really is a Fifth Rank Large Formation!"


    Mo Hua nodded, silently making this "grand vow" in his heart.


    In addition, there was the issue of the Inner and Outer Gates.


    Originally in Tongxian City, Tongxian Gate also divided disciples between Inner and Outer Gates, but that level of division was different from the Fifth Rank Sect of Taixu Gate in the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    And it was different from what Mo Hua had previously understood.


    He was now an Outer Sect Disciple.


    During the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, all newly joined disciples were considered Outer Sect Disciples.


    Once they reach the Golden Core Stage, they could graduate.


    After graduation, they could choose to leave the sect and return to their clans or seek a livelihood with other powers for a longer-term path.


    Alternatively, they could choose to stay in the sect and become an Inner Sect Disciple through an assessment.


    The Outer Gate took in disciples openly and earned their keep.


    The Inner Gate retained disciples for teaching and managing the sect and for preaching and teaching duties.


    Disciples of the Inner Gate were mostly expected to become "Instructors."


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    An "Instructor" in Taixu Gate was a position denoting a cultivator responsible for teaching and passing on knowledge, ranging from Golden Core Stage Inner Sect Disciples to Elders, and even the Sect Leader.


    There were also two types of Instructors.


    One type was externally hired, living in the Outer Gate, being Golden Core Stage or even Feather Transformation Realm cultivators, who were employed as instructors or Guest Elders.


    These people weren¡¯t part of the Inner Gate but were hired for teaching.


    The other type was Inner Sect Disciples who had joined the Inner Gate and received Inner Gate inheritance, as well as Elders who had been promoted from disciples.


    Inner Sect Disciples and Elders were again divided into ordinary and True Disciples.


    Ordinary Inner Sect Disciples paid homage to ordinary Elders, learning the important traditions of the Sect.


    True Disciples of the Inner Gate paid homage to True Transmission Elders, thereby gaining permission to learn truly core and Sect-Protecting traditions.


    These were also two distinct paths to promotion.


    Ordinary disciples, as they advanced in cultivation, were promoted to ordinary Elders.


    True Disciples, upon breaking through to the Feather Transformation Realm, were promoted to True Transmission Elders.


    And the core positions of the sect, including the Vice Sect Leader and Sect Leader, would only be chosen from among the True Transmission Elders.


    Ordinary disciples, ordinary Elders;


    True Disciples, True Transmission Elders, and even Vice Sect Leader and Sect Leader.


    These were two paths of promotion, seemingly similar, but distinctly separate.


    It took Mo Hua quite some time to get his head around the differences between the Inner and Outer Gates, the externally hired Instructors and Inner Sect Instructors, Guest Elders and Inner Sect Elders, ordinary Inner Sect Disciples and True Disciples, and ordinary and True Transmission Elders...


    "Even within a sect, the hierarchy is clear and complex..."


    Mo Hua mused.


    After understanding all these things, Mo Hua now knew what status the senior cultivator who was currently serving as an "Instructor" for his classes held.


    Some important courses, such as cultivation lessons, due to their critical nature, were personally taught by True Transmission Elders of the Inner Gate.


    The one teaching Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation course was named Gongsun, a Feather Transformation Realm True Transmission Elder of Taixu Gate!

 Chapter 801: Chapter s Elder Master Xun (3)

    Occasionally, a Golden Core Instructor was responsible for substitute teaching.


    This Golden Core Stage Instructor was a direct disciple of Elder Gongsun and also a true disciple of the Inner Gate.


    However, other courses focused on Tao Cultivation skills were not so strict.


    For example, the one teaching Refining Rune was an externally hired Golden Core Instructor;


    The one teaching Alchemy was a Guest elder in the Feather Transformation Realm;


    The one teaching Artifact Refining was an ordinary elder of the Inner Gate;


    There were also ones teaching general knowledge of the Cultivation World, history books, and classics, some of whom were externally hired instructors with low cultivation levels but had traveled extensively outside for years, broad in knowledge, old in age, but only at the Golden Core stage.


    Without understanding these, one would never know who, standing in the Tao Teaching Room, was lecturing them, whoever the sacred figure might be.


    Even if one did understand these, it was sometimes hard to recognize them.


    And what Mo Hua could not understand most was the "old Elder" mentioned by Senior Brother Shangguan Xu.


    "The one teaching Formation Method is very old and quirky, extremely strict, cannot tolerate the slightest fault, and absolutely does not allow disciples to be negligent..."


    This old Elder was respectfully called "Elder Master Xun" by the students.


    Elder Master Xun wore the Taixu Gate Taoist Robe, extremely simple, without any embroidered Sword Patterns, and the style was very old, who knew from how many years or generations ago.


    He was old and frail, with a weak aura, seemingly not of high cultivation.


    The only impression left was truly "old."


    His face was full of wrinkles, somewhat hunched, hair and beard all white, with only his eyes shining, stubborn and strict.


    Even stricter than Instructor Yan.


    Elder Master Xun taught Mo Hua Formation principles.


    Mo Hua was extremely serious when attending Elder Master Xun¡¯s classes at first, sitting up very straight.


    But after a few times, he began to slacken off.


    Because he found the introductory Formation classes for the initial stage of Foundation Establishment at Taixu Gate were only teaching First-grade Formation Methods...


    For the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, learning First-grade Formations was considered standard.


    Moreover, some disciples were not good at Formation Methods at all, teaching them First-grade Formations was even considered "overly advanced" for them as they found it very difficult to learn.


    But for Mo Hua, it was very boring...


    He already knew these things by heart.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s voice was hoarse and serious, emphasizing the importance of the basics of Formation Methods:


    "Formation Methods value the fundamentals; without a solid foundation, rashly learning more difficult Formation Methods is nothing but rootless vines climbing aimlessly, lacking one¡¯s own foundation."


    "Any basic array formation must be firmly memorized, drawn hundreds and thousands of times, refining through forging a thousand times to enhance one¡¯s Array Formation Skill..."


    Mo Hua felt this was right, but he had already practiced these...


    At first, Elder Master Xun¡¯s classes still had something new, and his understanding of First-grade Formation Methods was profound, so Mo Hua could still listen.


    But after all, they were only First Grade, using the generic Five Elements Formation as examples.


    Mo Hua understood most of it after listening once or twice, and afterwards, it was just repetitive and dull.


    Mo Hua began to slacken off.


    Unable to do anything else, and without anything to do during class, he could only study on his own.


    While he appeared to be attending the class on the surface, he was actually performing Calculations in his mind and Drawing Second-Grade Formations, occasionally studying ahead for the harder Formation Method courses to see if there was any knowledge he hadn¡¯t learned.


    But Calculation greatly drained one¡¯s Divine Sense.


    That day in class, while Calculating, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t paying attention and nearly exhausted his Divine Sense.


    Since it was during class, he couldn¡¯t meditate to restore his Divine Sense and felt it becoming difficult to focus, his eyelids constantly battling to stay open.


    Mo Hua had to forcibly persist.


    But at that moment, Elder Master Xun¡¯s monotonous and rigid voice echoed by his ear, hypnotic.


    "Formation Methods value the fundamentals, without a solid foundation..."


    Unaware, Mo Hua quietly dozed off, his head drooping low.


    When he opened his eyes, he realized the room was very quiet.


    Even frighteningly quiet.


    Mo Hua raised his head and discovered, as expected, that Elder Master Xun stood before him with a deep frown, clearly restraining his anger.


    Mo Hua felt a little guilty.


    Elder Master Xun also did not rebuke him first, but according to routine said,


    "Go up there and draw the Formation Diagram I was just talking about."


    It was a chance for him.


    If he could draw it correctly, it would be good; if not, he was in big trouble...


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Drawing the Formation would be easy...


    At the front of the Formation Method Room was a Large Array Plate where Elder Master Xun would draw Formation Diagrams while explaining the principles.


    Mo Hua walked respectfully to the Array Plate, picked up the pen, looked up, and suddenly froze.


    He had been a bit nervous just now and forgot to look; now when he looked up, he realized that there were four Formation Diagrams on the Array Plate.


    "Draw the Formation Diagram I was just talking about..."


    Which Formation Diagram was Elder Master Xun just talking about?


    Mo Hua had dozed off; how would he know...


    Holding the pen, Mo Hua was hesitant and indecisive, just standing there stupidly.


    The disciples below also felt tense for him, whispering quietly to each other:


    "Done for..."


    "Elder Master Xun¡¯s class, and he dares to doze off..."


    "He can¡¯t draw, now he¡¯s really in for it..."


    "No good, just watching makes me anxious..." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Disaster, I just lost focus too... Did Elder Master Xun notice me as well? The next one won¡¯t be me, right... Ancestor of the Cheng Family, please protect me, don¡¯t choose me to go up there, I can¡¯t do it either..."


    ...


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    While Mo Hua was still hesitating, he suddenly felt a chill on his back.


    Is this... Elder Master Xun¡¯s Divine Thought?


    Mo Hua was startled, and his heart skipped a beat.


    It¡¯s over, Elder Master Xun is really angry...


    "Forget it, just guess one..."


    With closed eyes, Mo Hua randomly chose the most difficult one, his little hand moved swiftly, the pen flowed like a dragon or snake, and in no time, he¡¯d finished drawing it...


    After he finished, the Tao Teaching Room instantly became quiet...


    The chill on Mo Hua¡¯s back also faded slightly.


    "I guessed right..."


    Mo Hua sighed in relief.


    Suddenly, whispering started again, the disciples murmured softly:


    "Just now..."


    "His little hand moved so fast, I couldn¡¯t see clearly..."


    "He drew it so quickly!"


    "How is he so proficient..."


    "...But, he drew it wrong, didn¡¯t he? It¡¯s not that one..."


    Mo Hua, with his keen Divine Sense, heard everything clearly and complained inside:


    "If it¡¯s not this one, then tell me which one it is!"


    Helpless, Mo Hua glanced at the other three Formation Diagrams, and feeling the chill on his back intensify once more, he knew Elder Master Xun was getting angry again.


    No point in stopping halfway!


    Randomly guessing another, swish swish swish, in a few strokes, he finished drawing it.


    The Tao Teaching Room became even quieter.


    So quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    Before Mo Hua could relax, disciples started whispering again:


    "Even faster..."


    "Is that the hand speed of a Foundation Building Cultivator..."


    "Did he grow up eating Formation Diagrams?"


    "Which Noble Clan¡¯s cultivator is he? His Formation Painting is both fast and excellent, is it the Ming Family? Or the Zheng Family?¡­"


    "Jealous, I wish I could borrow those hands to draw a Formation just once..."


    ...


    "But, the one Elder Master Xun mentioned wasn¡¯t this one either¡­"


    Mo Hua took a deep, silent breath.


    Not this one either?!


    Feeling helpless inside, he started to get a little angry.


    Not this one either!!


    Then I won¡¯t guess anymore, I¡¯ll just draw them all!


    If I draw all four, that should definitely be correct!


    Mo Hua¡¯s little hand waved, creating afterimages with his wrist, his brushwork outlining like the wind, moving like clouds, flowing like water, and within moments, he had completed the other two Formation Diagrams...


    Now the Tao Teaching Room was dead silent.


    The disciples below were all agape, speechless, looking at Mo Hua as if they were seeing a "Small Formation Evil Monster" wrapped in human skin...


    Having finished the four Formation Diagrams, Mo Hua set the brush aside, bowed his head, and stood obediently to the side.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze was murky as he looked at Mo Hua, silent for a long moment, contemplating something, finally his voice stern but with a slight tremble said:


    "Even with some talent, one mustn¡¯t be conceited or complacent, and certainly not slack..."


    "No repeat of this behavior!"


    Despite the stern tone, he said "No repeat of this behavior."


    Mo Hua knew he had dodged a bullet, took a long sigh of relief, and said respectfully:


    "Elder Master¡¯s teaching, the disciple will bear in mind!"


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, "That will be all for today¡¯s lesson, you may leave."


    The other disciples, as if granted a royal pardon, quickly stood up, bowed respectfully, and said: "Disciples taking their leave!" Then they quietly and orderly left the Tao Teaching Room.


    Mo Hua also slipped away with the crowd.


    Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t say anything.


    Not until all the disciples had left did he turn to look at the Array Plate on which Mo Hua, with quick, dragon-and-snake-like strokes, had drawn the four Formation Diagrams, meticulous and precise, befitting of a First-grade Formation.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s murky eyes opened slightly, revealing a glimmer.

 Chapter 802: Yi Wood Gen Mountain

    Elder Master Xun, with his hands clasped behind his back, cast only one glance at the four Array Formations on the Array Plate, and each was dissolved without a trace.


    He then walked out of the Tao Teaching Pavilion and along the jade-stoned main pathway of the Taixu Gate, striding alone towards the back mountain. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Along the way, all the disciples bowed and greeted him:


    "Good day, Elder Master Xun."


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly in response, "Good day."


    Upon reaching the back mountain, all the Inner Sect Elders, even the True Transmission Elders, also bowed and said:


    Find more to read at


    "Good day, Elder Master Xun."


    Elder Master Xun simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment.


    After returning to the Elder¡¯s Residence, Elder Master Xun brewed a cup of tea and instructed someone outside the door, "Go fetch me a portfolio."


    A Taoist Child bowed and said,


    "Yes, Ancestor."


    Afterward, Elder Master Xun sat in his room with a cup of tea and a scroll, reading and frowning in thought.


    The Elder¡¯s Residence was spacious and serene, devoid of anything superfluous.


    There was only a table and a meditation cushion.


    The taste of the tea was bland and unadorned.


    Yet, Elder Master Xun did not mind.


    After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the Taoist Child, holding a portfolio, respectfully handed it to Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun nodded as he took it, his cloudy gaze scanning it briefly.


    "Li State, Second Grade, Loose Cultivator from Tongxian City..."


    "Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root..."


    "To think he¡¯s a Loose Cultivator with a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root..."


    Elder Master Xun felt a slight surprise, then nodded again, "Being open to talents of all sorts shows some progress..."


    Elder Master Xun looked further and noticed the specialty section, which mentioned "Skilled in Formation."


    He pondered for a moment and nodded, "Indeed, not bad..."


    Disciples from Li State, traveling thousands of miles to seek knowledge here¡­


    "Admirable indeed..."


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression was a bit emotional, his gaze concentrating as he pondered something¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was eating at the Disciple¡¯s Residence, surrounded by quite a number of disciples.


    Having joined the school for just over a month, Mo Hua was deemed adorable, spoke pleasantly, and exhibited an innocent charm, thus she was well-liked. She was also quite familiar with her fellow sect disciples from the Taiyi Residence.


    Disciples from Noble Clans, focused purely on cultivation, tended to be rather na?ve.


    Although most were seventeen or eighteen years old, they lacked worldly experience and had not yet reached the stage of "pursuing fame and profit," making them less scheming and more appreciative of the bonds between sect mates.


    A disciple then said to Mo Hua,


    "Mo Hua, be careful."


    "You¡¯re involved in a big deal..."


    "Elder Master Xun is very stingy¡­"


    A disciple nearby made a "shush" gesture, "Do you want to die? How dare you speak ill of Elder Master Xun¡­"


    "I¡¯m saying it here; he can¡¯t hear it anyway."


    "Hard to say¡­"


    "If he hears it¡­ what can he do¡­"


    "Then you¡¯ll truly experience firsthand the ¡¯profound and vast¡¯ nature of Formation..."


    "Right, Elder Master Xun will keep a special eye on you, teaching you those very difficult formations, till your Sea of Consciousness dries up, and you lose all your hair without mastering them¡­"


    "Is that a good thing?!"


    "Of course¡­"


    The disciple stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing that a discordant note had crept into the conversation¡­


    He turned quietly to look at Mo Hua, unsure what to say.


    Mo Hua asked softly, "Will Elder Master Xun teach very difficult formations?"


    The disciple looked bemused, "Mo Hua, why do you seem¡­ so eager?"


    "Nothing, nothing." Mo Hua quickly shook her head.


    "Nonsense, your eyes are shining!"


    "Exactly!"


    "My eyes are naturally like this!" Mo Hua asserted confidently.


    "¡­"


    "However¡­" a disciple voiced doubtfully, "Mo Hua, why are you so good at formations?"


    Mo Hua replied shyly, "Good? It¡¯s just average¡­"


    Some envied, some were jealous, gritting their teeth,


    "Modesty helps one progress, but excessive modesty invites a beating!"


    Mo Hua responded, "I just happen to be a bit better at formations, that¡¯s why I was admitted with a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root¡­"


    "Mid-Lower Grade?!"


    All the present disciples were shocked.


    "You have a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root?!"


    "No wonder, I thought your Spiritual Power was weak¡­"


    "And your Blood Qi is rather inadequate too¡­"


    "Your Taoist Foundation isn¡¯t solid either¡­"


    "And you aren¡¯t very tall¡­"


    Mo Hua became upset, "Enough already¡­"


    Blood Qi, Spiritual Power is one thing, but height too? Is that even something to mention?


    The other disciples hurriedly offered sheepish smiles.


    Someone else puzzledly inquired, "That¡¯s not right, even if you¡¯re great at learning formations, with a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root, you shouldn¡¯t be able to enter the gates, right?"


    "Yeah, my family¡¯s ancestor tried to get a member with a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root into the Taixu Gate by pulling many strings, and still failed¡­"


    "If even Mid-Lower Grade is not acceptable, let alone Mid-Lower Grade¡­"


    "Mid-Lower Grade, entering the Eight Great Gates¡­"


    The group began to look at Mo Hua with strange expressions¡­


    After a while, several distant disciples walked directly over, standing in front of Mo Hua with stern expressions, and bowed,


    "Qian State¡¯s Cheng family, I¡¯m Cheng Mo, let¡¯s be friends!"


    "Li State¡¯s Situ family, my name is Situ Jian, destined to be the foremost great Sword Cultivator in the Nine State, greetings!"


    "Qian State¡¯s Wen family..."


    "Gen State¡­"


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was confused.


    He had thought, with their hostile momentum, they were coming to fight.


    But they were here¡­ to make friends?


    What did that mean?


    If Mo Hua remembered correctly, he mentioned having a "Mid-Lower Grade" Spiritual Root, not a "Top Top-Grade"¡­


    Could it be that within the Taixu Gate, the importance of Spiritual Roots was reversed?


    Was a Mid-Lower Grade better than a Top Top-Grade?


    Mo Hua was perplexed.


    In the distance, disciples whispered among themselves; although their voices were low, they still reached Mo Hua¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 803: Yi Wood Gen Mountain (2)

    "But just a mid-lower grade spiritual root, why would you make connections with him?"


    "What do you know?"


    "If he really is just mid-lower grade, could he have entered the Taixu Gate?"


    "To enter the Taixu Gate isn¡¯t that simple."


    "Exactly."


    "Besides, if he can enter the Eight Great Gates with a mid-lower grade spiritual root, isn¡¯t it that his Taoist foundation must be exceptionally supported, with a very strong backing!"


    "Yes... mid-lower grade indeed..."


    "Such a shallow Taoist foundation..."


    "Just think, being able to be admitted with that..."


    "Then his background, how deep must it be! His backing, how strong must it be!!"


    Upon this realization, all disciples started respecting Mo Hua solemnly.


    "Probably the illegitimate child of some great power, maybe even related to the ancestors of Taixu Gate..."


    "If that were the case, his spiritual root wouldn¡¯t be so poor..."


    "You know nothing, the inheritance of spiritual roots isn¡¯t one hundred percent, there are always variations..."


    "A father and mother with inferior spiritual roots can have a child with a top-grade spiritual root, and a top-grade spiritual root can once in a while produce a mid-lower grade too..."


    "It¡¯s just a very small probability though..."


    "Now that you mention it, mid-lower grade... it could really be possible..."


    "That¡¯s logical..."


    With a complex expression, Mo Hua, speechless, emphasized:


    "I really am just a Loose Cultivator..."


    Hearing this, the disciples paused, then nodded in agreement, "Mm-hmm."


    But their expressions all suggested they saw through him, an unsaid understanding, "We know what¡¯s going on."


    "Don¡¯t worry, we will keep your secret..."


    "We promise not to tell anyone..."


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling helpless.


    Another disciple expressed concern:


    "Mo Hua, though your background¡­ cough..."


    The disciple hinted meaningfully, "Is just a Loose Cultivator..."


    "...but you still shouldn¡¯t offend Elder Master Xun, his credentials are very old, even the Sect Leader might not get face from him..."


    "You¡¯ve just joined the Sect, and your days here are long; if you displease Elder Master Xun and are punished to keep Drawing Formations, your future days will be tough..."


    Grateful, Mo Hua said, "Thank you."


    But in his heart, he wondered, "I wonder if Elder Master Xun will teach me more difficult formations..."


    He currently couldn¡¯t find any "difficult" formations to study.


    His divine sense had also been stagnant at fourteen patterns, with no advancement for a long time...


    Elder Master Xun...


    With a gleam in his eyes, Mo Hua thought:


    "Maybe, tomorrow in class, I should just fall asleep, sleep through it?"


    "See if Elder Master Xun will punish me by having me draw some even more ¡¯difficult¡¯ formations?"


    ...


    The next day, Mo Hua found he didn¡¯t need to sleep anymore.


    Because Elder Master Xun indeed treated him specially...


    During the class, Elder Master Xun distributed a set of Formation Notes to everyone, which covered the Key Points of the First Grade Nine-pattern Synthesis Gold Formation, including a Formation Diagram.


    Only Mo Hua did not have one in front of him.


    Elder Master Xun handed another set of notes to Mo Hua, saying firmly:


    "To learn formations, you must be solid, the foundation is the most important."


    "The better the talent, the more important the foundation."


    "Study this one..."


    The other disciples looked at Mo Hua with sympathy. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, expression serious, couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly thrilled.


    "There is a formation to study!"


    He quickly opened the notes, finding inside a drawing of a Gold and Fire Series¡¯ First Grade Five Elements Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua had not seen this Compound Formation before, but its structure was not complicated, being a Five Elements Formation that could be easily understood at a glance.


    It indeed was harder.


    But only a bit harder...


    The level of difficulty was something like getting stuck between teeth.


    A bit disappointed, Mo Hua still seriously read through the notes once, sorting and recording some knowledge points he had not learned before, and then started drawing the formation.


    Elder Master Xun lectured above, and he drew below.


    By the time Elder Master Xun had finished lecturing and the other disciples started brainstorming and drawing the formations, Mo Hua had already finished drawing, sitting back relaxed, watching the others furrow their brows in deep thought...


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    But he stayed solemn and said nothing.


    In the next class, while the other disciples still studied the First Grade Five Elements Series Formation, Mo Hua is given a slightly harder one, this time the Three-series Five Elements Compound Formation.


    But it¡¯s still only First Grade.


    Mo Hua, as usua, finished drawing very quickly...


    And thereafter, each time it got slightly harder, but each increase wasn¡¯t much...


    ...


    After four or five incremental difficulties...


    Finally, Mo Hua encountered unfamiliar formation patterns.


    This was linked to the Five Elements but varied slightly from the Five Elements Formation System:


    The Eight Trigrams Formation!


    The Five Elements are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    The Eight Trigrams are Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Dui representing the heavens, earth, water, fire, mountains, thunder, marsh, and wind respectively.


    The Eight Trigrams Formation overlaps partially with the Five Elements but involves broader and more complex legal principles of the Great Dao than the Five Elements.


    Moreover, the Eight Trigrams Formation includes the principles of Yin and Yang, and the Six Yao, though not directly harnessing the power of Yin and Yang, or the Six Yao, but it uses these as a framework, deriving different formation logics on the base of the Five Elements.


    Compared to each other, the Five_ELEMENT... Read exclusive content at

 Chapter 804: Yi Wood Gen Mountain (3)

    Alas, the "Introduction to Formation Methods," after all, was meant for beginners, and the content was still too simple.


    Mo Hua could not learn anything deeper; the book only had some basic principles of the Eight Trigrams and did not include complete Formation Patterns of the Eight Trigrams, let alone a fully formed Bagua Formation Method.


    Mo Hua wanted to learn but had no way to learn.


    But now, the "food" had been served right to his mouth!


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s handouts contained a Five Elements Bagua Series Compound Formation, which integrated the Five Elements and included the Eight Trigrams.


    This kind of Compound Formation was also one that Mo Hua had never seen before; it combined two different categories of formations.


    One was the Five Elements Formation: Yimu Formation.


    The other was the Bagua Formation Method: Gen Mountain Formation.


    Therefore, the full name of this Compound Formation was the Yimu Genshan Compound Formation.


    Within the Compound Formation, there were also some other simpler small formations and scattered Patterns; these were not critical.


    Mo Hua guessed from experience that this Yimu Genshan Compound Formation was used on mountains, for cultivating "wood" type Spiritual Objects such as spirit trees, Spirit Plants, and Spirit Grass.


    Using Gen to solidify the mountain, using wood to nurture things.


    As for the Bagua class¡¯ Formation Patterns, Mo Hua had not yet studied them, so if he wanted to learn this Compound Formation, he had to start from scratch with the Eight Trigrams "Gen" Pattern.


    New formations, new patterns!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he immediately began to study enthusiastically.


    Elder Master Xun was lecturing on the stage, his peripheral vision caught sight of Mo Hua; he saw his serious little face diligently studying the handouts and nodded slightly in approval.


    But then, Elder Master Xun was taken aback.


    He found that Mo Hua seemed to be starting to learn the Compound Formation from the "Gen" series Patterns...


    Elder Master Xun was slightly astonished.


    "Hasn¡¯t studied the Bagua Formation Method?"


    "Impossible..."


    "Even if he hasn¡¯t studied it, he shouldn¡¯t need to start from the Patterns..."


    Elder Master Xun frowned.


    "Who taught him Formation Methods, and how can he be so ¡¯biased¡¯ in learning them?"


    Mastering the First Grade Five Elements Formations to perfection.


    Besides that, he estimated the foundations of other formation categories to be very superficial...


    If he hasn¡¯t even studied the Eight Trigrams Patterns, there¡¯s no need to mention those even rarer Three Talents, Four Symbols, Six Yao, Seven Stars categories of formations...


    Elder Master Xun shook his head with a hint of regret.


    A promising talent, but a pity that his foundation was too weak and his horizons too narrow.


    It seemed that whoever taught the child formations was planning to have him learn profound things, and so they force-fed him the Five Elements Formation Methods, making his learning somewhat uneven...


    Feeling a sense of regret, Elder Master Xun said nothing.


    He continued teaching as usual, and Mo Hua taught himself formations, which he left unbothered.


    Until the end of the session, the other disciples had handed in the "homework" from the handouts.


    Mo Hua remained still, continuing his study and attempting to draw the Yimu Genshan Compound Formation.


    Elder Master Xun did not reprimand him but waited patiently.


    The other disciples finished submitting their "homework" and looked sympathetically at Mo Hua, who was being "troubled" by Elder Master Xun and still writing furiously; they all sighed.


    But there was nothing they could do, so they left in silence.


    In the Tao Teaching Room, only Elder Master Xun and Mo Hua remained.


    Elder Master Xun watched Mo Hua with a touch of pity.


    But after the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Mo Hua suddenly stopped writing, took a long breath, and then respectfully presented a piece of Formation Paper to Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun was startled.


    What was this child submitting?


    If the drawing isn¡¯t finished, continue to draw it; if it¡¯s really not doable, take it home to study and practice; submit it when it¡¯s done well.


    What could he have submitted now? Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A scrambled, incomplete draft of a formation?


    Elder Master Xun felt a trace of annoyance, took the Formation Paper, and looked at it, his eyes suddenly twitching.


    The Yimu Genshan Compound Formation...


    This was a neat, perfect, and error-free Yimu Genshan Compound Formation!


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze narrowed.


    "This child... he drew it out?!"


    Starting from patterns, in less than two hours, he drew a Compound Formation containing the Bagua Series Formation Method that he had never encountered before...


    Did he learn and draw it on the spot?


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s hand trembled slightly, his gaze at Mo Hua complicated and difficult to interpret.


    "You..."


    Elder Master Xun paused for a moment before slowly saying, "Have you studied the Bagua Formation Method?"


    Mo Hua shook his head honestly, "No, disciple only knows the Five Elements Formation..."


    I also know some Ultimate Formations, which are not within the scope of the Five Elements, but it is not convenient to mention these...


    Elder Master Xun was silent for a long time before slowly nodding, "I understand, you may go now..." Read new chapters at


    Mo Hua respectfully saluted:


    "Elder Master, your disciple bids farewell..."


    After speaking, Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, then his mood lightened with the pleasure of having learned a new formation, and his steps became a bit brisk as he lifted his little head and left the Tao Teaching Room.


    Within the Tao Teaching Room.


    Elder Master Xun stood silently, looking at the Yimu Genshan Compound Formation that Mo Hua had drawn, his mood unsettled for a long time.


    After a long while, he sighed softly, murmuring thoughtfully:


    "It seems... I need to change the teaching method..."


    "I want to see... just how fast this child can learn..."

 Chapter 805: Laying the Foundation

    Chapter 805: Chapter 593 Laying the Foundation


    Elder Master Xun began the Formation class by saying,


    "Today, we will not study Formations, I will first teach you something more fundamental.¡±


    Mo Hua appeared slightly startled.


    The other disciples exchanged glances.


    As noble family descendants with diverse Tao Cultivation heritages, they had been exposed to these teachings from a young age. Although not experts, they were still familiar with some basic Formation knowledge.


    What else fundamental could be taught?


    ...


    Elder Master Xun surveyed the room with a stern voice,


    "I know that you all come from noble clans with exceptional heritage and are mostly aware of various Tao Cultivation professions


    "But Formations are different; the basics you know are merely superficial, not even the tip of the iceberg, just one or two bricks on top of the foundation.¡±


    "If you seek to reach higher in the world of Formations, your foundation is still far from sufficient.¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s glance briefly met Mo Hua¡¯s as he continued, ¡°Today, I will speak to you about all the sources and streams of Formations under the heavens


    The disciples sat up straight.


    Mo Hua also sat upright, listening intently.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s murky eyes gleamed as he slowly said,


    "The path of Formations is vast and profound.¡±


    "There are many Formations in the world, from Ancient Formations handed down through the ages to modified Formations that have gradually evolved, and even new Formations innovated by later generations atop the efforts of their predecessors


    "Not only are the categories of Formations complex and numerous, but the types of Formation Patterns are also diverse


    "Even within the same Formation, there can be different variants.¡±


    "Between different traditions, even the same Formation¡ªfrom the Formation Patterns to the Formation Pivot, right down to the construction of the Formation Eye¡ªwill have slight discrepancies.¡±


    "Even the simplest First Grade Bright Fire Formation, which contains only three Formation Patterns, has no less than eighteen different depictions in the records of various Formation schools


    "This is the first point I want to make to you


    "There are no fixed rules in the Tao, no fixed form in Formations!¡±


    "What you learn are basic Formation Formations defined and broadened by the Taoist Court¡¯s assessment.¡±


    "The Taoist Court¡¯s assessment and standard setting are based on the most common, most frequently used Formation formats to define the type and grade of a Formation. This is to standardize them, to make them easier to learn, use, and popularize


    "For assessment purposes, you must learn this ¡®uniform¡¯, ¡®standardized¡¯ style of Formation.¡±


    "Even because of the stringent assessment, the efforts and hard work expended are so great that you will spend your lives within these ¡®standardized¡¯ Formation Formations, exhausting your intellect


    "You will consider them the standard


    "But


    Elder Master Xun paused, his gaze suddenly sharp, ¡°You must understand that this is not the essence of Formations, not the original appearance of Formations


    "Mistakes abound, Formation Patterns are complex, Formation principles are chaotic, and contradictions abound. This is the real, original state of Formations


    "This reflects the recognition of the universe from different eras, different state boundaries, different Realms, different Cultivators, their insight into Formations, and the manifestation of the Great Dao


    "Mistakes are the norm.¡±


    "Complexity is correct.¡±


    "The myriad things in the human world are just this complex


    "Formations are inherently chaotic, obscure, and difficult to understand, manifesting the myriad paths of the Great Dao


    "If one seeks the true Great Dao, studying just the standardized Formations of the Taoist Court is not sufficient.¡±


    "Those Formations have been ¡®artificially¡¯ modified, ¡®artificially¡¯ normalized, represent an artificial ¡®correctness,¡¯ not the true form of Formations, nor the essence of the Great Dao


    "Everything is bizarre and wonderful; Formations are as vast as the universe, encompassing myriad forms.¡±


    "A truly top-level Formation Master must transcend standardized formats and see and experience for themselves.¡±


    "Eliminate the coarse to preserve the essence, discard the false to retain the truth, observe the traces of the Great Dao amongst the numerous and complex Formation Patterns, and comprehend the flow of the Great Dao from the endless variations of Formations


    "Thus, to comprehend the most real, most fundamental Formations, to develop their own Formation principles, to walk their own path of proving the Dao!¡±


    "This is the foundation of Formation principles!¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s words resonated powerfully.


    The disciples seemed perplexed yet intrigued.


    Mo Hua, however, appeared profoundly moved.


    Similar words had been spoken by his master as well.


    Yet, his master¡¯s words differed slightly and stressed different points from Elder Master Xun¡¯s¡­


    His master encouraged him to find his own path and develop his own ¡°Formation Flow.¡±


    Elder Master Xun urged broader observation, free from frameworks, to establish a foundation from the most extensive range of Formations.


    Both seemed to aim for the same goal through different paths.


    The specifics were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s current understanding.


    But from these words, Mo Hua could feel that Elder Master Xun¡¯s Array Formation Skill was extraordinarily profound!


    "The Tao has no fixed rules, Formations have no fixed forms


    Capture the essence, discard the form¡­


    Use the Formation as a raft; the other shore is the Dao, abandon the raft once crossed, attain the Dao, and see Formations as formless.


    Mo Hua silently nodded his head.


    Elder Master Xun glanced at Mo Hua and nodded slightly before continuing,


    "The world of Formations is full of varied categories.¡±


    "Next, I will tell you about the various categories of Formations in this world


    "Some you may already know, but for others, even if you are aware of them or have heard about them, you might not have a clear understanding


    "So, listen carefully to the following, and make sure to remember it well


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s glance lingered on Mo Hua. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, understanding the implications.


    Elder Master Xun silently nodded, thinking ¡°Quite clever¡­,¡± and then continued with a solemn voice:

 Chapter 806: Foundation Laying (2)

    Chapter 806: Chapter 593 Foundation Laying_2


    "In this world, everything is diverse, and the Great Dao contained within each thing is complex, varied, and ever-changing


    "These Daos manifest as Formation Patterns and are classified into Formation systems, giving rise to many entirely different Formation Systems


    "Chaos, Eryi, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars


    "These are eight categories, deeply rooted and long inherited, with clear contexts and evident Formation principles


    "I will explain them one by one


    ¡­


    ...


    "Chaos Eryi, these two types of Formations are Ancient Formations, initially derived from the Dao of Heaven and Earth by Ancient Cultivators.¡±


    "These Formations are quite ancient; their structures are simple, yet they contain extremely complex Formation principles, aligning with the Dao that is simplest yet deepest.¡±


    "Because of their simple form, being even crude, they are obscure, and current Cultivators find it difficult to comprehend.¡±


    "The simpler their form, the more Divine Sense they consume during comprehension, and despite the painstaking contemplation, one might not grasp anything


    "Because of this obscurity, they are hard to learn, harder to solve, even harder to pass on; thus, Chaos Eryi-type Formations have gradually been lost.¡±


    "The existing Formations are just a little, cherished and studied by the Taoist Courts or Noble Clans, but it¡¯s hard to systematically learn them


    ¡­


    "Three Talents Formation


    "Some disciples, when they first study Formation, might have learned ¡®Three Talents Formation,¡¯ but that is only for enlightenment, quite rudimentary, not even scratching the surface.¡±


    "In other words, it¡¯s a kind of basic Formation enlightenment ¡®fixed pattern¡¯ of the Taoist Court


    "The true Three Talents Formation involves ¡®Heaven,¡¯ ¡®Earth,¡¯ and ¡®Humanity,¡¯ with a vast layout and wide derivations.¡±


    "But your experiences are limited, at your young age, you might not realize the boundlessness of Qian Dao, the deep virtue of Kun Dao, and the unpredictability of Human Dao


    "Not to mention the unification of Three Talents.¡±


    "From this, you should understand that Heaven, Earth, and Humanity Three Talents are not something ordinary Cultivators can consider; this is the knowledge that controls the world under the Taoist Court


    "Therefore, the core inheritance of the Three Talents Formation is strictly held by the Taoist Court and is not taught externally.¡±


    "Unless in the future you enter the Taoist Court or Taoist State, and get in touch with the high ranks of the Taoist Court, otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to learn the true essence of the Three Talents Formation


    ¡­


    "Four Symbols Formation


    "Quite special, it is an inherited Formation method among the Savage tribe cultivators in the lands south of the Nine State.¡±


    "This type of Formation is related to some Monster Beasts with special bloodlines.¡±


    "Their Formation Patterns also resemble Beast Patterns.¡±


    "Beast-like, close to Monster. Before one deeply and thoroughly learns the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formation, it¡¯s better not to learn the Four Symbols, as it can easily skew one¡¯s nature and lose humanity


    ¡­


    "Five Elements Formation, no need to say much.¡±


    "Five Elements is the most common and most applicable type of Formation in the Cultivation World.¡±


    "In ancient times, there were origins of the Five Elements Formation, but initially, they were of humble origins. As generations of Cultivators researched and developed, nowadays, there is such a large scale and so many varieties of the Five Elements Formation.¡±


    "The greatest contribution to the development of the Five Elements Formation was by the once Five Elements Sect.¡±


    "Unfortunately, the sudden decline of the Five Elements Sect left only a few remnants secluded away, unambitious, living out their days lackluster, hardly as glorious as before


    "Even though the Five Elements Sect declined almost to obscurity, the Five Elements Formation has spread widely across the Nine State, broadly used in various Tao Cultivation disciplines


    "It¡¯s just that some core inheritances are probably extinct


    Elder Master Xun felt some regret.


    Mo Hua blinked his eyes, pretending he knew nothing.


    The secret of the Five Elements Sect, that ¡°Five Elements Source Pattern,¡± is now on his body.


    He had also learned the Five Elements Ultimate Formation.


    But he definitely couldn¡¯t say it out loud.


    "Make a fortune in silence


    Mo Hua silently admonished himself.


    After expressing regret, Elder Master Xun continued:


    "Six Harmonies Formations


    "This Formation system is somewhat special; it can be simply divided into two types, one focuses on metaphysics, emphasizing Yin and Yang Mutual Agreement, connecting the Heavenly Stems; the other type is the Six Yao Formation, Three Yin and Three Yang, mutually generating Hexagrams


    "Six Harmonies Formations are somewhat of a Cold subject, especially the Six Yao, which if mistakenly handled, it¡¯s very easy to lose one¡¯s composure, and be seeded with Demon Thought by an unknown Heavenly Demon Evil God, thus falling into the Demon Path.¡±


    "Lightly, don¡¯t study Six Harmonies Formations


    ¡­


    "Next is Seven Stars Formation


    "Seven Stars Formation bases on the structure of Big Dipper Heaven Shu, Tianxuan, Heavenly secret, Tianquan, Yuhen, Kaiyang, Yaoguang seven stars, refining the stellar patterns, thus constructing the Formation.¡±


    "The Taoist Court Seven Pavilions is named after the Big Dipper seven stars.¡±


    "Hence, the orthodox inheritance of the Seven Stars Formation is held within the central Seven Pavilions of the Taoist Court and the coexistent Heavenly Observatory.¡±


    "This type of Formation, by perceiving celestial phenomena and Calculating heavenly secrets, mastered deeply, can control the power of the stars


    "But like the Three Talents Formation, this kind belongs to the secret Formations of the Taoist Court. You are unlikely to have a chance to learn them in this lifetime, and even if you do learn, you probably won¡¯t master it


    "Moreover, the Seven Stars Formation, involving celestial phenomena and Calculation, is extremely profound, which is fundamentally not something ordinary Cultivators, let alone ordinary Formation Masters, can comprehend.¡±


    "Of course, there¡¯s no need to worry. Although the Seven Stars Formation is important, it is also niche; ordinary Formation Masters can¡¯t learn it, so it¡¯s also not within the scope of Formation Master Grading.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    "Lastly, is the Eight Trigrams Array.¡±


    "Five Elements and Eight Trigrams are particularly important, widely applicable, effective, and powerful, and are the necessary two types of Formations tested in Formation.ASCII: Master Grading.¡±

 Chapter 807: Foundation Laying (3)

    Chapter 807: Chapter 593 Foundation Laying_3


    "The Eight Trigrams Array is based on the Five Elements Formation, but it encompasses more broadly, includes more extensively, and the Formation principle is somewhat deeper, yet if mastered well, it is enough to be of use for a lifetime.¡±


    "The Bagua Formation Method will also be the main spell point of Formation you will learn next.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Specific details, I will not elaborate on just now. Later, when I pass on the Formation, I will teach you bit by bit


    ¡­


    "Besides these eight types, there are also some special spell points of Formation such as the ¡®Three Talents¡¯ Formation, which shares the same origin with the Seven Stars, and the ¡®Nine Netherworld¡¯ Formation, which shares the same style with the Six Yao


    "These Formations are more obscure and are secret treasures. You do not know where exactly they are hidden. Whether they belong to a Tao Cultivation family of a Sect, a lost Taoist court, or some rarely visited forbidden land


    ...


    ¡­


    "The above are the spell points of Formation in this world that are known as ¡®Visible Learning.''¡±


    "I tell you this to broaden your horizons, to increase your knowledge, not to make you aim too high and miss the mark.¡±


    "Food must be eaten one bite at a time, and Formations must also be learned one Formation at a time.¡±


    "The Three Talents and Four Symbols, the Six Harmonies Seven Stars, including some Cold subjects of Formations, you won¡¯t be able to learn for the time being, nor do you need to spend too much thought on them.¡±


    "The pressing matter is to learn the most fundamental and also the most practical Five Elements Bagua Formation.¡±


    "But


    Elder Master Xun changed the subject and continued,


    "Among all spell points of Formation, the most fundamental Formation Patterns, you must become familiar with.¡±


    "This is the foundation, and at the same time, it is to enable you in the future to encounter unfamiliar Formations and, even if you do not know the details, be able to discern the type of Formation through the Formation Patterns. Thus, you can adapt to the situation, avoiding confusion and helplessness


    "All the most basic Formation Patterns of the spell points of Formation, I have compiled a copy here. Of course, it is just the Patterns, they do not constitute a Formation.¡±


    Elder Master Xun distributed a thick set of lecture notes, one to each person.


    Including Mo Hua.


    On the title page of the lecture notes was written ¡°Annotations on Formation Patterns of Taixu Gate.¡±


    Mo Hua flipped open the lecture notes, and he saw many Formation lines that he had never learned or even seen before.


    Their forms varied, infinitely mysterious.


    Although they were just Formation Patterns, they were the incredibly vast foundation of myriad Formation methods.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart thumped violently, spontaneously lifting his head to look at Elder Master Xun, his eyes shimmering so brightly that they were almost blinding.


    Elder Master Xun was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself,


    "Can he really be this happy, this child


    After distributing the lecture notes on Formation Patterns, encompassing eight types of Formations, Elder Master Xun then said,


    "Starting from today, all the Formation Patterns in this ¡®Annotations¡¯ book, you will have to learn and practice with them


    "Grains of sand can build a tower, streams can form a sea.¡±


    "All the Formations in the world are composed of the most basic Formation Patterns.¡±


    "Only by mastering the Patterns can you draw the Formations well


    "I will periodically check how many Formation Patterns you have learned


    "If you are lazy, there will be punishment


    The disciples looked gloomy and distressed.


    But Mo Hua, looking at the lecture notes in his hands, was blooming with joy.


    "Annotations on Formation Patterns of Taixu Gate¡±!


    The Formation Patterns of myriad Formations compiled by generations of Taixu Gate!


    For a Formation Master, this counts as the most fundamental, the most comprehensive, but also the most important legacy.


    Although it was just First Grade, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    Even the most advanced Formations must start with learning the First Grade.


    Mo Hua treasured it like a priceless gem, reluctant to put it down. Every day thereafter, whenever he had a moment of free time, he would hold and study it.


    When no one was paying attention, he would practice various Formation Patterns on his own.


    During meals, he would trace them with his fingers on the table; passing through fields between mountains, he would draw on the ground;


    Before going to sleep, he would draw on paper, and after going to sleep, his Divine Sense would sink into his Sea of Consciousness and continue drawing on the Taoist Stele¡­


    Because they were just First Grade Formation Patterns, they were simple and effortless to sketch.


    After drawing on the Taoist Stele, he could reflect on his Divine Sense.


    Thus, in a single night, Mo Hua could practice thousands upon thousands of Formation Patterns.


    He remembered Elder Master Xun¡¯s guidance that Formation Patterns are the foundation, and the foundation must be solid.


    So even though he had already thoroughly memorized these Patterns, he continued to draw them over and over again¡­


    Mo Hua wanted to remember every type of Formation, every Formation Pattern, firmly embed them in his Sea of Consciousness without any deviation.


    Even integrate them into his instincts.


    No matter how complex, how obscure, or how easily confused the Formation Patterns were, as long as he glanced at them, without a second thought, he could distinguish the category of Formation to which the Patterns belonged.


    The more Mo Hua practiced, the more proficient he became, and even as he grew proficient, he still pushed himself to practice more¡­


    After much practice, he would occasionally get the illusion of ¡°man and Formation as one.¡±


    It was as if these Formation Patterns were not something external, unfamiliar, objective, but rather a part of his own Divine Thought, traces left by his Divine Sense merging with the Great Dao.


    This feeling was profoundly mysterious.


    Mo Hua was somewhat unable to comprehend it and consequently decided not to worry about it, continuing to bury his head and practice over and over.


    The Eight Gates Formation, thousands upon thousands of Formation Patterns, under his pen, repeatedly shaped into existence.


    And in his Sea of Consciousness, they repeatedly emerged.


    What Mo Hua did not know was that, in doing this unconsciously, he was truly beginning to lay the foundation for the ultimate mastery of the heavens¡¯ Formation Methods and the myriad Divine Skills¡­

 Chapter 808: Second Grade

    Chapter 808: Chapter 594 Second Grade


    Mo Hua, day and night, proficiently mastered the Formation Patterns of Chaos Eryi, Three Talents, Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, and Six Harmonies Seven Stars.


    The Five Elements Formation Patterns were already very familiar to Mo Hua.


    He was only a little familiar with the Eight Trigrams.


    The Three Talents and the Four Symbols, and the Six Harmonies Seven Stars, were new to Mo Hua, and they appeared quite foreign to him.


    Chaos Eryi was part of an Ancient Formation; the Formation Patterns were somewhat fragmented and not very coherent, making them even harder for Mo Hua to understand.


    But no matter whether he was familiar or not, or whether he could understand the Patterns, even if he was just memorizing mechanically, Mo Hua firmly remembered them all.


    ...


    Within half a month, he became very proficient.


    However, Elder Master Xun did not test him.


    It wasn¡¯t until a month later, after Mo Hua had thoroughly practiced, that Elder Master Xun deemed it time to conduct a spot check.


    "Draw all the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams from the ¡®Annotations on Formation Patterns of Taixu Gate¡¯, and for the Three Talents and Four Symbols, Six Harmonies Seven Stars, just draw two Formation Patterns for each category... ¡±


    Elder Master Xun instructed.


    Then he glanced at Mo Hua, slightly lifting his long eyebrows as if to say, ¡°Just draw randomly...¡±


    Mo Hua immediately nodded, indicating he understood.


    So he drew all the Formation Patterns of Chaos Eryi, Three Talents and Four Symbols, Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, and Six Harmonies and Seven Stars.


    Because there were too many Patterns to draw all of them within two hours, while the other disciples had ¡°submitted their papers¡± and left, Mo Hua was still drawing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was focused as he drew with rapid strokes, appearing confident and non-stop drawing Formation Patterns; the Formations Paper before him piled up increasingly higher...


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyelids couldn¡¯t help but twitch as disbelief crossed his mind:


    "This child... how much has he learned...¡±


    Could he actually have learned everything within a month...


    After a long time, when Mo Hua stood up and respectfully placed a thick stack of Formation Papers almost as thick as lecture notes before Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun finally came back to his senses.


    He pondered briefly, then with a sweep of his hand, he flipped through the thick Formation Papers, his profound Divine Sense subtly moving to capture all the Formation Patterns in a glance, and he couldn¡¯t help but inhale sharply.


    A complete lecture¡¯s worth of Formation Patterns, so meticulously drawn¡­


    And the handwriting was precise and neat, the strokes proficient with not a single correction or error, as precise as if they were printed.


    One had to practice countless times for the brushwork to be so solid...


    Elder Master Xun was stunned on the spot, speechless for a long while.


    "Elder Master Xun?¡±


    A crisp voice rang out.


    Elder Master Xun looked up to see Mo Hua¡¯s bright eyes and after a long while, he sighed softly and nodded, saying,


    "You¡¯ve learned well.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face brightened with a smile as he politely said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Master Xun, for your guidance.¡±


    Elder Master Xun, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s happy and composed expression, thought silently:


    "Am I teaching too slowly...¡±


    ¡­


    Thus, in the next lesson on Formation Methods, to ¡®challenge¡¯ Mo Hua a bit, Elder Master Xun finally began to teach Second-Grade Formations.


    "Second-Grade Formations differ from First Grade. The Formation Patterns that compose Second-Grade Formations are based on and more complex than those of First Grade, and their power is also stronger... ¡±


    "Second-Grade Formation Patterns are, to some extent, a grounding and ¡®Sublimation¡¯ of First-Grade Patterns; inversely, First-Grade Patterns are actually derived by breaking down the more complex Second-Grade Patterns... ¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun explained sternly and meticulously.


    Other disciples furrowed their brows, finding it somewhat tough to follow.


    Some were even confused.


    Elder Master Xun, known for his ¡°steady¡± teaching style, always emphasized ¡°systematic and gradual progress


    Why did he suddenly start teaching Second-Grade Formations¡­


    Only Mo Hua listened with great interest.


    He already knew how to draw Second-Grade Formations and had grasped some of the Formation principles. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some of the Formation lore Elder Master Xun talked about was already known to him, but other principles of the Formation Method were new to him, so he greatly benefited from the lecture.


    After Elder Master Xun finished, he distributed a Formation Diagram.


    It was a diagram of a Second-Grade Ten Patterns Golden Light Formation.


    "Study it on your own, comprehend as much as you can, then try to draw it a bit, and during our next class


    Elder Master Xun intended to say, ¡°Hand it in during our next class.¡±


    But he paused midway, suddenly startled, and saw Mo Hua looking at him expectantly¡­


    Elder Master Xun pondered, understood Mo Hua¡¯s expectations, hesitated for a moment, then, with a complex expression, changed his words:


    "Before the class ends, hand it in first so I can take a look... ¡±


    Then he added, ¡°Draw as much as you can, no need to force it... ¡±


    A group of disciples looked distressed.


    Mo Hua, however, was drawing swiftly and confidently.


    At the end of the class, Mo Hua handed in a complete, Second-Grade Ten Patterns ¡®Golden Light Formation¡¯ to Elder Master Xun.


    Though he had anticipated it, seeing the reportedly newly learned but already proficient Second-Grade Ten Patterns Formation, Elder Master Xun¡¯s heart still trembled slightly.


    Then he understood.


    "So that¡¯s it


    "At such a young age, he can already draw Second-Grade Formations¡­ No wonder


    A sharp gleam appeared in Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyes.


    "It seems, we can go even faster


    ¡­


    Two days later, Mo Hua went to the Formation class full of anticipation. As soon as he entered, he saw Elder Master Xun waving him over.


    Mo Hua was slightly puzzled.


    Elder Master Xun pointed at a small table next to him and said, ¡°From now on, you will sit here.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and then whispered, ¡°Gentleman, is this appropriate?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Very appropriate!¡±


    Mo Hua took his seat somewhat nervously at the small table, placed near Elder Master Xun, which would be exclusively his from now on.

 Chapter 809: Second Grade (2)

    Chapter 809: Chapter 594 Second Grade_2


    Right under the watchful eyes of Elder Master Xun.


    The other disciples looked at Mo Hua with sympathy and pity in their eyes.


    "Mo Hua is so pitiful


    "He¡¯s caught the attention of Elder Master Xun


    "He¡¯s in big trouble now


    "Just the thought of having to stay under the teacher¡¯s watchful eye in class every day sends chills down my spine


    ...


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s ears twitched slightly, and his gaze turned sharp as he called out a few names, ¡°Cheng Mo¡­ Situ Jian, Wen Xuan


    If you wish, you can also sit next to Mo Hua.¡±


    Cheng Mo and the other disciples shuddered, immediately shut their mouths, buried their heads in their desks, and stayed perfectly still, pretending to be turtles.


    Elder Master Xun let out a slight snort.


    Then class began.


    Mo Hua discovered that the handout he held was different from those of the other disciples.


    The other disciples were still primarily focusing on First Grade, progressing step by step, to comprehend Second-Grade Formations.


    However, in front of Mo Hua was a genuine Second-grade Eleven Patterns Bagua Formation Method.


    This handout was very detailed.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s lecture was mainly directed at the other disciples.


    But occasionally he would touch on Second-Grade Formations and succinctly explain the essence of these formational principles to Mo Hua.


    This way, he could take care of both the ordinary disciples and the excessively ¡°off-syllabus¡± student Mo Hua¡¯s education.


    Mo Hua was touched and began to admire Elder Master Xun. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The subsequent lessons were taught in the same manner.


    The others studied First Grade.


    Mo Hua studied Second Grade.


    Starting from Eleven Stripes, he covered both the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams types of Second-Grade Formations. Elder Master Xun methodically and steadily allowed Mo Hua to solidly learn each formation.


    With such a rare opportunity, Mo Hua studied earnestly right beside Elder Master Xun, working conscientiously on Second-Grade Formations beyond the Eleven Patterns.


    Elder Master Xun, who had been keeping an eye on Mo Hua, became increasingly astonished by what he saw.


    Too fast¡­


    Elder Master Xun knew that Mo Hua had not learned Bagua Formation Method before, so his focus was primarily on the Bagua type of Second-Grade Formation.


    Yet these formations, which Mo Hua had obviously never seen or learned before, seemed to make sense to him after just a few glances.


    After drawing them a few times, his strokes began to show pattern and form.


    If he spent one night on them, his technique would turn to be very skillful by the next day.


    And after a while, it even seemed ¡®Forged a Thousand Times¡¯, ¡®Mastering the Craft


    As for the Five Elements Formation, it was even more astounding.


    Elder Master Xun knew that among the Eight Types of Formations, Mo Hua had learned and was proficient only in the Five Elements Formation.


    But ¡°proficient wasn¡¯t quite like this¡­


    For the unlearned Bagua Formations, Mo Hua at least had to frown and ponder for a bit before drawing something decent.


    Yet for those unlearned Second-grade Eleven Patterns in Five Elements Formation, he almost only had to glance once, and seemingly had a framework in his mind immediately, his strokes were accurate and well-formed¡­


    This was proficiency gained through practice.


    Because he had drawn a large number of First-grade Five Elements Formations, he had come to deeply understand the Five Elements Formation principles, building an exceptionally firm foundation, which greatly accelerated his progress in learning Second-Grade Five Elements Formations.


    But how many of these ¡°large number of First-grade Five Elements Formations¡± could there be?


    How many could a fifteen-year-old Cultivator draw?


    How deeply could they comprehend?


    Even a Formation Master who had primarily constructed a Five Elements Formation might only have about this level of understanding¡­


    This kid couldn¡¯t possibly have built a Five Elements Formation, right?


    Elder Master Xun pondered with a frown.


    What puzzled Elder Master Xun the most was Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    For a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was exceedingly profound, seemingly very resilient¡­and even had a sort of¡­everlasting quality¡­


    When deploying formations, it seemed inexhaustible¡­


    This was completely illogical.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense seemed hazy, as if obscured by something¡­


    Elder Master Xun was very curious, and for the first time in a long while, he felt compelled to break the norm and forcefully probe into the depths of this child¡­


    But he ultimately restrained himself.


    That was the rule of the Sect, also a boundary.


    Elder Master Xun struggled with himself for a while but then let it go.


    In this world, there are always some Cultivators with exceptional talent or deep fortune, or even exceptional intelligence. As long as they are devoted to the path, pure of heart, and avoid the wrong path, it¡¯s fine.


    Elder Master Xun glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s clear eyes, full of eagerness to learn, and he silently nodded his head.


    Elder Master Xun then let Mo Hua learn on his own.


    Mo Hua, with single-minded focus, studied various Second-Grade Five Elements and Bagua Formations one after another.


    His foundational knowledge in formations became increasingly robust.


    The Second-Grade Formations he mastered grew in number¡­


    There was something Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t say.


    These formations originally required Sect contributions to exchange.


    But Elder Master Xun wanted to see just how fast Mo Hua could learn. Moreover, to him, a few Second-Grade Formations were a trivial matter, so he didn¡¯t mention this to Mo Hua.


    As Mo Hua learned more and more, at a faster pace, the difficulty of the formations he studied increased gradually from Eleven Stripes to Shi¡¯er Stripes¡­


    Finally, Mo Hua had learned all the common Five Elements and Bagua types of Shi¡¯er Stripes.


    Next was¡­Thirteen Stripes.


    "Thirteen Stripes


    Elder Master Xun was somewhat dazed.


    So fast¡­


    This¡­was already the threshold of a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master¡­


    This was already the limit for a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense and Formation knowledge¡­


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze towards Mo Hua completely changed.


    He realized he had still underestimated this youngster¡­


    Elder Master Xun frowned and thought deeply before making a silent decision.


    Having come this far, he truly wanted to see if Mo Hua would manage to also master the Second-grade Thirteen Stripes Formation.

 Chapter 810: Second Grade (3)

    Chapter 810: Chapter 594 Second Grade_3


    "These are the Second Grade Thirteen Patterns of the ¡®Rain Transformation Formation,¡¯ ¡®Minor Fire Departure Formation,¡¯ ¡®Moist Soil Formation,¡¯ and ¡®Water Marsh Formation.''¡±


    "These arrays include both the Five Elements Formation and the Bagua Formation, which are the most commonly tested in the assessment exams for Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Masters.¡±


    Elder Master Xun said.


    Thirteen Patterns, assessment examination formations!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    Finally, there were new Thirteen Pattern formations to learn! And they were assessment formations!


    ...


    The most difficult formation he had mastered so far was only the Thirteen Pattern Earth Fire Formation of the second grade.


    Mo Hua stared at the formations and suddenly asked out of curiosity,


    "Elder Master Xun, these formations seems to lack offensive power


    Unlike his Earth Fire Formation, which could kill more than a dozen traffickers in an instant¡­


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°These are Tao Cultivation production formations, either used for the cultivation of Spirit Plants or as formations to stimulate Pill Fire and furnace fires for Alchemy and Artifact Refining.¡±


    "The Taoist Court does not advocate that cultivators use formations for slaughter, so the majority of the assessment examinations use production-type Tao Cultivation formations


    Elder Master Xun sighed.


    "However, these formations are ultimately not widely disseminated


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help nodding in agreement.


    Tongxian City, no, not just Tongxian City, but all of the bottom-level Immortal Cities he had traveled through, had an extremely rudimentary application of formations.


    Formations should benefit all beings.


    Yet this ¡°all beings¡± did not include the vast majority of cultivators in this world.


    Seeing Mo Hua frowning, looking like a little adult with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Elder Master Xun rarely showed a smile and advised,


    "Study hard.¡±


    "Mhm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Although the Thirteen Pattern Formations were the most difficult formations he had studied so far, they were clearly not the limit of his divine consciousness that had transformed quality at fourteen stripes. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was just lacking Formation Diagrams, not divine consciousness.


    Originally, the ¡®Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡¯ could solve this problem, but deciphering the Formation Flow Chart depended too much on luck; the highest difficulty formation Mo Hua had deciphered from it was the Earth Fire Formation with thirteen patterns.


    Everything else was just ¡°stinky fish and rotten shrimp.¡±


    Ever since Elder Master Xun had taught him formations, Mo Hua had disdainfully tossed the ¡®Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡¯ into the corner of his Storage Ring to collect dust.


    He would decipher it when he had more time later.


    Now he had no time; he needed to learn the Thirteen Pattern assessment formations.


    And since Second Grade Thirteen Pattern general formations were not Ultimate Formations and didn¡¯t involve deeper and more obscure comprehension of the Great Dao, they were difficult but not too difficult to learn.


    Especially with Mo Hua¡¯s abundant divine consciousness.


    All he lacked was time.


    Practice these formations dozens or hundreds of times until they became second nature, and they would naturally be mastered.


    Mo Hua started with the Five Elements, studying ¡®Rain Transformation Formation¡¯ and ¡®Moist Soil Formation.¡¯


    The Five Elements Formation was learned quickly; Mo Hua grasped the basics within a day or two and then spent another five or six days practicing until it was second nature.


    He even used his Divine Consciousness to control ink, Drawing Ground into Formation on the back mountain of the Disciple¡¯s Residence with these two formations.


    Spring breeze brings rain, moistening the soil silently.


    Mo Hua felt he could faintly sense the moist breath of the soil in the mountains and the Earth Dao Meaning one could perceive from anywhere upon the earth.


    The Earth Dao Meaning also became clearer in Mo Hua¡¯s divine consciousness.


    Mo Hua nodded, quite satisfied with himself.


    Next, he studied the Bagua-like ¡®Minor Fire Departure Formation¡¯ and ¡®Water Marsh Formation.¡¯


    The Minor Fire Departure Formation, similar to the Melting Fire Formation, is drawn inside Alchemy Furnaces and Artifact Furnaces for refining medicinal properties and tempering Spiritual Artifacts.


    As for the Water Marsh Formation, Mo Hua was not clear; he guessed it was probably used for alligator farming.


    Bagua-type formations were a bit more difficult.


    But practice a hundred times, and the meaning will reveal itself.


    There was no formation that couldn¡¯t be solved with a few more repetitions.


    If ten times were not enough, then a hundred times, and if a hundred times were not enough, then a thousand times.


    As long as there was time, he could draw indefinitely on the Taoist Stele.


    Moreover, Bagua formations were not Ultimate Formations, nowhere near that level of difficulty.


    Half a month later, Mo Hua could also draw them very skillfully, even arranging them with divine consciousness posed no problem.


    Thus, Mo Hua had learned all four Second Grade Thirteen Pattern formations.


    Mo Hua shared this accomplishment with Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s reaction was clearly half a beat slower, and his look at Mo Hua was somewhat incredulous.


    "You¡¯ve¡­ learned them?¡±


    He knew Mo Hua was a quick learner and guessed that given time, he could learn one or half of them.


    But it should not, and could not be that in such a brief time, he had learned all four Second Grade Thirteen Pattern Initial Stage formations.


    Learned them all¡­


    That meant he could review and prepare a bit, and he might even participate in the grading examination¡­


    The grading for a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master.


    Fifteen years old, in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, becoming a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master¡­


    That was already the limit for the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    At most, he could learn some other Thirteen Stripe formations.


    Beyond that, there was nothing to learn and nothing more to teach.


    Mo Hua then revealed his small ambition:


    "Elder, is there a Fourteen Stripe formation to learn


    Mo Hua licked his lips like a kitten yearning for fish.


    After spending this period together, Mo Hua knew Elder Master Xun was both an unfathomably profound master and a highly respected and kind-hearted elder.


    And since Elder Master Xun had been teaching him formations and had the grace of preaching and education, there was no need to keep some things secret.


    "Is there a Fourteen Stripe formation to learn


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s body visibly shuddered, and as he looked at Mo Hua, his cloudy eyes suddenly brightened.


    Fourteen Stripes?!


    This child¡¯s divine sense¡­ exceeded the grade?!

 Chapter 811: Pattern 14

    Chapter 811 -595 Pattern 14


    Elder Master Xun was shocked.


    Just at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, he had a Divine Sense of the fourteenth Pattern Realm?


    What kind of monster was this?


    No wonder he dared say he was ¡°skilled in Formation,¡± and indeed had the grounds to say this¡­


    "But this¡­it¡¯s impossible


    Elder Master Xun frowned.


    ...


    A cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense had its limits.


    Blood Qi could be cultivated, Spiritual Power could be cultivated, but Divine Sense had no dedicated Cultivation Technique.


    A Contemplation Map could enhance Divine Sense, but a Contemplation Map wasn¡¯t considered a stable and reliable Cultivation Technique.


    "Contemplating¡± was akin to ¡°borrowing¡±; it was ¡°to borrow,¡± not ¡°to cultivate.¡±


    The Divine Sense derived from contemplation ¨C you might not know what its real components were.


    And it was hard to truly call it your own.


    Thus, in this world, the vast majority of cultivators could possibly slightly exceed the limitations of their realm in Blood Qi and Spiritual Power,


    But Divine Sense was always within its limits.


    Super Divine Sense wasn¡¯t unheard of though¡­


    In the two thousand years of records from Taoist Court, even before Taoist Court¡¯s time, there were mentions of cultivators with ¡°Super Divine Sense.¡±


    But these cultivators were either just rumors, difficult to discern as true or false,


    Or they were vessels for some kind of ¡°Taoist Meaning,¡± ¡°True God,¡± ¡°Evil God,¡± or even ¡°Heavenly Demon,¡± with powerful Divine Thoughts, but their own will either ignorant, malevolent, or unstable, and could not be considered true ¡°people.¡±


    But Mo Hua was different.


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua.


    This child was clever and quick-witted, his eyes spirited, and his manners innocent and lively, a completely normal little cultivator¡­


    There were also no traces on him that suggested ¡°invasion¡± by anything malevolent.


    In such a case, how could he have achieved Super Divine Sense?


    Elder Master Xun pondered for a moment and asked,


    "Do you¡­have a Master?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He didn¡¯t hide anything, but he didn¡¯t tell the whole truth either, and only said,


    "My master lives reclusively in the mountains, loving tranquility. He¡¯s very good at Formation, but he doesn¡¯t allow me to speak his name outside


    Elder Master Xun nodded without delving deeper.


    It was common for some masters to retreat and take disciples without revealing their identities.


    But his curiosity remained, ¡°Just who could this master be to teach such a disciple as Mo Hua


    Divine Sense extraordinary, even to a Super Rank.


    Highly insightful, especially in Five Elements Formation, with very solid foundations and profound depth¡­


    His temperament was also excellent.


    Not only innocent and adorable and kind-hearted, but what was even more rare, he genuinely loved Formation, completely devoted to the Tao, without any distracting thoughts.


    At his age, being able to settle his mind, steady and unruffled, training his Formation skills to such a solid level, truly remarkable¡­


    "Who exactly could teach him


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua¡¯s eyes and then his expression changed, alarm chilling his heart.


    "Couldn¡¯t be¡­that person¡¯s disciple, could it?¡±


    He took another close look at Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, recalling how that person used to look, a slight shock in his heart.


    From the appearance and demeanor, they were different.


    That person back then had a proud demeanor, looking down on the world, his eyes filled with defiance.


    While Mo Hua was innocent as water, gentle and kind, his gaze pure and clear.


    But there was a bit of similarity in their auras.


    Especially when looked at closely, Mo Hua¡¯s clear eyes occasionally seemed profound, and within that profundity, there was a glimmering light, as if some heavenly secret was flowing through.


    Very much like that person from the past¡­


    "But still, it¡¯s not right


    Elder Master Xun was still somewhat puzzled.


    If it were that person¡¯s disciple, wouldn¡¯t he belong to the Qian Taoist Sect, how did he end up at Tai Xu Gate?


    Qian Taoist Sect was the deepest-rooted sect of their lineage.


    It¡¯s hardly possible that Qian Taoist Sect would forget such an ancient connection¡­ S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Master Xun shook his head.


    "Could he really be that person¡¯s disciple?¡±


    He looked at Mo Hua again, and suddenly his heart skipped a beat.


    There was something else in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes¡­


    Not just the circulating light, but also a streak of pure, pitch-black strangeness, only it was hidden deep within and hard to see¡­


    "What is this?!¡±


    Elder Master Xun gasped, then shook his head repeatedly.


    "No, no, this is even more impossible


    "No such outrageous thing


    Even if this child, Mo Hua, had a master, had inheritance, and even if touched by that man¡¯s opportunity¡­


    But for the two brothers to both have taught him, that was absolutely impossible.


    Even if the sun rose from the west, such a thing would never happen!


    Elder Master Xun paused again.


    This kind of thing not being possible¡­so conversely, this child might not be related to either of those two¡­


    "Probably just my own misgivings


    Elder Master Xun looked again at Mo Hua, and now Mo Hua¡¯s eyes had returned to their usual clear and water-like look.


    "It should be some other opportunity


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly.


    This child probably just had an unusually extraordinary Divine Sense Gift, and by chance had guidance from a master, which is why he learned Formation so well and progressed so quickly.


    Besides, if he were a disciple of either of those two,


    He wouldn¡¯t be so specialized.


    He wouldn¡¯t only master the Five Elements Formation.


    The foundation of the Eight Gates Formation would also not be so weak.


    Furthermore, he doesn¡¯t seem to know the Immortal Sky Formation Flow either¡­


    "That¡¯s right, I was just overthinking it.¡±


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    Elder Master Xun¡¯s heart eased, looking at Mo Hua, his gaze turning to one of satisfaction.


    "A fine seedling


    Elder Master Xun thought earnestly again:


    "Divine Sense Talent so astonishing

 Chapter 812: Patterns (2)

    Chapter 812 -595 14 Patterns_2


    "If this child has joined the Tai Xu Gate, and in the future does good deeds and benefits the cultivators of the Nine State, that will be a blessing for the whole world. However, if someday his nature becomes skewed, and he uses the power of the Formation to harm the Nine State, then that will be the fault of the Tai Xu Gate


    "Therefore, one must teach well, not only the Formation, but also the nature of the heart


    "If his nature is inherently evil, then one should instruct tirelessly, guiding him toward goodness;¡±


    "If his nature is inherently good, then one should follow his true heart, and let his goodness flourish.¡±


    "With such talent, if he is taught well, the Tai Xu Gate can truly consider itself¡­ to have found a treasure


    "This generation¡¯s Sect Leader has indeed done a good deed


    ...


    ¡­


    In a short span of time, Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression changed many times, nodding and shaking his head in turn, his thoughts spinning endlessly, his mood fluctuating.


    Mo Hua, having been stared at by Elder Master Xun for so long, felt somewhat puzzled and inexplicably a bit guilty, and then whispered quietly,


    "Elder Master Xun


    Elder Master Xun was startled, then came back to his senses and remembered Mo Hua¡¯s recent request to ¡°learn the Fourteen-pattern Formation Method,¡± his expression turned serious and he spoke with a trace of solemnity,


    "Yes.¡±


    After making the promise, Elder Master Xun paused to think and then said, ¡°However, as for what Formation to teach, I need to consider that


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart leaped with joy, and he laughed,


    "Thank you, Elder!¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, his gaze affable, then sent Mo Hua back.


    He himself walked along the Jade Stone Mountain Path toward the rear mountain, mulling over his thoughts as he walked. When disciples greeted him along the way, he didn¡¯t notice them.


    Finally arriving at the rear mountain, near the Sect Leader¡¯s residence, he encountered the Tai Xu Sect Master dressed in brocaded robes.


    The Tai Xu Sect Master first greeted him with a respectful bow,


    "Elder Master, I greet you.¡±


    But Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t hear, until he had walked a few steps past, then suddenly remembered something, turned back to look at the Tai Xu Sect Master, and nodded,


    "You have done well.¡±


    Having said that, Elder Master Xun left.


    The Tai Xu Sect Master, for once, received praise from Elder Master Xun, and felt surprised and honored, yet also somewhat bewildered.


    "Done well


    "What have I done?¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun, back in the Elder¡¯s Residence, was still frowning in thought.


    One must teach well.


    If this child can study the Five Elements Formation so deeply, then he also shouldn¡¯t neglect the Eight Trigrams Array¡­


    Other array series, being less popular and having narrower uses, can wait for now.


    To learn well the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, to have solid foundations, sturdy as Mount Tai, then to explore other categories of Formation Method later wouldn¡¯t be too late.


    But as Elder Master Xun pondered, he suddenly realized a more pressing issue:


    "The Qian Xue State Boundary is not all peace and quiet


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze grew grave.


    In recent years, the Noble Clans have flourished, Sects have become dependent, and conflicts for fame and benefit among the disciples of various schools have worsened.


    The long-silent Demon Sect has been stirring beneath the surface, plotting something unknown.


    The situation is complex, danger lurks in the shadows, and people¡¯s hearts are tricky.


    The Qian Xue State Boundary, a place for seeking knowledge, is not as tranquil as it appears on the surface.


    Mo Hua, this child, is a Loose Cultivator, without background or power¡­


    Some way must be found to protect him.


    To allow him to steadfastly pursue the path of inquiry, to concentrate on his cultivation, to peacefully study Formation Method, without being led astray or making a wrong turn¡­


    And not to be bullied by anyone!


    Elder Master Xun looked serious.


    Children as innocent and kind as Mo Hua are indeed easy to bully¡­


    "But what is the best way to do that


    Elder Master Xun fell into deep thought.


    Unable to come up with a secure solution for the moment, he sighed,


    "Let¡¯s talk about this matter later. First, let¡¯s teach him the Formation Method


    ¡­


    The next day, Elder Master Xun handed Mo Hua a Formation Diagram:


    "Trapped Mountain Formation¡±


    A Bagua Series Formation Method, Second-grade Fourteen-pattern, it is an array that belongs to the ¡®Gen¡¯ Hexagram.


    After Elder Master Xun explained the difficult points of the Formation, he let Mo Hua study it on his own and said he could come with questions.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, his heart full of excitement.


    Fourteen Patterns!


    At last, he had a Fourteen-pattern Formation to study!


    Learning a Fourteen-pattern Formation, practicing it day and night, would allow him to further hone his Divine Sense.


    Since there was no challenging Formation to learn, his Divine Sense had remained at fourteen patterns since Foundation Establishment, without progress for a long time.


    Though Calculation and Tricky Calculation consume a great deal of Divine Sense, making it more tenacious and sharper, they seem to have little effect on the growth of Divine Sense.


    To increase Divine Sense, one still relies on Formation Method.


    The Trapped Mountain Formation is from the Gen-series of Formation Method. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gen-series Formation Method, originating from the Eight Trigrams but also fitting the Five Elements, includes the changes within the Five Elements of metal and earth.


    Moreover, because it belongs to the Eight Trigrams, the positions of the Formation Pivots will also be precise.


    The Formation Pivots of the Eight Trigrams Formation differ quite significantly from those of the Five Elements Formation Method.


    The layout of the Formation Patterns must follow the Eight Trigrams¡¯ directions, and the flow of Spiritual Power must match the Eight Trigrams¡¯ structure.


    These things can be quite unfamiliar at first.


    But with prolonged study and repeated practice, one can gradually understand and integrate this knowledge¡­


    And there are many varieties of Eight Trigrams Formation Method.


    The more Mo Hua delved into them, the more he looked forward to it.


    Among the Eight Trigrams, Kan is water, and Li is fire.


    These two types of Formation Method, similar to the water and fire elements in the Five Elements, are not that different.


    Gen is mountain, and Dui is marsh.


    Gen Mountain incorporates the evolution of the metal and earth elements of the Five Elements.


    Dui Marsh includes the evolution of the water and earth elements of the Five Elements.


    These two types of Eight Trigrams Formation Method compared to the Five Elements Formation Method, will have more differences.


    Besides, there are also Xun and Zhen.


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    Xun is wind, and Zhen is thunder.


    Mo Hua had not yet studied Wind-based spiritual power Formation Method and didn¡¯t know which types of Five Elements changes the Xun Hexagram Formation Method encompasses.


    But thunder!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart surged with excitement.

 Chapter 813: pattern 14 (3)

    Chapter 813: Chapter 595 pattern 14_3


    He had seen the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder with his own eyes!


    Born from the Heavenly Dao Formation, the Thunder that could annihilate everything was generated from a single Thunder Pattern.


    And that Immortal Pattern containing the essence of the Heavenly Tribulation, Mo Hua had seen with his own eyes and had personally recorded it, engraving it onto the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness!


    This Thunder Pattern was extremely terrifying.


    Even his Uncle couldn¡¯t endure it, he vanished into ash after a mere glance.


    He tried to dissuade him, but to no avail!


    ...


    His Uncle did not understand his good intentions!


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Just hearing about the Thunder System Formation sounded mighty powerful.


    The only question was whether there was any difference between the thunder of the Heavenly Tribulation and the Thunder Formation of the ¡°Zhen¡± Trigram within the Eight Trigrams¡­


    Apart from this, it was the formations of the Qian and Kun hexagrams.


    Kun represents earth, likely evolving from the soil of the Five Elements, but it probably would be more complex, broader, bearing all things, inclusive of all phenomena, and might even touch upon the ¡°Taoist Meaning¡± of the Earth¡­


    But he was well-acquainted with the Earth¡¯s ¡°Taoist Meaning¡±, so he was not afraid.


    Lastly, there was the ¡°Qian¡± path.


    Qian represents heaven.


    What Mo Hua could think of was one aspect of the ¡°Three Talents¡± as ¡°Heaven¡±;


    The other was something other cultivators did not believe in but which he had ¡°sneaked a peek¡± at once and thus could confirm its existence¡ªthe ¡°Heavenly¡± aspect of the Heavenly Dao Formation.


    He did not know what the Formation Method symbolized by the ¡°Heavenly¡± Qian hexagram would look like¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, lost in thought for a while, before he gathered his thoughts and calmed his mind.


    After all, there were still plenty of formations left to learn!


    None of these formations would escape him!


    For now, though, he had to start learning earnestly from the Second-grade Fourteen-pattern Trapped Mountain Formation of the ¡°Gen¡± Trigram.


    Mo Hua, as always, first memorized the Formation Patterns and Pivots of the Trapped Mountain Formation, then tried to practice them a few times simply. At night, when he slept, his Divine Sense would sink into his Sea of Consciousness and begin formal practice on the Taoist Stele.


    Although studying the Thirteen-Pattern Formation with Fourteen Stripes of Divine Sense wasn¡¯t as easy as the twelve or thirteen patterns before, it also wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    However, Mo Hua found that his Fourteen Stripes seemed a bit different from those of other cultivators.


    It might be due to the Divine Consciousness Transformation that his Divine Sense had become very condensed and incredibly resilient.


    Thus, the actual amount of his Divine Sense was more than that of the other Fourteen Stripes.


    But the ¡°strength¡± was incomparable to that.


    For other cultivators, the ¡°strength¡± of Divine Sense was determined by the number of Patterns, meaning the ¡°amount¡± of Divine Sense.


    The more patterns, the larger the Divine Sense, the naturally stronger.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense seemed to have expanded a ¡°dimension¡±, measuring the ¡°strength¡± of Divine Sense by its ¡°quality¡±, not just the number of patterns.


    Even though the number of patterns was the same, all being ¡°Fourteen Stripes¡±, he could only learn formations of up to ¡°Fourteen Stripes¡±.


    However, due to the difference in the ¡°quality¡± of Divine Sense, Mo Hua always felt that using this purer, more condensed Divine Sense to learn formations allowed him to understand the formations more thoroughly.


    And his grasp of the Great Dao would be more profound as well.


    At the same time, Mo Hua discovered that the amount of his Divine Sense seemed somewhat flexible.


    Although it was Fourteen Stripes of Divine Sense, it wouldn¡¯t truly be exhausted after use.


    He seemed to be able to draw more Divine Sense from the Sea of Consciousness.


    Divine Sense was like water in cotton, seemingly used up, but there would be more if you squeezed¡­


    However, this process was very painful.


    As if the Sea of Consciousness was being pressed, it was excruciating.


    Therefore, Mo Hua had to stop at the right moment and could not overuse it.


    He could only use a bit more than the amount necessary for Fourteen Stripes and then stop; otherwise, he would suffer from splitting headaches, tormenting himself.


    The Trapped Mountain Formation with Fourteen Stripes wasn¡¯t hard, and Mo Hua learned it smoothly.


    But it took a lot of time to familiarize with and assimilate the Bagua Formation Series:


    Utilizing the well-mastered ¡°Gen¡± Series Formation Patterns, understanding the Eight Trigrams¡¯ Formation Pivots, constructing the dynamic Formation Eyes of the Eight Trigrams, and observing comprehensively the Spiritual Power flow of the Bagua Formation Method¡­


    Half a month later, Mo Hua mastered the Second-grade Fourteen-pattern Trapped Mountain Formation.


    He could truly draw out the Second-grade Fourteen-pattern formations.


    As for the formations of Fifteen Stripes¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense Realm hadn¡¯t reached that level yet, so he couldn¡¯t learn it for the time being.


    Knowing that Mo Hua had mastered the Second-grade Fourteen-pattern Trapped Mountain Formation, Elder Master Xun was no longer surprised; he had become somewhat numb, and at the same time, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    "At last, it¡¯s nearly enough


    Fourteen stripes were enough, learning more would be somewhat excessive.


    Elder Master Xun said with earnest gravity,


    "Though you can draw out formations of Fourteen Stripes now, you haven¡¯t learned many of the Thirteen Pattern formations; the foundation isn¡¯t very solid


    "So hereafter, I¡¯ll prepare some formations of Fourteen Stripes, mixed with Thirteen Stripes for you to learn thoroughly one by one


    Mo Hua happily said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Master!¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, silently thinking to himself:


    "Formations of Fourteen Stripes should keep this little one busy for a while


    "Fourteen Stripes


    Elder Master Xun sighed.


    "This is the entry level of the Second-grade Mid-tier Array


    "To know the Second-grade Mid-tier Array at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He hardly seems like a disciple; he¡¯s almost qualified to be a ¡®Little Instructor


    Elder Master Xun silently shook his head.


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued to study formations tirelessly.


    He learned both those with Thirteen and Fourteen Stripes.


    Of course, the focus was on Fourteen Stripes.


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    Mo Hua wanted to use the Fourteen-Pattern Formation to hone his Sea of Consciousness and further his Divine Sense!


    Piling sand into a tower, dripping water wears away stone.


    He studied one formation after another, drawing them over and over¡­


    And his Divine Sense, unnoticed, gradually climbed toward Fifteen Stripes¡­

 Chapter 814: You Come and Teach

    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was getting closer to the sixteen patterns.


    Between fourteen and sixteen patterns, all are within the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, and breakthroughs during this phase do not have significant bottlenecks but simply need a bit of time.


    During this time, Mo Hua gradually settled down in the Taixu Gate.


    His life at Taixu Gate was calm and uneventful¡ªaside from attending classes, it was daily routine of cultivation and Drawing Formation.


    Taixu Gate had many courses.


    Besides Formation, Mo Hua took his cultivation course most seriously.


    The Instructor, Elder Gongsun, a true disciple of the Taixu Inner Gate and in the Feather Transformation Realm, had profound cultivation and vast knowledge.


    He taught the way of Qi Foundation cultivation with lofty insights and in a way that was both profound and simple.


    Some basic points were supplemented by Elder Gongsun¡¯s true disciples, now Instructors of the Inner Gate.


    These cultivation methods were the essence of generations of Taixu Gate Elders and Instructors, condensing the experience and understanding of cultivation from ancestors over thousands of years.


    Thanks to this, Mo Hua also had an increasingly clear approach to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    However, his progress in cultivation was still considered the lowest.


    Partly because he was the only disciple in Taixu Gate with a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root.


    And also because he forged a "Divine Sense Proving the Dao" Taoist Foundation; although his Divine Sense was extremely strong, his realm had not been polished, and the foundation of his flesh and Spiritual Power was extremely weak.


    A Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root implied a low upper limit of Spiritual Power Circulation, leading to a typical speed of cultivation.


    Especially when compared to those of Taixu Gate, who were all top-grade, with no one of low aptitude.


    Hence among all disciples, Mo Hua had the lowest count of Spiritual Power Cycles.


    Similarly, due to his weak foundation, Mo Hua¡¯s base in cultivation was also the thinnest. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Mo Hua was diligent in his cultivation, he managed only just to keep up with his realm; everything else, he lagged significantly behind.


    Fortunately, Elder Gongsun, who taught cultivation, was non-discriminatory and not overly harsh in his treatment of people.


    As long as you were diligent and serious about cultivation, he was not too stringent about results.


    Mo Hua could only persist this way, slowly grinding away; with limited Spiritual Root, neither his realm of cultivation nor his foundation could grow quickly.


    However, this was something Mo Hua had been clear about for a long time and was not worth being discouraged over.


    Regardless of the quality of the Spiritual Root or the thickness of the foundation.


    Since he pursued the Great Dao, he must focus solely on cultivation without distraction.


    Whether the Spiritual Root was good or bad was a fact; rather than feel self-pity and waste time, it was better to devote all effort to cultivation.


    Besides the cultivation classes, there were also Tao Cultivation industries in Taixu Gate.


    The main ones were Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Rune Refining.


    As expected, Mo Hua performed poorly in all these areas.


    It had been the same back in Tongxian Gate, and now in Taixu Gate, it was even more evident.


    The herbs for Alchemy were too expensive; for Artifact Refining, he couldn¡¯t even swing a hammer; Rune Refining consumed too much Spiritual Power.


    The ink, brushes, and Formation Paper for Drawing Formations, to Mo Hua, were already considered pricey.


    But the essence of Formation was the understanding of the Great Dao through Divine Sense.


    The greatest consumption was actually Divine Sense.


    Whereas Alchemy was different¡ª the herbs, top-grade Pill Furnace, Pill Recipes, and various catalysts combined with Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were all considered exorbitantly priced, far beyond Mo Hua¡¯s reach.


    The higher the grade, the higher the price.


    Only descendants of Noble Clans with support, lacking neither Spirit Stones nor Spiritual Objects, could afford to "burn money" and learn Alchemy¡­


    Compared to Alchemy, Rune Refining was not only expensive but also very draining on Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua had once heard Artifact Refiner Master Chen from Tongxian City talk about Runes; since entering Taixu Gate, he had learned even more.


    Runes were a Tao Cultivation industry developed from both "Artifact Refining" and "Drawing Formation" but were entirely independent.


    The earliest Runes were drawn on paper and somewhat resembled Formation.


    However, this type of paper Rune, using "paper" as the medium, was not easily preserved and prone to "misfires" and explosions;


    It also had a short shelf life and was prone to "duds" where it would become ineffective;


    The sealed Spiritual Power was limited, and its power wasn¡¯t very strong.


    As the Cultivation World developed, these old types of "Runes" were gradually phased out.


    Now, Runes were made of Jade, using jade as the medium, integrating sealing-type Formation, and special Artifact Refining techniques.


    Rune Refining Masters sealed their spells in these jade "Runes," creating limited-use "Runes."


    This process required consuming a large amount of Spiritual Power.


    But for Mo Hua, with his low Spiritual Power, Rune Refining was out of reach.


    Not to mention Artifact Refining.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Blood Qi, not only weak among Body Cultivators but even among Spiritual Cultivators, was the weakest.


    Most of the Noble Family Descendants who were Spiritual Cultivators also practiced some Body Refinement techniques, not for close-combat killing but to enhance their bodily defenses slightly.


    Therefore, swinging a large hammer to forge a Spiritual Artifact was not much of a problem for them.


    But Mo Hua was different.


    He struggled even to hold a hammer.


    During class, with the force of "nine oxen and two tigers," Mo Hua still couldn¡¯t swing the large iron hammer, his face flushed with effort, even considering whether to disassemble the hammer and install a Formation inside for a good "modification"...


    The Instructor of Artifact Refining quickly advised:


    "Let it go, let it go, don¡¯t trouble yourself with this hammer¡­"


    "It didn¡¯t want this either¡­"


    Not being able to lift the hammer wasn¡¯t the hammer¡¯s fault...


    Mo Hua then asked, "Then Instructor, do I still need to learn Artifact Refining?"


    The Instructor grimaced, undecided.


    During his time at Taixu Gate, he had never seen a disciple who couldn¡¯t even swing a hammer.


    Unable to forge iron, naturally, he couldn¡¯t refine artifacts.


    The Instructor could only say, "Do as you wish; learn as much as you can, don¡¯t force it, and certainly don¡¯t injure yourself¡­"

 Chapter 815: You Come and Teach (2)

    He knew that Mo Hua, that child, was very good at Formation, quite favored by Elder Master Xun. If Mo Hua hurt his hands while Artifact Refining and couldn¡¯t do Formation Painting, he was certain to receive cold looks from Elder Master Xun.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He felt helpless too.


    Artifact Refining required physical strength, Refining Rune required Spiritual Power, and Alchemy needed financial resources as a foundation.


    He lacked all of these.


    Indeed, only the Formation, which was based on the consumption of Divine Sense, was the most suitable for him.


    Mo Hua started to reduce his efforts in the three courses of "Artifact Refining," "Alchemy," and "Refining Runes," and instead, allocated more time to Formation Painting.


    But he still had to attend those three courses. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It¡¯s still the same saying, "You don¡¯t have to master it, but you must understand it¡­"


    He didn¡¯t need to personally learn how to refine Pills, refine artifacts, or create Runes, but the basic principles of refining, commonly used Spiritual Artifacts, Runes, Pills, and their respective uses, things to note...


    These pieces of Tao Cultivation knowledge were essential to know.


    To avoid being poisoned in the future while traveling in the Cultivation World, being secretly attacked with a Spiritual Artifact, or being explosively killed with a Rune...


    ¡­


    In addition, Taixu Gate also had Taoist Skill classes.


    Taoist Skill classes were divided into three types: for Spiritual Cultivator, Body Cultivation, and Sword Cultivator.


    You could learn whatever you wanted.


    Mo Hua was a Spiritual Cultivator, so he naturally chose the Spiritual Cultivator course.


    However, he discovered that the spells and principles taught in Taixu Gate¡¯s Spiritual Cultivator class were fundamentally different from his own magical approach.


    The Spiritual Cultivators of Taixu Gate, or the mainstream Spiritual Cultivators, followed a path of using powerful moves for combat.


    Those with Superior Spiritual Roots cultivated Superior Techniques, studied Superior Spells, relied on deep Cultivation, gathered powerful Spiritual Power, and unleashed powerful Spells.


    Then with one move, they could turn the tables.


    Just like Boss Jiang, accumulating vast Spiritual Power, activating the Sword Controlling Technique, condensing pure Golden Sword Qi, and then settling victory or defeat in one strike, deciding life and death in a single sword blow.


    Although in the end he missed and died, Mo Hua knew it wasn¡¯t his fault.


    His single sword strike was indeed magnificent and powerful.


    If it had been someone else, they might have been cleaved to death by him.


    Unfortunately, fate was not on his side; he met Mo Hua and died in the prime of his life.


    Mo Hua felt a bit of pity for Boss Jiang.


    But such moves, while powerful and requiring a long time to gather strength, also expended a lot of Spiritual Power. While preparing, one either risked being interrupted or stood there "taking hits."


    Mo Hua thought back to when Boss Jiang was casting the "Sword Controlling Technique," the layer of Golden Light he had added to himself in advance.


    Because of that layer of Golden Light, Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique had not disrupted his Sword technique.


    Even the power of the Fireball Technique had also been reduced.


    "That layer of Golden Light... what exactly is it?"


    Mo Hua went to ask the Sect Instructor who taught Taoist Skills.


    The Instructor told Mo Hua,


    "That is the Gold Body Technique."


    "Gold Body Technique?"


    Mo Hua paused slightly; it was the first time he had heard of this Spell.


    The Instructor said,


    "The Gold Body Technique is a special kind of Spell, mainly defensive, but different from protective Spells like the Golden Bell Shield."


    "The effect of the Gold Body Technique is to enhance one¡¯s body with Golden Light, protecting the meridians, which can reduce the damage taken from Spells to a certain degree..."


    "And also ensures that the Spiritual Power circulating within one¡¯s meridians is not obstructed."


    "This point is crucial!"


    "That is to say, your Spells will not be interrupted."


    "Within the duration of the Gold Body Technique, you can cast those time-consuming, yet immensely powerful, move without concern, instantly determining life and death, deciding victory or defeat in a flash!"


    "You can even face multiple foes alone, relying on a single Top-Grade Daoist Magic to suppress the enemy forces and turn the tide!"


    "This is the pursuit of a Spiritual Cultivator, to use the utmost Spells to bring forth supreme power..."


    ¡­


    Mo Hua felt his blood boil as he listened.


    But upon further thought, it seemed to have little to do with him.


    He didn¡¯t know any Superior Daoist Magic.


    Even if he knew, with his weak Spiritual Root and sparse Qi Sea, he might not have enough Spiritual Power to cast it.


    Even if he could cast it, it wouldn¡¯t matter...


    Among cultivators of the same rank, his physical body was very weak. Even with the reinforcement of the "Gold Body Technique," he probably wouldn¡¯t last until he could unleash the powerful move.


    Mo Hua knew he couldn¡¯t "take a beating."


    Being as fragile as paper, even with the Gold Body Technique reinforcing him and providing some resistance, at best he gained an extra layer of paper protection, which still wasn¡¯t of much use.


    Nevertheless, he still benefited greatly.


    It¡¯s no wonder with a long heritage like that of Qian Xue State Boundary.


    Gold Body with Sword Control, or Gold Body casting spells...


    It was a style of combat logic completely unknown to him before and fundamentally different from his own magic tactics.


    It¡¯s a pity that he couldn¡¯t use it...


    His approach, taught by Grandpa Gui, was "In all spells, only speed is unbeatable," and coupled with powerful Divine Sense and swift circulation of Spiritual Power, lower-tier Spells like Fireball Technique were what truly became powerful.


    "Superior Spell..."


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked, "Instructor, do these powerful Spells necessarily require Divine Sense to lock onto the target?"


    The Instructor was somewhat surprised, "You know about ¡¯Divine Sense locking¡¯?"


    Mo Hua answered modestly, "Somewhat."


    Thus, the Instructor regarded Mo Hua more highly.


    Even though his Spiritual Root was a little poor, his Spiritual Power weak, and he knew few Spells, and wouldn¡¯t typically learn Superior Daoist Magic, it was rare for him to have such insight.


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    Surprisingly, he knew about Divine Sense locking...


    The Instructor said with relief, "Naturally, amidst the myriad manifestations of time, there are baffling illusions; what is seen may not be ¡¯real,¡¯ and what is unseen may not be ¡¯false.¡¯ It¡¯s very foolish for a Cultivator to rely solely on their eyes¡­"


    "Within Divine Sense lies the true nature of all things."


    "The stronger the Divine Sense, the truer the nature seen."

 Chapter 816: You Come Teach (3)

    "So, whether it¡¯s Sword Controlling True Jue or spell killing moves, it¡¯s best to use Divine Consciousness to see and lock onto the target..."


    "Learning to lock onto a target with Divine Consciousness is what makes an excellent Spiritual Cultivator..."


    Mo Hua nodded and felt relieved.


    That¡¯s right.


    No matter how powerful it is, if it doesn¡¯t hit, it¡¯s useless.


    My own Divine Consciousness is quite strong.


    Nevertheless, even so, one must think ahead and be prepared for the future.


    Think about how to deal with those with good Spiritual Roots, superior Cultivation Techniques, profound Cultivation, who have learned Superior Daoist Skills, or those Proud Sons of Heaven with powerful Sword Controlling spells...


    You can¡¯t rely too heavily on strong Divine Consciousness.


    It¡¯s good to prepare several contingency plans.


    Therefore, Mo Hua not only attended classes for Spiritual Cultivators but also sat in on Body Cultivation and Sword Cultivation classes.


    He wasn¡¯t really interested in Body Refinement or Sword Cultivation, but mainly wanted to "know thyself and thy enemy," to see what the routines and attack methods of Body Cultivators and Sword Cultivators were, how they protected themselves, and what their vital points were...


    In this way, he would have a method to deal with Body Cultivators and Sword Cultivators in the future.


    This was also a kind of "reverse learning," another form of "learning for practical application."


    And the only thing Mo Hua "learned properly" in a "positive" way was Formations.


    Aside from this, including Cultivation, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Refining Runes, Mo Hua could not compare with fellow sect disciples.


    Therefore, in the eyes of his fellow sect disciples, Mo Hua was an "oddball."


    The better he was at Formations, the worse he was in other areas.


    After mingling for a while, the other sect disciples gradually accepted Mo Hua as a disciple with "mediocre" Spiritual Root, a background as a Loose Cultivator, earnest in Cultivation, yet with an extreme bias in his skills.


    But that was about it.


    On the surface, Mo Hua seemed like a somewhat special but not extraordinary disciple.


    However, people liked him.


    Most of the disciples in Taiyi Residence treated him quite amiably.


    There were a few with prestigious backgrounds, full of arrogance and self-pride, looking troublesome at first glance, from whom Mo Hua stayed far away from, to avoid trouble.


    Taixu Gate also had many female disciples.


    And most of them were from good backgrounds, fair and beautiful. Even though they all wore the unified Taixu Daoist Robes, each was bright and colorful, each with her own charm, pursued by many admirers.


    However, after Mo Hua took a few looks and silently compared them, he ultimately felt that his Junior Sister was the most beautiful!


    Thinking of his Junior Sister, Mo Hua was momentarily lost in thought.


    The bits and pieces of his time in Tongxian City and his wanderings resurfaced in his mind.


    "I wonder where Junior Sister is now..."


    Mo Hua sighed, but eventually, he shook his head, quietly buried the thoughts of his Junior Sister in his heart, and then continued to diligently practice Cultivation, to diligently study Formations...


    ...


    The scenery of Taixu Gate was ancient and beautiful.


    Thousands of disciples practice their Cultivation here.


    Besides those in Taiyi Residence, there were many Proud Sons of Heaven; Mo Hua wasn¡¯t familiar with them, he hadn¡¯t even met some of them.


    Amongst them were those with prestigious backgrounds, those who attracted attention with their talent, as well as stunningly beautiful female disciples...


    These Proud Son of Heaven disciples, gathered together, competing against each other.


    Occasionally, they would become jealous and create storms of conflict.


    But all this had nothing to do with Mo Hua.


    Striving to improve his Cultivation, to enhance his Divine Consciousness, learning higher and more profound Formations!


    This was what he needed to do!


    He didn¡¯t care much about the rest. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua continued his day-to-day practice of Cultivation and study of Formations in silence.


    And his Divine Consciousness, unknown to him, had quietly broken through the shackles of fourteen Patterns, reaching fifteen...


    Fifteen Patterns, a level of Divine Consciousness only attainable by Cultivators in the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, a small accomplishment in Cultivation.


    And with Sixteen-Pattern Divine Consciousness, one could learn Second Grade Middle Stage Formations.


    From fifteen to sixteen Patterns, it was only one step away!


    Mo Hua felt a bit excited, he thought for a moment, then went to Elder Master Xun and tentatively asked,


    "Elder Master, can I study... formations for fifteen Patterns?"


    Elder Master Xun had a moment of stupor.


    He had previously anticipated that the formations of fourteen Patterns would be enough for Mo Hua to study for a while, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be merely "a while."


    This "while" was far too short...


    He even felt that it was not long ago that he had just taught Mo Hua the formations of fourteen Patterns.


    Before he knew it, Mo Hua was already about to learn the sixteen-pattern formations...


    Elder Master Xun fell silent for a long time before slowly nodding, "Alright, but don¡¯t rush it. First, stabilize your foundation."


    "Mhm!" Mo Hua nodded.


    After Mo Hua took his leave, Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression turned grave, his gaze heavy with contemplation.


    He felt that this child, Mo Hua... had become somewhat terrifying...


    This was no longer about whether one can learn formations quickly or well.


    Such super rank Divine Consciousness, growing at such an alarming rate, was simply inconceivable, unheard of...


    If he continued learning in this unrestrained manner, he truly feared the cultivation of formations would produce an unprecedented "Little Evil Monster"...


    "But..."


    Elder Master Xun frowned.


    Learning too quickly was definitely not a good thing.


    The tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.


    But now, Mo Hua was probably no longer just "standing out in the forest". If he continued to grow at this insane rate, his branches would soon surpass the mountain peak, reaching for the skies.


    Too conspicuous.


    Going on like this, the child would surely become an object of jealousy among noble clans, envy among his peers, and coveted by the Demon Gate.


    If he truly turned to the Demon Path, those deranged old demons had ten thousand ways to spur hisuncontrolled growth and turn him into a thoroughly crazy "Little Demon King"...


    There were precedents for such things...


    A Formation Master with powerful Divine Consciousness who turned to the Demon Path was truly terrifying...


    And once he turned to the Demon Path, his Taoist Foundation would surely be destroyed.


    He might seem to grow stronger, but he would be cutting himself off from the Great Dao, doomed to become a flesh puppet of the Demon Path for life.


    As for the noble clans...


    Mo Hua himself had no bloodline of any noble clan.


    He only had two choices: either become a lackey for a noble clan, turning into their hawk dog for profits,


    Or, he would undoubtedly face ostracization by the noble clans.


    If he had a virtuous nature and a broad mind and acted against the interests of the noble clans, he could even be jointly suppressed and killed by the noble clans of Qian State.


    The Sect...


    The Sect could be his shelter.


    But the foundation of the Sect was also people.


    The problem for Mo Hua was that he had not been in the sect for long, his foundations were shallow, and even if there was some comradery among fellow sect members, it was ultimately too superficial.


    Time reveals a person¡¯s heart; adversity shows their true nature.


    Only through a long association and shared difficulties can genuine bonds be formed.


    With the current level of fellowship, no sect disciple would truly risk their life in a crisis to help him...


    Continuing this way, Mo Hua could easily end up isolated and become a pawn in the struggles of the Demon Gate or even the noble clans...


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s brows furrowed ever tighter.


    "I need to think of a solution..."


    But at that moment, he had no good ideas.


    During the next formation lesson, Elder Master Xun was somewhat distracted, looking at Mo Hua who was innocent and lively, obedient yet earnest.


    He felt regret, heartache, and could hardly bear it.


    "What should be done with this child..."


    Elder Master Xun looked troubled.


    However, Mo Hua was confused, not understanding why Elder Master Xun was looking at him in such a way.


    It wasn¡¯t until the lesson had begun that Elder Master Xun shifted his gaze away from Mo Hua, spread out the lecture notes, put aside his worries, and prepared to explain the formations.


    Suddenly, an Inner Sect Elder knocked on the door from outside.


    Seeing Elder Master Xun frown at him, the elder felt immense pressure; he knew how much Elder Master Xun hated to be disturbed during his lectures.


    But he had to speak.


    "Elder Master Xun, there is an urgent matter for discussion in the back mountains."


    "The back mountains?"


    Elder Master Xun was momentarily stunned, then nodded, "I understand."


    The Inner Sect Elder, relieved, bowed and left.


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    Elder Master Xun was about to pause the class and assign some work for the disciples to study on their own, but as he was about to speak, he suddenly paused, a spark of inspiration in his eyes, then pointed to Mo Hua and said:


    "Mo Hua, you teach them!"


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    The other disciples present also opened their mouths wide, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

 Chapter 817: Junior Brother

    The Tao Teaching Room was filled with silence, then suddenly erupted into commotion.


    "Mo Hua teaching?"


    "How could he be the one teaching?"


    "¡­"


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s face darkened, and his gaze swept across the room.


    Intimidated by his authority, the disciples immediately settled down, no longer daring to whisper among themselves.


    Mo Hua spoke softly, "Elder Master, my teaching¡­ wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, right?"


    Elder Master Xun said indifferently, "It¡¯s very appropriate."


    A Formation Master with a solid foundation capable of drawing a Second-grade Mid-tier Array teaching a few First-grade Formation Methods, what¡¯s inappropriate about that?


    "But¡­"


    Mo Hua hesitated.


    Elder Master Xun gave Mo a meaningful look, "Teach well."


    Mo Hua was startled.


    He felt there was a deeper meaning to Elder Master Xun¡¯s words, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why at that moment¡­


    Seeing Elder Master Xun¡¯s uncompromising demeanor, Mo Hua had no choice but to bow and say,


    "Alright, sir."


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, handed a few handouts to Mo Hua, and instructed,


    "You just teach these two sets; teach boldly, don¡¯t worry."


    After speaking, Elder Master Xun stood up and left, his steps both ethereal and real, heading towards the back mountain.


    Inside the Tao Teaching Room, Mo Hua and a group of disciples were left looking at each other.


    Mo Hua felt awkward, but remembering Elder Master Xun¡¯s instructions, he stiffened his resolve, opened the handouts, but before he could say anything, a tall individual stood up.


    This big fellow, with the surname Cheng and given name Mo, was a Body Cultivator, quite tall. Though his name was Cheng Mo, he was talkative in daily life.


    Seeing Elder Master Xun had walked far away, Cheng Mo gathered his courage and said somewhat unconvinced,


    "Mo Hua, although we get along well, speaking solely on the matter, I¡¯m not convinced by you teaching me formation methods!"


    I, Cheng Mo, also have my pride!


    He silently added in his mind.


    The other disciples nodded in agreement.


    In their respective clans, they were all the "Proud Sons of Heaven." Having converged at Taixu Gate where such talents gathered, they had become more subdued, but arrogance lingered in their hearts.


    Elders and Instructors could preach and teach.


    But ordinary disciples had no right to teach them. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though Mo Hua was well-liked and they bore him no ill will, involving a matter akin to a "master-disciple" teaching, they couldn¡¯t help but feel skeptical and needed an explanation.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He actually preferred to keep a low profile, quietly cultivating and studying formation methods.


    But for some reason, Elder Master Xun chose this moment for him to stand out.


    However, regardless of the reason, now that it had come to this, Mo Hua was not afraid.


    In terms of formation methods, he had never feared anyone!


    Especially these fellow cultivators of the same age!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes carried a trace of the same disdain as Mr. Zhuang.


    "So you say, how do I qualify?"


    Cheng Mo¡¯s eyes narrowed, "Let¡¯s compare!"


    Mo Hua silently looked at him, "You?"


    Cheng Mo, seen under Mo¡¯s clear and slightly sharp gaze, suddenly felt a bit guilty.


    "I¡­ I¡­"


    He was quite familiar with Mo Hua and knew somewhat of Mo Hua¡¯s prowess in formation methods. He didn¡¯t know the exact extent, but it was certainly much better than his own.


    He had acted impulsively out of dissatisfaction, having spoken out without thinking.


    But to really compare formation methods with Mo Hua would be overestimating his abilities.


    In the Sect, his formation skills were not the worst, but definitely among the lowest.


    Comparing formations with Mo Hua was like comparing body refinement with him¡­


    At this moment, another disciple stepped up, "Since you¡¯re going to teach us, you naturally have to compare with all of us!"


    After speaking, he also felt a bit guilty.


    Even if they won by outnumbering him, it wouldn¡¯t be a noble victory.


    But Mo Hua carelessly said, "Alright, come at me altogether."


    The room suddenly fell silent.


    The disciples looked astonished; they did not expect Mo, who was usually gentle, to say something so "arrogant!"


    The crowd was instantly ignited.


    "Alright!"


    "We¡¯ll all compete together; let¡¯s see the real skills in formation methods!"


    "Little Mo Hua, I¡¯ll let you see, there are always higher skies!"


    "If you lose, you have to call us ¡¯Bro¡¯!"


    "Not just ¡¯Bro,¡¯ you should call us Big Senior Brother!"


    "Yes, you should call us Big! Senior! Brother!"


    ¡­


    Mo Hua pursed his lips, it was still uncertain who would be calling whom "Senior Brother."


    Comparing formation methods usually had its own rules.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t participated much in such formal competitions, just tested his skills a bit during his time in the Five Elements Sect.


    Although the forms were complex and varied greatly.


    Ultimately, it all came down to seeing who could draw faster, who could draw better, who could draw more difficult patterns.


    The current competition was similar.


    Moreover, since they were in the Tao Teaching Room and had classes, with limited time, they could only roughly compare, just to determine a winner.


    First, to see who could draw faster.


    But at this first step, the disciples froze.


    They had seen before, just how fast Mo Hua could draw formation methods.


    Flowing like moving clouds and flowing water, too fast for the eyes to follow; those small hands, marking patterns and points with ink, were so fast that they almost left afterimages...


    However, losing in skill doesn¡¯t mean losing in spirit!


    Even if they ultimately lost, they couldn¡¯t let their spirits weaken!


    Without trying, the outcome was still uncertain.


    Several disciples, who thought they were quite good with their speed in drawing formations, stepped forward "generously" and started comparing with Mo Hua on a huge Array Plate at the front podium¡­


    And then they were completely defeated.


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    They had barely finished less than half, and Mo Hua had already completed his, even sparing some effort, seemingly to save their face by deliberately slowing down a bit...


    The faces of several disciples turned ashen, ashamed to step down.


    Next, they compared who could draw better.


    On the same formation, whoever drew it more precisely, whose lines were more elegant, and whose foundations were deeper, won.

 Chapter 818: Junior Brother (2)

    All the disciples present had studied Formation, drawn Formation Patterns, and had some foundation; the quality of their work was obvious at a glance.


    Several other disciples, full of confidence, stepped forward.


    They too had received their clans¡¯ authentic Formation teachings, and the Formation methods they drew on the Array Plate were all neat and beautiful. After finishing, they were somewhat self-satisfied.


    However, a glance at the Formation method drawn by Mo Hua made them unavoidably distracted.


    The Formation Patterns were precise, not a hair out of place, as if they were directly transferred from Formation Books.


    Not only that, but the strokes were like silver hooks and iron paintings, strong and forceful.


    This was an Earth Series Formation.


    Mo Hua also casually channeled a trace of Earth Dao Meaning, so the entire Formation also settled with a broad and profound charm.


    Both form and spirit were complete.


    The meticulousness of the "form" could be achieved with effort, but the charm of the "spirit" was not something that could be simply drawn out.


    Needless to say, they knew they had lost.


    The last was about who could draw something more challenging.


    A disciple from a worldly family stepped forward, dressed in white, with a handsome appearance. Mo Hua remembered that this disciple was from the legitimate lineage of the Wen Clan of Qian State, called Wen Xuan.


    Wen Xuan¡¯s demeanor was calm as he dipped his brush in ink and began drawing a Second-grade Eleven Patterns Formation.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, while at the same time he felt moved.


    The descendants of noble clans indeed were extraordinary, as even at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, there were geniuses who could draw a Second-grade Eleven Patterns Formation.


    It really was quite remarkable...


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    If they were geniuses, then they should be well "nurtured" and encouraged.


    They needed to see a gap to fuel their drive to chase after it.


    But the gap couldn¡¯t be so vast that they would fall into despair and lose confidence in pursuing the Dao of Formation.


    Mo Hua considered this "with a heavy heart".


    After thinking it through, he casually chose a Second-grade Twelve Patterns Formation, slowing his pace and adopting a solemn expression, and "exerted all his effort" to draw it out.


    Seeing this, Wen Xuan¡¯s face turned ashen, and he gasped,


    "Twelve patterns..."


    After examining the Formation and then looking at Mo Hua, he conceded with a bow, "I admit defeat."


    But his gaze towards Mo Hua was bright with determination.


    In his eyes, a fierce ambition was kindled, seeing Mo Hua as his lifelong "rival".


    Mo Hua nodded his head with "satisfaction".


    With that, the competition was mostly concluded.


    All the disciples fell silent.


    Without a competition, they had never known, but after truly facing off, they realized they really couldn¡¯t win against Mo Hua in the realm of Formation...


    For those not specializing in Formation, with only a superficial understanding of it, the competition seemed to end too quickly.


    A group of disciples went up, drew a Formation, then stepped down, some even realizing they had lost before they finished drawing.


    Going up quickly and coming down just as fast meant they lost just as swiftly.


    Only those who truly mastered Formation knew the vast gap that lay between them...


    They vaguely felt there was a deep chasm between themselves and Mo Hua, constructed by Formation.


    This chasm seemed just within reach, yet it also appeared impossible to cross.


    And if you weren¡¯t careful, you might fall into it and drown...


    The usually amiable Mo Hua for the first time appeared "unfathomably deep" in their eyes...


    But Mo Hua felt the contest had been too brief.


    He had hardly exerted himself.


    Seeing no one speaking, Mo Hua looked around curiously and asked,


    "Any more challengers?"


    The disciples were taken aback, followed by a mix of shame and "humiliation" as they looked at Mo Hua.


    It was as if Mo Hua was a very nasty, yet unbeatable "little demon king".


    At that moment, another disciple with a stern face and a serious expression, as if disapproving of Mo Hua¡¯s "misdeeds," stood up.


    "I¡¯ll do it!"


    Mo Hua found him somewhat familiar, but didn¡¯t know his name.


    The disciple said, "My surname is Zheng, given name Fang, from the Zheng Family of Zhen State."


    "Zheng Fang?"


    Mo Hua remembered, then asked, "What do you want to compete in?"


    Zheng Fang shook his head, "In the matter of Formation, I concede I am not your equal, but I cannot accept my heart being unsatisfied if you teach me, so, I want to test you." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Test me?"


    "Yes," Zheng Fang nodded, "My family possesses a set of secret Formation techniques. I¡¯ll draw it for you once, and you must reproduce it within two hours."


    "If you do it, I will acknowledge that your aptitude in Formation is exceptional, your understanding profound, and you are indeed qualified to teach us!"


    "I am testing your insight!"


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, his expression one of surprise and disbelief.


    Test me like this?


    And such good fortune?!


    You foolish child, are you testing me, or simply gifting me your family¡¯s secret Formation?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled, but he tried his best to not appear too delighted, keeping a stern face and saying seriously,


    "Yes, it is necessary to test me!"


    "Good!"


    Zheng Fang said solemnly, then moved to the Array Plate and said in an unfriendly tone,


    "This Formation, although only First Grade and an entry-level one, is nevertheless my Zheng Family¡¯s exclusive Formation. I won¡¯t tell you its name, I will only draw it once, and if you can¡¯t learn it, then just admit defeat honestly!"


    "Mhm, mhm!"


    Mo Hua nodded eagerly, filled with anticipation.


    Zheng Fang began to draw.


    As soon as the first stroke landed, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Thunder Pattern!


    "This is¡­Thunder Pattern?"


    The Thunder Pattern from the Eight Trigrams Formation?!


    The secret Formation of the Zheng Family was actually¡­ the rare Eight Trigrams Thunder Formation?!


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Other disciples with wider experience were also astonished,


    "This is a Thunder Series Formation?"


    "It¡¯s difficult to learn¡­"


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    "Even if Mo Hua has superb insight, he couldn¡¯t possibly learn it in two hours..."


    "Exactly, exactly."


    "But isn¡¯t this a bit underhanded..."


    "It seems a little like victory without honor¡­"

 Chapter 819: Junior Brother (3)

    "How could this be? He¡¯s the one who boastfully offered to teach us the Formation!"


    "But... speaking of which, it was Elder Master Xun who asked him to teach, and he surely couldn¡¯t defy the elder, could he..."


    "Now that you mention it..."


    "It seems to make sense..."


    "It¡¯s not Mo Hua¡¯s fault..."


    "You conceded, whose side are you on anyway? Have you no principles? Have you no stance?!"


    ...


    The disciples were chattering among themselves.


    Mo Hua, however, concentrated intensely, his Divine Sense operating swiftly, calculating the trajectory of the Formation drawn by Zheng Fang in his Sea of Consciousness.


    Every stroke and Pattern Zheng Fang drew was deconstructed and calculated by Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, thereby transformed into a more essential trajectory of Spiritual Power.


    The Formation, stroke by stroke, was also gradually reconstructed in his Sea of Consciousness, becoming clearer by the moment¡­


    And little by little, it formed the full scope of the Formation.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    This was a very special Thunder Formation...


    The trajectory of the Spiritual Power was gentle, seemingly not intended for slaughter...


    Moreover, the configuration of the Formation Patterns was somewhat unconventional, differing somewhat from the Thunder Patterns Mo Hua had previously studied.


    The structure of the Formation Pivot¡­


    Mo Hua felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but upon closer consideration, he felt he had never seen it before¡­


    This was truly just a basic First Grade Nine Patterns Formation, yet the logic of the Formation felt unfamiliar.


    From just the Formation Diagram, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t determine what purpose this Formation served, and the principles of other related Formations were even more elusive.


    He didn¡¯t know the name nor the purpose¡­


    A nameless Thunder Formation¡­


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    It was no wonder Zheng Fang had presented it for him to study; even if he mastered it, he wouldn¡¯t understand the intricacies or specific functions of this Formation.


    Learning it would be learning in vain.


    Mo Hua remembered that Zheng Fang had mentioned that this was the Zheng Family¡¯s "entry-level" Formation.


    Did that mean that this Formation was only the basis?


    Were the real core Formations derived from this Thunder Formation base?


    Mo Hua silently looked at Zheng Fang and secretly tagged him in his mind as the "Gift Giving Child".


    While this First Grade nameless Thunder Formation felt unfamiliar and he knew nothing of its specifics,


    Based on Mo Hua¡¯s own experience and insight into Formations, it was actually not difficult to learn.


    Especially since he was skilled in Heavenly secret Calculation.


    Thus, when Zheng Fang finished drawing the Formation and turned around, confidently gazing at Mo Hua, Mo Hua picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and as effortlessly as a dragonfly touches water, he drew the Formation on the Array Plate, having already calculated it thoroughly after just one viewing.


    Zheng Fang¡¯s confident expression froze on his face as he looked at Mo Hua, as if he was seeing a little monster.


    "Did... you study this before?"


    Mo Hua honestly replied,


    "Only just learned it..."


    Zheng Fang opened his mouth, but ultimately, his expression resigned and dejected, he walked away.


    Mo Hua, however, opened up new lines of thought, looking at the assembled disciples with an expectant face, asking,


    "Anyone else want to test me?"


    Preferably with a somewhat difficult, rarer Formation that I haven¡¯t studied!


    Mo Hua hoped inwardly.


    But no one responded.


    Mo Hua asked again, yet still, no one spoke.


    Mo Hua somewhat regretted it.


    Had he known, he should have put on an act.


    Pretend he was "exhausting his mind," "putting forth all his effort," pondering deeply, barely managing to draw this Thunder System Formation¡­


    That would have been better for "fishing," learning more Formations.


    Miscalculated¡­


    Hasty¡­


    His own experience in Tao Cultivation was still shallow, he reminded himself to be more careful in the future¡­


    Mo Hua advised himself and then, on an off chance, asked again,


    "Anyone else¡­"


    Still, no one answered. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua sighed, then had no choice but to say,


    "Well then, I¡¯ll start teaching you..."


    The disciples in attendance were startled, then all slightly dissatisfied, their faces reddening slightly.


    But as things stood, they had no choice but to quietly lower their heads and honestly accept Mo Hua¡¯s "teaching."


    "Alright, let¡¯s start the class!"


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was crisp.


    Afterward, Mo Hua began the lesson.


    The First-grade Formation Method was not difficult.


    Mo Hua taught it effortlessly.


    His proficiency in First-grade Formation Method was profound, making his teaching smooth and effortless.


    Occasionally, when there was a piece of Formation knowledge he understood but didn¡¯t know how to explain, he would remember Elder Master Xun and mimic him, explaining it simply and clearly for others.


    The other disciples, verbally and facially unconvinced, actually accepted internally.


    They also knew that Mo Hua¡¯s level in Formation was indeed much higher than theirs.


    So even though they all had stern faces and acted haughtily, they still absorbed what Mo Hua taught.


    Moreover, even Elder Master Xun, though profoundly skilled in Formation, precisely because of his profound skill, sometimes skipped over explaining some basic concepts in detail.


    Mo Hua was different.


    He had only studied up to First and Second Grade Formations, with a solid foundation, so his insights made it easier for disciples at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment to understand.


    Additionally, Elder Master Xun was strict and stubborn.


    Mo Hua, however, was affable and approachable.


    Thus, unbeknownst to them, all the disciples in the Tao Teaching Room who were sincerely focused on learning and wanted to improve their skill in Formation began to earnestly listen to Mo Hua¡¯s lectures.


    Mo Hua stood before the lectern, relaxed and unhurried, speaking effortlessly.


    His demeanor and grace resembled that of a "Little Instructor"¡­


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    He did not know how long time had passed, when Elder Master Xun returned and saw the scene in the Tao Teaching Room, his expression revealing slight astonishment.


    It was within his expectations that there would be many who opposed Mo Hua teaching these disciples.


    These problems were definitely for Mo Hua to resolve on his own.


    Whether he could "convince everyone" depended on Mo Hua¡¯s own capabilities, and it was not for him to interfere.

 Chapter 820: Junior Brother (4)

    Elder Master Xun had not expected that Mo Hua would resolve the situation so quickly, that these proud students would comply so obediently...


    Elder Master Xun pondered for a moment and then nodded in approval.


    He did not disturb Mo Hua but simply left.


    ... S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since then, whenever there was a matter to attend to, Elder Master Xun let Mo Hua "substitute teach."


    Sometimes, even when there was no particular need, Elder Master Xun would take a lazy "sick day" and let Mo Hua take over, teaching the room full of disciples.


    A "disciple" teaching Formation to other disciples.


    This matter quickly came to the knowledge of the elders of the Taixu Gate.


    The families of Qian State backing some disciples also became aware of this and, mainly harboring dissatisfaction, they exerted pressure on some authoritative elders of the Taixu Gate to confront Elder Master Xun for an explanation.


    Several True Transmission Elders, reluctantly yet unavoidably, approached Elder Master Xun and tentatively said,


    "Old sir, about this matter...is it perhaps, against the rules?"


    Elder Master Xun lowered his head to sip his tea, not even raising his eyelids, "What rules?"


    "This..."


    The elders hesitated.


    What could they say...


    Many rules of the Taixu Gate were established with this Ancestor¡¯s involvement.


    How could they dare speak of rules before him...


    However, Elder Master Xun, unlike other ancestors who secluded themselves for cultivation or stayed behind the scenes, devoted himself to the principle of "preaching and teaching." At his considerable age, he continued to personally teach Formations. Although he was stubbornly eccentric and somewhat grumpy, he did not put on airs, and that was why they dared to speak up this much.


    One elder, after a moment of deep thought, whispered:


    "Having a disciple teach other disciples...this is rather improper, not quite in accordance with tradition..."


    "Not proper, not conforming to tradition..." Elder Master Xun muttered, then after a moment of frowning and pondering, he nodded, "Indeed, it is not proper or traditional."


    The elder¡¯s eyes lit up, "In that case..."


    "In that case," Elder Master Xun said, "just officially assign him the position of ¡¯Little Instructor,¡¯ and then it would be proper and traditional!"


    Little Instructor?!


    The elder¡¯s heart sank, hurriedly saying:


    "Old sir, this¡­a fresh Outer Gate disciple taking on the role of ¡¯Little Instructor,¡¯ there¡¯s no precedent for this within the Taixu Gate..."


    "Isn¡¯t there one now..." Elder Master Xun nodded, "Precedent? Well, someone always has to be the first."


    "This, this can¡¯t be done..."


    The other elders also said, "Old sir, this action is inappropriate..."


    "It¡¯s really quite...unprecedented."


    "Forgive this junior¡¯s disrespect¡­but this seems somewhat...trifling..."


    "Such a role as ¡¯Little Instructor¡¯ just can¡¯t be established..."


    The group of True Transmission Elders buzzed with discussion.


    Elder Master Xun took a sip of tea, sighed, and said, "I am not unreasonable, and since all of you oppose it, let¡¯s compromise. We won¡¯t make him ¡¯Little Instructor.¡¯ Let¡¯s slightly elevate his rank, make him a ¡¯Junior Brother¡¯ instead..."


    The other True Transmission Elders froze, hearts skipping a beat.


    Uh-oh, this was a trap.


    Elder Master Xun was retreating tactically; his original plan likely wasn¡¯t "Little Instructor" at all...


    A True Transmission Elder bit the bullet, still wanting to oppose.


    "This fearsome...still seems..."


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression darkened, slightly angry he said:


    "What do you mean?"


    "I¡¯ve already compromised enough. If not ¡¯Little Instructor,¡¯ then fine, but a ¡¯Junior Brother,¡¯ just a little oral rank, without a real position, and you still have objections?"


    "Do you think I¡¯ve become old and my words hold no weight?"


    The group of True Transmission Elders felt bitter, cold sweat forming on their foreheads, finally resorting to flattering:


    "Old sir is right, it¡¯s just a title of ¡¯Junior Brother¡¯ after all..."


    At this point, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and say:


    "...let¡¯s do it then!"


    Elder Master Xun was finally satisfied, nodded, waved his hand, and started shooing people away:


    "Dismiss, dismiss, it¡¯s just a trivial matter, making a big fuss..."


    "This matter is thus settled!"


    The group of True Transmission Elders smiled bitterly but had no choice but to accept it.


    During the next Formation class, Elder Master Xun called Mo Hua to the podium and told the disciples below:


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    "In the outside world, each of you have your opinions, and I do not interfere..."


    "But from now on, in this Tao Teaching Room devoted to teaching Formations..."


    Elder Master Xun pointed at Mo Hua, his voice old but firm, "all you disciples...must address him as¡ª"


    "Junior Brother!"

 Chapter 821: Merit Points

    Mo Hua was still somewhat uncomfortable being called "Junior Brother" by a group of fellow disciples, some about the same age, others one or two years older, and some who at least appeared quite a bit older than himself.


    These disciples called him "Junior Brother" awkwardly, as though they were ashamed, in hushed voices like mosquitoes, for fear of being overheard.


    But this was Elder Master Xun¡¯s intent.


    Elder Master Xun, a man of great virtue and esteem, had words that even some of the True Transmission Elders of the Inner Gate dared not lightly disobey.


    Let alone these newly admitted Outer Gate disciples.


    However, familiarity came with repetition.


    After calling him that enough times, they got used to it.


    The more they said it, the more fluent they became.


    But some, deep down, were still resentful.


    Occasionally, "thorns" would find an excuse to "challenge" Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t take them to heart, though; he didn¡¯t need to make much of an effort. He simply leveraged Elder Master Xun¡¯s reputation and his authority as "Junior Brother" to assign them extra Formation homework.


    These "thorn" disciples would immediately behave themselves.


    A Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense ranged between Ten Patterns to Thirteen Stripes.


    These disciples, newly entering Foundation Establishment, mostly only had Divine Senses of Ten or Eleven Patterns. Drawing one or two Formations was bearable, but doing more was truly "excruciating."


    Mo Hua drew Formations every day and thus had an exceedingly precise grasp on Divine Sense capacity.


    The homework he assigned was just enough for them to manage to complete; although it was very strenuous and painful, it wouldn¡¯t damage their Sea of Consciousness.


    It was a minor lesson.


    Overawed by Elder Master Xun¡¯s authority, they dared not shirk their duties.


    After Mo Hua had dealt with them in such a manner several times, no disciple dared to publicly challenge his "dignity" anymore.


    Over time, Mo Hua¡¯s identity as "Junior Brother" was gradually accepted by the disciples.


    Even though he was called "Junior Brother," Mo Hua carried no airs; he treated others and went about his tasks in the same way as before.


    More and more disciples began to seek Mo Hua¡¯s advice on Formations, secretly approaching him during breaks or after class.


    Some had confusion over Formations that they couldn¡¯t clarify during lessons and were too scared to ask Elder Master Xun, so they came to ask Mo Hua instead.


    Mo Hua was far more approachable than Elder Master Xun.


    And when others sought instruction in Formations, Mo Hua would share everything he knew without reservation.


    He still remembered Instructor Yan¡¯s admonition:


    "Formations are like water; to flourish for ages, they must be passed down¡­"


    Selfishly hoarding knowledge would only cause Formations containing elements of the Great Dao to decay into stagnation.


    Thus, Mo Hua sincerely offered his teachings to those truly eager to learn about Formations, providing complete and attentive explanations.


    Having benefited from Mo Hua¡¯s preaching, the disciples found the term "Junior Brother" even more natural to utter.


    As Elder Master Xun became increasingly "lazy," Mo Hua¡¯s teaching duties also increased, thus solidifying his relationship with his fellow sect disciples.


    Their comradeship, half mentorship, and half friendship, deepened as well.


    Elder Master Xun silently observed all this and felt reassured.


    With these bonds, Mo Hua was gradually laying down roots within Taixu Gate.


    As time went by, the bonds deepened, and his foundation grew firmer.


    However, the number of people was still lacking...


    Taiyi Residence had only nearly a hundred disciples, and only these nearly hundred would call Mo Hua "Junior Brother" when they attended the Formation classes together.


    But there were nearly a thousand Proud Sons of Heaven in this cohort.


    Those not in the same Tao Teaching Room naturally wouldn¡¯t be taught by Mo Hua...


    Elder Master Xun thought to himself:


    "In the future, I must find an opportunity to have all the disciples of this cohort attend Mo Hua¡¯s ¡¯classes¡¯ and call out ¡¯Junior Brother¡¯..."


    Not a single one should be left out!


    Elder Master Xun was very far-sighted.


    The foundation of the Sect was people, those disciples who carried on its tradition.


    The bond with the sect¡¯s disciples was equivalent to a bond with the sect itself.


    Taixu Gate, being one of the Eight Great Gates, had sect disciples who, although not as numerous as those of the Four Great Sects, were still considered elite within the states of the Cultivation World.


    Having good relations with his fellow disciples, when Mo Hua eventually left the sect to traverse the world, he would naturally have a network.


    All throughout the Nine State would be fellow sect members, and friends would greet him everywhere.


    Being called "Junior Brother" wherever he went, his endeavors would be more convenient.


    With the support of his fellow sect members, he wouldn¡¯t forget the Sect¡¯s bond of fellowship.


    With the Sect as his backbone and the help of fellow sect members, even if he was alone in the future, he wouldn¡¯t fear the suppression of Noble Clans or the allure of the Demon Sect.


    Only then would he have the confidence to maintain his original intention, avoid deviant paths, and seek the true Great Dao...


    Elder Master Xun nodded with a profound look in his eyes.


    Then he seemed to remember something, furrowing his brow, realizing another issue:


    "While it¡¯s true that people are the foundation of the Sect, the Sect itself has an established tradition..."


    "The rules of the Sect must still be upheld, and the disciples must be made aware of their tradition of inheritance."


    "What comes too easily is often not appreciated..."


    "I shouldn¡¯t be overly partial to this boy; that could rob him of the opportunity to be tempered..."


    "The necessary hardships must still be endured..."


    Elder Master Xun arched his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was unaware of Elder Master Xun¡¯s painstaking intentions.


    He was busy every day with cultivation, teaching classes, and then taking responsibility to "lecture," and in the little free time he had left, studying Formations.


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    Mo Hua was now learning a Formation called the "Rain Formation."


    This was an Eight Trigrams Formation of the Water element, Second Grade with Fifteen Patterns, and was the most challenging Formation he had learned so far with the limit of his Divine Sense.


    This Formation was also given to him by Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun seemed to want Mo Hua to cultivate a kind nature and a gentle approach to Formations, so what followed were Formations of Water and Wood or Earth and Stone, those that nourish all beings and promote the industry of Tao Cultivation.


    S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 822: Merit Points (2)

    Chapter 822: Chapter 598 Merit Points_2 Chapter 822: Chapter 598 Merit Points_2 ¡°`


    There wasn¡¯t a Killing Formation.


    Mo Hua, having arrived, settled in and decided that having something to study was good enough.


    Taixu Gate had a peaceful atmosphere; there were no Sin Cultivators, no Demon Cultivators, no slave traders, and nothing of the sort like Evil Fiends, so he temporarily had no use for a Killing Formation.


    His main goal was to enhance his Divine Sense through learning Formations.


    Then, after enhancing his Divine Sense, he would learn even more difficult Formations¡­


    In this way, his Divine Sense and Formation skills would complement each other and progress side by side.


    His breakthrough in cultivation was also closely related to his Divine Sense and Formation skills.


    ...


    He practiced the Heaven Yan Jue, where the bottleneck lay in Divine Sense, needing to solve Mystery Formations, especially when making a breakthrough in major realms, where he had to solve the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    This time, when making his breakthrough, Uncle wouldn¡¯t be helping him anymore.


    It seemed he would have to rely on himself, so his Divine Sense must be strong, and his Formation skills precise.


    All of the spells he knew also depended on the strength of his Divine Sense.


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao, Divine Sense was the foundation.


    As for cultivation, it had always been about gradual accumulation; success would come when conditions were ripe, and it could not be hurried.


    Mo Hua¡¯s current plan was to learn Fifteen-pattern Formations, honing his Divine Sense to Sixteen Patterns, or even higher, so that when it came time to advance his cultivation, his bottlenecks would be easier to break through.


    He would start with Fifteen-pattern Formations, then move on to Sixteen Patterns, and then to Seventeen Patterns, continuing to learn like this¡­


    However, half a month later, Elder Master Xun told Mo Hua that there were no more Formations for him to learn.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Elder Master Xun sighed, ¡°I forgot to tell you before, but Taixu Gate has its rules too.¡±


    "Rules?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked.


    "Rules!¡± Elder Master Xun emphasized before patiently explaining to Mo Hua.


    "This rule was set by the Ancestors, and I can¡¯t change it


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling it was reasonable, not realizing that Elder Master Xun himself was one of the ¡°Ancestors¡± he mentioned.


    Elder Master Xun continued:


    "The Formations taught in class are decided by the Sect and are taught to you for free


    "But the Formations outside of class, theoretically, come at a cost.¡±


    "Especially since you¡¯ve just started and are at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, the Formations you learn in theory should not exceed Eleven Patterns.¡±


    "Formations of twelve or thirteen patterns, even if learned quickly, are something you¡¯d only be taught in the next year or the year after.¡±


    "And even then, it¡¯s not mandatory.¡±


    "Usually, a Formation Master at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, even at the peak, would find learning a Twelve-pattern Formation quite difficult, let alone Thirteen Patterns


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua, ¡°So the Formations you¡¯ve learned, Fourteen and Fifteen Patterns, are seriously beyond what¡¯s required, and it was an exception I made to teach you.¡±


    Mo Hua was touched and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Master Xun!¡±


    Then he became worried, ¡°You¡¯re not going to settle the score afterwards and make me pay with Spirit Stones, are you?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how many Spirit Stones a Second-grade Fourteen-pattern and Fifteen-pattern Formation would cost.


    But the sort of Formations kept by the Sect, legitimate Eight Trigrams series Formations, presumably would not be cheap¡­


    Mainly because he learned a lot.


    Unconsciously, Elder Master Xun had already given him quite a few Formation Diagrams. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was only one Rain Formation at Fifteen Patterns, but Mo Hua had learned a heap of Thirteen and Fourteen-pattern Formations.


    If he had to retroactively pay with Spirit Stones, his modest savings would be instantly ¡°bankrupt.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, somewhat worried.


    Elder Master Xun silently looked at Mo Hua for a moment before speaking up:


    "That won¡¯t be necessary; since I gave them to you, you can study in peace without paying any Spirit Stones.


    In Taixu Gate, the Sect¡¯s inheritance isn¡¯t bought with Spirit Stones.¡±


    "Not with Spirit Stones?¡± Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    "Then what with?¡±


    Elder Master Xun said, ¡°Merit Points.¡±


    "Merit Points?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    No one had mentioned this to him when he joined¡­


    Elder Master Xun explained:


    "Merit Points refer to the disciple¡¯s contribution to the Sect, or accomplishments


    "Not only in Taixu Gate, but across the entire Qian Xue State Boundary, including the Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, Twelve Streams, Qian Learning Hundred Gates, and the thousands of Sects under the Hundred Gates all implement the ¡®Merit Points System¡¯.¡±


    "This was established by the ancestors of Qian Xue State Boundary to reform the Sects, enhance cohesion, level the disparity between rich and poor disciples, and give every disciple a chance to obtain cultivation resources to advance the status of the Sect.¡±


    "If disciples enter the Sect with too great a disparity in wealth and social standing, it inevitably leads to sycophancy and vain comparisons.¡±


    "The poor become servants of the rich; the powerless cling to the powerful.¡±


    "If so, the Sect would inevitably become a den of iniquity, with the Taoist Heart corrupted by fame and gain, no one sincerely pursuing the Dao.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, ¡°So that is why the Sect limits the amount of Spirit Stones a disciple can bring in when joining, and other items like Pills, Spiritual Artifacts, and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are also regulated


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Exactly, once you join the Sect, you naturally need to rely on your own efforts.¡±


    "Descendants of Noble Clans with good backgrounds also need to earn Merit Points with their own skills, exchanging them for cultivation resources, thus experiencing the difficulty of Tao Cultivation;¡±


    "Ordinary disciples from lesser backgrounds can also work hard to become self-reliant, earning Merit Points from the Sect to obtain Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures they can¡¯t get outside, thereby breaking through their realms and striving for the Great Dao


    It¡¯s just that¡­


    Nowadays, in these Eight Great Gates, such ¡°poorly born¡± disciples were becoming more and more rare¡­


    Elder Master Xun sighed slightly to himself.


    "Merit Points


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°So can these Merit Points be exchanged for good stuff?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Better than what you¡¯re thinking of


    ¡°`

 Chapter 823: Merit Points (3)

    Chapter 823: Chapter 598 Merit Points_3 Chapter 823: Chapter 598 Merit Points_3 Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly remembered the name:


    "The Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Art!¡±


    With enough merit points, could he obtain this extremely powerful Divine Thought Sword Technique, possibly hidden within the Taixu Gate?


    Mo Hua considered this and decided not to ask Elder Master Xun.


    Such matters should be kept secret¡­


    Just in case he told Elder Master Xun, who might ask how he knew about it, and if Mo Hua couldn¡¯t answer, or didn¡¯t answer well, he might inadvertently reveal the secret of the ¡°Heavenly Secret Calculation.¡±


    Besides, might he also be able to exchange for¡­


    A Second Grade Ultimate Formation?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up with anticipation.


    Elder Master Xun, unaware of Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, continued to explain:


    ¡°!Therefore, merit points are extremely important to sect disciples.¡±


    "The merit system of the sect also increases a disciple¡¯s loyalty and sense of belonging to the sect.¡±


    You make contributions to the sect, the sect rewards you, helping your cultivation.


    ...


    This mutual exchange deepens the relationship!


    In this world, emotions without interests are usually as ephemeral as flowers in a mirror, unable to withstand turmoil.


    Having lived for so long, Elder Master Xun naturally understood this truth.


    Mo Hua remembered something else and asked:


    "Elder, you mentioned that merit points are also related to one¡¯s position in the sect; does this refer to promotions from the Outer Gate to the Inner Gate?¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked somewhat surprised but nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He pondered for a moment, then counter-asked Mo Hua:


    "Mo Hua, what do you think is more important for a sect when taking disciples ¨C talent or character?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Both talent and character are important, but character is actually more important than talent.¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded in agreement, ¡°Correct, it¡¯s just a pity that now when the sect takes on disciples, they only focus on talent, not character


    "Although it is said that the human heart is unpredictable and changing, those with bad character might not necessarily fail to turn from wickedness to righteousness, and those with good character could also become corrupted and adopt cunning schemes.¡±


    "As for talent, the good is good, and the bad is bad, it¡¯s straightforward and clear!¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "However, even so, cultivating without considering the heart is in vain.


    Having cultivation but lacking a firm heart, one can easily end up as a puppet controlled by others¡¯ Divine Thought


    Mo Hua nodded his head in deep agreement.


    He had seen too many cultivators planted with the devil in their Taoist hearts by their Uncles and dying at their hands.


    Those with a steadfast mind could hold out for a while.


    But those with a shallow character could lash out in madness with just one glance from their Uncle¡­


    However¡­


    Why did Elder Master Xun suddenly bring up this matter?


    Mo Hua was puzzled and asked:


    "Elder, what does this have to do with merit points?¡±


    Elder Master Xun sighed deeply, recalling the past:


    "In the beginning, the sects of the Qian Xue State Boundary didn¡¯t have this merit point system, and back then, there were fewer rules, and taking in disciples heavily favored talent.¡±


    "A top top-grade or upper middle-grade Proud Son of Heaven would often be frantically vied for by numerous sects.¡±


    "Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Spiritual Energy, Dan, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures everything they wanted was provided to them, whatever they asked for, they received.¡±


    "But


    "This also made these Proud Sons of Heaven too arrogant, believing that everything they had was earnt through their own abilities, forgetting the sacrifices and benevolence of their sect.¡±


    "Ungrateful, betraying the sect, and even succumbing to demons such ¡®Proud Sons of Heaven¡¯ were not uncommon.¡±


    "The sects paid a heavy price, only to raise a group of ingrates.¡±


    "Later on, our predecessors reflected on these woes and established the ¡®merit¡¯ system, stating that no matter how good one¡¯s talent, to obtain true inheritance, they must have made substantial contributions to the sect.¡±


    "Outer Gate disciples seeking to advance to the Inner Gate must be evaluated not only for talent but also for their merit points.¡±


    "Inner Gate disciples, whether ordinary disciples or True Disciples, must have made certain contributions to the sect to qualify for promotion to Elder.¡±


    "In other words, as long as you make significant contributions to the sect, you can enter the Inner Gate, become a True Disciple, and even advance to become a True Transmission Elder, or even!¡±


    "Promote to Sect Leader!¡±


    Elder Master Xun spoke with fervor.


    After he finished, he glanced at Mo Hua and saw that Mo Hua simply nodded but did not show any eager expression, so he understood that Mo Hua had no interest in joining the Inner Gate.


    Joining the Inner Gate required taking a master.


    If Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to join the Inner Gate, it also meant that he did not want to give up his original mentorship.


    Even the possibility of becoming the Sect Leader of the Taixu Gate didn¡¯t seem to have much appeal to him.


    This also meant that the boy truly had a mentorship.


    And he valued loyalty and integrity, only recognizing his first Master.


    Elder Master Xun felt a bit regretful but also admired Mo Hua¡¯s sentiments.


    Elder Master Xun then added a few more words, finishing his explanation about the origin and purpose of the merit system, before saying:


    "Therefore, from now on, if you want to learn Formation, you¡¯ll have to make some contributions to the sect.


    Once you¡¯ve earned enough merit points, you can then exchange them for those Fifteen Pattern, Sixteen Pattern, or even higher-grade Formation Diagrams.¡±


    Mo Hua thought it over and felt it was fair.


    Nothing in the world comes for free.


    The sect couldn¡¯t just let its members shear it without giving anything in return.


    If there were too many disciples like himself, the sect might be sheared to the bone, sheared out of existence, and that would be problematic!


    Mo Hua nodded and asked:


    "Elder, how can I earn these merit points?¡±


    Elder Master Xun saw that Mo Hua showed no discontent and nodded slightly, explaining:


    "Achieving ¡®A¡¯ grades in various sect classes can grant you some merit points!¡±


    "Refining Artifacts, Alchemy, Refining Rune, Drawing Formation for the sect can also be converted into merit points!¡±


    "At major Qian Xue events, such as Taoist debates and sword tournaments, achieving a ranking awards merit points!¡±


    "In addition, the sect will have certain tasks, such as collaborating with the Taoist Court to capture Sin Cultivators, Evil Cultivators, Demon Cultivators, and so on, which will also count as contributions to the sect¡¯s merit points!¡±

 Chapter 824: Merit Points (4)

    Chapter 824: Chapter 598 Merit Points _4 Chapter 824: Chapter 598 Merit Points _4 ¡°Of course, such things are too bloody and dangerous, you can¡¯t do them now


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun said a lot.


    Mo Hua silently took note of it all and then asked with confusion, ¡°Elder Master, what you¡¯ve mentioned, how come I didn¡¯t know any of it before


    Elder Master Xun raised an eyebrow and replied, ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t have the authority to know.¡±


    "Authority?¡±


    Elder Master Xun pointed at Mo Hua¡¯s waist.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, ¡°The Taixu Token?¡±


    "Correct,¡± said Elder Master Xun.


    "When you first joined, someone must have told you that the Taixu Token is extremely important and that you should not lose it


    "Not only do you need to use the Taixu Token for cultivation lessons and entering or exiting the Sect, but more importantly


    "The Taixu Token determines your authority within the Sect!¡±


    "When you first joined, this Taixu Token was just the initial one.


    Aside from attending cultivation lessons and entering or exiting the Disciple¡¯s Residence, it basically has no authority whatsoever.¡±


    "Once you have been cultivating within the Sect for a full year, when the Sect has fully ¡®sounded out your depth,¡¯ only then will they unlock the real Taixu authorities for you


    "This is also known as ¡®Merit Points¡¯ authority.¡±


    "With authority, you will be able to undertake tasks on behalf of the Sect, as stipulated by the Taixu Token, earn Merit Points, and exchange them for a series of treasures held by the Taixu Gate, including Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Formation inheritances, as well as Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Objects, and other cultivation resources


    Mo Hua was somewhat shocked and then said with difficulty,


    "But I¡¯ve only been a part of the Sect for four or five months, I can¡¯t unlock the authority of the Taixu Token


    "No matter,¡± Elder Master Xun said, ¡°I¡¯ll unlock it for you in advance.¡±


    "Ah?¡± Mo Hua was stunned.


    "Can you unlock it in advance?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve been learning Formation with me for so long, that naturally counts as ¡®sounding out your depth.¡¯ Unlocking an authority in advance isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    "Hand me your Taixu Token,¡± ordered Elder Master Xun.


    ...


    Mo Hua respectfully passed his initial, somewhat simple Taixu Token, engraved only with a Sword Pattern, to Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun accepted it, his Divine Sense moved slightly, and a faint light flashed on the Taixu Token.


    Afterward, Elder Master Xun handed the Taixu Token back to Mo Hua, ¡°There, it¡¯s done.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Unlocking authority is that easy¡­


    He speculated in his heart, faintly guessing that Elder Master Xun must have used his Divine Sense to activate the Formation within the Taixu Token, altering its authority¡­


    But as for the specifics, Mo Hua, who was only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, still couldn¡¯t understand.


    Mo Hua took the Taixu Token and swept it with his Divine Sense.


    Indeed, he felt that his Taixu Token was different from before; it seemed to have acquired some new content.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t examined it in detail when another question came to mind.


    "Elder Master, you said the rules of the Sect cannot be changed


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Master Xun with doubtful eyes.


    "But what you¡¯re doing, isn¡¯t that also changing the rules?¡±


    Elder Master Xun hesitated.


    This kid, this little brain of his, how quickly it turns¡­


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression became serious.


    "No, it does not count!¡±


    "Really doesn¡¯t count?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded.


    "If I say it doesn¡¯t count, then it doesn¡¯t count!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say.


    But Elder Master Xun unlocking the authority of the Taixu Token for him was a good thing, so he didn¡¯t dwell on it any further¡­


    Whether it was against the rules or not, what would he, a disciple who had just joined, know?


    Holding the Taixu Token, Mo Hua looked forward with anticipation, thinking about scrutinizing it later to see what tasks were available and what good things he could exchange for¡­


    Elder Master Xun watched Mo Hua and gave one last piece of advice:


    "Cultivators should prioritize stability in their practice, and not aim too high or far S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Though I¡¯ve unlocked the authority for you, you¡¯ve only just joined, and your cultivation is still weak, with little experience


    "To begin with, take on some low-level, beginner tasks, like Drawing Formations, sweeping the Taoist Field, guarding the gate, and the like


    "Those tasks like pursuing Sin Cultivators, killing Evil Cultivators, subduing major and minor Demon Sects


    "You absolutely shouldn¡¯t take on such dangerous missions


    "Understood!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded obediently.

 Chapter 825: Large Formation

    Chapter 825: Chapter 599: Large Formation?


    Chapter 825: Chapter 599: Large Formation?


    Returning to his Disciple¡¯s Residence and locking the door, Mo Hua eagerly used his Divine Sense to check his Taixu Token, which now had Tao Cultivation privileges enabled.


    Within the Taixu Token was a void of white, yet dense and numerous characters surfaced.


    Some were about cultivation courses and sect rules, etc.


    Those were already there.


    But now, like ink sketches and natural pastel colors, two large sections of text had been added to the empty spaces of the Taixu Token.


    ...


    One section was the Bounty Scroll, the other the Merit Scroll.


    The Bounty Scroll recorded various sect missions.


    Missions were posted, and rewards of Merit Points were offered.


    The text was dense, stating mission objectives, general content, locations, danger levels, and the Merit Points for rewards.


    It also listed the requirements for accepting the bounties.


    For instance, the Cultivator¡¯s realm, Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, and specialty in Alchemy or Drawing Formation, etc.


    The Merit Scroll showed the assorted rewards one could exchange for Sect Merits.


    There were Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Formation Diagrams, Pill Recipes, Artifice Manuals, and secret Taixu Gate cultivation inheritances.


    There were also Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, and rare cultivation materials such as Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.


    For the convenience of disciples, some sword Spiritual Artifacts, Miracle Pills and Medicines, and some Lingzhi, Spirit Grass, Hibiscus, and Immortal Ginseng were even accompanied by small, colorful illustrations, which were intuitive and aesthetically pleasing, very considerate.


    Mo Hua guessed this Merit Scroll must be designed by some Female Elder within the sect.


    Meanwhile, his heart was also full of confusion.


    How on earth was such a thing within the Taixu Token created?


    This was somewhat contrary to his cultivation common sense. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had never seen such things before.


    These seemed to be things only accessible upon reaching Foundation Establishment, and not just any Foundation Establishment, but one within a grand inheritance like the Taixu Gate, where sect disciples would have such a ¡°Sect Token


    But what was the principle behind this Sect Token?


    "All things in the world are Taoist Skills, myriad phenomena and myriad Great Dao, turning complexity into simplicity, manifesting as Formations


    "So is this perhaps also some sort of Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a long while but still shook his head.


    He couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of Formation logic could construct such a peculiar and wondrous Merit Scroll within a tiny Token.


    Using ink to solidify characters, transmitting messages.


    And even using pigments to transform into images, bursting with color¡­


    But according to Mo Hua¡¯s intuition, these must all be superficial.


    It was most likely a type of Formation he had never seen or learned.


    It would require extremely special Formation Patterns, Formation Pivots, and Formation Eyes to construct the underlying basic Formation framework.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and suddenly had a thought.


    "Why not¡­


    Calculate it?¡±


    See if he could deduce anything from the Taixu Token¡­


    When he first enrolled, Mo Hua had glanced at the Taixu Token.


    But at that time, his access was extremely limited, his Divine Sense blocked by the Taixu Token, and with his shallow understanding of Formations, he couldn¡¯t make out anything.


    Now, after studying Formations with Elder Master Xun for nearly half a year,


    His Divine Sense had strengthened, his Array Formation Skill had deepened, and his experience with Formations had broadened.


    And at this moment, Elder Master Xun had opened up ¡°privileges¡± for him¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, he immediately sat up straight, his Divine Sense delving into the Taixu Token, examining the changes of various characters and ink paintings within.


    At the same time, his Divine Thoughts rapidly moved, following the Heavenly Secret Calculation method, trying to glimpse the essence beneath the words and images¡­


    The characters on the Taixu Token gradually blurred, the colorful patterns began to double.


    The facade of the Taixu Token dissipated bit by bit, revealing a faint and elusive essence¡­


    Between the vague glimpses, Mo Hua caught a clue.


    The ink characters and watercolor images were indeed appearances.


    The essence of these characters and images were Formation Patterns.


    All words and images were composed of simple, uniform, rigid yet orderly Formation Patterns, neatly arranged and combined into transformations.


    And these Formation Patterns were all controlled by Formation Pivots.


    All Formation Pivots were neat and precise, and like many rivers flowing into the sea, they converged into one overall, powerful Large Formation Pivot.


    This kind of Large Formation Pivot was extremely complex and massive.


    It was shrouded in a labyrinth of intricate and dense Formation ¡°cloaks,¡± forming an impenetrable defensive Formation barrier.


    In front of such a Formation Pivot, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense seemed insignificant and thin.


    As the Sea of Consciousness gradually waned, the Calculation came to an end, and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, being limited, could deduce no more¡­


    But he was profoundly shaken as a result.


    "This can¡¯t be¡­


    Also a Large Formation, can it?!¡±


    A Large Formation built by the Taixu Token!


    Every disciple in the Taixu Gate, each Taixu Token, was a Formation ¡°terminal,¡± then collectively linked to the Large Formation Pivot core ¡°core sequence¡± of the Taixu Gate.


    Thus, all Taixu Gate disciples, by virtue of the Taixu Token, could achieve ¡°information¡± sharing and Divine Sense letter transmission.


    This was another type of entirely different Large Formation.


    Unlike the outwardly powerful and majestic Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation,


    The Large Formation of the Taixu Token was one built within inches, a grand information sea and Divine Thought torrent encompassing everything.


    This¡­


    Was it also a kind of Great Dao of heaven and earth?


    Mo Hua¡¯s horizons widened, overwhelmed with shock, and then he couldn¡¯t help but silently contemplate:


    If¡­


    He learned this Large Formation¡­


    Deciphered the Formation Pivot barriers, took control of the Large Formation¡¯s ¡°core Formation Pivot


    Would he be able¡­


    To eavesdrop on all Elders and disciples in the Taixu Gate¡¯s communications?


    To peer into the core secrets of the Taixu Gate?

 Chapter 826: Large Formation (2)

    Chapter 826: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_2 Chapter 826: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_2 Furthermore, if he controlled the Large Formation, did it also imply¡­


    That he could tamper with the ¡°permissions¡± of Taixu?


    Grant himself ¡°authority¡±?


    Or even manually edit his own ¡°Merit Points¡±?


    What about exchanging Sect Treasures, Innate Spiritual Objects, and Divine Thought Sword Techniques at will?


    Endless Merit Points to spend for a lifetime?!


    ...


    ¡­


    Mo Hua opened his mouth wide.


    Evil little thoughts sprouted like mushrooms after the rain, one after another, ceaselessly popping up¡­


    He then shook his head solemnly and said,


    "No!¡±


    "I am now a dutiful little disciple of the Taixu Gate, I have principles, and I cannot do things that harm the Sect¡¯s interests or usurp its authority!¡±


    "Greed is a great taboo in Tao Cultivation!¡±


    Yet, his heart still fluttered with excitement.


    He couldn¡¯t steal from the Taixu Gate, but¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced.


    If Taixu Gate used this Formation System, it suggested that other Sects in the Qian Learning State Boundary might also use it.


    By extension¡­


    Even the larger, older, and more profound Sects with a longer history and deeper foundations likely had a Large Formation that integrated communication, rewards, and promotions all in one.


    Even if not a Large Formation, at a minimum it would be a Compound Formation.


    The scale may vary, but the type of Formation, framework logic, and underlying structure were bound to be the same.


    He didn¡¯t yet know how to operate this Formation,


    But with the Taixu Token right in front of him, once his Array Formation knowledge improved, his Divine Sense grew stronger, and his grasp on the Heavenly Secret Calculation became more proficient, he would eventually be able to deduce this entire Formation System¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel elated, then pondered,


    "I am a disciple of Taixu Gate, I can¡¯t do wrong by them


    "But other Sects¡­


    I¡¯m not their disciple


    "Some so-called Righteous Dao Sects don¡¯t do good deeds either


    "Moreover, in this world exist Demon Monsters, and Evil Sects like Corpse Gate


    "If in the future, I master this Large Formation


    Mo Hua¡¯s face broke into a sly smile, and he hummed inwardly,


    "All you Sects had better not offend me


    "Otherwise, if I ever happen upon your Sect Token, you¡¯ll be in for a ¡®great fortune


    ¡­


    Of course, that was still a bit early.


    Mo Hua put away his thoughts and began planning pragmatically.


    You have to eat your meal one bite at a time, walk the path step by step.


    Study the Taixu Token slowly.


    For now, he needed to accept Sect bounties, earn Merit Points, exchange them for Formations, and strengthen his Divine Sense.


    Once he accumulated enough Merit Points, gained more authority, he would then look at the higher-level Merit Scrolls to see if they contained the Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Art.


    And also¡­


    Formations capable of ¡°reversing life and death


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was determined.


    He then began to take on tasks.


    Remembering Elder Master Xun¡¯s advice, not to aim too high, he started by only accepting ¡°entry-level¡± tasks.


    "Accepting¡± tasks was a bidirectional affair.


    It required Mo Hua to apply, and others to agree.


    Within the Taixu Token, one could manifest characters with Divine Sense.


    There was a myriad of tasks on the bounty board, densely packed.


    If one wished to apply for a task, you¡¯d manifest your name with Divine Sense beneath it.


    This name contained some basic information about the disciple.


    Including one¡¯s cultivation realm, Cultivation Techniques, expertise in Taoist Skill, and the grade of their Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, and so forth.


    Exactly which details to show was up to the disciple to decide.


    The Cultivator posting the task would consider this information and carefully decide whether to let you undertake it.


    Only with mutual agreement could a contract be reached.


    Mo Hua, who was a ¡°newcomer¡± with prematurely accessed Taixu permissions thanks to Elder Master Xun¡¯s influence, even faced setbacks when attempting to accept even just ¡°entry-level¡± tasks via the Taixu Token.


    Watching the Sect gate¡­


    Others wouldn¡¯t have him, saying he was too young, his height and appearance even younger, which could lead to comments about Taixu Gate employing a schoolchild, not a good influence¡­


    Sweeping the Taoist Field¡­


    Mo Hua did sweep once.


    The Sect¡¯s steward thought he swept too slowly and, seeing his small arms and legs, didn¡¯t have the heart to let him keep sweeping, so thereafter he simply stopped giving him tasks¡­


    He didn¡¯t know Artifact Refining, Alchemy, or Refining Rune.


    The other rewards were even less achievable.


    So in the end, Mo Hua could only resort to Drawing Formations.


    "If I must draw Formations, so be it S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Originally hoping to experience other tasks, Mo Hua had no choice but to put aside those thoughts and focus on Drawing Formations.


    But he had oversimplified things.


    Sect tasks were essentially a kind of ¡°bounty.¡±


    These bounties were issued within the Taixu Gate by other neighboring Sects, the Taoist Court, and other allied forces or individual Cultivators.


    Demand generated the bounty.


    Others must need your formations for you to draw them.


    You don¡¯t get to draw whatever you please.


    This in itself was no issue.


    Mo Hua was extremely proficient in universal Five Elements Formation and reasonably skilled in the Eight Trigrams Array.


    Most of the ¡°bounties¡± in the Taixu Token for Secondary Stage Initial Grade, and even some Primary Stage above Formation-related tasks, Mo Hua was more than capable of handling, even with ¡°ease


    But he couldn¡¯t receive any!


    The Cultivators offering the bounties didn¡¯t choose him!


    Because Formation-related bounty tasks required one to look at the Formation Master¡¯s grade assigned by the Taoist Court.


    Those competing with Mo Hua were uniformly ¡°Second Grade Initial Stage,¡± ¡°Second Grade Middle Stage¡± Formation Masters¡­


    These Formation Masters, seniors by several terms, while Mo Hua, having passed only the First Grade Formation Master assessment, bore the title ¡°First Grade Formation Master,¡± and others simply didn¡¯t bother looking his way.

 Chapter 827: Large Formation (3)

    Chapter 827: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_3 Chapter 827: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_3 Even though Mo Hua had labeled himself ¡°Skilled in Formation,¡± no one believed him at all.


    His talents found no place to shine.


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    He could only turn back and take on some ¡°minor orders¡± for First-grade Formation Methods¡­


    These small orders were all for First-grade Formation Methods, basically unclaimed by anyone because the Merit Points offered were too few for a Second Rank Formation Master to bother with.


    First Rank Formation Masters, mostly just new disciples, for the most part, hadn¡¯t yet gained access to the Taixu Token privileges.


    So, these types of orders were only taken by a very few, budding Second Rank Formation Masters who would accept them to practice their skills.


    ...


    The title of ¡°First Rank Formation Master,¡± as assessed by the Taoist Court, carried a significant ¡°weight¡± when Mo Hua claimed rewards for First-grade Formation Methods.


    He didn¡¯t hold back, his Divine Sense swiftly scanned, and wherever he spotted ¡°First-grade Formation Method¡± in the bounty, he clicked on it, leaving behind his illustrious name:


    "Mo Hua!¡±


    After a while, the Taixu Token trembled slightly, seemingly with a notification.


    Mo Hua checked with his Divine Sense and, sure enough, some rewards had been accepted, while a few ¡°short-sighted¡± ones still rejected him.


    Mo Hua huffed.


    Today you dismiss me, tomorrow you¡¯ll be unable to reach me!


    Who would take these First-grade Formation assignments if not for ¡°a tiger fallen on flatlands¡±?


    Then Mo Hua scanned the Bounty Scroll again, applied for a few more First-grade Formation rewards, waited a bit, and some were agreed upon, some rejected.


    Mo Hua counted, in total, he had six First-grade Formation bounties.


    He wanted to take on more but realized he couldn¡¯t manifest the words with his Divine Sense anymore.


    After pondering a bit, he roughly understood why.


    This was him reaching the limit for bounties.


    A disciple could only take six assignments at a time.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    "But six is still okay, I guess.


    I¡¯ll finish these first


    Mo Hua tucked the Taixu Token into his Storage Bag and stood up, leaving the Disciple¡¯s Residence and, using the map of the Taixu Gate etched in his mind, found the location of the Merit Pavilion.


    The Taixu¡¯s Merit Pavilion managed the Merit Points system, responsible for dealing with the posting, acceptance, and reward distribution related to bounties.


    Sect bounties had to be accepted through the Taixu Token.


    But for some necessary procedures, and prize collection, one would have to visit the Merit Pavilion in person.


    The same was true for Drawing Formations.


    Mo Hua had to retrieve ink, paper, and basic Formation Diagrams from the Merit Pavilion.


    Of course, simple formations, or formations with special requirements, required others to supply the Formation Diagrams.


    For slightly more challenging, or rarer formations, the person Drawing the Formation would have to find a way to obtain the Formation Diagrams himself.


    Inside the Merit Pavilion, there were plenty of disciples bustling about.


    Mo Hua waited in line for a while, and when it was his turn, he approached the counter, displayed his Taixu Token, and said,


    "Elder, I¡¯m here to accept Formation assignments.¡±


    The Merit Elder was an old man, with grey and withered hair, but chubby.


    He checked Mo Hua¡¯s Taixu Token, and although looking somewhat puzzled, he still took out six Storage Bags and handed them to Mo Hua.


    Inside the Storage Bags were the ink and Formation Diagrams needed for the bounties.


    Mo Hua took the Storage Bags, turned around, and was about to leave.


    "Wait a moment


    The Merit Elder, eyeing Mo Hua, couldn¡¯t help but ask, sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How old are you?¡±


    "Fifteen!¡±


    "Fifteen the Merit Elder furrowed his brows, ¡°Then you must have just begun, not yet a year, how can you use the Taixu Token to accept assignments?¡±


    Mo Hua pinned it all on Elder Master Xun, ¡°Elder Master Xun urged me to undertake missions, earn Merit Points, and learn Formation Methods!¡±


    The Merit Elder was taken aback, ¡°Elder Master Xun?¡±


    Strange¡­


    Wasn¡¯t the old man always obstinate?


    How come he¡¯s bending the rules now?


    The Merit Elder looked at Mo Hua again, noticing the small figure laden with six Storage Bags and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    "Can you complete six Formation Methods?¡±


    "I can!¡± Mo Hua replied, ¡°I¡¯m very quick at Drawing Formations!¡±


    Drawing Formations quickly?


    How fast could a child that young be?


    The Merit Elder shook his head, not asking further, simply waved his hand, ¡°Alright then, go on and draw them.


    Don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew though; failing to complete assignments can negatively affect your reputation


    "Understood, Elder.¡±


    Mo Hua responded.


    The Merit Elder watched Mo Hua leave without giving it much thought.


    But after two hours, Mo Hua returned, placing the six Storage Bags on the table.


    "Elder, I¡¯ve finished.¡±


    The Merit Elder was astounded.


    Finished?


    He opened the Storage Bags and indeed they all contained First-grade Formations, some using paper as Formation media, others with Array Plates or Spiritual Artifact embryos.


    Each Formation was neat and precise, conforming strictly to standards, without a single error.


    "Truly finished so fast


    The Merit Elder was slightly surprised, but after reflecting, he found it unremarkable.


    After all, they were only First-grade Formations.


    The Merit Elder swept his Divine Sense over them, nodded, and said, ¡°Indeed, all are completed.


    Six First-grade Formations, in total nineteen Merit Points, have been added to your Taixu Token.¡±


    Mo Hua was delighted, and when his Divine Sense entered the Taixu, he indeed found a small number beneath his name:


    Nineteen.


    This meant he had earned nineteen Merit Points.


    "Alright, you The Merit Elder was about to say, ¡°You may go,¡± but then Mo Hua immediately interrupted,


    "Elder, please wait


    Mo Hua plunged his Divine Sense into the Taixu Token and after a moment, lifted his head and handed the Taixu Token back to the Merit Elder, ¡°I¡¯ve accepted some more


    The Merit Elder¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    This young boy isn¡¯t following the norms¡­


    Who accepts tasks like this?

 Chapter 828: Large Formation (4)

    Chapter 828: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_4 Chapter 828: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_4 ¡°`


    And you¡¯re so young, yet you take on so many Formation methods; aren¡¯t you afraid of overextending your Divine Sense¡­


    The Merit Elder hesitated for a moment, but seeing Mo Hua¡¯s spirits high and not showing signs of fatigue, he said nothing and handed several Storage Bags to Mo Hua¡¯s hands.


    Mo Hua walked away cheerfully.


    As he watched him go, the Merit Elder silently noted the name on his Taixu Token.


    ¡­


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua continued his Drawing Formation.


    But a First-grade Formation Method yielded too little Merit Points, usually just three or four, which accumulated too slowly.


    ...


    And the ones he wanted to exchange for, the Fifteen Patterns and Sixteen-Pattern Formations, each required several hundred Merit Points.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua drew them quickly, so he made decent progress initially.


    But gradually, his plan to accumulate Merit Points began to stall.


    Firstly, because he still had to attend Tao Cultivation classes and couldn¡¯t draw every day.


    At most, he could only draw for two hours.


    He also needed to practice the Fifteen Patterns Rain Formation to enhance his Divine Sense, so he didn¡¯t have much time.


    Another reason was that the number of bounties for First-grade Formation Methods in the Taixu Token became scarce.


    Disciples of Taixu Gate were all above Foundation Establishment, and the demand for First-grade Formation Methods was naturally not high.


    Since Mo Hua drew extremely fast, fulfilling five or six at a time and taking on many at once, the bounties for First-grade Formations were quickly finished by him.


    The remaining ones were sporadic, with maybe only one or two bounties available per day.


    And Mo Hua might not even be able to take them.


    Adding it up, that was two or three Merit Points a day.


    As slow as a tortoise crawling.


    Saving for a year might not even suffice to exchange for one Fifteen Patterns Formation.


    Mo Hua sighed and pondered with furrowed brows:


    "This won¡¯t do, it¡¯s too slow.


    I need to find a way to do some other tasks and quickly accumulate Merit Points to exchange for Formations


    "But how to do it S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was at a loss for a moment and then sank his Divine Sense into the Taixu Token, flipping through the Bounty Scroll for many days, and finally found a reliable method.


    With his low realm and shallow experience, he couldn¡¯t take on many bounties.


    But he could ¡°mix in¡± with the bounties!


    Some bounties couldn¡¯t be completed by a single person.


    After a leading disciple took it on, they would recruit three or four disciples to complete the mission collaboratively.


    After completion, Merit Points would be distributed based on contribution.


    There might be some discrepancies, but they wouldn¡¯t be too significant.


    Mo Hua glanced over and saw that some of the tougher tasks offered bounties of several hundred.


    If he mixed in, he could at least get several tens of Merit Points.


    That equated to what he would draw in a month of First-grade Formations.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he was ready to act.


    On the Taixu Token¡¯s Bounty Scroll, there would be recruitment messages attached.


    That is, someone takes on a bounty and needs to recruit others to complete it together.


    Mo Hua flipped through back and forth, his Divine Sense numbing from the search, and finally found a suitable task for himself on one of the recruitment messages:


    "On the ninth day of the fifth month, a Second Grade Diancang State Boundary chase for a Sin Cultivator


    "This Sin Cultivator is skilled in Formation methods and adept at setting them up, which makes him difficult to deal with.¡±


    "One of our Fellow Formation Masters is needed for assistance, Second Grade Initial Stage preferred, but if one has exquisite Formation skills and self-protection capability, First Grade is acceptable


    "Merit Points will be distributed based on contribution after success, starting from one hundred points


    ¡­


    Mo Hua took another careful look.


    "Self-protection capability,¡± ¡°First Grade is acceptable


    Isn¡¯t that describing himself?


    And starting from one hundred Merit Points!


    Mo Hua was delighted and left his name neatly on the recruitment notice:


    "Mo Hua.¡±


    He then thought for a moment and added afterward:


    "Capable of concealment, has self-protection capability


    "Very skilled at Formation methods!¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 829: Water Prison Technique

    Chapter 829: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique Chapter 829: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique Mo Hua left his name and then waited expectantly.


    Finally, after the time it took an incense stick to burn, the Taixu Token vibrated slightly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s application had been accepted.


    One hundred Merit Points!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Afterward, he began to prepare for the bounty task regarding ¡°that I could pass the test.¡±


    He packed some Spirit Stones, some Spiritual Ink, and his ¡°hidden¡± little cloak.


    Though the Thousand Jun Stick was not of much use anymore, it had been with him for so long, so he decided to bring it anyway.


    ...


    Besides, within the Diancang State Boundary, there seemed to be a Mount Diancang!


    He didn¡¯t know if there would be any poisonous gases or miasma in the mountains, so he decided to take Miasma Repelling Pills and Poison-Repelling Pillssecond grade ones.


    He also prepared some other odds and ends, ensuring he had everything he needed.


    The last issue to consider was preparing some means of overcoming his enemy.


    Mo Hua pondered silently!


    A task for a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation was to pursue a Sin Cultivator, so that Sin Cultivator should also be at the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation.


    Since his cultivation was higher than Mo Hua¡¯s, the power of the Fireball Technique would probably be greatly reduced.


    As for Formation!


    The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was Thirteen Stripes, a second-grade initial stage Formation, which he estimated would also be less effective in killing a Mid Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    "My offensive means are still too weak!¡± Mo Hua sighed.


    However, he was only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.


    It seemed normal for him not to be able to beat a cultivator in the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.


    Moreover, the requirement for this bounty was a Formation Master ¡°adept in formations.¡±


    Apparently, he didn¡¯t need to kill himself.


    Relying on his ability in formations, he could just ¡°go with the flow¡±! S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to prepare a bit more.


    In case he encountered a powerful enemy, it was best if he could also lend a hand.


    "Now it¡¯s the third day of the initial period; there are six days left until the ninth!¡± Mo Hua thought, ¡°Six days should be just enough time for me to learn a new spell!¡±


    "This spell doesn¡¯t need to be offensive!¡±


    "Because my Spiritual Power is weak, apart from the Fireball Technique, other powerful spells would probably be too difficult to learn, and even if I managed to learn them, their power would be too low!¡±


    "So, I should learn a controlling one!¡±


    A controlling spell!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Second-grade Water Prison Technique!¡±


    The Water Prison Technique was indeed quite useful.


    Especially for trapping enemies, interrupting their attacks, and countering cultivators with excellent movement techniquesgenerally effective every time.


    But previously, he had only owned a secret manual for the Primary Stage Water Prison Technique, which was more commonly used during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    After his Promotion to Foundation Establishment, the effectiveness of this spell had decreased significantly, and hence he used it less frequently.


    And he couldn¡¯t find the secret manual for a higher grade spell.


    This was the plight of a Loose Cultivator with a weak legacy.


    Mo Hua had no other choice.


    But now, having joined the Taixu Gate, things were different.


    The Taixu Gate had a long-standing heritage and a profound foundation, having collected many Taoist Skills from all over.


    In the Merit Scroll, there should be a Second-grade Water Prison Technique.


    Mo Hua felt a hint of excitement as he immediately immersed his Divine Sense into the Taixu Token and rummaged through the Merit Scroll.


    In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he actually found the spell for the Water Prison Technique!


    Moreover, it was a complete set!


    Primary Stage to Fourth-order, a complete secret manual of the Water Prison Taoist Skill!


    There were even some remarks below:


    "Water Prison Technique, a rare spell.


    Once the Ultimate Technique of the Water Prison Sect, never shared with outsiders.


    In the 19,080th year of the Taoist Calendar, the entire Water Prison Sect fell to demonization, suppressed by the Taoist Court.


    After its destruction, the Water Prison Technique spread across the world; however, many parts of the spell were missing!


    In the 19,900th year of the Taoist Calendar, True Man Yi compiled this technique into volumes, included in the Taixu Gate!¡±


    There was another comment at the end:


    "The Water Prison Technique has a niche utility, easy to learn yet hard to master, choose with caution.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat astonished after reading it.


    This Water Prison Technique actually had some history behind it.


    What kind of sect was the Water Prison Sect?


    Why did the entire sect turn to demonization?


    And who was this True Man Yi!


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but didn¡¯t care too much.


    The Cultivation World was so vast, with so many sects and cultivators of origin; he simply didn¡¯t have the time to look into each one.


    It was good enough that he had something to learn.


    Mo Hua glanced at the Merit Scroll and noticed that the complete set of the Water Prison Technique from Primary Stage to Fourth-order cost over ten thousand Merit Points!


    Mo Hua gasped.


    Too expensive!!


    Even selling himself would not cover the cost.


    Mo Hua looked carefully again and realized that the spell could be bought separately.


    Primary Stage to Second Grade cost only two hundred sixty Merit Points.


    The higher grades were the expensive ones; Third Grade cost over two thousand, while Fourth-order cost over eight thousand.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Luckily, I only need to buy the Second Grade


    But upon further thought, even the two hundred sixty Merit Points for the second grade were not cheap!


    He currently had a total of only about two hundred seventy to eighty Merit Points.


    This was the result of his hard work, accepting so many bounties, drawing nearly a hundred Formation patterns, and saving up for so long.


    Mo Hua was torn, mentally weighing his options for a long time before finally making a painful decision.


    Merit Points were meant to be used!


    What was the point of earning them if not to spend them?


    It was only the cost of one or two Sixteen-Pattern Formations.


    If he could master this Water Prison Technique thoroughly, it would benefit him throughout the entire Foundation Establishment stage!


    "I¡¯ll buy it!¡±


    Mo Hua gritted his teeth.


    Then, with a swipe of his hand, the hard-earned Merit Points vanished in an instant.


    Mo Hua found it hard to breathe from the pain.


    But the thought of having a new spell to learn made it feel somewhat better.


    Without delay, Mo Hua immediately went to the Merit Pavilion to exchange his newly purchased ¡°Second-grade Water Prison Technique.¡±


    The Merit Elder who served Mo Hua was the same one as before.


    He glanced at the ¡°Water Prison Technique¡± secret manual and expressed his surprise:


    "Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to save Merit Points to learn Formations?


    How come, after saving for so long, you exchanged them for a spell manual?¡±


    "And! for this peculiar Water Prison Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Sharpening your axe won¡¯t delay the chopping of firewood!


    If I learn the spell, I can ¡®mix in¡¯ with missions better and earn more Merit Points!


    Then I can exchange them for more Formations!¡±

 Chapter 830: Water Prison Technique (2)

    Chapter 830: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique_2 Chapter 830: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique_2 ¡°Mixing up the tasks?¡± the Merit Elder was taken aback.


    Mo Hua, feeling a bit guilty, said, ¡°I misspoke, what I meant was ¡®taking¡¯ tasks.¡±


    The Merit Elder shook his head, somewhat bewildered.


    "This kid, what strange things is he up to


    "Learning such tricky spells¡­


    What exactly does he want to do?¡±


    But since Mo Hua wanted to exchange, the elder couldn¡¯t say much.


    After all, this was in keeping with the traditions of Taixu Gate.


    As long as one had merit points, he could exchange them for whatever he desired; the elder couldn¡¯t interfere.


    The Merit Elder handed the Second-Grade Water Prison Technique Secret Manual to Mo Hua.


    ...


    Mo Hua, receiving the secret manual, ran off with a beaming smile, leaving the Merit Elder deep in thought.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua hurried back to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, eager to open the ¡°Water Prison Technique Secret Manual.¡±


    This secret manual was of the second grade.


    But since the disciples of Taixu Gate all started their studies from the Foundation Establishment Realm, the second-grade secret manual also ¡°came with¡± a first-grade spell as a bonus.


    "Buy one get one free


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling like he hadn¡¯t made a bad deal.


    In hopes of gaining more, Mo Hua reviewed the first-grade Water Prison Technique from start to finish only to discover, to his astonishment, that this first-grade Water Prison Technique was quite different from the secret manual he had obtained¡­


    The spells were more complete, the vital points more complex, and the circulation of Spiritual Power through the meridians was more difficult.


    Recalling the origin of the Water Prison Technique on his Merit Scroll, a realization dawned on Mo Hua.


    His previous First-Grade Water Prison Technique Secret Manual was obtained from a Sin Cultivator from Big Black Mountain, an inheritance lost and incomplete after the destruction of the Water Prison Sect.


    Taixu Gate¡¯s version, however, had been edited by True Man Yi, and this was the complete, authentic inheritance of the Water Prison Technique.


    "This True Man Yi really is a good person!¡±


    Mo Hua affixed the label of ¡°good person¡± to True Man Yi.


    Then Mo Hua started to warm up and revise his first-grade Water Prison Technique, looking for and fixing any gaps, while simultaneously studying and practicing the authentic second-grade Water Prison Technique.


    The authentic Water Prison Technique emphasized using ¡°water¡± to form shapes, drawing out prisons on the ground.


    Mo Hua¡¯s previous Water Prison Technique could only simply ¡°bind.¡±


    But the authentic Water Prison Technique was more akin to ¡°shackles.¡±


    Even the Water-attribute Spiritual Power could erode meridians, causing pain.


    The lethality was not significant, but it could make one feel a sense of ¡°suffocation.¡±


    Just as if one were truly in a ¡°water prison.¡±


    Whether it was ¡°imprisonment¡± or ¡°suffocation,¡± the spell¡¯s effects were a cut above the previous version.


    Because Mo Hua was extremely proficient in the first-grade Water Prison Technique, optimizing the spell and upgrading it to a higher grade proved to be highly efficient.


    Although the Water Prison Technique was obscure and difficult to cultivate.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was strong and keen, so learning it wasn¡¯t too strenuous for him.


    Five or six days later, Mo Hua had managed to use the second-grade Water Prison Technique quite skillfully.


    He tested the effects and was quite satisfied with them.


    It¡¯s important to know oneself.


    To have a clear understanding of one¡¯s position.


    Since he was not adept at slaughter, learning something like the Water Prison Technique, to vex others, was also good.


    It was, after all, a contribution to completing the task!


    On the ninth day of the month, Mo Hua packed his things and set off on his journey to meet a few ¡°teammates¡± at the foot of Taixu Mountain.


    Taixu Gate had a bi-monthly holiday, with two days off every ten days.


    The holiday for the early part of the month fell on the ninth and tenth days.


    During these two days, disciples could arrange their time freely, as long as they did not engage in misdeeds; the sect did not impose restrictions. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Previously, on these holidays, Mo Hua would stay alone in his residence practicing Formation.


    This was his first time venturing out.


    Wearing the Taoist Robe of Taixu Gate, Mo Hua left the sect and arrived at a foothill to the southwest at the agreed-upon hour and location.


    Beside the foothill was a prominent boulder.


    Having reached the foothill, Mo Hua saw two cultivators already there, both women.


    One wore the Taoist Robe of Taixu Gate, tall and elegant with a gentle beauty.


    The other was dressed in a gold and rose-embellished robe, lavish in appearance, clearly not from Taixu Gate.


    Both were of Foundation Building Cultivation and appeared somewhat older than Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua greeted them, ¡°Hello, senior sisters.¡±


    The two women looked at him with some surprise but, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s painting-like eyebrows and eyes, fair skin, and clear gaze, not to mention his black-and-white interwoven Taoist Robe of Taixu Gate, also smiled and said,


    "Hello, junior brother.¡±


    But since they were all relatively unknown to each other, they didn¡¯t say much else.


    Mo Hua stood obediently to the side, waiting.


    The two senior sisters gave Mo Hua a curious glance, thinking he was waiting for someone, so they also didn¡¯t say anything and just waited quietly.


    After a while, another cultivator arrived.


    It was a man wearing a golden-red Taoist Robe with mountain patterns, a robust aura, tall and handsome.


    He came straight over, with a warm demeanor, and greeted,


    "Good day to both of you, junior sisters.¡±


    The two female cultivators returned the greeting, ¡°Good day, Senior Brother Feng.¡±


    The man looked around and then asked, ¡°Has everyone arrived?¡±


    The gentle woman in the Taoist Robe frowned slightly, ¡°We agreed to meet here, but we haven¡¯t seen anyone yet


    "Surely they wouldn¡¯t break the appointment.¡±


    "Once a task is taken, a Spirit Pact is set, they shouldn¡¯t


    "How about that person¡¯s abilities in Formation?¡±


    "It¡¯s unclear, but at the very least, he is a First-Grade Formation Master.


    I¡¯ve seen him taking on many bounties for first-grade formations, so even if he can¡¯t do second-grade formations, his mastery of first-grade formations should be quite skilled


    "If he only knows first-grade, that might not be enough the elegant woman spoke.


    The gentle woman sighed,


    "Formation Masters typically only take on formation-related tasks, these missions that require going out and hunting Sin Cultivators, a bit risky, are usually not their cup of tea

 Chapter 831: Water Prison Technique (3)

    Chapter 831 -600 Water Prison Technique_3


    "I waited for several days before a First-grade Formation Master was willing to accept the task.¡±


    "And, our share of the Merit Points isn¡¯t much


    The man, unable to help it, said, ¡°Indeed, just over a hundred points


    For Second Rank Formation Masters, earning those points was just a matter of drawing a few formations, without going out, without running about, and even more so, without taking any risks¡­


    "It¡¯s just not known if this person is reliable


    "First Grade¡­ I guess it¡¯s hardly reliable


    ...


    "Let¡¯s just make do, as things stand now, there¡¯s no choice left


    "Then let¡¯s wait,¡± the man in a golden-red Taoist robe sighed, then looking up at the sky, added,


    "The hour is getting late, I wonder when that Formation Master will arrive


    "I¡¯m here!¡±


    A crisp voice suddenly sounded.


    All three turned in surprise to look to the side and saw a young cultivator, with a frown on his small face, displeased, saying,


    "I¡¯ve been here for a while!¡±


    And I heard you badmouthing me behind my back!


    All three wore a look of astonishment, the gentle-looking woman exclaimed in surprise, ¡°You, you are


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I am Mo Hua!¡±


    The man was startled for a moment, ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    The woman smiled bitterly, ¡°That¡¯s the name of the Formation Master who accepted the task, but I didn¡¯t expect


    To her surprise, it was such a Junior Brother.


    At the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, with low cultivation, and being so obviously youthful and apparently newly initiated¡­


    The man, with a gentle voice, asked,


    "Young man, are you¡­ new to the sect?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Somewhat shocked, the man turned to the gentle woman and asked, ¡°Has Taixu Gate changed its rules? Can the newly initiated also accept tasks?¡±


    The woman, puzzled, said, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any changes


    "Then this


    All three turned their gaze towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Elder Master Xun told me to take this task.¡±


    Mo Hua had once again brought up ¡°Elder Master Xun.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t say that Elder Master Xun had only allowed him to take on those entry-level tasks, such as ¡°sweeping the steps, watching the mountain gate, drawing formations,¡± and did not allow him to get involved in these more dangerous tasks of ¡°tracking down Sin Cultivators.¡±


    "Elder Master Xun?¡±


    The man was somewhat taken aback, it was the woman from Taixu Gate, who came to a realization.


    "It¡¯s Elder Master Xun


    No wonder¡­


    If Elder Master Xun was willing to let this Junior Brother take a shortcut, having granted him access to the Taixu Token capabilities ahead of time, it meant that this child, indeed, had an extraordinary background.


    At the very least, he had a close relationship with Elder Master Xun.


    It was not good to ask too deeply about such affairs.


    But¡­


    The gentle woman was somewhat troubled.


    Such a young Junior Brother, with low cultivation, weak foundation, and little experience, even if he had some formation skills¡­ how could they take him on such a dangerous task?


    Besides, did he really know formations¡­


    The woman, slowly, asked, ¡°Junior Brother, you¡­ know formations?¡±


    Mo Hua saw that they seemed reluctant to take him along for ¡°fun,¡± knowing he had to demonstrate his abilities himself to seize the opportunity, then corrected her by saying,


    "Not just ¡®know,¡¯ but ¡®am skilled at¡¯!¡±


    The other three were dumbfounded.


    How could such a young cultivator dare to say he was ¡°skilled at¡± formations¡­


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Test me?¡±


    It would be best to test me with some complex formation that I haven¡¯t learned before.


    The man in the golden-red Taoist robe pondered for a moment then nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll test you a bit.¡±


    "Um-hum.¡±


    Mo Hua was full of anticipation, but then he was disappointed again.


    The tests given by the man in the golden-red robe were only about First-grade formation knowledge, which, for Mo Hua, was extremely simple, and occasionally touched on Second-Grade formations, but were still rather superficial, not truly reflecting how formidable he was, nor did he ¡°profit¡± any new techniques without any effort.


    Mo Hua easily answered the man¡¯s questions, and seeing that the man did not speak, asked again,


    "Is there anything harder?¡±


    "Or, could you find a very, very difficult formation to test me with?¡±


    The man was slightly stunned and said with resignation,


    "That¡¯s all I can test you with


    He was mainly a Sword Cultivation practitioner; formations were something he was not very proficient in, learning a bit just to cope with Sect assessments without investing much effort.


    But passing his test at least showed that Mo Hua had a solid foundation in formations.


    And on this mission, they indeed needed a Formation Master.


    The man said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you for a try.¡±


    Mo Hua was pleased inside, but before he had a chance to say anything, he heard the gentle-looking senior sister shake her head and say,


    "No!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    "It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± the gentle senior sister said to Mo Hua, ¡°Although with our cultivation, capturing the Sin Cultivator this time isn¡¯t difficult, the Cultivation World is unpredictable, and there could always be complications we might not be able to protect you from.¡±


    She softened her tone, trying to persuade Mo Hua,


    "Junior Brother, listen to your senior sister, go back to the Sect and cultivate properly, when you¡¯re older, then undertake these dangerous tasks


    This senior sister, she too was kind.


    Mo Hua silently noted.


    But he was definitely going to partake in the task!


    He had already spent over two hundred Merit Points to exchange for the spell of the Second-Grade Water Prison Technique; not making some return on that would indeed be a huge loss!


    This trip could only be a success, failure was not an option!


    Thinking it over, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he said,


    "If I don¡¯t go, won¡¯t you be short a Formation Master?¡±


    "I will find someone else the gentle woman said.


    "Senior Sister, you just said no one was accepting the task, I heard you!¡±


    The woman was taken aback. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I know the Concealment Technique; I can protect myself.¡±


    "Concealment


    The woman thought for a moment, still not entirely reassured, her heart wavering with indecision.


    Just then, another man came from afar, full of apologies, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late

 Chapter 832: Water Prison Technique (4)

    Chapter 832 -600 Water Prison Technique_4


    And then, he greeted everyone one by one:


    "Senior Brother Feng, Junior Sister Qian, Senior Sister Murong


    Finally, he saw Mo Hua and was taken aback, his mouth agape, ¡°Mo Hua? How come you¡¯re here too?¡±


    Mo Hua was also surprised.


    There was an acquaintance among this group of five!


    This person was Senior Brother Shangguan Xu, the one who had led him into the sect.


    ...


    At this moment, Mo Hua didn¡¯t care why Shangguan Xu happened to be there, he quickly said, ¡°Senior Brother Xu, take me with you!¡±


    He then hurriedly gave Shangguan Xu a look, implying:


    Speak some good words for me, let them take me along for the fun!


    Shangguan Xu gave a wry smile, ¡°This¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The gentle woman explained the situation, surprised, ¡°You know each other?¡±


    Shangguan Xu nodded, ¡°Junior Brother Mo, has some connections¡­ with my Shangguan Family.¡±


    He did not elaborate, as the matter concerning Young Master Yu, was not suitable for disclosure to outsiders.


    But then Shangguan Xu was troubled once more.


    It would be a bit dangerous to take Mo Hua along, but not taking him would mean failing to heed his aunt¡¯s instruction.


    In the end, all he could say was,


    "Junior Brother Mo¡­ knows restraint in his actions and is quite resourceful, Senior Sister Murong, maybe we should take him with us


    The gentle woman frowned in thought. Seeing that the sky was already darkening and any further delays would mean insufficient time, she finally sighed and said,


    "Alright, but you must be very careful. Junior Brother Shangguan, please look after Junior Brother Mo


    Shangguan Xu nodded his head. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua then assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Formation Skill is quite impressive, I won¡¯t hold you back!¡±


    The gentle woman felt somewhat helpless.


    Very impressive Formation Skill?


    A novice cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, no matter how impressive, could only be so capable¡­


    However, this mission did not require any highly advanced Formation Skills.


    The gentle woman nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s set off.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Thus, two senior brothers and two senior sisters, with him as the junior tagalong, set off from Taixu Mountain, traveling via Qingzhou City, toward the Second Grade Diancang State Boundary.


    Along the way, Mo Hua subtly inquired and learned the identities of the others.


    The tall and handsome brother, with a gentle composure and wearing a gold-red Taoist Robe, was a disciple of Tai¡¯a Sect, named Ouyang Feng.


    The woman in the Taixu Gate Taoist Robe, named Murong Caiyun, was a senior sister from Taixu Gate.


    The woman dressed in golden-pink, brocade-embroidered Taoist Robe, named Hua Qianqian, was a senior sister from Hundred Flowers Sect.


    The Hundred Flowers Sect, located within the Qian Xue State Boundary, was one of the Twelve Streams. All of its sect disciples were female cultivators, and the sect¡¯s inheritance focused on Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills suited for women.


    Everyone was seven or eight years older than Mo Hua. Although they did not all belong to the same sect, sect disciple interactions were frequent in the Qian Xue State Boundary; hence, they respectfully addressed each other as ¡°senior¡± siblings.


    As for why disciples from other sects were involved in a Taixu Gate mission,


    Mo Hua had asked about this too.


    The bounty for wanted Sin Cultivators was usually issued by the Taoist Court, not just to Taixu Gate but also to nearby sects that might accept the bounty.


    After completing the mission, the reward would be distributed by the Taoist Court to the sect,


    Which in turn would convert it into Merit Points to give to the disciples.


    As they traveled, Mo Hua covertly observed the senior brothers and sisters and discovered they all had deep cultivation, almost certainly Top-Grade Cultivation Techniques, and they were also experienced ¨C clearly, they were seasoned veterans in ¡°bounty hunting.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, firmly deciding that he must impress them with his ¡°great skill¡± during this mission.


    Only if they witnessed his prowess, would they bring him along for more ¡°fun¡± in the future!


    Only then could he tag along on more missions and earn more Merit Points!


    To ¡°mix¡± in on missions, one definitely needed ¡°connections.¡±


    And that included not only Taixu Gate but getting to know other senior brothers and sisters from the Eight Great Gates, the Twelve Streams, and the Qian State Hundred Doors was important.


    Even constructing a Large Formation would require the help of many cultivators to complete.


    In this age, having good relationships made things easier.


    As for the ¡°Four Great Sects best leave that be for now.


    He figured they were out of his league.


    ¡­


    All sects have the same rest days every 10 days: two days off.


    Given the tight schedule, everyone had to travel day and night, using their movement techniques, which took them more than ten hours to arrive at the Second Grade Diancang State Boundary.


    Diancang State Boundary was a small state boundary within Qian State.


    At the heart of the state boundary was Mount Diancang.


    The Sin Cultivator they were seeking refuge in Mount Diancang.


    Mo Hua had inquired about this Sin Cultivator, whose real name was unknown; he was wanted under the alias ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± with Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation. He was known for his agility and considerable Array Formation Skill.


    Bald Eagle had a lengthy criminal record at the Taoist Court.


    He had forcibly taken energy from female disciples and committed murders, and even acted as a human trafficker, selling young cultivators as ¡°sustenance¡± for Demon Cultivators.


    The order from the Taoist Court was:


    If possible, capture and send to the Taoist Prison to be executed by the Water Prison Technique. If too difficult to capture, execute on sight!

 Chapter 833: Bald Head

    Chapter 833 -601 Bald Head


    Mount Diancang was vast and desolate, poor in resources for Tao cultivation, rarely frequented by people, making it a suitable hideout for Sin Cultivators.


    Mo Hua followed several senior brothers and sisters to Mount Diancang.


    Mountains towered majestically, shrouded in clouds and mist, the pale yellow miasma obscuring all directions.


    Murong Caiyun said, ¡°I accepted a reward from the Sect. There¡¯s a tip that the Bald Eagle is hiding alone in a cave thirty miles from here.¡±


    "However, this person is vigilant and skilled in Formation, and will surely set up formations along the way to guard against pursuit


    "These formations might not be very sophisticated, but they are extremely covert and hard to detect, requiring a skilled Formation Master to inspect along the way


    ...


    "We must be meticulous and not overlook anything


    "Otherwise, we risk startling the ¡®Bald Eagle¡¯ and letting him escape


    Murong Caiyun glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°Junior Brother Mo, can you handle it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I can do it!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confidence, Murong Caiyun did not feel relieved but rather more worried.


    Ouyang Feng, fearing that Mo Hua would feel pressured, then said,


    "Junior Brother Mo, just do your best and don¡¯t be nervous


    "This task isn¡¯t just one person¡¯s responsibility. Along the way, we will also keep an eye out and cover any gaps, as the Bald Eagle is extremely cunning and difficult to deal with, and the formations he sets are very tricky


    "Mm-hm,¡± Mo Hua expressed his gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Feng!¡±


    Thus, the group moved forward, and as they walked, Mo Hua suddenly paused, pointing at a freshly turned patch of soil at the roadside,


    "Is that the formation?¡±


    The others, upon hearing this, looked at each other and then nodded.


    Murong Caiyun let out a slight sigh of relief, ¡°Correct.¡±


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that everyone had noticed but had kept silent to ¡°test¡± him.


    They really didn¡¯t trust him¡­


    Mo Hua muttered in his heart.


    Hua Qianqian walked up to the turned soil, took out a golden compass, placed it on the ground, and as the compass spun, a flash of light occurred, and the Formation Patterns hidden beneath the soil disappeared.


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°What is this compass¡­?¡±


    Murong Caiyun was taken aback, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Mo Hua honestly nodded.


    To know as knowing, not knowing as not knowing is knowing.


    With all his seniors around, he, being a junior brother, saw no need to pretend.


    Murong Caiyun sighed, ¡°This is called a Compass for Breaking Arrays. Some simple formations can be countered with this kind of compass.¡±


    "Does it work on all formations?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, ¡°Different formations require different Types of Compass for Breaking Arrays, like those of the Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, directions; they must match to undo them, and the Formation Patterns can¡¯t be too complex.¡±


    "Oh, oh.¡±


    Mo Hua learned something new and quietly took note.


    "So there are things like a Compass for Breaking Arrays


    He had always relied on himself to solve formations and had never used such ¡°lazy¡± methods.


    He wondered what the principles behind it were¡­


    Mo Hua grew curious.


    Using the Compass for Breaking Arrays, Hua Qianqian dissolved the hidden formation, then with a flick of her hands, dispersed spiritual power, swept away the soil, and revealed a small stone disk buried underneath, etched with Formation Patterns.


    The patterns looked familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar, probably a variant of regular Formation Patterns.


    Unable to recognize them, Mo Hua humbly asked,


    "Senior Sister Murong, what formation is this on the stone disk¡­?¡±


    Murong Caiyun paused.


    The others also placed their hands on their foreheads, somewhat helplessly.


    Shangguan Xu even had a bittersweet expression.


    Not knowing such a simple formation, ¡°being skilled¡± in formations wasn¡¯t exactly being ¡°skilled


    Murong Caiyun sighed and reluctantly explained,


    "This is called the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, a First-grade Formation, utilizing the magnetic properties within the patterns to attract induction forces for surveillance and defense


    "Small Yuan Magnetic Formation


    Mo Hua silently memorized it.


    He had not expected that he was so proficient in First-grade Formations and had learned so much, yet some still ¡°slipped through the net


    Indeed, he needed to get out more. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Cultivation World was vast and boundless, perhaps filled with formations everywhere, waiting for him to learn!


    "Small Yuan Magnetic Formation


    Mo Hua silently recited, then said, ¡°Senior Sister Murong, wait a moment, I¡¯ll learn it.¡±


    Murong Caiyun fell silent.


    This junior brother, encountering a formation, even had to learn it on the spot¡­


    She didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take Mo Hua long to memorize the Formation Patterns of the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, and then the group set off again.


    As they walked, Mo Hua pondered quietly.


    Small Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­


    A First Grade Nine Pattern Formation, its function and the ¡°Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation¡± he had used were somewhat similar, both for setting up formations to survey and monitor the terrain.


    But this formation was somewhat special.


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua suddenly realized that this formation was actually a variation of the Bagua Formation Method, simplifying the complex patterns into a simple ¡°variation.¡±


    Mo Hua silently calculated in his mind and was suddenly startled.


    He discovered that this Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, tracing back to its origin, its fundamental patterns could actually be traced back to the ¡°Thunder Pattern.¡±


    Thunder Pattern?


    That wasn¡¯t right¡­


    Mo Hua was utterly baffled.


    In his memory, the ¡°Thunder Formation¡± was on top of the Heavenly Dao Formation, containing the Law that eradicated with the terrifying ¡°Immortal Pattern¡±, able to subdue all living beings.


    But what did ¡°thunder¡± have to do with ¡°Original Magnet¡±?


    Why would the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation¡¯s pattern, changing inversely, evolve into the Thunder Pattern and be classified under the ¡°Thunder Trigram¡± Formation Method?


    Mo Hua was filled with questions.


    But at that moment, still tasked with a ¡°mission,¡± he had no time for further consideration. Mo Hua decided to keep these doubts in his heart and planned to ponder them carefully when he got back to see if he could comprehend anything.

 Chapter 834: Bald (2)

    Chapter 834 -601 Bald_2


    "A mere First-grade Formation isn¡¯t difficult if one knows it.¡±


    After a single glance, Mo Hua had the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns completely in hand.


    When he looked towards the mountainside again, those formations woven into the vegetation and stone were clearly visible.


    With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua saw everything.


    "There is a formation behind that large rock


    "In the middle of the mountain path ahead, about thirty feet away, there is another one


    ...


    "Underneath the bark, there is also a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation


    "To the left in the woods, a Monster Beast is hiding, its right leg wounded, and on the embedded blade under its flesh, a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation is also drawn


    ¡­


    As Mo Hua walked, he pointed everything out.


    Murong Caiyun and the others began to grow a bit astonished.


    Obvious formations were no surprise for them to see Mo Hua spotting, but he was also pinpointing every single intricate and hard-to-find formation without fail.


    Even those formations that were cunningly set in remote spots, which they hadn¡¯t noticed or were too far away for them to see in time, could not escape Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    By now, they somewhat believed that Mo Hua truly had some capabilities.


    "Skilled in¡± formation might have been an exaggeration,


    But his talent for formations was definitely impressive.


    Everyone relaxed and looked at Mo Hua with much warmer eyes.


    On a Sect mission filled with dangers, they did not wish to bring along a ¡°burden,¡± although this burden was adorable-looking.


    Two hours later, the group arrived at a hillside.


    It looked ordinary, but hidden beneath the vegetation was a secret cave entrance.


    Inside the cave, the fugitive known as ¡°Bald Eagle¡± was hiding.


    The group hid behind some rocks and discussed their capture plan. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But these matters were irrelevant to Mo Hua.


    His role primarily involved unraveling formations; having come this far, he had completed most of his task, the rest did not require his involvement.


    As Senior Sister Murong had put it,


    "Stay hidden, do not show yourself, protect yourself well, and flee if necessary


    It was both out of concern for Mo Hua and to prevent him from inadvertently sabotaging their plans.


    Should he be captured by the Bald Eagle and used as a hostage, the situation would become extremely dire.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He was quite adept at preserving his own life.


    However, thinking that if his seniors acted quickly and killed the ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± he wouldn¡¯t get a chance to show his ¡°amazing skills,¡± and then they might not include him in future bounties¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself that he should still make himself useful¡­


    The woods were desolate, the hillside silent.


    Weeds and stones were chaotic, with no trace of human activity.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense flickered subtly, sweeping the surroundings, his eyes shimmering as he whispered:


    "A hundred and fifty feet west from here, there is a Trap Gold Formation, Second-grade Eleven-pattern;¡±


    "One hundred and fifty feet to the east, there is a Trapped Mountain Formation, a Bagua Mountain trapping Formation, Second-grade Fourteen-pattern


    "At the entrance of the cave, there¡¯s a Gen Mountain Formation, Second-grade


    "Outside the cave, ten feet away, there¡¯s a¡­ Small Yuan Magnetic Formation? But it¡¯s also Second-grade


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listed all the nearby formations without missing a single one, virtually seeing through the lair of the ¡°Bald Eagle.¡±


    Not only Murong Caiyun but even Ouyang Feng and the others were somewhat astonished.


    "Have you¡­ studied Second-grade Formations?¡±


    Mo Hua modestly replied, ¡°A little bit


    Everyone was slightly shocked, exchanging looks, realizing that they had vastly underestimated this innocently faced Junior Brother.


    He had seen through every formation laid by others without missing any.


    Such profound skill and understanding of formations must be extremely deep.


    Indeed, no mediocrity could enter the Eight Great Gates.


    Their ¡°Formation Master¡± was not hired in vain.


    Ouyang Feng released his Divine Sense, confirming what Mo Hua had said; without Mo Hua pointing them out, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed these formations at all, nodding in appreciation,


    "Not bad, thanks to Junior Brother Mo. This makes it much easier for us to capture Bald Eagle.¡±


    "Let¡¯s proceed with the plan and lure out Bald Eagle


    Mo Hua was smilingly about to say something when his expression suddenly changed, and he sighed,


    "No need


    Everyone was startled.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Bald Eagle has noticed us.¡±


    The faces of Ouyang Feng and others darkened, and they focused intently, indeed noticing that a deep and chilling Divine Sense had filled the surroundings without them realizing when it had appeared.


    In an instant, Mo Hua identified:


    "Sixteen-Pattern Divine Consciousness!¡±


    "Peak of the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment!¡±


    "And¡­ not just one person


    Ouyang Feng looked slightly stunned; Murong Caiyun and the others were also somewhat dazed.


    They hadn¡¯t noticed anything yet; how did this Junior Brother know it all?


    But with a great enemy at hand, there was no time to inquire.


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s gaze hardened with decisiveness, ¡°Kill!¡±


    Then killing intent suddenly descended.


    A dense surge of Sword Qi, imbued with a hint of strangeness, tore through the air and smashed the giant rock where they were hiding, but Ouyang Feng promptly drew his sword and countered them all.


    Dust and stone chips flew as the dust settled.


    Ouyang Feng, holding a Red Gold Yellow Maple Sword, stood before the rest, his towering stance and sharp features exuding an extraordinary aura.


    Shangguan Xu drew a Streamer Giant Sword with a backhand, his demeanor formidable.


    Hua Qianqian¡¯s dainty hand extended, dozens of Hundred Flowers Spirit Needles floating in front of her.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s fingers formed spells, and the hairpin in her hair shone brightly, emitting multicolored light; her fingertips were also gathering magic¡­

 Chapter 835: Bald (3)

    Chapter 835 -601 Bald_3


    "Time to fight!¡±


    Mo Hua sensed trouble and immediately ran off far, deploying a Concealment Technique, draped in a little cloak, found a large stone pit, lay down, and hid himself.


    For now, the fight did not concern him.


    With so many senior brothers and sisters, he could stay out of the way.


    Murong Caiyun noticed Mo Hua, seeing his quick wits; before the enemy¡¯s Sword Qi even reached, he sensed it and early on retreated behind everyone, hiding by himself, making her nod in approval.


    Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief,


    ...


    Especially Shangguan Xu.


    He was entrusted by Wenren Wan to look after Mo Hua.


    If anything happened to Mo Hua, Auntie Wan¡¯er would surely blame him.


    Now that Mo Hua sensed danger and hid far away, and he could even conceal himself, vaguely without knowing exactly where, he felt at ease.


    At that moment, at the entrance of Kushan Cave, several cultivators emerged.


    The one in front, wearing a brown robe, narrow-eyed and hawk-nosed, of middle age, had a sinister look.


    Behind him followed five cultivators, all dressed in black, not appearing to be good characters.


    Though Mo Hua hid far away, he was sharp-eared and observant; he clearly saw these people¡¯s faces and guessed in his mind that the brown-robed cultivator must be the infamous ¡°Bald Eagle¡± who had done many evil deeds.


    But he couldn¡¯t help wondering:


    "Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle¡­ why isn¡¯t he bald?¡±


    "Could it be that he¡¯s wearing a wig?¡±


    That couldn¡¯t be¡­


    Logically, there are mistaken names, but nicknames are never wrong.


    If he wasn¡¯t ¡°bald,¡± why would they call him ¡°Bald Eagle¡±?


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Meanwhile, the fierce battle was on the brink of breaking out. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One side were sect disciples tasked by the Taoist Court to earn Merit Points by pursuing sin cultivators.


    The other side consisted of sin cultivators wanted by the Taoist Court, having committed heinous crimes.


    Both sides had no intention to stop fighting, and with barely any words exchanged, the battle to the death began immediately.


    Spiritual Power surged, Five Elements Spells flew about as well as some strange Spiritual Artifacts and Sword Qi, interweaving¡­


    Mo Hua secretly lay in the bushes, poked out his head, and observed the fight, his mind calculating an estimate of both sides¡¯ strength.


    There were five people on his side.


    But since he was ¡°crouching¡± in the bushes, only four took the field, all with Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation.


    There were six on the opposite side.


    Only one was in the Initial Stage Foundation Establishment.


    The other five were in the Mid-Stage.


    Among them, the highest in cultivation was the hawk-nosed ¡°Bald Eagle¡± at the peak of Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, and his Divine Sense had Sixteen Patterns.


    His fellow senior brothers and sisters, being disciples of the Great Sect, deep in cultivation, with remarkable spiritual artifacts and Taoist Skills, and experienced in combat, coordinated flawlessly.


    Even outnumbered four to six, they were not at a disadvantage.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    True to the cultivators of the Qian Xue State Boundary from various great sects.


    In the future, he would keep up with them!


    But Mo Hua was a bit worried.


    The situation was currently at a standstill.


    This stalemate definitely wasn¡¯t a solution.


    Especially the ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± having a cultivation advantage, holding a silver long sword, was sparring with Ouyang Feng, looking relaxed and clearly keeping some moves in reserve.


    In this situation¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment.


    "They should first kill the other sin cultivators, then join forces and gang up on the lead ¡®Bald Eagle


    The situation on the field was much as Mo Hua had anticipated.


    Clearly, Ouyang Feng and the others were thinking the same.


    First, the sin cultivator in the Early Stage Foundation Establishment was found flawed by Shangguan Xu, who swiftly closed the distance and knocked him down in a matter of moments.


    Hua Qianqian took the opportunity to shoot several Spirit Needles.


    The Early Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was thus settled.


    Mo Hua shook his head, thinking:


    "This fool, with no self-awareness, rashly engaging in a melee at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, didn¡¯t keep a vigilant eye nor try to escape, deserved to be the first to die


    It then became four against five.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t rush to take action; he wanted to observe first.


    Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.


    First off, the combat of Ouyang Feng and his senior brothers and sisters was systematic and coordinated.


    Their cooperation was similar to that between Monster Hunters.


    It was simply close combat binding with Sword Qi and long-range suppression with Spells, cooperating with each other to watch for the enemy¡¯s flaws, increase their injuries, and take their lives.


    They didn¡¯t use any Superior Technique.


    Neither Gold Body Technique for protection nor building up Spiritual Power for Sword Control killing moves.


    The opposing sin cultivators¡¯ means were similar, except their Spiritual Artifacts were poisoned, their Spiritual Power carried some oddity, and their Taoist Skill moves were rare and exotic.


    Mo Hua watched for a long while, familiarizing himself with both sides¡¯ moves and attacking habits, understanding every action and movement of the enemy, then he slightly nodded.


    "It¡¯s time to make a move


    If he didn¡¯t show his hand now, they wouldn¡¯t know his ¡°strength!¡±


    His learned Spells would be wasted.


    The distant battle continued¡­


    Rocks scattered, Spells surged, and in body cultivation, moves were exchanged.


    At that moment, as Shangguan Xu¡¯s Giant Sword pressed down, forcing a sin cultivator in black to retreat clumsily, exposing a flaw.


    Murong Caiyun, spotting this, focused her eyes, pinched a technique, and a streak of Five-colored Spirit Light shot forth, striking the sin cultivator¡¯s shoulder.


    The Spirit Light pierced through the clothes, perforated the skin, drew out a trail of blood, and instantly dried the blood, leaving behind a scar.


    The sin cultivator staggered, beads of cold sweat on his forehead, cursed in pain, saw the danger, and turned to flee.


    Shangguan Xu chopped down with his sword, trying to block him, but the Giant Sword was too slow and failed to detain him.

 Chapter 836: Bald (4)

    Chapter 836 -601 Bald_4


    Murong Caiyun solidified the spell, aiming to pursue victory and seize the opportunity to slaughter the Sin Cultivator.


    But the spell was ultimately too slow by a step, merely scratching his arm without stopping the Sin Cultivator.


    The Sin Cultivator looked back, glared at Murong Caiyun venomously, and cursed viciously,


    "Bitch!¡±


    He memorized these individuals and, activating his movement technique, planned to slip away, recover somewhere, then return to find trouble for these Sect Disciples.


    But as he took a step, he felt a chill at the bottom of his heart.


    ...


    It seemed someone had set their sights on him.


    Before he could think further, a pale blue water light appeared out of nowhere, forming a cage and imprisoning him securely!


    At the same time, a suffocating sensation of ¡°drowning¡± overwhelmed him.


    The Sin Cultivator couldn¡¯t move; he felt stifled and nauseous, and his face turned pale with alarm.


    What kind of spell was this?!


    Meanwhile, Shangguan Xu and Murong Caiyun were also momentarily stunned, but realizing the fleeting nature of combat, they quickly regained their composure and seized the opportunity.


    Shangguan Xu¡¯s sword movement swept across, blocking several Sin Cultivators who were trying to come to aid.


    Murong Caiyun, with a flick of her delicate hand, formed a spell, constructing a brighter Five-colored Spirit Light spell.


    Trapped by the Water Prison Technique, the Sin Cultivator struggled repeatedly and finally broke free.


    He had a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation,


    While Mo Hua was only at the Initial Stage Foundation Establishment and had weaker Spiritual Roots and less Spiritual Power; his spells, although fast, were slightly less effective.


    But the few breaths of time he was trapped by the Water Prison Technique had been enough.


    Just as the Sin Cultivator broke free from the Water Prison and looked up, a Spirit Light, carelessly appearing, pierced through his chest. Although not fatal, it inflicted severe injuries.


    Ouyang Feng, on the side, tangled with the Sin Cultivator Bald Eagle.


    Hua Qianqian, with a delicate heart, watching the battle from the sidelines, took the opportunity to throw two Spirit Needles, hitting the Sin Cultivator¡¯s Heart Meridian.


    In just a few moments, the Sin Cultivator, trapped by the Water Prison Technique, pierced by the Five Elements Spirit Light, and struck by the Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle, had no escape and died on the spot.


    This turn of events occurred in an instant, drastically changing the situation.


    Four against four.


    And one Mo Hua concealed in the shadows, watching intently.


    One in the Initial Stage Foundation Establishment and one in the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, two Sin Cultivators died.


    The expression on Bald Eagle¡¯s face lost its composure.


    With a cold and ominous glare, he scanned the surroundings and spoke chillingly,


    "Which coward dares to ambush?¡±


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s expression showed surprise.


    Murong Caiyun and the others came to the realization but were shocked inside.


    It was Mo Hua¡­


    They hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua, this ¡°Junior Formation Master,¡± would know such a tricky and peculiar spell, deploying it so quickly and seizing the timing so precisely.


    Most importantly, he was very skilled¡­


    As if he often engaged in such activities¡­


    There were no echoes around.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s gaze, dark and sweeping everywhere, kept scanning with his Divine Sense.


    In the current situation, this sly attacker, no matter who they were or their level of cultivation, was inevitably a hidden danger.


    Ouyang Feng, fearing Bald Eagle might discover where Mo Hua was hiding, abruptly hardened his gaze and intensified his Sword Qi, accelerating his attacks and declared sternly,


    "Scum, prepare to die!¡±


    Bald Eagle frowned and clicked his tongue in slight anger but had to gather his spirits to handle Ouyang Feng.


    Murong Caiyun and the others, realizing the rare opportunity, also went all out, holding nothing back, planning to eliminate the remaining Sin Cultivators before collectively attacking the leading Bald Eagle.


    Mo Hua was much more at ease; he lay in the grass, humming a tune, watching the fight, and then, seizing the opportunity, used the Water Prison Technique to control the enemy.


    When he made a move, it was certain that a Sin Cultivator would be hit.


    Another move, and a Sin Cultivator would lose their life.


    Murong Caiyun and the others, standout disciples of their Sect, wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity.


    After deploying six or seven Water Prison Techniques, among the Sin Cultivators present, the dead were dead, the severely wounded were severely wounded, only Bald Eagle was still struggling.


    Now he began to panic, shouting angrily,


    "Cowardly curs, what kind of skill is it to harm someone with secret arrows?¡±


    Mo Hua initially did not want to engage with him, planning to ¡°coldly¡± kill him or leave him severely injured and on the verge of death before stepping forward to speak, hoping to perhaps ¡°anger¡± him to death.


    But as he watched, Mo Hua realized something was amiss with the Bald Eagle.


    He simply revealed himself, walked forward, and stood next to Senior Sister Murong.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, the Bald Eagle¡¯s expression shook.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the one who had been hiding in the dark, using sinister spells to kill his brethren, to be a little brat still carrying traces of youth on his face!


    However, the next moment, his eyes reddened, and he stared fixedly at Mo Hua.


    These mid-stage Foundation Establishment sect disciples were not easy to deal with, and he could seek revenge later.


    But this low-cultivation, cunning little ghost must die here today!


    He must be torn to pieces to quell the hatred in his heart!


    The Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes were filled with murderous intent.


    Ouyang Feng noticed the murderous look in the Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes and his gaze darkened.


    Murong Caiyun also furrowed her brows, worriedly saying, ¡°Why have you come out?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed at the Bald Eagle and declared firmly,


    "He has a problem!¡±


    Everyone was stunned.


    Murong Caiyun couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    "His head has a problem!¡± Mo Hua asserted confidently.


    "Head¡­ what¡¯s the problem


    With a crisp voice and self-assured manner, Mo Hua said,


    "He is bald!¡±


    The atmosphere instantly tensed up.


    All the cultivators present were also dumbstruck.


    Murong Caiyun and the others didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment¡­


    Seething with rage, not only were the Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes bloodshot, but his face also turned red with anger.


    Yet at the same time, feeling slightly vulnerable as if his secret was discovered, he turned around and attempted to flee.


    Seeing this, Ouyang Feng immediately intervened and blocked him. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Mo Hua shouted, ¡°Shave off his hair!¡±


    The Bald Eagle furious, yelled, ¡°You little brat, you!¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as Ouyang Feng¡¯s sword moves interrupted him.


    Ouyang Feng felt somewhat helpless, but subconsciously did as Mo Hua suggested. The Yellow Maple Longsword in his hand, sharp with Sword Qi, aimed blow after blow at the Bald Eagle¡¯s hair.


    The Bald Eagle furiously struggled, awkwardly defending, but his moves were somewhat odd.


    Ignoring minor injuries and dodging deadly Sword Qi, he stubbornly protected his scalp.


    It seemed he would go to any lengths to keep his hair intact.


    Even if his body was injured, even if his skin split and flesh burst, not a single hair could fall!


    After a brief struggle, Shangguan Xu also joined to assist.


    He wielded a Giant Sword, and if he really started shaving, each swing would take off a large swath.


    The Bald Eagle panicked, fighting while retreating, thinking of leaving, but Mo Hua was still there, pointing a finger as the Water Prison Technique emerged, restraining him in place.


    Finally, after dozens of rounds, Murong Caiyun could no longer bear to watch and took the opportunity to condense a Five-colored Spirit Light, pointing her delicate hand, the Spirit Light shot out, hitting the Bald Eagle who was left and right blocked, unable to dodge, making him stagger.


    Shangguan Xu, quick to act, swung his Giant Sword at the Bald Eagle¡¯s neck.


    In a life-threatening moment, the Bald Eagle had no choice but to duck his head to dodge the sword. Though his neck was saved, his hair was not; a large chunk was shaved off directly.


    The remaining ¡°wig¡± also fell off by itself, revealing a bald head.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded confidently.


    As he had expected, this middle-aged cultivator was indeed bald!


    Moreover, not just ordinarily bald.


    On his bald head, as with ¡°tattoos¡±, were drawn various patterns.


    Mo Hua squinted and thought to himself, just as expected.


    What was patterned on the Bald Eagle¡¯s bald head was indeed a Formation, and moreover, its Formation Patterns were extremely special, carved with eagle claws and eyes, resembling Beast Patterns.


    Elder Master Xun had once said,


    Beasts, akin to monsters.


    Such formations were passed down through generations by those Savage tribe cultivators in the lands south of Nine State, across the Barbaric Wilderness¡­


    The Four Symbols Monster Pattern Formation!

 Chapter 837: The Golden Origin Formation

    Chapter 837 -602: The Golden Origin Formation


    Mo Hua stared at Bald Eagle, his eyes shimmering with light.


    While he had been hiding and secretly observing earlier, his Divine Sense faintly perceived something amiss¡ªthe head of this Bald Eagle seemed to have traces of Formation Patterns.


    Furthermore, the aura was unfamiliar.


    That indicated there was a Formation hidden on Bald Eagle¡¯s head.


    And it was a Formation he had never seen or studied before.


    Indeed, he had guessed correctly!


    ...


    It was the rare Four Symbols Formation!


    According to Elder Master Xun, this kind of Formation had patterns resembling Beast Patterns and was related to Monster Beasts.


    If the foundation in the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams was not deep, rashly learning it could lead to a loss of humanity.


    The Formation had flaws, so Taixu Gate probably didn¡¯t teach the disciples the Four Symbols Formation¡­


    Even if it had flaws, a Formation was still a Formation.


    Mo Hua still very much wanted to see it and learn from it.


    But if Taixu Gate wouldn¡¯t teach it, then this bald one might be the only way he could learn about the Four Symbols kind of Formations for now.


    He definitely couldn¡¯t let him get away!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze intensely fixed on Bald Eagle.


    Ouyang Feng and the others were somewhat surprised.


    When Mo Hua shouted about shaving Bald Eagle¡¯s head, they thought he was just being ¡°childishly impulsive,¡± but they hadn¡¯t expected that there really was something strange about Bald Eagle¡¯s head.


    "Four Symbols Array Pattern


    Murong Caiyun silently glanced at Mo Hua, inwardly shocked.


    This Junior Brother surnamed Mo had such keen perception of Formations¡­


    On the other hand, Bald Eagle¡¯s expression was ferocious; his anger uncontrollable, and his heart palpitated with fear.


    The Formation on his head was not to be revealed, and he could not leave any clues behind. Otherwise, if someone discerning observed, it could ruin his grand plans.


    When he first started out, he hadn¡¯t hidden it because of his baldness, he had forged the Four Symbols Hawk Claw Formation, which led to the nickname ¡°Bald Eagle.¡±


    Later, when he realized the gravity of it, he disguised and restrained himself, concealed his baldness, and covered the Pattern.


    Most of those who knew his true face had been killed.


    For a long time, no one had discovered it.


    Although others still called him ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± they merely took it as a nickname and didn¡¯t bother about whether he was actually bald.


    But he had never imagined that this little ghost would take it so seriously.


    Hearing his name ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± he immediately concluded that he must be bald!


    And even shaved off his wig, causing him to reveal the Formation on his head.


    Bald Eagle felt deeply humiliated, grinding his teeth in hatred.


    "Good! Good!¡±


    His gaze was chilling as he looked around, especially when he saw Mo Hua¡ªhis bright eyes and white teeth, curiously examining his bald appearance made him burn with rage.


    The Four Symbols Hawk Claw Formation had been seen.


    Then they all had to die!


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself to the ¡°Gentleman


    He couldn¡¯t bear the anger of the Gentleman.


    Fear flickered in Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes, followed by a murderous intent, his pupils densely webbed with blood vessels.


    "Kill!¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, the Formation Pattern atop Bald Eagle¡¯s head seemed to come alive.


    The ¡°Totemic¡± Pattern emitted a dark green color. The lines of the Pattern trembled, merged, and transformed, resembling a poisoned hawk with exposed sharp talons, extremely vicious.


    From within the Eagle Pattern, a weird demonic power infiltrated, from Bald Eagle¡¯s skin into his meridians, flowing through his blood throughout his body, merging with his flesh.


    Bald Eagle clenched his teeth, seemingly enduring immense pain.


    The Eagle Pattern gradually spread throughout his body.


    A bizarre and ominous aura slowly permeated the area.


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s eyes shook, sensing trouble, he immediately pointed his sword tip, Sword Qi shot out like a rainbow, directly targeting Bald Eagle¡¯s Heart Meridian, intending to interrupt Bald Eagle¡¯s absorption of the Four Symbols Formation¡¯s power.


    The others also took action.


    Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle, Golden Brilliance Heavy Sword, Five-colored Spirit Light, all rushed towards Bald Eagle.


    Mo Hua also supplemented with a Water Prison Technique.


    But Bald Eagle, having absorbed the power of the Formation, moved like the wind, dodging all these sword moves and spells.


    Only Ouyang Feng¡¯s Sword Qi scratched his chest, slashing a long blood mark.


    Bald Eagle stood firmly at a distance and sneered.


    "Taia Sword Technique, nothing more than that.¡±


    The blood on his chest gradually dried, the wound slowly healed as if new, resembling an injured Monster Beast that, powered by strong Blood Qi, regenerated its flesh.


    And the pattern on Bald Eagle¡¯s head also stopped wriggling.


    The Four Symbols Hawk Claw Formation, fully activated.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s entire being, emitted a strong Monster Qi, although appearing human, resembled a hawk-type Monster Beast wrapped in human skin.


    Ouyang Feng frowned, his expression darkened, ¡°Untrained in demon techniques, yet possesses demonic power


    "This isn¡¯t just a simple Four Symbols Formation


    "What exactly is the Formation inscribed on you?¡±


    Bald Eagle sneered, ¡°The universe is boundless, the Formations profound and vast


    "How could you, Noble Family Descendants, confined to self-interest, calling yourselves ¡®geniuses¡¯, with narrow minds, possibly comprehend my Formation?¡±


    After Bald Eagle said this, he sneered coldly, raised his hands, and his fingertips surprisingly condensed into sharp, poisoned blood-dipped talons.


    "I¡¯ve activated the Formation


    "Today, you all are going to die here!¡±


    Ouyang Feng warned in a deep voice, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua had already fled.


    Upon seeing Bald Eagle absorb the power of the Four Symbols Formation, his body covered in tattoos, looking terrifying, he immediately ran far away to hide and simultaneously used Concealment to hide his presence and form.


    Just as Bald Eagle was moving to kill, wanting to axe Mo Hua first, he discovered that Mo Hua had disappeared without a trace, almost making him spit blood in frustration.


    "Coward!¡±


    "Scaredy-cat!¡±


    Bald Eagle cursed furiously.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t care.


    Fine, I¡¯m a scaredy-cat, what can you possibly do to me?

 Chapter 838: Jin Yuan Formation (2)

    Chapter 838: Chapter 602 Jin Yuan Formation_2


    Bald Eagle really had no way to deal with Mo Hua.


    His power had increased substantially, but it wasn¡¯t his Divine Sense that had increased; since he couldn¡¯t find Mo Hua before, he still couldn¡¯t find him now.


    Bald Eagle cursed again and then his gaze turned sinister.


    "Fine, let¡¯s see how long you can hide


    "I¡¯ll kill these few senior brothers first and violate your two senior sisters, and you can just hide and watch.¡±


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s eyes brimmed with murderous intent, and both Shangguan Xu and Hua Qianqian were furious.


    ...


    Murong Caiyun had a frosty expression but still said steadily,


    "Stabilize your minds, don¡¯t be provoked, let¡¯s kill him together.¡±


    Before her words ended, Bald Eagle suddenly burst forth, his claws sharp, slashing a green light directly at Murong Caiyun¡¯s throat.


    Murong Caiyun frowned and executed a movement technique to retreat.


    Ouyang Feng stepped forward, his sword horizontal, blocking Bald Eagle and shielding Murong Caiyun behind him.


    Bald Eagle swung his claw, and demonic power surged, clashing with Ouyang Feng in a move.


    Ouyang Feng only felt a numbness in his tiger¡¯s mouth, a sharp demonic power piercing his arm causing pain, and his body was also forced back several steps.


    "This demonic power is so strong


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s heart chilled slightly, focusing even more to prepare for Bald Eagle¡¯s next move, yet when he looked up, his expression suddenly changed, shouting,


    "Junior Brother Shangguan, be careful!¡±


    It turned out that after forcing Ouyang Feng back with one move, Bald Eagle did not pursue the advantage but suddenly turned direction, his claws swift as wind, grasping at the other side where Shangguan Xu was.


    Shangguan Xu saw Bald Eagle exchanging blows with Ouyang Feng and thought to assist, but just as he made a move, his heavy sword only cleaved halfway before seeing Bald Eagle abandon Ouyang Feng and charge directly at him.


    Bald Eagle was fast in movement and faster in his attacks.


    But Shangguan Xu, having mingled in the Qian Learning State Boundary for years, had ample combat experience. He knew not to use all his strength recklessly but to reserve some energy for contingency.


    Thus, even though the Heavy Sword moves were slow, he could still change moves spontaneously to deal with Bald Eagle¡¯s sudden strikes.


    But at that moment, a red light flashed in the eyes of Bald Eagle.


    The aura on his body surged tremendously in an instant.


    Within the Formation, the demonic power he had deliberately stored and not fully absorbed filled his limbs in an instant.


    With the enhancement of demonic power, Bald Eagle¡¯s physical body became even stronger, his Blood Qi more vigorous, his moves sharper, and his figure quicker by a notch.


    And his power, with the support of the Formation, was nearing¡­


    The Late Stage of Foundation Establishment!


    Everyone¡¯s expressions changed in shock.


    At this point, they all understood.


    Bald Eagle had been holding back!


    He had deliberately concealed some strength, intending to burst forth suddenly during the battle to turn the tides.


    Shangguan Xu¡¯s face paled, his situation perilous.


    Ouyang Feng raised his sword, Murong Caiyun condensed a spell, and Hua Qianqian maneuvered Spirit Needles, but they were all too slow, unable to stop the immensely empowered Sin Cultivator Bald Eagle.


    Just then, a flash of water light, and a watery prison cage appeared out of nowhere, enveloping Bald Eagle.


    Bald Eagle snorted coldly, his body like an eagled hawk, suddenly accelerating, breaking free from the lock of the Water Prison Technique, and then raised his poison-dripped claws, striking at Shangguan Xu¡¯s heart meridian.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique, though it didn¡¯t trap Bald Eagle, forced him to change his movement technique, ultimately delaying him for a brief moment.


    During this critical moment, Shangguan Xu stepped back.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s claw didn¡¯t tear too deeply, and the Taixu Daoist Robe also had protective effects. Although it was torn with bloodstains and bleeding heavily, it hadn¡¯t touched his life.


    Before Shangguan Xu could catch his breath,


    Bald Eagle pursued the victory, intending to kill Shangguan Xu first.


    With one less Heavy Sword Cultivator to contend with, it would be much easier to kill the others, especially those two, female disciples maneuvering spells and Spiritual Artifacts from a distance.


    But Mo Hua was quicker, casting another Water Prison Technique to trap him in place.


    Bald Eagle frowned and forcefully propelled his movement technique, dodging this confining move.


    Then, Hua Qianqian, clad in a Bai Hua Jinxiu Daoist Robe, maneuvered Spirit Needles, attacking Bald Eagle.


    Bald Eagle, repeatedly blocked, was furious. The Formation Patterns on his body writhed, his muscles bulged, and a dark green demonic power enshrouded his claws, tearing violently, raising a bloody wind.


    The potent demonic power swept through, destroying all of Hua Qianqian¡¯s Hundred Flowers Spirit Needles.


    Hua Qianqian¡¯s Divine Sense ached, her face turned pale, but she still gritted her teeth, taking the opportunity to move Shangguan Xu farther away.


    Shangguan Xu had three bloodstains on his chest, bleeding continuously, also poisoned, which had to be healed quickly to avoid endless troubles.


    Shangguan Xu immediately took Pills to heal.


    Hua Qianqian took out a backup Spirit Needle from her Storage Bag, protecting Shangguan Xu in front of him.


    But this kind of Spirit Needle, being a backup, was far less effective than the previous Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle, posing no threat to Bald Eagle, only serving as a defense and protecting Shangguan Xu while he healed properly.


    In an instant, two out of the four had lost their fighting capabilities.


    Bald Eagle, having held back in secret and suddenly burst forth, reaped great benefits and couldn¡¯t help but sneer coldly.


    Currently, the only threats to him were Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun.


    Bald Eagle didn¡¯t give the two a chance to breathe, his gaze fierce, eagle-eyed and wolfish, he attacked Murong Caiyun again in a brief oversight.


    And Ouyang Feng, although at a disadvantage in terms of cultivation, also had to grit his teeth and contend with Bald Eagle.


    From the same state boundary, their Sects were allied.


    Cultivators, even if from different Sects, had more or less some friendship.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to see his junior brothers and sisters suffer at the hands of Bald Eagle, otherwise he would forever bear guilt and regret.


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s expression was resolute, his gaze sharp.


    The situation suddenly became tense.


    Bald Eagle then showed a playful look, curious to see how long these two could last against him.


    sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 839: Golden Origin Formation (3)

    Chapter 839: Chapter 602 Golden Origin Formation_3


    Once they lost¡­


    Bald Eagle licked his lips, his gaze sweeping across Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian with lustful eyes.


    Having been trapped in Mount Diancang for so long, it had been a while since he had been close to a woman.


    Desire stirred within Bald Eagle.


    Suddenly, a blue light formed into a cage, enveloping him.


    Caught off guard, Bald Eagle¡¯s movement technique slowed by a step; he failed to dodge and was tightly imprisoned by the icy Water Prison.


    ...


    Though it lasted only a few moments, he experienced the discomfort of feeling dizzy as if drowning in water.


    His heart was instantly rid of lascivious thoughts, replaced only by a deep sense of disgust.


    "Damn it!¡±


    "Stinking little ghost!¡±


    Bald Eagle was furious.


    He had been careless and hadn¡¯t dodged, allowing that little ghost to take him by surprise.


    Meanwhile, Ouyang Feng took the opportunity to sweep his sword across Bald Eagle¡¯s throat, not deeply, just breaking the skin.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s Five Elements Spirit Light, although slightly off target and not hitting Bald Eagle¡¯s forehead, had scorched half of his ear.


    With his injury, Bald Eagle felt a chill in his heart.


    "It¡¯s not the right time yet


    "I need to focus, decide the battle quickly, and subdue these two people


    "Then I¡¯ll deal with that little ghost¡¯s trouble


    Hate flashed in Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes; his demonic power was unleashed without reservation, his moves becoming even more ferocious towards Ouyang Feng.


    At the same time, he was also on guard against Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique.


    Whenever there was a sign of being locked onto by Divine Sense, or a faint fluctuation of Water-Type Spiritual Power around him, he would quickly dodge using his movement technique, to avoid falling prey to that little ghost¡¯s schemes.


    With Bald Eagle fully on guard, he managed to avoid the Water Prison Technique again.


    Meanwhile, he calmed down and allocated a portion of his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings.


    He wanted to find any trace of that little ghost.


    But the area was empty, the blank Divine Sense vision revealed no traces of anyone.


    Bald Eagle frowned.


    This little ghost¡­ was quite elusive¡­


    Truly not a trace to be seen.


    Why?


    Did he possess a Concealment Spiritual Artifact, or was his Concealment Technique too sophisticated, or perhaps his Divine Sense was too strong?


    Bald Eagle shook his head inwardly.


    No matter how strong the Divine Sense¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be possible for him to not notice at all.


    If he hadn¡¯t been careless, that little ghost¡¯s Water Prison Technique wouldn¡¯t have been able to lock onto him, which meant that his Divine Sense was not stronger than his own.


    That made sense, as that little ghost was at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    And he was at the peak of the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    His Divine Sense, how could it be stronger than his own.


    The reason he hid so well must be that he possessed some treasure or some legacy¡­


    A Concealment treasure?


    That would be a great find¡­


    Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    "If that¡¯s the case, then my great fortune has arrived!¡±


    "After this, catch that little ghost and find out everything


    The smile on Bald Eagle¡¯s face was sinister.


    ¡­


    Lying in the bushes, Mo Hua suddenly felt a premonition.


    As if a fierce hawk was targeting him¡­


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes.


    Daring to covet him¡­


    This Bald Eagle must not be left alive¡­ S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was just a low-profile disciple of Taixu Gate, cultivating peacefully and earnestly learning about Formation; he didn¡¯t want to be targeted by a villain like ¡°Bald Eagle.¡±


    Moreover, he had to prove himself as ¡°capable¡± in front of his senior brothers and sisters.


    This was related to his future plans to ¡°mix¡± on missions and earn Merit Points.


    And there was also the issue with the Four Symbols Formation.


    The Four Symbols Formation seemed somewhat sinister at the moment, not seeming like a proper formation, but whether it was proper or not, he would know only after reviewing and studying it.


    One should not be too hasty.


    This formation deserved a chance¡­


    What if it could ¡°return to the right path¡±?


    Then he¡¯d be able to study it openly!


    Even if he couldn¡¯t study it, researching it would still be good for defense in the future.


    Mo Hua found another opportunity and casually cast a few Water Prison Techniques; Bald Eagle dodged them all, and his face showed increasingly evident scorn and disdain.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "This Bald Eagle is definitely dying today!¡±


    But the timing wasn¡¯t right yet, he had to wait a little longer.


    Mo Hua waited a while longer, until Shangguan Xu¡¯s injuries had improved somewhat, and Hua Qianqian had taken Pills to replenish her Spiritual Power too. Both were gritting their teeth and participating in the encirclement of Bald Eagle when he knew the opportunity had come.


    This was when their side was at its strongest.


    And Bald Eagle had also depleted a lot of Spiritual Power.


    If they couldn¡¯t take him down now, and he found an opportunity to counter-kill his senior brothers and sisters, that would be problematic.


    Or if he realized that the situation was hopeless and ran away secretly, that wouldn¡¯t be good either.


    Mo Hua sneaked next to Murong Caiyun and whispered,


    "Senior sister


    Murong Caiyun, who was fully engaged in casting her Spell and restricting Bald Eagle, was startled when she heard him but relaxed when she saw it was Mo Hua.


    However, her eyebrows soon furrowed tightly, her expression solemn, she sighed,


    "Junior Brother Mo¡­ you should leave first


    Continuing the fight, the outcome was uncertain, and she could not guarantee Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    But Mo Hua shook his head, asking,


    "Senior sister, do you know that kind of Superior Technique that is very powerful?¡±


    Murong Caiyun was taken aback, then slowly nodded, ¡°Yes, I do know one, but


    Under these circumstances, using such a Technique was very risky.


    Moreover, it might not even hit the target.


    Even if it did, it might not kill Bald Eagle, who had his physical body strengthened by the formation to nearly the level of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, with one blow.


    Expending so much energy on such a powerful Spell, if they failed to kill him, they would be in danger.


    Mo Hua patted his chest confidently,


    "Senior sister, don¡¯t worry, just cast your Spell, leave the rest to me!¡±


    Murong Caiyun was astonished, ¡°Leave it to you?¡±


    "I know a Formation that can amplify the power of the Five Elements. If you use a Superior Technique with the amplified power, you could kill that ¡®Bald Eagle¡¯ in one move.¡±

 Chapter 840: Jin Yuan Formation (4)

    Chapter 840: Chapter 602 Jin Yuan Formation_4


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Murong Caiyun opened her mouth, ¡°You¡­ you also know this Formation?¡±


    Amplifying the power of the Five Elements¡­


    Formation contains the Great Dao, profound and expansive; it would not be surprising for there to be all kinds of unimaginable Formations.


    But what surprised Murong Caiyun was, how could Mo Hua possibly know such an extremely rare Formation?


    Where on earth did he learn it from?


    ...


    And how was he able to master it?


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°These are trifles


    Murong Caiyun blinked in surprise, then nodded her head.


    Time was limited, indeed she had no time to dwell on these matters now.


    After pondering for a moment, Murong Caiyun decided, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try!¡±


    Hesitation breeds chaos.


    In such moments, if one were to hesitate, they would likely lose the opportunity for victory.


    Moreover, along the way, Mo Hua, this Junior Brother, though young and not highly cultivated, was very astute and his understanding of Formation Patterns was profound.


    The Spells he knew were obscure, but his technique was impeccable.


    Furthermore, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was clear and pure; he must be an extremely upright and sincere child who would not hatch any sinister plots.


    His words could be trusted.


    Murong Caiyun made up her mind and said, ¡°That Formation


    "Sister, just cast your Spell, don¡¯t worry about the rest,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Murong Caiyun was taken aback but still put her trust in Mo Hua. After a brief contemplation, she said to Ouyang Feng:


    "Senior Brother Feng, please delay him.¡±


    Ouyang Feng was slightly stunned upon hearing this, but after a moment he guessed what Murong Caiyun was planning. He frowned slightly, but after contemplation, he did not refuse.


    Since Senior Sister Murong wanted to employ a Superior Technique to kill the enemy, she must have her reasons.


    Dragging things out was already an act of desperation.


    Ouyang Feng, with cutting Sword Qi, joined forces with Shangguan Xu and Hua Qianqian to contain the Bald Eagle.


    At this time, there was an unspoken agreement among them all.


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Disciples of the Noble Clans, if possible, would always learn some Superior Daoist Magic.


    But given the current situation, with Ouyang Feng¡¯s profound cultivation, he was needed to contain the Bald Eagle, who was quick in both body and movement, and possessed a formidable physical strength.


    Senior Brother Xu was injured.


    And Senior Sister Hua¡¯s strength mostly depended on her Spiritual Artifact.


    Therefore, Senior Sister Murong, who was adept in the Five Elements Spell, was the best choice.


    Mo Hua also wanted to see just how powerful the Superior Five Elements Spell would be after being amplified by the Five Elements Source Formation.


    Ouyang Feng and the others did their best to grapple with the Bald Eagle.


    Without delay, Murong Caiyun also started to Condense Qi and cast her Spell.


    Strong and dazzling five-colored lights emanated from her body, gathering around her like clouds in the sky, making her shine with a crystal radiance, like a fairy among the clouds.


    Five Elements Radiant Jue.


    This was a genuine transmission of the Taixu Gate, a Superior Technique that combined all Five Elements.


    However, among these lights, only one was a dazzling gold.


    This was because the Five Elements Radiant Jue was exceedingly profound, and Murong Caiyun had so far only learned the Golden Series of this spell, unable to combine all Five Elements as one.


    Even so, during the Foundation Establishment Stage, the power of this Technique was already quite remarkable.


    The Bald Eagle also noticed the commotion.


    He was startled for a moment and then sneered inwardly.


    "Fool!¡±


    "Trying to kill me with a Superior Daoist Magic in one move?¡±


    "Are all Sect Disciples fools from their constant debates over swords? Only learning those grandiose but useless moves.¡±


    In a real fight for survival, there are no frivolous flourishes; it¡¯s about straightforward effectiveness.


    If a chaotic blade can kill, then forget the formalities and kill with a chaotic blade. Do not add unnecessary moves, or you might be the one to die.


    Superior Technique?


    Bald Eagle looked at Murong Caiyun and snorted coldly.


    Not to mention, whether the power of this technique could kill him.


    Even if it could, it was still questionable whether Divine Sense could lock him down firmly. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once it missed, this spell dissipated into nothing, and then, the ones facing death¡­ would be you all¡­


    Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes were sinister, but he remained unafraid with ease.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s Spiritual Power continued to rise, and her aura gradually climbed higher, but even such powerful might only made Bald Eagle wary for a moment.


    Just then, Mo Hua pointed a tiny hand toward the ground.


    A Pattern of pure gold color, enriched with the Origin Power of the Five Elements, meandered and surfaced, coalescing into a Formation.


    First Grade, Thirteen Stripes, Ultimate Formation.


    Murong Caiyun, who was casting a spell, suddenly narrowed her pupils.


    "This is


    "Ultimate Formation?!¡±


    And¡­


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s face was filled with disbelief.


    How did this Junior Brother just draw the Formation?


    A simple finger point on the ground, and the Formation appeared?!


    In a daze, she felt as if her common sense was in disarray.


    Since when were Formations drawn like this¡­


    And the moment Mo Hua infused Divine Sense and completed the Drawing Formation of the Ultimate Formation, a mysterious and clear Golden Light soared up instantly, covering Murong Caiyun.


    Standing upon the Ultimate Formation, Murong Caiyun felt a slight pain in her meridians, her Spiritual Power circulation intensified, and her Gold Series Spiritual Power became restless as if infused with the Source Power of the Five Elements, and it was constantly¡­


    Boiling.


    Spiritual Power boiling?


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s gaze shook.


    Then, as the spell condensed completely, her Gold Series Five Elements Radiant Jue became refined, like scalding molten gold, its splendor vast, surging mightily.


    This Ultimate Formation seemed to forcibly elevate her Superior Technique up a Grade!


    Far away, Bald Eagle¡¯s expression changed drastically, his pupils shocked.


    What¡¯s happening?


    How did the power of this technique suddenly become so much stronger?


    Without a second thought, he turned and bolted.


    Witnessing the astonishing power of the Five Elements Radiant Jue, Ouyang Feng and the others snapped back to their senses and took action one after another, attempting to keep Bald Eagle from escaping.


    Murong Caiyun had already locked on Bald Eagle with her Divine Sense.


    With a flick of her delicate hand, bolstered by the Ultimate Formation, a vast expanse of golden light swept across the sky, enveloping everything on its way to Bald Eagle.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes flashed with green light, and the Formation Patterns on his body flickered intermittently; his aura became somewhat elusive.


    At the same time, Monster Qi suddenly intensified around him, blurring the perception of Divine Sense.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s face paled in an instant, ¡°Divine Sense lock-on has gone inaccurate!¡±


    The sky full of radiant light, dazzling and beautiful yet filled with lethal intent, whirled toward Bald Eagle, but at the last moment, it seemed to lose its target and could not change its trajectory.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s face showed both panic and relief.


    As expected of the Four Symbols Formation of the Great Wilderness Lineage¡­


    It had saved his life once again.


    Bald Eagle let out a cold laugh and turned to escape from the radiant light.


    But just then, Mo Hua also gave a faint smile and reached out with an evil little hand.


    His Spiritual Power was pushed to the extreme.


    Peculiar dark Patterns emerged in his pupils.


    His Divine Sense, strong and resilient, like numerous chains, pierced through the mist of the Four Symbols Formation and locked down Bald Eagle, who was trying to flee!


    A powerful Divine Thought descended.


    Bald Eagle felt it and his smile froze instantly, his face turning deathly pale.

 Chapter 841: Suppressing and Slaying

    Chapter 841 -603: Suppressing and Slaying


    I had been locked by Divine Sense¡­ dead?


    Was there a high-level cultivator nearby?


    How could this be?


    Once Divine Sense locked on, a spell would follow.


    Bald Eagle felt a premonition of danger.


    What spell was coming?!


    ...


    In less than a moment, that familiar, nauseating sensation of suffocation, akin to drowning, came over him.


    Chains appeared on his body, imprisoned by the Water Prison.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s pupils shrank in disbelief.


    Water Prison Technique?!


    "Was it that little ghost?!¡±


    In a split second, Bald Eagle realized what had happened.


    He had been tricked!


    That little ghost had deceived him!


    His Divine Sense was clearly strong enough to lock him down, his Water Prison Technique was clearly infallible!


    But that little ghost, he had held back, he had gone easy on him!


    His previous failures with the Water Prison Technique, unable to trap him, were just to make him complacent, to lower his guard, to make him think¡­


    That his Divine Sense was inferior to his own, that his spells couldn¡¯t lock him down.


    And then, at the most critical moment, at the juncture of life and death¡­


    That was when he took things seriously, locking him down with his powerful Divine Sense, controlling him with an incredibly fast and precise Water Prison Technique.


    Trapping him under the Five Elements aurora, teeming with surging Spiritual Power, overwhelmingly powerful.


    Just like a venomous little snake.


    Low-key, patient, dormant, then unexpectedly, it would bare its sinister fangs.


    A bite not felt, yet once it stings, it could claim your life!


    So despicable!


    So shameless!


    Bald Eagle was burning with rage, nearly vomiting blood, and also shocked to his core.


    How could this little ghost have such a powerful Divine Sense?


    He had been in Qian State for so long, yet this was the first time he was ¡°ambushed¡± by a kid¡¯s Divine Sense.


    This was the first, and most likely the last¡­


    Bald Eagle looked at the skies filled with auroral light, his expression grave as never before.


    He didn¡¯t know why this spell possessed such terrifying power, but he knew, if he didn¡¯t escape, he would undoubtedly die under the aurora light.


    The Formation Patterns on Bald Eagle¡¯s scalp suddenly lit up, a ghastly green and glaring.


    It seemed as if he had activated the full power of the Four Symbols Formation, his scalp unable to bear the burden, beginning to split open, blood seeping out, running down from his head.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s face was stained with blood, a picture of distress and ferocity.


    He was ready for a desperate struggle.


    With his full power triggered, Bald Eagle¡¯s flesh and demonic power fused to the extreme, his body almost contorting out of shape, as if the demonic power was rampaging uncontrollably within.


    Bald Eagle, turned into something neither human nor demon.


    But his demonic power grew even more frenzied.


    As the demonic power surged and his body contorted, the Water Prison Technique was instantly torn apart, the Spiritual Power disintegrated, turning into droplets and vanishing into nothingness.


    Bald Eagle regained his freedom, let out a sinister laugh, and tried to flee again.


    Just then, in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, the eerie black fog churned relentlessly. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Double images emerged in the pupils.


    His Tricky Calculation reached its zenith, Divine Sense circulating to the extreme.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense locked onto Bald Eagle once again.


    In less than a moment, as Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Power shifted, another Water Prison Technique was condensed, locking Bald Eagle in place once more with pinpoint accuracy.


    In that instant, Bald Eagle¡¯s face went deathly pale, showing terror.


    This time, he clearly felt it.


    Such Divine Sense¡­


    Contained an innocent yet icy intent to kill.


    Although his realm was not higher than Sixteen Patterns, there was an overpowering dominance.


    He could even lock down someone of a higher order, making escape impossible.


    Incredible, powerful and resilient, it had an unfathomable depth and an ever-changing sense of mystery¡­


    This was simply not a ¡®human¡¯s¡¯ Divine Sense!


    Bald Eagle¡¯s pupils trembled violently.


    That little ghost¡­ what was he, human or ghost, or¡­


    An Evil God?


    Did his body also house something like the Divine Lord¡­ an outside god?


    Was he not human himself, but merely a flesh host for an outside god?


    Bald Eagle strained to turn his head, but there was no sight of Mo Hua¡ªhad he not sensed his Divine Sense, he might not even know how or by whom he had died¡­


    The aurora approached, the sharp Gold Series Spiritual Power slicing through his skin and flesh.


    His right limb had been disintegrated by Spiritual Power, revealing stark white bones.


    Even the bones were slowly eroding.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s face showed despair, then transcendence and piety.


    His voice hoarse and deep, he whispered:


    "Undying through myriad calamities, the Wild God does not perish


    "All things must return, the soul goes back


    But before he could finish, he was swallowed up by the Five Elements aurora.


    The Golden Light spread, the Spiritual Power sharp as blades, slicing his body to shreds.


    Tiny wounds bled profusely, only for the blood to be instantly evaporated by the cutting power.


    Bald Eagle instantly lost his life, collapsing to the ground, his death a ghastly sight not fit for eyes.


    And the aurora that filled the sky fell to the ground, grinding the forest to splinters and the rocks to dust.


    Even the clouds and miasma were scattered.


    The gold Spiritual Power still lingered in the mountains, like shredded sunlight, beautiful yet deadly.


    Ouyang Feng and the others were shocked.


    "He really¡­ killed him


    Such power in that spell!


    That it could actually, in a single move, subdue Bald Eagle, who had been strengthened by a demonic formation and had a formidable physical body¡­


    While everyone was still stunned, suddenly a Fireball Technique flew past before their eyes and headed far away, exploding on the already dead Bald Eagle¡¯s corpse.


    With a loud boom.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s corpse was blasted into the air, landing on the ground, rolling before coming to a still and silent stop.

 Chapter 842: Suppression (2)

    Chapter 842 -603: Suppression_2


    Obviously, he was completely dead.


    The crowd opened their mouths but couldn¡¯t find the words. They all turned their heads to look at Mo Hua, who was using the Fireball Technique to ¡°whip the corpse.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked matter-of-factly and said,


    "He was a bad guy, I¡¯m just making sure he¡¯s really dead with an extra stab.¡±


    Although Mo Hua was sure in his heart that this Bald Eagle was probably dead for good, as his Divine Sense no longer detected any breath of life, his Spiritual Power was chaotic and gradually dissipating.


    But better safe than sorry.


    ...


    A few more Fireballs wouldn¡¯t hurt, just to be sure.


    And it¡¯s better to be cautious than to have regrets.


    This Bald Eagle, with lots of tricks up his sleeve and tough skin, was pretty hard to deal with.


    Mo Hua felt the itch to throw a few more Fireballs, but seeing everyone silently watching him, he felt somewhat embarrassed and said,


    "How about you guys give it a go? I¡¯ve already done my part


    ¡­


    Shangguan Xu, wounded from the battle, looked at Mo Hua and sighed silently in his heart.


    This Junior Brother Mo¡¯s behavior was nowhere close to how Auntie had described it, completely different, in fact¡­


    He remembered how, before he was admitted, Auntie had warned him repeatedly about how naive and kind-hearted Junior Brother Mo was, devoid of any cunning¡­


    His cultivation wasn¡¯t high, his physical body was weak, all he knew was a bit of Formation, fights would definitely be his disadvantage, he could be easily bullied, and he needed to be looked after¡­


    He almost believed it¡­


    Now, seeing how cunning¡­


    No, how clever Junior Brother was, effortlessly surviving a melee fight at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    Even the fierce and cunning Bald Eagle was played by his Concealment Technique, toyed with his Water Prison Technique, and even ¡°whipped¡± posthumously by his Fireball Technique¡­


    Shangguan Xu sighed.


    The other new disciples from worldly families at Taixu Gate were as green as lambs.


    He didn¡¯t believe that any of his fellow disciples could bully his Junior Brother.


    Or rather, it was not certain who would bully whom¡­


    Ouyang Feng and the other two had a peculiar look in their eyes when they saw Mo Hua.


    Especially Murong Caiyun, who was extremely surprised.


    He didn¡¯t expect the disciple he had picked up along the way to be this¡­


    Inclined towards Concealment Technique, proficient in Formation, sharp in perception, and those unimaginable methods of Drawing Ground into Formation.


    And that extremely rare Ultimate Formation with Five Elements Amplification¡­


    Aside from the weak ability in direct confrontations, in other aspects, he was almost absurdly strong.


    And that Water Prison Technique was too fast, and too accurate.


    Although Bald Eagle died under his Five Elements Radiant Jue, at the end of the day, he actually died due to those two continuous, powerless but extremely tricky Water Prison Techniques¡­


    Seeing everyone looking at him, Mo Hua felt a bit guilty and said,


    "Senior brothers and sisters, it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s collect the Storage Bags, gather the spoils, and prepare to head back


    Ouyang Feng and the others were startled by his words.


    Murong Caiyun looked at Mo Hua with an even stranger expression.


    "Junior brother, do you¡­ often do this kind of thing?¡±


    Killing people and then collecting their Storage Bags, how come he looked¡­ so skilled at it?


    Mo Hua instinctively nodded, then quickly shook his head, saying,


    "I¡¯m not skilled, not skilled, this kind of dangerous affair, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve encountered it Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Murong Caiyun sighed helplessly.


    The others exchanged wry smiles.


    But indeed, time was not on their side, they had been through a tough battle, their Spiritual Power was largely depleted, and some were injured, so it was time to pack up and prepare to return.


    Before returning, they had to clear the battlefield and collect the spoils of war.


    To avoid omissions, they worked together to clear up, and while the others¡¯ moods were relaxed, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit weary. Only Mo Hua was full of energy.


    Collecting Storage Bags!


    He loved doing that!


    But Formation work was still more important.


    First, he dismantled the nearby Formations.


    He ¡°confiscated¡± the Spirit Stones that powered the Formation eyes, then checked the Formation Pivots and Formation Patterns to see if there was any Formation knowledge he hadn¡¯t learned. If there was, he carefully noted it down.


    Even a wise man can make a mistake.


    With so many Formation Masters in the world, there was always someone who knew something he didn¡¯t.


    One must learn to draw on the strengths of others and broaden one¡¯s views.


    Moreover, Bald Eagle¡¯s level in Formation was obviously strong, although the types of Formations he specialized in were somewhat biased.


    After dismantling the Formations, Mo Hua went to check the cave.


    Clearly, this was a temporary resting place for the group of Sin Cultivators, there were some signs of life and some simple stove Formations.


    Apart from that, there were also some monster beast skeletons.


    They were small and didn¡¯t look like they came from large creatures, more like the radius and ulna bones of hawks or falcons.


    Around the nearby rocks, there were also some brownish feathers.


    Monster beasts¡­ eagles¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He then thought of the Eagle Pattern Formation on Bald Eagle¡¯s head.


    "Four Symbols Formation¡­ related to monster beasts


    "But what exactly is this relationship?¡±


    "How were the Four Symbols Formations built and how did they use the monster beasts to draw them?¡±


    "By drawing demonic power through the Four Symbols Formations to strengthen the body¡­ wouldn¡¯t that turn them into half-demons?¡±


    Just like Bald Eagle in his final moments¡­


    By excessively activating the Formation, drawing demonic power, causing all the flesh and blood in his body to be assimilated by demonic power, losing humanity, becoming a half-human half-demon creature¡­


    If he learned the Four Symbols Formation, would he also turn into that?


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt a bit scared.


    He was quite happy with how things were now¡­


    He didn¡¯t really want to turn into a ¡°little monster.¡±


    If he became that kind of half-human half-demon strange creature, how could he face his parents, and his little junior sister in the future?


    He must be more careful.


    After deliberating, Mo Hua searched around, but still found no other traces of Formations, no books, Jade Slips, or Formation Patterns.

 Chapter 843: Suppress and Kill (3)

    Chapter 843 -603: Suppress and Kill_3


    He swept with his Divine Sense and peered with Calculation, but found no trace.


    "It seems we can only wait to search Bald Eagle¡¯s body later


    Soon enough, everyone gathered their findings, bringing all the Storage Bags together.


    People like Ouyang Feng, who came from Noble Clans, didn¡¯t care much for many items and were sloppy in their search, picking only a few conspicuous things.


    Mo Hua was different; he searched meticulously.


    Anything the slightest bit odd, he collected, laying it out before him, piling up a small heap.


    ...


    Now the entire cave area was clean, as if locusts had swept through.


    Shangguan Xu said, ¡°Junior Brother, most of these¡­ seem pretty useless


    "Just in case,¡± Mo Hua replied, ¡°in case there were any Formation, any Formation Patterns left behind, checking them now could lead us to any fish that escaped the net.¡±


    "Alright then


    They realized that this Junior Brother was quite fixated on Formations, truly not letting even the smallest clue slip by¡­


    Then they began to deal with the spoils of the battle.


    Mo Hua indeed managed to extract some fragmented Formation Patterns from these odds and ends.


    It was unclear where they were from, but Mo Hua carefully noted each one down.


    And that was it.


    The rest were Spirit Stones, Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, and other common things that Cultivators would have.


    Some books and Jade Slips were also nothing out of the ordinary.


    Murong Caiyun took charge of these.


    The Spirit Stones were evenly divided among the group.


    These Sin Cultivators had done many evil deeds; the Spirit Stones they carried amounted to quite a sum.


    But this was only for Mo Hua.


    For Murong Caiyun and the others, being from Noble Clans, they were not short of Spirit Stones, so their expressions were unchanged when they received their share.


    Among the group, only Mo Hua¡¯s face broke into a smile, very pleased.


    Twenty-three thousand Spirit Stones!


    Enough for his own use for a very, very long time.


    Indeed, in Qian State where Spirit Stones were spent plentifully, one could also ¡°earn¡± a lot.


    Mo Hua gleefully stored away the Spirit Stones.


    The remaining items could not be divided so easily.


    Moreover, they were all illegally obtained and difficult to handle.


    As was customary, they had to be handed over to the Taoist Court first, recorded in the ledger, then converted into Merit Points, which everyone could then distribute according to the situation.


    For Sect Disciples, Merit Points were more important than Spirit Stones.


    These items were soon tallied and dealt with.


    But Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    Whether it was the items he collected individually or those the group gathered together, there were only fragmented Formation Patterns, no complete, official Four Symbols Formation Diagrams.


    Especially the Formation that Bald Eagle had painted on his bald head.


    As the sky grew dark and the mountain winds turned piercingly cold.


    Everyone got ready to leave, and Mo Hua thought it over before delicately expressing his request.


    "Senior Sister Murong, could I take a look at the Formation on Bald Eagle¡¯s head?¡±


    Bald Eagle¡¯s corpse had been enclosed in a simple coffin for preservation.


    This was to be submitted to the Taoist Court to claim the bounty and exchange for Merit Points.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t get a chance to examine the Formation on his head in detail.


    Murong Caiyun frowned slightly, weighing her words:


    "You¡­ know what Formation that is, right?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It should be a Four Symbols Formation.¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Murong Caiyun sighed, ¡°This should¡­ not be ordinary, or rather, not a normal Four Symbols Formation


    "Even if a Four Symbols Formation used Beast Patterns, it wouldn¡¯t be this bizarre and ferocious


    "Otherwise, the entire category of Four Symbols Formations would be classified as ¡®Evil Formations¡¯ or ¡®Demon Formations¡¯ and completely banned by the Taoist Court.¡±


    "This Four Symbols Formation of Bald Eagle, blended with demonic power, fused with flesh and blood, likely involved some unorthodox techniques


    "Junior Brother, it¡¯s best not to learn it


    "Mmm, mmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded but still said, ¡°I¡¯m not learning it, just want to research it a bit, to ¡®critique¡¯ it


    Critique¡­


    This Junior Brother really had a way with words¡­


    Murong Caiyun still hesitated.


    Then Mo Hua said, ¡°I mainly want to take it back to show Elder Master Xun.¡±


    Mo Hua brought up ¡°Elder Master Xun¡± again.


    This tactic proved effective.


    As soon as Murong Caiyun heard Elder Master Xun, her expression paused, then relaxed slightly, and she slowly nodded, saying:


    "Since that¡¯s the case, then take a look


    So the group reopened the coffin that had sealed the Bald Eagle.


    Due to excessively absorbing the Four Symbols Formation, his demonic power expanded, his flesh morphed, and after being suppressed to death by Taixu Gate¡¯s Superior Technique, the Five Elements Radiant Jue, his remains were also struck by a Fireball Technique by Mo Hua.


    Therefore, his corpse hardly resembled a human anymore.


    However, the Formation Patterns on his body remained intact, as if¡­


    Mo Hua felt a stirring within.


    Did they have their own ¡°life¡±?


    Life¡­


    Mo Hua shuddered at the thought and concentrated on examining this Formation¡­


    This Four Symbols Formation did not seem ¡°painted¡± on but more like it parasitically attached itself.


    The Formation itself was incredibly stable. Even with the overuse and having endured a powerful Spell, it maintained the patterns and the Formation Pivot¡¯s structure unchanged.


    Mo Hua took out paper and brush, gave it some thought, and then began to observe and record.


    After nearly half an hour, he had completely documented the Formation Diagram of the Four Symbols Formation from the Bald Eagle¡¯s head.


    Murong Caiyun and the others waited patiently by his side.


    It wasn¡¯t until Mo Hua finished recording the Formation and stowed away the Formation Diagram that the group got up and hurried through the night to reach Diancang City.


    To prevent complications, they first went to the Taoist Court, turned in the Bald Eagle¡¯s remains, and briefly explained the cause and effect.


    Of course, they only slightly touched on the details of how the Bald Eagle was killed, the related Spells and Formations; after all, the Taoist Court would not inquire too closely into the specifics of the Cultivator¡¯s techniques and heritage.


    What followed was the responsibility of the Taoist Court.


    How to inventory the ill-gotten gains, how to calculate Merit Points, how to publicly condemn the dead Bald Eagle.


    Moreover, although the Bald Eagle was dead and his remains delivered to the Taoist Court, several Sin Cultivators under him, also with notorious records, had case files in the Taoist Court.


    These Sin Cultivators died on Mount Diancang.


    The Enforcement Leader from the Taoist Court would need to go collect the remains, check them against the wanted list, close each case accordingly, and possibly calculate some Merit Points.


    These matters would be handled one by one by the Taoist Court.


    As for Mo Hua and his companions, their task was now complete.


    After concluding the matter, everyone rested temporarily in an inn in Diancang City to rest and would return to Taixu Gate the following morning.


    Despite a day of toil, Mo Hua still practiced Formation techniques at the Taoist Stele all night.


    The practice focused on common Formations, aimed at enhancing his Divine Sense.


    As for the Four Symbols Formation, to avoid any accidents, Mo Hua planned to study it carefully after returning to the Sect.


    If there were any problems, Elder Master Xun would be there to take care of them.


    Waking up the next day, everyone was in high spirits and decided to stay half a day longer to relax a little.


    Mo Hua also felt the opportunity was too good to pass up, so he followed his senior brothers and sisters, freeloaded on food and drinks, played around Diancang City for half a day, and bought some novel things.


    In the afternoon, they were set to start their journey back to the Sect.


    Before leaving, Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng went to the Taoist Court in Diancang City once more to handle some simple procedures and added some details to their account of events, thus formally concluding their assignment.


    When they returned, Murong Caiyun was carrying a Storage Bag, marked with the seal of the Taoist Court.


    Opening the Storage Bag, Murong Caiyun said, ¡°This is what the Taoist Court gave back


    "It¡¯s also from the possessions of those few Sin Cultivators under Bald Eagle, but they are of no use, couldn¡¯t be converted into Merit Points, so they were returned to us


    "Take a look and take whatever you want


    Murong Caiyun turned over items one by one, including some common Pills, some damaged Spiritual Artifacts, and some calligraphy and paintings¡­


    Indeed, none of them were particularly valuable.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua, with a keen eye, spotted a Token.


    He quickly asked, ¡°Senior Sister Murong, what is this Token for?¡±


    Murong Caiyun looked and hesitated,


    "This seems to be¡­ a Letter Token


    "A Letter Token?¡±


    Murong Caiyun nodded, ¡°It¡¯s used by Cultivators to pass written messages to one another, similar to our Sect Token, but much cruder in function


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°This was also on Bald Eagle and his people? Why didn¡¯t I find it before


    Murong Caiyun smiled,


    "Searching is something the Taoist Court is much more experienced in. There are methods only they know; it¡¯s normal that we couldn¡¯t find it


    Mo Hua nodded and asked further, ¡°Then, is there any important information in this Letter Token?¡±


    Murong Caiyun slightly extended her Divine Sense to check, then shook her head, ¡°It looks like a fairly ordinary Letter Token, nothing special, and the text inside has been wiped clean


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Wiped clean?¡±


    Murong Caiyun nodded, ¡°Now, it¡¯s blank; there¡¯s nothing left


    "It¡¯s just unclear whether the message was wiped by Bald Eagle just before he died or by the Taoist Court


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said with anticipation,


    "Senior Sister, could I have this Token to play with?¡±

 Chapter 844: Nightmare

    "Here, play with this..."


    Murong Caiyun, listening to these childish words, was somewhat caught between laughter and tears.


    A Letter Token wasn''t for playing with.


    However, since Mo Hua insisted, she didn''t refuse.


    The items in these Storage Bags were meant for everyone to take what they needed.


    An empty Letter Token was of no use to her.


    "Alright then."


    Murong Caiyun handed over the blank Letter Token, made of white jade and with its contents already erased, to Mo Hua.


    "Thank you, Senior Sister!"


    Mo Hua happily accepted it, treating it like a "treasure" and tucked it away.


    Murong Caiyun smiled wistfully, shaking her head slightly.


    The rest of the items were simply divided up among everyone. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since they were merely leftovers "picked" by the Taoist Court, and were not valuable, Murong Caiyun would give them to whoever asked.


    After the last bit of the spoils was divided, the group made their leisurely return to the sect.


    The journey there had been rushed, but the return trip was significantly more relaxed.


    Murong Caiyun had hired a carriage spacious and luxurious, filled with the aroma of rain mist incense, lined with mink blankets and with plush cushions, making for a comfortable ride.


    Mo Hua, looking at the resplendent carriage, guessed that Senior Sister Murong must come from a wealthy family.


    He looked ahead.


    The horses pulling the carriage were four tall and majestic Spirit Horses.


    These were Second Grade Spirit Horses, specially bred by cultivators for drawing carriages.


    The four Spirit Horses were imposing.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but think of "Big White."


    When he used to travel with his Master along with Old Kui, Junior Brother and Junior Sister, they had traversed mountains and rivers, and the white horse pulling their carriage was "Big White."


    The name Big White was given by Mo Hua himself.


    He guessed it must have liked it.


    Whenever he called it Big White, it would affectionately nuzzle against him.


    As for Big White''s original name, something with clouds, something Dragon Steed, was quite a mouthful, and Mo Hua hadn''t really kept it in mind.


    "I wonder how Big White''s breed compares with these large horses, which one is a bit better?"


    Mo Hua muttered to himself silently.


    White clouds drifted by, horse hooves trotted leisurely.


    Past events, like mountain scenes, passed by in flashes of light, fleeting before his eyes.


    Walking along, Mo Hua suddenly felt a sense of loss and a sourness in his heart.


    Those companions who had been with him for so long were suddenly no longer by his side.


    And yet he had to, alone, keep moving forward.


    He must, keep moving forward...


    In Mo Hua''s eyes, there was a glimmer of loneliness mixed with a hint of determination.


    "Junior Brother..."


    A soft and clear voice called Mo Hua back from his thoughts.


    Murong Caiyun gently asked, "Are you troubled?"


    "Not at all..."


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Hua Qianqian suddenly covered her mouth, laughing and teasingly said:


    "Could it be that you''ve got someone on your mind, thinking about some pretty Junior Sister, perhaps..."


    Mo Hua''s cheeks turned a faint red as he denied,


    "It''s not!"


    The others looked at him, slightly startled.


    Thinking back on the battle with Bald Eagle, where Mo Hua was skilled in concealment, proficient in Formation, trapping enemies with the Water Prison Technique, attacking the corpse with Fireball.


    And at the critical moment, he dealt a covert, decisive blow with the Water Prison Technique, leading to the death of the cunning and vicious Bald Eagle. His actions...


    Not only were meticulous and calm,


    But also carried a childlike yet decisive ruthlessness.


    Despite appearing kind and cute, there was also a sense of incongruity, with a fathomless Divine Sense that was elusive.


    Thus, along the way, even though everyone acted normally, they all felt a bit wary at heart.


    But now, talking about a "crush," "Junior Sisters," and such...


    Mo Hua''s pale cheeks had suddenly turned red, the blush subtly accentuating his fair lips and teeth, his eyes and brows as if painted.


    There was also a hint of shyness and awkwardness.


    He simply looked like an innocent and bashful Junior Brother.


    Everyone''s heart eased at the sight, and they couldn''t help but smile.


    Mo Hua saw everyone looking at him with a smile, his face growing redder as he argued,


    "Really, it''s not!"


    "Okay, okay..."


    "You don''t believe me?"


    "We believe, we believe..."


    "Then why are you still laughing?"


    ...


    The atmosphere inside the carriage became much more cheerful...


    ...


    On the main road of Qian State.


    The carriage continued non-stop, and despite feeling a bit slow, the four large horses trotted briskly, and the actual speed was not slow at all.


    Around evening, the carriage entered the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    Ouyang Feng, a Tai''a Sect disciple, and Hua Qianqian, a Hundred Flower Valley disciple, would need to disembark along the way.


    "Senior Sister Murong, Junior Sister Qianqian, Junior Brother Shangguan, Junior Brother Mo..."


    Ouyang Feng listed everyone''s names one by one in a formal and polite manner before bowing and saying,


    "I''ll take my leave now, if there''s a chance to meet on a mission in the future..."


    Everyone bowed their goodbyes as well.


    Ouyang Feng gave Mo Hua a final glance, hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up,


    "Junior Brother Mo, when you''re free, come visit our Tai''a Sect. We can enjoy the scenic views and exchange insights on cultivation. I would be happy to play host..."


    "Thank you, Senior Brother Feng!" Mo Hua was thrilled and nodded continuously,


    "Definitely, definitely!"


    Next was Hua Qianqian.


    She was wearing a Brocade Hundred Flowers Robe, elegant in appearance. Though she seemed quiet and reticent, that was only because she wasn''t acquainted.


    Once familiar, she was surprisingly lively.


    After bidding farewell to everyone, she specifically said to Mo Hua, "Junior Brother, you should also come and visit our Hundred Flower Valley when you have the time..."


    Mo Hua paused, "Hundred Flower Valley... isn''t that all female cultivators? Men aren''t allowed in, right?"


    Hua Qianqian smirked mischievously, "We''ll find you a skirt of a female disciple to wear, apply some rouge, put on a little makeup, and dress you up as a ''little beauty.'' Then naturally, you can enter."


    Mo Hua was somewhat annoyed and firmly stated,


    "I certainly will not!"

 Chapter 845: Nightmare (2)

    He was a full-grown man, how could he possibly wear women''s clothing?!


    This was preposterous!


    When Hua Qianqian saw Mo Hua fuming, she laughed even more joyfully.


    After laughing for a while, she set her gaze upon Mo Hua, as if envisioning him in the Brocade Hundred Flowers Robe, looking stunningly beautiful. As he moved, his eyes glimmered with expectation, his face full of anticipation.


    Mo Hua felt a chill run down his spine and quickly distanced himself from her, seeking refuge beside Murong Caiyun.


    Murong Caiyun sighed helplessly.


    After Hua Qianqian got off the carriage, she waved at everyone from afar before turning and walking toward the lush and ever-spring-like Hundred Flower Valley.


    Afterward, the carriage traveled a bit further before returning to Taixu Gate.


    Murong Caiyun was a senior to Mo Hua and lived in the Female Disciples'' Residence, so she bid them farewell first:


    "Junior Brother Shangguan, Junior Brother Mo, I''ll be leaving now. Once the Taoist Court has finished tallying the Merit Points, I''ll transfer them to your Taixu Tokens."


    Mo Hua and Shangguan Xu bowed in thanks.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment before whispering, "Senior Sister Murong¡­"


    Murong Caiyun looked puzzled, "Is there something wrong?"


    Mo Hua then shared his carefully conceived plan he had mulled over the entire journey:


    "Next time you take on a mission, Senior Sister, should you encounter a need for stealth and reconnaissance, laying or breaking Formations, trapping enemies with spells, or if there''s a situation that requires the amplification of Five Elements Spell¡­"


    "Would you consider bringing me along?"


    Taixu Gate''s reward missions had numerous restrictions.


    Especially for newcomers like Mo Hua, with low cultivation and little experience, the requirements were even higher.


    Without taking on missions, one couldn''t earn Merit Points.


    Therefore, Mo Hua had to figure out a way to join Murong Caiyun in "mixing" in missions.


    Murong Caiyun was startled, "Do you¡­ need Merit Points that badly?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "I need to earn Merit Points to exchange for Formations."


    "But¡­" Murong Caiyun frowned, "Elder Master Xun has many Formations, doesn''t he?"


    "Elder Master Xun said I can''t violate the Sect''s rules. He wants me to be self-reliant, to earn Merit Points myself, and exchange for Formations myself¡­" Mo Hua explained.


    However, he didn''t mention that Elder Master Xun had only allowed him to take ''beginner'' missions.


    Such dangerous pursuits and assassination missions¡ªElder Master Xun hadn''t even considered that Mo Hua would take them on, let alone complete them¡­


    Murong Caiyun nodded slightly.


    Indeed, without rules, there can be no circle. Even if she favored a disciple, she couldn''t break the rules of the Sect.


    This was indeed Elder Master Xun''s way of handling matters.


    "However, these matters are very¡­"


    Murong Caiyun initially wanted to say "very dangerous," but thinking back to Bald Eagle''s tragic death, she suddenly realized¡­


    Dangerous indeed it was.


    But as to who the "danger" applied to, that was less certain¡­


    At least for now, Mo Hua was safe and sound, while Bald Eagle was thoroughly chilled in death¡­


    Murong Caiyun''s eyes twinkled, and her thoughts churned.


    This mission was indeed very perilous.


    Bald Eagle''s abilities were not to be underestimated.


    Especially with the strange Four Symbols Formation tattooed on his head, which, when broken, would merge his flesh with demonic power, increasing his strength tremendously, almost on par with a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator.


    Among the Sin Cultivators and Demon Cultivators she had pursued over the years, few were as powerful as Bald Eagle.


    Moreover, Bald Eagle was an expert in Formations.


    Without Mo Hua, they might not have made it back safely.


    In contrast, Mo Hua was clever and quick-witted, adept in stealth and formations, and possessed strong Divine Sense.


    It would have been impossible for Mo Hua alone to kill Bald Eagle.


    But if it were about escaping from Bald Eagle''s clutches, Mo Hua would have likely found it quite easy.


    So, speaking of danger.


    The most dangerous was Bald Eagle, the one targeted and then killed by Mo Hua.


    Next, themselves.


    And Mo Hua would be the last to be in danger¡­


    Murong Caiyun nodded, "Alright!"


    Mo Hua was also thrilled, "Thank you, Senior Sister Murong!"


    He didn''t expect Senior Sister Murong to agree so readily.


    Shangguan Xu, standing by, was also surprised.


    He thought that for such dangerous matters, Senior Sister Murong would certainly refuse, or at least hesitate a few times.


    Murong Caiyun looked at Mo Hua and smiled warmly.


    But she kept the most important reason hidden deep in her heart.


    The Ultimate Formation¡­


    A Formation that could amplify the Five Elements'' Spiritual Power!


    Such an Ultimate Formation was extremely rare and seldom seen.


    And she had hardly heard of any Foundation Establishment Disciple in the entire Qian Xue State Boundary who could master such a powerful and functional Formation.


    This kind of Formation was close to the Innate Origin of the Five Elements.


    That feeling of Spiritual Power boiling, spells advancing, might transforming, suppressing Evil Demons and slaughtering far and wide¡ªonce experienced, was irresistible.


    That sky of dazzling, beautiful, and yet dangerous Five Elements radiance.


    Even now, thinking back on it sent Murong Caiyun''s heart racing.


    Murong Caiyun couldn''t help but look at Mo Hua, her eyes shining as if beholding a rare, precious Innate Spirit Treasure that could enhance the power of spells.


    "What a pity, I can''t carry it around with me¡­"


    Murong Caiyun thought regretfully. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt that Senior Sister Murong''s gaze was somewhat strange and showed a puzzled look¡­


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Murong Caiyun left as well.


    Mo Hua and Shangguan Xu headed toward the Disciple''s Residence, chatting about this and that along the way, such as which Elder had the worst temper, which dining hall tasted the best¡­


    In the mountains, there was also some "game," like the golden-feathered chickens raised by the Elder in the back mountain, which could be roasted and were delicious, but don''t leave behind any traces¡­


    Because it was forbidden for Elders to privately calculate a disciple''s karma.


    So occasionally, if you stole a chicken and roasted it,


    They couldn''t calculate, and thus wouldn''t know who the "culprit" was¡­

 Chapter 846: Nightmare (3)

    But if you left evidence and the elder straightforwardly "reasoned" it out, you would be in big trouble...


    Shangguan Xu said a lot, and Mo Hua''s eyes were opened wide.


    These were the experiences summed up by the senior brothers!


    Mo Hua firmly remembered them.


    When it was time to part, Shangguan Xu remembered something and said,


    "You can visit the Shangguan Family sometime, my aunt is at home, she''s been thinking about you, worried about whether you''ve been... at the Sect..."


    Shangguan Xu''s expression became a bit subtle, "...whether you''ve been ''bullied''... she always instructs me to take more care of you..."


    Mo Hua responded with a smile, "Aunt Wan is really kind!"


    Then he became a bit puzzled and asked,


    "The Shangguan Family... where is it?"


    He hadn''t seen the Shangguan Family''s estate until now.


    It seemed absent in the Qian Xue Academic World.


    In Qingzhou City, Aunt Wan had taken him to places owned by the Gu Family. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shangguan Xu patted his forehead and apologized,


    "I forgot to tell you, the ancestral home of the Shangguan family is quite far from the Qian Xue State Boundary. The Shangguan family members, when they come to the Qian Xue State Boundary, usually stay with the Gu Family..."


    "The Gu Family is also a major clan, historically intermarried with the Shangguan Family, with profound connections. They are quite close, and it wouldn''t be too much to say they are as close as if they were from the same branch..."


    "Aunt brought Yu Er to temporarily rest at the Gu Family''s estate in Qingzhou City. If you have time, you might head there to see them¡­"


    Mo Hua nodded, but suddenly he frowned, "Resting?"


    Shangguan Xu''s gaze turned slightly serious, he hesitated for a moment and then sighed,


    "Yu Er has been... somewhat unwell¡­"


    "Unwell?"


    Shangguan Xu nodded and hesitated for a moment. He seemed reluctant to continue, but considering that Mo Hua was the one who saved Yu Er''s life, he decided to share,


    "Yu Er has... occasionally been having nightmares¡­"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, frowning, "Nightmares?"


    "Yes," Shangguan Xu sighed, "I''m not sure about the details. Uncle Yi and Aunt Wan have sought both karma and a Pill Master to diagnose, but they found nothing¡­"


    "Moreover, Yu Er cannot leave Qingzhou City¡­"


    "As soon as he leaves Qingzhou City, the nightmares intensify. Sometimes, even a nap during the day could trigger terrifying nightmares with his body trembling and drenched in cold sweat¡­"


    Shangguan Xu frowned with concern.


    Mo Hua felt pained too and asked,


    "Has Yu Er been like this since he was a child?"


    Shangguan Xu contemplated for a moment and then shook his head, "I''m not sure about that. Yu Er''s identity is unique. We, the children of the legitimate lineage, avoid probing into his childhood to prevent conflicts..."


    Avoiding conflicts...


    Mo Hua thought about it and roughly understood.


    Within the noble clans, interests were substantial, hence sometimes familial affection became detached.


    Kind intentions could easily be twisted...


    Shangguan Xu sighed again, continuing, "I don''t know much about Yu Er''s childhood, but ever since the last time¡­"


    Shangguan Xu paused, looked around to ensure nobody was listening, then lowered his voice and sighed,


    "After he was ''kidnapped,'' whatever he went through has worsened his nightmares... and they have become increasingly severe¡­"


    "Aunt is heartbroken and worried sick."


    "And sometimes, when Yu Er experiences nightmares, half awake, he repeatedly mentions your name¡­"


    "It may be the bond formed since you saved him, a feeling of closeness that keeps him recalling you¡­"


    "Aunt also hopes that when you have time, you could visit Yu Er¡­"


    "But since you''ve just joined the Sect and your foundation isn''t solid yet, she didn''t want to distract you from your cultivation by mentioning it¡­"


    ¡­


    Shangguan Xu looked helpless.


    Mo Hua''s expression grew focused as he nodded,


    "Alright, I''ll visit Yu Er when I have time!"


    Shangguan Xu sighed in relief, "Thank you for that."


    Mo Hua smiled, then reminded,


    "Senior Brother Xu, you should also take care of your health."


    Shangguan Xu was momentarily stunned, then warmed by the gesture and nodded, "Thank you, junior brother."


    After parting ways, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple''s Residence, laid on the table, and silently pondered.


    "Yu Er... nightmares¡­"


    "Cannot leave Qingzhou City¡­"


    "Kidnapped¡­"


    Mo Hua frowned, sensing something odd.


    But he couldn''t figure anything out at the moment.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He really liked Yu Er, a child so pure and kind, and Aunt Wan had been very kind to him too. Now that Yu Er was tormented by nightmares, Mo Hua felt uneasy.


    But his vacation time for this period was already used up.


    Mo Hua thought for a bit, then decided he would make time during his next break to visit the Gu Family in Qingzhou City.

 Chapter 847: Thunder Pattern

    Mo Hua had made up his mind; the next day was just another normal day of classes.


    After finishing the Tao Cultivation class, he attended an Alchemy class and an Artifact Refining class, and finally sat in on a Sword Cultivation class.


    Sword Cultivation was not a subject Mo Hua was required to take.


    He was a Spiritual Cultivator, specializing in Spells.


    Moreover, Sword Weapons were expensive, and he could not afford them.


    Nevertheless, adhering to the principle of "knowing one''s enemy and oneself leads to victory in every battle," an understanding was still needed.


    More importantly, Mo Hua was constantly preoccupied with the mysterious "Taixu Divine Thought Transforming Sword True Jue" that he had vaguely "calculated" from obscure causes, bearing only a name.


    True Sword technique was beyond his reach.


    However, the "Divine Thought into Sword" might be a feasible study.


    "Divine Thought into Sword," as the name suggests, involves both "Divine Thought" and "Swordsmanship" and should be related to both.


    Thus, any class on "Sword Cultivation" that Mo Hua had time for, he would try to attend.


    He learned the basics of Sword Cultivation.


    While keeping an eye out for any clues about the "Divine Thought into Sword True Jue."


    Simultaneously, he studied the pros and cons of Sword Cultivation, silently pondering how he would deal with a Sword Cultivator if he ever encountered one.


    However, perhaps because he was just a beginner, the Sword Cultivation classes were very basic.


    Mo Hua had listened for several months but had only grasped the basics; he could not even condense Sword Qi, let alone truly control a sword...


    Meanwhile, he had also heard from the Sword Cultivation Elder about many famous Sword techniques of the Taixu Gate:


    Such as "Taixu Separating Fire Sword Jue," "Taixu Eryi Sword Technique," "Taixu Returning to One Sword Form," and so on.


    But no one had ever mentioned a single word about the "Taixu Divine Thought Transforming Sword True Jue"...


    He wondered if this Divine Thought Sword Transformation Technique was too obscure, too difficult, or perhaps too ancient and had been lost...


    Mo Hua sighed, resolved to patiently search.


    Time was on his side, and as long as he kept at it, he would eventually find some clues about this Sword technique.


    Furthermore, there was the Downcast Mountain God in the desolate temple on the barren mountain.


    Lord Yellow Mountain...


    Mo Hua nodded.


    When the day came for him to take a task that passed by that barren mountain, he planned to seek it out and inquire.


    Currently, he had classes to attend and had no time to search...


    The last class in the afternoon was on Formation, and Elder Master Xun had slacked off again. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the "Junior Brother," Mo Hua had no choice but to diligently substitute for Elder Master Xun.


    After finishing the class, his day''s lessons were over.


    Mo Hua returned to Disciple''s Residence, and with some free time, began to study the somewhat eerie Four Symbols Formation imprinted from the bald head of Sin Cultivator "Bald Eagle."


    Four Symbols Formation!


    "There''s a new formation to learn..."


    Mo Hua''s spirits were lifted, his eyes sparkling.


    Moreover, this formation was not "new" in the general sense.


    The Four Symbols Formation was a truly novel type of formation method, independent of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.


    However, it might carry a hint of eeriness and peril.


    Inside Disciple''s Residence, the light from the bright open flame lamp was bright and warm.


    The room was modest but clean and tidy.


    Mo Hua lay over the table, setting the Formation Paper and preparing the ink and brush, and began to study the Four Symbols Monster Pattern Formation he had copied...


    This formation had peculiar Patterns.


    The Formation Pivot was simple, but the Formation Patterns were complex.


    Unlike the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Patterns, which were restrained and austere, profound and orderly,


    The Patterns of this formation were drawn like the forms of Monster Beasts, the brushstrokes pictorial, resembling eagles and falcons, claws and teeth exposed, wild and rampant.


    It was both novel and eerie.


    However, once a formation was dismantled, only the Patterns remained.


    As long as one''s Taoist Heart was pure, there was nothing to fear.


    Mo Hua began to deconstruct the formation, analyze the Formation Pivot, dissect the Patterns, akin to the Butcher''s Skill in Dissecting Ox, removing the bones and flesh, seeing nothing but the cow.


    His Heavenly Secret Calculation grew more skillful; the more adept he became at such analyses, the more thorough his understanding of this type of formation method.


    Soon, Mo Hua had dismantled it.


    A Four Symbols Formation was dismantled into more than ten, independent Four Symbols Pattern Variations.


    Mo Hua examined the Patterns but couldn''t help scratching his head:


    "Something''s not right..."


    These Patterns, upon closer inspection, did not resemble Four Symbols Patterns at all.


    They were vastly different from what Elder Master Xun had taught him.


    Or rather, they only looked like Four Symbols Patterns...


    But upon actual "studying" or "learning," they greatly differed from typical Four Symbols Patterns.


    "Formation Pattern Variations?"


    Mo Hua frowned.


    That was the only explanation he could think of.


    Elder Master Xun had taught him the basic, simple, introductory Four Symbols Patterns.


    They were like enlightenment tools.


    But the Four Symbols Formation on Bald Eagle''s head resembled a more advanced form of Patterns, containing complex changes and specifically used to integrate demonic power and strengthen lethality.


    Beast Patterns, close to monsters, could easily cause one to lose humanity...


    Mo Hua was somewhat wary, but after some thought, decided to spend some time learning it.


    Without trying it out and personally drawing it several times, he could not comprehend the secrets of the formation.


    If he noticed any signs of "Demonization" or straying into madness, he would stop.


    While copying, Mo Hua performed calculations and, after two hours, had roughly learned the basics of the Four Symbols Eagle Pattern Formation.


    The Four Symbols Eagle Pattern Formation consisted of only fourteen Patterns.


    Mo Hua drew it on paper, then furrowed his brow again.


    "It''s useless..."


    The Patterns were clearly drawn on the paper, identical to those on Bald Eagle''s head, and even the extremely fine details on the Patterns, resembling feathers and teeth, he had perfectly replicated.

 Chapter 848: Thunder Pattern (2)

    But after injecting Spiritual Power, this Formation showed no response at all.


    In the Divine Sense vision of Mo Hua, this Formation possessed only a shape but lacked spirit and the flowing trajectories of Formation power.


    "What''s still missing..."


    But what could be missing?


    Demonic power?


    Where would he obtain demonic power?


    Surely he couldn''t cease being a "human" and study the Demonic Arts of the Demon Gate, cultivating through bloodshed like the Monster Beasts, feeding on Cultivators to nurture demonic power...


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    This Formation was temporarily useless...


    But soon after, Mo Hua grew curious again.


    He remembered that Bald Eagle, who hadn''t practiced Demon Techniques either and whose Spiritual Power was normal. Why could he draw such an eerie Four Symbols Formation?


    Or fundamentally speaking, what was the Four Symbols Formation actually used for?


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering carefully...


    The Five Elements and Eight Trigrams possess a clear system, controlling natural forces like metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning¡ªthe forces of nature from heaven and earth.


    What about the Four Symbols?


    It couldn''t just be for controlling demonic power, could it?


    If it involved controlling demonic power, wouldn''t one risk being eroded by it, leading to "deviation" in cultivation?


    Mo Hua always felt that he was still overlooking something...


    He compared the Four Symbols Monster Pattern and Eagle Pattern that Elder Master Xun had taught him with the basic, standard Four Symbols Array Patterns.


    Mo Hua, using Heavenly Secret Calculation, peered into the origins of the Patterns and independently deduced various changes in the Patterns.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua was startled, his gaze sharpened.


    In the Divine Sense Calculation, after several evolutions and comparisons of these two types of Patterns, they suddenly overlapped.


    The overlapping parts revealed some more originative Patterns!


    In a flash, Mo Hua realized something.


    The Four Symbols Array Patterns taught by Elder Master Xun were "Beast Patterns."


    And the Four Symbols Array Pattern on Bald Eagle''s head was a "Monster Pattern."


    Monsters and beasts were not entirely the same, but they shared the same origin.


    Similarly, Monster Patterns and Beast Patterns differed in form but their fundamental Patterns were the same.


    This meant that both Four Symbols Monster Patterns and Four Symbols Beast Patterns were built upon a more foundational and basic Four Symbols Array Pattern.


    Beneath the basics, there were yet deeper basics.


    Both Monster Patterns and Beast Patterns were fundamental variations of a more underlying "Four Symbols Array Pattern."


    Thus, they were all Four Symbols Formations, yet distinctly different.


    "So that''s how it is..."


    With a revitalized spirit, Mo Hua began to carefully compare, cautiously deducing the shared, basic Four Symbols Array Patterns through the overlapping trajectories in the Divine Sense Calculation.


    One by one, the Patterns were re-deduced, compared, and deciphered by Mo Hua, and drawn onto paper...


    More than half an hour later, Mo Hua finally finished calculating.


    He lined up these more basic, universal Four Symbols Array Patterns one by one, scrutinizing them.


    These Patterns were somewhat more abstract than the "Eagle Pattern" or "Beast Pattern."


    They resembled something more like...


    Chains or cages...


    As he continued looking, Mo Hua suddenly widened his eyes, his heart stirred.


    These Patterns...


    He had seen them before!


    Mo Hua quickly opened his Storage Bag and rummaged through it to find several wooden boards at the bottom, carved with extremely similar Patterns.


    Although the strokes were slightly different, and there were many discrepancies in the Patterns. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But with his rich experience, Mo Hua could tell at a glance that these two types of Patterns indeed originated from the same lineage of Formation.


    These wooden boards were...


    Mo Hua muttered with a focused gaze:


    "Yu Er..."


    At that inn, when he rescued Yu Er from the kidnappers, Yu Er was locked in a box that was painted with a Formation.


    These boards were from the box that had confined Yu Er.


    The Formation on the boards had also trapped Yu Er, isolating her aura and perception, that strange "Lock" type of Formation.


    Mo Hua had thoroughly grasped some secrets through Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation and Heavenly Secret Calculation, grasping some of the "life and death" relations, thus unlocking the Formation Lock.


    But it was more of a guess combined with what he borrowed, knowing the manifestations, but not the reasons behind them.


    The fundamental principles of the Formations, Mo Hua actually knew nothing about.


    Having joined the Sect later, with many lessons and unable to divert his attention elsewhere, Mo Hua gradually forgot these Patterns.


    He had not expected that now, by a strange twist of fate, he would again encounter the "Lock Formation" Patterns...


    But his understanding of these Patterns ended here.


    Because it was not a complete lineage, Mo Hua could only probe to this extent.


    He must find a way to acquire more of the same type of Four Symbols Formation or Four Symbols Array Patterns...


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, his thoughts whirling rapidly.


    Four Symbols Beast Patterns...


    Four Symbols Monster Patterns, Sin Cultivator Bald Eagle...


    Unknown Lock Formation at the fundamental level, Yu Er...


    Human traffickers, Boss Jiang...


    Mo Hua remembered that the wanted notice issued by the Taoist Court contained Bald Eagle''s crimes:


    "Forcefully harvested female disciples, committed murder, and also worked as a human trafficker, selling young Cultivators as ''food'' to Demon Cultivators..."


    Having been a "human trafficker"...


    Mo Hua''s thoughts shifted slightly.


    Boss Jiang was a human trafficker, and so was Bald Eagle, selling Cultivators...


    Did this mean that Bald Eagle and Boss Jiang''s group might have had associations, either colluding in misdeeds together or even being part of the same gang altogether?


    The wooden box belonging to Boss Jiang had a Lock type Four Symbols Formation, Bald Eagle''s bald head had a Monster Pattern Four Symbols Formation...


    Could it be that the Formations they used came from the same source?


    A name suddenly popped into Mo Hua''s mind:


    Mr. Tu...


    This Mr. Tu, mentioned by Boss Jiang, sounded very mysterious.

 Chapter 849: Thunder Pattern (3)

    Boss Jiang spoke with utmost respect and even some fear in his words.


    "Those associated with Boss Jiang are likely not good people..."


    "Calling him ''Gentleman'' would mean he''s not a brute, not a Body Cultivator, not a hands-on executioner..."


    "He''s either a Calculation master or a Formation Master, or possibly both?"


    "Could this Four Symbols Formation be the creation of ''Mr. Tu''?"


    ...


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, a clear goal gradually forming in his mind:


    To capture this mysterious "Mr. Tu."


    He was sure to possess the inheritance of the Four Symbols Formation, and it certainly wasn''t just any ordinary inheritance.


    This "locking class" Formation Pattern made Mo Hua feel it was incredibly profound, close to the deepest mysteries of the Four Symbols Formation, and it even had a hint of the ''Five Elements Source Pattern''...


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but lick his lips.


    This Mr. Tu...


    Was like a fat sheep!


    If he could really capture him, not only could he shear this sheep, but he could even eat the meat, roast the ribs, and use the bones for soup!


    Then there was Yu Er...


    Their intentions towards Yu Er were definitely not benign.


    He couldn''t let them off.


    However, this "Mr. Tu" likely had high Cultivation and substantial Array Formation Skill. Even his Calculation skills were probably sharp...


    And he was hidden in the shadows, which meant he wouldn''t be easy to expose...


    "We need to find some clues, and plan this carefully..."


    "If all else fails, report to the Taoist Court, and involve Taixu Gate, the Shangguan Family, and the Wenren Family, with Uncle Shangguan and Aunt Wan..."


    Mo Hua counted on his fingers, realizing that he actually didn''t need to act personally; there were plenty of "hired thugs."


    He just needed to play smart and "pick up the pieces."


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling this approach was safer.


    "But how can I find this ''Mr. Tu''?"


    Mo Hua went through everything that had happened after entering Qian State in his mind, realizing that clues about Mr. Tu were dismayingly scarce.


    The most obvious was the "human trafficker."


    Mo Hua silently thought, "It looks like my future Sect missions should specifically target these traffickers'' bounties..."


    "And there''s also Boss Jiang, and Bald Eagle..."


    "Though they are dead, their social connections are still there, and birds of a feather flock together; they''re likely all Sin Cultivators wanted by the Taoist Court."


    "Find these people, subject them to harsh interrogation... no, ''reform'' them with Fireball Technique; once their conscience is awakened, they should tell me some truths..."


    "And then there''s..."


    Mo Hua took out a jade token from his Storage Bag.


    It was the Letter Token that had been in Bald Eagle''s possession.


    He had checked it, and it was clean, blank inside.


    But being a Formation Master, he knew the principle of "from nothing comes something."


    "Existence" can become "non-existence," and "non-existence" can also transform into "existence."


    Furthermore, Uncle Zhang Lan had also warned him, "Rain leaves traces, geese leave sound, and a Cultivator, in anything they do, always leaves a mark..."


    Invisibility doesn''t mean non-existence.


    Mo Hua planned to study and see if he could find any clues about Bald Eagle''s connections from the Letter Token.


    To see whom he had communicated with, what words he had conveyed.


    ...


    For the next two days, Mo Hua spent his time studying the Letter Token, yet he made little progress.


    He still knew nothing about the secrets within the Letter Token.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Indeed, developing theories in isolation wasn''t working...


    His skills and experience in Array Formation weren''t sufficient to quickly unravel the mysteries of an unfamiliar formation,


    Even though he was skilled in both Tricky Calculation and Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    However, he was now a Sect disciple at Taixu Gate, and it was time to learn and ask...


    Mo Hua went to ask Elder Master Xun.


    There were some questions that couldn''t be asked.


    Such as the Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Art, or things related to Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and Heavenly secret Calculation.


    But asking about the "Letter Token," which didn''t have significant Karma, should be fine.


    Elder Master Xun was somewhat surprised and asked,


    "Why are you suddenly asking about the ''Letter Token''?"


    Mo Hua shyly replied, "I came from Little Immortal City in Li State and had never seen a Letter Token before, so I got curious..."


    "I think the Letter Token must involve some basic Array Formation principles, but I''ve been pondering it for a few days without a clue, so I came to ask you, Elder..."


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly.


    To be inquisitive and to seek knowledge.


    To be curious about things, to reflect on one''s thoughts. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To be able to ask humbly when in doubt.


    Good...


    Elder Master Xun was pleased.


    As for the matter of the "Letter Token," although it was a bit early to teach him, giving him a few pointers in advance would help him be prepared, doubling the efficiency when he actually learned it...


    Elder Master Xun thought to himself, then said,


    "This kind of formation is complex, not suitable for your current learning, but since you''re curious, I''ll tell you some basic principles of Array Formation, just so you know..."


    "But don''t reach too high and waste too much effort, stick to learning the regular formations solidly step by step..."


    "Right!"


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Elder Master Xun then said, "The Letter Token is used for communication; the Array Formation involved is of the Eight Trigrams type, specifically the ''Zhen'' series, also commonly known as the ''Thunder Pattern'' formation..."


    That was within Mo Hua''s expectations.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "Elder, is the Thunder Pattern related to ''Original Magnet''?"

 Chapter 850: Thunder Pattern (4)

    Elder Master Xun slightly nodded his head, "Indeed, but the so-called ''Original Magnet,'' unlike the normal ''Thunder Pattern''..."


    "The Letter Token involves a type of Formation Pattern that is not ''thunder'' but rather ''electricity,'' or more precisely, ''magnetic''..."


    "Electric Patterns, or Magnetic Patterns, also fall under the category of the Eight Trigrams Zhen Series, but they are collectively referred to as ''Secondary Thunder Patterns.'' This means they derive from the Eight Trigrams, possess the nature of thunder, but are weaker in power, secondary to the true thunder, and are Secondary Formation Patterns of Thunder Patterns..."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    Secondary Thunder Patterns, Secondary Formation Patterns are also considered a type of Formation Pattern Variations.


    Similar to variations based on the Four Symbols Monster Pattern and Four Symbols Beast Pattern.


    Elder Master Xun said, "Secondary Thunder Patterns, when electricity transforms and produces magnetism, are similar to some Formation Method in the Golden Series that possess magnetic properties and functions of Si Nan, suitable for reconnaissance, induction, guidance, and messaging."


    "They are a type of confidential Formation Pattern."


    Mo Hua nodded, then couldn''t help but ask,


    "What about the real Thunder Pattern?"


    Elder Master Xun''s gaze became sharp, and his expression solemn:


    "The real Thunder Pattern is too complex and too powerful; such Formation Methods are extremely difficult to control¡­"


    "It embodies not only the ''Zhen Hexagram'' but also incorporates numerous changes of the ''Qian Hexagram,'' ''Kan Hexagram,'' and ''Xun Hexagram''..."


    "Hence, it is hard to comprehend, hard to control, and hard to layout."


    "The real Thunder Formation is terrifyingly powerful and erases all things."


    "That is the true thunder from the heavens..."


    Elder Master Xun sighed, his eyes filled with reverence, "The Nine Heavens Thunder symbolizes the majestic heavenly might, annihilating evil and demons, penetrating heaven and earth, and is an evolution of the ''killing'' path."


    "Although the ''Thunder Pattern'' numbers among the Eight Trigrams, it encompasses a multitude of Hexagram principles and is completely different from other Eight Trigrams methods."


    "To wield the Thunder Pattern, one''s Taoist Heart must be upright."


    "Any slight evil or selfish thoughts, and one is prone to be backfired by the heavenly thunder, suffering ''divine punishment,'' perishing under one''s own Thunder Formation."


    "Therefore, the inheritance of the Thunder Formation is extremely strict."


    "In this world, the Noble Clans that truly possess the inheritance of the Thunder Pattern are few and far between."


    Mo Hua was shocked; he thought of the Thunder Pattern he left on the Taoist Stele, which erased everything, deep in thought.


    But he also noticed another piece of information in Elder Master Xun''s words: S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A few and far between..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes shifted, "Meaning... there are still Noble Clans that inherit the Thunder Pattern?"


    Elder Master Xun nodded, "There are, but these Noble Clans have mostly been struck by lightning, so they either abandoned their inheritance for development or secluded themselves, not involving themselves with the mundane world, adhering to their own hearts."


    "The only one that has passed down the Thunder Pattern from generation to generation, with not a small power, is the Zheng Family from Zhen State."


    "The Zheng Family?" Mo Hua was startled, "Zheng Fang''s Clan?"


    Zheng Fang...


    Mo Hua remembered, among his fellow disciples, there was a straight-faced, somewhat honest, occasionally dazed disciple named Zheng Xuan.


    The first time Elder Master Xun let him substitute teach, Zheng Fang had "tested" him using his family''s secret Formation Method and allowed him to secretly learn a Formation Method.


    Could that Formation Method have been the Thunder Formation?


    Elder Master Xun seemed to guess Mo Hua''s thoughts and slightly shook his head, "The Thunder Formation is not lightly passed on, even the legitimate lineage descendants of the Zheng Family the same..."


    "Zheng Fang is still young and doesn''t qualify to learn the inheritance of the Thunder Pattern; what he learned is at most some basic variations of the Secondary Thunder Formation..."


    "Not just Zheng Fang, in the entire Qian Xue State Boundary, among the Zheng Family disciples who have joined various Sects, none are qualified to learn the Thunder Formation."


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    But upon reflection, it made sense. The Thunder Pattern was significant, and Zheng Fang, no matter how ''dumb,'' wouldn''t use such a Formation to ''test'' him¡­


    Unless he had been afflicted by Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, losing his senses.


    Speaking of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, he wouldn''t know how to...


    "In Qian Xue State Boundary, is there no one who knows the Thunder Formation?" Mo Hua curiously asked again.


    "There are," Elder Master Xun said.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    "In Qian Xue State Boundary, the only one with the inheritance of the ''Thunder Formation''..."


    Elder Master Xun furrowed his brows, paused to recall for a moment, then slowly said, "Should be... Zheng Wanjun..."


    "Zheng Wanjun?"


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    He had never heard this name before.


    Elder Master Xun slightly nodded, "He is one of the Elder Yuhua from the Four Great Sects, Qian Taoist Sect..."

 Chapter 851: Rude

    "Qian Taoist Sect... Elder Yuhua..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment, feeling a bit regretful.


    If it had been an elder from another sect, perhaps if fate allowed, he could have visited them one day, established connections, chatted over tea, and incidentally asked for guidance about the formation principles of the Bagua Thunder Formation.


    The orthodox Thunder Formation had been passed down through generations within the Zheng Family, and he reckoned he could not learn it.


    However, if he were to approach the matter indirectly, seeking knowledge related to the Thunder Formation, he believed he might still gain some valuable insights.


    Mo Hua really wanted to know what the Bagua Thunder Formation was like and how it differed from the Thunder Pattern imbued with scarlet Robbery Thunder that he had intercepted from the Heavenly Dao Formation.


    If the two shared the same origin and communicated through the same formation principles...


    Perhaps he could make an analogy and, by leveraging the principles of the Bagua Thunder Pattern, leap to study the Heavenly Robbery Thunder Pattern in one fell swoop!


    But unfortunately...


    The threshold for Qian Taoist Sect was too high, and its elders were likely very proud.


    Even if he went to ask, the chances were high that he would be turned away at the door.


    "Let it be..."


    Mo Hua temporarily put the Thunder Pattern thoughts to the back of his mind and switched to asking about the ''Secondary Thunder Patterns'' that included "electrical patterns" and "magnetic patterns," and the most crucial, the inquiry about Letter Tokens.


    "Elder Master Xun, do the formations used in the Letter Tokens include the Magnetism-Type Formations with ''Secondary Thunder Patterns''?"


    Elder Master Xun silently looked at Mo Hua, took a moment to consider, and then slowly nodded:


    "Ancient Formation Masters studied the Nine Heavens Thunder, manifesting it as Thunder Patterns."


    "But the Thunder Pattern is too strong, bearing the might of heaven, brilliant and majestic, and difficult to manipulate, so weaker ''Secondary Thunder Patterns'' are derived, weakened, and decomposed from it."


    "Secondary Thunder Patterns are generated by electricity inducing magnetism, and magnetism inducing electricity, mutually inducing, attracting and repelling each other, essentially also a special form of Spiritual Power."


    "This principle of Spiritual Power, through ''Secondary Thunder Patterns,'' constitutes a formation."


    "This kind of formation is called ''Thunder Magnetism Formation.''"


    "But the term ''Thunder Magnetism'' isn''t exactly accurate. Because this formation is but a byproduct of heavenly thunder and does not include the genuine ''Thunder''; thus, later Formation Masters generally refer to it as ''Primordial Magnet Formation,'' ''Spirit Magnet Formation,'' or ''Electromagnetism Formation''..."


    Elder Master Xun suddenly sighed, feeling somewhat sentimental:


    "With the Taoist Court unifying, the Cultivation World has been at peace for over 20,000 years, and the study of formations has also made significant progress."


    "But this development of Formation Study is quite complex."


    "Some ancient formations are obscure and profound, and indeed, they have been lost..."


    "But there are also some formations, meticulously researched and iteratively improved by generations of cultivators, that have developed far beyond the ancient cultivators..."


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua, "I''ve told you about the lost ancient formations..."


    Mo Hua immediately nodded, "The Chaos Eryi type of formations!"


    Elder Master Xun nodded, "Correct, these formations are very deep and obscured, which is why most of them have been lost..."


    "The orthodox Thunder Patterns are too dangerous and have lost many inheritances..."


    "The other category, which has developed significantly, is the ''Thunder Magnetic Pattern.''"


    "Today''s cultivators, in their application of ''Thunder Magnetic Pattern,'' are not just slightly better but vastly different from ancient cultivators..."


    "For example, the Letter Tokens, the underlying formation is built upon ''Secondary Thunder Pattern'' and utilizing the principle of ''Thunder Magnetism'' to create the Primordial Magnet Formation..."


    "But this type of formation is merely a basic Thunder Magnetism Formation."


    "Whereas some great sects'' Disciple Tokens, such as the Tai Xu Token from my Tai Xu Gate, rely on a complete set of complex and efficient Thunder Magnetism Large Formation, constructed and representing the culmination of Secondary Thunder Patterns..."


    Elder Master Xun was about to continue when suddenly, something tugged at his heart, causing him to stop.


    Mo Hua''s eyes sparkled, half-listening, he couldn''t help but say:


    "Elder, please continue talking¡­"


    Tai Xu Token, Thunder Magnetism Large Formation...


    He had just heard the beginning and hadn''t reached the key part yet...


    Seeing Mo Hua, Elder Master Xun felt slightly nervous inside, as if continuing would reveal a great secret.


    Elder Master Xun''s expression turned slightly blank, somewhat in disbelief.


    He didn''t think he had said much, so how could he have possibly leaked a secret?


    To whom did he reveal it?


    To Mo Hua?


    Surely not, he''s just a junior cultivator at Foundation Establishment...


    "Elder Master Xun?" Mo Hua uttered in confusion.


    Elder Master Xun recovered, coughing slightly, "Let''s leave the matter of Tai Xu Token for now; explaining it to you wouldn''t be of much use, let me first tell you about the Letter Token..."


    Mo Hua felt somewhat unsatisfied, but since Elder Master Xun refused to continue, he couldn''t do much about it.


    Knowing the principles of formation in the Letter Token was good enough.


    He wasn''t picky!


    "Yes, go ahead," Mo Hua asked with an eager look of seeking knowledge.


    Elder Master Xun explained, "From the Artifact Refiner''s perspective, the Letter Token is a Spiritual Artifact crafted through integration with formations..."


    "But from the Formation Master''s perspective, it essentially uses a Spiritual Artifact as formation media, constructing the formation..."


    "The essence of the Letter Token is the induction of Thunder Magnetism."


    Elder Master Xun continued, feeling the tension of ''leaking Heavenly Secrets'' gradually fade, and so he relaxed and proceeded:


    "Special in shape, on the surface, it appears as a Jade Slip that can be read by Divine Sense..."


    "But within, engraved with ''Primordial Magnet'' or ''Spirit Magnet'' types of formations, it essentially uses the Thunder Magnetism Formation, Pattern Induction, to perform remote messaging..."


    "The range of messaging is limited, the higher the grade of the Letter Token, the further the messaging distance, but generally, it won''t exceed the span of a great province..."


    ...


    Elder Master Xun talked on, while Mo Hua listened attentively. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 852: Rudeness (2)

    The time it takes an incense stick to burn later, Elder Master Xun had finished speaking, picked up his tea cup, and started drinking his tea.


    Considering what Elder Master Xun had said in his mind, Mo Hua went over the key points again but still felt somewhat dissatisfied.


    The main issue was that Elder Master Xun hadn''t gotten to the "main point" yet.


    Moving his thoughts slightly, Mo Hua blinked and then said,


    "Elder Master, if I wanted to ''disassemble''... no, I mean to recraft a Letter Token, how would I go about it?"


    Elder Master Xun''s eyelid twitched slightly, "Disassemble?"


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, correcting himself, "Crafting!"


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua suspiciously and asked in a low voice,


    "You aren''t... planning to do something bad, are you?"


    Mo Hua, with a serious expression, clarified,


    "Elder Master, I am a Taixu Gate sect disciple, a good Cultivator who follows the laws and regulations!"


    Elder Master Xun stared at Mo Hua for a moment, noticed his clear gaze and upright demeanor, seemingly not like someone planning to do bad deeds, and finally felt relieved.


    That''s right...


    Mo Hua, at such a young age, what kind of bad ideas could he have?


    Even if he had bad ideas, it''s just a Letter Token, what bad things could he possibly do with it...


    Besides, the Formation principles involved in a Letter Token are extremely profound, their application very complex, and it''s not as if just because he says so, he could truly "craft" one.


    Just because one says it, doesn''t mean they can learn it.


    If that were really the case, teaching Formations would be quite simple.


    Elder Master Xun nodded and generously said, "Alright, I''ll tell you a bit about it..."


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, "Thank you, Elder Master Xun!"


    Seeing Mo Hua''s smiling face and friendly appearance, Elder Master Xun felt a warmth in his heart and smiled slightly as he said,


    "The application of the Formation in a Letter Token is quite complex..."


    "Although Drawing Formations also values the use of ink and brushes, the compatibility between Formation media and Formation, these requirements are not too stringent."


    "But a Letter Token is different..."


    "The Formation media is special, the requirements for ink are strict, and furthermore, the structure of the Formation, or more precisely, the Formation Pivot framework, is quite different from ordinary Formations..." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Master Xun explained to Mo Hua one by one:


    "First is the Formation media..."


    "The Letter Token uses a jade token as the Formation media; this kind of jade is quite rare, and it must be able to shield against thunder and Original Magnet powers, block Divine Sense prying, and have good enclosure properties..."


    "The Spiritual Ink is also different from ordinary ink..."


    "For a Letter Token, ''Magnetic Ink'' is used."


    "As the name ''Magnetic Ink'' suggests, it is Spiritual Ink containing the power of Thunder Magnetism, made by combining some Monster Blood from thunder-type Monster Beasts with some magnetized Spiritual Objects..."


    "Ordinary Spiritual Ink stays as whatever it is painted as, but Magnetic Ink is different..."


    "Magnetic Ink is not fixed; it will form different characters according to Thunder Magnetic Induction and variations in Formation Patterns."


    "Furthermore, the Formation Pivot framework is even more complex..."


    "The Thunder Magnetic Formation''s Pivot structure includes two parts, one part is the fixed Thunder Magnetic Formation Formation, which is the basic framework used to sense magnetism."


    "The other part consists of Variable Formation Patterns."


    "These Patterns can change and through ''Magnetic Ink'', manifest as the ''characters'' within the Letter Token."


    "Overall, the Prime Magnetic Formation within the Letter Token leverages the unchanging Thunder Magnetic Formation to use the principle of Thunder Magnetic Induction, causing the ''Variable Formation Patterns'' to change, thereby altering the ''Magnetic Ink'' in real time to manifest various characters, in order to achieve the effect of conveying messages..."


    Elder Master Xun finished this complex piece in one breath, he took a discreet glance at Mo Hua and found him with bright eyes and an enlightened expression. Elder Master Xun was taken aback.


    "You... understood?"


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, modestly saying,


    "I understand a little..."


    Elder Master Xun felt somewhat dazed.


    This was the Thunder Magnetism Formation...


    How could this child learn it so quickly...


    Such an esoteric and complex Formation principle had taken himself half a year to have a general understanding in his mind.


    "Could it really be that his Divine Sense is too strong, his foundation too solid, his aptitude too high... so once he succeeds, he understands it all, a single hint and it''s clear?"


    Elder Master Xun couldn''t help muttering to himself.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Elder Master, do you have the ''Thunder Magnetic Array'' here? I would like to have a look..."


    Elder Master Xun nodded.


    Of course, he had the Thunder Magnetic Array at hand.


    Instinctively reaching into his Storage Bag, he was about to pull out the Formation halfway when suddenly he remembered something, coughed softly, and put the Formation back.


    "I forgot... the Thunder Magnetism Formation, it''s not taught by the Sect..."


    "If you want to learn it, you have to earn Merit Points and exchange for it yourself."


    "Oh..."


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    He was so close...


    Elder Master Xun was about to take out the Formation Diagram...


    However, he was also a bit puzzled, "Elder Master, isn''t the Thunder Magnetism Formation taught by the Sect?"


    Elder Master Xun shook his head, "Such confidential Formations are generally not taught in the Outer Gate, and even in the Inner Gate, not many disciples learn it..."


    "And it''s difficult to learn..."


    "Difficult to learn?" Mo Hua questioned, "Does it require high Divine Sense?"


    "It''s not a matter of being high..." Elder Master Xun said, "It''s that same saying again, it''s too complex..."


    Mo Hua didn''t quite understand.


    Elder Master Xun continued, "Because this type of Formation involves a large number of ''Secondary Thunder Patterns'', which are Variant Formation Patterns, the strength of Divine Sense required for learning will naturally be higher, but it''s only slightly higher than general Formations..."


    "The most complicated part is that this kind of Thunder Magnetism Formation isn''t useful just because one person has learned it."


    "This type of Formation is part of a system."


    "It''s like Compound Formations and Large Formations, where multiple Cultivators must build the Formation together, linking and responding to each other..."

 Chapter 853: Rude (3)

    "It doesn''t require a single Formation Master, with profound Divine Sense, but it demands multiple, or even a group of Formation Masters, each performing their duties, acting in tacit agreement, cooperating with one another, joining together in Calculation, to conjure up immense Divine Sense Calculation Power, only then can they construct a ''Thunder Magnetic Communication'' Formation System..."


    "In other words..."


    "It doesn''t require a single strength of Divine Sense, but it demands a wide breadth of Divine Sense from many sources..."


    "So, under normal circumstances, it is organized by the Sect, by mentors of the same lineage, Formation Masters with the same source, who study together, research, and build this type of Thunder Magnetism Formations..."


    "One person learning it, is not helpful unless..."


    Elder Master Xun smiled playfully, "Unless you can do the work of two people, three people, or even ten people all by yourself..."


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat, thoughtful, but he didn''t show anything and just smiled gratefully,


    "Thank you for the guidance, Elder Master Xun!"


    With Elder Master Xun''s guidance, he now had a rather clear understanding of the "Thunder Magnetic Formations."


    He just needed to find some similar formations to start with and learn from those.


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, then suddenly asked,


    "How is your Sect task coming along?"


    Mo Hua sighed, "I''ve started it, but it''s not easy to pick up tasks, and Merit Points are hard to earn..."


    Elder Master Xun consoled him,


    "No worries, you''ve just started, and you''re young, take it slow..."


    The more talented one is, the more they need to temper their mind.


    Start with the beginner''s tasks and take it step by step.


    You need to appreciate the value of the Sect''s heritage and understand the difficulty in earning Merit Points.


    Once your mind is stable, and your foundation is solid, when your Formation level is higher, and your rank is determined, you can go on to paint some Second-Grade Formations, and you''ll earn more Merit Points.


    And it''s safe, without having to fight and kill...


    Elder Master Xun thought quietly to himself before reassuring Mo Hua again,


    "Take it slow... You''ll definitely earn more and more Merit Points..."


    Little additions will accumulate; the more Formations you paint, the more Merit Points you will naturally save...


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement, "Right!"


    Killing a few more "Bald Eagles," surely the Merit Points will accumulate even faster!


    ...


    After seeking advice from Elder Master Xun, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple''s Residence.


    Bald Eagles, Letter Tokens, traffickers, Mr. Tu, Four Symbols Formations.


    Mo Hua decided to follow the order, step by step.


    To get clues from the dead Bald Eagle...


    He had to first decrypt the Letter Token, disassemble the underlying formation, through "Thunder Magnetic Sensing," see if he could reverse deduce the "Variable Formation Patterns," trace back the Magnetic Ink, to "restore" the wiped text...


    To "decrypt" the Letter Token, he needed to first grasp some "Thunder Magnetism" formations.


    Small Yuan Magnetic Formations, the kind that just make up the numbers, don''t count.


    "Thunder Magnetism Formations..."


    Mo Hua flipped through the Merit Scroll for a while and couldn''t find any Formation Diagrams with the word "Thunder Magnetism."


    Then he checked "Original Magnet" and "Spirit Magnet," and in no time, he indeed found some Formation Diagrams.


    But there weren''t many of these diagrams.


    Clearly, the formations with "Secondary Thunder Patterns" were very obscure.


    Most of these Original Magnet Formations and Spirit Magnet Formations were High-Grade Second Rank, or even Third Grade and above.


    There were hardly any at the lower end.


    He wondered whether it was innately rare or whether the Elders of the Taixu Gate had concerns, not letting disciples study these types of formations too much...


    Mo Hua leaned on the table, looking at the Merit Scroll, and after a while, he finally found the formation closest to him that applied the principles of "Thunder Magnetic Sensing":


    The "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation."


    Sixteen Patterns, Second Grade Middle Stage, an Original Magnet series Formation, derived from the Bagua Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Elemental Magnetic Induction, forming its own system, is the underlying formation for "messaging" type Spiritual Artifacts...


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened.


    That''s the one!


    "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation..."


    Elemental Magnetic Induction, Beacon Fire Communications...


    Unfortunately, this Formation was of Sixteen Patterns, requiring a Divine Sense at the limit of Qi Foundation Middle Stage, and Mo Hua, currently only having fifteen patterns, was not yet able to learn it.


    But it was only one pattern away.


    Mo Hua then looked at the Merit Points needed for exchange and went pale, taking in a sharp breath.


    "Eight hundred and sixty points..."


    That much?!


    He almost wanted to run to the Taoist Court Official to report that his Sect was robbing him... sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A Second Rank Sixteen Pattern Formation actually cost over eight hundred Merit Points?!


    Too despicable!


    Mo Hua flipped through the other Sixteen Pattern Formations and found most only cost over two hundred Merit Points; more expensive ones were around three hundred, which made him feel a bit more balanced.


    "It seems that this Formation is too rare..."


    "Or perhaps it''s too difficult, no one can learn it, that''s why it''s so expensive..."


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, feeling that only such a "level" of Formation would be worthy of his study.


    But over eight hundred Merit Points was still too expensive...


    Mo Hua sighed.


    No choice but to save up slowly...


    After all, his current Divine Sense was only at fifteen patterns; it would take some time to reach sixteen.


    "First, keep painting Formations to refine the Divine Sense to sixteen patterns, then take on tasks with Senior Sister Murong to earn some Merit Points, go hand in hand..."


    "By the time my Divine Sense reaches sixteen patterns and I''ve learned the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, I''ll start ''decrypting'' the Letter Token, see who the Bald Eagle communicated with, what was discussed, who the accomplices are, and what clues can be found..."


    "Then, follow the vine to find the melon, investigating further... In this manner, accumulating Merit Points, exchanging Formation Diagrams, learning formations, and strengthening Divine Sense..."


    "As the Divine Sense strengthens, it will be easier to breakthrough bottlenecks..."


    "When it''s time for Qi Foundation Middle Stage, continue to save Merit Points, learn formations..."


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, arranging his plans clearly.

 Chapter 854: Impolite (4)

    Afterwards, he became very busy.


    Two days later, Murong Caiyun found Mo Hua and specially told him, "You have a total of two hundred and twenty merit points, I''ve transferred them to you..."


    Two hundred and twenty!


    Mo Hua was over the moon with joy.


    Initially, the deal was for a "minimum of one hundred merit points..." He hadn''t expected there to be so many extra.


    In this way, he was one step closer to the Sixteen Patterns "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation"!


    "Thank you, Senior Sister Murong!" Mo Hua expressed his gratitude sincerely.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s happy expression, Murong Caiyun also smiled slightly.


    Mo Hua wanted to tag along with Senior Sister Murong on more tasks, but tasks weren''t always available, and moreover, Murong Caiyun needed time for her own cultivation practice, which wasn''t plentiful.


    Mo Hua could only continue to patiently draw First-Grade Formation Methods, accumulating merit points little by little.


    Even the smallest mosquito is still meat.


    In the following days, Mo Hua was busy yet fulfilled.


    During the day, he not only had to attend classes but also "teach" his fellow disciples.


    At night, after returning to the Disciple''s Residence, he would first carry out his routine cultivation, then study Formation Methods and practice Drawing Formations.


    At the middle of the night, he would enter the Sea of Consciousness and continue practicing Formation Methods on the Taoist Stele, refining his Divine Sense.


    His merit points grew bit by bit, and his Divine Sense also strengthened little by little.


    Soon, the periodic rest days arrived.


    Mo Hua missed Yu Er, so he went to find Shangguan Xu, telling him he wanted to visit Qingzhou City to thank Aunt Wan and also check on Yu Er.


    Shangguan Xu was also returning home, so he called for a carriage and took Mo Hua with him towards Qingzhou City.


    Qingzhou City wasn''t far from Taixu Gate¡ªwithin half a day''s travel, the two of them entered the city and arrived at the Gu Family home.


    The Shangguan Family and the Gu Family belonged to the same alliance, so Yu Er was recuperating at the Gu Family, under the care of Wenren Wan.


    With Shangguan Xu leading the way, there were no obstructions.


    After several months, Mo Hua saw Wenren Wan once more.


    Wenren Wan had lost a lot of weight, her complexion pale and haggard, with deep worry in her eyes, and from time to time, a pained expression would pass over her face.


    Yet upon seeing Mo Hua, she mustered some energy, smiling gently and asking how Mo Hua was faring at the Sect, how his cultivation was progressing, and if anyone had bullied him...


    Mo Hua replied, "Aunt Wan, don''t worry, the Elders are very nice, and my fellow disciples are friendly, no one has bullied me!"


    Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s good to hear..."


    But before she could finish her sentence, she became somewhat absent-minded, with profound melancholy in her eyes.


    Mo Hua asked gently,


    "Aunt Wan, how is Yu Er doing?"


    Wenren Wan hesitated and then offered a bitter smile, "Yu Er... he often has nightmares... so he''s afraid to sleep, his Divine Sense is gradually weakening, I..."


    Suddenly, Wenren Wan''s voice faltered, her eyes reddening, unable to speak further.


    Mo Hua, concerned, asked, "May I see him?"


    After thinking it over, Wenren Wan nodded, "I''ll take you to see him..."


    Mo Hua followed Wenren Wan into a slightly more secluded guest room located in the southeastern corner of the Gu Family home.


    The place was very quiet, devoid of any cultivators.


    But with a slight movement of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua could detect some extremely subtle presences nearby.


    Subtle meant powerful.


    While it seemed remote, the defenses were extremely tight.


    Since Wenren Wan was leading, those cultivators with strong realms merely swept their Divine Sense over Mo Hua and then looked away, without probing further.


    But this was only Mo Hua''s guess.


    With his current level of Divine Sense Realm, he could not truly detect the inspection from these high-level cultivators.


    It felt more like an intuitive sense of Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect.


    Mo Hua knew in his heart that someone had just scanned him with their Divine Sense.


    Following behind Wenren Wan, Mo Hua passed through the quiet corridor, walked by a pond clear as jade, strolled through the fresh and beautiful garden, and arrived at the quiet side room.


    On the outside of this room were highly sophisticated Formation Methods, incomprehensible to someone of Mo Hua''s cultivation level.


    These Formation Methods were of a very high grade, obviously employed for Yu Er''s protection.


    Inside the room, the furnishings were simple, but extremely valuable Calming Incense was burning, and the screen decorated with a magnificent and flowing landscape was evidently a top-grade Protective Spiritual Tool.


    Little Yu Er lay on the bed, his brows tightly furrowed, his face pale as paper, looking pitiful.


    Upon seeing this, Wenren Wan felt as though her heart was being wrenched apart.


    Mo Hua also felt a deep sympathy.


    Not wanting to disturb Yu Er, Mo Hua heaved a sigh and was about to leave.


    At that moment, Yu Er on the bed slowly opened his eyes, cautiously peering over, his voice weak but filled with a hint of expectancy,


    "Mo... Brother?"


    Mo Hua''s heart quivered. He turned to look at Wenren Wan.


    Wenren Wan nodded, and Mo Hua walked over to Yu Er''s side, gently taking his hand and said, "Aren''t you sleeping...?"


    Yu Er weakly nodded his head, expressing his resentment, "I can''t sleep..."


    Then he silently added, "I''m afraid to sleep..."


    Mo Hua sighed softly and stroked Yu Er''s head, "It''s alright now, sleep for a while..."


    "Mm..."


    Yu Er nodded slowly but still refused to close his eyes.


    "What''s wrong?" Mo Hua asked.


    Yu Er hesitated for a moment, then carefully uttered,


    "Brother, if I close my eyes, will you leave...?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I''ll be here with you, waiting for you to wake up."


    A gleam of light shone in Yu Er''s frail eyes, and a weak smile appeared on his pale little face.


    "Go to sleep," Mo Hua spoke softly.


    His words were calm and tranquil, with a touch of gentleness.


    "Mm."


    Yu Er obediently nodded and then gradually closed his eyes.


    Slowly, his breathing became even. The tension in his eyebrows eased, and soon it appeared he had fallen asleep, at ease...


    Wenren Wan covered her mouth, tears sparkling in her eyes, both shocked and relieved.


    S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 855: Rude (5)

    But she didn''t dare say anything, for fear of disturbing Yu Er.


    Mo Hua nodded at Wenren Wan and whispered,


    "Aunt Wan, why don''t you go and rest for a while?"


    He could see that Wenren Wan''s complexion was poor, and within his Divine Sense, her emotions were erratic and unstable.


    Clearly, she was anxious day and night, burdened with worry.


    Cultivators are still human after all. If sadness becomes too overwhelming and exceeds the limit, Divine Sense can collapse. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wenren Wan hesitated for a long time, uneasily saying,


    "But Yu Er..."


    Mo Hua whispered, "I will stay here to guard her. This is the Gu Family, we have many Formations here. It''s very safe..."


    Wenren Wan hesitated for a long time but, seeing Mo Hua''s clear gaze and gentle demeanor, she inexplicably felt much more at ease.


    Wenren Wan looked relieved, her eyes filled with apology,


    "Then, I will trouble you..."


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    He was able to join the Taixu Gate, thanks in part to Aunt Wan''s help, going back and forth, even calling in quite a few favors.


    This kindness, he had always remembered it in his heart.


    Wenren Wan looked at Yu Er one more time, and seeing that she really was sleeping peacefully, she finally left the side room reluctantly and went to the next room to meditate and rest.


    But she still couldn''t let go of her worries, so she left a trace of Divine Sense to keep an eye on Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stood guard over Yu Er.


    She also wanted to keep an eye on Mo Hua.


    Seeing that Yu Er was sleeping soundly, Mo Hua felt relieved, took a meditation cushion for himself, sat down nearby, and focused on reading a Formation Book.


    He had promised Yu Er, so naturally, he would wait here until she woke up.


    Time slipped by, minute by minute.


    Yu Er slept quietly, and Mo Hua kept his vigil.


    Throughout, everything was normal, with no abnormalities.


    Before he knew it, the sun had set; twilight deepened, and then it shifted into a dark, icy night.


    The side room was quiet, pitch-black.


    Mo Hua didn''t light any lamps; he put away the Formation Books and sat in meditation.


    Suddenly, he felt a shock in his heart, opened his eyes, focused his gaze, and turned to look.


    He saw Yu Er, who had been sleeping soundly, now pale as death, curled up, shaking uncontrollably, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, looking in agony, as if in fear of something extremely terrifying.


    Mo Hua frowned and looked around.


    But in the empty side room, amidst the clear and cold night, there was nothing at all.


    Mo Hua''s mind stirred, he began to activate his Divine Sense, and using the Heavenly secret Calculation Method, he probed the surrounding Qi Mechanism.


    A moment later, Mo Hua''s expression shook.


    He saw that in the originally clear and empty side room, suddenly there emerged some hidden, unfathomable, and difficult-to-detect Karmic Patterns.


    These patterns, like chains, seemed to emerge from the Void.


    And bizarre and strange entities, following these Karmic chains, appeared from the Chaos Void, slowly crawling out from the ceiling and all around...


    On them was the filth of blood and the stench of decay.


    Dark, murky mucus covered them.


    Some had human bodies with horse faces; others had donkey heads with Demon bodies; still, others had canine bodies with human faces...


    Like the sinful offspring of a wrongful union, breaking out of "Amniotic Fluid," hatching from the embryos of sins, these Demon Monsters radiated a chilling and terrifying aura...


    They arose from the Void, followed the Karmic chains, disregarding all defensive measures in the room, and crawled towards Yu Er, whose face showed fear and pain...


    Yu Er''s expression was one of horror, her small body struggling ceaselessly under the boundless terror.


    The atmosphere in the side room grew increasingly oppressive and deathly still.


    Just then, a clear voice rang out.


    "Hey!"


    The tense air froze for a moment.


    The group of Demon Monsters, with ox heads, human faces, horse faces, and donkey heads, all turned around. Only then did they notice another person in the room.


    And this "person" seemed to be able to see them...


    Mo Hua looked at the gathering of "Demon Monsters," and said speechlessly,


    "Don''t you know how to knock before entering?"


    The fiends were taken aback, then as if offended by the "insignificance" of this human challenge, their already fierce faces suddenly turned horrific, their eyes murderously red and glaring, as if they would tear apart any obstacle.


    They wanted to devour this little human ghost alive.


    The atmosphere in the room became terrifying in an instant...


    Amid the tumult of the Demons, Mo Hua stood calmly and slowly stood up.


    His gaze was indifferent as he slightly smiled, subconsciously licking his lips,


    "Uninvited Evil Fiends, you have no manners at all..."

 Chapter 856: Explosive Beating

    The night was deep, the side room deathly silent.


    In the empty room, Yu Er was still curled up, trembling, her small face filled with fear, deathly pale.


    Ghosts and demons lurked all around, dancing chaotically, the black water turbid and dotted with crimson, resembling purgatory, yet invisible to ordinary cultivators.


    Mo Hua stood silently in front of Yu Er, his expression calm as he stared directly at the group of demon monsters.


    His gaze held a hint of arrogance, as if provoking them.


    The demon monsters were enraged, their grotesque and monstrous faces showed a starving thirst as they drooled and fixated on Mo Hua, but they seemed hesitant to make a move.


    It seemed as though they were seeking permission from something.


    Suddenly, a strange voice rose.


    It was eerie and ice cold, yet it seemed to contain supreme authority.


    The group of demon monsters and evil fiends showed reverence, but excitement was unmistakable in their expressions.


    It was as if someone told them, "You may feast now..."


    The demon monsters immediately roared ferociously and transformed into masses of filthy Yin wind, flinging themselves towards Mo Hua''s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua stood "stupidly," letting the demon monsters turn into puddles of black water-like demon shadows, burrowing into his Sea of Consciousness.


    As the demon monsters entered Mo Hua''s Sea of Consciousness, the sinister air in the room gradually dissipated.


    The fear on Yu Er''s small face also gradually faded, her small hands and feet no longer struggled and began to settle down.


    However, Mo Hua''s face was shrouded with a layer of shadow, his eyes lifeless, his brow darkening.


    In just a moment, Mo Hua fell to the ground, slowly closing his eyes.


    Within the Sea of Consciousness, the Divine Sense Incarnation of Mo Hua simultaneously opened its eyes.


    The sight was chilling; murky, rancid black water spread out, contaminating much of the Sea of Consciousness.


    Within the black water, non-human and non-demon, ghastly and misshapen demon monsters, more than a dozen, were densely gathered together.


    They had huge pupils, blood-red and staring at Mo Hua, their ferociously smiling mouths dripping with sticky saliva.


    Inside Mo Hua''s Sea of Consciousness, it was as if a festival for demon monsters had begun, a ghostly feast.


    And the sacrificial offering for this festival was none other than Mo Hua himself.


    At least, that''s how it appeared in the eyes of those demon monsters.


    The Mo Hua who originally sat upright at the center of his Sea of Consciousness slowly stood up.


    He did not deliberately constrain his aura, and a deep and Condensed like mercury, pure as spirit, vibrant as blood aura wavered out.


    All demon monsters instantly fell silent.


    Their eyes widened, some in disbelief, but then all the misshapen gazes became feverishly excited, and they began to howl desperately.


    Their howls were incomprehensible.


    Mo Hua did not understand, but borrowing the Heavenly secret Calculation, he "heard" two faint words from these frenzied and noisy howls:


    "Divine... Fetus."


    Mo Hua''s gaze became heavy.


    Divine Fetus?


    What did it mean?


    "Are these demon monsters considering me as the ''Divine Fetus''? Or do they want to take me to feed the ''Divine Fetus''?"


    "Is this Divine Fetus an embryo of Divine Consciousness, or is it¡­"


    "The Evil God''s Embryo¡­"


    Mo Hua''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Meanwhile, dozens of demon monsters and evil fiends, drooling over Mo Hua, their gazes filled with uncontrollable hunger.


    But they all restrained their greed, seemingly waiting for an order.


    Suddenly, a strange, indeterminate human or demon whisper sounded.


    It was like the murmurs from the Nine Netherworld Purgatory.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, quietness lasted for a moment, then followed by an even greater restlessness.


    Mo Hua then knew, these demon monsters seemed to have obtained permission from some entity, eager and ready "to feast"...


    The foul wind suddenly intensified.


    Several demon monsters, like unbridled wild horses, wielding hands and feet and ugly teeth, lunged to bite Mo Hua.


    Leading the charge was a dog-headed demon with arms reversed and standing on the ground, moving on all "hooves," as if "cut" and stitched together.


    In the blink of an eye, the dog-headed demon monster approached Mo Hua.


    It opened its bloody maw wide, lunging to bite at Mo Hua.


    But in the place where its teeth aimed to tear, bluish water traces appeared, Mo''s body ephemeral as passing water, drifting away.


    The Water Passing Step!


    The dog-headed demon monster''s eyes darkened as it continued its pursuit, twisting its head and baring its teeth, lunging toward Mo Hua again, but missing once more.


    Mo Hua, skilled in the Water Passing Step, remained composed, clearly not considering this demon monster a threat.


    The demon monster gnashed its teeth and growled in rage, continuing its assault.


    But no matter how fast it lunged, or how ferociously it yelled, it couldn''t even touch the hem of Mo''s robe.


    Enraged to the extreme, the demon monster''s vertical pupils dilated further, its bloodshot eyes grotesque and corners split.


    Evil Qi surged from its body, then it bared its ghastly fangs and, with reckless abandon, lunged to bite at Mo.


    Mo''s gaze remained calm as he shifted with the Water Passing Step, nimbly turning aside to dodge the attack.


    At the same time, Mo, bracing himself sideways, clenched his hand into a small fist; his Divine Thought concentrated as he punched out!


    With the force of Eighteen Patterns compressed and Divine Sense Power of fifteen patterns post-transformation.


    With just one punch, his divine might was overwhelming!


    He directly exploded the dog-headed demon monster''s head!


    The head of the demon was crushed by the might of Mo''s fist, blowing up into a pool of black water, splashing feet away.


    All the demon monsters'' pupils constricted in fear.


    Mo, however, showed a faint smile.


    As expected!


    His Divine Consciousness Transformation made him as sturdy as mercury and exceptionally resilient.


    This meant...


    His "physical body" in terms of Divine Sense was exceedingly strong.


    In reality, his Innate constitution was weak, and his Blood Qi feeble.


    But within the Sea of Consciousness, his Divine Thought "flesh" was indestructible, overwhelmingly powerful, even capable of engaging these ferocious demon monsters in close combat! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These demon monsters, born of Evil Thoughts, were soaked in black water akin to "Amniotic Fluid" of sins, thus their demon shadows slightly solidified, undergoing a hint of transformation.

 Chapter 857: Smash Explosion (2)

    This transformation in "quality" made them distinct from ordinary evil fiends.


    But Mo Hua''s Divine Thoughts, compressed from Eighteen Pattern Spiritual Sense through the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, even a strand of hair was condensed like mercury.


    These demon monsters, inherently just like "vaporized" Evil Thoughts, were merely stained with some black water spots.


    Yet, Mo Hua''s Divine Thoughts were cast like mercury.


    His "transformation" was far superior to these demon monsters!


    Therefore, solely based on the intensity of Divine Thoughts, he could easily crush these demon monsters.


    This is the restructuring of the Sea of Consciousness by Heaven Yan Jue, the transformation of Divine Thoughts!


    It''s also the true Divine Sense Proving the Dao!


    Mo Hua was exhilarated, yet a thought soon made him a bit regretful.


    This transformation in spiritual consciousness had one minor flaw...


    Mo Hua found that ever since his Divine Sense was compressed, reconstructed, and transformed, his incarnation of Divine Thoughts seemed to "stop growing"...


    He was now fifteen years old, and in reality, he had indeed grown a bit.


    Yet, the appearance inside the Sea of Consciousness remained the same as during the Foundation Establishment; small arms and legs, looking rather "childish."


    Taoist Heart like an infant, maintaining the original sanctity of Divine Thoughts.


    Although this unchanged spiritual form, adhering to the original heart, was a good thing, Mo Hua was still slightly unsatisfied.


    However, every Cultivation Technique has its drawbacks.


    The incarnation of Divine Sense isn''t shown to others, so such trivial matters didn''t really matter.


    After the dog-headed demon monster burst to death, the other demon monsters grew fearful, but also provoked, their ferocity triggered, and moments later, they attacked Mo Hua even more fiercely.


    Mo Hua''s expression was jubilant, his eyes filled with battle intent.


    Although it was only within the Sea of Consciousness, he could finally experience the feeling of an "unrivaled physical body."


    Demon monsters approached, attacking and biting, with a rank smell in the air.


    Around Mo Hua''s body swirled a pale blue Water Shadow; amidst the fight to the death with the demon monsters, he dodged and weaved with ease, and whenever an opportunity arose, he landed a punch.


    Nothing could not be solved with a punch.


    If there was, then two punches.


    Mo Hua fought more joyously and adeptly as time passed, employing a multitude of techniques.


    A horse-faced demon monster, caught off guard, received a punch from Mo Hua that pierced through its chest.


    A bull-headed demon monster had both horns broken off by Mo Hua using both hands.


    A wolf-bodied demon monster was crushed in the waist by Mo Hua descending from the sky...


    Some had their necks twisted, front teeth shattered, tails torn, spine bones kicked apart, and heads kicked off...


    As Mo Hua wasn''t truly a Body Cultivator and had never studied formal Tao Cultivation Martial Arts, he could only use simple, unadorned moves against these demon monsters.


    Each move, extremely rudimentary.


    No skill, all brute force.


    Relying on his powerful Divine Sense, with "force overpowering as bricks flew," each punch and kick brutally crushed the group of demon monsters and evil fiends.


    His powerful "physical" Divine Sense, along with the adept Water Passing Step and keen Divine Sense, provided clear perception and controlled the flow of battle. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Any demon monster that came close was no match for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua fought fiercely in all directions, commanding respect, and the group of demons trembled in fear.


    Suddenly, a sinister Water Arrow flew out of nowhere, hitting Mo Hua''s shoulder and tearing his robe formed from Divine Thoughts.


    The Water Arrow, soaked in rotten water, seemed to contain malicious Evil Thoughts and could corrupt both the heart and Divine Thoughts.


    Indeed, under Mo Hua''s fair skin, a black spot emerged and some black blood flowed out.


    Mo Hua frowned, slightly upset.


    He had been joyously engaged in direct combat, slightly careless, and had not expected to be wounded by a sneak attack from the demon monster using the strange Rotten Water Arrow.


    Turning his head, Mo Hua looked towards the distance and indeed saw several snake-headed demon monsters, hands forming spells, eyes emitting a toxic stare, hissing.


    This Rotten Water Arrow was an Evil Technique cast by them.


    Among them, one with narrow pupils and a sinister smile, clearly the one that had sneak-attacked Mo Hua with the Rotten Water Arrow.


    Mo Hua, surrounded by a group of demon monsters at close range, found it hiding far away, cunningly launching a sneak attack.


    As the sneak attack succeeded, the snake-headed demon monsters couldn''t help laughing haughtily.


    But just as its laughter began, a Fireball Technique swiftly arrived, instantly bursting its snake head.


    The snake demon perished on the spot, its head blown away and its body slowly falling.


    The unpleasant laughter abruptly stopped.


    The other snake demons were struck with panic.


    Of course, Mo Hua wouldn''t let them escape.


    Dare to launch a sneak attack!


    Mo Hua''s gaze turned icy, his fingers rapidly tapping, casting the Fireball Technique.


    The Second Grade Fireball Technique, flames blazing like magma, one after another drew trails of firelight, swiftly and precisely blowing the heads of distant snake-headed demon monsters forming spells and spitting long tongues.


    The surrounding demon monsters tried to block Mo Hua.


    But with Mo Hua''s masterful Water Passing Step, he could easily dodge the demon monsters'' attacks.


    The Fireball Technique was swift, within a flash creating the spell, forming fireballs.


    They couldn''t block it at all.


    A slight mistake and they''d be caught by Mo Hua''s small fist, finding a flaw, and getting their chests blown open, resulting in instant death.


    Some ranged demon monsters tried to flee.


    Mo Hua would then use the Water Prison Technique to trap them, then finish them with the Fireball Technique...


    Because of the sneak attack, somewhat angry, Mo Hua was no longer courteous, using both fists and feet, casting spells simultaneously.


    Punches and kicks, water and fire.


    With the support of the power of Fifteen Pattern transformed Divine Thoughts, Mo Hua began "slaughtering" this ghastly and fearsome group of demon monsters and evil fiends.


    But as he continued, Mo Hua started frowning.


    He felt he had killed many, yet these demon monsters seemed not to have decreased much...


    "Something odd..."


    Mo Hua didn''t stop fighting, but at the same moment, he released his Divine Sense, observing carefully, and moments later, his expression changed.


    It was the black water!

 Chapter 858: Bursting Pounding (3)

    These black waters, viscous and evilly filthy, could also corrode Divine Thoughts, as if something terrifying had once been incubated in them.


    And these demon monsters were all hatched from the black waters.


    Every time he killed a demon monster, it would be re-engulfed by the black waters, then reassembled with human or demon limbs to incubate yet another, stranger demon monster.


    This way, even with his strong Divine Thoughts, he would be consumed bit by bit.


    And these demon monsters, relying on the black waters for rebirth, could be endless.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression becoming somewhat dangerous.


    On the other side, seeing his countless incubated demon monsters being slaughtered by Mo Hua as if they were "worthless fishes and shrimps," a wave of anger seemed to emanate from within the black waters.


    A chilling cold approached, accompanied by a fishy breeze.


    The black waters trembled, churned, and pulsated, as if enduring the pain of "childbirth."


    Above the black waters, a black fog surged, condensing into a giant, evil fiend-like embryo, emitting a heartbeat-like pulsation.


    The moment the black water "embryo" condensed, Mo Hua spotted it.


    His gaze intensified, and his fingers flicked rapidly, sending Fireball Techniques wrapped in fierce flames attacking the giant black water embryo.


    The black water trembled, seeming somewhat fearful.


    A series of frantic roars came from within.


    The surrounding demon monsters obeyed, rushing towards the fireballs like moths to a flame, using their bodies to block Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Techniques, desperately trying to protect the embryo.


    Nearby demon monsters screeched and charged at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was momentarily tied up, unable to attend to other matters.


    A dozen breaths later, the black waters shook, and the black fog billowed and expanded. Instantly, a giant demon monster hatched.


    It was steeped in the black waters, its aura violent and greedy, with no hands, feet, and not even a body¡ªjust a huge head.


    Its blustery ears, thick nose, and tusks grew backwards.


    This was a "Pig Head Demon."


    The murky waters hatched the giant Pig Head Demon, intending to devour Mo Hua once and for all, and then corrode and digest him with black waters!


    As soon as the Pig Head Demon was born, it also widened its eyes, its gaze blood-red and saliva dripping. Its pupils rotated irregularly before fixating intensely on Mo Hua.


    The air around tightened suddenly.


    The other demon monsters also showed fearful expressions, seeming to shiver in fear of the "Pig Head Demon."


    Just then, the killing intent surged dramatically.


    The Pig Head Demon suddenly opened its massive mouth, and with astonishing speed, lunged to swallow Mo Hua.


    The demon monsters along its path, unable to dodge in time, were also gulped down into its mouth.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained calm, and he scoffed:


    "Want to eat me?"


    He stretched out his small hand, and the ground suddenly displayed golden Formation Patterns, solidifying into golden chains layered like a prison.


    The Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation, glittering brightly, instantly took form.


    The Pig Head Demon, midway through its charge, was bound by the Golden Lock Formation, its momentum abruptly halted.


    The golden chains, formed by Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thoughts through the Formation, dug deeply into its flesh. No matter how the demon roared and struggled, it could not break free, nor could it advance any closer to Mo Hua.


    Instead, Mo Hua quickly shifted, riding atop the Pig Head Demon¡¯s head.


    He first wrapped his hands around the demon¡¯s tusks, his small face tensed, and with all his might, he yanked fiercely, ripping the tusks out, flesh included, pulling out "blood-like" black waters.


    A heart-wrenching pig scream erupted.


    Mo Hua, undeterred, after pulling out one tusk, went on to extract the other.


    Having removed both tusks, Mo Hua still clenched his small fists, sitting atop the Pig Head Demon¡¯s head, and punched repeatedly, "clang clang" beating the demon¡¯s skull.


    "Let you try to eat me!"


    The Pig Head Demon, tightly bound by the Golden Lock Formation and suppressed by Mo Hua riding on its head, couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Other demon monsters, intimidated by Mo Hua¡¯s presence, also showed fear and dared not approach.


    Mo Hua arrogantly continued, his fists raining down, empowered by the transformative force of his Divine Consciousness. In a short while, he had the Pig Head Demon¡¯s skin split and flesh burst open, even faintly accompanied by the sound of bones cracking...


    Not knowing how long he had been "beating" it, only a loud "boom" was heard. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Pig Head Demon was "exploded" by Mo Hua.


    Its demonic body, unable to consolidate, turned into a pool of Divine Sense transformed thick black fog.


    After scattering, the black fog recondensed, retracting and attempting to return to the black waters to re-incubate demon monsters.


    But Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    He opened his small mouth wide, and suddenly inhaled.


    The scattered black fog, beaten by him, was involuntarily dragged, pulled, and ultimately unable to resist, was all sucked into Mo Hua¡¯s mouth and swallowed into his stomach.


    This transformation happened in the blink of an eye.


    All demon monsters remained frozen in place, their bodies trembling, eyes filled with immense terror.


    These demon monsters... were eaten by a "human"...


    Looking at Mo Hua¡¯s innocent face, still carrying a trace of naivety, the group of demon monsters couldn¡¯t tell at the moment... who the real "demon monster" was...


    Having "devoured" the Pig Head Demon, black spots began to appear on Mo Hua¡¯s body, and Evil Thoughts started to invade.


    However, Mo Hua, long accustomed to battles, had "eaten" many evil fiends, so these Evil Thoughts couldn¡¯t stain his Taoist Heart.


    His Divine Sense underwent transformative reconstruction.


    These black water stains also couldn¡¯t harm his Divine Sense.


    In just a few breaths, the murky aura of the black fog evil fiends was refined away.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consensus body was also as clear as crystal, completely intact.


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense grew even stronger, advancing further from the basis of fifteen Patterns, now just a hair away from Sixteen Patterns.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, a death-like silence prevailed.


    The once arrogant and vicious demon monsters shivered, their eyelids twitching, not daring to look at Mo Hua again.


    But Mo Hua smacked his lips, a bit unsatisfied.


    "Pig head meat, not very tasty..."


    With that, he turned his head, looking at the other demon monsters...

 Chapter 859: Golden Marrow

    Swept by Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, all demon monsters and evil fiends were utterly terrified, with their souls dispersed and trembling incessantly.


    They were afraid of being "eaten."


    The color of the black water lightened a bit, as if it had exhausted all its strength, and the birth of the Pig Head Demon, which was eaten, had damaged its vital energy.


    From within the black water, a strong sense of anger emanated.


    It seemed that no "person" had ever dared to disrespect it like this.


    Especially this person, who was still a child with an immature face, not yet weaned from milk.


    But at the same time, deep fear also arose in its mind.


    Although eating this child would be highly nourishing,


    If it expended too much energy and damaged the Divine Lord¡¯s origin, the loss would outweigh the gain...


    With a thought from Mo Hua, he seemed to sense that this pool of "black water" was considering retreating. His eyes blinked, a spark of inspiration struck, and he puffed out his chest, lifted his head, and made an extremely arrogant expression.


    Disdain filled Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    At the same time, he provocatively licked his lips,


    Treating this mass of black water as if it were "snacks."


    The black water hesitated for a moment then began to tremble violently, apparently infuriated by Mo Hua.


    From within the black water, an even stronger murderous intent emerged.


    This time it wouldn¡¯t hold back.


    The majesty of the Divine Lord could not be violated.


    The dignity of the Divine Lord could not be desecrated.


    It resolved to "eat" this half-step Divine Fetus child, offering the most delicious, most devout sacrificial offering for the awakening of the Divine Lord!


    Inside Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, it suddenly became cold and sinister, with the filthy black water spreading, dirtying the ground.


    The black water expanded, turning into a black mist, surging violently.


    Before long, the black mist dissipated, revealing numerous demon monsters and heavy ghosts, all of them fierce, deformed, and ugly.


    And in their chests, there was a mass of black water, pulsating like a heart, using evil and filthy black energy as blood, enhancing the power of the demon monsters.


    This time, the black water hatched more demon monsters, and they were clearly stronger.


    Before Mo Hua could react, a horde of hundreds of demons crazily rushed to attack, seemingly unwilling to give Mo Hua any chance to resist. They intended to tear Mo Hua apart and devour him alive.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and began, as before, dodging with Water Passing Step, sneak attacking with small fists, occasionally using the Water Prison Technique to control, or Fireball Technique to finish off.


    But these demon monsters were clearly stronger.


    With one punch, he could only break their bones, disfigure them, or cripple them, but he couldn¡¯t smash them entirely.


    And the audacity of the demon monsters only grew.


    They weren¡¯t afraid of death or pain, fighting ferociously, just wanting to bite off a piece of flesh from Mo Hua.


    After fighting for a while, Mo Hua grew weary, his hands and feet somewhat sore, and he could only sigh.


    "Body Cultivation is so tiring..."


    It was refreshing indeed, but after a long while, it also got a bit boring.


    With one punch, Mo Hua twisted the face of a Horse Face Demon; with a backward kick, he broke the waist of a Wolf Demon; grabbing the horns of a Bull Demon, he forcefully swung it, knocking down a large group of demon monsters...


    Seizing this opportunity, Mo Hua tapped the ground with his foot and stepped back a few paces to distance himself. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m done playing..."


    Mo Hua spoke indifferently, then spread his arms, his pupils turning pitch black instantly.


    His aura instantly changed from innocent and clear to deep and tricky.


    Dark and mysterious patterns emerged all around him, densely woven, forming an Ink Taoist Robe that draped over his body.


    The crowd of demons changed color instantly.


    From the black water, a piercing roar emerged, twisting into intermittent, panicky human voices:


    "Heavenly Secret Tricky Path?!"


    "You are..."


    "Tricky..."


    "...who exactly are you?!"


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t bother with idle chatter; his Divine Sense extended to the utmost, his eyes filled with overlapping illusions, and his robe heavily patterned.


    His Divine Sense tilted out, and in the Sea of Consciousness, it quickly solidified into a massive Formation, enveloping all the demon monsters and ghosts.


    "Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation!"


    This was a Compound Formation Mo Hua had tinkered with during his leisure, above the primary stage of Second Grade, matching the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. It combined the fires of the Five Elements and Bagua Fire, trapping enemies with the Eight Trigram Gen Mountain, a confining and killing Compound Formation.


    This Compound Formation was constructed under the guidance of Elder Master Xun and Mo Hua¡¯s own insights from constructing the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, trying to blend the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation System into his Compound Formation.


    This formation was very difficult.


    There were various restrictions in reality.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s current Divine Sense Realm, it was strenuous to depict.


    But within his own Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thoughts, unrestrained, manifested the Formation at will, unscrupulously.


    Mo Hua intended to use this Compound Formation to "stew" all these demon monsters and ghosts in one pot to nourish himself.


    The moment the formation materialized, the black water sensed a great terror.


    It never expected that merely seeking a light refreshment would lead it to encounter a monstrous being capable of instantly creating formations through Tricky Path, possessing a half-step Divine Fetus form!


    But it was too late.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flashed with a killing intent, his small hand clenched, crisply declaring:


    "Kill!"


    Instantly, the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Compound Formation activated.


    Divine Thought Manifestation caused rocks to protrude, craggy and interwoven, forming a rocky prison, trapping all the demon monsters.


    Then, the fires of the Five Elements surged, with the Bagua Fire covering the top, the two intertwining like magma, flowing between the rocks.


    The entire Compound Formation was like an erupting volcano.


    The demon monsters and ghosts, trapped inside the volcano, were scorched by the fierce flames and engulfed by the molten lava.


    Their flesh blackened inch by inch, turning to ash.


    In an endless inferno, countless deformed and fierce demon monsters clutched their heads, screaming in pain and anguish.


    And the "embryo" black water was also burned by the fierce flames, evaporating bit by bit, turning into black mist.

 Chapter 860: Golden Marrow (2)

    After its further refinement by Li Fire, it transformed into a bluish-white energy.


    Mo Hua stood high above on the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Compound Formation, watching countless Demon Monsters and all sorts of ghosts wail painfully within the Formation, turning into black ash. He couldn¡¯t help but nod his head.


    "The Formation really is more effective..."


    "Body Cultivation is too clumsy."


    Occasionally flexing his muscles and "joints" was fine for a bit of fun, but relying on his own unsystematic, novice Tao Cultivation Martial Arts to vanquish demons was just too inefficient.


    Mo Hua sat down cross-legged.


    He was about to "eat."


    The Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation incinerated Demon Monsters and also purified their Demonic Qi, refining it into white energy.


    Mo Hua sat beside it, "baking" and "eating" simultaneously.


    Thread by thread, Divine Thoughts entered his stomach, continuously fortifying Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    However, by the time Mo Hua had "finished eating," his Divine Sense Realm remained at fifteen Patterns. Although it had deepened, he had not yet made a breakthrough.


    After the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation annihilated that group of Demon Monsters, it too gradually vanished.


    All Demon Monsters were massacred.


    All black water was evaporated to exhaustion.


    Only one remained¡­


    It seemed to have always hidden in the deepest parts of the black water, shrouded and leaving no trace.


    But now, with the Demon Monsters slaughtered and the black water burned away, it had no choice but to reveal its true form.


    This was a¡­


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes and peered, "A ram¡¯s head?"


    White Bone with a human face, fierce ram horns. It was not very large in stature¡ªonly about the height of an average adult Cultivator, but much shorter than the other Demon Monsters.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, "What are you?"


    The Demon Monster with bone face and ram horns, enraged by the question, screamed incomprehensibly. Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s puzzled face, it switched to a clumsy but sinister human voice,


    "Impudent little ghost!"


    "Killing some Divine Slaves and Demon Wraiths, you think you¡¯re great?"


    "I am a God¡¯s Enforcer¡­"


    "Offending the Divine Lord is a crime deserving death. If you kneel and beg for mercy, convert to my Lord, I might bestow favor and spare you¡­"


    With a flash of the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua closed the distance, clenched his fist, and landed a punch right on its face.


    The Demon Monster had no resistance and was directly sent flying by Mo Hua¡¯s punch, crashing to the ground like a torn sack, rolling several times before struggling to flee.


    Mo Hua stretched out his right hand, solidifying it into golden Formation Patterns, locking it down, and then gestured with his hand.


    Golden chains dragged the Demon Monster back in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua delivered another punch, sending it flying again, then pulling it back and hitting it once more¡­ S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After three or four such iterations, the Demon Monster was beaten limp on the ground.


    Mo Hua walked over and stepped on it, looking puzzled, "You seem like an idiot? Don¡¯t you understand the situation?"


    You had become so strong.


    It had hatched Demon spawn which you had incinerated with the Formation and roasted for food.


    How could this Demon Monster not see the situation and still act so arrogantly?


    Mo Hua kicked it and asked,


    "God¡¯s Enforcer, huh? Are you an Evil Fiend¡¯s lackey?"


    "And the Divine Lord? Is it an Evil God?"


    The bone-faced, ram-horned Demon Monster seethed with anger, "Insulting the Divine Lord, you¡­"


    It intended to curse "You should die," but seeing Mo Hua raise his little fist with a "ferocious" expression, it dared not utter it.


    Mo Hua looked at the Demon Monster, stroking his chin, somewhat puzzled, "You seem... not afraid of death?"


    The Demon Monster sneered,


    "Sacrificing oneself for the Divine Lord is the greatest honor, and furthermore¡­"


    Its voice became delirious, eyes glittering with fanaticism,


    "I am a God¡¯s Enforcer, protected by the Divine Lord, my Divine Thoughts everlasting. You can humiliate and beat me, but you will never, ever kill me!"


    "The Divine Lord is immortal, and so am I!"


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, only then realizing, after having landed many punches on this bone-faced, ram-horned creature, that there were no cracks on its bones, and its ram horns had not broken either.


    Although the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation had burned its black water, it had not harmed it in the slightest.


    "How strange..."


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, scrutinizing this Demon Monster.


    Despite its bluster, the Demon Monster felt intimidated under Mo Hua¡¯s intense gaze.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, "Ram horn!"


    He reached out to touch the ram horns on the Demon Monster¡¯s head, even tried to force them off, but found he couldn¡¯t break them.


    On closer inspection, Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew intense.


    "Solid¡­"


    Ordinary Divine Thoughts were like mist.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thoughts were Condensed like mercury.


    And this Demon Monster¡¯s ram horns, no, not just the ram horns, its entire ram-horned skull, seemed almost "solid," exceptionally sturdy.


    "From ethereal to tangible¡­"


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    His expression did not escape the notice of the Demon Monster, who smirked triumphantly and sneered, "You know of the Divine Lord¡¯s¡­ what are you doing?!"


    It didn¡¯t finish speaking, seeing Mo Hua open his mouth and bite down on the "ram horn."


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t bite through.


    Mo Hua then bashed the ram horns a few times, finding them incredibly hard¡­


    "Quite the tough bone¡­"


    Mo Hua muttered.


    The Demon Monster scoffed, "Glad you realize¡­"


    But Mo Hua¡¯s competitive spirit was stirred, resolve forming¡ªto crush this bone today no matter what.


    Bone soup, strong and robust!


    If he managed to gnaw this tough bone, wouldn¡¯t his Divine Sense become even stronger?


    Perhaps he could break through to sixteen Patterns, or even approach seventeen Patterns?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. Then, under the frightened gaze of the Demon Monster, Mo Hua tried every trick¡ªusing Formation, Spell, and then his little fists to pound.


    But no matter what, the ram-horned skull remained unscathed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s frown deepened.


    The Demon Monster gradually became relieved.


    "As expected! The protection of the Divine Lord, indestructibly firm!"

 Chapter 861: Gold Marrow (3)

    Even this little monster, which could be called a devilish creature, couldn¡¯t do anything about itself.


    The Sheep-Horned Demon Monster was being tormented by Mo Hua, yet felt proud because of its own devoutness and the Divine Lord¡¯s blessing.


    It sneered, "Don¡¯t waste your effort, you milk-nosed little ghost, mere riffraff, how could you understand the power of the Master of the Great Wilderness?"


    Mo Hua was a bit angry.


    He frowned, and suddenly his eyes rolled playfully, and he said with a smile,


    "Let me show you something nice."


    The Demon Monster was startled, and it wouldn¡¯t believe for the death of it that Mo Hua would really show it anything "nice."


    The Demon Monster snorted coldly, "Stop playing any cunning schemes, in front of the Divine Lord, everything..."


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t listen, and before it could finish speaking, he grabbed it by the back of its neck and dragged it in front of the Taoist Stele.


    It was past 1 p.m., and the Taoist Stele could now manifest.


    Mo Hua pressed the Demon Monster¡¯s head against the Taoist Stele, and commanded,


    "Take a look."


    Although the Demon Monster didn¡¯t believe there was anything that could break the Divine Lord¡¯s protection, it was still apprehensive of Mo Hua and kept its eyes tightly shut, daring not to look at anything.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then said,


    "Your Divine Lord is like a mouse, sneaky and disgraceful without any sense of shame..."


    "Always hiding behind others, like a shrinking turtle."


    "No, you said it hasn¡¯t awakened yet, so it must be hibernating..."


    "Living so long..."


    "Thousand-year tortoise, ten thousand-year turtle, is your Divine Lord a tortoise or a turtle?"


    Infuriated by Mo Hua¡¯s "sweet nothings," the Sheep-Horned Enforcer finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.


    It abruptly opened its eyes and immediately froze.


    Before its eyes was a stark, deadly Thunder Pattern.


    The rage in the heart of the Sheep-Horned Demon Monster instantly dissipated, and boundless fear surged forth.


    Robbery Thunder...


    Robbery Thunder?!


    It widened its eyes, unable to believe.


    What kind of monster was this little ghost?!


    How could his Sea of Consciousness contain Robbery Thunder?!


    "You?!"


    The Sheep-Horned Enforcer couldn¡¯t finish its sentence when it saw the Thunder Pattern flicker slightly, revealing just a hint of its aura, which spawned a faint Thunder Flow that instantly erased its consciousness.


    At the same time, its "indestructible" ram horns, protected by the Master of the Great Wilderness, also had any "immortal" Divine Thoughts instantly obliterated.


    Ram-horned Skull bore several cracks.


    Mo Hua quickly took it away from the Thunder Pattern, and with a simple twist, he easily broke it open, and from the skull oozed a streak of pale golden Divine Thought fluid...


    Mo Hua was surprised, "Is this...bone marrow?"


    The pale golden bone marrow!


    Mo Hua stared at the "bone marrow," hesitated for a long while, but couldn¡¯t restrain himself, dipped his index finger in it, and tasted it.


    It was tasteless.


    But the texture was good...


    The Divine Thoughts contained were not strong, but after eating, there was a very mysterious sensation.


    As if he were a deity residing above the ninth heaven, mighty and overlooking all living beings.


    And all these living beings were mere ants, mere riffraff.


    They were his sacrificial offerings...


    Mo Hua quickly shook his head, casting away these bizarre and absurd thoughts, and then carefully examined himself.


    Only then did he discover that his Divine Consciousness Entity, without knowing when, had gained traces of pale golden blood.


    Although very faint, so faint that only he could notice.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    "Could this golden bone marrow truly be ¡¯Divine¡¯ Thought?"


    Could this trace of "Blood of Divine Sense" come from those Demon Monsters¡¯ Divine Lord, also known as the "Master of the Great Wilderness"?


    And why were these Demon Monsters fixated on Yu Er?


    Were they... planning to use Yu Er as a sacrificial offering?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew solemn.


    In the midst of it all, he always felt that a huge conspiracy loomed over Yu Er, the Shangguan Family, and even the entirety of Qian State...


    But what exactly it was, he still had no clue.


    "Never mind, one step at a time..."


    Just do what I need to do...


    Adhering to the principle of "not wasting," Mo Hua drank all of the remaining pale golden "bone marrow."


    Since it had been struck by Robbery Thunder, even if the "bone marrow" had truly contained the Divine Thoughts of the Wild God, they would have been eradicated, leaving only pure, somewhat divine Divine Sense.


    It was a great tonic!


    Mo Hua held the ram-horned skull, drank the "bone marrow," licked his lips, and felt completely satisfied. His body¡¯s traces of pale golden blood also increased slightly.


    Thus, all the Demon Monsters were completely devoured by him, leaving not even bones and marrow.


    After having his "fill," and eating well, it was already late, and Mo Hua prepared to go out.


    ...


    Mo Hua exited from his Sea of Consciousness, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he noticed a soft blanket covering him.


    A gentle woman was by his side, looking anxious¡ªit was Aunt Wan.


    In the distance, several Cultivators resembling elders were quietly arguing.


    "It must be an Evil Fiend!" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "With so many Great Cultivators guarding the Gu Family, how could an Evil Fiend appear?"


    "You don¡¯t understand..."


    "Evil Fiends are not all the same..."


    An elder snorted coldly, "Don¡¯t be mysterious, I¡¯ve lived for several hundred years, what haven¡¯t I seen? How could there be some ¡¯invisible Evil Fiend¡¯?"


    "It¡¯s not ¡¯invisible,¡¯ it¡¯s undetectable by Divine Sense..."


    "Ridiculous! Divine Sense of Golden Core and Feather Transformation, still undetectable?"


    "It¡¯s casting pearls before swine, I can¡¯t reason with you..."


    "...Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect..."


    "That child..."


    "Must have encountered a hiccup in his Cultivation..."

 Chapter 862: Golden Marrow (4)

    "What are you talking about?"


    "...It must be an Evil Fiend that has invaded, harmed the Sea of Consciousness, and clouded the Divine Sense. Look at his darkened brow and the gloomy shade on his face; he is unconscious and if we don''t treat him soon, I''m afraid the danger is significant..."


    The man''s words halted abruptly.


    Because he saw Mo Hua had woken up...


    Everyone else was also stunned and speechless.


    Only a worried Wenren Wan showed joy, "Mo Hua, are you alright..."


    Mo Hua nodded, "I''m fine."


    Wenren Wan hesitated for a moment, then asked softly,


    "Did you just..."


    Mo Hua said, "I just had a nightmare. There were a bunch of demon monsters that entered my dream, wanting to eat me, but they were no match for me and I slaughtered them all!"


    Wenren Wan''s expression was complicated, unsure of what to say.


    The Elders nearby also had varying expressions.


    Some were expressionless, taking Mo Hua''s words as mere dream talk; some chuckled and shook their heads, treating it as ''childish talk''; and others scoffed, thinking Mo Hua was just spouting nonsense.


    None of them believed that what Mo Hua said was actually true...


    Mo Hua noticed their expressions and felt a bit helpless.


    There was no helping it, telling the truth wasn''t believed these days.


    Wenren Wan still spoke with concern:


    "Are you... really alright?"


    Mo Hua smiled, "Don''t worry, Aunt Wan, and moreover..."


    He turned his head, looking at Yu Er lying on the bed, her brows relaxed and her countenance peaceful, and said softly:


    "...Yu Er also had a good sleep..."


    Wenren Wan was startled, then looked toward Yu Er, her expression soft and beautiful as water, and the stone in her heart slowly fell.


    "Yes, Yu Er finally... had a good sleep..."


    She then looked back at Mo Hua, her eyes filled with gratitude.


    Everyone still remained by Yu Er''s side.


    The incident with Mo Hua had been shocking but harmless, and they couldn''t figure out the details, so they no longer questioned it.


    Only a few Elders gazed at Mo Hua, their eyes focused, as if deep in thought.


    Dawn brightened, the morning glow filled the sky, pouring in through the window.


    Yu Er slowly opened her eyes, her gaze somewhat hazy, then remembered something, quickly turned her head, and saw Mo Hua indeed by her side.


    A radiant smile appeared on Yu Er''s face.


    Mo Hua also smiled gently.


    ...


    Yu Er slept peacefully through the night, looking much better and even had an appetite to eat, though she only took a few bites before she would look up at Mo Hua and then squint her eyes in a smile.


    It seemed much more reassuring to be by Mo Hua''s side.


    Mo Hua didn''t work on Drawing Formations, and instead, took the time to play with Yu Er for most of the day.


    By evening, Mo Hua was again by Yu Er''s side.


    The night was calm and peaceful. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt reassured yet somewhat regretful.


    Reassured because Yu Er could sleep well again.


    Regretful because his own "ration" of Divine Sense had run out...


    And Yu Er, having slept sweetly through the night, was more spirited, her face no longer so pale.


    But the next day, Mo Hua had to return to the Sect.


    His ten-day leave was only for two days.


    Yu Er hung his little head, somewhat reluctant, following Mo Hua all the way to the door.


    Mo Hua promised him he would visit again when he had time, and only then did Yu Er cheer up a bit.


    Wenren Wan gave Mo Hua lots of tasty food, some Formation Books, and brushes to express her gratitude, but she seemed to have something on her mind, hesitating for a long time before slowly starting to speak:


    "Mo Hua..."


    But she was unsure how to continue.


    Mo Hua knew what Wenren Wan was worried about and said with a smile:


    "Aunt Wan, if Yu Er has another nightmare, I''ll come and check on him..."


    Wenren Wan was taken aback, then relieved, looking at Mo Hua with even more gratitude.


    ...


    Afterward, Mo Hua rode in the Gu Family''s carriage back to Taixu Gate.


    Upon returning to the Sect, he spent two days refining and absorbing a group of demon monsters and the Evil Thoughts of the Sheep-Horned Enforcer.


    He then meditated to consolidate his Taoist Heart.


    Mo Hua''s Divine Sense finally broke through the realm, reaching Sixteen Patterns!


    Sixteen Patterns were the limit of Divine Sense in the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    Seventeen Patterns would be for the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.


    The barrier from Sixteen to Seventeen Patterns was thick, not so easily broken through.


    But Mo Hua was not in a hurry; his realm of Divine Sense was now very high, and he could afford to consolidate for a while.


    Reaching the realm of Sixteen Patterns, he now had enough Divine Sense to study the "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation," a Second Rank Sixteen Patterns!


    But his problem now was he lacked enough Merit Points to exchange for the Formation Diagram.


    "I need to work hard, earn more Merit Points..."


    Mo Hua then went to ask Senior Sister Murong.


    Murong Caiyun thought for a moment, then said, "There is indeed a task, not very difficult, and the Merit Points are not that many, probably just over eighty, but you can go if you want."


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, smiling:


    "Thank you, Senior Sister Murong!"


    Over eighty points, still not a small amount.


    Certainly better than him creating First-grade Formations.


    Murong Caiyun said gently: "This task is located outside the Qian Xue State Boundary, in Bishan City, where the mountains are steep and surrounded by many rivers and streams..."


    "The specific map and task information, I will send to you."


    "If you have time, you can check it out in the Taixu Token..."


    "Uh-huh!" Mo Hua nodded again and again.


    Bishan City...


    After he got back, he checked the task information and looked over the map of Bishan City, pondering what he should prepare...


    As he looked, Mo Hua suddenly paused.


    He noticed that on the map, outside Bishan City, there was a desolate mountain that looked very familiar.


    Mo Hua recalled in his mind and then realized that this desolate mountain was indeed "Mount Huang," the broken mountain of Lord Yellow Mountain.


    The temple of the Downcast Mountain God, Lord Yellow Mountain, was located on the summit of this desolate mountain.


    "Hanging Dry Mountain..."


    Mo Hua silently noted down this mountain''s name, deciding to visit Hanging Dry Mountain after completing his mission, to pay a visit to Lord Yellow Mountain.


    Regarding the matter of Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Jue, Lord Yellow Mountain certainly had something to hide from him...


    He had to go and get it clarified!

 Chapter 863: Kneel Down

    Life in the Sect was uneventful, and eight days later, it was time for the ten-day rest again.


    Because Bishan City was a bit far and traveling back and forth was complicated, it took extra time, so Mo Hua asked for one more day off.


    With Elder Master Xun backing her, the Elders from the Sect were easy to talk to.


    Therefore, she got her day off without any trouble.


    Three days in total!


    Mo Hua packed up her luggage and happily went to find Senior Sister Murong with her Storage Bag slung over her shoulder.


    The mission was still taken by Murong Caiyun, and Mo Hua just tagged along.


    Knowing that Mo Hua was collecting Merit Points to exchange for a Formation Diagram, Murong Caiyun said,


    "This mission isn''t difficult, so including you, there are only three people. You will also be able to get a larger share of the Merit Points."


    Mo Hua smiled and replied, "Thank you, Senior Sister!"


    The two set off for the exterior of the Taixu Gate. Mo Hua walked briskly, chatting sporadically along the way.


    "Three people..."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "Senior Sister, who else is going?"


    Murong Caiyun answered, "Senior Brother Feng from the Tai''a Sect as well."


    "Senior Brother Feng..."


    Mo Hua nodded her head.


    Senior Brother Feng was gentle and polite with deep cultivation. It seemed that he held a high position in the Tai''a Sect, and indeed, he was one of the predetermined Inner Sect Disciples¡ªa true "big leg."


    "What about Senior Brother Xu and Sister Qianqian?"


    "Senior Brother Xu is recovering from an injury, and since the mission isn''t difficult and doesn''t offer many Merit Points, it''s better not to trouble him with it."


    "As for Qianqian..."


    Murong Caiyun paused, "She''s quite busy, so let''s forget about it this time..."


    "Oh, oh," Mo Hua nodded.


    Murong Caiyun sighed softly.


    Qianqian had been urging her every day, wanting to partner with Mo Hua on a mission and had prepared a "gift" for Mo Hua¡ªall sorts of girly skirts, hairpins, and rouge.


    She said that making Mo Hua dress up, looking pretty as a piece of carved jade, would definitely be very attractive...


    Murong Caiyun was afraid she''d go too far, so she didn''t call her this time.


    But Hua Qianqian had been nagging her ears off, and as she looked at Mo Hua, she couldn''t help but visualize Mo Hua wearing a splendid Taoist Robe covered in an array of flowers, and for a moment, she was lost in thought.


    "Senior Sister?"


    Seeing her distracted, Mo Hua was a bit curious.


    Murong Caiyun came back to her senses with flushed cheeks and coughed lightly, "It''s getting late, we should hurry..."


    "Oh..."


    Mo Hua looked suspicious but did not ask further.


    Soon, the two met up with Ouyang Feng, who was dressed in a Tai''a Taoist Robe. They hired a horse carriage and left the Qian Xue State Boundary, speeding along the broad mountain path toward Bishan City outside the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    Outside the carriage, the sound of horse hooves was rapid, while inside, it was quiet and comfortable.


    Mo Hua sat by the window, lying on a soft blanket, admiring the scenery along the way, and conversed with Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng.


    "This time, we''re going to capture a disciple who has betrayed the Sect..."


    Murong Caiyun said, "Over ten years ago, this disciple stole a legacy, murdered a fellow disciple, and fled the Sect. He has been pursued for a long time and has never been caught..."


    "Over ten years ago?" Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Murong Caiyun nodded, "He stole only some minor legacies, and the ''fellow disciple'' he killed was actually just a servant. The incident didn''t cause much of a stir, so it didn''t make any waves."


    "And that fugitive disciple kept a low profile. After leaving the Sect, he disappeared without a trace and didn''t give himself away."


    "The Taoist Court Office didn''t seem very keen to handle it either..."


    "Because there''s no profit in it?" Mo Hua whispered covertly.


    Murong Caiyun halted for a moment, somewhat helplessly, and shot Mo Hua a light glare,


    "Firstly, there aren''t many clues, and secondly, the Taoist Court really is... short on personnel, so the matter has been put on hold for now."


    "Oh," Mo Hua "understood."


    Ouyang Feng then added, "Later, the Xie family''s treasury in Bishan City was burglarized. During the pursuit, the thief, cornered and desperate, used a technique from the Sever Gold Sect, giving himself away..."


    "The Xie family in Bishan City demanded an explanation from the Sever Gold Sect..."


    "The Sever Gold Sect cross-referenced the stolen legacy registers with their records and realized the thief was the same disciple who had betrayed them ten years ago."


    Mo Hua frowned, "The Sever Gold Sect?"


    Murong Caiyun explained, "It''s one of the Twelve Sects within the Qian Xue State Boundary, specializing in the Golden Series Sword Controlling Method of the Five Elements..."


    Mo Hua nodded her head.


    She had heard this name mentioned by Aunt Wan when she was introducing the Twelve Sects of Qian State, but beyond that, she didn''t think there had been any interaction.


    However, upon hearing the words "Sever Gold Sect," she vaguely felt that this sect might have some karmic connection with her...


    Mo Hua perplexedly asked, "Shouldn''t it be the Sever Gold Sect''s own responsibility to pursue their fugitive disciple?"


    "They did pursue him, but they failed to catch him..."


    "Failed to catch him?"


    Murong Caiyun nodded, "That fugitive disciple has a very good movement technique..."


    Ouyang Feng also remarked, "Indeed, among the Taoist Skills he stole from the Sword Controlling Gate, there is a movement technique called ''Escape Gold Technique'' which he learned quite proficiently. The disciples of the Sever Gold Sect couldn''t catch up with their own traitor..."


    Ouyang Feng sounded somewhat regretful.


    The legitimate disciples couldn''t compare to this traitor who "stole their legacy"...


    "The Xie family in Bishan City, discontented, felt that the Sever Gold Sect was ''letting him off'' and secretly sheltering the thief, so they issued their own reward for his capture."


    "However, the influence of the Xie family in Bishan City isn''t substantial, so the Merit Points offered for the reward aren''t that significant either."


    "Moreover, with the Sever Gold Sect involved, they certainly wouldn''t want their own Sect''s traitor to be captured by disciples from other Sects, nor would they want to reward anyone else..." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua muttered, "The Sever Gold Sect... turns out to be quite petty..."

 Chapter 864: Kneel Down (2)

    Ouyang Feng chuckled, "Indeed, but be careful with those words. Don''t let a Sever Gold Sect disciple hear you calling them ''petty,'' they can''t stand hearing that..."


    Mo Hua smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.


    Half a day later, the trio arrived at Bishan City.


    Bishan City lived up to its name with steep cliffs thousands of feet high, where the mountains and ridges crisscrossed.


    Most of the cave dwellings were built upon the sheer cliffs, presenting a sight both peculiar and splendid.


    However, Bishan City was now under lockdown, allowing entry but no exit.


    This was because a traitor from the Sever Gold Sect had stolen from the Xie family''s clan treasury, and the Xie family had reported the matter to the Taoist Court.


    The Taoist Court had sealed off the city, conducting a thorough search for the traitor, making quite a commotion.


    Mo Hua expressed his curiosity, "What exactly did the Xie family have stolen from them?"


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, "I don''t know. The Xie family didn''t say, and it''s not our place to pry..."


    "To lockdown the city in such a grandiose manner, involving quite a number of people, yet to offer such paltry reward points, the Xie family really is stingy..." Mo Hua said, somewhat disgruntled.


    He was in need of merit points at the moment, so the Xie family''s "stinginess" left him feeling rather "resentful."


    And there was something strange about this Xie family...


    Logically, a treasury theft followed by a city lockdown and investigation should count as a "major incident" and hence, the bounty offered should be considerable.


    Murong Caiyun stated, "We earn our merit points by completing tasks; we don''t need to concern ourselves with other matters."


    Ouyang Feng also added, "The sooner we finish, the sooner we can return."


    "Alright," Mo Hua nodded.


    Their mission was to assist the Xie family in capturing the Sever Gold Sect''s traitor.


    The Xie family was searching the city, but "searching" merely meant deploying clan disciples to patrol the streets and look for suspicious cultivators.


    The Xie family lacked the courage and strength to search every household.


    Even though Bishan City was only considered a Little Immortal City, within Qian State, it was still possible to encounter a tea-sipping True Man or a wine-drinking Great Cultivator in any teahouse or tavern...


    After searching with Murong Caiyun and the third person for a while and finding nothing, they split up to continue their search.


    Walking down the streets of Bishan City, Mo Hua secretly extended his Divine Sense to spy around.


    He wasn''t trying to invade privacy, but rather looking for any peculiar individuals.


    Bishan City''s cultivators came from all walks of life, a wide array of characters. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua''s Divine Consciousness had undergone a transformation, and he could perceive most cultivators quite clearly. Nevertheless, he refrained from prying too deeply out of respect for others, merely glancing over them superficially to determine if they were the traitor.


    There were some cultivators with obscure and profound auras; Mo Hua immediately withdrew his Divine Sense upon brushing over them.


    These Great Cultivators were at least at the Golden Core level or above, not someone he dared to "offend" at his current stage.


    However, there were also some cultivators who appeared unremarkable, yet were inexplicably strong. Even with a brief touch of his Divine Sense, they still detected his presence.


    Their gaze sharp as a sword, they turned towards Mo Hua, but upon seeing that he was just a boy around ten years of age, they faltered for a moment.


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully as an apology.


    Seeing his gesture, they did not take offense and responded with a slight nod.


    Mo Hua let out a slight sigh of relief but also marveled inwardly:


    "The Cultivation World really is a place filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Especially in Qian State, encountering so many experts in such a small Immortal City..."


    After a few rebuffs, several bows, and numerous apologies, Mo Hua had become more adept.


    Even without the use of Divine Sense to spy, he could discern by "intuition" which cultivators were not to be trifled with.


    Just one glance and he knew his limits.


    With just the use of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua became much more "circumspect," no longer infringing upon True Men or Great Cultivators...


    After searching for most of the day, using the depth of his Divine Sense and acute perception, Mo Hua had swept through nearly half of Bishan City, yet still found nothing.


    He had no choice but to look in places that had not been searched before...


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and went to a "Brothel."


    At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary tavern, but based on his sole experience drinking floral wine at the Hundred Flower Tower in South Yue City, brought there by Elder Su, he could determine:


    This was not a tavern, but a Brothel!


    The front served as a tavern, but at the back, there lingered an air inappropriate for minors, hinting at decadence.


    The Taoist Court forbade dual cultivation, especially replenishing from others.


    To put it bluntly, the ban on "dual cultivation" was mostly to prevent "replenishing from others," stopping people from using the guise of dual cultivation to actually engage in such activities.


    This was what Zhang Lan had told Mo Hua a long time ago.


    Hence, the Taoist Court enforced strict regulations on places like "Brothels."


    Of course, while the Taoist Court was strict, and Taoist Laws were stringent, the execution by local Court Officials varied.


    In different Immortal Cities, the reality could be even more complex.


    For instance, in South Yue City, the Lu Family relied on Brothels to win people''s hearts, to earn Spirit Stones, to exploit Mining Cultivators, and to draw in the Taoist Court Officials.


    In such situations, many of the Court''s Cultivators were regulars of the Brothels themselves, outright indulging in corruption, making enforcement impossible.


    But Qian Xue State Boundary was an exception; within the entire state boundary, Brothels were strictly forbidden.


    Qian Xue State Boundary was a flourishing ground for Tao Cultivation, attracting the talented Sect Disciples of the Nine States.


    Sects did not wish for their disciples to be diverted by sensual pleasures, risking the foundation of their cultivation, wasting precious time, or damaging their Taoist Heart.


    Furthermore, they feared that Demon Cultivators might use seduction and charm to lure Sect Disciples, leading them astray, clouding their judgment between good and evil, and sinking into indulgence.


    Therefore, not only within Qian Xue State Boundary was there a prohibition against the Land of Fireworks, but the rule also extended to the surrounding state boundaries, including many Immortal Cities.

 Chapter 865: Kneel Down (3)

    Eating and sexual desires are some of the basic cravings of humanity, hard to prohibit and even harder to curb.


    Hence, there came to be establishments with restaurants at the front and brothels at the back¡ªa classic case of blatant bait and switch.


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, feeling that this matter deserved criticism, and knowing how the Land of Fireworks often concealed dirt and filth, the traitor might be hiding there, they walked straight into the restaurant.


    The waiter saw Mo Hua and was clearly taken aback.


    Their restaurant had never been graced by such a clear-browed, handsome-looking Young Master with cherry-red lips and porcelain-white teeth.


    "Young Master, you are...?"


    "I''m here to eat."


    Mo Hua stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    "Oh, oh, of course, to eat... Please, this way."


    The waiter had thought Mo Hua was oblivious and simply saw their establishment as a typical restaurant for drinking and dining, so with a servile smile and enthusiastic energy, they led Mo Hua inside.


    The interior decoration was lavish, with a strong scent of rouge in the air.


    The waiter escorted Mo Hua to a table and they sat down.


    Glancing at the menu, Mo Hua thought to themselves how expensive it was; not only were the various dishes costly, but even the desserts and beverages were twice as expensive as anywhere else.


    But for the sake of "tracking down the traitor," Mo Hua bit the bullet and ordered a table''s worth of dishes and drinks.


    Having walked quite a distance that day, Mo Hua was hungry. They used their Divine Sense to discreetly inspect the food and drinks, ascertaining there were no issues or signs of drugging, then began to eat and drink while surveying their surroundings.


    The front part of the restaurant was relatively "clean."


    Those who were dining did so, and those who were drinking did just that, but in the center, there was a platform curtained by pink drapes from where flirtatiously dressed women danced.


    There were also women lightly clad, with inviting smiles, accompanying the drinking patrons.


    Mo Hua tore into a chicken leg as their Divine Sense expanded, taking in every detail of the surroundings.


    After some observation, Mo Hua slowly grasped the situation...


    The women dancing on the stage were the "menu."


    After the performance, the diners who fancied a particular woman would then "place an order."


    The dancing women, having been "ordered," would then come down to accompany the customers in drinking.


    During the companionship, men and women whispered to each other, likely negotiating the "meal''s price."


    Once agreed upon, they would proceed to the back to "have their meal."


    And after finishing their meal, that''s when they would "settle the bill."


    The innocent Mo Hua was shocked.


    These cultivators have so many illicit tricks up their sleeve!


    All the effort that doesn''t go into the Righteous Dao, instead goes into designing these "wine as a color medium" schemes...


    And they even have the nerve to charge so much for the food and drinks!


    Mo Hua was furious.


    They stared for a while at the dancing women in the center and suddenly squinted their eyes in realization.


    Amongst the dancers in the corner of the stage, there was a woman of average appearance but slender waist, whose every move seemed questionable...


    With a sweep of their Divine Sense, Mo Hua knew instantly.


    This "woman" was actually a man!


    And with a sudden conviction in their heart, Mo Hua was sure this person was the Sever Gold Sect traitor they''d been sent to capture!


    Cross-dressing males in the Land of Fireworks.


    Mo Hua scoffed.


    Totally unbecoming!


    They immediately used their Taixu Token to send a message to Senior Sister Murong:


    "Senior Sister, I''ve found the traitor!"


    The Taixu Token was a communicative device among sect disciples.


    Senior Sister Murong had taught Mo Hua to use it, and they hadn''t made much use of it since they weren''t adept at it at first.


    But within moments, Murong Caiyun responded:


    "Where are you?"


    Mo Hua: "In the brothel¡­"


    Murong Caiyun: "..."


    After a lengthy silence, as if struggling to understand how Mo Hua ended up seeking a traitor in a brothel, a reply finally came:


    "Which brothel?"


    Mo Hua sent over the name of the restaurant.


    Murong Caiyun said:


    "I see, I''ll be right there. Take care of yourself."


    "Mhmm."


    Mo Hua nodded, although they found something strange.


    This "take care of yourself" sounded odd...


    What do I have to protect myself from?


    Some two incense sticks'' worth of time later, Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun arrived at the restaurant entrance.


    The waiter was shocked just as before, and after hesitating for a while upon hearing they were here to find a disciple, allowed them in but couldn''t help keeping a cautious eye on them.


    The three spoke in hushed tones. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Junior Brother, how did you end up here?"


    Mo Hua waved dismissively. "That''s not important."


    They pointed to the cross-dressing, waist-slim, heavily made-up "woman" still dancing on the stage:


    "This person here is likely the traitor."


    Mo Hua was almost certain, but still showed humility by refraining from speaking in absolutes.


    Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng both looked surprised, frowning and scrutinizing the "woman" for a long time, their gazes sharp.


    "Cross-dressing to dance here, it is indeed a good way to hide in plain sight..."


    "There might be more to it than just ''hiding in plain sight''..."


    There could be a "side job" at play.


    Even a renegade sect disciple, even a wanted Sin Cultivator, has to make a living¡­


    "What should we do?"


    "Should we just apprehend them?"


    "Would that startle the snake in the grass?"


    Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun discussed their options.


    Mo Hua suggested: "I''ll ''order'' him over."


    Both Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng were taken aback. "''Order''?"


    "Mhmm." Mo Hua nodded. "We can order him to come over for a drink, and then seize the opportunity to capture him!"


    Senior Sister Murong couldn''t hold back, "Junior Brother, do you¡­ come here often?"


    How come you seem like a regular...


    Mo Hua sternly replied, serious: "I''m a Serious Cultivator! I would never visit such places! Unless absolutely necessary..."


    Senior Sister Murong eyed Mo Hua skeptically.


    "This is to complete the mission!"


    Mo Hua added.


    Ouyang Feng gave a wry smile: "Catching that traitor is what''s crucial."

 Chapter 866: Kneel Down (4)

    "Senior Brother Feng is right!" Mo Hua nodded and beckoned to call over the waiter. He pointed toward the stage at the cultivator dressed as a woman:


    "I want ¡¯her¡¯ to join me for a drink!"


    The waiter hesitated, looked at Mo Hua with renewed respect, then went up and summoned that "woman" down.


    The "woman," realizing she had been "roll-called," looked somewhat flustered.


    The waiter pointed at the three members of Mo Hua¡¯s party. The "woman" narrowed her gaze and then, with her head bowed submissively, began walking towards them, though her steps gradually slowed.


    Mo Hua said, "He¡¯s going to run..."


    Ouyang Feng immediately dashed forward, stretched out a large hand, and tried to capture the "woman."


    But the "woman" was prepared and retreated rapidly with a movement technique that emitted faint golden light.


    Ouyang Feng failed to catch her and continued to pursue her, but he was blocked by a stranger.


    The man, with a frivolous smile, said,


    "Taoist Friend, you seem like a fine figure of a man, so why are you so ruthless towards the fairer..."


    Ouyang Feng, impatient, didn¡¯t wait for him to finish and kicked him away, then resumed the chase after the "woman."


    The "woman" ran ahead, this time without any pretense, clearly a man with an extremely proficient movement technique.


    Murong Caiyun unleashed the Five-colored Spirit Light, delaying the "woman¡¯s" escape.


    Mo Hua raised his hand halfway, then paused, his mind ticking over, and switched from the Water Prison Technique to the Fireball Technique.


    He fired Fireballs at the "woman" one after another without care for accuracy.


    His casting of the Fireball Technique was very casual.


    Most of the Fireballs missed the "woman" and crashed into the tavern instead, causing a shower of flames and explosions, creating utter chaos.


    Such a place, masquerading as fine but really a Land of Fireworks, couldn¡¯t be left alone...


    Mo Hua made up his mind and unleashed his power without holding back, quickly turning a good portion of the tavern to ruins with his Fireball Technique.


    Pink curtains burned, stages collapsed, and from behind the tavern came a cacophony of screams from both men and women.


    The tavern owner was pale as a ghost.


    He was running a secret brothel near the Qian Xue State Boundary, something that must not be exposed to daylight, or he would suffer the direst of consequences.


    But he dared not act.


    For he could tell that both Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun had high levels of cultivation and were not to be trifled with.


    The tavern was a din of uproar and disarray.


    The "woman" took the opportunity to escape, running north along the street.


    Ouyang Feng went after her.


    "Chase her!" commanded Murong Caiyun decisively.


    "Right!"


    Mo Hua nodded, taking the chance to slip away amidst the chaos.


    The noise outside also drew many other cultivators; some from the Xie family and some from the Taoist Court.


    The Cultivators from the Taoist Court, seeing the disheveled men and women in the tavern, knew without a doubt what kind of wine was being sold there.


    Under the broad daylight, they were obliged to investigate.


    The Xie family also recognized the fleeing "woman" as a traitor from the Sever Gold Sect, the very one they were hunting for.


    Thus, both parties began the pursuit of the fugitive who had disguised himself as a woman.


    But the traitor, transformed into golden light, was swift and sharp, making him difficult to catch.


    After several streets, they suddenly lost sight of him.


    The Xie family cultivators were enraged and cursed relentlessly.


    Both Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun furrowed their brows, while Mo Hua watched intently.


    He saw everything.


    The traitor turned at a street corner, hid in a dark alleyway, and within a few breaths, he had changed his appearance completely, donning an inconspicuous and ordinary male cultivator¡¯s attire and yet another visage.


    "Is this... Yi Rong?"


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed with curiosity and, pointing with his hand, he whispered to Ouyang Feng,


    "Senior Brother Feng, that man!"


    Ouyang Feng was taken aback. He was eager to ask how Mo Hua knew, but there was no time for questions, and he instinctively chose to trust Mo Hua¡¯s judgment.


    Pretending to be casual, Ouyang Feng slowly approached the male cultivator.


    But the man, alert as ever, immediately took off at a run the moment Ouyang Feng came within thirty feet of him.


    Seeing the golden light on his movement technique, it indeed belonged to that betrayer!


    Ouyang Feng drew his sword and continued the pursuit.


    Thus, while the betrayer desperately evoked his movement technique, trying to escape, he also searched for an opportunity to disguise himself and evade capture from the hands of Mo Hua and the two others.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t in a hurry to make his move, instead, he looked around and secretly took control, unknowingly driving the betrayer into the uninhabited woods to the east of Bishan City.


    They couldn¡¯t capture him in the city, otherwise he would fall into the hands of the Xie family, and they would no longer be able to extract information.


    Everything went according to Mo Hua¡¯s wishes.


    There were no other people around.


    And that betrayer, he too was cornered by the three of them.


    The betrayer, now disguised as a big man, gasped for breath and looked at the three in disbelief,


    "You... how exactly did you recognize me?"


    Mo Hua replied with a smile, "You guess."


    The big man¡¯s face twitched, his eyes full of rage, then he scoffed,


    "So what if you can recognize me? Before my diligently cultivated Escape Gold Body Skill, honed painfully over ten years, all your efforts are in vain. Think you can catch me? Wishful thinking!"


    With a look of disdain, the big man spat and pushed his movement technique to the limit, infusing golden light into his legs and creating a gust underfoot, planning to flee in the blink of an eye.


    Mo Hua¡¯s finger lightly tapped, and the Water Prison Technique came down instantly.


    The arrogant big man was locked up tightly by the Water Prison Technique in an instant, falling flat on his face.


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Calling you fat, and you¡¯re actually out of breath..."


    Using these little tricks in front of me, like showing off in front of an expert...


    Ouyang Feng stepped forward, the big man still trying to struggle, but Ouyang Feng struck him on the shoulder with his sword and kicked him to the ground.


    He may be skilled in movement, but in terms of cultivation, he was no match for Ouyang Feng. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ouyang Feng took the big man¡¯s Storage Bag and with the Taoist Court¡¯s Second Grade Spiritual Lock, tied the big man tightly.


    Murong Caiyun glanced at Mo Hua, her gaze flickering, and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    "Junior Brother Mo, you lured him here, what do you want to ask him?"


    "Hmm-hmm." Mo Hua nodded, "There¡¯s no one around, it¡¯s convenient to ask a few questions."


    Murong Caiyun thought for a moment, then nodded,


    "Okay, then you ask."


    Catching the person meant the task was complete.


    Before that, it didn¡¯t matter if Mo Hua had a few questions to ask.


    Mo Hua then said to the "big man",


    "I¡¯m going to ask you a few questions, you better answer honestly!"


    The big man, with his mouth full of dirt, spat a few times and sneered,


    "Little ghost, in your dreams!"


    Ouyang Feng shook his head, "This guy¡¯s got a tough mouth, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to pry open."


    Mo Hua asked, "Can we use torture?"


    Ouyang Feng hesitated, "Torture..." He turned to look at Murong Caiyun, his expression complex as if to say, "Is this how your Taixu Gate junior brothers do things..."


    Immediately resorting to torture at the first sign of trouble.


    Murong Caiyun helplessly said, "Don¡¯t go too far... at least..."


    Murong Caiyun, after thinking for a while, helplessly said, "Just don¡¯t make it too obvious..."


    If the Taoist Court or the Xie family found out that they had used private punishment and extracted information, it would be difficult to explain later on.


    "Don¡¯t worry!" Mo Hua said with a smile, "I have everything prepared!"


    "Prepared... already?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Hmm!"


    Considering they might face this situation, he had been prepared long ago.


    Mo Hua took out an Iron Plate from his Storage Bag, covered with a densely packed Formation that looked painful at just a glance.


    Ouyang Feng and the other couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the sight.


    Mo Hua placed the Iron Plate on the ground and said to the big man,


    "Kneel down!"

 Chapter 867: Sever Gold Jade Slip

    Big Han angrily said, "I won¡¯t!"


    The iron plate was densely covered with formation patterns, resembling a realm of knives, needles, and raging fire; one could tell without looking that it was definitely not anything good.


    "Are you going to kneel or not?" Mo Hua demanded, his face stern.


    Big Han scoffed, "You think I¡¯m stupid... Agh¡ª"


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Ouyang Feng held him down and kicked his knee.


    Big Han¡¯s knees buckled, and he knelt down on the iron plate, instantly letting out a painful howl, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his face twisted in agony.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know if he was genuinely in pain or just pretending, and asked with a curious face:


    "Does it hurt?"


    He really wanted to know...


    This iron plate, although designed by him, and with all the formations meticulously drawn by him, Mo Hua was unclear about the specific effects.


    He just guessed it would be very painful.


    After all, he had drawn not just one formation on this iron plate, but several painful formations...


    There was the Gen Mountain MicroFormation; once activated, spiritual power as fine as needles would penetrate the knees, causing pain;


    The Bagua Kan Water Formation; spiritual power would seep into the knees, bone-chillingly cold;


    And there was the Li Fire Formation; fire elemental spiritual power would gradually burn, causing torment from the scorching pain...


    These three formations, operating in succession, made the person being punished experience the agony of needles penetrating the bones, bone-chilling water, and burning fire...


    It was definitely unbearable...


    But exactly how unbearable, Mo Hua had no idea.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to try it himself.


    This traitor from the Sever Gold Sect was the first person to test this "Mountain-Water-Fire Torture" iron plate.


    Mo Hua was eager to know his experience afterward to judge whether his design was adequate and if the formations needed improvement.


    So he asked sincerely.


    But Big Han thought Mo Hua was mocking him, being sarcastic, and couldn¡¯t help the anger surging within him, his eyes turning bloodshot, biting his teeth hard, enduring the pain of needle, fire, and water torture without saying a word.


    "Speak up, does it hurt?" Mo Hua pressed him.


    Finally, Big Han¡¯s defenses broke down, and with a trembling voice, he cursed, "You bastard..."


    Mo Hua immediately pulled out the Thousand Jun Stick and stuffed it in his mouth, speaking sternly:


    "To curse people, your quality is so low..."


    With his mouth blocked, Big Han couldn¡¯t speak, his eyes glaring wide, filled with resentment.


    "It seems it¡¯s still not painful enough, the power of the formation is still lacking..." Mo Hua muttered, stroking his chin:


    "It seems I need to add a few more formations..."


    "Which formations to add though?"


    "Golden Needle? Wood Poison? Or..."


    Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng opened their mouths.


    Hearing this, Big Han¡¯s scalp tingled, and with horror in his gaze, he thought to himself, How could there be such a sinister, malicious, and crazy little cultivator in this world?!


    Who had he learned all these from?!


    Big Han desperately groaned a couple of times.


    Mo Hua removed the Thousand Jun Stick, and Big Han clenched his teeth and said, "I¡¯ll talk!"


    Delighted, Mo Hua nodded and immediately asked what he cared about most:


    "Does it hurt to kneel on this iron plate?"


    Big Han, wishing he could die from embarrassment, was unwilling to speak.


    Murong Caiyun couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and tapped Mo Hua on the shoulder, whispering, "Ask about something else, don¡¯t make it hard for him..."


    For such a big cultivator to be forced to kneel and then asked if it hurts.


    It would drive anyone crazy, and they would have a hard time explaining it to the Taoist Court and the Xie family.


    "Oh oh." Mo Hua thought it over and agreed, turning his attention to serious matters. As for the feedback on the iron plate torture, he would find someone else to ask later.


    Mo Hua somewhat regretfully suspended the formations on the iron plate by manipulating the Formation eye with his Divine Sense.


    The pain ceased, and Big Han took a sharp, deep breath, gradually recovering.


    Mo Hua started with serious questions:


    "Do you know Boss Jiang?"


    After asking, Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, scrutinizing Big Han¡¯s eyes to confirm whether he was lying.


    Big Han frowned, his gaze a bit lost, "Who is Boss Jiang?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Do you know Bald Eagle?"


    Big Han¡¯s face turned pale, "Bald Eagle... I have only heard...he is ruthless, not a good person..."


    "Have you ever seen him?"


    Big Han shook his head.


    "Have you seen any other bald men?"


    Big Han was dumbfounded, "Bald... bald man?"


    Mo Hua described a bit, "Someone like Bald Eagle, possibly bald but wearing a wig, known in the underworld by nicknames containing ¡¯bald,¡¯ ¡¯light,¡¯ or ¡¯Arhat,¡¯ ¡¯Tuo,¡¯ or other such words among sin cultivators..."


    Big Han grimaced in pain, "Why... are you asking this?"


    Mo Hua was displeased, "Am I asking you, or are you asking me?"


    Pressured, especially by the recent pain from the dense formation patterns under his knees, Big Han reluctantly said:


    "I have been in hiding, mingling secretly for some time. I have heard of some cultivators, quite notorious..."


    "Like ¡¯Bald Wolf,¡¯ ¡¯Bald Jiao,¡¯ ¡¯Koutuo Tuo,¡¯ ¡¯Evil Arhat¡¯..."


    "But my cultivation is not enough, I only handle petty thefts and small deals, so I have no connections with them..."


    Mo Hua silently noted these names, then asked:


    "Have you ever trafficked cultivators?"


    Big Han¡¯s pupils contracted, but he shook his head:


    "I wouldn¡¯t dare. In Qian Xue State Boundary, many clans gather, I don¡¯t have the guts to attract such bad luck, to traffic cultivators."


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened, his thoughts apparent.


    Big Han forced himself to stay calm, but was clearly a bit guilty, his gaze drifting slightly.


    Mo Hua faintly smiled, not pressing further, and said:


    "One last thing, hand over your Disguise Technique!"

 Chapter 868: Sever Gold Jade Slip (2)

    The Big Han¡¯s expression changed, and he stubbornly retorted,


    "What Disguise Technique?"


    Mo Hua showed displeasure, "Playing dumb with me?" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Big Han¡¯s obstinate expression, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred slightly, reigniting the Formation on the Iron Plate to its utmost limit.


    Big Han¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, his body trembling in pain, and his knees tortured, but he clenched his teeth tightly and remained silent¡­


    Mo Hua felt it was odd, "How can he endure so much?"


    Before he finished speaking, Big Han passed out from the pain¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat helpless, muttering to himself,


    "He would rather be tortured than surrender the ¡¯Disguise Technique"


    "Is it because the ¡¯Disguise Technique¡¯ is so crucial that he can¡¯t surrender it even in death¡­"


    "Or is it because the Formation on this Iron Plate isn¡¯t powerful enough to force out the truth from his lips?"


    It¡¯s a pity that he couldn¡¯t use this Iron Plate himself and thus didn¡¯t know its full power¡­


    He would have to think of ways to improve it later¡­


    Mo Hua contemplated silently.


    Right now, from Big Han¡¯s mouth, not enough information had been revealed.


    Mo Hua planned to wake him up and make him suffer a little more to get some truth out of him.


    He could almost be certain that this traitor from Sever Gold Sect was definitely hiding something.


    And he must have been involved in trafficking Cultivators too, just too guilty to admit it.


    So it was, Mo Hua saw no need to be polite.


    Mo Hua lifted the Thousand Jun Stick, intending to awaken Big Han, but Murong Caiyun stopped him.


    Murong Caiyun said helplessly,


    "Junior brother, that¡¯s enough¡­ Don¡¯t ¡¯waste¡¯ him, he still has to be handed over to the Taoist Court."


    Mo Hua blinked, "Then should I go easy?"


    Murong Caiyun felt a headache coming on, "That won¡¯t do either."


    Mo Hua felt regretful, "Alright then."


    The mission was important, Merit Points were important, more information could be gathered later.


    However, Murong Caiyun was puzzled, "What about Boss Jiang, the Bald Eagle, and the traffickers? Why are you asking him these questions?"


    Of course, it was for the Four Symbols Formation.


    And the conspiracy of trafficking Cultivators behind the scenes.


    But these things were not suitable to be said outright.


    Mo Hua then said, "I suspect he¡¯s in cahoots with a bunch of traffickers! I had a little brother who was almost abducted by these traffickers, so I just asked in passing, hoping to find some clues to roundup them all!"


    Mo Hua put on a face of hating evil as if it were his enemy.


    Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng looked at each other, unsure whether Mo Hua was telling the truth.


    Mo Hua quickly changed the subject,


    "Can I search his body then?"


    The Xie family¡¯s goal was to capture, not search the person.


    Ouyang Feng thought for a moment, sighed, "Go ahead and search..."


    He even took out the Storage Bag found on Big Han and handed it to Mo Hua, "You might want to check this Storage Bag as well, see if you can find any clues."


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up; he immediately took the Storage Bag, but a bit embarrassed, he said,


    "Senior Brother, is this appropriate?"


    Ouyang Feng smiled, "It¡¯s fine."


    He too was curious to see if Mo Hua would uncover anything.


    As for the Taoist Court of Bishan City, and the Xie family, given his background, he actually didn¡¯t care much for them.


    The only reason he adhered to the rules was because of the sect rules of Tai¡¯a Sect and the family teachings of the Ouyang Family, not wishing to disgrace the sect and the Noble Clans in public.


    Mo Hua immediately searched Big Han and then frowned.


    He discovered that Big Han¡¯s flesh was soft, all "fake", like something attached to the body, forging a special form.


    Therefore, he could be a woman, a young man, an old crone, or a sturdy man.


    Big Han¡¯s face was clearly patched up with some kind of skin, looking very strange.


    As for what he originally looked like, it was impossible to tell.


    Not even with Divine Sense.


    Divine Sense "sees" the essence of Spiritual Power of all things in the blankness of space, or the trajectory of Qi Mechanism, not the real appearance.


    The flesh and faces are mere outer appearances.


    However, the essence of "Spiritual Power" of Big Han was clearly seen by Mo Hua and silently noted in his heart.


    This way, if he encountered him again in the future, he would not be able to escape¡­


    Big Han indeed had some hidden items, and Mo Hua, without missing a single one, searched them all out and put them together with the Storage Bag.


    Mo Hua went through them one by one.


    Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Artifacts¡­


    Mostly things that a common Cultivator would carry.


    There were some Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills, but they were not rare and were not linked to Sever Gold Sect.


    The Disguise Technique was not found¡­


    The only odd thing was a Jade Slip.


    This Jade Slip was made of white jade with strands of gold edges.


    Mo Hua found it very familiar and after a quick thought, he was startled: the same style of Jade Slip he had seen before!


    Boss Jiang!


    That trafficker Boss Jiang had two Jade Slips of the same style in his possession, but they were sealed, and Divine Sense could not spy on them, so Mo Hua stored these two Jade Slips in his Storage Ring.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense moved slightly and found that this Jade Slip from Big Han¡¯s possession was also sealed, and seemed to be sealed with the same method as Boss Jiang¡¯s Slips.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped, and he hurriedly asked,


    "Senior Brother Feng, do you know what this Jade Slip is?"


    Ouyang Feng took it, glanced at it, and his gaze briefly paused on the gold edges of the Jade Slip, expressing surprise,


    "This seems to be¡­ the Heritage Jade Slip of Sever Gold Sect?"


    "Sever Gold Sect!"


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    So did that mean Boss Jiang was also once a disciple of Sever Gold Sect?


    Mo Hua remembered something and then asked suddenly:

 Chapter 869: Sever Gold Jade Slip (3)

    "Senior Brother Feng," Mo Hua asked eagerly, "is the Sever Gold Sect of the Twelve Streams mainly focused on sword cultivation?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ouyang Feng nodded, "Indeed."


    "Then, does their Sect possess any formidable Sword techniques?" The light in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    "There is one," Ouyang Feng confirmed with a nod, "Sever Gold Sect has a tremendously powerful Sect-Protecting Sword technique of the Golden Series, which is called¡ª"


    Ouyang Feng said gravely, "Sever Gold Sword Control Jue!"


    Sever Gold Sword Control Jue!!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    Sect-Protecting Sword Mantra!


    So, that move that Boss Jiang used, the one so majestic, blazing with golden light, was it the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s Sect-Protecting Sword Mantra, the Sever Gold Sword Control Jue?!


    Then the Heritage Jade Slip he had on him, could it be...


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart thumped wildly.


    Murong Caiyun quietly glanced at Mo Hua, somewhat puzzled, "Junior Brother, why are you suddenly so happy? Your face is even turning red..."


    Mo Hua waved his hand and said with a grin, "It¡¯s nothing..."


    Then all of a sudden, something else occurred to him, and he asked:


    "Senior Brother Feng, how does one look into this Jade Slip? It seems to be sealed..."


    "This Jade Slip is a Heritage Jade Slip, especially ¡¯sealed¡¯ to prevent the loss of heritage," Ouyang Feng explained. "One must know the ¡¯Secret Pattern¡¯ to unseal it and view its contents."


    "Sealed, Secret Pattern?" Mo Hua was taken aback. "Is this ¡¯Secret Pattern¡¯ a ¡¯Formation Pattern¡¯?"


    "This..."


    Ouyang Feng hesitated.


    His knowledge in Array Formation was not very deep, and he couldn¡¯t clarify the intricacies involved.


    Murong Caiyun then said, "You could say that..."


    "The so-called ¡¯sealing¡¯ naturally involves using an array to seal and the ¡¯Secret Pattern¡¯ for unsealing is naturally a classified Formation Pattern."


    "This is also considered a special application of array formation, just in a different form and different terminology."


    Mo Hua understood.


    In other words, as long as he grasped the array methods within and cracked the "Secret Pattern" sealing it, he could access the heritage inside the Jade Slip!


    Ouyang Feng saw Mo Hua¡¯s eyes spinning, unsure of what he was thinking, but still felt compelled to caution:


    "This Jade Slip is not meant for learning."


    "If I¡¯m not mistaken, what¡¯s sealed inside should be Sever Gold Sect¡¯s movement technique, Escape Gold Technique..."


    "This is the heritage of Sever Gold Sect, unauthorized learning of it would result in them holding you accountable..."


    "Moreover, since this Jade Slip is stolen, Sever Gold Sect will undoubtedly have a record of it, and learning in secret won¡¯t be allowed..."


    Mo Hua nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Senior Brother Feng."


    It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t study this particular Jade Slip; he had two others...


    He just didn¡¯t know what secrets were sealed within those two Jade Slips...


    Mo Hua planned to return to the Sect and quietly study them, to see if he could use his knowledge of array formations to decode the "Secret Pattern" sealing the Heritage Jade Slip, and access the heritage of Sever Gold Sect...


    Even if he didn¡¯t learn it, studying and critiquing it to deepen his understanding of Sword techniques would still be beneficial.


    Perhaps it could even lay the foundation and pave the way for his study of the Taixu Divine Thought into Sword True Jue...


    Ouyang Feng looked up at the sky and asked:


    "Junior Brother Mo, is there anything else you would like to ask?"


    Mo Hua shook his head repeatedly.


    He already knew quite a bit.


    And what he didn¡¯t know, he probably couldn¡¯t find out at the moment.


    Besides, Senior Sister Murong didn¡¯t want him to ask any more questions, for fear that he might cause further trouble for that "Big Han" who could be at death¡¯s door...


    Murong Caiyun nodded, "Then I¡¯ll signal, and call over the Xie family¡¯s cultivators."


    "Okay," replied Ouyang Feng.


    Soon after, Murong Caiyun took out a message paper and set off a firework.


    Mo Hua began to tidy up the scene, covering up any signs of his "torture" during interrogation, and the searching of bodies and storage bags.


    Ouyang Feng considerately helped him from the sidelines, pointing out any oversights from the perspective of a bystander.


    Soon enough, the Xie family¡¯s cultivators arrived.


    Seeing the Big Han lying unconscious on the ground, their expressions were astounded, and their glances towards Mo Hua and the others had a hint of subtlety.


    It didn¡¯t seem like gratitude, but rather...


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment.


    Regret?


    Regret for asking for their help?


    Or regret that they were beaten to the punch by Mo Hua and the others, who¡¯d caught the Big Han and now felt remorseful?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly.


    There was indeed something fishy about the Xie family...


    But it wasn¡¯t his place to intervene.


    Their task was already complete.


    Soon, Murong Caiyun began to negotiate with the Xie family regarding the details of the undertaking and the matters of Merit Points.


    During the conversation, many questions were brushed aside by Murong Caiyun.


    Questions like, how they caught the Big Han.


    How the Big Han became unconscious.


    The nature of his knee injury.


    Who had forced him to kneel... and so on.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s tone was gentle, essentially saying that they encountered him while patrolling and effortlessly knocked him out. During the struggle, a spell had hit his knee, resulting in the wound.


    The Xie family wanted to continue questioning, but Ouyang Feng sternly faced them down with a gaze sharp as a sword.


    The Xie family¡¯s cultivators no longer dared to ask.


    From this, Mo Hua guessed that the Ouyang Family must carry significant influence.


    Once the matter was handled, the trio didn¡¯t linger and set out to leave Bishan City.


    However, as they departed, Mo Hua looked back at the misty and extraordinary Bishan City, feeling vaguely that this incident was probably not over yet...


    ...


    The carriage left Bishan City, heading towards the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    Midway, Mo Hua bid farewell to Senior Sister Murong and Senior Brother Feng and got off the carriage.


    "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I just remembered something I need to take care of, so I will get off here. I¡¯ll return to the Sect on my own tomorrow."


    Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng were both taken aback, looking at the desolate mountains around and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    "What business do you have here?"


    Mo Hua replied with a smile, "I have a Taoist Friend living alone in the mountains. He¡¯s quite lonely, so I¡¯m going to pay him a visit."


    "A Taoist Friend?"


    "Yes."


    "Living in these mountains?"


    Murong Caiyun looked around at the desolate wilderness, which seemed uninhabited, and questioned further.


    Mo Hua chuckled, "He¡¯s a bit shy."


    "Well, alright then," Murong Caiyun sighed, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Mo Hua. "Be careful."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Senior Sister!" Mo Hua assured with a smile.


    After bidding them farewell, he turned and walked towards the deep mountains...


    Deep in the mountains, there was a dilapidated temple, and within that temple was a Mountain God.


    The Mountain God was fretting, on the verge of tears, and it was soon to be forced to meet someone it absolutely did not want to see...

 Chapter 870: Sword of Divine Thought

    At this time, it was the afternoon, and the bright sunlight shone in the verdant mountains and forests.


    A mossy stone step path led to the mountaintop.


    Mo Hua climbed the steps with light and graceful steps, humming a tune all the while.


    But when he arrived in front of the dilapidated temple, he stopped dead in his tracks.


    "No one?"


    The temple was desolate, with no sign of anyone, and Divine Thought detected no presence of the Mountain God.


    Mo Hua looked closely and saw that the offerings on the altar table, a few steamed buns, had gone moldy and a few fruits had dried up, not knowing how long they''d been there.


    There was no meat on the altar table, only a wine cup.


    The cup was full, but not with wine; instead, it held rainwater that had flowed down from the eaves during the drizzling mountain rain, its surface clear but the bottom muddied with sediment.


    It looked bleak.


    Mo Hua felt a twinge of sympathy.


    What a pitiful Mountain God.


    "Lord Yellow Mountain?"


    Mo Hua called out a few times, but the echo of his voice dissipated as it reverberated through the empty temple and the leaking eaves, with the voice eventually fading into the solitude of the mountains.


    "Not at home?"


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling a sense of loss, as if after traveling a vast distance to visit a friend, only to find the friend was out.


    "But that''s not right..."


    A Mountain God, where could he possibly go? Abandon his own temple?


    Mo Hua looked around the temple, which was small and dilapidated on all sides, but there was still no sign of Lord Yellow Mountain.


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes, suddenly struck by inspiration.


    He sensed the few strands of faint golden Blood of Divine Sense derived from refining the "marrow" of Demon Head leaders and Sheep-Horned Enforcers, beginning to tremble within his Divine Sense Incarnation.


    Mo Hua realized what was happening and followed the pull of the faint golden Blood of Divine Sense. He stepped out of the temple, circled around the ruined building, and found a small dog statue tucked away in a corner behind the temple.


    The dog statue, with its gray and dirty surface, hung its head low, lying in the grass without daring to reveal the slightest breath of life.


    Mo Hua squatted in front of the small dog statue, silently gazing at it with his big eyes.


    The little dog did not dare to move.


    "Hey¡ª"


    Mo Hua said softly.


    For some reason, the clay eyes of the little dog seemed somewhat panicked.


    "Mountain Lord¡ª"


    Mo Hua called out again in a low voice.


    The clay dog seemed desperate to close its eyes. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "After all, you are a Mountain God, doesn''t hiding in a little dog seem shameful¡­" Mo Hua said.


    The little dog felt ashamed in its heart but still didn''t show any reaction.


    Mo Hua''s expression turned slightly unhappy, and he raised three fingers, saying sternly, "I''m only going to count to three, and if you don''t come out, I won''t be polite¡­"


    "Three..."


    "Two..."


    Before he could finish counting to three, wisps of smoke rose from the dog statue, revealing Lord Yellow Mountain''s narrow and elongated smiling face.


    Seeing that Mo Hua did not look very amiable, Lord Yellow Mountain greeted him warmly and affectionately, "Ah, there... It''s my young friend. There''s nothing happening on the mountain, I was just sunbathing, and I accidentally fell asleep. Forgive my rudeness for not welcoming you from afar..."


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky, puzzled, "This place is in the shade, what sunshine are you sunbathing in?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain became stiff, forcing a smile, "Sunbathing in the shade is both warm and cool..."


    Afraid of being questioned further by Mo Hua, he quickly changed the subject:


    "My young friend, did you come to see me for a reason?"


    Mo Hua''s attention was indeed diverted.


    "Mhm." Mo Hua nodded and was about to speak when he looked at Lord Yellow Mountain and curiously asked, "Are you going to stay inside this little dog forever?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain muttered under his breath, "As if I wish to..."


    "If it weren''t to hide from you..."


    At this thought, Lord Yellow Mountain suddenly paused and couldn''t help but ask, "How did you know I ''hid''... no, that I was sunbathing here?"


    Here he had "stooped to a lower level," not even caring about his dignity by dwelling within such a tiny clay dog, even hiding his Mountain God Origin, and yet he had still been found...


    Mo Hua answered, "I felt it."


    "Felt it?"


    "Mhm," Mo Hua nodded, "I felt like you were right here, then I came to look, and sure enough, you were!"


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s scalp tingled.


    It was over, he couldn''t elude this little calamity...


    It was utterly outrageous...


    A bright little ghost wasn''t scary, but the scariest thing was a little ghost who was not only clever but also eerily intuitive.


    You can''t prepare for such unpredictable behavior...


    Lord Yellow Mountain sighed and slowly emerged from the clay dog statue, gesturing with his hand in invitation, "Please come to my humble dwelling to reminisce..."


    With the Mountain God leading the way, Mo Hua swaggered in, following the Mountain God into the ruins of the temple.


    Lord Yellow Mountain transformed into wisps of blue smoke, still inhabiting the center of the altar, in the clay statue of the Mountain God.


    Mo Hua sat at the edge of the altar table, chatting "shoulder to shoulder" with Lord Yellow Mountain.


    But Lord Yellow Mountain seemed a bit restrained, causing Mo Hua to question, "I''m not going to ''eat'' you, so why are you so afraid?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain laughed with a "hehe," thinking to himself, "You think I believe that..."


    But outwardly he responded with a cheerful laugh, "You, my young friend, are clear-minded and your Taoist Heart is as transparent as a mirror, above the ordinary. I couldn''t be more eager to make your acquaintance, so why would I hide from you?"


    Mo Hua obviously didn''t believe it, and glanced at Lord Yellow Mountain with curiosity, asking, "Mountain Lord, were you very powerful in the past?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain paused, his smile fading a bit, "How did you know?"


    "I guessed."


    Lord Yellow Mountain shook his head, "Do I look powerful?"


    Mo Hua''s gaze was clear as he spoke calmly, "Body handspan long, claws seven feet, dark brown fur, divine presence shrouding the mountain, breath profound, eyes soaked in fresh blood, infinite ferocity and malevolence surrounding you..."

 Chapter 871: Sword of Divine Thought (2)

    Lord Yellow Mountain''s gaze suddenly turned ferocious, but as soon as he caught Mo Hua''s profound stare, his face turned deathly pale in an instant.


    "You, you... in the end..."


    Mo Hua blinked and whispered softly,


    "Did you really look like this before?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s expression was bitter. "How did you know?"


    Mo Hua said, "I had a dream last night, where I saw a Mountain God who looked just like a Yellow Rodent Monster, and I guessed it might be you, so I came to ask."


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s face showed a complex expression, and after much hesitation, he sighed deeply,


    "That''s all in the past now..."


    "In the past, I indeed enjoyed the worship from one area, with strong Divine Thought, covering the mountains and rivers, transforming into a divine form, standing at the pinnacle under the Heavenly Dao Laws, nearly invincible."


    "But Mountain Gods are like humans, once arrogance takes root in their hearts, they will be invaded by an Evil Fiend."


    "You already know what happened afterward... Alas, it''s unbearable to reflect on, I am now like a tiger that has fallen to the plains..."


    "...Bullied by me?" Mo Hua said.


    Lord Yellow Mountain nodded, "Yes..."


    As he was speaking, a chill suddenly struck his heart, and he quickly smiled and said, "No, no, you didn''t bully me..."


    Mo Hua thought about it, and images of Lord Yellow Mountain''s once imposing and awe-inspiring presence appeared in his mind. Comparing it to its current sorry, dried-up fish state, he still found it hard to believe.


    Lord Yellow Mountain seemed to perceive what was going through Mo Hua''s mind and sighed,


    "All beings in the world, whether they are human, demon, or god, are mostly puppets to power, fame, authority, and status."


    "This is especially true for humans."


    "A beggar, once becoming an emperor, with power and influence, will then possess the appearance of an emperor;"


    "An emperor, turned into a beggar, without power, can only wag his tail and beg for pity."


    "Those who truly transcend materialism, indifferent to power and fame, exceptional in thought, have always been rare..." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This Mountain God is the same."


    "When my Divine Thought was strong, possessing boundless strength, I was naturally majestic..."


    "But in truth, it wasn''t me who was imposing, it was the Heaven and Earth Might using me as a ''puppet''..."


    "After I lost my cultivation to that single sword strike, without that kind of Might, I was just myself, a down-and-out Minor Mountain God, only able to live through days like these, tucking my tail..."


    Mo Hua showed a surprised expression, both moved by Lord Yellow Mountain''s clarity and pitying him.


    Being observed with a "sympathetic" look from Mo Hua made Lord Yellow Mountain feel extremely uncomfortable, and he felt compelled to say,


    "You didn''t come to uncover old wounds, did you...?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "Of course not, I''m not that idle..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s eyelid twitched and his expression was one of helpless resignation.


    This child, though looking innocent, always managed to say things that cut deep...


    Lord Yellow Mountain sighed,


    "What do you want? Just ask..."


    The sooner you finish asking, the sooner you can leave.


    Lord Yellow Mountain wanted to send Mo Hua away.


    Mo Hua immediately said, "The sword technique, Divine Thought into Sword, that struck you down, can you teach it to me?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain grumbled, "I''ve told you, I don''t know how..."


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Although you don''t know it, your Divine Thought is so strong, and having been struck by it yourself, you must know the principle behind this Divine Thought into Sword and have an idea of how this Sword of Divine Thought is cultivated!"


    "I don''t know..."


    "No, you know!" Mo Hua''s eyes were bright, his tone certain.


    Being scrutinized by Mo Hua''s piercing eyes gave Lord Yellow Mountain such a headache.


    It felt like in its entire life, it had never encountered such a troublesome Little Ancestor...


    "Alright, alright, I''ll tell you..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain gave in.


    To speak now and be free sooner felt better, one never knew how long one might be haunted otherwise...


    Lord Yellow Mountain, as if recalling past events, became more reserved, his gaze intense as he said,


    "This Sword technique is called..."


    "Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Jue!"


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s voice took a downturn, after finishing he glanced at Mo Hua, and upon seeing his unfazed demeanor, was slightly taken aback, "You knew?"


    "Yes!" Mo Hua said.


    "How did you know?"


    Mo Hua hopped off the platform and spread his arms, showing his Taoist Robe to Lord Yellow Mountain,


    "Guess, which Sect''s Taoist Robe am I wearing?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain looked closely, then shocked, he opened his mouth wide, "Could it be..."


    Mo Hua smiled and said, "The robe of Taixu Gate, Taixu Gate... that''s the ''Taixu'' in ''Tai Xu Divine Thought Sword True Jue''."


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt bitter inside.


    It had felt that Mo Hua''s Taoist Robe looked somewhat familiar, and now, reminded by his words, realized that it was indeed the Taoist Robe of Taixu Gate.


    This Little Ancestor, wearing the same Sect''s robe as the one who slew him back then!


    Only, the robe that Mo Hua wore was that of an initial sect disciple.


    The style and patterns were much simpler, and there was more black and less white, unlike the person back then who was clad almost entirely in white; that''s why it didn''t recognize it at first...


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s eyes carried a look of silent grievance, "As a Taixu Gate sect disciple, why don''t you just learn it from your own Sect, why ask me?"


    "The Sect doesn''t have it, I can''t find it..."


    Mo Hua said, then after pondering for a moment, "It might also be possible that my Realm is too low, I don''t have the permissions, yet I can''t learn it..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain fell silent, seemingly reluctant to speak.


    So Mo Hua said, "Just tell me, consider it a favor owed."


    "What use is your favor..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain muttered internally, but still replied honestly, "Fine, I''ll tell you..."


    Mo Hua hopped back onto the platform, sat cross-legged, and listened quietly.

 Chapter 872: Sword of Divine Thought (3)

    Lord Yellow Mountain sighed, "I am a Mountain God, and my Divine Sense''s status is different from that of a regular cultivator, so my understanding of Divine Sense also needs to be deeper..."


    Back then, when I battled with that Sword Cultivator from the Taixu Gate, during our exchange, I was wounded all over by the Sword Qi of Divine Thought and came to understand some of the mysteries of this Sword technique..."


    "The Sword technique of Divine Thought into Sword differs from normal Sword techniques."


    "Normal Sword techniques involve channeling one''s Spiritual Power throughout the body into the Spirit Sword to form ''Sword Qi,'' then using the sharp Sword Qi to kill enemies."


    "Divine Thought into Sword is different, it requires condensing the manifested, formless and intangible, yet infinitely mysterious ''Sword Intent'' on top of the Sword Qi..."


    "One must use Sword Qi as the foundation and temper it with Sword Intent to unleash its tremendous power, capable of slicing through tangible matter and intangible spirits alike!"


    "In short..."


    "Normal Sword Control involves forging the sword and cultivating Sword Qi."


    "Whereas Divine Thought into Sword goes further on top of the Sword Qi, to cultivate Sword Intent."


    "Both are indispensable, Sword Qi must be cultivated to the extreme to derive Sword Intent, and with the enhancement of Sword Intent, Sword Qi can become invincible and vanquish enemies in all directions!"


    A hint of arrogance appeared in Lord Yellow Mountain''s eyes:


    "Had it not been for this technique, the Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue, able to turn the tangible into intangible, to use the tangible sword to slay the intangible spirits, back then within the realm, there might have not been anyone who could have handled me..."


    Mo Hua pondered:


    "Then wouldn''t you have become a ''Taoist Demon''?"


    A chill went down Lord Yellow Mountain''s spine, he was shocked and his expression turned to disbelief:


    "How... how did you know?!"


    Mo Hua nodded, "I''ve seen how Taoist Demons are cultivated..."


    And moreover, I''ve killed Taoist Demons before!


    But it''s somewhat taboo to speak of such things...


    Despite this, Lord Yellow Mountain still gasped in astonishment.


    He realized more and more that he couldn''t afford to provoke this little ancestor.


    Lord Yellow Mountain immediately restrained his arrogant demeanor.


    He could no longer boast.


    If he boasted too much and broke through his pretense, revealing his lies to this little ancestor, that would be troublesome...


    Mo Hua didn''t notice the subtle changes in Lord Yellow Mountain''s expression, but was instead contemplating the cultivation of Divine Thought into Sword:


    "I must first cultivate Sword Qi, bring it to the utmost limit, then transform the tangible into intangible and cultivate Sword Intent, merging Sword Intent with Sword Qi to cultivate the ''Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue''..."


    Mo Hua was deeply disappointed.


    "If I do not become a Sword Cultivator and cultivate Sword Qi, wouldn''t I be unable to learn Divine Thought into Sword?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain nodded, "Naturally."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up, "What if I don''t cultivate Sword Qi, but my Divine Sense is strong enough to directly transform Divine Thought into Sword Intent, would that work?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain thought Mo Hua was wildly imaginative and said dismissively:


    "If you don''t cultivate Sword Qi, where would you get Sword Intent from?"


    "You are a Formation Master, can you understand Formation principles without drawing formations?"


    "Isn''t it the same principle..."


    "The better you cultivate Sword Qi, the sharper it becomes, and the purer and more powerful the Sword Intent derived from it will be..."


    "How can you transform it with just Divine Thought? Can your Divine Thought be stronger than the Sword Qi of a Sword Cultivator?"


    "And how strong can your Divine Sense be?"


    Mo Hua murmured softly, "Is sixteen patterns enough?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain scoffed, "Sixteen patterns, enough for what?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain was about to say more but suddenly stopped and turned to look at Mo Hua, "How many?"


    "Sixteen patterns..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s expression froze...


    Sixteen patterns... How could it be sixteen patterns?


    What age are you, what Realm are you in?


    How could a cultivator in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment have sixteen patterns of Divine Sense?


    You couldn''t possibly have consumed something...


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s heart skipped a beat, he immediately looked straight ahead and said softly:


    "Sixteen patterns of Divine Sense are indeed strong, but still not enough to cultivate Divine Thought into Sword..."


    "How much is needed then?"


    "Feathers..." Lord Yellow Mountain was about to downgrade his previous statement, "at least a Golden Core, above twenty patterns..."


    "And even then, Golden Core may not be sufficient to achieve it..."


    "After all, Divine Thought into Sword involves Sword Qi transforming into Sword Intent, and Sword Intent manifesting Sword Qi, not simply manifesting Sword Qi from ''Divine Thought'' alone..."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Alright, I got it."


    I might as well give it a try.


    When the day comes that my Divine Sense achieves twenty patterns and reaches Core Formation, I''ll see if I can transform Divine Thought into a sword on my own.


    Before that, I''ll inquire more about the orthodox ''Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue'' at the Sect.


    After all, Lord Yellow Mountain''s statement is from the perspective of a ''victim,'' it may not be the accurate method of Divine Thought into Sword, so it can only serve as a reference.


    Thinking this, Mo Hua felt a bit aggrieved:


    "I asked you last time, why didn''t you tell me?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain said with a complicated expression:


    "Tell you, so that you practice well and come to strike me down?"


    Mo Hua was startled and thought about it, finding it reasonable, and thus didn''t blame Lord Yellow Mountain. Instead, he took out some food and drink from his storage bag.


    When visiting a friend, naturally you have to bring some gifts.


    "I bought these specially for you..."


    There was pork, beef, vegetables, snacks, and even wine...


    At that moment, Lord Yellow Mountain was stunned, feeling a warm current surge in his heart...


    After all these years, having grown accustomed to eating steamed buns and wild fruits, drinking rainwater daily with no incense offerings, he had long become emaciated...


    This child Mo Hua....


    Though slightly mischievous, rather fierce, and a bit unreasonable, he still had a good heart...


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt deeply relieved.


    Mo Hua placed the food and drink on the altar.


    The altar was used for offerings, and the offered food and drink would split in two.


    Part remained tangible, while the other part transformed into a "sacred offering" of Divine Thought, for the worshiped Mountain God or some other deity to enjoy.


    The meat enjoyed by the Mountain God turned pale and tasteless;


    The wine too would turn bland as water.


    Mo Hua placed each offering neatly, yet when he came to a lamb leg, Lord Yellow Mountain''s expression changed slightly and he immediately said:


    "No lamb!"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "No lamb?"


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s face paled as he nodded, "I don''t eat lamb..."


    Mo Hua found it strange but didn''t inquire further.


    It''s important to respect others'' dietary habits.


    Humans can be picky, and naturally, so can a Mountain God.


    But there''s no need to waste...


    Mo Hua decided to keep the lamb leg for himself to eat.


    Inside the old temple, Lord Yellow Mountain and Mo Hua ate together.


    Lord Yellow Mountain enjoyed the offerings of Spiritual Meat and fine Spiritual Wine, but his mind was distracted, constantly glancing towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sat on the altar, gnawing on a lamb leg, savoring it deliciously.


    "The meat he dares not eat, Mo Hua is eating..."


    Lord Yellow Mountain''s gaze trembled suddenly filled with apprehension.


    Vaguely, he always felt that Mo Hua might do something very terrifying in the future...


    ...


    After eating and drinking their fill, Mo Hua bid Lord Yellow Mountain farewell.


    The concept of Tai Xu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue gradually became clear in his mind.


    Divine Sense, Sword Qi, Secret Manual.


    Three approaches in total.


    "Divine Sense with twenty Patterns, it''s still a long way off¡­"


    The Realm of twenty Patterns, Divine Sense Core Formation, was surely a major threshold. He wondered what the bottleneck would be¡­


    But as per Lord Yellow Mountain''s words, after twenty Patterns, he could try Transforming Divine Thought into a Sword.


    Even if he couldn''t transform a sword, he still needed to try.


    There was also Sword Qi...


    When he had free time, he could also cultivate his Sword Qi. He didn''t need to master it, but he had to lay some groundwork for "Transforming Divine Thought into a Sword".


    Then, there was the true transmission of the Secret Manual of Tai Xu Mind Transforming Sword.


    He''d do more tasks, gather more Merit Points, unlock more permissions, meet more Disciples, gather more clues to see if he could get it earlier...


    Although it was still early, it was best to prepare in advance.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "One step at a time¡­"


    The pressing matter was still Formations!


    After returning to the Sect, Mo Hua continued his Cultivation, attended Classes, learned about Formations, and refined his Divine Sense.


    Whenever there was a break, he would follow Senior Sister Murong on missions to gather some Merit Points.


    After some time, Mo Hua, having endured many hardships, finally gathered over eight hundred Merit Points and then went to the Merit Pavilion to redeem the second-grade Sixteen Pattern "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation" he longed for.


    This Formation was part of the Eight Trigrams Thunder Magnetism series.


    It was a classified type of Formation.


    Within the Taixu Gate, very few disciples studied it; even within the whole Qianxue State Boundary, not many mastered it.


    But for Mo Hua, it was extremely important.


    Mo Hua carefully spread out the Formation Diagram of the "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation," opening a new door to the grand world of Formations¡­ S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 873: Beacon Fire Original Magnet

    Elemental Magnetic Induction, Beacon Fire Communications.


    The "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation," valued at over eight hundred merit points and classified as Second Rank Sixteen Patterns, utilized the Theory of Thunder Magnetism. Through the construction of the Formation Pivot system, it employed Formation Patterns for communication, a type of Bagua Formation Method.


    It was also the first Prime Magnetic Formation from the Mo Hua studies.


    At this moment, every cultivator within Taixu Gate, and indeed across all sects of the Qian Xue State Boundary, including the hidden demon cultivators and Demon Path factions, remained oblivious...


    The small hands of Mo Hua had opened a door for himself, but what kind of door?


    Inside Taixu Gate, an "obscure" sect disciple had begun learning the profound Thunder Magnetism Formation.


    Mo Hua unfolded the Yuan Magnetic Array Map and glanced at it.


    This was an entirely foreign Formation Diagram to him.


    Whether it was the Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, or the construction of the Formation Eye, they all differed greatly from the Five Elements and some Eight Trigrams formation methods he had learned before.


    Even as part of the Primordial Magnet Formation, its Formation Patterns were quite different from those he had encountered in the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    This was an orthodox Thunder Magnetism Formation Method.


    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted, as he began to immerse himself fully in studying the Formation Diagram, Formation Explanation, and some of the obscure annotations.


    As he was learning, Mo Hua was suddenly taken aback and furrowed his brows.


    He was a bit... perplexed...


    Clearly, it was a formation, yet there were two sets of Formation Diagrams, and both sets possessed Sixteen Patterns...


    The structures of these two sets of Formation Diagrams were almost identical, yet every detail was different.


    Furthermore, it didn''t seem like a Compound Formation.


    A Compound Formation integrates multiple formations into one, coordinating and triggering the effects of the formations.


    However, the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, this group of formations, was interrelated yet completely independent from each other...


    Mo Hua didn''t quite understand. Recalling Elder Master Xun''s teaching and combining it with the Formation Explanation, he pondered for a long time before grasping some understanding.


    These two sets of Formation Diagrams were what Elder Master Xun had referred to as "Fixed Pattern Formation Diagrams" for fixed formations and "Unfixed Formation Patterns" for variable formations.


    Using the Fixed Formation Pattern as the base, Thunder Magnetic Induction was employed to influence the Unfixed Formation Patterns, altering the Magnetic Ink and manifesting text and imagery.


    Hence, these two sets of Formation Diagrams were essential for "induction" and indispensable from one another.


    The reason there were two sets was that this formation was not meant for a sole Formation Master to study; it required two, or even a group of Formation Masters, working together to construct the imagery.


    There was only one Fixed Pattern Formation Diagram.


    But there could be multiple Unfixed Pattern Formation Diagrams.


    Mo Hua didn''t mind; his Divine Sense was strong and with the Taoist Stele allowing him to trace back his Divine Consciousness, he could learn both the fixed and unfixed patterns.


    Nevertheless, the Formation Patterns of Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation were still too varied, and compared to the usual Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation Patterns, they seemed more abstract, which slowed down Mo Hua''s learning process somewhat.


    After two full days, Mo Hua managed to memorize the Formation Diagram completely.


    After nightfall, Mo Hua practiced on the Taoist Stele.


    He began with the Fixed Formation Patterns, then moved on to the Unfixed Formation Patterns before integrating both. Through the Formation Pivot, he elicited Thunder Magnetic Induction to form a complete Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation.


    The practice didn''t go smoothly at first.


    Unfamiliar with the penmanship, he encountered many hitches while drawing.


    After a few days of practice, Mo Hua became much more proficient, drawing the Fixed Formation Patterns without any errors, and even though the Unfixed Formation Patterns changed too much, he could approximate them.


    Then, it was time to apply what he had learned. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Begrudgingly, Mo Hua spent sixty merit points to exchange for a small bottle of Magnetic Ink, and roughly set up his own system for Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet communicative array on a simple Array Plate.


    He based it on the Fixed Yuan Magnet Formation, with the Unfixed Yuan Magnet Formation serving as the surface layer and Magnetic Ink as the manifesting layer.


    Mo Hua transmitted his Divine Sense into the Fixed Formation Patterns, which through Thunder Magnetic Induction, affected the Unfixed Formation Patterns, leading to variations in the Formation Patterns.


    Subsequently, the changes in the Unfixed Formation Patterns caused the Magnetic Ink to respond and display text.


    After the application logic of this set of formations, that puddle of Magnetic Ink, which cost Mo Hua sixty merit points and was exceedingly precious, gradually materialized his own name on top of the Array Plate:


    "Mo Hua."


    It was a success!


    Mo Hua was thrilled, but then, he felt a sense of emptiness.


    Touching his chin, Mo Hua fell into contemplation:


    Although it was a success...


    What use could this thing actually have?


    It appeared simple, but the principle behind the formation was actually quite complex.


    Although it seemed complex, its functionality appeared quite simple...


    Overall, the effect seemed no different from writing his name with Divine Consciousness Controlled Ink.


    Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation... was that all?


    "This formation should be used for communication, but how does it convey messages?"


    Mo Hua had flipped through the Formation Explanation of the "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation" several times and had not found any information on communication, which was somewhat disappointing.


    The Formation Diagram was just that, a diagram, and it did not include any other kind of legacy.


    Mo Hua felt helpless.


    They were too stingy...


    At least some explanation could give him a direction.


    Mo Hua thought for a long time, still clueless. He could only guess that it probably had something to do with the Formation Pivot, but what that was precisely, he couldn''t figure out in a short period.


    Mo Hua thought it over and eventually decided to consult Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun was leisurely sipping tea and was astonished at the question, "You''ve learned the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation?"


    Mo Hua sheepishly replied, "I''m just a bit curious..."


    He had just started learning and didn''t feel quite right saying he had mastered it.


    Elder Master Xun breathed a sigh of relief.


    He thought as much...


    How could it be so quick? After all, it was a Sixteen Patterns formation, and an obscure Thunder Magnetism one at that...


    Elder Master Xun didn''t take much notice, as Mo Hua frequently asked him some topics that seemed "overly ambitious."

 Chapter 874: Beacon Fire Original Magnet (2)

    A Formation Master without a thirst for knowledge is not a good Formation Master.


    Elder Master Xun said, "It''s the Formation Pivot."


    Mo Hua nodded his head, thinking to himself that it was indeed so.


    Elder Master Xun sipped his tea and explained to Mo Hua,


    "Even though the Primordial Magnet Formation consists of two parts, they are mutually generative and considered a Single Formation."


    "The Messaging Formation, based on the Primordial Magnet Formation and conducted through the Formation Pivot, is a closely connected system of formations, essentially equivalent to a Compound Formation..."


    "However, this Compound Formation is quite special. The Fixed and Unfixed Formations included are all of the same origin, with only the ''Sequence'' of the Formation Pivot differing..."


    "Sequence?!"


    Mo Hua was startled and his eyes widened.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation...


    A multi-level control with multi-level permissions in the Sequential Formation Pattern!


    Elder Master Xun curiously asked, "Do you know about Formation Pivot Sequences?"


    Mo Hua blinked and shook his head.


    Elder Master Xun thought Mo Hua was a strange child, but continued,


    "A single Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation is controlled by the Formation Pivot for ''positive-negative,'' ''inner-outer,'' and ''fixed-unfixed'' dual-layer formations'' interaction..."


    "But this is just the principle for an individual Messaging Formation..."


    "For messaging, multiple Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formations are needed, connected to one another, with Fixed Formation Patterns as the foundation, and Unfixed Formation Patterns harmonizing to form an agreement, all maintained by the Formation Pivot..."


    "A set of Messaging Formations includes multiple Primordial Magnet Formations, each having a special Formation Pivot Sequence to identify identities..."


    "Different Sequences, different permissions."


    "Different permissions, different functions, even the direction of messaging differs, some are one-way, some are two-way, others multi-directional..." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Master Xun just hinted slightly, but Mo Hua understood fully.


    He was very familiar with ''Sequences.''


    The Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation partitions powers by sequences, determining the magnitude and ownership of powers within the entire Spiritual Pivot Formation system.


    But the difference lies in, the Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation uses Sequential Formation Patterns,


    While the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation uses Sequential Formation Pivots.


    While there are differences, the fundamental principles of formations are the same.


    "So what does a Sequential Formation Pivot look like? After the coordination of the Sequential Formation Pivot, does it have to be summarized into a main, Large Formation Pivot?"


    Mo Hua asked again.


    "Naturally..."


    Elder Master Xun nodded his head and was about to speak but suddenly hesitated and closed his mouth.


    Mo Hua waited for a long time, seeing that Elder Master Xun was silent, puzzled, he said, "Elder Master, please go on..."


    Elder Master Xun pondered thoughtfully,


    "It is still too early for you to learn this now. We will talk about it later..."


    Mo Hua sighed with a touch of disappointment.


    Elder Master Xun, feeling somewhat embarrassed, then said, "Ask something else, I will tell you about other things."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, just as he was about to speak, Elder Master Xun said,


    "But only one question."


    He was afraid Mo Hua would ask endlessly, and in a moment of carelessness, slip up and tell him something this child should not know yet...


    "Only one?"


    "Only one!"


    "Alright then¡­" Mo Hua sighed.


    He thought for a moment and finally asked the question that had felt most discordant when he was studying the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation:


    "Elder Master, why does the Primordial Magnet Formation differentiate between Fixed Formation Patterns and Unfixed Formation Patterns? What is the specific relationship between them? Why does this relationship exist?"


    Mo Hua delved deeply, his face full of confusion.


    Elder Master Xun sighed inwardly.


    This is not just one question...


    But, it is still counted as one type of issue, and since it only involves a single formation, it''s permissible to discuss.


    Elder Master Xun said, "The essence of the Fixed and Unfixed Formations lies in their Formation Patterns."


    "Fixed is the foundation, and Unfixed acts like a shadow of the Fixed Formation Patterns."


    "You can regard these two as part of the same formation, where their Formation Patterns are considered the same Pattern."


    "But only when the two are combined can they form the same formation, produce the true Yuan Magnetic Pattern, and provide the foundation for the Messaging Formation..."


    At this point, Elder Master Xun''s gaze sharpened and his expression became more solemn,


    "There is an extremely subtle connection between the Yuan Magnetic Fixed and Unfixed Formation Patterns, which is intricate and profound, and not easy to understand."


    "Therefore, the Fathers of Formation Masters had a brilliant idea to classify the Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns into Fixed and Unfixed categories, to record Thunder Magnetic Sensing, making it easier for Formation Masters to understand and construct formations."


    ...


    "Differentiating Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns into Fixed and Unfixed..."


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He vaguely felt there was some deeper secret within this, but due to his own limited understanding of formations, though he tried to comprehend, he couldn''t grasp the concept.


    Believing that Mo Hua did not understand, Elder Master Xun explained,


    "The Primordial Fixed is unified, relatively constant..."


    "But the Primordial Unfixed Formation Patterns have various mutations, sometimes even determined by specific conditions..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    "For example..." Elder Master Xun gave an example, "I will use the ''Jia'' character from the ten heavenly stems as the Primordial Fixed, and this ''teacup'' in my hand as Unfixed."


    "Thus, when I send a message and write the character ''Jia'', what appears will be ''teacup.''"


    "This is an agreement between you and me..."


    "Besides ''teacup,'' you can agree on anything, ''tea leaves,'' ''tea water,'' ''teapot''¡ªanything is possible..."


    "If you know about this agreement, then you know ''Jia'' means ''teacup''; if you don''t know it, you won''t understand what I''m talking about at all."

 Chapter 875: Beacon Fire Original Magnet (3)

    "I don''t even know what the Formation Pattern I sent out means..." Mo Hua said.


    "Is it for the sake of secrecy?" Elder Master Xun nodded, "That''s why the Yuan Magnet Formation itself is a type of confidential Formation method."


    "A, agreement, teacup."


    "Fixed, Thunder Magnetic Sensing, Unfixed."


    "That is the simplest but most core logic of this class of Formation methods."


    "Of course, it''s simple to say, but actually applying the Formation method is very complex and difficult..."


    After finishing, Elder Master Xun took a sip of tea.


    Mo Hua was frowning, deep in thought.


    Seeing that he had stumped Mo Hua, Elder Master Xun nodded slightly and said, "Go back and think it over carefully..."


    "Mm, thank you, Elder."


    Back at the Disciple''s Residence, Mo Hua was still pondering Elder Master Xun''s words.


    He understood what Elder Master Xun said.


    But the more he thought about other issues, the more confused he became...


    Now the more Mo Hua thought about it, the more he felt that he had learned this Formation method for nothing...


    Although there were only one fixed and one unfixed Formation diagram on the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Map,


    The reality was that the unfixed was diverse and, according to Elder Master Xun, could even be "created" following certain Formation Method Rules... sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Formation Diagram he had changed seemed more like an "example"...


    With this relatively closed Formation structure of "Fixed Formation Patterns¡ªAgreement Rules¡ªUnfixed Formation Patterns," he couldn''t decode the Vulture''s "Letter Token."


    Because the text of the Vulture''s Letter Token was erased.


    The fundamental Fixed Formation Patterns remained.


    The Letter Token used sturdy materials, and the Fixed Formation Patterns at the foundations were well protected.


    But the Unfixed Formation Patterns had been erased.


    Along with the leakage of Magnetic Ink.


    He didn''t know about the construction relationship established by the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation or the Fixed Formation Patterns corresponding to the "agreed" Unfixed Formation Patterns.


    Therefore, he couldn''t understand the Unfixed Formation Patterns through the Fixed Formation Patterns, let alone restore the text in the "Letter Token."


    To use Elder Master Xun''s example,


    I know the letter "A," but I don''t know what the opposite "agreement" is, so I can''t figure out whether this fixed "A" refers to the teacup, tea, or tea leaves...


    And if I want to know what the opposite "agreement" is...


    I must disassemble the complete Formation Diagram in the Letter Token containing the Yuan Magnet "Fixed" and "Unfixed" Formation Patterns, thereby restoring a whole set of "agreement" rules...


    "No wonder..."


    Mo Hua sighed.


    The Taoist Court Official had casually discarded this blank Letter Token.


    Because once the text is erased, the Letter Token is really useless.


    Without knowing the complete Formation Diagram, erasing the Unfixed Pattern, relying solely on the fundamental Fixed Formation method, there''s no way to restore it.


    But Mo Hua still held a bit of hope.


    If he couldn''t decode the Secret Pattern or restore Magnetic Ink, studying the Yuan Magnet Formation wouldn''t be very meaningful, at least deviating from his original intentions...


    In the following days, Mo Hua still practiced the Yuan Magnet Formation in front of the Taoist Stele every night.


    Even if only to hone his Divine Sense, he still needed to practice the Sixteen Patterns of the Yuan Magnet Formation.


    Especially since there were eight hundred Merit Points at stake!


    He definitely had to reclaim a bit of his original intention.


    However, as Mo Hua practiced, he multitasked, revisiting Elder Master Xun''s words over and over in his mind.


    He always felt he was missing something...


    Mo Hua began to dig deep and ponder...


    Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, through a Single Formation, built a Compound Formation, and through the Formation Pivot Sequence, achieved simple communication.


    As for functions beyond communication, more complex functions he couldn''t learn now, so he put them aside...


    Formation Pivot Sequence...


    He could also ignore them for now.


    Because he didn''t have the capacity yet to construct the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnetic Duplex Formation, it temporarily did not involve Formation Pivots.


    That meant...


    Formation Patterns?


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, really concerned about something.


    Elder Master Xun said that Fixed was the fundamental Primordial Magnetic Formation Pattern, which was constant.


    Unfixed was matched with Fixed and within certain Formation Method Rules, could be nominally determined by the Fixed Formation Patterns and could also change accordingly.


    Why?


    Why could Fixed influence Unfixed?


    Just because of "nominated"?


    Because of the "agreement"?


    Mo Hua got a bit nitpicky, although it seemed like splitting hairs, he always felt there was something fishy.


    And why call it Primordial Magnetic Formation Patterns?


    Why not directly call it Thunder Magnetic Formation Patterns?


    Or call it Secondary Thunder Patterns?


    "Magnetic," positive and negative generate and repel...


    Mo Hua frowned, finding it very suspicious, and then, on the Array Plate, he set up the complete set of methods for the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet, then activated the Formation to observe the relationship between Fixed and Unfixed.


    But after watching for a long time, he found nothing.


    Fixed Formation Pattern induction, Unfixed simply changed along with it, very ordinary, very common.


    Mo Hua''s Divine Sense condensed slightly, employing the Heavenly Secret Calculation, and after a long time, still found nothing...


    Mo Hua''s brow tightened.


    Under such circumstances, there were generally two possibilities:


    One was that he was really splitting hairs, and indeed there was nothing fishy between the Yuan Magnet Formations.


    The other was that his Divine Sense was weak, or his Computational Power was insufficient, and he could not see the intricacies.


    Mo Hua thought he should first look for reasons from himself.


    His judgment wasn''t the problem, but his Divine Sense ability was lacking a bit.


    Mo Hua made up his mind, his pupils pitch black, his Divine Thought draped in a Mo "Taoist Robe," his Divine Sense exhibiting a black double image, activating the Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation.

 Chapter 876: Beacon Fire Original Magnet (4)

    Chapter 876: Chapter 612: Beacon Fire Original Magnet_4 Chapter 876 -612: Beacon Fire Original Magnet_4 At the same time, based on the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, his gaze seemed to be half clear as water, with cloud Patterns flowing, inspiring the Heavenly secret Calculation¡­


    Yet, even with both methods employed, he still could not discern anything.


    Mo Hua was not convinced and continued to deplete his Divine Sense in an attempt to divine the outcome, and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense became increasingly painful, as if being twisted and torn apart by the two different methods of Calculation¡­


    Just as Mo Hua was about to reach his limit, with his Divine Sense about to be drained and darkness starting to engulf his vision, a faint light suddenly appeared before him; within the pitch-black void, slender and extremely fine pale blue lines emerged.


    These lines were incredibly intricate, without any apparent pattern.


    Between the positive and negative poles, they shifted and changed ceaselessly, like a faint¡­


    Thunder Flow.


    A shock went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    It was at this moment that Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was exhausted, and a sharp pain spread throughout his Sea of Consciousness.


    He had no choice but to clutch his head, lie on the ground, and take deep breaths for quite some time before he could regain his senses.


    But at the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was filled with excitement.


    He had understood!


    The naming of Formation Patterns by Formation Masters is done with precision.


    The reason why Primordial Magnetic Formation Patterns are not called Thunder Magnetism Patterns


    It is because the Primordial Magnetic Patterns do not actually contain ¡°thunder¡±!


    The Prime Magnetic Formation utilizes the repellent relationship of positive and negative between fixed and unfixed Formation Patterns to generate faint lightning, thereby causing Thunder Magnetic Induction.


    However, the Patterns themselves do not relate to thunder.


    What truly relates to thunder is the Induction between the two types of Patterns, from the produced faint Thunder Flow.


    That is to say, only by employing the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and pushing the Heavenly secret Calculation to the extreme could he see those faint blue lines!


    Those are the true ¡°thunder¡±!


    Those lines are the genuine ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡±!


    By mastering those Secondary Thunder Patterns that are of the Same Origin as the Thunder Patterns, one could fathom the essence of the Primordial Magnet Formation and gradually deepen one¡¯s understanding of the Thunder Magnetism Formation, probing into the foundation of such Formations.


    And should the day come when his Divine Sense was sufficiently strong, his Tricky Calculation powerful enough, and his Calculation profoundly deep¡­


    He might even be able to manipulate the Secondary Thunder Patterns with Divine Thought, penetrating all barriers of magnetic-type Patterns and covertly erode the Formation Pivot, taking control of the vast Thunder Magnetism Large Formation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brighter, but he could not withstand the increasing pain in his Sea of Consciousness.


    In the end, his small head buzzed, and he collapsed to the ground, falling into a deep sleep¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in an unknown underground secret chamber.


    Gloomy and dark.


    Atop the altar in the secret chamber was a huge skull with a human face and Ram Horns, its fangs fierce and its surface stained with blood.


    Mr.


    Tu was still kneeling before the skull.


    His complexion was pale, his eyes glowed green, his fingers were long and oozing blood, and he murmured in a low voice. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Everything was going well


    "That child was the Divine Lord¡¯s finest embryo, purely good, and when corrupted by evil would sprout boundless malevolence; the demon is taking root


    "But now


    Mr.


    Tu gritted his teeth.


    "The Enforce Lord¡­


    Is dead


    "No one knows how he died


    "It¡¯s as if he was slain, destroyed in body and spirit, yet also as if he was devoured alive by something, leaving not even ¡®bones¡¯ behind


    "I can¡¯t comprehend


    His face turned ghostly white, his lips cracked, and he shakily said, ¡°What being could possibly threaten the Enforce Lord


    "Although but a Second Grade, the Enforce Lord represents the consciousness of the Great Wilderness and acts by the Divine sovereignty; it carries the Divine Lord¡¯s blood and is blessed by the Divine Lord


    Speaking thus far, Mr.


    Tu suddenly broke out in cold sweat and vehemently protested:


    "No!


    No!¡±


    "I am not frightened, nor have I had a change of heart!¡±


    "My loyalty to the Divine Lord is evident to heaven and earth, witnessed by the sun and moon!¡±


    ¡­


    Mr.


    Tu swore oaths and vows, taking a long time to calm down before he spoke with a resolute expression:


    "This person must be a Master


    "At least at the Heaven Void level


    "Not an opponent to be taken on by force¡­


    We need a long-term plan


    "The pressing matter is to push forward with the plan


    ¡­


    Mr.


    Tu lowered his voice even more, muttered something to himself, and finally prostrated deeply before the eerie Ram-Horned Bone Carving.


    With profound reverence and fearless resolve, he declared steadfastly:


    "The hall of the Blood Sacrifice is unknown to all.¡±


    "The Divine Lord¡¯s sacred embryo is also beyond any scrutiny.¡±


    "And the Divine Lord¡¯s majesty will surely be nurtured by the Great Wilderness, overturning the Nine State!¡±


    "Let this world be filled with rivers of blood, let all living beings become mere stray dogs


    "Only our lord shall remain immortal and ever-enduring!¡±

 Chapter 877: Heavenly Secret Integration

    Chapter 877: Chapter 613 Heavenly Secret Integration Chapter 877 -613 Heavenly Secret Integration The next day, Mo Hua woke up with an unbearable headache.


    He sank his Divine Sense into the Sea of Consciousness and only then did he discover that his Divine Sense within the Sea of Consciousness had acquired thread-like fractures, each movement accompanied by a slight stabbing pain.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment before he was suddenly stunned.


    "Is this¡­


    The side effect of using both the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and the Heavenly secret Calculation together?¡±


    The Heavenly secret Calculation sought to understand essence, focusing on the core depth.


    The Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation created diversified illusions, focusing on breadth from multiple angles.


    Employing both supreme Divine Sense calculations would cause tremendous strain on the Sea of Consciousness, resulting in the tearing and collapse of the Divine Sense¡­


    The cracks in his Divine Sense were now a sign¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    His Divine Consciousness Transformation was already deeper and more resilient than that of an average Cultivator, and he hadn¡¯t used the Calculation and Tricky Calculation together all that often; so, although there was pain, it wasn¡¯t severe.


    But if he continued to use them in this way¡­


    Unless his Divine Sense became as completely solid and incredibly hard as that Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡¯s skull, there was no way it could withstand the heavy burden of using both the Calculation and Tricky Calculation together.


    Otherwise, sooner or later, his Divine Sense would be severed by the two calculations, completely splintering into pieces¡­


    Mo Hua drew in a sharp breath.


    "It¡¯s over, I can¡¯t use them together


    No wonder the Heavenly secret Calculation techniques were divided; his Master learned one, and his Uncle learned the other¡­


    With his Master¡¯s talent and his Uncle¡¯s cunning, neither could learn both.


    He didn¡¯t have the natural ability of his Master nor the cunning of his Uncle, yet he managed to learn both, which was already a huge bargain¡­


    Now, wanting to use both at the same time was indeed a bit of wishful thinking¡­


    With this thought, Mo Hua¡¯s mood found some balance.


    Contentment brings happiness; knowing when to stop is a form of ¡°wisdom


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Now with his Divine Sense aching, he could no longer continue his studies.


    Mo Hua rested for several days, not Drawing Formations, not consulting Formation Books, and scarcely using his Divine Sense until it recovered.


    When the operation of his Divine Sense no longer caused pain, only then did he continue studying the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation¡­


    As he had deduced before.


    The most crucial and core aspect of the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation was the faint Thunder Flow infused with magnetic Spiritual Power, produced between the Fixed and Unfixed Yuan Magnetic Patterns.


    These Thunder Flows were extremely subtle, and very difficult to perceive.


    They were like Spiritual Power, yet also like Formation Patterns, existing between the two, as a kind of delicate ¡°Secondary Thunder Flow.¡±


    To ¡°cheat¡± and break through the Primordial Magnet Formation, one had to master these ¡°Secondary Thunder Flows,¡± or what might be called ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns.¡±


    These true Secondary Thunder Patterns were ¡°agreements,¡± the Law itself, a bridge between the Fixed and Unfixed.


    Mo Hua simulated the Primordial Magnet Formation again and then released his Divine Sense to perceive it.


    But he found that without the enhancement of Tricky Calculation and Calculation, with just the power of his Divine Thought, he could no longer perceive the Secondary Thunder Patterns¡­


    Mo Hua expended a considerable effort, his Divine Sense numbing from the exertion, yet still, not a trace could be found.


    If he couldn¡¯t perceive it, then he couldn¡¯t learn it¡­


    Mo Hua frowned again.


    Being contented and happy didn¡¯t seem to be working.


    If contentment equals happiness, then there would be no progress¡­


    Objective circumstances forced him to be ¡°greedy


    He had to use both the Calculation and the Tricky Calculation, and he had to use them together.


    Otherwise, how could he glimpse the ¡°Secondary Thunder Flow,¡± study the mysteries of the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, and unravel the secrets of the ¡°Letter Token¡±? S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But using them together would rip apart his Divine Sense¡­


    Driving both Tricky Calculation and Calculation simultaneously was too heavy a burden.


    An occasional use was okay, but if used frequently, his Sea of Consciousness would surely collapse.


    Mo Hua lay in bed, his arms under his head as a pillow, brows furrowed, eyes fixed on the simple and antique ceiling, blinking continuously.


    Meanwhile, his mind was in overdrive, considering all the means at his disposal one by one, until suddenly, he was struck by an epiphany, and it dawned on him:


    The Taoist Stele!


    The Taoist Stele could trace back Divine Sense!


    Drawing Formation Patterns on the Taoist Stele, the Divine Sense he expended could be traced back.


    So what if, on the Taoist Stele, he used both Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and Heavenly secret Calculation to deduce the Secondary Thunder Flow within the Primordial Magnet Formation¡­


    Even if the Sea of Consciousness suffered and his Divine Sense tore apart, but as long as the deduced Formation Patterns were erased, did that mean¡­


    His Divine Sense could still trace back and remain intact as ever?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, and he immediately sat up.


    He thought the idea seemed far-fetched, that the ¡°cheating¡± was a bit excessive, yet he also felt that it was, in fact, very reasonable.


    The Taoist Stele seemed like a Void, yet it seemed to encompass everything.


    Turning Divine Sense into Patterns, and Patterns back into Divine Sense.


    Transmuting Divine Sense from existence to nonexistence, then from nonexistence back to existence, creation and transformation from nothingness to being and back¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he sorted through the idea carefully, waiting for 1 a.m.


    Before he couldn¡¯t wait any longer to enter his Sea of Consciousness.


    At the very center of the Sea of Consciousness.


    The Taoist Stele stood silent and enigmatic, ancient and mystical, and seeming to contain a multitude of Laws, in an expanse of nothingness.


    Mo Hua first drew a complete Prime Magnetic Formation on the Taoist Stele, including both Fixed and Unfixed Formation Patterns.


    Then he activated the Formation, causing the Fixed and Unfixed Magnetic Patterns to interact with each other.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew heavy as he employed both the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and the Heavenly secret Calculation simultaneously.


    One half of his gaze was pitch black, the other, crystal clear.


    Above the Divine Sense Incarnation, cloaked in an Ink Taoist Robe, white cracks began to appear on the pure black robe, as if the two types of calculations were interweaving contradictions, endlessly entangling and tearing at each other¡­


    The Sea of Consciousness trembled, Divine Sense in agony.


    Mo Hua endured the stabbing pain, reckless and determined, envisioning the hidden Secondary Thunder Flow of the Primordial Magnet Formation.


    This time, within his perception of Divine Sense, once again emerged the pale blue Secondary Thunder Flow, generated by Elemental Magnetic Induction.

 Chapter 878: Heavenly Secret Integration (2)

    Chapter 878: Chapter 613 Heavenly Secret Integration_2 Chapter 878 -613 Heavenly Secret Integration_2 These Thunder Flows were weak yet mysteriously profound,


    Like the Thunder Series Spiritual Power in its weakest and most primitive state.


    They resembled ¡°swaddling clothes¡± for lightning.


    It was a sort of Spiritual Power flow, but it was clearly visible that moment by moment, there were traces like Formation Patterns, as if they contained a hint of the evolution and rhyme of Formation Patterns¡­


    Mo Hua immediately copied the method, simplifying a ¡°Secondary Thunder Flow¡± into a ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± and inscribing it onto the Taoist Stele.


    The process intensified the pain.


    Mo Hua could only grit his teeth and endure, forcibly committing this Secondary Thunder Pattern to memory.


    After the Thunder Pattern was memorized, both Calculation and Tricky Calculation abruptly stopped.


    His Divine Sense was completely drained, and his Sea of Consciousness was bearing the burden of the double Heavenly secret Calculation algorithm, showing signs of fissuring.


    Mo Hua was alarmed and immediately wiped all Array Formations and Formation Patterns from the Taoist Stele.


    In the instant of erasure, there was a reversal of nothingness and existence.


    As if nothing had happened, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense filled up once again, the fissures in his Sea of Consciousness disappeared, and the tearing sensation in his Divine Sense vanished without a trace.


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then his heart overflowed with joy.


    He hadn¡¯t guessed wrong!


    The Taoist Stele really could be used for cheating!


    His Master and Uncle, being adults who had cultivated the Tao for hundreds of years, could only choose one between Calculation and Tricky Calculation.


    But he was still young, with humble origins, so he could have both!


    A smile spread across Mo Hua¡¯s face as he couldn¡¯t help touching the Stele, praising inwardly, ¡°The Taoist Stele is awesome!¡±


    His Divine Sense had been restored, but his experience and knowledge remained.


    Thus, he could use the Taoist Stele to ¡°cheat,¡± simultaneously executing Heavenly secret Calculation and Tricky Calculation to deduce the Prime Magnetic Formation, sense the Secondary Thunder Flow, and thus record the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    In other words, by using the Primordial Magnet Formation to deduce the Secondary Thunder Pattern, he was also continuously practicing the integration of Heavenly secret Calculation and Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation!


    He was killing two birds with one stone!


    He had not only understood the Formation but also integrated the Calculation algorithm!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone with excitement.


    Although tearing his Divine Sense was painful, considering the result, this pain was bearable.


    Without further ado, Mo Hua immediately began to draw the Primordial Magnet Formation over and over again, integrating the calculations of Gui Tao and Heavenly secret, deducing the Secondary Thunder Flow, and contemplating the Secondary Thunder Array Pattern¡­


    His Divine Sense was torn time and again, and then restored to perfection just as many times.


    What Mo Hua didn¡¯t know was¡­


    In this process, his Divine Sense was retracing over and over, becoming a bit more resilient each time. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Step by step, it was approaching the state of being Forged a Thousand Times, indestructible.


    Within the void of the Taoist Stele, the Induction of the Taoist Meaning born of nothingness and existence quietly and profoundly, seeped into his Divine Thoughts¡­


    This process was occurring subtly and silently¡­


    Yet Mo Hua was only focused on the Array Formation.


    ¡­


    Three days later.


    Mo Hua was still dedicated, staying single-mindedly focused on studying the Primordial Magnet Formation and the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    However, after several days of deducing, he encountered another problem:


    By enhancing Calculation with Tricky Calculation to deduce the Primordial Magnetic Formation Pattern, he could sense the Secondary Thunder Flow and understand the ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± that contained the underlying principles of the Prime Magnetic Formation¡­


    But these Secondary Thunder Patterns were, in fact, impossible to learn¡­


    Over the past few days, Mo Hua memorized many ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns,¡± but without exception, all of them were distinctly different, lacking any uniformity or commonality.


    The variations were too numerous, too subtle, too complex.


    No rules, no system, impossible to remember, impossible to apply, impossible to categorize¡­


    This meant that the ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± was not really a ¡°Formation Pattern¡± but closer to the actual ¡°lightning


    Mo Hua sighed.


    No wonder in the general Array Formation heritage of the Cultivation World, only Fixed and Unfixed Formation Patterns were used to initiate Thunder Magnetic Sensing, simulate the Secondary Thunder Flow, for transmitting messages and manifesting text.


    Nobody truly went to the lengths to learn ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns


    That¡¯s because the Secondary Thunder Flow was extremely obscure, and ordinary cultivators, without the support of calculations, could simply not sense it.


    Even if they could sense it, the Secondary Thunder Pattern itself was too complex, too subtle, simply impossible to unify and classify as ¡°Formation Pattern.¡±


    Some Secondary Thunder Patterns, while appearing identical, had minute differences at the end of their Thunder Flow traces, which marked them as two completely distinct ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns,¡± making them difficult to discern.


    And such ¡°identically different¡± Secondary Thunder Patterns were countless within the Primordial Magnet Formation.


    This made them fundamentally unlearnable.


    Mo Hua felt a deep sense of defeat.


    After all this effort, he had gleaned a glimpse of the core of Primordial Magnet Formation, only to find something even more profound, more complex, and utterly beyond his grasp¡­


    For a while, Mo Hua was disheartened, but then he thought differently:


    If this matter weren¡¯t difficult, it would be commonplace, and how could his Array Formation Skill be considered ¡°impressive¡±?


    It was precisely because it was so challenging that it was worth the effort to research!


    And precisely because it was difficult, it was a testament to the extraordinary nature of his Array Formation Skill!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he was filled with fighting spirit once again.


    "Merely a Secondary Thunder Pattern


    He had learned both Large Formations and Ultimate Formations, so why couldn¡¯t he master a mere Formation Pattern?


    At worst, the Formation Patterns were just more complex in form, minute in their differences, and vast in their number.


    With enough effort, even an iron bar can be ground to a needle.


    After a hundred trials with the Array, its meaning would reveal itself.


    Mo Hua took out a large Jade Slip and named it ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± Jade Slip.


    He decided to record all of the myriad, subtly different ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± that he deduced, one by one, onto this Jade Slip.


    Relying on his profound Divine Sense, acute sensing, and strong memory, he would memorize them by rote!


    A thousand patterns, a thousand memories; ten thousand patterns, ten thousand memories¡­


    Mo Hua was resolute.


    He refused to believe!


    Eventually, after deducing the Primordial Magnetic Formation Patterns thousands of times and recording thousands of Secondary Thunder Patterns, he would be able to extrapolate some patterns and master some tricks¡­

 Chapter 879: Fusion of Heavenly Secret (3)

    Chapter 879: Chapter 613 Fusion of Heavenly Secret_3 Chapter 879 -613 Fusion of Heavenly Secret_3 Since no shortcuts could be taken, the dumbest method would have to do!


    During the time that followed, Mo Hua did just that, memorizing the Secondary Thunder Patterns one by one, pondering over them whenever he had the chance¡­


    It was a rather long process.


    Fortunately, throughout this process, Mo Hua was also constantly practicing Formation, strengthening his Divine Sense, and integrating calculation methods, so he did not feel the hardship.


    On the contrary, he felt exceptionally fulfilled¡­


    A month later, Taixu Gate had its annual break.


    The so-called annual break referred to the sect¡¯s regulation of two routine holidays each year, once every six months, each roughly lasting half a month.


    The annual break was to allow disciples, especially those from Aristocratic Families and Clans, to return home for ancestral rituals, to report on their studies, pay respects, or deal with some private matters.


    It was said that some even went home to arrange their marriages¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t return home.


    Tongxian City was too far away; he wanted to return but couldn¡¯t, so he wrote a letter instead, entrusting it to the Qian State postal station to send back to Tongxian City.


    In the letter, he talked about his recent condition, assuring that all was well¡­


    The door to Qian Taoist Sect was too high, and he wasn¡¯t able to join, but by a twist of fate, he entered ¡°Taixu Gate¡±, one of the Eight Great Gates of Qian State.


    He mentioned meeting Aunt Wan, a kind and beautiful lady from the Shangguan aristocratic family, who had taken great care of him regarding joining the sect¡­


    In the sect, Elder Master Xun, who taught Formation, valued him highly, and he learned Formation very solidly.


    The fellow sect disciples were harmonious and loving.


    Some senior brothers and sisters also treated him very well.


    He wasn¡¯t lacking Spirit Stones; the sect had many opportunities to fleece¡­


    Mo Hua rambled on, writing much, but after thinking it over, he concluded at the end:


    "Everything is fine, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    "Once I reach Golden Core, I¡¯ll come home!¡±


    Dad and Mom, you must also cultivate diligently, don¡¯t be lazy, and don¡¯t feel pain over using Spirit Stones.


    When I come home, you must have reached Foundation Establishment!¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt that ¡°Foundation Establishment¡± was setting the bar a little low, so he raised the requirement a bit:


    Qi Foundation Middle Stage!


    After finishing the letter, Mo Hua spent some Spirit Stones to send it off.


    With Li State so far away, the letter would travel through mountains and rivers, not knowing in what year and month it would arrive.


    Mo Hua felt a bit melancholic for a while, and then went to the Gu Family in Qingzhou City.


    Shangguan Xu told him that Yu Er was having trouble sleeping again.


    Mo Hua licked his lips and hitched a ride on the Shangguan family¡¯s carriage to the Gu family in Qingzhou City.


    When Wenren Wan saw Mo Hua, she reacted as if she had seen an innate magic treasure that repelled evil, filled with both joy and relief.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Wenren Wan frowned slightly, sighed, and said:


    "Yu Er isn¡¯t as bad as she was before


    "She won¡¯t shiver anymore, feeling cold all over, terrified, afraid to fall asleep


    "She just keeps frowning, feeling headaches and tension, and has nightmares


    "But Yu Er said, the demon monsters in her dreams are much fewer than before


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Aunt Wan, don¡¯t you worry, they¡¯ll become even fewer very soon


    Wenren Wan¡¯s face showed surprise.


    In the evening, Yu Er still lay in bed asleep.


    Because Mo Hua was by her side, she slept quietly and peacefully.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua meditated beside her, flipping through Formation Books.


    His Divine Sense was already strong, but still far from enough.


    One reason was integrating the Heavenly Secret Calculation to extrapolate the Primordial Magnet Formation and record the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    The Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation was a Second Grade Sixteen-pattern Formation.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had undergone a qualitative change, robust and unyielding, the dual calculations for the Primordial Magnet Formation were too complex and profound; it was still a strenuous task.


    A stronger Divine Sense allowed for more ease.


    Then there was what Lord Yellow Mountain said, that one must have a Divine Sense Core Formation, reaching a realm of Twenty Patterns, to cultivate the ¡°Tai Xu Mind Transforming Sword True Art¡± capable of cutting both the physical and the intangible.


    So, the stronger the Divine Sense, the better.


    However, means to enhance Divine Sense were extremely limited.


    Apart from studying Formation tirelessly and tempering Divine Sense, Mo Hua was hoping to earn some ¡°extra income¡± to satisfy his cravings.


    Mo Hua was reading, but his mind was not on the book at all.


    The night deepened, leaving the side room empty and hollow.


    Suddenly, a chill wind arose, bringing with it bone-piercing coldness that descended eerily.


    Mo Hua paused, the corner of his mouth curling into a slight smile as he looked up and, sure enough, saw chains made from the patterns of karma extending from the void.


    The stench of blood and the rotten smell of evil spread.


    This was an aura ¡°unsmellable¡± by the nose; only Divine Sense could ¡°perceive¡± it.


    Thick black droplets fell.


    Grotesque demons soaked in ¡°amniotic fluid¡±-like black water, hatched and, along the karmic chains, emerged upside down from the rooftop and the walls, slowly crawling out.


    It was the same as before¡­


    Some had human bodies with horse faces, others had donkey heads on demon bodies, and then there were those with canine bodies and human faces¡­


    They ignored Mo Hua, using their hands and feet to move towards Yu Er.


    Yu Er began to frown, waving her little hands and feet, murmuring something under her breath.


    Mo Hua stepped in front of Yu Er.


    The group of demons and monsters obviously hesitated for a moment and then, seeing that Mo Hua was just a little ghost, their eyes turned blood-red, and their expressions twisted into ferocity one by one.


    They didn¡¯t know Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°true face¡±.


    Because the demons and monsters who knew Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°true face¡± couldn¡¯t make it out of his Sea of Consciousness that resembled a ¡°slaughterhouse¡±.


    And their fate had been sealed from the moment they appeared before Mo Hua.


    Arrogantly, they transformed into gusts of chilly wind and burrowed into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The monstrously deformed faces still wore vicious smiles.


    Then they saw it, an immensely large Formation like a volcano spewing magma with intense flames, rising tumultuously.


    A bunch of ¡°dead fish and rotten shrimp¡±.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered to play this time, opting instead to wait for them, manifesting the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Compound Formation within his Sea of Consciousness in advance.


    The demons were full of arrogance, but as soon as they entered the Sea of Consciousness, they fell into a ¡°hot pot¡±.


    Mo Hua immediately activated the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation.


    Craggy rocks formed a prison, and fierce flames surged like the fires of hell.


    The demons, confused, hardly knew what happened before they ¡°passed¡±, all ¡°stewed¡± in one pot by Mo Hua.


    Wisps of blue smoke rose from the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation.


    Mo Hua swallowed it in one gulp, smacked his lips, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.


    Not quite full¡­


    His Divine Sense increased a bit but not by much; it was far from enough to fill the vast gap of the Seventeen Patterns.


    The biggest disappointment was that it seemed there was no ¡°Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡± in this batch of black water.


    Missing out on that pale gold ¡°marrow¡± was a real pity¡­


    However, this was an unexpected bonus to begin with; Mo Hua wasn¡¯t greedy.


    At least his Divine Sense had genuinely strengthened again.


    After Mo Hua ¡°ate¡± the demons and woke up, the nefarious qi in the room dissipated entirely.


    The night was peaceful, the moonlight serene.


    Yu Er lay in bed, her brow relaxed, her little face tranquil as she slept soundly.


    Mo Hua smiled softly, then his brow furrowed in thought:


    Yu Er was enveloped in a grand conspiracy; thus, these nightmares of demons and monsters would continue to erode her mind.


    For now, it seemed a bit calmer, but as long as karma persisted, given the chance, they would surely not give up.


    Even more so, one might encounter a Sheep-Horned Enforcer with pale gold Divine Marrow¡­ S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Or perhaps, even a Divine Consciousness Entity of a higher grade than the Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡­


    Could it be that, in the end, an Evil God might appear?!


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt that an Evil God was unlikely.


    An Evil God was too powerful; if one truly descended, Yu Er¡¯s physical body and her Sea of Consciousness simply couldn¡¯t withstand it¡­


    Then it could possibly be¡­


    The nascent form of an Evil God, or an embryo?


    Would an embryo of an Evil God be weaker¡­?


    Could it be¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, he couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips in anticipation, murmuring to himself inside:


    "I wonder what a real Evil God tastes like

 Chapter 880: Unsealing

    Chapter 880 -614 Unsealing


    Mo Hua had only tasted the ¡°bone marrow¡± that flowed out of the Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡¯s head after cracking the skull with a Thunder Pattern and shattering the Divine Thought.


    This ¡°bone marrow¡± was similar to the blood of an Evil God.


    Though scant in quantity, the taste was exquisite.


    It was just unknown what the real Evil God would look like after being refined.


    After ¡°eating¡± it, to what extent would one¡¯s Divine Sense be enhanced¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then suddenly furrowed his brows.


    No¡­


    He was feeling somewhat ¡°inflated¡± now¡­


    Such things as Evil Gods, presumably powerful and terrifying, would certainly pose unknown dangers upon encounter.


    Even if one truly harbored the idea of targeting an Evil God¡­


    One would have to wait until their Divine Thought was sufficiently profound, Divine Thought Slaughter was powerfully substantial, carefully plan, thoroughly prepare, conceal actions, and stealthily ¡°eat¡± it¡­


    Thinking about ¡°eating¡± an Evil God now was still too soon¡­


    And such thoughts were too disrespectful towards the Evil Gods.


    Mo Hua buried this thought deep in his heart.


    "It¡¯s not that Evil Gods are too good for me to eat, but rather that Demon Monsters offer better value for money.¡±


    Evil Gods are too strong, better not to provoke if possible.


    But these weaker Demon Fiends, one could stew them in a pot, and it wouldn¡¯t matter if one ate more of them.


    And after eating them clean, there wouldn¡¯t be any to snitch.


    Besides, they were targeting Yu Er, so he had even less reason to be polite.


    Mo Hua glanced again at the sweetly sleeping Yu Er and couldn¡¯t help thinking:


    If Yu Er was taken with him, would she continuously attract Demon Monsters to provide for his appetite?


    In that case, he would have a constant supply of ¡°provisions.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And his Divine Sense would continuously grow stronger.


    It would be just like fishing.


    These evil and ferocious Demon Monsters were the ¡°fish.¡±


    If that was the case, then Xiaoyuer was¡­


    "Little bait¡±?


    Mo Hua was startled, then immediately shook his head, dispelling this disrespectful thought about Xiaoyuer¡­


    Little Yu Er on the bed let out a soft ¡°hmm,¡± as if expressing displeasure.


    Mo Hua gave a wry smile and gently stroked Yu Er¡¯s head.


    In her sleep, Yu Er sensed a serene and tranquil presence, smiled naively, and then fell deep asleep again.


    Mo Hua continued to keep watch by Yu Er¡¯s side, while his Divine Sense plunged into the Sea of Consciousness, continuing to simulate the Primordial Magnet Formation, deducing the Secondary Thunder Patterns¡­


    No Demon Monsters appeared for the entire night.


    The next day, as usual, Mo Hua cultivated, practiced Drawing Formation, and played with Yu Er for a while.


    In the evening, he still watched over Yu Er.


    The room was empty but very quiet, without Karma Patterns, without Void Chains, without Demon Monsters, only with the tranquility of the night and the peace of moonlight.


    The night was still calm.


    Mo Hua then knew the ¡°chives¡± had been harvested, and they needed time to grow¡­


    The next day, Mo Hua said his farewells to Wenren Wan and set off on his return to Taixu Gate.


    Xiaoyuer still clutched at Mo Hua¡¯s hem, clearly reluctant to part.


    But compared to before, Yu Er¡¯s complexion was visibly better. Although somewhat sad, her eyes were shiny, and her little face blushed.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to everyone, and Yu Er, mimicking Mo Hua, waved as well.


    After Mo Hua¡¯s departure, Wenren Wan pondered deeply for a long while, then finally made up her mind and said to Shangguan Yi:


    "I want to send Yu Er to Taixu Gate!¡±


    Shangguan Yi, who was drinking tea, choked in the middle, coughed twice, and said helplessly,


    "How can you suddenly


    Jump from one idea to another¡­


    "I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s eyes were resolute, evidently after much deliberation.


    Shangguan Yi was slightly startled, frowned slightly, and said softly:


    "Yu Er has great potential and could enter the ¡®Four Great Sects¡¯ in the future


    "Entering the Four Great Sects, the inheritance learned, the peers befriended, the connections made are all a level above the Eight Great Gates


    Wenren Wan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t care about Yu Er¡¯s potential, her path of cultivation, or her future achievements. I am her mother, and I only wish for her to be safe and happy


    "I don¡¯t want Yu Er to be too involved with those grand ambitions of the Noble Clans and the karmic destinies. I¡¯m scared


    Wenren Wan¡¯s face paled slightly, I¡¯m afraid that one day I won¡¯t see Yu Er again


    Wenren Wan closed her eyes.


    Or even worse¡­


    Little Yu Er, lying cold in her arms¡­


    Throughout these days of nightmares plaguing Yu Er, leaving her emaciated, Wenren Wan would often have such dreams.


    Even more horrifying¡­


    Wenren Wan¡¯s body couldn¡¯t stop trembling.


    Shangguan Yi held his wife¡¯s hand, filled with guilt.


    It was his neglect as a husband that caused his son to suffer and his wife to worry. Still, he didn¡¯t quite agree with allowing Yu Er into Taixu Gate.


    Shangguan Yi thought for a moment and slowly said:


    "Wan¡¯er, do you want to send Yu Er to Taixu Gate because of¡­ that boy Mo Hua?¡±


    Wenren Wan didn¡¯t conceal the truth and replied:


    "Yes, I want Yu Er to stay close to Mo Hua.¡±


    Shangguan Yi¡¯s brows furrowed even more.


    He didn¡¯t dislike Mo Hua; on the contrary, he found the boy to be well-mannered, sincere, and endearing. He was also grateful to Mo Hua for the matter concerning Yu Er.


    But in Shangguan Yi¡¯s heart, there was a subtle unease about Mo Hua, even¡­


    Waryness.


    He always felt that there was something enigmatic hidden behind Mo Hua¡¯s innocent eyes, a profound depth within their clarity.


    It puzzled him, the presumptive Family Head of Qian State¡¯s Shangguan Family, with his countless encounters.


    Shangguan Yi had even had the thought of seeking someone to delve deeper, to calculate Mo Hua¡¯s karma.


    But such acts were taboo, and offensive to Mo Hua.


    Moreover, every time this thought emerged, he would be inexplicably filled with trepidation, as if peering into it would offend some terribly formidable taboo¡­

 Chapter 881: Unsealing (2)

    Chapter 881 -614 Unsealing_2


    This fear was unmistakably clear.


    Shangguan Yi once again thought of Elder Mei from Mystery Valley.


    It was at his request that Elder Mei had dispelled the fog and seen some sort of karmic taboo, before losing his sanity and spouting nonsensical things like ¡°having been bitten by a zombie,¡± ¡°going to turn into a zombie,¡± such as Corpse Mountain and great terrors.


    Shangguan Yi did not know whose fate Elder Mei had divined to fall into madness.


    But such a person, with a fate so terrifying, must be well-versed in the Heavenly Secret Calculation, and might even be one of the behind-the-scenes masters pushing this matter.


    And that child Mo Hua, it was likely that he had something to do with this person.


    Even though Mo Hua himself might not even be aware¡­


    After hesitating for a long time, Shangguan Yi still confided his worries to Wenren Wan.


    Wenren Wan scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s because you, hooked on scheming and struggle, see causality in everyone and calculation in everything


    "This child Mo Hua, I think he¡¯s pretty good.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you treat him with sincerity, he will naturally treat you with sincerity. If you feel that something¡¯s off with him, it¡¯s because there¡¯s something off with you


    Shangguan Yi offered a wry smile, then after a moment, his expression became serious as he sighed,


    "Think about it. Yu Er was abducted, and so many people couldn¡¯t find her, yet why was Mo Hua able to find her


    "Yu Er was troubled by nightmares, and the elders said it was an insoluble evil karmic fiend.¡±


    "But why, as soon as Mo Hua arrived, could Yu Er sleep peacefully


    "There must be something strange about this


    "I¡¯m afraid


    Shangguan Yi¡¯s worry was palpable, though he didn¡¯t articulate it.


    Upon hearing his words, Wenren Wan¡¯s own expression grew solemn; she frowned and thought for a long time until she suddenly understood,


    "That¡¯s because this child Mo Hua, he is Yu Er¡¯s ¡®blessing¡¯!¡±


    Shangguan Yi was stunned, at a loss for words.


    But Wenren Wan¡¯s thoughts became clearer to her, and nodding her head, she said,


    "This child Mo Hua must be blessed with deep fortune!¡±


    "That¡¯s why when Yu Er was abducted, others couldn¡¯t find her, but Mo Hua could. Others couldn¡¯t save her, but Mo Hua could.¡±


    "Yu Er was troubled by nightmares, and Mo Hua was there that night. I saw with my own eyes Mo Hua collapse to the ground, his face pale and an evil fiend clinging to him. Clearly, he had taken on the ¡®disaster¡¯ for Yu Er, only to faint afterward.¡±


    "But I told you, this child Mo Hua is blessed with deep fortune, so these ¡®disasters¡¯ cannot affect him!¡±


    "Mo Hua¡¯s fortune is also Yu Er¡¯s fortune.¡±


    "For Yu Er to grow up safely amidst struggles from a young age, she must stay by the side of a child so deeply blessed like Mo Hua!¡±


    Wenren Wan spoke with certainty, her reasoning sound.


    Shangguan Yi was almost persuaded by her words¡­


    Fortunately, he had some knowledge of karma and evil fiends and knew that this so-called ¡°fortune¡± was not as simple as it seemed.


    Shangguan Yi still wanted to refuse, ¡°Yu Er is still young and is only at the Qi Refinement stage, Taixu Gate won¡¯t accept her


    "Not as an official disciple, just for pre-school boarding


    "The Taixu Sect Leader will not agree to this


    "How could he not agree with the legitimate lineage of the Shangguan and Wenren families and their good spiritual roots? He would accept her even if it meant making an exception


    "This Shangguan Yi had a headache and continued, ¡°I¡¯m afraid It might hinder Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation


    Wenren Wan was slightly stunned. That was a concern¡­


    She had not thought of this.


    Mo Hua was usually busy with his cultivation practice and definitely could not take care of Yu Er.


    After some consideration, Wenren Wan had an idea:


    "I¡¯ll assign a guard to take care of Yu Er, to supervise her cultivation. They won¡¯t bother Mo Hua on regular days. If Yu Er is troubled by nightmares and can¡¯t sleep, then they¡¯ll trouble Mo Hua to have a look


    Shangguan Yi sighed, ¡°There¡¯s no precedent for this in Taixu Gate


    "There is now,¡± Wenren Wan said.


    "My father won¡¯t agree to it. And at Taixu Gate, there will probably be many obstacles, especially from some elders who strictly abide by sect rules; they won¡¯t agree


    "How can you know if you don¡¯t try?¡±


    "Wan¡¯er


    Wenren Wan declared with determination, ¡°I have decided! Yu Er must be sent to Taixu Gate!¡±


    Shangguan Yi replied, ¡°Yu Er now¡­ rarely has nightmares anymore, it¡¯s not necessary to go through such trouble


    Wenren Wan¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°What about later?¡±


    Shangguan Yi was taken aback.


    Frowning deeply and with a grave emotion, Wenren Wan said in a cold voice, ¡°How do you know she won¡¯t have even more terrifying nightmares in the future?¡±


    "If Yu Er later Wenren Wan¡¯s voice trembled slightly, seemingly recalling the terrible future from her dreams, encounters stronger, more desperate nightmares


    "What then, for our child


    Wenren Wan clutched at Shangguan Yi¡¯s arm, her slender knuckles turning white with her grip.


    Shangguan Yi was taken aback.


    He looked deeply into his wife¡¯s eyes, seeing her profound affection and fear of some unknown threat, and felt a tremor in his heart.


    Shangguan Yi nodded deeply and said softly,


    "Alright, I¡¯ll find a way to get Yu Er into¡­ Taixu Gate!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua did not know about Yu Er¡¯s situation.


    He didn¡¯t realize that soon, he would have a ¡°little neighbor.¡±


    Upon returning to the Sect, Mo Hua still spent his days and nights studying the Primordial Magnet Formation, deducing the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    The Jade Slip of his Secondary Thunder Pattern recorded more and more patterns.


    Although they were still complex, with many variations and details, these ¡°patterns¡± were becoming clearer and more familiar in the eyes of Mo Hua.


    They were like Taoist Friends he had never met before, who, after many encounters, had grown familiar.

 Chapter 882: Unsealing (3)

    Chapter 882 -614 Unsealing_3


    And this Taoist friend had a large family.


    Although they looked different, they shared a common bloodline and traits, which one could recognize after seeing them over and over¡­


    This was how Mo Hua acted, calm and collected, continuously summarizing and Calculating, at last he recorded about a hundred different types of Secondary Thunder Patterns in the jade slip.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s calculations, maneuvering became somewhat easier.


    The integration of Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation and Calculation gradually became more proficient. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His understanding of the Secondary Thunder Pattern deepened a bit.


    Mo Hua felt that he should find something to practice on¡­


    The ¡°Letter Token¡± was still too abstruse¡­


    Through his days of research, consulting some seniors and juniors, and even interacting with fellow Sect members from noble clans specializing in Formation methods, Mo Hua gradually broadened his understanding of the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation or similar Primordial Magnet Formations¡­


    Primordial Magnet Formation was the basis for cultivators to record, send, and transmit messages.


    Besides using pen, ink, and paper for recording and sending messages, cultivators most commonly used jade slips.


    All the jade slips in the Cultivation World were fundamentally built on Primordial Magnet Formation, used for displaying text, recording text, and transmitting documents.


    Fixed Magnetic Patterns, Secondary Thunder Flow, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, Magnetic Ink revealing characters¡­


    This whole setup was not only for ¡°communication¡± type spiritual artifacts, like the Letter Token, but it was also the foundational formation structure for all Tao Cultivation jade slips.


    Jade slips that recorded heritage relied on the Primordial Magnet Formation.


    Mo Hua remembered the two jade slips from Boss Jiang.


    Those two jade slips probably contained the heritage of the Sever Gold Sect, the Gold-Slicing Imperial Sword Technique!


    But the jade slips were sealed, making it impossible to peek inside.


    Unsealing was simpler than restoring.


    Mo Hua planned to use his understanding of the Primordial Magnet Formation gradually, starting by unsealing the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s Heritage Jade Slip, then step by step, researching to ¡°restore¡± the Letter Token¡­


    The Sever Gold Jade Slip, made of white jade, had golden patterns engraved on its edges.


    Mo Hua took out the jade slip and spent a long time researching it secretly by himself in the night at the Disciple¡¯s Residence, but still could not figure it out in the end¡­


    His predictions had all been correct.


    The Sever Gold Jade Slip was based on Primordial Magnet Formation, comprising Fixed Magnetic Patterns, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, with Secondary Thunder Pattern serving as the ¡°bridge.¡±


    So-called ¡°Sealing¡± was indeed tampering with the Primordial Magnet Formation on the jade slip, covering the original text inside the slip.


    A ¡°Secret Pattern¡± was needed to unseal the Heritage Jade Slip.


    The essence of this ¡°Secret Pattern¡± was actually ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern


    But ideas were just ideas; when it actually came to unsealing, he found himself completely unable to start¡­


    How exactly was the Sever Gold Jade Slip ¡°sealed¡±? And how should it be unsealed? If the Secret Pattern is Secondary Thunder Pattern, which type exactly is it? Without the Secret Pattern, how can it be unsealed?


    "Without heritage, fumbling on my own is indeed very difficult


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He thought about it and felt he still needed to ask someone.


    Originally, Mo Hua meant to go to Elder Master Xun, but after pondering for a while, he shook his head.


    Matters like unsealing and decoding shouldn¡¯t be consulted with Elder Master Xun.


    As soon as he asked, Elder Master Xun would definitely guess that he was secretly scheming something¡­


    In the Sect, unsealing is likely related to unsealing the ¡°Seal¡± of Heritage Jade Slip.


    This wasn¡¯t good as it might affect his image in Elder Master Xun¡¯s heart, the image of being ¡°well-behaved.¡±


    Just by thinking, one would know that in Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyes, he must be viewed as ¡°obedient,¡± ¡°proper,¡± and ¡°diligent¡± good disciple.


    If Elder Master Xun misunderstood him, it wouldn¡¯t fare well.


    He definitely wouldn¡¯t tell him the secrets of Taixu Sect anymore¡­


    So he needed to ask someone else.


    After much thought, Mo Hua finally found a suitable person:


    Zheng Fang.


    Zheng Fang was from the Zheng Family of Zhen State.


    The Zheng Family, generationally cherished and secretly passed down heritage was the true Thunder Pattern Formation.


    Secondary Thunder Pattern was a derivative of Thunder Pattern.


    Although Zheng Fang didn¡¯t know Thunder Pattern, being born in the Zheng Family and immersed in it from a young age, he must be familiar with Secondary Thunder Pattern or related Primordial Magnet Formations.


    Mo Hua went to find Zheng Fang.


    Zheng Fang had a bit of a grudge against Mo Hua.


    Because he lost to Mo Hua.


    The Zheng Familyed Formation Method, which he proudly found difficult to learn, even if it was quite basic, was effortlessly learned by Mo Hua.


    What was more outrageous was that Zheng Fang, who came from a Formation Method Aristocrat family, had to be taught Formation by Mo Hua, and even had to call Mo Hua ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    But he also knew that Mo Hua¡¯s Formation method was indeed far superior to his, so his feelings were quite bitter, and he didn¡¯t like talking to Mo Hua much, nor was their relationship very good.


    Knowing that Zheng Fang was not bad at heart, but just a bit straightforward, Mo Hua ¡°sweet-talked¡± and complimented him.


    He said the Zheng Family was an illustrious and famous name, ¡°Like Thunder Piercing the Ears.¡±


    Being able to face countless difficulties and pass down the stern and upright Thunder Pattern, the disciples of the Zheng Family must also have an open and upright nature!


    Then he further complimented Zheng Fang, young with good talent, his future in Formation was boundless¡­


    Amid Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°sugar-coated bullets¡± of praise, Zheng Fang was defeated, his resentment instantly vanished, although he tried hard to maintain a stern face, he also couldn¡¯t hide the happy smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Mo Hua then took the opportunity to ask about the Primordial Magnet Formation.


    Zheng Fang¡¯s impression of Mo Hua improved a lot, and since Mo Hua had also taught him many aspects of Formation, and he was his ¡°Junior Brother,¡± he should ¡°return the favor.¡±


    Zheng Fang then chatted with Mo Hua about Primordial Magnet Formation for a while.


    Zheng Fang, having inherited the Zheng Family¡¯s legacy, had a broad perspective, while Mo Hua studied intensively through his exploration.


    Both benefited greatly from their conversation.

 Chapter 883: Unsealing (4)

    Chapter 883 -614: Unsealing_4


    Zheng Fang increasingly felt that Mo Hua, this ¡°Junior Brother,¡± had an extraordinary talent for understanding Formations, and he came to acknowledge it quite a bit.


    Taking the opportunity, Mo Hua asked,


    "Then suppose I have a Jade Slip that I want to seal and keep others from seeing, how would I do that?¡±


    "Sealing a Jade Slip?¡±


    "Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Zheng Fang explained, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s very simple. It¡¯s just about covering it with another layer of ¡®Formation Patterns,¡¯ concealing the content, and then leaving a ¡®Sealing Pattern¡¯ to act as the key


    "Sealing Pattern?¡± Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Is that a ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯?¡±


    Zheng Fang shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. Cultivators who don¡¯t understand Formations, or Formation Masters who aren¡¯t proficient in Prime Magnetic Formation, often confuse them, referring to these types of Formation Patterns as ¡®Secret Patterns


    "But in the orthodox lineages, these namings are very strict, and you can¡¯t get them wrong


    Sealing Patterns¡¯ are used to undo ¡®sealing,¡¯ while ¡®Secret Patterns¡¯ are for decrypting ¡®encryption.''¡±


    "When a Jade Slip is sealed, you can¡¯t see the text in the Jade Slip.¡±


    "When a Jade Slip is encrypted, you can see the text inside the slip, but the text you see is actually ¡®disguised


    "Both methods are based on the same Formation principles, but their forms are quite different


    With sudden understanding and admiration, Mo Hua exclaimed,


    "You know so much!¡±


    Zheng Fang¡¯s face flushed slightly, and feeling proud, he spilled everything he knew about ¡°sealing¡± and ¡°encryption¡± like pouring beans from a bamboo tube:


    "As for sealing, it involves adding an ¡®Unfixed Magnetic Pattern¡¯ over a complete Primordial Magnet Formation, forming a dense and symmetrical ¡®Magnetic Ink Mist¡¯ to cover the real content inside the Jade Slip


    "Encryption is different. It involves twisting the ¡®Magnetic Stream¡¯ between the Fixed Magnetic Pattern and the Unfixed Magnetic Pattern, that is the ¡®Secondary Thunder Flow,¡¯ causing the exhibited text by the Magnetic Ink to become distorted


    "To unseal, one must decode the ¡®Sealing Pattern¡¯ and release the ¡®Unfixed Magnetic Pattern.''¡±


    "To decrypt, one must decrypt the ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯ and correct the ¡®Secondary Thunder Pattern


    ¡­


    Zheng Fang spoke fluently, finishing his explanation in one breath.


    Although some of these things were memorized verbatim, which he himself didn¡¯t quite understand, he had indeed learned them extremely thoroughly.


    Mo Hua looked at Zheng Fang with new respect.


    Indeed, among any three people walking, I can find my teacher.


    Being humble and eager to learn, looking more and asking questions, there are always gains.


    Mo Hua returned loaded with knowledge, and began excitedly pondering over how to ¡°unseal.¡±


    The Sever Gold Jade Slip from Sever Gold Sect was blank on the surface, covered with mist, but on closer inspection, there were fine specks of Magnetic Ink.


    This was the ¡°sealing.¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Understanding the principle, finding the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± to unseal gave him a direction.


    The method was also quite simple.


    Both Jade Slips were old, and Boss Jiang definitely consulted them often.


    During consultation, he would undoubtedly use the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± to unseal.


    As long as it was unsealed, traces of the Magnetic Stream would inevitably be left.


    Other Cultivators might not see these traces, but Mo Hua, with the algorithm fused with the Heavenly secret, could detect some clues.


    To detect the trace of the Magnetic Stream is to detect the trace of the Secondary Thunder Flow.


    Then, based on experience, simplify the Secondary Thunder Flow to the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    But this Secondary Thunder Pattern was a simplification of Mo Hua¡¯s own making, which might not be precise.


    Mo Hua also needed to define some similar Secondary Thunder Patterns from his own ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± and try them one by one¡­


    Second Grade¡¯s Secondary Thunder Patterns all fell within the same category.


    Among the hundreds of Secondary Thunder Patterns, there would always be one ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± that was the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± to unseal the Sever Gold Jade Slip.


    It didn¡¯t matter if it was not found; as long as the category was determined, he could grope for changes and try each one in turn.


    And the Secondary Thunder Pattern, not entirely considered a Formation Pattern, had no standardization and was not entirely precise either.


    As long as the general context was similar, it could roughly be used as a ¡°Sealing Pattern.¡±


    It¡¯s like two keys, which, despite some differences, can still unlock locks.


    The only problem was that this process of deduction could not be done on the Taoist Stele in the Sea of Consciousness.


    It had to be attempted in reality, trying to merge Tricky Calculation with Calculation.


    Hence, Mo Hua could only proceed with extreme caution, trying a little at a time, avoiding excessive strain on the Sea of Consciousness and the potential for Divine Sense fractures when Computations amplified Calculations¡­


    Days later, Mo Hua, through the fusion of algorithms, sensed the trace of the Secondary Thunder Flow.


    Mo Hua spent half a day simplifying these Secondary Thunder Flows into ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns.¡±


    After that, Mo Hua took another two days to pick out several ¡°thunder-like¡± Secondary Thunder Patterns from his own Secondary Thunder Pattern Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua tried these ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± one by one as ¡°Sealing Patterns¡± in an attempt to unseal the Sever Gold Jade Slip.


    The results were quite smooth.


    After more than a dozen attempts, Mo Hua heard a faint ¡°sizzle¡± as if a weak Thunder Flow surged and the Magnetic Stream induction circulated.


    Simultaneously, the mist in the Sever Gold Jade Slip dissipated.


    On the Jade Slip, the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns used for sealing transformed and faded away, revealing the five gilt characters at the top of the Jade Slip:


    "Gold-Slicing Imperial Sword Technique!¡±

 Chapter 884: Mastery of All Spells

    Chapter 884 -615 Mastery of All Spells


    In the Qian Xue State Boundary, one of the twelve streams of the Sect, the Sect¡¯s Ultimate Skill of Sever Gold Sect:


    The Sever Gold Sword Controlling Technique!


    Mo Hua fondled the Jade Slip, feeling elated and immediately continued to scan it with his Divine Sense.


    The text within the Jade Slip was detailed and the inheritance was complete; it was indeed the Sword Technique of the Sever Gold Sword Controlling Method, and it contained three major categories of Swordsmanship Cultivation content:


    "The Method of Sword Qi Cultivation¡±;


    "The Method of Sword Weapon Forging¡±;


    "The Divine Sense Sword Controlling Method¡±.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    This was the genuine Sword Technique, a true transmission from within the Inner Gate of the Sever Gold Sect.


    No wonder it was so powerful¡­


    He had no idea how Boss Jiang managed to steal it¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, then after a quick glance, he put away the Jade Slip of the Sever Gold Sword Controlling Technique.


    There was too much content inside; he would study it carefully when he had the time.


    There was another Jade Slip that was sealed with Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, and he did not know what content it held.


    Mo Hua initially thought that the two Sever Gold Jade Slips were divided into upper and lower parts, both recording the Sever Gold Sword Technique.


    But now, something seemed amiss.


    The unsealed Jade Slip already contained a very complete transmission of the Sword Technique; therefore, the other Jade Slip must contain other content.


    "Could it be other inheritances from the Sever Gold Sect?¡±


    Mo Hua murmured to himself, somewhat expectant, and began to concentrate on deducing and unsealing the other Jade Slip.


    To his surprise, although these two Jade Slips looked the same in shape, the ¡°Sealing Patterns¡± on them were vastly different.


    One was a traditional, Sect-style ¡°Sealing Pattern¡±.


    The other was obscure and from a lesser-known lineage, nearly a completely different style of Daoist Cultivation, with peculiar habits in the use of the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    This was much too different from the ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± that Mo Hua had silently accumulated over time.


    With no other choice, Mo Hua had to take out another Jade Slip and collect together these peculiar ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± used by the Cultivators of the unconventional Dao Heritage.


    Mo Hua had a feeling that although this was his first encounter with such Secondary Thunder Patterns, it would surely not be his last.


    If that was the case, it was best to be prepared from an early stage.


    He gathered their Secondary Thunder Patterns, stroke by stroke.


    Never fight an unprepared battle.


    But because he had to start from scratch with deducing, organizing, and decoding, the process took a bit longer.


    After the annual break, Mo Hua spent another half a month before he managed to ¡°coincidentally¡± deduce, through his own efforts and a bit of luck, the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± used to unseal the other Sever Gold Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and then looked forward to inspecting the Jade Slip with his Divine Sense.


    With such a securely added technique and such a unique unsealing pattern,


    Surely there must be an incredible inheritance within the Jade Slip, or a ¡°secret¡±.


    But upon inspection, Mo Hua was dumbfounded:


    "March 7th


    "Kidnapped a person, sold, for eight hundred thousand Spirit Stones.¡±


    "Brothers are deeply connected, gave them one hundred thousand, kept seven hundred thousand for myself.¡±


    "To prevent the brothers from harboring resentment, falsely claimed we only got a hundred and twenty thousand, my share was twenty thousand


    "The brothers call me a good Brother.¡±


    ¡­


    What is this¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    It resembled a diary-like memo.


    What Serious Cultivator writes a diary?


    Does Boss Jiang have an issue?


    Even jotting down the details of splitting the loot¡­


    Mo Hua thought it was some precious inheritance and had been looking forward to it.


    Mo Hua was disappointed. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But having gone to such lengths to decode it, he couldn¡¯t just ignore it; Mo Hua read on with interest¡­


    ¡­


    "March 28th


    "Lao Liu was not careful with his actions, the news leaked, and he was hunted by the Taoist Court Officials


    "Because of one person, we can¡¯t implicate so many brothers


    "Lao Liu is dead


    "I killed him, and my heart aches.¡±


    "But I believe Lao Liu died without regrets


    "He knows my good intentions, he won¡¯t blame me


    ¡­


    "April 1st


    "Shi¡¯er suspects me


    ¡­


    "April 10th


    "Shi¡¯er found out I embezzled Spirit Stones.¡±


    "He wanted to split them equally with me.¡±


    "We were brothers, but his greed disappointed me.¡±


    "Killed him with tears in my eyes


    "But thinking of our past, I gave his mistress and illegitimate child some condolence Spirit Stones, other brothers were very grateful, praising me for being compassionate and righteous


    "They understand me, and I am consoled


    ¡­


    "May 4th


    "Two brothers died, recruited three more


    "These three seemed quite clever, not sure how long they can be brothers.¡±


    ¡­


    "July 12th


    "Four died, heartbroken


    ¡­


    "Sigh, it¡¯s difficult to build something in these times, can¡¯t keep brothers around


    "Business setbacks, people¡¯s hearts scattered


    "Brothers don¡¯t work hard, can¡¯t catch hostages, don¡¯t earn Spirit Stones, a Golden Core is far out of reach, my heart is anxious.¡±


    ¡­


    In some places later on, the writing was smeared, the text fragmented; Mo Hua could only skim through:


    "Market isn¡¯t good


    "Taoist Court Officials are too oppressive, a bunch of lapdogs!¡±


    "That damn Gu Changhuai! Death to him!¡±


    "If one day I attain a Golden Core, I¡¯ll sacrifice Gu Changhuai¡¯s blood to my Sever Gold Sword


    ¡­


    "Today I killed another expert, how satisfying


    "The Sever Gold Sword Controlling Technique is indeed the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s Ultimate Skill; so far, no one has survived under this sword


    "No wonder back then, the Sever Gold Sect treated this Sword Technique as a treasure and refused to teach me


    "Sever Gold Sword Qi never fails; Golden Sword Claiming Life


    "Once this sword is drawn, a flood of Golden Light, I wonder who can survive under the sword

 Chapter 885: Mastery of All Spells (2)

    Chapter 885 -615 Mastery of All Spells_2


    "I really want to experience it


    "Too bad Gu Changhuai is at the Golden Core stage, the cultivation gap is too big, otherwise I would make him taste the power of this sword technique


    ¡­


    "Earned two hundred thousand Spirit Stones


    "Lost two brothers


    "Brothers are just not reliable


    ¡­


    "September 3rd, there¡¯s a big deal


    The traces of alteration were heavy, as if everything had been erased, Mo Hua continued to read:


    "Mr. Tu said not to talk about it, I dare not record


    "I only know that once it¡¯s completed, one could even transcend


    The rest was erased too.


    "Can¡¯t write it down¡­ can only keep it in my heart, this makes me very uncomfortable


    "Let it be


    "September 10th, great luck and great profit.¡±


    "Things did not go well


    "It¡¯s messed up


    "September 12th


    "It wasn¡¯t bad, things went smoothly, other groups of cultivators all died, our group, with the weakest cultivation and most inconspicuous, actually succeeded


    "I, Jiang Jing, am blessed with the luck of heaven, with hopes for a Golden Core.¡±


    "Mr. Tu¡¯s final admonition was to


    What was written here had been erased and replaced with the word ¡°goods.¡±


    to deliver the ¡®goods¡¯ outside Qingzhou City, someone will coordinate, the men in black¡­ will transfer it to the Divine Temple, then this matter can be considered complete, no need for unnecessary complications


    "Outside Qingzhou City, coordinate, Divine Temple!¡±


    "Must remember it well!¡±


    ¡­


    "September 14th


    "Passed by the Desolate Mountain Temple, picked up an ¡®extra fortune,¡¯ a little fool, not worth mentioning


    ¡­


    "September 20th


    "Today is the last day of the mission, and before setting off, I particularly checked the calendar


    "Auspicious: setting off, seeing off, cremation, opening boxes, meeting friends, moving earth, entering a coffin


    "Taboo: spoken disasters, lighting stoves, Sword Control


    "Auspicious to set off, auspicious to see off, all things are auspicious


    "It¡¯s a good day.¡±


    ¡­


    The diary ended on this ¡°good day.¡±


    After that, Boss Jiang set off, and there was nothing further¡­


    Mo Hua flipped through it again, hoping to find something related to the abduction of ¡®Yu Er,¡¯ but unfortunately, there was nothing, and what little related information there was, he already knew¡­


    Moreover, there were no records about family properties, secret treasures, or inheritances.


    Mo Hua sighed deeply, feeling very disappointed with Boss Jiang.


    This diary was of no value at all.


    Mo Hua could only put away this ¡°diary¡± for now, and then took out ¡°Golden Severance Sword Art¡± to look at¡­


    Before learning the sword technique, he must consider one thing.


    That is, he must not be troubled by the Sever Gold Sect.


    Although the sword technique was excellent, it was, after all, an inheritance of the Sever Gold Sect.


    If he secretly learned it and the Sever Gold Sect found out, they might hunt him down, which would be troublesome.


    Even if the Sever Gold Sect did not hunt him, but they were petty and did not allow him to use it, then learning it would be useless¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but flip further through the sword technique, looked over more sword cultivation methods, and then realized, he was overthinking it.


    Even if they allowed him to study, he might not be able to master this sword technique¡­


    Mo Hua had attended Tao Cultivation classes for sword cultivation, and he knew that there were several types of sword cultivations:


    One was purely Sword Qi cultivation.


    That is, condensing Spiritual Power into Sword Qi, releasing Sword Qi from afar to kill enemies, similar to Spiritual Cultivation sword cultivation.


    Uncle Zhang Lan was this type, and he presumably cultivated Water-shaped Sword Qi.


    One was holding a Sword Weapon, similar to Body Cultivation sword cultivators.


    Infusing one¡¯s Spiritual Power into Strength, merging with the Sword Weapon, and using the power of the Sword Weapon for close combat.


    Senior Brother Ouyang Feng probably cultivated this type of swordsmanship.


    Another type was the integration of Sword Qi and Sword Weapon, storing up power to condense Sword Qi, letting Sword Qi enter the Sword Weapon, then using Divine Sense to control the Sword and kill enemies.


    A Sword Control method that combines Sword Qi and Sword Weapon into one.


    That is, the swordsmanship described in the ¡°Golden Severance Sword Art.¡±


    These three types of swordsmanship each have their advantages and disadvantages.


    But in terms of power, it must be the ¡°Golden Severance Sword Art¡±, which fully utilizes the power of Sword Qi and the benefits of the Sword Weapon, which has the strongest lethality.


    The problem is, typical sword cultivators start from a young age, coming in contact with swordsmanship, learning to condense Sword Qi.


    Mo Hua had never cultivated swordsmanship; his condensed Sword Qi was very dim and dissipated.


    And his Spiritual Power was weak, naturally, his Sword Qi was also weak.


    The GOLDEN SPIRITED Sword required for deploying the Golden Severance Sword Art needs to be specially forged, but Mo Hua couldn¡¯t afford such crafting.


    Sword Qi cultivation, Sword Weapon forging, Sword Controlling Technique.


    Of these three, the only thing Mo Hua might excel at was ¡°Sword Controlling Technique,¡± given his strong Divine Sense.


    But without fierce Sword Qi and a good Spirit Sword, just knowing Sword Control, he basically has no ¡°sword¡± to control¡­


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    "Let¡¯s plan for the long term


    Cultivate the Sword Qi slowly, gradually, seeing if there can be any progress.


    Save up Spirit Stones or Merit Points to see if he could gather materials to have someone ¡°cheaply¡± forge a Spirit Sword for him.


    If one day, he truly mastered the Golden Severance Sword Art, only then consider how to deal with the Sever Gold Sect.


    Otherwise, it¡¯s like worrying about having too many Spirit Stones before even earning them, not knowing how to spend them, as foolish as that sounds.


    "What a pity


    "Majestic and shimmering with golden light, the great treasure sword¡­ Can¡¯t learn it for now


    Mo Hua felt somewhat unhappy.


    And concerning sword cultivation, it also served as a reminder to Mo Hua.


    If he couldn¡¯t learn the sword technique, that¡¯s it, but his current spells are overall still too weak¡­ Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Especially the combat spells.


    His Concealment Technique was still first-grade, deficient, only effective under the enhancement of a Concealment Formation.


    The Water Prison Technique was okay, but the Fireball Technique¡­


    At the Foundation Establishment Stage, especially in Qian State crowded with the proud heirs of heaven, the ubiquitous Fireball Technique, despite being fast and accurate, was already somewhat insufficient in power.

 Chapter 886: Mastery of All Spells (3)

    Chapter 886 -615: Mastery of All Spells_3


    It was only good for adding finishing moves.


    In head-on battles, the power of the Fireball Technique had reached a bottleneck, with no significant threat any longer.


    Especially since future opponents were not to be trifled with.


    "I can¡¯t learn Swordsmanship yet, I need to figure out a way to learn some more powerful spells


    Mo Hua thought to himself silently.


    After a Daoist Skill class, Mo Hua went to earnestly seek advice from the Sect Elder who taught Daoist Skills.


    The Elder of Daoist Law was middle-aged, slightly overweight, and had a deep impression of Mo Hua.


    After all, disciples with Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Roots were few and far between in Taixu Gate over the years.


    Especially in the recent decades, there had hardly been any disciples with Mid-Grade Spiritual Roots.


    Mo Hua was the only one.


    Moreover, Elder Master Xun¡¯s partiality towards Mo Hua was evident to all the other Elders, so despite Mo Hua¡¯s inferior Spiritual Root, they dared not treat him with the slightest contempt.


    "Elder, is there any powerful spell I can learn?¡± Mo Hua tentatively asked.


    The Elder of Daoist Law looked at Mo Hua, pondering for a long time, unsure whether to speak or not.


    With a resigned face, Mo Hua said,


    "Elder, please speak your mind


    The Elder of Daoist Law coughed and put it gently,


    "You must be aware that the more powerful the spell, the more demanding the conditions


    "Firstly, there¡¯s the Grade of the Spiritual Root


    "Some powerful spells require a Top-Grade, or even top top-grade Spiritual Root to learn and utilize


    "Without a Top-Grade Spiritual Root, not cultivating Top-Grade techniques, with a meager Qi Sea and feeble Spiritual Power, it¡¯s impossible to wield such high-powered spells.¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law gave Mo Hua a look that said, you know what grade your Spiritual Root is and what techniques you can cultivate; there¡¯s no need for me to elaborate.


    "Besides, there¡¯s the attribute of the Spiritual Root,¡± the Elder of Daoist Law continued,


    "Some spells require special attributes of the Spiritual Root like thunder, ice, wind, and others such as pure metal, yin wood, heavy water, to maximize their power.¡±


    "Yours¡­ hmm


    The Elder of Daoist Law paused, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Small Five Elements Spirit Root is a bit of everything, but not strong in anything


    "So, the spells you can learn tend to be more ¡®Median


    The Elder of Daoist Law¡¯s wording was tactful, saying ¡°Median¡± instead of directly calling them ¡°commonplace.¡±


    "Such spells are unlikely to be very powerful said the Elder of Daoist Law in a soft voice.


    The implication was clear: it was hopeless.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became a bit despondent.


    The Elder of Daoist Law couldn¡¯t bear to see this and thought for a moment before saying,


    "But, the approach you¡¯ve taken with your spells thus far has been astute


    "Not relying on power to prevail but on speed for victory, striking quickly and accurately can indeed lead to a surprise victory.¡±


    "Besides, your Fireball Technique is very refined, and its power is indeed not too shabby, but unfortunately, the Fireball Technique is still just that, and its limit is set


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt a sense of regret.


    Mo Hua was also aware.


    His Fireball Technique was already strong, but when compared to the talents from Qian State, or those with Superior Techniques passed down through generations in clans, it was still lacking.


    Even though he could strike first, there were situations that called for overwhelming power, and relying solely on the Fireball Technique was insufficient.


    Formations were powerful, but they consumed Spirit Stones and Spiritual Ink and required a fair bit of thought and tactics, not as straightforward as spells.


    Mo Hua then asked for advice:


    "Elder, what do you think I should focus on learning for my future spells?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law pondered for a moment before slowly replying, S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Actually, I shouldn¡¯t be telling you this, given that the Sect¡¯s examination rules are what they are


    "It¡¯s not just Taixu Gate. Throughout the entire Qian Xue State Boundary, all sects value the Grade of spells, abiding by the principle ¡®Overpower with Single force¡¯, using the most solid spiritual power to unleash Superior Techniques, killing with one move, overpowering everything!¡±


    "Daoist Skill examinations also follow this rule.¡±


    "But you are different


    "Since your Spiritual Power is weak, you might as well learn more low-level techniques that consume less Spiritual Power, that are quick to cast, and have a strong utility, encompassing all Five Elements.¡±


    "Spiritual Power has its interactions, and so do spells.¡±


    "The more spells you master, the more moves you have. A quick hand can take the enemy by surprise.¡±


    "And some spells might seem low-level, but it¡¯s just their power that¡¯s considered low, not their usefulness.¡±


    "Some spells are subtle in their casting, some have a myriad of changes, and some are hard to guard against


    "The Five Elements flow; Mastery of All Spells can be achieved.¡±


    "Even if you only know lower-tier spells, you can win with quantity, spell after spell, putting your opponent on the back foot.¡±


    "Of course, you must first break through your opponent¡¯s ¡®Golden Body Technique¡¯, and then it¡¯s better to use spells to suppress them


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gradually brightened.


    Spell Master!


    Understanding the Five Elements, mastering a myriad of spells, a never-ending flow of Spiritual Power, and an infinite cycle of spells.


    If he could also manifest the ¡°Five Elements Source Formation¡± at his feet, reinforcing the Five Elements, amplifying his spells, then he would be a ¡®Spell¡¯ artillery!


    With just low-level spells, he could ¡°pile¡± his opponents to death.


    "But Mo Hua asked again, ¡°Do I have to learn all Five Elements Spells? Can I just focus on the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Even if he learned spells, the Fireball Technique was likely to be the strongest.


    The Elder of Daoist Law said, ¡°It¡¯s not just about power. Some spells, with their functionality, are irreplaceable.¡±


    "Like if someone has boosted themselves with the Golden Body Technique, your Fireball Technique¡¯s power will significantly diminish, but if you use the Golden Blade Technique, though not very powerful, it would reduce the duration of their Golden Body Technique

 Chapter 887: Mastery of All Spells (4)

    Chapter 887 -615 Mastery of All Spells_4


    "Your Fireball Technique may be fast, but there are spells faster than the Fireball Technique. At a critical juncture, you could interrupt someone else¡¯s attack


    "There are also some spells that can break ¡®Water Armor,¡¯ extinguish ¡®Fire Shields,¡¯ apply ¡®Wood Poison,¡¯ and damage the flesh


    "All kinds of spells have their wonders


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled as he recalled Old Kui¡¯s teachings from long ago, and he suddenly understood, murmuring, ¡°Taoist Skills are manifold, each with its own brilliance. The wonder of their use lies in the heart?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law looked somewhat surprised but couldn¡¯t help nodding and said, ¡°That¡¯s right


    "You¡¯ve just entered Foundation Establishment, and you don¡¯t have much experience in magical duels. As your cultivation grows and you encounter more cultivators, you¡¯ll realize that there is significant depth to this knowledge.¡±


    "Powerful spells are certainly good.¡±


    "But that doesn¡¯t mean that the myriad spells in the world are all useless.¡±


    "Within spells are also contained the principles of heaven and earth, the more spells you master, the deeper your understanding of the principles, and the stronger your spells will become.¡±


    "You¡¯ve done well in your Array Formation studies, so you should understand this principle


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Seeing that Mo Hua understood, the Elder of Daoist Law was very pleased, but he also reminded him, ¡°This is just my advice. Naturally, if you can cultivate Superior Techniques, they are better for their great power and straightforwardness


    "But I¡¯m suggesting this because you can¡¯t learn them.¡±


    "Besides, if you master these lower-grade spells very well, the Sect assessment won¡¯t score you highly¡ªyou¡¯ll most likely receive a ¡®Grade C


    "I must remind you of this again; don¡¯t blame me later


    "Don¡¯t go complaining to Elder Master Xun, saying I¡¯ve led astray the younger generation


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°I understand, thank you, Elder Xie.¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law confirmed this with Mo Hua again, getting his assurance before feeling relieved.


    ¡­


    After returning, Mo Hua began to ponder about becoming a ¡°Spell Master¡± with a Mastery of All Spells¡­


    The Sever Gold Sword Control Jue wouldn¡¯t necessarily come into play for the time being.


    But the cultivation of spells was an urgent matter.


    Especially since he needed to accumulate Merit Points and mingle with Senior Sister Murong and others on many missions, each additional spell meant an extra measure of confidence.


    Many skills don¡¯t make a burden.


    However, Taixu Gate¡¯s spells also required Merit Points to acquire.


    Mo Hua flipped through the Merit Scroll and found, indeed, it listed all kinds of Five Elements Spells¡ªthousands of them in total.


    But none of them were cheap.


    The cheaper ones cost dozens of Merit Points, while the more expensive ones cost hundreds.


    Some Superior Five Elements Spells even required thousands of Merit Points.


    Mo Hua felt fortunate.


    Luckily, he couldn¡¯t learn them, sparing him the wasted ¡°money


    But dozens of points¡­


    Compared to Array Formation, it naturally didn¡¯t seem expensive.


    But he wanted to learn so many, not to mention continue learning Array Formation; thus, his already modest stock of Merit Points dwindled even further¡­


    What¡¯s more, you get what you pay for.


    Though some spells in there were lower-grade and couldn¡¯t be too demanding, they seemed too plain after looking them over¡­


    And if he was to become a ¡°Spell Master,¡± he would need to learn an immense number of spells.


    It would be a big loss to exchange all of them for Merit Points¡­


    "Is there a way to learn spells without spending Merit Points?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, but after several days, he still had no clue.


    Until one day, when he was tired after studying Array Formation and lay on his bed flipping through Boss Jiang¡¯s diary to alleviate his boredom.


    As he flipped through it, Mo Hua¡¯s brows creased; something was off about this diary.


    Amid the lines, he faintly sensed a weak Magnetic Stream¡­


    Magnetic Stream¡­


    Secondary Thunder Pattern?


    "That¡¯s not right


    The Secondary Thunder Pattern on the Jade Slip¡¯s Sealing Pattern was meant for unsealing.


    The Secondary Thunder Pattern inside the Jade Slip was used to link Magnetic Patterns, revealing written words.


    But where did these Secondary Thunder Patterns on the surface of the words, between the lines of the Jade Slip, come from?


    Mo Hua started, then suddenly remembered what Zheng Fang had told him about Sealing Patterns and Secret Patterns, and he was taken aback.


    Were these traces of the Secondary Thunder Pattern¡­


    Secret Patterns?! Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boss Jiang, this disreputable character, has he encrypted his diary?

 Chapter 888: List

    Chapter 888 -616 List


    An encrypted diary¡­ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What could be inside?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up with curiosity.


    Boss Jiang, this man, hid some unspeakable information within the verbose words of his letters¡­


    And he first sealed it, then encrypted it, going to great lengths to keep it from being noticed¡ªthere must be something valuable hidden inside!


    The corners of Mo Hua¡¯s mouth lifted in a smirk as he squinted in satisfaction.


    He wanted to unlock it and take a look.


    Zheng Fang had mentioned that encryption was different from sealing.


    Sealing involved constructing an Unfixed Magnetic Pattern, creating a blank ¡°fog-like Magnetic Ink¡± that concealed the text.


    Encryption was about ¡°disguising¡± text.


    To be more accurate, it involved distorting the Secondary Thunder Pattern, altering the Magnetic Stream, and changing the ¡°agreements¡± between Fixed and Unfixed Patterns, causing the presented text to change and form a ¡°disguise¡±.


    What you see is not the true content within the Jade Slip.


    "If you want to decrypt it, you have to decrypt the ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯, correct the twisted ¡®Secondary Thunder Pattern¡¯, and restore the text within the Jade Slip


    In other words, it¡¯s about correcting the ¡°agreement¡± between the Fixed Magnetic Pattern and the Unfixed Magnetic Pattern.


    The key is still the Secondary Thunder Pattern¡­


    Everything a Cultivator does leaves traces.


    The encryption of Jade Slips is no exception.


    As long as Boss Jiang used the ¡°Secret Pattern¡± and saw the true content of the Jade Slip, this Secret Pattern would generate a Magnetic Stream, leaving a trace.


    This trace might be invisible to other Cultivators, but Mo Hua, whose Divine Consciousness has undergone Transformation and has fused with Tricky Calculation and Calculation, could perceive it.


    This principle was the same as when Mo Hua ¡°unsealed¡± the Jade Slip.


    By sensing the trace, deducing the Secondary Thunder Pattern, and then comparing and matching against known Secondary Thunder Patterns, the true Secret Pattern could be deciphered.


    Decoding was more complex than unsealing.


    When visualizing the Jade Slip and sensing the Magnetic Patterns, he couldn¡¯t perform his calculations on the Taoist Stele.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t calculate for too long.


    Otherwise, his Divine Consciousness would be torn apart by the burden of Tricky Calculation and Calculation, causing damage.


    So it would also take more time.


    Mo Hua patiently and methodically calculated each Magnetic Stream slowly.


    Fortunately, the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± and the ¡°Secret Pattern¡± for this ¡°diary¡± Jade Slip belonged to the same category, so after half a month, Mo Hua deciphered the real ¡°Secret Pattern¡±.


    Mo Hua let out a deep sigh of relief.


    After successfully deciphering the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± for the first time, he had now successfully deciphered the ¡°Secret Pattern¡± for the first time too!


    His Secondary Thunder Pattern Library was also enriched.


    His mastery in Thunder Magnetism Formation took a solid step forward.


    Just what could he achieve if he kept learning this way, step by step, to the utmost limit?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows in thought.


    If he could thoroughly grasp the Magnetic Stream and gain full command of Secondary Thunder Patterns, would he have countless keys?


    Then, wouldn¡¯t all the Sealing and Secret Patterns of Heritage Jade Slips in the world be meaningless to him?


    Wouldn¡¯t he be able to plunder the heritage of the entire world?


    "Too terrifying


    Mo Hua startled even himself with the thought.


    Shaking his head, Mo Hua put away such ¡°delusional¡± thoughts and continued to fiddle with Boss Jiang¡¯s ¡°diary¡±.


    Zheng Fang had already bluntly shared with Mo Hua the specifics of decoding.


    Mo Hua recalled the details, then let his Divine Consciousness sink into the Jade Slip, using scattered Magnetic Ink to condense a painstakingly deciphered Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Using this Secondary Thunder Pattern as a ¡°Secret Pattern¡±, he overlaid it on each piece of text marked by traces of a Magnetic Stream.


    The Secondary Thunder Flow created by the Secret Pattern permeated through the superficial Magnetic Ink, into the Unfixed Magnetic Pattern, and down into the depths, adjusting the distorted Magnetic Stream caused by ¡°disguise¡±, ¡°straightening what was bent¡±, and thus constructing a true bridge.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s diary text in the Jade Slip began to twist and contort, finally settling and revealing its true nature beneath the ¡°disguise¡±.


    Mo Hua looked eagerly.


    As he read, Mo Hua¡¯s expression became increasingly intriguing.


    These texts¡­


    Were they a ¡°list¡±?


    Listed in a row, all were pseudonyms known in the Cultivation World:


    "Poison Raksha, Fireworker Chief, Gold Arhat, Flower Gentleman, Human Butcher, Blood Woodcutter, Yin Thunder Child, Madam Miao, Ghost Face Sha, Crossing River Dragon


    Full of the Jianghu spirit and quite unserious.


    The Cultivators corresponding to these names were likely, at the very least, Sin Cultivators, and many were probably Evil Cultivators, if not Demon Cultivators.


    Mo Hua was greatly surprised, and mumbled to himself,


    "People cannot be judged by their appearances after all. Does Boss Jiang really have such an extensive network?¡±


    "But that¡¯s not right


    These pseudonyms sounded ominous, and these Cultivators didn¡¯t seem to be easy to deal with, not matching someone plain-named like ¡°Boss Jiang


    "These people might not all be acquaintances of Boss Jiang


    "So, did he come across this list by chance?¡±


    "Or could it be¡­ he had taken the Evil Path, committing murder, arson, deception, and other crimes, and heard it from others in the underworld?¡±


    "Or maybe, they are from the same organization?¡±


    "What organization would that be?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    There was also a most critical question.


    What use was this ¡°list¡± to him if he kept it?


    "Hand it over to the Taoist Court for Merit Points?¡±


    Without catching the criminals, it¡¯s not an actual achievement, and since no mission was issued, even if he handed it over, there might be no Merit Points awarded.


    What if the Court Official asked him how he came across this ¡°list¡±?


    How would he answer?


    Coincidentally abducted by traffickers, then killing the traffickers, slaying Boss Jiang, stripping his Storage Bag, taking his Sever Gold Jade Slip, being an expert in Primordial Magnet Formation, having unsealed the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡±, cracked the ¡°Secret Pattern¡±, and thus found this ¡°list¡±?

 Chapter 889: List (2)

    Chapter 889: Chapter 616 List_2


    These string of events, it seems, shouldn¡¯t be reported to the Taoist Court.


    If I were to lie, I would have to fabricate a tightly logical big lie; otherwise, I would definitely give myself away.


    Even if I could argue self-defense and the Taoist Court let me off, they would surely label me a ¡°dangerous person¡± and be more wary of me.


    And that would make my future actions more difficult.


    "But if I don¡¯t hand it over to the Taoist Court, what should I do with this list of names I¡¯ve decoded with so much effort?¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua lay on the bed, propping her head on her arms, staring at the ceiling, and blinking as she pondered.


    Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration, and her eyes lit up.


    Names, nicknames¡­


    As the saying goes, ¡°A man¡¯s name, a tree¡¯s shadow.¡±


    There¡¯s no wrong nickname, only a wrong name.


    Just like Bald Eagle.


    I don¡¯t know his real name, but since his nickname is ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± he¡¯s very likely to be bald, and also to have the Four Symbols Eagle Pattern on his head.


    A ¡°Bald¡± and an ¡°Eagle.¡±


    Not a word off, not a single lie.


    Then this list, with so many nicknames, is probably also based on these cultivators¡¯ physical features, cultivation techniques, or the Taoist skills they use, or the methods they are known for in the Cultivation World.


    For example, ¡°Poison Raksha¡± likely excels at using poison;


    Fireworker Chief must practice Fire-series cultivation techniques and is skilled in Fire-series Taoist skills;


    Gold Arhat, well, Arhat suggests a powerful physical body, and with the word ¡°Gold,¡± it¡¯s likely he practices Gold-series Taoist skills, quite possibly defensive spells like Golden Bell Shield.


    Flower Gentleman must be a slick womanizer, practicing sinister cultivation techniques like replenishing from others¡­


    ¡­


    In other words, these cultivators, each and every one of them, must be carriers of ¡°inheritance¡±!


    To be able to make a name for themselves near the Qianxue State boundary, an area crowded with geniuses and filled with powerful sects¡­


    The ¡°inheritances¡± they possess must also be extraordinary!


    Boss Jiang¡¯s list is not only a Sin Cultivator list but can also be considered a¡­


    List of inheritances!


    Mo Hua¡¯s thought process suddenly cleared.


    One¡¯s vision in life must be broadened.


    It¡¯s not enough just to think about shearing wool from the sects.


    The wool of Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators can also be sheared!


    By capturing them and ¡°convincing them with reason,¡± I can find out the whereabouts of the inheritances, and then I won¡¯t have to spend Merit Points to buy any spells anymore.


    Even capturing them can earn me Merit Points!


    It¡¯ll be a blood profit, no loss!


    As for how to choose which inheritances¡­


    Mo Hua had already figured it out.


    Whatever kind of spell or inheritance I want to learn, I¡¯ll just catch Sin Cultivators or Evil Cultivators with the same attributes.


    For example, if I want to learn Fire Spells, I¡¯ll look within the list for Sin Cultivators with nicknames implicating ¡°fire,¡± ¡°flame,¡± or ¡°blaze.¡±


    If I want to learn Gold-series Spells, I¡¯ll search for villains with ¡°golden,¡± ¡°vajra,¡± or ¡°Jinluo¡± in their names.


    If I want to learn Water System Spells, I¡¯ll seek out ¡°water,¡± ¡°wave,¡± ¡°river,¡± ¡°fish,¡± ¡°jiao¡± types of scoundrels¡­


    ¡­


    "Using the map to find the clues,¡± will be sure to find the right one.


    Whether or not I can find the appropriate spells, of course, there¡¯s an element of luck involved.


    But even if there aren¡¯t suitable spells, I can still earn Merit Points.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    "Boss Jiang is a good person!¡±


    This list is simply another ¡®Merit Roll¡¯!


    As for what spells to learn first, whose name to pinpoint from the list of Sin Cultivators, how to find him, how to take on the missions¡­


    These details still need to be properly considered.


    Once everything is in place, when everything is ready, I can start ¡°calling the roll


    Mo Hua held the Jade Slip, and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smile on her face.


    The late Boss Jiang would never have known that although he is dead, his diary has become a ¡°Death Diary.¡±


    ¡­


    Which spells should I learn first?


    After contemplating for half a day, Mo Hua felt that she should first learn a more complete Concealment Technique.


    It¡¯s useful whether for attack or defense, especially when it comes to escaping.


    Currently, my Concealment Technique is too inconvenient.


    The Concealment Technique I¡¯ve practiced was meant for those with a single series Water Spirit Root.


    Since I possess the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root which includes the Water Spirit Root, mine was a little mixed, resulting in incomplete concealment, occasionally leaving a hand or head exposed.


    Combining it with a Concealment Formation made it somewhat better.


    But now that I¡¯ve reached Foundation Establishment and become a disciple of one of the Eight Great Gates, Taixu Gate, and will face competition from peers and the troublesome Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators, I need to ¡°upgrade¡± and improve my Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua began to go through the list.


    Sin Cultivators skilled in Concealment Techniques are mostly thieves or burglars, and their names might include the character ¡°hidden,¡± or perhaps words like ¡°skillful hand¡± or ¡°plucking stars.¡±


    After searching for a while, Mo Hua finally marked her first target:


    Hidden elder-second.


    There was only a name, no introduction, but Mo Hua instinctively felt that this person must be a Concealment expert!


    With the name settled, the next step was to find this Hidden elder-second¡­


    But how to find him?


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, start with the Taoist Court?


    I¡¯m just a minor disciple of the Taixu Gate; the Taoist Court officials certainly don¡¯t know who I am¡­


    I have a Bronze waist badge from the Taoist Court in my possession.


    But this badge is off-record, it¡¯s from a Taoist Court in Tongxian City of the remote Second Grade Li State, it might not be recognized here in Qian State.


    Besides, even if I find Hidden elder-second, I will certainly need someone to help me capture him.


    Otherwise, as a little cultivator in the initial stages of Foundation Establishment, I might not be able to manage Hidden elder-second, an old fox.


    After much thought, Mo Hua decided there was only one way: take on a mission.

 Chapter 890: List (3)

    Chapter 890: Chapter 616 List_3


    He needed to try his luck to see if there was a task to capture Hidden elder-second announced in the Sect¡¯s Bounty Scroll.


    The list from Boss Jiang contained only the Sin Cultivators around the Qianxue State boundary.


    As long as Hidden elder-second committed crimes, he would definitely catch the attention of the Taoist Court.


    Since the Taoist Court was short of hands, they would definitely issue a bounty to the Sects.


    This way, he could ¡°naturally¡± go and capture Hidden elder-second, fleece him, and obtain the inheritance of the Concealment Technique.


    It all depended a bit on luck and ¡°opportunity¡±.


    Over the following days, whenever Mo Hua had spare time after meals, he would pull out the Taixu Token and stare at the ¡°Bounty Scroll,¡± flipping through each task one by one.


    Whenever he saw words like thief, invisible, or concealment, Mo Hua paid attention.


    But such bounties were rare, and after eight or nine days, there was still no progress.


    One afternoon, after having eaten and drunk his fill, Mo Hua sat down in the Disciple¡¯s Residence with several fellow Sect Disciples to chat.


    There was the burly Cheng Mo, the Sword Cultivator prodigy from Li State, Situ Jian, Zheng Fang from the Zheng Family in Zhen State, and a few other well-acquainted disciples.


    Mo Hua was telling them stories.


    He talked about how incredibly formidable the Monster Beasts in Big Black Mountain were.


    How dangerous and thrilling it was for Monster Hunters to hunt monsters.


    What zombies were like.


    What Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, and Copper Corpses were, and how one could become a Corpse King.


    What the scene of a sweeping Corpse Tide over the mountains looked like.


    And other tales of desolate ridges where Evil Cultivators abducted souls and Demon Cultivators consumed humans.


    He had these pampered scions, bred within their family confines, utterly dumbfounded.


    Cheng Mo¡¯s mouth hung open as he muttered,


    "Mo Hua, you can¡¯t be lying to me


    "If you don¡¯t believe, then forget it


    Mo Hua, feeling thirsty from talking, picked up the teapot and loudly gulped down several mouthfuls. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cheng Mo still somewhat disbelieved, ¡°How old are you? With monster hunting, corpse tides, and heretical demons¡­ There¡¯d be no ghosts if there wasn¡¯t some exaggeration


    "Believe it or not!¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered with him.


    "I don¡¯t believe


    "Then why were you listening so intently just now?¡±


    Cheng Mo faltered; although he didn¡¯t believe, Mo Hua¡¯s vivid and engaging storytelling truly drew him in.


    Situ Jian was also captivated, but then he remembered something else.


    "Speaking of monster hunting said Situ Jian, ¡°it seems we can also hunt monsters inside the Sect.¡±


    "Sect? Monster hunting?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡±


    Situ Jian looked puzzled, ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He was a Loose Cultivator, this was his first time in Qianxue State, his first time joining a Sect, and no one had mentioned this to him.


    Wenren Wan had told him some things, but she couldn¡¯t explain everything in meticulous detail, some things were bound to be omitted.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Where can we hunt monsters?¡±


    Situ Jian said, ¡°In Qianxue State, there¡¯s a ¡®Refining Demon Mountain¡¯ with many Monster Beasts that powerful Cultivators deliberately left there, so Sect Disciples can hone their Taoist Skills and cooperate in slaying monsters


    "However, that¡¯s a bit distant.¡±


    "New Disciples are prohibited from entering Refining Demon Mountain, you must reach at least the Middle Phase of Foundation Building to enter.¡±


    "In Refining Demon Mountain, there are many rare Monster Beasts whose materials are very valuable, specifically used for forging Spiritual Artifacts, especially Spirit Swords


    "Sword forging?!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Situ Jian was also a bit expectant, ¡°Indeed, it is said that some Spirit Swords must be forged from the bones of certain Monster Beasts from Refining Demon Mountain in Qianxue State


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, and couldn¡¯t help but think about the inheritance of the Sever Gold Sword Control Jue in his possession, which included the ¡°Method of Sword forging¡±.


    It discussed how the Sword Weapons required for Sword Control should be forged¡­


    He wanted to ask for more details, but suddenly felt a pulse in his heart as if something he had been anticipating had already happened.


    Concealment Technique!


    Mo Hua immediately flipped open the Taixu Token and found that indeed a batch of new tasks had appeared.


    Among them was one task that looked ordinary, but to Mo Hua, it notably stood out:


    "The Taoist Court of Qianxue State boundary has issued a bounty


    "A mysterious murder case

 Chapter 891: Gu Changhuai

    Chapter 891: Chapter 617 Gu Changhuai


    "Three days ago, outside the Qianxue State Boundary, south of Canglang Mountain, on Luopan Mountain Road, three disciples from a family were found dead, their Storage Bags stolen


    "The Taoist Court Official made inquiries, proceeding to inspect the scene


    "Each of these three disciples was at the Foundation Establishment Realm. After gathering for the discussion of Dao, they were returning to their sect along Luopan Mountain Road. As they passed by Canglang Mountain, someone approached them from behind, unnoticed, and used a dagger imbued with Tempered Water Poison to pierce their chests, killing them one by one.¡±


    "And unto their deaths, they realized nothing Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Cultivators coming up and down the mountain also saw no suspicious individuals passing by


    "It¡¯s unknown who the murderer is


    There¡¯s a note following this:


    "The cultivator responsible for these murders must be cunning, extremely alert, and highly skilled in the art of Concealment Techniques


    "Whoever undertakes this bounty, must exercise extreme caution!¡±


    Here it comes!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits were lifted.


    Concealment Techniques!


    But it wasn¡¯t quite what he had imagined¡­


    He had thought Concealment Techniques were used for theft, yet he hadn¡¯t expected someone to exploit such means to commit stealthy murders, and with such brutality at that.


    Mo Hua immediately used his Taixu Token to send a pointless message to Murong Caiyun:


    "Sister, are you there?¡±


    A moment later, Murong Caiyun replied with resignation:


    "What is it, just say it.¡±


    "Sister, are you free? Want to take on a task?¡±


    Before Murong Caiyun could respond, Mo Hua hastily added, ¡°I¡¯ve found a good task, want to take it? If you do, can you bring me along?¡±


    "My permissions are too low, they won¡¯t let me take on many tasks.¡±


    Murong Caiyun hesitated for a moment before messaging:


    "What task?¡±


    Mo Hua promptly sent the entry for ¡°a bizarre case of robbery and murder.¡±


    Murong Caiyun looked at it for a long time, still not understanding what was so ¡°good¡± about this ¡°good task


    A robbery murder case.


    The three died inexplicably; it was unknown who the perpetrator was, what they looked like, what Cultivation Technique they used, whether they had accomplices, a criminal record, and what was their Cultivation Realm¡ªnothing was known.


    One could only speculate based on the situation that the person was highly proficient in Concealment Techniques.


    But that was just speculation.


    Beyond that, there were no clues.


    Even finding the person would take considerable time, let alone tracking and capturing them afterward¡ªit could likely be a significant investment of time invested only to come up empty-handed.


    Murong Caiyun, wishing to gently decline, just then saw in the Taixu Token Mo Hua¡¯s barrage of ¡°Sister, sister, sister, please take it on


    She could almost see Mo Hua with his puppy-dog eyes, full of hope, gazing at her expectantly.


    Murong Caiyun couldn¡¯t bear to refuse.


    She even felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of disappointing her Junior Brother Mo Hua after declining¡­


    Murong Caiyun sighed.


    Well, might as well accept it.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if it can¡¯t be completed; it¡¯s just a waste of two days of leisure time, not unlike previous times when all efforts came to naught.


    Murong Caiyun thus agreed, ¡°Alright


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Sister!¡±


    Senior Sister Murong, indeed a good person!


    Sure enough, Murong Caiyun accepted the ¡°Concealment Robbery Murder¡± bounty, and then extended an invitation to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua immediately ¡°agreed¡± without delay.


    Thus, the investigation of the ¡°Concealment Robbery Murder case¡± was settled.


    Mo Hua exited his Divine Sense from the Taixu Token, only to notice Cheng Mo and the others staring at him.


    "What¡¯s up?¡±


    Mo Hua appeared clueless.


    "You Situ Jian asked curiously, ¡°What were you looking at in the Taixu Token?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked.


    Permissions, bounties, Merit Points¡ªthese were backdoors given to him by Elder Master Xun.


    It wouldn¡¯t be quite right to talk about them.


    Furthermore, these matters of ¡°issuing bounties, pursuing Sin Cultivators, exterminating villains¡± were still too early for them¡­


    They were held back by the family, ¡°not yet worldly,¡± unable to bear such risks.


    But he was different; he was the ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    Dangerous affairs such as these were best left to him.


    Mo Hua nodded with a sense of ¡°responsibility¡± and then made up an excuse:


    "I was checking the class schedule, wondering what classes we have next, what Spells we¡¯ll learn


    The other disciples were skeptical, staring at Mo Hua.


    Their expressions seemed to say, I¡¯d only believe that if pigs could fly¡­


    Seeing their disbelief, Mo Hua had no choice but to say:


    "Alright, I was thinking about how much homework to assign you during Formation class


    Instantly, the crowd erupted with indignation.


    No one believed him.


    "Mo Hua!¡±


    "Can we still be friends?¡±


    "I advise you to watch yourself


    "My abilities in Formation are for me to decide, I advise against meddling!¡±


    "Don¡¯t forget the camaraderie among sect brothers!¡±


    Cheng Mo, the ¡°Formation Dummy,¡± looked almost tearful, ¡°Bro, I beg you, that¡¯s enough, I can¡¯t finish that much homework


    Mo Hua put on a reluctant expression and sighed:


    "If that¡¯s the case, then forget it.¡±


    Cheng Mo¡¯s face broke into a broad smile, hugging Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, and proclaimed loudly, ¡°Great! From now on, you¡¯re my brother, my real brother!¡±


    ¡­


    Two days later, during the leisure days.


    To be safe, Mo Hua requested an additional day off, which altogether provided him with three days.


    After classes, Mo Hua left the gates of Taixu Gate and met up with everyone at the usual place¡ªthe big rock at the base of Taixu Gate¡¯s mountain.


    There were five of them this time.


    Murong Caiyun, Ouyang Feng, Hua Qianqian, and Shangguan Xu were all present.


    Shangguan Xu¡¯s injuries had healed, and he was ready to take action.


    Although the Shangguan Family was a great clan with many disciples, Shangguan Xu, a member of the Direct Lineage but not at the very core, had to earn his own Merit Points through personal efforts.

 Chapter 892: Gu Changhuai (2)

    Hua Qianqian was the daughter of a True Transmission Elder in Hundred Flower Valley, well-loved, and inevitably she was to enter the Inner Gate and receive the true teachings of Hundred Flower Valley.


    However, she did not want others to gossip and wished to earn her achievements and merit points to be promoted to a True Disciple of the Inner Gate in Hundred Flower Valley.


    These were all pieces of information Mo Hua gathered from Senior Sister Murong, then pieced together with the cases of nearby disciples.


    The accuracy was probably not far off.


    In any case, within the Qianxue State Boundary, there were so many Sect Disciples who wanted to earn merit points.


    Shangguan Xu, who was quite acquainted with Mo Hua, nodded and smiled.


    Hua Qianqian also smiled sweetly, her eyes brimming as she greeted Mo Hua.


    But Mo Hua always felt that this Senior Sister Hua looked at her with a bit of "ill intent."


    She didn''t know what Hua was plotting in her mind.


    Seeing Mo Hua glance her way, Hua Qianqian''s eyes sparkled even brighter, revealing an unusual brilliance.


    Mo Hua felt a bit of danger and immediately edged closer to Senior Sister Murong.


    Murong Caiyun looked resigned.


    After everyone gathered, they began heading toward Canglang Mountain.


    Canglang Mountain was not far from the Qianxue State Boundary, and the Daoist Court in charge of the Qianxue State Boundary, a Fifth Grade one, was located along the road to Canglang Mountain.


    The group needed to first visit the Daoist Court to confirm their identities, accept the bounty, and inquire about clues regarding the deceased.


    The sound of horse hooves clopped, and after more than an hour, they arrived at the Daoist Court.


    Mo Hua alighted, looked up, and saw an extremely grand and solemn Court Hall. The tower was towering with gold-winged eaves, dignified and solemn.


    It was like a massive seal pressed between the mountains, guarding the entire Qianxue State Boundary.


    Above it were seven large characters: "Qianxue State Boundary Daoist Court."


    This was the Qianxue State Boundary, Fifth Grade Daoist Court...


    Mo Hua was immensely shocked.


    In front of such a grand and austere Daoist Court, Mo Hua felt like a tiny sapling under a large mountain, fragile in the breeze.


    Ouyang Feng patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, speaking warmly,


    "This authority includes some bluster; you will understand more once you come here a few more times¡­"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, looked up again, and realized,


    "Formation?"


    Ouyang Feng was a bit surprised, then he laughed,


    "Exactly, this Daoist Court Hall was built incorporating an amplifying authority formation, so people seeing it for the first time feel insignificant and also feel¡­"


    Ouyang Feng pointed up and whispered, "Daoist Court Authority is vast and inviolate¡­"


    "So that''s how it is¡­"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Knowing the trick involved, her awe diminished somewhat, and then following Murong Caiyun inside, she was even more disappointed.


    This Daoist Court, from the outside, indeed looked very imposing.


    But from the inside, it was bloated with bureaucracy and filled with a sense of decay.


    And most of the Enforcement Leaders and Department Heads had stern faces, speaking rigidly with a hint of condescension.


    Unpleasant faces, unpleasant words.


    If it were Third Grade or Fourth Grade, it would have been tolerable.


    But several mere Second Grade Enforcement Leaders also had a self-important air.


    Occasionally, there were also Daoist Court Cultivators with sharp eyes and profound cultivation, obviously formidable, but they were few and far between and seemed out of place with the overall atmosphere of the Daoist Court.


    Mo Hua wanted to ask something, but considering walls have ears, especially within the Fifth Grade Daoist Court with many Great Cultivators, who might overhear, she refrained from asking.


    Murong Caiyun led the way, verified their identities, accepted the bounty, and then gathered a few scrolls, completing the formalities.


    She was a noble family''s son and a Taixu Gate Disciple, with impressive looks and talent, so the Cultivators from the Daoist Court were quite polite.


    Everything went smoothly without much cold treatment or difficulty.


    "So, they judge the person by their appearance¡­"


    Mo Hua muttered to herself.


    Just as they were about to leave, they were stopped by an Enforcement Leader who said, "Hold on, Supervisor Gu has a message for you¡­"


    Supervisor Gu?


    Mo Hua was startled, her heart leaping, could it be...


    After a moment, a man approached from a distance. Mo Hua glanced over and thought, surely it is he...


    The man had a handsome face, wearing the Daoist Court Supervisor Taoist Robe, elegantly mannered, his attitude not too arrogant, but his brows revealed a trace of rebellious pride.


    It was Gu Changhuai, a young master from the Gu Family, with whom Mo Hua had several encounters.


    Gu Changhuai spoke with a cool, even tone, appearing calm but also somewhat conceited,


    "This matter is very tricky; I didn''t want you disciples to take it on, I informed the Daoist Court and had just removed this task, but then found out you had already accepted¡­"


    "There are rules for everything; since you have taken it, there''s nothing to be done, but there are a few points I want to remind you¡­"


    Gu Changhuai walked while speaking to himself, hardly glancing at Murong Caiyun and the others.


    Until his peripheral vision caught Mo Hua... Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai was visibly startled.


    Mo Hua could even see Gu Changhuai blink slightly, as if confirming whether he had mistaken the person.


    A face so innocent and well-mannered, a pair of clear, deep eyes, impossible to find a second one in the whole Qianxue State Boundary, he couldn''t have been mistaken.


    After a moment of silence, Gu Changhuai slowly said,


    "Mo¡­ Hua?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, politely saying, "Hello, Uncle Gu."


    Murong Caiyun looked surprised, and the Enforcement Leader beside her clearly hadn''t expected Mo Hua to know Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai tried to control his emotions but still couldn''t help asking Mo Hua,


    "What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 893: Gu Changhuai (3)

    Mo Hua pointed at Murong Caiyun, "Sister and I have come to claim the bounty."


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brow, "What bounty?"


    Mo Hua said, "The one you just mentioned..."


    Gu Changhuai''s eyelids twitched as he looked at Mo Hua, who still had a touch of youthful naivety, and said somewhat puzzled, "You''ve just entered the sect, haven''t you?"


    How could someone who had just joined the sect already be undertaking missions?


    And to find senior disciples to mix with?


    Does this child... have such a big face?


    Gu Changhuai did not understand.


    Mo Hua shook his head to correct him, "Not just joined, I''ve been a disciple for half a year!"


    As if to imply that he himself was already quite remarkable.


    Gu Changhuai looked on, feeling a headache.


    But in front of so many people, he was too embarrassed to "catch up" with Mo Hua any further, and with a stern expression, he nodded coldly.


    "I understand."


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua again out of the corner of his eye, then began to discuss the serious matters:


    "The perpetrator likely has mid-phase Foundation Establishment cultivation, specializes in concealment, is calm and ruthless in their methods, extremely secretive, unpredictable..."


    "Even cultivators who have just reached the late phase of Foundation Establishment would be in grave danger encountering such an expert in ''concealed killing''."


    "Caught off guard by their stealth, one wouldn''t be able to defend against their lethal techniques..."


    "All of you are sect disciples, with shallow experience. It''ll be tough to match wits with such a cunning and venomous cultivator."


    "And this murderer is certainly a habitual offender."


    "I looked through the archives, and among the sin cultivators who specialize in stealthy killings, with a history of heinous acts, one fits the bill. We don''t have his real name in Taoist Court records, but it''s said that he is known amongst cultivators as ''Hidden Elder-Second''..."


    Hidden Elder-Second...


    Ouyang Feng and others all wore contemplative expressions.


    Only Mo Hua silently nodded, knowing his guess was correct.


    Gu Changhuai noticed this, and was even more surprised.


    Could it be... Mo Hua had known all along that the murderer was this Hidden Elder-Second?


    He himself had to rummage through the confidential archives of the Taoist Court to unearth this information. How could Mo Hua, a junior cultivator residing deep within the sect, know this?


    This child was very peculiar...


    Gu Changhuai took a long, hard look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, feeling Gu Changhuai''s gaze, immediately looked serious and pretended to be innocent.


    Gu Changhuai continued:


    "Such an experienced and deceitful sin cultivator, who also specializes in concealment, should normally be dealt with by a Third-Grade Supervisor with swift, thunder-like actions..."


    "However, the Taoist Court is short of hands, and cultivators of a certain rank are tasked with apprehending sin cultivators of the same rank."


    "A sin cultivator at Foundation Establishment is not at the level to be captured by those of the Golden Core."


    "But this individual is indeed troublesome, difficult to handle, so I want to inform you that there will be no penalty if you choose to cancel the mission."


    Ouyang Feng and the others glanced at each other and shook their heads.


    They were all chosen children of heaven, each with a sense of pride.


    A sin cultivator at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, no matter how thorny, was not enough to deter them.


    With a hint of approval in his gaze, Gu Changhuai passed out several archives:


    "This is the dossier on that Hidden Elder-Second; it contains his place of origin, cultivation techniques, Taoist skills, and so on. Take a good look so you can be prepared."


    Murong Caiyun took the archives and bowed, "Thank you, Supervisor Gu."


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly and turned to leave, but as he did, he glanced at Mo Hua, and couldn''t help but frown upon seeing Mo Hua''s casual, ignorant look.


    Hidden Elder-Second was sly and tricky to deal with.


    Even the seasoned Enforcement Leaders might not be able to see through Hidden Elder-Second''s concealment, let alone defend against his sudden attacks.


    Gu Changhuai didn''t know what kind of commotion Mo Hua, this little devil, was joining.


    Finding Mo Hua, the little devil, cute but oddly peculiar, Gu Changhuai preferred not to bother with him.


    But after some thought, considering the fact that Mo Hua had saved Yu Er, and he was much cared for by his cousin, Gu Changhuai sighed softly and warned:


    "Be careful..."


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    The others were even more surprised.


    Especially the Enforcement Leader of the Taoist Court, he never expected the always cold and distant Supervisor Gu to actually worry about someone...


    It was truly unbelievable...


    Mo Hua smiled, "Okay, Uncle Gu."


    Gu Changhuai nodded and then left.


    Once everything was settled, the group then set out to capture Hidden Elder-Second.


    According to the archives, Hidden Elder-Second, who was over two hundred years old, was once a disciple of one of the hundred doors of Qian State, the Five Hidden Sect.


    But the Five Hidden Sect had a very niche legacy, making it difficult to recruit disciples, and gradually declined until it was in debt. The sect sold its mountain gate and moved out of Qianxue State Boundary fifty years ago.


    The rise and fall of sects were normal occurrences.


    But after the Five Hidden Sect left, Hidden Elder-Second stayed behind and, relying on the sect''s ultimate techniques, committed all manner of evil deeds.


    This ultimate technique was a concealment spell point known as the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.


    Mo Hua felt a burst of excitement in his heart.


    Minor Five Elements...


    His own Spiritual Root was also the Five Elements Spiritual Root; he felt as if this stealth technique was tailor-made for him.


    Heavenly Secret Calculation was indeed useful.


    The group left the Taoist Court.


    Murong Caiyun and the others, remembering Supervisor Gu''s words, still seemed somewhat grave.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, walked with a light step and a relaxed mood.


    He felt that the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill was already beckoning to him.


    Mo Hua was unexceptional in all respects except for his extraordinarily strong Divine Sense.


    Thus, his favorite and most proficient practice was bullying cultivators skilled in concealment¡ªsneaking and skulking around secretively...


    ...


    At this very moment, deep within Canglang Mountain. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the woods, where there had been no one, a figure suddenly appeared.


    It was a gaunt, short-statured cultivator with a shadowy and wrinkled face.


    He looked around, then furrowed his brow.


    After killing three people, he had fled to the depths of this mountain to lie low.


    This was his usual routine.


    But during these past few days, he had felt an unsettling fear.


    As if some ill-intentioned "nasty thing" had set its sights on him...


    Hidden Elder-Second was perplexed.


    For no reason and without leaving any trace, who could possibly be watching him, and how?


    Hidden Elder-Second shook his head.


    Regardless, this was a critical moment; he had to endure and avoid causing further trouble.


    Those three were already a slip-up.


    Any more mistakes, and Mr. Tu would surely kill him, dismember him, and offer his pieces as a sacrifice to the Divine Lord''s half-demon slaves.


    Hidden Elder-Second shuddered.


    He enjoyed disemboweling others but did not enjoy the thought of being disemboweled himself to feed those half-human, half-demon creatures¡­

 Chapter 894: Eagle Catches Bird

    Half a day later.


    Canglang Mountain, Luopan Mountain Road.


    Mo Hua and a few others came to a rugged rocky area beside the mountain path.


    It was here that the three family disciples had died.


    The bodies had already been collected, but some fragments of rock and vegetation still bore faint traces of blood.


    These bloodstains were concentrated, clearly indicating that the victims had not panicked or struggled, instantly killed in one strike, their blood draining away as they rigidly fell.


    Moreover, according to the Taoist Court officials, the disciples were mysteriously gutted post-mortem, making their deaths particularly grisly.


    Of course, in Mo Hua''s eyes, this wasn''t anything out of the ordinary.


    He was a Monster Hunter, used to bloody scenes since childhood.


    Mo Hua curiously stared at the stones on the ground, looking back and forth with a puzzled expression.


    Murong Caiyun inquired with confusion:


    "Junior brother, what are you looking at?"


    Mo Hua pondered, "According to my experience, this Hidden elder-second definitely didn''t just decide to kill these disciples on a whim¡­"


    "He had been tracking them for a long time, waited until they reached this secluded spot, then suddenly attacked, killing them in one blow¡­"


    "After killing them, he gutted them¡­"


    "This might be a habit of Hidden elder-second¡­"


    "Or maybe, he was trying to cover something up¡­"


    Mo Hua held his chin, a very "professional" look on his face.


    Murong Caiyun and the others had subtly nuanced expressions.


    "Your experience¡­"


    "Junior brother, do you often do this kind of thing?"


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly paused and immediately shook his head: "I am a serious cultivator! ''Killing and looting,'' how could I possibly do such a thing?!"


    Don''t slander me!


    "Alright then¡­" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Murong Caiyun didn''t press further, knowing her junior brother was cleverly mischievous and sometimes scheming¡ªasking further would be pointless.


    "Can you tell where Hidden elder-second went?"


    Murong Caiyun asked everyone.


    Ouyang Feng scanned the area with his Divine Sense and slightly shook his head, "A few days have gone by, the remaining Spiritual Power is faint, can''t make out anything¡­"


    Shangguan Xu also said, "This is still the mountains, where mountain winds, mists, and various energies mix, making it even harder to distinguish a cultivator''s traces of Spiritual Power¡­"


    "That Hidden elder-second probably considered these factors when choosing to strike here."


    Murong Caiyun frowned.


    This made things difficult, leaving no clues to pursue further.


    Mo Hua also knitted his brows.


    His Divine Sense perceived the same as everyone else¡ªthe bloodstains held faint Spiritual Power mingled with mountain mists and various energies, creating a jumbled mess.


    Mo Hua''s Divine Sense was sharp, and he could discern these energies clearly, but that was of no use.


    The traces of Spiritual Power left by Hidden elder-second were indeed too faint.


    At this rate, they had no idea where Hidden elder-second might have fled.


    "The traces are too faint¡­"


    Suddenly, Mo Hua''s heart jumped, and he unconsciously thought of the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    There are things in the world that truly exist, only invisible when a cultivator''s Divine Sense isn''t strong enough.


    Just like the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Embedded in magnetic flow, these Thunder Patterns are minute and obscure.


    Ordinary cultivators can''t detect them, but that doesn''t mean they don''t exist.


    Similarly, just because traces are faint doesn''t mean there are no clues¡­


    All things in the world come from one energy.


    Spiritual Power is one of these things.


    Formations contain the principles of all things in the world.


    So, if formations can be calculated, couldn''t the tracks of a cultivator''s Spiritual Power also be "calculated"?


    Mo Hua''s thoughts shifted, secretly using the Heavenly secret Calculation to perceive that faint trace of Spiritual Power.


    But moments later, he couldn''t perceive anything¡­


    Spiritual Power was still just Spiritual Power.


    No change whatsoever.


    Mo Hua was undeterred.


    He believed that within Spiritual Power, there must be some mysteries that one couldn''t sense not because they didn''t exist, but simply due to insufficient Divine Sense Calculation Power¡­


    Mo Hua''s pupils darkened slightly as he again initiated the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, forcibly amplifying his Heavenly secret Calculation.


    A dozen breaths later, Mo Hua was visibly shocked.


    He discovered that the trace of Spiritual Power left by Hidden elder-second started to undergo strange changes.


    That tangible Spiritual Power began to produce inexplicable, illusory patterns¡­


    These patterns linked together like karmic chains¡­


    Much like those horrifying nightmares that coveted Yu Er, those grotesque, twisted monsters and spirits emerging from the void, attached by karmic chains, appeared remarkably similar¡­


    The difference being, the monsters'' karmic chains were gray-black, sinister and foul.


    The karmic traces Mo Hua now saw were pale blue, with fine intricate patterns linking cyclically¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned in his heart.


    Could this truly be¡­


    The real Heavenly secret Calculation?


    Heavenly secret Calculation, calculating all things under the heavens, penetrating the ultimate principles of the world¡­


    Starting from the manifested formations of the Great Dao, then to the essential Spiritual Power of formations;


    Spanning across all things and the spiritual essence of everything under heavens;


    And even up to the karmic destiny of all people and objects in the world, ultimately calculating the Heavenly secret, comprehending the Heavenly Dao?


    Could this be¡­ Heavenly secret Calculation?!


    For an instant, Mo Hua felt spiritually enlightened, his thoughts suddenly clear, gaining a sliver of insight into the Heavenly secret.


    But it was just that instant. As his Divine Sense depleted, the sliver of insight gradually faded, and in his perception of the Divine Sense, those Heavenly secret patterns and karmic traces also faded.


    "Not good¡­"


    Mo Hua''s heart chilled, he hurriedly seized the moment, continuing to extrapolate Hidden elder-second''s Spiritual Power.


    Hidden elder-second''s remaining Spiritual Power gradually peeled away from karmic, the overlapping patterns cycling together, turning into a strand of qi, rising from the Spiritual Power, then like a guiding path, it extended towards the distance¡­

 Chapter 895: Eagle Catches Bird (2)

    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted, and he pointed decisively to the west towards Canglang Mountain, saying,


    "He fled into the mountain!" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone was startled.


    Senior Sister Murong looked at Mo Hua with a puzzled face and asked, "How do you know?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and made up a reason, saying earnestly,


    "If I were the murderer, I would also run that way!"


    "..."


    Everyone was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Ouyang Feng chuckled and said gently,


    "Alright, then we''ll listen to this ''little murderer'' and go check it out..."


    Senior Sister Murong said helplessly,


    "That''s the only thing we can do."


    Since there were no other clues for now, they might as well follow Mo Hua''s suggestion and go check out Canglang Mountain to the west.


    Moreover, she also felt that her junior brother had a keen intuition in such "inexplicable" matters¡­


    Senior Sister Murong and a few others then set off, heading west towards Canglang Mountain.


    Mo Hua walked at the back, turning his head to look again at the bloodstains on the ground and the traces of Spiritual Power that lingered above the stains.


    This kind of trace was derived through Heavenly Secret Calculation, deducing a hint of Spiritual Power causality¡ªa "vital breath"¡ªrather than the real "Heavenly Secret."


    However, this "vital breath" should be an indication of the "Heavenly Secret."


    His Divine Thought was limited; he could only discern the "vital breath."


    But as long as he continued to work hard and kept calculating, one day when his calculations were complete and his Divine Thought advanced, he would be able to discern the Spiritual Power vital breath, and thus deduce the truly grand Heavenly Secret, encompassing all causality and the life charts of all beings.


    Mo Hua''s eyes sparkled brilliantly, showing slight traces of Heavenly Secret patterns, as resplendent as the stars.


    When he turned to leave, the luster in his eyes was completely concealed, settling deep at the bottom of his eyes.


    His gaze became clearer and more profound.


    ...


    To the west of Luopan Mountain Road was the deep part of Canglang Mountain.


    The terrain here was complex, full of rugged rocks, streams, swamps, thick soil mixed with fallen leaves, and dense, fog-wrapped woods.


    After walking for dozens of miles, the group finally discovered unusual traces.


    A Snake Demon, as thick as a forearm, was chopped in half, with a smooth wound indicating that the Spiritual Artifact used was extremely sharp¡ªprobably a dagger.


    The Snake Demon was a Second Grade Realm, albeit in its early stage, yet its death was clean and swift, without any sign of struggle; obviously, it didn''t notice anything before its death¡­


    "Hidden Elder-Second..."


    The group''s gaze sharpened, turning involuntarily towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded and said,


    "I guessed accurately!"


    Senior Sister Murong gave a slight smile with a profound meaning and praised,


    "Indeed, it''s very precise..."


    Then her expression turned serious as she looked at the skeleton of the Snake Demon and said softly,


    "The snake blood is half-dry; it obviously didn''t die long ago. That Hidden Elder-Second is very likely still in the mountain."


    "According to Supervisor Gu, this person is proficient in concealment, cunning in nature, and ruthless. Everyone must be very careful."


    The group nodded solemnly.


    Then they began to hunt down Hidden Elder-Second in the deep mountains.


    Capture if possible, kill if not.


    This was the guideline previously agreed by everyone, applicable to all Sin Cultivators.


    As to how to capture, following Mo Hua''s suggestion, they had already established a plan¡­


    Mo Hua prepared many Small Yuan Magnetic Formations, searching the mountain while laying the formations.


    Canglang Mountain was quite large, and the deep mountains here were even more dangerous and complex.


    These Small Yuan Magnetic Formations might not fully control all movements in the mountains, but at least they could provide a location.


    They were useful for identifying directions, searching for people, pursuing, or even mutual rescue.


    The only problem was that they were somewhat expensive.


    A single Small Yuan Magnetic Formation wasn''t too costly, but the cost added up when many were used.


    Fortunately, Senior Sister Murong said she could "reimburse" him.


    She would convert these formations into Spirit Stones and pay Mo Hua.


    For children of noble families, Spirit Stones were not in short supply; earning Merit Points made it worthwhile.


    With Senior Sister Murong''s "reimbursement," Mo Hua thus became even more "unrestrained," scattering Small Yuan Magnetic Formations as he went, weaving almost half of Canglang Mountain into a "Yuan Magnetic Net."


    For Hidden Elder-Second, this "moth," it would be fine if he stayed out of the net, but once he entered, he would be "unable to fly away"...


    Qianqian watched as Mo Hua laid formations all along the way and held several compasses, checking them as he went, and could not help but express her concern,


    "Junior Brother Mo, can you manage all these formations with your Divine Thought?"


    The more Small Yuan Magnetic Formations he set up and spread, the more taxing it was to monitor them¡­


    "It''s alright."


    Mo Hua humbly said, "My Divine Thought is quite strong, not weak..."


    Qianqian was still a bit worried.


    Moments later, Mo Hua suddenly paused and pointed to a spot on one of the compasses, saying,


    "There''s someone here!"


    Everyone was startled, then their faces showed joy.


    In the deep mountains of Canglang, where no one should be, those present were highly likely to be Hidden Elder-Second.


    "Let''s check it out!" Senior Sister Murong said.


    "Hmm," Mo Hua nodded.


    Then, Mo Hua and others arrived at the spot indicated by the compass.


    This was a small grove, and at the foot of a large tree in the grove, Mo Hua buried a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    Currently, near the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, there was another Monster Beast''s corpse.


    It was a Monkey Monster, lying on the ground, its throat slashed and its belly split open, its inner core removed, its blood soaking the rotting mud and fallen leaves.


    Monkey Monsters were humanoid.


    Its manner of death... was almost identical to that of those three disciples.


    It was indeed Hidden Elder-Second!


    Senior Sister Murong released her Divine Sense and saw that the area around was silent, with no cultivator in sight, then asked Mo Hua, "Do you know where the person is?"

 Chapter 896: The Eagle Catches the Bird (3)

    Mo Hua glanced at the Yuan Magnetic Compass and pointed to the right, "It''s over there."


    "Okay."


    Murong Caiyun nodded.


    Then, the group continued the pursuit. Upon reaching a small creek, they lost sight of Hidden elder-second again. Mo Hua checked the compass and pointed out the direction...


    This way, although they hadn''t found Hidden elder-second, they kept a relentless watch on him, step by step.


    And everyone could feel that they were getting closer and closer to Hidden elder-second.


    If they continued the chase, they would certainly catch up.


    Upon realizing this, the look in Murong Caiyun''s eyes became more serious when she looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua''s ability to set up formations, search mountains, and track was just too strong...


    This was because Hidden elder-second was adept at concealment and naturally vigilant, which was why the chase had lasted for so long.


    If it were any ordinary Foundation Building Cultivator, they would definitely have been "caught" by Mo Hua by now.


    In their hearts, everyone silently gave Mo Hua a new level of recognition.


    Mo Hua, however, was wholeheartedly focused, gazing at the compass while recalling the terrain of Canglang Mountain in his mind, guessing where Hidden elder-second might be hiding.


    He felt that it wouldn''t be long before they would meet face to face.


    The pursuit was still ongoing...


    Sure enough, after more than an hour, they caught up with Hidden elder-second.


    The short and skinny Hidden elder-second, with a sinister face, was roasting some unknown meat in front of a pile of rocks.


    The moment Mo Hua and the others caught up with him, he noticed.


    But he did not flee, nor did he hide; instead, he slowly stood up, looked at Murong Caiyun and the others with cold eyes, and in a hoarse voice tinged with confusion, asked,


    "How did you know I was here?"


    Of course, Murong Caiyun wouldn''t tell him but said sternly,


    "Hidden elder-second, you have slaughtered many cultivators, and your crimes are numerous. If you don''t surrender, then don''t blame us for being rude..."


    Hidden elder-second scoffed, "Rude? Just with the four of you?"


    Murong Caiyun was taken aback.


    Four?


    She looked around and realized that Mo Hua had, at some point, deployed his Concealment Technique and silently disappeared without a trace...


    So Hidden elder-second had only seen four of them.


    "Really clever..."


    Murong Caiyun thought to herself and then, with a cold look in her eyes, loudly declared,


    "The four of us are more than enough!"


    Hidden elder-second scoffed, cut off a piece of roasted meat, threw it into his mouth, and chewed loudly. Then disdainfully said,


    "Overestimate yourselves, catch me? Maybe in your next life..."


    Having said that, he faded from view in front of everyone, disappearing completely.


    As his figure faded, Murong Caiyun had already formed a spell, and Five-colored Spirit Light shot forth, but when the Spirit Light hit the ground and shattered the rocks, there was no trace of Hidden elder-second.


    Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu also joined the attack but came up empty.


    Hidden elder-second had used the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill to escape unnoticed.


    Murong Caiyun frowned.


    Just then, she heard a light, clear voice next to her ear, "Sister, to the right, near the creek..."


    Murong Caiyun followed the sound and saw, by the creek, a faint footprint in the rippling water stream. She immediately pointed her slender hand and a beam of light shone upon it.


    Hidden elder-second used a dagger to block the light, but in doing so, he inadvertently revealed his figure, looking perplexed.


    Murong Caiyun''s eyes sharpened as she commanded, sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Chase him!"


    Ouyang Feng and the others nodded and activated their movement techniques, chasing after Hidden elder-second.


    Seeing this, Hidden elder-second just sneered and vanished again.


    As Murong Caiyun was halfway through the chase, Hidden elder-second''s figure had disappeared; she had to stop. It was at this moment she heard Mo Hua say,


    "He''s in the bushes..."


    Ouyang Feng and the others heard this too.


    They exchanged glances, their expressions filled with surprise, and then nodded to each other, signaling to continue pursuing Hidden elder-second...


    Hidden elder-second dived into the bushes, crossed the creek, climbed over a cliff, and then arrived in a desolate forest.


    He concealed himself and climbed a large tree, his gaze furtively observing the path he had taken, his brow deeply furrowed.


    Couldn''t shake them off?


    What was going on...


    These Sect Disciples were only in their twenties in terms of years of cultivation, they clearly couldn''t penetrate his concealment, so why were they always able to catch up to him?


    They also didn''t have any methods to uncover his Stealth Technique.


    He had been careful along the way, checking his clothes and Storage Bag thoroughly and hadn''t found any "tracking" Spiritual Objects on him.


    What were they using to track him?


    There was also a critical question that Hidden elder-second couldn''t figure out.


    How did they know he was hiding in the deep mountains west of Canglang Mountain?


    He hadn''t left any traces...


    Could it be...


    Hidden elder-second''s heart trembled, "Could some Cultivator skilled in Heavenly secret Ghost Count have calculated his fate, locked onto his Life Chart, and determined his location..."


    A chill ran through Hidden elder-second''s heart, he pondered for a moment, then shook his head.


    Impossible...


    "Why would such a powerful being bother with a minor character like me?"


    Lost in thought, Hidden elder-second couldn''t come up with an answer and finally snorted,


    "Well then, let''s play along with these youngsters..."


    But as the game went on, Hidden elder-second soon sensed that something was amiss.


    He discovered Small Yuan Magnetic Formations.


    These formations were intricately set up with concealed methods, the work of a highly experienced Second Grade Formation Master.


    And in the deep mountain, these Small Yuan Magnetic Formations seemed to be everywhere...


    In a daze, Hidden elder-second felt as though he was a bird and Canglang Mountain was a vast net.


    There was an invisible and intangible but meticulous and malicious entity behind the scenes, wanting to tighten this net step by step, to catch him like a bird!


    It wasn''t him playing with these youngsters.

 Chapter 897: Eagle Catches Bird (4)

    But it was he himself being "played" by them.


    Hidden Elder Second''s face darkened with rising anger inside.


    What audacity!


    Did they really think he was a soft persimmon, to be manipulated at their whim?!


    Hidden Elder Second''s face twitched with a murderous intent.


    Yet, he restrained himself.


    At such a time, he could not afford any complications.


    These sect disciples had significant identities; killing them would invite trouble.


    And if by mischance he got caught and handed over to the Taoist Court, the trouble would be even greater...


    Moreover, there was a "hidden hand" lurking in the shadows, watching him like a tiger stalking its prey.


    Hidden Elder Second suppressed his anger and continued to flee through Canglang Mountain.


    But he soon realized, no matter how he fled, he seemed unable to escape the pursuit of these sect disciples.


    After a long half day that involved wriggling through bushes, wading through streams, getting stuck in swamps, and even brushing past demon dung, Hidden Elder Second could no longer bear it.


    A fierce murderous intent surged in his heart.


    "Fine! You bunch of little brats!" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Think I wouldn''t dare kill you?!"


    Just a few cultivators in the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, still in their sect training, barely tasting a few drops of blood, yet so full of themselves, daring to surround and attack him...


    Hidden Elder Second''s eyes gleamed red.


    "I''ll let you die a swift death..."


    "As for those two female disciples, kill them first for entertainment when bored in the mountains..."


    Stealthily approaching, one knife per person.


    Numbers wouldn''t help.


    It wasn''t as if he hadn''t killed before...


    Seeing the group approaching again, Hidden Elder Second let out an evil laugh, then pushed the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill to its limit, completely concealing his form, even making his spiritual power barely visible.


    For a moment, even Mo Hua, who had been closely monitoring Hidden Elder Second, could "see" no trace of him.


    Hidden Elder Second... totally vanished...


    A chill ran through Mo Hua''s heart.


    Was this... the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill?


    Could it really eradicate the existence of one''s own spiritual power?


    Mo Hua pushed his Divine Sense to its extreme, his pupils deepening.


    He could see faint shadows, but this perception was intermittent and elusive.


    The form disappeared, the spiritual power faint, indistinct...


    Suddenly, Mo Hua sensed a chilling murderous intent.


    His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately shouted:


    "Senior Sister Murong, behind you!"


    Murong Caiyun, who was carefully searching for Hidden Elder Second in the forest, turned pale and tensed, crushing a rune she had held in her hand all along in the nick of time.


    The Golden Bell Rune!


    A faint golden light formed a protective bell around her.


    At the same time, a sharp dagger, laced with Water Poison, abruptly appeared, slicing towards Murong Caiyun''s neck.


    But it struck the radiantly golden bell.


    The golden light faded layer by layer, the dagger inching forward.


    The Golden Bell Shield struggled to hold but ultimately bought a couple of moments, allowing Murong Caiyun to use her movement technique to retreat swiftly.


    Ouyang Feng''s figure flashed, shielding in front of Murong Caiyun, then thrust out with his sword towards the dagger.


    Shangguan Xu also delivered a strike with his sword from behind.


    Hua Qianqian scattered numerous Hundred Flowers Spirit Needles, sealing the gaps.


    Hidden Elder Second cursed and twisted his body, fleeing through the sword qi, but his shoulder was struck by a Spirit Needle.


    The fleeing Hidden Elder Second reactivated the Stealth Technique, completely disappearing once again.


    Without sound, not even the noise of footsteps.


    Ouyang Feng and the others had solemn expressions, remaining fully on guard for Hidden Elder Second''s surprise attacks.


    But the mountain forest was deathly quiet, covered in layers of dead leaves, not a single sound.


    Just then, Murong Caiyun suddenly looked towards the distance, her face losing color as she urgently shouted: "Mo Hua!"


    Under a large tree in the distance.


    There was originally nothing, but suddenly a swift and venomous dagger appeared, wrapped in cold spiritual power, fiercely stabbing out.


    Below the dagger, there was equally nothing before.


    But as the dagger stabbed forward, a pale blue Water Shadow appeared out of thin air.


    Water flowed formlessly, images overlapped heavily.


    A light figure emerged from beneath the dagger, retreating backward gracefully like a river at low tide, the Water Passing Step embodying poise.


    Second-Grade Water Passing Step!


    Mo Hua performed the Water Passing Step and dodged the strike but also revealed his shape.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Hidden Elder Second, who missed with the dagger, also revealed his face.


    He looked towards Mo Hua, his expression froze, his eyes filled with disbelief...


    The hidden hand in the shadows, laying an Original Magnet net in Canglang Mountain, watching him like an eagle eyeing its prey, forcing him to flee in panic...


    How could it be such a young kid?!

 Chapter 898: It’s Mine Now

    Hidden Elder-Second only had a moment of surprise before he reversed his dagger and charged forward, its tip tracing a deep blue, sinister gleam of watery light, aiming straight for Mo Hua''s throat.


    He wanted to strike first and dispose of this little threat.


    No matter who this youngster was or what identity he held, in Canglang Mountain, he must die first!


    Proficient at using the Original Magnet Formation, adept in concealment, and watching him like a hawk, discerning his every move. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For him, a cultivator specialized in stealth and assassination, Mo Hua was a natural enemy.


    Such a "thorn in the side" must be removed first, only then could he free his hands to slowly toy with the remaining Sect Disciples.


    Hidden Elder-Second''s expression was solemn, his gaze ferocious.


    The dagger transformed into a deadly gleam¡ªit reached Mo Hua''s throat in the blink of an eye.


    Calm and unruffled, Mo Hua leaned back, dodging the malicious dagger aimed at his throat.


    Then, with water trails swirling around him, it was as though he borrowed strength from thin air. Mo Hua flipped backward in midair with a graceful twist, landing a foot on Hidden Elder-Second''s head and used it to spring back with a backflip, quickly retreating.


    Hidden Elder-Second, who missed his strike and had Mo Hua circle to his back, jumping over his head and stepping on the back of his skull, felt immensely humiliated.


    He turned around in fury.


    But as he turned, he faced Mo Hua drifting in midair, wrapped in flowing water, extending a finger toward him.


    Following that, a fireball quickly formed and shot straight toward his face.


    Caught off-guard, Hidden Elder-Second was struck in the face by the fireball, which exploded into a burst of flames and knocked him to the ground.


    Moments later, Hidden Elder-Second rose, his hair singed, his eyes nearly splitting with anger.


    Mo Hua thought it was a pity.


    The power of the Fireball Technique was admittedly lacking.


    Though it had hit Hidden Elder-Second, who was at the peak of the Foundation Building Middle Phase, square in the face¡ªleaving him disheveled and embarrassed¡ªthe damage inflicted was limited.


    Magic was his most frequently used and fastest attack method.


    It seemed he indeed needed to think about enhancing the power of his spells and expanding the variety of them.


    While he would primarily focus on Formation, he must also not neglect his spellwork.


    Learning an additional spell would provide an extra method for dealing with danger in the future.


    Meanwhile, Hidden Elder-Second, unable to contain his rage but shocked internally,


    Repeatedly dodging his killing blows with movement techniques was no coincidence.


    This movement technique...


    And the timing, speed, and precision of his Fireball Technique...


    This youngster was actually a master of magic!


    But how was this possible?


    Hidden Elder-Second''s pupils constricted.


    How old was this kid? Where had he learned such seamless movement techniques seasoned by life-and-death battles, as well as the impeccable timing in using spells?


    Murong Caiyun and the others were also stunned.


    This was their first time seeing Mo Hua use such fluid, dazzlingly swift movement techniques.


    While unaware of its origins, it was definitely not an ordinary heritage.


    Also, the way he used his movement techniques to create distance, lock down positions, then precisely timed the release of the Fireball Technique¡ªit was all too expertly done...


    The others were half through their reflections when they suddenly remembered they had to step up to help.


    No matter how smooth Mo Hua''s movement techniques or proficient his spells were, given that he was only in the early phase of Foundation Establishment, tangling with a sinister cultivator like Hidden Elder-Second could lead to more peril than luck.


    Without delay, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu immediately unleashed their Sword Qi and charged at Hidden Elder-Second.


    Murong Caiyun cast her spells, and Hua Qianqian manipulated the Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle, covering from the side, restraining Hidden Elder-Second.


    With the four of them working together, the assassination expert Hidden Elder-Second knew he was no match, his eyes bloodshot and teeth gritted, trying to kill Mo Hua before the onslaught of attacks from Ouyang Feng and others reached him.


    As long as Mo Hua remained alive, the hatred in his heart would burn.


    As long as Mo Hua remained alive, his own life was at risk!


    But as he turned his head, he saw Mo Hua''s figure fading, about to disappear.


    Hidden Elder-Second roared,


    "Kid, try fighting without going invisible!"


    Mo Hua didn''t bother to respond, instead, he made a face at him and then vanished.


    Fuming, Hidden Elder-Second cursed repeatedly but seeing Ouyang Feng''s Sword Qi, spells, and Spirit Needles about to strike, he had no choice but to flee into the distance and then activated his Stealth Technique to hide.


    Both Mo Hua and Hidden Elder-Second had disappeared.


    Murong Caiyun and the others, looking around cluelessly, unsure of where to strike, reluctantly formed a defensive formation, being wary of another stealth attack from Hidden Elder-Second.


    Meanwhile, hidden and unseen, Mo Hua frowned.


    He released his Divine Sense to spy on Hidden Elder-Second''s whereabouts.


    But Hidden Elder-Second''s presence was still faint, his Spiritual Power hazy, and his figure intermittently visible¡ªsometimes locked on by his Divine Sense and sometimes undetectable.


    "Why?"


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure it out.


    This Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill was a bit strange...


    To some extent, the technique could condense Spiritual Power and make its presence fainter, thus evading the Divine Sense of others.


    This was different from the principle behind Mo Hua''s own Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua''s learned Concealment Technique could only obscure his physical form, making him invisible to the naked eye.


    And then, relying on powerful Divine Thought, others couldn''t break his concealment with their Divine Sense.


    However, the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill could suppress others'' perception of his Spiritual Power, thus not solely relying on Divine Sense to enhance its concealment effect.


    Mo Hua had sensed it before.


    Hidden Elder-Sec...

 Chapter 899: It’s Mine Now (2)

    Mo Hua''s eyes shone with excitement.


    "I must master this Stealth Technique!"


    If he could learn it himself, he could move stealthily, creep up behind someone, press a fireball against the back of their head, and they might not even notice...


    Mo Hua focused intently, extended his Divine Sense to its utmost, and scanned the forest back and forth, trying to "lock onto" Hidden elder-second completely...


    Suddenly, Mo Hua''s expression changed, and he moved like flowing water, leaving his original spot.


    The instant Mo Hua left, a dagger narrowly stuck into the empty ground.


    The venomous Spiritual Power intertwined, grinding the fallen leaves and soil on the ground into dust.


    Seeing that Mo Hua had dodged again, Hidden elder-second cursed under his breath, gripped the dagger in reverse, and continued to stab at Mo Hua.


    But around Mo Hua, a faint blue water light flowed, pulling him along, nimbly circling within Hidden elder-second''s offense, dodging his deadly strikes one by one.


    In the distance, Murong Caiyun and others saw Hidden elder-second appear and joined the attack.


    Hidden elder-second, gasping for breath, increased the speed, ferocity, and strength of his attacks, hoping to kill this detestable lad all at once.


    But no matter how hard he tried, the dagger was always a fraction away from Mo Hua.


    This tiny distance seemed within arm''s reach yet as far as the horizon.


    Finally, Hidden elder-second broke his guard, shouting in frustration,


    "What the hell kind of movement technique is this?"


    "Which damn, cursed idiot taught you?!"


    Mo Hua responded, "Your grandpa taught me!"


    He silently added two more generations, in gratitude to Zhang Lan.


    Hidden elder-second couldn''t stand Mo Hua''s sharp-tongued demeanor but was powerless against him.


    Meanwhile, Ouyang Feng and others arrived, encircling Hidden elder-second.


    The group then confronted Hidden elder-second.


    Hidden elder-second no longer rushed to hide.


    He had tried to kill Mo Hua several times without success, harboring a stomach full of fire.


    Instead, it was Mo Hua who asked curiously,


    "You can actually see through my Concealment Technique?"


    He had been hiding on the side, silent and unseen, yet Hidden elder-second had pulled him out twice.


    He had never encountered this before.


    Hidden elder-second sneered, "Young brat, trying to show off the axe at the door of the axemaker by daring to use your Concealment Technique in front of me..."


    Hidden elder-second wore a mocking expression.


    Mo Hua, broad-minded, didn''t take it to heart and blinked his eyes, probing,


    "Did you use your Divine Sense to find me?"


    "Why use Divine Sense?" Hidden elder-second scoffed, "With just my eyes, I can spot the flaws in your Concealment Technique."


    "With your eyes..."


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then figured it out.


    His Concealment Technique involved covering his whole body with pure, almost transparent Water System Spiritual Power, allowing light and shadow to pass through, thus obscuring his tracks.


    He was also wearing a Concealment Cloak.


    But the effects of both were roughly similar.


    Ordinary cultivators might not notice, but Hidden elder-second, long versed in Stealth Techniques and living off such skills as a Sin Cultivator, would certainly spot the flaws.


    So, he might not have been lying; it was indeed possible that he "saw" the flaws in his own Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly and sighed internally.


    Indeed, one should never underestimate any villain.


    The Cultivation World is vast, brimming with talented individuals; others, who have invested so much effort and painstakingly researched, definitely have their insights and specialties.


    Underestimating others could easily lead to a downfall.


    Mo Hua silently admonished himself.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s serious expression, Hidden elder-second presumably sensed his own prowess and a shade of smugness crossed his sinister face.


    But before he could relish in his triumph for long, his face darkened, realizing a terrifying issue:


    "How did this brat... see through his own Concealment?"


    It wasn''t so much "seeing through" as "sensing."


    After a brief exchange, Hidden elder-second knew, even if he exerted his full Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, some traces were still sensed by Mo Hua.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to dodge his killing moves.


    But how did he "sense" it?


    In Hidden elder-second''s eyes, although Mo Hua''s use of Concealment was adept, the legacy was extremely crude and even seemed patchy.


    A shallow inheritance meant he couldn''t possibly rely on experience to spot his own Concealment''s flaws with his eyes.


    Spiritual Artifact?


    He showed no signs of using a Spiritual Artifact.


    Then the only other possibility:


    Divine Sense...


    But... Divine Sense?


    Hidden elder-second found it absurd.


    Could it be that he saw through the kid''s Concealment with skill,


    While the kid saw through his own just with plain Divine Sense?


    That was impossible...


    Hidden elder-second scoffed, then upon a closer look, suddenly noticed the pupil of the opposite lad turn profoundly deep, tinged with a hint of pitch black.


    Simultaneously, a cold, eerie, yet incredibly firm Divine Sense, like chains, quietly wound around him...


    Hidden elder-second was instantly terrified.


    "Is it really Divine Sense?!"


    Seeing himself about to be locked by this eerie Divine Sense, Hidden elder-second, with the speed of lightning, pulled out a Rune and crushed it immediately.


    A burst of intense dust spread out, blocking the line of sight and confusing the aura.


    At the same time, Hidden elder-second swiftly used the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, and his figure disappeared.


    But he had spoken too much previously to show off, giving Mo Hua plenty of time to lock his Divine Sense.


    So, even though he had disappeared using Concealment, Mo Hua''s Divine Sense could still quite clearly capture his trail.


    Hidden elder-second soon realized his nightmare had begun¡­


    No matter where he fled, there was always a Fireball Technique like a "bright lamp" hitting him, forcing him to reveal himself and leaving him flustered and extremely embarrassed.


    S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 900: is Mine (3)

    And quickly, Murong Caiyun and the others caught on.


    Wherever the Fireball Technique was directed, they would attack.


    Hidden elder-second''s face turned deathly pale.


    A cultivator skilled in assassination, once their Concealment Technique was broken, was like a man who had lost his legs, virtually useless.


    He tried his best to break free, but a strand of Mo Hua''s Divine Sense was indestructible and inexhaustible, tightly entwining around him, impossible to shake off no matter what he did.


    "Seeing goddamn ghosts!"


    Hidden elder-second had lived till now, fought countless battles, but had never encountered a cultivator with such a bizarre and terrifying Divine Sense.


    Moreover, this strand of Divine Sense was binding tighter and tighter, locking him down more and more securely.


    Like a hunting falcon extending its claws, firmly digging into his flesh.


    Waiting only to take his life.


    This kid wasn''t only powerful in Divine Sense ¨C his Divine Sense completely overwhelmed his own!


    Sweat drenched the back of hidden elder-second.


    He felt as if a sharp sword hung, just three inches from the back of his neck, its cold gleam to the bone, about to fall any second.


    On the edge of life and death, hidden elder-second stimulated his potential and with all his might, fled for several rounds.


    Each time he managed to narrowly escape amid the gaps between Mo Hua''s fireballs, Sword Qi, and spells.


    Hidden elder-second felt a sense of relief; perhaps he might have a chance to live if this continued.


    But then he was startled, feeling something was wrong.


    That kid''s Divine Sense had completely locked him down. Logically speaking, his life should be hanging by a thread, so why could he still flee for so long?


    And that Fireball Technique, though it chased him like a specter of death.


    Every time he truly had no escape, the Fireball would delay for a bit, giving him a moment to catch his breath.


    Allowing him to employ his Concealment Technique and slip away again...


    Why?


    Was it a cat playing with a mouse?


    That little devil, was he toying with me?


    Hidden elder-second''s gaze turned venomous, and glancing back, he caught a glimpse of Mo Hua with a peripheral view. Mo Hua appeared focused, always watching him, his gaze intense, as if penetrating something...


    Penetrating?


    Hidden elder-second was taken aback, then profoundly shaken.


    Penetrating...


    This little devil!


    Was he learning my Stealth Technique?!


    Using Divine Sense to fixate on him, the Fireball Technique to press him, forcing him to display all his life''s knowledge of the Stealth Technique and escape before him.


    So, he could brazenly steal the technique!


    Outrageous!


    Hidden elder-second was shocked and furious, while deep down, also profoundly frightened.


    "No way!"


    "I must not let him learn it, nor even let him glimpse the secrets of the spell!"


    Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill was the Ultimate Technique of the Five Hidden Gate.


    In principle, it was not so simple to learn by theft, nor was it so easy to be deciphered.


    But there was something very wrong with this kid.


    Hidden elder-second dared not gamble.


    He decided to "throw in the towel."


    He realized that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t shake off that kid''s Divine Sense lock.


    No matter how much he struggled, he couldn''t escape from the combined assault of the four Sect Disciples.


    Continuing to try, he might even allow the little devil to pilfer his years of Stealth Technique insights.


    The legacy must not be lost!


    If the secrets of Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill leaked out, he would lose his very foundation, unable to stand firm in the underworld of Qianxue State boundary.


    Hidden elder-second steeled his heart.


    That being the case, it might be better to give in.


    His movements immediately became much more passive. He used only his movement technique to dodge the Sword Energy Spells, and his Stealth Technique began "hiding its clumsiness," using only the most basic techniques, no longer going all out.


    After all, even the most simply executed Stealth Technique wouldn''t be unraveled by those four Sect Disciples.


    And no matter how hard he tried to use Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, he couldn''t keep it from that kid.


    The result was the same.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    This Hidden elder-second, with no "ambition," no "will to live," was very disappointing.


    He had guessed right; Mo Hua had indeed been holding back, forcing Hidden elder-second himself to demonstrate how to employ the Stealth Technique and deal with the enemy.


    How to use Concealment to dodge death, and how to use Concealment to launch a sneak attack.


    What secrets did the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill hold...


    After watching for a while, Mo Hua learned many Stealth Techniques, benefiting greatly.


    He also somewhat understood the principles of the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.


    "Minor Five Elements" Stealth, the core was in the Five Elements.


    The key to this Stealth Technique was not truly to hide one''s own Spiritual Power, but to use the Five Elements Qi contained in all things between heaven and earth to mask one''s Spiritual Power aura.


    Approach plants, use the Wood Qi of the Five Elements for cover.


    Approach water, use Water Qi of the Five Elements to conceal oneself...


    Similarly, proximity to soil, Goldstone, fire, and other such things could enhance the stealth effect of the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.


    If there were no Five Elements substances around, the effect of this Stealth Technique would be hardly different from an ordinary Concealment Technique.


    But once near the Five Elements, merging with the breath of the world, employing all things to hide oneself.


    This Five Elements Stealth Skill would be exceptionally powerful.


    That''s why earlier, the perception of Hidden elder-second by his own Divine Sense had been vague and intermittent.


    Near the Five Elements, his Concealment was strong.


    Away from the Five Elements, his Concealment weakened.


    The traces he left in the Sea of Consciousness would also be unclear and unpredictable.


    Mo Hua had a moment of enlightenment. Initially, he wanted to continue observing, to use Hidden elder-second as a "practical case" to improve his own level of Stealth Technique. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Hidden elder-second had become aware.


    The "lab rat" had given up, and Mo Hua could do nothing about it.


    So, it was time for a quick resolution...


    Mo Hua held back no longer and reached out to grab. In the void, faint blue Patterns appeared, solidifying into a Water Prison, trapping Hidden elder-second on the spot.

 Chapter 901: Is Mine (4)

    Under the Water Prison Technique, Hidden elder-second couldn''t move for a moment, feeling dizzy and sick as if drowning.


    "Binding Spell..."


    Hidden elder-second felt his heart go cold.


    As expected, this detestable little brat still had something up his sleeve...


    With this strange Binding Spell, from the very beginning, he had no way to escape...


    Hidden elder-second was completely engulfed in rage.


    He was now full of regret, deep regret.


    Regretting why he hadn''t checked the almanac before leaving the house, encountering such a disaster star who was like a natural nemesis...


    The moment he was immobilized by the Water Prison Technique, Hidden elder-second knew he was doomed.


    Sure enough, within a few moments, Ouyang Feng''s Red Gold Yellow Maple Sword pierced his left leg;


    Murong Caiyun''s Five-colored Spirit Light penetrated his left arm;


    Hua Qianqian''s Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle stuck in his knee; while Shangguan Xu placed his Heavy Sword at his neck...


    The sinister and malevolent Hidden elder-second was subdued.


    Mo Hua immediately ran over from a distance, seeing Hidden elder-second''s eyes splitting with rage, staring venomously at him, he "kindly" suggested:


    "Let''s break both legs first..."


    Everyone was stunned, looking at Mo Hua with very subtle expressions.


    Although they had been on many missions and dealt with Sin Cultivators, they had never been "experienced" to this extent...


    "Prevention is better than cure!"


    Mo Hua said earnestly.


    In this respect, he had experience!


    Thinking about it, Ouyang Feng felt that what Mo Hua said made sense, so he flicked his wrist and emitted two Sword Qi, breaking Hidden elder-second''s legs.


    Hidden elder-second grimaced in pain, his gaze becoming even more venomous.


    Mo Hua turned a blind eye and began searching through Hidden elder-second''s Storage Bag.


    Inside Hidden elder-second''s Storage Bag, there were only some Spirit Stones, a few sinister daggers, and some books detailing the vital points of Cultivators, intended for assassination.


    Besides this, there were also some Jade Slips.


    But the Jade Slips contained only some poison recipes and miscellaneous Cultivation Techniques and the like.


    Overall, the Storage Bag didn''t contain anything critical.


    Clearly, Hidden elder-second was cunning in action and in person, and wouldn''t put any crucial things in such an obvious place like the Storage Bag.


    Mo Hua then asked Hidden elder-second, "Where is the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill?"


    Those around, like Murong Caiyun, weren''t surprised.


    Throughout the journey, they had guessed as much.


    This Junior Brother Mo Hua, eager to catch this Hidden elder-second, was probably interested in his Concealment Technique.


    But such a thing was also natural.


    Catching a Sin Cultivator, scavenging the spoils of war, learning a few Spells, as long as it wasn''t related to vital Sect secrets or Evil Techniques and Demon Skills, was all acceptable.


    And now that Hidden elder-second was captured, the Merit Points were also in hand.


    As for Hidden elder-second, they let this Junior Brother do as he wished...


    Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian kept watch around them to avoid being ambushed by Monster Beasts or other Sin Cultivators.


    Shangguan Xu stood beside Mo Hua so that in case of danger, he could protect him.


    Ouyang Feng stood behind Hidden elder-second, in case he had any tricks left and made a sudden move to harm someone.


    Hidden elder-second spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered, "Don''t think I''ll hand it over!"


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, "Quite tough!"


    Then, unable to wait any longer, he took out a metal plate from the Storage Bag.


    He had later found some time to "modify" this metal plate.


    The effects of the Mountain, Water, and Fire Formations felt a bit weak, lacking a complementary effect between them.


    This time, he removed the Mountain Formation and added a Gold-series Formation instead.


    A Golden Needle pricking the knee should be more painful than a rock.


    If Hidden elder-second wasn''t so stubborn, he would have felt embarrassed to "execute the punishment."


    But now, not only was he stubborn, but he was also looking at him fiercely, and Mo Hua just so happened to test this improved "Formation Punishment Board" on him.


    Mo Hua placed the metal plate on the ground, activated the Formation, then said in a crisp voice to Hidden elder-second:


    "Just kneel for a moment, see if it hurts; if it doesn''t, I''ll think of a way to optimize it and improve it a bit..."


    Hidden elder-second was dumbfounded.


    What the hell is this little devil talking about?


    Such venomous words, yet spoken from his lips, they somehow sounded like he was saying,


    "I have a candy here, try it later and see if it''s sweet¡ªif not, I''ll add more sugar." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Senior Brother Feng!"


    Mo Hua glanced at Ouyang Feng.


    Ouyang Feng understood immediately and skillfully grabbed Hidden elder-second, pressing him onto the iron board, and immediately a pig-slaughtering scream erupted.


    Murong Caiyun helplessly held her forehead.


    Beside her, Shangguan Xu and Hua Qianqian were dumbfounded.


    It was their first encounter with this "iron board," but it wouldn''t be the last...


    Mo Hua curiously asked Hidden elder-second, "Does it hurt?"


    Hidden elder-second, in so much pain he couldn''t speak, trembled all over, nearly crushing his teeth.


    "Speak up..." Mo Hua urged again.


    Hidden elder-second was so furious he spat blood.


    After about the time it took to brew a cup of tea, just as Hidden elder-second was about to faint, Mo Hua moved his Divine Sense and turned off the Formation on the iron board.


    But even though Hidden elder-second was unsteady, he exuded a fierce determination and refused to speak a word.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He had slightly overestimated the capability of his iron board.


    Painful as it was, it still lacked some variance and needed some "improvements."


    At the same time, he realized he had somewhat underestimated Hidden elder-second.


    Indeed, Hidden elder-second was a tough man!


    Was this inheritance of the Stealth Skill so important?


    Even if tortured to death, he wouldn''t speak?


    Or perhaps, did he feel that being captured meant an inevitable death later on, so it mattered not whether he spoke?


    Or maybe, had he undergone some training and harbored unspeakable secrets, so once captured, he would clench his teeth and remain silent?


    ¡­


    In an instant, Mo Hua''s thoughts were rampant.


    However, he didn''t care about other matters; what concerned him the most was the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.


    The duck that was almost in his mouth cannot be allowed to fly away!


    If Hidden elder-second wouldn''t speak, then he would search himself.


    Such precious inheritance¡ªHidden elder-second would definitely carry it on his body.


    Just like his own inheritances, all hidden within the Storage Ring his master had given him¡ªHidden elder-second must also have a hiding place on his body!


    Mo Hua thought of the Letter Token.


    The Letter Token of Bald Eagle that he hadn''t managed to find, which was later discovered by the Taoist Court...


    Mo Hua felt somewhat indignant.


    Suddenly, an idea struck him; he thought of the causality air mechanism he had sensed while Calculating the nature''s spiritual energy.


    Calculation!


    Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened, his pupils darkened with a black base, and upon this, threads of the Heavenly secret pattern began to form.


    Hidden elder-second shuddered, feeling as if Mo Hua''s enigmatic and profound eyes had seen right through his secrets¡­


    A moment later, Mo Hua''s expression brightened, he took out the Thousand Jun Stick and handed it to Ouyang Feng, pointing at Hidden elder-second, "Senior Brother Feng! Help me smash his teeth!"


    Ouyang Feng hesitated.


    "Teeth?"


    "Hmm!" Mo Hua nodded.


    After a moment''s hesitation, Ouyang Feng complied with Mo Hua''s wishes.


    With a look of terror on Hidden elder-second''s face, Ouyang Feng gathered his Spiritual Power into Strength, and with one strike of his stick, smashed Hidden elder-second''s teeth.


    Blood flowed out, with Hidden elder-second''s teeth scattered on the ground.


    Mo Hua discerned briefly, picked out one tooth, smiling beamingly.


    This tooth, was a "Storage Bag"!


    A very tiny Storage Bag, with a palm-sized space inside, just enough to contain a Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua took out the Jade Slip and dangled it in front of Hidden elder-second.


    Hidden elder-second widened his eyes, disbelieving.


    Mo Hua smiled cheerfully and said,


    "Your Stealth Technique is good, but now it''s mine!"

 Chapter 902: Five Hidden Gate

    "Using teeth as a ''Storage Bag'' to preserve the inheritance inside the Jade Slip."


    "This Hidden Elder-Second, is truly sinister and cunning."


    Murong Caiyun and the others looked surprised, and then they turned to look at Mo Hua, even more shocked.


    They felt that their Junior Brother was even more cunning than Hidden Elder-Second...


    He even discovered the Jade Slip hidden inside someone''s teeth, shattered the teeth, and retrieved the Jade Slip.


    Hidden Elder-Second wore a face of panic, finding it unbelievable.


    He had concealed the location of this Jade Slip so well that, in over a hundred years, no one other than himself had known about it.


    "How on earth did this kid ''see'' it?"


    But looking at Mo Hua, who was smiling and holding the Jade Slip, beaming with joy, Hidden Elder-Second felt even more venomous. He sneered,


    "Kid, don''t... be too happy too soon..."


    He had lost some teeth, which made it slightly hard to understand his speech.


    "This is an inheritance Jade Slip with a Sealing Pattern added. Without knowing the Sealing Pattern, the Seal cannot be broken, and you''ll never be able to acquire the... spell for the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill inside..."


    "I am the only heir of the Five Hidden Gate who knows about the Jade Slip''s Sealing Pattern!"


    Hidden Elder-Second revealed a sinister grin.


    Ouyang Feng raised an eyebrow and pointed his sword at him, "Give up the Sealing Pattern, and you won''t suffer..."


    Hidden Elder-Second spit out a mouthful of blood, grinning without mirth, "Merely physical pain, I don''t care about that..."


    Ouyang Feng frowned, "What do you want?"


    "What else can I want?" The cunning glint in Hidden Elder-Second''s eyes was evident, "Naturally, it''s my life..."


    "I give up the Sealing Pattern, and you let me go!"


    Hidden Elder-Second sneered.


    Ouyang Feng shook his head, "Don''t dream."


    "Then forget it," Hidden Elder-Second scoffed, "If you kill me, this Jade Slip would also become useless."


    Murong Caiyun frowned, turned her head, and looked at Mo Hua.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was fully focused and fiddling with the Jade Slip, keen to know the hidden spell inside...


    She somewhat softened and threatened Hidden Elder-Second in a low voice: S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A Jade Slip with added seals isn''t something no Formation Master can solve..."


    "Correct!" Hidden Elder-Second sneered, "There are Formation Masters who can solve it..."


    "But Formation Masters who are proficient in Yuan Magnetic Formations are few, and even fewer can use Yuan Magnetic Formations to undo the Sealing Pattern..."


    "Creating a Yuan Magnetic Formation and applying Sealing and Secret Patterns, and breaking a Yuan Magnetic Formation are two entirely different things."


    "One may not necessarily unravel it even if they can create it..."


    "Even if there is someone who can solve it, considering how precious such a Formation Master''s time is, and considering their need for meticulous Divine Sense management, would they bother with a mere Foundation Establishment Stage obscure inheritance?"


    Murong Caiyun''s expression grew serious.


    The others hesitated as well.


    They indeed wanted to help Mo Hua and learn the spell for the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, but they couldn''t possibly agree to Hidden Elder-Second''s demand.


    With Hidden Elder-Second''s numerous misdeeds, even if not for Merit Points, they couldn''t possibly let him go; letting the tiger return to the mountain was absolutely not an option.


    If they asked other experienced Formation Masters to unseal the Jade Slip, the cost would be too great, even far exceeding the Merit Points earned from this mission, which would be a loss.


    Seeing the group wavering, Hidden Elder-Second grinned again:


    "Besides, unsealing isn''t that safe. If it''s done wrong and the Magnetic Patterns inside get destroyed, then this Jade Slip would be ruined."


    "If you want to obtain this legacy of the Five Hidden Gate again, it''ll be impossible."


    Ouyang Feng''s gaze sharpened, and he scoffed:


    "What nonsense are you talking about? The orthodox inheritance is with the Five Hidden Gate. As long as the Five Hidden Gate exists, the inheritance remains. You are just an apostate of the Five Hidden Gate."


    Hidden Elder-Second''s smile suddenly turned manic, his voice twisted.


    "The Five Hidden Gate still exists?"


    "Heh, the Five Hidden Gate still exists?!"


    "It''s gone, it''s already gone!"


    Hidden Elder-Second''s smile was bloodied, "This Jade Slip is the last inheritance, and the Five Hidden Gate will soon be struck off the list..."


    Murong Caiyun and the others exchanged glances, frowning even more.


    "Hidden Elder-Second, stop your nonsensical rambling, what foolish things are you saying?"


    Hidden Elder-Second''s smile was fierce and meaningful, "Believe it or not, that''s up to you. I''m just telling you, this is probably the only Five Hidden Gate Jade Slip you''ll ever see. If it''s resolved incorrectly and the Magnetic Patterns are damaged, you will never..."


    Before Hidden Elder-Second could finish, a crisp voice interrupted:


    "Done!"


    Everyone was startled, turning their heads, only to see Mo Hua with the Jade Slip pressed against his forehead, his eyes smiling brightly as he avidly read something.


    Murong Caiyun and the others gaped, stunned.


    Done...


    Was the Sealing Pattern unlocked?


    "Impossible!"


    Hidden Elder-Second''s expression changed drastically, his eyes widening in horror, then he scrutinized carefully and bellowed:


    "Right! Impossible!"


    "Shameless brat, playacting. Don''t think you can fool me!"


    "The Sealing Pattern of my Five Hidden Gate''s Jade Slip isn''t something you can just say is unlocked and have it be so!"


    Seeing his disbelief, Mo Hua thought for a moment and then recited from the Jade Slip:


    "Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, the Ultimate Technique of the Five Hidden Gate, not to be disclosed..."


    "Sensing the Five Elements, merging with heaven and earth to conceal oneself..."


    "Small concealments hide within a leaf''s sight, major concealments hide among the Five Elements of heaven and earth."


    "Its meaning profound, its applications vast..."


    "It can be used for offense, defense, creation, destruction, concealment, and for making tangible intents invisible..."


    "Those pursuing Tao Cultivation do not deceive in darkness..."


    "However, those who conceal themselves dwell in shadows, and must not rely on this Spell to commit evils, intrude on privacy, plot against lives, steal, or conduct acts that are despised by their peers and bring shame to their Sect..."


    "Those who violate this will have their Spells nullified and be expelled from the Sect..."

 Chapter 903: Five Hidden Gate (2)

    ¡­


    Mo Hua recited each sentence, and Hidden elder-second''s face whitened a bit more every time.


    By the time Mo Hua had finished, his face was as white as paper, bloodless, and his eyes filled with disbelief.


    "You¡­"


    "How is that even possible¡­"


    Mo Hua sighed, "You have violated the ancestral teachings of the Five Hidden Gate¡­"


    Mastering the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, but using stealth to ambush and kill, even eviscerating his victims, his methods were brutal.


    Other things like invading people''s privacy and stealing were probably not foreign to him either.


    Given the chance, people tend to do evil.


    Not everyone was like himself, with a kind heart and a firm Taoist heart!


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Now that he had obtained the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, Hidden elder-second was useless.


    This Hidden elder-second was an old Sin Cultivator, malicious in nature, cunning and brutal, and moreover, very tight-lipped.


    He wouldn''t say anything, you had to pry his mouth open to get what you wanted.


    Now, Mo Hua had what he wanted.


    Afterward, all he had to do was hand Hidden elder-second over to the Taoist Court, exchange him for Merit Points, and all would be well.


    "You, head to the Taoist Court, and enjoy your "severed head feast"!"


    Mo Hua said from a position of authority to Hidden elder-second, who was kneeling on the ground.


    Hidden elder-second still glared fiercely at Mo Hua, as if he wanted to etch Mo Hua''s image into his mind forever, to haunt him even as a ghost.


    Mo Hua was not afraid of him.


    If he turned into a "ghost," he was even less afraid.


    However, seeing Hidden elder-second looking venomously at him, Mo Hua wasn''t so magnanimous.


    Following Mo Hua''s "kind" suggestion, both arms of Hidden elder-second were broken again, his right hand''s tendons plucked, and his meridians destroyed¡­


    This way, he could never cause any trouble again.


    Ouyang Feng dragged Hidden elder-second by the collar as they left Canglang Mountain, went through Luopan Mountain Road, and arrived at the Taoist Court in Qianxue State Boundary.


    The transition at the Taoist Court was relatively smooth.


    With broken arms and legs, and even missing front teeth, "disabled" like Hidden elder-second, he was temporarily thrown into the Taoist Prison, where the Court Official held a hearing and sentenced him. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then everyone could return to the Sect and wait for the task settlement and distribution of Merit Points.


    Mo Hua also wanted to meet Supervisor Gu, but after looking around, he didn''t see Gu Changhuai''s tall, dashing, somewhat arrogant, and a bit flamboyant figure.


    Mo Hua asked the Enforcement Leader, who informed him that Gu Changhuai was out on a mission. He wasn''t at the Taoist Court for the time being.


    As a Third Grade Supervisor, he was usually quite busy.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    He wanted to discuss some matters with Uncle Gu...


    ¡­


    Now that their task was accomplished, everyone was ready to return to the Sect.


    On the return to the Sect, Murong Caiyun had rented a carriage which was filled with sweet fruits and fragrant tea.


    Everyone''s mood was very light.


    They had thought this mission would take a long time, require a lot of effort, and inevitably involve some dangers.


    But unexpectedly, everything went incredibly smoothly.


    No one was injured, the delay was minimal, and the mission was completed in just one day, allowing them to return to the Sect.


    Thus, the atmosphere inside the carriage was quite relaxed.


    Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian, drinking floral tea, whispered intimate words with their delicate hands covering their mouths, laughing.


    Shangguan Xu polished his Heavy Sword.


    Mo Hua held a large melon, gazing at the scenery outside the window while enjoying the fragrant and sweet treat.


    Only Ouyang Feng seemed preoccupied, occasionally looking at Mo Hua, his expression torn as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Just when he looked troubled, a bright red Spirit Fruit suddenly appeared before him, and a crisp voice rang out.


    "Senior Brother Feng, have some fruit."


    Ouyang Feng was taken aback and then chuckled, taking the fruit from Mo Hua''s hand, warmly saying,


    "Thank you."


    Mo Hua nodded and took another bite of the melon, puffing his cheeks, and asked,


    "Senior Brother, is there something you want to ask me?"


    Ouyang Feng paused briefly, sighed, and said,


    "This question might be a bit rude, but I still want to ask¡­"


    Ouyang Feng paused again, his voice deep,


    "Junior Brother Mo, how did you unlock that Sealing Pattern?"


    Silence fell in the carriage for a moment.


    Shangguan Xu stopped polishing his sword, Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian stopped their whispers, and looked up at Mo Hua.


    Clearly, they all wanted to know about the unsealing.


    But they were worried about prying into the secrets of Tao Cultivation, so it was hard for them to ask.


    Mo Hua calmly said, "I was lucky, I guessed it!"


    Ouyang Feng bit into the Spirit Fruit, silently looking at Mo Hua.


    Murong Caiyun and the others squinted their eyes, obviously not convinced.


    Mo Hua then explained, "I noted down some Secondary Thunder Patterns, which are pretty much similar to the ''Secret Patterns.'' When unsealing, I just tried my luck, one by one."


    "If you''re lucky, you can unlock it¡­"


    He was able to unlock the seal on the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill Jade Slip indeed due to some luck.


    Hidden elder-second was on Boss Jiang''s "list."


    Keeping a possibility in mind, Mo Hua used the "Secondary Thunder Pattern Library" collected from Boss Jiang''s Jade Slip to attempt to unlock Hidden elder-second''s Jade Slip seal.


    It took about a dozen tries, but he did manage to unlock it.


    It really was good luck, guessed it.


    However, this bit of luck required substantial Divine Sense Calculation Power, a "solid" accumulation of knowledge in formations, and "strong" expertise in formations.


    These deeper aspects were things Ouyang Feng didn''t know, as he only exclaimed,


    "You learned the Yuan Magnetic Formation?"


    Mo Hua didn''t hide it and nodded, "Learned a little bit."


    Ouyang Feng sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 904: Five Hidden Gate (3)

    The true Yuan Magnetic Formation involves the principles of Original Magnetism and requires the drawing of two layers of Formation Patterns, unlike the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, a superficial method. The difference between them is like that of heaven and earth.


    He originally thought he had rated Mo Hua''s Formation skills highly enough.


    But he had still underestimated this Junior Brother.


    "So..."


    Ouyang Feng whispered, "Can you break the seal now?"


    Mo Hua said, "I''ve just learned, can''t really say I can, nor can I unlock all of them, and there''s a good chance I''ll have to rely on luck..."


    Mo Hua exaggerated the role of "luck" to mask his own "strength."


    "Relying on luck..."


    Ouyang Feng breathed a sigh of relief.


    No wonder...


    He had thought that Mo Hua really could use his Formation skills to consistently break the seals...


    That would be too outrageous.


    And too dangerous...


    Since it was based on "luck," everyone nodded slightly and said no more.


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered something, opened his Storage Bag, took out the Jade Slip of the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, and asked:


    "Elder Brother, Senior Sister, do you want to copy this Concealment Technique?"


    Hidden elder-second was captured by everyone together, the Merit Points were distributed together, so logically, the spells should be shared as well.


    Everyone hesitated for a moment, then shook their heads.


    Ouyang Feng said, "We don''t study Concealment Techniques, and they aren''t very useful to us, you keep it." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright."


    Mo Hua put away the Jade Slip and then asked, "By the way, if I submit this spell to the Sect, can I exchange it for Merit Points?"


    Murong Caiyun pondered briefly, then nodded, "You can, but it''s a bit troublesome..."


    "Troublesome?"


    "Yes." Murong Caiyun said, "The Sect''s Cultivation Techniques and spells are already quite extensive. If you submit it, the Elders will have to compare it with existing spells before they decide whether to include it..."


    "That''s not a problem..."


    "The issue is that many spells need to ''avoid coincidence'' with those from other Sects..."


    "Some spells, if they have deep connections with certain other Sects, are not suitable to be included in the Book Pavilion of Taixu Gate."


    "Rashly including them can occasionally lead to disputes..."


    "Although as long as you submit them, as long as the spell isn''t too commonplace and the provenance is clear, the Sect will usually reward some Merit Points, no matter what."


    "However, these Merit Points likely won''t be much..."


    "Overall, the Sect still hopes that disciples will earn Merit Points by taking bounties and missions, rather than submitting inherited skills..."


    "That''s right, that''s right!"


    Hua Qianqian''s voice was crisp as she nodded repeatedly, gossiping to Mo Hua:


    "It''s said that Sever Gold Sect, also known as the ''petty gate,'' once had this kind of situation..."


    "Some Disciples, to earn Merit Points, stole inheritances from their own families and submitted them to the Sect in exchange for Merit Points."


    "Sever Gold Sect, greedy for inheritance, silently accepted them and shamelessly listed them as the ancestral Taoist Skills of the Sect..."


    "Later, when other families came knocking, Sever Gold Sect, for the sake of face, adamantly denied it, leading to disputes between the two sides and became a laughingstock to others..."


    "Since then, the Sect has become much more restrained in accepting inheritances, and the Merit Points given have also reduced..."


    Murong Caiyun helplessly glared at Hua Qianqian, "Qianqian, Sever Gold Sect is petty-minded, don''t talk too much about their bad side..."


    Hua Qianqian chuckled.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly and thought of another question to ask:


    "Senior Sister Murong, suppose..."


    Mo Hua blinked, emphasizing:


    "I mean, ''suppose''..."


    "I ''accidentally'' come across a few spells'' inheritance from other Sects in Qian State, can I learn them?"


    Murong Caiyun''s gaze was meaningful as she softly asked, "Are they of high rank?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "Not high, all low-level, inferior..."


    He couldn''t afford the Superior, High-Rank spells...


    "Then it doesn''t matter..." Murong Caiyun said.


    "They won''t give me trouble for it?"


    Murong Caiyun shook her head and replied:


    "Unless you obtained them through ''killing and robbing,'' with nefarious origins, afraid to be exposed... Otherwise, generally speaking, learning such low-level, inferior spells, and using them won''t have much effect."


    Seeing that Mo Hua was still somewhat unclear, Murong Caiyun further explained:


    "Low-level spells, learned by many cultivators and used by even more, are diverse in schools of thought and complicated in lineage. Often, they are quite similar to each other; it''s very hard to prove which spell definitely belongs to whose heritage."


    "For example, something like the Fireball Technique..."


    "You use it, he uses it, and on the surface, it looks like nothing more than a fireball. Even if there are differences, ordinary cultivators can''t distinguish the subtleties. There''s no way to investigate further."


    "But superior spells are different..."


    "These kinds of spells have too distinct characteristics. As soon as you use one, others will recognize it and there''s no denying it."


    "Therefore, within the Qianxue State Boundary, as long as the origin of a low-level spell is clear, there''s no issue in learning and using it."


    "But with superior spells, unless they are from your own sect, once acquired, they must either be handed over to the Taoist Court or returned to their original owners, to be given back to the respective sect."


    "Otherwise, there will be big trouble..."


    "Thank you, Senior Sister," Mo Hua nodded, "I understand now!"


    What it means is, with low-level spells, one can freely exploit them.


    But with mid to high-rank spells, especially superior ones, one cannot simply learn or use them willy-nilly.


    Like the Sever Gold Sword Control Jue.


    If I want to learn it, I must be extremely cautious.


    I shouldn''t use it carelessly, and when I do use it, I can''t let "others" see...


    Just like Boss Jiang.


    Now that Mo Hua understood this point, he felt much more at ease.


    The carriage returned to the Qianxue State Boundary, and Ouyang Feng and Hua Qianqian said their goodbyes one after another.


    When Ouyang Feng got out of the carriage, he gave Mo Hua an extra glance, seemingly preoccupied with something, but he didn''t speak.


    Hua Qianqian watched Mo Hua, her eyes brimming with gentle waves.


    She found this Junior Brother Mo to be naively innocent, a bit cunning, and occasionally fierce...


    Which only made him more endearing.


    Afterward, the three returned to Taixu Gate. Shangguan Xu had matters to attend to and left first, so Mo Hua walked with Senior Sister Murong for a while.


    When they parted, Murong Caiyun paused, then reminded Mo Hua:


    "Don''t mention the unsealing to others lightly..."


    "Hmm."


    Mo Hua nodded and then asked, puzzled:


    "Is there something taboo about unsealing?"


    Mo Hua knew in his heart that the Yuan Magnetic Formation was difficult to learn and master, and unsealing such enchantments was somewhat out of the ordinary.


    But this was just his speculation; the actual reasons he didn''t know too clearly.


    Murong Caiyun sighed, "Unsealing is very difficult..."


    "In the Qianxue State Boundary, there are so many sects, and most of the sect inheritances are recorded in Jade Slips, which are ''sealed'' through Formation Patterns..."


    "Because unsealing is so difficult, that''s why Jade Slips are widely used to store spell points and form barriers to inheritance..."


    "If everyone knew how to unseal, then in this Qianxue State Boundary, a vast number of heritages would be stolen..."


    "So..."


    Murong Caiyun left it at that, giving Mo Hua a meaningful glance, "Whether you unsealed it by your own abilities or by ''luck,'' don''t just casually speak about it..."


    "Even if it was by ''ability,'' you should say it was by ''luck''..."


    Mo Hua took the hint and smiled, "Thank you, Senior Sister, I''ve got it!"


    Seeing this, Murong Caiyun also smiled gently.


    ...


    After they separated, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple''s Residence, where he immediately began to eagerly study the secret Ultimate Technique of the Five Hidden Gate, merged with the Five Elements, hidden between heaven and earth: "Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill."


    This Stealth Technique was much more effective than his current Concealment Technique.


    Hidden elder-second, although experienced, didn''t have a strong Divine Sense, and couldn''t fully maximize the effect of concealment.


    Moreover, he had been using this technique for wrongdoing, so in his hands, the technique really was a pearl cast before swine.


    Mo Hua took out the Jade Slip, ready to take a closer look, but then suddenly remembered something Hidden elder-second had said...


    At the time, the elder''s smile was stained with blood. He said the Five Hidden Gate...


    "Is no more..."


    "This Jade Slip is the last inheritance. The Five Hidden Gate is also going to be stricken from the records..."


    Mo Hua slowly furrowed his brow.


    The Five Hidden Gate, forced to relocate from the Qianxue State Boundary due to poor management, had they been... annihilated?


    Was this true, or not?


    If it was just a lie fabricated by Hidden elder-second, that would be one thing...


    But if it were true, then what exactly happened within the Five Hidden Gate...

 Chapter 905: Great Evil Karma

    It was a silent night in the Disciple''s Residence.


    Mo Hua''s thoughts were in turmoil.


    Why did Hidden elder-second say that the Five Hidden Gate had been wiped out?


    Why had it been wiped out?


    And who was the one who had executed the deed?


    When the Five Hidden Gate moved out of the Qianxue State Boundary, was it really because of poor management and inability to recruit disciples, or was there some hidden reason?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, then suddenly paused.


    This seemed to have nothing to do with him...


    He was just a minor disciple of the Taixu Gate, unfamiliar with Qianxue State Boundary, and he had had little contact with the many sects.


    He had only just heard of the Five Hidden Gate.


    Even if he wanted to inquire, he wouldn''t know where to start...


    Besides, he was very busy¡ªattending classes, undertaking tasks, accumulating merit points, cultivating, studying Formation, and also learning Spells...


    Where would he find the time to inquire about such matters?


    As long as he mastered the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, the affairs of the Five Hidden Gate, even if true, seemed irrelevant to a minor cultivator like him...


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    He then pulled out Boss Jiang''s diary, broke the Secret Pattern, and flipped through the list inside, pondering another matter:


    Boss Jiang was a traitor of the Sever Gold Sect.


    Hidden elder-second was a traitor of the Five Hidden Gate...


    ...


    Then, could the other people on this list... be traitors of the sects in Qian State?


    Was this a "traitor''s" list?


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, and the more he looked at it, the more likely it seemed.


    In that case, were the legacies of these Sin Cultivators originally from the top sects, the Eight Great Gates, the Twelve Streams, and the numerous large and small sects in the Qianxue State Boundary?


    Wool comes from the sheep.


    Speaking of shearing wool from Sin Cultivators, but in essence, it was shearing from these sects of Qian State...


    With that thought...


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Was the Spell-craft he was learning derived from "diverse sources"?


    Inheriting from many schools, converging into one stream, with all Spells comprehended?


    As long as he kept on learning, there might come a day when he could master the spells from all schools, use his strong Divine Sense, command myriad spells with ease, use others'' methods against them... sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And become a true master of all Spells!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Then, looking at the Jade Slip in his hand, he was somewhat puzzled:


    Why were there so many sect traitors in the Qianxue State Boundary? And why had they gathered together? Why had they left a list in the hands of Boss Jiang?


    To huddle together for warmth?


    Or did they feel that, although they had become Sin Cultivators, they were originally legitimate sect disciples, and thus different from other Sin Cultivators, wanting to establish a separate organization?


    Mo Hua was puzzled, and his mind slightly shifted as he did a brief Calculation.


    But he had only calculated briefly when an intense chill invaded his whole body.


    Mo Hua''s pupils dilated.


    In the midst of Chaos and ignorance, he glimpsed a vast, evil, Poppy-like Karmic net filled with desires that led to corruption.


    This karmic chain was dark purple, distinctly ugly, yet it seemed to emit a sweet, rotting scent, teasing one''s desires, causing cultivators to deeply indulge in it.


    This was...


    The true great Karmic consequence of evil desires!


    It was already formed, with the sin deeply sedimented, evil patterns deeply rooted, and the Karmic chains massive and corrupted¡ªa depraved Heavenly secret!


    Mo Hua felt a stabbing pain in his eyes and a cold sweat broke out on his back.


    He hurriedly closed his eyes and when he reopened them, everything had vanished without a trace.


    As if it was all a hallucination...


    But Mo Hua knew, the implications of the Heavenly secret were far from illusory.


    This sort of Poppy-like Karmic consequence was definitely real.


    Moreover, such a powerful and profound net of karma, laden with sin, was not something he could see with his current level of Divine Sense.


    It was more like a revelation from the unknown.


    Or perhaps...


    It was shown to him by someone...


    Mo Hua''s mood suddenly became solemn.


    All the events after coming to the Qianxue State Boundary, like a zoetrope, rose in his heart and then, like a mirage or the moon reflected in the water, shattered into broken ripples.


    Qianxue State Boundary.


    The very pinnacle of the Cultivation World, a place for seekers of knowledge...


    Now, in Mo Hua''s mind, the impression had completely changed.


    Although on the surface, it still sported the thriving appearance of Tao Cultivation, with sects standing tall and geniuses abound, prosperity everywhere, there was something rotten hidden beneath...


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and muttered in his mind:


    "This is somewhat dangerous..."


    Mo Hua understood that within this karmic consequence lay great dangers.


    The great Dao is unpredictable, and the Heavenly secret flows.


    Heaven and earth like a chessboard, all living beings as chess pieces.


    Something in the unknown was already beginning to breed...


    At such times, it''s best to avoid these grand, unknown conspiracies if possible.


    Moreover, he still bore the karma of his master and uncle...


    Mo Hua sighed and once again thought of his master...


    The immense conspiracies surrounding his master, of which he knew nothing.


    Even if he came to know of them, he, a mere Foundation Building Cultivator, though willing, would be helpless and unable to intervene.


    Then there was his uncle...


    Mo Hua still remembered how his uncle, with a dao heart planting the Devil, could slay Golden Cores and Feather Transformations as easily as chopping vegetables. Let alone himself, such an inconspicuous Foundation Building entity.


    Without his master''s Heavenly secret Calculation to check, his uncle was truly terrifying...


    Moreover, between him and his uncle, there were still some "misunderstandings."


    He had secretly learned his uncle''s Tricky Calculations, surreptitiously absorbed his uncle''s Demon Thought, and even eaten his uncle''s bowl of noodles...


    Though the Tricky Calculations were learned legitimately!


    The Demon Thought was consumed out of necessity!


    The noodles were bought with his own Flower Spirit Stones...

 Chapter 906: Great Evil Karma (2)

    Uncle Mo would certainly hold a grudge...


    Mo Hua sprawled on the desk, his mind wandering in chaos before slowly untangling his thoughts...


    Within the Qianxue state boundary, there must be a major conspiracy.


    At Uncle''s place, there would surely be great peril.


    But whether a conspiracy or peril, they were not of much concern to him at the moment.


    His current task was to figure out a way to preserve his life and to develop steadily.


    In addition to enhancing his cultivation and Divine Sense, he needed to learn as many things as possible.


    Formation, spells, and other Tao Cultivation knowledge were all necessary to learn more about.


    To ensure that he could graduate smoothly from the Taixu Gate and form his Core with peace and stability...


    He also needed to seek out some intelligence to prevent problems before they occurred.


    Only then, if dangers arose in the future, would he be able to foresee them and be prepared.


    Mo Hua nodded, thus he devoted himself to his studies with even greater diligence...


    ...


    In the Qianxue state boundary, at the Taoist Court.


    Gu Changhuai, after finishing the Supervisor''s duties, returned to the Taoist Court, his appearance travel-worn, yet his handsome face still revealed a clear, cold detachment.


    It was arduous work to pursue Sin Cultivators outside, enduring the elements and roughing it.


    Back at the Taoist Court, there were still tedious procedures to handle.


    He felt somewhat impatient, but still suppressed his irritation and slowly reviewed the documents of his subordinates.


    As he was perusing the files, an idea suddenly struck him, and he asked the Enforcement Leader beside him, "How is that robbery and murder case coming along?"


    "Are you referring to..."


    The Enforcement Leader was somewhat nervous.


    With so many cases in the Taoist Court, he wasn''t sure which one Gu Changhuai meant, and he feared not being able to respond, making him quite intimidated.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "Hidden elder-second."


    "Yes." The Enforcement Leader remembered, flipping the files hurriedly before replying, "Reporting to the Supervisor, it''s about to be closed..." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Closed?" Gu Changhuai''s gaze narrowed slightly.


    The Enforcement Leader swallowed, unable to fathom Supervisor Gu''s thoughts, "Supervisor, yes, it''s about to be closed..."


    "Was Hidden elder-second captured?"


    "He has been thrown into the Taoist Prison and punished according to his crimes..."


    "How was he captured?"


    The Enforcement Leader immediately flipped through the files again before answering:


    "It is said... on Canglang Mountain, following the trail, they found Hidden elder-second, broke through his concealment, and disciples from Taixu Gate, Tai''a Sect, and the Hundred Flower Valley worked together to capture him and delivered him to the Taoist Court..."


    "Are you sure it''s Hidden elder-second?"


    "After verifying his bloodline, Spiritual Root, Cultivation Technique, and the Spiritual Power he practiced, there''s no mistake; it''s indeed Hidden elder-second..."


    Gu Changhuai was perplexed, "Were there no other Cultivators who helped?"


    "There''s no mention in the files; there shouldn''t have been any..."


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze became sharp as his thoughts churned.


    It didn''t make sense...


    The sequence of events in the files was accurate, but not the rationale behind them.


    How were the tracks found, the concealment broken, and the cooperation achieved in capturing someone?


    Capturing a Sin Cultivator skilled in stealth and assassination was a complicated matter; being the Supervisor of the Taoist Court, how could he not understand that?


    A few inexperienced Sect Disciples, in just a day or two, had managed to nab Hidden elder-second, which seemed rather suspicious however one looked at it...


    "Take me to see Hidden elder-second," Gu Changhuai said.


    "Yes," the Enforcement Leader nodded.


    Following the Enforcement Leader, they descended into the underground Taoist Prison where Gu Changhuai saw Hidden elder-second.


    Hidden elder-second was locked in a Spirit Banning cell, secured by Second Grade chains. He had been tortured, with his limbs disabled and his teeth broken, looking miserable.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "Are our Taoist Court''s penal methods so severe?"


    The Enforcement Leader forced a smile, "No... he was almost in this state upon arrival..."


    "His limbs were broken, tendons in his hands severed, all of his teeth shattered, and his knees... It''s unknown what sort of evil thing he knelt on, they''re utterly ruined..."


    Gu Changhuai paused before asking, "Who did this?"


    "Those Sect Disciples, I guess..."


    Gu Changhuai''s brow furrowed deeply.


    The Enforcement Leader said, "Supervisor, is this... not against the rules?"


    Gu Changhuai snorted coldly, "What''s against the rules about that? He''s a Sin Cultivator. If you''re not cruel to them, they''ll be cruel to you. It''s just that..."


    He glanced at Hidden elder-second with a twitch of his eyelid, "This technique is too practiced..."


    Nowadays, are Sect Disciples so ruthless...?


    "Were those Disciples injured?" Gu Changhuai asked again.


    "When they delivered this Hidden elder-second, I saw them; they all looked quite energetic, I didn''t see any injuries..."


    "Hmm."


    Gu Changhuai nodded and turned to leave. But just before he left, a glance at the corner of his eye caught the scorch marks on Hidden elder-second''s face; his gaze sharpened.


    "Did you use fire torture?"


    "No," The Enforcement Leader muttered, "We only used Thousand Jun Spirit Wood to beat him..."


    Gu Changhuai, looking at the burn mark on Hidden elder-second''s face, said, "This is... a Five Element Fire Series Spell..."


    It didn''t look like a sword, not like a blade, nor had the pinpoint burn marks of being seared by fire...


    It resembled the scorching marks of an exploding Fireball, that would mean...


    "Fireball Technique?"


    Gu Changhuai mumbled to himself.


    The Fireball Technique was nothing special, an entry-level spell. In the Cultivation World, any Cultivator with a Fire-series Spiritual Root knew how to perform the Fireball Technique.


    Anyone could...?


    Gu Changhuai paused, his gaze suddenly intense.


    A certain incident flashed in his mind.


    He remembered the food place outside Qing City over half a year ago, where most of the human traffickers who had abducted Yu Er had died from the Fireball Technique.


    Gu Changhuai pondered swiftly in his heart...


    They were five in total on this mission.


    Ouyang Feng practiced the Ouyang Family''s Swordsmanship, Shangguan Xu also used a sword, while Hua Qianqian cultivated the Hundred Flower Valley''s White Flower Spiritual Formation.

 Chapter 907: The Great Evil Karma (3)

    Chapter 907: Chapter 621: The Great Evil Karma_3 Chapter 907 -621: The Great Evil Karma_3 Murong Caiyun had cultivated the Taixu Gate¡¯s Five Elements Spirit Light spell.


    That left only one person.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    That Small Five Elements Spiritual Root cultivator, who reportedly just happened to pass by and rescued Yu Er¡­


    Mo Hua!


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    This matter seemed fishy.


    The story from Mo Hua, that junior cultivator, claiming he just happened to pass by and coincidentally found Yu Er, couldn¡¯t be trusted!


    If it wasn¡¯t him who found her, then could it be¡­


    He, alone, used the Fireball Technique to kill over a dozen human traffickers, then rescued Yu Er?


    That seemed¡­


    Even less believable¡­


    Such a tale would fail to deceive even a fool.


    Gu Changhuai was perplexed.


    As a Dao Court Canon, experienced in handling cases for many years, his instinct told him there was definitely something majorly wrong with Mo Hua, that junior cultivator.


    Yet, his cousin sister had great trust in the young man, and Yu Er was also very close to him.


    It wouldn¡¯t be proper for him to directly investigate.


    But leaving things be would surely pose a significant hidden danger¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze flickered, and the image of Mo Hua¡¯s eyes reappeared in his mindthose eyes, seemingly clear on the surface, yet oddly dissonant upon closer examination, possessed an uncommon depth¡­


    Half good, half evil.


    As if balancing on the edge between righteousness and wickedness.


    Gu Changhuai always had an intuition that a cultivator with such eyes was either an astonishingly brilliant genius or a world-shaking demon fiend.


    "I need to find some time to probe further


    ¡­


    Taixu Gate.


    That day, after finishing his meal, Mo Hua lay down on a patch of grass, legs crossed, leisurely flipping through Formation Books, when suddenly a tall ¡°junior brother¡± rushed over, calling out,


    "Mo Hua!¡±


    Mo Hua looked up and saw it was Cheng Mo.


    Curiously, he asked,


    "What¡¯s up?¡±


    "The Elder told me someone is looking for you.¡±


    "Who is it?¡±


    "How would I know


    "Alright.¡± Mo Hua packed up the book, brushing off the grass tips from his Taoist robe.


    "I¡¯ll go check it out.¡±


    Cheng Mo glanced at Mo Hua, suspicion in his voice:


    "Mo Hua, why do you seem so busy


    "That¡¯s because, I¡¯m diligent in my cultivation!¡± Mo Hua replied.


    "It¡¯s not cultivation stuff,¡± Cheng Mo shook his head.


    "I always feel like you¡¯re involved in other things


    Mo Hua got on his tiptoes and patted the tall Cheng Mo on the shoulder, sighing,


    "You¡¯re still young, there are things you know too early.


    Once you¡¯ve been in the Sect for a full year, your ¡®senior brother¡¯ will then take you along for some fun


    Cheng Mo was a little embarrassed, ¡°You¡¯re two years younger than me!¡±


    "Age does not define knowledge, respect goes to the accomplished!¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It¡¯s only out of respect for Elder Master Xun that I call you ¡®junior brother¡¯, don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself


    "Who was calling me ¡®dear brother¡¯ just before


    "You


    ¡­


    After the two bantered for a while, Mo Hua went to the side hall outside the mountain gate to meet the Elder.


    Following the Elder¡¯s directions, outside the mountain gate, he met the person looking for him.


    It was Gu Changhuai.


    Mo Hua was quite surprised.


    He didn¡¯t know many people in the Qianxue State Boundary, and those who could come to the Sect to find him were either Aunt Wan or a guard from the Shangguan Family, sent on Aunt Wan¡¯s orders to deliver something to him.


    But he never expected it to be Gu Changhuai.


    "Uncle Gu?¡±


    Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise.


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly, ¡°I came to see you, and¡­


    Concerning Hidden Elder Second, I have some questions


    "Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    While the two of them were talking, an Elder from Taixu Gate, seemingly just drinking tea, actually sent a sliver of Divine Sense to watch Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai sighed inwardly.


    His visit here was anything but easy.


    His status as a Dao Court Canon was unique, every move he made bore the mark of the Dao Court.


    Visiting the Sect to speak with a disciple was inevitably met with caution.


    Gu Changhuai exhausted his tongue, claiming he was following the orders of his family to visit a younger clan member, and only then did an elder consent.


    But whatever he asked and said, the elder of Taixu Gate remained wary.


    Gu Changhuai could only subtly begin by asking about some matters concerning Hidden elder-second.


    Since most of the information pertained to case files, Mo Hua picked and chose what to share; for things he couldn¡¯t disclose, he played dumb, saying he didn¡¯t know, didn¡¯t remember, or couldn¡¯t recall¡­


    There was nothing Gu Changhuai could do.


    After asking a bit more, Mo Hua became very tight-lipped and impermeable.


    Finally, Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help it any longer and slowly started to speak,


    "Mo Hua, do you¡­


    Know the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    The Fireball Technique?


    Why is Uncle Gu asking me this?


    His eyes narrowed, and just as he was about to answer, a cough came from afar.


    The elder of Taixu Gate calmly said,


    "The disciples of my Taixu Gate are free to learn whatever they wish; it¡¯s not for others to meddle


    Gu Changhuai frowned, feeling helpless.


    This Taixu Gate really didn¡¯t give him any leeway.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered before he turned back, bowing gratefully to the elder, then said,


    "Elder, don¡¯t worry.


    Uncle Gu and I are well acquainted.


    We have some family affairs to discuss


    The elder raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really?¡±


    "Yes, yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded, bowing again in thanks, ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Elder.¡±


    The elder¡¯s expression softened a bit and he nodded at Mo Hua, saying, ¡°Then talk.¡±


    After that, he withdrew his Divine Sense and contentedly resumed drinking his tea.


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua in surprise, ¡°You have quite a ¡®reputation¡¯ within the Sect?¡±


    Mo Hua modestly said, ¡°Just average.¡±


    Mainly because Elder Master Xun had a significant reputation, and he had basked in just a bit of that glory.


    And in this short time, he had also figured things out.


    Gu Changhuai, being a Supervisor, surely had concerns related to the case.


    At the same time, as Aunt Wan¡¯s cousin, he was also very concerned about her and Yu Er¡¯s affairs.


    Coming specifically to ask him indicated that this matter was also related to him.


    The ¡°cases¡± he had ¡°committed


    No.


    It was him using the Fireball Technique to eradicate human traffickers!


    Mo Hua thought it over and over, and this was the only matter that left a ¡°trace¡± of the Fireball Technique, leading to Gu Changhuai¡¯s suspicions.


    However, Mo Hua was not afraid.


    He was kidnapped by human traffickers, then ¡°acted in self-defense¡± and killed over a dozen of them, saving Yu Er in the process.


    Even if this matter was reported to the Dao Court, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues, nor would it violate the Taoist Law.


    It was just that he didn¡¯t want to bother with fame, and that¡¯s why he kept silent about the good deed.


    Once it went public, the Dao Court might even commend him!


    Even if he told Uncle Gu, there likely wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    The most important part was that he had Aunt Wan¡¯s support.


    Aunt Wan, being a person of deep feelings, would definitely side with him.


    Although Uncle Gu looked formidable, in front of Aunt Wan, he was just a younger brother and couldn¡¯t do anything to him!


    On the contrary¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he began to consider taking advantage of Gu Changhuai.


    Because Mo Hua realized that following Boss Jiang¡¯s ¡°list¡± to capture Sin Cultivators, learn Spells, and sample ¡°a hundred family¡¯s repast¡±, walking the path of a Spell Master of using others¡¯ methods against them had its inconveniences¡­


    Finding Sin Cultivators was troublesome.


    Even after finding them, there wasn¡¯t necessarily a matching task.


    The issuing of tasks was a separate system, cumbersome and bothersome.


    Therefore, it was necessary to have a ¡°connection¡± to manipulate things in the shadows¡­


    For example, after deciding which Spells he wanted to learn and which Sin Cultivators to capture based on the list.


    Then, he would need to get intelligence on these Sin Cultivators from the Dao Court.


    And then, suppose he had a good relationship with Uncle Gu¡­


    He could let Uncle Gu issue tasks through the Dao Court, have Senior Sister Murong take on the tasks, and he could mix in to assist with task completion¡­


    This way, inheritance and Merit Points would come seamlessly ¡°full circle¡±.

 Chapter 908: Little Neighbor

    Chapter 908: Chapter 622 Little Neighbor Chapter 908 -622 Little Neighbor Without waiting for Gu Changhuai to react, Mo Hua ¡°turned the tables¡± and probed,


    "Uncle Gu, can you issue a task from the Taoist Court?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was startled and felt displeased in his heart.


    This brat, why is he acting so ¡°familiar¡±, as if I¡¯m well-acquainted with him¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with a wary expression,


    "What do you want to do?¡±


    "I¡¯m just asking,¡± Mo Hua said casually, then flashed a look like a cunning little fox, ¡°Suppose


    Mo Hua emphasized, ¡°I mean suppose, I inadvertently, came across a clue about a Sin Cultivator, could you issue a task through the Taoist Court?¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned and refused,


    "The Taoist Court acts according to its own statutes, and the rewards offered to Sects are also subject to the Canon¡¯s careful deliberation, it¡¯s not something that can be issued at will


    Mo Hua nodded, instantly understood.


    Prudence, deliberation, not at will¡­


    The implication was that it still depended on one¡¯s will.


    Whether it¡¯s prudent or not, whether you deliberate or not, whether it¡¯s arbitrary or not, it all depends on the subjective judgment of the Supervisor, with no objective rules.


    As a Supervisor, if Uncle Gu decided, he indeed had the qualification to issue a reward!


    Gu Changhuai looked at the spirited and unusual Mo Hua, and for a moment didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua had figured out, he furrowed his brow and asked,


    "What do you want by asking this


    He was only halfway through his question when he realized something.


    No, that¡¯s not right, the question he asked this kid, he hasn¡¯t answered yet¡­


    He came here to investigate Mo Hua¡¯s connection to Boss Jiang¡¯s death.


    But he got careless, and Mo Hua led the conversation astray¡­


    Gu Changhuai put on a stern face, ¡°I asked first, you answer first.¡±


    "What did you ask again?¡± Mo Hua blinked.


    Gu Changhuai felt a bit of a headache, so he repeated his question, ¡°Do you know the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua did not hide anything and nodded,


    "The Fireball Technique is such a Spell¡­


    It would be quite hard not to know


    The Fireball Technique was one of the most basic Spells for Cultivators, and also one of the most widely used.


    Mo Hua looked frank.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, and even with his experience as the Dao Court¡¯s Supervisor, he couldn¡¯t see a hint of nervousness on Mo Hua¡¯s slightly childish face.


    He made his judgment in an instant.


    This was a little ¡°slick operator,¡± impervious to oil and salt, uninterrogatable.


    Gu Changhuai thought for a while, his eyes slightly heavy, and simply asked directly,


    "The human traffickers who kidnapped Yu Er, did you kill them?¡±


    Having said this, Gu Changhuai looked straight at Mo Hua with a piercing gaze.


    Mo Hua actually wanted to prevaricate, but he felt that he might need to ask Uncle Gu, the Supervisor of the Taoist Court, for many favors in the future, so there should be some basic trust between the two, and lying wouldn¡¯t be good¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Mo Hua admitted it very straightforwardly.


    Yet, Gu Changhuai was taken aback.


    His mind experienced a momentary deadlock.


    He had envisioned many scenarios, but he didn¡¯t expect that as soon as he asked, Mo Hua would admit it directly, leaving him with no words to say.


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for a long time before asking, ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°I used the Fireball Technique to slaughter all those human traffickers!¡±


    Gu Changhai thought as much.


    This was in line with what he had surmised.


    But he hesitated again for a moment, thought over those words in his heart for a long time, and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and say, ¡°Impossible


    With the Fireball Technique¡­


    How could he kill?


    Mo Hua, this youngster, was in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Those dozen or so human traffickers were at least at the Foundation level too, and with many years of cultivation experience and deeper Cultivation than Mo Hua.


    With the Fireball Technique¡­


    Gu Changhuai simply couldn¡¯t figure out how one could use the low-level Fireball Technique to kill a dozen or so Cultivators of the same rank.


    Even killing one would be cumbersome¡­


    Mo Hua looked helpless,


    "If I stay silent, you suspect me, if I tell the truth, you don¡¯t believe me, Uncle Gu, this makes things difficult for me


    Gu Changhuai was stopped, feeling slightly guilty, but he still insisted,


    "It definitely wasn¡¯t just the Fireball Technique.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, ¡°What if¡­


    I had previously set up a Formation that blasted them into serious injuries, and then used the Fireball Technique to finish them off, taking their lives, would that be plausible?¡±


    Gu Changhuai followed Mo Hua¡¯s train of thought and couldn¡¯t help but agree, S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That does seem more reasonable


    "So, it¡¯s settled?¡±


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but nod, and while doing so, was startled again, he said irritably,


    "What do you mean ¡®so, it¡¯s settled¡¯?


    You¡¯re just over ten years old in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, where could you have set up such a powerful Killing Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua spoke the truth again, ¡°My Formation mastery is very formidable!¡±


    Gu Changhuai clearly didn¡¯t believe it.


    "I entered Taixu Gate, my specialty is Formation!¡± Mo Hua added.


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t know what to say.


    How could he not know that Mo Hua was Wenren¡¯s cousin, and it took quite a sum of Spirit Stones and many connections to get him into Taixu Gate?


    To say his specialty was Formation was just for the sake of appearances, a mere pretext.


    A kid with a Low-Grade Five Elements Spiritual Root from a remote Little Immortal City in Li State, what kind of Formation mastery could he have?


    To be able to set up a Killing Formation and trap over a dozen human traffickers.


    Bluffing should at least be drafted.


    Gu Changhuai snorted lightly.


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling very helpless.


    Every time he tried to be honest, alas people would not believe him; there was nothing he could do.


    "My Formation mastery is really quite formidable!¡±


    Mo Hua emphasized yet again.

 Chapter 909: Little Neighbor (2)

    Chapter 909: Chapter 622: Little Neighbor_2 Chapter 909 -622: Little Neighbor_2 Mo Hua was just about to speak when Gu Changhuai interrupted him,


    "Don¡¯t tell me you just got lucky and dodged it


    Mo Hua hesitated and said, ¡°I¡­


    Was going to say that


    Gu Changhuai rubbed his temples, feeling a throbbing headache.


    After questioning for so long, he still had no idea which of Mo Hua¡¯s words were true and which were false.


    Or which true statements had a touch of falsehood and which false statements contained a few words of truth¡­


    He couldn¡¯t resort to torture.


    To scare him with the ¡°Taoist Court


    Seeing his familiarity, he didn¡¯t show any fear at all.


    Moreover, his cousin would definitely be partial to this youngster; if he went too far, it would surely upset her.


    It seemed he really had no way to deal with this Mo surname child¡­


    "Forget it


    Gu Changhuai thought it over and eventually just sighed.


    "I won¡¯t ask about Boss Jiang¡¯s matter anymore S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression turned fierce.


    They were just a group of human traffickers without a shred of conscience.


    If others didn¡¯t kill them, he would.


    Especially since they had kidnapped Yu Er, he would never let them off the hook.


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t really care whether it was Mo Hua who personally took action to kill those traffickers.


    He just wanted to confirm one thing through the death of Boss Jiang.


    But now it seemed that although Mo Hua was young, he was quite shrewd and deep, unreadable and unpredictable; he had no choice but to ask directly¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was serious, his gaze sharp as a sword, piercing directly into Mo Hua:


    "Have you intentionally gotten close to Yu Er


    "Do you have¡­


    Some other ulterior motive?¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    He realized that Gu Changhuai was genuinely concerned about Aunt Wan and also about Yu Er.


    Although they were cousins, their relationship seemed to be no less close than that of real siblings.


    As for the matter with Yu Er¡­


    His encounter with Yu Er was indeed coincidental, as for whether there were other karmic calculations, he was not sure.


    Yu Er was an obedient and lovely child, pure-hearted.


    Even without the lure of karmic benefits, within his capabilities, he would surely save her.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s suspicions about Yu Er and himself were understandable.


    He was an ¡°adult¡± after all, and with a big heart, he decided not to take it to heart.


    Mo Hua was just about to speak when he suddenly heard a clear and innocent voice filled with joy calling out:


    "Brother Mo!¡±


    Mo Hua looked surprised, turning his head to see.


    He saw a child wearing a miniature black and white Taoist robe, hair put up, arms wide open, running over towards him with happiness and excitement.


    Mo Hua paused, ¡°Yu Er?¡±


    Gu Changhuai beside him was also stunned.


    But halfway there, Yu Er saw Gu Changhuai opposite Mo Hua, and her smile vanished immediately, giving a constrained greeting and distantly called out, ¡°Uncle Gu, hello.¡±


    "Mm


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was a bit stiff, wanting to show a friendly smile and be closer to Yu Er, but habitual demeanor made coldness seep through his brows.


    He looked, well¡­


    Rather fierce.


    Yu Er stepped back a little and turned her head, stealing a glance at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua smiled and waved to her.


    Yu Er¡¯s face lit up with happiness, and she quickly walked the last few steps, then threw herself into Mo Hua¡¯s arms.


    Gu Changhuai watched, feeling bitter and envious, nearly gnashing his teeth.


    Mo Hua patted Yu Er¡¯s head, puzzled, ¡°How come you¡¯re here?¡±


    Yu Er emerged with a smiling face and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to enter Taixu Gate!¡±


    "Taixu Gate?¡±


    Mo Hua was very surprised.


    Gu Changhuai beside him was even more incredulous.


    If Mo Hua was harboring ill intentions in Taixu Gate, wouldn¡¯t Yu Er joining Taixu Gate be¡­


    Like a lamb entering a tiger¡¯s den?


    Gu Changhuai frowned deeply.


    After a while, a tall man with a deep presence and a stable and square face came over.


    He gave a respectful greeting to both Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua.


    "Young Master Gu, Young Master Mo.¡±


    Even the usually haughty Gu Changhuai had a solemn expression and returned the greeting.


    Mo Hua followed suit, but with a puzzled look on his face.


    The man spoke in a deep voice:


    "My name is Wenren Wei, I am a guard of the Wenren Family, following the young master to join the sect, taking care of the young master¡¯s daily life.


    Please, Young Master Mo, take good care of him.¡±


    Wenren Wei was polite but maintained his dignity.


    Mo Hua returned the politeness with a smile, ¡°Hello Uncle Wei.¡±


    Wenren Wei¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his gaze softened a bit.


    Gu Changhuai still didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Yu Er is so young, how can she possibly enter Taixu Gate?


    Isn¡¯t that against the rules


    Wenren Wei simply said, ¡°It¡¯s the young lady¡¯s decision.¡±


    In other words, he could only obey, not decide.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Wenren Wei remained silent.


    Mo Hua then teased Yu Er by pinching her cheek, and Yu Er, sticking close to Mo Hua, stayed happily by his side, looking content.


    Moments later, Wenren Wan arrived hand in hand with a woman in a Taixu Taoist robe, whose posture was gracefulthe two of them chatting and laughing, indicating a close relationship.


    Approaching, Wenren Wan greeted Mo Hua then introduced:


    "Mo Hua, this is Elder Murong from the Inner Gate.¡±


    Elder Murong?

 Chapter 910: Little Neighbor (3)

    Chapter 910: Chapter 622 Little Neighbor_3 Chapter 910 -622 Little Neighbor_3 Elder Murong said with a faint smile, ¡°Sister, rest assured.¡±


    She glanced at Mo Hua, her gaze somewhat profound.


    The child favored by Elder Master Xun was probably beyond her need to look after.


    On the side, Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was complex, feeling helpless inside.


    This kid, full of lies, highly scheming, and very dangerous¡­


    At his age, with his level of cultivation, and having just entered the sect half a year ago, he was already capable of joining his senior brothers and sisters to capture a sinister and vicious Sin Cultivator like Hidden elder-second.


    It was good enough he didn¡¯t bully his fellow disciples, let alone anyone being able to bully him¡­


    Wenren Wan whispered a few private words with Elder Murong and then noticed Gu Changhuai beside her and said, a bit surprised, ¡°Changhuai, since when have you been here?¡±


    Gu Changhuai felt bitter inside, ¡°I¡¯ve been here the whole time


    Wenren Wan didn¡¯t understand, ¡°As a Supervisor, what are you doing here without reason?¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed and said:


    "I came to find Mo Hua, for a bit of business.¡±


    Wenren Wan looked puzzled, ¡°You¡¯re looking for Mo Hua?¡±


    Suddenly recalling something, her expression darkened, ¡°Did someone bully Mo Hua, and he went to the Taoist Court to file a complaint?¡±


    "It¡¯s not that


    Gu Changhuai was weary.


    His cousin sister was good in all aspects, but sometimes she was emotional and couldn¡¯t see the facts clearly.


    But he couldn¡¯t say more and had to say, ¡°It¡¯s just some minor issues regarding the sect¡¯s reward postings, nothing serious once clarified


    Wenren Wan didn¡¯t quite believe it but didn¡¯t press further.


    After speaking a few more words with Elder Murong, Elder Murong took her leave, saying:


    "I must be going now, everything concerning Yu Er has been settled


    "By bringing him to join the sect, completing some procedures, he would be considered a premature disciple of our Taixu Gate


    "However, Taixu Gate has no such precedent, and he is still young, so he will temporarily stay in the Disciple¡¯s Residence, taken care of by the guards of your family.¡±


    As for the cultivation¡­


    "Considering he is in the Qi Refinement Realm, it¡¯s imperative to nurture the meridians and solidify the foundation, so we won¡¯t make arrangements for him; you should consider his coursework yourself.¡±


    "Once he has joined the sect and needs anything, he can come to me


    "We are sisters, no need for formalities


    Wenren Wan gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Sister Murong, for making an exception to let Yu Er join the sect, it must have taken a lot of effort, I will pay a visit to express my thanks another day.¡±


    Elder Murong shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re too courteous, Sister, I merely went with the flow


    From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Mo Hua, who was talking to Yu Er.


    Allowing a Qi Refinement disciple to enroll was indeed unprecedented in Taixu Gate.


    To break the rule, it required the ancestors¡¯ approval.


    Originally, the ancestors did not agree to this matter.


    But later, for some reason, Elder Master Xun had heard of this and, foreseeing something, unexpectedly gave his consent and even opened the door to convenience¡­


    She only learned about Yu Er and Mo Hua¡¯s relationship later.


    In Elder Murong¡¯s eyes, a hint of realization flashed.


    "Elder Master Xun doesn¡¯t say it, but he surely holds this child in exceptional regard


    This was truly unprecedented¡­


    Elder Murong took another silent glance at Mo Hua and then took her leave.


    Mo Hua would be returning to the Sect too.


    He actually had some things he wanted to discuss with Uncle Gu.


    Mainly, it was to find a way to get him to agree to become an ¡°inside man¡± at the Taoist Court for him, becoming the ¡°tool person¡± for issuing tasks.


    But now was not the time; there would be opportunities to talk in the future.


    Since Yu Er was also about to enter the sect, Mo Hua said goodbye to Wenren Wan and then, along with Yu Er, walked through the gates of Taixu Mountain.


    Yu Er parted from her mother reluctantly.


    Wenren Wei bowed to Wenren Wan and Gu Changhuai and silently followed Mo Hua and Yu Er into the Taixu Gate.


    As a guard, he had to take care of Yu Er¡¯s daily life.


    After the group split up, there were no others around.


    Wenren Wan¡¯s gaze followed the figure of Yu Er disappearing into the forest, her expression slightly melancholic.


    She then withdrew her gaze and glared at Gu Changhuai, ¡°Spit it out, what are you scheming?¡±


    Gu Changhuai lost his usual pride before Wenren Wan, instead becoming somewhat sheepish, ¡°Sister, what do you mean?¡±


    Wenren Wan humphed, ¡°I¡¯ve watched you grow up since you were a child, how could I not know what¡¯s on your mind?


    For no reason at all, why are you seeking Mo Hua?¡±


    "I


    "Don¡¯t make excuses.¡±


    Gu Changhuai heaved a sigh, ¡°I suspect him, of harboring ulterior motives


    Wenren Wan frowned and said helplessly:


    "You, just like your brother-in-law, are too suspicious, that¡¯s why you think everyone has an agenda


    "How you look at others is how they will look at you; if you play tricks on others, they will naturally play tricks on you.¡±


    Gu Changhuai gave a wry smile.


    Seeing him like this, Wenren Wan softened a bit and said:


    "I know you¡¯re concerned about me and Yu Er, but don¡¯t go troubling Mo Hua,¡± she said.


    "If Mo Hua ever has any trouble, do help him out a bit; he¡¯s just a child with no family backing.


    It¡¯s not easy for him to cultivate in the Sect.¡±


    Having said this, Wenren Wan adopted the aura of an ¡°elder sister,¡± patted Gu Changhuai on the shoulder, and continued, ¡°If Mo Hua needs you, help him if you can.


    Don¡¯t brush me off, and don¡¯t think you can deceive me.¡±


    Wenren Wan looked into Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes.


    Gu Changhuai was quite conflicted and only unwillingly managed to respond after a long pause, ¡°I get it


    Wenren Wan appeared satisfied, nodding at Gu Changhuai,


    "When you¡¯re on break, come back, and I¡¯ll make you some jade crisp pastries.¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    Seeing Wenren Wan about to leave, he asked one more question, ¡°Sister


    His gaze grew heavy, ¡°Are you really at peace with sending Yu Er to Taixu Gate?¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wenren Wan was startled, her body trembling.


    When she turned back, her originally beautiful and gentle face had lost some color, covered with a layer of reluctance, melancholy, and a trace of¡­


    Fear.


    "Sister


    Gu Changhuai had no idea what had happened, his expression one of anxious concern.


    Wenren Wan¡¯s faded face showed a wistful smile:


    "Changhuai


    "I¡¯ve¡­


    Had nightmares


    "In those dreams, there¡¯s a sky filled with blood rain, demons dancing wildly


    "Yu Er looks at me with cold eyes, his gaze hollow, his skin pale as death.


    His blood drained, his organs hollowed out, his Divine Sense sucked dry


    "He asks me in a cold voice, why, as his mother, I don¡¯t save him


    Wenren Wan felt a tightness in her chest, her expression one of anguish, ¡°That¡¯s in dreams, even if I struggle, no matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t save Yu Er


    "Under the overwhelming Evil Thoughts, the human heart is too fragile


    "I can¡¯t save him


    "So, all I can do is hope


    Wenren Wan¡¯s voice was a whisper, fading to a barely audible level before finally she lifted her gaze towards Taixu Mountain, her beautiful eyes filled with a humble hope, precious yet fragile.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s heart shuddered violently.


    He had just realized that some things, he simply didn¡¯t know!


    And his cousin, she wasn¡¯t just being impulsively ¡°rash¡± as he had thought¡­


    Gu Changhuai took a deep breath, his demeanor serious as he said:


    "Sister, I understand.¡±


    ¡­


    Inside Taixu Gate.


    Yu Er was completely unaware of these things.


    He was happily holding Mo Hua¡¯s hand, skipping joyfully ahead until they reached the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    Mo Hua swiped the Taixu Token to enter, then noticed that Little Yu Er had also pulled out a little token, swiped it, and followed him in.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Yu Er, you live here too?¡±


    "Mhm.¡±


    Yu Er nodded happily.


    Mo Hua walked inside, only to realize that Yu Er was still following him, right up to the door of room number fifty of Taiyi in Mo Hua¡¯s residence, before Yu Er stopped.


    Mo Hua glanced at Yu Er.


    Yu Er pointed with his small hand to the side, ¡°Brother Mo, I live here.¡±


    Mo Hua looked up and realized that the previously empty room next to his in the Disciple¡¯s Residence had been cleaned and the seal on the doorplate removed.


    It read: Taiyi, Fifty-One.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Yu Er had indeed joined Taixu Gate and had become his little neighbor¡­


    Behind Yu Er, Wenren Wei also bowed his hands and said:


    "In the future, please take good care of Little Yu Er, Young Master Mo.¡±


    Yu Er too smiled beamingly, ¡°Brother Mo, please take care of me.¡±


    Mo Hua looked down at Yu Er whose eyes sparkled, and said gently with a smile:


    "Alright.¡±


    Since there were cultivation classes later that afternoon.


    To avoid disturbing Mo Hua, Wenren Wei took Yu Er into the room next door, room number fifty-one of Taiyi in the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    Yu Er waved to Mo Hua.


    Wenren Wei followed him inside.

 Chapter 911: Unspoken Transmission

    Yu Er''s Sect life had begun.


    Every day, her meals and daily routine were spent with Mo Hua, except, of course, attending classes.


    This was because she had just begun Qi Refinement; she needed to gently nurture her meridians and solidify her foundation.


    Such fundamental strengthening methods were costly, requiring a huge amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, precious Spiritual Liquids. Specific methods varied from person to person, and each noble family had different heritage methods, which Taixu Gate did not teach.


    So, when Mo Hua went to the Tao Teaching Pavilion for lessons, Yu Er stayed on her own in the Disciple''s Residence, consolidating her foundation, cultivating, doing homework, and then learning from Wenren Wei''s pointers on the Tao Cultivation Canon.


    When Mo Hua finished his classes, he returned to the Disciple''s Residence.


    There was Yu Er holding a small bowl, sitting next to Mo Hua, eating together.


    Other disciples were shocked to see little Yu Er.


    Dressed in a small but exquisite Taixu Gate Taoist Robe, she looked like a disciple of Taixu Gate, but she was too young and could not possibly be a disciple¡­


    Cheng Mo asked Mo Hua, "Mo Hua, who is this little one?"


    Yu Er was unhappy and said in a babyish voice, "I''m not a little one, I am Shang Guanyu!"


    "Shang Guanyu?" Cheng Mo frowned, "From the Shangguan Family?"


    But Yu Er ignored him, bowed her head learning from Mo Hua, and began to shovel rice into her mouth.


    Cheng Mo, helpless, knew he couldn''t get upset with a little kid and asked Mo Hua again,


    "Your little brother?"


    Mo Hua patted Yu Er''s head and said, "Sort of¡­"


    Cheng Mo looked back and forth between Mo Hua and Yu Er, muttering, "They do look somewhat alike¡­"


    "From the Shangguan Family..." another disciple asked in surprise on the side, whispering, "Mo Hua, do you have the bloodline of the Shangguan Family?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "No."


    Cheng Mo whispered a scolding to the disciple,


    "Idiot, how can you blurt such things out? Clearly, it should be kept a secret; if you ask me, Mo Hua must be an illegitimate child of the Shangguan Family cast out into the world¡­"


    Mo Hua too was displeased, saying,


    "If you have the time, you could spend more time on homework, practice more on Formation; I think you should use your limited time to study the Bagua Formation Method, instead of gossiping here¡­"


    Hearing the mention of Formation, Cheng Mo got a headache and immediately behaved, laughing awkwardly,


    "Don''t, ''Junior Brother,'' I was just joking¡­"


    Seeing Mo Hua put the big and strong man in his place with a single sentence, Yu Er''s eyes sparkled with admiration.


    "It seems Brother Mo is quite powerful in Taixu Gate!"


    Originally a bit uneasy with all the strangers in Taixu Gate, Yu Er immediately straightened her little back. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She snuggled closer to Mo Hua, peacefully holding her little bowl and continued eating.


    Yu Er had since settled into the Disciple''s Residence.


    She was cute, pure-hearted, like a mascot, very likable.


    Yu Er was very close to Mo Hua.


    And Mo Hua was considered their "Junior Brother."


    With this relationship, everyone also took good care of Yu Er.


    Moreover, she had a guard following her with an obscure presence but extraordinary bearing, deep and steady as a mountain, clearly with profound Cultivation.


    Joining the Sect in such an unorthodox manner, bringing a guard with her.


    This was obviously not an ordinary child.


    Some disciples, with connections to the Shangguan Family, inquired with their elders and were astonished to learn of Yu Er''s identity.


    They also understood what the three words "Shang Guanyu" implied, and their looks towards Mo Hua grew even more "meaningful."


    The Shangguan Family had sent the direct heir of the next Family Head into Taixu Gate, to become your "little follower."


    This indicated a deep "relationship" and a solid "backing"...


    Still say you have no background? Pulling the wool over whom?


    These disciples became even more courteous towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, was somewhat clueless¡­


    ...


    With Yu Er moving into the Disciple''s Residence, Mo Hua''s days changed slightly, but after adjusting for a few days, he soon settled down.


    During the day, he still went to classes, cultivated, and studied.


    He occasionally substituted for Elder Master Xun.


    It should have been "occasionally," but Elder Master Xun grew lazier, claiming his advanced age and flagging energy, becoming a hands-off manager, with Formation lessons now mostly taught by Mo Hua.


    It''s just unclear how true it was.


    After classes, Mo Hua, if free, would do homework with Yu Er.


    He pondered over Spells and practiced Formations.


    Yu Er, earnest and serious, worked on her basic beginner''s studies.


    During the day, Yu Er was restless, tense, and uneasy, not wanting to do homework. It was only in the evening with Mo Hua that she felt secure and studied more diligently.


    At midnight, Yu Er slept.


    Mo Hua slept too but remained vigilant, guarding against any Demon Monster that might disturb Yu Er next door, while his Divine Sense sank into his Sea of Consciousness, continuing to study Formation.


    Luckily, no Demon Monsters thoughtlessly disturbed Yu Er.


    But that was also unfortunate because there were no Demon Monsters without foresight to give Mo Hua some "provisions"...


    Just like that, the Sect life carried on, peaceful and tranquil, busy yet fulfilling.


    On rest days, Mo Hua would go out with Senior Sister Murong and others to do bounty missions.


    Mo Hua''s original plan was to choose a mission first, then have Uncle Gu assign the mission, Senior Sister Murong accept the mission, and himself tag along to blend in. After catching Sin Cultivators, he would gain both inheritance and Merit Points.


    But this was still too idealistic.


    He rarely visited the Taoist Court, barely meeting Uncle Gu, and therefore unable to have him assign missions.


    The plan was doomed from the start.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He could only think of other ways when he had the chance to meet Uncle Gu later on.


    For now, Mo Hua, with no connections to the Taoist Court, could only take on bounty missions as they came.

 Chapter 912: Unspoken Transmission (2)

    Chapter 912 -623: Unspoken Transmission_2


    For himself, he spent a little effort and kept an eye on the Taixu Token whenever he could, quickly contacting Murong Caiyun to grab any task that seemed ¡°suspicious¡± at first glance.


    After spending some time together, Mo Hua unexpectedly discovered that Senior Sister Murong¡¯s status within the Taixu Gate was much higher than he had thought.


    With high prestige, good popularity, family background, natural talent, and ability, she was truly the ¡°big sister¡± among her fellow disciples.


    Thus, her permissions to accept tasks were also extremely high.


    The tasks that Mo Hua wanted to take, Murong Caiyun could also get.


    Thanks to this, although he was just ¡°going with the flow¡± when accepting bounties, Mo Hua often managed to capture some Sin Cultivators and confiscate some spells.


    And Murong Caiyun gradually got used to this little Junior Brother Mo Hua, doing tasks with him.


    Because she took the tasks, she was always with Mo Hua on every mission. Therefore, she knew the most about him.


    Even though Mo Hua¡¯s physical body was weak and his spiritual power was meager, his personal combat ability was comparatively weak.


    But aside from that, he was skilled at concealment, his movement technique was exquisite, and he could protect himself¡­


    Surveillance, investigation, tracking, setting traps, coordinating ambushes, spell control¡­ he was adept at it all.


    He was particularly good at formations, understanding all sorts of bizarre, tricky, and even some unheard-of formations.


    Aside from his slightly lacking offensive power, he was practically a Formation treasure chest, a versatile Junior Brother¡­


    Every time she took Mo Hua on a task, it was very worriless.


    But she had a regret in her heart, which was the Five Elements Amplification Formation.


    Murong Caiyun didn¡¯t say much, but she couldn¡¯t forget the feeling of that formation¡¯s enhancement, when her spiritual power surged.


    She longed to experience once more, under the enhancement of the Five Elements, the feeling of spells significantly increasing in power, capable of massive destruction on all sides.


    Unfortunately, there were no more opportunities after that.


    Opponents who could be dealt with didn¡¯t need the amplification of a Five Elements Spell to win.


    And with opponents you couldn¡¯t beat, the best choice was to not forcibly engage.


    Originally evenly-matched opponents became much weaker after Mo Hua¡¯s surveillance, setting an ambush, encirclement, and control strategies.


    Similarly, they didn¡¯t need spell amplification.


    And they didn¡¯t need to expend a vast amount of superior skills to decide a fight to the death.


    Unless they encountered a true strong enemy, or a life-and-death struggle where they had no choice but to go all out¡­


    ¡­


    And so two more months passed, with Mo Hua continuing to mix in on tasks.


    He completed many bounties, captured seven or eight Sin Cultivators, and confiscated several Five Elements Spells. His Merit Points also kept increasing, reaching 1,130 points.


    Five hundred of those points were from the task given by Hidden elder-second.


    The task from Hidden elder-second didn¡¯t originally have so many Merit Points, but he was a major fugitive wanted by the Taoist Court, proficient in concealment and assassination, and he had many lives under his belt.


    These various crimes accumulated into a substantial amount of Merit Points.


    Mo Hua was ecstatic. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The seven or eight Sin Cultivators he had captured after that were just ordinary Sin Cultivators, nothing remarkable, so the most he got from them was only over a hundred points, with the least being just tens of points.


    But Mo Hua was also very content.


    No matter how little, it was much better than painstakingly accumulating points, little by little, by setting up First-grade Formations.


    1,130 points!


    Mo Hua felt he was rolling in it!


    He didn¡¯t want to use the Merit Points he had worked so hard to earn. ¡°A place for everything, and everything in its place,¡± they said. If he hoarded them without using them, then earning Merit Points was meaningless.


    So he went to the Merit Pavilion, where under the astonished gaze of the Merit Elder, he lavishly bought six sets of Second-grade Sixteen Pattern formations in one go.


    He spent over one thousand Merit Points in total.


    The Merit Elder was stunned for a long while before he incredulously said,


    "Kid, did you go rob someone?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    "Then did you kill and plunder?¡±


    "Or did you steal someone¡¯s Taixu Token?¡±


    "Or maybe you¡­ tampered with the Taixu Token?!¡±


    Mo Hua looked unimpressed, ¡°Elder, do I look like that kind of person to you?¡±


    The Merit Elder stared at the. picturesque Mo Hua and after a glance, shook his head, saying,


    "You don¡¯t seem like it, but what you do behind closed doors, who knows


    "I¡¯d have to be capable of doing those things like killing and plundering, fake the Taixu Token Mo Hua said helplessly.


    The Merit Elder thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true, I overestimated you


    The Merit Elder mused for a bit more.


    The Taixu Token system had been used for so many years, it shouldn¡¯t possibly be flawed. Since Mo Hua had earned them and was openly using them, he likely had a clear conscience.


    As for the specifics of how he got them¡­


    Since they were recorded in the Taixu Token, they must have followed proper rules and procedures. It wasn¡¯t necessary for him to hassle a little kid.


    "You wait here


    The Merit Elder turned away and from the many jade cabinets behind him, he took out several Formation Diagrams, packaged them together, did the record-keeping, and handed them to Mo Hua.


    But he was still curious.


    "Eight He Kan Water Formation, Floating Clouds Xun Wind Formation, Gen Earth Mountain Marsh Formation


    "These are all Second-grade Sixteen Pattern formations, aren¡¯t they? You¡¯re only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, what do you want them for?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled mischievously and said, ¡°I¡¯ll study them


    The Merit Elder said solemnly, ¡°This is no trifling matter, if your Divine Sense isn¡¯t enough, studying these formations will deplete your Sea of Consciousness, damaging your foundation


    "Yep, yep!¡± Mo Hua acknowledged the Merit Elder¡¯s concern and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder. Elder Master Xun is aware.¡±


    Mo Hua again brought up Elder Master Xun.

 Chapter 913: Unintended Transmission (3)

    Chapter 913 -623 Unintended Transmission_3


    Mo Hua bowed and took his leave.


    After returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence and accompanying Yu Er with her lessons, Mo Hua spread out the six Formation diagrams of Second Grade Sixteen Patterns and began studying them with great interest.


    Six entire diagrams.


    All from the Eight Trigrams series, Sixteen Patterns, considered common Formations, though they were relatively unfamiliar to Mo Hua.


    Yet the principles of Formation offer one connection after another.


    *Though Mo Hua had spent some time researching the Eight Trigrams Formation, gradually coming to his own insights, even with unfamiliar arrays, after pondering them for a while, he could grasp their essential logic.*


    After 1 p.m., he practiced them again and again on the Taoist Stele.


    About a month passed, and Mo Hua felt he had learned them well enough.


    It was around this time that Mo Hua realized he had been so busy lately that he had forgotten one thing:


    Second Grade Sixteen Patterns were already the arrays required for assessment as a Second Grade Middle Stage Formation Master.


    But currently, his Formation Master grade was still only First Grade¡ªreally far too low.


    "Should I go and exchange for a Second Grade Heaven Shu Ring to wear?¡±


    "I wonder if the Second Grade Heaven Shu Ring looks nice.¡±


    *Muttering to himself, Mo Hua made his way to the Elder¡¯s Residence again.*


    In Qian State, where there were countless families and a complex web of influences, deciding on an assessment like this was not something Mo Hua could manage on his own. He resolved to humbly seek advice from Elder Master Xun.


    In the Elder¡¯s Residence, Elder Master Xun was leisurely sipping tea.


    The Formation lessons had already been assigned to Mo Hua, and Elder Master Xun felt at ease leaving them in his capable hands. With some free time, he could now organize the insights accumulated over his lifetime of teaching Formation.


    He planned to hand these insights down to Mo Hua, after which he¡¯d practically be able to stop worrying altogether.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t visiting Elder Master Xun¡¯s quarters for the first time.


    Even the young servant standing at the door didn¡¯t hinder him.


    The room was simple, clean, and devoid of unnecessary adornments¡ªan atmosphere of elegance and serenity.


    Upon entering the room, Mo Hua greeted Elder Master Xun with a bow and quietly asked:


    "Master, would it be appropriate for me to undergo an assessment as a Second Grade Primary Stage Formation Master now?¡±


    "For an assessment


    Elder Master Xun took a sip of tea, pondered briefly, and nodded, saying, ¡°That¡¯s alright¡ªgo ahead


    As if recalling something, Elder Master Xun put down his teacup and asked in passing, ¡°How far have you progressed?¡±


    "Just about to the Sixteen Patterns,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    "Sixteen Patterns already Elder Master Xun nodded. ¡°That¡¯s indeed about right. Study a little more, consolidate your knowledge, and you¡¯ll be at Second Grade Middle Stage soon


    Elder Master Xun paused, furrowing his brow. ¡°How many Patterns?¡±


    "Sixteen.¡±


    Elder Master Xun stared at Mo Hua for a long moment, unable to utter a single word.


    *It was only then that Mo Hua remembered he hadn¡¯t mentioned his Sixteen-Pattern Divine Sense to Elder Master Xun yet.*


    And it wasn¡¯t the practice of Taixu Gate¡¯s elders to peer into the Sea of Consciousness of their disciples.


    "Master


    Mo Hua spoke softly.


    Elder Master Xun finally recovered, his brow twitching. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    A while ago¡­


    *That time at the Shangguan Family estate, keeping vigil at night over Yu Er, battling a hoard of demon monsters and devouring a Sheep-Horned Enforcer. After digesting it, his Divine Sense became Sixteen Patterns.*


    However, fearing Elder Master Xun might struggle to accept this, Mo Hua replied tactfully, ¡°Just in the last couple of days


    "Hmm.¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, feigning composure, though inwardly he couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp breath¡­


    Sixteen Patterns!


    *It had been so little time, and he already had Sixteen-Pattern Divine Sense! At the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, reaching Sixteen Patterns¡ªwas this even the limit? What kind of little monster was this?!*


    *Taixu Gate had been open for disciples for over a millennium, yet likely had never accepted such a prodigious talent as this small demon!*


    *Elder Master Xun felt he should make a trip to Taixu Gate¡¯s ancestral tomb in the Back Hill Forbidden Area to see if it was smoking.*


    Elder Master Xun forced himself to remain calm, his brow slightly furrowed. As he recalled the earlier events, a realization clicked in his mind.


    *No wonder¡­*


    "Back then, you brought the Sixteen-Pattern, Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation array to ask me


    "So it turns out your Divine Sense was already approaching Sixteen Patterns, which was why you sought advice in advance, to aid future comprehension


    "Steady and meticulous work, with the foresight for preparation¡ªquite commendable


    Mo Hua noticed the shifts in Elder Master Xun¡¯s typically serious and stern expression, unsure of what he was contemplating, and asked:


    "Master, can I proceed with the assessment?¡±


    Elder Master Xun froze for a moment, raising an eyebrow.


    Of course you can!


    *If you can¡¯t go for an assessment, then who possibly could?*


    *With Divine Sense reaching Sixteen Patterns, such profound Formation mastery¡ªif this doesn¡¯t earn you an assessment, I¡¯ll personally go pull those assessors¡¯ noses clean off.*


    Yet just as Elder Master Xun was about to speak, he hesitated, and a hint of concern surfaced between his brows.


    Sixteen Patterns¡­


    *It was far too extreme.*


    *If he truly proceeded with the assessment, it would inevitably cause an uproar.*


    *Being so outstanding in less than a year since entering the sect, he was bound to draw envy and greed.*


    *Such fame could also lead to arrogance, disrupting his tranquility and making it difficult to remain committed to the intricacies of Formation study.*


    *He¡¯d also attract the attention of unsavory individuals¡­*


    *Such a promising talent, yet still immature, mustn¡¯t be ruined¡­*


    Elder Master Xun deliberated for a long while, then shook his head and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult


    Mo Hua was taken aback. ¡°Sixteen Patterns, and it¡¯s still difficult to proceed with the assessment?¡±


    Elder Master Xun replied sternly, ¡°You should understand¡ªhaving strong Divine Sense provides a good foundation for learning Formations, but it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean your Formations are superior.¡±


    "Formations are something that depend on talent, comprehension, and especially experience.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Here at the Qian Learning State Boundary, the number of Heavenly Prides is endless¡ªFormation geniuses as numerous as the stars in the sky.¡±


    "You must maintain a humble heart

 Chapter 914: Unofficially Transmitting (4)

    Chapter 914 -623: Unofficially Transmitting_4


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but nod, feeling that Elder Master Xun¡¯s words made a lot of sense.


    "Do not underestimate the Formation talents of Qian State!¡±


    Mo Hua sincerely said, ¡°The gentleman is right, there are heavens beyond this heaven, and there are people beyond ourselves. The disciple understands this well!¡±


    Elder Master Xun silently glanced at Mo Hua, thinking to himself that others might say that, but you yourself shouldn¡¯t.


    The heaven beyond might very well be someone like you¡­


    But he couldn¡¯t say that out loud.


    After thinking for a bit, Elder Master Xun sighed and added,


    "There is one more important point


    "Even if you have the ability for assessment, Taoist Court¡¯s assessment is contingent on slots and recommendations; given your young age and limited experience, recommending you is not that convenient


    "The assessment process is a rather rigid test with a complicated set of procedures that you must learn; it¡¯s standard and formulaic, but at the same time impractical and of no real substance


    "It will waste a great deal of time and, to speak the truth, it will not enhance your Formation standards.¡±


    "Your task at present should still be to study Formations, in earnest, to improve yourself. Do not waste time on these rigid, test-oriented things.¡±


    "When your achievements are high enough in the future and you have the need, then you can consider the matter of assessment.¡±


    "Before the absolute power of Formation skills, those trivial, test-oriented thresholds will no longer be worth mentioning


    Mo Hua nodded continuously as he listened.


    But at the same time, he felt a hint of concern, ¡°Elder Master, if I don¡¯t get assessed, I can¡¯t take on Second Grade Formation tasks, and accumulating Merit Points will be very slow


    In reality, his rate of accumulating Merit Points was already not slow.


    But he wanted to be even faster¡­


    "Merit Points, hmm


    Elder Master Xun stroked his beard and nodded slightly.


    That was indeed a problem.


    Something he had overlooked previously.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s Sixteen Patterns Divine Sense, naturally, he should learn the Sixteen Patterns Formation.


    But the Merit Points needed to exchange for Sixteen Patterns Formations were not few; expecting him to tackle those ¡°entry-level¡± tasks and accumulate points bit by bit would probably take ages. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This would significantly hinder Mo Hua¡¯s progress in learning Formations.


    That went against his original intention.


    Having Mo Hua accumulate Merit Points was meant to toughen him up, get to know his peers, help one another, and foster a sense of honor within the Sect, not to deliberately make things difficult for him.


    After some contemplation, Elder Master Xun said,


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll adjust your permissions; within Taixu Gate, you are a Second Grade Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Could this really be done¡­


    Mo Hua asked quietly, ¡°You change it to Second Grade, and that¡¯s it?¡±


    "Of course Elder Master Xun said, ¡°Once you¡¯ve been assessed, and the Sect acknowledges you, you¡¯ll be granted corresponding permissions; even though you haven¡¯t been assessed, my approval can still grant you permissions


    "Sect permissions are a type of authorization.¡±


    "With the authorization, you can take on tasks.¡±


    "Otherwise, if you were to take on a Second Grade Formation task, would you really need to show a Heaven Shu Ring of Second Grade?¡±


    "Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, indicating that he understood.


    "Hand me your Taixu Token


    Mo Hua passed the Taixu Token to Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun took the Taixu Token without a second thought and began altering the Token¡¯s permissions right in front of Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua, who stood to one side and watched, suddenly froze.


    Surprise and amazement surged in his heart.


    Granting permissions was simple and quick, but changing permissions was another matter entirely.


    Had it been before, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t have understood.


    But now it was different; he had learned the Original Magnet Formation and used Tricky Calculation to amplify the Calculation, having perceived the essence between Magnetic Patterns¡ªthe Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    He had even accumulated a ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± and had used Secondary Thunder Patterns to resolve Sealing Patterns and Secret Patterns.


    Now, he could clearly sense¡­


    The so-called ¡°modification of permissions¡± was essentially Elder Master Xun, using a very special kind of Secondary Thunder Pattern to reverse-effect the Formation, altering the double-layered Magnetic Patterns, thus modifying the underlying structure of the Taixu Token, changing his permissions!!


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    This feeling was like¡­


    Watching someone right in front of you use a glittering key, personally demonstrating how to unlock a treasure trove hidden away¡­

 Chapter 915: Leeks

    Chapter 915 -624 Leeks


    Elder Master Xun, completely unaware, had no idea what he had done in front of Mo Hua¡­


    Yet, as soon as the authority levels were changed, an inexplicable trepidation suddenly arose in his heart.


    But this trepidation was subtle and fleeting.


    Elder Master Xun paused for a moment, feeling quite puzzled:


    "I haven¡¯t really done anything, so why do I suddenly feel a bit restless


    All I did was change the permissions for this child Mo Hua, that shouldn¡¯t be violating any of the rules or teachings of the sect.


    Besides, some of these rules and teachings are my own creation¡­


    "Could there be another reason?¡±


    When Elder Master Xun tried to think it over again, everything was gone without a trace, as if what had passed had truly passed.


    That which had been stolen and learned, had already been learned.


    For the deed had already been done.


    Elder Master Xun frowned, lost in thought for a moment, and repeatedly confirmed in his mind before he finally let out a silent sigh of relief.


    This should have¡­ nothing to do with Taixu Gate¡­


    Then I won¡¯t bother with it!


    "I, an old man, can¡¯t manage the affairs of other sects


    With that, Elder Master Xun was at ease and did not bother any further.


    He turned his head to return the Taixu Token to Mo Hua, but suddenly froze.


    Mo Hua¡¯s fair little face was filled with surprise, eyes sparkling like the stars in the sky.


    Elder Master Xun was taken aback.


    What has this child figured out now?


    But I haven¡¯t taught him anything, have I?


    Changing the permissions, what could he have learned?


    Elder Master Xun furrowed his brows, thoroughly perplexed.


    "Keep the Taixu Token safe,¡± Elder Master Xun instructed.


    Coming back to reality, Mo Hua hastily nodded and said, ¡°Mhm,¡± before taking the Taixu Token and tucking it away with a smile.


    "This child¡­ what exactly is he so pleased about?¡±


    Elder Master Xun wondered to himself.


    The Taixu Token had been altered, and things that shouldn¡¯t have been learned were learned, so Mo Hua bid farewell and was about to leave.


    "Oh, that¡¯s right Elder Master Xun suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Your Merit Points seem to have accumulated quite a bit, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    When he had just been modifying Mo Hua¡¯s Taixu Token, he glanced at it unintentionally and discovered that it contained more than a hundred Merit Points.


    The entry-level merit tasks were usually worth just a few points.


    Over a hundred Merit Points would take quite some time to accumulate.


    He wondered how many Formations Mo Hua had drawn, how many times he had swept the steps, how many times he had looked at the sect gate¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve worked hard to save them!¡±


    Throughout these days, all the Sin Cultivators he had caught or killed were counted in numbers before the Taoist Court.


    On the path to the Underworld, they could even form a small queue.


    Thus, he had earned over a thousand Merit Points!


    He had bought six sets of Second Grade Sixteen Pattern Formations, and he hadn¡¯t even spent them all! S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had a look of accomplishment on his face.


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly and praised:


    "Well done, keep up the good work!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gentleman, I will!¡±


    ¡­


    After taking his leave from Elder Master Xun, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t wait to get back to the Disciple¡¯s Residence to start pondering over ¡°usurping no, ¡°modifying¡± authority levels.


    Modifying authority!


    This was the real application of Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Previously, Mo Hua had deduced and included the Secondary Thunder Pattern in his collection. Although he had gathered quite a few, he had been somewhat muddled, unaware of the principles and the ultimate use of the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    But now, good-hearted Elder Master Xun had pointed him in the right direction.


    Over and over in his mind, he recreated the process of Elder Master Xun modifying the Taixu Token, and he summarized the key points:


    Firstly, one must master the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Accumulating a ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± alone wasn¡¯t enough; he needed a profound understanding and genuine mastery of the use of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    His previous method had been guesswork¡ªselecting Secondary Thunder Patterns to unlock and decrypt.


    This was like having a pile of ¡°keys¡± and then relying on luck to open someone else¡¯s lock.


    Although this type of ¡°luck¡± was based on a solid foundation of Formation knowledge and the incredibly complex, cunningly integrated application of Divine Thought¡ªcounting on Heavenly secrets.


    But it was still a bit rough.


    The technical content of Formation was a bit low.


    However, now Elder Master Xun had demonstrated a brand new technique.


    That is, by controlling the Secondary Thunder Pattern, to inversely affect the Unfixed Magnetic Pattern, alter the Fixed Magnetic Pattern, thus reconstructing the underlying Formation and usurping core authority.


    It was like turning the key into ¡°molten gold,¡± freely modifying the Formation acting as the ¡°door lock.¡±


    This act was not akin to ¡°unlocking¡± but rather ¡°changing the lock.¡±


    Altering someone else¡¯s lock according to one¡¯s own wishes into the desired form.


    After ¡°unlocking,¡± the underlying Formation Patterns remained unchanged, and it was still entering someone else¡¯s ¡°home.¡±


    But after changing the lock, the underlying Formation Patterns were replaced, authority shifted.


    Whose ¡°home¡± this Yuan Magnetic Formation made belonged to was now a question.


    Who could enter, who could not, all was now up to him to decide¡­


    And at the heart of all this was the connection between Magnetic Patterns¡ªalthough faint and elusive, it was more essential¡ª Secondary Thunder Flow, also known as ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern.¡±


    Secondly, the form of Magnetic Patterns.


    To modify Magnetic Patterns with Secondary Thunder Patterns, one must study a variety of Yuan Magnetic Formations, mastering the myriad combinations of Fixed and Unfixed Magnetic Patterns.


    In this way, when one could use Secondary Thunder Patterns to alter Yuan Magnetic Formations in the future, they would know how to change, what form to change into, and what effects would result¡­


    Thirdly, the Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivot.


    However, the matter of the Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivot was something that Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand yet.


    The Yuan Magnetic Formations he had learned did not involve Formation Pivots, and he was unclear on how to apply them.


    But based on Elder Master Xun¡¯s previously fragmented guidance, Mo Hua speculated that all large-sized Yuan Magnetic Formations were controlled by alternating Formation Pivots at each Yuan Magnetic end.

 Chapter 916: Leeks (2)

    Chapter 916 -624 Leeks_2


    The core of authority also relied on the Formation Pivot.


    The unlocking and decryption of the inheritance Jade Slip both utilized a simple Yuan Magnetic Formation and did not involve the control of the Formation Pivot.


    But formations such as the Transmission Token and the Taixu Token were entirely different.


    Such formations typically required patterns above the Seventeen Patterns level.


    Mo Hua could only wait until his Divine Sense was sufficiently strong to learn the relevant formations and gradually comprehend them¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua summarized everything in his heart.


    From the Secondary Thunder Pattern to the double-layered Magnetic Pattern of the Laws, then to the Thunder Magnetism-tier Formation Pivot.


    This was precisely what Elder Master Xun had painstakingly and personally demonstrated¡ªa systematic, structurally rigorous, and methodical process for comprehending and applying Thunder Magnetism Formations, beginning with the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Mo Hua silently expressed his gratitude toward Elder Master Xun and then began planning his study of the Yuan Magnetic Formation:


    The next step was to study more Yuan Magnetic Formations, accumulate more Secondary Thunder Patterns, and then attempt to use the Secondary Thunder Pattern to alter the Magnetic Patterns.


    As his Divine Sense improved further, he would study more advanced Yuan Magnetic Formation techniques of Seventeen Patterns and above.


    Following that, he would delve into Compound Formations that incorporated Formation Pivot structures.


    Once the Magnetic Patterns were thoroughly mastered, and he clearly understood the Formation Pivot, and the manipulation of Secondary Thunder Patterns became as natural as moving his own limbs¡­ S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Eventually, he could step by step comprehend and master the Thunder Magnetism Large Formation truly applied within the Sect¡¯s merit system!


    He would become the ¡°shadow¡± within the intricate Secret Patterns of the Yuan Magnetism and Secondary Thunder Flow, stealing secrets, and the ¡°master¡± who commanded Thunder Magnetism.


    Once he could crack the Large Formation, his ¡°authority¡± would reign above all Formation Pivot-tier constructs.


    The secrets of the entire Qian Learning State Boundary Sect would be at his fingertips.


    *Mo Hua envisioned this eagerly, feeling pleased and excited in his heart.*


    But for now, it remained just a distant dream.


    He had only just reached Foundation Establishment, having just learned the Sixteen Patterns-level Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, and his goal was still far off¡­


    *One bite at a time for food, one Formation at a time for cultivation,* he thought.


    Enhancing his Divine Sense was certainly not something that could be achieved overnight.


    Mo Hua was quiet as he continued, as always, immersing himself in studying formations, calculating, and recording the ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns.¡±


    But now that he had a framework in his mind, his study felt less ignorant than before, and his understanding of the Secondary Thunder Pattern deepened.


    One by one, the Secondary Thunder Patterns seemed to come alive, forming subtle connections with Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua almost felt that these intricate Secondary Thunder Patterns and the accompanying faint Magnetic Flows resonated with the elusive Dao Laws.


    They seemed to be slowly harmonizing with his Divine Thought¡­


    Profound and mysterious.


    It was, however, limited by the strength of his Divine Sense, making this process relatively slow.


    *Mo Hua deeply felt the inadequacy of his current Divine Sense.*


    So many things that he wanted to learn were beyond his reach.


    Sixteen Patterns of Divine Sense.


    Although compared to cultivators of his generation and realm, his Divine Sense was already far ahead.


    However, when it came to truly intricate Divine Sense Calculation and high-level formation comprehension, even with a qualitative shift, sixteen patterns of Divine Sense still fell short.


    His current Divine Sense was not yet strong enough to support his study of more advanced Formation knowledge.


    *But the growth of Divine Sense was like a slow stream gathering into a river¡ªgradual and accumulative. There was no rushing it.*


    Mo Hua let out a sigh.


    Without external ¡°boosts,¡± he could only keep his patience, silently studying formations and gradually honing his Divine Sense¡­


    ¡­


    About half a month later, at 1 p.m sharp.


    Mo Hua, slouched over his desk after completing today¡¯s assignments, learning several Eight Trigrams Arrays, was preparing to enter his Sea of Consciousness to simulate Yuan Magnetic Formation and calculate Secondary Thunder Patterns, when suddenly his expression froze.


    He sensed some unusual movements in the room next to his.


    The sensation was obscure, cold, and sinister.


    It felt as though some eerie force of cause-and-effect was quietly growing, with grotesque evil entities slobbering from the ceiling, suspended upside down¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Scallions!


    They had sprouted!


    He immediately got up. Just as he stepped through the door, he bumped into Wenren Wei.


    Wenren Wei, tall and imposing, stood at the doorway with a grave expression, tinged with hesitation, as though deciding whether or not to disturb Mo Hua.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua come out, Wenren Wei looked slightly surprised, then clasped his hands and said,


    "Young Master Mo, it seems that Young Master Yu is having nightmares again


    Mo Hua nodded and reiterated,


    "I¡¯m not from a family. You don¡¯t need to address me as ¡®Young Master.''¡±


    Wenren Wei nodded and said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    Yet his solemn expression clearly conveyed that, while he agreed outwardly, he had no intention of dropping the formality.


    *Helpless, Mo Hua could only head over to check on Yu Er for now.*


    Yu Er¡¯s room was arranged comfortably and warmly, with a screen divider separating the space. Wenren Wei stayed in the outer section.


    Yu Er lived inside, on a bed that was plain yet soft, surrounded by mountain-and-river screen panels, with a calming incense burner nearby.


    Everything around was visually serene and refined.


    But on the bed, Yu Er furrowed his brows, his small hands and feet flailing about nervously, seemingly trapped in terror.


    Wenren Wei wore a worried look. He vaguely sensed something was wrong but was entirely clueless about the nature of the disturbance.


    Mo Hua glanced up, his pupils narrowing sharply, and saw threads of causal textures rising in the Void, thick black liquid oozing from the ceiling, and countless demonic arms and claws growing out from the cracks of the Void, sprouting like ¡°scallions


    *Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips,* then said to Wenren Wei,


    "Uncle Wei, you should take a rest outside for now. I¡¯ll stay here and watch over things.¡±


    Wenren Wei froze slightly, then asked with concern,


    "Young Master Mo, this


    "It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, then picked up a meditation mat, sitting beside Yu Er while blocking him from the demon monsters with a relaxed and confident air, even tinged with a hint of¡­ enthusiasm.

 Chapter 917: Leek (3)

    Expectation?


    It was like waiting for ¡°dishes to be served¡± at a feast¡­


    Wenren Wei frowned and hesitated for a moment before bowing and saying,


    "Then, I must trouble Young Master Mo.¡±


    Afterwards, Wenren Wei went outside, his gaze steady and vigilant, keeping an eye on his surroundings. At the same time, he also sent out a thread of his Divine Sense, paying attention to Mo Hua.


    He felt somewhat uneasy in his heart.


    The matter with Young Master Yu was quite peculiar; he had only heard of it, but had never truly seen it.


    And now, he had witnessed with his own eyes Young Master Yu having a nightmare, as if he were possessed by an Evil Monster.


    However, even as he looked around and his Divine Sense swept over, he still couldn¡¯t sense anything.


    It was as if it were a karmic spiral, a matter of both reality and illusion.


    With his Cultivation Realm, he couldn¡¯t discern the slightest clue¡­


    But he knew that this Young Master Mo with the surname Mo had indeed ¡°seen¡± something just now.


    What exactly was it that was so eerie and evil¡­


    He, a Cultivator at the peak of the Late Golden Core Stage, couldn¡¯t see it, but a little Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage could¡­


    Wenren Wei¡¯s gaze turned somber, his heart filled with confusion.


    Just then, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.


    Wenren Wei faintly sensed something, as if there was something very angry, malice that filled the sky, whipping up gusts of Evil Qi.


    Then, a moment of dizziness.


    That Young Master Mo with the surname Mo, his face paled, his expression shadowed, and he slowly closed his eyes.


    It was as if he was using himself as a shield to protect Young Master Yu from some ¡°Evil Qi¡±.


    Wenren Wei¡¯s heart shuddered, and his look toward Mo Hua was filled with a touch of respect.


    Such a little child, to have such a noble quality of ¡°self-sacrifice¡± was truly rare¡­


    ¡­


    And within the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua opened his eyes.


    The view was as usual.


    Dark waters spread, malformed Demon Monsters, their gruesome smiling faces, bizarre and grotesque, like hell.


    The Demon Monsters saw the incarnation of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought, so ¡°young,¡± so ¡°innocent,¡± and they all showed greedy expressions.


    In their eyes, Mo Hua was just an ¡°appetizer.¡±


    But soon, Mo Hua let them know.


    Exactly who was the ¡°appetizer.¡±


    Mo Hua gave a cold smile, his finger drew a line, like a heartless judge, a stroke of his iron brush, and he decided the fate of these Demon Monsters.


    An imposing Formation appeared.


    On the ground, the crimson Formation Patterns, complex and interwoven, flowed like lava.


    The surrounding rocks and boulders morphed into a cage.


    The Formation turned into a raging inferno, trapping, burning alive, and refining away the horde of Demon Monsters.


    Then, Mo Hua opened his mouth slightly and swallowed these Demon Monsters whole.


    After swallowing them, Mo Hua licked his lips, seeming unsatisfied, and then rummaged around for a while, his expression disappointed.


    He saw the spreading dark water and the dense Demonic Qi and thought that there might be Sheep-Horned Enforcers or some other such creature inside.


    He could have another drink of the golden Divine Thought ¡°marrow.¡±


    Unfortunately, there were none.


    Only low-level Demon Monsters fit to fill his belly.


    "I wonder when the Sheep-Horned Enforcer will come


    Mo Hua shook his head, exited the Sea of Consciousness, and opened his eyes. The shadows on his face vanished, the pallor faded away, and his cheeks turned rosy.


    And his eyes were even more spirited, full of Divine Sense vitality.


    Wenren Wei, who had been paying attention to him, looked startled and slightly alarmed.


    "What exactly¡­ happened?¡±


    He had been watching Mo Hua, and in his view, this Young Master Mo had initially been pale, his forehead suffused with Evil Qi. But not long after, it dissipated like snow in hot water. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wenren Wei was somewhat stunned.


    Could it be¡­ this Young Master truly had a body impervious to all evil, a being of immense good fortune?


    As the young lady said, was he Young Master Yu¡¯s lucky charm?


    Mo Hua glanced at Yu Er, and seeing that he was no longer afraid and was sleeping soundly, he tucked in the blanket around him, stood up, and walked over to Wenren Wei, saying,


    "Uncle Wei, it should be fine now. I¡¯m heading back.¡±


    In Wenren Wei¡¯s eyes, surprise was hard to conceal as he bowed solemnly,


    "Young Master Mo, thank you for your efforts.¡±


    After Mo Hua left, Wenren Wei suddenly called out to him, and after a moment of silence, he said,


    "Young Master Mo, if there is anything that needs to be done, please feel free to command me.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised but did not refuse Wenren Wei¡¯s goodwill and replied with a smile,


    "Thank you, Uncle Wei.¡±


    ¡­


    Back in his room, Mo Hua continued to sit in meditation.


    Because he had overeaten, he needed to ¡°digest the meal.¡±


    So he meditated with a focused mind, dispelling evil thoughts, and the strands of demonic Divine Thought were slowly absorbed and completely refined by him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense also saw a noticeable enhancement.


    It was probably equivalent to a month of training with Formation Patterns¡­


    Though he was still far from the Seventeen Patterns, this kind of ¡°unexpected joy¡± in Divine Thought was quite substantial¡­


    "If only there were such ¡®food¡¯ every day Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but think.


    Then he shook his head, feeling a bit greedy.


    An occasional feast was good enough; one couldn¡¯t have such a meal every day.


    Demons weren¡¯t really ¡°chives.¡±


    Even if they were ¡°chives,¡± they couldn¡¯t possibly grow a new crop every day.


    Mo Hua continued to sit in meditation, calmly cultivating, concentrating in thought, but as he was thinking, the scene when the demons appeared reemerged in his mind.


    Void patterns, Karmic chains, thick black water¡­


    Mo Hua frowned and murmured, ¡°I wonder who commands these demons and how they are sent to Yu Er¡¯s side through Karmic chains


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then his eyes slightly brightened.


    If he knew the method to control the demons, then could he find a way¡­


    To remotely manipulate them and have them ¡°deliver¡± more?


    "Even stopping these demons from bothering Yu Er any further.¡±


    "A child like Yu Er, being constantly frightened and unable to sleep, it¡¯s quite pitiable.¡±


    "Direct them to come to me instead


    "I don¡¯t need to sleep and can play with them all the time


    Mo Hua¡¯s mental calculations clanged loudly in his head.


    He noted this down silently, thinking that when he had time, he must understand the Karmic spell point and then find a way to change the ¡°address.¡±


    Demons and ghostly creatures were quite dangerous; he couldn¡¯t always let the neighbors take delivery.


    Direct home delivery, all in one go, sent straight to his own house, how convenient that would be¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that his request was quite reasonable.


    ¡­


    Moments earlier, in the Back Hill Forbidden Area of Taixu Gate.


    Within the strictly guarded Sword Tomb,


    An old man, withered and gaunt, with long beards touching the ground, opened his eyes.


    As if Chaos was freshly divided and Taixu circulated, a sharp sword light burst from his eyes, filled with an unparalleled presence.


    "What evil dares to show itself in Taixu?¡±


    With a flick of his finger, he sought to trace the source through the Heavenly secret, from effect to cause, and to slash the Evil Spirit with his sword.


    But as soon as he began to trace, he furrowed his brows.


    "Gone


    "Disappeared


    "Was it ¡®eaten¡¯ by something?¡±


    The old man was somewhat astonished.


    "Since when did Taixu Gate raise a ¡®Divine Beast¡¯ that eats Evil Spirits?¡±

 Chapter 918: Back Mountain

    In the Tai Xu Sword Tomb, the Elder¡¯s gaze shifted.


    "Since ten thousand years ago


    "Heavenly secret tainted, the Divine Thoughts of the common people weakened, it¡¯s unlikely there are any Divine Beasts left


    "What exactly¡­ happened?¡±


    A fog of confusion enshrouded his mind.


    The Elder¡¯s Divine Thought transformed into a sword, tracing the root of the Evil¡¯s disappearance.


    Divine Thought like a sword, instantly pierced through the fog, and the scenery changed abruptly, a blood-red vision unfolded. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the horizon, blood-red as if soaked in blood, amongst a Corpse Mountain, a ferocious and imposing king of corpses, bound all over by chains, slowly opened its eyes.


    Those eyes, brimming with tyranny, bloodthirstiness, and twisted Taoist Meaning.


    "Taoist Demon!¡±


    The Elder¡¯s gaze turned frightened.


    In an instant, a cold wind arose.


    Countless Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses, like a tide, invaded his Sea of Consciousness, fiercely gnawing at his Divine Sense.


    The Elder paused in shock, then a trace of pride appeared on his gaunt face.


    His Divine Thought solidified into a bone-chilling Sword Intent, resembling the Chaos of Eryi, the flow of Taixu, and the profound light of the sword, which burst forth in an instant, slaughtering everything in its path.


    All Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses that touched the sword light were ground into dust, completely annihilated.


    Seeing the Corpse Tide obliterated by the sword light, the Corpse King roared, the Karmic chains around it trembling.


    In the blink of an eye, it followed the obscure Karmic chains, closed in on the Elder, and opened its bloody mouth, biting down on the Elder¡¯s arm.


    With a determined face, the Elder¡¯s Divine Thought turned into a sword, slashing down.


    The sword struck the Corpse King.


    But it was as if it struck empty air.


    The Corpse King, surrounded by Karmic entanglements, seemed to exist in another false realm.


    The Elder frowned and swung his sword again.


    This sword, targeted at Karmic laws.


    Tai Xu Sword Intent, vast and mighty like the nine heavens¡¯ Milky Way, a single slash severed the Karmic chains, and also severed the Corpse King¡¯s sea of blood and Taoist Demon form.


    Corpse Mountain and blood sea vanished in an instant.


    The Back Hill was silent, the Sword Tomb desolate, and broken swords littered the ground.


    As if nothing had ever happened.


    But the Elder knew that in his Divine Sense, there was a bite mark.


    The injury was not severe, but a trace of bloodthirsty Evil Thought had infiltrated his Sea of Consciousness, eroding his Taoist Heart, creating a chilling intent to kill.


    Meanwhile, in Elder¡¯s Residence, Elder Master Xun was still up at night studying Formation Books, his expression suddenly changed.


    "Killing intent trembles, Divine Thought into sword!¡±


    Elder Master Xun, with a grave expression, stretched out his hand, drawing a dark rift from the void and stepped into it, reappearing at the Back Hill Forbidden Area¡¯s Sword Tomb.


    The sprawling Sword Tomb showed no abnormalities.


    Only the Elder in the center seemed unstable in his Taoist Heart, his Divine Sense overflowing, harboring a Sword Intent filled with terrifying killing aura, latent yet chilling.


    But such a Sword Dao killing intent, ordinary Cultivators couldn¡¯t detect.


    The entire Taixu Mountain¡¯s Elders and Disciples still slept soundly, unaware of what had transpired in the Forbidden Area.


    But Elder Master Xun knew.


    He looked towards the Elder in the Sword Tomb, his eyes showing complex emotions, and then he sighed, ¡°Senior brother, you have drawn your sword again


    The white-haired, bearded Elder¡¯s face was pale, as if restraining something, his face marked by crisscrossing Sword Qi and circulating intent to kill.


    After a long while, he managed to stabilize his Taoist Heart and suppress the killing intent with his profound Cultivation, returning his expression to normal, but his Divine Sense still suffered from the pollution of the Karmic ¡°corpse poison.¡±


    Bits of twisted, blood-red Taoist Meaning intertwined around him.


    Seeing this, Elder Master Xun sharply inhaled.


    "What is this?!¡±


    The bearded Elder looked up at Elder Master Xun and smiled bitterly,


    "Unexpectedly, it turned out to be¡­ a Taoist Demon.¡±


    Elder Master Xun replied with a stern expression,


    "What exactly happened?¡±


    The bearded Elder shook his head, ¡°Minor Evils invaded Taixu, I intended to trace their Karmic cause with one sword slash, but somehow, mysteriously, I ended up slashing out a Taoist Demon


    "If it weren¡¯t for the fact that this Taoist Demon was low in realm, only at the Half-step level, and hadn¡¯t fully formed


    "Otherwise, with my residual Divine Sense and the flawed Taoist Heart, I might have already been contaminated, turned into a puppet of the Taoist Demon; body human, Taoist Heart a corpse


    The bearded Elder took a deep breath and felt a chill.


    Elder Master Xun gazed intently, ¡°Is someone orchestrating this, cultivating a Taoist Demon?¡±


    The Elder pondered for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t quite seem like it, it doesn¡¯t seem like a premeditated cultivation of a Taoist Demon, more like


    "I unintentionally struck upon something forbidden with my sword slashing through Karmic causes, violated a taboo, attracting this calamity


    Elder Master Xun puzzled, ¡°Karmic Taoist Demon?¡±


    The bearded Elder nodded, ¡°This Half-step Taoist Demon¡­ seems to have already ¡®died¡¯, but its resentment lingers, residing in some ¡®thing


    "The Taoist Demon¡­ already died?¡± Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tighter, ¡°In a world under the Heavenly Dao Laws, how could a Taoist Demon die so easily?¡±


    "Who in the world is so capable, to bypass the Heavenly Dao Laws and slay a Taoist Demon?¡±


    The bearded Elder closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened his eyes, his expression solemn, and slowly said,


    "Everything in the world has life and death.¡±


    "A Taoist Demon is just a malformed product of the Great Dao, invincible in one realm under the Heavenly Dao Laws, but that does not mean it is immortal


    "It can live, naturally, it can also die.¡±


    "I just never thought, guarding the Sword Tomb, shutting myself away from the world, I would mysteriously get bitten by a Taoist Demon


    The bearded Elder looked up at the starless night sky and sighed,


    "That person died, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial¡¯s celestial fate manifested, the Heavenly secret quietly shifts, and more and more unfathomable events unfold

 Chapter 919: Back Hill (2)

    Elder Master Xun frowned.


    In the Qianxue State boundary, the noble families were prosperous and peace had reigned for a long time; indeed, it had been quite a while since he had heard the term ¡°Taoist Demon.¡±


    Now hearing it again, it somewhat felt as if it was from another era.


    Elder Master Xun calculated with his fingers and suddenly felt a tremor in his heart. He silently lowered his hand and asked,


    "What kind of Taoist Demon is it?¡±


    "A Corpse King amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood


    Corpse King¡­


    Elder Master Xun silently took note and then looked up at the bearded elder, his eyes revealing deep concern:


    "Elder Brother, are you¡­ alright


    The elder coughed a few times, his voice hoarse,


    "It will be fine after some days of rest¡­ Although times have changed, a single cause and effect from a Taoist Demon is still not enough to severely damage my Divine Thought


    After saying this, he coughed a few more times.


    His breath gradually became weaker, as if his original injury had worsened.


    Elder Master Xun felt compassion and sighed:


    "Elder Brother, stop using Divine Thought into sword


    "I know my limits


    "Elder Brother!¡±


    The bearded elder, his expression indifferent. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Master Xun sighed and said solemnly, ¡°You, who cultivate the Sword of Divine Thought, should know better than I that though Divine Thought into Sword holds supreme Sword Intent, capable of cutting both tangible and intangible beings¡­.¡±


    "Success lies in the Sword Intent, but so does failure.¡±


    "This Sword Intent is not an external sword weapon, but your own Divine Thought.¡±


    "Once the Sword Intent is released, it either harms others or harms oneself, and even while harming others, it depletes one¡¯s own Divine Thought.¡±


    "Ordinary Sword Cultivators cut with their Sword Weapons. If a Sword Weapon is damaged, it can be fixed; if it breaks, it can be reforged; if it is destroyed, another can be made


    "But Divine Thought is different


    "With Divine Thought into Sword, if the sword is damaged, the spirit is injured; if the sword breaks, the spirit stills; if the sword destroys, the spirit dies


    "And that is not even the worst part


    "The most terrifying thing is


    Elder Master Xun looked at the bearded elder, ¡°When Divine Thought transforms into a sword, Sword Intent leaves the body, making it very easy to be tainted by evil spirits; once tainted, the Taoist Heart is polluted with impurity, making it hard to pursue the Great Dao ever again, even


    Elder Master Xun felt a pain in his heart and did not continue.


    The bearded elder, however, gave a bitter smile and said self-deprecatingly:


    even end up like me, neither human nor ghost, merely guarding this shell of a body, confined within these drawn bounds


    "Elder Brother


    "I know


    The bearded elder sighed, ¡°I know, this sword technique can no longer be cultivated


    "I am the last person to cultivate this Tal Xu Sword Skill


    "From now on, disciples of the Tai Xu Gate must not cultivate the ¡®Divine Thought into Sword True Jue¡¯ or even be told of its existence


    "This heritage shall end with me.¡±


    "And will perish along with me in this Tai Xu Sword Tomb.¡±


    "But I am not dead yet


    The bearded elder¡¯s face showed signs of aging, but his eyes emitted a sharp light:


    "I am still a disciple of the Tai Xu Sword Skill


    "Those evil spirits that violate my Tai Xu, the murderous intents arising from Divine Thought, cause and effect, and Heavenly Mechanism, I cannot but cut them with my sword


    "Even if it depletes my Divine Thought, even if my spirit fades and Dao vanishes


    "This is also the last thing I can do.¡±


    Elder Master Xun felt both admiration and sorrow, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, trying to console:


    "In the Qianxue State, with noble families standing prominent and sects flourishing, a scene of prosperity, some demon monsters, petty and insignificant, dare not offend the Eight Great Gates


    "Elder Brother, you don¡¯t need to


    The bearded elder¡¯s expression turned cold, and he lightly laughed, ¡°Do you believe that yourself?¡±


    Elder Master Xun was taken aback.


    The bearded elder looked at Elder Master Xun and said, ¡°Junior Brother, you are a Formations master, surely you must understand better than anyone


    "Our Tai Xu Gate simply does not have a tradition in Heavenly secret Calculation.¡±


    "My Tai Xu Gate has always relied not on calculation but on Swordsmanship


    "If Heavenly Demons or evil spirits invade, they shall be cut down with the Divine Thought, severing cause and effect, blocking the perils within the Heavenly Mechanism


    "We can only kill


    "We cannot learn or master the true calculation technique, so there are some things we simply cannot see


    Elder Master Xun fell silent.


    He also knew in his heart that his elder brother was speaking the truth.


    Heavenly secret Calculation was far superior to Formation Calculation.


    His own extrapolations were merely based on Formation Calculation, not the true Heavenly secret Calculation, thus he could only glimpse some of cause and effect, but could not foresee the source¡­


    The bearded elder continued: ¡°Since we cannot calculate it, merely using our eyes to see, how can you know that the so-called prosperity is the truth?¡±


    Elder Master Xun frowned, ¡°Our Tai Xu Sect may not be proficient in calculation, but other Sects


    The bearded elder shook his head, ¡°Throughout the entire Qianxue State Boundary, whether Formations Calculation or Heavenly Mechanism Calculation, both are already in decline


    "There was a time when Qianxue State was flourishing with Formations, cultivators had firm Daoist Hearts, holding the world in their hearts, thus Heavenly Mechanism cultivators emerged frequently


    "But now


    "The calculations still exist, but the noble families and sects only calculate for their own interests, not for the people, not for destiny.¡±


    "The sect leaders and elders who hold the seats of power in the sects and noble families, indulge in their own interests, fattening themselves; such people can neither see nor want to see, or even refuse to see.¡±


    "Once greed blinds them, the Heavenly Dao is also obscured.¡±


    "Once the Heavenly Dao is obscured, external Heavenly Demons and barbaric evil gods will inevitably stir, taking human hearts as a breeding ground, spreading and proliferating


    The bearded elder¡¯s expression was indifferent:


    "Those people can only see the facade of prosperity, not the crumbling foundations

 Chapter 920: The Back Mountain (3)

    "I could never have foreseen the decay of the human heart within the machinations of Heavenly secret and causation, those frightful Evil Demons


    "Sooner or later, these Evil Demons will disrupt the Dao of Taixu Gate.¡±


    "While I live, I can still slay them with my sword.¡±


    "But should I die, whatever will become of it


    The bearded elder displayed an indifference akin to embracing death, yet also permeated by a touch of desolation.


    Elder Master Xun, upon hearing this, let out a deep sigh,


    "Brother, you¡¯re taking it too seriously


    "In Qianxue State Boundary, there are countless strong individuals; there will always be a solution. You shouldn¡¯t worry so much; it¡¯s most important that you rest and recover


    The bearded elder remained silent, not uttering another word.


    Elder Master Xun said no more, but concern was evident in his eyes.


    It¡¯s the unseen things that are most terrifying¡­


    He sighed, then turned and walked away.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the bearded elder slowly opened his eyes again, caressing a broken sword by his side, and muttered softly:


    "I¡¯m sorry


    "I must ask you to stay with me


    "To ¡®die¡¯ together in this Sword Tomb


    The ancient broken sword was equally silent, a deathly stillness all around.


    The entire rear mountain was desolate and empty.


    Within the pitch-black Sword Tomb,


    The elder sat withered on the ground, surrounded by broken swords and densely interwoven ancient chains, as if he used the swords as a Formation, imprisoning himself within the forbidden grounds of Taixu forevermore, never to escape.


    ¡­


    In the Disciple¡¯s Residence,


    The ¡°Minor Divine Beast¡± Mo Hua ¡°ate¡± a Demon Monster, digested it, then rested for a while.


    When the next day dawned, he went to class as if nothing had happened.


    Heavenly secret is inscrutable, causation lies hidden.


    He didn¡¯t know yet that a Patriarch of his Sect had been bitten by the Corpse King he was raising in his own body.


    He continued his Cultivation and attended classes as usual.


    Only, in his spare time, he had added one more task:


    Accepting Second Grade Formation assignments to earn Merit Points!


    Elder Master Xun had modified his permissions, and although he had not yet had his assessment, at least within Taixu Gate, and certainly in the Taixu Token, he was now considered a ¡°Second-grade Formation Master.¡±


    During his breaks, he took on tasks to capture Sin Cultivators, which earned him quite a few Merit Points.


    But by comparison, surely the cost-effectiveness of drawing Second Grade Formations to earn Merit Points was higher.


    After all, breaks only lasted two days; he could only manage one task.


    Whereas, attending classes at the Sect gave him eight days, and if he had time, he could take on a task and draw Formations every day. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, the two did not conflict with each other.


    He would draw Formations to earn Merit Points in his usual time, and he would go out to ¡°relax¡± during his breaks.


    Catching a few bad guys to continue experimenting and refining the ¡°iron plate,¡± seizing a few Spells, he could earn even more Merit Points.


    This two-pronged approach sped up the earning of more and more Merit Points¡­


    He no longer needed to find Senior Sister Murong for Second Grade Formation tasks, as Mo Hua could accept them on his own now.


    He focused on the Taixu Token, searching constantly for tasks.


    But as expected, after applying all morning, no one was willing to entrust him with a task¡­


    In the Taixu Token, beneath the Disciple¡¯s name, there would be a record entry, and attached to the entry would be descriptions.


    There was a new entry added under Mo Hua¡¯s name now:


    Second-grade Junior Formation Master.


    Under this entry, there would be some descriptions noting how many Formations Mo Hua had drawn, how many tasks he had taken on, and the quality of their completion¡­


    This was a record of Merit Points.


    It was also a proof of experience.


    But as of now, the ¡°Second-grade Junior Formation Master¡± entry under Mo Hua¡¯s name was completely empty.


    Because so far, he had not accepted any Second Grade Formation task in the Taixu Token and had not drawn a single Second Grade Formation, so naturally, the entry was blank.


    In other words, he was a complete ¡°newcomer.¡±


    That¡¯s why others generally wouldn¡¯t ask him to draw their Formations.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to continuously lower his requirements, from Second Grade Thirteen Patterns, to Second Grade Twelve Patterns, and then to Second Grade Eleven Patterns¡­


    However, due to his lack of ¡°experience,¡± no one still agreed to give him a task.


    Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t accept this, and he persisted stubbornly in applying¡­


    Finally, after nearly thirty attempts, he successfully received his first task:


    A Second Grade Ten Patterns Formation, the Fireworks Formation.


    Mo Hua let out a sigh.


    Second Grade Ten Patterns was really too low end!


    But there was no choice; all beginnings are hard.


    You can¡¯t cover a thousand miles without taking the first step; if he didn¡¯t start from low-level Formations, accumulate ¡°experience,¡± others wouldn¡¯t entrust him with higher-level Formations to draw.


    Mo Hua adjusted his mindset and began to calmly prepare to complete his first Second Grade Formation task within Taixu Gate¡­

 Chapter 921: Fireball

    Mo Hua first went to the Merit Pavilion to find the Merit Elder for materials for the Second Grade Formation.


    The Merit Elder treated other disciples with an official and businesslike demeanor, yet whenever he saw Mo Hua, he always felt a sense of novelty and couldn¡¯t help but take an extra look.


    He glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s Taixu Token and asked, surprised, ¡°You are now¡­ qualified to take on a Second Grade Primary Rank Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, but thought to himself: I could have taken it on long ago! Not just Second Grade Primary Rank, but Middle-level Formations too¡ªI¡¯m capable of those as well! It¡¯s just you won¡¯t let me take them! The necessity of himself ¡°stooping,¡± ¡°condescending,¡± to paint the mere Ten Patterns of the Second Grade Formations, Mo Hua still felt slight discontent.


    However, the Merit Elder couldn¡¯t help marveling, ¡°That¡¯s incredible Even within the Taixu Gate, where there was no shortage of Formation geniuses, the ability to undertake Second Grade Formation tasks so soon after joining, even if it was just Ten Patterns, wasn¡¯t easy.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was young and looked even younger.


    "But that¡¯s not right the Merit Elder frowned again, ¡°You haven¡¯t had your assessment yet The assessment for becoming a Formation Master was, after all, a big deal. It benefitted the Sect as well, as it could improve the Sect¡¯s ranking and, in turn, affect the Taixu Gate¡¯s share of the Spiritual mines within the Qianxue State Boundary. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Merit Elder was puzzled. The names of disciples who passed the Formation Master assessment were supposed to be sent to the Merit Pavilion¡ªhe should have seen them, yet he had no recollection of Mo Hua¡¯s name on the list. Because Elder Master Xun had changed his permissions, Mo Hua stood tall, unafraid of being scrutinized. Even if there were to be blame, it would first be cast upon Elder Master Xun.


    Mo Hua honestly replied, ¡°No.¡±


    "Then this The Merit Elder frowned, and then he suddenly had a realization and asked, ¡°Is this another backdoor opened by Elder Master Xun for you?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes!¡± The Merit Elder sighed. It was complete lawlessness, disregarding the Sect¡¯s rules entirely¡ªhow could such changes be made so arbitrarily? But considering it was Elder Master Xun who made the change¡­ It was hard to argue whether this truly went against the Sect¡¯s rules¡­


    The Merit Elder felt helpless and inwardly complained about Elder Master Xun¡¯s favoritism, feeling he was too indulgent with this child. Without an assessment, he had given him the title and let him take on Second Grade tasks. This would invariably do more harm than good to the child, akin to pulling up seedlings to help them grow¡­ The Merit Elder couldn¡¯t help but grumble internally.


    Mo Hua observed him for a while and then softly asked, ¡°Elder, what are you pondering?¡± Hand over the Formation materials to me already¡­ Why are you daydreaming¡­


    The Merit Elder then came to his senses, hesitated for a moment, but still let out a sigh and gave Mo Hua the ink and Formation Diagrams he needed, thinking to himself: Well, I can¡¯t concern myself with Elder Master Xun¡¯s plans¡­ But Second Grade Formations aren¡¯t so easy to draw. Without an assessment, taking on Second Grade Formation tasks could lead to trouble sooner or later. I hope this child won¡¯t fail to complete the task and become a laughingstock¡­


    However, he soon thought that, for a young man full of vigor, enduring some hardship would be beneficial¡ªit could temper his character and let him realize that Formations are not that simple¡­ Having this thought, the Merit Elder was put at ease.


    Mo Hua, with the materials in hand, went back and started on the painting. He could draw a First Grade Fireworks Formation with his eyes closed. But this Fireworks Formation seemed a bit different; the Formation Patterns had been changed, with some variations added. Although they were simple and rough, it was evident that the person who modified the Formation had limited skill but had done so with great care.


    According to the attached notes, the Fireworks Formation was meant for a lantern. As the lantern ascended, the Formation would be activated, bursting into dazzling fireworks, like thousands upon thousands of pear trees in full bloom¡ªa sight too beautiful for words. There were also words on it¡ªsome romantic poetry.


    Mo Hua understood that this was a lantern specifically designed by some male disciple within the Sect to woo a female disciple.


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°Quite the romantic setup Such a Formation was entry-level for Second Grade, rarely used, and those who were certified Second Grade Formation Masters disdained to draw it for a mere seven or eight Merit Points. Mo Hua felt the same disdain. But with no choice, being under the eaves, he had to bow his head and start from the lowest level of Formations.


    Fortunately, the Formation was far too simple. In his spare time, Mo Hua quickly finished drawing and didn¡¯t waste much time. At dusk, he submitted the Formation to the Merit Pavilion. The Merit Elder saw Mo Hua and appeared taken aback, worriedly asking, ¡°What happened, did you make a mistake?¡± You¡¯ve come back so soon. Did you mess up and have come for more paper and ink? It couldn¡¯t possibly be that you¡¯ve already finished in such a short time¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless, ¡°Elder, can¡¯t you have a little faith in me It was just a Second Grade Ten Patterns Formation. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t think of how he would have screwed up unless he had gotten drunk on fruit wine¡­ But there was very little alcohol in fruit wine, and he couldn¡¯t get drunk from it. ¡°I¡¯ve finished!¡± Standing on tiptoe at the slightly high counter, Mo Hua looked up and puffed out his chest.


    The Merit Elder looked surprised. He finished? He opened Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag and checked the Formation within, finding everything done without the slightest error, with the handwriting dignified and the Formation Patterns beautiful, clearly done with great care and not at all as if done hastily or carelessly¡­


    The Merit Elder looked at Mo Hua suspiciously, ¡°Did you paint this yourself?¡±


    "Not exactly,¡± Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I used Merit Points to hire some senior brothers and sisters to help me paint.¡± The Merit Elder was taken aback, and he actually gave serious consideration to whether what Mo Hua had said was true¡­

 Chapter 922: Fireball (2)

    Afterward, he finally couldn¡¯t restrain himself and rubbed Mo Hua¡¯s hair.


    "You little kid, are you having fun at my expense¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua covered his head, his face a picture of helplessness, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I was afraid if I spoke seriously, you wouldn¡¯t believe me


    The Merit Elder replied with annoyance, ¡°As if you¡¯re one to talk, with all your craftiness!¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    The Merit Elder verified the Formation and then awarded the Merit Points for the Fireworks Formation to Mo Hua.


    Not many, just nine points.


    Because although the Fireworks Formation was a Second Grade Formation, it was ultimately too simple.


    But at least it marked a good beginning.


    After that, Mo Hua continued to search for Formation tasks within the Taixu Token.


    Formations from eleven patterns to thirteen patterns, he wanted to take them all, but others didn¡¯t consent, so he had no choice but to select those with ten patterns.


    To Mo Hua¡¯s surprise, batch after batch of Second Grade, ten-pattern Fireworks Formation tasks suddenly appeared in the Merit Scroll.


    Perhaps imitating the act of releasing lanterns to pursue one¡¯s admired female disciple had worked, attracting quite a few male disciples to follow suit.


    It even seemed as though some female disciples were imitating it, presenting them to their fellow brothers and sisters.


    Mo Hua shook his head and accepted them all with a laugh.


    He painted quickly and he painted well, so it wasn¡¯t long before some disciples contacted him through the Taixu Token, asking him to help paint the Fireworks Formation.


    Mo Hua certainly didn¡¯t refuse any comers.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t help but scornfully think: sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These disciples aren¡¯t focusing on Cultivation, always caught up in sentimental love, which is just too disgraceful.


    At the same time, he also secretly despised their low technical content, thinking their lantern designs were too poor.


    If only his Senior Sister Murong were here, he would certainly make her a grand, resplendent lantern, putting all others to shame¡­


    In this way, the number of ten-pattern Fireworks Formations Mo Hua painted gradually increased.


    Because he painted well and with variety, some disciples added extra requirements, like using Formation Patterns to display colorful words.


    These words, apparently added with Magnetic Patterns and a touch of ¡°secrecy,¡± were rather concealed, as if they were afraid of being discovered.


    But such petty tricks could never deceive Mo Hua.


    Without even doing any deductions, simply by ¡°reading¡± the Formation Patterns, he could tell what words they wanted to leave behind.


    Phrases like ¡°Endless love, forever true,¡± ¡°To hold your hand, and grow old with you,¡± ¡°Wishing to carry your thoughts like black hair, without hate, regret, or looking back


    And some slightly less refined ones, ¡°To grow old with you, taking no vain steps in this world


    Mo Hua felt incredibly awkward.


    Still, he took note of these sweet nothings, thinking that perhaps one day he might have use for them.


    After painting ten-pattern Formations for half a month, Mo Hua had accumulated more than two hundred Merit Points.


    His credentials as a Second-grade Junior Formation Master also had some solid foundations, and the descriptions on his record became more elaborate.


    Finally, he was permitted to take on eleven-pattern tasks.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Eleven-pattern Formations were not difficult either.


    After accepting them, Mo Hua quickly completed the paintings, as always, both fast and fine.


    With the first success, there were fifteenth, and soon other disciples started accepting his task ¡°applications.¡±


    He had applications for ten and eleven patterns alike.


    It was like throwing pebbles into a deep pond, creating ripples upon ripples.


    The name ¡°Formation Master Mo Hua¡± was also slowly gaining recognition among the disciples connected by the Taixu Token.


    Some disciples began to acknowledge Mo Hua¡¯s proficiency in Formation.


    There were also disciples who would especially ¡°invite¡± Mo Hua to take on their reward ¡°tasks.¡±


    Mo Hua was quite pleased, feeling that his fellow disciples indeed had insight, worthy of being his brothers and sisters in the sect.


    During his period of leisure, Mo Hua would still team up with Senior Sister Murong on tasks.


    On regular days, he continued to undertake Formation tasks.


    The number of his Formation tasks grew more and more, his r¨¦sum¨¦ grew thicker, and the difficulty of these Formation tasks gradually increased.


    From ten patterns to eleven, then twelve, and finally thirteen patterns¡­


    Thirteen patterns were the most difficult for a Second Grade Junior Formation Master.


    Even so, Mo Hua had never made a mistake, even painting better than some certified Formation Masters.


    Gradually, Mo Hua gained a certain level of fame.


    Some disciples, unaware of his exact identity, would address him respectfully as ¡°Brother Mo¡± and spoke very courteously.


    Sometimes, when Mo Hua was busy, they were even willing to wait for him.


    To have Mo Hua paint the Formation personally, they would specifically add a few Merit Points¡ªnot much, but it was a form of recognition.


    Later, when Mo Hua inquired, he learned that some Second Grade Formation Masters ¡°outsourced¡± when they took on tasks.


    They would initially accept a task, and if they couldn¡¯t manage it, they would hire some junior brothers and sisters with roughly the strength to paint eleven or twelve patterns to do it for them.


    Then, they would share the earned Merit Points proportionally.


    That¡¯s why some people added Merit Points to have Mo Hua ¡°personally¡± paint the Formation.


    They were afraid that after Mo Hua accepted the task, he might ¡°outsource¡± it to someone else.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Taking on Formation tasks was akin to others providing him with ink and paper to practice his Formation skills.


    He didn¡¯t even have enough time for his own practice, so why would he ever paint for someone else¡­


    From ten patterns up to thirteen.


    The Merit Elder of the Merit Pavilion saw it all.


    When he finally saw Mo Hua pick up a set of ink and paper for a thirteen-pattern Formation and then, the next day, perfectly complete this Formation and hand it to him¡­


    The Merit Elder¡¯s expression changed dramatically.


    Looking at Mo Hua, he could not help the trembling of his eyelids.


    He now realized that this unassuming little kid, who seemed obedient, was truly a genuine Second Grade Junior Formation Master!

 Chapter 923: Fireball (3)

    Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, Second-grade Junior Formation Master...


    The Merit Elder inwardly marveled. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No wonder... Elder Master Xun valued this child so highly, even going so far as to bend the rules and grant him special access...


    With such astonishing talent in Formation, he indeed deserved cultivation.


    Moreover, he was neither arrogant nor impetuous and worked hard on his tasks.


    Even though he had taken a backdoor and had special privileges granted, the Formations were all drawn by his own hand, and the Merit Points were all earned by himself.


    The Merit Elder nodded, his attitude toward Mo Hua becoming increasingly amiable, and his gaze filled with growing admiration.


    Even at times, he would spare Mo Hua some of the more tedious formalities.


    Thus, Mo Hua found accepting and completing tasks increasingly convenient.


    Typically, a Thirteen Patterns Formation would earn about twenty Merit Points per task.


    Such tasks were not always available, but whenever they were, Mo Hua could complete them within half a day; hence, his Merit Points accumulated like a rising tide.


    With the Merit Points hoarded, Mo Hua exchanged them for many sets of Sixteen Patterns Formations.


    Now his Merit Points were plentiful, nearly enough for him to be self-sufficient in learning the various types of Eight Trigrams Formation archived by the Taixu Gate, and he even had a surplus.


    The types of Formations that Mo Hua knew grew increasingly numerous, and his Divine Sense likewise became stronger.


    Moreover, as the number of captured Sin Cultivators increased, the Spells confiscated were also not few, and Mo Hua, picking and choosing, learned several new Spells.


    Such as the Golden Blade Technique, Wood Poison Art, Quicksand Skill, and so on.


    These Spells, while all of lower rank, were nevertheless closely guarded by various Sects within the Qianxue State boundary, refined of their dross and kept in their purest essence... they encompassed the essential subtleties of the Spells.


    So, in a sense, they could be considered an exceptional legacy.


    Moreover, because they were lower-tier Spells, Mo Hua could use them boldly and without fear of causing trouble.


    The only issue was that these Spells weren''t very powerful.


    They were even weaker than Mo Hua''s original Fireball Technique.


    Lower-tier Spells were not known for their power¡ªMo Hua understood this, but it still left him disappointed.


    Now, he seemed to lack any Spells with significant destructive power.


    Techniques like dismantling a Large Formation were too cumbersome, with too much power and too many restrictions, and far too conspicuous to be used as a regular means of attack.


    Divine Sense controlling the ink to lay out a Killing Formation...


    It required the right opportunity, an element of surprise, and deliberate design¡ªafter all, it was a somewhat slow process.


    Furthermore, this method of laying out Formations was quite distinctive and far too attention-grabbing; it wasn''t discreet.


    Creating a Formation also consumed Spiritual Ink and burned Spirit Stones.


    Using it occasionally was manageable, but frequent use would lead to "bankruptcy"...


    "It would be best to learn a Spell with decent power, one that is not of a high tier, doesn''t consume too much Spiritual Power, casts quickly, can be used openly, and doesn''t fear being displayed in front of others..."


    Mo Hua pondered for a long time but came up with no ideas.


    One evening, after dinner, Mo Hua lay down with Yu Er on the grass, watching the splendor of the twilight, like splattered ink, over Taixu Mountain.


    Mo Hua was still thinking about Spells.


    Unknowingly, as evening deepened and the twilight dimmed, the sun set behind the mountains.


    As it receded and lost its brilliance, in the last moment, it seemed as though a myriad of flames intertwined within it, and the glow of the sunset suddenly brightened before fading away into darkness.


    Flames intertwining... the sunset...


    A flicker passed through Mo Hua''s eyes as a long-buried memory suddenly resurfaced in his mind.


    It was a memory from his wandering days, by the side of Si Water, when he had sought spell instruction from Grandpa Gui...


    Grandpa Gui spread open his palm, and a Fireball appeared...


    The Fireball manifested as a pale red gaseous form, and then, guided by Divine Sense, the Spiritual Power compressed inward, solidifying into a deep red fiery thread.


    This fiery thread contained astonishing Spiritual Power, floating in the air.


    Then, in Grandpa Gui''s palm, another Fireball formed, which he also condensed into a fiery thread.


    Again, he turned a Fireball into a fiery thread...


    After about ten such repetitions, Grandpa Gui''s palm no longer held Fireballs, instead, there were over a dozen deep red, intensely hot threads.


    These threads finally intertwined into a small Fireball.


    This Fireball Technique, with Spiritual Threads interwoven, was less like a Fireball and more like a ball of Spiritual Power threads woven from flame.


    Multiple compressions, restructured Spiritual Power.


    It seemed to be a simple Fireball Technique, yet it hinted at something more devious.


    With a casual flick, Grandpa Gui sent the Fireball flying swiftly into the river, causing the surface of the water to boil instantly.


    A large river, a vast expanse of water, was evaporated by the mere Fireball Technique, creating a massive hole.


    Surrounding water Qi formed mist and steam rose.


    Moments later, the river water rushed back.


    A huge whirlpool now formed on the previously calm surface of the river...


    ...


    This sequence of events played over and over in Mo Hua''s mind.


    Simultaneously, Grandpa Gui''s words echoed in his ears: "Complex principles of Spells often hide in the simplest, most common things..."


    Multiple compressions, restructured Spiritual Power, condensed into a Fireball, containing immense power...


    Mo Hua was astounded:


    "What kind of Fireball Technique is this..."

 Chapter 924: Fireball Technique?

    Old Kui''s "Fireball Technique" appeared before him.


    Mo Hua pondered silently...


    With the help of Divine Sense, one by one, he compressed the Fireball Technique into threads, reconstructing it in a weaving and fitting format, condensing and combining it into a new Fireball Skill Pattern within a limited space, unleashing extremely powerful might...


    This was what Grandpa Gui had demonstrated, containing profound skill theory within ordinary things.


    After complex changes, even a simple Fireball Technique could produce mutations and derive powerful lethality...


    It was somewhat like Formation, but the specific form was somewhat different.


    After all, Spell was still different from Formation.


    Mo Hua had not yet reached the realm of returning to simplicity, where various laws diverge and the Great Dao converges. In his current understanding of Tao Cultivation, these two were still vastly different.


    But how could this kind of Fireball Technique be cultivated?


    "Compress, reconstruct..."


    "Powerful Fireball Technique..."


    Mo Hua had some clues in his heart, but when it came to the specific Skill Pattern, he still felt confused and found it elusive.


    He then gazed at the setting sun, lost in contemplation.


    Beside him, Yu Er, who had finished her homework early, was rolling on the soft grass. After getting bored, she glanced back and saw Mo Hua frowning, seemingly pondering something.


    Yu Er was somewhat confused but did not disturb Mo Hua, quietly lying down beside him.


    The sun completely set, and suddenly it grew dark.


    The pitch-black night enveloped them.


    Yu Er shivered involuntarily, her eyes filled with lingering unease and fear.


    This was the instinct lingering from deep-night nightmares, fear of the darkness and night.


    Yu Er''s little face crumpled together, hugging her knees, trembling.


    It seemed that in the surrounding darkness, countless lustful Demon Monsters with inexhaustible unknown Evil Spirits lurked.


    Yu Er''s little face turned pale.


    At some unknown moment, a warm hand touched Yu Er''s head.


    Yu Er looked up and saw Mo Hua looking at her kindly.


    "It''s dark, let''s go back."


    Yu Er paused, then showed a relieved smile. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes!"


    And so, Mo Hua led Yu Er along the narrow mountain path, walking from the deepening night towards the Disciple''s Residence, lit with warm yellow lights.


    Yu Er''s small hand held by Mo Hua, walking behind him, suddenly felt courage surge through her body, dispelling all unease and fear.


    Be it the dark night or Demon Monsters, there was nothing to be afraid of.


    A happy smile slowly spread across Yu Er''s little face.


    ...


    After returning to the Disciple''s Residence, Mo Hua stayed with Yu Er for a while. After Yu Er had fallen asleep, he briefly drew a few Formations, then resumed pondering the Fireball Technique...


    If, within the Five Elements Spell, he had to choose one attack-type Spell, he would definitely choose the Fireball Technique.


    After all, the Fireball Technique had been with him for a long time; he needed to be devoted and unwavering.


    Even if he would learn Swordsmanship, Sword Control, or Divine Thought into Sword in the future, he must not get carried away by new interests and cast aside the Fireball Technique.


    He needed to perfect the Fireball Technique to the extreme!


    He wanted not only to be a Spell Master but a Fireball Technique Master as well!


    Besides, whether it''s Swordsmanship or Divine Thought into Sword, they were still far off; currently, he could only rely on the Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua revisited Old Kui''s demonstration of the Fireball Technique multiple times, pondering over and over, but still made little progress.


    Spell was not like Formation.


    With Formation, he had the Taoist Stele, allowing him to practice continuously and deduce constantly.


    But with Spell, it was different.


    Mo Hua thought it over and decided that he needed to find a place where he could personally handle and try various changes to the Fireball Technique.


    The next day, Mo Hua found time to visit the Dao Room.


    The Dao Room, as the name implies, apart from teaching the Dao, also had dedicated residences for Disciples to practice Spells on their own.


    Inside, there was a Formation for protection.


    There was also a Spell dummy for Disciples to practice Spells and test the potency of Spells.


    Outside the Dao Room, there was also a Pill Master on duty.


    Whenever some Disciples had mishaps while practicing Spells, injuring themselves, the Pill Master would come forward to treat them with Spiritual Medicine or stabilize them with Pills to prevent their conditions from worsening.


    Such incidents were common.


    After all, no one could guarantee perfection in the practice of Cultivation.


    Since becoming involved in chasing Sin Cultivators and paying his inheritance fees, Mo Hua occasionally rented the Dao Room to practice Spells.


    His Divine Sense was strong, and his Spell control was extremely precise; to date, he had never mishandled or been injured by his own Spells!


    Mo Hua blinked, unable to think of any situation where he would be injured by his own Spell...


    Renting the Dao Room required some Spirit Stones and registration with the Elder of Daoist Law.


    Mo Hua was quite familiar with the Elder of Daoist Law.


    Even though his grades in Daoist Skills were only "Grade C," this was because his Spiritual Root was limited, preventing him from learning Superior Skills¡ªno helping it.


    The Elder, teaching Daoist Law, was very understanding and thus didn''t mind that Mo Hua attended his classes but could only achieve "Grade C."


    While Mo Hua could not cultivate Superior Skills, he was well-versed in low-level Spells and had a unique approach to Spells.


    This suited the Elder''s tastes a lot.


    The Elder of Daoist Law, bored of playing chess with a Danshi Elder, greeted Mo Hua amiably and cautioned him with a "Be careful, don''t hurt yourself" before letting him in.


    Entering the single-person Dao Room, Mo Hua couldn''t wait to start improving his own Fireball Technique.


    First was the compression of the Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua tried, following Grandpa Gui''s demonstration, to forcefully compress the Fireball Technique into threads using Divine Sense.

 Chapter 925: Fireball Technique? (2)

    But he failed.


    His Divine Sense was not strong enough, or perhaps, his Cultivation was still far from sufficient, and his control over Spiritual Power wasn''t delicate yet...


    Mo Hua could only compress the large Fireball into a smaller Fireball.


    The size of a fist, a little darker in color, indeed a bit more powerful, but not very useful.


    Mo Hua tried using a spell puppet.


    The Foundation Establishment Initial Stage spell puppet was scorched with a deeper burn mark by his small Fireball, but it gradually recovered.


    The spell puppet, using special materials and painted with a Formation inside, could heal itself.


    When Mo Hua first saw it, he was very surprised, especially curious about the Formation inside; he even tried to dismantle the spell puppet to see the Formation...


    But the spell puppet "alerted" and summoned the Elder of Daoist Law, who stopped Mo Hua''s "impolite" behavior.


    Mo Hua gave up.


    Now, when Mo Hua hit the spell puppet with the compressed "small Fireball," it was indeed seen that the power of the spell had improved.


    But this improvement was not significant.


    Moreover, as this "compression" took some time, the Fireball Technique became slower, and in actual combat, it seemed too "clumsy" and basically unusable.


    And this fist-sized "small Fireball" was now the limit of Mo Hua''s compression ability.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    "Too far off..."


    His mastery of spells was worlds apart from Grandpa Gui.


    But on second thoughts, this was normal.


    Grandpa Gui''s Cultivation was heaven-high compared to his own.


    Even his Uncle was very wary of Grandpa Gui and didn''t dare to act personally, having to rely on the Blood of Destruction Path from the Blood Taoist to restrain him.


    Mo Hua thought for a long time before he remembered that name:


    Blood of Destruction Path...


    Blood of Destruction Path...


    "Grandpa Gui¡­ should be okay..."


    Mo Hua remembered the day Grandpa Gui told his Uncle, "Don''t let me see you again, or I will kill you¡­" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This meant that the one who had been with him all this time was a clone or a puppet, not the real Grandpa Gui.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a bit worried.


    He wondered how Grandpa Gui really was...


    Where he might be...


    And that ''Blood Taoist''...


    Mo Hua had heard this name twice now.


    The first time was when the Saint Heir blocked his path and, out of fear, pleaded for mercy by claiming the identity of the "Blood Taoist''s" descendant, which spared him from his Uncle.


    The second time was when his Uncle used the Blood of Destruction Path from the "Blood Taoist" to restrain Grandpa Gui...


    Since he was a "Taoist," his Uncle had to show respect and even borrow his blood, he must be a fearsome Demon Head...


    But now it was still early to consider these; it was beyond his capability; he''d think about it later...


    Mo Hua silently noted down the name "Blood Taoist."


    Then he refocused and continued studying the Fireball Technique.


    He couldn''t reach the level of Grandpa Gui, but the thought process of casting spells was still worth referring to.


    Spell silk transformed, compressing reconstruction.


    If he couldn''t reach Grandpa Gui''s standard... then simplify it, even if he only learned a fraction, maybe a tenth or twentieth, the power might not be bad.


    Without spell silk, just compress into a ball.


    Unable to "weave" reconstruction, then... blend them together?


    "Merge two Fireball Techniques into one?"


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened.


    He began to try casting two Fireball Techniques and then blending the two Fireballs...


    But as soon as he tried, he failed again.


    He then remembered some popular spell theorems learned in the Daoist Skill class:


    A person cannot cast two spells at the same time.


    Even if the two spells were identical, they must be cast consecutively.


    Mo Hua''s previous Fireball Technique was also like this; even if cast rapidly, they actually had a sequence.


    He must first condense the first Fireball Technique, release it, then condense the second.


    Even if quick, there was still a sequence.


    For continuous spells like the Golden Body Technique or Golden Bell Shield.


    First, cast Golden Body Technique, then control the Sword;


    First, defend oneself with the Golden Bell Shield, then cast other spells...


    It seemed like two spells were active simultaneously, but casting was still sequenced.


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering:


    "The Fireball Technique Grandpa Gui showed was also balls condensed one by one, then unified into one pattern¡­"


    But such a high-difficulty pattern was beyond his ability...


    "Need to change the approach¡­"


    Mo Hua frowned, thinking hard.


    Now, he was no longer a Loose Cultivator without a legacy.


    Having entered the Taixu Gate, learning Cultivation daily in class, accepting the orthodox legacy of Taixu Gate, his knowledge in Tao Cultivation had enriched considerably.


    Some "foundations" of spells, soaked up through exposure, he knew quite a bit.


    People couldn''t cast two spells at the same time because human Divine Sense is singular and cannot multitask.


    "Can''t multitask..."


    Mo Hua raised his eyebrows.


    "Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation!"


    His Divine Sense might be singular.


    But like his Uncle, by utilizing Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, it could be split...


    After splitting, with two Divine Thoughts, wouldn''t it be possible to break the conventional spell theories, casting spells simultaneously?


    Casting spells simultaneously, couldn''t he try spell fusion?


    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted, and then his pupils deepened, his Divine Sense split into Wily Minds, creating double visions, multitasking, he started trying to condense two spells simultaneously.


    But many attempts failed.


    He hadn''t tried splitting Wily Minds and casting simultaneously before, so he was very unfamiliar at the start.


    Either his Divine Sense was unstable, his Spiritual Power mistook its path, or the spells were not fully condensed...

 Chapter 926: Fireball Technique? (3)

    But Mo Hua became too adept at the Fireball Technique. After trying multiple times, his mysterious spiritual consciousness became gradually stable, spiritual power flowed, and the spell formed into a complete skill pattern...


    Time passed, and a spark of inspiration flashed in Mo Hua''s mind, his eyes brightened, and he stretched out both hands.


    On his left hand, there was a Fireball Technique.


    On his right hand, he also condensed a Fireball Technique.


    Dual casting with mystical consciousness, deploying both spells at once!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Then he realized a problem, with dual casting, the power should be even greater, and it seemed he didn''t need to study a more complicated Fireball Technique...


    Mo Hua decided to give it a try. He stretched out both hands, and two fireballs instantly flew out, tracing two arcs of flame, hitting the spell puppet.


    Two scorch marks appeared on the puppet, which then recovered as before.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    "Not quite right..."


    With a divided consciousness, deploying two Fireball Techniques at the same time, the power of each had diminished...


    One reason was that his technique was still not skilled enough;


    Another reason would be that his spiritual power was not abundant, the amount of spiritual power in his meridians was insufficient to support casting two Fireball Techniques at the same time without a decline in power...


    All things considered, it would be better to deploy the fireballs in succession, one after the other.


    His casting was fast, and the interval between the two Fireball Techniques was very short, and their power would not diminish.


    Unless...


    Mo Hua pondered.


    Unless there was a need for a spell "barrage," to rapidly release a large quantity of Fireball Techniques within a short period.


    In that case, dual casting would be highly effective.


    However, such an action would cause spiritual consciousness and spiritual power to pour out like a flood.


    His spiritual consciousness could handle it, but his spiritual power definitely could not sustain it.


    This was not a method he could use at present...


    Mo Hua felt a bit of regret.


    Dual casting wasn''t effective in terms of power, so he still needed to research spell fusion...


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, then his pupils darkened, he once again divided his consciousness, and with dual casting, condensed a fireball in each hand.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, somewhat strained, as he slowly brought his hands together, trying to fuse the two Fireball Techniques...


    But the two Fireball Techniques, like poles of the same magnet, repelled each other.


    The closer they got, the stronger the repulsive force.


    Soon, Mo Hua could no longer maintain it, the spells dissipated, and the fireballs extinguished.


    Mo Hua gasped for air, sighing in his mind:


    "It seems it still doesn''t work..."


    "The Fireballs repel each other; they cannot fuse together..."


    "Why is that?"


    Mo Hua pondered for a while, then took out his "The Essentials of the Tai Xu Arts" from his storage bag, searching for an answer within some of the documented magical theories.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Mo Hua flipped to the "Skill Pattern Structure" page and recalled the knowledge taught in the Elder''s class before having an epiphany.


    Inside each spell, there is a certain skill pattern structure.


    This structure is stable, standardized, created by the summation work of generations of cultivators, and is a "paradigm" that determines the essence of the spell.


    The skill pattern structure is also the structure of the spiritual power, containing the circulation and change of the spell''s spiritual power.


    Similarly, different spells have their skill pattern structures that naturally repel each other.


    Thus, when spiritual cultivators battle with spells, victories in spell confrontations are decided by their respective skill pattern structures.


    In confrontations, a top-grade spell, with a stable skill pattern structure, powerful spiritual power, will crush a low-grade spell, causing the latter''s spell to collapse and spiritual power to disseminate, leading to defeat.


    If the power of the two opposing spells is close, neither can overcome the other, and due to the repelling skill pattern structures, both will disintegrate simultaneously, creating a spiritual power explosion...


    Mo Hua nodded, but then he paused, perplexed.


    "Spells colliding, disintegrating at the same time, creating a spiritual power explosion..."


    "But when my two Fireball Techniques were squeezed together, there was no explosion..."


    "Why?"


    Mo Hua grew more bewildered as he thought, and couldn''t help but exclaim:


    Formations are profound and complex, and spells are not simple either.


    Once you delve into learning them, you realize that there is too much complicated and esoteric knowledge...


    Mo Hua could only consider from his own perspective.


    His two Fireball Techniques, even though they had divided wily minds, were from the same root and the same source. In essence, they were from the same divine sense, the same kind of spiritual power, the same skill pattern structure, deployed at the same time.


    It was like a "replica," where both were shadows of each other.


    Therefore, the two spells, being of similar origins, were naturally compatible.


    But since they were different spells, they had, though the same in form, their independently structured skill patterns.


    And skill pattern structures are bound to repel each other.


    Therefore, these two fireballs, originating from a similar source, were able to approach each other, yet due to their independent skill patterns, they repelled one another...


    They were contradictory to each other, with spiritual power entangling endlessly.


    Mo Hua''s head started to ache a bit.


    Since they shared the same origin, it meant that "fusion" was possible...


    But their skill patterns were unique and repelled each other, which obviously made "fusion" impossible...


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, yet not discouraged.


    Over the next few days, he thought of many ways to try to execute this double-casting, attempting to "fuse" the two fireball techniques that shared the same roots.


    For instance, using his Divine Sense, he pressed the fireballs bit by bit, forcing them to merge;


    Or, in a "spiral" form, he made the two fireballs rotate around each other, seeking a mutual fit...


    But no matter what he tried, he couldn''t succeed.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, reflecting:


    "Could it be... too gentle...?"


    These methods of pressing, spiraling, and fitting for the spell "fusion" were all done with great care, but the two fireballs were "mischievous" and completely disobedient.


    Should he be more "forceful"?


    But how?


    Mo Hua recalled the scenes of spells clashing that he had seen so far, when he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and muttered to himself:


    "Collision?"


    "The two fireballs, colliding against each other?"


    His Divine Sense was strong enough to forcibly propel the two fireballs to collide quickly, and perhaps, this could combine the two?


    Could relying on the powerful Divine Sense create a miracle?


    Mo Hua was a bit hesitant, but after some thought, since there seemed to be no other options, he decided to give it a try.


    Anyway, in the Dao Room, there were Elders guarding, and they were just two little fireballs, so there shouldn''t be any issues...


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Then he began to repeat his previous technique, his pupils black as night, his wily minds diverging, his left and right hands each condensing a fireball technique.


    This time, Mo Hua didn''t try little by little but instead focused intensely, and in a split second, he pushed his Sixteen Patterns Quality Changed Divine Sense to the extreme, applying an instantaneous strong pressure...


    And then the spells transformed abruptly!


    The ultimate Divine Sense suddenly generated a tremendous pressure, causing the fireballs to tremble violently.


    Subsequently, the two fireballs moved from static to dynamic in an instant, drawing two blinding trails of fire, and with great speed, they hurtled towards each other, creating a collision that could collapse their skill patterns...


    This all happened in an instant.


    A moment later, Mo Hua felt dizzy and his ears rang, and his eyes were blinded by the bright firelight...


    All he felt was a muffled explosion. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then all the sounds seemed to be drawn in, swallowed up, into absolute silence...


    The only trace of clarity in his Divine Sense made Mo Hua realize...


    His spiritual power had completely spiraled out of control...


    Out of nowhere, the Fireball Technique had birthed a rampaging spiritual power, like an unruly dragon roaring and bellowing, fighting to break free from his control, to devour everything...


    Mo Hua exhausted the last bit of his Divine Sense to place a "rein" on this surge of spiritual power, pulling it forward to blast out...


    After which, his eyes closed, and he slowly collapsed to the ground, falling into unconsciousness.


    ...


    The Elder of Daoist Law, who was playing chess outside, suddenly felt a violent palpitation. He looked down and saw on the central Jade Slip of the Dao Room, a red alarm flashing so brightly it hurt his eyes.


    At the same time, a wave of spiritual power that was odd and twisted, though at the Foundation Establishment Stage, emanated with a hint of terrifying force.


    The Elder of Daoist Law''s heart trembled, and in a flash, he hurried to the Dao Room on his right.


    From the outside, the Dao Room appeared undamaged.


    The Elder of Daoist Law''s right hand trembled slightly as he opened the door...


    What he saw was devastation, with cracks everywhere.


    There was a ferocious scorch mark on the floor, spreading into the distance, the overwhelming spiritual power pressing against the walls, shaking the protective Third Grade Formation to reveal itself.


    The Formation was intact, but the wall''s surface had melted, exposing the Formation Patterns.


    It looked as though the surroundings were blasted with mottled cracks.


    At the start of the scorch mark lay a small Cultivator.


    He lay unconscious on the ground, his left hand charred, his right hand cracked, with blood at the corners of his mouth.


    At the end of the scorch mark was a spell puppet.


    Or rather, where there should have been a spell puppet.


    But now, the spell puppet used for testing spell strength, of the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, had been blasted so thoroughly that not even scraps remained...


    The Elder of Daoist Law''s mouth gaped open, involuntarily gasping a breath of cold air...


    "What the hell is this..."


    "Fireball Technique?!"

 Chapter 927: Injuries

    However, moments later, another elder, donning a Taixu Taoist robe but with an emblem of a Pill Furnace embroidered on his lapel, arrived. Seeing the charred ground and the full wall of Formation Patterns, he couldn¡¯t help but draw a sharp breath.


    Then, he saw Mo Hua lying on the ground.


    "Don¡¯t just stand there, save him first.¡±


    The two hurried forward to examine Mo Hua¡¯s injuries and then both exhaled in relief.


    Mo Hua looked miserable, his injuries were not light, but nothing was life-threatening.


    The Danshi Elder took out a bottle of Spiritual Liquid and sprinkled it on Mo Hua¡¯s wounds, neutralizing the lingering fire toxin, cleaning the charred bloodstains, and simultaneously stopping the bleeding.


    Afterward, he took out a pill and administered it to Mo Hua.


    Then with his hand on Mo Hua¡¯s chest, he continuously directed his energy, nourishing Mo Hua¡¯s meridians with thick and pure Wood-series Spiritual Power to treat his injuries¡­


    Some time later, color gradually returned to Mo Hua¡¯s pale face, and his breath also steadied.


    Only his physical body was too weak, which slowed down the healing of his wounds, leaving him still unconscious for the time being.


    The Danshi Elder, feeling relieved, said, ¡°That should do it


    "Fortunately, it was just a minor involvement of magical spiritual power


    "A half-month¡¯s injury, with proper care, won¡¯t be a big issue. However, his hand is injured and his meridians are also damaged. For the time being, he cannot use his Spiritual Power


    The Danshi Elder felt somewhat fortunate, yet shook his head:


    "Just that, his constitution is really too poor


    "Fragile and delicate, he gets hurt upon the slightest knock, and the injuries aren¡¯t easy to heal


    The Danshi Elder looked at the unconscious Mo Hua with a bit of heartache, then turned to reprimand the Elder of Daoist Law:


    "You, being the Elder of Daoist Law, should have at least taught him some Body Refinement. I¡¯m not expecting great achievements, but at least to strengthen his physique. If he¡¯s injured, he would recover faster


    The Elder of Daoist Law gave a bitter smile, ¡°How could I not know that?¡±


    "But it¡¯s not that simple. If he could really practice, I would have had him do it long ago


    "Learning those superficial things, they¡¯re useless in a real fight.¡±


    "He¡¯s still going to get hurt with the slightest knock, fatally wounded with a slice. It¡¯s better to spend more time learning a movement technique to avoid getting hurt at all


    "Moreover, the Cultivation Techniques for Body Refinement are robust and powerful, not easy to learn at all.¡±


    "With his poor foundations, if he practiced too much, his flesh might wither, his Blood Qi could burst in reverse, and he could end up harming himself


    Hearing this, the Danshi Elder shook his head helplessly and said:


    "Then I will refine a few batches of pills to nourish his Blood Qi


    Although the effects might not be significant, it was better than nothing.


    After finishing, the Danshi Elder looked sympathetically at the Elder of Daoist Law, ¡°Be careful, Elder Xun will definitely be looking for you.¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law¡¯s scalp went numb.


    "Why on earth did you teach the kid a Superior Skill for no good reason?¡± asked the Danshi Elder, puzzled.


    "I didn¡¯t teach


    "Do you think I believe that?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law tasted bitterness in his mouth, ¡°I really didn¡¯t teach


    The Danshi Elder was taken aback. Seeing that he did not seem to be lying and looking around, his expression changed slightly, ¡°Then what is this


    "It¡¯s a spell


    "You¡¯re stating the obvious, aren¡¯t you? If it¡¯s not a spell, could it be a Formation? The question is, what kind of spell is it?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law pondered, ¡°From the looks of it, it seems to be¡­ Fireball Technique


    The Danshi Elder¡¯s face remained expressionless, ¡°Very impressive¡­ What Fireball Technique, could you teach me, let me broaden my horizons?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law ran out of words to say.


    The Danshi Elder pointed towards the place where the practice wooden puppet was originally situated:


    "This puppet, although it¡¯s for Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, was created initially to withstand spells, hence its high magical defense. Usually, even disciples in the Foundation Building Middle Stage can¡¯t break it, let alone now S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Danshi Elder¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°It¡¯s been blown into ashes


    And this kid, is just a beginner who has not yet completed one year of Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    The Danshi Elder took another look at Mo Hua, feeling shocked in his heart.


    The Elder of Daoist Law also had suspicions in his mind.


    He didn¡¯t remember teaching Mo Hua any powerful spells.


    Moreover, even if such spells existed, with Mo Hua¡¯s grade of Spiritual Root, and the Circulation of Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn or use them¡­


    Unless¡­


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt the surrounding residual heat and the abnormal spiritual power, his expression growing more serious.


    The Danshi Elder asked, ¡°What have you figured out?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law furrowed his brow and said, ¡°This is not simple. It¡¯s not just the power of the spell, but rather it seems like


    "Like what?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law shook his head, not voicing his thoughts, but considering Mo Hua¡¯s age and cultivation, he found it hard to believe and muttered:


    "It shouldn¡¯t¡­ be possible


    ¡­


    When Mo Hua awakened, he felt dizzy, and his hand was in pain; his meridians were still somewhat blocked.


    Looking around, he realized he was lying in a pristine white, soft bed, in a clean space with Spirit-Concentrating Incense burning and a faint, bitter scent of pills lingering in the air.


    By his side was a woman in a Taixu Elder¡¯s robe, elegant and dignified with a hint of allure, silently watching him.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Murong¡­ Elder?¡±


    His voice was hoarse and weak as if retaining the trauma from the fire spiritual power, making speaking difficult.


    Murong Elder nodded slightly, ¡°Elder Master Xun feared your injury would worsen, so he sent you here to me.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, only then realizing that Murong Elder was actually a Pill Master.


    Murong Elder moved closer to Mo Hua, her fingers white and slender as she gently touched his forehead, her voice as gentle as the evening breeze:


    "You¡¯re not badly hurt


    "But the burn on your left hand has damaged your meridians; you cannot use your Spiritual Power for half a month. Your right hand has a flesh wound, and you shouldn¡¯t hold a pen for seven days

 Chapter 928: Injury (2)

    "I¡¯ll give you a few bottles of pills. Take one every morning and evening.¡±


    "Okay.¡± Mo Hua nodded with some difficulty, ¡°Thank you, Elder Murong


    Elder Murong smiled faintly.


    After that, other cultivators started to visit Mo Hua in succession.


    First came Yu Er.


    Seeing Mo Hua injured, he stayed by Mo Hua¡¯s side, his little brows furrowed, eyes moist, refusing to be sent away.


    Elder Murong had no choice but to prepare a small bed for him, along with a little blanket, letting him sleep nearby.


    Yu Er was quiet and not troublesome. When he woke up, the first thing he did was to check on Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua woke to find Yu Er¡¯s eyes shining brightly, filled with happiness.


    But since Mo Hua needed to recover, Yu Er only stayed for a while before he had to return to the Disciple¡¯s Residence to do his homework.


    Murong Caiyun came once too, bringing some pills and nourishing supplements.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was alright, she was relieved. She only admonished Mo Hua to be more careful when practicing spells so that he wouldn¡¯t injure himself again.


    Mo Hua nodded honestly. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had also learned something:


    He heard Senior Sister Murong call Elder Murong ¡°auntie,¡± clearly indicating a relationship between the two.


    Shangguan Xu came to visit him too. Besides the recovery pills, he brought a lot of delicious food.


    "These are from Aunt Wan; she asked me to bring them to you


    "This is within Taixu Gate, and it¡¯s not convenient for her to come in. Still, she wants you to visit the Gu Family after you recover. She¡¯ll then request the Pill Master of the Shangguan Family to regulate your condition, making sure you¡¯re left with no complications


    Mo Hua nodded and expressed his gratitude:


    "Thank you, Senior Brother Xu, and please convey my thanks to Aunt Wan as well.¡±


    In addition, some fellow disciples from the same sect came to visit their ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua¡¯s complexion was fairly good and there were no serious issues, they felt reassured. They gathered around Mo Hua, chattering away:


    "Mo Hua, did we hear right that you got injured practicing a spell?¡±


    "Is that true?¡±


    "What spell were you practicing, exactly?¡±


    "It wasn¡¯t the Fireball Technique, was it


    "How could it be?¡±


    "Why couldn¡¯t it be


    "Mo Hua can only use the Fireball Technique


    "Mo Hua, once we leave Taixu Gate, we¡¯ll pretend we don¡¯t know you


    "Don¡¯t ever tell anyone you¡¯re our ¡®Junior Brother


    "What kind of Junior Brother gets hurt by a Fireball Technique


    Mo Hua gave them a disdainful look, saying displeasedly:


    "What¡¯s wrong with the Fireball Technique? Just wait until I¡¯ve perfected it. I¡¯ll make you cry with just a Fireball Technique!¡±


    "I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    "Don¡¯t just talk big without backing it up


    "Just a mere Fireball Technique


    ¡­


    Mo Hua argued with them playfully, and the atmosphere grew livelier.


    Elder Murong, however, said calmly, ¡°This is the Pill Room where you need to recuperate quietly. All of you should go to your classes.¡±


    "Yes¡­ Elder.¡±


    The disciples, who had been thinking of skipping class, now respectfully bowed and left the room, looking dejected.


    Only Cheng Mo stayed behind, reluctantly gripping Mo Hua¡¯s hand and urging him:


    "Mo Hua, heal quickly and come back to teach us about Formation


    Elder Master Xun is too strict, his lessons too advanced, and he assigns too many tasks. They were simply too much to handle¡­


    Junior Brother Mo was much better.


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun also came to check on Mo Hua.


    He was stern-faced and didn¡¯t say much, only admonishing Mo Hua to heal well. But as he left, he couldn¡¯t help himself and whispered reassuringly:


    "There¡¯s no need to excel in combat spells if they don¡¯t suit you


    "You don¡¯t have a strong foundation; there¡¯s no need to force yourself to learn such aggressive spells like others


    "Just master Formation well enough to stand on your own in the Cultivation World, and no one will dare to bully you.¡±


    "If you face difficulties or someone causes you trouble, just speak up, and the Sect will support you.¡±


    "There¡¯s no need to strain yourself trying to learn these spells


    "And don¡¯t injure yourself again


    ¡­


    Mo Hua felt touched and quickly nodded, ¡°I understand, thank you, Elder Master!¡±


    Elder Master Xun wasn¡¯t sure if Mo Hua had taken his words to heart, but he nodded anyway and left.


    ¡­


    As evening approached, the Elder of Daoist Law also quietly visited Mo Hua.


    He was responsible for teaching Daoist Skills and, although he wasn¡¯t the direct cause of the disciple¡¯s injury, as an Elder, he felt he should bear some responsibility.


    Seeing Mo Hua sitting on the bed, his left hand wrapped in bandages, his face pale but his eyes lively and breathing steady, the Elder of Daoist Law finally eased his mind.


    The Elder of Daoist Law exchanged a few pleasantries, hesitated for a moment, and then asked in a low voice:


    "Mo Hua, what spell were you using in the Dao Room


    He not only taught spells but also studied them, hence his curiosity about the unknown spell.


    He wanted to know what kind of spell Mo Hua had cast that could create such immense power, blowing up a perfectly fine spell puppet¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned, his eyes lighting up.


    Since waking up, whenever he had the chance, he pondered over the ¡°spell fusion¡± matter.


    But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t understand why the fusion of two Fireball Techniques, forcibly joined by Divine Sense, resulted in such formidable power.


    If he hadn¡¯t reversed the direction of the spell with his Divine Sense at the last moment, allowing the Spiritual Power of the spell to lose control¡­


    He feared not only would his hands have suffered, but his very life would have been at risk¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t comprehend it.


    The mere fusion of two Fireball Techniques shouldn¡¯t have been capable of such force.


    Not to mention that even the slightest aftershock had caused him such serious injuries¡­


    This defied common sense.


    So when the Elder of Daoist Law asked him, he too had many questions he wanted to consult with the Elder of Daoist Law.

 Chapter 929: Injury (3)

    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then answered:


    "I felt that the power of a single Fireball Technique wasn''t sufficient, so I wanted to ''fuse'' two Fireball Techniques together to enhance the power, and then... it exploded..."


    The Elder of Daoist Law frowned, "Nonsense, who does ''fusion'' like that?"


    Mo Hua replied humbly, "Then how should one fuse them?"


    "You''ve misunderstood," the Elder of Daoist Law shook his head. "So-called spell ''fusion'' isn''t about mixing two spells together like dough..."


    "Spell fusion is essentially the fusion of skill patterns."


    "Moreover, it''s not about fusing after casting; rather, it''s about having a ''fused'' skill pattern before even casting. It just appears as if it''s ''fusing''..."


    Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    He remembered how Grandpa Gui showed him the Fireball Technique, consecutively condensing the fire threads and then weaving them to form the spell.


    Essentially, it wasn''t about merging several Fireball Techniques.


    Rather, it was in itself a complete, separate spell.


    He had practiced according to Grandpa Gui''s method, but because of working behind closed doors, he had gotten a bit sidetracked amidst the confusion...


    Even though he''d veered off course, the power seemed very strong...


    It was even stronger than he had imagined...


    Why was that?


    Mo Hua blinked and glanced at the Elder of Daoist Law.


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt a bit uneasy under Mo Hua''s gaze, wondering what schemes the boy was concocting in his mind...


    "Elder..." Mo Hua spoke softly, "Suppose there is a possibility..."


    "That there are two ''twin'' Cultivators, with identical Divine Sense and Spiritual Root, casting the exact same spell..."


    "There are no such ''twin'' Cultivators..." the Elder of Daoist Law said.


    "I mean suppose..."


    Mo Hua said earnestly, "...If there were, what would happen when their spells collided? Would they fuse?"


    Mo Hua was full of curiosity.


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt a headache coming on; he dreaded encountering disciples with such wild imaginations and bizarre questions.


    Their questions had some logic to them.


    But to answer them was truly taxing on Divine Sense.


    The Elder of Daoist Law massaged his forehead and, following Mo Hua''s train of thought, pondered for a moment before slowly speaking:


    "If their Divine Sense and Spiritual Root are identical, then those two spells might not be exactly the same due to the sequence in time..."


    "For a Cultivator, time is also a kind of Law."


    "The moment of spellcasting, like the configuration of the spell''s Spiritual Power, is an inherent characteristic. It''s just that most Cultivators completely overlook this point..."


    "Then let''s say the timing of the spellcasting is also exactly the same..." Mo Hua said.


    "In that case..." the Elder of Daoist Law murmured, "then these two spells would be nearly identical, sharing the same origin. If they came into contact..."


    "There would be two possibilities..."


    The Elder of Daoist Law speculated based on the principles of spells:


    "Either they would instantly ''fuse'' into a large fireball..."


    "Or they would be in a state where they are close to each other, not exploding, yet not fusing, a sort of ''attraction and repulsion''..."


    "Like the Taixu''s Eryi, coexisting yet repelling each other..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes sparkled with admiration.


    As expected of the Elder of Daoist Law from the Taixu Gate, able to deduce the reality with just the theory of spells.


    "What if these two fireballs are ''attracting and repelling'' each other but not fusing?" Mo Hua asked again.


    "Well..." the Elder of Daoist Law had barely started speaking when he suddenly paused, "How do you know?"


    Because I''ve tried it!


    And I hurt myself in the process!


    Mo Hua silently said to himself.


    But it was not the sort of thing he could openly discuss, so he equivocated, "I guessed..."


    Before the Elder of Daoist Law could regain his composure, Mo Hua continued to press with his questions, "If that''s the case, why would there be repulsion?"


    Indeed, the Elder of Daoist Law continued down the path of Mo Hua''s line of thought...


    "Because the essence of their skill patterns is different."


    "The structure of the skill pattern is the structure of the spell''s Spiritual Power; it''s the essence of the spell."


    "Skill patterns naturally repel one another."


    "Generally, even if the same Cultivator casts the same spell, the structures of the skill patterns are similar, yet each is distinct and independent."


    "It''s like the creation of Standard Spiritual Weapons; all weapons use the same ''template.'' When forged, they seem identical, but in reality, each Spiritual Artifact is a different entity..."


    "Your mentioned ''twin'' fireballs are the same¡ªthey may be identical in every other way, but their fundamental ''skill pattern structures'' are independently separate..."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Unquestionably, the Elder of Daoist Law had reached the same conclusion as Mo Hua had!


    Mo had also guessed that the repulsion between fireballs was an intrinsic issue with the spell''s skill pattern structure.


    Then Mo Hua asked another question, "Can these two ''twin'' fireballs form a ''fusion'' with different spells?"


    The Elder of Daoist Law shook his head, "Impossible, the structure of the skill patterns repels each other. They can''t merge together..."


    "Is there a way to make them merge?"


    The Elder of Daoist Law actually gave it some serious thought before shaking his head again.


    Mo Hua blinked, "Suppose..."


    "By using brute force, with a mighty Divine Sense to control the fireballs for a rapid collision, would that result in a fusion..."


    "Collision?" The Elder of Daoist Law shook his head again, "It still probably wouldn''t lead to a fusion..."


    "At most, it would be considered an ''aggregation,'' but this kind of aggregation is very risky as it jeopardizes the stability of the spell''s skill pattern..."


    "With the Divine Sense exerting sudden pressure to force the fireballs to aggregate, a powerful repulsion would instantly be generated, causing the intrinsic structure of the skill patterns in both fireballs to collapse, the Spiritual Power to lose its constraints, resulting in a mutation, the internal potency is released, and thereby..."


    As the Elder of Daoist Law was speaking, his voice became softer and softer, then suddenly, he paused, his eyes showing astonishment.


    He looked at Mo Hua, too shocked to speak, "You didn''t... "


    You couldn''t have actually used the collision of fireballs, causing the skill pattern structure to collapse, thus creating a powerful destructive force to destroy the spell puppet...


    Then he became puzzled, "How did you..."


    How did you manage to do it?


    "Twin" fireballs of the same essence...


    Divine Sense forcefully controlling, aggregating the fireballs...


    Is that even possible at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage?


    Mo Hua spoke softly, "I was just thinking wildly, just asking casually..."


    The Elder of Daoist Law silently looked at Mo Hua, thinking to himself, I''ll believe you when hell freezes over.


    At the same time, he also reflected inwardly.


    Truly worthy of Elder Master Xun.


    Such a keen eye for talent!


    The disciple he valued not only had talent in Formation,


    But also could blaze new trails in spells, with such in-depth research...


    However... since this was a disciple valued by Elder Master Xun, it wasn''t his place to inquire further.


    The Elder of Daoist Law thought for a moment, his gaze growing intense as if he had made up his mind, then shared with Mo Hua the "Principles of Spells," something originally not to be imparted:


    "Spiritual Power radiates outward to form a spell, which is the garment of Spiritual Power."


    "But within the Spiritual Power itself, its intrinsic nature changes, which also contains powerful potency..."


    "Ordinary spells are made with Spiritual Power forming the skill patterns to establish the spell, thereby possessing the Power of Killing..."


    "But conversely..."


    The Elder of Daoist Law''s gaze sharpened, his voice grew heavy:


    "Through a spell, provoking changes in the structure of the skill pattern will result in a mutation of the Spiritual Power, releasing a great amount of unstable spiritual force, similarly causing extremely strong destructive power..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes widened in realization.


    Could this not be...


    Formation Collapse!


    Though the methods differed, one used Formation and the other used spells, and even the mutations in Spiritual Power varied¡ªone disintegrating and the other aggregating,


    Their underlying principles were the same!


    Seeing how quickly Mo Hua understood, the Elder of Daoist Law was a bit stunned. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This child... he might have done this sort of thing before...


    Why did it feel like he grasped it immediately?


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt it wasn''t right to continue on this topic and coughed before standing up, "It''s getting late, I should be going back..."


    Mo Hua responded with the utmost politeness, "Elder, please take care."


    But there was one thing he was very curious about, that he had thought over and over again, yet couldn''t resist asking.


    "Oh, one more thing, Elder..."


    Mo Hua asked softly, "...What is your esteemed surname?"


    On hearing this, the Elder of Daoist Law appeared as if he had been struck by lightning, completely stunned.


    He was somewhat angry, but also somewhat incredulous and sad, "After all this time, you don''t even know my surname?!"


    Mo Hua felt rather embarrassed.


    There was no helping it; there were too many Sect Elders, including substitute teachers who occasionally changed, and there were some Elders he only recognized by face but couldn''t recall by name.


    Mo Hua gave an awkward smile.


    The Elder of Daoist Law helplessly said, "My surname is Yi..."

 Chapter 930: Forbidden Technique

    "Yi?"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, recalling what he read on the Water Prison Technique Secret Manual, "¡­ This technique has been compiled into a volume by True Man Yi, archived within Taixu Gate¡­"


    "The Water Prison Technique in the Merit Scroll, was it you who collected it?"


    Elder Yi was startled, "You''ve learned the Water Prison Technique as well?"


    "Yes!" Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Yi was somewhat surprised. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Water Prison Technique is easy to learn but hard to master; it''s also quite difficult to use¡­


    But he still shook his head, "It wasn''t me. It was a predecessor of our Yi family who collected that technique¡­"


    "Predecessor?"


    "Yes," Elder Yi nodded, "Our Yi family is a family of spell crafters, and most of the elder disciples are Spiritual Cultivators who are proficient in spells; we also like to collect some unique and strange skills..."


    "Oh..."


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding.


    Elder Yi glanced at the sky and said, "Alright, I''ll be going. If you have questions about spells, you can ask me again."


    "Thank you, Elder Yi!"


    Mo Hua said obediently.


    Hearing this "Elder Yi," Elder Yi finally felt more comfortable. He turned to leave, but then, as if recalling something that made him somewhat embarrassed, he said,


    "Mo Hua..."


    "About your injury, I indeed was somewhat negligent. But, well, about Elder Master Xun...",


    Mo Hua immediately understood.


    "Elder Yi, please rest assured. I will explain clearly to the elder. It was my mishap this time, not your fault!"


    This matter was not Elder Yi''s fault to begin with.


    Furthermore, Elder Yi had shared such important principles of spellcrafting with him; he couldn''t possibly blame him.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s intelligence and sense of reason, Elder Yi felt greatly relieved and didn''t mind that Mo Hua had been studying spells with him for so long without even knowing his surname or name.


    "Alright, do take care while recovering."


    Elder Yi left with a relieved expression.


    "Elder, take care."


    After Elder Yi had left, Mo Hua, with his left hand bandaged, lay on the bed and thought to himself:


    Twin Fireball Skill¡­ Divine Sense guiding the collision¡­ Skill Pattern structure collapse¡­ The might of Spiritual Power Fusion¡­


    A spell technique like "collapse" is powerful but unstable and prone to losing control.


    If he tried to ponder and experiment, once it went out of control, he could easily get hurt; the risk was substantial.


    This time he was lucky. Although the spell lost control, he managed to forcefully restrain the unruly Spiritual Power with his Divine Sense and wasn''t directly affected¡­


    Moreover, at Taixu Gate, there were many skilled Danshi Elders dedicated to healing, so he didn''t suffer too severe injuries. After some rest, there wouldn''t be any lasting effects.


    But if there were a next time, it wouldn''t be so certain.


    He was a "delicate" individual¡­


    The Fireball''s clash and forced collision, the Skill Pattern structure''s collapse, and the innate power of Spiritual Power Fusion were like a Formation Collapse, embodying certain Dao Laws with astonishing lethality.


    A slip of the hand and he could have bitten the dust...


    But if he didn''t study it further¡­


    Mo Hua couldn''t quite resign himself to that.


    As a Spiritual Cultivator, casting spells swiftly and with precise target locking offered a tremendous advantage.


    However, if the innate power of the spells was limited, impacting the target with as much effect as a tickle, then this advantage was greatly diminished.


    Great power that missed its target was useless.


    Conversely, perfect aim that lacked power wasn''t much better¡­


    Previously, in the Second Grade State Border, he encountered opponents who were mostly Loose Cultivators or the scions of small families lacking strong heritage.


    Using his strong Divine Sense, his special Fireball Technique was quite powerful.


    But upon reaching the Qianxue State Border, with its many prominent Sects and the disciples from exceptional backgrounds possessing Top-Grade Spiritual Roots, the number was beyond counting.


    Even some of those who had fallen from grace and were wanted by the Taoist Court had solid foundations, with Spiritual Roots far better than his own.


    Among these disciples, some had even inherited Superior Daoist Magic.


    Suddenly, the Fireball Technique didn''t seem so impressive anymore.


    This aggregate Fireball Technique still demanded further research¡­


    Mo Hua considered it for a moment, and combining the "guidance" of Elder Yi, he roughly figured out the principle behind this spell''s damage:


    Ordinary spell theories involve Spiritual Power moving from inside to outside, to structure the Skill Pattern, forming the spell.


    The power of a spell is determined by the strength of the Spiritual Power.


    The most representative of these is Superior Skill: high consumption of Spiritual Power, strong Skill Pattern structure, and astonishing power.


    But with his weak Spiritual Power, he couldn''t cultivate Superior Skills, so he had to take a different approach.


    Relying on the variability of spells, reversing the Skill Pattern structure and causing internal changes in Spiritual Power to trigger a massive release of spiritual energy.


    The spell is merely a primer.


    A fuse.


    By using the spell to initiate something similar to a reverse resolution of a Formation, it causes an essential abnormality in Spiritual Power.


    In this way, a small amount of Spiritual Power can result in enormous destructive power.


    This process requires Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, splitting Divine Thoughts, and casting dual spells simultaneously.


    It also needs strong Divine Sense for high-speed, instantaneous control of spells, which also consumes a lot of Divine Sense.


    But Mo Hua''s Divine Sense is strong, though his Spiritual Power is weak.


    Such a reverse approach to spellcrafting perfectly played to his strengths and skirted his weaknesses, utilizing his powerful Divine Sense and avoiding the pitfalls of weak Spiritual Power¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, resolved to fully research this type of Fireball Technique with fusion.


    He already understood the principle behind the spells.


    The only problem with the current Fireball Technique was its instability.


    Skill Pattern collapse and Spiritual Power Fusion are prone to spiraling out of control. You might hurt yourself before your opponents.


    "I need to think of a stable, controllable method for Skill Pattern collapse and Fireball fusion," Mo Hua said to himself silently.


    ...


    The next day, Mo Hua went to class.


    His injuries, treated by several Danshi Elders designated by Elder Master Xun, had basically healed. He just needed a bit more rest.

 Chapter 931: Forbidden Technique (2)

    The classes could be attended.


    But apart from that, Spiritual Power was not to be used, and Formations were not to be drawn.


    Mo Hua just took this time to research "Fireball Fusion."


    Whenever he had time after his Cultivation classes, he pondered how to steadily collide fireballs, causing the Skill Pattern to collapse and the Spiritual Power to fuse.


    As long as the Skill Pattern was controllable, even a little less damage was acceptable.


    However, after several days of research, his progress was extremely slow.


    Mo Hua couldn''t think of any methods to stabilize the structure of the Skill Pattern, control its collapse, and direct the fusion of Spiritual Power.


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that he was somewhat conceited.


    Such alternative, counterintuitive Spell Patterns were definitely not something he could create in a stroke of inspiration, let alone stabilize and refine.


    Even the simplest Spell would need generations of Cultivators to practice, study, and finally perfect it through practical experience.


    With his own shallow mastery of Spells and limited time, seeking to invent a Skill Pattern was truly a pipe dream.


    Mo Hua sighed but was not discouraged.


    Since working in isolation wasn''t effective, he should find ways to study other Fire Spells more and seek potentially useful aspects from their Skill Pattern structures...


    Improving his own Spells by standing on the shoulders of predecessors.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that the idea was feasible.


    Mo Hua didn''t believe that the concept of "Fireball Fusion" was exclusive to him.


    With so many prodigies in the Cultivation World, some would have undoubtedly thought of this and summarized it already.


    In the Taoist Court''s twenty-thousand-year history, countless great masters of Spells were certain to have more mature research, and perhaps, there were even established Skill Patterns for him to "copy."


    However, such variant Spells were clearly both difficult and dangerous.


    Thus, few Cultivators learned them, and the inherited Skill Patterns were probably scarce.


    "Copy a bit..."


    The first person Mo Hua thought of was Elder Yi.


    After all, it was Elder Yi who had told him about the underlying principles.


    The Yi family, a lineage of Spell masters, might not actively use such Spells, but they had definitely studied them.


    Thus, with his arms in bandages, Mo Hua went to seek Elder Yi.


    As soon as Elder Yi heard, he promptly shook his head, "No, no, no..."


    Mo Hua had previously injured both hands by fiddling around on his own, and for that, Elder Master Xun had given him several days of cold stares.


    If he truly taught something to Mo Hua... and Mo Hua continued to practice it until he injured his arms and legs,


    Elder Master Xun might dock his entire Sect stipend.


    Thinking this, Elder Yi added again, "No, no..."


    Mo Hua expected this response and curiously asked,


    "Is it because it''s too dangerous?"


    "It''s not just generally dangerous..."


    Mo Hua blinked, "How dangerous?"


    "Well..." Just as Elder Yi started to speak, he suddenly paused, looking at Mo Hua warily, "You aren''t trying to trick me into revealing secrets, are you?"


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly, "Elder, what are you saying? I''m just a kid without much guile, how could I trick you?"


    Elder Yi silently stared at Mo Hua, clearly not believing him at all.


    "I''m just a little curious..." Mo Hua said.


    "Being curious doesn''t cut it."


    "Alright then..."


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling a bit disappointed.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s dejected face, Elder Yi felt somewhat sorry for him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a moment of thought, he bit the bullet and said,


    "I''ll tell you just a little. Just listen, don''t speculate on your own, much less practice it yourself, and definitely do not hurt yourself..."


    "Alright," Mo Hua nodded. "I won''t practice it recklessly."


    Elder Yi then relieved, nodded, and said,


    "This type of Spell involves ''Spiritual Transformation,'' naturally, it''s extremely dangerous..."


    "It''s powerful and prone to loss of control, harmful to others and oneself, and after practicing, it can easily cause irreversible damage to one''s own meridians or Qi Sea."


    "As such, these types of Spells are often labeled as ''Forbidden Techniques'' and their transmission is either broken, sealed, or destroyed."


    "Forbidden Techniques?!" Mo Hua exclaimed. "Does it prohibit cultivation?"


    "Eh," Elder Yi nodded.


    Mo Hua, feeling somewhat guilty, whispered, "If I practiced it, would the Taoist Court send officers to arrest me, handcuff me, and lock me in the Taoist Prison?"


    Elder Yi sighed, "Well, it wouldn''t go that far..."


    "Although it''s labeled as a ''Forbidden Technique,'' there are many kinds..."


    "Replenishing from others, Evil Techniques, Corpse Manipulation, Ghost Arts... These Demon Sect''s practices are categorized as Forbidden Techniques because they recklessly take lives and pose great dangers."


    "While Spiritual Transformation Spells are labeled as such because of their powerful, uncontrollable nature."


    "As long as it''s not used to slaughter en masse or kill innocents but merely practiced in secrecy, if at most the Spell goes out of control and injures oneself¡ªas you did blowing up your hands¡ª the Taoist Court wouldn''t bother..."


    After saying this, Elder Yi immediately became alert,


    "I''m not telling you to secretly practice it!"


    "Don''t practice it!"


    "Alright," Mo Hua nodded, "Please continue..."


    Elder Yi slightly nodded and continued, "But even so, since it''s listed as a ''Forbidden Technique,'' such Spells still hold severe consequences."


    "Like burning of the meridians, Spiritual Power backflow, Yin and Yang imbalance, and so forth..."


    "Some Cultivators even turn to Evil Cultivation or Demon Cultivation in an attempt to overcome the drawbacks of ''Forbidden Techniques''..."


    "Therefore, the Taoist Court had to enforce a blanket prohibition on all ''Forbidden Techniques'' to prevent extensive hidden dangers..."


    "Unstable Spells should not be widely propagated, otherwise, they become major risks..."

 Chapter 932: Forbidden Technique (3)

    Elder Yi said with a solemn expression.


    Mo Hua whispered, "Does the Taoist Court secretly collect ''Forbidden Techniques''..."


    Elder Yi was startled, but he did not conceal it from Mo Hua, "The Taoist Court does collect them, after all..."


    Elder Yi did not say it, but Mo Hua understood.


    With the Taoist Court unified, the Cultivation World was theirs.


    The status of the Taoist Court was naturally revered, and no one could interfere with what they wanted to do.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Does the Sect also collect them?"


    Elder Yi immediately shook his head, "No."


    Mo Hua looked doubtful, equally unconvinced.


    With Mo Hua staring at him, Elder Yi sighed.


    He looked around, saw no one around, coughed, and then whispered, "The Sect also... cough, also collects some..."


    "Of course, not the Demon Skills and Evil Techniques kind of ''Forbidden Techniques.''"


    "Evil Techniques involving demons, corpses, and ghosts that harm the harmony of heaven¡ªsuch are definitely sealed without any leeway."


    "The kind of Forbidden Techniques the Sect collects are generally those involving the rules of the Great Dao, extremely powerful, but essentially impossible to cultivate, extremely difficult to control, or if cultivated, have very serious consequences..."


    "These Forbidden Techniques are deliberated and judged by the Sect Leader, Elders, or the old ancestors."


    "Some techniques, which could be cultivated in the past, might have too great a cost and are not suitable to be passed down¡ªthen the old ancestors would decide to list them as ''Forbidden Techniques'' and seal them..."


    Finishing his explanation, Elder Yi solemnly looked at Mo Hua again, "You must absolutely not think about practicing these kinds of ''Forbidden Techniques.''"


    "Although these techniques are collected in the Sect, they are strictly forbidden for disciples to cultivate."


    "Our Taixu Gate has strict sect rules. Any disciple, regardless of the reason, who clandestinely cultivates ''Forbidden Techniques,'' will be directly expelled from the Sect!"


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened, and his expression became serious.


    Elder Yi patted Mo Hua''s shoulder and sighed,


    "Elder Master Xun values you so much; for your own sake, and for Elder Master Xun''s sake, you must not entertain any improper thoughts that would dishearten Elder Master Xun..."


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly, "Elder Yi, don''t worry."


    Elder Yi looked into Mo Hua''s eyes, saw his clear and sincere expression, and was reassured.


    After Elder Yi left, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple''s Residence.


    Reflecting on his conversation with Elder Yi, Mo Hua summarized:


    Techniques embodying the principle of "Fusion Fireball" must exist, and such techniques are certainly "Forbidden Techniques."


    Practicing these types of "Forbidden Techniques" results in side effects.


    The side effects vary; some even lead to demonic corruption.


    The Taixu Gate definitely harbors "Forbidden Techniques."


    But where they are stored, they won''t let the disciples know¡ªat least not in the regular cultivation classes or within the Merit Scrolls.


    And he himself must not secretly learn the Taixu Gate''s Forbidden Techniques.


    The sect rules are stringent.


    If he were caught, Elder Master Xun, despite his favoritism, would probably have no choice but to relentlessly expel him from the sect.


    Elder Master Xun has been so kind to him; he cannot betray his goodwill.


    But then!


    Mo Hua thought again.


    As long as he doesn''t steal learn the Forbidden Techniques of the Taixu Gate, there would be no problem!


    As long as he doesn''t study the demon, corpse, and ghost-type Evil Techniques, the Taoist Court wouldn''t care.


    Even if there are side effects, he isn''t afraid.


    He isn''t actually planning to "learn" the Forbidden Technique.


    Rather, through the Forbidden Technique, he wants to research the principles of "Spell Fusion."


    "Copy" their skill patterns, thereby thinking of ways to continuously optimize and improve the skill patterns, perfecting a truly stable and controllable "Fusion Fireball Skill."


    According to what Elder Yi had said, any Sect Disciple who secretly learns "Forbidden Techniques" will be forcibly expelled from the sect.


    In other words, they become "defectors!"


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened.


    In that case, among those sin cultivators on Boss Jiang''s list, there might very well be one or two who practiced "Forbidden Techniques" and defected from the sect, committing misdeeds outside and becoming sin cultivators.


    Boss Jiang is truly his "lucky star!"


    His list is just like a heritage "treasure map."


    Mo Hua thought with a beaming smile, and then he took out Boss Jiang''s list again.


    Among them, sin cultivators with the names containing "fire" were marked by him.


    These were specifically "filtered" by Mo Hua who originally wanted to learn Fire Spells.


    Mo Hua checked the names of these sin cultivators one by one. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fireworker Chief, Fire Wolf Head, Fierce Fire Palm, Fire Butcher..."


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    He looked left and right and didn''t feel that these sin cultivators seemed like they had learned "Forbidden Techniques."


    Their spells also didn''t seem capable of involving collapse of skill patterns or fusion of spiritual power, of relevance to his "Forbidden Technique" research.


    More importantly, Mo Hua didn''t have that feeling, no heavenly warnings, no karmic forebodings, no sudden heart palpitations.


    "None..."


    Mo Hua felt a great disappointment.


    Mo Hua put the Jade Slip back into the Storage Ring, but then, feeling unwilling to give up, he took it out again and placed it on the table. He carefully observed it with the Calculation merged with the Heavenly Secret.


    At that moment, he noticed a faint, red karmic chain on the Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua was startled, his heart jumped.


    There!


    Indicated by the heavenly patterns and karmic forewarnings, the list did contain a lineage similar to the "Fusion Fireball" Forbidden Technique!


    Mo Hua hastily looked at it again.


    But in the Jade Slip, the names of all the sin cultivators appeared "unremarkable," nothing unusual.


    It seemed like the earlier "karmic forewarning" was just an illusion.


    Mo Hua performed another calculation, still finding nothing.


    "What''s going on..."


    Mo Hua leaned on the table, supporting his chin, frowning deeply in thought.


    "Is there something... I haven''t discovered?"


    "There''s something hidden in the depths of Boss Jiang''s list that I haven''t decoded?"


    Mo Hua read through Boss Jiang''s diary again, reading while releasing his Divine Sense, carefully discerning every word.


    After one read-through, he found nothing.


    Mo Hua read it again...


    Until on the third read-through, Mo Hua finally noticed something subtle.


    Some of the passages and punctuation were blank, marked with "secret," and the technique was even more covert. Mo Hua had unconsciously skipped over them previously, thus he hadn''t noticed.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat emotional.


    "This Boss Jiang, sure is cunning..."


    He almost tricked me!


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened as he started to try decoding, but the Secret Patterns in these blank areas were completely different from elsewhere.


    With no other choice, Mo Hua had to repeat his old method, patiently using the Secondary Thunder Patterns from the Secondary Thunder Pattern Library, one by one comparing and decoding.


    Three days later, Mo Hua finally decoded a new name in the blank place of the Jade Slip.


    This name was hidden deeply, covered in heavy ink.


    Seemingly entwined with blood, amid a sea of fire, profound murderous aura surged, subtly making one''s heart tremble.


    Mo Hua''s gaze focused slightly, as he slowly said:


    "Fire Buddha."

 Chapter 933: Flower Gentleman

    This moniker, fierce yet restrained, as if bathed in a glowing fire and bloodlight, gave Mo Hua a feeling completely different from all the other sin cultivators on the name list.


    It was as if he was "worse" than the rest by a whole level.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    "What exactly is Boss Jiang..."


    "Where did he get this list from?"


    "These colorful sin cultivators don''t seem like people he, a mere human trafficker at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, could possibly have come into contact with..."


    "Not to mention this ''Fire Buddha,'' who is obviously extraordinary..."


    And yet, such a list was hidden in Boss Jiang''s diary.


    Mo Hua always felt something was amiss...


    "Could it be that the list isn''t Boss Jiang''s?"


    "If it isn''t Boss Jiang''s, whose could it be? And how did it end up in his diary?"


    Mo Hua thought it over but had no idea, so he could only set aside his doubts for the moment and continued to ponder about the "Fire Buddha"...


    Fire Buddha...


    All he currently knew was the name.


    What was Fire Buddha''s background, realm, age, which cultivation technique did he practice.


    The "Forbidden Technique" he possessed, which held some referential value to the "Fireball Fusion" skill pattern, what exactly was it.


    Also, his position on the "name list" was obviously quite special.


    If the list of sin cultivators was an organization.


    Then this Fire Buddha, at the very least, must be a "boss."


    And not your run-of-the-mill boss at that.


    He might even have quite a few "underlings"...


    Where could he be now?


    Mo Hua was filled with doubts, but with no leads at present, he thought of asking around.


    But he had already asked Sister Murong, Senior Brother Xu from his sect, Senior Brother Feng from the Tai''a Sect, and Senior Sister Qianqian from Hundred Flower Valley whenever he could find time.


    Even some brothers and sisters who occasionally took on temporary missions were asked, but nobody had ever heard of the "Fire Buddha."


    This Fire Buddha seemed as if he didn''t exist at all.


    It was also possible that Taoist Court had never issued a related mission.


    If so, the only thing left was to inquire at the Taoist Court.


    The only "acquaintance" in the Qianxue State Boundary Taoist Court was Uncle Gu Changhuai...


    Mo Hua made up his mind and, during the next ten days of rest, asked Senior Sister Murong to take on more missions from the Taoist Court.


    Murong Caiyun, though unclear why, agreed as it was Mo Hua''s request.


    When she went to inquire at the Taoist Court and apply to see the archives, Mo Hua also went along, hoping for a chance "encounter" with Uncle Gu.


    However, Gu Changhuai was a Supervisor and always busy. Mo Hua went three times only to find that he was out, and it was not until the fourth visit that he ran into him.


    Gu Changhuai seemed to have just come in from outside, his handsome face showing signs of fatigue, yet his head was held slightly high, his eyes proud, like a "proud peacock."


    But soon, his "pride" turned to "shock."


    Because he saw Mo Hua''s face beaming with joy and his eyes shining brightly.


    It was as if a small fox with bad intentions had set its sights on him...


    Gu Changhuai''s heart "thumped," sensing something amiss.


    Mo Hua greeted him warmly, waving and calling out in a crisp voice:


    "Uncle Gu, what a coincidence!"


    Gu Changhuai''s forehead twitched.


    He didn''t think this was a "coincidence" at all.


    It was probably Mo Hua, that little devil full of cunning plans, waiting like a hunter for his prey.


    Gu Changhuai wore a poker face, "Are you here for another mission?"


    "Uh-huh." Mo Hua said, "It''s mainly Senior Sister Murong and the others who take action. I''m just helping out and tagging along..."


    Mo Hua was incredibly modest.


    Gu Changhuai snorted.


    You keep telling that tale.


    She''s your senior sister, not your real sister. Why would she take you along for no reason?


    The importance of merit points within a sect is significant, and so are the missions.


    If you''re of no use, even real siblings might not bring you along...


    Let alone those from the Murong Family or the Ouyang Family, who may appear courteous and mild-mannered but all bear some pride inside as sons of noble families.


    If you''re not somewhat capable, why would anyone play with you?


    Even if you''re cute, that won''t cut it!


    But then...


    Gu Changhuai took another look at Mo Hua, puzzled.


    What use could this kid possibly be?


    With unsatisfactory Spiritual Roots and body, weak Spiritual Power, and just at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, he looked precisely like a little "drag."


    What help could he be on a mission?


    Gu Changhuai did not understand, shook his head and asked indifferently, "What mission are you ''tagging along'' on this time?"


    Mo Hua replied, "Catching a rapist!"


    "What realm?"


    "Just Foundation Building Middle Stage."


    Gu Changhuai was speechless.


    Just Foundation Building Middle Stage...


    Aren''t you yourself still at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage? Such bravado, capturing a rapist at the Middle Phase of Foundation Building, you make it sound as simple as catching a chicken...


    Reflecting on his cousin''s instructions, Gu Changhuai said helplessly:


    "You don''t need my help, do you..."


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised.


    Uncle Gu was so eager to help?


    He had previously thought that Uncle Gu had some reservations about him and would be a bit petty, not readily offering his help.


    It turned out that he was the one being petty.


    Uncle Gu turned out to be a kind-hearted person with a "cool exterior but warm interior"!


    Mo Hua was somewhat touched and said, "Catching the rapist is a small matter; I don''t need your help for that, but..."


    Mo Hua smiled shyly, "There''s something else I''d like to ask you about..."


    Gu Changhuai''s eyelid twitched. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This kid''s smile meant trouble...


    "Go ahead, what is it..." Gu Changhuai replied in a flat tone.

 Chapter 934: Flower Gentleman (2)

    "Uncle Gu," Mo Hua whispered, "do you know about ''Fire Buddha''..."


    After speaking, Mo Hua looked up at Gu Changhuai and saw his body stiffen slightly, a chill emanating from him, and even a hint of fierceness in his eyes.


    He looked at Mo Hua with icy eyes.


    "Where did you..."


    Gu Changhuai paused, his voice low and slightly hoarse, "...hear this name..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    He hadn''t expected Uncle Gu''s reaction to be so significant.


    Could it be that this Fire Buddha had some old grudge with Uncle Gu?


    Boss Jiang''s list must definitely remain a secret...


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua half-truthfully said:


    "I heard it from a Sin Cultivator, who said that Fire Buddha knows a very powerful Fire-series Spell, and within hundreds of miles, no one is his opponent..."


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze was sharp as he stared at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua''s eyes were like still water, unfathomable, his expression calm and composed.


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brows and asked, "Which Sin Cultivator?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I don''t know him, just bumped into him occasionally. I overheard a few words, and then they left. I, a minor cultivator, didn''t dare to follow..."


    Gu Changhuai clearly didn''t believe him, his expression grew stern, and he fell silent.


    Observing his reactions, Mo Hua asked quietly, "Uncle Gu, is this Fire Buddha very powerful? Do you have a history with him?"


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, seeing Mo Hua''s curious face, his attitude and tone indeed did not seem like someone aware of the past events, nor did it seem like he had any dealings with Fire Buddha. This made him heave a sigh of relief, but his brows furrowed even tighter.


    "This matter is not for you to inquire about."


    Gu Changhuai seemed to recall some past events, his mood became poor, his tone somewhat harsh.


    Mo Hua then knew, there must be a story here.


    But seeing this, Uncle Gu was troubled and surely wouldn''t discuss it.


    Mo Hua didn''t insist, silently contemplating in his heart, planning to ask someone else.


    Although Gu Changhuai couldn''t see through Mo Hua''s thoughts, seeing his curious expression, he knew that even if he didn''t tell him, Mo Hua would continue to inquire.


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    This man, Fire Buddha, had committed too many killings, he was a taboo.


    If Mo Hua indeed had a hidden agenda, plotting against the Shangguan family and Yu Er, that would still be better.


    If by bad luck, he ran into Fire Buddha''s hands while investigating the secrets, and died, then he was simply dead.


    But if he had just happened to pass by and saved Yu Er, then he was Yu Er''s benefactor.


    If he didn''t make things clear and caused his death, that would be a sin.


    Besides, as a small cultivator who had lived only for a little over a decade, it would be a terrible waste to lose his life this way.


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for some time before sighing:


    "These matters... I shouldn''t really be telling you..."


    "But I''m afraid you don''t realize the severity, and rashly inquiring might involve you in this, attracting the attention of those you shouldn''t, and you might lose your life needlessly..."


    Mo Hua was very surprised, "Who exactly is this Fire Buddha?"


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze turned slightly stern, "He is an extremely cruel Evil Cultivator."


    Mo Hua''s heart chilled slightly, "A Golden Core?"


    "Foundation Establishment Late Stage." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua frowned, "Foundation Establishment Late Stage... can''t he be captured?"


    Gu Changhuai sighed, "Fire Buddha is naturally cautious, he only frequents the Second Grade State Border. His cultivation is profound, and his spells are extremely powerful..."


    "The Taoist Court has encircled him many times..."


    "But this cunning man is sly and ruthless, bolstered by the power of his spells, he kills widely, and beneath the Foundation Establishment, hardly any cultivator is his match."


    "Even deploying Golden Core Cultivators, who cannot use their Magical Treasures due to Heavenly Dao restrictions, might defeat him but can''t kill him..."


    "Once he runs away, he will disappear for a while, waiting until the danger has passed to resume his killings..."


    ...


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    The Third Grade Golden Core Stewards of Taoist Court didn''t have time to capture him, and even if they did, with the restrictions of Heavenly Dao, it was very difficult to kill him.


    Those from the Second Grade Enforcement Leader who attempted capture would instead be killed...


    Mo Hua asked, "The extremely powerful spells of Fire Buddha, are they ''Forbidden Techniques''?"


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze sharpened, but thinking of Mo Hua being a disciple of Taixu Gate, he might know a little about ''Forbidden Techniques''.


    "Correct." Gu Changhuai nodded, "It is a Forbidden Technique..."


    "But the spell he practices is an incomplete ''Forbidden Technique''."


    "After cultivating this ''Forbidden Technique,'' the Blood Qi becomes agitated due to Fire Qi, and the nature becomes violently murderous."


    "This urge to kill is uncontrollable..."


    "Thus this fiend... often due to pathological Fire Qi, recklessly uses ''Forbidden Techniques,'' commences large-scale slayings, and massacres the innocent to vent his ''killing desire''..."


    "To this day, how many cultivators have been burned to death by his spell, suffering in agony, no one truly knows..."


    A strong killing intent flashed in Gu Changhuai''s eyes, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fist.


    "This kind of fiend deserves a thousand tortures; death is too good for him..."


    Mo Hua was somewhat bewildered.


    It was his first time seeing Uncle Gu with such deep hatred and overt killing intent.


    Mo Hua then tried to reassure, "Uncle Gu, rest assured, ''Heaven''s net is vast, loose and unmissable'', such evil people will definitely end up with no place to be buried!"


    A self-mocking expression appeared on Gu Changhuai''s face.


    "Heaven''s net is vast, loose and unmissable..."


    His emotions surged, about to say something else, when his expression suddenly changed, and he realized that he had inadvertently told Mo Hua too much...


    Some things should have never been told to him!


    "Enough, let''s end this," Gu Changhuai flicked his sleeve and advised:


    "The reason I tell you this is to make you understand: Fire Buddha is extremely dangerous. You, a young cultivator not yet matured, should not inquire into this any further."

 Chapter 935: Flower Gentleman (3)

    Mo Hua frowned, "I''m not young anymore, I''m fifteen!"


    Gu Changhuai harrumphed, "I''m over a hundred."


    Mo Hua was shocked, "Uncle Gu, you''re that old?"


    Gu Changhuai felt his teeth ache with irritation, wishing he could twist Mo Hua''s ear, "Over a hundred, how''s that old? With my mighty Golden Core, over a hundred years old, I''m quite young!"


    "Alright, alright."


    Mo Hua said soothingly, while muttering to herself, "If you''re over a hundred and still considered young, then I must still be a child..."


    After thinking for a bit, Mo Hua quietly inquired about the Fire Buddha.


    Opportunities were rare, and if she didn''t ask more now, Uncle Gu might be in a bad mood later and probably wouldn''t answer then.


    "Uncle Gu, do you know of the Fire Buddha''s current whereabouts?"


    Gu Changhuai didn''t want to say.


    Mo Hua understood.


    "There''s none then..."


    "Will the Daoist Court issue a wanted poster for the Fire Buddha to the Sects?"


    Gu Changhuai still didn''t speak.


    But Mo Hua could see the answer on his unpleased face:


    "It won''t."


    "The reward for the Fire Buddha, would it be very high?"


    "It looks like it''ll be expensive..."


    "The Fire Buddha has accomplices, right?"


    "I guess so, otherwise he wouldn''t have escaped the Taoist Court''s encirclement..."


    "The Fire Buddha has been out of sight for a long time, hasn''t he?"


    "It seems so..."


    ...


    Mo Hua stared at Gu Changhuai''s expression, reading between the lines while asking and answering herself.


    Finally, Gu Changhuai couldn''t stand it anymore, he picked up Mo Hua and started to walk out, "You''d better go back to the Sect and focus on your cultivation, stop asking all these unnecessary questions..."


    Mo Hua''s feet dangled in the air, kicking a few times, unable to break free, then was resigned to be carried by Gu Changhuai, but she said:


    "I am waiting for my Senior Sister!"


    "I still have a mission!"


    "I can go back only after catching the rapist!"


    Gu Changhuai had no choice but to drop Mo Hua in the front hall, advising:


    "Wait here, don''t bother me anymore."


    "Oh..."


    Gu Changhuai turned to leave.


    Yet Mo Hua suddenly called out to him, "Uncle Gu!"


    Gu Changhuai turned around, and Mo Hua smiled, "Let me ask one last question..." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai was about to refuse, but remembering his cousin''s admonishments, he sighed:


    "Ask then."


    "What does the Fire Buddha look like?" Mo Hua asked.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "Didn''t I say not to inquire about it?"


    Mo Hua said, "I''m afraid I might run into him and need to know what he looks like so I can run away in advance."


    "How could you be so lucky to just run into him?"


    "I''m saying just in case!"


    Mo Hua emphasized, "What if I do run into him, can''t recognize him, and end up foolishly getting close to him, and then he kills me?"


    Your line of thinking is truly peculiar...


    Gu Changhuai silently criticised.


    But he couldn''t find a reason to refute at the moment.


    To avoid danger, one had to know about it in advance, otherwise, how could one avoid it if they are in jeopardy and unaware?


    Gu Changhuai felt a headache coming on, eventually, he could only say:


    "A tall stature, a compassionate face, wearing a blood-colored kasaya, with a fiery red scar on top of his head, skin slightly red..."


    Mo Hua silently noted it in her mind.


    Gu Changhuai turned to leave again, but Mo Hua remembered something and stopped him.


    "Uncle Gu..."


    "What now?"


    "Just one last question!"


    Gu Changhuai''s brow furrowed, "Didn''t you just say the last one was the final question?"


    "This time it''s the real last one!"


    Mo Hua stated with conviction.


    Gu Changhuai exhaled, saying with irritation, "Speak!"


    Mo Hua blinked slightly and asked in a hushed voice, "Uncle Gu, what is the name of the spell that Fire Buddha cultivated?"


    Gu Changhuai warned, "I can''t tell you that."


    "Really, just this last one!"


    Gu Changhuai looked skeptical.


    Mo Hua insisted, "If you tell me, I won''t bother you anymore!"


    Gu Changhuai raised an eyebrow, "Really?"


    "Mm!"


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head.


    Although he didn''t believe it, after thinking it over, he figured knowing the name of a spell shouldn''t be too harmful.


    It was a Forbidden Technique.


    This little rascal surely wouldn''t try to cultivate it himself.


    If he really did, he would just catch him and throw him into the Taoist Prison for solitary confinement!


    Gu Changhuai thought to himself.


    Seeing Mo Hua''s expectant face, Gu Changhuai sighed and slowly said, "The Forbidden Technique that Fire Buddha cultivated is called..."


    "Meteor Fire Skill!"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then his eyes shone brightly, spirited.


    "Meteor" Fire Skill?!


    Gu Changhuai was startled and immediately felt uneasy.


    This kid...


    Surely he wouldn''t be so rash and reckless as to attempt learning a "Forbidden Technique"...


    Yet even if he were that bold and reckless, he wouldn''t possibly dare to mess with the Fire Buddha...


    Gu Changhuai was very worried and furrowed his brow in admonition,


    "This is a Forbidden Technique, you better not learn it..."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Don''t worry, Uncle Gu, I won''t learn it."


    I''m just going to take it as a reference, look it over, "plagiarize" the Skill Pattern. I won''t "learn" it...


    Gu Changhuai, unaware of Mo Hua''s cunning thoughts, nodded and then left.


    Mo Hua was satisfied.


    Those trips had not been in vain after all; Uncle Gu indeed knew about the Fire Buddha.


    Forbidden Technique!


    Meteor Fire Skill!


    The spell sounded very powerful just by its name, and "Meteor Fire"... it seemed to have some connection with the Fireball Technique.


    Unfortunately, there was no knowing where the Fire Buddha actually was.


    The Taoist Court Officials here also had no news.


    It seemed he''d have to plan for the long term...


    ...


    Mo Hua stayed where he was, waiting for Senior Sister Murong, and then joined up with the late-arriving Senior Brother Feng and others outside the Taoist Court. They took a carriage together to Second Grade Luan Mountain City to capture the rapist¡ªFlower Gentleman.


    Luan Mountain City was north of Second Grade Bishan City.


    Within the city, there were several small families, among which several female disciples had recently become pale and gaunt, with frail breaths.


    After investigation by the families, it was discovered they had been drained.


    The person who drained them was none other than Flower Gentleman, the rapist wanted by the Taoist Court.


    These female disciples, charmed by the sweet nothings and clever words of Flower Gentleman, had willingly become his women and were drained of their Vital Energy. Now, despite their weakened state, they were infatuated with him and insisted on protecting Flower Gentleman, claiming:


    "He loves me..."


    "Even being drained, I did so willingly..."


    "What''s mutual consent is none of your business..."


    And the like.


    These were the words that Murong Caiyun learned after inquiring and then reported back to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua found it eye-opening.


    It seemed that some cultivators these days only cared about appearance, not even distinguishing between good and evil.


    Someone literally wants to eat your flesh, drink your blood, drain your Vital Energy, and you consent willingly, even relishing it...


    Fortunately, the Taoist Law remained merciless.


    Draining others was a crime.


    Flower Gentleman had been thriving among several female disciples in Luan Mountain City, skillfully managing his time.


    But because he scheduled his time too well, too tightly, when the incident occurred, he didn''t have time to escape and was now hiding somewhere in the pleasure quarters or perhaps in some spacious mansion.


    After the rain, traces remain; where geese fly, their calls linger.


    Since he left traces, he shouldn''t dream of escaping, especially in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua''s Divine Sense swept across, observing carefully and making Calculations of cause and effect, quickly finding traces of Flower Gentleman.


    Following the traces, they searched until they found... the largest room of the Second Grade Wang family, inside the boudoir of the Family Head''s married Daoist partner...

 Chapter 936: Teahouse

    In the blurry vision of Divine Sense, within the bedchamber of the Wang family''s mistress, there were two figures, their actions unknown. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua wanted to enter and drag out the Flower Gentleman, but Murong Caiyun forbade him from entering.


    "You''re still young; don''t sully your eyes."


    Mo Hua blinked, not quite understanding, but obediently did not go inside.


    Thus, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu stood guard outside.


    Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian entered the bedchamber.


    Shortly afterward, a woman''s scream echoed from the room, followed by a disheveled man, who, struck by spells and Spirit Needles, spat blood and fled desperately through the broken window.


    Mo Hua was still a bit curious, so he stealthily peeked into the chamber through the broken window.


    Inside the chamber, there was a mess, with robes and skirts strewn about.


    A disheveled woman, covering her body with a quilt, yelled furiously:


    "How audacious!"


    "Who are you?"


    "How dare you trespass into the Wang family''s private quarters?"


    Outside, the Flower Gentleman was already intercepted by Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu.


    Murong Caiyun sneered coldly at the woman: "You''re the Family Head''s wife, yet you lure a rapist into your chambers and have the audacity to show no shame!"


    The woman glared arrogantly at Murong Caiyun:


    "What rapist?"


    "You little girl, what do you know? My gentleman loves me. He said that he only replenishes from other women to enhance his cultivation and has no real feelings for them..."


    "And he treats me differently; thus, he is only intimate with me and doesn''t drain my Vital Energy..."


    As the woman spoke, jealousy surged within her heart, "Those cheap women, to be replenished by the gentleman... they''re really getting the better part of the deal..."


    Murong Caiyun felt a surge of anger, her teeth itching in fury, momentarily at a loss for words.


    Mo Hua was eavesdropping outside and "kindly" interjected:


    "He doesn''t replenish from you because he might be raising you like a ''pig'', waiting for your cultivation to improve, then to deplete you in one go..."


    Mo Hua''s words were piercing, yet his face was sympathetic.


    After all, the reality was clear; a dog can''t change its eating habits, nor can a rapist stop replenishing.


    "Pigs, they''re fattened before being slaughtered..."


    The woman was stunned by his words, her defenses shattered.


    Blood rushed to her face, turning it red, as she pointed at Mo Hua with trembling fingers, "You, you this..."


    She was about to curse out loud, when she was silenced by Hua Qianqian using a Spirit Needle, pricking an acupoint, causing her to faint.


    Although this woman had attained Foundation Establishment, being pampered and privileged, she only knew how to secretly indulge in lovers behind her husband''s back, her strength so weak it was infuriating.


    As for how this woman would be dealt with, that was to be decided by the Wang family, and also by the judgment of the Taoist Court.


    The urgent matter at hand was to capture the rapist.


    The rapist had fled through the window and attempted to escape, only to be caught by Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu waiting outside.


    Ouyang Feng''s sword was like the wind, and Shangguan Xu''s like a mountain.


    The two enclosed the rapist, giving him no chance to escape.


    When Mo Hua came out and saw, he recognized the man''s handsome appearance and sickly pale complexion; he was indeed the debauched "Flower Gentleman."


    Like many rapists, the Flower Gentleman was skilled in movement techniques but mediocre in Taoist skills.


    During his fight with Ouyang Feng, he was at a disadvantage, but his movements were as graceful as falling flowers, wrapped in pink mist, allowing him to hold off for the time being without any immediate threat to his life.


    Soon, cultivators from the Wang family also gathered, each expressing shock in their own way.


    Some sneered, watching as if it were a joke; some covered their faces, feeling disgraced; others were filled with righteous indignation...


    A number of Wang family cultivators then joined forces to attack, attempting to catch the Flower Gentleman.


    But their ineptitude was a hindrance, inadvertently giving the Flower Gentleman a chance to catch his breath.


    Mo Hua was initially upset, but noticing the evasive looks of the Wang family cultivators, he realized something.


    Catching the Flower Gentleman solidified the scandal; the Wang family''s reputation would be damaged.


    Having a mistress in the family nurturing a rapist would turn into a massive scandal.


    The Wang family would become a laughingstock in the entire Luan Mountain City, ridiculed for hundreds of years.


    Ideally, the Wang family would capture the Flower Gentleman and kill him on the spot, destroy the body, and deny everything.


    Otherwise, letting the Flower Gentleman escape, making the affair nothing more than "rumors," would be the second best outcome.


    The worst scenario would be if the Flower Gentleman fell into the hands of Mo Hua and his fellow sect disciples and was then brought before the Taoist Court, tried and recorded.


    That would turn the affair into irrevocable fact, embarrassing the entire Wang family.


    Thus, their primary goal was to capture the Flower Gentleman.


    Failing that, they must also prevent the Flower Gentleman from falling into the hands of these few sect disciples...


    Understanding this, Mo Hua smiled subtly and chose not to intervene but instead sat back to watch the show.


    The actions of the Wang family cultivators did not surprise Mo Hua.


    Knowing they couldn''t catch the Flower Gentleman, they began to deliberately trip up Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu.


    Realizing this, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu became annoyed and began attacking more severely.


    Since the Wang family cultivators pretended to help but hindered them, they pretended to "slip up" and struck a few of them with their swords.


    Feeling guilty, the Wang family cultivators dared not complain.


    However, this chaos served to benefit the Flower Gentleman, allowing him easier chances to escape, and after a few swift movements, he had managed to put several meters between himself and Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu.


    This distance was enough for him to make his escape.


    Ouyang Feng, slightly angered, whipped up his Spiritual Power and his Sword Qi became fierce, ready to forcefully strike, intending to cut down the intervening Wang family cultivators as well.

 Chapter 937: Tea House (2)

    He suddenly heard a faint shout by his ear, "Senior Brother Feng..."


    Ouyang Feng was taken aback, turned his head to look, and saw Mo Hua standing by with his hands folded, looking calm and even making a gesture at him.


    Ouyang Feng understood then, he stopped, and Shangguan Xu also put away his Heavy Sword.


    Everyone watched as the Flower Gentleman climbed over the back yard wall, broke through the Formation, and escaped towards the outer wall of the Wang family.


    All along the way, there was an uproar, and there was chaos.


    The entire Wang family was noisy and chaotic, a complete mess.


    And like that, the Flower Gentleman had escaped.


    Mo Hua had watched enough of the commotion, nodded his head, then stood up with Murong Caiyun and a few others, to chase after the escapee outside of the Wang family.


    The Flower Gentleman was very skilled in movement techniques, but in Mo Hua''s eyes, it was merely showing off in front of an expert.


    During the time when the Flower Gentleman was using his movement techniques to deal with everyone, Mo Hua had already locked onto him tightly with his Divine Sense.


    He would not be able to escape from Mo Hua''s grasp.


    Even if he did escape, Mo Hua still had the Heavenly secret Calculation to find his cause and effects trace.


    It could be said, from the moment he showed himself before Mo Hua, he was a "cooked duck", unable to fly away. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Murong Caiyun and the others left the Wang family, shook off the Wang family cultivators, and after, under the direction of Mo Hua, with just half an hour, they encountered the Flower Gentleman in a secluded cave in Luan Mountain City. He had exhausted all his strength fleeing for half the day, thought he had already escaped to safety and was meditating to rest.


    The Flower Gentleman''s face was filled with shock, "How did you find this place?"


    This cave was his hiding place, which hardly anyone knew about besides himself.


    Ouyang Feng couldn''t be bothered to answer his question, simply pointed his Yellow Maple Longsword at him, and said coldly,


    "You can die now."


    The Flower Gentleman let out a cold laugh, still somewhat arrogant, and did not take Ouyang Feng and the others seriously.


    If he could escape once, he could escape a second time.


    Relying on his movement technique, he had been freely plundering and stealing in this Second Grade Immortal City, untouchable by anyone.


    But what he didn''t know was that he had been able to escape before because a little cultivator hidden in the dark hadn''t made a move...


    But now it was different.


    Mo Hua no longer planned to let him go.


    The Flower Gentleman let out a rebellious laugh, his movements graceful, as he stood up to flee.


    From a distance, with a flick of Mo Hua''s finger, Water Qi instantly condensed, a Water Prison Technique descended and securely bound the Flower Gentleman, who was trying to step on the wind and leap into the air.


    The Flower Gentleman, suddenly trapped by the Water Prison Technique, saw his rebelliousness fade away, his eyes filled with shock and fear.


    Afterward, he fell to the ground like a kite with its string cut before it could fly.


    Ouyang Feng, who had been holding back his anger, stepped forward with his sword, and flipped the Flower Gentleman, struggling to break free from the Water Prison Technique, back onto the ground.


    Shangguan Xu also stepped forward to land a few more blows with his sword.


    Murong Caiyun, who abhorred such scum, showed no mercy as she mercilessly burned through his limbs with the Five-colored Spirit Light.


    Nearby, Hua Qianqian was also putting on a stern face; she unceasingly attacked him with Spirit Formations...


    The Flower Gentleman could only lie on the ground twitching, desperately begging for mercy, looking nothing like the arrogant man from before.


    The capture came to an end at this point.


    The Flower Gentleman had his legs broken and shackled with Spiritual Locks.


    Mo Hua took out the "iron plate" to go through the motions.


    He obtained various Jade Slips, one set of Replenishing Cultivation Techniques, one volume of Evil Technique movement techniques, two Spring Palace diagrams, a number of Spirit Stones, several bewitching Pills, and other personal effects of women, such as sachets and undergarments.


    These items were just "tortured" out of him, and were immediately "confiscated" by Senior Sister Murong.


    Murong Caiyun feared that Mo Hua might learn bad habits.


    "I''ll give you some more Merit Points later; you don''t need these filthy things, and later you can hand them over to the Taoist Court, or return them to their original owners..."


    "Oh..."


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    He had no use for Evil Cultivator''s Evil Techniques.


    But he was interested in looking through the Flower Gentleman''s secret manual of movement techniques, to study and understand the principles behind an Evil Cultivator''s movement technique and any possible flaws.


    And to see if there was any information or clues about Sin Cultivators in the Jade Slips.


    However, Senior Sister Murong wouldn''t let him see them, so he had no choice.


    Since it was a rapist, he likely carried things that were not suitable for children and would dirty the eyes to see.


    Well, let it go then...


    Mo Hua comforted himself.


    The following matters were simply wrapping things up.


    The Flower Gentleman had been captured and was to be taken to the Taoist Court to await trial.


    That was nothing out of the ordinary, but on the other hand, the Wang family was in an uproar.


    How a family behaved behind closed doors didn''t matter to anyone.


    But once it was exposed, matters like lack of family discipline and a degenerate back house were extremely detrimental.


    Later, Mo Hua learned that the Family Head of the Wang family and his Dao companion had long been estranged, each doing as they pleased.


    He himself was not a decent person, either.


    But the Wang family''s patriach had never imagined that his wife was carrying on behind his back to such an extent.


    She was "deeply in love" with a rapist, even keeping him in the inner chambers...


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    This couple, a scum man and a scum woman, were actually quite well matched.


    However, Mo Hua was young and not too interested in these licentious tales.


    His purpose for this trip was to capture the Flower Gentleman, exchange Merit Points, and learn about Formations.


    The rest of the matter, he couldn''t be bothered to deal with.


    With the Flower Gentleman caught, the mission was over.


    Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu escorted the Flower Gentleman to the Taoist Court in Luan Mountain City, meanwhile taking statements and completing some procedures.


    Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian returned the personal items that the Flower Gentleman had stolen or seized, like hairpins, sachets, and intimate garments, to the women they belonged to.


    Some of these women had been tricked and willingly allowed themselves to be taken advantage of by the Flower Gentleman.

 Chapter 938: Tea House (3)

    Some women, however, were forced.


    Their personal belongings were stolen or snatched by Flower Gentleman afterward, to be used for extortion and threats.


    Such items weren''t quite appropriate to hand over to the Taoist Court.


    Thoughtfully considering the plights of these women, Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian returned these personal belongings privately to those oppressed, pitiful women.


    Whether it was escorting them or returning their belongings, both tasks required a bit of time.


    Everyone split up to handle their responsibilities and decided to reconvene outside Luan Mountain City before heading back to their Sect.


    These affairs didn''t require Mo Hua''s involvement.


    With nothing to do, Mo Hua looked at the scenery outside of Luan Mountain City, waiting for his senior brothers and sisters.


    As he waited, Mo Hua grew hungry. He released his Divine Sense and spotted a teahouse not far away, nestled between the green hills and clear waters.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up and he sent a message to Murong Caiyun,


    "Sister, I''ll be at the teahouse outside the city waiting for you!"


    He then used the Water Passing Step, nimbly leaping down mountain paths, and happily arrived at the teahouse.


    The teahouse wasn''t large, but they had erected a canopy and set up quite a few tables outside.


    A few scattered Cultivators were there, nibbling on dry fruits and sipping cold tea, chatting sporadically.


    The owner, an elderly man hunchbacked with age, asked with a warm smile,


    "Young master, would you like some tea?"


    Mo Hua, mainly hungry, inquired,


    "Elder, do you have anything to eat?"


    The old man regretfully replied, "I only have some dry fruits for tea, and some pastries, but not many order them. I''m afraid they might not suit the young master''s taste..."


    "No matter, give me a large bowl of noodles!"


    "Very well," the elder replied with a smile, "Just a moment, young master."


    Mo Hua chose a table with a pleasant view of the wind and water, and that looked clean to sit at.


    Soon, the noodles were brought to him.


    They looked decent enough. Mo Hua gave them a taste. While not exactly delicious, they weren''t bad either. He wasn''t particularly picky, so he focused and slurped up the noodles with gusto.


    As he ate, Mo Hua''s thoughts returned to the mission at hand.


    Flower Gentleman...


    If he remembered correctly, the name "Flower Gentleman" was also on Boss Jiang''s "list."


    So was Flower Gentleman a renegade disciple from a Sect in the Qianxue State Boundary?


    Why had he suddenly appeared in Luan Mountain City?


    Previously at the Taoist Court, Mo Hua had perused the dossier on Flower Gentleman.


    Flower Gentleman was very cautious; he frequented Cities of Immortals outside the Qianxue State Boundary, in more remote areas.


    The management from the Taoist Court in those cities was lax, the morals loose, with plenty of red-light districts.


    A perfect hideout for rapists.


    But why would he suddenly come to a place like Luan Mountain City to prey on female practitioners from minor families?


    Was he overrun by his Evil Skills during Cultivation?


    Had his cravings overwhelmed him?


    Surely he didn''t really believe that in a Second Grade State Border, no one would be able to catch him...


    Mo Hua held the large bowl, slurping noodles thoughtfully.


    Suddenly, voices arose. Mo Hua looked up and saw a group of Cultivators arriving.


    The leader was tall with a kindly face, followed by two stout men and a skinny one.


    "Two pots of tea, two plates of dried meat, and four plates of candied fruits..."


    They ordered their refreshments and settled in a corner to talk quietly among themselves.


    Mo Hua initially paid them no mind, focusing on his noodles, but his keen Divine Sense and hearing picked up, faintly hearing the words "Hua Liulang."


    "Hua Liulang?"


    Mo Hua paused, thinking he might have misheard, so he slowed his eating and perked his ears to listen more carefully.


    After a while, the group mentioned again,


    "Hua Liulang..."


    "... why hasn''t he arrived yet?"


    "We agreed on..."


    Something in Mo Hua''s mind felt amiss.


    This Hua Liulang...


    Could he actually be Flower Gentleman?


    Were they part of the same group?


    Mo Hua did not show any change in expression, continuing to eat his noodles with his head down, but his Divine Sense had already extended to the extreme, eavesdropping on their every word.


    "...missed the hour... can you afford such a delay?"


    "Troublesome thing..."


    "As much piss and shit as a lazy donkey grinding grain..."


    "Practicing such useless Cultivation Technique, can''t control his lower half, truly a waste..."


    "Who knows... which whore''s bed he''s lying in now..."


    "Wouldn''t die on... some belly, would he..."


    "He''d deserve it anyway..." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Mo Hua frowned as he listened, finding the more he heard, the more likely it seemed.


    He always felt that the "Flower Gentleman" they mentioned was the same rapist he and his brothers and sisters had just captured¡ªHua Liulang.


    What to do?


    Find a way to capture them?


    Set up the Earth Fire Formation and take them all out at once?


    ...


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Uncertain of the full situation, not knowing the foundation, it would be bad if he hastily made a move and caused a misunderstanding.


    Moreover, he had not been able to see their cultivation levels in his haste.


    If these several people were all at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, it would be fine, but if they were at the Middle Stage, it would be more troublesome.


    The Earth Fire Formation was only a Thirteen Patterns formation.


    It could hurt those at the Foundation Building Middle Stage but might not be able to kill them.


    Above the Thirteen Patterns, following Elder Master Xun''s guidance, he had learned mostly production-oriented formations or Trapping Formations, and few Killing Formations.


    Furthermore, with his current level of Divine Sense, he was not yet able to instantly form a Killing Formation above Thirteen Patterns.


    Acting in a dozen breaths'' time was a bit too slow.


    It was broad daylight, and the Formation Patterns were too conspicuous and easy to be discovered by others.


    He needed to be more prudent.


    Mo Hua silently said to himself.


    "Finish eating the noodles first, and then..."


    "Wait for the brothers and sisters to arrive, get some assistance before figuring out how to capture these cultivators, and ask them clearly..."


    Otherwise, it would be too reckless to act alone, and the risk was somewhat high.


    Mo Hua made up his mind and continued to eat his noodles in peace.


    But knowing oneself and the enemy, one could fight without danger.


    Mo Hua still took the time to observe these several people out of the corner of his eye, seeing if he could discern their cultivation level and the details of their Taoist Skills.


    This group of cultivators was four in total.


    Two brawny men who seemed to follow the Body Refinement path had strong Blood Qi that was well-contained.


    Mo Hua was too close, and not knowing the details, he dared not use his Divine Sense to probe too deeply, to avoid alerting them.


    Additionally, there was a thin man, looking sullen.


    He appeared to be a Spiritual Cultivator, but it was unclear what Spell path he practiced.


    Among the four, the leader was a tall cultivator with a benign face.


    While the few cultivators at the same table chatted and cursed "Flower Gentleman," he remained silent, just drinking tea and eating candied fruit.


    He didn''t touch the dried meat on the table at all.


    Mo Hua found this very strange and slightly shifted his gaze to take another look at this cultivator.


    But with just one look, Mo Hua felt a shock in his heart, an unfamiliar sense of familiarity washing over him as if this person was the one he was looking for.


    But he didn''t recognize him at all...


    Mo Hua frowned, taking another glance at this leading cultivator, his pupils slightly contracted.


    Tall stature, benevolent brows and kind eyes...


    His robe was the usual attire of a cultivator, but just beneath the sleeve, a small strip of red garment with gold Patterns peeked out.


    His head had thick hair tied into a bun, but hidden deeply within the bun were a few fiery red spots...


    A red Kasaya, fiery dots as scars...


    He was...


    Mo Hua''s pupils shocked.


    The Fire Buddha?!

 Chapter 939: Fire Buddha

    Foundation Establishment Late Stage, hunted by the Taoist Court for practicing the Fire-series "Forbidden Technique," the murderer known as Fire Buddha!


    Mo Hua''s heart chilled.


    After a moment of contemplation, he knew he was no match!


    He was in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, and Fire Buddha was in the late stage; both were Foundation Establishment cultivators, but the gap in cultivation was too vast.


    Formation wouldn''t work either.


    Such a ruthless villain, heavily burdened by his murderous deeds, would surely be cunning and highly vigilant.


    Attempting to set up a formation and kill him in broad daylight would be as futile as trying to steal a bell while covering one''s ears; he simply would not be able to deceive Fire Buddha''s perception.


    Moreover, Fire Buddha had three accomplices.


    Two strong men, one with rough palms, one with a face full of meat, and a tall, thin cultivator.


    Given they could stand with Fire Buddha, their cultivation must be at least at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and possibly even the late stage.


    And they would definitely be Sin Cultivators, unscrupulously cruel and ruthless.


    Mo Hua instantly deduced that these villains were not ones he could deal with currently.


    Especially under these circumstances, with no preparation and a chance encounter...


    "Preserving my own life is the priority!"


    Mo Hua silently withdrew his gaze, maintaining a normal expression, continued to lower his head, slurping his noodles.


    But he quietly quickened his eating pace, his cheeks puffing out, "huffing and puffing," he finished the remaining noodles in no time, and cleaned out the soup as well.


    Mo Hua took out two Spirit Stones, placed them on the table, and tried to keep his voice from betraying any oddity, crisply he said:


    "Boss, the bill!"


    The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Take care, young master."


    Mo Hua nodded, stood up, and started to walk away.


    But as soon as he took a step, he heard a low and kindly voice:


    "Young master..."


    Mo Hua''s heart tightened, feeling as if a powerful Divine Sense had locked onto him.


    Eighteen Patterns peak Divine Sense!


    Helpless, Mo Hua put on a puzzled face and turned around to look.


    He saw, at another table, a large, kind-faced man who had been silent up till now, staring intently at him.


    The man''s demeanor was calm, his voice even, but his gaze was profound as he asked,


    "Do you... recognize me?"


    Without changing his expression, Mo Hua feigned confusion,


    "Uncle, who are you?"


    The man''s gaze slightly hardened, his face showing displeasure, his mind also somewhat perplexed...


    By rights, he shouldn''t have been recognized...


    Anyone who had seen his face, regardless of age or gender, he had killed and then burned to ashes, leaving no survivors.


    Those he couldn''t kill were either high-ranking officials from the Taoist Court or experienced Supervisors.


    Their cultivation was at least above Golden Core.


    This seemingly young and naive boy didn''t appear to recognize him.


    Even more, there was no reason he could have.


    The man''s brow furrowed.


    But indeed, he had just sensed a trace of Divine Sense probing.


    Although it was faint and slight, and the method of Divine Sense probing was expert, touching lightly like a dragonfly skimming the water, swept across in a flash.


    But it couldn''t escape him, who was accustomed to life-and-death battles.


    The strange thing was that this trace of Divine Sense was fleeting.


    When he checked again, there was no trace of it, the only slightly unusual thing had been this nearby boy eating noodles.


    He appeared to have glanced at him from the corner of his eye before burying his head back in his bowl.


    The man''s gaze darkened.


    This peering Divine Sense was profound; logically speaking, it shouldn''t be something such a young cultivator could produce.


    Such an experienced method of Divine Sense probing couldn''t possibly come from this little cultivator either.


    But his years of intuition told him...


    Something was off with this boy.


    Especially since after he glanced over, he noticeably sped up his eating and then began to leave.


    That was decidedly odd.


    It was as if...


    He recognized him, knew who he was, and wanted to slip away to avoid any risk...


    The man''s expression was gentle, but his gaze deepened.


    In that instant, Mo Hua felt a slight tightening in his heart.


    This man, who might be the "Fire Buddha," was suspicious of him!


    His alertness was too high, his paranoia too strong...


    He needed to find a way to bluff his way through...


    Mo Hua kept his expression unchanged, his mind racing.


    Another one of the big men glanced at Mo Hua, puzzled,


    "Big brother, is there something wrong with this kid?"


    The other two also quietly discussed, "No way..."


    "Doesn''t look like it..."


    "Too young..."


    "Sect Disciple?"


    "A kid, eating alone here?"


    Mo Hua wasn''t wearing the Taixu Gate''s Taoist Robe, just his usual clothes, so they didn''t know his background.


    The leading man, his eyes contemplative, remained silent.


    One of the strong men turned to Mo Hua and said:


    "Kid, what family are you from, what''s your name, what sect are you from, and what are you doing here all alone?"


    After speaking, he smirked mockingly, "Don''t tell me, you ''just'' came to this mountain to eat a bowl of noodles..."


    Mo Hua''s face showed some tension, a hint of "fear," putting on a brave front:


    "I don''t even know who you are, why should I tell you?"


    The big man scoffed, "Kid, don''t act foolishly."


    The other few stood up slowly, their faces showing malice as they glared at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua "frightened," took two steps back.


    Then a cultivator stood out from the side and stepped forward, reprimanding:


    "You''re an adult, bullying a kid, what kind of skill is that?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing someone dare to meddle in his business, anger flashed across the big man''s face, he swiftly closed the distance, his fist cloaked in dusty-colored Spiritual Power, and he suddenly threw a punch.


    The punch was heavy with tremendous force, formidable in its might.


    "Foundation Establishment Late Stage!"


    The cultivator suddenly widened his eyes, hastily crossed his arms to block the punch, but he was still sent flying a distance, spitting blood.

 Chapter 940: Fire Buddha (2)

    The big man took a big step forward and reached for the storage bag at his waist as if he wanted to draw a blade and kill this meddlesome cultivator.


    The leading man''s gaze turned sharp.


    The big man felt a cold sweat break out on his back, and then he remembered that they shouldn''t cause any unnecessary trouble. With an awkward smile, he retracted his hand and cursed at the nosy cultivator:


    "Scram!"


    Knowing he was no match, the cultivator left in anger and resentment.


    The other tea guests, seeing the bad situation, also dispersed.


    The teahouse owner, worried, glanced at Mo Hua and sighed, helpless to do anything but hide in the distance.


    In a small place like the Second Grade State Border, a cultivator in the late stage of Foundation Establishment was simply not someone they could afford to provoke.


    Now only Mo Hua and the four men of uncertain identity remained in the teahouse.


    Mo Hua looked tense and asked timidly,


    "Are you... bad guys?"


    The big man licked his lips and chuckled ominously,


    "What do you think?"


    The other big man and the gloomy skinny man also showed amused smiles.


    "Don''t mention it, this kid''s got fair, tender skin, and a fine appearance... Not bad at all..."


    Just then, the leading man''s gaze sharpened and he spoke indifferently,


    "Little cultivator, stop pretending. You''re not afraid of us."


    At these words, the three big men froze, appearing somewhat astonished.


    Mo Hua dropped the "frightened" act and asked with curiosity,


    "Did I not act well?"


    The leading man''s brow furrowed.


    The two big men felt mocked and could hardly contain their anger.


    The demeanor of the skinny man turned even darker.


    At that moment, the big man scoffed coldly, "Well, well, the gutter is a hard place to walk, little devils are hard to deal with. To think that after all these years on the Dao, I would misjudge today..."


    "You''ve got guts, kid."


    "Tell us, did you recognize us?"


    Mo Hua shook his head and honestly said, "I don''t know you."


    He guessed that the leader might actually be the infamous Fire Buddha, but as for the other three, he truly didn''t know who they were.


    The leader''s gaze sharpened as he looked at Mo Hua, deep in thought.


    Mo Hua''s expression did not seem to be feigned; he apparently did not recognize them.


    Right then, the gloomy skinny man sneered,


    "Qiao Laowu, stop wasting words. Just capture this kid. Kill him if we have to, sell him if we can, or keep him as a plaything..."


    The big man spat, "You schemer, if you want to catch him, do it yourself."


    Qiao Laowu?


    Schemer?


    One "Qiao" character, one "Yin" character.


    Mo Hua checked the list and quickly recognized them.


    The one with the "Qiao" was called Blood Woodcutter on the list.


    The one with the "Yin" was called Yin Thunder Child.


    And there was another big man...


    Mo Hua caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye. His face was covered in woll, and when he was angry, he looked ferocious as an Evil Ghost, instantly reminding him:


    "Ghost Face Sha!"


    Fire Buddha, Blood Woodcutter, Yin Thunder Child, Ghost Face Sha!


    These four, indeed, were all on Boss Jiang''s list.


    And they were all Sin Cultivators with blood on their hands!


    Mo Hua''s expression revealed a moment of realization, and his eyes also brightened a bit.


    In that moment of realization, Fire Buddha instantly caught the subtle expression on Mo Hua''s face.


    Fire Buddha''s gaze suddenly turned piercing, disbelief in his heart.


    Recognized by this brat...


    All of us were recognized?!


    Just how did this kid manage to recognize us?!


    Even a Supervisor from the Taoist Court wouldn''t likely be able to identify all of us.


    This brat...


    Just from this brief encounter and a few words of conversation, he was able to identify all four of us?!


    What on earth was his background?


    Fire Buddha''s affable demeanor suddenly turned cold.


    Some relationships must not be brought to light.


    Now that things had come to this point, this brat couldn''t be left alive!


    "Qiao Laowu," Fire Buddha commanded in an unquestionable and chilling voice. "Kill this kid!"


    Qiao Laowu was taken aback.


    At the word "kill", Mo Hua, quick to sense danger, slickly made his escape, leaving behind only a faint water shadow where he had stood.


    Seeing this, Qiao Laowu was furious, "Good for you, you little devil!"


    He pulled a long, hook-ended cleaver stained with mottled bloodstains from his storage bag and swung out a flash of bloodlight, chasing and slashing at Mo Hua''s waist.


    But Mo Hua''s movements were fluid like water, ghostly in nature, easily evading the attack.


    Qiao Laowu struck again.


    Mo Hua dodged again.


    Like drawing a sword to sever water, but the water''s flow continued unabated.


    No matter how he slashed, he could not touch Mo Hua at all.


    Fire Buddha remained seated, deep in thought, not making a move.


    The other two watched the struggle with glee, seeing Qiao Laowu and Mo Hua locked in a stalemate for over a dozen exchanges, still unable to capture Mo Hua, and laughed mockingly,


    "Qiao Laowu, are you even capable?"


    "A single kid, and you can''t catch him?"


    "All these years of cultivating the Dao, was it all bullshit?"


    ...


    Qiao Laowu, driven by rage, swung his blade even fiercer.


    Mo Hua was "sweating profusely" and floundering, looking quite desperate, but he always managed to dodge Qiao Laowu''s attacks just in time. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fire Buddha was surprised.


    "Ghost Face Sha" and "Yin Thunder Child" wore serious expressions.


    "This kid''s movement technique is something else..."


    Although Qiao Laowu had only recently made his breakthrough, he still possessed the strength of the late Foundation Establishment stage, yet he couldn''t subdue this brat in a short time.


    Granted, it was because Qiao Laowu focused solely on offense, lacking in movement techniques.


    On the other hand, it was also because this kid''s movement technique was too exquisite.


    Fire Buddha gave a signal with his eyes.


    The other two nodded, moving swiftly like the wind, pouncing forward like malevolent wolves, flanking Qiao Laowu to corner Mo Hua together.

 Chapter 941: Fire Buddha (3)

    Three men surrounded Mo Hua, who looked increasingly panicked and exhausted as he manoeuvered swiftly.


    Yin Thunder Child and his companions sneered with satisfaction, convinced that they could capture the boy within ten rounds.


    But after only three rounds, Mo Hua flashed a cunning smile, seized the opportunity, and rapidly pointed his fingers, launching fireballs consecutively toward the faces of the three attackers.


    The attack was as fast as lightning.


    Caught off guard, the three men were hit squarely in the face by the fireballs.


    The injuries were minor, but their faces were charred and disheveled, and their concerted attack broke, filling their hearts with rage.


    In that instant, Mo Hua''s movement technique seemed to become even faster.


    He flowed like water, escaping from the encirclement and running towards a nearby grove.


    That''s when Yin Thunder Child and the others realised what had happened and cursed silently:


    "What a cunning brat!"


    Such fast Fireball Technique!


    Even faster movement technique!


    This kid, even under their close pursuit, still had tricks up his sleeve, waiting for a slip to escape unexpectedly.


    And indeed, he had managed to escape!


    It was a tremendous disgrace!


    Qiao Laowu and his men, disregarding the soot on their faces, continued the chase.


    Mo Hua kept running, the forest ahead almost within reach, about to escape, when suddenly a large figure appeared ahead.


    Fire Buddha!


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes, forced to halt.


    Behind, Qiao Laowu and his men caught up and stood firmly, together with Fire Buddha, they cornered Mo Hua.


    Still furious, the three men mocked Mo Hua.


    "You wanna run again, kid?"


    Mo Hua ignored them and instead focused on the still, mountain-like Fire Buddha, hesitating for a moment before flicking his fingers and shooting three fireballs straight at Fire Buddha.


    He wanted to test the strength of Fire Buddha.


    Unexpectedly, Fire Buddha didn''t dodge; he stood still and took the three fireballs head-on.


    As the fireballs hit Fire Buddha, they disappeared as if sinking into the sea, refined instantly without causing any disturbance.


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    What was going on?


    Fire Buddha, unfazed, said lightly:


    "This Fireball Technique of yours is mediocre, let me teach you..."


    Fire Buddha spread his arms, his body surrounded by swirling fire Qi, his eyes a bloody red, resembling a sea of fire.


    Such a strong presence!


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, released his Divine Sense to sense Fire Buddha''s aura, and discovered that inside Fire Buddha''s chest, it seemed as if two flames were burning.


    These flames, extremely fierce, looked like two hearts, originating from the same source and residing within Fire Buddha, containing immense Fire Spiritual Power.


    Could this be... the characteristic of the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art?


    To violate the taboo, implanting two fireballs within the body as hearts to enhance Spells?


    Was this the true high-level Fire Spells?


    Yin Thunder Child and his companions continued to laugh disdainfully, mocking Mo Hua for overestimating himself and attempting to display his Fireball Technique in front of Fire Buddha.


    Mo Hua, unwilling to accept this, looked at Fire Buddha and said seriously:


    "My Fireball Technique is not just this!"


    Fire Buddha seemed surprised, then showed a keen interest, "Then, show me what you''ve got..."


    He was genuinely interested.


    "Big brother, maybe we should...first," Qiao Laowu, frustrated, wanted to capture Mo Hua to avoid further trouble.


    Fire Buddha''s gaze, sharp as a knife, filled Qiao Laowu with fear, forcing him to swallow his words and remain silent.


    Fire Buddha then turned back to Mo Hua, saying benevolently:


    "Come on, show me..."


    "Alright!"


    Mo Hua''s gaze hardened, filled with a will to fight and a touch of resignation to fate.


    "This technique, I will only use once in my life..." Mo Hua spoke gravely.


    His words seemed to weigh heavily on Fire Buddha.


    Then Mo Hua began to form hand seals, a series of bizarre, complex, and seemingly nonsensical gestures...


    Mo Hua, serious, spent a long time forming these gestures, pretending to be preparing a powerful move, fostering an atmosphere that this technique was overwhelmingly strong and required a long time to charge.


    This technique, indeed, he could only use once in his life.


    Because these hand gestures were all improvised on the spot...


    He couldn''t guarantee he could "invent" them again exactly as they were...


    But Fire Buddha didn''t know that.


    Unable to gauge Mo Hua''s depth and unsure of what Mo Hua was doing, he followed his Cultivator''s intuition that the unknown was always dangerous...


    Finally, after Mo Hua finished his hand seals, he suddenly shouted, with his left and right hands, a fireball appeared in each. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This move genuinely shocked Fire Buddha.


    "Cast two Spells at once?!"


    Yin Thunder Child and his followers didn''t understand, but Fire Buddha, deeply versed in Spells, knew this seemingly simple move was theoretically complex and extremely difficult.


    Was this kid serious?!


    Fire Buddha, inherently cautious, instinctively activated his Spiritual Power, forming a fire Qi barrier in front of him.


    Mo Hua pushed his Divine Sense to the limit, manipulating the two fireballs, twisting and deforming them before clapping his hands together, making the two fireballs rapidly collide.


    This move inexplicably alarmed Fire Buddha.


    He swung his hands, forming a fire shield in front of him, trying to block Mo Hua''s technique.


    But what he anticipated¡ªa surge of Spiritual Power, a fierce explosion, and bizarre Spells¡ªdid not happen.


    Mo Hua''s two fireballs did not collide; they both veered off course, flying forward, exploding on the ground, kicking up pieces of stone and dust.


    Fire Buddha and his men were momentarily stunned.


    They couldn''t discern what had happened.


    After a few moments, as the dust settled, they regained their senses only to find that Mo Hua...


    Had slipped away again.


    Fire Buddha''s face turned incredibly sour.


    He had been tricked!


    Some powerful Fireball Technique?


    All fucking nonsense!


    For all his years in Qian State, after committing countless crimes and killing numerous people, never had anyone dared to mock him like this!


    An immature brat, barely weaned, yet so audacious!


    A glint of murderous intent appeared in Fire Buddha''s eyes as he coldly said:


    "You think you can run? I want to see how you manage that."


    The four men, swift as the wind, furiously pursued Mo Hua, chasing him deep into the forest, where they looked around but saw only rustling trees, with no sign of Mo Hua''s whereabouts.

 Chapter 942: Disaster Begins

    The mountain forest was silent, the trees lush, and as the sunlight came through, it was fractured into mottled shadows¡ªyet beneath the layers of shadows, there was no sign of anyone.


    Qiao Laowu frowned, "Where''s that brat?"


    Yin Thunder Child''s expression was also ugly, "Hiding in the forest?"


    "Where did he hide?"


    "Underground?"


    "There aren''t any traces on the ground, how could he go underground?"


    "Then it must be¡­"


    The four exchanged glances, their pupils constricting slightly.


    Concealment Technique?!


    This brat, he''s actually learned the Concealment Technique?


    Qiao Laowu cursed loudly, "Damn it, slippery as an eel and hard to catch, and he can even conceal himself, it''s like seeing a ghost."


    "How the hell are we supposed to catch him?"


    Fire Buddha and the others were caught completely off guard.


    They had seen that the brat was young, skilled in movement techniques, and obviously had trained hard. Where could they have imagined that he had also learned concealment?


    Instead of proper spells, he focused on these disgusting, obscure skills.


    Truly a devious little thing!


    "This isn''t right¡­"


    Yin Thunder Child thought of something and frowned, "This brat is at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, even if he learned the Concealment Technique, how could he possibly fool us who are at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment with our Divine Senses?"


    "There''s something strange about his Concealment Technique¡­"


    "Is his Divine Sense too strong? Covering up his presence¡­" Qiao Laowu voiced doubtfully.


    Yin Thunder Child scoffed, "What nonsense are you spouting? At the Initial Stage, a mere brat, how strong could his Divine Sense be?"


    "At most twelve or thirteen Patterns, as if he can reach the heavens¡­"


    Qiao Laowu retorted angrily, "Then you tell me, what''s the reason?"


    Yin Thunder Child''s gaze sharpened, "It must be that his Concealment Technique is extremely refined."


    "Bullshit!" Qiao Laowu cursed, "Hidden Elder-Second lived over two hundred years and only achieved mastery in his Concealment Technique. How old is this brat? How much experience could he possibly have to master it to such a degree?"


    Yin Thunder Child''s face turned red, yet he had no reply.


    Ghost Face Sha, who had been silent until now, suddenly frowned, "This Concealment Technique feels eerily familiar. Could it be¡­"


    Ghost Face Sha''s face tensed, "Hidden Elder-Second''s¡­Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill?"


    The three were startled.


    Fire Buddha''s gaze also darkened.


    "Impossible," Yin Thunder Child shook his head, "That was Hidden Elder-Second''s forte, his means of survival. He guarded that skill very closely and never disclosed it to anyone¡­"


    "Hidden Elder-Second went in, right¡­"


    "The prison''s as deep as the sea, he probably won''t come out alive, likely to leave his life inside."


    "Entering Taoist Prison, and with death imminent, Hidden Elder-Second would certainly not disclose it, for in any case it is a certain death¡­"


    "What about before he was captured?"


    "Before he was captured¡­what does that have to do with this brat? Could it be that this brat is the one who had Hidden Elder-Second captured?"


    "Besides, Hidden Elder-Second was tough¡­"


    "When he was captured and tortured severely, even when his teeth were smashed and swallowed, he didn''t utter a sound nor did he hand over the spell of the Stealth Technique¡­"


    "It wasn''t easy to pry his mouth open."


    "Moreover¡­"


    Yin Thunder Child looked around the mountain forest again, a wary look in his eyes.


    "A Concealment like this, silent and traceless, erasing traces while also hiding from Divine Sense, without leaving any mark¡­"


    "Even Hidden Elder-Second couldn''t achieve this extent."


    Qiao Laowu said in frustration, "What should we do then? Search everywhere?"


    "The mountain forest is so vast, how can we search¡­"


    "Set fire to the mountain?"


    "Are you seeking death? Attracting the dogs of the Taoist Court right now, how could we continue with our tasks?"


    Qiao Laowu was furious, "Then what do we do?"


    Yin Thunder Child frowned and turned to Fire Buddha, who was leading.


    Fire Buddha''s eyes were fierce, but then he calmed down, his expression turning benevolent, his voice gentle, "Let it be, Heaven values all life, let''s spare his life for now. It''s getting late, and we still have important matters to attend to¡­"


    Qiao Laowu was dissatisfied.


    He had been toyed with by Mo Hua, wishing he could slaughter Mo Hua right away.


    But he dared not defy Fire Buddha, so he buried this hatred deep inside, thinking that the next time they met, he would chop the brat to pieces with a bloody machete.


    The group turned around and left.


    After walking a few dozen steps, Fire Buddha suddenly stopped.


    Qiao Laowu and the others were slightly startled and looked toward Fire Buddha, who seemed to have remembered something, his expression puzzled.


    "Big brother, what''s the matter?"


    Fire Buddha pondered for a moment, confused, "How exactly did that little cultivator recognize us?"


    One person is fine, but how could he possibly recognize all four of them instantly?


    Yin Thunder Child and the others also frowned.


    "Could this brat be a small lackey of the Taoist Court?"


    "The fools of the Taoist Court couldn''t raise such a cunning lackey¡­"


    "Could it be¡­"


    Yin Thunder Child''s expression turned serious, "That¡­Blood Covenant List, did it fall into his hands?"


    Fire Buddha''s eyes flickered with murderous intent, but he ultimately shook his head, "Shouldn''t be such a coincidence¡­"


    Such a secretive thing, how could it by chance fall into the hands of this unfamiliar little brat?


    Moreover, it was sealed with Sealing Patterns and Secret Patterns.


    The secrets within, not something a little cultivator could fathom¡­


    "But this¡­"


    Yin Thunder Child and the others were even more puzzled.


    Fire Buddha subdued all emotion, adopting a compassionate demeanor, turned to look at the mountain forest where Mo Hua had vanished, his voice empty and smooth, "We need to focus on the important matters. As for this little cultivator¡­"


    "We will meet again¡­"


    Fire Buddha''s gaze was intense, like Karmic Fire burning, filled with cold murderous intent.


    "Next time we meet, I''ll teach you, how exactly Fire Spells should be used¡­"


    S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 945: Annihilation

    Mo Hua''s pupils constricted.


    Extermination?


    The Xie family?


    "The Xie family from Bishan City, isn''t that..."


    Murong Caiyun nodded, "Exactly, that day, when we went to capture the traitor from the Sever Gold Sect, we encountered that Second Grade Xie family."


    Mo Hua remembered.


    That day, he, Senior Sister Murong, and Senior Brother Feng took up a mission to go to Bishan City to capture a traitor from the Sever Gold Sect.


    The traitor, reportedly having stolen something from the Xie family, vanished without a trace. The Xie family, unable to capture him, posted the mission to our sect.


    To catch him, the Xie family sealed the city and searched the streets, going through a lot of trouble.


    But surprisingly, they offered very few merit points.


    And indeed, that traitor was not easy to capture.


    He cultivated the Sever Gold Sect''s "Escape Gold Technique" movement technique and was also skilled in "Disguise," disguising himself as a woman, hidden in a brothel disguised as a restaurant.


    Capturing him took quite an effort.


    The odd thing about this matter was... sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The traitor''s disguise technique was extremely exquisite, changing from man to woman, from old crone to dwarf. When we captured him, he appeared as a burly man.


    We couldn''t tell what his original appearance was.


    Divine Sense could only detect the presence of Spiritual Power, not the fleshly appearance.


    Thus, even though Mo Hua had strong Divine Sense, able to identify his Spiritual Power, he couldn''t revert the fleshly appearance of the traitor outside his Spiritual Power.


    Moreover, what exactly the traitor stole from the Xie family, Mo Hua didn''t know.


    Leaving Bishan City, Mo Hua vaguely felt that this matter was not yet over.


    But he never expected it would start with the "extermination" of the Xie family...


    Mo Hua asked softly,


    "Senior Sister, why would the Fire Buddha exterminate the Xie family?"


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, "I don''t know, Taoist Court is still investigating, and the rumors outside are hardly credible."


    "What kind of rumors?" Mo Hua asked curiously.


    "All sorts..."


    Murong Caiyun raised her fair finger, counting them out for Mo Hua...


    "Some say the Xie family offended Fire Buddha in the past and accumulated grievances, and this act was his revenge..."


    "Some say Fire Buddha collaborated with the Xie family, and they fell out over dividing the spoils, which led him to slaughter the entire Xie family..."


    "Some say Fire Buddha was cultivating Evil Skills, using the entire Xie family as a sacrificial offering..."


    "Others suggest the Family Head of the Xie family once took a woman whom Fire Buddha admired, leading him to become dispirited, leave secular life, and enter the demonic path. Now that his spells are accomplished, he sacrificed the lives of the Xie family to commemorate the woman he loved..."


    "And more absurdly, some people, unable to discern right from wrong, say the Xie family deserved their extermination for their misdeeds, and Fire Buddha was carrying out heavenly justice..."


    ...


    "Rumors rise with the wind, and nobody really knows what happened..." Murong Caiyun said, shaking her head.


    Mo Hua frowned, then, with some sympathy, asked:


    "Did they really... not leave a single survivor?"


    Murong Caiyun sighed softly, "No..."


    In addition to sympathy, Mo Hua had some doubts:


    "Did the Xie family not resist?"


    "The Xie family, after all, is a Second Grade family. There are quite a few cultivators in the family. Even if they couldn''t win, they should have been able to hold them off for a while, perhaps allowing one or two to escape..."


    Murong Caiyun''s gaze grew intense, "I thought the same..."


    "This matter is very suspicious..."


    "The Xie family, weak as they are, is still one of the top Tao Cultivation families in Bishan City..."


    "And Fire Buddha, strong as he may be, is just a Second Grade Sin Cultivator."


    "Logically, he shouldn''t have been able to annihilate an entire family of cultivators..."


    "But the fact is..."


    Murong Caiyun took a deep breath, her expression extremely solemn.


    "The entire Xie family is dead..."


    "According to Cultivators in Bishan City, that night, the entire Xie residence was engulfed in a sea of fire, blood lighting up half the sky. The cultivators of the Xie family, like evil ghosts in purgatory, were killed, dismembered, and then turned to ashes in the Karmic Fire..."


    "In that endless Karmic Fire, Fire Buddha, clad in a kasaya, with fiery red eyes and chanting Buddhist scriptures, had an expression of indifferent compassion..."


    Thinking of that scene, Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    Fire Buddha seemed much more dangerous than he had imagined...


    And the power of that Meteor Fire Skill might also be much more terrifying than he had expected...


    Mo Hua remembered "Qiao Laowu," "Yin Thunder Child," and other three and asked with confusion, "Fire Buddha... Did he have accomplices?"


    Exterminating a family was something he might not have been able to accomplish alone.


    "I don''t know..."


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, "The act of exterminating a family is extremely cruel and has a very negative impact. The Taoist Court will lock down the news, and no clues will be revealed to the public."


    "Has there been any similar extermination before?" Mo Hua inquired.


    Murong Caiyun thought for a while before speaking, "Very few... The last time was more than a hundred years ago, a small family was exterminated by Evil Cultivators..."


    "The specifics are unclear, I only learned of it from my aunt."


    "That time, because of the terrible nature of the act, some small families were panic-stricken, the upper echelons of the Taoist Court were furious, deploying a large number of Supervisors and Enforcement Leaders, searching day and night for those Evil Cultivators."


    "Eventually, those Sin Cultivators were all captured, suffered death by Formation as a public warning..."


    "Since then, there hasn''t been much talk about exterminations."


    "And now, it''s the extermination of the Xie family by Fire Buddha..."


    "This event will also shake people''s hearts, so, until the Sin Cultivators are apprehended and the truth is clarified, the Taoist Court will not reveal any information."

 Chapter 946: Annihilation (2)

    "That..." Mo Hua whispered, "Will the Daoist Court issue a bounty to the Sects for the capture of Fire Buddha?"


    "No," Murong Caiyun affirmed.


    "It won''t?" Mo Hua was slightly disappointed.


    "Mhm."


    Murong Caiyun nodded and explained:


    "Such matters are too perilous..."


    "The bounties issued by the Daoist Court typically target Sin Cultivators in the early to middle stages of Foundation Establishment. Although they are not weak, with the cooperation of Sect Disciples, they can be dealt with."


    "But Fire Buddha is different. This sort of murderer, extremely dangerous Sin Cultivator, the Daoist Court dares not assign the task to the Sects."


    "Sect Disciples mostly come from noble families; should anything go amiss, the Daoist Court will be held accountable."


    "Moreover, in matters of sect extermination, the Daoist Court will keep it confidential for the sake of secrecy, and will not leak the news."


    "At most, after Fire Buddha is caught and the dust has settled, they will issue some tasks for the Sect Disciples to help catch any escapees..."


    "Oh..."


    Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully, seemingly lost in contemplation.


    Murong Caiyun glanced at Mo Hua and cautioned:


    "Don''t get any crooked ideas..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Murong Caiyun then asked, "Are you interested in Fire Buddha?"


    "Kind of," Mo Hua answered vaguely.


    It wasn''t that he was interested in Fire Buddha per se, but rather in Fire Buddha''s Forbidden Techniques. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing a glint in Mo Hua''s eyes, Murong Caiyun said helplessly:


    "Pursuing Fire Buddha is a matter for the Daoist Court, and there is no room for our involvement."


    "Besides, this matter is fraught with great danger. If you fall into Fire Buddha''s hands, I fear the odds would not be in your favor. You might escape from Fire Buddha once, but not necessarily a second time..."


    Murong Caiyun''s face showed concern, "So, do not take risks and wade into this mire..."


    After some serious thought, Mo Hua solemnly responded:


    "Don''t worry, Senior Sister!"


    ...


    After Murong Caiyun left, Mo Hua pondered the matter of Fire Buddha.


    Senior Sister was right, it was indeed too dangerous.


    Forbidden Techniques are not easily acquired, nor can they be exchanged for Merit Points.


    Moreover, Fire Buddha''s Meteor Fire Skill is a Fire Forbidden Skill, with two flames burning fiercely within, like a heart.


    This could very well be key to his research in Fireball collisions, Skill Pattern breakdown, and Spiritual Power Fusion.


    If there was a chance, he absolutely had to get his hands on the Meteor Fire Skill!


    Once missed, who knew when the next opportunity would arise.


    But he must be extremely careful.


    To preserve his own life.


    He still had to provide for his aging parents!


    Mo Hua frowned and began to ponder earnestly:


    "How can I obtain the spell for Meteor Fire Skill?"


    Catch Fire Buddha before the Daoist Court does?


    Once the Daoist Court captures Fire Buddha, even if he confesses the spell for Meteor Fire Skill, it would be impossible for Mo Hua to obtain such a Forbidden Technique.


    The Daoist Court wouldn''t hand over a dangerous Forbidden Technique to a junior disciple from the Taixu Gate.


    Besides, given Fire Buddha''s modus operandi, he''d probably prefer to "perish together with his enemy" rather than betray the Forbidden Technique.


    As soon as Fire Buddha was captured, the Fire Forbidden Skill would go to the grave with him.


    "Catch Fire Buddha before the Daoist Court, or simply kill him and search his body?"


    How to kill him?


    Do it alone?


    Mo Hua thought it over and shook his head reluctantly.


    "That''s unlikely..."


    Fire Buddha was too alert, and his personal cultivation, Spells, and methods were all too strong.


    Furthermore, he had Sin Cultivators like Yin Thunder Child, Blood Woodcutter, and Ghost Face Sha as henchmen.


    Those henchmen were not easy to handle either.


    To kill by himself, he would probably have to meticulously prepare, set an ambush, and take down an entire First Grade Large Formation to slay Fire Buddha, who was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.


    But where could he find a First Grade Large Formation to dismantle?


    Besides, with such a huge cost to dismantle a First Grade Large Formation, killing Fire Buddha seemed like a wasteful extravagance.


    And Fire Buddha was cautious. Even with a trap set, it was uncertain if he would fall into it.


    So, it had to be done by someone else...


    He would assist from the side, giving a little help.


    Then, who could be relied upon?


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, thinking...


    Senior Sister Murong and Senior Brother Feng, they definitely wouldn''t do.


    His Senior Brothers and Sisters were only at the Middle Stage of Foundation Building, and although they were among the chosen of the Eight Great Gates, they were still far from comparing to Fire Buddha who was at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment and capable of mass murder.


    Whether they could win or not was another issue.


    If they failed, they might even lose their lives.


    Senior Sister Murong cared for him and didn''t want him to take risks.


    Similarly, he did not want his Senior Brothers and Sisters, who had helped him a great deal, to face such deadly peril.


    They didn''t have as many life-saving methods as he did.


    Who else was there?


    After much thought, Mo Hua could only think of one person who might be just adequate for helping dispose of Fire Buddha.


    That was Uncle Gu, Gu Changhuai...


    Golden Core Realm cultivation, Dao Court Canon Supervisor.


    The identity fit and the cultivation was sufficient.


    Moreover, Uncle Gu seemed to have always been intent on bringing Fire Buddha to justice.


    But the problem lay right there; as a member of the Daoist Court, even if he captured Fire Buddha and extracted the Secret Manual of the Meteor Fire Skill, publicly or privately, it was highly unlikely he would give it to Mo Hua.


    Putting himself in the shoes of "Uncle Gu," Mo Hua wouldn''t hand over the Meteor Fire Skill to an unknown "Mo Hua" either.


    In Uncle Gu''s eyes, he was already a "dangerous" element.


    It was impossible for him to let a small cultivator already deemed "dangerous" to learn an even more "dangerous" Forbidden Technique...


    But after much contemplation, Mo Hua had no other options.


    Uncle Gu was the only choice.

 Chapter 943: Disaster Begins (2)

    He then solemnly turned around and went west.


    Qiao Laowu and his group, too, stared at the forest like fierce gods and demons before they angrily turned to follow the Fire Buddha.


    ...


    By then, Mo Hua''s figure had already disappeared from the woods.


    Mo Hua had early on made use of the concealing wood energy in the forest and the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill to sneak away quietly.


    The Fire Buddha was dangerous.


    The other three were no pushovers either.


    Since he could not overpower them, the natural course of action was to flee early to prevent further complications.


    After employing the Concealment Technique and delving deep into the woods, and after winding through the mountain paths to ensure he had shaken off the Fire Buddha and his three companions, he made a large detour back to the gates of Luan Mountain City to wait for his senior brothers and sisters.


    To be safe, he was still using the Concealment Technique.


    About 30 minutes later at the bustling city gates, two graceful figures appeared.


    It was Murong Caiyun, dressed in colorful garments with a dazzling appearance, and Hua Qianqian, in a frock adorned with hundreds of flowers, looking lively.


    Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu followed right behind them.


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief, withdrew the Concealment Technique, and waved to greet them, "Senior brothers, senior sisters!"


    Seeing Mo Hua, Murong Caiyun approached with a hint of surprise and asked,


    "Junior brother, what are you doing here? Weren''t you drinking tea at the teahouse?"


    "I ran into some bad people!" Mo Hua said with a solemn face.


    Bad people?


    Murong Caiyun and the others exchanged glances before looking at Mo Hua with concern, "Are you okay?"


    "Yep." Mo Hua nodded, "They wanted to kill me, but I got away."


    They wanted to kill Junior Brother Mo?


    Ouyang Feng''s gaze chilled, and Murong Caiyun and the others looked furious, "Where are those people?"


    Mo Hua felt warmed by their concern but still shook his head,


    "That group, there were four of them, at least two at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and the leader had learned Forbidden Techniques... very dangerous..."


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage? Forbidden Techniques?!


    Murong Caiyun''s expression shifted slightly. She closely inspected Mo Hua again and noticed his clothes were a bit dirty but he was indeed unharmed, which allowed her to relax.


    However, she was also surprised as she asked,


    "And you managed to escape from them?"


    Mo Hua responded, "I was lucky, and fortunately escaped..."


    "Well then..."


    Murong Caiyun didn''t probe any further.


    This junior brother of theirs had, if nothing else, a variety of peculiar lifesaving methods.


    But it was still a bit absurd to have escaped alone from the encirclement of those at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage...


    Ouyang Feng''s expression was solemn as he pondered,


    "With four of them, at least two at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, we''ll have no choice but to report this to the Taoist Court Officials. The Taoist Court in Luan Mountain City might not suffice..."


    "It''s safer to report to the Taoist Court of Qianxue State Boundary."


    The others all nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, too.


    He was thinking the same thing.


    If what Uncle Gu said was right, then this Fire Buddha, with his strong spells, was a formidable opponent for anyone below Second Grade.


    Even if the Second Grade Taoist Court of Luan Mountain City dispatched someone to pursue, they would likely perish cleanly under the Meteor Fire Skill.


    It was best to go back to the Qianxue State Boundary and report to the Fifth Grade Taoist Court.


    Without delay, they hired a carriage and set off immediately. Half a day later, they arrived back at the Qianxue State Boundary, entered the grand doors of the Taoist Court, located the principal Enforcement Leader, and said they wanted to report a crime.


    However, the procedure for "reporting a crime" was also rather complicated and slow.


    Mo Hua briefly explained the whole story and even reported a long list of names of Sin Cultivators:


    "Blood Woodcutter, Yin Thunder Child, Ghost Face Sha, Fire Buddha."


    The Enforcement Leader thought Mo Hua was joking, standing dumbfounded for a while, puzzled,


    "How do you know that those four go by these names?"


    In a Fifth Grade state boundary so vast and filled with all kinds, hosting many Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators, he was unfamiliar with some of these names.


    How could a minor cultivator recognize them?


    "They were chatting, and I overheard," Mo Hua found an excuse on the spot.


    The Enforcement Leader was skeptical.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t believe it but he found it hard to believe, and was undecided for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.


    Finding him dawdling, Mo Hua said, "Where is Supervisor Gu? I''ll talk to him."


    "You know Supervisor Gu?"


    "Yes." Mo Hua nodded, "I have a good relationship with Uncle Gu!"


    The Enforcement Leader looked incredulous. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That Supervisor Gu who was as stern as a "cold-faced judge," who looked down on everyone, could have a good relationship with a minor cultivator like you?


    "Supervisor Gu is busy with official duties..."


    "This is serious." Mo Hua spoke earnestly, then lowered his voice and looked at the Enforcement Leader, "Uncle Gu is petty. If you report this late, beware he might make things difficult for you..."


    Hearing this, the Enforcement Leader was startled.


    Whether the matter of the Sin Cultivators was true or false, he wasn''t sure, but one thing the young cultivator hadn''t got wrong,


    Supervisor Gu indeed was petty!


    And to dare to say that a petty Supervisor Gu was petty, aside from all else, at least showed an unusual courage and insight!


    "Alright, I''ll take you to see Supervisor Gu."


    The Enforcement Leader readily agreed, then turned to remind, "But... don''t say I was the one who brought you."


    "Okay!"


    So Murong Caiyun waited in the hall while the Enforcement Leader led Mo Hua through the imposing and majestic Taoist Court, full of lofty pavilions, turning left and right to a court office.


    This seemed to be where Gu Changhuai worked his office duties for the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua had not been here before and memorized the route in his heart. Next time there was an issue, he could come directly to knock on Uncle Gu''s door.


    The Enforcement Leader only dared to bring Mo Hua to the door, then slinked away.


    Mo Hua shook his head, it seems that Uncle Gu was not well-liked in the Taoist Court.


    Everyone was afraid of him.

 Chapter 944: Disaster Begins (3)

    Unlike himself, he was so endearing.


    The Taoist Court office outside had a doorbell, ancient in style. Mo Hua shook it lightly, and a crisp sound emanated.


    Then from inside the room, a cold and haughty voice spoke, "Come in."


    The door opened, and Mo Hua walked in.


    The room was simple and tidy, with furnishings that were both exquisite and elegant. Gu Changhuai sat at the desk, focused and intent, writing something unbeknownst to others.


    As Mo Hua entered, Gu Changhuai looked up, paused for a moment in surprise, then frowned.


    "Why is it you again?"


    He glanced around the room and, seeing only Mo Hua, asked,


    "How did you find this place?"


    The Court Official''s office within the Taoist Court was a Supervisor''s workplace. Though it wasn''t exactly fortified or restricted, it was off-limits to outsiders.


    Mo Hua said, "A passing, kind-hearted Enforcement Leader brought me here."


    He was loyal and did not disclose the appearance of the Enforcement Leader to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, somewhat helpless, and continued to look down and write, saying indifferently, "Tell me, what''s the matter this time?"


    "I encountered the Fire Buddha!"


    Gu Changhuai''s hand shook, and a long streak of ink marred the document. He looked up, incredulously, at Mo Hua.


    "The Fire... Buddha?"


    "Yes!"


    "How did you run into him?"


    "I was drinking tea at the teahouse, and I ran into him."


    Gu Changhuai paused in speechless astonishment.


    The Fire Buddha wasn''t some peddler rushing to do business with you; you have a sip of tea at a teahouse, and you can run into him...


    Or are you saying, young man, you truly have the "law following the word," proclaiming you can meet the Fire Buddha and actually encounter him upon leaving home...


    Seeing Gu Changhuai''s disbelief, Mo Hua earnestly said, "It''s true!"


    Gu Changhuai didn''t disbelieve it; he just found it too preposterous.


    The Taoist Court had been searching for so long with no results for this Sin Cultivator, and you, a minor Sect Disciple, go for tea and claim to have stumbled upon him?


    Are you a Minor Religious Con Man or what?


    Besides...


    Their Taoist Court also demanded evidence; even if Mo Hua was a disciple from one of the Eight Great Gates, Taixu Gate, it wasn''t like whatever he said could be taken as fact.


    The Taoist Court didn''t have that many personnel to waste.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, "How do you know the person you encountered is the Fire Buddha?"


    Mo Hua said gravely,


    "He was tall and large, with a kind face, and spoke little. Under his ordinary clothes, he wore a kasaya. His hair was tied up, but it was fake, concealing several fiery scars from vows..."


    "Accompanying him were three others. A burly man skilled with a bloody hatchet, called ''Qiao Laowu''¡ªhe could be the Sin Cultivator known by the nickname ''Blood Woodcutter''..."


    "Another was a skinny man with a grim complexion, probably ''Yin Thunder Child.'' And another large man, with a fierce and intimidating face, I suppose could be ''Ghost Face Sha''..."


    Gu Changhuai''s casual demeanor vanished, growing more solemn with each word.


    What Mo Hua described didn''t sound fabricated at all.


    These people were indeed the notorious Sin Cultivators from within the Second Grade State Border.


    But...


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze became stern as he looked at Mo Hua, "Where did you learn about so many Sin Cultivators?"


    What "Blood Woodcutter," "Yin Thunder Child," "Ghost Face Sha"¡ªyou mention them as easily as if they were treasures in your home.


    As if these Sin Cultivators were items on your "menu"...


    With righteous indignation, Mo Hua replied earnestly,


    "Although my cultivation is not high, I have always remembered my Sect''s teachings¡ªto uphold the Righteous Dao, to slay demons and eradicate evil, to despise wickedness like an enemy, and to detest Sin Cultivators. I long to catch them all in one fell swoop!"


    "So I like to gather information about Sin Cultivators in my spare time; that''s how I know just a little bit more..."


    Listening, Gu Changhuai felt a headache coming on.


    What nonsense are you spouting, kid?


    What "upholding the Righteous Dao," "hating evil as you would a foe"...


    "Is that you''re talking about really you?"


    "Even lies need a draft."


    But in his heart, he also faintly felt that the Fire Buddha''s involvement was very likely true.


    However, the evidence was still scarce...


    Physical appearance, kasaya, the scar from a burn mark...


    These could only prove that this person somewhat resembled the Fire Buddha. It''s not like there were no other Buddhist believers in the world, cultivators with burnt scars donning kasayas.


    Gu Changhuai frowned and said, "Are there any other clues proving he is the Fire Buddha?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "He is proficient in fire spells, and when he casts spells, two fierce flames ignite inside him, as if he had two hearts..."


    Gu Changhuai shuddered inside and exclaimed, "He took action?"


    "He did."


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze hardened as he looked at Mo Hua. "And you escaped?"


    "Uh-huh," Mo Hua nodded, "As soon as he made his move, I ran."


    "How did you escape?"


    Mo Hua felt this question was rather redundant, "Of course, I ran with my legs..."


    Gu Changhuai was somewhat frustrated.


    "I meant to ask you..."


    Gu Changhuai calmed his emotions, and as he was halfway through his reply, he suddenly paused, his gaze darkened, and he said no more.


    There are indeed certain things that should not be asked excessively.


    Especially the means by which a cultivator preserves their life...


    It''s just that Mo Hua, in his eyes, was becoming more and more enigmatic...


    "Do you know where the Fire Buddha went?" Gu Changhuai asked solemnly.


    Mo Hua shook his head, "I was lucky to get away, where would I dare to follow them..."


    "Where did you encounter them?"


    "On the outskirts of Luan Mountain City..."


    Mo Hua thought a bit and then got more specific, "Between the mountain paths outside Luan Mountain City and Bishan City, there is a stretch of forest and a small tea house..."


    "The mountain path junction between Luan Mountain City and Bishan City..."


    Gu Changhuai nodded, "Alright, I got it. I''ll go check it out myself with some people. If the situation turns out to be true..."


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, "I will compensate you with Merit Points."


    Mo Hua was thrilled inside, "Thank you, Uncle Gu."


    Gu Changhuai nodded, his brows furrowed in deep thought.


    "Uncle Gu," Mo Hua asked quietly, "what exactly does the Fire Buddha intend to do by suddenly showing up?"


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, "I don''t know, don''t worry about it, and don''t get involved anymore."


    After saying this, Gu Changhuai put his documents in order and hurriedly left the room.


    He also summoned several teams of Enforcement Leaders, dividing them to act separately as if to trace the Fire Buddha''s whereabouts.


    Mo Hua really wanted to join them, but without having to think, he knew Uncle Gu would definitely disagree, so he could only return to the Sect with his senior brothers and sisters.


    After returning to the Sect, Mo Hua still had this matter on his mind.


    How could they catch the Fire Buddha?


    How could he obtain the cultivation spell for the "Meteor Fire Skill," a forbidden technique, from the Fire Buddha?


    And the Fire Buddha, his face wearing compassion while slaughtering mercilessly...


    What exactly did he intend to do by suddenly appearing?


    With too few related clues, Mo Hua just couldn''t understand it.


    So he asked Senior Sister Murong for help, to gather some news.


    He faintly felt that since the Fire Buddha had appeared, he must be up to something...


    Several days later, Murong Caiyun found Mo Hua and hesitated for a moment before she spoke with a grave expression: Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Xie family of Bishan City has been annihilated by the Fire Buddha."


    "The Xie family has become a sea of fire; men, women, the elderly, children, all were burned to ash without survivors..."

 Chapter 947: Annihilation (3)

    Mo Hua let out a faint sigh.


    "Let''s just take it one step at a time¡­"


    "First, I need to find a way through Uncle Gu to get involved with the Taoist Court, gather clues, and pursue the Fire Buddha¡­"


    "Then I''ll see how things go. If I can follow behind Uncle Gu and fish in troubled waters, I might be able to get my hands on the spell of the Meteor Fire Skill¡­"


    For now, that was all he could do.


    Afterward, Mo Hua continued to attend classes, cultivate, help Yu Er with her homework, draw Formation Paintings, and, when he could find the time, inquire about the Fire Buddha.


    But Senior Sister Murong was right.


    The Taoist Court indeed would not assign the task of pursuing the Fire Buddha to Sects.


    For most Sect Disciples, the term "Fire Buddha" was almost just a rumor, a topic of conversation after classes.


    In their lifetime, they would likely never come into contact with it.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to take the time to visit Uncle Gu at the Taoist Court Official''s office.


    However, the Taoist Court was heavily guarded, and the Court Official''s chambers were not a place one could simply wander into.


    Relying on the route he remembered and his own wit, Mo Hua managed to deceive the Enforcement Leaders on the way and arrived at Gu Changhuai''s Court Official''s chamber, only to find it a wasted effort.


    Gu Changhuai had gone out to capture a Sin Cultivator.


    Mo Hua didn''t know whether Gu Changhuai was after the Fire Buddha, and he couldn''t find anyone to ask, ultimately returning empty-handed.


    "It''s really inconvenient to do anything in the Taoist Court without knowing anyone¡­"


    Mo Hua lamented.


    He would have to think of another way.


    During the ten-day break, Mo Hua took the opportunity to accompany Yu Er back to the Gu Family.


    This was Yu Er''s first visit home since entering the Taixu Gate.


    At the entrance of the Gu Family, Wenren Wan was waiting early, her face full of anticipation.


    Sending Yu Er to the Taixu Gate had been her idea, but a mother''s heart is connected to her child''s, and she worried about Yu Er day and night...


    Worried about how Yu Er''s cultivation was progressing, whether he was eating well, whether he was happy, and more importantly¡­


    Whether he could sleep well without being troubled by nightmares.


    Soon, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Gu Family.


    Yu Er jumped down from the carriage, called out "Mother" crisply, and ran on her little legs straight into Wenren Wan''s embrace.


    Wenren Wan hugged Yu Er and saw his skin was fair, his cheeks rosy and full of life, and when she picked him up, he seemed heavier as if he had regained his Vital Energy and even gained a little weight. She couldn''t contain her joy.


    This meant that Yu Er was happy and healthy at the Taixu Gate.


    And not troubled by any terrifying nightmares.


    Wenren Wan glanced at Mo Hua and felt grateful.


    That night, Wenren Wan prepared a table full of rare delicacies from the sea, foods Mo Hua had never tasted before.


    Mo Hua enjoyed the meal immensely.


    Yu Er also sat beside him, holding her small bowl, trying to mimic Mo Hua''s manner, her cheeks bulging with food.


    Wenren Wan sat to the side, resting her cheek in her hand, looking at the two children, one big, one small, her gaze filled with a gentle smile.


    After a while, Gu Changhuai arrived.


    He seemed to have just come back from the Taoist Court, his face covered with dust, but upon hearing that Yu Er had returned, he still came to see him.


    As soon as he entered, however, he saw Mo Hua sitting next to Yu Er, and his expression became complicated, feeling his scalp tingle slightly.


    He felt trouble was surely on its way¡­


    "Changhuai, you''ve just come back, just in time to join us for a meal¡­" Wenren Wan said warmly.


    Yu Er, a bit reserved, greeted formally, "Hello, Uncle¡­"


    Hearing the young and tender voice calling him "Uncle," Gu Changhuai''s heart melted, but his expression was still as rigid as ever, clumsily trying to convey kindness but failing to express it.


    Mo Hua watched and shook his head.


    Wenren Wan glanced at Mo Hua and then at Gu Changhuai, understanding the situation, and said with a smile:


    "I''ll take Yu Er outside for a walk, to help digest the food¡­"


    "Changhuai¡­" Wenren Wan gave Gu Changhuai a sharp look, "Please take care of Mo Hua."


    Gu Changhuai felt a bitter taste in his mouth.


    Wenren Wan then led Yu Er away. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, sat down opposite Mo Hua, poured himself a cup of wine, drank it in one gulp, and then said helplessly:


    "You didn''t come here specifically to find me, did you?"


    Mo Hua replied honestly, "Not entirely¡­"


    He had brought Yu Er back for a few reasons. Firstly, to let Yu Er see her mother and alleviate Aunt Wan''s worry.


    Secondly, to avoid having Yu Er return alone and be troubled by Demon Monsters in the middle of the night, robbing him of sleep.


    And for himself, not to miss out on a serving of "food" for his Divine Sense.


    The last goal, of course, was Gu Changhuai.


    "What is it?" Gu Changhuai asked, sighing.


    There was no escaping this little troublemaker.


    Mo Hua blinked his eyes and said in a low voice, "Uncle Gu, the Taoist Court is pursuing the Fire Buddha¡ªcan you take me with you?"


    Gu Changhuai knew he would say this, and rejected him righteously:


    "No!"


    "Why not?" Mo Hua pressed on.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua and sighed, "You''re too young, your cultivation too weak, newly entered, and most importantly, you''re not a Taoist Court member¡­"


    Mo Hua asked curiously, "If I were a person from the Taoist Court, it would be okay?"


    Gu Changhuai snorted internally.


    Someone from the Taoist Court...


    It wasn''t easy to get into the Taoist Court.


    From the lower-ranking Enforcement Leader and Supervisor to the higher-ups such as the Deputy Court Leader and Court Leader¡ªall had to pass assessments to be appointed.


    The exams were strict, the categories numerous, considering Spiritual Roots, Cultivation Techniques, Martial Arts or Spells, family background, absence of criminal records, whether there were Direct Lineage relatives who have been imprisoned or fallen to demons within three generations...


    The Taoist Court''s scrutiny was extremely strict, the requirements extremely high.


    Moreover, you''re a Loose Cultivator, without status or background, how could you possibly get into the Taoist Court...


    Gu Changhuai replied evasively, "Well, if you were from the Taoist Court, I might consider it¡­"


    Mo Hua silently took out a Bronze waist badge.


    Its design was simple, rather low-tier, but very familiar...


    Gu Changhuai froze for a moment, his brow twitched uncontrollably.


    Mo Hua''s gaze was cunning, but his face remained serious as he said:


    "Uncle Gu, actually... I do have an identity in the Taoist Court¡­"

 Chapter 948: - : Inside Traitor

    Gu Changhuai''s head was twisted like a pretzel; he couldn''t make sense of it for the longest time.


    This medallion was indeed from the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua, this kid, even if audacious, wouldn''t dare to forge a Taoist Court medallion.


    Bronze signified it was external staff.


    Yet, an external staff''s medallion was still a medallion and belonged to the Taoist Court, not something a regular cultivator could get their hands on.


    "Where did you steal this medallion from?"


    Gu Changhuai asked with a face full of suspicion.


    "What do you mean ''steal''?" Mo Hua responded unhappily, "This was personally given to me by the Court Leader of our Taoist Court in Tongxian City!"


    "Tongxian City?"


    Gu Changhuai remembered, it was the remote, Second Grade Little Immortal City where Mo Hua came from.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "Is your Court Leader a relative of yours?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "No."


    "Did you marry into their family?"


    "No!"


    Gu Changhuai puzzled, "Then why on earth would he give you a bronze medallion?"


    Mo Hua looked at Gu Changhuai with a face saying you shouldn''t judge an honorable man by your own standards and confidently said,


    "Of course, the Court Leader saw that I was talented and young, so he gave me the medallion to let me be a part of..."


    Mo Hua nearly blurted out "mixing for merit points" again...


    He could not say "mixing for merit points."


    Otherwise, Uncle Gu would know that he, although nominally identified, was just a minor player in the Taoist Court.


    In the future, Uncle Gu could possibly be his "leader."


    In front of a leader, looking "ambitious and proactive" is essential!


    Mo Hua then smoothly corrected himself,


    "¡­serve the Taoist Court, benefit the cultivators of Tongxian City, and contribute to the peace of the Cultivation World!"


    "Benefit?" Gu Changhuai shook his head, "What blessings can you bring at such a young age?"


    "I have brought great blessings!"


    Mo Hua asserted righteously.


    He killed a Big Demon himself.


    On the Demon Suppression Monument outside Tongxian City, his name was even engraved.


    It was in the topmost line, with the largest characters, and even gilded!


    Mo Hua!


    Every time he passed by, he always looked at these two big characters a few times.


    Gu Changhuai was full of disbelief.


    Just keep bragging...


    Mo Hua couldn''t be bothered to explain; he was used to people not believing what he said.


    "No matter what, it''s my medallion! I count as half a person of the Taoist Court..."


    Mo Hua looked at Gu Changhuai with wide, sincere eyes, trusting, "Uncle Gu, you are over a hundred years old and your words must hold true!"


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brows.


    He was careless.


    In an impulsive moment, he walked straight into this kid''s trap and got caught up in his words.


    What would he expect from a Loose Cultivator just admitted to Taixu Gate, secretly possessing a bronze medallion of the Taoist Court...


    This kid was as cunning as a fox, crafty and devious; next time he spoke to him, he needed to be more careful not to provide a handle to be criticized...


    Gu Changhuai sharpens his attention.


    He thought for a moment, then still made an excuse, "I only said I''d consider, I didn''t promise..."


    "So, how is your consideration going?"


    Gu Changhuai coughed once, averted his gaze, picked up the wine jug, poured himself a drink and drank it all casually, "I''m busy now, haven''t decided yet, we will talk in a few days..."


    Is this how adults play dirty¡­


    Mo Hua learned something new.


    In the future, when he wants to procrastinate or be tricky, he would use this tactic.


    Mo Hua nodded his head, "Alright then."


    Gu Changhuai was startled; he hadn''t expected Mo Hua to suddenly be so easy to talk to, just letting it go so readily?


    Unlikely...


    Gu Changhuai tensed up inside, his gaze sharpening, "You''re not going to speak ill of me in front of my cousin and Yu Er, are you?"


    Mo Hua looked at Gu Changhuai, pondered for a long while, and honestly said:


    "Uncle Gu, you also don''t have any ''good things'' for me to say about you, right?"


    He had a bad temper.


    And was somewhat flamboyant.


    Beggars for help are refused;


    And goes back on his word, playing dirty on him...


    Even if he wanted to say some "good things" about him in front of Aunt Wan and Yu Er, he wouldn''t know where to start¡­


    Gu Changhuai was stunned, then fell silent, his expression became complicated.


    Mo Hua was right, it seemed¡­


    "See," Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai and sighed, "How can I speak well of you to Aunt Wan and Yu Er if you don''t treat me better?"


    "If I only know your faults, wouldn''t everything I say be bad?"


    Can''t blame me for that...


    Mo Hua looked like he was being reasonable and helpless. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai''s eyelids twitched, but thinking of his cousin and Yu Er, he ultimately could only sigh, "Fine, what do you actually want to do?"


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "I want to catch Fire Buddha!"


    Gu Changhuai still didn''t get it, "You''re just an apprentice, why are you competing with Fire Buddha?"


    Mo Hua earnestly said, "I''m petty and hold grudges, Fire Buddha wants to kill me, I don''t want to let him off either."


    Gu Changhuai was stunned.


    Petty, holds grudges...


    That was way too "honest."


    But being petty probably wasn''t a lie...


    Gu Changhuai''s handsome eyes looked at Mo Hua, narrowing slightly, "Anything else?"


    "Anything else?"


    "Your reason for catching Fire Buddha mustn''t be this simple..."


    Gu Changhuai asserted.


    Surely fitting for a Supervisor of the Taoist Court, he was truly not easy to fool...


    Mo Hua thought for a moment then said, "If I help you, no if ''we'' in the Taoist Court catch Fire Buddha, can I get a share of the merit points?"


    "You''re that short of merit points?" Gu Changhuai wondered.


    "Are there ever too many merit points?" Mo Hua retorted.


    Gu Changhuai was briefly startled, then nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 949: The Mole (2)

    Indeed.


    Sect disciples depend on Merit Points for cultivation resources, spell points, all expenses, and advancement within the sect system.


    The more Merit Points, the better.


    Even for the Taoist Court, it was the same.


    Mo Hua mentioned, "The matter with Fire Buddha carries no Merit Points," Gu Changhuai said. "This is a matter for the Taoist Court and will not result in missions for the sect."


    After all, Fire Buddha was a murderous fiend who wiped out entire families with blood-stained hands.


    If a sect disciple were to accept the mission and act recklessly, only to die at the hands of Fire Buddha, that would be a huge problem.


    "Doesn''t count as sect Merit Points, but can it count as Taoist Court Merit Points?"


    "Granting Merit Points will do..."


    Mo Hua had an "I''m not picky" look.


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    "Alright then..."


    He certainly couldn''t withhold the Taoist Court''s Merit Points.


    However, seeing Mo Hua''s delighted expression, Gu Changhuai always felt somewhat uncomfortable.


    This kid Mo Hua, with many schemes hidden in his heart, surely had other reasons.


    He briefly recalled everything related to Mo Hua from start to finish, his heart fluttering with alarm:


    "You aren''t planning to secretly learn Fire Buddha''s Meteor Fire Skill, are you?!"


    Mo Hua remained composed, silently glancing at Gu Changhuai:


    "Uncle Gu, do you think I could learn it?"


    Gu Changhuai scrutinized Mo Hua for a moment, then exhaled a sigh of relief and began to ease his mind:


    "Right, you couldn''t learn it anyway..."


    The Meteor Fire Skill is a forbidden technique, extremely powerful in spiritual dominance, implying it requires a Top-Grade Spiritual Root and robust Spiritual Power to cultivate and employ.


    Although Mo Hua is clever, his Spiritual Root and Spiritual Power are far less than one-tenth of his aptitude.


    Lacking the required quality and capability, even with his intellect, he wouldn''t be able to learn the forbidden technique.


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment then agreed.


    "You can mix in with the Taoist Court officials and join the pursuit of Fire Buddha, but there must be Three Talents of agreement..."


    "Three Talents of agreement?"


    "Yes," Gu Changhuai listed them:


    "First, it must not delay your sect''s cultivation, and leaves of absence are not allowed. You can only help during your breaks; don''t leave the sect on regular days."


    "Second, you must not take action. Fire Buddha and even his accomplices are all at the Middle Stage of Foundation Building, beyond your capability. You might escape once or twice by luck, but if you fail even once, you could lose your life..." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If anything of the Three Talents happens to you, I would have trouble explaining to your cousin, and Yu Er would definitely be heartbroken..."


    "Third, if we go out to pursue Fire Buddha, you must follow closely behind me, never leaving my side, and must not act recklessly or presumptuously..."


    ...


    "Mhm mhm mhm." Mo Hua nodded continuously.


    His requirements were not high; being able to mingle with the Taoist Court was enough.


    As for future matters, he would play it by ear...


    Since he had already "revealed" his identity in the Taoist Court and reached an "agreement of cooperation," the Three Talents, with Uncle Gu, Mo Hua was no longer shy, swiftly asking:


    "Uncle Gu, what exactly happened the night the Xie family of Bishan City was exterminated?"


    "How did Fire Buddha enter Bishan City?"


    "Why didn''t anyone from the Xie family escape?"


    "Why was the Xie family annihilated?"


    "After the annihilation of the Xie family, where did Fire Buddha go? Wasn''t he found? Are there any clues?"


    ...


    Mo Hua asked like a "curious baby," endlessly firing a barrage of questions...


    Gu Changhuai found himself with a headache.


    He knew this kid was a big trouble.


    But having boarded this "thief''s ship," it was too late for regret.


    Gu Changhuai released his Divine Sense to make sure nobody was around and then took a swig of his drink to lubricate his throat, furrowed his brows, and spoke in a heavy tone:


    "That day you reported the case, I personally led people in search of Fire Buddha..."


    "However, at the boundary between Luan Mountain City and Bishan City, there were only some traces of fire but no sight of Fire Buddha and his people."


    "I dispatched more people to investigate, but Fire Buddha and his crew seemed to have vanished without a trace, as if someone had covered their tracks..."


    "And days later, the annihilation of the Xie family occurred..."


    "The specifics of the case are still being investigated, and it''s hard to confirm details, so I can only tell you the general situation..."


    "Somebody tampered with the Xie family''s formation."


    "The original external defensive formation was altered into an internal trapping formation."


    "That night, deep in slumber, Fire Buddha suddenly appeared within the Xie house, swiftly casted spells, raining down meteor fire, instantly killing many and igniting the houses, quickly spreading the fire..."


    "Then, dozens of ruthless sin cultivators took advantage of the fire to slaughter the Xie family cultivators..."


    "In a rush, the Xie family activated the formation, hoping to use it to fend off enemies, but instead, the formation trapped them, leaving no escape, burying them in the sea of flames..."


    "Fire Buddha''s methods were extremely cruel."


    "It seemed, just as the rumours said, Fire Buddha had a deep hatred for the Xie family, slaughtering wasn''t enough; he had to dissect the bodies of the Xie family, crush their bones and scatter their ashes..."


    "Because the formation isolated them, outsiders, including various supervisors and enforcement leaders of the Taoist Court, couldn''t get in, and those inside couldn''t get out..."


    "Thus, in front of the Taoist Court and all the cultivators of Bishan City, Fire Buddha slaughtered the entire Xie family..."


    Gu Changhuai said this much, barely able to conceal his anger on his face.


    Mo Hua too felt a twinge of compassion, silently sighing.


    "What happened after that?" Mo Hua was a bit puzzled. "If the formation was sealed, turning into a trapping formation that trapped the entire Xie family, it should have trapped Fire Buddha as well. If the Xie family had no way to escape, then Fire Buddha could not have escaped either..."

 Chapter 950: The Mole (3)

    Gu Changhuai''s expression was solemn. "The problem lies right here..."


    "Fire Buddha wiped out the Xie family, as if ''evaporated from the human world,'' and then disappeared within the Trapping Formation. In Bishan City, there was no trace of Fire Buddha."


    "Not just Fire Buddha, but also the dozens of Sin Cultivators who committed the crime with him, all of them disappeared."


    "During this period, the Taoist Court has searched throughout Bishan City and all the Immortal Cities nearby, without finding a shred of evidence..."


    "So far, the clues have been pitifully few..."


    Gu Changhuai''s face was stern, his mood somewhat irritable.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "Uncle Gu, has the Taoist Court hired someone to carry out a Calculation of cause and effect?"


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with surprise. "You understand cause and effect?"


    Mo Hua replied with restraint, "A little."


    Gu Changhuai didn''t pay much attention; he just shook his head. "Yes, they have, but they couldn''t calculate it, saying the traces were covered up..."


    Then Gu Changhuai expressed some displeasure. "In my opinion, they''re just not skilled enough and found an excuse to shirk their responsibilities..."


    "What''s more, in this day and age, who still talks about the Heavenly secret Calculation, predicting cause and effect? It''s nothing but mystifying nonsense, a way to fool people..."


    Hearing this, Mo Hua realized that the Gu family probably didn''t have the heritage of the "Heavenly secret Calculation."


    Their family, was the "fool" in the "Heavenly secret cause and effect."


    Mo Hua couldn''t be bothered to explain. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Heavenly secret is unpredictable, cause and effect are obscure; it would be very troublesome to explain.


    Mo Hua simply agreed with him, saying, "Yes, yes."


    Although Gu Changhuai didn''t understand Heavenly secret Calculation, he had a keen intuition.


    He always felt that when Mo Hua looked at him, there was a hint of sympathy, like he was viewing a "fool"...


    Seeing that Gu Changhuai looked a bit displeased, Mo Hua quickly changed the subject:


    "Uncle Gu, are there any other clues?"


    Gu Changhuai, distracted by the interruption, really did forget about being seen as a Heavenly secret "fool" by Mo Hua...


    "There are no more, that''s all the clues we have," said Gu Changhuai, "so stop pestering me. Go back to the Sect and cultivate properly..."


    Gu Changhuai wanted to shake off Mo Hua, the "little troublemaker."


    Seeing this, Mo Hua said, "I have a clue!"


    Gu Changhuai didn''t believe him, snorted, "What clue could you possibly have?"


    "If you don''t believe me, then I won''t say."


    Mo Hua bowed his head and started dealing with the chicken leg in his bowl.


    This chicken leg, which seemed to come from a Colorful Chicken, was both big and tender, with a delicious taste.


    Left hanging by Mo Hua, Gu Changhuai''s feelings were complex.


    To ask would seem to hurt his own pride.


    To not ask, what if it really was an important clue?


    Although this kid was prone to "brag," it seemed that he wouldn''t tell lies about such critical matters.


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and could only sigh helplessly.


    The Fire Buddha case was more important.


    "I believe you, go ahead and tell me..." Gu Changhuai sighed.


    Mo Hua didn''t play coy and said directly:


    "Flower Gentleman!"


    "Flower Gentleman?" Gu Changhuai frowned.


    "That rapist," explained Mo Hua, "I caught him before my encounter with Fire Buddha..."


    "I heard Fire Buddha and his people calling the Flower Gentleman ''Hua Liulang.'' Presumably, they knew each other, and the reason why Flower Gentleman appeared in Luan Mountain City might have been to join Fire Buddha in annihilating a family..."


    "But before going, because he cultivated a Replenishing Technique and was overcome by evil desire, burning with lust, he could not make a move in Bishan City as it would scare off the target, so he picked women in Luan Mountain City, near Bishan City, to act upon..."


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "Why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    Mo Hua indignantly replied, "You never asked me before..."


    Moreover, when the report was made, Flower Gentleman had already been arrested and was sent to the Taoist Prison, effectively "capitulated."


    Mo Hua subconsciously neglected him.


    Now that there were no clues, Mo Hua thought it over for a while and only then pulled the memory of "Flower Gentleman" back from oblivion...


    Gu Changhuai nodded, "No delay then, I will go to Luan Mountain City immediately."


    "Isn''t he in the Taoist Prison within the Qianxue State Boundary?"


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, "Local cases aren''t usually transferred until all procedures are completed..."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then said, "I''ll go too!"


    "No way."


    Gu Changhuai rejected the idea without a second thought.


    "Alright, then," Mo Hua didn''t press further, just said casually, "then when you question him, if there''s anything you don''t understand, come back and ask me..."


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "What does it have to do with you?"


    "Because Flower Gentleman was ''captured by me''!"


    Mo Hua emphasized once again.


    Gu Changhuai was stopped short, unable to help but say, "Fine, you come along too."


    Mo Hua''s eyes brightened, "Mhm, mhm."


    So Gu Changhuai told Wenren Wan that he would take Mo Hua out for a bit.


    Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised, unsure of what business Gu Changhuai could have taking Mo Hua out.


    But seeing Gu Changhuai reluctant and Mo Hua looking excited, it must not be bad for Mo Hua, so she nodded her head and admonished:


    "Be careful on the road."


    "Take good care of Mo Hua..."


    Wenren Wan admonished again.


    "Yes."


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    Afterward, Mo Hua accompanied Gu Changhuai in the Gu Family''s carriage, speeding through the night and arriving at Luan Mountain City.


    Entering Luan Mountain City, they proceeded to the Taoist Court.


    Gu Changhuai showed the Supervisor''s badge and passed unobstructed all the way into the Taoist Prison beneath Luan Mountain City.


    However, when they found Flower Gentleman, Gu Changhuai''s complexion turned cold, and Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened.


    Flower Gentleman...


    Lying in his cell, breath still.


    He was already a dead man.


    Death silent and unnoticed.


    Mo Hua looked up, surveying the oppressively damp and dark Taoist Prison, lowered his voice, and whispered to Gu Changhuai:


    "Uncle Gu, do we, I mean, does our Taoist Court, possibly have an ''internal traitor''?"


    Gu Changhuai''s face was as cold as ice, wordless.

 Chapter 951: Burying Ground at Gen Mountain

    "Flower Gentleman died a natural death, with no sign of human intervention.


    He was captured and taken to Taoist Court, tortured, interrogated, and then thrown into Taoist Prison.


    After that, it was as though he never existed.


    Chains were added to his body, he went without food or drink, his injuries worsened, no one looked at him again, no one spoke to him again, and he simply ''self-generated and self-extinguished.''


    Even in death, it seemed no one knew.


    Not even his body was collected.


    But obviously, this did not conform to the rules of Taoist Court.


    Therefore, Mo Hua suspected there might be a mole within Taoist Court, someone who could murder Flower Gentleman in the strictly sealed and dark Taoist Prison without God or ghost noticing, to silence him.


    And clearly, there were clues to Fire Buddha on Flower Gentleman''s person.


    Supervisor Gu Changhuai''s face looked terrible.


    He summoned several of the Enforcement Leaders in charge of the prison and questioned them harshly.


    Those Enforcement Leaders, faces full of fear, bowed and scraped:


    "Supervisor, please forgive us, we truly did not know..."


    "After the interrogation, no one cared for him."


    "We don''t know why he suddenly died."


    "My negligence has overlooked the life and death of this Sin Cultivator, please forgive me, Supervisor!"


    Between their words, ''forgive us'' they said, but it was all shirking.


    If Flower Gentleman were to be charged, he would surely be sentenced to death.


    Negligence and oversight, leading to an ''inevitable demise'' dying a little early.


    That in itself was not considered serious.


    Even if reported, at most they would be chastised and fined some of their salary.


    Although Supervisor Gu Changhuai was angry, there was not much he could do to them.


    Moreover, these two Enforcement Leaders from Taoist Prison might really not know any inside information.


    Their ''negligence and oversight'' might truly just be negligence and oversight.


    But perhaps just under someone else''s control.


    However, Mo Hua might not be wrong about one thing.


    In Taoist Court, some people are probably really not so clean...


    Even including that incident with Yu Er last time...


    Supervisor Gu Changhuai frowned in thought, suddenly his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned around to look at Mo Hua beside him.


    He felt that Mo Hua''s aura had just suddenly changed, becoming very strange, with a subtle and mysterious implication.


    As if possessed by something...


    Or as if his Divine Sense was undergoing some strange transformation.


    What is going on?


    Supervisor Gu Changhuai was full of doubts and suspicion.


    At this moment, Mo Hua turned around, the ominous glint in his eyes flashed and vanished, becoming clear and bright again.


    "Uncle Gu, what is it?"


    Supervisor Gu Changhuai''s eyelids twitched.


    Mo Hua was still the same, his gaze clear, like still water, lustrous and deep, without revealing the depths.


    But he had clearly sensed that dangerous, devious aura...


    "A delusion..."


    "Or am I too suspicious..."


    Supervisor Gu Changhuai''s brow furrowed deeply.


    Mo Hua blinked.


    Indeed, he had just taken advantage of Supervisor Gu Changhuai''s distraction, while pondering something, to clandestinely employ the Tricky Calculation and merge it to glimpse the cause and effect of Flower Gentleman''s death.


    In that instant change in Divine Sense, he had been detected.


    Worthy of being a Supervisor of Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua took heed.


    It seemed that in front of Great cultivators above the Golden Core Realm, especially a Supervisor from the Great Province Boundary Taoist Court, this kind of Heavenly secret fusion to peek into cause and effect must be used cautiously.


    Lest it be discerned by someone observant...


    His master''s Heavenly secret Calculation was somewhat safer, only involving greater cause and effect; on the surface, it was still a method of the Righteous Dao.


    But Uncle''s Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was different.


    In this world, aside from his uncle, there probably was no one else who cultivated the Divine Thought of Gui Tao.


    Should he be mistaken for a ''Little Devious Path Person,'' it would be disastrous.


    Seeing Supervisor Gu Changhuai''s still doubtful look, as if suspicion was not entirely dispelled, Mo Hua decided to "strike first and gain the upper hand" and proactively asked:


    "Uncle Gu, have you figured anything out?"


    "How did Flower Gentleman die?"


    "Who killed him?"


    "Could it be¡­" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua raised his eyebrows and glanced at the two Enforcement Leaders in charge of the prison.


    Immediately, the two Enforcement Leaders broke out in a cold sweat, pleading with Supervisor Gu Changhuai:


    "Supervisor Gu!"


    "Although we were negligent, the death of this Sin Cultivator really has nothing to do with us..."


    "How would we dare to break the law knowing the law, killing in the Taoist Prison..."


    "Supervisor Gu, please discern clearly!"


    "Supervisor Gu¡­"


    Supervisor Gu Changhuai, interrupted by the two, broke his stream of thoughts and forgot about his entanglement with Mo Hua.


    "All right." Supervisor Gu Changhuai''s gaze grew icy as he surveyed the two, "Handle this according to the rules, penalize where necessary, go on down."


    The two did not dare to disobey Supervisor Gu Changhuai and bowed, saying: "Yes."


    And then they both left.


    Supervisor Gu Changhuai wanted to say something to Mo Hua, but he lifted his head, looked at the gloomy and sealed ceiling of the prison, shook his head, and dismissed the thought.


    "Let''s go out..." said Supervisor Gu Changhuai.


    "Oh."


    Mo Hua followed Supervisor Gu Changhuai out of the Taoist Prison.


    But as they left, Mo Hua quietly looked back at the dead Flower Gentleman.


    Flower Gentleman in life was like a fresh blossom, handsome and dashing, indulging in pleasures, unknown how many women he had exploited.


    In death, however, unknown to anyone, leaving behind ragged clothes and a filthy, decaying body.


    Indeed, in this world, all pleasures of the flesh are but illusions.


    And...


    Flower Gentleman died too naturally.


    Without a trace of human intervention.


    Just now, his pupils darkened, secrets merged, and he couldn''t glimpse any trace of cause and effect.


    The method behind this murder was extremely sophisticated.


    "The best way to mask cause and effect is to let it proceed naturally, without involving karma..."

 Chapter 952: Burial Earth at Gen Mountain (2)

    Mo Hua silently took note in his heart.


    "Must learn well..."


    ...


    After leaving the Taoist Prison, Gu Changhuai''s face was as still as water.


    He thought for a moment, then ordered someone to bring all of Flower Gentleman''s personal effects, evidence, and Storage Bag to him.


    Then, alone, he chose a quiet Court Official Room to sift through the items himself.


    Mo Hua, at his side, craned his neck, also wanting to sneak a peek.


    Seeing this, Gu Changhuai quickly covered the items and shook his head, "You can''t look."


    "Why?" Mo Hua asked.


    "You''re still young¡­"


    Mo Hua didn''t understand.


    Realizing that Mo Hua genuinely didn''t get it, Gu Changhuai sighed and reminded him,


    "Flower Gentleman was a rapist..."


    Inside his Storage Bag were things like sexual manuals, erotic paintings, Replenishing from others techniques, and records of his conquests¡­ a pile of vulgar and indecent things... Not suitable for children... Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He definitely shouldn''t let Mo Hua see them.


    Otherwise, the boy would be led astray.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, also recalling how Senior Sister Murong hadn''t allowed him to see these things when they caught Flower Gentleman.


    "Fine, if I can''t look, then I can''t look..."


    Mo Hua lay on the side, gazing at Gu Changhuai.


    Feeling uncomfortable under Mo Hua''s scrutiny, Gu Changhuai spoke with slight irritation:


    "Why are you looking at me? Do what you need to, I''m working on the case..."


    Mo Hua raised three fingers:


    "Let''s set three rules!"


    "The third one, if we go out, I follow you closely, not leaving your side, not acting rashly or recklessly..."


    "That was your own words!"


    Mo Hua stated assertively.


    Gu Changhuai felt a headache coming on.


    He had been careless, inadvertently shooting himself in the foot.


    This kid was too quick-witted...


    Seizing even the slightest opportunity.


    "Alright..."


    Gu Changhuai, resigned, ignored Mo Hua and continued rifling through Flower Gentleman''s Storage Bag, looking for clues.


    This Storage Bag had been sealed by the Dao Court Canon.


    Cultivators outside had no access to it.


    And if a Cultivator within were to tamper with it, they would certainly leave traces behind.


    As far as he could tell thus far, no one had touched the contents.


    Using his years of experience with Dao Court Canon investigations, Gu Changhuai meticulously examined each item, searching for any trace and usable leads.


    But most of the items inside were distasteful.


    The more he looked, the more annoyed Gu Changhuai became.


    Finally, upon seeing a Jade Slip, his expression shifted, a glint of realization in his gaze.


    Unable to look at the Storage Bag, but always watching Gu Changhuai, Mo Hua immediately caught the subtle change on Gu Changhuai''s face.


    Mo Hua''s eyes sparkled, "Uncle Gu, have you found a clue?"


    Gu Changhuai was about to nod, then hesitated and shook his head instead, putting the Jade Slip away and casually said, "No."


    "I saw it!" Mo Hua insisted confidently.


    "What did you see?"


    "I saw your gaze change," Mo Hua said, "You must have discovered something!"


    Gu Changhuai''s scalp tingled, cursing inwardly:


    This little devil Mo Hua, he must have been possessed by some ancient demon.


    So cunning at such a young age, like a ghost.


    But still, Gu Changhuai stubbornly insisted, "I said there is nothing."


    "Fine." Mo Hua sighed.


    What could he do after all? He was a mere Cultivator while Gu Changhuai was a Golden Core Realm Dao Court Canon, shamelessly playing dumb. There was little he could handle.


    Mo Hua could only settle for the next best thing and asked:


    "Uncle Gu, where are we headed next?"


    Without hesitation, Gu Changhuai replied, "With Flower Gentleman dead, the lead is ''cut''..."


    Then, noticing Mo Hua''s doubtful gaze, Gu Changhuai coughed and averted his eyes, lightly saying:


    "We can head back home now."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Then Uncle Gu, you go back first."


    "Hm." Gu Changhuai nodded, then suddenly paused, "You''re not going back?"


    "I''ve still got things to do."


    "What things?"


    Mo Hua didn''t hide it, "I want to visit Bishan City, to see the fallen Xie family."


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "Xie family''s home is now ash, sealed by the Dao Court Canon, you won''t be able to get in. And Bishan City is currently dangerous, you can''t go."


    Mo Hua quietly said, "Then how about you take me?"


    "No," Gu Changhuai refused.


    "Then I''ll go on my own," Mo Hua said, "You go back, tell Aunt Wan, just say I won''t be returning to Gu Family and after going to Bishan City, I will go back to the Sect myself."


    Mo Hua''s face was calm, but his eyes were sly.


    Gu Changhuai was momentarily stunned, quickly grasping the situation.


    This kid, Mo Hua, was threatening him.


    Having taken the child out, if he didn''t bring him back, he was bound to be blamed by his cousin, who would also be worried.


    He surely needed to present Mo Hua safe and sound to his cousin.


    Moreover, if Mo Hua didn''t want to return, it wouldn''t be right to force him.


    Otherwise, forcibly taking him back would result in complaints, and he would have even more trouble explaining to his cousin.


    After all, Mo Hua was considered a "little benefactor" of the Shangguan Family and deserved their respect.


    So it seemed that he had no choice but to comply, to follow Mo Hua wherever he went...


    Gu Changhuai was gritting his teeth in frustration.


    Mo Hua waited calmly for Gu Changhuai''s response.


    After a long contemplation, Gu Changhuai finally compromised, "Fine, I''ll take you, but we have an agreement. Once we get to Bishan City, you will return with me to the Gu Family and not entertain any other ideas."


    "Mhm, mhm!" Mo Hua beamed, "It''s a deal!"


    ...


    It was late, not the time to set out, so the two of them stayed overnight at an inn in Luan Mountain City.


    The next day at dawn, after a quick meal, they set out from Luan Mountain City, heading towards the nearby Bishan City.

 Chapter 953: Burial Earth on Gen Mountain (3)

    This was Mo Hua''s second visit to Bishan City.


    Cliffs hung suspended, with sheer walls rising a thousand ren, and mountain ridges interwoven.


    Most of the cave dwellings were built against the steep cliffs, looking both extraordinary and majestic.


    But within the city, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.


    Passersby on the streets were all silent, their expressions anxious and solemn.


    In the presence of the Taoist Court officials and the entire city''s Cultivators, the Fire Buddha had massacred the entire Xie family of Cultivators.


    Turning the Xie residence into a sea of flames, the whole family lineage ceased, eradicating centuries of foundation in an instant.


    Many in Bishan City felt a sense of personal danger.


    Gu Changhuai''s expression became uglier by the minute, his face iron-blue with anger, almost wishing he could immediately behead the Fire Buddha and his gang of Sin Cultivators and display their heads to the public.


    Soon, the two of them arrived at the ruins of the Xie family estate.


    A sight of complete desolation greeted their eyes, with nothing but scorched earth left.


    Tiles were embedded in the ground outside the Xie family estate, each marked with Formation Patterns that connected end to end, forming a faint, invisible barrier that cordoned off the charred remains of the Xie family estate, forbidding outsider entry.


    This was the warning Formation laid by the Taoist Court.


    "You stay here and watch," said Gu Changhuai.


    Although Mo Hua disagreed, he had no choice but to peek inside from beyond the barriers of the warning Formation.


    With that glance, he noticed some clues. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though it was entirely blackened, there were still traces of Formation Patterns around the perimeter of the Xie estate.


    "Second Grade Golden Earth Gen Mountain Compound Formation..."


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Hearing the name of this Formation, Gu Changhuai froze in surprise.


    Mo Hua continued to look, releasing his Divine Sense, no longer using Tricky Calculation but only employing Calculation to deduce the Spirit Traces left by the Formation Patterns, murmuring softly to himself:


    "The perimeter of the Xie family estate..."


    "Originally was... a Second Grade Golden Earth Gen Mountain Compound Formation, a defensive formation composed of the Five Elements Gold and Earth and the Eight Trigrams Gen Mountain..."


    "But the Patterns have been altered..."


    "Only the Golden Series Patterns were changed, the rest were untouched..."


    "It''s not that...through the alterations of the Golden Series Patterns, the changes to the Earth Series Formation, the effects have been altered..."


    "The Second Grade Golden Earth Gen Mountain Compound Formation, turned into..."


    "A Second Grade ''Burial'' Earth Gen Mountain Compound Formation..."


    "This Trapping Formation, has buried the entire Xie family within their own home..."


    ...


    The more Gu Changhuai listened, the more horrified he became, his tone becoming grave:


    "Who told you this?"


    "What?" Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    "The matter of the Xie family''s Formation..." Gu Changhuai''s face was serious.


    Mo Hua expressed his confusion: "Do you still need to be told about such things? Can''t you see it at a glance..."


    See it at a glance...


    Gu Changhuai turned his head to look at the pitch-black scorched earth in front of him.


    See it at a glance, my ass?


    How could you possibly see it?


    It''s pitch-black, all debris, everything is burned, what can you see?


    Gu Changhuai found it somewhat unbelievable.


    What Mo Hua said, was exactly the same as what the Taoist Court had verified...


    The difference was, on the side of the Taoist Court, they had several Second Grade Formation Masters examine the site from morning till night for three full days, and after careful comparison, they only then reconstructed the changes in these Formations from the rubble.


    Thus, they knew exactly what had been tampered with regarding the Xie family''s Formation.


    But Mo Hua...


    He just walked over, took one look...


    Even from outside the warning Formation, without entering, he saw everything?


    Gu Changhuai''s feelings were complex.


    While the evidence was before his eyes, common sense made him refuse to believe such an absurd truth.


    "Did you... really figure it out on your own?" Gu Changhuai asked, frowning.


    "Of course!" Mo Hua said proudly, "I am a disciple of Taixu Gate after all!"


    Not to mention, he had also learned Formation techniques from Elder Master Xun.


    These days, whenever he had Merit Points, he would go to the Merit Pavilion to exchange them for Formation studies, and he had learned countless Second Grade Formations.


    With Elder Master Xun''s guidance, along with the profound Formation heritage accumulated by generations of Taixu Gate''s predecessors, Mo Hua''s foundation in Formation techniques was now even firmer than before.


    He was now a true Second Grade Formation Master, backed by the real heritage of a Great Sect!


    It was just that he had merit without name¡ªit was just a matter of assessment.


    Gu Changhuai''s frown deepened.


    What does this have to do with Taixu Gate?


    Taixu Gate is not a Sect established on Formation techniques, so where could its disciples gain such incredible Formation expertise?


    Even a Sect established on Formation principles couldn''t possibly do this!


    Besides, you haven''t even been in the Sect for a full year...


    How much could you have possibly learned?


    Gu Changhuai stared at Mo Hua for a moment, and then with a slight shift in his thoughts, he asked:


    "Do you want to go in and have a look?"


    Mo Hua was startled, "Really?"


    Gu Changhuai nodded.


    Mo Hua was somewhat skeptical.


    Uncle Gu... is acting out of character...


    Originally, he didn''t allow me to enter the Xie residence to look around.


    Now, without me asking, he''s actually allowing me to go in.


    But he wasn''t one to reject such an opportunity.


    "Alright!" Mo Hua agreed, nodding.


    Gu Changhuai pulled out a golden waistplate.


    The waistplate, made of pure gold, was elegant and luxurious, far more valuable than the plain bronze waistplate Mo Hua owned.


    Mo Hua looked on enviously.


    But for now, he could only look.


    Holding the gold waistplate, Gu Changhuai lightly traced it over the warning Formation.


    A faint, invisible barrier was then opened.


    "Let''s go."


    Gu Changhuai took the lead and walked in.


    Hesitating for a moment, Mo Hua also stepped forward, following Gu Changhuai through the warning Formation and into the massacred Xie family estate.


    The moment his foot touched the ground, stepping on the charred surface where the blood had been burnt dry, a scream suddenly filled his ears.


    The voice was extremely harrowing, fraught with boundless pain.


    Under the broad daylight, Mo Hua''s vision blurred for a moment.


    As if in the darkness of night, a sea of fire suddenly appeared before him.


    Within the sea of flames, countless figures could be seen running, struggling, and screaming in agony, like tormented souls suffering in hell.


    Executioners with ferocious faces raised their butcher knives, slaughtering, dismembering, reveling in the carnage.


    Blades pierced flesh, slit open chests, cut open bellies, and removed blood-drenched organs...


    The sea of fire churned as blood mingled with flame.


    Faces twisted in cruelty, like demons dancing chaotically.


    And those who died miserably looked like livestock sent to slaughte

 Chapter 954: Karmic Mutation

    Mo Hua''s pupils contracted sharply.


    "This is... the scene of the Xie family''s massacre?"


    Were these the soul memories lingering here of the Xie family Cultivators, brutally murdered and burnt to death in agony?


    Were these the Divine Thoughts of the Remnant Souls?


    Beneath the broad daylight, there was a sea of fire before his eyes.


    Mo Hua struggled to suppress his discomfort, concentrating his vision to witness this cruel "slaughter" to the end...


    He wanted to know exactly what had happened to the Xie family...


    The mingling of blood and fire in the massacre continued.


    Demon Monsters resembling Sin Cultivators, with hideous smiles, raised their cleavers, slaughtering the Xie family Cultivators like pigs and cows, chopping them up one by one.


    After the Xie family Cultivators were killed, their bodies were gathered together...


    But in the unseen realm, it seemed something had started to operate.


    The scene that followed suddenly became blurry.


    The color of blood intensified suddenly, the sea of fire spread, obscuring everything before his eyes.


    The screams and wails in his ears were also as if torn apart, intermittent.


    It seemed that what followed was forbidden.


    It was as if some being had covered up the cause and effect, preventing Mo Hua from seeing what exactly happened after the massacre...


    Mo Hua frowned, his pupils pitch-black, Wily Minds possessing him as he employed the Heavenly Secret Calculation to continue peering.


    It seemed that the sea of fire flared up violently in response to Mo Hua''s prying, with the firelight blood-red like flaming blood, rising in the wind to envelop both the killers and the killed, blocking Mo Hua''s line of sight.


    Mo Hua didn''t care and continued to look.


    The sea of fire suddenly boiled over. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Flames spread like serpents, baring their fangs at Mo Hua as if to intimidate.


    However, they did not dare offend Mo Hua.


    And Mo Hua lacked the power to "see through" this sea of fire.


    Mo Hua sighed, know that the power to obscure cause and effect was too strong, and his own capacity for Calculation was simply not enough.


    Hence his gaze could not penetrate the facade of the sea of fire to peer at the true cause and effect.


    His method of "Heavenly Secret Calculation" was based on his master''s teachings, which he had tried to grasp by fumbling in the dark.


    The Calculation of Formations went fairly well, but the Calculation of Heavenly Secrets, it fell short by a considerable margin.


    After all, his master had not formally taught him the true Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    Or rather, there hadn''t been the opportunity to properly teach him...


    The memory of a gentle and indulgent face surfaced in his mind...


    Mo Hua felt a twinge of pain in his heart.


    And soon, the sea of fire receded.


    Mo Hua''s vision cleared up a bit.


    He saw that the sinister Sin Cultivators like Fire Buddha had disappeared.


    The Xie family''s Cultivators were also gone, as if everything from flesh to Divine Sense had been completely "evaporated."


    Mo Hua frowned, puzzled.


    Just then, a jolt went through Mo Hua''s heart.


    Cause and effect seemed to be disordered momentarily.


    A trace of karmic mutation abruptly emerged, and the scene changed.


    On the ground, bizarre shadows overlapped and reappeared, the Xie family Cultivators, who had been "dismembered" and died tragically, were piled up densely, numbering in the hundreds.


    They were like ashes of burnt wood.


    They were like slain livestock, drained of blood.


    They seemed to have been drained of everything.


    Casually discarded, unnoticed by anyone.


    Soon, the aura of karmic mutation intensified, a distorted aura rippled out...


    These remains of the Xie family began to stir, filled with resentment, they struggled and contorted, eerily standing up again.


    At the same time, their limbs began to transform.


    What were once human "hands and feet" slowly became the forelimbs of oxen, the hooves of horses, akin to the "livestock" of Non-Humans...


    And they had become some kind of monstrous, sinful "karmic mutations."


    They were already "dead," yet they lived in the form of "karma."


    They were no longer human but seemed like creatures that "ate" humans...


    "Demon Monsters?!"


    Mo Hua''s heart throbbed in shock.


    Those freakish Demon Monsters that coveted Yu Er and haunted her nightmares appeared in his mind...


    Mo Hua looked carefully, silently comparing the two, his gaze sharpened.


    "Not the same..."


    They seemed similar, but they were not the same thing.


    The Demon Monsters in Yu Er''s nightmares were the minions of Demon Wraiths, the incarnations of Evil Thoughts.


    Their very existence was a sort of "thought form."


    While the "animal" transformations of these Xie family Cultivators were closer to a mutation of the Heavenly Secret, a karmic mutation of cause and effect.


    More like...


    Taoist Demons?!


    Mo Hua''s heart chilled as his gaze grew heavy.


    He could feel...


    Though the signs of karmic mutations were very subtle and the scale minimal, everything before him was indeed a harbinger of a "Great Dao karmic mutation."


    As Mo Hua was lost in thought with furrowed brows, these karmically mutated half-human half-beast "Demon Monsters" suddenly had blood-red eyes and turned to look at Mo Hua.


    With hatred in their death, seeking to devour a human.


    And Mo Hua was the only "human" within this layer of causality.


    These "Demon Monsters," twisted and struggling, got up, and then one by one, their eyes fierce, they looked towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stood still, his expression calm.


    In an instant, a surge of murderous intent swirled around.


    These "Demon Monsters," with shrieks and roars, using hands, feet, and hooves together, opened their gaping maws and charged towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua watched them silently, his expression filled with a trace of compassion.


    At the same time, behind Mo Hua, a sea of blood rose.


    A Corpse Mountain emerged abruptly.


    The whole mountain was filled with sinister Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses.


    A tall and majestic karmically mutated Corpse King, with blood-red eyes and a terrifying presence, reigned above countless hordes of corpses.


    The karmically transformed Non-Humans, those wishing to devour Mo Hua, the Demon Monsters, stopped in fear.


    The Corpse King''s gaze was indifferent.


    In its eyes, these mere karmic mutations, numbering only in the hundreds, were but a swarm of ants.


    Moments later, the Corpse King let out a heaven-shaking roar.

 Chapter 955: Karmic Mutation (2)

    Countless groups of corpses boiled over, and hundreds of Demon Monsters panicked.


    Later, blood stained the sky, and Walking Corpses from the mountains and ridges charged down like a raging torrent, immediately sweeping and tearing apart those "karmically mutated" Demon Monsters, completely exterminating them.


    This slight sign of karmic mutation in the Xie family was also completely eradicated.


    However, after killing the mutated "Demon Monsters," the group of corpses incited their ferocity and roared towards the sky, their killing intent pervading the air.


    The sea of blood on Corpse Mountain became even more blood-red.


    The aura of the Taoist Demon also became heavier.


    Under the blood-covered sky, the aura of the Corpse King became more brutal.


    Its grim eyes turned redder, faintly showing signs of breaking free from its shackles and further mutating.


    Just then, a clear yet undeniable command sounded.


    "Retreat!"


    The previously restless Corpse Mountain instantly quieted down.


    The group of corpses all bowed their heads in silence, not daring to make a sound.


    The Corpse King''s blood-red eyes, saturated with bone-chilling killing intent and tumultuous ferocity, stared intently at Mo Hua, its nominally "young master," almost wishing to slaughter him immediately.


    Mo Hua''s gaze was indifferent as he met the Corpse King''s eyes.


    This gaze, clear and transparent, also contained the irresistible authority of a "superior."


    The message in his gaze seemed to be, "Don''t make me say it a second time."


    When the Corpse King met Mo Hua''s gaze, it instantly flew into a rage. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as it was about to resist, a mark ingrained deep within its body suddenly caused it immense pain, and its body, with faint blue Spiritual Pivot Formation Patterns like Dao Laws and Karmic chains, tightly bound it.


    The Corpse King, filled with fear, had no choice but to give up.


    Its eyes still glimmered with savagery and defiance, but its body honestly "submitted."


    The sea of blood receded, the zombies returned to their nests, and Corpse Mountain gradually vanished.


    Only the Corpse King, before disappearing, still gave Mo Hua a terrifying and sharp glance¡­


    As if to say, "I will return¡­"


    Afterward, the sea of blood on Corpse Mountain completely receded, and the karmic sins dissipated.


    The slight sign of karmic mutation in the Xie family was also eradicated and disappeared.


    The raging fire also gradually extinguished¡­


    Mo Hua felt his vision blur again, the red of fire and blood fading away, replaced by the piercing daylight, disorienting him and making it hard to open his eyes¡­


    ¡­


    "Mo Hua?"


    "Mo Hua!"


    A series of urgent voices sounded.


    Mo Hua was startled, slowly opened his eyes, and found himself lying next to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai was frowning, continuously calling his name.


    Seeing that Mo Hua had awakened, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    If something had happened to this child, he really would have had no way to explain to his cousin and Yu Er.


    But immediately, he was full of doubts again.


    The earlier scene was still vivid before his eyes.


    As soon as Mo Hua entered the exterminated Xie family, his expression shocked, his face turned pale, and then his eyes lost focus, he closed his eyes and fainted.


    It seemed like¡­ he saw something he shouldn''t have seen¡­


    Moreover, even more bizarre was that after Mo Hua fainted, the atmosphere of the entire Xie family suddenly became gloomy and oppressive.


    It seemed that some terrible thing was gradually mutating¡­


    An Evil Spirit was growing.


    Under the clear day, there was a bone-chilling coldness.


    Even Gu Changhuai, who was at the Golden Core Realm, felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, his heart filled with trepidation.


    And when Mo Hua opened his eyes, everything disappeared again¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with a serious gaze and asked,


    "What exactly¡­ happened?"


    Mo Hua rubbed his eyes, slowly sat up, and quickly reviewed the cause and effect in his mind.


    Sea of fire¡­ Xie family¡­ massacre¡­


    An obscured mystery enveloped by the sea of fire¡­


    Signs of Dao mutation¡­


    It seemed all these couldn''t be mentioned.


    Once spoken, it would bring serious trouble to himself.


    Especially about the "Taoist Demon," this was a taboo for the Taoist Court¡­


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua said,


    "I studied Formation too hard, drew too much, and overused my Divine Sense, so I occasionally faint, but I''ll be fine after a while¡­"


    Gu Changhuai, upon hearing this, knew Mo Hua was talking nonsense.


    He was energetic just before, his eyes brimming with life and gleaming, how could he suddenly faint due to an overuse of Divine Sense?


    This kid definitely had something he didn''t want to say¡­


    Gu Changhuai deeply looked at Mo Hua and asked,


    "So, will you still inspect this Xie family?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "I will."


    Gu Changhuai nodded, didn''t say much, but took Mo Hua and spent two hours exploring the devastated, charred remains of the Xie family.


    The entire Xie family was reduced to ashes.


    Everything had turned into cinders.


    After making a full round, Mo Hua didn''t find any anomalies.


    Occasionally, he would find a small clue, but these were already known to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai had deep Cultivation, rich experience, sharp observation, and the intuition of a Supervisor.


    Besides some "incredibly strange" things beyond grasp¡ªmatters of Heavenly secrets and Karmic cause¡ªwhatever Mo Hua could find, Gu Changhuai had definitely noticed earlier.


    The things Mo Hua couldn''t discover, Gu Changhuai could also discern.


    In terms of investigation, Gu Changhuai was extremely professional.


    Mo Hua followed Gu Changhuai as they generally walked through the Xie family, inspecting the surroundings.


    The Fire Buddha and his group had been very "clean."


    From people to houses, the Xie family had been burnt to a piece of scorched earth, thus not leaving any excess traces.


    Apart from the scenes seen in that sea of fire, there indeed weren''t any further clues.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    Gu Changhuai, seeing Mo Hua''s disappointed expression, wasn''t surprised.


    The Taoist Court had searched inside and out of the Xie family many times over; if there really was something, it would have been discovered long ago.

 Chapter 956: - Karmic Mutation (3)

    "It''s impossible to wait for Mo Hua to figure anything out."


    "Let''s go back," Gu Changhuai said indifferently.


    He wanted to take Mo Hua back to the Gu Family safely and give her to his cousin, which would also save him some trouble.


    Otherwise, having this youngster with him while roaming around might cause complications and accidents.


    Just like what had happened earlier...


    "Okay." Mo Hua nodded.


    He hadn''t discovered anything and had no choice but to return for now.


    But as he turned to leave, Mo Hua suddenly paused, turned his head, and took another look at the ruins of the Xie family''s estate. His brows slowly furrowed.


    Gu Changhuai, somewhat taken aback, asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then said slowly, "Uncle Gu, do you have the Taoist architectural plans of the Xie family''s estate?"


    Gu Changhuai nodded, "Yes."


    "Can I see them?" Mo Hua asked.


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze darkened slightly, "What do you want to do?"


    "I need to find a place..."


    "Find a place?"


    Gu Changhuai frowned, thought briefly, then without asking further, he nodded:


    "Alright."


    Gu Changhuai found a relatively clean area, took out a scroll from his storage bag, unrolled it on the ground, and said to Mo Hua:


    "This is the architectural plan of the Xie family''s estate..."


    The plan marked the estate''s terrain, buildings, and the formations used in the structures, among other things...


    Mo Hua was very familiar with this type of plan.


    He began to search painstakingly through the architectural plans...


    In the fiery scene that had just emerged, after the Fire Buddha killed the Xie family cultivators, he gathered their corpses in one place.


    The critical scenes after that were engulfed by flames, obscured the consequences, and Mo Hua couldn''t see through it.


    Although he couldn''t see the secrets hidden beneath the flames and didn''t know exactly what the Fire Buddha had done after killing,


    He still vaguely remembered the nearby scenes.


    These scenes were clearly within the Xie family''s premises.


    Yet, he had just explored the area and hadn''t found any similar landmarks.


    "There must be a place I overlooked..."


    Mo Hua replayed the scenes in the sea of fire repeatedly in his mind, and then compared them with the map of the Xie estate to locate similar places.


    Finally, Mo Hua''s eyes brightened.


    On the architectural plan, in one corner of the Xie family''s backyard, there was a hidden attic with an open space in front of it, surrounded by side chambers and potted plants for planting flowers.


    The entire layout and setting matched the scenes in his memory.


    Mo Hua pointed to the attic''s courtyard on the map, "Uncle Gu, let''s go check this place."


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua in surprise and then nodded slightly.


    Then, the two followed the map, walking through paths that were unrecognizable, stepping on ashes, until they arrived at the location of the attic. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The area around the attic had collapsed, and the charred wooden beams and walls had fallen, blocking the path.


    That''s why Mo Hua hadn''t discovered it before.


    Gu Changhuai took out a paper fan, waved it casually, and a surge of spiritual power burst forth, clearing the path.


    Mo Hua continued inside and reached the courtyard in front of the attic.


    This place was secluded and hidden,


    And the attic had also been burned, with even bigger fire damage here, leaving fewer remnants of the building.


    The courtyard was desolate with everything still appearing scorched-black, no different from other areas.


    After searching for a while, they found no clues.


    Gu Changhuai looked back at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua frowned deeply, lost in thought.


    "There are no traces..."


    "It can''t be..."


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, and in the void, it was still a scene of nothingness, with only the residual Fire Spiritual Power from the ruins and nothing else out of the ordinary.


    "Nothing?"


    Mo Hua''s brow furrowed even more deeply, then suddenly, he paused and couldn''t help but sniff.


    "Uncle Gu, do you smell anything?"


    "The smell?" Gu Changhuai also sniffed lightly and frowned, "A burnt smell?"


    "No..."


    Mo Hua said, and then sniffed again, his eyes slightly focused.


    "Very faint..."


    "Refreshing, but with a slightly strange scent, it seems a bit sticky and moist..."


    Gu Changhuai, somewhat speechless, frowned and said:


    "Are you sure you''re referring to a smell you detected with your nose, not a taste you''re savoring in your mouth?"


    "A taste hidden in the mouth?"


    Mo Hua paused, suddenly startled.


    He remembered!


    Is this...


    The scent of golden marrow?


    Sheep-Horned Enforcer... Essence of Divine Thought!


    Is this... the breath of an Evil God?!


    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted, he perked up his nose, sniffed again, and then following the faint "scent" of the Divine Thought, found a corner of the courtyard.


    Mo Hua sniffed again, then rummaged around, and from the corner, he turned up a heap of charred residue.


    Gu Changhuai stepped forward to take a look and also sniffed, even checking with Divine Sense, then ultimately looked somewhat disappointed:


    "Just ordinary residue, nothing special."


    "Just not sure... what was burnt to form it..."


    Mo Hua shook his head, a grave look on his face, "This isn''t ordinary!"


    He had smelled the "scent of the Evil God" on it.


    However, he also didn''t know exactly what these pitch-black residues were.


    Nor could he distinguish them.


    But these residues were definitely not ordinary.


    They were the truth hidden under the great fire, remnants left by some unknown entities after obscuring causality.


    Likely, astonishing secrets were hidden within.


    Seeing Mo Hua, who was usually innocent and crafty, showing such a serious expression, Gu Changhuai couldn''t help but take it more seriously.


    He took out a storage bag, divided the residues into two portions, and carefully sealed them for preservation.


    "I''ll take them back and have the Taoist Court Official in charge of inspections look into it to see what these residues are remnants of..."


    Whether they''re Spiritual Artifacts, Spiritual Objects, Pills, or...


    Human flesh.


    Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "If they find out..."


    Gu Changhuai sighed, "If they find out, I''ll tell you."


    "Okay."


    Mo Hua looked up at the Xie family, which had been exterminated and erased.


    Extermination of the entire family, destruction of the corpses and traces.


    Obscuring of causality.


    Traces of karmic mutation.


    And...


    The scent of the Evil God on the pitch-black residues...


    Mo Hua''s brow tightened.


    He had originally thought this was just a ruthless act of inhuman slaughter led by the Fire Buddha and a group of Sin Cultivators.


    But now, it seemed the water here might run very, very deep...

 Chapter 957: Passing the Message

    The Xie family''s mansion had been thoroughly inspected, both visibly and otherwise.


    Once everything was done here, the Xie family''s residence was no place for an extended stay.


    Mo Hua then followed Gu Changhuai to leave.


    As they reached the entrance, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and pulled out a flask of wine from his storage bag.


    However, it was fruit wine, which seemed rather inappropriate.


    So, Mo Hua raised his head and asked Gu Changhuai, "Uncle Gu, do you have any strong liquor?"


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, nodded, and said, "Yes."


    Then, without asking further, he took out an exquisite jade flask from his storage bag and handed it to Mo Hua.


    A strong aroma of liquor dispersed into the air.


    Mo Hua poured the flask of strong liquor over the doorstep of the Xie family''s home.


    The images of the Xie family members, slaughtered like "livestock" and dying tragic deaths, their bodies grotesquely mutated, surfaced in his mind...


    Mo Hua silently said in his heart:


    "Rest in peace..."


    "I will ensure that Fire Buddha will join you in your burial..."


    ...


    On the way back, Mo Hua sat in the carriage, kept silent, and furrowed his brows in contemplation:


    Why did Fire Buddha kill the entire Xie family?


    What did he do after slaughtering them all?


    What was the black residue?


    Why does it have the aura of the Great Wilderness Evil God?


    What''s the connection between this matter and the one who claims to be "Master of the Great Wilderness"?


    A sacrifice?


    Were the cultivators of the Xie family treated as offerings?


    Are those Sin Cultivators under Fire Buddha the servants of the Master of the Great Wilderness?


    But what exactly is the ritual of this sacrifice?


    And that "fleeting as the bloom of a night-blooming cereus," the poppy-like, black and purple, exceedingly ugly yet decaying, soaked in depraved desires, the effect of Heavenly Secret Karma he once witnessed...


    Could it also be related to this matter?


    The most puzzling thing was the Taoist Demon...


    Mo Hua initially thought that "Taoist Demons" could only emerge in destitute places where low-ranking cultivators suffered persecution, giving rise to despair and sin.


    But unexpectedly, signs of a Taoist Demon appeared near the prosperous Qianxue State Boundary, a place known for its devotion to the scholarly pursuit of Tao Cultivation.


    Moreover, it seemed...


    Nobody had realized it.


    Was it because the Qianxue region had fallen out of the Heavenly Secret Calculation, leaving no cultivator able to predict it?


    Or was it due to greedy desires blinding them, being too obsessed with fame and fortune to see it?


    Or perhaps, was the Heavenly Secret obscured?


    Just like that sea of flames, which concealed some of Fire Buddha''s actions, was the matter of the Taoist Demon also covered up by someone?


    Mo Hua''s eyebrows locked tightly, the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed, and the more riddles filled his mind, leaving his thoughts in utter chaos...


    After pondering for a long time, he began to feel a headache.


    This time his Divine Sense really had become a bit overtaxed...


    Mo Hua then cleared his mind, lay on the soft blanket, and looked at the scenery outside the carriage, thinking about nothing.


    Eventually, the answers would be revealed step by step.


    To start with capturing "Fire Buddha"...


    He had promised those tragically deceased cultivators of the Xie family that he would have Fire Buddha join them in their burial.


    Although all the cultivators from the Xie family were dead, their bodies and Remnant Souls vanished, knowing nothing anymore.


    But since he had said it, he needed to follow through.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, his eyes resolute.


    On the other side, Gu Changhuai also silently observed Mo Hua.


    Having brought Mo Hua along was a choice made of necessity, but to his surprise, Mo Hua had indeed found some clues that even he, a Dao Court Canon, had missed.


    This child...


    Was it because of his young age and the purity of a child''s heart that his thoughts differed from those of ordinary people?


    Or was he inherently sharp-witted, with a meticulous mind and keen Divine Sense?


    Or perhaps...


    It was some other reason...


    Gu Changhuai had many doubts in his heart.


    He realized that he could no longer treat Mo Hua as just a simple, ten-year-old child.


    The same was true for the matter of Yu Er.


    Although reluctant to admit it, this child might indeed be able to see some unknown secrets that ordinary cultivators could not...


    Since that was the case...


    Gu Changhuai''s slender fingers gently tapped on the table, and after contemplating for a moment, he gradually formed a plan in his heart...


    ...


    As evening approached, the sun began to set.


    When twilight descended, the sunset was like spilled ink, staining the sky with a myriad of colors.


    Mo Hua and company finally returned to the Gu residence.


    Wenren Wan was waiting at the entrance; seeing that Mo Hua appeared tired but was unharmed in limb and body, she then relaxed.


    Afterward, she chided Gu Changhuai:


    "Why so late?"


    "Mo Hua''s break is only two days; he has classes and cultivation practice tomorrow. What if his studies are delayed?"


    "As an adult, how can you still lack such judgment..."


    Gu Changhuai wore a helpless expression and sighed.


    Ever since he was a child staying at his cousin''s house, he had often been scolded by her.


    Now, being over a hundred years old, a Golden Core Great Cultivator, a Dao Court Court Official, he still couldn''t avoid it...


    Mo Hua tried to make excuses for him: "Aunt Wan, it''s my fault, I played around too much, which caused us to be late..."


    Mo Hua looked apologetic.


    Wenren Wan patted Mo Hua''s shoulder, "It''s not your fault..."


    Then she glanced at Gu Changhuai again, "See, a child like Mo Hua knows better than you do..."


    Gu Changhuai''s face showed a bitter smile.


    Mo Hua felt helpless and gave him an ''I can''t help you'' expression.


    Aunt Wan only caught Uncle Gu to reprimand, and he couldn''t assist. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The group then had dinner together.


    Wenren Wan had prepared many delicious dishes, and both Mo Hua and Yu Er ate joyfully, while Gu Changhuai sullenly sat to the side.


    After dinner was done, it was getting late, and Wenren Wan decided to personally send the two children back to the Taixu Gate.


    Gu Changhuai said, "Sister, let me do it."


    Wenren Wan gave Gu Changhuai a look, and said with a softened tone, "You go rest, the business of the Dao Court is hectic; don''t overwork yourself."

 Chapter 958: Delivering a Message (2)

    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, warmth blossomed in his heart, though it was hard to tell from his expression.


    Wenren Wan stopped paying attention to him, holding Yu Er, she proceeded to the carriage first.


    Having eaten to his fill, Mo Hua followed contently behind and walked towards the carriage as well.


    "Mo Hua."


    Gu Changhuai suddenly spoke.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled and turned to look at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, then took out a token and handed it to Mo Hua.


    The token was made of white jade, lustrous throughout, but unmarked, leaving its purpose a mystery.


    Mo Hua skeptically received the token, scrutinized it briefly, and his heart skipped a beat, "Uncle Gu, this is..."


    "Letter Token."


    Gu Changhuai looked somewhat reluctant as he spoke softly,


    "If there''s anything in the future, use this jade token to send me a message..."


    "But there are limitations to this token. It cannot be too far. If we are not in the same state boundary, I won''t receive your messages..."


    "When I''m on official duties at times, I might not carry the Letter Token, so I won''t receive anything you send..."


    "Be careful when using it too, don''t lose or damage it..."


    "Though it''s just a Second Grade Letter Token, it''s not easy to acquire, especially these specially made ones from the Dao Court Canon, with good confidentiality, there are no places to buy even with Spirit Stones..."


    Gu Changhuai was stern-faced but still detailed these precautions to Mo Hua with "care."


    "Mhm!"


    Mo Hua took the jade token, incredibly delighted.


    Letter Token!


    This was a complete, fully functional Letter Token!


    Mo Hua''s eyes were glowing.


    Gu Changhuai, seeing Mo Hua''s gaze, suddenly felt a bit uneasy.


    He suddenly felt that perhaps... he should not have given this Letter Token to Mo Hua.


    And the feeling was very strong.


    Like...


    Using a little white rabbit to feed a big grey wolf...


    This was his intuition as a Dao Court Canon.


    But it had already been given, he couldn''t take it back, could he?


    Wouldn''t that be embarrassing?


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    In that instant, Mo Hua seemed to have sensed Gu Changhuai''s thoughts, and with a swoosh, creating a blur with the speed of blocking one''s ears against thunder, he tucked the Letter Token away.


    It entered Mo Hua''s Storage Bag without giving Gu Changhuai time to react, let alone reconsider.


    "Thank you, Uncle Gu!"


    Mo Hua cheerfully said.


    Gu Changhuai was stunned for a moment but had to brace himself, adopting a stiff look, "No need to be polite..."


    Inside the carriage, Wenren Wan saw this scene and was somewhat surprised.


    This cousin of hers, whom she had watched grow up, was a bit reclusive and proud, rarely engaging in much conversation.


    But unexpectedly, he now seemed to be on such "good" terms with Mo Hua.


    Even going as far as to give Mo Hua a gift.


    It was as if the sun had risen from the west.


    It seemed her decision was right...


    Wenren Wan felt reassured in her heart.


    Mo Hua, with the Letter Token pocketed, bid farewell to Gu Changhuai and then boarded the Gu Family''s carriage, escorted by Wenren Wan and Yu Er back to Taixu Gate.


    It was getting dark, deepening into night.


    The carriage moved along the road, bordered by long swaths of pitch-black night curtain, adorned with specks of dim yellow lights.


    It was quiet and tranquil.


    The carriage, accompanied by the "clip-clop clip-clop" of horse hooves, moved along.


    Mo Hua had been running around since yesterday from the Daoist Prison of Luan Mountain City to the ruins of the Xie family, barely resting.


    Now feeling relaxed with Aunt Wan by his side, weariness quickly swept over him.


    Mo Hua''s eyelids fought a losing battle, and he soon gently closed his eyes, quietly falling asleep.


    His breathing was even, his dark eyelashes casting onto his tender cheeks, looking innocently lovely, painting quite a breathtaking picture under the light of the lamps.


    Wenren Wan took a glance and was amazed.


    Mo Hua was indeed good-looking.


    With a pure aura and gentle eyes, his mixed qualities naturally formed a translucent jade-like beauty.


    He was still young, his face still carrying traces of youthful naivety, looking adorable.


    If he grew up, he would definitely be extremely handsome.


    Just didn''t know which young lady would be so fortunate in the future¡­


    Wenren Wan smiled subtly, playfully thinking to herself, then gently covered Mo Hua with a blanket.


    When Mo Hua woke up, he had already arrived at Taixu Gate.


    He bid farewell to Wenren Wan and, holding Yu Er''s hand, walked into the mountain gate of Taixu Gate.


    Yu Er was somewhat reluctant to leave her mother, looking back every few steps, her eyes moist.


    Wenren Wan also felt reluctant, but still gently waved her hand. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the base of Mount Taixu, the cold night wind began to rise.


    Wenren Wan stood alone in the night at the foot of the mountain, watching as Yu Er was led by Mo Hua into the brightly lit Taixu Gate.


    ...


    Back in the Sect after returning, the days went on as usual.


    Mo Hua practiced his cultivation every day, and his cultivation was slowly growing.


    His proficiency in formations deepened bit by bit.


    And when he had free time, he began to ponder the Letter Token that Uncle Gu had given him.


    This was his first time using such a Letter Token.


    Taixu Token could also send messages, but its functions were too many, and the internal formation structure was too complicated for him to understand.


    Unlike the Letter Token in his hand, which was simple and straightforward.


    While sending messages, Mo Hua could even sense the emergence of Magnetic Ink, the changing of Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, and the faint sensing of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    The formation logic of the Letter Token was based on the common Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, but it was more complex.


    In an attempt to understand this formation, and to inquire about the news of the Fire Buddha, Mo Hua would, when he had time, try to send messages to Gu Changhuai:

 Chapter 959: Passing the Book (3)

    "Uncle Gu."


    Gu Changhuai didn''t respond.


    After a while, Mo Hua sent another message, "Uncle Gu¡­"


    Gu Changhuai still didn''t respond.


    "Is the Letter Token broken?"


    "Didn''t you receive it?"


    Mo Hua muttered to himself and thought about it before continuing to send messages:


    "Uncle Gu?"


    "Uncle Gu?"


    "Are you there?"


    Perhaps unable to bear the annoyance any longer, the person on the other end finally replied:


    "Not here."


    Mo Hua: "If you''re not here, who is replying to me?"


    Gu Changhuai seemed to be quite irritated, and after a while, he calmed down and asked,


    "What is it?"


    Mo Hua: "That black residue, have you found anything?"


    "Not yet, not so fast¡­"


    "What about Flower Gentleman''s Letter Token? Is there any information on it?"


    "No¡­"


    Gu Changhuai was halfway through sending his reply when he suddenly hesitated, "How did you know it was a Letter Token?"


    Mo Hua: "I could tell at a glance!"


    The day Flower Gentleman died in the Taoist Prison, Uncle Gu had searched Flower Gentleman''s Storage Bag.


    Mo Hua had been watching him closely and noticed that his expression changed when he flipped through a Jade Slip, so he guessed that the Jade Slip must have something wrong with it.


    Mo Hua suspected it was a Letter Token.


    Initially, he wasn''t quite sure, but looking at Uncle Gu''s tone now, it certainly was.


    Gu Changhuai was a bit exasperated:


    "Can''t you find a better excuse?"


    You can tell at a glance every day¡­


    Do you have three eyes?


    Mo Hua sent a message back: "These are trivial matters, don''t worry about it."


    Then Mo Hua quickly changed the topic: "Uncle Gu, is there any clue in the Letter Token?"


    "I can''t tell you that."


    "Nothing then¡­"


    Gu Changhuai helplessly: "Why are you so sure there isn''t?"


    "I guessed, but I''m sure there isn''t, the message on it must have been erased¡­"


    Mo Hua had experience with this.


    If it wasn''t erased by Flower Gentleman himself, it might have been an "inside job" by someone in the Dao Court.


    But it was definitely erased.


    He had a Letter Token in his possession with its message erased.


    It came from the man who was bald but wore a wig, and his head bore the Four Symbols Hawk Claw Formation, known as "Bald Eagle."


    Mo Hua had always wanted to restore the erased text on this Letter Token.


    But now, he had limited access to the Yuan Magnetic Formation and his skills were lacking, he could only try his luck with "unsealing" or "decrypting."


    He still couldn''t "restore" the Magnetic Patterns to recover text.


    Restoring was much more complicated.


    Mo Hua still hadn''t figured it out.


    While working in the Dao Court office, Gu Changhuai sighed.


    He looked around and always felt as if Mo Hua had installed some surveillance formation nearby, watching his every move¡­


    Or maybe this kid could predict and divine like a god¡­


    Gu Changhuai shook his head and sighed,


    "Yes, it was erased¡­"


    Mo Hua immediately asked, "Can it be restored?"


    "Not sure."


    Not sure, but not impossible to restore¡­


    Does that mean there is a way to restore the Letter Token at the Dao Court office?


    Is there at least a method to restore a Letter Token?


    "How can this be restored?" Mo Hua asked earnestly.


    Gu Changhuai alertly: "Why do you ask?"


    Mo Hua used Magnetic Ink to create an image of a "smiley face": "I''m curious¡­"


    Gu Changhuai: "I''m not a Formation Master."


    Meaning he didn''t know the specifics of how to "restore" it.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed but then asked, "Then who do you guys get to ''restore'' the Letter Token?"


    Gu Changhuai hadn''t answered when Mo Hua suddenly remembered:


    "Heaven Shu Pavilion?"


    Gu Changhuai was startled.


    Mo Hua: "Right?"


    Gu Changhuai: "How did you know?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, "I learned it in the Sect, the Yuan Magnetic Formation is a secret formation, not something general Formation Masters would learn."


    "The external Formation Masters hired by the Dao Court may know the basic Yuan Magnetic Formation, but they most likely wouldn''t know how to restore Magnetic Patterns."


    "Because restoring a Letter Token involves complex Formation principles¡­"


    He hadn''t even mastered it yet¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself and then continued sending messages:


    "Heaven Shu Pavilion externally hired Formation Masters, couldn''t ''restore'' it, so we had to find the central Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Daoist Court."


    "Heaven Shu Pavilion is affiliated with the Central Daoist Court and is responsible for Formation Master assessments. It''s rich in Formation Study and has countless Great Formation Masters, certainly capable of ''restoring" the Letter Token..."


    Mo Hua spoke logically and fluently.


    Gu Changhuai was expressionless.


    He didn''t want to admit that his actions had all been "guessed" by Mo Hua.


    But the fact was, Mo Hua guessed everything correctly, and everything he said was indeed true.


    Really like a "Minor Religious Con Artist"...


    Gu Changhuai: "Suppose so..."


    Mo Hua curiously asked, "Can it really be ''restored''?"


    Gu Changhuai: "Hard to say."


    Mo Hua drew a "speechless little face."


    Gu Changhuai, feeling helpless, sighed and explained:


    "''Restoring'' the Letter Token is quite troublesome, indeed, it has to be handled by Heaven Shu Pavilion..."


    "In the Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Central Daoist Court, I have an old friend, so I entrusted the Letter Token..."


    Mo Hua exclaimed, "Uncle Gu, you still have old friends?"


    Such a bad temper, not good with people, yet still has old friends...


    Gu Changhuai felt annoyed and sent a: "Do you still want to know?"


    "Oh oh."


    Mo Hua quickly behaved himself.


    Gu Changhuai gathered his thoughts and continued: "I handed over the Flower Gentleman''s Letter Token to Heaven Shu Pavilion, asking someone to ''restore'' it..."


    "But the process is long, costly, and the application procedures are complicated..."


    "The Yuan Magnetic Formations are rather obscure, not all Formation Masters are proficient in it."


    "And the Formation Masters who can really ''restore'' a Letter Token are all prominent Great Formation Masters, with very prestigious statuses, and limited time, hardly available to handle a second-grade case for the Daoist Court, to ''restore'' such a small Letter Token..."


    "Moreover, the Daoist Court Officials are subordinates of the Daoist Court, in terms of status, in terms of authority, even a fifth-grade Daoist Court Official is far less prestigious than any one of the Seven Stars Pavilion within Tian Shu Pavilion..."


    "Whether they''re willing to help depends on their time, their mood, and also their disposition..."


    Gu Changhuai said displeasedly: "Formation Masters really put on airs..."


    Mo Hua said, "I''m also a Formation Master, and I don''t put on airs!"


    Gu Changhuai looked down with disdain: "You''re not even a second-grade Formation Master, are you?"


    "I have the capability of a second-grade, just haven''t been assessed yet."


    "Oh," Gu Changhuai said noncommittally, "Every unassessed Formation Master says that."


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, deciding not to explain to Uncle Gu, this "Formation illiterate."


    Mo Hua said, "If... Heaven Shu Pavilion there doesn''t want to ''restore'' this Letter Token, let me try..."


    Gu Changhuai paused for a long time on the other side, no reply.


    After who knows how long, he replied with a single word:


    "You?"


    Mo Hua felt the strong doubt.


    He was somewhat unconvinced.


    Don''t underestimate the young due to poverty.


    Although he didn''t know how yet, he had already learned to unseal and decrypt, further ''restoring'' magnetic patterns was only a matter of time.


    He just needed to study a bit more himself.


    Mo Hua snorted coldly.


    Once he truly learned how to ''restore'' magnetic patterns, Uncle Gu would probably have to watch his "mood."


    He was a Supervisor, dealing with cases every day, sooner or later he would encounter a situation requiring the restoration of a Letter Token, by then he would definitely come asking for help...


    Thinking of Uncle Gu asking him for help, Mo Hua felt slightly victorious.


    But for now, since he didn''t know how, he still needed to keep a low profile.


    Mo Hua: "I''m learning it..."


    Gu Changhuai didn''t know what to say, so he replied noncommittally again:


    "Fine, talk when you''ve learned it..."


    "I''m busy, don''t bother me anymore."


    Gu Changhuai finished speaking and added two more lines:


    "Contact me only if it''s urgent!" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This Letter Token isn''t meant for you to chat with!"


    After that, Gu Changhuai disappeared from the conversation.


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    He was discussing serious matters...


    At most, he was just a bit talkative...


    What could be more serious than catching clues about Fire Buddha?


    If not this, what else could they talk about?


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Uncle Gu, what a man, no wonder he''s so unpopular, nobody wants to play with him.


    It''s only because I''m kind-hearted that I don''t mind his bad temper...


    Although I don''t mind it, I can''t be looked down upon either.


    Mo Hua decided to set aside other matters for now and learn how to ''restore'' the Letter Token first.


    One must stand up for oneself.


    Eventually, he would show Uncle Gu some "color."


    And Uncle Gu had also said that this kind of magnetic pattern ''restoration'' only Great Formation Masters from Heaven Shu Pavilion could do.


    Only Great Formation Masters!


    Then he must learn it too! To become a "Great Formation Master" in the future!


    Mo Hua nodded, then began flipping through the Merit Scrolls and some Yuan Magnetic Formation Books, studying the principles of magnetic pattern ''restoration'' in the Letter Token.


    He wanted to deepen his understanding of Yuan Magnetic Formations based on the knowledge of unsealing and decrypting, and grasp more profound applications of formation principles...

 Chapter 960: Restore

    "How do you ''restore'' the Letter Token?"


    After several days of exploration and a review of numerous Formation Books, combined with his own understanding of the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, Mo Hua had some ideas.


    Restoring the Letter Token was based on the principle of "Yuan Magnetic Letter Transfer."


    The Yuan Magnetic Formation in ordinary Jade Slips was a Single Formation.


    However, the Yuan Magnetic Formation involved in the Letter Token was a Compound Formation.


    The Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation required the Formation Pivot to control the transfer of Magnetic Patterns between different Yuan Magnetic Formations and the conveyance of messages. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Through the Letter Token in his hand, Mo Hua discovered:


    If he wanted to send a message to Uncle Gu, he first had to use his Divine Sense to manipulate the Magnetic Ink and reveal the text.


    As the text appeared and the Magnetic Ink changed, it would cause the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns to change.


    These Unfixed Magnetic Patterns would then be conveyed through subtle Secondary Thunder Patterns to the Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    The control of the Formation Pivot within the Fixed Magnetic Patterns and the sensing of Magnetic Patterns would transmit these pattern changes to another Letter Token within the same Compound Formation¡ªthe one belonging to Uncle Gu and the underlying Fixed Magnetic Patterns in his "Letter Token."


    Afterward, Uncle Gu''s Letter Token, via the underlying Fixed Magnetic Patterns, would receive the sensing.


    Then, through the processes of Secondary Thunder Patterns, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, Magnetic Ink, and text, this sensing would manifest as text.


    The entire process was the transmission of text information in one Letter Token, from the surface to the core, successively through Magnetic Ink, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, Secondary Thunder Patterns, Fixed Magnetic Patterns, and Formation Pivot sensing, to another Letter Token.


    The other Letter Token, from the core to the surface, through the underlying Fixed Magnetic Patterns, Secondary Thunder Patterns, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, Magnetic Ink in succession, ultimately manifested as text.


    When put together, this was a complete, complex cycle of the Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    These were not things he could learn at present.


    With his current level of Divine Sense, he could not learn this type of compound Yuan Magnetic Formation method.


    At least not until he had reached the Seventeen Patterns, Foundation Establishment Late Stage.


    Fortunately, to "restore" the text of the Letter Token, there was no need to master the entire set of Yuan Magnetic sensing in the Compound Formation, only to intercept the final segment of the Yuan Magnetic transmission.


    Once the text was transmitted, the entire process was fixed.


    Erasing the text merely erased the final Magnetic Ink and altered the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns; the other processes would not change.


    The Fixed Magnetic Patterns were immutable.


    The Magnetic Flow was the Secondary Thunder Flow, latent, fixed remnants of the Yuan Magnetic Flow within the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Thus, it was only necessary to reconstruct the Fixed Magnetic Patterns within the Letter Token.


    Concurrently, using Calculation, he peered into and recorded the traces left by the Magnetic Flow in the form of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    With the Fixed Magnetic Patterns and the Secondary Thunder Patterns, it was possible to simulate the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns.


    Once the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns were determined, they could be "restored" to text using Magnetic Ink.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    This entire set of Formation logic was something he had figured out on his own. It might have some flaws, but overall there should be no significant errors.


    Once a Letter Token was used, it inevitably produced Magnetic Flows, leaving traces of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Such Secondary Thunder Patterns were faint and obscure, invisible to ordinary cultivators.


    By integrating the Heavenly Secret Calculation to amplify his Divine Sense, he could observe these hidden traces of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Currently, the only issue was actually the Fixed Magnetic Patterns...


    Mo Hua realized that the Fixed Magnetic Patterns in different Letter Tokens were actually different.


    This was something he hadn''t realized before.


    It was after dismantling the Letter Token sent to him by Gu Changhuai that Mo Hua truly understood...


    Looking at the Letter Token in his hand, now split into two pieces, exposing the underlying Fixed Formation Pattern but slightly damaged due to his "crude" technique¡ªwith some cracks on the Jade Token¡ªit was already a "battle-damaged" version of the "Letter Token," and he couldn''t help but sigh...


    To study the Formation, Mo Hua "reluctantly" dismantled the Letter Token Uncle Gu gave him...


    He had three Tokens involving the Yuan Magnetic Letter Formation principle.


    The Taixu Token from Taixu Gate, he definitely couldn''t dismantle.


    Even if he wanted to, he lacked the ability...


    The Bald Eagle''s Letter Token also couldn''t be dismantled for the time being.


    There might be secrets inside. If damaged during dismantling, the secrets would be lost.


    So, after much consideration, he could only dismantle the Letter Token sent by Uncle Gu.


    If destroyed, at most he would apologize to Uncle Gu, but there wouldn''t be much loss.


    Through this "learning by doing" disassembly, Mo Hua truly understood some of the Formation logic inside.


    He also realized that if he wanted to restore the "Magnetic Patterns" to recreate the "text," the biggest obstacle at present was the Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    Because Mo Hua discovered he couldn''t understand the Fixed Magnetic Patterns within the Letter Token...


    Having learned the Fixed Magnetic Patterns in the Second Grade Sixteen Patterns, Beacon Fire Yuan Magnetic Formation by heart...


    But the Fixed Formation Patterns in the Letter Token were a complete mystery to him.


    Although similar in form to each other, the variation in details was vast.


    It was clear they were a type of Formation Pattern, but it was impossible to discern what precisely these specific Formation Patterns meant.


    This was different from the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation Patterns.


    While variations exist in the Five Elements Bagua Formation Patterns, the basic styles were the same.


    It was clear what each Formation Pattern corresponded to within the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, such as the Fire-series Formation Patterns naturally symbolizing "Fire."


    But the Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns were very abstract, more like a type of "self-explanatory" or "ideographic" text.


    There was no clear indication of what they were exactly "symbolizing".


    And the functionality recorded in Jade Slips, Letter Tokens, even Taixu Tokens, was all decided by the Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    Not understanding the meaning of these Fixed Magnetic Patterns, in the future, learning Yuan Magnetic type Formations would probably be limited to "imitating without true understanding."

 Chapter 961: Restoration (2)

    He knew the how but not the why.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He had originally thought that mastering the "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation" meant he had at least entered the gate of learning; yet he realized he had merely scratched the surface following a template.


    The deeper he studied, the more complex and profound things became.


    "The meanings behind the Fixed Magnetic Pattern..."


    Mo Hua took out the Taixu Token again, flipped through the "Merit Roll," but after a long search, he found no Formation Diagrams, Formation Books, or Formation Explanation about the "Fixed Magnetic Pattern"...


    "Taixu Gate doesn''t have it?"


    "It shouldn''t be possible..."


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua went to the Elder''s Residence after class and found Elder Master Xun.


    "Fixed Magnetic Pattern?"


    Elder Master Xun was surprised.


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Elder Master, I want to know what meanings are behind the Fixed Magnetic Pattern..."


    Elder Master Xun was somewhat conflicted.


    This again exceeded the scope of formation teachings he expected...


    And it was getting more detailed...


    For those topics within the heritage scope, Mo Hua could ask, and he could answer without hesitation, freely sharing knowledge.


    But this child always asked questions beyond the syllabus...


    Not telling him would leave him to grasp blindly, which might lead to learning something misguided, which wasn''t good.


    But telling him¡ªthese things were not meant for someone of his age or cultivation level.


    Learning too advanced concepts without a framework, no one knew what he might end up mastering...


    Elder Master Xun frowned and pondered.


    "Elder Master?" Mo Hua asked tentatively, "Is this kind of information too confidential for you to teach?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Master Xun came back to his senses and nodded slightly, "Generally speaking, it''s not something that is taught..."


    Formation Masters in the Sect usually wouldn''t need to use it.


    But since Mo Hua wanted to learn...


    Elder Master Xun thought for a moment and sighed.


    Then, he would teach...


    This child was different from the others; his progress in formations was already very fast, and his foundation was solid; there was no need to restrain him.


    If he wanted to learn, then let him learn.


    If he didn''t teach him, sooner or later, if Mo Hua encountered problems, he might not come to ask for his advice.


    The child was clever, and left to his own devices, he would definitely discover some tricks.


    But whether these tricks were good or bad, right or wrong, that was hard to say.


    If he learned incorrectly or developed bad habits, and followed an evil path in formations, it would be too late for regrets.


    By teaching him, if he had questions, he could still monitor and prevent him from straying onto the wrong path unknowingly.


    He would also prevent the child from wasting time and talent on pointless minutiae.


    However, he couldn''t let others know...


    To avoid others claiming favoritism.


    After giving it some thought, Elder Master Xun whispered, "I will only teach you secretly, you must learn secretly, don''t tell anyone..."


    Secretly learning...


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, "Rest assured, Elder Master."


    He was familiar with this!


    Elder Master Xun then explained gently,


    "The Fixed Magnetic Pattern is a rather special Formation Pattern, which is different from the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, as well as other Eryi and Three Talents Formation Patterns..."


    "Other Patterns are derived from nature, dictated by the universe."


    "But the Fixed Magnetic Pattern is a product of the development of Formation Study, heavily marked by ''human customization''..."


    "This means, if you don''t understand the formation meanings ''artificially'' imbued within Fixed Magnetic Pattern, it''s very difficult to discern from just the pattern itself."


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    No wonder...


    He was used to observing the Fixed Magnetic Pattern through traditional formation thinking, which is why it felt so discordant.


    Elder Master Xun continued, "Think of the Fixed Magnetic Pattern as a specific type of ''text''."


    "Text?" Mo Hua was taken aback.


    "Correct," Elder Master Xun nodded, "The Fixed Magnetic Pattern is actually a set of patterns, based on the foundational Eight Trigrams Patterns, that are custom-derived by humans to explain the functionalities of the Yuan Magnetic Formation which contain multiple variations and also have rich implications."


    "So, it''s more like a special set of ''texts''."


    Elder Master Xun then took out a pen and on a blank space of a Formation Diagram draft, wrote a few Formation Patterns, and then asked Mo Hua,


    "Do you know what these patterns mean?"


    Mo Hua looked carefully and shook his head.


    He only knew that these were types of Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns, but he had no idea about their specific meanings.


    Elder Master Xun then picked up the pen again and added text annotations behind each pattern:


    Mo Hua.


    Fifteen years old.


    Taixu Gate entry-level disciple.


    Place of origin: Li State, Second Grade Big Black Mountain State Boundary, Tongxian City.


    Privileges: Taixu Gate Outer Gate Primary Rank Disciple;


    Status: Second-grade Junior Formation Master.


    ...


    "Is this..." Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat, "the Fixed Magnetic Pattern in the Taixu Token?"


    Elder Master Xun nodded, "Correct, the lowest layer of patterns in your Taixu Token, some of it consists of these Fixed Magnetic Patterns..."


    "However, the Taixu Token is securely sealed, and you can''t see these patterns."


    "And even if you did see them, you wouldn''t understand."


    "Because you don''t know what these Fixed Magnetic Patterns mean, more colloquially, you can''t read these ''texts'' that are ''compiled'' from magnetic patterns..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, and he suddenly understood, then promptly asked,


    "So, Elder Master, how should I learn this Fixed Magnetic Pattern?"


    Elder Master Xun''s expression was subtle, "You want to learn?"


    Mo Hua honestly nodded.


    Elder Master Xun was reluctant, "It''s too complicated and extremely time-consuming. You''d be better off practicing the Bagua Formation Method more often..."

 Chapter 962: Reduction (3)

    Mo Hua''s eyes were clear and filled with curiosity.


    "Then please teach me a little..."


    Elder Master Xun was somewhat unable to refuse when he looked into Mo Hua''s sparkling eyes, brimming with a desire for knowledge.


    He thought for a while and finally softened his heart with a sigh.


    "I''ll only teach you a little..."


    "Okay."


    Elder Master Xun paused to think, then asked, "If you wanted to learn a foreign language, what would you need?"


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and cautiously replied, "A dictionary?"


    Elder Master Xun nodded, "Correct, you''d need a dictionary."


    He continued, "The same principle applies to Fixed Magnetic Patterns..."


    "You can consider them as ''words'' coded in Formation Patterns. If you want to learn, naturally, you need to find a ''Formation Pattern Dictionary'' to cross-reference, so you can understand what each Magnetic Pattern corresponds to."


    "What Magnetic Patterns you need to draw to express your intent..."


    "In the future..."


    At this point, Elder Master Xun''s heart skipped a beat, feeling that he had inadvertently spoken of something "dangerous"...


    Elder Master Xun frowned, then felt slightly annoyed.


    Every time he taught Mo Hua something, this kind of "omen" would appear.


    Sometimes, even when he hadn''t taught much, this "omen" would still surface...


    It was endless...


    To hell with it, he didn''t care anymore!


    Elder Master Xun became stern, his temper flaring. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, with his Heavenly Secret Calculation, though not mastered, but still passable, he had somewhat extrapolated.


    This omen should not be too detrimental to the Taixu Gate.


    Since it posed no harm to the Taixu Gate, he couldn''t manage what was outside of it.


    A Sect is established for preaching, mentoring, and resolving doubts.


    He couldn''t possibly, because of some unclear "omen," become so overly cautious that he neglected such a promising disciple by teaching him nothing, right?


    Upon this thought, Elder Master Xun felt a sense of relief, his mind clear.


    He considered for a moment and took out a thin booklet.


    "Inside, there are Annotations on Unfixed Magnetic Patterns..."


    "You can take a look when you''re free, but still, don''t waste too much time. This stuff has a narrow application scope. Don''t obsess over it, straying from the main path to minor details, wasting your time¡­"


    "Okay," Mo Hua replied hastily, "Thank you, Elder Master!"


    He eagerly took the "Annotations on Unfixed Magnetic Patterns," holding it delicately. He browsed through it briefly; the content was not much, so he softly asked:


    "Elder Master, is there more?"


    This "dictionary" seemed a bit sparse...


    Elder Master Xun shook his head, "That''s it! If you can learn this, it''s already quite good."


    "But what if I finish learning it..."


    Elder Master Xun interjected, "Even then, there''s no more."


    Mo Hua was skeptical, "You don''t have more either?"


    Elder Master Xun glanced at Mo Hua and explained:


    "Formation is profound and complex with many categories. Even the most talented Formation Master cannot master everything in a lifetime..."


    "Not to hide from you," Elder Master Xun candidly said, "I''ve only delved a bit into Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, so my research isn''t deep, and that''s all the ''Annotations'' I have... no more."


    Mo Hua felt that Elder Master Xun was not telling the truth, but he had no evidence.


    Besides, Elder Master Xun had high prestige, and logically, shouldn''t need to deceive him...


    Mo Hua then asked, "Where can I find more?"


    "Taoist Court," Elder Master Xun said.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, "Taoist Court?"


    Elder Master Xun nodded. "These Magnetic Pattern Annotations involving secret communications are most completely collated by the Taoist Court, but unless you''re part of the Court, you probably won''t have access..."


    Those inside the Court...


    Mo Hua, hiding his disappointment, commented:


    "Alright then..."


    "Measure your abilities and don''t be greedy," Elder Master Xun advised Mo Hua again.


    Mo Hua agreed repeatedly. Having finished his questioning, he stood up, bid his farewell, and left.


    Elder Master Xun watched Mo Hua leave, not thinking much of it.


    ...


    After returning, Mo Hua started studying the Fixed Magnetic Pattern Annotations.


    His Divine Sense had reached a bottleneck, and his Formation knowledge was stuck at Sixteen Patterns; he couldn''t learn any more advanced Formations.


    He prioritized honing his Divine Sense and reinforcing his foundations when practicing Formation at the Taoist Stele at night.


    So, learning any Formation wasn''t much different.


    Then, Mo Hua dedicated all his spare time to studying the "Fixed Magnetic Pattern Annotations."


    Mastering the "foreign language" of Formation was crucial.


    And this matter was not as difficult as Mo Hua had imagined.


    It just required a lot of time to memorize, practice, and integrate.


    For Mo Hua, who possessed the "Taoist Stele," this was nothing challenging.


    So, Mo Hua studied intensively for about half a month, practicing day and night, and could almost grasp Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    He could initially express his intentions in Formation Patterns through "Fixed Magnetic Patterns."


    The "Fixed Magnetic Pattern Annotations" given by Elder Master Xun, although thin, covered a wide range and were very practical.


    After learning them, Mo Hua could finally "understand" the intentions expressed by the Fixed Magnetic Patterns on the Letter Token.


    As for more, more comprehensive, and more profound "dictionaries" of Fixed Magnetic Patterns...


    He could consider devising ways to "plunder resources" from the Taoist Court when he had time.


    But for now, he would try to "restore" a Letter Token!


    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted, and after some consideration, he decided to start practicing with the "Letter Token" Uncle Gu had given him.


    If it broke, he could still repair it.

 Chapter 963: Restoration (4)

    It also made it convenient for himself to verify if the "restored" text was correct.


    Mo Hua then sent a few more messages like "Uncle Gu, are you there?" and waited for Gu Changhuai''s reply before erasing these responses.


    Afterward, he began to simulate on another Array Plate, attempting to "restore" the Magnetic Patterns.


    First, Mo Hua replicated a set of Fixed Magnetic Patterns, exactly like those in the Letter Token.


    With the "Annotations on Fixed Magnetic Patterns" given by Elder Master Xun, the Fixed Magnetic Patterns now looked more like a set of straightforward explanatory "text" rather than Formation Patterns.


    It was like a secret message that had been decrypted, clearing the fog and revealing the true meaning:


    The entire sequence of the Letter Token, the direction of communication, the method of conduction, the logic of the text, and so on...


    Mo Hua could see it all clearly, plain as day.


    After duplicating the underlying Fixed Magnetic Patterns, Mo Hua recorded the traces of the "Secondary Thunder Pattern" from the magnetic flow transmitted during the recent Letter Token communication.


    Then, on the Array Plate, Mo Hua started to simulate the operation of the Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    Just as Mo Hua had anticipated before:


    A set of pre-established Fixed Magnetic Patterns, plus a predetermined Secondary Thunder Pattern, after a series of Original Magnet inductions, indeed generated a special Unfixed Magnetic Pattern.


    And through Magnetic Ink, this Unfixed Magnetic Pattern revealed texts on the Array Plate:


    "Talk business, don''t ask ''are you there''?!"


    "Didn''t I tell you not to chat with me if there''s nothing important?"


    "What''s the matter?"


    "Why aren''t you responding?"


    ...


    Indeed, these were the very words that Uncle Gu had sent him through the Letter Token and that he had erased!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Seeing that Uncle Gu hadn''t received a reply yet, Mo Hua texted back:


    "Are there any updates on the Fire Buddha clues?"


    He had been secluded in the Sect studying Formation techniques, and for the past half a month, he hadn''t heard any clues about the Fire Buddha.


    After a moment of silence from the other side, as if hesitant, Gu Changhuai said, "Visit the Gu Family in a couple of days after the Shier break. I''ll tell you then..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Was there an accident?


    Or was it due to some taboo, which is why it couldn''t be spoken of through the Letter Token?


    Mo Hua couldn''t figure it out and replied:


    "Okay."


    After that, Gu Changhuai sent no further messages.


    Mo Hua shook his head and stopped dwelling on it.


    Whatever the matter was, he would ask Uncle Gu in person when he visited the Gu Family in two days.


    He just didn''t know where this Fire Buddha could possibly be hiding; it was proving so elusive...


    After all, a massacre followed by a fire that burned the bodies had caused such an uproar, yet afterward, it vanished without a trace...


    Mo Hua felt something was not right.


    He felt a sense of urgency since there was still a day before the biweekly Shier break, and his mind was somewhat distracted.


    Suddenly, he remembered something. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Bald Eagle''s Letter Token.


    Now that he could restore Magnetic Patterns, couldn''t he also recover the content inside the Bald Eagle''s Letter Token?


    What could be in the Bald Eagle''s Letter Token?


    Although it might not be related to the Fire Buddha, Mo Hua was still very curious.


    With some time to spare before visiting Uncle Gu''s place, he decided to "restore" the Bald Eagle''s Letter Token first...


    Mo Hua''s spirits lifted.


    Without delay, he proceeded in the same manner, dismantling the Bald Eagle''s Letter Token, duplicating the underlying Magnetic Patterns, and recording the traces of the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Then, on another Array Plate, he began the reconstruction...


    After spending most of the day, text began to appear on the Magnetic Ink of the Array Plate:


    ...


    "June 10th, Yun Cang City, sows, six..."


    "12th, in the outskirts of Qing Yun City, ducks, three..."


    "July, Jin City, chicks, eight..."


    "20th, Baihua, obtained one Immortal Crane, gifted to the young master..."


    "October, Liu Shan City, total of twenty cows and horses..."


    ...


    Mo Hua looked at these, utterly baffled.


    "What on earth..."


    Was this Bald Eagle also in the trade of Spiritual Livestock?


    Mo Hua stared at these texts again, a chilling suspicion slowly creeping up on him.


    "These Spiritual Livestock, couldn''t possibly be..."


    Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened, his expression grave.

 Chapter 964: Clue

    "These ''Spiritual Livestock,'' are they actually people?"


    Chickens, ducks, cattle, horses, sows, cranes¡ª are these all nicknames for different cultivators?


    Mo Hua''s pupils contracted slightly.


    On the Letter Token was an "account book."


    The account recorded a large quantity of transactions.


    This meant that the Bald Eagle and his group...


    They weren''t just simply "kidnapping," they were likely conducting large-scale trafficking of cultivators behind the scenes.


    Treating people like "Spiritual Livestock" to be trafficked!


    Mo Hua''s gaze turned cold; Bald Eagle, that damn bastard, got off too easy with his death...


    Looking at the restored lengthy "Spiritual Livestock account," Mo Hua''s brows furrowed slightly, his mind filled with doubts.


    Bald Eagle''s abilities were strong, but not to the extent that he could independently run today''s large-scale illegal "business."


    He might have been just a minor leader.


    Just one link in the entire "trafficking chain."


    Surely there were more Sin Cultivators along this trafficking chain.


    And yet, such large-scale trafficking of cultivators was happening without raising any apparent alarm¡ªoutwardly all seemed calm and undisturbed.


    This meant that the Bald Eagle and his cohorts must have had a long-standing and stable criminal operation.


    A deeply-rooted interest network.


    Perhaps even a "black umbrella" shrouding them from behind...


    It was very possible that behind them stood some "Great cultivator," who had concealed their deeds from the Heavenly secret...


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, sighed, and silently stored the "Letter Token" into his Storage Ring.


    This matter was beyond his reach for now...


    In the future, when he had strength and connections, or after uncovering the secrets within, only then would he think of a way to investigate this matter thoroughly.


    Before that, the Letter Token must not be known by anyone else.


    Otherwise, it would surely bring disaster upon him.


    As a mere cultivator, alone in the Qianxue State Boundary without any support, if he overreached and rashly involved himself in such matters, he might catch the attention of the "hidden hands" behind the scenes, and his very life could be in jeopardy.


    Even if Elder Master Xun and Aunt Wan wished to protect him, it was uncertain if they could...


    One shouldn''t rely too much on others.


    Nor should one cause them too much trouble.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    His master had warned him that the protruding nail gets hammered down first.


    As strong as his master was, adept in the Heavenly Secret Calculation as if it was second nature, he was still calculated against, falling into dire straits, his fate unknown.


    Less capable than his master, if he wanted to survive, he had to learn to "hide."


    To "hide" within cause and effect.


    Even if he revealed himself, he had to position himself somewhere "inconspicuous."


    With his mind made up, Mo Hua stored away Bald Eagle''s "Letter Token" and temporarily ceased to think about it.


    The matter at hand was to catch Fire Buddha.


    ...


    The next day was a break day.


    Mo Hua, leading Yu Er and protected by Wenren Wei, stepped into a splendid carriage, leaving the serene and ancient Taixu Gate, heading to the Gu Family in Qingzhou City.


    Upon arriving at the Gu family, Yu Er went to report on her studies to Wenren Wan.


    In a family with strict traditions and the disciples of a direct lineage, the requirements for cultivation were very strict.


    Previously, Yu Er had been troubled by nightmares, weak and feeble, so naturally, her cultivation had fallen behind.


    But now, with Yu Er staying by Mo Hua''s side, well-fed and rested, replete with vital energy, she would naturally make up for the cultivation lessons she had missed.


    After seeing Wenren Wan, Mo Hua greeted her, exchanged some pleasantries, and then went to find Gu Changhuai.


    A Gu family disciple led the way, bringing Mo Hua to Gu Changhuai''s study.


    Gu Changhuai''s study was immaculate and dust-free, exquisite and luxurious.


    It was clearly the study of a pampered, esteemed family''s disciple.


    A colorful peacock was embroidered on a nearby screen, proudly displaying its feathers with an air of arrogance¡ªquite ostentatious.


    This fit Mo Hua''s "stereotypical" impression of Uncle Gu.


    The guiding Gu family disciple only led Mo Hua to the door before bowing and leaving. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua stood outside the study, glancing inside to see what Uncle Gu might be doing.


    Knowing Mo Hua had arrived, Gu Changhuai sighed,


    "Come in."


    Mo Hua confidently entered.


    Gu Changhuai sat at a rosewood desk inlaid with gold.


    Mo Hua looked around and, seeing no seats in front of the desk, moved a stool from the side to face Gu Changhuai and sat down opposite him.


    Gu Changhuai sighed again.


    This kid, he''s too familiar with himself...


    Mo Hua then began to discuss official matters.


    "Uncle Gu, is there a lead on Fire Buddha?"


    Although Mo Hua could tell from Uncle Gu''s complexion that there were likely no leads and little progress, he still asked out of formality.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head but clearly didn''t want to say much.


    "That..." Mo Hua continued to ask, "Has the Letter Token from Flower Gentleman been restored?"


    Gu Changhuai''s expression soured, "No, it can''t be restored..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, but he still expressed regret.


    Gu Changhuai silently watched Mo Hua, frowning,


    "Why do you seem... rather happy about that?"


    "No, not at all..."


    Mo Hua''s words were a tad insincere.


    He had studied the Yuan Magnetic Formation exactly for the purpose of "restoring" the Magnetic Patterns and recovering the erased text in the Letter Token.


    If someone else had restored it, his efforts would have been in vain.


    Gu Changhuai was somewhat puzzled and didn''t know what to say.


    Mo Hua then tentatively whispered,


    "Uncle Gu, how about you let me try?"


    Gu Changhuai looked bewildered, "Let you try what?"


    "The Letter Token!"


    Gu Changhuai eyed Mo Hua skeptically, "Don''t tell me, in these few days, you''ve already learned how to ''restore'' the Magnetic Patterns of the Letter Token?"


    Mo Hua nodded with a sense of "modesty."


    Gu Changhuai was silent.

 Chapter 965: Clue (2)

    He was actually somewhat inclined to believe, and willing to believe, yet logic made it difficult for him to do so.


    Yuan Magnetic Formations were classified as secret formations, which general cultivators would not learn, and even if they did, mastery was unlikely.


    Even if they mastered them, most were adept at constructing formations.


    To reverse-engineer a formation, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter.


    The categories of formations were diverse and boundless; even some Great Formation Masters could not master all of them.


    Specialization is pivotal in any craft.


    And so it was with formations.


    Mo Hua was too young; it would be impressive enough if he had solidly learned some basic formations.


    The restoration of Magnetic Patterns was a niche method, requiring profound specialty¡ªwhere would he have found enough Divine Sense and time to delve into it...


    Gu Changhuai shook his head.


    "Uncle Gu, you don''t believe me..." said Mo Hua.


    "Nonsense..."


    Mo Hua, confused, asked, "What''s there not to believe..."


    "You expect me to believe whatever you say?" Gu Changhuai glared at Mo Hua irritably, "Why don''t you also claim you''ve led the construction of a Large Formation?"


    Mo Hua''s expression became slightly difficult to read.


    Gu Changhuai sneered, "What, have you really led the construction of a Large Formation?"


    "If I say yes, would you believe me?"


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua expressionlessly, "I only lack mastery in formations, not genuinely ''Formation Blind''..."


    Leading the construction of a Large Formation...


    You little brat, what are you thinking?


    You''re blowing your own trumpet to the skies...


    "I truly have learned to restore Magnetic Patterns!"


    Gu Changhuai remained skeptical.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    There was nothing he could do.


    Actions speak louder than words, it seemed he would only have to prove himself after all.


    Mo Hua took out a Letter Token and handed it to Gu Changhuai:


    "Uncle Gu, use this Letter Token to send a secret message on it without letting me know, then erase it, and I''ll ''restore'' it for you to see..."


    Before Mo Hua could finish, he saw Gu Changhuai''s expression abruptly change, staring at the Letter Token with a face full of disbelief.


    "This..."


    "This is..."


    Gu Changhuai pointed at the Letter Token, which was riddled with cracks and tattered, his hand trembling, his voice tinged with anger,


    "Is this the Letter Token I gave you?"


    "How did you break it so soon?!"


    Mo Hua felt a bit guilty, but still corrected him:


    "It''s not broken!"


    Gu Changhuai coldly looked at Mo Hua, his face saying "keep talking, let''s hear how you try to justify this."


    Mo Hua blinked and said:


    "It''s just... Accidentally, I happened to take it apart and it got a bit cracked, not very pretty, but I have fixed it!"


    "While it looks a bit worn, it''s fully functional and won''t affect its use."


    Mo Hua said earnestly, "A person of Tao Cultivation should not be blinded by appearances but should instead value the true utility of things..."


    Gu Changhuai replied coldly, "You seem to know quite a lot, breaking things and still being able to spout all sorts of justifications..."


    Seeing Uncle Gu still angry, Mo Hua quickly added, "That''s not the point..."


    "I did it to learn how to restore Magnetic Patterns..."


    "The sacrifice of this Letter Token was worthwhile!"


    Mo Hua said with conviction.


    "Alright, alright..."


    Gu Changhuai, still fuming, took back the Letter Token, sent several messages, erased them himself, and then tossed the Letter Token back to Mo Hua.


    "Restore it and tell me what words I just sent."


    "Okay, okay."


    Mo Hua was confident.


    He took out a compass, copied the Fixed Formation Patterns at the bottom layer, then with his Divine Sense peeked and recorded the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Through the Array Plate, combining Fixed Magnetic Patterns with Secondary Thunder Patterns, he proceeded to infer.


    Gu Changhuai saw Mo Hua''s composed expression, his skillful hands drawing a bunch of Formation Patterns he had never seen before, and performing the complex inference with finesse; his anger slowly turned to amazement.


    Although he couldn''t understand, he knew that such a method of inference was nothing common...


    On the Array Plate beside him, Magnetic Ink began to coalesce, slowly revealing a few words:


    "Little scoundrel..."


    Mo Hua''s face brightened, then he paused and looked at Gu Changhuai unhappily.


    "Little scoundrel... You''re not talking about me, are you?"


    Gu Changhuai ignored Mo Hua''s displeasure.


    He was utterly stunned, looking at Mo Hua with disbelief, "You... really restored it?"


    Such a feat was something only a Great Formation Master of the Heaven Shu Pavilion could do...


    You, a junior Foundation Establishment cultivator, learned this too?


    Mo Hua, seeing his shock and his inexperienced demeanor, decided not to fuss about being called a "little scoundrel."


    Mo Hua spoke proudly:


    "I''ve been learning formations from Elder Master Xun..."


    "Elder Master Xun..."


    Gu Changhuai paused, then showed respect.


    Although he didn''t know the exact status of Elder Master Xun mentioned by Mo Hua, to teach formations at Taixu Gate, one of the Eight Great Gates, and being referred to as "Elder Master," his seniority was undoubtedly profound, and so must be his mastery of formations.


    With such a Formation Master teaching Mo Hua, everything seemed to add up...


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with newfound regard.


    But to truly let Mo Hua attempt to "restore" the Flower Gentleman''s Letter Token, Gu Changhuai still felt uneasy.


    Seeming to read Gu Changhuai''s mind, Mo Hua asked:


    "Uncle Gu, where is the Flower Gentleman''s Letter Token now?"


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment before slowly speaking:


    "It has been returned from the Heaven Shu Pavilion..."


    Gu Changhuai, displeased, "The formation masters at the Heaven Shu Pavilion, they''re either too high in status for me to request assistance, or they don''t have time, or they find it troublesome... In any case, no one is willing to take on this task for the Taoist Court..."


    "Then you''ll just have to rely on me, huh..." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua''s eyes gleamed brightly.

 Chapter 966: Clue (3)

    Gu Changhuai choked and sighed helplessly, "Follow me to the Taoist Court. I''ll give you the Letter Token. Try it¡­"


    "Uh-huh!"


    Mo Hua kept nodding energetically.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head. He hadn''t expected that he, a dignified Golden Core Realm Supervisor, would resort to relying on a novice cultivator to find clues¡­


    But under someone''s roof, one has no choice but to bow their head¡­ S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai informed Wenren Wan and then, together with Mo Hua, set off back to the Taoist Court.


    Gu Changhuai went through some procedures and retrieved the Letter Token of Flower Gentleman.


    It was a jade plaque that bore the color of emerald amidst its creamy whiteness.


    Mo Hua examined it, then sent his Divine Sense inside to peek at the Letter Token, finding it blank as all content had been erased.


    Mo Hua looked for a while, saw no evidence of "sealing" or "encryption" in the Letter Token, and then handed it back to Gu Changhuai.


    "Uncle Gu, help me open it¡­"


    He was afraid that if he tried, he might damage it.


    Gu Changhuai wanted to open it, but hesitated before starting.


    He feared that Mo Hua''s lack of skill might ruin the Formation Patterns inside.


    However, thinking it through, even if they restored it for Heaven Shu Pavilion, it would still be damaged if it were meant to be damaged.


    There was no one-hundred-percent reliable method of "restoration."


    Now, without taking a gamble, once the Fire Buddha ran away, even if the Letter Token was truly restored, it would be of no use.


    Upon this thought, Gu Changhuai made up his mind.


    Swiftly, he opened the Letter Token, with a delicate touch and skilled movements.


    After opening it, the underlying Formation Patterns were exposed, and Gu Changhuai handed the Letter Token to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua immediately began to copy the Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    The Fixed Magnetic Patterns of the Letter Tokens were all different.


    This Letter Token''s Fixed Magnetic Patterns were also considerably different from those of the Bald Eagle.


    Mo Hua copied the Fixed Magnetic Patterns onto an Array Plate, and then, by studying the "Annotations on Fixed Magnetic Patterns," he barely understood the meaning of these Magnetic Patterns.


    The functional Magnetic Patterns were generally the same.


    It was just the habit of "drawing" the Magnetic Patterns that showed variations.


    But the most different aspect was that this Letter Token was actually one-way.


    It could only receive messages and not transmit text.


    "Fire Buddha and his people are very cautious¡­"


    Subsequently, Mo Hua followed the procedure, using the Fixed Magnetic Patterns as a base, and taking the Secondary Thunder Pattern as a magnetic flow "contract" trace, he began to re-derive.


    Soon, text began to emerge on the Array Plate¡­


    Gu Changhuai''s heart trembled.


    "It really¡­ restored it¡­"


    He quietly glanced at Mo Hua, his feelings fluctuating. Then he turned his head and focused on the text restored on the Array Plate.


    Due to the ever-changing Secondary Thunder Pattern, Mo Hua''s observation, acute as it was, still allowed some oversights.


    As such, there were some inaccuracies in the text,


    And the sequence was disordered.


    But overall, it was still comprehensible¡­


    ¡­


    "Hua Laoliu¡­ where are you?"


    "If this goes wrong, we''re all dead¡­"


    "Damn it¡­"


    "November first¡­"


    "The whole family is extinct¡­"


    "Everything is ready, unseen and unheard¡­"


    "Bishan City, rouge shop¡­"


    ¡­


    "What''s so fun about those withered flowers and defiled willows?"


    "After success, the young master will reward you with premium goods, something you couldn''t even lick in your lifetime¡­"


    "Hua Lao Liu, don''t miss the hour."


    "Hua Laoliu?"


    "If you get lusty again and ruin the big plan, I will castrate you¡­"


    ¡­


    "The eldest brother is very angry, the consequences are very severe."


    "You''re definitely dead¡­"


    ¡­


    After reading these texts, Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai looked at each other, both frowning.


    "This tone doesn''t seem like Fire Buddha¡­"


    "It''s possible that it was sent by one of Fire Buddha''s subordinates¡­"


    There seemed to be few clues inside.


    Mainly, they were all already known information.


    Flower Gentleman and Fire Buddha were together; they planned to go to Bishan City to annihilate the Xie family.


    Besides that, there were two points that caught Mo Hua''s attention.


    One was "young master."


    "After the success, the young master will reward you with premium goods¡­"


    Who is this "young master"?


    Suddenly, Mo Hua recalled the "accounts" text restored from the Letter Token issued by the Bald Eagle, which included a record:


    "Day twenty, a hundred flowers, received one immortal crane, gifted to the young master¡­"


    One immortal crane, gifted to the "young master".


    Are these two references to "young master" referring to the same person?


    Or is it just a coincidence?


    After all, this is the Qianxue State Boundary, and there are too many family disciples, many of whom are called "young master."


    Mo Hua himself has been called "little young master"¡­


    Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai and asked softly,


    "Uncle Gu, do you know of any sin cultivator with a notorious reputation nicknamed ''young master''?"


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brows in thought and shook his head, "I haven''t heard of it¡­"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    If Uncle Gu hadn''t heard of it, it meant that it was very likely someone hidden in the shadows¡­


    Now the only clue was another place that caught Mo Hua''s attention.


    "Rouge shop."


    This was the only specific place mentioned in the entire Letter Token.


    It could be a meeting place.


    Or perhaps there was a lookout.


    It might even be their hiding place¡­


    Gu Changhuai had clearly thought of this too.


    "Uncle Gu, are there any rouge shops in Bishan City?" Mo Hua asked further.


    Gu Changhuai pondered, "There are a few¡­"


    "How about we take a look?" Mo Hua suggested tentatively.


    At this point, they had to check it out no matter what.


    Gu Changhuai nodded, stood up to leave, but after taking a few steps, he realized that Mo Hua, like a little tag-along, was following close behind, clearly wanting to go with him.


    Gu Changhuai didn''t want to take him along, but knowing full well he couldn''t get rid of Mo Hua, he didn''t waste any effort and just emphasized,


    "Three rules, don''t forget!"


    "Uh-huh." Mo Hua nodded.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, about to leave, but then seemed to remember something, his expression turning serious,


    "Don''t talk about restoring the Magnetic Patterns to anyone else."


    "Especially people from the Taoist Court¡­"


    Mo Hua was startled, then realized the gravity of the situation, and nodded slightly, "Don''t worry, I keep my mouth shut."


    Gu Changhuai was then reassured.


    Afterward, the two of them set out toward Bishan City by carriage.


    This trip was just for gathering information; Gu Changhuai did not summon a crowd, calling on others from the Taoist Court.


    The carriage sped along, bumping down the road, and soon reached Bishan City.


    Inside Bishan City, there were four rouge shops.


    Two larger ones were lavishly decorated, the scent of cosmetics potent, with men and women pairing up, bustling with activity.


    Another one, not doing well business-wise, was on the verge of closing.


    These three seemed to be without issues.


    The suspicious one was the last one.


    The shop was simply called "Rouge Shop," located in a small alley, neither too large nor too small, with very few customers and quite quiet.


    While the shop indeed displayed many rouges and powders, they were old, clearly unsold stock.


    Moreover, the entire shop exuded a peculiar, dissonant feeling.


    Occasionally, a cultivator would enter, but after a while, they all came out.


    Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai sat in a nearby teahouse, drinking a pot of tea and nibbling on two plates of pine nuts, all the while keeping an eye on the movements of the rouge shop.


    They didn''t act rashly, preferring to observe the situation first.


    After watching for over an hour, Mo Hua lightly exclaimed "eh".


    Gu Changhuai raised an eyebrow, "Did you notice something?"


    Mo Hua picked up his tea cup, took a sip of tea, then, without showing any expression, lowered his voice,


    "This shop has no customers¡­"


    "The patrons going in and out, despite being men and women of different appearances, are actually just one person¡­"


    Gu Changhuai displayed a hint of surprise, nodding his head.


    Seeing that he didn''t react much, Mo Hua curiously asked,


    "Uncle Gu, did you notice it too?"


    Gu Changhuai gave a light snort, "A mere trick to deceive the eyes; how could it fool me¡­"


    Mo Hua, somewhat annoyed by his arrogant attitude, then asked,


    "Then do you know who the cultivator disguising as the patrons is?"


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback.


    How could he know that?


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua, "Do you know?"


    Mo Hua lifted his eyebrows smugly.


    Gu Changhuai frowned in confusion, "How do you know?"


    Mo Hua said, "Because not long ago, it was I who caught him and sent him to the Taoist Prison!"

 Chapter 967: Jia Ren

    "He was a traitor from the Sever Gold Sect, stole something from the Xie family, and the Xie family issued a task to the Sect. Senior Sister Murong, Senior Brother Feng, and I took on the task, came to Bishan City to capture him, and then sent him to the Taoist Prison..."


    Mo Hua was succinct in her speech.


    "This person can disguise himself, his flesh can twist and transform, making his face unclear, and he cultivates the Sever Gold Sect''s Escape Gold Body Skill, turning into a golden light, running very fast..."


    Mo Hua added.


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze became slightly focused as he said in a deep voice,


    "Stole something from the Xie family..."


    "And afterward, the Xie family was exterminated..."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    She hadn''t thought of this detail before, but now seeing the Sever Gold Sect traitor here, she thought there was something very mysterious about it.


    Moreover...


    Mo Hua whispered, "How did he escape from the Taoist Prison? Could it be..."


    Is there a mole within the Taoist Court?


    Mo Hua left it unsaid, but Gu Changhuai clearly understood her implication, his expression becoming even more solemn.


    "I''ll have someone look into it."


    Gu Changhuai took out a golden waist token from the Taoist Court, apparently sending some kind of message.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Taoist Court waist tokens can also send messages? Then can mine..."


    "Yours can''t."


    "Why?"


    "External affiliation."


    Gu Changhuai was equally concise.


    Mo Hua, resigned, "Alright then..."


    What can I say if external affiliates don''t have rights? Doing the same work, getting different treatment.


    Mo Hua looked again at the rouge shop and asked,


    "Uncle Gu, what do we do next? Should we capture him?"


    Gu Changhuai sipped his tea and said indifferently,


    "No rush, let''s just watch for now..."


    If Gu Changhuai wasn''t in a hurry, then Mo Hua certainly wasn''t in a hurry either.


    She was also curious and wanted to know how Uncle Gu, a Supervisor in the Taoist Court, usually handled cases.


    How he found clues.


    How he captured people.


    Knowing oneself and the enemy, you will never be imperiled in a hundred battles.


    If...


    One day in the future, she were to be wanted by the Taoist Court and chased by Uncle Gu, how could she escape from his grasp...


    Of course, that was just a hypothetical. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, she was a good Cultivator in the Qianxue State Boundary, following the laws!


    A well-behaved Disciple of the Taixu Gate!


    Such a day wouldn''t come.


    But that didn''t prevent her from learning more and gaining some experience.


    The Cultivation World was deep and complex.


    Not only the spell points needed for cultivating Tao were to be learned, but understanding the ways of the world was also knowledge.


    Thus, Mo Hua patiently sat down again, continuing to drink her tea, watching Uncle Gu, and observing the rouge shop for any movements of the Sever Gold Sect traitor.


    The actions of the traitor were also strange.


    He came and went in the rouge shop.


    Every time he went in and out, he changed his face and his attire, seemingly not wanting to attract the attention of others.


    But Mo Hua noticed that every time he entered, he only had one Storage Bag on him.


    Yet when he left, he carried three or four Storage Bags.


    Mo Hua discreetly observed him with her Divine Sense and found he didn''t go far, only wandering aimlessly nearby with these Storage Bags.


    Bishan City was built against the steep mountains.


    Beside the streets, there were numerous cliffs and ravines, deep and unfathomable.


    He took the chance when people weren''t paying attention to throw those Storage Bags into these ravines.


    After disposing of them, he would come back to get more and continue the process...


    As if... discarding "trash."


    Plus, it seemed like he had been doing this for quite some time.


    Mo Hua, eating some pine nuts, leaned close to Gu Changhuai, asking in a low voice as if gossiping,


    "Uncle Gu, is he... disposing of the stolen goods?"


    Destroying the stolen goods...


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze sharpened, "Possibly..."


    "Should we... capture him now and seize both him and the goods?"


    Gu Changhuai shook his head.


    "He has been disposing of the stolen goods for a while now, clearly there is a lot, we should not act rashly..."


    "Catching him rashly may alert him."


    "If there are still minions or spies of the Fire Buddha nearby, once we act, we will be detected..."


    "We must wait for an opportunity to capture him quietly, out of sight..."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Gu Changhuai seemed about to say something else, but suddenly his expression changed, and he picked up the waist token to check something briefly before putting it away again.


    With sharp eyes, Mo Hua asked,


    "Did you find the mole?"


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua, sighing, "No..."


    "No?" Mo Hua frowned, "He was released from the Taoist Prison so soon, isn''t that because of a mole?"


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, "He was released in accordance with the rules."


    Mo Hua was surprised.


    Gu Changhuai continued, "I had someone check the records..."


    "This man''s name is Jia Ren, he has no prior record...


    The Xie family reported a theft from their vault, but they did not specify what was stolen, and nothing with the Xie family vault''s mark - no Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, or Secret Manuals - was found on him..."


    "There is no definitive proof of stealing."


    "Regarding the Sever Gold Sect..."


    "The Sever Gold Sect admitted they were mistaken; this person is not a disciple of theirs. The one who stole the Sever Gold Sect''s heritage and defected from them was someone else..."


    "Therefore, he''s not considered a traitor of the Sever Gold Sect."


    "The only charge that could be placed on him was that he acted as an ''undercover whore'' in an illegally established Brothel..."


    "But..."


    Gu Changhuai''s expression was somewhat complex, "He is also a man..."


    "So the Taoist Court could only detain him for one month under the charges of ''fraud'' and ''violating public morals,'' and afterwards he was released..."


    "What dark secrets were involved, we do not know, but at least on the surface, there were no problems..."


    Mo Hua was speechless.


    Is that even possible?


    She glanced again at this "Jia Ren," who had worn many disguises, each time appearing different, and inwardly mocked him.

 Chapter 968: Jia Ren (2)

    "That person would be strange if there weren''t any problems..."


    But with that came, even more, doubts:


    First, the Xie family...


    Did the Xie family really lose something?


    If so, what was lost?


    Was it "Jia Ren" who stole it?


    If nothing was lost, why would the Xie family lie?


    Does this matter have anything to do with the annihilation of the Xie family?


    Why did the Sever Gold Sect at first call this "Jia Ren" a traitor, but later adamantly deny it?


    What happened in between?


    The annihilation of the Xie family, the disappearance of the Fire Buddha...


    How exactly do these events relate to Jia Ren?


    As Mo Hua was pondering, he suddenly noticed a change in Jia Ren''s movements.


    A squad of Enforcement Leaders from Bi Mountain City Daoist Court Office, on routine patrol, passed by this area, alerting Jia Ren.


    He found it inconvenient to dispose of the stolen goods, so he pocketed three Storage Bags and chose a secluded path, heading toward the desolate mountains to the north.


    Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai''s eyes lit up as expected, placing down three Spirit Stones on the table before quickly standing up and leaving.


    Mo Hua estimated in his mind that the three Spirit Stones also covered his own tea bill, so he nodded contentedly and then stood up to leave, quietly following behind Gu Changhuai.


    The northern mountains behind Bishan City were even steeper.


    Jia Ren was extremely vigilant.


    He had disguised himself as a short, stocky Cultivator with a bamboo basket for gathering herbs, winding his way through the mountain paths, occasionally pausing to look back and stare into the mountains.


    Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua could only follow from a distance.


    Fortunately, both had strong Divine Senses, so there was no chance Jia Ren could escape.


    Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Gu, should we make our move?"


    Gu Changhuai nodded.


    "How do we catch him?" Mo Hua inquired further.


    They needed to capture him alive, quickly, accurately, to make it a swift battle without giving "Jia Ren" a chance to react or flee.


    Nor give him the chance to signal someone...


    Capturing someone was something Mo Hua was reasonably skilled at, but he still wanted to hear how Uncle Gu or, to say, the Daoist Court, would normally approach it.


    He had his own methods, and he wanted to check them against what Uncle Gu said ¨C that way, he could patch up any gaps and refine his technique.


    Gu Changhuai''s thoughts were focused on Jia Ren and the Fire Buddha, unsuspecting anything else, he calmly said,


    "On his unavoidable path, we set a trap, place a Formation for an ambush..."


    "On the ground we lay manacles, the manacles doused with poisonous Pills..."


    "For the Formation, we use the Sonic Explosion Array to momentarily stun him..."


    "And take the opportunity to subdue him..."


    "Then with a Spiritual Lock, we seal his limbs..."


    "We have to be thorough in our preparation, quick in action, and ruthless in our approach, not giving him the chance to counterattack, nor to commit suicide..."


    "This is the basic procedure for the Daoist Court''s arrests..."


    ...


    As Gu Changhuai was explaining, Mo Hua was nodding continuously.


    Although he knew some of the things already, the details of the methods were quite different and there were many practices he could learn from...


    After finishing, Gu Changhuai cautioned Mo Hua:


    "Remember the rules we''ve agreed upon: don''t make a move."


    "Uh-huh."


    Mo Hua replied. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly, then in a flash, he was traversing the rugged rocks, quickly reaching Jia Ren''s front.


    Mo Hua followed just as quietly.


    However, he only hid on the side, releasing his Divine Sense to carefully observe.


    Jia Ren, still unaware, kept walking forward.


    His destination was a cliff ahead.


    Before the cliff, Gu Changhuai laid out several specialized Daoist Court Array Plates, burying several manacles beneath the ground.


    His technique was skilled, movements crisp and swift.


    And the traps were well-placed.


    Mo Hua, with a humble attitude of learning, also silently committed the Daoist Court''s method and habits of setting traps to memory.


    Everything was ready; Gu Changhuai concealed himself nearby.


    Moments later, Jia Ren appeared.


    He looked left and right, saw nothing unusual, and stepped towards the cliff, meanwhile pulling out a Storage Bag, intending to throw it off the cliff.


    But after just a few steps, he heard a "clank" and a surge of intense pain.


    "No good!"


    Looking down, Jia Ren saw a manacle, like the jaws of a tiger, biting into his calf.


    The manacle was coated with a green poison.


    The poison seeped into his bloodstream, spreading throughout his body.


    A numbing sensation began to spread.


    Traps, anesthetic!


    Jia Ren''s expression changed dramatically, desperate, he tore a large chunk of flesh from his calf in agony to free himself from the manacle and turned to run.


    But at that moment, the Sonic Explosion Array at the corners detonated.


    Mo Hua, outside the Formation, could only hear a faint, muffled noise.


    But Jia Ren, within it, felt dizzy, his ears ringing with pain, his Divine Sense slowed for an instant.


    His flesh seemed to tremble with the sound waves.


    However, after a moment, a Jade Pendant on Jia Ren shattered, and a sheen of light flashed, and he regained his senses.


    "Daoist Court''s Sonic Explosion Array?"


    Jia Ren''s pupils contracted as he pulled a Rune from his body.


    But in a brief moment, a Wind Blade slashed across his arm, cutting a wound and causing the Rune to drop.


    The Wind Blade Skill was swift and sharp.


    Turning his head, Jia Ren saw the indifferent face of Gu Changhuai.


    Sensing Gu Changhuai''s presence, Jia Ren looked desperate.


    "Golden Core?!"


    Before Jia Ren could do anything, Gu Changhuai moved like the wind, closing the distance, clutching Jia Ren''s shoulder with one hand, his Spiritual Power surged, instantly crushing Jia Ren''s left arm.


    Jia Ren sweated coldly from the pain, his eyes filled with horror, and then with a flick of his right hand, he held a few Pills from his sleeve, trying to shove them into his mouth.

 Chapter 969: 641

    Gu Changhuai pointed with one hand, and a Wind Blade severed the tendons of Jia Ren''s right hand.


    Jia Ren''s right hand drooped, and several pills slid to the ground.


    The pills were a sinister green.


    With his extensive experience, Gu Changhuai recognized at a glance that these were deadly poison pills.


    "Thinking of suicide?"


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze narrowed slightly, sensing something amiss, he looked up just as Jia Ren had bitten through one of his teeth, attempting to swallow it.


    Was there poison hidden in the tooth?


    A cold light flashed in Gu Changhuai''s eyes, and he quickly grasped Jia Ren''s throat with his right hand while his left fist forcefully struck Jia Ren''s abdomen.


    Jia Ren groaned in pain and spat out the tooth containing poison.


    He tried to resist and struggle further, but his means were already exhausted. Even his attempts to seek death had been thwarted.


    Meanwhile, the anesthetic from the shackles had already spread throughout his body with his blood.


    Jia Ren sensed the dire situation, but his Divine Sense gradually grew dim and his eyes closed, fainting.


    Gu Changhuai took out a chain, locked up all four of Jia Ren''s limbs, removed his teeth, lifted him, and threw him behind a hidden boulder.


    Thus, Jia Ren was captured.


    Mo Hua looked on, somewhat dazed.


    This Uncle Gu was somewhat different from what she had expected.


    He appeared very arrogant, as if he didn''t regard others highly.


    Yet his actions were extremely meticulous.


    Even as a Golden Core Steward capturing a Foundation Building Cultivator, he was very serious and careful, planning meticulously, leaving no room for accidents.


    He didn''t give his opponent any chance to escape.


    Not even a chance to commit suicide!


    Mo Hua felt that she had learned a lot.


    Throughout the process, Mo Hua listened obediently to Gu Changhuai and did not rashly intervene.


    Now that Jia Ren had been subdued,


    Mo Hua came out from her hiding spot, ran up to Gu Changhuai, and looking at the unconscious Jia Ren, she expressed her surprise:


    "This Jia Ren, he actually thought of committing suicide?"


    She hadn''t encountered such a Sin Cultivator before, who, upon capture not seeing any way out, immediately sought death.


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brow and said in a heavy voice,


    "I had only acted as a precaution, doing everything that needed to be done, but I did not expect that this Jia Ren would indeed prefer death over falling into my hands¡­"


    "This means¡­"


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze slightly tensed up.


    Mo Hua chimed in, "¡­this person knows a lot, and has great secrets on him!"


    He might indeed be related to the Xie family massacre, and very possibly, he might know something about the Fire Buddha.


    Perhaps even more things¡­


    "Shall we interrogate him now?" Mo Hua asked.


    "Yes."


    Gu Changhuai nodded.


    But before that, a routine search of the Storage Bag was necessary.


    Gu Changhuai opened all four or five Storage Bags that Jia Ren originally intended to discard.


    A stench of blood wafted out.


    Sure enough, the contents were all "contraband."


    Among them were some Spiritual Artifacts, either Ghost Head Knives, Bone-picking Swords, or other sorts of blades used for gutting and flaying¡ªall, without exception, stained with blood.


    Mo Hua, upon seeing this blood, felt a buzzing in her head and a flash of red before her eyes.


    A sea of fire with Xie family Cultivators dying in agonized cries and the grotesque figures of their karmic mutations reemerged in her mind.


    "This is¡­ the blood of Xie family Cultivators," Mo Hua said gravely.


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback. "How do you know?"


    Mo Hua replied, "I figured it out¡­"


    Gu Changhuai, resigned, said, "Never mind, forget I asked¡­"


    Besides these bloodied weapons, there were also several "clean" Spiritual Artifacts.


    They had no blood and seemed unaffected by the killings.


    They were ordinary Spiritual Artifacts, not meant for combat.


    For lighting, ventilation, fire-proofing, dust removal, incense burning for meditation¡­ everything a Cultivator might need in daily life.


    Both Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai were a little taken aback.


    "Are these items from the Xie family?"


    "Did they kill the people of the Xie family and take their possessions?"


    But then, why discard them after taking them?


    It would make the theft pointless.


    It couldn''t be a spur-of-the-moment killing and looting.


    Maybe after calming down, they regretted their actions, feared discovery by the Taoist Court, and decided to discard the contraband to eliminate evidence¡­


    The group of Sin Cultivators with Fire Buddha, known for their ruthless killings, didn''t seem to be that type of people¡­


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze was scrutinizing as he pondered deeply.


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up with a realization, "Could they be... searching for something?"


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua, "Searching for something?"


    "Yes," Mo Hua pondered, "They annihilated the Xie family to find something from them..."


    "This Jia Ren initially went to the Xie family to steal this item..."


    "But he failed to steal it..."


    "And this item is very important, they must obtain it at all costs."


    "So, the Fire Buddha annihilated the Xie family."


    "They gathered all the Xie family''s possessions, meticulously searched through them, and then burned down the Xie family, erasing all traces..."


    "As for these items to be discarded..."


    "It''s because they searched and didn''t find it, so they decided to discard the excess..."


    "Also, these spiritual artifacts stained with the blood of the Xie family''s cultivators needed to be disposed of too..."


    "To avoid leaving any incriminating evidence for the Taoist Court to find..."


    "Or perhaps, to avoid leaving behind any karmic ties that could be traced back to them..."


    Destroying these "stolen goods" in an artifact furnace would create too much noise and take too long.


    It was better to use the terrain of Bishan City and discard these "stolen goods" in the deep cliffs, silently, unknowable to anyone.


    Even if they were discovered later, who knows how many years later that would be.


    Gu Changhuai was somewhat surprised.


    This child, his mind worked quickly, and his reasoning seemed plausible.


    He thought for a moment, then nodded, "That''s a possibility, but it''s just a possibility, let''s not jump to conclusions."


    "Assuming before the truth is known can easily lead us astray," Gu Changhuai reminded.


    "Yes."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Despite saying this, Mo Hua still felt that his guess might hold some possibility.


    At least, it was a line of thought.


    Gu Changhuai flipped through Jia Ren''s storage bag again.


    Jia Ren''s storage bag was quite ordinary.


    Like any common cultivator, it contained spirit stones, pills, spiritual artifacts, and some secret manuals and jade slips.


    But Mo Hua saw nothing special.


    On the jade slips, there were no seals, encryption, or signs of erasure.


    Clearly, Jia Ren was very cautious; he didn''t carry important items with him.


    Mo Hua examined everything once again.


    These items, while they provided evidence, offered few clues.


    It could only prove that Jia Ren was related to the annihilation of the Xie family and likely had helped scout beforehand and helped dispose of the loot afterwards, deeply involved from start to finish.


    But beyond that, there were no other clues.


    Especially any clues related to the Fire Buddha.


    In that case, they could only interrogate Jia Ren now.


    Gu Changhuai took out a pill, fed it to Jia Ren, and within 30 minutes, Jia Ren woke up frowning.


    He slowly opened his eyes.


    The first thing he saw was Gu Changhuai''s handsome but "loathsome" face.


    Gu Changhuai coldly asked, "Are you a man of the Fire Buddha?" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jia Ren just sneered coldly, resigning himself to death, remaining silent.


    Gu Changhuai continued to question:


    "Where is the Fire Buddha?"


    "Why annihilate the whole Xie family?"


    "What is your relationship with the Fire Buddha?"


    However, Jia Ren was as unresponsive as a walking corpse, unconcerned with life or death.


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brows, losing his patience.


    Under these circumstances, he had no choice but to resort to torture.


    Gu Changhuai took out a second-grade "branding iron," engraved with a Fire-series Formation, glowing red-hot, capable of charring flesh.


    Even though the branding iron inflicted severe pain, causing Jia Ren''s facial muscles to twitch, he still remained silent.


    Mo Hua, looking on, had a hard time watching.


    "Uncle Gu, your tool doesn''t seem to be effective..."


    Mo Hua silently pulled out his own "iron plate," "Maybe try mine?"


    Gu Changhuai looked at the bloodstained iron plate, stunned.


    And beside him, Jia Ren, hearing this crisp sound, realized there was someone else present.


    Why did that voice sound so familiar?


    And it reminded him of that little devil he desperately wanted to flay a thousand times...


    With difficulty, Jia Ren turned to look.


    A pale, delicate face, as beautiful as a painting.


    Jia Ren, who seemed like a walking corpse, suddenly had a burst of energy, eyes wide in rage:


    "Is... it you?!"

 Chapter 970: The Secret Room

    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, "You still remember me?"


    In Jia Ren''s eyes, flames of rage flickered as he gritted his teeth and said,


    "You damn little devil, even if you turned into ashes, I would recognize you¡­"


    Beside them, Gu Changhuai was also taken aback and asked Mo Hua,


    "What did you do to him? Why does he hate you so much?"


    This Jia Ren, who usually looked indifferent to life and death like minced meat, exploded like he had been rolled through hot oil on seeing Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, puzzled, "I really don''t know¡­"


    He recalled for a moment:


    "That mission was handled by Senior Sister Murong and Senior Brother Feng; they caught him. I just tagged along, helped with a bit of ''insignificant'' assistance, not sure why he hates me so much¡­"


    "I guess he bullies the weak and fears the strong, can''t beat the senior brother and sister, sees I''m young, with low cultivation, so he targets me¡­"


    Gu Changhuai looked unconvinced.


    Hearing this, Jia Ren spat out a mouthful of blood, "You, you¡­"


    But upon seeing his "enemy," he was so enraged that his mind went blank, and he couldn''t even speak.


    Mo Hua didn''t show him courtesy, threw the "iron plate" on the ground, and commanded,


    "Kneel down¡­"


    Just as he said this, Mo Hua paused, suddenly remembering.


    The first "victim" of this iron plate was none other than this "Jia Ren."


    Back then, his figure was that of a large man.


    Unfortunately, at that time, his skills were not refined, and the iron plate was crudely made.


    So Jia Ren kneeled on the iron plate, gritting his teeth, not uttering a word.


    When asked by Mo Hua if it "hurt", he just glared with fiery eyes like he does now, but wouldn''t give in.


    Mo Hua had a deep impression.


    Since then, Mo Hua made it his goal to "improve" the iron plate, iterating and refining over and over.


    Striving to have the Sin Cultivators kneeling on the iron plate to "confess leniently," telling the truth.


    And now, the opportunity had come again, fate had arrived once more¡­


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up and he said to Jia Ren, "Hurry, kneel again¡­"


    "This iron plate, since you last kneeled on it, I''ve changed the formation many times, improved it a lot¡­"


    "Now kneel again, see if there''s any difference from the first time you kneeled?"


    "How does it feel specifically?"


    "Do you feel an urge to tell the truth?"


    Mo Hua''s tone carried a bit of curiosity, a bit of naivety, and some sincerity.


    But not a single trace of mockery.


    Yet blood vessels began to emerge in Jia Ren''s eyes.


    Gu Changhuai sighed and immediately understood why Jia Ren hated Mo Hua so much.


    It was as if he harbored a deep-seated grudge akin to that of a patricidal vengeance, wishing to devour Mo Hua alive.


    He even felt quite understandable.


    This pesky kid really could infuriate someone to death.


    However, Gu Changhuai was also curious about the effect of this "iron plate."


    So, he grabbed Jia Ren''s shoulders, disregarding his struggle, and forced him to kneel on Mo Hua''s "iron plate."


    Upon touching the iron plate, the formation was instantly activated.


    Mo Hua''s formation modification this time returned to simplicity, not mingling with the Eight Trigrams Array, but purely relied on the Five Elements Formation, cycles of Generation and Restraint creating a Compound Formation.


    Similar to the basic principle of the "Killing Formation" in the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    But much smaller in scale.


    And the purpose was not to "take life" but for the Five Elements cycle, bestowing different types of spiritual power pain sensations.


    Golden Needle, Wood Poison, Water Torture, Fire Burn, Earth Suffocation.


    Five Elements deepening, cycles of torment.


    And to avoid the flaws of being too rigid breaking easily, or too painful causing fainting, this Five Elements Torture Formation was designed to be milder in pain sensation.


    Emphasizing the slow slicing of a blunt knife.


    First few cuts, then gradually deepening the pain, wearing down the will of the Sin Cultivators, making them drop their defenses, confessing¡­


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua sighed.


    He was indeed a good-hearted Cultivator at heart. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But these Sin Cultivators, one worse than the other, and all stubbornly tight-lipped.


    Forcing him, with no other choice, to research such punitive formations.


    He was really helpless¡­


    Mo Hua sighed internally.


    Then, immediately focused his keen gaze, observing Jia Ren''s reaction.


    As soon as Jia Ren kneeled, although showing anger, his face looked normal, and it even carried a trace of disdain as he looked at Mo Hua, snorting coldly.


    As if to say, is this all?


    This is what you improved?


    The more you improve, the worse it gets.


    But soon, his expression changed.


    As the pain deepened gradually, and the Five Elements Formation cycled through different layers, rich and detailed tortures continuously tormented his flesh.


    And bit by bit, wore down his will.


    After a short while, Jia Ren''s face turned deathly pale.


    Like drinking strong liquor.


    Soft at the entry, but with a ferociously strong aftereffect.


    A tremor-inducing pain shot straight to his forehead.


    Jia Ren''s expression twisted, his body trembling like a sieve.


    But this pain, hovering at the edge of limits, made him want to faint, yet he couldn''t pass out, only able to drown in the sea of suffering, struggling bitterly¡­


    Watching this, Gu Changhuai''s eyelids twitched.


    Taoist Court''s "torture" was not nonexistent.


    He had also used various torture devices.


    But such a torture device, mild yet cruel and creatively designed, he had truly never seen before¡­


    This kid Mo Hua, seemingly innocent-faced, but too crafty on the inside¡­


    "How does it feel?"


    Mo Hua asked crisply.


    As if he had prepared a dish and was asking about its taste¡­


    "Little devil, one day, I will kill¡­ ah¡ª"

 Chapter 971: - Secret Room (2)

    Jia Ren couldn''t help himself; he let out a hoarse wail.


    Mo Hua''s sympathetic little face said, "If you don''t speak, the pain will only get worse..."


    Then, quietly, he increased the spiritual power supply to the "Iron Board" Formation...


    Jia Ren''s facial features were all contorting.


    After an unknown time, under the dual torment of the pain brought by the Iron Board and the frustration brought by Mo Hua, Jia Ren''s Daoist heart finally collapsed.


    His voice trembling, Jia Ren resignedly said,


    "I... I''ll speak! I''ll speak¡­"


    He could die to end it all, but he couldn''t bear this anger and pain.


    Mo Hua''s expression brightened.


    Jia Ren''s willingness to speak proved that his optimizations and modifications to the "Iron Board" over this period were highly effective.


    And, it had gained the approval of the first experiencer!


    Gu Changhuai picked Jia Ren up, and Mo Hua repeated some previous questions.


    "Where is the Fire Buddha?"


    "Why extinguish the Xie family completely?"


    Jia Ren, breaking out in cold sweat, gritted his teeth, "These... I can''t say¡­"


    Mo Hua''s face hardened, "You dare to play games with me?"


    Jia Ren felt a cold sweat on his back and pain in his knees, hastily saying, "No, I dare not¡­"


    He swallowed hard, "These... I can''t say¡­"


    Mo Hua frowned, "What do you mean?"


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze sharpened, "A Silence Curse¡­"


    Mo Hua puzzled, "Silence Curse?"


    Gu Changhuai explained, "It''s a sinister spell cast in the form of a spiritual curse skill that prevents a cultivator from speaking certain words. Violating this will cause the spell to backlash, injuring the throat and even the Sea of Consciousness¡­"


    "Such a spell exists¡­"


    Mo Hua was shocked, then quickly thought,


    "What if he writes it down?"


    Silence curse silences speech; it doesn''t forbid writing.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, "Writing won''t work either¡­"


    "If it was so simple that it had loopholes for you to exploit, wouldn''t that make the spell stupid?"


    "The purpose of a Silence Curse is to ensure cultivators keep secrets, not revealing them by speech or writing."


    Mo Hua nodded, "Makes sense¡­"


    They could only try indirect questioning about things unrelated to "Fire Buddha," "Xie family," and "extermination."


    After some thought, Mo Hua asked Jia Ren:


    "Where is your real Storage Bag hidden?"


    Jia Ren started, his eyes trembling.


    Gu Changhuai was also surprised.


    Seeing Jia Ren reluctant to speak, Mo Hua''s gaze became increasingly dangerous.


    Jia Ren, his expression somber, finally sighed, "Bishan City, the rouge shop, behind the secret room, the third hidden compartment¡­"


    "Rouge shop, secret room, hidden compartment¡­"


    Mo Hua quietly took note, and as he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of a cold gleam in Jia Ren''s eyes.


    That gleam vanished in a flash.


    He again appeared utterly fearful.


    Mo Hua inwardly scoffed.


    "Playing such tricks in front of me¡­"


    Soon, several Dao Court Canon officials arrived.


    They were not from Bishan City, but from the Qianxue State Boundary.


    And they weren''t just any officials; they all had the surname Gu.


    Although the Gu family was only a fourth-grade family, their status in the Qianxue State Boundary was not low because many of their family members had served in the Dao Court Canon over generations.


    Connections spread throughout Qian State.


    And although Gu Changhuai had a bad temper, having grown up in a Dao Court family, he had a strong ability in criminal investigations, backed by his family, thus holding high prestige in the Dao Court Canon.


    The matter of the Fire Buddha was extremely confidential.


    Gu Changhuai still didn''t trust other officials to get involved, he only trusted his own family members.


    These officials came forward and saluted Gu Changhuai:


    "Young Master."


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly and pointing at Jia Ren, instructed, "Watch him, don''t let him escape, and certainly don''t let him die."


    "Yes!"


    The Gu family officials obliged.


    Gu Changhuai nodded, then returned with Mo Hua to the rouge shop in Bishan City.


    Both of them released their Divine Sense, confirming there was no one else around, and then stepped inside.


    Inside the rouge shop, the furnishings were neat but simple.


    The air was filled with the fragrance of rouge, which after a while, acquired a strange odor.


    Behind the rouge shop was a screen, and behind that, a secret room.


    Hidden, but not enough to fool the duo.


    Gu Changhuai, a Golden Core Cultivator and Dao Court Canon, was skilled and experienced.


    Mo Hua''s Divine Sense was strong, he was an expert in formations, and particularly adept at finding secret rooms.


    However, there was a formation above the secret room.


    It looked like a Second Grade formation, meant to seal the secret door. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The formation wasn''t sophisticated, but there might be a catch.


    Expert in criminal investigations but not in formations, Gu Changhuai hesitated whether to call some formation masters from the Dao Court Canon to check if the formation held any traps...


    But in the blink of an eye, Mo Hua had already taken out a brush, dipped it in ink, and drew some Formation Patterns outside the secret room.


    Then, the multicolored patterns on the secret door suddenly lit up, then faded one by one.


    The sealing formation was broken.


    The door to the secret room also opened.


    The technique was too quick, too skilled...


    He hadn''t even seen clearly what Mo Hua had actually drawn...


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua in astonishment, "Breaking formations...you can do that too?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "This is simple."


    He had started learning to break formations since the Qi Refinement Realm, used them often, and had become very proficient.


    Moreover, to be low-key, he hadn''t used Divine Sense Control Ink but had seriously used a brush dipped in ink, resolving it stroke by stroke.


    Otherwise, with just a tap of his finger, the formation would have been broken¡­

 Chapter 972: Secret Room (3)

    Before Uncle Gu''s presence, it would have been too conspicuous to act.


    After resolving the Formation, the door to the secret chamber had already opened, revealing a pitch-black interior.


    Mo Hua pondered, "Uncle Gu, would you like to go in first?"


    Although it was a secret chamber, inside Bishan City, it was unlikely to contain any danger.


    The many followers of Fire Buddha would not be able to hide inside it.


    But just in case, Mo Hua still exercised caution and did not rashly descend.


    If the sky were to fall, with Uncle Gu, this "big fellow," to support it, it wouldn''t be the turn of a minor Cultivator like himself to take risks.


    Gu Changhuai nodded and entered the secret chamber.


    Mo Hua waited for ten breaths of time, and seeing that nothing unusual had occurred inside, he then followed in.


    Upon entering the secret chamber, Mo Hua looked up and saw Gu Changhuai standing at the center of the room, his face grave.


    Mo Hua looked around and saw that the rather spacious secret chamber was a mess, filled with many Storage Bags.


    Some of the Storage Bags had been opened.


    Others were piled up in a corner of the wall.


    At the same time, the chamber was filled with bloodied Spiritual Artifacts and a variety of artifacts that seemed to have been looted from the Xie family.


    It looked as if after a search, the "useless" items were packed in Storage Bags, then prepared for disposal.


    This Jia Ren was seen doing the "cleanup" of the messy work.


    His specialty in Disguise also made him most suitable for deceiving the public, wind up these kinds of affairs.


    The secret chamber did indeed contain a hidden compartment.


    There were no anomalies around the hidden compartment, but certainly, it must have been fitted with a Formation...


    Gu Changhuai appeared hesitant, debating whether to call over another Formation Master from the Taoist Court.


    But after glancing at the composed Mo Hua beside him, he gradually dismissed the thought.


    "What kind of Formation is this?"


    Gu Changhuai asked Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    This was the first time Gu Changhuai had ever asked him about a Formation.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, thoroughly examining the structure of the hidden compartment several times, after some Calculation he cautiously said:


    "This is a Second Grade ''Sealing Formation'' with fourteen Patterns, sealing the items within and merging their aura with the earth and stone, making it less likely for a Cultivator to detect..."


    "A Sealing Formation is quite ordinary."


    "What''s abnormal is that hidden within it, there also seems to be a ''Yuan Magnetic Formation''..."


    "The hidden compartments here are all considered as mediums for the Yuan Magnetic Formation, which are also a type of Formation ''mechanism''..."


    "If one initiates the Formation incorrectly during the opening process, it would trigger the Yuan Magnetic Formation, sending out a message through a subtle magnetic flow..."


    "That message would likely be..."


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and slowly continued, "To alert certain people that the hidden compartment has been ''discovered by an outsider,'' prompting them to be extra vigilant..."


    This was also the little scheme Jia Ren had in mind.


    On the brink of death, he was still thinking of sending a warning...


    Gu Changhuai maintained a composed expression, but his heart gave an involuntary jolt.


    On the surface, these ordinary-looking hidden compartments, could reveal so much just by sight...


    So, this was what a real Formation Master was like...


    To observe the subtle and grasp the situation.


    Seeing a single leaf is to foresee the coming of spring and autumn.


    After finishing his analysis, Mo Hua turned to ask Gu Changhuai, "Uncle Gu, am I right?"


    Gu Changhuai vaguely responded, "Hmm..."


    He felt oddly guilty.


    Next was to take out the items from the hidden compartment.


    Seeing that Gu Changhuai had no objections, Mo Hua began to work himself.


    As usual, he meticulously used the Formation Pen to draw the Formation Patterns, unlocking the Second Grade "Sealing Formation."


    Then, with extreme caution, he avoided all the "mechanisms" of the Yuan Magnetic Formation and took out a Storage Bag from within the hidden compartment.


    It was akin to a tiny mouse silently sneaking the "fatty meat" from a mousetrap.


    Mo Hua handed the Storage Bag to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai had not expected it to be so simple and sighed involuntarily before opening the Storage Bag and checking its contents one by one.


    Inside were quite a few Spirit Stones.


    There was a scroll of Cultivation Technique, named "Flesh Transmutation Skill."


    It was an Evil Path Skill that, after cultivation, would allow one to abandon their natural appearance, transforming their flesh at will and easily shape-shifting.


    However, during the process, a Cultivator''s self-awareness would gradually become confused.


    Eventually, they no longer knew whether they were man or woman, tall or short, fat or thin, and might even forget whether they were "human."


    Once the flesh spiraled out of control, it would become twisted and deformed.


    They had to drink human blood to maintain human form.


    Mo Hua glanced over it a few times, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.


    He had originally wanted to learn the "Disguise Technique," but now it seemed that since this Cultivation Technique was so malevolent, he wouldn''t be able to learn it.


    What if he did learn it, and his parents, master, Junior Brother, and Junior Sister couldn''t recognize him in the future?


    Moreover, it required drinking human blood...


    He would never drink it.


    Aside from this "Flesh Transmutation Skill," there were several other Evil Path Skills that, although sinister, weren''t particularly special.


    In the end, there was a jade slip.


    Mo Hua could tell at a glance what it was.


    "It''s a Letter Token!"


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze also suddenly sharpened.


    The Letter Token, which Jia Ren had not carried on his person and had no idea he was being watched before his misfortune, most likely still had its content intact.


    And that Letter Token could very well contain the clue to the whereabouts of the Fire Buddha!


    Gu Changhuai focused his gaze on it and his expression suddenly stiffened.


    Inside the Letter Token, a vast expanse of white appeared¡ªcompletely empty of any writing.


    "What is this..." Gu Changhuai frowned.


    "Is it sealed?" asked Mo Hua from the side.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Gu Changhuai said somewhat numbly,


    "You wouldn''t happen to know how to... unlock seals as well, would you...?"


    "I do, actually," Mo Hua nodded, "a bit..."


    "How... how does one unlock it?"


    When it came to the principles of Formation, Mo Hua became excitable.


    He had been researching the unlocking and decoding of seals for a long time, and now he could finally "show off."


    "The principle of adding a seal is based on the Magnetic Pattern principles of the Yuan Magnetic Formation..."


    "Fixed Magnetic Patterns, through a certain agreement, match Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, and this agreement itself is a kind of magnetic flux. After the magnetic flux circulates, it will generate Secondary Thunder Patterns..."


    "So to unlock a seal, one must find the Secondary Thunder Pattern that serves as the Sealing Pattern. By applying the Secondary Thunder Pattern in reverse to the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, one can dissipate the ''Magnetic Ink Mist,'' thus breaking the seal and revealing the hidden words..."


    ...


    Gu Changhuai felt numb listening to it.


    He felt that he could understand each word individually, but put together, he was completely lost.


    The words spoken by Mo Hua were clear and organized, but utterly perplexing.


    All this talk of "magnetic" this and "Pattern" that, was like the magnetic flow¡ªswarming and intricate, entering his left ear and exiting through the right.


    He had not memorized anything, his mind like a field covered in heavy snow, blank and utterly bewildered.


    "The principle is roughly like that..."


    After explaining, Mo Hua asked Gu Changhuai, "Uncle Gu, did you understand...?"


    Gu Changhuai paused, then forced himself to assert calmly,


    "Mm, I got it..."


    In front of Mo Hua, he could only pretend to understand.


    Although in reality, he didn''t grasp a single bit...


    Fearing Mo Hua would continue, Gu Changhuai quickly said,


    "Let''s not delay, first let''s unlock the ''Sealing Pattern'' on the jade slip..."


    "Catching the Fire Buddha is urgent..."


    "Mm, mm," Mo Hua nodded vigorously.


    Gu Changhuai, for some reason, felt a silent sigh of relief in his heart.


    Then he saw Mo Hua focus intently, looking at the jade slip while continuously drawing some strange and curious Formation Patterns on paper, occasionally mumbling to himself...


    "This isn''t..."


    "Not this..."


    "It looks a bit like..."


    "Not this..."


    ...


    Mo Hua was utterly focused, with a gleam in his eyes, like the twinkling of stars.


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze trembled, and he unconsciously slowed his breathing, afraid to disturb Mo Hua.


    After an unknown period, a flicker of light crossed Mo Hua''s eyes.


    "I''ve unlocked it!"


    Gu Changhuai was inwardly shocked and simultaneously somewhat incredulous.


    "What does it say inside?"


    Mo Hua then immersed his Divine Sense into the jade slip.


    Within the jade slip, a vast emptiness held only eight characters: sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, Heaven Beyond Cave Heaven."

 Chapter 973: Deadline

    Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, a Heaven Outside Cave?


    Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai exchanged glances.


    "The Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, does it mean that here, in Bishan City, there is a demon''s cave where sin cultivators and evil cultivators reside?"


    "And ''Heaven Outside Cave'' refers to the location of this demon''s cave, a place outside the heavens, a world unto itself?"


    Mo Hua silently pondered.


    "Bi Mountain Demon Cavern..."


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze also became gradually sharp.


    Mo Hua silently muttered to himself again, his confusion apparent.


    Bishan City is an immortal city, bustling with cultivators coming and going, and even the Taoist Court is stationed here; where would a "demon''s cave" come from?


    Is this demon''s cave a large-scale stronghold for the Demon Sect?


    Or is it just a temporary dwelling for sin cultivators and evil cultivators?


    What exactly is hidden inside?


    Is the Fire Buddha hiding in this demon''s cave right now?


    Unable to figure it out, Mo Hua leaned close to Gu Changhuai and asked in a low voice,


    "Uncle Gu, have you heard of this ''Bi Mountain Demon Cavern''?"


    Gu Changhuai''s expression turned solemn, and he shook his head.


    The Taoist Court had never received any clues about this so-called "Bi Mountain Demon Cavern."


    And under the watch of the Taoist Court within Bishan City, where could a "demon''s cave" possibly have been built?


    However, Jia Ren was captured unexpectedly, his storage bag was secretly hidden, and the letter token was still sealed.


    The text inside should be authentic.


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, then his eyes lit up slightly.


    Gu Changhuai looked at him with some surprise. "Have you thought of something else?"


    Mo Hua nodded; he quickly sorted through his thoughts and then asked,


    "Uncle Gu, after the Xie family was annihilated, the Fire Buddha and his followers, in full view of all the cultivators in Bishan City, just vanished in the flames..."


    "How did they disappear?"


    "Could it be..."


    Mo Hua proposed a bold guess, "... teleportation?"


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback and then shook his head.


    "No. Teleportation involves the power of space, which is divine skill of the Fifth Grade Heaven Void Realm. This is the Second Grade State Border; the laws of Heavenly Dao prevent teleportation..."


    Mo Hua had expected as much.


    But after all, his knowledge of Dao cultivation is limited, and he wasn''t very clear about the unreachable cultivation and divine skills of the Fifth Grade Heaven Void, so he thought it best to confirm with Uncle Gu.


    At least to eliminate the possibility of "spatial teleportation."


    But Mo Hua was puzzled about something.


    The power of space is an ability of the Heaven Void Realm ancestors, and the Heavenly Dao restricts it to the Fifth Grade.


    But the storage bag, possessing its own space, also contains the power of space, doesn''t it?


    Then why can storage bags be used in lower Second Grade state boundaries?


    Mo Hua posed the question to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai was somewhat surprised.


    These matters were not secrets among the great families and clans.


    But seeing Mo Hua''s puzzled face, it was clear he genuinely didn''t understand.


    Gu Changhuai felt a strange sense of balance in his heart.


    So this young man also has things he doesn''t understand...


    Gu Changhuai''s eyebrows rose slightly as he uncommonly explained with patience,


    "Storage bags are inanimate objects, their space power is objective, only capable of holding lifeless things."


    "Whereas the space power of the Fifth Grade can be subjectively controlled by cultivators, it can also accommodate living ''creatures,'' enabling void instant movement or teleportation..."


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, then he asked again,


    "How are storage bags made then? Do they involve formations?"


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, "Storage bags don''t involve formations..."


    "Or to put it more accurately, they don''t involve Fifth Grade space formations. Even if there are formations involved, they are only ordinary ones for reinforcement, beautification, dust removal, and concealing aura..."


    "These formations are common, not involving the power of space."


    "The space power of the storage bag is composed of ''silkworm threads''..."


    Mo Hua was startled, "Silkworm threads?"


    Gu Changhuai casually pulled out a storage bag from the ground, tore the opening, and showed the fine threads along the opening.


    "Storage bags are woven from silkworm threads."


    "The threads come from the ''Green Void Silkworm,'' which inherently contains the power of space. The threads they spin naturally carry additional space."


    "Using special artifact refining techniques to weave these threads into a storage bag, it naturally comes with extra space."


    "So I said, the space of a storage bag is dead, it objectively exists..."


    "I see..."


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding, then said, "Then these ''Green Void Silkworms,'' since they contain the power of space, must be very expensive..."


    "Not really expensive..."


    Mo Hua was surprised, "Containing the power of space, and yet not expensive..."


    Gu Changhuai said, "Yes, the expensive ones are the ''Golden Void Silkworms'' and ''Star Void Silkworms,'' those ancient space silkworm breeds."


    "Golden Void Silkworm? Star Void Silkworm?"


    Mo Hua had never heard of them, looking somewhat bewildered.


    Gu Changhuai internally felt much more at ease and continued,


    "In ancient times, spiritual artifacts and magical treasures capable of containing objects were extremely rare." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Because the cultivation of these spiritual artifacts required silkworm breeds that were born with powerful spatial power, which were difficult to catch, breed, and the silk they produced was also very scarce."


    "With rare ancient silkworm breeds, the number of spatial artifacts refined was also limited."


    "However, despite being few in number, these ancient ''treasures'' were of very high quality."


    "Invariably, they were made from the threads, cocoons, or pupae of the most superior and precious space silkworm breeds, thus they are treasures of Dao cultivation. The interior space was naturally very large."


    "They were true treasures with a world in a pouch, a cosmos in a ring..."


    "With the development of the cultivation world and the proliferation of cultivators, the demand for space spiritual artifacts has also surged dramatically."

 Chapter 974: Deadline (2)

    "Throughout the generations, Beast Tamers could only do their best to artificially cultivate some, more easily propagated, more easily farmed, and also more affordable types of spatial silkworms."


    "Some exceptionally talented Artifact Refiners also continuously improved the methods of refining Storage Bags, hoping to enable the majority of cultivators in the Cultivation World to use Storage Bags."


    "Green Void Silkworms are so far the most suitable type of spatial silkworms cultivated by cultivators."


    "The threads of the Green Void Silkworm are inexpensive and very durable, although the space is slightly small."


    "Today, in the Cultivation World, over eighty percent of the Storage Bags are woven from the threads of the Green Void Silkworm."


    "There are also some silkworm types that are even more precious than the Green Void Silkworm."


    "However, these types of silkworms, when they spin their threads into Storage Bags, make the price much higher, not affordable for the average cultivator."


    "As for the more precious, ancient ones, like the Golden Void Silkworm, Star Void Silkworm..."


    Gu Changhuai sighed, somewhat regretfully.


    "...These types of silkworms have always been rare in reproduction and, over tens of thousands of years, due to the frantic scrambling and hunting by cultivators, most are now endangered, even extinct..."


    "The few that have survived either become the ''forbidden delicacies'' of the Central Dao Court, or that of local influential families or Great Sects."


    "Or they hide in the secret spaces of some Ancient Daoist sites, abyss forbidden lands, the ultimate extremes of heaven and earth, unknown to people."


    ...


    Gu Changhuai had explained the origins of the Storage Spiritual Artifacts.


    Mo Hua couldn''t help but be enlightened.


    He hadn''t expected that the Storage Bags, commonplace in their daily use, would contain so many secrets.


    What seemed like ordinary Storage Bags were the crystallization of tens of thousands of years, countless cultivators'' heart''s blood, and the development and evolution of various Dao cultivation skills.


    What seemed like ordinary objects contained broad and profound truths.


    Mo Hua spaced out in amazement, meanwhile feeling moved.


    Hollow Void Realm, the power of space.


    Fifth grade spatial Formation...


    He wondered when he would be able to cultivate to the Hollow Void, to learn the fifth-grade Formation...


    Mo Hua heaved a sigh, and after spacing out for a moment, he remembered that the matter of the Fire Buddha was more urgent.


    Since it wasn''t teleportation... that would be easier to handle.


    Under the restrictions of the Second Grade law, the abilities that a cultivator could use were quite limited.


    Mo Hua, being a Formation Master, and moreover, a knowledgeable one, was very clear about the various capabilities of Second Grade cultivators and the Dao laws.


    Mo Hua pondered and said:


    "It hasn''t truly disappeared, it''s not teleportation, which means it''s just become invisible..."


    "Being invisible also means they have turned invisible."


    "It might not necessarily be a Concealment Technique; it is very likely a spiritual artifact used for concealment, most likely a Concealment Formation..."


    "The Fire Buddha and his group wiped out the Xie family, then used a Concealment Formation to disappear from the blaze, hiding somewhere unknown..."


    "And those eight characters on this Letter Token, ''Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, Heaven Outside Heaven,'' are very likely the hiding place and code of this group of Sin Cultivators..."


    "Bishan City is an Immortal City, crowded and bustling; it''s not the place Demon Cultivators could normally hide."


    "But if there really is a Demon''s Cave, then this Demon''s Cave is likely concealed by a Concealment Formation..."


    "Bishan City has intersecting peaks and complex terrain..."


    "To build a Demon''s Cave and hide it with a Concealment Formation, ordinary cultivators really might not be able to find it..."


    "And one more phrase, ''Heaven Outside Heaven''..."


    "That means the cliffs and precipitous, secluded steep places within the city, are very likely the location of the Demon''s Cave."


    "Heaven, might refer to ''a thin thread of sky''..."


    "The places known as ''a thin thread of sky'' may have some pathways hidden by the Concealment Formation, akin to ''Heavenly Roads''; beyond these Heavenly Roads, there lie other Heavens..."


    ...


    Mo Hua articulated his thoughts clearly, speaking smoothly.


    Gu Changhuai was somewhat astonished.


    This child was indeed too clever.


    Not only was he quick-thinking, but he also had deep knowledge of Formations, and even these odd "experiences" seemed extensive...


    As if he had been dealing with Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators for years...


    Knowing how they acted, how they hid.


    Something was not quite right.


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, puzzled, he asked:


    "How do you know so much?"


    Mo Hua didn''t hide it, replying, "I''ve seen it, so I have a deep impression."


    "Seen?"


    Gu Changhuai was puzzled.


    "Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Back when I was in Tongxian City, working as a Monster Hunter..."


    "The Sin Cultivators in Big Black Mountain were using Concealment Formations to hide the roads leading to the back mountain; then, using heavy fog as cover, they committed murder and robbery, misdeeds and crimes..."


    "I''ve also seen some Evil Cultivators build strongholds behind ''a thin thread of sky'' to refine corpses, like Corpse Palaces and such..."


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "Aren''t you a Formation Master? Since when have you also been a Monster Hunter?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua replied, "My father was a Monster Hunter, so naturally, I followed in his footsteps, what''s so strange about that? It''s a family trade, can''t let it vanish..."


    "But I was naturally frail; not really good at monster hunting, so I had to find other alternatives..."


    "Besides being a Monster Hunter, also a Formation Master and an exter Description: "A person who is described as having a sophisticated allure, often due to a striking or unconventional appearance.


    Demeanor: "A person who is described as having a sophisticated allure, often due to a striking or unconventional appearance.


    Demeanor: "A person who is described as having a sophisticated allure, often due to a striking or unconventional appearance.


    "...


    Mo Hua sighed, a resigned expression on his face,


    "Can''t help it, grew up poor, so inevitably I had to endure some hardships, had to do a bit of everything..."


    Gu Changhuai looked at his delicate, tender face and occasionally brazen demeanor, not believing for a second that he had suffered any "hardships"...


    But...


    "Your mere decade or so of life, it''s still quite rich..."


    Gu Changhuai said.


    Again being a Monster Hunter, again those Sin Cultivators in the back mountain committing murder and robbery, again those mountain stronghold Corpse Cultivators and such...

 Chapter 975: Deadline (3)

    I don''t know if it''s true or if he''s making up a story.


    "Well, it''s okay..."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head.


    No matter what, Mo Hua''s speculation had some merit.


    Especially about the Formation...


    Gu Changhuai was now certain that Mo Hua claiming to be "skilled at Formation" was indeed a big truth.


    He originally thought the so-called "skilled at Formation" was just an excuse to save face after his cousin pulled strings to squeeze Mo Hua into Taixu Gate.


    But now, it seemed Mo Hua wasn''t just "skilled" at Formation.


    His level of expertise in Formation was becoming somewhat "unbelievably high."


    All my life, I''ve seen disciples with great talent, disciples skilled at Formation.


    But I''ve never seen one skilled to the point I can''t understand, with talent so exaggerated that I don''t even know how to express it¡­


    Gu Changhuai was helpless.


    His cousin went through so much trouble to push this kid, Mo Hua, into Taixu Gate; it might turn out that Taixu Gate had picked up a "bargain" instead.


    It wasn''t that his cousin acted rashly, wasting Taixu Gate''s goodwill.


    Maybe instead, it was Taixu Gate that owed his cousin a favor...


    Gu Changhuai felt a mix of emotions.


    He thought for a while and nodded to Mo Hua:


    "I will have someone investigate in this direction..."


    Mo Hua''s eyes lit up, "Then I..."


    "It doesn''t concern you anymore..."


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Gu Changhuai said, "You need to go back to class."


    "Huh?" Mo Hua was stunned.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, "What else did you expect? How long did you want to skive off for?"


    "You''ve only got a two-day break. You''re returning to the Sect tomorrow, don''t worry about the rest¡­"


    "Besides, if you really faced the Fire Buddha in a fight, you wouldn''t be any help¡­"


    Having said that, Gu Changhuai patted Mo Hua''s shoulder.


    "Cultivate well."


    Mo Hua''s heart instantly felt "cold as ice."


    He felt as if he was "discarded after being used."


    In his heart, Uncle Gu was now labeled as a "bridge burner."


    But he had to return to the Sect.


    Skipping classes for no reason could lead to expulsion.


    Mo Hua asked, "Can I take a leave of absence?"


    Gu Changhuai appeared indifferent, "What does that have to do with me? I''m a Supervisor at the Taoist Court, not an Elder at Taixu Gate, and I can''t grant you leave..."


    Mo Hua had nothing to say.


    Gu Changhuai gestured, "Go back..."


    So Mo Hua had no choice but to reluctantly return to Taixu Gate.


    Back at Taixu Gate, Mo Hua continued cultivating, attending classes, and Drawing Formation.


    But in his heart, all he could think about was the Fire Buddha...


    "My Meteor Fire Skill..."


    Without catching the Fire Buddha, without obtaining the spell for the Meteor Fire Skill, without a stable Skill Pattern to refer to, his research on the fusion spell for the Fireball would hit a dead end.


    The lethality of his spell wouldn''t significantly improve.


    What to do?


    Mo Hua, undeterred, sent messages every day inquiring about the progress in searching for the Fire Buddha.


    "Uncle Gu..."


    "Uncle Gu..."


    When there was no response, Mo Hua sent:


    "Gu Changhuai!"


    Sure enough, Gu Changhuai replied, "Mind your language..."


    Mo Hua asked nicely:


    "Uncle Gu, did you find anything? Where is the Demon''s Cave?"


    "Nothing..."


    The next day, Mo Hua asked again, "Uncle Gu, have you found anything?"


    Gu Changhuai still replied, "Nothing."


    After that, Mo Hua asked every day, and Gu Changhuai always replied, "Nothing."


    Mo Hua sensed something fishy.


    "Uncle Gu, you wouldn''t lie to me, would you..."


    "People should be honest!"


    Silence from the other end.


    Sure enough, Mo Hua thought.


    "Did you find the location of the Demon''s Cave?"


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Focus on your cultivation, don''t worry about these things."


    Mo Hua wasn''t pleased, "If you don''t tell me, and if something happens in the future that requires my help, I won''t lend a hand either!"


    Gu Changhuai sneered to himself.


    Asking for your help?


    I, as a Golden Core Cultivator and a Supervisor at the Taoist Court, what could possibly require the assistance of a minor Foundation Establishment Cultivator like you... Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai paused for a moment.


    The complex and incomprehensible Formation methods employed by Mo Hua when restoring the Letter Token once again surfaced in his mind.


    And the solving of Formations, unlocking...


    As well as his perception of Formation...


    Gu Changhuai held back his impulse to brag and felt it was better as an adult to tell the truth, instead of lying to a child.


    Gu Changhuai sighed and replied, "We found it."


    Mo Hua perked up, "How did you find it?"


    Reluctantly, Gu Changhuai had to start from the beginning:


    "We conducted a secret search with a relaxed exterior... Publicly we released information suggesting the Fire Buddha was likely hiding elsewhere, easing the vigilance inside Bishan City."


    "Covertly, we deployed more personnel to surveil day and night."


    "The Fire Buddha, hidden within Bishan City, would surely seize the chance to escape; he can''t hide forever."


    "Indeed, a few days later, we spotted a suspicious Cultivator."


    "Bishan City had long been sealed off, with every Cultivator''s origin recorded, but there was no record of this particular Cultivator."


    "He appeared out of thin air..."


    "He emerged from the ''Demon''s Cave'' to scout the situation..."


    "We tracked this suspicious Cultivator and found he had circled the city before heading alone to the treacherous mountains north of the city, where he then disappeared..."


    "The Taoist Court summoned Formation Masters and various Spiritual Artifacts capable of revealing and peering into hidden places, and we finally discovered the entrance to the Demon''s Cave..."


    Gu Changhuai stopped there.


    Mo Hua urgently asked, "And then?"

 Chapter 976: Deadline (4)

    "There''s no ''and then''."


    "It''s not the Demon''s Cave? The Fire Buddha isn''t inside?"


    "I can''t get in¡­"


    Gu Changhuai sighed, "Solitary Mountain City hangs in the sky; a sheer cliff offers the only path, with dense Demonic Qi across the way, who knows how many Evil Demon Cultivators lurk within."


    "To rashly enter would mean life and death are unpredictable, and I''m afraid it would also startle the snakes in the grass."


    "Moreover, there are Formations inside and out."


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, "The Taoist Court should have plenty of hands, and they''re not short on Formation Masters either¡­"


    Gu Changhuai fell silent for a while before replying:


    "That, I cannot tell you¡­"


    Mo Hua was taken aback, mumbling to himself, "Feigning profundity¡­"


    Then he pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you want my help?"


    Gu Changhuai was adamant, "No need."


    "Don''t be polite."


    "I''m not being polite."


    "I won''t take risks or make a move, just help you look at the Formation, find the loopholes on it¡­" Mo Hua persuaded gently.


    Gu Changhuai was truly swayed.


    "You... have classes, right?" Gu Changhuai hesitated.


    Just as Mo Hua suspected.


    It appeared that Uncle Gu truly encountered a difficulty, in need of someone as skilled in Formation as himself to lend a hand.


    "I can try to ask for leave."


    Gu Changhuai fell silent.


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    Uncle Gu must be too proud to stoop to asking for help.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then offered him a way out with good intentions, conveying, "Uncle Gu, if the Sect approves my leave, then I''ll come and help you all catch the Fire Buddha?"


    Only then did Gu Changhuai reluctantly say:


    "Alright¡­"


    But between the lines, it was clear he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua shook his head, unable to do anything with him.


    Now that Uncle Gu''s issue was resolved, about asking for leave¡­ that wouldn''t be so easy either.


    A normal Elder could approve a day or two off, but any longer and they wouldn''t have the authority.


    And entering the Demon''s Cave to catch the Fire Buddha was definitely not something that could be completed in just a couple of days.


    Even if things went smoothly, it would take at least six or seven days.


    If I make use of the bi-weekly rest days to supplement, I''d still need to ask for five days off¡­


    My only option is to go to Elder Master Xun.


    But Elder Master Xun¡­


    He can''t possibly approve my leave, right?


    Mo Hua was somewhat troubled.


    Should he tell Elder Master Xun, "Gentleman, I want five days off to help the Taoist Court capture a depraved Sin Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, murderous and skilled in Forbidden Techniques"?


    Unless Elder Master Xun lost his mind, he would never agree.


    So, the request had to be more subtle¡­


    Mo Hua then approached Elder Master Xun and altered his explanation, stating that the Taoist Court asked him to create a Formation Painting, which would probably take five days.


    Elder Master Xun looked at him with a puzzled expression, "The Taoist Court? Asking you? To create a Formation Painting? And for five days?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua braced himself and nodded.


    "Why?"


    Elder Master Xun asked.


    Mo Hua vaguely answered, "Supervisor Gu from the Taoist Court invited me, the specifics are unclear to me¡­"


    Elder Master Xun shook his head, "A Formation can be created anywhere, why go to the Taoist Court, and besides, five days off is too much¡­"


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Just as Elder Master Xun was about to say something, he suddenly paused, "You just said¡­ Supervisor Gu from the Taoist Court¡­"


    "Yes, yes." Mo Hua nodded eagerly.


    "How do you know the Supervisor from the Gu Family?"


    "I''m acquainted with Aunt Wan from the Shangguan family; Supervisor Gu is her cousin¡­"


    Elder Master Xun was slightly taken aback and asked:


    "Did they mention what kind of Formation it was?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "No, they just said it''s a Second Grade Formation, quite difficult, it''s estimated to take a long time, so I''m asking for five days off¡­"


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua with some surprise.


    The Taoist Court¡­ the Gu Family¡­


    The Gu Family has deep roots in the Taoist Court and wide connections.


    If this child, Mo Hua, gets acquainted with the Gu Family and fosters a relationship, it would make things easier for him later on in the Taoist Court¡­


    At the very least, he wouldn''t be targeted by the Taoist Court for unwarranted disasters.


    After a brief thought, Elder Master Xun asked Mo Hua:


    "Just creating a Formation Painting, no other dangers, right?"


    "None!" Mo Hua stated emphatically.


    "Hm." Elder Master Xun nodded, "Go to Elder Song, tell him I said to approve your leave for five days."


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, his expression brightening as he said:


    "Thank you, Gentleman!"


    "Hm." Elder Master Xun nodded in acknowledgment, and pondered before adding, "Be diligent with the Formation Painting. In the Taoist Court, the Gu Family is fairly upright, it''s worth getting acquainted, to be recognized."


    "Yes, yes, rest assured, Gentleman!"


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He and Uncle Gu were already quite familiar with each other.


    "Go ahead then." Elder Master Xun waved his hand.


    Mo Hua respectfully bowed and then couldn''t help but leave with a lively spring in his step.


    He found Elder Song, told him he wanted five days off, and that Elder Master Xun had agreed.


    Elder Song looked utterly astonished and felt discontent in his heart.


    Elder Master Xun is too indulgent with this child!


    Five days off, what kind of example is that setting!


    Then he signed his name, stamped the seal, and approved Mo Hua''s leave request.


    "Anyway, it''s out of my hands, he can ask for however many days he wants, I just need to stamp it¡­"


    Elder Song muttered to himself uncaringly.


    With permission secured, Mo Hua happily returned to the Disciple''s Residence.


    He had calculated just right.


    Asking for five days off, plus the two days off for the bi-weekly rest, made exactly seven days.


    He must catch the Fire Buddha within these seven days to have a chance of acquiring the Meteor Fire Skill spell, thereby laying the Skill Pattern foundation for his own forbidden Fireball fusion technique.


    If it took longer than seven days, he wouldn''t be able to intervene.


    After seven days, either the Fire Buddha would be caught by the Taoist Court or escape.


    Without obtaining the Meteor Fire Skill, all efforts would have been in vain, a complete waste of time.


    So¡­


    Mo Hua''s expression turned serious and his eyes held a determined gleam as he said:


    "Within seven days, the Fire Buddha must die!"

 Chapter 977: Water Concealing Jade

    Chapter 977: Chapter 644: Water Concealing Jade


    Chapter 977 -644: Water Concealing Jade


    The next day, Mo Hua took leave of absence and departed from the Taixu Gate, first making his way to the Taoist Court at the Qianxue State Boundary.


    This was the arrangement he had made with Gu Changhuai.


    They would meet at the Taoist Court and then set off for Bishan City.


    Within the Taoist Court, Gu Changhuai had specifically returned to accompany Mo Hua and passed him a storage bag.


    "What¡¯s this?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    "Consider it supplies distributed by the Taoist Court for the mission,¡± Gu Changhuai replied indifferently.


    Mo Hua opened the storage bag and saw some pills, spirit stones, runes, and an official Taoist robe inside.


    "Don¡¯t wear your Taixu Gate clothes; they¡¯re too conspicuous. Change into this official robe


    "Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua changed into the Court¡¯s official Taoist robe, looking both charming and dignified.


    However, the robe was baggy, with sleeves that were too long, clearly a size too large.


    "Uncle Gu, the clothes are too big


    "Just make do with it; that¡¯s already the smallest size we have


    "Can¡¯t it be tailored?¡±


    Gu Changhuai appeared somewhat helpless, ¡°You¡¯re an external hire, just make do. How could we tailor one specifically for you?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered under his breath, ¡°So stingy


    The grand Fifth grade Taoist Court of the Qianxue State Boundary was really pinching pennies. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No help for it, the matter of the Fire Buddha was urgent.


    Mo Hua could only tighten his belt, roll up his sleeves, and eagerly said:


    "Let¡¯s set out.¡±


    They had seven days to catch the Fire Buddha and obtain the Meteor Fire Skill; there wasn¡¯t much time to waste.


    "Mhm,¡± Gu Changhuai nodded.


    Afterward, Gu Changhuai led Mo Hua out of the Taoist Court.


    They had just reached halfway when they came face to face with a middle-aged man dressed in a black Supervisor robe, with narrow eyes and a pale complexion, but a smiling face.


    "Supervisor Gu.¡±


    The man greeted him with a smile.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze turned cold, unwillingly responding:


    "Master Xiao.¡±


    Mo Hua, standing to the side, secretly observed Gu Changhuai, noticing his cold demeanor, it appeared that he was not friendly with this Supervisor surnamed ¡°Xiao.¡±


    It seemed the relationship between the two was not very good.


    Master Xiao wanted to say more, but then he noticed Mo Hua and his expression revealed a hint of surprise.


    "This young cultivator


    Clad in an official Taoist Court robe, yet it obviously didn¡¯t fit, as if it was hastily found and thrown on.


    Wearing the official robe signified his affiliation with the Taoist Court.


    But judging by his height and appearance, he was but a naive little cultivator, unlikely to have been admitted into the Taoist Court.


    Moreover, he was following Gu Changhuai, known for keeping others at a distance like a ¡°Cold-Faced Judge.¡±


    That made it even more mysterious¡­


    "Who might this young brother be


    Master Xiao, with a springtime warmth in his face but eyes that carried a predatory chill, made others feel uncomfortable.


    Mo Hua immediately gave him the nickname ¡°Smiling Tiger¡± in his heart.


    Just as he was pondering how to concoct an excuse to deal with this Smiling Tiger, Gu Changhuai coldly interjected:


    "Master Xiao, we¡¯re on official business.¡±


    Master Xiao, interrupted, could only turn to Gu Changhuai, his eyes shifting, but his smile unaffected as he inquired:


    "Supervisor Gu, still busy with the Fire Buddha case?¡±


    "Yes.¡±


    "It has been quite a while, hasn¡¯t it


    Gu Changhuai remained silent.


    Master Xiao sighed, ¡°The Fire Buddha¡¯s slaughter was atrocious, causing widespread panic; the higher-ups are taking it seriously, the Court Leader is under pressure


    "But¡­ although the case is complicated, taking this long to resolve it indeed looks bad.¡±


    "No one blames the superiors; they blame Supervisor Gu for not being efficient enough


    "Perhaps Master Xiao¡¯s eyes hardened as he spoke quietly, ¡°Just catch a few, close the case, and give an account to those above


    Gu Changhuai, with a penetrating gaze, asked, ¡°Is that the Court Leader¡¯s suggestion, or is it your own, Master Xiao?¡±


    Master Xiao¡¯s expression stalled, with a forced smile he said:


    "Supervisor Gu, I wouldn¡¯t dare to jest like that


    "Both of us are Supervisors; we simply carry out the orders from above, remember not to


    Master Xiao¡¯s smile slightly faded, his voice carrying a profound message, ¡°Take matters into your own hands


    Gu Changhuai lost his patience, his face immediately darkening without any pretense of politeness as he said:


    "Do your own Supervisor duties, and don¡¯t think about teaching me how to do my job.¡±


    Master Xiao paused.


    Gu Changhuai snorted disdainfully and walked away.


    Mo Hua, careful in observation and minding his words, pretended to hear nothing and closely followed Gu Changhuai in departure.


    Only Master Xiao remained, standing in place.


    The smile on his face gradually faded, and he sneered softly:


    "The people of the Gu Family are still so naive; sooner or later, they¡¯ll perish clean


    ¡­


    Sitting on the carriage bound for Bishan City, Mo Hua quietly asked:


    "Uncle Gu, does that Master Xiao have a grudge against you?¡±


    Gu Changhuai, lost in thought, did not reply.


    Mo Hua inquired again, ¡°He¡¯s not a spy within the Taoist Court, is he?¡±


    Caught off guard, Gu Changhuai exclaimed, ¡°How did you figure that out?¡±


    "Just a feeling


    Gu Changhuai, with a touch of exasperation, ¡°The Taoist Court doesn¡¯t proceed on mere feelings


    "Master Xiao


    Mo Hua muttered, then pondered aloud, ¡°To be appointed as a Supervisor, he must also be a noble family¡¯s son, surnamed Xiao; does the Xiao family, like the Gu family, have close ties to the Taoist Court?¡±


    Gu Changhuai appeared somewhat surprised, but he nodded and said:


    "Yes, the Xiao family¡¯s influence in the Taoist Court is greater than the Gu family¡¯s; the current Court Leader of the Fifth grade Taoist Court in the Qianxue State Boundary is from the Xiao family


    "Oh


    Mo Hua nodded, then curiously continued:


    "Then this Master Xiao


    "Stop asking,¡± Gu Changhuai interrupted Mo Hua, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t pry into the affairs of the Xiao family; it¡¯s best to stay away from them to avoid bringing trouble upon yourself

 Chapter 978: Water Concealing Jade (2)

    Chapter 978: Chapter 644: Water Concealing Jade_2


    Chapter 978 -644: Water Concealing Jade_2


    "Don¡¯t get yourself falsely accused for no reason, I won¡¯t be going to the Taoist Prison to bail you out,¡±


    "Okay, okay,¡±


    Mo Hua agreed.


    Listening to other people¡¯s advice honestly is also a good habit.


    He didn¡¯t inquire further about the Xiao family¡¯s matter, it was irrelevant to him anyway.


    The journey was fast-paced and bumpy.


    But there was still some way to go before reaching Bishan City, and Mo Hua took this opportunity to ask about the Fire Buddha matter.


    "Uncle Gu, is it impossible to enter the Demon¡¯s Cave?¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed as he looked out the window, ¡°There are Formations


    "What kind of Formations?¡±


    Gu Changhuai silently glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    Uncle Gu was ¡°Formation Blind¡±; if he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have let him come.


    But fortunately, Uncle Gu was ¡°Formation Blind¡±; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to get involved with the Fire Buddha matter¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua suspiciously, his intuition telling him that Mo Hua was definitely up to no good in his heart.


    "Are you bad-mouthing me in your head?¡±


    Mo Hua denied, ¡°No!¡±


    Gu Changhuai hummed softly.


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°The Taoist Court should have other Formation Masters, right?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression grew complex.


    There was no one else around, and since he would need Mo Hua¡¯s help with upcoming matters, Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t hold back and spilled the truth:


    "The best Formation Masters in the Cultivation World are mostly in the Heaven Shu Pavilion.¡±


    "The Formation Masters of the Heaven Shu Pavilion are highly esteemed and even the Taoist Court can usually not afford to hire them


    "The Formation Masters that the Taoist Court can afford are generally of inferior standards


    "And since the Fire Buddha incident happened in Second Grade Bishan City and the Sin Cultivators are all Second Grade, despite the heinous nature of the crime, it is still treated as a Second Grade case


    "A Second Grade case is beneath the notice of Third Grade Formation Masters.¡±


    "And these Sin Cultivators are so brutal and wicked that Second Grade Formation Masters dare not come.¡±


    "Investigating the scene and breaking Formations is one thing, but a battle of encirclement like this is much more dangerous without lifesaving measures for ordinary Formation Masters.¡±


    "Despite this, I still called in several Second Grade Formation Masters from the Gu Family¡¯s influence within the Taoist Court¡­ But


    Gu Changhuai frowned deeply, sighing,


    "The mountain paths are hidden, the Formations are obscure.¡±


    "They also couldn¡¯t discern any real clues, not to mention being of any help


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    No wonder Uncle Gu, who always cared so much about face, would actually relent and ask for his help.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Gu, as long as it¡¯s a Second Grade Formation, there will be no issue!¡±


    Then Mo Hua felt that he might have promised too much and added,


    "Anything below the middle level of Second Grade, and not High-Rank, there will be no issue.¡±


    Given the current situation, there must be Formation Masters among the Fire Buddha¡¯s group of Sin Cultivators.


    Since Fire Buddha was at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and he was the boss, his subordinates, the Formation Masters, should not exceed Foundation Establishment.


    And the skill level of ordinary Formation Masters was generally behind their Realm.


    For example, reaching Foundation Building Middle Stage to becoming a Second-grade Junior Formation Master.


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage to becoming a Second Grade Middle-level Formation Master.


    Only at the peak of Foundation Establishment Late Stage, or Golden Core, could one become a Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master.


    These were all standard situations.


    Formation Masters whose ranks matched their Cultivation Realm were already considered outstanding among their peers.


    Such Formation Masters were considered Formation geniuses and normally wouldn¡¯t stoop to consorting with Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators.


    Therefore, the Formations within the Bi Mountain Demon Cavern should be no more than Second Grade Middle-Level, something he was fully capable of handling.


    Mo Hua appeared quite confident.


    For the first time, Gu Changhuai found Mo Hua¡¯s confident and somewhat smug demeanor rather pleasing to the eye¡­


    ¡­


    After that, the two traveled in silence until they reached Bishan City.


    Upon entering Bishan City and passing through its streets, they continued to the northern mountains at the city¡¯s edge, where the view opened up to steep mountains, spectacular peaks, layered ridges, and rugged terrain.


    Gu Changhuai led Mo Hua to a cave at the foothills.


    The entrance was covered by green vines, but the cave inside was spacious, serving as a temporary base for the Taoist Court, with several dozen Enforcement Leaders quietly discussing something inside.


    Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua entered the cave.


    The Enforcement Leaders hastily stood up and respectfully saluted Gu Changhuai, but they couldn¡¯t help looking at Mo Hua with puzzled expressions.


    What did Supervisor Gu mean by bringing a young Cultivator here?


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t bother to explain and simply called out two people, ¡°Gu Quan, Gu An, come with me.¡±


    From the crowd, two Cultivators wearing Enforcement Leaders¡¯ Taoist Robes, indistinguishable in appearance, stepped forward.


    They bowed and said, ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    "Named Gu


    Mo Hua knew without guessing these two individuals must be from the Gu Family, and given they looked so similar, they were likely twins.


    Gu Changhuai then led Mo Hua, along with Gu Quan and Gu An, away from the cave, and after about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they stopped by a huge boulder.


    Mo Hua looked up and saw the mountain rock stretched across the summit.


    A natural crevice was in the middle with both sides shrouded, resembling a thread between heaven and earth.


    "Tian Yi Xian


    Mo Hua murmured and then looked at Gu Changhuai, ¡°A cavern outside of heaven, so the Demon¡¯s Cave is right behind this One Line Sky?¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The One Line Sky was narrow, just wide enough for one person to pass through.


    Gu Changhuai led the way at the front, with Mo Hua following behind him, and Gu An and Gu Quan at the rear.


    After passing the One Line Sky, the view suddenly opened up.


    The sky was high and wide, with white clouds floating beyond and close at hand, a sheer cliff at their feet, without any other paths.


    Gu Changhuai pointed towards the distance, and following his gesture, Mo Hua saw what looked like a towering, solitary peak in the hazy distance.

 Chapter 979: Water Concealing Jade (3)

    Chapter 979: Chapter 644 Water Concealing Jade_3


    Chapter 979 -644 Water Concealing Jade_3


    "That is the Demon¡¯s Cave,¡± Gu Changhuai paused, then continued, ¡°You¡¯re right, there¡¯s a stone bridge beneath our feet, engraved with a Concealment Formation, concealing its traces, so no one can detect the Demon¡¯s Cave across from here


    Mo Hua stared at the broken cliff on the horizon, feeling a momentary trance.


    It was as if he could once again see the hidden stone path atop the cliff on the back side of Big Black Mountain.


    Concealment Formation¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Great families and clans exploit Formations for profit.


    Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators also utilize Formations, hiding their tracks to do evil deeds.


    On the other hand, Loose Cultivators at the bottom of society struggle to get by, unable to afford even the most basic Formations.


    It was this way in Tongxian City of Li State, in South Yue City, and now it seems the Immortal City of Qian State also has this indication¡­


    When will the Formations, which adhere to the Dao of Heaven and Earth, truly benefit all living beings?


    Mo Hua felt moved.


    But now was not the time to be sentimental¡­


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, sweeping the empty mist below the cliff.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, a stone bridge clearly emerged.


    On the bridge, various Formations were engraved.


    There were reinforcing Earth Stone Formations, monitoring Small Yuan Magnetic Formations, and invisibility-purpose Concealment Formations.


    As Mo Hua watched, he was suddenly taken aback.


    "Concealment Formation


    This Concealment Formation seemed¡­


    Mo Hua concentrated his perception and was startled to realize.


    Second Grade Nineteen Patterns Formation!


    The Concealment Formation he had learned before was a First Grade Nine Patterns Formation, but he had never learned a Second Grade one.


    Mo Hua immediately realized that he had overlooked something.


    The Concealment Formation is the most difficult to learn among usual Formations.


    A First Grade Concealment Formation has a total of nine Pattern Lines.


    Then the Second Grade Concealment Formation could well be a top Second Grade Formation, possessing nineteen Pattern Lines¡­


    I made a wrong judgment.


    Among the group of Sin Cultivators with Fire Buddha, there was a Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master!


    "I was careless


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    A Concealment Formation that can deceive Foundation Building Cultivators is highly likely to be Second Grade.


    And it¡¯s not surprising for a Second Grade Concealment Formation to have nineteen Pattern Lines.


    A Formation Master capable of drawing nineteen Pattern Lines must be a Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master.


    Then his Cultivation¡­ Golden Core?


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, then shook his head.


    It shouldn¡¯t be Golden Core.


    A Golden Core Realm, Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master of such caliber wouldn¡¯t serve Fire Buddha; Fire Buddha is not worthy of such service.


    It¡¯s more likely still Foundation Establishment Late Stage, or even Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivation.


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    This person is a Formation genius!


    And very likely, he also possesses a great talent for Formation arts¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    A Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master is very troublesome¡­


    But I cannot avoid going to the Demon¡¯s Cave, nor can I avoid capturing Fire Buddha¡­


    Mo Hua mulled over the situation silently in his heart.


    If it¡¯s Second Grade High-Rank, then so be it.


    I have not truly crossed hands with a Second Grade Formation Master since arriving at the Qianxue State Boundary.


    This could also be considered a form of exchange and experience.


    Besides, a clash between Formation Masters doesn¡¯t necessarily have to result in life or death like in magical combat.


    Though more challenging, it¡¯s not as dangerous.


    So, I still need to visit the Demon¡¯s Cave, but I can¡¯t go there alone anymore.


    Mo Hua recalled the past.


    Initially at Black Mountain Stronghold, I went alone, but in hindsight, it was indeed too risky and made my parents worry.


    Now, I¡¯ve grown quite a bit, and naturally, I must be more prudent in my actions.


    It¡¯s fine to go, but I need to find a bodyguard.


    A ¡°Golden Core¡± bodyguard.


    Mo Hua sneakily glanced at Gu Changhuai.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s peculiar expression, Gu Changhuai was unaware of his thoughts and asked, ¡°What have you found out?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua honestly replied, ¡°Fire Buddha¡¯s men should have a Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master


    Upon hearing this, Gu Changhuai¡¯s brows tightened.


    A Second Grade high-ranking Formation Master¡­ That¡¯s going to be troublesome.


    "Now what do we do?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment before slowly saying,


    "No matter what, the Fire Buddha cannot be allowed to escape. As for a Second Grade high-ranking Formation Master, it doesn¡¯t matter. When the opportunity arises, kill them together


    "But¡­ how will you all get over there?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°If you go openly, won¡¯t you be discovered


    Gu Changhuai said, ¡°I have brought a few precious Concealment Spiritual Artifacts from the Gu Family. We¡¯ll use their own tactics against them and stealthily make our way across.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Uncle Gu truly has the self-discipline of a ¡°bodyguard¡±!


    He had even thought through how to get across on his own.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m coming too!¡±


    Gu Changhuai was surprised.


    Gu An and Gu Quan looked at each other.


    This kid is really too bold.


    Gu Changhuai refused, ¡°You cannot go.¡±


    If Mo Hua were to die inside, he wouldn¡¯t know how to explain it to his cousin.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°If I don¡¯t go, even if you are concealed, you will be discovered


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    Mo Hua pointed at the cliff in front of them, ¡°On the stone bridge below, besides the Concealment Formation, there is also a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation


    "Such Small Yuan Magnetic Formations are used for early warnings


    "Once you touch the Formation, under the reaction of Yuan Magnetism, the Fire Buddha will know that people are on the stone bridge


    "If they block the entrance or catch you by surprise in an ambush, or even go further and directly break the bridge, your survival will be slim


    "But Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°If you take me with you, there will be no problem!¡±


    "These Small Yuan Magnetic Formations cannot deceive me.¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression turned stern.


    That was also the reason he had not rashly crossed the bridge before, despite having prepared Concealment Spiritual Artifacts.


    He feared there might be some unknown traps on the bridge.


    But the opposite side was the Demon¡¯s Cave, and Gu Changhuai was still uneasy about taking Mo Hua there.


    "Just a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, I¡¯ll have someone go back to the Gu Family and bring some Yuan Magnet Si Nan over, we¡¯ll test it out little by little


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°That would waste too much time, and what if there are other Early Warning Formations?¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Once you overlook and miss one, you will be discovered by the Fire Buddha.¡±


    "If he is prepared in advance and escapes from the Demon¡¯s Cave, then this operation will be a complete failure.¡±


    And I won¡¯t be able to learn the Meteor Fire Skill then¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself internally.


    Gu Changhuai indeed wavered.


    Observing his reactions, Mo Hua continued,


    "That¡¯s just the stone bridge, and inside the Fire Buddha¡¯s ¡®Demon¡¯s Cave,¡¯ there are likely even more Formations


    "In such a case, don¡¯t you need a clever, witty Formation Master with extraordinary Formation skills, to help you out of trouble?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked.


    Although Gu Changhuai was reluctant to acknowledge Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°self-proclaimed¡± titles, he was unable to deny them.


    If he really had a way with these Formations, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to bring Mo Hua along.


    Gu Changhuai fell silent and finally sighed,


    "Alright, you come with us for now to survey the situation, but remember the ¡®three rules¡¯.¡±


    "Yes, yes.¡± Mo Hua quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you, not make a move, and just be a freeloader.¡±


    He still remembered that.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, his expression helpless.


    Beside him, Gu An and Gu Quan appeared composed, yet they were both inwardly shocked.


    They served in the Taoist Court and rarely returned to the Gu Family, this was their first time meeting Mo Hua and the first time they saw someone negotiate with the young master to this extent.


    They even managed to get the young master to ¡°compromise¡± to such a degree.


    For the first time, they saw a look of helpless annoyance on the face of their usually haughty young master¡­


    In that instant, they couldn¡¯t help but regard Mo Hua with respect.


    Following that, Gu Changhuai took out several Jade Pendants, handing one to each person.


    "This is a Water Concealing Jade, a Second Grade Concealment Spiritual Tool. Wearing it will cover your body in a shroud of water, concealing your form


    Gu An and Gu Quan respectfully accepted the Jade Pendants.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and accepted it as well, going with the flow.


    Although he knew the Concealment Technique, and it was the high-end Five Elements Stealth Technique, having an extra layer of protection was always good.


    Besides, the Jade Pendant looked so precious and must be worth many Spirit Stones.


    He couldn¡¯t let Uncle Gu¡¯s good intentions go to waste.


    Mo Hua silently tucked the Water Concealing Jade into his pocket.


    Before setting off, Gu Changhuai gave Mo Hua another reminder:


    "If something happens, don¡¯t worry about us. If you can run, then run. Just save your own life.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I will!¡±


    And so, the group set off.


    There were four people in total: Gu Changhuai at the Golden Core Stage, Gu An and Gu Quan at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and Mo Hua at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    All four concealed their forms and stepped in succession onto the invisible stone bridge, leading to the Demon¡¯s Cave.

 Chapter 980: Discerning the Spirit Drawing

    Chapter 980: Chapter 645: Discerning the Spirit Drawing Formation


    Chapter 980 -645: Discerning the Spirit Drawing Formation


    Hanging Sky Cliff, lone peaks amidst the clouds.


    Above the sea of clouds, there was an invisible stone bridge.


    Three tall and one short Cultivators, their figures concealed, were walking step by step on the bridge, as if treading through the air, walking on the edge of the heavens with a boundless abyss beneath their feet.


    The group couldn¡¯t help but feel awe.


    Mo Hua was relatively calm, as this was not his first time walking this bridge.


    Though the cliff was higher, the road longer, and the destination more perilous than before, he was accompanied by three ¡°bodyguards.¡±


    One of them was Golden Core Realm Uncle Gu.


    It was actually relatively safe.


    The stone bridge was empty; there were no other figures.


    The group walked forward, step by step.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, observing and sensing the surroundings all the way, occasionally warning aloud:


    Here lies a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, there an Earth Explosion Formation, there an Early Warning Formation, there a Gale Formation¡­


    Sin Cultivators had indeed set up many Formations on the stone bridge.


    These Formations, either as warnings or traps, were very covertly arranged.


    However, naturally, they couldn¡¯t escape Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Every Formation along the way was deciphered by Mo Hua.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, who walked through myriad Formations untouched and composed, and felt relieved.


    It was good that they had brought this child along¡­ S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Otherwise, walking on this treacherously Formation-filled stone bridge would have been like treading on thin ice, and reaching the other shore might not have been certain.


    Mo Hua led the way, and the three men, including Gu Changhuai, followed him obediently.


    Halfway across, the sky above the stone bridge suddenly darkened.


    Mo Hua stopped on the bridge.


    Behind them was the path through the clouds, clear and sunny.


    In front of them, an evil aura pervaded, the lone peak like a demon¡¯s cave, gloomy and oppressive.


    The group exchanged glances with determined eyes and continued forward.


    Amidst the gloomy evil aura, it was uncertain how long they had walked when they finally saw the cliff.


    After the time it would take to drink a cup of tea, the figures concealed themselves and, without alerting any spirits, stepped onto the stone stairs of the cliff opposite and reached the opposite shore.


    Before them was a solitary peak surrounded by emptiness, the clouds twining around it.


    Like a lonely island in the sea of clouds, it was uninhabited.


    At the very center of the lone peak was a large, narrow cave entrance.


    The cave was closed, resembling the tightly shut eyes of a demonic beast.


    The surrounding rocks were fierce-looking, with protruding stones interlocking like the lashes of a demonic beast, covering the bright red blood in its eyes.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened. ¡°Evil Formation


    The Formation Master under Fire Buddha was a Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation Master¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked indifferent, but Gu An and Gu Quan were a bit nervous.


    "Little master, can this door be opened?¡±


    It was unclear whether it was Gu An or Gu Quan who asked.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head:


    "This is an Evil Formation, and the Formation is closed, making it impossible to see through the internal Patterns, compounded with it being a Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation, it can¡¯t be deciphered


    "At least I can¡¯t decipher it for the time being


    "If it can¡¯t be deciphered, then we can only break through the Formation with brute force


    "But such action would create a large commotion, surely alerting Fire Buddha and his people


    ¡­


    Gu An and Gu Quan frowned deeply.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s handsome eyes silently observed Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua understood.


    It was Uncle Gu asking him what to do about these Formations.


    But he was always somewhat proud, and for a while, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask, especially in front of Gu An and Gu Quan.


    He was a Supervisor and also a son of the Gu Family; he had his pride to maintain.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and without waiting for Gu Changhuai to ask, he said:


    "The Demon¡¯s Cave, though it sounds eerie and terrible, is essentially a type of Tao Cultivation building, and would use architectural Formations


    "Therefore, inside this lone peak, there must also be various Formations constructed.¡±


    "I need to first look at the structure of the entire lone peak from the outside, then make an educated guess about the internal Formations, and consider how to enter


    "Good,¡± Gu Changhuai nodded.


    So, Mo Hua, with hands clasped behind his back and head raised, inspected the lone peak as if he was ¡°surveying¡± it, while sensing the Formations within.


    Gu Changhuai and the other two men followed silently behind, vigilant and watching their surroundings, like three potential ¡°followers.¡±


    After walking around the peak, Mo Hua found a quiet place, took a stone as a table, spread out Formation Paper, and began to initially reconstruct the outer Formation structure of the Demon¡¯s Cave.


    He recalled the Spirit Traces of the Formations he had sensed from the rocky surface, and drew the Formation Patterns on the paper.


    He occasionally lifted his head, capturing the entire peak in his gaze, correcting the connections of the Formations¡­


    Moments later, an outline of the outer Formations of the Demon¡¯s Cave, constructed from Patterns, gradually emerged on the paper¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s pupils constricted, looking at Mo Hua, he murmured:


    "Distinguishing Spirit Drawing Formation


    "Distinguishing Spirit Drawing Formation?¡± Mo Hua was a bit taken aback and asked Gu Changhuai, ¡°What is Distinguishing Spirit Drawing Formation?¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused, ¡°It¡¯s what you are doing


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then understood.


    Identifying external Formation Divine Forces and reconstructing internal Formation structures were called ¡°Distinguishing Spirit Drawing Formation.¡±


    He had always thought this was just basic Formation Calculation; he hadn¡¯t expected it to have so many fancy terms¡­


    Mo Hua exclaimed: ¡°Uncle Gu, you know so much


    Gu Changhuai:


    If it weren¡¯t for Mo Hua¡¯s earnest and clear gaze, he would have almost suspected that Mo Hua was ¡°sarcasm


    After more than half an hour, Mo Hua initially reconstructed the outer Formation Diagram of the ¡°Demon¡¯s Cave.¡±


    On the paper was a Demon¡¯s Cave.


    But this ¡°Demon¡¯s Cave¡± seemed to be ¡°x-rayed¡± by Divine Sense, without the appearance of rocks and vegetation, revealing the internal ¡°skeleton¡± of various Patterns and Formation Pivots.

 Chapter 981: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation (2)

    Chapter 981: Chapter 645: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_2


    Chapter 981 -645: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_2


    Although it was only the external superficial structure of the Formation, Gu Changhuai was still extremely shocked. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was somewhat dazed.


    Could this really be something that a Formation Master at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage was capable of doing?


    This was completely different from all the Formation Masters he had known before¡­


    On the other side, Gu An and Gu Quan were likewise unable to understand and were increasingly convinced that Mo Hua was not to be judged by his appearance.


    This Junior Formation Master was indeed extraordinary¡­


    No wonder he could negotiate back and forth with the young master who was always so uncompromising and even made the usually stubborn young master concede.


    Mo Hua did not know their thoughts, but continued:


    "The Formation of the Demon¡¯s Cave is very tight, but since it is a Tao Cultivation Architectural Formation, in order to save costs, there must be some ¡®compromises


    "The main sections use Second Grade Nineteen Patterns Formations, but in some corners and edges, the Formation Grade will decrease, and the number of Formation Patterns will also step down


    "Eighteen Patterns, Seventeen Patterns, and even Middle-level Second Grade Sixteen Patterns will be used


    "Some parts even resort to First-grade Formations to fill the gaps


    "These weak points in the Formations are where the flaws lie.¡±


    "The larger the scale of a Tao Cultivation Architectural Formation, the grander it appears from the outside, but to an expert¡¯s eyes, the more flaws it has


    To an expert¡¯s eyes¡­


    Gu Changhuai and the others looked at Mo Hua and nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua reviewed the Formation Diagram of the ¡°Demon¡¯s Cave¡± from beginning to end, then took them to a small hillside behind an isolated peak.


    Underneath the hillside, there was a sturdy rock, with broken stones jagged and sharp.


    "This rock is solid, difficult to excavate, and not easy to build Formations on, so the Formation Master who built the Demon¡¯s Cave cut corners here


    Mo Hua then released his Divine Sense, his eyes deep, and after looking for a while, pointed to a plain-looking stone slope:


    "The flaw here is the biggest.¡±


    Gu Changhuai stared hard at the stone slope but couldn¡¯t at all discern why this was the biggest flaw.


    But when it came to Formations, Mo Hua¡¯s words always gave him an unquestionable sense of certainty.


    "So we¡­dig through the mountaintop and sneak in?¡±


    One of the Gu brothers suggested.


    Mo Hua guessed he must be ¡°Gu An.¡±


    The two brothers looked alike and had similar voices, but there was a difference in the circulation of their Spiritual Power, one favoring the left meridians and the other the right.


    Just like a left-handed person and a right-handed person.


    The left-handed one was Gu An, and the right-handed one was Gu Quan.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°The noise is still too great. For such things as digging, it¡¯s best to use Formations


    This was something he had just learned, a type of Eight Trigrams Gen Formation, called Mountain Opening Formation.


    The Second Grade Fourteen Patterns Mountain Opening Formation could turn mountain stone into powder. Its power wasn¡¯t great, and it was quiet, making it perfect for digging secret passages.


    Mo Hua took out his ink and brush and started to draw the Mountain Opening Formation on the stone.


    He drew extremely fast; in just a short while, he completed a diagram.


    Then, above the Formation, a gray light flashed, the Formation Patterns activated, and the mountain stone crumbled into fine powder that scattered in the wind.


    Gu Changhuai watched from the side, feeling something was amiss.


    After a while, he finally understood.


    Too fast¡­


    He had seen Mo Hua paint Formations before, but he hadn¡¯t paid much attention at that time.


    Now, right under his watch, Mo Hua¡¯s brush moved with a vigor of dragons and snakes, and he completely drew a Second Grade Fourteen Patterns Mountain Opening Formation.


    Gu Changhuai then realized how incredibly fast this brushwork was.


    It was as if time had ¡®fast-forwarded¡¯; his little hand was leaving afterimages.


    This hand speed was several times faster than those Formation Masters he had seen before.


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brow.


    "This kid Mo Hua, how come he¡¯s like the ¡®hexagonal¡¯ Formation Master without a single weak spot


    "Could it be that he¡¯s been possessed by some old Formation ¡®monster


    ¡­


    While he mulled this over, Mo Hua quickly drew one Mountain Opening Formation after another, dissolving layers of rock.


    Finally, with the last bit of stone gone, a dark, gloomy hole appeared before them.


    There was a chill wind blowing from inside the hole, and a faint scent of rot wafted out.


    Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai understood and nodded slightly, directly entering the hole, with Gu An and Gu Quan closely following.


    A few moments later, Gu Changhuai¡¯s voice came from inside the hole.


    "Come in


    Mo Hua nodded and stepped in.


    His vision was pitch black for a while, and then slowly light emerged. Mo Hua focused and discovered he was standing on an outcropping of a stone pillar.


    Mo Hua looked down and his pupils suddenly contracted.


    It was a massive cavern.


    The pillars were jagged and grotesque.


    The mountain was hollowed out below, and there was a grand and imposing Demon Palace.


    Corridors suspended in mid-air crisscrossed, with White Bone lanterns in between, casting a ghoulish green light, reflecting the eerie halls around them.


    In the center of the hall was a huge stone skull.


    The eye sockets of the skull were empty, burning with green flames.


    The fierce fangs stuck out, with a gaping mouth, as if choosing someone to devour.


    But this skull was half incomplete, seemingly still under construction, unrecognizable as either a man¡¯s or a beast¡¯s bone.


    Above the skull, a somber Demonic Qi radiated.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was stern, in disbelief he said:


    "A Demon Sect stronghold


    "Such audacity!¡±


    Mo Hua paused, ¡°A Demon Sect stronghold


    He looked at Gu Changhuai and asked softly, ¡°How is a Demon Sect stronghold different from a typical Evil Cultivator¡¯s lair?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face turned solemn, and he slowly said:


    "Evil Cultivator¡¯s lairs are just for temporary hiding, while Demon Cultivator¡¯s strongholds are for long-term ¡®dwelling

 Chapter 982: Identifying Spirits Drawing

    Chapter 982: Chapter 645: Identifying Spirits Drawing Formation_3


    Chapter 982 -645: Identifying Spirits Drawing Formation_3


    "Evil cultivators are just the poisonous fruit, the poisoning only kills one or two people, but the Demon Sect, it is the ¡®root¡¯ that spreads the source of the poison


    "Whenever a Demon Sect stronghold appears, it indicates that the Demon Sect has ¡®rooted¡¯ here, or is about to root


    "If a Demon Sect stronghold is allowed to be established and take root, it will become a malignant tumor of the Demon Path, spreading Demon Path Skills, causing endless harm.¡±


    "And trying to remove it is extremely difficult, and the cost is also very great


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze was grave.


    He had thought before that the ¡®Demon¡¯s Cave¡¯ of Fire Buddha was just an exaggerated expression.


    But now it seemed that this Demon¡¯s Cave was indeed a large-scale stronghold of the Demon Sect.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°From this perspective, is Fire Buddha not only a Sin Cultivator and an Evil Cultivator but also a Demon Cultivator with a ¡®legacy¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze was icy, and he nodded slightly,


    "Presumably so


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze was somewhat meaningful,


    "What you cannot see, that is the real Demon Sect.¡±


    "Those Demon Cultivators who commit atrocities and are overbearingly arrogant have long been slaughtered by the Taoist Court


    "The remaining Demon Cultivators, sometimes appear more righteous than upright cultivators


    Mo Hua startled, and unexpectedly thought of Lu Chengyun.


    Murdering for corpse refinement, exploiting zombies for mining, tirelessly earning Spirit Stones. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then using those Spirit Stones to bribe the Taoist Court, purchase local influence, further exploit Mining Cultivators, refine more zombies, and grow his forces.


    On the surface, he was the refined and gentlemanly Family Head of the Lu Family.


    But behind the scenes, he was a true giant of the Demon Path, a Corpse Cultivator.


    Once he managed to refine a Corpse King, all the cultivators of South Yue City, whether alive or dead, would likely become his ¡°zombies.¡±


    And perhaps the present situation was the same.


    Fire Buddha and them could just be a ¡°decoy.¡±


    This ¡°Bi Mountain Demon Cavern,¡± who knows what it hides, and whose handiwork it actually is¡­


    "Uncle Gu, what should we do now? Should we go back and call for reinforcements?¡±


    Mo Hua whispered.


    Having discovered the Demon Sect stronghold, the best approach seemed to be to go back and ¡°shake people up,¡± calling in more Enforcement Leaders from the Taoist Court to annihilate this stronghold.


    Gu Changhuai frowned in thought and then slowly shook his head.


    "Let¡¯s scout around first. If we can find Fire Buddha and kill him directly, that would be best


    "Going back to call for help and surrounding the Demon¡¯s Cave, there would be too many variables amidst the chaos; if Fire Buddha escapes in the process, all our efforts would be in vain


    "Moreover


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze deepened, and he said no more.


    But he understood in his heart; Bi Mountain City¡¯s ability to build a Demon¡¯s Cave meant there was certainly corruption within the Taoist Court¡­


    Calling for reinforcements might just offer opportunities to those with ulterior motives¡­


    A rusty blade in a life-and-death battle might end up being the death of oneself.


    This was also exactly what Mo Hua wanted.


    Fewer people made for easier work.


    With too many people, it was hard to manage with all the eyes and ears, and to make any secretive maneuvers.


    Mo Hua looked up again at the imposing Demon¡¯s Cave.


    No matter whose handiwork this Demon¡¯s Cave was, Fire Buddha needed to die first.


    His Meteor Fire Skill also needed to be obtained.


    "Let¡¯s go said Gu Changhuai.


    "Okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    The group of four then stealthily concealed their forms and descended quietly along the surrounding rock walls, entering the Demon Palace.


    Once inside the Demon Palace, the layout became more complicated compared to what could be seen from the outside.


    Many buildings were enclosed, absolutely impenetrable.


    Formations were densely arranged around, increasing limitations on movement.


    And there were strangely dressed Demon Cultivators patrolling with several Demon Hounds.


    If discovered by the patrolling Demon Cultivator Demon Hounds, it would likely startle the quarry, inviting more cultivators from the Demon¡¯s Cave to gather.


    Trapped in a siege within the Demon¡¯s Cave, Gu Changhuai in the Golden Core Realm might be able to escape, but Gu An and Gu Quan were much more likely to be doomed.


    Mo Hua might manage to escape, but the assassination of Fire Buddha could no longer be considered.


    Thus, the group moved cautiously.


    To avoid detection, they dared not kill even a dog.


    Wandering through the Demon Palace for much of the day, they didn¡¯t even spot Fire Buddha.


    Those Demon Cultivators kept a tight seal on their lips, leading the dogs around like puppet zombies, scanning around but rarely speaking.


    Mo Hua found it impossible to eavesdrop on any clues from their lips.


    Continuing this way was like a headless fly.


    Forget seven days; even seventeen days might not net Fire Buddha.


    "What to do


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Gu Changhuai also felt this wasn¡¯t the way to search and whispered quietly, ¡°Let¡¯s walk towards the inner sanctum to see


    They were currently in the outer sanctum of the Demon Palace.


    If Fire Buddha wasn¡¯t in the outer sanctum, then he was likely in the inner sanctum.


    But the deeper into the inner sanctum, the tighter the security would be, and the more people and dogs patrolling, increasing the risks significantly.


    After detection, the chances of escaping would be even lower.


    Gu An and Gu Quan were prepared to face death.


    Mo Hua also nodded in agreement.


    The group then attempted to walk towards the inner sanctum but hadn¡¯t taken many steps before they encountered three people heading towards them; the leader was holding a green-eyed, black-haired, foul-smelling Demon Hound.


    The four quickly hid aside, grabbing the stone walls and hanging from the aerial corridor.


    When the Demon Hound approached nearby, it suddenly bared its teeth and growled fiercely, lowering its head to sniff around.


    Mo Hua sprinkled odorless powder on everyone.


    This powder was a common antidote carried by Monster Hunters during their hunts in Big Black Mountain. When faced with danger, they would sprinkle some on themselves to prevent Monster Beasts from detecting their scent.

 Chapter 983: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation (4)

    Chapter 983: Chapter 645: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_4 S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chapter 983 -645: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_4


    This medicine powder is seldom used, but Mo Hua still carried some with him, just in case.


    The Demon Hound couldn¡¯t smell anything and barked furiously on the spot.


    A Demon Cultivator asked in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    "Has the sniffing Demon Hound discovered something?¡±


    A chilling Divine Sense spread out in all directions, sweeping over Mo Hua and the others before retracting.


    "Nothing


    "Is this dog in heat? Why is it still barking randomly?¡±


    "Who fed it Pills that it shouldn¡¯t have been given?¡±


    After that, a howl from the Demon Hound followed, as if someone had kicked it.


    "Damn beast, keep quiet if there¡¯s nothing


    "Wasting my damn time


    A hoarse voice said, ¡°Alright, continue the patrol


    "How could anyone possibly get in here


    "Damn it


    Afterwards, the three Demon Cultivators led the dog away, gradually disappearing into the distance.


    After confirming they were gone, Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get in


    The patrol of the Demon Palace was too rigorous.


    And those damn dogs, more vigilant than humans.


    With guards every few steps, it¡¯s simply impossible to approach.


    Gu Quan¡ªMo Hua guessed he was Gu An¡ªwhispered, ¡°Should we kill these patrolmen?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened but he eventually shook his head.


    "We can¡¯t kill


    "Neither people nor even that dog can be killed


    Because if a fight broke out, causing Spiritual Power fluctuations that the Demon Cultivators could detect;


    Or if the killing was not swift, allowing them to cry out and alert other Demon Cultivators;


    Or if after the deed, the bodies were not hidden properly and left traces that other Demon Cultivators could find.


    Then their movements would be exposed¡­


    All four of them frowned.


    Gu Changhuai sighed silently, ¡°Let¡¯s search the outer halls and try our luck, see if we can find any clues, or some secret mechanism that leads to the inner halls


    "Right,¡± Mo Hua and the others nodded slightly.


    Then the four of them climbed up from underneath the corridor.


    But before they took many steps, Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed, ¡°Someone is coming


    Gu Changhuai noticed as well, his face also darkening.


    The group had no choice but to retreat to their previous position and hide under the corridor.


    The three Demon Cultivators and the Demon Hound returned.


    "There¡¯s some noise here


    "Quick, search everywhere


    This time they searched even more thoroughly.


    Several Divine Senses swept back and forth incessantly.


    The dog¡¯s nose sniffed desperately, as if trying to scrape the ground clean.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat anxious.


    After an unknown duration, the three Demon Cultivators finally ceased.


    "Still nothing


    "Misjudgement?¡±


    "Is he messing with us? Treating us like dogs, so casually used for his amusement?¡±


    "To hell with it


    "If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he is¡­ sooner or later I¡¯ll


    "Shut up!¡±


    A hoarse voice barked sharply, ¡°Have you got a death wish?¡±


    The other two mumbled and dared not speak.


    "Just do your jobs!¡±


    The Demon Cultivator warned sternly, then his tone softened slightly, ¡°This hall is sealed and damp, you practice the Demon Skill, and it¡¯s easy to become unstable


    "It¡¯ll be fine after some time.¡±


    "Go outside and vent when you can


    A gloomy laughter followed.


    Then the three men slowly led the dog away again.


    The group of Gu Changhuai did not rashly come out, remaining suspended in their hiding spot.


    All was silent, and Gu An couldn¡¯t help but speak lowly, ¡°Taoist Demon beasts, if we weren¡¯t afraid of alerting them, we should have slaughtered them


    Gu Changhuai said calmly, ¡°The main task is the priority.¡±


    "Yes, young master.¡±


    Only after they made sure those three men and the dog had gone far did the four of them come out, preparing to continue their search elsewhere, when Mo Hua suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    "What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Changhuai asked.


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Something¡¯s not right


    Gu Changhuai paused briefly, contemplative.


    Mo Hua looked back, ¡°Something¡¯s off about this place


    "The three men and the dog had already gone far away, why did they suddenly come back?¡±


    "And from what they said, it seems that a ¡®person¡¯ told them there was noise here, and that¡¯s why they returned


    "How did this ¡®person¡¯ know there was noise?¡±


    "Why was he able to detect the disturbance?¡±


    As Mo Hua spoke, he thought hard and released his Divine Sense, carefully searching the surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he ran to a corner by the corridor.


    Hidden in the corner was an extremely inconspicuous Formation.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t recognize what Formation it was, but he could tell by his sensing that it was a Yuan Magnetic Formation he had never seen before¡­


    "The Yuan Magnetic Formation


    Mo Hua murmured.


    Then he startled, closed his eyes to sense, and in the darkness, he seemed to feel a stream of ¡°magnetic flow.¡±


    This magnetic flow was extremely weak.


    If not for his keen Divine Sense and daily encounters with the ¡°magnetic flow¡± derived from Secondary Thunder Patterns, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect it.


    "Original Magnet sensing


    Mo Hua suddenly realized, and looked up again, taking in the entire Demon Palace, and slowly a conjecture formed in his mind:


    "This tightly-guarded Demon Palace seems to be under close ¡®surveillance¡¯ by a set of Yuan Magnetic Formations

 Chapter 984: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss

    Chapter 984 -646: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss Yumu for the alliance~)


    Chapter 984 -646: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss Yumu for the alliance~)


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s sudden realization, Gu Changhuai was slightly taken aback, ¡°What have you figured out now?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said succinctly,


    "If I¡¯m not mistaken, there should be a Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation inside this Demon Palace, which coordinates all the Yuan Magnetic Formations throughout the Demon¡¯s Cave, while monitoring the fluctuations of spiritual power inside the palace, as well as any other movements


    Gu Changhuai and his companions looked solemn.


    "That means Mo Hua continued, ¡°Not only are we being guarded against by these patrolling Demon Cultivator Demon Hounds, but we¡¯re also under surveillance by the hidden Yuan Magnetic Formation and the invisible ¡®magnetic currents


    "Once careless, we might trigger the Formation and be discovered by the Demon Cultivators.¡±


    "And we might not even know how we¡¯ve been discovered


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°Is there any way to break this Compound Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°The Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation should be a Formation of at least Seventeen Patterns. It¡¯s a bit beyond me, I can¡¯t solve it yet


    Gu Changhuai felt a bit regretful.


    He had really thought Mo Hua knew every Formation.


    He didn¡¯t expect there to be something he didn¡¯t know¡­


    But then he thought about it again and felt something was off.


    Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, a Formation with more than Seventeen Patterns¡­


    It seemed a bit¡­ ¡°beyond¡±?


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but criticize internally.


    Was it really so ¡°beyond¡±?


    Did this kid have some misunderstanding about the term ¡°beyond¡±?


    However, he had been shocked enough along the way and was somewhat used to it.


    Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, Formation surveillance¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked up again at the heavily guarded Demon Palace and said in a deep voice,


    "If that¡¯s really the case, then we must retreat and replan


    Mo Hua frowned.


    To retreat and replan¡­


    That would inevitably take more time.


    The plan to take down the Fire Buddha within seven days would be spoiled.


    If it took longer than seven days, he would have to attend classes at the Sect, and getting the Meteor Fire Skill would be impossible¡­ S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There¡¯s not no way Mo Hua thought for a while and slowly said, ¡°We could try to find the central hub of the Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation


    "The hub of the Compound Formation?¡± Gu Changhuai asked.


    "Right,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°A Compound Formation includes multiple Single Formations and needs a central Formation Pivot to control everything. The larger the Formation, the more obvious the central hub, with more functionalities concentrated in it


    "Destroy the pivot, and the Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation will fail, making our actions much easier. We won¡¯t have to look around and be hindered by caution


    "If we could control the pivot


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly, ¡°We could even turn the tables, making the surveillance Formation in the Demon Palace work for us


    Gu Changhuai was startled on hearing this.


    Gu An and Gu Quan also found it hard to believe.


    Formation Masters¡­ could they really do this?


    After a brief reflection, Gu Changhuai nodded in agreement,


    "Alright, let¡¯s do as you say!¡±


    "Right.¡±


    Without delay, Mo Hua began to determine the position of the Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation¡¯s pivot.


    The Demon Palace was strictly guarded, with complex and interwoven paths.


    On the surface, there was no systematic Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    But Formation media are merely intermediaries, and patterns are just the skeleton.


    The essence of a Formation is still spiritual power.


    Though it wasn¡¯t visible on the surface, the subtle trails of Formation spiritual power were still clearly discernible through Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua extended his Divine Sense, probing the Yuan Magnetic Formations, sensing the connections between them to infer the entire system of the Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    If the trail went cold, he would employ calculations, detecting the faint magnetic currents in the air.


    Following the ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± left by the magnetic currents, he traced the roots and dug out all the Yuan Magnetic Formations in the outer sanctuary, one by one, as if pulling radishes from the ground.


    These Yuan Magnetic Formations were categorized and varied.


    Some Yuan Magnetic Formations Mo Hua could identify.


    Like the commonly used Small Yuan Magnetic Formation or the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, etc¡­


    But some patterns were obtuse and beyond Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense Realm; he could locate them but couldn¡¯t see the details or distinguish what kind of Formation they were.


    However, this wasn¡¯t a big issue.


    These Yuan Magnetic Formations were merely used for ¡°positioning,¡± to observe the direction of the pivot through the Formation layout.


    After locating all Yuan Magnetic Formations within the outer sanctuary,


    Mo Hua then reversed their layout to locate the confluence of the Original Magnet.


    Where the Original Magnet converged was also the location of the main control pivot of the Formation.


    The process, however, was both mentally taxing and time-consuming¡­


    Gu Changhuai watched Mo Hua silently, feeling somewhat perplexed.


    In his eyes, Mo Hua just ran back and forth and occasionally stopped to look up at the sky.


    Or he would sniff around like a ¡°little spirit hound¡± and then seriously find one Formation after another, determining the pivot¡¯s location¡­


    But no matter how Gu Changhuai looked, everything around them seemed like ordinary construction with no special traces.


    If he didn¡¯t know for certain that Mo Hua¡¯s level in Formations was far from common,


    He would almost suspect Mo Hua was pretending and performing in a play, deceitfully leading him on¡­


    Gu Changhuai was thoroughly confused.


    After a moment, Mo Hua pointed to a small path in the outer sanctuary and decisively said,


    "The Original Magnet flows that way.¡±


    Gu Changhuai finally couldn¡¯t hold back and asked, ¡°How do you see that


    He stopped halfway through the question.


    He knew without thinking that Mo Hua would surely say, ¡°I can see it at a glance


    Gu Changhuai changed his question, ¡°Why can¡¯t I see it?¡±


    After all, he was a Golden Core Cultivator; his Divine Sense should be stronger than his.


    Mo Hua replied as if it were obvious,


    "You¡¯re not a Formation Master, of course, you can¡¯t see it.¡±

 Chapter 985: Evil Formation Master

    Gu Changhuai: "¡­"


    He felt that the issue probably wasn''t with the Formation Master, but with Mo Hua instead.


    However, Mo Hua had stopped paying attention to him and took the lead, walking along the path toward the convergence of the Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze sharpened, he sighed, and could only silently follow.


    At the end of the little path, there was a wall.


    It was built of sturdy stone, carved with strange patterns and reinforced with Formations, but it looked no different from other walls in the area.


    The place was secluded with no one else around.


    Mo Hua felt and knocked on the entire wall, inch by inch, checking everything.


    He then stopped in front of a wall brick that bore the carving of an eye and pondered.


    There was something off about this brick...


    After locking eyes with the "eye" on the brick a moment later, Mo Hua took out his brush and ink, drew Formation Patterns around it, and broke the Earth Stone Formation reinforcing it.


    Cracks began to appear all around that very brick.


    Gu Quan stepped forward, removed the brick, and revealed a dark passage behind it.


    The passage was narrow, barely tall enough for half a person, and inside there was thick, crude Blood Ink.


    This ink was a trace of the Formation Pivot.


    Mo Hua''s eyes gleamed faintly.


    He had guessed correctly.


    Just like when he constructed the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, since it was necessary to use the Formation Pivot to control all the Single Formations, the ink "body" of the Formation Pivot had to connect the inner and exterior halls.


    At the same time, these Formation Pivots had to be concealed within the structure, unexposed.


    To prevent someone like himself who had intentions from targeting them.


    But no matter how well they hid, they still couldn''t escape his clever detection...


    Mo Hua nodded in self-satisfaction.


    Next, he just needed to follow the trail, find the central control of the Compound Formation through this "vine" of Formation Pivots...


    The problem was...


    Mo Hua glanced at the entrance and then turned back to say to Gu Changhuai and the other two, "You guys are too tall, seems you won''t fit in there..."


    Gu Changhuai and the others had complex expressions.


    They couldn''t possibly shrink themselves on purpose just to squeeze through this hole...


    Mo Hua sighed, "No choice then, I''ll go take a look..."


    Gu Changhuai frowned, "You''re going alone?"


    "It''s okay," Mo Hua said, "this is where the Formation Pivots are hidden. I''m very familiar with it, there won''t be any danger..."


    Formation Pivots were supposed to be kept secret.


    Not only must they remain unknown to outsiders, but even insiders were forbidden to approach.


    The buildings near the Formation Pivots would only have some Early Warning defensive measures when building the Formation.


    But to Mo Hua, who had constructed the Large Formation himself, these measures weren''t even worth mentioning.


    Gu Changhuai pondered, "You could take a Shrink Bone Pill, to temporarily reduce your size..."


    "Shrink Bone Pill?" Mo Hua was surprised.


    There was such a thing?


    The Tao Cultivation World truly had all sorts of oddities.


    Mo Hua thought for a bit but then shook his head, saying:


    "Shrink Bone Pill won''t work, the flow of Spiritual Power is chaotic inside the Formation Pivot, which could easily affect the Formations on the Spiritual Artifacts, causing them to malfunction..." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua pointed at the Jade Pendant on Gu Changhuai''s body, "Your Water Concealing Jade might be affected and fail to conceal you..."


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze darkened.


    He hadn''t considered this...


    After all, he wasn''t a Formation Master and had only a shallow understanding of the subtle formation principles.


    "No, wait..."


    Gu Changhuai suddenly realized, "If our Water Concealing Jades become ineffective, doesn''t yours become useless as well?"


    "I''m different," Mo Hua said. "I know Concealment Techniques."


    Gu Changhuai opened his mouth, at a loss for words:


    "When did you learn Concealment Techniques?"


    Mo Hua looked innocent, "I''ve always known how to do it..."


    Always known...


    Gu Changhuai wore a look of feeling deceived and couldn''t find words to reply.


    "You never asked me..."


    Mo Hua muttered.


    If Uncle Gu didn''t ask about the Concealment Technique, surely he had no reason to mention it...


    Gu Changhuai took a deep breath, glanced at Mo Hua, "Then why did you just accept the Water Concealing Jade I gave you?"


    "That''s quite complicated..."


    Mo Hua spoke with conviction, "According to my research, combining Concealment Spiritual Tools with Concealment Spells can produce a dual hiding effect, providing even better concealment..."


    "The Demon''s Cave is so dangerous, for a small Foundation Establishment Cultivator like me it''s like walking on thin ice. The more thorough my survival methods, the better..."


    Gu Changhuai suddenly felt that Mo Hua made a lot of sense...


    Except throughout this journey, Mo Hua had been moving with such light steps, he didn''t seem to be "walking on thin ice" at all...


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    The surrounding air was eerily filled with Yin Qi, and a ghastly green glow was everywhere.


    Beneath the stone corridor, thick and foul-smelling rotting water flowed...


    Being in the middle of the Demon Palace wasn''t the time to dwell on these issues.


    Moreover, a Concealment Spiritual Tool, no matter how precious, truly could not compare to Mo Hua''s safety.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, "Alright then, be careful..."


    He thought for a moment, then added:


    "If you encounter any danger after entering, just call for help loudly, and I''ll find a way to rescue you..."


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, nodding, he said:


    "Don''t worry, Uncle Gu."


    Having discovered the Formation Pivot, the dangers of the Demon''s Cave seemed diminished.


    Then, Mo Hua alone and crouching, entered the passage behind the wall at the Formation Pivot, using his hands and feet to move along slowly, following the pathway of the Formation Pivot, inching his way toward the core of the Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    The stone path was cramped, occasionally flattening out, sometimes vertical and steep.


    Above, there were Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivots as well as some Early Warning Formations.


    Mo Hua avoided these Formations and simultaneously used the Water Passing Step, applying Spiritual Power to his hands and feet, using Divine Sense to guide him, clinging to the walls, and carefully advancing in the Formation Pivot passage like a "little gecko."


    The magnetic current he had sensed before was only a weak flow of water.

 Chapter 986: Evil Formation Master

    So the current Formation Pivot resembled a surging river.


    The flow of Spiritual Power was very distinct.


    Even with his eyes closed, Mo Hua knew which way to go.


    Following the flow of yuan magnetic currents within the Formation Pivot, Mo Hua, like a gecko, kept moving forward. He didn''t know how long he had walked when he reached the end of the passage.


    The passage was dim and the Formation Patterns were invisible.


    But with Divine Sense, Mo Hua could sense that the flow of yuan magnets converged at the far end before jointly flowing downwards, controlled by a central pivot.


    And this central pivot of the Compound Formation was akin to the main pivot of a Large Formation¡ªmanaging the entire set of yuan magnetic Compound Formations!


    Found it!


    A joy arose in Mo Hua''s heart.


    There was a glimmer of light at the end.


    Using his hands and feet, Mo Hua climbed to the end, poking his little head through a gap in the building to look down.


    As expected, there was indeed a room below, a Secret Chamber with the main control Formation Pivot.


    Among the Secret Chamber, Formation Patterns were densely spread.


    In the middle was an Array Plate with the central Formation Pivot depicted on it.


    Mo Hua held his breath, running his Stealth Technique to its limit before opening his bright, sparkling eyes and peering down through the gap.


    He saw that there was another person in the Secret Chamber.


    This person was both thin and tall, dressed in an elegant and luxurious dark robe, with a deathly pale face and bloodshot eyes, with deep wrinkles etched onto his face.


    Birds of a feather flock together.


    As a Formation Master himself, Mo Hua could tell at a glance that this person was a skilled Formation Master, and moreover, his aura was unnatural, with an indelible bloody stain on his hands.


    An Evil Formation Master.


    A Second Grade high-rank Evil Formation Master!


    A chill went through Mo Hua''s heart.


    This Evil Formation Master was currently sitting in the Secret Chamber, engrossed in drawing a bloody Formation. Every so often, he would raise his head, scrutinizing the main control Array Plate in front of him, monitoring the movements within the Demon Palace.


    Occasionally, he would pick up a goblet, taking a sip of wine.


    The wine was a deep red, with a strange eye floating in it.


    That eye would, from time to time, blink.


    Mo Hua found it somewhat chilling and took another look at the Evil Formation Master before silently withdrawing his gaze.


    He feared being discovered by the Evil Formation Master, so he didn''t look for too long.


    After withdrawing his gaze, Mo Hua began to silently ponder.


    "What should I do next..."


    This Evil Formation Master had a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation and knew the Nineteen Pattern Formations.


    Mo Hua had originally thought about challenging this Formation Master to a contest, but now it seemed he had been naive.


    Second Grade Nineteen Patterns were already the pinnacle for a normal Second Grade Array Master. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And since he was an Evil Formation Master, he surely had some bizarre Formation techniques.


    It seemed unlikely he would win in a straightforward contest.


    Besides, this was the Demon Palace, fraught with danger; there were no conditions for a "normal" challenge.


    The main task was what mattered.


    The outcome of a contest in Formations could be set aside for now.


    Mo Hua contemplated for a while, silently saying to himself,


    "If that''s the case, then should I find a way to assassinate this Evil Formation Master?"


    Not killing seemed impossible.


    He was an Evil Formation Master, controlling the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, monitoring every rustle and stir within the Demon Palace.


    To bypass him and enter the inner sanctum to find the Fire Buddha was utterly impossible.


    Capturing him alive was also not easy.


    Since he controlled the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, he would certainly be proficient in yuan magnetic Formation techniques, with many means of communicating. If he were to send out a message unawares, it would easily create complications.


    So, it was necessary to remove this "stumbling block" first...


    I wouldn''t contest him in Formations.


    Although I am a Formation Master, I am also a Cultivator.


    Cultivators seek longevity, naturally placing life and death first.


    Knowing I''d likely not win and still taking the risk to compete would be foolish...


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    A fake contest between Formation Masters would settle who was better in Formations.


    A real contest between Formation Masters was to kill the opponent first.


    Then compare whose Formation was superior.


    Even if I ultimately lose in Formations, the opponent would have already lost his life.


    A win-win!


    Mo Hua silently made up his mind,


    "Find a way to kill that Evil Formation Master..."


    But it seemed that he himself couldn''t do it.


    This Evil Formation Master was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, his cultivation was much higher than Mo Hua''s, plus it was essential not to make too much noise.


    Mo Hua thought it over and felt that, maybe, he didn''t need to take action himself.


    "I can''t kill him, but I have a ''bodyguard''..."


    Mo Hua then slowly withdrew from the Formation Pivot passage.


    While retracing his steps, he also released his Divine Sense, observing his surroundings, and, combining his understanding of the Demon Palace structure, he roughly determined the location of the "Yuan Magnetic Secret Chamber."


    Mo Hua then followed the Formation Pivot passage back to the entrance of the outer hall.


    Gu Changhuai and his two companions were waiting outside, and seeing Mo Hua return, they all felt relieved, then asked,


    "How did it go?"


    Mo Hua nodded and said, "Found it! There''s a secret chamber, inside is the central control for the Formation Pivot, and there''s an Evil Formation Master overseeing it..."


    "To lay hands on the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, that Evil Formation Master must be killed stealthily..."


    Gu Changhuai immediately asked, "Where''s the chamber?"


    Mo Hua answered, "I remember the way, just follow me..."


    "But before we do that, we need a good plan on how to ''assassinate'' that Evil Formation Master. The action must be quick, and no outsiders can find out..."


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and then said,


    "I have a Second Grade Superior short knife with a Wind Blade Pattern cast inside the blade. Once stabbed into a cultivator''s heart meridian, the Spiritual Power will turn into a Wind Blade and instantly shred the heart."


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Uncle Gu was reliable in matters like this.


    But just to be safe, Mo Hua still suggested,


    "Uncle Gu, how about... you get some poison as well? The extremely toxic kind, the blood-sealing kind, to coat the blade..."


    Gu Changhuai silently looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua whispered, "I''ve never done this sort of thing, just as a precaution..."


    After a moment of silence, Gu Changhuai silently took out a bottle of poison and silently applied it to the short knife...


    This poison wasn''t his, it had been confiscated from a Sin Cultivator.


    Their Taoist Court didn''t use poison.


    Generally speaking...


    Seeing Gu Changhuai apply poison to the knife, Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Gu An and said,


    "Little Brother An, do you have a stick?"


    Gu An was taken aback, "What kind of stick?"


    "The kind used to hit someone over the head and knock them out."


    Gu An shook his head, "No..."


    "It''s okay, I have one."


    Mo Hua took out a thick iron rod from his Storage Bag, as thick as the mouth of a bowl.


    This was the Thousand Jun Stick, though only a Second Grade one.


    After Mo Hua reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he couldn''t use the First Grade Thousand Jun Stick forged by Master Chen in Tongxian City anymore.


    So he took the time to visit Tai Xu City, just beyond Taixu Gate, and spent over a hundred Spirit Stones to buy this Second Grade rod-shaped Spiritual Artifact.


    Though it had a different form and another name,


    Mo Hua, quite sentimental, and in order not to forget his original intentions, continued to walk the path of "knocking people unconscious" and thus also named it the "Thousand Jun Stick."


    On the rod, Mo Hua had drawn a Second Grade Thousand Jun Formation.


    Mo Hua handed over the Thousand Jun Stick to Gu An, "Try it and see if it feels right in your hand."


    Gu An took it with a blank expression and swung it a few times, then slowly nodded and said,


    "It''s alright..."


    "Let me tell you when the best time is to use the stick to knock someone out..."


    Mo Hua began to impart the technique of "hitting with the stick to knock someone unconscious" to Gu An, who listened with a baffled expression.


    After finishing, Mo Hua asked,


    "Do you remember?"


    Gu An nodded dumbly, "I remember..."


    "Good!"


    "And since he''s a Formation Master, his Divine Sense is sharp. You must be careful when you assassinate him..."


    Mo Hua went on to explain the other details of the "assassination" of the Evil Formation Master.


    How not to be detected, how to cover his mouth to prevent him from making a noise, how to guard against him using formations, how to prevent him from communicating using the Yuan Magnetic...


    Once they were properly prepared, Mo Hua nodded and said,


    "Let''s set out!"


    Thus, three Taoist Court cultivators, with complex emotions, followed behind Mo Hua, embarking on the path to assassinate the Evil Formation Master...

 Chapter 987: Assassination

    Chapter 987: Chapter 647 Assassination


    Chapter 987 -647 Assassination


    The entire structure of the Demon¡¯s Cave was more complex than it appeared from the outside.


    Inside the Demon Palace, there were three parts:


    The outer hall, the middle hall, and the inner hall.


    This was determined by Mo Hua based on the direction of the Formation Pivot.


    The Formation Pivot¡¯s secret chamber was located in the middle hall, connecting both the outer and inner halls. It was the core of the entire Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, controlling all Yuan Magnetic Formations.


    From the outer hall to the middle hall, there were quite a few Demon Cultivator Demon Hounds patrolling the route, but they rarely approached the secret chamber of the Formation Pivot.


    Obviously, for the Demon Cultivators, the secret chamber of the Formation Pivot was also a forbidden area.


    An Evil Formation Master proficient in Yuan Magnetic Formations was stationed at the core, which generally meant no worries for him.


    But now, an ¡°unusual¡± young cultivator, leading three ¡°bodyguards,¡± came to ¡°cut down¡± this Evil Formation Master.


    In the middle hall, patrolling Demon Cultivators and Demon Hounds crisscrossed. Though the defense was tight, there were gaps during the change of guards.


    It wasn¡¯t the fear of thieves stealing, but rather the fear of thieves coveting.


    Mo Hua hid his figure, stayed aside, and after a long observation, figured out the patrol shift pattern.


    Then, taking advantage of the shift change, he led Gu Changhuai and the others from the outer hall around to the middle hall.


    Following the middle hall, he turned right and soon arrived in front of the secret chamber of the Formation Pivot.


    From the outside, this secret chamber was just an ordinary stone room.


    But the whole stone room felt more solemn and austere.


    Mo Hua could see from the outside of the stone room the heavy layers of the Door Lock Array carved on the walls.


    He could also sense the turbulent yet orderly flow of Yuan Magnetic inside the chamber.


    "This is the place


    No one around, Mo Hua whispered in a low voice.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at the secret chamber and said in a deep voice, ¡°How do we get in?¡±


    The secret chamber was tightly closed, seemingly locked.


    Moreover, it was a Formation Lock with hidden Patterns.


    "I¡¯ll solve it whispered Mo Hua.


    He crouched down and tiptoed to the front of the secret chamber.


    Gu Quan was guarding the entrance to the corridor. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai drew a short knife and stood on Mo Hua¡¯s right side, Gu An held the Thousand Jun Stick and stood on Mo Hua¡¯s left side.


    Both were staring at the door of the secret chamber, ready to rush in and kill the Evil Formation Master inside if Mo Hua caused too much noise.


    A Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation Master was a major threat, possibly even more dangerous than an early-stage Golden Core Evil Cultivator.


    Golden Core Evil Cultivators only created slaughter.


    But an Evil Formation Master, using formations to harm, had far-reaching poisonous effects.


    So, whether successful or not, this Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation Master was doomed to die.


    Mo Hua carefully manipulated the Patterns.


    This door lock used a Golden Series lock with sixteen Patterns, which just pressed up against the edge of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense limit.


    It was possible that the Evil Formation Master, although strong in Divine Sense, did not know how to handle lock formations with more than sixteen Patterns.


    It was also possible that he felt that the Middle-level Second Grade Door Lock Array was already sufficient.


    After all, with him watching inside the chamber, no one dared to barge in uninvited.


    This also gave Mo Hua a chance to exploit¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t dare unravel it all at once, fearing he might draw too quickly, causing strong fluctuations of Spiritual Power, resulting in alerting the Evil Formation Master.


    He would gently draw one stroke, pause a moment to check for any reaction, then continue drawing.


    Gu Changhuai and Gu An patiently waited.


    Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the Pattern on the lock hummed softly, and then the light dimmed slightly.


    Mo Hua stopped, holding his breath.


    Gu Changhuai and the others also held their breath.


    After a while, there was no reaction¡ªit seemed the Evil Formation Master inside had not noticed.


    Mo Hua pushed the door open slightly, squinting inside.


    He saw the Evil Formation Master lying on a chair, ¡°ranting,¡± constantly tearing at his own arms and face, even ripping open trails of blood.


    Blood seeped under his fingernails.


    As the door crack opened, some low, suffocating, hysterical mutterings also came out¡­


    "I can¡¯t see


    "Why can¡¯t I see


    "My Divine Sense


    Mo Hua froze, unsure whether he heard ¡°sense¡± or ¡°vision.¡±


    can¡¯t see the True God¡¯s posture, can¡¯t see the world¡¯s true law, can¡¯t see the eternal Great Dao


    "Why


    "I¡¯ve already


    "Drank its eyes, brewed from the Blood


    "Why, my eyes, still can¡¯t become Its eyes?¡±


    "Why, what I see, is still the dirt and ugliness of this world?¡±


    "Why can¡¯t I see


    "The True God is omnipresent, it¡¯s right here, I should be able to see


    ¡­


    The Evil Formation Master fell into a delirious rant.


    Frowning, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help wondering.


    What madness was this Evil Formation Master undergoing?


    Was his Divine Sense contaminated, and somewhat delirious, because he drank the blood brewed from that sinister eyeball?


    Mo Hua turned and looked at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai was also frowning, unsure of what exactly had happened.


    He, as the Dao Court Canon Supervisor, had seen many Sin Cultivators go mad and lose their reason.


    But this strangely ¡°insane¡± Formation Master was something he hadn¡¯t quite encountered.


    After his delirious rant, the Evil Formation Master¡¯s limbs twitched, blood gushed out, and then he gradually stopped moving, like a dead corpse.


    Moments later, he slowly regained consciousness.


    The torn flesh on his body gradually healed, his skin turned paler, and his eyes bloodier.


    "Why¡­ still can¡¯t see


    "Is it because my faith isn¡¯t devout enough, or is my Taoist Heart not depraved enough


    ¡­


    Mo Hua inwardly scoffed.


    Dying and still talking about being depraved¡­


    Go be depraved in the Underworld.


    Mo Hua gave Gu Changhuai a look.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened, and Gu An became fully alert.

 Chapter 988: Assassination (2)

    Chapter 988: 647 Chapter Assassination_2


    Chapter 988: 647 Chapter Assassination_2


    *The Evil Formation Master, slowly recovering from the ¡°madness¡± brought on by drinking Blood Wine, found his Divine Sense hovering between clarity and obscurity as he prepared to look toward the Yuan Magnetic Core.*


    Suddenly, a chill pierced his chest.


    Looking down, he saw the tip of a blade protruding from his chest.


    At the same time, a surge of wind-based spiritual power transformed into fragmented blades within his chest, exploding and shredding apart the flesh and veins at his heart.


    *The Evil Formation Master felt a bone-chilling coldness seeping into his soul.*


    *Assassination!!*


    *He couldn¡¯t believe it.*


    *In this remote mountain¡¯s celestial grotto, hidden deep within the isolated peak¡¯s Demon¡¯s Cave, inside the confidential Sacrificial Demon Hall, within the most classified Yuan Magnetic Chamber¡­*


    *Someone was actually assassinating him?!*


    *How could this be possible?!*


    But the blade¡¯s tip piercing his chest, the heart-wrenching agony, and the overwhelming presence of the cultivator behind him made it clear¡ªthis was an irrefutable reality.


    And the assassin wasn¡¯t just any ordinary cultivator; it was a powerful Golden Core Cultivator!


    "Death!¡±


    *Panic surged through the Evil Formation Master¡¯s heart.*


    He wanted to shout aloud.


    A pale, slender hand clamped tightly around his throat.


    The hand was imbued with intense spiritual power, pressing against his windpipe and rendering him utterly mute.


    The Evil Formation Master¡¯s eyes widened in terror.


    In that fleeting moment, he bit down on his tongue tip, using the blood to stimulate his Divine Sense, ensuring his mind remained clear.


    Simultaneously, his eyes turned crimson, grotesquely morphing to resemble the eerie, distorted eye floating in the alcohol of his wine jar.


    An unknown scarlet Divine Sense began spreading throughout the room¡­


    *Divine Sense Evil Art!*


    But before the scarlet consciousness could fully radiate, a steel rod landed with a thunderous *clang* directly on his skull.


    Gu An remembered Mo Hua¡¯s instructions¡ªto strike the Evil Formation Master on the head without hesitation at the first sign of any strange activity in his Divine Sense.


    The iron rod struck the Evil Formation Master so hard it left his scalp numb and trembling.


    Gu An, having undergone Body Refinement, possessed immense physical strength.


    The Evil Formation Master, not being a Body Cultivator, was utterly unprepared to withstand such a blow.


    Blood flowed freely from the top of his head as waves of paralyzing pain coursed through his body.


    His Divine Sense faltered abruptly.


    The blood-soaked Divine Sense Evil Art, which he had barely started to cast, was interrupted immediately.


    Yet moments later, the residual scarlet Divine Thought power borrowed from the blood-red eyes began reawakening his consciousness.


    Hiding one hand within his sleeve, he reached covertly for the Letter Token using an inconspicuous gesture.


    *He felt smug, certain his movements had gone unnoticed.*


    Just then, a crisp voice rang out:


    "Hand!¡±


    The Evil Formation Master barely had time to react before a sharp pain erupted in his arm.


    Gu An swung his rod again, smashing the Evil Formation Master¡¯s arm, sending the Letter Token flying to the ground.


    The Evil Formation Master, unwilling to accept defeat, reached out with his other hand toward his Storage Bag.


    That damned voice echoed once more:


    "The other one!¡±


    Before the words had even finished, Gu An swung his rod once more, breaking the Evil Formation Master¡¯s other arm.


    *Anger and shock flared within the Evil Formation Master.*


    *It felt as though every move he made was anticipated.*


    *Damn it all!*


    *Rage ignited in the depths of his soul.*


    Just as he tried to move, his body froze. He realized he had been paralyzed.


    Threads of venom had already seeped from Gu Changhuai¡¯s blade into the Evil Formation Master¡¯s bloodstream, spreading relentlessly through his body with every beat of his heart.


    *Poison?!*


    *They even used poison?!*


    *A Golden Core assassinating a Foundation Establishment cultivator¡ªand they still resort to poison?*


    *How could such despicable, shameless people exist in this world?!*


    "There¡¯s no time


    *Fury churned within the Evil Formation Master. Gritting his teeth, he bit off his own tongue, swallowing down the bright red blood that followed.*


    His blood was like a sinister wine.


    As the Blood Wine flowed into his stomach, his eyes bulged grotesquely, twisting and distorting until they resembled those of an Evil Demon.


    Simultaneously, his Divine Sense surged explosively.


    The Evil Formation Master fixed his grotesque gaze on the Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivot at the center of the chamber.


    He intended to amplify his Divine Thought with the power of his blood-stained eyes, linking to the formation pivot, summoning every Demon Cultivator in the Demon Palace, and wiping out the assassins surrounding him!


    "Stick!¡±


    A sharp voice rang out. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu An, his expression stern, swung his rod down with force once more.


    This time, the rod struck the Evil Formation Master¡¯s head fiercely, splitting his scalp wide open. Blood poured profusely¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the amplification of his Evil Thoughts.


    His nefarious consciousness continued connecting to the formation pivot.


    His twisted, bloodshot eyes glared venomously at the array plate in the chamber¡¯s center.


    Just as he was about to succeed, a flicker of flame caught the corner of his eye.


    Two fireballs streaked through the air, striking his face from the left and right, scorching his bulging eyes with explosive force.


    The flames seared his eyes, throwing him into unbearable agony.


    The Evil Thoughts diminished slightly.


    But even with his eyes blackened, unable to see, his Divine Sense could still extend outward.


    The Evil Formation Master pushed his sinister consciousness to its limits, directing it toward the Yuan Magnetic Core array plate at the center of the chamber¡­


    Seeing this, Mo Hua moved swiftly, stepping in front of the array plate and unfurling a long-prepared schematic.


    The map depicted a deep abyss-like Source Pattern.


    *The Five Elements Formation Flow Map!*


    As the map unfolded, the Source Pattern seemed to come alive.


    Long suppressed and neglected by Mo Hua due to its low decoding probability, the Source Pattern awakened, brimming with a sense of hunger and malevolence¡ªa beast unleashed after years of dormancy.


    From the Formation Flow Map, the Source Pattern began pulsating, like the festering nucleus of a plague.


    Just as the Evil Formation Master¡¯s Divine Sense attempted to link with the formation pivot, it plunged headfirst into the depths of the Source Pattern depicted in the map.


    Immediately, his consciousness felt unbearably restrained.


    *He felt submerged in the tides of the ¡°plague,¡± surrounded by its oppressive flood.*


    *His heart chilled as he began to sense an overwhelming dread, his Divine Sense falling into a bottomless ice pit.*


    *It was as if he¡¯d ¡°seen¡± a multicolored, transcendent eye opening slowly in the depths¡ªa cold and indifferent gaze fixating upon him from its shadowy pupil.*


    "Is this?!¡±

 Chapter 989: Assassination (3)

    Chapter 989: Chapter 647 Assassination_3


    Chapter 989 -647 Assassination_3


    The Evil Formation Master was greatly shocked in his heart.


    Yet before he could ponder further, he discovered that densely packed formation patterns, like a virus, had infiltrated his divine sense.


    In just the blink of an eye, his externalized divine sense was parasitized, infected, differentiated, and then completely devoured.


    He was powerless to return to the skies!


    His heart turned to dead ashes. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was a carefully designed assassination!


    He had been calculated to death.


    All means of counterattack were strangled in the cradle, without a single chance.


    Even the means of divine sense were guarded against without a single leakage.


    "There is a despicable, shameless, and sinister old array master calculating against me!¡±


    The Evil Formation Master¡¯s eyes almost burst with fury.


    "Who exactly is it?!¡±


    Before his death, he wanted to see who had caused his demise.


    The Evil Formation Master exerted all his effort to turn his head, remembering there had been a crisp, eerie sound next to him.


    But his eyes were already burnt, his vision blurry.


    He couldn¡¯t see clearly at all!


    Finally, Gu Changhuai stimulated his spiritual power, choked his throat, and with the energy of a sword, completely shredded his heart vessels.


    The Evil Formation Master was dead.


    Until his death, he hadn¡¯t seen what Mo Hua looked like.


    Nor did he know, exactly who had calculated his death¡­


    All these changes happened in rapid succession, back and forth in just a dozen or so breaths of time.


    The Evil Formation Master had already been assassinated.


    The Secret Chamber of the Formation Pivot was quiet once again.


    Mo Hua went to the door and called in Gu Quan who was standing guard against the wind, and then quietly closed the door of the secret chamber.


    Thus, the demon cultivators wouldn¡¯t know that their second-grade high-rank Evil Formation Master stationed in the Yuan Magnetic Secret Chamber was now a dead man.


    Gu Changhuai released the hand that was choking the Evil Formation Master¡¯s neck and pulled out the short knife that had crushed the formation master¡¯s heart vessels.


    The Evil Formation Master collapsed to the ground like a sludge.


    Mo Hua also put away the formation flow diagram.


    Seeing this, Gu Changhuai frowned slightly, ¡°This diagram is


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even blink as he said, ¡°It¡¯s specifically for trapping formation masters, Uncle Gu, you can¡¯t see it.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was stunned, half believing, half doubting.


    The Evil Formation Master lay on the ground, with a wine cup on the table, in which a strange eyeball was soaked.


    The recent mutant scene of the Evil Formation Master reemerged in his mind.


    Mo Hua wanted to secretly stash away this eyeball, but just as his hand reached halfway, Gu Changhuai had already acted swiftly to take the wine cup away.


    "This wine is problematic, you can¡¯t touch it.¡±


    Mo Hua could only watch helplessly as Gu Changhuai carefully sealed the wine cup and the eyeball inside it, and put them into his storage bag.


    Mo Hua, having no alternative, quietly reminded,


    "Uncle Gu, make sure you keep this thing safe


    "Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed.


    After everything was properly handled, just to be on the safe side, Mo Hua still suggested,


    "Uncle Gu, maybe¡­ you should stab a few more times?¡±


    "The sea of consciousness, the Qi sea, and the heart vessels, disable them all again


    "This Evil Formation Master is too eerie; he must be made completely dead to be absolutely safe.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, his look at Mo Hua became slightly more nuanced.


    Gu An and Gu Quan, however, admired him,


    "It really is befitting of Young Master Mo to act so cautiously.¡±


    The usually indifferent and ruthless young master of their family was never as harsh¡­


    Gu Changhuai sighed but followed through, stabbing once again at the Evil Formation Master¡¯s forehead, Qi sea, and heart vessels.


    A Foundation Building Cultivator was now unquestionably dead.


    Mo Hua finally felt relieved.


    He glanced once at the dead Evil Formation Master, pondering in his heart.


    This Evil Formation Master had a powerful divine sense, strange evil thoughts, and his methods were extremely fierce.


    Luckily, he died first.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    An opponent who cannot strike is indeed a good opponent.


    As a Monster Hunter, what is valued is a philosophy of ¡°winning without a fight.¡±


    This was the thorough teaching from his father, Mo Shan, as an experienced Monster Hunter.


    He must always firmly remember this and practice it!


    Afterward, the group briefly cleaned up the battlefield, and Mo Hua started examining the array plate in front of him.


    The array plate was covered with magnetic patterns, intricate and orderly, depicting a complete core formation pivot of a Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua looked at it for a few moments and realized he couldn¡¯t understand¡­


    He hadn¡¯t learned Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, even more so, this was a formation of more than Seventeen Patterns.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, thought for a moment, then asked,


    "Uncle Gu, what about the Evil Formation Master¡¯s storage bag? Have a look inside for any formation diagrams


    Gu Changhuai hesitated.


    Because this formation master was an Evil Formation Master, his storage bag would definitely contain some Demon Path skills or Evil Path formation methods, so the storage bag of the Evil Formation Master was collected by him.


    The items inside were not for Mo Hua to see.


    As a Dao Court Canon, Gu Changhuai knew that the more talented a formation master, the deeper their understanding of evil formations, and the quicker they would learn.


    It might only take one or two glances to set them on a path of no return.


    Mo Hua understood and then said,


    "Just show me the Yuan Magnetic type formations


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and then slowly nodded.


    The Yuan Magnetic type formations should be alright¡­


    He opened the Evil Formation Master¡¯s storage bag, rummaged through it, and found several formation books and a large, complex formation diagram.


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t distinguish the Yuan Magnetic formation patterns.


    But these books and diagrams clearly stated ¡°Yuan Magnetic,¡± so they should be correct.


    "Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Formation,¡± ¡°Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Compound Formation Chart,¡± ¡°Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivot Initial Interpretation


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    All good stuff!


    And much more profound than the Yuan Magnetic formations he had learned.


    This Evil Formation Master¡¯s attainment in formations, especially in Yuan Magnetic formations, was indeed quite remarkable.

 Chapter 990: Assassination (4)

    Yuan Magnetic Formation was so proficiently mastered, other formations, especially the Evil Formation, must have also been thoroughly studied...


    Thankfully, he died first!


    Otherwise, it would have been troublesome.


    "Right, I even don''t know the name of this Evil Formation Master..."


    Mo Hua pondered in his heart, then thought again.


    Never mind, it doesn''t matter anymore, he''s dead anyway.


    Mo Hua felt justified as he flipped through these Yuan Magnetic Formation Books, especially that copy of the "Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Complex Formation Chart".


    While looking at them, Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Gu Changhuai asked, "Can you understand it?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "This Compound Formation is of the Eighteen Patterns, even more difficult than a typical Eighteen Patterns Formation..."


    "Moreover, the Yuan Magnetic Formation knowledge involved here is also quite unfamiliar."


    "The Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Formation has Seventeen Patterns..."


    "There''s also the Yuan Magnetic Core''s sequence control, which is even more profound..."


    Gu Changhuai found everything complicated as he listened.


    "So, should we destroy this Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation?"


    Mo Hua shook his head again, "This Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation is bidirectional. If we destroy it, the Yuan Magnetic early warning in the Demon Palace will be disabled, and the communication among the Demon Cultivators will fail, which might alert them..."


    "Then do we just leave it here and ignore it?"


    "Leaving it unattended could also lead to problems..."


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then said, "I''ll try to learn it, see if I can master it..."


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, "You... are learning it now?"


    "Yes..." Mo Hua looked somewhat blank.


    If he didn''t know, he would have to learn on the spot...


    Gu Changhuai looked complex and then said, "But your Divine Sense, it probably isn''t enough..."


    Mo Hua nodded, "I don''t need to be able to draw it, just to use it."


    He pointed at the Yuan Magnetic Core in front of him, "Someone else has already built it, I just need to learn how to control this Yuan Magnetic Core, and the requirements for Divine Sense aren''t so strict, my current Divine Sense is enough..."


    "Oh..." Gu Changhuai didn''t quite understand but nodded, "Alright, try and learn it."


    Having worked at the Taoist Court for so long, he understood that "professional" matters should be left to the professionals...


    Therefore, Gu Changhuai and others kept guard nearby.


    Mo Hua calmed down and began to explore these, evidently more advanced, Yuan Magnetic Compound Formations.


    There was limited time, he couldn''t learn too deeply.


    His Divine Sense was also limited; he couldn''t master these formations yet.


    He could only first try to understand the Formation principle.


    The first thing he looked at was the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Formation.


    The Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Single Formation was the foundation for the structure of the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua reviewed the Formation Patterns, the basic core structure, and the Formation Method Maps. Based on the Fixed Magnetic Patterns in the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Formation, he somewhat understood the function of this formation.


    It was a "Spiritual Power Surveillance" Formation.


    It allowed him to visualize the presence of a cultivator''s Spiritual Power through magnetic flow sensing.


    However, the range was limited, and as it represented "Spiritual Power", it was easily disturbed by various airs between heaven and earth, making the image a bit blurry.


    Mo Hua suddenly realized.


    Earlier in the corridor, those three Demon Cultivators and one Demon Hound, the reason they returned was likely because the nearby Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Formation had detected their Spiritual Power traces.


    But the Evil Formation Master was somewhat uncertain.


    Hence, he sent those three people and one dog back to check.


    Understanding the principle of the formation made things easier.


    As for the specifics of the formation, he couldn''t learn them now but could keep them for later.


    Mo Hua secretly stuffed the Formation Books into his Storage Bag.


    Next was the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation.


    Understanding the principle of the Single Formation, he then divided and overviewed the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation, making some key aspects easier to understand.


    This set of Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formations was a unified monitoring, surveillance, and communication system of the Demon Cave Yuan Magnetic Defense System.


    Yuan Magnetic Defense didn''t protect against cultivators'' attacks but aimed to prevent the leakage of secrets.


    Using this set of Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formations, he could unify the scheduling of all the Demon Cultivators in the entire Demon Palace, consolidating them into one.


    Thus making the entire Demon Cave impervious to penetration, "as solid as a gold soup".


    It was just a pity, success also by formation, failure also by formation.


    The formation was the barrier of the Demon Palace, but in Mo Hua''s eyes, it also became the biggest flaw.


    Mo Hua studied the Yuan Magnetic Formation without distraction...


    Gu Changhuai silently watched from the side.


    He saw Mo Hua with his head down, engrossed in the formation, sometimes frowning, sometimes smoothing his brows, occasionally pondering, occasionally muttering something lowly, or sometimes gesturing on the ground with his hand as a pen...


    It was as if, in the entire world, there was nothing but the formation.


    Gu Changhuai sighed silently in his heart.


    In such a perilous place, to be able to concentrate so intensely on the formation in a flash.


    No wonder he had mastered Formation so well at such a young age...


    Who knows how long it had been when Mo Hua''s eyes brightened.


    Gu Changhuai, seeing this, his gaze sharpened,


    "Formation Pivot... did you learn it?"


    "I learned a bit," Mo Hua said.


    Then he got up and, with quick reflexes, scooped up all the Yuan Magnetic Formation Books and Formation Diagrams into his Storage Bag before Gu Changhuai. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Struck it rich!


    For Yuan Magnetic Formations of Seventeen Patterns and above, and the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation.


    To buy them from the Sect, he wouldn''t know how many Merit Points it would cost.


    Just thinking about it hurt.


    Then, pretending not to see Gu Changhuai, Mo Hua walked up to the control Array Plate of the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation like nothing had happened and began to try controlling the entire Formation Pivot.


    Gu Changhuai watched as Mo Hua sneakily "embezzled" some items.


    But at such a time, he couldn''t call out and disturb him, so he could only sigh, pretending he hadn''t seen anything.


    The Formation Pivot of the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation was covered with a foggy layer of "magnetic flow".


    Mo Hua, using his Divine Sense, tried repeatedly to connect with the Formation Pivot.


    But the Compound Formation''s Formation Pivot was very resistant.


    The internal magnetic flow chaos also put immense pressure on his Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua tried several times unsuccessfully, finally his expression darkened, and he lost patience.


    With his Sixteen Patterns quality-transformed Divine Sense, he forcibly endured the chaotic magnetic flow, breaking through the "magnetic fog".


    Subsequently, using the Yuan Magnetic knowledge he just learned, he controlled the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation''s Formation Pivot.


    In that moment, Mo Hua felt as if his Divine Sense had suddenly become clear.


    The entire Demon Palace, in an abstract yet stringent pattern of the Formation Pivot system, appeared in his mind.


    Formations as anchors.


    Demon Cultivators as soldiers.


    Spirit Vision Formations as heavenly eyes, displaying Spiritual Power appearances, peering into critical corners of the Demon Palace...


    Mo Hua suddenly had the feeling that he understood everything:


    "This Demon Palace, it''s mine now!"

 Chapter 991: The Disappearance of the Demon Cultivators

    "The Demon Palace is in my hands, what can I do with it?"


    For a moment, all sorts of bad ideas popped into Mo Hua''s mind¡­


    It was Gu Changhuai who interrupted him and asked,


    "Do you know where Fire Buddha is?"


    Oh right, Fire Buddha is more important¡­


    Mo Hua immediately concentrated, controlled the Yuan Magnetic Array Plate, and through the Spiritual Vision Center, he observed all the movements within the Demon Palace.


    But as he watched, Mo Hua''s brow furrowed.


    "There''s nothing..."


    Gu Changhuai was also startled, "How can there be nothing?"


    Mo Hua said, "This Yuan Magnetic Core originally connected the outer, middle, and inner halls, but the inner hall seems to have another secret, isolated from the rest, shrouded in mist, and it''s unclear what''s going on inside¡­"


    "The inner hall¡­"


    Gu Changhuai''s eyes gradually grew colder.


    Fire Buddha was likely hidden in the inner hall, and the core secret of this Demon Palace was probably also hidden within.


    The inner hall was completely sealed.


    "Why don''t we go back and call for reinforcements? We can coordinate from inside and outside and attack together," Gu An quietly suggested.


    Gu Changhuai frowned and then asked,


    "How many Demon Cultivators are there in the Demon Palace?"


    Gu An and Gu Quan exchanged glances, both shaking their heads, then all three looked toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "According to the number of messages transmitted by the Compound Formation, there are roughly over four hundred¡­"


    "Over four hundred¡­"


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze slightly sank.


    Mo Hua then asked, "Uncle Gu, how many people can the Taoist Court deploy?"


    "If the Enforcement Leader acts, we can mobilize eight hundred, but¡­"


    Gu Changhuai''s gaze was solemn as he sighed, "In the short term, those who can be mobilized and are trustworthy are probably just over three hundred¡­"


    "And among them, those with rich experience and capable of contending with Demon Cultivators are probably just over a hundred¡­"


    "¡­"


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    The Taoist Court was cluttered, with excess personnel, and the composition of Cultivators was complex.


    Although there were also Cultivators with upright hearts dedicated to slaying evil, they were ultimately in the minority.


    Most might just be passing their days.


    And there were some who would not get up early if there were no profits, only wishing to fish for benefits.


    There likely were also a few insiders¡­


    The entire Taoist Court was like a mixture of clear water, mud, dead fish, and tumors.


    He couldn''t help but rely on them, yet couldn''t rely on them too much¡­


    Like Uncle Gu, alongside Gu An and Gu Quan, such individuals were probably few and far between.


    Gu Quan then said, "Why don''t we try to lure Fire Buddha out, and then surround and kill him?"


    Gu Changhuai thought about it and shook his head,


    "Fire Buddha is not a Formation Master. Usually, Formation Masters are physically weak and not good at slaughter, making them easy to kill¡­"


    Gu Changhuai paused halfway, looked to the side, and saw that Mo Hua looked unhappy, so he helplessly said,


    "I''m not talking about you¡­"


    Although Mo Hua was also a Formation Master and physically weak, he was cunning and crafty, with too many tricks up his sleeve for the average person to secretly plot against him.


    "Hmm."


    Mo Hua didn''t know what Gu Changhuai was saying about him, but he felt it was neither good nor bad, and reluctantly nodded.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, then continued, sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­Fire Buddha is different. He is naturally suspicious, proficient in fire techniques, and ruthless in killing¡­"


    "We might not be able to lure him out, and even if we do, it''s unlikely we could kill him secretly or by sheer force in a short time¡­"


    "This is the Second Grade State Border, and I can''t use the power of the Golden Core, only having the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Peak."


    "Once we fail, surrounded by many Demon Cultivators in this Demon Palace, we will have no escape¡­"


    And even if we could escape, there would certainly be those who would leave their lives in this Demon Palace¡­


    Gu Changhuai''s expression was grave.


    Gu An and Gu Quan also had tightly furrowed brows.


    Once Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators gained influence, gathered followers, and took refuge in a low-grade state boundary, under the rules of Heavenly Dao, they indeed posed significant difficulties.


    Mo Hua also furrowed his brow slightly, feeling some urgency in his heart.


    Unknowingly, two days had already passed.


    He could faintly see the figure of Fire Buddha, but there was a barrier in between, preventing him from grabbing hold, making him anxious.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then his expression suddenly turned cold, and he simply said,


    "Then let''s start killing¡­"


    Upon hearing this, Gu Changhuai and the others were taken aback.


    "Start killing?"


    "Yes!" Mo Hua nodded, "The few of us inside will first clear the peripheral minions, then call in reinforcements to trap the inner hall, attacking with more against fewer, and surround and kill Fire Buddha!"


    "Isolated peak, a celestial cave outside the world."


    "The advantage is that it''s isolated from the world, internally closed, tightly sealed, easy to defend but hard to attack; outsiders can''t enter, nor can they spy on the secrets inside."


    "The disadvantage is, once discovered and surrounded, we''ll be trapped and it''ll be hard to escape¡­"


    Gu Changhuai pondered briefly, then also slightly nodded,


    "That could work¡­"


    "The defenses of the Demon Palace are strict; a frontal attack will undoubtedly be difficult."


    "Even with several of us coordinating from inside and out, the casualties will be heavy¡­"


    "So we must first weaken it from the inside¡­"


    "Kill the Demon Cultivators in the middle and outer peripheries, then mobilize the Enforcement Leaders of the Taoist Court to attack and surround the inner hall..."


    "If we do this, the situation will reverse, and those surrounded will be Fire Buddha."


    Despite the Taoist Court having a mixed multitude, even if there are more slackers, it shouldn''t pose much of a problem.


    "But¡­" Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, his eyes showing concern, "This won''t be easy to accomplish either."


    A few dozen wouldn''t be a problem, but hundreds of Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators would be very troublesome.


    "Don''t worry." Mo Hua pointed at the Array Plate behind him and said,


    "I''ll use this Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Compound Formation to guide you¡­"


    "With this Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Compound Formation now under my control, acting as an ''insider,'' the Demon Cultivators in the Demon Palace are essentially ''blind.''"

 Chapter 992: The Disappearance of the Demon

    Chapter 992: Chapter 648: The Disappearance of the Demon Cultivator_2


    Chapter 992 -648: The Disappearance of the Demon Cultivator_2


    "We can quietly assassinate them one by one, all of them!¡±


    "And ensure we won¡¯t be discovered


    Mo Hua appeared quite confident.


    Upon hearing this, Gu Changhuai suddenly understood and couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of excitement inside:


    To assassinate all the demon cultivators in the outer halls without alerting the enemy¡­


    He was a Golden Core. Even with the suppression of the Heavenly Dao, discreetly assassinating several Foundation Establishment cultivators in batches, a few at a time, indeed posed no problem.


    The premise, however, was that the assassination needed to go unnoticed¡­


    The most critical element here was the Formation.


    The Spirit Vision Compound Formation that was now monitoring the entire Bi Mountain Demon Cavern had ¡°defected


    The enemy¡¯s most important Formation had become an ¡°inside agent.¡±


    To turn another¡¯s Formation into one¡¯s own use, to turn the enemy¡¯s blade upon their very hearts.


    Formation Masters were indeed¡­ too terrifying¡­


    Or perhaps it was¡­


    Gu Changhuai quietly glanced at Mo Hua.


    Some Formation Masters are just too terrifying¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    He quickly reviewed the entire plan in his mind again:


    First, through the Spirit Vision Compound Formation, remotely control Uncle Gu and the other two to assassinate all the demon cultivators in the middle and outer halls, removing all points of vigilance.


    Then get Uncle Gu to call someone to come over, to surround the inner hall like making a dumpling.


    Even if the Daoist Court Enforcement Leader was ¡°inefficient,¡± with a numbers advantage, surrounding them should pose no problem.


    After that¡­


    He¡¯d act according to the situation¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Anyway, as for what exactly was in the inner hall, the Spirit Vision Compound Formation didn¡¯t display it, and he was in the dark about it right now.


    First, surround the inner hall and force out the Fire Buddha to see what happens next.


    Once everything was discussed and agreed upon, Mo Hua put on a serious face and said:


    "The hunt begins


    Gu Changhuai felt that phrase sounded a bit odd, but considering that Mo Hua was always eccentric, he didn¡¯t give it much thought¡­


    So, within the bleak Demon¡¯s Cave, the strict Demon Palace.


    A silent hunt had begun.


    Mo Hua ¡°presided¡± over the heart of the Spirit Vision Formation, directing the way for Gu Changhuai and the other two. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There¡¯s a bone idol in the northwest corner of the central hall, to the right, two demon cultivators will come by in about ten breaths


    "Kill confidently, there¡¯s no one around


    Mo Hua transmitted these instructions using the Letter Token that Gu Changhuai had given him.


    Afterward, Mo Hua kept his gaze on the Array Plate.


    A short while later, within the imagery of the Compound Formation heart, two grayish-black spiritual power images approached from afar.


    These were the two demon cultivators.


    The Spirit Vision Formation only revealed faint spiritual power images.


    So what Mo Hua saw were like two dirty, ¡°spiritual power figures.¡±


    These two dirty spiritual power figures reached a corner, oblivious as three vague silhouettes suddenly appeared next to them.


    Due to their concealed figures, their spiritual power was blurry, hard to discern.


    Were it not for Mo Hua¡¯s prior knowledge, he might have easily missed them.


    Then Mo Hua saw the three blurry spiritual power figures overturn the two dirty ones.


    There were traces of red, which seemed like blood spilling out.


    Or it might have been the leakage of the demon cultivators¡¯ evil power.


    There were also traces of white, like wind-system spiritual power strangling, probably dealt by Uncle Gu.


    He killed one himself.


    Gu An and Gu Quan seemed to have used knives, both working together, their spiritual arcs like a full moon, killing the other demon cultivator¡­


    While observing, Mo Hua visualized the scene in his mind, finding it very fresh.


    After the two demon cultivators were killed, their corpses were thrown into the putrid water under the Demon Palace.


    This waterway seemed like a ¡°corpse disposal river


    It was filled with filthy water, mixed with either mud or flesh, blended together, emanating an unbearable stench and an unclean green color.


    This was probably where demon cultivators disposed of bodies after killing.


    Now they, having been killed, were also discarded there, receiving their just deserts.


    "Two are dead


    Mo Hua continued to monitor the Array Plate, starting to ¡°call the roll¡± again, looking for the next ¡°lucky¡± victim¡­


    Moments later, Mo Hua found another demon cultivator.


    "Keep walking forward


    "Pass through the corridor, and there¡¯s an Alchemy Room, hide in the corner there, a lone demon cultivator will come by after seven breaths


    "Kill


    "Good, next one


    "This time it¡¯s two men and a dog


    "Be quick, we only have 30 minutes. Otherwise, they¡¯ll run into a squad of five demon cultivators coming up behind


    "Killed again


    "Killed


    ¡­


    Thus, Mo Hua monitored and called out the targets.


    With the Golden Core Gu Changhuai, along with Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators Gu An and Gu Quan taking action,


    It was as good as sealing their fate, whoever was targeted would die.


    In the vast Demon Palace, demon cultivators were silently disappearing one by one¡­


    Yet not a single one noticed.


    Mo Hua covered it up very well.


    Before disposing of the killed demon cultivators¡¯ bodies, Gu Changhuai and the others would also take their Storage Bags.


    Mo Hua had no interest in the other contents of the Storage Bags.


    Of course, even if he wanted them, Gu Changhuai wouldn¡¯t oblige.


    After killing the demon cultivators, Gu Changhuai handed all the tokens with skull patterns and similar designs to Mo Hua.


    These tokens, which the demon cultivators had specifically named ¡°Book Devil Order.¡±


    "It¡¯s just a Letter Token, but no, it has to be a ¡®Book Devil Order¡¯, all fancy and unnecessary


    Mo Hua murmured quietly with some disdain.


    However, he was going to keep these ¡°Book Devil Orders¡± safe.


    Most demon cultivators in the entire Demon Palace had one such ¡°Book Devil Order,¡± which they could use to communicate with each other.


    At the same time, all content of the communications was monitored by the Original Magnet Formation Pivot.


    These were originally employed by Evil Formation Masters to ¡°monitor¡± the demon cultivators.


    Now, they also conveniently served Mo Hua.


    What Mo Hua had to do first was to monitor the ¡°chats¡± between demon cultivators, trying to find any clue of the Fire Buddha or other secrets of the Demon Palace.

 Chapter 993: The Disappeared Demon Cultivator (3)

    Chapter 993: Chapter 648: The Disappeared Demon Cultivator_3


    Chapter 993 -648: The Disappeared Demon Cultivator_3


    The other secrets, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t yet discovered.


    But he had finally found out the name of the dead Evil Formation Master.


    The Demon Cultivators on patrol, when communicating with the central Formation Pivot through the Book Devil Order, referred to the dead Evil Formation Master as ¡°Master Yuan.¡±


    Master Yuan¡­


    A master proficient in the Yuan Magnetic Formation?


    Was this his original surname, or had he changed it later?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t quite figure it out.


    But it didn¡¯t matter now.


    The original Master Yuan was dead, and the current Master Yuan was actually ¡°Master Mo.¡±


    Mo Hua, impersonating ¡°Master Yuan,¡± issued orders to these patrolling Demon Cultivators.


    And the Demon Cultivators knew nothing.


    Master Yuan was an Evil Formation Master who was moody and had a cold temperament; his words were not to be questioned by the Demon Cultivators.


    But there was another matter that was more troublesome.


    It concerned the Book Devil Orders of the dead Demon Cultivators¡­


    The Demon Cultivators killed by Gu Changhuai upon Mo Hua¡¯s command¡ªtheir Book Devil Orders couldn¡¯t just be discarded for the time being.


    Because once a living Demon Cultivator sent messages to these dead ones, and if there were no replies for a long time, the assassination would be easily exposed.


    Therefore, Mo Hua also had to ¡°play multiple roles¡± as a single person, occasionally using these dead men¡¯s Book Devil Orders to reply to other Demon Cultivators.


    Creating an illusion that everyone was still alive and patrolling as usual.


    In the beginning, when there were only a few Book Devil Orders, Mo Hua could handle it with a bit of thought.


    However, these Demon Cultivators had very twisted interests.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat out of place.


    It was difficult for him to blend into the distorted perspectives of the Demon Cultivators and chat with them.


    After all, he was too honest¡­


    Mo Hua silently sighed in his heart.


    Therefore, whenever there was a message in the Book Devil Order, he could only reply ambiguously with a few vague phrases.


    Like, ¡°Hmm,¡± ¡°Oh,¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± ¡°Can do,¡± ¡°You handle it,¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± and so on¡­


    But later on, when there were more Book Devil Orders, such ¡°Hmm¡± and ¡°Oh¡± responses became monotonous.


    And they looked somewhat fake, easily giving him away.


    So Mo Hua lay in the Evil Formation Master¡¯s chair, multitasking¡ªon one hand monitoring the Array Plate and targeting people to kill.


    On the other, he flipped through the records of the Book Devil Order.


    He had to summarize some patterns of Demon Cultivator chat behavior from the conversations, so that he could then better ¡°pretend¡± to be a bad guy.


    After a long observation, Mo Hua realized he had overthought it.


    This group of Demon Cultivators, with their varied dispositions and explosive tempers, spoke crudely¡ªthere was no need to put so much effort into learning how they talked, being proficient in cursing was enough.


    Most of the Demon Cultivators would start swearing at each other the moment they disagreed.


    As long as one could curse well, one could play the Demon Cultivator part well.


    Cursing!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    He thought of Elder Yu.


    If cursing were considered a kind of ¡°Realm,¡± then Elder Yu would have to be at least a half-step Heaven Void.


    If cursing could enhance one¡¯s Cultivation, then Elder Yu might¡¯ve already ascended.


    It¡¯s just a pity that I am a well-mannered, good kid who doesn¡¯t excel at cursing.


    At most¡­


    Back when I accompanied Elder Yu, I passively memorized many of the things he said when cursing others, so now is just the right time to make use of that¡­


    "These are all things Elder Yu said when cursing people, not me learning bad habits


    "I just happen to have a good memory, you can¡¯t blame me


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Then he began to use the Book Devil Order to spew insults at the Demon Cultivators.


    Letting these Demon Cultivators, far away in Qian State, also experience Elder Yu¡¯s cursing prowess¡­


    ¡­


    Demon Cultivator A: ¡°You son of a bitch, it¡¯s been so long, why no reply?¡±


    Mo Hua replied: ¡°Why the hell should I talk to a piece of trash like you? Your brain is like a pig¡¯s; can you even understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    "You fucking drunk?¡±


    "How could your father possibly be drunk? Unless one day I chop your pig head off to have with my drink and have your mother cheer me on, only then would I fucking get drunk.¡±


    "Fine, fine! Well done, you ¡®Second Walking Corpse,¡¯ you bastard


    Mo Hua frowned, about to get angry, but then realized.


    He cursed ¡®Second Walking Corpse,¡¯ what does that have to do with me, Mo Xiaohua?


    He wasn¡¯t cursing me¡­


    "Fine! Even if I, ¡®Second Walking Corpse,¡¯ am a bastard, I am the bastard of your great grandmother and a stray dog, you are the bastard of me and your mother


    Mo Hua replied, and then there was no message from the other side.


    Maybe he passed out from anger.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No good, I am definitely not¡­ no, definitely not Elder Yu¡¯s match.¡±


    Although Qian State is a large state with many Sect inheritances, their tradition of cursing seems to be quite weak.


    Mo Hua typed rapidly, his Divine Sense even faster, as he started to search through Elder Yu¡¯s ¡°Anthology of Insults¡± to reply to the next Demon Cultivator.


    Demon Cultivator B: ¡°Idiot, where the fuck are you?¡±


    "On your mom¡¯s belly


    ¡­


    "It seems a lot quieter in the Demon Palace


    "One by one, they¡¯re all like fucking Walking Dead, is it any wonder they¡¯re quiet?¡±


    ¡­


    "So boring¡­ Get me some girls for Replenishing


    "What time is it and you¡¯re still thinking about Replenishing? Why don¡¯t you just smash your dick to pieces to replenish your pig-brain?¡±


    ¡­


    "Are you dead?¡±


    "I¡¯m already dead, stop talking to me


    "How can you reply to me if you¡¯re dead?¡±


    "Then why did you ask?¡±


    "I¡¯m just concerned about you, you beast.¡±


    "Don¡¯t need your concern, you beast. I died on your mom, hoping to leave one more beast like you in the world before I go


    ¡­


    All these curses were heard from Elder Yu¡¯s mouth.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t really understand what they meant; he just had a strong Divine Sense and a good memory, so he noted them down.


    Anyway, as long as it was cursing, that was correct.


    Using them on these Demon Cultivators was just right.


    After being cursed, each of these Demon Cultivators became extremely emotional.


    Some were so angry they even wrote the characters of their messages wrongly¡­


    Others were so disturbed in their Divine Sense that they couldn¡¯t even reply¡­


    Fortunately, these Demon Cultivators were used to cursing at each other on regular days, and even when angry, they dared not make trouble in the Demon Palace.


    It was even less likely that they would start fighting over a mere verbal spat.


    Mo Hua guessed they would keep this ¡°hatred¡± firmly in their hearts, looking to pick a fight and get revenge later.


    But none of this had anything to do with him.


    The ¡°library of insults¡± belonged to Elder Yu.


    The Book Devil Order used to curse was the Demon Cultivators¡¯.


    This ¡°hatred¡± wouldn¡¯t fall on his own head.


    Moreover, these ¡°insult-flinging¡± Demon Cultivators were already dead¡­


    And more were dying by the moment¡­


    So, while Mo Hua was busy calling out names and letting Uncle Gu ¡°knife¡± people, pretending to be Master Yuan, ordering around Demon Cultivators, and also ¡°playing multiple roles¡± by cursing these Demon Cultivators,


    He was incredibly busy and having a great time.


    Just then, on the Yuan Magnetic Core Array Plate, a message suddenly came through:


    "Master Yuan.¡±


    Mo Hua casually replied, ¡°Spit it out if you¡¯ve got something to say or fart if you¡¯ve got to, what the hell are you scribbling about, you mongrel?¡±


    The other side was silent for a while.


    Then, slowly replied: ¡°Master Yuan seems to be suffering from an excess of liver fire today.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised.


    Who is this person?


    Quite a good temper and high quality, being cursed but still able to endure it, quite rare among Demon Cultivators¡­


    As Mo Hua was wondering how to reply, he saw the other side send another message:


    "Greed, anger, delusion, these are the three poisons, the three impurities, the three fires. Worldly desires confuse the mind, evil spirits entangle the body, only by maintaining a heart of purity can one suppress the evil consequences


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, then was taken aback, and couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide.


    "Greed, anger, delusion


    "Purity¡­ evil consequences


    Could this person be¡­


    The Fire Buddha?!! sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded¡­


    "Is the Fire Buddha¡­ looking to chat with me?¡±


    "And I cursed him?¡±

 Chapter 994: Fire Sha

    Chapter 994: Chapter 649: Fire Sha


    Chapter 994 -649: Fire Sha


    Mo Hua¡¯s head hiccuped for a moment, then responded immediately, flipping through the chat records between Master Yuan and Fire Buddha.


    There were indeed only a few lines of dialogue in the records, mostly about issues concerning the construction of the Demon Abyss Formation.


    In the dialogue, Master Yuan addressed the other party as ¡°Venerable,¡± and referred to himself as¡­


    "Yuan someone¡±?


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then promptly replied to Fire Buddha:


    "Entangled in mundane affairs, I¡¯ve become irritable and had some ¡®drink,¡¯ thus misspoke, please forgive me, Venerable


    The other party was taken aback, ¡°Master is using alcohol? It was too abrupt of me


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly.


    Referring to himself as ¡®homeself this person must be Fire Buddha.


    Using alcohol¡­


    Mo Hua contemplated deeply.


    It seemed that that pair of eyes, along with the Blood Wine steeped from them, were indeed extraordinary.


    It appeared that even Fire Buddha would not disturb a Demon Formation Master when drinking.


    Unfortunately, those eyes were snatched away by Uncle Gu.


    Otherwise, I could have studied them further.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Venerable, do you have any important matters?¡±


    If not, just scram¡­


    I can¡¯t elaborate further, saying too much, it¡¯s easy to slip up¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit guilty.


    Fire Buddha frowned, feeling that the person on the other end seemed a bit anxious. However, remembering that ¡°Master Yuan¡± was drinking and even once sober, Divine Sense would be slightly tipsy, needing to experience the ¡°Divine Substance,¡± his foul mood was understandable.


    Fire Buddha transmitted,


    "Recently, I¡¯ve been feeling uneasy, as if something is about to happen


    "Is there anything unusual in the temple?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he pretended to say casually:


    "With me here, you may rest assured, Venerable.¡±


    Fire Buddha: ¡°Could there be any oversights?¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite fearing exposure, I couldn¡¯t lose my composure as that would make it even easier to be seen through.


    Mo Hua pretended to be displeased and said:


    "This Formation is the Eighteen Patterns Original Magnet Spirit Vision Compound Formation, its core is the brain, Spirit Vision as eyes, Original Magnet as ears, not a single rustle of wind or grass can escape me¡­ Yuan someone


    "The temple is tightly sealed, no wind blows in, no rain enters


    Then Mo Hua took the initiative and countered:


    "Venerable¡­ you don¡¯t mistrust Yuan someone, do you?¡±


    Fire Buddha paused for a moment and slowly said:


    "With Master presiding, I am relieved.¡±


    "Right, rest assured.¡±


    Fire Buddha paused again and after a long silence, hesitantly said, ¡°Master Yuan, you seem to be much ¡®livelier¡¯ than before.¡±


    The faux ¡°Master Yuan,¡± ¡°Master Mo,¡± felt his heart lurch.


    At least a hundred years younger, wouldn¡¯t that be quite lively?


    Mo Hua was startled and could only say:


    "I¡¯ve had a drink


    "Drinking Fire Buddha asked, ¡°How does that drink taste?¡±


    Whether Fire Buddha was genuinely curious or probing, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t tell.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tensed.


    He hadn¡¯t actually drunk it, so how would he know the feeling?


    Mo Hua intended to say, ¡°The taste is good,¡± but such a response, straightforward and direct, clearly didn¡¯t fit the persona of a Demon Formation Master¡­


    The image of a Demon Formation Master drinking, along with his mad ravings, suddenly appeared in Mo¡¯s mind¡­


    Mo Hua had a moment of inspiration and sighed:


    "Even after drinking, mortal eyes still can¡¯t see


    Upon hearing these three words, Fire Buddha felt reassured.


    Fire Buddha: ¡°There is truth in the world, within this truth lurks great terror, and within this terror lies the opportunity for eternal life


    "Mortal eyes, naturally, can¡¯t see through the truth of this world.¡±


    "But to transform divinity and transcend mortality is not an overnight achievement.¡±


    "Master seems a bit too eager for success


    Mo Hua realized, no, it was ¡°Master Yuan¡± who realized, and he admired:


    "Worthy of being Venerable, truly insightful, and admirable.¡±


    "Master Yuan flatters me,¡± Fire Buddha replied humbly, ¡°The superficial understanding of a practitioner of Buddhism is not worth mentioning.¡±


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t sure whether to ¡°flatter¡± him further.


    Logically, with Fire Buddha being so modest, he should continue praising him.


    But with the reclusive and malignant nature of ¡°Master Yuan,¡± he might not enjoy ¡°flattering¡± others¡­


    Even if that other person was Fire Buddha.


    Mo Hua was somewhat conflicted.


    Fortunately, before Mo Hua could be further conflicted, Fire Buddha began to flatter him instead.


    "Master Yuan is skilled in Formations, his Divine Thought transcends, his understanding of the Great Dao of this world is incomprehensible to ordinary people


    Mo Hua responded with reserved pride:


    "You overpraise me, Venerable


    "Formation Arts are profound and vast, I too have learned only the basics, knowing that everything in this world is but remnants of the Great Dao, superficial and fluctuating.¡±


    "Common folk cannot see through this, their Taoist hearts become clouded, and though they seek tirelessly, eventually they will all be ground away by the Great Dao


    Mo Hua mixed concepts about Formations, Great Dao, and Taoist Heart together, seriously explaining them to Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha was silent for a long while and slowly said:


    "Master, you are indeed a person with great ¡®Spiritual Roots¡¯!¡±


    Fire Buddha continued:


    "These days, Master Yuan has been aggrieved


    "The alcohol is inferior


    "Once the Holy Temple is constructed, we must sacrifice living people in the temple, and then we will kill a batch of Top-Grade Spiritual Root sacrifices, take their refined essence blood, and brew wine for the Master


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling a chill in his heart.


    The Holy Temple¡­ was this the Demon Palace?


    Do Demon Cultivators give themselves a facade of sanctity, calling it ¡°holy¡± instead of ¡°demonic¡±?


    And live human sacrifices?


    This indeed seemed like something Demon Cultivators would do¡­


    But to require Top-Grade Spiritual Root sacrifices¡­


    Was his own Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root quality not even qualified to be a ¡°sacrifice¡±?


    Mo Hua felt complex emotions.


    He didn¡¯t know whether to be angry or relieved.


    Even mere Demon Cultivators, it turned out, practiced Spiritual Root discrimination!

 Chapter 995: Fiery Evil (2)

    But this top-grade Spiritual Root blood is meant for "myself" to steep in wine...


    The Fire Buddha was being so "generous."


    Mo Hua was at a loss for how to respond.


    Thank you?


    Could that dead, somewhat insane Evil Formation Master have said "thank you"?


    And by saying so, wouldn''t it seem... a bit petty?


    After all, as a Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation Master, shouldn''t he keep up appearances?


    Thus, Mo Hua said, "Those of us who enter the Dao through the Demon path, regard commoners as nothing, erecting the Holy Temple for a grand undertaking, how can it be seen as a hardship? Venerable, you underestimate Yuan..."


    The Fire Buddha fell silent for a long while, as if shocked, and then praised:


    "Master Yuan usually delves into Formations in silence, but truly, your heart contains Qian and Kun, and you are not an ordinary person..."


    "Do you wish, Great Master, to convert to the Buddhist Law?"


    Mo Hua froze for a moment.


    Did the Fire Buddha want to convert him to Buddhism?


    "No, that''s not right; he doesn''t know ''I'' am ''me''; he wants the dead ''Master Yuan'' to convert to Buddhism..."


    But to convert to Buddhism?


    Mo Hua said, "I''m afraid I don''t have the ''root of wisdom'' that the Venerable speaks of..."


    "No," the Fire Buddha solemnly said, "Master, your root of wisdom is extraordinary, just unpolished and subtle before..."


    That''s because the "Master Yuan" who was chatting with you before hasn''t died yet, so he was being unpolished and subtle...


    Mo Hua still tactfully declined:


    "Yuan delves into Evil Formations, refining Formations with human flesh and blood, the karmic killing too heavy, I fear I lack the fate for Buddhism..."


    "Master Yuan is mistaken!" the Fire Buddha continued to persuade "Mo Hua": "The Buddha says all beings are equal..." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "All beings are equally born; naturally, they are equal in death."


    "People will die, so what does it matter if a few people are killed? What if the karmic killing is heavy?"


    "It is merely escorting those who will die sooner to their fated demise."


    "If one practices Demon ways, killing is inevitable."


    "After killing, resentment and Evil Qi inevitably cling, corrupting the original nature..."


    "In believing in Buddhism, one quiets the thoughts of resentment, suppresses the Evil Qi, and guards the original heart..."


    "It is said, ''Lay down the butcher''s knife, and immediately become a Buddha.''"


    "When killing, use the blade for a swift end; when not killing, put the knife down temporarily to cultivate the body and mind..."


    "Even if one kills countless people, chanting ''Amitabha'' allows for peace and justification."


    "If one does not kill, does not commit evil, with a clear conscience, no sins to redeem, what use is it to abstain from meat, to chant Buddha''s name?"


    ...


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    This Fire Buddha was truly a talent.


    What exactly was his practice...


    Could this really be called "Buddhism"?


    "What are your thoughts, Master Yuan?" the Fire Buddha sent the message again.


    Mo Hua inwardly scoffed.


    Go ask "Master Yuan", don''t ask me.


    I can''t possibly agree on behalf of the dead "Master Yuan"...


    Mo Hua, feeling somewhat vexed, then went along with the Fire Buddha''s statement:


    "Is the Buddhist Law really so profound?"


    "Indeed, it is profound!"


    "Can it calm my post-wine wickedness, restrain my post-wine madness?"


    "The master can try..."


    Mo Hua vaguely said, "Another day, I will surely seek the Venerable''s guidance and explore the profundities of the Buddhist Law together..."


    "Good." the Fire Buddha said, "Master Yuan is busy with many matters, I shall not disturb further, another day we shall discuss the Dao."


    Afterward, the Fire Buddha went silent, busy with something unknown.


    Mo Hua grew solemn.


    He had struck up a conversation with the Fire Buddha...


    This was completely unexpected and not part of his plans.


    What to do next?


    Continue to impersonate "Master Yuan," chat with the Fire Buddha, and extract information from him?


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    The Fire Buddha was not a fool.


    Talking about the Great Dao or Buddhism in vague terms might be fine, but to really ask him:


    "What''s in the inner sanctum?"


    "Your Meteor Fire Skill is so impressive, where is the secret manual hidden?"


    Or "What is your actual scheme after annihilating the Xie family?" and the like.


    With the Fire Buddha''s shrewdness, he would instantly know something was amiss.


    He couldn''t continue discussing Buddhism either, lest the Fire Buddha get carried away and come to meet him in person, and see the "Master Yuan" who was already a corpse, and the "lively" him, managing the Original Magnet''s Compound Formation in place of Master Yuan, then it would be all over.


    "So...lure the Fire Buddha out?"


    "And then have Uncle Gu and the others assassinate him?"


    But the Fire Buddha, likely at the Foundation Establishment Peak of combat strength, would probably not be so easy to assassinate...


    The Fire Buddha was highly vigilant.


    Uncle Gu couldn''t use his Golden Core Power yet.


    If they failed, not only would they fail to kill the Fire Buddha, but they would also be surrounded by Demon Cultivators.


    Currently, in the outer and middle temples, there were about three hundred Demon Cultivators; some have been killed, but many remain.


    Even if all were killed there, there should be at least a hundred more in the inner temple...


    Mo Hua''s brows furrowed tightly.


    He couldn''t wait for the Fire Buddha to realize what was happening and then figure out a solution; by then, it would be too late...


    "It''s necessary to make plans early, to resolve the situation quickly..."


    Delay could lead to complications.


    Mo Hua immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai:


    "Uncle Gu, hurry and call people to surround the Demon Palace..."


    Gu Changhuai''s expression darkened, "Have we been discovered?"


    "Not exactly," Mo Hua said, "the Fire Buddha sought me out for a chat..."


    Gu Changhuai: "..."


    After a moment, Gu Changhuai asked, "What did he talk to you about?"


    "Nothing much..."


    He certainly couldn''t say that the Fire Buddha wanted to rope him in and to convert to Buddhism...


    Even though he''d donned the guise of "Master Yuan"...


    "I fudged my way through, but what''s to come is uncertain..." said Mo Hua.


    Gu Changhuai fell into brief contemplation, then decisively said:


    "I will summon people immediately, and before that, we shall seize the time, killing as many as we can, trying to weaken the power of the Demon Cultivators..."

 Chapter 996: Fiery Evil (3)

    "Okay."


    There were probably still over two hundred Demon Cultivators in the outer and middle palaces.


    Time was urgent, so Mo Hua hurried to start the "roll call," while Gu Changhuai and the other two continued their assassinations.


    One Demon Cultivator after another was eliminated.


    Mo Hua, while controlling the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, commanded the Demon Cultivators to deliver themselves to death, and simultaneously used the Book Devil Orders of the deceased Demon Cultivators to chat with the others who were still alive, concealing the truth of their deaths.


    Time slipped away bit by bit.


    It was at this moment that Mo Hua, inside the Yuan Magnetic Core, monitored a "message":


    "The Evil Qi in the outer palace is intensifying. Someone is killing people. Qiao Laoliu, go and take a look..."


    Mo Hua was startled in his heart.


    They had been discovered!


    Mo Hua checked and found that the sender of the message was the Fire Buddha.


    As expected, it hadn''t been concealed...


    Mo Hua frowned.


    However...


    "The Evil Qi is intensifying," how exactly did the Fire Buddha sense it?


    And what was this Evil Qi?


    Mo Hua was puzzled in his heart.


    But now was not the time to dwell on these questions.


    Mo Hua immediately sent a message: "Uncle Gu, we need to withdraw. The Fire Buddha has noticed the dead outside..."


    Gu Changhuai also immediately replied, "Okay, we''ll come to you."


    Mo Hua waited in the Secret Chamber of the Formation Pivot.


    Before leaving, he needed to do some tampering.


    The Yuan Spirit Vision Compound Formation couldn''t be destroyed for the moment.


    Destroying it would cause the Book Devil Orders to stop working and would immediately alert the Fire Buddha and the others.


    Mo Hua could only use basic Fixed Magnetic Patterns to "lock" the Yuan Spirit Vision Compound Formation, temporarily rendering it unusable to others.


    Inside the chamber, there was also the corpse of Master Yuan.


    Since he hadn''t been dead for long and wasn''t decaying yet, it was problematic to dispose of, so it had to be left in the chamber for the meantime.


    This corpse was not easy to deal with for now.


    Mo Hua thought about it and simply left the body there.


    After a while, Gu Changhuai and the other two returned.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was safe and sound, Gu Changhuai let out a slight sigh of relief.


    "Let''s leave this place first," said Gu Changhuai.


    "Mhm," Mo Hua nodded.


    Together, they concealed their presence, with Mo Hua leading the way, leaving the Yuan Magnetic Core Secret Chamber and headed out of the Demon Palace.


    This route was very familiar to Mo Hua.


    Having monitored it for so long within the Compound Formation Pivot, Mo Hua had the structure of the Demon Palace well memorized.


    Moving through the Demon Palace, Mo Hua felt as if he were walking in his own backyard.


    On the way, Mo Hua asked in a low voice,


    "Uncle Gu, have you gathered everyone?"


    Gu Changhuai nodded. "I have assembled them. Two hundred and eighty in total, all stationed outside the One-Line Sky."


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    Two hundred and eighty people¡­ they had the advantage in numbers, which should be enough.


    Many Demon Cultivators in the Demon Palace were already dead, leaving only roughly one hundred and eighty or ninety people remaining.


    Now a frontal confrontation was imminent, a tough battle lay ahead.


    They couldn''t stay here any longer.


    Mo Hua could have stayed, but it was somewhat dangerous without a bodyguard, and he was not going to overestimate himself.


    And there were other matters to attend to...


    Gu Changhuai had to go back to command and deploy the two hundred and eighty Enforcement Leaders of the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua also needed to find a way to destroy the Yuan Magnetic Formation outside the Demon Palace and the traps on the suspended stone bridge.


    Otherwise, it would be a difficult task for those two hundred plus people just to cross the bridge.


    And so, Mo Hua stealthily left the way he had come.


    When passing by the great doors of the Demon Palace, the doors were tightly closed, with several Demon Cultivators keeping watch outside.


    "This door... is also a problem..."


    Mo Hua thought about it, then had Gu Changhuai dispatch those few Demon Cultivators guarding the door.


    Then he tampered with the Formation inside the door, ensuring their security before leaving.


    They didn''t go through the main gate, but instead, concealed themselves, reached the edge of the Demon Palace, and climbed up the rugged mountain rocks of the Demon''s Cave, leaving the cave through the excavated opening...


    Meanwhile, as Mo Hua left the Demon''s Cave, Qiao Lao Liu emerged from the inner palace and went straight to the outer palace.


    The outer palace was deserted.


    Qiao Lao Liu, known for his brusque personality, cursed, "Where is everyone? Where have they all died?"


    His voice echoed through the Demon Palace.


    But there was no reply.


    Qiao Lao Liu frowned, walked around, took a tour, and didn''t see a single person.


    The Demon Palace was very large and indeed, occasionally there were few people, and quiet, empty places, but it should never be "empty" to this extent.


    Qiao Lao Liu glanced at the Rotten River below from the corner of his eye and saw the clothing of several Demon Cultivators, while their flesh had been turned into bloody mud, mixed into the rotten green river water.


    Qiao Lao Liu''s expression changed drastically.


    "Dead?!"


    He instantly sent a message to the Fire Buddha, "Big brother, something terrible has happened, they''re all dead!"


    Moments later, the doors of the inner palace were opened again.


    Fire Buddha, tall and with a gentle face but stern demeanor, in a blood-red Kasaya, stepped out of the doors.


    He lifted his head, then murmured softly:


    "Such thick Evil Qi..."


    "So many people have died."


    "What a pity..."


    The eyes of the Fire Buddha were cold, and his face showed no joy or sorrow:


    "It wasn''t me who killed them... I can''t attract the Evil Qi into my body, can''t cultivate the Fire Evil..." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 997: Breakthrough

    Chapter 997: Chapter 650 Breakthrough


    Chapter 997 -650 Breakthrough


    Qiao Laoliu came back from the outer hall and saw Fire Buddha, his face panicked, his voice trembling,


    "Big brother, I saw a ghost, the outer hall is empty, many brothers¡­ are dead.¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes were sharp, ¡°How did they die?¡±


    "I don¡¯t know


    Qiao Laoliu muttered.


    Fire Buddha remained silent, only his Blood Qi was boiling, and his Evil Qi grew heavier.


    Qiao Laoliu¡¯s face turned pale, and he hurriedly said,


    "It seems they were killed by someone¡­ without anyone noticing and then their bodies discarded in the Rotten River, their flesh dissolved, leaving no trace


    "There are still a few left in the middle hall


    "The outer hall is almost¡­ all dead


    Qiao Laoliu swallowed hard, his expression uneasy.


    "Impossible!¡±


    Fire Buddha, a tall Demon Cultivator with a grim and pale face, said.


    This person was Yin Thunder Child who had once met Mo Hua and had chased after him.


    Yin Thunder Child frowned and said,


    "I was just chatting with Shi Laoer


    Yin Thunder Child¡¯s face showed anger, ¡°That bastard, he was very arrogant in his words. With his cultivation, he couldn¡¯t have died without a trace so quickly


    As he said this, several other Demon Cultivators behind Fire Buddha also remembered.


    "Me too


    "I also exchanged messages with Human Butcher


    "He cursed me too, someday I will slaughter that beast


    "And that bastard Yu Shusheng too


    "Fireworker Chief also cursed me sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, feeling a chill.


    "If they are all dead, then is it


    "Ghosts sending us messages?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression was cold and his Evil Qi solidified. His gaze slowly shifted, then suddenly a sharp light flashed in his eyes.


    "Master Yuan!¡±


    The Demon Cultivators then remembered that all the movements and patrols in the Demon Palace were monitored by Master Yuan.


    A sinister wind rose, and bloodlight flickered.


    The Demon Cultivators hurriedly mobilized their movement techniques, rushing to the Yuan Magnetic Formation Secret Chamber in the center of the Demon Cave.


    The Formation at the entrance to the secret chamber had already been broken.


    As everyone pushed the door and entered, they saw a cold corpse lying inside, with blood holes in the forehead and Dantian, several stabs in the heart, hands broken, and the blood dried up.


    The corpse looked miserable, but from the figure and attire, it was indeed Master Yuan.


    "Dead?!¡±


    The Demon Cultivators were shocked.


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Nineteen Patterns Divine Sense, terrifying expertise in formations, and respected as an Evil Formation Master with a weird and mad temperament, Master Yuan¡­


    He died so silently?


    He died in his own Formation Secret Chamber.


    And none of the Demon Cultivators in the full hall knew about it.


    The Demon Cultivators were momentarily enraged and startled:


    "Who killed him?¡±


    "Who could possibly kill


    "This is the Holy Temple


    "How could they have sneaked in?¡±


    "Do we have a traitor among us?¡±


    "Shut your fucking mouth!¡±


    ¡­


    "Could it be¡­ a Feathered Immortal from the Dao Court?¡± A Demon Cultivator exclaimed in shock.


    "Shut up, you fool!¡±


    "We are at the Second Grade State Border, even if Feather Transformation came, he couldn¡¯t have killed so many so quickly


    "Feather Transformation against Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn¡¯t be so sneaky and vile


    ¡­


    People discussed heatedly, then gradually calmed down and silently looked towards Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha stepped forward and examined Master Yuan¡¯s corpse.


    As he looked, Fire Buddha suddenly paused.


    "This is Wind-System Spiritual Power


    "Very profound


    "Not just Foundation Establishment Late Stage, it¡¯s deliberately suppressed, it¡¯s¡­ Golden Core


    "Golden Core, Wind-System Spiritual Power, this is


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes turned blood-red, his hands trembled, and the two heart-like fireballs in his chest throbbed violently.


    An old wound on his chest, as if slashed by a thousand knives, suddenly hurt violently¡­


    "Gu¡ªChanghuai


    Fire Buddha said word by word.


    His expression was cold, but on the red Kasaya, blood-like flames had already seeped out, and above the flames, a murky Evil Qi faintly entwined¡­


    Qiao Laoliu said with a fearful expression:


    "Big Brother!¡±


    The other Demon Cultivators all fell silent, daring not to make a sound.


    Seeing the rage surge up, his body as if engulfed in fire, the Evil Qi about to lose control.


    Fire Buddha gritted his teeth, chanted, ¡°Amitabha,¡± then recited Buddhist scriptures, Strongly Inhibiting his mind, suppressing the turbulent murderous intent in his heart.


    His expression became compassionate again.


    The other Demon Cultivators also silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    "It¡¯s not a traitor, it¡¯s the Dao Court Department of Ceremonies


    Fire Buddha said indifferently, then continued to examine Master Yuan¡¯s corpse.


    "Both hands are broken


    "His skull was struck by a club-like Spiritual Artifact


    "His neck was strangled¡­ his heart channel was pierced from behind with a short knife


    "His eyes bulged out, his face scorched, this is¡­ Fireball Technique?¡±


    "Whose Fireball Technique? Quite interesting


    Fire Buddha probably reimagined the assassination process of Master Yuan in his mind, then looked at the dark green bloodstains on the ground, his expression startled.


    "Poison?¡±


    Was the knife laced with poison?


    Fire Buddha frowned:


    "This doesn¡¯t seem like Gu Changhuai¡¯s style of doing things


    "Have not met for many years, has he become despicable?¡±


    Moreover, Master Yuan, with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s Eyes, had tempered the Blood Wine, borrowed Heavenly Demon¡¯s Evil Thoughts, and had extremely strong Divine Sense, how could he possibly not have had any means of resistance and just been killed?


    "Could it be¡­ Gu Changhuai had an accomplice?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze flickered.


    "This person is meticulously minded, ruthless, and proficient in Divine Thought Technique and Formation Art


    "This way he could make a foolproof plan, allowing the powerful Evil Thoughts of Master Yuan to be led to the slaughter without resistance


    Did Gu Changhuai have an expert by his side?


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression became increasingly serious.


    "Big brother, what do we do now?¡±


    Yin Thunder Child saw Fire Buddha frown and ponder for a long time, the atmosphere suppressed, then he quietly asked.

 Chapter 998: Breaching (2)

    Chapter 998: Chapter 650: Breaching_2


    Chapter 998 -650: Breaching_2


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze was somber, and after a brief reflection, he said,


    "Retreat to the inner sanctum and defend it fiercely. Destroy everything!¡±


    The others¡¯ expressions changed instantly.


    "Big brother?!¡±


    "Destroy everything?¡±


    Yin Thunder Child spoke in a low voice, ¡°Is that really necessary¡­? That is


    Qiao Laoliu also said, ¡°That¡¯s right, big brother, we can still hold the Holy Temple, keep the doors firmly shut; even the Taoist Court Officers can¡¯t break in for the time being


    The other Demon Cultivators chimed in:


    "That¡¯s correct!¡±


    "If the Taoist Court¡¯s lapdogs come, then let¡¯s kill them all and offer them as sacrifices. Whether we go or stay, it will be entirely up to us


    "A bunch of lapdogs, have they been given too much face?¡±


    "Kill them all!¡±


    Fire Buddha shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand


    "Gu Changhuai is a tough opponent, different from the usual wine-sacks and rice-bags of the Taoist Court


    "If they¡¯ve managed to get in, it means that the Demon¡¯s Cave has already started to leak


    "We can¡¯t hold the outer sanctum


    "All we can do is hold up inside the inner sanctum.¡±


    "Moreover, just in case, everything in the inner sanctum must be destroyed, we can¡¯t leave behind any traces


    "The Holy Temple is of great importance


    "Should there be any sign of exposure, it must be completely extinguished; we cannot let outsiders find out


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression was serious, brooking no refusal. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other Demon Cultivators also took this to heart and nodded in agreement.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression softened a little, ¡°Clean up the inner sanctum, and then we will find a way to break out. I know you have been hiding here and are a bit suffocated


    "After we get out, you may indulge for a while; I won¡¯t restrain you


    "After that, we¡¯ll¡­ leave Qian State, where the sky is high and the sea is broad; we will be free and carefree


    "Wait for the storms to settle in a few decades, and then come back to settle some old accounts


    Hearing ¡°indulge for a while,¡± the Demon Cultivators¡¯ faces revealed lascivious smiles as they echoed, ¡°We¡¯ll follow big brother¡¯s lead!¡±


    So they took Master Yuan¡¯s corpse and left the secret room to return to the inner sanctum.


    Fire Buddha walked at the end.


    Just before entering the dark and chaotic inner sanctum, not knowing what was concealed within, Fire Buddha suddenly stopped and looked back at the vast outer sanctum.


    A doubt crept into his mind:


    "Master Yuan died early¡­ so who was it that discussed Buddhist Law with me?¡±


    Fire Buddha frowned, pondered for a moment, and then turned around and walked into the depths of the Demon Palace.


    The doors to the inner sanctum slowly closed, sealing Fire Buddha and the unknown secrets inside.


    ¡­


    Outside the Demon¡¯s Cave.


    Gu Changhuai had gone back to dispatch troops.


    Mo Hua was on the stone bridge, protected by Gu Quan and Gu An while dismantling the various alarms and Trap Formations on the bridge.


    After dismantling them, Mo Hua sat at the head of the bridge, waiting.


    But after a long wait, no one came.


    "Does it take this long just to call someone?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself in silence.


    According to Gu Changhuai, the Enforcement Leader of the Taoist Court should have been stationed just outside the narrow sky. In theory, they could have assembled in half an hour.


    What had happened?


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Since he had to keep an eye on the Demon¡¯s Cave, Mo Hua could only wait patiently.


    After an indeterminate amount of time passed, the other end of the bridge finally became bustling, and the presence of many Cultivators was felt.


    "They¡¯re here!¡±


    Mo Hua was invigorated.


    Gu Quan was receiving them on the other side.


    After a while, the numerous Enforcement Leaders of the Taoist Court began to cross the bridge in batches.


    To keep a low profile, Mo Hua hid his figure and watched from the side as they crossed.


    However, as he watched, Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    The number of people¡­ seemed a bit high?


    "Uncle Gu said there would be two hundred and eight, so why does it seem like there are more than four hundred now?¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    When the more than four hundred Enforcement Leaders had all crossed the bridge, Mo Hua finally saw Gu Changhuai at the end of the line.


    However, Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look very good.


    Mo Hua approached him and asked in a low voice,


    "Uncle Gu, why are there so many people?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was displeased, ¡°The Xiao family has also arrived


    The Xiao family?


    Mo Hua realized instantly, ¡°The Xiao family with the ¡®smiling tiger¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback before realizing who Mo Hua referred to as the ¡°smiling tiger,¡± he sighed and said,


    "Don¡¯t come up with nicknames for no reason


    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not saying it in front of him said Mo Hua.


    Gu Changhuai had no way to handle Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Could it be¡­ that the news has leaked?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened, but he did not reply.


    Mo Hua raised an arch of his delicate brows and asked,


    "Then what¡¯s the purpose of the Xiao family coming here?¡±


    "To serve as an internal mole?¡±


    "To tip off the enemy, or to stir up the situation?¡±


    Gu Changhuai gave Mo Hua a slight glare, ¡°Don¡¯t make unfounded accusations without evidence


    Then Gu Changhuai sighed lightly, ¡°This time, the Xiao family probably wants a share of the spoils, to snatch some merit


    "Snatch merit?¡±


    "The Demon¡¯s Cave stronghold, hundreds of Demon Cultivators, the murderer Fire Buddha Gu Changhuai said, ¡°Any one of these is a piece of Fat Meat.¡±


    "Now all this Fat Meat is served on a single platter, the Xiao family, wanting to expand their influence in the Taoist Court and promote their Disciples, how could they not be tempted


    "Oh Mo Hua nodded.


    No wonder people commonly refer to the Cultivators of the Taoist Court as the watchdogs and hawks.


    When the dogs and hawks have meat to eat, that¡¯s when they work hard.


    Seeing the ¡°grease and gravy,¡± the Xiao family naturally wanted to act ¡°swiftly and decisively,¡± taking the initiative.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua and wondered,


    "Are you speaking ill of the Taoist Court in your heart again?¡±


    Mo Hua was solemn, ¡°Uncle Gu, I am now half part of the Taoist Court; how could I speak ill of it?¡±

 Chapter 999: Breaching (3)

    Chapter 999: Chapter 650: Breaching_3


    Chapter 999 -650: Breaching_3


    Gu Changhuai finally nodded.


    "However, I am just an extramural, extramural work, you see, can be counted or not, the status is quite ¡®flexible Mo Hua silently added in his heart.


    "By the way, Smiling Face¡­ Master Xiao didn¡¯t come?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Just now, all the cultivators from the Taoist Court had passed by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had reviewed them like an inspecting general and did not notice the presence of the Smiling Tiger, nor were there any cultivators in the Golden Core Stage.


    "No,¡± Gu Changhuai said.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°Then who is leading the Xiao family team?¡±


    Gu Changhuai pointed to one of the Enforcement Leaders among them, a young cultivator with outstanding appearance and talent, and said,


    "Xiao Tianquan, direct lineage of the Xiao family, in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, just graduated from the sect, ¡®tested¡¯ into the Daoist Court as an Enforcement Leader


    "This is a core disciple of the Xiao family


    "The Xiao family wants to score some achievements for him to facilitate his promotion.¡±


    "Oh Mo Hua glanced at this Xiao Tianquan and saw his head held high, with an air of arrogance in his eyes, the spitting image of a proud son of heaven who had not suffered a shred of hardship, and lived a life of unceasing victories.


    Born of a prestigious family, graduated from a Great Sect, then entered the Taoist Court, climbing up the ranks, aiming for a high position in the Central Dao Court, a seat of great authority, becoming a person above others¡­


    That was the template of the so-called ¡®chosen one.¡¯


    He felt as if they were completely different kinds of people from high above¡­


    It¡¯s just his name¡­


    "Xiao Tianquan


    Mo Hua fell into contemplation, and then his eyes lit up,


    "Howling Celestial Dog?¡±


    Gu Changhuai, standing beside him, felt a headache coming on hearing this, took a deep breath, and emphasized again,


    "It¡¯s okay¡­ don¡¯t randomly assign nicknames to others.¡±


    "Oh, oh,¡± Mo Hua replied noncommittally.


    The Xiao family was willing to use big issues like the Fire Buddha, the Demon Palace, and the annihilation cases as a ¡°stepping-stone¡± to pave the way for their direct lineage¡¯s future advancement.


    Mo Hua had nothing more to say.


    He was still concerned about the Fire Buddha.


    And there was one thing that Mo Hua cared about deeply.


    He sneaked a glance at Gu Changhuai and after a moment¡¯s thought, quietly asked,


    "Uncle Gu, are you and the Fire Buddha enemies?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression changed, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    "I guessed said Mo Hua.


    He sensed that whenever Uncle Gu mentioned the Fire Buddha, or thought of him, his expression would involuntarily become grave, and there was a murderous impulse in his eyes.


    Thus, Mo Hua surmised they must have deep-seated grudges.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face grew stern, ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated to explain


    "I almost killed that sinful beast, the Fire Buddha


    "Unfortunately, at that time I was only at the Foundation Establishment level, and I was just a bit too weak; I only shattered a portion of his meridians, allowing him to escape


    "In that battle, I killed several of his brothers.¡±


    "As for him


    Gu Changhuai paused, his handsome face showing a ferocious aura, and he said through gritted teeth,


    "He also killed a few of my fellow graduates


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, looking at Gu Changhuai with sympathy, and couldn¡¯t help but say,


    "Watching your comrades, close as brothers, get killed, and you being powerless to help, so you harbored a grudge, turned cold and solitary, unwilling to converse with others, afraid to get too close, lest they also suffer misfortune


    Mo Hua rambled on with his own imagination¡­ Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face darkened, and he retorted,


    "What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    "I¡¯ve always been like this from the very beginning!¡±


    "Whether I¡¯m solitary or not, what business is it of other people? Why should I bother with those boring people? Why should I show a good face to those who live like flies and dogs?¡±


    "Ah


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    He hadn¡¯t guessed even one thing correctly.


    The human heart is indeed complicated.


    "As for those comrades who died at the Fire Buddha¡¯s hands


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°Actually, they were not that close to me, but I couldn¡¯t bear to watch innocent people die at the hands of demon cultivators.¡±


    "Sometimes at night, I dream of these


    "And hate my own powerlessness.¡±


    "Not having slaughtered all those evil demon cultivators.¡±


    "And the Fire Buddha, that sinful beast, escaped from my hands and continues to wreak havoc everywhere, committing all sorts of evil deeds


    "As long as he is not dead, I will remember for a lifetime


    Mo Hua started seeing Gu Changhuai in a new light.


    Uncle Gu, who seemed aloof with the air of a ¡®handsome bad boy¡¯ and with poor people skills, actually had such an upright nature and despised evil so intensely¡­


    Truly, appearances can be deceiving.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Uncle Gu, why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡±


    He had not expected Uncle Gu to have this kind of life-and-death feud with the Fire Buddha.


    Gu Changhuai was speechless and gave Mo Hua a look,


    "What could I possibly discuss with a kid like you? If you hadn¡¯t asked, I wouldn¡¯t even want to tell you now.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, thought for a moment, and nodded,


    "That makes sense


    Adults, especially those old¡­ Great Cultivators who have lived for over a hundred years, do indeed have many old stories they don¡¯t wish to mention to outsiders.


    Not like himself, who was open with everyone.


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    Moments later, the more than four hundred Enforcement Leaders had finished assembling, formed into formation, surrounding the Demon¡¯s Cave in layers.


    Only then did Gu Changhuai get up, just about to say something.


    That Xiao family¡¯s chosen one, Xiao Tianquan, walked confidently up to Gu Changhuai and volunteered himself,


    "Supervisor Gu, let my Xiao family handle the task of breaking through the gate!¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked at him and said indifferently,


    "Xiao Zhisi, once you¡¯re in the Daoist Court, stop mentioning the Xiao family. The Daoist Court is not your Xiao family¡¯s property, and ultimately, even your Xiao family¡¯s people are the Daoist Court¡¯s people.¡±

 Chapter 1000: Breach (4)

    Xiao Tianquan''s face paled, feeling that his dignity had been swept away, and a hint of obscure resentment surfaced in his eyes.


    Gu Changhuai saw it all clearly and slightly shook his head.


    There really is no hurt without contrast...


    Mo Hua, this boy, even if full of schemes, isn''t as annoying.


    On the contrary, it''s these sons of noble families, superficially hypocritical, unable to suppress their grievances once contradicted, inexplicably irritating to look at.


    Gu Changhuai sneered in his heart, but after a while, seemingly recalling something, he nodded and said,


    "However, your initiative to volunteer is commendable. The task of breaking through the door is yours."


    Xiao Tianquan suppressed the resentment in his eyes and gratefully said,


    "Thank you, Supervisor Gu."


    He then began issuing orders, directing the Xiao family''s Enforcement Leaders with the support of the Gu family and other Enforcement Leaders to set and break Formations while forcefully attempting to breach the Formation to open the gate of the Demon''s Cave.


    Gu Changhuai stood by with his hands folded, watching.


    Mo Hua stayed by Gu Changhuai''s side.


    This time, Mo Hua didn''t stay hidden.


    Since they were to attack the Demon Palace and capture the Fire Buddha, it was necessary for him to show himself, just keeping a low profile and pretending to be an "idler" would suffice.


    Others wouldn''t pay him much attention.


    Even if they did, as long as he was by "Enter No One''s" Uncle Gu''s side, they wouldn''t dare to question.


    Xiao Tianquan, intentionally or unintentionally, also glanced a few times at Mo Hua.


    But seeing that Mo Hua only had a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root, his gaze automatically overlooked him.


    The door was breached smoothly.


    Because earlier, Mo Hua had already tampered with the Formation of the gate from the inside.


    The Xiao family had certainly made a great investment, having their Formation Masters draw up Formations outside the gate of the Demon Palace, utilizing many precious Spiritual Artifacts and Runes to forcefully blast open the gate.


    The Formations drawn by the Xiao family''s Formation Masters were useless.


    Mo Hua knew this clearly.


    What worked were the Spiritual Artifacts and Runes.


    But the Xiao family''s Cultivators didn''t know this, seeing the Demon''s Cave blown open, the evil-eyed stone door cracked open and the fanged stones around the door broken, and inexplicable blood leaking out.


    They all praised enthusiastically, "Xiao Zhisi is brilliant!"


    "His leadership is impeccable!"


    Some Enforcement Leaders from small families, without major backing, followed suit despite feeling uneasy,


    "Xiao Zhisi is promising from a young age¡­"


    "He is bound to achieve great things!"


    Xiao Tianquan appeared calm, as if accustomed to such flattery.


    However, after some time, Cultivators began to exclaim,


    "The blood on the door... it''s poisoned!"


    Xiao Tianquan immediately dodged away, while several closer Enforcement Leaders were contaminated, their aura turning filthy and their expressions drastically altered.


    The surroundings turned chaotic instantly.


    A moment later, things settled down.


    The ten or so poisoned Enforcement Leaders took Pills and rested aside.


    These Pills, provided by the Xiao family, would externally claim they were unharmed, to avoid any stain on "Xiao Zhisi''s" record.


    This was stated by Gu Changhuai.


    Mo Hua listened, dumbstruck.


    These families are indeed very scheming...


    With the gate breached, they arrived at the outer hall.


    The expected resistance was absent; the outer hall was empty, not a single Demon Cultivator in sight.


    The middle hall was the same.


    And the inner hall''s gate was tightly shut.


    As anticipated, the Demon Cultivators were defending the inner hall, unknown what they were doing inside.


    Xiao Tianquan scoffed, "Defending the inner hall, waiting for us to fall into the trap? How foolish!"


    Xiao Tianquan intended to say more but glanced at Gu Changhuai somewhat apprehensively.


    Gu Changhuai, unfazed, simply nodded slightly.


    Meaning, let him act as he wished.


    Xiao Tianquan then felt reassured.


    Still, he wondered why his uncle and elders in the family had warned him to be wary of Supervisor Gu.


    Following that, the Xiao family''s Enforcement Leaders began breaching the inner hall.


    Their methods were similar to the outside.


    Mo Hua stood at the back, hands folded, not intervening.


    This matter wasn''t his turn to step forward.


    He also didn''t want to show off his Formation skills in front of so many Taoist Court Cultivators.


    Especially this Howling Celestial Dog, who was rather petty.


    If he outshined him, stealing his credit, he would definitely bear a grudge.


    It was a thankless task.


    However, the talent of the Xiao family''s Formation Masters was truly limited, relying on the force of Spiritual Artifacts and Runes, and their progress was painfully slow.


    Mo Hua could only stand by patiently.


    It had already been three and a half days, with three and a half days left.


    There was barely enough time.


    The inner hall was similarly locked by a Formation.


    To breach the inner hall, they needed to either solve the Formation or break the door.


    Mo Hua glanced at the Formation, realizing it was difficult to solve, involving a Second Grade High-Level Formation which he didn''t know.


    Thus, the inner hall had to be forcibly breached.


    The Xiao family lacked neither people, Spirit Stones, Spiritual Artifacts, nor Runes, so they prioritized breaching while solving the Formation was secondary.


    Mo Hua then saw bursts of five-colored lights.


    Precious Second Grade Runes were used up.


    Enforcement Leaders took turns, applying their Taoist Skills to forcefully blast the inner hall''s door.


    Mo Hua also witnessed for the first time how "Formation Blinds" who didn''t understand Formations dealt with them...


    After almost half a day, with a loud "boom," the door of the inner hall slowly collapsed.


    "It actually broke through..."


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised and looked at the Formations around the door slit, then somewhat realized.


    This Demon Palace was uncompleted.


    Near the door, some neighboring Formations were relatively weak.


    By chance, Xiao Tianquan led his people to inadvertently break some of these inner Formations, causing the overall Formation to loosen.


    This allowed them to breach the inner hall''s door within half a day. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Tianquan didn''t understand any of this.


    He really thought it was through his own, the Xiao family''s strength, that they directly breached the door.


    "Just a mere Demon Palace, that''s all!"


    A group of Enforcement Leaders adeptly offered a series of "Xiao Zhisi is brilliant" flatteries.


    Mo Hua couldn''t be bothered with them.


    He eagerly glanced inside the inner hall.


    At this look, Mo Hua was somewhat stunned.


    Inside the inner hall, there were densely packed, towering stone walls.


    These stone walls, interconnected in arrangement, formed a¡­ maze¡­


    A maze?


    Mo Hua frowned, releasing his Divine Sense to carefully sense and suddenly discovered that this maze was actually Formation media, with another Formation constructed upon it.


    "This Formation..."


    Mo Hua felt... very strange, yet oddly familiar.


    As he observed, his pupils slowly widened, his heart trembling.


    Isn''t this...


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?!

 Chapter 1001: Labyrinth Killing Formation

    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense again to sense the maze and slightly shook his head.


    Although it was a Mystery Formation, it wasn''t the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    The scale had not yet reached the level of a Large Formation.


    It was like a smaller scale Mysterious Heaven "Compound Formation" that had been disassembled from the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    It was nowhere near the vastness and densely packed splendor of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation he had seen in his Sea of Consciousness during his Foundation Establishment.


    Moreover, the style of the Mysterious Heaven Formation in the maze was vastly different from the one in his Sea of Consciousness.


    From the same source, but different streams.


    It was like a variant of a Formation.


    Or perhaps¡­


    It was as if it had been copied from somewhere, restored, and reconstructed¡­


    From the outside, the entire Formation was profound and abstruse, complicated and confusing.


    If not for Mo Hua''s Sea of Consciousness being reconstructed by the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, with all the Formation Patterns deeply imprinted in his Divine Sense, he might not have recognized that this was the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    "But why?" Mo Hua frowned.


    The Demon Palace, or what the Demon Cultivators considered a Holy Temple, why would they use the Mysterious Heaven Formation Technique to construct the core building?


    Mysterious Heaven Formation Technique¡­


    Did they use this kind of Formation just to build a maze, to confuse and hide secrets?


    Or does this Formation inherently contain special meanings?


    Moreover, the Demon Cultivators used the Mysterious Heaven Formation Technique to build the maze.


    Could this Formation possibly be¡­ an Evil Formation of the Demon Path?


    Had his Divine Sense been reconstructed by an Evil Formation from the Demon Path, causing a "transformation"?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and thought it over, feeling that it probably wasn''t so¡­


    The Heaven Yan Jue was given to him by his master, an Ancient Skill.


    It was very likely that this Formation was just an Ancient Skill, inherently neither good nor evil, and just happened to be discovered by the Demon Cultivators to build a "Holy Temple"¡­


    Even if he didn''t trust the skill, he had to trust his master¡­


    Mo Hua nodded.


    As for the mysteries of this Mysterious Heaven Formation Technique, it seems he would have to delve deep into this inner hall to find out¡­


    Fortunately, even though this is a Complex Formation, it wasn''t too difficult, certainly nowhere near as challenging as the real "Mysterious Heaven Great Formation."


    Mo Hua glanced a few times and roughly had a measure of it.


    "Follow Uncle Gu and the other Enforcement Leaders from the Taoist Court, sneak in and take a look¡­" Mo Hua silently thought.


    But after a long while, there was still no action on the side of the Taoist Court Cultivators.


    Mo Hua puzzled, "Why haven''t they entered yet?"


    They had clearly breached the inner hall''s main door, yet they seemed to have ceased all activities.


    He turned his head and saw that on the Xiao family''s side, a group was whispering amongst themselves anxiously, seemingly discussing something.


    A few of them, looking shocked, kept shaking their heads:


    "Inside the inner hall, there''s a maze which integrates a Formation..."


    "This Formation¡­ is no trivial matter¡­ Unimaginably complex¡­"


    "Unseen and unheard of before..."


    "We only know it''s a type of ancient Mystery Formation, but what specific Formation it is, and what mysteries it holds, we can''t determine¡­"


    "Son¡­ please be cautious, do not rashly enter¡­"


    Xiao Tianquan frowned. "You can''t handle it?"


    Several Formation Masters from the Xiao family shook their heads:


    "We need to consult several widely experienced Formation Elders from the Xiao family of Tian Shu Pavilion, or the old ancestors, to unravel these Formations¡­"


    Xiao Tianquan''s face turned ashen. He questioned sternly:


    "Our first mission, and we need to go back to consult the ancestors? What will the ancestors think?"


    "They will think I lack decisiveness¡­ unreliable. Will they still develop me in the future?"


    "And those Elders¡­"


    "The Xiao family isn''t just me in the Direct Lineage, if I don''t show some achievement, they will definitely ridicule and mock me behind my back, and will surely look down on me later¡­"


    "Even if the maze is dangerous, we must enter!"


    Xiao Tianquan was unyielding.


    Several Xiao family Formation Masters frowned and thought hard, "If we want to go in, we need some time, to thoroughly ponder¡­"


    "Otherwise, trapped in the maze, we might fall into the Demon Cultivators'' schemes¡­" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We need to plan it in the long term¡­"


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listened from the side, somewhat in disbelief.


    How could these Formation Masters be so incompetent...


    Such a level of Mystery Formation, shouldn''t it be seen immediately how to navigate it?


    Even if they couldn''t see it, by calculating a bit more, shouldn''t they figure out an approximation?


    At the very least, they were operating within the Qianxue State Boundary.


    The Xiao family should also be a major family.


    If not the inheritance of the Mysterious Heaven Formation, shouldn''t they at least have the inheritance of the general "Mystery Formations"?


    Mo Hua remembered very clearly.


    When his master had taught him how to solve the "Mystery Formations," he said Mystery Formations were used by family disciples for "intellectual entertainment."


    Just like solving lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival.


    How come now it appeared that these family Formation Masters didn''t seem like they used Mystery Formations for intellectual entertainment?


    Mo Hua suddenly became somewhat puzzled.


    His master¡­ he wasn''t lying to him, was he?


    Or was it just that Xiao family''s standards were too low?


    The Xiao family members were still whispering and discussing...


    Mo Hua felt anxious.


    If it hadn''t been for not wanting to steal the show publicly, he would have already come forward to lead the way...


    With only three days left, he was still hoping to capture Fire Buddha, depending on this group of "rookies," how much longer would they delay¡­


    Then Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai also heard the conversation of the Xiao family Formation Masters, and was frowning, when he suddenly saw Mo Hua next to him, his gaze shifted subtly.


    Gu Changhuai was already quite familiar with Mo Hua. Seeing this kind of gaze, he hesitated, then asked in a low voice:


    "You don''t happen to know this maze Formation as well, do you?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "I know a bit about this one too¡­"


    Gu Changhuai was at a loss for words.


    You kid, how many Formations do you know?

 Chapter 1002: Labyrinth Killing Formation (2)

    Chapter 1002: Chapter 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_2


    Chapter 1002 -651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_2


    He had also heard the Formation Master from the Xiao family saying that they couldn¡¯t make sense of the Formation and had to go back to consult with the ancestors of the Xiao family¡¯s Heaven Shu Pavilion.


    "You say you can do it


    Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ you could be the Xiao family¡¯s ¡°little ancestor¡±?


    Gu Changhuai became increasingly convinced that Mo Hua was possessed by some old demon or demon creature.


    Otherwise, how could a cultivator in his early teens have such profound knowledge in Formations?


    Gu Changhuai frowned again.


    But if he really was possessed¡­


    It wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to enter the Taixu Gate.


    He would probably have been cut down by the terrifying Sword Cultivators of the Taixu back hill, the moment he stepped on the steps of Taixu Gate.


    Taixu Gate might not look impressive among the Eight Great Gates now.


    But back in the day, it was a place where Sword Cultivators emerged.


    Sword Intent reached the heavens, breaking all the laws of the world, slaying all evil demons.


    Demon God or Demon Monster, render them all with one swing of the sword¡­


    It¡¯s just a pity that times have changed, and both people and swords have been sealed away, barely remembered by anyone¡­


    Even he only heard some rumors about it when he was studying at the Sect.


    Gu Changhuai let out a sigh.


    He looked at Mo Hua again.


    The glory of Tai Xu Sword Dao might have declined, but unexpectedly, they ¡°picked up¡± a little monster in the way of Formations¡­


    "Can you lead the way?¡± Gu Changhuai asked.


    "Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    "Okay,¡± Gu Changhuai looked around and said in a low voice, ¡°You follow behind me later, show me the way, but keep a low profile yourself, don¡¯t draw attention, lest you become the object of envy


    "Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Gu, I understand.¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly and then stood up, commanding:


    "Everybody, form up and follow me into the maze.¡±


    The Enforcement Leaders looked at each other. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Tianquan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he said anxiously:


    "Supervisor Gu, the Formations within this maze are intricate and inscrutable. We must


    Gu Changhuai gave him a cold look, ¡°Whatever I say, goes. Just do as told.¡±


    Xiao Tianquan¡¯s face showed a flash of anger, but he still bowed his head slightly and gritted his teeth:


    "I will follow the Supervisor¡¯s orders.¡±


    What he was thinking and resenting in his heart, Gu Changhuai could see at a glance.


    But Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t care.


    "Enter the maze, follow the previous arrangement, group into teams of five


    "If you encounter Demon Cultivators, strike first, show no mercy.¡±


    "I¡¯ll emphasize once more


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes grew stern, ¡°Show no mercy, strike to kill!¡±


    "These Demon Cultivators are cruel and cunning, killers without conscience. If they have even a breath left in them, it could be you who dies


    The more than four hundred Court Officials from the Taoist Court responded in unison, their expressions serious, saying:


    "Yes!¡±


    Then Gu Changhuai led the way with Mo Hua right behind him.


    The other Enforcement Leaders drew their standard Spiritual Weapons, alert and wary, and entered the labyrinth one after another.


    Xiao Tianquan¡¯s gaze revealed a hint of inscrutable darkness as he followed them in.


    ¡­


    The maze was constructed from ancient Bronze.


    A perplexing Mystery Formation was carved within it.


    It was complex and one couldn¡¯t discern the direction inside; every wall appeared identical, and everywhere one walked felt like the same location.


    There was simply no way to know where the path lay.


    Yet Gu Changhuai led the way as if he knew the path ahead, guiding everyone gradually towards the grand center of the maze¡­


    "Truly worthy of Supervisor Gu!¡±


    The Cultivators felt a growing respect for Gu Changhuai.


    Xiao Tianquan was also shocked.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how Gu Changhuai knew the way?


    What method was he using to determine the direction?


    Gu Changhuai wasn¡¯t a Formation Master, not refined in Formations.


    Even the Xiao family¡¯s ¡°professional¡± Formation Masters couldn¡¯t see through the Mystery Formation and find their way in the maze.


    How did Gu Changhuai recognize the path?


    Xiao Tianquan frowned, utterly baffled.


    What they didn¡¯t notice was that at each fork in the road, Mo Hua, who was beside Gu Changhuai, would stealthily pull on Gu Changhuai¡¯s sleeve.


    Wherever Mo Hua tugged, Gu Changhuai would walk that way without a word.


    It seemed as though Gu Changhuai was leading the way.


    In actuality, it was Mo Hua guiding him.


    Occasionally encountering complex forks, Mo Hua would stop and release his Divine Sense to search for the accurate exit.


    Gu Changhuai would then conveniently instruct everyone to take a rest.


    The Enforcement Leaders felt somewhat puzzled.


    But they didn¡¯t dare question Gu Changhuai¡¯s orders.


    At this time, Xiao Tianquan noticed Mo Hua beside Gu Changhuai.


    He walked up with a pretense and exchanged a few pleasantries with Gu Changhuai before he inquired indirectly:


    "Who is this young fellow


    Supervisor Gu had been bringing along this little kid, in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.


    Initially, he thought this kid was average and not worth his attention.


    However, unexpectedly, the kid stuck closely to Gu Changhuai all this time¡­


    Even in this complex and perilous inner sanctum of the maze, Gu Changhuai still brought him along.


    That was rather peculiar¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was impassive, offering no answer.


    Feeling that Uncle Gu¡¯s silence was a bit rude, Mo Hua said in his place:


    "I¡¯m here to gain experience with Uncle Gu.¡±


    In a sense, it was the truth and gave Xiao Tianquan some room for ¡°imagining.¡±


    Experience?


    Xiao Tianquan was taken aback, then had a realization.


    So that¡¯s how it was¡­


    Probably a disciple from some powerful background, following Supervisor Gu to see the world and gain some experience.


    Maybe even to mix in some qualifications, for easier promotion within the Taoist Court in the future.


    But¡­


    For Gu Changhuai, who never favored personal connections, to actually agree?

 Chapter 1003: Labyrinth Killing Formation (3)

    Could this kid have a deep connection with the Gu Family?


    But... why is his talent so poor?


    It''s even somewhat unbearable to behold...


    Which esteemed elder of a family would have such a poor Spiritual Root, such meager Blood Qi?


    Did something go wrong with the inheritance of his Spiritual Root?


    Xiao Tianquan was very puzzled.


    But he was also tactful and did not ask further questions.


    For disciples with a "powerful backing," digging into their origins was a taboo.


    Afterwards, everyone continued on their journey.


    After some time, Mo Hua halted his steps, and Gu Changhuai stopped as well.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Mo Hua lowered his voice, "The perimeter is a Mystery Formation; if we continue, within the Mystery Formation, there will be Killing Formations..."


    "And moreover, within the Killing Formations, Demon Cultivators are likely lurking."


    Gu Changhuai understood in his heart.


    The goal of the Demon Cultivators was twofold: to obstruct and to trap and kill.


    Up next was the real tough battle.


    Gu Changhuai ordered in a deep voice:


    "Everyone, there are Killing Formations ahead, stay vigilant and alert. If you encounter Demon Cultivators, show no mercy!"


    "Yes!"


    The Dao Court Enforcement Leader said solemnly.


    They walked for about 30 minutes, when the bronze wall in front of them started changing.


    Different Formation Patterns adorned different walls.


    There were variants of Five Elements Formations, as well as some variations of the Eight Trigrams Array, peculiar and bizarre. Furthermore, there were various sinister Evil Formations with a touch of blood and poison.


    These Formations were embedded within the Maze.


    They were not a part of the Mystery Formation as a whole but rather utilized the Mystery Formation for concealment to set up the Killing Formations.


    Mo Hua''s expression became slightly stern.


    The other Cultivators also had serious expressions.


    Gu Changhuai held a folded paper fan in his hand and slowly said, "Let''s go."


    Dao Court Cultivators then formed groups of three or five, taking formation, passing through the Killing Formations and heading towards the center of the Maze.


    They walked a while longer, and all was calm.


    The walls marked with sinister poisonous Patterns of the Killing Formations showed no anomalies.


    Everyone held their breath and continued walking forward...


    Suddenly, a chill began to rise, and from a bronze wall, a pair of pale ghostly claws extended noiselessly.


    Long fingernails suddenly stabbed into an Enforcement Leader''s shoulder, dragging him towards the wall.


    Green Blood Poison tainted the fingernails.


    The Enforcement Leader was paralyzed on one side, unable to move, and he was about to be dragged into the bronze wall.


    Gu Changhuai flicked his paper fan, and a white Wind Blade flashed by, severing the ghastly pale claws at their base.


    Dark green blood splattered out, and a shrieking ghostly scream echoed. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, more sinister voices responded.


    As if the call to battle was sounded.


    Pairs of white ghostly claws stretched out from the bronze walls, dense and numerous like a spider''s web or the segments of a centipede, reaching out for each Dao Court Cultivator.


    Other Evil Formations were also triggered.


    There were Blood Fire Formations, Corpse Transformation Formations, as well as treacherous demonic power poison darts, and blood-colored Evil Power blades...


    Demon Cultivators, hiding within the vast bronze walls under the cover of the Formations, also showed their fangs and claws.


    Holding White Bone blades, Blood Poison swords, Soul Refining Banners... and many other Demon Path Evil Artifacts, they each wore ferocious expressions, eyes alight with excitement, killing towards the Dao Court''s Enforcement Leaders.


    Although the Dao Court Cultivators were on guard, they were still caught off guard.


    Some of the younger Enforcement Leaders, who had never experienced life and death battles, immediately turned pale, panicking.


    And some, seeing the situation was dire, attempted to flee...


    The Dao Court Cultivators suddenly fell into disarray.


    Fortunately, among the crowd, some experienced Enforcement Leaders took action, responding calmly. Body Refinement Cultivators charged forward to fight, blocking the first wave of Demon Cultivators'' assault.


    Spiritual Cultivators protected with Spells, and other Cultivators also brought out their Spiritual Artifacts and Runes.


    Only then did they manage to stabilize the situation.


    The sounds of combat started rising, Spiritual Power intertwined with Evil Power, creating a chaotic and bloody scene.


    Mo Hua heaved a sigh.


    He didn''t have many options.


    The Maze was a trap after all.


    The Evil Formations within it were pre-arranged, both treacherous and concealed, and it seemed a lot of time and thought had gone into them.


    He estimated it to be the handiwork of "Master Yuan."


    Mo Hua could see through the Maze, could predict danger beforehand, but after all, he was just one person. He didn''t have much research on Evil Formations, and his ability was limited.


    For the moment, he could not do much about so many Evil Formations...


    Gu Changhuai also understood this and said, "Don''t worry about these, just focus on leading the way."


    The urgent task at hand was to get out of the Labyrinth Killing Formation.


    They couldn''t be trapped within the Killing Formation.


    Otherwise, even if the Enforcement Leaders had the advantage in numbers, they would still be killed off by these Demon Cultivators, leveraging the Maze and Killing Formation.


    "Mhm," Mo Hua nodded.


    Gu Changhuai then instructed in a low voice:


    "Gu An, Gu Quan, you two protect Mo Hua."


    "Yes."


    Gu An and Gu Quan responded solemnly.


    Gu Changhuai then looked up and commanded loudly:


    "The rest of you, follow Gu An and Gu Quan, form a long formation, keep pushing forward, do not fall behind, do not linger in battle, I will cover the rear!"


    With that, Mo Hua, caring for nothing else, employed his movement technique and surged forward.


    Gu Quan blazed a trail at the forefront, Gu An stayed beside Mo Hua to protect him.


    Dao Court Cultivators from the Gu Family closely followed behind.


    The other Enforcement Leaders followed the command as well, supporting each other, forming a long formation, using their movement techniques, and continuing to push forward...


    Along the way, they fought Demon Cultivators for a few rounds.


    They killed those they could, and if not, they didn''t linger and kept moving forward.


    If the Formations hindered their path, they ignored their injuries and did not attempt to heal.


    To leave was to live; to stay was to die.


    Gu Changhuai covered the rear, his fan swinging, sending Wind Blades scattering everywhere, slaying the Demon Cultivators he saw, helping the Dao Court Cultivators to escape from the Killing Formation, moving deeper into the Maze...


    The battle was incredibly brutal.


    Among the Dao Court Cultivators, there were those who were injured, seriously injured or even killed.

 Chapter 1004: Labyrinth Killing Formation (4)

    Bronze walls, stained with blood.


    On the ground lay corpses and severed limbs oozing blood.


    Thanks to Gu Changhuai, the Golden Core anchoring the formation, the casualties of the Dao Court were not too severe.


    Those who had died under his Wind Blade numbered in the dozens.


    In this manner, as Gu Changhuai attacked from behind, Mo Hua led the way forward, navigating through countless intricate walls until suddenly the space before them opened up.


    They beheld a majestic grand hall.


    Bronze walls neatly encircled the area.


    The hall was spacious yet empty, with twelve enormous pillars, each carved with Demon Monster patterns and thick enough for five or six people to embrace, supporting the imposing roof of the hall.


    Ancient murals adorned the bronze walls, stretching dimly into the distance on both sides.


    White Bone Carved Lampstand.


    The eerie red candlelight cast a sinister glow over the hall.


    Originally, there might have been other furnishings in the hall, but now, everything was destroyed, rendering the space eerily empty and mismatched.


    In the center of the hall stood a person.


    He was tall and had a compassionate face, but his blood-red kasaya made him look both dignified and gloomy.


    This person was none other than Fire Buddha!


    Mo Hua''s eyes narrowed, and she immediately turned invisible, quietly moving back behind the group.


    A group of Dao Court Enforcement Leaders, with swords drawn, charged forward, stopping about thirty feet from Fire Buddha, their blades gleaming menacingly in confrontation.


    Despite their numbers, frightened by Fire Buddha''s notorious reputation and terrifying aura, no one dared to make a rash move.


    Soon, other Cultivators emerged from the Labyrinth Killing Formation and entered the grand hall.


    The hall swelled with more and more Cultivators of the Dao Court.


    Xiao Tianquan also entered; he wielded a precious long sword, his Taoist Robe stained with blood, his expression grim.


    Upon seeing the immovable Fire Buddha at the center of the hall, his eyes darkened, but a hint of excitement flickered through them as well.


    After a moment, Gu Changhuai also entered the grand hall from the rear.


    His spiritual power was considerably weakened.


    His handsome face was smeared with blood.


    But none of it was his own.


    Upon seeing Fire Buddha, Gu Changhuai, though previously fatigued, instantly had a fierce light in his eyes, and his intent to kill surged.


    As Gu Changhuai stepped into the grand hall, Fire Buddha, who had been meditating with his eyes closed and chanting the Buddha''s name, suddenly opened his eyes.


    They were fiery red.


    His body surged with Fire Spiritual Power.


    His blood-red kasaya, moving without wind amidst the swirling spiritual power, resembled a roiling sea of fire.


    Tiny sparks scattered around, flickering in and out of existence.


    "Gu Changhuai¡­"


    Fire Buddha''s expression was calm, but his eyes held a bone-chilling murderous intent.


    "It''s been a long time¡­"


    Gu Changhuai replied coldly, "You monstrous beast, your time of death has come¡­"


    Fire Buddha sneered, "The Buddha doesn''t save people; Cultivators save themselves."


    Gu Changhuai wasted no more words, drew out his jade bone folding fan again, and his white spiritual power flew around him like the wind, turning into numerous Wind Blades.


    The surrounding Dao Court Cultivators, holding gleaming blades, increasingly encircled Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha, with no trace of joy or anger on his face, fearlessly opened his arms wide.


    His kasaya suddenly became a vivid red, and his Fire Spiritual Power surged like molten rock.


    His chest roared with fire.


    Two glaring Fireballs, like twin hearts, throbbed with surging spiritual power.


    Flames ascended, twisting around his body.


    His whole being exuded an astonishing aura, as if he were a fierce Demon Monster wrapped in human skin, filled with boundless demonic power.


    And that fire contained limitless killing force, seemingly capable of incinerating and annihilating everything¡­


    The assembly of Cultivators looked on in terror.


    Gu Changhuai''s face was as cold as ice. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua''s gaze was also filled with shock.


    This was the powerful Fire Forbidden Skill, expressly forbidden by the Dao Court for Cultivation¡­


    The Meteor Fire Skill!

 Chapter 1005: Stealing Home

    "Evil fire ran rampant over the Fire Buddha''s body."


    Right as Gu Changhuai thought to alert everyone to be careful, he heard Xiao Tianquan sneer,


    "Evil Demon bandit, a mere individual, no matter how capable you are, you''re just a lone man against the odds."


    "Everyone, attack together and surround this demon to kill him!"


    "Whoever kills the Fire Buddha will be credited with a great achievement!"


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    Some credit-hungry Enforcement Leaders, upon hearing the words "great achievement," their eyes shone with greed as they circulated their Spiritual Power and charged at the Fire Buddha with all their might.


    Even if the Fire Buddha was formidable, he was only at the Peak of Foundation Establishment.


    Most of them were at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, not so different in Cultivation, and even if they couldn''t beat him, they could still contend with him for a while without being defeated in a short time.


    If fortune favored them and they managed to kill the Fire Buddha directly, securing a position as a Supervisor would be just around the corner.


    A few daring Enforcement Leaders led the charge and rushed towards the Fire Buddha.


    The Fire Buddha, with his body engulfed in flames, stood as immovable as a mountain.


    Suddenly, his expression turned cold, his eyes revealed a murderous intent, and the aura of his entire being underwent an abrupt transformation.


    Gu Changhuai''s complexion changed, "This is bad!"


    Before the words fell, he flicked his folding fan in a flash, unleashing a series of Wind Blades towards the Fire Buddha, attempting to interrupt his lethal move.


    The corners of the Fire Buddha''s mouth turned up in a hint of cold mockery, his red Kasaya billowed, forming a wall of fire.


    The Wind Blades struck the fire wall.


    The wall shattered, and the Wind Blades dissipated as well.


    Unable to tap into the power of the Golden Core, Gu Changhuai, although stronger than the Peak Foundation Establishment Fire Buddha, was not by much.


    Upon the initial exchange, they were evenly matched.


    Following the fire wall''s resistance against the Wind Blades, the Fire Buddha''s gaze turned blood-red, his killing intent rising.


    He appeared like a ferocious Monster Beast, baring its bloodthirsty fangs.


    His body blazed with roaring flames which, in an instant, turned into murky grey-black, and his whole being''s aura began to warp.


    Within the void, pained whispers and fearful wailing arose. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was as if all those who had died under his Spells had transformed into "murderous karma."


    The deep-seated murderous karma morphed into a strange Evil Qi.


    The Evil Qi melded with the Spells, spreading with the flames, gradually filling the great hall.


    In everyone''s hearts, a layer of shadow was cast, their Taoist Hearts wavered, and an involuntary sense of fear arose.


    At this moment, the Fire Buddha was like a Demon Head from hell, wrapped in endless Karmic Fire, having committed countless murders.


    Especially for several Cultivators from the Taoist Court near the Fire Buddha.


    In their eyes, the Fire Buddha had suddenly shifted from a benign and gentle "Buddha" to a man-eating "Demon Creature," ominously ferocious and terrifying.


    The Evil Qi within the flames invaded their minds.


    A bone-deep fear engulfed them.


    Their limbs weakened, they clenched their teeth, yet still, they could not help but shiver violently.


    Their bodies and Spiritual Power, because of the fear brought on by the Evil Qi, were beyond their control.


    The fear of "death" drove them toward it.


    With a cold laugh, the Fire Buddha made a motion with his hand as if grasping, and conjured a fiery blade, swinging it fiercely and casting a crimson arc of light, slaying all the terrified Enforcement Leaders who had been poisoned by the Evil Qi and were too scared to resist.


    Gu Changhuai was furiously enraged but also felt a chill in his heart.


    "Evil Qi?!"


    Gu Changhuai''s eyes were ice-cold as he denounced, "You beast, how did the ''Evil Transformation Skill'' of the Sect of Demon fall into your hands?"


    Fire Buddha replied with his hands together, "My Buddha is compassionate, allowing me to practice this method, to use the ''Karmic Fire'' to ''save all beings.''"


    Gu Changhuai cursed, "You bald thief, spouting such bullshit!"


    The Fire Buddha''s expression remained indifferent, not at all angered, but simply gazing at Gu Changhuai.


    His eyes shone with a mix of excitement and hatred under the illumination of the firelight.


    "Back then, my heart channels were severely wounded by you, hanging by a thread..."


    "The fear and agony between life and death is something I will never forget..."


    "Now I have perfected my Meteor Fire Skill, transformed murder into Evil Qi, refined the Evil Qi with my technique, suppressed it with the Buddha''s teachings; merging sin, heart, and method into one; the Forbidden Technique is complete!"


    "How will you kill me now?"


    The Fire Buddha sneered softly,


    "One day, when I Breakthrough into the Golden Core, I will go to great lengths to slaughter all those close to you, Gu Changhuai, and use the resentment from your flesh to cultivate the true¡­ Golden Core Evil Qi!"


    Gu Changhuai''s anger turned into a deep-seated killing intent,


    "Then today, I shall dismember you alive and scatter your pieces to the winds!"


    Gu Changhuai''s body surged with Spiritual Power, raising a fearsome gale, atop which blades layered like scales, also as dense as feathers.


    The Fire Buddha''s expression changed slightly, a trace of dread appearing in his eyes.


    "The Gu Family''s Superior Daoist Magic, the Wind-Riding Feather Transformation Art!"


    Back then, it was this Spell that had crushed his heart channels, leaving his life hanging by a thread.


    Having not seen it for so many years, this Superior Daoist Magic was now even more terrifying.


    But rather than fearing it, the Fire Buddha''s will to battle only intensified.


    Today, he would confront the Wind-Riding Feather Transformation Art of the Gu Family, long serving as lapdogs for the Taoist Court, with his Meteor Fire Forbidden Art, having completed his Spell.


    He would eradicate old grievances and break free from the inner demons!


    The Fire Buddha''s eyes were murky and malevolent, surrounded by a surging Evil Qi at its zenith.


    Within a range of several dozens of feet, all the Cultivators from the Taoist Court were intimidated by the Evil Qi, paralyzed with terror, unable to move.


    Then, the Fire Buddha stretched out both arms, and his Kasaya lit up with flames, solidifying into hundreds of fire droplets.


    These droplets, laden with formidable Evil Power, in a blink, burst forth like fiery sparks in a downpour, swiftly scattering outward and assaulting the fear-stricken Cultivators of the Taoist Court.


    Gu Changhuai''s brows furrowed.


    He too was affected by the Evil Qi, but with his deep Cultivation and the firm intent to kill the Fire Buddha, he was not much troubled.


    Seeing the Fire Buddha unleashing a rain of fire with the intent to slaughter the Taoist Court Cultivators.


    Gu Changhuai''s expression turned cold, his fan swept across, and the Wind Blades around him, like feathers, swept towards the fiery rain.

 Chapter 1006: Stealing Home (2)

    For a moment, wind blades crashed into the rain of fire, flickering and fluctuating wildly.


    Spiritual power surged everywhere.


    Most of the fire rain was neutralized by Gu Changhuai''s wind blades.


    The few fire raindrops that spilled over onto the cultivators spread like scattered kindling ¨C flames suddenly soared as the compressed evil power was released, and the fiery blaze enveloped with evil qi devoured those cultivators.


    Those scorched by the meteor fire writhed on the ground.


    Wails of agony rose and fell in succession.


    It was then that the demon cultivators within the bronze maze also arrived.


    They had killed quite a few Dao Court Canons, but Gu Changhuai had also killed many of them, now only less than a hundred remained.


    The three leading them were familiar to Mo Hua.


    Indeed, it was the trio who had once chased after him ¨C Blood Woodcutter, Yin Thunder Child, and Ghost Face Sha.


    "Big brother! We''ve come to help you!"


    "Let''s slaughter these curs of the Taoist Court!"


    A group of demon cultivators joined the battlefield with ferocious laughter.


    Gu Changhuai instructed the enforcement leader, "Leave Fire Buddha to me, stay back to avoid the evil qi!"


    With that, Gu Changhuai leaped forward alone to meet the Fire Buddha in battle.


    The other enforcement leaders dispersed in terror from the Fire Buddha''s vicinity and engaged in a desperate melee with the group of demon cultivators led by Blood Woodcutter.


    The scene turned even bloodier and more chaotic.


    Spells shone brightly as flesh and blood clashed.


    Spiritual artifacts collided with evil artifacts; spiritual power entwined with evil power.


    The demon cultivators bore wounds, blood in their eyes; the Taoist Court''s cultivators also fought with bloodshot eyes.


    At this moment, none of them dared to flee.


    Fighting desperately on their last breath, they could survive; but if they even thought of retreating, they would likely fall under the demon cultivators'' blades as soon as they turned their backs...


    Mo Hua could only watch from the sidelines, unable to make a move...


    His cultivation was only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, and his spiritual power was limited.


    Meanwhile, these cultivators and demon cultivators from the Taoist Court were all at least at the middle phase of Foundation Building, with many at the later stages.


    His fireball technique posed little threat.


    Especially since some demon cultivators either wore armor or used strange "Blood Armor Skill" and "Poison Armor Skill" for protection.


    His fireball technique would only "tickle" them.


    As for controlling...


    In this sort of multi-person melee, where real swords and spears clashed, they actually didn''t lack his minor control abilities.


    Mo Hua still had some "self-awareness"; it was best to conceal himself and quietly hide on the side, not to come out and "draw hatred."


    If he rashly made a move and accidentally attracted the Fire Buddha''s attention or was caught by a demon cultivator, it would cause significant trouble for Uncle Gu...


    And moreover...


    Mo Hua snuck another glance at the center of the great hall, at Fire Buddha, who was engaged in a spell duel with Uncle Gu, surrounded by surging meteor fire, appearing like a "Flame Demon" from purgatory, and he couldn''t help but click his tongue in amazement.


    This Fire Buddha... was too strong, much stronger than he had previously thought. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Evil qi, Fire Kasaya, and the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art...


    Evil qi could intimidate and control the enemy.


    Once stricken with the "fear" of evil qi, those with an unsettled Taoist heart and a weak will could instantly lose their resistance and become fish on the chopping board, allowing Fire Buddha to butcher at will.


    In that case, a surrounding attack would be meaningless.


    With just a release of evil qi, if all the enemies were stricken by fear, then Fire Buddha could start using forbidden arts to wreak havoc.


    It was somewhat preposterous...


    Unless one''s Taoist heart was steadfast, righteous energy resolute, or they were prepared with a spirit-defying spiritual artifact, otherwise cultivators of the same rank stood no chance against Fire Buddha.


    But the spirit-defying spiritual artifact must be rare, and probably very expensive to make.


    It was not feasible for the Taoist Court to equip everyone with one...


    That kasaya was likely not a common spiritual artifact either.


    Then there was the Meteor Fire Skill...


    Fire Buddha engaged in combat with Uncle Gu with all his might, without any reservation.


    This also gave Mo Hua a chance to observe and study.


    After secretly observing for a long time, Mo Hua realized that there were many differences between this Meteor Fire Skill and what he had previously conjectured.


    Firstly, although it was a forbidden technique, probably stronger than a superior skill, it was still a "conventional" principle spell.


    It was a "Skill Pattern" based spell, not a "Spiritual Pattern" based spell.


    This Meteor Fire Skill employed a positive spell structure, where spiritual power formed a spell through a skill pattern.


    Rather than the inverse, where a spell causes the collapse of a skill pattern, changing the structure of the spiritual power.


    It was merely that the spiritual power concentration of this spell was too strong, and the power too great, and it was easy to lose control. It also likely made it easy for someone to lose their nature, wreaking mindless killing, hence it was classified as a "Forbidden Technique."


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He probably wouldn''t be able to learn the original Meteor Fire Skill.


    Because the spiritual power needed to form the spell was indeed too much.


    The present Fire Buddha''s evil power surged like an unfathomable ocean, the entire person resembled a Fire Demon Beast, with seemingly endless power in his Qi Sea.


    In comparison, his own spiritual power was like a small stream...


    Though not as exaggerated, it was pretty close.


    Without a top-grade spiritual root and not cultivating a top-grade method, lacking a vast amount of spiritual power in the Qi Sea, one couldn''t cultivate such a powerful forbidden technique...


    And it wasn''t just that.


    Based on observations of the flow of spiritual power on Fire Buddha''s body, Mo Hua discovered that it was as if he had two Qi Seas.


    They were those two "flame hearts."


    The two flame hearts, burning with intense flames, not only accumulated spiritual power but also fueled the spells.


    Together, they made Fire Buddha''s fire spells even more terrifying...


    But the principle behind it, Mo Hua was still completely puzzled.


    He couldn''t understand how exactly this spell was formed.


    After all, although his eyes were sharp, some things were hard to comprehend just by looking...


    "Meteor Fire Skill..."


    A sense of envy grew in Mo Hua.


    If only he had such good spiritual roots, such profound spiritual power, to be able to learn such superior skills or forbidden techniques with enormous consumption of spiritual power and also great might...

 Chapter 1007: - Stealing Home (3)

    Chapter 1007: 652 Chapter ¨C Stealing Home_3


    Chapter 1007: 652 Chapter ¨C Stealing Home_3


    It wouldn¡¯t go as far as using small fireballs to attack people every day¡­


    Still, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t discouraged.


    While he personally couldn¡¯t master the original Meteor Fire Skill, analyzing the spell structure and the principles behind its formulation shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    This had always been his plan.


    As this thought crossed his mind, Mo Hua froze, then felt a surge of alarm deep in his heart.


    He had nearly forgotten a critical issue.


    If Fire Buddha were captured or killed now, his Meteor Fire Skill would fall into the hands of the Taoist Court; Mo Hua would never be able to obtain it in his lifetime¡­


    What to do?


    *Could he really resort to underhanded tactics to secretly help Fire Buddha escape?*


    *But what if Fire Buddha escaped and killed more people afterward? Then the guilt would fall squarely on him.*


    *And given the current circumstances, could Uncle Gu even defeat Fire Buddha? That¡¯s still uncertain¡­*


    They were in the territory of the Second Grade Immortal City; Uncle Gu wouldn¡¯t dare to unleash his full powers here.


    Simply letting Fire Buddha slip away clearly wasn¡¯t an option either.


    Mo Hua glanced at Fire Buddha, who was engulfed in raging flames and locked in fierce combat. Slowly, his brows began to furrow.


    "Does Fire Buddha carry the spell for Meteor Fire Skill on him?¡±


    If he did, wasn¡¯t it nearly impossible for Mo Hua to get his hands on it?


    If he didn¡¯t carry it, then where could it be hidden?


    Mo Hua shifted his gaze away and began subtly inspecting the grand palace.


    The palace was imposing and majestic, yet ancient and eerie, as if it were used for congregations and worship by demon cultivators.


    But based on Mo Hua¡¯s instincts and experience, he felt that there must be a place similar to an altar hidden within this palace¡­


    Many of the corpse cultivators, evil cultivators, and demon cultivators Mo Hua knew tended to favor setting up altars in their domains.


    Fire Buddha likely wouldn¡¯t be an exception.


    And considering Fire Buddha¡¯s secretive and deceitful persona, if he had gone to the trouble of barricading everyone and engaging in this brutal battle, it meant this palace wasn¡¯t the true center of its mysteries.


    There must be another, deeper layer of secrets hidden within this grand palace¡­


    *Should I search for it myself?*


    After all, he wasn¡¯t much help in the ongoing fight here.


    Mo Hua discreetly glanced at Fire Buddha again. Upon seeing him and Uncle Gu locked in an intense, bloodthirsty struggle, Mo Hua nodded slowly.


    Relying on his Concealment Technique, Mo Hua moved about unnoticed.


    Without revealing his presence, he slipped past Fire Buddha and the other demon cultivators, heading deeper into the palace¡­


    Let them continue their fight.


    He had a house to raid¡­


    The palace was immense, with its rear sections barely illuminated, shrouding them in faint darkness.


    Yet, even after reaching the very end, Mo Hua found nothing suspicious¡ªexcept for one spot: an enormous mural carved into the deepest wall.


    In the dim ambient light of the Demon Palace, Mo Hua could just make out the mural. Etched within it were countless peaks of the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains, brimming with thorns, treacherous terrain, and teeming with demon monsters.


    "Is this¡­ the Map of the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains?¡±


    "What does it mean


    Mo Hua frowned, unable to discern its significance.


    He scanned the surroundings again, finding only this mural intact; all other statues, structures, or decorations had either been removed or destroyed, leaving no other clues.


    The solitary lead might just be this striking and expansive mural.


    "A mural, huh


    Another thought came to Mo Hua: the mural in the stone palace hall of the Lu Family¡¯s Corpse Mountain, located in South Yue City of Li State.


    That mural depicted the zombified head of the Lu Family Old Ancestor.


    The zombie¡¯s gaping mouth turned out to be the entrance to an altar.


    Generally, with corpse cultivators and demon cultivators, their methods often followed discernible patterns¡­


    "So does this mural hide another entrance?¡±


    Having seen such things before truly proved advantageous¡­


    Mo Hua extended his Divine Sense, carefully probing the mural for signs of formations.


    Every inch of the mural came under Mo Hua¡¯s scrutiny: the grotesque and twisted figures of demon monsters, the perilous crags and sharp peaks, the dark and eerie woodlands¡­


    Yet despite combing through it thoroughly, no trace of a formation¡¯s presence surfaced.


    Mo Hua froze. ¡°No formations?¡±


    *Perhaps that makes sense¡­*


    *The best defense against formations is simply not to draw any.*


    *Without formations, even the most adept Formation Masters wouldn¡¯t be able to spot any flaws or weaknesses within them.*


    Though absent of formations, the mural seemed to emanate another kind of presence.


    Mo Hua shut his eyes and concentrated. Sure enough, faint hints of an exceedingly discrete yet vaguely familiar aura reached his senses.


    Following this faint trace, Mo Hua arrived at a corner.


    This section of the mural was notably simple, depicting only a few patches of grass, several scattered trees, and one narrow mountain path.


    The mountain path snaked backward, meandering through the dense forest, seemingly connecting the entire expanse of the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains.


    And this spot appeared to be the starting point of the mountain path¡ªthe entrance embedded within the mural.


    Mo Hua deliberated for a moment, then decided to reach out and push it gently.


    As his hand pressed against it, the entire world seemed to flip upside down. A rush of barbaric energy surged forth, as though the scenery within the mural had come alive.


    When Mo Hua opened his eyes again, he realized he was now standing amidst a mountain.


    *An uneasy chill ran through his heart as he scanned his surroundings. That¡¯s when he noticed that this mountain wasn¡¯t real¡ªit was a fake mountain.*


    It appeared to have been deliberately carved, yet its scale was impressive.


    The entire Demon Palace had been constructed atop this artificial mountain.


    The layout of the false mountain¡ªwith its terrain and natural features¡ªmirrored the depiction of the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains on the mural outside.


    It seemed as though the fake mountain was modeled after the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains.


    Mo Hua observed the undulating peaks and ridges more closely, soon discovering that this mountain eerily mirrored the configuration of the Heaven¡¯s Mystery Formation.


    Its internal mountain structures perfectly corresponded with the labyrinthine maze outside.


    The palace felt like a ¡°mystery within a mystery, a formation within a formation.¡±


    "This Demon Palace sure hides a lot of peculiar things


    *Mo Hua found himself momentarily at a loss.*


    *Were these elaborate constructs really built under Fire Buddha¡¯s supervision?*


    *What exactly was the purpose of the Demon Palace¡¯s construction?*


    *Sacrificial rituals? But how?*


    *And what role did Fire Buddha play in all of this? What had he done here?*


    Unable to make sense of it, Mo Hua shook his head and continued deeper into the mountain.


    Since the configuration matched that of the Heaven¡¯s Mystery Formation, the intricate pathways of this artificial mountain posed no challenge to Mo Hua. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Within the fake mountain¡¯s terrain, each peak, each stone, every patch of grass and tree carried an air of eeriness.


    Yet, to Mo Hua, they were nothing more than superficial oddities.


    Still concealed, Mo Hua pressed onward deeper into the mountain.


    After about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, he reached the center of the fake mountain.


    As Mo Hua expected, the heart of the fake mountain¡¯s mystery formation contained an altar.

 Chapter 1008: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance

    Chapter 1008 -653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)


    Chapter 1008 -653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)


    The altar was ancient and majestic, with a hint of sinister charm.


    A jade stone path led straight to the altar.


    On either side of the path, two rows of demon monster statues knelt, their faces ugly yet filled with piety.


    But the top of the altar was empty¡­


    There were no candlesticks, no lamps, no sacrificial offerings, and no objects of worship.


    There was just a richly ornate offering table.


    On the offering table, there was an altar, also empty of anything.


    It was unclear whether the altar had not been completed, with nothing placed upon it for worship.


    Or perhaps Fire Buddha knew his scheme had been exposed, so he had taken the offerings early, destroyed the tribute, and covered his tracks.


    "This Fire Buddha¡­ is too cautious Mo Hua murmured.


    "Too stingy as well He searched around and found that only the immovable Fake Mountain and the demon monster statues were left, and that everything else was gone.


    Spotlessly clean, as if licked by a dog¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat deflated.


    This Fire Buddha was really cheap, leaving not a single thing for him¡­


    No Spirit Stones, no Spiritual Artifacts, no volumes on the Meteor Fire Skill.


    Not even ¡°food


    He had stolen a lonely heist.


    Mo Hua sighed. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was nothing to steal from such a large altar¡­


    "What to do next?¡±


    Going back felt unsatisfactory.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Then he turned his head to look at the altar again.


    The altar felt very familiar to him.


    He circled the altar twice and, as if possessed, leapt onto it and regally seated himself on the offering table.


    In a trance, an ancient and sacred significance seemed to descend upon him.


    A faint golden light flashed in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, unnoticed by anyone.


    The altar was resplendent and dignified.


    The small figure of Mo Hua sat on it.


    Before him was a jade stone path, flanked by fierce demon monsters bowed in submission.


    The Bronze Maze, the Barbaric Wilderness Formation.


    A riddle within a riddle, a formation within a formation, countless Divine Way mysteries converged right in the center of the altar, ¡°offering¡± Mo Hua¡¯s revered position.


    Mo Hua blinked in confusion.


    He felt that his Divine Sense had somehow changed.


    But he couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what was different¡­


    Mo Hua looked down.


    This altar, clearly belonging to someone else, now seemed to have been built for him.


    He sat on the offering table, feeling very at ease.


    His Divine Sense was relaxed, and he even had a craving for sacrificial offerings¡­


    "Sacrificial offerings


    Mo Hua looked around.


    Nothing¡­


    Not a single sacrificial offering.


    The top of the altar was barren, devoid of anything.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    He was hungry, but there was nothing to eat.


    Suddenly, he could sympathize with his ¡°good friend,¡± Lord Yellow Mountain, lonely and downcast in the ruined temple on Mount Luopo, with no incense or worship, drinking rainwater leaking from the roof and eating stale buns from who knows where.


    "When I¡¯m free, I should bring some wine and meat to visit the Mountain Lord in the ruined temple He thought about Lord Yellow Mountain, the Downcast Mountain God who received no visitors. It seemed so pitiful.


    Mo Hua thought about Lord Yellow Mountain without considering whether Lord Yellow Mountain wanted to see him or not.


    "Since there are no sacrificial offerings on the altar, let¡¯s just leave it at that Mo Hua didn¡¯t feel it was appropriate to stay seated for long, so he got up and jumped off of the altar.


    But as he did, Mo Hua suddenly froze.


    "Sacrificial offerings


    Why was he thinking about sacrificial offerings?


    And moreover¡­


    What would his sacrificial offerings be?


    He looked at the two rows of bowed demon monster statues and then turned back to the empty offering table, his expression deep in thought for a moment, before being startled by his own ideas.


    Mo Hua quickly shook his head, tucking away those impolite thoughts.


    Now, the most important thing was the Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Skill!


    If he did not steal it now, this powerful Forbidden Technique might remain forever out of his reach.


    His purpose of improving the Forbidden Technique would be lost.


    "Where exactly is the secret manual for the Meteor Fire Skill


    Mo Hua tried to apply the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, merging it with the Heavenly secret Calculation, to deduce the altar.


    But the altar seemed to hold some ancient breath that obscured the Heavenly secret of cause and effect, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t divine anything.


    "Heavenly secret Calculation is not effective


    Mo Hua felt a tinge of regret and then immediately realized it wasn¡¯t that Heavenly secret Calculation wasn¡¯t effective, but perhaps his own abilities were insufficient.


    He couldn¡¯t deduce the causality of the Meteor Fire Skill.


    Yet, Mo Hua had an intuition that the Meteor Fire Skill was indeed hidden in the altar.


    "Where could it be hidden?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He jumped back onto the altar and began to check carefully, from the corners, the edges, the rims, all the way to the offering table itself.


    Mo Hua checked everything, but there was not a trace of a Formation.


    Just then, Mo Hua heard a ¡°boom¡± from outside.


    It seemed that in the great hall, something shocking had happened.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    "Has the battle been decided?¡±


    "Or have Fire Buddha and his allies set another ambush?¡±


    As Mo Hua pondered, the entrance to the altar opened, and then a strong, scorching aura of Spiritual Power emanated.


    This aura was filled with Evil Qi.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed.


    Fire Buddha!


    He had come back!


    Mo Hua immediately employed the Five Elements Stealth Technique and skillfully rolled behind the altar, climbing onto the head of one of the large demon monster statues to obscure his form.


    In just a moment, a kasaya-clad, pale-faced Fire Buddha returned with his arms covered in bloodstains torn by Wind Blades.


    His aura was much weaker, and his two flaming hearts seemed somewhat spent.


    "Damn Gu Changhuai!¡±


    "Sooner or later, I¡¯ll flay your skin, burn your blood dry, turn your flesh to ash, and vent the hatred in my heart!¡±


    "Damn it


    ¡­

 Chapter 1009: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance

    Chapter 1009 -653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)_2


    Chapter 1009 -653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)_2


    The Fire Buddha swore angrily as he walked toward the altar.


    No one was around, and his heart full of fury, he stopped pretending to cultivate or hiding beneath that hypocritical veil of Buddhist law. His words were vulgar and coarse.


    But in an instant, the evil Qi on his body intensified.


    The Fire Buddha trembled all over, seemingly unable to suppress the malevolent evil Qi within. His lips turned white, his breathing erratic, and his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.


    He had to stop in his tracks and sit in meditation, bringing his palms together while chanting ¡°Amitabha Buddha.¡±


    "My Buddha¡¯s mercy, deliver me from this suffering


    "All worldly attachments are empty, and sentient beings are caught in the cycle of life and death


    "Even if I have killed countless people, by laying down the butcher¡¯s knife, I too can be redeemed


    ¡­


    The Fire Buddha ¡°brainwashed¡± himself several times and finally calmed his emotions, the evil Qi receded within, his expression neither joyous nor sad.


    He then slowly stood up and continued walking toward the altar.


    Arriving in front of the altar, the Fire Buddha knelt down with reverence.


    "My great task is unfulfilled, I am just a step away from success, please forgive me, esteemed Master


    "The ignorant and foolish people, not knowing the truth of this world, have destroyed the magnificent work of the Holy Temple


    "They will pay the price


    "But before that happens, this place will be sealed in dust. One day in the future, it shall emerge once more under the sun, and I will offer sacrifices for our esteemed Master again


    "Esteemed Master, forgive me


    The Fire Buddha bowed his head again.


    Mo Hua listened quietly from behind, his brows tightly furrowed.


    Why is it ¡®esteemed Master¡¯?


    And who is this ¡®esteemed Master¡¯?


    He had thought that this was an altar of the Master of the Great Wilderness.


    Because that was the only Evil God he recognized.


    Is this ¡®esteemed Master¡¯ an alias of the Master of the Great Wilderness?


    Or some other Heavenly Demon?


    As Mo Hua pondered, he suddenly saw the Fire Buddha bowing his head, searching for something on the ground.


    After a moment, he flicked a piece of brick on the ground.


    With a flicker of light, a thick, ancient book appeared in the hands of the Fire Buddha.


    Mo Hua looked on in shock.


    The Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual!


    Was that ordinary-looking brick a secret storage space?


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew bitter.


    He had been careless!


    Why hadn¡¯t he thought of this?


    He thought that if the Fire Buddha was going to hide something, he would secure it with a Formation, but never did he imagine that instead of using a Formation, a simple storage brick would be used to conceal his Secret Manual.


    Mo Hua felt helpless.


    He had been at a disadvantage because of his high level of proficiency in Formation.


    Always thinking about solving problems with Formation.


    He failed to understand the difficulties of those cultivators who were not adept at Formation.


    A good swimmer drowns, a good Formation master can also overlook something.


    Mo Hua took this as a cautionary lesson.


    The Fire Buddha, in the presence of Mo Hua, unfolded the Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual. It was densely packed with various Skill Pattern details and accompanied by detailed illustrations.


    Mo Hua coveted what he saw.


    What a pity that he only got a fleeting glance and couldn¡¯t make out exactly what was written on the Secret Manual.


    Mo Hua was very anxious.


    This slight emotional fluctuation was immediately detected by the Fire Buddha.


    He was naturally suspicious and had cultivated evil Qi, making him extremely sensitive to people¡¯s emotions.


    "Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    The Fire Buddha exclaimed.


    Mo Hua immediately ducked down, holding his breath and concentrating his spirit.


    The Fire Buddha stood up and released his Divine Sense, searching around the altar.


    At first, Mo Hua was a bit worried, but after a while, seeing that the Fire Buddha showed no sign of activity, not even sweeping his Divine Sense near him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled.


    Mo Hua stealthily lifted his head and saw the Fire Buddha looking around with a face full of evil Qi.


    But he only dared to search back and forth outside the altar, never coming within a zhang of it.


    It seemed that the altar was absolutely off-limits.


    One must not trespass, nor gaze upon it, and Divine Sense was also forbidden to spy¡­


    Mo Hua muttered in his heart:


    "Is this Fire Buddha really that scared?¡±


    "It¡¯s just an altar, I¡¯ve sat on it and nothing happened


    Mo Hua thought it over and found an excuse for the Fire Buddha.


    The Fire Buddha was within the system of Demon Cultivators, so he had to be mindful of this ¡®esteemed Master¡¯.


    Since he wasn¡¯t a Demon Cultivator and was outside the system, he didn¡¯t have to mind these hierarchical distinctions¡­


    After a while, the Fire Buddha found nothing.


    Mo Hua was naturally neat in his methods.


    Not to mention that around the altar, some key items had already been destroyed, so there was nothing left that could give him away.


    The Fire Buddha frowned.


    "My mind is disturbed by the evil Qi, so my suspicions have grown heavier


    "Yes, that¡¯s it


    The Fire Buddha murmured, ¡°This is the altar of the esteemed Master, it couldn¡¯t possibly be touched by outsiders, nor would it allow others to defile it


    "Yes, that¡¯s it


    Gradually, the Fire Buddha¡¯s emotions settled again.


    He closed the Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual, intending to put it into his pocket, but after thinking it over, he decided to put it back into the storage brick in the floor.


    A battle was likely to ensue. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The safest place was right under the altar of the esteemed Master.


    Afterward, the Fire Buddha sat down and took out a bright red flesh and blood Pill from his chest, swallowing it and slowly refining it.


    His flesh wriggled and began to heal.


    His aura was also gradually growing stronger.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    What kind of Pill was this? Its recovery effect was so strong?


    An Evil Pill?


    What if he quickly regained his strength and Uncle Gu couldn¡¯t defeat him?


    Uncle Gu wouldn¡¯t really be killed by him, would he?


    Most importantly, if he doesn¡¯t leave this place, how am I supposed to steal from him?


    "I need to find a way to lure the tiger away from the mountain


    Without a second thought, Mo Hua sent a message to Gu Changhuai:


    "Uncle Gu.¡±


    Gu Changhuai: ¡°Where are you? The Fire Buddha has disappeared, you


    Mo Hua: ¡°I know where the Fire Buddha is.¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression changed, and then he immediately asked:


    "Where?¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°At the back of the great hall¡¯s mural, on the lower right corner, take ten steps to the left, there¡¯s a mountain path entrance, just push it to come in

 Chapter 1010: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance

    Chapter 1010 -653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)_3


    Chapter 1010 -653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)_3


    "After you come in, follow the mountain path. There are many forks in the road, in sequence they should be right, right two, right, left


    "Keep going until the end, and you¡¯ll see the altar.¡±


    "The Fire Buddha is healing at the altar


    Gu Changhuai opened his mouth to speak then stopped, as if he remembered something, and appeared somewhat incredulous:


    "You¡¯re not¡­ also at the altar, are you?¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°Yep, I¡¯m watching the Fire Buddha pop his pills


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s scalp tingled slightly.


    This kid, what a gutsy one!


    The crucial question was, how on earth did he find such a hidden path?


    But now the situation was extremely urgent, and Gu Changhuai had no time for detailed questions. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He immediately said, ¡°Stay put and hide, don¡¯t be discovered, I¡¯m going in to capture the Fire Buddha now.¡±


    "You take advantage of the chaos to find a way to sneak out


    Mo Hua: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    After that, Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t reply anymore, probably rushing over posthaste.


    Mo Hua patiently waited.


    After about 30 minutes, a familiar, gale-like aura came from the entrance far from the altar.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The Fire Buddha, who was meditating to recover, also sensed it.


    He showed a momentary shock in his expression.


    Gu Changhuai?! How could it be?


    How could he possibly find this altar?


    In the entire Holy Temple, among all the Demon Cultivators, only he himself knew the location of this deepest altar.


    No, the Demon Cultivators who had built the altar knew as well.


    But these Demon Cultivators, without exception, had been ¡°silenced,¡± and even their corpses had not been taken to undergo Corpse Refinement but were directly thrown into the Rotten River, dissolving into sewage.


    The altar here was the core secret of the Holy Temple.


    It was absolutely confidential, absolutely secure!


    How on earth did he, Gu Changhuai, a Dao Court Canon, find his way here?


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s pupils vibrated, and his thoughts were tumultuous.


    A moment later, with an expressionless face, he slowly stood up.


    "No matter what, anyone who knows about this altar¡­ must die.¡±


    "Even if they can¡¯t be killed, they can¡¯t be allowed to get close and desecrate the altar


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes were fiery red, and his kasaya was blood red. He activated his movement technique, turning into a blinding flash of fire, and charged at Gu Changhuai to kill him.


    Gu Changhuai also spotted the Fire Buddha.


    He didn¡¯t know where Mo Hua was, but as long as he could hold off the Fire Buddha, Mo Hua¡¯s cleverness would surely provide him with a way to slip away.


    Moreover, he also wanted to end the Fire Buddha¡¯s life right here, to completely eliminate this calamity!


    When the two met, without a word, they immediately began a fierce exchange of Spells, both giving and taking heavy blows.


    Arrows of fire rain and blade-like wind feathers crashed against each other violently, grinding, spiritual power surging, and light flickering on and off.


    The surrounding rocks were blasted into dust.


    And in the instant when the Fire Buddha left to face Gu Changhuai,


    The eagerly waiting Mo Hua jumped down from the top of the giant Demon Monster statue, stepping lightly on the altar revered as a deity by the Fire Buddha and landed nimbly.


    On the other side, Gu Changhuai and the Fire Buddha were fiercely fighting.


    Mo Hua, relying on his memory, came to the brick where the Fire Buddha had hidden his things, his delicate little hand tapped thrice, and with a pull of Divine Sense,


    As expected, he fished out two books.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t have time to look closely, hurriedly stuffing them into his Storage Ring.


    Once inside the Storage Ring, they were his possessions, and no one else could find them!


    Mo Hua thrilled in his heart. The Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual obtained!


    A great success!


    This mission was more than half accomplished. All that was left was to devise a plan to finish off the Fire Buddha¡­


    Mo Hua secretly glanced at the Fire Buddha, who was engaged in battle with Gu Changhuai, his gaze flashing with cunning.


    The gears in his head were turning, scheming non-stop¡­

 Chapter 1011: Water Poison (Thank you Wood White

    Chapter 1011 -654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)


    Chapter 1011 -654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)


    Mo Hua calculated in his heart.


    First of all, he couldn¡¯t kill the Fire Buddha by himself.


    Unless there was a First Grade Large Formation here that would let him break apart, and then it would also need the Fire Buddha inside the Large Formation. Only when he finished drawing the Reversed Spirit Formation and crushed him to death¡­


    Otherwise, even if the Fire Buddha just stood there and let himself be hit, he might not be able to kill him with all his Spiritual Power exhausted.


    The disparity in cultivation was just too great¡­


    Given the circumstances, the only option would be to ¡°use a borrowed knife to kill.¡±


    Use Uncle Gu, this ¡°knife,¡± to kill the Fire Buddha, the Demon Cultivator.


    As long as he could kill the Fire Buddha, Uncle Gu probably wouldn¡¯t mind being used as a ¡°knife


    He was also helping him!


    Mo Hua sized up the two people who were fighting with their spells once again.


    Uncle Gu¡¯s cultivation was higher than that of the Fire Buddha, but he had to suppress his cultivation, so he was fighting with his hands tied.


    The Fire Buddha was different; he could use his full strength, casting spells without any restraint.


    Flames roared, covering the entire mountain.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Peak, and it seemed he was only a step away from reaching the Golden Core.


    And his Spiritual Power, bolstered by the twin flame hearts in his chest, was nearly as good as Uncle Gu¡¯s¡­


    He had just taken a Blood Pill, restoring his Blood Qi and Spiritual Power.


    Meanwhile, his Evil Qi, though insufficient to instill fear in Uncle Gu, was subtly affecting Uncle Gu¡¯s mind.


    Continuing this way, the outcome of the battle was really hard to predict¡­


    After pondering for a while, Mo Hua made some calculations in his heart, then continued to approach Uncle Gu and the Fire Buddha while remaining hidden.


    "First, I¡¯ll break his Evil Qi


    Mo Hua muttered silently to himself.


    Evil Qi seemed to be of no use to him.


    His Divine Sense had undergone a Transformation, his Divine Thought had been through countless battles, and he had swallowed plenty of ghosts, corpses, Demon Monsters, so Evil Qi wouldn¡¯t affect him.


    But Uncle Gu was different.


    He wasn¡¯t a Formation Master, and though his Divine Sense was strong, it was untempered and easily eroded by Evil Qi, leading to impulsiveness and restlessness, so his strength was indeed affected.


    Breaking the Evil Qi would weaken the Fire Buddha a little, and Uncle Gu would become a bit stronger.


    And the key to breaking the Evil Qi¡­ lay in the eyes.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s guess.


    He didn¡¯t understand Evil Qi very well.


    But based on his research of Divine Sense, Divine Thought, and some causality, he deduced that since Evil Qi could invoke fear, it was a kind of Qi that existed between ¡°Heaven and Earth¡¯s Qi¡± and ¡°Divine Sense¡¯s Thought.¡±


    And to be able to turn killing into Evil Qi.


    This indicated there was a hint of causality¡¯s rules involved.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s perception, the Fire Buddha¡¯s entire body was enshrouded in spells of flame that carried Evil Qi. This must be what the Fire Buddha referred to as ¡°Transform killing into Evil, refine Evil with spells


    But he also had to rely on cultivating Buddhism to suppress the Evil Qi, to prevent it from backfiring and disturbing his Divine Sense.


    That suggested that Evil Qi itself was also related to ¡°Divine Thought.¡±


    Divine Sense resides in the Sea of Consciousness.


    The eyes are the windows to Divine Thought.


    Hence, the place where Evil Qi gathers most and fluctuates most violently must be the eyes.


    Mo Hua sneaked another glance at the Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes.


    Within the Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes, fierce flames burned, and amidst the fire¡¯s brilliance was a thick, murky gas, the mere sight of which filled one¡¯s heart with fear.


    Ordinary cultivators, looked upon by him, would most likely feel frightened and become ¡°lamb¡¯s to the slaughter


    During the battle, Uncle Gu also dared not look into the Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes for long, clearly very wary of those eyes of Fire and Evil Qi.


    So Mo Hua patiently waited for an opportunity.


    Elsewhere, the battle between Gu Changhuai and the Fire Buddha continued in a deadlock, with fire and Wind Blades flying everywhere.


    Gu Changhuai used his Wind-Riding Feather Transformation Art, and as he waved his folding fan, transformed gusts into Wind Blades, sending them hurtling towards the Fire Buddha.


    Any Wind Blade that came within a zhang of the Fire Buddha was blocked by a ¡°wall of fire.¡±


    This wall of fire, using flames as ¡°bricks,¡± interlaced with golden lines running vertically and horizontally, looked like a giant flaming kasaya.


    That must be one of the Fire Buddha¡¯s attached defensive spells on his kasaya.


    The wall of fire would neutralize most of the Wind Blades.


    The remaining Wind Blades were then dodged by the Fire Buddha using his movement technique.


    However, the Fire Buddha¡¯s movement technique was not very agile.


    And his kasaya defense also had gaps.


    After another dozen rounds or so.


    Mo Hua finally saw an opening.


    In the moment when the Fire Buddha had just used his wall of fire to neutralize several dozen Wind Blades, then, with his movement technique, dodged a few Wind Blades, with his Spiritual Power not yet fully cycled and his footsteps just coming to a stop.


    Mo Hua extended a hand and pointed.


    A dazzling streak of gold light shot out instantly, striking the Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes.


    This was a basic Spell: the Gold Light Skill. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was something Mo Hua had gained from robbing Sin Cultivators, and since it wasn¡¯t difficult, he had casually learned it.


    Mo Hua still remembered Elder Yi of the Taixu Gate¡¯s guidance in the Daoist Skill.


    Integrate thousands of spells into one¡¯s self.


    The art of utilization lies within the heart.


    That was the essence of the ¡°proficiency in all spells.¡±


    A spell didn¡¯t just rely on power, but also its function.


    This Gold Light Skill didn¡¯t have much power, but it contained a pure essence of Gold-series Spiritual Power that was extremely dazzling and particularly harmful to a cultivator¡¯s eyes.


    Hitting other parts was like a tickle.


    But hitting the eyes was extremely painful.


    It was a sinister spell with strong ¡°localized¡± destructive capabilities.


    The Fire Buddha could never have expected that there would be someone else on this altar, let alone be blindsided by an ambush.


    Even if he had suspected it, in that moment between halts in the cycle of Spiritual Power and movement technique, he couldn¡¯t dodge.


    And Mo Hua¡¯s spell was exceedingly fast.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes were pierced by the gold light, leaving two trails of bloody tears. Each blink was painful, and his sight was somewhat blurred.


    The somber Evil Qi around his body also dissipated quite a bit.


    The Fire Buddha was both shocked and angry.

 Chapter 1012: Water Poison (Thank you Wood White

    Chapter 1012 -654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_2


    Chapter 1012 -654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_2


    "Who is the despicable villain that dares to launch a stealth attack?¡±


    His vision obscured, he swept the area with his Divine Sense, but all around was a void of whiteness, save for the raging Spiritual Power of Gu Changhuai. There were no traces of any other Cultivators.


    "No one?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s heart shuddered.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze also became sharp, and he felt a chill in his heart.


    That Taoist Skill just now¡­ was it the Gold Light Skill?


    Mo Hua?


    Gu Changhuai gently swept his Divine Sense and indeed found, in a corner, a vague and sneaky little figure.


    He had the Divine Sense of a Golden Core, but could only make out an outline.


    It seemed unbelievable to Gu Changhuai.


    This child¡­


    He can use the Gold Light Skill too?


    And the timing of his attack was¡­ too perfect¡­


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, then realized the evil Qi around Fire Buddha had dissipated, and he understood Mo Hua¡¯s intention.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze darkened, and without hesitation, he directly manipulated the Spell, continuing his assault on Fire Buddha.


    In this evenly matched battle, any slight variable could change the outcome.


    Now with Mo Hua¡¯s assistance, the balance was broken. The battle-hardened Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t need to say more; he knew what to do next.


    Moreover, only by completely suppressing Fire Buddha could Mo Hua be safer.


    Otherwise, with Mo Hua¡¯s small frame, if Fire Buddha were to locate him, just a slight impact from a Spell could mean more harm than good¡­


    With this thought, Gu Changhuai¡¯s aura surged, and Wind Blades flew like a shower of arrows, piercing through the air.


    Fire Buddha suddenly felt the pressure double.


    He extended his Divine Sense to find the ¡°sinister villain¡± who had ambushed him, but Gu Changhuai, with his ruthless attacks, forced him to hastily counter and didn¡¯t allow him a moment¡¯s distraction to deal with Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    As expected of Uncle Gu, without needing to speak, you knew what to do.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes burned with pain.


    Although relying on his high Cultivation and profound Spiritual Power for quick flesh regeneration, he soon regained his sight; he could no longer concentrate evil Qi with his eyes.


    As soon as he gathered evil Qi, his eyes would sting like they were being pricked with needles.


    And¡­


    He would be ambushed!


    Whenever his gaze focused to gather evil Qi, as if cursed, a beam of gold light would come and sting his eyes.


    "Damn it!¡±


    Anger surged within Fire Buddha.


    Without the evil Qi, Gu Changhuai had one less thing to worry about, and he himself was at a disadvantage.


    But the fight could still go on¡­


    In a life-and-death battle, fortunes could turn in the blink of an eye, and no one could predict the victor until the last moment.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s killing intent flared again.


    He wanted to kill Gu Changhuai.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t kill Gu Changhuai, he had to slaughter the ¡°sinister villain¡± hiding in the shadows.


    His Spell wasn¡¯t powerful; he must be at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Unsure how he was hiding, but as long as he showed himself, he would be burnt to ash by falling fire, undoubtedly a dead man!


    Fire Buddha sneered.


    Then he continued his fight with Gu Changhuai.


    But as the battle went on, Fire Buddha realized something was wrong.


    There were other Spells¡­


    Not just the Gold Light Skill, but also the Water Prison Technique, Quicksand Skill, and other various Five Elements Spells, all swift and precise, like threading a needle, ¡°backstabbing¡± him. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These Spells weren¡¯t powerful and were limited in their effects due to their low grade.


    But limited as they might be, they still took effect.


    Whenever he tried to dodge or counter Gu Changhuai¡¯s Spells, these ¡°annoying¡± Spells would hold him back.


    Fire Buddha was exasperated, cursing silently in his heart.


    What kind of despicable person was this?


    Not learning proper Spells, but instead mastering all sorts of annoying tricks¡­


    "Fortunately, these Spells are low-grade and not much of a threat, otherwise


    Fire Buddha thought but suddenly felt a sinking feeling beneath his feet, and the ground shook.


    He looked down and his pupils constricted.


    Beneath his feet, a pool of ink had appeared out of nowhere, seeped into the ground, and began to outline lines of earthy gray Patterns, forming a¡­


    Formation?!


    Fire Buddha was incredulous.


    Where did this Formation come from?!


    The ground had been clear just moments ago; how had a Formation suddenly appeared?


    It was as if a ghost had been Drawing the Formation¡­


    And judging by these Formation Patterns¡­ a Second Grade, Middle-level Formation?


    Fire Buddha¡¯s heart sank.


    A Second Grade, Middle-level Formation could threaten a Cultivator in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Just as he thought to employ his movement technique to escape the Formation, a flash of gray light appeared beneath his feet, Spiritual Power flowed rapidly, and in an instant, the Formation activated. The ground rose into a cage, trapping Fire Buddha where he stood.


    Bagu Mountain Trapping Formation!


    This Trapping Formation could hold a Cultivator in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, and although the control duration would be shortened, it was enough to restrain him for five or six breaths.


    At that moment, Gu Changhuai seized the opportunity, spurred his Spiritual Power, and launched hundreds of Wind Blades, like a violent storm, bombarding Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha could only brace himself, spread his Kasaya, and condense it into a ¡°fire wall.¡±


    Wind Blades collided with the fire wall, creating bursts of Spiritual Power, rising and falling.


    But there were too many Wind Blades, and the fire wall couldn¡¯t withstand them.


    After a short moment, the incessant Wind Blades shattered the fire wall, and the remaining blades engulfed Fire Buddha.


    Where the Wind Blades struck, rocks shattered, and smoke billowed.


    As the dust cleared, Fire Buddha¡¯s form was revealed.


    He looked utterly disheveled, his Kasaya covered in many more slashes, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his energy hadn¡¯t weakened too much.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly:


    "This Fire Buddha is really tough


    With profound Evil Power and a strong defense from the Kasaya¡­


    After fighting for so long, he still hadn¡¯t met his demise.


    Fire Buddha spat out a mouthful of blood disdainfully and sneered sinisterly:


    "Gu Changhuai, I didn¡¯t expect you to find help.¡±


    Gu Changhuai did not respond.

 Chapter 1013: Water Poison (Thank you Wood White

    Chapter 1013 -654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_3


    Chapter 1013 -654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_3


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze was somber and somewhat perplexing, ¡°When exactly did you set up the Formation


    Gu Changhuai had an expressionless face but couldn¡¯t help thinking to himself,


    "How would I know


    The Formation wasn¡¯t set up by him.


    He hadn¡¯t even seen how Mo Hua managed to lay the Formation under Fire Buddha¡¯s feet.


    This youngster¡¯s Formation techniques were truly insidious¡­


    Fire Buddha wanted to say something more, but Gu Changhuai had already grasped his folding fan, controlling his Spell, and continued his assault.


    Fire Buddha had no choice but to keep battling.


    But the situation was increasingly unfavorable for him.


    While he had to engage with Gu Changhuai, the Golden Core Steward, he also had to guard against various sinister Spells.


    Even more so, he had to watch his step to avoid the inexplicable Formations that appeared unknown when¡­


    "Defeat is certain


    Fire Buddha instantly judged in his heart.


    When Cultivators duel with their magic, if the situation becomes a stalemate, any variable that arises could be the last straw that breaks the camel¡¯s back.


    And now, there were far more than just one straw.


    It was becoming a growing pile.


    If this went on, he would indeed fall into the trap of that despicable person lurking in the shadows and lose his life at the hands of Gu Changhuai.


    "Better to retreat and regroup than lose everything


    He had to escape before his strength was utterly depleted!


    Fire Buddha suddenly stirred his Evil Power, sweeping up a surge of bloody rain as he attacked Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s complexion darkened, and he had no choice but to retreat.


    Taking advantage of this gap, Fire Buddha used his movement technique and transformed into a blaze of firelight, arriving before the altar.


    He tried to pick up the Secret Manual hidden in the bricks with his hand, but when his Divine Sense swept across, he found that the space inside the bricks was empty¡­


    Fire Buddha was shocked in his heart.


    "Gone?!¡±


    He looked up again, examining his surroundings, his pupils violently shaking.


    Around him, the Formation had been drawn with blue and green Spiritual Ink, unbeknownst when, creating a complex array.


    This Formation was different from the previous ones, clearly more profound.


    And within the Formation, Water Qi was misty, which covertly restrained his own Fire Spiritual Power.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned pale.


    Mo Hua, however, had a bright glint in his eye and a hint of a triumphant smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Second Grade Sixteen Patterns, Yimu Water Poison Complex Formation.


    This was a Formation Mo Hua had carefully chosen earlier for Fire Buddha, designed specifically to ambush him at a critical moment.


    He had exchanged this Complex Formation from the Tai Xu Merit Pavilion.


    This was the most restraining Formation against Fire Buddha that Mo Hua could learn for now.


    Yimu Water Poison combined Water and Wood elements, blending the Five Elements together, with Water acting as a poison infused into Yimu Spiritual Power.


    Water restrains Fire, while Wood generates Fire.


    The so-called ¡°Water Poison¡± was not real poison but referred to the yin-cold Water Spiritual Power, which was difficult to eradicate, acting like ¡°poison¡±.


    By infusing ¡°Water Poison¡± into ¡°Yimu¡±, on one hand, it could use the Water Poison to counter Fire Buddha¡¯s Evil Fire Power.


    On the other hand, the Yimu Spiritual Power that had assimilated Water Poison would, while nurturing the Fire Spiritual Power, also deeply embed the Water Poison within it.


    Thus, the Water Poison would infinitely cycle.


    And Water and Fire were incompatible, mutually repelling.


    Fire Buddha would then suffer from the torment of both watery coldness and fiery heat, and in the short term, it would be difficult to eradicate.


    The only problem with this Formation was that it took too long to draw.


    The Second Grade Sixteen Patterns Complex Formation was a bit beyond Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense abilities.


    But fortunately, after a qualitative change, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had become strong and tenacious, capable of drawing even the more difficult Formations.


    Because the Formation was complex, controlling the Drawing Formation was very slow.


    Drawing slowly, he was naturally liable to be perceived by Fire Buddha, who could then dodge in advance.


    And with Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, he only had one chance.


    If he failed, all his efforts would be wasted.


    So, Mo Hua ¡°gambled¡±.


    He reckoned Fire Buddha would surely return to the altar to retrieve the Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual.


    Therefore, he anticipated in advance, creating this Complex Formation near the storage brick.


    And Fire Buddha indeed did not ¡°disappoint¡± Mo Hua¡¯s expectations, actually returning to retrieve his Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual, which was already in Mo Hua¡¯s possession.


    The storage space was empty, nothing inside but the Formation lying in wait.


    In the moment of Fire Buddha¡¯s stunned shock, Mo Hua pointed a finger, detonating the Yimu Water Poison Complex Formation.


    Blue Water and Green Wood Spiritual Power suddenly exploded.


    Yimu Spiritual Power surged, Water Poison wriggled like two spiritual snakes merging, ceaselessly biting at Fire Buddha in the middle of the Formation.


    Faced with crisis, Fire Buddha hurriedly activated the Kasaya to protect his body.


    But his Kasaya already had numerous tears. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Water and Wood Spiritual Power attacked like venomous snakes, biting into his flesh and injecting the ¡°Spiritual Power poison¡± into his bloodstream.


    Fire Buddha felt a sudden wave of bone-chilling cold.


    The agony of both Water and Fire was unbearable.


    At the same time, his body¡¯s Evil Fire, stimulated by the ¡°Yimu Spiritual Power¡±, grew even more fierce.


    But this Yimu Spiritual Power was intermixed with Water Poison.


    So, the more his Evil Fire blazed, the deeper the Water Poison took root.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned green, then blue, and occasionally red, appearing exceedingly strange.


    But ultimately, he was at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, his Evil Power was overwhelming, and he forcibly used his Cultivation to suppress the Water Poison within his body.


    Although the Water Poison was suppressed, he could still feel his movements slowing down, his reactions also delayed, and the Water Poison steadily consuming his Spiritual Power.


    Fire Buddha felt both horrified and panicked in his heart.


    "Five Elements Generation and Restraint, the flow of the Formation


    "This was an extremely profound application of Formations


    "Who exactly is it?!¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze turned fierce, for at that moment he finally sensed someone nearby, seemingly due to excessive consumption of Divine Sense, revealing faint traces of presence.

 Chapter 1014: Water Poison (Thank you Wood White

    Chapter 1014 -654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_4


    Chapter 1014 -654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_4


    Fire Buddha gritted his teeth, waved his hand, and a streak of flame tore through the sky.


    Beforehand, Mo Hua had used Divine Sense Control Ink to draw several Formations.


    At this moment, after finishing the Yimu Water Poison Complex Formation, his Divine Sense became somewhat sluggish. His Concealment Technique also revealed a flaw, and it was then that Fire Buddha detected his presence.


    Since it came to that, he no longer hid.


    The flame struck a mountain rock, but Mo Hua had already used the Water Passing Step to dodge, and then he landed lightly, revealing his figure.


    Fire Buddha frowned upon seeing such a petite figure.


    "A dwarf Cultivator?¡±


    As Mo Hua¡¯s figure became clearer, Fire Buddha took another look and his pupils violently shook, his eyes widening.


    "Not a dwarf, a¡­ child?!¡±


    And¡­


    He knew this child?! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fire Buddha instantly recalled.


    It was the young Cultivator who had seen through the identities of his four companions at the teahouse outside Bishan City!


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze stalled, muttering,


    "How is this possible


    How could it be¡­


    That insignificant Foundation Establishment runt from back then?!


    It was a freaking joke!


    Fire Buddha trembled inwardly.


    He stared hard at Mo Hua. ¡°Is your Stealth Technique from Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s Five Elements Stealth Technique? Did Hidden Elder-Second also fall to your hands?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Fire Buddha frowned.


    At that moment, he suddenly felt a shock, looked down, and noticed that more Spiritual Ink was flowing at his feet, and another Formation was taking shape¡­


    A boundless rage surged in his heart. Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned ashen with overflowing Evil Qi, coming close to breaking his Buddhist cultivation mindset.


    "This little brat¡­ too arrogant?!¡±


    Was he plotting against him even in the brief moment of conversation?!


    Indeed, Mo Hua was Drawing another Formation.


    His Divine Sense recovered quickly; in that short span, his Divine Sense had regained a bit. Thinking nothing else to do, he took the chance to draw another hidden Formation while Fire Buddha was talking.


    Unfortunately, Fire Buddha noticed it¡­


    This Fire Buddha was truly vigilant.


    Fire Buddha suppressed the Water Poison within him, took a deep breath, and hastily moved away.


    Mo Hua sighed and could only shout,


    "Uncle Gu!¡±


    Before the words fell, Gu Changhuai¡¯s Wind Blade arrived.


    Gu Changhuai was also feeling emotional turmoil.


    He didn¡¯t know what kind of Formation Mo Hua had laid out.


    But Fire Buddha¡¯s face was turning shades of blue and green, apparently not in the right state. It was the perfect time to strike him while he was down.


    Gu Changhuai once again engaged in battle with Fire Buddha.


    Mo Hua watched from the side, his mind calculating clearly.


    The Yimu Water Poison Complex Formation alone wouldn¡¯t kill Fire Buddha.


    But the Water Poison would slow down his speed, delay his response, and, with the conflict of water and fire, inflict pain, causing Fire Buddha¡¯s Spiritual Power to run chaotically.


    In this way, it would be much easier for Uncle Gu to finish off Fire Buddha.


    And all he had to do was stay far away and watch Fire Buddha die.


    There was no need for him to act, lest Fire Buddha, desperate like a cornered beast, self-destruct before dying and affect him¡­


    The situation was indeed as such.


    Fire Buddha was being oppressed by Gu Changhuai, unable to catch his breath.


    He felt indignant but was helpless.


    He never imagined falling to a kid with whom he had but one encounter¡­


    Without him, even if he couldn¡¯t beat Gu Changhuai, he had prepared means sufficient to escape.


    Not like now, cornered in this altar, stabbed in the eye by a Spell, trapped by a Formation, poisoned¡­


    "Damn you, little devil!!¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face was filled with killing intent.


    But his anger was pointless, with Mo Hua watching him like a tiger eyeing its prey. He couldn¡¯t escape the altar, and his wounds were gradually worsening; he was becoming increasingly unable to suppress the Water Poison¡­


    Fire Buddha could only rely on his profound Evil Power to barely keep going.


    Seeing that in another half an hour he would be completely drained, dying on the altar.


    At this moment, a powerful vibration came from above the Demon Palace.


    Within it, there was an uncountable number of Formation Patterns clashing and the scent of Formation explosions.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression shifted.


    The Demon Palace had activated its self-destruct Formation?


    He turned his head towards Fire Buddha and saw on Fire Buddha¡¯s face an expression of resignation to death.


    The dying Fire Buddha, his face covered in blood, smiled grotesquely:


    "You all will join me in burial here

 Chapter 1030: Meteorite (Thanks to the great

    Chapter 1030 -659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_2


    Chapter 1030 -659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_2


    "You¡¯re on your own, with no one to defend you when you¡¯re bullied or manipulated in the clan


    "You¡¯re still stubborn


    "And you don¡¯t listen


    The female elder was getting angrier as she spoke.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t pleasant either.


    Mo Hua reminded her from the side, ¡°Elder, you¡¯re getting off topic


    The female elder was startled.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°The marriage!¡±


    "Oh, right the female elder looked at Mo Hua gratefully, ¡°I nearly forgot; marriage is what¡¯s most important.¡±


    The female elder then told Gu Changhuai, ¡°That girl from Hundred Flower Valley, when you have time, meet her, have a chat, see if you can get along


    "If you get along, I¡¯ll send someone to Hundred Flower Valley with a proposal


    "We can¡¯t delay this anymore


    The female elder pondered and then said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the girl is extremely beautiful, like flowers and jade, almost a Heavenly Immortal, a perfect match for you


    ¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression had grown numb.


    Like a wooden puppet.


    Mo Hua even doubted whether he actually heard anything his aunt said, as it seemed to go in one ear and out the other.


    Finally, the female elder concluded:


    "That settles it then, I¡¯ll arrange a meeting when you¡¯re free


    After finishing, she left in a hurry.


    Mo Hua finally finished eating the melon in his mouth.


    He thought about it, feeling that a beauty like flowers and jade matched well with a handsome and elegant man.


    But he wondered if it was true ¡°beauty like flowers and jade¡± or ¡°like flower¡± seemed like jade.


    Mo Hua felt that Uncle Gu was good to him, even giving him Merit Points, so he figured he should do something. He hinted mysteriously:


    "Uncle Gu, I know someone from Hundred Flower Valley, should I¡­ ask around for you


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t finish his sentence when a Spirit Fruit was stuffed into his mouth.


    It was Gu Changhuai who had stuffed it.


    Mo Hua glared at Gu Changhuai, took the Spirit Fruit, bit into it, and found it rather sweet, so he ended up eating a few more bites.


    As he ate, Mo Hua remembered the matter at hand.


    He sighed and said, ¡°Uncle Gu, not to criticize, but you¡¯re not getting any younger. You should meet her if there¡¯s a chance


    Mo Hua stopped halfway as he saw that the atmosphere was off.


    He looked up and saw Uncle Gu¡¯s face as dark as the bottom of a pot, about to explode in anger.


    Mo Hua quickly picked up on the cue:


    "If you don¡¯t want to see her, forget it¡­ I¡¯ll be off!¡±


    And with that, he fled.


    Gu Changhuai saw Mo Hua vanish in an instant and sighed helplessly, feeling a headache coming on.


    ¡­


    After leaving the living room, Mo Hua pondered.


    Hundred Flower Valley.


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Inner Gate Instructor, beauty like flowers and jade¡­


    He always felt there was something strange in these details.


    As Mo Hua walked and thought, he suddenly saw that the female elder¡ªGu Changhuai¡¯s aunt¡ªhadn¡¯t gone far.


    His eyes lit up and he ran up, calling out:


    "Elder!¡±


    The female elder was startled to see it was Mo Hua, then smiled and said:


    "My given name is ¡®Hong.¡¯ Everyone calls me ¡®Elder Hong;¡¯ you should too


    "Elder Hong!¡± Mo Hua crisply responded.


    Elder Hong nodded and smiled, ¡°Which family are you from? Not the Gu family, right?¡±


    "My surname is Mo.¡± Mo Hua said.


    "Mo?¡± Elder Hong frowned.


    There weren¡¯t any families with the surname Mo that associated with the Gu family in the Qianxue State boundary¡­


    "I know Aunt Wan.¡± Mo Hua said.


    Elder Hong was a bit surprised but then understood.


    Aunt Wan, Wenren Wan¡­


    That must be a connection from either the Shangguan Family or the Wenren Family.


    With large families interconnected through marriages and relationships, it¡¯s indeed tough to keep track unless they are close.


    Since he referred to that young lady as ¡°Aunt Wan,¡± he surely wasn¡¯t an outsider.


    Elder Hong¡¯s smile grew warmer.


    She didn¡¯t meddle much in the affairs of the Gu Family.


    It didn¡¯t occur to her to link young Mo Hua with Yu Er¡¯s situation.


    Elder Hong smiled, ¡°Have you enrolled in school?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I am a disciple of the Taixu Gate.¡±


    Elder Hong showed admiration, ¡°Being admitted to one of the Eight Great Gates is indeed impressive.¡±


    But¡­


    Elder Hong was again surprised. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The child seemed weak in Blood Qi, Spiritual Power, and had a poor Spiritual Root¡­


    How did he get into Taixu Gate?


    With such aptitude, would Taixu Gate really accept him?


    However, she didn¡¯t probe further, as it wasn¡¯t appropriate to ask such embarrassing questions upon their first meeting.


    "Elder Hong, I have a question for you


    Elder Hong was slightly surprised but nodded, saying:


    "Go ahead and ask


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°I often come to the Gu family to play with Uncle Gu, but it seems I¡¯ve never seen Uncle Gu¡¯s parents


    "Playing with Changhuai?¡±


    Elder Hong gaped.


    She even thought about looking up to check if the sun had risen from the west¡­


    Who would want to play with Changhuai?


    With his terrible temper, it¡¯s good enough he doesn¡¯t scare people away.


    What could they possibly play?


    Pretending to be a Court Official, playing with case handling, warrants, and capturing Evil Cultivators?


    Elder Hong shook her head, puzzled.


    This child knows Wan¡¯er¡­


    Probably it was for Wan¡¯er¡¯s sake that Changhuai was entertaining this kid¡­


    Elder Hong silently thought.


    As for Changhuai¡¯s parents¡­


    Elder Hong hesitated, then sighed, ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Dead?¡±


    Elder Hong found a pavilion nearby to sit down and softly said:


    "This isn¡¯t a secret, no need to hide it from you, but the specifics aren¡¯t something I can discuss. And don¡¯t bring it up in front of your Uncle Gu

 Chapter 1036: Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the

    Chapter 1036 -660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the alliance leader of the fellow cultivators~)_4


    Chapter 1036 -660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the alliance leader of the fellow cultivators~)_4


    "Alright, alright Mo Hua said helplessly, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone, and I don¡¯t need your Merit Points, but it¡¯s dangerous out there, so you all need to be careful


    Cheng Mo was stunned for a moment but then immediately broke into a smile, hugging Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder and saying,


    "You really are my good brother! In the future, if you need anything, I¡¯ve got your back!¡±


    Situ Jian also looked at Mo Hua with gratitude.


    However, upon seeing Cheng Mo¡¯s proud demeanor, a Disciple couldn¡¯t help but interject:


    "Don¡¯t flatter yourself, when would Mo Hua ever need your protection?¡±


    Cheng Mo replied, ¡°What do you know?¡±


    "How would I not know?¡±


    "It takes three stakes to prop up a fence, and even a hero needs three helpers


    "You, a hero? You¡¯re at best a rotten stake


    ¡­


    Mo Hua, seeing them bickering, couldn¡¯t be bothered to intervene, simply reminding them,


    "Be careful when you go out


    "Some Sin Cultivators are very cunning


    After that, Mo Hua left.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t very worried.


    Although Cheng Mo and his four companions were all at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, they were born into noble families, with deep Cultivation foundations, and the Taoist Skills they practiced were not weak.


    The five of them working together would be a match for an average person in the Foundation Building Middle Stage. Even if they couldn¡¯t win, they could still escape.


    Moreover, the targets of their mission this time seemed to be Sin Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, so Mo Hua figured the problem shouldn¡¯t be too big.


    A few days later, Mo Hua saw clearly that Cheng Mo and the others had indeed slipped out of the Sect during their scheduled break.


    In less than two days, they returned, beaming with pride.


    Mo Hua knew without asking that they had obviously completed their mission successfully.


    Especially Cheng Mo, who seemed to have earned considerable Merit Points for this mission, was full of pride.


    Currently, Taixu Gate did not allow their Disciples to take on missions to capture Sin Cultivators.


    One reason was that Sin Cultivators were generally vicious.


    And the Disciples in the Sect, having been brought up in comfort and arrogance, might easily fall into a trap when suddenly confronting Sin Cultivators.


    Cheng Mo and his friends were not only strong but also lucky.


    Since they had taken on the mission in secret, they became, aside from Mo Hua, the first among their peers to complete such a wanted ¡°bounty¡± mission.


    Naturally, this made them stand out.


    The Elders either didn¡¯t know or simply turned a blind eye.


    But the story gradually spread among the Disciples.


    Many began to entertain the idea of going out themselves.


    After all, the rewards for entry-level tasks were accumulated slowly and were tedious, nowhere near as exciting and lucrative as these bounty missions. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Several Disciples secretly approached Cheng Mo, asking how to take on missions, what precautions to take when going out, what Pills to prepare, and so on¡­


    Cheng Mo was even more pleased with himself.


    However, he didn¡¯t forget about Mo Hua.


    One day during a meal, Cheng Mo found Mo Hua and whispered, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll take you with us on a mission


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re taking me?¡±


    "Yeah!¡± Cheng Mo said, ¡°The four of us, plus you. You don¡¯t have to do anything, just run errands, help out with chores, and we¡¯ll share the Merit Points with you


    Mo Hua felt a mix of emotions and was somewhat moved.


    But he still shook his head.


    He didn¡¯t need Cheng Mo to take him.


    And the little Merit Points they would share, he didn¡¯t care for them¡­


    Cheng Mo thought Mo Hua didn¡¯t trust him and declared emphatically:


    "On the Formation, I admit you¡¯re the boss! But when it comes to going out and capturing Sin Cultivators for bounties, your scrawny arms and legs won¡¯t cut it. You¡¯ll have to recognize me as the boss!¡±


    Mo Hua, expressionless, responded, ¡°Oh

 Chapter 1039: Formation Media (Thank you to the

    Chapter 1039 -661: Formation Media (Thank you to the patron, Grandmaster Xuan Chou~)_3


    Chapter 1039 -661: Formation Media (Thank you to the patron, Grandmaster Xuan Chou~)_3


    "Formation Medium Spirit Instrument, applicable in narrow aspects, obviously not included


    "So that¡¯s how it is


    Mo Hua suddenly realized and felt emotional.


    The knowledge in Tao Cultivation was indeed profound and complex, if one did not carefully ask and patiently learn, many things would remain unknown¡­


    Mo Hua praised, ¡°You really know a lot!¡±


    Zheng Fang beamed with happiness but still humbly said,


    "Not at all


    ¡­


    Afterward, Mo Hua roughly understood.


    Formation media is the basis for the application of formations.


    In Tongxian City, because it was Little Immortal City, the inheritance was limited, and the standard of formation support was also limited.


    Mo Hua, still a Qi Refinement Realm Junior Formation Master, used very basic formation media.


    Often it was makeshift, as long as it worked.


    He had no specific concept in his mind.


    After his Foundation Establishment, his Divine Sense underwent a transformation, using ¡°earth as the medium,¡± he directly skipped many restrictions of ¡°formation media.¡±


    But that wasn¡¯t really good¡­


    After deeply thinking it through, Mo Hua felt that there were some things he could do without, but should not lack the knowledge or the skill.


    One should not ignore the ¡°common¡± methods of formation just because one¡¯s own methods of setting formations were extraordinary.


    These basic methods were the culmination of the efforts and crystals of so many Formation Masters in the Cultivation World, researched, iterated, and used for a long time.


    They possibly contained immense and valuable experiences of ¡°formation application¡± and practical formation thinking.


    Mo Hua nodded and adjusted his mindset.


    He also wanted to learn how to use the ¡°formation media¡± to enhance his application of formations.


    Formation application should be based on formation media.


    "Formation media


    Mo Hua asked around in the sect.


    Indeed, there were disciples skilled in Artifact Refining, but almost none skilled in creating Spirit Instruments as ¡°formation media.¡±


    There were a few who knew how, but they only made the very basic ¡°Formation Paper¡± and ¡°Array Plate.¡±


    These could be bought anywhere.


    Moreover, the combination of formations and formation media was the most basic form, with little significance to research.


    "It would be best to have some special kind of formation media


    Mo Hua considered issuing a reward in the Taixu Token, but he was somewhat reluctant to spend Merit Points.


    After all, Merit Points were very valuable.


    And since he knew very little about ¡°formation media¡± type Artifact Refining, even if he issued a reward, he didn¡¯t know exactly what type of Spirit Instrument formation media he should ask to be crafted.


    "If not in the sect, should I ask outside?¡±


    Mo Hua thought silently to himself.


    Then he took advantage of his leave and went to the Gu Family.


    The Gu Family was also considered a major clan.


    Even though their power was not as great as the Shangguan Family, it was still much bigger than the families he had encountered like the Qian Family and the Lu Family.


    The family certainly had industries.


    Among these industries, it was impossible not to have Artifact Refining.


    After all, Artifact Refining was one of the four major industries in Tao Cultivation.


    Since there was an Artifact Refining industry, even if they did not specifically do the business of refining formation media, the Artifact Refiners there must know something about the techniques of refining formation media.


    This was the Qianxue State Boundary; those who could make a living from ¡°Artifact Refining¡± definitely had real skills.


    Gu Changhuai was busy with Dao Court Canon matters and did not return.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t intend to find him anyway.


    For him, being a Department of Ceremonies official, the Gu Family¡¯s businesses were likely not his concern.


    Mo Hua then approached Wenren Wan.


    Wenren Wan pondered, ¡°Formation Medium Spirit Instrument


    "The Gu Family used to do this kind of business before, I forgot if they sold paper or Array Plates, but since it was not profitable, they cut it off


    "Is it gone now?¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    Wenren Wan said, ¡°The Refinery Shop was cut, but the Artifact Refiners are still in the Refinery Shop, just switched to refining other Spirit Instruments


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Can I go visit?¡±


    Wenren Wan nodded, ¡°Of course, but the industries cooperated by the Shangguan and Gu Families are scattered throughout the Qianxue State Boundary and its surrounding Immortal Cities


    "There are quite a few Refinery Shops, and I don¡¯t know where these Artifact Refiners have been transferred to, someone would have to inquire


    "Hmm hmm,¡± Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Wan!¡±


    Two hours later, Wenren Wan had found out.


    "It¡¯s in Solitary Mountain City, quite far, it will take around a day and a night to get there and back, do you want to go?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated, ¡°A day and a night


    "Yes.¡± Wenren Wan hesitated a bit, ¡°Otherwise, shall I have someone bring the Artifact Refiner here for you to ask?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it, then shook his head,


    "I¡¯ll go there myself.¡±


    It was already asking for help, how could he inconvenience others to make the round trip.


    The Artifact Refiners in the Refinery Shop were also very busy with Artifact Refining.


    Mo Hua had experienced this deeply during his time in Tongxian City.


    Wenren Wan nodded, ¡°Alright, I will have someone send you.¡±


    "No need,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Wenren Wan looked at Mo Hua, a bit uneasy.


    Mo Hua then sheepishly smiled and whispered,


    "I also want to enjoy the journey a bit


    Wenren Wan was taken aback, thinking to herself that he was still a child, still a bit playful.


    "It¡¯s dangerous outside Wenren Wan reminded.


    "It¡¯s okay.¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I have the Letter Token given by Uncle Gu, and I also have the Dao Court Canon waist badge, I can run if there¡¯s danger


    Wenren Wan sighed.


    She knew Mo Hua had his own ideas and would act autonomously, so she did not insist further.


    "Then be careful.¡±


    "Okay!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Afterward, Mo Hua, alone, boarded the Gu Family¡¯s carriage, left Qingzhou City, and headed for the remote Solitary Mountain City.


    Mo Hua had planned it well.


    First, go to Solitary Mountain City to ask the Gu Family¡¯s Artifact Refiner Master about knowledge on refining Formation Medium Spirit Instruments.


    Like Formation Flags, Array Plates, Formation bases¡­ these formation media, what are the specific differences?


    What kind of formation media are suitable for different formations?


    Then, based on the situation, consider how to better integrate formations and formation media, and expand his own methods of applying formations.


    On the return journey, he planned to detour from Kushan Mountain¡¯s ruined temple.


    Buy some wine, meat, pastries, and Spirit Fruits to visit his ¡°old friend,¡± the Downcast Mountain God, Lord Yellow Mountain.


    It had been a long time since they had met, and Mo Hua actually missed him. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wondered if Lord Yellow Mountain was having a good time.


    Seeing him would certainly make him very happy.

 Chapter 1042: Solitary Mountain Artifact

    Chapter 1042: Chapter 662 Solitary Mountain Artifact Refining_3


    Chapter 1042 -662 Solitary Mountain Artifact Refining_3


    Master Gu felt a surge of anger, but upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s strange expression, he realized he had lost his composure and said apologetically,


    "Sorry, young master, I wasn¡¯t talking about you


    Mo Hua had difficulty speaking and could only nod silently.


    Seeing that time was getting on, he could not afford any delay.


    Mo Hua thus turned to the matter at hand,


    Including the Spiritual Artifacts used as Formation media and their relationship with other Spiritual Artifacts.


    What were the differences between Formation media?


    Which Formations were suitable for which different Formation media?


    And so on¡­


    Master Gu, seeing Mo Hua asking such ¡°professional¡± questions, couldn¡¯t help but see him in a new light, thus he explained more diligently to avoid losing face.


    Firstly, was the relationship between Formations and Spiritual Artifacts.


    "Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, although they are four major categories in Dao Cultivation, they are not completely independent or distinctly separated


    "As Dao Cultivation developed, different Dao Cultivation industries melded, evolved, and developed with one another


    "In this, Formation is crucially important


    Master Gu sighed, ¡°Although I curse those Formation Masters as ¡®dog Formation Masters¡¯ who look down on others, I must acknowledge that Formations indeed integrate deeply with various industries and have the most substantial impact


    "Take Artifact Refining, for example


    "It goes without saying that the Refining Furnace uses Formations.¡±


    "The Spiritual Artifacts created by Artifact Refiners also mostly incorporate Formations.¡±


    "It¡¯s just that different Spiritual Artifacts use different Formations for different purposes


    "For Body Cultivators, the internal Formations of their Spiritual Artifacts are intended to reinforce the Artifacts to maintain their hardness or sharpness for close combat killing


    "Like the Wound-Breaking Blade, Sharp Metal Blade, and so forth


    "Occasionally, ¡®Attribute Spirit Formations¡¯ are also added for attribute suppression. Examples include Flame Blade, Ice Blade


    "For Spiritual Cultivators, the Formations in their Spiritual Artifacts are mostly similar to ¡®Spells


    "They are like having learned an additional spell when battling others.¡±


    "However, these artifact Formations can only be activated by a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power, not by Spirit Stones


    "Also, since the Formations are engraved inside the Spiritual Artifact, they are greatly limited, so the power of the Formations is also significantly weakened


    "And the ones that can fully unleash the power of Formations are the ¡®Formation media¡¯ type of Spiritual Artifacts!¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Gu said gravely, then continued,


    "This type of Spiritual Artifact might appear as one, but its essence is to exist for ¡®Formations¡¯ as ¡®Formation media¡¯.¡±


    "It has the highest compatibility with Formation Patterns.¡±


    "It can also completely unleash the power of the Formation without any loss or limitations


    "It¡¯s just that this type of Formation media is too dependent on both the Formation and the Formation Master.¡±


    "Different Formation Masters, different Formations, the details can vary greatly, and it is challenging to standardize the ¡®design¡¯ of Formation media, making them difficult to mass-produce with high risks and uncertain prospects


    "But the ¡®Formation media¡¯ that is refined, in essence, can hardly be considered a ¡®Spiritual Artifact,¡¯ so there are relatively few Artifact Refiners willing to research these


    "As for the relationship between Formation media and Formations


    "Different types of Formations require different Formation media


    "For instance, Formation Flags are generally used for reconnaissance, patrolling, Taoist Soldiers¡¯ combat, or directional purposes of vessels


    "Array Plates find widespread application, basically covering large to small, all kinds of Formations; if you¡¯re unsure of which ¡®Formation media¡¯ to use, drawing an Array Plate is always correct


    "And there are several Formation bases


    Master Gu tirelessly detailed these to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua listened attentively, taking careful notes.


    During this, a disciple named ¡°Dachuan¡± came over to pour tea, then quietly retreated.


    After Master Gu finished, he suddenly remembered a question:


    "Young master, why are you asking about Formation media? Are you interested in learning Artifact Refining?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t learn that


    "Oh right,¡± Master Gu glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s small frame, unable to swing a hammer, and nodded, ¡°Then you


    "I am a Formation Master,¡± said Mo Hua.


    Master Gu¡¯s eyebrows raised in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re a Formation Master? No wonder


    You¡­


    A Formation Master?!


    Master Gu¡¯s heart trembled, and cold sweat broke out on his back.


    Had he just been speaking poorly about Formation Masters in front of one?


    The corners of Master Gu¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Mo Hua appeared unchanged.


    Master Gu, feeling somewhat guilty, coughed and emphasized again softly,


    "Young master, I really wasn¡¯t speaking about you just now


    "Master Gu, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Mo Hua said generously.


    Seeing that Mo Hua truly wasn¡¯t taking it to heart, Master Gu finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Though he did not know exactly who this young master was, having obtained the seals and letters from both the Shangguan Family and Gu Family indicated he had a substantial backing, so he could not be offended.


    Master Gu couldn¡¯t help looking Mo Hua over again.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Don¡¯t I look like a Formation Master?¡±


    Master Gu shook his head, ¡°Not really


    Mo Hua was curious, ¡°What about me doesn¡¯t look like one?¡±


    Master Gu answered thoughtfully, ¡°Usually, Formation Masters aren¡¯t so young, and they generally have worse tempers, pretentious eyes, prouder, or more arrogant


    A young, broad-minded, good-looking, and likable Junior Formation Master, it was his first encounter indeed.


    Quite rare¡­


    Seeing Master Gu complimenting him, Mo Hua let go of his earlier displeasure.


    Master Gu pondered for a moment and then, with a bow, honestly said,


    "I was wrong this time, my words offensive, please forgive me, young master


    "If you don¡¯t mind, I invite you to a restaurant in the city as an apology

 Chapter 1: Mo Hua

    In the year 20,022 of the Dao Calendar, on the tenth day of September.


    In Tongxian City, outside the gates of Tongxian Sect, on a mountain.


    Ten-year-old Mo Hua, wearing the plain robe of an outer sect disciple, squatted uninterestedly behind a huge rock at the base of the mountain, holding a piece of grass root and intently drawing complex patterns on the ground.


    By the hour of Mao, disciples from the sect who came to learn gradually made their way up the mountain, in groups of twos and threes, chatting and laughing.


    A chubby boy dressed in the standard outer sect robe, adorned with precious jade ornaments and with a round, small-eyed face, accompanied by two or three attendants, found Mo Hua behind the rock, contentedly drawing something.


    The chubby boy looked around left and right, and seeing no mentors from the sect around, he cautiously called out:


    "Mo Hua!"


    Mo Hua looked up, his handsome face as picturesque as a painting, his eyes clear as if scooping up a pond of crystal water.


    The chubby boy lowered his voice and asked, "Is it done?"


    The ten-year-old Mo Hua, behaving beyond his years, patted his chest, "I handle things, you just relax," and then took out several arrays from the storage bag behind him¡ªwhite paper and red ink¡ªand handed them to the chubby boy.


    "Check if there''s anything amiss."


    The chubby boy solemnly took them, opened the copy, glanced at it, and then said with a pained expression:


    "I can''t understand..."


    Mo Hua patiently explained:


    "The homework assigned by the mentor was the basic patterns of the Five Elements Array. I''ve drawn it for you and purposely made six mistakes to prevent the mentor from realizing that these weren''t drawn by you¡­"


    "Six mistakes¡­ isn''t that a bit too many?"


    Mo Hua silently looked at him.


    The chubby boy soon realized his mistake and reflected:


    "One shouldn''t be too greedy. It''s already good that I can hand in the homework assigned by the mentor. Doing too well would only arouse suspicion. Once discovered by the mentor, if my father finds out, he''ll surely beat me severely, which would not be worth the loss¡­"


    Mo Hua nodded, "You''re wise, Young Master An, to figure it out so quickly!"


    The chubby boy stuffed two spirit stones into Mo Hua''s hand, "Brother Mo, you have good insight, knowing how clever I am! Here are the spirit stones, I''ll still come to you next time the mentor assigns array homework!"


    After saying that, he tucked the arrays into his robe and sprinted up the mountain.


    Mo Hua carefully put away the two spirit stones and picked up a new piece of grass root to continue drawing on the ground.


    Shortly after, a thin young master, shaking a gold-sprinkled paper fan, with a sharp and distinguished face and more jade ornaments on his body, approached.


    Mo Hua also handed him an array chart. The thin young master glanced at the chart and then signaled to a servant. The servant came forward, took the chart, and handed Mo Hua two spirit stones.


    The thin young master took the array chart but did not leave. Suddenly, he closed his fan arrogantly and said, "This young master is also very skilled in array formation, it''s just that I don''t have the time to do these basic formations, so I had you write them for me."


    Mo Hua, uninterested in engaging further, picked up the grass root and continued drawing on the ground.


    The thin young master, slightly annoyed, then sneered, "It''s said among the early-stage Qi-cultivating disciples of Tongxian Gate, you draw the best arrays. I wonder how you compare to this young master. Maybe we should compete sometime?"


    Mo Hua thought to himself, You''re already having me do your array homework, what do you think of your own level?


    However, adhering to the principle of harmony brings wealth, Mo Hua still lifted his head and picked flattering words:


    "Of course, the young master''s mastery of array formation is far superior. The Qian family is the leading clan in Tongxian City, and your lineage in array formation is unmatched by other cultivators."


    The thin young master''s expression slightly brightened, then he asked, "Then tell me, among the early-stage Qi-cultivating disciples of Tongxian Gate, is there anyone whose skill in array formation surpasses mine?"


    "There are indeed a few¡­"


    The thin young master displeased, "Who are they?"


    "Like me¡­" Of course, Mo Hua wouldn''t foolishly say that out loud.


    "There are quite a few, too many to count right now."


    The thin young master clearly got angry.


    "This is a good thing!" Mo Hua lied blatantly.


    The thin young master sneered, "People whose family


    status isn''t as good as mine, who don''t have as many spirit stones as I do, but whose array skills surpass mine, there are a lot of them, you mean to say I''m stupid and can''t compare to others? How is this a good thing?"


    Mo Hua replied, "Think about it, you''re just at the Qi-cultivation stage, yet you have Foundation-building cultivators working for you; you''re just a first-grade array master, yet you have second-grade array masters at your beck and call. How prestigious is that! The stronger the abilities of the cultivators under you, the greater your own skills appear!"


    The thin young master paused, then had a sudden realization, "That does make some sense!"


    "See?" Mo Hua affirmed.


    The thin young master nodded, looking down at the myriad of cultivators below, his neck held even higher:


    "Exactly! No matter how talented you are, how hard you practice, in the end, aren''t you still working for my Qian family?"


    After duping the young master of the Qian family and seeing him off proudly, Mo Hua continued practicing array formation on the ground with his grass root.


    Before long, several wealthy cultivators came by, exchanging money for goods, buying several array formations from Mo Hua with spirit stones. By the time Mo Hua''s hand-copied array formations were sold, he had gathered twelve spirit stones.


    Twelve spirit stones were quite a sum for a rogue cultivator, but for cultivation, they were far from enough.


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


    For the low-level cultivators, the path of cultivation was bleak¡­


    In the first year of the Dao Calendar, over twenty thousand years ago, the largest power in the cultivation world¡ªthe Dao Court¡ªunified the nine provinces of cultivation, enfeoffed noble families and sects, and established a unified rank system to standardize the levels of cultivation professions.


    The Dao Court also promulgated the "Dao Laws" to restrict cultivators from wanton killing, looting, and harvesting life essence.


    Thanks to this, the cultivation world developed and prospered for over twenty thousand years, flourishing tremendously, its territory vast, its cultivators countless.


    Yet while the Dao Court thrived gloriously, the noble families prospered, and the sects dominated regions.


    Only the low-level rogue cultivators, with no affiliation, lived in hardship, with no hope for advancement in cultivation.


    After twenty thousand years of proliferation in the cultivation world, humans without spiritual roots were naturally eliminated, leaving only those with spiritual roots who could cultivate. But as more cultivators arose, the more spiritual energy they consumed, depleting the spiritual energy of the world.


    Now, if cultivators wished to advance in cultivation, they needed not only legacy but also spirit stones.


    However, with large families occupying the spirit mines and major sects monopolizing legacies, ordinary rogue cultivators found no path to cultivation.


    In Tongxian City, the vast majority of rogue cultivators, lacking legacy and spirit stones, spent their lives merely at the Qi-cultivation stage.


    The Qi-cultivation stage, merely the most humble ants under the vast heavenly path.


    And Mo Hua was one of these countless ants.


    And likely, he would be for life!


    Mo Hua''s youthful face bore a hint of bitterness.


    The heavenly path might be fair, but cultivation, certainly is not¡­ Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, a second-level Qi-cultivating rogue cultivator, was born into a family of Qi-cultivators. His father, Mo Shan, hunted demons for a living, always battling with demonic beasts, his body covered in scars. His mother worked in a kitchen, her lungs frequently pained by the heat and smoke, often coughing painfully.


    His parents scrimped and saved every spirit stone they could just to allow Mo Hua to join the outer sect of the Tongxian Gate for cultivation.


    But no matter how Mo Hua cultivated, with his mediocre spiritual roots¡ªslightly better than ordinary people but far from the genius rampant in the cultivation world¡ªhe was destined to be just an average member.


    No matter how much he cultivated, he would likely remain just a Qi-cultivator.


    With the family''s dire conditions and lack of spirit stones, Mo Hua could only cultivate up to the sixth level of Qi-cultivation like the other disciples before leaving the sect to find a trade to make a living.


    But Mo Hua was also naturally frail!


    The crafting of tools and hunting of demons, usual professions for physically strong cultivators, were not suitable for the inherently weak Mo Hua, who might even struggle to find a job to feed himself.


    Should he marry and have children in the future, the burden would increase, and all the spirit stones would be used to support his family.


    Without spirit stones for cultivation, Mo Hua''s cultivation level would forever stagnate, living his life merely as a Qi-cultivator.


    Just like all the impoverished rogue cultivators in Tongxian City.


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


    Forever just a Qi-cultivator!


    The ten-year-old Mo Hua sighed, adjusted his mindset, and then entered the sect for classes. After a day of cultivation, Mo Hua returned to the disciples'' residence, read some cultivation scriptures, and by the hour of Zi, he lay in bed.


    As Mo Hua closed his eyes, a fragmented stele appeared in his sea of consciousness.


    The stele bore no inscriptions, but from the first glance Mo Hua saw it, he knew the name of the stele:


    Dao Stele!

 Chapter 2: The Dao Stele

    Ever since Mo Hua could remember, a Dao Stele had appeared in his sea of consciousness, accompanied by some fleeting memories.


    In those memories, Mo Hua lived a brief life in another world devoid of spiritual energy.


    In that life, Mo Hua''s family was ordinary, but he studied diligently, achieved good grades, and was admitted to college, majoring in fine arts, with a passion for studying traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy.


    After graduation, he worked in a major company as a graphic designer, often working overtime. He died of overwork in his twenties.


    His life as a student was spent studying, and after graduation, it was consumed by work, living under constant stress and anxiety.


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


    In his final moments, his life flashed before his eyes like a reel of film.


    He realized he hadn''t done anything truly valuable in life: he hadn''t shown filial piety to his parents, hadn''t pursued his dreams, had no love, and hadn''t seen the vast world''s landscapes...


    These memories were blurry, and sometimes Mo Hua couldn''t tell if they were real or not.


    Like Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly, it was unclear whether it was Zhuangzi dreaming he was a butterfly, or the butterfly dreaming it was Zhuangzi.


    As time passed, Mo Hua stopped worrying about it.


    The past was the past, and now, at the age of ten, he lived in a world of cultivation.


    And he was a cultivator.


    A cultivator who could fully comprehend the heavenly Dao, traverse the nine provinces, pick the sun and moon with one hand, and bury the stars with the other!


    Or, he could be a cultivator who spent his life cultivating Qi, unable to fly, fight, or use many spells, and lived a humble life...


    Without the Dao Stele, Mo Hua guessed he would probably be the latter, humble type.


    The Dao Stele floated in Mo Hua''s sea of consciousness.


    It was wide, ancient, and oddly shaped, seemingly insubstantial, yet it seemed to ripple with a profound and mysterious aura. At times, it appeared utterly serene, as if nothing existed at all...


    On this void-like surface of the stele, one could draw array formations, and each time an array was drawn, Mo Hua''s spiritual sense would strengthen.


    In the world of cultivation, array formations were revered!


    Learning array formations was the most challenging of all cultivation practices, and the most important aspect was spiritual sense!


    Array formations consisted of patterns that were the painstaking depictions of the heavenly Dao by ancient cultivators.


    The patterns of the arrays resembled ancient texts or simple drawings, each containing infinite mysteries.


    Drawing an array formation connected one''s sea of consciousness to the secrets of the heavenly Dao, consuming a significant amount of spiritual sense.


    If a cultivator''s spiritual sense was insufficient, drawing an array could lead to exhaustion of spiritual sense, and even the shattering of the sea of consciousness, resulting in death. To become an array master, one must continuously study various array patterns and practice various formations.


    Thus, learning and practicing array formations was difficult, and array masters often died from insufficient spiritual sense due to forcefully drawing arrays.


    Mo Hua drew array formations on the Dao Stele, which consumed his spiritual sense, but when he erased the drawn arrays, the spiritual sense was instantly restored, making his spiritual sense abundant.


    From existence to nonexistence, and then from nonexistence back to existence, it was akin to the great Dao, profoundly mysterious.


    And with each drawing of an array formation, Mo Hua''s spiritual sense increased slightly. Although it was a minor increase, it was indeed an increase. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As far as Mo Hua knew, there were no cultivation techniques in the cultivation world specifically for enhancing spiritual sense; increases in spiritual sense mostly depended on breakthroughs in cultivation levels.


    Therefore, even a slight increase in spiritual sense was extremely precious.


    As long as he kept drawing array formations on the Dao Stele, Mo Hua could improve his skills in array formation, and as long as he continued drawing arrays, his spiritual sense would keep strengthening.


    With a strong spiritual sense, Mo Hua could learn more advanced and powerful array formations.


    One day, he could become a powerful array master through this.


    Array masters held a revered status. Even ordinary array masters who drew arrays for others earned a considerable income in spirit stones.


    Once one became an array master and could draw various profound arrays, they had the means to continue cultivating and wouldn''t have to spend their lives just cultivating Qi.


    Mo Hua thought quietly to himself.


    But becoming an array master was also fraught with difficulties.


    Learning arrays and becoming an array master was challenging.


    In the cultivation categories set by the Dao Court, the recognition of an array master was the strictest and most demanding.


    Array formations were made up of patterns, with the simplest arrays containing only one pattern. Each


    additional pattern raised the array''s level, enhancing its effectiveness and requiring a greater amount of spiritual sense.


    Drawing one to five patterns qualified one as an array apprentice.


    Drawing six to eight patterns could make one an array master, but such a master was just ordinary and not recognized by the Dao Court''s ranking.


    Only by drawing nine patterns and passing the Dao Court''s ranking assessment could one become a true first-class array master.


    Becoming a first-class array master was almost like ascending to heaven for a Qi-cultivating cultivator.


    A first-class array master was essentially a guest of honor in major families and sects. Even foundation-building cultivators dared not offend them easily. Even if they did nothing, they would receive a monthly stipend of spirit stones from the Dao Court''s Tian Shu Pavilion and have countless young and beautiful female cultivators breaking down their doors, vying to become their Dao companions.


    Apart from the extreme difficulty of the assessment, each state also had a quota for becoming a first-class array master. Whether one could become a first-class array master depended both on effort and fate.


    With bad luck, if the quota in one''s state was full, even if one had the skills of a first-class array master, they wouldn''t get a quota in that assessment and would have to wait for the next one.


    Some array masters spent their lives attempting the assessment and wasted their years.


    Countless low-level cultivators exhausted their minds and grew old without ever achieving their lifelong wish to advance to a first-class array master.


    The so-called quota limitation by the Dao Court was generally just an excuse predetermined by major families and sects. They needed the title of first-class array master to add glory to their direct descendants or direct disciples, making them stand out as geniuses.


    Those low-level cultivators who toiled to become first-class array masters were just dust underfoot, never noticed.


    It was already night, and Mo Hua lay in the bedroom of the disciple''s residence, his spiritual sense immersed in the sea of consciousness, continuously drawing array formations on the Dao Stele.


    The array formation Mo Hua was drawing was called the Dual Element Array, which included two patterns and was one of the basic array formations.


    However, this array formation was one Mo Hua had never successfully drawn before.


    Early-stage Qi-cultivating disciples, like those in the outer sect of the Tongxian Sect, generally lacked sufficient spiritual sense and could rarely learn an array containing a single pattern in its entirety.


    But Mo Hua had already mastered the single pattern and could draw it effortlessly.


    Mo Hua wanted to learn more challenging array formations, so every night, he practiced the Dual Element Array on the Dao Stele, which included two patterns.


    After dozens of nights of repeated practice and persistent effort, Mo Hua finally succeeded.


    For an array master learning array formations, each pattern was a threshold, and drawing an additional pattern was like climbing a step.


    Being able to draw two patterns meant Mo Hua''s spiritual sense and array mastery were already far superior to his peers in the early Qi-cultivating stage of the outer sect disciples at Tongxian Sect.


    His array mastery was probably unique among them.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. When the hour of Mao arrived and dawn broke, his spiritual sense left the sea of consciousness, and Mo Hua opened his eyes.


    Despite having drawn arrays all night, Mo Hua''s spiritual sense remained clear, and he didn''t feel tired, as if he had just had a restful sleep.


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


    The rising sun outside the window draped the sky in rosy hues.


    The ten-year-old Mo Hua took a deep breath, gazing at the horizon with a determined look.


    As long as he kept practicing array formations and continuously honed his spiritual sense, one day, he would surely become a first-class array master.


    At that moment, like the rising sun, he would take a significant step towards seeking the path of immortality.


    And he would no longer be just a Qi cultivator.

 Chapter 251: Kong Sheng

    "Kong Sheng?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Is this a merchant caravan from the Kong Family?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s an ordinary caravan, carrying pills, passing through Qingxuan City, on its way to Tongxian City to do business.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand, ¡°Then why is that young master of the Kong Family in this caravan?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression bore a touch of indescribable complexity, ¡°It¡¯s said that he wanted to come personally, to kill Ji Qingbai and his son, and then take Fu Lan back¡­¡±


    Mo Hua fell silent and then asked, ¡°Is he a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­?¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Just like you, at the seventh level of Qi Refinement¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also turned indescribably complex, exclaiming, ¡°His brain must have been eaten by a pig.¡±


    Daring to venture out alone with the merchant caravan, even daring to enter the Inner Mountain of Big Black Mountain, does he not know what death spells?


    Elder Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s heard that this Kong Sheng has been spoiled since childhood, is selfish and extreme in nature; as he grew up, whatever he wanted he got, and whatever he wished to do he did, with nobody daring to contradict him. He¡¯s done quite a few acts like beating up fellow cultivators and forcefully taking female cultivators, but no one dared to deal with him¡­¡±


    "Later in the streets, he saw Fu Lan¡¯s beauty and conceived wicked thoughts, wanting Fu Lan as his concubine. Fu Lan disagreed, so he relentlessly pursued her, causing the death of Fu Lan¡¯s mother. Eventually, the Ji father and son, filled with righteous indignation, gave him a beating, but they didn¡¯t dare to kill him.¡±


    "Kong Sheng, unable to swallow the humiliation, had Kong Family cultivators chase after Ji father and son to kill them, and later even bribed Sin Cultivators to vent his spite.¡±


    "But the Sin Cultivator failed, Kong Sheng was furious, wanting to come in person; the Kong Family disagreed, and he, having malice in his heart, disguised himself and followed the caravan in secret, heading toward Tongxian City.¡±


    Elder Yu narrated everything in detail.


    Listening, Mo Hua found it somewhat inconceivable, this Kong Sheng, actually dumber than Qian Xing.


    When Qian Xing acted, at least he knew to bring a gang of followers to do his bidding, and he seldom left the city.


    This Kong Sheng, not bringing any followers, actually dared to venture out and even thought of taking matters into his own hands to commit murder.


    Does he really think no one dares to kill him?


    "So he spent Spirit Stones to hire Sin Cultivators to kill, but in the end, disguising himself to leave the city, he was killed by the Sin Cultivator himself?¡± Mo Hua said slowly.


    "To put it simply, that¡¯s pretty much it¡­¡± Elder Yu¡¯s expression was somewhat complicated, ¡°But whether he has been killed or not is still uncertain; it¡¯s also possible he has only been kidnapped.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat gratified, chuckled, and said, ¡°What goes around comes around, he absolutely deserved it. Better dead than alive, otherwise it¡¯s a waste of Spirit Stones.¡±


    Elder Yu listened and couldn¡¯t help but laugh too, but after a moment he sighed, ¡°Still, this matter is troublesome.¡±


    "What does it matter to us if he is dead or alive?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    "Kong Sheng held a grudge against the Ji father and son and went missing in the Big Black Mountain. The Kong Family suspects that it was done by the Ji brothers and wants us to hand over the people involved.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°They must be dreaming, how can they bully people like this?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s excessive bullying.¡±


    Mo Hua then worriedly asked, ¡°Can we defeat the Kong Family?¡±


    Elder Yu replied with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even the Qian Family can¡¯t do anything to us now, let alone the Kong Family from out of town. If they dare to cause trouble, the knives in our hands aren¡¯t just for show.¡± ??¦­??????s


    Mo Hua nodded with satisfaction, ¡°If they dare come, then let¡¯s slaughter them all, none of them are likely good people!¡±


    Again, Elder Yu said, ¡°However, they may not dare to come here directly, but it¡¯s likely they will exert pressure through the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City.¡±


    "Can the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City interfere with the matters of Tongxian City?¡±


    "That¡¯s up to the Taoist Court to decide. I¡¯m not entirely sure myself. We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it.¡±


    "Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Having said his piece, Elder Yu then left Mo Hua to bring the matter to Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua was somewhat concerned, so he took the chance to ask Zhang Lan while he was at the tavern drinking, ¡°How is it going with the young master of the Kong Family¡¯s affair?¡±


    Zhang Lan had just sat down and hadn¡¯t finished his drink when he heard the question and appeared somewhat helpless.


    The matter of Kong Sheng was something he too had just heard about from the Court Leader, and right off the bat, Mo Hua had caught him to fish for information.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°How do you know about everything?¡±


    "That¡¯s not important,¡± Mo Hua waved off, his gaze piercing as he stared at Zhang Lan, ¡°Will the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City intervene?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed.


    Alright then, he hadn¡¯t even answered yet, and Mo Hua had already started asking her second question.


    However, in Tongxian City, Mo Hua knew far too many people: from the Court Leader of the Taoist Court to the Monster Hunters roaming the mountains, down to the children running around the streets, he could probably name them all.


    It was only natural that he was aware of the affair concerning Young Master Kong Sheng.


    Moreover, he guessed that he would need Mo Hua¡¯s help with this matter.


    Zhang Lan then said, ¡°The current conclusion on the Taoist Court¡¯s side is that Young Master of the Kong Family has been kidnapped by Sin Cultivators, and we need to enter the mountain to capture the Sin Cultivators and rescue the Young Master.¡±


    "He¡¯s not dead?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    Zhang Lan blinked at Mo Hua, ¡°Are you hoping for his death?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded honestly and added, ¡°A horrible death would suffice.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, then, after a moment¡¯s thought, he felt Mo Hua was right. If Kong Sheng was dead, Qingxuan City would be rid of a calamity.


    "That¡¯s true, but we still have to search for him. Moreover, the Taoist Court of Qingxuan City will also send people over to search with us.¡±


    "How many people will they send?¡±


    "Not too many, at most three or four. Too few would be ineffective, too many would seem like interfering with our Taoist Court¡¯s actions, inevitably breaching taboos.¡±


    "Three or four is manageable,¡± Mo Hua nodded and then asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Kong Family sending anyone over?¡±


    Zhang Lan took a sip of his drink and said meaningfully to Mo Hua:


    "Aren¡¯t the people from Qingxuan City¡¯s Taoist Court essentially the Kong Family¡¯s people?¡±


    "Oh~¡± Mo Hua understood.


    It seemed like everyone was well aware of the situation in Qingxuan City.


    The Kong Family acting through the Taoist Court was legitimate and also saved time and effort.


    After all, the actions of the Taoist Court were much more convenient than theirs.


    "This matter will probably still require your help,¡± Zhang Lan added.


    "Not going,¡± Mo Hua flatly refused.


    For other matters, he would have agreed for the sake of Zhang Lan¡¯s face.


    But for this matter, Mo Hua was certain he wouldn¡¯t help.


    For someone like Kong Sheng, he should be thankful that Mo Hua didn¡¯t use the Earth Fire Formation to send him to the heavens, let alone waste time trying to save him.


    "Don¡¯t be hasty in refusing,¡± Zhang Lan said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not about saving Kong Sheng, but aren¡¯t you interested in capturing those Sin Cultivators?¡±


    "The Bald Tuo?¡±


    "Exactly,¡± Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°Leaving him in the mountain is always troublesome. If he gathers more Sin Cultivators and they become a force, it would make your Monster Hunts in the mountain much more dangerous.¡±


    Still, Mo Hua was reluctant.


    Zhang Lan then said, ¡°After the matter is concluded, the Taoist Court will give you a reward.¡±


    "A reward?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What kind of reward?¡±


    "You¡¯ll know when the time comes, and it won¡¯t be disappointing,¡± Zhang Lan said with a smile. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Just tell me now.¡±


    Mo Hua was curious about what kind of reward the Taoist Court was going to offer him.


    Yet Zhang Lan played coy and wasn¡¯t willing to disclose it, only saying, ¡°Help us capture Bald Tuo, and naturally you will see what the reward is.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, and with a grin, said, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t help.¡±


    Zhang Lan wasn¡¯t swayed by his tactics and said with a teasing smile, ¡°Then forget it, but don¡¯t regret it later.¡±


    Uncle Zhang Lan sure is crafty¡­ No rabbit, no eagle.


    Mo Hua sighed and said, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Anyway, he also wanted to catch that Bald Tuo. With this opportunity coming up, it was perfect for him to fleece the Taoist Court a bit.

 Chapter 284: Pill Room

    Feeding pigs?


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, his eyebrows slowly furrowing.


    He had roamed around Black Mountain Stronghold for so long, but he couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen any pigs¡­


    Moreover, what would these evil cultivators want with raising pigs?


    It couldn¡¯t possibly be for eating their meat¡­


    And what exactly were these pigs?


    Were they monster beasts?


    For some reason, Mo Hua suddenly cared a great deal.


    He felt that within Black Mountain Stronghold, the phrase ¡°feeding pigs¡± seemed particularly odd.


    "Should I take a look?¡±


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky, night had just fallen, somewhat dark and murky.


    It was still early, he would just take a look and then take advantage of the deep night to sneak back.


    He couldn¡¯t stay in Black Mountain Stronghold any longer.


    Mo Hua made up his mind, and then, concealing his form, quietly followed after Scarface.


    Scarface had stuffed Kong Sheng into a hemp sack, carrying it with one hand, leaving a trail of blood all the way to the back of the stronghold¡¯s gate.


    Scarface pushed the door and went inside.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, his brow furrowed.


    So it was in the back of the stronghold, no wonder he hadn¡¯t seen it.


    "Should I go in?¡±


    The third and fourth Householders were Foundation Building evil cultivators living in the back of the stronghold, Mo Hua¡¯s concealment could deceive their Divine Sense for a moment, but a slip-up could easily give him away. ??????????¦Â¨§????


    Just then, he heard Scarface talking with another old evil cultivator, saying:


    "Is the third Householder here? I¡¯ve brought something.¡±


    Kong Sheng¡¯s body was merely ¡°something,¡± not even considered human.


    Or perhaps, to the evil cultivators, all the cultivators who died in Black Mountain Stronghold were merely ¡°things,¡± not humans.


    The old evil cultivator¡¯s hoarse voice said, ¡°The third Householder just went out, and the fourth Householder is not here either, but I have the keys, so I¡¯ll open the door for you.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then a flicker of realization brightened his eyes.


    If neither Householder was there, he would be able to enter the back of the stronghold.


    He had always wanted to know what was in the back of Black Mountain Stronghold, and now was the perfect opportunity to take a look.


    The old evil cultivator led Scarface deep inside, eventually stopping in front of a large door forged from bronze, with a beast face and sharp teeth, somber and oppressive.


    The old evil cultivator took out a white skull from his chest and stuffed it into the mouth part of the bronze door.


    Above the door, bloody Formation Patterns lit up one by one, with a crimson glow circulating and converging inward, focusing into the mouth of the beast.


    It was as if fresh blood flowed into the mouth of a monster beast.


    And as the monster beast drank its fill of fresh blood, it opened its mouth wide and the door thunderously swung open.


    Mo Hua watched with his eyelids twitching.


    This Formation!


    It was not a regular Five Elements Formation or any other orthodox Taoist Court Formation.


    It was a truly Evil Formation!


    Those red lights were not monster blood, but human blood;


    The skull was not from a monster, but from a human. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Studying Evil Formations and practicing Evil Skills was strictly forbidden by the Taoist Court, and upon discovery, one was sentenced to death without exception.


    The door guarded by an Evil Formation led to what, exactly?


    Could it hide the true secrets of Black Mountain Stronghold?


    Mo Hua had long harbored doubts. Did this group of evil cultivators gather here merely to find a place to lodge?


    The Householder built Black Mountain Stronghold and gathered so many evil cultivators; could there be another purpose?


    Could this purpose be concealed behind the door?


    Mo Hua suddenly felt a surge of nervousness.


    The old evil cultivator pushed the door open, speaking to Scarface: ¡°Go on in.¡±


    Scarface, seemingly not his first time here, nodded, and with the hemp sack in his grip, he entered the bronze door.


    The old evil cultivator didn¡¯t go inside but stood guard outside.


    With only the power of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, he couldn¡¯t see through Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique.


    As long as the Foundation Building Cultivator wasn¡¯t there, these Qi Refinement Realm evil cultivators were essentially ¡°blind with eyes open¡± to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua first quietly released his Divine Sense, peering into the doorway.


    There was only the life force of Scarface behind the door; no other trap-like Formations were present.


    Mo Hua was slightly reassured, and then, taking advantage of the old evil cultivator¡¯s inattentiveness, he stealthily, without making a sound, carefully entered through the door.


    As soon as he stepped through the door, a stench of blood rushed toward him.


    A faint blood mist floated in the air, carrying a dull stench of decay and a nauseating odd smell.


    Behind the door was this odor, which did not surprise Mo Hua.


    It permeated Black Mountain Stronghold everywhere; it was just denser here.


    What surprised Mo Hua was the layout and setup of this place.


    In front of the hall stood a huge Alchemy Furnace.


    The Alchemy Furnace was white, as if made of bone.


    Below, a ghastly green ghost fire burned, flickering eerily, the flames licking at the pill furnace, inside which something unknown was being refined, hissing and crackling.


    Around it were various kinds of medicinal herbs, strange in shape and vivid in color.


    Some of the herbs even seemed alive, with stalks eerily writhing and leaves opening and closing, occasionally even emitting screams.


    The entire room resembled an alchemy room.


    An alchemy room where some unknown, bloody, and eerie pills were being concocted.


    Just observing it made Mo Hua feel uneasy in body and mind.


    "What pills are these evil cultivators refining, exactly?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned in thought.


    Suddenly, he heard Scarface¡¯s voice, ¡°This pig¡¯s eating habits are truly disgusting!¡±


    Mo Hua followed the sound, and sure enough, on the other side of the pill furnace, he saw Scarface, and before him, a gigantic pig monster.


    The pig was as tall as four men, its eyes blood-red, its drool like blood water, and its body also covered in mottled bloodstains.


    It looked both ferocious and deformed, as well as strange.


    Scarface was feeding it the corpse of Kong Sheng.


    The pig looked foolish and simple, seemingly only knowing to eat.


    Mo Hua was somewhat bewildered.


    Refining pills was one thing, but why raise a pig in the alchemy room?


    And what exactly was this pig for?


    Before he could figure it out, Mo Hua¡¯s heart suddenly leapt.


    He sensed someone approaching through his divine sense.


    The person¡¯s presence was obscure and unfathomable, and it was the third Householder!


    Mo Hua immediately executed the Water Passing Step, taking three steps in quick succession to flip up onto the beam, lying flat and real on the broad roof beam, holding his breath and focusing his spirit, not daring to let out the slightest breath.


    In just a moment, the third Householder walked in.


    Upon seeing the third Householder, Scarface looked reverent, and respectfully said, ¡°Householder.¡±


    The third Householder saw him feeding the pig, nodded, and said, ¡°You may leave.¡±


    "Yes.¡±


    Scarface respectfully acknowledged, bowed, and then left.


    The pill room was now left with only the third Householder and Mo Hua, secretly lying on the roof beam.


    Mo Hua lay on the roof beam, not daring to move, and couldn¡¯t help thinking:


    "Didn¡¯t the third Householder go out? Why has he come back again?¡±


    Could it be that he just went out on a temporary errand, and now that he¡¯s finished, he has returned?


    If the third Householder stays here all the time, am I unable to get out?


    A chill ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    After a while, there was no more movement in the room, and Mo Hua cautiously stretched out his head to peek down.


    His gaze swept over the pill furnace and the pig monster and then spotted the third Householder.


    Mo Hua was startled and quickly retracted his gaze, burying his little head, no longer stirring.


    After a bit, the third Householder showed no reaction.


    "He hasn¡¯t noticed my gaze?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered with suspicion.


    He stuck his head out again and stealthily glanced at the third Householder, then quickly withdrew it.


    The third Householder still had no reaction.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then understood.


    Among Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s two Householders, the fourth Householder had weak divine senses, but keen perceptions, such that even a glance from him would be instinctively noticed.


    The third Householder was the opposite, with strong divine senses but not those nearly monstrous keen perceptions.


    So when Mo Hua sneakily watched him, as long as there was no malice or killing intent, he would not notice.


    Mo Hua quietly breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was good that he hadn¡¯t been detected.


    Otherwise, his situation would have been even more dangerous.


    He then grew curious; what exactly was the third Householder doing in the alchemy room so late?


    Mo Hua stuck out his small head again, quietly observing.


    The third Householder sat on a meditation cushion, focusing his mind and meditating in thought.


    This was usual for him.


    The third Householder meditated, composed and leisurely.


    It just so happened that he was unaware that in the seemingly impregnable Black Mountain Stronghold, in this mysterious bloody pill room, a little cultivator had secretly slipped in.


    And at this moment, this little cultivator was curiously peeking at him, sticking out his small head.


    After meditating for a while, feeling peaceful in spirit and clear in divine sense, the third Householder took out a map from his storage bag and spread it out before him.


    The third Householder picked up a gesture with his hand, sat cross-legged, eyes fixed on the map, focusing his mind in contemplation.


    Blocked by the beam, Mo Hua could see what the third Householder was doing, but he couldn¡¯t see the content on the map.


    Even so, Mo Hua was still profoundly shocked.


    Did the third Householder really possess a Contemplation Map?


    His current behavior, could it be that he was comprehending the Contemplation Map?!

 Chapter 320: Time Has Changed (2)

    Especially that innocent smile tinged with a trace of wickedness, whenever Qian Xing thought of it, he felt a chill in his heart.


    Mo Hua, holding the Thousand Jun Stick, sized up Qian Xing with his gaze, evidently pondering something.


    Qian Xing¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and he threatened harshly, ¡°I am the legitimate heir of the Qian Family, you can¡¯t kill me!¡±


    "Really?¡±


    Qian Xing struggled to retreat, completely disregarding the pain of his severed arm, and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer!¡±


    Mo Hua put on a deliberately sinister expression and said, ¡°I will ask you a few questions. If you answer truthfully, I will not kill you.¡±


    Although he hadn¡¯t intended to kill Qian Xing in the first place, only to intimidate him and ask some questions.


    Qian Xing gritted his teeth and nodded, ¡°Fine!¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°Can outsiders enter your Qian family?¡±


    "What outsiders?¡±


    "People who are not from the Qian family.¡±


    Qian Xing said, ¡°As long as there¡¯s a blood relation, or some familial connection, it¡¯s fine, but the treatment won¡¯t be good; they are usually categorized as collateral branches.¡±


    Collateral branches are essentially Cultivators on the fringes of the family.


    "Have you seen any strangers in your family?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    "There are many people in the Qian family; it is impossible for me to know everyone.¡±


    "Has there ever been a Cultivator who, at first glance, did not seem like one of your Qian family members?¡±


    Qian Xing frowned and said, ¡°What do you want with these questions?¡±


    Mo Hua gave Qian Xing a cold look, ¡°Are you questioning me?¡±


    A chill ran down Qian Xing¡¯s spine as he remembered that his life was in Mo Hua¡¯s hands; he had the right only to answer questions, not to ask them.


    Qian Xing replied resentfully, ¡°No.¡±


    Mo Hua asked carefully, ¡°You just said that it¡¯s impossible to recognize all of the Qian family members. How can you be so sure that there are no outsiders?¡± ?§Ñ???????????


    Qian Xing explained earnestly, ¡°It might be difficult to distinguish by looks alone, but it¡¯s apparent whether someone belongs to the Qian family, whether they live there all year round, and whether their actions comply with the family rules. Even if an outsider wears the clothes of the Qian family, their every move would still seem out of place¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression did not change, but he felt a tinge of regret inside.


    If Qian Xing hadn¡¯t lied and there were hardly any outsiders in the Qian family, then it was likely that no Evil Cultivators had entered, at least not openly.


    "Then, have the Cultivators of your Qian family cultivated any strange cultivation techniques?¡±


    Qian Xing was slightly taken aback, ¡°Strange cultivation techniques?¡±


    "Such as those that absorb people¡¯s spiritual power, drink their blood, or those related to replenishing from others¡­¡±


    Qian Xing scoffed, ¡°Even if I am ignorant, I know that these are Evil Skills, expressly forbidden by the Taoist Court. Why would the Qian family learn them?¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s tone was somewhat sarcastic.


    Mo Hua hit his head with the stick, displeased, ¡°What¡¯s with the sneer? Watch your attitude!¡±


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t activated the Formation, so the blow wasn¡¯t very powerful, just a bit painful.


    Qian Xing gritted his teeth again, evidently not quite subdued, but his tone was much more respectful as he dutifully said:


    "The Qian family clan rules strictly prohibit the cultivation of Evil Skills. Violators will be expunged from the family records, stripped of their surname, and exiled from the family forever.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised; this didn¡¯t quite seem like something the Qian family would do¡­


    However, this could also be a measure superficially adopted to comply with the edicts of the Taoist Court, while what they did behind closed doors remained unknown.


    Mo Hua asked another question, ¡°Has your Qian family done any misdeeds¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stopped mid-question as he suddenly realized the question was pointless.


    The Qian family committed misdeeds every day.


    It would be odd if they didn¡¯t.


    Mo Hua proceeded to indirectly ask a few more questions, to which Qian Xing answered truthfully; he didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    But Mo Hua still came away with nothing. He couldn¡¯t prove that Evil Cultivators had entered the Qian family, nor could he prove that anyone from the Qian family had been to Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Inwardly, Mo Hua sighed. It looked like he wouldn¡¯t get anything out of this.


    It¡¯s true though, even though Qian Xing is a direct descendant, in the end, he¡¯s nothing but a wastrel. Even if the Qian Family is colluding with the Black Mountain Stronghold, they wouldn¡¯t tell Qian Xing about it.


    Since he couldn¡¯t get any useful information, Mo Hua had no choice but to let Qian Xing go, while threatening him:


    "I¡¯m letting you off this time, but if you cross me again, watch your life!¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s face showed joy, he hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua would truly let him go.


    Qian Xing quickly nodded, then, ignoring the injuries on his body and the Qian Family disciples lying on the ground, unknown whether dead or alive, he ran towards Tongxian City on his own.


    Mo Hua shook his head as he watched Qian Xing¡¯s retreating figure.


    Qian Xing truly doesn¡¯t treat people as humans.


    Not only does he not regard outsiders as people, but even the disciples of the Qian Family, he doesn¡¯t see them as people either.


    These disciples did his bidding, and now that they were seriously injured and passed out on the ground, he didn¡¯t even spare them a glance, only caring about saving his own skin.


    Bullying others on the strength of his position, blustering but cowardly inside, he himself is nothing but a big, empty bag.


    How could the Qian Family produce such a failure?


    Mo Hua felt somewhat emotional, then, a thought struck him, and he remembered the ferocious words Qian Xing had once said to him:


    "All I have to do is bring him up the mountain¡­ let the Monster Beasts eat his flesh, one bite at a time, let him die in agony¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Big Black Mountain is dangerous, Qian Xing isn¡¯t the type to dare to venture into Big Black Mountain.


    Moreover, the Qian Family aren¡¯t Monster Hunters, they might kill people, but feeding people to Monster Beasts doesn¡¯t seem to be their style.


    Qian Xing was running desperately, but as he ran, he suddenly found he couldn¡¯t move anymore.


    Pale blue chains formed around him, completely locking him in place, Mo Hua teleported a few times and appeared right in front of him.


    Qian Xing said angrily, ¡°You said you¡¯d let me go!¡±


    "I have one last question for you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew somber, ¡°Did you not say you wanted to drag me up the mountain to feed me to the Monster Beasts?¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression fluctuated, but he still managed to say through gritted teeth, ¡°Yes!¡±


    "Have you done this kind of thing before?¡±


    Qian Xing hesitated and said, ¡°No.¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised and asked again, ¡°So someone else from the Qian Family has done it?¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s heart trembled slightly, and he shook his head too, but his eyes were evasive.


    Mo Hua¡¯s certainty grew and his gaze sharpened, ¡°You¡¯ve seen members of the Qian Family doing this!¡±


    Trying to maintain his composure, Qian Xing insisted, ¡°I, I haven¡¯t!¡±


    But his guilty appearance was like trying to hide something but making it more prominent.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze firmed up, ¡°Who is feeding people to the Monster Beasts?¡±


    Qian Xing dared not look into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, looking around anxiously, and kept saying ¡°No one,¡± even though Mo Hua tried to intimidate him, saying he would slaughter him, he didn¡¯t dare to reveal anything.


    Unable to get any information out of him, Mo Hua had a thought and took a step back, saying:


    "It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t say who it is, but you have to tell me, what Monster Beast it is being fed to.¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression turned frantic, he was afraid to say who it was, but he feared that if he said nothing at all, Mo Hua might really take his life.


    This place is secluded, with no one around, convenient for taking action against Mo Hua, but now it was just as convenient for Mo Hua to take action against him.


    After hesitating for a long time, the fear of death finally overcame him, and with a faltering voice he said:


    "It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a pig.¡±


    A glint flashed in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, ¡°What kind of pig?¡±


    Qian Xing stammered for a long time, unable to articulate.


    Mo Hua slowly said, ¡°Is it a pig that is both fat and big, dumb and silly, covered in bloodstains¡­¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s countenance was stricken with shock, his eyes revealing horror:


    "How did you know?!¡±

 Chapter 335: Confrontation

    Qian Family''s Old Patriarch spoke eloquently.


    Mo Hua listened, feeling both a sense of reason and confusion, unable to fully comprehend.


    Suddenly, he felt something strange.


    Those with deep intentions tend to speak less.


    The Qian Family''s Old Patriarch shouldn''t be one to talk much, yet he had been rambling on for so long?


    Moreover, up until now, it had been only the Old Patriarch speaking non-stop, while Qian Hong had not said a single word?


    How odd...


    Mo Hua sneaked another glance, this time for a bit longer and clearer. What he saw made his pupils dilate.


    Qian Hong had his eyes closed, his face as pale as death.


    Blood-red array patterns were painted on his chest, with all his blood seemingly converging toward his heart through the array.


    But his blood was black and stale.


    His entire skin was as pale as his face, devoid of any life.


    Qian Hong was already dead!


    Mo Hua was startled.


    The Old Patriarch had been talking to a corpse all along.


    A dead person wouldn''t respond, which was why only the Old Patriarch had been speaking.


    It seemed the Old Patriarch was waiting for Qian Hong''s blood to coagulate and form an evil array.


    In the meantime, he had the leisure to talk so much.


    Looking at Qian Hong, the Old Patriarch said indifferently:


    "The Life-Transforming Elixir has a flaw. Using different people''s blood for refining results in a complex mixture..."


    "It requires the heart of someone with a close blood relation as a medium to harmonize the differing bloodlines in the elixir, ensuring its potency is not rejected when consumed."


    "I initially chose Xing''er, but he was disappointing, so now it falls to you, his father."


    "I had high hopes for you as the family head, but unfortunately, while you have many qualities, each is slightly lacking. Not ruthless, selfish, or patient enough... You even defied my orders out of concern for the family''s survival, which is laughably foolish."


    "In this world, everyone else is an outsider, even close blood relatives. You never grasped this truth..."


    Mo Hua was shocked. Qian Hong must have had some dispute with the Old Patriarch, leading to this tragic end.


    As he pondered, he noticed the evil light emanating from Qian Hong''s chest.


    The evil array was forming!


    Before Mo Hua could react, the Old Patriarch mercilessly thrust his hand through Qian Hong''s chest, extracting his heart and tossing it to a pig demon. ?????¦­???????


    The pig demon foolishly swallowed the heart, its aura surging as blood marks glowed and oozed, releasing an evil demonic power through the array.


    The evil array forcibly activated, causing the pig demon''s blood to reverse flow, accompanied by more piercing and heart-wrenching screams.


    Mo Hua felt his eardrums vibrating and head spinning, quickly squatting down and covering his ears.


    Yet the screams penetrated his ears, harrowing and gradually eerie, mixed with human voices, as if countless cultivators were crying and struggling in endless hell.


    Mo Hua endured the pain and discomfort, unsure how long it lasted, before the pig demon''s screams ceased.


    In its place was the Old Patriarch''s sinister laughter.


    Mo Hua calmed himself and peeked again.


    Qian Hong''s eyes were tightly shut, his chest wide open, skin dried and pale, even more lifeless than before.


    The pig demon lay on the ground, seemingly lifeless, but through its flesh, a faint red glow was visible in its chest, as if a heart was trembling madly with evil.


    Even from a distance, Mo Hua could hear the pig demon''s heartbeat.


    Each throb made his heart palpitate.


    At this moment, the Old Patriarch no longer had his composed demeanor, his expression twisted as he laughed wildly:


    "The Life-Transforming Elixir, over a hundred years of effort, has finally succeeded!"


    Before the words fell, the Old Patriarch''s hand, like a sharp claw, swiftly tore through the pig demon''s chest, extracting its heart.


    Mo Hua was horrified.


    This heart was the Life-Transforming Elixir!


    The Old Patriarch opened his mouth and directly swallowed the bloody elixir.


    Things took a drastic turn, and Mo Hua''s heart sank.


    The Old Patriarch ingested the elixir, his aura gradually growing violent as he began refining its power. Once refined, he would break through to the late Foundation Building stage.


    By then, the cultivators of Tongxian City would be powerless against him.


    Moreover, everyone in this lair would likely perish at his hands!


    What to do?


    Mo Hua forced himself to calm down, starting to devise a plan.


    At this moment, he had to interrupt him, preventing him from peacefully refining the Life-Transforming Elixir.


    Mo Hua took out the First Grade Earth Fire Composite Array.


    This array was something he had meticulously calculated and drawn on an array plate, easy to set up, with a Reverse Spirit Array already inscribed on the array hub.


    The array''s collapse was his only means of threatening the Old Patriarch at the moment.


    Mo Hua set up the array in front of him, then mustered his courage and shouted:


    "Old bastard!"


    The crisp curse reached the Old Patriarch''s ears, causing him to pause.


    The Old Patriarch turned and saw the somewhat nervous but resolute Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua pointed at him and said, "Old bastard, you''re finished!"


    He then shook the Dao Court''s copper bell, emitting a faint spiritual power fluctuation.


    Meanwhile, Yang Jiyong and others searching the lair sensed the bell''s unusual sound and solemnly headed towards Mo Hua.


    The copper bell was a standard spiritual tool of the Dao Court, used for mutual communication.


    Before entering the lair, everyone was given one.


    After ringing the bell, Mo Hua felt slightly relieved and cautiously watched the Old Patriarch.


    He considered a few possibilities:


    If the Old Patriarch remained unmoved, continuing to refine the elixir, he would imitate Elder Yu''s tactic, cursing the Old Patriarch''s ancestors to disturb his meditation and delay the refining process;


    If the Old Patriarch flew into a rage and tried to kill him, he would flee, leading the Old Patriarch into the First Grade Earth Fire Composite Array.


    The array''s collapse, if not killing the Old Patriarch, would at least severely injure him or delay him long enough for Mo Hua to escape.


    He just needed to stall the Old Patriarch from refining the elixir and breaking through to the late Foundation Building stage until Elder Yu and Commander Yang arrived with reinforcements to take him down.


    But the Old Patriarch defied Mo Hua''s expectations.


    Even when Mo Hua, a junior, cursed him "old bastard" to his face, the Old Patriarch showed no anger.


    Instead, he quietly observed Mo Hua.


    "Is it you?" The Old Patriarch recognized Mo Hua, surprisingly asking, "How did you get in without me noticing?"


    Mo Hua snorted coldly.


    The Old Patriarch frowned, pondering briefly before suddenly realizing, "You learned the Concealment Technique?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua''s eyes narrowed, suddenly feeling a sense of danger.


    Someone was probing him with spiritual sense.


    It was the Old Patriarch!


    The spiritual sense came swiftly and retreated just as fast, barely noticeable.


    Meanwhile, the Old Patriarch, retracting his spiritual sense, murmured in surprise:


    "Such profound spiritual sense, I can barely see through it..."


    Mo Hua frowned.


    The Old Patriarch''s cultivation was deep and cunning; dragging this out would be playing into his hands.


    Mo Hua decided to provoke him, recalling Elder Yu''s words when cursing, he said:


    "Old bastard, you''ve lost all conscience, even killing your own grandson."


    The Old Patriarch''s grandson was Qian Hong.


    Qian Hong was used as a medium for the elixir, which meant the Old Patriarch had personally killed him.


    The Old Patriarch remained unfazed, instead looking at Mo Hua with interest:


    "You curse me, hoping I''ll kill you and fall into your trap?"


    Mo Hua''s plan being exposed made him panic inwardly, but he maintained a facade of calm.


    The Old Patriarch, curious, asked:


    "What array did you set that could threaten a Foundation Building cultivator?"


    "Why don''t you try?" Mo Hua replied.


    The Old Patriarch pondered for a moment, shaking his head, "A lion fights a rabbit with all its strength. Even if you''re just a Qi Refining cultivator, I won''t underestimate you."


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling disappointed.


    The Old Patriarch was too difficult to deal with.


    He thought a mid-Foundation Building cultivator would underestimate him just a bit.


    If he didn''t come over, the array would be wasted.


    Seeing through Mo Hua''s thoughts, the Old Patriarch smiled slightly but then suddenly became serious, saying:


    "No, something''s not right!"


    His gaze at Mo Hua grew more intense, "It''s you!"


    Mo Hua''s heart skipped a beat, feigning ignorance, denying, "It''s not me!"


    "No, it''s you!" The Old Patriarch shook his head, "You''re the one who infiltrated Heishan Stronghold, broke the arrays, summoned Dao soldiers to besiege Heishan Stronghold, and discovered my identity."


    "Yes, that''s it!"


    The Old Patriarch gradually pieced it together.


    "You know Concealment Technique, arrays, have strong spiritual sense, and... you knocked out Xing''er, definitely extracting information from him and knocking him out to avoid detection..."


    "Yes, it all makes sense now."


    The Old Patriarch, frowning and mumbling, connected all the dots.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    It was over. In a blink, the Old Patriarch had figured everything out.

 Chapter 336: Divergent Paths

    The Qian family patriarch was suddenly enlightened but still found it hard to believe:


    "How could it be you? You''re so young..."


    Mo Hua stubbornly denied, "It''s not me."


    But his denial was futile.


    The Qian family patriarch looked at Mo Hua with a determined gaze, yet he didn''t seem angry.


    Mo Hua felt both nervous and puzzled.


    He had tricked Heishan Stronghold and the Qian family patriarch, yet the patriarch''s eyes showed no hatred. Did he have such a good temper?


    "Are you wondering why I''m not angry?" the Qian family patriarch asked. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The patriarch''s gaze deepened, "If you were an ordinary cultivator, whether a demon hunter, a Dao Court cultivator, or a family cultivator, having destroyed my century-long efforts, I would have torn you into pieces."


    "But you are different." The patriarch''s eyes showed a hint of surprise, "You''re just a kid of about ten, yet you accomplished all this. Your courage and wisdom are extraordinary, far beyond my expectations."


    "More importantly, you are an array master, and your array skills are much more profound than the Third Head at the Foundation Building stage..."


    "Unfortunately, you are not a member of my Qian family..."


    The patriarch''s tone carried a faint regret.


    "What difference would it make if I were?" Mo Hua asked in confusion.


    The patriarch''s gaze sharpened, "If you were a member of my Qian family, even a branch member with just a trace of Qian blood, I would make you an elder..."


    "Even if you wanted, I could make you the head of the Qian family against all opposition!"


    Mo Hua sneered, "You should at least make up some believable lies."


    The patriarch replied, "Everything in the Qian family is decided by me. If I make you the head, then you will be the head!"


    "Being the head isn''t a good thing." Mo Hua pointed at Qian Hong lying on the ground:


    "This head was killed by you..."


    The patriarch was slightly stunned, then shook his head, "You are different from him!"


    The patriarch''s gaze darkened, "Hong''er was inferior in talent, character, and methods. His only value was his bloodline, for he carried my blood."


    "So he was just the right ingredient for your elixir?" Mo Hua sarcastically retorted.


    The patriarch didn''t get angry but smiled faintly, "Everyone has their uses."


    Even your own grandson is just a tool to you...


    Mo Hua looked at the patriarch with even more disdain.


    The patriarch frowned in thought, then his eyes brightened, "No, it doesn''t matter if you''re not a Qian family member. With your skills, bloodline is irrelevant." ???¨¯????§¦????


    The patriarch looked at Mo Hua, "You can pledge allegiance to me, work for me, and we can rebuild Heishan Stronghold. I''ll make you the Grand Elder of the new Heishan Stronghold!"


    "I won''t show my face, and you''ll be the leader above ten thousand others. Those demonic cultivators will all follow your orders!"


    Mo Hua opened his mouth but couldn''t speak.


    This Qian family patriarch sure had grand plans...


    "Heishan Stronghold is gone," Mo Hua reminded him.


    "That''s just the Heishan Stronghold on Dahei Mountain," the patriarch''s gaze grew sharp, "But there isn''t just one Dahei Mountain, nor just one Heishan Stronghold in this world."


    "Anywhere can become Dahei Mountain, and as long as there are people, there can be a Heishan Stronghold."


    "The name is just for show."


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    This patriarch''s ambitions were bigger than he thought, and his schemes were deep and far-reaching. He didn''t care about temporary gains and losses and could let go of past grudges.


    If he succeeded, he would surely become a powerful demonic overlord.


    Mo Hua didn''t want to waste time with him and decisively said, "I will never join you!"


    "Why not?"


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and found a heroic-sounding excuse:


    "Our paths are different; we cannot work together!"


    The patriarch sneered, "You''re so young; do you even understand what a path is?"


    "No matter what it is, it''s not the same as yours," Mo Hua replied.


    The patriarch''s expression gradually turned cold, "When you grow up, leave Tongxian City, see the world''s suffering, witness its chaos, and taste the despair of cultivating, you''ll understand that I am right..."


    "That will have to wait until I see it," Mo Hua didn''t believe the patriarch''s rhetoric, "How can one know without seeing it firsthand?"


    The patriarch realized he couldn''t persuade Mo Hua and took a step back.


    "You can think about these things later. For now, you can work for me, and I''ll give you whatever you want."


    The patriarch sincerely said.


    With the Third Head imprisoned in Dao Prison, he needed an array master.


    Compared to Mo Hua, the Third Head''s array skills were much inferior.


    If Mo Hua could help him, the Third Head''s life or death wouldn''t matter to him.


    "What if I refuse?" Mo Hua coldly asked.


    "That won''t be up to you," the patriarch said calmly.


    Mo Hua''s gaze sharpened, "You want to kill me?"


    "I won''t kill you," the patriarch said, "But you must have parents and friends."


    Mo Hua''s eyebrow twitched, "You dare!"


    The patriarch didn''t want to anger Mo Hua or make him resentful. He wanted Mo Hua to willingly help him, so he softly said:


    "As long as you help me, I won''t trouble them."


    Mo Hua sneered internally.


    "Don''t believe me?" the patriarch asked.


    Mo Hua gave him a disdainful look, "What do you think?"


    He killed even his own flesh and blood, showing no affection. His words were nonsense, not a single word could be trusted.


    Even if Mo Hua helped him, he would just become the second Third Head.


    Useful when needed, discarded when not.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was unmoved, the patriarch lost interest in persuading him.


    Once he broke through in cultivation, he could use Mo Hua''s parents to threaten him. He didn''t believe Mo Hua wouldn''t obey.


    With Mo Hua''s array skills, rebuilding Heishan Stronghold wouldn''t be difficult.


    It would just take some time.


    Time would erode Mo Hua''s resolve; at his young age, his Dao heart couldn''t be that firm.


    Everyone had great desires.


    He just needed to find a way to lure Mo Hua into the demonic path. Once he took that first step, there would be no turning back.


    Then, Mo Hua would willingly work for him.


    He could rebuild Heishan Stronghold, nurture demonic cultivators, and use arrays to hide.


    With Mo Hua''s array skills, the new Heishan Stronghold would be stronger and undetectable.


    After all, there couldn''t be another small cultivator like Mo Hua, skilled in concealment and arrays, daring to infiltrate Heishan Stronghold and eavesdrop on secrets in the dark.


    Mo Hua understood the patriarch''s thoughts and said displeased:


    "Those who do evil will meet their end. Be careful of retribution."


    The patriarch found Mo Hua naive and sneered:


    "If retribution existed, I would have faced it long ago and wouldn''t be alive now."


    Mo Hua wanted to say more but saw the patriarch smiling faintly:


    "Are you still trying to buy time?"


    Mo Hua responded confidently, "I''ve always been stalling for time."


    The patriarch looked at Mo Hua with admiration and a hint of interest, "Do you think I''m refining the elixir right now?"


    Mo Hua was stunned, releasing his spiritual sense, and his heart shook.


    The patriarch''s aura was growing stronger!


    The patriarch said calmly:


    "I know you rang the bell to call for help, but this lair is complex. By the time they arrive, I''ll have refined the elixir, broken through to the late Foundation Building stage, and then I can wipe them out and avenge the previous attack."


    Mo Hua was shocked; everything had been part of the patriarch''s plan.


    He had been refining the Life-Transforming Elixir all along, and talking to Mo Hua was just a game!


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, panic rising.


    He forced himself to calm down, searching for any possible solution.


    But his thoughts were chaotic, and he couldn''t come up with any ideas.


    Just when he was at a loss, Mo Hua suddenly froze, then showed a terrified expression, looking behind the patriarch as if seeing something horrifying.


    The patriarch thought Mo Hua was acting and didn''t care.


    But Mo Hua really did see something terrifying!


    The dead pig had silently stood up!


    It was dead, its eyes white, so it had no aura.


    The patriarch didn''t notice at all.


    The pig, exuding a deathly aura, silently moved behind the patriarch.


    The patriarch still didn''t notice, but he sensed something was wrong because Mo Hua''s fear seemed genuine.


    The patriarch thought of turning to look, but it was too late.


    The pig demon, with white eyes, opened its bloody mouth and bit off half of the patriarch''s right side.


    The patriarch''s shocked expression froze on his face, not understanding what had happened.


    As he struggled to turn his head, he saw the dead pig looking at him with cold, empty eyes.


    "How could this be..."


    The patriarch murmured.


    The pig demon chewed a few times, swallowing half of the patriarch''s body.


    Before the patriarch could say anything else, the bloody mouth opened again.


    This second bite swallowed the scheming patriarch whole!


    The one who fed pigs with people was finally fed to the pig.

 Chapter 353: Weight

    "If you donate spirit stones, once the grand array is completed and seals Feng Xi, we will erect a grand Demon-Suppressing Stele..."


    Mo Hua gestured with his hand to show the size of the stele, then said to Old Master An, "We will carve your name at the top, larger, and highlighted in gold, so it stands out at a glance!"


    Erecting a Demon-Suppressing Stele is a tradition among demon hunters. Once a powerful demon that has wreaked havoc is slain, demon hunters forge a stele to inscribe the names of those who participated in the hunt, showcasing their merit.


    However, no one had killed a great demon before, so naturally, no one had erected a stele for slaying such a demon.


    Old Master An asked calmly, "What if it can''t be killed?"


    Mo Hua candidly replied, "Just like in business, there are risks. Demon hunting can fail, especially against such a powerful demon, the risks are immense."


    "If it can''t be killed, then it can''t be killed, and we''ll have to find another way. Your spirit stones would then be donated in vain."


    Old Master An frowned, "So, I would be donating my family fortune for a name that might not even be earned?"


    "This is a real reputation, not an empty name," Mo Hua corrected.


    "How is it real?"


    Mo Hua explained, "Once the great demon is slain and the stele is erected, it will be the most important merit stele in the history of Tongxian City."


    "As long as Tongxian City exists, the stele will exist, your name will be on it, and the An family will always be remembered by the cultivators of Tongxian City."


    "This honor is rare and priceless. Missing this chance, no amount of spirit stones will buy it again."


    Old Master An was moved, frowning deeply in thought.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua quietly added, "Old Master, may I speak frankly..."


    Old Master An nodded, "Go ahead."


    Mo Hua blinked and said softly, "The An family is still flourishing now, known as the second largest family in Tongxian City. But what if one day the An family declines, losing its wealth? Who will remember you then?"


    "At that time, the An family would be like all the small families in this world, fading into the crowd, no longer mentioned or remembered, even the descendants of the An family might not take pride in it."


    Old Master An''s expression remained calm, but his gaze lowered. He knew that Mo Hua was speaking the truth.


    This is the fate of most small families in the cultivation world.


    Where there is prosperity, there will be decline.


    Small families have weak foundations. Once they decline, the members scatter, and there is little chance of revival.


    Not to mention small families like theirs, even large families can gradually decline and eventually disappear from the history of the cultivation world. ????¨¢??¦Â¨§?


    Seeing Old Master An''s wavering resolve, Mo Hua''s eyes brightened. He seized the opportunity and continued, "But if your name is inscribed on the largest Demon-Suppressing Stele in Tongxian City, it would be different. All the cultivators in Tongxian City would remember your name and the history of the An family. Even if the An family declines in hundreds of years..."


    Old Master An shuddered, looking at Mo Hua with a sorrowful gaze.


    What do you mean by the An family being gone...


    Mo Hua smiled awkwardly and rephrased more tactfully, "Even if the An family declines and isn''t as prosperous, the people of Tongxian City will remember your contributions..."


    "In that sense, the spirit stones are the illusion; the reputation is tangible."


    Mo Hua spoke eloquently, gently guiding. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Master An frowned deeper, pondering for a long time, unable to make a decision, finally sighing, "Let me think about it."


    Mo Hua didn''t want to force Old Master An, knowing there were other ways to raise spirit stones.


    However, the An family was indeed in a difficult position.


    Donating or not donating was a tough choice.


    So he suggested Old Master An donate some spirit stones to earn a good reputation for the An family''s future generations.


    Ultimately, the decision was Old Master An''s.


    "Take your time to think, I will take my leave."


    Mo Hua respectfully bowed and walked out of the An residence.


    Old Master An watched Mo Hua''s retreating figure, lost in thought.


    After a while, the screen shifted, and An Yonglu, the head of the An family, walked out quietly. He poured a cup of tea for Old Master An and asked cautiously, "Father, how did it go?"


    Thinking of Mo Hua''s composed manner, then seeing his son''s humble demeanor, Old Master An couldn''t help but get angry.


    "You are the head of the family, yet in such important matters, you can''t take the stage!"


    "A ten-year-old like Mo Hua can openly come to me and discuss things logically."


    "You, the family head, can''t help, can''t speak, just hide behind and eavesdrop!"


    "If the An family falls into your hands, it is doomed!"


    ...


    An Yonglu was scolded harshly, feeling aggrieved:


    I wanted to step in, but you wouldn''t let me...


    But he didn''t dare to retort.


    Old Master An vented his anger, then sighed deeply, "Donate."


    An Yonglu said, "Don''t listen to Mo Hua''s nonsense..."


    Old Master An sighed, "Mo Hua has personal motives, but he speaks the truth. When disaster strikes, our An family''s assets can''t be kept... better to exchange them for a good reputation."


    An Yonglu was dissatisfied, "How can we not keep them?"


    Old Master An asked coldly, "With what?"


    An Yonglu wanted to say he could keep them, but the words stuck in his throat.


    Seeing this, Old Master An looked weary, "I have thought for a long time, still no good solution."


    "The An family has two paths: leave or stay."


    "Leaving means moving to another immortal city, but those cities are controlled by other forces, we might not be accepted, let alone thrive."


    "Our family has always valued harmony and prosperity. Our descendants aren''t ruthless. Moving elsewhere, we would decline within three generations."


    "If we migrate with other independent cultivators, we would be a piece of fat meat, everyone would take a bite."


    Thinking of the past, Old Master An recalled when the An family¡¯s caravan was devoured in Dahei Mountain by demonic cultivators under the Qian family patriarch, leaving no survivors.


    This memory still haunted him.


    The journey of moving could be fraught with dangers, like passing through numerous Dahei Mountains and encountering many Black Mountain Strongholds.


    The An family might be stripped to the bone.


    "If we stay, we must build the grand array."


    "To build the grand array, we must unite. The poor independent cultivators have donated their spirit stones, how can our An family be selfish and be looked down upon?"


    Old Master An had a personal motive too.


    His life span was nearing its end, cultivation couldn''t progress, and his life was almost over. Though he was a Foundation Building cultivator, he hadn''t achieved much.


    He wasn''t willing to fade away, wanting to leave a name and a good reputation for the An family.


    With a firm decision, Old Master An felt much lighter, "Donate."


    An Yonglu was stunned, "Donate everything?"


    Old Master An''s anger flared again, "Are you stupid? Donate everything and we drink the northwest wind? Use your brain before speaking!"


    An Yonglu meekly asked, "How much then..."


    Old Master An felt a headache, "Seventy to eighty percent."


    "Oh." An Yonglu asked tentatively, "Shall I count it and hand it to Chief Supervisor Zhou?"


    Old Master An nodded, then reconsidered, shaking his head, "No, you count it and personally hand it to Mo Hua."


    An Yonglu hesitated, "Isn''t that giving him too much credit..."


    Even if he could draw arrays, he was just a ten-year-old kid.


    An Yonglu wanted to say more but saw Old Master An¡¯s anger rising, knowing he was close to getting hit...


    He wisely shut his mouth.


    Old Master An sighed, "Take Xiao Fu with you when you see Mo Hua, speak only when necessary, and be respectful."


    An Yonglu reluctantly agreed, still puzzled.


    Old Master An drank some tea, then spoke earnestly, "These spirit stones are for reputation."


    "If we kill the great demon, our descendants will have a good name."


    "If not, the independent cultivators will remember our good, especially Elder Yu. Being on good terms with him, the demon hunters will help if the An family faces trouble."


    "But most importantly, this is to earn Mo Hua''s favor."


    "Mo Hua values personal relationships." Old Master An sighed with relief, "If the grand array is completed, Mo Hua will be a thirteen-year-old first-grade array master. No reputation is worth more than his favor."


    An Yonglu was stunned, "Is it really that important?"


    Old Master An shook his head, "You don''t understand the weight of the title ''array master,'' especially at thirteen."


    An Yonglu was taken aback, nodding solemnly.


    Since Old Master said so, the array master must be very powerful.


    But whether a first-grade array master or array master, he felt there wasn''t much difference...


    Seeing his expression, Old Master An knew he didn''t fully understand, and sighed deeply.


    Two days later, An Yonglu counted the spirit stones and array materials, made a list, and with An Xiaofu, personally delivered them to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, "Thank you, Uncle An, please convey my thanks to Old Master An, Mo Hua appreciates this favor!"


    An Yonglu nodded, feeling accomplished, following Old Master''s advice, spoke only a few polite words, then left


    .


    An Xiaofu stayed behind.


    He didn''t care about donating spirit stones, just wanted to visit Mo Hua and enjoy a meal, considering Mo Hua''s food the best.

 Chapter 354: Confiscation

    The An family donated hundreds of thousands of spirit stones. These spirit stones were delivered to the Dao Court by Mo Hua, piled up in the Dao Court''s treasury, and reserved for unified deployment during the construction of a large array.


    In return, the An family received gratitude from Elder Yu, the Dao Court, and the Dao Soldier Department, as well as a personal favor from Mo Hua.


    However, the spirit stones were still insufficient.


    Mo Hua frowned, looking at the jade slip of the large array, calculating the required spirit stones. He found a shortfall of tens of thousands of spirit stones, which puzzled him:


    "Do regular large arrays really require this many spirit stones?"


    Mo Hua had a good memory. He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying that the spirit stones from a small spirit mine could roughly build a small-scale large array.


    This was under the premise of not calculating the artisan''s wages and the spirit stone consumption during the array''s operation.


    But now, with so many spirit stones, equaling several small spirit mines, the budget was still not enough.


    "Is this really a first-grade, ten-pattern large array?"


    "Could Mr. Zhuang have deceived me?"


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    However, at this point, there was no point in considering these matters.


    On the contrary, the higher the grade of the array, the stronger its power, and the more certain they would be in hunting down Feng Xi.


    Mo Hua now hoped that the array''s grade could be higher. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, he had already learned it.


    The biggest problem now was how to solve the shortfall of tens of thousands of spirit stones.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then ran to find Commander Yang of the Dao Soldier Department and said:


    "Uncle Yang, the spirit stones are not enough."


    Commander Yang sighed helplessly:


    "We''ve collected all the spirit stones we could. The Qian family has sent theirs, and the An family has donated theirs. The scattered cultivators have also given all they could. The Dao Court applied for some, but it won''t be much..." ?????¦­?????§¦?


    Commander Yang rambled on, then suddenly looked up to see Mo Hua''s calm demeanor, not at all anxious, and curiously asked:


    "Do you already have an idea?"


    Mo Hua smiled.


    Commander Yang was a bit surprised, "You really have an idea? This is tens of thousands of spirit stones."


    Mo Hua didn''t keep him guessing and whispered to Commander Yang:


    "We can confiscate a family''s assets..."


    "Confiscate a family''s assets?" Commander Yang was taken aback, "The Qian family has handed over their spirit stones. It wouldn''t be good to confiscate theirs."


    "Not the Qian family."


    Commander Yang pondered, looking at Mo Hua with a hint of trepidation:


    "Could it be the An family... Though they''ve donated a lot, they must have some left. If we search thoroughly, we could scrape out some more, but..."


    But it would be ruthless, first deceiving then killing, leaving no room for mercy.


    This method was too cruel.


    Commander Yang looked at Mo Hua, feeling a chill in his heart. He didn''t expect Mo Hua to be so cold-hearted.


    Mo Hua was speechless, "What are you thinking? How could we confiscate the An family''s assets..."


    Commander Yang breathed a sigh of relief.


    Right, Mo Hua wasn''t that kind of person.


    "Then who do you want to confiscate?" Commander Yang asked curiously.


    Mo Hua took out a finely crafted jade pendant from his storage bag. Just by looking at it, one could tell it was valuable.


    Commander Yang was a bit surprised, "A family jade pendant?"


    Mo Hua nodded and turned the pendant over. The front of the pendant was engraved with the character "Kong".


    The Kong family...


    Commander Yang thought for a moment, then asked, "Is there a Kong family in Tongxian City?"


    "Not Tongxian City, the Kong family in Qingxuan City."


    Mo Hua''s expression was a bit serious, his gaze slightly cold.


    Commander Yang looked at Mo Hua''s expression and whispered, "Did they offend you?"


    Mo Hua shook his head, "It''s not that they offended me... It''s that they''ve done too many bad things."


    Mo Hua explained to Commander Yang the deeds of the Kong family in Qingxuan City, including how they bribed the Dao Court officials in Qingxuan City, colluded with each other, hired murderers, and the misfortunes of Ji Qingbai''s family...


    Commander Yang, with a righteous disposition, was furious upon hearing this: "This is outrageous!"


    Then Commander Yang was a bit puzzled, "This jade pendant..."


    Mo Hua explained, "This jade pendant belongs to Kong Sheng, a direct descendant of the Kong family. He is notorious for his misdeeds..."


    "I infiltrated Heishan Stronghold to gather information and found that Kong Sheng was there and had a good relationship with the demonic cultivators, indicating that the Kong family has connections with Heishan Stronghold!"


    The demonic cultivators kept Kong Sheng in a single room and even brought him food, which showed their good relationship.


    Kong Sheng wanted to make a deal with the demonic cultivators to save his own life. Saying they were connected wasn''t an exaggeration.


    Mo Hua fabricated a reasonable story.


    "Then how did this jade pendant end up in your hands?" Commander Yang asked again.


    "I picked it up!"


    Commander Yang looked at Mo Hua suspiciously, "Picked it up?"


    Mo Hua nodded, "The demonic cultivators killed Kong Sheng and fed him to the pigs. I picked it up casually..."


    Commander Yang pondered, "If Kong Sheng was colluding with Heishan Stronghold, why would the demonic cultivators kill him and feed him to the pigs?"


    "The demonic cultivators act without any rules. They enjoy killing their own. It could be internal conflict..."


    Mo Hua found an excuse.


    Commander Yang found this very plausible.


    If the demonic cultivators acted according to common sense, they wouldn''t be demonic cultivators.


    "Alright then..."


    Commander Yang knew that Mo Hua was hiding something, that he hadn''t told the whole truth.


    But he didn''t care.


    With this jade pendant, proving that Kong Sheng was indeed at Heishan Stronghold, the Kong family couldn''t escape involvement.


    Later, they could go to Qingxuan City to verify and list the Kong family''s crimes, then send Dao soldiers to confiscate their assets. If anyone resisted, they would be eradicated.


    This local power was usually difficult for the Dao Soldier Department to intervene in, but now, in the face of a great disaster, they could act without following the usual rules.


    As long as the matters on the surface were justified, they could complete the paperwork and evidence afterward.


    Commander Yang weighed the jade pendant in his hand and nodded.


    Then he thought of something and looked at Mo Hua strangely:


    "You''ve kept this jade pendant for so long. Have you always planned to use it against the Kong family?"


    Previously, the timing wasn''t right, so the jade pendant was useless. Now, in this urgent situation, it could be used as a weapon.


    Mo Hua replied earnestly:


    "This is called the long arm of the law. The Kong family violated the Dao Court''s laws, and it is reasonable for the Dao Soldier Department to confiscate their assets. This is a fair and just matter, and I have nothing to do with it. I didn''t do anything..."


    Mo Hua distanced himself from any involvement.


    Commander Yang was stunned, then shook his head helplessly, thinking:


    Mo Hua, this child, is so clever and scheming. I hope he doesn''t stray onto a crooked path and fall into demonic cultivation in the future, or there will be big trouble.


    "It seems I need to find a way to have him join the Yang family. The Yang family''s upright ways will surely guide him onto the right path."


    Commander Yang''s thoughts turned to this...


    Mo Hua didn''t need to worry about the subsequent matters.


    Commander Yang personally led Dao soldiers to Qingxuan City and confiscated the Kong family''s assets, but the result greatly surprised Mo Hua.


    The Kong family not only had their assets confiscated but were also exterminated.


    According to Commander Yang, they initially surrounded the Kong family and questioned their crimes. Unexpectedly, some Kong family disciples launched a fierce attack on the Dao soldiers.


    Some other Kong family disciples even egged them on.


    While another part of the Kong family, realizing the gravity of the situation, turned pale and fled desperately.


    Dao soldiers symbolized the authority of the Dao Court.


    Attacking Dao soldiers without cause was tantamount to defying the Dao Court.


    Commander Yang, with a stern expression, mercilessly ordered the Dao soldiers to begin slaughtering the Kong family cultivators.


    The Kong family had only two early-stage Foundation Building cultivators. Having lived in comfort for years, they were no match for Commander Yang and his Dao soldiers.


    One of the Kong family''s Foundation Building elders was pierced through the chest by Commander Yang''s spear within a few rounds and kicked to the ground, barely alive.


    Knowing he was no match, the Kong family''s Foundation Building patriarch decisively fled.


    The other Kong family disciples quickly collapsed.


    Originally, the Dao soldiers were few in number and could only defeat the Kong family disciples without capturing them all, allowing them to scatter and escape.


    But unexpectedly, another change occurred.


    The rogue cultivators in Qingxuan City had a deep-seated grudge against the Kong family.


    They had been oppressed by the Kong family for years, unable to seek redress, and had shed countless tears of blood.


    The Kong family, with their Foundation Building cultivators, had always been untouchable, leaving the rogue cultivators helpless.


    But now, with the Kong family''s two Foundation Building cultivators defeated by the Dao soldiers, one dead and one fled.


    Hundreds of years of accumulated resentment, fueled by boundless anger, erupted.


    The rogue cultivators of Qingxuan City, with bloodshot eyes


    , began slaughtering the Kong family cultivators.


    As long as someone was a Kong family cultivator, wearing the Kong family''s attire, they would be dragged down and hacked to death by rogue cultivators as soon as they escaped.


    The Kong family''s patriarch, who could have escaped, was also intercepted by rogue cultivators.


    As a Foundation Building cultivator, he wasn''t afraid of these Qi Refining rogue cultivators, but these rogue cultivators, seemingly unafraid of death, charged at him wave after wave, like a tide.


    Many rogue cultivators didn''t use Dao techniques but charged at the Kong family''s patriarch with sheer bloodlust, trying to bite a piece of flesh from him, even dragging him down with their lives to prevent his escape.


    The Kong family''s patriarch killed one after another, yet more kept coming. After killing over a dozen, he not only failed to instill fear in the rogue cultivators but instead fueled their bloodlust and hatred.


    The rogue cultivators clung to him, amidst angry curses:


    "Give back my son''s life!"


    "My parents died at your hands!"


    "Kong family dog, you deserve to die! Even if I die, I''ll eat your flesh and drink your blood!"

 Chapter 698: Chapter 559 Sect (1)

    Gui Tao¡¯s people had an expression as indifferent as ever.


    He looked at Mr. Zhuang, at this junior brother he had not seen for hundreds of years. His dark pupils showed a trace of vigilance and solemnity, but then they became blank again.


    Here, there was nothing.


    No arrangements, no murderous intents.


    And his junior brother, burnt out and exhausted, was utterly different from the unrivaled, untamed genius he remembered.


    ...


    In Gui Tao¡¯s heart, a sense of anger welled up for no reason, his voice also carried an eerily chilling coldness:


    ¡°Where is your Heavenly Secret Calculation?¡±


    ¡°Where is your Immortal Sky Formation Flow?¡±


    ¡°All your cultivation, abilities, methods, and strategies, where are they?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a bitter smile, ¡°I¡¯m at the end of my path and powerless to return to the heavens, why would I bother wasting those efforts¡­¡±


    Violent colors surged in the eyes of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    ¡°So, you are just waiting here to die?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was silent, then let out a light sigh, ¡°All beings are born, and all must die¡­¡±


    ¡°Alive, we believe we can triumph over heaven; dead, we finally realize how powerless we are to return to the heavens¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the same, big senior brother¡­¡±


    In the dark pupils of Gui Tao¡¯s people, a hatred for his lack of struggle showed, ¡°Even if you have to die, you can certainly die later. Your Heavenly Secret Calculation can surely foresee some chance of survival¡­¡±


    ¡°Foresee it, then what?¡± Mr. Zhuang countered.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people was stunned.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, his tone revealing deep weariness, and his breath was extremely faint, ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of dying sooner or later¡­¡±


    ¡°Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Dao leaves one behind¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the forty-ninth Sect Leader, destined by the Heavenly Dao¡¯s limit, the sect ends here, and so does my life.¡±


    ¡°No matter the calculation, the result is the same.¡±


    ¡°The Heavenly Secret Calculation is an inevitable number, unchangeable¡­¡±


    The expression of Gui Tao¡¯s people became more and more severe, and after a while, all emotion settled again, his demeanor returning to indifference.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people said indifferently:


    ¡°Fine, then I will fulfill your wish.¡±


    The pale right hand of Gui Tao¡¯s people clenched, and an ancient sword appeared out of nowhere. It had a bronze-colored body with mottled and obscure patterns, a blend of reality and illusion. ??¦­¨°§£¨¨????


    ¡°The Sumeru Sword¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang murmured, a look of reminiscence on his face, as well as a calm acceptance of death.


    Just then, nearby Formation Patterns trembled, the barrier broke, and Bai Qiancheng, who had deployed the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, revealed her figure.


    She saw Mr. Zhuang, pale as paper, resigned to his fate.


    She also saw Gui Tao¡¯s people, his face full of murderous intent, holding the long sword.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°Big Senior Brother!¡±


    The sword tip of Gui Tao¡¯s people stopped in front of Mr. Zhuang. He turned to look at Bai Qiancheng, his expression cool and enigmatic as he said indifferently:


    ¡°The master is dead, the sect is gone.¡±


    ¡°I am not your big senior brother anymore, and you are no longer a junior sister¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart was bitter, ¡°I beg big senior brother to show mercy¡­¡±


    The indifferent expression of Gui Tao¡¯s people gradually faded, replaced by a sneer on his enigmatic face.


    This sneer was extremely strange, as if it had been taken from many faces and pieced together on one. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The voice of Gui Tao¡¯s people also became noisy.


    As if many people were sneering and speaking together.


    ¡°Mercy¡­¡±


    ¡°At this point, what talk of mercy is there?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Bai Qiancheng and said indifferently:


    ¡°If I don¡¯t kill him, how can I get the Back Ruins Picture?¡±


    ¡°Without taking the Back Ruins Picture, how can your Bai Family seize this picture? Without seizing this picture, how can you find the Heavenly Burial Ground?¡±


    ¡°Before you came here, did the old man of the Bai Family tell you to ¡®watch from the sidelines¡¯?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t want you to intervene, they would be happy to see this happen.¡±


    ¡°They also want me to, kill my junior brother!¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°You keep asking me to show mercy, but what about your heart?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you, too, calculating against him?¡±


    ¡°You want to seize the inheritance of the Innate Formation Flow on his body, you want to steal the secrets of the Back Ruins Heaven Burial to make merits for the Bai Family, to pave a path to immortality for your children with Heavenly Spirit Root.¡±


    ¡°You call him brother with your lips, but have you ever truly seen him as a brother in your heart?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s complexion turned pale, she wanted to say ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡±, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out, and a deep sense of guilt arose within her.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people glanced at Mr. Zhuang again, his eyes complex, and said calmly:


    ¡°I have pursued you for hundreds of years¡­¡±


    ¡°This junior sister of yours, whom you treated like a real sister, has also been planning against you all her life¡­¡±


    ¡°Previously, you took in many disciples, all of them prodigies, but in the end, all deserted you, not one wished to stay by your side¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court wishes to kill you, strip your Innate Taoist Bone.¡±


    ¡°The Demon Sect wants to kill you, take your Dao Picture.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the master whom you always greatly respected¡­¡±


    A sneer appeared on Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s face.


    ¡°How was your Qi Sea shattered?¡±


    ¡°And how did your Sea of Consciousness become exhausted?¡±


    ¡°Who could have laid such a heaven-defying conspiracy to scheme against you?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ the master¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s pupils shook violently, and her face showed disbelief at something she had never heard of before.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked fiercely at Mr. Zhuang and continued:


    ¡°It was the master, exploiting you! From the very beginning, from the moment he took you in as his disciple, it was all his calculation.¡±


    ¡°The master¡­ in accordance with the sect¡¯s ancient teachings, from the very beginning, was looking for someone with Innate Taoist Bone!¡±


    ¡°He searched his whole life, and finally found you.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was indifferent.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, talking to himself: ¡°Because the Innate Taoist Bone is the key¡­¡±


    ¡°The secret of Back Ruins Heaven Burial is hidden in a drop of the ¡®Blood of the Heavenly Man¡¯, passed down since the ancient times tens of thousands of years ago.¡±

 Chapter 699: Chapter 559 Sect (2)

    ¡°This drop of blood, undying through myriad calamities, cannot be obliterated.¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°So, it must contain the opportunity to become immortal.¡±


    ¡°For tens of thousands of years, no one has been able to unravel the mysteries of this drop of blood.¡±


    ¡°But he, Master, he figured it out¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expressions were grave, and their eyes trembled slightly.


    ¡°This drop of Blood of the Heavenly Man, undying and indelible, harbors mysteries unfathomable. Thus, the only option is to merge it into a person¡¯s bloodstream, to incubate it¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°And the one worthy to merge with this drop of Blood of the Heavenly Man is none other than a person of exceptional talent and Innate Taoist Bone¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people gazed at Mr. Zhuang, speaking slowly, ¡°That is, you, Junior Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Master never truly saw you as a disciple, and not even as a ¡®person¡¯¡­ ¡±


    ¡°In his eyes, you were just a piece in the Calculation of the Heavenly Secret, a tool, a vessel for nurturing the Blood of the Heavenly Man, a fetus to comprehend the Back Ruins Heaven Burial¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to incubate Ancestral Blood?¡±


    ¡°Right, you know¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people said with a mocking look, ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t know before, by now you should¡­¡±


    ¡°Master imparted to you the entire Sect¡¯s inheritance, to make you a Tao Cultivation genius without equal in this world, and once your cultivation was complete, he then designed to kill you!¡±


    ¡°First to shatter your Qi Sea, causing you to lose cultivation;¡±


    ¡°Then to break your Sea of Consciousness, severely damaging your Divine Sense;¡±


    ¡°Ordinary people, whether it¡¯s their Qi Sea or Sea of Consciousness, would generally perish along with their Tao after shattering, but not you, because you have Innate Taoist Bone, and you carry the Blood of the Heavenly Man.¡± ????????¨¨?


    ¡°Once both your Qi Sea and Sea of Consciousness are broken, the Innate Taoist Bone becomes your Sea of Consciousness and Qi Sea, sustaining your life.¡±


    ¡°This is ¡®forcing the shoots to grow faster¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°By depriving the Innate Taoist Bone of support from Qi Sea and Sea of Consciousness, it rapidly absorbs the Blood of the Heavenly Man, growing excessively fast, and thus accelerating the fusion of the Taoist Bone with the Heavenly Blood.¡±


    ¡°Once the fusion is complete, the Blood of the Heavenly Man will be refined.¡±


    ¡°And on your Taoist Bone, will appear, hidden within the Blood of the Heavenly Man, the secret of the Heavenly Man! That is, the very Formation Diagram, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial Diagram!¡±


    ¡°At that time, to kill you¡­¡±


    ¡°To peel away your Taoist Bone¡­¡±


    ¡°And to obtain, this complete diagram, containing the ancient opportunity, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial Diagram!¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s face grew paler and paler.


    She never imagined that her Master, who always seemed kind and affable, harbored such profound and¡­ ruthless schemes¡­


    Master adopted Big Senior Brother and treated him like his own child.


    But it was with the calculation of ¡°a tiger devouring its own offspring.¡±


    And in her eyes, Senior Brother Zhuang, who was a peerless genius hailed by all, was just a ¡°tool¡± being used by Master¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mr. Zhuang, their tone somewhat sorrowful and tinged with mockery:


    ¡°You are a master of the Calculation of the Heavenly Secret, unmatched in this lifetime, yet from the beginning to the end, from birth to death, you are constantly being schemed against¡­¡±


    ¡°Those people, they respect you, they fear you, but no one cares about you.¡±


    ¡°Whether it is the Taoist Court or the Demon Sect, everyone just wants you dead!¡±


    ¡°They all want to kill you, to rip open your heart, to dismantle your Taoist Bone, to see what fortune hides within you!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face carried a hint of desolation, but even more so, resignation.


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    He looked at Gui Tao¡¯s people again, as if trying to see the once gentle and affable, always smiling Big Senior Brother in that sinister face.


    But he could no longer see it¡­


    He had gradually forgotten what the Big Senior Brother used to be like.


    Mr. Zhuang felt a twinge of regret and sighed softly.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mr. Zhuang, their eyes filled with an indescribable fury and disappointment!


    After saying so much, he still kept the appearance of being without desires and understanding of life and death.


    The ferocious face of Gui Tao¡¯s people, a tumult of faces, appeared and mixed together, finally merging into one and then fading away, their gaze becoming merciless and cold.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people raised the Sumeru Sword, pointing it at Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Big Senior Brother, stop!¡±


    Bai Qiancheng cried out in alarm, urging him to halt.


    She wanted to step forward, but was restrained by Gui Tao¡¯s people with a counter-hand Formation Pattern.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze sharpened, she summoned the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, and as it spun, brocade luminescence flowed, but these lights were dissipated one by one by the strange Formation Patterns.


    Without using the power of Feather Transformation, she couldn¡¯t break free.


    Bai Qiancheng felt bitterness in her heart.


    In cultivation, Divine Thought, Formation, and even calculating with Divine Sense, she was no match for the once Big Senior Brother, now Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    All she could do was watch helplessly.


    As she watched Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Sumeru Sword pierce into Senior Brother Zhuang¡¯s chest, then slice open his heart channel, and extract a piece of his Innate Taoist Bone, seeming crystalline as jade and supporting the desiccated Sea of Consciousness and shattered Qi Sea¡­


    Not a single drop of blood flowed out.


    Because all the blood was completely disintegrated by the Sword Qi of Sumeru.


    The Taoist Bone was crystal clear.


    It seemed to have extremely complex, colossal, ancient, and profound Patterns, a form of innate formation merged with blood and bone, engraved on this ¡°Innate Taoist Bone.¡±


    This diagram, resembling a Formation Diagram.


    Was indeed the coveted Back Ruins Heaven Burial Diagram, sought after by cultivators and powers from all sides!


    The moment the Innate Taoist Bone was stripped away, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s vitality began to fade rapidly.


    His face turned even paler, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed, and his entire presence slowly became nebulous, almost void¡­


    Bai Qiancheng felt a pain in her heart.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people also stared at Mr. Zhuang, lost in thought.


    They knew this scene would eventually occur.


    But it seemed they had still not anticipated that this scene would truly take place¡­

 Chapter 748: Departure

    Contrary to what Mo Hua expected, the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation does not produce a ¡°clone¡± but a ¡°shadow of ink.¡±


    Simultaneously illusory and real, layers of shadows piled upon one another, they draped over Mo Hua like a Taoist robe.


    This ¡°Taoist Robe¡± appeared similar to that of Gui Tao¡¯s people, yet different.


    Pitch black but still very clean.


    Free of filth, free of bloodshed, it exuded a trace of eeriness that seemed untainted by the secular world.


    The eyes of Mo Hua had also become more profound, emitting a somber shadow of Gui Tao¡¯s path, yet it did not feel empty or terrifying; instead, his Divine Sense was brilliant and vibrant within.


    ...


    His pupils were pitch black, filled with splendor.


    He dominated the people of Gui Tao, rather than being enslaved by the Gui Tao.


    "This is¡­ Uncle¡¯s Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­¡±


    "And this is¡­ the true form of the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?¡±


    Mo Hua looked around at himself.


    The ¡°Taoist Robe¡± on his body was just a thin layer, far from Uncle¡¯s, yet he seemed to have¡­ truly entered the door?


    He entered the door of the Gui Tao?


    Mo Hua was shocked again and began to worry.


    Would he really become a ¡°Little Devious Path Person¡± in the future¡­


    As Mo Hua pondered for a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­


    The Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and the Heavenly secret Calculation come from the same root, both originating from an orthodox, unique Divine Consciousness Calculation Technique.


    The reason Uncle¡¯s Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was so evil and frightening was that he had fallen to the Demon Path, turned bad, and mixed the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation with demonic practices and various tortured spirits and souls¡­ §²a£Îo?£Â??


    As long as one does not let one¡¯s Divine Sense descend into demons, does not transform one¡¯s Divine Sense into Demon Thought, does not use Demon Thought as a seed to parasitize in others¡¯ Taoist Heart,


    To simply use Tricky Calculation to split one¡¯s Divine Sense does not constitute ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    Mo Hua set his mind at ease.


    His Uncle had become demonized, a Demon Head.


    But he was different¡­


    He cultivated through a formal Cultivation Technique and nurtured the Righteous Divine Thought.


    Still, he would have to be more careful in the future to avoid falling to the Demon Path and to prevent himself from becoming a ¡°little Demon Head¡±¡­


    Mo Hua exhaled in relief, then his expression turned excited.


    With the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation creating ink shadows and donning the ¡°Taoist Robe,¡± would his speed in Drawing Formations improve?


    Eager to find out, Mo Hua immediately tried activating the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    His eyes started showing signs of Gui Tao, revealing a deep ash-black color.


    Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Divine Sense Incarnation clothed in a ¡°Taoist Robe,¡± splitting into ink shadows.


    Meanwhile, his Divine Sense circulated swiftly, more than doubling its speed, and the speed of setting up a Formation soared as if aided by divine help, with Formation Patterns flowing smoothly like water¡­


    On the ground, the Spiritual Ink meandered quickly, connecting rapidly to form an array.


    While Mo Hua himself was Drawing Formation, the separated ink shadow, as an external embodiment sharing the same origin and mind, also assisted in Drawing Formation.


    However, the consumption of Divine Sense also intensified, like rivers breaking their banks and gushing miles away.


    The rate at which Divine Sense was drained was exceedingly alarming.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was incredibly profound and condensed, so he was still able to withstand it.


    Mo Hua clenched his teeth and persevered, ink shadows overlapping and Formation Patterns moving like swift horses¡­


    This process, though painful, was brief.


    In just over a dozen breaths, the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation had been fully drawn!


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had been exhausted, his Sea of Consciousness ached, his scalp tingled, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    The Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, dividing the Divine Sense.


    This way of Drawing Formation was extremely fast, but the consumption of Divine Sense was also incredibly great.


    Mo Hua¡¯s fourteen-pattern Divine Sense, which was more than sufficient for Drawing Thirteen Stripes Formation, now felt extremely taxing after using Gui Tao¡¯s splitting technique.


    But Mo Hua was still very happy.


    To him, the large consumption of Divine Sense and the mild pain in the Sea of Consciousness were actually trivial.


    Compared to that, the formation completion time of just over a dozen breaths was already much faster than before.


    Although it still wasn¡¯t quick enough to be deployed suddenly in combat,


    If there was a way to buy some time, to get just over a dozen breaths to covertly employ Divine Consciousness Control Ink and lay down a Formation, it was still possible.


    And this was just the beginning¡­


    He only split one ink shadow, only draped a single, thin layer of the Taoist Robe.


    If in the future, he could split thousands of ink shadows and the Taoist Robe could cover the skies and earth, wouldn¡¯t he be able to¡­


    Create a Large Formation with a single thought?


    This idea startled Mo Hua himself.


    He then quickly dismissed it.


    "I must not aspire for too much too soon¡­¡±


    He must focus steadfastly on gradually enhancing his Divine Sense, studying the Divine Sense Calculation Technique, practicing Divine Consciousness Control Ink, constructing Second-Grade Formations, and then gradually Draw better, faster¡­


    Continuously reducing the time for Drawing Ground into Formation¡­


    Until, in the heat of battle, at the critical moment, he could instantly create a Formation and turn the tide of battle¡­


    This was what he needed to do at present.


    The extravagant thought of instantly Creating a Large Formation could only be buried deep in his heart for now¡­


    This concluded the planning phase for Mo Hua.


    He already had the Spiritual Ink, and he had also learned the Formations.


    If he continued to stay, he wouldn¡¯t learn much else¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Although reluctant, he knew it was time for him to leave¡­


    He was to go to Qian State to continue his studies.


    Otherwise, without advancement in cultivation, sticking to old Formation ways, and lacking Tao Cultivation resources¡­


    He might never be able to cultivate the Supreme Divine Sense and reach the pinnacle of the Dao of Formation in his lifetime.


    Let alone save his mentor¡­


    ¡­


    Two months later, there would be a Cloud Ferry setting sail from the neighboring Second-Grade Qingyuan state boundary, traveling from south to north, passing through Kun, Dui, and Qian states, before finally reaching Kan State in the north.


    Mo Hua planned to catch the Cloud Ferry from Li State, disembark in Qian State he traveled through.


    Court Leader Zhou informed Mo Hua of this.


    Court Leader Zhou, who was in charge of Tongxian City, knew the information about these Cloud Ferries better than Mo Hua. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the same time, he gave Mo Hua a Cloud Crossing Order, made of white jade, exquisite and luxurious.

 Chapter 1015: Turning Evil into Falling Fire

    Chapter 1015: Chapter 655: Turning Evil into Falling Fire


    Chapter 1015 -655: Turning Evil into Falling Fire


    Above the altar, the trembling gradually intensified, and debris was already falling in droves.


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened and he immediately said,


    "Uncle Gu, the Formation has started destroying itself, the Demon Palace is going to collapse!¡±


    "How much longer?¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to estimate the spiritual power volume of the collapsing Formation, ¡°Less than 30 minutes


    Gu Changhuai clenched his teeth.


    He very much wanted to block Fire Buddha at the altar right then and there, to completely eliminate the future threat.


    But Fire Buddha, seemingly cornered and slowed by the Water Poison, his breath weakening, was not truly at the end of his rope.


    Such Demon Cultivators were notoriously difficult to kill¡­


    30 minutes would not be enough to finish him off.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was also within this altar¡­


    Even if he wished to take the risk and forcibly kill Fire Buddha, he had to consider Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s Formation talents, his future was boundless; he couldn¡¯t be left behind to be buried with a monstrous beast like Fire Buddha!


    Escape first!


    Gu Changhuai gave Fire Buddha a cold look and immediately said to Mo Hua:


    "Let¡¯s go!¡±


    "Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t hesitate. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the altar felt as though it had been built just for him, sitting there was very comfortable and its damage a pity,


    He didn¡¯t wish to be buried with it in this gloomy Demon¡¯s Cave.


    His own life was more important.


    Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai then activated their movement techniques together, one figure like the wind, the other transforming into flowing water, both fleeing with all their might towards the outside of the altar.


    Fire Buddha intentionally lingered a while, until Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua were far away, before he took a Blood Abnormality Pill and swallowed it.


    Streams of Blood Qi and Evil Power surged into his blood vessels.


    "Trying to kill me¡­ won¡¯t be that easy


    Fire Buddha let out a cold laugh, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.


    Then he used the power of the Pill to suppress the Water Poison and activated his movement technique; his figure, wrapped in firelight, fled out of the altar.


    Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai left the altar and came to the great hall.


    Inside the great hall, it was similarly in disarray, and scattered figures abounded.


    Some Taoist Court Official Cultivators were still fighting against fragmented Demon Cultivators.


    Some Enforcement Leaders gave chase to kill the Demon Cultivators.


    Others saw the Demon Palace shaking and stood, bewildered, not knowing what to do.


    Gu Changhuai frowned and coldly ordered, ¡°Everyone, evacuate the Demon Palace!¡±


    Then he grabbed Mo Hua with one hand and began to dash out together.


    Gu Changhuai was a Golden Core Cultivator, and also practiced Wind Escape Skill.


    Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique was far less swift than his.


    Moreover, at this moment, with the Demon Palace on the brink of collapse, chaos reigned, with stray Demon Cultivators around as well as panicked Enforcement Leaders, and occasionally huge stones fell from above.


    Gu Changhuai was more at ease holding onto Mo Hua personally.


    Thus, Mo Hua, with a helpless expression, was carried by the tall and slender Gu Changhuai, with the scenery rapidly flashing by.


    Shouts, howls, the sounds of falling rocks, and occasionally the clashing sounds of Cultivators¡¯ weapons filled his ears, adding to the incessant turmoil.


    The altar sank, the great hall collapsed, followed by the Maze falling to ruin, and then from inside to outside, from the central hall to the outer hall, the Formation destroyed itself layer by layer, the Demon Palace collapsing¡­


    Who knows how long it took, but Mo Hua¡¯s vision shifted, and he realized they had come outside of the Demon¡¯s Cave.


    The sky was expansive, and mountain mists lingered.


    Around them were Bishan City¡¯s towering hills and steep ridges.


    Mo Hua looked back to see the lone peak that concealed the Demon¡¯s Cave collapsing inwards like snow melting in hot soup, accompanied by a tremendous roar.


    And at the entrance of the Demon¡¯s Cave, many Cultivators were emerging in a frantic escape.


    Most of them were Taoist Court Official Cultivators, with a few being Demon Cultivators.


    The two factions, having just escaped from the Demon Palace, began to struggle against each other once again.


    Some Demon Cultivators took advantage of the chaos in an attempt to escape, but Gu Changhuai blocked the stone bridge and killed any that emerged.


    Mo Hua stayed hidden nearby, discreetly using Spells to control the Demon Cultivators.


    If any escaped Gu Changhuai¡¯s immediate reach, Mo Hua would use the Water Prison Technique or the Gen Mountain Formation to trap them.


    Then Gu Changhuai would finish them off.


    After killing about a dozen Demon Cultivators this way, a blood-red figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Demon Palace.


    It was Fire Buddha.


    He had also escaped.


    As soon as Fire Buddha got out, the whole mountain peak ¡°boomed¡± and collapsed entirely, burying the entire Demon Palace and the bizarre altar within.


    Those Cultivators who couldn¡¯t escape in time were also buried.


    Gu Changhuai seethed with hate, then turned to Fire Buddha with a murderous intent and instructed:


    "All Enforcement Leaders, guard the stone bridge, don¡¯t let this monstrosity Fire Buddha get away!¡±


    Afterward, a fierce wind whipped up around him as he took the lead and charged toward Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha let out a cold laugh and again cast Meteor Fire Skill, conjuring a dense hail of fire to oppose Gu Changhuai¡¯s Wind Blades, clashing violently.


    Other Taoist Court Official Cultivators, some guarded the stone bridge, some fought against other Demon Cultivators, and some supported Gu Changhuai from the periphery.


    Mo Hua watched for a while and frowned slightly.


    This Fire Buddha¡­


    In such a short span, he appeared to have suppressed the Water Poison, healed most of his injuries, and regained much of his Evil Power¡­


    As hard to kill as a cockroach¡­


    The situation was looking grim.


    Then, in the midst of the battle, Fire Buddha suddenly bypassed Gu Changhuai, his body wreathed in fierce flames, and aimed a palm strike at an unsuspecting Enforcement Leader, trying to take his life.


    Gu Changhuai moved to rescue, disrupting his offensive momentarily.


    Fire Buddha used this respite to breathe, a cold and sinister smile forming at the corner of his mouth.


    "At the altar, you didn¡¯t kill me; now it¡¯s already too late


    Upon hearing this, Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression changed, and he turned to look.


    He saw Fire Buddha crush a luxurious jade rune on the spot.


    Instantly, a fierce wind enveloped in intense flames whirled around Fire Buddha, and his figure¡¯s speed increased by more than a notch.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s pupils constricted.


    "A top-grade Rune¡­ A Ten Thousand Miles Divine Travel Rune?!¡±

 Chapter 1016: Transforming Evil into Falling

    Chapter 1016: Chapter 655: Transforming Evil into Falling Fire_2


    Chapter 1016 -655: Transforming Evil into Falling Fire_2


    In just an instant, Fire Buddha had moved like a raging fire, darting past Gu Changhuai and creating a distance of several meters.


    In the blink of an eye, he had gained another several meters.


    Gu Changhuai shouted harshly, ¡°Stop him!¡±


    All the Enforcement Leaders, upon hearing this command, their expressions turned serious. They raised their swords and closed in, forming an impenetrable defense at the entrance of the stone bridge, blocking Fire Buddha¡¯s path.


    Fire Buddha focused his gaze, and fire from the meteor he rode erupted around him, as he began to launch a fierce assault.


    Once he broke through the defense and left the stone bridge behind, he would be like a dragon entering the sea, free and unbound.


    Fire Buddha clashed fiercely with the Enforcement Leaders. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His eyes were damaged, thus he could not unleash the full extent of his Evil Qi; he could only intimidate simply, unable to instill fear in the hearts of the Taoist Court cultivators.


    However, relying on the torrent of Evil Power and the formidable might of Forbidden Techniques, he was slowly breaking through the encirclement.


    On the other side, Gu Changhuai was also rushing over with all his might.


    Just as Gu Changhuai was about to arrive, Fire Buddha was nearing the stone bridge entrance.


    With only a few Enforcement Leaders around, and a marshaling of the Godspeed Talisman, with a spark of his fiery energy, he could break free and ascend to the heavens.


    A cold and ruthless smile played upon Fire Buddha¡¯s face.


    At that moment, the ground beneath him quaked once more, and a familiar sensation came over him.


    Without looking, Fire Buddha knew.


    It was that damn Formation again!


    A glance from the corner of his eye confirmed that indeed there were grey Formation Patterns beneath his feet, converging into a stone cage, briefly binding him.


    This Formation was both precise and swift.


    Fire Buddha was infuriated.


    It must be that weird little ghost, hiding somewhere, striking from the shadows once more.


    In the brief moment, the Trapping Formation took to form, Fire Buddha¡¯s movements were hindered, and immediately several Taoist Court¡¯s Enforcement Leaders sealed in and attacked.


    One of them shouted, ¡°Fire Buddha, meet your death!¡±


    He was young, handsome, and well-dressed in a fresh Taoist Court uniform¡ªa prodigy from the Xiao family¡¯s Direct Lineage, Xiao Tianquan.


    He had yet to directly engage Fire Buddha in battle.


    Now, at the final moment, he burst forth to deliver this one sword strike.


    This sword strike was formidable; Spiritual Power overflowed, and indeed, it landed on Fire Buddha¡¯s left shoulder.


    But Fire Buddha was no ordinary foe; with a wave of his right hand, Evil Fire spread out, burning Xiao Tianquan¡¯s left arm, forcing him to retreat and revealing half his body.


    Gu Changhuai, who had caught up from behind, swung his folding fan with all his strength, unleashing several sharp Wind Blades that suddenly hit Fire Buddha¡¯s back, shredding his Kasaya to pieces.


    Fire Buddha endured Gu Changhuai¡¯s attack, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth, but a cold smile revealed itself on his lips.


    He then activated the Ten Thousand Miles Divine Travel Rune, taking advantage of the half-exposed Xiao Tianquan, and like a fiery blaze, he made his escape.


    Mo Hua tried one last Water Prison Technique, but it was futile.


    Seeing Fire Buddha about to escape, Mo Hua was somewhat angry.


    This Xiao Tianquan, truly useless.


    Better for him to have stayed hidden, reaping the benefits of others¡¯ work.


    At the crucial moment, he leaped out, wanting to snatch the prize, that was fine, but then he should have at least killed Fire Buddha.


    Or, at the very least, fought to keep him there.


    As it was now, merely exchanging a few wounds with Fire Buddha and letting him get away, it was utterly insufficient for success and excessive in failure.


    Mo Hua was grumbling to himself when suddenly, his expression became startled.


    His Divine Sense was powerful, his gaze sharp, so in the midst of chaos he saw¡­


    The moment Fire Buddha escaped, he and Xiao Tianquan brushed past each other.


    And for an instant¡­


    Did they exchange a look?


    Xiao Tianquan, clutching his arm, had a somewhat strange look in his eyes.


    And Fire Buddha, looking at Xiao Tianquan, had an exceptionally calm expression.


    Without a word between them, it was only in a flash, but there was a slight crossing of their gazes.


    This feeling, it was as if¡­


    They were acquaintances?


    Mo Hua was inwardly shaken, but when he looked again, Xiao Tianquan¡¯s expression was now one of gravity, seemingly frustrated that Fire Buddha had escaped.


    While Fire Buddha had already turned into a streak of firelight, with the Ten Thousand Miles Divine Travel Rune, he had found his way to freedom.


    In a rage, Gu Changhuai, from behind, commanded loudly,


    "Chase him!¡±


    He too transformed into a fierce gale, pursuing in the direction of Fire Buddha¡¯s escape, followed by several Taoist Court cultivators in his wake.


    Mo Hua watched Xiao Tianquan silently, his thoughts stirring.


    It seemed¡­


    There was a bigger fish¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua did not join Gu Changhuai in the chase after Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha was too fast, and he couldn¡¯t catch up; moreover, he did not possess enough Spiritual Power to sustain his movement technique over such a long chase.


    He stayed honestly in Bishan City, waiting for Uncle Gu¡¯s news, an opportunity to rest himself as well.


    The next morning, Gu Changhuai returned, weary and covered in dust.


    "Fire Buddha escaped


    Gu Changhuai sighed deeply, his tone bitter.


    Mo Hua felt it a pity, but he wasn¡¯t surprised.


    A Demon Cultivator like Fire Buddha, with surging Evil Power, was difficult to kill unless thoroughly besieged and completely exhausted; otherwise, outside, there were too many variables, making it hard to finish him.


    "Uncle Gu, what is a Ten Thousand Miles Divine Travel Rune?¡± Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Gu Changhuai looked surprised and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s an exceptional Rune, the top-tier rune used by cultivators below the Golden Core for traveling or fleeing


    "Such runes are usually possessed only by large clans or noble families


    Mo Hua said, ¡°So the rune that Fire Buddha had, did he rob it, steal it, or was it


    Given to him by someone?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t spell it out, but Gu Changhuai understood, his face growing solemn.


    Mo Hua glanced around and then said quietly, ¡°Uncle Gu, that Howling Celestial Dog¡­ Xiao Tianquan, seems to know Fire Buddha


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes hardened, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    "I saw it Mo Hua said, ¡°When Fire Buddha was escaping, he exchanged a look with Xiao Tianquan, a look that was like one between acquaintances

 Chapter 1017: Transforming Evil Falling Fire (3)

    Chapter 1017: Chapter 655: Transforming Evil Falling Fire_3


    Chapter 1017 -655: Transforming Evil Falling Fire_3


    Gu Changhuai frowned as he recalled the events of the previous day, not remembering that particular scene. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It was very brief, just in the blink of an eye, but I caught it with my keen eyes!¡±


    Fire Buddha and Howling Celestial Dog were ¡°conveying messages through glances!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s brows furrowed tighter, he pondered for a moment but still shook his head.


    "Logically, it¡¯s highly unlikely


    "Fire Buddha is over two hundred years old, Xiao Tianquan is probably only in his twenties or thirties, the difference in their ages is vast. When Fire Buddha was notorious for his evil deeds, Xiao Tianquan wasn¡¯t even born yet


    "It¡¯s unlikely that the two of them would have any connection


    "With Fire Buddha¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t necessarily think highly of Xiao Tianquan


    Mo Hua spoke in a low voice, ¡°Could it be the Xiao family


    Gu Changhuai pondered a bit more, then shook his head, ¡°In this encirclement of the Demon Palace, the Xiao family lost many people; these were the pillars of the Xiao family in the Taoist Court


    "It would be self-destructive to eradicate their own foundation. Even if Xiao Tianquan wanted to do it, the old ancestor of the Xiao family would never agree


    Mo Hua nodded, but still felt that something was amiss.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s puzzled expression and not knowing what he was thinking, fearing he might do something inconceivable, Gu sighed,


    "I will pay attention to this matter; you don¡¯t need to worry about it


    "Also, don¡¯t mention it to outsiders, or if the Xiao family hears about it, they will definitely accuse you of ¡®spreading rumors and slandering the Xiao family¡¯, and give you trouble


    "The Xiao family has significant influence in the Taoist Court, being targeted by them would hinder you at every turn, and life would become very difficult


    "Mmm!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly,


    This matter indeed needed to be handled discreetly.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Uncle Gu, where exactly did Fire Buddha flee?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression turned grave, ¡°Beyond the Qianxue State Boundary, the exact location is still unclear, but I¡¯ve already notified the Taoist Courts in various Immortal Cities along the way to issue a wanted order to pursue and block him


    "Hopefully, we can stop Fire Buddha


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    If Fire Buddha escaped and lurked outside the Qianxue State Boundary to recuperate and grow, coming back again would likely bring another storm of bloodshed.


    Numerous cultivators would suffer and die a horrible death.


    If he truly attained the Golden Core, the disaster would be immeasurable¡­


    Mo Hua also sighed, his mood heavy.


    "So I


    Mo Hua wanted to say something else, but Gu Changhuai said,


    "Stop worrying about it; go back to your Sect for cultivation soon


    "The pursuit of Fire Buddha is both dangerous and lengthy; how much time can you afford to spend following it? You only have a total of seven days off, right?¡±


    "Two days left!¡± Mo Hua said.


    "Is two days a lot? Qian State is so vast, chasing Fire Buddha wouldn¡¯t even allow enough time for travel Gu Changhuai coldly said.


    "But


    Mo Hua still wanted to insist.


    Gu Changhuai decisively said, ¡°Tomorrow, I will arrange for someone to send you back to the Sect; focus on your cultivation.¡±


    Mo Hua was reticent to listen to him.


    Gu Changhuai then said, ¡°You just go back honestly; I¡¯ll think of a way to convert it into some merits for the Sect, since destroying the Demon Palace also counts as a significant achievement


    "If you don¡¯t go back, then we¡¯ll drop the matter.¡±


    Mo Hua immediately acquiesced, obediently saying,


    "Alright, Uncle Gu, I will listen to you!¡±


    ¡­


    The next morning, Gu Changhuai hired a carriage to send Mo Hua back to the Sect.


    Originally, Gu Changhuai wanted to send two Enforcement Leaders with him.


    But Mo Hua did not want to be escorted by the Enforcement Leaders.


    One reason was, if he truly encountered danger, his own Concealment Technique was enough for him to escape.


    If he couldn¡¯t escape, then these two Enforcement Leaders wouldn¡¯t be able to save him either and might even endanger their lives as well.


    Another reason was that he wanted to take advantage of the time on the return trip to study the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art Secret Manual of Fire Buddha.


    And another one¡­


    "The True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation!¡±


    When Mo Hua stole Fire Buddha¡¯s secret manuals, he had grabbed two books without looking closely and just stored them in his Storage Ring.


    Later, when Mo Hua returned, he secretly flipped through them and discovered that aside from Fire Buddha¡¯s ¡°Meteor Fire Forbidden Art,¡± there was also a book, which was indeed this ¡°The True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation!¡±


    This must be what Uncle Gu referred to as the unwritten legacy of the Sect of Demon.


    It was also the spell point used by Fire Buddha to ¡°invite evil into the method¡± and intimidate the Divine Soul.


    Mo Hua decided to ¡°critically examine¡± it.


    If there were parts worth referencing, he would ¡°extract the essence and discard the dregs¡± for study.


    If it really couldn¡¯t be learned, he would look for Fire Buddha¡¯s weaknesses from the Evil Qi.


    If it was too evil, then he would burn it, preventing it from harming others.


    But such a book must be perused secretly; he mustn¡¯t let the Taoist Court or Uncle Gu know, lest they think he was a ¡°bad person.¡±


    ¡­


    Amidst green mountains and waters, a carriage traveled leisurely.


    The Spirit Horse pulling the carriage knew the way.


    Mo Hua sat inside the carriage, quietly flipping through the two secret manuals treasured by Fire Buddha.


    First was ¡°The True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation.¡±


    Mo Hua flipped through it, his gaze deepening.


    True to its name, it was indeed a bloodthirsty and cruel Demon Sect scripture.


    According to the book, Evil Qi is also a kind of force between Heaven and Earth, lying between Spiritual Energy and Divine Thought, both tangible and intangible.


    The process of cultivating Evil Qi, simply put, is characterized by the word ¡°kill.¡±


    Killing numerous people, causing slaughter, accumulating grievances, and then converting these ¡°karmic killings¡± into Evil Qi through this true manual.


    The more people you kill, the deeper the Evil Qi.


    The stronger the people you kill, the heavier the Evil Qi.


    When facing enemies, just relying on the profound and terrifying Evil Qi could cause the opponent¡¯s liver and gallbladder to shatter, strike terror into their hearts, and lose the will to resist, leaving them at your mercy.

 Chapter 1018: Turning the Evil Meteor Fire (4)

    Chapter 1018: Chapter 655 Turning the Evil Meteor Fire_4


    Chapter 1018 -655 Turning the Evil Meteor Fire_4


    As he faced off against a skilled opponent, the Evil Qi could even erode the adversary¡¯s divine sense, allowing the Evil Qi to invade the body and drive them into madness or frenzy.


    In the great hall at the time, the Fire Buddha exploited the Evil Qi to ¡°terrorize¡± several Enforcement Leaders, then with a swipe of his fiery blade, he slaughtered them all.


    The Demon evilness was formidable in both group combat and single kills.


    "To massacre a large number of people


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and shook his head.


    With such a heavy blood debt, this was certainly not a path he could follow.


    However, what caught his interest was the process of ¡°transferring Evil Qi.¡±


    Transforming the ¡°blood debt¡± into ¡°Evil Qi.¡±


    This method seemed to contain elements similar to ¡°causal transformation.¡±


    Killing was the cause, Evil Qi the effect.


    Transform murderous intent into Evil Qi, transform cause into effect.


    It was as if it harnessed a thread of the rules of ¡°Heavenly secret karmic consequences,¡± then combined it with the actions of slaughter unique to the Demon Path, to create this spell point.


    After some thought, Mo Hua decided not to destroy this secret manual.


    He didn¡¯t have to cultivate the Evil Qi, but the process of ¡°transferring Evil Qi,¡± which involved the transformation of cause and effect, was worth exploring.


    And next was what Mo Hua anticipated most, the secret manual for the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art!


    The Meteor Fire Skill¡¯s manual was a thick stack, and rather than a manual, it seemed more like ¡°Forbidden Art research notes.¡±


    It was densely packed with text and illustrations, all relating to the records and cautions of the Forbidden Art.


    This included its taboos, drawbacks, and the difficult challenges that could not be easily overcome.


    Mo Hua glanced through and suddenly had an epiphany.


    The Meteor Fire Skill was a Forbidden Technique with immense spiritual power and devastating impact, but it also had extremely severe drawbacks.


    The Fire Buddha, in order to cultivate this spell, killed many people, integrating their flesh and spiritual power into himself, specifically into the two ¡°flaming hearts¡± in his chest.


    The more people he killed, the stronger the flaming hearts became, the more terrifying the spell¡¯s power, with an almost infinite supply of Evil Power.


    No wonder he looked like a Monster Beast bursting with demonic power.


    Hard to kill, and death would not come easy.


    Even if he was injured, as long as he continued to kill people, he would quickly recover.


    And those two hearts of his were, in fact, a pair of innately paired Evil Artifacts.


    They were also the embryos of a Golden Core Realm Cultivator¡¯s own Magical Treasure.


    Golden Core Cultivators would refine their own Magical Treasure.


    To advance from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, one must cultivate the embryo of their own Magical Treasure in advance.


    This was what the Instructor had told him during a Tao Cultivation class.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s Magical Treasure embryo, his two ¡°flaming hearts,¡± was also the core of the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art.


    As for the Magical Treasure embryo, Mo Hua in his current state, still couldn¡¯t fully comprehend it.


    He was just at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, and some distance away from reaching the Golden Core Realm. Knowledge about cultivating his own Magical Treasure was not something he needed to delve into for the time being.


    As for the Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Skill¡­


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t going to learn it, couldn¡¯t learn it, so there was no need to spend too much time pondering it.


    What he needed now was only a stable and controllable ¡°Skill Pattern.¡±


    And within the Fire Buddha¡¯s two flaming hearts, this pattern structure was contained.


    After all, those two ¡°hearts,¡± as embryos of his own Magical Treasure, were implanted into the cardiac veins ¨C if they were not stable, the Fire Buddha would have ¡°self-detonated¡± and perished long ago.


    "Stable and controllable Skill Pattern!¡±


    Holding this objective, Mo Hua ¡°discarded the dross to extract the essence,¡± and focused on studying the pathways of Fire Spiritual Power flow within those two ¡°hearts¡± of the Fire Buddha.


    He also deduced several fundamental ¡°Skill Patterns¡± of Fire Spiritual Power flow based on these pathways, essentially ¡°drawing the gourd according to its model.¡±


    These Skill Patterns were all very complex, however.


    But Mo Hua was not afraid.


    His Divine Sense was strong, he didn¡¯t fear complex spells, the more complex the better.


    After deriving these Skill Patterns, Mo Hua, unable to contain his eagerness, sat in the carriage and experimented with each one.


    Starting with the simple Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua began to condense the Fireball Technique, based on this complex ¡°Skill Pattern¡± that came from the Forbidden Technique, then launched it towards the ground.


    Through the entire process of shooting the Fireball, Mo Hua began to understand the variations of the Skill Pattern.


    How powerful it was, whether stable or controllable, whether the Skill Pattern was prone to instability, and so on¡­


    After about a dozen trials, Mo Hua finally found one, comparatively, the most stable and easiest to control Fireball Skill Pattern.


    Mo Hua was elated and really wanted to experiment with the Fireball fusion, and craft a ¡°Spiritual transformation¡± of the Fireball Technique to see its power.


    But after some thought, he held back.


    This wasn¡¯t the Sect, if he made a mistake and lost control of the spell, and injured himself, there wouldn¡¯t be an Elder to save him¡­


    Mo Hua suppressed his restless heart, thinking he would test the power of this spell after returning to the Sect.


    ¡­


    The carriage continued to amble along.


    The scenery on both sides of the road was pleasant, winding through the pathways between Spirit Fields, passing through Immortal Cities, and as evening approached, they arrived outside Qingcheng Mountain.


    Crossing the mountain and continuing a little longer, they would reach the Qianxue State Boundary.


    The setting sun painted the mountain, and the dusk sky was ablaze with color.


    Mo Hua leaned on the window, watching the sunset.


    As he watched, Mo Hua¡¯s heart abruptly lurched.


    The sunset resembled fresh blood.


    Mo Hua blinked, and when he looked again, the colorful clouds remained resplendent; the earlier ¡°bloody¡± vision was merely his illusion.


    Mo Hua felt uneasy.


    He tried using Heavenly secret Calculation, and at that moment, saw a bright red, fiery karmic chain that was like blood covering his body.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils dilated, and without an iota of hesitation, he immediately leapt out of the carriage.


    In just a few breaths of time, the carriage he had been riding in exploded violently, a fierce fire engulfed it, reducing it to ashes.


    Mo Hua landed and looked forward, only to see a figure at the crossroads ahead.


    Tall and broad, with a kind face but clothed in blood-red Kasaya, his eyes ablaze with murderous intent.


    It was the Fire Buddha!


    His gaze was icy, his voice indifferent,


    "Young benefactor, allow me to escort you on your journey!¡±


    S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1019: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra

    Chapter 1019 -656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)


    Chapter 1019 -656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)


    Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingled, but he forced a smile and said,


    "Venerable, you¡¯re too kind. I can return to the Sect by myself; there¡¯s no need for you to send me off. The Taoist Court is after you, you should hurry and escape


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, the corners of his mouth carrying a smile, ¡°So, the person who impersonated ¡®Master Yuan¡¯ and spoke to me that day was indeed you!¡±


    "Not at all!¡±


    Mo Hua vehemently denied.


    But Fire Buddha had already made up his mind about him.


    "The one who stole my ¡®True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation¡¯ and the ¡®Meteor Fire Forbidden Art¡¯ at the altar was also you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face filled with confusion. ¡°Venerable, what are you talking about? I really don¡¯t understand


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He had lived for so long yet had never seen such a shameless ¡°little benefactor.¡±


    Mo Hua offered a sheepish smile, S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Venerable, if you¡¯re not leaving, could you at least let me go


    Fire Buddha took a deep breath and said in a cold voice,


    "Do you think you can walk away?¡±


    Seeing that Fire Buddha was not about to let him off, Mo Hua sighed and said helplessly,


    "If you don¡¯t trouble my Uncle Gu, what¡¯s the point of picking on a child like me?¡±


    "No!¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze turned sharp, ¡°Gu Changhuai is far inferior to you


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    "I might not be able to kill Gu Changhuai today, but I can kill him another day


    "But you are different


    Fire Buddha stared intently at Mo Hua,


    "Your Divine Sense is strong, your stealth is strong, and your Formation skills are strong; Your movements are unpredictable, your methods are inscrutable, and your mind is full of scheming


    "And yet, you are only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage level. Given time, you will certainly become a major threat


    A cold intent to kill shone in Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes,


    "I always have this premonition, that if I don¡¯t kill you today, sooner or later I will die at your hands!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched and he attempted to force a smile,


    "Venerable, you¡¯re overestimating me. I¡¯m of poor talent, not worthy of your concern


    But Fire Buddha had already firmly decided to kill him.


    He slowly walked towards Mo Hua, a compassionate look on his face which then revealed a cold smile.


    "Little benefactor, you¡¯ve stolen my Meteor Fire Skill, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know how to use it


    Fire Buddha slowly extended his hand forward, evil power surging within him as flames rose.


    "I¡¯ll teach you right now


    And in the instant Fire Buddha reached out, Mo Hua also raised his hand and tapped forward, activating a Manifesting Formation.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s pupils contracted.


    This time he saw it clearly.


    With a tap of Mo Hua¡¯s finger, Spiritual Ink shot through the air, swiftly winding on the ground, solidifying into Formation Patterns, and creating a Formation.


    Divine Sense Control Ink, touching the ground to create a Formation?!


    Fire Buddha gasped in shock.


    What kind of unbelievable Formation setup technique was this?


    Not even Master Yuan, nor any of the Formation Masters he had encountered or even heard of in his life, could casually create a Formation so effortlessly and without constraints.


    This child must die!


    Otherwise, once his cultivation increases even slightly and his Formation skills become stronger, he would undoubtedly become an unimaginable enemy!


    Fire Buddha¡¯s killing intent flared.


    Beneath his feet, a Formation materialized, creating the Gen Mountain Formation and trapping him in place.


    But in an instant, flames violently rose and completely destroyed the Gen Mountain Formation.


    With the Formation broken, Mo Hua turned and bolted.


    He couldn¡¯t win!


    He had to flee!


    Fire Buddha sneered and continued the pursuit, but after only a few steps, another series of Formations activated under his feet, hampering his movements.


    Fire Buddha then realized that while he had been speaking with this youngster, Mo Hua had not been idle. Instead, he had silently set up so many Formations on the ground to delay him.


    "Truly a cunning little devil


    Fire Buddha snorted coldly.


    He pushed his evil power to the limit, a barrage of fiery rain sweeping all around, and after an explosion, destroyed all the nearby Formations that Mo Hua had laid.


    Then, like a blaze of fire, he furiously chased after Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was startled and immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai:


    "Uncle Gu, save me!!¡±


    "Fire Buddha is trying to kill me!!!¡±


    He then looked back and saw Fire Buddha closing in on him.


    He was at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, while Fire Buddha was at the Foundation Establishment Peak.


    The disparity in cultivation was too great.


    Although his Water Passing Step was exquisite, it was adept at short-range dodging and shifting but not particularly impressive for long-distance escapes and pursuits.


    Seeing that he was about to be caught by Fire Buddha, Mo Hua¡¯s body flowed like water, and he suddenly made a sharp turn, dodging past Fire Buddha and running towards the forest on the left side.


    Fire Buddha lunged into thin air, then frowned.


    What was the origin of this body skill?


    The first time they met, Mo Hua had relied on his body skill to escape from Qiao Laoliu and others.


    At that time, Fire Buddha did not intervene.


    He thought it was because Qiao Laoliu and the others were not adept at body techniques, which allowed Mo Hua to slip away.


    But now that he was personally capturing him and experiencing it for himself, he realized that this Water System Body Skill was much more troublesome than he had anticipated¡­


    It was like a ¡°little loach,¡± slippery and difficult to grasp.


    It looked weak, but it was also extremely difficult to kill¡­


    "Then all the more reason I can¡¯t let him live


    Fire Buddha said coldly.


    Mo Hua used the Water Passing Step and darted into the forest, followed by Fire Buddha.


    With the obstruction of rocks and trees, Mo Hua¡¯s body skill came into play, making it easier to fend off Fire Buddha. Although Fire Buddha could catch up to Mo Hua, he could not capture or kill him in a short time.


    The spells he cast either missed or were blocked by the forest.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze turned murderous, and his intent to kill deepened by a notch.


    Mo Hua lasted a while with his body skill, then choosing his moment, his figure flashed and blended into the surrounding environment, gradually disappearing from sight¡­


    "So it really is¡­ the Five Elements Stealth Technique


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze intensified, then he sneered, pulling out a Quicksilver Spirit Mirror from his chest.

 Chapter 1020: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra

    Chapter 1020 -656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_2


    Chapter 1020 -656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_2


    The Spiritual Realm above shimmered with silver light.


    The Fire Buddha, scanning through the Spiritual Realm, immediately spotted a faint, small shadow within the mountain forest.


    He flicked his hand, sending out several sparks of fiery rain, carrying molten fire like darting arrows, directly toward the shadow.


    The small figure flashed away in an instant, narrowly evading the fiery rain.


    The fire struck the mountain stones with a resounding ¡°boom,¡± carving deep scorch marks that billowed with white smoke.


    Missing the first strike, the Fire Buddha snorted coldly, probing again through the Spiritual Realm to locate Mo Hua¡¯s concealed figure.


    *Mo Hua was speechless.*


    *The great Fire Buddha, all for capturing one small cultivator like himself, had to resort to such extremes?*


    *First the ambush.*


    *Then blocking all exits.*


    *Even bringing a specialized Spiritual Artifact designed to counter his concealment.* Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *When he wiped out the entire Xie family, it was likely just one burn of molten fire that slaughtered everyone in his path, without even needing this much effort¡­*


    But as things stood, Mo Hua was out of options.


    He could only hope Uncle Gu would hurry to save him.


    That would give him either the chance to escape or the opportunity to counterattack.


    Until then, he could only try his best to stall and outmaneuver the Fire Buddha.


    Meanwhile, on another path,


    Gu Changhuai was riding his Spirit Horse, returning from Bishan City to Qian Learning State Boundary.


    He felt a growing sense of unease, suspecting the Fire Buddha¡¯s escape route lacked subtlety, seeming almost too straightforward.


    *It was almost as if it was meant to mislead.*


    Gu Changhuai then thought of Mo Hua, who was returning to the sect alone, and found himself growing increasingly worried.


    So he decided to head to the Qian Learning State Boundary alone to investigate.


    Midway through his journey, his Letter Token suddenly stirred. Gu Changhuai pulled it out and saw the messages sent by Mo Hua:


    "The Fire Buddha wants to kill me!¡±


    Gu Changhuai was shocked to his core, nearly gasping for breath.


    The Fire Buddha!


    He was pursuing Mo Hua!


    The Letter Token also included coordinates for a spot on Qingcheng Mountain.


    Gu Changhuai took a deep breath and immediately urged his horse into a gallop, racing full-speed toward Mo Hua¡¯s location.


    At the same time, he began mobilizing all Enforcement Leaders in the vicinity, directing them toward Qingcheng Mountain.


    "Search the mountain thoroughly, encircle, and kill the Fire Buddha!¡±


    As the sun set in the west, the night deepened.


    The Spirit Horse galloped faster and faster, the scenery on both sides blurring into streaks behind them.


    Gu Changhuai looked at the distant horizon, his heart ablaze with anxiety, murmuring under his breath:


    "Kid, don¡¯t you dare die on me


    Time flew by, and midnight arrived in no time.


    Mo Hua and the Fire Buddha had spent most of the night in the mountains ¡°playing hide-and-seek.¡±


    Mo Hua was panting heavily, utterly exhausted.


    The Fire Buddha also wore an expression of disbelief.


    *He couldn¡¯t catch him.*


    *No matter what, he just couldn¡¯t catch him.*


    Despite his peak Foundation Establishment cultivation and the invisibility-breaking Spiritual Artifact he specially prepared, the labyrinthine terrain of the mountain forest made it utterly impossible to corner this little pest.


    It was an unfamiliar, desolate wilderness, yet the boy moved as though it was his own backyard.


    His movement technique was excellent, his concealment impressive.


    He could hide almost anywhere.


    At times, he even used Monster Beasts to pit the tiger against the ¡°wolf,¡± hindering the Fire Buddha¡¯s actions.


    *This was frustrating for someone like the Fire Buddha, who had always relied on brute force to dominate.*


    *This little brat¡ªcould he be a Monster Beast in disguise?*


    *Once he darted into the wilderness, he moved like a fish in the sea, like a falcon soaring through the skies.*


    *He completely miscalculated.*


    The Fire Buddha cursed inwardly.


    At first, he thought with the intel he received, all he needed to do was block this lone boy, cut through his concealment techniques, and with his cultivation, crushing a mere Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator would be a breeze.


    But to his dismay, the boy turned out to be exceedingly troublesome.


    *Where was the semblance of a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator in this kid at all?*


    Yet, the harder the kill, the more determined the Fire Buddha became to see it through.


    If he couldn¡¯t finish him off now, and the brat managed to escape into Qian Learning State Boundary and advanced to the Middle or even Later Stage of Foundation Establishment, it would be beyond imagining how difficult he¡¯d be to deal with then.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes burned crimson like flames.


    "He must die!¡±


    Even if it took time, he would wear this brat down until he was spent.


    The boy was only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage; relying solely on movement techniques and concealment, there would eventually come a time when his spiritual power was exhausted.


    When that happened, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide or conceal himself, and the Fire Buddha could burn him alive and reduce him to ashes to vent his fury.


    On the other side, Mo Hua was deeply frustrated.


    This Fire Buddha was dead set on his pursuit, determined to kill him no matter what.


    He had already led the Fire Buddha in circles through the forest so many times, yet the man refused to give up.


    *It was as if he harbored the hatred of a murdered father!*


    *For someone who held the title of a Demon¡¯s Cave leader, his heart sure was small.*


    Had he not been an experienced Monster Hunter, an accomplished Junior Formation Master, skilled in movement techniques and concealment, and quick-witted, he likely would have been apprehended already.


    *This way of surviving wasn¡¯t sustainable¡­*


    Mo Hua quickly sent Gu Changhuai another Transmission:


    "South cliff of Qingcheng Mountain, right-side path. Uncle Gu, hurry!¡±


    No reply came, possibly because Gu Changhuai was still rushing to the location.


    Mo Hua sighed deeply, resigning himself to continuing this deadly game of ¡°hide-and-seek¡± with the Fire Buddha.


    Luckily, it was nighttime in the forest, and the darkness was heavy. With Monster Beasts lurking everywhere, Mo Hua could stir up the situation and blend into the chaos.


    He was adept at concealment, seamlessly melting into the shadows.


    But the Fire Buddha was far from discreet, moving through the forest like a flaming beacon, his presence evident wherever he went, constantly disturbing the Monster Beasts.


    This intrusion offended the Monster Beasts, including some high-level Second Grade ones, who would engage the Fire Buddha in combat. This unintended interference gave Mo Hua a much-needed advantage.


    And so, hours dragged by until nearly dawn.


    Eventually, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t evade forever and was finally cornered by the Fire Buddha.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s expression remained cold as he attacked with relentless force, aiming to kill Mo Hua. Mo Hua, depleted, continued to use movement techniques and concealment to grapple with him.


    But after spending so much time in this protracted fight, Mo Hua¡¯s movements had noticeably slowed.

 Chapter 1021: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra

    Chapter 1021 -656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_3


    Chapter 1021 -656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_3


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes lit up.


    "Stinky brat, it¡¯s about time you died


    With a flick of his sleeve, he transformed it into a streak of firelight, slashing towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua exerted all his strength to dodge, but even though he managed to evade, he had nearly exhausted his spiritual power. His movement technique grew unstable, and he tumbled to one side, appearing somewhat disheveled.


    But still, Mo Hua bit down on his teeth and scrambled to his feet, racing towards another narrow valley.


    "Seeking your own death.¡±


    Fire Buddha sneered coldly and continued to follow Mo Hua into the valley.


    Just as it seemed inevitable that Mo Hua would be unable to escape, Fire Buddha launched another fire blade.


    In the midst of the dark night, the red fire blade was especially striking, filled with murderous intent.


    But just as the fire blade was about to strike Mo Hua, several wind blades suddenly flew out from the sides, completely neutralizing it.


    Fire Buddha was taken aback, and as he turned to look, he saw Gu Changhuai standing in the distance, his handsome gaze filled with murderous intent.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua, using up all his energy, activated the Formation.


    At the entrance, with a thunderous boom, boulders fell, completely sealing off the valley.


    Fire Buddha then understood.


    He¡¯d been schemed against by the brat again.


    Pretending to be overpowered, leading him step by step over here, and then sealing off the valley.


    And inside the valley, a strong foe was waiting for him.


    This valley was not inescapable.


    But whether climbing the rocks or breaking through the entrance, it would all take time. At least under the watchful eyes of a formidable foe, there would be no chance to escape leisurely.


    In other words, it would be either him or Gu Changhuai who would live.


    As for that brat¡­


    Fire Buddha looked around, his gaze darkening.


    Gone again¡­


    Damn concealment technique!


    Annoyed as Fire Buddha was, he couldn¡¯t concern himself with Mo Hua any longer.


    The great battle was about to erupt.


    Gu Changhuai also knew this might be his last chance to kill Fire Buddha.


    If he failed to kill him now, once Fire Buddha escaped and achieved a breakthrough, advancing to the next realm, and reaching Golden Core, it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens to kill him later.


    After all, what Fire Buddha cultivated was a fearsome Forbidden Technique.


    Fire Buddha was also unafraid.


    This place was at the edge of the Qianxue State boundary.


    If they entered the Fifth Grade Qianxue State boundary, Gu Changhuai could use his Golden Core Treasure without restraint, and Fire Buddha would surely be no match for him.


    But here within Qingcheng Mountain, there was still a Second Grade restriction.


    If Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t suppress his cultivation and rashly used the Golden Core Power, the one to die would be Gu Changhuai.


    And Fire Buddha could take a step ahead, using Gu Changhuai¡¯s flesh to refine his Forbidden Technique, increasing his Evil Qi. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And that brat¡­


    Once Gu Changhuai died, with no one to protect him, the brat would undoubtedly meet his death too!


    Even if he had to use the Meteor Fire Skill, inch by inch, he would blast him out and grind his bones to ash!


    Fire Buddha spread his arms, and a rain of fire filled the sky.


    Gu Changhuai waved his folding fan, and the wind rolled like a blade.


    After a moment, the wind and fire swept through, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.


    Spiritual power clashed with Evil Power, spells intertwined and slaughtered non-stop, explosions erupted one after another.


    Mo Hua, who was watching from a distance, was petrified with fear.


    Fortunately, the valley was quite spacious, and he was hiding rather far away, so for the moment, he was not affected.


    He seized the moment to meditate and rest, restoring his Divine Sense and spiritual power.


    Mo Hua rested while remaining alert to the commotion in the distance.


    Time passed, and Mo Hua opened his eyes to find the fierce battle still raging, and the sky had now turned a faint white.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, fully restored in both Divine Sense and spiritual power, turned icy cold.


    After 1 p.m., it would be the seventh day.


    Also, the last day of his leave.


    Within seven days, Fire Buddha must die!


    Mo Hua, having been cornered and relentlessly chased by Fire Buddha, forced to flee in embarrassment the whole night, had already bottled up a bellyful of fire.


    "Thinking of seeing me off?¡±


    "I¡¯ll send you on your way first!¡±


    Mo Hua slowly stood up, looking at Fire Buddha, his pupils turning pitch black in an instant, as if shrouded in a layer of profound night.


    On the other side, Fire Buddha, who had been fighting with Gu Changhuai for a long time, suddenly sensed something was wrong.


    He felt the Evil Qi around him showing subtle signs of slipping out of control.


    "What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s heart was struck with trepidation.


    His Evil Qi should have recovered after his rest, so how could it suddenly ¡°lose control¡±?


    "Could it be


    Fire Buddha scanned his surroundings and, indeed, he spotted Mo Hua off to one side.


    Mo Hua¡¯s entire aura was peculiar, but because he was enveloped in the night¡¯s darkness, his form was obscure and utterly indiscernible.


    And in the next moment, within the pitch-black pupils of Mo Hua, a streak of white Qi became visible.


    Heavenly Secret Calculation bolstered by Tricky Calculation, forcibly reversing the Heavenly secret, causing effects to run backward.


    Fire Buddha felt a complete disarray of his own Qi, as if some chains were being twisted forcibly, and the Evil Qi around his body began to uncontrollably reverse¡­


    Evil Qi reversing?!


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned ashen.


    How could this brat know such a method?


    Where had he learned such profound skills of the Demonic Path Cultivation?


    Was he a True Disciple of the Sect of Demon?


    No, impossible¡­


    This brat was not a Demon Cultivator¡­


    Fire Buddha¡¯s thoughts raced frantically, and then he was struck with a realization.


    The True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation had been stolen by this brat¡­


    He couldn¡¯t have¡­ learned it on the spot, could he?


    A chill surged through him.


    Fire Buddha felt as if his Taoist heart was about to shatter.


    Before he could ponder further, the reversed Evil Qi had already invaded his whole body.


    This Evil Qi that he had cultivated from killing countless people, now forcibly reversed by the cause and effect, returning the harm back to him, all poured into his own Divine Sense.


    Harm to others is harm to oneself.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s complexion turned suddenly dark and grey.


    His Divine Sense also became filled with Evil Qi, swarming with sinister resentment and terrifying wails.


    Gu Changhuai, unaware of what had happened, saw Fire Buddha being backfired by the Evil Qi, and immediately went for the kill.


    The Wind Blade gathered into a tornado spear, hurtling towards Fire Buddha¡¯s chest to end him once and for all.

 Chapter 1022: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra

    Chapter 1022 -656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_4


    Chapter 1022 -656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_4


    At the critical moment, Fire Buddha regained a trace of clarity.


    Seeing the Wind Blade approaching, Fire Buddha crossed his arms, his eyes blood-red, and he roared fiercely, interweaving all the Karmic Fire to form a shield, blocking it in front of him.


    The Tornado Long Spear collided with the Evil Fire Shield.


    Spiritual Power and Evil Power clashed, wind and fire intermingled, and the surrounding mountains and rocks were also crushed under the pressure of spiritual power, turning into dust.


    After the fluctuations of Spiritual Power dissipated,


    The kasaya on Fire Buddha¡¯s body was already tattered.


    His arms were covered with fine, wind-blade-induced cuts, clearly showing serious injuries.


    On the other hand, Gu Changhuai¡¯s breath had also weakened significantly, obviously due to substantial consumption of Spiritual Power.


    The valley suddenly fell silent.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze became a bit grim.


    After an unknown amount of time, a low laughter from Fire Buddha broke the silence.


    "Good, good


    "You¡¯ve pushed me to this point


    Fire Buddha¡¯s voice turned cold, gradually no longer sounding human.


    "Since things have come this far, then I will discard this human skin and completely convert to my master


    Before he could finish speaking, Fire Buddha had already taken out a Blood Pill the size of a dragon¡¯s eye.


    The Blood Pill, seemingly crafted from flesh, was still trembling slightly.


    Fire Buddha quickly stuffed the pill into his mouth.


    His speed was so fast that neither Gu Changhuai¡¯s Wind Blade nor Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball managed to stop him.


    As soon as the pill entered his mouth, Fire Buddha¡¯s expression turned ferocious.


    His chest, with two flaming hearts, suddenly throbbed, already forming the embryo of an Evil Path magical treasure.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s flesh rapidly swelled, and he grew two feet taller in an instant. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The filthy Karmic Fire burned throughout his body.


    His face, the skin and flesh all scorched, was grotesquely disfigured as if ravaged by fierce fire.


    At the same time, his aura surged once more.


    "Gu Changhuai


    Fire Buddha¡¯s voice was hoarse and terrifying.


    "Today if you do not use the power of the Golden Core, you¡¯ll die, but if you use it, you¡¯ll still die


    Fire Buddha waved his hand, and a crimson ghost-faced fire knife broke through the air, its formidable aura striking terror as it hurtled towards Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was solemn, and he waved his fan to form a Wind Shield to block it, but it was completely ineffective.


    The Wind Shield was shattered by the fire knife.


    Gu Changhuai stepped back several paces and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You beast not even worthy of being human


    Fire Buddha sneered, ¡°You mean the ¡®human¡¯ that is just a sack of skin?¡±


    "How many in this world wearing this sack of skin commit acts of Demon Monsters?¡±


    "A ¡®human¡¯ in human skin, sometimes they are even more beastly than beasts


    Gu Changhuai, with anger in his face, once again unleashed Wind Blades towards Fire Buddha.


    But this time, Fire Buddha didn¡¯t even dodge; he allowed the Wind Blades to cut into him, slicing open his flesh and tearing through his skin.


    In an instant, this flesh rejuvenated as if nothing had happened.


    "Flesh regeneration?¡±


    Gu Changhuai turned pale, his heart chilled.


    If that was the case, he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill this demon-transformed Fire Buddha at all.


    Just then, Mo Hua shouted from the side:


    "Uncle Gu, aim for its heart meridian!¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused and then understood.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s heart meridian was nurturing the embryo of his own Evil Path magical treasure.


    It was both the source of all of Fire Buddha¡¯s Evil Power and his vital weakness.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression changed, ¡°You little beast!¡±


    But even after scanning with his Divine Sense, he still couldn¡¯t detect Mo Hua.


    After abandoning his human form, his Evil Power became stronger, and his flesh could regenerate, but without ¡°humanity,¡± his Divine Sense also degenerated¡­


    Fire Buddha simply couldn¡¯t see Mo Hua.


    In that brief moment, Gu Changhuai had also begun to control the Wind Blade as Mo Hua said, forcibly trying to sever the heart meridians of Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha revealed a furious expression but could only think of ways, using his left arm to cover his chest, to block the Wind Blade.


    His right arm deployed a Spell, clashing fiercely with Gu Changhuai.


    However, after several continuous fierce battles, Gu Changhuai¡¯s Spiritual Power suddenly became sluggish.


    Only then did he realize that his Spiritual Power was nearly exhausted.


    Bitterness filled Gu Changhuai¡¯s heart.


    After all, he was just a human.


    Even though his Spiritual Power was profound, he was not like Fire Buddha, who could kill people to refine Evil Pills, supplementing himself, and even forsake his human form, descend into Evil Demon, in exchange for regenerating flesh.


    "Human¡± efforts sometimes reach their limit.


    Gu Changhuai suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his meridians.


    He knew this was a sign of overusing Spiritual Power, his meridians, constantly condensing Spells, had already been damaged.


    Continuing like this, he feared he would truly reach a dead end¡­


    And Mo Hua¡­


    Gu Changhuai bit through his lip, drawing blood, and thought fiercely,


    "Screw it!¡±


    "No matter what, I must kill Fire Buddha first!¡±


    "Directly use Golden Core Power


    "It¡¯s a gamble


    "Let¡¯s see whether I kill Fire Buddha first, or Heavenly Dao kills me first


    A relentless killing intent ignited in Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes. His Dantian ignited Pill Fire, his body enveloped in a fine radiance, and in his right hand appeared a dazzling and immensely powerful Seven-Colored Peacock Feather Treasure Fan.


    Fire Buddha was also stunned.


    He looked at Gu Changhuai, both fearful and shocked.


    He had not expected Gu Changhuai to really dare¡­


    Really dare to use the Golden Core Power in this Second Grade territory¡­


    He really was not afraid to die¡­


    A hint of mocking amusement appeared in Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was as grim as water, his killing intent piercing to the bone, his own Magical Treasure already manifested, and the Golden Core Power was in operation.


    At that moment, he suddenly paused, then his pupils shockingly dilated.


    Fire Buddha was standing right in front of him.


    And at that moment, Gu Changhuai saw a blurry figure, taking advantage of Fire Buddha¡¯s attention being on him, and while smirking coldly, had inconceivably maneuvered behind Fire Buddha.


    Then¡­


    Out of the void, two small hands appeared.


    The hands opened, each palm condensing a Fireball.


    Just ordinary, unremarkable Fireballs.


    But in a blink, the fire¡¯s light drastically changed.


    It seemed to be compressed by an extremely strong force; the two Fireballs suddenly collided and then each grotesquely distorted.


    It was as if something inside the Fireballs directly collapsed, yet forcefully merged back together¡­


    The aura of the Spell instantly twisted and mutated.


    The internal structure of the Spiritual Power changed, mysterious Patterns emerging and reorganizing, accompanied by a surge of powerful energy.


    The two Fireballs struggled, morphed, and merged together, forming a smaller, yet more terrifying purple-black Fireball that resembled magma entwined.


    Fire Buddha sensed something was off.


    He felt something extremely dreadful forming behind him.


    He wanted to turn around, but it was already too late.


    A familiar yet crisp, cold voice rang in his ears:


    "You want to teach me a Spell?¡±


    In that instant, an intensely hot pain spread from his back.


    That was the terrifying Fire Spiritual Power, burning his flesh.


    Then a brutally powerful yet stable explosion sound erupted.


    Fire Buddha only saw distorted Spiritual Power and rampant flames ravaging before him.


    When he looked down, he saw that his chest had been blown open by the Spell, revealing a dark, gaping hole.

 Chapter 1023: Year 1

    Chapter 1023: Chapter 657 Year 1


    Chapter 1023 -657 Year 1 S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face was devoid of any color.


    His chest had a hole torn through it.


    But his cultivation was, after all, at the Foundation Establishment Peak, and he had abandoned his humanoid form for a body like that of a Demon Monster, with flesh capable of regeneration.


    The blackened flesh around his chest began writhing and, astonishingly, started to slowly heal.


    However, the very next moment, Fire Buddha¡¯s pupils constricted.


    His flesh, which had been writhing halfway, suddenly became completely still and lifeless, utterly unable to heal.


    It seemed as though the fused fire spiritual power had thoroughly burned away his vitality, and the evil power within him had also been burned away from the ¡®spiritual power¡¯ level.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s pupils shook violently.


    "What spell is this, exactly?¡±


    Meanwhile, the faint flames produced by the small fused fireball faded away completely.


    In the center of Fire Buddha¡¯s chest, two evil artifact ¡°hearts¡± were revealed.


    This was the core of Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Forbidden Art, the embryo of his own Magical Treasure that he nourished, and also the foundation of his advancement to Golden Core.


    These two ¡°hearts¡± were extremely precious evil artifacts of the Demon Path.


    However, now, these two ¡°hearts¡± had been blackened by that unknown terrifying spell, dark and dull, devoid of any luster.


    Even their trembling was weak.


    Fire Buddha was in extreme panic.


    If he didn¡¯t repair the flesh and continue to nourish the two magical treasure embryos, not only would he have no hope of breaking through to the Golden Core in this life, but it was also possible that he would lose his life right here on Qingcheng Mountain.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s hands trembled as he tried to take out more pills¡­


    But at that moment, Gu Changhuai, who had recovered from the shock of the unbelievable spell, acted swiftly and used the remainder of his spiritual power to strike with two more Wind Blades.


    These Wind Blades followed the hole that Mo Hua had torn open and went straight for Fire Buddha¡¯s heart meridian, hitting one of the dull evil artifact ¡°hearts.¡±


    Already suffering from skill pattern collapse and the tremendous spiritual energy produced by Spiritual Power Fusion, and on the brink of shattering, the evil artifact heart finally crumbled under the pressure, ¡°creaking¡± as several cracks appeared.


    Then the cracks multiplied.


    Until it completely shattered¡­


    Fire Buddha still had the pills in his hand, his expression somewhat incredulous.


    After a moment, the panic on his face disappeared.


    His visage once again became compassionate.


    It even included a hint of puzzlement and relief.


    He attempted to turn his head, taking one last look at Mo Hua.


    "So it turns out¡­ I really will¡­ die by this kid¡¯s hand


    Then his eyes slowly closed.


    The balance of the evil artifact heart was irreversibly lost.


    Evil power went out of control, moving backward through the flesh and meridians.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s entire body was filled with evil fire, self-igniting; his flesh swelled and deformed¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s pupils flared, and his heart sank.


    Evil power out of control, flesh exploding?!


    This is not good!


    In the blink of an eye, Gu Changhuai glanced behind Fire Buddha at Mo Hua, clicked his tongue disdainfully, and with a flash, positioned himself in front of Mo Hua, knocking him to the ground.


    Mo Hua felt himself protected by a ¡°large meat shield.¡±


    Then a deafening explosion rang in his ears.


    The sound was intense, and spiritual power fluctuations were violent.


    The exploding evil fire, with its powerful destructive force, spread instantly like a raging tide of fire.


    Trees turned to ash, rocks crumbled to dust.


    The ground was scorched black.


    After an uncertain amount of time, the explosion subsided.


    Mo Hua finally opened his eyes.


    He saw that the valley had been devastated, left barren and bare.


    But all the damage had been endured by Uncle Gu¡­


    He was unharmed.


    Mo Hua shook Gu Changhuai, finding him passed out, unresponsive to his shaking.


    Mo Hua struggled to his feet and saw that Gu Changhuai¡¯s back was covered in wounds, blood streaming out, which startled him.


    "Uncle Gu!¡±


    Mo Hua called out anxiously.


    "Uncle Gu, you¡¯re not dead, are you?¡±


    "Uncle Gu, you¡¯re at least a Golden Core


    "Uncle Gu, you can¡¯t be this useless!¡±


    "Uncle Gu, show some spirit


    Finally, Gu Changhuai showed a slight sign of life. His breathing faint, his voice low, but he still gritted his teeth and said to Mo Hua:


    "Shut up!¡±


    If he didn¡¯t die, this kid¡¯s words would infuriate him to death!


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.


    Not dead!


    Some breath meant he was still okay.


    He immediately began rummaging through his own Storage Bag, but then he remembered he didn¡¯t have any high-quality items.


    Mo Hua began going through Gu Changhuai¡¯s Storage Bag.


    Being a son of the Gu Family, the Department of Ceremonies at the Dao Court, and a Golden Core Cultivator, there should be top-grade pills in his Storage Bag.


    After searching for a while, Mo Hua took out a bunch of bottles and jars from Gu Changhuai¡¯s bag.


    Mo Hua identified each one.


    Some likely stopped bleeding, some replenished energy, others removed fire poison, some protected the meridians, defended the Qi Sea, and even prolonged life¡­


    These things, Mo Hua had learned about them in his pill courses.


    He took some of the pills that he could identify clearly, with evident effects;


    Some that he couldn¡¯t identify clearly but seemed useful for the injuries;


    And a few that he couldn¡¯t tell apart but wouldn¡¯t kill a person when ingested, and stuffed them all into Gu Changhuai¡¯s mouth.


    Although the ingredients of these pills were complex, perhaps by some fluke, they could be useful for Uncle Gu¡¯s injuries.


    At worst, it couldn¡¯t get any worse than not taking any pills at all.


    After a while, Mo Hua asked softly:


    "Uncle Gu, you¡¯re not dead, right


    Gu Changhuai spat out blood, not clear whether it was due to anger or the pills taking effect, forcing out the stagnant blood.


    His breathing also became a bit more even.


    "Thanks to you, I¡¯m not dead yet Gu Changhuai said indifferently.


    Mo Hua finally felt completely relieved.


    He picked up Gu Changhuai¡¯s Storage Bag again and found a Letter Token, flipping through the records. It seemed to belong to the Enforcement Leader of Gu Family, and he sent a message saying:

 Chapter 1024: Year 1 (2)

    Chapter 1024: Chapter 657 Year 1_2


    Chapter 1024 -657 Year 1_2


    "Fire Buddha is dead!¡±


    "Qingcheng Mountain, Severed Head Eye, right side of the valley, come quickly!¡±


    After sending the message, Mo Hua turned back to look at Fire Buddha.


    The imbalance of Fire Buddha¡¯s Evil Artifact and the out-of-control Evil Power caused a self-explosion, which was immensely powerful, leaving truly nothing¡ªnot even ¡°remnants¡± behind.


    Such a pity¡­


    Mo Hua frowned slightly; he still had many things to ask Fire Buddha.


    Why annihilate the Xie family to extinction?


    Just to cultivate evil and practice skills?


    After exterminating the Xie family, what exactly did he do?


    For whom was the Demon Palace built?


    And who was the honored lord it enshrined?


    ¡­


    Now that Fire Buddha was dead, these questions would remain unanswered for a while.


    But it¡¯s just as well that he died, died quite cleanly, sparing the world from further calamity.


    The other matters can be slowly investigated later¡­


    Mo Hua glanced again at where Fire Buddha¡¯s ¡°bones no longer existed¡± and sighed.


    Killing this Fire Buddha proved to be extraordinarily difficult.


    Fortunately, he was still killed in the end.


    Afterward, Mo Hua set up some Formations on the spot, keeping an eye on Uncle Gu¡¯s life force to prevent a ¡°sudden death¡± and quietly waiting for others to arrive.


    After a while, people indeed arrived.


    It was Gu An and Gu Quan.


    Seeing Young Master Changhuai in a pitiable and bloody state, barely clinging to life, nearly scared their souls away.


    "He¡¯s still alive!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Only then did Gu An and Gu Quan feel relieved.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Call a few Pill Masters over for emergency aid, and once you confirm he¡¯s stable, send Uncle Gu back to the Gu Family to recuperate in peace.¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±


    After the destruction of the Demon¡¯s Cave, the position of Mo Hua, the Junior Formation Master, in their hearts had risen rapidly. Now it was only slightly below that of their own young master.


    Gu An immediately called for help using the Letter Token.


    "Young Master


    Gu Quan hesitated for a moment, looked around, then turned to Mo Hua with a frown and asked,


    "What exactly happened here?¡±


    Why has the entire valley changed? How did the young master sustain such severe injuries? Is Fire Buddha truly dead?


    Both Gu An and Gu Quan were full of questions.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then said,


    "Fire Buddha tried to kill me, I ran into the mountains, Uncle Gu came to rescue me, and then with all his strength, killed Fire Buddha, but was also seriously wounded himself!¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan nodded with a mixture of belief and doubt¡­


    "Remember!¡± Mo Hua urged solemnly with a stern little face, ¡°It was Uncle Gu alone, with all his might, who killed the evil Fire Buddha!¡±


    "When people arrive later, proclaim this!¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan exchanged glances, slightly puzzled.


    Mo Hua stretched out his two small hands, intending to pat their shoulders.


    However, being tall, Gu An and Gu Quan¡¯s shoulders were out of reach for the shorter-armed Mo Hua.


    Gu An and Gu Quan, in silent agreement, squatted down to let Mo Hua reach their shoulders.


    Mo Hua, having finally succeeded, nodded, then lowered his voice and said,


    "You don¡¯t want others to steal Uncle Gu¡¯s credit, do you?¡±


    Their expressions turned serious, now understanding the implication.


    Fire Buddha was dead, Young Master Changhuai was seriously injured, and apart from Young Master Mo, no one else knew what had exactly happened here.


    They knew of Young Master Mo¡¯s capabilities.


    But to others, Young Master Mo was just a child, of little influence¡ªwhatever he would say, others wouldn¡¯t believe.


    Thus, some with ulterior motives could easily make claims to the credit.


    Gu An and Gu Quan became solemn.


    How could they allow this?


    Fire Buddha was slain by the young master at such a great cost.


    This credit must not be usurped!


    Thus, from the start, they needed to assert that it was Young Master Changhuai ¡°alone¡± who killed Fire Buddha!


    Gu An and Gu Quan understood and looked at Mo Hua with gratitude in their eyes.


    Young Master Mo was a great person!


    And truly good to their own Young Master!


    Gu Quan nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master Mo; I will spread the news right away


    Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.


    Later, the Pill Masters of the Gu family arrived and examined Young Master Changhuai¡¯s injuries, stating that the Pills had been administered timely, his Qi and blood were slowly recovering, and the meridians were regulated¡ªthere was nothing seriously wrong.


    Young Master Changhuai himself was a Golden Core Cultivator with a solid foundation, so with some rest, he would be fine.


    Then, someone took Young Master Changhuai back to his clan.


    The news of Young Master Changhuai ¡°alone¡± slaying Fire Buddha also spread to the Taoist Court, causing a considerable stir.


    A Golden Core Cultivator killing a Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    But this Demon Cultivator was at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, infamous for his evil deeds, rampaging unopposed across the Second Grade State Border¡­


    The situation was entirely different.


    Overtly and covertly, many Cultivators turned their attention towards Young Master Changhuai.


    Some were admiring, some cautious, and others harbored ill intentions¡­


    ¡­


    Upon returning to the clan, Young Master Changhuai took some Pills and woke up early.


    Wenren Wan, hearing about his injury, showed great care, personally refining some Pills for his healing.


    Especially, knowing he was injured while protecting Mo Hua, her gaze was even more approving.


    It felt as if her own little brother had finally grown up.


    Young Master Changhuai, over a hundred years old, felt a complicated mix of emotions.


    The Gu family, too, was in an uproar. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But once they learned that Young Master Changhuai was not seriously harmed and that he had slain the Demon Cultivator Fire Buddha with his own hands, the Elders of the Gu family grew even more appreciative of him.


    Although he had a bit of a temper, among his generation in the Gu family, it was indeed Young Master Changhuai whose talent and methods stood out.


    Young Master Changhuai¡¯s emotions became even more complex.


    As evening arrived, Mo Hua also came to bid farewell.


    He was returning to Taixu Gate.

 Chapter 1025: Year 1 (3)

    Chapter 1025: Chapter 657 Year 1_3


    Chapter 1025 -657 Year 1_3


    The seven-day holiday was over, Fire Buddha was dead, and Meteor Fire Skill had been obtained¡ªclasses were set to start tomorrow.


    But before leaving, he still needed to sync up their ¡°testimony¡± with Uncle Gu. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While munching on a fruit, Mo Hua whispered,


    "Uncle Gu, you killed Fire Buddha by yourself, please don¡¯t mention me


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t want to take the credit?¡±


    "Mmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Fire Buddha was a Demon Cultivator; who knows if he might have had other followers or accomplices in secret


    "As a mere Foundation Building Cultivator, it could be very dangerous if they targeted me!¡±


    Gu Changhuai was silent, somewhat speechless in his mind.


    Which one is actually dangerous, Demon Cultivators or you¡­


    However, it was true that Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation was low, and as a cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, the risks were indeed too high¡­


    Gu Changhuai nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes squinted with a smile.


    With that ¡°testimony¡± synchronized, everything was perfect.


    No one else would know that Fire Buddha¡¯s death was related to him.


    He was just being chased by Fire Buddha, an innocent and inconspicuous little disciple from a Sect.


    After reflecting for a moment, Gu Changhuai gave Mo Hua another silent look.


    In the valley, two fireballs collided, the skill pattern collapsed, fused together, the Spiritual Power Fusion formed a terrifying little fireball, and ripped through Fire Buddha¡¯s chest¡ªthis image emerged in his mind.


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but tremble his eyelids, saying in a deep voice,


    "Your¡­ spell


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°What spell?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°There¡¯s no one else here.¡±


    Mo Hua gave an awkward smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing really, just a ¡®very ordinary¡¯ Fireball Technique


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s voice was cold,


    "For someone at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment to pierce the chest of a Demon Cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment with a single Fireball Technique is indeed ¡®very ordinary


    Gu Changhuai emphasized ¡°very ordinary¡± heavily.


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°It¡¯s all a coincidence¡­ Fire Buddha¡¯s chest had a vital spot; the flaw was too great, and perhaps it was just pierced by my Fireball Technique


    "It¡¯s his bad luck


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s thick-skinned, paper-pure innocent face, Gu Changhuai felt helpless.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°Go back and think it over, look for a more reliable excuse.¡±


    After speaking, he added another sentence, ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell the excuse to me


    It meant that if it ever came out in the future, as long as it could fool others, that would suffice.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he smiled,


    "Thank you, Uncle Gu!¡±


    Gu Changhuai helplessly shook his head.


    Originally, he thought that Mo Hua¡¯s talent in Formation was incredible, but what he never expected was that he had also hidden an extremely terrifying spell.


    How could other cultivators at the same realm even compete with him?


    This time, Taixu Gate truly found a ¡°little monster


    And from the outside, it didn¡¯t show at all¡ªa face of innocence, just looking like a harmless little disciple.


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but shake his head again.


    Seeing that Gu Changhuai looked a bit tired, Mo Hua said, ¡°Uncle Gu, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer, you rest well. I¡¯m heading back to the Sect.¡±


    "Yes.¡± Gu Changhuai nodded.


    Mo Hua casually picked up a Spirit Fruit, turned around, and walked away. After walking for a bit, Gu Changhuai called out to him.


    "Mo Hua.¡±


    Mo Hua turned back, confused.


    Thinking that Uncle Gu, a Court Official at the Golden Core Realm, wouldn¡¯t be so stingy to not let him take a Spirit Fruit to eat¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked conflicted, with proud sorrow in his gaze, and after hesitating for a long time, he reluctantly whispered,


    "Thank you


    After all, without Mo Hua, he might really not have been able to kill Fire Buddha.


    And failing to bring Fire Buddha to justice would have inevitably left endless troubles for the future.


    This ¡°thank you¡± was very reluctant and nearly inaudible.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then his face burst into a radiant, sunny smile.


    "Sure!¡±


    ¡­


    Afterwards, Mo Hua returned to the Sect.


    He first visited Elder Master Xun, announcing that he had completed his Formation work and that the Taoist Court, mainly the Gu Family, was very grateful to him.


    Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t doubt him, stroking his beard in satisfaction.


    Having good relations with the Taoist Court and the Gu Family would make future actions much smoother.


    Then, Mo Hua resumed his regular classes.


    Some fellow disciples, such as Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, and Zheng Fang, curiously asked all sorts of questions after class.


    They asked Mo Hua how he managed to take a seven-day leave? How did he get it approved? Who approved it? What did he do during these seven days?


    Mo Hua simply said he was working on Formation for seven days.


    They immediately lost interest.


    Only Zheng Fang, full of curiosity, asked some questions about the Formation.


    Mo Hua selectively shared some fascinating knowledge about the Formation, managing to confuse Zheng Fang.


    Afterwards, everything calmed down.


    Mo Hua resumed his normal, stable life in the Sect as usual.


    Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, the sinister Demon Palace, the Bronze Maze, the mysterious altar, along with a host of Demon Cultivators, and the annihilated Demon Head¡ªFire Buddha, all gradually faded away.


    And soon, Mo Hua¡¯s first year in the Sect came to an end.

 Chapter 1026: Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the

    Chapter 1026 -658: Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Lord of the Wind Chocolate~)


    Chapter 1026 -658: Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Lord of the Wind Chocolate~)


    Every year, before the Sect¡¯s cultivation practice ends, a year-end assessment is held.


    It assesses the disciples¡¯ achievements in various subjects.


    It¡¯s both a test for the disciples and a measure of their potential, while also impacting their reputation within the Sect and the extent to which they¡¯re valued by it.


    When the disciples return home for their annual leave, it also serves as an explanation to their family elders.


    Whether the year ends with laughter or tears depends on the year-end assessment.


    The process of the year-end assessment is similar to the usual ones, only more formal, more complicated, and more significant.


    At the same time, the punishment for cheating is also more severe.


    Three days after the assessment was completed, Mo Hua received his ¡°report card¡±.


    Quite ordinary, one Grade A and six Grade Cs. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Formation is undoubtedly ¡°A¡±, as that¡¯s the highest possible grade.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s sixteen pattern Divine Sense and extremely solid foundation in Formation, answering some Second Grade, and even under Second Grade formation questions is effortless.


    His formations, laid out in each stroke, could be deemed flawless.


    Elder Master Xun sighed in his heart.


    He even considered creating a new grade above ¡°A¡± for Mo Hua, but after some thought, he restrained the impulse.


    It¡¯s not good to draw too much attention.


    Better to keep a low profile.


    Apart from the ¡°A¡± in Formation, the other subjects were all ¡°Cs¡± without exception.


    It just means barely qualifying.


    The six ¡°Cs¡± included Cultivation, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Refining Rune, Taoist Skill, and a hundred arts of cultivation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation was diligent, but his speed was moderate to low.


    It¡¯s just that his Spiritual Root was poor, and he never established the ¡°Taoist Foundation¡± for Body Refinement or Spiritual Power, so his cultivation seemed somewhat lackluster.


    The Cultivation Elder, a Feathered Immortal from within the Inner Sect, may have taken Elder Master Xun¡¯s face into account, and confided to Mo Hua:


    "There¡¯s really nothing you can do


    "I can only give you a ¡®C


    "The foundation of cultivation, speed of cultivation, Blood Qi, Spiritual Power, potential for cultivation


    The Cultivation Elder paused, then delicately added, all have a huge room for improvement


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know whether to feel disappointed or moved for a moment¡­


    The Cultivation Elder continued:


    "So I won¡¯t be expecting too much from you, just do what you can. It¡¯s okay if your foundation is a bit weak, but when it comes to cultivation, you still need to strive harder and at least keep up with the realm


    "Otherwise, if you¡¯re still at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage in three years, you¡¯ll be ¡®held back


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Held back?¡±


    "Yes,¡± the Elder said, ¡°repeating a cycle, and you¡¯d study for another three years with the Junior Brothers and Sisters that came after you.¡±


    "If within three years, you manage to advance to the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, then you¡¯ll be promoted. If not, you¡¯ll remain


    "If you have to repeat several cycles, regrettably, the Sect might have no choice but to ask you to leave


    Mo Hua was alarmed, ¡°They¡¯ll actually ask someone to leave?¡±


    If he doesn¡¯t advance, could he also be asked to leave¡­


    Seeing through Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, the Cultivation Elder said kindheartedly:


    "Don¡¯t worry


    Nobody would dare to ask you to leave¡­


    With Elder Master Xun standing behind you, no one in Taixu Gate would dare provoke him by asking you to leave¡­


    Even if you have to stay for fifty years, or a hundred years, it¡¯s not like Taixu Gate can¡¯t afford you¡­


    Of course, these things can¡¯t be said outright.


    The Cultivation Elder thought for a moment, then comforted Mo Hua:


    "The path of Foundation Establishment isn¡¯t that difficult, really. As long as you meticulously follow the instructions of the Elders, and cultivate earnestly, you will break through the realm, and won¡¯t be asked to leave


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Three years from Foundation Establishment Initial Stage to Middle Stage.


    Another three years from Middle Stage to Late Stage?


    "Elder, isn¡¯t cultivation very difficult? Is three years enough to master a Middle Realm of Foundation Establishment?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The Cultivation Elder replied: ¡°Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment are not actually difficult. With sufficient Spirit Stones and Spiritual Objects, even a pig can be force-fed to Foundation Establishment level


    "The difficulty in Qi Refinement lies in how to consolidate the fundamentals and nurture the origin, to polish the realm, and establish the Taoist Foundation


    "The difficulty in Foundation Establishment is in how to solidify the Taoist Foundation, laying down one¡¯s own path, and further advancing from there


    "Purely in terms of realm, neither is actually difficult


    "The difficult part comes after Golden Core


    The Cultivation Elder sighed.


    "Golden Core is a major threshold. It poses high demands on the Spiritual Root, Blood Qi foundation, Spiritual Power Taoist Foundation, Taoist understanding, and cultivation opportunities


    "Golden Core isn¡¯t something you can achieve by just cultivating in seclusion and piling up Spirit Stones


    "For Core Formation cultivators, the fast ones take several years, the slow ones take decades, and there are plenty who get stuck for over a hundred years


    "Even among the noble family¡¯s sons with exceptional talents, many never surpass the Golden Core threshold in their lifetime


    Mo Hua felt apprehensive in his heart.


    Core Formation is so difficult¡­


    "Hence, even in a Fifth-grade family, Golden Core cultivators are considered an absolutely core force


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s anxious expression, the Cultivation Elder reassured him:


    "But you shouldn¡¯t worry too much


    "Whether it¡¯s difficult or easy, you have to take it one step at a time. You can¡¯t rush it


    "If you are wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao and undistracted, the obstacles, whether overt or covert, can be overcome with determination, and you might just step over them all at once


    "But if you are filled with worries and fears of loss, you¡¯ll stumble everywhere and lose the resolute will to advance. At the threshold of Golden Core, you might struggle for a long time


    "Difficulties that are of no help shouldn¡¯t be brooded over in your heart


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he bowed respectfully:


    "Thank you for your guidance, Elder. Your disciple will bear it in mind!¡±

 Chapter 1027: Year-end Evaluation (Thanks to the

    Chapter 1027 -658 Year-end Evaluation (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Wind¡¯s Chocolate) _2


    Chapter 1027 -658 Year-end Evaluation (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Wind¡¯s Chocolate) _2


    The Cultivation Elder nodded with satisfaction.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment before speaking softly,


    "Elder, most cultivators in this world are just practicing Qi Refinement


    The Cultivation Elder paused, his gaze carrying a meaningful depth.


    "Indeed.¡±


    "Then they


    "If they are stuck in Qi Refinement all their lives, their problem is mostly not their aptitude. The bottleneck in their cultivation has only one word


    The Cultivation Elder said lightly, ¡°Poverty.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable.


    The Cultivation Elder looked at Mo Hua with a profound gaze, a hint of surprise that he himself hadn¡¯t noticed appearing on his face.


    Eventually, he managed to control his emotions and nodded slightly,


    "Don¡¯t think too much about it; you are just at the Foundation Establishment level, just focus on your cultivation


    "If your cultivation progress is slow and you end up repeating a grade, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily mean getting expelled, but it¡¯s a bit embarrassing


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly felt a chill in his heart.


    Right, the Elder had reminded him¡­


    Currently, among his fellow disciples, he was ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    If he repeated a grade, he would have to address his current fellow disciples as ¡°Senior Brother¡± and ¡°Senior Sister!¡±


    It meant dropping two junior ranks in hierarchy!


    That won¡¯t do!


    Absolutely not!


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was serious.


    He must speed up his cultivation, not to mention, he absolutely must not repeat a grade!


    Otherwise, he would lose the authority of being the ¡°Junior Brother!¡±


    The Cultivation Elder was taken aback; for some reason, Mo Hua suddenly seemed highly motivated¡­


    But that was a good thing.


    He decided not to say anything more.


    "However


    The Cultivation Elder looked at Mo Hua again and sighed inwardly.


    Core Formation is difficult¡­


    The Spiritual Root really was too poor, it was uncertain whether he would be able to overcome that threshold when the time came¡­


    ¡­


    These things, Mo Hua was still unaware of.


    Besides cultivation, in Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Rune Refining, he was only graded ¡°C¡±.


    Nothing surprising there, he was stable.


    From the instructors to his fellow disciples, and even Mo Hua himself, no one was surprised.


    But Elder Yi, who taught Taoist Skills and knew Mo Hua better, said during a casual chat,


    "I can also only give you a ¡®C


    "I wanted to give you a higher grade, but I couldn¡¯t


    "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Mo Hua reassured Elder Yi instead.


    The grading of Taoist Skills is divided into three types: Spells, Martial Arts, and Swordsmanship.


    As a disciple within the sect, mastering one of them suffices.


    After all, genuine Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body, including expertise in swordsmanship, even within the talent-rich Qianxue State Boundary, is incredibly rare and should not serve as a standard for ordinary cultivators.


    Especially the likes of Mo Hua, a cultivator below such ¡°standards.¡±


    Elder Yi still felt regretful and said,


    "You execute spells very well and use them proficiently. Your combat mindset is also far superior to ordinary cultivators


    "But these things are not part of the rigid assessment


    "The assessment of spells revolves primarily around the grade of your spells and the Cycles of spiritually powering the spell you manage


    "So your situation is disadvantaged


    "You don¡¯t have any spells with significant power


    Upon mentioning this, Elder Yi suddenly paused.


    He remembered the day when Mo Hua had turned the Dao Room¡¯s spell puppet to dust and severely injured himself with that unknown, tremendously powerful fire spell¡­


    Elder Yi frowned, thought for a moment, then shook his head.


    That doesn¡¯t count¡­


    It wasn¡¯t a stable spell, just something he managed to conjure by chance¡­


    It can¡¯t be used for assessments.


    With such a high risk of losing control, it can¡¯t be used casually.


    Mo Hua, this kid, probably wouldn¡¯t dare to use it again¡­ right?


    Elder Yi looked at the lively and shrewd faced Mo Hua, and suddenly felt unsure.


    "Mo Hua


    Elder Yi hesitated for a long time, then cautiously said,


    "Don¡¯t use that spell from last time ever again, alright?¡±


    "Mhm!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He would not use that last spell again.


    But he had already improved a new version; in the future, he would use the new one instead.


    ¡­


    Besides, there was another course he received a ¡°C¡± in, and that was Tao Cultivation Techniques.


    Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune also falls under ¡°Tao Cultivation Techniques.¡±


    But because of their large scale, long tradition, deep legacy, and many practitioners, these are considered Visible Learning in Tao Cultivation and are separately classified into different subjects.


    Besides Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, there are many Tao Cultivation skills.


    These skills are either derived as offshoots from Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, or they relate to cultivators¡¯ daily living, production, and combat, albeit with less esteemed status among Tao Cultivation skills.


    For instance, Spirit Plant cultivation, cuisine, blood extraction, mining, musical instrument playing, Spiritual Dance, chess skills, architecture, etc¡­


    Although outwardly everyone says Tao Cultivation Techniques are equally respected across all categories,


    In reality, once it becomes about social interactions, these naturally grade into different tiers.


    Skills like musical instrument playing, chess, and Spiritual Dance, which appear refined, are often held in higher esteem.


    While labor-intensive skills like Spirit Plant cultivation, mining, and architecture are somewhat less favored.


    The Sect doesn¡¯t enforce strict rules.


    Disciples can learn from any category as long as they are interested, at least to understand some theoretical aspects.


    But when it comes to assessments, focus is still on skills like musical instrument playing, Spiritual Dance, chess, which are essential Tao Cultivation skills for disciples from major families in the future.


    The areas Mo Hua is familiar with, such as Spirit Plant cultivation, mining, and architecture, are not counted towards assessment scores in the Sect.


    Especially cuisine.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mother, Liu Ruhua, was extremely skilled in cuisine. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had ¡°inherited¡± this through bloodline.


    While wandering, preparing the three daily meals for his master, Old Kui, junior brothers, and junior sisters was his responsibility.

 Chapter 1028: Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the

    Chapter 1028 -658 Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Chocolate of the Wind~)_3


    Chapter 1028 -658 Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Chocolate of the Wind~)_3


    If culinary skills were truly tested, with his cooking talent, he could utterly crush the entire cohort of disciples!


    Unfortunately, culinary skills aren¡¯t included in the assessment¡­


    Not a single one of Mo Hua¡¯s strengths were tested.


    Everything tested was what he wasn¡¯t good at.


    Except for one thing: ¡°Chess proficiency.¡±


    Mo Hua used to think he was good at that¡­


    Because whether he was in Tongxian City or wandering on the road, Mo Hua often played chess with Grandpa Gui, whenever he had some downtime.


    Mo Hua believed Grandpa Gui was an expert, and his chess abilities must be exceptional.


    Since he could go neck-and-neck with Grandpa Gui in chess and maintain a fifty-fifty win rate, that surely meant his chess skills were decent!


    But when the actual assessment came, he was left dumbfounded¡­


    The Sect¡¯s chess proficiency test was too utilitarian, too calculated, every move painstakingly strategized, full of scheming¡ªthere was no joy in it whatsoever¡­


    He played eighteen games and only won two¡­


    That¡¯s when Mo Hua realized a possibility¡­


    Either the Sect¡¯s chess philosophy was inherently flawed,


    Or¡­


    Both he and Grandpa Gui were just terrible chess players¡­


    *Mo Hua was a little shaken.*


    *He was bad, sure, but to think even Grandpa Gui¡¯s reputation took a hit because of him¡­*


    Mo Hua let out a deep sigh.


    The Sect valued theory over practicality.


    Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t just Taixu Gate; maybe the entire Qian Learning State Boundary operated this way.


    Because of this, for the ¡°Hundred Arts Tao Cultivation¡± course, Mo Hua scraped by and earned a ¡°Grade C


    ¡­


    This ¡°one Grade A and six Grade Cs¡± report card had to be sent home to his parents.


    Some other disciples who also received the same grades were visibly distressed and didn¡¯t dare to send theirs home.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, didn¡¯t mind.


    He mailed his report card back to Li State, along with a family letter that read roughly:


    Dear Father and Mother:


    I did my best to learn, but the Sect is full of geniuses, and I couldn¡¯t quite measure up. I narrowly lost and ended up with six ¡°Grade Cs.


    What a pity¡­


    Fortunately, my Formation skills are still excellent!


    Even among the Eight Great Gates of the Qian Learning State Boundary, in Taixu Gate, my Formation skills are not much inferior to those of the Heavenly Prides¡­


    Elder Master Xun even praised me highly.


    ¡­


    Additionally, I¡¯ve settled quite well in Taixu Gate¡­


    The connection with the Taoist Court has been established too! You don¡¯t need to worry.


    The new year is around the corner; Father and Mother, please treat yourselves to something delicious!


    Once I achieve Golden Core, I¡¯ll come back home!


    Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sent both his report card and letter back home.


    The journey to Li State was long. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even within Li State, Tongxian City was quite remote.


    He didn¡¯t know when the family letter would reach them or when he might receive a reply¡­


    ¡­


    Following the year-end assessment, there was a month-long New Year holiday.


    Disciples within the Sect could either return home or stay at the Sect.


    Mo Hua decided to stay in the Sect.


    Li State was too far away; he couldn¡¯t return home. He could only imagine his parents in his mind, along with Elder Yu and other neighbors, friends, and childhood buddies from Tongxian City¡­


    *What were they doing right now?*


    *Were they bustling about, strolling the streets, enjoying beast fights, and eating all kinds of delicious food?*


    *Was Tongxian City lit up with colorful decorations, vibrant and lively? Were there dazzling fireworks lighting up the nights?*


    "I wonder if they¡¯re thinking about me


    Mo Hua sighed deeply.


    ¡­


    The next day, Yu Er was also heading home. Before leaving, his small hand clenched tightly onto Mo Hua¡¯s sleeve, teary-eyed as he gazed at Mo Hua.


    Wenren Wei saw this and said,


    "Young Master Mo, why not come to the Shangguan Family and spend the New Year?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the Shangguan Family


    The Shangguan Family wielded immense influence and surely had many rules and restrictions.


    He wasn¡¯t familiar with them, so he wouldn¡¯t feel at ease there.


    Moreover, the Shangguan Family likely had some elders who were as tricky and cunning as old foxes.


    Mo Hua instinctively didn¡¯t want to deal with such ¡°ancestors¡± and risk drawing their attention.


    "How about heading to the Gu Family instead?¡± Wenren Wei suggested again.


    Mo Hua paused.


    The Gu Family¡­


    That might be okay.


    With Uncle Gu there, he had been to the Gu Family a few times before. Plus, Elder Master Xun mentioned the Gu Family was considered ¡°upright¡± within the Taoist Court, and their family ethos was rather proper.


    But Mo Hua was still hesitant.


    He also wanted to take the New Year holiday to study the Fireball Forbidden Skill on his own.


    Yu Er tugged on Mo Hua¡¯s sleeve again, his eyes filled with reluctance.


    *Mo Hua¡¯s heart softened, and he sighed, ¡°Alright then.¡±*


    Yu Er immediately broke into a beaming smile.


    So, little Yu Er happily held Mo Hua¡¯s hand, skipping and hopping all the way to the Gu Family.


    Wenren Wan was delighted to see Mo Hua.


    She casually asked about his Sect assessment results.


    Upon hearing about Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°one Grade A and six Grade Cs,¡± Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised.


    She had initially thought Mo Hua¡¯s claim of being ¡°skilled in Formation¡± was just talk, but she hadn¡¯t expected that he was truly proficient at it¡­


    At Taixu Gate, one of the Eight Great Gates, achieving Grade A in Formation studies was certainly remarkable.


    Wenren Wan felt genuinely happy for Mo Hua.


    As for the six Grade Cs that followed the lone Grade A, Wenren Wan instinctively dismissed them.


    *No one¡¯s perfect, after all.*


    *Mo Hua¡¯s circumstances were different, so it wasn¡¯t fair to judge him too harshly.*


    "Treat this place like your own home; don¡¯t feel constrained,¡± Wenren Wan said warmly to Mo Hua.


    "Thank you, Aunt Wan,¡± Mo Hua replied with a smile.


    Gu Changhuai, who was standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but look resigned.


    *This is the Gu Family after all¡­*


    *But in Wenren Wan¡¯s presence, he wouldn¡¯t dare assert his authority.*


    Mo Hua ended up staying at the Gu Family temporarily and played with Yu Er for a few days.


    Yu Er wouldn¡¯t be staying at the Gu Family for long, as he was the legitimate heir of the Shangguan Family¡ªsomeone with a unique status and a pre-arranged schedule, whether he liked it or not.


    According to the plan, Yu Er would first play at the Gu Family for a few days, then go back to the Shangguan Family for the New Year, and afterward visit the Wenren Family to pay respects for the new year.


    He would return to the Gu Family for a brief two-day break before heading back to Taixu Gate as the New Year holiday ended.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t possibly follow Yu Er around everywhere; he only had these few days before the New Year to accompany Yu Er at the Gu Family.


    After a few days of fun, Yu Er said goodbye to Mo Hua, looking utterly glum as he returned to the Shangguan Family, where strict rules awaited him.


    Following that, Mo Hua wandered around Qingzhou City for a while, observing its local customs and traditions before preparing to bid farewell and return to the Sect.


    You couldn¡¯t just depart without informing the Gu Family, though.


    Mo Hua went to find Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai wasn¡¯t surprised, nor did he try to persuade him to stay.


    *This kid was too full of slippery tactics. He couldn¡¯t handle him and didn¡¯t want to bother trying.*


    "There¡¯s one thing,¡± Gu Changhuai said, ¡°The Demon¡¯s Cave has been destroyed, and the Fire Buddha is dead. The Taoist Court will allocate Merit Points accordingly; I¡¯ll count some for you


    "But for this sort of thing, there¡¯s a lot of paperwork and red tape, so you¡¯ll have to wait for a while


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, ¡°Alright, alright!¡±


    *Merit Points were amazing!*


    *A bit of a delay was fine, as long as they eventually arrived.*


    *Uncle Gu is pretty trustworthy after all¡­*


    There wasn¡¯t much else to talk about. Gu Changhuai was generally a distant person, so Mo Hua prepared to leave.


    But just as he was getting up, someone walked in from outside.


    It was an older woman with a ruddy complexion and a cheerful demeanor¡ªshe appeared to be a senior member of the Gu Family¡¯s extended relatives.


    The Gu Family elder walked in and immediately smiled as she said to Gu Changhuai, ¡°Changhuai, it¡¯s rare to have you back. I wanted to discuss a marriage proposal with you


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face turned dark.


    Mo Hua, who had just stood up, blinked, then quietly sat back down again. He sneakily extended a small hand, grabbed a slice of melon from the fruit platter on the table, and took a bite.

 Chapter 1029: Meteorite (Thanks to the Sect Leader

    Chapter 1029 -659: Meteorite (Thanks to the Sect Leader, Grand Elder Taishang Daluo Heavenly Immortal Wanshou Emperor~)


    Chapter 1029 -659: Meteorite (Thanks to the Sect Leader, Grand Elder Taishang Daluo Heavenly Immortal Wanshou Emperor~)


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was very unpleasant.


    He was silent for quite a while and didn¡¯t speak until he turned his head and saw Mo Hua eating melon, with a pair of bright, lively eyes secretly watching him, and he frowned and said,


    "Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t really want to leave.


    The melon in his mouth today was exceptionally sweet.


    But seeing that Uncle Gu¡¯s face was the same color as the bottom of a pot, Mo Hua sighed reluctantly and was about to get up and leave.


    Beside him, a female Elder of the Gu Family, with a face full of festivity, saw Mo Hua looking ¡°wronged¡± and immediately scolded Gu Changhuai:


    "Really, what¡¯s the point of making things difficult for a child?¡±


    "He¡¯s just sitting here eating melon, how could he possibly bother you?¡±


    "It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing anything shameful


    "It¡¯s not your aunt speaking out of turn, but you should really restrain that foul temper of yours a bit. At the Dao Court, you can be harsher to those Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators, but after returning to the Gu Family, we are all relatives and elders, who are you showing that face to?¡±


    Gu Changhuai stiffened under the Elder¡¯s scolding.


    After the female Elder finished speaking, she put on a friendly expression again and, looking at the demure and adorable Mo Hua, couldn¡¯t help but admire.


    This child is indeed handsome.


    And what a fine temperament.


    Not like the sons of other noble families, some of whom, despite their good looks, have eyes full of arrogance borne from indulgence, a selfish and domineering air.


    This child is different, his gaze is pure, spirited and lively, sincere and polite to behold.


    The more the female Elder looked, the more she liked him.


    This was the first time she had seen Mo Hua and was unaware of his status. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But thinking he could show up in the Gu Household and eat melon in front of Gu Changhuai, he must be some nephew of the Gu family, or a relative.


    With a large family, these Elders couldn¡¯t recognize all the younger generations.


    Moreover, during the big festivals, friends and relatives coming and going, it¡¯s normal to have a few unfamiliar children around.


    The female Elder smiled and said to Mo Hua:


    "Child, don¡¯t be afraid, take your time eating


    "Your Uncle Gu is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, his words may sound unpleasant, but don¡¯t be afraid of him, just enjoy your melon


    Mo Hua, with his pair of innocent, clear big eyes, obediently said:


    "Thank you, Elder Xie.¡±


    Then he confidently took his seat again.


    Gu Changhuai felt his scalp tingle.


    "Aunt, you


    "What about me?¡±


    The female Elder immediately sat down beside Gu Changhuai and poured herself a cup of tea:


    "The clan doesn¡¯t manage you, and neither do you manage yourself


    "Wan¡¯er is married now, with a husband and children, it¡¯s not convenient for her to intervene. If your aunt doesn¡¯t step in, your whole life might be lost


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was stern, with a stubborn look.


    The female Elder sighed softly, speaking more gently, ¡°This girl is from the Direct Lineage of the Hundred Flower Valley, the Hua family, roughly the same age as you, but a bit younger


    "Now at Hundred Flower Valley, she is an Instructor of the Inner Gate


    "Her Cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, well¡­ at the Foundation Establishment Peak


    "Looking at it, Golden Core is not too far off for her


    "At her age, being in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage is indeed a bit old, but as soon as she Breaks through the Realm and advances to Golden Core, that age is just right


    "The two of you are close in age, and in terms of Cultivation, she¡¯s just a bit below you, so you¡¯d have a bit more confidence without having to cater to her all the time


    "You¡¯re of the Gu Family¡¯s Direct Lineage, she¡¯s of the Hua family¡¯s Direct Lineage


    "You are a Dao Court Canon, and she is an Instructor at Hundred Flower Valley, once she reaches Golden Core, she¡¯ll be an Elder


    "That does indeed make for a suitable match


    "Uh-huh!¡±


    Mo Hua, listening on the side, nodded repeatedly.


    Gu Changhuai gave Mo Hua a courtesy eye-roll.


    The female Elder was displeased, ¡°Auntie is talking to you, you should take it seriously


    "You¡¯re not young anymore, stop thinking about fighting those Sin Cultivators to the death all the time.¡±


    "Worry more about yourself


    Seeing Gu Changhuai unmoved, the female Elder sighed and whispered:


    "You¡¯re a son of a noble family, within the clan, no matter how high your Cultivation, without descendants, without continuation of the Bloodline, you will eventually be marginalized


    "Isn¡¯t that what happened to your Great Uncle?¡±


    "He had no children or daughters in his life, had high Cultivation, his word was law in the clan, but when the end of his life approached, he had to give away all his inheritance


    "Now that he¡¯s gone and his Dao has perished, there¡¯s not even anyone to offer incense for him.¡±


    "I¡¯m the only one, on festivals, who arranges an altar for him, offers tributes and lights incense


    "He reached the Heaven Void, and yet it was so, much less you as a Golden Core?¡±


    "Not to mention the family¡¯s Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Artifacts


    Gu Changhuai coughed and glanced at Mo Hua, who sat quietly next to him, diligently munching on his melon.


    The female Elder, impatient, said, ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt, he¡¯s just a child, he won¡¯t understand even if you speak


    Gu Changhuai was speechless.


    This kid has more cunning in his belly than many of the old and sly Demon Cultivators¡­


    You really can¡¯t see through this kid¡¯s true face!


    Gu Changhuai felt helpless inside but was too lazy to speak up, lest he be scolded by his aunt again.


    The female Elder paused, ¡°Where was I?¡±


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t want to answer.


    Then Mo Hua chimed in from the side: ¡°You were talking about the ¡®clan¡¯s Spirit Stones, Pills, and Spiritual Artifacts.''¡±


    "Oh right,¡± the female Elder smiled at Mo Hua and then gave Gu Changhuai a glare, continuing:


    "The family¡¯s Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Artifacts¡­they will certainly prioritize those branches that have established their families and have many descendants


    "Once you¡¯re married, the joining of two families supports each other, and with many people, they won¡¯t be bullied, with real benefits, they¡¯ll help each other, and the ¡®rich water¡¯ won¡¯t flow into outsiders¡¯ fields

 Chapter 1031: Meteorite (Thanks to the great

    Chapter 1031 -659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_3


    Chapter 1031 -659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_3


    "Mm!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Hong¡¯s eyes revealed some wistfulness and concern.


    "Changhuai was an orphan from a young age, always a loner


    "Of course, even when his parents were still alive, he was a loner


    Elder Hong thought carefully, then conclusively said, ¡°His loner nature must be innate, unrelated to other things


    "But being without parents and enduring some bullying is always inevitable.¡±


    "At that time, it was his cousin, your Aunt Wan, who often looked after him. Since childhood, Changhuai only listened to his cousin


    "Now that he¡¯s grown up, over a hundred years old, he¡¯s still indifferent to others, but he cares deeply about Wan¡¯er¡¯s matters


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    No wonder¡­


    Elder Hong sighed again, ¡°I just wish for him to find a partner, to change his cold and lonely nature, otherwise, sooner or later


    Elder Hong did not continue, but his gaze bore a shade of gloom.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said,


    "Elder Hong, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to Uncle Gu whenever possible!¡±


    Elder Hong was quite astonished and laughed,


    "Good, if you can persuade him to find a partner, I


    Elder Hong pondered for a moment, then promised,


    "I¡¯ll find you a beautiful young lady in the future!¡±


    Mo Hua, taken by surprise, blushed, ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s still early


    Seeing Mo Hua in this adorable, embarrassed state, Elder Hong laughed heartily, ¡°Then tell me what you want when the time comes. If I can manage it and it¡¯s not too outrageous, I¡¯ll definitely help you


    "Mm!¡±


    Mo Hua said, nodding with a smile.


    Afterward, the two chatted about this and that for a while.


    Elder Hong was an Elder of the Gu Family, known for his deep cultivation and seniority, yet very sociable and fond of gossip, even particularly keen on matchmaking.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but reflect that the world indeed had all kinds of Elders¡­


    After a while, Elder Hong had to leave due to other matters.


    But Mo Hua pondered in his mind.


    When the Fire Buddha self-destructed, Uncle Gu had saved him.


    His father and mother had always told him, ¡°A small kindness should be repaid like a bubbling spring.¡±


    The female instructor from Hundred Flower Valley, he should ask Sister Qianqian when she was free to see if she could find out any information.


    Uncle Gu¡¯s lifelong matters, he must take some worries for him!


    Mo Hua nodded.


    But currently, there seemed to be no opportunity; he would wait until the Sect started school, then ask Sister Qianqian when they were doing tasks together.


    After that, Mo Hua returned to Taixu Gate.


    This year, he would spend at the Sect.


    Though it was a bit lonely, it was also peaceful.


    And if he ever got bored, he could visit nearby Tai Xu City.


    Tai Xu City, built adjoining Taixu Gate and inhabited by many cultivators, was brightly decorated and bustling during the New Year.


    It also had some customs completely different from those in Li State.


    In addition, most of his time, Mo Hua spent researching and perfecting the Fireball Forbidden Skill that he had initially improved from the Meteor Fire Skill.


    The ¡°True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation,¡± remained inside his Storage Ring.


    But he dared not look at it within the Sect.


    The Sect prohibited any disciple from bringing Demon Cultivator¡¯s cultivation techniques, Evil Skills, or exotic skills into the Sect.


    If discovered, the consequences would be severe.


    Although Mo Hua had secretly brought it in, he also dared not read it in the Sect.


    He even suspected that there might be other methods inside the Sect to detect demonic power and Demonic Qi to prevent disciples from secretly cultivating Evil Skills and deviating. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Comparatively, Forbidden Skills could be considered safer.


    After all, the Forbidden Technique Mo Hua was studying involved only spell principles and did not incorporate any practices from the Evil Path.


    Mo Hua kept studying, optimizing, and refining his Fireball Forbidden Skill.


    He wasn¡¯t looking for greater power.


    Because the power was already sufficient.


    What he needed now was more stability in the skill pattern itself, control over the fusion, reducing the risk of losing control, and to some extent, reducing the consumption of Spiritual Power¡­


    Thus stabilizing this spell completely.


    In the consequent days, after nearly tens of revisions and hundreds of adjustments, the overall flow of Spiritual Power and the internal structure of the skill pattern had become very stable.


    Mo Hua wanted to test it more.


    Just as one must apply Formation knowledge, the same went for spells.


    Inside Taixu Gate, the appropriate place to test spells was naturally the Dao Room.


    Even during the New Year, there were Elders on duty in the Dao Room.


    And it was Elder Yi, whom Mo Hua was quite familiar with.


    Upon reaching the Dao Room and seeing Elder Yi, Mo Hua was a bit surprised,


    "Elder, aren¡¯t you going back to your clan for the New Year?¡±


    Elder Yi, sipping tea, shook his head, ¡°I went back to take a look, that was enough


    "With so many people in the clan, they don¡¯t miss one like me, but it¡¯s different for the Sect.¡±


    "Besides, this place is much quieter than home. At my age, a quiet place is better than anything


    Elder Yi spoke with much emotion.


    Mo Hua asked softly, ¡°Elder Yi, how old are you?¡±


    "I


    Elder Yi almost let his age slip, but hesitated.


    "Don¡¯t ask about that Elder Yi said, then raised his eyebrows, ¡°What are you doing here this time? Practicing spells?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    During the New Year¡¯s days, also staying back to practice his spells instead of returning to his clan.


    Elder Yi immediately felt a much closer connection with Mo Hua.


    "Go ahead, pick any room you like!¡±


    "Thank you, Elder Yi!¡±


    Mo Hua said, smiling, then headed into the Dao Room, took a few steps, then turned back.

 Chapter 1032: Meteorite (Thanks to the great

    Chapter 1032 -659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_4


    Chapter 1032 -659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_4


    Elder Yi felt puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    "Um.¡± Mo Hua nodded and whispered, ¡°Elder, can I go to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Dao Room to practice spells?¡±


    "Foundation Establishment Late Stage?¡±


    Elder Yi jolted slightly, glaring at Mo Hua with great caution, ¡°What are you planning to do?¡±


    "It¡¯s nothing special Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°I just think the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Dao Room is a bit safer


    The Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Dao Room was safe too.


    *The unsafe one is you¡­* Elder Yi thought silently to himself.


    "It¡¯s the holiday season; keep yourself in check, don¡¯t mess around with dangerous stuff Elder Yi muttered.


    "Mm-mm, rest assured, it¡¯s absolutely safe!¡± Mo Hua promised.


    "Fine, go ahead,¡± Elder Yi waved dismissively.


    Mo Hua grinned and said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Yi!¡±


    Following Elder Yi¡¯s directions, Mo Hua entered an unfamiliar Dao Room.


    The spell training mannequins inside were more advanced, made from rarer materials, with stronger defenses, and equipped with more magic defensive formations.


    Likewise, the walls of the entire room were reinforced with high-level Second Grade formations.


    Once Mo Hua entered the Dao Room, Elder Yi kept his eyes fixed on the Dao Room, not daring to look away.


    He was afraid that if he blinked, there would be another dramatic ¡°Boom!¡±


    The result would be Mo Hua and the spell mannequin ending up ¡°mutually wounded.¡±


    If the mannequin got damaged, that wouldn¡¯t matter.


    If Mo Hua got injured, then not only would this holiday season be ruined, but Elder Yi reckoned even next year wouldn¡¯t be ¡°peaceful.¡±


    Fortunately, after quite some time, there were no anomalies from the Dao Room.


    Mo Hua appeared to be practicing spells properly.


    Only then did Elder Yi finally relax, realizing that maybe he was being overly paranoid?


    *Someone at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage accidentally causing a skill pattern collapse and destroying one Dao Room was already outrageous.*


    *But no matter how outrageous it was, it shouldn¡¯t be possible to blow up a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Dao Room¡­*


    Elder Yi felt at ease again, leaning back in his chair, leisurely sipping tea, enjoying the rare tranquility.


    Inside the Dao Room.


    Mo Hua indeed refrained from attempting any more ¡°dangerous¡± experiments.


    *If he didn¡¯t pay attention and injured himself, not even Elder Yi could enjoy his holiday.* Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was quite empathetic to Elder Yi¡¯s difficulties.


    He simply followed the already-multiple-times-refined and stabilized ¡°Forbidden Technique¡± structure to conjure fireballs.


    Dual techniques worked in tandem, merging fireballs of the same origin.


    Using Divine Sense to exert strong pressure, he caused the fireballs to collide and compress at high speeds, triggering a skill pattern collapse. This led to internal Spiritual Power Fusion, forming a brand-new ¡°small fireball¡± saturated with powerful spiritual energy.


    On the fireball, the Fire Spiritual Power flowed and coiled like lava, intensely condensed, presenting a uniform pale purple hue.


    This fireball¡¯s power was smaller than the uncontrollable Fireball Forbidden Skill he initially performed.


    Its power was also less than the one that pierced the chest of the Fire Buddha.


    Yet at the same time, its danger level was reduced to the minimum.


    The spell itself became far more manageable.


    The speed of spellcasting also increased greatly.


    *Based on Mo Hua¡¯s prior experiences in magic battles, fully controllable spells delivered more precision and finesse in actual combat.*


    *If a spell carried the risk of losing control, it would be a double-edged sword.*


    *In trying to kill someone, you could end up killing yourself too.*


    So to ensure stability, he deliberately reduced the spell¡¯s power and minimized the spiritual energy consumption.


    In return, he gained more precise, quicker, and composed control over the spell.


    Mo Hua pondered in his mind.


    *First is stability and safety!*


    *Once he mastered this Forbidden Technique to perfection, then he could consider gradually lifting its constraints step by step.*


    *Through deeper levels of skill pattern collapse, he could harness Spiritual Power Fusion.*


    *And excavate the ultimate potential of this Forbidden Technique¡­*


    *But before that, there remained one pressing issue:*


    He needed to come up with a new name for this Fireball Forbidden Skill.


    "Meteor Fire Skill¡± was definitely out of the question.


    That name belonged to the Fire Buddha¡¯s Forbidden Technique, and just mentioning it would attract suspicion from anyone sharp enough to notice.


    "Fireball Technique¡± wouldn¡¯t work either¡­


    It sounded too generic.


    "Forbidden Fireball¡± would be even worse¡­


    This would be equivalent to slapping the ¡°Forbidden¡± label across his forehead, practically begging everyone to know¡­


    Mo Hua stared at the small fireball in his hand, resembling molten lava, furrowing his brows deep in thought for a long while until his eyes suddenly lit up.


    Fireball fusion, containing meteor fire within.


    Then this Forbidden Technique¡¯s name shall be:


    Mini Meteorite Skill!


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, his eyes shining brightly.


    ¡­


    The holiday passed quickly.


    A month slipped by in the blink of an eye.


    Taixu Gate resumed classes.


    Disciples who had just finished celebrating returned to the sect, their faces laden with fatigue and gloom¡ªthey looked completely reluctant.


    The Taixu Gate, which had been quiet for a month, grew lively again.


    This marked Mo Hua¡¯s second year studying at Taixu Gate.


    After a year of cultivation, most disciples had gradually adapted to the sect lifestyle.


    Next, they would formally begin integrating into the sect¡¯s structured system.


    Several days into the semester, under the approval of the Taixu Sect Master, this new cohort of disciples finally had their Taixu Token ¡°Merit Points¡± permissions unlocked.


    They would now start undertaking assignments.

 Chapter 1033: Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the

    Chapter 1033 -660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the great cultivator ally for being the alliance leader~)


    Chapter 1033 -660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the great cultivator ally for being the alliance leader~)


    After the ¡°Merit Points¡± privilege was granted, the disciples obviously became busy.


    They were born into noble families and may not lack resources like Spirit Stones for Dao cultivation, but certain rare inheritances, the prestige within the Sect, and even the positions at the Inner Gate were all things they strove for effortfully.


    This was itself a form of invisible competition.


    Whoever had more Merit Points signified the most significant contribution to the Sect, and thus would be more recognized by the Sect Elders, gaining greater influence among the disciples.


    Everyone was the proud child of heaven; even if they were courteous on the surface, valuing the camaraderie of fellow Sect members, in their hearts, no one truly conceded to another.


    Earning Merit Points involved not only self-interest but also the dignity amongst fellow disciples.


    At their age, ¡°face¡± might be more important than ¡°interest¡±.


    Hence, the disciples eagerly took on various ¡°bounties¡± whenever they had free time, completing quests to earn Merit Points.


    This left Mo Hua a bit at a loss for a while.


    Normally, he would have finished his meal at noon and could relax on the grass, bask in the sun with his Sect mates, and have a chat.


    But now that ¡°Merit Points¡± were available, everyone had disappeared.


    Cheng Mo had gone to watch the gate.


    Situ Jian had gone to sweep the streets.


    Zheng Fang had buried himself in Formation tasks¡­


    Others also found ways to earn Merit Points.


    While Mo Hua was left alone, looking rather out of place, like someone without a care in the world.


    Only little Yu Er kept him company in the sun, occasionally rolling gleefully on the grass.


    Back in the Shangguan Family, Yu Er was expected to conduct himself with propriety and have the demeanor of a disciple from a great family, which was very constraining.


    At the Sect, with no one to control him, he became much livelier.


    Even rolling on the grass, no one would reprimand him, and Mo Hua would even flash him a smile, making Yu Er exceedingly happy.


    Seeing how joyful Yu Er was, Mo Hua also felt at ease.


    As for the matter of Merit Points, it wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t in a hurry.


    It¡¯s just that he no longer valued these ¡°entry-level¡± tasks.


    Of course, some entry-level tasks didn¡¯t value him either.


    Like watching the gate, sweeping the streets¡­


    Even if Mo Hua really wanted to experience it, others would think he was too frail and wouldn¡¯t let him take on the tasks.


    And now, he still had over a thousand Merit Points. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was what he had accumulated over such a long time by capturing Sin Cultivators, Drawing Formations, and then what remained after buying quite a few Formations.


    Besides, there should be another sum of Merit Points on its way for the Fire Buddha matter.


    Only the Taoist Court officials were always so busy, the processing was slow, with many bureaucratic hurdles, it¡¯s uncertain when it would be distributed.


    But no matter how you looked at it, over a thousand Merit Points was also a ¡°huge sum.¡±


    And for the other Sect Disciples to accumulate so many Merit Points through these entry-level tasks, who knows how long it would take.


    Mo Hua suddenly felt like he had already graduated while watching his fellow Sect Disciples still struggling with ¡°retaking failed exams


    But over a thousand Merit Points certainly wouldn¡¯t be enough for his future needs.


    Especially since he still needed to learn Formations.


    Rare Formations, should they become expensive, would become a bottomless pit.


    Currently, at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, because he had followed Senior Brothers and Sisters, as well as mixed with the Taoist Court officials on missions, the Merit Points he earned to learn Second Grade Middle-level Formations were just enough for a little surplus.


    But in the future, learning Second Grade High-Level Formations might result in expenditure exceeding income.


    And what if, within the Taixu Gate, there were Ultimate Formations?


    How many Merit Points would an Ultimate Formation need?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even dare to think about it.


    Therefore, it was still necessary to plan ahead for a rainy day and save up Merit Points.


    Merit Points were, after all, always better more than less.


    During the rest period, Mo Hua still went to find Senior Sister Murong, hoping to continue joining in on missions, but Murong Caiyun looked apologetic.


    "Junior Brother, we might not have time to go out on missions this year


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Murong Caiyun explained, ¡°We disciples at the Foundation Building Middle Stage are going to enter the Refining Demon Mountain.¡±


    "Refining Demon Mountain!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He remembered that Situ Jian seemed to have mentioned it to him before.


    There was a Refining Demon Mountain within the Qianxue State boundary.


    There were many Monster Beasts on the mountain, some of which were rare species purposely captured and placed there by powerful Cultivators.


    The purpose was to allow Sect Disciples to experience real combat, hone their Taoist Skills, and work together to slaughter monsters¡­


    "Are there many Monster Beasts inside?¡±


    "Yes,¡± Murong Caiyun said, ¡°Refining Demon Mountain is vast, with complex terrain, and many Monster Beasts. Their bodies contain many rare materials that can be used to refine Spiritual Artifacts.¡±


    "Does this Refining Demon Mountain belong to our Taixu Gate?¡± asked Mo Hua curiously.


    Murong Caiyun laughed, ¡°No, our Taixu Gate¡¯s influence is not small, but we still don¡¯t have the power to control the entire Refining Demon Mountain


    "Refining Demon Mountain is ostensibly under the jurisdiction of the entire Qianxue State boundary, supervised jointly by the Four Great Sects, the Eight Great Gates, and the Twelve Streams.¡±


    "All Sect Disciples can enter the mountain for Monster Hunting.¡±


    "The Monster Beasts hunted can be skinned and de-boned by yourself to obtain materials for Artifact Refining, or they can be sold to the Sect in exchange for Merit Points


    "Of course, it¡¯s best to use them for yourself.¡±


    "Some special Sword Cultivator streams demand materials to refine their Spiritual Swords only obtainable by slaying specific Monster Beasts within the Refining Demon Mountain, such as bones, claws, essence blood, or inner cores


    "Some extremely rare Monster Beast materials, when sold to the Sect, can be exchanged for a handsome amount of Merit Points


    "Therefore, at the Foundation Building Middle Phase, the main source of Merit Points for most Sect Disciples comes from the Monster Beasts of the Refining Demon Mountain


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation.


    Monster Hunting!


    Merit Points!


    He felt the blood of a Monster Hunter stirring within him.


    Murong Caiyun seemed to see through his thoughts and sighed.


    Having been with Mo Hua for so long, how could she not know what her Junior Brother was thinking?

 Chapter 1034: Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the

    Chapter 1034 -660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the alliance leader of the immortality cultivation experts~)_2


    Chapter 1034 -660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the alliance leader of the immortality cultivation experts~)_2


    Although sometimes Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was profound and his inner heart inscrutable,


    At other times, his nature was quite innocent, with every little thought clearly written on his face.


    "You can¡¯t go,¡± Murong Caiyun said.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Why


    Murong Caiyun listed the reasons for him one by one:


    "First, you¡¯re only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, your cultivation isn¡¯t enough; second, you¡¯ve only been inducted for two years, time isn¡¯t enough; third, entering Refining Demon Mountain requires a Sect Pass, which you¡¯re not eligible for, so you can¡¯t buy


    Mo Hua whispered,


    "Can I sneak in?¡±


    Murong Caiyun gave him a slight glare, ¡°There¡¯s a Formation sealing it, how would you sneak in?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What grade is that Formation?¡±


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but at the very least it should be a Fifth Grade Formation.¡±


    "Fifth Grade Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    A Fifth Grade Formation was too high in grade for him to fiddle with. Otherwise, he might have been able to secretly open a gap and slip inside to take a look.


    However, he was also very curious about what a Formation of the Fifth Grade would be like.


    "In conclusion,¡± Murong Caiyun advised, ¡°don¡¯t think about Refining Demon Mountain for now


    "As for missions, if you have any troubles, just let me know, I¡¯ll definitely help you when I have time.¡±


    Mo Hua was touched in his heart and nodded,


    "Rest assured, Senior Sister, you go ahead with your tasks, don¡¯t worry about me!¡±


    After parting with Murong Caiyun, Mo Hua walked alone towards the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    While walking, he pondered in his heart.


    "Senior Sister Murong is going into Refining Demon Mountain


    "Then Shangguan Senior Brother, Senior Brother Feng, and Senior Sister Qianqian, they should also be entering the mountain


    "After all, Refining Demon Mountain is the main source of merit points for disciples in the middle phase of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    With that being the case, there would be no one to join him for fun¡­


    Although, at the Daoist Court, he was now somewhat familiar.


    But the Daoist Court, after all, was the Daoist Court, not a Sect, and it was complex and murky within, and the merits earned might not necessarily convert into ¡°merit points¡± of the Sect.


    Even if they could convert, the process was both complex and protracted.


    "Maybe I should¡­ gather some others to have fun?¡±


    Who to gather?


    Cheng Mo and Situ Jian?


    Mo Hua shook his head slightly.


    Their cultivation was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He used to hang out with those at the middle and late stages of Foundation Establishment, Enforcement Leaders of the Daoist Court, and Supervisor Gu, the Golden Core Stage Uncle Gu.


    Not to mention not leveling up, how could he even consider downgrading?


    But after much thought, there seemed to be no one else.


    Mo Hua pondered for a while and sighed,


    "I¡¯ll think about it later


    First, take care of his own matters.


    After returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, Mo Hua sat in meditation in his room and cultivated with closed eyes.


    When his Qi Sea was full and his meridians slightly swollen, he opened his eyes.


    "Cultivation!¡±


    From now on, he would need to spend more time every day on cultivation.


    Although cultivation takes persistent effort, a gentle and unhurried approach, an extra bit of effort every day would naturally make his cultivation progress faster.


    Mo Hua had thought it through.


    The second year at the Sect could be very monotonous.


    His Divine Sense Realm was bottlenecked by his cultivation.


    The bottleneck from Sixteen Patterns to Seventeen Patterns, the leap from the middle to the late phase of Foundation Establishment, was the bottleneck of Divine Sense.


    That bottleneck was like a chasm.


    Even if Mo Hua practiced drawing formations every day and refined his Divine Sense, occasionally protecting little Yu Er from nightmares and getting some ¡°side income¡±,


    His Divine Sense was simply overranked too much.


    It would be difficult to break through this obstruction in a short period of time.


    With Divine Sense stuck, Mo Hua¡¯s proficiency in formations couldn¡¯t continue to rise.


    He could only broaden his foundation in formations and continue to learn other formations within the Second Grade Sixteen Patterns¡­


    However, such formations, after all, lacked challenge, and studying too many of them became somewhat tedious¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He wanted to learn higher-level formations.


    Especially the Original Magnet-type formations, the construction of those more profound Magnetic Patterns and the application of the Secondary Thunder Patterns, Mo Hua had longed for a while.


    But without a breakthrough in Divine Sense, he currently was unable to learn those.


    Mo Hua felt a bit helpless.


    ¡­


    In the following month, since Senior Sister Murong and the others had all entered Refining Demon Mountain, Mo Hua seldom went out for missions.


    He alone couldn¡¯t take on bounties above the middle phase of Foundation Establishment.


    The early stage bounties gave too few merit points.


    It was somewhat a waste of time for him to do them alone.


    Better to spend more time drawing Second Grade formations, earning more merit points without having to run around.


    This made Mo Hua feel even more monotonous.


    Unable to go out for bounties.


    His cultivation increasing little by little, slowly, unable to break through the realm.


    His Divine Sense also strengthening bit by bit, gradually, yet unable to break through the realm.


    Yu Er would still occasionally suffer from nightmares at night, disturbed by Demon Monsters, but without the Shepherd of Goat Bones present.


    As for spells, he had pretty much learned what was necessary.


    The structural stability of the Mini Meteorite Skill Pattern was now incredibly stable.


    He had also learned quite a few other Second Grade functional formations¡­


    There wasn¡¯t much to aspire to in the short term¡­


    Life was as plain as water, without excitement or joy.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua felt that he should proactively find something else to learn¡­


    He thought about it and picked up the Gold-Cutting Imperial Sword Technique again, wanting to practice Sword Qi.


    When it came to cultivating Sword Qi, Mo Hua¡¯s foundation was too poor.


    The other sword-cultivating disciples within the Sect already had their family¡¯s heritage, and after being immersed in it since childhood, they began practicing sword moves and cultivating Sword Qi.


    At each higher realm, the sharpness of their Sword Qi would increase by a degree.


    By the later stages, they would become one with the sword, their Sword Qi piercing the heavens and reaching the earth.


    Mo Hua, coming from the background of a Loose Cultivator, barely touched a sword before Foundation Establishment.

 Chapter 1035: Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the

    Chapter 1035 -660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the alliance leader of the fellow cultivators~)_3


    Chapter 1035 -660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the alliance leader of the fellow cultivators~)_3


    The only time Mo Hua encountered a sword was when Zhang Lan was teaching the Water Passing Step. To demonstrate the Formation, he let Mo Hua stab him with a sword.


    That splendidly heavy treasure sword, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t even lift it¡­


    In the end, he had to substitute it with a tree branch.


    So, truly speaking of sword cultivation, Mo Hua had absolutely no foundation, let alone competing with other sword cultivators to see who was superior¡­


    But being idle was still being idle, and a person should always have some aspirations.


    Mo Hua thus took up swordsmanship training as his way of ¡°intellectual recreation.¡±


    Even if he couldn¡¯t master it, knowing both himself and the enemy, and restraining sword cultivators, would be beneficial.


    This sword technique belonged to the Sever Gold Sect.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t practice it openly, so he found a secluded grove, bought a second-hand, worn-out spirit sword, and practiced by himself just for fun.


    The Sever Gold Sword Control Technique was a technique of the Golden Series.


    Mo Hua had the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, which included some Metal Spirit Root.


    It was feasible for him to practice it.


    However, after practicing for a while, Mo Hua noticed a problem.


    This thing called Sword Qi, it seemed really strenuous for him to consolidate.


    The sword cultivators he had seen, like Uncle Zhang Lan, Senior Brother Ouyang Feng, Senior Brother Shangguan Xu, and Situ Jian who was in the same batch as himself,


    When they wielded their swords, the Sword Qi they stimulated was invariably stable in form, sharp, and powerful.


    But the Sword Qi he produced¡­


    Mo Hua found it difficult to evaluate¡­


    The Sword Qi he managed to form first of all, the shape was unstable, called a ¡°sword¡± but more like a ¡°stick,¡± and occasionally like a ¡°tree branch


    The Sword Qi was also not sharp, sometimes it couldn¡¯t even cut tree bark¡­


    Not to mention its power.


    He could throw a Fireball with his hand, and its destructive power was higher than this ¡°Sword Qi


    Mo Hua fell into deep confusion.


    "Is my talent for sword cultivation really this poor?¡±


    "That can¡¯t be right


    "Or is it just that everything is difficult at the beginning, and I just haven¡¯t gotten the knack of it yet?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out and decided not to think about it anymore.


    There wasn¡¯t anything else to practice anyway, so he might as well play around with it¡­


    Whatever it turned out to be, it would be what it would be, no need to pressure himself.


    If he really couldn¡¯t master it, he¡¯d treat it as laying a foundation for the upcoming ¡°Tai Xu Divine Thought Transforming Sword True Jue.¡±


    "Divine Thought into sword True Jue,¡± as the name suggests, should not be the same kind as ordinary sword techniques.


    He might not be able to cultivate ordinary sword techniques, but that does not necessarily mean he couldn¡¯t cultivate ¡°Divine Thought into Sword.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed.


    That was the only way he could comfort himself¡­


    Later, during tea and meal breaks, whenever Mo Hua had some free time, he would find a small grove and casually slash a few times with his sword.


    Sword Qi flew about, trees stood firm, only the leaves gently fell.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t discouraged.


    He just treated it as pruning the Sect¡¯s trees.


    ¡­


    And so, some time passed like this.


    One day, as Mo Hua was returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, he came across a few disciples whispering to each other.


    Mo Hua focused and saw that it was Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, and three other less familiar fellow disciples.


    Mo Hua quietly approached and overheard bits and pieces of their conversation:


    "The day after tomorrow¡­ during the break


    "Outside Qingzhou City


    "Pretending to be a Senior Brother¡­ finally got the task


    "Not dangerous


    "No worries¡­ we five are enough


    "Just need to capture a person


    "Easy catch


    Ah!!¡±


    Cheng Mo hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he suddenly realized someone was standing behind him, which gave him a fright and his face went pale. Upon realizing it was Mo Hua, he finally relaxed.


    "Mo Hua, you scared me


    Then he complained, ¡°How can you eavesdrop on our conversation?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him blankly, ¡°This is a proper path, I came straight over here, stopped straight here, and listened straight to you guys talking


    "Blame your own lack of vigilance, how can you blame me?¡±


    Cheng Mo was at a loss for words and then muttered:


    "Who knew you¡¯d walk like a cat, soundlessly and even without a breath


    Mo Hua looked at them suspiciously, ¡°What scheming plots are you guys hatching?¡±


    Cheng Mo, like a student caught by an instructor, immediately became anxious, ¡°We were just discussing¡­ cultivation matters


    Mo Hua seemed unconvinced.


    Cheng Mo then said, ¡°Really!¡±


    After saying that, he realized something wasn¡¯t right.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t an Elder or an Instructor, just a Junior Brother teaching them Formations, who they didn¡¯t dare to offend. Why was he so nervous?


    Cheng Mo immediately straightened up.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°You guys are planning to secretly take on a quest from the Taoist Court?¡±


    Cheng Mo was startled, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Mo Hua pursed his lips.


    Always playing the mysteriously secretive game¡­


    Situ Jian spoke in a low voice, ¡°Mo Hua, don¡¯t tell anyone, alright?¡±


    Cheng Mo also nodded repeatedly, paused thinking that it didn¡¯t seem sincere enough, as in these situations, one typically needs to ¡°bribe¡± a little.


    Cheng Mo then said, ¡°Mo Hua, if you promise not to tell anyone, after the task is accomplished, we¡¯ll


    Cheng Mo hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, share some Merit Points with you!¡±


    Mo Hua was curious, ¡°How much are you sharing?¡±


    Cheng Mo started to feel conflicted.


    They had just started doing these tasks, and they couldn¡¯t earn many Merit Points from them, and those they did earn weren¡¯t very useful.


    "We¡¯ll share Cheng Mo steeled himself, ¡°ten points with you!¡±


    Mo Hua:  S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that Mo Hua didn¡¯t respond, Cheng Mo said shockingly:


    "You can¡¯t still think it¡¯s too little, do you?¡±


    "Ten points¡­ isn¡¯t much either,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Cheng Mo exclaimed in distress:


    "You really don¡¯t understand the struggle until you¡¯re in charge; do you know how many days I have to guard the gate or how many times I have to sweep the streets to earn these ten Merit Points?!¡±


    "You think these points are easy to earn?¡±

 Chapter 1037: Formation Media (Thanks to the Boss

    Chapter 1037 -661 Formation Media (Thanks to the Boss Xuan Chou for the alliance~)


    Chapter 1037 -661 Formation Media (Thanks to the Boss Xuan Chou for the alliance~)


    "You don¡¯t trust me?¡± Cheng Mo said with a displeased face.


    Mo Hua ate his steamed bun in a prim and proper manner, responding perfunctorily, ¡°I trust


    But his demeanor clearly showed that he didn¡¯t.


    "I¡¯m telling you, you probably don¡¯t know how treacherous the Cultivation World is. When a real fight breaks out, it¡¯s a matter of life and death Cheng Mo said.


    "Uh-huh,¡± Mo Hua replied, still looking indifferent.


    Cheng Mo sighed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get it?¡±


    He snatched a steamed bun from Mo Hua¡¯s hand, stuffed it into his mouth, swallowed it in a few bites, and then continued,


    "You¡¯re a Formation Master. Although Formation Masters are powerful, that¡¯s because inside Sects or places governed by the Taoist Court, everyone behaves amiably, respects status, cares about face


    Mo Hua was upset about his steamed bun being taken.


    Cheng Mo hurriedly gave his drumstick to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua took the drumstick, took a couple of bites, and nodded in satisfaction.


    Seeing Mo Hua in a good mood, Cheng Mo¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly said,


    "Let me take you with me


    "The tactics of Formation Masters require prior setup. Otherwise, if caught unprepared and forced into hasty combat, it¡¯s a very passive situation.¡±


    "If caught off guard, you might lose your life


    "So, when Cultivators fight using spells and martial skills, Formation Masters also need to ¡®cling to strong legs¡¯!¡±


    "Oh Mo Hua, gnawing on the drumstick, blinked and asked, ¡°Then who are the ¡®strong legs¡¯?¡±


    Cheng Mo immediately patted his chest,


    "Me!¡±


    "I¡¯m telling you, my pair of large axes are the Cheng family¡¯s ancestral weapons. They slay gods and buddhas alike. If you follow me, I¡¯ll show you how impressive I am!¡±


    "You¡¯ll even get to earn Merit Points


    Mo Hua looked at him skeptically, ¡°Big Cheng, are you sure you don¡¯t have any ulterior motives?¡±


    Taking him along on missions and sharing Merit Points?


    Could he really be such an idiot?


    Cheng Mo laughed sheepishly, ¡°Not really¡­ it¡¯s just


    Cheng Mo looked around, then whispered lower,


    "Let¡¯s make a deal. I¡¯ll take you on missions, and you¡¯ll call me ¡®Junior Brother¡¯!¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Cheng Mo looked displeased, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯? Do you understand the significance of the term ¡®Junior Brother¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Cheng Mo gritted his teeth.


    It¡¯s like dying from drought if you¡¯re dry, flooding if you¡¯re wet.


    Some people just don¡¯t appreciate their good fortune!


    Cheng Mo said, ¡°It¡¯s normal to call those from the year above you ¡®Junior Brother or Sister¡¯ in the Sect. It¡¯s a matter of courtesy.¡±


    "For disciples of the same year, having others call you ¡®Junior Brother or Sister¡¯ is a matter of face, of prestige!¡±


    "So


    Cheng Mo whispered, ¡°I take you on missions, you call me Junior Brother, and from now on, we call each other Junior Brother


    "You won¡¯t benefit from that either, will you?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Cheng Mo said with an open-minded expression, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; as long as I¡¯m not at a loss, it¡¯s fine!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly felt something was off. He thought for a moment and shook his head,


    "No, that¡¯s not right


    "You can¡¯t get an advantage from me


    "But in front of Situ Jian and the others, it would be different


    "They call me ¡®Junior Brother¡¯; if I call you ¡®Junior Brother¡¯ too, that makes you their Junior Brother as well!¡±


    Cheng Mo¡¯s face turned red.


    He had not expected that his little calculation, thought up with such effort, would be seen through by Mo Hua while simply eating a drumstick.


    Mo Hua hummed softly,


    "Don¡¯t even think about it. I am the ¡®Junior Brother¡¯, and I have to uphold the face for those who call me Junior Brother; I can¡¯t let them feel inferior in front of you!¡±


    Cheng Mo was stiff-faced.


    Mo Hua quickly finished the drumstick and, feeling full, prepared to leave.


    Cheng Mo was still persistently wheedling,


    "Mo Hua!¡±


    "Junior Brother!¡±


    "It¡¯s really hard for a Formation Master to get by


    "Don¡¯t you want to go outside the Sect and seek justice, capture Sin Cultivators, slay demons, and uphold the Righteous Dao?¡±


    "Don¡¯t you want to feel the thrill of personally cutting down Demon Cultivators?¡±


    "I can beat them half to death for you to finish off with a spell!¡±


    Mo Hua remained unmoved.


    Cheng Mo added, ¡°Besides, staying in the Sect all day, you can¡¯t earn that many Merit Points, can you?¡±


    Mo Hua stopped in his tracks, turned around, tiptoed, patted Cheng Mo on the shoulder, and sighed,


    "The Formation Paintings I create are Second Grade; actually, I earn far more Merit Points than you fighters


    Cheng Mo stood there, his emotions extremely complex.


    ¡­


    Afterward, Mo Hua¡¯s life went on as usual.


    Cultivating, attending classes, Drawing Formations.


    Occasionally, he had time to practice the Sever Gold Sword Control Technique¡¯s Sword Qi.


    Cheng Mo continued to go on missions, but occasionally he would still try every tactic, even resorting to bribing Mo Hua with treats, persuading Mo Hua to join him and call him ¡°Junior Brother¡±.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Taoist Heart was firm; he stuck to his principles and ignored him.


    Cheng Mo was out of options.


    After some time, with Cheng Mo taking the lead, more and more disciples began to venture out on missions.


    Taixu Gate was filled with talented individuals, and teams of five could take on the ¡°bounties¡± for Sin Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage. Even if they couldn¡¯t win, they wouldn¡¯t be at a loss.


    Working together, fighting Sin Cultivators, and completing missions was also an essential part of their training.


    Gradually, Mo Hua¡¯s fellow disciples, the sons of noble families, began to grow up as well.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t handle the more vicious Evil Cultivators, capturing ordinary Sin Cultivators was no longer a problem.


    This was also within Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    The sons of noble families had excellent talent and strength.


    Even though they were raised in families and lacked the experience of travelling and adventuring, after going out on a few missions and facing some setbacks, they gradually got used to it.

 Chapter 1038: Formation Media (Thank you to the

    Chapter 1038 -661: Formation Media (Thank you to the patron, Grandmaster Xuan Chou~)_2


    Chapter 1038 -661: Formation Media (Thank you to the patron, Grandmaster Xuan Chou~)_2


    Senior Sister Murong and the others must have been taught in the same way.


    Even Taixu Gate must have done the same earlier.


    Through missions, they would gradually help disciples control the ¡°difficulty¡± and toughen up bit by bit until they could stand on their own.


    However, this has nothing to do with Mo Hua.


    Such missions are too simple, and they won¡¯t earn many merit points, so he couldn¡¯t be bothered to do them.


    Mo Hua thought of something else.


    Cheng Mo¡¯s words had reminded him.


    "Formation Master¡¯s techniques must be arranged in advance, otherwise, if forced to fight in haste and unprepared, it would be very passive.¡±


    "If caught off guard, it¡¯s likely that one might lose one¡¯s life


    Formation Master¡¯s techniques need to be prepared in advance¡­


    This made Mo Hua realize a problem:


    "How exactly do general Formation Masters make use of formations in battle?¡±


    During his time in Tongxian City, he used formations as traps.


    When killing the Big Demon Feng Xi and building the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, it was akin to setting up a trap that combined confinement and slaughter¡ªfirst trapping Feng Xi, then slaughtering like a pig.


    After reaching Foundation Establishment and learning Divine Sense Control Ink, things became much simpler.


    He could draw and use formations on the spot¡­


    But how do other Foundation Establishment Formation Masters specifically utilize formations in real combat?


    This was something Mo Hua hadn¡¯t really given much thought to.


    Mo Hua contemplated and felt somewhat lost, inevitably sighing.


    Perhaps this was the trouble of learning too much about Formations.


    Some of the most basic things could be overlooked without one realizing it¡­


    "Practical application of formations


    He decided to thoroughly research this during the time he had.


    He had intended to ask Elder Master Xun.


    But upon further thought, he realized that such a question might not be seen as a high-end Formation issue, therefore asking Elder Master Xun seemed like making poor use of valuable resources.


    Moreover, it might even arouse Elder Master Xun¡¯s suspicions.


    Especially the term ¡°practical application,¡± which didn¡¯t sound like something a little cultivator, freshly joined to a sect and confined indoors, engrossed daily in Formation research, would ask.


    Mo Hua went to look for Zheng Fang instead.


    The Zheng Family is known as a Formation Method Aristocrat with a rare and highly secretive Thunder System Formation, not even necessarily passed down to their direct descendants.


    But aside from that, their inheritance of some basic formations and their applications should be rather complete.


    Zheng Fang often discussed Formation issues with Mo Hua. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a stern face and serious personality, he did everything by the book like a ¡°little scholar.¡±


    He studied every Formation issue seriously.


    Apart from some Formation inheritances that were forbidden from being passed on, Zheng Fang had always been forthcoming and exhaustive in what he shared with Mo Hua.


    "The practical use of formations is based on formations, but the key actually lies in the ¡®Formation media.''¡±


    "Formation media?¡±


    "Yes,¡± Zheng Fang nodded, ¡°My great-uncle once said that the Dao of Heaven and Earth manifests as ¡®Formations,¡¯ and everything in the world can serve as a ¡®Formation media.''¡±


    "However, among these potential ¡®Formation media,¡¯ there¡¯s also a great deal of variance


    "Some things are natural ¡®Formation media,¡¯ due to their affinity for absorbing Spiritual Ink and melding with Formation Patterns


    "Whereas other things may either be too loose and formless, too fluid and inconsistent, or too complex and disordered to be suitable


    Zheng Fang paused here, choosing a more precise phrasing:


    "Very difficult to use as ¡®Formation media


    "There are exceptions, but they are rare


    "Only a few Great Formation Masters, with an uncommon understanding of the laws of the world, capable of ¡®turning stone into gold¡¯ and transforming what¡¯s decayed into something wondrous, can inscribe Formation Patterns on ¡®Formation media¡¯ that are commonly considered unsuitable


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help nodding involuntarily.


    Zheng Fang continued, ¡°Therefore, Formation media, in the study of formations, are just ¡®mediators,¡¯ but in the application of formations, they are ¡®foundational.''¡±


    "Even the most advanced formations require suitable ¡®Formation media¡¯ to serve as the base for their structure.¡±


    "And the history of Formation media is also lengthy


    Zheng Fang looked as though he had a long story to tell.


    "In the beginning, Formation Masters had to find and use their own Formation media


    "But as the Tao Cultivation industry developed and became more specialized, Formation Masters had their hands full just learning Formations, let alone spending a lot of time crafting Formation media themselves


    "So the crafting of ¡®Formation media


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Was left to Artifact Refiners?¡±


    "Yes,¡± Zheng Fang nodded.


    He then pulled out a catalog from his Storage Bag.


    On the catalog, several simple Spiritual Artifact models were illustrated.


    "There¡¯s no need to mention Formation Paper, as it¡¯s the most basic and cheapest Formation media


    "All other types of Spiritual Artifact Formation media, including Formation Flags, Array Plates, and Formation bases


    "These are all separately refined by Artifact Refiners.¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled, ¡°But this crafting of Formation media doesn¡¯t seem to be taught in the sect.¡±


    Zheng Fang nodded again, ¡°Those things¡­ the sect doesn¡¯t teach


    "Just like formations, which are divided into various categories, such as Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, Eryi and Three Talents, Four Symbols and Seven Stars, and so on


    "And among the subcategories are formations like the Yuan Magnetic Formation


    "Each category of formations has significant differences


    "Similarly, Artifact Refining is also divided into various subfields, like the crafting of Formation media, Taoist Robes, armors, weapons, accessories, and other Spiritual Artifacts required in a cultivator¡¯s life and production, such as lamps, incense burners, screens, and Pill Furnaces


    "Most Artifact Refiners will choose one or two specialties to pursue excellence in.¡±


    "The sect won¡¯t teach everything, only picking the most important, with the largest volume, and with the widest application to teach

 Chapter 1043: Artifact Refining in Solitary

    Chapter 1043: Chapter 662: Artifact Refining in Solitary Mountain City_4


    Chapter 1043 -662: Artifact Refining in Solitary Mountain City_4


    Mo Hua smiled.


    This Master Gu seemed very forthcoming.


    But he was short on time and it was already too late.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Thank you, Master Gu, but my Sect¡¯s period of leave is short, and I need to return to my Cultivation practice. If I have time later, I¡¯ll come to consult with Master Gu on some issues and hope you won¡¯t hesitate to enlighten me.¡±


    Master Gu invited him several more times, but seeing that Mo Hua was determined to leave, he didn¡¯t press further and said,


    "When you come next time, I will ensure you are received well!¡±


    "Thank you, Master Gu!¡±


    Mo Hua rose to leave, but as he turned around, he saw the disciple named ¡°Da Chuan¡± standing in the distance, looking somewhat anxious.


    It seemed that there was an urgent matter, but he was hesitant to interrupt and had been waiting for quite a while.


    Master Gu also noticed Da Chuan and called him over, asking,


    "What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Da Chuan replied, ¡°Master, the furnace has broken again


    Master Gu frowned and said, ¡°If it¡¯s broken, just replace it. Don¡¯t we have many furnaces?¡±


    Da Chuan said with bitterness, ¡°Artifact Refining was halfway done; we can¡¯t change now. If we switch, the embryo inside is likely to be damaged, and¡­ relighting the furnace would cost more Spirit Stones


    Master Gu asked, ¡°Where is it broken?¡±


    Da Chuan answered, ¡°Just like before, it¡¯s from being used over time; the Formation has aged


    Master Gu¡¯s brow furrowed even more.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua offered, ¡°Let me have a look


    Master Gu had shared with him a lot of Artifact Refining knowledge, which was a great help to himself.


    This little effort on his part would be a way to repay the favor.


    And it would make it easier to ask for Master Gu¡¯s help in the future if needed.


    Moreover, he had seen it all when he arrived.


    In the Refinery Shop, the Artifact Furnaces used were very old, and the Formation Patterns weren¡¯t very advanced; he could draw them with his eyes closed.


    Master Gu looked at Mo Hua but hesitated:


    "It¡¯s a Second-Grade, Middle-level Formation


    "No problem,¡± Mo Hua said. ¡°I know a bit about Second-Grade Middle-level Formations too.¡±


    Master Gu didn¡¯t quite understand at first.


    What do you mean you know a bit about Second-Grade Middle-level Formations¡­


    How would a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage learn to draw Second-Grade Middle-level Formations?


    He wasn¡¯t a Formation Master, but he wasn¡¯t ignorant either.


    Confident, Mo Hua turned to Da Chuan and said, ¡°Lead the way and let¡¯s have a look.¡±


    Da Chuan was in a difficult position. He glanced at Mo Hua, then back at Master Gu, unsure what to do.


    Master Gu sighed, nodded, and said,


    "Let¡¯s take a look, then.¡±


    It was only a Second-Grade Artifact Furnace.


    In the worst case, if it was further damaged during repair, it wouldn¡¯t be any different from its current state.


    However, when they arrived at the front courtyard and saw the broken Artifact Furnace, Master Gu still furrowed his brow.


    The furnace had been dismantled, and most of the Formation Patterns had faded; the problem indeed lay with the Formation.


    But as the Artifact Furnace had been subjected to intense fire, its inner wall was still glowing red hot just after being dismantled, and ordinary Second-Grade Formation Pens couldn¡¯t withstand this temperature.


    They could only wait one to two hours for the Artifact Furnace to cool down naturally, otherwise, the Formation couldn¡¯t be drawn.


    "Young Master, perhaps we should just let it be, this


    Master Gu was halfway through his sentence when he abruptly stopped, stunned.


    He saw Mo Hua take out a bottle of Spiritual Ink, and without even using a pen, with a flick of his small hand, the red Fire-series Spiritual Ink slithered out of the bottle like a little snake on its own.


    Then, with another gesture from Mo Hua,


    The Spiritual Ink traced a winding path through the air, eventually moving onto the red hot wall of the Artifact Furnace.


    After a few more deft motions with his fingers,


    Before long, a Second-Grade Melting Fire Formation with Sixteen Patterns vividly appeared on the Artifact Furnace.


    And the Formation Patterns were tight and meticulously drawn, not deviating in the slightest.


    The nearby Artifact Refiners, regardless of age, cultivation, or experience, were all struck dumb¡­


    For that moment, they were all in a daze.


    "Is this how a Formation Master works?¡±


    "Are Formations drawn like this?¡±


    Yet Mo Hua, as if he had just done a trivial task, collected the remaining Spiritual Ink, waved his hand, and bid farewell,


    "I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±


    Master Gu nodded almost blankly, having even forgotten to see Mo Hua off.


    Not until Mo Hua had walked a good distance did he come back to his senses.


    Master Gu watched Mo Hua¡¯s departing figure, frowning in thought,


    "Just who is this young master


    "His Formation technique¡­ though incomprehensible, it¡¯s quite shocking


    "He behaves sincerely and evidently comes from a significant background Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I wonder if it¡¯s possible


    Master Gu looked up at the Artifact Refiners and apprentices around him, inhaling deeply with a sigh.


    "I have to give these people following me something to aspire to


    "I can¡¯t let them waste away with me in this desolate and remote Solitary Mountain City


    ¡­


    It was getting dark.


    Mo Hua sat alone in the carriage, embarking on the road to leave Solitary Mountain City.


    He had to travel through the night.


    With such a short period of leave, he still had to visit Lord Yellow Mountain, so there was no time to rest.


    After all, traveling at night was generally safe since it followed a main road.


    In case of danger, the cover of night would provide him with greater security.


    Something about Solitary Mountain City struck Mo Hua as odd.


    Why should an Immortal City of Third Grade have so few Golden Core Cultivators? And why did it seem so desolate?


    But with his rushed schedule, he hadn¡¯t had time to inquire deeply¡ªperhaps he could find out more next time.


    For now, he needed to press on.


    So Mo Hua took a detour along the main road, heading toward the dilapidated temple on Kushan Mountain where Lord Yellow Mountain resided.


    The night was deep, the mountains obscure.


    It looked perilous, yet the journey was serene.


    An hour more, and he would reach Kushan Mountain, where he could meet with Lord Yellow Mountain.


    But as he was passing another Immortal City, Mo Hua suddenly felt his heart skip a beat.


    He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something had happened nearby¡­

 Chapter 1044: Hao Xuan

    Chapter 1044: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan


    Chapter 1044 -663 Hao Xuan


    What could possibly happen?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and poked his head to look outside the carriage.


    Outside, the night was deep.


    The carriage was moving on the road, to the left not far away, laid a small Immortal City, and to the right, a barren mountain.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment before deciding to go down and have a look.


    He reined in the carriage to a stop, then hopped off, tied the horse nearby, and released his Divine Sense, perceiving the unknown threads of causality. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A trace of blood¡­


    And a faint hint of killing intent.


    Mo Hua concealed himself and followed the weak trail silently toward the barren mountain on the right.


    The ground was covered in withered grass and dense thorns.


    The rugged rocks were uncomfortable underfoot.


    After walking for 30 minutes, Mo Hua sensed something amiss and stopped. He crouched down and looked at the ground, his gaze slightly heavy.


    There were blood traces on the ground, not yet dry, seeming to have just been spilled.


    The rocks were scattered chaotically.


    As if someone had been running with all their might.


    The faint smell of blood lingered in the air, along with a weak presence of Spiritual Power.


    This was¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart turned cold.


    "Is someone being hunted down?¡±


    And the causal threads were somewhat gloomy and even a bit familiar.


    Mo Hua focused and started his Calculations, and then he was taken aback.


    In a trance, he saw in the gloomy night of the barren mountain, two figures in black pursuing a young man.


    The cold moonlight made the blade gleam chillingly.


    Blood was flowing from the young man¡­


    This image flashed by.


    When Mo Hua looked again, all light and shadow shattered, dissipating into nothingness.


    The young man¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes revealed a thoughtful look, and then he continued his pursuit while maintaining his concealment.


    Following the bloodstains and aura, he chased for several miles and emerged from the narrow mountain path to a suddenly expansive landscape.


    But the scent of blood in the air had intensified.


    The residual presence of Spiritual Power was also more pronounced.


    Clearly, a fierce battle had taken place.


    A chill ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart as he swept the area with his Divine Sense. He saw on a slope not far ahead, a large patch of blood, with the ground shattered and some of the earth collapsed.


    There were also marks of Spiritual Artifacts being wielded and Spells burning.


    If Mo Hua¡¯s conjecture was correct, the young man fleeing for his life had been caught up with by the people in black on this broad mountain slope.


    After a battle and struggling to fight, the young man was overpowered and captured by the black-clothed Cultivator.


    He should still be alive¡­


    Or at least, not dead yet.


    Otherwise, what would be left at the scene wouldn¡¯t be just bloodstains, but a body or at least fragments of flesh¡­


    "Captured, but not yet killed


    "Should be nearby


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze darkened, his pupils profound, as he extended his Divine Sense to its limits. Moments later, his eyes brightened.


    Nearby was a concealed cave.


    Inside were several indistinct auras.


    Mo Hua cast the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, merging his aura with that of the surrounding Earth and Wood and the rocks, making his footsteps silent as he inched closer to the cave.


    As he neared the entrance, there indeed was movement inside, and the auras became clearer.


    There were three people, all at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.


    Inside, there seemed to be sounds of interrogation.


    "You little shit¡­ damn


    "Who sent you here?¡±


    "Speak!¡±


    damn it¡­ hurry up and say something!¡±


    "Where are your accomplices?¡±


    "What exactly is your goal?¡±


    "What did you really see?¡±


    ¡­


    This was followed by the sound of whipping and torture. After a while, a young voice spoke with a feeble breath, in disjointed phrases:


    "I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ cough


    Mo Hua was startled.


    This voice was so familiar¡­


    He slowly approached the cave entrance, peeked inside, and found the interior dimly lit, a young man tied up, his face covered in blood.


    Two black-clothed Cultivators with their faces covered, their gazes ferocious.


    That young man¡­


    Mo Hua watched for a while and then was taken aback with realization.


    It was actually one of his fellow disciples¡­


    Hao Xuan?


    There were many disciples in the same cohort at Taixu Gate, and Mo Hua did not know all of them.


    But he had an impression of Hao Xuan.


    They were from the same Disciple¡¯s Residence, and though they did not interact much, their faces were familiar and they were on good terms.


    Hao Xuan always turned in his Formation assignments on time, was very serious and respectful, and treated others kindly.


    Key point being, he had called Mo Hua ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    And, he had also treated Mo Hua to chicken legs before¡­


    He was one of their own!


    Now, the once amiable Hao Xuan was covered in wounds, his breath fleeting.


    The two black-clothed Cultivators continued to interrogate him.


    But it seemed Hao Xuan indeed knew nothing and could say nothing.


    The two black-clothed Cultivators then furrowed their brows.


    "Can¡¯t pry his mouth open


    "What shall we do?¡±


    "How about


    One of them made a gesture with his hands as if holding a blade, and a surge of killing intent filled his eyes.


    Mo Hua was alarmed.


    What were the identities of these two in black?


    Taixu Gate disciples of noble family¡¯s direct lineage, and yet they speak of killing so casually?


    Hao Xuan¡¯s pupils shook, and with a breath he urged:


    "I am of the Hao family¡¯s direct lineage from Qian State, both my parents are at the Late Golden Core Stage, with an ancestor at the Heaven Void Realm


    "I am the son of a direct lineage noble family, you


    One of the black-clothed men sneered:


    "Is that all? Who isn¡¯t


    The other black-clothed Cultivator immediately slapped his companion, speaking sharply:


    "Shut up!¡±


    The previous black-clothed Cultivator realized his blunder, covering his face, his complexion growing pale, he dared not speak any further.


    Hao Xuan also came to understand, his eyes filled with horror, his face turning as pale as death.


    About to be silenced¡­


    They¡­


    Before he could think further, one of the black-clothed Cultivators had already raised the knife with the blade gleaming ominously.


    Just then, from the cave entrance came a sharp cry:


    "Ah


    This cry seemed to be filled with great fear.


    Then, someone started running away at full speed.


    Their steps grew fainter as they fled into the distance.


    The few people inside the cave were all stunned.

 Chapter 1045: Hao Xuan (2)

    Chapter 1045: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan_2


    Chapter 1045 -663 Hao Xuan_2


    The raised butcher knife also stopped.


    The man in black roared angrily, ¡°Someone¡¯s there?¡±


    "How did they find us?¡±


    "Did he hear everything we just said?¡±


    "Did he run away?¡±


    One of the black-clothed cultivators shouted angrily, ¡°Damn it, go after him quickly! Don¡¯t let the news leak out!¡±


    "Alright!¡±


    Another man in black used his movement technique and chased after him outside the cave.


    But he hadn¡¯t chased far when suddenly there was a loud ¡°boom¡± outside the cave as if something exploded, followed by a scream, and then all went silent.


    The pupil of the cultivator who stayed in the cave shrank.


    "What happened?¡±


    "What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He wanted to shout the person¡¯s name, but the words reached his mouth and he swallowed them again.


    He couldn¡¯t let the information slip.


    He couldn¡¯t reveal his identity.


    He could only wait patiently.


    But after a long wait, it was still dead silent outside.


    The night was deep, and the forest was silent.


    Only the occasional screech of a night owl sent chills down one¡¯s spine.


    The brows of the black-clothed cultivator trembled uncontrollably.


    He felt a life-and-death crisis looming over his head, forcing him to dare not even breathe heavily.


    He gripped his blade tightly, staring fixedly at the cave entrance, his expression guarded, his gaze never leaving it for a moment.


    Afraid that if he lost focus for even a moment, someone would rush into the cave and take his life.


    But this standoff was extremely taxing on his mind.


    The black-clothed cultivator suddenly felt as if he was at war with the entire deep, dark night.


    Dangers lurked everywhere.


    He couldn¡¯t take it anymore and wanted to go out for a look.


    The black-clothed cultivator swallowed his saliva and painfully took steps, slowly walking toward the cave entrance.


    But his gaze was fixed only on the pitch-black night outside and he didn¡¯t notice the ground beneath his feet.


    When he approached the cave entrance, suddenly, a flash of golden light.


    Blood splattered everywhere.


    The legs of the black-clothed cultivator, sliced by the light of the golden Formation, bled profusely, his tendons completely severed.


    The black-clothed cultivator¡¯s eyes widened in horror,


    "Middle-level Formation? When did this


    Before he could ponder further, pain spread instantly, the black-clothed cultivator screamed, and then his legs broke, his body uncontrollably collapsing to the ground.


    Moments later, a blaze erupted.


    One after another, Fireballs tore through the night, unceasingly bombarding him. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The black-clothed cultivator struggled as best as he could, but his flesh could not withstand the lethal power of the Formation, nor the continuous explosions of Fireballs and the burns from the Fire Spiritual Power.


    His injuries grew increasingly severe.


    After an unknown period of relentless devastation, the breath of the black-clothed cultivator gradually weakened and eventually dissipated.


    The black-clothed cultivator died, becoming a corpse.


    The Fireballs paused for a moment, but only for a moment.


    Then the blaze resumed, continuing to bombard, blasting the body of the black-clothed cultivator thoroughly¡­


    In the pitch-black deep night, in a hidden cave.


    The body of the unnamed black-clothed cultivator continued to be devoured by the explosive flames.


    Hao Xuan¡¯s face turned ashen.


    Killing with a Formation, flaying with Fireballs, hiding in the shadows, ruthless and cruel!


    Who exactly is this person?


    Too brutal¡­


    Suddenly, the Fireball Technique stopped.


    The cave also quieted down.


    Hao Xuan then realized that in this cave, only he was left alive.


    And although he couldn¡¯t see, something in the shadows across seemed to glance at him before slowly approaching him.


    Hao Xuan¡¯s gaze filled with fear, his limbs went cold, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    "Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t come over


    But the shadow kept getting closer.


    The oppressive feeling looming in the dark grew stronger.


    Just as Hao Xuan¡¯s fear reached its peak, his face utterly pale.


    Suddenly, a low shadow appeared in front of him.


    Then the shadow gradually solidified, and a human figure appeared, revealing a sweet little face.


    "Hao Xuan, I¡¯m here to save you!¡±


    Mo Hua displayed an innocently sweet smile.


    Hao Xuan was stunned for a moment, then completely dazed.


    In that instant, he doubted if he was dreaming.


    Everything seemed so unreal.


    Whether it was the black-clothed cultivators hunting him or Mo Hua saving him¡­


    It felt like he¡¯d awaken with the sun shining, lying on the bed in Disciple¡¯s Residence, then going reluctantly to class.


    Hao Xuan closed his eyes and then opened them again.


    It wasn¡¯t a dream¡­


    The night was still deep.


    The chill in the mountains was still intense.


    Blood from his forehead dripped into his eyes, making them sting painfully, and his body was covered in wounds, the chains that bound him also cutting into his flesh.


    The white chilling blade light that loomed above his head earlier was still vivid in his memory.


    It was truly a brush with death¡­


    Hao Xuan remained dazed for a long time, staring at Mo Hua, his eyes suddenly brimming with tears.


    "Mo Hua


    He looked at Mo Hua as if he was seeing a dear family member¡­


    He had never suffered so much since childhood, nearly losing his life¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua unlocked Hao Xuan¡¯s chains and fed him a Pill that healed injuries, stopped bleeding, and nourished energy.


    His injuries gradually improved, and his breath also stabilized.


    Hao Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying,


    "I thought I was going to die here


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then curiously asked,


    "Don¡¯t you have that rune? The one used for saving life, shiny with golden light


    Hao Xuan was stunned, ¡°The special Eternal Life Rune?¡±


    "Uh-huh.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    He had just heard Hao Xuan say himself that he was from the Hao family¡¯s Direct Lineage, with an ancestor in the Heaven Void Realm.


    Hao Xuan shook his head and sighed,


    "Such a precious rune, where would I deserve it


    "I indeed have an ancestor in the Heaven Void Realm, but the ancestor has many, many descendants, like my great-grandchildren


    "Unless my Spiritual Root wrestling the creation of heaven and earth, my constitution shocking the ancient and lighting the present¡­ or unless my Bloodline is special, the sole continuity of the ancestor¡¯s line, with no successor after my death, otherwise, the ancestor would never plant a special Eternal Life Rune for me

 Chapter 1046: Hao Xuan (3)

    Chapter 1046: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan_3


    Chapter 1046 -663 Hao Xuan_3


    "Using this kind of rune would deplete one¡¯s Tao cultivation origin,¡±


    "A Heaven Void Ancestor might only be able to cultivate one in their entire lifetime,¡±


    "So, unless their end is near, or they have completely lost hope in their Tao cultivation journey, they wouldn¡¯t willingly damage their own origin, sever their path, and craft such a defiant special Eternal Life Rune for their descendants.¡±


    "The special ¡®Eternal Life¡¯ Rune, it truly lives up to the name ¡®Eternal Life.¡¯ It¡¯s practically equal to having an extra life.¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked upon hearing this.


    *He had known the special Eternal Life Rune was valuable, but he hadn¡¯t realized it was so priceless.*


    A Heaven Void cultivation origin, exchanged for a descendant¡¯s life.


    Mo Hua frowned, his thoughts turning to his Junior Brother and Junior Sister¡­


    *Back when they were outside Li Mountain City, his Junior Brother and Junior Sister had shattered their special Eternal Life Runes to save him and to confront the Saint Heir and the group of Golden Core Demon Cultivators under his command.*


    *With their special Eternal Life Runes destroyed, what would become of them in the future?*


    *Wouldn¡¯t that mean they¡¯ve lost their life-saving talismans?*


    *Such precious talismans¡ªcrafting one was already a rare extravagance. It was unlikely any Heaven Void Ancestor would create a second one for them.*


    Mo Hua sighed heavily, his expression full of anxiety.


    "I hope my Junior Brother and Junior Sister will be all right


    Hao Xuan, misunderstanding that Mo Hua was worried about him, felt deeply moved and comforted him:


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Mm, as long as you¡¯re fine


    Hao Xuan thought for a moment before putting on a serious expression and saying earnestly to Mo Hua: S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mo Hua, you saved my life. From now on, you¡¯re my sworn brother!¡±


    Mo Hua reassured him, ¡°This is something I should do; there¡¯s no need to dwell on it.¡±


    Hao Xuan, however, remained stubbornly determined.


    After a while, he suddenly remembered something and asked puzzledly:


    "By the way, Mo¡­ Junior Brother, were those two black-clad cultivators the ones you killed?¡±


    "When did you¡­ become so powerful?¡±


    "I thought you were only good at Formations


    Mo Hua blinked and sighed:


    "Actually, my cultivation is quite weak; I¡¯m not their match at all. I only managed to set up a Formation in advance, using strategy to counter brute force. That¡¯s how I lucked out and dealt with the two of them


    Then, Mo Hua revealed a ¡°frightened¡± expression, ¡°Thinking about it now, it still makes me feel a bit scared.¡±


    Hao Xuan nodded, ¡°So that¡¯s how it was


    But after nodding for a while, he suddenly froze, realizing something was amiss:


    "Wait a second¡ªthat man was killed by the Fireball Technique. After he died, you even


    *¡­used the Fireball Technique to ¡®punish the corpse.¡¯*


    *How ruthless.*


    *And the technique was so skillful, so composed, not at all like something done out of luck¡­*


    Mo Hua froze for a moment, then patted Hao Xuan¡¯s shoulder with a solemn expression and said:


    "That¡¯s your imagination. You were injured and disoriented, so you must have seen it wrong.¡±


    "Both of them died because of the Formation¡ªit has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Hao Xuan appeared utterly confused.


    *Was I¡­ disoriented?*


    Seeing his reaction, Mo Hua quickly changed the subject:


    "These are minor matters. By the way, why were you being hunted by those two people? Who were they?¡±


    Hao Xuan¡¯s attention was successfully diverted. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly exclaimed:


    "There are others!¡±


    "Others?¡± Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    "The one being chased!¡± Hao Xuan said urgently.


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows knitted together, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Hao Xuan began to explain:


    "The five of us, including Cheng Mo and Situ Jian, had taken on a bounty mission and went to a nearby Immortal City to complete it.¡±


    "After finishing the task, we planned to return together, but as we passed through a desolate mountain, we saw a group of suspicious cultivators. They had their faces covered, were carrying sacks, and were pushing boxes¡ªup to something unknown.¡±


    "Finding them suspicious, we decided to follow them in secret.¡±


    "It didn¡¯t take long before they noticed us. As soon as they did, their expressions changed drastically. They all drew swords and weapons and attacked us.¡±


    "We fought them for a while, but we were outnumbered and overpowered. We had no choice but to scatter and flee.¡±


    "Before escaping, I happened to catch a glimpse¡ªa look inside those sacks and boxes they were carrying


    Hao Xuan paused, then said in an icy tone, ¡°They were filled with people


    People?


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression froze. Then, as if remembering something, his eyes darkened, and a flicker of cold light flashed over his face.


    *Once again¡­ human traffickers¡­*

 Chapter 1047: Drawing the Kill

    Chapter 1047: Chapter 664: Drawing the Kill


    Chapter 1047 -664: Drawing the Kill


    "What should we do now?¡±


    Hao Xuan instinctively looked towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and said, ¡°First, let¡¯s look for Cheng Mo and the others. They must still be being hunted. If we ignore them, I¡¯m afraid their fate won¡¯t be good


    "But Hao Xuan said weakly, ¡°There¡¯s just the two of us¡­ Those human traffickers, at least twenty or more


    "Did you use the Taixu Token to send out a call for help?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Hao Xuan nodded, then shook his head.


    "I did send it, but it was useless. This place is a wilderness, the Original Magnet is very weak, susceptible to interference, and we¡¯re somewhat far from the Sect. The call for help¡­ might not get out


    At his words, Mo Hua was taken aback and also tried the Taixu Token.


    He found that indeed, the power of the Original Magnet was weak, the Magnetic Patterns were disturbed, and it seemed it really couldn¡¯t get out.


    He had never called for help when he was out on missions before; he didn¡¯t know there were such limitations to the Taixu Token¡¯s ability to send messages¡­


    Mo Hua then tried the Letter Token given to him by Uncle Gu.


    The characters were dim, flickering on and off.


    The Original Magnet obviously delayed; he didn¡¯t know whether the message was sent, but it was evidently better than the Taixu Token.


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled but after a bit of thought, he roughly understood.


    The Formation inside the Taixu Token was more advanced but also too complicated. Sending messages was just one of its basic functions, so it was not as effective as the specialized Letter Token.


    And the Formation within the Taixu Token was controlled by a core Formation Pivot.


    The core Formation Pivot was located at the entrance of the Taixu Gate.


    The closer to the entrance, the better the Taixu Token¡¯s Original Magnet signal; once far away, the magnetic flow weakened.


    Moreover, they were now outside the state boundary of the Qianxue State; separated by a state boundary, the functionality of both the Taixu Token and the Letter Token would be severely limited.


    Whether it could be used was still uncertain¡­


    But no matter what, the message for help still had to be sent out.


    So Mo Hua sent the following message:


    "Uncle Gu, human traffickers, more than twenty people, in the wilderness outside Xiao Yun City


    After that, Mo Hua didn¡¯t concern himself anymore.


    Asking for help was something to be tried, but not something to rely on too heavily.


    Mo Hua asked Hao Xuan, ¡°Which way did Cheng Mo and the others escape to?¡±


    Hao Xuan thought for a moment and pointed in a direction, ¡°They ran towards the hill to the west


    Mo Hua looked towards that hill.


    The night was deep, pitch black; searching that way, one didn¡¯t know how long it would take.


    Mo Hua asked Hao Xuan, ¡°How are your injuries?¡±


    Hao Xuan said bitterly, ¡°I can go with you but I probably won¡¯t be able to move my hands, not much help


    "No problem,¡± Mo Hua said.


    He didn¡¯t need Hao Xuan to take action. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With so many opponents, given Hao Xuan¡¯s Cultivation, acting wouldn¡¯t be of much use.


    Just pointing the way would be enough.


    The two prepared to set off, but before they did so, Mo Hua wanted to check the two black-clothed Cultivators in the cave once more and search their bodies to see their faces.


    He wanted to know the identity of these traffickers who dared to sell Cultivators near the Qianxue State boundary¡­


    The black-clothed Cultivators in the cave had their legs severed by the Gold Blade Formation and were finished off by Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique, their bodies charred.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique deliberately avoided their faces so that there would be a clue left behind.


    The light in the cave was dim.


    The black-clothed Cultivator lay on the ground, already having suffocated.


    Mo Hua came closer, lifted his mask, and his pupils involuntarily constricted.


    Under the masking black cloth was a face with rotting flesh, indiscernible in appearance, even the blood was foul and dark.


    "This is


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, carefully scrutinizing for a moment, somewhat in disbelief.


    "Demonic Qi


    This black-clothed Cultivator, before death, released his own Demonic Qi, allowing it to spoil his flesh and blood, obfuscate his features, and contaminate his Spiritual Power.


    All to prevent being recognized.


    Mo Hua quickly went outside the cave.


    Another black-clothed Cultivator lay dead outside the cave, killed by the Earth Fire Formation, his body similarly corroded by Demonic Qi, turned into a pile of rotten flesh.


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    This was his first time encountering such a situation¡­


    Dying, then destroying one¡¯s own body, contaminating the Spiritual Power just to not reveal their identity.


    But¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Where did the Demonic Qi on their bodies come from?


    Why had he not noticed it before?


    Hao Xuan ran behind Mo Hua, also seeing the foul appearance of the two black-clothed Cultivators, couldn¡¯t help covering his mouth, and stammered,


    "These two¡­ why do they look like this?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, he checked their Storage Bags and found that apart from some Spirit Stones, Pills, and common Standard Spiritual Weapons, there were no other clues revealing their identity.


    "So cautious Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Hao Xuan said, ¡°Then we


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Never mind, finding Cheng Mo and the others is more important.¡±


    After all, there were over twenty of those people.


    Two dead, and quite a few still alive.


    Mo Hua refused to believe that each could destroy their Dao body and conceal their identity before dying¡­


    "Let¡¯s go,¡± Mo Hua said.


    "Okay,¡± Hao Xuan nodded.


    He didn¡¯t understand these matters, but following Mo Hua should surely be correct.


    After all, it was Mo Hua who had just saved him.


    Hao Xuan still remembered what his parents had earnestly admonished before he joined the Sect:


    "Xuan¡¯er, though you have the Heaven Void Ancestor, you are but one of your ancestor¡¯s one hundred and fifty-six great-grandchildren; your ancestor may not remember who you are


    "Your talent is insufficient compared to some, but more than adequate compared to others, and your nature is not cruel enough, I¡¯m afraid it will be hard to stand out in the Sect.¡±


    "If that¡¯s the case, find a way to ensure a fallback


    "It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t learn other things well, just master your movement technique.¡±


    "In the future, when you travel in the Cultivation World, if you encounter danger and can run, then run, if you really can¡¯t escape, just stick closely behind someone reliable, don¡¯t try to act tough on your own.¡±

 Chapter 1048: Lure and Kill (2)

    Chapter 1048: Chapter 664: Lure and Kill_2


    Chapter 1048 -664: Lure and Kill_2


    Hao Xuan had an intuition, Mo Hua was probably the reliable type of cultivator his parents talked about.


    Although he was younger than himself, had weaker cultivation, and was shorter,


    When setting up traps to kill and search corpses, he appeared very ¡°proficient.¡±


    Although a bit scary, calling him ¡°Junior Brother¡± and following him seemed like the right decision¡­


    Hao Xuan silently nodded his head.


    Afterward, Hao Xuan led the way, and the two displayed their movement techniques, heading together toward the west side of the barren mountain.


    Hao Xuan had a Wind Spiritual Root, and practiced a wind-system movement skill, mastering it exquisitely.


    To his surprise, Mo Hua¡¯s movement skill was also very unusual; his posture was light, moving like flowing water, trekking through mountains and rivers effortlessly.


    The two walked for half an hour, and then they were in front of a vast forest.


    The trees were deep and dense, and the night was so dark that they couldn¡¯t see the road ahead.


    Hao Xuan couldn¡¯t recognize the path anymore and looked left and right, then silently looked toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua looked around, and within his gaze where the patterns of cause and effect slightly surfaced, he said after a moment, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    "Okay,¡± Hao Xuan nodded repeatedly.


    So, it became Mo Hua taking the lead with Hao Xuan following him.


    The two meandered left and right through the forest; even though there were no obvious traces on the ground, Mo Hua always found a path to follow.


    Hao Xuan watched, feeling curious.


    They walked for an unknowable time, and then blood traces appeared on the ground.


    On both sides, trees bore marks of swords and axes, and remnants of earth and fire spiritual powers¡¯ scent persisted.


    "Mountain Splitter Axe! Li Fire Sword!¡±


    "It¡¯s Cheng Mo and Situ Jian!¡±


    Hao Xuan was secretly shocked, and finally couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice,


    "Mo Hua, how did you find this


    Mo Hua solemnly said, ¡°Intuition!¡±


    "Oh


    Hao Xuan was somewhat skeptical, unsure whether to believe or not¡­


    Mo Hua said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not far ahead, let¡¯s go and see.¡±


    "Okay,¡± Hao Xuan said nervously.


    Then, the two lowered their shapes and took a few steps forward. Hao Xuan turned his head only to find that Mo Hua had suddenly disappeared, which made him panic and he stuttered,


    "Mo¡­Hua


    Mo Hua¡¯s figure then reappeared beside him.


    Hao Xuan jumped in fright.


    "I forgot you can¡¯t turn invisible,¡± Mo Hua said, pulling a jade pendant out of his storage bag and handing it to Hao Xuan, ¡°This is the Water Concealing Jade, given¡­ ¡®borrowed¡¯ to me by a kind uncle from the Taoist Court. You use it first; it can make you invisible.¡±


    Hao Xuan dumbly received it and nodded.


    Then, the two used their concealment abilities and moved closer to the other side of the forest.


    On the other side of the forest was a gentle hillside, open terrain below with a small creek lined with pebbles.


    At that moment, by the creek, two groups of cultivators were fighting fiercely.


    One group wore black clothes, their faces covered, totaling nine people.


    The other group only had three.


    Mo Hua caught a glimpse and recognized one.


    One of them, with several bloodstains on his upper body, waving twin axes as if driven to desperation, shouting loudly, was Cheng Mo.


    Another, wielding the Li Fire Sword, his face pale, was Situ Jian.


    There was also a disciple, handsome and brave, wielding a long spear and fiercely combating the black-clothed cultivators. Even if tired from prolonged fighting, his cultivation was also impressive.


    Mo Hua glanced at him, realizing he did not recognize this person.


    "Who is that


    Mo Hua pointed to the disciple wielding the spear, asking Hao Xuan in a lowered voice.


    Hao Xuan discreetly glanced and whispered,


    "His name is Yang Qianjun, from the same batch as us, but doesn¡¯t share our Disciple¡¯s Residence, you probably haven¡¯t seen him


    "Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Yang Qianjun¡­ surname Yang¡­ uses a spear¡­


    Mo Hua spoke softly, ¡°A disciple from the Taoist Soldiers Court of the Yang Family?¡±


    Hao Xuan looked surprised, ¡°You know of the Yang Family?¡±


    "A little


    Hao Xuan nodded, ¡°Yes, he is from the direct lineage of the Yang Family, learning the ancestral spear techniques of the Yang Family, and his cultivation is very strong


    "The Qianzhou Cheng Family is on good terms with the Yang Family, Cheng Mo also knows Yang Qianjun.¡±


    "This time we were on a mission to capture three Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Sin Cultivators, so we called him to join, moving as a group of five.¡±


    "Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then asked with some confusion,


    "The five of you, you, Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, Yang Qianjun¡­ who else?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yi Li said Hao Xuan.


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Yi Li¡­ as in ¡®Yi¡¯ of the Elder Yi of Taoist Law?¡±


    "Yes.¡± Hao Xuan looked around, not seeing Yi Li¡¯s figure, and sighed,


    "I don¡¯t know how Yi Li is doing


    "Either escaped, or¡­ it¡¯s likely bad news


    Hao Xuan¡¯s expression was very worried.


    Mo Hua unleashed his Divine Sense, scanning the area, and suddenly pointed at a cultivator lying on the ground in the corner,


    "Is that Yi Li?¡±


    Hao Xuan followed the direction Mo Hua pointed, his expression stunned, then he nodded repeatedly:


    "Yes, that¡¯s Yi Li!¡±


    Mo Hua then understood.


    Surname Yi, a member of the Yi Family, surely a specialist in spells, a Spiritual Cultivator.


    Such a melee was disadvantageous for spiritual cultivators.


    Especially since they were outnumbered, it was easier to be targeted.


    In this melee, being a spiritual cultivator, he was likely one of the first to be overwhelmed.


    Fortunately, he had only fainted, and his life was not in immediate danger.


    But after a while, that might change¡­


    Mo Hua observed the situation again.


    These black-clothed cultivators had solid foundations; if Mo Hua wasn¡¯t mistaken, they were likely from influential families.


    This meant that Cheng Mo¡¯s group of three might not hold on for much longer.


    The three of them, under the nine attackers, were becoming slower in their movements and the flow of their Spiritual Power was gradually delaying, clearly all struggling desperately.

 Chapter 1049: Leading the Kill (3)

    Chapter 1049: Chapter 664: Leading the Kill_3


    Chapter 1049 -664: Leading the Kill_3


    He had held out until now, which was already quite impressive.


    Hao Xuan looked somewhat anxious.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then said to Hao Xuan, ¡°Your movement technique is quite good, right?¡±


    Hao Xuan, not quite understanding why, slowly nodded, ¡°My parents were afraid that I might encounter some danger, so they had me focus on practicing my movement technique


    Mo Hua then whispered, ¡°Later, you will show yourself and curse at them a few times to draw them over, then I¡¯ll use a Formation to deal with them


    Hao Xuan was stunned, but then nodded.


    The opposing side had more people, they had fewer, indeed they would need to use a Formation to possibly win.


    But¡­


    Hao Xuan looked around and asked, ¡°Where is the Formation?¡±


    "It¡¯s fine Mo Hua said, ¡°You draw them over, and I¡¯ll have it set up.¡±


    Seeing Hao Xuan¡¯s disbelief, Mo Hua emphasized:


    "I set up Formations very quickly!¡±


    "Alright then Hao Xuan muttered. Just as he was about to get up, another question occurred to him:


    "How do I draw them over


    Mo Hua patiently explained, ¡°You just need to show yourself so they see you, then pretend to panic and start running. They will definitely send people to chase and kill you.¡±


    "Would they really be that stupid Hao Xuan was somewhat worried.


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°They want to kill and silence us, and dare not let the news get out, so as long as you show your face, they will come after you no matter what.¡±


    "What if they don¡¯t chase me


    "Then you curse at them.¡±


    Hao Xuan was a bit troubled, ¡°I¡¯m not very good at cursing at people


    "It¡¯s okay,¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you!¡±


    Hao Xuan was shocked, ¡°Do you curse at people often?¡±


    Mo Hua immediately shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t curse at people either. It¡¯s just that I know an elder who is very skilled at it, and by chance, I happened to remember some of his curses


    Mo Hua secretly shared some curse words with Hao Xuan.


    Hao Xuan was astonished after hearing them.


    He felt like a frog that had leapt out of a well, never having known before that people in this world could curse others with such words¡­


    "Do you remember them?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Hao Xuan nodded solemnly.


    "Okay, off you go!¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°But remember, don¡¯t engage in a fight. As soon as someone chases you, just run


    "Okay!¡±


    So, Hao Xuan mustered his courage, walked out of the woods, stood at the edge of the forest, and shouted loudly at the black-clothed cultivators surrounding Cheng Mo and the others:


    "Cheng Mo! Hang in there! I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Then he charged towards the opposition.


    The black-clothed cultivators were stunned for a moment.


    Then they recognized Hao Xuan and saw that he was walking right into their trap; their eyes gleamed viciously as they unsheathed their swords and sneered.


    Hao Xuan got a fright and immediately turned and ran back.


    The black-clothed cultivators exchanged glances.


    One of them frowned for a moment and then coldly ordered, ¡°Chase him! We can¡¯t let any word leak out!¡±


    "Yes!¡±


    Two of the black-clothed cultivators nodded in acknowledgment and then, swords in hand, chased after Hao Xuan.


    Hao Xuan, following Mo Hua¡¯s instructions, drew these two men into the woods, then zigzagged around and hid behind a large Stone.


    After that, a thunderous explosion sounded out of nowhere.


    A violent surge of Spiritual Power spread through the air.


    Hao Xuan¡¯s heart chilled, and as he looked up again, he saw the two black-clothed cultivators lying flat on the ground.


    And Mo Hua, close by, had already started using the Fireball Technique to do the clean-up. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The process was smooth, the technique adept.


    Hao Xuan almost started to suspect that his ¡°Junior Brother¡± was an expert at duping, swindling, and assassinating for loot.


    After Mo Hua finished off the cultivators, Hao Xuan immediately ran over but saw that Mo Hua had an unhappy face.


    "Junior Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed at the two black-clothed cultivators on the ground.


    Hao Xuan looked and saw that the two men were a bloody mess, beyond recognition.


    Their deaths were identical to those of the other two black-clad men from before.


    "When alive, they couldn¡¯t sense the Demonic Qi, but as soon as they died, the Demonic Qi would go out of control, contaminating and corroding both their flesh and Spiritual Power


    Mo Hua looked somewhat grave.


    Hao Xuan was also quite startled.


    He was a noble family¡¯s son from the Righteous Dao and had only heard about the many bizarre methods of the ¡°Demon Path,¡± but he had only ever heard of them. It was only now that he actually saw them with his own eyes.


    Suddenly, those dangers of Tao Cultivation felt all too real¡­


    To Mo Hua, however, it was nothing out of the ordinary.


    He stood up and then set another ¡°enticing¡± route for Hao Xuan.


    After that, Hao Xuan returned to the stream in the mountains and shouted at the group of men in black, ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    The black-clothed Cultivators were stunned again.


    But they did not give chase this time.


    Even a fool would know something was up by now.


    Remembering what Mo had taught him, Hao Xuan shouted the insults loudly yet deliberately articulating each and every word:


    "You bunch of good-for-nothings


    "Cowards!¡±


    "When you were born, did you leave your guts inside your mother¡¯s womb?¡±


    "I curse you like this, and you still act like turtles tucking in their heads!¡±


    "Could it be that your fathers were turtles? Are you the spawn of green-crowned tortoises, which is why you can endure so much?¡±


    "If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you introduce your mothers to me? Maybe she can still breed some turtle brothers for you


    ¡­


    These words left the black-clothed Cultivators utterly dumbfounded.


    Even Cheng Mo and his group couldn¡¯t believe their ears.


    This Hao Xuan¡­ couldn¡¯t have become possessed, could he¡­?


    He normally didn¡¯t curse people, so how had his swearing ability improved leaps and bounds in such a short time?


    Cheng Mo and his group were perplexed.


    The black-clothed Cultivators came back to their senses but couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    One of them gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m going to slaughter that kid!¡±


    "To tear him to pieces!¡±


    The leading black-clothed Cultivator frowned, ¡°There must be deceit


    Another one nodded, noting,


    "Just now, those two brothers went after him and now they are gone. We don¡¯t know if they were lured away or fell into an ambush.¡±


    Yet another one shouted in anger,


    "I don¡¯t care! He has humiliated me so, today I must gut him to relieve the hatred in my heart!¡±


    The leading black-clothed Cultivator frowned, ¡°That¡¯s improper.¡±


    The man sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you don¡¯t have the right to order me. I listened to you before only to give you face, but in terms of status, I am hardly inferior to you!¡±


    The leader was angered, ¡°You!¡±


    But the black-clothed man didn¡¯t pay any attention and simply chose two men:


    "Let us go. Even though we cannot reveal our identities, with our background, we absolutely cannot tolerate such humiliation!¡±


    Thus, the three men in black chased after Hao Xuan.


    And among the Cultivators in black left at the scene, there were only four remaining.


    Four against three, they still had the advantage, but it was a very slight one.


    Cheng Mo and his two companions felt a surge of confidence, seeing the hope of escape, even the chance for a counterattack.


    Meanwhile, the three men in black were laughing maliciously, chasing after Hao Xuan into the forest.


    They fancied that three against one would be an easy task.


    Even if there were some ambushes, as long as they were careful, there would be no serious trouble.


    But they had no idea who was waiting for them in the dark depths of the forest¡­


    An hour later.


    A flash of red light from the Formation, followed by a pervasive blaze.


    After the dust settled,


    The three brash men in black also lay straight out on the ground, having taken their last breath.


    (P.S. The group has been created; those interested, fellows, can join the group for a chat~


    The group number is attached below.)

 Chapter 1050: Image

    Chapter 1050: Chapter 665 Image


    Chapter 1050 -665 Image


    The night was deep and the mountain forest was silent.


    Hao Xuan looked at the three black-garbed cultivators lying dead on the ground, his mouth agape, ¡°Junior Brother, your Formation, it¡¯s too powerful


    With a single encounter, a thunderous boom, a flash of fire, and the Formation exploded.


    These three cultivators with no meager cultivation had died so suddenly, caught unawares¡­


    Hao Xuan¡¯s face was a picture of shock, while Mo Hua felt some pleasure inside, but on the surface, he still maintained the dignity of ¡°Junior Brother,¡± nodding his head modestly and saying,


    "It was okay


    As usual, he would have finished them off with the Fireball Technique.


    But since Hao Xuan was nearby, Mo Hua didn¡¯t take action, not wanting him to feel that his Junior Brother was too ruthless.


    This would ruin his friendly image of ¡®innocent and kind-hearted¡¯ amongst his fellow sect members.


    The three black-garbed figures were dead.


    Mo Hua flicked his fingers, drawing forth a streak of golden light, slashing through their masks. But beneath, their flesh was still corrupted by Demonic Qi, dark and tainted.


    "Once they die¡­ their faces are destroyed?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    In that case, did he need to catch one alive to see their true faces?


    Hao Xuan whispered, ¡°There are still four left, should I lure them over?¡±


    Mo Hua contemplated for a moment, then shook his head,


    "No need, just four people, no need to lure them¡­ I guess you can¡¯t lure them anymore


    "Five people have disappeared; even if they¡¯re stupid, they know something¡¯s wrong with you. As soon as you show your face, they will become more cautious, even thinking of fleeing


    Hao Xuan asked in confusion, ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    "I¡¯ll go have a look,¡± Mo Hua thought for a while, then said to Hao Xuan, ¡°You¡¯re not healed, so stay invisible nearby and don¡¯t act.¡±


    "But Hao Xuan hesitated for a moment, then worriedly said, ¡°If you go over, you can¡¯t set up the Formation in advance. Facing those black-garbed cultivators will be dangerous


    "My spells are very powerful!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Hao Xuan was slightly stunned.


    If he remembered correctly, Mo Hua¡¯s grade in the Taoist Skill course was only a ¡®Grade C.¡¯


    Could Grade C be considered very powerful?


    Hao Xuan wanted to say something, but seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confident appearance, he decided it was better to just obediently ¡°follow orders.¡±


    So Hao Xuan said, ¡°Then Junior Brother, be careful.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    In total, there were nine black-garbed cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    Using the Formation to ¡°fish,¡± he had killed five of them.


    The remaining four were like fish on the chopping board, completely unable to escape his grasp.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became somewhat dangerous.


    Hao Xuan watched Mo Hua and, in a trance, felt that these black-garbed cultivators who had chased them into a desperate situation were, in the eyes of his ¡°Junior Brother,¡± just like¡­


    Little chicks?


    No way¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Cheng Mo and his two companions continued their fight against the four black-garbed cultivators.


    Cheng Mo and the others were at a disadvantage.


    They had been pursued and retreated while fighting, draining their spirit and strength.


    Although the number of black-garbed cultivators had suddenly dropped to four, they still felt increasingly overwhelmed.


    But this was their best chance to escape.


    If they could hold on, there was a chance for a turnaround, a possibility of escaping with their lives.


    Otherwise, if the other black-garbed people caught Hao Xuan¡ªor if they didn¡¯t but came back directly¡ªthey would truly be out of options.


    Hao Xuan was known for his good movement technique.


    In such a situation, Cheng Mo and the others could only hope that Hao Xuan could hold on a little longer.


    The remaining four black-garbed cultivators, despite having the upper hand, had increasingly grim expressions.


    Five of their companions had gone and still hadn¡¯t returned.


    They didn¡¯t know if they were being held back or had walked into an ambush. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although they probably hadn¡¯t lost their lives, if the delay went on too long, it could lead to unexpected changes.


    These men, clad in black, conducting their activities at night, were engaged in deeds meant to avoid the light of day; the longer things dragged on, the more likely complications arose, and if exposed, they would certainly have nowhere to bury themselves.


    The leading black-garbed cultivator felt uneasy and suddenly gritted his teeth,


    "Take the Pills, we need a quick battle and a quick decision!¡±


    The other three black-garbed individuals were startled and looked hesitant.


    But they dared not disobey the ¡°Big Brother¡¯s¡± command.


    The three of them each took a half-step back and, from nowhere, pulled out a blood-colored pill. Before Cheng Mo and comrades could react, they quickly swallowed it.


    In an instant, the aura of all four surged wildly, and their eyes were streaked with bloodlines.


    Cheng Mo and his companions¡¯ expressions turned grave.


    "Evil Pill?¡±


    In their hearts, they sensed something ominous.


    Already at a disadvantage, now the four black-garbed men had taken Evil Pills, boosting their Cultivation significantly.


    If things continued this way, they feared it was more likely to end badly¡­


    Cheng Mo clenched his teeth and recklessly shouted,


    "A bunch of Evil Path fiends! Even if I die today, I¡¯ll take you down with me!¡±


    After speaking, he roared angrily, his eyes wide as he coated his upper body muscles in a deep bronze color, his Blood Qi boiling. His entire demeanor was like a giant axe ready to cleave mountains and split the earth.


    Mountain Cleaving Axe!


    This was the ancestral Taoist Skill of the Qianzhou Cheng Family, simple in technique but brutally powerful.


    Once activated, the skin would become like steel, and the axe blade could cleave mountains and split rocks.


    However, the duration was limited.


    At his Realm, his Cultivation was limited, and he couldn¡¯t fully unleash the power of this Taoist Skill.


    Cheng Mo forcing his hand was a depletion of his Blood Qi, a desperate gamble against the black-garbed cultivators.


    Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun, seeing Cheng Mo¡¯s readiness to fight to the death, also understood that this was a critical moment where they had no choice but to take the risk.


    They had a slim chance if they fought.


    If they didn¡¯t, death was certain.


    Situ Jian joined his fingers, pushing his Sword Qi to the extreme, covering his Spirit Sword with a layer of bright, fiery Li Fire.


    Yang Qianjun¡¯s eyes gleamed golden, and his long spear also gathered a dazzling golden light.

 Chapter 1051: Image (2)

    Chapter 1051: Chapter 665 Image_2


    Chapter 1051 -665 Image_2


    For a moment, the three men¡¯s faces turned pale, yet their fighting spirit surged tremendously.


    When Mo Hua arrived, he just happened to witness this scene and couldn¡¯t help feeling emotional.


    The sons of noble families were indeed extraordinary.


    The inherited moves of these family clans, oppressive and powerful, were evidently formidable.


    Especially Cheng Mo.


    Normally nonchalant, but when truly fighting for life and death, he wielded twin axes with a fierce resolve, his eyes filled with rage, demonstrating an incredible aura.


    In addition, Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun, one with fire and the other with metal, overflowed with spiritual power, likewise formidable.


    It was just¡­


    A bit too clumsy¡­


    These large and open moves were powerful, but if used improperly by those with insufficient experience, they also had significant drawbacks.


    Indeed, the leading black-robed cultivator, though his expression was stern, was not very worried but instead commanded in a deep voice,


    "These three youngsters are desperate, don¡¯t confront their strength, be cautious


    A hint of ruthlessness flashed through the eyes of the leader in black, ¡°Their strength is at its limit, it can¡¯t last for long. Wear them down slowly, drain their blood qi and spiritual power, and they will surely die!¡±


    The other three in black nodded their heads and acknowledged, ¡°Yes!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the two sides were clashing once again.


    Cheng Mo and his companions knew they couldn¡¯t hold out for much longer and wanted a quick resolution. They attempted to strike down one or two with thunderous means and then decide whether to fight or flee based on the situation.


    On the side of the black-robed cultivators, their primary strategy was to keep Cheng Mo and the others engaged without directly confronting them, aiming to exhaust them completely and then annihilate them.


    For a moment, the light of axes and swords crisscrossed, with spiritual power and blood qi chaotically intertwining.


    The scene appeared formidable, but the situation remained in a deadlock.


    Cheng Mo grew increasingly anxious.


    His skill with the mountain-splitting axes was imperfect; fierce indeed, but not suited for prolonged combat.


    Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun were no better off.


    Their spiritual power was already insufficient, forcibly driving such powerful moves, they constantly lost spiritual power in every moment. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua shook his head as he watched.


    "Powerful indeed, but still too young


    "Before using a powerful technique, one should first consider if it can kill the enemy, and if not, what the consequences might be


    "Driven by fervor and desperation, wasting so much spiritual power in vain


    "Not knowing that they should conserve their spiritual power


    Mo Hua sighed softly in his heart and hid in the shadows, stretching out a finger.


    A fireball burst through the air and in the darkness, it traced a swift and bright path, striking precisely a black-robed man trying to dodge Cheng Mo¡¯s large axe.


    The fireball, both fast and accurate, took everyone by surprise.


    The man hit by the fireball was completely dumbfounded.


    He had no idea where the fireball had come from or who had launched it.


    After a moment, his expression turned to one of panic.


    The Fireball Technique was neither too strong nor too weak, not enough to inflict a fatal injury.


    But as the fireball exploded on him, the burst of spiritual power forced him to stagger, losing his balance and hesitating for a moment.


    In life-and-death combat, this brief hesitation could be fatal.


    The face of the black-robed man turned deathly pale in an instant.


    Cheng Mo was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and couldn¡¯t help but grin viciously. Seizing this brief flaw, he raised his twin axes and chopped down fiercely.


    The black-robed cultivator tried desperately to dodge, but was too slow.


    The powerful and heavy twin axes, carrying the force capable of splitting mountains, cleaved open his chest.


    One of the four black-robed cultivators died in an instant.


    The expressions of everyone present changed.


    Cheng Mo and his companions exclaimed silently, ¡°An ally?¡±


    The other black-robed cultivators, however, looked panicked and felt a chill in their hearts.


    "An ambush?¡±


    The leader of the black-robed men immediately called out loudly, ¡°Which Taoist friend is lurking? Why not come out and show yourself?¡±


    The night was deep, the mountains and forests dark, the chilly wind blowing through the dense shadows of trees, like ghosts and specters.


    The black-robed cultivators felt cold sweat break out.


    Cheng Mo and his companions, with a sharp glint in their eyes, seized the opportunity and attacked the remaining black-robed men.


    The leader of the black-robed men, with an awe-inspiring gaze, gritted his teeth and commanded,


    "Continue wearing them down, watch out for stealthy spells


    The battle resumed.


    Cheng Mo and his companions surged with an intense will to fight.


    The black-robed cultivators, however, became hesitant and cautious.


    They feared another fireball might fly out in the dark, potentially finishing them at a critical moment¡­


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique was extremely fast, practically indefensible.


    After about ten exchanges, in the long silence of the night, another fireball suddenly shot out, exploding on the back of a black-robed man.


    The black-robed man groaned in pain, his movement slowing.


    Situ Jian, quick to react, combined his fingers and delivered a thrust of Li Fire Sword Qi.


    The blazing sword qi pierced directly through the heart of the black-robed man.


    Another black-robed man died.


    Then, not even moments later, another fireball shot from the darkness, heading straight for the face of another black-robed man.


    Forewarned by earlier events, this black-robed man was on high alert and fully defensive.


    As soon as Mo Hua¡¯s fireball appeared, he immediately noticed and desperately dodged, barely avoiding a direct hit to his face.


    The fireball brushed past his ear, the heat painfully searing, but fortunately, he was not hit squarely in the face.


    The black-robed man breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could recover, he saw the tip of a spear protruding from his chest.


    Taking advantage of his focus on the fireball, Yang Qianjun had already maneuvered behind him and thrust the spear through his chest.


    From then, the situation changed dramatically.


    Three fireballs, three lives taken.


    Only the leader of the black-robed cultivators was left on the field.


    He stood there, his eyes filled with fear and disbelief.


    "What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, a few fireballs flew by, and his three brothers were swiftly slain¡­

 Chapter 1052: Image (3)

    Chapter 1052: Chapter 665 Image_3


    Chapter 1052 -665 Image_3


    There wasn¡¯t much time for him to react¡ªthe situation had suddenly taken a dire turn.


    "There¡¯s an expert!¡±


    "We have to flee! Or else we¡¯re dead!¡±


    The black-robed cultivator didn¡¯t waste a moment. He turned and tried to escape.


    In the darkness, Mo Hua pointed his finger. A faint blue water pattern flashed, and a water prison solidified instantly, trapping the leading black-robed cultivator in place.


    "This is


    The black-robed cultivator¡¯s face went pale.


    Cheng Mo raised his twin axes, ready to kill the black-robed cultivator. But just then, a crisp voice said,


    "Capture him alive!¡±


    That voice sounded somewhat familiar.


    But in the wilderness, within the dark forest at night, it carried an air of strangeness.


    Cheng Mo didn¡¯t recognize it immediately.


    Still, he instinctively left the man alive, redirecting his strike to the black-robed cultivator¡¯s back.


    Unexpectedly, upon hearing the words ¡°capture him alive,¡± the black-robed cultivator¡¯s expression turned utterly horrified.


    At that exact moment, a streak of golden light shot in from afar.


    This golden light wasn¡¯t particularly powerful; it headed straight for the black-robed cultivator¡¯s face.


    It seemed it wasn¡¯t aiming to take his life but rather to tear away his mask and reveal his appearance.


    Yet remarkably, this action terrified him more than death itself.


    The black-robed cultivator¡¯s face filled with despair. Before the golden light could shatter his mask, he snapped his own finger. A surge of demonic Qi instantly spread, consuming his flesh and transforming him into a puddle of black murky water.


    Cheng Mo and the others were visibly shocked and quickly stepped back, exchanging bewildered glances.


    "Could this be¡­ a demon cultivator technique?¡±


    Cheng Mo asked gravely.


    But all the black-robed cultivators were dead. The scene was littered with blood, the forest eerily silent, with no one left to answer.


    A moment later, Cheng Mo and his companions let out long sighs of relief.


    Whatever the case, at least they had survived.


    Yang Qianjun, his expression solemn, cupped his hands toward the opposing forest and said,


    "Thank you for your help!¡±


    "Might I ask who you are, Taoist Friend? Could you show yourself for a brief talk?¡±


    The forest remained silent.


    Situ Jian frowned, ¡°Could it be someone from Qianxue State Boundary, a senior brother from some sect? Seeing injustice and lending a hand?¡±


    "Although the technique used was a basic Fireball Technique, it was precise and effortless, completely turning the tide


    "It must be a spell expert Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Would an expert in spells only use the Fireball Technique?¡±


    "It doesn¡¯t seem likely


    Cheng Mo spoke gravely, ¡°Generally speaking, true experts wouldn¡¯t resort to using such a low-level spell like the Fireball Technique. However, a true master might simplify matters, using an unremarkable spell like the Fireball Technique to work miracles


    "Makes sense


    "So, who could it be?¡±


    Cheng Mo pondered for a moment before hesitantly saying, ¡°Could it be some kind of ¡®senior¡¯ expert?¡±


    "Just call me ¡®Junior Brother,¡¯ no need for ¡®senior,¡¯ that¡¯d be too formal


    A crisp voice sounded, and Mo Hua quietly revealed himself before the trio, smiling radiantly.


    Yang Qianjun was stunned.


    Situ Jian was flabbergasted.


    Cheng Mo was so shocked that his jaw dropped.


    "Mo¡­ Mo Hua?!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    "You, you


    Cheng Mo stammered for a while, unable to find words. He took a long moment to collect himself before asking, ¡°That Fireball Technique¡ªwas that you?¡±


    "Who else?¡±


    Cheng Mo looked around, then asked again, ¡°No one else?¡±


    "Nope!¡±


    "But you


    *Cheng Mo¡¯s mind was reeling with an immense shock.*


    *How could it be¡­ Mo Hua?*


    *How was this even possible?*


    *His heart brimmed with questions¡ªhe wanted to ask so much. But his mind was in disarray, and he didn¡¯t know where to begin.*


    Mo Hua, however, ignored him and began inspecting the dead black-robed cultivators. He found that their flesh and spiritual power had indeed been corroded by demonic Qi.


    The leading black-robed cultivator had completely turned into black water.


    Mo Hua looked somewhat disappointed.


    Still couldn¡¯t catch one alive¡­


    These people, when realizing there was no way out, wouldn¡¯t hesitate to commit suicide, using demonic Qi to destroy their own bodies.


    *They were truly ruthless toward themselves.*


    *Or perhaps¡­ they were harboring terrifying secrets that must never be revealed?*


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, ¡°This place isn¡¯t safe. You¡¯re all injured¡ªlet¡¯s find a spot to lay low for now


    "Alright.¡±


    Cheng Mo and his companions nodded sincerely.


    So, they carried the unconscious Yi Li along, while Mo Hua went to fetch Hao Xuan. The group wandered through the forest until they found a hidden cave to take refuge.


    Mo Hua set some basic formations outside the cave for alertness, concealment, and protection.


    Inside the cave, Cheng Mo and the others focused on healing their injuries.


    After taking some pills, their wounds improved, and their spiritual power gradually recovered. At last, Situ Jian couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity and asked, ¡°Mo Hua, why are you here?¡±


    Mo Hua replied casually, ¡°I was on my way back to the sect, passing through here, and saw signs of blood. So I followed them and happened to find Hao Xuan being hunted


    "Then I got lucky, saved Hao Xuan, and then followed him to find you all. ¡®Luckily,¡¯ I managed to save you guys too


    "Oh


    Cheng Mo nodded, but as he kept nodding, he realized something was off.


    *Could all these events be mere coincidence, luck, and chance?*


    "How¡­ did you manage to save us?¡± Cheng Mo asked.


    "Oh, you know¡­ just set up a formation, blow them up, and that was that Mo Hua replied.


    "What about those five black-robed men who were lured away earlier?¡±


    "Same thing¡ªset up a formation, blew them up, they were gone


    Cheng Mo and the others exchanged looks, each drawing in a sharp breath.


    "All dead?!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then sighed helplessly and said, ¡°You know I¡¯m a Formation Master. Physically, I¡¯m weak, and my spiritual power isn¡¯t strong. Direct combat is exceedingly dangerous for me.¡±


    "Faced with these ruthless, faceless black-robed cultivators, I had no other choice but to devise a plan, set a formation, and blow them up


    "Who knew they¡¯d be so fragile¡ªone blast and they¡¯re gone. Can¡¯t really blame me for that


    Cheng Mo:


    Situ Jian:


    Yang Qianjun:


    Seeing their stunned expressions, Mo Hua felt he needed to stay low-key. So, with a serious face, he said, ¡°Those are just trivial matters. What¡¯s important now is deciding our next steps.¡±


    "These black-robed cultivators¡­ they¡¯re human traffickers, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    The group froze, their expressions growing more serious.


    "Should we return and report this to the Taoist Court?¡± Situ Jian asked.


    "Yes, reporting to the Taoist Court is necessary.¡±


    "But there¡¯s no time


    "By the time the Taoist Court officials arrive, these traffickers will likely have fled


    "And as for the cultivators they¡¯ve captured and plan to sell off, who knows where they¡¯ll end up


    "If they¡¯re sold to ordinary cultivators, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be too dire. But if they¡¯re sold to the evil cultivators or demon cultivators, then


    *Gruesome rumors about demon cultivators¡ªkilling people to refine skills, pills, or weapons¡ªflooded their minds.*


    Their faces grew increasingly grim.


    "So, should we


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed as he quietly suggested, ¡°Just kill all the black-robed men?¡±


    The group paused, then silently stared at Mo Hua.


    Especially Cheng Mo and Situ Jian.


    *It felt as though they were meeting him for the first time¡ªthis ¡°Junior Brother¡± who had always been perceived as innocent, sweet, harmless, and only focused on formation drawing¡­*

 Chapter 1053: Leading Astray

    Chapter 1053: Chapter 666: Leading Astray


    Chapter 1053 -666: Leading Astray


    "Have they¡­ Have they all been slaughtered?¡±


    Yi Li whispered.


    He was a Spiritual Cultivator, and when he had previously been pursued by assassins, he was compelled to confront a black-robed cultivator. In a single encounter, he was knocked down.


    Now that he had just awoken, with his head still a bit dizzy, he was somewhat unclear of the situation.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°They¡¯ve all been slaughtered!¡±


    "But Situ Jian hesitated, ¡°There were more of them than us, we couldn¡¯t possibly win, right¡­?¡±


    Previously, during the encounter, he had estimated roughly that there were more than twenty people on their side.


    Although some had died now, there were still at least ten remaining, and it was unknown whether they had other reinforcements.


    Moreover, among these ten or so black-robed individuals, there seemed to be a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    In numbers and cultivation, they were at a disadvantage¡­


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua said carefully, ¡°Facing them head-on is indeed a bit difficult, so we need to think of some methods, plan thoroughly.¡±


    "Planning


    Cheng Mo and the other two nodded hesitantly.


    They didn¡¯t have much experience in such situations, and were still unclear on what exactly needed ¡°planning.¡±


    "Don¡¯t rush it Mo Hua said calmly, ¡°The most pressing matter is to first locate these black-robed traffickers, ascertain their true strength, and then take action accordingly.¡±


    "We can¡¯t possibly let them kidnap cultivators and then make a clean getaway


    "That¡¯s true


    Cheng Mo and the others nodded in agreement.


    "However Yang Qianjun sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve been on the run after being chased, and we have no idea where those black-robed individuals went


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Where did you encounter these black-robed cultivators?¡±


    "In a valley to the east Yang Qianjun replied.


    "Then let¡¯s go take a look first, search for any clues.¡± Mo Hua said.


    Yang Qianjun was slightly startled, then nodded,


    "Alright.¡±


    At this point, that was all they could do.


    After resting briefly to heal their injuries and restore their Blood Qi and most of their Spiritual Power, the group stood up and set off.


    The party of six walked eastward along the mountain path, and after about half an hour, they reached a valley.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, his brows slightly furrowed.


    There was not a single soul in the valley.


    The group searched inside.


    There were wheel tracks and faint footprints on the soil, broken stones, and shallow grass, as well as impressions from boxes placed on the ground.


    Apart from that, there were no other traces.


    It was as if a group of people had stopped here briefly before splitting into two.


    One group pursued Cheng Mo and his companions.


    The other group, with the kidnapped cultivators, had set out and left.


    Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances and sighed.


    "They¡¯ve left


    "And we don¡¯t know where they went


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils were deep, and the patterns of cause and effect emerged in his eyes, threads of causality image imprinted in his view.


    After a moment, Mo Hua pointed towards a mountain path on the left, ¡°They went this way.¡±


    The others were startled.


    Cheng Mo asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    "I guessed it!¡±


    Mo Hua declared confidently.


    Then he casually added, ¡°Let¡¯s go


    With that, Mo Hua took the lead and headed off to the left.


    Hao Xuan immediately followed.


    Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances, somewhat baffled, but instinctively, they still trailed behind Mo Hua.


    To the left was a mountain path, beyond the path was a forest, beyond the forest a valley, and beyond the valley a stream¡­


    There were no traces of wheels or cultivators passing by on this whole route.


    But Mo Hua walked on without turning his head back, his gaze focused, his steps firm.


    As if he had witnessed the movements of those black-robed cultivators himself.


    Cheng Mo found it very odd.


    But with no clues available and no one else knowing which direction to take, having someone lead was the only option, and he just had to follow.


    After walking for 30 minutes, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he suddenly stopped. Turning to Cheng Mo and the others, he gestured with his palms to keep low and whispered,


    "Duck down.¡±


    Everyone obediently crouched, staying low to the ground, moved forward a few steps, and, using rocks and bushes for cover, they peered down.


    Below the hillside was a ruin.


    Within the ruins, walls had collapsed, there were disordered ores, iron molds caked in mud, and furnaces.


    It appeared to be an abandoned Refinery Shop.


    The Refinery Shop was fairly large, interiors obscured by broken walls and barriers, the entrance door dried and broken.


    On initial inspection, the entire Refinery Shop showed no signs of anything unusual, but on closer observation, one could notice two dark figures in the shadow of the doorway.


    They were two black-robed individuals standing guard.


    Cheng Mo was shocked, ¡°We found it!¡±


    He looked back at Mo Hua and exclaimed, ¡°You actually guessed right!¡±


    Mo Hua modestly replied, ¡°Lucky guess.¡±


    Cheng Mo nodded, still puzzled.


    Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun silently rolled their eyes at Cheng Mo.


    Mo Hua says he ¡°guessed¡± and you actually believe that?


    How could he have guessed everything correctly without a single trace along the way?


    However, since Mo Hua claimed it was a ¡°guess,¡± they tactfully did not inquire further.


    "What do we do next?¡± Situ Jian asked, ¡°Do we try to blend in first, to understand the enemy¡¯s strength and weaknesses?¡±


    "Sneak in using a Concealment Technique?¡±


    They knew that Mo Hua had mastered the Concealment Technique, and he also had a rare Concealment Spiritual Tool, Water Concealing Jade. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No need.¡± Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°There are sixteen people inside, one in the Middle Stage of Foundation Building, the rest are all at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    The others were taken aback.


    Cheng Mo asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua casually replied, ¡°One sweep of the Divine Sense, and it¡¯s all clear


    Cheng Mo, puzzled, said, ¡°Why can¡¯t I tell?¡±


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°That¡¯s because I am a Formation Master, so my Divine Sense is a little stronger


    After speaking, Mo Hua took out a piece of paper, and drew a rough map of the entire abandoned Refinery Shop.

 Chapter 1054: Led Astray (2)

    Chapter 1054: Chapter 666: Led Astray _2


    Chapter 1054 -666: Led Astray _2


    At the same time, Mo Hua also used simple stick figures to mark the location of each black-clothed person.


    "There are two at the entrance, they are keeping watch. Past the corridor, behind the stone column, there¡¯s another tall one


    Everyone had complex expressions on their faces.


    Your Divine Sense is so powerful, is it really just ¡°a little


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°In the innermost part, there is a hall, outside the hall there are three cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment patrolling, their auras are somewhat stronger.¡±


    "In the hall, a mid-phase Foundation Establishment cultivator is in charge.¡±


    "In the corner of the hall, there are boxes and bags, which likely contain the kidnapped cultivators


    Mo Hua explained the structure of the Refinery Shop and the arrangement of the black-clothed cultivators with crystal clarity.


    Cheng Mo picked up his axe, his eyes brimming with a fighting spirit.


    He hated these black-clothed cultivators for trafficking people, and for pursuing him. He immediately said,


    "I¡¯ll charge in and take them down!¡±


    Mo Hua gave him a speechless look.


    Cheng Mo was taken aback, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to fight it out


    Mo Hua snorted disdainfully, ¡°Fight your big head ghost!¡±


    Mo Hua raised his index finger, lecturing him earnestly, ¡°For everything, preparedness ensures success, unpreparedness spells failure; we must be strategic in our actions.¡±


    "Even if we are to battle, we need to use our brains, to have a method, not just mindlessly ¡®charge¡¯ forward


    Cheng Mo scratched his head, ¡°How do we strategize?¡±


    Mo Hua used the pen to draw a route on the paper:


    "Be as covert as possible, leave no traces, and don¡¯t alarm anyone


    "Start with the two black-clothed cultivators at the main entrance, kill them one by one.¡±


    "Beyond the main door is the corridor, then the eaves¡­ Deal with each one in sequence, and finally, find a way to take down the mid-phase Foundation Establishment black-clothed leader.¡±


    "This is the most secure method, it minimizes risk, and conserves Spiritual Power


    The others watched Mo Hua silently, their admiration growing.


    "Shall we get started now?¡± Cheng Mo whispered.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet


    Cheng Mo was startled, ¡°You¡¯re not done?¡±


    Mo Hua took out the Thousand Jun Stick and asked Hao Xuan, ¡°Do you know how to use a blackjack?¡±


    Hao Xuan shook his head honestly, ¡°No


    "I¡¯ll teach you!¡± Mo Hua said patiently, ¡°You have good movement skills, light on your feet, suited for blackjack attacks


    "This stick has the Thousand Jun Formation inscribed on it.¡±


    "You need to approach quietly, activate the formation, and then take them by surprise


    ¡­


    After teaching him, Mo Hua asked Hao Xuan, ¡°Did you get all that?¡±


    Hao Xuan nodded blankly, ¡°I got it


    Mo Hua patted his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the first time is always hard, you¡¯ll get used to it


    Hao Xuan was somewhat dazed.


    Mo Hua then addressed Situ Jian, ¡°Situ, apply some poison to your sword


    Situ Jian looked confused, ¡°I don¡¯t have any


    "That¡¯s alright, I brought some.¡±


    Mo Hua took out several small bottles from his Storage Bag, somewhat regretfully,


    "Poisons are hard to come by, especially the potent ones. The Taoist Court regulates them, and the Sects don¡¯t allow refining. We¡¯ll have to make do with simpler ¡®paralyzing¡¯ poisons


    Mo Hua then said to Yang Qianjun,


    "Brother Yang, you should also coat your spear with some poison


    c.


    Yang Qianjun nodded with mixed feelings.


    "Yi Li, do you know how to use the Drowning Throat-Sealing Skill? When you kill, use Water Spiritual Power to seal the throat to prevent the victim from screaming out loud


    "And Cheng Mo, take this root and bite on it, that way you won¡¯t yell when you¡¯re chopping down on someone


    "Just aim for the forehead, one axe blow to kill, and that¡¯s it


    ¡­


    Finally, Cheng Mo couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, his eyelid twitching, he muttered lowly,


    "Mo Hua¡­ have you¡­ ever been a bandit before? Regularly ¡®robbing and killing¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua glared at him, seriously saying,


    "Don¡¯t talk nonsense! I am a good disciple of Taixu Gate, a law-abiding good cultivator!¡±


    Situ Jian and the others were clearly skeptical.


    Mo Hua, not wanting them to dwell on this, then said, sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let¡¯s move!¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others nodded.


    Dealing with these black-clothed people and rescuing the kidnapped cultivators was the top priority.


    If the means were ¡°dirty¡±, then so be it.


    They had no choice, it was all because Junior Brother had led them astray¡­


    ¡­


    In front of the abandoned Refinery Shop.


    The two gatekeeper black-clothed individuals were still hiding in the shadows.


    If one wasn¡¯t careful, approaching rashly would likely lead to being discovered and would alert these human traffickers.


    The six of Mo Hua¡¯s group approached stealthily.


    Taking advantage of the moment when the two black-clothed individuals had their backs turned, Hao Xuan made his move first.


    Wearing the Water Concealing Jade and using the Wind-System Movement Skill, he silently approached one of them from behind.


    Then, hoisting the Thousand Jun Stick, he struck, with a ¡°clang¡±, on the back of one of the black-clothed individual¡¯s heads.


    The black-clothed person staggered suddenly from the blow, seeing stars, his footing unsteady.


    Before he could react, Situ Jian propelled the poisoned Li Fire Sword and pierced through his heart meridian.


    The poison paralyzed his meridians, preventing him from moving for a short time.


    The other black-clothed individual, sensing the commotion, just turned around when Mo Hua locked him down with the Water Prison Technique.


    Yang Qianjun¡¯s long-prepared thrust shot through the air, piercing through his chest.


    The black-clothed individual opened his mouth trying to scream, but Yi Li quickly followed Mo Hua¡¯s earlier instructions, using the ¡°Drowning Throat-Sealing Skill¡± with Water Spiritual Power to seal the black-clothed person¡¯s throat, silencing his cries.


    Although the technique was obscure, Yi Li came from the Yi family, a family with a background in Spell arts, and even though he wasn¡¯t adept at it, he could still make use of it.


    Then everyone else followed up with their own finishing moves, either with blades or spells.

 Chapter 1055: Leading Astray (3)

    Chapter 1055: Chapter 666: Leading Astray_3


    Chapter 1055 -666: Leading Astray_3


    The two black-clad gatekeepers had been effortlessly and silently taken down.


    The process was quite easy.


    Cheng Mo and the others were somewhat stunned.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, ¡°Continue


    Next was a large man in black in the corridor.


    This large man was heavily built and full of Blood Qi, clearly a Body Refinement cultivator.


    Mo Hua handed the ¡°Water Concealing Jade¡± to Cheng Mo.


    Cheng Mo remembered Mo Hua¡¯s instructions, clenched a tree branch in his mouth¡ªit was awkward, but he still stealthily walked towards the big man.


    However, Cheng Mo¡¯s Divine Sense was not strong and he lacked experience in concealment; within four steps of the big man, he was detected.


    The large man in black glared furiously.


    "Who


    Mo Hua immediately said, ¡°Yi Li!¡±


    Yi Li, quick to react, used the ¡°Drowning Throat-Sealing Skill¡± to block the big man¡¯s throat, sealing the rest of his words in his mouth.


    At the same time, Mo Hua quickly immobilized the big man¡¯s form with the Water Prison Technique.


    Cheng Mo also immediately made his move, his Blood Qi swirling around him, raising his twin axes that had a layer of mountain-splitting force condensed on them.


    Out of habit, Cheng Mo wanted to shout loudly.


    But since he was biting on a tree branch, he couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    Feeling like a spirited horse fitted with a bridle, Cheng Mo, filled with frustration, channeled all his strength into his axes and forcefully chopped down.


    The axes came down, bringing with them the force of mountain-splitting, deeply cutting into the back of the large man in black, carving out two deep bloody marks and even exposing his ribs.


    Subsequently, Situ Jian used Sword Control, Yang Qianjun followed up with a spear.


    Together, they completely subdued the Body Refinement cultivator in black.


    Mo Hua sneakily added a Fireball Technique to ensure peace of mind.


    Sixteen black-clad traffickers were now down by three.


    At that moment, Hao Xuan seemed to think of something and asked Mo Hua,


    "Should we keep a alive to check their identities?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and slightly shook his head, ¡°No need


    "Now that the enemy outnumbers us, our movements must be ruthless, we cannot afford to keep prisoners, as it may lead to complications.¡±


    "When we have an absolute advantage, then we can consider keeping prisoners.¡±


    Situ Jian and the others nodded in agreement.


    Afterwards, the group duplicated the tactic, using the terrain of the abandoned Refinery Shop for cover, cooperating with each other to take down the black-clad Cultivators one by one.


    Before realizing it, out of the sixteen black-clad Cultivators, only four remained.


    These four were near the final hall.


    Outside the hall were three at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, and inside the hall, one was at the Foundation Building Middle Stage; the other abducted Cultivators were also inside the hall.


    Mo Hua initially wanted to set up a Formation and dispatch all four simultaneously.


    But with abducted ¡°hostages¡± inside, such brusqueness wasn¡¯t viable.


    After resting for a while, taking some Pills, and sitting in meditation to restore some Spiritual Power, they began the final ¡°hard fight.¡±


    Kill the four men in black and rescue the abducted Cultivators.


    Six versus four, their side had the numerical advantage.


    But the other side had one at the Foundation Building Middle Stage.


    And this Foundation Building Middle Stage individual was an unknown factor; it was unclear what techniques he possessed. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses all its force.


    Mo Hua originally intended to play it safe, eliminate the three outside first, then all six would handle the Foundation Building Middle Stage leader inside.


    But inside were ¡°hostages.¡±


    If a fight broke out, and these black-clad Cultivators became desperate and started ¡°tearing the ticket,¡± that would be bad.


    "I¡¯ll sneak in and have a look


    Mo Hua whispered.


    He planned to sneak in and with a ¡°Mini Meteorite Skill,¡± dispatch the Foundation Building Middle Stage leader.


    This was a simple and efficient plan to completely resolve the situation.


    Meanwhile, the other five were also assigned their roles, to tackle the other three at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    Kill two first, then focus on the last one.


    This way, even if they failed to take down the leader inside, they would have cleared the area outside.


    Situ Jian expressed his concern, ¡°Mo Hua, isn¡¯t it too dangerous for you to go in alone?¡±


    "No worries,¡± Mo Hua said casually, ¡°My Concealment Technique is good, just going in to take a look.¡±


    Then, after thinking for a moment, Mo Hua instructed, ¡°After I go in, if there¡¯s no movement inside, don¡¯t act yet


    "But at the slightest sign of activity, you must strike immediately and take down the three outside.¡±


    "Alright!¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others nodded.


    Having agreed on the plan, Mo Hua gradually became invisible in front of everyone, without leaving a trace.


    Whether it was flesh, Spiritual Power, or Divine Thought Aura, all disappeared.


    Everyone was shocked.


    "There¡¯s truly¡­ no trace at all


    "What kind of Concealment Technique is this?¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others looked at each other, somewhat in disbelief.


    On the other side, Mo Hua, concealed, bypassed the three patrolling black-clad men outside the hall and stealthily entered the hall.


    The hall inside was drafty and dilapidated.


    In the corner, indeed, there were several bags and boxes where the abducted Cultivators were hidden.


    And the black-clad leader was in the center of the hall.


    Mo Hua squinted and frowned.


    This black-clad leader was acting very strangely.


    He knelt on the ground, seemingly in devout worship, mumbling something, but his words were unclear and he rambled incoherently, incomprehensible.


    "No matter¡­ Let¡¯s dispatch him first


    Mo Hua gently stepped forward, slowly approaching behind the black-clad leader.


    Just then, a blood-colored phantom suddenly appeared on the leader.


    This phantom was between reality and illusion, blood-colored, with a long neck and horns on its head, and a fierce appearance.


    It looked like¡­ an Evil Thoughts Demon Monster.


    After the phantom appeared, it turned its head, its blood-red eyes staring fixedly at Mo Hua, who was hidden.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils constricted.


    At the same time, the kneeling, worshipping black-clad leader shuddered violently, and suddenly turned around, looking in Mo Hua¡¯s direction in the Void, and exclaimed fiercely:


    "Who?!¡±

 Chapter 1056: Sent Over

    Chapter 1056: Chapter 667 Sent Over


    Chapter 1056 -667 Sent Over S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression shook, and he immediately turned into a streak of water light, quickly retreating.


    Simultaneously, the black-clothed leader¡¯s eyes chilled, he drew his Spirit Sword, and struck out a sword light toward the Mo Hua covered by a water shadow.


    Mo Hua accelerated his escape technique and retreated another step.


    The sword light was a step too slow, striking in front of Mo Hua and shattering the bricks and stones on the ground.


    The fluctuation of spiritual power inside the hall drew the attention of Cheng Mo and others outside.


    They remembered Mo Hua¡¯s instruction,


    "As soon as there is any movement, act immediately.¡±


    Hao Xuan used the Wind-System Movement Skill, moving as fast as the wind, and immediately reached behind a black-clothed man in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, raised the Thousand Jun Stick, and smashed it down fiercely.


    Caught off guard, the black-clothed man suffered a heavy blow to the head, blood gushed out, and he felt dizzy and swollen.


    Cheng Mo, with a twig in his mouth, silent as ever, pounced like a fierce tiger, raising two large axes, and cleaved directly onto the black-clothed man¡¯s forehead.


    This black-clothed man died instantly.


    Another black-clothed man nearby, sensing the commotion and wanting to help, was instead struck in the shoulder by a spear thrust like a dragon from Yang Qianjun, who had been lying in ambush.


    Situ Jian controlled the Li Fire Sword and pierced through his lower abdomen.


    Then, the two of them continued their assault together.


    The black-clothed man was still struggling, but after three exchanges, he was jointly killed by Yang Qianjun and Situ Jian.


    Now, outside the hall, only one last black-clothed man remained.


    He was farther away, and when he sensed the fluctuation of spiritual power and rushed over, the other two black-clothed accomplices had already died.


    The color drained from this black-clothed man¡¯s face, and he turned to run.


    Yi Li gathered his energy for a moment and raised his hand to form an Earth Prison Skill, trapping him.


    Cheng Mo and the other three immediately pounced to attack and, with axes, swords, spears, and sticks launched simultaneously, they took care of the last black-clothed man.


    When Mo Hua emerged from the hall, the outside was completely cleared.


    This group of black-clothed human traffickers, except for the middle-stage Foundation Building leader, had been completely wiped out.


    Simultaneously, the black-clothed leader also came out.


    As soon as he stepped out of the door, he saw his last black-clothed brother dying under the siege of Cheng Mo and the others.


    Turning his head, he saw bodies lying haphazardly in various places, well-hidden and not easily noticed.


    His Divine Sense swept over, and the vast abandoned Artifact Refining shop was sparsely breathed, permeated with an eerie silence.


    The black-clothed leader was visibly shaken, disbelieving.


    So many of his men, so many of his brothers, just died unnoticed¡­ all of them?!


    A surge of anger rose in his chest, and he glared at Cheng Mo and the others, shouting fiercely,


    "You bunch of runts! Who sent you here?¡±


    He refused to believe that just these few Sect Disciples in the early stage of Foundation Establishment had managed to wipe out his ten-plus brothers.


    In that instant, he recalled the invisible Cultivator who had spied on him inside the hall earlier.


    Concealment Technique?


    The black-clothed leader frowned.


    He looked around but saw no sign of that hidden cultivator.


    It seemed that person, having been exposed, had used the Water System Body Skill to escape and then applied the Concealment Technique to hide their presence.


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s eyes darkened.


    In his brief glance earlier, he saw only a splash of water light and didn¡¯t see the true form of the hidden individual.


    But someone who could learn and skillfully use the Concealment Technique must be a cunning and seasoned cultivator.


    Not a hundred years old, at least two hundred.


    "A crafty cultivator showing only the tip of the iceberg, and five young beasts just entered the Sect, killed more than ten of my brothers


    The black-clothed leader drew a standard-issue Spirit Sword, his aura rising around him, his voice icy cold.


    "I want you all buried with them!¡±


    The black-clothed leader, with a middle-phase Foundation Building cultivation, possessed a profound and imposing aura.


    Cheng Mo and his four companions had serious expressions, but being proud talents of heaven, they were unwilling to admit defeat.


    Cheng Mo spat out the twig Mo Hua had instructed him to keep in his mouth and shouted, ¡°You beast, die!¡± and then charged forward, swinging his axe to strike.


    The other four attacked together.


    Yang Qianjun wielded his spear fiercely, attacking head-on with Cheng Mo.


    Situ Jian supported with the Li Fire Sword.


    Yi Li and Hao Xuan coordinated from the outside.


    The five encircled him, cooperating reasonably well with each other, involving close combat, ranged attacks, body cultivation, and spiritual cultivation.


    Axes, swords, and long spears crisscrossed.


    Spells flew around.


    For a moment, the black-clothed leader was actually suppressed.


    His expression remained cold, but he was inwardly shocked.


    "These kids have some skills and are quite ruthless


    "It might be troublesome to kill them.¡±


    "Besides, there¡¯s a cunning, experienced Invisible Cultivator watching, who hasn¡¯t made a move yet


    The black-clothed leader pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly turned cold, he parried Cheng Mo¡¯s huge axe with a sword, pushed back Yang Qianjun with a palm, and turned to walk into the hall.


    His eyes harbored murderous intent.


    Situ Jian realized immediately, exclaiming,


    "He¡¯s going to kill those Cultivators who were kidnapped to silence them!¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others also changed their expressions drastically and attempted to stop the black-clothed leader, but they were a step too slow.


    The black-clothed leader sneered, casting a contemptuous glance at everyone.


    His cultivation was higher, and his movement technique was faster, allowing him to step into the hall first.


    But as soon as his foot touched the ground, the floor lit up, Formation Patterns activated, and a crimson fire outlined a complex Formation Diagram.


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s eyes suddenly widened in alarm.


    "Formation¡­ Formation?!¡±


    Seeing the dazzling red light, with spiritual power circulating within the Formation,


    In the nick of time, the black-clothed leader quickly withdrew his foot, activated a protective Rune, and turned his back to the Formation.


    Then, the fire erupted, and a loud rumbling sound ensued.

 Chapter 1057: Delivered (2)

    Chapter 1057: Chapter 667 Delivered_2


    Chapter 1057 -667 Delivered_2


    A surge of intense Fire Spiritual Power burst out in an instant, the fluctuations shaking the surroundings.


    The leader in black was directly hurled back several meters, half-kneeling on the ground, dragging a trail of blood across the floor.


    The Runes protecting him were shattered, his meridians scorched by the Fire Spiritual Power, leaving large burns.


    Cheng Mo and the others were greatly alarmed.


    The leader in black spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    How could there be a Formation?


    He had just passed the entrance of the hall not long ago¡­


    Who could have set up such a powerful Formation in such a short time without him noticing?


    And how did they know that he would definitely return to eliminate the witnesses?


    Was it¡­


    That Hidden cultivator? S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The pressure in the leader¡¯s heart suddenly mounted, and his complexion turned somewhat pale.


    Cheng Mo and the other four, seeing the explosion of the Formation, were somewhat dazed, but soon their spirits lifted when they saw the leader in black injured by it.


    Without another word, Cheng Mo, wielding two axes, charged towards the leader in black.


    Yang Qianjun and Situ Jian followed closely behind.


    The leader in black spat out, cursing inwardly.


    "Dammit, I was careless, fell right into their trap


    He parried with his long sword against Cheng Mo¡¯s huge axe, glanced back at the hall, and saw the entrance blocked by fallen rocks due to the Formation¡¯s explosion, making it impossible to enter for the time being, which irritated him.


    "Can¡¯t eliminate the witnesses now


    "Since that¡¯s the case


    With a cold laugh, the leader in black declared, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to kill you all!¡±


    As he spoke, his eyes suddenly turned murky and dark.


    A filthy, black Demonic Qi emerged from nowhere, enveloping his entire body and then attaching to the standard-issue Spirit Sword in his hand.


    The leader in black¡¯s entire demeanor became ghastly and terrifying, heavy with Demonic Qi.


    "Has he become demon-possessed?¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others¡¯ expressions changed.


    Mo Hua, who had been hiding and plotting in secret, also frowned slightly, finding it very strange.


    True is true, demon is demon.


    The essence of Spiritual Power and Demonic Qi are fundamentally different.


    The other men in black had merely taken Evil Pills or their flesh was corrupted by Demonic Aura upon death, which gave them a hint of demonic presence.


    But this leader in black was different.


    When he initially attacked, the Spiritual Power in his body was pure, with not a trace of the Demon Path.


    But now, how could his Spiritual Power suddenly turn demonic?


    "Something¡¯s eerie


    "And that blood-red Demon Monster shadow on him earlier, what was it?¡±


    "It could see through my Concealment Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened.


    Meanwhile, after becoming demonized, the leader in black had begun fighting fiercely with Cheng Mo and the others.


    His Spiritual Power had become tainted yet stronger.


    The Demonic Qi winding around the Spirit Sword was like virulent poison, carrying a black corruptive force.


    The pressure on Cheng Mo and his group suddenly increased.


    Direct confrontation became exceedingly difficult, each collision with the Demonic Qi-entwined Spirit Sword causing Cheng Mo and Yang Qianjun¡¯s Blood Qi to churn violently.


    Once injured by the leader¡¯s Sword Qi, the Demonic Qi would enter their bodies, gradually eroding their meridians and contaminating their Blood Qi.


    Thus, they had to be extremely cautious during the fight.


    Luckily, the leader had previously been injured by Mo Hua¡¯s Formation, which weakened him; otherwise, the situation would have been much more dire.


    Mo Hua observed quietly for a long time, shaking his head silently and sighing.


    "It¡¯s difficult to fight now


    In the midst of the chaotic battle, with friends and foes intermingled, it was not easy to set up another Formation.


    Otherwise, it could accidentally harm his allies, causing Cheng Mo and Situ Jian to be caught in the explosion too.


    Moreover, the leader in black, having been duped and injured by a Formation already, had become cautious; using another Formation to trap him again wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Mo Hua silently considered:


    Five Elements Source Formation¡­


    Cheng Mo and Yang Qianjun practiced Body Cultivation; exchanging blows with the leader, their movements fluid and never stationary.


    It¡¯s pointless to count on Hao Xuan, who would be lucky just to escape.


    Yi Li and Situ Jian could be tried, but Cheng Mo might not be able to keep the leader occupied.


    Should Yi Li and Situ Jian get attacked abruptly by the leader while boosted by the Five Elements and gathering energy, they would be severely injured, if not killed.


    As for using Spells¡­


    The Water Prison Technique could restrain but only for a moment; it wouldn¡¯t solve much.


    Cheng Mo and the others were limited in their Cultivation and couldn¡¯t bring a swift resolve to the fight.


    The Meteor Fire Forbidden Art¡­ required close proximity to use.


    Approaching under such circumstances was far too dangerous.


    Mo Hua was hesitant to take this risk.


    Moreover, what complicated matters further was that Mo Hua couldn¡¯t afford to prolong this¡­


    Although Cheng Mo and the others were talented and decently inherited, they were merely novices, lacking experience and only at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    If the leader were to use some last-resort move and suddenly lash out, Cheng Mo and his group might all be in mortal peril.


    Even just wearing them down was risky under the threatening Demonic Qi; Cheng Mo and his friends couldn¡¯t hold out for long.


    Continuing like this, a mistake was inevitable.


    Once a mistake was made, they would either be severely injured or killed.


    Mo Hua sighed, reflecting to himself:


    "In battles of magic and combat, one ideally needs a ¡®front line¡¯ to blend in effectively


    In previous missions, Senior Brother Feng and Shangguan Senior Brother were always at the forefront, bearing the brunt of the pressure.


    And Senior Sister Murong and Qianqian Senior Sister, with their strong Cultivation and aggressive techniques, played crucial roles.


    In evenly matched battles, a slight edge from a control Spell could change the flow and secure victory.


    The same was true during engagements with Fire Buddha.


    With Uncle Gu, a Golden Core Cultivator, at the front, taking on the full brunt of Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Forbidden Art¡¯s power.